Dear Daughter I Dream of Having

I didn’t always know what I wanted to do, but I knew what kind of woman I wanted to be.

-Diane von Furstenberg

I’m not sure if yall have noticed it yet, but I am a huge fan of empowering women. I believe that God made us to have a gentle strength. We have the ability to love with such capacity that we suffer repeatedly through the process of child birth and call it “beautiful”. We have the ability to support our husbands and family in their times of need, no matter our personal struggles that day.

We are beautiful. We are special. We are fearfully and wonderfully made.

So why is it that I see more and more women purposefully putting themselves into a lesser place? Maybe its a misunderstanding on where/what our value comes from. In this, the “Age of the Selfie-Stick”, I think that it’s easy to become confused. Now, don’t get me wrong, ya girl LOVES a good selfie (with a filter or two). And I even own a selfie stick. But maybe it’s time we take a good hard look at ourselves… no filters. YIKES!

I’ve been thinking a lot about this one… and I’ve decided to write this as if I were telling my daughter. I don’t have a daughter (yet, hopefully) but I think that these are some of the things I would want her to know. Also, this is for my friends, the women, who are in that waiting place. The women who love everyone else except themselves enough to be BETTER. This is my advice to TODAY’S women. The world is a scary place… we need our women to be brave. So, here it goes.

Dear Daughter I Dream of Having:

You’re going to be born into a world that is very, very different from the world I was born into. You’re going to have a lot more critics on a daily basis than I could have imagined. I’ve made a list of things that I don’t want you to forget in this crazy and confusing world.

Trust GOD. Every morning, talk to Him. Trust Him to nudge you in the right direction.  I’ve had many, many talks with Him and even from my lowest, He hears me all the way into the Heavens. Trusting Him will NEVER hurt you. Life will seem unbearable at time and there is NOTHING His love won’t overcome. Take a breath and Trust God.

Be YOUrself. “If all your friends jump off a bridge, are you going to?” Age old question right there yet it still applies. If I have learned one thing, it’s that embracing who I am has made me much more secure. You’ll be judged for it but who cares. I have never drank alcohol or been drunk. I don’t have a SnapChat. I didn’t know what “thats Gucci” meant until someone told me (like a few weeks ago!). Yet I’m still surrounded by friends and family that love me. Those who mind don’t matter and those who matter won’t mind.  You don’t have to always fit the mold. Break it.

Say Actual Words. STOP TEXTING EVERYTHING.ALL.THE.TIME. Use the phone and call people. Break the silence. All I hear all around me are little ticks from the keyboard of iPhones. Talk to people. Say hello when someone walks into the quiet room. To be brave enough to SAY what you feel – THAT is courage. Who cares if your voice shakes, SAY it. Please, find your voice.

“Bitch” does NOT mean “Independent”. Please, for the love of all that is Holy, QUIT saying that B-Word in the context that it makes you a strong, independent woman. That is false. It is NOT a compliment when someone calls you that. Its not cute. Don’t embrace it… “Oh, I know I’m a B-. Whatevs.” Please. Stop. Be kind. Be smart. Be Independent. Be Strong. You are able to be ANYTHING you want to be… why be a B-?! Love yourself enough to not talk to yourself or about yourself like that.

Be Honest but be kind. “I just tell it like it is.” True. Ok, I get it. But how about you tell it like it is while remembering that no matter what YOU think of the person on the other end of your truth, they have feelings that you can’t see/hear/feel. Be kind when you’re being honest. It’s called Tact. Lift people up and offer perspective. But please remember to always be kind. No one will remember your intentions, only how you made them feel.

Let a good man love you. You’ll come across guys that look good, guys that seem good
and guys that ARE good. A lot of times, after you’ve had your heart broken, (& you will. It’s a part of life. You’ll be okay, sweet girl.) you will push away the good guys because “good” guys will want to commit to you and LOVE you. Part of your brain/heart will find a dark place that says “Commitments always end badly. I’m not ready to be loved. I’m not good enough.” Don’t listen. You ARE worthy of love… the good guys aren’t always the “cool” ones… that wont matter after your 20’s. Trust me. Trust that nudge from God we were just talking about. Let yourself be loved by the good ones (like your Daddy) ❤

Put your phone down. LOOK UP. The world is happening all around you. Go be a part of it. No one has ever made history by hiding behind their phone. Go meet people. Don’t sit in a silent sauna… strike up a conversation. People are waiting for someone like YOU to change their day. Be a light in someones life. They need it more than you think.

There’s probably so much more for me to say, but I’ll take my own advice and trust God that one day you will be here for me to bestow this and much more love and wisdom to. And to those women who this applies to TODAY, believe in yourself. Give yourself some credit and don’t fall victim to the easy way out. Break the mold and show the world how awesome God made us.

Love you all.

So… I suck at this “mom” thing…

ISO: Owners manual for children that apparently got delivered to some moms, but not the rest of us.

Every day, I ask myself if I’m doing a good job at this “mom” thing. Every day, the answer is “No.” Everywhere you turn there is someone telling you that what you’re doing is wrong and what they’re doing is right. EVERYWHERE. As a matter of fact, I read something this morning, (I can’t remember if it was a Facebook post or a blog) but it basically listed all the things I’m doing “wrong” as a mom. It consisted of the following: I don’t love my child if I fed him formula. I am a zealot if I teach him about the Bible.  I should avoid red meat, gluten & all sugar and processed foods…. oops. I should co-sleep and never spank him… oops again. Well…. I guess it’s true. I really do SUCK at this mom thing…. according to this stranger with a laptop.

I know I can’t be alone in feeling this way. I know I can’t be the only mom who thinks she sucks at this some days. I am not alone. Right?!

So, in light of all the “wisdom” floating around the internet, I’ve decided to make my OWN list of Mom Things. These are things that I have actually done/thought/said/considered. Am I mom of the year? Probably not. Am I trying my best? EVERY.DAMN.DAY.

what you get….

what you see….

what you see vs. what you get #momlife

Note: I am humble enough to know that these OPINIONS of mine are in fact, only opinions. They are not facts. Therefore, I will not debate with others who believe that their opposing opinions ARE in fact, facts. 

1. Breast Feed. Formula Feed. Who cares?! As long as you FEED! Thats your business. My son had leftover pizza for breakfast today. Shockingly, he still alive. For lunch, he’ll have broccoli and grilled chicken. BALANCE,people. Balance.
2. Its ok to want to punch your smart-mouthed back talker. Just don’t actually do it. (My mom gave me this advice…) Kids are infuriating. They’re humans and are allowed to act out from time to time. Hey Mom… so are YOU!
3. Whats your kids bedtime? 7pm? 10pm? Where does he sleep? With you? In his own room? What brand of toothpaste do you use? Toilet paper, over or under? Are you a sock, shoe, sock, shoe or a sock, sock, shoe, shoe person? DO YOU SEE HOW NONE OF THESE QUESTIONS SHOULD MATTER TO YOU?!  Why do people have an opinion about when your kids sleep? My son goes to bed late according to the standard for a 5 year old. He goes to bed at 10. Why? His daddy works until 8. We value TIME more than bedtime. Sue us.
4. My son just came into my office and said “I make the rules here!” Please refer to #2.
5. Quit comparing yourself to other moms. Haven’t you ever heard of mothers intuition? You were divinely chosen to be the mommy to your littles. Trust yourself.
6. Ya know those moments where you think? Crap. Well I just said/did the wrong thing.  (For example, my yelling at cars in traffic and Kam saying “All these other drivers stink.” …. and me high-fiving my son for being a grade-A road-rager.) Not my most shining mom moment. Forgive yourself and move on. Try to NOT do it again…
7. “Back when I was young and kid-free…” Those words. Those words do NOT make you a bad mom. Yearning for the days of freedom does NOT make you a bad mom. You are an individual. Being a mom is just part of who you are now.
8. Its ok to take a time out every now and then. Mommy sometimes needs to make mommy happy. A happy mommy is a good mommy. (Hear that, hubby?!)
9. I am a stay at home mom. Does that mean I think working moms are sub par? No. I was raised by a single, working mom. Nothing irks (is that a word?) my nerves more than a SAHM posting on Facebook about how much goes into it and a working mom comment with a snide “Try doing that AND having a job.” And the same applies to the working mom who says its so hard and the SAHM saying “At least you get to talk to grown ups during the day.” Who wins here? I’ll tell ya – not the 2 women trying to prove they are “better” by arguing on Facebook. Are you trying your best with your situation? Good. That’s all that matters (or should matter.)
10. My son just came into my office again and said “You’re the best girl, mommy. I love you all the stars in the sky.” Please denote and disregard #2.

To sum it up, not one mom is like the other yet we are ALL the same. We gave life to these little humans and it’s our job to help them become the best adults they can be. We are all out here just fakin’ it til’ we make it. Mom-shaming should be nonexistent in my opinion. I can confidently say that no one will ever LOVE our children as much as we do. No one loves my son the same was I do. My sun rises and sets on this little boy. If doing the best I can is wrong, I don’t want to be right. None of us got that manual… or at least I didn’t.

So are you doing it wrong? Probably. But so are the rest of us. 🙂

Now, go love the crap outta the little monsters!

XoXo,

Brittany

Why I refuse to make a New Years resolution

Letting go of what you have but don’t want will make room for all the things that you do want. What are we so afraid of?

First of all, it’s been tooooo long since I last wrote. Second of all, I feel like writing today makes sense because of the significance of this day in Nate and I’s life. So – here I am. I am hoping that this one blog can help me get my blog rolling again… haha!

Alright. So we all know whats coming… the New Years Resolutions. “New Year. New me.” “Work hard. Play hard.” You know the drill… but there is one thing I think that none of us think about when making this “resolution” list. I think that imagining 2015 without really thinking about 2014 won’t help. Lets be honest, when the clock strikes 12 on January 1, YOU arent going to transform into a new person. I think that’s the problem with New Year’s resolutions. We seem to think that because the numbers are different (which they are every other day of our life), that we will be able to do things we couldn’t accomplish in any other year before. So, this is what I think.. What can we remove from 2014? We have established that YOU will be the same… but what in 2014 kept you from your goals? Aren’t resolutions just goals, after all? Were you distracted? Excuses? Toxic people? Lets work on removing things from 2014 so that they can no longer exist in 2015! If you want to get healthy, remove the excuses that kept you from going to the gym in 2014. If you want to make more money, remove the fears of chasing your dreams because it isn’t “safe” in 2014. If you want to be happier, remove toxic people from your life. Sounds easy, right? haha Well the problem is that excuses, fear and a QUANTITY of people make us so distracted that we seem to forget our goals. The excuses aren’t excuses – in 2014, you call them “reasons”. The fear isn’t fear – in 2014, you call it “being realistic.” The toxic people aren’t toxic people – in 2014, you call them “friends.” Do you see? In 2014 you have renamed all these things to make them acceptable. What do you want to call them in 2015?

I know you all have resolutions in your mind – but have you challenged yourself? I CHALLENGE YOU. Make a list of the things you have in your life RIGHT NOW that you no longer want. Make a list of the things you want. Now, go for it!! Why not? What is holding you back? Is it “reasons” or “realism” or “friends”? Simplify your life and get back to the basics. It’s not about a New Years resolutions. It’s about changing your way of thinking… whether it be on January 1 or August 8.

10 months ago TODAY, Nate and I changed our way of thinking. We took a risk on a company that our “friends” said was a joke. That our “reasons” said we couldn’t be successful at something like this. That our “realism” said was too much of a risk. WE CHALLENGED OURSELVES. We looked at our life and realized that at some point you have to jump from the cliff of the land of where you are and are comfortable to the land that is unknown. I am so grateful that Advocare came into our life and INTERRUPTED our cynical way of thinking. We have made an additional full time income while never sacrificing the “stay at home mom” aspect of our life. We have been able to share our blessing with other families who now are bringing parents home full time. Our dreams will come true. Our son will have a different relationship with health and money – because we have decided to change it. We all want change but no one is willing to change anything.

Will it be easy? No. Will it be worth it? YES.

How can I help you make 2015 all that you imagined? ❤

My Advice – To those who are listening.

Hey All! A couple of days ago, I posted a status on my Facebook asking my friends for ideas for a new blog. I got several good ones so it seems like I will be writing a lot over the next couple weeks! 🙂 But one of the suggestions was for me to write on finding and living a purpose driven life. First of all, let me say that I am SO humbled by the fact that people actually want to hear what little ol’ me has to say about something so BIG. Second of all, I am a work in progress myself… so in this blog, I promise to do my best to deliver what I believe is good advice.

If you read my last blog “A Note to My Younger Self: Advice to Get Through Your Early 20s“, I talked about how I used to lie about the person I was. I created a version of myself that I thought others would like. Nothing was genuine. Absolutely nothing in my life happened organically. I created reasons and motives with the intention of fitting that “mold” I was being poured in.  I know I’m not the only person who has ever done this. We all can get stuck in ruts, whether it be in a relationship, in our job or with our friends, where we design our thinking to accommodate those around us. Our “purpose” becomes skewed. The truth is, we can’t truly know our purpose if we don’t truly know our selves… and listen closely – knowing your TRUE self… it’s scary. Being honest with yourself about the person you are, both goods and bads, is a very intimidating process…. because YOU are the one person YOU can’t run or hide from.

You. That person you can’t hide from. If you’re lucky, you’ll get the pleasure of meeting “You”  when you’re still young enough to find your purpose and EMBRACE it. In Advocare, we ask people the question “What is your purpose?” The answers range but are normally based around money. “To be financially stable.” “To be out of debt” or sometimes even just “To make a lot of money”. And then you get the broad answers “My Kids.” “My Family.” “My Husband.” Don’t get me wrong – those are all good REASONS to try and be successful at something… but thats what they are… they are REASONS. I want to know your PURPOSE. What is it that gives you a knot in your stomach you want it so badly? What is it that makes your nose burn as you hold back tears when you talk about it? Find that. That is your purpose. And you can have more than one. No one had ever asked me what my purpose was before. Wanna know what my answer was 6 months ago? “My family.” haha Yep. I was a “broad answer girl.” Wanna know what it is now? How much time do you have?! LOL I eat, sleep and breathe my purpose.

Brittany, Whats your purpose? My purpose(s)… well, 1) To bring my husband home. I say this to people all the time… but my biggest fear for my family is that my sons kindergarten teacher will pass us in the store and my husband will have no clue who she is. Not because he’s a bad dad… but because he is working SO hard just to pay some bills, that he’s missing his sons life happening before MY eyes. I refuse to let my husband miss those moments just because he bears the burden of supporting our family alone. 2) To help as many people and touch as many lives as I possibly can with the time that God is giving me on this earth. I found this passion years ago when I realized that I have been blessed with the ability to speak and have people listen (or at least pretend to! LOL – Thanks by the way!) To see lives around me changing all because I refuse to let them sink, that makes my heart happy. My purpose is YOUR purpose. 3) To exemplify what it is to be a good, honest, CHRISTIAN woman. This is what I struggle with. But I am getting closer and closer every day. I am flawed… so flawed. But the grace of my Lord and Saviour allows me to wake up and try again! I have learned that what I allow is what I become. I have started reading my Bible more, as well as other Christian leadership books. I have started praying more… and listening to God speak to me as much as I expect him to listen to me! I have started listening to Christian music. I want to surround myself with His glory. My purpose is to make God proud. 4) To be a champion. The definition of Champion is “An ardent defender of purpose.” There it is. My ultimate purpose is to be an ARDENT DEFENDER OF MY PURPOSE!!! To be a CHAMPION. THE Champion.

There you have it. How to find your purpose. Now, how to live a purpose driven life? Stick. That’s right. Stick with it. Every day… strive to be better. Strive to be a champion – an ardent defender of your purpose. There will be days (probably more days like this than otherwise) that will be hard or distracting. Days that you feel like your kids just cant get it together. Days that you and your spouse just wont quit bickering. Days that the bills are piled higher than yesterday. It’s these days… from the average perspective, these are the days that slow you down. But why be average? Why contribute to mediocrity by allowing these days to be excuses?! STOP! Use these days to DRIVE you towards your purpose. Use these days be the fuel in the fire!! I can’t say this passionately enough! (I could use bold, italic, ALL CAPS font but I don’t wanna scare you away haha). Dont be the average. KNOW that at the end of the tunnel is a light… because the light was lit by YOU! That light is your purpose… and you should let NOTHING stop you from getting there. Be pushed forward by those moments that weigh you down… and know that those moments are NOT your truth. Those moments are just helping you become… a champion. You just have to push… stick and stay. Be consistent. Never quit.

Whoa, Brittany! That was intense! haha YES! Yes it was. Wanna know why? I’m not standing up here on a pedestal trying to tell you all how to live your life. I am staring in a mirror – saying all this to myself! I am not a Harvard graduate in psychotherapy. I just know that this blog is not only an opportunity to reach out to others and help them find a way towards whatever answers they are looking to find but as a way of manifesting my OWN truth and motivation to be MORE. We are all in this race together. Lets lock arms and help each other towards our light at the end of the tunnel. I hope you all know that I genuinely appreciate and am humbled by the ability to reach out to all of you. Thank you for being part of my purpose. Thank you for helping me Be A Champion<3

Cosmo says you’re fat…

… well, I aint down with that.

Alright ladies & gents. I haven’t written a blog in a few weeks… mainly because my life has been a bit monotonous. I didn’t wanna bore you! LOL But todayyyy… I just got home from a week long vacation at a lakehouse with my entire family. Yep. Entire family. I could go on and on for days about those crazyheads I call my family (myself included!) but instead I want to talk about something that happened while I was there.

As most of you obviously know, I am an Advocare distributor. I am a PROUD Advocare distributor. Since starting with the company in February, my husband and I have made over $9000 and helped over 75 people reach their goals in finances and health. Not to mention, we have both gotten more healthy and lost weight in the process. I will NEVER regret my decision to say yes to the company that changed my life… and I mean that from the bottom of my heart. Also, I want to clarify. I am only 5’2″ (on a good day!) and weigh about 129 lbs (as of this morning after eating my body weight in junk while on vacation -_-). I have ALWAYS been known as a curvy girl. I haven’t ever been smaller than a size 3 because of the thick thighs and booty. I get compared to Kim Kardashian (gag) and J.Lo… for obvious reasons, though I think they are MUCH curvier than I am, you get the picture. Bottom line – I am CURVY and I am OK with that!

While I was on vacation, I found out that one of my best friends from high school (like spent weekends and walked the halls together) and someone I talk to still today (at least 1 time every week or two) was messaging my other friends and telling them that I’m still “fat” and why would they want to take Advocare products like me, unless they wanted to be “fat” like me. I was SHOCKED to say the least.

Call me fat if you’d like… but I chose to be PROUD 🙂

SO, here is what I have to say about this situation. SCREW THE HATERS! hehe just kidding! LOL Here is what I really have to say about the situation… Her opinion of me does not dictate the way I feel about myself. I repeat: Her opinion of me does NOT dictate the way I feel about myself. Women tend to value the opinion of other women SO much that in a situation such as this one, they allow themselves to believe what one person says about them. Let me ask you a question. Why do we do this? By “we”, I mean women. Why do we feel it necessary to beat other women down? Then, why do we VALUE the opinions of women who we clearly don’t want to be anything like? Do you want to be the type of women to go around privately criticizing other women and trying to sabotage their business? I’d like to think not.

Listen, I don’t care if you believe that standing upside down and eating 3 m&m’s a day will help you lose 5 lbs… I can PROMISE you that I will never be the type of women to sabotage your purpose. To each his own is what I believe. If you want my help, I am here to help you… THAT is my purpose.

Ladies, please listen. Until WE begin to change the way we let negative comments affect us, it will never stop. You are beautiful, and never let anyone else ever tell you otherwise. This incident taught me a valuable lesson about myself – and that is that I am not a victim of other peopls negativity. I am victor in my own belief that I am WORTH something. So, who’s with me? Lets raise each other up. If you hear someone bashing someone else, defend them… don’t participate. The world won’t change until we do. And the words of negative people only have as much power as we allow them to. Today, I am putting my foot down. Time to change the pattern. So, like I said… Who’s with me?

You’re all amazing ❤

**If you’re interested in learning more about my journey or Advocare, please message me below! I love hearing from ALL of you ❤

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A Note to my Younger Self: Advice to get your through your early 20’s

You know you’re growing up when all your friends are getting married and having babies on purpose.

From this me…

Have you ever thought “Man, if I knew then what I know now, things woulda been a lot different!” Well, now they have an app for that!! You can write your future self notes and tips on the lessons to remember. I think its weird… but I’m sure my teenaged little sister doesn’t blink at the idea of talking to your future self. Times have changed, people. Twenty-eight years old is now the new “old” to the high school kids all going to prom this week and graduating next week. I remember those days… I knew it all (or so I thought). Heck – I remember being 24 and 25 and being different… So, I have decided that instead of that weird future talking app, I’d just write my younger self a letter; Some tips if you will, to help her get through the AWFUL years that she will call her early twenties. Maybe, just maybe, this will serve helpful to some of the “kids”  graduating… or even the ones that are my husbands age. Yes. I robbed the cradle. Quit laughing. Seriously. Ok – moving on.

Dear Post Graduation, Early Twenties, Know-it-all Brittany,

1. Life isn’t designed to be perfect. Just because your life has had a few financial snags and you and your boyfriend fight, doesn’t mean your life is a failure. QUIT PRETENDING TO BE PERFECT! In order to be perfect, we lie to keep up with the Joneses. However, little do we know, the Joneses are lying to keep up with you. True happiness will come when you learn how to balance being honest about your life and keeping your drama to yourself. There are limits… don’t fake happy, but don’t let everyone in on your problems. Both are equally bad. I read a quote once that said “Always remember that the crowd that applauds your coronation is the same crowd that will applaud your beheading. People like a show.”

2. Dump him. Seriously. Your identity is not associated with a man/boy. You will waste so many years pouring yourself into the mold that he has built for you… or better yet, that you built for yourself thinking that being that “perfect woman” will make him love you more. Relationships shouldn’t be a struggle to keep together. Yes, young Brittany, the drama makes it exciting and he tells you he loves you every day… but he doesn’t. He loves himself… more than you love yourself. And he will continue to do so until you respect yourself enough to walk away. Know to walk away from a toxic relationship… ALWAYS.

3. Congratulations. You have 45 “friends” partying in your living room this weekend. I have a secret for you (insert *whisper voice*).

… to THIS you…

.. They aren’t your friends. Only 3 or 4 will hang around long enough to turn into friends… MAYBE. So, repeat after me, QUALITY OVER QUANTITY. Be careful how much you value the number of Facebook friends you have. (or in your days, MYSPACE).  You will be stabbed in the back by most of those people… and in return, you will stab them right back. You are not above them… but you don’t NEED them. Keep your circle small.

4. Mom is right. Say whaaaaat?! Seriously. Mom is right. She knows you lie about being happy in your relationship. She knows you are past due on your car payment. She knows that your eyes are puffy from crying and its not a new mascara just irritating your eyes. She knows. How does she know? Because she would have written you this letter – she lived! And even though you tell yourself “times have changed. She doesn’t get it.” She does. Even if you don’t do what she tells you to do (because I KNOW you wont), remember what she says. It will be useful later. You can’t fool, momma. Sidenote* Sometimes, moms be actin’ cray cray. Be nice but let her down easy… you know the difference! Use your brain!!

5. Save your money. I can’t stress this enough. Learn your money. Don’t think that partying on the weekends or that cute new dress is more important than your bills. The people you are trying to impress by spending all this money now, won’t be around when you are having to work on your credit as a grown adult, almost in her thirties! Seriously. Be frugal. You don’t need that nice, three bedroom $1200/month house!! You don’t even have enough furniture to fill it up! Stay within your means.

6. Turn the car around and go to college!!! Here it is. I’m speaking to you, Brittany…. in an exact moment. The moment after you registered for college at UNF. The moment you got in the car where your jealous boyfriend was waiting. The moment when he said “Did you meet your new boyfriend in there? I don’t know why you are doing this! You’re just going to cheat on me.” The moment when you tossed your registration paperwork out the window to “prove” to him that he was the only one. The moment when you drove away from the future you worked your BUTT off in high school to earn. TURN AROUND!!! GO BACK!! Don’t put it off for later… because later will be never. Trust me. Don’t be a martyr.

7. Go to church. This is simple – we ALL need Jesus. Prayer will save you from a lot of the pain that the next few years will put your through. Your GOD is an awesome God. Look to Him, not other people, for fulfillment.

8. Do what makes you happy. I mean, REALLY happy… from the inside. Only you know what those things are. Maybe I should be more clear… Doing what makes you happy does NOT mean having a “I don’t give a —-” attitude. It does NOT mean, mistreating people. It does NOT mean leaving people in a wake of madness in your journey to being happy. Never mistreat people… that shouldn’t make you happy. What I mean is: Write. Draw. Pray. Spend time with family. Laugh. Tell a joke. Go for a walk. Workout. You know… happy things.

9. Be aware. This is a broad statement. Let me break it down for you. Be aware of your surroundings. When you think your boyfriend is cheating on you… he probably is. Be aware of those who love you. When your Aunt shows up at your front door, ready to fight FOR you, don’t turn her away. She is there because she loves you. Be aware of those 45 “friends.” Some of them are the ones your boyfriend is cheating on you with. Most importantly, be aware of YOURSELF. People are on to you, Brittany. They see the charade. Be nicer to people. Be yourself. Keep it together and quit losing your sh*t in front of EVERYONE when youre upset about something. GET.IT.TOGETHER! You look crazy. Seriously. All those people that tell youre nuts, they’re right!! You will be embarrassed by these memories when you look back! Let’s try and learn from them, shall we?!

10. Let go. There will be a time when you are in limbo between the late teens, early twenties and your late twenties. During this time, you will think you have learned your lesson and have gotten it together. You will meet a new guy and think you are so happy. My advice, make sure its not contrived. You don’t realize it but you are still forcing your life on yourself. Let go of those old habits of insecurity and not being able to be yourself. Life is definitely better now… but YOU aren’t. Now that your surroundings are nicer, you need to work on being better. You’ve just put a smelly dog in a clean house. Don’t carry those fleas with you.

This is your life… Great, huh?! ❤

11. Hang in there. One day, you’re going to wake up and be a mom, wife and only a sliver of who you are now will still exist within yourself. You will have a hard time remembering the life your living now because the life that is coming for you is SO bright and magnificent that you can’t see the past. You aren’t going to know how you loved at all before you met your son. You aren’t going to know how you had any relationships before you met your husband. Your life is going to be great – not perfect – but great. Hang in there. Don’t think that there is no way out… God will lead you to an amazing destiny. However, its up to YOU to keep your character intact. People will continue to judge you based on your actions now… They won’t be part of your life later. People will say they know you and your character for the rest of your life based on how you behaved in your early twenties (the only time they have been around)… PROVE THEM WRONG! You are going to grow into a stronger, wiser woman. You will always have something to learn… but don’t be so hard on  yourself. You are growing.

Love, YOU ❤

 

What is your Purpose?

What is your purpose?

Repeat after me: What.Is.Your.Purpose?

Have you ever really stopped and thought about that? We all have reasons, excuses, circumstances… but whats our purpose?? The meat and potatoes of everything that we do… I have been thinking about this a lot since I became involved with Advocare. That was the first question that they asked me… and I was surprised by myself when I didn’t have an immediate answer. At first I said “To be Healthy.” No… that’s a reason. “For time Freedom.” No… another reason. “To make some extra cash.” Crap… another reason. So I went home that night and thought about it. Did I find my answer that night? No. LOL (I’m sure you were expecting me to say “And in the middle of the night, I was awoken by the sudden rush of my purpose!” haha Not quite!) It took a while… As a matter of fact… it took me sitting in a high school auditorium in Atlanta at an event called Champions Day. I sat and listened to people speak with true intention and purpose. My husband sat beside me and that’s when I realized…..

My purpose – TO BE MORE. Am I saying that I am an inadequate human being? No. I am saying that I want to be more than “just” anything. I don’t want to be just a mom. Just healthy. Just giving advice. Just a wife. I used to joke that if I died tomorrow, the world wouldn’t skip a beat. I was a stay at home mom who generated no income and whos belongings were all in her husbands name. Don’t get me wrong – I know my friends and family would be affected but my “foot print” was pretty shallow. I want to BE MORE. I want to make an impact on people. Inspire people. Go beyond just a person who exists day to day in a complacent state of mind. I love my life. It was fine! But why not BE MORE?!

Since my epiphany, I have went to work. I am helping people every single day. Truly helping people…. changing their lives. I can go to sleep at night knowing that because of a conversation with me, some people will never have to be overweight or unhealthy again. Some people will be able to retire 10 years earlier. I’m making a mark on peoples lives… even if its a small one! Even more, I am now officially doubling our household income with my contributions to our family. My husband no longer has to lose sleep over the dollar. We both sleep soundly! Our son will never know struggle…  And MOST of all… I am becoming a better person from the inside out every single day. I can FEEL it. My pride for myself is diminishing and allowing God to infiltrate my mind, heart and soul. I am being guided towards happiness and fulfillment. I YEARN to help others… I truly want to see others succeed. All of my past demons are becoming faint. I am becoming MORE.  (Side Note: while typing those last few sentence, I teared up a little. Siiiiiigh.)

Whats my point? FIND YOUR PURPOSE!!! BE MORE!! Look past your reasons, excuses and circumstances. Your purpose starts within yourself. There is nothing that can stop you from finding that purpose and starting the journey towards true happiness.

I encourage each and every one of you to look within yourselves today and at least start the journey of finding your purpose. I am so blessed to be a part of your day. ❤

 

For more information on Advocare and what it can do for you and your family, contact me below or by clicking here.

 

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Shine Brighter. <3

As you grow older you will discover that you have two hands, one for helping yourself, the other for helping others. – Audrey Hepburn

Hey there lovelies! Here in Augusta, it is a BEAUTIFUL day! Sun shining, birds chirping, gentle breeze. Today… I am happy. BUT – Today, I woke up and realized that I am finally in a place that I feel content… NO GOOD! The last thing I want is to be content with where I am. I need to always remember to strive to be more, be better.

Now, don’t get me wrong… I think that being grateful for all you in have in life is a good thing. Please don’t misunderstand… I’m not sayingto be UNHAPPY with your life. I am saying that your life is your canvas. You can make it everything you desire. Give a little extra elbow grease every single day and pray a little harder than you did the day before, and your life has the capacity to get better every single day!

I don’t know about you… but I am guilty of becoming stagnant from time to time. I look around at all the good and think “Man! I’m just gonna hang out right here because there is no way this could get any better!” I have came a long way in just my 28 years. I look back on who I was and am honestly embarrassed that I allowed certain things to take over my life. Comparing then to now… I am PERFECTLY happy with where we are. HAHA However, if I have learned one thing since then, is that with hard work, prayer, humility and an honest love for other people, things can always shine a little brighter.

Whats my point?! My point is that sometimes we can get caught on the hamster wheel of life. We continue the same routine because, lets face it, we’re happy. We are content. But lets be honest… could your day shine a little brighter? Could you pay for the car behind you’s coffee? Could you simply compliment a co-worker? Reach out to an old friend? Take control of your health? Say no to the fries? Choose a side salad? Do an extra push up? Encourage a friend to do an extra push up? All of these things are ways to make your days a little better. Be honest with yourself enough to know the areas of your life (within YOURSELF) that could use a little improvement because, no one is perfect! Set a goal for yourself this week! Make small changes throughout the day to brighten the world we live in. Our work here is never done… I am so blessed that I can be a cog in Gods wheel of good fortune on this planet.

 

Do your part!

Stay Awesome!

Put your info below if you would like more information about Advocare, the 24 Day Challenge and other nutrition supplements to help your and/or your loved ones get on a healthier path in life! ❤

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Organizing your Kitchen for Success!!

Failure to plan is planning to fail. -Frances Greenslade

Hi all!! I have been getting a lot of questions regarding “diet” and how to eat properly, especially since I became involved with Advocare. Granted, I’m no nutritionist or dietician, I just know what has worked for me. I often get asked what it is that can be done to stay on point with your diet. The most common statement is “I buy the food but then what?!”  Thats actually a very valid question. I know we have all seen the “My Clean Eating Kitchen” posts on Pinterest or Instagram. I know that we have ALL thought “My kitchen doesn’t look like that.” “My pantry is more like a linen closet than a walk in sanctuary.” Don’t get me wrong, I would KILL to have one of those fancy pantries with clear, glass jars, all symmetrical, filled with my organic cereals and wheat flour. But the truth is, I don’t! Not even close. I have an average pantry and an average fridge. Maybe even a smaller than average kitchen! So, I have composed some of my personal ways that I keep our kitchen organized for success. It has been completely doable and realistic. I guess… because I’m human! (are you as surprised as I am?!) haha

1. This is where I keep my “Hunger killers”. A little Tupperware container in my pantry and pile them in there. I keep a couple of these bags in my car or purse at all times. They are walnuts, almonds, pistachios, cherries and craisins. I buy the big bag at Costco and then portion it into baggies. One big bag makes about 40 snack sized bags (about a palm full). I do this on “Prep Night”

2. I buy the boil-a-bag rice instead of the normal brown rice because it takes 8 min as opposed to the 45 min the regular brown rice takes to cook. I also keep some Jasmine rice on hand. I just love it.

3. I always have a zip lock with a chocolate rice cake on hand. They really help with sweets cravings. I like to put some almond or peanut butter on it too. It’s like a Reeses!! Ladies – These have came in handy BIG TIME at least once a month, if you know what I mean! 😉

4. Granola. I just like it. I try to not eat a whole lot but I will throw a handful in a bag if I’m hungry and munch on it while i”m driving or cleaning. It keeps me full without being overwhelmed with calories.

5. I get 2 oz single portioned hummus and Veggie Chips at Costco. Easy. Yummy. Portable. Great to just throw in your lunch box and keep handy if you’re feeling munchy. If you want, you can even prep ACTUAL veggies like celery or carrots to eat with the hummus. I just have a hard time with raw veggies.

 

 

6. These are my homemade protein bars.

• 2 cups organic/natural peanut butter (JIF is the best!)
• 3 cups quick oats
• 1 1/4 cup honey or agave
• 2 1/4 cup protein powder (I use Advocare Chocolate of course! LOL)

Just mix it together, press into a 13×9 baking dish and refrigerate for about an hr or two. Cut up and store in a container. They usually last about 2 weeks. They are filling and meet all the nutrition requirements for breakfast or pre/post workout. I will grab a handful of fruit if I eat one as breakfast.

7. Fruit. Strawberries, blueberries and blackberries are my default. Throw some in a bag and take for lunch or grab some on the go for breakfast. I will eat a handful with my breakfast at home too. I just like keeping fresh fruit on hand. I also slice my strawberries before I eat them so I don’t have to bite them and get them in my teeth.

8. One of my personal favorite snacks is apples and peanut butter! Yumm-o! I buy the box of precut, portioned, organic apples at Costco. It just makes it easier on the go. The less I have to do during the day, the better! LOL And I get the Jif on the Go Natural Peanut Butter packs. Easy as 1-2-3!

 

9. This is an example of my lunches that I prep. 5 oz chicken with Mrs Dash salt free seasoning or lemon pepper, 1 cup broccoli (I buy frozen organic at Costco and then boil), and 1/4 cup brown rice. Sometimes, I will leave out the rice. I just depends on how I’m feeling. 🙂

 

 

10. There is also another lunch so I don’t get bored during the week. It’s a 5 oz turkey burger (I use 1 lb of ground turkey and mix in 1/2 cup quick oats, 1 egg, red pepper flakes, garlic and salt and pepper). Green beans. I also buy these frozen at costco and boil. And 1/4 cup brown rice. ***Please note: My tupperware does NOT match! My refrigerator is not a picture of perfection. It is, however FULL of everything I need to succeed.

**I prep the food as soon as I get home from the grocery store so that the meat isn’t frozen yet. I grill the burgers, bake or pan sautee the chicken (depends on how I’m feelin’!) and boil the green beans and broccoli and rice. Easy as that! 🙂

11. Last but not least, I keep all of my Advocare products on the counter! If you know me personally, you know that I don’t even like can openers on my counter! This is a big step for me. haha But the truth is, I like having them there, in my face, every day to remind me to stya on track. I even wash my shakers at night before bed and put it right there next to it so I’m ready. 🙂 Btw – if it seems like a lot, its mind and my husbands products… and lets  be honest, I love it so I have a lot! 😉

This list is just a few of the main things that I do to make sure our family stays on top of eating right. I also will prep my husbands foods. We eat the same foods, he just eats larger portions in lunch and at dinner. For example, I eat 5 oz of protein and he eats 6-8oz. depending on which protein we are having.

I hope this can help you at least start getting your kitchen in order. Plus – I’m always up to try new things too! If you have any questions about Advocare, the 24 Day Challenge or new tips for me as well, please contact me below! I love hearing from you!

Stay awesome! ❤

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