https://ivylwry.com/

PHASE 1 COMPLETE!

January 24, 2021 Leave a Comment

3 weeks ago I started a program.

To be honest with you, I didn’t know what to expect from the program.

Led by the super trainer Autumn Calabrese, I had only completed one program of hers and I saw some awesome results!

Results from 21 day fix extreme real time

I had heard amazing things about 9 Week Control Freak from the test group, I knew it had different equipment that no other beachbody trainer had used before.

She designed the control track

What Is the 9 Week Control Freak Control Track?

And also the core ball

https://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/us/d/core-ball-standalone-CoreBall

But little did I know how big of an impact they would have on my workouts.

They are GAME CHANGER guys!

I have felt such a difference by adding this equipment to my daily workouts!

Being as though this is a 9 week program, I am 1/3 of the way through and I am sooooo excited to keep going!

One thing I love about this program in particular is that Autumn b r e a k s i t d o w n. Making it not only easier to get through the workout itself, but makes it feels as though you are completing a whole program in just 3 weeks! 9 Week Control Freak is divided into three phases that will increase in intensity and exercise difficulty, 5 days a week, three weeks at a time. Everything you need to succeed and get those results is included in your kit!

• 45 unique workouts with Autumn and the cast. You will workout 5 days a week, 18-30 minutes a day, for 9 weeks.

• Autumn’s 10 Minute Bonus Workouts – Add one to any workout to target a particular muscle group based on your personal goals.

• Remote Control – These 5 workouts mimic one full week of 9 Week Control Freak, but are meant to be done when you don’t have access to your dumbbells or step—for example, if you’re traveling. They are full workouts that utilize the Core Ball and the Control Track, giving you the same intense workout you’d normally do, so you never have to pause your 9 week commitment.

• Tabata Bonuses – Add one of these 9 bonuses to any workout when you want to double up on your cardio.

• Controlled Stretches – These breakthrough, short nighttime routines will help clear your head, relax your muscles, and get you ready fora good night’s sleep, so you’re ready to take control the next day. There’s one for every workout day, making these an ideal way to optimize your recovery.

• You will also get the getting started right guide to help you really lock in success for the next 9 weeks. Your own personal brag board to show yourself some love during the duration of the program as well as printable daily trackers

Everything you need to become a complete CONTROL FREAK!

Do you want to take control of your health and fitness and start living the life you were made to live!? Try this sample workout of this program and prepare to get sweaaaatyyy!

TRY THE FREE SAMPLE NOW

If you are ready to transform life now and ready to go all-in, fill out this form and I will get you all the tools you need to succeed!!

J O I N M Y C O M M U N I T Y

Remember: YOU ARE IMPORTANT

Learning to put myself first has been life changing to my mental health.

See you soon!

xoxo, Ivy Lowery

B A B Y

Planning a FIRST Birthday for the FIRST time.

November 8, 2020 Leave a Comment

I can’t even believe it, my daughter turned one in a blink of an eye it seems.

I love seeing her grow and learn. I am fortunate enough to have got to spend the last 5 months with her at home.

When COVID hit it was kind of a blessing in disguise for me. Being a new mom and adjusting to work and a new me was hard I’m not gonna lie. Being able to spend more time with her was amazing and I am so thankful! However… it did take a gander on my wallet 😬

I wanted to do all the things, which is normal but then I had time… which that, is NOT normal.

So I began to plan for her 1st birthday.

I knew it had to happen and it could keep my mind busy instead of working on unnecessary house projects 😅

So what I did was simple, first of course come up with a theme.

I choose to go with DONUT GROW UP!

I found this highchair garland on Amazon

I went back and fourth with so many themes but I’m happy I choose the one I did.

Once you have a theme start thinking of a color scheme. So with your color scheme not everything has to be matchy matchy like PartyCity, be creative, think outside of the box. Don’t be afraid to go all out, the kid only has one 1st birthday 💗

One way I really dressed up the party without spending a ton of money was using balloon garlands. They were super easy to make and really brought it together!

I had balloon garland EVERYWHERE.. however I failed to take a picture of them all.

I also made sure I took care of the little details to incorporate the theme, like the napkins and plates. I also made shirts formy Husband and I which is a MUST!

I made out shirts, Harpers outfit is from Amazon

Since COVID is still a thing, when planning for food I wanted to be sure everything was single servings and more like grab and go. I didn’t want people to have to all touch the same serving spoons so toothpicks worked great! I also used individual cups for fruit, which everyone loved!

Instead of doing cake and keeping with the theme of course we had to do a donut bar complete with donuts, donut holes, cookies, and as an added extra I included milk jugs for the kiddos!

Next I wanted to be sure there were activities for all so I planed games… that didn’t really workout to be honest (I was ALLLLL over the place lol) ! But we did do a piñata for all the kids, which was fun!

I wanted to be sure the memories of the day were not forgotten so I set up a guest book for the guest to sign , which went with the theme too ( I used “If You Give a Dog a Donut”)! This is something I plan to do every year, it’s fun to go back and ready what people say.

I also had a time capsule set up so in 17 years when she is 18 she can look back and see who helped us celebrate.

Little details here and there and personalized posters and signs brought it all together!

Sign found on etsy and I personalized it

Lastly a made sure there were party favors, mini donut holes were what we gave out and they were a hit!

bought the donuts in bulk at Sams, tied some string around it
+ added a personalized messaged

If you are planning your child’s first birthday, a few things to keep in mind..

YOU DO YOU! People are going to tell you “want you are doing isn’t worth it”, “they won’t remember” but who cares! Do it for you, go all out for your baby because guess what… you CAN!
Don’t be afraid to ask for help, I struggle with this but if it weren’t for the help from my family the party wouldn’t have been possible!
Have fun! Don’t forget you need to enjoy it to, relax and be in the moment!

xoxo – IVY LOWERY

F I T N E S S

New Workout Program Dropping SOON!

June 30, 2020 Leave a Comment

#MBF is dropping July 7th for all coaches and I AM SO EXCITED!

I tried the sample workout yesterday and man was it a killer workout!

If you want a free sample workout email me and I will be happy to send it your way!

This program is a 7 days a week program, each workout is anywhere from 25-35 minutes of strength-training and cardio.

The program #MBF is guided by Megan Davies, she will helps us get lean, strong,and healthy!

Following this program is #mbfa which is an advanced version designed to challenge you even more. I’ll talk more about this one later so be on the lookout for that!

#MBF is for ANYONE, no matter your fitness level or your experience level. You’ll only need dumbbells and a BOD Rope, the cordless indoor jump rope, to complete #mbf and #mbfa. ⁣⁣ (which I can get you set up with!)

Offers go on sale and #mbf VIP Early Access begins for everyone July 27th. These programs will enter the Beachbody On Demand Member Library late December 2020. ⁣

To get VIP early access sign up here!

https://www.teambeachbody.com/shop/coach/signup?referringRepID=2177909

Are you ready to change your life, meet your goals, and become the best version of yourself?

So here is the run down…

Lets do it together!

Send me your email and I will be happy to answer any questions you have!
⁣⁣

B A B Y

All things baby feeding!

June 26, 2020 Leave a Comment

I have quickly learned that your baby will ALWAYS want what you have, no matter how many things you give them.

With food that may not always be the best.

Yes, I give Harper french fries when I eat them. I will give her icecream if I have it and I will always share my veggies! So what have I been using to make meal times a little less … well MESSY!

Let’s be honest meal time with a baby is nowhere close to clean, or even organized. When I first started feeding Harper regular food (human food is what we called it for a while lol) I was so scared I would be worried about the mess. With my OCD I was scared of how that would affect my time feeding my daughter… sounds silly but it’s true. However, with Harper it was different. I learned to enjoy the mess, embrace the sensory, and share the memories.

Along the way I have discovered many things that have helped make meal time a little easier both at home and at a restaurant. Although I feel like it has been ages since we went to a restaurant I will share those items soon!

For now, HOME is where the meals are.

These bibs are literally heaven sent! I won’t even use another bib, though she has many these are by F A R my favorite!

Another MUST is these suction cup bowls from Upward Baby. Harper is big into throwing whatever we doesnt want infront of her. With these bowls she can’t do that! I have tried many other suction cup bowls and these are durable, soft, and most importantly THEY STICK!

Along with bowls, plates are also a must for introducing babies to new food. We have been using EZPZ mats and they are GREAT! They have bowls, plates, and even a mini play mat which I am so excited to use! The have great suction and come in a bag that makes it easy to carry when you go out.

We are starting to introduce utensils to Harper. Some of my favorites so far have been these!

Harper uses a few different type of cups, she is able to drink from a straw so we use these!

We also use these, I have found these to be easier to use when she isn’t feeling well, she seems to be able to get more liquid from these!

Feeding at home would be so much harder without a chair, we have one in the dining room, the kitchen, and a portable one to put wherever we are!

Let’s start with the dining room. This highchair has been great, it is durable and it is MACHINE WASHABLE! I try to wash all of Harpers seats/toys at least once every two weeks. Having a high chair cover that comes out with ease makes it much easier to wash. I like that this chair is height adjustable so I am able to adjust it to whatever height works for us, pulling it right up to the dining room tale and making it the same height is usually the way we go!

Moving to the kitchen, this is a chair is a more recent purchase. It hooks right on to the bar and is sturdy, I was worried when purchasing this chair that it wouldn’t work because I wasn’t sure if I could trust it however it has quickly proved me to be wrong and has held up great! It is also machine washable which again… is a MUST!

Lastly seat wise is our portable Bumbo. This chair was replaced in our kitchen with the bar seat simply because she got taller and would try to scoot on the bar…. that was a NO NO. However this chair is great! It has been all over, we even took it with us on the boat and it worked so great! It has a detachable tray and clips to clip it onto a seat or stool! It is not machine washable but it can be easily taken apart and wiped down.

If you are a worry wart about your flooring getting messy, order one of these mats! They are also …. MACHINE WASHABLE! We have one and though we don’t use it as much as I did in the beginning, I will have it handy once we start doing sensory crafts and paint!

I hope you have found this post to be helpful!

Please feel free to share, Repin, or like!

XOXO, IVY L.

DIY

DIY BATHROOM SHELVES + NEW PRODUCTS!

June 13, 2020 Leave a Comment

My bathroom needed something other than just a silly towel rack, am I right?

So why not add some extra storage!

These shelves were super easy to do and change the entire look of this wall!

look at this before of our bathroom …

YIKES!

When my husband and I first looked at this house this is what we walked into. Although it was very outdated I saw a lot of potential in this house we now call home.

This bathroom….

SO the deal was with the previous owner that we could pick everything out for this bathroom, and they would do the remodel and finish it before we moved it. Great deal right? Well that wasn’t really how it went, so we just took what we could get.

This bathroom is far from my idea of the potential it could have and even farther from my idea of a dream bathroom. But we are making it work.

These shelves have added extra storage in our tiny master bathroom and allowed us to free up a ton of space on our bathroom countertop.

So get to the point!

This cost less than $75!

However I did already have the stain.. but still great DIY!

Here is what I did

I ACTUALLY MEASURED THIS SPACE!

if you read my post about my Trellis , you may know I’m not the best at taking pre measurements.

so I knew I needed somethinghing less than 23 in to fit over the toilet and make it look like it wasn’t overbearing for that space.

I purchased

1x8x6 commonboard from Homdepot

http://1 in. x 8 in. x 6 ft. Premium Kiln-Dried Square Edge Whitewood Common Board-914827 – The Home Depot

along with four 8in metal brackets

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Crates-Pallet-8-in-Black-Steel-Shelf-Bracket-for-Wood-Shelving-69103/300434688?MERCH=REC-_-visuallysimilar_1_0-_-300436793-_-300434688-_-N

THAT IS IT!

I cut my board to 21in twice to make 2 shelves just to be safe

I stained them with Carbon Gray stain (also from homedeopt) that I already had lingering in my garage.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Varathane-1-qt-Carbon-Gray-Premium-Fast-Dry-Interior-Wood-Stain-300389/206386411

Once they were dry my Step Dad came over to help find studs and screw the metal brackets to the wall ( I could’ve done this myself however when he is over I always put him to work.. Sorry JOEY!)

And that was all!

I also want to mention a few items on these shelves.

Maleys B-Flat cream is a cream I have been using for a few month now, YES IT WORKS!

recently partnering with Maleys they sent me a few other products to try as well.

The “Bright”cream for dark circles because mom life..

The “B-Perky” cream because mom boobs… haha

+ my favorite out of the 3 so far (aside from B-Flat) is the “B-Tight” I have actually been using the “B-Tight” cream on my mom pooch and I am seeing results and it has only been a week!

Use my CODE:IVY15 for a discount on https://www.maelyscosmetics.com/

I hope you enjoyed this little DIY!

And of course the self care I added to the end!

Enjoy your weekend friends!

XOXO Ivy L

DIY

DIY LETTER BOARD

May 27, 2020 Leave a Comment

DIY LETTER BOARD

I have recently learned that looks can be VERY deceiving. Not only in people but in projects.

With my husband away and me being quarantined in the house the only thing I can think of is projects!

BIG PROJECTS + small projects

I started a notebook of projects 🙃

I made a list of project we can do now + projects that can wait.

I also included projects I can do alone + ones that require extra assistance.

And… “thats… that’s about it” (Hopefully you get that reference 😝)

Point being, projects are not as deceiving as you may have thought!

I started with my DIY trend with my DIY TRELLIS, that was a project that DEFINITELY needed two people!

Next I built a dog feeder for our Cooper (blog post coming soon!)

And now look at this!

A DIY letter board for only LESS than $100 bucks!

Doing it myself has saved me SO MUCH money!

Looking on Etsy for letter ledges this size I would’ve spent well over $200 plus the price of the letters themselves…

SO why not do it yourself!!

This is how I did it

“THIS IS HOW WE DO IT…”

F I R S T :
I knew I needed wood and the letters for the sign so I went ahead and ordered them. Depending on how big your letter board is determines the size of the letters your order so be sure to measure it out before ordering!

S E C O N D :
Go get the wood!
literally ALLLLLL I did was get this wood right off the shelf, sense I did 6ft long ledges I didn’t have to make any additional cuts. I did however have to make a cut in the wood that way the letters would slide on. What I did is use a table saw to cut it evenly throughout.

T H I R D :
I sanded and stained the wood.
I just uses stain I had laying around so no additional money was spent on stain, but if you don’t have stain of course your would account for that in your overall cost.

FOURTH :
Find the studs and nail it up! Since these ledges won’t be used to hold much weight 3 long nails worked great right into studs!

FIFTH :
Add the letters and whaaaaalaaah!

I added greenery around it for my liking but it would look good without it if that’s not your thing!

THAT IS ALL!!

I hope this has helped you!
I f you decided to make one yourself be sure to tag me in your photos!

XOXO – IVY L.

DIY

DIY TRELLIS

May 25, 2020 Comments : 2

You ever just feel like somebody’s watching you? (Did you just sing that in your head? If not read it again… bet you did that time 🤪)

Anyways, I felt like we needed some extra privacy in our back yard. The trellis was my second option to planting big bushes or trees, however do you know how much plants cost?! Yeah that was no longer an option 🙃 SO trellis it is!

This was a SUPER EASY, VERY AFFORDABLE, and a FAST DIY!

STEP ONE :

To start off I would recommend measuring your space (I did not do this… but luckily it worked 😬).

My trellis measurements

The planter box is 12ft long by 2ft deep and 16in tall

The trellis itself was 12ft wide by 8ft tall

(5) Pressure Treated 2×8’s for the planter box
Pressure Treated 2×4’s for the trellis (1-12ft and 3-8ft)
Pressure Treated Wood Lattice
3.5 in exterior screws

STEP TWO :

Map it out.
Figure out where you want to place it, how tall and how wide you want it to be, and don’t forget to map out how many supports you need.

STEP THREE :
Gather your supplies

– Nail gun (not necessary but could be useful, if you plan to use a nail gun 1.5 inch nails work best)
– Drill or Impact (either will do)
– Wood

STEP FOUR :

BUILD The planter box

The planter box is easy because it’s just a simple rectangle. Using pressure treated 6 inch supports prevents the wood from bowing as well as adds some extra support.

I used 2 inch screws to screw it all together assuring all pieces were level and aligned.

STEP FIVE :

Attach the lattice

I used 3 pieces of 4ft lattice and nailed them together with 2 inch nails on a 2×4

Laying them all on the ground was the only way to do this, this wood gets heavy!

STEP SIX :
Attach the lattice to the planter box

YOU WILL NEED HELP!
This sucker felt like a million pounds once it was all put together so just be mindful of the weight.

I screwed the lattice board to the planter box using 3in screws, that thing was SOLID!

And that is all! Just add vines and whhhaaala!

So easy and the entire project was less than $200! That’s a win in my book!

Next thing I need to DIY is this backyard… but that will come.

Hope this helps you!
XOXO-IVY L.

B A B Y

TOP 10 New Baby Must Haves!

January 29, 2020 Leave a Comment

If being a new mom has taught me anything it has taught me you can never be too prepared. I thought when I brought my daughter home I was ready, I thought I had everything I needed, I was set! Little did I know. Here are a few things that have made being a new mom easier! I hope this helps!

#1 MY NUMBER MUST HAVE!
The Owlet was something I was sceptical about at first, I thought for the price… ehhhh. But OH MYYYY GOODNESS. I LOVE IT! It allows me to have a peace of mind at night. At first I didn’t use it, I thought I wouldn’t need it, but I quickly discovered it allows me to sleep so much better knowing my daughters heart rate and oxygen levels are being monitored. The Owlet will alert you if something is wrong. Spend the money! Spending a little extra on something that ultimately could save your child’s life is worth every penny and then some.

#2 This may sound gross but I promise you, unless you are doing something wrong you WILL NOT suck up your child’s buggers into your mouth! This works SO much better than those nose sucker things. I got one of these after my daughter has had enough of the nose suckers after trying 25x to get something out of her nose, the Nosefrida works almost instantly! My daughter actually doesn’t mind it at all! I LOVE IT!

#3 I LOVE THIS! This Sound machine also projects on to the ceiling. I have one of these in my room and one in my daughters room. You can choose to listen to white noise or lullabies and it also includes various images that project on to the ceiling. Honestly, I can’t sleep without this thing!

#4 If you plan to do any shopping with your baby in tote I HIGHLY suggest purchasing this! This is a life saver when it comes to shopping with a baby! you just hang it over the cart and strap the car seat in and you are good to go! It allows for so much room in the cart and your not having to shove groceries around the carseat.

#5 This is the only swaddle my daughter liked. She likes to put her arms in the air when she is sleeping, just like her daddy. This swaddle is the only swaddle that I found that she was able to do that.

#6 The Snuggle Me is great! I was able to move it from her bassinet to the bed easily, it also fits in her crib and I was able to take it with me throughout the house if necessary.

#7 These wipes are great! I don’t use them for her bum but I do use them everywhere else. I have even used them for myself to remove my makeup, they work well! I started using these because my daughter developed baby acne, I tried everything I could to try to get rid of the bumps, but nothing seemed to work. Once I tried these on her face they started clearing up! I use them to wipe her face and her hands every time she gets her diaper changed.

#8 Hands down recommend this over any other butt cream out there. This is the only one that didn’t break my daughter out and worked SO FAST! This stuff id the BOMB.com!

#9 This is not necessarily a necessity however one day, you will have to put something on your baby’s bottom and doing it with this rather than your hand is WAY easier! I got this for my daughter when she was having a reaction to the acidity in her bowel, we use this to put aquifer on her bottom, works like a charm!

#10 This is a lifesaver when it come to night time car rides. My back seat geats so dark and when it is just me and my daughter I am not able to sit in the back seat with her. Having this cloud has made a huge difference! She can see! It is very bright and it also plays music too!

xoxo – Ivy Lowery

L I F E

T O D A Y January 20th 2020

January 20, 2020 Comment : 1

Today.

Today is the day I put one foot in front of the other and realized it’s okay to ask for help.

Today I went to the doctor, but it wasn’t like any other doctor visit.

The past few months I have been struggling.

I have experienced some of the best moments of my life however I have also been through some of the worst.

Details aside, I knew I needed help.

I couldn’t keep telling myself I could do it alone, I couldn’t keep living day by day knowing I am not being the best version of myself.

It has affected my home life, my work life, and over all my quality of life.

The “it” I am referring to is Postpartum Anxiety.

Some of you may be questioning what that even means, may even be correcting me to say postpartum depression. However anxiety and depression are very different.

Depression is more of a mood.

Symptoms of Depression
• depressed mood
• lack of interest in enjoyable activities
• increase or decrease in appetite
• insomnia or hypersomnia
• slowing of movement
• lack of energy
• feelings of guilt or worthlessness
• trouble concentrating
• suicidal thoughts or behaviors.

Anxiety on the other hand is a little different, more of a feeling.

Symptoms of Anxiety Disorder
• excessive worry
• restlessness
• being easily fatigued
• trouble concentrating
• irritability
• sleep disturbance
• muscle tension.

Having a child comes with its own set of worry, however adding anxiety to the mix can become very overwhelming.

I am constantly worried,irritable, and stressed. I can’t seem to ever feel at ease or calm. I struggle to sleep at night because I am worried and always overwhelmed.

But today…

Today it the day I change that.

I am better than anxiety, I can be better, I will be the best version of myself.

I share this with you all in hopes to help someone else step out of their comfort zone and realize it’s okay to not be okay.

It’s okay to ask for help. It doesn’t mean you are a bad mom, it just means you are trying to be the best version of yourself for your littles 🤍

Do you have any postpartum struggles? Share them in comments or visit me on Instagram and comment there!

Talk soon!

XOXO

I V Y L O W E R Y

L I F E

Y O U are B E A U T I F U L

January 9, 2020 Comment : 1

She is skinny.
You are curvy.

She has curly blonde hair.
You have straight brown hair.

She is outgoing.
You are shy.

She makes friends easy.
You struggle to keep them.

She is struggling in school.
You have already graduated.

She is not sure of her career path.
You are already in yours.

She has a social life.
You would rather stay home.

She wears makeup to feel pretty.
You wear makeup to cover your scars.

She is struggling.
You are struggling.

No matter what is on the outside, it’s what is in the inside that matters.

Stop comparing yourself to everyone else!

You don’t need to be beautiful like her, be beautiful like you!

JUST BE Y O U!

life can be so overwhelming at times, often find yourself comparing your life to someone else… STOP!

You will never be that person, you are uniquely YOU for a reason!

Shine your own light, lead your own army, and love each other!

You are BEAUTIFUL!

B A B Y

Becoming a Mother

December 29, 2019 Leave a Comment

I saw someone wrote a few days ago that “If being a mother means one thing, it means sacrifice”

One of the greatest most rewarding sacrifices of all time is bearing a child and becoming a mother.

Becoming a mother has been the best blessing I have ever received.

Being able to conceive a child is a miracle in its self and having the ability to carry a child that my husband and I created is one of the best feelings in the world.

Going through pregnancy wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies.

In fact, the reason I found out I was pregnant all started from acne.

I never had acne growing up (blessed, I know) so when I noticed a few pimples on my face I knew something was up.

Then from acne was night sickness (morning sickness just at night, duh!) but most days it was more day + night sickness (that sucked). I couldn’t hold anything down, I lost my appetite, and you know when you throw up so much your abs hurt (like the nonexistent abs… the ones you wish you had… yeah those things!). It seriously was the worst nausea I have ever experienced.

Although the nausea went away by the 2nd trimester it was a rough few weeks, loosing a total of 14 lbs while growing a whole human inside of me.

I was sure to gain it back fairly quick though so don’t you worry!

Although my struggles may seem small to someone else, they were big to me! They were big until I got diagnosed with PUPPPS….

If you don’t know what PUPPPS stands for…

PUPPPS: Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) rash is an itchy rash that appears in stretch marks of the stomach during late pregnancy.

U G H !

This made the last few weeks of my pregnancy M I S E R A B L E!

I was constantly itching, like I had the chicken pox. I would itch my belly on one side, then the other side would itch, then my legs would itch then my entire body would just crave the sensation of being itched… terrible I know.

They say don’t scratch, it makes it worse..

VERY TRUE!

But at that moment in time there was literally no way on Gods earth I wasn’t going to scratch, it felt like I was paralyzed until I itched. It was the worst!

Along with that my body felt like it couldn’t be stretched anymore, the stretch marks were growing, my confidence was gone, my belly pictures were no more..

This was take 6 days before I gave birth, in those six days this rash multiplied times five.

B A B Y

I get it now.

November 17, 2019 Leave a Comment

To the moms.

I get it.

I get why your house was a disarray last time I visited.

I get why you had piles of dirty dishes in your sink when you had been home all day.

I can see why you ordered take out every night rather than cooking for your family.

I understand why your hair is always up in a bun and your makeup is covering your under eye circles.

I get it now.

Before, I was so oblivious to how hard momming really is. Yeah I have baby sat and taken care of children before, heck I’m a teacher. But to see it first hand with your own life, own daughter, mommin and stuff… I get it! I get you!

This mommin thing is not easy, especially for my personality type. But I’m out here doing what I got to do to be sure we make it through the day.

I may not be the best.

My house is NOT clean.

My laundry has literally been piled in my closet for weeks now.

And my dishwasher is constantly full, and I can never remember if they are clean or dirty so I am constantly rewashing all the things.

But you know what, I am doing my best.

And I know you are too!

I wake up every morning to the most beautiful little girl, I grab clothes out of my ginormous pile in the closet, I get dressed, I cover those dark circles (and acne because stress) and I do the damn thing.

Mommin ain’t easy but it is worth every second.

H E L L O

All things LASIK!

June 26, 2021 Leave a Comment

Peace out glasses 🤓

I got lasik and it has been AHHHHMAZING!

I have had corrective lenses aka: glasses since I was in 4th grade! I remember my teacher had moved my seat in the classroom to the back of the room and I remember sitting there trying to play it cool… but ya girl couldn’t see a darn thing.

Little did I know it would only continue to get worse, annnnd worse. Year after year. 😅

I couldn’t do the things I loved most like go to the beach or spend the day in the pool without trying to fight a battle with contacts. Even with contacts I couldn’t open my eyes underwater, which not many people care too much about but me.. I want to see where I’m swimming when I’m underwater.

Corrective lenses/contacts all seemed like a hassle for so long. I felt restricted from so many things. Including the blindness we all experience with glasses when you go from AC to the outdoors. Insta fog! Then you add that to having a mask on, double whammy!

With COVID, the utter annoyance that came with having to wear a mask with glasses was enough for me to look into LASIK.

Trying to take a picture with a mask in Florida heat just = fogged glasses and annoyance! (I was even inside 🙄)

I was so ready to not have to worry about my glasses fogging up when I stepped outside, or wether or not my contact is in upside down or not and fear it rips when I try to correct it for the 10739 time.

So I booked an appointment just to see what they would say.

THEY SAID YES!
Yes I was a candidate.

Honestly I was secretly hoping they would say no because I’m such a chicken 💩 when it comes to anyone touching my eyes or teeth or just face in general.

But since they said yes, I had to play it cool like I would totally rock it 🤪

That was until they started telling me more about the procedure and I told them I need alllll the meds! I didn’t want to feel a thing, put me to sleep if you can! (They can’t do that because obviously they need your eyes to be open 🤪, but I did ask!) After asking that question the doctor wrote VALUIM in big letters on my report.

Now let’s talk prep.
There really is none.
Just be sure you don’t wear contact lenses for a few days leading up to surgery.

Surgery day.
I was a nervous wreck!
I have had one surgery in my lifetime and that was to get all 4 wisdom teeth out at once and I was very asleep for that. So the fact that I was going to go in and have someone touch my eyeballs made me so full of anxiety.

You have to have someone drive you there and wait for your procedure to be done.

The total time for the entire ordeal took about 2 and a half hours. That includes all the preop and surgery. The surgery itself took only about 10 minutes!

Before the surgery you get numbing drops put in your eyes and have to take your Valium in front of the doctor. I asked her to put extra drops in my eyes because I get hella scared of the fact that I could feel it as they do whatever was about to go down.

So once that was over I was moved to a waiting room where I literally couldn’t stop shaking, I was so dang nervous. It didn’t help that the smell of burning hair lingered in the room 🤪

Then it was my turn..
they were popping people in and out in no time, seriously so fast!

Right before I went in the operating room!

So I go into the operating room and there are two big machines and a bed in the middle (looks wayyy fancier than it sounds). So I lay on the table and I am seriously shaking so bad.
A combination of nerves and it was cold as heck in there! The nurse was like are you okay? And Of course I play it off like I’m totally fine just a little chilly 🥶 😅 so she gave me a warm blanket and I tried so hard to not shake after that.

The doctor checks to make sure I’m all lined up, he used an instrument to help keep my eye open and added more numbing drops. Then he put a suction cup over my eye so he could cut the corneal flap. This was probably the worse part only because you feel like you are blind for a good few seconds. I’ll save you all the other details of this part but in summary your eye gets cut open for the laser to do it’s thing.

Immediately following the procedure I was able to sit up and see! It was a little blurry still but I could see, seriously so mind blowing to me!

Then you go into a room where they make sure your good, check your vision once more, give you a little goody bag as a congratulations here is a bag of stuff you won’t be able to live without for the next few hours and you are on your way!

Included in the bag were some very cute glasses (picture above), so fashunable! But seriously life savers. Prior to I never had sunglasses really because it was just more of a hassle so, if you want to wear your own I’m sure you could. But I was blessed with only having the ones they provided so I just rocked them.

Very fashionable huh? Including my nose ring sticking out the bottom of my nose 🤪

Here are a few pairs of sunglasses I ordered ASAP!

If you take anything from this let it be..
schedule your appointment as late as possible!!
If you have trouble falling asleep during the day it can be soooo hard to sit in bed (literally feeling like you are blind…) and not being able to go to sleep.

We got home and I got situated, holding my eyes shut the entire time. I also wish I would’ve completely blacked out my bedroom prior, I feel like that would’ve helped me so much.

But we got home around 6, it was still very much daylight out and I didn’t want to open my eyes because they were so sensitive.

Elijah had to go get Harper and feed her dinner and all the parent things so I was home alone for a while and let me tell you… I have never been more thankful for eyes that see in my entire life.
I felt helpless and restless. I just wanted to fall asleep but I couldn’t, it sucked honestly.

Once I was finally able to fall asleep I was good. The next day, I could SEE!! Like I could see when I opened my eyes in the morning. I could see in the shower. GUYS I COULD SEEEEE!!! It is seriously incredible that a simple laser could do such an incredible thing.

I had to rock some very cute glasses at night as well for a few days, drench my eyes in eye drops frequently, and protect my eyes from the sun every time I went outside but OHHH MY GOOSSH was it so worth it!

I made sure to order extra eye drops as well as blue light glasses to be sure to protect my eyes as much as possible!

Now to answer some questions you may have.

1. Did it hurt?

Yes and no.
Honestly I would say the worst part for me was the recovery, not being able to fall asleep and having to sit there with my eyes closed for what seemed like forever SUCKED. The surgery itself didn’t really hurt, kind of similar to getting a tattoo pain. You can deal with it, it doesn’t hurt too bad, just more annoying.

2. Was I able to work the next day?

I could’ve, but my surgery was on a Friday so luckily I didn’t have to.
I would definitely recommend scheduling it as late in the evening on a Friday as possible.

3. How long did it take?

The procedure itself only took about 10 minutes! Super quick!

4. How long was the recovery?

The recovery process initially only about 24 hours till you can open your eyes and see without it hurting. But your eyes stay sensitive to light for a while. I’m about 2 months post surgery and my eyes are still a little sensitive to light, just be sure you have sunglasses with you when your out and you will be just fine!

5. How much did it cost?

Total =$3,708

Overall..

TOTALLY WORTH IT!!

Feel free to message me on my Insta @ivylwry for any other questions you may have!

If you have been contemplating Lasik for a while now this is your sign, go do it!

It may be a little scary at first but it is 10000% worth every single penny!

Until next time, Ivy Lowery

H E L L O

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW TO TAKE BACK CONTROL!

December 6, 2020 Leave a Comment

Beachbody’s newest program is about to launch. I honestly couldn’t be more excited about it! 2020 has felt like the most out of control year yet, and this program is exactly what I think we all need so that we can take back control in one of the most important areas of our lives: our health.

I know for me 2020 has been a whirl of emotions. Dealing with postpartum anxiety and feeling like i had hit rock bottom, to overcoming my anxiety and focusing on a better me, to loosing my step dad and my step brothers, and oh… not to mention the WORLD WIDE PANDEMIC that has come along with 2020… 2020 had been HARD, to say the least.

That’s why I’ll be jumping on the 9 Week Control Freak train!

9 Week Control Freak is an athletic, dynamic, and intense workout program designed to help you sculpt and tone with as little equipment as the track and the door. This program uses density training to build strength and stamina.

Who is Autumn Calabrese? Autumn is a certified holistic health coach, Beachbody Super Traininer, and creator of the popular 21 Day Fix, 21 Day Fix Extreme, Country Heat, and 80 Day Obsession fitness programs. She is also the author of best selling book “Lose Weight Like Crazy Even If You Have A Crazy Life” and Fixate Volumes I & II.

My first program I ever did with Beachbody was 21 DAY FIX by Autumn, it kicked my butt but I didn’t think to take pictures back then. I am also currently doing her Ultimate portion fix and my team and I send out weekly meal plans to help you with your nutrition.

When I originally started beachbody many years ago, all programs came by mail on dvds. There were no Facebook groups, or even accountability partners to my knowledge. I joined with a coach I didn’t even know. Crazy to think how far the world has come but Beachbody in particular. Now you have access to 1,000’s of workouts from your computer, phone, or tablet. You also get amazing accountability partners if you join with me, meal plans and so much more!

Who is this program for? 9 Week Control Freak is designed for people with at least a baseline understanding of fitness. Modifications always exist for our beginner, injured, or other clients who might need them. It increases in intensity & difficulty one 3-week phase at a time.

CHECK OUT THIS PREVIEW!
If you are interested in more info, check out the challenge pack options below and let me know which you think would work best for you!

I am so excited to kick this 9 WEEK CONTROL FREAK Bootcamp off and help you become healthy and fit! I think one of the coolest parts about this group is that WE will all be doing it TOGETHER! All 9 weeks! There is something really powerful that happens when we can lock arms with others and go through this journey together.

I can’t wait to sweat beside you and crush some major goals!

Check out these 9 Week Control Freak transformations below!