Take a True Assessment: #PQInShape

Last week was more productive for my journey (#PQInShape) than I really thought it would be. I didn't finish everything I wanted to, but I did accomplish a lot.

The drinking more water part is still what I am struggling with- but I'm getting there.


I discovered my mantra and it must be the best ever! One Pound At A Time!

While working on my Pinterest Motivation Board, I discovered that 1000 jumping jacks is 1 pound lost. That is pretty amazing. This means that by doing 10 sets of 100, you can lose 1 pound. OR- by doing 143 jumping jacks a day, you can lose a pound a week. I'm going to do that. (I hope I don't black an eye!)

For my reward, I am ordering a camo bikini (I just love girly camo!) I will hang it up so that I look at it. I think this will work better than just saying that I am going to get one when I reach my goal.

I have discovered that I love my curves, I just don't like the rolls that come with them. I don't believe my curves will ever disappear, they will just be smoother.

I am working on my pounds lost visual, and will share soon.

I have defined my goals and motivation. They are displayed for me to look at all day.



My personal goal this week is to drink 8 glasses of water a day and to drink a glass of lemon water every morning. This is probably going to be the hardest part for me- I hate lemon!

This week's challenge is to take a true assessment of your eating, drinking, and fitness habits. You do not have to share this- this is private. If you want to, I would love to hear from you!

I hope you decide to join in. Feel free to instagram and twitter with #PQInShape. I would love to follow along your journey! I would love to see you on pinterest as well!

Southern Charm Sunday: Stay Classy With Calling Cards


If you have visited The Palmetto Queen before, then you probably know about my classic southern upbringing. We set the table ever night, wrote thank you notes, and took casseroles to the grieving and sick. The etiquette and “good southern lady” lessons didn’t end there. My mother was also a fan of calling cards.
To those of you that do not know, calling cards serve a very important purpose. Have you ever come home to a business card on your door or a door hanger from the cable company? That doesn’t get you very excited does it? What if you came home to a beautiful business card with a dear friend’s name on it? What about a notecard with a hand written “sorry I missed you note?” Well, that is the purpose of calling cards.

My mother taught me that if you visit someone and they are not home, the polite thing to do is leave a note. She had the prettiest little calling cards with her name on them. She would write a short little note on the back. Sometimes, she would leave a note card, but that didn’t excite her as much as the calling cards did. Even if someone was home, if she didn’t get to speak with the person she intended to, she left one of these. Mom did the same thing at businesses. Because of this, I never leave the house without at least one note card.

I never could find these calling cards, until I had the opportunity to partner with Ancesserie. I have to admit that I love EVERYTHING about this company. Their history is phenomenal and what’s not to love about letterpress goods. Classic. Southern. Beautiful. You know what they say, “if it stays still long enough, a southerner will monogram it.” (or calligraphy it!)
The work on these cards is amazing. When I hold one, I am taken back to a time when stationery was important. I chose to have mine printed with the classic “Mr. and Mrs. George.” The actually have my husband’s first name on them, but out of respect for my husband’s privacy wishes, I have blurred his name. The calling cards also boast a beautiful baby button to give them just a little more elegance. Even without the button, they are one of the most elegant things I have ever held in my hand.




The idea of Ancesserie is what I hope to pass along to my readers. I want my readers to hold a sense of urgency to sit on the front porch, write notes, walk to neighbors, and stroll down main street. I think I was born in the wrong decade, so it is nice to occasionally travel back to the time of hats, gloves, and neighborly gestures. I consider myself very lucky to be from one of the last “main streets” in the country. The story of Ancesserie begins in a town not so different from my own.  Read more about their roots in Edgefield, SC and their current home in Atlanta here.

"The Story of America, when time stood still..." 
-Ancesserie.com

Not only does Ancesserie create their calling cards with a vintage letterpress that has been in the owner’s family for four generations (from the longest running newspaper in South Carolina), but they use the most eco-friendly and quality paper. Ancesserie also creates notecards, gift enclosures, gift sets, and coasters. They use vintage millinery items from the 1940s, such as straw, buttons, and flowers, to adorn their products. Ancesserie also offers one of a kind jewelry made from these vintage items.

Ancesserie is now my go to shop for hostess, wedding, engagement, and graduation gifts. I hope that with your help, Ancesserie and I can bring back this lost part of American history. I urge you to visit Ancesserie.com- I know you will find something to fall in love with.

Ancesserie and I are bringing you a week’s worth of traditional letter writing. Come back tomorrow for more on this lost art.



Disclosure: I received the product in exchange of my honest review. All opinions are 100% my own. 

Finding What Works



To "conclude" this series, I want to stress the most important aspect of getting organized. (I use quotes because this is not a conclusion- I will continue to post every wee about organization).

The most important thing I can say about organizing is to find what works. This may not be easy, and it may take trial and error to figure this out. In the end, it will be worth it.

This may seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Think about your personality and what works in different areas in your life. Turn these things into your organizational system. For instance, think about the stores you enjoy visiting and how they are organized. This can tell you a lot about your style.

I urge you above anything to find a calendar system that works. Make sure it also has a to do list. This can be the very beginning of your organizing overhaul. When my planner gets out of hand, I know it is time to redo everything. We all evolve, and our systems have to evolve as well.

This also doesn't have to be a costly process. Do you want to change the style of planner you want to use, but aren't sure that it will work? Find a cheaper alternative to give a test run. I wanted to try out a vertical weekly layout but didn't want to spend a chunk before I new it would work. I headed to amazon and searched for a vertical planner (I also added 7x9 because that's the size I need for my cover) and found one for around 5 dollars to try out. I found that I loved it. Although I'm not certain that I will be spending that chunk, I know what works for my evolving life.

Another thing to remember is your personal style. Your organizational products should reflect the colors and patterns you adore elsewhere in your life.

When I start a new project, I think about the items I already have, corral those and get started. Then I figure out what I still need a solution for. I hit Dollar Tree and then work my way up. This is the process I use for every organizing project I start.

I just want to make sure you all know that organizing doesn't always happen over night. It can be a long process, but very worth it. I think it is also a great stress reliever.

If you have any questions, feel free to comment, email me ( thepalmettoqueen-at-gmail-dot-com ), visit me on facebook, or twitter. I will be happy to answer all of your questions.

What is your favorite organizing product or your biggest struggle?

What To Do In South Carolina


Hey Ya'll!

I'm not a winter kind of a gal- not at all. I mean, when it is cold, I kind of shut down. I'm not even a fan of snow (shocking, right!) The last two years, I've been lucky. We have gotten no snow at all. There has been snow all around us, but not in our yard. Yay!!! When it snows, I want it pretty, not on the weekend, when I don't have to go anywhere, and I want it gone the next day. I know, I'm kind of hard to please. 

This is South Carolina in the snow:



It was around 60 degrees in my neck of the woods, and I have had a super duper day!

I have been craving summer! Yes, I am a planner and I am already dreaming of the fun things to do in South Carolina. This is going to be a great summer. The little prince is two (he'll be 3 in September) so he will be able to participate in many more things than previous years. This year, we have decided to explore South Carolina, because there are so many things that we have never done. There's no time like the present. 

My first step in planning Spring and Summer fun is DiscoverSouthCarolina.com. There is an interactive events calendar, trip planning tools, and even cultural and historical resources. 


The first part of my planning system includes copying all of the events in my area into my master planner (month view) that way they are at my fingertips. I also do this when family/ friends are visiting. That way I can let them know about traffic and things they may want to do while they are in the area. 

After doing this, my husband and I can determine which events we definitely want to attend, or may want to attend while planning our months out. This helps us stay much more organized. Thank you DiscoverSouthCarolina.com for making our lives more organized! 

Next, I'll share with you how to find unique and historical places in South Carolina. Yes, I am that much of a planner- we are currently planning our summer fun! 

Let's Get This Challenge Started!

Hey ladies! I had every intention of getting this post up this morning, but I have been battling severe jaw pain and not really able to concentrate on anything. This ended up being a blessing, because I have made some changes to the plan!



Source: hasfit.com via Joni on Pinterest


This is a challenge for yourself, I would love to see you guys on Instagram (@nighlon) and Twitter (@cari_on) #pqinshape  or even on Facebook. However, if you are not confident in doing that, I understand. If you want to do this privately, go right on ahead. Hopefully by the end of the challenge, you will feel more confident. The point of the challenge was to keep myself accountable for making the small changes that will really add up. I hope that you ladies benefit from my obsessive planning and list making.

Instead of starting with challenge #1, I came up with some rules that I want to share for this week. These aren't like school rules, just things for you to keep in mind for yourself. (Remember, this challenge is designed to be customized for each participant and if you have any questions, just email me at thepalmettoqueen(at)gmail(dot)com - I will answer any questions you have)

This challenge will run for 26 weeks and then amp up for another 26 weeks.

Here are the rules:

  1. Don't be too harsh on yourself!
  2. Even if you do not share it, take a before picture- you will be glad you did later.
  3. Choose something you will do every day. This can be to drink more water, think about every bite, or even having 5 minutes of alone time. 
  4. Choose a mantra and stick to it. Look in the mirror every day and tell yourself this. 
  5. Create a motivation board. You can make a book, a poster, a Pinterest board, or a combination. Here is my Pinterest Board. 
  6. Choose something to do for yourself that will motivate you (like buying a bikini, booking a vacation, or scheduling a photo shoot). 
  7. List what you love/ don't love (never say hate) about your body. 
  8. Define your goals and motivation. 
  9. Think of anything extra that you want to include. (For example, I'm limiting myself to one sweet a week and I'm going to drink a glass of lemon water every morning). 
I am following the challenge as well, so keep an eye out for my motivation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. I will be using the hashtag #pqinshape

I do want to give you all a mini challenge. Google and Pinterest until you find a visual motivation activity that will motivate you and that you will be able to keep track of. I've seen some great piggy bank and pounds to lose/ pounds lost activities. I haven't decided which I'm going to use yet. 

Do you have any questions / suggestions? 
Are you planning on participating? 

90 Day Challenge: Conclusion and Giveaway

As you all know, I participated in the 90 Day Weight Loss Challenge by Creative Bioscience. I have written before about my weight challenges through life as well as my recent challenges with this program. Unfortunately, life gets in the way and we cannot always do what we set out to do. We manage to get by, and try not to be upset with ourselves. I have gotten upset with myself during this challenge because I could have done better, but it is more important that I am there for my family when they need me. We have had several family health issues, stresses, and deaths. We have gotten through and learned a lot about ourselves.

Even though I did not lose what I wanted to using the drops, I can only blame myself. I was not present enough to ensure I was taking them appropriately or eating right. Even with this, I still managed to lose 25 pounds, so it was not a complete failure. I'm happy with that, given the circumstances.

Because I am thrilled with what I have accomplished, even with the circumstances, I am going to continue on the HCG drops until I am happy. I no longer have a weight in mind, more of a feeling. Even though there will be benefits for my physical look, I am more excited about the health benefits of getting the extra weight off. It has been long enough, and I'm ready!

I have learned that I need to challenge myself continuously, and change the challenge up. That is why I am starting a weekly fitness challenge here on The Palmetto Queen. These challenges will range from journal entries to doing exercise that is "out of the box" for you. I am very excited about this, and it will begin Monday!

To kick things off, Creative Bioscience is giving away a 90 day supply of HCG drops to one of my readers. To enter the contest, just comment letting me know how losing weight will effect your life. The contest will end Sunday, February 24th at 8pm.

Disclosure: In exchange for products, I am participating in the Creative Bioscience 90 Day Challenge.