Hey Y'all

Hey loves!!

Long time...no blog.

Soooo sorry about that...but life has been a little crazy to say the least.

Since the last time I blogged...I turned another year older...hello, 28.

and...most importatnly on the day of my birthday, I packed up and moved to southern Oklahoma.

Where I started my new job on Monday.

To say that I have been so busy is somewhat of an understatement.

I promise as things start getting less crazy....if that is even remoltely possible. I will start blogging more regular.

Trust me I have got some great posts to share with y'all..like the fact that since I got this job and had to re-locate so super fast. As in, I just packed up a suitcase full of clothes and I'm living with my Nana and Papa...I still have all my stuff back in my house which is in Northeast Oklahoma.

Yep...I pretty much went from one corner of the state to the other.

Anyway, living with your grandparents in quite entertaining...especially living with mine...who I adore so much!!

I'm so thankful I'm able to stay with them until I get my barrings straight.

As far as the new job goes.

I AM LOVING IT.

It's going to be crazy at times and right now I feel a little overwhelmed...but at the end of the day, this is my dream job.

I haven't read any of y'alls blogs, so I feel like I have no idea what is going on...thank goodness for this three day weekend, because I plan on catching up on y'alls lives.

Hope everyone has a great three day weekend!

Quotes

Hey loves.

I'm all out of words this week...so much going on.

Last week at my current job...which I love so so so much...I have a boss that is more than just a boss, she has become my family. Never did I think leaving a job would be so hard.

I should probably start getting all my stuff together...considering I'm leaving on Sunday to a new town, to a new job, to a new adventure.

Not to mention on the day that I leave for said new adventure...I will be another year older.

It's quite fitting really, to have a birthday on the day you are packing up and leaving everything you've ever known to go to a place where your dream job lies...and maybe even a place you were meant to be, but never even considered it.

Not to mention I'm leaving my family and my friends.

That is the hardest part of all.

Luckily I'm a crazy person and I talk to my momma like a hundred times a day, so no worries there, right Mom?

So...I figured I would let other people do the talking for me today.

Have a great day...xoxo!

Life updates

“You can't know who might cross your path or who will take your breath away. You can't know what friends might actually become sisters because they stayed by your side. You can't know when there'll be an unexpected detour that'll take you to the place where you were always meant to be.” ~Holly C. Corbett


I saw this quote today that The Single Woman posted on facebook...and like most quotes when you are going through something in your life...they just sort of stand out.

The part that stands out the most for me right now is this, "....you can't know when there'll be an unexpected detour that'll take you to the place where you were always meant to be."

That line couldn't be more perfect for exactly what I've been going through the last few weeks. 

Remember when I wrote this post?

The 28 things I want to do in my 28th birthday year...which by the way is coming up on August 26th...just so you know, wink wink.

Pay attention to #4...Get dream job.

In my perfect 'Lyndse world' dream job would mean one thing for me...get paid for doing something I absolutely love and that I already do anyway.
Well...I knew I couldn't get paid for pinning things on pinterest...so I had to find something else



If you have been a regular follower of mine you know where my passion lies. You can check it out here and here...in fact you may want to check those out if you want to know exactly what my dream job consists of.

Also...see that little "proud supporter of" icon on the right side of the blog...under my button. That is a big giveaway for where I will be working.

So...as you may now have guessed. After 4 years of college, job after job, I have FINALLY landed my dream job.
The road to getting there was not easy. 
But oh, so worth it.
Last week alone I had interview after interview for a position with the same organization but in my hometown location.
I didn't get any of those.
They asked me if I would be willing to re-locate...kind of a spur of the moment, "yes" some much needed prayers...and here we are.

Dream job here I come...except in order to do said dream job...I will be moving.
Not out of Oklahoma...just a little further down south.
So...southwestern Oklahoma....here I come.

God knows what he is doing, and I am so thankful that I kept on trying and trying even after I didn't get what I thought it was that I wanted.

So, you now see why I've been so MIA lately. For good reason. 
I start my new job the day after I turn 28.

Now...I need to really get to working on goal # 2 and 3.

Inspire Me: Guest post

Hellooooo...Sorry I've been so MIA lately....so much has been going on in my life the last few weeks...it's been a crazy roller coaster. 

ALL GOOD THINGS, I promise...and I promise to blog about them soon.

This week for the link-up of

with Raven and Kristen

I am posting a great post from one of my newly favorite bloggers, Danielle...she blogs over at Butler, Party of 2. Where she talks about living a healthy lifestyle, her faith and about her life with her hubby. They are such a cute couple.

See....ADORABLE.

I asked Danielle to do a guest post because I love that she makes living a healthy lifestyle a priority. Which is exactly what I, myself, have been striving to accomplish. She incorporates clean eating and working out.  Also, she loves Advocare products just as much as I do...and she is my go to gal for all Advocare questions. So...y'all go and check her out, she has great motivational posts, lots of work out ideas and food ideas and if you want to learn more about Advocare she has that too.

Now, speaking of clean eating...this is something I have been trying to do since I started the Inspire me link-up..however, like I said..I've had a crazy roller coaster couple of weeks...so the clean eating and working out has sort of fallen by the wayside...but I will get back with it soon enough. So, no updates on my progress this week.

Without further adieu...I give you Danielle...

Healthy eating is a lifestyle, and it may not happen overnight. Baby steps are awesome, and you CAN do this!!! 

Disclaimer: Every family is different….this is just what works for us! I’m not claiming to be a nutritionist…I have just read a lot of clean eating books and done a lot of research, so this is a mini-compilation of what I’ve learned and what works for me.

SHOPPING TIPS:

Shop the perimeter!!! I only go down the center aisles for a few things (natural peanut butter, Olive oil, spices/ground pepper), and I typically only have to stock up on these things every few trips.

Learn to read labels. You want as few ingredients as possible, and hopefully you can recognize the majority of the ingredients. The first few ingredients make up the majority of the product, so if high fructose corn syrup or sugar is one of the first few ingredients, for example, try to stay away.

Avoid packages and boxes. I try to buy as many whole, real foods as possible. Obviously that’s not always possible. My chicken/fish, peanut butter, eggs, etc. are all in “packages,” but not like pop-tarts, chips, cookies, etc. Frozen entrees are the worst! Well, along with the junk foods, of course. Even deli meat is highly processed and has a lot of sodium.

When buying bread, pasta, or wraps, I ALWAYS buy Ezekial. Most “whole wheat” breads are made with enriched flour, are bleached, etc. Ezekial products are all natural and have no preservatives. I keep them in the freezer and put them in the refrigerator when I’m ready to eat them. (They last about 2 weeks in the frig- a week or less in the pantry because they don’t have preservatives.) I’m not sure if it’s an acquired taste, but Big Jon is now on board. And seriously, for one of life’s greatest indulgences, try some Naturally More almond butter on a slice of Ezekial Whole Grain Sprouted bread. Oh.my.delish!

Watch out for “healthy” foods. If something is fat-free, sugar free, or lowfat, that means they have used some other chemical to replace whatever they left out. Food companies are very sneaky and have a lot of leeway when it comes to how they market their products, so be cautious, and be a smart shopper. Even things we assume are healthy, like juice and soup, aren’t really that healthy. Don’t be fooled by food marketing slogans.

Eat the rainbow. Try to incorporate a variety of fruits/veggies…the more, the merrier.

I know organic is expensive, so if possible, focus on trying to buy organic with the “dirty dozen.”  Other than that, I think you’re good with the regular stuff.

Here is my typical grocery list.

This is not exactly what you have to buy, but these are the foods we like and what works for us. Obviously I don’t have to buy all of these things all the time, but these are the main foods we have in our house:

Spinach, broccoli, bell peppers, kale, cucumbers, tomatoes, celery, mushrooms, string beans, asparagus, apples, oranges, berries (usually frozen), sweet potatoes, brown rice, unsalted brown rice cakes, ground milled flaxseed, steel cut oats, local honey, almonds, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, sunflower seeds (all raw, unsalted), low sodium black beans & kidney beans, chickpeas, salsa, hummus, Lara Bars (check out the ingredient lists! awesome!), Ezekial bread and tortillas, Naturally More peanut butter and almond butter, lemon juice, Italian seasoning, olive oil (get a mister!), minced garlic, tilapia, salmon, hormone free & antibiotic free chicken breasts, canned tuna in water, plain Greek yogurt, chocolate milk (for Big Jon), 5 dozen eggs, green tea

And a list from good ole Dr. Oz…..

And one more food list I like:

{I know it’s hard to see, so here is the link to the PDF version!!}

Other Great Links:

Clean Eating Foods List

Calorie Counts

24 Day Challenge Food List

Clean Eating Food List

A few of my older posts with some really good info:

A Typical Day in My Diet

Eating Healthy on a Budget

My Typical Grocery List 

What Do I Eat?

**If you’re not already, USE THIS!!  

My Fitness Pal

A few other tips:

• Try preparing food different ways to find how you like it. Jonathan loves when I practically burn the asparagus and make is super crispy. Hey, it’s better than mashed potatoes or mac-n-cheese, so I’ll make it if he likes it!
• I put salsa on EVERYTHING. It’s an excellent choice as a condiment because it’s packed with veggies and is low in calories, yet adds an AWESOME kick (especially to protein).
• Get an olive oil mister so you don’t overuse olive oil.
• Use the stovetop rather than the microwave.
• Try to eat as many veggies as possible. Fruits are great too, but have a lot of sugar. If you overeat fruit and don’t burn it off, it turns to glucose and is stored as fat. A banana, for example, has around 100+ calories. That doesn’t mean do'n’t eat fruit, just be aware of the sugar content. Veggies are more filling and super low in calories.
• I cook ALL of my protein in olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, cracked black pepper, and Italian seasoning. It just works.
• Have a good prep day! Boil eggs, cut up veggies, grill fish/chicken, separate foods into portion sizes, etc.
• Drink 16 oz. of water (add lemon) FIRST thing when you wake up. Eat breakfast within 30 min of waking to jump start your metabolism. You’ve been sleeping for the last 8 hours, so you’re dehydrated and your body needs food to start burning fat and get your brain going.
• Eat every few hours, small meals, to avoid spikes in blood sugar. Your goal is to keep your blood sugar as stable as possible throughout the day. I love to snack on raw nuts if I’m hungry or between meals. I also love boiled egg whites, and DUH, peanut butter.

I know I’m super weird, but I LOVE going to the grocery store! I seriously wish I could start a business and do people’s grocery shopping for them, buying them healthy foods. I just LOVE health/nutrition, and I know since there is SO MUCH info, people feel totally overwhelmed. Hopefully this post gave you a good starting place and wasn’t too all over the place.

Happy Shopping!!!!

See...I told you she is super awesome and has some GREAT tips when it comes to incorporating clean eating while grocery shopping. Be sure to check out her blog for more tips.

Have a great day loves!

Inspire me 2

with Miss Raven and Miss Kristen

Week 2 of "Inspire me: Healthy"

First, thank you all for your sweet comments and your words of encouragement last week after my post. It means so much to me that I have y'all to keep me motivated and for us all to keep one another motivated as well.

That's what I love about this link-up...the huge support system behind it.

With that being said...I have yet to get back into a solid work out routine. The last week has sort of been a whirlwind of sorts, so I am taking to Pinterest today and posting some of my favorite work out finds that I like and that I have done in the past.

What I am going to try and focus on is HIIT--High Intensity Interval Training, and weight training.

Jillian Michaels loves some HIIT...it's such a good and effective way to shed the lbs and to get your heart rate high.

Here are a few HIIT workouts I plan on trying

The Tone It Up girls are really awesome and giving good work outs

Now for some motivation

Happy Thursday!! 

A little Random

Hey loves....

So...sorry I've been a little MIA on my blog posts...as I've been told my a few people. 

Mainly Miss Football and my family.

I thought I should at least stop by and say hi, especially after I get an email from this lady...

 

and all it says in the subject line is

"You need to blog. Now."

I figured she meant business...so here we are.

What's new, well not that much. Just a lot of life stuff that has been keeping me away from blog land.

This past weekend my mom and I took a much needed trip to Southern Oklahoma where my  family is from...I love visiting my Nana and Papa. Hands down the best people ever. Love them so much.

Here is a picture of my Papa. Hardest working man I know...and he's quite the character, that is for sure.

Always in overalls...and you can't see it in this picture, but he always has a toothpick in. Always.

You know when you have nicknames that you have been called forever and only certain people call you that?

For as long as I can remember my Nana and Papa have either always called me, "punkin, Lyndse Lou, or as my Papa calls me, Lou."

My mom, dad and brother call me Sis.

My BFF calls me Tatum Belle.

My friends call me Lyns or lollipop.

Now that I think of it...I'm not sure anyone calls me by my actual name.

That's ok...I think nicknames are endearing...at least the good ones are,right?

Isn't it funny how some people get nicknames?

Not really sure when this post went to telling you what I've been up too...to nicknames.

Oh well...nothing like a little randomness.

It was nice being able to get away, even it was for a few days and I got to spend it with my family and see my Uncle and cousins that I hardly ever get to see. 

Well..that's it for now...on another note, thank you all for your kind words and support on the Inspiration Thursday post.

As an update, I've lost 4lbs. 

Holla!!

Have a great day loves, xoxo!

Time to get inspired

Helllooooo there.

Guess what...it's still hot here in Oklahoma...so hot in fact, my car has officially given up and the temperature in my car has been stuck at 88 degrees for days.

I haven't seen 88 degrees since January I'm pretty sure.

Well...car...I feel you, I want it to be stuck at 88 also.

Moving on 

Because I've been trying like crazy to get myself motivated and into a solid work out routine and eating clean  and trying to be good...but then I see a cookie or a piece of cake and it just speaks to me...I have decided I need to be held accountable.

Well, it just so happens that these pretty ladies Raven and Kristen are hosting a link up every Thursday called Inspire Me: Healthy

Let's face it...this is perfect for all of us...who couldn't use a little inspiration to be healthy plus we are already all bloggers and check out each others blogs...so this is the perfect way to keep everyone accountable.

This is a genius idea girls...and I'm glad y'all thought of it.

I love nutrition and eating healthy and once I get into a solid work out routine...I love the feeling after a great workout. It's those endorphin's people.
They are goood for you.
I love nutrition so much that is what I got me degree in from Oklahoma State...GOOO POKES!!
However, sometimes I love cookies, ice cream, anything that has 50lbs of sugar a whole lot more...plus eating all that and not moving your body...means lots of extra lbs on this ass.
Not anymore people.
I'm going to be 28 in like 24 days.
I want to finally have the body I've always wanted to have...and it will happen.
None of this self-conscious BS anymore...I want to fit back into my size 4 jeans that are just hanging in my closet waiting for me to finally get off my ass and do something.
Well, size 4 jeans...I'm coming at ya.

So...I will start posting every Thursday about my progress and some inspiration quotes, diet tips, etc. I have already begun this process last week...in fact...don't make fun, but I made my own inspiration board a week ago.

Whatever it takes, right..to be inspired.

I'm going to take my measurements later and I will post those too.

For now...I leave you with some inspiration to get healthy...to be at the best weight, to be toned, to finally run that race and complete that goal...whatever it is that you want to achieve...DO IT!!!

This is inspiring in two ways...who doesn't want those abs...and who doesn't want a guy with those abs...I mean, come on.

Ok...couch and DVR...I have to part ways with you...because it's time this ass fits back into those size 4's.

Peace out.

Pinterest Wednesday

Guess what...the weather man said that Oklahoma is the hottest state right now.

Isn't that just something that you LOVE to hear.

With that being said...it's time to link up for...

Of course I'm loving the Olympics...

Hello boys...

And now for some funnies...

and because this is my all time favorite show and it always makes me laugh...

And my favorite Friends episode ever...the one where they don't know that we know that they know

Now, I feel a Friends marathon coming on.

Have a great Wednesday!!