Pop of Blue Eyes with the Sigma Paris Palette

Who doesn't love a new look to try with your makeup with the seasons change? I love to try new things but get caught up in my day to day routine and end up in a bit of a makeup rut. I love trying colors that aren't common but if done right can be beautifully simple. Below is my version of a springy time look on my beautiful friend Denise.

Pop of Blue Eyes with the Sigma Paris Palette

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Love you all,

Jen

My Current Fitness Progress/Motivation

Fourteen months into my weightloss journey and I have less than 20 pounds until my goal weight. I can see the muscle start to gain definition in my shoulders, arms, stomach and thighs. It is a taste of success that I can't get enough of. 

I have felt so uncomfortable with my body for so long. I can't remember what if feels like to not worry about how you look in every setting. The stress, the voice in my head mocking everything I did has shut up. I can be such a jerk to myself. 

So much wasted time. Wasted energy. Wasted opportunities. I will NOT let my body hold me back any longer. I am strong. I am determined. I want to live. Every morning I want to seize the day like it is my last. Love my family with all my heart. And face the challenges each day holds head on. 

Current weight: 173

Goal weight: 155

I have 17 pounds left to my goal weight but I am beginning to realize the number doesn't matter. The woman in the mirror matters. I don't want to be skinny. I want to be strong, defined and healthy. Eight years to figure out what healthy is. How to feel normal and live a good life.

I'm not perfect. I still see a fat girl in the mirror on my bad days. I still wonder about my pouch and my jiggliness in social situations. I still give myself a hard time when I put something in my body I how isn't good for me. But as long as I'm mostly healthy I can make a few mistakes. 

I am human but I never knew what living was like. Now I feel like I can chase my dreams. It took my son to show me who I am and my husband to support me along the way. I am on lucky lady. 

Have a wonderful day,

Jennifer

Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew

Austin, Ethan and I have been sick for a week. Not too fun so with the changing weather we have here in Utah I needed to make something hearty but easy. My usual go to dinner is something I would order from takeout when I'm not feeling well but for our Sunday dinner yesterday I am trying to be better about cooking at home. It is healthier for my family and our wallet. Plus plus I would dare say.

I wanted to make something that I could throw in the slow cooker, had mostly clean ingredients, soothing for my aching throat and had lots of nutrition. I found this recipe from thenakedkitchen.com and gave it a try. There have been some beef stew recipes that I wasn't too happy with but this one I LOVED!!!

Who says you can't have stew in the springtime? It's still a little chilly in the evening and it's so good. I need food to help warm me up until it's 80 degrees outside. Until it's blasting hot outside I will still eat warm foods. Best thing is this stew is 2 cups for a serving and ONLY 210 calories. If you're watching your waistline this is a meal that will fill you up, leave you satisfied and won't make you feel guilty.

Slow Cooker Hearty Beef Stew

Enjoy friends,
Jennifer

Clean Eating Crock Pot Lasagna

Meal planning.

It is a big stress reliever and when I have that done it takes the guess work out of my day. Nutrition is a big part of what makes the time go smoothly for me. I focus on fueling my body. Eating every few hours- never go past 3-4 hours- and getting my water in have literally saved me. I don't know about anyone else but I am a beast when I'm hungry or low on blood sugar or haven't fueled my body properly. Then I eat like a big burly man. Haha Austin has seen me take down amounts of food he can't so it's best to keep up on my food.

One of the things I love is my crock pot. It helps calm things down around dinner time because I know there isn't much I need to do before we sit down to eat. Also when you're meal planning it's nice to have a day devoted to this wonderful appliance. Another thing I love is lasagna. So I found a clean eating recipe for this wonderful pasta dish. 

Clean Eating Crock Pot Lasagna

CoachChantelle uses ground beef but I switched mine out for ground turkey and it was delicious. It was wonderful. There are few things I will do differently next time I make it. I would do more noodle layers. There just was a lot of sauce and more noodles would have helped soak it up. I would also do more mozzarella cheese. 

That's it. These days everyone is busy and has a hectic schedule. This dish is so worth trying. All it takes is 10 minutes prep time and 4 hours later you will be enjoying a delicious meal. 

I love feedback so please comment below on what your favorite dish is or suggest something for me to try to modify to clean eating. 

Thanks for reading,

Jennifer