Tamara Shannon

Summer is almost here!! For some of you, it has already begun, but for me, as I write this, my kids still have a couple more days of school.  We all know how crucial  those last few days of school are *eye roll*...filled with movies and extra recess etc.  Honestly, I am excited for the season, but I also going to appreciate the last few days of normalcy, too! In Texas, we have the long summer break that goes through late August.  Which means we have over 8 weeks of no school.  It's a long time.  Don't get me wrong, I love, love, LOVE having my kids home with me! I love the return to "easy" mornings to lay around, eat breakfast slowly and eventually start the day.  However, a week of this-great (maybe), more than that and you're asking for chaos!  There is nothing wrong with children experiencing boredom, I am a huge advocate of it in fact.  Again, however , too much of it and you're asking for chaos! Also, I really love experiencing new t...

What is up, ya'll?! Yes, I'm from Texas, I say y'all...a lot. #noshame Today, I wanted to take a little detour from the cleaning, organizing, life stuff to chat a little more about fitness and nutrition.   As some of you may, or may not, know I am an amateur body builder.  I have competed in the bikini division for the past 3 years. I would not consider myself an athlete, well, I never did any way until recently!  They label you "athlete" at the competitions and I'm not going to lie, I loved it!  Though, on several occasions I would forget they were referring to me, too!😝 I have typically been active from high school on through college and as an adult, but obviously, this competing took my fitness and nutrition to a whole new level.  I am not a certified trainer or nutritionist, but I have learned a lot through this journey! Meal/Snack Prepping Tired of hearing about meal prepping yet?  It's gonna be a frequent response, from me, on how to su...

The date: January 2019, day 135. Is it me or does January always feel longer than other months? Why is this?  It's my birthday month, so I don't hate it, but it seems to go on longer than other months, yes?  😊 Anyways... If you're like me, you tend to have a nonstop day filled with a long list of "to-dos" and what not.  Balancing all the daily chores, kids, husbands, and any other obligations can become a full-time job! Not to mention, if you also have a full time job! There are moments in life when you feel like you're really on top of things! Like you're really just winning at life! There are other moments when you put the chips in the freezer and the raw meat in the pantry, forget to attend an event you were technically in charge of, miss kids' projects etc...we've all had those moments. My husband has always said to me, "work smarter, not harder" and I love LOVE this phrase!  In the chaos of life, I often find myself running ...

Ok, not really!  Though the New Year usually brings new goals and resolutions...or perhaps not "new goals" but a new resolution to keep them!  Either way, for most of us, we start with a feeling of excitement for what the new year has in store for us. For some reason, the moment all of the Christmas decor comes down I instantly feel an overwhelming urge to purge (haha I just came up with that, but I quite like it!) and clean, but it doesn't sound as fun when I add that onto the end. Seriously though--anyone else?  The home feels so different without all of the warm lights and pine every where.  It is kind of like a second Christmas, though, when I start taking out all of my old decorations, because I've usually forgotten what I have by this point.  Just me? 😅 Getting everything back in order is so important for me! I love having things in their places, with less clutter and a clean home.  I enjoy myself and my home more when it's like this.  ...th...

My baby is ONE!  I won't go too much into that subject, because I've already devoted an entire entry to my sweet, little man...who I could just eat because I love him so much!  He has the cutest little expressions and smile.  He melts me. I mean, right?! Soooo CUTE! *Head explodes!!* I really can't stand it sometimes. By the time I'm done with the "baby stage" my teeth will be obsoleet...I will have ground them down to nothing.  This is normal, right? Everyone grinds their teeth when experiencing extreme levels of cuteness, right? I'm sure it's normal...if not, your kids probably aren't as cute as mine. ;) Ok, let's get back on track. Daxtion is ONE! He had a birthday party! All his 1 month - 1 year old friends came (and a few siblings).  The weather was perfect! We couldn't have asked for a nicer day.   Menu: Hot dogs, chips, watermelon, popcorn, carrots w/ranch... Homemade apple cobbler a la mode... Lemo...