Dallas Blogger Collective's Birthday Bash

I just joined in the Dallas Blogger Collective a few months ago and this is already my 2nd event to attend and it was a BLAST!!!  We celebrated the groups first full year in action at the Rio Ritz Boutique in Dallas with all of these lovely ladies....

(There I am on the far right)

I love how these ladies love shopping and style as much as me.  Isn't it fun to meet up and chat with girlfriends who just get you and your passions?!

The Rio Ritz Boutique was all decked out with gold DBC balloons, a cute little refreshment station, cupcakes and more. This boutique was jam packed it goodness!!

They had soooo many cute shoes and nicknacks that I wanted to snatch up!  Those studded leopard heels in the back were SCREAMING my name.  ((Totally adding those to my Christmas list!))

We also got to make our own little floral crowns that to R Love Floral.  They taught us how to do the super, simple DIY and even provided tons of girlie flowers for us to choose from. 

Check out my friend Jessica, from The Mommy Archives and I rocking the crowns we made.  There's a close up of mine on the right. 

Check out Jessica's Youtube channel & her newly launched blog-->> She's an adorable mom who's all about the simple & natural life. LOVE that!!

Then we got to have our makeup done by the awesome girlboss, Heather of Heather Micheal's Makeup. She's going to be launching her own makeup school super soon and I'll be sure to share all the details with you HERE!!  :-)

Heather gave me a bolder blush and lip, which was super fun for the party.  I can't wait to try out one of her makeup classes and step up my makeup game. She's fabulous!!

So all in all, this little Birthday Bash was a blast!  Got to try a few new things, check out an adorable boutique, meet up with old friends, meet new ones and fuel my love of fashion.  If you're a blogger in the DFW area, be sure to check out the Dallas Blogger Collective, especially their Facebook page where upcoming events are posted.  They always have something fun around the corner!

Don't let an injury stop you in your tracks-->> Keep pushing forward!

I've had way more practice at getting through injuries than I'd like, but hey...I guess, I'm accident prone.  My back injuries last year were so tough!! Then about two weeks ago I feel on a wet spot in our kitchen right onto my knee.  I thought it would be ok, but the pain and swelling just wouldn't go away.  After a Dr's visit, it looks like I may have torn my meniscus.....at that point, many people would throw in the towel...quit working out and just lay on the couch for a few weeks while it heals..

BUT there’s no reason that you have to quit your fitness routine, loose muscle and gain weight because of an injury!!   Being knocked out of your regular workouts does NOT have to be a bad thing – it could give you the extra motivation you need to stay on track with healthy eating or to try a new workout that will work other parts of your body and give you time to heal. 

Keep pushing through y'all, because there will always be an excuse to quit, but there's also a better reason to keep going!!!

**Always talk with your doctor before working out during an injury to 

find out exactly what kind of activity you should steer clear of and what kinds are ok to do. 

My Top 5 Reasons I LOVE being a Beachbody Coach

1. The friendships I've gained with like-minded ladies who are on a journey to better themselves and lift others up along the way. 

Lots of my teammates at a Winter Retreat in 2013

Megan, my Beachbody Bestie and Accountability Partner, and I in PA at her wedding shower.

Lanise and I in Chicago while I was visiting for work.

Another one of my awesome teammates Jo who showed me around Atlanta and took me too a super yummy sushi place!

I travel for my day job and being able to visit with friends in every city I travel too is so awesome!!  Everyone I've gone so far this year, there's been a coach friend in or near that city that was all for hanging out, bonding & showing me the sites....it's just such a fun sisterhood!

2. Coaches get a 25% discounts on all the Beachbody products, plus free prizes and incentives for hitting goals within my business.  ((Y'all know I'm all about a good deal!))

Love the discounts on products and Shakeology....the savings really adds up!!

Some of the prizes have been HUGE, like a retreat to this beautiful cabin in the PA woods.  You also get rewarded for growing your team with fun bracelets & workout gear.  For hitting monthly goals, I've won a Beachbody beach blanket, cooler and more.  It seems like there's always a fun prize to strive for.

3. Being a coach keeps me accountable to my health & fitness goals!

4. Cash and Prizes.....who doesn't want that?

I continually work to stay on track with my own fitness and nutrition using programs like the 21 Day Fix, Hip Hop Abs and more. I also drink Shakeology daily.  By sharing the results I have with my friends and followers, if they choose to purchase a Beachbody product, then I get a commission (ussually 25%)!  Also, by logging my results I become eligible for daily prizes of cash and more!  Plus I even earn a FREE t-shirt every time I finish a new workout program...love that!

5. Good ole' TAX DEDUCTIONS!  

Everything that you spend on your business, from the start up cost to programs that you buy and even your office supplies are all tax deductible.  If you use a computer for your business, part of your internet is deductible.  If you use your phone for your business, then part of your phone bill is deductible too.  Gas for traveling to events, etc.  It sure adds up!

Want to learn more about coaching?  Add me on Facebook & shoot me a message or comment below with your email address so we can chat. 

A Day In the Life -->> Weekday Edition

Woke up at 4:15am to birds chirping on my sound machine/alarm clock.  They chirp slowly and if you're not gently woken....they get louder and louder. haha  Luckily, I usually wake up when they still sound like sweet little baby birds...it's a nice way to start the day.

Then I let the puppies out in the backyard and make my E&E and chug it as I go grab my workout gear.  Then I let the pups back inside and give them some morning treats.  Then Noah, our Dorkie (Dauchsund/Yorkie), and I head back outside for my workout.  

(Bucket where I throw in my iPhone to use Beachbody On Demand or a portable dvd player when I use CDs....I ussually just use my iPhone nowadays.  Plus some water and a bucket to lug everything, including:  Dvd player (if used), tummy wrap, a stand for my iPhone and weighted gloves)

Zoey, our shihtzu, likes to stay inside and go back to sleep in her bad with her piggy.

This morning, I did Hip Hop Abs- Ab Sculpt....just 25mins and I got an intense sweat and my baby abs were burning!!

After my workout, I get ready for work, feed the pups, pack our lunches and make breakfast for my hubby.  This morning he ate cereal, 2 eggs and 2 pieces of Turkey bacon.  Simple & quick!

Oh and I can't forget....here's what I wore today:

Printed Top- About $3.50 at Thrift City
Dark Skinnies- $7.90 at Forever 21
Wedges- Gifted from Mom from Cato
Bracelets- $1.99 at Cato, 6 for $5 at MIZ Outlet and about $3.50 at Charming Charlie
Earrings- Came in a set for $4.99 at Charming Charlie
Necklace- 6 for $5 at Miz Outlet

Then the hubs and I carpool to work together....love that extra bit of time together. ;-)  Plus, makes it super easy when we wanna head out for a fun dinner date after work. 

When I get to work, I make my breakfast:  Shakeology, green tea and a banana

Around 10am, I have my 1st snack of the day-->> Greek Yogurt

Then I continue working until Noon, when I break for lunch.  Today I had lemonade with my Chicken Noodle Soup:

During lunch I checked my Facebook messages and followed up with a few Beachbody clients and sent out a few new invites.  Lunch time is a great time to get work done on your Beachbody business!!! ;-)  ((Use those spare moments wisely.))  #PowerHour

Around 2pm, I had my afternoon snack of pineapple:

After work, I took my hubby to a Dr's appointment and then we headed home.   For dinner I made up a new creation.....check it out:

21DF Approved Mexican Mixer for One

Container count per serving: 1 red, 1 blue, 1 green & 1 yellow 

Ingredients:
4oz of ground turkey
A dash of tomato sauce

1/2 a packet of chilli mix
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder, divided
1/4 cup of shredded cheese of your choice
Dash of ground black pepper
A dash of Worcestershire sauce
1 cup of mixed veggies
1/2 cup of rice

Directions: 
-Cook veggies in a pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray until tender.
-Put the ground turkey in a separate pan and add all seasonings.
-Add dash of tomato sauce & Worcester sauce
-Cook the turkey until it's done.
-Then cook the rice. (I use all natural 90 second rice)
-Put the rice on your plate & top with the the veggies, then the ground turkey mixture.
-Finish it off by topping it all with shredded cheese

After dinner we watched a few episodes of the office, then I went outside for my 2nd workout of the day.  It was quiet the backyard performance! Two dudes were mowing in the neighbors backyard, plus Noah and Zoey were front row & center....I had a full audience!! 

I did Rockin Body's Booty Time workout....whew!!

After my workout, I took a nice bubble bath, watched some youtube videos (Check out The Frey Life & Ellie and Jared-->> Both awesome families that do daily vlogs)  Then we all went to bed.

And that's a pretty normal week day routine.  Wanna see a Day In Life, Weekend Edition?  Let me know in the comments below!

~Kendra~

How to DIY Ombre Hair

Last Friday night I was browsing through hair color pictures online and kept being drawn to ombre hair colors.  This is so outside of my comfort zone as I normally keep it simple with blonde/light brown hair and a few highlights.  I usually do my hair myself thanks for boxed color fro, WalMart or Walgreens, but DIYing this was a little (Ok, a lot!) scary! 

I had never tried something that, I thought, would need precision and how in the heck would I make sure the back of my hair looked great?  BUT I decided....hey, it's just hair color. If I hated it, I could just change it to something else.  So I drove myself to WalMart and made up a plan as I searched through the hair color section.

I got a brown hair dye for the top section of my hair:  (Revlon's Medium Golden Brown) and a blonde color (Schwarzkopf Color Ultime Iconic Blondes Hair Coloring Kit, 10.1 Light Blonde)

for the ombre effect at the bottom.  My hair was already blonde so I just needed the blonde hair dye to blend the two colors together and help it not look choppy.

 

So here's how I applied the dye:

Step 1: I applied the brown hair dye to the top 3/4 of my hair and left the bottom (which was already blonde) untouched.  Waited the appropriate time based on the directions on the box and then washed it out.

Step 2:  Then make sure to fully dry your hair.  I was impatient so I used a hair dryer instead of letting it air dry. 

Step 3:  Then I used the mixed the blonde hair solution and applied it like I would for highlights to the bottom portion of my hair...I also went a little onto the brown hair in some places to ensure that it looked blended.  Then I waited the appropriate time and washed it out.

Step 4:  Dry it and see how it looks.  Keep any extra dye on hand just in case you need to touch up anything.

This total look cost me less than $20 and took about an hour or so. 

 

Oh and you totally need to check out this video before getting started!!! 

I followed the directions in the video when I added in the blonde at the bottom of my hair:  https://youtu.be/pJMfzmpLVIU

Do you DIY your hair color?  What's your fav hair color brand?  Let me know in the comments below!  :-)

Starting a new workout program-->> Hip Hop Abs

Going a little old school and committing to Hip Hop Abs.  Started on Sunday and I'm already LOVING it....it's basically a super fun, booty shaking workout full of cardio and super fun dance moves.

I love that this workout has TONS of dancing and no crunches or crazy sit ups! I despise doing crunches.....especially since my back injury last year.  They always seem to make my back sore during and after I do them....and it's not a workout soreness, it's like a 'somethings not right' kind of sore. Crunches are NOT worth another round of Chiro visits, that's for sure!! 

Weights aren't required for the workouts but I like to use my weighted gloves, because they add a little extra burn. I'm also following the workout schedule:

If you're like me and your knees get worn out from lots of jumping, be sure to follow Tanya, the awesome girl who is always standing to the right of Shawn T on the screen. She modifies every single move and you still get a GREAT workout. Just because your move aren't as hard core/jumpy does NOT mean you’re not making a difference, so stick with it and you're bound to see results. 

Another thing I am loving is that Hip Hop Abs comes with Beachbody On Demand, so when you get signed up for a Beachbody Club Membership, you'll have instant access to the program which means you can take it anywhere you have internet access without lugging around cds that you have to worry about scratching or breaking.  LOVE THAT!!!  And you get a FREE 30 DAY TRIAL, then after 30 days it's just $39.95 every 3 months.  WAAAAY cheaper than any gym I've ever been a part of!

Here are my before pics....once I'm done with the program, I'll be sure to share my after pics as well:

Do you love to dance?  Or just want a fun way to get in shape?  Then comment below or add & message me on Facebook to get started.

~Kendra~

My Journey with Brazil Butt Lift

Hey y'all, I am almost finished with Brazil Butt Lift and I have seriously LOVED starting each day with a dance workout.  (Plus Energy & Endurance helps me function during my 4:15am workout sessions...I know, it's super early! lol)  

If you're check out this post, it's probably safe to say that you're thinking about trying Brazil Butt Lift or wondering what it's all about.  I have absolutely loved BBL...the daily dose of dancing just makes it so fun!

The Cardio Axe workout is my fav, because in it the trainer teaches you an entire dance routine and thanks to it being integrated into the schedule each week I can actually do it without looking at the screen now....Yay!!!

Check out the progress I've made thus far...and I still have a few days left too.  (The before's on the left and my current progress pic is on the right)

Equipment needed for Brazil Butt Lift:

This part's pretty simple... The first week, you can be do the workouts without any equipment. Plus, the yellow Booty Sculpting Band is actually included in the BBL Base kit, you'll also need:

• Light and medium dumbbells....I use either 5 lb. weights or a pair of workout gloves when I'm not feeling up to the 5lb weight. Sometimes I even add in the weighted gloves when they're not required to up the intensity a little.

If you have any questions about the program or would like to try it out (There's a 30 day $$ back guarantee, so no worries!), feel free to email me at itsmyevolution@gmail.com or add me on Facebook and send me a message there.

~Kendra~