The Magnolia Market!

Ever since I moved to San Antonio I have been excited to visit Magnolia Market because it was so much closer than it ever was before. Many of you might not know what this is but pretty much, if you are into TV and watch HGTV you know who Chip and Joanna are, they are a husband and wife team who rebuild homes that were once falling apart and make them into beautiful and perfectly decorated homes that we all go gaga for on their hit show "Fixer Upper" if this intrigues you, Google my friend! you will not be disappointed. Magnolia Market was a lot smaller than I thought it'd be, but it seems like all the things I watch on TV are always a lot smaller in real life.

I took this picture of Luis and the kids as soon as we walked in :)

 There's pretty much a very "open concept" field where kids and their parents can sit in benches and eat some of the food truck foods or play football, hackey sack and soccer on and it's very relaxed!

                                                 Derek was exploring too of course :D

The bakery was so cute!! We definitely got a treat there! when you go beware! you will be waiting 15-20 minutes but it is worth it. Luis makes fun of me cause I wanted to "experience" getting a cupcake here! haha

I fell in love with this green little truck

                                                                      yummmmm

 The garden is so cute and sadly didn't have a lot of plants since it is still winter but I bet come spring it'll be gorgeous in there!! the little flowers they did have were stunning.

                                        Giant swings for families, don't gotta tell me twice!

Motivation Nation + TIPS!

Hey Lovelies, I had promised a motivational/workout fit post and here it is! I have been so excited about posting this because motivation is so important. I think making a mindful change is important. Now, I bet many of you are thinking "Oh my gosh ercilia, You havent even reached your goal weight yet what do you have to tell me to get me going, what could YOU possibly know that I dont?" I'm gonna tell you right now that there might not be a lot and there might be a lot after all.  I want to motivate you and not just you but myself as I write this, my blog is motivating to me, it keeps me focused on my goal. I had a small goal to reach this week and I was able to accomplish it. This week I lost 2 lbs and it was solid loss. I know you might think that's just 2 lbs but I have lost 20 solid lbs on my own and I'm pretty proud of myself even though I have a long journey ahead still to be where I want to be. Okay, so first things first!

TIP #1

Make a mental note that you will no longer see healthy eating and exercising as NEGATIVE

I'm sure you all have those friends and I included have been one of those before where I will make a cute salad and post on social media and stick a frowny face next to it and say "Ugh, sal-ad.." now, i'm not saying you have to post anything on social media at all because this battle is not between you and your followers, you and your friend, your husband or boyfriend, people you work with, No, this is a battle within you and your positive thinking makes all the difference. When you serve yourself your healthy salad, smile and think how much closer to your goal you are! you are ACCOMPLISHING and KILLING IT! pat yourself in the back and feel happy (or fake it till you make it ) to be gaining NUTRITION and health.

TIP #2

Get a killer bra!! 

I use a bra that is for heavy exercise which tends to have thicker straps instead of the thin and has better support overall, I also think a smaller bra works best, I typically go down one size depending on the brand but my Victoria's Secret sport bra is my favorite and is definitely a good one for us big boob girls! most bras nowadays also have tags that will say if they are for low-High impact and so you are able to see and try on what is best for you! I have big boobies and always prefer high impact bras always.

 Tip #3

Get workout leggings that are NOT see-through, I repeat NOT see-through. Ring the alarm!! no, just playing but in all seriousness, I have never gone to the store and looking at a pair of leggings and thought to myself, "Hey, I hope these are see-through" and yet, I have worn see through leggings. :(
I know it can be hard when you are fluctuating in weight to buy solid workout gear that is super durable, cause lets be honest it can take a beating from washing so often, unless you just have a big closet full of workout gear then ex this part out, I have looked far and wide and found very few, yes, even in the workout section of many stores, you see that see through material which is just plain uncomfortable. I bring up this topic because comfort and confidence can go hand in hand. When you are squatting at the bar you do not want to feel nervous and afraid, you want to feel confidence. I recently instagrammed about my favorite pair of leggings that aren't see through and ill share them with you too and I bet you will think i'm crazy but they are from ....COSTCO!! TADA! there you have it, their Tuff Athletics brand and Matty M are amazing and such a great price, I always buy a few now since you can never go wrong with more workout gear. You can buy any leggings of your liking but always check that the fabric is thickkkkker than a snicker!

TIP #4

Training shoes! This one is pretty obvious, but I used to wear those running shoes that are like a sock all in one and it just didn't work for me. The shoes that I wore everyday didn't give me good support and I would occasionally roll my ankles. Invest in some good shoes and even though you're not a sneaker person choose them in the color scheme that you like, or, maybe a color scheme you can wear regularly like in the neutrals. Fitness and change will become part of our lifestyle so it is best that we embrace the change instead of resist.

These are all my tips! I am currently doing a small amount of exercise. When I give birth, I break my tail bone and it is very painful and it takes forever to heal from but I will be doing light exercises by starting a 21 day squat challenge! I will be doing this for 21 days because people say it makes it a habit when you do something for 21 days and we want those healthy vibes! xoxo Erci

Acceptance & Love

Hey everyone, this is my very first blog post and i'm excited. I love making videos but I also like writing and my fear of not having perfect grammar and my fear of not having a perfect look and body has held me back for so many years now, I always think I have to love how I look in all the pictures I take and I realize now it's not fair to my family, who know I avoid pictures like a plague and dodge any shot of me in pictures. I can tell you that I love fashion, dressing up and having fun and feeling confident when I speak to people, and, I can also tell you that that also hasn't been me for years now since I began gaining weight when I was in my late teens. I went downhill from there and went through depression, pregnancies, anxiety and many trials and hated my body. Last year, I made a goal to be " HAPPY" and I was able to achieve my goal through acceptance of who I am, this took a lot of meditating and prayer, I took better care of myself but I don't think I could have done it without my husband who always tells me i'm beautiful even when I was at my worst and had just given birth with stretch marks everywhere, nursing bra on fleek and skin problems due to hormones. I can always rely on one of my best friends for amazing support too cause I don't even know how many times I have told her negative body comments and she's there to tell me "Ercy, you are beautiful" I, today do not have very good body image and feel a lot of insecurities but I know that I can do something about it and meanwhile I do I am still living and I don't want to put my life on pause, I don't want to look back and have no pictures of my existence for years, I don't want to hide away under a shoebox and I will do everything I can to make myself be more positive and ultimately get fit and become who I want to be. I want to be able to feel cute and stylish again and have the confidence to rock clothes I want and not feel afraid to stand out for fear of people looking at me. So, here is my body after 2 kids and trials, it's not perfect. I'll do all I can to become healthy and fit by eating better meals since I now realize how important the food that actually goes into our body is, how it can affect our moods and even emotions and weight of course so I'll be talking about these points since I will be going through a fitness journey. I am giving myself an entire year to fulfill this and I have put myself on schedule, I'll be doing exercises I haven't done in years because I now realize the importance of all over body exercise. I want to do something I have never done before and I am more than optimistic about my goals. I also want to learn to love myself again so I will be caring for not only my outward appearance but my spirit since this spirit is what drives it all. I will be sharing fashion posts, Fitness, and Lifestyle of me and my little family plus my YouTube videos will go hand in hand with this blog too. I hope you find my journey interesting enough to follow. xoxo  E.T - Yes, my initials are alien lol ;)