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.