Sunday Morning Thoughts: Words and Music to Fire You Up

A lot of you guys obviously know by the name of this blog that I'm a spin instructor. 6 years and running. One thing that absolutely drew me in from day 1 is the power of words and music, sometimes even song lyrics can get you absolutely fired up.

For some reason, as I was just writing about words, Stuart Smalley and his cardigan, bad wig and mirror came to mind...

"Because I'm good enough, smart enough, and doggoneit, people like me!"

Haha! Isn't Al Franken like a senator or something now? I hope he transforms into Stuart on the Senate floor one day, that would be hilarious.

Wow, I just derailed big time, back to the original message!

Like a lot of my students that I teach, I'm big on a killer playlist.  I love songs that motivate and a crazy beat that just pushes you up and over the hump.  I also love awesome quotes from athletes or motivational speakers that just stick with you when you hear them.  I tend to read some of these each  class and it's a great way to coach without telling people to "Add two turns of gear, I see you faking it over there." I spend a lot of time pulling together the right stuff for 45 minutes each time I teach.  One of the best pieces of advice that my spin director Jonnie gave me early on was, plan your ride and the goal of the class, and then add your music and anything you'd like to say.  It will come naturally rather than trying to be a DJ up there and please everyone.

TRUTH! And that's what I've been doing for 6 years.  Not all of my songs have words to them and some of the best rides I've done before have contained crazy instrumentals (think the soundtrack from Inception, OMG.  Will make you want to run around a track like Usain Bolt).

(Lol, look at Prince Harry.  What a geek!)

This morning, I got up knowing that I wanted to get back in the gym today before our quick 2 day trip to hang out with J's family at the beach for Labor Day.  Yesterday I did legs and my booty was super sore this morning, but alas, these hiney cheeks aren't going to get perky on their own.  I strolled up to the stairclimber, took a big deep breath (because I knew it was going to suck) and got on it.  Started my playlist and just went to town.

Now as I was pulling together my playlist this morning, I just felt in the mood for ghetto and just fun jams. I know, it's Sunday and I should probably be listening to Enya and getting all peaceful and stuff, but I just wasn't having that.

About 18 minutes into my 30 minute stair climb, B Spears lit up my world with "Work B*tch".  (Right about now,  my husband has eye rolled and said "ok yeah, I can't read this anymore!").  Now..............we all know that B Spears isn't known for being like the Mariah or Whitney of the music world.  Girlfriend likes to lip sync BUT....this song came on as I was just feeling like I wanted to quit.  That whole part that starts out "You want a hot body....", in my mind I was like "YES I DO!!!!!!!!!!!!" 

And. I. Went. Nuts. The sweat started to pour.  The lady next to me looked over at me, smiled, and picked up her pace too.  It was just what I needed to push through.  And who doesn't want to look like B Spears 10 years ago with abs like the underside of a turtle?

And then it was like Christmas because more fun songs started to roll in...."Numb" by Usher. (Ursher, Ursher....how can you NOT love the dude, he's the bomb).

The song opens like this: "They say life is a battlefield, I say bring it on".  WHAT! Not only is the beat of this song infectious but the words are killer "Keep on doing the same old thing, and you're expecting change.  Well is that really insanity or just a loser's game".  WOW Ursher, speak the truth this morning bro.  Seriously though, that was around 22 minutes, sweat was literally all over the floor below me and it was feeling awesome.

The last song that came on was Eminem's "Til I Collapse.  How can you not get jacked listening to that chorus?  It made me want to throw my hoodie on, jump rope, tape up my hands and just start swingin' at people!

Till the roof comes off, till the lights go out

Till my legs give out, can't shut my mouth.

Needless to say, this morning was a hard workout, but with all that inspiration flowing through my headphones, it was honestly easier than I thought it was going to be.  The lady next to me watched me get off the machine, took her headphones off, and goes "I don't know what you were listening to, but I want your playlist. You were going to town this morning!".  

Life if short you guys.  You have to capitalize on each and every day.  Not all days are awesome.  Heck, my life for the past 3 months has been a major struggle, but I keep going.  We have so much to be thankful for.  I look around me and I have a great husband, 2 awesome (sometimes obnoxious) furry children, good health, a home, and jobs.  We probably complain about all of those things way too much.  I think back to that lyric about life being a battlefield and it totally is.  But you know what? BRING IT ON! 

(but not like the Kirsten Dunst movie, you know you want to say Go Toros right about now)

Happy Sunday y'all!  Get out there and work!

Week Recap and Getting In Shape for Fall

Happy Friday Y'all!

So a few of my friends are out right now having some tequila drinks and tacos, and I'll all in my glasses, in my stretchy pants with holes, doing laundry, while Tink snoozes right next to me......and occasionally stares me in the face for a head rub.

MAN, Friday nights have changed in the past 5 years.  I'm getting old.

So I have been slack on posting since last week, sorry!  It's been quite crazy at work and I also took yesterday off in the afternoon becaussssssssssssse..................COLLEGE FOOTBALL HAS RETURNED!!!

I mean for real, 2 of my most favorite things in life are 1) Christmas, 2) College Football.  Wait, back up, 1) JESUS....you get the idea.  But seriously, fall is one of my most favorite times of year.  I've grown up going to football games and I just so happened to marry the biggest college football fanatic in the world.  So, it's tradition and how we spend our falls.  We love it.  It's fun.  I live for it every year.  Just check out my Facebook posts every Saturday if you need good entertainment :)  I'm like a dude trapped in a little short body with boobs and a loud opinion.

Check out my buddies, Shirley and Ronnie.  They are like newly married and showed up in their matching outfits.  It was epic!  Jarrett was just proud I wore something with an actual team logo.  He does not understand that most college gameday outfits for girls involve a dress and/or cowboy boots.
But it was 95 degrees in the shade yesterday and ain't nobody got time to be all dressy!

This week was a little rough between work and working out.  I managed to squeeze in 3 workouts, which was not great, so I'm attempting to get a long one in tomorrow.  #weekendwarrior  I knew that yesterday would be out the window due to our day long adventure to the game, and today was spent quietly recovering at my desk.  Lots of water and protein.  Anywho, the long weekend is upon us, and I plan on relaxing but getting in some long walks, some circuits, and maybe some more beach workout posts since we'll be on the beach for a few days with J's family.

I did manage to keep my food on track, which is amazing and a challenge within itself.  I made a big crockpot of salsa chicken on Monday and ate that all week, along with some pork chop leftovers.  Salsa chicken is just how it sounds.  Chicken breasts + salsa = crockpot awesomeness.  Just serve up with some brown rice/quinoa, avocado and black beans.  Yum! Use it on tacos, casseroles, quesadillas....you name it, it will work!

Sweet and short post tonight. I feel weird not writing more after I had 2 serious posts back to back last week.  I sat here for like a few minutes and was like "I should have more to say but............I think I got all of that out of my system last week!".  For rael though you guys,  even after all the love and support last week, every day is still a battle to come out on top with just myself.  Lots of work being done right now to get to a good place.  I thank each and every one of you for hanging in there with me. 

Happy long weekend!!!

Sunday Night Thoughts

Happy Sunday you guys!

This week has really been eye opening for me.  I received so much positive feedback from my Thursday post Learning to Cope.  All of the emails, texts, comments and Facebook messages meant so much.  I can't thank all of you enough for your love and support as I posted something super personal.  It was really empowering.  Again, thanks for all the support, brings a tear to this little southern girl's eye.  I'm just a normal woman in her thirties trying to be honest about myself, hoping that maybe I'll inspire someone out there to get happy.  

Writing that post last week made me realize that my blog is taking on a new life form.  In the past year and a half since I started writing, I've been through every high and low you can imagine.  Losing weight, struggling to stay sane while planning a wedding, marrying my best friend, struggling through the first months of marriage, job changes, gaining weight, and then deciding to hold myself accountable again by blogging and getting my health and fitness back on track.  All of that I think lead to my struggle with wanting to be perfect.  I was trying to do so much, yet I wasn't truly fulfilled.  It's really caused me to think on how I reach out to others.  What friend am I forgetting to reach out to each week? Who can I reach that I don't know, but can identify with what I'm going through? And through it all, at the end of each and every day, can I sit back and say "Today was hard, but I am truly satisfied with me?"

That last part sounded like how Carrie Bradshaw started all of her columns...

I have to share with you guys about our Sunday, because what happened I believe is truly not by accident. This morning, we got up and went to church.  We absolutely LOVE our pastor there, who has provided us some great support in the past few months.  They have wonderful programs, services, and a budding ministry.  We were both particularly excited this morning because it was our Fall Kickoff today.  It meant a new series, new teachings, and cool things to look forward to for the next few weeks.  I always find it's refreshing to start a new series, get really in depth with it and grasp all the concepts each week.  Super awesome and I love that we kick every fall off this way.

Not to mention college football is only 4 more days away....

Ok back to the Fall Kickoff. Church was PACKED this morning.  Our usual row was full, so we sat near the front.  There were chairs in the back corners.  So cool to see so many people in a full service.  As our minister Chad got up to speak, I just felt the entire room change.  He opened by telling us that an 18 year old college freshman in our congregation had passed away at 6:00 AM this morning.  She contracted a rare infection and had gotten really sick while on campus.  Her parents of course immediately rushed to take care of her last week.  Her condition got worse and she lost her fight early this morning.

We.  Were.  Stunned. 

As Chad continued to talk, I could just watch everyone around me start to hug their children or lean on their spouse's shoulder.  A life gone way too soon that impacted all of us, whether we knew her or not.  As he continued, he mentioned that even with all of the new comers in church this morning and all of the planning that took place for Fall Kickoff, that he felt lead to speak a different message.

Pause for effect.  My heart completely stopped for a second.  My dad is a retired minister and I truly know and understand how much thought, time and prayer goes into a Sunday sermon.  I watched him start his weeks off for 30 years reading and studying.  When Sunday morning rolled around, he was focused like an Olympic athlete ready to win a gold medal.  It's incredible how determined and rock solid he was all of that time.  To totally change your message is like jumping off a cliff blindfolded.  

As the sermon continued, he spoke about how we are all called to love just as Jesus loved the church. That we are to live out His message in our every day lives.  To know that life is not permanent and that our time may come today, tomorrow, or maybe 20 years from now really hit home with me. I sat next to J rubbing his hand thinking about how quickly 4 years has gone by for us, and now 9 months of marriage.  It all just keeps on going, we get older, and we truly never know what day is our last. One thing that he mentioned is that you could have all the money in the world, big houses, boats, things, but you could be surrounded by all of that and never be fulfilled.  Our fulfillment can only come from God.

WOW.  Talk about bringing my last post to the forefront of my mind. I've filled my life not really with things, but with activity.  I got involved teaching spin (which I love).  At one point 4 years ago, I taught Spanish to a small church group.  I loved that too.  I babysit sometimes.  I dog sit/house sit when I can.  We got a dog that likes to eat all kind of craziness and cause us stress.   I took on more responsibility at work at times.  In all of that, I lost time for me.  Seeing my friends.  Going to dinner with 3 girlfriends that I cherish more than they know.  Working out.  Making time for my husband when he really needed me.  Taking the time to travel to see my family. 

As the service ended, a lot of tears flowed as we remembered this sweet girl that went home early this morning.  Probably shouldn't have worn any makeup to church today, hah! As J and I drove to breakfast, he said to me something that again clicked deep within me and made me think.  He said that all the years that he's spent spinning his wheels over moving up in his career and trying so hard to make work changes and make more money, this girl is gone at 18 and will never know what any of that is like.  We should be thankful for what we have and live our lives with love and peace knowing that we are loved by God, our family and friends.

In having such an emotional Sunday, it really caused me to re-examine my life, my purpose, and this blog.  One word that keeps coming to mind is "Transformation".  I want to see not only myself transform mentally and physically, but I want to see others join me in doing the same.  I want to live my life like this sweet 18 year old girl did, not knowing if it's my last day to be alive.  I want more than anything to make sure my friends know that they are loved and appreciated.  I want to go to lunch with people when it's not convenient, but it's worthwhile to my life to see that person.   I want to make challenging decisions that scare me, but fulfill me.  I want to be someone that people look back on and say "She was so happy, loved life, and she truly lived it with purpose".

I know that the posts as of lately have been serious, but I feel a small shift in the world that is propelling life towards something lovely and wonderful.  I hope that all of you start to realize your own purpose and join me on this journey.  Whether you want to lose 50 pounds and you want my support.  Whether you're struggling in your marriage and you need a listening ear.  I want to be there for that.  Maybe you're contemplating starting a family and are scared to death.  Or you are facing major life decisions that rock your world.  Life is hard but we are not meant to live it in fear.  Do the things that scare you, but that in the end, make you the person you are. 

I hope that you guys had an amazing Sunday with your close friends and family.  I pray so many blessings over each and every one of you guys reading this tonight.  May your week be filled with a new sense of purpose and drive!  Please reach out to me and let me know about your own journeys and what you are going through! I love hearing stories of how people are changing their lives!

Much love you guys!

Learning to Cope

First and foremost, I have to give a shout out to my blogger buddy, Liz  from Charlotte, NC.  I ran across her blog about a month ago and bonded with this girl and blog stalk her probably all day every day.  If you guys want to read some truly inspirational stuff, this girl has it all.  Along with great fitness tips, recipes, and how to live like a queen, and spend like your granny.  :)  Isn't she PURDY!?!?!?!?

Seriously though, this chick is real, she loves life, and she's down 63 pounds since November 2013, and is just amazing to watch her transform.  Not only physically, this chick is DOING things.  For real y'all, check her out.  I'm literally spellbound when I go to read her posts each day.  She is fully committed to fitness and blogging and a budding writing career.   And she makes me want to get some big blonde highlights.

YOU GO GLEN COCO!!!

Back to the Thursday topic.  You guys can probably tell from recent posts and the title of this post that I've been going through some things.  Growth is a part of transition, and my life right now is one huge ball of changes.  I thought getting married would be the biggest transition, and it really has been. Just ask Jarrett about merging finances and me eyeballing every time he bought McDonalds or Taco Bell.  But it has been a great transition. After a few months of figuring out married life and how to communicate, we couldn't be happier.  Thumbs up in the marriage department. 

This is really personal for me to share, but I'm putting it out there, so here goes.  Liz has definitely rubbed off on me, she inspires me to just take a leap of faith and trust that this will inspire others.  Deep breath...3....2....1....

There are other things going on right now that have just caused me to turn inward for about 2 weeks and think.  Being on vacation helped me to rest and reset somewhat, but coming back from it was a huge shock to my system, mainly with my job.  And at the moment last Monday when I sat and shed huge tears in front of my manager over my unhappiness, I knew that I had to start dealing with me.  I've had this underlying sense of being perfect, the best, and extremely successful for a long time.  I think it started with the fact that 7 years ago, I job hopped every year because I was never satisfied with what I was doing.  I wanted something bigger, something better, just something more.  I wanted to be a director of an organization at 25, but had zero experience, so that never happened.  And now that I'm doing a big job and working a lot, it's starting to hit me that failure is inevitable, and I don't deal with that well.  

I'm a people pleaser. I've always been a yes man (well, woman). I want people to like me and praise me for a job well done.  I manage to get a great deal of that at times, but on the inside, I'm starting to notice that none of that matters to me anymore.  The hard part about everything is that knowing I'm doing a good job just doesn't click with my brain anymore.  I see small things as huge blunders.  I put pressure on myself to drive forward without any sort of notion that I'm taking on too much.  I eventually get to a point to where I look down at all my lists, notes, and projects and realize that I've put myself in a really bad spot.  And it's mostly all my fault. I don't know how to lean on others.  I don't know how to ask for help.  At the end of the day, I just can't take it anymore and I find myself angrier and more hurt than I can stand.  

I just want to stop it all, sit down, and melt into a puddle of my own tears.

What I've learned from taking the time to not share any of this publicly is that I have an issue.  And it's bled into other areas of my life.  When Jarrett and I got married, I tried so hard to be the perfect wife.  We would have small disagreements and it would ruin me.  Even prior to marriage, small things crumbled me.  I NEVER SAW MYSELF THIS WAY.  That's the kicker.  I never understood that I managed to crumble OR hold it all inside until I just started to feel devastated.  And that is what has happened to me for a solid 2 months.  

It's been hell.  

What I realized in going through all of this is something that my sweet mother in law said to me over the weekend.  We are both very alike and have similar work situations and goals.  She is also a hard worker that can get so entrenched in the grind that it's hard to pull herself out.  She said to me "you just have to do what's best for you.  And if that means you work 40 hours and stay sane sometimes, then that's what you do."

In the past two weeks, I've worked to put myself back on a level playing field.  On vacation, I started a fitness routine again and just wanted to keep going with it when I got home.  While I was at the beach, I took time each day to be quiet, pray, and think about things.  I took time to talk to my husband about dreams and aspirations and his support with all that I've gone through.  I don't know when I stopped needing to lean on someone, but I did. I thought that I could handle everything on my own and just do what I could to survive. 

But that just isn't enough anymore.

Scaling back is a big deal to me.  You are talking to a girl that leaves work at 5, comes home, and turns on the computer for 2 more hours.  Or comes in early to start the day tackling what I didn't get done yesterday. I was going nowhere with it.  I could not dig my way out of the hole.  And the hard part is, I'm heading into what will be a busy work season, so I know that things will be super crazy throughout the next few months.  On top of football season.  On top of all sorts of life changes.  On top of a dog that howls and wants to take over our bed all the time. On top of trying to get myself into tip top shape just to be good at that too.

I just have to slow down.  I have to take care of myself.  I have to sit on the couch with my husband at night, watch our Netflix, and just be there.  I can't be distracted by 1000 emails, phone calls and texts that further drive me into a state of chaos.

I have to learn to say no.

My sister is probably reading this and cheering right now. (My boss is probably reading this going CRAAAAAAAAP!) I've struggled with boundaries in my life for a long time and she's been talking to me literally for 15 years on making better ones.  I listen, I usually do better, but I've let them dissolve.  But in the past 2 weeks, I found new ones that I think are way better than setting boundaries made out bubbles, or feathers, or something not strong at all.  This isn't me saying I'm not willing to work hard or take myself to the next level.  This is me saying I have to go the speed limit instead of 10 miles over.

I've decided to do my job, do it well, but do what I can within my limits and not drown all the time.

I'm taking more time to spend with my family.  If that means a weekend out of town to play putt-putt with my dad, then so be it.  A social life is no longer at the top of my priority list. 

I'm supporting my husband in his endeavors.  Because he's supported me.  That's just what we do. He is holding me up with all of his might right now and I can't thank him enough.  He's my rock and my soft place to land every day.  And I love him for pointing out to me that I had a problem.  And needed help.

I'm getting back to a place to where I leave (most days) at 5 and leave it until the next day.  That all may change soon, but I have to plan ahead.  It's as simple as that.

I'm going to make time to bust my butt in the gym throwing around heavy things.  I did this last year.  I am doing it again this year.  And I can be stronger than ever if I just try.  I watched a girl squat around 155 pounds last night and wanted to be like her.  And I can. It's not about being all beast mode anymore.  It's about being healthy for the rest of my life.  And I'm the happiest when I'm in shape. 

More than anything, I'm not letting ME derail ME again.  I'm learning to cope with a new way of thinking.  It. SUCKS.  I'm 32 years into a groove and now have to learn how to break out of this mold.  I can't be everything to everyone all the time.  I have to be Rebecca.  A hard worker.  A good wife.  A good daughter and daughter in law.  A good sister. And a good friend.  Above that, I have to be good to me.  I have to slow down. I have to take the time to change.

Before I get a thousand Facebooks, texts and calls asking "ARE YOU OK!!!!!!!!!", I am :)  In fact, I feel more peace than I have in a long time.  Do I still have stressful days? Sure thing.  I had one yesterday.  But I managed it better.  I didn't melt down.  I didn't give up.  I didn't shove Nutella up in my grill.  I just dealt with it, and let today be a new day.

Thanks for letting me share this.  It's scary and really tough, but I needed to be honest with all of you that follow me.  I'm not perfect.  And I don't ever plan on being perfect :)

Weekend Recap, Fitness When Life is Busy Part 2, and Learning to Chill the Crap Out

Hey everyone!

I have to say, I can't believe that Monday is over and done with as quickly as it was.  I looked up and it was 5 and I was like YEEHAW! 4 more days until the weekend.

This weekend truly was fun and relaxing.  I really needed some good downtime after a tough week coming back from vacation.  Friday night, I had some delicious sushi with my best bud Stef.  We always go to the same sushi place in Charleston.  It's not fancy and seats maybe 30 people tops, but their rolls are fantastic and it's a good deal.  They also like to blast Jodeci on their teeny tiny radio and I love it.  You know you loved these guys!

(My sister is 13 years older than me, hence early 90's R&B was like a major part of our jambox music at home.  Don't judge me!)

Saturday, I spent the entire day with my Mother in Law, Daphne.  She is wonderful and we had such a good time doing girly things and gossiping about our husbands :)  Just kidding, but we did manage to shop until we dropped, eat TWICE at 2 amazingly great places, and then score some pretty awesome swag at the Hobby Lobby and Marshall's Home Goods.  

Uber cute basket for my flip flops (I hate shoes laying around, I trip a lot).

I was bushed Saturday night, but also really energized because we had so much fun.  I even rearranged our bedroom and tried to do something cute above my dresser.  

The "D" is from Hobby Lobby and they're a great way to decorate.  Super cheap too.  Go get some!  New candles are from World Market.

Sunday was awesome, I enjoyed church with Jarrett, something that rarely happens due to his work schedule.  We went to breakfast and had yet again another great meal.

All in all, it was a great weekend.  I love feeling like I've done something, yet rested well, and can face Monday without wanting to explode the second I open my email :)

Moving onto workout plans for this week.  It's going to be a busy week, I can feel it in my bones.   Most times, I take a break on Sundays unless it's a long walk/run in the neighborhood.  I felt like hitting up the gym and lifting weights because I had so much energy.  So I threw on my shoes and headed over there.  Working out when you don't feel like it is like one of the hardest things.  Do you ever put on all your gear, and then you Facebook for an hour? You text your mom and find other things to do?  By the time you get to the gym, it's only open for 3 more minutes?  MONOPOLIZE your time guys, you have to make it a priority.

I posted about travel fitness, but I think one thing that is important to touch on is being busy but still be productive in your workout.  When I showed up yesterday, this is basically what I saw going on in the weight room.

You know the deal.

Dudes....bros......whatEVER you want to refer to them as, texting, on their phones, and like maybe squeezing in a set of 50 pound bicep curls for 5 reps that makes their veins pop out and face turn red for 5 seconds.  And then they text Biffie and ask her what time Jersey Shore is coming on.

So every time I see something like this happening, I pretty much make myself a station, really close to their "area" and then proceed to lift like a rock star and make them look at me funny until they go text on the other side of the gym away from me. 

One dude even came over to me during my last set of squats (around 75 pounds, not super heavy, but challenging), and was like "hey so ummmmmmmm you're like totally making us look bad over here, we should work out with you!"  He was probably about 15.  I said "Thanks sweet precious jewel, but mama doesn't need a spotter." 

Case in point, even if it's like busy all around you and you feel intimidated by 6 dudes taking gym selfies, just set up shop and GO.  A lot of girls at work always ask me how I manage to lift weights with the guys and not feel super intimidated.  I think part of it is because I did a training program for a year that taught me how to correctly lift weights.  So if you feel shaky on the moves or just have never lifted before, definitely sign up for some training classes or a trainer, and it will do you some good.  Bad form leads to injury, so let someone help you that knows what they're doing.

Secondly, I just really don't care what other people think of me while I'm working out.  I try to be courteous and friendly, but I am pretty serious about my workouts.  If I get funny looks while I do one-legged dead lifts or if I'm grunting while trying to do as many push ups as possible, I really don't care who is watching.  If I sweat all over the place, I try to mop it up and not be gross, but I'm pretty proud that I'm busting my butt.  

And pretty much, it's not a party until your boobs sweat all over the place. 

Between the shopping, fellowship and good workouts, it was a great weekend.  One thing that I tried to do this weekend was slow down.  I did a lot, but I did it at my own pace and I felt fulfilled.  For a lot of you that read last week's post about how I was feeling stressed, it dawned on me that I was making a lot that stress myself.  It wasn't putting me in a great place.  For years, I've been a clean freak, super organized, really in charge of my life, and just on the ball with everything.  Right now, I'm writing this post with dishes in the sink, unfolded clothes in the dryer and a curtain rod that I hung up that is a little crooked.  All of those things would normally bother me but you know what?  WHO CARES!  Last week made me realize that I've needed to take a major chill pill for a really long time.  I'll get to the dishes tomorrow and maybe I'll hang up some things tomorrow.  I feel like my life has been so planned out to this point that I was not enjoying all that I possibly could.  So I'm trying to not plan as much.  I'm trying to lay back and just let things happen that should and take what comes in stride.  It's a big challenge for me to do this, but I think it will be a good thing.  Life should be about enjoying everything around you, not trying to plan the next big thing that may or may not happen.

My new goal for me personally is to just be.  Just be happy with me.  Be happy with my family.  Be happy with my job (on most days!) and be in a place that allows me to enjoy everything.  Pray for me you guys, this is a scary thing but a good one and I'm looking forward to letting go of a lot of things that have controlled me for a really long time.  

Fitness Tips for your Busy Schedule!

Happy Sunday y'all! Is the weekend really over already? I started writing this on Friday and totally forgot to finish and stick to my writing schedule.  Sorry dudes! But I'll make up for it.  I promised that I would post about good fitness tips and workouts for when you're traveling

I thought I would fill you guys in on how I squeezed in working out while I was on vacation.  It was hard, but it was totally worth it to still fit in my pants when I came back home.  

Being close to a beach to work out was awesome.  1.  Awesome scenery.  2.  SOFT SAND.

Have you guys every tried to run across soft sand when it's 100 bajillion degrees? It's hard as crap and you might as well be running in quicksand.  

I managed to work out 3 days on vacation, which to me was a huge win.  We jet ski'd twice, which felt like a massive set of squats and lunges and was pretty physical.  We were super sore and probably should have not done that the last day of vacation (AKA, still sore on Monday morning). But it was fun.

All 3 days I worked out, I looked all over the interwebs for on-the-go WODs from some Crossfit-type sites.  I found this site which has a plethora of workouts without equipment.  Jackpot!  

http://stayforevercrossfit.com/wods-to-go

All of the workouts were very basic and easy to remember.  I would stroll over to the beach, leave me flip flops close by, and start an interval right by the water.  Any of the sprints I did, I tried to do in the soft sand.  Here's a great example of one that I did:

Ladder WOD-Pushups, air squats and walking lunges

Start at 10, go down to 1

Sprint back to the start (soft sand)

Ladders are fun because they progressively go down in reps, but sometimes you can start at the bottom and work your way up.  Just depends on what you want to do.  It's YOUR workout.  Just don't be a slacker and start whining at rep #1, because then you have 9 more to go :)

Or you could just bag the workout, be like this guy and totally lose it all during vacation

For real though, I know that for most of us, vacation is a time to relax and not do anything that remotely resembles any type of work.  Including working out.  But I really struggle with the whole idea that letting things go for a week can quickly throw you back into horrible habits.  I'm just not down for that.  Being healthy is a lifestyle, not just a choice you make from time to time.  It can be for some, but when you commit, it just feels better.  Indulge, but know when to pull back.  Let me give you guys a real life example of that from last week.

Wednesday night, Jarrett worked super late and I had a friend over.  We may or may not have indulged in some red wine.  We also may or may not have stayed up until midnight...on a school night.  I also may or may not have indulged in some cheese fries from a food truck at work.  So Thursday was a huge struggle, and while I don't do that often, I indulged and had fun.  I gave myself some room to cheat, but I didn't totally let my hard work go to pot by saying "you know what, I am just gonna eat McDonald's the rest of the week." No, because that would be hard.

By the time Friday rolled around, I got motivated and took my workout clothes to work and did a quick circuit at lunch.  1/2 mile run, with a little workout on some park equipment, followed by running that 1/2 mile back to the office. You make it a part of your routine and life just starts to include those healthy decisions without much thought.

Here are some other great circuit workouts you can do outside of the gym and with no equipment.

There's so much you CAN do.  You just have to do it.  I went to the gym today when I just felt like laying in my bed and enjoying a nice Sunday nap after I ate eggs benedict for breakfast.  But instead, I threw on my shoes and got busy.   Sometimes, all it takes is just stepping out the door.

Happy Sunday y'all!

Final Vacation Recap and What's In Store...

Hey guys! I'm back!!!!!!!!!!!!

Did you miss me? Actually probably not since I kept you all abreast of life on vacation.  

Abreast.  Such a funny word.  This is exactly comes to mind...

So vacation was WONDERFUL and we rounded out our last few days just chilling on the beach some more, taking long walks, watching the sun set and enjoying killer frozen beverages.  Those wine slushies were so good.  I have decided to use any remaining wedding gift cards to buy a Margaritaville machine. All in all, it was a great time.  We were sad to come back.  I miss this view already.

Sigh...

ANYWAY, it is good to be back and to get back into a regular routine.  I have some new goals that came to mind while I was hanging out eating fried shrimp and hush puppies last week. Every night.  While drinking a wine slushy. 

Here they are!

1. Purchase new running/gym shoes and break them in within a week.

2. Get the legs and hips in shape by upping some weight in the gym.

3. Purchase some decent protein powder.  I have been cheap lately and need something decent that the hubs will like. (any good suggestions)?

4. Try out some new, clean nutrition bars and provide reviews for you lovely peeps.

5. Write a blog post about fitness and vacation...how to not totally undo your hard work.

6. Try not to dislike work a ton now that I'm back and improve on my daily attitude.

I'm definitely knocked #1 off my list.  Aren't they pretty?!??!?  PS these are girl's shoes from Kohl's.  I have teeny, midget feet.  They just fit my little narrow child's feet better.

I am partnering up with another site to do a full review about working out while traveling.  That is on tap for later this week.  I really was able to get out and do a few fun workouts on the beach last week and was asked to blog about that, so keep your eyes peeled for my workout tips.

Last but not least, I'm really making a major effort now that I'm back from vacation to work on my attitude.  Some of you guys are reading this going "what?!?! but you're so positive in your posts and motivating, how can you be unhappy?!".  And for those of you that know me in real life, you guys know that I typically don't let things get me down.  I'm a pretty happy girl most of the time.  Except when I haven't eaten on time and my blood sugar drops.  HANGRY!

Without going into elaborate details, let's just say that work has been pretty challenging lately.  And I'm usually up for that, but it's been a very stressful couple of weeks over the summer professionally that really took a toll on me.  I've always been a perfectionist and when things are not going right in certain areas, I take it really hard.  I take it out on myself and beat myself up over things that I truly can't even control.  It turns me into an angry person.  I've identified it and now have to work to get back to a better, happier place.  I can't continue to be mad everyday and upset to the point that I feel trapped.  This is going to take more than some deep breaths and sniffing lavender oil at my desk :)  It's going to mean really big changes on my part with how I deal with things and it will take having God on my side.  I know I can work through this, so there is a silver lining to what I'm going through.  A good friend of mine posted this a few days ago and it totally hit home with where I am.

That being said you guys, I can't help but think about dear, sweet, funny Robin Williams tonight.  How shocked were all of us this morning to find that out that he had passed away? A bright light that was definitely extinguished way too soon.  But to read about someone that seemed so happy and made us laugh that struggled for decades with depression and addiction just goes to show that self doubt and fear impacts everyone.  It doesn't matter if you are a Hollywood superstar or the regular 9-5 person coming home to your pile of bills at night.

I think the message that I try to send in this is no matter who you are, when you do feel trapped and alone and about to lose your mind, reach out.  To know that this wonderful comedic genius has left behind a heartbroken family just breaks me inside.  And I don't even know him, except for his films.  But what I do know is that Mork made us laugh every time.  He gave a lot of people joy over the years that will never be forgotten.  Deep down, maybe he didn't feel like he was funny, or didn't know his impact on people.  Reach out you guys.  Don't let yourself fall so far that you can't get back up.  Someone will always be there to catch you when you fall. 

Alrighty you guys, there is a good thunderstorm brewing outside so it's time for some chamomile tea and to keep my animals from freaking out.  Happy Tuesday everyone!

Vacation Post Days 3 and 4

Happy Friday you guy! I can't believe our trip is almost over! So sad, but we have 2 full days left to enjoy, so we're up trying to make the most of it.  Thinking more jet skis today, not sure, but we had a blast on the earlier in the week.

Wednesday was more of the same as Tuesday, total beach day.  We dug in the sand and picked up some sand dollars and pretty shells.  It was just a fun, relaxing day.  We went out to eat at this place called Dockside Dave's.  We really haven't eaten a ton of seafood here yet but we decided to that night.  I ordered a grouper sandwich.  It definitely kicked my other sandwich's hiney from the other night.  HUGE and so flaky and good!

Y'all....I didn't even order french fries or anything else.  This was plenty. SO SO SO GOOD!

Wednesday night, we decided we would purchase tickets to Busch Gardens.  We were about 45 minutes from the park and drove our car, and we both love roller coasters, so we said why not.  We had a blast until I managed to get sick on one of the roller coasters and it started storming.

BG is like a big theme park and a zoo, so we saw all sorts of cool animals all over the place.

This kangaroo obviously did not want to get up and say hi, he just wanted to chillax on the ground.  But he was cute.

This guy was a little more friendly, but we didn't have any food.  Sorry 'roo.

FLAMINGOS! A ton of them, and some random seagulls. Bossy little birds.

White Bengal Tiger.  He was really pretty and just walked around like he was in charge! Reminded me a of a certain gray kitty back at home....

We did see some orangutans but they were like up in a treetop and hard to get a picture.  Meanwhile, Jarrett is standing at the bottom of the exhibit yelling "HEY MONKEY!".  I'm surprised they didn't like go all orangutan on his butt.

Anywho, the park was awesome.  The rides were really fun, but it was very apparent from the first roller coaster that I wouldn't be able to hang like I used to.  It rattled me so much that I quickly got a headache and then we rode another, which was awesome and very smooth, so I felt a little better.  Then we rode some water rides, which was awesome because it was 96 degrees here yesterday.  Good break from the roller coasters.  By the last ride, which had too many loops and turns, Jarrett was going "OMG THAT WAS THE BEST!" and I was quickly turning white and it felt like all the blood was pumping in my ears.  And then it started storming, so after grabbing some lunch, we headed home to nap it off.  We managed to get through about half of the park, but would definitely go back.  Total blast. 

And I am officially old :)

Last night we spent the evening at a beachside tiki bar to enjoy some drinks and watch the sun set again.  Just cannot get enough of the sunsets here.  They are beautiful.  I'll leave you guys with this for now.  I hope you have started off your Fridays on a good note and are looking forward to the weekend!  I haven't worked out since Tuesday so I'm about to throw on the shoes and go for a stroll and do some intervals in the humidity!  PHEW, it's hot here!

Vacation Post Numero Dos

Hey guys!

I am writing this post upon being up for about only 10 minutes.  YAWN! We were really lazy this morning and decided to sleep in before heading out to enjoy today.  You can totally be jealous.

Yesterday was a little more laid back that Monday.  Those jet skis really made us sore, so we took it easy on doing anything physical.  Well, I take that back, I got up early and ran on the beach for a bit and did a ladder workout.  10 lunges, 10 pushups, then went all the way down to 1.  Something about working out on the beach super early just makes me feel like I've woken up the right way.  And you can definitely work out without weights/machines while on vacation, you just have to do it.

We took to the beach again and chilled.  It's been threatening to rain the entire time, but it manages to miss the actual beachfront a good bit, so it remains overcast, but we've both gotten some sun here.

One thing I do well with as far as my skin goes is getting a little sun and sand.  Now I always use SPF 50 or above because I tend to burn, but something about salty air or salty water manages to clear up every blemish I have.  And I totally try to go without a lot of makeup the entire time.  My routine has dwindled down to very minimal and I've been using my new beauty sponge to just even out my skin tone.  If you guys don't have one of these, go get one.  It's worth the money spent, it just blends all of your makeup better than a brush or your hands.

You put it under some water and let it expand, and you just pat it all over your face until everything is blended really well.  Pretty much all I've needed for a night out is the following: a little foundation, mascara, some eyeshadow...maybe a little lipgloss.  That's all! And the result is sunkissed and flawless.

Speaking of flawless, we watched the most beautiful sunset last night.  Everyone told me that sunsets in the Gulf are fantastic, but I really had no idea.  Here are a few to prove it.  I mean, it was breathtaking and relaxing all at once.  I'm just in love with this side of Florida.

Just absolutely beautiful.  Couldn't have asked for a better way to end the day.

Jarrett made like a really deep statement yesterday which totally caused me to think about life in general (Kinda like Deep thoughts by Jack Handey). He was grilling some massive burgers for us and was kind of taking in like where we're staying and what we've been doing.   Ok we've splurged on some good food and done some fun activities so far, but we're staying in a small bungalow and just living very simply this week.  And he just pointed out that we're living on less this week than we normally would, just taking our time and basically being happy with what's around us.  Now I get it, you're on vacation, it's supposed to be a happy time and you're supposed to eat crab dip every day if you want to.  But we really are just truly at peace to go sit on the beach, watch the world go by, and eat turkey sandwiches all day.  It's the best feeling.  

I will leave you guys with that today to think on.  I think tomorrow's plan involves a trip to Busch Gardens to feed our inner child needs while we're here :)

Happy Hump Day!

Vacation Post Numero Uno

Hola friends all the way from sunny (and muggy) Maderia Beach, FL!

So yesterday after hours on the beach just relaxing, Jarrett had the bright idea that we should blog our vacation so that we have a photo/written journal of our time here.  Good idea!  Let's just hope you get me blogging not after one too many frozen drinks :)

Right now, I'm up super early, which is usually always the case for me on vacation.  It's hard for me to break the habit of getting up early for work, but I usually don't mind.  It gives me a chance to enjoy my coffee by myself and just be thankful to be taking a break from work for a week.  There's just something about enjoying coffee during the early morning hours without the looming possibility of opening your email that is just complete and total heaven.

J and I haven't been on a true vacation since our honeymoon in December.  We both had time to use at work and had no idea where to even think about going, we just wanted to go somewhere warm and tropical. When we were originally booking our Florida vacay several months ago, we initially had Key West in mind.  We've both never been and it sounded like fun.  But flights were really spensy, so we started looking at the Gulf and lo and behold, with the magic of VRBO, we found a really cheap deal a block from the beach and 2 blocks from shopping and good eats.  Can't beat that with a stick.  And we drove from Charleston.  About an 8 hour drive, but worth it.  We can drive to several beaches, restaurants and attractions without any issues.

Now, we live at the beach, and it's great, but we both immediately said as we walked on the beach Sunday that there is something peaceful and serene about the Gulf Coast.  And I like being able to see my feet in the water :)

This beach is NOT crowded ONE BIT.  Charleston has become a  hot tourist spot in the past 10 years.  We have to fight parking and other people just to get a decent beach spot.  And our beaches get so trashed sometimes.  Not here.  It's really beautiful and family friendly.  White sand, blue green water.  So amazing.

Sunday, we spent most of the day walking around and exploring.  The shopping/eating area near our house is called John's Pass.  We pretty much decided to do about 2 days in town, because it's on the small side, and then go explore the rest of St. Pete/Clearwater, which is very close by.  But we had a blast just walking around.  We discovered a place that made wine slushies... I'll pause while you wrap your brain around that...

Let's just say it was nothing short of amazing andddddddd I might have needed a quick nap after a long drive plus a strong adult drink.  Just sayin :)

Anywho, Sunday night's dinner and drink plan was in town.  DELICIOUS Italian food at a little pizza place, followed by craft beers down the street.  J enjoyed one of his favorite past times.  Hand rolled cigars.  Normally I'm not a cigar fan because they're so strong and smelly, but this one wasn't bad and the bar owned the cigar shop and just let us hang out there while he enjoyed it.  Winning!

Yesterday, I was up early (as usual).  Even while on vacation, I typically try to do some sort of physical activity each day.  I managed to run/walk over the bridge close to us into town.  We needed a small cooler for beach drinks and some sunscreen.  This was about 2 miles from our house, so I just decide to explore and walk and sweat out my wine slushy :)  4 miles in the hot muggy Florida heat was great.  

We stuck to our beach near the house for most of the afternoon. The beach was so relaxing.  I think the reason why we're loving the beach so much is because of the not so crowded mess we typically deal with.  OH and you can drink on the beach without any police issues.  We're also walking from where we're staying, so no driving issues.  I have ZERO complaints about all of those things.

After our long day on the beach, we enjoyed a little lunch back at our Casa de Beach.  We have a sweet little hammock that is the perfect length for short people.

We decided to rent a jet ski after our beach time.  We've both driven one before, but it's been years, and I always forget that ocean jet skiing is like riding a bucking bronco for an hour straight.  You get beat to death by the waves, but it was soooooooooooo FUN!  We had an AWESOME time and most likely going back again today.  We were super sore last night, it felt like getting whiplash from a fender bender. I would do it every day until we go back to Charleston though.  We were about 3 feet from dolphins for part of the ride and we stopped to watch them swim by.  And then, Jarrett let me drive and I threw us off twice.  It was so fun.  I don' think I've laughed and screamed that much since I was 12 years old on my first roller coaster.

We were definitely beat last night after our waverunner adventure, so we took it easy with a later dinner and drinks at a local spot called The Daquiri Shak.  Our waitress immediately informed us that waiting 15 minutes for drinks would result in them being $1 all evening sooooooo we definitely took advantage of that cheapness.  The food was awesome.  I scarfed down a grouper sandwich (which was the size of a large man's hand) in record time and didn't leave a crumb.  J had an awesome philly cheesesteak sandwich.  I think we will definitely go back there for more good eats. 

Ok guys, my morning WOD is calling my name after perking up with some coffee.  Not sure what our plan is today, but we're definitely doing something fun! :)  Tune in later for part dos!