WIWW #6

***Edited to say, SORRY if you clicked on me twice because I accidentally posted 2 links...technical difficulties with the photo..thought the first one didn't work, but it did...****

Happy Wednesday!  I am linking up with The Pleated Poppy again!  Hop on over and check out the other lovely ladies at  http://thepleatedpoppy.com/blog/

Hump Day!  It was cloudy and I was tired...spent most of the day moving in slooooow motion!  But, I taught bootcamp that evening and ooooh boy....it was a little crazy.  The sky was reeeally spooky looking, the bats were out, AND...there was a snake...dear God, I hate snakes...like a lot...no seriously, snakes freak me out.  It was a huge man-eating copperhead, okay, apparently it was NOT a copperhead, and some might feel I am exaggerating it's size, but the only good snake in my opinion is a dead snake.  So there.  DO NOT comment to me about how they are good for the environment, blah, blah, blah...you aren't changing my mind on this so don't bother.  Anyway, this was my 'daytime' outfit, pre-snake attack, if you will.  My apologies for the booty shot, but the jeans have a cute detail on the back that I felt would be negligent to ignore, just look at the bling, ignore the bum...

Shirt- Bui Yah Kah    Jeans- Miss Chic via Anything Bling boutique 

Grey booties (no pic, oops)- Target    Belt- Gift from hubs

Thursday I ran in the morning and spent most of the day in my running clothes attempting to clean my house, sorry, no photo, but you've seen me in my oh-so attractive workout gear before.  I showered (you're welcome, world) and changed in the afternoon for carpool and to take both boys to two seperate activities, in two different places of course! 

Tunic- Forever 21  Orange Cami- Forever 21  Leggings- Marshall's  Boots- Francesca's

Friday I had to go into the office in the morning, then I went shopping and had a tasty lunch with my girlfriend!  I picked this outfit for two reasons- 1) I figure it's only a matter of time before it's waaay to hot for cardigans and boots so I am trying to squeeze in as many wears as possible! 2) Dressy enough for the office, but comfy for walking the mall!   Full disclosure:  Later on in the evening I changed into sweatpants and went over to her house so our little dudes could play and we watched a chick flick and drank a lot of wine.  (Her husband was out of town on business and mine was camping with my oldest son and the Boy Scouts).  We watched "You Again" with Kristen Bell, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Sigourney Weaver...it was pretty cute! 

Lace Dress- Target Clearance  Sweater- Target  Tights- Target 

 Boots- Francesca's  Toothpaste on the towel- Colgate Total

Saturday was GDO...Girl's Day Out!  My mad firearm skillz (yes, "skillz"..I'm fly like that) inspired a few girlfriends to learn how to shoot a gun.  So we wrangled up some ladies and headed to the range so they could learn how to properly handle a handgun and of course how to shoot.  Happy to report they all did well, and everyone had fun and no one got shot!  After spending the morning at the range we grabbed some lunch and then I headed off to the football field for little dude's game.  I took these photos at the END of the day,  after pulling my ear and eye protection on and off 100 times at the range and sweating my butt off in the sun at the football game, so I am not looking so cute...the hair was in need of a wash and pulled in to a nasty bun and the makeup was long gone...probably should have cut my head off in these pics, but I'm keeping it real, y'all...

Camo shirt- Bui Yah Kah  Lace Tank- Bui Yah Kah  Skinny Jeans- Bui Yah Kah (apparently that was my theme today!)  Boots- Kohl's  Belt- Bob's Store back in MA

Sunday was the Cub Scout Blue and Gold dinner for little dude's troop.  Reality check-I got dressed approximately 1 hour before we needed to leave--like 4:00 pm...ish.  I made little dude pancakes for breakfast, cleaned up the kitchen, checked email, and then hubs and bigger dude got home from a weekend of camping which meant I spent the rest of the day washing stinky clothes, sleeping bags, camping dishes, and trying to pick up all the crap they dumped in the back door before they headed to shower.  It was really warm out so I let my legs be free, that's correct, those aren't white tights, folks, they're my legs...shut up.

Dress- Target Clearance  Cardi- Target  Boots- Francesca's

Monday I took Miss Piggy (that's my SUV, she really is very cute, but a total oinker for sure) in for new tires, which I desperately needed but hated paying for...ugh.  Hubs followed me there and drove us home.  A little later we picked up my truck and dropped off his car for an inspection sticker, and on the way home we stopped at the grocery store because we were almost out of milk, even though we practically JUST bought 3 gallons..I mean, what the heck??  And then...this is the best part, I had to turn around and go BACK to the grocery store  because I realized when we got home that we'd  left a bag at the checkout...and it was the bag with the wine in it *gasp*...not acceptable, no way.  Add in the trips to take kids to and from two different schools and I probably spent like 3 hours just trolling up and down the main drag in my subdivision-  AWE.SOME.  I did somehow manage to get some work done from home in between all this, and a 4 mile run in the afternoon.  I did NOT manage to put on makeup or remove my goofy ponytail...

"Boy Moms Rock" tee- boutique  Jeans- Highway via Plato's Closet thrift  tennies- Nike via Famous Footwear  Belt- Kohl's clearance

The there was Tuesday, and I had *insert giant groan here* jury duty.  Hubs told me I should dress homeless looking and they would probably send me home, but I was all "it's my civic duty, blah, blah, blah"  Mostly, I just feel if I have to drag my butt out of bed at the crack of dawn to haul my booty downtown in traffic for this they had BETTER pick me.  They did not. So I went to lunch with the hubs and got a few errands taken care of.    

Dress- Bui Yah Kah  Boots- Kohl's

And because I love y'all so much, I have some bonus features this week, remember how I told you about the spooky sky??  Okay, well in case you don't believe me here is a picture of the moon I took this past week!

And here's an action shot of little dude at football!  He's the one in the middle with the evasive moves...look at those chicken legs...heehee...I love that kid!

That's all, have a great week!  ~Kristen

Who's Ready for a Workout??

You ready?  Su-weeet!  Read through everything first to make sure you've got everything at the ready!  The main workout here should only take about 7 minutes to complete, so you can do it 3 times plus the warm up and stretch after and STILL be done in a cool 30.  If you don't have 30 then gimme what you got, this is designed to be a quick all body blast that you can customize whether you have 10, 20, or 30 minutes to spare!  And for the record, if you do it 3 times in one day but NOT in a row, that's okay too!

First things first, let's get your blood pumpin'...

JOG IN PLACE for 3 minutes...doesn't need to be exact, just glance at the clock...we're just letting your body know something's comin'....and what's coming is----

50 SQUATS.  Yes 50...shut up and do it...keep a decent pace, your heart should be working and your breath should be a little more 'huffy puffy'

HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY THAT I LOVE YA??  YOU ROCK! 

Got yourself a set of dumbbells??  If not find something to substitute, two (full) water bottles or two gallon jugs of something (sealed up, let's not make a mess) will do the trick.  Ready?

ONE LEGGED BENT-OVER ROW  Here's how-- Stand on your RIGHT FOOT, bend at the waist, extend your left foot behind you.  Make sure your back is straight, not hunched.  Holding a weight in each hand, slowly bring the dumbbells towards the sides of your ribcage, bending your elbows and keeping your arms close to your body.  Be sure to concentrate on squeezing your shoulder blades together as you lift.  You are using your BACK to pull the weight up, NOT your arms.  Here's how I want you to count as you lift--

TWO COUNTS-bend elbows and bring weights to body
ONE COUNT-hold at the top and squeeze through your back
THREE COUNTS-slowly lower the weights back to start

Got that?  6 COUNTS TOTAL for each repetition.  It's all about quality people, trust me :)  Repeat 10 times, then switch legs (LEFT LEG on floor, RIGHT in the air) and repeat 10 more times.  My weights were in the car and I was on my way out to teach a bootcamp, so I used diced tomatoes :) Sorry these pics aren't the best, I had my son take them right before I had to leave!

 ****BALANCE TIP- Find a focal point to look at on ground and concentrate on that spot.  If your balance is terrible just do the best you can, it will get better.  As we age, balance becomes more and more important and (think about all the elderly who fall and break a hip), and it will continue to worsen, so if your balance stinks now, it is not going to get better on its own, but it will get more dangerous...so for the love of God just keep at it, okay??  ****

KNEE-UPS-  Put your arms out in front of you about waist high and jog, only lift your knees up so they hit your hands each time...60 TIMES TOTAL, which means you will "knee up" each side 30 TIMES, alrighty??  You will probably hate this more than the squats...but think about the fact that bathing suit season is looming....

 20 CHAIR PUSH UPS- Find yourself a sturdy chair, face it towards you (the back of the chair is FURTHEST from you) hang on to the edges of the seat and do 20 push ups.  If you are worried about the chair sliding push it against a wall.  Lower down for ONE count, up for TWO.

20 JUMPING LUNGES-  Place yourself in a lunge position, right foot in front, left in the back, knees bent,  front knee doesn't go over front toe.  Now JUMP and switch feet in the air so you are in a lunge again, only leading with the left now.  20 TIMES TOTAL, which of course is 10 each side.  Yeah, this isn't likely to be one of your favorites either...but I sure bet you will like the way your jeans fit if you push through it!

20 AB CRUNCHES ON CHAIR- Get your chair again, sit on it sideways so your shoulder is against it's back.  Scoot your (soon to be) fine booty to the edge of the seat, lean back until you feel your abs engage (tighten, if you will) and grab the seat with your hands.  lift legs off the floor and slowly bend legs and bring your knees toward your chest as you move your upper body forward.  It's like a scissor motion-- upper and lower body come together as you bend your knees, and then they seperate as you straighten your legs back out and lean back.  Move slowly, these aren't meant to be done rapid fire, even though I know you'd love to get it the heck over with FAST...don't hold your breath.  20 TIMES.  ****Note:  If you find the chair uncomfortable or don't have a chair that works well for this, you can modify it and do it on the floor, just put your arms on the floor behind you! ******

Now go back to the one-legged rows and do it again! 

Here it is without the descriptions to make it easier to follow once you know what you are doing:

Warm up:
JOG IN PLACE- 3 MIN.
SQUATS- 50x

Main Workout:
ONE-LEGGED ROW 10x EACH LEG (one side at a time, not alternating!)
KNEE UPS 60x
CHAIR PUSH UPS 20x
JUMPING LUNGES 20x
AB CRUNCH ON CHAIR 20x
REPEAT 2 more times!

Don't forget to drink water and stretch afterward :)

So??  Did you do it???  How do you feel?  Stick with me, I promise it will be worth it!  I'm working on a little somethin' somethin' about fat to show y'all...

WIWW #5

Linking up with the Pleated Poppy as always!  Go check out all the other hot mamas!  This week I dredged up some oldies but goodies from my closet.  That's what I love about WIWW, it keeps me out of a rut and I'm constantly getting new ideas!




Wednesday I had to go into the office...so I finally put on this outfit that I had put together in my closet a few weeks ago.  Happy to report that it worked on my body as well as on the hanger, sometimes that is so NOT the case. 

Floral blouse- Old Navy Dirt Cheap Clearance, like 5+ years ago!   Royal blue (I think) Cardi- NY&Co. via Ross  Black Pants- Ross  Black Boots- old, can't remember (that's unusual for me, I have an elephant memory when it comes to clothes!)  Green necklace and earrings- Kohl's clearance $2.00--for reals--recently.

Thursday was catching up on some work at home and then Zach has a trumpet lesson in the evening (that's when I added the hat!).  It was another cold day so I dug out this knit poncho (do they still call them ponchos??) that I have been debating on purging.  I'm glad I kept it, I still really like it, but I need to find a new turtleneck to go under it, this one isn't long enough and it rides up leaving my midsection bare to the elements--yowza!  I solved the problem temporarily with a long cami tucked in underneath in the same color. 

Poncho- Gift from my mom, like 7+ years ago  Turtleneck- Mom gave that to me with the poncho  Jeans- Bui Yah Kah skinnies  Boots- Francesca's  Hat- Target Clearance

Friday I had brunch with a friend and then spent some quality time with the hubs at one of our favorite haunts...the shooting range.  Yep, I own a gun, you wanna make somethin' of it?  Relax.  I've never shot at anything but a target and, no, I don't let my children play with it...geez.  I DO carry it with me, though, and I have a license to do so, so think twice before you try to carjack me, punk!  I also own some pink ear protection, because I'm a girl and I like even my utilitarian things to look pur-ty.  Anyway, 2 things to remember about the indoor range when getting dressed...1.  It's usually cold in there, and 2. It's not clean, there's gunpowder in the air and shells all over the floor.  You also want to be comfortable so your clothes aren't hindering your movement, nothing more irritating than your shirt riding up or pulling in the back when you lift your arms to shoot, or worrying about sliding on some stray casings on the floor.  So here's my practical, "let's go teach that paper dude a lesson" outfit. 

Thermal shirt- Lucky brand via Costco  Jeans- Lucky brand via Lucky outlet  
 Belt with eagle buckle- Bob's Store in Boston about 6 years ago  Boot Socks- Target  Boots- Kohl's (last year on super clearance with Kohl's cash--woot!)

Saturday was football for my little dude.  It was much warmer than it has been, which was really nice since we had to sit outside for 2 1/2 hours!  We also made a trip to Barnes and Noble and went to dinner at my neighbors' incredible sushi and seafood restaurant.  If you live in the NW Houston area check out Redfish, they have a location on Hwy 249 and one on 290 in Cypress.  Unbelievable food!  My lovely neighbor is always so generous when we eat there, and this time she sent over a huge piece of chocolate eruption cake....ooooh, Mama...it was gooooood.  We split it 4 ways so we were all able to fit in the car afterwards.  We headed to Costco after dinner, did you know Costco closes at 6 on Saturday???  No?  Well, neither did we. 

Green and Grey shirt (love the fit on this, it is long and flowy in the back, shorter in the front)- Marshalls  Green cami- Marshalls  Jeans- Bui Yah Kah  Boots- Kohl's  Scarf- Roxy via Ross

Sunday we had to go back to Costco, since it's much easier to shop when they are open.  I teach my bootcamp on Sunday, and have already made clear my laundry initiative dictates that I avoid changing clothes whenever possible mid-day (I realize it works for Lady Gaga, but she probably doesn't have to wash and fold all her own crap, either).  Therefore, I put on my workout clothes and wore them to Costco.  This is really not a big deal because I live in Texas and while shopping you can always spot at least one guy with overalls and no shirt, a lady with curlers in her hair and slippers, a teenager with a low rise jeans and a giant roll of flesh hanging out, and a couple of barefoot babies drinking soda or sweet tea from a bottle, I feel my getup is pretty fancy in comparison to that, don't you?

Hoodie- VS Pink  Tee shirt- VS Pind  Crop Sweatpants- Nike via Academy  Tennies- Saucony via Academy  Hat- Local Boutique (One Hip Mom)


Monday was the Valentine's Day!  I worked from home most of the morning, went to the Valentine's Day party at my son's elementary school, then made Asian food for dinner because in my house random leftovers equals fried rice (I hate throwing out food!).  The true highlight of my Valentine's Day was a three hour school board meeting which turned out to be infuriating and ended with me calling a board member an asshat.  Then I came home and had a glass of wine....aaaahhhh...romantic, don't you think?  In the end, I am incredibly blessed to have a loving husband, who, incidentally, spent the day in a meeting with a client and the evening at a Boy Scout meeting because he is an assistant leader.  I have two great kids, and wonderful parents who spent their Vday babysitting my younger son so hubs and I could go to our respective meetings. I'd say that's what really matters, and truth be told I'm really not into cards, candy, and flowers, if we could get him to, say, keep all his crap off the kitchen counter, that would be the gift that keeps on giving....  ANYway, this outfit was perfect because dress and boots is super comfy but looks nice for a Vday party and a meeting.  Also great to have layers because we are heading into the time of year here in Texas where it is chilly in the morning but warm in the afternoon, downright toasty in the sun!!

 
Dress- Old Navy last week  (not on sale, but I have been looking for a cute dress like this, I did have a 35% off coupon so that eased my pain of having to pay full price!)   Cardi- Old Navy clearance recently   Grey Tights- Target  Boots- Francesca's  Belt- Forever 21

Tuesday was one of my best friend's birthdays!!  Some friends and I all took her to lunch and surprised her by inviting a few other people!  We gave her a Lisa Leonard "You are Loved" necklace because she has had a very challenging year and we thought she should have a reminder that we are always there for her!

Dress/Tunic- Forever 21  Yellow tank- Target  Jeans- Bui Yah Kah  Boots- Francesca's (duh.)

Thanks for looking!  Have a fantastic week!

~Kristen

Let's talk about supplies...

Alrighty...do tell....have you been doing the workout I posted??  It's been almost a week, how many times have you done it?  Is it getting easier? 

I have another workout coming, in the meantime I REALLY want you to strive for doing something active every day for at least 30 minutes.  Ideally, I'd like at least 3 of those workouts to be the one I posted or something similar that involves weight bearing exercise and cardio.  I went for a run today, and it felt really good to get out since I didn't yesterday, even though my butt is totally sore from some crazy squats I did on Sunday.  What did you do? How did you feel?  If the answer is nothing, I still want you to answer the second question, how did/do you feel about that?  This is a mind over matter thing, folks, I want you to really think about it.  Did you feel too tired to work out today so you didn't?  Do you feel bad that you skipped?  Do you feel more rested because you skipped?  Maybe you did workout today, maybe you really didn't want to, but you did.  Are you proud of yourself?  You totally should be :) 

Now, I have a secret to tell you...shhhhh....I worked in gyms for a loooooong time.  I've worked in an all women's facility, I've worked in a sweaty 'meat head' gym, I've worked in a shiny, flashy gym where everyone looked waay too good to break a sweat. I have worked in gyms and worked out in gyms consistently for probably 10 years easy.  Okay, that's not the secret.  Here's the secret...I haven't set foot in a gym in probably close to two years.  Seriously.  NO JOKE.   I have a gym IN MY SUBDIVISION people!!  Truthfully, I like the gym, I know that a lot of people can't relate to that-- but I do.  I've just found because the subdivision gym has limited hours and the regular gyms are 15-20 minutes away, combined with having two children in activities, two jobs, and a husband with an unpredictable schedule, that the gym wasn't working for me.  Guess what?  It's cool.  I don't need no stinkin' gym. And neither do you, if you so choose.  Now, before you start scrolling down to look for the 800 number where you can order my awesome all-in-one-10 minutes a day-folds for easy storage-doubles as a toaster oven exercise machine..listen up, because I would never sell you such crap!  If you have access to a gym and it works well for you that's great, by all means, rock the gym.  But, if you are like a lot of people and don't have access to a gym because of distance, transportation, membership costs, child care, whatever, I'm telling you not to worry about it.   There is no reason you can't get it great shape at home.  So today I am presenting you with a "wish list" of items that are likely to make appearances in the workouts I post.  

You can probably snag all this stuff for between 50 and 60 smackers TOTAL.  I understand that's not in everyone's budget, so maybe you have to purchase one item at a time, or not at all, you can always improvise without them if necessary.  Again, I'm just throwing it out there, information is power, people--do with it what you will.  I will say that compared to a gym membership or some fancy Bowflex thing, $50-60 is a bargain, no?  Don't forget to check around too, a LOT of people have this stuff collecting dust in their garage and would probably be more than happy to loan it or sell it to you cheap! 

-Set of dumbbells 5-8 lbs.  Stick with 5lbs. if you are new or just returning to working out, this is definitely something you may be able to snag from a relative, friend, neighbor, if you don't already have a set buried under you old Richard Simmons videos.
-Fitness Ball/Yoga Ball/Balance Ball  All different names for the same thing,  a big inflatable ball (most come with a pump) that you can sit on, lay on, etc.  You can get these just about anywhere, including Target, Walmart, etc, for under $20 in most cases.  These are great because you can do a ton with them, and just stuff it in a corner when you are done, or even deflate it if you are really limited on space.
-Resistance Bands These come in different resistances and might be a little harder to find.  I order mine online, here is the link  http://www.power-systems.com/p-2860-versa-tube.aspx  They cost between 6-8 bucks depending on which resistance level you order.  I have these in green (light resistance), red (medium), and blue (heavy).  The green is a great starting band, but if you do order I'd go ahead and order at least a green and red since you will be paying shipping (usually about $6-7), you can also think about combining with a friend who is looking to get fit.  Bands are fabulous, they offer a lot of versatility, they are cheap, and they take up NO space at all, you can even pack them in a suitcase if you travel a lot!

So there you have it, that's it.  Three things.  I bet you could get it all for under $50 if you're bargain-shopper savvy.  So whaddya think?  Do you already own any of this stuff?  Do you own some giant piece of equipment that you now hang your clothes on, tell the truth.  Truthfully, I own an elliptical that I rarely use, I prefer to run outside, but I don't hang clothes on it, it's way too far from my closet.  That is all. Now go workout!

True Blue

Let's for a moment assume you are here not just because of my sparkling personality and witty commentary.  Maybe you have a lot of weight to lose, maybe just those last 5-10 pounds, maybe you are just looking tone up things that seem to be...ahem...sliding/stretching/flopping/dimpling or missing (lost your belly button, anyone? We'll find it...I promise).  Whatever your goal, if you really are committed to changing some habits and sticking with a workout routine, your body is going to change.  You could take all your measurements and write it down if you'd like, but I am going to let you in on a little secret...numbers are EVIL.  Take it from someone who nearly failed 10th grade math, it's true.  Numbers will only confuse you and make you want to smash your head with a frying pan.  But denim, ooooh denim...denim is gooood.  Denim is very, very, good. There isn't anything better than a good pair of jeans (except for a good pair of soft, stretchy pants) Denim is tried and true, so I want you to go into your closet and find a pair of jeans you don't wear often (or ever).  They should be either too small or fit you well but fitted (no 'boyfriend' baggy jeans, puhleez).  Got 'em?  Excellent.  Now put them on and take a photo of yourself in them.  Yes, take a photo even if you can't zip them and your pale, winterized, goose flesh is hanging out, just do it!  Make sure to tuck your shirt up so you can memorialize you muffin top.  Don't suck it in or try to pose flatteringly, that's no fun.  This photo is just for you, so do it up right!  Remember to follow the golden rule of  infomercial 'before' photos and have messy hair, no makeup, bad posture and a miserable look on your face.  Take a moment to really notice how the  jeans fit-- does the waist fit perfectly, do you have to suck it in to zip them?  Are the thighs pulling?  Can you sit?  Can you breathe?  Get it all stored in your brain-- quick before your oxygen supply runs out.  Good.  Now stick those bad boys back up the closet and put your stretchy pants back on....aaaah...that's much better, isn't it?  Alrighty, now do me a favor and forget about those jeans for a while, okay?  Don't get freaky on me and start trying them on every day to see how they fit, just LEAVE. IT. ALONE.   Here's the point, start focusing on what your really want, which isn't really some arbitrary number on the scale, it's to look unbelievably smokin' in your dang jeans. 

Did you eat breakfast?  Did ya drink water?  What's the soda situation?  Have you done the workout I posted?   Do it now!  I've got another one coming, I promise!

Sneakers and a Smile..

Are you ready??  That's a rhetorical question, I don't care if you're ready, this is happening.

This workout requires NO EXERCISE EQUIPMENT so don't think you are getting off that easy.  All you need is some water to drink, sneakers, clothing you can move and bend in, and possibly a towel and chair.  I do need you to find a timer or a stopwatch.  Shut up, yes you have one.  Use your microwave timer, a regular kitchen timer, your watch, or your cell phone (I do NOT have a fancy iphone/droid/whatever and my phone has a stopwatch function.  Have you identified a timekeeping device?  Good.  Have you had water to drink today?  Good, go ahead and fill up another bottle or glass and sip on that while you finish reading this.  Got your sneakers on?  Sweet.  Now you need a little space, enough to complete a jumping jack without knocking anything over and enough to lay down on the floor.  You may need a small section of wall you can lean on. Are you good?  Good.  Read through everything first so you don't waste time when you start the workout, K?

Now here's what  you're gonna do...You will set your timer for 2 minutes.  You will do each exercise for the entire two minutes--DO.NOT.STOP.  Slow down your pace if you must, but do not stop, I'm serious, I will KNOW if you stop...do not make me angry, you wouldn't like me when I'm angry.  When the 2 minutes is over, reset the timer and start the next exercise.  No break in between aside from the time it takes for you to reset the timer, got it?  Good.  Here's your exercises, I posted some terrible pics my husband took in my kitchen for the exercises that may require a visual, most are self-explanatory.  I ran right before we took these, so I do not look pretty, you will just have to deal with it.

1st EXERCISE-  [SQUATS]  2 minutes of good quality squats, bend until your booty is paralell with your knees.  Your knees don't go over your toes. Use a chair placed behind you that you 'tap' (we aren't sitting, just tapping, people) your rear on if you find that you tend to cheat and not squat deep enough or if you feel unsteady.  Again, slow down your pace if you must, but don't stop, you can do ANYTHING for two minutes, no matter how miserable, right?  Please smile, it makes me happy ;)

2- [JUMPING JACKS]  You know how to do 'em, so do 'em.  2 minutes, PUHLEEZ.

3- [PUSH UPS]  You know how to do a push up, for this circuit you can do 'girl' push ups on your knees or wall push ups (Place your hands slightly wider than shoulder width against the wall, scoot your feet away from the wall, slowly bend your elbows until your forehead is close to the wall and push yourself back out)  Ideally, do the girl push ups (put a towel under your knees if you are on a hard floor) until you cannot lift your body ANY.MORE. and then switch to the wall pushups for the remainder of the time. 

4- [JUMP ROPE]  Again, you know how to do this, and you don't need a jump rope (Seriously, you will break stuff if you start swinging around a jump rope inside, don't do it.) Move your arms AS IF you are holding a jump rope and jump for 2 minutes.

5- [ALTERNATING LUNGES] Start standing straight with your feet together. Step forward with your right foot. Bend your back knee towards the floor as you bend your front leg until your thigh is paralell with the floor.  Again, front knee does not go over the toe. Bring your right foot back as you return to a standing positon. Repeat leading with the left foot.  Continue to alternate for 2 minutes. 

6- [KICK YO BUTT] Ha!  I made up that name, like it??  All you are doing here is running in place, but I want you to kick your booty with the heel of your foot each time...that's all, easy enough, yes?

7- [STATIONARY PLANK] Alrighty, you will get on the floor on your belly.  Prop up onto your elbows and your toes.  Feet are slightly apart, arms are bent under your shoulders.  Your back is flat, DO NOT ARCH or stick your rear in the air.  That's it, just hover there for two minutes.  Keep your abs tight and don't forget to breathe slow and controlled.  Now unless you have done this before you probably won't be able to complete the 2 minutes (Trust me, it looks WAY easier than it is).  That's okay, but try to notate how long you DO hold it, and don't let the fact that you may start to shake a little stop you, try to breathe through it for as long as you can.  If you have to stop, take a breath and go right back at it until the time has expired.  Again, please pay attention to how long you can hold it, so you can keep track of your improvement.  If you have a calendar, write 'Plank-55 seconds' or something on today's date. 

This should all only take 15-16 minutes (2 minutes per exercise with just enough time in between to reset your time and maybe grab a sip of water)  If that's all the time you have today, that's ok, but if you can spare another 8-12 minutes I would LOOOOVE for you to do the entire circuit again, only this time you can do each exercise for 1-1.5 minutes (decide which based on how much time you have to spare and your fitness level).  When you've finished, drink some more water, I want you to sip water while working out, but go ahead and glug it down after, it will get to your tissues better and faster that way!  I'd also like you to take a few minutes to stretch out a little, this will help prevent soreness.  I forgot to take photos of stretching...boo. I promise I will, for now follow these instructions as best you can.

-Put your foot on a chair, flex your foot, and keep your back straight as you bend forward to stretch the back of your leg (hamstring muscle). Hold for 5-10 seconds and repeat on the other side. 

-Stand straight and hold onto the back of a chair, bend your right foot up toward your rear and grab it with your right hand to stretch the front of your thigh (quad muscle). Hold for 5-10 sec. Repeat on left side.

-Lace your fingers behind your back and stretch through the chest area.  Hold for 5-10 sec.

-Step forward with your right foot and bend right leg slightly, push left heel into the floor to stretch your calf muscle.  Hold.  Repeat with left foot in front.


Did you do it??  How'd it go???  Talk to me.  How long did you hold your plank for?  What was the WORST? Did you do your push ups on the wall, floor, or both?  I want to hear all about it!  No matter what, I want you to tell me one thing...ARE YOU GLAD YOU DID IT??  How did you feel during?  How about after you finished?  YOU ROCK!

WIWW #4

Well, the good news is, I DID move the dog crate out of the bathroom, miracles never cease!  The bad news is the my husband's side of the closet, the side that shows up in all the photos, is still a hot mess.  I don't see him cleaning it any time soon, so you may as well get used to it.  I don't clean areas that are exclusively "his" because my idea of clean and organized and his are VERY different. Therefore, his office (he works from home), his side of the closet, the area under his sink (I clean the mirror and actual sink, but that's where I draw the line), his nightstand, and the garage (I can't fit Miss Piggy, my SUV, in there, so as far as I'm concerned, it's his area) are all a disaster  organized 'his' way. 

Wednesday, I spent the day at my son's intermediate school...it would seem I have been sucked into the PTO vortex--this is not the first time this has happened to me, but I am a glutton for punishment.  Anyway, it was COLD, especially for Houston, like, 19 degrees, which I know is nothing for some places but it is a big flippin' deal here!  I am loving my new cargo skinny jeans from Old Navy, they are the Diva fit, and I normally don't care for the way ON jeans fit me, but these ROCK.  I took a picture to prove that with the appropriate back pockets and fit, I do indeed have a bum...sort of ;) 

Sweater- Old Navy  Long-sleeved t-shirt- Kohl's  Scarf- Old Navy  Cargo Skinnies- Old Navy

Fuggs- Costco

Thursday I caught up on some work at home, and took my son to his trumpet lesson.  It was cold so I remixed my new and toasty warm Old Navy sweater that I wore two weeks ago.  This is a perfect example of a great piece, in my opinion, it's comfy, it matches a ton of stuff I already own, and it's easy to change the look of it by adding different belts, etc.  Plus I don't own a lot of green and I think it works pretty well for my coloring, I am a leprechaun, after all!

Sweater-Old Navy   Cream T-shirt-Ross   Khaki Cropped Pants-Cache (thrifted)  Boots- Ross  Scarf- Ross  Belt- Ross

Friday we had a snow day--in Houston--for reals.  Well, the part where they cancel school was for reals, the presence of snow, well, not so much, unless you count a fine layer of frost.  I am from Massachusetts so in my world, NO, this doesn't count.  Regardless, the kids were off from school and I was incredibly unproductive.  I did, however, manage to sucker my parents into taking the boys for the evening and my husband and I went to the movies, braving the harsh elements, or as some call it--cold weather.  We saw "The Fighter," it was fantastic, and loads of fun for me because the kids and I were all born in Lowell, MA (where the movie was filmed). It was really neat to see so many familiar places on the big screen!  I have also met Mark Wahlberg, years ago, but that's a whole 'nother story.

Orange-ish sweater- Ross  Ivory embellished top-Ross  Scarf- Roxy via Ross 

Jeans- Bui Yah Kah  Boots-Francesca's

 Saturday I forgot to take a photo, but I did get dressed--pinky swear.  My 9 year old had a sleepover at a friend's house and we let my 11 year old have a friend stay here.  We took them to Red Robin for dinner and let them sit in their own booth because we are super cool ;)  We were home by 7:00 and I was in my comfy sweats by 7:01.  The boys played upstairs and my husband gets the husband of the year award for watching not one but TWO Twilight movies with me.    Anyway, with all the action going on...no photo...but I looked haaawwwt, you are just going to have to trust me.  How about I post a pic I never posted back a week or two ago to appease you? 

The only thing you haven't seen is this fun hat I got at Marshall's...nothing cures a bad hair day faster than a cute hat!

 

Sunday, we had kids in and out all day.  The sun was shining, it was back in the 60's, life was good!  I made a big breakfast for Zach (that's my son, he actually has a name!) and his buddy.  We let Daddy eat too, bacon was involved...I bake my bacon (baking bacon, baking bacon, how fun is that--oh, it's just fun to me--nevermind.).  Yes, I am a trainer, and I eat bacon, because I could be run over by a truck tomorrow and as it's barrelling towards me I'll be thinking, "Dang, I shoulda ate that bacon, I bet no one will even notice my love handles at the wake."  Whatever, as I blog more about food and fitness you will 'get' what I mean...or you will decide I am crazy, if you haven't already...no matter.  ANYWAY, I went straight from the pj's/sweats to workout clothes and went for a killer bike ride, it was windy, and biking into the wind will make your thighs burn...FYI.  Then I came home and took a much needed shower.  I ended up in jeans and a Patriots shirt, because it was Superbowl Sunday and a football shirt seemed appropriate, and I was still in denial that this Superbowl would be 'sans' Tom Brady.  That's french, folks, I am soooo freakin' fancy

  White long sleeved tee- Kohl's   Patriots shirt- Old Navy  Jeans- Hydraulic via Ross 

Tennies- Nike from Famous Footwear

Aaaahhh, Monday, it always comes back around at ya, doesn't it??  Monday I always dedicate a good chunk of the day to my real estate work, and that means aside from driving my little peeps to and from school I am usually home most of the day. 

                                 

Grey and Black Top- Ross   Yellow tank- Old Navy  Black fleece vest-  Old Navy  Black skinnies- Bui Yah Kah   Grey boots- Marshalls



Tuesday was the birthday of the little girl my mom babysits, so we had a little pizza party for her!  Since she has a baby brother who has a tendency to spit up--a lot--I opted for the tee and jeans look.

"Carpool Couture" tee shirt - Craft fair  Long-sleeved brown tee- Kohl's 

Jeans- Bui Yah Kah (told you I had a lot of Bui Yah Kah jeans!)  Belt- Kohl's clearance 

Knit boots- Old Navy Clearance (about two weeks ago $18.00!)

Alright, that's all I got...I apologize for my crazy photo placement, I have been jacking with blogger trying to fix it, but I've given up.  My tolerance for screwing with technical things is very low, especially when it's too early to drink wine.