Okay guys, I wasn't sure if I was going to share this one here or not because I'll admit that every once in a while I like to jump on some crazy "cleanse" or "detox" band wagon and try to lose some weight and feel like I'm getting all of the yuckiness out of my body...Unfortunately it doesn't usually work and I never really feel any different. But this time I have sort of a different goal in mind so I figured I'd give myself some accountability for sticking with this thing. I just started Day 1 of the 21 Day Sugar Detox.

Yes it is called the a sugar "detox" and yes I would love to lose a little poundage in the process, but after I read up on it I realized its probably something I should be doing anyways! It basically has you avoid all processed foods and sugar like the plague (including sugary carbs - and man do I love my carbs!) and it is Paleo based. If you've never heard of a Paleo diet, it's a school of thought that pretty much says if it didn't exist 3,000 years ago you shouldn't eat it. I don't necessarily agree with all of the Paleo diet and I am by no means an expert on nutrition, but I do like the idea of getting back to whole, natural foods! So that's why I'm doing the 21DSD. I'm hoping to curb my sugar cravings a bit and learn new ways to cook veggies and meat using natural ingredients and not a seasoning packet that has a bazillion ingredients that I can't even pronounce... you know? I know after the 21 Days I'll be looking forward to having some Papa Johns pizza, so I'm not trying to change my entire lifestyle forever through this, I'm just hoping to tip the scale on the side of "we eat natural foods 80% of the time and other foods 20% of the time" instead of the other way around.



So how did I do today? Well, let me tell you I had an 11.5 hour work day today so I was pretty hungry and wanted to munch on some chips or cookies when I got home! But I stayed strong. (its not a good sign if you give up on the first day!) As soon as I got home I pulled out a recipe for apple muffins and got those in the oven right away - I had one for a snack with some whole milk and plan on using them as my breakfast muffins for the rest of the week.

Last weekend I told you how I was in Philly and then heading to Ikea on the way home in my short New Years post... Yea. So..... Ikea = awesome. I had never ever been there before so I was excited about going. My mom and sister Erin are both in love with Ikea, both having been twice last year, so they couldn't wait to show me!



If you don't know what Ikea is, take a look at their website. They're a European super store that sells just about everything you could possibly need for your home. Literally everything you need. From kitchen appliances and countertops to furniture for your bedrooms/living rooms/dining rooms, all the way down to small kitchen gadgets, dishes, pillows, outside plants and napkins. I kid you not. There is everything there.

A shopping DAY is needed at this store and it is quite the experience. I think we spent 4 or 5 hours in there.You start out on their top floor going through what they call the "showroom". Basically they have all of these little mini rooms set up (kitchens, bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms) with their furniture in it so you can see what everything looks like and how you could potentially use their items. Here's my mom and sisters and cousin Olivia discussing furniture options:


 I saw these pretty kitchen carts/islands that I really loved too but didn't end up buying:



After you walk through this area you come to their cafe - they know you're going to be there for a while and you might be overwhelmed and in need of coming up with a plan before you head down to their "market place" (or maybe that was just me feeling overwhelmed?) so they are kind to offer a place to sit and fill your belly.


My Mom and sister Mallory posing in their twinsy GAP hoodies while we were eating lunch.

After the cafe you go down stairs to their "market place" where you get a cart or a giant bag and can start picking up the things you saw upstairs in the show room and then tons more stuff they didn't show you! I saw a new dish set that I loved and some furniture like a side table for our recliner but I decided to hold off on the major purchases and look at those things with Mark before buying them. (Plus it gives me an excuse to go back up there with him!)




Pretty planters $2.99 for the small ones and I think $6.99 for the big one. I want to use the small ones to plan some fresh herbs to use in my kitchen! And maybe create a center piece for the table with the big one. The napkin holder was also from there - $3.99. :)

..... All that it will bring remains a mystery! Last year we had so many plans and we travelled and saw so many new things. Looking back I'm amazed that all of this happened in one year and I am so grateful for all of the opportunities we had to see the world, update our house, check things off of our "bucket list" and see God's grace evident in our lives. Here is a short summary of what happened to us un 2014!

Technically I'm 5 days late wishing everyone a Happy 2014, but better late than never!

I've kicked 2014 off with some busy weekend travel up north to Philly for my cousin-in-laws baby shower. My mom, grandma and sisters are along for the ride and we are making the most of our trip by hitting Ikea on the way back - which is tomorrow/today (its 12:55am!). We gained a cousin on our way home too!

Since we've jumped right into business in this new year I haven't had much time to sit and think about  the new goals I want to aspire to in 2014. I plan to get right on that once we get home and get a little more substantial post up here for me to refer back to over the year, but for right now I just wanted to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year!