Blend it!

I'm very picky about smoothies, even when I make my own. It took a little time but I finally found my perfect combination. 

Recipe:

    EAS Fruit Smoothie protein powder (strawberry banana is my favorite!) from Target

     Frozen strawberries

     Vanilla almond milk

(Almond milk is $1.46 and my strawberries are $2.49 for Kroger brand.  I live on a tight budget, so I understand how hard it is to eat healthy; if you have a Kroger or Ruler Foods nearby, check them out!)

I make enough to fill me up for about three hours in my awesome new O*ster blender by combining 10-12 frozen strawberries with 2 cups of almond milk and 1 1/2 scoops of protein powder. 

Blend and enjoy!!!!! 

DETOX WATER TIME!!

So, I never thought I'd be one of those people who drank fruit-infused water because I'm pretty plain, and I've never had trouble drinking my water.  However, the more I do Yoga, the more I REALLY care about what I put into my body.  I was down to 0 more ways to reduce my bloating; I chalked it up to: "I've got IBS and slow digestion, which sucks, of course, but that's just my life."  Then I had a huge awakening during my practice one day and said, "No, I don't have settle here!" So, I started researching detox waters for a flat lower-belly, and I found this one from Blogilaties' Cassie Ho.

Now, she says to drink at least 8 oz. of this detox water for a week before a big event; however, I have been drinking about 16 oz. twice daily for the last 2 weeks and OMG! is my belly FLAT. I have never felt nor looked better!  I feel run-down, so I grab my infusion bottle (I keep it ready-made and cold in my fridge), drink it, and then I'm up for anything!  Laundry, dishes, riding bikes with my daughter, going for a walk, cleaning out the litter box (not my favorite task), whatever it is: BRING IT ON!  It's so awesome how great you feel after drinking some water that's got lemons, cucumbers, and oranges!  CHEAP, AWESOME, DETOXIFYING, EASY TO MAKE, DELICIOUS, ENERGIZING, APPETITE-CURBING, FLAT BELLY MAKING...need I say more!?  No diet pills or crazy detox diets here!  And Cassie suggests drinking water until you pee clear, which she isn't the first person I'm sure you've heard that from, but if you have a problem reaching this goal then DRINK THIS DETOX WATER and you'll be amazed the next time you go pee! ;-D

My recipe is slightly different, too, but that is because of my stomach problems--with a slow moving colon, my insides need a little extra boost.  And I get to feel skinny every day by drinking it at least every morning!!! Now, in my city, health food is kind of not a huge things, so finding mint leaves is hard--the one place in town that carries it is 20 minutes away and doesn't always have it in stock, but I actually don't get cramps (I know!  I'm as shocked as you about that!  I get cramps from everything!) , so I left the mint leaves out.  I bought my infusion water-bottle on eBay, but you can get one for $20 at Wal Mart and it's 100% worth it--CLEARLY, or I wouldn't be telling you, because I only tell you guys the truth!

IN ORDER:

1. 2 slices of lemon; 
2. 2 slices of cucmber; 
3. 1 slice of an orange; 
4. 1 more cucumber slice; 
5. and last 1 more lemon slice
6. let sit over-night in fridge and ENJOY in the morning
7. repeat as often as you like!!!!

*tum-tum-tummy!

Yoga Headstand

It's definitely not my best one, and my headstands are a work in progress (thus why Yoga is a practice), but I wanted to get a video up here because if I can do it, YOU CAN DO IT!

this is where I learned step-by-step how to build shoulder strength and get into a headstand @ Yoga With Adriene on YouTube
CHECK IT OUT!!!  She has a lot of great workouts you can check out, too!  TRY HER POWER YOGA...IT ROCKS!!!

Progress Takes Time!

I'm still working, but I've already come so far! It's nice to stop every once in awhile and take a look at how much you already have accomplished, not how much you think you still need to go.

How Yoga Has Changed My Mind, Body, and Life!

I know it's been awhile; I went on my workout hiatus, but I've been back in the game for months now thanks to Yoga.  This might be a little long, but for those of you wanting to either try something new, learn Yoga, already enjoy Yoga but think it's too hard, or are stuck in a rut, hang on and please keep reading.  I'm hoping this will be not only instructional but inspirational!

I always thought, "Yoga's too slow, I need something fast-passed," or "Yoga seems boring," or "Yoga isn't going to burn as many calories as HIIT training will."  So all my negative thoughts only led me as close to Yoga as Jillian Michael's Yoga Meltdown and Yoga Inferno and then Denise Austin's Yoga Body Burn.  These Yoga workouts are a little more fast passed and Jillian combines a little HIIT training, but none of them focus on what yoga is all about: proper form, breathing, and calming the mind.  (A calm mind leads to much less anxiety!)  Now, don't get me wrong, these are all good workouts and they are how I got more involved in a true, daily Yoga practice.  So I'm not saying not to try them, but maybe try reading some materials on Yoga and learning proper breathing a proper form so that you can complete these workouts with correct knowledge of each move.  

I am by NO MEANS an expert, so what I'm about to tell you about is things I've learned from reading Slim Calm Sexy Yoga and Yoga Cures by Tara Stiles (personal Yoga instructor to Deepak Chopra) and Yogalosophy (also the name of a GREAT Yoga DVD) by Mandy Ingber (personal Yoga instructor to Jennifer Aniston), as well as various other Yoga instructional books (all of which I've gotten from my local library...I eventually purchased Slim Calm Sexy Yoga because I LOVED it so much.)

Tara Stiles has various 10 minute videos on YouTube that are great for a quick routine--you can do several to make your own workout or if you only have 10 minutes, you can pick one and then there is your Yoga for the day!  Just 10-15 minutes a day and you're already on your way to daily Yoga practice!  Tara is full of information on proper form and ways to help you with everything from laziness to heart disease.  I do her 5 minutes A.M. Metabolism Kickstart before I even get out of bed every morning (you can find this exercise in her book) and then I do a 10 minute Deep Sleep routine every night before bed (there's my 15 minutes!)  

Yoga creates an awareness--it's what all the pro-Yogis talk about; it's an awareness about not only the muscles your working and the things your accomplishing inside and out, but it gives you an awareness of what types of food and when you put food into your mouth which makes you less likely to eat junk, drink soda, or even overeat.  Yoga helps you know (without even really thinking about it) what your body needs...not just what your mind thinks you want.

Both Mandy and Tara will teach you how to breath correctly and how to continue that breathing throughout your workout.  Now, Mandy adds some toning exercise reps and pulses into her DVD that will exhaust your muscles and give you energy at the same time (her sense of humor keeps things interesting, too).  Keeping your breath at a steady pace, using proper form, and keeping your gaze still in order to keep the mind still and focused are the 3 most important aspects to a great Yoga practice.

Now, to learn proper form, you probably want to run to the internet to look up videos of people doing "proper Yoga pose," but you should really READ about it instead.  Published Yoga instructors are the best way to get the right information; they've been through the proper training and most of them run professional studios in New York or L.A. and work with celebrities. (The celebrity part just means that for the price I'm sure they get paid, they must be good! Haha!)  I've read a variety of books that show and describe in detail how to do poses properly, and I trust them because they all say the same thing! :-)

I got the inspiration to write this because I was looking through Yoga videos online and I found several where people were really just harming their bodies instead of helping due to the lack of proper form.  (Now, some of those videos are right--many instructors post their stuff online to get their practice out there, but I'm going to help you spot the ways you should and shouldn't do certain moves.) 

I'm going to go through and explain some of the most popular and pretty much ALWAYS used positions in every Yoga workout I've tried in order to give you a good base starting point:

PLANK:

I learned a secret from Tara about how to hold a plank without feeling like my shoulders are going to give out.  Plank is all about the CORE, however, most people just get into a plank pose and use their arms for all the support. Jillian Michaels loves to do planks, and it really sucked when I found out that I've been doing it (somewhat) wrong for years!!  Try this:  From your hands and knees, raise up into a high plank/top of a push-up.  Don't lock your arms--that will put the tension in your shoulders and make your elbows face outwards.  Make sure your elbows are facing towards your toes with just the slightest bend.  Lift your hips and suck in your belly so that you're in a perfect line with your shoulders.  Think about lifting the back of your thighs to the ceiling, and bushing the back of your heels towards the wall.  Now...BREATHE STEADY and keep your focus slightly IN FRONT of you (not straight down).  Focus on your belly and thighs and breathing and you won't even notice that your arms are getting a workout, too.  It's become amazing how long I can hold a plank, now.

CHAIR:

Many think chair is just a squat, but it is NOT.  A squat is where you you stick your booty out and get down as low as you can go. You DO NOT want to stick out your butt while holding a chair pose.  It will only hurt your lower back and is bad for your spine.  Try this: Tuck your hips, suck in your belly, squat like your about to sit in a chair, raise your arms up by your ears and focus on a single spot up and in front of you.  Make sure your hips are tucked the whole time, don't let your booty float out, because then you loose the core workout that comes with a chair pose and end up with a sore lower back.

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(Stay tuned...more poses to come!!!)

Check out this Blog from a special Guest Blogger!

Tips for Entering the Music Business - For Vocalists and Musicians

Musicians have entertained others throughout nearly all of recorded human history. Bards and troubadours once traveled from town to town to play for anyone who would listen. In contemporary society, these entertainers contribute to the economy as recording artists, session players, and commercial musicians. Some instrument players and vocalists tour the world playing tunes like bards of yesteryear.

Since there are so many ways to pursue a musical career, artists often find it challenging to select a niche and begin attaining the necessary contacts to get gigs. However, this is a crucial first step; a musician must discover his or her own unique path to artistic expression.

Choose Your Field of Discipline

Initially, vocalists and musicians are set apart by their chosen spheres of specialization. For example, vocalists must learn different skills than guitar players. By choosing to specialize in a particular instrument and style of music, you can also start identifying the social contacts that will be crucial for getting gigs.

After you have attained proficiency and specialization in your chosen instrument, you are free to focus on building a unique voice. The best musicians have styles that match their personalities.
Additionally, your skills will need to be applied to a specific area of the music business. Do you want to help songwriter’s record demos? Do you want to be known as a recording artist? Are you comfortable with touring? These are the types of questions you need to ask yourself before building a portfolio.

Demonstrate Your Skills

Once you've identified your goals, it is important to demonstrate your skills to other musicians. For example, many free social networking sites allow you to upload pictures, a biography, and music samples. You should use these services as a type of press kit to present your skills to other musicians. Watch the classified ads in the local newspaper to identify like-minded tune smiths. You also may have success finding people to work with on online services like Craigslist.
For your pictures, it would be wise to present a combination of professionally filmed photos and live performance or studio shots. If you don't have great writing skills, look to friends to find help putting together a biography. You should provide recorded samples of your work as well as a live video. By including both formats, you will be letting potential colleagues know what you sound like on record and how well you can play live.

Stand Your Ground

Don't let detractors talk you out of your decision. Once you have chosen your niche in the music industry, the primary objective is to cultivate contacts and build name awareness. Both of these objective can be accomplished by promoting social media profiles online and by attending lots of local shows. Every contact helps when you are first starting your career.

Although the music industry has been undergoing a fairly serious market correction, the internet actually makes it very easy for a new musician to get his or her name out there to the public. The internet significantly improves the ease with which one can find colleagues in the music industry.

Author Bio

William Okoli, a music producer turned journalist, now spends his days helping others reach success through music. Not everyone can pack a stadium of ten thousand fans, but if you have a passion for music, you have a career ahead of you. Visit TheMusicPush.com to learn more.

LeVel Thrive 8 Week Experience!

Welcome to my website and the Thrive Experience! I was introduced to Thrive by a close friend and fell in love with it. I was so energized, that I wanted to do the laundry, vacuum and clean the house, play outside with my kids, and run all my errands. I felt the energy within less than an hour of taking the supplements (which you only have to take once a day, first thing in the morning! SO EASY!), and the 24-hour patch (my personal favorite product) is a constant release of everything you'd need for a successful weight loss program. 

Sure, this all sounds like another hoax, I'm sure, but i've tried tons of different diet fads, and this is the first stuff to make me actually feel like it's doing something. I haven't been on it long enough to see major results, but I already FEEL them, and that's the most important thing! I've never believed in a product enough to promote it, but I'm telling you that this could change your lives and the way you feel about yourself. 

The supplements are made for the separate needs of men and women--they even have couple packs! And if you sign up for auto-ship, you receive a discount on the products.  You can purchase the products in packs that come with all of your weight loss, healthy living needs!  If you want to try it out or have any questions, please contact me.  

I would never try to sell something I didn't believe in, but I'd been in a little bit of a workout hiatus--just doing Yoga and slacking on the cardio, but now I have the energy to do both!  And the product literally makes me feel like I have more time in the day. (Maybe it's just because I'm getting things done quicker!)

So go here or click the link above to check out the website.  Watch the videos, read about the products, and feel free to contact me (even though I may be a complete stranger, I love customer service and helping people, so I'm here for you!)   

e-mail me at kristinam0530@gmail.com and I will respond to all your e-mails ASAP