HOW WE WORE IT // SEPTEMBER

I used to be more into fashion blogging back in my college days. My bestie Elisabeth and I would go out to our favorite spot and take turns taking pictures. Now that it's just my husband and I, I don't do many fashion posts anymore! Which is okay, but I also love how the How We Wore It challenges me to do at least one a month!

Our inspiration for September comes from this gorgeous blogger. I love the coral top (Like seriously, I need that exact shirt) and the jeans make it casual, but the accessories dress it up! I was mostly inspired by the coral top because I have a similar color in my closet. 

Life with Emily

Drum roll please... here's how I fallified and Brooklynified this outfit!

 //Plaid top: J. Crew bought from ThredUp // Coral Top: Bohme // 

Jeans: Walmart // Booties: Forever Young Shoes //

Make sure to go check out these blogger friends of mine and see how they wore it and how they were inspired by this outfit!

Brooke at Silver Lining

Robin at Penn and Quill

Kyla at FordOlogy

Bekah at These are the Days

Sierra at Sierra's View

Sharlee at My New Lines

Aubrey at Aubrey Zaruba

Jennifer at The Pepper Express

Amy at Harris, Inc.

Ashley at Absolutely Ashley

Berkley at Berkley Anne

Riley at Riley Jo

Tayler at The Morrell Tale

Jacqui at Drink the Day

Stephanie at The Artist + The Architect

Tori at The Doing Things Blog

Ashley at Practically Imperfect

Maren at Mark and Maren

Brooklyn at Brooklyn Jolley

Sarah at My For Real Life

Kallie at Life Through a Lens

Madison at Madison Custer

Amy at Lamb and Ivy

Alicia at Snowstorm

Shelby at R + S Brereton

Alexa at He and I

My Biggest Takeaway from #LDSConf #WomensMeeting //

General Conference is my favorite time of the year. Tonight I watched the Women's Meeting from my bed at home. I have had awful, horrible PMS cramping all day, and really just couldn't fathom going to the church to sit in the pews. I got out a cute notebook, a pen, and prayed that Heavenly Father would answer my questions and fill me with the spirit. 

I was filled. I was so filled with hope from this meeting. There are so many things I learned, so many things I want to implement in my life to better myself, and I was reminded that I am a daughter of God. And now that I know that I am a daughter, of God... What am I going to do about it? 

My Biggest Takeaway // 

My biggest takeaway from the meeting did not come from a speaker. It came from an inspired video, that opened my heart to revelation.

The second video that was shown during the meeting was this one. 

At one point, the speaker in the video describes a woman by saying, "She never treated me like she had to get to know me before she loved me. She just loved me."

I have found myself in so many situations lately where I simply don't know the people I am serving, serving with, working with, hanging out with, etc. This message touched my heart, that I DO NOT need to get to know them, before I can love them. I can serve as Christ would, even if I do not know everything about them. I can simply... love. 

What was YOUR biggest takeaway from the LDS General Conference Women's Meeting?

WEEK TWO REVIEW // PERSONAL TRAINING

Personal Training Update: 

I'm officially down 2.8 lbs since last Wednesday. WHOA! My trainer suspected I had a weight fluctuation last Wednesday so she had me weigh again on Friday and it was a pretty big difference. I'm still down 1.2 lbs since Friday which is great. If I could continue to lose even 1 lb a week I will be happy with the progress.

This week I did all 5 of my workouts again. They are usually a mix between treadmill workouts, HIIT, workout DVDs I own and various other series type workouts. I don't feel like it's appropriate to share my workouts since I'm PAYING my trainer for them, but if you're looking for at trainer I'd absolutely recommend her and she's really affordable too.

I was looking up Walt Disney quotes the other day and found this one, it is AMAZING! It is exactly my mindset. I don't have to be perfect, or flawless or the best, I just have to NOT QUIT! 

Also, lots of healthy foods are super low calorie which is making it hard to hit my calorie goal. I'll look at MyFitnessPal and think okay I need to eat at least another 100 calories. So I'll eat a half a cup of peas like, "Yay! 40 more calories!" lol. The struggle has been real. I think my body is so adjusted to crappy, processed food that it's not used to having more nutrient dense foods. I'm NEVER hungry. I only had one time this week where I felt hungry and had to take a work break to go eat an apple. The foods I'm eating are just keeping me super full.


Non Scale Victories: 

Completing all my workouts. It's super weird on date night to be like, "Honey, I need 30 minutes to do my workout before we can go." But it's also super rewarding! I love checking it off my to do list each day. Right now I'm doing approximately 30 minutes/day Mon-Fri with Saturday and Sunday off. I try to get in a walk or something on my rest days though.

We went to Chickfila last night and instead of an adult meal I got a kids meal which are way better portioned! I had a diet lemonade, 6 regular nuggets w/ BBQ sauce, a small fruit cup and a small ice cream for 500 calories. I really wanted the fries but was so glad that the fruit didn't upset my stomach like the fries would have. Even though it was a little healthier of a dinner, as soon as I finished eating I could feel that my stomach wasn't that happy. It was so weird, and sad and happy at the same time because I know my body is changing!

This Week's Goals: 

I would love to see another pound come off this week for sure!

Stay super consistent and complete all my workouts from my trainer.

Eat more fruits and veggies each day. For me this means veggies at least 1X a day and fruits 2X a day. I'm just so not used to eating like this.

& Remember, you can follow my daily journey at @fitandjolley on Instagram

Staying at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel // Disneyland Resort

Disney's Grand Californian Hotel. Pure luxury. My Mom and I dreamed for years about staying at this hotel. I will say, that although it did live up to being an amazing Disney hotel, we did not spend enough time there to truly appreciate it. We spend most of our time in the parks! The 6 story lobby is GORGEOUS, the service impeccable, and you will truly feel pampered and luxurious all while celebrating the beauty and wonder of the great outdoors. 

Price: 

Of the 3 Disneyland Resort hotels, the Grand Californian is by far the most expensive. The site says $379+ per night but most times it is much higher than that. It will depend on the season, and if you want a room with a view or not. It's hard for me to spend that much on a hotel when that's a 5 day  or more pass to Disneyland, but it definitely worth trying at least once. 

Rooms:

The rooms are well kept, and make you feel like you are staying in a really fancy cabin! They are clean and gorgeous. Most of the rooms have either a view of Disneyland Drive, or the parks, which is super fun. I love being able to see the parks first thing in the morning and see them all lit up at night, it's just so magical. 

Dining:

Napa Rose is an upscale restaurant that serves California fare and has a very extensive wine list if you are into that kinda thing! The cost is $30-$60 a person depending on the time of day and what you order. This is a great place for adults to relax and unwind from a crazy day at the parks.

Storytellers Cafe is a family table service restaurant inside the hotel. Breakfast is "Chip & Dale Character Breakfast" which is a total blast and is a buffet that costs $15/child and $30/adult.

White Water Snacks is one of my family favorite hidden secrets. Located just inside the special hotel entrance to California Adventure, it is pretty much NEVER busy. The restaurant is quick service food, but has quite the variety. From Mickey Nuggets to Ceasar Salads, there's most likely something for everyone if you are in a hurry or want a quieter lunch than you'll find inside the park.

Activities: 

On select nights, Parkview Terrace (5th floor patio) plays some of your favorite Disney films.

Check the Guest Services desk for dates and times of "The Art of Craft" tour. It explores the Arts & Crafts movement and how it influenced the design and architecture of the hotel.

There is a children's activity center in the front lobby available for children 5-12. There is an extra fee for this.

I dream of having a spa day at Disney's Grant Californian Hotel. The prices are steep, but surprisingly not too much more than any high class spa would be. Definitely on my bucket list.

And last but not least the pools! The Fountain Pool, the Redwood Pool and the Mariposa Pool. All three are gorgeous and relaxing. The Redwood Pool includes a 90-foot-long waterslide that cruves around the stump of a Redwood tree. I haven't actually used the pools (You're more likely to find me napping than swimming in the middle of my Disney vacation!) but they always looked so nice. 

Overall: 

Disney's Grand Californian is the fanciest of the 3 Disneyland Resort hotels. I wish I could go spend a day there without having park passes so that way I could more fully enjoy all the amenities of the hotel. The staff gives it the Disney touch that you would expect from the company, and the style and architecture of the hotel give it the perfect relaxing feel. My husband and I went into the lobby and took a nap there on our honeymoon even though we weren't staying there! The restaurants are great and overall, this is a pricey but wonderful once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!

Do you have a favorite hotel to stay at in Disneyland? 

When Beauty is a Beast // Review

I was sent a copy of When Beauty is a Beast: Avoiding 10 Things Women Do That Harm Their Relationships to review. I knew it was a topic I was interested in (marriage) and I knew that it was something that could most likely improve my marriage. Anything that could improve my marriage is worth my time.

We all know that men can be abusive to women. Physically, emotionally, verbally, etc. We hear it all the time and we warn young women to avoid abusive relationships and to GET OUT as soon as there are signs. We often avoid talking about the other sides of things, that women can abuse men too! Physically, emotionally, verbally, etc.

I'm definitely a sensitive person, and I do not like my dirty laundry aired. I remember specifically a fight I had with my sister who told me that I never listen to anyone, and that I'm always interrupting. It hurt so bad, because I knew she was right. It was a weakness I had/have and have been constantly working at. Having someone point out your weaknesses and say "Shape up!" can be hard to hear, but I think sometimes we need a good kick in the pants. This book is it!

Rather than waiting for your spouse, mother, best friend, sister, or random stranger tell you all your flaws, read this book! Author C.C. Sorenson goes over 10 different ways that women often harm their relationships. I didn't find myself in every chapter, but in some I did. And it was eye-opening.

I would definitely suggest this to any woman, single, dating, engaged or married to wants to take a good hard look at improving their relationships. I truly believe this is something we need to talk about more. I don't think most women realize how destructive some of our behaviors can be towards our relationships. I know I sure have a lot to work on! But this book is a great read with lots of insight and quotes from general authorities of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

Even if you are not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, if you are a Christian, your marriage will benefit from this book!

Purchase here // Barnes & Noble // Amazon //

Week One Review // Personal Training

Personal Training Update: 

Yesterday was the end of Week One with my virtual personal trainer. She's been checking my MyFitnessPal (where I track what I'm eating) everyday and sending me tips and updates, and I did all 5 workouts she planned for me! Woo hoo!

I love that she just plans the workouts for me and all I have to do is show up for myself. It's been rewarding to check the workout off the list each day and know that I'm taking baby steps toward my goal of being at a healthy weight.

I'm feeling good so far. This week I'm only down .6 lbs, which is not as much as I was hoping for considering how drastically I've changed my diet, but I'm

still grateful it's a loss! It means I'm down 4.2 lbs in the last 5 weeks. I didn't really commit until this past week though so... I hope there's much more good to come!

Non Scale Victories:

I did not have one single time this week where I said "Oh my gosh, why did I eat so much??" Sadly, this was a common occurrence before. But this week, I never felt too full, and I never felt hunger pangs, I just felt satiated. And I did not feel bloated ever either!

I completed all my workouts. They each took around 30 minutes, except my yoga DVD which was 52 minutes. This is a real big victory for me to take 30 minutes out of my day 5X a week to workout and I'm really proud of that!

This Week's Goals: 

I'm really hoping to lose 1-2 pounds this week, but even if I don't it will still be okay.

My goal this week is to do all my workouts again from my trainer. I want to make that 30+ minutes really count and make it high priority on my to do list. I need to keep showing up for myself.

I'm also trying to figure out how to add more veggies to my diet. I tried brussel sprouts and.... ew. Not tasty for me at all hahaha. However, broccoli is yummy! Any great veggie recipes? Send them my way!!

Remember you can follow my daily journey at @fitandjolley on Instagram

REDEEMED //

// Faith in Jesus Christ includes having complete confidence in His infinite and 
eternal redemptive power. 

We may believe Christ walked on this earth. We may believe He was born to a virgin mother, a miracle baby. We may believe that He healed the sick. We may believe that He taught by word and by example, how we should live our lives. We may believe that He lived a perfect, sinless life. But do we believe Him? Do we actually believe Him when he tells us that he can redeem us? 

Having faith in Christ is consuming. It is an all-inclusive, I can do this, everything will be okay lifestyle because I know He is in my corner. It is life-changing. 

This kind of faith does not come easy. For most of us, it takes effort. It takes scripture study, prayer, aching hearts, love, tears, laughter, joy and study of Christ's life. This kind of faith takes practice. Sometimes you need to take a step back, look around, and remember who's team your on. I'm still practicing. 

I know I'm not all the way there yet. I've got a lifetime of learning how to have this kind of consuming faith ahead of me. I'm so grateful to have the Savior in my corner. To know he's on my team, on my side, and rooting for me every step of the way. He is always there for me. He can be our best friend, if we let him. He is knocking. He is BEGGING us to answer. All we have to do, is open the door and let Him in, and BELIEVE that He can redeem us. He does, and He can, and He will. 

LILAH V // YOU ARE STANDING TALL + A GIVEAWAY!

One thing I've been thinking a lot about lately is standing tall for your beliefs. So when LilahV reached out and offered to send me a necklace for my blog, I became obsessed with this one...

I am trying to stand a little taller for my beliefs. In my blogging, in my personal lives, and in everything I do. It can be really scary to share something on social media that means a lot to you, there are trolls for days just waiting to throw angry, sad tweets at you. Which is why I often refrain from sharing my beliefs. This giraffe reminds me to stand tall for beliefs even when it is hard, or scary!


So in celebration of LilahV's sample sale, they are giving one of you $50 credit!!

Everything in the sample sale is 50-75% off so it is a SUPER great deal. And they have some awesome jewelry you can use for presents. Enter below!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Getting Started // @fitandjolley

"Your soul consists of your body and spirit. Feeding the spirit while neglecting the body, which is a temple, usually leads to spiritual dissonance and lowered self-esteem. If you are out of shape, if you are uncomfortable in your own body and can do something about it, then do it! 

Please use good judgement in what and especially how much you eat, and regularly give your body the exercise it needs and deserves. If you are physically able, decide today to be the master of your own house and begin a regular, long-term exercise program, suited to your abilities, combined with a healthier diet. Spiritual confidence increases when your spirit, with the help of the Savior, is truly in charge of your natural man or woman" 

(Elder Jorg Klebingat //Approaching The Throne of God With Confidence)

Yoga Pants: Albion Fit

I'll try and write updates here on my blog as often as possible, but if you'd like to see my day to day life, you can follow me at @fitandjolley where I'm documenting the ups, downs, meals, workouts and all that jazz. 

Wednesday September 9th I am getting started with a virtual personal trainer. She is going to be writing my workout plans, and checking my MyFitnessPal on the regular to give me advice. It's pretty inexpensive and I'm excited to be working with an expert! 

So go follow me at @fitandjolley and let me know if you're on your own fitness journey! I'm really trying to make this more of a lifestyle change and not so much a quick fix diet, which is something my personal trainer really believes in too. 

I can do hard things, and more than that, I can do ALL things through Christ, who strengthens me. Phillipians 4:13 So welcome to my journey, here we go! 

What is LBL? // Free Poise Pad Samples!

I spent about 2 years of my life working at a trampoline park. I remember well hearing the mom's laughing so hard as they'd jump with their kids & having the time of their lives. Shortly after, they'd come to the front desk and say that the facility must be run by a woman with children, because how else would they know to put pantyliners in the women's restroom. We'd enjoy a good laugh and she'd be back on her way to jumping and burning a million calories. (Have you jumped on a trampoline lately? It's hard work!)

So when I heard that Poise was coming out with pantyliners specifically for LBL (Light Bladder Leakage) I thought, there really is a need for this! In fact, 1 in 3 women experience LBL. 33.3333333% yo. LBL can be caused by a variety of things: Childbirth, Pregnancy, Menopause, Hysterectomy, Bladder Irritants and even Weight Gain.

You can manage LBL (even if you don't want to admit you need to!) by using Poise Thin-Shape Pads.  If you're not sure if you'll love them, no worries, Poise is providing you free samples to show you how much you'll love them! Use the link below!

Get your own FREE SAMPLE by clicking HERE!