Pumpkin Carving and Spooky Spider Cookies

Happy Halloween!

On Friday, Jesse, Oliver, and I spent the evening carving pumpkins, eating pizza, and baking spider cookies to get in the Halloween spirit. 

Ever since Jesse and I began dating, it has become a tradition to carve a pumpkin with Oliver. Of course Oliver is too young to carve his own, so he helps us scoop out the pumpkin's guts and he loves to choose what Jesse should carve. This year I chose to carve a cat because I'm pretty sure everyone knows I love cats and it felt appropriate. Every few months, Oliver goes through phases for example: Spiderman, Five Nights at Freddy's, Indiana Jones, etc. and right now he's going through a "Jaws" phase, so he chose a shark for his pumpkin. It was a beautiful night so we decided to carve our pumpkins in the backyard. We had so much fun making them; they turned out awesome if I do say so myself! 

After carving pumpkins, I made a couple of pizzas in the oven and then me and Oliver made spooky spider cookies for dessert. I had seen these cookies on Pinterest, so I thought it would be fun for us to make together. 

To make these spider cookies, I used 1 bag of the Betty Crocker peanut butter cookie mix, 1 small bag of mini Reese's, Wilton's black gel, and candy eyeballs.

These spider cookies were SO delicious and super easy to make. Trust me when I say you can't just eat one. If you're looking to make something this evening thats spooky and sweet, I definitely recommend that you make these spider cookies; you won't regret it! 

Tonight we are taking Oliver trick or treating and he will be dressing up as "Skeleton Boy." Until then, I will be munching on these cookies and watching  Halloweentown and Hocus Pocus.

What are your plans for Halloween? 

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Flexible Dieting and My Fitness Journey (So Far)

For years I have struggled with my weight. The best way to describe what I would do is diet and workout from January through August and then I would stop and repeat again in January. This happened for several years and I feel as though it was a habit I could not break.

Fast forward to January 2016, I officially gained everything I lost in 2011-2013; I felt gross physically and emotionally. My clothes no longer fit like they used to, I felt sluggish, and I would frequently get headaches. At the end of the month, I realized that something needed to change. I literally got up from the couch, set my laptop aside, changed into gym clothes, and left the house. I was fed up with feeling the way I did.

Around the month of April, I discovered Flexible Dieting by watching fitness YouTubers such as Nikki Blackketter. Flexible Dieting is essentially counting your macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates, and fat). Therefore, you can eat anything you want as long as it fits your macros. Keep in mind this does not mean you should eat junk food all day every day; you will need your "clean" foods. EVERYONE'S macros are different; they are based on your height, weight, age, current body fat %, activity, etc. So for example: your macros are 150g carbs, 50g fat, and 135g protein. I like to use the app My Fitness Pal to track my food intake and I calculate my macros here: Katy Hearn Fit - Macro Calculator

Example of what I eat in a day:
BREAKFAST: oatmeal, 1/2 cup egg whites mixed with 1 large egg, and a slice of turkey bacon
POST WORK-OUT: protein powder mixed with water
LUNCH: 1/2 cup of rice, 4-5oz of chicken, turkey, or extra lean beef, 85g-100g of vegetables.
SNACK #1: Light & Fit Greek yogurt with 2tbs of granola and/or chopped up fresh fruit and 1tbs of Jif peanut butter
SNACK #2: Power crunch bar (I like to eat these because they have 10g of fat and most days I don't get enough fat intake). 
DINNER: 1/2 cup of rice, 4-5oz of chicken, turkey, or extra lean beef, 85g-100g of vegetables.
DESSERT: 2-3 Oreos, ice cream, or cereal (depends on if I have any macros left for the day).
*Essentially, I make sure that my meals consist of carbs, protein, and fats. It is also important to eat vegetables and fruits because they contain micronutrients. You'll learn what foods work for you and what fit your macros as time progresses.

I am not saying this type of "diet" works for everyone, but it works for me and its become extremely popular throughout the years. I use the term "diet" loosely because I can honestly say I do not feel like I am on one. It has essentially become a lifestyle change. 

Throughout these past 9 months, I have lost 28 pounds and have gained muscle. I have fallen IN LOVE with lifting and being active. Never in my life would I have thought that I would love going to the gym, but nearly every day I look forward to it.

**Keep in mind this is a 9 month difference. Progress happens over time, not over night.**

Before 2016, I had no idea what I was doing at the gym; I would do random exercises for 20 minutes and spend 45 minutes doing cardio but then my boyfriend Jesse told me about an app by Bodybuilding.com called "BodySpace." You can join a program and each day you have a different exercise. One day will consist of chest/triceps, the next day will be quadriceps/calves, and so on and so forth. Its definitely great for beginners who want to learn new exercises and don't know much about lifting. They include videos too in case you need detailed instructions as well. I also watch a lot of fitness YouTubers and learn A LOT from them; they are extremely helpful and very entertaining to watch.

I am not claiming to be an expert or certified trainer/nutritionist. I just wanted to share a bit of what I know, what I'm doing, and how I got started in hopes of inspiring you.

Below are a few informative links:
About Flexible Dieting
Omar Isuf: IIFYM: My Thoughts on If It Fits Your Macros and Flexible Dieting
Emily Hayden: Beginners Intro to Macros
Food Scale: Taylor Glass Top Kitchen Scale

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below. Like I mentioned before, I am not a certified trainer/nutritionist or an expert; however, I will do my best to answer your questions. 

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Fright Fest Weekend

I spent the weekend in San Antonio, Texas with my friends Aaron, Monica, and Krystianna! I've been working with these 3 for quite some time and finally got to spend time with them outside of work. Something I've been trying to work on is making time for friends. Sometimes I just get caught up in my "routine" and don't like to step out of my comfort zone. It felt SO good to go on a trip with my friends and just enjoy life!

We left Saturday afternoon and spent the day at Fiesta Texas. Fiesta Texas is a large theme park and during the month of October, they have what is called "Fright Fest." At night they have a few haunted houses, "scare zones," halloween decorations, and much more. I'm down for any roller coaster, but for some reason, I always freak out over the Iron Rattler. It has a 180 foot drop at an 81 degree angle going at 70 mph. I have been on this ride since I was probably in middle school, so you would think I would be used to it by now. After getting off the ride, I told me friends, "Wow, I was completely overthinking that." I loved the adrenaline rush and it was well worth the wait.

Since all of the lines were extremely long, we were only able to go to one haunted house and it was the one filled with scary freaking clowns. While waiting in line, there were several clowns walking around the line, scaring everyone, and would breathe heavily behind your ears. Walking through the haunted house was so scary, but hilarious at the same time because all I could hear was all of us screaming while holding on to each other in a line. 

Of course you can't go to a theme park and not get something to drink or eat, so me, Monica, Krystianna, and Abel (him and his girlfriend Marisa met up with us there) bought flavored margaritas when we first got to the park and on the way out I got my favorite: corn in the cup; it was DELICIOUS and extra spicy.

At the end of the night we went back to the hotel, ordered delivery pizza, and relaxed. Around 12:10am, the pizza place called me and I thought to myself, "Oh, maybe they can't find our room," but no. They called to CANCEL our order after we were waiting for nearly a hour. Who does that? We quickly ordered from another place, ate, and crashed out.

Before we drove back home on Sunday, we went to the San Antonio River Walk and ate at a restaurant called "Dick's Last Resort." This place is known for their employees that are straight up obnoxious. We all got paper hats with hilarious sayings and it was just an overall good time with my friends.

After having lunch, we headed back home to Corpus Christi. I had an amazing weekend in San Antonio and it was so much fun spending it with a few of my favorite people; I'm already having withdrawals! 

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What's In My Gym Bag?

At the end of January 2016, I decided to step back into the gym after being MIA for about 4 months. Since then, I have fallen completely in love with working out; I think its because I actually know what the heck I'm doing now and frequently take the time to learn about nutrition and lifting. I've lost 27lbs so far and I feel like every day is a step closer to reaching my goal; I feel amazing!

My gym bag comes along with me every time I go to the gym, so I thought I would share what I have inside of it!

1. Most days I wear my Nike baseball cap to not only hide my makeupless face, but it helps me stay in the zone. It kind of blocks people out for me and I feel completely focused. 
2. I like to keep my Champion C9 Adjustable Speed Jump Rope in my bag and use it on days where I want to incorporate it as a superset with a lift. A superset is essentially a set that includes another set or sets. Example: I'll perform on the decline leg press and then without rest, use the jump rope for 60 seconds and then rest for 45 seconds to a minute and repeat 2x. 
3. My new Adidas NMDs are everything and more. I am completely obsessed with them; however, I have not worn them to the gym quite yet, I just loved how they looked for this photo. I have several pairs of shoes I wear to the gym and I like to make sure that I am in love with them before buying a new pair; it gives me a boost of happiness when I'm wearing good looking shoes. 
4. The Fit Simplify resistance bands have become the newest addition to my gym bag. It comes with 5 bands inside a cute little carry bag. There are SO many exercises you can perform with these and incorporate with the exercises you may already perform such as squats. 
5. My wonderful boyfriend bought me a pair of Bose SoundTrue Headphones for Christmas a couple years ago and they are the most comfortable headphones I have ever had. I don't know what I would do without them! 
6. The pink metallic coin pouch is used to carry my drivers license, cash, and debit card. I like to use it for when I'm going to the gym so I don't have to carry my large wallet. 
7. Hand sanitizer is a must after touching all the equipment in the gym. I also like to keep it in there just in case I'm going straight from work and I need to eat a snack on the way there and I haven't had a chance to wash my hands. 
8. These makeup remover wipes are only $1 and get the job done. I keep them in my gym bag in case I'm going straight from work or an errand and don't feel like having makeup on my face. 
9. I recently bought a new pre-workout called Alphamine from PEScience and the first thing that came to my mind was, "Wow, I'm impressed." It gives me the focus and energy I need to train without feeling jittery.
10. Deodorant because your girl does not want BO. 
11. If you're like me and tend to break your hair ties, then I think its so important to keep an extra pack in your gym bag just in case. A few weeks ago I broke my hair tie while putting my hair up in the gym's parking lot and luckily I had ONE hair tie hiding in my car. 
12. I love love love my Ello glass water bottle. I use it every single day and it encourages me to drink more water. 
13. Another gift from Jesse was my Belkin Sport-Fit Armband. Its definitely a "gym bag essential" because I use it for every training day to put my phone in. Its comfortable and also has a little pocket in the back to put your cards or key in. 
14. My friend recommended the Fit Spirit foam rollers and I am hooked! I have been wanting a foam roller for quite some time and I use it nearly every day. If you don't know what a foam roller is, its essentially used for self-massage to help with any muscle tightness or trigger points such as knots. 

Leave a comment below if you have any questions or would like to share what's in your gym bag! 

Pumpkin Spice French Toast Recipe

October is finally here and that means PUMPKIN SPICE EVERYTHING! I'm always looking to try new and healthy recipes so I don't feel like I'm eating the same thing every single day. A few days ago I was craving french toast and decided to make it with a few seasonal ingredients: pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and pure pumpkin. It came out super delicious and it's healthy! 

TOTAL TIME: under 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

• cooking spray
• 1/3 cup egg whites
• 1 large egg
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon pure pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
• 3 slices Sara Lee whole wheat bread
• 3 medium (75 grams) fresh strawberries
• 1/4 cup Walden Farms syrup (or your choice of maple syrup)
• optional: whipped cream 
• optional: powdered sugar

DIRECTIONS:
Place frying pan on stove top and set the heat to low/medium. In a small bowl using a whisk, combine the egg whites, large egg, pure pumpkin, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla extract. Soak the 3 slices of whole wheat bread (1 at a time) and make sure both sides are covered with the ingredients by flipping the bread over in the mixture. Next, spray the frying pan with cooking spray. Transfer your slices of bread into the pan and let it sit for about 2-3 minutes and flip it over. Grab your fresh strawberries to top your pumpkin spice french toast. I enjoy using my Taylor Glass Top Kitchen Scale to measure my food, but if you don't own one, grab about 3 medium sized strawberries and slice them however you like and then top french toast. I used Walden Farms maple syrup because its 0 calories and tastes amazing, but you can definitely use your choice of maple syrup. Optional: add whipped cream and/or powdered sugar

NUTRITION INFORMATION: 1 serving

Amount per serving: 261 calories, 38g carbohydrates, 6g fat, and 21g protein 

Comment below if you want to see more fall recipes and enjoyed this one!

10 Things You Need to Know About Me

Hey there! I'm Heather and I am obsessed with online shopping, caffeine, and going to Target; you'll quickly learn that. I'm from Corpus Christi, Texas and I have lived here my entire life. If you're not too familiar with where Corpus is, it's on the Gulf of Mexico and one of the largest cities in Texas.

I'm 23 years old and the youngest of three siblings (Arlene, Chris, and Stephanie). I feel really lucky to have two sisters and a brother to look up to; it's tough learning how to "adult." When it comes to my parents, I have literally no idea what I would do without them. They mean the world to me and I am so thankful for everything that they have done and continue to do for me.

At the age of 15, I began a clothing line called 11:11 Apparel. In high school, a lot of my friends were in bands and they would wear my shirts. I would also see people I didn't even know at my school wearing my shirts throughout the hallways.

I was self taught and created a little office for myself across the hall from my bedroom. I was lucky enough to be accepted on to Vans Warped tour, the largest traveling music festival in the United States in 2013-2015 for the Texas dates. It was absolutely an incredible experience that I will never forget (even though I was in the Texas heat for 11-12 hours each day). I dreamed of being on Vans Warped tour since I was 15, so when I found out I was accepted I was thrilled to say the least.

In 2015, I graduated from Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and received my Bachelors in Marketing. Something I would like to note is that this campus is absolutely awesome; it's on an ISLAND! How many people can say their school is on an island? I'm hoping to go back in the spring to work towards my Master's degree.

Since 2012, I have been in a relationship with an amazing guy named Jesse. He's my best friend and we bring out the best in each other. He has the cutest 6 year old whom I adore; I love the relationship we have.

What inspired me to create a blog was my love of fashion, home decor, fitness, and cooking. I want to share my life and interests with you in the hopes that I will give you a bit of inspiration and encouragement, so I hope you'll follow me on this journey!

I can't wait to show you what I have in store for this blog; I have so many great ideas up my sleeve. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss out on any of my posts!




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