Our Family Just Keeps Growing | Learning To Be A New Puppy Mom

 We got a puppy!!! On August 29th we adopted an adorable 9 week old puppy. This was not planned but I been wanting another puppy since my last dog passed away 2 years ago from old age, she was 12 years old.

If you read my last fitness update you would have seen me mention him, we got this guy a few days before my race which wasn't ideal but once my husband and I met him we knew he was going to be perfect for our growing family.

We named this little guy "Bear" because he is so cuddly and loves people. He is a Black Lab/German Shepard so he's going to be BIG.

Having a big dog was something my husband and I both wanted. I'm very used to having big dogs as my last dog was as Border Collie Cross and was very high energy. I trained her to be my running partner and my hope is that this little guy will love to run as much as she did.

If you've followed me for a while you will know that we already have a cat named "Max" who just turned 5. We got him from my husbands grandpa's farm and we are his 4th home....he was the cat that no one wanted.

Max is a very depended cat who loves to be around people and hates going outside....basically he couldn't hack it as a farm cat and the other homes he went to just didn't work out.

He's surprising been very patient with Bear and they have had several very positive interactions.

Obviously we didn't give Bear the run of the house imminently as we are still potty training him, all of Bear's and Max's interactions have been supervised and we keep them pretty short.

Bear has been a wonderful addition to our family, however, I haven't had a puppy for 14 years so I'm a little out of practice. We've had to learn each other routines and his signals he gives me when he wants something.

Everyone who has met Bear says he is the cutest, cuddliest puppy they have ever met...and most of the time he is. However, we have already started training him as I can tell he is starting to develop some behavior issues already that we would like to nip in the butt.

Bear is now 11 weeks and he can...
-let us know when he needs out
-sit
-lay down
-come
-stay
-shake a paw

We are working on
-not barking when he's alone
-play nipping
-being gentle with Max
-not barking when he's bored or wants attention

If anyone has any tips or training tricks for new puppies please leave them in the comments below.

Bear will be going to puppy school but he wont be able to go until he gets his final vaccination at 16 weeks. 

Also I'm curious as this is our first male dog...let me know in the comments below on your thoughts about getting your dog neutered? Are you pro or con and why?

I hope you've enjoyed our adorable puppy pictures - follow me on Snapchat [mspamblam] if you want to see more of my day with Max & Bear. 

Make Up Of The Day | Makeup Geek

I have been on a Makeup Geek splurge! I received so many new eye shadows in the mail recently and I've been trying out all the new colors in my collection. Today's makeup...

Eyeshadows
Vanilla Bean
Creme Brulee
Brownie Points
Shimma Shimma

What I've Learned Working From Home | Blam Bombshell Fitness

Time Management is Key
I figured I would start with the most important points first.  Without time management I would  be lost with my business. Working from home is both a blessing and dream come true, but it's not something that comes easy for a lot of people. I have no boss, I have no one telling me to be at work for 8 and if I don't show up there will be consequences. I have the luxury to sleep until noon and watch TV all day....but that's not going to help me with my business and it's not going to make me money to pay my bills and put food on the table. Time management is so key in business, it helps keep me on track and achieve my goals for the day.

I like to end my day by sitting down and writing out my next day's detailed schedule. This includes what time I plan on getting up, when I plan on taking breaks, working out, spending time with my family, ect. I write down everything and I assign a time line to my day. I make sure I cover everything I need to do for my business that day.

Then at the end of the day I evaluate what took longer than expected, what took less time, what still needs to be done, what are the most important things to be done and I make a new schedule for the next day. It's sort of a never ending cycle. I wont plan more than one day because you never know what's going to happen day to day. Sometimes I have emergency that will pull me away from my work and some items don't get done so I bump them to the next day.

There are so many fancy ways to plan and make schedules, I guess I'm old fashion because I use a pen and paper to make my day to day schedules. I date each page at the top and I write down my list of what needs to get done that day and I make a timeline. Throughout my day I will check things off as I go and make notes....find what works best for you.

Get Organized
Another key point! Organization is so important, when I'm making out my schedule for the day I give myself very limited time to complete tasks. For example I might only give myself 30min to respond to new customers. If I'm unorganized and I can't find my computer, loose my customer list, forget who's inquired about products it could eat away precision time from my 30min.

I need to be able to sit down and pick up where I left off to maximize my 30min to connect with my new customers and get them connected with products, signing them up for upcoming events, ect.

Moving seamlessly from one task to another will allow me to get the most out of my day.

Take breaks
I'm a workaholic...it's my best and worst skill. I will work and work and work and then realize that it's 1 in the afternoon and I haven't had a glass of water or stopped for a bathroom break all day! It's important for your health, your sanity and your concentration to stop and take breaks.

I found that when I'm at home I get distracted during my breaks so be careful with this. I might say ok between 10 - 10:15 I'm taking a 15min break....but then when I walk away from my computer I notice that the laundry isn't done and then the floor needs to be cleaned and by the time I realize it I've wasted 2hours cleaning my house.

To stop this from happening I'm very specific with my time. Instead of a 15min break I will say 15min snack break or 15min laundry break. If your like me I need to always have a clean house...so since your working from home give yourself some cleaning breaks. I think it's so therapeutic. That way I can work from a nice clean home and still stay on track. Just remember the more breaks you take the longer you have to stretch your work day. Instead of working 8-5 and taking minimal breaks you might work 8-8 but be taking several breaks throughout the day.

It will all balance out in the end, do what works best for you and your family. If you have small kids in school you might end up breaking up your day, for example work 5-7 before your kids get up, then 9-3 while they are in school and then 9-11 when they are in bed (for course you could shorten this by taking fewer breaks).

Working at home is a luxury, take advantage of the opportunity and make a schedule that works for you & your family.




I have to say that I LOVE working from home. For me and my family it is really a dream come true! It really is a gift that I have to take advantage of, these are just a few tips and advice I can give someone either starting out on their work from home journey or someone who is struggling with their current routine.

I would love to hear any advice that you have for me! If you work from home please let me know in the comments below, what have you learned working from home?

Get Fit 2016 | New Years Resolution Planning

TONS of people make some kinda New Years Resolution goal that has something to do with fitness, weight loss, nutrition or health. Everyone has the determination on January 1st that this is finally the year!!! Then they fall off the bandwagon on January 2nd.

Has this ever happened to you?

Don't worry you're not the only one out there that this has happened to.

So how do you make a New Years Resolution goal and achieve it!?!?!?!

Follow these steps and lets plan to have an amazing 2016 together!

1) Set a goal that is realistic and achievable
First off find a goal that you can achieve, set yourself up for success! For example if you've never run in your life then don't set a goal of trying to run a marathon in 2016...start with a 5km run. Make your goals realistic enough that you can achieve them

2) Set a goal that you can track
Having goals are great! But why set goals if you can't say "yes I've completed that". Find a goal that you can track. For example don't just say 2016 is the year I'm going to loose weight....instead say 2016 is the year I'm going to loose 20 pounds. Now you have a goal that you can track and strive to reach

3) Write your goals down
Make it permanent! That's right get out a pen and paper and write down those goals. This is a step that a lot of people don't do. When you write down your goals you are more likely to work towards achieving them. I also like to put that piece of paper in a place I will see it everyday. That might be your bathroom mirror, fridge, ANYWHERE! Remind yourself of the goals you set everyday

4) Make a plan
It's not enough to say I'm going to loose 5 pounds. Make a plan! How are you going to loose 5 pounds? I like to write my plans out in my agenda book because I look in there everyday...but everyone is different. Maybe you need a wall calendar set out with your daily eating plan. Weight loose doesn't just happen - YOU make it happen.

5) Tell everyone!
Telling a friend or family member will help you stay accountable to your goals. Tell someone what your goals are. I also like to post mine of social media - that way the whole world knows.

6) Follow through
Health, nutrition & fitness goals are something that you have to work at DAILY. For most people it doesn't come naturally so just know that you aren't alone. This can be a daily struggle but just chip away at your goal everyday and you will see the results.

7) Reward yourself
I LOVE this part. Okay so I'll give you an example that I've done - I started the 21 day fix program last year. It's a fitness & nutrition program created by Beachbody that you follow for 21 days. My goal was to follow this program and FINISH IT! I told myself that if I completed this program in 21 days I could buy a new workout tank top. This gave me something to look forward to at the end of all my hard work. Make sure you acknowledge the hard work and effort you are putting in and treat yourself! Maybe it will be something small like a new workout tank top, shoes, spa day, new purse...maybe you want to go bigger and reward yourself with a vacation! Just make sure to reward your hard work.

I hope that you ALL have an amazing 2016! Set those goals and lets all work our butts off this year getting stronger and fitter than we were in 2015.

Please share with me your 2016 New Years Resolutions in the comments below...I would LOVE to know what they are.

If you have any questions about how to set a goal or how to achieve your fitness goal please feel free to comment below and I would love to help you out.

Thank you so much for stopping by! Happy Fitness Friday!

Fitness Update

Happy Fitness Friday!!!

It's my favorite day of the week.

Yesterday I posted a quick entry about where I've been...if you read it you know I've been BUSY with life events. With that being said I've really let my fitness go. It's been the hardest thing to set aside my workout time in order to move, build furniture and settle into our new place. I love to workout, it makes me feel energized, relaxed, and just overall amazing! When I miss my workouts I basically just feel like crap.

This weekend my husband and I are going to be setting up our fitness studio - FINALLY!!! It wont be anything fancy since it will be in an unfinished basement but it will just be a nice and large space to burn some calories! Then I can buckle down and start workout out again.

Check back next week and I will show you our basement transformation.

Blogtober FAIL | Where have I been?

Well I can officially say that my first attempt of Blogtober was a big fat FAIL!

I had the best intentions...I had a schedule of every post I wanted to do for the full 31 days...I had determination....I had drive...but my world got turned upside down and I fell off track on day 11.

So what have I been doing??

Well in the middle of October I attended a 3 day course to become a Beachbody fitness instructor. I walked away with 3 fitness certifications to teach group fitness for Insanity LIVE, CIZE LIVE and Piyo!! It was an extremely proud moment for me.

During October I was notified that our house was FINALLY ready...hurry! My husband & I have been in the process of building our dream home for the past year. It was supposed to be completed in June but was seriously delayed. October we were scrambling to sort things out with the place we were currently renting, packing up and preparing to move! All while I was denied vacation time to do so...what a nightmare!

We are finally settling into our new place. We have bought TONS of furniture and are doing home projects to put personal touches on our new place. It's been so much fun but stressful at the same time.

All and all I know that none of these are valid excusses but sometimes LIFE just gets in the way. I've had to push aside some fun projects (like my blog) in order to focus on other tasks.

BUT NOW I'M BACK!

I have missed my blog SO MUCH! I am very happy to be back at it!

I am going back to my normal schedule of posting every Monday & Friday. Please be sure to follow my blog if you want to be notified when new blog posts go up so you wont miss a post.

Blogtober Day 8 | 10 Things I Do As A Beachbody Coach

What's a Beachbody coach? What do you actually do as a coach?

Here are 10 things I do as a Beachbody coach

1) Use the Beachbody programs - probably the  most important out of EVERYTHING. I don't just sell and tell other people to use these programs. I use, believe and have seen results myself from using these programs. 

2) Drink Shakeology - Beachbody is more than at home fitness programs. They have a whole line of nutrition supplements and it's important as a coach to keep myself fit and healthy in order to encourage others to do the same. Practice what you preach. 

3) Tell Everyone your a Beachbody coach - Get the word out there! A lot of my business at the start was all word of mouth. Tell everyone and anyone that you are a Beachbody coach.

4) Get on Social Media - The best tool at your disposal is social media. It's the best way to reach a lot of people and develop relationships with your customers. Get an account for everything you can Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat...Everything!

5) Invite people to try Beachbody programs - if you don't ask they wont try. 

6) Invite people to join your team - In order to build a team of coaches you have to ask people to join your team. Share what being a Beachbody coach has done for you and what it could do for them. 

7) Post of social media daily - it's not enough to just get a social media account you have to use it! Let people know that you are actively using Beachbody and actively coaching. 

8) Connect with your team - Your team is a powerful tool. You have your upline to reach out to when you need help or advice. I have gotten so much help from upline over the past few months. My sponsor coach was there to get me started and work with me to get my team started. 

9) Build your own team - if you want to be a business builder as a Beachbody coach -  the only way to do it is to build a team. If you want to know how or where to start ask your upline to help you get started and how to recruit coaches. 

10) Help others get active, fit & healthy - I try to connect with at least 3 people every month and get them on track to get active, fit & healthy. I know 3 doesn't sound like a lot but not everyone is ready to get started on their fitness journey when I first start a conversation with them. Be patient and learn to listen and work with your customer to help reach THEIR goals. Everyone's goals are going to be different.

All Beachbody coaches are different. This is just my experience with the company and a few things that I do as a coach.

If you want to join my Beachbody team send me an email mspamblam@gmail.com and lets chat.

3 Day Refresh | Round 2

I'T OFFICAL!! I successful completed a 2nd round of the 3 Day Refresh.

I am so excited to share these results with you...even I'm impressed with how things have turned out. So first off I want to share with you so information, my 1st round of the 3 Day Refresh if you are interested in seeing my results please go check out Round 1 3 Day Refresh Results

I completed round 1 a long time ago in April, my results were amazing! So good in fact that my wedding dress I was having altered no longer fit and I had to have major alternations done. I purchased my 2nd kit at the beginning of summer but I was too scared to do it before my wedding because I didn't want to pay for another huge alteration. I decided to wait and I did round 2 Sept 1-3.

From the time I did my 1st round (in April) to the time I did my 2nd round (in September) I am happy to report I did not gain back ANY weight I lost. I did not gain ANY inches I took off!!! I know there are a lot of detox or cleanse programs out there that will help you lose a lot of weight but as soon as you stop the program - you gain that weight back. That is not the case with this program.

I will say that I tried my best to continue to workout as much as I could, although I was busy planning a weddings so I was probably only worked out maybe 3 times a week. However, I NEVER stopped my Shakeology. I've been on my Shakeology for 9 straight months and it is really helping me with my eating/nutrition.

Between April and September here is what happened...

-my weight stayed the same

-I lost 1 inch around my waist

-I lost 1 inch around my thigh

-I lost 1 inch off my butt

-all my other measurements stayed the same

So how did I make out doing my 2nd round? As you can see from the before and after pictures above you can tell a slight difference - or at least I can anyway.

Here are my results for round 2...

-I lost 4 pounds

-I lost 2 inches off my hips

-I lost 4 inches around my stomach

-I lost 1 inch around my thigh

-I lost 1 inch off my butt

TRULY AMAZING!!! I thought with this being my 2nd round I wouldn't get as good of results but turns out I was wrong - and boy am I happy I was wrong!

This program just continues to amaze me and I can't wait to do round 3!

Of course if you are interested in an update in a few weeks I will be posting on my blog how things are going and if I gain back any of the weight. Make sure you subscribe to my blog so you get an update when my blog posts go live.

If you want to try this program please feel free to email me mspamblam@gmail.com and I would be more than happy to get you set up to do your own round of the 3 Day Refresh.

Happy Friday!



How to Boost Your Metabolism

Naturally as we get older our metabolism will start to slow down. The average women will gain 1.5 pounds per year during her adult life. This can up to an extra 40 pounds by her 50's!

By eating metabolism boosting foods and following the path, you'll sleep better, have more energy, feel firmer, and notice your clothes are looser in as little as 2 weeks. Here's how:

1. EAT ENOUGH 

You need to cut calories to lose weight. But going too low or starving yourself will NOT work in your favorer. When you eat less than you need for basic biological function (about 1,200 calories for most women), your body throws the brakes on your metabolism.

2. REV UP IN THE MORNING 

Eating breakfast will jump-starts metabolism and keeps energy high all day. Women who skip this meal are 4 1/2 times as likely to be obese. If nothing else, grab a yogurt. Or try oatmeal made with fat-free milk and topped with nuts for an essential protein boost.

3. DRINK COFFEE OR TEA 

Caffeine is a central nervous system stimulant, so your daily java jolts can rev your metabolism 5 to 8%—about 98 to 174 calories a day. A cup of brewed tea can raise your metabolism by 12%.

4. FIGHT FAT WITH FIBER 

Fiber can rev your fat burn by as much as 30%. Studies find that women who eat the most fiber in foods gain the least weight over time. Aim for about 25 g a day—the amount in about three servings each of fruits and vegetables.

5. BUY THE BIG BOTTLE 

Drinking 6 cups of cold water a day (that's 48 ounces) can raise resting metabolism by about 50 calories daily—enough to shed 5 pounds in a year. The increase may come from the work it takes to heat the water to body temperature.

3 Day Refresh | Results Update 3 Weeks Later

It's been 3 weeks since I've completed my 3 Day Refresh...where has the time gone?


Mainly I wanted to post and update how my results have been after I stopped. For those of you who haven't read my original 3 Day Refresh results/experience you can go to my blog post http://www.mspamblam.com/2015/04/3-day-refresh-results.html . Most cleanse or detox reviews you read people post their results right after they finish their cleanse or detox...what about after people are done? I find there aren't a lot of follow up posts.


I got amazing results after my 3 Day Refresh and I'm happy to report that I have kept off my 2 inches that I original lost around my chest, stomach and thighs. I have lost an addition 2 pounds and feeling full of energy! Immediately after my 3 Day Refresh I continued drinking Shakeology daily and I've been doing a combination of T25 & 21 Day Fix fitness programs at home.


I've been EXTREMELY happy with the way I've been able to maintain my results, I've heard from people who have tried juice cleanse and it seems that as soon as you go off a juice cleanse you gain back all the weight you original lost. I'm happy to report that was NOT the case with this program. In fact I continued to loss weight after the 3 days which took me by surprise.


The results you get are easily maintained but I have had to put in some effort to maintain the results. In addition to working out to T25 & 21 Day Fix I've been following the 21 Day Fix meal plan. In addition I've taken some concepts out of the 3 Day Refresh and incorporated them into my day to day routine for a healthier lifestyle.


Be prepared if you decide to attempt this program, the results that you get are AMAZING! But after the 3 days is over you have to make small changes to your lifestyle to maintain the results you worked so hard to achieve. I will say that they changes I have made aren't HUGE and it wasn't hard. All it takes is for you to be conscious and aware, create good and healthy eating habits and remember to add in some workout exercises.

Have you tried the 3 Day Refresh? Let me know what you thought of the program in the comments below!

March 2015 Favorites

Yes, it's that time again! With the end of the month comes my favorites of the month.

1) Estee Lauder Double wear concealer/ Maybelline Fit Me concealer - this concealer combo has been AMAZING! I love the Estee Lauder concealer but it's very heavy under the eye, I love the Maybelline concealer finish but it doesn't give me enough coverage. Put them together and you get the perfect concealers. First I put down the Estee Lauder concealer and then cover it with the Maybelline to get that great natural looking finish. I've also been using Estee Lauder concealer with some translucent powder on my eye lids for my primer.

2) Simple face lotion - I discovered this product late in the month and it is all thank you to Ingrid Nilsen and her "My Skincare Routine!" video. She raved about how amazing this lotion was so on my next trip to the drugstore I deiced to pick some up and she was right! Best face lotion ever! I feel in love right away.

3) Tart clean slate timesless smoothing primer - this is just a baby sample that I got from Sephora and I'm going to be heading back to purchase the full size. I just use a very tiny portion on this primer and i focus the products just on my cheeks and around my nose were I have large pores...it's amazing and just blurs them into your skin. I wear this even if i don't have foundation on that day.

4) Josie Maran 100% pure argan oil - still loving my Argan oil, I've had the regular 100% and light for a few months now. The light has been tucked into the back on my closet but I'm still using the 100% in my hair and mixing it with my foundation to give me a dewy glow on the skin. You can use this very sparingly, this little bottle I use everyday and I still have about half left.

5) T25/family walks - my March fitness routine consisted of T25 and tons of family walks! I love this program because I only have to workout for 25min, great for busy people and I'm so far LOVING the results I'm getting. Now you only have to do this program 5 times a week but I like to be active daily. On the 2 days I don't workout I've been going for long family walks which have been so much fun!

What product favorites did you have this month?

10 Reasons I Became a Beachbody Coach

1) It was a natural fit - I already used Beachbody programs before becoming a coach so it felt like a very natural transition


2) I'm a fitness enthusiast - I've done sports all my life and I love sharing my experiences with others. Since I could walk my parents had me enrolled in all sorts of sports. When I was in elementary I feel in love with running and I still run today. My favorite most memorable job was managing a running retail store. I got to help people fitted with the right tools for their running needs and talk about running all day!!


3) Financial freedom - Beachbody allows me to make extra money in addition to my full time job. It's nice to be able to pay down debt, pay off your house or just save for a rainy day.


4) Company perks - Beachbody rewards successful coaches, and who doesn't love getting rewarded for a job well done? You are also invited to events/conferences that Beachbody holds in different locations, and the best part is your trip is tax deductible


5) Discount on Beachbody products - Since I already use Beachbody products it's nice to get a discount for being a coach. Some people sign up just to get discounts off of the products


6) I get bored easily - What can I say, I like to keep busy. Since moving out on my own I have always filled my time with working during the days, school at night and still getting in time to workout. Now that I'm not in school I find myself getting bored after work. Being a Beachbody coaching keeps me busy!


7) It motivates me to keep up with my workouts - Some days it's hard to find the motivation to workout myself, however, when I am responsible for motivating others to stay active it helps me as well


8) Meeting new people - It's always great to meet new people (both clients and coaches). I love discussing and l promoting fitness, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle


9) Maybe I'll be working from home one day - This is something I've always wanted to do. Tons of Beachbody coaches who have worked hard for the past couple of years are quitting their jobs and doing this full time. There's no reason why I can't do the same...maybe one day this will be my full time job


10) I know that these programs work - Everything posted on this blog is my true honest opinion. I wouldn't post something that I haven't tried or don't like. I've used the programs, I know they work and now I'm sharing them with others.