Erin Condren Review & Giveaway

I am sure by now you know how much I love all things by Erin Condren. She designs the best stuff! I get her Life Planner each year and I would be so lost without them. I love using them as they are as functional as they are beautiful. You can read my reviews for those here and here. Or go over to the Erin Condren Youtube page and see their video about their newest lesson planner here!

Today though, I get to tell you about the best thing ever!! (in my opinion at least) This was actually the first product I looked at from Erin Condren and I was so ecstatic to get my own finally and it did not disappoint. It's the teacher lesson planner!! It is designed for teachers, and it shows in the details.

I love a good box :) Is that just me?? I mean getting mail is fun enough already I suppose, but there's just something about a bright colored box telling me to enjoy that really gets me excited. Haha

And then aaaahhhhhhhhhh(angel choir sings when I open packages from EC.)!! So pretty, and believe me, it was difficult trying to be patient enough to take these pictures when I just wanted to rip it open!

I ordered the teacher lesson plan and the Cool for School Bundle, which includes this bag. I was actually very impressed by the durability of this bag! I am definitely planning to use this a lot. It's a good burlap material and sturdy handles.

There it is. Just take it in. Just stare at it for a moment and enjoy how pretty it is. Haha, at least I know that's what I did! I love the free personalization that EC allows for the planners. You can pay for other personal touches, but the initials or name on the front cover is included, which just makes it so much more special. The quality is beyond compare! With other planners or calendars I have used in the past I would have to replace it after each semester instead of each year like it was supposed to last. Not with these! The coil is the best, and it never snags or bends. The cover and the tabs are perfect for lasting all year as well.

Here's a look inside the teacher lesson planner! These were just a few of my favorite pages, but believe me, there are so many more pages inside to help you out. I love how the weeks are set up, so that the day is divided by subject. Very helpful for planning. And the checklists are perfect!! So many sheets of checklists in the back of the book. And of course in the very back is a folder and a pocket, filled with some goodies. I got a couple compliment cards and a sample sheet of the Do-It-All-Dots! Of course there are so many other pages, including monthly pages, a yearly planning page, and lots of stickers!

Before each month an encouraging quotation is printed, and this is one of my favorite parts. I love that these planners combine beauty with function. It is the perfect balance!

Speaking of those monthly pages, here is a look at the Colorful Date Dots that brighten up each month!

I also got the new Cool for School bundle, which included the Cool for School sticker book, compliment cards, markers, and that awesome bag from above. I love the stickers! They add so much pop to any page, and they make it so fun to be organized. (I'm a nerd, aren't I?!) The markers are great, I love the fine tip and variety of colors. And the compliment cards are so genius! I love the chalkboard theme and they make being nice so easy, it's so fun and enjoyable to hand them out.

Now what you've all been waiting for......GIVEAWAY TIME! I am so incredibly excited to be able to do this for you guys. I have two $50 gift cards to give out. Just enter below by subscribing to Erin Condren's Youtube channel and swing by their Facebook page to check them out! Also you don't have to win to earn savings. You can get $10 off your first order by clicking on the link to Erin Condren's page up on the right side of this blog, under my name and picture!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!! And don't forget to save $10 by using the link on my blog. This contest runs from August 1 until August 8 at midnight so I will announce the winners on Sunday, August 9.

Small Victories

As I continue on in my fitness journey, I have been learning so much. I have tried different things in the past, primarily focusing on losing weight, and I have failed. This time, I have learned a few key things that have kept me on track and kept me motivated to stay with it through even the tough times.

1. WATER!!! I know it, you know it, we all know it. Drink water! They say it all the time, and it still needs to be said. I have been so pleased to find that it really is only a struggle to "force" myself to drink all that water for a few days. If you stick with it, it gets easier and easier to reach for the water bottle throughout the day instead of an alternative beverage. I am still adjusting to the number of trips I need to make to the restroom, but I am making such progress in this area of my wellness that it is worth it.

2. Don't save calories for the end of the day. Maybe this is something only I do?? Even when I started with the BodyLab app, they set aside certain caloric values for each meal along with a broad total for the whole day. As I would go throughout the day, I would try to be under the meal totals, and then at the end of the day I would be able to eat the rest of the calories right before I went to sleep! Or I would eat a lighter breakfast knowing that then I would have more calories available for dinner. That is just silly. I finally realized maybe that wasn't the best way to do things. Who would have thought! The way BodyLab distributes the calories is intentional. I eat much more for breakfast and the first snack of the day than I do for dinner. I'm finally letting go of that idea that dinner has to be huge and it has to be heavy. It's been a big change for me, but again I am liking the benefits.

3. Celebrate small victories. This goes hand in hand with don't focus on the number on the scale. This has been the biggest thing to learn and practice in order to stick with it and make lasting changes. There are going to be days when I gain. Excuse me, there HAVE been days when I have gained. This doesn't mean that all is lost or that I failed. I try to focus on what I had control over. I ask myself those questions when I weigh myself and try to remember that those are more important. I ask, "did I go overboard with eating? Did I drink the water I needed to? Did I workout and not skip anything? Have I been sluggish or lazy?" Because sure, I would appreciate a smaller number on the scale, but what I really want is to live a full life without restraint due to poor health. If I focus on the positives, this journey is actually really exciting. This week, for the first time, I ran for 9 minutes straight without slowing down to walk. Probably not a big deal at all for most of you, but for me it was a first and I chose to celebrate it!! Of course I still want to improve, but I can appreciate the steps that I take toward my goal. I also drank OVER the recommended water for a day. I didn't just stop as soon as I could, but I actually enjoyed drinking the water and chose to continue. That was a celebrated success. I ran twice this week BEFORE 8:00 am. I am not someone who enjoys running OR getting up early, so I was proud that I made that choice and stuck with it. These are just a few of my small victories that I got to celebrate this week. Not one of them had to deal with my weight, but I am still considering them positives and because of that I am encouraged to continue on and do my best.

I am excited to improve and tell you all about what else I learn. I already have my next goal and that is meal planning. I have done this on and off in the past, and I love when I do it. It's just a matter of sacrificing a little time to plan it out and it saves so much temptation during the week or wasted energy trying to decide later. I have a lot of success with sticking to the plan, if I could just take the time to make a plan! So that is my next goal-I will have to let you know how it goes.

Also here is just a progress picture. I didn't notice much difference in the picture. I have lost 5 pounds and 4 inches! But when I put these pictures side by side I could definitely notice in the face and neck. More pictures to come hopefully!

My Fitness Journey

Hello! I wanted to share something with you guys. I started using the BodyLab by JLo app and I joined the #BeTheGirl challenge about three weeks ago. I will talk more about that later, but I was asked by BodyLab to share my fitness journey which really got me thinking about why I am doing this and where I want this to take me. I realized I had a lot more to say than 140 characters, so I wanted to share my whole story here :)

My very first day! I wanted to capture the moment, and I was very excited to be starting this journey.

I had to think back all the way to high school to realize just why this challenge was so important to me. In high school I was only ever really planning to be a wife and mother. I was comfortable with that and looking forward to that "perfect" life. I could not even think of a career path I wanted to pursue because I couldn't think past being a mother. Obviously when it came time to go to college, I still had no idea what to work for. I remember being so frustrated that others knew exactly what they wanted to do with their lives, and I was struggling so hard to figure mine out. My parents wanted to be able to help me with college, and I remember them saying, "we just don't see any passion from you. We want you to be passionate about something." I didn't know how to just find passion. That's not something that can just appear. After three years of college, I decided to just work whatever job I could find.

That was not enough for me. But it was during this time, and through that frustration that I realized what my passion was and what had been holding me back.

I spent about 22 years of my life only imagining my future as someone else's wife. I had dreams for kids of mine, but no dreams of my own. How could I think of the future if I didn't have the other person to imagine it with? That's when it clicked for me. I was no longer content to wait for "my other half," I wanted to be a whole person all on my own. I was able to start thinking about a life for my future, and I found my passion. Teaching! I think it was about a month from the time I realized that and my first day of classes. I went back to school at the age of 23 and I will be 26 when I graduate, but I am so pleased to do this now and not waste any more of my time.

These last few years have been filled with discoveries. I have learned so much about who I want to be and what I enjoy and what I care about. I have learned that it's okay to be myself, even if that makes me "less marketable." Because, who cares?! I love being single and being free to be myself. It's addicting-being yourself. I highly recommend it :)

But this brings me to why I wanted to join BodyLab and focus on my health. I was intrigued by the #BeTheGirl challenge. It's a challenge to "be the girl of your dreams." This struck a chord with me, because I used to be in a place where I would do things in order to be what I thought was someone else's dream. I finally wanted to be fit and healthy for me! And it's so exciting to see the benefits of that.

JLo follows me on twitter! I tried not to freak out, but how could I not?! Now the pressure is on to stick with the program and show her my fantastic results :)

Healthy living for me is the tool that helps me do everything I'm passionate about. When I eat healthy, I am not sluggish and I have the energy to get my homework done, to do it with my best effort, to make time for the people I love, to live a successful life! When I workout in the morning, I have that energy to wake up early and read my Bible. When I feel good about myself I am so much more willing to be nice to others! It shouldn't work that way but it does. I am friendly and confident when I feel good about myself. I never want to become some gym rat, but healthy living helps me pursue my passions and live a successful life.

This was day 3 for me. Can't wait to show a great "after" shot right next to it!

I am excited to share this with you and have that accountability of people knowing and watching as I try to stay on track. I want these healthy habits to be lifetime changes. I have enjoyed the meal tracking that BodyLab offers and the workouts have been so great! I get to feel strong and work hard without fear of bulking up or not understanding some of the workouts. It's a program designed "for women and by women." I have loved it so much, and I look forward to sharing more positive results with you!

Life Planner 2015

I am so excited to show you my new life planner from Erin Condren!! My first blog post was all about my planner from last year, which you can read here. I did not hesitate at all this year to purchase another one because I used my planner about every single day for the last year! So worth it, and I won't go back to living without one :)

Once again, the box is gorgeous. I track my packages all the time, so I was already anxiously awaiting its arrival. As soon as I saw the "delivered" message I hurried over to my mailbox to check it out!

When I rushed back inside and cut open the box, I loved seeing these little notes! I already have plans for where I would like to use these for daily reminders.

There it is! (Insert an angel choir singing "ahhhhh" here!) I love seeing my name on it too. As silly as it is, I never could buy things with my name on it because I spell my name different, so there's just something about seeing my name spelled correctly that I just love!

One thing that is different than the one I had last year, is that the bookmark is clear. I realized I always had to move it back and forth to see my notes on each day, and it is such a simple improvement that I know I will appreciate.

Each month starts with a page for the whole month. This is the same as last year's but I really like it. It's nice to be able to view the whole month for making plans.

Each week gets a page like this. I love this set up! I put all my class information on these pages for homework and tests and reminders. I use the spaces on the bottom to plan my meals, and while I do that I make my grocery list on the left side. So convenient!

This is something new for this year that I love. The planner includes the next two years in the back. The  planner from last year had these calendars on the back cover, which can't be written on. So this year's planner has them on pages in the back of the book. I didn't use these very often, but when I did use them I wanted to circle dates on them, and now I can!

Stickers! The same as last year's but I wanted to show them again :)

This was a genius change that was made. For important dates and contacts, the planner from last year had pages included in the book. But then you would have to transfer that information to each new planner from year to year. So now they are all in this convenient and cute little book that can stay in the folder in the back, and easily be transferred to another planner next year!

These are pictures of what is inside of that book for contacts and dates.

One of my favorites! I love that these tags are included as well. And the planner has the pouch in the back to keep it all easily accessible!

I cannot wait for my classes to start so I can start to fill it all in!