Life is short make it count. #8

The picture above was taken in Glacier National Park in 2013 on the Pitamakin-Dawson Loop where we hiked over 19 miles in one day. You can read more about the trip here.

---

Sometimes things happen for a reason. I have no idea why this just hit me but it did. About a year ago, my dad and I were going on a hike and when we got about 1/4 mile into the trail there were two HUGE trees blocking the trail. They were so big that we couldn't even find our way around them. What was annoying at the time turned out now to be a blessing. We left that trail and drove 45 minutes farther north to my aunt and uncle's lake house. We went out to eat with my aunt (she wasn't sick at this time) and then drove the two hours back home. Last fall Scott and I were supposed to go hiking in NC. It was actually a beautiful day and we normally don't skip our hikes on this day but we just couldn't get out of bed for some reason. We had to leave early since the hike is a three-hour drive and we just weren't able to. I was super bummed but then remembered there was a Tiny House Expo going on in Atlanta that we could go to. We went to the expo, had lunch, and then stopped by to see my aunt since she had been in the hospital. We talked to her about small houses and told her we would see her at Thanksgiving. She was taken off life support the day before Thanksgiving. As I write this tears are streaming down my face and I don't know how I didn't see this before but both of those "annoyances" turned out to be blessings in disguise and allowed me to spend more time with my precious aunt.

----- I write these posts throughout the week. I wrote the above at the beginning of the week before some MAJOR changes happened. Once again, I can't really talk about this right now but basically we are back to square one where we don't even know what state we are going to be living in. Seriously, our lives are so up in the air right now it's not even funny. We have to be out of our house in less than two weeks and we have no idea what is going on!

Before we found out we could be moving again, we did find a townhouse we liked and made an offer on it. They counter offered but we didn't accept the counter. #storyofourlife On Saturday we went and looked at a basement apartment to temporarily live and also toured a tiny house again! The pictures below are of the tiny house by Mustard Seed Tiny Homes. They are based here in Georgia and we met them at an expo a few months ago. We went by to check out the tiny house again! No, we didn't buy one...YET. :)

I shared photos below on Instagram stories and Snapchat (hesheeatclean), so if you aren't following us there you should be!

Now I have to think that all of this is playing into what is another plan for us. But then again, I really have no idea what to think right now. We will go back to last week where I posted that my favorite part of the day is when I get to go to bed. ;-)

---

Be sure to follow us on the following social media accounts (and snapchat under hesheeatclean) and also sign up for our newsletter so you never miss anything!

---

Workouts

I'm still using the Run Builder as a guide but adjusting as I see fit. I don't really run that often so I normally swap out incline training and sprints for straight runs.

P.S. Don't forget about our new challenge for March! Check it out here.

• Monday: Legs + 4 mile run/walk
• Tuesday: 1 mile walk + Back + 10 minutes stair climber
• Wednesday: OFF + 1 mile walk
• Thursday: 1 mile walk + Chest/Shoulders + 20 min easy treadmill
• Friday: OFF + 5 mile walk
• Saturday: Arms + 20 min walk
• Sunday: Legs + 4 mile walk

Grocery Shopping

Visit this link for our shopping lists and this link for ways to save money grocery shopping.

Costco ($82.02):

• Dates $6.99 ($3 off on sale) -- these are my new favorite!
• Chia Seeds 2 at $5.99 each ($1.50 off on sale)
• Avocados $6.99
• Organic Apple Cider Vinegar $5.99
• Organic Kale $4.49
• Cage Free Liquid Egg Whites 2 at $8.99 each
• Pesticide Free Frozen Blueberries $11.89
• Lemons $7.49
• Tomatoes $6.49

Publix ($15.78):

• Tangerine Juice $3.99 (BOGO)
• Unsweetened Almond Milk $3.25
• Spring Water 2 at $0.87
• Baby Food $1.23
• Granny Smith Apple $1.11
• Sweet Potatoes $4

Kroger ($57.06):

• Pop Chips 2 at $3.29 each
• Coconut Oil Spray $4.99
• Sweet Potatoes $2.61
• Ezekiel English Muffins $5.79
• Halotop Ice Cream 3 at $4.99 each
• Unsweetened Almond Milk $3.99
• Kombucha $3.00
• Charcoal $6.49

Whole Foods ($29.22):

• Tuna Avocado Roll $10.99
• Navel Oranges $7.47
• Grapefruit $2.77
• Smoke Chicken $7.99

Dining Out

• Whole Foods ($21.32): Two salads plus chicken wings

Food Prep

Rambo, our cat, helped us with food prep this week. Just kidding, don't freak out...he didn't touch the food.

• Chocolate Chunk Protein Bars
• Zesty Grilled Chicken
• Zesty Grilled Onion
• Boiled Eggs
• Brown Rice
• Salsa Chicken
• Grilled Brussel Sprouts

Until next week, have a good one! Let us know if you ever have any questions or comments! I've loved hearing from you about the updates! Click here to read all of our updates.

Life is short make it count. #7

I have no idea what is going on in my life right now. I don't know whether to laugh or cry so sometimes I just do both. ;-) We thought we might be moving to Montana but we aren't so the search began for where the heck we are going to live after we close on March 10. Since last week we've made an offer on seven acres of land and they made a counter offer which we declined. We've admired this apartment complex that sits behind the minor league team we have here called the Gwinnett Braves. We always said we would live there temporarily if we needed to, well now is that time. We went and look at the apartments over the weekend and loved them except for all the ridiculous junk fees they charge for things like a cat. They charge the same for you to have a cat as they do for you to have a dog. There is no way I am going to pay $400 plus $30 per month for my cat to sleep 23 out of 24 hours of the day. The apartments are quite a bit more expensive than others in the area as well because they have views of the baseball stadium. Late that night after looking at the apartments I started browsing online again. For some reason the site I was using didn't have the "condo/town homes" checked as something I wanted to see results for. I checked that box and saw the most beautifully decorated and cared for townhouse I've ever seen. It's in a county that I said I would never live in again (the county where we grew up) but we are considering it. It wouldn't be something long term for us as we still want to build but we are entertaining the idea.

Like I said, I have no idea what is going on in my life right now. It's taken me days just to finish this post. ;-)

I did go run on Friday and posted this on Instagram and Facebook:

I must share. I ran 3.65 miles this afternoon. To some of you that might sound like a lot and to some of you that might not sound like very much. Guess what, I don't care either way. The point is what happened. I LOVE to run this neighborhood, it's full of hills and I LOVE hills. I can't stand to just run on flat ground. These hills are killer though & there's a lot of them. I went over there to just get outside because of everything we've had going on, I haven't had much time to spend outside and it was 72 degrees this afternoon. I wanted to run some & walk some, I didn't really care how much, I just wanted to move. I started running & decided I would run to the point where I would turn around (which was a little under 2 miles) & then walk back. The end though was straight uphill so once I got to the top I told myself might as well run back down because that's the easy part right?! Well, at the end of this downhill is the biggest uphill of the entire path. I told myself just make it up this hill, no matter how slow you go, and then you can start walking once you reach the top. Well, at the top I decided I should just keep going to hit 2.5 miles. Once I hit 2.5 miles I decided, well I should just run 3. Then I hit 3 and was about to reach another one of the biggest hills of the entire path so I just sprinted up it because I felt like it. All of this to say, your mind will try to give up before your body does. If anyone was actually listening to what was going on in my mind and how I was talking to myself they would have thought I was crazy! Not only did I run the entire thing but I did it in record time, faster than I ever have before...honestly, without even really "trying". Sure, I was running but I wasn't paying attention to my pace until it was over!

As many of you know, I'll hike 26 miles in one day but I only enjoy running in nice weather & when I want to. I'm not going to make myself run just because I think I should or because everyone else loves to run. I run when I want to because I want to! This just goes to show you that you don't have to rack up miles and pound the pavement day after day to actually be able to run & run fast!

I've been doing our She Sweats 12-Week Run Builder workout plan (but usually doing incline treadmill instead of the listed runs) and I am finally feeling good again after a very, very, very stressful year last year. I've been working out less and eating more since the beginning of the year. I'm not kidding when I say that once you give your body what it needs, it works FOR you instead of AGAINST you!

We also FINALLY get the chance to go hiking on Sunday. It was supposed to be a warm and sunny day but we were fogged in for the entire hike. I guess the warm and sunny part wasn't until later in the day. Oh well, we still had a great time. We did the 4.2 mile Blood Mountain hike on the Appalachian Trail. Below is the spooky picture that I took once were almost at the very top.

Be sure to follow us on the following social media accounts (and snapchat under hesheeatclean) and also sign up for our newsletter so you never miss anything!

---

Workouts

I'm still using the Run Builder as a guide but adjusting as I see fit. I don't really run that often (especially in less than ideal weather) so I normally swap out incline training and sprints for straight runs.

• Monday: HIIT Class (AM) + Arms (PM)
• Tuesday: 1 mile walk + Legs + 20 min cardio (treadmill at 11% incline/3.1 MPH)
• Wednesday: OFF + 2 mile walk
• Thursday: 2 mile walk + Back
• Friday: RAN 3.65 miles
• Saturday: Chest + Shoulders
• Sunday: 4.3 mile hike + 2.12 walk

Grocery Shopping

Visit this link for our shopping lists and this link for ways to save money grocery shopping.

Costco #1 (total $150.54):

• Organic Salsa $7.69
• Avocados $6.49
• Wild Tuna $14.99
• Cottage Cheese $4.99
• Organic Tortillas $5.59
• Brown Rice $12.39
• Ground Bison $19.99
• Pesticide Free Frozen Blueberries $11.89
• Beets $5.99 (on sale)
• Organic Chia Seeds $6 (on sale)
• Cage Free Egg Whites $8.99
• Lemons $6.99
• Organic Kale $13.47 (3 at $4.49)
• 5 dozen Cafe Free Eggs $8.59
• Organic Gala Apples $9.99

Publix (total $18.56):

• White Vinegar $2.19
• Unsweetened Almond Milk (2) $4.50 (2 at $2.25 each)
• Ezekiel English Muffins $5.35
• Cucumbers (2) $1.69
• Sweet Potatoes $3.14
• Organic Granny Smith Apple $1.11

Dining Out

• Chipotle (RELATED: 5 Chipotle Hacks)
• Yahoola Creek Grill (after hiking)

Food Prep

• Orange Chicken (recipe coming soon I promise!)
• Taco Meat
• Bison Burgers
• Sweet-Sweet Potato Cubes
• Brown Rice
• Boiled Eggs
• Chocolate Chunk Protein Bars

Items We Sold

• Golf Bag (Facebook Yard Sale Group) $45

Until next week, have a good one! Let us know if you ever have any questions or comments! I've loved hearing from you about the updates! Click here to read all of our updates.

Life is short make it count. #6

I posted the quote above on Instagram and Facebook last week and wanted to document it here too. I heard it in yoga a few weeks ago and it has been stuck in my head ever since. Sometimes I just find myself repeating it. Powerful words. Read all of our body image related posts here.

---

On Monday I had to go buy a new dishwasher since ours conveniently quit working the week we went under contract. My dad and I went down to Lowe's to get one that I found online. It said they had it in stock and I had a coupon so I was all set, or so I thought. Once we got there they couldn't find either of the two they had in stock so they actually let me get one that was better (and $100 more) for the same price and I was still able to use the coupon. We LOVE the dishwasher, our buyer is lucky he is getting such an awesome quiet dishwasher haha. :)

As you can tell with our workouts lately, we've only been going to the gym four days per week. This is all we can handle right now and I'm actually loving it. We also try to do 1-2 days of cardio per week and the other 1-2 days are complete rest days. You will see that I normally walk on those days but that's it. I'm not running or going to the gym. I just like to walk during the day to get outside and move around a bit. I posted the picture below on Snapchat (hesheeatclean), it's true that my "New Years Resolution" was to eat more and workout less.

Scott's birthday was Friday. He turned 34. Not really sure how that happened but I can't believe he's 34. As you probably gathered from previous posts, we don't really celebrate many holidays or birthdays the way others do. We don't buy each other gifts or make a big deal out of things. Scott wanted to go to Whole Foods to eat so that's what we did! He loves to go there because he can get many different things (he normally builds a salad, gets BBQ, wings, and occasionally a piece of pizza and cookie!). We also stopped by Costco quickly on our way home. We planned on hiking on Saturday but changed our mind. After the gym, we went to a nearby neighborhood that's really hilly to run, walk, and do hill sprints. We are hoping we can truly go hiking next weekend. Fingers crossed the weather forecast stays sunny and warm!

Be sure to follow us on the following social media accounts (and snapchat under hesheeatclean) and also sign up for our newsletter so you never miss anything!

---

Workouts

I'm still using the Run Builder as a guide but adjusting as I see fit. I don't really run that often (especially in less than ideal weather) so I normally swap out incline training and sprints for straight runs.

• Monday: HIIT Class (AM) + Arms (PM)
• Tuesday: 2 mile walk + Legs + 10 min stair climber
• Wednesday: OFF + 3.5 mile walk
• Thursday: 1 mile walk + Chest/Shoulders + 15 min cardio
• Friday: OFF + 1 mile walk
• Saturday: Back/Legs + 3.5 mile run/walk outside
• Sunday: 4 mile run/walk/hike outside

Movie Watched:

• The Impossible - This was really good! It was about a family that survived the tsunami in Thailand in 2004.

RELATED: How We Ditched Cable TV but Still Watch Our Favorite Shows & Sports

Book Finished:

• The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines - so good!

RELATED: 4 Books Everyone Should Read

* This post contains affiliate links which means that we may get a small commission if you purchase from these links. It does not cost you any extra but helps us produce the free content on this website. Thank you. :)

Grocery Shopping

Visit this link for our shopping lists and this link for ways to save money grocery shopping.

Publix (total $20.28):

I went to Publix to get ground chicken breasts since one near us carries it again! This means we won't have to make them grind it for us in the store (which they did but I don't think they were too happy about). I'm not sure if it just had the wrong price on it or what but the chicken rang up for a lot more than the sticker so I ended up getting them at the lower price plus a free pound because it was wrong! I'm slowly making up for having to buy that dishwasher. ;-)

• Banana/Mixed Berry Baby Food 3 at $1.19 each
• Daisy Cottage Cheese $2.09 (on sale)
• Perdue Ground Chicken Breasts 3 at $3.79 each
• Unsweetened Almond Milk $2.45 (on sale)

Publix #2 (total $57.68):

Our Publix had a special where if you purchase $50 or more in grocery you can buy a $50 gas card for $40. We do every single time they offer it because it's truly getting $10 off just by buying what we already needed. Springer mountain farms chicken was BOGO so that is why this bill was so expensive - I stocked up!

• 100% Orange Juice $3.29
• Ezekiel English Muffins $5.35
• Waters $3.48 (4 at $0.67)
• Cucumbers $1.69
• Sweet Potatoes $3.02
• Springer Mountain Farms Chicken Breasts $39.17 (BOGO)

Costco ($95.16):

• Lemons $6.99
• Avocados $6.49
• Cottage Cheese $4.99
• Organic Maple Syrup $10.99
• Organic Kale $8.98 (2 at $4.49)
• Mighty Greens Juice $20.07 (3 at $6.69 on sale)
• Liquid Egg Whites $8.99
• Organic Peanut Butter $9.99
• Tomatoes $6.49
• 5 Dozen Eggs $8.59

Whole Foods ($22.54)

• Sirloin Steak $6.60
• Fuji Apples $4.36
• Siggis Yogurt $5.00 (2 at $2.50)
• Grapefruit $1.63
• Cookies $3.41

Dining Out

• Whole Foods $30.91 (two salads with chicken + beer + Brown Rice/Quinoa Avocado Tuna Roll to go)

Food Prep

• Chocolate Chunk Protein Bars
• Sweet-Sweet Potato Cubes
• Taco Soup
• Ground Chicken seasoned with DIY Taco Seasoning

Until next week, have a good one! Let us know if you ever have any questions or comments! I've loved hearing from you about the updates! Click here to read all of our updates.