Monday, May 2, 2016

Well That Was a Bit of A Surprise (Gonna be a long one)

Hi!  Remember me?  Probably not; it's been a long time...again.

So much to catch up on! So lets jump in.

This January I decided to get out of my comfort zone with working out, and took a big jump.  A big box jump.

Yep, I drank the Kool-Aid, and joined my local Crossfit gym. AND I LOVE IT.  Seriously, the lifting and the constant variation in workouts.  The people who go there.  It's so fun.  I hate the days that I can't get there or my rest days.  I'm discovering just how strong I am, and what I'm capable of.  A lot of these lifts and movements, I would have NEVER thought to start doing or try on my own in the gym.  And that was my problem.

I would go to the gym (most likely the Y while Honey was in swimming lessons), and walk around, looking at equipment and machines and wonder what I should do.  Am I doing this right?  How should I break up my week in terms of working out/lifting?  With Crossfit, there is no guessing.  No questioning.  I walk in, warm up and do whats on the board.  Along with everyone else in the class.  The only questions I have are regarding a modification for an exercise I can't do.  Like a muscle up.  Ugh, no thanks

 I stepped so far out of my comfort zone, that I even signed up for the Crossfit Open this year!  WHAT?!  I certainly wasn't trying to get to regionals or the games, but next year when the Open starts again, I can look back and see exactly how far I've come.  I got two weeks into the Open, pushing myself harder than I ever have (especially in a workout)..

...And then

SURPRISE!
I'm 13 weeks Wednesday (May 4th), and we know it's a girl.  

So I finished all 5 weeks of the Open, giving all I had (which wasn't much considering the vomiting and exhaustion).  But I finished it!  And I'm still going to the gym almost 4 times a week.  I'm trying REALLY hard to not gain the 60+ pounds I gained with Honey.

I do have to slow it down a little.  I'm not supposed to lift any heavier than I already have been.  So no PR's for me right now.  And I'm not running, I'm rowing instead.  I'm sure cleans and snatches will be difficult soon, thanks to a growing belly.  But I'm there, I'm putting in the work, and I'm determined to make this a healthy pregnancy!

I'll be back with more.  I have a review for you, courtesy of Influenster <3

Kat

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

StriVectin Retinol Pore Refiner

IChristmas has come and gone again this year. And in it's place, it's left empty calories and major hangovers. Maybe they wouldn't be so major if I wasn't getting older? Remember those days of going ALL. NIGHT. LONG. and waking up 3 hours later to go to work? Where did that body go? I'm lucky if 2 glasses of wine doesn't render me useless the next day.
 You know what else comes with getting older? Crappy skin. Seriously, I'm 31, and somedays I feel like I look 40. My husband tells me I'm crazy and I barely look 30. But what can I say? I'm critical of myself.

 So when I got a chance to check out a new Retinol pore refiner from StriVectin, I jumped on it. It claims to give you smoother, more refined skin and smaller pores. 96% of users saw results almost immediately. For more information, click this link: StriVectin Advanced Retinol Pore Refiner
As soon as this came in the mail, I washed my face and immediately applied the serum.
 It has a very light moisturizer feeling to it. Light smell, not overly soft or smoothing.
 I couldn't wait to see the difference, only I never saw one. :/

 I tried again five minutes later, still the same skin I had after washing my face.

I decided I wouldn't make any decisions on the product until after two weeks of use. And unfortunately, that didn't help. I still have pores just as visible as the first day I started using the StriVectin. I haven't noticed an increase in moisture in my face either. Actually, the retinol has dried my face significantly.
No primer here (I ran out 😖) and terrible pores even with makeup

Unfortunately I can not recommend this product. I'm sure plenty of people have benefited from it, swear by it; it has changed their skin. But I'm not one of them.

 So the search continues. Primer is my friend, and that relationship is only getting better. **I received this product free for testing purposes. All feedback and reviews are my own. I received no monetary compensation for this post