Life with Michelle Sparkles

09/07/2024

The highlight of my week.

Sitting with my 4th grader, waiting for the bus, listening to him talk all things Jurassic World, hockey, and his first few days of school. Time has been flying as we’ve been busy with sports, work, school and everything else and these moments aren’t as often as they used to be.

I hated hearing “it goes so fast” from every little old lady when my kids were toddlers throwing temper tantrums in the Target checkout, but it sure does💙

08/22/2024

Greater Wausau friends- help a girl out! What are your favorite local restaurants and things to do on date night?

This year my hubby and I set a goal to support our local businesses. One of our adventures led us to Osso Buco - Weston and it was AMAZING! We loved the Italian menu with a few unlisted chef specials, cute atmosphere and attentive staff.

We want to keep the fun going, so tag your favorite businesses and ideas below 👇🏼👇🏼

08/20/2024

This spring I lost my 52 week Peloton streak almost right after I announced my celebration hitting. *cues tears*
I spent a week throwing myself a pity party before I got right back at it and I hit 19 weeks this week!

So this is your reminder if you have a day you don’t meet some goal, just get right back at it. You’ll be there again before you know it!

08/05/2024

BABE IT’S AUGUST! DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?!?

Pumpkin spice time!!! If you haven’t tried them yet, I strongly recommend the International Delight cold foams! And they have a Pumpkin Spice for fall!

07/22/2024

07/21/2024

One day at a time.

05/07/2024

I’ve been reading new book “Speak” and LOVING IT. One of the first first quotes that caught my eye was this one. Learning to navigate my health & weight loss from a completely different place where I learn to trust myself, my body, my decision and be loving instead of self-loathing has been a trip and is a work in progress. One of my biggest hang ups is the uncertainty and self-doubt that can go with learning new habits and changing my mindset and that’s NORMAL. Her words are a reminder that uncertainty isn’t bad- it’s full of possibilities.

03/23/2024

A 52 week Peloton streak is worth sharing! It’s been a year you guys 😅 I’m not where I want to be but I’m really proud of giving it what I could at least once a week. So for anyone else out there feeling like what they’re doing isn’t enough, just remember something is better than nothing. Thank you Tunde Oyeneyin - Peloton for all the amazing workouts!

Let’s see what this next year of Peloton fun will bring!

02/08/2024

When I first began working claims fulltime again last year I had a motto for days I was overwhelmed: one claim at a time. Lately my life has been jam packed with school, work, kids sports and my motto is very similar.

One step at a time.
One claim at a time.
One daily plan at a time.
One assignment at a time.
One game/competition at a time.
One day at a time.

Every day is a little closer to a variety of life goals I have for myself and when I get stuck in the hamster wheel of overwhelm it’s helpful to remind myself to just take life one little step at a time.

01/20/2024

Did you know that January 12th was QUITTERS DAY?! That’s right, abandoning those big audacious New Year resolutions is so normal it has an official date.

My natural tendency is to go ALL IN to the point of burnout but I can’t live that way for long. As a wife and mom working full-time and going back to school, I had to double check my motivations and make sure they fit with the season of life I am in. This included paring back commitments, asking for help and adjusting the expectations I had for myself.

Here’s a tip- even if you found yourself quitting or on the cusp of quitting, give yourself a chance to step back and re-evaluate your actual goal, strategy and support system. Make your goal realistic and sustainable for the life you live.

Your goals don’t need to be audacious to be worthy of pursuit. They simply need to be important to YOU.

10/24/2023

This month in the NoBS membership we’ve been busting our time management barriers. I’m the self-proclaimed Queen of Busy and being busy is one of my biggest excuses to focus on taking care of everyone else and avoiding taking care of me. One big tip I’ve taken is making the most of micro moments. The 5-10 minutes here and there just doing things really adds up. Here are some of the things I’ve done in my micro moments instead of waiting for huge chunks of time:
-made appt phone calls
-unloaded the dishwasher
-start/change a load of laundry
-pull something out to thaw for dinner
-a 5-15 minute workout on the app.
-quick declutters (fold blankets, hang up coats, put away shoes/toys) on a break.
What are your favorite ways to get stuff done in busy seasons? 

10/23/2023

Definitely feeling this today from ! I’m changing my mind on what a busy life looks like and learning to prioritize what’s most important. I might have a lot of things going on, but I’m done complaining about them. Make moves or make excuses.

10/23/2023

Any other sports mommas getting ready to rock winter sports season? We have 2 winter athletes in 2 elite sports to manage, so I’m make life easier with freezer meals and easy to grab and go options for protein and produce. Mommas, your health & fitness matter too so make sure you take time for YOU in every season.

10/18/2023

Aging however I want, thank you very much. I didn’t let myself go, I freed myself from unrealistic expectations, ever changing beauty standards and began to love myself for everything I already am.

09/21/2023

What is it about fall that makes me want to curl up with a book and read? What’s on your Fall Reading list?

09/11/2023

If you haven’t ordered those amazing Harry Potter Floating candles you need to.

I just ordered a second set 🤣

Amazon Affiliate link: https://amzn.to/44NdKlW

08/13/2023

Shoutout to Crunchmaster for setting me up with a swag bag of their crackers 😍I’ve been in LOVE with these crackers for years and might be even more in love with how they spoil their customers! This month I’ll be sharing some of my favorite ways to enjoy their crackers- spoiler alert, it’s a lot of adult lunchables and kids sports night snack packs!

07/27/2023

Creating my summer style! I’ve been ruthless getting rid of clothes that no longer fit and curating my closet with clothing I love. Never thought I’d be caught dead in a romper, but here I am, living my best life on date night 💕

Affiliate link for romper: https://amzn.to/3Oyqhoz

07/18/2023

I used to think being a good role model for my kids meant being as healthy as possible- the only problem was my definition was skewed and warped in perfection. Eating perfectly, rigid food lists, working out perfectly— never mind the rebellious anti diet phase that resulted from perfection 🤣

Tonight I had the biggest click ever when my son and I made puppy chow and I spooned out a bowl for each of my kids and myself. I was 1/2 way through and said “oof I’m good kiddos” and stopped eating: My son looks at me like I’m crazy and is like thats “that’s all you want right now?!” And I said I can have more later but if I keep eating my stomach will hurt. You guys- all 3 of us stopped and saved the rest for later. We are making memories and changes.

This is the example I want to be. Healthy INSIDE and out.

07/03/2023

2 years in the making: I started by using a bike from amazon with my tablet doing the Peloton app workouts and today I got a Peloton!!!!! 💜 This is girl is ready to ride!!!!

11/23/2022

“Do you still make a plan?” I was asked this recently and thought I’d share 💕

Truth time: I just started making plans again in October. I found myself flirting with diets and different dietary strategies, feeling unsure of my progress and was struggling to commit to my plan… Then had a health scare (listen to episode 38 of my podcast for the update) and took a deep breath. Fear based decision making is NEVER helpful long term. Making a daily plan has ALWAYS been helpful for me to reduce decision fatigue, make choices that benefit my body, and reflect in a way that doesn’t feel restrictive to me. Right now I use my iPad for digital daily planning and journaling which is fun for me! My progress is going to be measured differently and in a way that focuses on balancing my blood sugar, hormone support, managing cravings, increasing sleep and decreasing stress. Sounds just peachy right?! This is the great thing about the daily plan. It’s designed to support you in any season, health condition, dietary need and beyond. So while I took a break and figured out all the things I didn’t want, I came back to the thing that really helps me💕

11/16/2022

Having a meal prep morning and wanted to share my favorite tip for helping my Family eat more veggies! Always have a veggie tray ready! I put this out after school, with meals in case my kiddos don’t want the cooked veggies and it’s always a hit. My youngest has always been picky when it comes to vegetables but this little trick has helped a ton! What works for your family to enjoy more veggies?

11/14/2022

This week I wrapped up my month of learning! Over the last 30 days I added Revelation Wellness, Aqua Zumba, Zumba Gold and renewed by CPR certification. I’d say I’m done, but truth is I’m going to be restarting my ACE Wellness Coach certification and taking that exam this spring 🥰 But today, I’m taking a break and going Christmas shopping time with the hubby. Learning to work from a place of rest like my girl 💜

10/20/2022

Taking in so so much today.

10/19/2022

3 years ago this group of women gave me the honor of leading a faith focused fitness class at our church women’s retreat. I still remember how you could FEEL the energy in that room as we laughed and moved our bodies. At the time I was still trying to manage pain and struggling with feeling less than worthy of leading anything involving God but I left that class knowing it was something I wanted to do again- it was right where I wanted to be. This class planted the tiniest seed in my heart that maybe there a better way to impact lives but I didn’t know how to do it.

There’s a saying ”you cannot have testimony without a TEST”. I haven’t spoken much about my Revelation Wellness training, but it was like the second we decided to pursue opening the studio and taking the RevWell certification it was like our family life was set on fire. The thoughts of unworthiness came up multiple times in this process. The shadows of the past came creeping in to distract and discourage. But today, I’m heading out to attend the Revelation Wellness Platoon 29 Retreat and wrap up my training. This training has been a game changer and I can’t wait to apply this to every aspect of my business.

Thank you to everyone who has been a part of the last 3 years of growth, evolution and supporting the process. Thank you to everyone who has been praying over this whole thing. Thank you to everyone who helped make this certification and studio opening possible💜 I’ll be back Sunday with another sappy post!

09/27/2022

I dyed my hair for 16 years of my life and at the end of 2020, I decided to take a chance and let it grow out. Much to my surprise it has been a journey not just of hair growth but inner growth. When your hair is jet black and you’re in your 30’s watching your hair fade into silver, it brings up a whole set of emotions tied to your youth, beauty standards, and allowing yourself to exist without judgment. As of today all of what you see is my natural hair. What started out as uncertainty has wrapped up in excitement to see the final hair product. And now I’m growing it out long again!

09/20/2022

You may have noticed I haven’t been around as much lately! I’ve been working hard getting up and running but also working on my certification. I have found myself feeling overwhelmed when I try to do all the things behind the scenes AND keep up with social so I’ve been letting go of social media to focus on the things that matter most. One of my favorite parts of this certification has been our study of Nehemiah. It goes through process of Nehemiah rebuilding a wall and the MANY obstacles he went through to get there. Through it all, Nehemiah remained brave and faithful to God’s plan. As I reflect on opening a brick and mortar business, my own fears of failure, the obstacles I’ve faced the last two years being a business owner it has been an encouraging reminder that in everything, God is good. The enemy will use everything from fear, insecurity, doubt, distraction and more to keep you stuck. We can remain stuck or we can rally for what matters.

09/15/2022

Wausau friends if you need a fast, healthy, balanced lunch you need to check out !!! I stopped there today on my way to the studio for a protein shake that wasn’t full of soy, artificial sweeteners or other questionable ingredients and was super excited to see they had a nice selection of frozen grab&go balanced meals too!!! Around $8 each, super yummy, and full of flavor. Next time I’m grabbing one of their cauliflower crust pizzas too🤤

08/31/2022

I cleaned our house for this 🤣

08/29/2022

Happy Monday! Accidentally twinning with my girl💜