Month: November 2015

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Fit For Me 47/52

What I did last week:

Thursday-30 minutes on elliptical.

Monday-We had our first volleyball match. Definitely hit parts of my booty and legs that haven’t been worked in awhile. We won two out of the three sets. It was so great to be on the court again.

Tuesday-I did a 20 minute workout with my SWORK app. It was pylometrics specifically. I probably won’t do this option again because there is a lot of jumping which is really hard on my already less than stellar knees.

Impressed by:

I was impressed that even after 2 years of not playing volleyball, I was able to be competitive. I am glad to have these as an alternative to my normal routine.

Struggled with:

I caught the lazy bug this weekend and did nothing but walk from the living room to the kitchen.

Did I meet my goal from last week?

I did not do four workouts, but I came close.

What is my goal for next week?

My back had really started killing me lately, so I want to incorporate a yoga routine and a core workout in the next week.

Fitness Thoughts:

Am I right?

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Book Review: Daddy Flies

One of my most cherished part of the day is George’s bedtime story.

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It’s a special time where I get to watch George learn, and it’s just the two of us.

Generally we read two or three books a night depending on length and the squirminess of Gdubs.

There are definitely books that we don’t read as often because I don’t like them; I know-selfish. Let’s be real, some kid’s books are weird and are just painful for me as the parent to endure.

So when we find books that are pleasant for George and myself, they become constants in our rotation.

We were given “Daddy Flies” recently. And I must say this book is a hit so far.

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Brye Butler Steeves is another military spouse, and I am happy to be touting about her book!

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The book is about a little girl who tries to figure out all the ways that her dad could possibly fly. Her dad is a pilot in the military.

It is a really sweet read. I like kids books that have a rhythm to them. This book rhymed, and it flowed in a sing-songy way which I like to read. I thought it was all very clever. That style is great for George right now and how he is learning vocabulary.

The illustrations were also really cute. They are a little more mellow than most books that are geared towards George’s age. I think because of that this book can span over a few years and still catch a 4 or 5 year old’s attention. It’s also not overtly long, so it could be a good beginning reader for those kindergartners and first graders.

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I highly recommend this book for any one that has a young person in their life. It’s a sweet little story that is perfect for military families and civilians alike.

If you are interested in getting a copy for yourself, you can get it from Amazon here. You won’t be sorry!

George approved!

Who doesn’t love reading when you get precious moments like this? And for that I thank you Brye!

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I did receive this book complimentary from the author for my review. These thoughts are my own.

Do you like rhyming books for kids? Have you seen a good kid’s book we need to check out?

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Fit for Me 46/52

What I did last week:

Thursday-30 minutes on elliptical.

Saturday-It was our 5K day for Girls on the Run. George joined me with coordinating volunteers. And by join me, I mean that I carried him in the Tula for at least 3 hours while we set up and took down everything. Then the hour the race was occurring, I chased him around the golf course as he danced and flirted with sorority women.

Impressed by:

This was not an impressive week.

Struggled with:

My IT band is causing me some great grief. It sidelined me the past couple days because the pain was excruciating. Not really sure what I did, but it needs to go away.

Did I meet my goal from last week?

I did not do four workout, but I was halfway there.

What is my goal for next week?

Hopefully my IT band cuts it out so I can do 4 workouts.

Fitness Thoughts:

True this.

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35 Before 35 Update

I completely spaced on this list this month, so let’s see how I actually did.

1. Crochet something else besides blankets or scarves at least once a year (2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020)

2. Do a photography challenge (Took pictures once a week George’s first year)

  • I am still trying to keep up documenting George growing up. Here are a few pictures I took over the last month.

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3. Visit 5 cities I have never been to before (7/5)

4. Tour at least one a winery, brewery, or distillery

5. Send at least 5 snail mail a month

6. Become a “professional” photographer

7. Run at least 10 races (any distance) (5/10)

8. Go camping with Tom

9. Pay for the car behind me in a drive through

10. See Tyrone Wells live as many times as possible

11. Tour Fort Defiance here in Clarksville

12. Water ski with my dad

13. Do a 5K with my mom

14. Take a swing dance class with Tom

15. Read at least one fun book a month and one professional development book every three months

16. Take a pottery or stained glass class

17. Do one new recipe each month

  • I tried these apple pie bites for Halloween. I don’t like pie crusts, but I love pie filling, so this was great for me!
  • We eat pork chops quite a bit, and I am always trying to find new ways to change up dishes we use all the time. THESE WERE DELICIOUS! I will say we used the recipe as a guide. We don’t like hot stuff, so we substituted BBQ sauce for the Tabasco, and we had Munster instead of mozzarella. So like I said this recipe was a guide.
  • While we have had spaghetti squash before, we just recently discovered how to cook it in the microwave. So we have added this as a weekly alternative to all the pasta we have.

18. See both a Clemson and UCM football game live

  • How about #1 ranked Clemson!

19. Find a place to volunteer on a regular basis

  • Yesterday was our Girls on the Run 5K. I am taking over as the Volunteer Coordinator, which is a lot of work, but I am really excited about it! Here is a little article about yesterday.

20. Go hiking

21. Ride in a hot air balloon

22. Go to at least 20 “new to me” restaurants. (29/20)

23. Stay at a bed and breakfast

24. Spend a day without electronics (phone, t.v. and computer)

25. Do something unique and new for my birthdays

26. Explore Nashville while we live here

27. Watch at least 10 movies that I have not seen before that won Best Picture at the Oscars and at least 20 documentaries (not necessarily Oscar winning) Movies (2/10); Documentaries (7/20)

28. Sew an item of clothing from scratch

29. Do a personal devotional/bible study on my own

30. Be a mascot for an event

31. Go on our honeymoon (preferably somewhere tropical)

32. Host an annual NCAA Basketball Tournament Championship game party

33. Go on a mission trip

34. Be on a recreation volleyball team

  • I can officially mark this one off! We have our first game on Monday!

35. Become a mom

  • George really experience Halloween for the first time. He didn’t really want to meet any neighbors, so he stood at the edge of the sidewalk and watched his cousin get the goods. Naturally he was Curious George.

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Fit For Me 45/52

If you are new to these parts, these posts log my weekly fitness activity. I started this at the beginning of 2015 which was about 4 months after I gave birth to George. I really wanted to recapture my own health and take back over my body from the pregnancy.

What I did last week:

Thursday-30 minutes on elliptical.

Saturday-1 hour trail walk.

Sunday-30 minute trail walk. The weather could not have been more perfect!

Tuesday-I usually have time on Tuesday carved out to work out after work, but due to a planning meeting for an event, those plans were squashed. We have started a new thing in our house where we have a dance party with George before bed. (It is our effort to get all the wiggles out before he goes to sleep. Plus it is really fun!) Instead of just doing the normal two songs, we had a 30 minute dance party. During the songs that George decided to ignore me, I did squats and lunges. This was surprisingly really good cardio.

Impressed by:

Being creative when my schedule isn’t normal.

Struggled with:

Not many here.

Did I meet my goal from last week?

I did my trail walks so I definitely got some mileage under my belt this weekend.

What is my goal for next week?

I have a very busy weekend planned, so I just want to make sure I get 4 workouts this weekend.

Fitness Thoughts:

I just want to encourage people to think outside the box if they are having a hard time fitting in workouts. I think we often view a “workout” as something that is structured in the gym or doing an actual run. Being a mom has forced me to just view working out as getting up and moving. Walk in place during commercials. Do squats while you are doing dishes. There are always little ways to find an opportunity to move your body. Just commit to being more active in your down moments. Chasing George around last night and having a random long dance party was definitely a workout even though it may not be Pinterest worthy. Not only did we get our heart rates up, we were also making memories. It’s a lot easier then people think!

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What are ways you sneak in a workout?