Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Silk'n Flash & Go Express from Influenster

I've been using Influenster for over a year now and I still am having a ton of fun sampling and reviewing the products that they send me. This time around, they sent me a silk'n Flash & Go Express which is valued at $300!! (yes for free!) 


The Flash & Go is a light-based, at-home, hair removal treatment for permanent results. It basically works by producing little flashes, but I honestly didn't feel a thing! 


The box says it can take up to 8 treatment cycles to see results, but after 4 I have already noticed my hair coming in more fine and starting to thin out. You can use it anywhere below your cheek bones, and it takes around 20 minutes to do your entire body. I am very much looking forward to a summer with no shaving or waxing! 

If you want to find more information about the Flash & Go or other Silk'n products you can visit their website at www.silkn.com . You can even use the promo code NOHAIR to save 10% off your purchase through January 31st, 2016. :) 

*I received this product for free to test and review but all opinions are 100% my own

Saturday, October 17, 2015

2 weeks of focus

Wow, it's been a long time! So much has happened since I last got my thoughts down that I'm not sure where to start! These last few months have flown by but now that life is settling down I figured it was time to step up the blogging again. Blogging has always helped me focus. Even though I don't really have "followers" or even strive to get any, the act itself is a great self reflection. The people that do read and comment also help hold me accountable, and it is always fun to look back on this entire journey and see how far I've come :) This is going to be a lifelong journey for me so I am really going to try to keep this up!

Since my last post we've became puppy parents, I have started a full time job, and I FINISHED MY FIRST HALF MARATHON!  I'm not sure why I didn't write about that... maybe because it still doesn't seem real, but I did it :)



After the 1/2 marathon I took a good break, and since then have struggled to get back to anything on a consistent basis. I've done a few rounds of beachbody workouts, a run here or there but have done a horrible job sticking to any meal plan. Life was pretty crazy and I needed a mental break, but now it's time to get going again and it's not proving easy. 

These next two weeks I'm going to focus on getting my mindset back. I'm not following a specific meal plan or counting anything, but I really want to ask myself what I'm putting in my body. If I can ask the question "Is this good for me?" , actually answer it, and THEN decide if I want it, I'll be moving in the right direction. Why these next two weeks? The hubby is out of town. I have free reign to stock my fridge with all the rabbit food I want :) 

Happy Saturday!
~Sarah 

Saturday, April 25, 2015

My first 10k!

I know it's been a while since I've checked in with my running goals, but I promise there will be a 1/2 marathon update soon! Last weekend I accomplished a huge running goal of mine by completing my first 10k! The day was just so amazing I need to make sure I get everything down before I forget :)

Leading up to the race
The last few days leading up to the race I was pretty nervous. I had just started the 21 day fix workouts and meal plan (which I love by the way) so I was pretty sore. Leg day ended up being skipped so I could feel fully recovered before my race.  One of my biggest concerns was that I  hadn't trained enough. To be honest, the first few weeks of half marathon training were going GREAT until I started my long term sub job. After that my workouts were sporadic at best, hence the lack of organized training posts. The weather also wasn't in my favor. The below freezing temps and FEET of snow meant the majority of my training runs were done on the treadmill. However, I was really feeling good when I did get around to my runs so that did give me some confidence. As the date got closer I started to make my race plans. I knew I could run at least 5 miles because I did that during one of my training runs, so I wasn't going to allow myself to walk until that point. I told myself if I needed a break at mile 5 to take it and not be disappointed that I didn't run the whole thing.

The day of 
I woke Micah up at 5:30 (with much difficulty) and we were on the road by 6am. I had my bags packed the night before so the only thing I had to focus on was grabbing my breakfast and getting my husband moving. My breakfast consisted of coffee, 1/2 banana, and Ezekiel toast with almond butter. Soon enough we were on the road towards Marquette, which was a little over 2 hours away.

We arrived at the Marquette YMCA where I picked up my shirt and race bib. I was SUPER stoked to find out that my race bib happened to be my birthday. Since I'm born on St. Patty's day that had to be a good luck sign right?! I got dressed and decided to throw on the event shirt on top of my planned outfit because at that time it was only around 34 degrees. The hubby and I walked around a bit while I made sure everything was exactly the way I wanted it.



It begins! 
It was still super cold when we lined up and I quickly was grateful for that extra layer. I hate running with gloves but the event shirt long enough to pull over my hands while we were waiting. Then we were off!

The first mile was great. I found my groove and finally started to warm up. Then I saw that mile two was on (muddy) grass. Holy crap was that hard!!!! I hadn't really done any grass running before and it was a struggle. I started to doubt weather I could make it to my 5 mile goal at that point.

At the end of the grass section Micah was actually waiting there for me to cheer me on! He set up GPS tracking on my phone before the race so he could follow my progress the whole time. The combination of seeing him + moving back to pavement gave me the willpower to keep pushing though. The next mile or so was just enjoyable (<--- did I really use that word?!). The sun was out and I was running along Lake Superior which was just gorgeous. I took this time for some prayer. I didn't realize how much was on my heart and the next few miles just flew by.

Before I knew it I was on the grass section again (it was an out and back course) and I snapped back into reality. I just hit the 5 mile point where I told myself I was allowed to walk, but I hated that grass SO MUCH! I convinced myself that I had to keep running to get out of it faster. Somehow that mental game worked because I made it out and was headed towards the finish!


I completed my first 10k and ran the whole time!!! I finished with a time of 1:23 which, considering my PR for the 5k is 40 minutes, I was quite happy with. **you don't have to be fast to run, you compete against yourself!




After celebrations! 
Right after the run I wasn't quite ready to eat yet, so I made Micah take me to PetSmart where we miraculously didn't purchase anything. Then we headed out to lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings where I had a Southwest grilled chicken wrap. It was a beautiful day so we ended up exploring around Marquette for a while. First we went waterfalling and found this beauty


I was still pretty good at this point so we went to another Marquette favorite and hiked up Sugarloaf mountain! The view was AMAZING but at this point my legs decided they were done :) It was totally worth it ! 




We ended this near perfect day with some Froyo and a very sleepy ride back home listening to Harry Potter on audio book!


Thank you everybody for all your encouragement and well wishes! Next race is my 1/2 marathon in Eagle River, WI! Eeek!!

Wednesday, April 1, 2015

Indoor Triathlon


When my student gym membership at Michigan Tech expired I went back and forth for quite a long time whether I should renew my membership there or go with the small town local gym 0.4 miles from my house. Even though the local gym was more expensive, I am SO glad that ended up being my choice! It really feels like home :-) Not only am I getting to know my neighbors, but I'm also getting lots of personalized tips and attention from the trainers, AND they do these awesome challenges to motivate us such as the Indoor Yooper Triathlon!



This challenge just wrapped up a few days ago and lasted for around a month. In the beginning we got to choose what level of  'Yooper' we were and then complete the required number of minutes required for running (treadmill), biking, and hiking (elliptical or stair-master). I chose the 'Super Yooper' category so I had to do 380 minutes of running, 360 biking, and 340 hiking. Since I finished my challenge I now get put into a drawing for a prize. Isn't that fun or what??

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

The #RefreshVoxbox from Influenster (<--- free stuff!)

I can't express how much I have LOVED the free boxes of stuff that I have gotten from Influenster! The most recent one (the RefreshVoxbox ) was the perfect pick me up in the dead of winter! Even better, this box contained many products that I had actually been wanting to try but wasn't sure about! Please enjoy my honest review of these complimentary products!


Skinnygirl Tasty Nutrition Bar: Banana oatmeal & dark chocolate
I honestly LOVED the flavor of this bar! The banana taste was quite strong but not overpowering, and the dark chocolate was divine. However I had hoped to use this post-workout because it had a great carb to protein ratio, but it made me feel queezy. My guess was that the sugar content was just a tad too high for a sensitive stomach. However, it sure was an amazing treat! 




Orgain: Vegan, Organic, Chocolate Protein Shake -  I was so impressed by this shake! I am all about the protein drinks but the thought of a vegan one just sounded plain nasty. However, it was great! The taste almost reminded me of muscle milk, but I actually get like it much better. The most impressive thing in my opinion was the ingredient list!


Orgain: Vegan, Organic, Vanilla Protein Shake - I also loved the taste of this one! It had a slightly funny texture, but it kept me full for about 3 hours

Beanitos Nacho Cheese Chips- Ok, I have to admit, I had been interested in trying these for a VERY long time but the husband turned his nose up every time I mentioned it. This was the perfect opportunity because he can't say no to anything free! They were very good! I just loved the flavor and the non-greasy texture. However, I didn't like how there was more than a serving size in a bag because I was NOT going to be leaving the rest for later! Also, since they were made out of beans they had a decent amount of protein! 




COVERGIRL UltraSmooth Foundation - I'd like to start by saying that I am not a make-up person in the least. I had never tried a cream foundation before and I'm honestly not quite sure about the product because I don't have anything to compare it to. It had a pink plastic applicator that I ditched very quickly when trying to apply the make up. It just worked so much better using my fingers that I was totally ok having to wash my hands afterwards. It blended into my skin very well and did give me a smoother look, but my face... felt funny? Maybe that is normal but I'm not sure. I kept wanting to touch it lol. Either way, I like the way this looked on me, but I probably wouldn't buy again. 




L'Occitane Shea Butter Light Comforting Cream - I was actually a huge fan of this cream!! Usually I have a dry forehead but an oily nose (tmi?) but this cream seemed to really help without making the other problem worse. The scent was pleasant as well :) 




Listerine PocketPaks - who doesn't love pocketpaks?! I've been a fan of these for quite some time! Perfect for morning coffee breath but my latest use for them has been to knock out those snack cravings! 




Montagne Jeunesse Black Seaweed Peel-off Mask - This is another product that I enjoyed much more than I thought I would! Even though I looked silly during the process,  I felt pampered and my face felt great after using this mask. At first I thought there wouldn't be enough to cover my whole face but if you spread it thin a little does go a long way. I was also really impressed how it peeled off in one piece! I was worried that I would have to spend a long time making sure I got all of it off but it really was a quick and simple process. 





DenTek Fun Flossers - These flossers were designed for kids but I found that I liked them better then the adult version. They were smaller so it was easier to get to the hard to reach places. 




DenTek Comfort Clean Floss Pics - The adult version of the fun flossers. I did like how they had a floss and tooth pick in one device, but I couldn't help but wonder how much plastic waste they caused ? They were convenient but I think I will stick to my normal floss in the future. 




P.S. If you are interested in joining Influenster yourself here is my sign-up link! Connect with facebook and I get extra 'points' on my profile! There are truly no strings attached with the free products, except that if you don't do the 'tasks' they probably won't be sending you a lot :)

Have a blessed day!

**I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes, but all opinions are my own. 

Friday, February 27, 2015

Half marathon training week 3!

Oh goodness I am waaaay behind on getting this up! I have also fallen slightly behind in my training, but I'm not stressing too much over it. It's this darn cold! I'm really hoping the temps will stabilize above zero soon so I can attempt these long runs outside. This third week of training was particularly difficult because the long run was actually long!

Another exciting thing is that I found a 10K to run on the exact day my training plan wants me to do one! It was at this race last year where I PRed my 5K time. It was a beautiful flat course along lake superior so I'm totally excited to get back there again!

Week 3

Day 1: Cross training - 40 minutes on the stationary bike

Day 2: Easy run
-Run, easy pace, 35 minutes
-Cool down, 5-10 minutes
-stretch

Day 3: Cross training - Mid-week body blast class!

Day 4:  Intervals - Ended up doing my runs at 6.0 mph (fast for me!) then walking for my recovery
-Warm up, 10 minutes
- Run, threshold pace, 2 minutes, recovery run, 1 minute. Repeat 5 times.
-Cool down, 5-10 minutes
-stretch

Day 5: Rest day

Day 6: Cross training - My beloved elliptical while watching Grey's Anatomy <3

Day 7: Long run - This left me WIPED! It really felt like a huge jump in the training plan but I guess I'm used to the C25K. I can say that I felt SOOOO accomplished when I finished it though!
- Walk, brisk pace, 10 minutes
- Run, easy pace, 30 minutes
- Walk, brisk pace, 5 minutes
- Run, easy pace, 30 minutes
- Walk, brisk pace, 10 minutes
-Cool down, 5-10 minutes
-stretch

In other news, this book is great! If you're looking for a good laugh I'd highly suggest it :)



Have a great weekend!
~Sarah

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Half marathon training week 2!

Hi friends!

Thank you all so much for your encouragement with my week 1 post! Week 2 also went well, but I'm starting to realize how difficult this is going to become when I start my long term sub position at the end of this month. I simply have NO motivation to workout after I get home from school. The question is will I hate working out after school or early in the morning more. Time will tell!

The 2nd week:

Day 1: Cross training - 40 minutes! I did about 30 minutes on the elliptical and then some lifting. 

Day 2: Easy run + body weight exercises 
-Run, easy pace, 30 minutes 
- Cool down, 5-10 minutes
- Stretch 
- Squats, push-ups, lunges, plank

Day 3: Cross training - I tried out a total body fitness class. By far one the the more difficult classes that I've taken! 

Day 4: Easy run - I was SORE from the day before and wasn't sure if this run would happen. Thankfully I only had to run for 20 minutes so I busted it out and went home for a long Epsom salt bath with essential oils! 
- walk, brisk pace, 10 minutes
- run, easy pace, 20 minutes 
- cool down 5-10 minutes
- stretch 

Day 5: Choice between yoga or rest day. I chose rest day! (I still can't seem to get into yoga) 

Day 6:  Choice between swimming, pilates, or aerobics - I chose to try a cardio drumming class. I was NOT a fan!! As a former drummer in marching band I almost had to leave because everybody was so off beat and it was driving me nuts! I won't be going back to that one! 

Day 7:  Long run
- walk, brisk pace, 15 minutes
- run, easy pace, 30 minutes
- cool down, 5-10 minutes
- stretch


Because everyone loves a pinterest motivational image right ? :-) This one really stood out to me today. I am getting STRONGER! Can't wait to see what the next few months have to bring!