I am a little obsessed when it comes to workout wear and I have been since I became a personal trainer in 2011. The new trend is leggings with “scrunch” butt or the technical term ruched leggings. I looked online for these super cute leggings and could not find any that I was comfortable buying. The ones I found were a small fortune and I wasn’t sure if they would even fit right. So I decided to make my own.
It wasn’t that hard for me because sewing is like my thing. But the easiest way to make them is to sew elastic into the seam of a pair of leggings you already own. Or you can 100% make them from a pattern and just add stretched elastic to the rump seam.
The pattern that I choose to use was the Patterns for Pirates peg leg pattern, you can find all sorts of hacks for this pattern on their very own website here. I cut everything out as normal and before I put my waist band on (double in width for high waist) I sewed a piece of elastic in to the rump. The elastic measured 2 inches shorter that the rump seam and I stretched it along the seam so it was perfect length. I will post a video in more detail of they DIY soon.
For the matching bra I used the Brazi pattern for the cross Brazi. This pattern is found here.
Material is from Joann fabrics and can be found here.
I had not bought new makeup brushes in nearly 10 years. I was still using my makeup brushes from cosmetology school in 2009 (YIKES). My brush hairs were falling everywhere and stained from my makeup over the years. Consequently, I went on a search for some beautiful Unicorn makeup brushes to finish my Unicorn vanity space. I knew I saw them online, but I also remembered seeing them in a store. I started at Ross with the luck of finding a couple pretty brushes, but no unicorn. Then I moved on to target, TJ Maxx, and last Walmart. Behold there they were in the makeup section at Walmart. The beautiful unicorn brushes my heart so desired! You could say I am a little obsessed with unicorns, because I kind of am. Which is great right now because they can be found EVERY where.
So what do I have to say about them? Well for starters they are every bit of beautiful and vibrant colors with a metallic finish they are great for vanity display. They are 100% Vegan and have brightly colored synthetic fibers. Each Brush is labeled with what it is for.
Blush:
The blush brush is very loose bristles. Depending on the look you are completing it could be good or bad. I may just need to get used to it, as the old brushes I had were a little more firm. The bristles are amazingly soft and feel great on your skin.
Complexion:
Despite the fact that the complexion brush does not have as tightly packed bristles as I would like, it still gets the job done. Even though it does take a little more work, I appreciate the look I can achieve with this brush.
Domed Shadow:
I do like the domed eye brush. When it comes to eye brushes I like to have a lot of different options depending on the eye look I am completing. With soft bristles it is very easy on my eyelids while delivering a good amount of shadow.
Crease:
While the crease brush is not my favorite crease brush, it does do well for all over eye color. It just has a lot of play in the bristles and I like precise crease brushes. I still prefer my Morphe brush.
Angle Eyeliner:
I love this brush! I really do!! I use it for my glitter applications. It is pretty precise and does not have a lot of give in the bristles. It is perfect for perfecting lines!
I actually bought 2 packs of these brushes just so I would have a couple of each eye brush. I believe for the price of $16.84 these brushes do a great job. I have not washed them just yet, but I will edit and add how the washing process goes, a little later now.
7 am and the alarm clock is ringing. By alarm clock I mean Wyatt running down the hall towards me. Cheyenne’s bedroom door opens and shuts. The chaos of the day has just begun and I am no where near ready for it. I roll over and I beg for just a little more rest.
I drag myself into the living room to change Wyatt into a fresh diaper and set up breakfast for him and the older kiddos. “Jay can you watch him while I go lay down with Raylan for a bit?” With out hesitation Jaydon says “Yes mama.” I drag myself into my room and I curl up next to Raylan and I am out faster than light.
Next thing I know Jay comes in and it’s lunch time, Raylan has been up for a couple hours and my big kids have been maintaining the babies while I sleep. I am just so tired, I can’t peel my head from my pillow and I probably couldn’t even sew my eyelids open. I am just so heavy.
They come in “Mommy when you get up can we….” “Yes I promise when I get up just I’m so tired I need to rest a bit”…But the resting doesn’t seem to end. Cheyenne has begged for us to sew, hike, or go to the park and mama keeps saying. “Not today, mama just doesn’t feel good.”
Mama hasn’t “felt” good since May. I have been battling to stay awake and I have been living on Monsters and NOS. Nothing is helping. I lost nearly 13 pounds in 10 days. Granted I was eating healthy when I ate and drinking nearly a Gallon or two a day, but 13 lbs in 10 days no matter how you spin it isn’t healthy for someone of my size.
Since May I have had too many days to count that I stay in bed until my husband is due home around 4:30 PM. I get up make dinner only to go back to sleep by 9. I have spent nearly 12 hours sleeping and still cannot pull myself out of bed without feeling weighed down with exhaustion. I could drink 3 monsters a day, a cup of coffee, and it is no where near enough. When I call the doctor they say that’s not normal and the refer my to yet again another specialist. Its Hashimotos, its fibromyalgia, its auto immune disease, or it could be PCOS. All of which have very similar symptoms, but no one knows exactly what medicines to give me. So they’ve loaded me down with not 1, but 4 new medicines and I cannot tell which is causing which symptom.
I just want to get up clean house, play with my kids, and not struggle to raise my head off my pillow. I want to hike with my kids and my local hiking group, but I am afraid I will not have the energy to get them to the end of the trail.
So mama lies. I lie I feel fine, I lie as I drink the 3rd monster in a row, I lie I am too busy, I lie I will get up in a minute as I lie in bed struggling to lift up my heavy head.
I am grateful for my kids who may not understand why mama is struggling, but they see it so they let me rest. My heart breaks every time I lay in bed as they play in the living room.
Having hashimotos is a battle that I am not the only one wounded in. Hashimotos effects my entire family. It takes days away from my children, moments, and memories. Many people do not know the amount of control your thyroid has over your body, but here are some of the things controlled by thyroid.
Breathing
Heart rate
Central and peripheral nervous systems
Body weight
Muscle strength
Menstrual cycles
Body temperature
Cholesterol levels
Digestive function
Muscle control
Brain development
Mood
Bone maintenance
When my thyroid is out of wack my entire body takes a hit. My kids can tell there is something wrong, my husband knows, and I continue to smile even with the struggle. I eat healthy and it doesn’t seem to matter. I gave 5 years of my life to personal training , health and fitness, but hashimotos did not care. It’s an everyday battle and everyday is different. I could wake up tomorrow and feel rested for the better half of the day, but then the very next day I lie.
I have a fascination with Parks and Rec lately. My husband started to watch it and I was hooked. We finished our binge and I could probably re-watch it tomorrow and still find it funny. I am not normally one to binge watch shows without my husband. Actually I probably only watch TV when my honey bunch is home.
Well any ways, one of my favorite ideals I took from watching Parks and Rec is Donna Meagel’s and Tom Haverford’s Treat Yo’ Self Day! Seriously GENIUS! I mean what better kind of day?
For those of you who aren’t familiar, you gotta watch it!
Treat yo’ Self day is a day that you get yourself whatever you desire! A day where you don’t even think about anyone but yourself. Selfish? HELL NO!
Look I spend my days with four minions constantly on my tail. Although I created those minions and yes I absolutely adore them, I think a day just for mama to do whatever, buy whatever, go where ever, and eat whatever (without swapping spit) is perfectly ok!
I think this year I am gonna set money aside so I can have my self the biggest TREAT Yo’ Self Day. I will build myself a list and do it all.
My Treat Yo’ Self List
Watch the Sunrise
Massage
Facial
TONS of Boutique shopping
Makeup shopping
Salt water Jacuzzi
Grab Coffee
Sit by a lake and read or draw
Get myself New boots
Hike
Fish
Seriously I could go on and on! I need like 2 Treat Yo’ self days or maybe even a Treat yo’ Self weekend! One has to be for all the shopping and stuff and the other for an Outdoor adventure palooza! Hiking, fishing, swimming, and shooting, the works!
I don’t think it is selfish to have a treat yourself day. I think that we actually all need that especially mamas! We spend an incredible amount of time investing and advocating for our children and family that we forget to take care of ourselves! We become run down and tired it just makes since to me that we really take at least one day a year to pour every thing we have into ourselves.
What would be on your Treat yo’ Self list? Tell me!
The beginning of summer 2011, I began my fitness journey, weighing 208lbs.
I hired an encouraging trainer when my daughter was roughly about 15 months old. Her eccentric personality and exciting bikini competitions kept me motivated. I wanted to accomplish what she had accomplished. I followed her strict food and exercise regimen by severing all my ties with my beloved foods. I began taking supplements that I did not understand. I couldn’t tell you why or even what I was taking. All I know is Ali told me to take them and if I wanted to look like Ali then it was vital for me to follow her program to the exact tee. Ali was wonderful, I dropped weight, and I continued this journey even after I ended my training program with her. However, I still needed to look like Ali and compete. I continued to just repeat the original program she had written for me, never allowing myself to cheat and never allowing myself to rest. I was down to 135 for 208 and to me I was still not skinny, I was still fat no matter what anyone said.
Goal weight 135 lbs Fall 2011
Shortly after I hit my goal weight I decided to become a personal trainer. I studied the key points of my NASM study guide, I watched all my lectures, and outlined my whole book, but I really wasn’t listening to what I was learning. I studied just enough to pass my test, earn that certification to become a NASM personal trainer. Soon after I became a trainer I was hired on at American Family fitness. I learned one of my coworkers competed in bodybuilding and I just needed to train with him so I could compete as Ali did. I strived to look like her, not taking into account that I had children and she did not or that our body types were very different. I just wasn’t paying attention to anything I had learned over the past year. I hired Salby to walk me through my competition prep.
After work routine
During my competition prep I remember spending countless extra hours in the gym, even though my work day was over. I would stay to practice posing, complete slow paced cardio, or to lift just a little extra; anything to get me there faster. The competition began to run every aspect of my life. Members of the gym started to pat me on the back and set my accomplishments on a pedestal, because they began to notice the change. It however was not enough, I wanted more. To them I was committed and they were so proud, but what they didn’t see was just how unhealthy I had become!
EditIn the midst of competition prep my relationship with food became even darker. As I prepped many things were cut from my diet. My cravings became more than I could handle. I craved sugar, sodium, and many other nutrients because my body was lacking in so much. In secret I would binge on multiple candy bars in one sitting or eat a whole box of sugar cookies and then drink a recovery shake to be healthy.
I began suffering from amenorrhea (an abnormal absence of menstruation) from the countless hours of extra cardio and workouts, that I did not fuel my body properly for. I became easily aggravated and impatient with my loved ones (who were originally my inspiration). My health began to suffer and my relationships followed.
Because I spent so many hours in the gym my children were often in the care of babysitters, instead of much needed time with me. Never wanted to be the mom who put myself above my family, but I was slowly becoming that. I am so blessed that they loved me through it. My poor husband saw a selfish woman replace his wife. I treated my beloved family as if I was more important. When I first became a trainer my client’s programs always came before mine. I would research their questions and medical conditions. From there I would design a program meant especially for them. I worked hand in hand with their health providers to ensure they had the best program designed just for them. As I got further into my competition prep I became the very trainer I loathed; a cookie cutter trainer! I started giving everyone the same workout even if it wasn’t what they needed, I came unprepared to training sessions and my clients began to notice the change and my relationships with them were hindered. The moment I started to put my training above them was the moment I lost their trust. I became so consumed I didn’t care and I was acting as if I was better than them. I never treated anyone that way before and in fact it bothered me when I would see a trainer treat their clients this way. I went my whole prep blinded and harming those nearest and dearest to me.
Now nearly 6 years into my fitness journey I can finally look back and see exactly how
unhealthy I was both mentally and physically. I have 4 beautiful children who I spend every waking moment, with including my workouts. There is not a day goes by that I wish I could’ve changed that brief period of time that I missed out. I feel healthier now at 150lbs than I ever was at 120lbs. It is my goal now as a fitness and wellness professional to help women create realistic/manageable goals while maintaining a healthy mind and body. As a wellness coach and fitness professional I have familiarized myself with the signs of eating disorders so I may refer my clients to receive the help they need. I will help my clients to lead a healthy life in all aspects not just looking “fit”, because fit doesn’t necessarily mean healthy.
It is so very important that we do not try to compare our selves to others! When we compare ourselves to someone else or set goals to be like someone else we are creating an uphill battle that we will not win. My goal is to teach my children self love and self respect at all stages. I want my daughter to know that being healthy on the inside is more important than being “fit” on the outside. I am thankful for that struggle and I am even more thankful that my eyes were open to just how unhealthy I was.
When I came to they were cutting my clothes, slashing my favorite pair of shoes off, shoving tubes down my throat, and sticking needles in my arms. It faded black again and I was gone. Once again I woke up in a strange place. Blinding lights were overhead and they were sliding me on a silver slab, my bare back was chilled and my body was limp. No matter how hard I tried to move my body laid still. No matter what I said they couldn’t hear. I remember feeling terrified. It was a terrible nightmare, infact the worst kind, the kind you can’t wake up from. I woke up thrashing about trying to pull my leg from the traction pullies and I ripped the pin in my knee holding my leg up.
When I finally fully came too it was almost Thanksgiving Day. The hospital room filled with people for support. Cards from everyone in my school and letters from close friends. My mom looked at me with such a heavy heart. It was her that had to explain what happened, it was her that had to relay the message that I would never be the same. Doctors around the clock and nurses too. I remember saying to a nurse as she tried to help me go to the restroom “I’m 14 I don’t need your help, I can walk.” And as I tried to take a step I fell to the ground. It was then I realized that I was broken. My mom helped me up and we both wept.
The thing you have to understand about me is even at 14, my world was outdoors. Everything I did was outside. I ran the woods with my friends, rode my bike on dirt tracks we built every summer, I lived and breathed tomboy. I was a wild one and I was proud of it. I would chant to the boys “Anything you can do I can do better.” if I couldn’t, I would not give up until I could.
Photo Credit Allyssa Austin
Until the crisp fall night that a drunk driver threw a wrench into my life. My whole school year was put on hold as I was in rehab. I had suffered a brain injury, multiple broken/ fractured ribs, my femur broken, a lacerated spleen, and I was in a coma state for 2 weeks. Not only was my leg broken and I needed rehab to walk I also needed rehab to help me talk right again. My brain was jumbled and I couldn’t process simple words. I was starting all over.
Doctors told my mom it would be a while before I would be able to play sports again and even longer for me to ride BMX again. So much “she won’t, she can’t, she shouldn’t” I was discouraged.
They released me the 2nd week of December. Much sooner than anticipated, but I would continue home therapy, I would be in a wheel chair, and I was not allowed to start school again until doctors released me to walk down the halls. They had a fear that if I was bumped wrong I would crumble like the great Achilles.
Wheel chair bound, still enjoying recreation therapy.
My first weekend away from my parents I went to my friend Hazel’s house for the weekend. I walked couple miles accrossed the snow and ice on my crutches to see another of my closest friend, Bubba and his family. I was tired of being cooped up in the house. The cold hurt my leg. I shivered uncontrollably both from cold and pain, but I needed to be outside. I NEEDED to ride a bike, go fishing, and walk through the woods. I was determined that when summer came I would be myself again. I continued my therapy and I contiued to push.
8th Grade Graduation night, 82lbs
When summer came, I felt like I was recovered, but The first time I went to ride a bike it was excruciating. I failed, I wasn’t myself. The pain was strong, but I was stronger. I fell only to get back up. I cried only to push through. When the physical therapist told me he had cancer and we could fight together, the rage in me to be stronger grew like a wild fire. He lost his hair, but contiued to push me. He said to me ” The cancer doesn’t own me, it never will. You’re an extremly strong young lady, don’t let this own you. Fight”.
Fight is exactly what I did. I fought to enjoy the things I did before. I pushed to be better than I was before. Freshman year came, I was still in therapy 3 days a week. I struggled in school because much of my 8th grade year I spent in a hosptial bed.
Freshman year I was angry and confused. So I would stay home from school to sneak outside when mom left. Breath the fresh air, climb on my bike, and just ride. I had not been released to ride my bike yet. My femur had not completely healed and one wrong fall I could rebrake it. I knew better, if I could just get outside and back on my bike, I would heal. My broken spirit would come back to life. So I skipped school to walk in the woods, ride on the trails, and listen to the sound of my tires hitting the ground.
Sophomore year the rods were finally removed, so once again they put me on restriction. And once again I pushed and I didn’t listen to them. I was strong willed. The words “Dont let it own you” repeated in my head like a box of firecrackers.
Shortly after sophomore year I heard that the cancer had taken Brads life. He fought with me and he pushed me, and he was on my side. I know he was saying all the way to the end “You don’t own me” Brad had his own battle, but that didn’t mean he’d give up in mine. Brad pushed me to say “YOU DON’T OWN ME”.
In loving memory of Brad, thank you for not giving up on me and teaching me that nothing owns us unless we let it. ❤Mickey
sugar, sodium, and many other nutrients because my body was lacking in so much. In secret I would binge on multiple candy bars in one sitting or eat a whole box of sugar cookies and then drink a recovery shake to be healthy.
I have 4 beautiful children who I spend every waking moment, with including my workouts. There is not a day goes by that I wish I could’ve changed that brief period of time that I missed out. I feel healthier now at 150lbs than I ever was at 120lbs. It is my goal now as a fitness and wellness professional to help women create realistic/manageable goals while maintaining a healthy mind and body. As a wellness coach and fitness professional I have familiarized myself with the signs of eating disorders so I may refer my clients to receive the help they need. I will help my clients to lead a healthy life in all aspects not just looking “fit”, because fit doesn’t necessarily mean healthy.
