Thrifter

Last night, on a  whim, I decided to randomly browse the Hickam Thrift Store FB page. They periodically post pictures of things they have for sale in their store along with events and specials.  GOOD THING I DID! (of all days…) I found out last night that TODAY would be the $10/bag SALE!  Say whaaaaaaat?!  Yep, whatever could be squeezed into a brown plastic commissary  shopping bag = $10 (only including clothing, belts and shoes). SO, bright and early this morning, the kids and I headed out for some thrifty shopping! We are on a budget after all….

Finding one of the very last parking stalls in front of the thrift store, and “just” missing the opening doors rush at 9am, we all headed hand-in-hand into thrifting HEAVEN….a.k.a. chaos…( Excuse my lack of photographic proof…..I was too in-the-zone to take any pics “in” the thrift store!) Good thing Monroe was in the Ergo…there was NO way a stroller was getting anywhere in there…  Picking up our plastic shopping bags just inside the door, we all made a beeline to the baby section (Monroe has been in DIRE need of some new clothes lately, and the Target sale racks were yielding no good finds lately, so what a blessing to be able to hunt for treasures for her here!)  I went to town – Maya holding open her plastic bag as I filled it with adorable dresses for her.  That girl I tell you….she has a definite fashion sense. She made sure she had final approval before anything made it into her bag.  After hitting a dress jackpot for Maya, I again began looking for clothes for Monroe. There were a TON of newborn-6m baby clothes (for both girls and boys) and a lot of 3T and up clothes for girls, but I had the hardest time finding sizes in between for Monroe. Finally, after squeezing through the crowds, I found a bin with a few things for Monroe…a few items that she can wear now but most that are 12-18m. I was just happy to find great deals that the girls can both grow into!  Poor Milo. There was just nothing for him there. But that’s ok. He’s perfectly happy with his “comfy” Old Navy pants and would live in those and only those every single day if he had his way.  So, 45 minutes later and with a few extra add-ins, this was the result:

(looks are deceiving – this was a massive Sears shopping bag…like the ones that hold comforter sets…and was about 1/2 full with over 40 items)

More specifically…I found clothes for Monroe (an adorable beach hat, bibs, dresses, sleepy outfits, tunics, etc):

Clothes for Maya (umm….are you seeing that Flamingo dress?!):

Super comfortable, just the right size wedges for myself:

A pair of brand new slippers and sandals, along with a pair of white corduroy capris for my mom (not pictured)

All fitting into 2 bags! (@$10 each so $20 total!!) ….we could’ve probably squeezed more into those bags, but after 45 minutes of chaos, I think we all were more than happy to just buy what we had and escape the crowd! BUT, not before first letting the kids play in the toy room.  The way the Hickam Thrift Store is set up, there’s a cute toy room area tucked away just inside the main shopping area. Since toys weren’t on sale as part of the bag deal, there was NO crowd in that area.  Perfect because it gave the chance for us all to catch our breaths in there and the kids had a blast browsing/playing with all the neat 2nd hand toys.  Maya found this little princess, spinning, light-up toy and fell in love.

  

At $1…I was sold.  She’s been playing with it all day. I think we’ve gotten a good dollar’s use out of it so far 😉

Milo’s been on a puzzle kick lately.  The way his mind works…he’ll sit there and try and try (sometimes for hours….literally!) until he figures things out – which makes puzzles perfect for him.  I saw this sitting in the corner and knew it would be right up his alley. He agreed (although in retrospect I think it’s too easy for him) and he held the puzzle in his lap all the way home where he quickly went to work.  At $3, it’s more than I would’ve “liked” to have spent, but still a deal nonetheless.

 

All together, I walked out with a big shopping bag filled with over 40 clothing items, 3 pairs of shoes, a puzzle and a little toy, all for $25.08 (this is including tax)…knowing that that money was going to a good cause. (<—all profits from the Hickam Thrift Store go to helping community charities, local schools, military-affiliated non-profits)  I am ALL FOR getting a great deal “and” feeling good about it knowing others are benefiting as well 🙂

…Body Fuel…

It’s been just about 4 months now since I last did the 21 Day Fix program. (You can click HERE to see my results from that Round 1) In addition to losing pounds and inches, I saw a noticeable difference in the way my clothes fit and how I felt about my body. Perhaps most importantly for my health, towards the end of the 21 Day Fix, I stopped craving my night-time snacks.  I don’t know about you but the only “alone time” I get is after the kids go to bed late at night and is my time to relax, watch Netflix, craft, and SNACK! Hurricane Popcorn, ice cream with fresh sliced bananas and chopped almonds, Hagen Daz ice cream bars, sugar cereals, chips and dip…I could go on and on. Well, towards the end of my 1st round of the 21 Day Fix, those night time cravings (for sweet, salty and crunchy snacks) seriously diminished.  With the guidance of this program, I was able to focus instead on what fuel my body “needed” – mind over matter! – and FELT great in the process! (not starved…)

Since I first completed the 21 Day Fix program (that runs for 21 days), I’ve just been enjoying being a busy mama of three (4 and under) – and truth be told, have once again indulged in one too many ice cream cones and Starbucks frappuccino’s! (<—my weakness)  Well, it’s a NEW month and I’ve decided to once again focus on my nutrition (in addition to my fitness) and begin Round 2 of the 21 Day Fix!

SO, what exactly does the 21 Day Fix  look like?

In the Challenge Pack, you get:
– 7 color-coded pre-portioned food tupperwares (for measuring out your foods)
– a detailed Eating Guide
– the complete 21 Day Fix workout program
– quick start guide
– 3 Day Quick Fix manual
– Bonus Workout (from purchasing through me)
– 25oz Shakeology shaker cup
– 1 month supply of Shakeology (<—-yummy Superfood Shake with 70+ natural ingredients)

On this program, you’ll drink Shakeology every day in addition to a wide range of clean foods. The detailed eating guide will walk you through how to figure out how many color coded containers to eat (i.e. 4 red, 3 green, 2 purple, etc) and from there, you’re given freedom with creating your own tasty meals.  However, I fully understand that sometimes, when you’re given too much leeway in creating your own meal plans, it can get quite overwhelming, SO in my Challenge Groups, I offer sample weekly meal plans in addition to posting some of the meals that I eat.  As an example, this is my favorite go-to 21 Day Fix breakfast: plain greek yogurt, fresh cut strawberries, and frozen organic blueberries. (1 red and 1 purple FIX container)

So, what is a Challenge Group? A Challenge Group is a private Facebook group where people come together with a “like” goal (complete the 21 Day Fix together) and can turn to for support, motivation, accountability, inspiration, recipes, share photos, and just CONNECT with one another. I will be posting daily (and including many of my own personal meals) and find that when people have a group like this to turn to, not only do they successfully complete the program, but they encourage others to perhaps stay more true to and involved in the program than they would’ve otherwise had the self-control to do so alone.

All you need in order to participate in my Challenge Group is the 21 Day Fix program.  Message me or click HERE if interested!

You can watch this video to learn more about what’s included in the 21 Day Fix and learn about my Challenge Group 🙂

***BONUS***  The 21 Day Fix is on SALE for the month of September! It’s just $10 more than purchasing Shakeology alone (did I mention Shakeology is the single most nutritionally dense, healthiest thing I eat/drink every single day? Worth EVERY SINGLE PENNY!) And kids love it too…. 😉

 

Take control of your health and fitness……YOU ARE WORTH IT!