I Love My FitBit Charge HR!

Several of you warned me that once I got my Fitbit my life would be forever changed and I'm here to proudly say all of you were right! The hubby snagged the fitbit Charge HR for me a week and a half ago and I've spent that time getting the hang of all that the fitbit has to offer. So far I have to say it has really helped me step up my fitness game! I've made it a point to get in at least 10,000 steps during the work week even if I'm not at work. When I'm at work it's not that difficult, but this past Monday I was off and it was definitely a little more challenging, but I got it done. It has also helped me to accurately track my Shaun T25 workouts that I've been doing. Not to mention I'm now apart of a work week challenge with a few college buddies to see who can get the most steps by the end of the week. Nothing like a little competition to make things fun! However, I think what I'm loving the most are the weekly reports from Fitbit. Last week I walked a total of 28.2 miles and lost 3lbs!
Needless to say so far I've been loving my fitbit and it's truly helped me to take my 2016 health goals to the next level! Hopefully I'll have a health update up next week.

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Ulta & Sally's Haul

Ulta's Liter sale is what brought me into one of my favorite beauty stores, however 30 minutes later I left armed with several goodies!

1. REDKEN All Soft Shampoo- I was a bit leery of this shampoo because it has sulfates, but after reading the reviews I decided to give it a try. It honestly does what the title says. It leaves my hair clean yet soft. I believe I may have found a new staple shampoo and now I can't wait to try the conditioner!
2. Shea Moisture Oil Hydration Intensive Serum- Youtube made me do it! At first I tried to use this as a sealant after applying moisturizer and that didn't work very well. I then tried to apply it after my deep conditioner and that was a fail too. Then finally I decided to use it as a refresher on my ends when they start to feel a bit dry. Bingo!
3. Purity Facial Cleanser-This cleanser is all the rage on any social media site and also according to the reviews. After using it for about a week I really like it. It leaves my skin feeling clean, but not dry and the best part is it doesn't include a lot of the damaging ingredients that can be found in some skin care products.
4. Shea Moisture Post shave cream- I'm still testing this out.
5. End Papers-I love my perm rods, but they do not love my ends!
6. Castor Oil- Castor oil is the one thing that keeps my new growth soft and supple. I've been applying it every few days to my scalp and edges. I always have a major growth spurt when I'm consistent with this!

Can y'all believe that I went to Ulta and forgot to get the REDKEN Anti-snap leave in treatment?! No worries, I went back the next weekend and snagged it with my 20% off coupon. The cashier raved about it so I'll definitely be doing a review once I've used on a consistent basis for a while. Have you all picked up any goodies lately?

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Things I'm Currently Craving

2016 is off to a great start for me. There are a few things that I know can help me along with my goals and things that I just plain ol want to buy! I'm patiently waiting, but I know it won't be long before I eventually cave in.

1. REDKEN Anti-Snap. I seriously feel like I NEED this product in my life! I ran across it while indulging in one of the GlamTwinz youtube videos and as soon as I heard the name I was intrigued. This product promises to 'helps fortify hair that's prone to breaking, splitting or snapping off, gently smoothes the cuticle, reduces friction from brushing and helps prevent further damage, and leaves hair healthy, shiny and resilient through a unique 3D Repair Complex of proteins, ceramide and lipids to help provide internal strength, cuticle reinforcement and protective resurfacing.' All of my healthy hair junkies out there...does this not sound AMAZING?!
2. I totally blame Kim of FancyFlairLady for this next item. The FITBIT Charge HR! I honestly hadn't heard of this particular fitbit until it was mentioned in her blogpost and now I must have it. As I stated in my previous post I'm not only trying to lose weight, but also live a healthier life period. I'm a huge fan of myfitnesspal and having a device that will truthfully track my activity both at work and during workouts is awesome. We'll see how long I can hold out before I grab this little guy.
3. NYX Cosmetics 2016 spring releases. As a beauty junkie I keep up with the various makeup releases and NYX has released so many beautiful products. I've been keeping myself on a strict budget for the month of January, but I have a feeling in February a little NYX haul may be in order. Of course I'll do some reviews of the things I try.

What are you guys currently craving?

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New Year Goals

I've been gone so long from the blogosphere until I don't even know where to begin. Let's just say life took over and I took some time away to enjoy the ride. I got married, traveled with the hubby, adopted a dog, had lasik eye surgery, and celebrated the holidays in our home with our family. Honestly 2015 was absolutely phenomenal and I enjoyed every second of it! Now that 2015 has come to an end it's a new year, which for me means new goals and aspirations. I'm totally a resolutions person and enjoy having something to work towards. This year I have several goals in mind and I'm ready to hit the ground running!

1. Lose my marriage fifteen. You know how people say that when you become a freshman in college beware of the freshmen 15. Well nobody warned me about the marriage fifteen! After the wedding and honeymoon we were exhausted and honestly have spent most of the year eating whatever we want whenever we want so the hubster and I have decided to recommit ourselves to our health. For me that includes losing 15-25 lbs. I plan to do that by using MyFitnessPal. I have great success when I track my food so that's what I'll be doing. Feel free to add me! My username is Courtnea2001
2. Recommit myself to exercising regularly. While 2015 was awesome it was not my best year in fitness. My exercise routine was sporadic at best and it's time to step it up. Not only will it help me to achieve my first goal, but I feel better when I'm exercising. I am planning to commit to 3-4 days per week minimum.
3. Travel. Last year the hubby and I got to travel some and it was awesome. I would like to continue that trend and travel more this year!
4. Maintain a positive outlook. Sometimes people and things can get the best of us and before we know it those people and things can have us feeling and thinking negatively. Not this year. I am determined to maintain a positive outlook no matter what!
5. DIY Projects. The great thing about being a homeowner is making the home your own. We love our home and have been slowly chipping away at the list of projects that we would like to do. This years projects include a fabulous spring garden, putting a door under our staircase for extra storage, back splash in our kitchen, and the perfect dining room set.
6. Blog at least once a week. I honestly have missed blogging and even when I wasn't posting I have always been reading and keeping up with the bloggers that I follow. It's a great outlet for me to share whatever comes to mind. So while life is busy I want to commit to doing at least one post a week!

What are your goals for 2016?

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My PRK Experience (Days 1-7)

Day 1:
Mild stinging and occasional watering of eyes.  The day was spent sleeping off and on and taking the prescribed eyes drops every 2 hours. Also went to the doctor for a post op follow up appointment, overall it was an easy day...vision is slightly more blurry than day 1. I made sure to keep my eyes closed as much as possible.

Day 2:
When I woke up my eyes were stinging and watering pretty badly. After taking my first dose of drops everything calmed down. My eyes do feel a bit heavier than they did yesterday so I'm trying to keep them closed as much as possible but overall my vision seems a bit clearer than yesterday. So far I haven't experienced any light sensitivity thank goodness, but I've made an effort to wear my sunglasses both indoors/and outdoors to give my eyes the best chance at light not irritating them. Towards the end of the day my eyes starting watering and it became a struggle to keep my eyes open. By the end of the day my eyes were really irritating me and becoming sensitive to light so I used a cold towel compress for a few hours and it really helped Hopefully tomorrow will be better although honestly today wasn't bad but it has been the worst day of recovery thus far.

Day 3
This has been my best day so far. My eyes are watering less and I've been able to do a few things around the house. The eye sensitivity I was experiencing yesterday is completely gone. Overall I'm just focused on staying on schedule with my eyes drops and remembering to rest my eyes and not do too much just because I'm feeling better. My vision is slightly blurry. Sometimes it focuses and then gets blurry again but I know as the days go on it will continue to improve. The great thing is even with the slight blurriness I can still see way better than I ever could before PRK!

Day 4
I finally feel like I'm able to drive although I'll probably wait until tomorrow to venture out...I iver did it yesterday and ended up with a headache from using the computer too much so I will try to take it a bit easier today. I get my contacts out of Monday and I can't wait! So far my vision seems a bit clearer today and more focused.
Day 5-6
Days 5 &6 weren't too exciting. I continued to use my eye drops and finally ventured out! I was so excited to get out of the house! Driving was interesting as my eyes were clear but would get blurry and the refocus. I felt like the contacts had a lot to do with that. Thankfully on Monday (July 27) I get them out!
Day 7
 I returned to the doctor for a 1 week post op visit. Today I get the contacts out!!! I'm currently reading 20/20 in my right eye and 20/25 in my left eye. Before my PRK procedure I was reading 20/200 in both eyes! My doctor was shocked at how quickly my vision has improved since my astigmatism was so severe. I give God all the credit! I was also cleared to resume all activities with the exception of wearing mascara for another few days (I don't wear it anyway).

Overview:
I was out of work for 6.5 days (only 4.5 working days not including the weekend) because I sit in front of a computer I wanted to give my eyes as much time to heal as possible. I am so happy and blessed to have had a successful PRK procedure with an awesome doctor and staff! The best things that I would recommend is to follow the doctor's instructions, take vitamin C, rest, and PRAY! I am so happy that I decided to go through with the procedure and didn't let fear win. I am enjoying being free of eye glasses and rocking sunglasses without contacts for the first time in my life! I will try to come back and do a 1 month update!

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