Meal Prep Sunday
Yes, I realize I am day late and today is actually Monday. But I still want to share my meal prep Sunday with you.
I am back in the game!! I did a mini meal prep today, I say mini because its not as big as usual. Since the hubs is out of town I will probably do a mid week meal prep as well. When he’s not here I have more time do those kinds of things.
So what all did I prepare today? I kept it relatively basic and nothing too fancy. Below is what all I prepared for my meals for the upcoming week:
In this picture is chicken, green beans and Quinoa. I baked my chicken for about 30 minutes on 350. Then I broiled it on high for about 5 minutes on each side to make it a little crispy. There is one contained that has only chicken. I am going to use that for dinner one night and make sweet potato fries to go with it.
I have my fruit packed and ready to go. Pineapple and watermelon, yum!
I also boiled some eggs to have as snacks. Gotta get that protein in!
I picked up a new flavor of rice cakes. I love caramel anything so I am sure I will like them. I love to have rice cakes pre-workout to fuel my workout! I usually put some peanut butter on them and will sometimes add 1/3 of a banana. Update: These things are freaking delicious!! They taste just like caramel corn popcorn. You have to try them!
I know this doesn’t seem like much, but keep in mind it’s just for a few days. It’s not my normal meal prep for a whole week.
Leave me a comment below and let me know some of your favorite things to meal prep.
Much Love,
Dani
Back to Routine and New Workout Plan
I love going on vacation but man does it mess with my routine. My eating has not been on the healthy side for the last two weeks. When on vacation I do indulge and really don’t watch what I eat. I do enough of that at home that I like to enjoy myself when I go on vacation. Now that all the fun is over its time to reel it back in and get back to my usual routine.
I haven’t had much time to make it to the grocery store this week and get everything I need to meal prep. I have bought a few things to get us by this week. David will be out of town for the next two weeks which actually makes my meal planning much easier. When he is gone I eat very healthy and I usually prep everything on Sunday. When he is home I spend more time in the kitchen in the evenings to make the things he likes. He will eat leftovers but he hasn’t fully committed to meal prep Sunday with me. Which I am totally fine with, I don’t tell him what he can and can’t eat. But man my body is craving to get back to my normal eating routine. I like having my meals prepped and prepared. I can just grab and go, I don’t have to think what I am going to eat. It’s all done for me and just makes things easier.
It’s funny how you crave your routine and you realize how much you miss it when you stray away from it. I know routine can get boring at times, but in that case you just need to spice it up or go on vacation. haha The last one might be a little drastic, but hey whatever works.
I can’t wait to go grocery shopping this weekend and stock up on all my favorite things. Then grind it out in the kitchen to prepare my meals for the week. I make all my lunches for the week and leave a few dinners open. This is just so I can add in some variety one night or two and have a fresh cooked meal. But most times I am glad my meals are all ready to go, because when I come home from the gym I just don’t feel like cooking.
For my workouts I am switching things up a bit. I am going to be doing Pure Barre the rest of this week and next week I am going to start a new program. I have been wanting to do Clutch Cut by Ashley Conrad for a while. I just have pushed it off and went with something else. I found her program on Bodybuilding.com, you can find it here.
Some details about the program:
Intensity Level: Advanced
Main Goal: Fat Loss
Duration: 3 weeks
With the training programs I have been doing recently I feel like I have a good amount of muscle on me. Now its time to shed the fat on top of it. So that is what I chose this program. For the nutrition part I will be following some of her advice but also mixing in what I already know. I will not be purchasing her supplements as I do not feel its necessary. I will however be using Cellucor Protein Supplement to reach my protein intake each day, but this is nothing new. I have been using Cellucor protein for a while now. In case you want to know, some of my favorite flavors are:
Peanut Butter Marshmallow
Vanilla
Cinnamon Swirl
S’Mores
You can check out all of their flavors here. I have found the best place to order their products is BodyBuilding.com and right now they are having a sale, Buy 1 get 1 50% off! I have no affiliation with either of these companies, just passing on what I like and some good deals! 🙂
I am sharing all of this with you guys to help keep me accountable and hopefully inspire some of you to keep pushing with your goals.
Stay motivated and kick ass!!
Much Love,
Dani
The Happiness Project
How often do you choose to be happy? I know we are all human and we can let certain things get the best of us. If you try hard you can be happy everyday, you can look past the bad things and find happiness in something. You may go through a rough patch but during that rough patch not all things are bad. You can still find something positive and happy. I know I struggle with this from time to time. I often feel like I take two steps forward and 10 steps back with certain things in my life. In stead of dwelling on the negative I look for the positive and something that will enlighten my spirits. I don’t want to dwell on the negative because I feel it beats me down further. I acknowledge the situation then try to put a positive spin on it. This at times is easier said than done but its something I am working on.
In order to help me stay on my positive mind track and find happiness everyday I recently bought “The Happiness Project One-Sentence Journal”. I recently came across this from a friend on Instagram. I thought it was a great idea and purchased it from Amazon right away.
I haven’t read the book and you really don’t need to, in order to understand the concept of this journal. It’s quite simple. The journal is a 5 year record of each day in your life. You really only have room for one or two sentences.
At the top of each page it also give you a little quote. I really like that addition to the journal. I think its great because you don’t have to commit to writing out your whole day. You can sum it up in a sentence or two, maybe even just point out one thing great that happened. For example, yesterday I wrote, “I am so thankful my husband did laundry and cooked dinner. It was much appreciated since I was sick. “. I love that for the five years you will be able to look back on each day as you come to it. You will be able to see the previous years and what you were happy about or experiencing at that time.
I am really excited about this journal and glad I purchased it. I am thinking about buying the book; I’ve great reviews on it.
So tell me do you keep a journal? Have you read the Happiness Project, if so what did you think? Let me know in the comments below!
Much Love,
Danie
Vegas Baby!
Whew, I have returned from Vegas and we had a blast!! My husband was there all last week for a work conference. I joined him on Thursday and we had a mini vacation. It was so much fun! Unfortunately I came back from Vegas sick. I mean who does that and how does it happen? I think its just a sinus infection but it needs to leave my body now! Other than getting sick the last day I was there I loved spending some time in Vegas.
We stayed at MGM grand, it was so nice! The best thing bout this hotel was the pool! It had a lazy river which I stayed in most of the time because it was so HOT!! Here are a few pictures of the gorgeous pool:
While we were there we saw two shows. We saw “Criss Angel – Believe” at the Luxor Hotel:
This show was completely different from his shows on tv. This was more of the magician/ illusion style show, but it was still really good. I was slightly let down because I expected to see some Mind Freak stuff like his show.
After the Criss Angel show we headed over to Caesar’s Palace to see the Absinthe show:
This show was Awesome! They describe it as the ,” acro-cabaret variety show”. It also featured uncensored raw comedy, which I loved! This show takes place in a small intimate tent, so there really isn’t a bad seat in the house. I highly recommend seeing this show if you go to Vegas. You will not be disappointed!
Some of our friends stayed over at the Cosmopolitan hotel and they have a crazy gorgeous view. You could see everything on the strip and see the Bellagio fountains!
Here are a few more random pictures I took while on the trip:
This sushi was delicious! Our waiter said these were his 3 favorite rolls so we ordered them all. They did not disappoint!!
Me and the hubs at dinner
Statue made out of Jelly Beans!
Once we landed it was time to go pick up the furkids. I could not wait to get my hands on them. I missed them so much!!
That is a few highlights of our trip to Vegas. We had a blast and I can’t wait to go back!
Have you ever been to Vegas? Have you ever went on vacation and came back sick? Let me know in the comments below!
Much Love,
Dani
Out with the Old, In with the New
The time has finally come and I changed my blog name!! I felt like I needed something that is a little more me and really fits who I am. I brainstormed for a couple of weeks and came up with a few names but kept going back to one of them. It happened to be Fiery Fit Dani. I think it fits me very well! I still love Strength is Courage but I wanted something that would better describe my blog. You guys know I love all things fitness related. I knew I wanted to incorporate that in the title some way. I chose Fiery for a couple of reason, the obvious being that I have red hair. Then threw my name on the end to make it complete. What do you guys think?
I have to give a big shout- out to some of my close friends that I have pestered while brainstorming my new blog name. They truly are the best for putting up with me and my shenanigans.
So keeping with the theme of new things I want to share some new tunes that are currently on my playlist:
Love Runs Out by One Republic
Jungle by Jamie N Commons
Wiggle by Jason Derul feat. Snoop Dogg
Come Get it Bae- Pharrell Williams
Come with Me Now by KONGOS
Waves by Robin Schulz
Stand by Me by Ki:Theory
Somethin’ Bad by Miranda Lambert feat. Carrie Underwood
If you have Spotify click the link below and it will take you to the playlist and you can add it to your list as well!
Leave a comment below with some of your favorite songs right now and let me know what you think of the new blog name! 😉
Much Love,
Dani
Mancake Monday
Happy Monday! Yep, it has reared its ugly head again and no one is a fan. Hopefully this Monday hasn’t been too hard on you and you are powering through your day!
Today I want to tell you about a product I recently found. If you follow me on Instagram you know that I have been enjoying my breakfast with Mancakes!! No I am not a man but don’t let the name fool you. This company came up with the name to make it sound grittier for the high – protein infused product. I have been making protein pancakes for a long time now. After all I am a Tone It Up girl and you know how delicious their recipe is. Even though its a super quick recipe I want something a little more convenient, plus I love trying new things.
So what is Mancakes?
Mancakes is a Hgh- Protein pancake and waffle mix. The stats (for all my macro people out there) : Fat- 11g; Carbs- 28g; Protein 23g. Pretty impressive, right?! They are also Gluten Free, Soy Free and Non GMO!! The pancake mix comes in two different flavors – buttermilk(my favorite) and cinnamon oat. This mix makes breakfast a breeze in the morning. You take a 1/2C of mix and add 1/2C water or almond milk(I prefer this) and mix it together. I promise the toughest thingabout this mix will be deciding if you want a pancake or waffle! Whichever way you decide to make them you won’t be disappointed, they are delicious! I am not going to lie, I am addicted.
When I first found this company I was so happy to find out they have a trial size. Its a one serving pack, that way you can try it before you commit to a big bag. The trial size is $3.99 with free shipping. I bought both flavors when I ordered to see which one I would like best. The butter milk flavor won me over! I have since repurchased this in the bigger bag quite a few times.
Here are a few of my morning breakfast photos:
Ok so if you need more convincing you to try these delicious Mancakes then check out their Instagram page for some drool worthy photos!!
Here is an example:
Now that you are ready to sample these bad boys head on over to their website and order you a pack! Don’t forget you can do the trial size if you don’t like to commit to something without trying it, but trust me it will leave your tasted buds wanting more!!
Let me know if you try them and how you like them!
Much love,
Dani
*Disclaimer- The review in this blog is my own. I was not paid to write this review and I purchased these products on my own.
Back to Life, Back to Reality
Well vaca is over and it’s back to reality. Yes I realize vaca was over on Monday and its now Friday. Sometimes I feel like I need a vacation from my vacation. Do you ever feel like that? I definitely should have taken another day after we got back on Monday; things have been so hectic since I got back. It would have been nice to get caught up on some sleep and do some things around the house, but gotta get back on the grind!
I will try not to make this post forever long about my trip to New Orleans. It will be filled with lots of photos though! First I want to say we had a wonderful time and the weather was great. It was a little hot, but that’s to be expected. We didn’t have a rental car while we were there except for one day. It was nice to walk everywhere, plus this helped me out because I didn’t workout once while I was there. So I got in some light exercise while walking everywhere.
Let’s start with the train ride. It was quite comfortable and spacious! I had no idea you could bring all the snacks, beverages and booze you want! Definitely missed the memo on bringing your own alcohol, but I know for future trips now. The only downfall was our train was delayed a good bit and we didn’t get to our hotel till 9:45 that night. I was tired and hungry! I couldn’t order room service fast enough.
The next day we didn’t have anything major planned. Just explored and took it easy. We walked around the french quarter and made our way to Bourbon Street. It was so hot out! We made it to the end of Bourbon then decided we needed drinks to cool off. We decided to go into Pat O’s for some hurricanes. We sat in front of some fans and relaxed with our drinks. We ended up staying here a while just chit chatting about life and all kind of things. It was really nice not to be in any kind of hurry and just take it easy. After Pat O’s we walked down to The Red Fish Grill and enjoyed some lunch. I will say New Orleans it not stingy with their portion sizes and their alcohol! David and I were feeling pretty good after our drinks at Pat O’s and lunch. We headed back to the hotel for a nap before heading out for the night.
Went down to Bourbon street to enjoy some of the night life. We were there 10 minutes and already saw a guy passed out. It was pretty early too! Walked around a bit and David got suckered by one of the guys on the street. He can never just walk away, they always suck him in. Me on the other hand I say no thanks and keep walking or I won’t make eye contact. A lady saw the look on my face and said, “that’s 5 dollars right there!”. I said, “I know, I can’t take him anywhere”. David got a way without giving him any money because he played the ” I have no cash” card. We also enjoyed some hand grenades from Tropical Isle and they were so good! We aren’t big party people,we mainly just like to people watch. So, we didn’t get too crazy while on Bourbon Street.
The next day David and I woke up early to go pick up the rental car so we could head to Villalobos and volunteer. I was so excited for this! This is one of the reasons we decided to go to New Orleans just so we could volunteer. We arrived pretty early and there quite a few people there. I was so anxious! The workers came out and gave us a run down of what to expect and how things would go. THey didn’t want to start things until Tia arrived. She ended up getting there around 930. She ran down he list of rules and lets just say she is feisty and takes nothing from no one! They divided us into two groups, one that can walk strong dogs that pull and a group that wants a gentle dog. My husband and I opted for the strong dogs, only because we have two at home. Chief has given me much experience in the pulling department. That boy is 65lbs all muscle and will pull you down the street if you let him. We all got our dogs and began the walk around the block. I got a boy named “Deuces”, he was super friendly and excited. He did not let up on his leash once. He was just so happy to be out in the grass and smell EVERYTHING! We made our way back to the building and they began to bring out some other dogs. David and I walked some dogs together this go around. We got one girl and her name was “Sugar Plum”. She was adorable and so sweet! She was short and fat and I loved every bit of it. She was also very playful! I ended up letting a volunteer taking her half way through our walk because she said she has been walking Sugar Plum at night and is trying to see if she’s a good fit for her home. I am not one to stand in the way of a potential adoption so I happily handed the leash over and let them carry on. Next we got “Ally” this girl stole my heart. Right out of the gate she jumped at me with both paws open. Kind of like a hug, yeah I’m a sucker! She was so sweet and happy. She loved all the attention David and I gave her and loved to give you kisses. We had a great time playing with her and loving on her. When I brought her back after the walk she would pull me to groups of people so she could be petted and would soak it all in! After the walking was over we got a tour of the facility. You got to see the other dogs they had there and see what their facility is like. I really didn’t get any photos here. I did plan to take some but they didn’t want you to take any while walking the dogs. Which I completely understand. So I told myself I was there to volunteer and be there for the dogs and not worry about taking photos. So the only pictures I got were of me and the sign. lol I really do wish I could have gotten pictures of the dogs we walked because there were so cute!
After volunteering we grabbed some lunch and they we headed to our Cajun Adventure! We were going on a swamp boat rides and to see alligators. This was a lot of fun and I learned a lot about alligators. The guy was very knowledgeable and funny! I also enjoyed this because we were eon the water and there was a constant breeze so I wasn’t sweating to death!
I had a wonderful time in New Orleans and enjoyed celebrating our 3rd year anniversary together. They aren’t lying when they say New Orleans sucks everything out of you then sends you home. I was exhausted when I got home!
Happy Friday and Cheers to the weekend!
Much Love,
Dani
Stay Calm- Vacation is almost here!
Whew it’s been a long week and it’s only Wednesday. Thank goodness my vacation starts tomorrow! To add to the madness I waited till today to pack my stuff. I normally don’t do this, but since I got back from Nashville I feel like I haven’t slowed down and didn’t have time.
Anyway, the hubs and I are headed to New Orleans to party it up for our anniversary. We really don’t party because we are bunch of old farts. Turn down for what?! Haha Seriously though I’m usually in the bed by 930 every night. Maybe I can stay up a little later since it’s vacation! David and I will be celebrating our 3 year anniversary. I’m really excited that we are going to New Orleans. I haven’t been since I was 13 and don’t remember a whole lot. I definitely didn’t get to enjoy the night life when I was there.
Another reason I am excited for this trip, we are going to volunteer at Villalobos!! You know that pit bulls are dear to my heart because we have two of them. I can’t imagine visiting the city and not volunteering some of my time. Plus I can’t wait to get some pibble kisses. I’m hoping they will have some puppies so I can bring one home can curb my puppy fever! I believe we will just be taking the dogs for their daily walk and we will get a tour of the facility. I’m going to try my best not to cry. I know they take really good care of them, it just breaks my heart they don’t have a forever home. If you are ever wanting to get a dog please always adopt!! It will change your life!
Tomorrow morning we will board the train to New Orleans and it will take about 7 hours to get there. I’ve never been on a train so I am definitely looking forward to it! I’m going to be a really good blogger and take lots of pictures. I even borrowed my moms nice camera! So cross your fingers I actually do it. Trying to hold myself accountable by putting it in this post.
Ok I’ve rambled enough, I’m trying to help pass the time. We are currently on the way to my in-laws to drop of the furkids.
Much Love,
Dani
Shenanigans and #FTYF
Happy Monday everyone! In my last blog I said I was going to write a post on Friday about Flex Till You’re Famous. Well, Friday was pretty hectic and I didn’t get around to it. I was really hoping to because they had a drop that night. But because I love this company so much I’m still going to do it. Plus they just said they are going to do a “Closet Clean-out” release this week. I love when they do this because you have a chance to get some stuff that you may have missed out on before. I also want to state that I am in no way sponsored by them(but doesn’t mean I’m against it ). This post is my own thoughts and I have purchased all of this apparel on my own.
So who is Flex Till You’re Famous? You can read there official story here. I want to talk about who they are to me. I first found #FTYF back in June of last year. I found them on Instagram through someone I follow. I was first drawn to them for their bright color shirts and the motivational words on them. Some of the shirts they had at the time were, “Flex Till You’re Famous, Drop it like a Squat, Suns Out Guns Out and Bench Please”. I love bright colors and I love wearing them to the gym because it helps put me in a good mood. I started following them on Instagram and I may have stalked them quite a bit, but in a non creepy way. I was anxious to get my hands on some of their gym apparel. I could not wait till their next drop. I have to say when I found out their apparel wasn’t available immediately i got bummed out. But the suspense leading up to their next drop just got me really excited. While I was stalking them I felt like I got tot know Chris and Codee more. It gave me time to find out who they really are and what their company is all about. I have never met either one of them but I feel like they are the most humble and down to earth people. Not to mention they have the cutest little boy, Cash. Definitely going to be a heart breaker when he gets older! Chris seems like just a cool guy to be around and always in a good mood. When you see him post a video on Instagram, be ready for a good laugh! Then when I see him and Codee in their pictures they are always laughing. They remind me not to take life too serious! Knowing that the people behind this company are as genuine as they come made me want to support them even more.
At the end of June they had a release and I was able to snag myself some shirts. I got a tank and a t-shirt and I got the shirt free because I was one of the first 100 orders. I was so excited when I received my gear. I couldn’t wait to get on Instagram and show my support to them and officially become part of the #FTYF family. Below is my first purchase from #FTYF:
I have been hooked every since that drop. I’m sure you’re aware of this if you follow me on Instagram. I have a drawer dedicated to my #FTYF shirts and my husband know thinks I’m obsessed( he’s probably right, but don’t tell him!). Since June I have watched #FTYF grow and become so successful. I couldn’t be happier for them. They are the type of people you want to see succeed and live their dream! I know some people can get aggravated with the “drop” style that they do for their releases. There have been sometimes I couldn’t make it due to other commitments, but overall it doesn’t bother me. It makes it exciting! They’ve also started keeping some staple items in stock and readily available. So they do listen to their fans and they are making some changes.
This past Friday they did a release and I was able to get everything I wanted. Shenanigans were definitely involved since I wasn’t at home. I was in Nashville andI was running all over the hotel trying to find the business center so I could use their computer to get my stuff. I had my phone but at times its been tricky get my order in before things sell out. Well the business center wanted to charge me to user their computer. I was at the OMNI, not only did they not give us free wifi they wanted to charge me to user their computer. Definitely not impressed. So ended up using my phone and thank goodness I didn’t have any issues. But I was sweating bullets thinking I was going to miss out on my stuff! Yes, I take it that serious!! haha
He is what I snagged:
I can’t wait for it all to come in!
I want to share #FTYF motto with you”
It isn’t about BEING famous- it’s about FEELING famous.
It doesn’t matter WHERE in your fitness journey you are.
The most important part is that you have made the choice to start.
That right here sums it all up. You don’t have to be famous or even fill that way. Everyone starts somewhere and we all take different roads in our life. The most important part is you started!
I highly suggest you check them out. You can find them on Instagram and Facebook. Trust me you won’t regret it! Plus you will just love all of their apparel! It’s bright and motivational!
Be sure to keep an eye our for their “Closet Clean-Out” release this week. You will be able to snag yourself some previous released items!
Much Love,
Dani
NaNaNa – Batman!
Thank you for all the love and likes on my last post and welcome new followers! I am glad to be back!
So let’s rewind to Tuesday night. I am snuggling on the couch with my dog Roxy (insert cute picture here):
My husband is on the other couch and decides to get Roxy all worked up. Well she got so excited she decided to jump up. In my right ear I have a rook piercing, see where this is going. Well, when she jumped up her head hit my right ear. Holy mother of you know what, it hurt so bad. Instantly brought tears to my eyes and I thought my ear was going to fall off. I would like to say I take pain very well, after all I have two tattoos and felt they were nothing compared to the pain I had just felt. I ran upstairs and looked in the mirror and blood was trickling down my ear. Of course I instantly panic and think my ear is going to fall off. I mean wouldn’t you think that? I doctored it up and finally got it to stop bleeding, which felt like forever!
I should also mention the past month my rook had been a little sore, but didn’t think much of it(I got the piercing last August). So this headbutt from Roxy was just what I needed to make it feel all better. I decided to go to the doctor yesterday to make sure it wasn’t infected. My doctor said my white blood cell count was good but tested me for staph infection just to be one the safe side. I should know the results in 48 hours of that. She prescribed me some heavy duty ointment to heal it back up and told me I should probably take the piercing out. I wasn’t too happy about that part, but knew it was for the best.
I went to the gym yesterday and met husband met there like usual. He wasn’t going to workout due to a shoulder injury, but met met here to discuss a few things. The gym is right across from his office, so he didn’t drive out of his way or anything. Well he told me he had a surprise for me. I had no idea what it could be, but I LOVE surprises. He said I could have it now or wait. Of course I wanted it now, who would actually want to wait for a surprise?! He handed me a bag and it had the cutest workout outfit in it! I just need to say my husband has NEVER bought me clothes before. We have been together 6 years and this is the FIRST time ever. I was totally shocked, but he did so good. Let me show you the picture:
I just LOVE it! He got the sizes right and everything. I am super impressed because this outfit matches perfectly but the items came from two different stores. I have been wanting a batman workout shirt for a while now! He felt bad about Roxy hitting my ear and wanted to try and make me feel better. It was super sweet!
I was going to wear it to workout in yesterday, but my sports bra didn’t match it. Yes, I like for my workout outfits to match. I know I am not the only one who does this!! Yesterday’s workout included Back, traps and biceps. I was a sweaty mess afterwards. I snapped a quick pic once I got home and if you follow me on Instagram you know I am always representing my Flex Till You’re Famous Gear (will be writing a post tomorrow about their apparel!). I just love their stuff!!
Tell me have you ever had any piercing issues of freak accidents? Let me know in the comments below!
P.S be on the look out for a blog name change. Time to update it something that fits me a little more. You’re gonna love it!! 😉
Much Love,
Dani
Fiery Fit Dani 