Joy In The Journey

Christmas is such a glorious time of year and for some of us that glorious time is also filled with mixed emotions and sadness. I am filled with joy and excitement this morning as I give thanksgiving for all the many blessings in my life and I give glory to Jesus at the coming of His birth. But my joy is also tempered with remembrance of those I love that are no longer with us. It’s hard to believe but 16 years ago this morning my dad went home to glory. Through the eyes of f aith I know that he is with my mom and that they are in the loving arms of the Lord and that brings comfort and peace but does not diminish the loss. This picture with my parents and siblings was taken 35 years ago on Christmas morning, the legacy of love that my parents gave us and that shines in the joy and love in being together unites us still and always will, even from thier heavenly places as we carry on thier legacy and remembrance in our growing family. This morning as I said my prayers I was r

It's Christmas Eve and I am excited for whatever the the day brings, time with my beloved, with family, the coming of the birth of Jesus and the blessings and grace that await each new day.   I am also reflective with emotions and thoughts churning all about this morning,    Perhaps sometime later today, if there is time I will share them.   For now I will share this excerpt from my cookbook that I wrote to honor my parents and to bring Glory to God.  The picture was taken on Christmas Eve 2001, he was holding his first great-grandson Blake just over a month old.  It's the last picture of my dad, he went home to Glory the next morning.  This picture and the story that goes with it, is in the cookbook with the  recipe for  Cabbage and Beans ,  a tradtional recipe that my family makes on Christmas Eve. Yesterday, John and I spend a lot of time in the kitchen making several traditional dishes, using my nonna's old pizzella maker, a story in itself and making this

When you get a fire in your belly nothing can stop you!! So what happens when there's a fire in your belly, you see amazing results that others have had, you have all the tools at your fingertips, you know the drill, you just have to  #doit , and you know you are facing a big challenge that is going to be tough and out of your league, but you know you have it in you to do it........I'll tell you wh at happens!! You go all in 100% jump in the pre game to get yourself prepped and ready for the real deal, haul a$$ and get a little obsessed so you can  #crushit !!!! That's exactly what I'm doing!!! It's not going to be pretty, and it sure won't be perfect, but it will be 100% authentic!! And I am going to be journaling my crazy journey on my blog and business page. Truth is I have been skating along, maintaining, comfortable, gaining ground, losing it and back and forth I've been in both my health journey and in my lifestyle coaching business. And I have gain

Life is too short and precious, love when you find it after heartache and loss takes on a whole new meaning and time is fleeting. Looking at this picture makes me want to squeeze every hour out of the day, because doing crazy fun things, traveling and having adventures and time for all the little moments with my beloved is what rocks my world! And finding time and balance with my beloved and a few moments for my own self-care while working full time, running a business, working on special projects, staying on top of our nutrition with meal prep and planning, getting in some exercise and all those other demands that chip away at the day can make it a challenge. Thankfully I found a way. Can you relate? Can you rattle off your own list....and is there time for YOU on that list? What if I shared with you  #the25thhour , a community that can help with wellness tools and tips, resources, insights, nutritional support and so much more, including the opportunity to get a weekly shopping

Life is certainly a journey and years ago I made the decision to live this journey with joy in my heart. It's not always easy for me to find joy, especially in the midst of grief, sadness, loss, anxiety, stress, pain and all the busyness ........you get the point.   My faith in God has a lot to do with it.  But it's also my passion for personal and spiritual growth that is enriching my heart and my mind and helping me to put in to practice things that I am learning.   And this path to deeper self knowledge is not only helping me to get to know myself better its helping me to better identify and deal with the challenges that that come my way without turning to food for comfort and picking up or staying stuck in old unhealthy habits.   Growing up food was family, it was abondanza, love and familia cooking and gathering around the table.  It was comfort but it was not the emotional crutch that I turned to for comfort during a difficult time in my mid-twenties and a thr

“ For thou didst form my inward parts, thou didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise thee, for thou art fearful and wonderful. Wonderful are thy works! Thou knowest me right well; my frame was not hidden from thee, when I was being made in secret, intricately wrought in the depths of the earth” Psalm 139: 13 - 15 My mother loved to make this dish of penne pasta tossed with broccoli, garlic, crushed red pepper and olive oil topped with pecorino Romano cheese. She got the recipe from my sister Anna and she made it Mama style. It is versatile and my mother often made it using her electric skillet to prepare the sauce. At one point my mom was confined to a wheel chair and unable to access the stove very easily so using the electric skillet worked perfectly. My dad would prepare the penne and the broccoli on the stove. And she would do the rest and put it all together in the skillet. One of my favorite pictures with my mom was just before we were about to s

I am passionate about my journey to live a healthier lifestyle and the mission to help others who want the same. It's not always easy to do and it takes intention, purpose, commitment and effort but it is worth every second to live the life I am living today. And the journey for me is progress not perfection. It has been a challenge coming out of vacations and the celebrations, parties and event s of summer and early fall and staying on track with nutrition, working out and a healthy lifestyle?   John and I have for the most part done well this summer and fall so far, but by no means perfect, we have indulged much more than we should, veered a bit off track and on occasions blurred the lines of balance and moderation.  We have committed 100% to finish this year strong before we head into the temptations of the holidays and another year is over and we have been kicking that into high gear with a few changes in our routine and its workign wonders! We are not interested

Sometimes you have to glance back to see how far you have come. It's amazing to me that the best part of this journey for me is not the physical transformation but the rejuvination of my mind, body, soul and spirit. It's the whole package. I am closer to God, healthier and stronger than I have ever been, more confident in my skin and energized with a strength and purpose to use the gifts and talents that I have been given to make a difference in the lives of others and in the world around me. From where I stand its the best makeover ever! There is nothing like finding your purpose and intentionally moving towards your potential. I don't pretend to have all the answers. Because I don't. What I do have is desire, grit and a can do attitude and what I do know is that if I can do this and make these changes in my lifestyle that have opened up more doors and opportunties than I can even share, you can too and I can help you if you w

This video makes my heart smile wide, brings tears of joy in having been blessed to call Maria Angela my mom and makes me miss her and everything about her all the more. Some may think that after close to 20 years of her being in heaven the loss may not cut so deep. But anyone who as lost someone they love will tell you, grief come in many stages and the loss never ever ever goes away. Over time it may ebb and flow in its course and at other times, in an instant the loss c an feel as fresh as if it just happened. Perhaps its because our hearts remember, and the memory of those we love are etched into our souls and will never be far from our thoughts. They are and forever will be a part of the fabric of our lives and thier fragrance lingers and at times may be stronger than others. As time marches on, circumstances change, things happen and events come and go different layers of grief and acceptance arrive, and mourning, remembrance and loss are sometimes peeled back and anoth

Want an alternative to those tempting Halloween Treats? You know that your going to be tempted around all that Halloween Candy that is filling the store shelves and may soon be in your home...............before you do, take some tips from Batman and his Lady Love  We've got some tasty treats and alternatives that taste like the real deal without all the calories, added sugar and guilt that are easy to make and won't leave you saying.... "Holy Batman!! What did I just do????" Do you like Almond Joy and Peanut Butter Cups? Then check out our kitchy little Halloween Treats with the Caped Crusader  video.  And stick around for the end....it's the best part.   Contact Me  if you too want to make some healthy lifestyle. I can help and I don't bite......well maybe only on Halloween, but you'd have to ask Batman about that 😻 Keeo checking out my blog for recipes like  Almond Joy Shake  and  Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls .  And he

My beloved and I were away on vacation when this Super Saturday Transformations Video  was played at the event.  Although hundreds of miles away, I heard about it from a number friends, fellow coaches and business owners who reached out to let me know that my story was the lead in to this inspiring video. Our vacation plans were made in advance, before we knew the date of the event and then we learned that the CEO of our amazing organization would be there too.  We were disappointed that we were not able to make it, but so excited to check in and see the posts and videos that our team and friends were posting about he event.   Yesterday for the first time I got a chance to view it, without the music, the buzz and excitement of thousands gathered together for that amazing event.  I guess it's a good thing I was alone, because with every transformation image came an additional flood of tears.  Grateful, awestruck, humbled, hopeful, thankfull, blessed tears.  I could see the

Almond Joy Shake - tastes so good, so good, so good! Last year we had a little fun in the Sousa house on Halloween and for the first time in a few years dressed up!  I love my Batman and he as always was in awesome form.  And I got a great surprise too because I got to wear an outfit that I had purchased a few years before and never really wore because it never quite fit me when I was over 50 lbs heavier. In anticipation of a night of handing out candy and keeping my own paws out of the candy jar I made healthy alternative Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls and we planned on making an Almond Joy Shake as a treat that night. It was a success, I managed to make it up to and through Halloween without sampling one candy, brought in all of our leftovers to the office and managed to make it through not having any of the leftover candy.   In large part because of a healthy and postive mindset and resolve to continue living a healthy lifestyle and in having healthy and deliciou

Chocolate Peanut Butter Balls This is an awesome recipe from the Fixate cooking show with Autumn Calabrese and her brother Bobby.  I have made these numerous times and they are always a hit. I have also gone a little off script and used some white chocolate to cover some of the peanut butter filling and to also do a dark chocolate with white chocolate drizzle for a dramatic effect.  These are easy to make, taste great and are a fabulous healthier alternative. INGREDIENTS Parchment Paper 1 cup all-natural creamy peanut butter (only ingredient should be peanuts) 1 Tbsp cornstarch 3/4 cup coconut flour 2 Tbsp pure maple syrup (you can substitute with stevia) 8 oz semisweet chocolate (62% cocoa or higher) 2 tsp extra-virgin coconut oil, unrefined Directions: INSTRUCTIONS Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.  Combine peanut butter, cornstarch, coconut flour, and maple syrup in a medium bowl. Blend well with a spatula. The mixture will turn in to

We are on vacation and I was really bummed that we were going to miss today's Supa Saturday event. We rarely miss it and the guest speaker is none other than our CEO, Carl Daikeler.   If you've followed me you've no doubt seen my posts from past Supa Saturday's.  The workouts with celebrity trainers, inspiring transformation stories and top notch motivational speakers.  I was lamenting a bit that we couldn't be there. And consoling myself that we were there in spirit. And Our good and gracious God is never outdone in His generously. And I got a clear reminder of that when I checked my messages.  A dear friend sent a message telling me that my transformation story was the lead in for the transformation video they showed this morning.  Then another coach friend who inspires me to the moon and back with her ongoing transformation live streamed some of it so I got to see all these amazing people whose lives have been transformed.  All because they took a chance,