Pet Portrait

WWW.KelseySchott.com 

Meet Atticus.  I was commissioned last month to paint of portrait of this dog.  It was a labor of love.    I studied Fine Art at Columbus College of Art and Design in Columbus, Ohio.  Since Moving to Minnesota and having two kids, I haven't been painting as much as I would like. 

To paint this piece I hired a babysitter for the whole day.  It worked out so well that I hired her to come back the following week too!  Now I am looking into putting the kids into day care once a week so that I can paint.  It is important to me so I want to make time for it and I am thankful that my Beachbody coaching income to help cover the cost.

This painting was worked from a photo reference.  The client emailed me some of her favorite photos and we chose one that worked the best.  Check out my website for pricing information as well as a gallery of my other pet portraits and paintings. 

If you would like a portrait of your pet in watercolor or oil then e-mail me your favorite photos and we will get started from there.  It takes about one month for me to finish a painting and ship to you.

Here are photos of the different stages of the Atticus painting:

Drawing.

Underpainting

Adding color

 

 Finished oil painting

 

I set-up my studio in the garage so that I could enjoy the nice weather.

 

T25 Challenge Group

 

The T25 Challenge Group starts Aug 5th.  Tomorrow is the last day to register and purchase before the price increases.  E-mail me for more information or click on the picture to purchase.

Size 14 to a Size 2 ...WHAT!?!?

Check out my website

KelseySchott.com

I bought a ridiculously bright orange pair of pants at the Mall of America this weekend.  It's summer clearance time and the bright colors are marked to move.  The large racks at the back of the Gap had all sorts of fun super skinny capris.  The kids were fussy so I quickly grabbed a pair of 6's and then thought "what the heck" and took the size 4's to the changing room too.  I was shocked that the 4's actually fit.  I was just beaming as we left the store. 

The excitement continued the next day and I decided to wear my fancy new pants in New Ulm's Bavarian Blast Community Parade.  I pushed the kids in the double stroller as part of a Mother's of Preschoolers (MOPS) float. 

I couldn't wait to tell my friend, and fellow challenge grouper, Mary what size my pants were.  She said "umm, I think that style is supposed to fit tighter."   What? You mean I should have bought the 2's!  Now that's just crazy.  And she was right because by the end of the parade I was having trouble keeping them up!

How does a person go from a size 14 pants to a size 2 in just four months?  As amazing as that is, it is not impossible or unhealthy and it doesn't happen by drinking a magic potion or taking a strange pill.  It's happens by giving your body the proper nutrients, exercising daily, dedication and the support and motivation of others. 

I was apart of a private Facebook group, or challenge group, of people all doing Insanity.  The group helped hold me accountable and it was fun to hear of each others positive changes and results.  When the final days of the challenge approached, I started feeling sad and decided that I wanted to keep the motivation going by becoming a Beachbody coach, starting a new challenge group and also forming a general motivational group called K.C.'s Fit Club. 

Right now I am forming another T25 challenge group and still have 3 spots left.  On the video there is a helpful person doing easier modifier moves.  It is ok to follow her until you feel more comfortable doing the full move or you can talk to me and I can help you find a program that is right for your fitness level.

My first T25 challenge group started 2 weeks ago and I can't get over how quickly challenge groupers are seeing changes in their body, dropping weight and losing inches.  My cousin Alana has lost 4.5 pound and 4.5 inches and my good friend Jessie said "my love handles are gone."  Sure it's only been two weeks and yes it's only 25 minutes a day but the moves are smart and effective and combined with the proper nutrition found in Shakeology going from a size 14 to a size 2 doesn't seem impossible anymore.  If I can do it, you can do it!

 

Click here to order T25 and join my next Challenge Group starting on Aug 5th. 

 

 

 

Or sign up for a free membership and let me be your coach for free.

 

 

 

Vegan Week

 

 

"Kelsey, you are looking great!" 
                                      
                                       ..."Oh thanks, I recently lost weight."

"No I have seen you since you lost the weight but
you are just looking really good today!"

That was a part of a conversation I had at the library with a friend this week.  Could it be because I went vegan??  I don't know but I have been feeling AMAZING lately.  Somehow my head feels clearer.  I was even brave enough to take the kids to the library, the post office and the store by myself.  The librarian commented on how it had been so long since she has seen us.  Could it be that this vegan lifestyle is helping me in many areas of my life.  Jack said to me today, "how have we not tried this sooner?" 

He has been doing great too.  I am once again blown away by the support that my husband gives me.  I get a notion in my head and tell him about it and before I even finish explaining my thoughts he is onboard and ready to help.  He has always been that way though.  Whether I told him I wanted to do cloth diapers and teach the kids sign language or said we were spending one of his vacation weeks biking all the way to Washington D.C. he always asks "when do we start?"

In this week alone Jack has lost over 4 pounds even though he didn't stick to his workout schedule.  Being vegan for him has different obstacles than for me.  I am at home all day and cook all of my own meals.  If I want or don't want something I make it happen.  But for him he has business dinners and company luncheons with meals provided.  He said that being vegan at a restaurant is either extremely easy, because you only have one option, or impossible.  Often times even the "steamed" veggies are soaking in butter and sprinkled with cheese.  We didn't beat ourselves up about it though.  He still ate the vegetables after attempting to pick of the parmesan and I still ate a Luna bar that said "may contain traces of milk."

I learned this week that being a vegan is not hard.  I was expecting something completely different.  I imagined myself eating meals of only side dishes and being hungry all of the time.  That wasn't the case and if I felt hungry I ate.  It was freeing to not have to count the calories or weigh 3 oz of chicken breast.  I ate whatever I wanted as long as it didn't contain any animal products and I made sure I stopped eating when I felt gently full.

Arm yourself with a repertoire of new plant based recipes and you will be surprised with how much you enjoy it.  My friend told me that it is a common misconception for people to think that being a vegan is limiting when in fact many people limit their diet more by eating meat because they fall into a rut of eating the same meals every week.

Just because being vegan may not be the lifestyle that you grew up with does not mean that you can't adopt the lifestyle now.  I am so thankful that Shakeology has to vegan flavors too.  I knew that I could start my day off with the nutrients that I needed to have the energy to get through my workout and not need coffee.  Do I think that I am going to go vegan forever?  ...probably not.  I am such an all-star couponer that I have a freezers worth of turkey burgers and chicken breast.  I plan on making 1 to 2 meals a week that contain meat.  I am open and happy to have a plant based option and I couldn't be happier with how I feel. 

If you want to make a lifestyle change but need help with the proper food choices I can help you.  Join my next challenge group starting on July 29th and I will help you make the necessary changes to start your fitness and wellness journey on the right foot.

Email me for more information.

some of my vegan meals this week:

Vegan Meal Plan

 John and I on the trail at Blue Mounds State Park

I had a fun filled 4th of July and holiday week.  We took out the camper and spent some time at Blue Mounds State Park in Luverne, MN.  Our meals included classic American cookout cuisine which meant lots of grilled meat!   Sure it was yummy at the time but now I am feeling sluggish.  I recently saw the documentary Forks over Knives on Netflix and I was inspired to make a change this week and go vegan... at least for the week.  Being a vegan means that you go without any animal products and eat only a plant based diet.  No meat, dairy, or eggs. 

 

I posted on Facebook and asked my friends what their favorite vegan recipes were.  I formed the plan below by searching through all of there wonderful suggestions.  Making a meal plan for the whole week (whether it is vegan or not) can take time but it is not rocket science.  It will make a big dig difference on being able to stay on track with your diet. 

 

I usually make my weekly meal plans on Sundays, then do the shopping for the week so that Jack can help me in the store with the kids.  This week required quite a bit more planning and I wasn't able to get it all done yesterday so I am starting a day late.  Since today is already Monday and I just got back from the store... I am going to start on Tuesday and finish up next Monday.

 

Vegan Meal Plan

TUESDAY
Breakfast-  Mix 1 scoop of Tropical Strawberry Shakeology with 8 oz of water or almond milk.
Snack 1 -  One handful of almonds, dark chocolate (at least 75% cocoa) and a banana
Lunch-   "'Tuna" Salad.'  (Recipe below)  I adapted this recipe from the book The 30-Day Vegan Challenge: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Cleaner, Getting Leaner, and Living Compassionately  by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Snack 2 -  Luna Bar
Dinner- "Snobby Joes"  from the blog Post Punk Kitchen www.theppk.com

WEDNESDAY
Breakfast-   Mix 1 scoop of Chocolate Vegan Shakeology with 8 oz of cooled coffee.
Snack 1 -  Refried beans on one whole wheat tortilla with salsa
Lunch-  "African Stew"  (Recipe below)  Also adapted from the 30-day Vegan Challenge book.
Snack 2 - Hummus and veggies
Dinner - "Oven Braised Acorn Squash, Carrots, and Mushrooms over Spaghetti"  from www.veganmotherhubbard.com

THURSDAY
Breakfast-  Mix one scoop of Tropical Strawberry Shakeology with 1/2 Cup of mango chunks and 8 oz of coconut milk in a blender with ice.
Snack 1-  One handful of almonds with dark chocolate and a banana
Lunch- Leftovers and Vegan Morningstar burgers.  (I had a coupon for these)
Snack 2 -  Hummus and Veggies
Dinner- "Raise the Roof" Sweet Potato Lasagna"  from www.Engine2diet.com.

FRIDAY
Breakfast- One scoop of chocolate vegan Shakeology with a teaspoon of peanut butter mixed in the blender with 8 oz of almond milk.  (My Fav!)
Snack 1 - Refried beans on one whole wheat tortilla and salsa.
Lunch- "Roasted Chickpea Salad" found on the Oh She Glows blog.
Snack 2 - Luna Bar
Dinner - "Vegan Pepperoni and Mushroom Pizza" also found on the vegan mother Hubbard blog.  I was not able to find a meat substitute for peperoni at my grocery store and I am also a little confused about the crust.  The package I bought says contains "trace amounts of egg and dairy."  John was crying so loudly in the store that at this point I just grabbed the package and threw it in the cart.  I figure trace amounts wouldn't matter for now and if I want to get more serious later I can.

SATURDAY
Breakfast- One scoop of Tropical Strawberry Shakeology blended with 8 oz of almond milk and a banana
Snack 1 -  Almonds and dark chocolate
Lunch -  "Hawaiian BBQ: Teriyaki Chickpeas"  from HappyHerbivore.com
Snack 2 - Luna bar
Dinner-  "Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas"  from Engine2diet.com

SUNDAY
Breakfast - one scoop of Chocolate vegan Shakeology with 1/2 cup of strawberries blended with 8 oz of almond milk and ice.
Snack 1 - refried beans on a whole wheat tortilla with salsa
Lunch - "Tagine of Moroccan Vegetables with Couscous" from Lifeisapalindrome.com
Snack 2 - Hummus and Veggies
Dinner -  "Alfredo" from OhSheGlows.com

MONDAY
Breakfast- Mix one scoop of Chocolate Vegan Shakology with 8 oz of water or almond milk.
Snack 1 - Refried Beans on one whole wheat tortilla with salsa
Lunch- " 'Tuna' Salad".  (Recipe below)  I adapted this recipe from the book The 30-Day Vegan Challenge: The Ultimate Guide to Eating Cleaner, Getting Leaner, and Living Compassionately  by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau
Snack 2- Hummus and Veggies
Dinner- "Spaghetti Squash and Eggplant Marinara" from my friend Azia's blog: http://mamasgotabigbelly.blogspot.com/ Most of these recipes can be found on my pinterest page on the board titled vegan.

 

This is quite a bit more recipes than I normally make for one week.  For the sake of variety I thought it was important to make something new everyday.  Normally my family is big on leftovers to eat the next day.  This week if I have an over abundance of leftovers I plan on freezing them. I also plan on eating lots of salads and veggies from my CSA box this week including this recipe for a kale salad from Engine2diet.com

 

Do you have a favorite vegan recipe?  Follow along with me and this meal plan this week and let me know what you think.

 

African Stew

 

2 yellow onions

3 garlic cloves pressed

2 red bell peppers diced

2 teaspoons brown sugar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 C smooth or crunchy peanut butter

3 sweet potatoes peels and cut into 1/2 in cubes

two 15 oz cans kidney beans drained and rinsed

one 15 oz can diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable stock

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

Sautee onions and garlic with olive oil until soft.  Add bell peppers, cover and cook 5 min more.  Stir in the brown sugar, ginger, cumin, cinnamon and cayenne pepper and cook for 30 seconds more.

 

Stir in the peanut butter and distribute it evenly throughout. Add the sweet potatoes, kidney beans and tomatoes and stir to coat.  Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 30 minutes.

 

 

 

"Tuna" Salad

 

2 15 oz cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup eggless mayonnaise

1 medium red bell pepper finely chopped

2 carrots finely chopped

2celery stocks finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

1 Cup walnut halves, chopped

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard

 

Put the chickpeas in the food processor and grind them into small flakey pieces.  In a large bowl, combine all of the ingredients and mix well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Serve as a salad or on a sandwich.

 

 

Shakelogy Explained

www.KelseySchott.com

When I first started Insanity I thought that I could complete the program without drinking shakeology.  Being the frugal person that I am, I didn't want to have to purchase anything additionally.  So I set off on my Insane fitness journey thinking my healthy breakfasts of oatmeal and berries would be enough but it wasn't and I failed fast.  My energy level was so low that completing the workouts was nearly impossible.  My form got sloppy and I ended up injuring my ankles.  My first insanity attempt lasted 2 weeks before I quit.

After staring at the DVD set for a few months and moving it around from various clutter piles to other piles.  I decided that I was tired of looking at the pictures of the crazy sweaty people on the cover because it was an example of something that I had quit.  I hate quitting!  So I set the goal to finish the program and do it right.  I wanted to limit my risk of failure so I finally purchased Shakeology. 

Wow! It actually worked.  I had enough energy to keep pushing play everyday.  I was filling my body with necessary nutrients that in our society we can't help to be lacking.  I had more energy and I was losing weight quick!  Only 3 weeks into the programs I was already into my pre-pregnancy jeans.  I hadn't worn those things since 2011!!

Something else was happening too.  I realized that it was actually easier for me to make a shake in the morning than to cook myself breakfast.  Mornings can be super crazy here.  I am nursing one baby and fixing (and forcing) food to the other oh yeah and you can't forget the dog.

My next new discovery was the shaker cup.  Yes, you can get fancy in the blender adding fruit or nut butters and I really like having the 30 day calendar with a whole months worth of recipe ideas, but truthfully I just want to eat first thing in the morning.  I don't want to deal with a bunch of extra dishes to wash and I especially hate cleaning the blender.  So instead I put 8 ounces of vanilla almond milk and one scoop of Shakeology in the cup and bam!  Breakfast of served.  It's quick, it's sweet and it's filling. 

So what makes Shakeology different?  Because I know what you are thinking. "Why can't I just go to Sam's club and buy the giant jug of generic protein powder?"  The difference is not in the amount of protein. It is in the health benefits of super foods like chia seeds, acai berry, pomegranate and wheat grass. It is also organic with no GMO's with probiotics which aid digestion. You would have to spend a lot of money on exotic fruits, vegetables and supplements to compare to Shakeology. 

So what is Shakeology?
Shakeology is the most delicious, nutrient-dense, superfood-packed protein shake on the planet. It’s made with the healthy stuff you should be eating every day, but typically don’t. Shakeology’s the perfect combination of proteins, phytonutrients, antioxidants, enzymes, prebiotics, and probiotics. Plus, it also contains many rare ingredients, including adaptogens, camu-camu, and sacha inchi—things we can’t get from an ordinary diet. So whether you use Shakeology for weight loss, or drink it to optimize your health, this powerful and delicious shake is your daily dose of dense nutrition.

See what doctors are saying about Shakeology.  Watch this video "100 Doctors Don't Lie."

New this month is a brand new Shakeology flavor...Vanilla!  My mother is so happy about this because sometimes you just want plain 'ole vanilla! 

 I am eager to learn what the response is to the new vanilla shakeology.  I invite you to take part in the Vanilla Shakeology test panel that is set to begin on July 15th.  Details are below or you can try it out now and get me as your coach!  I will offer you a customized meal plan because losing weight is 80% diet and 20% exercise.  If you put good foods into your body you will have a good quality body.  Shakeology will be your answer to the much needed healthy and quick breakfast but together I can help you get the rest of your meals in order too!  If you are nervous to try Shakeology because you are afraid you won't like it remember that it comes with a bottom of the bag money back guarantee.  Even if you have finished the bag but you are not happy with your results you can send it back for a full refund.

To order or for more information go to:
www.myshakology.com/kelseyschott

When you purchase Shakeology HD you get:
- a month's supply of Shakeology
- a calendar of 30 different ways to make it for each flavor. (Chocolate Regular, Vanilla, Greenberry, Tropical Strawberry or Chocolate Vegan.)  
-free shipping when you sign up for home direct

 

VANILLA SHAKEOLOGY TEST PANEL

 

Beachbody is doing this test panel to get feedback on the new vanilla flavor

 

I am looking for 10  people who are serious about getting healthy and fit!

Must commit to 30 days of drinking Shakeology, by replacing one meal a day.
Must commit to eating clean for 30 days (meal plan provided).

Must commit to tracking measurements, weight, and before/after picture.  The pictures and measurements don't have to be disclosed unless you have great results but must be taken for motivation.

Must be willing to answer a few questions about their experience at the end regarding what you liked about the challenge, how you felt, changes you noticed, how you liked the flavor, texture, smell, etc.

Participants will be in a private online group for support.

For those who are ready to lose weight, feel more energized, & change their health.

At the end of the 30 days, if a participant is NOT satisfied with their results, they can then return their empty bag for a FULL refund! So there is absolutely zero risk to join!

If this sounds like something for you, please email me at kelseyschott@gmail.com

Subject line “Shakeology Panel”
We begin Monday July 15!

You can download the PDF of the ingredients and supplement facts at the bottom of my site,
www.myshakeology.com/kelseyschott