2016 Tone It Up Challenge

My history with fitness has been somewhat miniscule. When I was younger I tried out a few sports, like soccer and tennis, but never really stuck with either for one reason or another. I had never been the sporty kid, it just wasn't me. I had never really put much thought into health or fitness, and the incredible ways it can transform your life, until a couple of years ago when my good friend Kasey started sharing some facts about food with me. When we had this talk, she had previously completely transformed her way of eating. She began watching documentaries, reading nutrition books, and becoming knowledgeable about what exactly she was eating. This hugely impacted and inspired me to start thinking about what I was putting into my mouth and to think twice about the foods I was using to power my body. I began looking at food labels, not at the calories, but at the ingredients. If I couldn't pronounce an ingredient, I tried to steer clear of that food. I'll be honest, I haven't stuck to that rule for two years now, but it's a good guide line to follow. It's so critical for us to be mindful of what is in the foods we are eating everyday, and more importantly learning how those foods help to fuel our bodies.  About 9 months ago I was scrolling through Instagram and just happened to come across one of my favorite bloggers who had posted a photo of herself following a workout video.  I had been wanting to find an alternative to paying for a gym membership so I clicked the link on the picture and it lead me to trainers Karena & Katrina and there company Tone It Up. I immediately fell in love with the website and TIU community consisting of inspiring, like-minded, real women who were joining the Tone It Up program to transform their health, body, and mind. I stumbled upon the Tone It Up YouTube channel where Karena & Katrina post free workout videos weekly. I tried a few videos out and almost immediately saw a difference in my body. Before all of my traveling this past summer, I had actual bicep muscles! It was seriously all thanks to this TIU video that I did every other day for a couple of weeks. Even after a couple of years of going to the gym regularly, I had never seen results until I started completing the TIU videos. I probably sound like a paid sponsor for this program but I'm not, I just love the program and believe in these  girls that much.  After months of doing the TIU videos here and there I've finally taken the plunge and committed to a set workout & nutrition routine for the next 8 weeks. I've signed up for the Tone It Up 2016 Challenge which started this past Sunday Jan. 3rd! I'm only three days into it and feeling more sore than I ever have in my life, but it's all worth it! I'm so excited to see what the next 8 weeks brings. I've got a few friends doing the challenge with me (shoutout to Steph, Lane, and Avery!xo) which I could not be happier about. If you would like to do the challenge with me sign up here or if you just want to cheer me on by leaving a comment below, it would make my day! 


You can follow along with my fitness journey by following me on the blog, snapchat, and my other social media sites (click the media icons in my sidebar).

My First Semester of College

Wow! It seems like it's been forever since I sat down in front of my computer and wrote a blog post. I didn't go into my first semester planning on not being able to keep up with my blog. In fact, multiple people had asked me prior to Flagler if I was going to continue to blog in college. I told all of them that I totally would. Whoops! Sorry if you were one of those people. I promise I did mean to keep up with it more. But as many of you can imagine, once I got settled in at Flagler, I found myself having little free time. In fact, these past four months have been some of the busiest of my life. But also four of the very best months. To say I like college would be a huge understatement. Turns out, it's a thousand times better than High School. I always knew there was something better for me just waiting to be discovered after High School. I'm so glad I was right.   I can't even begin to express how blessed and honored I am to have the opportunity to attend Flagler. I'm so thankful for my parents and all they did to help me get to where I am today. The school is everything I hoped it would be and so much more. It was my dream for three years, and it surpassed every one of my expectations. I expected to love the school, but didn't expect that it would feel like home so soon, I didn't expect to meet such incredible life-long friends, and I didn't expect to have such an incredible first semester. I absolutely love my life at Flagler and cannot wait for the next 3 1/2 years. 

Looks I Love

Above are a few looks I am loving right now! I'm really into the idea of adding a print and fun pop of color to really spice up an outfit. That Daniel Wellington watch is calling my name. I'm also eyeing this stunning one. See that picture in the top left hand corner? I thought the blue and white thing was a kimono, but I was wrong. It's an oversized scarf, game changer! How cute and relaxed does it look draped liked that? I'll definitely be trying out that look this fall.

Which look is your favorite?