FLASH FRIDAY!

Not that kind of flash, put your shirts down!!

With it being the week anniversary of Black Friday I decided to have a FLASH sale!

I always get asked if Shakeology goes on sale and I found out that the answer is NO because it's just that amazing and it doesn't HAVE to go on sale! But I know that the holidays are rough, its hard to fight the cravings, the desserts, the sweet treats so I want to arm you with the best possible tools to make good decisions. In the hustle and bustle of the season please let me help you STAY on track!!!

 

The first 3 people to purchase Shakeology Home Direct (30 day supply) through me will get the entire shipment with $20 cash back!!!!


So don't delay, log into www.myshakeology.com/sarahephillips and get your Shakeology on Home Direct today!

Have questions??!! Well message me and I can walk you through the details so you feel comfortable with what you are getting!!!!

Have a great weekend everyone!!

XO-SP

HELLO CYBER MONDAY

Well, Hello again :-)

No you're not seeing things. This is my SECOND post today!!

I wanted to share with those of you who may not be my friend on the ol' Facebook that Beachbody is having a cyber sale. This means you get to workout on the CHEAP!!

Who remembers overeating this weekend?! Who remembers I became a Beachbody Coach and can HELP you get in better shape and LIVE healthier!!

I knooow you're buying stuff for yourself anyway, so treat yourself and your BODY to a healthier lifestyle!! I want to get you started on feelin gooood

http://teambeachbody.com/shop/holidayoffer?referringRepId=199503

For real, don't regret not taking advantage of these deals come New Years!!

XO-SP

Up in the AM, workin' on my Fitness

Hellooo there! How you doin'? (Wendy Williams, anyone?)

Today I started my forever long goal of waking up early to work out! I aimed for 5 which meant 5:30am, which meant until I got Ava fed and back down. BUT I finished Insanity Max Cardio Circuit before my son and sun were up!! Heyyy now! OH and I showered too! Can this be real??

I've felt so good today, just from that one little move. Normally at this time I'd be stressing about fitting it in and showering when Nate went down for a nap. Instead, it's out of the way and I even got more things crossed off of my list than I normally would by now.

I figured I'd list for you benefits of making yourself get up early to get that workout in and checked off for the day.

 

• Working out early in the morning "jump starts" your metabolism, keeping it elevated for hours = burning calories allll dayyyy
• Energizes you for the day! It also makes you feel good about accomplishing something already before the day even starts!
• Over time your body will get used to waking up at that time and will prepare itself for waking and exercising even before your eyes open
• It will regulate your appetite for the rest of the day causing you to eat less and choose healthy options
• It is a fool proof way to ensure other things don't overtake your fitness goals. Especially a hectic family life (HELLO, ME!) It's done and out of the way. Despite your best intentions, anything can happen the rest of the day causing you to skip exercise for "lack of time"
• And possibly my favorite- exercising before breakfast will effectively force your body to burn stored fat!!

I know for some people working out in the AM isn't a possibility. But if you can I highly suggest it!!

XO-SP

reference

Day of thanks

I tried to be a little more clever than making the title happy thanksgiving! But...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

I'm going to jump on the bandwagon here and just tell you some things I'm thankful for. Of course we all know that we should be thankful everyday for things that we have but it's good to have a day to reflect on those things!

I think the most obvious thing is my little family that has evolved over the last 3 years.

Nathan Liam.

He literally cracks up daily. His funny faces, his fake pouting, his smarts, monkey ways, when he says "mom mom momma moooom mommmmyyyy" (yes like Stewey haha), the bond him and Matt have..

...the words that he say that are multiplying by the day, the hug and kisses he gives and his love for his little sister that is growing everyday is amazing.

Ava Grace.

She loves him too. She watches his every move (this may be a defense mechanism?). She is only 6 months but she is the sweetest little thing ever. Her face truly brightens my day and she is my little BFF! Her eyes & smile could light up a room.

I'm so grateful to be able to experience having a son and a daughter.

I'm thankful for Matt and everything he does for our family. He works so hard and so much so that I can stay home with them. He always has our best interest in mind. Our life may not be perfect, but it's perfect for us!

And oh yes, Julie. She really is my shadow and loves me more than I know!

I'm so so very thankful for our parents, families and friends who are there for us at the drop of a hat, who make us laugh and for the memories we have made.

 

 

I'm so thankful to of had my Nanny & PopPop in my life. They were amazing, loving, caring people and will be missed so very much. We love you!

I'm thankful for all of our service men and women. Especially my little brother!

I'm thankful to have a house that survived and was barely touched by hurricane Sandy. Speaking of her, I'm thankful to of had those times at the Jersey shore. Memories can not be wiped out!

 

 

I'm thankful for age being on my side...I pretty much look the same since 1st grade.

I'm thankful for most recently being able to share with others what I know and keep learning about health and fitness. I'm finally beginning to do what I love and can't wait to see where this journey takes me. I'm thankful or the support I receive from the other Beachbody coaches which is truly amazing and inspiring!

 

And last but not least, I'm grateful I don't have to cook the turkey I can focus on a few glasses of wine instead ;-)

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!

XO-SP

Turkeve

Hey everyone! I've been slacking on the ol bloggy blog here. I've been so busy lately especially with getting a start with Beachbody! I even have to catch up on reading my favorite blogs- can you imagine?!

I'm making two desserts for my family Thanksgiving tomorrow. One is a pumpkin cobbler (I'm gonna have to have a bite of that one) and Pumpkin Fluff Dip! This has only 4 ingredients . Are you ready for it?!
16 oz cool whip
Small instant vanilla pudding packet
1 can pumpkin
1 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

Then you can use cinnamon graham crackers to dip. Hello! How awesome.

I'm gonna even try and get fancy and put it in a pumpkin?!?

XO-SP

My "Why"...

{Warning: this is a really long post! But I tried to add in a lot of pictures to entertain you along the way!}

They may not say it, but everyone wants to know your "what" and  "why". Why do you workout? Why do you do that workout as oppose to that workout? What motivates you? Why did you end up becoming a Beachbody Coach?

You didn't ask (ok actually my coach asked) but I'm going to give you my WHY.

If you know me, you know I've been interested in getting into the fitness industry for awhile. I worked as a personal trainer and even attempted to get my NASM certificate, but did not pass. I felt pretty defeated by that. But it did not stop be from reading, researching, working out, and attempting a healthy diet. I may not be certified, but I know alot of "stuff". And I always want to pass that information onto my family, friends, strangers. I always want to help them get better. So a little less than a year ago I created a BetterYou health and fitness Facebook page. I love posting helpful workouts, recipes, tips, pushing them to work hard, and give motivation. And I love connecting to other moms and other people who are doing the same workout as me.

Rewind to childhood. I'm not one of those stories who can say "I always had a weight issue". We were active kids growing up. I did Irish dancing and we were always told to go "play outside".



can you spot me?



Fast forward to the drinking days. Going out, having fun and partying was what my friends and I did. The drinking definitely showed in my weight. At one point in my life it got a little too much. And one particular day it really got to be too much. It was memorial day weekend and my friends and I wanted to celebrate early. This early celebration ended up with me falling and ending up in the hospital. It was not good and pretty scary.

I'm pretty good at cropping my pictures so I hardly have any full body ones

BUT. After that I really re-evaluated my life. I moved back home (I really didn't have a choice in this even at 21),  I started going to the gym more and wanting to be healthier.  I still went out with friends and had fun... But something sparked inside of me. I decided I wanted to become a personal trainer and started to take classes. I worked for a personal training/physical therapy business and loved it.

Even after failing my NASM exam I have always had this passion in the back of my head. I haven't always been on the best workout routine, I still don't always eat like I should. But I have been better at attempting my mostly clean eating lifestyle. Some of the proudest moments are when my  two year old wants a banana (naaana) or an apple (bapple) and "works out" with me.

drinking my green smoothie

Now rewind again. Enter Matt. We started dating in the fall of 2009 and he introduced me to P90X. He had already completed it once and loved it. We said we were going to start it in the New Year. I was really excited to start this program and get in really great shape. (we've all seen the infomercial, there'so denying its credibility)

 Well, before we could get started I became pregnant with our first child within the first few months of us dating. My pregnancy was really easy compared to other people.

my sister and I :)

 

 

I was excited to start working out after giving birth. I had a c-section so had to wait a little while. I had gained about 28 pounds and got back to my pre pregnancy weight fairly quickly but fat definitely distributes differently after having a baby! Add a c-section into it and its a whole different game. If you had one, you know what I mean! I started P90X but didn't finish it. I wasn't pushing myself past the "sore' days. I did run and do my own workout though and at about 7-8 months post partum I was here:



not bad but still have the mommy cliff! Yup, that's what I call it

We found out we were having another baby about a month after Nate turned one. This pregnancy was NOT so easy. I was exhausted. Getting sick, alot. I lost 10 pounds within the first few months. I was at the weight that I wanted to be NOT pregnant. I eventually ended up gaining the same weight as with Nathan, but still got sick until the end.

I was put on moderate bed rest because my blood pressure was alarmingly high. It didn't go down even on that. Ava Grace arrived on May 9, 2012 three weeks early, by emergency c-section... healthy and beautiful!

Again, I was ready to get back into the groove of things and get my body back. I got down to my pre-pregnancy weight fairly quickly but continued to have elevated blood pressure for awhile after. I started walking and when I was ready I incorporated Les Mills Pump. I really liked that workout, but I was a little overwhelmed by a now jealous toddler and somewhat colicky newborn. I eventually ended up doing a little program swap with my sister in law. I got Insanity and she got Pump.

And I fell in love! It's a hard workout. I've never sweat more in my life (in just the warm up, people). I've never pushed myself more in my life. It's awesome. I've had really great results so far. I feel such a sense of accomplishment when I finish a work out. I've also stopped and started again due to some long vacations over the summer and most recently the death of my grandfather and cousin.

BUT I am pushing play and more motivated then ever. I'm giving my workout my all (hello suicide drills? push up jacks) I've really focused on what I'm eating, trying to eat clean most of the time. I want to set a good example for my kids. I'm not at my goal weight or "look" yet but I've made so much progress. I still have my coffee creamer, I still have cheat meals, I still love my wine. I'm a real person. You can't deprive yourself.

When I started Insanity I joined the Beachbody website. I recorded my measurements, goals, and workouts. This was an awesome tool. I also kept the thought of becoming a coach in the back of my mind. I finally started really discussing it with a coach (I stumbled upon her blog awhile ago, thank God!)  and decided it would be the perfect thing for me. I was already supporting and helping people as it was, so why not?! (And if I could then make a little money from sharing what I already love, it would just be a bonus!)

I got my Shakeology yesterday and it is going to be the perfect addition to my diet and a key to my results. I'm pretty pumped to see what is ahead the next few months.

I'm so excited to start this journey. I've been a different kind of happy this last week, feeling like I found my niche and what I've been trying to get to. The Beachbody community is seriously such a supportive, caring, and motivated group of people. In just a few days I already feel a part of something great.

  I have many goals to reach ahead of me and am so ready to go full force!

last month pumpkin picking

Thank you guys for "listening". And thank you to my family & friends who have been there for me throughout everything, good & bad. Love you all!

XO-SP

Team Beachbody

Hiii!

So who remembers my list of goals from this post?

Well I'm just gonna go ahead and check off the one that says become a Beachbody coach!!

Boom.

I'm pretty pumped to begin helping people toward their health and fitness goals and figuring how to work it into everyday life. I love offering advice (that I sometimes should follow myself), giving encouragement, aaaand letting you how many push up jacks will burn off that cupcake.

Just kidding.
Kind of.

One of my favorite quotes is

 "No one said it was going to be easy, but they said it will be worth it"...

So put down the cupcake, cupcake ;-)

I'm going to be posting recipes, quotes, encouragement, and different product information ect. . I will also share with you my story and my progress.

Don't pee your pants with excitement ;-)

Thank you Melanie for this!

If you've been thinking of workin' on your fitness or need a change check out my Beachbody website here. And please message me if you have any questions at all!

One last thing, My little peanut turned SIX months on Friday. Half a year! Too fast. Too soon.

XO-SP

Liebster Award

Hey Hey...

I know I said I was going to take a little break, but, it's nice to have something take your mind off of things. And, so, here I am. Yaay.

So while the last week brought on a hurricane, power outage and family passing...

I was nominated for the Liebster Award by Brooke @ Brookes Blonde Reality
(thank you so much Brooke!) I really appreciate it!

Per Brooke:
The Liebster award is given by fellow bloggers to up and coming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.

The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

uhm...awesome!! I really needed something positive to happen and this is perfect because... guys... I have SEVEN followers...SEVEN...but alot of page views. So either 7 people look at my posts alot, or they aren't hitting the little follow botton. It's not suppose to matter, I'm suppose to write for me. BUT when I get a new follower (all 7 times) it puts a smile on my face and makes me feel like someone looks forward to my posts. K? K.

And now for the rules:
Each person must post 11 things about themselves
Answer the questions that the nominator set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you’ve nominated to answer.
Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
Go to their page and tell them.
No tag backs!

Here are my questions:

1. Would you rather see a movie at the theater or at home on DVD? Why?
-Well if you ask my RCN bill it would be order on demand movies...honestly we're too lazy to go to the local video store and rent it for a $1 oops
2. If someone wrote a book about your life, what would they title it?
-Oh man, if you asked me in my pre mommy days a book was already in the works for my drinking stories (fail or win?) I'll go with "A day in the life of SP" because things happen everyday that you just can't make up...and people call me by my initials SP to this day
3. What was the worst thing that has happened to you in the last week?
-I originally would've wrote that girl Sandy and her hurricane but losing my grandfather and cousin on my step dads side has made this one of the worst weeks...
4. What are you most looking forward to in the next year?
-I always look at Mondays as a fresh start but new years are always a good push to turn over a new leaf or 5. I look forward to going back to school and figuring out what I want to be when I grow up.
5. What person in history would you most like to meet?
- My dads father. He passed away way before I was even born and I'd love to meet him and talk for hours about his life and raising my dad and all my 234223 aunt and uncles.
6. Do you dream in color?
-If by dream in color you mean remember your dreams, then no!
7. What was your favorite book as a child?
-If you ask my mom, Derek the Knitting Dinosaur. Yes, really. But I remember loving Berenstain Bears books.
8. What was the best thing that has happened to you in the last week?
-Even though they had to come home on a sad note, my sister Colleen and brother Michael coming home. They live on the West coast, miss them so much!
9. If your life was a song, what would the title be?
-Lifes a Dance, you learn as you go! (ok so this is really a song but it fits!)
10. What is happiness to you?
-Spending time with my family and friends, they make life worth living.
And Starbucks.
And Wine.
All at the same time.
11. What was the last gift you gave someone?
My sisters and I made a fall wreath for one of my best friends who just had twins in July!


And here are my nominees:

1. Courtney @ A Diamond in the Stuff
2. Ty @ Arkansassy
3. Katie @ Chronicles of KT
4. Melanie @ Committed to Get Fit
5. Chicago Mom @ Forever In Blue Jeans
6. Beverly @ la la Love, Learn, and Laugh
7. Jordan @ Queen of LA
8. Tristan @ Sunshine!
9. Michelle @ You're my favorite today
10. Brianne @ For the Love of Food (and Eating)
11. Jen @ Days like this one

My questions for you awesome blogladies are:

1. What is your favorite daily blog read?
2. Do you like your handwriting?
3. If you could only use lipgloss, mascara or foundation, which would it be?
4. What is your dream job? Are you doing it now?
5. Do you use sarcasm alot? (it's my middle name)
6. What is your favorite quote?
7. Scary movies or funny movies? Favorite?
8. What book are you reading now?
9. What is your favorite "cheat" meal?
10. Where were you born?
11. What is your favorite feature about yourself?

Can't wait to see your answers! If anyone else wants to answer in the comments section, please do! I wanted to answer my own questions, see question #5 I couldn't help myself.


XO-SP

It's not goodbye, it's see you later...

Yesterday we had to lay my grandfather to rest.

 Our pop pop.

While we can find some comfort in knowing that he is reunited with our Nanny and his son, it has been a hard week. It has been especially hard because it felt like we were losing our Nanny again not even a year later...

I will miss just knowing he is there. Their familiar too small for our big family apartment. His smile, chuckle, stories and telling me to "behave" every time I left.

He was a wonderful husband, father, brother, grandfather ... And will be missed by so many.



....We got other news yesterday as we were all together after his funeral that a family member lost his battle with leukemia. My heart hurts for the family.. Prayers are needed!

Today I'm going to try and get my house in order and return to some sort of normalcy, figure out what day it is. I'll be taking a little blogging break, hope you all will wait for me!


XO-SP

Rest Peacefully Nanny & Pop Pop

We love you so much