...Lets Try Crossfit

When I was pregnant I began toying with the idea of doing Crossfit after having the baby. I'm not quite sure what possessed me to want to try something so hardcore as nonathletic as I am, but I was drawn to it. Fast forward to the past few months, I've tried the gym, running at the park, working out at home...I'm not getting anywhere. I haven't been consistent  When I work out at home I get distracted by the baby or he decides to wake up for a bottle if I try to work out when he naps. Last Friday I tried and failed went shopping and came home in tears. I did not like what I saw in the 180 degree mirrors in the fitting rooms. I looked horrible and I felt horrible. It also didn't help that I couldn't find anything that fit. Let's give this Crossfit thing a try. Stop thinking about it and do it. Tomorrow is my free trial to see how I like it. I'm nervous. I've never pushed my body in this way, but I know if I want things to change drastically, I have to do something drastic. In the past, my goal was always to be skinny. I need to loose weight and be skinny. Not this time. My goal is to be healthy and fit. I want muscle, endurance...strength. I have always dieted, lost weight and gained it back plus more each time without fail. Now that I have more knowledge, I understand why that happens and I have chosen to never diet again. I'm learning to love whole foods and distance myself from the devil, otherwise known as sugar. I'm excited about adapting to the Paleo way of eating. Really, I'm excited about transforming into this version of myself that I can see very clearly in my head. I know that when I visited the Crossfit facility today and stepped in there with my belly hanging over my pants, I did not have the appearance of a Crossfitter, but damn it, I'm going to become the athlete that I've always dreamt of being. I'll be back tomorrow to let you know how it went should I have the energy left to type, ha!

love,

Jin

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Mothers Day In Orlando

This year I got to experience my first Mothers Day with Grey and the rest of the my family. We spent late morning and early afternoon playing a hilarious game of miniature golf before hitting the road for dinner, and then eventually making our way back to SoFlo. 

love,

Jin

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Mothers Day Weekendstagrams

This past weekend was PACKED! Between seeing my little cousin off to his prom and then hitting the road up to Orlando a few hours later for the weekend - it was a lot but so much fun. A group of about 15 of my family members enjoyed a quick Mothers Day Weekend together where we all got some much needed rest, ate, laughed and hung out. I felt very privileged to be able to celebrate Mothers Day with a baby in my arms this year. I can't thank my family, friends, and the readers of this blog enough for being there for be during my at times difficult road to motherhood! I appreciate this role more than anything. From his cries, to his smiles, the blinks of his eyes and just staring at my little boy breathe sometimes - I don't take it for granted. If there's anything in this life I know I was made to become, it's a mother. Happy (late) Mothers Day to you whether you have a child in your arms or in Heaven and to all the women and men that have taken on the role of mother to others in your life.

Check out these past post: Mothers Day 2010 | Mothers Day 2011 | Mothers Day 2012

WHAT DID YOU DO THIS WEEKEND?

love,

Jin

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Lovely Lady Links (Mothers Day Edition)

It's Friday again! While I'm not sure how that happened so quickly, I'm happy that it's here. I'm in a for a fun Mothers Day weekend with my family, so I know there won't be a dull moment over the next few days. Be sure to follow me on instagram if you want to stay in the loop. For this weeks edition of Lovely Lady Links, I wanted to bring you some awesome reads from my favorite mommy's around the web. Stay safe this weekend ladies! Please let me know in the comments below if you have anything fun things planned :)

when I was 38 Weeks Pregnant With Grey {read about the pregnancy here}

• How beautiful is this birth story by Megan Bailey on With Heart? It was captured so beautifully and I just love Megan's blog that I discovered called Sweet Little Peanut. If you love all things baby and kiddies you're going to become obsessed 
• If you need last minute ideas on what to buy your mom this holiday, this gift guide on 100 Layer Cakelet might be helpful 
• If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter, I'm sure you know by now that my all time favorite mom/family blog is Love Taza. If you've never read Naomi's blog, you're missing out! Such a beautiful family!
• LaTonya and her daughter River are just the coolest ever! This post about them going to the carousel is just sweet
• If we weren't going out of town for Mothers Day, I would have definitely hosted a brunch inspired this post on The Tomkat Studio! Just amazing! 
• I enjoyed reading this post on Co-Sleeping featured on A Cup Of Jo...what are your thoughts on co-sleeping?
• Need a mobile or dream catcher for yourself or someone you love? Oh Dear Drea is having a 40% off sale in her etsy shop with the discount code MEXICO...and check out her Easy & Delicious Vegan Bahn Mi (Chay) Sandwich {Recipe}while you're at it

love,

Jin

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BODY AFTER BABY: 30 Day Juice Fast...Can I Do It?

I still look pregnant. I swear I do. The plan I created for myself quickly fell apart as I under estimated how much motherhood was going to change the amount of time I'd have for myself. To be fair to myself, I just had a baby four months ago, and have only been allowed to exercise since about two months ago - so really, I'm not doing too bad. It's still early and I can still nip this in the bud before things get too out of hand. The plan was to juice and eat Paleo. I started off strong. I had a productive and not too expensive trip to Whole Foods. I drank Green Smoothie's for breakfast and ate clean for the rest of the day. I started working out in my living room using DVD's. This lasted about for a little while and I loved it. I got off my workout routine quickly as every time I was in the middle of it, the baby would wake up for a feeding. Some days I just didn't have the energy to exercise if Grey didn't allow me to sleep the night before. Eventually the fruits and veggies ran out and my husband would bring home take out for dinner - usually my only meal for the day. And so it continued. I'm still only eating about once or twice a day (what ever I can get my hands on), I'm definitely not drinking enough water...and what is exercise? Is it running to the kitchen to make a bottle when your baby goes from 0 to 60 because he's hungry?

Trying to get healthy and in shape with a young baby who demands all your attention is tough, but it's definitely possible and I'm going to continue to try. I've been trying to brainstorm ways to get back into the swing of things, and after watching Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, it clicked. A juice fast! It's the perfect way to kick off this journey, especially since I barely have an appetite as I'm always moving around with the baby. I'm thinking of doing this for 30 days in addition to drinking a gallon of water on a daily basis - then start my Paleo eating. Of course I'm going to consult a health care professional first, but I'm excited to start and finish something while becoming healthier in the process. 

Have you ever done a juice fast? 

love,

Jin

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photo credit

Dated Lace

Sunnies: Rayban Wayfarer // Earrings: Dorothy Perkins (similar) // Necklace: Wet Seal // Chambray: Wet Seal // Dress: Forever 21 (old) similar // Shoes: Brash // Bag: Louis Vuitton

After what feels like forever, Hubby and I were finally able to have a date night last Friday. We headed over to Seasons 52 for dinner and planned to walk on the nearby beach afterwards but we had to get back to Baby Grey. By the way, I haven't shopped in Wet Seal since high school, but after being stuck in there for an hour with my sister and her friends the other day, I ended up picking up a few reasonable priced items for myself (the necklace and chambray pictured above and this scarf). I had to reward myself for not having a meltdown after an afternoon with five tween girls. Who wouldn't?

love,

Jin

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Moms Cinco De Mayo Birthday Fiesta

It was only about a week ago that I decided I was going to throw this Cinco De Mayo themed birthday party for my mom. The day came and went quickly but we had a great time...well as per the guests. With only a few days to plan, I didn't have time to order in things that I wanted, so most of the decor came from Party City while my recipes came from Pinterest. My layered dip that I made inspired by this quick Martha Stewart recipe was a hit...so much so that I'm thinking of making it for my family again during our upcoming staycation. Hubby's sangria went over really well! It definitely made for an interesting night by the time we got to Pin The Tail On The Donkey towards the end of the party. Celebrating Cinco De Mayo was a first for most of us, so I was really excited by how much everyone got into the spirit, even enjoying the Mexican inspired dishes as opposed to our normal Jamaican cuisine that we typically have. Kim even led us in a spanish version of "happy birthday" for my mom (she's pretty much bilingual). When it was all said and done, I was told how much of a good time everyone had and I woke up to a text message from my mom this morning thanking me for everything. Here are a few photos I snapped, although not with my DSLR because I was too busy running around playing hostess. Did you celebrate Cinco De Mayo as well?

trisha & kim

guava jelly rolls

the hostess with the mostess

sometimes a makeshift domino board is necessary

an intense game of ludi (a jamaican board game) with annie enjoying the sangria

lil sis and i with the birthday girl

love,

Jin

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Lovely Lady Links (Cinco De Mayo Edition)

We've got the outfit inspiration, but I wanted to leave you with entertaining ideas and recipes before signing off for the weekend to wrap up planning and finally hosting my moms Cinco De Mayo themed birthday party.

100 layer cake

• Looking for a healthier alternative for your tacos this year, try this Turkey Taco Lettuce Wrap from Skinnytaste
• While we're on the subject of keeping it light at this years fiesta, this Organic Dulce Vida Watermelon Margarita by Style Activist looks absolutely delicious 
• If Tequila is your thing, you may have to try these 2 Fresh Cinco De Mayo drinks from Style Within Reach
• This early Cinco De Mayo party from Camille Styles is chalk full of inspiration and this Smoky Mango and Avocado Salad looks like it's worth a try
• ...so she didn't post this specifically for Cinco De Mayo, but this ensemble by Queen Shmink is such a chic option - especially if it's still a little chilly where you live.
• These wildflower burlap bouquets by Cupcakes and Cashmere would make lovely centerpieces  
• This inspiration board from Freutcake is just too cute

love,

Jin

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