What a year! It's been a full 12 months now that I've been working out at Health House and I got to say, it has been an incredible experience! 

I am not only healthier, but I've also pushed my body to be stronger. I've been sore more days than not and have so enjoyed the community and friendly competition at Health House. If you haven't heard of this place before, let me explain.

Health House offers two main classes, each lasting 45 minutes - Rip & Row or Ripped.

Rip & Row - This class combines rowing and weight training. It's described on the website as "a full-body strength workout combined with short bursts of intensity that will chisel and tone every muscle." Typically, the class is split into two groups. One group starts on the rowers, while the other group starts on the mats — focusing on heavy lifting with muscle specific exercises to strengthen and tone your body. Throughout the class the groups switch back and forth between the rowers and the mats.

Ripped - This class is all about building muscle! It involves lifting and weight training with no rowing. Health House describes it as focusing "on specific muscle groups to gain strength and sculpt lean muscle." During this class, cardio is typically limited and the focus is on weights, medicine balls, a Bulgarian bag or even just using your body weight. I would describe this as a more intense class.

These classes stick to this basic description, but each day has a certain muscle objective. For example, Monday might be chest and legs, Tuesday is back and biceps and Wednesday focuses on butt and abs, etc. No two classes are the same, which keeps it interesting and challenging. Each instructor brings their unique style of teaching and fitness techniques. Plus, they are incredibly motivational and genuinely interested in each person's success.

They recently added two other classes as well, including a Heated Deep Stretch class, which as you can imagine is to stretch out those sore muscles. There is also a HH Crew class, which is described as, "rowing as a crew, you will work together to achieve a synchronized stroke focused on form, stroke rate and split time." I haven't had a chance to visit either of these classes just yet, as they are typically on the weekends, but I have heard great reviews about both. 

Looking back, I'm so thankful I found my fitness home at Health House. I've gained great friendships, sweated more than ever and have become more aware of how my healthy choices help me grow stronger, have more energy and keep me feeling like I can take on the day. I'm so thankful for this community and the chance to grow every time I step foot inside Health House.  

If you want to give Health House a try, click here or stop by one of their locations and they can get you signed up. Your first class is just $15 and I'm betting you'll be hooked too!

Now, I don't have any permanent tattoos and don't plan on getting any, so, to be honest, I was a little nervous about the procedure. I mean, it’s a semi permanent tattoo I was putting on my face and my face is on camera a lot!  A little scary, but luckily my mom, who is our real-life Google because she can find anything or anyone, was able to find the best of the best near Kansas City for my microblading procedure!  And when you’re in the hands of a skilled and trustworthy artist, it’s easy to sit back, relax and trust the process. 

The Brow Babe & Co is a day spa located in Sedalia, MO. This place came highly recommended, plus Sarah, the owner, is one of the very few licensed tattoo artists that also does microblading in the state of Missouri. She is absolutely hysterical and such a sweetheart. 

During the first session, Sarah went over the microblading process and put my nerves at ease, walking through and explaining each step of the process. We discussed what I was looking for in my brows - shape, color, fullness - and how she would achieve that look. 

She applied the numbing cream to my brows and let me relax and dose off for about 30 minutes while the cream went to work. 

Once my brows were numb, Sarah began sketching and laying out the map for my dream brows using facial measurements and my unique bone structure as a guide. Every step of the way, she clearly communicated with me and made sure she was achieving what I was looking for. She was meticulous, considerate and had a steady hand throughout the process. 

My brows were numb, the lines were drawn, and it was time to start microblading! It was a much quicker process than I had anticipated and very smooth. I'll admit though, when she was working on my outer brow, I was a bit squirmy as that part of your skin is more sensitive. Sarah worked quickly but thoroughly and after an hour and a half, I had new brows! ​

For the first four weeks, in between the first session and the second session, there are some key after care essentials to follow. Healing and retention is dependent on proper post care. 

​For the first week, I was not able to get my eyebrows wet or fill them in at all. Some people experience itching or redness during these first seven days, but the cream Sarah provides alleviated those symptoms. She gave me Ora's Amazing Herbal Tattoo Salve, the descriptions says it "helps to heal, soothe, relieve itching and prevents color leaching." It was a wonderful product that did the trick for me!

If you experience scabbing or itchiness, try not to touch your brows! They'll heal pretty quickly on their own and you'll be happier in the end. You should also not use a tanning bed during the first seven days and do not workout for at least 24 hours after your appointment. 

Your brows will look slightly darker the first week as well, but will eventually begin to fade about 30-40% to the desired color. 

Four weeks after my initial appointment, I went back for the final session and touch up. This process only took about an hour and was very similar to the first. Sarah applied the numbing cream to my brows and worked her magic once they were numb just touching up here and there as needed. 

I'm extremely happy with how my brows turned out and would highly recommend Sarah at The Brow Babe & Co. Best of all, I wake up every day with perfect brows! 

If you want to visit Sarah, click here to book an appointment. She is fabulous and you'll love the results! 

Wherever you choose to go, make sure you do your research, ask questions, and looked for healed results on an artist’s webpage or social media. After all, this is a semi permanent tattoo so be sure you trust the artist working on your face.

Happy Friday people! With all the snow we've received in Kansas City, this week feels like it's been a month. I'm very happy it's the weekend!

Here's my snowy Fashion Friday outfit that I took for my mom in the bathroom at an event. Does anyone else send their mom a daily outfit photo? :) Click here to shop. 

Happy Friday! Thank goodness it's the weekend! It has been a week. Whew!

​Okay, I know, I'm sharing the same top...AGAIN, but it is obviously fantastic and my favorite. Plus, these jeans are under $40 from Old Navy, and they are so comfortable. Click here to shop. 

A few days ago, I asked for book recommendations through Instagram and Facebook and received so many great titles! For any other bookworms out there in need of a good read, here is a list sectioned out by genre. Hopefully there is something in here for everyone! I included all of your favorites and added some of my own. To make it easy, I found each of these books on Amazon, so if you want to skip ahead, just click here for the full list. 

Let me know if you have any other recommendations in the comments! 

Happy Friday! Thank goodness it's the weekend! Whew, it has been a week.

Sharing one of my favorite Amazon dresses. It's a vibrant red color, nice material, plus it's under $30! Such a great purchase on Prime. 

Happy Friday and first day of February! 

As you may have seen in the last post, the Santschi family was all together in Nashville this past weekend celebrating the newest addition to the family. While there, all the Santschi girls coincidentally had our favorite tops with us, so of course, we had to do an impromptu photo shoot on the front porch! 

It's such a comfy and cozy top that can be dressed up or down and fits all body types. We each have at least two of these tops in a few colors. Click here to shop our look or screenshot the photos below if you have the LIKEtoKNOWit app.