Every day I make the choice to live as healthily as I possibly can and that's all that I can do.

That's all any of us can do really.
I challenge you this week to do your best and not worry about everything going on around you.
We are all progressing in our journeys, no matter what that progress looks like!

And as a very smart woman said...

via Pinterest

What's your favorite inspirational workout quote?!? I'd love to hear in the comments!

Have a wonderful week!

Cheers!

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I hope everyone had a really great 4th of July weekend, I know we sure did!

I also hope that you all had a chance to check out my post on Saturday, what to wear for the 4th of July and also my post yesterday with Sworkit, a little Star Spangled Stretch!

We are fortunate enough to have some really great and close friends that we love spending as much time together as we can. As we have been getting older, having babies and all that fun stuff, our times together have become a little more few and far between.

Every 4th of July we have made it a point to get together and have our annual Shrimp BBQ feast, in which we have titled it Shrimp-a-Palooza. It may sound silly and a little crazy but it is definitely one thing I look forward to every year. The past few years we have been able to host it at our home and I have to say, it has become something that I can't wait for every year! I love hosting get togethers of all kinds, but for me, this one is near and dear to my heart. I am already thinking about next year!!!

We kicked off our weekend going to the St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.

The weather was icky, rainy and cold but we sucked it up and made it through!

We did attempt a group shot but it didn't work out so great, we're working on group selfies!

Then came Monday and the real festivities began.

Oliver for the win in best photo bomb!

The guys!

My three favorite humans!

We, along with the rest of our neighborhood, ended our night with fireworks!!

All in all this weekend was a huge success and I couldn't be happier or feel luckier!

Until next year Shrimp-a-Palooza, until next year!

What did you all do over your long holiday weekend?!

Cheers!

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What goes better with a hot day by the pool (or beach depending on where you're at) than a nice cold and crisp adult beverage?!

Not too much if you ask me.

The only problem with this is that my body is very susceptible to bloating, which is why on a daily basis I make sure to watch intake of sugars, carbs and other ingredients that will puff me up like a balloon.

With that said there are a few drinks that I would recommend choosing to not only feel your best but to also join in on the merriment that is Summer.

#1 : Gin and Sparkling Water (Or Vodka, depending on what you like)

Instead of Tonic, Sparkling water contains no added sugars, therefore cutting out any unnecessary added ingredients that may increase bloating and water weight. 

#2 : Tequila on the Rocks

This is pretty straight forward, the less amount of ingredients the better for you. When drinking any alcohol this way you'll tend to drink it slower, therefore drinking less as well. Also, tequila contains no carbs, which is great for me because I have been doing my best to stay away from carbs as much as possible.

#3 : Champagne

On average your 4 oz. glass only contains 80 calories! The carbonation that is in champagne also tends to make anyone drinking it drink it slower, therefore not consuming as much. And let's be real here, it also makes you feel a little fancy, or is it just me?!

These three tried and true drinks are the perfect combo for a day at the pool or heck, even for a night out that won't leave you feeling completely blah later that evening!

Just for comparison, most people jump straight to the Pina Coladas, Pre Made Margarita Mixes and Beer. Let's break these down a bit shall we?!

Pina Coladas - On average this drink contains upwards of 650 Calories. Let's put this into perspective, a Big Mac is only 576 Calories and we all know deep down that a Big Mac is a horrible food choice health wise, so why go with a drink that is even worse?! Plus all the cream and sugar, I can't even handle that. (Source of Info HERE)

Pre - Made Margarita Mixes - Contain nothing but added sugars and all other sorts of additives that just aren't conducive with attempting to look and feel your best in a swim suit.

Beer - Need I really say more about beer other than it is nothing more than liquid carbs?! Don't get me wrong, I am a HUGE beer lover, in the right scenario. I will choose a dark beer over almost anything when out with friends at night or at dinner with my husband. However I would NEVER choose a dark beer or even a light beer to sit by the pool with.

What are your poolside beverages of choice?!

Happy Friday, everyone!!!

Cheers!

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This weekend my husband, myself as well as a few of our friends decided to take a trip to Ste. Genevieve, MO to visit Crown Valley Winery, for a day of sipping wonderful wine and enjoying the beautiful scenery.

*Entrance*

We were so fortunate, the day turned out to be beyond gorgeous. Perfect for sitting on the patio and relaxing together.

Andrew and I were treated to a tour of the winery as well as a wine tasting by Crown Valley Winery.

We got an up close look at how the wine is made, bottled and shipped out.

The tour was very informative, I never knew so many steps went into creating wine!!

*Where the wine is bottled* 

My favorite part was seeing all the wine barrels, and learning that Crown Valley not only gets their barrels from Missouri but also France!

Once the tour was over we got to sample all of their wines, which were quite delicious.

My number one favorite would have to be the Chardonel.

We then took our favorite wines and sat outside on the patio and ordered some food from their full menu!

It was so hard to choose what to get!

I settled on the Blue Bison Salad with the Blackberry Wine Vinaigrette.

Seriously, I can't even describe how excellent this salad was. I would highly recommend this to anyone who goes and visits Crown Valley!

*Sunglasses c/o Ditto*

After we were done with our meal we decided to make the short drive to Crown Valley's Brewery.

We grabbed a glass of their Craft Beer and went to sit on their patio where we were able to enjoy the wonderful weather some more as well as live music.

The scenery was absolutely gorgeous here as well, so I insisted that we take pictures {the guys weren't that thrilled but they will just have to get used to it!}

*Romper - Old Navy*

I want to thank Crown Valley Winery for a wonderful day and for allowing my husband and I to take a complimentary tour and tasting!

Cheers!

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Linking up with Erin for Weekend Snapshots & Biana & Meghan for Weekending!