Mental Monday Challenge: Final Week - Earn Your Results

It's the last week, number eight, of the Mental Monday Challenge (off the free printable, at least), which means the eight week plan to create a healthy lifestyle is coming to an end. However, all of these past few weeks are composed of exactly the tips and mentality one needs to become healthier in their every day life. It's not a one time deal at all. All eight of these steps should become a part of your daily philosophies. 

How did week 7 treat you? I hope well; I really hope you took time to reflect on where you are in your life lately and reexamine where you want to be. I hope you treated yourself because you deserve it. If you haven't read through the other posts for this 8 week mental challenge yet, I encourage you to start by visiting HERE! You can get the free printable there, print it out and hang it somewhere that will encourage you to stay determined. However, for those who have been following along - this is the LAST WEEK of the challenge. It's time to focus on combining all seven steps together and EARN YOUR RESULTS!

The above picture is of me only five weeks apart. I wanted to show you the physical effects of following this challenge. I did earlier this summer and these were the results I received, or rather, earned due to my hard work and dedication. I am extremely proud of the effort I put into achieving these results.I earned the results simply because I worked towards them, and I worked for them. 

The worst thing you can do once you decide to live a healthier lifestyle is fall back into your old habits and old ways of living. You don't gain anything from that happening. In fact, you have to start all over from ground zero. It is so vital to keep utilizing all eight steps of this challenge every single day in your life. Only then will you deserve to earn the result of living healthier. 

It's time to say good bye to yo-yo dieting or bad habits that you've partially given up. Instead, frame the printable for this Mental Monday challenge or post it right on your bathroom mirror or refrigerator. This week I challenge you to live the first week of the new, healthier you by combining all eight of the Mental Monday Challenge blog posts and challenges that I have presented to you. Just get through this week utilizing all of these tips, and then you can focus on the next week when it gets here! 

I hope you have felt that this Monday segment has been helpful in reevaluating your lifestyle and that you have effectively made a few changes in yourself that have in turn led you down healthier paths. Living healthier is honestly the best thing to ever happen to be in my life. I have never been as happy as I have been the past few years. I wish you every bit of that same happiness that I feel! Tune in next week, for another Mental Monday Challenge! 
 

At October's End

October has come and gone; and, I have one month from today until I kiss my 22 years of life behind and celebrate another birthday. I thought I'd wrap up October and provide a little insight on what I've been up to at the end of the past month besides working and watching a marathon of Criminal Minds on Netflix. 

In October, I made a few batches of delicious Turkey Chili. It included a pound of ground turkey meat, cut up celery stalks and an onion, one can of dark kidney beans and one can of white kidney beans, and two cans of diced tomatoes along with a packet of mild chili flavor mix. I froze the leftovers and brought it to work on long shifts. It is healthy and very comforting. 

Zach came down to spend the weekend with me which included a shopping trip, a Frankenstein cupcake, and a poetry book that I purchased, along with carving pumpkins! I had been waiting all season to carve pumpkins. Finally, my wish was granted. Zach hadn't carved pumpkins in many years too, so it was a great experience. My grandparents, aunt, and cousins also joined in on the fun! The pumpkins at the beginning of the post belong to all of us.

Look at how cute my partner in crime is! That smile is stunning. We got our giant pumpkins as Walmart, can you believe it? They were even on sale, go figure! 

I made a Frankenstein pumpkin, Zach carved his demo derby details into his, and I carved a tiny pumpkin for Cash, the puppy, with a little dog bone! 

We just so happened to be matching on this day too in our gray. Go figure. As best friends, sometimes we start to think the same way.

Another exciting part of the end of October was finding this gem at the Target boutique. Olive green jacket with black leather sleeves. So much fall wrapped into one item of clothing. It was impossible to leave behind on the rack as I passed by and I sure got a steal of a deal with it! 

My favorite part of carving pumpkins is definitely roasting the seeds after scooping them out of all the pumpkin guts. Zach's and my pumpkins yielded an abundance of seeds. I baked them in the oven at 425 degrees for 40 minutes with seasoning salt, garlic powder, a dash of cayenne, and olive oil. I've been snacking on them all day for the past week. 

I really enjoy baking and cooking, but especially when I can share my dishes. I had the chance to visit my college roommate in her new town in the cities and she made us some delicious chicken enchiladas. I made a chocolate Frankenstein cake with vanilla frosting and above shows the limits of my cake decorating skills. It was still fun to make. I brought the leftovers to work to share too so that I wouldn't be tempted to eat all the remaining piece. 

Last, but not least... I worked Friday night (Halloween), so I dressed up as a 50's girl in a poodle skirt to be festive. So that was my October, what was yours like? What are you looking forward to in November? I'm most excited for deer hunting, the Garth Brooks concert, and the Thanksgiving holiday.