When my sister told me she was getting married I got a little excited. In fact I'm pretty sure the words weren't out of her mouth and I had a wedding planner, some magazines and a book sent to her within 48 hours.

Maybe it was the connection on the phone but I'm pretty sure she said "Hey Lisa how would you like to be my maid of honor and throw me the most kick ass bridal shower evah?" I'm pretty sure that's exactly what she said... or it could have been "OMG!! Jordan asked me to marry him!!!! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!".

Planning was well underway- at least by me. She was busy finishing her undergraduate degree and I had to give her that time and space to get that done. Her graduation party was a little outlet but once she got home and settled in her new job I had permission to start pushing encouraging her to get the event planned.

We picked a date for the bridal shower and I got to work. After bouncing a few ideas around,we settled on Brunch and Bubbly- because mimosas!

A lot of work went into creating a really fabulous event and I want to share all the details with you- so I'm breaking this up!

Event planning basics: There are a few simple steps that will help you host a well organized event- the less stress the better.  I don't have a pretty printable but hopefully you will find these helpful:

• Pick a date- the day of the week and time of day that works best for your guest of honor will dictate what type of event you have. I was coming from out of town, as were a bunch of my sister's friends so a weekend was going to be a necessity.
• Pick a theme- based on the time of day you can build pretty much any theme you want! I wanted something that reflected my sister's transition into adulting so a bruch seemed like a good idea, not too early, a little booze and the rest of the day was open for adventuring- or naps.
• Decide on a budget- you can do a lot with a little if you are willing to make a lot by hand and/or by asking people to contribute their talents. While I did DIYed a lot for this party, I had a few aunts bring their trademark dishes, a friend of my sister's took the pictures and a couple of friends helped pull it all together on site. I had some expenses but not as much as if I had had it catered, bought all the decore, hired a photographer and used an event coordinator.
• Make a plan!!! The single most important element to a low stress fabulous event is to have a plan. Take the date of the party and work backwards- from set up the night before all the way back to the date the invites need to be printed/designed for snail mail or email.

Once the date of the shower was set I got to work on the invitations. They were going to be paper and pretty! I used Vistaprint to design the invite and waited for them to have a good sale before I ordered them. Janice was awesome about wanting the shower to be classy and a little off theme from the actual wedding, so we went with pink and gold. I also ordered coordinating thank you notes for the bride to send out after the shower.

And you know the envelope had to be pretty! I used my silhouette to address the envelopes and I loved how they turned out! I used the metallic silhouette pens and then filled the names in by hand. Apparently there are tutorials to show you how to do this with the machine but I didn't bother trying to figure it out.I wanted to include the flower on all of the invites but it was taking a long time to individually create each envelope. Instead, I used the flower on invitations for the mothers, grandmothers and bridal party.

Next up- party decorations!

Are you there blog? It's me, Lisa.

Well hello blog! How are you? Did you miss me?

It's been awhile. I had the most fabulous wedding to plan and I got so wrapped up in creating the perfect celebration for my sister that, while I wanted to write I just didn't make the time. There was always "just one more detail" to take care of. The wedding was epic and wonderful in case you are wondering, but you'll hear all about it soon enough!

August we were all sick. I mean two trips to the ER in two consecutive days sick.  And then I created these back to school boards and that blew up into so much crafting! Another wedding right after school started and then hockey season.

So blog, you can see how you fell off the radar. It wasn't personal, it was life.

But I'm back and ready to share it all! If you have a bridal shower to throw- stay tuned! I've got you covered!

A wedding cake to make- yes you can do it and it can be awesome!

I'm ready to pick up and get going! The blog is getting a makeover too and I was going to wait until that was done to relaunch but it is taking forever and I just don't want to wait any more.

So welcome back. Hang onto your hat! Things are about to get creative!

FREE 5 Day Clean Eating Challenge

What is clean eating?

Many of you may not be sure what Clean Eating really means.  With all the fitness and nutrition buzzwords out there, it can definitely be confusing.  Most people agree that Clean Eating at its most basic definition means eliminating processed foods, additives, preservatives and artificial sugars from their diet.  Basically, you’re eating whole, unrefined foods.  Since you’re avoiding anything that has been altered in any way, your diet will be filled with whole grains, fruits, veggies and other wholesome, nutritious foods.   Since 70-80% of your fitness results come from the foods you eat, clean eating is a crucial part of your success. Plus it just makes you feel better!

JOIN IN!

My NEXT Clean Eating Challenge Group starts on February 29, 2016!
I provide:

• 5 day meal plan

• Recipes

• Shopping list

• Daily motivation and fitness tips

• Optional purchase at cost: 5 day supply of Shakeology

I only have TWO requirements for joining the FREE 5-Day Clean Eating Challenge:
1)      The first is participation.  No lurking allowed!  You must participate in the daily check-ins and assignments. The time required is minimal, but follow-through is mandatory.
2)      I’m game to help everyone but if you already have a coach (or are a coach) please let me know up front.
Comment below by February 25 to join this challenge!

The Cat's Tummy: Urban Farm Girl Guest Post

I love cats, like love love love them! 

I could easily see myself as a happy cat lady. Sitting in my rocking chair blissfully surrounded by felines. Big cats, little cats, fat cats and thin cats, black cats, white cats, orange cats and grey cats. Striped cats, spotted cats, solid cats and patchy cats. Cats with long fur and short fur, fluffy fur and sleek fur, even a few with extra toes, they are so adorable. As you can see, this love for cats could easily become a problem. But do not fear, I also have other loves in my life,  my amazing children, who also love cats , my dog Stella who happens to be a huge cat fan and my husband.....Drew....Did you notice how I did not mention his enjoyment of our furry feline friends? Ahhhh, you see where I'm going, yes? Without my husbands hard fast rules we could very well be living the dream of owning a clowder of cats. (Just imagine the hours of fun!)  

My husband's rules are as follows:

1. You may not eat nutella as a meal replacement 
2. You may not allow wild animals in the house even if they are adorable and you can hand feed them on the deck 
3. You may not own a clowder of cats. 

And because my loving husband pays the bills  and because he's a pretty good guy, I abide by his ridiculous rules and spend too much time at the local shelter patting their clowder. 
Which brings me to my point, or at least a big closer. You see, the last visit I made to the shelter I noticed this cat, a real BEAUT!  I could see this cat was a bit older, a little rough around the edges and pleasantly plump. Yet still a-dor-a- ble! This cat seemed somehow familiar. It reminded of someone, really,really  reminded me of someone.  I moved from cage to cage talking to each kitty, patting the ones who would let me. But I couldn't quite shake the feeling.  I sat myself on the fur covered lawn chair next to the window and cuddled a little black and white cat who jumped on my lap. Did she look like a cat from my childhood? A neighbour's cat perhaps?  One of the cats we had fostered?  The familiar cat got up from her basket stretched, turned around a few times and laid back down.  I noticed that the cat's stomach hung almost to the floor, poor little dear. It jiggled and wiggled and sagged. How on earth did that happen? You'd think they'd give the poor soul a little lift when they fixed her, I mean they were in there anyway. 

Then the flashback started. It was like something out of a horror film, eerie music played in my head.  Pictures from the present and past flashing through my mind. The cat in the basket and me, naked, in the bathroom mirror bending over to shave my legs. My God! We had the same stomach. Oh the horror!!!! I couldn't breath. That cat and I had the same horrible affliction! At least it has a reason for its sag- it had probably given birth to hundreds of kittens while living on the streets. What was my excuse?  2 kids?  Ha 

Source

I went home that day and took a long hard look in the mirror and even followed rule number one. Then I decided, although that cat was amazingly adorable, I didn't want to someday trip over my stomach. So I got on the treadmill and will continue to do so for a good long time. I have no goal or expectation of a flat stomach and Autumn Calabrese abs but I have made myself a promise. I will do my best to work toward not looking like the cat who mothered a clowder.



NOTE: Emily has is an active member of my February challenge group and has already lost 13lbs! I am so proud of her! If you want to join us just comment below and I'll get back to you asap :)

She is a mother of two children and 2 fur babies. Her family recently transplanted from Nova Scotia to New Brunswick where she finds herself looking for a new career. She spends her time volunteering at her children's school and the SPCA. Her husband searches the house daily in an effort to uncover any animals smuggled in after her shifts.

Live your daydream

I have a dream and a vision to love my life and make an amazing life for my family.

I want to live my daydream! I want to spend more time with my kids, support and encourage others and reach my fitness goals and I am well on my way.

It is not easy! I've hit every roadblock there is. I've had setbacks and success. I've had two babies, weight gain as a side effect of medication for low milk supply, postpartum depression and anxiety. I battle anxiety on a daily basis but I am so much stronger now physically and emotionally that the battle isn't all consuming. My coach has never given up on me and has inspired me to keep going through all over my setbacks and has shown me how to celebrate the good in my life (without turning to food). 

As a personal fitness coach, I am able to help so many people change their lives and get healthy!  It brings me so much joy to encourage others on this journey. My challengers and teammate can relate to me because the struggle to find balance in this crazy, fast, convenience based world is real.I have learned so much over the last 2 years and I want to share it with others!  I love exercising, eating clean and finding ways to recreate our family's not so healthy favorites.

I'd love for you to join me on this path. Let me help you make it happen :) Drop me a line at

boutilierbabblings@gmail.com.

Check back for updates on my fitness journey!

- 

Life with kids- not for the weak of stomach

It has been an interesting few weeks.

Christmas break was awesome and we spent a whole lot of time being relaxed and spending time together as a family. We watched movies, played games, sat around the fireplace, played in the snow and read stories.

January has been tough getting back to a schedule. The kids are in a bit of upheaval and acting out because our pace of life have gone from 60 back up to 600. Add in some normal boy behaviour and a stomach bug and you have the story that made my friends say "Yeah...no...we're going to stay childless."

Last Saturday started as any other Saturday. The kids got up and played, I got up and sewed name bars on hockey jerseys and G was up in bed  with a man cold.

Ozzy hasn't been super cooperative at school when it comes to his lettering. He would rather read or draw than write out sentences. I had given him fair warning that because he hadn't done his work in class. I wrote out 5 sentences for him to write out. He started at 11am.

2 hours, 45 minutes later, he had 2.5 sentences finished, had had 3-4 meltdowns and was making a sound akin to Chewbacca in mourning. The fake crying was truly something else, no tears just an over the top reaction. He didn't finished the work and thanks to his behaviour lost his privilege to play hockey that day. Honestly he was so worked up there was no way I would have asked the coaches to endure all of that.

I had to drop off the jerseys so I tried to leave the house. He was latched on to my sweater so tightly that G had to physically remove him from my body so I could get the jerseys to the rink.

I should let you know that during this who time, Amelia was happily playing along until she had an accident and thus ended up in the tub just before I attempted to leave the house.

I drove towards the rink and was enjoying the absolute quiet in the car, my first moment of peace since 11am.

I'm less than 5 minutes away from the house when my phone rings. It was G.

"You need to get back here as quickly as possible." (I'm paraphrasing of course- his language wasn't family friendly!)

Seriously?! What could possibly have transpired in 5 minutes? I figured that he was cranky because he was sick and had to deal with the craziness while I was out. I dropped the jerseys off and got back home as quickly as I could.

I was expecting the see the house on fire or hear screaming or something. Nope, it looked like my everyday house only it was so silent I was instantly terrified that the absolute worst had happened. I ran up the stair, turned in to the bathroom and just starred.

Poor G was sitting on the edge of the bathtub with his head in his hands, the shower was running but no one was in the tub, blood was spattered all over the wall and Ozzy was standing there with a tissue stuffed up his nose.

Through G's story I come to find out that Oz got a nose bleed (which happens from time to time when he is really worked up) just after I left. G raced him up to the bathroom to minimize mess (like you would). As he was reaching for some tissues Oz sneezed, blood projected across the walls and toilet and out of his nose flew a "long mucusy, blood worm type thing" that was apparently the size of an anaconda. G grabbed paper towel to clean it up and clogged the toilet. Just as he got the bleeding under control he turned around to find that A2 had pooped in the tub.

All that in about 5 minutes...

And this is why best friend 1 and her hubby have decided children are not for them.

Even if they are this cute.