Start to #betterbody challenge- DAY ONE!!!

Today marks day one to a what I am calling my 4 week better body challenge because I am moving to Texas exactly 4 weeks! The last 2 months I have been working hard, eating well and have lost a total of 15 lbs. So now I have the hard to loose 10 lbs to go and this is my journey in shedding the last unwanted weight. I am going to be on a very strict diet, strict workout schedule and NO CHEATING! I will be sharing my progress throughout the next four weeks, including my food prep, workouts, and highs and lows. The reason I am doing this challenge is to hold myself accountable to stay on track and finish the fitness journey that I have started. After I shed the unwanted fat, I am going to work hard to tone up and gain muscle where needed. I hope you all will join me and follow my road to a healthier lifestyle. 

Any comments, suggestions or questions please comment below! I would love to hear what y'all  think:) 

This video marks day one and explains a little about my goals and shares with you what foods I will be cutting out of my diet and what supplements and vitamins I will be taking:) 

Sincerely, Kayla Marie 

Lemon Chicken Cilantro Salad - Perfect for a Hot Summer Day

Living in San Diego, CA summers here can range from 75 degrees to pushing 100 degrees. On a day like today, all you want is to appreciate the weather, lay out in the sun and enjoy a light, tasty meal that will tingle your tastebuds as well as get all your healthy nutrients. I added up all the calories for this meal and it could be a light snack, or a full meal adding your protein of choice. Including my chicken, it came to 300 calories, a perfect amount of balanced nutrition to keep you full till dinner if this is your lunch of choice or through the rest of your night. So how do you make your own??

You will need: 

(makes 4 servings) 

For the salad: 

• 1/2 C. dry quinoa 
• 1 1/2 C. chicken or veggie broth (I used organic, no sodium)
• 1 Roma tomato 
• 1 1/2 avocados diced (I added in later. If you have leftovers the avocado will spoil) 
• 2 C. organic spinach 
• 1 bunch of cilantro 
• 1/4 cup green onion 
• 2-4 cloves of garlic (depending on your love for garlic!) 
• 2 chicken breasts 

For the dressing: 

• Juice of 2 lemons 
• zest of 1 lemon 
• 2 tsp. olive oil 
• 1/2 tsp. cumin 
• dash od pepper

Directions:  Make your quinoa first. Soak the quinoa in a pot in the broth for about 15 minutes. After that, turn on the heat to medium high and let the quinoa come to a boil. Once it boils, reduce heat to medium/low and let quinoa simmer. Stir every so often, and cook quinoa just until the liquid absorbs. You don’t want it completely dried out, so when there is just a TINY amount of liquid left in the pot, remove it from heat and put a lid on it. Set it aside, and make the rest of the salad. Process cilantro and spinach in food processor until finely chopped, or you can chop by hand. put in large bowl, add green onion, and garlic-finely chopped. stir.  Grill your chicken with any spices that you prefer, dice and add to mixture. Add quinoa once cooled. Add the dressing and avocado and ENJOY! (I threw all the dressing ingredients into my food processor, but you could definitely do by hand with a whisk) 

I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did! 

Sincerely, Kayla Marie 

Craft Heaven!

I am a huge decor lover! Whether it is home decorating, DIY projects, or sitting down and scrapbooking for hours. I have always been a Michaels fan, but today my whole creative life has changed. I have heard AMAZING stories about this new addition to La Mesa, Ca but didn't know how much it would change my perspective on arts and crafts. Since I am moving to a smaller city, where we don't have a Hobby Lobby, so I decided to take a venture into decor heaven. I went in for scrapbook paper and came out with a new clock, some throw pillows, scrapbook paper and many more little decorative items. If I didn't have limited space in my car moving to Texas, I would have bought the whole store! Long story short, if you have a Hobby Lobby in your town and your love to decorate or craft, this will be your new love. 

Sincerely, Kayla Marie 

The countdown begins...

Welcome family, old friends, and new friends. Today marks forty eight days till I start the next chapter in my life in Lubbock, Texas. Six months ago I graduated college and decided that graduate school was the next step in my path. My mom and I trucked across the south to find my new home. From Texas, to Louisiana, to Tennessee, we went from school to school and I narrowed it down to Texas Tech and University of Tennessee, Knoxville. Both felt like a place that I could see myself fulfilling my dreams of becoming a licensed social worker, but one felt like home. I definitely helped that one of my best friends in the world is going to law school there, but it was a feeling of warmth in my heart that lead me to Texas Tech. Now classes are all signed up for, the lease is signed and the packing begins! This California girl is taking herself to the South!

Sincerely, Kayla Marie