April 21, 2015 by Stephanie

Fit for Me 16/52

What I did last week:

Wednesday-20 minutes of Ab stuff.

Thursday-I did an at-home workout for my legs. I held George while I did 5 sets of squats, lunges, and calf raises.

Saturday-1 hour of BodyPump. I got through every song except triceps and shoulders (no surprise there). Triceps I am usually good at, but I tried to up my weight to soon. Note taken body.

Sunday-This day was interesting workout wise. I set out early in the morning to walk the dogs, but it started pouring so we circled the block and maybe completed a quarter of a mile. It looked like it was going to rain all day so I planned to do two rounds of stairs for 10 minutes. I completed my first set during George’s first nap. Then the weather cleared up so I figured I would take the dogs out again. We ended up doing around 30 minutes of walking. My calves still hurt from those stairs though.

Tuesday-30 minutes on a treadmill. I did the trail workout, which is basically a hill workout but it randomly changes for you.

Impressed by:

Attempting my workout in so many ways on Sunday. You really do have to make the time.

Struggled with:

I forgot to work out on Monday which is usually a short ab day. I was too excited about looking at kid’s book for a book party I was part of on Facebook. So I struggled with that distraction and also not buying all the books. (I didn’t buy all the books, but I wanted to!)

Did I meet my goal from last week?

I did meet my goal. I actually really liked the preset workout on the treadmill. I wasn’t able to run all of it because I thought I would fall of the treadmill at an incline any higher than a 5, but it was still a great workout. It was nice to just let the incline change randomly instead of having to worry about changing it myself.

What is my goal for next week?

I want to add planks to my ab workouts. Ugh I always feel like a wimp at BodyPump because I wobble like crazy even just on my knees. I want to get better at this.

Fitness Thoughts:

I know I talked about treadmills last week, but does anyone else look at the person next to them to see how they measure up on a treadmill. I hate when someone gets on the machine next to me because I feel like I am in competition with them. I rarely win though…

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image via

Advice on adding planks to my regiment? How do you find time when you workout plans go sour?

April 20, 2015 by Stephanie

Discover New Favorites Box

I did receive these products complimentary for the review from Influenster, and these thoughts are my own.

I am always excited to get products from Influenster, but it is even better when they are products that you actually will use and continue buying.

The Dove Go Fresh Body Wash is a brand I have been using for the last year. However, I have never bought this scent. I have never really been drawn to buy scents that are orangey. Something about that scent turns me off. So I have always bought this body wash in a different scent. I really do love the actual brand. It lathers up nicely, and I am one that judges my soap on the amount of suds produced. It also feels pretty silky on your skin. I used this all during my pregnancy, and I feel that it helped keep my skin moisturized. As for this scent, Tom says it smells good, so maybe I shouldn’t stay away from the citrus smells.

I really wish I would have gotten this box earlier in the winter to really test out the Vaseline Intensive Care lotion. I get ridiculously dry hands in the winter months, so bad in fact that they crack and bleed. I have not been able to find a lotion that helps completely. So I am interested to see if this “healing serum” would do the trick. With trying it now, I would still recommend this lotion. I have to wash my hands a lot with a baby and two dogs, and this is helpful to keep them moisturized even though the dry winter has left us. You can tell that it has vaseline in it though. It is a little thick when you first put it on, but it does soak into your skin within a few minutes. Again, I am anxious to try this 10x deep healing power in the winter time.

These were two great products for me to get, and I recommend them both for continued purchase!

If you are interested in getting an Influenster box (you don’t have to be a blogger), just let me know, and I can send you an invite. They are a fun surprise! The community is also really easy to navigate. The more you interact, the more they will be able to find boxes that fit your style and needs. It is really versatile, and you can use it a lot or hardly at all. I have really enjoyed it so far!

Have you tried these products? Do you get dry winter skin too?

April 16, 2015 by Stephanie

I Must Confess

In an effort to show the realness of my life and let others share in my not-so-perfectness, there are just a few things I must confess.

I must confess that I buy XL Kids jackets and fleeces from Northface. I can get fleeces for half the price by buying in the kid’s section. And props that there is a place designated for me to write my name inside the jacket–in case I loose it before recess.

I must confess that I still wear the pregnancy belly band when I wear a certain pair of dress pants. (George is almost 8 months old.) I really should just buy a new pair of pants that fit. All the rest have transferred well to my post-pregnancy hips, but just this last pair is being stubborn and refusing to button. And I refuse to buy a new pair at this point because everything else about these pants are perfect (pocket placement and size, leg width, etc.), and I hate having to look for a new pair that fits all my specifications. Anyone with me?

I must confess that I have TWO food drawers at work. I am seriously hungry all the time. There is a little bit of healthy like nuts and granola, but a whole lot of not healthy like donuts and airheads. Maybe this is why that black pair of pants eludes me and not my birthing hips…

I must confess that when I wear a skirt or a dress it is pretty much a guarantee at this stage of my momhood that I am going to flash someone with my undies. George doesn’t wait for ladylike behavior.

I must confess that I have a five minute video of George staring at me because I was convinced that he was going to start crawling. He didn’t.

But I do have this gem.

I must confess that some nights I let Grace or Crosby help “clean” (lick) George after he eats because it suppresses the meltdown that ensues when I try to wipe his face with a baby wipe and signal that meal time is over. So instead of screaming at me, he is laughing at the dogs. Judge away if you must, but everyone in our house is happy. You may think #momfail but I think #momwin.

I must confess that our kitchen looks like this 6 days out of the week. Ok I must confess, it looks like this every day of the week. It only gets clean when we know people are coming over.

But my office looks like this every day of the week. And no I didn’t straighten this up, I promise. I clean up after every appointment, and this was right before I headed out one day. Everything has it’s place and stays in it’s place. I don’t like students coming into my clutter.

I am not really sure why we can’t keep a handle on things cleaning wise at home. I am in constant shock on how fast dishes, clothes, and mail pile up in places. I digress though. I would much rather sit on the floor (which probably needs to be vacuumed) playing with my kid or catch up on Ellen than spend an hour cleaning every day. But just know that if you make a surprise visit, my house will not be clean, and I will be mortified.

What are your confessions? How do you keep your house clean? (It’s by magic isn’t it?)

April 14, 2015 by Stephanie

What Do You Want To Know?

I have pondered doing a Q&A post for a while now, but I have always chickened out scared that no one would actually ask any questions.

Awkward.

But I am in a lull with getting some quality posts out (#workingmomprobs), so I figured this was as good a time as ever.

If you have any questions for me or for Tom (or for George), feel free to ask them! I try to be fairly transparent here on the blog, so ask away.

So what would you like to know?

Questions about working in Higher Education, being a new mom, being married to a cop, the dogs, blogging, crafts, my love for the Royals, to how I take my coffee are all fair game. If you need any Netflix recommendations, I can answer that too!

Please ask away so this isn’t as embarrassing as I think it will be.

Seriously.

So if you have never commented before why not make this your first with a question!

I plan to post the answers in the upcoming weeks as I wait for questions…

April 9, 2015 by Stephanie

35 Before 35 March Update

Let’s see how I did this past month. Next month I will be 30 when I update!

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

This is the one thing I am most proud of completing each month. Some weeks it is a struggle to remember to get out the camera and find something new to capture or way to capture it. But when I do, I am always grateful for the moments I get with George. I am also glad that I am not just doing “studio shots.” While these are nice to have, some of my favorites have been the every day things. These moments go by so fast, and I love looking at this timeline of his growth.
Here are some of my favorites from the past month. The first one is my new all time favorite picture of him.

3. ~~Visit 5 cities I have never been to before~~ (6/5)

Greensboro, NC for my friends wedding. (I could count the cities we stopped in, but considering I pretty much only saw the hotels I think I will leave them off.)

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

If I had not been driving myself to North Carolina, I would have totally stopped at one of the dozen that we passed. However, I don’t think I would have won Mommy of the Year for taking George by myself to a distillery in the middle of Kentucky.

5. Send at least 5 snail mail a month

6. Become a “professional” photographer

Some things are in the works!

7. Run at least 10 races (any distance) (1/10)

I have signed up for some. Speaking of if you would like to help sponsor my walk in March of Dimes this month, please go here. I would greatly appreciate the support especially after my experience with George in the NICU.

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

Why does he have to be playing so far away for this tour!?!?

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

18. See both a Clemson and UCM football game live

19. Find a place to volunteer on a regular basis

20. Go hiking

21. Ride in a hot air balloon

22. ~~Go to at least 20 “new to me” restaurants.~~ (23/20)

We went to Bandanas with my in-laws. It is a chain BBQ place, and it wasn’t all that bad.
We went to Babbo’s Spaghetteria last night for a friend’s birthday. The food was great (probably some of the best lasagna I have ever had), but the wait for the food was awful.

23. Stay at a bed and breakfast

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

25. Have a Kentucky Derby themed 30th birthday party.

Since we have not been here long, I haven’t really created a solid group of friends yet. My birthday also falls on Mother’s Day weekend as well as the last week of most academic years (to which many of my friends are working in college settings). That being said, it would be asking a lot to have people come in for a party then. And my one stipulation is that we actually celebrate my 30th on the actual day since it is a Saturday. It just doesn’t seem worth the effort for a small group of people that may be able to attend. I have put some ideas in Tom’s head for alternatives so we will see what he surprises me with. No pressure! But I am completely ok with not having a big Kentucky Derby to do for my birthday. So I am going to just change this to enjoy welcoming 30!

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

I am ashamed to admit that I didn’t even remember the game was on this past Monday. I was crying buckets of tears for “the most memorable year” night on Dancing With the Stars. Also after Iowa State lost in the first round, I sort of stopped caring for the rest of the bracket.

33. Go on a mission trip

34. Be on a recreation volleyball team