Tips for Sleep

Good morning! I hope that you got a good nights rest last night. I have been feeling a little more tired lately because I started working out again after our vacation. I worked out one day while on vacation and we walked a ton, but I’m getting back into my usual six workouts a week schedule.

Today, I thought it would be beneficial to our health if we spent some time talking about the importance of sleep and ways to get more of it.

(source)

This article on Health.com covers 11 different benefits from getting a good nights sleep. I encourage you to read it, but have also highlighted the points below:

Benefits from getting a full night’s sleep:

1. Improved memory

2. Possible longer life  & more importantly, higher quality of life

3. Curbed inflammation

4. Heightened creativity

5. Improved athletic performance

6. Higher grades in school

7. Sharper attention

8. Healthier weigh

9. Lower stress level

10. Lowered risk of car accidenent

11. Lower risk of depression

What is a full night’s sleep? It differers from person to person. Some people may require only 5-6 hours a night, while others need a good 8-9. Experiment by keeping track of how many hours of sleep you get each night over the course of a week or two and keep track of when you feel your best. This is your bodies optimum nightly sleep requirement.

I don’t sleep as well when Blake’s off working, so I have made up a little night time routine that helps me fall asleep much faster. I eat my dinner earlier than I used to (6 or 7 instead of my preferred 8 or 9.) I clean up the kitchen, prep my meals and coffee for the following morning and then work on the computer for a little bit. Around 9 o’clock I’ll make a cup of decaf tea or mix up a serving of the calcium-magnesium drink, Calm.

I have made a promise to myself to turn off the computer and go to bed to read at this time. I sip my tea or Calm drink while reading in bed. Right before I turn my light off around 10 or 10:30, I’ll take Layla potty so she doesn’t wake me up in the middle of the night. Blake is usually able to call around that time, so we’ll say good night and then I’ll drift off to sleep. It all sounds so peaceful doesn’t it?

Not watching TV before bed, keeping the lights dim in our bedroom and reading for an hour before I turn my light off are the easiest ways for me to fall asleep early at night. If I get started on a Bravo TV marathon, there’s no way I’ll stop watching! These tips work for me. I encourage you to play around with techniques that help you fall asleep faster at night.

Here’s another Health.com article that gives 7 Tips for the Best Sleep Ever.

Are you sleepy yet? What are some of your tips for getting a good night’s sleep? Please let me know!

Weekend Re-Cap Challenge Days 34 & 35

Good morning! I am so excited to report that I will be driving to Portland today to go pick up Blake from his mom’s house (if he gets one of his appointments moved around.)

This weekend was beautiful in central Oregon. Layla and I took full advantage of the weather by going for walks and hikes outside on the butte behind our house.

I gave myself an at-home facial and spa night Saturday night. I had to take full advantage of my last Saturday night at home by myself for awhile. I even played relaxing spa music on my iPad and lit candles next to the bath tub.

My eats were clean, lean and green. I made tuna fish, egg salad with some artichoke antipasto that I had in the fridge. After our hike Sunday morning, I made a mexican egg scramble with eggs, black beans, bell peppers, onions, lettuce, avocado and pepper jack Daya cheese and topped it with Chilpotle Cholula hot sauce. My Sunday afternoon idea to put chia seeds into my bottle of kombucha was kind of a fail. I’ve had one of the Kombucha brand’s chia seed concoctions and thought it would be easy to replicate at home. No, the seeds just stayed at the top and didn’t want to disperse. That’s alright, I still received the health benefits from the two super foods.

After I talked to you Saturday morning, I decided to put myself on a sugar-detox. Sunday morning I made myself an almond milk latter with stevia. This morning, I poured my sugary creamer into my coffee before I was awake enough to remember that I was on a sugar-detox. Whoops!

Remember last year when I participated in the Tone It Up Bikini Challenge? It’s that time of the year again! Go sign up and join me for this year’s 8 weeks of fun fitness and health challenges. Sign up here.

Well, I’m off to get ready for work and then *hopefully* drive to Portland to pick up Blake. I’ll leave you with my thoughts from the weekend that I recorded onto YouTube last night. Feel free to subscribe to you YouTube channel here for access to all of my amazing videos.

Have a beautiful day,

Kilee

Challenge Day 33

Click Here for Yesterday’s Friday the 13th Video Check-In

Good morning! I am so energized this morning. I went to bed early, as in 9:30pm, and slept until 7:00am. I love getting long nights of rest! Layla and I already did our morning meditation, went for a coffee walk (the only way I will walk first thing in the morning is with a coffee in hand) and made a chocolate protein waffle for breakfast. It’s not even 9:00am yet! This energizer bunny has a lot to get done today. Word on the street is that Blake *might* be able to catch a redeye flight out of Anchorage late tonight. We don’t hold our breath though, because we might pass out!

I somehow survived Friday the 13th without any accidents. I’m kinda superstitious and always worry about my clumsiness being exaggerated on Friday the 13ths. It feels like yesterday was the beginning of a very exciting time around here. You know how you sometimes go through periods of boringness and then a lot of fun things are all lined up for a few weeks? That’s what it’s like for me right now. Blake is coming home for a little bit before heading up to Alaska for the Summer, the weather is starting to get warmer, I’m bumping my bikini body Challenge into overdrive because we’re going to Mexico in a few weeks and we should have some friends coming to visit too. Exciting times!

Challenge Day 33 Eats & Exercise

Breakfast: Coffee & Pineapple Lilikoi Parfait

Lunch: Curry Tempeh Wrap w/ peanut sauce

Pre-workout snack: 2 Banana Almond Coconut bites (recipe below)

Workout: 3 Tone It Up workouts from the new Beach Babe DVD

Post-workout: 8 ounces Zico Chocolate water w/ 1 scoop Vi-Shape mix

Dinner: salmon with roasted broccoli and 1/2 a sweet potato

Dessert: One funfetti mug cake w/out frosting (I reduced the egg whites to 1 1/2 Tbls & made it in a bowl)

I went to bed early and read bits and pieces from Jackie Warner’s book, “This is Why You’re Fat” & Gabrielle Bernstein’s “Add More ~ing to Your Life.” What I was reminded of last night is, I am addicted to sugar. Not just refined sugar, but the sugar that’s naturally occurring in foods like maple syrup, honey and agave. A year or so ago I drastically cut back my sugar intake, but it seems to have creeped back into my diet through cravings and my morning coffee creamer habit. I was shocked when I read that my non-dairy creamer had 6 grams of sugar per tablespoon. Jackie advises having no more than 5 grams of sugar per MEAL! I have reduced my creamer to one tablespoon per morning cup, but am starting to  reevaluate even adding it to my coffee at all. I might start steaming my unsweetened vanilla almond milk and adding a quarter cup of that to my coffee instead. I’m all about balance, but think I need to jump off of the sugar train ASAP.

Gabby (Gabrielle) reminded me about the power of manifestation and envisioning myself as already feeling like I have achieved my goals. Guess what I did for five minutes before I got out of bed this morning? Envisioned myself looking fabulous in my new green bikini on the beaches of Mexico. The sun was shining on my tanned skin. My muscles were lean and I felt amazing after my morning workout session. Sound silly? Maybe, but I’m incorporating my 5-minute morning and evening manifestations into my 2-week bikini shape-up.

Even though, I am on a 90-Day Challenge, I’m using the next two weeks before Mexico to step it up a notch and show myself how powerful I really am. I have been in “Healthy Kilee” planning mode by:

1. writing out my workokuts for the next two weeks (a mix of Insanity DVDs, Tone It Up workouts, hot yoga sessions and lots of walks with Layla.)
2. drinking tons of water and adding fresh lemon juice to some glasses.
3. prepping healthy foods like fresh cut fruits, vegetables, chicken, tempeh, quinoa, organic eggs and fish.
4. manifesting myself as already being bikini ready for Mexico.
5. telling myself positive affirmations, “you are a beach babe, you feel amazing in your bikini, you are healthy and glow from the inside out, etc.”
6. and most importantly, being grateful for all of the wonderful, inspiring people and things I already have in my life.

These steps might not be right up your ally, but they help me focus on my goals and allow me to stay in a positive mindset. Let’s just see how I look and feel in two weeks. Then we can find out if these healthy steps do help my turbo-charged 2-week bikini shape-up.

And, I’ll share my new favorite snack recipe with you. I wanted to bake some protein cookies after seeing some on Kris’ blog, but realized I didn’t have any eggs and didn’t want to go to the store, So, what’s a girl to do? I compromised and made some dehydrated bites. These babies have no refined sugar, no grains, no gluten, no eggs, no non-health food! They do have bananas, almond meal, Vi-Shape mix, coconut and vanilla stevia.

Banana Almond Coconut Bites

Makes 1 dozen bites

2 ripe medium-sized bananas, cut into chunks

1 cup almond meal (I used Trader Joe’s brand)

1/2 cup Vi-Shape mix, sweet cream flavor

1/2 cup shredded dried coconut (I used unsweetened, reduced-fat)

1 dropper full of vanilla stevia

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

In a food processor, chop the bananas. Add in the almond flour, protein powder, coconut, stevia and cinnamon. Mix until well compbined. Roll into 12 balls and place on a dehyfrator sheet. Dehydrate at 105 for 16-24 hours. I liked them at about 20 hours. They had just a little bit of gooeyness on the inside and were crisp on the outside. Try eating one or two of these about an hour before your workout. They will help you stay strong throughout your entire sweat-sesh!

Well, I’m off to clean the house, finish laundry, do an Insanity DVD, prep some healthy meals for the week and cross my fingers that Blake makes a flight back home to Oregon this weekend. Have a wonderful weekend and I’ll be back on Monday. This girl needs a morning off from blogging tomorrow.

I love you all,

Kilee

Challenge Day 29

Good morning! I want to start this post by saying I’m thankful to have you joining me this morning. It is so wonderful knowing that you choose to share some of your time with me each day. Layla and I filmed a little “HI” video yesterday when I came home. She always greets me on the stairs and gives me lots of love and kisses before we go for our walk.

Challenge Day 29 Eats:

Breakfast: Coffee with a PB Coffee Protein Shake: 2 scoops Vi-shape protein powder, 1 Tbls TJ’s all-natural peanut butter, 1 Tbls 0% Greek yogurt, 1/3 frozen banana 2/3 cup frozen “coffee-cubes” 1 cup almond milk, 4 drops vanilla stevia.

Snack: Un-pictured apple

Lunch: Kale salad with left-over tuna from Saturday night’s dinner

Workout: Tone It up Treadmill Shredmill workout + 30 minute walk with Layla

Post-workout: 2 scoops Vi-Shape mix, 1 orange Emergen-C mixed in 6 ounces water, baby carrots, 1/2 cup frozen mango, 2 ice cubes and 1 cop unsweetened coconut milk.

Dinner: Left-over dinner from last night and bowl of broccoli with my new favorite Whole Food’s No-Oil Sesame Ginger dressing

I’m am OBSESSED with my new dressing. I could eat it on everything. Most of the time, I make my own salad dressings, but lately I’ve been wanting to mix it up by trying new healthy dressings. For dessert, I had one of my frozen yogurt fruit pops. I accidentally dropped it and broke one of the popsicle molds off. Oh well!

Challenge Day 24

Good morning (or afternoon by the time I finish this post.) I laid in bed a little longer this morning and decided to take Layla for a walk before the weather got too bad. We woke up to a beautiful, sunny sky, but within an hour, I could see a large, grey cloud headed our way. Here’s are two photos from this morning’s walk. The first photo is facing East and the second is facing West. I think our weather usually rolls in from the West, so I’m assuming this weather is headed our way.

Challenge Day 24 Eats & Exercise

Morning walk: 20 minutes in the freezing cold and icy conditions with Layla

Breakfast: Pumpkin Carrot Protein Pancake: 2 scoops Vi-Shape Mix, 2 egg whites, 1/4 cup canned pumpkin, 2 Tablespoons shredded carrots, 4 pecans, finely chopped, 1 Tablespoon flaxseed, dash of cinnamon & nutmeg, 1 packet stevia.

Lunch: Mixed greens with 4 ounces chicken breast and Litehouse Yogurt Bleu Cheese dressing <– I am officially obsessed with this stuff!

Snack: Cocoa Cherry Smoothie: 1/2 cup frozen cherries, 1/4 frozen banana, 2 scoops Vi-shape mix, handful of spinach, 1 Tablespoon raw cacao powder, 1 cup almond milk, 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract, 4 drops vanilla stevia.

2nd snack: handful of pumpkin seeds with dried cranberries and dried cherries

Workout: Tone It Up/Self Magazine Drop 10 toning workout + 20 minute walk with Layla (video below)

Dinner: 1 Thai Turkey Burger (recipe here) stir-fried with sliced mushrooms, spinach, onions, shredded carrots, sugar snap peas and bean sprouts then seasoned it with Bragg’s, sweet chili sauce and lime juice for flavor and topped it with fresh cilantro and scallions.

Then, my sweet tooth snuck in. Seriously! I’ve been doing so well sticking to my clean, bikini-body diet. I have a treat night on the weekend where I’ll have frozen yogurt or something sweet. For whatever reason, last night turning into a little “eat as much sugar as you can find” night. I know from a nutrition stand-point that I should avoid sugar and I have drastically cut my sugar intake over the past two years. However, that does not mean that these nasty cravings go away. I *wish* that I was one of those girls who just “didn’t like sweets.” However, it’s quite the opposite. I adore sweets and love baking gluten-free treats.

I also think that sweets are my little comfort that I turn to when fear arises or I’m having a bad day. Yesterday wasn’t a bad day, it just seemed “off.” I was super tired throughout the morning and my coffee never kicked in. Then I spilt my entire packet of powdered Neuro natural-energy drink on the counter at the office. When I got home, I felt so lazy and tired that I just laid in bed and answered emails until late in the evening when I decided I needed to get my butt out of bed and squeeze in a quick workout.

Doing my workout and getting outside for an evening walk felt nice. I made my dinner, spent some time on Facebook and then talked to Blake. Afterwards I was craving hot chocolate, so I made a cup with almond milk and some Gharedelli mix. After my mug, I decided that I NEEDED more chocolate, so I broke into a stash of peppermint bark from Christmas time. I ate three large chunks and instantly had a tummy ache. I thought to myself, “Why did I just consume so much sugar? Why didn’t I just make a cup of tea?” Hmm, I started to dive into my feelings and sugar cravings…

Blake last thought that he’d be working in Alaska until the end of this month. Yesterday, he found out that there is a *chance* he might come home for a couple of weeks on April 10th. I try not to talk about it too much on the blog, but last night we calculated that Blake has been working away from home for 10 out of the past 12 months. This might not seem like a big deal for some couples, but it has made having a somewhat “normal” relationship challenging. Sure, I’ve had the opportunities to go visit him, which have been amazing, but lately I’ve really been yearning for him to be home and be able to live our lives together.

Him working out of state has not been entirely a bad thing. I’ve grown into a much more confident, independent and spiritual person, but we’ve also lost out on growing together. We talk a lot about how we’ve known each other for 10 years and have seen each other at our best and our worst and still love one another through it all. There are all these emotions that come up whenever he leaves for another trip or plans change and he isn’t able to come home. It’s not healthy, but I actually switch off a part of me that hurts when he’s gone for so long. It’s set on a timer, so as his return date comes nearer, I allow myself to start feeling those feelings of missing him and getting excited for him to come home.

Well, over the past week, I thought he was coming home soon, then found out he was scheduled in Alaska until the end of April, then last night heard that he might get to come home in a week. Do you know what this does to my emotions? Throws them all over the place! As I type this out, I’m starting to understand why my sweet cravings have been popping up lately. I want my fears and emotions to be comforted. I want to sooth my internal fear and have serotonin released into my system. Exercise and socializing are great for achieving this, but sugar and chocolate seem to be easier to reach for ;)

After feeling bad about myself and my mini-sugar fest. I drew an epson salt bath, lit some candles, used my sugar scrub and just allowed myself to feel my fears. I told myself that I’ll never be perfect, it’s okay to have these overwhelming feelings of sadness and frustration and only I can choose the way I want to work through these fears because so far, they haven’t gone away.

After my bath, I read some “Anatomy of the Spirit” by Caroline Myss and reviewed a few quotes that I had highlighted:

“This imbalance of head and heart turns people into addicts. In energy terms, any behavior motivated by fear of internal growth qualifies as an addiction. Even behaivor that is usually healthy – exercise or meditation, for instance – can be an addiction if it is used to avoid pain or personal insight.” p. 230

“The goal of becoming a conscious person is not to outwit death, nor even to become immune to disease. The goal is to be able to handle any and all changes in our lives – and in our bodies – without fear, looking only to absorb the message of truth contained in the change.” p. 248

“The greatest act of will in which we can invest our spirits is to choose to live according to these rules:

1. Make no judgments.

2. Have no expectations.

3. Give up the need to know why things happen as they do.

4. Trust that the unscheduled events in our lives are a form of spiritual direction.

5. Have the courage to make the choices we need to make, accept what we cannot change, and have the wisdom to know the difference.” p. 234

Wow! So many meaningful, inspiring quotes in this book! After reading myself to sleep, I awoke this morning with a sense of calmness and a better understanding that I’m here to help others become healthier and happier. By shifting my focus from feeling bad about my sugar cravings and indulgences, I am going to focus on the fact that I’m here in this position to help you grow into a even greater version of yourself. I’m pretty sure that we all have our own fears and struggles that arise throughout the day. What I want to do, is show you that you are not your fears and have the ability work through them.

I’ll leave you with a page I found out of my 2012 Goddess Guide Book that I filled with magnificent mottos that I want to incorporate into this year:

Reading this page made me confident that I’m headed in the right direction!

Love you all,

Kilee

Challenge Day 23

Hi! I hope you are having a good morning so far! I got up a little earlier than normal and took Layla for her morning walk. It feels good to start the day with a walk through nature and to think about what I’m grateful for and what I’d like to accomplish for the day. It’s funny because I always read my daily horoscope right when I wake up in the morning, and then have to read it again later in the day because I’m too tired first thing in the morning to retain the information.

When we get back from our walk, I make my coffee and breakfast. A very unusual thing happened over here yesterday morning… I took my coffee black. 99% of the time I’ll add stevia and non-dairy creamer to is. I know, I know, the non-dairy creamer is unhealthy, but I’ve tried all sorts of other options and never enjoy them as much. Therefore I have it in my one cup of coffee in the morning and enjoy every last drop!

Day 23 Eats & Exercise

AM Exercise: 30 minute walk with Layla

Breakfast: Blueberry Protein Pancake

Lunch: Salad with New Thai turkey burger – recipe here

Snack: Sliced apple

Workout: 30 Min HIIT treadmill session (5 min @ 6.0 speed, 21 minutes of 1 min @ 8.0 speed followed by 2 min @ 6.0 speed & a 4 minute walking cool down) + TUI “Itty Bitty Bikini” AB workout

Post-Workout Smoothie: 2 scoops Vi-Shape mix, 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 teaspoons peanut butter, 1/4 frozen banana, 5 ice cubes, 1/4 teaspoon coconut extract, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Dinner: 4 ounces Marinated Mahi Mahi with asparagus grilled in 2 teaspoons extra virgin coconut oil, dried onions and garlic salt – perfection!

I saw this article in the new InStyle Hair Issue and it made me so pleased because I eat all of the foods listed on a regular basis (besides lentils.) I read that they’re not good for by O blood type. The article featured reasons why these foods are beneficial for healthy hair and how much to eat each week for optimum nutrition.

I was feeling the love and support yesterday so I shot a new vlog to share with you. It’s about listening to and trusting your inner voice. Enjoy!

I’m off to get ready for work, pack my healthy meals and squeeze in a long workout this afternoon. Have a great day!

Readers: what’s your favorite healthy “beauty” food?

Mine is extra virgin coconut oil because it’s delicious, good for your skin and can be used topically for beauty.

Have a great day,

Kilee

Challenge Day 19

Good morning! How is your morning going so far? Mine has been nice and relaxing. Yesterday was a long day. I set my alarm for 5am yesterday morning in the hopes of going to a hot yoga class. When the alarm went off, I was all ready to go back to sleep and call off my 6am class plans. Five minutes later I remembered that there is a $10 charge for any classes you miss or cancel within an hour of class. Being the cheapskate that I tend to be, this possible $10 charge was enough to get my butt out of bed and off to class.

I’m glad that I went because I would have never known if I liked the class or not. However, I will not be attending any more 6am classes because it made me feel funky for the rest of the day. Some mornings I get up, have my coffee and rock out an amazing workout around 8 or 9 and feel amazing the rest of the day. I learned that 6am workouts leave me feeling tired, overly-hungry and kinda cranky by the end of the day.

So, I will not be waking up at 5am to get a workout in. I’d rather get my beauty sleep and workout later in the day. I also learned that when I eat starchy carbs with breakfast, I crave them the rest of the day. I already somewhat knew this, but I’ve been having my shakes for breakfast for the past few weeks and forgot. The oats in my breakfast cookie inspired my gluten-free chocolate chip cookie with coffee at the office, which then made me crave frozen yogurt once I got home and then something sweet for dessert.

Challenge Day 19

Workout: 1 Hour Hot Yoga

Breakfast: Americano with pre-made Fitnessista breakfast cookie

Morning Snack: Gluten-free chocolate chip cookie with cup of coffee

Lunch: Mexican salad: greens, tomatoes, cucumber, 1/4 avocado, 1/4 cup refried beans, salsa

Afternoon snack: 2 cuties & Passionfruit Chobani Frozen yogurt (just put it in my mini ice cream maker)

Random Dinner: small salad, cottage cheese with Beanito black bean chips, roasted broccoli

Dessert: banana soft serve (frozen banana chunks blended up in the Vita-mix) with sunflower butter melted on top

Note:  I did not have any shakes today because I failed to prepare them and was out of the house almost all day. It also seems like I was a lot hungrier and snacky-er than usual. There might be a correlation?

My night last night ended up being one of those nights where I just didn’t care about anything. I didn’t care about preparing a healthy dinner, I didn’t care if I ate a big dessert after dinner, I didn’t care if I got around to emailing clients back. I just felt tired, lazy and cranky. Then Blake called and said that even though he was supposed to be heading home soon, he got assigned another months worth of work. My spirits just sunk. I’m not telling you all this to try to gain sympathy. I’m telling you this to assure you that everyone has nights or days like this. Most of the time, I can stay in an upbeat, positive mood, but other times, I just feel low-energy and down and out.

I watched Gossip Girl as I ate my banana soft-serve ice cream with sunflower butter on top and tried to relax. I went to bed early and wrote out my plan of attack for today. It sometimes helps me if I write out positive, uplifting things to do the next day. This way I stay focused on the good things in life. My list includes: relaxing while I have my coffee and reading some magazines, taking Layla for a long walk in the morning, doing a cardio and stregnth training workout, painting my toe nails pink and going out to meet a new friend at an event downtown tonight.

By sticking to my “feel-good” list, I’m hoping that I have a fun day. I have also found that even though I’m more tempted to reach for sugary food when I’m feeling down, they actually make me feel worse overall. Lean & green will be my motto for the weekend eats!

I’m going to take tomorrow off from blogging. I’ll be back Monday with a full re-cap of the weekend. Have fun & be safe out there!

Much love,

Kilee

Lessons Learned Over the Past 24 Hours

Hi guys! I’m back. I was a little slow moving this morning. I woke up later than usual and had two glorious cups of coffee before getting out of bed. So happy that I figured out how to use the timer on our coffee maker so I can wake up to freshly brewed coffee each morning. Onto some life lessons that I learned over the past 24 hours.

1. Do not try to carry your iPhone, iPad, mug of tea, Layla and turn off all the lights at the same time.

I was tired last night around 9 pm and didn’t feel like making multiple trips up and down the stairs to bring my belongings up to the bedroom with me. So, I did what any multi-tasking female does, I bundled it all up in my arms and proceeded to try to turn out all the lights and make sure the door was locked while making sure not to spill my tea. At the very last night switch, I twisted my arms around, while hugging my phone, iPad, tea and Layla close to me and crash – my iPad fell to the floor. It was dark because I had managed to turn the light off before the fall, so I didn’t realize the new cracks on the screen. I picked it up and headed up the stairs hoping that it still worked.

I washed my face, got Layla tucked into her corner of the bed and reached for my iPad. Oh no, I thought to myself. Sure enough, the screen had cracks across the quarter top of the screen. I quickly tapped the screen to make sure that it still worked, and it did. I text my mom the bad news and she reminded me that she had done the same thing to hers and that things happen and that it’s just a “thing.” This made me feel a little better and today I’m grateful that it was just a crack and not something sad that happened to some one in my life.

Life Lessons: be more careful, don’t try to do too many things at once & things happen, it’s not the end of the world.

2. Don’t let Layla go potty without a leash in the middle of the night.

This little stinker had to go potty at 5 am this morning. Since it was the middle of the night and she usually runs out, goes potty and runs back inside in about 30 seconds, I let her out without her leash. Big mistake! She darted out into the darkness. We don’t have a fenced in back yard and live next to a road. Not a good combination for a little escape artist! The wind was howling and it was still dark out. I went inside to grab her treat bag because she’ll always come running home when she hears me open that bag. Not last night! I grabbed my jacket and sandals and walked around the neighborhood for half an hour calling her name and opening her treat bag again and again. Finally, I decided that she knows her way home and that I should at least wait until it’s light enough to see.

I closed the sliding glass door and set the bag of treats down on the table. When I went back upstairs, guess who had already put herself back to bed? Layla! I burst out into tears and told her that she was in big trouble, but I was happy she was home safe. From now on, she is sentenced to 24/7 leash rules. I am NOT going through that ordeal again.

Life lessons: don’t let Layla outside without a leash, if someone loves you, they’ll come back for you –> kinda a stretch, but I needed another life lesson out of this example.

3. An unkept house makes for an frazzled mind.

I try to maintain a clean house, but over the past few days, I let a few piles form around the house. Dirty clothes on the closet floor, dishes that need to be put away on the counter, my bags, purses and random stuff by the door, my notepads, magazines and markers scattered around the living room. I kept telling myself that I’d get to it this weekend. At the same time, I was having a very hard time keeping my thoughts clear. I was forgetting things, misplacing things, not finishing my daily to-do lists, not feeling like a had  grasp on things.

Finally, this morning I realized that I needed to clean up the house, so that I could calm down and focus. Our surroundings affect us a lot more than we realize. A clean, organized environment will help you stay calm, focused and centered. Therefore, after realizing that my mind needed a clean house so it could calm down and focus, I cleaned the entire house top to bottom this morning before starting to work on anything else.

Life lesson: keep a clean home, mind and heart. Sometimes, you have to stop and complete something before you can continue with other tasks.

4. Look to other powerful women for guidance.

I have been following Gabrielle Bernstein since I lived on Maui, back in 2009. She seemed to have it all: power, beauty, spiritual connection, leadership abilities a huge heart & more! I was still in my negative mindset and her lessons only half resonated with me. Over the years, I have always referred back to her work for guidance on becoming the best version of myself. Last night, as I layed in bed, I felt the urge to watch some of her YouTube videos. The one above about “Manifest~Ing” was just what I needed to hear. We all have to power to manifest our best, happy, healthy life. I strongly encourage you to watch some of her videos to get inspired.

Then this morning, I saw that she did a radio recording with the Hay House and it is posted online so you can listen to the recording: here Ignite Your Inner Rock-Star Radio Session with Gabrielle Bernstein.

Life lesson: there is an abundance of guidance out there, you just need to start looking for it. We each manifest our own life.

These are just some thoughts that I have regarding the past 24 hours of my life. I always try to view the experiences in my life as lessons and it just so happens that I had a lot of life lessons to learn recently. Have a great day! I’m off to go for a run and make a post-workout smoothie.

Take care,

Kilee

Challenge Day 16

Hey, hey! Happy Wednesday! I had such a great day yesterday. I woke up a little later than usual because Layla has been sick the past two nights and the poor thing has to get up and go outside every few hours. So, we spent an extra hour in bed with our coffee and magazines before starting the day. I was inspired to record this video for you. I am *trying* to get in the habit of doing more videos because they allow me to get my thoughts out in a much shorter time than typing them up. Plus, there’s no room for typos in VLogs.

And, here’s a little playlist that I put together of all of my favorite country music songs right now. I listened to all of these while driving the fuel truck in South Dakota.

Challenge Day 16

Breakfast: 1 scoop Vi-shape mix, 1/2 banana, 2 Tablespoons chia seeds, 1 teaspoon sunflower butter, 1 packet stevia, 3/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk,

Snack: apple & un-pictured handful of pumpkin seeds

Workout: OneFitFoodie’s new Timed Total Transformation workout + walk with Layla

Post-Workout Smoothie: 1/2 cup frozen berries, 2 ice cubes, 2 scoops Vi-Shape mix, 1 Tablespoon raw cacao powder, 1/2 Tablespoon ground flaxseed, 1 cup almond milk, 6 drops vanilla stevai, 1/4 teaspoon almond extract

Dinner: Tempeh & Kale salad. Recipe here.

Dessert: One of Detoxinista’s Almond Butter Fudge with cocoa powder mixed in. (I have been loving her recipes!)

Layla and I ran errands all afternoon before I did my workout and took here for a walk. She is such a good little passenger in the car. She loves her sherpa seat that fits between the two front seats.

Then, it rained on us on our afternoon walk. I swear, it could be beautiful, dry weather all day and then we go outside to do our walk and it starts raining! Oh well, at least it smells nice when it rains here.

I’m off to go work for a while then take my new favorite hot yoga class. They play contemporary music the whole class and I leave feeling energized yet calm and grateful. I love my life!

Have a great day! What does everyone have planned for the day today? Any fun new fitness classes to go to?

Peace out,

Kilee

Beauty Night

Hi! I wanted to share my beauty night with you. I’ve been working on my healthy diet and exercise as part of my bikini-ready Challenge. A healthy lifestyle is great for getting a bikini-ready body, but what about a beauty routine?

While reading InStyle magazine Saturday morning, I was inspired to spend a little time and money to start working on the beauty department. I don’t know if you feel this way, but Winter is not exactly the most inspiring time for upkeeping a beauty routine. My skin turns pale, my hair loses it’s highlights, the extra coffee and wine start to stain my teeth. I still feel beautiful, just not photo shoot ready.

So, I picked up a few beauty products at the store and set aside Saturday evening for a night full of hair dye, face masks and nails. Remember, I’m a budget shopper, so everything was either on sale or I had a coupon for it!

Top left: Wet & Wild eye set, John Frieda 9A light blonde foam hair dye, Top right: fake nails, John Frieda Go Blonder shampoo and conditioner, Revlon lip gloss, Bottom left: Mountain Rose Herbs face masks (I already had those at home) Bottom right: Listerine Whitening rinse and Nivea Sunless tanner lotion.

I took before and after photos of my hair so you could see the slight difference in color. I’m going to get some blonde highlights later this Summer and just needed something to blend my darker roots into my lighter hair. If you want to try a new at-home hair color, I strongly encourage you to try the John Frieda foam hair dye. I also exfoliated my face and applied my face clay mask while my hair was processing.

Since I’m trying to gradually return to being blonder, I’m trying out the new John Frieda Go Blonder shampoo and conditioner to see if it helps to lighten and brighten my hair color. I’ll report back to you in a few weeks.

Does anyone else wear fake nails? I usually don’t, but I have found that when I wear the Broadway brand “Real Short” french manicure nails, I actually feel better about myself. I think that having pretty nails and hair are two ways to instantly feel better about the way you look. Anyone else share this view?

Onto two of my favorite beauty-routine products. When it comes to teeth whitening, I use the Crest White Strips about once a year. My parents usually put them in our stockings at Christmas and I wait until July or August to whiten my teeth when my skin is a little tanner. I like the contrast of the white teeth on the tan skin. Since I do not use tanning beds (anymore) and there has been snow instead of sun bathing weather lately, I picked up some of the Nivea sunless tanning lotion. I like how it gradually adds color after a few days and looks more natural than a lot of sunless tanners. The smell (to me) is a little more tolerable than the Jergin’s line of tanning lotions.

So, there are my new products that are going to contribute to the beautifying end of my 90-Day Challenge. I did another make-up post a few months back. You can check it out here.

As I reviewed my beauty products, I started to notice a theme: gradual. I got shampoo and conditioner that gradually lighten my blonde hair. My new Listerine gradually whitens my teeth. My Nivea sunless tanning lotion gradually bronzes my skin. As you might already know, I promote baby steps towards health. I don’t believe in doing a complete 180º when it comes to a new lifestyle. I try to add one new healthy habit at a time until it my healthy habits start to outweigh my unhealthy ones.

This same idea of gradual change can be applied to your personal development. A few years ago, I didn’t know anything about the power that one’s thoughts have over the outcome of their life. I believed that I was just a passenger along for the ride of life. This is the exact opposite of how I now view my life. You can check out my past story of how I worked through my negative thought patterns in these posts. After a lot of reading, learning, growing, meditating, advice and self-love, I now know that I am the driver and pilot of my life. I truly believe that each and every one of us can envision, design and build the life of our dreams. It just takes a little confidence, faith and planning.

As with my health and beauty, I approach my personal growth and development with the same gradual mindset. I didn’t wake up one morning with the mindset that I have today. It took patience, practice, experience, learning from others and trusting in myself to reach the point where I’m at today. I, along with everyone else, am far away from a “perfect” mindset. I have days of self-doubt, lack of confidence and wondering where the heck my life is headed. To work through these thoughts, I usually take out my journal and write whatever down whatever I’m thinking about. I then write out positive affirmations for me to say to myself outloud that are the opposite of what I’m fearful about.

For example, if I were feeling insecure about the amount of money that I was generating, I would tell myself, “I make more than enough money to cover my bills, savings and spending money. Money flows to me with ease.” I would continue to tell myself this every morning for at least 30 days. Then, I would be more likely to see an increase in my personal income. The most important part is phrasing your affirmation as a positive and remembering to express it at least once a day.

After I have written in my journal and said my positive affirmation, I decide that I am going to view myself as if I have already worked through my fear. I imagine myself in the future, rocking an amazing life and not worrying about whatever I currently fear. By seeing a vision of myself living my dream life in the future, I allow myself to realize that I can work through this fear and achieve anything I desire. It just takes time, faith and effort. We can all do anything we put our mind to!

A few years ago, I was reading blogs and felt the urge to start one. I didn’t think that I could do it and that people wouldn’t care about my life or what I wanted to write about. Fast-forward to today and I have readers (like you) who join me on a daily basis. Woo hoo!

So, I want to end this post by reminding you that we can gradually change our mindset. We can gradually become the person whom we desire to be. I have FAITH and BELIEVE in you! Let’s come together and support one another in working through our fears achieving our goals.

I’m going to get ready to head out the door and make my dreams come true ;)

Have a great day!

Peace, love and happiness,

Kilee

Everyone Is In Your Life for a Reason

Hi! I’m checking in with a second post today. Who am I? I can barely fit in daily posts, let alone twice daily ones. I felt a need to share some information with you today. I’m not just a food & fitness blogger, I really like sharing personal development lessons that have made a positive impact on my life. Two of my favorite things about growing older are the lessons that you learn and passing that advice onto others.

When I was taking a bath last night, I was relaxing and not really thinking about anything in particular. All of a sudden, the phrase crossed my mind, “Everyone comes in and out of your life at certain times for a reason.” This is something that my mom said to me when I was younger and has stuck with me ever since. After that thought crossed my mind, I felt an overwhelming urge to write a blog post about it. So possibly, there is one or more reader out there who might need to read this post today.

“Everyone comes in and out of your life at a certain time for a reason”

This lesson can be applied to friends, family members, co-workers, boyfriends, girlfriends, spouses, neighbors, grocery store cashiers, etc. Every single person you meet or have a relationship with is placed in your life for a greater purpose. The lessons that you learn from that person are meant to help your soul grow and develop. Think about some of the influential people that you have known in your life. What have you learned from them? How did they make you feel? Are they still in your life today? The answers to each of these questions helped to shape the person you are today.

Sometimes I wonder why a particular person is in my life. Sometimes I can pinpoint what I think the reason is, but I also believe that there is an even grander reason that I cannot see at this time in my life. I like to think that the Universe and God have a larger plan than any of us humans can imagine. Have you ever wanted something so badly only to not have your wish come true? Then, something even better than what you had wished for somehow ended up happening. That is how I view life. I can’t understand how or why things happen, but I have Faith that everything happens for a greater reason. That’s part of the reason why I believe that people come in and out of our life for a reason.

Accepting When People Move Out of Your Life

I think that this is the hardest aspect of the lesson to be okay with. When you have a friend or someone close to you who dies or for one reason or another transitions out of your life, it can be painful. It hurts to think that you’ll never experience the fun times that you had with them again. You’d rather have them right there by your side. You might feel angry or hurt that you’ve lost them. I can relate to these feelings. It’s important to let yourself fully experience those feelings. Then, it’s time to do some self talk so you don’t continue to sit with those feelings for too long.

When someone that I care about has left my life, I try to think back to what they taught me and recognize that maybe that was the reason why they in my life. Possibly, there was nothing else that I could have gained from them at this time in my life. I remind myself of todays quote, “Everyone comes in and out of your life at a certain time for a reason.” I try to seek comfort in the fact that there is a greater reason that I might not be able to see right now. Then I try to focus on all of the amazing people and relationships that I DO HAVE in my life. By stepping into a positive mindset, instead of staying in a negative one, I’m able to attract more positive people and experiences into my life.

I also remind myself that it’s okay to lose a friend, leave jobs or move far away from home. These things help us to grow and mature as a person. We will always have relationships and people who we care for in our life, they just might change over time.

Finding Peace in Unsettling Relationships

Sometimes you wish that someone was already OUT of your life. I know how you feel. There are certain people who just push our buttons. We don’t want to be around them, but for whatever reason, they are in our life at that moment. The first thing that I do when I’m constantly upset with a particular person, is I remind myself that this person is here to teach me a lesson. I try to guess what this life lesson may be. I try to distinguish if the traits this person exemplifies, might possibly be traits of my own that I despise. If that’s the case, I start to work on bettering myself.

If this person has an absolute awful energy and negative attitude about them, I start to feel compassion and empathy towards that person. Another quote that has taught me so much is, “The way you treat others is a reflection of how you feel about yourself.” When I heard that quote, I thought about the people who have treated me poorly and how bad they must feel about themselves. This breaks my heart. I feel so bad for people who don’t like themselves. They have to be with that person 24/7! Therefore, if someone really bothers me and they seem unhappy with themselves, I try to send positive energy their way and understand that the reason they are acting so unkindly has more to do with their own unhappiness than me.

If you need to completely cut someone out of your life (they are abusive, do illegal activities, etc.) I 100% support you. You do not deserve to have this type of behavior in your life. You are strong enough to cut ties with that person and continue living your best life without their drama.

Learning from Others

The most important piece of advice that I hope you take away from this post, is to continually remind yourself that people are in your life for a reason. They are there to help you grow and learn valuable life lessons. They are there to inspire you, comfort you and prepare you for what’s ahead. If we were on our own, in solitary confinement, day in and day out, we might go crazy. If we tried to keep every single person we have ever met in our life and have meaningful relationships with each of them, we would drive ourselves crazy trying to keep up with everyone. By accepting those who are in and out of our life, we can experience peace, personal growth and gratitude.

Take some time later today to evaluate the relationships in your life. Why do you think those people are in your life at this time? Then, think back to people who came in and out of your life. What did you learn from them? Accept that they are no longer part of your everyday life. You still have all the memories you made with them and the lessons you learned from them.

I will leave you with a poem that helped me to put my long lasting and abruptly ended relationships into perspective.

Reason, Season, or Lifetime

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.

Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.

— Unknown

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Come Together

Good morning! Did you take any time to work through any of your fears? I’m feeling very refreshed from letting go of mine and we had a half day of flying yesterday. The helicopter needed to have some maintenance work done and this gave Blake and I time to run some errands and catch up on some work on our lap tops. It included a little Starbucks too!

A few nights ago, we went over and had dinner at one of the biologist’s houses. It was so nice to have a home cooked meal. We had cheddar broccoli, baked beans and deer meatloaf. It tasted so good! The biologist is an avid hunter and had about 30 animals mounted in his house. My favorite was a buffalo. Look at how huge this thing was:

Connecting with Others

Today I wanted to share with you something that I was thinking about recently. Over the past few years, I have been working on shifting my thoughts and aligning myself with love instead of fear. One of the most influential ways that we can step into a more BRILLIANT version of ourself is to open up and work with others.

I used to be pretty shy. I was nervous to talk to other kids my own age and just assumed that they didn’t like me. Once I decided that I needed to be more outgoing and less shy, I made some amazing friends who greatly impacted my life and happiness. By opening myself up to others and overcoming my fear that they wouldn’t like me, I was able to bring a lot of joy into my life through these friendships.

When I lived on Maui, I felt very isolated. I didn’t have many friends on the island and I was an ocean away from my family and friends back at home. I used to look at Facebook profiles and be too afraid to post anything because I didn’t want to look stupid to others. Now, when I think back on this, I can’t even imagine feeling that way, but that’s the mindset that I was in at that time.

When I started reaching out to others through Facebook, blogging and meeting up in person, I became more relaxed and felt good about myself. I started to realize that the more I connected with others, the better I felt. I learned that I brought just as much joy into my friend’s lives as they brought into mine. By reaching out and connecting with others, I created more love and abundance in my own life.

Then, I started to see this theme of connectivity and positive results when it came to my business. I started out being embarrassed to share my business and goals with other people. I wanted to do everything on my own and not have to rely on anyone else to get the job done. Then, I encountered a shift. I started asking others whom I admired for advice. They happily offered it. I started to reach out and try to develop new ideas with other business owners and people in my industry. More positive feedback started to develop.

Being part of two major online communities has really shed light on how much of a positive impact can come from joining forces and working together. Tone It Up is an amazing example of how thousands of women can create a healthy, supportive community. I am always in awe of how strong of leaders Katrina and Karena are and how much support and dedication they offer their TIU community. Another favorite online community of mine is The Daily Love. I have never learned as much personal development and positive life lessons in a year’s time since I started reading posts and tweets from TDL.

At this point in my life, I better understand the need to reach out and connect with others. It can be online, but few things are better than a girls night out (or in) with your friends or connecting with other like-minded individuals in a group setting.

How can you build and cultivate more relationships in your personal and professional life? Is there a local women’s entrepunuer group you can join? Is there a running club you can participate in? Can you start a book club with your friends? Do whatever appeals to you. Step OUT of your comfort zone and experience the magic that happens when you connect with others. It may be scary to put yourself out there, but I promise that the joy and happiness you will experience will outweigh any hesitations you currently have.

Let’s focus on stepping out of FEAR and creating more LOVE and RELATIONSHIPS in our happy, healthy lives. I’m here to support you every step of the way.

If you feel like you could use a little extra one on one support, I have a few openings for some “Coaching with Kilee” calls. We can work together to help you recognize any fears that may be holding you back from your happy, healthy life. Email me at Kilee @ kileejohnson.com for more details.

I’m waiting for the weather to clear before we head out to the job site this morning. The wind and snow kept us inside longer than normal.

Someone isn’t complaining over here. She has gotten quite accustomed to hotel living!

Well, I’m going to respond to some emails and see if it’s time to drive out to the job site. Have a great day!!!

- Kilee

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Embrace Your Fears

At the airport, starting our day

Hello! I’m sitting in the fuel truck as I type this. I’ve been on the road with Blake for 13 days now. I’m starting to get antsy to head home now. Being out in South Dakota with Blake is special, but the comforts of home and my usual routine are sounding very good right now.

Sometimes when I’m working with Blake out here on the road, I get really frustrated and upset that I can’t upkeep my usual workout routine and healthy diet. I’m lucky to fit in a walk and maybe find a pre-packaged salad at a truck stop. I value my healthy lifestyle and sometimes feel bad about myself because I’m not doing exactly what I teach others to do. That’s when I have to take a step back and remind myself that I’m doing my best given my current situation. You can cause yourself a lot of unnecessary stress and worry by being overly concerned about your diet and fitness.

Embrace your Current Situation

This is an instance where I have learned to embrace my current situation. It’s not the ideal circumstance for practicing a healthy lifestyle, but worrying about it is going to make me feel a lot worse than if I embrace it. By embracing the fact that I’m going to be feasting on hotel continental breakfasts, eating truck stop grab-n-go foods for lunch and restaurant meals for dinner, I’ve been able to make the most of it and even sneak a few healthy foods into my diet out here.

I know that I stick to a mostly healthy diet and exercise regime when I’m at home for the greater part of the year. Therefore, this week or two of less than stellar meals and lack of exercise is not going to send me into a downward spiral of unhealthiness. It’s actually making me more excited to cook some healthy meals and do a few new workouts. Sure, Layla and I have eaten a lot more kettle corn than I’d like to admit. I broke a sweat once over the past week and a half. This is not the end of the world! It’s just different than my normal routine.

Don’t freak out and stress yourself silly about something you can’t control. This is a recipe for disaster. Embrace your current situation and rock it the best that you can!

Embrace your Fears

A few days ago I was worrying about what people would think of me if I did something. I recognized this fear and knew that if I wanted to move forward and achieve new goals, I needed to break through this fear. My amazing friend, Kris, offered me advice on working through this fear and stepping into my POWER.

I wrote down exactly what I was scared of in my journal. I accepted that I had this fear and acknowledged the fact that I am the only one who can overcome it. I STEPPED into the feelings that this fear provoked inside of me and chose not to run away and distract myself from them.

Then I had to make a DECISION that I was either going to continue to live with this fear holding me back or I was going to OVERCOME it and keep ACHIEVING my goals. Making room to really feel that fear and choosing to push it behind me was such an amazing feeling. Right after that moment of deciding to not let this fear hold me back, I felt REFRESHED and ENERGIZED!

Since choosing to embrace and overcome my fear, I have already starting working towards my goals and no longer have even a twinge of fear holding me back. What a great feeling!

Embrace and Overcome Your Fears Exercise

1. Take out your journal.

2. Write down exactly what you fear and are scared of.

3. Let yourself step into that fear and experience all the uncomfortable feelings that the fear provokes in you.

4. Decide whether you are going to continue to let this fear stop you or if you are going to release this fear from your consciousness and work towards your goals.

5. Choose to go in the direction of your goal and leave your fear behind you.

You are the only person who can embrace and overcome your fears, current situation and obstacles. Don’t run away or ignore them. They’ll only get worse and keep you from living the life of your DREAMS. You can embrace and overcome your fears. I believe in you!!!

We finally have a maintenance day and we’re going to go run some errands. I still don’t know what I’m headed home. I filmed this video a few days ago. If you didn’t see it on my Facebook or Twitter page, here it is:

That little spec is Blake flying into the sunset

Have a great day and remember to take a few minutes to embrace and work through your fears.

Much love from South Dakota,

Kilee

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Melt the Stress Away

Hi! Sorry that I didn’t check in with you yesterday. I was driving back home to Redmond because I needed to pick up some items before taking off to visit Blake in South Dakota. I have to admit that lately I’ve been feeling a little stressed about this trip. Over the years I have gotten so much better about relaxing and going with the flow, but the anxiety still creeps up now and again.

When I drove two and a half hours to Portland last Thursday, I honestly thought that I would be flying out to see Blake by the end of the weekend. I had made Layla her vet appointment and packed my bags for the trip. Well, it ended up that I needed to drive back to Redmond to pick up my passport, an extra suitcase of gear and some of Blake’s belongings. I’m here at home and it feels really nice to be back. It’s so nice and comforting that I’m starting to think about staying home and enjoying my nice, quiet little life that I have over here. However, I really, really want to see Blake. I think I’ll end up flying out this Friday, but I know not to hold my breath!

I stumbled across this video that I had filmed when I was in Nevada a few weeks ago. I thought that it was appropriate to share with you (and myself) today to remind us that we can become less stressed and more easy going with a little work on our part. Let me know if you have any suggestions for handling stress with ease.

To decompress and relax last night, I did a new Tone It Up workout. It’s the new Valentine’s Day one. I like how I can follow along with Karena and Katrina throughout the entire workout.

Then I took a bath and did some laundry. Notice the calm and serene candles that I lit!

My dinner was a random pizza made from items in the fridge: gluten-free brown rice tortilla, pizza sauce, Daya chese, 1 egg, scallion, minced garlic, shredded lettuce and Siratcha sauce. It tasted amazing after a long drive home.

I went to bed early because the night before, I was up past midnight! I had a really fun time going out for dinner and a movie with my friends and sister. I highly recommend “The Vow” to all of my girlie friends. It was a really good Valentine’s Day. I’m happy to report that everyone loved the gluten-free red velvet cupcakes that I made. Layla was my valentine and she was a really good one. She gave me lots of kisses, appreciated the Valentine’s treats I gave her and kept me company all day long.

I’m off to do my weights workout, write out a few new client nutrition plans and pack another suitcase for my (hopeful) trip to South Dakota. Have a great day!

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Happy Valentine’s Day

Happy Love Day! Today is a day to celebrate all the love in your life, not just a romantic partner. I’m celebrating with my valentine, Layla.

It’s pretty dreary out here in Portland today. This weather is a reminder of why Blake and I moved out to Central Oregon this fall. It hardly ever rains out there.

I’m typing this at the coffee shop near Blake’s mom’s house. I tried a rice milk latte this morning and loved it. It went perfectly with my new protein bar find. It’s by NuGo. I like a few of their bars, and appreciate the nutrition stats of this new one, but it just didn’t do it for me. Pros: 15 grams of protein, only 2 grams of sugar, 9 grams of fiber and I liked the bittersweet chocolate flavor. Cons: Kinda lacked in the overall “wow” factor.

I know that I said I probably wouldn’t bake anything for Valentine’s Day. Typing that statement made me kinda sad. I always bake for Valentine’s Day. To turn my frown upside down, I went to the store and got ingredients to make gluten-free red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. Ahh-mazing! What wasn’t amazing was that I ate some of the batter (naughty, naughty Kilee.) Then, for the rest of the night I couldn’t figure out why my stomach hurt so much. My new goal is to be able to bake without picking at the raw batter. This morning, my stomach is still a little “off” from the batter.

I brought some of my cupcakes to my friends, Courtney and McKenzie. And, McKenzie had made us chocolate and Funfetti fudge. Thanks Kenze! I’m going to try some once my stomach is feeling better. We got together at a Thai restaurant in North Portland last night. It was so good to catch up with my friends and spend quality time together. Tonight, I’m getting together with more of my good friends for dinner and a movie. It’s going to be such a fun night – I already know!

Today, whether you have a boyfriend, a girlfriend, a husband, a wife or are single, be sure to share the love. This holiday is not reserved for couples in a relationship. We all have someone that we love in our lives and people who love us. Your goal for today is to share your warm love with as many people as you can. Call your grandparents, give your dog or cat a massage, go out for drinks (a glass of healthy red wine is recommended ladies) with your friends or send an e-card to your parents. Whatever you choose to do, please remember that you are amazing regardless of your relationship status! We all need to share as much love and light up as many hearts as we can today.

On another note, please don’t eat yourself into a sugar coma. This stuff will kill you. Seriously! A little is fine, but do not interpret this holiday to be a sugar-fest-free-for-all! I suggest one peice of dark chocolate or splitting dessert with your dinner date or having a few conversation hearts. Step away from the office treat table. Put that second heart-shaped donut down. You will be thanking me tomorrow.

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Don’t forget that today’s the last day to take advantage of my Valentine’s Day Special. Email me at kilee (at) kileejohnson.com to reserve your spot.

Have a very, very special day today. Love yourself first and allow others into your heart.

Love,

Kilee

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Gratitude Monday

Hi! I’m a little late posting today because I had to finish up some stuff around the house before heading to the coffee shop today.

I thought that I’d already be with Blake by now, but plans have changed. I’m waiting to hear from Blake about when I should fly out there. So far, it’s sounding like it’s going to be a little bit later than originally expected. He also said I should bring my passport – just in case. Seriously? I purposely leave my passport at home because I don’t want to lose it. Looks like someone will be driving back home to pick it up before flying out of Portland. He also mentioned that my suitcase that’s supposed to be with him might not be. I purposely packed my new suitcase to only contain things that weren’t in my suitcase that was left in Nevada. I’m reminding myself that everything will work out just fine.

Since I probably won’t be spending Valentine’s day with my valentine, I have another amazing date planned! Dinner and the movie, “The Vow,” with some of my best friends and sister. Is it bad that I’m almost as excited for my “back-up” date as I was for the one that was originally planned? Nah!  A night out with the girls is just as fun! I’m so thankful that I have so many close friends and family to keep me entertained while Blake is on the road for months at a time.

This brings me to a little Gratitude List that I wanted to share with you today. A gratitude list is a chance for you to write down anything that comes to mind that you are grateful for. I have a list on my iPad that I add one item to each morning. I can’t wait to review it on December 31st this year.

Monday’s Gratitude List

1. I’m thankful that I have gotten/get to see so many of my friends and family this past weekend/week.

2. I’m thankful that Layla is with me. She is my little love bug who listens to my talk all day, takes me for walks, makes me feel like I have someone who depends on me and makes me smile.

3. I’m thankful for my iPhone because it saves me when I need the internet and don’t have access to wi-fi. There have been many times when I needed to book a hotel for Blake in “The Middle of No Where, USA,” find directions to a restaurant or quickly respond to an important email.

4. I’m thankful that I get to travel with Blake. Even if it means waiting a few extra days to fly out to see him.

5. I’m thankful that I feel so happy and healthy.

Are you planning on getting in the kitchen and baking up a Valentine’s Day storm? I don’t think I’ll be baking anything this year, but wanted to share these fabulous recipe lists that were recently posted:

Food Network

Love Veggies & Yoga

Chocolate Covered Katie

What are you thankful for today?

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My Story…Continued

Now that I’ve spilled all my bad habits, struggles and woes, I want to share with you how I overcame these adversities. It took time, patience, forgiveness, dedication and support. I took small steps and little by little I started to feel, look and act like the Kilee you know today. Here is an abbreviated version of how I stepped into my healthy, happy self:

Started to Do Things I’m Good At

I have always had a passion for cooking and started to research recipes online and create delectable dinners for Blake and I each night. I would look at all types of recipes, go to the store after work to buy the necessary ingredients and race home to make our elaborate dinner night after night. I don’t remember having too many left-overs because we would almost always eat up whatever I cooked and I wanted to try a new recipe the next night. I was so happy cooking in the kitchen!

At work, I utilized my graphic design skills and started to develop magazine AD campaigns for the company. I remember feeling so proud of my work and knowing that my skills were helping the company attract new customers. I started seeing myself as a valuable employee and possessing skills that not a lot of people had. This boosted my self esteem and gave me a greater sense of purpose.

Signed Up to Work With a Personal Trainer

I truly believe that my self confidence took a turn for the better when I started to work out with the lovely, Suzie Conney of Suzie Trains Maui. I have always loved to work out, but found myself skipping workouts or not knowing what to do to shed fat and build lean muscle.  Suzie did more than just show me what exercises to do at the gym. She introduced me to stand up paddle boarding (which is one of my favorite activities ever,) she helped me see myself as a capable, strong woman and she encouraged me to do the things I love. I am forever grateful for her kind heart and inspiring presence.

Began Listening to Personal Development Audio Books

I love to read and have many, many health and nutrition books. However, there is such convenience that comes with audio books. You can listen to them in the car, while you work out or in bed at night. I credit Blake to introducing me to the amazing works of Anthony Robins, Brian Tracy and Napoleon Hill. I started to see the connection between what you think and what happens in your life. I also started reading books by powerful female authors including Louise Hay, Debbie Ford and Gabrielle Bernstien. Reading about how these authors had overcome challenges and created their best life inspired me to start creating mine.

Learned New Coping Skills

Something that I didn’t realize was that I had never developed healthy coping skills. I had such a sheltered childhood that I rarely had anything to get upset about. I remember a few occasions where I did something wrong and ended up sobbing uncontrollably. Fast forward to being 22 years old and feeling really upset and unsure about your life. I didn’t know how to cope with issues that would come up or feelings that I had. I instantly wanted sugar to numb whatever pain I was feeling. What helped me adopt new coping skills was first recognizing that I was feeling upset. Telling myself that I could choose to accept that these emotions were coming up and then try to work through them.

It was not easy. I still sometimes have a tendency to want a cookie when uneasy feelings start to emerge. But, I’ve now mastered new coping skills to work through these fears. I also like to get out of my fearful mindset by calling a friend on the phone, taking a bath, reminding myself of all the wonderful things I have to be thankful for or taking out my journal and writing about any feelings or thoughts that come up. Also, becoming more forgiving of myself and others has been very helpful. As I started to accept my faults and not hold others to such high standards, I started to be okay with things not being “perfect.”

Telling Myself That I Am Amazing

As corny as this statement sounds, it has done wonders for my self esteem and poor body image. When I first heard about positive affirmations, I thought that they sounded ridiculous and self-absorbed. I decided to try them anyway. I would tell myself, “I am beautiful inside and out. I am so talented. I am happy and healthy, etc.” At first, I thought I sounded silly and didn’t think much about them. Then over time, I started to believe these statements that I was telling myself. One of the best, easiest, and cheapest ways to start feeling better about yourself is to tell yourself three positive affirmations while standing in front of the mirror each morning. You are amazing! Now, go tell that to yourself.

Quit Eating Gluten

This was the single best decision that I have made for my health. I know that not everyone has a difficult time digesting gluten, but I had multiple ailments that were healed by removing gluten from my diet. Daily stomach aches that started around 10 every morning, a bloated stomach that resembled being 4-5 months along, anxiety and overwhelming feelings that something was wrong with me, mental fog, acne, embarrassing gas and about 10-15 unhealthy pounds of fat.

The first day that I stopped eating gluten was the first day in ages that I didn’t get a stomach ache! A few weeks later I realized my stomach wasn’t bloated and I wasn’t gassy like I used to be. A few more weeks went by and my anxiety and fearful thoughts stopped. A few months later I realized I had lost 10 pounds without dieting. After six months had passed, I was amazed at how “clear” my thoughts were. This was so such a weird feeling to experience. It literally felt like my thoughts were behind a fog that had slowly lifted. By this point, I knew there was no way that I could go back to eating gluten. It just didn’t agree with my body chemistry.

Getting Out of the House to Go Have Fun

It seems so simple, but when you feel so low and bad about yourself, pulling yourself together to get out of the house can be such a challenge. I was always able to get up and go to work throughout the week, I’m thankful for that. But, on my days off, I could not bring myself to get dressed and go out to enjoy myself. I felt like I didn’t “deserve” to have fun and go do new fun things. I was able to work through this by reminding myself that we all deserve to have fun and enjoy ourselves on our days off. I’d make plans to go for a walk with a friend or rent a board and go paddle boarding. I knew that I would have fun and feel better about myself if I got outside and did something. By reminding myself of how good I would feel later on if I just got out and did something, I was motivated to slip on my flip flops and head out the door.

As you can see, it was not one thing that helped me overcome my issues. I had to start being kind to myself, learn to love myself the way I was and continue to work on overcoming my struggles. It didn’t happen overnight, but day by day, I started to feel healthier and happier. I think when I realized that I was in control of my thoughts and could create my best life, I stepped up to the plate and started to make positive changes in my life. I know that if you are struggling with any of the issues that I had, you too can overcome them. I have faith that you have the power to work through any negative traits starting today. You can choose to overcome them.

One of the best ways to start working through an issue is to first admit to yourself that you have one. You’re not a bad or damaged person. You’re real. We all have negative issues that weight us down. Then reach out and learn how you can work through it. Buy a book, talk to a mentor or someone who has overcome what you’re going through, hire a counselor or coach. Whatever you do, don’t sit around and wallow in your own self pity!

I feel a lot better and more open with you now that I’ve shared how I was able to overcome these negative issues and live my best healthy, happy life. My life purpose is to help other women create their own happy, healthy life and I feel lucky to get to share my life and the lessons I learn with you through this blog.

Layla says, "Hi!" She's happy to be back home.

Have a great day and feel free to comment below or email me with any personal issues that you are in the process of working through. I’m here to help you lead your healthy, happy life!

Much love,

Kilee

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My Story: Part 1

Hi! Happy Monday. Did you go to a Super Bowl party? Did you get outside and go for a walk? Did you prepare your healthy meals for the week? Whatever you did, I hope you had an enjoyable day. I was chatting with the lovely Kris at iheartwellness and we were talking about how I could share my gifts and talents with even more people than I currently do. I know in my heart that I am here on this earth to help other women feel their best and to help others overcome challenges that I have struggled with in the past.

In order to better help you and other women, I think it’s best if I go back and share my personal story. It’s something that I have put off for quite a while because it’s frightening to me to share the low points of my 26 years on this planet. But, if I can help other women see that I’ve been there and have overcome these obstacles and now lead an amazing, healthy, happy life, it’s worth it. This isn’t a weight-loss story or a tale of how I overcame substance abuse. It’s my story of how I took control of my health and happiness naturally. I’m going to spread this out over two posts because I have so much to share and don’t want to overwhelm you.

I loved arts and crafts projects

I got started baking at a young age

Childhood

I was always a very creative and outgoing child. I loved to be in front of the camera, had a lot of friends and was always busy with my arts and craft projects. My life was idealistic and I was lucky to have such a great family and support system. Something changed when I was in the 5th grade; my best friend had recently moved to a new school and the friends that I had school started to distance themselves from me and made fun of me. I didn’t understand why they suddenly didn’t like me and I started to feel alienated at school.

The following year, my family moved to a new town and I attended a new middle school. I felt like I was being “passed” around the playground by different cliques of students and didn’t really connect with any of my new classmates. I focused on my studies and was always in the accelerated learning classes. My 7th grade year, I was in a math class with all 8th-graders, the class above mine. I started to make a few new friends and felt like I connected with them a little better than with my fellow classmates. In my final year of middle school, the class above mine was already at the high school and I remember making a few new friends within my class, but never feeling like I really “fit in” with everyone.

High School

Running cross country and track became my main focus outside of my classes at the high school. I loved running and dedicated myself to being disciplined when it came to training for races. I made friends right away with two girls on the cross country team, twin sisters. They were in the class above mine and we have been close friends ever since. I was even a bridesmaid in Laura’s wedding this past summer. Back to high school! The first three years went pretty smoothly. I excelled in school and always received “A’s” in my classes. My perfectionism was in full swing all throughout high school. I thought I had to be “perfect” at everything or people would not approve of me. I would get so stressed if I got a poor grade on an assignment, if I didn’t meet my goal time in a race or if my hair didn’t look good that day. I honestly thought that if I could be just like Martha Stewart, my life would be perfect! I now see the irony in this thought.

I had my two friends, Lindsey & Laura, and we did everything together. I still didn’t feel that close or comfortable with most of the other students, but it didn’t really bother me too much.

Sophomore year of high school, I had the BIGGEST crush on Blake, but never got up the nerve to talk to him. He now says that he had no idea I even liked him. Junior year, we somehow got hooked up to go to a formal dance together and I knew that this was my chance to test the waters to see if he liked me. We started hanging out and within a month or two, we were dating. Sometimes, I wish we started dating when we were older because he remembers all these embarrassing things that I said and did back in high school!

Fast forward to Senior year. I turned into a little stress ball! Lindsey and Laura moved to California for college, Blake moved two hours away to live with him mom and I felt like no one liked me. I now see this feeling as a theme that started back in 5th grade and continued up until a few years ago, but I’m over that now. All of a sudden I felt depressed. I started crying all. the. time. I felt sick to my stomach for weeks at a time. I had anxiety about how well I would do in my races, if I would get good enough grades to be awarded college scholarships and if Blake was dating other girls at his new school. I missed Blake, Lindsey and Laura so much and I honestly felt like no one else liked me.

I ended up not doing track my senior year because I felt so miserable and didn’t want to added pressure of competing in track meets. I graduated as one of our classes valedictorians and remember feeling embarrassed to speak in front of all my classmates. However, I was so thankful to be headed off to college and leaving my small, hometown behind.

My “Core” friends: Courtney & McKenzie

College

I told myself before I took off for college that I was going to a) make lots of new friends and b) be more easy going than I had been throughout high school. It’s amazing what what you can achieve when you make yourself believe things because I made some amazing friends my first day there and felt a little more relaxed about things than I had in high school.

My new friends, challenging classes and fun social life made college a lot more enjoyable than high school. Though, one thing was missing from new life: Blake. Seriously! I think I had to tell every guy that I dated in college about him and I ended up visiting him a few times throughout college. Finally, right before my senior year of college, we got back together and I traveled to Maui any chance I got to visit him. This is also when my anxiety hit an all-time high. I was so convinced that I had to look like a super-model for Blake to want to keep me as his girl friend. (Long story, but I got over it.) I also started to stay in a lot more instead of going out to parties with my friends. I felt like I didn’t “deserve” to go out and have fun because I didn’t look good enough or feel good enough about myself. (Again, I got over this.) The year drug on as I cried and cried, resorted to anti-anxiety pills and started to see a student counselor to help me work through some of my issues. I’m also lucky because Blake was so supportive of my craziness throughout the whole year.

On one of my many hikes on Maui

Layla got all wet from going in the water during this hike.

Post-College

I made it through my senior year of college (I’m seeing a theme with these rough senior years in school) and moved to Maui as soon as I graduated. I thought that my life would be perfect now that I was living with Blake in a tropical paradise. I got a rude awakening! Yes, I was so happy to be with Blake and the sun and beaches were amazing, but I started to experience some major issues within my life:

PMDD

I finally started putting 2 & 2 together. I was an emotional wreck the week before my period. I would spend my days off in bed crying all day. This leads to a very puffy face and unproductive day! I felt like I didn’t deserve to go to the beach or go shopping in the cute shops. I don’t know where those feelings were coming from. My mind would race about all the things that were “wrong” with me. Some mornings, I felt so bad about myself that Blake would sit down and try to “coach” me through these feelings. Let’s just say that the week before my period was especially dreaded each month.

Poor Body Image

I’m like every other girl out there. We look at the celebrities and models in the magazines and wish that our body looked more like theirs. I was working out less and less and my stomach was becoming more and more bloated from the foods that I was eating. I was so embarrassed of how I looked and didn’t want to be seen in my day to day attire let alone a swimsuit. I’d sometimes cry before we went kite boarding and make Blake promise that I looked good enough to go to the beach with him.

Bingeing and Purging

I had bouts of time where I would feel so overwhelmed with my negative emotions and feelings that I would crave the comfort of sugary foods. I remember eating a bowl of ice cream or a plate of cookies and then feeling so bad about myself that I would make myself throw up. I later learned that I was lacking healthy coping skills and this practice was my way of trying to make myself feel better. Luckily, my experience with bingeing and purging was off-and-on and there were oftentimes months between my episodes. I have felt so embarrassed by this piece of my past, that I almost chose not to share it. However, I know that there are other women out there who are going through the same struggles that I have gone through and I want to help them see that they can overcome anything!

Low Self Confidence

There were times when I lived on Maui that felt like I was just following in the shadows of Blake. He had a successful helicopter tour company, he was a pilot, he knew a lot of people around the island, he was my boss at work and he had a whole life set up for himself before I moved there. I gave up on my passions in life and this lead to me forgetting my strengths and what I’m good at. I lost a piece of myself by choosing not to follow my own dreams, stay creative and pursue my own passions. I started to feel worse and worse about myself.

Negative Mindset & Complaining

This lack of confidence, poor body image and overall negativity on my part manifested itself into me becoming a huge complainer. I was always able to stay positive and kind at work and in public, but behind closed doors, I was a complaining machine. I complained to Blake about everything. “All we do is stuff for you and your business. I look fat. I don’t want to go here or there. I just want you to come home and spend time with me.” This behavior went on for a good year or two, I’m very embarrassed to report. Looking back, I now understand that it was all because I wasn’t happy with myself and my choices and I was taking it out on poor Blake.

Gluten-Intolerance

I had always had an upset stomach. Like literally, every single day my stomach would hurt. I also had a bloated stomach that got progressively larger as the day went on. I had really bad, embarrassing gas. My anxiety was starting to flare up. I had this weird mental fog (that I didn’t even realize until I cut the gluten out and my mind became so much clearer.) I was crying all the time. My facial acne was getting worse each month. Let’s just say that I was not cute or fun to be around. I was eating what I thought were healthy foods: whole grain cereals, turkey sandwiches on whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta dinners. I had heard about gluten-intolerance from a friend and even tried a gluten-free diet back in college. What I didn’t know at that time, was that gluten is a tricky little bugger that is in tons of unsuspecting foods. My health and well-being was getting progressively worse as I continued to consume gluten in my diet.

Lack of Life Passion

I have always known that I was meant to accomplish great feats. I’m a hard worker and will bust my butt to get the job done. What was going on back then was that I wasn’t pursuing any of my passions. I wasn’t making homemade cards or creating new workouts. I didn’t know that I could inspire and help other women to feel their best and live their healthy, happy life. I was literally just plugging along, working for Blake’s company and not making an effort to do the things that bring me joy.

Are you depressed yet? Seriously, reading the struggles that I’ve gone through and remembering how I felt during those times is painful. I promise that I have a happy ending to my story. It’s coming up in tomorrow’s post. As embarrassing as it is for me to share my weakest moments, I know that I am able to help other women overcome these painful issues and live a life full of health, self-confidence, positivity and happiness.

I’ll be back tomorrow with all the information about how I overcame each and every one of these issues. Do you ever feel better when you tell others about your past or what you’ve overcome?  I’m hoping I feel better once I hit “Publish!”

Don’t forget to comment on *this* post if you follow me on Twitter or Facebook to be entered in the giveaway!

Pics From the Road

Good morning! I am so happy to tell you that I will be flying back to Portland today. It has been an unexpectedly long trip out here to Nevada and I want to thank you for hanging in there with me throughout this journey. I was really excited to call the doggie hotel and tell them that I would be picking up Layla tonight. I hear that she has a new boyfriend – a papillon named, Maximilian. My sister is picking me up from the airport and then it’s straight to pick up Layla.

I took a bunch of photos and videos out here on the road. Even though I was in Reno, Elko and Eureka, Nevada, the landscape pretty much looked the same outside of the cities.

One thing that was new to me was “basque” style dining. It’s where they bring a ton of different side dishes to the table and serve them family style. Then everyone orders a main entree and leaves the restaurant stuffed to the brim with all types of foods. I usually just ordered the side dishes and a baked potato or had a few bites of Blake’s steak because all the side dishes were a meal in and of themselves. There is a specific type of salad dressing that all the restaurants use called “basque” dressing. It’s a white mayonnaise/vinegar/garlic/hard boiled egg based dressing that is addicting. I’m going to try to recreate it at home. The dinners always started with a big pot of soup and bread, then salad, then green beans, potatoes, beans, and spaghetti plus whatever entree you order. The two restaurants that I ate at in Elko were The Star Hotel and Toki Ona. They were both delicious!
I did a lot of driving in areas with hardly any radio. This gave me plenty of time to think about things and reflect on the multiple lessons that I learned throughout this trip. I would say the most beneficial life lesson that I learned and practiced on this trip was “attitude is everything.” It is safe to say that almost everything that could go wrong, went wrong on the job that Blake is on right now. I wasn’t even supposed to be with him at the job site, but it ended up that way. Instead of complaining and being in a bad mood the whole time, I practiced staying calm, nice and upbeat. It really helped keep up the moral of our group and I believe that little things went smoother because of our positive attitude.

For example, we checked into one of our hotels to find out that the heater in our room wasn’t working. We kindly asked the hotel manager to look at it and he brought us a portable heater plus extra blankets for the bed. When we got back to the room the next night, the heater was fixed plus we still had the portable heater for extra warmth.

Another example is when I was without my luggage and my cell phone battery was dying. Two different people that I was around offered to let me use their chargers to recharge my phone. I made a lot of new friends on this trip by staying in a good mood and being friendly to everyone around me. However, I did still have a few breaking points, but I learned from those too.

Something that I reminded myself throughout the trip was that the universe does not hand you more than you can handle. There were times when I was scared driving in four wheel drive, swerving down a muddy road, but I reminded myself that all would be okay and I would be safe. There were also times when I had to have one of the guys hop in and drive too, but I am now confident in my off-road driving and backing up a trailer skills.

I’m not going to go into all the details of what went wrong, but let’s just say that my patience was tested and I was outside of my comfort zone for a good part of the past week. I’m so thankful that I got to spend this time on the road and job site with Blake and I have an even greater appreciation of what he does for his job. The only thing that could have made this trip complete would have been if little miss Layla was out there with us. I’ll bring her out on my next trip!

I also want to share two of the videos that I filmed recently. I’m getting a lot more used to filming videos now. I’ll be back with some healthy eating videos that I made over the past few days. Take care and I’ll be posting from home next time I see you!

Much love,
Kilee

Lessons from Reno

Hi! I hope that you’re having a great day so far. I wanted to fill you in on some lessons that I learned while visiting Blake in Reno. I tend to do a lot of personal growth and lesson learning when out on the road with Blake. You might remember lessons I shared this past summer and fall while visiting Blake in Alaska. There is something about being out of my comfort zone and having to deal with the unpredictability that comes with his job and being on the road that makes for challenges and learning lessons. I am a strong believer that going through tough situations and challenges helps you to grow as a person and better prepare you for your journey in life.

Sometimes I feel embarrassed to share my stories of when I haven’t acted my best or struggles that I’ve gone through, but I remind myself that I’m here to help others work through these same challenges. I want to inspire you to get back up and keep living your best life. We all hit speed bumps on our roads of personal growth. No one is perfect and the best we can do is learn from our mistakes and try to do better next time.

So, what little lessons did I learn while in Reno?

1. Always, always, always read the label or ask for the ingredients of what you are going to eat.

I was excited to try out some new bars that I had packed for my trip. I thought that I checked the ingredients of these “new-to-me” Cliff MoJo bars. Apparently I was more focused on the macronutrients (they are pretty close to Luna Bars) than examining every ingredient because I ended up eating half of a trail mix bar before I realized that it had pretzel sticks in it. Red-flag gluten alert!!! I was mad at myself because it was a silly mistake to make and I was frightened because I never know if an accidental gluten ingestion will result in any unwanted side effects. Luckily, I was not punished with a gruesome stomachache, but did suffer a possible side effect that I’ll explain in lesson #3.

2. Exercise, even when you are away from home.

I exercise 5-6 days a week. Not because I’m training for a big race or because I need to look amazing for an upcoming photo shoot, (although, I wouldn’t be opposed to those reasons in the future) but because I depend on my workouts to help keep my anxiety and PMS levels down. I’ll write a post in the future about natural ways I have been able to personally reduce my anxiety, but I want to focus on the benefits of working up a sweat when away from home and out of your daily routine.

My sister got my the Insanity DVD’s for Christmas and I started doing them a few weeks ago. I have stuck with the recommended training schedule and have noticed that I feel better when consistantly preforming these high-intensity cardio workouts. I packed my DVD’s and workout clothes for the trip with every intention of preforming the daily workouts. Um… I didn’t really feel like working up a sweat the first few days that I was here. I told myself that I was “on vacation” and that “I deserved a break from my workouts.” I wish that I had just powered through the workouts because I ended up feeling crappy until Monday, when I made myself put in a DVD and do a workout. Ahh, that burst of endorphins was exactly what my body and mind needed. After realizing how important these 30-40 minutes sweat sessions are for my sanity (even though they’re called “Insanity” haha!) I made the choice to continue my regular workout routine.

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3. Stop, breath and focus on a solution.

I had a mini-meltdown in Whole Foods Sunday night. I want to say that it was induced by accidentally eating gluten that afternoon, but I’m not sure if there was a link or not. Here is what happened: we’re reading books and magazines at Barnes and Noble and realize that it’s getting late and we should try to pick up some dinner before heading back to the casino. (We were trying to save money on food after our expensive, amazing dinner at Charlie Palmer.) We hopped in the car and drove around looking for a place to get dinner. I spotted a Whole Foods and decided that hot bar would make a perfect, healthy dinner. We got inside at 8:55 to find the hot bar food was already taken down and a voice over the loud speaker said that they would be closing in five minutes. This is when the anxiety took over and my bad behavior started. It seems so silly now, but at the time I was actually in panic mode.

I complained to Blake that we wasted too much time at the book store, that they didn’t have any food that I wanted to eat and that I was too stressed to find anything to eat in the next five minutes. I could see the tension and anger building in him and decided that we were already at Whole Foods, I should just make do with the salad bar and pick up a rice paper roll since I was craving one. We bought our dinner and some vitamins that Blake needed and headed to the truck. And, the mini-meltdown continued. Blake told me that it took every last bit of his patience not to explode at me in the store, that I was acting like a child and that I could not let little stressors affect me the way that I let them. I started crying like a toddler, was ashamed that I had just acted like one and agreed that I let my anxiety get the best of me during those stressful (?!) five minutes in the store.

What I should have done was stopped my racing mind, taken a deep breath and decided if it was worth the stress of having to find something for dinner in under five minutes or if we should just leave and find another place to eat. Instead, I let my fear and anxiety come over me and acted like a toddler who wasn’t getting her way. Wow, that is embarrassing to admit! I learned a lot from that moment and got what I deserved once we were back at the hotel. My salad tasted gross and my rice paper roll was stale and unappetizing.

So, there you have some of my lessons that I learned while in Reno. I won’t even get started writing about how I have had to ditch my “everything has to go according to planned” attitude for a “go with the flow” one. That’s a whole other post in and of itself! I hope that by me sharing the lessons that I learn, you are able to learn through my mistakes and experiences and hopefully avoid them. I’ll keep sharing them with you because I’m sure there will be more that I’ll learn in the next few month and beyond. Have a great day,

Kilee

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Wealth Wednesday: What Does Wealth Mean To You?

One of Blake's Photos from earlier this year

Hi! I hope that your week is going smoothly. Sorry that I missed you yesterday. I was without internet and didn’t have a chance to go to the coffee shop. The wi-fi was so slow at the coffee shop on Monday that I actually had to go to McDonald’s to be able to upload photos for Monday’s post. I was impressed with my grilled southwest chicken salad that I ate while I was there. McDonald’s has stepped up their game in the healthier fast-food department.

Today I wanted to talk a little bit about what it means to be wealthy. Wikipedia defines wealth as:

“Wealth is the abundance of valuable resources or material possessions … The concept of wealth is of significance in all areas of economics, especially development economics, yet the meaning of wealth is context-dependent and there is no universally agreed upon definition.” - source.

My view of wealth is beginning to shift meanings. I understand that there is still a need to generate money in order to create a comfortable lifestyle, but what does true wealth mean to you? My first inclination was that being wealthy meant that you felt secure and happy with your life.

I spent some time thinking about what makes me feel secure and happy. I listed off things like spending quality time with Blake and Layla, cooking healthy dinners for my family and friends, going for long walks and having a warm and cozy place to live. As I reviewed my list, I recognized the fact that none of these items regarded material goods or required an extra high level of income. My list was centered around relationships, healthy activities and having a comfortable place to call home. It was in that moment that I was reminded of how full of wealth my life already is.

Take some time today to think about what “feeling wealthy” means to you. It could be feeling free, grateful or loved. Then write down things in your life that already make you feel this way. For example, “not having to depend on anyone, taking time to say grace before your meals or receiving lots of kisses from your dog when you come home each night.”

By focusing on and being thankful for what already brings us wealth in our lives, we will in turn attract more wealth to us.

What makes you feel wealthy?

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Motivational Monday

Hi! I hope that you had a fun weekend! Blake had both Saturday and Sunday off, so we slept in, took Layla for lots of walks and practiced our shotgun skills. Well, Blake practiced and I tried it out for the first time.

Today I wanted to talk a little bit about what motivates us to lead a healthy lifestyle. We all know that we should try to be healthy, but it’s much easier to ignore the advice and indulge in more of our guilty pleasures than we’re willing to admit. There are some healthy activities that I love to do and naturally fit into my daily routine, while there are other practices that require constant reminders and motivation to accomplish.

Healthy traits that come naturally to me:

1. Working out about five times a week. I enjoy going for runs, lifting weights, taking group exercise classes and going on long walks with Layla.
2. Cooking healthy meals. It’s no secret that I love to cook and I feel so much better when I use healthy, gluten-free foods in my recipes.
3. Getting enough sleep. I was the girl who always fell asleep first at slumber parties. My body cannot function properly without 7-8 hours of sleep a night, so I’m pretty consistent with going to bed to get enough zzz’s.

Healthy traits that require more motivation:

1. Not reaching for dark chocolate, gluten-free cookies or coconut milk ice-cream after dinner. I have a major sweet tooth. Over the past year, I have calmed it down, but I still have to resist the nightly urge to eat a sweet treat after dinner.
2. Keeping my negative self-talk and anxiety under control. I have worked through 90% of my negative self-talk and anxious thought patterns by practicing positive thinking and focusing on the present moment.
3. Letting go of an “All or Nothing” approach. I get pretty fired up about ideas that I have, but sometimes when something isn’t going as planned, I give up on it entirely instead of accepting the set back and continuing in the positive direction.

None of us is perfect and has 100% control over every aspect of his or her life. I accept my positive and negative attributes because they are all part of what makes me, me. I continually strive to be the most positive, healthy version of myself and on some days, this takes a little more motivation than others.

What Helps Motivate Me to Live a Healthy Lifestyle:

Writing post-it notes to myself to workout first thing in the morning and sticking them on the bathroom mirror.

Rewarding myself with small treats when I achieve a mini goal. For example: a new fitness or cooking magazine when I stick to eating healthy meals all week or a relaxing epson salt bath after a grueling workout.

Creating fitness-goals for particular events. For example, I wanted to look my best in Laura’s wedding this summer, so about eights weeks before the wedding, I stepped up my workouts and was a little more strict with my healthy eating.

Lots of workouts and healthy meals

went into getting ready for this!

Writing down why I want to be healthy. It’s great to have a page in your journal or a piece of paper on your inspiration board stating the reasons why you want to be healthy. This way, if you’re feeling down or unmotivated, you can reference your list. Some of my reasons include: feeling my best, being a positive example to others, keeping my body healthy incase we choose to have children in the future and staying active to be able to do activities that I enjoy – like hiking and SUP.

Readers, what methods do you use to motivate yourself to lead a healthy lifestyle?

I’ll leave you with some photos of the snow that we woke up with this morning. I went for a beautiful run around the lake, but ended up slipping on some ice and falling on my hip. I also managed to drop my ipod in the snow and couldn’t find it for a few minutes. Maybe I’m not meant to run outdoors when it’s this snowy?

Positive Thinking Thursday

Hi! What did you think about yesterday’s post about generating more wealth in your life? I have been letting go of the fear that I’ve been holding onto regarding money and learning view my life and wealth from a place of love and abundance.

Today’s post will be short and sweet. I wanted to talk a little bit about the power of positive thinking. Your thoughts and beliefs create your life experiences. You hold far more power in creating the life of your dreams, than you probably realize.

Your assignment for today is to stop any negative thought that may cross your mind and replace it with a positive one.
Examples:

Replace, “I don’t have any time to make a healthy dinner” with, “I have a lot of time to make a healthy dinner.”

Replace, “My stomach looks too fat in this outfit” with, “My stomach looks tiny in this outfit.”

Replace, “I will never have enough money to travel to Europe” with, “I will soon have enough money to travel to Europe.”

It’s important to rephrase each negative thought into a positive one because the way you think about your life shapes how your life plays out. Continue this exercise all day today and work to make it a habit.

Here of some photos from Layla’s and my walk last night. The days are getting shorter and the air is much cooler up here in Alaska.

Wealth Wednesday

Hi! Sorry I’m a little late posting today. The wi-fi that I had been using in the pilot cabin suddenly stopped working, so I’m joining you from Alaska Coffee Roasters. They roast their own coffee beans and provide free wi-fi here at their popular coffee house in Fairbanks.

Last night, I listened to one of my favorite podcasts, “Everything is Energy” hosted by Kristin and David Morelli. They are married, millionaire intuitives who promote the idea that everything in our life is made up of energy and that we have the power to change our life experiences by changing our energy. Their weekly show (that is currently off-air, but you can download the episodes on iTunes) features inspiring guests ranging from medical intuitives to spiritual leaders to best-selling authors.

The podcast that I listened to last night talked about money and fundraising. Their guest, “The Soul of Money” author, Lynne Twist, shared advice regarding money and fundraising for charitable organizations. She has been raising money to give to charities since she was five years old and has a great deal of knowledge about how we can create more wealth in our own life and generate more wealth to give to others. I want to share three of her valuable tips on creating an abundance of wealth.

Releasing fear

We as a culture need to reallocate the wealth of the world away from fear and towards love. Most money is spent on materialistic goods, depletion of  our natural resources and violence. We spend our money on material goods because we fear that we don’t look good enough to others or we don’t feel good enough about ourselves. We spend money on consuming an enormous amount of oil and do not consider the consequences of how this affects our planet for the years to come. We fear our safety and therefore spend money on personal weapons and wars. All of these purchases are made out of fear.

What we need to do is release this fear, trust that the Universe will support us and reallocate our wealth in the spirit of love. By shifting our energy towards supporting love, the health and wellbeing of the human race, animals and the earth, we are creating a positive flow of energy and abundance.

Clearing unconscious beliefs of lack

A current pandemic in our modern psyche is that of scarcity. The idea that there is not enough wealth to be shared with everyone exists in our mind, and is not a reality. It is the product of our consumer culture. If you believe that there will never be enough wealth for yourself and you fear living below the poverty line, that belief will become a reality. If you change your mindset and focus on the abundance of wealth and resources that the world provides and focus on sufficiency, this idea will come into existence.

Lynne shared that, “if you let go of trying to get more of what you don’t really need, it frees up oceans of energy to make a difference with what you already have.” This mindset will help stabilize your thought pattern and bring you a peace of mind. Recognize what you already have and be grateful for it. Let go of any unconscious belief of lack that you may be holding onto.

Live a life of passion, fulfillment and financial freedom

You only have one life to live on this planet. You should spend your precious time doing what you love. By discovering your passion in life and doing it, the amount of love and fulfillment will override any feelings of lack or doubt that you may be holding on to. By stepping into a place of love and living your dream life, financial wealth will come to you. The important lesson is to not worry about the money, but focus on doing what you love.

I’m not saying that you should quit your job, move to Spain to study Spanish dancing and assume that you will become a millionaire. However, if you continue to make enough money to cover your basic living expenses and dedicate your free time to pursuing your passion, you will eventually generate wealth doing what you love.

These tips provide the perfect starting point for creating more abundance in your life. How can you shift your financial mindset out of fear and into love? How can you let go of unconscious beliefs surrounding lack and scarcity? What can you do to start adding more personal fulfillment into your everyday life?

I encourage you to visit Lynne’s website, soulofmoney.org as well as Kristin and Davids’s everythingisenergy.com. Have a wonderful day today and I’ll see you tomorrow!

Much love,

Kilee

I doubt Layla ever worries about money. All she cares about is food, getting plenty of attention and sleeping!

“Goal Setting” Monday

Good morning! I hope that you are having a great day so far. It has been absolutely beautiful up here in Alaska the past few days. I want to create a more structured approach to how I post here on the blog and this morning’s post is my first “Goal Setting” Monday post.

As you may have already noticed, I’m a big supporter of setting goals for yourself. There is a strong link between following through with your intentions and being confident in yourself. Think about how you felt when you gave up on something you were working on. Negative self-talk probably started to play in your head and you might have felt like a failure. Now consider how you felt when you kept a promise that you made to yourself and achieved a goal that you set. Did you feel happy and proud of your dedication and hard work?

Goals need to be meaningful and authentic to your true self or else you won’t be as motivated to achieve them. Does your true self really want to own a Corvette, or do you simply think that other people will like you better if you drive one? In order for you to really get excited about and dedicate yourself to your goals, they need to come from your heart – your authentic self.

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Today’s exercise is about focusing on what you really want in life. Take out your journal or notebook and write down 5-10 things that you want to accomplish within your lifetime. They can be as simple as owning a dog to as extravagant as sailing around the world in a sailboat. Whatever you heart desires, write it down. The trick is to let your authentic self tell you what it wants to accomplish, not what you think “sounds good” to others.

I took some time last night after dinner to write out ten things that I wanted to do in my lifetime. Here are three examples from my list:

1. Travel to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Scandinavia, the Mediterranean and Asia.

2. Help other women improve their self-confidence and live their best life.

3. Stand-up paddleboard on a regular basis.

These are all things that excite and inspire me. The next step is to write out a mini-action plan for each of your goals. Some goals can be accomplished within a few months, while others might not be doable until years from now. The key is to write down how and when you will start working towards your goals.

My example:

1. Travel to Australia, New Zealand, Europe, Scandinavia, the Mediterranean and Asia.

Blake and I have already decided that our first international trip together will be to Australia and New Zealand. We have watched many documentaries featuring these countries and researched attractions that we’d like to visit.

My first step is to research how much a trip to Australia and New Zealand will cost. I’ll look at different airfare providers, find out if a cruise ship or rental car would be the best way to see all of the sights that we want to see, ask my cousin and his girl friend (who will be living near Perth for the next year) when is the best time to visit them, create an estimated vacation budget for a 2-week stay with airfare for Blake and I and finally, figure out where Layla would stay while we’re gone.

Next, Blake and I need to sit down and go over the financial aspect. Do we already have enough saved up for the trip? If not, how much money will we need to put aside each month to cover our expenses for the trip?

Finally, when we have made all of our decisions and saved up enough money for the trip, it will be time to book our flight and make travel arrangements.

Whew! That was a lot of planning, but it will all be worth it when we’re in the Outback on an Australian safari.

2. Help other women improve their self-confidence and live their best life.

This is something that I can do here on the blog by sharing ways that I’ve improved my self-confidence and created my best life. I can encourage others to find what makes them happy and feel good about them self.

I can also volunteer with adolescents and encourage them to discover their passion at a young age and commit to doing it. I can volunteer my time to help women who have experienced abuse and help them rebuild their self-confidence and start living their best life.

I can work with women who feel hopeless about where their life is headed and show them that they have the power to create their own destiny.

What I now see, is that there are numerous ways that I can help other women improve their self-confidence and live their best life.

3. Stand-Up Paddleboard on a regular basis.

I started stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) about a month or two before we moved from Maui. Since then, I’ve been dying to go more often. We live in Portland, OR and I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t gone SUP anywhere around here.

My options are to:

Wait until next summer and go somewhere around Portland or drive to Hood River for an afternoon.

I could move to Bend, where SUP is very popular, and go all summer long.

I could move back to Maui and go SUP year-round.

I could move to Southern California or Mexico and go SUP year-round.

I should point out that I’m a sun & bikini type of SUP-boarder. Sorry, but if I have to put on a wetsuit, it’s not as much fun!

I hope that you found my examples helpful and inspiring. It’s important not to get so focused on completing your goals that you miss out on all the other fun things in life. We need to strive to keep a balance between what we want to accomplish and being open to the other amazing adventures that the Universe has in store for us.

Now it’s your turn! Take out your journal or notebook and ask yourself what you really want to do during your precious time here on earth.

Happy Monday everyone!

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Be sure to tune into Oprah’s Life Class on OWN tonight and check out the live webcast with Mastin Kipp (founder of onedailylove.com) afterwards on oprah.com at 6pm Pacific, 8pm Central & 9pm Eastern.

Today’s Assignment: Do What You Love

Hi! I’m excited to debut my new video post. I’ve never recorded myself for the blog before, so please excuse any lack of video quality. I promise that I’ll work to improve future videos.

Your assignment today is to take some time to think about what you love doing. It could be as simple as walking down to the coffee shop on Sunday mornings and enjoying your americano while reading the newspaper or as elaborate as planning a five course dinner party for a dozen of your closest friends. Write down a list of activities that bring you joy and happiness in your journal or notebook. The next part of your assignment is to schedule some time to do one of these activities within the next seven days. Open up your planner and write down when you are going to devote some time to doing what you love.

Here is my list that I wrote out today:

For my assignment, I plan to read magazines by buying two new magazines when I go to the grocery store in Fairbanks. If I can find a Barnes and Noble, I’ll sit and read tons of magazines and maybe choose just one to purchase.

It’s that simple! You deserve to take some time devoted to doing whatever makes you happy. Please let me know what you plan on doing and when you’re going to do it.

Take care,

Kilee

Lake Iliamna: Lesson on Judgement

Hello friends!

I have been reluctant to post anything lately because all of the photos that I took on our four-hour helicopter flight from Fairbanks to Lake Iliamna are on Blake’s super-fancy camera and I can’t get them to upload to my laptop. As soon as I do, I’ll post some of the breathtaking photos from our flight.

We have been staying at a lodge on Lake Iliamna for the past five nights. Because we didn’t know what our accommodations would be like or how Layla would do for that long of a helicopter flight, we booked her a stay at a kennel in Fairbanks.

Our little trouble-maker is right where she belongs - behind bars!

They even have a “Muttesorie” school for her to go to during the day. We called and checked on her and they said that she was having a blast playing with the other dogs and behaving like a good girl. I’m not sure if I believe them about her good behavior, but feel relieved about her excellent report.

Today I wanted to talk about a lesson that I learned during our first few days here.

We were picked up at the airport by one of Blake’s co-workers and driven to the “lodge” where we’d be staying. I was expecting a resort-like place with a lobby, restaurant and lounge and hot tub because that is the only type of “lodge” that I have been to. However, we pulled up to a large, house-looking building that had antlers hanging from the front. As we walked through the narrow hallway and to our room, I quickly decided that I was not going to like it here because A) it had not been remodeled for at least 25 years, B) it lacked a fancy restaurant and spa and C) it felt like the set of a horror film.

Me, being a brat because I was freezing cold and judgmental.

I whispered my disappointment in our accommodations to Blake who told me to relax and appreciate this new experience. As we headed upstairs and sat down for our late dinner of salad, sauteed vegetables, sausage and pasta, I became anxious because I assumed there would be little to no gluten-free food choices. I explained to the lodge owner that I wasn’t trying to be impolite by not eating the pasta, but that I was gluten-intolerant. He asked me to explain what that meant and would try to accommodate my dietary restriction.

The "game room"

He then proudly showed us the “game room” that displayed at least 20 different types of mounted animals from a famous hunter’s personal collection. By that time, I was grossed out by the dead animals, old decor and amount of sausage that I had just consumed. I decided that I was going to have to suffer through a week with slow Internet, being by myself in a creepy place and being isolated from any modern-day town. (The village is about a mile away and consists of a trading post.)

Blake’s food and lodging is covered by the company he works for, but he is paying $150/day to cover my food and lodging. I told him that he was being “ripped-off” for paying that much given the condition of this place and the few gluten-free food choices that I had. His response was that he “wasn’t paying for some grand hotel for me, he was paying for me to be with him.” Hmm… I hadn’t thought about it that way. I was too busy complaining about everything that wasn’t “perfect” that I forgot to be grateful for the fact that we were together and Blake was willing to shell out some serious cash for me to be able to stay with him. Right then, I started to become embarrassed of my childish behavior.

The next day, I went for a long walk around the lake and spent some time reading books and magazines. I started to feel relaxed and comfortable.  The lodge owner was kind enough to make me a chicken and vegetable soup from scratch along with a salad as my lunchtime meal. He asked what kinds of gluten-free foods that he could prepare for me. He then built me a fire in the “game room” and encouraged me to watch the T.V. and relax by the fire.

While on my run that evening, I was blown away by how judgemental I had been. Within 30 seconds of arriving at the lodge, I decided that I didn’t like it and thought that it was creepy. I’m embarrassed by my snap judgements. The lesson that I learned that day is, You don’t have to actually like something, but do not be so quick to place judgement on it. I don’t particularly enjoy where we are staying, but I should not have judged it the way that I did on our first night here.

Posing along the river in my new pink Carhartt jacket

Me falling down the super-steep trail that led to the river below.

I have so much to be grateful for at this moment; Blake and I get to spend time together while he’s not working, I have all day to do what I want to do, I’m healthy and able to go for runs and do outdoor workouts, I have plenty of clothes to keep me warm, Layla is being well taken care of, etc.

Readers, please learn from my mistake. Do not be so quick to judge someone, something, someplace. It’s alright if you eventually decide that you don’t care for it, but give it a chance.

I forgot to mention that there was a mouse in our room too! Of course, Blake was not phased by this, but I was horrified. The lodge owner offered for us to move rooms and that he would catch the mouse. Blake refused and eventually him and the lodge owner chased the mouse into another room and set out a trap for him.

It turns out that the left-over food that we had thrown in our trash was too appealing to the little mouse. So basically, Blake and I created our own problem, then freaked out over it and then it was solved. So many life lessons being learned on this trip!

Have a great day and I hope that you enjoy some of the photos that I’m sharing with you from our adventures up here!

Life Lessons from Stand Up Paddleboarding

Hi! I hope that you are having a fabulous day so far! I wanted to share some inspiring lessons that I’ve learned from stand up paddleboarding (SUP) over the past few years.

Suzie was recently featured in the July issue of Self magazine.

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I was introduced to SUP by the lovely, Suzie Coney, of Suzie Trains Maui. She was my trainer when I lived on Maui and she taught free women’s SUP workshops on the weekends. All that you had to do was bring your board and paddle and she would instruct us on proper warm-up exercises and SUP techniques. I gained some major confidence and camaraderie with the other women out there on the water. I want to thank Suzie for introducing me to such an exciting and invigorating sport!

Life Lessons I’ve learned from Stand Up Paddleboarding

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1. If you fall off your board, get back on

This is true at every point in your life. We are constantly “falling off our board,” whether it’s not getting the job we applied for, being dumped by our significant other or eating a bag of Oreos after we swore off of junk food. What’s important is that we pick ourselves up and get back on our “board.”

When I first started SUP, I was in the water half of the time that I was out there. Instead of calling it quits and swimming back to shore, I pulled myself out of the water and back onto my board. I continued to work on my balance and learn the best ways to maneuver my board in the choppy waters. The last time that I went SUP on my trip to Maui, I went out for about 30 minutes without falling once!

I know that we all have times when we’re feeling down or have gotten off track. My best advice is to stick with our goal, get back up, and keep working towards it. Our hard work will pay off!

2. Keep your eyes ahead, not beneath you

This one is especially important, both when your on the water and in life, when your striving towards large goals. I realized that when I looked at the ocean beneath my board, I was more likely to be wobbly and lose my balance than when I focused on a point in the distance. I liken this to staying focused on your overall life goals instead of worrying about the issues that arise on a daily basis. There will always be little problems that come up along the way, but if we work through them, everything will all work out.

Next time you find yourself panicked about a current “crisis” remind yourself that “this too shall pass” and that you will eventually achieve your goal.

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3. Go with the flow

This is one that I am constantly working on! When you are out in the choppy ocean waters, your board is continually bobbing up and down with the waves of the ocean. If your legs are locked straight, you are more likely to get tossed off your board. However, if you slightly bend your legs and allow the board to rock beneath you with ease, you are less likely lose your balance.

In life, it is easy to get caught up in the day to day drama, but if you roll with the punches and don’t worry too much about the little things, it will all work out.

There you go. These are my life lessons learned through my experience with stand up paddleboarding. Readers, I have 2 challenges for you: apply one of these lessons to your week this week and if you have the opportunity to try SUP, do it!

Have a great day today!

Much love,

Kilee

How to Start Your Day “Right”

Good morning everyone! Are you enjoying your long weekend? I sure am. Yesterday was a very good “Kilee” day. I took Layla on her morning walk, had my carrot cake protein pancake and coffee while working on the computer.

Check out that cute mug. I got it for Blake because it reminded me of Alaska and Layla. (Sometimes she resembles a bear!)

Then I went to Costco to pick up my toiletries. I find that Costco has the best deal on all of my “necessities” – Cetaphil, Secret Clinical Strength (this is seriously the only deoderant that works for me. I’ve tried all the “natural ones” and they just don’t cut it) Venus disposable razors and pretty pink lip gloss. The only downside to shopping at Costco – opening up their ridiculous cardboard and plastic packaging. I even bought a set of heavy duty scissors yesterday because we didn’t have any at the house.

After my little venture to Costco, I went on an amazing run at a park near our home.

Once I was home, I inhaled an extra large chicken and romaine salad, then picked up the house and finally busted out this Tone It Up workout.

I am rather cheap when it comes to buying most everyday items. I have learned that you should not buy the least expensive exercise ball because it will end up deflating easily and the foot pump that comes with it barely pumps any air when used. With that being said, when this one goes ka-put, I will be buying one that costs more than $9.99!

I went tanning to make up for my lack of being in the sun all day and headed over to my sister’s “PJ” themed birthday party. I even packed my “lean & green” quinoa burger and steamed spinach so I could have it for dinner while at the party. Very exciting, I know :)

While on my run yesterday, I listened to a Everything is Energy podcast with Joan Borysenko. She spoke of the importance of starting our day in the best mindset possible. In order to shift our energy into a positive place, recommends doing something that inspires and invigorates us first thing each morning. What works for one person might not inspire another person, so be authentic to your true self.

Examples of uplifting activities include:

• Taking a walk
• Listening to your favorite music
• Writing in your journal
• Doing a meditation
• Going for a run or bike ride
• Working on a craft project

The key is to start your day doing something you love and create positive energy. I can tell a big difference on the days that I go for a walk with Layla first thing in the morning versus when I have to rush and forgo our morning exercise.

Be sure to sign up for Tone It Up’s Fall Fitness Challenge! I’m going to be participating and strongly encourage you to join in on the fun! You can sign up here.

Inspiration Board 2.0

Hi! How is your weekend going? Mine has been good. Pretty low-key around here. I took Layla for her morning walk around the neighborhood, had my coffee and breakfast and then devoted a good three hours to this:

My new inspiration board. A few months ago, I posted about my inspiration board and how to make one. For the past two weeks, I’ve had this little voice in the back of my head nagging me to make a new one. My life feels like it’s at a cross-roads right now and I need a little direction. So what did I do? I spent some extra time writing in my journal. I have never been a religious journal writer. Mine is usually just filled with to-do lists and goals that I want to work on. Whenever I start to feel like I need to re-evaulate where my life’s going, I spend a little more time reflecting in my journal. Recent entries may or may not have included my thoughts on:

• Things that make me happy
• Where I see myself in 1, 3, and 5 years. 10 years always seems so far away!
• New ideas for Whole Nutrition
• Feelings that I have been carrying around with me for awhile that I want to work through
• My core values. What makes me me?

Get the picture? After spending that time reflecting, I knew that I needed a new vision board. I bought a foam board and some art supplies at Target. (Back to school prices are the best! $1 for Crayola markers right now.) I went through a giant stack of magazines; cutting out images that inspired me. (Mom – thank you for always sending me your old ones!)  And used rubber cement to glue it all together. Instead of writing down individual goals to paste onto it, I tried to categorize different areas of my life: relationships, career, happiness, health & spirituality. It’s funny because once you paste all the images up in the different categories, you see that they all correlate with one another.

Feeling very accomplished after completing my board, I set off to tackle my 6-mile run in the sunshine. I chugged a coconut water before hand and grabbed my iPod. Usually I wait until after a long run to drink my coconut water, but I was feeling low-blood-sugar-like beforehand and didn’t want to wait another hour or so for a snack to digest. What do you do? Drink your electrolyte drink before, after or during a long workout?

My post-workout smoothie was gag-worthy. I must have been somewhat delirious after my run because I thought that powdered greens, cod liver oil, maca and mesquite powders, coconut milk, whey protein powder, cherries, almond butter and ice would be a palatable smoothie. I was wrong. I drank it anyway because I can’t stand to waste my expensive, health foods.

Dinner tonight was one of my “clean out the fridge” stir-fries. I  chopped up some onion, mushrooms, carrots, sugar snap peas, spinach, edamame and Southwest Sunshine Burger and cooked it over medium-high heat in a skillet. When it was done, I squeezed some fresh lemon on top with a splash of Braggs aminos. Delish!

I’m going to go read some books that I downloaded on my Kindle. Have a great night!

Readers: Have you made your inspiration board yet? If you have, do you look at it daily?

How to Get Yourself Out of a Bummer Mood

Hello! How’s your day going today? I am feeling good thanks to another fabulous Tone It Up workout that I did this evening. It’s funny how I can feel so lazy and “blah” and then once I do my workout, I’ll feel totally refreshed and energized. One of my favorite benefits of exercise is how good I feel after I do it.

I know I’ve been away from the blog for the past few days. Sorry! I have been battling a cold/allergies and I have to practice what I preach, “relax and sleep when you’re not feeling well.” It’s so much easier to tell others to do things than to do them ourselves, right? Well, I’m back and I’ve had some time to think about today’s post. I wanted to share with you some tips that I’ve developed from personal experience.

How to Get Yourself Out of a Bummer Mood

If you are anything like me, there are some days when you feel upset about everything. You got into work late, you had to deal with a cranky person on the phone, you’re unhappy with your job, you can’t find a boyfriend/girlfriend or you’re upset with your partner, you don’t have enough money to buy a new iPad. Have you had any days like this? I admit that some days it seems like my problems outweigh my blessings. Deep down, I know this isn’t true, but it’s how I feel at that moment in time. Usually I can make myself snap out of this mindset by reminding myself how fortunate I am to be loved by my family and friends and how lucky I am to have a roof over my head, nutritious food in my fridge and a healthy body. However, there are still some days when I need to take a little more action to get myself out of my “bummer mood.”

Here are my favorite tips for shifting your mindset when you’re not feeling your best:

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1. Write it down. When it feels like everything is going wrong in my life, I take out a piece of paper and make a list of everything that is bothering me. Once I have my list written down I come up with a possible solution for each situation.

Just like that, I already feel better knowing that I have an action step to take and it’s as simple as picking up the phone and calling someone for assistance. Sometimes your issue can be larger than a computer repair.

Attracting new friends can seem like a daunting task until you step outside of your comfort zone and put yourself in a new setting. Sign up for a running club, take a class at your local community college, or volunteer with an organization. These are all great settings to meet new people with similar interests.

2. Call a friend and make plans. Last Sunday I was at home and felt really lonely. What I wanted was a big batch of gluten-free chocolate chip cookies. However, I knew that a sweet treat wasn’t going to cure my loneliness at the time. Instead, I texted some of my close friends to see if they wanted to come over for dinner that night. They said that they could use a study break and would love to come over. Instantly I felt better because I now had to plan a menu, prepare a meal and enjoy dinner with some of my friends. Next time you’re feeling blue, invite someone to do something. If they can’t, find someone who can. I will literally call all the contacts on my phone until I can make plans with someone.

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3. Do a 5-min meditation. Lately, when I get home from work, I feel exhausted and worn out. All I want to do is plop down on the couch and turn on the T.V. A great alternative that I’ve put to use is to go in my room, shut my door and do a 5-10 minute guided meditation. I simply type “guided meditation” into youtube.com. I lay down, close my eyes and follow along to the meditation. When I’m done with my meditation, I feel relaxed and ready to ease into my evening. A 5-minute meditation can turn a “blah” mood into a good mood.

4. Eat a protein/carbohydrate combo. I do not always advocate turning to food to improve your mood. However, if you haven’t eaten in the past four hours and feel a little “low,” try pairing a lean protein with a high-fiber carbohydrate. Some snack combo examples include: 3 slices of organic turkey breast with a handful of baby carrots, 2 Tablespoons of almond butter with an organic apple, a scoop of protein powder blended with 1/2 cup frozen berries, 1 cup almond milk and 2 ice cubes. I promise that you will be feeling energized within 20 minutes. If a snack-size amount of food won’t cut it, go ahead and make a balanced meal with some lean protein, healthy carbohydrate and a little fat. Just remember to keep it light and don’t use this as an excuse to sneak some chips or candy. These will leave you feeling worse than before you ate them.

You already know how much I love my ToneItUp workouts :)

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5. Commit to your favorite workout. Nothing makes me feel as good as a sweaty workout. Well, almost nothing ;) Sometimes when I score a really great deal on a new outfit, I feel pretty darn good! The reason why exercise can boost our mood is because our bodies release a type of “feel-good” endorphin during exercise.

Don’t feel like working out? My top three tips for motivating myself to do a workout include: telling myself that I only have to do it for 10 minutes. If I still don’t feel like working out after 10 minutes, I can stop. Most of the time, I already feel good after 10 minutes, so I continue on with my workout.

Another thing I do is ask myself why type of workout I absolutely do not feel like doing. Then I give myself permission not to do it and instead think of one that I do feel like doing. For example, if a 3-mile run sounds awful, but a weight training circuit sounds better, skip the run and do the weight workout.

My third way of motivating myself to do a workout is to watch a few workout videos on youtube. Once I see someone else working out and looking like they’re enjoying their workout, it usually motivates me to join in and bust out a workout.

There you go! These are my time-tested tips for getting yourself out of a bummer mood. I want to clarify that I am not trying to offer these to support people with depression (you should seek medical support if you think you suffer from depression) and am solely trying to offer suggestions for those who have the occasional “bad mood.”

Readers: What are your favorite ways to improve your mood when you’re feeling down?

I snapped this photo last Friday after running along with Portland waterfront with my friend, McKenzie.

Connecting with Friends & Family

Hi! I hope that you are feeling well and staying active so far this week. I’ve found that the move active I am, the better I feel. Is this the same for you? My Monday has been pretty standard. Some of the highlights include:

A 30-minute walk with Layla this morning.

Bringing the vegan, gluten-free chocolate cake that I baked last night into work for our boss’ birthday.

Mailing off the Purebars and some gluten-free “Super-Charge-Me” cookies to giveaway winner, Faith.

Doing a little ToneItUp workout after work.

Salad bar, rosemary steak & Kombucha from New Seasons for dinner.

Now I’m curled up on the couch with Layla and my mug of cinnamon tea, watching The Bachelorette. Who else loves Ben?!

Yes, Layla has a no-bark collar because she has a few issues to work out

Tonight's Tea Bag Quote: "All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." - Galileo Gaililei

Recently I’ve been taking some time to think about what makes me feel good about myself. I’ve always been somewhat in tune with how sleep, diet, exercise and relationships affect my mood. Something that I hadn’t thought about is how my communication with my friends and loved ones can make me feel about myself.

In today’s modern world it’s so easy to loose direct contact with the ones we care about. 100 years ago, you had to either pay a visit to your friends and family or write them a letter. Today’s means of contact are much less personable. Texting, Facebook, Twitter, etc. take the meaningful and personal connections out of our communications. For example: texts make it much harder to understand where someone is coming from because they lack voice inflections, Facebook makes it way too easy to feel like an outsider peering into someones life & I’m still confused about how to be personable on Twitter (although I do have an account.)

What I’m trying to get at here is that it’s easy to feel disconnected from our friends and family nowadays. Technology and social media have made it so convenient to “stay in touch” but they’ve also made it more difficult to have meaningful, human interactions with others.

I’ve noticed that I feel amazing when I spend actual time with my friends and family members. I also like to set aside some time to call people when I’m not driving or multi-tasking so that I can give them my full attention. I enjoy hand writing thank-you cards to let people know that I truly appreciate their gifts and kindness. None of these gestures involve social media.

On the other end of the spectrum, I’ve noticed that I feel uneasy when I can’t decipher what someone means by a text. I feel isolated when I’m by myself looking at people’s party photos on Facebook. I feel unexciting when I scroll through 10 blogs back to back with eventful posts. I think that we as humas crave meaningful interactions with others.

Does anyone else feel this way? It’s something that I’ve just recently noticed as a theme in my life. Therefore, I plan to:

1. Spend as much of my free time with my friends and family as possible

2. Call my friends and family who I can’t meet up with when I have a free afternoon

3. Stop scrolling through Facebook & Google Reader on a daily basis. I’ll try it every other day for now!

Readers: How do you feel about your connections with others? Do you ever notice that you feel better or worse with different types of communication?

Saturday at the Coast

Hi! How is your weekend going? Mine has been a whirlwind thus far. I got off of work on Friday, did this ToneItUp workout.

Post-workout berry smoothie

I then got ready & packed in 30 minutes! Here were some of my “eats” that I packed Friday afternoon:

ThinkThin protien bar, Zico coconut water, powdered greens & stevia packet

My mom, sister and I helped Laura and her family assemble her wedding invitations. Later that night I drove back to the coast with my mom. Yesterday I had a perfect Saturday at home: coffee talk with my mom (in bed,) shopping at the Seaside outlet mall (new shampoo and workout shoes,) and a 7 mile run on the beach. It was the typical rainy coastal weather and my beach run looked like this:

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Then I got to go out for dinner with my parents. Our waiter was one of my friends from highschool whom I had not seen in about seven years. It was really good to see her and we had a wonderful dinner.

My dinner consisted of: a glass of Pinot, side salad with balsamic vinegarette, hazlenut crusted salmon drizzled with brown sugar butter sauce and vegetables. It ate and loved every last bite. :)

My dad and I then drove back up to Portland and called it a night. Today is another rainy day. I’m going to be prepping for the week and getting caught up on laundry.

This morning I spent some time working on my personal development. Every 3-4 months I like to devote some extra time to focus on “checking-in” with myself and evaluating my goals. I learned about Christine Hassler, “Quarter-Life Crisis Coach” though my favorite blog: TheDailyLove.com. (*If you haven’t already done so, go sign up for their daily newsletter & then meet me back here*) I subscribed to her Transform 20 Something Coaching Kit:

I also listened to The Feminine Power Teleseminar Replay here. It was lead by Katherine Woodward Thomas & Claire Zammit. Here’s a description of the 75-minute teleseminar:

Don’t these tools sounds amazing? I highly recommend both of them. I’m off to work on my “Quarter-Life Crisis” & “Unleashing My Feminine Power.” Have a great Sunday!

How to Be Healthy Over the Holiday Weekend

Hi! How is your week going so far? Are you getting excited for the 4th of July? With our 3-day weekend coming up, there are going to be plenty of parties, barbecues and get-togethers. Are you wanting to avoid the fattening party foods without feeling deprived? Here are some suggestions for eating well and having fun during this weekend’s celebrations.

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How to Be Healthy this 4th of July Weekend

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1. Set a game plan. The number one way to stick to healthy habits is to write down your game plan ahead of time. This Thursday or Friday take out your note pad and write down your workouts for the weekend and when you are going to do them. I’m planning on going on a long run Saturday morning, the gym Sunday morning and meeting up with my friend for a run Monday morning.

Now that our workouts are planned, let’s plan out our meals and pack some healthy snacks. Write down healthy meals and snack ideas. If you feel overwhelmed and tempted to stray off track at a party, whip out your list of healthy meal plans and stick to it.

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2.  Pack as much as you can. (No, not clothes, healthy foods!) If you are going to be traveling or staying away from home, pack a few easy to prepare breakfasts and snacks. You most likely will be at parties for lunch and/or dinners so breakfast items and snacks are the foods that you should focus on packing. Packets of instant oatmeal, fresh fruit, and greek yogurt are all healthy options for breakfast. Some healthy snack ideas include: baby carrots, sugar snap peas, grape tomatoes, raw almonds, Larabars, ThinkThin bars, Purebars, apples, and grapes.

3. Bring Your Own “____” No, not “beer,” salad! This is the easiest way to make sure that the party you are going to will have a healthy vegetable option. Check with the host or hostess first to make sure that it’s okay with them for you to bring a salad. Then, make a large, salad full of fresh greens and lots of raw vegetables. Even if there are no other healthy food options at the party, at least you can eat a lot of your salad.

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4. Keep it lean and green. When selecting foods to eat at your gatherings, remember the mantra “lean and green.” Load up most of your plate with green vegetables: lettuce, fresh greens, zucchini, broccoli, etc. Then choose a little lean protein: chicken, fish, quinoa, beans, etc. By sticking with light foods, it will give you a little more wiggle room to enjoy a drink or slice of pie.

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5. If you indulge yourself, NBD (no big deal!) Being too strict and rigid with your diet and exercise over a holiday weekend can make you a party-pooper. Celebrations are about relaxing, coming together with your family and friends and having fun. Go ahead and enjoy a a cocktail or a slice of your mom’s famous chocolate cake. What you don’t want to do is feel guilty and end up overindulging. Fill up on your healthy meals and snacks and leave that last 10% of your eats for fun foods that you want enjoy.

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6. Focus on what’s important. Barbecues, bonfires and block-parties feature great tasting food. But instead of staying focused on the food, think about the other reasons why these get-togethers are so much fun: the company! Keep yourself busy catching up with friends and loved ones. Learn about what’s new and exciting in their lives and give them your full attention. By working the crowd, you will be less likely to dish up a second hamburger or veggie burger. Be thankful that everyone can get together and celebrate this patriotic holiday.

I hope that these help you stay healthy and feeling great this holiday weekend. What are your favorite tips for staying active and eating healthy during holiday celebrations?

How to Achieve Your Goals

Hi! How are you doing today? I’m feeling fabulous right now! I woke up early, took Layla for her morning walk, worked at the health center, got all my appointments made, worked out, made one of my Gluten-Free Lean Cuisine dinners, and now I’m sipping my Blue Sky Cherry Vanilla Creme soda as I type this. And, The Bachelorette is on right now, so I guess you could say I’m multitasking.

Today I was driving home thinking about how I had crossed almost all of my to-do’s off of my daily list. This lead to me start thinking about how I am a “go-getter” and am constantly working towards my goals. This trait can be seen as a good or a bad thing. For this post, we’ll focus on the positive aspect of it.

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What makes someone an achiever? Why do some people have the ambition and drive to go after their dreams and not give up? Why do others choose not to set goals and work towards them? Does everyone desire to achieve great things, but only some act on it? What differentiates the achievers from the slackers?

I am no expert at achieving goals, but have achieved some goals throughout my life. I strongly believe that regular goal-setting is detrimental to being successful in life. If you don’t decide where you want to go in life, how are you going to get there? Set goals to help you create your life map.

Here are my top 5 personal tips for achieving your goals:

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1. Write them down. I know that this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but the simple act of taking out a pen and writing your goals down on paper makes you 99 times more likely to achieve them.

2. Post them up. Remember that inspiration board post that I did a while back? The point of creating an inspiration board is to look at it and be inspired each day. By writing down your goals and pasting them to your inspiration board, you are constantly reminded of your goals.

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3. Just Do It. The Nike tag line is not just for athletes; it’s for all of us. Procrastination can get the best of all of us, but only you can push past it. Instead of making up excuses of why you “can’t” do something, make an action plan and “just do it.”

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4. Be kind to yourself. It’s easy to let self-doubt and negative emotions get the best of you. Instead of thinking about your weaknesses and what you haven’t yet achieved, focus on your strengths and how you’ve already started working towards your goals. Remember that positive thinking creates positive results. Being kind to yourself will enable you to achieve your goals and feel great while you are doing it.

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5. Reach out for support. This is such an important step. We as human are becoming more and more isolated as time goes by and technology changes. You need to reach out to others and share your goals with them. By interacting and socializing with your peers and mentors, you will have more support for working towards your goals.

Some great websites with goal setting tools include:

Lululemon Goaltender - This application lets you set goals for a year, 5 years and 10 years from now. It even emails you to check on your status with each goal.

Tim Ferris’ Dreamline Worksheet – This excel worksheet allows you to set personal and business goals and create the steps to make them attainable. I highly recommend both of his books for getting you motivated to set some goals.

Acompl.sh.com – This site used to be named 101 in 365, but they recently changed their name. They offer a place to store 101 goals that you would like to accomplish over the next year. The goals can be big or small, but you want to cross them off your list within the next 365 days.

What are your top tips for achieving your goals? One of my goals is writing my blog posts on a daily schedule. I haven’t achieved it yet, but I’m working on it ;)

Inspiration Board

Hi! I hope that everyone enjoyed the maple syrup information yesterday. Tonight’s post is going to feature one of my favorite things: Inspiration Boards.

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Inspirations boards are a collage of images, quotes and written goals that inspire you to achieve your dreams. You can clip photos from magazines that inspire you to be a better version of yourself. You can write down quotes that are meaningful to you. It’s helpful to write out individual goals that you want to achieve.

I started making inspiration boards back in middle school and hanging them up in my closet so that I would see them each morning when I got dressed. Then in high school, I made collages out of magazine clippings and put them inside the covers of my binders. Fast forward to now … and I have a little inspiration board in my room. It serves as my daily reminder to work towards my goals, stay positive and create the life that I want to live.

You may have seen Gina’s Inspiration Boards a while back. She kinda reminded me about my love of inspiration boards. Another great post on making inspiration boards is on the Lululemon blog. A few months ago I gathered up the magazine clippings that I had set aside and tacked them up on my bulletin board along with some of my handwritten goals. This summer I’m making working out, taking Layla for lots of walks and getting enough rest a priority, so I wrote myself a little reminder about these too.

So, what’s going on your inspiration board? You can make one to hang up on your wall or if you want to make one on your computer, check out Oprah’s Dream Board Maker online.

I’m going to be sending mine to Karena and Katrina at ToneItUp for their post that they’re doing on inspiration boards. We’re all here to support each other and encourage one another to create our own dream life! Feel free to send me a picture of yours if you make one. Take care, Kilee

How to Not Feel Like You Have to Accomplish a Life’s Worth of Goals This Instant

Hi! I hope that you are having a fabulous Friday so far!  Here’s a pic of my cute little wheat grass pot in my kitchen. I juiced some the other day and cannot believe how much instant energy it gave me :)

I have spent the last few days re-prioritizing my goals and how I spend my time.  As I reflected over the past year, I started to realize that I have been putting so much energy into *making things happen* that I haven’t stopped to smell the roses along the way.  My goals that I plan to achieve are grande in size and I have spent the past few years in the mindset that I have to work non-stop, spend all of my free time building my business and go-go-go to accomplish these goals.  After taking a few weeks off from this mindset, I have realized that it’s unhealthy to always be in this mode.  My mind was constantly thinking of what I should be doing or how much I need to accomplish to create the life that I want.  I was striving to be be a super-human.

Then it hit me.  I’m never going to be super-human.  None of us are.  Even Martha Stewart, one of my long-time idols, is not super-human.  She built an awe-inspiring media empire, but was not super-human enough to avoid jail-time.

Looking back on different times in my life I started to see a theme.  I wish that I would not have worried so much and just gone out and had fun.  Don’t get me wrong, I’ve had lots of fun, but there has always been a part of me that worried that I wasn’t doing enough to work towards accomplishing my goals. What am I going to do about this? I’m going to change my mindset. Instead of continuing my theme of worrying and always feeling like I need to be doing more, I’m giving myself permission to go relax a little and enjoy life.  Even the most accomplished individuals have some fun now and then, right?

The reason why I wanted to share this with you is because leading a fulfilling, healthy lifestyle involves balance.  Work and play, healthy, alkalizing foods and indulgent treats, working hard to accomplish your dreams and relaxing.  I pledge to keep a more balanced mindset when it comes to achieving my goals.  I trust that the universe has an even greater plan for me than the one that I strive for.

Because I just spent the past year working my buns off and am now realizing that it’s beneficial to slow down and enjoy the moment you’re in, I want to share with you my tips on easing off of over-drive.  If you are on the other end of the spectrum and feel that all you want to do is lay back and not set any goals, wake up and use these tips to get motivated!

1. Identify your top three goals.  Write them down in a notepad or on a dry erase board.

2. Remind yourself that you will accomplish these goals at the right time for you and your journey through life.

3. Trust that the universe has an even better life in store for you than the one you have planned.

4. Create an action plan of how you are going to achieve these goals. Do not become fixated on achieving them a.s.a.p. but instead recognize that you will accomplish your goals when the timing is right.  Remember my favorite life quote that I’m sure my friends are sick of hearing from me, “Everything happens for a reason.”  If something doesn’t happen exactly when you want it to, trust that there is something greater that is meant to happen.

5. Make time to relax, hang out with friends and family, have fun, treat yourself.  Life is too short to only focus on your goals and not enjoy the wealth that you already have: health, loved ones & purpose.

So, I just wanted to remind myself that I’m not super-human.  Even though I would LOVE to write a new blog post everyday, at this point in my life, I cannot accomplish that goal.  It doesn’t mean that it won’t happen someday, just not today.

Please remember not to be too hard on yourself and realize that your goals will come true if you progressively work towards them.  Take some time to have fun and be with the ones you care about.

And, for daily inspiration delivered right to your inbox, check at http://thedailylove.com.  I always feel so inspired and enlightened when I read Mastin’s daily email newsletter!

Sunny Day Trip

Hi! Happy Easter everyone! Since I had the day off from work yesterday, Blake, Layla and I took a drive out to McMinville to meet up with some friends and enjoy the sunshine.

One part of personal health that is often overlooked is leisure. You could adhere to every healthy diet and workout rule in the book, but if you don’t take the time to relax and have fun with loved ones, your health can suffer. This article explains some of the connections between how much leisure time a person takes and their overall health.

So, in the spirit of taking time to enjoy life, here are some of the highlights from our day yesterday:

Layla and I loaded up in the truck and ready for the drive

Salad and Tofu Lunch at Whole Foods

Raw Chocolate Coconut Cookies for Snacking

Back country roads in the Dundee Hills

There were all types of vineyards and farms too

We found some adorable lhasa apso puppies for sale and just had to stop and hold them

And Layla got a little jealous! She had a lot of fun running around the park though.

Then we met up with some friends for drinks and dinner. We were there for three hours just catching up and having fun. I love when we get to go out to McMinville because it’s so beautiful out there and we get to spend time with some of our good friends. It’s days like this that remind me that life is not all about working hard and crossing a million things off of my to-do list. It feels good to take a break, spend time with those you care about and appreciate life’s simple pleasures.

I’ll be back tomorrow with an Easter re-cap. Have a very special Easter (or Sunday if you don’t celebrate) and take some time to relax and have fun!

Take care,

Kilee

Baby Steps

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Hi! I hope that you’re having a good day so far.  I have been making it through my workweek and a Liver & Gallbladder Cleanse.  I always feel a little more tired when I’m on a cleanse and this week is no exception.  When it comes to working out while on a cleanse, I listen to my body and do not over-exercise.  Long walks, yoga, light cardio and weights are all great ways to stay active without putting too much strain on the body.

While in the sauna this evening, I started to think about the easiest ways to transition into a healthy lifestyle.  I know what doesn’t work – deciding to give it an all or nothing approach.  This mentality sets you up for failure because you are tempted to throw in the towel as soon as you have a slip-up.  Be gentle with yourself and realize that no one is perfect.  If you go against your goal to have desert once a week and you have a cup of ice cream two nights in a row, relax.  Your world is not over! You are not a bad person!  You had a human slip-up.  Do not feel awful and consume the rest of the carton.  Instead, appreciate, your indulgence and move on.  Tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start towards your “once a week desert” goal.

So, we have accepted the fact that we (and everyone else on this planet) are not perfect and that there will be slip-ups on our path towards a healthy lifestyle.  The next thing to keep in mind is that a slow transition can become a life-long healthy lifestyle.  My favorite way to approach healthy lifestyle changes is to take “baby steps.”

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“Baby steps” are small, continual changes which over time, create a lasting, painless change.  An example would be my (12 ounce) can of Diet Coke that I drank with lunch each afternoon during college. Even for a few years after college, I’d occasionally indulge in that afternoon craving.  After a while I learned about the dangers of drinking regular and diet soda and decided that I did not want to put it in my body.  Instead of telling myself that I could never drink a drop of soda again, I devised a “baby step” plan to painlessly remove it from my diet.

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The first thing I did was think of other bubbly drinks that were less harmful to my health.  La Croix sparkling water and Emergen-C packets made the list.  After lunch each day I would treat myself to one of the substitution beverages and remind myself how much better they are for my health.  After awhile it got to the point where I didn’t need to drink one of my new drinks and could do with just water.

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This is just one example of the many “baby steps” that we can take for our health.  Please don’t take the all-or-nothing approach to health.  Readers: what “baby steps” have you taken or want to take for your health?