Home-made Larabars!

I have a confession to make.. I have a slight obsession with Larabars. I love pretty much every flavor that they make, but let's be honest, they can get pretty expensive at almost $1 per bar!! So the other day when I was browsing on Pinterest, I saw a few healthy bar recipes and it convinced me to try my hand at making my own! So here goes, hope you enjoy!

Homemade Larabar Recipe:

1 1/2 cups pitted dates

4 tbsp. cocoa powder

1 pinch sea salt

1 tsp vanilla extract 

2 tbsp coconut oil

1 cup walnuts

Blend all together in the blender, slowly at first and then speed up. You will need to keep mixing and pushing down until it blends into a cookie batter like consistency. 

Put into a casserole dish and place in freezer for about 20-25 minutes. Cut into pieces & enjoy! I keep these refrigerated.

Even my picky husband loves these! Not to mention, they are really quick and easy to make. You can also add extra ingredients such as cinnamon, chocolate chips, raisins, etc. If you make some, let me know how yours turns out!

Working towards my Goals!!

Life has been crazy lately, but in a good way. We have been working hard this year so that we can leave 2016 with a bang! 123 days left to work on those goals!

So my main goals to finish by the end of this year are:

1.) Reach my happy size- I don't care what the scale number or clothing size is, I just want to look and feel amazing! Muscle ways more than fat- seriously, just look at the photo below to see my point! Seeing this has seriously changed my mindset from focusing on numbers to focusing instead of being healthy and toned!

I recently switched from the Ketogenic diet back to the Whole 30, only because I just can't keep up with eating so much fat each meal. Also, because I was really missing eating my fruit and the Keto diet discourages eating too many fruits.

via mysweatlife

2.) Finish the house construction! The only thing remaining is the interior trim, kitchen backsplash, well house and the concrete pour for the drive for the garage. We do want to also work on landscaping later and another project that we want to work on is to do pallet walls for our garage + some organization.

3.) Clean some more in the Garage- I have really focused on decluttering this year and have gotten rid of SO much! But I do still have a few things that I would like to go through and sell on swap and shop. I'm a little OCD when it comes to being organized, so I'm not your typical person. I just want everything to have a place.

4.) Possibly trade in owning a business for a 9-5 I have to be honest, I miss having paid vacations, sick leave, etc. When you're the boss, you don't get paid for the hours you work or the time off that you take which can be a huge downside.I never thought I would want to go back to a 9-5, but after running my own business for almost a year, I really don't think it's for me. And that's okay, I'm very glad that I followed my dreams and honestly I have learned so many new things that I can apply to my new job! (I will talk more about my decision/reasons in a future blog post).

5.) Fit in 1-2 more weekend vacays and relax some. We do have a December week long trip planned, but we have been working so hard that we need some mini-breaks.

6.) Girls Shopping Trip!  Once we reach our fitness goals, my sister and I are planning a shopping trip for possibly this November. I'm so ready to go shopping for some cute clothes! Honestly, I haven't bought much all year because I have not been happy with my weight.It's the one thing that really motivates me to get up early and work out every day!

Here are some things that I have been working on the last couple of weeks to work towards our goals!

>> Successfully completed HIIT workouts every day of the week! On my 4th week of working out without missing a day!
>> Eliminated dairy products starting last Wednesday- I want to see if it helps me in my weight loss, allergies + toning
>> Added social media share icons to my Blog (feel free to share via social media, email!)
>> Hubby fixed the 2 deck caps
>> I painted behind the deck columns and touched up the base trim + touched up 2 last areas
>> Finished painting all of the house + windows!!! If we ever build again- it definitely needs to be a single story or have someone else paint it- I'm so over painting!
>> Listened to some amazing sermons last week & had a clarity moment which helped me so much!
>> Have been working the past 2 Saturdays & made some extra money working with the hubby to put in ceiling & wall project for my brother

I also may have some very good news on one of our huge goals that may be coming to pass soon!! I have been doing so much praying over our future this year and leaving everything in God's hands. I know that God is working on things, even when we can't see it! I honestly am beyond excited to finish 2016 off strong and start the new year with an amazing start!

BulletProof Coffee + Accomplishments this Week

Wow, this week certainly did fly by fast, right?! This week, for me has been pretty productive. I have had my high energy days and some not so much. I am on Day 8 of my new diet, The Ketogenic Diet and some days I'm running around with so much energy and some days I am exhausted from the detox. I have lost 8 lbs so far on this diet! I'm hoping to get to my goal weight within the next week and I plan on rewarding myself with some retail therapy!

I have also noticed that my allergies are much better and I haven't had issues with anxiety or depression since I have been on the diet, so that is a huge improvement. I have been so excited about it that I have been telling all of my family about it and how much this way of eating, has helped me. Also, I post free books weekly on my Book Club- The Book Clique and I posted a couple of free downloads for the Ketogenic diet if you are interested! Make sure you follow so that you get access to free kindle books every week!

The one thing that has really helped me get through this week is the BulletProof Coffee that I told you guys about last week- that stuff is amazing! When I'm feeling tired, it really gives me so much energy to get the things that I need to get done. I have really been taking advantage of my high energy days and getting quite a few things knocked out.

Business Updates:
>> Applied for a few affiliate programs to help monetize my blog
>> Updated my Blog Media Kit
>> Emailed some companies about collaborations
>> Emailed over 35 free copies of my VA eBook in exchange for Amazon Reviews (I also sold several copies in the last week- woohoo!!)
>> Pitched an article to HARO. The source was from the Huffington Post, so I'm hoping that it gets published!
>> Updated my business website
>> Emailed several readers for new reviews on my Facebook for my VA eBook
>> Lowered my VA eBook price from $9.99 to $7.99 so that I can reach more people. I know that it's worth so much more, but I'm more interested in helping others achieve their dreams of working from home, like I have!

House Updates:
>> Touched up Paint in a couple of rooms
>> Repaired a DIY piece that the hubby and I made together. I plan on hanging it this weekend!
>> Hubby did some caulking on the interior trim to get it ready for me to paint
>> Re-arranged the deck

Personal:
>> Made Hair appointment for next week
>> Actually took some downtime and had a spa day at home. I need to do that more often!
>> Made Dentist appointment for next week
>> Daily- listen to sermons, exercise via speed-walking/water aerobics
>> I finally bit the bullet & joined SnapChat! You can follow me @malpollard The hubby and I have been having so much fun with it!!
>> Also helped my Mom in the past 2 months do some de-cluttering and cleaning. She is always so giving and helping everyone else so it was nice to help her for once.
>> My brother's house burned down a couple of months ago so my hubby went to help with my other brothers to re-build their pool house. They worked for almost 13 hours straight and was able to get it fully framed! So excited for them after going through such a tragedy.

And as always, my regular domestic duties around the house- dishes, laundry, cleaning and cooking. Right now, I have to do everything all on my own, but one day I plan on hiring a housekeeper. I think for going through a week of detox, this is not a bad list of accomplishments. Just think of all that I could accomplish after getting over this detox period! I can't wait to see how much better I feel once I get through this period.

Let me know if this post helps you or inspires you so that I can do more posts like these. I always want to share my tips so I can help you feel your very best & have the best life possible! For me, life is about giving back & when you find something amazing- share it with the world and help others.

I'll be back soon with more fun updates! Happy early Friday!

xoxo, M

Fitness Goals + Bulletproof Coffee!

Happy Friday!! This has been a really great week for me because I am finally seeing some results from all of the hard work that I've been putting into my workouts and healthy eating! Currently, I have lost about 5 lbs so far and I feel like I have more energy. Getting to my goal weight + toned is on my 2016 Goals/Vision Board so I plan on getting it accomplished!

My "whys" for reaching my goal weight:

>> Look good in everything!

>> Have more energy

>> Get rid of food allergies, intolerances

>> Feel confident & secure in my own skin

>>Self-love, stop being so hard on myself!

>> Look amazing for my hubby!

>> Summer- look amazing in my swimsuit!

I have been swimming almost every day and speed-walking for about 1 hour per day. I have decreased my HIIT workouts from 4-5 to about 2-3 times per week. I just started a new eating plan that I am so excited about that I want to share with you guys!

It's called the Ketogenic diet and it's been around forever but lately I have been seeing bulletproof coffee on Instagram, etc. A diet based around drinking coffee definitely piqued my interest! I downloaded a couple of Ketogenic Kindle books and did some research online and it seems like a really great diet! 

 

via Cafe Gras 

Thursday was Day 1 and it was rough because I completely eliminated all sugar and carbs. Usually, I eat some carbs and sugar on a daily basis, so not having any, really put my body into detox shock!

Here's Day 1 on Keto:

Breakfast:

7:45 Bulletproof coffee for Breakfast

9:00 Bulletproof coffee

10:00 1 organic fried egg, handful organic sauteed greens & 1/2 chicken sausage

Basically, to make the bulletproof coffee, you need 1 cup organic coffee, 1 tablespoon of whipping cream (preferably organic, grass-fed), 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. (I actually only 1/2 tbsp of butter). You blend all of these ingredients together in a blender or with a hand-held frother. Don't add any sugar! I found that it tastes so good on it's own, that I don't even miss the sugar. There are other specific products that you can buy to enhance your coffee, but I decided to start my Keto diet on a budget to see how it works before I invest too much.

I made the mistake of taking all of my vitamins at once and walked for about 10 minutes. I started to feel nauseous so I went back inside and hydrated with lots of lemon water. I can definitely feel the detox today. I haven't been without sugar or carbs all day, like ever!

Lunch:

2 organic boiled eggs with 1/2 avocado, olive oil, sea salt

Snack: 

Bulletproof coffee

I did eat some grapes and almonds (the grapes were a no-no but I started feeling nauseous and needed something with sugar in it)

I felt better after another bulletproof coffee and a snack, so I speed-walked for about 35 minutes and felt okay this time. Once the hubby got home, we headed over to the pool and went swimming for an hour. We literally exercised the entire time. I can really tell that the swimming exercises are toning my muscles, which I'm really excited about!

Dinner:

Huge Kale & Romaine salad with organic chicken & Greek vinaigrette dressing with grated Parmesan

Snack:

1/2 of Paleo Grass-Fed Bar

Day 2 on Keto:

I feel so much better this morning! For breakfast I had 2 cups of bulletproof coffee and 1/2 of a Grass-fed Paleo Bar, 1/2 chicken sausage and 3 oz. of raw cheese. I convinced my hubby to try my Bulletproof coffee this morning and he liked it! 

I'm really feeling excited about the Keto diet, because I have dealt with so many issues with food intolerance and allergies in the past couple of years. I haven't found anything that has helped so I'm really hoping that this is the answer. It would be so amazing to wake up every morning and feel normal and not like I was ran over by a mac truck! 

I'll keep you guys updated on everything and I will be back in a day or two with an amazing brand that you are going to love! (At least I really do!)

Have you tried bulletproof coffee yet?

Go Raw Snack Review

    

Recently, I connected with Lindsay at Go Raw to collaborate on doing a review on some of their raw snacks. If you've been following me for a while, you know that I like to try to eat healthy 95% of the time. Lately, I've been working on incorporating more raw, whole foods into my diet, so these snacks are perfect!

I also love these snacks because I am able to eat them even with all of my food allergies! They are gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free as well as vegan and no yucky genetically modified ingredients.

 The carrot cake sprouted cookies was one of my favorites! Just a handful was perfect for a pre-workout or even post workout.

 The first bar that I tried was the raisin crunch. I'm a big fan of raisins, so I was excited to try out this one! It was really delicious and I liked how chewy it was. It was not overly sweet like most of the packaged bars in the stores.

 The bars are loaded with lots of healthy sprouted grains like buckwheat groats, sunflower seeds, flax seeds, sesame seeds.This bar had 6 grams of fiber and 6 grams of protein.

Seriously, look at how huge this bar is! I put one of my books next to the bar,so that you can see the comparison. I took a few bites for a snack & I plan on saving the rest for later. I'm excited to have these to snack on, especially with summer right around the corner!

 Honestly, the raw chocolate was my favorite- I'm a chocolate lover! It was extremely creamy and rich. Perfect for an after dinner dessert.

 Loved these coconut crisps- light and delicious!

These went perfectly with my hummus. They had a really good flavor!

You can find any of these snacks in the Go Raw Online Store. I love how reasonable their prices are as well; all of their snacks are very affordable. If you're wanting to eat healthier and get in shape for the summer- these are the perfect snacks to get you started.

Disclaimer: I was not financially compensated for this post. I received a sample for review purposes. These opinions are completely my own based on my personal experience.

Ready for Summer!!

Happy Thursday lovies! It's almost Friday- yay!! The weather is finally starting to warm up here in Georgia and I for one, could not be more excited about it! I love the feel of sunshine on my face- goodbye cold weather! 

Summer is my favorite time of the year- I'm so looking forward to relaxing at the beach and catching up on some reading! Today I decided that it was time that I get my butt in gear and start running & eating healthy, drink more h20, etc! So in order to keep myself accountable, I plan on coming here and keeping you guys updated on how my new healthy lifestyle is coming along.

This morning I ran for 30 minutes and plan on running 30 more minutes with the hubby this afternoon. I noticed that it was really easy to start downing much more h20 while running- who knew! Running has also given me that extra pep in my step and I love how it helps to clear my head. I am super excited about getting healthy + losing the 6 lbs that I gained over the holidays + losing an extra 5 or so more. I plan on adding in lots of green juices, raw foods and salads back into my diet.

I'm cutting back on dairy, sugar, meats and alcohol. The best eating plan that I tend to lean towards is the Paleo and the Whole 30 Plan + Gluten Free but I usually do my eating plan without so much protein. Pork is definitely the worst protein and I don't even like it in our household- it's super unhealthy & loaded with artery clogging fats!! 

 photo via shopstyle

Who else is excited for Summer? Are you starting a healthy eating plan already or starting soon?