National Dog Day: Murphy

Happy National Dog Day to all the pups out there, especially ours - Murphy!

Some fun facts about Murphy:

He will be 4 in November. 

He's part German Shepherd, part Carolina dog.

We adopted him from North Carolina.

We didn't meet him before we adopted him.

He weighs 88 lbs.

He sleeps on his bed next to Saro's side of the bed and I cover him with a blanket each night - LOL.

We live on a corner lot and he loves to bark his head off at anyone and everyone who walks by. He's all bark.

He hatesss Dave. Dave is the very nice mailman who always leaves Murphy treats!

He loves getting a bath.

When he has to go "potty" he starts howling and will bring either Saro or I a toy and pace back and forth.

The only people he likes to jumps on are my mom and Saro's mom.

He's not allowed on furniture or our bed and doesn't attempt to jump on either one.

He loves the snow, belly rubs, chicken, being outside, chasing the cat, & Milk Bone treats.

We love you, Murphs! You're the best boy!

Lauren

I met my friend Lauren about 9 years ago on Weight Watchers online. I would go on the site and chat with other members about WW related things but more often than not, it would lead to other topics.

A bunch of us from NJ and NY met in person in the summer of 2007. It was one of the funniest days of my life. It didn't feel weird to meet people "from the internet." 

Saro & I went to her wedding & she came to ours last year.

Sadly, Lauren passed away two days ago after a two year, courageous battle with brain cancer. She was only 39 and has a young daughter and wonderful husband. My heart breaks for her family. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers this week.

It's raining so hard today probably because you're making everyone laugh so hard up there. Lauren, thank you for making me laugh until I cried and for being brutally honest. I love you and I will miss you forever. Until we meet again...

Tips & Reasons For Morning Workouts

Hey everyone! This morning as I was getting ready for work after my workout, I was thinking of some tips to share for getting up early! I don't wake up early every day but I'd say about 3x a week. In order to get my workout in before work, I have to wake up 1 hour earlier than normal which really isn't terrible. I can typically sleep until 7:15 at the very latest. This morning I got up at 6.

Here are my tips & reasons for working out in the morning:

1.) Go to bed 30 minutes early. If you usually fall asleep around 11, go to bed at 10. Put your phone down and maybe read for a bit. (Last night I was snoozing by 10:15)

2.) Keep your phone away from your nightstand and out of arms reach. This will force you to get up when the alarm goes off!

3.) Drink a glass of water before working out. 8 oz. is good. I find that if I drink too much, I become nauseous (especially if I'm doing PLYO!)

4.) You'll feel more awake and refreshed when heading out the door for work.

5.) You're done for the day! When you get home from work, you'll have more time to cook dinner and spend time with family - 4-5 whole hours!

6.) Don't eat a big meal and then workout right away. If you have to eat before or feel really hungry, maybe have half of a banana or an egg. I eat afterwards. 

*This is different if you're heading out for a long run or something. You would need to eat to keep your energy up.

Do you workout in the morning or at night?

Have a great day!