Fitness Friday - Biceps Baby

I am such a huge fan of toned arms on women. They are beautiful ladies, and make just about any top look fantastic!

{images via pinterest}

I tend to work a little harder to tone my arms and shoulders. Here are some of my go to bicep/shoulder exercises:

Hammer Curl - I do 3 sets of 12 with 15 lb weights for all biceps



Cross Body Hammer Curl



Concentration Curls - 12 reps EACH arm



Single or Double Clean Arm Press - I use 10 lb weights for shoulders



Lateral Raise



Alternating Shoulder Press



These should be a good start to your Bicep and Shoulder building if you haven't incorporated them yet. I would suggest taking one day a week to do biceps/triceps - circuit training - meaning do 3 different exercises without stopping 3 times each and then do another circuit of bicep/triceps, again 3 different exercises, 3 times through, no stopping. And then have another day when you do shoulders and back together through circuit training. It gets your heart rate up and blasts calories.

And in some non-related bomb ass news....I finally upgraded my iphone 3GS to the iphone 4s! Siri and I have been getting along wonderfully :)

Happy Weekend!

Anniversary Plans

I can not believe that my husband and I are coming up on our 5 year wedding anniversary. Pretty crazy and boy how time flies.

We have always said we would like to take a little vacation for our 5 years {March 10th} and with me graduating college as well as both of our birthday around the same time as our anniversary, we decided to do it! I am pretty sure we are going to make plans for March 9th-11th and I have already discussed with my mom about keeping the kids that weekend.

It took us about a month to finally decide where we would go and we have chose Sedona, AZ (or a very nearby town). Arizona is just breathtaking. I went with my family when I was 12 and I can't wait to go back and fully appreciate it for what it is. We plan on going to the Grand Canyon - which is about 2 hours away, as well as going to a winery, going hiking, possibly horseback riding through the desert, and going on a segway tour. I just imagine us sitting on our hotel balcony in the early evening, with a warm, cozy blanket and a glass of wine, watching the sunset over the mountains. Ahhh. Heaven.






We are very excited and looking forward to an intimate weekend, just the two of us.



Now, onto mommy duties...I cut Adalyn's bangs this weekend, we just had to do something about her hair. I think they turned out so cute {these pics were taken after bath time, before I brushed them or anything}. Gosh I love this munchkin!


We have a project coming up...we will be remodeling our master bath shower! We are shopping around for tile now. I can't wait to share the transformation with you guys!

Hope you all had a great weekend.

Fitness Friday - Recipes

I wanted to share with you guys two of my go to meals. I will be sharing more with you over time! Enjoy and get your HEALTH on today! You deserve it.

Shell-Less Taco Bowl - Dinner

• 1 lb ground turkey
• Bell pepper, diced
• onion, diced
• cilantro
• can of diced tomatoes
• low fat, shredded cheese
• low sugar salsa

1. mix ground turkey, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, and tomatoes together until cooked thoroughly

2. Add salsa and shredded cheese - I add mine to my individual bowl instead of in the skillet

Egg Whites Omelet - Lunch or Breakfast

• carton of egg whites
• turkey lunch meat
• bell pepper
• shredded cheese

1. I make 4 servings of egg whites, which I equate to being about 3 scrambled eggs (regular eggs) - 4 servings is 100 calories

2. I add one or two slices of turkey lunch meat (I tear into pieces) - 35 calories total

3. and I dice up a little bit of bell pepper and it to the egg whites, once they are almost done

4. Sprinkle a tad bit of shredded cheese and you have yourself a very yummy and healthy omelet! All under 150 calories!

Birthday WISH List

It's that dreaded, yet lovely time again, when I turn a year older. 25. Yikes, kinda hard to swallow. It sounds so much older than 24 for some reason.

With a Birthday comes a wish list of all the things I dream of receiving. I usually don't have one of these {Ok, I do, but I never tell anybody unless they ask. And nobody ever asks!} But my husband has asked me for a list this year. Our birthdays are 2 days apart. His being February 20th and mine the 22nd. So we never get each other anything because we generally spend that money on going out or doing something special just the two of us.

This year we will be having a party at our house and I'm pretty excited about it!

Since my husband asked me for my "list" it really got me thinking and now I can't stop! I pile things on daily to it.

So here it is! My Birthday wish list this year.

John Mayer tickets - He's playing at the Winstar casino in Oklahoma March 15th. I'm pretty sure if we don't receive these tickets, we will be buying them anyways. We LOVE him.

Naked 2 eyeshadow pallet - I reallllllly want this. I have the original Naked pallet and I am in love with it. This stuff is tha bomb.


Shark Vac then Steam - Maybe I'm a nerd, I don't know. But I am dying for this. It's a vacuum cleaner AND steam mop and I think it even cleans carpets and rugs. I could probably start a collection of vacuum cleaners, that's how much I love them. Weird obsession?


Bed pillow - I have so many knots in my neck and shoulders, mostly due to lifting weights, and I need a really good pillow to help me out.

Kitchen Utensils - We've had ours for years and it's definitely time for new ones.


Drop in Vegetable Steamer - I eat veggies probably 5 to 6 nights a week, and this little steamer would help me out a ton!


And last, but I'm sure not least....

Hair chalk - Cannot wait to do this to mine and Addy's hair!


Obviously, I know I won't be getting all this lovely stuff at once, but if I had it my way I would wake up to all of this on my birthday!

David is wanting some new running shoes, workout gear, work clothes, and trimmers so he has a long list too! I hope to surprise him with a few things that he is wanting for his birthday as well.

Fitness Friday - What Motivates Me

Everybody needs some kind of motivation to actually make the dedication to work out and being fit. You just have to, if not, well that is a recipe for disaster and results in you not meeting your fitness goals.

I am no different. I have to remind myself some days what I'm wanting to work towards.

First and foremost, my kids motivate me. I want to show them how to live a healthy lifestyle and I want to be able to run around and play with them. I enjoy being able to go to the park and slide down the slide with them, and I know they enjoy it too! I love being able to play chase out in the yard and running after the soccer ball with Hayden. They are wonderful memories as well as motivators.





One of my biggest motivations is having some kind of event to go to or a night out. This doesn't happen too often and has actually been pretty non-existent for a few months...which sucks! I love getting dressed up, doing my hair and makeup and trying on a hundred outfits. That is actually my favorite part of the whole "going out process" - I love it when the kids are at their grandparents house and it's just me and my husband, and usually my best friend at the house, sipping on a beer or wine and getting ready to some music. Makes me feel like I'm in high school again :)




And then you have Bikini season. I tend to slack off more than usual once summer ends and pick back up hardcore once the new year rolls around. I know I'm not alone ladies! With big sweaters and coats, we kind of just loosen the reigns a bit during this time. But with warm weather right around the corner and bribing myself with a new bikini, which I buy a new one every year, it helps to motivate me. Gives me a reason to push forward when I want to just sit on my ass and eat a whole pint of ice cream.





And then there's the skinny jeans. Yes. The oh-so-tight-I-have-to-jump-up-and-down-to-pull-them-up skinny jeans. I am bidding on a pair of white ones on eBay right now...and I've never had white ones, BUT they are motivating me. Who wants to squeeze into a pair of jeans when they feel gross and pudgy? Not me.


Another HUGE motivator for me is that I don't want to get diabetes. Believe it or not I had it while pregnant with both kids and it runs in my family. My sweet Mimi just passed away from going into a diabetic coma in September and my Bema has just been diagnosed with it. I love my sweets and most of the time a little too much. I'm working on it.


So what motivates YOU?

Vacationing on a Budget

Today, I have a guest blogger who would like to share with you some great places as well as tips for honeymooning or, like what I'm currently looking for, a place to get away to for my husband and my 5 year anniversary coming up in March.

Here is Christina Johnson sharing Honeymoon's that Won't Break the Bank

While the beaches of Hawaii or a Caribbean cruise may be the honeymoon location you desire, your bank account may prevent such a lavish honeymoon. However, a small budget does not have to prevent you from taking a romantic honeymoon. There are many destinations throughout the US and Canada that offer inexpensive, romantic honeymoon options.

Williamsburg, VA
Colonial Williamsburg offers multiple quaint bed and breakfasts and inns that offer the perfect escape for honeymooners. Newlyweds may stroll hand-in-hand as they explore some of the area's museums and galleries or enjoy a fun day together at Busch Gardens amusement park. Only 150 miles away, a day trip to Washington DC is also an option. The town of Williamsburg offers a quiet, romantic place for newlyweds to spend some time together.

Pocono Mountains
Located in Pennsylvania, the Pocono Mountains offer a secluded location for newlyweds to honeymoon. Known for skiing in the winter and panoramic mountain views in the summer, newlyweds will enjoy spending time together in an inexpensive rented cabin taking romantic hikes on the mountains.

Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls offers one of the most popular honeymoon destinations in the US and Canada. Hotels on the US side of the falls are typically less expensive than the hotels on the Canadian side of the falls. If you prefer to experience the beauty of Niagara Falls without the multitude of tourists, stay at the nearby town Niagara-on-the-Lake for a quieter honeymoon experience and take a day trip or two to the falls instead.

Kiawah Island, SC
Kiawah Island, located near Charleston, South Carolina, offers a secluded beachfront area for honeymooners. Rent a villa that is part of one of Kiawah's world-class resorts or choose a house right on the beach for a week-long honeymoon. Newlyweds will enjoy biking around the island, lounging on the beach and taking a day trip or two into nearby Charleston.

Other Tips
Look for home shares and private home rentals when you are choosing a place to stay. Many of these areas have homeowners who regularly rent out their homes to tourists for a few nights or a week at a time for less than a room at a local hotel or bed and breakfast. Search calendars in local newspapers or magazines to find free parks, concerts and other attractions to help save money on entertainment costs.


What are some of your vacation spots that are fun and cost effective? I will be sharing with you all soon, where we will be spending our Anniversary!



{A special thanks to Christina Johnson, with Elliman Prudential, for sharing her great article!}

No Sew Pillows

The easiest craft I've ever done! I found this on pinterest here

These were fun and easy and with us getting new bedroom linens, it was the perfect way to incorporate some color. There will be more pillows being added, but they will be done my my grandmother.

Here my pillows are





And, because this is way awesome and I had to share, my mother and I are taking sewing classes! We had our first one today and go back for the next one Tuesday where we will be starting our first project, a sewing bag. I will be getting my grandmother's sewing machine and with learning how to sew, I will definitely be creating my own little craft area in the garage. My own little haven where I can craft my heart away!

Happy Weekend All!