Day Eight on a Monday!

Today is day 8 on the 24 day challenge and I’m still alive, feel pretty good, and can’t wait to see what this 10 day cleanse has done at the end of it. (Day 11 I’ll weigh in again)

Friday was a cluster of crap and I didn’t get to post… Sorry about that, but life happens and I’ve gotta deal! I did pretty well over the weekend… Friday night the boys went to their dads and it was my oldest 7^th birthday…

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AYDEN!

This year has been a whirlwind with him.  You can read about some of that here… That boy… He’s gonna be a heart breaker! We took him to dinner, I had a salad, then I dropped them off with their grandmother and off they went to OKC! This was my first year to not spend his birthday with him, so it was a little emotional.  Luckily, we had a great big Harry Potter Birthday for him the weekend before.

We had decided to go watch my sister cheer in her last football game… got there and they were cheering from the stands, so that was a bust.  We ended up leaving and heading to Lowes and Pier 1 instead. (Aren’t we a ball of fun!) I picked out a washer and dryer and picked up some clearance Halloween stuff and we were home and in bed by 9!

Saturday my aunt and uncle took me to breakfast, I kept it as clean as possible since we headed to a buffet. Fruit, some yogurt and granola and some bacon and scrambled eggs.  No biscuits and gravy for me! Aren’t you proud?! I skipped out on lunch since breakfast was so late, then headed over to get my nails filled and a pedicure from my favorite place. It kept me busy (and relaxed) so food wasn’t on my mind the whole time. It helped, but dinner rolled around and I have to say, I was pretty hungry.

We hit up the local casino, I lost $50, he lost $100 (don’t get me started) and we ate at Gilly’s.  The food was excellent, and for our waitress to not be a waitress, she did an excellent job! I had the chicken quesadillas, and while it wasn’t the cleanest of meals, it was the cleanest they had besides more salads.  And I’m a little salad-ed out. After we were done giving away all our money, we decided to hit up Sears… just to seal my decision on the appliances I had picked out. Again, home and back in bed by 9… We’re some wild ones, I tell ya!

Sunday, we do big dinners at my grandmothers.  Yesterdays menu was nothing but soups so I stuck with the chili (home raised beef and tomatoes) and didn’t stuff myself like I normally would.  I picked up the boys, we came home, discussed the appliances once more, then headed to town to actually purchase them this time.  Poor salesman… Didn’t see it coming. The appliances were already $250.00 off, but Sears was holding a friends and family event from 6-9 and were offering an additional 10% off… I made Lowes give me the same deal.  AND got my 5 year protection plan for about $300 off of the Sears price.  THEN I put it on my Lowes card and got them for 18 months no interest.  HECK YES I a saved myself about a thousand dollars and got a Big. Ass. Washer. And. Dryer. This momma of a king sized bed, two boys, a boyfriend and a dog? Happy!

The boys were starving after momma got through with Lowes and selling my soul to them… so we went to… wait for it… Hooters. Needless to say, I didn’t eat very well. *whomp, whomp, whomp* I’ll admit, I had wings (naked) and a few curly fries. I came home and took my Carb Ease Plus, though, along with the rest of the cleanse pills and I decided not to dwell on it.  A week of very clean eating, plus a Monday ahead of me? One meal won’t kill me, nor will one meal fix me.  Start again, clean it up and stick to it again this morning.

Today starts the fiber drink back… again,

I’m doing the peaches and cream so it’s not that bad… sometimes though, I wish it had small chunks of peaches in it.  Lol.  It seems to fill me up when I drink it, so I have to remind myself to eat breakfast.  Just three days left in the cleanse, then I’ll be on to start the Max Phase. I’ve ordered the MNS Max E (for energy) so we’ll see how that works.  I’ve also ordered the ThermoPlus to take as well… I’m having to get with my sponsor to see exactly how/when to take it, but I’m looking forward to seeing what all of this will do for me!

It’s definitely a manic Monday today, so I’m trying to get this wrapped up and out of the way for today.  How did your weekend go? I’m looking forward to getting past Monday, so here’s to hoping everyone has a great day!

BOOM! Nailed it! Day 4

May 24 Day Challenge day 4 has started off with a boom.  I woke up feeling great and when you have no kids to get around and ready, it goes even better! I lazied around this morning, drinking my Fruit Punch Spark and taking the next part of the cleanse…

I’m now up to 3 Catalyst caps, 2 OmegaPlex Caps, and 2 Probiotics every morning. And now I remember what is so hard about AdvoCare.  ALL. THE. SUPPLEMENTS. Don’t get me wrong, I love what I know they’re doing for me, but sometimes, I wonder if I’m not as hungry because I’ve eaten so many supplements!

All in all, it’s working.  I’m cleansing my system to prepare it for the better vitamins I’ll be taking in, and it’s going to be worth it! As a matter of fact, I was reached out to this morning via my Instagram post, and was asked some really good questions.  One of which was “How do you like supplements?” Honestly, no one likes swallowing pills.  But, AdvoCare is a great product.  I’ve known that for 15+ years.  I decided to give it a chance again, just because I felt like my system needed a cleanse. THAT’S why I started.  AdvoCare has tons of different supplements available, some for added energy, some as a probiotic, some just as a vitamin.  It’s a pick-and-choose, but it can also be spelled out for you if that’s what you need!

I’m finishing this challenge because it’s important to me. And, while I haven’t seen/noticed a major change in the 4 days I’ve been on the program, I stepped on the scale so that I could give this question an honest answer.  I’m down 2 pounds as of this morning.  Eating clean(er) foods, drinking more and more water, and this cleanse has helped already.  Why not finish it to see what it CAN do?! What *I* can do!

Yesterday I had snap pea crisps for breakfast… don’t judge me. lol. 

I didn’t want anything, but needed something, and they were close by.  They’re baked, a vegetable, and taste amazing, so I went with it.  I also ate some pistachios since I could use some healthy fats. For lunch I had some shaved, gluten free turkey meat rolled up, and a bag of steamable mixed veggies.  I love those things. And yes, when I say a bag, I mean the WHOLE DAMN BAG.  Not the greatest lunch for me, but I had it here at work, and it sounded good.  Nothing fried, nothing rolled in butter or sauces, so I call it a win.

Since the honey and I were kid-less last night, we hit up Fuji for dinner (I did steak) and then hit up Sam’s for some necessities. Back to Fuji’s--- I had the steak, I ate the rice, and all the veggies. No, steak isn’t one of the “recommended” foods on the cleanse, and neither are the sauces, but I def portioned it out and didn’t finish it.  I got leftovers for lunch today! At Sam’s, we picked up lots of fruits and I may or may not have eaten several pieces of mango before we made it home. The main reason I like Sam's... I log more steps on my FitBit Force... Added benefit. 

Knowing that I had a load of carbs for dinner, I came home and immediately took two Carb-Ease Plus capsules, and my Omega’s, then just before bed, took the 3 Catalyst and my 3 cleanse pills too. Again, this morning has gone well, and I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot already! No Fiber drink this morning (YAY!), all the supplements down the hatch, Spark-ed up, and met some amazing women on IG this morning!  (Hi Ladies!) This morning I’m having grapes for breakfast, leftovers from last night for lunch (with another set of Carb-Ease caps) and I’ve got grapes, apples, and pistachios around for snacks while I’m at work.

Is there anything specific you’d like to know? Questions about the supplements? Need a coach or want to purchase? Please! Contact me if you’ve got questions about what I eat, what I’m taking, or just about me in general.  It’s the interactions here, on IG and on FB that keep me going! Seriously! After connecting this morning, I’m even more pumped to do this thing all the way this time!

Hope you all have a great Thursday! We’re on the last of our leg to the weekend! 

Day Three! I'm on a roll!

Day 3… I’m still alive, so I guess I’m doing good!

Yesterdays breakfast ended up being a Lara Bar… PB & Chocolate.  I decided since it was all natural, gluten free, etc… that it was okay to eat while on the cleanse. It’s a serving of fruit.  Hope I was right, cause that SOB was yummy.  (Note to self… buy MORE!) Lunch was another salad, snacks were grapes and apples and for dinner last night, we went over to a local buffet so I could pick and chose.  I tried for a salad, but every dressing I wanted didn’t taste right so I gave up after plate number two and went with grilled chicken, turkey (yay!) and green beans… yeah.  Dinner def could have been better, but I just went with it.  It worked. 

We meant to go grocery shopping after, but I was so down and out about dinner that I just didn’t feel like it.  Plus, it was late enough and we had to get the one kiddo in-tow, into the shower and bed.  When I got home, I needed something sweet, so I went with some peach/apple sauce.  Hit the spot, time for bed.

Today's food hasn’t even been thought of.  What a whirlwind of a day already! I’m just now getting to my Fiber drink this morning… and it’s almost noon. At least it's the last one for a few days this week! Sometimes, I forget that I need to down it ASAP... then it gets thick. :-/ This morning I realized that I had a box of Mandarin Orange Spark that came when I signed up as a distributor.  It's not my favorite, but it's no where near as bad as it used to be.

Speaking of Spark... No-go on returning the Grape Spark packets that I got with my 24 Day challenge... so, I may be giving those puppies away.  Talk about a waste of money right there.  I really hoped for better with those.  I LOVE all things grape... just not Spark apparently! Maybe a reader has another flavor and they'd like to swap a couple packets? I'd totally be down for that! 

What are your favorite go-to dinners or restaurants to eat at when you’re trying to eat clean? What about easy breakfasts or snacks when you forget to be on time to eat? 

Day TWO!!

It’s day two, y’all! I’ve doubled up on my Strawberry-Mango Spark today ‘cause the little lady didn’t sleep at all last night!

We’re in that weird spot of the weather that it’s hot then its cold, then its rainy… It was warm when I went to bed, it was cold when I got up.  I think that had a lot to do with my lack of sleep… cause I was dog tired! Maybe I was too tired?

Anywho- Day one wrapped up pretty good.  I had apples and grapes for snacks, a salad for lunch and last night we wanted Mexican, so I did fajitas.  I probably could have cut out some of the stuff I did eat, but I still think I did well, AND took my CarbEase with dinner, to hopefully off set my largest meal of the day. Amazing enough, I didn’t want a snack last night either, so I went to bed with my 10 day cleanse pills (3 larger pills) and 3 Catalyst pills, and I was done!

Today has started with the double Spark (see above), Catalyst and the fiber drink again… and I haven’t quite gotten to breakfast yet.  The plan again is to have a salad for lunch and fruits for snacks… And dinner is a wash tonight.  I may bake some chicken, or maybe even a turkey breast, if my honey grabs one today. I’ve been craving turkey for some reason, but don’t want to pay the deli prices! Sheesh! I had also thought about breakfast for dinner one night! Mmmm… I love fried eggs and bacon. Of course, Ill probably do scrambled and turkey bacon, but it’s still eggs and bacon! Now… if I can just remember to thaw my turkey bacon.

What are some of your favorite things to eat when you’re getting healthy and eating right? I love seeing suggestions, websites, etc.  So comment or email me with them! 

Also- I've posted an amazing Transformation Tuesday pic on my Heavy Cupcake IG... It's not me (obvs) but its of my friend  Julie that I met in January in a FB group. The woman set a New Years Resolution and she. is. crushing. it!  She's down 75 puonds (SEVENTY FIVE!) and she's doing an awesome job! Go check her out, let her know how great she's doing,  and watch her progress! 

Back Again... For 24 Days at Least!

Well… I’m BACK!  (whoo-hoo, yay!- Don’t everyone cheer at once!)

I’ve fallen WAY off track lately, gained everything back that I lost at the beginning of the year, and I’m trying it all over again. This time, I’m trying it with a cleanse and actual program.

Enter: The Advocare 24 Day challenge

 

The 24 Day Challenge pack comes with a 10 day cleanse, some supplements, some shakes and a spelled out program.  Do this- Not that.  Eat this- Not that. THAT’S why I picked it. I’m the type that has to have my hand held.  I need someone to say “this is it”.  “Don’t eat that.” “You can do this”.  So… Here I am!

Day one starts with your Spark and I’ve added the Catalyst to the mix as per my coach’s recommendation. Wake up, shake it up, and drink it down.  The Spark flavors that I picked are actually something I don’t mind drinking and the Catalyst caps aren’t so big that I have to choke them down, so the morning routine is A-Okay.  I picked Strawberry-Mango for one box of Spark and fruit punch for the other. I also had some grape… and It’s terrible. Like, so bad, terrible.  I’ve been told that they will let you return them and send you a different box if you find that you don’t like the flavor, so I’m going to email them today and see what we can do about those. 

As soon as I get to work, I shake up the Fiber Drink for the 10 Day Cleanse and drink it IMMEDIATELY.  I picked the Peaches and Cream flavor (recommended by Mama Laughlin herself) over the citrus flavor because I remember the original Advocare citrus products from 20 years ago… BLECH! That’s stuck in my head, and I probably won’t try ANY of their citrus products, just because of that.

After drinking the fiber drink, I’m doing one of the Meal Replacement Shakes for today. I’ve had the chocolate shakes before, and they’re not BAD… But I ordered the vanilla shakes this time, so that I can add berries or flavors to it, if I need to.  I mix the shakes with water the first go around, just so I can make sure I know what it ACTUALLY tastes like… I may add almond milk to it one day if I feel like I need it, but right now, water is working.  Honest opinion? Vanilla is actually yummy… Chocolate is a little chalky.  Like, I want to add chocolate syrup to it to make it taste like chocolate.  *but you can’t do that Niki* 

One of the things that I don't think the Advocare (or its distributors) advertise enough? Theres an app to help you with your 24 day challenge! 

I downloaded it, plugged in my weight and measurements, and I'm checking off everything as I do it! It's SOOOO handy! The only think I wish it had? Reminders.  To let you know "Hey! It's time to take your Catalyst!" Or something along those lines.. Or tell you suggested foods compared to what you've already consumed today.  Just my two cents worth! Either way, I like having the app to help me SEE what I need to do. They have it in iTunes AND the Play Store, so download it if you're starting soon too! 

I'm part of the way through the day, and so far... I'm good.  The Spark gives you a nice jump start in the day, the fiber drink helps fill you up, the shake is filling, so yeah.  SURELY I can do this for 24 days? right? I'm hoping to do some meal prep tonight since yesterday was the birthday party of the century (more on that later) and I collapsed just in time to watch The Walking Dead and Talking Dead. (big fan's in my house, and we're Team Daryl)

If you're interested in what Advocare does for me during this 24 day challenge, then come back and I'll hopefully have some good news for you!  Also- I've still got the Heavy Cupcake Facebook page that I sometimes post things on, as well as a *NEW* Instagram just for Heavy Cupcake and starting over. Please, come look me up, follow along and KEEP ME ACCOUNTABLE! 

*Also- Just because I'm using the products, if you're interested in looking into them, here is the website where you can look, price and think about it... I don't expect you to buy from me if you already know "a guy", but I'm just throwing it out there.*

COMING SOON!

A new Heavy Cupcake is coming soon.  I've fallen off the bandwagon and I'm gonna try yet again starting 11/3/14!

COMING SOON! 

Thanks for bearing with me! 

Discouragement. It's a real thing...

So… hey.  I’ve gone MIA for a while and I really have no excuse, tbh. Life has gotten in the way and my health and my blog have gone on the back burner. Discouragement sucks. So… lets re-cap.

I will NOT hit my #30by30 goal this year. I think I may have hit it… the other way around.  Which is disappointing. And #31by31 isn’t really that motivational… since I’ll have OVER a year to accomplish it… I’ll turn 30 on the 26^th of this month. I doubt we’ll be celebrating, so there’s not much to look forward to since I won’t be hitting that goal. My high school bestie was here last week for a couple of days, which was present enough since its such a long way from her home.  My local bestie is moving the day of my birthday, so I’ll probably be packing a u-haul and crying most of the day.  Age is just a number, and it’s never really bothered me, so it’s not like I’m dreading it or anything. My mom usually forgets my birthday, so I won’t hold my breath for that, and my honey has been thinking real hard… but since I don’t have many friends, it’s pretty tough to do much. I’m just happy to reach one more milestone in my life since there are so many people who don’t get that chance.

I’ve taken a hiatus from working out, eating right, and all things healthy.  It just happened. Family reunions and camping, holidays, and work just didn’t keep me motivated. I KNOW what I have to do, but doing it is a whole other thing. I get discouraged very easily and while I know nothing can change until I absolutely make the change, something’s gotta give.  I stepped on the scale for the  first time in… well, forever… and my number is the highest its ever been. Ugh. I’m so disgusted with myself. But mentally, I’m just not there. 

So how do I get there? What do you do to “get motivated” and stay that way? I don’t want to be fat. But I also don’t want to starve.  I love food.  It’s my addiction.  I hate being sweaty. Working out is hard. But I know it has to be done to do anything about the way I look and feel. Why are we always so consumed with an easy fix? Why don’t want we ever want to work hard for stuff like that? I’ll be completely honest.  I’m always looking for the next best thing to help me in my weight loss journey. I’m not above trying drinks, shakes, pills… you name it, I’ve probably done it.  And it works for me for a while.  It’s like I need it to give me a shove and to make me think, “I can do this…” I know, I know… hard work, determination, and accountability are the only things that are going to work. Blah, blah… I just want it to be easy dammit. Why can’t it be easier?

                Maybe I’m just lazy.  I work hard at everything else in my life, so why not at trying to lose weight and be healthy? I hate the way I look, that I’m the largest person in my WHOLE family… so how am I not determined? And I can’t expect anyone else to hold me accountable if I can’t even hold myself accountable? What do you do to stay on track (or get back on track)? What has helped you the most to really get to it? What is the biggest thing that was your turning point? 

Random Facts about Cupcake

Hey y'all!

I came to the realization that people read this blog.  I even found out Wednesday night that PEOPLE I KNOW read this blog. (Hi y'all!) WOW.  I know you don't have to, but you do. I can't see who you are but to know that people actually come here, actually read it, and actually see what I have to say... It's an eye opener!

I use this space as my outlet.  For everything.  Not only do I use it for weight loss accountability, but to also talk about my life. Its my journal so to speak. Thank you for reading and tolerating me. Thank you for not blasting me if I drive you crazy, thank you for your support and positivity.

For those of you that I don't actually know, haven't met, or may be new in my life, I thought I'd do a post about random fact about me that you may or may not know. I love to know new things about new people, and it occurred to me, you may want to know too. So, here goes!

1. I am a mom to two wonderful little boys.

Ayden (8) 

and Remington (7).

2. I date the most wonderful man (Darrell)  I've ever met and I wouldn't trade him for anything.
This man brought me back from some darkness that I can't even explain.  He helped me walk away from relationships that I didn't need and has brought so much joy to my life. I love you honey.

3. I am an only child, the youngest child, and the oldest child... which also makes me an only child.
My mom and dad split when I was very young.  I was their only child, and was treated as so until they each found another partner. My dad, Tracey, married Kathy and she had two daughters already.  Dondi and Stephanie. Both are 2-4 years older than me.  My mother, Connie, married Ron shortly thereafter and he had a son, Brian who is about 3 years younger than me.  They then had Todd (17) and Desaree (16). I also have a "brother", Brent,  who's not really my brother, but IS Brain's half brother, but that has been raised in the family our whole lives.  He's 9 months older than me. It's a big-ol screwed up family, but it's mine. :)

4. I have 4 nephews, 1 niece and one on the way.
My oldest sister has Adam Bill, JR.

My next older sister has David & Justin

My "brother" Brent has a son and a daughter, with one on the way. I love ALL these crazy kiddos. Every last one of them.

5. I made the hardest decision of my life back in March. My oldest son went to live with his dad, Zack in Colorado. We don't know for how long. We don't know how any of this will turn out.  I know I miss him, but as his mother, I have to do what is best for him and his brother and it's not about me. You can read more about that, here.

6. I'm THAT mom.
Remington plays baseball.

We play at least twice a week and I've made all but one game this year I think.  He's a slugger, he's a third baseman, and he loves the game.  Until something doesn't go his way.  Then he's huffy. I'm the mom that is always cheering, always letting the kids know where the "play" is, and I'll be the first one to tell that coach to pull my kid and put him in the outfield if he's not playing his part. I will ride your ass to perform better, and it's not just cause you're my kid. It's because it's YOUR team.  YOU have to help THEM win. It's not just about you.  They count on you as much as you do them and you should always give 100% plus more. I'm not afraid to call you out... or anyone else for that fact.  I'm a baseball mom. I've grown up on or around the field for 20 years and it looks like I've got at least 10 more.

6. I plan parties
I LOVE to have an event to plan for.  I start months in advance.I decorate weeks in advance (if I can) and I try to use local businesses to make things work, as much as I can. I've done mostly birthday parties, but I've also planned 3 weddings (all mine, lol), a graduation party, and love details of other peoples events.

7. I met Darrell, THROUGH my ex-husband.
AWKWARD! Yeah, tell me about it.  They worked together, we met though their job. We all hung out. And then my relationship ended.  Its so hard to tell the story without being judged, and I honestly avoid that question as much as possible. Darrell was my support group during my divorce, and NO, it's not like that. He even told me to go back a time or two.  He tried to be a much of a middle man as he could.  We were TRULY friends before we became boyfriend/girlfriend. I wouldn't change it if I had to though. :)

8. I'm EXTREMELY modest.
So modest that it bothers me to talk about being modest. I don't do naked, I don't talk about naked, I don't like to talk about sex, I don't even like TV sexual encounters. It all makes me SO uncomfortable. My face turns bright red and you can automatically tell that I'm no longer at ease.  I don't even like to do naked in the comfort of my very own home... by myself, let alone in front of Darrell. I'm hoping that as I come more comfortable in my own skin, that I become more comfortable around him and myself. One day. Baby steps.  Putting my weigh-in and progress pictures on here is one step... my spray tan parties are the next. LOL

9. I'm a licensed Cosmetologist.
I took cosmetology school while I was a junior and senior in high school, missed my baccalaureate to test my state boards, and received my certification letter in the mail, the same day as my high school graduation. :) I don't "do" hair and nails in a shop.  I do haircuts in my kitchen, I paint my own toes, but I go get my hair did... I get a new set of nails... I don't take care of my face. lol. All those things I learned... they're in the back of my head. I just don't always do it myself.

10. My bestest-best friend lives in Austin.
Meagan has three beautiful little boys and an amazingly smart hubby and we DO NOT get to see each other often enough. We became friends when I asked her if her name was MAY-gan or MEG-en.  BIG difference. I needed to know. We've been together (pretty much) ever since. I was her MOH in her wedding she was there for the birth of my children. She loves me and I love her. She is the one that knows ME. And still loves me for it. We know secrets, we don't always like the same things (Dr. Who?), but we always come back to each other.  We both visit her moms house when she's in town, sleep in the same bed, drink, laugh and stay up entirely too late. And you ought to hear the gossip. LOL She gives the best hugs and the best gifts. She's my Meagan. I couldn't exist without her.
10a. My other Bestie- Suzan, I just found out is moving away from me next month. :( More on that subject later. Love you lady.

Well, there you have it... 10 random fact about this Heavy Cupcake.  I hope you learned something new. I hope you come back.  And if you ever want to know more... Just ask. :)

Tanning on Wednesdays

It's Weigh in Wednesday, but I don't have a weigh in.  I started my sugar detox on Monday, and while I feel better, I don't want to know if it's working or not. LOL. Yeah, it's only been a couple of days, but psychologically, it could make or break me.  Not to mention, we had a very. long. night. last night and I straight up forgot to weigh in. (oops!) So... I figured I'd wrap up my spray tan post that I had hinted around at, yesterday.

For those of you that DO have a weigh in, don't forget to link up with Ashlee over here.

 

Last week-ish, Skinny Meg posted about tricks to make you look skinnier, without an app. You can read that post here. After reading it, I def agreed with most of her post. And just the day before... I had a spray tan done!

My friends Kim & Becky had gone and bought themselves a spray tanning set-up and they FINALLY started offering tans to us common folk.

So... I set myself up with a party at my place (after a couple of weeks of wishy-washy people going in and backing out) and Wednesday before last, we got our tan on.  Now, these ladies use Sjolie products and my first experience was great!

After deciding I was actually getting sprayed (in all my buff-ness), I immediately started researching. Cause that's what I do. OCD, CDO, whatever you wanna call it... I gotta be informed before I jump in to anything.

As their flyer says, you must shower, shave and exfoliate. Showering is always good, no matter a tan or not.  And unless you wanna have to immediately shave after tanning, you better do it the night before or right before you get sprayed.  As for the exfoliating, I started two or three days before and made sure that I hydrated and moisturized every day leading up to the spray.  The more hydrated your skin, and the more exfoliated it is, the better the tan takes, and the longer it lasts.

I started with my homemade recipe for a scrub... I use a mixture of Sea Salt, Sugar, Coconut Oil and vanilla right now... although, one of my favorites to make has coffee grounds in it! Yum! Make sure that you SCRUB all things that will be exposed.  ESPECIALLY your elbows, knees, heels, feet, etc. And if you're gonna have your face tanned, make sure you've kept it up well. I can not stress to you HOW IMPORTANT it is to be sufficiently scrubbed.  The day of, they suggest using St. Ives Apricot scrub to do your whole body with.  It doesn't have any oils or lotions, so it's perfect to "prime" your skin.

After your shower the day of, DO NOT use lotions, sprays, oils... ANYTHING. You want you skin as plain and clean as possible for the tan to be sprayed on.  Just before you tan, you'll put a "barrier cream" on the palms and heels of your hands, between your fingers, around your cuticles, your elbows, knees, your heels, toes and feet. this keeps the pray from penetrating these especially "dry" areas too much and from turning orange. I learned from experience, you CAN NOT have too much barrier cream on! Places that you've put it, and places you think you've gotten enough, WILL change colors. I promise!

However, do not fear! With all of the research that I did, I knew exactly how to get rid of the places that tanned and shouldn't have, and how to lighten the tan that was just a little too much.

Enter: Lemon Juice

Seriously, lemon juice can solve all problems. It works on my headaches, it lightens hair, it disinfects, it cleans, and hey... it lightens a spray tan! Put a little bit on a cloth or napkin, lightly rub it over the area that is too dark and you'll slowly start to see it lighten. Works perfect for the tops of your feet, your rough spots, or your hands.

Next: Magic Eraser

Yup.  Works like a charm! But ONLY on places you want to REMOVE your tan. I used this on the bottoms of my feet, the heels of my hands and just a couple spots that were WAY too dark. I'm so glad I had some off brand ones in my cabinet! AND... if you use lemon juice to wet the eraser, it works even better! :)

My tan lasted about 11 days before I decided it was time to scrub it all off. It had lightened in the cleavage part of my chest, but it was from sweating and rubbing the sweat off. The next place I noticed it, was some light "spotting" on the underside of my forearms. This is a common area because of the constant friction in that area,  Rubbing on your shirt, desk work, etc. It wasn't SO bad that it made me self conscious, but it was enough that *I* noticed.  After that, my neck area decided to wear off.  Mostly in the crease where you sweat, and if I were smaller, I probably wouldn't have had this problem. So, I decided to scrub it off.  Again, I used my homemade scrub, while soaking in a tub and it all came off pretty easy.  There were a couple places that I had to scrub a little harder, but pretty easy, nonetheless.

The best way to make sure that your tan lasts it to take care of it. Scrub, moisturize and hydrate yourself several days before your tan, make sure to moisturize morning and night while tanned, and no loofas or anything harsh when showering. No harsh soaps or anything that contains alcohol.

We've scheduled another tanning party tonight at my place.  I learned a lot from the first tan, and this time I'll use MUCH more barrier cream on my feet and hands!

Have you done spray tans before? What are your experiences?

My Favorite Things... June

I don't do these often, so  when I felt like it today, I decided to run with it! THis is a link-up with Beauty and the Greek for June's favorite things... Although, since June is just starting, I think it should be labled May's favorite things. Whatever. Either way, link it up and check it out!

1. Fabletics (sign up here)
Seriously... I found them through Ashlee over at Ash's Right Direction and I'm so glad I did! Once a month, you get an email to pick your outfit, they ship it almost immediately, and viola! You've got yourself some brand-spankin new workout clothes! If you don't like it, return it! Prices range from $49.99-$69.99 for the monthly outfits, and if you're not feelin it one month (or just don't have the cash), you can opt out! Best news?! Your first outfit it only $29.99! AND- After you rack up so many points (from purchases) you've qualified for a FREE outfit! For real... check them out here.

2. Faded Glory Henley Tank (buy it here)
THese cute little tanks are so flattering.  Even on us big gals.  I bought one for the Vegas trip and I feel so great in it. And, it's cheap! A good price always feels better!

3. Danskin Women's Cotton Performance Tank (buy it here)
I jut bought a couple of these for Memorial Day weekend. I got a couple pairs of compression pants from Fabletics (see above) and while I love what they do for my legs, and their fit, I still don't like my ass. So, these are long enough to cover it (mostly) and flow-y (lose) enough that I don't feel like every roll is showing. Apparently, online, they come in a two pack, but in the store you could buy them one at a time. I got the pink and blue ones and LOVE them. Again, WALMART!

4. Anker Astro E5 15000mAh Dual USB Portable Charger (buy it here)
We bought this for our Vegas trip. After several trips to Vegas, we both figured out that our phones DO NOT hold a good enough charge for all day site-seeing. We've had other chargers before, but both were maker-specefic and wouldn't work for both of us. (he is an Android user, while I am an AVID iPhone-r... unitil this year) This is big enough to charge a smart phone FOUR TIMES before it needs a charge. It also will charge two phones at once, charges my FitBit Force and for that fact, anything else that has an adapter that fits a USB port.  I take this thing EVERYWHERE. It's especially handy for car rides when you only have one car charger (or yours goes missing thanks to little brother and sister) or for me, at the ballgames in the evenings. If you're on the go and your phone is always die-ing when you need it, this is the product for you!

5. Spray Tanning
Specefically, spray tanning parties at my house, where I don't have to stand half naked in front of a person I don't know, or a machine, and I can continue to walk around half naked in the comfort of my own home, with a couple other people. lol My friends Kim and Becky have bought their own spray tanning system and they've decided to take it to another level, by offering it to the "public". If you host a party (of four or more people) they'll come to you AND yours is FREE! But they're price isn't bad anyway, so I don't mind forking out the $15 every once and a while. And no, the photo above is not me... (although I wish it was) but that's the gist of it. I'm working on a blog post now of my last spray tan and what I learned to do... or not to do. I'll post it soon!

Anyway, these are my favorite things right now... What are your current go-to's? Anyone need a tan? :) If you're local and need a good, quick tan, let me know and I'll get you in touch with them!