Whiter Teeth in 5 Minutes!

I LOVE COFFEE! :)

I don't like to miss a day without a good cup or two and I know that has a lot to do with discoloring my teeth. I always had super white teeth when I was younger, but it was due to using whitening trays from my dentist. You could probably see your reflection off my teeth at one point.

Now, I don't put money into keeping up white teeth, but have always wanted them to be as white as they once were without the added expense. So what did I do? Researched NEW ways to obtain the same amazing results without the sensitivity that I got from the whitening trays. I want to use something natural that is cheap.

So, I went out and got this.....

Activated Charcoal! I found it on sale for $7.99 at my local Earth Fare.

What is it? Good question! This is something that is used as a natural help for the following:

Gas
Bloating
Detoxifying

It is believed that this, when taken orally, can bind with toxins to help remove them from your body. It's also been said to whiten your teeth after brushing or swishing around for 5 minutes. Of course, I had to test this theory for myself and show the results to you!

Here is my picture from 1 use of activate charcoal.

Here's what I did:

1. Open capsule and pour half on toothbrush or right in your mouth and recap the rest.
2. Brush for 5 minutes
3. Rinse out mouth and brush teeth

That's it!!! How easy?

Some may want to know about taste. I was wondering the same, but there is absolutely NO taste to this. It was super easy to do and I didn't gag like I did with oil pulling. I can't handle some textures as well.

So try it for yourself! I'm super pleased with my results after one use!

10 Things You Need To Know

Have you ever tried so hard to reach your health goals only to feel like you are on a wild ride? You know.... one week you are sticking to all that you planned on and the next you have completely fallen off track. Well, I've been there too and I want to share 10 thing that you need to know in order to stick with it this time!

1. Pre-plan! Why is this so important? Well, you know when you say "I'm not going to eat any more Twinkies", but then you neglect to clean them out of your house before you start your health journey? That's preparation and planning!

You can't expect to look all of the junk food in the face when you are starving and be totally fine with turning them down. Eventually, but not at first.

So, CLEAN OUT the pantry!!!! No more hidden stashes of your favorite snacks and get serious about hitting those goals!

2. Schedule your workouts. When you know that you have a time set aside to get the job done then you are more likely to do it. So, plan your workouts. Is it during lunch hour? Is it early morning? Late night? When it comes to getting the workout done I'm not picky about when people get it in just that they get it in.

3. Accountability.... THIS IS HUGE PEOPLE! I failed miserably on my own. Until I found people to work with me and keep me going only then did I get to my goals faster. Find a friend online or someone who wants to work out with you in person. Keep it real. Talk about how you really did not how you wish you did with the workout and eating. Keeping in touch at least weekly is ideal!

4. Choose one thing to cut out of your diet or life and work to eliminate it. Too often I see people saying "I'm going to cut out all of ____ right away" and many times they fail. Why? Because we need a little progression sometimes. So, if it's bread. Cut it out for at least 1 -2 weeks before the next item. Baby steps to stay consistent and not overwhelm yourself.

5. Meal prep and planning. Did you know that if you are fine with eating similar foods throughout the week then you are more likely to succeed with your weight and health goals? What do I mean? Like I am totally fine eating oatmeal everyday or salads or chicken. Once you set up a weekly eating plan then you can prepare your meals ahead of time. For instance, I like to grill a huge pack of chicken at the beginning of the week and make it 5 different ways throughout the week. Or throw a roast in the crock pot and eat off of it for a while. Use the little Tupperware containers and portion off fruits and veggies. Plan out what snacks you are having. This will save a lot of stress throughout your week.

6. WATER! Don't forget the water! Did you know you are supposed to be drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water per day? Holy cow! I used to only drink like 1 glass of water, LOTS of coffee, and coke or tea! Oops! Now, I buy the 1 Liter bottles from the Dollar General for like 65 cents and refill them. Once I get 2 in I know I'm set. This is a great way to drop that retention or initial water weight. Don't skip this step!

7. Relax!! Find time for yourself and get some personal development in. For me that's my time with God first. Then, I find time to read books to help grow my business. Sometimes it's watching inspirational YouTube videos or webinars. You choose, but invest in yourself!

8. Sleep... Ahhh I love this one! I have the hardest time with this because I am up early and stay up late. I average about 5 hours a night, but give myself at least 1 or 2 days to catch up. We really need about 7 hours of sleep to allow our bodies to recover and stay healthy.

9. Stretch..... Don't forget this part! You can be working out all you want but you need to stretch. You want to be more flexible and loose not tight and in pain. Make sure at the end of each workout that you give yourself about 5 minutes of stretching.

AND....

10. BELIEVE IN YOURSELF - All of this is great, but if you have zero confidence in what you are doing you can easily fall off the wagon. I want to encourage you to write down 5 positive things about you. What things do you love about yourself. What dreams do you want to shoot for? KNOW that you are capable of conquering this! Then..... prove it!

Now go utilize these tools and get busy :)

21 Day Fix Review and Results

Have you heard of the 21 Day Fix program through Beachbody?

Well, I'd love to share my review with you. I did 2 rounds of the 21 Day Fix. I lost a total of 21 inches over all my body and some weight, but I had already lost 30 pounds by this point with other Beachbody programs.  I was more interested in toning, tightening, lengthening.

I LOVED:

• The 30 minute daily workouts (so far my FAVORITE workouts yet)

• The detailed meal plan

• The RESULTS! - You can definitely SEE the differences within the first week of your body changing

I didn't do as well sticking with the meal guide after the first round. I found that I had a hard time eating as frequently, but did notice better results when I did follow the plan as directed.

So, you want to know how to get the BEST results with this program? You need to have accountability and join a group! I run them online so no matter where you live you can do this....IN YOUR OWN TIME.

All it takes is checking in once a day on a facebook group and posting (takes less than 5 minutes)

We post our "sweaty pic" post workout for accountability.

We talk about our food and what we've eaten and how we can do better. We are lifting each other up and encouraging others to push towards their own goals.

Not everyone wants to lose weight! Many people want to have a better quality life. They want to make healthier changes NOW and implement this as they age.

We have seen cholesterol levels drop, blood pressure levels decrease, heartburn go away, GI upset decrease, glucose levels stabilize and Hemoglobin A1C levels drop.

Not including the INCREDIBLE transformations including my own! Want to be a part of a growing group pushing towards a better self? Come join us! Fill out my form and let me help you get started! https://samaraashley.wufoo.com/forms/new-customer-profile/

How To Make Your Toilet Sparkle

All you people out there that actually clean your own toilets listen up! :) Whether you have well water or city water those annoying rings that are stained into the porcelain get sooooo annoying! I for one do NOT want to put my hand any deeper into the toilet than I have to, so I've asked many of my friends to share their secrets to a sparkly toilet bowl!

Yes, I'm totally serious! 5 years ago I may not have been interested in it, but in my 30's I'm totally wanting to have a clean, fresh, sparkly home. Does this always happen??

NO WAY!!! Try keeping up with 7 people in and out of the house all day. Sports clothes, school clothes, shoes, backpacks, toys, .... you name it!

So, I'm going to focus on finding new ways to keep things picked up and clean and I'll be sharing this with you!

So here are the ideas I was given:

Bleach left in the toilet overnight

Vinegar/Baking soda

Coke

Pumice stone

Dawn dish soap with vinegar and baking soda

Kaboom cleaner

Magic Eraser

This was just a FEW of the suggestions. I can't even begin to list all of the great ideas I was given. So, I needed to put this to the test. First the magic eraser. This was simple because it says to simply drop it in the toilet and leave it in overnight. I already had a magic eraser so I figured why not?!

I dropped it in the toilet and came back this morning to find..... the same ring around the toilet bowl. So, I had to stick my hand in the toilet to get it out (which I hate doing) and then went on to the next step!

PUMICE STONE!!!

Who would've thought! Luckily, I didn't have to go and buy one because I had a new one at home. It took about 2-3 minutes and I rubbed it all over the stains. Take a look at the pic!

Of course I still wanted the SPARKLE! Even though the ring was gone now I wanted it to smell fresh and clean. I also wanted that sparkly bowl look :)

So.... I found some KABOOM in the house and not only did it do the job, but it smells good too! AND.... My 2 year old thought the purple color was cool!

There you go! Easy quick way to a sparkly clean toilet! Now.... I have to go finish the other 3 toilets in the house.

A mom's job is NEVER done! Have an awesome day!

Top Beachbody Coaching Tips - How To Build A Strong Business

How many of you have started a business of some sort and then months to a year later it just fizzled? You may have thought that it was just a fad business or that no one wanted the products. Maybe you just decided you didn't want to push products or tools on people and just quit.

Well, I am here to tell you that if you have a long standing product or tool that you KNOW will help so many people.... the only thing holding you back is YOU!

Whoa whoa... you mean it's MY fault that I didn't succeed? Well, to say it gently...... yes :) Here, let me explain.

After reading more and more personal development books on leadership, building a strong business, network marketing, inviting, confidence, etc.... I have found one thing to ring true. If you are an entrepreneur and you are doing this business on your own then it is up to you to make it or break it. This is something I needed to learn right from the start. 

There are times that we feel the little piddly beginner steps can be skipped over. You know, like daily inviting, using the products yourself, sharing with people, reading and listening to personal development to learn about how you can improve. We may get so caught up on the futuristic plan or dollar signs that we often forget the small daily steps it takes for growth.  

Did you know for example with my own business that the 3 Vital Behaviors that I need to do daily can take as little as 15 minutes per day? Why not get that done before the other tasks if you know that it will push your growth?

Personal development I must say has been the biggest part of my growth thus far. I have got to not only believe in the business, but overall believe in ME and have the confidence I need to move forward. Don't get me wrong. This is not the easiest for me to do. I fail sometimes DAILY at many thing. I try new ways that flop. I think up some great idea that goes unnoticed, but it's what I do with that failure that counts!

Get up!

Move on!

Keep pushing!

Knowing that I have unlimited resources and unlimited potential drives me to do better. I have BIG dream and goals for me and my family. I want financial security. I want us to be debt free. We are moving in the right direction, but it's not a get rich quick scheme. It's my dedication and hard work that keeps me moving forward.

So think today..... why am I stuck in a rut? Are you blaming others for your lack of success? It's time to take a look in the mirror. Drop the negativity and write down 2 goals for this month that you want to reach. Write down your ideas and how you want to get there. 

I didn't become a Star Diamond Beachbody Coach overnight. It took me a year to get to where I am and despite any ups and downs I will push to reach those crazy goals I've set for myself. 

Are you ready to be a powerhouse? It all starts with you! Now..... get busy :) If you haven't started yet you can join my amazing team! Fill this out and I will contact you! https://samaraashley.wufoo.com/forms/coaching-application/ 

30 Minute Workouts - Are You Worth The Time?

Four years ago, I had unknowingly let bad food habits and lack of exercise creep in. You know.... it's super easy to let happen. You may have been like me... I had a great routine, but then something in life changed and I fell off the map. My workouts went from 5 a week to 0. My healthy eating turned into fast food runs as often as I wanted. 

I changed my thinking to make it "OK" because I just simply did not have time to give to my body. After all, I was a busy working mom of 5! Come on people! You can't expect me to keep it all up right?! What truly happened is that I just kept telling myself that I had so many good excuses why I wasn't taking care of myself. 

Then 3 years ago, I found out I was pregnant! I was sooooo happy to find out that I was having a little boy. However, in the back of my mind I couldn't help but thing "Man! I wish I hadn't kept this weight on before getting pregnant." Here I was in my 30's and I knew it would be harder than before when I was in my young 20's having babies. I let the pregnancy be my new excuse for eating what I craved. Can I get an AMEN out there? :)

So, what happened? I found myself over 200 pounds. 

Yes I was prego, but that was a scary number to me. A weight that I never wanted to see. Then Levi was born! I swore that he was going to be like a 10 pound baby. Nope! He was 7 pounds. Then I thought that I would lose all of the major baby weight because he was nursing every hour on the hour. I lost about 12 pounds, but then NOTHING!!!!

Why am I telling you all of this? Because it took me 1 1/2 years to realize that I needed a change in my lifestyle. I don't want others to wait SO LONG before making a healthy change. The older we get it seems so much harder. 

So, today I'm asking you.... Do you have 30 minutes a day that you could commit to a set workout. You don't have to leave your home. You don't have to drive anywhere and waste time and gas. I have a program that you can do in your pjs if you want!

Let me tell you about it....

• 30 minutes a day for 3 weeks
• Nutrition plan with portion control colored cups that explain what foods you eat and when
• Super nutritious shake with all your vital nutrients to boost your energy naturally and curb your cravings.
• A personal health coach to motivate and keep you accountable to your goals
• Learn to eliminate bad habits and foods
• Great results whether you want to lose weight, tone up, or just be healthier 

This workout program is called 21 DAY FIX! Simple Simple Simple.....

Now, here's your challenge. Instead of dwelling on this for too long and talking yourself out of it.... It's time to make a change NOW! I was there! I was skeptical! BUT.... I had awesome results! 21 inches lost overall and I'm down a total of 31 pounds since started Beachbody programs last year. 

My next group starts next week! I want to show YOU that it is possible! Sign ups are from today until Wednesday night. You deserve this! Your body deserves better! Contact me today @ ashleycrew7@gmail.com and let's save your spot!

5 Minute Homemade Salsa

Ok friends! I don't know about your family, but mine can eat through a jar of salsa at one dinner. They LOVE it and it's not always cheap. On top of that, the jarred salsas can come with so many artificial ingredients. So.... this week I was given a large amount of fresh garden tomatoes (thank you to whoever gave them to my hubby) and I wanted to make my first ever salsa. 

I asked friends to send me the recipes of their favorites and then I finally just decided to make it to my own liking which is pretty much how I cook every meal. I don't measure. I don't follow directions. I simply cook by taste.

So, here is what I came up with and I LOVE it!

Using a food processor.....

Fill food processor with as many tomatoes as you can fit without squeezing

Add 2-3 Vidalia Onions

1 large handful of fresh cilantro

2 jalapenos with seeds out

3 Tablespoons minced garlic

a few short squeezes of lime juice

salt and pepper to taste

Pulse about 7 times until large chunks are gone. 

Yep! That's it! So stinkin' easy right?! Wait til you taste it! It's not the thick chunky salsa you get in the store, but rather more like a restaurant style. Don't expect it be around long! If you want more of a kick to it you can add another jalapeno or a touch of vinegar. Enjoy!