CrossFit

Saro and I tried CrossFit last weekend and decided to join as a supplement to the 21 Day Fix Extreme, PiYo and running. I plan on going 2x a week. My sister-in-law has been going for a year and looks amazing.

They had an awesome Groupon deal plus 15% off of that and $10 back each from eBates ;) It was basically buy 1 month, get two months free plus 5 one on one sessions.

It's definitely a little intimidating but most new things are, I guess.

Our first work out was as a 2 person team. They start you off "easy" and you progress from there.

Between the two of us, we had to do 54 burpees (and not the ones I'm used to - you have to go all the way to floor so it's basically a burpee AND a push up), 54 butterfly sit ups (legs spread butterfly, lay down and touch the floor over your head, sit up and touch the floor passed your toes), 54 kettle bell swings (I used 18 lb, Saro used 35) - so 27 each (sounds easier than it is!) and then an 800 meter (1/2 mile) run. Phew! I was SO SORE for 3 days. It's crazy because I'm familiar with most of these moves, this is just on a more hardcore level.

We finished in about 15.5 minutes.

We have to go through Foundations to learn the proper moves and form. We did two classes this week.

Tuesday's workout was:

500 meter row on row machine

40 air squats

30 sit ups

20 ring rows (easier form of pull ups)

Wednesday's workout was:

500 meter row on row machine 

21/15/9 (3 rounds of each exercise - 1st 21 times, 2nd 15 times and 3rd 9 times)

Dead lifts (I did 35 lbs Saro 85) and then hanging from a bar, bring your knees as close to your elbows as possible without swinging too much.

It's definitely really challenging! 

Have you ever tried CrossFit?!

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!

Our Pergola: Before + After

When we first moved into our house nearly 5 years ago, the pergola was in iffy shape. We weren't sure what to do with it because it's not attached to the house so it was kind of an awkward spot for it. Our property is a corner lot and the yard is big & L-shaped. The pergola/deck sits towards the back of the yard. It once had a pool attached to it but the previous owners removed the pool and planted a tree where the pool was.

 We fixed up the landscaping around it, added mulch, some flowers, etc. This year we decided to spruce it up some more with Behr's deck over paint. I can't say I helped all that much. Saro & my stepdaughter painted it for a few days while I was at work.

Saro added some lights, a fan and bamboo (thanks to our friends who were going to chop theirs down and get rid of it!). The fan really helps with the heat and bugs!

Before:

Spring 2011 right after we moved in

Getting there. See the open area and the tree on the left? That's where the pool and ladder for pool was.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After!

Saro closed in that open area about 3 years ago and you can't even tell it was ever open. We replaced the tree with a bird bath but then one of the plants we planted started to grow around the bath lol.

I love the look of the bamboo!

Saro also added beams going the opposite way to the top of the pergola.

Murphy loves it, too!

We definitely recommend the Behr Deck Over paint. It's not cheap! It's about $40/gallon and we went through 8 gallons. But, what a difference it made!

Tarte Friends & Family

I've been using Bare Minerals for years but last week, I decided to order a few things from Tarte to try it out. It figures today through 8/3 is their friends and family sale - 30% off!

The sale includes sale items and I think I'm going to buy the 2 pack mascara for $20.30 (after the 30% off). 1 is normally $21 so that's a great deal!

Don't forget to click through eBates to get an additional 4% back!

What's your favorite brand of makeup?

Positive Thoughts

Hi all!

It's been a minute since my last post.

For no specific reason, I'm trying to stay positive and think happy thoughts. A few things are going on that are a bit stressful and disheartening. I'm trying to just BREATHE and stop to enjoy each day, even if that means sitting down and reflecting for 10 minutes.

Lately, I've been finding peace in being outside whether it's our yard, the park - doesn't matter.

Think positive and smile! Looking & feeling exhausted in this picture. I forced myself to get up early to workout knowing that I won't have time tonight. Felt great after!

Have a great weekend!