Tips & Advice on why to get your S/O in the gym! [plus date ideas!]

The gym is a whole different world when Raul is in there with me. The atmosphere seems different and my mind set is even different. [In a good way] Although I may be more of the talker "one more, you got it, come on babe.", and when mostly 'come on weak sauce' is what comes out of his mouth. [Okay, I am guilty off that also with the occasional butt slap at the end of a set.] But it is very motivating having him there. I honestly feel more powerful. I guess that is really because I push myself to my limits when with him. I mean seriously... I do not want to look like a weakling to him. I do want to make him proud to be in the gym with me and for me to show him I am really trying to improve myself. [nothing wrong with that at all. I did not say I go to the gym for him. Do not get those two confused.] It really is great though seeing me and him grow together. Pushing one another, keeping each other accountable and even flexing together in the mirrors.

It Is Impossible To Eat On A Tight Budget. [Myth or Misconception] +recipes

This is something I hear on a daily and honestly something I had once believed also a couple years ago. That is the sentence, 'Eating healthy is too expensive.'  You thought so too huh? Well listen to this.

The average person spends only $7.00 per day on food. [this is according to the U.S department of Labor Statistics] Now when talking about getting 5 to 6 meals a day with the recommended five to nine servings of fruit and vegetables a day with a tight budget, may seem impossible. However this is not necessarily true. With a little planning [which never killed anyone] a family of four can get by on $28.00 a day. That is $7.00 a person. This includes a wholesome breakfast, lunch and dinner and even a few snacks along the way! Still don't believe me? Check this out!

11 Mental Rules Of A Fit Woman. [+ tips]

Bye bye frozen yogurt... You will be missed. For the week or so that is... However I will be back. Reason being; Raul and I are going 100 percent into the fitness life together. Meaning no fast food or even eating out [minus our two year anniversary in August! Which is the 5th if you are reading this Raul.] We also agreed that if there is not food, we will go to the grocery store and buy it; no longer picking it up from the nearest fast food place. [Yeah I know that means I will be cooking more if needed be.] We are also aiming to drink the recommended water a day and not missing the gym [minus maybe our one rest day]  So on and so forth. With this all becomes more mental planning than anything physical. It is easier to just walk into a gym then it is at times to motivate you to take those steps to make it to the gym. Now if you were to ask Raul the mental planning he does for fitness, he will say zero. He does not need to. Me on the other hand, I have to!

Texas > Montana

Ohhh Montana... All the things I could say today of only being here a couple days. However before getting on that I want to apologize for being away for about a week now. Having Raul home, visiting people, moving and just getting quality time in; has really put my work and school in the closet. I am back now though!

Currently I have been in Montana sense Friday [not long I know but I have learned some things and seen how different this place is. Before telling you all the stuff with Montana, I just have to tell you about the adventure up here! Raul and I left the 23rd, I took the first shift driving [14 hours, Corsicana, TX > Denver, Colorado] Once making it to Denver it was going on 11 o'clock. I was extremely worn out. We started looking for a hotel and.... the seven that we called were all booked! I became beyond frustrated. After about 30 minutes of calling, we found one. Was about $110 a night. Once getting there, all I seen was pot heads and gangbangers. And by gangbangers I am talking about bandanas out the back pocket. Once we got there and seen where we were staying we had to wait in the car for about 20 minutes. Being we had a 22 and 308 with us that needed to make it to the room... [You think walking in front of potheads or GBers with a 5k gun is a smart idea? Didn't think so.] Sleeping there we heard people all night and one time even thought someone was trying to come into the room. Thankfully Cash has become a guard dog and very protective now with us.

A kid in a candy store! [Cabela's]





"Would I sound crazy if I told you that I want you to buy a gun...?" The sentence I thought I would never say to Raul. Really after we just dropped an arm and a leg on his custom 308. However today after Raul's appointment we went to Cabela's. I have never been and the only thing Raul would say is you might find something you will like. Once seeing a billboard saying 'wilderness' on the Cabela's sign, I turned to Raul and just said 'really...?' with the most annoyed look. [Now I love Bass Pro but am so sick of Gander Mnts [they have nothing I am interested in really..] Driving up to Cabela's I seen how big the place was. Which is big HUGE!!!! The inside however, was something I could not have imagined.....

Someone say workout clothes!? [Talk about it Thursday]

Workout clothes seem to be the new daily clothing. Even for those who do not work out. Which I have yoga pants, however you wont catch me in a yoga class more than once a week. So I am guilty of that also. Have you worn some of those though!? AMAZING! Most comfortable things on earth. Same with spandex, running shorts, tights, open back shirts, tank tops and my favorite of all motivational shirts! You know what shirts I am talking about. The workout shirts that have awesome/funny/cute sayings on them? Yup those. I have been trying to figure out really why a lot of people wear them. They wear them with blue jean shorts, workout shorts, to sleep in, etc. Me personally I wear them to the gym and the gym only. [Which if you wear them another time of the day; there is nothing wrong with that. YOU DO YOUR THING!]

What is sleep...? [SleepWorks]

Who loves sleep?! I DO! But lets be honest; I do not get the hours I need or even sleep soundly during those hours. Now, I know I am not the only one with this problem. I have tried many times sleeping aids from the dollar store and other places with being able to pass out, however waking up feeling like I am overdosed on something or have not gotten any sleep at all. The feeling is not enjoyable nor even worth taking the pill.
So when I seen AdvoCare had a product called 'sleepworks', I was sold. It works, it taste great and It does not give me the sleepless feeling when waking up. Best news about this product this month is that it is in the product spotlight! That means DISCOUNT! WHAT WHAT!

The start of a new life.

I think I finally got it. It took about 10 days but I think I am finally there. I have adjusted to Raul being back. Which when I say this, a lot of people take it the wrong way. They look at me and ask, 'is something wrong with you and Raul?' or 'is it not the same?'. I by no means, am saying it negatively. But if you have been in a relationship of months-years apart and little to no communication at times or all the time; It is

It is a Marvelous Monday.

Howdy Y'all! I hope everyone enjoyed their weekend and has started the new week with a bang! Yesterday marked the seventh day of Raul being home [a full week !!] and it has been great to have him here. We have been visiting a few people, having family time, gym and all the other great thing while just enjoying the time here in Corsicana. Now I know I usually post the high lights of this week and about how the week before was, however this will be different. Last week consisted of traveling, adjusting to life of freedom, and just relaxing. And this week, I could not tell you what we have going on at all [which is different for me..]. We do have 10 more days here in Texas though, so the big move is near! Exciting I know! I cannot wait to see all what Montana has to offer and experience new things. With Raul there also, it is going to be a blast!

An Apology Letter To My Body.

I knew getting back into the gym would be different.. I knew I would be no where near where I use to be months before... and I was more than right. Raul and I opened up our gym memberships yesterday and hit the gym this morning. Oh the embarrassment and sense of failure I had. Picking up 10 pound weights when I use to pick up a 25 on lat raises... a 25 pound plate instead of the 45 on plate raises.. My arms were in pain before finishing my workout and the thoughts / questions kept running through my head, "Miriah, why have you done this to yourself...". I kept telling Raul, 'I am so weak...I am seriously struggling' and just shaking my head at myself. I have no clue what was going through Raul's head... He had seen the woman I use to be in the gym and seen where I stood now. Thing is though, I did not want to know, I was afraid to know. During the workout though with the thoughts running in my head I actually was happy to be there..

Reunited [Talk about it thursday]

Sitting on the porch with my new ipad/laptop Raul bought me for my birthday and watching him fix the jeep [we had some problems driving home] and I keep thinking, this is it. Although it has not fully hit me that he is here for good, I am still having some strong feelings. Meaning, I know once we get to Montana and I am cooking every day for him, having quality time, and just being together; it will hit me. Right now though there is a sense of peace.  I am able to lay down at night with him by my side, I am able to worry much less now, I am able to lay out his clothes after a shower, see him walk in the door, and just reach to my side knowing he is there. That there plus so many other things give me peace! Now I cannot write about how the transition is for us being only a day and in the two week phase of just seeing everyone, spending time with them and doing things Raul has not been able to for four years now  but

Dealing with an anxious heart..

Everyone knows that come Tuesday I will be reunited with Raul. Great news right? I agree. With this though at times I get a little overwhelmed, nervous and my anxiety starts to rise. Why?  Well our lives will change drastically. Ending our normal routines and developing a new one. Moving to a new state neither of us have ever been to, living in a RV, Raul will be start school and I will be developing new clients and helping people in Montana through AdvoCare. Really thinking about it all, gets my blood going. However I am not alone in this, thank the Lord. So having Raul there with me and us doing it together, makes things better. But I still get overwhelmed

I've waited two years for this moment. [Marvelous Monday]

Good Morning Y'all ♥ ! I hope you enjoyed your 4th of July weekend and it was filled with happiness, thankfulness and family! I was able to spend quality time with my parents as it being my last weekend here and got to head down to Corsicana for a 4th of July Lunch. I absolutely loved seeing my family and even my in laws (:  I also finally packed my bags for Corsciana and Montana [Yeahh... took me long enough. Procrastination that is. It only took me about an hour to actually pack my things.] I cooked my last home meal for my parents today [sour cream chicken enchiladas] They were delicious and I went to my church for the last time [that was tough] but I actually also was able to just relax this weekend. Now, although it was a good weekend, I am happy to have said good bye to it. The week I have been waiting for, for two years now; is finally here! Yes I said two years. This is the week Raul ends his four year contract with the United States Marine Corps. Now do you understand my excitement? You don't to the full extend unless you have a family member or loved one in the military. That is okay though. I will explain my excitement.

6 ways to stay healthy while traveling this summer [+ trips]

Summer time is filled with adventures and memories. For many it also consist of traveling. Taking trips from and to Texas and California, also trips out of town; I know how traveling can be [awful]. And when trying to stay healthy... it can be a disaster if not planned right. [which I don't know about you but when I either do not eat or eat something unhealthy, I feel like crap.] So if you are like me, this blog post will come in handy for you! With another trip from California to Texas and Texas to Montana I also think this is perfect timing. Even being into fitness for a few years, it is always nice for me to refresh myself on it all also.
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So lets get to it ! 3500 calories equals one pound... Seems like a lot of calories huh? Here lets think of it this way. On your road trip you will most likely stop at a McDonalds or Jack in the Box. Why? Well because it is open all hours of the night. So you decided to get a Big Mac [530 calories] this does not include the drink or fries [together about 1220 calories...] This is already half of a pound you've added. Plus your two other meals you'll need to eat; 3660 calories. Welp there is a pound! Oh snacks also? Yupp add another pound or two.

Want to know my view as a Christian on gay marriage?

Well.... sorry but I am not going to fully speak on this. Reason being, it is just not your business. It is the business of those who I love that I will one day face a decision to attend a wedding or not and it is mine and God's business. If I speak publicly on the topic what will happen? I will lose friends, I will get told 'my OPINION and BELIEF is wrong or whatever else. All the post I have seen from 'believers' and non believers on the subject of homosexuality is to prove a point, a point that not every one will agree on. So why waste minutes off my life by telling you that what you just said is wrong or you do not know what you are talking about, instead I will continue to do as God would. I will love you and I will continue to love every sinner. I will not love what they do or contribute to their sins but I will accept you, love you and pray for you. Why? because, [1John4:8] God is LOVE! Now I am not talking about loving you differently from how I love my best friend of five years, loving as just saying hello when we pass ways. But truly love you as God loves you. "Don't just pretend to love others, Really love them! Hate what is evil, stand on the side of good. Love each other with genuine affection and take delight honoring each other [Romans 12: 9-10]" 

Montana here I come [Talk about it Thursday]

I have less than a week until I am reunited with Raul for good. To be more specific, TUESDAY is my last day! And even better; July 23rd we will be headed to the gorgeous state of Montana. Now I say gorgeous because of all the pictures I have seen and all the wonderful words from everyone, but I have not been to Montana [yet]. Loving out doors and adventure I keep hearing this is the place for Raul and I! So I have been searching. Lots and lots of searching. Best places to eat, concerts, festivals, events, trails, hikes, fishing spots, historical land marks, EVERYTHING! And there are some awesome things I am finding. I have also started a pinterest board on places to go and things to see there as well. So if you have ever been to the state of Montana and have some good spots you would like to share, I am all ears! 

I am going to share with you some of the amazing things I have found and am planning to check out with Raul in our time away from his schooling! [There will be more I continue to add on as the time grows closer to moving there as well as sharing my experience on them all!]

I failed.... and I am okay with it. [Thankful Tuesday]

Failure [noun]

1. An act or instance of failing or proving unsuccessful; lack of success.
2. Nonperformance of something due, required, or expected.
3. A subnormal quantity or quality; an insufficiency.
4. Deterioration or decay, especially or vigor, strength, etc.
5. A condition of being bankrupt by reason of insolvency.
6. A becoming insolvent or bankrupt.
7. A person or thing that proves unsuccessful.

Those are all definitions of failure out of the dictionary. When reading about Failure, you can see why most people stray away from it and/or afraid of it. But why isn't there a definition of failure like; opportunity to success, Opportunity to try again, Time to reassess and try again, Success around the corner, You're not ready yet, or a gift! It gives a different meaning to the word 'failure' doesn't it. So why do we not look at it this way?