Baby Steps

DAY 1 - SHINE YOUR SINK!

I have to say, the group that I have put together on Facebook for this FlyLady Challenge has been overwhelmingly motivating!! In just the last two days I have already made new changes in my home that are seriously making me feel better about the habits we have for our family!

Let me first day that Day 1 was a HUGE success! Out of the 36 people in the group, 13 people posted their pictures in the group. I know more then that did the work, but THIS IS A BIG SUCCESS! On top of that, the support and encouragement among the ladies in the group is AMAZING! I seriously didn't expect THAT much interaction! Most people even found that it pushed them to do more then just their sink!

 

Some of the ladies' comments:

"I have to tell ya'll that after I shined my sink, it lead to me scrubbing my stove, which then lead to scrubbing hubby's bathroom sink and toilet and then I vacuumed the living room. Once I get started its hard for me to stop lol." - C.K.

"I am super happy about doing this and wanted to thank ALL OF YOU for motivating me to make that change! It cleared up space for me to display the awesome cutting board my husband got for me and made an open space for me to keep my oils for easier access!!" - D.M.

"Ok Ashley and ladies i finally got mine done actually my husband and I both did i did one side he did the other declutter together!!!! 8 glasses down before noon" -T.S.

"For anyone with kids (or husband) that needs a kind note as a reminder of the new rules........I put mine in a plastic sleeve and taped it where I knew everyone that can read can see it. This IS a water area and I didn't want to have to replace it daily.
Super excited that the kids are home from school and already following my lead!
Just had to share!" - K.I.

 

The motivation and support has been absolutely wonderful and carried on to day 2!!

DAY 2 - GET DRESSED TO SHOES, HAIR, AND FACE

and shine your sink

 

This one was more challenging of a day for most people. This is something most people don't do because, well, when you don't have to, you just don't. This is something that I HAVE to do in order for me to get the motivation to actually get  ANYTHING done.

 

If I don't have my shoes, the ones that lace up and tie, I find myself sitting down on the couch and not getting up. I also find that when I fix my hair and do my make-up I feel mentally happier. The phrase,

"When you look good, you feel good!"

really rings true in my life. I mean, who doesn't feel good when they are all dolled up. Today, all I did was put on a little eyeliner, a little lip gloss, and threw my hair in a bun and I felt like $100!

Some of the ladies' Comments:

"I didn't manage to get dressed the way Danielle did today but I didn't wear sweats and cleaned my bedroom. Babysitting 5 kids under the age of 5 didn't leave me much time to get all cute but tomorrow is another day!" - K.I.
"Dressed to my shoes. Until I have to change because my kid spilled or wiped something on me, lol." - A.M.

"So all dressed up....time to shine my sink and get ready to head to work. — feeling great." - A.C.

 

The motivation and support, again, was absolutely wonderful and I have a STRONG feeling it will carry into day 3!!

DAY 3 - Explore FlyLady.net

Get dressed to shoes, hair, and face

Shine your sink

 

Day three is a nice, relaxing day. You still have to do the new habits from Day 1 and 2, but the only other thing you are adding in is checking out the resources that are available to you at the FlyLady website. Not really hard to do this one. The main thing to focus on is finding tools that you will use regularly, like the Launch Pad, the Control Journals, and the Flight Plan.

 

 

 

Check in tomorrow evening for an update on day 3 and day 4's BabyStep!

 

 

 

Flying to declutter!

I love FLYing!

I have been a big fan of FlyLady for a while now. I have been using her habit building skills, aka FLYing, for almost 3 years. Some days are easier then others but it is a learning process.. it's a matter of learning how to not do something you have been doing most of your life and replacing it with a new habit.

Are you able to determine what is a good and bad habit in your daily life? They are typically simple things that you don't even realize you do. Things that later make you stand there and wonder how you got so much put on your plate and how you got so far behind in your house work. Luckily Flylady has put together a list of simple things that help people get organized, de-cluttered, and ultimately less stressed.

Because I believe so strongly in FlyLady and FLYing, I have decided to do a facebook group to share everything that I have learned from FlyLady's website and my experiances!

I am going through the FlyLady Getting Start, BabySteps, and Control Journal! This is the best way that I have found to get into FLYing and stick with it! Once we get through the BabySteps, Putting together everything for the Control Journal will be extremely simple.

Before we go any further I want tell you the number 1 tip that I have had to learn. YOU WILL NEVER CATCH UP. If you don't get around to doing something, do it another time. Don't stress yourself out by trying to squeeze it in somewhere else. If you allot for  15 minutes to clean a room, and you don't finish, try again another day. It doesn't have to be perfect, no matter what your OCD tries telling you.

Now, DAY 1, Shine your sink!

This is in both the "Getting Started" and the "Baby Steps" for good reason. The sink is typically in the center of your kitchen. It is generally the first area of your home that people critique when they visit (tell me you don't do it!). Did you know that when your sink is full of dishes, old food, and soap scum your kitchen generally looks messy as a whole? How about this, did you know that if your sink is free of dishes, clean, and shining your messy kitchen generally looks clean?

 

Doing your first "shining" will take a little more time. Once this is done once, you wont really have to do it again unless you start putting this off. Once it is cleaned, then it will be VERY simple to keep up with it. CLICK HERE for simple instruction on how to do your first "SHINING".  Once you get your Sink all nice and pretty, you have one simple task... KEEP IT THIS WAY! You eat, do the dishes right then, don't let them sit in your sink. Take pride in your work, even if no one else seems to care. Every time you go into your kitchen, shine your sink.


Now that you have day 1 done, do what you normally do, only remember to keep that sink shining! We'll be adding more to our new habits as we go along!


Danielle M. Montoya

References
http://www.flylady.org

 

Elf on the Shelf - The Shakeology -PICTURE- Challenge Group!

Hello Everyone! Another picture challenge group coming up!

Getting Started

Before we get down to the nitty-gritty, please be sure the following steps have already happened. 


1.) You have your Team Beachbody Account set up through me. If you are coming from a different coach, please be sure to contact me PRIOR to the start of the Challenge Group. I dont want your current coach upset with you participating in someone else's Challenge Group. If you need the link
----> for Danielle Montoya as your coach...

2.) Order your Shakeology NO LATER then November 21st to ensure that it arrives on time.
3.) If you ordered on Home Direct (HD for short, allows for free shipping and can be canceled by phone any time), you can start drinking Shakeology as soon as you get it! Your next shipment will come in on the same day each month. If you do not order on HD, wait until August 1st before you start drinking!

---Those who order Shakeology on HD through me will receive a free gift!

4.) Make sure you camera, phone, or tablet, is ready to go for Picture day! I will be posting the full list of themes on November 20th. I will also try to post the daily picture theme a day early each day.
5.) On or BEFORE November 28th, have someone help you take measurements. You do not have to share these and you can find what measurements to take by reading the "Measure Me Weekly" section of this blog .
6.) There will be no cleanse portion to this group.
7.) Make sure to read the rules section of this blog as well. Not much different then what is in here, but there are a few extras!!

RULES

This is a PRIVATE group... meaning no one can see who is in it, what we are saying or if this group even exists unless invited in. Let's keep the members in this group private. If you know someone who would like to be a part, please feel free to add them and make sure they follow these rules for the privacy of all our members. What happens in this group with someone else, STAYS in the group.

Welcome to the Shakeology Picture Challenge. Please mind the rules so you are not banned.

1.) No hating, bashing, or insulting. This is grounds for immediate dissmissal from the group and will NOT be tolerated.
2.) No recruiting for other products. This group is meant for for this challenge.
3.) Follow the Daily Theme. I will be posting a list on the day BEFORE day 1 and will TRY also post my photo with the Daily theme and a MEME the day prior each day.
4.) Please contact ME prior to inviting anyone to the group. All new members must be approved by an ADMIN.
5.) Be sure to post with the Theme each and every day. This is meant to be fun and I really look foward to seeing everyone's photos!
6.) The photos MUST contain you, your shakeology, AND you Elf on the Shelf!

Measure Me Weekly

You do not have to share your results if you are uncomfortable but recording them is essential to this challenge group!

Please refer back to this every 7 days to review and update your measurements to see your body girth changes.

This is the Document showing what areas and how to measure yourself to check your girth changes weekly. This is essential for showing you exactly how your body is changing. 

1. BEFORE PHOTOS - Take one from the front, back and side. Three photos total!
2. Weight - if you are able get down to the 10th of a pound. Example: My starting weight is 130.2
3. Neck :Across the Adam's Apple
4. Chest: Across the nipple line
5. Waist: the narrowest point below the rib cage and above the hip bones. (if no area is narrowest, across the belly-button.
6. Hips: feet together, widdest portion across buttocks.
7. Thighs: 10 inches above knee
8. calves: widest part between knee and ankle.
9. Biceps: widest part with arms extended palm facing foward.
10. Triceps: widest part with arms extended palm facing foward.

If you are interested, Danielle Montoya will be able to help you find your hip-to-waist ratio and/or your BMI from these measurements.

DoTERRA Essential Oils

As many of you know, I am searching to provide all things Health and Fitness. Well, this includes preventative health measures as well as healing. I have dabbled in a lot of different areas of health and fitness and have finally found something that I believe in just as much as Team Beachbody and personal fitness training. A few months ago I got into it and want to make sure that it was at the highest level of quality before I fully shared it with all of my customers.

doTERRA Essential Oils are legit! They work, they are pure, and they are AMAZING!! Before I go any further, let me tell you what you will be reading. First, you will read the back ground, paraphrased by me, of the doTERRA company. Followed by what essential oils are and how doTERRA is elite in the essential oil productions. After, I will tell you some of my personal experiences while using doTERRA in my home with my husband, children, pets, and myself. 

doTERRA... the word in Latin means, 'Gift of Life'. In 2008, a group of healthcare and business professionals got together to find a way to get a higher quality of therapeutic grade essential oils to the world. That spring they release their first 25 essential oils and 10 oil blends. Since then, they have released a number of essential oils, oils blends, Spa, nutrition, and cleaning products. They have picked up a wellness philosophy consisting of nutrition exercise, rest and stress management, reduction of toxic load, informed self-care, and proactive healthcare. Click here to see the full Mission Statement and be sure to check out the Introductory Video.

Now, to explain all there is not know about Essential Oils, I could be here a while. So, I am going to give you the quick low-down on them. First of all, Essential Oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and well, every part of plants. They are very clean, almost crisp, to the touch and are immediately absorbed by the skin. Essential oils have been used throughout history in many different cultures for their medicinal and therapeutic properties. Now doTERRA's oils are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade (CPTG). This means they are the safest, purest, and most beneficial. Click here for more information!

Now that I have given you a little big of information here are a few of my experiences with the oils.

Lavender - This is an oil that my whole family uses, including the dogs! For the kids, I typically put a few drops on a wet towel and throw it in the dryer with their cloths and sheets for their bed. This helps with them calming and sleeping better. I also put it on their foreheads and the backs of their necks when they have fever. For the dogs, it goes on their bed's and toys. I also massage them with it in the evenings to help calm them down.

OnGuard - This oil I use on my kids when they are sick. A little bit on the bottoms of the feet goes a long way for fighting viruses. I also add it in my home-made cleaner.

Peppermint - One of my favorites. I put it on the bottom of my feet in the mornings to wake me up and in my Chocolate Shakeology (Mint Chocolate Shake!!! YUMM).

Serenity - This oil I use for myself to help me sleep. It helps with all around insomnia. I put it on my chest and forehead.

Deep Blue - This oil is use for ALL things pain. Post workout soreness, post surgery pain (NOT ON OPEN INCISIONS), bruises, pulled muscles, twisted ankles... all of it is soothed from this oil. It also comes in a roll-on and rub (lotion).

Balance - This oil is used for my anxiety and stress. A little bit on my neck, forehead, chest, and wrists.



The products are sold exclusively through Independent Product Consultants, or IPCs.

Find more information HERE.

A whole new world

I am living in a whole new world... In fitness that is. As many of you, who follow me of Facebook, know, I have been working towards being a certified personal trainer. Spare time went out the window, most of the work that I put into Team Beachbody went with it, my house even suffered because I wasn't cleaning as much as I normally did... All of that hard work and dedication has finally paid off.

On May 3, 2013, I am happy to say that I took AND PASSED my NASM certification test!

But what does this really mean?

Well, this means that I have a whole new service to offer and I will be making more time to work one-on-one with clients. This means I will be able to better help people who suffer from depression, stress, and anxiety. I will be able to better help people who suffer from S.A.D., P.P.D., P.T.S.D, and other major mental disorders. I will be able to help stay-at-home moms, elderly, and soldiers achieve their goals when it comes to health and fitness through more avenues then just Team Beachbody programs.

The sole purpose for me becoming a trainer is to help 'shut ins' (moms and elderly) get in shape and ward off depression. I, as a mother, know how hard it is to workout, stay in shape, GET BACK IN SHAPE, and be over-all happy with myself with having small children. I have three children under 5 years old myself. I want to help people BE HAPPY with their bodies, their children, their homes, and most importantly, their lives

What does this mean for my Team Beachbody business?

I am still an Independent Team Beachbody coach. Honestly, I do not think that I will be leaving Team Beachbody any time in the near future. I still LOVE their programs and suggest them when I can. The supplements are something that I will always suggest to people because I believe they are the best on the market. Shakeology... Hands down will always be my shake of choice. Their equipment, yea, there are cheaper places to get the stuff, especially living in Alaska (and I will tell my customers this everyday I can), but I will buy from them because I want to do whatever I can to support the company that I truly believe in.

What does this mean for my doTERRA Essential Oils business?

I am still an Independent Product Consultant. These products have reinvented healthcare for my family and they will not be leaving and therefore I will continue to offer them to my clients. These oils are used on everyone in my family and they have completely changed the way we view medications and changed our lives as a whole.

What is currently offered?

I don't have too much offered at the moment. I do have online training through Trainerizer. Prices vary upon goals and other variables (in-home workouts vs. gym workout; Video consultations vs. email consultations). You can contact me for information on this at the link provided at the end of this post.

I also offer nutrition assistance/guidance and exercise accountability through 411fit.com. This website does have free accounts availabe if you would like to try it out first! :-) Prices start at $15.00 a month and includes a monthly full-body exercise regimen (1-hr workout). You can also combine with other services through Team Beachbody, doTERRA, and online training to receive discounts. 

One last thing that I am currently offering is In-Home training. Prices vary upon what services you would choose. Fitness assessments start at $75 and last about 2 hours. This is needed prior to any training. One-on-One training sessions start at $40/hr and you can get discounts on sessions by purchasing bundles or through other discounts like Military and senior discounts.

FOLLOW UP LINKS:

Sign up for a Team Beachbody Account       

View Team Beachbody Products     

View Shakeology Information     

View Ultimate Reset Information

View doTERRA Essential Oils

TRAINERIZE ONLINE TRAINING