I wrote a couple weeks ago about starting the Special K Challenge. Even if you didn't read my post, I'm sure you've all heard of the challenge, right? This year, Special K wants to take the negative connotations away from the idea of approaching weight loss by asking women to consider what they will gain by losing weight. I think that is the best way to look at things ever! Simply reframing the question and putting a positive spin on things can really change a person's mindset. I'd say it definitely did for me.

I had lost weight through the hCG diet last spring, but I gained a good bit of it back. I took some time to reflect on how I felt when I lost those nearly 25 pounds. According to a study by Special K, the top three emotional benefits women hope to achieve by reaching their weight loss goal are happiness, confidece and a sense of achievement. I would definitely say that I felt all of those with my weight loss, and I wanted to feel those things again. So I jumped right on board with the two-week Special K Challenge. If you're looking to try the challenge too, find Special K with promotional codes here.

Program Overview

Have you visited the Special K website? If not, you'll want to go take a look. Special K has so much more than cereal now. Their line of products is extensive. They have salty snacks like cracker chips, protein meal replacement bars and shakes, just to name a few. I recommend taking a look. They have all their products listed on the site, and you can even browse by craving. The website is where you'll want to start if you decide to take the challenge or would like inspiration on beginning a long-term weight loss plan.

This is one of the most thorough websites i've encountered from a brand, I must say. There is a social component where you can connect with others looking for a healthy way of life. I have to confess that I didn't use this part much, as I had my fellow challenge blog participants to lean on, as well as my other online networks. But it's so cool to offer a place for people who are specifically interested in the Special K Challenge. When you've decided to take the challenge or look into a longer-term plan, you can choose your goals and find a daily meal plan tailored specifically for your choice. You'll find sample meals and recipes to try based on your plan. So helpful for busy women on the go! Seriosly, there's just too much to list here. Check out the website for recipe ideas, tips for success, Special K yummy ideas and even a mobile app with shopping lists.

My Experience

Yeah, I know - you just want to know how much weight I lost. I'll get to that. I will. First, i want to talk about how YUMMY these Special K products are. Before starting the plan, I was a self-proclaimed Special K Chocolately Delight addict. Have you ever tried that stuff? Let me just warn you, once you do, you may never stop. It's that good. So I had high expectations for their other products, though I had never tried any of them.

Let me just tell you that I was not disappointed. They were all so good, that I truly didn't have much trouble staying with the program. I followed the meal plan and ate Special K products for breakfast, lunch and snacks, along with a sensible dinner. The website offered a recipe each day for the dinner meal. While I didn't follow each one to the letter, I've added some fabulous new items to my regular meal planning!

Back to the breakfasts and snacks. My very favorite was the Chocolatey Pretzel cereal bar. I am a sucker for anything sweet and salty, and the crunchy texture of this bar just made it even better. What a great snack to just grab and go. I always had one in my purse for those moments I was out and just had to have something quick. I also loved the Multi-Grain Oats and Honey ceral. I am a cereal person. It's one of my favorite breakfasts. This one was crunchy with just the right hint of sweetness. Loved it. Even the shakes were good. I was a bit apprehensive about those and will say that the French vanilla was not my favorite. I found a suggestion on the website, though, for a French vanilla espresso shake and enjoyed that quite a bit. I also made smoothies with them, adding frozen strawberries, bananas, yogurt and orange juice. Yum! And my 13-year old son stole the chocolate shakes - they're that good.

My Results

Drumroll please...But first a little claim language from Special K: Consult your physician before starting any diet or exercise program. Average weight loss when replacing meals with two cereal meals is 4.8 pounds. Weight loss may vary. Average waist circumference when replacing two meals with cereal meals is 1.3 inches. Weight loss may vary.

Okay, here goes. I must first apologize and let you know that I forgot to take my waist measurements. Sorry. However, I did notice that my jeans fit a bit looser, so I'm confident there was definitely a loss. As far as pounds lost, I lost about 3 pounds in two weeks. That's not too darn bad. Especially considering that I cheated a bit on the weekends. I'm a notorious cheater when it comes to diet plans, however, keeping my baby steps philosophy in mind, I usually allow myself a few slips. Even my husband noticed a change and asked just the other day, "Have you lost weight?" Woo hoo! For Bill to notice, there definitely had to be a change.

What have I noticed? What did I gain by losing? I feel so much more in control when I know I'm making choices that are good for me. That's important to me. Making proactive choices is empowering. And, truthfully, the changes weren't that difficult. The products taste good, and they're convenient. It wasn't hard to incorporate them into my lifestyle. I know I will continue to be a Special K lover. Do you think you'll consider taking the Special K Challenge? I highly recommend it. The changes are gradual, and the results go beyond weight loss. Baby steps. Give it a try!

I participated in this program through a partnership with TheMotherhood on behalf of Special K. I received product and supplies to complete the plan. All opinions and statements are based on my own opinion and experience.

I've found myself feeling some pretty negative emotions lately in response to actions by people close to me. Feelings like hurt, anger, sadness, frustration, contempt and even hate. These are all normal emotions. Part of life. I know. What I also know is that you can't change other people, only how you react to them. Let me repeat that. You can only change the way you react to others.

You've probably heard this before. It makes sense, theoretically, but how do you stop yourself in the middle of negative feelings and turn your emotions around? It takes conscious effort, but it is possible. You can take your life back, get control of your emotions and move past the destructive path we often allow ourselves to go down when dealing with toxic people in our lives.

Understand That Their Issues Are Their Own

When people lash out at you, say things that are hurtful or push your buttons, consider the reasons behind their behavior. In my personal situation, I had a recent online, public dispute with someone close to me. Immediately, I let old instincts kick in. I felt furious that this person couldn't just leave well enough alone and had to push her ideas and opinions on me. After some time, I put things into perspective. Yes, these are old patterns, I realized. It's not likely that this person's views and actions will change, so I took some time to consider why she took the steps she did. I can see that she felt the issue was an important one to push. I decided to appreciate her passion for her stance, but not to let it affect me. If anything, I've decided to look more into why I took the position that I did.

Take the High Road

It's so tempting to let your emotions get the better of you when dealing with negative people. However, the consequences of doing so can be steep. If your instigator is a co-worker, you could lose your job. If you allow a loved one to bait you on a regular basis, you could lose your sanity or your sense of self. It's just not worth it. Take a moment to consider the worst case scenario of walking away from the situation or simply relenting and allowing the person to believe their behavior is right. I'm not saying it's good to constantly give in, but it can be the best decision to make until you can get some distance to think. Sometimes, however, you have to take a stand.

Stand Up for Yourself

Taking a stand for your position and letting the other person know the reasons for your actions can be very empowering. Sometimes we get in a pattern of allowing others to tell us who we are or have their say simply to avoid confrontation. We may let our wants and desires to take a back burner to those of someone else for any variety of reasons. If you're starting to feel that you've given too much, take a moment to contemplate what might happen if you stop giving in and start standing up for what you want and for your own rights. It's okay to do so, as long as you're not infringing on the rights of others or letting yourself feel out of control. No one likes to get to the point where they snap and say things out of frustration or anger. That's not helpful for you or for the other person involved. But it's more than okay to tell someone why you feel the way you do. It's good to set limits and inform them of what you'll tolerate and what you won't. Put some of the power back in your hands, and you'll feel worlds better. And stronger.

Live Your Life

If you've tried everything, and your interactions with the negative person haven't changed, try just living your life despite their influence. At least to the best of your ability. If the person causing you strife is your boss or someone else of heavy influence in your life, it's probably not feasible to just do what you want. However, you can move forward with your life in many ways and make proactive decisions that work for you and make you feel good. Let the other person have their feelings, do what they want. For lack of a better phrase, you just do you. Give it a try. I bet it'll feel great!

Know When to Let Them Go

All the self-help experts say get rid of toxic people. Purge them from your life. Sometimes that's just not very realistic. It's unlikely you can just quit your job on a whim, get a divorce without a thought about it or just cut a familly member out of your life for good. I get it. That's why I always try to implement the above strategies. But if you're hurting, really hurting. Or if your health is suffering or you just can't take anymore...You know what that last straw may be. Only you know. If you've determined that it's time, let that person go or at least take a break. Sometimes we have to do it for our own good. Sometimes we have to do it for those we love most.

I hope these tips have been helpful. I've learned some the hard way through personal experience. Others I've learned through my professional counseling background. Please feel free to share your best strategies for dealing with toxic, negative people in your life. Let's share, so we can live less stressful lives.

I love all things beauty related. Ever since I started wearing makeup in sixth grade, I've been a cosmetics addict. I write a lot about beauty here at Everyday Baby Steps. I've written beauty articles for other sites around the web. And one of my best gigs is blogging for a local salon where I receive salon services in exchange for my writing and social media management. Great trade, right?

I've often thought about going to beauty school. When I was younger, though, it wouldn't have been seen as a wise decision by my family. Not to mention the fact that I just don't think I'd be very gifted with a pair of shears. What I didn't know back then is there are so many different options in the cosmetology industry.

Nail artistry is a big one that really catches my interest. I love the creativity involved in choosing length, shape, colors and styles. The possibilities are endless. An option I was actually considering recently is becoming an esthetician. These beauty professionals do things like skin care, hair removal and massage. What an amazing job it would be to make people feel good for a living!

One day, when my kids are older and I have fewer responsibilities, I think my next career move may be in the field of beauty. Someday, I may even look into escuelas de cosmetologia en Miami. Did you know I was a Spanish major in college? I'd love to live in the warm, vibrant culture of Miami. Have you ever considered a career like cosmetology? What's your dream job, and where would you live?

Over the summer, I wrote a post about wanting a camera. Actually, the post was about a loved one who shot down my dream of owning a nice camera one day. It's been six months, and I still don't have that camera. But, truly, this has been a rough year financially. It doesn't mean I won't get that camera or that I'll give up on the idea of having that nice camera. What I realized is that I don't have to sacrifice my dreams, sacrifice living simply because something isn't attainable for me right now.

This realization hit me while scrolling the internet and seeing all the photographs my online friends were posting. I started seeing various hashtags and buzzwords that I was only vaguely familiar with. So I took some time to do a little research, ask around and lose myself in some fabulous blogs. I saw that people all over the world are participating in various online photo projects to share and document their lives, and I knew I wanted to get involved. Except I don't have that nice camera. Yeah, so what? I just upgraded my old iPhone to the iPhone 4, which has a pretty damn nice camera on it. Why shouldn't I be using that handy, convenient camera every chance I get? By the way, the phone cost me $20.51. Yep. I traded in my old phone at Target. If you're due for a new phone, I suggest checking their program out; they offer all the major carriers.

Back to my story, I have this awesome phone, and there are apps out there that will help transform your photos into works of art. There are also a number of blogs who have set up fun photo sharing projects for the year or by the month. I figured why not get involved? I did a bit more resarch and discovered some great tutorials and a free class that can help me use that iPhone camera to its fullest potential. For time's sake, I'm just going to list out the resources I've found so that you can get started on your photo journal project as well. By the way, here's my first picture of the year. They're cute when they're sleeping, aren't they?

Photo Journaling Projects

Photo a Day Challenge - I noticed on Instagram that many people were using the hashtag #JANphotoaday. So I had to check it out. What I found was the blog Fat Mum Slim, where Chantelle was issuing the challenge to photograph a different subject each day in January. I joined in a couple days late, but I'm loving the sharing that's going on. It's so fun to see what others are having for breakfast or what they adore in their lives.

Project 365 - This is the daily photo journaling and sharing project that, I believe, started it all. The site, in conjunction with the iPhone app, allow you to go back and see just what you did each day of the year. I'm not sure if I'll have the dedication to take part each and every day, but I sure intend to try!

Photo Apps

Instagram - This app makes taking photos fun and easy. You can transform your pictures by adding various filters and edits. Then share them with other Instagram users. I love it!

Project 365 - This app goes along with the daily photo journaling project of the same name. I just bought the pro version for .99. What's really cool about it is that it places your daily photos on a calendar that you can then print out or add to a website or blog. You can also send your photos instantly to flickr or other sharing site.

My January Project 365 so far

Classes/Tutorials

iPhone Photography Workshop through CreativeLIVE - Sign up here and sign up now because this class is tomorrow. So sorry for the short notice. This is a two-day workshop that's free to attend. They'll be discussing and demonstrating the best apps for iPhonoegraphy and teaching techniques to help you make the very most of your iPhone camera.Video will be available for purchase. It's $59 dollars pre-purchase, $79 after tomorrow.

How Did I Do That? Step by Step Solutions for Creative iPhone Photography - This PDF document by Cynthia Louden is so in-depth, but she gives screen shots and how to's that make it all doable. She really does show you step by step! I am amazed by the amount of information provided in this tutorial for free. I haven't read it all yet, but I will!

How to Organize Project 365 by Angry Julie Monday - Apparently, Julie tackled Project 365 last year and almost let her perfectionism take her over the edge. She gives great tips in this blog post on how to handle the daily task of documenting, storing and sharing photos without losing your mind. Thanks, Julie!

Top 7 Must-Have iPhoneography Apps - Zina of the blog, Develop, offers this fantastic post of what other apps will help to make your iPhone photography outstanding.

So what do you think? Have you taken part in any of these projects or used the tools mentioned here? Do you plan to jump on board this year? I'd love to hear your thoughts and tips. Happy photo taking!

It's a new year. Can you believe it? Where has the time gone? Seems like just yesterday that I was telling you all about the weight I lost - 23 pounds. However, it's been about 8 months, and I'm embarrassed to say that I put a great deal of that weight right back on. So when I was asked to participate in a project with Special K to get healthy for the new year, I didn't hesitate.

Weighing In

Special K has designated today National Weigh-In Day, a day to jump start positive conversation about weight loss for the coming year. Special K asks the question, "What will you gain when you lose?" I love that! What an amazing way to view the prospect of losing weight. While it true that losing weight is hard and takes a great deal of will power, I can tell you from experience that you gain a great deal from all the sacrifices. I gained a sense of accomplishment and pride, self-confidence, energy and the knowledge that I was modeling positive behavior for my kids. I hope to take this opportunity to start the year off right and gain back some of those things.

Special K Chocolatey Chip Cereal Bar - My morning snack today!

The Special K Challenge

While I hope to make 2012 the year I make healthy eating a priority and a way of life, I plan to use my "babysteps" philosophy by starting off small. I am going to take the Special K Challenge to jumpstart healthy eating habits and get the year started right. The Special K Challenge is a two-week program that can help you lose up to 6 pounds in two weeks.Consult your physician before starting any diet or exercise program.  Average weight loss when replacing meals with two cereal meals is 4.8 pounds.  Weight loss may vary. Average waist circumference reduction when replacing meals with two cereal meals is 1.3 inches. Weight loss may vary.

Special K has set up a special community on their website called My Special K where women can connect and encourage each other toward their goals. You can go here to get recipes and suggestions for your daily meals on the plan as well. There is a suggested meal plan each day, but easy swap suggestions are also given, so there's always variety and choice on the plan. The majority of the plan consists of Special K products with a sensible dinner suggested. This is great for me, as I have been a long-time Special K fan. Their Chocolatey Delight cereal is my very favorite. I love the idea of being able to eat healthy on the go with bars, shakes and snacks. I'm really looking forward to the next two weeks!

Looking Ahead

What are your goals for 2012? So many of us want to get healthy and lose weight. Let's work together to make it happen and to gain so many good things in our lives! I encourage you to join me or just feel free to check in with me and help keep me on track. Feel free to follow Special K on Facebook or Twitter if you'd like to follow the conversation.

I participated in this program through a partnership with TheMotherhood on behalf of Special K. I received product and supplies to complete the plan. All opinions and statements are based on my own opinion and experience.