Cover Reveal for Julie Bellon's new book and chapter 1!

Ring Around The Rosie is book number 4, and the last of the 

Hostage Negotiation Team series.

It is scheduled to be released in May 2014! (Hey-thats the month of my birthday-what a great birthday present this book would make! hehe) 

Isn't this a gorgeous and intriguing book cover??!! 

The sneak peek of the first chapter of Ring Around the Rosie will be posted on Author Julie's blog starting today in conjunction with the new cover reveal!
http://ldswritermom.blogspot.com 
I can't wait to read it! I have really enjoyed her other books!!


If you would like to know more about the series, heres the links for the three previous books: 
Book 1
http://www.amazon.com/Fall-Down-Hostage-Negotiation-Team-ebook/dp/B009AJYX78/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393530690&sr=1-1&keywords=julie+bellon

Book 2
http://www.amazon.com/Ashes-Hostage-Negotiation-Team-ebook/dp/B00CML0R08/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393530690&sr=1-5&keywords=julie+bellon

Book 3
http://www.amazon.com/Pocket-Full-Posies-Hostage-Negotiation-ebook/dp/B00FUUIG7E/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1393530690&sr=1-2&keywords=julie+bellon


More about the Author: 

Julie is married with eight children and ten published books. She loves to travel and her favorite cities are probably Athens, Paris, Ottawa, and London. She would love to visit Hawaii, Australia, Ireland, and Scotland someday. She loves to read, write, teach, watch Castle, Hawaii Five-O, and eat Canadian chocolate. Not necessarily in that order.  You can find out more about Julie and all her projects at www.juliebellon.com

Pretty Muddy Winners!! and Free tickets to Breast Cancer Survivors!!

WINNERS WINNERS WINNERS!!! 

Congratulations to my Pretty Muddy Winners!!

Meredith Nolen

Shelly Rollins

Jenny Lo Thorsen

Joe Cormier

They have each won a free ticket to a Pretty Muddy race-any location for 2014!!

Sad that you didn't win? Make sure to use my discount code: GIRLSGONESPORTY to save $5 off registration!!

Be sure to check out the Pretty Muddy Facebook page. They have been offering discounted tickets and often do giveaways! 

**Pretty Muddy is giving away 250 FREE race entries to breast cancer survivors at each race location!! Isn't that awesome??!! Check out Pretty Muddy's Charitable partners page to find out more info.**

Last year I was able to do the family edition with my son and hubby in Richmond VA.
Here's my race recap:
http://crafts-n-fitness.blogspot.com/2013/10/pretty-muddy-obstacle-race-richmond-va.html

FAQ here:
http://prettymuddywomensrun.com/faq/

Pretty Muddy Social Media here:
https://www.facebook.com/PrettyMuddy
https://twitter.com/pretty_muddy
http://instagram.com/pretty_muddy

Week 7 recap of P90x3 with journal entries and pictures!

Ended week 7 on sunday! 

WEEK 7 P90x3 Classic workout schedule: 
Monday: Eccentric Upper
Tuesday: Triometrics
Wednesday: X3 Yoga
Thursday: Eccentric Lower
Friday: Incinerator
Saturday: MMX
Sunday: Rest day or Dynamix

Nutrition: 
I should be following the Plan B 1800 calories per day BUT talked to my BB coach and I will be going back down to 1500-1600 calories per day since I'm not seeing any weight loss. :-( 

Breakfast: 2P, 3C, 1F
Am Snack: 2C, 2F
Lunch: 1P, 3C, 1F
PM Snack: 1P, 2C
Dinner: 2P, 2C, 2F
P=Protein servings per meal
C=Carb servings per meal
F=Far servings per meal

Journal Entries for Week 7:

Monday February 17: 
Did Eccentric Upper today burning 133 calories in 32 minutes. 
Did awesome with my food logging today-logged 100%. Ended with 1,210 calories for the day. 
NO sugar! 

Tuesday February 18:
Burned 257 calories doing Triometrics for 35 minutes. 
Logged 100% of my food. I went way over because we had Chick fil a for dinner. Just getting a small kids meal cost me 640 calories! 2,074 calories for the day. 
NO sugar! 

Wednesday February 19:
Took a rest day today. 
Logged 100% of my good again-whoohoo 3 complete days in a row!! 
1,545 total calories for the day. 
NO sugar!

Thursday February 20:
Eccentric Lower today burning 203 calories in 32 minutes. I like this workout! 
I also did an evening workout with my 2 boys, mom and friend. We did a 10 minute thigh workout and 20 minute arms and shoulders workout with weights.
Logged 100% of my food again today ending with 1,155 calories. 
NO sugar!!

Friday February 21: 
No workout today.
Logged my food until lunch time ending with 1,300. Didn't log dinner. 
Had 3 girl scout cookies. :-( 

I am SO frustrated because I weighed myself and after 7 full weeks of Baladea and food logging and P90x3; I have not lost ANY weight-not even half a pound!! I have been measuring also and I've lost 2 inches in my waist and thats it. My clothes don't fit any looser. I don't feel good, I don't look good. I am so very frustrated!!! and I'm tried of stressing about it!! I HAVE gotten stronger which is wonderful, but I really need my clothes to fit alot better and to get back down to size 10 like I was wearing last summer! (I'm back up to a size 12 right now) I just don't know what to do!! 

Saturday February 22:
Went to a Barre instruction class so I could learn more about the technique so I can do better with my Barre dvds at home. After the class though, I was very discouraged because its alot more "mind body" and little techniques than I thought. I'm not sure if I'm going to enjoy doing Barre workouts at home if I have to "think" so much during my workout. I'm not sure if that even makes sense. I'll just have to see how I do later with a dvd. 
No food logging today. 

Played around with my NEW 21 day fix beachbody fitness program and followed the nutrition guide for all of Saturday except for dinner. Did alot better than I thought!! :-) 

Sunday February 23:
Rest Day

Pictures for Week 7:

****Sunday update: I have decided to put this workout program on hold until after I go to the Beach in 3 weeks. I like (well actually I tolerate it, not necessarily like it! hehe) this program and will be returning back to it so I can finish the whole 12 weeks. Look for more posts in March****

Week 7 recap of Baladea program by Holly Perkins with journal entries and pictures!

Ended Week 7 on sunday! 

WEEK 7 Baladea LOOK workout schedule:
Monday: FUSION 47 mins
Tuesday: POWER (strength workout) 50 mins
Wednesday: SLIM (cardio workout) 40 mins
Thursday: BOOST
Friday: SLIM (cardio workout) 40 mins
Saturday: rest day
Sunday: rest day

My week 7 Journal Entries:

Monday Feburary 17:
Did Baladea Fusion for the first time and burned 188 calories in 46 minutes. It was an "okay" workout.. it was more like a fast paced stretch pilates workout. I should have done it in the evening before bed because I like faster paced exercises in the mornings. I did wear shoes-the girls in the video did not-so it works either way. 

Tuesday February 18:
Did Baladea Power for 49 minutes burning 298 calories. I switched it up and did some exercises with hand weights and some exercises with the resistance band, which was fun to do. :-) I really love the Power workout!!

Wednesday February 19: 
Took a rest day.

Thursday February 20:
Did Baladea Slim to make up for missing Wednesdays workout. I burned 230 calories in 36 minutes. 

Friday February 21: 
Took a rest day. 

Saturday February 22:
Did Baladea Boost for the first time. I really liked this workout too!! I burned 260 calories in 40 sweaty minutes. My 3.5 year old even joined me for some of the workout! 

Sunday February 23:
Rest Day

My week 7 Pictures:

****Sunday update: I have decided to put this workout program on hold until after I go to the Beach in 3 weeks. I love this program and will be returning back to it so I can finish the whole 12 weeks. Look for more posts in March****

 For more info about the Baladea program:

Transform your entire body for just 3 monthly 

payments of $49.95 + FREE SHIPPING 

Or select single payment option during checkout.

You can order from my referral link here: 

http://baladea.refr.cc/DRP7395

Baladea is exercise reimagined. It combines fitness and wellness into one complete exercise system for women. It was created for women, by women, and it works for any fitness level! The vision behind baladea is to help women all around the world to live their best lives. Help spread the word and inspire your friends. You can find out more about baladea at www.baladea.com

Please join the online community, visit our page, recommend this system and be our friend!

www.baladea.com www.fb.com/baladeacom www.twitter.com/baladeacom www.youtube.com/baladeacom www.pinterest.com/baladeacom

WEEK 3 of "Move Nourish Believe" February Blogger Challenge by #LornaJane and #SweatPink

Week 3 of the Move Nourish Believe Blogger Challenge ended yesterday!

Week Three: Believe

2/17: Spoil Yourself! – Do something just for you today! Take a walk, go to yoga, spoil yourself!

2/18: 5 Mindful Minutes – Do good to your body, meditate for 5 minutes and find your zen.

2/19: Be Happy – Show us your happy place!

2/20: Thankful Thursday - Let us know what you are thankful for!

2/21: Share the love – S/O to your #1 supporter/motivator!

*Recap your week in a blog post!

Here's how it works:

1. Each day throughout the month there is a new challenge. Conquer the daily challenges and post a picture of yourself doing so on Twitter or Instagram. Tag @LornaJaneActive & @FitApproach along with #mnbchallenge #sweatpink #lornajane

2. At the end of each week, recap your successes on your blog and/or Facebook page. Each blog post equals five bonus entries! Share the blog post on Twitter and tag @LornaJaneActive & @FitApproach.

The winner of the entire challenge will receive a $1000 shopping spree to Lorna Jane!!

**In order to win the $1000 shopping spree, you MUST participate in all 21 of the daily photo challenges.

Check in on the Facebook event for the daily challenges and inspirational graphics that you can share with your friends & family to get everyone moving, nourishing, an believing!

Post any questions you may have about the Move Nourish Believe lifestyle to the Facebook event here: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/571617342921583/?previousaction=join&source=1

My week 3 pictures:

#mnbchallenge challenge today-my 3 boys are my biggest fans & supporters!! My hubby makes healthy wonderful meals daily. He shops often so I have food for work meals and fresh fruit for my protein smoothies. He encourages me AND supports me with every fitness adventure or commitment I make. He compliments me on how I look regardless of my weight. He doesn't force me to eat healthy or workout-he tells me to listen to my body and do the best I can. He takes progress pics and measurements for me. **My 12 year old likes to workout with me, especially Leslie Sansone walking DVDs and wii fitness games. He also takes workout pics for me and loves to help show his brother how to do exercises. He helps my hubby with food prep and is great with trying new healthier foods! **my 3.5 year old loves to exercise with me or hubby. He will do an entire p90x3 workout (which is his favorite!) with us without stopping and loves to use all our equipment along with us. He keeps me laughing and I love that he's so enthusiastic about exercising and eating healthy!!! Zack and I keep each other on task with having no sugar!!  ***** my family is the best supporters ever!!! ***** #sweatpink #lornajane@fitapproach @lornajaneactive


Week 3 was fun!!
I really enjoyed this 3 week challenge. It was fun to participate in the different daily challenges. The Nourish week was probably my hardest because I struggle with my nutrition.

Did you participate at all during the challenge? What was your favorite week?

BareMinerals BARESKIN Serum Foundation with SPF pre order on QVC! NEW NEW NEW!!

I was SOOOOO excited to see this posted on the BareMinerals Facebook page yesterday!! I had to stop using their foundation after a couple years because it was making me itch. :-( I love their eye primer, facial products, eye remover, eye and lip products... Been using BE for years!! I have acne prone sensitive skin so I am very picky with what I buy and use on my skin. I'm excited about trying this foundation because I love their products and I don't usually have issues with my skin breaking out and I like the option of having more coverage then a powder foundation. I also LOVE this brush and concept. ( I watched the How to video on QVC yesterday)

I preordered 2 colors (satin and shell because I'm in between using light and medium) from QVC yesterday and can't wait to get it in April!! Read on below about their new BareSkin product and don't forget to tune into QVC TONIGHT Feb 21st to watch the video debut.

Do you like buying and using makeup? Are you going to try this new foundation from BE?

http://www.qvc.com/bareMinerals-bareSkin-Serum-Foundation-SPF-20-w-Brush.product.A256043.html?sc=A256043-Zone&cm_scid=zone&cm_sp=MERCHZONE-_-Featured:+Easy+Pay+Offers-_-1

Ingredients: 
Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 11% 

Inactive Ingredients: Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Coconut Alkanes, Silica, Stearalkonium 
Hectorite, Lecithin, Glycerin, Maltodextrin, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Jojoba Esters, Propylene 
Carbonate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Soil Minerals/Syringa Vulgaris (Lilac) Leaf Cell Culture Extract, 
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Phenoxyethanol. 

May Contain: Mica, Iron Oxides, Titanium Dioxide. 

Information provided by bareMinerals®.

Advance orders ship 4/8/14.

What is it: The Dawn of a New Foundation. A breakthrough, tone-correcting mineral foundation and skin care serum in one. This ultra-thin, skin-perfecting fluid provides seamless, adjustable coverage; a natural finish; and the look and feel of beautiful bare skin while delivering a more noticeably brighter, youthful appearance. The New Perfecting Face Brush was designed specifically for use with bareSkin Foundation for the smoothest application.

Who is it for: Formulated for all skin types and complexions. Ideal for anyone looking for a tone-correcting foundation and skin care serum in one.

Why is it different: From the beginning, bareMinerals(R) has been on a crusade to provide women with alternatives to foundations rooted in a less-is-more philosophy. bareSkin Foundation was developed with that same philosophy in mind, to help deliver flawless coverage with a no-makeup look and feel.

This unique, lightweight, ultra-thin, skin-perfecting fluid delivers adjustable coverage and a flawless finish, while also providing skin care benefits. The mineral infusion is formulated with ingredients that help deliver a noticeably brighter, more youthful appearance. And it's formulated without water, oil, silicone, parabens, or fragrance.

The new Perfecting Face Brush has a specially engineered reservoir that holds the fluid formula, while the longer, surrounding bristles smooth out the finish upon application.

How do I use it: SHAKE well to combine the ingredients. DROP one to two drops of foundation into the reservoir of the Perfecting Face Brush. BUFF gently onto skin in circular motions. Start in the center of face and work your away around the complexion.

For desired, adjustable coverage, only use up to two drops at a time on the brush.

Two drops = sheer coverage.
Four drops = medium coverage.
Six drops = full coverage.

From bareMinerals.

Includes:

• 1-fl oz bareSkin Brightening Serum Foundation SPF 20
• Perfecting Face Brush

week 6 recap of Baladea program by Holly Perkins with journal entries and pictures!

I pretty much blew out my week 6 with being sick with a cold...  :-(  Thank goodness it was Baladea recovery week. 

Heres my week 6 schedule: 

Monday: FLOW
Tuesday: YOGA
Wednesday: CALM
Thursday: rest day
Friday: FLOW
Saturday: rest day
Sunday: rest day

Week 6 Journal Entries:

The only workout I did this week was on Thursday and I did the Flow workout which lasted 31 minutes. It was very nice and calming. I dimmed the lights and put on a sweatshirt and did the workout before bed. It was a gently stretching yoga type dvd. 

Week 6 Pictures: 

 For more info about the Baladea program:

Transform your entire body for just 3 monthly 

payments of $49.95 + FREE SHIPPING 

Or select single payment option during checkout.

You can order from my referral link here: 

http://baladea.refr.cc/DRP7395

Baladea is exercise reimagined. It combines fitness and wellness into one complete exercise system for women. It was created for women, by women, and it works for any fitness level! The vision behind baladea is to help women all around the world to live their best lives. Help spread the word and inspire your friends. You can find out more about baladea at www.baladea.com

Please join the online community, visit our page, recommend this system and be our friend!

www.baladea.com www.fb.com/baladeacom www.twitter.com/baladeacom www.youtube.com/baladeacom www.pinterest.com/baladeacom

Week 6 recap of P90x3 with journal entries and pictures

Started week 6 this week!! 

WEEK 6 P90x3 Classic workout schedule: 
Monday: Eccentric Upper
Tuesday: Triometrics
Wednesday: X3 Yoga
Thursday: Eccentric Lower
Friday: Incinerator
Saturday: MMX
Sunday: Rest day or Dynamix

Nutrition: 
I should be following the Plan B 1800 calories per day BUT talked to my BB coach and I will be going back down to 1500-1600 calories per day since I'm not seeing any weight loss. :-( 

Breakfast: 2P, 3C, 1F
Am Snack: 2C, 2F
Lunch: 1P, 3C, 1F
PM Snack: 1P, 2C
Dinner: 2P, 2C, 2F
P=Protein servings per meal
C=Carb servings per meal
F=Far servings per meal

Journal Entries for Week 6:

Monday February 10:
SICK

Tuesday February 11:
SICK

Wednesday February 12:
SICK
Logged half of my food today. 
Did 30 minutes of outside snow shoveling... not the smartest thing at 10:30pm at night but I was worried about my hubby getting home from work and getting into the garage. We are about to get LOTS of snow over the next 2 days-whoohoo!!  

Thursday February 13:
SNOW DAY!!
Did Eccentric Lower this morning for 33 minutes. Did not wear my HRM. I love using the weights for this workout. It felt so good to get back to exercising!! My toddler joined me since we are all at home today. 
Also did another 30-45 minutes of snow shoveling later in the day. No food logging today. 

Friday February 14:
SNOW DAY!
Did Incinerator for 32 minutes burning 209 calories according to my HRM. My toddler joined me again.. he loves doing the P90x3 workouts with either myself or my hubby. We both especially love this workout because we use the Lebert Equalizer bars and hand weights and push up stands. He did the entire workout from start to finish with me. He is amazing-I'm so proud of him!! 
Also did a 10 minute Chris Freytag "Get your body back" workout called Fat Blast Intervals-burned 121 calories in only 11 minutes-worked my butt off!! No food logging today. 

Saturday February 15:
SNOW DAY!
Did Eccentric Upper this morning since I've missed doing it the last 2 mondays. It was a good workout-I like Eccentric Lower better though. I burned 151 calories in 32 minutes. My toddler was feeling sick again so I had him lay on the couch and watch me inside of exercising. We have all been sick the last 2 weeks and can't seem to get better. (congestion, headaches stuffy nose, runny nose, cough etc) argh! 
Then did a Barre workout dvd from a collection I got from QVC. I really liked it!! Will do a separate blog post about my barre workouts. I burned 209 calories in 48 minutes. I used 1 lb hand weights, yoga strap, lebert equalizer bars, barre ball and yoga mat. 

Sunday February 16:
Rest Day

Week 6 pictures from this week: 

I'm ready to start a great week 7 and hopefully won't miss any workouts!! 

how did you stay active all last week? Did you get lots of snow? 

WEEK 2 of "Move Nourish Believe" February Blogger Challenge by #LornaJane and #SweatPink

Just finished week 2 of the Lorna Jane Blogger Challenge!

Week Two: Nourish 

2/10: Go Meatless – Skip meat today! Try vegetarian/vegan meals.

2/11: TYLTW! – Take Your Lunch to Work today! Choose a recipe frommovenourishbelieve.com to inspire your packed lunch!

2/12: Write it down! – Journal your food today and share your WIAW with us!

2/13: Smoothie Day! – Happy Thirsty Thursday! Make a healthy smoothie today!

2/14: Go Raw Friday! – Choose a recipe from movenourishbelieve.com and go raw!

*Recap your week in a blog post!  

Here's how it works:

1. Each day throughout the month there is a new challenge. Conquer the daily challenges and post a picture of yourself doing so on Twitter or Instagram. Tag @LornaJaneActive & @FitApproach along with #mnbchallenge #sweatpink #lornajane

2. At the end of each week, recap your successes on your blog and/or Facebook page. Each blog post equals five bonus entries! Share the blog post on Twitter and tag @LornaJaneActive & @FitApproach.

The winner of the entire challenge will receive a $1000 shopping spree to Lorna Jane!!

**In order to win the $1000 shopping spree, you MUST participate in all 21 of the daily photo challenges.

Check in on the Facebook event for the daily challenges and inspirational graphics that you can share with your friends & family to get everyone moving, nourishing, an believing!

Post any questions you may have about the Move Nourish Believe lifestyle to the Facebook event here: 

https://www.facebook.com/events/571617342921583/?previousaction=join&source=1

http://lornajane.com

Here are my pictures I posted for the challenge 

on Instagram and Twitter this week: 

This week was more challenging for me because I always need help with my nutrition, but it was fun and it kept me more on task! 

Ready for week 3 to start tomorrow! :-) 

4 Pretty Muddy race tickets GIVEAWAY!! Any location!

It's time for  PRETTY MUDDY obstacle race GIVEAWAY!!!

Right now they have 4 race locations:

• April 26, 2014 in Dallas TX
• May 3, 2014 in Sacramento CA
• August 16, 2014 in Chicago IL
• September 20, 2014 in Richmond VA

I have 4 race tickets up for grabs-2 individual tickets and 2 family edition tickets.

Last year I was able to do the family edition with my son and hubby in Richmond VA.

Here's my race recap from last year:
http://crafts-n-fitness.blogspot.com/2013/10/pretty-muddy-obstacle-race-richmond-va.html

Heres some information about the Pretty Muddy race: 

Pretty Muddy was started by a couple of businessmen who were inspired by their wives – their pretty cool wives. Watching their partners juggle kids, households, carpools and careers – while still having time for the occasional ladies’ night – got the men thinking:

These awesome women deserve more time for themselves. Time for balance and time to be themselves without their families. Because even the greatest mom, businesswoman or grandma sometimes needs time that is just her own.

Like those pretty cool wives, today’s women are looking for a way to get together and focus on friendship, fun and fitness – without their significant others, their kids and the stress of the daily grind.

With the help of their wives and an incredible team of creative and motivated people, the two businessmen created an inaugural series of events called Pretty Muddy.

More than a mud run, it’s an exciting women-only event where you can let your hair down and have fun! And that’s pretty awesome.

While Pretty Muddy will ALWAYS be about time with your girlfriends, Pretty Muddy Family Edition extends the opportunity to incorporate one of the most important aspects of your life, your family, into the action packed event!  We invite the kids, husbands, significant others, and your entire crew to hop in the last wave of the day for their very own epic muddy adventure.  From ages 6 to 96, everyone is guaranteed to feel like a kid (again), creating muddy memories that will last a lifetime.

FAQ here:
http://prettymuddywomensrun.com/faq/

Pretty Muddy Social Media here:
https://www.facebook.com/PrettyMuddy
https://twitter.com/pretty_muddy
http://instagram.com/pretty_muddy

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY HERE:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will verify that instructions have been met before I announce the winner. I had to pick 3 winners for my last giveaway because people did not follow the instructions. :-( 
Good luck!