Today is DAY ONE

I've always had a pretty bad sweet tooth. I remember after school as a kid sneaking an extra Little Debbie snack. Oh, those fudgy brownies were so good! And the NutterButters! Who can resist peanut butter and chocolate?

When I was living in the dorms in college, I couldn't believe that there were frozen yogurt machines right there in the cafeteria. So, I would make sensible (well, about as sensible as cafeteria food can be) choices for dinner, and treat myself to dessert almost daily.

After college, I began to make better choices - but still not great. I was a sucker for sweet snacks. I would have yogurt covered raisins or dark chocolate almonds and tell myself these were healthy indulgences.

Then I had kids and I tried to tighten up my eating habits, but that sugar thing is hard to kick. I found my sleep-deprived self reaching for more chocolate, more "health" bars,  and more ice cream. On top of that, I was baking more often too. I would cut slice after slice of my "healthy" banana bread - made with dark chocolate chips, of course - and tell myself it was okay because it was healthy or because "I didn't really eat lunch".  I found myself always thinking about my next treat. My body was craving them. It could not get enough - the minute I had a little, I wanted more.

Sugar is a powerful addiction. Even as powerful as some street drugs.

I kept thinking, "I need to do something to fix this," but I didn't know what to do. I knew I couldn't do it alone. I had been thinking about doing a juice cleanse, but they're pretty expensive, and I wasn't sure that it would be effective. Plus, I would be pretty cranky surviving on juice for a few days (I can't imagine I would have the support of my husband and kids on that one!) It seemed like it would be a temporary fix to my big problem.

I kept telling myself I would do something about it the next day, or the next week, or after this cup of ice cream. Months went by of me feeding myself this excuse - and then the opportunity to do Arbonne's 28 Day Detox program came along. A few of my other Arbonne sisters were doing it, so I figured "why not? - at least I'll have a support network for when the chocolate chips in my pantry start talking to me."

So I signed up, and I ordered my detox supplies from Arbonne.

I prepped for it all last week because Arbonne is awesome and knows that to make a life change as big as this one people need guidance and support, and they provide that through a private Facebook group. I listened to recordings explaining the ins and outs of the program, and why balancing blood sugar and pH is so important. I read about clean eating, and how to change my philosophy towards food. I reviewed lists of foods to avoid, foods to eat, and recipes for week one. I bought vegetables, fruits, beans, and whole grains, and I prepped detox friendly snacks.

For the next 28 days, I will be eliminating dairy, gluten, soy, peanuts, sugar, artificial sweeteners, coffee, alcohol, fruits (with the exception of limes, lemons, green apples, and berries), white potatoes, non-cage free eggs, corn, nitrates, MSG and vinegar. (Detoxers also eliminate certain meats but since I am a vegetarian, I don't have to worry about those.)

Sounds a little intense and scary, right?

I'm talkin' no morning coffee and no evening glass of wine. How is a mother supposed to survive?!

At first, I was worried. But, as I learned the facts about why I was eliminating these things from my diet and how it would benefit my body, I became really excited. Our leader for the detox promised us that nothing we would have eaten if we weren't on this detox would taste as good as we are going to feel. That got my attention.

This detox is going to help me feel better. It's going to create balance inside my body. It's going to give me more energy - something I feel like I'm in short supply of, and desperately need to keep up with my boys. It's going to clean the toxins from my body - toxins that are there from the food I ate, the environment, and what I used to put on my skin. I'm removing the things that do not serve me from my body and my diet - I'm going to learn to see food as fuel.

I'm doing this to quit my sweet tooth for good. I am also doing this because I want my body - inside and out - to be in the best condition it can be. Looking at cancer and other disease statistics, I want to know that I am doing everything I can to keep myself healthy. But there are so many other reasons why people are choosing to participate in this program. Some are looking to lose weight. Some have hit plateaus in their weight loss and are doing this program to reset their metabolism. Others are looking to recharge their health. This program has been designed to help all of us succeed no matter what our end goal is.

I want to be the trailblazer for getting myself and my family on a healthier path.

Today is DAY ONE of my first detox and a big step towards a healthier life.

Join me on my first detox on instagram / facebook / twitter  and see how you can transform your health too.

Belief and a Change

This summer has completely gotten away from me.

I have been in non-stop "go mode" since May. I started a big project at work that has kept me up working late at night every night. Its great because we can certainly use the extra money, but it's been so hard on me physically and emotionally, and I know its been hard on my boys as well.

Staying at home with our children is not something my husband and I planned for, to be honest. I was sure that I would want to work - but then I saw my firstborn's pure, sweet face, felt his little body in my arms, and stared into his eyes that looked up at me knowing that I would take care of him. I knew in those moments that I was not meant to return to work. And ever since that rainy October day, we've been working to find the best way for me to be at home.

For almost four years, it's like I've been swimming upstream, trying to provide some financial freedom for my family and enabling myself to stay at home without a stressful work situation. I'm working long and hard and trying to keep my head above water. Each time I think I'm making progress, we get hit with an unplanned expense - car repairs, dental work, unexpected house work, et cetera - and then we're back to where we started or worse - further behind. Debt kept growing and my love for the way I was living my life was not.

I had been trying to think of ways to stay afloat. All of them involved working more hours, which would mean paying for childcare and/or losing my weekend. I did the math ten different ways, and even if I worked full time again, I would still make the same amount that I do now after paying for childcare. And I could not stand the thought of losing my weekends. I have already lost all time with my husband during the week, because I literally tuck my children in and turn on my work laptop and work until I go to sleep.

I felt stressed from having work hang over my head every day. 

I felt frustrated knowing that I was working and working, and it was just providing us with the ability to hang on. 

I felt distant from my husband because I hardly had more than five minutes each day to talk to him. 

I felt cranky with my children because I was constantly getting too little sleep. 

I am grateful for my job, its flexibility, and its ability to pay the bills, but it just wasn't making me happy.

As parents, we are willing to make crazy sacrifices like these for our children, but what if there was something better?

For me that is Arbonne. It's going to be my life raft.

So, I knew someone from a moms' group that I'm a part of that sells Arbonne. I would see her post different things on facebook about how thankful she was for her job and the amazing blessings it was providing her family. I thought, "Hmm... now that is something you rarely see, someone singing the praises of their employer and talking about how much she loves her job." I was intrigued, so we met up and she told me all about Arbonne and shortly thereafter I jumped in. 

Yes, it scared me to death. Yes, it made me uncomfortable. Yes, my brain told me in a million different ways how it would never work and how I would fail.

But one thing she said stuck with me, "Don't think about what if you fail. Try thinking about what if you succeed."

So I'm pushing on despite my fears and insecurities, because I believe the end result will be worth it. I believe that this is the way I will be able to provide my family with financial freedom, which will in turn provide us with the time freedom we so desperately want. 

I have been running my own Arbonne business for a little over a month and I have already received so many wonderful gifts. For starters, I get to do a job that I enjoy and sell something I believe in. I get to surround myself with other women and men that inspire me to be better - a better leader, and a better servant. And soon, I will be able to start giving this gift to others as I develop my team, and that makes me so excited!

I believe in Arbonne's products. I believe in the value of something that is pure, safe, and beneficial. What we are putting in our bodies and on our skin matters, and that has been at the core of Arbonne since it started about thirty years ago. Each time I bathe my babies or wash my face, I feel thankful for products that I know are safe.

I believe in Arbonne's philosophy of time leveraging and in paying it forward to help others achieve their dreams too. I have met leaders from the Chief Scientific Officer to National Vice Presidents that are passionate about Arbonne and are inspirational leaders who want to help each person use Arbonne as their vehicle to achieve the financial and time freedom that will enable them to live a life full of passion and purpose - whether it be staying at home with their children, pursuing a career in the arts, serving others through missionary work, enabling a spouse to pursue their dreams - you name it.

Most importantly, I believe in myself and my dreams for my family. I believe that with hard work and determination and lots of fun too, I will be able to open up doors for my family. This belief feels good. It is empowering. It is life-changing.

Life begins at the end of your comfort zone. 

Let's do this!