B&b: Schedule + Location
About those 10 awesome moms…
There is something that scares me about being successful. Isn’t that a strange feeling? Or maybe it isn’t the success that scares me, maybe it’s the failure. I did have one failed business before, not in the same industry of course, but it definitely left a scar. I’ve had plenty of great ideas in the past, like Mandy’N’Munchkins, a paleo treat business. Or better yet, starting a café under that same name, where you can eat all sorts of paleo sweets. Each cookie was going to be related to women problems such as the “pms” cookie or the “heartbroken” brownie. I know, I know, it still sounds awesome lol! I think I will have to make a batch soon to remind myself how good it all was haha! Maybe it can be the next recipe I put on the blog, ladies? I should name one “the mommy breakdown”. lol I seem to be making myself laugh this morning. My husband is also jealous and says “maybe you should actually make me something”. Anyway, back to failure. The fit mom blog and Buns&Bottles were two projects that scared me a lot. Heck they still do! I constantly have the fear of failing, or wondering if I’ll be good enough. But I realized after launching my first class and starting this blog that being scared isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It keeps you sharp and attentive and forces you to better yourself. After seeing what my moms looked like throughout their training, and the positive response from all of them, I knew this was exactly where I wanted to be. I realized that the fear came from my passion, it came from the fact that I care with all my heart about this project. My drive to help people on a daily basis is what keeps me going every single day. That is why I do what I do. And I have to learn that fear is normal and the day I stop fearing is the day I should revaluate my “why”. My “why” is you, ladies, reading my blog. My “why” is you, mommies, that joined my Buns&Bottles class.
About my first 10 moms. We all started with a little mom talk where we sat down, introduced ourselves and our babes. We spoke of our experience during pregnancy, delivery and post partum. We shared our joys and some of us even shed some tears, a super important process of healing from the inside out. One of the great benefits from Buns&Bottles. Some of these ladies have trained with me before, other had never trained at all, and some had done Crossfit in the past! Go moms! I think there’s nothing cooler than a fit mom and I want to be the one who gets you there! One thing is for sure, most of the moms hadn’t trained since baby! For example, there was Jen, who’s youngest is five years old, and finally decided it was time to get back into shape! On the other hand, there was Melissa who plays soccer all while being a stay at home mom to a three year old and an 18 month old! What a super mom! And what about six month preggo, Amri, who smashed the workout! The beauty of the class was that no matter their background, they all united as one powerhouse. They all watched each others baby’s so everyone can finish their set. They all encouraged and supported each other. Most important of all, they gave 150% and it showed in their sweat and smiles.
That was the most important part for me, their smiles. In that moment, I was me again. All that searching, all that wondering when I was going to find myself again, all that blockage I’ve had was fading away as the time went by in that little hour. When I started this blog a few weeks ago, I said all I could hope for is to help turn around a mother’s life for the better. Or maybe, this project was to help myself. And it already has. I find a purpose to stay up past 8:30pm now. I find a reason not to go home and sleep because I am tired. This project gave me a reason to believe in myself again. It gave me my ME TIME I’ve been longing to have.
I truly believe that making yourself happy is not something that should be neglected. Life is not only about work, or being buried in mom duties, or making sure the house is spotless. Hell, life is about experiences, memories, happiness. My husband helped to show me the “f*ck it method”, like not washing the floors this week GUILT FREE, so that we can enjoy a relaxing Sunday together. Memories and happiness is what will keep us going in life with our heads held high and our hearts full. What good comes from a clean floor if your marriage is going to suffer? Why does my daughter have to suffer from me being overworked? Anyways, we may not realize that we get lost in our mom bubble, but I am more than sure that your children and spouse would be much happier with a batch of cookies rather than a clean floor! Right babe 😉
Moderation and putting in some me time are two things I am constantly trying to achieve. And oh boy, do I think I have it all figured out sometimes and then it comes crashing down lol! But I guess that’s what life is isn’t it? A constant evolution of one’s self.
So, for the moment I found my moderation and me time by giving up some cleaning to start my business and I have you to thank for that. To the 10 moms who came to my first class, you helped me find a part of me again without even knowing it. I am not scared to fail anymore, so thank you! I know this is exactly the path I am meant to be on at this very moment. It reminds me of one of my favorite books, The Five People You Meet In Heaven, by Mitch Albom. Worth a Read.
Mandy xxx
Yum! Pancakes :)
What a crazy week! Since I decided to start the blog and Buns and Bottles my brain has been on work mode 24/7! I wish I had time to blog everyday, I’m fullll of ideas! Hopefully, I can get my shit together one day and do this daily for you lol…..but until then here I am once a week. Actually, this weekend I will have two for you! Today’s, which is my yummy sugar-free pancake recipe! And tomorrow’s will be all about my first Buns and Bottles class that was a huuuuuuuuugeeeee hit! I can’t even begin to describe the overwhelming joy I had once my first class was coming to an end. I wanted to cry but I figured crying at the beginning of class was more than enough for one class haha! I’ll keep those details for tomorrow 😉
Lets keep it short and sweet, literally! This recipe is the easiest, most delicious, healthy pancake recipe you will ever make! I am quite lazy and I hate washing dishes lol, so this recipe is perfect for supporting my laziness. I also have what I like to call the uncontrollable sweet tooth and guess what, this kicks that craving! Oh, and I have a sugar-free daughter as well and she loves them more than i do! Lets get to this shall we?
What you will need:
One egg per half banana (one banana= two eggs)
1/2 tsp of vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
***optional for hubby *** as much chocolate chips or cocoa powder as his heart desires. From time to time we make these into protein pancakes by adding a scoop of protein powder and it makes a great post-workout!
That is it my friends! Feel free to add or remove anything you don’t like.
If you are as lazy as me, I blend it all together (about 10 seconds). It will make it a smooth consistency! If you aren’t as lazy, or desire a chunkier feel, then smash it with your fork. The batter is done and some pancakes are now ready to be cooked! Since there are no ingredients to make them thicken, you will have to make them smaller in size. More like a crepe. I use coconut oil for the pan but butter will do. Once the batter starts to bubble they are ready to be flipped. That’s it! Pull out the maple syrup and enjoy 🙂
My daughter loves it when I make them into pancake roll-ups with some peanut butter or some organic jam on them!
Let me know how you eat yours !!
Don’t forget to check in tomorrow to hear all about the Buns and Bottles class!
Mandy xx
Buns&Bottles.
Buns&Bottles classes are coming soon! I am beyond excited to start my first free trial next week! I am so grateful to have the opportunity to help these mommies get back into shape.
So what is Buns&Bottles?
It’s a fitness class for moms, designed by a mom. One hour of ME time dedicated to getting your body back. The best part is you can bring your sweet bundle of joy to watch you sweat! Now, there is no more excuses not to dedicate ONE HOUR a WEEK for YOU. As a mommy, finding time for ourselves can seem impossible. But with an amazing support system, some motivation and a little will power, IT IS POSSIBLE. Ladies, this is what you will find joining Buns & Bottles classes.
The initial phase of the training program consists of one training session a week, for eight weeks. We begin by getting you familiar with your body. Baby steps! Your babies wont get up and run over night, right! We start by building up your core to get you ready for the following phase. By the end of the eight weeks, you will find an improvement in posture, core strength and intensity. You are then ready for the second phase of the training program which consists of two sessions a week for 12 weeks. We start every class with some mommy talk and then move on to our sweat session. Lastly, we finish off with some mommy-baby exercises which often lead to many kissies and cuddles!
Buns&Bottles is a safe place where we all understand each other. We can speak openly about our experiences, our joys and our struggles that come with motherhood. Let’s face it, motherhood is not easy. It’s supposed to be the most beautiful phase of your life, but meanwhile, nobody really talks about the emotional aspect. Nobody talks about how you can lose yourself with your partner, how you could feel self-conscious about your body, how the endless sleepless nights eat away at you! Some of us even lose our dearest friends along the way. But why? Humanity has been having babies for thousands of years, however, keep in mind that you are still new to this. I learned so much and no matter how hard it can feel in that moment, in the end, baby just needs mommy’s love! And I’m sure you have so much to give!!! One thing is for certain, the rest will all work itself out in time.
Why I started this program?
The transition to motherhood was very tough for me. I was training very competitively before pregnancy, all while being a Crossfit coach. The moment I fell pregnant, everything changed. I barely had any energy to work and even less energy to train. At that time, there was not much information out there concerning Crossfit and pregnancy. So I was scared! I stopped training completely at four months. On top of it, I had a C-Section and I couldn’t train for another three months after my baby was born. The process was brutal. My training always helped ease my anxiety so without it, my anxiety came back. I was the first of my friends to have a baby and I felt alone. We all know, you cannot understand motherhood until you experience it and that made me lonely. Training was my happy place, a place where I felt good about myself. But I spent most days crying alone with my baby, three months postpartum to be exact. Until, that one day I decided to start moving again. It was all uphill from there!
It was so hard to start training all over again. I remember crying on the floor because I was unable to do half a push-up on my knees. I started back at zero and I knew it was going to be a very long battle to get to where I wanted to be again. My husband stuck by my side and trained me. He was my mentor and my shoulder to cry on (even though he couldn’t understand me and thought i was crazy for crying in the middle of a workout lol). Baby watched as I trained, lying around with her little noise canceling earmuffs. And then she started crawling and needed more attention. It made me super uncomfortable to bring her to classes. I didn’t want to bother anyone. So my training took a hit. I thought to myself, there had to be a way for me to train with my baby. And that is how I came up with the idea of a mommy baby class!
So, here it is… Buns&Bottles! A Fun, Comfortable place to get that body you want while baby can be right with you no matter what stage! A place where you can talk to other moms about all the ups and downs of being a parent, or simply a place where you can finally make TIME FOR YOU! A guilt free hour that is designed to leave you feeling like your sexy, best self.
Join me in the first ever Buns&Bottles class for free! Take the first step out of you daily mom routine and shake it up a bit. Every burpee, push-up and squat will be loads of fun I promise! Mom and baby will leave feeling great, who doesn’t want that? Remember, my goal besides making you feel sexy is to help you feel great from the inside, self-love!
For more info contact me by clicking this link and follow me on my Facebook/Instagram Page @ Fit.ByMandy.
Date: Thursday, February 8, 2018 Time: 10:30am Location: Crossfit Laval
Date: Friday, February 9, 2018 Time: 1:30pm Location: Crossfit Repentigny
xx Mandy
The Unveiling.
Ok, I finally built up the courage to start my blog. I had this idea six months ago and I’ve had the hardest time launching it. I did not know if I wanted it to be a social place for moms, and moms to be of course, or if I wanted to write about fitness. Expressing my struggles as a new wifey could of been an option too! This morning I decided that I did not have to choose. I am going to write about all of these things!
So here it is! The unveiling of Fit.ByMandy, A Fit Mom Blog. A place where I will write about my training, being a mommy to the most awesome two year old girl and trying not to fail as a housewife! Since this is my first blog, I’m sure that I will find my true identity as we go along. Right now I have sooooooo many ideas I dont know where to start!
A little about myself. I’m Mandy and this little girl in the picture right above is my two year old daughter that I love to no words! Emma Rose, she mostly goes by Cookie. I also have a deep love for cookies and that my friends is how my daughter got her nickname, haha! Another human I love to no words, my husband Mike. We’ve been married for 4 months now and together for 3 and a half years. And yes, your calculations are correct, we got pregnant after 4 months together. This man, my lady friends, is one loving, patient, compassionate person. Of course, you are thinking well any good wife will publicly say that. But as we go on you will see for yourselves that I am one lucky woman!
I am a big believer in the universe. We are sent what we need to grow at the very moment we need it. My husband was sent to me in a very desperate time in my life. As for my daughter, she is my angel on earth. She has shown me how to grow in so many ways that no life lesson ever has. Many years of chasing happiness, 14 years to be exact, was fulfilled the day she was born. It changed me internally and I never went back. For instance, most women hate their bodies after they give birth, but that was the first time I didn’t. I guess I will express all this in other blogs, probably what led me here. I just hope my story can inspire and give other moms the hope they’ve been looking for. Or just maybe I’m helping myself on my journey.
Everyone who knows me knows one thing about me, I’m an open book. Even though I found my wholeness does not mean it was easy for me. For some reason, I found this journey very hard to adapt to. I’m a Crossfit Coach for two gyms and my husband also owns Crossfit Waverly in Montreal. Working in gyms made it easier to stay fit, but even there, I was never able to go back to my old training schedule of when I was competing. I’m simply too tired. I don’t know how all you full time working mommies get it all done with dinner and baby and work! I am soooo bad at being a housewife, lol. My poor man starves most nights! Two years later, I’m still trying to figure it out but I assume that when the babe is 10 I’ll be super mommy!
This is what brought up my idea about this blog. A place where we, mommies and mommies to be, can discuss how to juggle it all. Which led me to think, some moms do not have the time to go the gym so this is where I can help! I can give tips and tricks on how to stay on a healthier path. Which brings me to my favorite project of all! “Buns and Bottles”. This, my mommy friends, will be a semi-private training class where you can bring your babies and their bottles all while you train to get those sexy buns of yours! So if you are in the Montreal-Laval area hit me up! These classes will be a mix of training and mommy talk and I am sooooo excited it hurts! I can’t wait to start all these projects with you where you can see my second baby grow, Fit.ByMandy.
In the end, I just want this to be a fun, safe place for women in general.
Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed my unveiling as much as I did! I feel fantastic and so proud of myself right now! Until next time!… given this post took me about 6 months to write, I hope the next will be within the next month, lol.
kiss your loved ones and hold them tight till then,
xxx Mandy
