Melissa is the Co-Founder of Shrinking Kitchen and the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans She has been married for a dozen years and is mother to four children (15,12, 8 and 8), with more soon coming her way through the foster care system. Melissa has a love/hate relationship with food (okay, mostly candy) and cooking. This isn't improved by the fact that her husband, the true family chef, works in another city half the year, leaving Melissa to figure out how to feed her growing family something other than Pop-Tarts. Melissa loves her camera, enjoys traveling, kickboxing, creating beautiful things she finds on Pinterest, and planning her dream home that will be built… someday.
melissa@shrinkingjeans.net :: @lissajoy :: whereverimaywander.com :: pinning here
Coffee. I love coffee. I drink mine black, but when I stop at a coffee shop, it’s easy to get lured into ordering something a bit more adventurous, which often means more calories, sugar, and fat. Did you know that if you drink a Grande Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino, you will be consuming 500 calories, [...]
Finale? Really?! Where has the time gone? I might be having a minor panic attack when I think about the fact that May is already half over and the kids are going to be done with school in two weeks. We have been Springing into Action for the past several weeks. Remember back on Day [...]
Back in the day, we had simple terms to describe our eating habits. Herbivore, carnivore, omnivore… Simple. In our culture today, there are so many in-betweens and different words to describe certain ways of eating, in can be a bit overwhelming. In the end, the choice is yours. Eat as you see fit for your [...]
May is almost upon us! In the past few months, we’ve gotten our abdomens bikini-ready {or at least tankini-ready}, and our asses are looking more fabulous than ever. Are you ready for MAD MUSCLE MAY? Once again, we have three exercises for you. The goal of these monthly mini-workouts is to fit in quick, repetitive [...]
Hello there. Ever have those days or weeks where you just feel kind of “meh”, even though you have no REAL reason to be feeling that way? Yeah. That’s me. My blog has been suffering for months weeks… My motivation is lacking, even though I have that half-marathon right around the corner. I have been [...]
It’s Monday, friends. I spent all weekend outside and have all the aches and pains to show for it. My back hurts. My ankle is bruised and swollen, due to one sneaky little garden gnome hiding out behind my feet and tripping me and forcing me to fall over the raised garden bed. Gracefully, of [...]
This week, we are spotlighting our Run the ‘Hood sponsor, Moving Comfort. Moving Comfort is a women-powered company lead by the belief that a Fit Woman is a Powerful Woman®. They produce inspiring, flattering high-performance workout gear that will keep you motivated and supported while you sweat, and looking sporty and cute while on the [...]
Every Tuesday, we like to give ourselves a little pat on the back , toot our horns, and tell the world what we are doing right. Excuse me while I dig deep. {crickets} {more crickets} Okay, I’m back. This week, I started running again. Running my way. You know, jog, huff puff, walk, jog, repeat, [...]
Good morning, ladies and gents! We are a few weeks into our newest fitness and weight loss challenge here at the Sisterhood, and hopefully you are still going strong! Remember that ACTION plan you came up with the very first day of the challenge? Have you been following it? Analyze your goals – decide what [...]
1,890,000 Kenyan children are infected by jiggers, burrowing fleas that cause painful infection. 30,000 people live on one landfill in the Philippines, where many are without shoes and are exposed to broken glass, syringes and debris. 4,000,000 people have podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring soil-based disease. 740,000,000 people are affected by hookworm which can cause intestinal pain, weakness [...]
I’ve had a little problem with motivation to exercise lately. Seems like when my plate is full, my workouts are the easiest things to toss off to the side. Drastic times call for drastic measures. 3 Sure-Fire Ways to Get My Your Ass Up and Moving Get a friend. Whether you call up your bff, [...]
Because the sun is shining and we love you so, a coupon code is the way to go. Ten percent off your registration fee, includes a medal, swag, and an awesome tee. Whether you want to walk or run, Head on over to our race page for fun. Lace up your shoes and tell your [...]
Last month we focused on our abs… you are probably rocking a six-pack by now, right? This month, we are going to shift our focus a little lower. You guessed it! During the month of April, we are going to kick some serious ass. As in, firm up our legs and gluteus, yo. (Pssssst…. we’ve [...]
Once again, on Monday, May 28th, we’ll lace up our shoes for another awesome Sisterhood Virtual Race! On Memorial Day, we’ll all run our own race, in our own place, at our own pace! It’s a Race to Remember! Registration is now open, and we’ll begin the Couch to 5K and Couch to 10K programs [...]
The Athlete’s Kitchen Copyright: Nancy Clark MS RD CSSD January 2012 Recovering from Hard Exercise: How to Refuel What’s best to eat for recovery after a hard workout? That’s what marathoners, body builders, and fitness exercisers alike repeatedly ask. They read ads for commercial recovery foods that demand a 3 to 1 ratio of carbs [...]
