Soooooo we started the week out with an awesome weigh in…

And got completely showered with your affection and support (thanks again!!!)…then we learned how to grill like damn champs!

The food we made was soooooo delicious! You may be asking yourself…how could this week get any better?!? Well IT DID!!!! Today at Samuel Cole Salon we had three huge names in the hair and fashion industry grace us with their talent!!! Luxury Brand Partners Co-President Tev Finger…

R+Co. President Reuben Carranza…

and hair legend and co-creator of R+Co. Howard McLaren…

Howard and Tev were also in at the ground level creating Bumble and bumble and Reuben was the CEO of Wella previously. Talk about triple swoon…the level of talent, intelligence and drive was out of control today…but they are three of the most humble, inviting, intimate educators you will find.

This class was an introduction to R+Co…the newest addition to the Samuel Cole family. Let me just say…this line is ahhhh-mazing!!!!! The smell is heavenly, the names are precious…Chiffon, Dallas, Park Ave, the performance is unreal and the packaging fits oh so perfectly in my room…

Am I right ladies?!  Ahhhh-dorable. The salon got decked out for the visit and everyone eagerly awaited the wisdom to follow…

First Jack introduced Tev…

Tev has the greatest laugh and hands down the best stories. He told us a story about shackles…what things that you or others have said to make you feel like something was unattainable. He told a hilarious story about being bigger when he was younger and his family just telling him that it was his big Russian bones…Jenny and I completely related to this! I wasn’t expecting to feel a meatball connection in a business class but weight struggles and limiting beliefs are so universal!

He said so many things that felt like big aha’s for me. Then it was on to Reuben…

This was our first real interaction with Reuben. I saw him briefly in Miami at Backstage but this was our first introduction! What a warm, lovely man. He told us a little bit about his years in the industry and how he found his way to the LBP and R+Co family. He was amazing…then he introduced the man, the myth, the legend…Howard McLaren!!!

Yes he is Scottish and yes he does look just like Ewan McGregor and yes he is even hotter in person…

Oh gosh how did that get in there(he came to our holiday party the Bobbies a few years ago and I suggested that we take a picture of us kissing…He was game…another reason to love him)… I LOVE THIS MAN! He is so talented, so funny, so honest, so creative, innovative, revolutionary and an odd mix of ahead of his time/ throwback. His portion of class was all about how R+Co came to be and how he uses the products as well as a total makeover on our fellow stylist Kristen! Minds were blown…

Oh gosh, how did that get in there…

As you can see Kristen is gorgeous and as you’re about to see… really brave.

Watching Howard cut is so amazing and Kristen looked incredible!

But the best thing was seeing how completely versatile the R+Co products are…look at all of Kristen’s options…

To quote myself…It was the living best day. I’m soooooo pumped about these products and so thankful we had the opportunity to hang out with such iconic role models. Thanks for the inspiration guys!!!! Xoxo #woooof #juicypeppers #moremeatballstolove #ewanmcgregor #heroine #trainspotting #randcohair #luxurybrandpartners #noshackles #weloveourindustry#samuelcolesalon

Oh yeah and we had the healthiest lunch imaginable…thanks Zoe’s Kitchen!!!

No silly…not those these grills!!!

These grills!!!

Our amazingly supportive, wonderful, loving and knowledgeable bosses and owners of Samuel Cole Salon, Jack and Joelle Ray, invited these meatballs over for a grilling tutorial!!! They have definitely been amazing cheerleaders during our journey and this was just another fun night together! I brought my new signature paleo dessert…

mix 1/4 cup almond flour 1/4 cup coconut flour, 1/4 tsp baking soda, 1/4 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp cinnamon together and add 1/4 cup softened coconut oil, 1 egg, 1tsp vanilla and whisk together. Press into a pie dish with fingers and bake for 15 minutes on 350. Let cool completely. Spread a layer of unsweetened coconut milk yogurt over pie crust and slice one banana layering over yogurt. Then add another thicker layer of yogurt and place sliced strawberries and blueberries to top.

And Jenny brought mocktails…

Made from Trader Joe’s sparkling water and fresh fruit!!!

Jenny and I both are very interested in grilling but were extremely intimidated by the whole idea of it! Jack and Joelle to the rescue!!!

We learned a lot!!! And you’ll never guess what you guys…it was soooooo fun!!! So what’s on the menu you ask…grilled flank steak, lamp chop pops, green beans, sweet potatoes and spicy asparagus! Here are some  recipes:
Spicy asparagus…place a bunch of asparagus on a foil lined baking sheet…drizzle with olive oil, kosher salt and red pepper flakes. Bake at 425 for 25 minutes.

Garnett roasted sweet potatoes…toss in coconut oil and kosher salt on an unloved baking sheet at 350 for 30 minutes.

Yummy green beans… in a pot over medium heat steam green beans with olive oil, kosher salt and pepper for fifteen minutes…

Lamp chop pops…marinate for at least an hour up to three hours  in rosemary, thyme, garlic, salt and olive oil…before grilling take out of fridge and let come to room temperature. Grill for three minutes per side!

Grilled flank steak…marinate steak in coconut aminos, honey, garlic salt and pepper for at least one hour but up to three hours. Grill for six minutes per side!!!!

This was our first time….grilling!!! Enjoy the show! First we turned the grill on and let it heat up for fifteen minutes…then it was time to put the steak on..

And we timed it just right…

No joking around guys…this is serious business…

As if…we are jackasses!
Now that our meat has cooked for six minutes on both sides we let it rest under aluminum foil for fifteen minutes while we cook the chops! But first you have to clean the grill.

Now on to the chops…they got really firey and a little scary!

But after three minutes per side these yummy little treats were done!

Mission accomplished and time to carve the steak!!!

And dig in…

Look at these yummy, healthy plates…

Dinner time…

It was disgusting…just kidding…it was amazing! Literally only the bones were left!

We want to thank our bosses SO much for a fun, healthy, informative night! We love you and thank you for the support…now watch out Bobby Flay!!!

Also…THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH for all the support and love and encouragement and kind words and motivation and positivity that you guys sent our way yesterday!!! That weigh in felt amazing and you guys made it feel that much better…you made us jump for joy winky face. We couldn’t looooove you more!!!!

wooooooooooooooooooooooooooof

please believe that I ate it!

bahahahahha…I love this pic so much!

I’m happy to say that we are starting to run out of these!!! It’s crazy to look back…we thought we were soooo thin! hahah, now all I can think is SWOLLEN!!! Happy Friday you guyyyys…how  was your week!?  We have a lot on our minds as our next big weigh in approaches…the 1st is Sunday so we will post the results on Monday!!!!We are nervous and excited.  Time to see what we’re made of am I right ladies!?  So what’s the best way to get your ass ready for the scale…you are never even going to guess…oh you did….and you’re right!!!!  We went to go see our fitness idol and bad ass trainer, Sandra Axman of Innovative Fitness Training located inside of CORE Fitness studios on the Wade Ave access ramp off of Capital Blvd.  We sooo look forward to this every week even though it is so hard that I go cross eyed from time to time! Today was a dooooooozy.  As per yoosh…we were early and jackasses…

whyyyyyy are we so bad a this you ask yourself…because we are short with t-rex arms!!!

showing off our intensity and new workout gear!!! Thanks to Fleet Feet, Old Navy and Torrid!

our smoking hot trainer!!! CALL HER!!!

OK so first we had 4 little circuits to alternate through.  There were wall sits with bar raises

Then sit on a mat and pick up a slam ball and rainbow it (ball overhead then slam, then pick up ball overhead to the other side)

Then walking slam balls

And lastly overhead shoulder bar work

Then we did mother frogging side planks with hip thrusts…this was ugly and there are no pictures bc she was doing them with us. Then we had to put our legs straight into the air and do a sit up and then bicycle crunches…this is really when I start to irrationally hate Sandra…but it fades quickly winky face.

I realize that these are all of Jenny but  I’m coming don’t you worry!

Sneak attack!

Then we moved on to a kettle bell circuit where we alternated through 5 exercises

The first was deadlifts, then kettle bells swings, rainbows, clean and presses and kettle bell squats then bring the bell up to your chin!!!  #hellonearth #ketttlebully #ivegottoberippednowright

Then we did a medicine ball circuit with 4 exercise that we alternated…

We did medicine ball raises with jumping jacks (or jazz steps bc of my foot!), Then right and left side wood cutters!?  I think that’s right and then clean and presses on tippy toes!

Next was wall balls (are you noticing a ball theme here guys?!) then overhead tricep wall balls!

Then trx bicep curls and tricep things

And then we laid on the floor and put our feet into the trx straps and did scissor kicks and running man things (do you hate us Sandra we retain NOTHING!)

Then it was over thank goodness!

We were so wiped that we couldn’t smile!!! But we got it back together quickly!

I’ve become obsessed with this app on my phone called pic stich!!!  I can’t stop doing before and afters!  So enjoy these mad collage skills and your rainy weekend!  We love you…ps we’ve had more meatball sightings!  I got stopped in Whole Foods by one of Cara’s clients and my sister got stopped at her pool by a lovely woman!  Thank you guys sooooo much for reading and supporting this journey that we are on!!! xoxoxoxoxoxo

I wouldn’t mess with these bad bitches!!!!

 

 

 

Weigh in Weigh in Weigh in!!!!! It’s Jenny and our weigh in is right around the corner. I’m so pumped!!  I want to work as hard as I can this week to get off as much weight as possible.  I always start the day off with the best intentions.  Some days are ok but a lot of days something happens mid day to throw me into a total tail spin.  Whenever I feel a little overwhelmed, or just hit with an  uncomfortable situation, comfort food is my go to.  Well I had my fabulous weekend as you saw and the next day my poor baby London was so stinking sick.  It has been a lingering, snot fest for a while.  We did our best to let it run its course naturally. But two Months was our and I’m  sure her, breaking point. Hint Hint feeling a touch of anxiety coming on!!!!!

 

My Instincts told me to make her a comfy bed on the couch, a little snack of apples and grapes, and FROZEN!  A selfish Fav!!! I must admit a teeny tiny part of me loves  sick days.  She is so cuddly!!! And I LOVE it!!!!  But I really hate seeing her tired and sad mostly!!

 

This kiddo loves a selfie!!!

So we had to give her antibiotics.  Which smells like strawberries and taste like candy.  She Effing loves it!   We share a sweet tooth.  She has to take that for 4 weeks. Which seems really long!  And she has to take a nasal spray.   OMG  she hates that.  She walks around the house covering her nose with her hands.  It is kinda funny watching her try to do everyday things all while  keeping her nose covered. ADORABLE! Brandon is the official Medicine Man in our house! haha

So I was still doing well. I made some chicken thighs and roasted carrots and tomatoes for dinner.  And then this happened!!

It was time for bed and London was just unable to settle herself.  Which just breaks my heart.   She was crying and sweating and saying Mommy lay down!!  So I did 🙂 One day London is going to be so upset that I shared the snottiest and sweatiest picture of her!    Anyway…. I rubbed her back until she passed out.  So I got up and left and went down stairs.  Just I got down she stated screaming and crying again.  Her cry does something to me that I can’t explain.  I want to run upstairs and just hold her all night .   And take all the bad feelings away  But I know I can’t.  And the logical part of me knows it does not teach her to cope and sooth herself independently.

So in the meantime I want to throw this thing across the room and eat a carton of ice cream!  But I don’t , I sit on the couch and talk myself out of doing anything irrational like throwing down on some Birthday cake confetti Ice cream.  We don’t even own that.   But that would probably be my go to.  🙂  While this is going on, my whole personality changes.  I’m in some kinda warped mommy mode.  I had to cancel my cooking date with Sara…..boooooo! 😦  I had to be home with my Londy 🙂

The next day we all woke up in a great mood.  But I really wanted to make everything as easy as possible.  I had been wanting a kale breakfast smoothie but the thought of making that mess this morning was my nightmare.  So I bought one! And it was Felicious!

Well The week is almost over.  One more Workout with Sandra.  Gotta go hard!!!!   I have to be healthy for my family!!!!  So I can always help take care of them!!!  Thanks for your support everyone.  muuuuuaahhhh!!  See ya!

 

You guys!!! Yesterday I packed up a beach house, had an awesome road trip home from the beach with my dad, went grocery shopping at my homeland Trader Joe’s on the way home, went to the gym,

looked adorable check, finished writing Memorial Heyyyy to be super proactive, took a shower and had a lovely dinner out with my family,

ate healthy and went to bed reallllly early to get back into the swing of things. Then I woke up today…started my day right by nailing adorable!

 

First day back at work since my four day vacation and I was pumped!!!  I had my oh so delicious and nutritious Kale smoothie…

I know it looks like geese shit but it is gyot durn yummo!  I left my house early and grabbed a Venti iced green tea unsweetened from Starbucks and headed into work!  Then allllllll hell broke loose.  You guyyyyyyyyssssss…my cell phone ate my blog post (this is now the new name of my memoir and the new cool my dog ate my homework) !!!  Like unrecoverable no matter what I tried!  We can’t not post, so after 15 minutes of being convinced that I could make it work I surrendered to the fact that I would have to email each photo individually to myself at work and REWRITE THE  ENTIRE MOTHER TRUCKING THING!!!  Not to mention it was the end of the fiscal month on saturday and we were closed yesterday so I was in for a morning full of spreadsheets and math and oh yeah…my sweet clients!  Over the course of three chopped up hours I finally finished and published the post!  Shewwwww, that was a close one!  Then I left work to go to the chiropractors to see whats the sitch with my gimpy foot….LOOOOOVED this woman…blog to come soon…it was painful but I can tell I’m going to feel like one million dollars! On the way back to work…the bottom fell out…i mean it was raining soooooo hard which only slows traffic down.  I pulled into the parking lot by the skin of my teeth (what does that mean?!) and became a member of the drowned rat club!  But my clients and coworkers are so amazing …they always make me smile. Tonight is the night where Jenny and I usually cook together which is the living funnest!  Buuuuut her little baby boo is sick and she had to bail!  Totally understandable but bummmmmmmmer!  This is how I felt when I found out I had to cook alone…

Then I peeked around my house and wondered if I had been robbed or if that storm had just swept through my home!  I HATE UNPACKING and so my house is a total disaster right now…

Whats a girl to do!?

I’ll tell you what…put on Beyonce (yes I have other music buuuut why!? And yes that is an original iPod…how vintage of me)

This pumped me up per yooosh and I raided my fridge to cook something yummy for the next couple of days.  I’ve decided that dwelling on daily irritations is a total and utter waste of my time…sometimes I totally fail at living this ie this morning but I really do hate poisoning the community well.  So I got the funk over it and started cooking!  I thought I would do something a little different and kind of wing it.  So here is a glance at whats on the menu for tomorrows food!

Breakfast:

Kale Smoothie

Fill a blender full of trimmed kale and spinach (two handfuls of each)

Pour 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk over the greens and hit the liquify button on your blender for at least 20 seconds or until yo see a smooth green consistency.

Now I add 4 strawberries and a handful of blueberries as well as a spoonful of almond butter and two ice cubes.

Hit blend or liquify at this point depending on your desired consistency…i want more of a juice than something I eat with a spoon…i usually do this for a minute…minute and a half bc it grosses me out to chew something coming out of a cup!

Morning Snack:

I love nothing more in the summer than grapes!!!  yum yum yum I’ll be enjoying this with my new obsession…sparkling water…

Lunch:

I really went rogue here…I took chicken legs and made my own dry rub using onion powder, garlic powder, jerk seasoning, cayenne and paprika…

spoiler alert…its WAY TOOOOO EFFING HOT so back off on something! I preheated the oven to 450 and baked them on a a pan for 35-40 minutes.  I will say they got a really nice char and they are super juicy!

Afternoon Snack:

OMGeezy…this is amazeballs!

Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus

I got the sliced prosciutto from TJ’s as well as a bushel of asparagus.  In a saucepan over medium high heat warm 1 tbsp of olive oil.  Wrap 1/2 piece of prosciutto around a trimmed piece of asparagus and continue this until you have the bunch wrapped…Then heat each one for 2-3 minutes until your meat is crispy!  Sooooooo goood and couldn’t be easier!

Dinner:

Meaty Squashta

This was really on the fly…i was starving when I got home so I made bacon and eggs…yum!

And I knew I had a purple onion, mushroom, asparagus medley from TJ’s in my fridge so I saved 1 tbsp of my bacon grease, added some garlic and dumped the veggies in.

Then I spiraled 4 small yellow squash and sauteed this mixture

…adding a little avocado oil, oregano and some chopped up tomatoes!  Then i tore up some fresh basil and added some turkey meatballs!!!  It almost became a gravy with the bacon and mushrooms…so excited to eat this!!!

So now I’m on my dinosaur of a Macbook because my phone is not to be trusted! Shout out to Nichole for my lovely painting!

Well I’ve accidentally hit publish tonight so enjoy an early  post…when it rains it pours.  Ps f-you technology..you win dammit you win!!!  I hope you guys get some yummy ideas…we would love to hear what you’ve been eating.  And remember…tomorrow is a new day…please let it be a new day! xoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxxo

PS THE WEIGH IN COUNTDOWN IS ON…6 MORE DAYS!!!

 

 

Hiiiiiiiiiii!!! It’s Sara…You guyyyyys…this Memorial Day Weekend was fahhhmazing!!! My family and I (sans kids) went downt to Salter Path on the North Carolina coast…which is our favorite place ON EARTH!!!!

I mean…is there anywhere more amazing on the planet…probabllly but, this is our little Beard slice of heaven.  Is it the sound of the waves, that brine-y smell, the dolphins ten feet from us, the sand, the freezing clear water, the pelicans, the non stop laughing, the intoxicating scent of sunscreen (my favorite smell!), the relaxation, matching mother daughter outfits (finally getting to live out a childhood fantasy), the endless time with family or tan wars?!?

All of the above…Am I right ladies??!!  I just love the beach!!!  And my family obvi…but I will say, I was a little trepidatious about four days out of town…away from my routine…while I’m plateaued!  Vacation is normally a real sink hole for any healthy resolve I have and in the past would have totally derailed me.  Buuuuut, you guys…we came prepared and commited to being healthy as a family.  We brought groceries and cooked and didn’t stuff ourselves silly which is a total Beard family first!  We made Kale Smoothies…

And bacon and eggs…

Kale salad with spicy deli turkey and pepperoni…

Spa water and pistachios for snacks…

And grilled steak, squash and onions, baked sweet potatoes and spinach guacamole salads…

Everything was super easy and delicious…and healthy!!!  Even when we went out to eat…I tried to make the best decisions I could!

I felt like high fiving a million angels.  I wasn’t even tempted by my normal beach treats…ice cream and ice cold beer.  We shared a cheers but I sipped on a Coke Zero (I’m 106 days sober!!!)…My one major splurge of the weekend!

For the first time in my life I actually served as my families voice of reason instead of the hedonistic instigator (my motto is DO IT!).  Normally I would be the one pushing us to go out to eat even though the fridge was stocked…but not this time! I also had the pleasure of paying it forward and being the driver so my family could enjoy these beers!  So many people have taken me home over the years and it feels so nice to return the favor!  Then the healthy living continued…we even got a little exercise before beaching it up!

 

So what was the reward for doing so well ( I am a child and I love a prize )…family time on the beach!

 

Now you may be asking yourself…what is this tan wars you speak of. Well it’s a game that my family made up to make me feel even paler than I already do!!!  All summer we compare arms and legs to see who is the darkest…spoiler alert my dad always wins bc of his dark arm hair, then my sister, then my mom, and brining up the rear…ME! My family (not myself included) could teach a master class in tanning!  I am easily distracted and find it hard ot sit and sizzle!

 

But more than anything this vacation we enjoyed each others company…and not to the detriment of our health!

 

 

What a wonderful way to spend a weekend…with the people you love the most.  Now I have so much more faith that our June and September beach trips can be healthy!!! (Chanting) Beards…Beards…Beards (slow fade out) beards…beards…beards…Looooove y’all the most in the world!

As always, here are the outtakes.

#imtheworstatselfies

#isitbcineverstoptalking?!

Hope you had a lovely holiday with the ones you looooove.  Xoxo!!! PS…countdown to weigh in..we’ll post next Monday!!! Don’t miss out!