BIRTHDAY CAKE PROTEIN DONUTS

Monday started off with my birthday cake protein shake!

Today, we're enjoying some birthday cake protein donuts!

It's very rare that you'll find me eating donuts and when you do, I'll be eating a sprinkled one. Isn't that everyone's favorite? If it's not, it probably should be. I mean, look at all those pretty rainbow colored sprinkles, don't they make you happy?

Donuts remind me of my childhood. They remind me of the days my mom used to buy donuts for me and my sister when we would go to work early with her. We always got spinkled donuts, donut holes, and pigs in a blanket. Sometimes a drink if mom felt like being extra nice.

These days the only time you'll find me in a donut shop is when I have my nephew with me. He really likes donuts, sprinkled ones too, and I treat him when he comes over with donuts for breakfast. Even then, I never by myself a donut. For one thing, they're not the healthiest treat. Second, they're not gluten free. Otherwise, I'd probably have one a day. Okay, not really.

I do enjoy eating donuts though and it's been a very long time since I've had one, a real one. Although these aren't fried like the traditional ones, they're just as delicious and much healthier. They're more cake like than anything but they satisfy the sweet tooth I occasionally have. They also satisfy my desire to celebrate my birthday all week while staying healthy.

 Not only are these beauties sprinkled but they're also mini donuts! It's like my two favorite things came clashing into one; sprinkles and anything mini. I've had my fair share of failed donut recipes but these were perfect and I couldn't wait to share them with y'all. I used my Babycakes mini donut maker but a mini or regular sized donut pan should work. I also used a batter pen to make it easier to put into the pan. The pen makes everything look nice and clean!

I forgot to mention, these beauties are gluten free!

BIRTHDAY CAKE PROTEIN DONUTS

Author: Shape Up to Wake Up

Makes: 18 mini donuts

INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder
• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg whites
• 1/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
• 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
• 1/3 cup sweetener (I used Truvia)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp butter extract
• 1/4 tsp salt

For the frosting

• 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder (you could use another flavor too!)
• 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk (add more depending on consistency)

INSTRUCTIONS:

• Turn on your Babycakes donut maker or preheat the oven to 350 F if using a donut pan.
• Mix dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
• Mix wet ingredients in a separate mixing bowl.
• Pour the dry mix into the wet mix and mix until fully incorporated and smooth.
• Pour your batter into your batter pen then fill the donut maker with the batter.
• The donuts will be ready when the bottom is a golden brown and the top bounces back up when touched.

For the frosting

• Mix the protein powder and milk together until you reach the consistency of glue. If you'd like a thin glaze, add more milk.

I hope you enjoy these donuts as much as I do! Now you can enjoy donuts and not feel guilty about it!

xo,

BIRTHDAY CAKE PROTEIN SHAKE

Cheers to another year!
My birthday is exactly 7 days from today and I could not be happier with my life.
Sometimes I freak out when I realize how time has flown by so quickly. I mean, I remember when I would hide with my sister from my dad when he would come home from work. Or how when my dad would drive off down the street for work and I'd chase him as far as I could on my tricycle before he turned the corner. It seems like it was just yesterday I was doing these things. It's bittersweet growing older but at the same time, I've experienced more life since then.

Like everyone, I've gone through ups and downs in life. I've fought battles in which I've won some and lost some. I've changed plenty of times and I'd like to think I'm always changing for the better. People don't realize how powerful memories are. It's essentially all you'll have because special moments don't last forever, only your memory of it.

Hold onto your memory; love your memory.

As you can see as I wrote above, some of my favorite memories are from childhood. I loved my childhood and if I was given the chance to go back and relive it all, I would.

I'll be turning 23 on the 28th of July and I've certainly made memories in my short life.
Memories like singing on stage for the first time, learning the guitar, graduating high school, meeting the love of my life, losing weight, starting this blog, and my most recent one, becoming a women's health action hero. (and meeting so many awesome, like minded women!!)

Every year on my birthday, Simon asks me what I've learned now that I'm another year wiser.
This past year I learned not to let fear hold me back in pursing my goals, passions, and dreams. I've always been so scared of failing that I became comfortable in knowing that I wouldn't pursue my dreams. I was scared to apply for the Women's Health Action Hero position that I almost didn't even do it. I finally did apply when I decided to step out of my comfort zone and now I can proudly say that I am a Women's Health Action Hero.

Also, I've always been a singer/songwriter at heart. I had a good run with singing but I eventually stopped. Simon and I met under music networking and when we got into a relationship, he always expressed how sad it made him that I didn't pursue music anymore, let alone any of my real passions. I can proudly say that I'm getting back into music. I've already played guitar for him at a gig and we'll be performing at an open mic. Baby steps.

I'm so grateful for this life and all that the future holds for me.
Life is way too short, we all know that.
And, life is way too short not to drink birthday cake protein shakes.

I've made plenty of smoothies and shakes in my life and this one is my favorite. I love the colorful sprinkles on the chocolate rim. I love the simplicity of the shake, vanilla batter. It's like when I used to get a vanilla birthday cake with rainbow sprinkles and party balloons on each corner.

It's nostalgic.

I know some people who don't celebrate birthdays. It's a sad thing, really. I think everyone should celebrate the birth of a person. Everyone's a living miracle and it's a beautiful thing when you stop and think about it.

There will never come a day where I don't want to celebrate my birthday or anyone else's. Whether it be a small get together or a bigger than life event, I'll always celebrate someone's life.

BIRTHDAY CAKE PROTEIN SHAKE

Author: Shape Up To Wake Up
Serves: 1

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup choice of milk
• 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
• Chocolate chips
• Rainbow Nonpareils Sprinkles
• Ice cubes
• optional: 1 tsp butter or almond extract

INSTRUCTIONS

• Mix milk, protein powder, ice, and extract in a blender.
• Melt chocolate chips in a small microwave dish and pour sprinkles into a separate bowl.
• Dip the rim of your glass into the melted chocolate then dip the chocolate dipped rim into the bowl of sprinkles. Coat generously.
• Pour shake into the cup and enjoy!

xo,

BEST SELF FITNESS CHALLENGE: WEEK 3 (6/2 - 6/7)

Angel's BodySpace Track Page

Week 3 is over and I'm starting week 4. I can't believe we are more than halfway there! Here are the workouts for Week 1 and Week 2; they are kicking my butt!!

I think I've been meal prepping way too much or at least thinking about it on my spare time. I had a dream last night that I was at the grocery store and got into a fight with a lady because she took the last cucumber!! Don't mess with me, sister!!

For the past 3 weeks, I have been on a very strict meal plan.

I've never followed a diet plan up until this contest. It's very new to me and goes against my belief on eating when you're hungry.

Saturday night I had my first treat in 3 weeks, it was glorious.
Some of you may know of it as a cheat but I like to call it a treat, because cheating just sounds nasty and mean. I'm not about that life. ;)

I had one teeny, tiny, itty bitty, piece of white chocolate. I'm not exaggerating either.
Here's a comparison photo of the piece I took compared to a quarter.

I had that tiny small piece because I've never had a big sweet tooth so the small piece was perfect to satisfy my cravings. But, it was too sweet.

I probably should have had dark chocolate because of it's benefits, but you know what? I've worked my butt off at the gym and I've stuck to my meal plan for the past 3 weeks. That white chocolate is not going to magically take me back to square one. It's all about moderation!

Week 3 was easier than week 2, physically and mentally. I need to start challenging myself now that my muscles are used to the workouts. I think it's time to change things up to confuse my muscle and make it work harder! That's a good thing and a bad thing. It's good because that means I'm growing stronger every day, but bad because that means Simon will be kicking my butt at the gym and making me work harder. Therefore, I'll be dealing with soreness.

It's all good though.
It's still a battle and I'm still working hard. I haven't seen that much change in my body but I know that I'm getting strong. I know that because I'm constantly increasing weights and reps. My nutrition has been a pretty big battle as well, I'm still finding what works and doesn't work for me.

What I learned this week:
It's totally okay to have an off day. Not every single day is going to be perfect, whether it be nutrition or working out. Wednesday and Saturday were off days for me. On Wednesday, I still worked out but the workout wasn't what I have planned and on Saturday it was a low carb day but I ended up eating carbs (I still timed it around my workout though) I have to keep in mind that one day will not derail me from all of my hard work!

Proud Moment:
Sticking to it and making sure I don't miss a workout. I got home after dinner Saturday night and I absolutely do not like working out after I'm done eating. So, I waited about two hours and it ended up being 9:00 p.m. I didn't want to workout anymore because I just wanted to relax. However, I knew that I would feel worse for missing a workout. So I went put my clothes on, sucked it up, and kicked butt!

Personal record:
Doing 15 pushups without stopping! Or as Simon would call them, "real pushups, not girl pushups"
P.S. I don't like pushups!

What I could have improved:
Don't forget to do ab workouts. I usually do them 3 days a week but this week I kept forgetting and only did them twice.

WEEK 3

Monday: Lowerbody (heavy lifting) + Abs

• Abs
• Weighted Crunches
• Decline Reverse Crunches
• Hanging Leg Raises
• Lowerbody
• Prowlers
• Hamstring Curls//Lying Leg Curls
• Calf Raises
• Squats
• Quad Curls//Leg Extensions
• Leg Press

Tuesday: Upperbody HIIT

• Bicep Curls
• Preacher Curls
• Vertical Chest Press
• Wall Ball
• Crossfit Ropes
• Sledgehammer
• Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row
• Boxing Jabs
• Boxing Hooks
• Boxing Uppercuts

Wednesday: Cardio

• 1 mile run

Thursday: Upperbody (heavy lifting)

• Bicep Curls
• Chest Press
• Incline Chest Press
• Bent Over Two-Arm Long Bar Row
• Shoulder Press
• Front Plate Raise
• Cable Rows
• Butterfly Machine
• Preacher Curls
• Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs
• Wrist Curls

Friday: Lowerbody HIIT

• Jumping Jacks
• Step Ups with Twist
• Squats
• Burpees
• Calf Raises
• Walking Lunges

Saturday: Full Body HIIT

• Sumo Squats//Plie Squats
• Crunches
• Burpees
• Pushups
• Bench Step Ups
• Deadlifts
• Leg Raises
• Arnold Presses
• Tricep Overhead Extensions
• Mountain Climbers
• Cross Body Crunches

As I said before, Sunday is my rest day but it's also my meal prep day, so it's a busy rest day.

I meal prep for the entire week but mostly just the items that need to be cooked. For instance, I cook all of my protein on Sunday and then cut up veggies that I will eat with hummus. Throughout the week, if there needs to be something added to my meals then I will prepare it the night before.

I also make sure I have a meal plan saved to my computer so that I can always look at it as a reference. I have all of my snacks at home already and I pack them the day of. Some things don't need to be prepped such as apples, rice cakes, etc. This system helps me stay on track!

I hope if you're doing the 6 week challenge with me that you're seeing some progress!! :)

xo,

BEST SELF FITNESS CHALLENGE: WEEK 2 (5/26 - 5/31)

Mentally, week 2 was much harder than week 1.

I got so caught up in wanting to see my body change, that I got stressed over the little things.

I had to tell myself to kick the "quick fix" attitude; I should know better than that!

Naturally, I vented out to Simon about my struggles and he said some very meaningful things that switched my thinking back around. He told me that the woman I was 4 years ago would be so proud of who I am today. It really helped and I'm really glad I have someone to support me emotionally during this contest.

It's really important to have someone or a group of people who will be able to support you emotionally. Because it will get tough and it won't be easy, but it will be worth it!

I truly believe that nutrition is key to losing weight/body fat. I've always ate a clean diet but when this contest started, I switched it up; I'm carb cycling now.
My low carb days are harder and I'm not all sunshine and rainbows. My high carb days are all sunshine and rainbows. However, I'm not miserable on either days because I still eat enough food to fuel my body for workouts. Some days I find myself more hungry than other days, but isn't that anyone who likes to eat?

You'll read in a few moments under my proud moment that I lost 1 pound and 1/2 an inch off my waist, that happened in only 1 week!! My waist has not changed in at least the last 6 months and BAM, it suddenly changes. How? Nutrition, that's how.

Oldie but a goodie: You can't out train a bad diet.

You can see the full workout here: Angel's BodySpace Track Page

What I learned this week:

Set small goals and conquer them. When I conquered small goals I was able to feel proud of myself and keep moving forward towards my big goal!

Proud moment:

Losing 1 pound and 1/2 an inch off my waist! Take that, body fat!

Boxing three, 3 minute rounds (9 minutes total)
Deadlifting 75 lbs.

Personal record:

Running 1 mile at 9 minutes and 12 seconds!
Adding 70 lbs. to my calf raises (180 lbs)
Adding 75 lbs. to my squats (180 lbs)

What I could have improved:
Stretching more after workouts

WEEK 2

Monday: Upperbody (heavy lifting) + Abs + Cardio

• Abs
• Crunches
• Reverse Crunches
• Leg Raises
• Sitting Crunch Machine
• Chest Padded Crunch Machine
• Upperbody
• Bicep Curls
• One Arm Dumbbell Row
• Pushups
• Bent Over Weighted Pick Ups
• Tricep Pull Downs
• Chest Press
• Wide Grip Lat Pull Downs
• Cardio
• Boxing 15-30 minutes

Tuesday: Lowerbody HIIT

• X Jumps
• Weighted Step Ups
• Donkey Kicks
• Deadlifts
• Sumo Jump Squats
• Split Squats
• Goblet Squats
• Burpees

Wednesday: Abs + Cardio

• Abs
• Crunches
• Reverse Crunches
• Leg Raises
• Mountain Climbers
• Planks
• LIIT Cardio, 9 minutes (1 mile)

Thursday: Upperbody (light lifting) + Cardio

• Upperbody
• Push Ups
• Standing Military Press
• Side Lateral Raises
• Reverse Flys
• Incline Dumbbell Curls
• Dropset: Tricep Dumbbell Kickbacks
• Cable Hammer Curl
• Dropset: Overhead Cable Tricep Extensions
• Bicep Curls
• Dropset: Lying Close Grip Barbell Tricep Extension aka Skull Crusher
• HIIT Cardio, 10 minutes

Friday: Lowerbody (heavy lifting) + Abs

• Abs
• Decline Leg Raises
• Chest Padded Crunch Machine
• Decline Reverse Crunches
• Sitting Crunch Machine
• Hanging Leg Raises
• Lowerbody
• Weighted Calf Raises
• Abductor Machine
• Adductor Machine
• Clean Deadlifts
• Padded Squat Machine
• Lying Leg Curls
• Leg Extensions
• Leg Press
• Prowlers

Saturday: Upperbody (HIIT)

• 1:00 minute warm up jog
• Hanging Pull Ups
• 1:00 hour boxing

There you have it, all of my workouts posted for week 2!
I'm ready for week 3 and can't wait to see what other changes I will happen. I have approximately 4 more weeks of this competition.

I'm having a difficult time accepting that progress is progress, no matter how small.
Simon has a favorite quote that says "progress is never swift nor easy."
I'm trying to keep that in mind.

xo,

BEST SELF FITNESS CHALLENGE: WEEK 1 (5/19 - 5/24)

Last week, I announced in this post, that I entered into a competition on BodyBuilding.com

I remember Simon telling me "if it'll help bring you closer to your goals, do it."
He's so supportive and I'm so thankful.
I'm extremely excited & determined.

What I kept thinking about while working out was winning. Not just winning the prize, but fulfilling my goal, which is a toned body. I know that might sound a little self centered, cocky, or materialistic, but I know I'll gain more than just a nice body. It is natural to want a nice body after putting all that effort into working out.

Our workout split changed from what I had posted last week and I'm fine with that. The important thing to me is that I get my daily workout done. It's also good to change things up so that you don't get bored and you keep your muscles guessing.

For the next 6 weeks, I'll be doing a weekly recap of what I did the previous week.
I'll be writing the workouts on the blog each week but if you go to my BodySpace track page you can see the workouts live in action with reps, sets, and pounds (adjust accordingly) and do them too!
If you have a BodySpace, add me as a friend! :)

I make sure that all of my strength and focus goes towards weight training, and then do my cardio last.

WEEK 1

Monday: Upperbody (heavy lifting) + Abs + Cardio

• HIIT Cardio, fasted, 15 minutes
• Abs
• Crunches
• Reverse Crunches
• Stability Ball Crunches
• Knee to Elbow Crunches
• Upperbody
• Preacher Curls
• Barbell Curl
• Elevated Cable Rows
• Incline Dumbbell Press
• One arm Dumbbell Row
• Triceps Cable Pull Down
• Band Assisted Pull Up
• Machine Bench Press
• Machine Preacher Curls

Tuesday: Lowerbody, HIIT

• Weighted Squats
• Donkey Kicks with Resistance Bands
• Weighted Side Lunges
• Weighted Calf Raises
• Weighted Butt Bridges
• Deadlifts
• Jumping Jacks
• Speed Skates
• Burpees

Wednesday: Abs + Cardio

• Abs
• Bicycle Crunches
• Mountain Climbers
• Reverse Crunches
• Heel Taps
• Ab Roll Out
• LIIT Cardio, 11 minutes (1 mile)

Thursday: Lowerbody, heavy lifting

• Hamstring Curl
• Calf Raises
• Smith Machine Squats
• Padded Squat Machine
• Quad curls
• Sprints
• Crab Sprints
• Hops
• Butt Bridges with 10 lb. medicine ball
• Lying Machine Squat

Friday: Upperbody (light lifting) + Abs + Cardio

• Abs
• Bicycle Curls
• Mountain Climbers
• Reverse Crunches
• Heel Taps
• Stability Ball Crunches
• Upperbody
• Wide Grip Lat Pulldowns
• Close Grip Lat Pulldowns
• Tricep Pulldowns
• Seated Cable Rows

Saturday: Full Body (mostly upper body, legs were still recovering from leg day)

• 30 Minute boxing
• Upperbody
• Push Ups
• Bent Over Dumbbell to Chest
• Abs
• Crunches
• Knee to Elbow Crunches
• Leg Raises
• Reverse Crunches
• Bicycle Crunches

Sunday is my off day and I really reccommend a rest day! If you overwork your body you won't be putting 100% into your next workout. You can even do damage to your muscles. It's okay to take a break when you need it.

What I learned this week:

If I believed that I could do something, then I could certainly do it. Don't sell yourself short, you are stronger than you think!

Proud Moment:

When I couldn't do one more rep or felt like I couldn't lift a certain weight, I proved myself otherwise.

Personal Record:

Cut exactly 1 second off from my 10 second prowler run.
Squatted 105 lbs.

What I could have improved:

Going to sleep earlier.

6 WEEKS TO YOUR BEST SELF FITNESS CHALLENGE

What was I thinking?
Okay, here it goes.....

As a health and fitness blogger, I'm actually quite embarrassed to post these pictures;

I'm embarrassed that I don't look like other female athletes who promote fitness.

I'm embarrassed that after 4 years as an avid athlete, I still haven't toned up.

I'm embarrassed that I still have extra body fat sitting in most women's trouble spots.

I'm embarrassed that I still have a "belly pooch, jiggly arms, big thighs, and a flat butt".

But I won't let that stop me.

Since starting my fitness journey 4 years ago, I've learned a lot about myself;

I learned that I could set personal records.

I learned that I could finish a 1 mile run in under 11 minutes.

I learned that I could lift a 20 pound dumbbell with one arm.

I learned that I could calf press 110 pounds.

I learned that struggle is the path to success.

I learned that the body can achieve so many wonderful things.

I learned how to push myself when I wanted to give up.

And I will continue to strive.

I am proud of myself.

I have lost a grand total of 43 pounds. While the number on the scale is not everything, it is something. I have sweat, cried, laughed, and tried for the past 4 years. The funny thing is, that one day, health and fitness just became something I did; it became who I was. There was no question whether or not I was going to workout or eat right, I just did it.

I still have stretch marks on the inside of my thighs.
I still have stretch marks on my "love handles".
I still have stretch marks on the back of my underarms.

I am not perfect.

I could sit here and shame my body, hate it, show absolutely no love towards it. Or I could appreciate what it can do; I can love my body and I can take care of it.

I am the daughter of God.

Simon loves all of me, including my beauty flaws. He likes to remind me that my stretch marks are there to let me know how far I have come because I am not who I used to be.

He is the backbone to my confidence.

I decided to enter into this competition because it was the added umph to my daily triumph. I've been working out extremely hard and I had plans to get in tip top shape before my summer vacation.

I got my first gym membership on May 12, 2014 and I started training with my boyfriend. It was only 3 days later that I would receive an email from BodyBuilding.com, reminding me to join their Best Self contest sponsored by BPI Sports.

I didn't want to enter it at first. I didn't want to embarrass myself and show the world my imperfect body.

But than I started thinking...

I could 1) use this as an added incentive to achieve my summer goals 2) I could show myself and others what we can do for ourselves if we stick to the goals we set in our minds.

Plus, that added winning prize incentive looks pretty nice too.

So I talked to Simon about it and he said he would train me, if I really wanted to enter. He was very supportive about it and that's something I have always loved about him. He's always been supportive when it comes to my dreams and goals.

We decided to stick to our workout split and would obviously train harder. Sometimes we have to switch around days due to work schedule but we never skip a workout.

I have to stick to a nutrition plan for the next 6 weeks.

I am not going to count macros, calories, etc.

I will continue to eat healthy and nutritiously.

WORKOUT SCHEDULE

• Monday (High Carb): Legs, heavy lifting // Abs
• Tuesday (Low Carb): Upperbody, light lifting + HIIT
• Wednesday (Low Carb) Heavy Cardio, 30 mins // Abs
• Thursday (High Carb): Upperbody, heavy lifting
• Friday (Low Carb): Legs, light lifting + HIIT // Abs
• Saturday (Low Carb): Full Body
• Sunday (Low Carb) Light Cardio 20 mins

NUTRITION SCHEDULE

• Minimum 1 gallon of water a day (that is SO hard)
• 6 meals/snacks every 3 hours
• Carb Cycling: Low/High

Some of you might wonder why I decided to enter.
Some of you may think I look completely fine.
Some of you may think I don't look like what I preach.
While this entire post pretty much explains all of why I entered into this competition, it all boils down to one thing- I want to push myself, mentally and physically.

I want to see just how much I can achieve mentally and physically.

I want to see all of my handwork and dedication in and on myself.

There is nothing greater than setting a goal and coming out of the long, hard working, & sweating challenges, as a completely new person.

I love living an active lifestyle and whether or not I "win" this competition, I will always be an active person.
This is my lifestyle, this is who I am, and I don't care what anyone else has to say about it.

The registration for the challenge has ended but that doesn't mean you can't challenge yourself.
Take a moment to think about what areas in your life you'd like to improve on and for 6 weeks, commit.

What will you do with 6 weeks?

xo,

BURT'S BEES NEW BRIGHTENING LINE REVIEW

Truth be told, I don't have any dark spots but when Burt's Bees sent me their dark spot corrector from their new Brightening line, I was excited. It's never too early to give your skin some good tender loving, right?

Their brightening line includes items such as daily facial cleanser, eye cream, refining tonic, even tone moisturizing cream, and dark spot corrector.

It's always difficult for me to find beauty products that don't irritate my skin so I was a little hesitant to try it out at first. But, when I did try it out, I found that I liked it.

Pros:

• smells awesome, daisy extract!
• gel serum
• made my skin softer
• dries quickly & doesn't leave a weird/greasy feel

Cons:

• not really a con but it's too early to tell if any dark spots have diminished, although it has brightened up my entire face
• May not be good for people with oily skin since it is more of a gel serum than lotion application

As you can see there's not a lot of cons and those "cons" are going to be personal preferences. So far I really like this product because it seems to make my face softer, brighter, and doesn't irritate my skin!

Here's the product I received, it's being advertised as nature's retoucher!

Burt's Bees Dark Spot Corrector

Product claims:

• Visibly diminishes the appearances of dark spots and discoloration
• Evens skin tone
• Creates a brighter, more luminous complexion
• Dermatologist Tested
• Noncomedogenic

Before we get into the nitty gritty details, here's a little background on my skin type:

• normal to dry skin
• acne prone
• red undertones
• extremely sensitive

Check out more products from their Brightening line here. Be sure to print off your $3.00 coupon while you're at it!

DREAMS DON'T WORK UNLESS YOU DO

So I bought a camera.

A really nice DSLR camera...like this one.

But how does a broke college student buy a camera?

I'll tell you how...

So if you follow or are friends with me on Facebook, you might remember that one time I pretty much virtually shouted at the top of my lungs out of excitement.

No?

Here, let me refresh your memory.

It must have been late January or early February when I ran across this promotion by Keds. They were giving 50 girls each a $1,000 scholarship based upon each individuals brave career dream.

I shrugged off the scholarship for at least a week because I thought "I never get scholarship money and I don't really want to write another essay."

But then I got to thinking, I have absolutely nothing to lose.

I've been working my tail off to grow my blog as well as networking with as many people as I can. I knew that even if I didn't get the scholarship I would still have my blog, I would still have my fitness success, and I knew that I would still be surrounded by a wonderful group of supporters.

Keds asked roughly about three pages of questions and the most important one was "what is your brave career dream?" and "how would you use the $1,000?"

My brave career dream: I'm a health and fitness blogger who wants to empower women to live their best life possible through health and fitness. My brave career dream is to build a bigger and better platform for women around the globe to provide nutritional and fitness goals. I want to grow my blog and interact with women who need motivation or don't know where exactly to start. I want to grow as a personal fitness trainer and help women conquer their goals.

$1,000 grant: With the grant, I would be able to stop taking funny pictures with my cell phone and buy a DSLR camera that would provide better quality images. Not only will the camera help me start taking better quality pictures, I would also be able to make workout videos for the women that need it. I would be helping them engage in cardiovascular activities and they wouldn't have to pay a dime. Along with growing my love for food photography and creating workout videos, I will also be able to start writing my very first cookbook for women who need nutritional advice!

When I sent in the application I didn't expect anything from it...then....

I received this email after completely forgetting I ever even sent the application:

You could say I was pretty darn excited. It was like an early birthday present!

I was so excited because since December I was putting in $5 each time I worked out. I usually worked out 5 to 6 times a week so I was saving $25-$30 a week. By the time I received the email I had only saved about $360. I had already planned ahead of time that I would be able to buy the camera in late June but now that I've been blessed with this scholarship, things are moving at a much faster pace...and I'm totally okay with that.

Two days after I received the check in the mail I went to best buy and bought the camera I've been eyeing for a long time. I did a bunch of research and I feel like I made the right decision as a first time DSLR buyer.

I personally feel like I let a lot of my fears hold me back. Even though this is a post about taking chances, remember that I'm not perfect either.

I have fears of speaking to an audience, I have fears of singing in front of people, I have fears of not achieving personal goals; I have a lot of fears.

The next time you don't apply for something because fear is holding you back remember that you have nothing to lose. The worst thing that could happen is that you don't get it! When one door closes, another one opens.

Whether or not you're a religious/spiritual person, I do believe that we have far greater plans than we could ever imagine so long as we are willing to put down the footwork. 

Because after all,

xo,

5 TIPS TO SPRING CLEAN YOUR DIET

Well it's May and I'm extremely excited.

I'll be done with the Spring 2014 semester this Tuesday and you bet I'm going to celebrate!

I'll also be getting my very first gym membership. I've been working out for nearly 4 years and I've never owned a membership. I've always worked out at the park, home, or the school gym.

Simon goes to Metroflex Gym in Fort Worth and I went there once as a guest....let me just tell ya right now that those men are some of the biggest and tallest men ever. Okay maybe the tallest part is a little biased because I only stand 5 foot 2. But still...

So I'll be training with Simon this summer and we'll be doing a ton of awesome workouts and I'm super excited about that! I really enjoyed my time there last time and I'm excited to be in an atmosphere such as this one. Plus, it's just more fun working out with someone else.

To celebrate May I wanted to give you a jumpstart into your nutrition goals! It's the perfect time of the year to rid your kitchen of the junk and replace it with healthy options!

Taking the first step towards change is hard.

Trust me, I know.

But luckily for you I have 5 super easy tips on how to spring clean your diet!

AHNU SUGARPINE AIR MESH SHOES REVIEW

I wish I could say that I had perfect feet and any shoe I try on fits like a glove. But no, I have feet that need tender loving care. So, I'm always on the lookout for new shoes on the block but much to my dismay, some shoe brands, although super cute, just fall short of comfort.

Fear no more.

Ahnu Footwear sent me a pair of their colorful sneakers and I was happy to find out that these sneakers have just been named 2014 sneaker of the year!

First things first, I have never found a pair of  sneakers that fit me perfectly and true to size.

HOW TO GO ON A DAILY DETOX + GLOW DETOX SMOOTHIE

There are tons and tons of detox recipes out there. There are even 3, 5, or 7 day detox plans. The act of detoxing is great because you'll be getting rid of nasty little (and big) toxins in the body.

The concept of detoxing is daunting to some though because they think they'll feel deprived. Truth is that you will feel deprived if you approach it the wrong way. Quite frankly I think the word detox is thrown around so loosely that its lost its meaning, kind of like the word love.

I truly believe that a detox should be an everyday thing. Everything we ingest should aid in detoxification, that means eating foods high in alkaline & low in acid.

Our body functions on a pH scale, keep in mind these numbers 0-7-14. The lower the number the higher in acidic, the higher the number the higher in alkaline, and 7 is our natural balance of alkaline & acid. We want to keep our pH balanced and eat foods predominantly in the 6-8 range.

Don't get confused with acidic tasting fruits such as lemons, limes, or oranges. They taste acidic but are digested  as an alkaline.

Foods high in alkaline

• Fruits
• Sprouts
• Vegetables of all kinds (excluding starchy ones)

Foods high in acid

• Alcohol
• Animal Protein
• Artificial Sweeteners
• Caffeine
• Dairy Products
• Drugs (antibiotics, steroids)
• Nicotine
• Processed Foods
• Refined Sugar
• Soda

The benefits of one, three, or five, detoxes can be wonderful but the best kind of detox is the one where we constantly eat nutrient dense foods that will detoxify our body on a daily basis.

To help get you started on a daily detox I wanted to share with you my ultimate go to green smoothie.  This is my go to smoothie and like I tell Simon, I never go a morning without it.

I call it my GLOW SMOOTHIE.

WOMEN'S HEALTH ACTION HERO

I've been messing with friends & family through Facebook for quite some time now. Posting pictures & statuses about Women's Health this and Women's Health that.

I know, how rude.

But, I love the mystery & anticipation that I was building and still am building (okay maybe I'm just evil and wanted to mess with y'all)

So what's the big news??

FLOURLESS PEANUT BUTTER BANANA MUFFINS

In January I became gluten free.

I think people think that going gluten free means the end of all things delicious, but, let me tell you something, going gluten free can be delicious!

Like these flour less peanut butter muffins.

VALENTINE'S DAY CARDS

How cute are these??

While they're not "real" cards, they're super cute & fun pictures!

Grab yours for free today and send a special someone a cute love note!!

Plus, if you're looking for a healthy but sweet Valentines Day dessert, why not make two of my most pinned V-Day recipes "Chocolate Dipped Fruit" & "Chocolate Covered Pretzels"

Both recipes can be found HERE.

It's easy to get them:

Just right click & save to your computer! Then, send them to everyone you love!

Click "Read More" to get more Valentine's Day cards!

BAKED GREEN BEANS

I eat as healthy as I can.

The term "healthy" means so many different things to so many people though.

I recently bought a couple of books to further my knowledge about the food we eat and most importantly how we obtain the nutrients from them.

I bought a vegetarian cookbook and as soon as I told Simon about it he said "Are you going vegetarian? I don't know how I'd feel about living with a vegetarian."

Well, I wasn't surprised at his remark. He is after all, a meat eating man.

I've known forever that I could never be a vegetarian, let alone vegan. I wouldn't survive.

I don't think being a vegetarian or vegan is bad, more power to y'all!

CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE FROSTING

Happy Monday!

This cake was for a new years day get together. It screams "2014, a great year to sparkle & shine!" but it also screams "I'm delicious, chocolatey, and healthy!"

It's a win win if you ask me.

Over the holidays I didn't fall under the bandwagon. That means I didn't end up eating unhealthy foods, I ate like I usually do with a few occasional sweet treats. However, every sweet treat I had was an incredibly healthy alternative.

It's high in calories but these calories are coming from good ingredients versus bad ingredients. I'd rather have a nice slice of healthier chocolate cake than a bag of potato chips that have been fried.

If you know me, or don't, you'll figure out soon that I love all things sparkly, shiny, gold, pink, and fun. This cake was all of that.

Sprinkles make everything look prettier & so much more party like! But rainbow sprinkles?! Bring it on!

Skinny Peppermint White Chocolate Brownies

This Christmas season was absolutely wonderful and fulfilling! I think my favorite recipe this year is my skinny brownie. It's delicious and guilt free, how do you even get those two words together?

I'll tell you how in two easy steps :

1) Be fearless

2) Buy a can of black beans

That's right, black beans.

I was skeptical at first. Beans? In my heavenly batch of chocolatey brownies? Yea right!

So then I decided to be Taylor Swift's anthem "Fearless" and dove head first into making my first skinny black bean brownies....now all I can think about is chocolate, fudge, brownies, and heaven.

This recipe is so chocolatey and delicious that you won't even remember it's healthy. It's a win win if you ask me.

Everyone that's tasted my black bean recipes love them...I mean everyone...even my picky eating sister.

And no, you can't...I repeat...CAN'T taste the black beans...promise!

Cream Cheese Glazed Pumpkin Coffee Cake

Happy National Pumpkin Day!

National Pumpkin Day is tomorrow but we're celebrating early over here at SUTWU ;) We just couldn't resist!

I've been gone far too long and I apologize. Life gets insanely busy sometimes and well, you know how that goes. I'm back though and just bursting with happiness and ready to share amazing recipes for you!

I'm particularly excited for this recipe because this was my first time to try the recipe and it worked out perfectly the first time. There were no extra hours put into perfecting the recipe! This cake has an added flair since there is almond flour and you can definitely taste the almonds. It's very distinct and crunchy but I loved it. The glaze has a perfect tangy and sweet taste and help contrast the cake batter. Most cakes are sweet with another layer of really sweet frosting. However, this cake batter is not overly sweet and can be eaten by itself or with the glaze.

It's prefect for my not so sweet sweet tooth... ;)

Strawberry Banana Coconut Smoothie

I love carnivals.

There's something very nostalgic about it. When my sister & I were little, my parents would take us to every carnival our town would have. I can't recall a time we didn't go to the carnival when it was in town.

As we slowly grew up, we slowly stopped going to the carnivals. I want to go back.

One thing we tried to do when going to the carnival was avoid the food & drinks there. They're way overpriced for what you get. So we would sometimes just eat before we went & bought drinks if we got thirtsy. Sometimes if my sister & I were being good little girls we would get cotton candy.

Cotton candy is so gross.

One thing I did like from the carnival was their frozen strawberry drinks. My go to flavors when I was little was watermelon & strawberry.

Now it's coconut.

So the other day when I got a new case of coconut water I thought to myself, what would happen if I tried to combine my little girl-self & my...not so little girl-sell, together?

Well, a strawberry banana coconut smoothie would happen, that's what!

Let me tell you something, this recipe is so good & refreshing, I ended up drinking the second half of my leftover. Oops.

At least it's healthy, so I don't feel bad.

Strawberry Banana Coconut Smoothie

Ingredients

♥ Half Ripe Banana

♥ 2-3 strawberries (more for tangy, less for less tang)

♥ 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Shredded Coconut (or to taste)

♥ 1 Cup Fresh Coconut Water

♥ 2 Tbsp Honey or 2-6 drops liquid stevia (or to taste)

♥ Ice Cubes (depends on how icy you want it, use your judgement, I used 5 large ice cubes)

Directions

♥ Mix all of the smoothie ingredients in a blender until you reach your desired consistency

Enjoy, my hungry little hearts!

Pretty Protein Pancakes

Breakfast is my favorite meal.

Let's face it, who doesn't want to get up & eat first thing in the morning?

I love pancakes but I don't always eat it in the morning. Mostly because it's never available in the house. I am slowly trying to cut out processed foods, not knowing what's really in my food brings a chill down my spine.

So I began experimenting in my kitchy kitchen to make the perfect pancakes. Lets just say that after a few trial and errors, I've finally found the one!

I really like how you can make practically any kind of pancake you want. All you need is a basic pancake batter recipe & then get creative!

From this batch I made 4 different kinds of pancakes.

1) Walnut

2) Chocolate Chip

3) Coconut

4) Vanilla

This is probably the start or my pancakae obsession. I can't help it!

The name of the recipe is "Pretty Protein Pancakes" and the secret to getting pretty pancakes is by following these 5 tips:

1. Use a non-stick pan with cooking oil
2. For any shape, use a pancake pen like this OR a pancake mold like this
3. Slightly shake the pan back and forth to spread the batter so that you get a nice, round & not so thick pancake
4. Re-oil the pan when you can no longer see the oil on the pan BUT make sure you spread the oil this time so that the cooked brown oil does not cause your pancakes to get brown/burnt
5. Don't leave your stove at the highest temperture. I found that cooking my first pancake at the highest temp was perfect but after that, not so much. I turned down my temp to 5 (half on my dial) and took the pan off the stove while I poured the batter. Placed it back onto the stove & would turn up the temp if it needed to cook faster.

Pretty Protein Pancakes

Ingredients

♥ 2 Cups Egg Whites (I used the one in the carton)

♥ 2 Cups Quick Oats (you can use gluten free here)

♥ 2 Ripe Bananas

♥ 1 Cup Low Fat Cottage Cheese

♥ 2 tsp. Cinnamon

♥ 2 tsp. Vanilla Extract

♥ 2 tsp. Liquid Stevia or Honey

Directions

♥ Blend all the pancake ingredients together in a blender

♥ Spray a small non-stick pan/skillet with cooking spray

♥ Pour desired amount of pancake batter (mine was about 1/4 cup) into the pan

♥ Cook until the edges are dry and bubbles on the top have formed. You can tell if it is ready to flip by slightly lifting the edges on the pancake with your spatula. If it is dry all around, it is ready to be flipped. If it is still wet, let it cook a little bit longer

♥ Flip the pancake over & cook for another couple of minutes

♥ Finish cooking the rest of the batter

♥ Top with honey, yogurt, fruit, or whatever your little heart desires!

Enjoy, my hungry little hearts!