8 is great...

come and get it...

**hey all!! Don't forget to hop on 'everyone deserves flowers.' Facebook page HERE and comment on the status to guess Lisa and my combined weight loss during the Advocare Challenge! Guess the closest number and win a FREE BOX OF SPARK! (A 26.00 value) 
Don't miss out! 

I'm not going to sit here and allow you to think this cleanse was easy-peasy all weekend. It was hard. Theres no getting Round the fact that you will have to overcome a weekend during the course of a 10-day cleanse, so it was expected. This was the first weekend Spring 'sprung,' and the temptation to relax with a cocktail was definitely there. We went out for lunch Saturday, and I had to navigate my way through a menu to ensure I was eating clean and making the right choices. Sunday was just as difficult. Maybe it's the 'weekend' mentality, the fact that Eddie is home and we do things as a family (like go out for lunch) or the fact that I always save a weekend day as a 'cheat' day, but I found the cravings [for something bad-like a Starbucks iced-coffee] were more intense. 

But I overcame the urges. New day...

Today, after the gym, I had lunch with my friend Shea and her adorable new puppy, Blue. (You can see him peeking out below the table) 

 Thank goodness my friends eat healthy, because I wasn't put in a predicament where I had to bring my own food. I just drank my 'Spark' and took my 'catalyst' in the car on the way there. We built big salads with tuna and veggies, drank water with lemon, and sat outside at the picnic table. It was a gorgeous day! 

I had 2 tablespoons peanut butter and apple as a mid-afternoon snack, and my prepared chicken and vegetable stir-fry with brown rice for dinner. 

We have two more days of the official 'cleanse' before we continue on to the remaining 14 days to complete the 'challenge.' April 24 is a day I am definitely starting to anticipate. 

Tonight, my sister and I are taking my mom out for her birthday to see an Elvis impersonator. (If you know my mom, you know she is going to love this! She is obsessed with that man... And I'd be lying if I said he wasn't my first true love. Hunka hunka...)

Details to follow (hehe)

..don't be shy, and thanks for stopping by!.. 

*follow me on instagram: everyonedeservesflowers* 

'Like' on facebook: everyone deserves flowers.

 

Lucky number 7...

 giveaway deets...

***GIVEAWAY!***

Who wants to win a free box of mandarin orange SPARK? The question should be, 'Who doesn't?' 

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Spark is 'energy of the Gods.' A my house, it's a new staple item in the cubbert. It gives you energy without that jittery feeling. Your energy level will not crash after using it either. The mandarin orange is one of my favorite flavors, and Lisa Long (my Advocare distributor) was kind enough to donate a box (a $23.00 value) for a cleanse-related giveaway. Find out more information about the product HERE.

So, how can you win? We're going to play a fun little game. First and foremost, you must go on Facebook and 'like' my official page, 'everyone deserves flowers.' There will be a status update about the giveaway, where you will comment. ONLY THERE WILL YOUR ENTRIES COUNT. THEREFORE, DO NOT COMMENT ON THE BLOG BELOW. 

It is said that you can lose up to 12-15 lbs. on the Advocare Challenge. (the full 24 days) To win the Spark, you have to have the closest guess to the combined number of pounds Lisa and I lose. If you have been following along, you know our eating patterns, when and where were tweaking the diet, and how often we're working out. May the odds be in your favor....

Today was a laid back day. The weather was fantastic, and we took advantage of it. We went to visit Grandma and Pap around noon, and Piper played 'peek-a-boo' with Pap through the screen door, which was adorable! Pap is 94 and doesn't get joy out of much anymore these days, so it's heartwarming when my little girl makes him laugh and he's kissing on her. 

Since we were swinging through there prior to lunchtime, I took along my catalyst and 'Spark' (*preparation) and then when we got home, I ate a 'big-ass salad' with chicken and my new coconut-infused vinegar I got yesterday [from Tastealotta.] I've have been holding strong. Eddie ate the rest of that dang peanut-butter egg that has been taunting me, so that's a plus too. 

(Jump on 'myfitnesspal' to follow my daily menu: MissPipersMommy)

Tonight, Eddie and I are going to try out some other oils and vinegars we purchased and grill up some shrimp-skewers. 

Tomorrow, we are back to the Fiber drink in the morning to close out the first 10 days (which I'm not looking forward to) and then we are going to be continuing on to complete the remaining 14 days of the 24 Day Challenge. 

After this, I better have a rockin' bod!

..don't be shy, and thanks for stopping by!.. 

*follow me on instagram: everyonedeservesflowers* 

'Like' on facebook: everyone deserves flowers.

 

Day 6- Hump Day

extra virgin... 
Today was a beautiful day. I started my morning with a great kickboxing class taught by Lisa. (hehe) On any normal Saturday, I'd plug my workout into 'myfitnesspal' and get excited that I could consume 680 extra calories that day. Not today. Not during the cleanse. Since I've been eating such a clean and structured diet, feel great, and am already seeing the result of that, probably  not ever again. Seriously. The eating isn't really an issue. I'm not hungry since I'm eating every 2 1/2-3 hours and eating nutritious meals. Because of that, I have energy to spare.
I did have a slight hurdle to jump today, though. Like I mentioned, I wanted to visit 'Tastealotta' this weekend... so we did. I made sure I packed sippy-cups and snacks for Piper... And me. I made my spark, zip locked my catalyst (for right before lunch) and ate my fruit and nuts in the car on the way down. *preparation, preparation!  

It was such a fun, little pit stop. They infuse olive oils and vinegars with different flavors and allow you to sample them. From the dark chocolate balsamic to the Tuscan-herb olive oil, we had a good time. I LOVE vinegar. Add a little sweetness to it, and I'm sold. I ended up with a coconut wine vinegar for my salads (DELISH!) amongst a bunch of other 'sample-size' flavors, like raspberry and orange. Eddie got some infused oils for meat marinades and cooking with. Overall, a win. 

If you are local, I definitely recommend taking a short ride to Lemoyne and trying it out. Cute little day date-trip :) 

Since Eddie accompanied me to my vinegar tasting, (he enjoyed it though)  it was only fair that we stop at one of his favorite places up there on the way back, DUKES on the River. That is where the hurdle came into play. I'm adjusted to the clean-eating menu the cleanse outlines, but ordering off a restaurant menu left me dumbfounded for a minute. I thought, 'I'll order a big salad with no cheese or croutons with oil and vinegar.' They didn't have anything
 on the menu I could easily adjust for ordering- just overly topped salads with things like roasted walnuts and craisins or FRENCH FRIES. Really? So.. I got creative. (or so I think)

I ordered the broiled Salmon with steamed veggies and a side salad with no croutons, oil and vinegar. I ate the side of veggies first, then boxed half the salmon to avoid over eating (you are allotted 5 oz. fish or meat on the cleanse) and put the other half atop the salad and went to town. I commend myself, because it was so hard to not order the buffalo chicken sandwich and an alcoholic beverage... Which is exactly what Eddie ordered. Jerk. And Miss Piper slept through the whole meal. 

Still holding strong. Have a second half of broiled salmon for dinner later, and of course, a bunch of prepped sides and veggies.

Until tomorrow, friends... 

..don't be shy, and thanks for stopping by!.. 

*follow me on instagram: everyonedeservesflowers* 

'Like' on facebook: everyone deserves flowers.

 

Whooaaa- were halfway there!

Cleanse day 5, prep day 2... 

Today marks Day 5! Today also marks Lisa's birthday. And she better not eat cake (hahaha) 

**Note: Lisa has been 'commenting' at the end of my day-to-day blogposts and filling us in on her daily musings of the cleanse. Scroll down to ready how another cleanser has been doing during the challenge for some more input.

So, today I started off my day great. I weighed myself. I'm not going to tell how much Ive lost so far (I know I'm a tease, but you're   gonna have to wait until the end.) I am definitely not one to showcase my body. I truly NEVER walk around with a bikini top and shorts. I always wear a cover up or tank top. Even at my thinnest. (drunk is an exception to that statement- lol.) I've been consistent on a workout regimen with my sister for about 9 weeks now. I have been getting my diet [fairly] in check throughout that time, and now have taken on the cleanse and challenge. This morning was the first time I looked at myself and actually SAW and FELT results. So, I took a picture. Embarrassing enough, but I'm proud of my hard work and new found willpower, so I am going to share it. This is me. All of me. Biceps and all: 

If Eddie saw I posted this, he would make fun of me for daysssss ;)

Well, after I realized results are showing, I hit the gym for 'Bodypump' and I went harder than usual. I had sustained energy and it felt amazing. I took a little trip over to Lisa's to go over some more meal options for the rest of the cleanse, and to deliver this:

Her daughter, Olivia, ordered it for her from 'everyone deserves flowers.' I've gotten so consumed in the cleanse and watching my diet, I had to take a short break from promoting my business, but please, if you haven't yet, stop by 'everyone deserves flowers.' official Facebook page and 'like' it. *THERE WILL BE A CLEANSE-RELATED GIVEAWAY POSTED SOON, AS IN, KEEP YOUR EYES PEELED SOON, AND IT WILL BE POSTED ONLY ON MY FACEBOOK PAGE! 

Since the meals we prepped for the last 5 days did the job, we 

decided to pretty much stay with the same menu, just prepping more steamed veggies for grabbing and chicken fajita strips for salad. So I hit the grocery store. 

Prep Menu:

Meal 1: 8 egg white scramble with 1/2 c red potatoes and peppers

OR oatmeal and egg white garden omelet (make fresh) OR oatmeal and hardboiled eggs

  Meals 2 or 4: bag nuts and fruit OR peanut butter and fruit

  Meals 3 or 5: chicken and vegetable stir-fry with brown rice, chicken fajita strips for salads, grilled chicken diced for salads, grilled chicken, sweet potato, and vegetable + extra veggies to grab as hungry

So, while Lisa was home getting a nice birthday 'sensual massage' from the hubs, my night looked a little more something like this: 

Ahhh! But we're prepped and ready to go onto day 6! BRING IT, 

..don't be shy, and thanks for stopping by!.. 

*follow me on instagram: everyonedeservesflowers* 

'Like' on facebook: everyone deserves flowers.

 

Day 4: Fiber Break

is fruit considered a cheat?....

Last night, I felt a little extra hungry. Eddie goes to the gym around 7 p.m, so he eats later (like 8-8:30... sometimes 9) after Piper is put down for the night so he can 'relax'... Must be nice. But, sitting here watching him devour [healthy] tuna melts with chips, dip, all followed by a candy bar was HARD. I did amazing all day... I was prepared with my foods, supplements, and check off list. My day went so smoothly. Then he killed it. I ended up grabbing another portion (1/2 c) of cantaloupe out of the fridge and ate it while chatting with him about his day. Is an extra portion of fruit considered a cheat?  (Hahaha) It's so funny that I am worried about eating too much cantaloupe when my 'cheat' on a normal day was, oh I dont know... a half jar of Nutella or a king size candy bar. I guess I shouldn't worry, because I hit the gym for a good arm day... So maybe it 'll even out?

I spoke to Lisa (doing the cleanse with me) yesterday and she had a harder day than me. She pushed through, didn't cheat (like I did) and is such a good source of motivation. But, I see now how outside forces can cause you to make bad decisions. She had lunch with her co-workers... on the third day... And she's trying to deplete herself of SODA! (Evil four letter word) Baddd idea, Lisa. She said she felt very tempted, but I'm proud that she didn't reach for it. Lisa is a nurse and works long hours. To keep herself awake, and probably just as a force of habit, she drank soda throughout the entire day. (when we started, on day 1, she said she was tempted to drink what was left in the fridge when she woke up in the morning, but chose to dump it instead. She wakes up at 4:30 a.m!) This is more than a simple cleanse for her. She is not only getting on the road to a clean-eating lifestyle (a huge change) but also breaking bad addictions, like soda... and bad carbs, which a lot of us probably have or do consume, and don't realize how awful is it for you and the impact it has on your body. I know I've been there. 
**doing the cleanse with a partner is so much more helpful to keep going strong. If you are considering doing it, talk to friends and co-workers and get someone to join you. From prepping foods, night texts to see how each other did that day, and the fact that next time you see each other and step on the scale, you want to kind of impress the other, will keep you motivated to not cheat! 

On days 4, 5 and 6, you don't have to drink the fiber drink in the morning. (You go back to drinking it on days 7, 8, 9 and 10) Thank God because I needed a break from that gross-ness. So that was a plus. Other than that, I've had no 'cleansing' effect at all today. I thought I'd be emptying out more often. When they say gentle, they mean it. I stuck to the meal plan to a 'T' and feel GREAT! Truly. Maybe it's the fact that I've found my willpower, maybe it's the Spark, or maybe it's the clean eating, but I'm energized and just overall in a good mood [today.]

Today's Cleanse Menu:

Breakfast: an 8 egg white scramble with 1/2 c red potatoes and peppers, 2 tablespoons salsa

Post workout: shake- 1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder with 1 banana

Snack: cashews and 1/2 c cantaloupe 

Lunch: 'big-ass salad' with tons of veggies, 1 hardboiled egg-white, turkey-taco meat, 1 tblspoon oil and 2 tablespoons chipotle infused vinegar (Thanks Lisa!)

Snack: apple and 2 tablespoons peanut butter

Dinner: 3/4 cup chicken + 1/2 cup vegetable stir-fry in low-sodium soy sauce with 1/2 c brown rice

And Piper had... SPAGHETTI! (her favorite)

Stay tuned for tomorrow's update. I'll be posting a grocery list to kickstart the cleanse or to stock your fridge with different clean-eating choices.

..don't be shy, and thanks for stopping by!.. 

*follow me on instagram: everyonedeservesflowers* 

'Like' on facebook: everyone deserves flowers.

 

Day 3.. Breezin' by

third times a charm...

The day-by-day updates are probably going to get a little boring from here on out. Today was the same thing as the last two days: wake up, grab my prepared ziplock of Advocare products, pop some supplements, eat clean, pop some more supps, fight the urge to devour Eddie's peanut butter egg he has hidden in the back of the fridge like I don't know it's there (I'm like a hound dog hunting a coon when it comes to chocolate) brush my teeth to stop the salivating, and get my butt to bed! 

Seriously though, today has been a breeze for me! Eating pretty clean and on track most of the time definitely has helped me stick to the diet part of the cleanse. If you haven't started cleansing yet, try to get into a meal-planning and eating clean routine before jumping right into it. 
The fiber drink goes down A LOT smoother when you mix and chug. It took me 8 gulps to get it all down (I'm a pretty good chugger- learned that during my flip-cup days.) 

I went hard on cardio today and was a little afraid of my energy level because of the condensed food intake, but I did better than I have in a long time. (I tend to steer away from cardio whenever I can because, well, it sucks.) The Spark energy drink really plays a role in my workouts and overall daily function. I do drink Spark even when I am not cleansing. Eddie likes it too. The mango flavor is the bomb! 

When you are dieting down or cleansing, all you think about is food though. Not exactly in a 'I could go for a burger' type of way, but a 'what time is it? One more hour and I have to at meal 3' kind of way. I am loving the prep work we did for this. Meal 3 (lunch) came, and I just grabbed my small container of 1/2 c. brown rice and ziplock bag of chicken stir fry with veggies and 4 chunks of pineapple, cooked in low-sodium soy sauce... heat and eat! No thought. And it was delicious. Great meal option for those of you who have to feed a family. Everyone will enjoy it! There is a more in-depth recipe here. 
**If you are following along, don't forget to follow me on 'myfitnesspal' to see what I am really consuming each day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My name is: MissPipersMommy.

Tonight I am going to have a large, veggie stocked salad with turkey-taco meat and salsa. Would I love to have some cheese and sour cream on there? Heck yes! But, you can't have cheese... or much dairy at all. So I'll deal. 

Lisa (who is cleansing with me) dropped off some flavor infused oils and vinegars I could play with and put on my salads (allowed to have just 1 tablespoon oil/ salad) and they are delicious. The are from a place in Lemoyne, PA called TASTEALOTTA. Apparently, they infuse oils and vinegars and you can go have taste samples, learn different recipes on their site, and use the oils and vinegars for different mixtures for different flavors. Since it's supposed to be a beautiful weekend (sunny weather just means my margarita cravings will be on high force) and I'm cleansing, I'm going to drag Eddie up there as a little date/ road trip. So, I'll take pics and keep you updated on some yummy mixtures! 

 Well, I guess that's it for day 3's updates. If you're following along, keep going strong! 

..don't be shy, and thanks for stopping by!.. 

*follow me on instagram: everyonedeservesflowers* 

'Like' on facebook: everyone deserves flowers.

 

2 down... 8 to go!

Preparation is key...

The Advocare 'cleanse' is very mild, to say the least. I'm going to touch base on this very personal issue, only because I know everyone who reads and hears about this cleanse is wondering how 'effective' it is. I suppose I had my first 'cleansing' effect this morning, and was expecting, well, to be blunt, a shit-tas-trophy. But not at all. I felt replenished (lol) but, it did make me go more often than normal. Last I spoke with Lisa, she had yet to have any effect. I guess it will determine on how much 'cleansing' you need. By the way I ate this past Easter weekend (knowing I was going to be doing this for the next 10 days, I was on a peanut butter egg eating marathon) I'm suspecting I needed more cleansing. But, enough of that talk...

The fiber drink (UGH) is... awful. I didn't think it was as bad as I heard it was when I had it yesterday morning, but today it did not go down as smoothly. I mixed it and started replying to an email (you know, my morning iPad session) as I sipped it, and when I went to drink it again, it turned into almost a gelatin! I had to add more water, mix, and chug. That is, by far, the worst part so far. And keep in mind, I ate nothing but fruits and veggies all day yesterday!

I cannot stress enough, when taking on this cleanse (and then challenge), how important it is to prepare and be organized. I want to touch on that a little bit more to help those who are following along with the mealplan or plan on purchasing the cleanse supplements and doing it the future. 

First off, there are several times a day you take Advocare supplements and products. Mornings can be pretty hectic around here, being I have a 19-month old and am trying to get up and out to the gym, so I cleaned out a drawer in my kitchen, and dedicated it to the cleanse. First, I read the outline of when to take supplements and ziplock-bagged my fiber drink, spark packet, catalyst (I chose to take as an add-on) and my omegaplex that you take with breakfast. I wrote the day on them and its much easier to grab a ziplock in the morning. Behind them is my container of 'Spark' for the afternoon, and behind that is my portioned out nuts (healthy fats). 

At night right before bed, you are to take another 2 omegaplex and the herbal cleanse packet (3 pills).  I took a little container and put all my herbal cleanse packets and filled a pill box with my omegaplex and put them right on the nightstand. When I go up to bed, I bring my 'jug' of water, as Eddie calls it, and swallow all my supplements while I watch 'King of Queens' repeats and pass out. Then, guess what I do in the morning... I wake up, go downstairs, and grab my prepared ziplock to start all over again. Having everything handy will help out a lot.

We know I prepped our foods for this week. So today at lunch, without thinking, I opened the fridge, grabbed a zip locked chicken breast, green beans, and 1/2 sweet potato. Heat and eat! At 'snack time,' I grabbed a 1/4 cup portioned bag of cashews and banana. If you are on-the-go or work during the day, the preparation is crucial to stay on track. 

Today has been a much easier day than yesterday! Although the thought of not being able to eat anything but fruits and veggies was more terrifying yesterday than actually following through with it. After getting creative and making a '#bigasssalad' (as us Instagrammers say- hehe)  with fruit and tons of veggies, I felt a lot more fulfilled and did not go to bed hungry. 

**Don't forget to follow #mandalisacleanse on Instagram for ideas and to follow our journey!

Don't be nervous friends! Hop on the bandwagon and get clean! 

..don't be shy, and thanks for stopping by!.. 

*follow me on instagram: everyonedeservesflowers* 

'Like' on facebook: everyone deserves flowers.