As an introvert, this may come to a shock to some but one of my favorite things… is attending a conference.  I know, who am I and what have I done with Amber? 

There’s just something about being in a room with folks who all have similar interests whether that’s a veterinary conference to dive deep into the latest techniques or a mastermind retreat where you are brainstorming ideas for your upcoming launch.  

I love it ALL and try to attend a conference at least once every 3-4 months pending hubster’s work schedule as well as, you know, LIFE as a mom.  

Anywho. 

One thing I noticed was how with each event I attended, my body would react in slightly unhappy ways… my gut would feel “off”, my sleep was a wee bit non-existent and my energy level was highly dependent on caffeine.

It wasn’t until I took a step back and focused on my habits WHILE I traveled, that I learned how to improve them.  

It's funny when I think about it... the evolution of my smoothie journey. 

First, it all began in college when my smoothies started out with bananas, strawberries and vanilla yogurt as I tried to replicate my favorite sugar-packed smoothie from the local health food store.   

You probably know the one I am talking about, it was oh so yummy but would make me CRAVE more sweets throughout the rest of the day.  

My smoothie journey evolved over the years... and I'll be honest it was hard for me to get in the habit of drinking a smoothie every single day.  

But you heard the saying, "Success leaves clues"... right?  And as I listened to mentors of mine talk about what they were nourishing their bodies with each day... starting the day with a smoothie packed with superfoods was one clue.  

So.  I figured I would share with you MY favorite smoothie... this is the smoothie I make every single day.  Seven days a week-...

The other day, I downloaded a PDF from a mentor of mine, James Wedmore and it was titled something like MAKE 2020 YOURS...

Anywho.
One thing about me is I absolutely LOVE setting new goals for my birthday year (personal goals)... and for the upcoming year (business goals).

So any chance I have to snag a PDF to help me do so... consider it: SNAGGED!

However, this workbook was a wee bit different as... it asked a few questions I never considered before.  Yes, it talked about what LESSONS your learned... and what did you ACCOMPLISH.

But it also asked, "what ways can you CELEBRATE your lessons + your successes from 2019?"

This had me baffled... celebrate my successes? celebrate my lessons? Um... as a dear friend pointed out, I tend to check off my accomplishments but rarely tend to PAUSE and celebrate.

Why? Probably because I see it as... I gave my word I would accomplish this... so I did, why celebrate?

But ONE thing I teach my clients is to CELEBRATE their wins... no...

Here's just a quick glance on simple tips we use to get our twins, the Gillies... who are 6... to eat their vegetables.  For all the moms out there, hope this helps!

First thing is first... it starts with the MENU!

Each week, we allow the Gillies to choose ONE vegetable of THEIR choice and ONE vegetable THEY HAVE to agree on... for the week ahead.

It never fails... little man will choose broccoli while little miss opts for asparagus or leafy greens like spinach

SIDE NOTE: Little Miss likes asparagus because it makes their pee smell funny... and Little Man likes to eat "trees". Sha babes, right?

Anywho.
Now that they EACH get a vegetable of their choosing, they have to AGREE on which vegetable they will choose together.

Recently, the vegetable they choose TOGETHER is brussels... which they love drizzled with avocado oil, bacon bits and roasted. And I'm not complaining either.

Next we head to the grocery store.  Now, we all go SHOPPING together which is a wee bit of a...

You know those folks who get super excited about their birthday... telling everyone from the grocery store clerk to the coffee barista it's their birthday!  Yep, I'm not that person.   

And it's not because I do not like celebrating my birthday or want to hide the fact I am aging.  Celebrating another year of life is a GIFT and I'm grateful for life. 

It's just I feel like birthdays are a beautiful time for growth + gratitude.   Plus, I am NOT a fan of opening up presents in front of folks... it seems I never show the appropriate amount of enthusiasm for the gift purchased.  Either I'm too over the top or, well, not.  

Let me also add, this is NOT something I do with our twins, the Gillies... although, thinking about it now this could be a tradition we start with them later on. 

Anywho.  How about we get back to growth + gratitude, shall we? 

On the eve of my birthday, when the Gillies are tucked asleep in...

You most likely heard the saying, "you are the sum of the 5 folks you hang around the most"... obviously, I'm paraphrasing, but you get the gist.

And even with my poorly performed paraphrasing, the meaning still holds true which is why one should PROTECT THEIR INNER CIRCLE. the folks you spend the most time with, love.

Check it.

When you are around folks who are inspiring, positive and focused on a mission. THEIR words will inspire you... their dreams, visions, habits will sink in + affect how you think, how you work and the habits you form.

It's why most folks do best in a MASTERMIND group with business... how having a fitness group for ACCOUNTABILITY allows people to crush their health goals...etc. You are all inspiring one another towards a like-minded goal - it may not be the same but it's moving forward.

Today, take a glimpse of the folks in your inner circle... I'll be honest, 2/5 of my inner circle are 6yr olds - YIKES!   Anywho, try to find folks who lift you up... who...

One of my earliest memories of my grandparents on my father's side, well, and my mom's side... is waking up early in the morning to sit at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee. 

My cup of coffee would hold more milk and sugar than actually coffee, but I would sit there in my pajamas and listen to the conversations at the table.  Just marveling at the topics they were discussing which were all above my head.  

It's a memory which floats to my mind every single time I walk pass a coffee shop and smell the aromas of coffee beans.  I think of all my grandparents and how they each sweetened my coffee a wee bit different.  Their topics of conversations were both so unique... as one set of grandparents were farmers and the others were not.  

I will be honest with you though, friend. I am not a FAN of coffee... I know shock and horror!  But I do enjoy ONE cup of coffee each morning because of my fond childhood memories AND I recently read...

When you hear the word, transformation... a few people think about a weight loss journey, while others may think about a mindset shift.  For me... I think of a butterfly emerging from a cocoon - battle scars, memories of the obstacles overcome and a beautiful new beginning.

And when I think of my OWN transformation, my own journey... and it's literally a hot mess.  No jokes and I am in love with it.

See, it's not just about the POUNDS lost, but about the strength GAINED.  It is about the mental toughness and my relationship with God that became stronger.  It is about the PEOPLE who rallied with me and those who picked me up, lent me support, provided me with a roof over my head or a kind word in the darkness.  It is about the knowledge learned...  and most importantly, the truth I have found about myself.

For instance.
I've overcome holding onto strict caloric restrictions.
I've been a size 16 and a size 2.
I've been able to...

There is absolutely NOTHING better than having a warm bowl of soup on a crisp fall day... well, maybe being debt free and living in the mountains overlooking the river or the beach, whatever your preference.  

Anywho.  One of my absolute favorite dish to whip up on the first chilly day is a dish discovered by the hubster.  See, he wanted to use the butternut squash I had purchased before it went "bad"... and if I'm being completely honest, this soup recipe has become a family favorite and one we SLIP into rotation each fall. 

Here's some cool factoids about butternut squash though (scroll down if you just want to snag recipe).  Butternut squash is a type of "winter" squash which means it's typically grown in the colder months.  It's loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C, folic acid, beta-carotene and fiber.  

This is NOT one of the produces I usually purchase from the "organic" section yet when I can find them, we snag...

One question, I hear often from clients is this... IF I could share ONE health hack to help reduce belly bloat what would it be?  And there are so many things I could say; however, my favorite health hack to reduce belly bloat is quite simple AND inspired by my Pawpaw Broussard who just turned 91yrs old this month.

The health hack:  SLOW DOWN MY CHEW.

Here me out.  When we sit at the family dinner table on Sundays, my Pawpaw is typically the first one served and the LAST one at the table eating.   Seriously, it takes him forever to eat because with each bite he chews for at least 20 counts.

I'm not even joking!  He may have been timed by someone (ahem, me) when I was little. HOWEVER, there's something to this.  

See.  With mastication (or chewing your food), you are breaking down big pieces of food to smaller bits... and the salvia in your mouth aids in making the smaller bits even smaller.  This way these itty-bitty particles can move...