Are you washing your hair wrong?

I have been doing hair for over 3 years now if you count cosmetology school. I am SO surprised by how many people don't know this… Every time I bring it up to someone that is in my chair they are shocked that they had never known this before..

Did you know that you are only supposed to shampoo your roots and condition your ends?! YEP. The general rule is that you should shampoo from the ears UP and condition from the ears DOWN… crazy right?! Why is that??

Your scalp produces natural oils.. so there is no need to be giving it extra moisture. That will just make your hair more oily. Your ends are what needs the moisture. That is what gets the heat from your blow dryer, flat iron, curling iron.. and even if you don't use those tools on your hair, your ends are always lacking moisture. That is what needs the conditioner. Your ends do not need shampoo.. why?? Shampoo is going to dry those ends out and strip them of any moisture that might be left there..

Just a tip for anyone who has been struggling with hair problems!! I have found that MANY people do not know this.. and trust me, it will make a HUGE difference in your hair! Also- you don't need anymore than a quarter size amount of shampoo.. and conditioner varies depending on hair length and thickness.. but you don't need to overdo it! Hair products go a long way.. if you find that your hair is still dry, try using a leave in condition after you wash your hair. I ALWAYS use a leave in.

Hope this helped <3

Feel free to share, like, or comment if this helped you or if you have questions.. I would be more than happy to answer them!

I QUIT! … my j.o.b. !

…..my job!!!!

I can't believe that I actually did it. I honestly wasn't sure if the day would ever come that I would actually be able to leave my job and be OK with it. This is something that I have been wanting to do but lets face it- These days its hard to keep up with bills, mortgage, groceries, and FUN expenses!! And then there is the flip side to that.. daycare costs and arm and a leg!

Ever since Chloe was born we had nannies/babysitters coming and going. I had to change the hours that I worked to fit their schedule. And it worked ok for us.. but it wasn't ideal. I didn't want to worry about working.. I wanted to worry about being the best mom I could be.

I am EXTREMELY excited to be able to stay home with Chloe and my future babies. Watch them grow and learn. And BE THERE for them when they need me. I will admit it.. being a S.A.H.M. is NOT an easy job. It is very very hard. There are days that I think I might lose my mind. lol… but in the end its all worth it. Those moments that melt your heart make EVERYTHING worth it. When i get home from a long day at work and Chloe runs up to me and says "Mommy I miss you." … how am I supposed to keep myself together..!? How can this little girl even SAY those words? <3 melts my heart.. I mean, LOOK at that picture. How could you not want to be with that little bundle of spunkiness all day?!

Another thing that has tossed around in my mind before is what if we have another child? HOW are we going to afford a nanny to come to our house and watch 2 kids? We would have to pay double.. which would turn out to be at least 1/2 my paycheck.. no it would be more than 1/2!! To me, that is not worth it. Its not worth being gone all day long and knowing that 5 hours of that day at work was solely going towards the person who is watching my kids.. I can't justify that. For some people, that is ok with them. But I just can't let myself be away from Chloe for that long and know that I am working in order to pay someone to watch her. It makes not a bit of sense to me.

Now I get to stay at home with Chloe and our future kids and watch them grow up!! WOW.. I never ever imagined that this would be my life!! I just had a slap in the face moment… About 3 years ago I would have NEVER imagined myself even being a mom. Once I was a mom I never thought I would actually be able to be a stay at home mom!!.. being young parents and all :)  And now look!!! Here I am, quitting my job!! Feels fantastic. <3

Picture yourself.. 5 years, 10 years from now.. where are you? WHO are you?? Are you happy?? … If you are unsure of these things make a change for yourself. You are the only one in control. Grab the steering wheel and take your life where you want to go! No exceptions. Never settle. You my darling, are worth it! Design your life.

xoxo,

Briana

Because of her I will not fall

I'm taking a HUGE leap of faith here.. Tomorrow is my last day of work!

We have known ever since Chloe was blessed into our lives that I was not meant to be a working mom. I couldn't send my daughter off every morning to be raised by a stranger.. But we did need that extra income. So I was working part time knowing that this wasn't going to work for us forever.

On May 19, 2014 I was offered the coaching opportunity. I didn't know what I was in for.. and I definitely did know that it was going to have such a huge, positive impact on my life and those around me. I am happy to say that I am now a Full time stay at home mom. I can not thank everyone who has helped me get to this point enough!! I want to send a special thank you to Kelsey Dray. If she wouldn't have offered me this opportunity I would still be extremely unhappy with myself.

Here is the deal.. I am now a FULL TIME stay at home mom AND coach!! There couldn't be a better time for YOU to join this journey with me. I am going to be building a team of Doers, entrepreneurs, motivators, and DREAMERS. I have every intention of helping my team build an empire of their own. To be your own boss!

Do you want to work from home,
stay home to watch your children grow and learn,
and make an income doing so?

If not now, then when?? I took a leap of faith back in May and it is the best thing I could have done for myself and my family.

Apply at the link below and message me to know that you are up for success!

https://brianacitrowske.wufoo.com/forms/zt9v0ou17a3r8x/

60 day PROGRESS pictures

Last sunday I reached day 60 with Body Beast!! Can you believe it?! I have never made it to day 60 with a program before.. not even going to lie! Insanity I gave up 2 weeks before I was supposed to be done.. now with the accountability of my challenge group and coaches absolutely nothing can stand in my way!

Starting out this journey I was super skeptical because I am not a huge "lifter". I am a cardio girl!! I like my HIIT and my cardio workouts.. so this was stepping a lil out of my comfort zone :/ BUT I knew that I needed to rev it up a bit and take it a step further. I wanted to tone up and try something new but still be challenging myself. So I chose to try the program Body Beast.. I have a trip to Mexico coming up in december and I need to look like a BOMBSHELL on that Beach :D

My first 30 days were awesome! I saw results even with a vacation in there. YES- I brought my workouts on vacation with me and did them on my laptop in the weight room! Not a single care in the world!! hahaha BUT I did cheat meals big time!! Dark chocolate, couple bites of a donut, toddler snacks, ice cream… more ice cream- you name it, i ate it. Frozen yogurt a couple times.. ya, bad!!! haha So I was nervous to post my 30 day pictures.. Day 30 was only about 6 days after we got back from our trip, and I could tell a difference for sure!! So this definitely gave me some momentum.

Not only could I TELL a difference, I could feel a difference! I could tell that my body was tightening up I guess you could say! My booty was tighter and LIFTED :D My arms are getting some serious definition. OK, I got this.. I CAN DO THIS!!! So here I go into the next 30 day segment….

After I saw those 30 day pics I KNEW that this program was doing its job. I mean I had cheated more in those 30 days then I probably have in many months.. and I could still see that it was working. SO I decided to take it up a notch and this time around watch my eating a little better :) I portioned out my meals a little better and watched what foods I was eating. Don't get me wrong- I had a cheat meal here and there but I tried to keep them to a minimum… we all know how that goes sometimes though :/ BUT I did ok. So my next 30 day progress pics I am VERY happy with >>

Needless to say this program has proven itself to me for sure. I still have 30 days to go and plan to make them count!!! Stay tuned for those pics! PS Showing you all these pics gives me SO much accountability!! I mean.. you know they are coming so what am I going to do?? Go eat half a cake and then take my pics.. probably not! lol

Feel free to follow me on my blog or on Facebook for motivation and support through your own fitness journey! Also feel comfortable reaching out to me! I promise I will get back to you. :)

Chicken Picatta- the healthy way!

I spend my Sunday's searching Pinterest for new recipes to try or to change and convert into healthier versions. I found a couple yesterday so I plan on making a few this week! I have a breakfast one coming that I think is going to be really good.. if you like oatmeal you will love this one! But I decided to start out my Meal prep Monday with some Chicken Picatta! I have had Chicken Picatta before a few years ago.. yeah I don't like to cook a whole lot- especially when it requires a lot of work. Hey- I've got a 2 year old. Aint no momma got time for that!

The regular version of Chicken Picatta that I have had in the past requires Butter and flour. I am not a fan of either! No thanks.. I'll switch this up and make it healthier! And I have found this… When I started to REALLY eat healthier and cleaner, my body noticed! I feel better about myself and I can tell when I feed myself junk because I just don't feel all that great afterwards.. Food tastes better when its not filled with a bunch of junk too!























If you start to eat better, I promise you will start to not only look better but FEEL better about yourself. Don't get me wrong.. having a cheat meal and a treat is totally fine! But figuring out a way to make healthy meals for yourself and your family can actually be fun!!!

I actually went out to dinner tonight! BUT I made a commitment to posting a new recipe for you guys every Monday. And so I shall keep my promise! Plus I have a few I want to do this week so I better get on it ;) This recipe actually took me no longer than 30 minutes to make either.. I was really impressed. And Chloe was happy and content during the process which made things 100x easier for me!!! So I made this tonight before we left to go out to dinner and I will just eat it tomorrow night. I did take a bite though of course! It was VERY good… not even going to lie- I was worried it might not have much flavor since it doesn't have all the flour and butter and what not. But it was VERY flavorful.. yum yum!!

Ok enough jibber jabber- here is the recipe!!























Here is what you are going to need--

2- 8oz. boneless chicken breast
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 lemon, sliced
1 tbsp. capers
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
2 tbsp. olive oil

Directions-

Place Chicken breast between 2 pieces of plastic wrap. using a meat mallet, or I'm my case the bottom of a glass :P, pound the chicken until it is about 1/4 inch thick.

Heat olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chicken breast and cook through until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove Chicken.



Add the minced garlic and cook until lightly browned- about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add the lemon slices and capers. Reduce the heat to low and cover for about 4-5 minutes or until the lemon slices are softened. The sauce will thicken! See pics ;)


Return the chicken to the skillet and heat through.

To serve, top the chicken with the caper mixture and enjoy!




Feel free to follow me on my blog and on Facebook for more motivation, fitness tips, and recipes!!

Potty Training Fun!

We are going on about 4 weeks of potty training with Chloe now! So far she has been doing really well.. she has days where she is not so interested in using the potty and other days she will go #2 without even telling us.. she will just go do her business by herself. Those days are the best of course :D

She just turned 2 and we started training right before her 2nd birthday.. So I am not really pushing it on her at all. I know she can do it but for now I am just letting her go at her own pace because she is doing really well with it. 

I wanted to give all the parents out there MY tips so far on potty training and how I knew she was ready to start using the potty. NO.. I am not an expert by ANY means.. This is my first child, I am a young mom, and I didn't potty train my child fully in 3 days! But what we are doing so far is working well for us so I thought I would share!

Months before we actually started GOING potty, we had bought a potty and had it sitting in the bathroom for her. When I go to the bathroom, she would sit on it too and "pretend" to go potty. I think that really helped her get an idea of what I was doing and that she should eventually start using hers as well. Close to her 2nd birthday she started feeling uncomfortable after she would "go" in her diaper. She would bring me a diaper and a wipe and lay down on the floor and wait to be changed! To me, this was a huge sign that she was ready to start using the potty chair..

We had a trip to Lake Tahoe right before her 2nd birthday so I knew that I did not want to introduce it to much before then. But the week after we got back I decided to give it a shot and see how it goes! The first day she went! She had a few accidents but when I would ask her to go, she would go!

I let her run around the house in just a top! Butt naked!! haha.. The feeling of having something on her butt confused her I think.. because if she had pants on she would just go to the bathroom in them. If she was butt naked, she would run to the bathroom or tell me that she had to go! 

We used "potty treats". I would explain to her that IF she went to the bathroom on the potty, she would get a treat. NOW … This tactic was successful BUT it caused a slight issue.. she started to FORCE herself to go to the bathroom even if it was just a drip in order to get a treat! So as a parent, what do you do at that point?! Yes they technically "went" so I would give her a treat.. eventually she stopped that and only asks for potty treats once in a while now. Otherwise now it is more of the "Good Job Chloe!" that she looks for! Make sure that you make it exciting and recognize them when they go. Potty treats worked well for us but they may not work for everyone.. We are lucky that she grew out of them herself and doesn't RELY on them now. 

We have bravely taken her out in public in her underwear a few times! Both resulted in wet pants! lol Both times she was crying when she went potty. I think when she gets upset she can't control it as well. Other than that she did very well and she uses the "big potty" out in public too. But once she has to go.. its right now!! Even if we are in the car :/ 

I think for us, it was just making that decision to start and TRY it. I had a feeling that she was ready but was nervous about starting it and what I was doing. Its a trial and error kind of thing. Find out what works for you and what doesn't. We had tried the potty just for fun months before this also and she did use it. But when it came to going poop it scared her and she wanted nothing to do with it after that. Thats why this time around I am not pushing it on her. She will decide to go on her own time. And she KNOWS she is supposed to go on the potty chair.. just depends how stubborn she is feeling that day ;) She will sneak around the counter and go poop in her underwear sometimes! 

Literally just writing this blog post and Chloe took a pee on the floor! Duty calls :P

I am THANKFUL for my crazy life.

Today was our first adventure to MOPS. We have been meaning to go for a long time now and just haven't made it there.. you know, excuses.. I work tuesday nights so I use that as my excuse not to get out of the house in the AM. Lame, I know. BUT this morning we actually got out the door in time and weren't late! That doesn't happen very often in this household..

 (The picture is our shocked faces that we are actually making it on time. I thought we were going to be late for sure.)

Chloe was really excited about it. I told her we were going to see her friends from "school" so she kind of had an idea of what was happening. I didn't know that in MOPS you actually leave the kids in the "child watch" the whole 2 hours so I was a little nervous about how she was going to do with that.. but she actually did very good! I showed her some of the kids she goes to "school" with and she felt more comfortable seeing more familiar faces.

PS- I put "school" in quotation marks because it isn't actually school that we go to. It is called ECFE. Its an early child education class ;)

If you don't know already.. October is Infant Loss awareness month. We had a few speakers at MOPS this morning-- moms who had personally lost their babies either before birth or shortly after. I guess for me this was really heart wrenching because I have never heard someones personal story about something so tragic happening to them.. I mean, I know that it happens… but listening to their stories and realizing that these people are normal, their lives were perfect, they live in this little town in SW MN, and this happened to them is scary. Made me really realize that NOTHING in life is guaranteed. Just because your life is fine and "normal" (not that anyones life is normal haha) doesn't mean that something tragic can't happen at any given moment.

When we finished that meeting I hauled my butt up to the nursery to pick up my daughter. I hugged her and kissed her over and over and told her how much I loved her and missed her. She can honestly drive me absolutely nuts somedays.. like pull my hair out crazy. She is a 2 year old! In to everything and very demanding! Very independent :) She has such a spunky attitude. I want to start focusing on what I am thankful for though instead of looking at some things as a burden. And I am THANKFUL for those days that I am about to pull my hair out and lose my mind.. because it means that I have a beautiful daughter who is HERE to drive me crazy.

From here on out.. I am seriously going to try to stop and think before I start letting negative thoughts enter my mind.. when Chloe is super crabby or being a stinker about going to bed I am going to stop and thank God that I have her here to put me through this. I am going to be thankful that I have the opportunity to go through each and every phase of Chloe's life with her.


I got home from work tonight at 9pm.. walked into her bedroom to give her a kiss and watch her sleep because I missed her. She opened her eyes and lit up when she saw me. She started telling me all about her day and how she got to go see animals and cats and puppies! Nothing makes a mom more comfortable knowing that your baby is having fun when you are at work and that they are ok with the person they are with! After a day of work all I want to do is just hop in bed with her and sleep with her. You know what I mean? As crazy as that sounds.. I just want to snuggle with her! She is growing up so fast and I don't get very many snuggle moments now days. Maybe I will have to sneak her into my bed some night to sleep ;)

Feel free to reach out to me! I post on Facebook if you would like to chat that way or you can message me through my blog! Either way--promise I will get back to you!

Its late and my mind is lost...

I am sitting in my bed thinking about all the things I have to do and how to better manage my time .. because right now I keep scrolling through my newsfeed and THAT is not good time management.. especially at 10:30 pm..

Here is whats on my mind.. maybe writing it out for all to see and "talking out loud" to you will help my mind settle!

1)ooooo you guys I am so so excited to post my recipe tomorrow! You are going to <3 it! It was A-mazing.

2) Chloe and I are going to our first MOPS tomorrow! We are super excited! She loves getting together with kids and out of the house.. as do I :)

3) I need to figure out a way to get my butt out of bed in the AM and be more productive. I tend to just stay up late. BUT I would rather hit the hay earlier and rise earlier.. starting my day off early and NOT In a rush is fantastic. But I struggle in this area.

4) My house is a total and complete disaster right now.. I am looking over to my left and there has to be 4-5 baskets of unfolded laundry next to the bed. If you tried to walk through my house right now you would have about a 75% chance of either breaking a toe or falling on your face due to tripping on a alphabet letter from our fridge, shoes, Chloe's Rody, or clothing articles that were left laying out because this momma is just plain DONE for the night.

5) Maybe I should hire someone to come organize my house.. I am just NOT skilled in this area. Maybe we should throw out some stuff.. hmmm. yep, we should throw out some stuff. Definitely. I wonder how much it would cost to hire a maid. Eventually I might seriously consider this..

I suppose I should get back on track and focused… now that my thoughts are all laid out in the open ;)

Citrus Chicken Quinoa

Happy Meal prep Monday! I am bringing you my newest recipe. I try to bring you guys at least ONE new recipe a week… hopefully I will be able to fit in more one day. But I love trying new things! Mix it up a bit ;) Even some foods that don't LOOK the most appealing- but its like DANG, that is pretty good actually!

We had a pretty fun packed weekend! It was relaxing but eventful all at the same time.. We went to the orchard on saturday for pony rides!! hmm maybe I will blog about that later this week! Chloe absolutely loves the ponies! At least this time around she didn't throw a COMPLETE fit when we had to leave :/ last time we cried all.the.way.home. It was a blast ;) Anywayss.. we did that and then went out to eat on sunday for Neil's grandparents 60th Anniversary! 

Seems like no matter what we do on the weekends it ends up being jam packed and busy. I always want to find that PERFECT new recipe. I searched and searched and came up with this one.. Its the perfect twist of citrus and protein. I love chicken and fruit! I also love QUINOA! If you haven't tried it before.. its a must! A much healthier alternative to plain rice or other carbs. 

I need to start organizing my day a little better.. because today I just about ran out of time! I had a call with a potential coach and then before I knew it, it was 5:30! I still had to workout and make dinner.. I JUST ABOUT excused my workout! But then I decided to squeeze in my T25 before I started cooking. Actually I started cooking.. threw some garlic in the oven and started cooking the quinoa, THEN pressed play! Some serious Multi tasking going on! You do what you've got to do right!? Thank goodness for my mom who came over for the evening and took Chloe outside for some fun! 

This recipe was excellent.. Chloe even approved! She loved it actually! This little girl loves Quinoa. I started her out young ;) When she was younger (about one) she totally refused ANY source of protein.. well not any. But any meat!! No chicken, beef, tuna, turkey.. nothing. I tried to get her sources of protein other ways but she would literally pick out the noodles in her spaghetti or hot dish and eat AROUND the meat. Thats my stubborn daughter for you :) haha But anyways.. she really did like the meal. And I think it is a great choice for young kids as well as adults! If you were going to make this STRICTLY just for your kids.. I would maybe leave out the cilantro. At least Chloe wasn't a huge fan of that part.. other than that she loved it!

Here is what you need:

1 1/2 cups COOKED Quinoa

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 lb. skinless boneless chicken breast, chopped into 1 inch pieces

2 cloves of roasted garlic, chopped

1/2 tsp. smoked paprika

1/2 tsp. salt

2 large oranges, peeled and segmented

1 ripe avocado, peeled and cubed 

Dressing

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro (packed)

1 Tbsp. fresh orange juice

1 Tbsp. Olive oil

1 Tbsp. Honey

Directions: 

Roast the Garlic in the oven.. follow these directions for the garlic:

Take 1 garlic and cut the top off. Put in a baking dish and drizzle with olive oil. Turn your oven on 375 and bake for 40 minutes. 

Cook Quinoa according to the directions on the package. - About 15-20 minutes!

Pour olive oil in a medium sauce pan and add chicken and chopped roasted garlic. Add salt and smoked paprika. Fry until chicken is cooked through. 

When the Quinoa is done and chicken, combine them in a bowl. Add oranges, cilantro, and avocado. Drizzle the dressing over the top of the salad and enjoy!!


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Finding your identity as a young mom.

Chloe was born on Oct. 2, 2012. The best day of my life. I never knew my heart could love someone so much. <3 I had waited and waited for her to come and she was HERE! I could finally hold her in my arms and just stare into her beautiful big blue eyes. 

I got pregnant with Chloe when I was 19. I was in beauty school and living in St. Cloud MN by MYSELF. I was terrified, shocked, nervous, and any other emotion that you can come up with. How was I going to have a baby when I am in school right now? Neil and I had our lives mapped out of what we wanted it to look like. We didn't know where we wanted to be living after school or anything. And here I we were having a baby. That takes life to a whole new playing field. No more fun and games.. its all business from here. 

Everything worked out good for us. Neil got a good job back in our home town. So we moved home and rented an apartment. We were doing good for being such young parents! And I am 100% blessed and grateful that it went as smooth as it did because going in there were A LOT of what ifs and questions that had no answer. Where were going to live, work, etc..

Becoming a mom at such a young age definitely changed me for the BETTER. It made me a stronger person. I had to grow up FAST.. something that I had never planned for myself. I went from being a college student who was SUPPOSED to be out partying to staying home with a newborn baby while my boyfriend worked on the road during the week. I was home alone for 4 days straight. 

Although becoming a mom has without a doubt made me a better person and I absolutely LOVE being a mom. I think its the best job in the world and I wouldn't trade it for anything.. but I'm not going to deny that it was difficult because we were not prepared. There was a period where I felt like I was just lost.. like who AM I?? I am a mom.. but what besides that? Because all I do is stay at home and wait on other people. I don't have hobbies. I work VERY part time. My friends are still going to school.. if they are finished with school they don't have the responsibilities that I do. They are still living life day to day without a care in the world.. and here I am worrying about medical bills and what I was going to make for dinner tomorrow night. 

For a while there I was REALLY struggling to figure out who I was. What is my purpose BESIDES being a mom? Not even a purpose but just trying to figure out WHO I really was. When you have a child at such a young age I think it is hard because we still haven't figured out who we are as a person.. and now you are trying to raise a child. Trying to fit in with the "moms group" yet still trying to keep in contact with your friends who are doing their own thing still. Its like a tuggawar sometimes. Trying to find that happy balance. And that is in all aspects of life.. whether you are a young mom or not. 

I tried doing daycare and that was SO not my thing.. I couldn't handle that at all. Then I REALLY started to feel lost. I felt like that was the last and final straw. I threw my hands up and said thats it!!! I am giving up.. nothing is right for me. I don't feel like I have a purpose in this life. I wanted to know who I was! Thank goodness this opportunity came across at the perfect time in my life. And someday I will take the stage and thank my coach Kelsey for signing me up.. and of course all the other girls who are here with me now because THIS is what I was meant to do. When I was offered this opportunity I just had that GUT feeling. You know what I mean? Like I just HAVE to do this… I don't know what I am doing. I know no details. But I just have to do it.. I could feel it!! 

You young moms out there.. excuse me. ALL you moms out there, THAT is what you need to try to find. And you will find it! Find something that separates you and makes you special! What makes you unique?! How can you change the lives of others and stand out from the rest of the crowd? Let me tell you.. I was in a DARK place about 6 months ago. I look back at my twitter and see the things I was tweeting.. I was depressed. But I finally found it! I found myself. I know who I am!!!! Can you believe that? I KNOW WHO I AM! It feels SO good to be able to say that. 

Of course our babies are our #1 priorities and our LIVES! I love Chloe to the end of the world and am so so grateful that she is in my life. But we also need to have something that is just ours! A way to identify yourself. After all.. if mommas happy everyone is happy ;)

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Anyone can have a transformation story.

Last Monday I decided to take my meal plan to the next level. I want to get the most out of my workouts and by doing that I need to crack down on my portions and clean eating. Not always a fun thing… I am a Cherry Berry ADDICT for those of you who are unaware. Now you are ;) I could eat that everyday if I allowed myself to. And these past few weeks/month I have been giving myself a lil to much leeway. You know.. you get stuck in that mind set and start making pity excuses for yourself! And the whole, "This will be my last time" excuse, has been used one to many times recently.

As a mom to a toddler- I know that it is way to DANG EASY to let excuses get in your way. Chloe is extremely active and requires a lot of one on one.. which is totally fine and normal! And I love her to death.. but some days she can drive me crazy too ;) We are going through potty training right now. So things are interesting around the Citrowske residence.. one day we are going potty like champs and the next we are pooping our pants… and peeing our pants in public! (see pic! We brought an extra pair of pants.. I now carry a pair with me everywhere!)

Last Saturday we went to the parade. Here I am thinking I am strong enough to go in without caving. WELL.. I had a few pieces of candy. And that darn candy is just haunting me.. we have candy from TWO parades before this still sitting around the house.. now this one. Lovely :) So if anyone needs candy let me know! Id be happy to hand some off.! HA!

I remember when I used to go to the gym and literally had NO idea where to start or how to use those machines. And I felt so akward!! I mean there are these guys lifting HUGE weights.. and here I go to pick up the 10 lb. weights. What am I going to do with them? Bicep curls?? Idk… I had no a clue what I was doing! And then here I go dragging out those yoga mats and try to find a place in this gym to do abs.. somewhere in the corner where I could have a chance at blending in! I went on doing this for awhile with little to NO results. Hit my plateau and that was it. No more progress. I guess I am just not meant to be fit… NOT.

I KNOW eating healthy, working out, and building a healthy lifestyle is not easy for everyone.. and it can be quite scary getting started. Trust me- I was there once too. I was unhappy with my body, unconfident. I hated what I saw in the mirror… I would binge eat, not eat enough, and then repeat. It was a CONSTANT battle that I was having with myself. I think back and it makes me just want to cry… What kind of life is that?! Living each day worrying about how you look and feel? Not feeling OK with yourself? I am still here. I am still pursuing my goals! Even if I fall off the bus here and there.. thats part of life. We are humans! Its all part of a journey. And I have truly learned to love this journey! Eating healthy and getting my workouts in makes me feel strong, confident, and determined.

























Every time I hear someone tell me how happy they are feeling and PROUD of themselves and what they are accomplishing, it puts a little extra fire under MY butt to help more people and better myself even more!! Its a never ending cycle of helping others love and gain confidence with themselves. You give me accountability, Ill give you mine. Have a new awesome recipe? Share it! Thats what this is all about.. pushing each other to reach our goals.. having that support and accountability that we NEED and want. This is my REAL life! Daily struggles. Trying to be the best mom I can be while still having time for me and better myself. I want all the accountability I can get!

So if you are wanting to get started on your own journey or are wanting an accountability partner, let me know ;)

Know that you are not alone in any of this! Anyone can have a transformation story. You just have to figure out how to fit FITNESS into your life!

Honey Dijon and Garlic Salmon

Honey Dijon and Garlic Salmon

I am no chef.. but I do love trying out new recipes! New is good. And THIS my friends, is GOOD! Salmon is not only delicious but it is very good for you. It can be a little spendy.. but its worth it! I got 6 servings out of this recipe! I cut the portions so that they work with the 21 day fix.. eye balled it :) 

This recipe was quite simple too.. let me tell you- cooking with a 2 year old in the house in NOT an easy task! Trying to cook while playing play doh, house, and coloring.. its a talent I have acquired :) I picked up the salmon that day so it was unthawed. All I had to do was mix up these ingredients, cut the salmon, and put it in the oven. 

Thank goodness for my mom.. she took my daughter out on a walk while I was cooking tonight. They actually chased a bunny around the neighborhood for about 30 minutes. It was pretty nice to be able to cook in silence! (You moms can relate-- You are trying to be in so many places at once that you forget what you were doing!) They had fun and mom got down to business in the kitchen. 

Chloe approved of this recipe too. I was surprised. She is not a big fish fan and I have not got her to eat salmon before tonight. She took quite a few bites! 

What you need: 
-1-1 1/2 lbs. fresh salmon (cleaned, pin-bones removed)
-3-4 cloves garlic
-2-3 tbsp. parsley, finely chopped
-3 tbsp. honey dijon mustard.. (I used 2 tbsp. dijon mustard and 1 tbsp. honey)
-Juice of half a lemon
-pinch of sea salt
-1/8 cup olive oil


Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 and line the baking sheet with tin foil. Set aside.

In a bowl mix together honey dijon mustard, juice of half a lemon, olive oil, garlic, parsley, and sea salt. Whisk together. 


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What to wear??

Here are the outfit options I came up with for her 2nd birthday pictures. We will be outdoors! With the beautiful fall colors :) If we go with outfit #1 she will also be wearing a white cardigan. If we go with outfit #3 she will have the same brown boots on as in outfit #2. 

Feel free to leave suggestions!

Chloe's 2 year pictures!

Tomorrow we will be taking Chloe's two year pictures! It is so crazy how fast time flies. It seems like yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital.. and now she is running around the house yelling "I'm a princess". Yes my dear, you are a princess. :)

She is napping right now so I have some time to think about tomorrow and what I want her to wear, what props to bring, how to do her hair, poses… seriously- I have NOTHING figured out. She has hair down to her shoulders so I should do something cute with that. My dad just got a puppy last week so I think we might incorporate the dog into a few pictures. That should be interesting.. Its hard enough to get a toddler to sit still!

Here is my idea-- I think I am going to have her dress up in a few different outfits for her aunt and I. Ill post those pictures to Facebook and we will see what everyone thinks she should wear! This girls got to many cute outfits to choose from. How do you choose just ONE outfit?! I mean we could take a few but its not like you want to go through the hassle of changing their outfit either.. oh the struggles :)

Happy Friday everyone!! Ill post pictures when they are finished!