Birdalamode

Retail Therapy

By Leave a Comment

Sorry the old Shannon Can’t come to the phone right now, because she’s DEAD!

Spent the week/weekend pretty much all to myself. I have started to isolate myself more, which I am hoping to break that habit soon. I had a grand ol’ time treating myself to whatever I wanted on the internet. If you know me I am relatively cheap and save like a squirrel ie I call my money “squirrel cash”. I had a record breaking month last month via my blog – ironic because while I was feeling emotionally empty, my squirrel cash was overflowing.

I plan on saving most, like I always do. Taking my family on a vacation, and for the first time in forever I splurged on myself. Kiddos made out like bandits as per usual too, but for the first time I actually got more than them all combined 🙂 Ps H&M you really need to expand your shopping bags. I had to open up multiple browsers just to fit my kiddos stuff in your 50 item limit shopping bag. When shopping for 4 children that goes FAST!!!!

I listed some of my items below. I am really working on my casual style. When I shop I either buy workout or Sunday fancy, so this spree hopefully helped that void!

Anyone have any fun Valentines plans? I got tickets to see Isn’t It Romantic and I can’t wait!

 

My 2019 Diet/Lifestyle

By 10 Comments

For the last year now I have been maintaining and strengthening by using my treadmill, 2 pound weights and my yoga mat.

About 3 to 4 times a week I have dedicated 40-60 mins a day to working out with the intent to maintain my weight, strengthen my muscles, build endurance, and to get more flexible.

A day in the life:

(Im choosing to write it this way so that I can easily explain both diet and exercise)

Wake up: get kids off to school , grab my 44 oz diet dr pepper soda, eat a piece of candy (usually a mini reesse’s peaunut butter cup or a york patty) and either exercise at my house or twice a week I do mommy and me gymnastics for an hr with my baby boys.

*for healthier option substitute candy with piece of fruit. This is what wakes me up and what I enjoy eating. I am not saying its healthy its just my cup of tea.

I then hop on the treadmill. Some days I walk at a speed 5 at a very high incline for 40 mins and zone out to tv. And on other days I run sprints at incline 0. Alternating my speed from speed 4 to 7 (4 mins at speed 4 : 3 mins speed 7)

I will incorporate 2 lb weights when walking on my treadmill and also when I am stretching after my run.

I always cool down by stretching. I believe this is a great way to keep your muscles long, lean and your body limber.

**I am trying to get back my flexibility. My husband and I are currently in a “split off” on who can get their splits back fastest. The whole family is getting competitive and involved on this.

After I work out, I drink a glass of water and protein drink. My fridge always has light muscle milks in them. I pour the pre-made drink on to a cup of ice and enjoy.

If I have time I will eat a sandwich around 1 and a normal sized dinner around 6-7.

This is a very brief summary of my lifestyle/diet, so If you have any questions at all feel free to ask either on my comments on instagram (I see those way before I get to my DM’s) or feel free to ask on here via comments.

Have a great weekend!

Best

Shannon Bird

The Truth Why I Quit Being an NBA Dancer

By Leave a Comment

NBA Dancers Reveal Culture Of ‘Brainwashing,’ Unfair Pay And Eating Disorderssee post here

This article was brought to my attention a few days ago and I have been encouraged over and over again to share my personal experience while dancing for the NBA Utah Jazz.

I’ve been encouraged many times this week by people who know my experience while dancing for the NBA.

.

But the truth is, I already have.

.

A couple months ago I sat down for a podcast interview with @tsinspires and when we started talking about my experience dancing with the Utah Jazz, I completely broke down.

.

I’ve never bullied like I was in my entire life!

.

Once a week at practice we would get weighed and have every inch of our bodies measured ( necks, ankles, you name it) At 5’8 and 115 lbs I was held after practices by my coach.

She would tell me I needed to lose weight by game day otherwise I wouldn’t be able to perform bc I wouldn’t look good enough in the costumes.

.

From day one this lady had it out for me. She openly admitted she never wanted me on the team and wanted a girl who had danced for her on drill tream instead of me. I was only chosen by the judges and interview panel.

.

It was a toxic environment!

.

I developed an eating disorder and thankfully was caught and humiliated by my little sister. And by the grace of God I was able to build up enough courage to quit!

.

When I quit she had me come down to the arena and turn in and hand off to her former drill student my warm ups , uniforms and severly worn shoes. She was all ready ready to go. She had been learning the routines the entire time. Confirming that her plan all along was to bully me off the team.

.

Fast forward to the day I was proposed to we hoped on a plane heading to SLC. In the Philidalphia airport I ran into the Jazz girls flying to Europe (my old team)

.

Right then I recognized the hand of God. I was going to be at that airport one way or another. I’m just glad I was there eating disorder free and with Dallin next to me.

Update

By Leave a Comment

my dress (shein) / white heels (manolo blahnik) / hollands dress (moderne child) / kids sandals (freshly picked)

update .
“babe it’s happening again” (my face is tingling and going numb) .
So I leave church with my three littlest to go to Insta care to get some steroids and other prescriptions I take when the B! word returns. .
I hadn’t have symptoms since after Brooklyn’s birth and we were able to get control of it before it got to the level It had gotten to when I had Holland. .
So I’m talking with my dr and she’s asking the standard questions and doing the tests. Then she asks me if I’ve been vomiting. And I said oddly yes. I got this headache , loss my vision right before the numbness kicked in and threw up ALL night! I wrote this off as a really bad migraine. .
She did not! She then asked if I had a ride to the emergency room. I said my husband is teaching at church and can be here after. Then she’s like so I’ll cal you an 🚑 .
OH H! NO 🙅🏼‍♀️ I’m already mad I have to spend my day in a hospital let alone have fire fighters escort me 🤣 .
Dallin shows up and takes the kids home so I can see what the er can do for me. Next thing I know labs are taken and they fill me with blue dye for a cat scan that burns my body (I felt like a marvel character it’s the oddest feeling) they don’t find blood clots or signs of stroke 🙏🏻 .
Next the MRI – I was so nervous about this bc this is what they all suspected where they were going to find something , a potential tumor. Was it the machine, the plastic mask over my face, or the fear of what if they found something? the combo made me have a strait up claustrophobic/ panic attack. .
Dallin came to my rescue and saved the day, we were able to perform the MRI and we have answers.
no clots , no stroke , no TUMOR , but I do have a small case of Bells Palsy (again) 😞 . I may experience flare ups for the rest of my life bc we still don’t know what is the cause of it? .
Thankful it’s a mild case this time (knock on wood) and nothing major is going on upstairs 🤯 .
thanks for your comments. As I sat there all ALONE after my first attempt at the MRI trying to calm down and psych myself up to go back in I turned to y’all. Thanks to so many of you for sharing your stories how you reacted to the MRI ❤️

Once I was a Teenager

By Leave a Comment 

Compensation for this post was provided by Deseret News all thoughts/opinions are mine

Shannon Bird: In an overshare society, not sharing everything with everyone helped me achieve healing, forgiveness

The interviewer was more than sweet, even worked around my crazy schedule and we finally got to speak at 7 in the morning. I have never been more nervous in my life.

I told him before we spoke we cannot talk about my past, the years prior to 2009. But sure enough after some caffeine, being up all night from nerves, the conversation went there. Which is why that podcast WILL NEVER make it on air.

On my drive home, after my interview, I went over some of the things that were said, exposing my personal struggles and things that I have kept hidden deep within. And I thought, those are my pearls/dirty laundry that I do not ever need to share. And for what? And for who? So he thankfully pulled it.

Why? Because before 2009, my life was nothing but anxiety. Friends, making high school sports teams, ACT scores, college, boyfriends who become missionaries who then come home early to try to persuade you to marry them after you dumped them on the awkward phone call on Mother’s day, work, home life, speaking at graduation after making a list of all the boys you’d like to kiss before you leave high school regardless if they had girlfriends or not, and whether their girlfriends were your friends too, and then you check everyone off your list and have to stand up in front of your entire class and look at everyone in the eyes. … DRAMA!

continue reading here ……

HOME SECURITY WITH BLINK

By Leave a Comment

This post is brought to you by Blink Home Video Security. While this was a sponsored opportunity, all content and opinions expressed here are my own.

A small little unit that brings a big peace of mind…       

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I am a very cautious person when it comes to safety and locking up my home.

I’ve opened my life, home, and everything that I hold near and dear to hundreds and thousands // hundreds of thousands on various apps all across the world wide web, so you better believe I put a very high value on home security.

A big part of my blog is traveling and traveling often. Informing the world when I do travel has made me extra cautious about a lot of things. We have a high-end alarm system with video cameras and alarms on all doors and windows. The alarm company calls the police immediately if there is any movement inside the home while I have it armed while on away mode.

I also have extra Blink cameras inside and outside of my home that are linked on the Blink app that I can view for extra protection.

Blink alone is a great security option for most people. It really is all you need. I am just more cautious and currently stuck in a contract, which is why I currently have two/double the security.

The reason my family got extra security cameras for the exterior of our home started this summer when my neon yellow slow down men kept getting stolen from my front yard.

I bought 6 men total this summer, buying 2 at a time and now have 0! 6 times my property was taken from me right in front of me while I was sleeping. {shudder}

I decided that I needed to up my security camera game and found Blink.  I love knowing when I am home my home and yard are always armed, monitored and filmed. I love this feeling especially while I travel.

I love how the system is also incredibly affordable and has no contract or subscription fees. It is super easy to set up, and runs on two AA batteries that last for 2 years.  The system gives us peace of mind when we’re traveling and makes me feel safe when it’s just me here with the kids. Or when I have sitters.

It wasn’t until last year I started getting sitters because I know how busy and active my children are. I love being able to check on my children while I’m on a date to make sure the house is safe and the kids are doing ok.

Getting a Blink Wireless Home Security and Monitoring System for inside our home was truly the best move we made for peace of mind and increasing our home security.

It’s so easy to use too. Once you have your camera set into position it works through the Blink app on your phone so you have access to a live view from any of the cameras. You can also manage the settings directly in the app which allow you to set alerts for movement, or automatically record any time there is movement in the room. Basically when motion is detected, Blink will record the activity it sees and saves it as a shareable video file that you can access at any point directly from your phone.

It’s completely wireless and it sends motion activated alerts and high quality HD video right to your cell phones. So if one of my children were to escape the home from under my babysitters nose, I would get notified and alert the sitter. Kinda like a buddy system.

I strongly recommend every home / doorstep to have a Blink security system protecting them. Because you never know who could be walking by your home and what they could take, packages or neon yellow slow down men.

I personally feel better knowing that Blink security is watching out for me and my family.

Advertise on Bird A La Mode

Get Started