Complete Slaker

Generally I average about 7 posts a month. In April I wrote one. Yup- one measly little blog. So today I play catch up. I'm going to catch you up on my April, and why I've spend so much time away from this blog. This is going to be a marathon post...so I apologize in advance.

First I spent some time in early April at a Digital Dealer Conference in Orlando. I didn't find the trip to be as educational as it was last year and don't see myself attending in the future. There were some good take aways that I plan to implement in my department. But first I have to dig through my pages of notes and get it all straightened out in my head!

While in Orlando, my co-worker and I decided to find cool local places to eat. We had attempted the first night and drove 15 minutes only to learn the cool local place that everyone loved so much was only open until 7. We ended up having dinner at Chipotle instead. So the next night we were more thorough with our search and headed out feeling confident. We made it to Julie's in about 20 minutes. Although the tacky entrance made us a bit hesitant, once we got inside we knew we found the perfect spot.

We enjoyed a nice dinner on the water, and even watch dusk roll in.

After sending 3 days in Orlando the workload had piled up back in the office. The next days were spent working late and playing catch-up. But it all paid off mid-month when I met my sister in Tampa for our first cruise!

The view of Tampa from the ship

Melissa aboard the Jewel of the Seas

I don't have many pictures from the cruise because I was terrified of international charges and kept my cell phone off. Instead, we used my step mom's digital camera and I've yet to receive any of the photos.

We cruised on the Royal Caribbean ship Jewel of the Seas. It was a 5 day cruise to Costa Maya and Cozumel. We had a blast. While on the ship we visited the gym, read a lot, napped in the sun, spent some time in the pool, ate whenever we felt like it, and made so incredible friends. While docked we took advantage of the excursions and did a jungle hike and toured the Mayan Ruins. Sure, we got completely soaked while in Costa Maya (it rained the ENTIRE time) but it was totally worth it.

When we got back to Tampa I flew back to Philly with my sister to be Matron of Honor in one of my oldest friends weddings! Shayna and I have been friends since we were about 7 or 8 years old and I love that I was able to be part of her special day! Unfortunately she wasn't able to make it to my wedding (as many people couldn't because it was in Mexico), so being there for her really meant a lot to me.

We had to hustle to make it from the airport to the rehearsal dinner and ended up being about 40 minutes late :/ But the feeling of the wedding and the attitude of the bride was very relaxed and no one seemed to mind very much. Everything went absolutely perfect the next day and the wedding was beautiful. More details and photos to come!!

So after missing work for an entire week I was one again SLAMMED when I got back in the office (hence the reason I'd been absent from this blog). The remainder of my April was consumed with my full-time job, working to meet some goals on my new home-based business (which I will explain more in my next post), and making sure to still eat healthy and squeeze in my workouts. April was a whirlwind for me, but a very exciting one. May looks to be amazing and I can't wait to blog about it along the way.

A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.

Things have started to go incredibly right for me. And although I have said I'm lucky, we all know that none of it is "luck." There's no fairy sprinkling special dust on me that allows everything to go right. Instead there's a 27-year-old woman with a drive to succeed, a hunger to build an empire, and an urge to make everyone around her amazed and proud. I've always been a go-getter, but now I'm the extreme version. I'm a business builder.

I'm using this term "business-builder" because it's loosely describes both my day job and my night job. By day (well, this job often involves staying at work until 9pm, but for all intensive purposes we'll call it a day job) I am the Business Development Center Manager for a large automotive group. I built the department, hand picked my 15 staff members, and continue to grow daily. The job of my department is to grow new business, retain current business, offer excellent customer service...ultimately make more money for the organization. I've spent hours researching, consulting with peers, sitting through webinars...all to learn how to run an effective Business Development Center. I've done it and it's rewarding. The hard work doesn't stop there, however. The market is constantly changing and therefore so must we. We're always looking for ways to better ourselves and will consistently be doing it bigger and better than our competitors.

Again, none of this happened because of luck. It all took a focused team, a supportive CEO, and a lot of hard work.

By night I'm an Arbonne Independent Consultant. In this world I am also a "business-builder." You see, if you can grow your network in Arbonne and set up a successful team that helps to train other women while still redirecting household spending you are golden. There are only 4 management levels in Arbonne and all are clearly defined. All you need to do is meet that goal in that time frame and you're making thousands a month. Once you hit Regional VP you get a free white Mercedes Benz. No strings, nothing crazy....just a free car.

Needless to stay I am working on building my network. The tricky thing is that there are too many people out there that don't see any value in hard work. They'd rather be handed mediocre things than work hard and get the big pay-off. NOT THIS GIRL. I've now seen the fruits of my labor in my full-time job and am applying those exact same principals to my part-time job. I'm going all the way and making it to the top. From an entry level job to a department head in a very successful department. From a consultant to a National VP.

Who doesn't dream about a beautiful home, a gorgeous luxury vehicle, the extra income to not have to pinch pennies?  A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.

If you'd like to hear more about this exciting opportunity to succeed, make real money, and set yourself up for a prosperous future, please reach out to me. Arbonne can be as big or as small as you need it to be. Full-time, part-time...but I promise you that they will take care of you and offer you a chance to sell quality products and potentially change the lives of yourself and others. Be a go-getter!

"What is the vision you have for your life? What are the dreams and goals you have for yourself or your family? Do you have a plan to attain them or, have you forgotten how to dream because you are mired in the reality of daily life? Arbonne has allowed me to reshape the vision I have for my family and myself, and to dream bigger than ever before. The same is happening for many others who are joining me on my Arbonne journey."

Read Barbara's Arbonne Story

Click Here for a Call Recording from one National VP of Arbonne International

There will be a brief information sessions (with drinks and snacks of course) at my home this coming Monday evening. If you're interested in attending (whether to learn about the products or the business), please RSVP by email (a.byelich@gmail.com) or on our facebook event page.

Banana Bread (healthified)

When I got home home from the gym last night I immediately started putting dinner together. I marinated 2 chicken breasts (each cut in half to make 4 thin breasts) in a balsamic, lemon and basil marinade. My plan was to make chicken and steamed broccoli...until I opened the veggie drawer and saw kale. Then I decided on baked chicken, steamed broccoli and steamed kale. Just as I was putting the chicken in the oven Doug asked if I was making a starch. He's trying to put on some weight and asked that I add that into the mix. This was the perfect opportunity for me to try my new Quinoa pasta! I made the baby shells in a big pot and steamed the broccoli and kale over top of it. Once everything was done I decided it'd be easiest to dice up the chicken and toss it, along with the veggies, with the pasta and some pesto sauce. Mmm Mmmm Mmmm. It was delicious! I'm glad my eyes were bigger than my stomach because I have leftovers for lunch this week!

While I was waiting for the chicken to bake I read through some recipes I'd been saving in my email. A recipe for Pumpkin Banana Loaf with Chickpeas from the Peanut Butter Fingers blog I subscribe to peaked my interest and I decided to give it a try. I modified her recipe a little bit (I used Stevia instead of sugar, agave nectar instead of honey and egg whites instead of egg) and it turned out wonderfully.  In retrospect I could have added nuts or cranberries to the mix for some added texture and flavor. I'll have to remember that next time.

The loaf came out super moist and very flavorful. You can't even tell it's a "healthified" version! Below is the recipe I used. The original can be found on the Peanut Butter Fingers Blog.

Pumpkin Banana Loaf with (Undetectable) Chickpeas

• Makes 1 loaf
• Cook time: 65 – 75 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup agave nectar
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 cup white flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 3/4 cup stevia
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2) butter, softened
• 2 egg whites
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup canned pumpkin 
• 1 large banana, mashed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Place chickpeas and agave nectar in a food processor and pulse until relatively smooth. Set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine whole wheat flour, white flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
4. Mix stevia and butter with a mixer until combined. Add egg whites slowly. Add vanilla extract.
5. Add chickpea mixture, pumpkin and banana to stevia mixture.
6. Slowly add flour mixture to stevia mixture until batter is combined.
7. Slowly pour batter into a loaf pan sprayed with cooking spray and bake for approximately 65 – 75 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.
8. Allow to cool before slicing.

All in all I think the bread was a success. I enjoyed a slice with a cup of coffee this morning while getting some work done from home. It was nice to have something different in the morning (I'm used to my Tone It Up Slim Down Scramble).

After working a bit from the laptop my alarm went off on my phone reminding me of a 9am conference call. I quickly grabbed my food for the day, and decided to make a smoothie for the road (the little slice of bread wasn't cutting it for this girl after a morning run).

I read an article this morning about the importance and berries and how they can help memory and cognition, so naturally I had to put berries in my smoothie. In to the blender went:

1 scoop of vanilla protein powder
Vanilla Almond Milk
Blueberries
Spinach
Ground Flax Seed
4 ice cubes


I can't really give measurements for what goes in my smoothies because I always just eyeball it. For some reason I'm always able o make the exact right amount, even without measuring. Yay me!

You may be thinking I'm a total freak for adding spinach but it adds in extra nutrients and you can't taste it at all! My smoothie was a deep blueish green. Weird looking but very tasty.

Today is a big day for the Stewarts: today is Doug's 30th birthday!!!!!

Yup, I'm married to an old man! LOL. In all actuality he is as playful and youthful as ever in probably in the best shape of his life. I'll update with birthday festivities later tonight or tomorrow. Have a wonderful day!

Shenanigans

I'm proud to say that in just a few weeks I'll be the matron of honor for one of my oldest friends, Shayna Samero (soon-to-be Shayna Numbers). Shayna and I have been friends since were were about 5 or 6 years old. Sam, Jen and I happily planned her bridal shower and bachelorette, mostly via email, and it surprisingly went off without a hitch! Below are some photos documenting Shayna's day before "the big day."

The cake and cake pop party favors by Sara's Homemade Sweets

A zebra striped cake for the girl obsessed with animal prints

Quite the turn-out

A mostly healthy spread

Jennifer and I

Shayna with the only boy allowed at the party

Bridal Shower Purse Game

Me and my sisters <3

Bridesmaids!

Bride and her maids!

PRESENTS!

Everything about the day was a success. I was nervous planning everything form so far away and with women I had never met. But Sam and Jen turned out to be totally reliable, not to mention a ton of fun. Everyone had a wonderful time at the shower.

After cleaning up it was time to prepare for the Bachelorette party. We headed back to my Dads to freshen up. It wasn't long before our designated driver showed up (my bff Ryan agreed to drive us around in exchange for some quality time) and we were on our way to Philly. We decided to take Shayna to a popular bowling alley in center city Philadelphia called Lucky Strikes.

Ryan and I

Before heading to the city

Bowling was fun but, quite honestly, I suck and it was overpriced. We played for an hour then walked to Good Dog, an incredible little pub I've visited once or twice and have always had a good time in. We were fortunate enough to meet a rugby team who happily supplied us with drinks all night. Cheers mates!

It was slightly after midnight when our bride-to-be started showing signs of intoxication and we decided to head back to the suburbs. I think we all made it into bed by 2am feeling very satisfied with the evening. Unfortunately I was having so much fun that I didn't snap a single photo.

The next morning I enjoyed breakfast with everyone at my dads, including bloody mary's, before catching my flight back to SC. It may have been a quick one but this PA trip was action packed!

Change of Scenery

People have a lot of questions when they find out I'm a "distance runner." My distances right now cap at 14 miles and there are A LOT of people out there putting in WAY more miles than me. Still, that type of mileage can be intimidating to beginner runners or people who have never tried to run at all. The usual questions I get regard fatigue, injury, soreness and stretching, but I think the most common questions are more along the lines of, "don't you get bored," "how do you convince yourself to keep going," and "don't you get tired?"

Yes, you can get bored and yes you can get tired. But if you've trained to tackle 13 miles your body will do it. End of story. It's the mental game you then need to play. You're mind needs to be prepared to keep on going, not your legs.

Since I began training I've figured out what techniques work best for me. If I'm running with my group distance is never a problem. We usually run at a pace that we can have a conversation comfortably, which means we're talking to each other the whole time. During races it's a bit more difficult. We're usually running at a quicker pace and are almost never together. This is when I have upbeat music to help keep my pace and repeat mantras to myself when I get tired. Some of my favorites mantras are:

-Just one more mile (even if there's several)
-You can do it
-You've trained for this
-Push harder

I also focus on my breathing and maintaining a comfortable pace, adjusting it whenever I feel necessary. But my favorite thing to keep myself occupied during a race is pick out a person ahead of me that I'd like to pass. I'll take my time, maybe pick up my pace a tad, and slowly pass them. Then I pick the next person. This seems to be the best way for me to get through half marathons.

Recently we've been registering for races in areas we don't usually run, for the excitement and the change of scenery. A few months a go we did a 10k on Tybee Island in GA. Claire and I actually ran this entire race together and I FINALLY got some good race photos!

Pre-Race Team Photo

Finally an action shot where I don't look like I'm dying!

A few weeks after that a group of us went down to Tampa for the Gasparilla half marathon. The Expo was pretty big and we had a lot of fun. I even had the opportunity to get my body fat and BMI measured. They did the measurement by having me stand on a machine that weighed and measure me, while gripping handles for a few seconds. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I was pretty pleased with the result.

Height: 5'8" 

(I really think I'm 5'9"...maybe I wasn't standing up straight)

Weight: 138 

Ideal Weight for me is 125.3 to 164.9

BMI: 21

Ideal BMI for me is 19 to 25

Body Fat %: 22%

Ideal Body Fat for me is 19% to 25.4%

Body Fat Mass: 31 lb

Ideal Body Fat Mass for me: 26.4 to 35.5

I was happy to find that I'm within the healthy range for all categories (though I'd prefer to be on the lower end of each of those ranges...)

After we all got measured we headed out to the water front for some R&R.

CJ with the Lego Man I found in Chris' van

Chris, Colin, John and CJ

Me and Mary

When the sun started to go down we got settled in the hotel and enjoyed a pre-race pasta dinner at a local favorite, Luigi's. We hit the sack early because our half marathon started at 6:30am.

We woke up at 4:30 am to the beginning of a storm. The wind was whipping and as we pulled into the parking garage it started to pour. Luckily the rain let up just minutes before our race began.

Chris and his bed head before the run

The run was beautiful and scenic, however, and it kept my mind occupied. For the first few miles I was completely focused on moving up in the pack. I accidentally started in the wrong heat with runners who would finish in over two hours. weaving in and out of people for a few miles made for an interesting run.

My goal was to finish under 1 hour 50 minutes and unfortunately I didn't quite hit my goal. I finished in 1 hour 51 minutes. I'm blaming it on the people dodging... But I did walk away with a bad-ass skull and cross bones metal :)

We also ran the local shamrock run last weekend, which was followed by the appropriate St. Patrick's day beverage: Guinness.

You'll notice some different faces in the above photo. Stephanie joined us, after taking a few months off of running due to some knee pain. Doug made it out and brought along our friend Pat. I finished the 5k in 23 min, 48 seconds.


My next "interesting" race is the LoziLu Women'sa Mud Run in Jacksonville, FL next month. We decided on a team name of the Bluffton Beer Runners. What can I say? We like beer!!

So the trick is to try different routes, try different races, challenge yourself, trick yourself at times and keep it interesting! Start slow and build your mileage. Anyone can be a runner. You just need to try :) And find an awesome group, it really helps!