First item: a new bikini. Don't get me wrong, I have PLENTY of bikinis but I bought another one for my upcoming Hawaii trip. Why is it that I feel

the need to buy new bikinis every time I go to Hawaii??!! Any way, this bikini is serving as total motivation. First of all,it is a tad tight but I couldn'tresist it because it is the most unique blueish purple color (the pic isn't doing it enough justice). In just a few short months I will be on the North Shore of Oahu and this bikini is coming with me along with it's other bikini siblings that live in my closet! Therefore, this is a reminder that the hard work will be worth it when I am laying on the beach sipping a Mai Tai, especially if I'm not mistaken for a beached sea animal. We will be traveling to Turtle Bay Resort and Spa... I can not wait! We go to Hawaii just about every year but this will be our first time visiting Oahu. yay :)

Next item: lemons. I have been adding these to my water like crazy lately. In this pic there are two types of lemons. On the left is a Meyer lemon (cross between an orange and a lemon) and on the right is a traditional lemon. I am particularly fond of the Meyer lemon. Either way, these lemons are helping flavor my water. In the past I used to add things like Crystal Light to my water when I wanted flavor. What I know feel is that artificially sweetened items are the gateway drug to sweet cravings. They are soooo much sweeter than sugar and I believe they lead to out of control sugar cravings. So, I am avoiding the artificial sweeteners pretty much altogether.

Last item(s): a plethora of food supplements. No, I do not use these all every day. And yes, I do have more but these I'd like to share because I think they are very important (at least to me right now). Here they are listed from left to right, top first. Ionic Fizz Magnesium, Amazing Meal, Green Superfood, Recoup (BCAA & Glutamine recovery drink), Barleans Omega Swirl, Raw Fiber, Warrior Food (the BEST vegan, non-toxic protein), Bee Pollen and Vega Whole Food Health Optimizer. To some people this might seem crazy, but honestly these items really do serve a purpose. In addition to these pictured here I also take multivitamins (when I remember and am not too lazy before I go to bed), Vitamin D3, Whey Proteins and sometimes Nitric Oxide.

There you have it... some of my "tools of the trade".