A GREAT Book!

Before I had kids I read a lot.  For hours, a couple books a week in fact.  Nowadays I am lucky to get 15 minutes in before I go to bed.  I miss reading!  I miss discovering new authors, and reading about adventures, and romance, and different exotic places!

I think I am going to try to  put one of my favorite books up here on my blog every week.

Starting this week with.....

Tracks by Robyn Davidson

This is an AMAZING adventure book!

Here is a quick synopsis from Amazon:

Tracks is the brilliantly written and frequently hilarious account of a young woman's odyssey through the deserts of Australia, with no one but her dog and four camels as companions. Davidson emerges as a heroine who combines extraordinary courage with exquisite sensitivity.
I admire people with an adventurous soul!

If you have time, I recommend you read this book!

I Just Can't Contain My Excitement

The most exciting part of my weekend....

Yep, I finally lost my toe nail.  How's that for excitement?

Actually it was a good weekend.  Woke up early Saturday and went to Black Swan sweaty yoga with Jessica.  It was a great way to start the weekend.  Plus, I love Black Swan....not only is the super uber cool place to do yoga in Austin, but it's also donation based.  Which is perfect for cheapies like me.  (But yes I did make a donation)

Phene and I spent the rest of the day together.  Cleaned the house, and she actually got to play outside because the weather was so nice!

Sunday I got to go to my favorite thrift store in the morning and look around.  Oh and we did this....what do you think?  We bought these off of Craigslist...we are still figuring out what we are going to put in the shelves on the wall.....

Sunday afternoon I did the elliptical for 40 minutes.  I hate the elliptical BTW.  I don't know what it is but for some reason it's a really hard workout for me.  I did p90x Ab Ripper after, and then we walked down the road.

All in all a nice weekend.

This morning my running partner joined me on a 3 mile run.  It went well....but after mile 1 he was LAZY...and I kept having to baby talk him to keep up, oh well, kept me occupied.

Doesn't he look thrilled??

Another Pinterest Post

Some interesting things I have seen on Pinterest this week

This is a really disturbing one...I don't know who came up with it, but it is pretty funny

Art with cats

Places I rather be

Brisket and Brie Tacos!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Insane yoga poses/bodies

Cute outfit ideas

Places I want to go

  

I am seriously addicted!

Another week, another recap weekend post...and some other stuff.

It was a long holiday weekend for me, since I called in sick on Friday. I don't know what it is about long weekends, but they go by SO fast!

Friday I really wasn't feeling well, so I stayed home and did housework (because of course I can't just do nothing and relax for a day!) I did manage to get in a 2 mile run in the afternoon which was nice. That night we watched "The Descendants" with George Clooney. I usually don't like George Clooney but the movie was very good and his character was very sincere and endearing. PLUS, it was filmed in Hawaii and had some scenes that were filmed in my hometown of Hanalei!
Saturday I woke up early and went to Moshka Yoga for "be Happy" yoga. It was a GREAT class! She had me sweating and getting in to some positions I haven't ever been in before. It was such a nice way to start the weekend! Through the Groupon I bought I have 3 more yoga sessions at that location, and I think I am going to try to do only her class for the rest of them.

Saturday night we watched War Horse. I love horses, and the story looked really good. It was too bad that the movie was really cheesy with very bad acting. It could have been SO good :(

Sunday I ran in the morning and then we went to the park in the afternoon and went to dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

Here are some pictures of Phene at the park....

Unfortunately when we were pulling out of the driveway before leaving the house I hit her bike that I thought was in the car already. I must have bent the wheel because the whole time she was riding it there was this HIGH pitched horrible squeak going on. But she didn't care, she was just happy to be out there on her bike on a beautiful day. Ahh, if we all could appreciate life like kids do sometimes!

Monday Sean worked and Phene and I just stayed home and did stuff around the house. The weather was nice again so she got to play outside on the playscape and in the yard which was fun! Gave me some time to clean out the garage.

So all in all it was a great weekend!

My plan for this week is:

Sunday - 2 mile run (done)

Monday - p90x Yoga (done)

Tuesday - Dane's Body Shop Bootcamp (done)
Wednesday - 3 Mile Run & P90x Ab Ripper (done)
Thursday - Dane's Body Shop Bootcamp
Friday - 2 Mile Run
Saturday - p90x Yoga

Unfortunately I had a hard time on my run today. I rolled out my calves really good about an hour before my run. I stretched also for about 5 minutes before leaving....The first mile I was having a really weird cramp in my knee area. It worked itself out and I ran 3 miles, which is longer than I have run in awhile. After the run, and even now sitting at my desk my hip is feeling kind of weird and my calves are really tight. Maybe I over did it yesterday at the bootcamp workout? I look forward to completely pain free running days...hopefully soon. I will roll out tonight and stretch again, and hopefully that will help.

FRUSTRATING!

I am thinking of cutting sugar out of my diet for a month. I feel like I have become dependent on having dessert after dinner, and I would really like to cut that out. I don't eat much sugar during the day so I don't think that will be too hard. I did this last year for a month and really noticed a difference in my mood and body. I keep saying this, but maybe it's time for a mini cleanse of sorts...no bread, sugar, etc... I just feel like I have no will power lately.

Have a good week all!

I Miss the Ocean Today.....

Observations

*There are some great recipes on Pinterest! I needed some new ideas and I have found quite a few. One thing I have noticed though....there are more REALLY fattening sweet or cheesy recipes on there than low fat healthy recipes. So you really have to pick and choose. I made this macaroni recipe that I found on there a few days ago. It was GREAT...but SO buttery...and SO cheesy. It's the kind of thing you only want to eat once in awhile.

Hello Hot Lava Chocolate Chip Cookie with Ice Cream!

*High fives are totally lame...unless you have just finished 10 minutes at fusion boot camp and you are nearly passing out and hyperventilating. That's a satisfying high five moment with your neighbor!
(Or as Tony Horton would say "Best high five of your life!")

*You have to own a Chihuahua to love a Chihuahua. Otherwise they are just annoying shaky little twits.

*Thursday is not Friday, not matter how many times you try to convince yourself!

*I really want to paint my toe nails blue! Or maybe Black? What do you think? Too young and trendy for a 32 year old? Or cute? (Maybe I am missing the black toe nails I was getting from running)

*The beard is back....have you noticed?

Blah Blah Blah

Really not much to say today. But there were two things I saw this week that made me laugh to myself.

First was this picture on my new Brooks shoe box

(Can you see why I chuckled?)

And to cheer me up this week my good friend Amy (who just recently started running) sent this to me.  (Can you guess which one I am?)

Snowing, for like Two Seconds!

The weekend was way TOO short!

Saturday morning we took Frankie to the vet.  He said he has an upper respiratory infection and prescribed some antibiotics.  He has not got too much better, but I am hoping the medicine kicks in soon :(

Saturday afternoon I went to see "The Vow" with my friend Erin. 

It was really good!  Almost every 5 minutes I felt like crying.  I am not much in to whatever the guy's name is, but he was a sincere character and by the end I was really rooting for him and liking him much more.  And even more interesting is that it's based on a true story...can you imagine?  It was very romantic.

Saturday night we came across "Lars and the Real Girl" on Showtime.  I had heard about this movie awhile back and had wanted to see it, so I was glad I finally had a chance.

Now you may think this was some kind of weird sex movie.  But it was anything but!  It was actually pretty deep and very well done movie.  I recommend it if you haven't seen it.  The characters are so sincere and sweet. Oh Ryan Gosling....really really like him even as some weird midwesterner obsessed with a real doll!
And today...
I ran 2.3 miles and it went really well.  My shin hurt a little during, but it wasn't bad.  I really tried to keep my hips still and my legs moving front to back, and I felt strong, though honestly a little out of shape.  (I also had time to do my Triggerpoint roll outs before my run which I think helped) The best thing is that my shins DID NOT hurt after, and they don't hurt now!  YEAH!
I will try to run another 2 miles on Wednesday...maybe 3? :)

This afternoon it was SUPER cold, and even snowing! (And when I say snowing I mean for like 5 minutes, none of it stuck)

 So we went to the local bowling alley and introduced Phene to bowling!!!!

I love watching her learn and discover new things!

Came home, made a salad, and baked breaded zuchini....and now we are watching Grimm....

My plans for this week are:
Monday - Vinyasa Yoga @ Moshka yoga
Tuesday - Dane's Body Shop Fusion Bootcamp
Wednesday - Run 2 miles
Thursday - Dane's Body Shop Fusion Bootcamp
Friday - Run 2 miles and my ART appointment
Saturday - ??

Hope you all have a GREAT week!

Little Dogs Have Stinky Breath!

*Fusion Bootcamp is hard! I am super sore. Today we did a lot of lunges and squats, burpees, jumping jacks, more lunges, weights, kettleballs....my legs were SHAKING the whole entire time! Week one down....4 more to go. I have signed up for 2 classes a week for 5 weeks. I almost felt like I should take a before and after pic!

*My shin is still hurting....which I am not happy about. I am going to try and run a couple of miles tomorrow morning and we will see how it goes. Hips and back are good...it's just this one damn shin! I am rolling out my calves like a crazy person, and it is feeling less and less painful each time. Just wish it would heal already! I am tired of not running.

*I was listening to the radio this morning and they were talking about this milkshake at Jack in the Box (Maybe it was Burger King?) it is a bacon milkshake. (Which BTW sounds nasty!) but it has 1000 calories in one serving. Seriously?? I just can't believe they even make this kind of crap that is so bad for you....and I am sure there are people drinking them...just so unbelievable to me!

*My dog Frankie is having some breathing/throat issues. At first I thought he was reverse sneezing....but I think it's beyond that. From what I have been reading little dogs are prone to having a collapsed trachea ...I guess it's easily treated with medications but still very dangerous and even can be life threatening. The vet put him on some decongestants....but they aren't helping. Looks like we will be going to the vet Saturday morning to maybe get Xrays. Meanwhile, he came to work with me and is sitting in my lap as we speak snorting away. Poor guy :(  I have to rub his throat every 10 minutes or so, which helps his breathing. (BTW, he has the worst breath ever!  Supposedly this is another fun thing that Chihuahuas are notorious for!)

That's all I have for today...Thank goodness it's almost the weekend!!!!!

WOW, I am BORING

Ok so I have been "tagged" to answer some questions by this guy over here (Who buy the way has some interesting posts that are worth reading, if only for his sarcasm!)


Favorite Alcoholic Beverage?
Margaritas---and I used to love Mojitos, just haven't had one in awhile.
Technical Gadget you can't live without?
Cell Phone....sadly
Favorite Movie that you like but everyone else hates?
hmmm....how about my favorite movie? Fight Club, best movie ever.
If you could have coffee with one person, living or dead, who would it be?
Haruki Murakami, my favorite author
Quote that you find inspiring or funny?
A friend of mine has this quote on her blog and I love it:
"People think it's an obsession. A compulsion. As if there were an irresistible impulse to act. It's never been like that. I chose this life. I know what I'm doing. And on any given day, I could stop doing it. Today, however, isn't that day. And tomorrow won't be either." Batman
Porn: Scourge of society, Ok in the right doses, or just can't get get enough?
Not for me
Worst Job you ever had?
I worked at a salon that was open by appointment only. There were days when no one would call, no one would come in and I was there for 12 hours with NOTHING to do.
E-reader or Actual Book?
Actual book, I don't get this whole e-reader thing. I love the pages of a book, I love the smell of books, I love seeing them on my shelf!
Why do you blog?
I don't know good question...probably for historical sake...to be able to look back someday and read it. Also to keep friends and famliy updated with all the events in my life.
Biggest Guilty Pleasure?
I am not guilty about it, but I eat a lot of cinammon graham crackers.

Aren't I SO exciting????

If I Was Rich and Maybe Famous

I bought a groupon that includes exercise classes at a few different locations in my area. Today I did a fusion bootcamp class at this small gym. I really loved the place! It was a small group in a small room, and I felt like it was a very personal experience, unlike some of the larger exercise classes found at the local gyms. I felt like the instructor really spent time showing the forms, and walked around and could talk to everyone and help everyone if they were having issues or not doing something quite right.

(And yes, that dog was there this morning!)

It was a series of sets of exercises. We did planks, jump planks, push ups, push ups with arm raises, kettleball swings, squats, vinyasas, stretching, and much more.  It was a great workout!

The groupon I bought allows me to do 10 classes at this one location. So I signed up for 2 classes a week for 5 weeks. I am interested to see how much I improve and how much stronger I am at the end.

It made me realize that I would love to have a personal trainer to work with a few days a week. I think I would push myself harder, and I would learn a little more about exercises besides running. Seriously I am clueless and appreciate getting more informed about keeping in shape!

If only I was rich!  Oh well, I enjoy running and pushing myself, by myself.  Just kind of fun to have a change and a good learning experience!

Cupid's Chase & Weekend Recap

Saturday morning was Cupid's Chase 5K.
This race was put on by a good friend of mine Erin. (Who by the way did a great job on putting together this race!  How lucky is she, this is her job!!)
I had signed up pre-injury hoping to run it, but sadly I was just not in shape to do so.  So Sean took my place and ran it with Josie while Phene, Sookie, and I spectated.
They came in around 13:50....this was their first 5k so I was very excited for them!
I saw a lot of my friends from run group, and saw them come in at mile 3 and was so happy to be there cheering them on!

I forgot my camera too...so I stole these two pics from here.  (This guy has some great pics of the race!)

Yep it's like a circus show when we bring our dog in public!  I swear she is like a movie star and everyone fawns over her!  She eats it up and LOVES every minute of it!

Saturday afternoon we had another school birthday party for one of Phene's friends from daycare.  This was actually much better than the previous one we attended at Chucky Cheese.  The parents had the whole place rented so it was just her friends.  She had tons of fun, and I got to meet some of the other mothers which was good for me.  Here are a few pics....

Today, thank you of Pinterest we not only had a great dinner....we made Valentine's Cards, and they turned out really cute!

Yep we don't brush Phene's hair after the shower!  She doesn't seem to mind :)

Ok, so that's my weekend...and now I am exhausted...watching Madonna and Nicki Minaj on the Superbowl half time.  Don't worry, I still don't like football that much, just wanted to get a blog post up, and trying to wind down from the weekend!

P.S.  Ran 2.25 miles today....wasn't too painful, it hurt, but not unbearable.  The ART guy says I can run 2 miles 3 days a week...yeah!  Some running is better than nothing!

Rants & Rave & Oohs & Ahhs

*Ooohhhhh.....ahhhhhhh.....
If you live in Austin, and perhaps in a lot of other cities you have seen people wearing TOMS shoes.  In my opinion they are really ugly.  The shape of them is kind of weird, and I just think they aren't aesthetically pleasing at all.  BUT I just saw they have come out with some ballet flats that are SUPER cute!

Of course they come in different colors, and the same linen material as original Toms.  I just love plain black personally....but take a look they have tons of cute colors!  And if I was more stylish I would totally be wanting that tan and black pair!
(Too bad my birthday is still months away, I can't justify spending $84 on shoes right now....unless of course they are running shoes!)
Before I had kids I would have bought these in a second....damn kids.

*Speaking of running shoes...I should be getting my new pair today and I plan on trying an easy 2 miles asap.  Not running is getting really old, and I am ready to get back out there on the streets!  Tomorrow I have an appointment with the chiropractor and I am hoping he can "dig" this pain out of my calf/shin.

*Now for my rant.  I was on google news yesterday and they had an interesting article about sugar.  Saying we as Americans consume way too much sugar that can cause all kinds of health problems.  And that sugar should be regulated.  Now I am all about freedoms and making our own choices.  But I have to say that I think sugar consumption is out of control.  Most people don't even realize how much sugar they eat.

I was raised in a household where sugar was very limited, and healthy foods were pretty much our only option.  And honestly, though I am sure at times I would have loved a bowl of Fruit Loops, or a can of soda, I am VERY happy that my parents kept most sugar out of my diet.  The habit has continued in to my adult life and I couldn't be more happy about it!

When I had Phene I really wanted to do the same thing for her that my parents did for me.  And for the most part she really doesn't eat too much sugar.  We don't give her soda, she drinks mostly water, we only give her treats like ice cream, cookies, etc... on special occasions.  And I am very proud and happy we have kept with this for so long and continue to do so.  But I realize that MOST parents aren't like this.

For example.....we went to a bday party at Chucky Cheese last weekend.  And they served pizza to the kids...and Dr. Pepper!  Dr. Pepper....it BLEW my mind!  Not only because of the sugar, but the caffeine!!  Of course Phene didn't have any....but who gives their 3 year old Dr. Pepper!!???  But I know this parent isn't alone. I had a friend awhile back who would give her 1.5 year old Blow Pops to keep her quiet while shopping.  Just amazing to me.

Recently I mentioned to a co-worker we don't give the kids candy.  And she said I was so mean.  Really?!  Mean?  I explained that this is the way I was raised, and it has promoted a healthy diet/lifestyle for me and I want to do the same for the kids. She didn't get it, and I don't really care, but mean?

I just think parents need to be aware of the habits they are starting with their children.  It's not mean to think of your children's health and well being.

I want to add that I do eat candy, I do eat sugar, and I do eat unhealthy foods.  BUT I think that I am more aware, and I limit myself, and I think about things before I eat them. My parents planted a seed in my mind, that has grown and flourished and has made me a healthier adult.

***end rant

*This weekend is Cupids Chase 5k in Georgetown.  I was really looking forward to running it....sigh....I am still going to go, and Sean & Josie are going to run it instead.  For the first time in a long time I will be the cheering section.  Will try to get some good pictures to post a recap!

*Damn you Pinterest!  If you have not gone to that site yet DON'T EVER GO!!!  JUST DON'T!!!  It's like car crash you just can't stop looking, even if you want to!!!

Pizza Casserole??!!

Cats in Bikinis??

Chocolate Cookie Dough Brownies!

Craft ideas!

Ladies with sparkles?

Ok, I am sure you can get my point.

DON'T GO THERE!