 Welcome to the second post for June on the Createyou86 Blog. The month of June has been quite a journey. On the 12th i had major back surgery, and i am now two weeks post-op. I have been using a walker, and had my followup doctors apt. today where the doctor said everything looks great, and that i should just keep up what i'm doing currently. My recovery will be around 3 months. On the other hand i have been wanting to do an updated mood board because i haven't done one in quite a while. Below you will find my updated mood board. The colors are kind of all over the place, but i really love fall a lot more than i do summer. All photos are linked so feel free to click through them, and check out where they came from .        Thanks for checking out my updated mood board. Be sure to stick around for #onebookjuly2018 which will be taking place over on my YouTube channel next week. LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW: What is your favorite color palette above?  
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 Welcome to a planner update here at Createyou86! I know...it has been a long time! I have been in, and out of work with an injury, and i am finally having surgery next week. I have decided that my planner collection at this point is just that....a collection. I have so many different brands, colors, and types of planners, and i love it. We will be moving soon, and hopefully i will be able to display them behind my desk at some point. This past month (April/May) I decided that i wanted to get some planners that i have had my eye on for a long time (my planner unicorns!) I had some extra money, and took the leap! First I purchased a Filofax personal Malden. This planner is literally beautiful beyond words. I have wanted it since i started my planner journey, and I am currently using it as my personal planner where i keep all of my appointments, and schedules etc. I really do love the Filofax inserts (I know tons of people don't), but i have never had an issue with them, and i actually prefer the setup of them over any other planner setup that i have tried.  The next item that i purchased for myself was a Foxy Fix Travelers Notebook. I purchased this TN because i have wanted to try a Foxy Fix since forever ago when i found out about their company. I purchased a B6 Lush Black Beauty Couture. Both of these planners are an investment, and beautiful all at the same time. At this point i am secure enough in my planning that i know i love personal, and B6 planners.  Here is a secret that nobody else knows. After my surgery next week i will be releasing a new exciting e-mail list. I am working on Createyou86 as a business, and increase my knowledge as an entrepreneur, which i can't wait to unvail. If you don't follow my Instagram yet be sure to follow for some fun updates. You can also join the Planning With Createyou86 VIP Group I hope that you have enjoyed this post, and that you are looking forward to some changes coming to Createyou86. Let me know in the comments below: WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PLANNER?   (Welcome to the third post in the Planner Awareness Month Blog Series here at Createyou86. Can you believe that April is only a few days away? I can't! The month of March has seemed to fly by. During this blog series i wanted to give some advice, and some insight into the planner community for those of you that may be new, and even seasoned planners. It seems that within the last couple of months pocket planners have been what everyone has been rushing out to get. The styles are rings like my Duck Egg Filofax Soft Domino, or Filofax Patent Pocket, or a travelers notebook of some kind. I'm not really sure why they have become all the rage, but i have these four. (photo below) Even though i don't really understand the hype, I did purchase the Duck Egg Domino Soft Filofax, and i have been keeping it in my car for when i feel the need to take notes, or write appointments down (my current back issues mean lots of appointments.) Really everyone seems to love the portability, and i do, but i tried the size for quite a while about 3 years ago, and i just couldn't get into it as a planning system. However, 3 years ago i did setup, and use my pocket patent for a cash envelope system, and it is still setup for that use, but i haven't been using it. I used it for our trip cross country, and it really helped, but after that i decided i would keep it like that in case i ever needed that type of system again. Although this size is adorable, and small i don't think i'll ever be able to REALLY plan in this size. even with the "perfect inserts" how small the pages are just wouldn't work for me.  my pocket planners! I hope that you have enjoyed this post all about the hottest item from the past couple of months in the planner community. Let me know in the comments below: HAVE YOU TRIED A POCKET PLANNER? Check out the Createyou86 Podcast on these apps for FREE! You can also find the podcast on Overcast.  Join the Planning With Createyou86 Facebook Group (Just click on the photo below!)    Welcome to the second post in the Createyou86 March Planner Awareness Month Blog Series. This post is written by Denis Tunca who i am collaborating with for this series. We connected due to a love for planning, and buying notebooks/journals. Here is her story. Let's confess it. I am a notebook hoarder. Now that I have said it, let's move on! As a Purpose & Self-Awareness Coach, I am constantly taking notes! I need to take notes about my clients, what they say in our meetings, things that come up to me when I am having a conversation with them (don't like calling it session). It is somewhat a creative moment for me because I am doing thing simultaneously. I am listening, thinking and taking notes of both at the same time and need to be fast! Notebooks are the saver of the day! Using single papers are very unpractical in use because you can't control which page goes where, if you lose one etc. Notebooks are the key! I don't know what really makes me love notebooks. Well, I am (or was before the baby) a bookworm and love the smell of a new book. Same goes with the notebooks! Writing to paper has always been my way of an outlet. It may be for my feelings, for work, for the creative thing I need to do. I have always used notebooks to study when I was at the university. Wrote down from the book and then shortened the whole thing, wrote with different pen colors depending on the importance of the context. Writing with a real pen and paper has always helped me to "feel" the text and made it stick in my brain easier. When I think of it, I love how the new pages feel smooth and untouched. I immediately think of which color pen I should use! If it has a thin point or thicker with a delicious color . This is starting to make me hungry for some reason hahaha. I even have different preferences for different uses. If I am working and am in that mode I prefer to have simple colored and thin point pen so that I can fit as many comments I need when I am taking notes. I am very fast and good at taking notes. Something I learned in university . If I am writing down ideas or my thoughts then I prefer to have a more colorful pen with a thicker point to support my creativeness. During those times I prefer not to have any lines on the page for example. It feels restrained for some reason. As if I can't be creative or feel trapped in a certain cookie shape that I can't get out of, creatively. I was (once again before the baby) journaling quite frequently and it was an awesome outlet for me. I had a small notebook with an elastic band around it so that it is easy to put a pen that holds it. This is a very convenient way to not search for a pen. It was an A6 size (big as the ¾ size of your hand basically) and very comfortable to keep it in any bag thanks to its size. I know I don't have the time or effort for journaling at the moment but I want to take on bullet journaling. Not full-on artist mode no-no. I can't do it. I am neither artistically blessed nor patient enough to make it perfect as I want it to be. So, using stickers is always the best way to make it pretty for me. Sorry out of the topic! Back to notebooks. The notebooks I love the most? OF COURSE, THE FREE ONES! Especially those you get from fairs. And let me tell you, friend, I have a fair share of my fairs that I attended. I have a small bookshelf that only keeps my notebooks in it. I have all sizes and shapes (if I am honest). Don’t forget about the colors as well! Brown, black, blue, purple you name it. I love to have spiral notebooks to take notes on when I am at home. It is easy to use and flip just when you are taking notes rapidly. Easy to go back to previous pages. I am not very patient when I am working. I need to get to the point as soon as possible. But I do have more polished notebooks as well where I have my notes of more cleaned and valuable information. Like the sum of a course. What it means for me in term of a business owner. I always approach notebooks with respect. You never know what they have or will have in them. It could be someone's diary to keep them sane, a business plan for someone who wants to accomplish their dreams, someone's outlet for their creativeness with awesome sketches etc. I don't know what my empty and unused notebooks will become. I always treat them like babies. Maybe a weird way of seeing it but this comes only natural to me. I always treat my books with respect as well. You can't find a folding scar on my books. I call it scar because the folding mark on the first page of a book that for me kills the cover. I am very sensitive about this. Therefore, I never lend my books to anyone if they are not as freaky as I am. Nowadays my notebooks have a more meaningful place for me. During the coaching conversations I have with my clients, my job is to find their life purpose. It is a huge responsibility from my side! I need to uncover their strengths and shine a light on it. I need polish and showcase it to them with their own experiences. I need to make them believe in themselves for their own dreams sake! It is all on those pages! How I empower, support, clarify, de-stress them. How they should motivate themselves for their dreams! How to focus on their dreams and reach their ideal client. Even thinking about the impact I have makes me so happy. The notes I am taking now are far more important than any others before. Because I am holding one's life on those pages practically. I am doing something they don't. I am believing in what I see in those notes! I am believing in them! In their dreams! I am constantly digging to see what more opportunities they have to fulfill their dreams with their passions and their strengths. How can it not be important! I am encouraging them to take notes as well if it does not disturb their focus. Because seeing is believing. It is true! If you write down something over and over again your brain will believe it at some point. That is why my notebooks are important! They will always contain something valuable in them. Even the scrambles that we do when we talk over the phone or listening to something is very revealing about our characteristics. So, do not underestimate the power of writing! Actually, use it for your advantage. I would love to wrap things up by thanking the beautiful and oh so lovely Emily for inviting me into her Createyou86 Community. This was a pleasure of mine and a fresh breath of air to write about something that I can share with people who really get me! I would love to help you guys to uncover your life purpose or just see what you are meant to do here in this world with a simple Clarity Call. You can also take my Mini 3 Day Course about how to earn money out of your passion and how to brand it. That is also over on my website www.denistunca.com Now over to you! What is your favorite type of notebooks? Do you have special pens for that notebook? Share your wildest notebook dreams! I hope that you have enjoyed this collaborative post between Denis, and myself, and that you are looking forward to our upcoming Instagram Live where we will talk more about this topic, and answer your questions! Please join my Planning With Createyou86 Facebook Group by clicking the photo below!  The Createyou86 Podcast is FREE, and you can find it in all of these places & more!     Welcome to the first post in the Createyou86 March Planner Awareness Blog Series. This series is all about owning it! Owning your planning, how you plan, why your plan, and what you can do to improve. This series will also include some fun extras. There will be a guest post, and Instagram Live featuring myself, and Denis Tunca which is so awesome because i have never worked with someone internationally before. Denis, and I have been discussing planning, organization, and how she uses journals. Here are a couple of photos of her journal collection. (click to see more) Denis has filled me in that she uses her notebooks/journals for planning as well. I love that our styles are so different because if you have been following this blog for any length of time you know that i am a Filofax, and ringed planner through, and through. I have been working in travelers notebooks quite a bit recently too for social media, and business. Here is some of my best planner advice!
I hope that you have enjoyed this post, and are looking forward to the other fun things that i have planned for this series including the Instagram Live that i talked about earlier, and more posts about owning your planning style, and being aware of how you utilize your planner. Also be sure to check out Denis' Page. She has a correlating blog post all about her notebooks/journals. She also specializes in helping you uncover your life purpose, teaches you how to make money out of your passion, and how to brand it. The Createyou86 Podcast is FREE, and you can find it in all of these places.  I also run a planning, and organization lifestyle Facebook group join by clicking the photo below! LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW: ARE YOU A FUNCTIONAL OR PRETTY PLANNER?   Welcome to the third post in the Planner Love Blog Series here at Createyou86. As February is coming to an end I wanted to sneak another post into this series. I am a planner girl through, and through, and i love everything about being "that girl". This post is about what i love doing as a planner girl on days that i have all to myself, or even with my other half. Today i happen to be by myself sitting at Starbucks, and putting this post together for you. I am not currently working so i have a bit of time on my hands, and shopping, or window shopping is always a great way to kill time. Here are a few of my finds, and purchases as i perused today.  photo backgrounds?  Life Organized at AC Moore, and those Wonder Woman planners everyone has been going crazy about.  The two items i actually purchased today. Adhesive pockets for a new custom travelers notebook i am having made for me, and those adorable GO WILD paperclips. Those will be going in my studies TN (black and red butcher plaid.)  I have also been crafting these past couple of days, and making these pen loops. They are such an awesomely simple craft to do!  And of course spending time creating this post for all of you! This is my time to relax, and share my day with all of you! I hope that you have enjoyed this short, and sweet post. February has been a rough month for me, but i love sharing my life with you! If you love hauls, unboxings, and INSANE STICKER BOOK FLIPTHROUGHS! be sure to hop on over to my YouTube Channel where all of that has been happening LIVE! If you love pretty photos, i would love for you to check out my Instagram. Be sure to also checkout The Createyou86 Podcast FOR FREE just by clicking the photo below!  LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE PLACE TO GO SHOPPING FOR PLANNER SUPPLIES? (Mine is Hobby Lobby, and Michael's)   Welcome to the second post in the Createyou86 Planner Love Blog Series. This series within a series is all about pocket planners, and how i use them. I will be doing several flip through's over on my YouTube Channel, and i will be posting tons of photos over on Instagram related to pocket planners. While i have several pocket size planners, it has never been my favorite size. I wanted something that would be super portable, but still able to be super functional. While the size is super portable, the space just doesn't do it for me . I prefer to keep my pocket planners at home. At one point i was using one for social media planning. Some of the pocket planners that i use, and have used are leather travelers notebooks, and others are Filofax brand binders. Why do i keep purchasing them then? Because they are adorable, and sometimes i like to carry them for certain reasons. This week i will be receiving a new handbag that i purchased, and i will consider carrying a pocket planner with me. Although, when i first started purchasing pocket planners i wanted them to be my wallet, and i have found that unless i pear down everything that i have in my wallet, it just won't be possible. I have also thought about using the pocket size for notes, appointment reminders, and brain dumping. Sometimes when i am in the car, and need to write something down i can never find paper to write on, and rarely a pen as well. As a planner, and with as much paper as i own i find this astounding. Below are some photos of my current pocket planner collection. I hope that you are enjoying this series so far. I love getting to share all of my different collections of planners with you, and show you how much i love my planners. LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW: WOULD YOU EVER USE A POCKET SIZE PLANNER?   Welcome to the first post of the February Planner Love Blog Series. This series is all about how much i love planners, planning, and paper in general. In this series i will be focusing on pocket size planners, and several favorite items this season.  This post is for anyone, and everyone in the planning community. Maybe you are just starting out, and are seeing people's planner collections for the first time. Maybe you are a planning veteran, or have been at it for a few years, and you have started to see an accumulation of planners in your possession, and think to yourself "How did I even accumulate this many planners/notebooks?" (even just paper notebooks). This is how i feel, and have felt for a while now. For me, planning has become a collecting endeavor. When i find a planner size that i love i ALWAYS want MORE! For some people this may be a problem, but since i have started looking at it as a collection it hasn't bothered me nearly as much. I have invested AN EXORBITANT amount of money into this hobby, and i intend to keep the ones that i absolutely love, and will plan with forever, and give away/donate/sell ones that i am not IN LOVE with. Just yesterday i donated several planners to the Salvation Army, after trying to sell them on the Facebook Marketplace with no luck. If they don't sell, i would rather donate them to someone in need, and now i know that those types of planners just don't work for me ( Zip Around Planners) so i will never purchase them (Even if the Kate Spade Wellesley Planner is beautiful!) Next lets talk a little bit about my planner collection! My Planner Collection My planner collection consists of around 30 planners +/- There are all different sizes, and brands, but this is a collection i plan to build on, and that i actually use. Below are a few photos of my collection (They aren't organized because they are in a large Victoria's Secret bag, but they will eventually be placed in egg crates (built as a book case) behind my desk when we move so that they are more presentable, and i can keep them organized by brand, and size etc..   I frequently think to myself "Am I a Hoarder?" The answer is MAYBE I AM, but i feel like it is a different type of hoarding because i use the items, and i don't just store them away, or hide them. They are out in the open for anyone in my room to see, and for easy access to me, or anyone who is using them. I feel proud of my collection, and frequently show people who ask to see it. So i guess its up to you to decide....ARE YOU A HOARDER? Normally hoarding is defined as: DEFINITION OF HOARDING noun 1. a supply or accumulation that is hidden or carefully guarded forpreservation, future use, etc.: a vast hoard of silver. verb (used with object) 2. to accumulate for preservation, future use, etc., in a hidden orcarefully guarded place: to hoard food during a shortage. verb (used without object) 3. to accumulate money, food, or the like, in a hidden or carefully guarded place for preservation, future use, etc. I hope that you have enjoyed this post, and are looking forward to the 5 other posts in this series in the coming weeks! Let me know in the comments below: DO YOU CONSIDER YOURSELF A COLLECTOR OR HOARDER, AND WHY?  CLICK ON THE PHOTO TO JOIN THE PLANNING WITH CREATEYOU86 FACEBOOK GROUP!   Welcome to the second post in the New Year New Planner blog series. I hope that you enjoyed seeing my goals for 2018, and how transparent i have been, and will continue to be. However, this is a post that i never thought i would have to make. I was injured at work on January 2nd the first day back after our new year long weekend. I have now been out of work for 18 days, and i have been planning in a different sort of way. At this point i do not have to put what my work schedule is because i don't have one, but i do have a ridiculous amount of doctors appointments. Sometimes i see multiple doctors in the same practice in the same day. I do use stickers to remind myself to do my doctor recommended stretches (even if i don't feel like they are doing any good), and i find myself planning other things (blog, podcast, possible new Facebook Group) because at this time i can't plan around work. To be honest most of my physical plans are on hold right now because i simply can't do them, but i can't wait to get back into a normal schedule, and ability to complete some of those 2018 goals. Being at home, mostly in bed drives me crazy, but i also need to plan what my next steps are for my recovery. I am planning phone calls, organizing pertinent paperwork, and making sure everything is in order. I have heavily considered opening a Facebook Group based around planning (i am definitely participating more being at home most of the day.) However, i don't know week to week how much longer i will be out. Hopefully there is a solution found, and i won't be out much longer. I hope that you have enjoyed this post from a different perspective, and definitely something different from what is normally posted on this blog. I hope that it can give some encouragement to anyone else who is out of work, but still needs to plan their life. LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW: WHAT IS YOUR GO TO PLANNER?         I hope that you have enjoyed this first post of the New Year New Planner Blog Series here at Createyou86. I can't wait to share more posts for 2018, and i hope that you stick around to see them. Let me know in the comment below: WHAT PLANNER ARE YOU USING FOR 2018?    Welcome to the second post in the Oh Deer Blog Series here at Createyou86. Can you believe it is New Years Eve 2017 already? I can't! This year was kind of a benchmark for me. Come the first week of January 2018 i will have been at my day job for two years which is pretty awesome. My day job is something that i love to do, but is not an endgame for me. Another big event came in September which was this blog turning three. This is a huge accomplishment for me, and something i love doing even though i have slowed down a bit because of work, and family things that have come up. You can check out that post HERE . This year i managed to use Sew Much Crafting personal inserts for the entire year which i loved. The quality really is great, but i wanted to try something different for 2018 in my personal ring planners. That's right i said planners. You may or may not know that i recently started a podcast which is available on the ANCHOR APP as well as APPLE PODCASTS, FOR FREE!!!!!!! and anywhere else that podcasts are available. The Createyou86 Podcast is a place for me to talk about planning, and for you as listeners to be able to call in with comments, questions, and all things planner talk. The Anchor App available on Itunes, and Google Play makes interacting even easier. Lets talk a little bit about planners. My planners of choice in 2017 were my Gold Personal Special Edition Filofax, and my Carpe Diem Dark Blossoms Personal Planner. I have used quite a few travelers notebooks for blogging, and different series ideas i have for the blog as i am starting to build quite the collection. I will continue to use ring planners for personal weekly planning, and a mini Recollections spiral planner for my podcast planner (which is already planned out through March!). I sincerely hope that you have enjoyed this year end review from Createyou86, and that you will stick around in 2018 to see new monthly blog series', and what new goals i have in store for the new year. Happy New Year From Createyou86    Welcome to the first post (I know i'm late!!) in the Oh Deer December Blog Series here at Createyou86. December is one of my favorite times of year, and i am excited to share with all of you some of my favorite things about the holiday season. This post differs from last years post because its isn't about items that i would buy, but more about the meaning of the season for me. I hope that i can inspire some holiday spirit in you this year! Scroll to see each item that gets me in the holiday spirit!  i love driving around on Christmas Eve, and seeing the light displays that people have placed in front of their homes.  I love hot or cold apple cider. Just the smell of it reminds me of the holidays.  I love to hang ornaments. Every year i get a new ornament of a fancy doll.  I love finding new recipes for Christmas cookies.  I love Yankee Candle or Dollar Tree wax melts scented for the season. Sea salt caramel is one of my favorites, as well as pumpkin, or apple cider. I hope that you have enjoyed this post, and the beginning of this blog series. I can't wait to bring you more fun December posts. Let me know in the comments below. What is your favorite holiday scent?   Welcome to another product review here at Createyou86. Can you believe that there are only twelve days until Christmas? What could be a better time than this to talk about Let The Little Children Come gospel tracts, and evangelism tools and resources. I was provided with a free sample pack of items from Flyby Promotions in exchange for an honest product review. These products are great for most major Christian holidays. It is the hope that these tools, and resources help in conveying the powerful gospel message to children. The gospel tracts are all specially designed to capture and hold the attention of children, while not distracting from the core message of salvation through Jesus Christ. As a current, and long time childcare professional I have also taught bible study for young children, and have done several VBS camps. These tracts are colorful, and exciting to young hands, and eyes, but with the young children that these are intended for it is very important to supervise very carefully in the use of the products as there are some very small items which can be swallowed. Aside from that these products are great, and very informative for the young child. Any child would look forward to receiving these products, and being able to share them with friends, and family. If you feel that these products may be useful for your church or organization you can purchase the sample pack HERE Below are a few photos of items that come in the sample pack.       Welcome to the third post in the Falling Into Fall Blog Series here at Createyou86. Today is another product to review that i received from Flyby Promotions for free in exchange for an honest review. Now that the holidays are only 20 days away there is a mad rush to find just the right present for that special someone. This devotional has been created to cater specifically to young women. Each day features an easy-to-read, relevant devotion paired with a scripture verse, and journaling space to help readers reflect on the days message. The book tackles tough topics that girls face, from bullying, and social media to friendships and dating, all the while showing readers how infinitely precious they are in God's sight. The book is hardcover, and retails for $14.99 (ages 13+) Get a free 7 day download to decide if you love the book HERE Purchase the book HERE I highly recommend this book because it is great for morning pages, and i look forward to sharing it with my neice who just turned fifteen. Check out some more photos below!     Don't forget to check out the Createyou86 Podcast on Anchor, and Itunes for FREE!   Welcome to another product review here at Createyou86. I received this product free of charge from Flyby Promotions in exchange for this honest review of the new Illuminated Art Journaling Bible. This product is beautiful. The ESV Illuminated Bible places the full ESV text alongside over 500 elegantly hand-lettered gold ink illustrations by renowned artist Dana Tanamachi. Printed on thick cream-colored paper, the Bible's single-column text setting and wide margins provide generous space for additional notes, prayers, and designs—inviting readers to creatively engage with and reflect on the beauty of God's Word. Here are some of the details about this product.
    You can find this, and more information about the ESV Illuminated Bible at ESV ILLUMINATED BIBLE I hope that you all had a great Thanksgiving, and time with your family, and now as we get into the holiday season this would be a great product to buy for someone who loves Art Journaling. This large beautiful bible is only $44.99. I hope that you are enjoying this blog series. Be sure to check out The Createyou86 Podcast on the Anchor App on Itunes, and Google Play   Welcome to the fifth post in the September Studies 2.0 Blog Series here at Createyou86. I have gotten back into reading recently because of a book club series i did through YouTube. I love to read, and i read 300 words per minute, and comprehend 80% of that reading. Why do i know this? I was tested when i was younger, and when i was in seventh grade i had a college level reading capacity. Like i said I LOVE to read. I love the learning, i love the escapism aspect, and i love accomplishing a great book. Over the last two months i have bought quite a few books. This will be a comprehensive list of the books i have bought recently, and am currently, or plan to read in the very near future. (All photos are linked)        These are just a few of the books that i will be reading, and creating blog posts, and YouTube series on. I hope that you are enjoying this series so far, and that you are excited about the October posts coming up soon. LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK EVER?   Welcome to the third post in the September Studies 2.0 Blog Series here at Createyou86. This post is acting as an update for a case study that I have been working diligently on for almost two months. I have been researching several different ideas, and laws from the book The 48 Laws Of Power. Most times case studies take several months to compile, and create. My goal for this case study is to have it completed by mid-October. So far i have 30 pages of writing to break down, and decide which information is best suited for the blog post which will accompany it. Here are a few photos of what my working notebook looks like. I hope that you are looking forward to reading this case study as much as i am to releasing it. There will have been a lot of time, and energy put into it to create the best post possible with as much information as possible. Some of the information that you can expect to come from the post has been collected from scholarly journals, websites regarding the book, articles, books themselves, The Harvard Review, podcasts, and several other items. LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW: DO YOU LIKE LONGER BLOG POSTS?   Welcome to the second post in the September Studies 2.0 Blog Series here at Createyou86. This post is a pretty personal one. I hope that i can encourage you to get up, and make that change that you may have been needing that extra push to start in yourself. I began my current weight loss journey in July of 2017. I was self motivated one day when i came home from work, went to get undressed, and found that my bra (sorry guys!) had left bruises on my skin. I was shocked. This had never happened before, and i took it as a wake-up call. I knew i needed to do something about my weight. Now this did not come from any outward source (no bullying, body shaming, etc.) I am that person that could care less about what other people think of my body because the only person that i need to please is myself. I just took a good, hard look in the mirror, and decided that i needed a change. I have lost weight in the past via very unhealthy means, and knew that it wouldn't work, and just wasn't healthy for my body. I work a very high energy job (I chase around 1 year olds all day as a Head Teacher of a 1 year old classroom), and i wanted to do the healthiest thing for my body going forward as i am no spring chicken anymore. So what steps did i take to lose this amount of weight in just about a month?
2. MET WITH THE TRAINER I believe that this is a crucial part of weight loss. I met with the trainer at my gym, and she helped me devise a workout plan, and schedule that was designed specifically to my body. The workout we devised is called a 3 day split (3 days working out, 2 days resting) in whichever order you like. This schedule is created for everyone who does the program. She explained that it is the best thing for your body to be able to recover from the exercises that you are doing. In this class she also showed us how to properly use every weight lifting machine in the building. My workout consists of 10-15 minutes of stretching, 15-30 minutes of cardio depending on the machine i am using, and about an hour of lifting weights at a ratio of 4:12 or 4 sets of 12 reps. I am doing this 2-3 times a week after work. 3. THE FOOD One of the biggest questions i get asked is "WHAT DO YOU EAT?" This is what everyone always wants to know because dieting is not easy at all. I had found it to be particularly difficult in the past because where i work, we are required / asked to eat the same food that the children are eating (4 meals: Breakfast, morning snack, lunch, and afternoon snack) to encourage them to try different foods, and to replicate good eating habits, and etiquette. Most of the food the children eat are carbs including rice, pizza, pita bread, regular bread and noodles. Currently, i am still eating with the children, but i have started eating only the fruit/vegetables that they are served, and very small portions of other carbs. Everyday i bring a 64 oz. water bottle to work with me which was $5.00 at Five Below. Some days i finish it, other days i don't finish it at work, but will finish it during dinner at home. I have also started packing my lunch instead of going out to lunch every single day. It not only saves money, but keeps you on your diet. I need to be completely, or close to completely full to be satisfied, and i have found the perfect lunch combination. So....what do i eat?  I currently purchase all of my lunch food from my local Costco. Buying in bulk is saving me a ton of money because my food lasts longer. I currently bring 2 Activia Yogurts with me per day in my lunch box. I happen to love yogurt.  The next item in my lunchbox is Sargento Balanced Breaks. I love cheese, nuts, and fruit so these are the perfect mix. These come in packs of 12 at Costco (white, and yellow cheddar with different nuts). Again, you can't beat the price of $9.99 that will last me at least 12 days not counting weekends.  Last, but not least i include a "snack" in my lunchbox. Sometimes i eat this with my lunch around 12:00, and sometimes i eat this while the children in my class are eating their afternoon snack around 3:30. I am fortunate enough to have a refrigerator in my classroom, and to be able to eat whenever i want, or need to. I have actually checked the labels for these Kirkland (Costco Brand), and compared them to the Kashi Brand granola bars, and these Kirkland Brand are actually better for you in every way which was really shocking because Kashi is a well known health food brand. These granola bars are only 100 Calories per bar. (which you can see in the yellow circle on the top left of the bar). You really do need to compare labels to get the best out of your purchases. I also learned recently from a healthcare professional that if you can not read the ingredients on the label of any food that you should not be eating that food. These granola bars come 60 in a box at Costco so they last for at least 2 months. NOTE AND CONFESSION: I am a soda drinker. Plain old Coca Cola. I drink soda every day. I drink it at lunch for a little caffeine kick after having sat through nap time classical music it gives me some pep in my step (and as a caffeine product it does not give me migraines!!!). There are definitely times that i cheat on my lunches, but i try to keep to this lunch, and some kind of protein for dinner to even out my meal intake. This lunch, and water keeps me full from about 12:00-5:00 pm when i arrive at home for dinner around 6:30 pm. What I will say right now which is actually what a co-worker said to me recently is that i workout so that i can eat what i want. DISCLAIMER: If you feel that you need some kind of change in your life, or need to change what you are eating to lose weight i will firstly tell you to ask your physician what would be the best course for you. I am not a doctor, and have no expertise. This is simply my account of how i lost 20 pounds in about a month. Everyone's body is different, and will react differently. Here are my dated before, and after photos from the first day i started at my gym.  I hope that you have enjoyed this post, and this series so far. There is so much more to expect from this series. LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS BELOW: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SNACK FOOD?   Welcome to the first post in the September Studies 2.0 Blog Series. You may remember this series from last year, and i liked it so much that i have decided to create a second version. Last year i really took a look at myself as a blogger, planner, and creator. This year i want to look further into myself, my planning, organization, creation, and challenge myself to do a case study for this series. Even if i don't finish it i want to keep you updated about how it is going. In the past case studies have taken me a few months to get together. This month is also my three year blogiversary, and you can expect a post all about that. I am so excited to be able to look back at the past three years of blogging. It has been quite the journey. I hope that you enjoy this series, and that it helps you or someone you know. I am very excited to get started on this series. What will you be most excited for in this series?   Welcome to the first post in the Falling Into Fall Blog Series here at Createyou86. Well...it is a little strange writing this "Fall" post on October 8th, and today in Eastern Pennsylvania it was a crisp 80 degrees out. Yup, you read right 80! We are still waiting for fall to kick in here so i thought to be festive, and make it feel a little more fallish around here i would make a fall series. I am currently burning a Yankee Candle Pumpkin Pie scented wax melt in my room so it smells amazing! Although, i am super excited that fall is coming, and should be here already i am even more excited to share that this blog turned 3 years old on September 25, 2017. I can not believe how fast time has flown by, and how this blog has changed over the past three years. Keep reading to see what happened this year it is pretty great!  On September 25, 2014 i was sitting in a church in Central California wondering what was going to happen with my life. I was doing a job i really wasn't a fan of, and had newly learned about planning. I figured that i would immerse myself into the world of blogging as an escape, and to inspire myself. It might seem strange that i wasn't trying to inspire other people, but at that point i really didn't know what direction I wanted to go, and thought by writing i could figure it out. Three years later, and here I am writing another blog post (i have definitely taken breaks) which i don't feel bad about, and i feel like i have grown through my posts. Last year i did a fall photo shoot for my two year blogiversary, and i felt like it was such a fun thing to do for my blog that i did it again this year. I want to throw out a HUGE thank you for everyone who has visited, and supported this page for the past three years. It has been a great ride, and i can't wait to get working on more great content.       I hope that you have enjoyed this post as much as i have enjoyed creating it. These photo shoots are always so much fun, and October is my favorite month. Look forward to some great posts this month. Let me know in the comments below: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MONTH?  |
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Photos used under Creative Commons from jeffdjevdet, spinster cardigan, One Way Stock, regan76, M. Dolly, Thomas Rousing Photography, Post-Software, kevin dooley, Alan Stanton, Photoshoparama - Dan, campbelj45ca
