Motherhood is straight Gangster

When I took this photo & wrote this post, I was four weeks into postpartum life with a newborn.. I hope it speaks to someone who is in this season! You're not alone, sweet momma!!

"Attempt #5 this week at my to-do list 🖐🏻

Please continue to be patient and give me grace y'all as I learn to balance life with my business + social media 💕

Okay...now I'm going to be super honest for a minute.

You know I can't help but keep it real and I feel like I owe it to all my friends who are soon to be moms or those who have recently had babes not to hold back in parenting.

I'm pretty new in this mom world, so I'm NOT going to try to act like I have it all figured out or that I understand all of the pains of motherhood.

While this is the most >>incredible<< love that I could have ever ever imagined, this is by far the hardest season of my life.

So many pieces of being a mother are natural -- because I really believe God created us to do this. 

That's the whole reason I was so passionate about a healthy pregnancy, natural delivery & breastfeeding. I KNOW God made me for this.

But sooooo much of it is also learned through failure, frustration, endless googling & countless tears.

Before Raegan Grace was born..

I anticipated a challenge.

I anticipated some tears.

I anticipated having to eventually ask for help.

And I anticipated life adjusting for this sweet baby.

I honestly wasn't prepared though for exactly how hard, draining and lonely even this can be.

People unfortunately don't share all of the dark and dirty corners of raising a newborn.

Part of that is probably because everyone's story and journey is different, but I wonder if another part of it comes from a place of feeling *guilty* to admit their feelings. Especially when you have a "difficult" baby.

There have been so many moments I've had to put this sweet girl down and walk away with my face in my hands feeling so frustrated.. having to let her scream in her crib.

These moments are followed about 30 seconds to 5 minutes later with me walking back to her with open arms & in tears, feeling absolutely terrible for how I could get upset with this precious bundle.

Then it's back to endless kisses, stares & snuggles.

What a WHIRLWIND!

How could I be SO frustrated & so in love and HAPPY at all once!?

Am I a bad mom?

Is something wrong with me??

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say no.

I've told many friends this before, but taking your own advice is hard sometimes right!?

So are things going to change.

Eh, I'm guessing no.

I see this journey evolving into a different version of THESE feelings as RG grows & goes through different stages of life - and therefore, different hardships//learning curves.

That could be hopeless if we let it be. But heres what I'm holding onto..

I think.. no, I KNOW I'll learn how to lean on the Lord more. How to continually find joy. Learning I let things go. When to give myself grace. How to exercise patience. Keeping myself a priority for my family. And knowing when I need to fill back up each day.

Motherhood is straight gangster.

But I'd choose it over & over again.

Sweet girl.

How about we give each other grace.

And keep learning together.

You are more precious to me than gold.

I love you to the moon & back, RaeRae!!!"

#BabyRaeGhoens #GracefullyBalanced

A Peek BACK to Inspire Others: #TransformationTuesday

These aren't the best quality photos, but you get the gist.

The girl on the left partied hard. Drank too much. Was an emotional eater. Had out of whack priorities. Enjoyed the gym, but didn't go enough. And felt SUPER insecure.. even though you would have never known it.

The girl on the right (older & pregnant, actually) enjoys life. Indulges in moderation. Knows healthy ways to cope with emotions/stress. Has more direction in life. Exercises to celebrate her body rather than punishing it for bad choices. And is proud of the woman she is still becoming.

There are a handful of years in between these two photos, but the major differences are.. I put the Lord first, made taking care of myself a priority, grasped the concept of a healthy mind/body/spirit & started pursuing things I love.

I didn't have to hire a personal trainer or life coach (nothing wrong with either).. I simply acknowledged my short-comings, recognized the change I needed, surrounded myself with positive people & did the work.

It wasn't rocket science. I didn't smoke myself on a daily basis.

I made small, consistent changes starting with fitness & nutrition that began to transform myself from the inside-out.

Which, in turn, began to impact the people around me.

Taking care of yourself creates a ripple effect..

Why the heck wouldn't you want to be your best self & help others?

I'm so grateful I took the plunge to change my life a few years ago. Which is positively impacting my family even today..

I only look back now to inspire others to move forward!!

Want to know how I did it & get started too?

Email lindseykollar@yahoo.com to join one of my accountability groups. Next opportunity is the beginning of March so reach out soon!

#TransformationTuesday #GracefullyBalanced

Beauty from Ashes

Can I encourage you today? Or maybe blow your mind a little?

My God.. He's a good God.

He brings what was dead to LIFE.

He extends HOPE to that which was lost.

He FORGIVES those condemned.

He turns sorrow to JOY.

He creates beauty from ASHES.

He turns our mess into a MESSAGE.

He turns our pain into PURPOSE.

He allows our tests of life to be a TESTIMONY.

Rejoice, my friends <3 span=""> 

Our little Ghoens family has been working through some trials, testing & hurts the past couple of months. While it's been an incredibly hard season of life, it's been a time in life that I've felt so incredibly close to the Lord.

Those days I feel alone or broken, it's like He continually pulls me into His lap of comfort & whispers His promises to me.

You see.

Even though we feel alone sometimes..

It's because we aren't looking to acknowledge His presence - we only look to place blame or focus on what we cannot understand.

He never left us. He never stopped caring. He wrote our story so long ago. Our "shocking" life moments don't surprise Him. He's equipped perfectly to love, guide & teach us though it -- if we ACCEPT it.

One day, probably soon, I'll share publicly about this journey. Although I'm AMAZED at how God is already working to allow me to minister to other women & families by laying it on THEIR hearts to reach out.

In the mean time, dears - take some time to recognize His incredible attributes & what they could mean for your life.

I am a child of the King.. a King who is a good GOOD Father!

Are you?

#GracefullyBalanced #GracefullyREDEEMED

Digging that Girl in the Mirror

I might not always feel like I'm moving forward physically when I look at the numbers of my body, but I remind myself (1) how far I've come (2) that I'm in this journey for the long haul.

I remember two years ago, absolutely DREADING trying on clothes.

The discouraging feeling of standing in fluorescent lights and mirrors on all sides.

When nothing fit.

But moreso..

When I felt ashamed of letting myself go, but just didn't know how to start back at taking care of myself & actually stick with it.

A lot has changed since then.

I'm not running a race or striving for perfection.

I still slip up with my routine, miss workouts here and there + love cheeseburgers.

But I've learned to give myself grace & continue to simply give my daily best.

And that's meant the world.. For my mind & body.

I'm not necessarily where I want to be. But I'm proud of where I am.

I'm a strong, healthy woman on a continual mission to love myself & care for my temple.

That's what I see in the mirror now. And I dig it👌

Celebrate your progress, honor your pace & NEVER give up!!

#GracefullyBalanced

My LuLaRoe Experience + GIVEAWAY

Most of you have seen it on Facebook or Instagram - the new CRAZE that is LuLaRoe - a brand claiming to be the comfiest leggings EVER.

Let me start by telling you I was a skeptic.

I was added to several groups + parties where I felt like just a number. 

I saw the claims, but figured they couldn't have been any better than the stuff I could get anywhere else.

I thought they primarily offered leggings.

I thought they were all crazy patterns.

Now let me explain to you my personal reservations.

I believe in PERSONAL customer service & hate feeling like part of a mass invite process.

I love saving money OR saving up to splurge on fewer special items.

I don't wear leggings much, unless I'm working out - could this be for me?

I shy away from busy looking patterns - I'm more of a simple sally.

Okay - so now that you have my backstory. Let me tell you about my experience & how I got to this point.

My long time friend, Melanie Lemus, started her own LuLaRoe business recently.

We're fellow military wives who have known each other over five years - and now we're both entrepreneurs. I was added to her private FB group initially, but was never pressured to buy anything. Her page is professional & PERSONAL - she connects with the women in her group + shares photos/videos of herself, rather than stock photos. She also has a HUGE variety - something for everyone. From the Wacky Wendy type chicks to us Simple Sallies.

As my mind began to open & as I started silently stalking her page, Mel actually reached out with an opportunity that ended up becoming my first experience with LuLaRoe. Melanie knows how many women I work with on a daily basis & decided to do something pretty awesome for one of the *lucky* ladies who follow my blog. She decided to provide me with a set of leggings to GIVE AWAY for free.

Pretty cool, right? But she didn't just do that - she wanted me to be able to share about my own experience first, so I could present this opportunity to you ladies with a level of integrity that we both believe is absolutely necessary when you are growing a business.

So first, I joined one of her weekly sales, via her private group, & selected an item.

{Say hello to the NICOLE dress I'm wearing in the photo above.}

Once I selected my item, I worked through a simple, & QUICK checkout/invoice process.

My overall experience was both personal & efficient - using Google forms + Square.

And within just a few days, I received my package... this was one of my FAVORITE parts.

A good shopping experience includes the moment you receive your items in the mail.

That "first impression" moment shows the CARE that the company has for it's products.

I mean -- how ADORABLE is this packaging? It's FUN & colorful literally from the moment you open up the envelope!

Plus, she included a note & these little candies.

Ofcourse, candies aren't going to affect my opinion of the clothes, BUT it was yet another attention to detail that made the entire process even more thoughtful & pleasant.

So let's talk about the first time I tried it on & do some word association.

You say LuLaRoe, I say:

(smooth as)

 BUTTER 

soft

comfy

flattering

feminine

I wore this dress to church & got LOTS of compliments. While flattering your natural shape, the Nicole is also fairly modest! I was able to wear this dress several hours - from sitting in a bible study to visiting with friends to working with small children in the nursery. The dress is definitely an A+ in fit, color & quality.

THANK YOU, Melanie for such an awesome experience!

NOW -- let's talk about this GIVEAWAY!!

ONE lucky winner will receive a pair of comfy leggings courtesy of @LularoeMelanieLemus - And the pattern will be a total SURPRISE.

Here's what you need to do to enter:

1) Join Melanie's private FB group HERE

2) Follow me on Instagram @GracefullyBalanced and comment on the "lularoe experience" photo with your own IG username + tag a friend.

3) Follow Melanie on Instagram @LularoeMelanieLemus

4) Type in the comment section of THIS blog post with your IG name + FB name when you're done!!

I will verify each of these steps have been completed & choose a RANDOM winner on Friday, August 5th!

Who's EXCITED?!?!?

Cheers to fabulous comfort, my friends!

*This post was sponsored by Melanie Lemus - LuLaRoe*

Grace Upon Grace

This has been the mantra of my heart the past 10ish days of traveling, preparing for travel, family, preparing for family, etc.

Grace Upon Grace.

I can't do it all sometimes.

And I can't take that personally.

I have to stick to the things I do no matter what to honor my priorities & let the rest go occasionally.

This past week + I haven't been the best coach/social media encouragement/mentor/etc. I just have to own it, give myself Grace & continue moving toward. No guilt. Not getting stuck on it. I'm trucking along👌

I'm calling myself out here for the accountability I need, but also as a great reminder for other women out there.

STOP carrying guilt when you have a few days of having to let "extras" go.. It happens. Just don't stay there. Call yourself out. Receive Grace from yourself. And keep on keeping on.

I'm back, y'all 💕

#GracefullyBalanced #HealthyLiving #MindBodySpirit

Conquering Ourselves

WE are often our greatest obstacle to overcome + conquer.

Ever feel this way?

If not.. Maybe take a moment to rethink what it is exactly that holds us back from achieving our goals - whether those are hefty life goals or simply the day to day goals of living a successful, happy & fulfilled life.

Is it really that you have some sort of life disadvantage penalizing you? Your job, your family, your obligations are to blame for holding you back?

Or is it..

Our doubt. Our fear. Our >>excuses<<. Our self limitations. Our defeated mindset. Our poor attitude.

I'm talking to US here, doll.

WE've got to choose today & every day to conquer ourselves. When we take control of & responsibility for our life, we are empowering ourselves for success.

We haven't removed the mountains or obstacles in our lives, but we become thoroughly equipped to face them. And SUCEED.

So start here & change your attitude//perspective//focus.

Conquer YOU today.

#Inspiration #Motivation #GracefullyBalanced

Love Your WHOLE Self, Cellulite & All

Yeah, it's a whole lotta not fun exposing parts of yourself that you battle insecurity with.

But it's not fair to just post certain shots or my "after photos" leading you to believe that my body, self esteem & journey is all rainbows + butterflies.

The truth is, social media makes it easy to share the highlights. That doesn't mean I don't want to keep it real, but also want to be sure that I'm keeping my ‪#‎GracefullyBalanced‬ presence inspiring and uplifting, focused on positivity and solution.

 

However, it's probably good every now and again to humble myself a bit and remind y'all that I'm not a picture of fitness perfection.. I'm just a girl, dedicated to wellness, in the pursuit of being graceFULLy balanced. Learning to love myself.. ALL of me.

So.. This picture of my tushie.. {And you better be grateful I didn't go with a full rear shot} is real. This is STILL what healthy looks like! I could be forever dedicated to working out + healthy eating and STILL have cellulite. ‪#‎sorryitstrue‬ ..

But that doesn't mean I'm not working hard. It doesn't mean I'm not making progress. It's just part of who I am!

 

So YOU.. You over there doing a billion squats, counting calories religiously & stressing over imperfections.

 

LOVE YOURSELF.. Flaws and all. Because they don't define you. They're just a tiny piece of the puzzle that makes you who you are.

 

So whether it's cellulite, a pear shape bod, etc.. Love it all.

 

Simply so your BEST every day to seek balance + care for your mind, body & spirit.

 

Share the LOVE!

Gracefully Balanced March Accountability

You know what most women crave?

(Besides chocolate 🍫 of course..)

.

It's not a six pack.. Or 50 pound weightloss.. Or to be able to run 13.1 trillion miles..

.

Most women crave confidence.

A sense of pride.

The ability the give themselves GRACE despite their short comings & to rid themselves of GUILT and pressure.

To be in control of their habits and choices. To feel a true presence of BALANCE in their lives.

.

You might {think} you want a 6 pack, but dig a little deeper, sister.. What would it mean for you to overcome emotionally driven eating? This was HUGE for me!

Or what about being able to exercise 5 times a week in a comfortable environment and not feel STRESSED about getting it done? Is that a foreign thought?

Gosh, how valuable & special would you feel to know that you have a community of 

en who are supporting you every step of the way?? Life..changing..

.

That's the purpose of my gracefully balanced challenge. I desire for YOU to experience what I have. The ability to implement lifestyle changes and be okay (& even PROUD of) simply doing your personal best each day.. Because this "shin-dig" I'm inviting you to isn't a sprint.. It's not a race #hallelujah 

.

..it's a LIFESTYLE, y'all.

.

We aren't perfect.. And that's one of the beauties of this group/community. We're real women. Who are really busy. Who really {need} a sustainable change.

.

Dare to make a change & let me coach you through it. Join my {online} accountability group in March & see what's possible.

.

Apply using the link below {by Feb. 29th} to learn more & hold your spot.

It's time to become #gracefullybalanced 

http://bit.ly/GracefullyBalancedChallenge

Mindset Shift: Healthy Eating

I did it once too.. I had the common mentality and misperception that it was just "super expensive to eat healthy.."


But have you ever stopped to wonder why that processed stuff you're buying is SO cheap? What's actually IN that food and what it does for & TO your body?


Y'all, healthy food is way cheaper in the long run than health problems. YOU do the math.


And if you ask me, it's worth the "sacrifice" of the fancy coffee, getting my nails done or the extra target trip to fuel my body properly so that I live a longer, healthier life with the ones I love.


That's why I choose eating healthy & why both Nate and I drink shakeology every.single.day. And we do so without breaking the bank, in fact we're on the Dave Ramsey plan.


Change your mindset, change your life. Educate yourself and care for your temple ✌🍴


‪#‎healthyliving‬ ‪#‎MINDSETshift‬ ‪#‎gracefullybalanced‬

Fix APPROVED, Healthy Avocado Dressing

I LOVE a good salad, especially when I'm on a meal plan requiring lots of veggie intake- like the container system that's a part of the 21 Day Fix, Hammer & Chisel and even similar to that of 22 Minute Hard Corps (releasing March of 2016).

HOWEVER, I do most definitely get tired of just using a simple vinegar or vinaigrette day in and day out.. I mean, I'm a recovering Ranch-aholic, y'all.. #thestruggleisreal

Fortunately, this recipe came in my 21 Day Fix meal plan/cookbook and I'm sharing it today with YOU as a tried and true delicious concoction!

What the portion fix meal plan refers to as Creamy Herb Dressing, I refer to as a Healthy Avocado Greek Yogurt dressing because of the star players in this mash up.

Ingredients:

1/2 C Plain Greek Yogurt

1 Ripened Avocado

3 Tsp Lemon Juice

1/4 C EVOO

S&P

Dried OR Fresh Herbs

(all I had was dill, tarragon, garlic, parsley & basil)

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients but olive oil in blender and blend until smooth. Slowly add in EVOO until you achieve creamy consistency. And that's it.. really, y'all!

This recipe makes about 10+ servings and if you're following a meal plan using the color coded container system I mentioned above, one serving is considered an ORANGE container.

I put this on top of a salad yesterday with grilled chicken, mixed greens, organic salsa and shredded cheese & it was just UH-mazing.

FYI: If you have avocados at home to make this dressing, but they aren't ripe yet... hop on over to THIS post where I explain HOW to ripen those puppies up asap!