Monthly Motivation: Choose Your THING

Morning, friends! How are you doing today? Hope your week is off to a great start, I'm getting back into the groove after a weekend away with Le Husband. Yesterday's workouts were better than anticipated and now I'm planning the rest of my week. 

Which is where my post comes in. Today is the FIRST day of our Monthly Motivation and I'm super excited to be hosting with Lynn. I honestly thought longer than I should have about what I wanted to share today. There are so many great places to start, so many awesome things to pursue and so much research to read. 

And then the light bulb went off in my brain. With so much to do, how can one be successful? My suggestion:

What do you want to change? Is it drinking more water? Is it eating better? Is it being more consistent with your work outs? Is it leaning up? Getting stronger? Finding a way to make something a routine? Once you decide what you WANT to change, choose ONE THING and make a plan. 

Too many people try to change EVERYTHING and then end of failing because the amount of things to change is too overwhelming. Raise your hand if you've been there [RAISES HAND HIGH]. Y'all I've been there too many times to count. Trying to RESET everything. Trying to get better at everything and IT. IS. EXHAUSTING. And completely unattainable. 

So I learned. SLOWLY. Pick one thing, commit to it and make it a habit before you attempt the next big change. First it was lifting heavy weights with my husband. After six months of committing to getting stronger I started to add in more cardio. Then I began cleaning up my eating and figuring out WHAT works for my body. This was across three years, y'all. THREE! Changing your lifestyle is NOT a quick fix, it is something you have to decide to pursue and then COMMIT to working on day after day. 

Take a moment today and think about what one thing you really want to commit to become more healthy. Then, plan it out. If you're adding more fitness into your routine, WRITE workouts in your planner so you can't flake to on yourself. Maybe you want to drink more water, set your timer on your phone as a reminder every hour. You could want to eat more whole foods and less processed foods, so that means slowly changing eating habits. Plan which processed food you will replace with a healthier version. 

Small daily choices, become weekly choices, which become monthly choices and soon become habit. YOU CAN DO THIS, you just have to believe in yourself and find a plan you believe in. If you want help, email me or leave a question in my comments. I'm passionate about people working to improve their lives and want to help you as best I can. 

What are you choosing to change this month?

Exciting Blogging News: Monthly Motivation

Hey, friends. Happy Thursday to you. Hope this week is going well [mine is because family time is super close this weekend]. Maybe this post will add a lil something to your week.

If you've been reading here for awhile [THANK YOU and HI] you'll know I met one of my besties via blogging. Yup, Lynn of Dispositive Motion is my BOFF [Best Online Friend FOREVER]. We connected quickly on our views of life, family, fun and of course fitness.

While both of us THRIVE when we're active and eating healthy we both go about our workout routines different ways. she is a busy working lawyer mama of the cutest lil girl [I heart lil E], wife and twirling teacher so her workout schedule is much more limited than mine since I basically live at the gym and teach fitness classes. And you know what? that's honestly the BEST thing ever. Because we get to ask each other questions, change up our routines and learn from one another.

We also get to hold each other accountable and on days where it's all BLAH we get to motivate each other to stay healthy. Which is where the idea of our Monthly Motivation linkup was born.

Join us on the FIRST TUESDAY of every month for a dose of Monthly Motivation. Starting June 5th, we will be hosting a linkup to help set your monthly healthy living goals. The linkup will be all about sharing tips, tricks, food planning, workout planning and just talking about how you stay motivated each month. Share your favorite food ideas for adults and kids and just cheer each other on as we reach for our goals. 

Lynn and I are so excited and we can't wait to see you on June 5th!

TTB {All Things Entertainment}

1|| Comedy or Drama? Romantic Comedy is my favorite, I don't like just HAHA comedies. All about a good action drama, though. Drama just for drama's sake, NOPE!

2|| Fiction or Non-Fiction? Historical fiction, so kind of both? I love me some historical fiction. 

3|| Movies in Theater or at Home? 100% at home. I am so not a movie theater person, don't like people, don't like the ripoff prices and movie popcorn ain't my jam. I'll only go if it's a Disney movie, Harry Potter or James Bond. Otherwise I'm waiting for it to be on a DVD. 

4|| Musical or Play? Musical. I wish my life was a Musical.

5|| Which meal of the day is your favorite to eat out? Used to be breakfast so I could sample all the sweet treats, but now my body doesn't handle so much sugar so eating out for breakfast is kind of silly. I guess that makes it dinner. 

6|| Favorite Book ever read? Can't. Nope. Too many!

7|| Game Night: Yes or No? Love game notes, we grew up with them. Don't have any at the moment.

8|| Favorite Outside Game to Play? Lay down and tan :)! I really like volleyball for fun and of course soccer. 

9|| Favorite TV Series EVER? NCISCASTLEGILMOREGIRLSELEMENTARY, does that count?

10|| Sitcoms Growing up or Sitcoms Now? Growing up, I guess, but we weren't allowed to watch much television. Don't watch any now, so I have NO IDEA what SITCOMS are out there. 

11|| Miniature Gold of Bowling? BOWLING! Le Husband and I have our own shoes and balls. 

12|| Favorite Movie Theater Candy? M&Ms

13|| How do you like your popcorn? Hot, very little butter and with M&Ms sprinkled throughout. 

14|| 3D movies with glasses; Yes or No? HARD NO!

15|| Favorite Genre of Books to Read? Historical fiction or WW2 History. 

What's Up Wednesday {April}

Taking a bit of artistic license with this link up today. April basically consisted of three major things. Visiting my sisters where I met my niece, celebrating my birthday [in Vegas and at home] and not making the cut for an audition. Below are the highlights from each event, cheers to a pretty awesome April.

Arizona Trip:
Oh my heart, this trip. Everything I could have wanted, and more. It was all the sister time. All the baby time. All the warm weather. Lots of puppy love and ALL.THE.BABY! Seriously, my niece is so precious and I wanted to eat her up all the time. She was struggling with sleep while we were there, so Babyspice and I helped out mama Sportyspice in the mornings which means we enjoyed lots and lots of baby girl snuggles. We had pool time, food time, cleaning time, sunset photoshoot time, silly auntie time, singing time and just so much fun. I cried when Babyspice left and I cried when I left. Being so far away is so damn hard, so DAMN hard. I can't wait until next month when we will all be together again.

Oh yeah, I HAD A BLATE! My girl Courtney lives in AZ and we FINALLY met up. This blate has been five years in the making and it was the best. Chickfila with the kids and all the laughs. She is as pure as sunshine and just one of my faves, LOVE YOU GIRL!

Las Vegas Trip:
The drive from Phoenix was super easy, but kind of nerve wracking. There were multiple parts where my phone didn't get signal, which had me concerned since I didn't know where I was going, ha. Scenery was gorgeous, though. I was able to stop crying by the 2nd hour, because yes, I was a mess leaving. Le Husband was in Vegas for work and I joined him at the tail end of the trip and enjoyed two nights on his company since he was working. Thursday night we did dinner at Ceasar's Palace and then walked the strip because it's our favorite thing to do when in Vegas.

Friday we were both up early for a work out, then a quick trip down the strip to change hotels to the Linq. Love staying there, except their wifi is booty, bah. We ate breakfast/lunch at Hash House, which is our FAVORITE spot. We randomly started eating there back in 2010 when we stumbled up on it and it has become our go to for brunch. Word to the wise, they don't do reservations so get their early. The rest of the day was spent relaxing and then we made our way down to Fremont Street. Le Husband had a friend also in town and we met him downtown after our delicious dinner. I'd never been to Fremont Street and LOVED it. So much fun and such a change from the strip. Old foggies over here couldn't make it much longer than midnight, haha.

Saturday we enjoyed the gorgeous weather, ate delicious food and then headed off to the airport for our flight. Le Husband enjoys perks as a working guy and we were able to hang in one of the clubs while we waited which was so nice. Big fan of free food and drinks. The flight was pretty chill and we landed late on Saturday in Nashville where we stayed the night close to the airport. The trip was a whirlwind but so very fabulous for my birthday. Really made turning 35 so wonderful.

This is 35 (Birthday}:
April brought the beginning of my 35th trip around the sun. Am I where I expected? Nope. Would I trade it? Nope. College Pinky had me a SAHM with two kids and one on the way at this age. Right out of college Pinky had me traveling the world with the Peace Corps. Just married Pinky had me with a kid and still in Virginia. Funny, huh? I honestly admit I do wish life was a bit more settled and dreams were a bit more in grasp, but that's life right? I am beyond blessed because my family and friends truly made my day amazing. So much love for year 35!

Not Getting Presenter: 
Talk about a tough pill to swallow. I shared all of my journey here and truly felt I had a shot. A real shot. A GOOD SHOT and to have it not happen hurts. I honestly don't think I can expand on my post *here* so if you want the whole story give it a click. Almost good enough, but just not this year. I'm determined to get better so next year can be my year. Thank you all for your support from the beginning and through the disappointment. Your faith makes me smile.


How was your April?!??!?

TBB: All things S P R I N G

Hello, friends and happy Easter. I hope those of you who celebrate the Risen Lord had a wonderful Sunday of worship and those of you who do not celebrate, I hope you  had a wonderful weekend. Our Easter was spent worshiping and then enjoying food together with friends. Eater away from family is tough for me, as I'm a tradition QUEEN, yet I'm slowly learning to be happy with new traditions as they are created. A photo of our weekend.

Now, onto the Monday linkup. Which I've actually done ON TIME this month, woop woop!

[SOURCE]

1||  What three colors remind you most of Spring? Pastel Pink & Yellow and DEEP Purple for Easter.

2||  What is the first thing you add to your wardrobe in Spring? Peep toe shoes and FLIPSSSS!

3||  What is the first wardrobe item you ditch in Spring? Gloves

4|| Who mows the grass where you live? Our HOA, praise hand emoji! I garden, I don't mow!

5|| What's Spring like where you live? Spring brings us all four seasons, haha. Snow, rain, heat and cool breezes.

6|| What's your favorite thing about Spring? Watching the world awaken after being asleep for winter. Give me all the beautiful spring flowers and greenery. Buds breaking through the ground give me such a thrill.

7|| Are you a Spring cleaner? YESSS! I love spring cleaning and making everything FRESH.

8|| Are a baseball fan? Yes, which still makes me laugh. I HATED baseball and baseball players growing up because they were a pain in this soccer players rear. Wouldn't you know I married a baseball player [who played in the minors for three + years]? We both don't really care for MLB but LOVE watching and cheering on College Baseball teams.

9|| Tulips or Daffodils? When I was younger, tulips. But now, gimme a good daffodil. I think they last longer and look better in a vase as they start to whither. Tulips dying make me so sad.

10|| Favorite outdoor Spring activity? Walking outside without a jacket, grilling while enjoying a drink on the deck. Playing kickball with friends and just GETTING outside.

11|| Flowers in the ground or in pots? Growing up 99% of the plants around my house were in the ground so that's how I plant at my home. We are getting a house plant which will be potted in our living room.

12|| Car wash or wash vehicles at home? I haven't visited a car wash in two years. We take care of it at home.

13|| When do you pull out your sandals? As soon as Flip Flopping possible :)

TBB: Beauty Edition

Few days late, but oh well. Better late than never, right?

1] Eyelash Curler Yes or No? Nope. I'm blessed with long eyelashes so just need a bit of mascara.

2] Favorite Nail Shade? A deeeeeep dark almost black purple or bright pink.

3] Favorite Lipstick Shade? I switch daily, haha. A nude shimmer or deep purple red.

4] Blow Dry or Air Dry your hair? Blow Dry if I have to go somewhere, but normally Air Dry since I'm usually showering after I teach a class. If it's cold I'll speed up the heating process.

5] Artificial Nails Yes or No? If I had the budget totally would, but nope for the maintenance. 

6] Foundation Yes or No? When I was in an office, daily. Now it's only when I look tired or am dressing up. I also try to adhere to the 5/2 ratio to give my skin a break. 

7] Hair Up or Hair Down? When I get dressed up, down and curled. Daily, usually down then in a braid/ponytail combo when teaching or working out. I want to find a fun workout hairstyle.

8] Bar Soap or Body Wash? Body Wash! But, now really look at ingredients and might switch to soap.

9] Bath or Shower? If I could take a bath everyday I would. I LOVE baths but never have time. I WILL be taking baths every night once our bathroom gets all put together. 

 

10] Favorite Body Lotion? Call me crazy, but I use Coconut Oil for lotion. 

11] Do you wear perfume? If so, favorite scent? I love perfume. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it. But, Le Husband has NO sense of smell I rarely wear it anymore. I LOVE Black Opium and Givenchy.

12] Do you shave your legs every day? Almost everyday. Hazard of wearing shorts to teach.

13] Favorite Lip Balm? Any chapstick. I must have chapstick.

14] How old were you when you first started wearing makeup? We received play make up for Christmas when I was eight years old and we were only allowed to wear it at home. Sometimes Mama B would make us up for special occasions, but we weren't allowed to wear it to school until high school.

What's New With You {The Late Addition}

[source]

Hello! Yes, I'm still here, just a lil late this morning. Honestly, I find myself in the swing of things and them BOOM the week is near then end and I haven't answered emails/comments and I haven't posted anything new. Egad! Even though this is later than normal, here's a new post to read.

Support means the world to me. Seriously, it does. Whether it's family support, friend support, blog land support or just a pat on the head support I crave it like no other. Support is my tribe. Which is wonderful when people show up and support me all the time. This is nothing new, per say, but it's been needed more than normal recently and to have everyone show up has meant the world.

The house is finally coming together. Guys, the house. THE HOUSE! We finally have a living room and the boxes are LE GONE! Our Memorial Day was not a restful or celebrated weekend. Le Husband and I worked ALL WEEKEND long on our house. We put in floor board, we put in tow board, we painted, we sanded, we primed, we painted again, we put things up and took them down, we arranged and rearranged, we bought a TREE {!!!}, we organized and we put our downstairs back together. It is looking good, so good, and I'm so freaking happy to have a carpet and Snoopy.

Fitness is lost F A S T. No surprise there right? Two weeks off for surgery and man do I feel like I'm climbing a mountain again. My abs are gone {wah face emoji}, my pushup count is down and I honestly just feel so slow and out of shape teaching at the moment. I get it, my body is changed and is still recovering from losing an organ however I'm bummed I have to regroup and rebuild.

Whole30 Round four? Y'all, it might be happening. I need to get myself in check food wise because since surgery I've been eating like a frat boy and my body not only looks meh it feels lousy. This isn't about losing weight though, sure I liked being lean, but it sucked not being able to eat food because of my gallbladder issue. Now I can eat the food I missed which is AMAZING for the taste buds, just not so amazing for the rest of my body. Le Husband said he was on board so it might happen.

So that's the quick and dirty of the past month or so. Thanks for reading and showing up!

Linkinguphere

Books on Books on Books

Hello and happy book review day. I expected to have a LOT more books to share with y'all today since  I was traveling around Europe for 30 days, but I did not do nearly as much reading as expected. Normally I'm a night reader, but while traveling I used that time to update my blog and chat with family. Most of my reading was only done while traveling, if I wasn't catching up on sleep. Linking up with Steph and I think you should join the party.

* * * 1/2

"Edith Lavery, an English blonde with large eyes and nice manners, is the daughter of a moderately successful accountant and his social-climbing wife. While visiting his parents' stately home as a paying guest, Edith meets Charles, Earl Broughton, and heir to the Marquess of Uckfield, who runs the family estates in East Sussex and Norfolk. To the gossip columns he is one of the most eligible young aristocrats around. When he proposes. Edith accepts. But is she really in love with Charles? Or with his title, his position, and all that goes with it?

One inescapable part of life at Broughton Hall is Charles's mother, the shrewd Lady Uckfield, known to her friends as "Googie" and described by the narrator---an actor who moves comfortably among the upper classes while chronicling their foibles---"as the most socially expert individual I have ever known at all well. She combined a watchmaker's eye for detail with a madam's knowledge of the world." Lady Uckfield is convinced that Edith is more interested in becoming a countess than in being a good wife to her son. And when a television company, complete with a gorgeous leading man, descends on Broughton Hall to film a period drama, "Googie's" worst fears seem fully justified" [picture and summary source via goodreads]."

Oh how I wanted to LOVE this book. I adore Downton Abbey and think Julian has a fabulous knack for creating vibrant stories. The main character narration was a fun twist from what I expected and originally I really enjoyed Edith. She reminded me of any young woman looking to 'marry up' and Charles is so sweet. But then, ugh, just ugh. I couldn't handle the drama and then don't even get me started on the ending. I could sense the direction it was going but was hoping for one final twist. If you're intrigued by the monarchy and British culture I think you'll enjoy the story. If all of that bores you definitely  skip it.

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* * * *

"Jess Dunne is third-generation Hollywood, but her star on the boulevard has yet to materialize. Sure, she’s got a Santa Monica address and a working actress roommate, but with her nowhere barista job in a town that acknowledges zeroes only as a dress size, she’s a dead girl walking.

Enter Jess’s mother—a failed actress who puts the strange in estrangement. She dives headlong into her daughter’s downward spiral, forcing Jess to muster all her spite and self-preservation to snag a career upgrade.

As a personal assistant for a famous (and secretly agoraphobic) film composer, Jess’s workdays are now filled with shopping for luxury goods and cooking in his perfectly designed kitchen. Jess kills at cooking, a talent that only serves her intensifying urge to dig in to Los Angeles’s celebrity buffet.

When her food garners the attention of an actress on the rise, well, she’s all too willing to throw it in with the composer and upgrade again, a decision that will have far-reaching ramifications that could explode all her relationships. All the while, her mother looms ever closer, forcing Jess to confront the traumatic secrets she’s been running from all her life. 

Oh! You Pretty Things is a dizzying ride at the carnival of fame, a fast-paced and sharply funny work that dares to imagine what happens when we go over the top in a town of gilded excess [picuture and summary source via good reads]."

Not sure why I grabbed this book, but I did and it did it's job on flights and long train rides. The story was fun, the characters were really unique and exciting to delve into and the backdrop of Hollywood just made it more interesting. The author did a good job of stretching the story when I saw the writing on the wall and sadly again I was quite bummed out about the ending. Works as a summer or waste time read. 

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* * * * *

"Liv Chandler is running for her life, and the cops haven’t been able to do a thing to help. But there’s one man who makes her feel safe, no matter what…rugged charter boat captain Rafe Brodie.

To Rafe, Liv is a beautiful mystery, one he can’t ignore. He means to unearth her secrets, and in the process, if luck is on his side, maybe the spark between them will ignite.

But Liv’s past is more dangerous than Rafe could guess, and when his first mate turns up dead, she fears that she’s next. That there’s something else coming she can’t see. That even Rafe and the remote village of Valdez, Alaska can’t protect her forever [picture and source via goodreads]." 

It wouldn't be a long trip without a silly romance, right? If you don't like these books, don't bother, but if you enjoy them for what they are this is a fun one to pass the time. Rafe and Liv's chemistry is actually believable and I loved the fact it was set in the Alaskan community. The mystery took a bit to come about, which I enjoyed since they are usually predictable. 

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* * * * *

"Growing up on her family’s Sonoma vineyard, Georgia Ford learned some important secrets. The secret number of grapes it takes to make a bottle of wine: eight hundred. The secret ingredient in her mother’s lasagna: chocolate. The secret behind ending a fight: hold hands.

But just a week before her wedding, thirty-year-old Georgia discovers her beloved fiancé has been keeping a secret so explosive, it will change their lives forever.

Georgia does what she’s always done: she returns to the family vineyard, expecting the comfort of her long-married parents, and her brothers, and everything familiar. But it turns out her fiancé is not the only one who’s been keeping secrets  [picture and source via goodreads]."

LOVED, loved, loved this book. It was an easy, fun, light read that brought to light a different family dynamic, but one most can relate too. You feel for everyone involved, but recognize that people have to make their own choices and go their own way. Georgia is quite the enjoyable character and her father makes me want to move to California and buy a vineyard. The perfect beach, pool or travel read.

Ten Signs You Live At Home Again

1 || The confiscated nightstand in your sisters room is a mess because you can't find your travel jewelry holder.

2 || Instead of just one person, you share the remote with two other people. #wannawatchmyshows

3 || You leave for work with "Will you be home for dinner?" following you out the door. #justlikecollegesummers #andfirstyearrightoutofcollege 

4 || The return of DADDYATM. #luckygirl

5 || The coffee tastes much weaker than you're used to drinking. #especiallyaftereurope

6 || You have to grab an old high school staple when you realize there is nothing for lunch. #hellosodium

7 || "Can you unload the dishwasher?" post it notes sit next to the coffee maker in the morning.

8 || The morning view to work is quite a bit different than a parking lot.

9 || Two sinks and a vanity in the bathroom… feels like HEAVEN!

10 || Bedtime reading hasn't changed much from high school. #lovedcomicreading

linkinguphereandhereandhere

Confessing What's New With Me

I confess...

|| it took all of my self control not to stare down the girl in the gym locker room who LEGIT checked herself out six times. In two different mirrors. I get making sure you look fresh walking into the gym, but six times, you planning on getting married tonight honey?

|| on Tuesday during my sports conditioning class I purposefully positioned myself next to one of the fitter guys in the class to push myself. I needed the extra challenge because my attitude was not the greatest heading into class and I wanted to concentrate on JUST fitness. I'm happy to report I did pretty awesome and saw him checking my form when I kept pace with him. #girlsarejustasgoodballa #sprintsarethebest #thanksfortheextrahustle

|| I feel like I have seniorities at work right now. Like suuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuriously I don't want to do anything. I've completed a few documents for the new person but ugh, so tedious and blah. Thank goodness I have access to blogs and youtube.#needthedistractionbreak

|| my tribe rocks. I love them dearly and am so blessed to have them in my life. Husbands are awesome but sometimes you just need your girl tribe to GET YOU when things get frustrating and UGH emotions.

|| after an extremely stressful packing week I took last night off to hang with the sissys. Well, I took a load to the storage unit then went to yoga with them, ate dinner and had a glass of wine while watching some sports on television. It was a fabulous Wednesday night indeed. #sissys #antondas #wcw #lovethem

|| there was a quiet shout of joy when I hit a headstand in yoga last night. I took a class with the sissys and didn't think I was quite at their level to actually make a headstand, but y'all I DID IT and it ROCKED.

|| I'm dropping this beat and this beat[oh hey 97 release] all day eeeeeeeerrrrrday on youtube. I need music to focus and this helps me rock out my to do list both at work and while packing up the apartment. #shemovingherbody

|| this week I bit the bullet and bought Tieks. I'm super hopeful they will be just what I need for Europe and they better last forever at their crazy price. Any Tiek owners out there have any issues?

What's new? Hmmmmmmmm, let me think. SIKE! If you remember last month I shared our super fantastical HUGE NEWS about our European trip and our move and holy crap, here we are a month later and it's go time. Like serious go time. Like, staying up until midnight packing up boxes go time. And it is stressing me out like whoa.

Part of me wants to stop this post here because it seems as though the last few posts have been the same thing over and over. I don't want to sound like a broken record or even worse, ungrateful for our new adventure. We chose this and I understand it's not always going to be peaches and cream super easy packing time. Trust me, I know.

However, at the crux of it all this blog is almost a living journal so I want to remember these moments, the good and the bad. The good up with me? My tribe is so so good. They have shown up in droves to help and are just a text away whenever I need them. The bad up with me? My stress level and emotions. Yesterday on my drive to the storage unit I flat out lost it y'all. I'm talking BWD [bawling while driving] and shouting at other drivers because they were pissing me off. The enormity of our adventure fully hit me and the realization of how much still left to do caused a minor freak out. A few quick texts to the BOFF and my faith sister had me feeling a lot better and then everything really calmed down after yoga sissy time.

I know being stressed right now is normal, so I'm choosing to acknowledge the stress and fear but now letting it float away. Time to concentrate on the now and the good and what I can do. It might not always be with a smile but it will get done. With a bottle glass of wine on the side. :)

So yeah, the move and Europe…the two things up with me. What's up with you?

linking up with Jess for confessions and Kristin for whatsnewwithyou

&with  Natalie & Kristin

C U R R E N T L Y

Had to post this funny picture from the going away party. Center of attention, just how I like it! :)

making: lists on lists on lists. packing for Europe lists. packing up the apartment lists. LISTSEVERYWHERE!

wishlisting: ummm, a house? I guess? right now everything is do, do, do [haha, doodoo] so I don't have much time for wish listing. I guess I wish someone else would show up to pack up our apartment. and I wish for a magic portal to get to Europe because I would rather not fly.

cleaning: everywhere and everything. we move out in 11 days. ELEVEN! #somuchtodo

feeling: excited, scared, nervous, happy, stressed, sad, reminiscient, joyful...yup all the FEELS!

loving: my daily workouts and sweat sessions. seriously, they have been a god send with everything going on in life right now. I love only having to focus on the workout I'm doing and keeping up with the fast dude in my sports conditioning class. when I'm sweating my brain isn't turning and I always feel so much better leaving the gym.

posting: random stuff. I have a few post of feelings in draft and am trying to make sure I get good content out to y'all. in all honestly I feel like my blog has hit kind of a wall and interest is waning. trying to finish up some posts for when I'm away and figuring out what I want to do with guest posts and when I want to try and pop in with some adventures of our trip.

tasting: nothing. I mean, I'm eating but right now food is fuel and I've been horrible about making deliciously healthy meals. I have been tasty lots of bad for me food with all the celebrations going on, hoping to be tasting lots of salads in the coming days.

praying: everything gets done on time and everything comes together correctly. so many balls are in the air right now and I am so scared I'm going to drop a huge one causing the dominios to all fall down. oh and praying for save travels on all our flights [eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek] and for everything to run smoothly while we are in another country.

hoping: launch goes fantastically next Tuesday. I am super pumped about Release97 and can't wait to team teach with another fabulous instructor. the sissys, friends and Le Husband will be in attendance and I really want to crush it since it will be my last launch with this gym.

What's c u r r e n t l y going on with you?

linking up here, here and here. 

What's Up Weds {March in Review}

Another month, another linkup with Shay. I think it's such a fun way to look back on each month. This month is a bit more emotional, so I'm really happy to have something to look back after our trip and then our big move. #bloggingforthewin

 

What We're Eating: Oh March, you were a mix of good and bad. I'd find myself on the bandwagon for a strict week so I'd feel [and look] awesome but then something would come up and derail me by turning on the sugar dragon. I felt AWESOME a the beginning of the month but indulgences have sent left me feeling a bit blah. I plan to get back on the strict bandwagon until our trip, I want to be in TOP shape before we leave. Once we are in Europe, game on food, game ON!

What I'm Reminiscing About: EVE.REY.THING! No joke! I am finding nostalgia in any and everything right now and honestly with good reason. Legit I had a moment this week where one of my dish towels made me think about the past [I see you rolling your eyes at me, it's okay]. I've always been a very sentimental person and packing up the apartment has lots of memories floating through my head.  Most of you probably don't know our apartment was actually my FIRST big girl apartment [long story I can tell in an email if you want] so there are a bazillion memories everywhere [anyone remember my single girl apartment nostalgia?]. We are not playing kickball anymore and there have been a few moments of wistful reminiscing when we realize it's a tournament weekend. All in all I'm trying it soak up all I can because I know everything will be soooo different in less than 30 days.

What I'm Loving: How excited everyone is for us. Seriously, the love and support from family, friends and the blog world makes my heart happy. I was quite nervous to share our big news because it's a bit step in life and I hate to fail.  Now I feel silly because everyone has been so supportive and wonderful about everything. Y'all make me realize how blessed I am and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for helping me figure out my life ;)!

What I'm Dreading: How everything will end up with my job. Still a bit shaken the original plan might not come to fruition. I'm still waiting to hear the FINALLY decision from my big boss, but there was some encouraging news yesterday. I'll keep y'all posted and any happy vibes or good thoughts would be appreciated.

What I'm Working On:  Packing up the apartment and putting the finishing touches on BODYPUMP Release97 for our launch. Did I mention the launch is the week before we leave? WOOHOO, fun times. No, really though, I'm really excited to launch this release, the songs are fabulous and the burn is REAL!

What We've Been Up To: Oh you know, packing up the apartment, signing up for instagram [follow me!], teaching my last 6am BODYPUMP class, learning new chorey for BODYPUMP, planning our going away party, figuring out WHAT to pack for the trip, reading lots of travel blogs and trying to soak up every moment here in DC.

Beautiful Cherry Blossoms!

What I'm Excited About: Our BIG EUROPEAN TRIP in April.

What I'm Watching/Reading:  We aren't really watching much right now. Most of our free time [??] is spent packing up boxes, making list, working on our travel itinerary, writing letters to friends/family and planning our going away party. I've started rereading HP #7 for fun and we will catch up on our regular shows with dinner when there is time.
 
What I'm Listening To: Mostly BODYPUMP music with a lil bit of the radio here and there. #loverelease97

What I'm Wearing: March came in like a lamb but has had quite a few lion moments. I've mostly been wearing layers, pants and leggings but every now and then the weather cooperated for a dress and heels. I don't mind the layers but I am SOOOO ready to put all of my big winter coats away for the season. #bringthespring

Everything pictured [minus my P&M top and fleece leggings] are quite old so no links today.

What I'm Doing this Weekend: More packing, finishing the menu for our party, attending our going away party [where's the waterproof mascara], going to the gym, practicing BODYPUMP and hanging with the famjam.
 
What I'm Looking Forward To About Next Month: Europe, Europe, Europe! I'm excited to see the Eiffel tower and the shores of Normandy beaches. I cannot wait to taste authentic Italian food and eat my weight in gelato. Oh and don't even get me started on our Grecian cruise. I.CAN.NOT.WAIT!

What Else Is New: What isn't new? There is so much going on right now it is honestly hard to put everything in perspective. Le Husband and I are turning our lives upside down and as exciting as this adventure is there is also a bit of trepidation about the unknown. I 100% believe this is the right path and choice for us at this moment but leaving everything I've known since elementary school behind kind of freaks me out.

What were you up to in March?!

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A Lil Inspiration {10 for Tuesday Linkup}

Morning, muffins. I am much more refreshed after an early bedtime last night. Our big weekend of work really wore me out and the 5am wakeup call for my BODYPUMP class felt SUPER early yesterday morning. I received news two weeks ago that due to small numbers the gym will be getting rid of my class. It was bittersweet because the timing was tough each week, but it kind of bummed me out even though I will be leaving. Thankfully I was given TONS of feedback that it was NOTHING to do with performance, the gym just didn't want to keep offering classes to 5-6 people. #phew.

Today I'm linking up with Karli and my ten are all inspirations for you. I hope you enjoy :)!

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