Fitness Recap 11/18-11/24/17

Uh oh. I completely forgot to write my fitness recap this past week.  Having a few extra days off from work seems to have screwed up my internal clock.  But, alas, I am writing it now.  We’re just going to get right down with the nitty gritty.

 

Saturday: Treadmill workout

Sunday: 3.1 mile run outside with an average pace of 9:54/mile.  I was upset with this

number but I reminded myself that it was my first outdoor run in a seriously long time. I was running outside in preparation of the upcoming Turkey Trot and wanted to make sure I could consistently run the distance without stopping.

Monday: Unintentional rest day.  I just could not drag myself out of bed.

Tuesday: Treadmill run

Wednesday: Rest day

Thursday: Turkey Trot 5k.  I ended up running an 8:00 first mile (which is too fast for me and nothing I can sustain at this point) and then 2- 9:00 miles.  The second and third mile were more consistent with where I feel I should be at this point in my running.  I’ve slacked a lot after having my second child that I really didn’t anticipate running anything more than a 9:45/mile average.  I was pleased with my first race.  Winter is hitting Ohio, so I’m not sure how many more of these I will do before my half in April.

Friday: Rest day

The week overall wasn’t horrible on the fitness side. I was still able to get 4 workouts  in before divulging in yummy carb loaded food.  However, the holiday hit and I still have pie in my fridge.   This coming week will be to get rid of the pie and workout 5 days.  I need to start adding weight training back into my routine.

Did you run a Turkey Trot?  Hopefully you remembered to take a picture, because I always forget.  Until next time, be confident, be fit, be you!

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Advent Activities for Children

The holiday season is upon us all and I’m sure we’re all feeling the hustle and bustle of getting things ready for the family.  Getting holiday gifts for loved ones, decorating the house and spending lots of time with family can be overwhelming.  Last year I spent some time developing an individualized advent calendar for my children.  I will link that here (Last years advent activities). The family advent activities were small things that we could do together as a family and get some special time with our children to slow down the hectic moments.  This year, I am pulling some of the same activities for my family and adding in a few new ones.

 

Dec 1: Decorate the family Christmas Tree

Dec 2: New Book: Look and Be Grateful by Tomie DePaola.  We are trying to teach our 3 year old how to be appreciative.

Dec 3: Read the story of the Birth of Jesus

Dec 4: Make and a paper chain to decorate the tree

Dec 5: Mess-Free Glitter Christmas Tree and Gingerbread house by Melissa and Doug

Dec 6: Hang the felt Christmas tree and ornaments

Dec 7: New Book: Kindness to share from A to Z

Dec 8: Have a dance party with Christmas Music

Dec 9: Local zoo light event

Dec 10: Make homemade cinnamon rolls for breakfast

Dec 11: Winter Snow Dough- this was a huge hit last year so I have to repeat it!

Dec 12: Make Hot Chocolate

Dec 13: Decorate Christmas cards for the police and fire men and women

Dec 14: Donate 2 toys each to another child or organization

Dec 15: New Book: Llama Llama Holiday Drama

Dec 16: Bake Christmas cookies for friends

Dec 17: Go ice skating- I received skates last year and never got to use them. So, what better excuse than to take our 3 year old for the first time!

Dec 18: Paint with cookie cutters

Dec 19: New Book: Pete the Cat Save Christmas

Dec 20: Have holiday Sprinkles on our Waffles for dinner (Waffle Wednesday is a tradition at our house instead of Taco Tuesday)

Dec 21: Bake and cake for Jesus’ Birthday

Dec 22: Drive around and look at the lights

Dec 23: Watch a Christmas movie

Dec 24: Attend Christmas Eve Mass

Dec 25: Celebrate Christmas with our family!

I’m excited to bring out the Advent calendar again this year.  Our three year old is just starting to understand the holiday and I’m looking forward to showing her how to help others out during this season.  It is important to show children how they can be Christ like throughout the whole year, but especially during the celebration of the birth of Christ.

Do you do anything special with your family during this time of year?  What are some of your favorite traditions?  I hope this holiday season is filled with lots of special blessings for all of you!

Recap 11/11-11/17/17

This past week had some success and some short comings with my goals.  I wanted to run/walk every day in order to assist my Quidditch team to the finish line and provide the winning pot of money to Back on My Feet.  I was also going to continue to write everything down and make sure I eat at least one fruit and one vegetable every day. So, let’s start with the fitness portion.

• Saturday: ran 5.1 miles
• Sunday: walked 2 miles
• Monday: ran 4.8 miles, walked 1.1 miles on lunch
• Tuesday: ran 5.2 miles, walked 2.3 miles on lunch, walked another .5 mile when I got home after a long day at work.  This was the night my team crossed the finish line and everyone was pushing themselves to their limits
• Wednesday: Rest day
• Thursday: Rest day- wasn’t feeling the greatest
• Friday: Walked 3.2 miles

Overall, I would say a successful week with workouts.  The longer distances were a nice steady pace on the treadmill and I was getting used to completing longer distances.  After doing it a few times this week, it convinced me that I was ready for a 5k race again where I would be challenged by others.

Now, the food portion of the week was the less than ideal part of the week.  I started the week writing down what I was eating, but I stopped/wasn’t dedicated to it by Monday.  Then there was the fruit and veggie challenge.  The first day I fell short so the next day I made sure to get at least one in by the end of the day.  After the weekend the goal was just to start the process of eating healthier.  I had three salads this past week.  That is a huge improvement.  I hadn’t consumed a salad in quite a while before this week.  So, I’m going to just set this week behind me and start fresh with fresh fruits and veggies this week.  It definitely has to do with the preparation.  I went to the grocery store Friday and stocked the house with fruits and veggies that could be easily packed.  Over the weekend I will prep the food and make some food for my work day lunches.  I plan on making overnight oats for breakfast and adding some fresh fruit.

Overall, I saw success in some areas and some areas that clearly need improvement.  I didn’t fail necessarily, I fell short a few times and that’s okay.  I have an area for growth and I plan on focusing on that this week.  I’m going to continue working out in the morning and I’ll be adding back in a few days of weights.  Finally, I will be running a turkey trot race in my area on Thanksgiving.  I’ll be dusting off the old running watch for the first time in almost two years.

What are your goals this week?  Is there a Turkey Trot in your area that you can participate in with family or friends?  What types of foods do you like to pack for lunch to ensure healthy eating throughout the day?

As always, be confident, be fit, be you!

JuJuBe Review

 

Monarch Be Classy- This and my Nantucket Be Classy are used for work bags. They hold file folders and my laptop perfectly!

Todays post is all about an obsession of mine.  I even received a new one for my birthday this past week!  It started when I was seriously over my cheap diaper bag with my first child.  It barely lasted a year before it was falling apart and nothing was easy to find.  It was like digging through a bottomless bag and took way to long to get what you needed.  It was at my fed up point that I started asking for opinions on new diaper bags.  I heard good thing about a few brands and decided to watch some YouTube videos to get some reviews and really see what the bag can hold.  It was at that moment I fell in love with JuJuBe.  These bags were magical, or so the person made them seem.  They could hold a million and one items and everything would be super easy to locate.  They are machine washable, teflon treated, Agion® treatment, has a mommy pocket and memory foam change pad.  Then there came a sticker shock.  They weren’t cheap.

It took a lot of YouTube videos, talking with others, visiting a local BuyBuyBaby and joining the Pink Lady Chat Facebook group to push me over the edge and buy my first bag.  It was seriously love after that purchase.  There are so many bags and they can be used for more than just diaper bags.  So, when I look at the bag, I don’t see it being used for just a few years while my children are in diapers.  I use them for work bags, I used one for a pump bag (which spoiler alert JuJuBe now makes pump bags), I use them for organizing my bags, I use them for purses when I just need something quick, I have a BeSpendy (wallet), wet bag and fuel cell (small cooler bag).  Honestly, I have a good bit.  But, I almost always want more.  These bags are amazing and can seriously hold a large amount of items.  They were completely worth the price I paid and the awesome thing is they will hold the value.  Some of the more iconic or hard to find prints even sell 3x the original price used.  I personally don’t own those prints because they are insanely hard to come by and most of them are not for my taste.  I don’t have time to flip them and don’t feel it right when someone else truly loves the print.

5 Reasons I love these bags:

• I can pack them for two kids- one in diapers and one that is struggling with potty training and the bag still feels pretty light with room to spare.
• I can use the bag as luggage when taking a weekend trip or quick trip for work and it still looks fashionable.
• I am able to organize the bag the same way every single day which makes it easier for anyone watching the little ones.
• They are insanely durable.
• There is a bag for everyone.

• 

  Just some of the bags in my current line up.

  

  Charcoal Rose BRB- Backpack style bag

  

  MoonBeam B.F.F.- a smaller backpack style. Not love for me, but useful on occassion

  

  Charcoal Rose SuperBe- used as a pump bag and now a quick weekender bag

  Not featured in these images: Classy in Nantucket, BRB in Admiral, Medium set piece in Rad Hearts, Small and medium set piece in Royal Envy, Royal Envy Fuel Cell, Be Organized set in Duchess, and Be Spendy in First Lady.  I told you I have quite the obsession.

Honestly, I would seriously recommend these bags to anyone looking for high quality.  They aren’t just for moms with children in diapers.  They have bags for every single person out there.  They even carry Super Toki prints and a recent collaboration with World of WarCraft.  I may even have convinced a few others to start their own obsession with JuJuBe bags *wink*.

 

Weekly Recap 11/4-11/10

This week started the Quidditch tournament with the Hogwarts Running Club and let me just say, my team is #FawkesingAmazing!  This team is full of encouragement and great spirits.  The constant updates and stat breakdowns have been extremely helpful to see where we are in the tournament.  I can honestly say I have checked my racery team stats more than Facebook.  So, let’s get to the weekly fitness report.

• Saturday: Vacation treadmill run plus 3 mile walk on the beach in the middle of the day!
• Sunday: Treadmill run and walking Universal Studios Diagon Alley and Hogwarts for 12 hours.  Yes, we stayed in that portion of the part nearly that entire time.
• Monday: 2.5 miles treadmill run
• Tuesday: 3.5 miles in the morning on the treadmill and then 2 mile walk during lunch
• Wednesday: 3 mile treadmill run
  • I seriously had no desire to get up this morning because I worked a 12 hour day on Tuesday and was woken up at 3:30am by our daughter who doesn’t sleep well.  But, I did it because my team was expecting miles from me.
• Thursday: 3.2 mile treadmill run
• Friday (AKA: my birthday): 2.3 miles- my daughter came downstairs at 5:30am so I had to stop sooner than I wanted.

Now, I will say I am doing far less miles than half the members of my team.  But, I am getting up every morning at 4:30am and getting some miles in to contribute.  The team goal to reach the finish line first and provide prize money to the Back on My Feet foundation is motivation.  I have really enjoyed this challenge and will definitely complete more of them in the future!

As I mentioned last week, I was going to start writing down my food I ate throughout the day.  All of it, the good, the bad and the seriously not healthy.  Well, I did that.  What I realized was that I was not only eating super unhealthy most of the time, but I was not eating any fruits or vegetables.  Like seriously, maybe twice this week.  I had a salad one day and that is all I can remember for the vegetables.  This is the one thing that will help me finally take off the rest of the baby weight.  I can no longer give myself excuses.  I need to start focusing on being healthy for myself and my family.

This coming weeks goals will include eating at least one fruit and one vegetable a day.  This is something that will need to increase obviously, but I need to start with something attainable for the moment.  I will also continue to write down what I eat and participate in the second half of the Quidditch tournament.  What are your goals for the week?  Do you have someone to check in with or report back so that you are being accountable?  I’m happy to help!  Until next time, be confident, be fit, be you!

 

 

 

 

Wedding, Beach and HOGWARTS!

This past weekend I was able to spend some time with my girl friends from High School.  We graduated High School 12 years ago and these ladies are still such an important part of my life.  That’s the bond a small, all girls Catholic school can create.

The weekend started on Friday when we met in Lake Mary, FL.  We just had a nice casual dinner and spent time catching up, not via texting, at Sonny’s.  It was some really good BBQ and conversation.  Then on Saturday, my friend took us to her childhood home and showed us around New Smyrna.  We met her grandma and had some great conversation.  Then we walked to the beach.  It was gorgeous and I was truly appreciative of the moment because I had been checking into the weather back home and it was less than ideal.  We took a long walk down the beach.  Like 3 miles or so to the jetty where we saw a lighthouse and I picked up some large seashells for my kids! We also saw some tortoises on our way back to the car.

It was time to head back to get ready for our friends wedding.  It was an absolutely beautiful ceremony.  The bride and groom had all of the bridal party and immediate family hold their rings for each of them to say a quick blessing, quietly, and share their love.  When they came back around, the rings would hold the love of everyone who touched them.  It was a really nice moment.  The wedding and reception were beautiful.

The next day, we headed to HOGWARTS!!! I couldn’t come to Florida and not go to Universal studios if I was less than an hour away.  We started first thing in the morning when the park opened and left when the park closed.  Yes, we stayed at Hogwarts or Diagon Alley almost the entire day.  We rode the Hogwarts express between the parks!  The day started with the ride at Gringotts, which was really exciting.  Then my friend and I had to get wands from Ollivanders.  I originally wasn’t going to get one, but then we found out they were interactive and had a life-time warranty so I was sold.  We were just like the little kids doing spells to make things move, stop or spit water!  We ate at the 3 broomsticks and had butterbeer, of course.  It was truly a magical day. I was so thankful that I was able to spend this time with my friends whom I hadn’t seen in quite some time.

If you ever get the chance to go to Universal, I highly recommend getting a wand.  At least one for your group but kids definitely would enjoy all of the interaction.  Next weeks blog post on Wednesday will be an updated Advent list for families.  I’m going to modify and adjust based on my time availability and my kids interests.  Until next time, be confident, be fit, be you!

Weekly Recap 10/28-11/3/2017

It has been a week to say the least.  It was a good week as far as life goes.  We had a baby shower for some family members, I had a good week at work, no one got sick or hurt.  Overall, a good week for the family.  On the flip side of this is the workout plan.  My goal was to workout five days this week.  I wasn’t successful and that seriously bums me out.  So let’s do a quick recap.

• Saturday: Baby Shower cleaning, set up, hosting and cleaning up
• Sunday: Finish cleaning up from baby shower and Trick or Treat with our 3 year old (her first experience and it’s been entertaining to watch her try some of the candy.  So far on the no list: nerds, smarties, and whoppers)
• Monday: Treadmill workout
• Tuesday: Upper body workout with a treadmill warm up and cool down
• Wednesday: Treadmill workout
• Thursday: woke up for my workout and BOTH kids decided it was also time to wake up.  It was not a good start to my day.
• Friday: Upper body workout with a treadmill warm up and cool down.  I even woke up at my normal time knowing I wasn’t going to work today.  I’m heading out of town for a friends wedding!

Getting four workouts in during the week is still good. I was able to push myself a little more on the treadmill and with my weights.  I just don’t like falling short of my goals.

This next week starts off in Florida with friends!  I am taking my workout clothes and I intend to use them.  Upon my return, I start the Quidditch challenge with the Hogwarts Running Club online.  The original goal per person was 1.5 miles a day, which was completely doable.  However, the Headmaster (yes, I’m starting to show how much of a nerd I am) has upped the miles to 4 a day.  This means I’m really going to have to bust my tail to get the intentional miles needed to help my team.  I will just focus on the fact that I am doing this for a greater cause than myself.  The teams that place in the top four will have prize money donated to the charity they are running for, in my case Back On My Feet.  So, there is some incentive to push hard and go strong!

My goals for this next week will not only include picking up mileage but also starting to watch what I eat.  I’m still having major sugar cravings that started with my second pregnancy.  I have got to cut the habit and start eating healthier.  The husband and I both agreed that we were eating out too much.  So, not only will I be eating healthier options I make at home, I will be saving money.  For my first food goal, I’m going to write down what I eat.  This is a great start to see just exactly how much I’ve been eating.

What will your goal be for the week?  Are you apart of any online racing communities that help you push and reach your goals or stay active?  Until next time, be confident, be fit, be you!

Thankful November

It’s November 1st and if you are on Facebook you may remember the 30 days of Thanks posts that were filling up your news feed in years past.  With everything going on in our world, these next 30 days may be refreshing and uplifting as more and more positivity fill our social media addictions.  However, I am going to go one step further with this trend.

During the next 30 days instead of just being thankful on social media for others to see, I want to actually acknowledge those that have done something thoughtful.  A physical thank you note instead of a virtual high-five.  I’ve created small slips of “Thank You” paper and printed them out on card stock to keep with me.  When someone does something nice and I notice it, whether it was something nice for me or someone else, I am going to jot down a note and make sure they get it.  At times, I may make it anonymous.  The simple fact that I noticed good in the world will not only brighten my day, but someone else as well!
This new social media trend of highlighting what you are Thankful for is something we need in our world.  We need to be reminded of the good in our lives.  We need to acknowledge when someone does something kind for a fellow human.  Simple acts of chivalry should not go unacknowledged or thanked.  If we stop appreciating what others do for us, then that is when people stop doing the act all together.  In other words, if a person is always holding a door for others but no one ever holds the door for them, odds are the person is going to also stop holding the door for others.

So, for the next 30 days I challenge you to give Thanks to those around you for even the simplest of things.  Either post a message on Facebook of why you are Thankful for them or send/hand them a card. I will attach my “Thank You” slips for you to use.
Free Download: Thank You Cards

Recap 10/21-10/27

It has been a week!  Welcome back readers to my weekly fitness update.  As mentioned in previous blog posts, that I will link here, I was completing a 15 day burpee challenge.  This past week I completed day 9-15 and each day became harder and harder.  On day 9 a had a 22 second rest between each set of burpees and by the 15th day, I was doing all 30 straight.  It didn’t get easier like I was hoping for, but that just means it was a good challenge overall.

As for the other aspects of my workouts, I was able to get up early 4 days out of the week and get a good solid workout done before the kids were up.  Heres the recap for the week:

• Saturday: Burpee challenge
• Sunday: Burpee and body weight exercises
• Monday: Burpee and treadmill run
• Tuesday: Burpee and Upper body lifting
• Wednesday: Burpee challenge only
• Thursday: Burpee and treadmill run
• Friday: Burpee and Upper body lifting

Overall, I’m very pleased with my workouts for the week.  I want to push myself a little bit next week and extend my mileage. I’m heading out of town later this week for a wedding, so I want to make sure I get some strong workouts in before I leave.  Upon my return I start the Quidditch event for two weeks where the goal will be to get as many intentional miles in during a workout.  There are 8 teams against one another all raising money for charity! I’m running for Back on My Feet and you can check out the program here.

How did you tackle your fitness goals this week? Always remember to be confident, be fit, be you!

Recap Week 10/13-10/20/2017

It’s that time of the week where I disclose just how successful or unsuccessful I was in completing my goals.  This week definitely presented some challenges and wore me out to a new level of tired.  I actually believe I’m learning to function on less and less sleep.  I have always been an 8 hour a night sleeper until now.  I’ve been able to get up and complete workouts with 6 hours of rest a night.  I’d definitely prefer the 8 hours, but I’ll take what I can get!

So, here goes.  I started the 15 day burpee challenge as mentioned in my weekly recap last week.  I have stuck with it every single day and am through day 8 as of yesterday.  There were days when I didn’t want to do the burpees, but I just reminded myself that I made a commitment to myself and to the handful of people that read this blog.  I didn’t want to let anyone down, including myself.  The first few days I reduced the rest time by 5 seconds and I quickly learned that I needed to slow that pace down.  So, for the last two days I’ve decreased my rest time by just 3 seconds.  As the challenge has gone on, my legs have started burning a little more and I’m starting to feel some of the muscles in my stomach I haven’t felt since before Hailey! In other words, this is definitely a rewarding challenge.

Break down for the rest of the week in regards to activity: Saturday toured the Fallingwater house and walked the grounds around the home. Sunday, rest. Monday treadmill run. Tuesday weight training. Wednesday and Thursday rest. Friday treadmill run.

I also signed up for a virtual quidditch tournament with Hogwarts Running Club (HRC) and will be running for a wonderful organization called Back on My Feet. This challenge will start November 6th and run for two weeks.  I joined HRC a while back and found it to be incredibly supportive in keeping me motivated. Here is a link to their Facebook page. The quidditch tournament is full, but they have a ton of virtual races and currently you can sign up for the all of the races for this year with the time turner challenge!

Overall, I am happy with my fitness this week.  This coming week I would like to increase to 5 days out of the week doing a physical activity for a minimum of 30 minutes.  I will also complete the burped challenge at the end of this week! I am also going to limit my sweets to one day this week. I haven’t been able to cut the sugar since pregnancy and I just stopped breastfeeding, so I have zero excuses now!

Until next time, be confident, be fit, be you!