Shoes, Dresses, Decorations......oh MY!!

 Ok like SERIOUSLY.....

how is it September 2nd already!?
You won't hear me complain about that part....not one little bit because 

hellllllloooooo

FALL!
Pumpkin EVERYTHING!

Don't even bother judging me because you do you boo! 

I LOVE LOVE pumpkin coffee, pumpkin scones, pumpkin candles. 

eeeeeekkkkkk!

Guys I wish I could totally get down with decorating for Fall right now

BUT even pumpkins can't keep my mind preoccupied because

it's like LEGIT the month before our BIG day!

It's crazy to me how QUICKLY that came.

Like WTF?!

So now my skinny ass is scrambling to get all our goodies put together and get our

asses in GEAR!

It's unbelievable how much work goes into a venue when YOU are doing 

the decorating and the venue is literally just the location.

It's going to take some MAN power to get all of our "shit"   beautiful decor to the venue. 

No, seriously this wedding is like a DREAM.

I just did my final alterations on my dress a couple weeks ago. 

I. CAN'T. EVEN. 

I've been working my ass off every week, 5 days a week to make sure 

I do that dress justice! LOL

(fingers crossed I'm successful!)

My shoes just came in the mail and I am in LOVE but I think my favorite part of this WHOLE ensemble (besides the dress) is 

the absolutely PERFECT clutch I ordered.

My aunt has a fabulous photo idea in mind to really accentuate all of the pieces.

Think antique settee and then let your imagination run WILD!

(I can't give too much away...my guy reads this little outlet of mine) 

All of our vendors are secured and we are going to have an AMAZING videographer which 

I can NOT wait to see what he produces.

Rings are ordered. Officiant was proposed to. Photographer all lined up. DJ done.

One of our close friends is making a special table top for us. 

I "think" we have it all ready to go.

Now it's the little details of assembling everything so my decorating team has

ALL that they need for that day without any confusion.

The little details of this day have my heart just pitter pattering.

I really think that this wedding is going to be an absolute BLAST. A GORGEOUS, fabulously delicious, BLAST. A celebration of a love story in the making with ONLY those friends and family closest to us and who have been our biggest supporters.

This time around is ALL about us! Selfish???

Nah, REAL. HONEST. UNAPOLOGETIC.

There's something so refreshing KNOWING what you want this time around. 

If you have been listening to our podcast or you follow me on social media you 

know I've been through some "stuff".

Gone is the people pleasing Melanie.

Toodles BITCH....byyyyeeeeeee!

Independent, Strong, Zero Fcks Melanie is the new Bitch in Town. LOL

On that note it's time for me to go brew up a cup of pumpkin spice and kick my heels up.

Happy September!!!!

(and because I can't not have pics on my post here is a pic of my dress fitting crew and me and my love because well he's adorbs and needs a shout out for how amazing he's doing in our fitness challenge group!)

 

New things are happening......

 Welll hellllllllooooo my little loves!!!

Whew it's been a HOT minute since I have been on here.

I won't even BOTHER with the infamous 'life is crazy busy, blah blah blah'.

All I can say is we started a new venture on top of the health & wellness journey we are on and time/life just got away from me!

Oh, and ya know we are T Minus 8 weeks away from the BIG day! What what!!?? I know, I know

I can't EVEN. Sooooooo excited to marry this man, you just have no idea. ;)

More on the wedding in upcoming posts, but let's get right to our new venture.

Guys, we are soooo freaking excited!!!

 For some time now we have talked about how much we would LOVE to do a couple's podcast and finally we stopped shitting around just talking about it and we freaking DID it!!!!

We are having an absolute BLAST with it and have gotten soooo much positive feedback.

Like some serious unexpected feedback. LOL

We are loving how well it's been received. 

We drop our episodes on Sundays around noonish 

(a good time for a cup of coffee or a cocktail depending on your mood!) 😉

If you want to hear real life shit, we just wrapped up Episode 4 this past weekend. It's full of pretty AWESOME at home date night advice.

We aren't experts by any means, but we think with our past experience we have a pretty good

story to tell and like to keep it REAL for all of you. 

So check out C & C with M & E and let us know what you think. (more on the name of the podcast in episode 1)

https://anchor.fm/hm18/episodes/CC-with-ME----Get-to-Know-Me-Episode-1-eh93ne

Oh, and be forewarned....this is NOT little ear friendly so don't go blasting it in the car

with your littles in the back seat or they are in for a serious EDUCATION!!! ;)

Sorry for the MIA situation....girlfriend needs to get her balance in ORDER!

Be back in a few days with some more good stuff!!!

Self Care, Misconceptions, People's Opinions

Happy Hump Day Loves!!!

So I'll start off by saying YES, if you know me I have had

a HUGE amount of life changes in these last 2 years.

I think the important thing to remember is you LITERALLY never know what someone is going thru, or what their life really is UNLESS you walked in their shoes.

Yasssssss, I know, you see people on social media and life looks

fab, blah blah blah, but here's the thing, most of the time those people are NOT 

being "fake". Those people are trying to make it, they are trying to push through whatever in their life is NOT perfect without being a DOWNER to everyone else.

You can NOT fault someone for trying to stay positive, for trying to survive, for just trying to be.

I myself know what it's like first hand for people to make assumptions about me & my life, to say I was "fake", to be SHOCKED by my decisions..yada yada yada.

No, I wasn't fake I was one of those people trying to hold my "perfect" life together

one thread at a time. If that makes me fake, then I'm sorry, but sometimes

you have to do what you have to do to make it.

I know the truth, my kids know the truth and what other people "think" they know

is none of my business.

But I digress, sooooooooooo

5 years ago I started the journey of really taking care of me because I was in a BAD BAD place mentally. Physically I didn't want to move out of bed or even shower, let alone exercise

or do anything to help myself. It was easier to wallow in my own self pity. 

Admitting that you are wallowing is the first step to digging yourself out. ;)

At the time my sister was a fitness coach and kept encouraging me to try her

challenge groups. I didn't want to do it, but I also couldn't stand myself anymore.

(I'm a pretty positive person, so my negativity and shit attitude was even getting to ME)

I started doing her groups, started reading some PD books,  I was loving the workouts, and 

while I was doing all of that I started feeling incredible.

My whole perspective changed. I was more positive. I had more energy. I was 

getting up and SHOWERING. I was laughing again.

I WAS LIVING.

Long story short I was so active in the challenge groups and was having

so much fun with it, I became a Beachbody coach and LOVED it.

I did it for a couple years, but the support I needed, especially at home was NOT there

and I started losing my spark to do it.

So I stopped and then life kept happening and before you know it

there I was doing something I NEVER EVER wanted to do.....

got DIVORCED. 

WOW!

I know it was a SHOCK to those who have known my ex & I for a long time and that shock is still 

probably A LOT for some, but the bottom line is

we are both in a BETTER place now.

No matter what anyone else thinks everything works out for the best.

So here I am on what I like to call the "Second Half" of my life

and I could NOT be happier!!! 

I met someone who loves me fiercely, loves my kids,

who I literally laugh with EVERY. SINGLE. DAY, who respects me, who protects me, who supports me, who I am madly, deeply in love with. 

Planning our wedding has been a dream. That will be the most magical day of our lives.

All of these changes have also ignited my NEED/DESIRE to start focusing on ME again.

I know I was in the BEST shape of my life and felt the best I have ever felt when I was doing these programs and when I was actively coaching.

Booom, I'm BACK! I have started coaching again and this time

my LOVE is coaching with me because he sees and feels the benefits of it all.

We are going to be starting up a pretty LEGIT, energetic challenge group in the next couple weeks. If you have any interest in joining or would like more info, please send me a message. We would love to have you and help you on your journey!

These people are my WORLD!

Have an amazing day and REMEMBER don't let other people's

misconceptions and/or opinions of you, hold you back from the life you DESERVE!

At Home Dates!

Happy Mon-Tues YAY!!!
(depending if you were off yesterday)

I know, I know EVERY day feels just like the last, but you need to make it 

feel different, which kinda goes hand in hand with this post!

So we are all in quarantine and peeps are starting to lose their mind and spending WAY too much

time on Tik Tok!!! (myself included, LOL)

You can't go out for the safety of yourself as well as others. You can't just spend the time

enclosed with your "loved" ones and plot their demise from the WAY too much TOGETHERNESS you all are having. ;)

So here's the back story on me. I LOVE, like absolutely ADORE at home date nights.

They are my JAM!

When I say at home date nights, I don't mean a sweatshirt, no bra, no make up, roll up to the table, clear that crap away and go on your merry way.

Nope I mean put some freaking work and EFFORT in to it ladies (or men)

There is something about getting ALL dressed up like you are seriously going out somewhere. I'm talking make up, lashes, cute outfit, HEELS! (yes, yes I realize that's a lot of WORK to just

"sit at home")

It's so worth it. Dinner at home is next level when you do it up like a REAL legit 

going out date.  You take your time eating and have even better conversation.

I've done everything from cooking dinner together dates, bar & casino type dates, picnics

to my ALL TIME FAV date.....EVER, a restaurant date complete with a waiting area. (which coincidentally just took place during this quarantine)
Next to making yourself look DATE night ready you have to set the scene & ambiance at home
to match the date as well.
Play music, have candles, twinkle lights or whatever to help set the mood.
Set the table fancy. Use whatever props you have to go with the Date you are doing.
Here is my Restaurant style date that we did a couple weeks ago.

This was the "Outdoor Patio" wait area for the restaurant. 

The informational restaurant sign

 Cheese board to go with the wine on the "patio"

 Inside the restaurant. The beverage area which included Wine & Water.

 One of the guests waiting for their "reservation"
This guy is my WORLD and obviously a super good sport! ;)

All the extra little details

 This was before "the restaurant" opened. This VIEW is everything!!!

 Waiting for our table. (At this point I said "ohhh, I'm crossing my fingers we get the table with a VIEW!" You have to PLAY the part peeps! ;)

 Evening on the Patio

LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

 We PLAYED the part.

Table Set

SUCCESS!!!

Okay, so first off, YASSSSSSS this was A LOT of time & effort. You don't have to
start off this BIG. Just make little efforts, like getting dressed up and
having a nice dinner, but you HAVE to make the effort.
Relationships take WORK and in a time where we are all stuck
home and can't go anywhere, this is the TIME to experiment with different ideas.
The beauty of this is I have inspired HIM to come up with some pretty legit DATE nights on his own.
I'll post a few of his in the coming days! In the mean time, start being creative. Share with
me what cute dates you do. Don't EVER care what ANYONE else thinks about
your at home dates, or what you post on FACEBOOK that you are EXCITED about.
Enjoy your life for what it is!!!
Have a fabulous day!
Stay home and stay safe!