Hi family and friends! 👋🏻

Happy New Year! I hope everyone’s year is off to a great start. Mine started with a challenge with RP Strength (Renaissance Periodization), which I’m really excited to complete. I’ll be adding all of my weekly progress updates below, but if you want to follow along in real-time, you can follow my whole journey on Instagram: Instagram.com/dumbbellsnotblonde 

Thanks for all of your support, and I can’t wait to share my full transformation with you all in March! 💪🏻

JA

January 7th, 2022 #accountabilitypost 🎉

Happy Friday family and friends! 🥳

I’m sure you’ve seen already, but I decided to jump on the #rpstrength challenge this year for the FIRST time! Last year I had just completed my 2020 end of the year cut (so I was good to go at the beginning of the year), but 2021 had some hard moments and stress eating definitely got the best of me (especially not being able to work out during the holidays with my sciatic nerve pain). 😢

I’m now six days in to my challenge and one pound down. Mentally I’m doing good! My husbands birthday is in January and my daughters is in February, so “dieting” or doing some type of #newyearresolution this time of the year has always been tough, until now. To be transparent, I’m not going into this challenge thinking that I’ll have the best results of everyone in the end. I’m also not looking to do the challenge at 100% meal adherence like I did previously, which is my biggest struggle I’m looking to overcome. Yes, I’m going into the challenge with the plan to ENJOY my husband and daughters birthdays, and finish this #challenge with a “lower than perfect” check in goal (which will be lingering most of the challenge since one is in two days). 😂 I’m doing this challenge to learn that it’s okay to enjoy life, and to master picking right back up after going over. With not being able to workout much (not at all now the first month) and not being perfect throughout, it’s 100% mental for me this round, and I’m planning for it as such. In the process I hope to come out stronger, and have a healthier mindset when it comes to balance- truly living a healthy lifestyle! Of course, a few less pounds in the end would also be welcomed. 😉

January 14th, 2022 #accountabilitypost 🎉

Friday #accountabilitypost 🎉

I’ve made it through another week of my challenge, and even after thoroughly enjoying my husband’s birthday cake, the graph is headed in the right direction! Could it have been better? Eh, who knows! 😂 Again, my goal going into this one is to figure out balance, with the challenge reminding me to pick right back up versus falling off the rails. So far, so good!

Coming up, the festivities continue and I’m going to try my best to enjoy myself but also make #smarterchoices as well. 

I hope everyone enjoys the upcoming holiday weekend! 🙌🏻

January 21st, 2022 

Friday #accountabilitypost 🎉

I’m still trending down 1.8 pounds, does that count?! 🥴

Probably had a little too much fun enjoying my husbands birthday WEEKEND, but that’s okay. 🥳

I’m not planning any other fun meals until my daughters birthday in February, so we’ll see how it goes next week!

I think I’m scheduled around losing 10 pounds within the 12 weeks, so if I’m around three pounds down heading into February I’ll be happy. Still don’t feel deprived, still enjoying myself but jumping right back on track. That’s what this round is all about for me! 

January 28th, 2022 Friday #accountabilitypost 🎉

Shark week is done, husband’s birthday fun is done and we’re heading back down in the right direction. 💪🏻

#marathonnotasprint 

Mentally I’m doing good, even without the exercising aspect… although it would be nice to have both of course. 😂

Continuing to meet myself where I’m at and celebrate success, even if it’s just three pounds. 🥳

How’s everyone else doing? Would love to cheer you on as well! 

#rpstrength #rplifestyle #rpdietapp #teamrpstrength #fitnessjourney #fitmom #momtrackingmacros #trackingmacros #dietcoach #healthylifestyle #transformationtuesday #fitnessgoals #crossfitmom #womeninspiringwellness #womensupportingwomen #healthycarbs #leanprotein #healthyfats #communityovercompetition #consistencyoverperfection #fitnessmotivation #momswholift #healthyeating #eatclean #weightlossjourney #strongnotskinny

Super Sweet and Simple Chicken Recipe

Hi friends! 👋

We're right smack dab in the middle of the Christmas season, and boy is it busy! This is when I tend to rely on cookies and healthier meal options to balance. 😂

The recipe I have for you today is a super simple and easy one to make, I call my super sweet and simple chicken recipe. I've made it every week so far this December, so you know it has to be easy! I actually saw something similar added to fish, and thought to myself.. I don't eat fish, but I bet this would be good on chicken! I played around with it quite a bit, and this is how I'm saving/making it from here on out. I hope you enjoy!

This specific chicken recipe is on the healthier side, made with raw honey and deli mustard. When you bit into it, you get a nice and moist chicken, with a sweet top and an added little kick from the mustard. As a healthier option, I recommend making two and meal prepping the second one for later! 

Chicken Ingredients

• Two Boneless Chicken Breasts
• Raw Honey
• Deli Mustard
• (Optional Salt, Pepper, Garlic Salt)
• Olive Oil

Ingredient Notes

I preheat my toaster oven to 375 degrees.

I initially add two tablespoons of honey and two tablespoons of deli mustard in a small ramekin. Mix it really good and set it aside.

I put the chicken on foil (with a little olive oil on the bottom so it won't stick) and sprinkle salt, pepper and garlic salt on top. Mine all comes as one, but you can do each individually as well.

Then I take half of the mixture and spread it on top, leaving some leftover for when the chicken comes out of the toaster oven. 

I put it in for 40 minutes, making sure the internal temperature of the chicken is 165 when taking it out.

Once done, I add the additional mixture on top, cut and enjoy! Yes, it's really that simple!

Recipe Equipment

• Small Ramekin
• Aluminum Foil
• Toaster Oven
• Spoon

The equipment is simple for this recipe. Of course if you don't have a toaster oven, you can always use a convectional oven. Mine just heats up so much faster and always has the tray sitting inside waiting to be utilized, so I tend to cook with this option first if just for myself.

• This recipe is for two pieces of boneless chicken
• Store leftovers in an airtight container, in the fridge

Save Me for Later

I hope you love this new chicken recipe! If you try it out, I'd love for you to comment below to let me know what you thought. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook! 

Two Ingredient Super Simple Sweet (with a little kick) Chicken Recipe

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Course: Lunch, Dinner

Cuisine: American

Macro Friendly: YES!

EQUIPMENT

• Toaster Oven
• Small Ramekin
• Aluminum Foil
• Spoon

INGREDIENTS

Hi family and friends! 👋

We were at the pool the other day for an hour and a half with a mom and her daughter. As she was leaving, she made a comment about how we pretty much had the whole thing to ourselves today, followed by “you’re a really good mom and your kids are so well behaved”. 

It made my whole freaking day! 

What I see all day is her getting to spend 1:1 time, focused on one child’s attention, playing silly games with her. I admired how attentive she was and how well she conversed about all the rules she her daughter created on the fly. She was smiling, laughing and giggling having a good time the entire time. Me on the other hand, had three bathroom trips for the oldest, two for the youngest (so we all get out and go together each time), one kid in the deep end one in the shallow, one wanting the hot tub and one wanting to sit out, one in timeout for not listening. I spent half of the time out of the pool walking back and forth like a lifeguard so I could see both, throwing dive sticks, blowing up tubes, trying to get the kids to drink water, picking up toys. 😂 

Not even sitting in a lawn chair cuddling my son for 10 minutes and watching my daughter in the kids hot tub did I think about how well I was doing. I was focused on what I couldn’t provide.. the individual attention for each child like she could. 

Thankfully she saw the beauty in today’s chaos and what I was doing and let me know. 

I hope I can relay the same message to another tired, yet doting toddler mom I meet who’s also doing the best she can. ❤️

Be kind to each other. We're all on the same team. 

I hope you all have a fantastic week! 

Want to read the whole blog? You can do so here.

Hi family and friends! 👋

I hope you all are having an amazing day and productive week. I recently had a day of downtime, where the kids and I stayed home, caught lizards, splashed in the hot tub and enjoyed all of those toys they only see every so often when we're not running to and from one place to the other. As stir crazy as I can go staying home, I'm currently sitting here listening to giggling at the table, watching out of the corner of my eye them eating their after dinner bowl of cereal, just because. Truthfully, they love it!

I know a lot of people ask what I eat in a day, so I want to try and document my meals every so often for you to get an idea of what my day look like when it comes to food. Today worked out for me to be home for all four meals, so I went for it! 

First, lets go over what my macros are for the day!

Sleep: 7 hours, 30 minutes

Workout: 0

Meals: 4

Protein: 135g

Fat: 45g

Carbs: 20g

Meal One:

Cheese

Egg Whites

Eggs Whole

Avocados

Onions

Strawberries

Meal One

Meal Two:

Beef

Ketchup

Watermelon

Meal Two

Meal Three:

Protein Shake

Wheat Thins

Whey Protein 

Almonds

Meal Three

Meal Four:

Chicken

Cheese

Onion

Meal Four

Although I wouldn't say this is a typical day (Monday through Friday looks a lot different with workouts and a more routine day), it's good to get an idea of how simple and straight forward it really can be! If the numbers look a little overwhelming, check out the post on Why I Love the RP Diet App, as all of them are factored and edited throughout your journey. You just enter some information to start and each week, and the rest is really done for you. You enter what you want to eat and the app tells you how much (or reminds you just how many carbs are in that item you love). Truly the simplest way to hit your nutrition goals in my opinion.

Hope this helps! Feel free to comment, pin or share. Thanks for helping my website grow. 😁

Chat with you all soon!

Hi family and friends! 👋

I was at the gym the other day, and I saw two friends with super cute muscle tanks.. that they both did themselves! So it got me thinking, how many shirts in my closet do I not wear because they are boring t-shirts? Which could I make into cute wearable muscle tanks? How the heck do I cut it so it's just as cute?

Muscle tanks have been around forever, however, they've definitely been seen a lot more recently as a cute cover up before workouts or to wear during your workout (me!). I recently purchased a women's muscle tank on Amazon to start wearing to the gym. What I love about it? The color and fabric. What I would change? Arm holes not going out so wide to show side boob and a shorter length. 😂

Because my side boob shows a different color sports bra (not in the cute way), I don't wear it unless to bed. BUT, I still want a cute one! 

INITIAL SIDE CONVERSATIONS

First friend: "I did two inches at the top and then kind of winged it"

Second friend: "I did this so long ago"

Final thoughts: I can do it myself, but will have to do by trial and error

So I decided just to take a shirt out of my closet and practice!

Step 1: Grab your supplies

- Shirt

- Scissors

- Tape Measure

- Marker

Step 2: Decide the top width

I chose two inches and marked both sides. I also folded in half to make sure both sides were similar.

Step 3: Figure out how far down on the sides you want the arm holes to go

I wanted them a little bit higher, so I chose to go one inch down from the arm hole seam. I again folded in half to make sure both sides were similar.

Step 4: Start cutting, one side at a time! 

I went down from the top, and then cut in an L shape to the second marker. Don't worry about them being 100% even, as you will also be stretching the arm holes after.

Step 5: After both sides are cut, stretch the armholes out, which causes the new cut to roll a bit. 

Step 6: If you want a shorter length, cut the bottom.

(I skipped this step with my trial and error shirt, but will probably do this in the future.)

Step 7: Wear your new creation with pride! 

Making a t-shirt into a women's muscle tank was actually easier than I initially thought. I hope you have a similar experience! 

* I'm not in anyway affiliated with Legoland and didn't get compensated for my trip. We just enjoyed our trip so much that I wanted to share it with friends and family. Information expressed and shared are all my own opinions. Enjoy!

We recently took a trip to Southern California to one of their newest most beloved amusement parks, Legoland! Legoland is a little chunk of kid paradise in the city of Carlsbad, California. Growing up going to theme parks in Southern California, I began to wonder why I've never been to this place. Well, it's because it opened when I was a teenager, which in my opinion, is a little out of age range unless you're going with younger children.

I would say Legoland California is perfect for ages 2-9 (we did have a nine year old with us and he did have fun), and offers the right amount of fun, rides and kid exploration for 2-3 days of fun. We bought the Legoland/Aquarium/Waterpark pass staying for three nights, playing two full days- and it was the perfect amount of time! We stayed at the Legoland Castle Resort, just steps from the main entrance of Legoland, California. We had such a great time, so much so that I'd love to share three tips with you if you plan to visit the park soon as well. 😊

Don't forget to pin for later!

1. Stay at the Legoland Resort

   There's many times you plan a trip, and it's so much less to sleep a few miles away. I do this when I go to Disneyland, and I'm actually not going to do it the next time I visit. Here's why! The hotel is set up to be a secondary park in itself. We stayed at the Legoland Castle Hotel, and it had a million (okay, maybe a little less) things to do! There's a park that we visited morning, afternoon until well in the evening. They have magic shows, story time and entertainment going on throughout the day on a patch of grass. They have an outdoor movie theater and pool with pool Legos. Inside they have a slide, a throne, and little Lego people throughout. On top of the continental breakfast and on-going activities outdoors, you also get in an hour early into the park. Although not every ride is open right away (at least when we visited), you can start your plan of attack and be one of the first when they do open. We did this both days with Ninjago and rode both times with almost no wait.. like, it took longer to walk through the line than getting on the ride itself.

The room itself has a fun Lego experience and has the whole Lego theme as well. There's a bed for adults, and then bunk beds with a TV around the corner (although mine all piled into one). 😆 

The buffet breakfast, amenities, early park access and how close the hotel is to the entrance is definitely worth it!

2. Visit in the Beginning of the Week

    I'm sure you're thinking that summer is the worst time to travel to a California amusement park. If so, you're thinking the same as my husband was when I told him we were going mid-summer. Lol. His patience is very limited when it comes to waiting for rides! We actually planned this trip around family, as they were visiting the park at the end of July. Even though it could be hot and busy, we jumped on board and purchased tickets for the same days. I'm here to tell you, we didn't wait more than 15 minutes for any ride- most being around five minutes or less! We made sure to hit the most popular rides first thing, and then spent the afternoon visiting the little parks inside, eating and playing various games along the way. We honestly didn't have many issues visiting the main park on Tuesday, followed by the Waterpark on Wednesday. We did the aquarium in the evening on Tuesday, and that was easy (and so much fun) as well. 

There wasn't a line when we arrived to check in, but there definitely was one when we were leaving, so my tip would be to time your trip for earlier in the week if possible.

3. Buy the Legoland/Water Park/Aquarium Pass

    Most amusement parks are now starting to open a water park on top of the normal park, which in California I think is a great idea! We purchased one day at Legoland, one day at the Waterpark and an Aquarium pass. What I love about this is that you're not limited to just the Waterpark for the day! It's in the back corner of the park, and we were still able to ride a few rides we didn't get to the day before, and then get wet for the day. We visited the waterpark for a few hours, played a game or two on the way back to the hotel, slept and then went back out to the park for the last hour and rode five rides before closing! The aquarium itself was so fun, which I wasn't expecting much to be honest. They have little stamp books, so you could see how far you were into the adventure throughout. Each area was well done, and I honestly could have gone through again. This may seem like an add on, but it was actually one of my favorite moments from the trip. Make sure not to skip it!

OUR ITINERARY

Monday: Check In

    (Enjoyed hotel amenitites- Pool, Park, Show)

Tuesday: Legoland Park, Sealife Aquarium 

Wednesday: Legoland Park, Waterpark, Legoland Park

Thursday: Checked Out

    (Hotel Amenities)

OUR FAVORITE RIDES

OTHER PLACES WE VISITED

Hi family and friends! 👋🏻

I hope you all are enjoying your summer! I know we are over here. 😎

I recently got back from one of the places I love visiting every year, Lake Tahoe. Lake Tahoe is an absolutely beautiful lake, sitting between California and Nevada with more than enough to do for any traveling enthusiast. I've done ski trips, hiking trips, family and best friend trips. I've gone for a bachelorette party, a wedding and a crazy 4th of July boating holiday weekend. I've gone camping, stayed in cabins, hotels and resorts on the North and South shore. It's all breathtaking and worth the trip anytime of the year! Because I know this could be a place you plan to add to your bucket list, I wanted to put together a couple itineraries I've loved! 

First, North and South shore Lake Tahoe are vastly different. For the most part, you'll find a lot more of the fun nightlife and casinos in the South shore, and the more laid back vibe in the North. However, it's easy to travel the lake, so find a spot that suits you and make sure you have a car!

My last trip was a girls trip where we stayed in a cabin in Truckee, California. Truckee is a beautiful little mountain town on the outskirts of Lake Tahoe. They have a cute little downtown and an easy way into the West side of Lake Tahoe. Truckee has cabins, but is also filled with lots of locals, boutique shops and restaurants. Truckee is more North West, so we ventured North clockwise around the lake in the morning down to South Shore our first day. The East side of the lake is more scenic, so it was a beautiful drive down to the casino area. First we did the Heavenly gondola, observation deck, hiking to the roller coaster and then shopping at the bottom. After a great morning, we headed to The Beacon Bar & Grill for a late lunch/dinner and some beach time. We found a frisbee and honestly enjoyed the water until the sun went down, driving the rest of the lake back (with a quick stop at Emerald Bay of course). It was a perfect relaxing girls weekend, and a good way to maximize the weekend in such a gorgeous area! 

HERE'S SOME THINGS I LOVE TO DO THAT YOU MAY WANT TO EXPLORE ON YOUR UPCOMING TRIP TO LAKE TAHOE TOO:

SUMMER

- Staying in a cabin or resort

- Camping at Camp Richardson

- Driving all the way around the lake

- Hiking! (Maggie's Peak across from Emerald Bay is a great one if you have 1/2 of a day)

- Heavenly gondola, observation deck, hiking, roller coaster, zip line, tubing, food at the top

- Shopping/eating at the bottom of Heavenly

- The Beacon Bar & Grill, great beach, dock and beach dining

- Stand up paddle boarding and kayaking on the lake (they have clear kayaks you can rent too)

- Rent a boat for the day (Pontoon boats are very fun here as well as a ski boat)

- Sand Harbor (we did our engagement photos here, and it was beautiful)

WINTER

- Stay in a cabin

- Snowboarding at the resorts: Northstar, Heavenly, Kirkwood and Homewood are some of my favs! 

- The shops at Heavenly

- Ice Skating and hot chocolate at Northstar Resort

OTHER IDEAS

- Gambling at a Casino

- Concert at Harvey's Outdoor Arena

- Golf at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course

- Mini Golf in Kings Beach

- Milkshake at the Char Pit 

- Rent bikes (Incline Village on North Shore, Anderson Bikes on South Shore- 7 miles roundtrip to Baldwin Beach for a picnic

- Catch crawdads

- Emerald Bay by boat or hike

- Truckee Rafting

- Ropes Course (Treetop Adventures)

- Donner Train Tunnel hike

I hope this list helps! Don't forget to pin for later. 😍

Best of luck with your upcoming travels to beautiful Lake Tahoe! 

Hi family and friends! 👋

I can't believe it, but my little site just hit over 10,000 views!!! When I started this journey 16 weeks ago, I honestly didn't think 10,000 views was possible in the first year (even 100 people viewing it within the first year seemed like a lot). 😂 

Thank you for supporting my journey, and for proving me wrong in the best possible way! 

 *This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon affiliate, if you purchase a product through one of them, I will receive a small commission (at no additional cost to you). I only ever endorse products that I have personally used and benefited from personally, so I know you'll love the product(s). Full terms can be found here.

Hi family and friends! 👋

I've done some fun "getting ready for summer" purchases lately on Amazon, so I wanted to share them with you! Click on any of the photos below to read reviews and shop! 

Crop Tank

 

Outdoor Chair

Another true favorite lately, as I'm spending more and more time outside at the kids' sporting events! I originally purchased a small chair that was incredibly hard to put together and take apart, so much so that I didn't- I just carried it a couple of weeks put together to and from the field. Let me tell you, this chair is the complete opposite! One, it rocks. Two, it has a movable cover to hide the sun from your face. Three, it folds so easily and four, the bag it comes in is oversized, so you're not trying to squeeze it in and out of the bag each time. Also, the blue is beautiful. I'd purchase this one over and over again. Click the photo above to add one to your shopping cart.

 

 

Burger Maker

Another easy thing that I'm just LOVING right now! I originally purchased this for my husband, but let's be honest, I'm the only one using it. It makes burgers the right thickness and perfectly portioned. It's the most simple contraption, but it works! Also, extremely easy to clean. I plan on using this all summer long! Click the photo to learn more.

Tanning Lotion

There are a plethora of tanning lotions out there, and I'm sure they all work well. However, this keeps being my go-to! I've tried the drops in regular lotion and have had streaks on my legs for a week. I've tried brands that turn me orange. This one is fool proof. It gives me a little shade (so it doesn't look like I work inside an office all day!) and never has given me anything other than a glow. And you can't beat the price! Click on the photo above to shop.

 

Bikini

Since my before and after photos with RP, this may be one of the questions I've received the most, "where did you purchase your purple bikini?" Who would have known that me pulling out the top swimsuit in my drawer for a photo 'for myself' to track progress would have gone viral. However, here it is, and it's under $25! Click the photo to purchase one of your own in a color you love!

What summer finds are you shopping for right now? Share with me in the comments below!