#ileftmyheartin





I left my heart in an island full of joy.  I left my heart in an island full of music. I left my heart in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic!


The culture in Punta Cana is very rich. Sometimes when we travel to new places we are a bit scared or nervous to see what is on the other side. I had planned to only stay in our resort, since I have never traveled to the DR before. But then I decided to just book some tours, and enjoy the island. I booked a tour for Santo Domingo which is the capital, and I booked a Safari tour in Punta Cana. The safari tour gave us a closer look at how people live on the island. 

Let me take you back in time to where I left my heart!



On our way to the resort I took a picture of 2 small businesses. 


People in the DR work 12 days in a row, and then get 3 days off. Most people do not have a car, they get a ride in pick up trucks or motorcycles. The people who drive these trucks and motorcycles do this for extra income, meaning they most likely have 2 jobs. 


A beautiful painting for sell in a store.



This is the entrance to Diego Columbus' castle who was the son of Christopher Columbus.


Diego and his family were about 5ft tall which is why all the doors are short.


In a plaza near Diego's castle we ate a traditional meal called Mofongo and drank passion fruit juice. Mofongo is smashed plantains with your choice of meat/seafood and broth soup. 


This is the "Presidente' s" house. 


We went underground to see Los Tres Ojos which are 3 lakes. This is where the ocean once was. 



A nice walk way through our resort. 


Mama Juana shot! Mama Juana is a popular and traditional drink for the Dominican people. It is rum, red wine, honey, soaked in tree bark and herbs. It is mainly consumed for medical value. As we were told in the DR one shot a day keeps the doctor away! Yes, I bought the tree bark/herbs from the DR, and now make my own Mama Juana!


Mangu is another traditional meal which is eaten mainly for breakfast. It is smashed plantains topped with sauteed onions and sausage. 


We were shown how they make cigars. Some of the leaves are hanging from the ceiling. 


Here they were teaching us how to ground coffee the old way. Which takes a lot of strength and time!


All this rawness and culture is what I fell in love with. I learned how hard these people work, and importantly they do it with a smile. I will forever cherish this trip, and carry a piece of their culture in my heart. 


I can't wait to reunite with my heart!

Want to read more stories of places people left there heart in? Check out http://www.getyourguide.com/info/ileftmyheartin/  





Vision Board





If you see it you can achieve it! I strongly believe that visualizing a goal before it happens is very important! You must see and feel as if what you want is already here! The more you think about the joy of reaching your goal the closer you are to reaching that goal! That is why I think vision boards are good to have.

It's easy! Buy a poster board or anything that you can put pictures, and words on! Look online or in magazines for things that you want, and they do not only have to be material things. If you need a car print a picture of your favorite car! If you want health print pictures of  healthy people, plants, fruits, or even just the word healthy! If you want a relationship print pictures of couples!

I made a vision board about 3 years ago, and many of those things have manifested into my life. But I think it is time for a new board since my goals and dreams have changed.

 I make new goals for myself on a constant basis, but this year I really want to put my long term goals into action. 

Feel free to share pictures of your vision boards!


Losers stick with Losers and Winners stick with Winners





In 2015 I learned that losers stick with losers and winners stick winners. It does not matter how you put it. The people you continue to hang around with is what you will be. If you losing at life, and the people in your circle losing at life, you are only attracting more losers to your life. I refuse to be in that cycle whether you are family or friend. I am a winner and will continue to stick with other winners. One thing I am promising myself is to always be and do better. A loser to me is someone who is always playing the victim and making excuses. A winner to me is someone who never lets fear, life, or anyone get in the way of there goals. I am on the winning team, whose team are you on?



New Family Member!





December is always a busy month. Getting ready for the holidays, buying presents, decorating, holiday parties, cleaning and getting ready for a new year, and the list doesn't stop there. Point is I am so sorry for not putting up more blog posts this month! And life just got better, my boyfriend surprised me with a puppy last weekend!

Meet Thor, my son!



All I know is starting now I will be up earlier taking charge of our world! When life brings change embrace it, and keep moving forward because one day you will wish you had this moment back!



Happy Holidays! You will see more of Thor in 2016!

My Fitness Pal App - Review





I have been using My Fitness Pal for about 2 months to keep track of my macros (protein, fat, carbs). I honestly love it! Even if you are not on a strict "diet" or "lifestyle" I think it is good to track what you eat. It gives you a better idea what and how much you put into your body. Maybe it can help you make better choices. I have been using the free My Fitness Pal, but I am debating paying for the other features. Since I do not pay for other features I figured out a way to see my protein, fat, and carbs. If you have an iPhone you can turn the phone sideways, and it will show you a chart of your protein, fats, carbs, and more.

I log in all my food, but I do not log my exercises. I heard that if you log your exercises the app tells you to eat more calories.

The great thing about this app is how easy it is to use. I have used other apps, and they are not as easy to navigate. They also have a lot of the foods from grocery stores, and restaurants already in the system.



What apps do you use?

SoulCycle Review





A few months ago I was given a free pass to a SoulCycle class. At the time I had no idea what it was. When I looked it up online I read some great reviews. I read about how they turn off the lights, light candles, and play loud music. I decided to give it a try.



I went to the studio in the Chicago Loop, and I must say it won't be my last. As I walked in, there were a lot of people waiting for the class. The employees were helpful and explained everything to me. The space is a bit tight, but it's manageable.

Once entering the actual room with all the bikes there are employees helping you set up the bikes, and helping stick the shoes onto the bike. The instructor was very kind and motivating. The music that was played was motivational. We did certain movements to go along with the music. Towards the end we used 3 pound weights to do some are exercises.



If you have not tried SoulCycle before I would highly recommend at least going once. You will be sweating from head to toe! It also gives you a chance to really focus on what you are doing. The only thing I was thinking about in the room was being better for myself, and being better for everyone in the room. During the class you are told to feed off of your neighbors positive energy, and for the whole class to vibe together. It was a great experience!


Christmas Tree 2015





Christmas is right around the corner!

I wanted to share with you my cute Christmas tree! I got it at Target for $21! Such a great find!

I bought the ornaments and lights from ACE Hardware, which were also at great prices! The only thing I am missing is a tree skirt. I am thinking about stopping by Marshalls to see what they have.



I bought these ornaments from Francesca's . I could not leave the store without buying them. They were buy one get one half off. 



I got the "M" and "K" ornaments from Target for $5 each.




Please comment below on your holiday savings!

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