Photo Montage Galore

I’m still alive. Yup. Just haven’t had enough things to actually chat about on here lately. So…yeah.

Things of lately (obviously if you follow me on Instagram, you got the idea already. And if you don’t follow me on Instagram, then please do!)

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Workouts have been pretty consistent. I have been mixing it up between outdoor runs, home circuit workouts, TRX, spinning, tabatas, and as of tonight….HOT YOGA! I purchased another one-month unlimited pass today and attended the Bikram Vinyasa Flow class. Love Love LOVE it because not only did I get a killer workout, but it allowed me to completely shut my mind off for 75 minutes. So lovely.

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The creepy pic that’s second down on the right (in the above montage) was a workout I did early in the morning last Friday before we hit the road to Edmonton. It’s super tiny print, so here’s the quick, but effective workout I managed:

4 tabatas (Tabata= 20 seconds WORK, 10 seconds REST, repeated 8 times for a totaly for 4 minues). I alternated between 2 moves for each tabata.

1: Jump squats/Jumping jacks with pulse squat

2: Pushups/Tricep dips

3: Fire Hydrants (alternating between L and R sides. link to video demo here.)

4: Russian twist/Lying weight press

So yeah, we went to Edmonton (about a 3 hour drive north of Calgary) for one night. It was a long weekend here, and everyone seemed to be getting out of town, so that’s what we decided on. Nothing glamourous. Just a chance to get away. We hit up the West Edmonton mall (ummmm they have an ice rink and an amusement park and a water park and SEA LIONS. Yeah, and lots of stores too) and found a nice spot for dinner, MKT. I decided to indulge and ate some foods I would NEVER order. Of course, my stomach totally paid for it, but I really enjoyed the evening with Tyler.

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The puppies have been getting some outdoor time, too!

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We hit our usual spot today. But I decided to take the four-legged friends up a bit of a hill just to see the view. (Just kidding, it was just to see how disastrous it would be to climb a hill with stairs with two dummies on leashes). It’s a bummer the photo didn’t come out as sweet as the view, but I tried..Maybe try clicking on it to enlarge it so you can see my stupid little write-up.

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And to round off my ‘catching up’ post (although I’m sure there’s tons I forgot, so I’ll probably mention them whenever) I made a batch of muffins this morning. I had a ton of fruit laying around the house, and I knew I needed to use some up before it all went bad (already have tons in the freezer, too!) I used a recipe that I’ve used before, but adapted to what I had readily available in the kitchen.

muffins

Skinny Banana Blueberry Muffins (adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction)

  • 2 1/2 c whole wheat flour
  • 1 t baking soda
  • 1/4 t salt
  • 1/2 t cinnamon
  • 1/4 c agave nectar
  • 1/2 c brown sugar
  • 2 large ripe bananas, mashed
  • 1 T white vinegar + the rest almond milk to equal one cup
  • 1 egg beaten
  • 1 1/4 c fresh blueberries

* Check out the original recipe, linked above. I used agave instead of honey, 1 full cup almond milk (w/1 T white vinegar) rather than 1/4 c yogurt + 3/4 c milk) and whole wheat flour instead of white whole wheat flour. Just improvising with what I had!

  1. Preheat oven to 325, spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
  2. In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon.
  3. In another bowl, mix agave nectar and brown sugar until fully combined- no lumps! Add the banana, milk mixture, and egg. Slowly combine the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Once fully incorporated, fold in the blueberries.
  4. Pour batter into muffin tin. Bake for 22-25 minutes, or until tops of muffins are slightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the muffins come out clean.

What food/meal have you been loving lately?

Favorite place to get away…even if it’s just for a night?

DO YOU LIKE MUFFINS??!! (you don’t have to answer that)

Exercise & Eats

Hey there. I swear to God there were at least a half a billionty things I thought of over the weekend that I wanted to blog about….and then I forgot like all of them. DAYUM.

Last week’s eats: all of them were easy peasy. Honestly, I forgot what the hell I ate on Monday. And I’ve tried jogging my memory all morning (jogging a memory? Don’t get how that came to be a phrase).

Tuesday: Roasted veggies with brown rice and chicken breast. Seriously, so easy. But it was a well rounded meal.

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Wednesday: Pesto Chicken Paninis. I made some homemade pesto, added thinly sliced cooked chicken, tomatoes, and monterey jack.

ImageThursday: Scrambled Egg Sandwich. With leftover monterey jack, ketchup and sriracha! I had loaded up on veggies during the day, so I didn’t miss them in my dinner.

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Friday: Pizza. Lazy man’s dinner, but so tasty! Tyler had football practice and I went to yoga, so we were both pretty happy to plop on the couch with a few pieces o’ pie.

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Last week’s workouts were good, too!

Monday: Hot Yoga, 20 minute HIIT on the treadmill (90 seconds brisk walk, 30 seconds ALL OUT SPRINT), Women’s Health Big Book of Exercises pre-wedding workout.

Tuesday: Hot Yoga, 20 min spin, another WH Athlete’s Workout (used lots of cable exercises and core work!)

Wednesday: Hot Yoga, sprints outside up and down the street (followed by one cat and a big ass bunny), another WH Athlete’s Workout- completed at home and SUPER sweaty.

Thursday: Hot Yoga

Friday: Hot Yoga

Saturday: Hot Yoga

Sunday: Off

Yes yes, lots of hot yoga. But um…I paid for a month unlimited, so I’m stretching my dollar as far as it will go! So far, I have only stuck to the Traditional Hot Yoga class (same format every class) and I have LOVED it. Today I am trying the Baptiste Vinyasa class. Super excited! Plus, you guys…this yoga business is getting my bod ready for the upcoming trip to NY. wink wink

Also, today is the start of the next round of Best Body Bootcamp. I have participated in the last four rounds, and just really like getting 8 weeks of pre-determined workouts. I find I always get myself in ruts: I either stick to some of the same exercises, or I am not seeing any benefits or results from my workouts. By changing it up with what BBB provides, it really just keeps me motivated to workout because I love trying new stuff.

Things totally unrelated to exercise and eats that I feel necessary to share:

I CANNOT stop listening to this song. Over and over. And over. And….over. And yes, I’m dancing to it like a loony in front of my dogs. They are not entertained whatsoever.

If I were to go camping, I would NEED to do so in this tent:

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(Source)

The puppies actually got to get some sun yesterday! Cute little beasts

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We managed to watch all of season 2 of Spartacus. HOLY. The show is crazy intense and I love it. Plus, male full frontal. I mean..c’mon. (yeah yeah there are naked ladies in it too)

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(Source)

This kid filled out mad libs LIKE A BOSS. props to her (and I would do the same)

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(Source)

Any good eats lately? New workouts? I wanna know!

Well, I am sore. This week has had a whole bunch of new workouts and boy am I feeling it today. I was messaging Athena last weekend about how I felt in a rut with my workouts, since none of them were leaving me sore the next day. I was even trying new exercises, varying sets, progressions, you name it. Nothing was working. Then I started my 30-day unlimited Hot Yoga pass last Friday and I somehow got back on the wagon with some crazy workouts. And I have woken up blissfully sore every morning since. Yeah yeah yeah, I know about recovery and all that, but I have also been mindful of targeting different muscle groups and what not so it’s a different sore each day.

The last workout I posted was the upper body pyramid workout. I admitted that I didn’t feel anything afterwards. Apparently I forgot about DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness), because I ate my words the next day! My chest and triceps were aching. Then on Tuesday, I did the same pyramid format but with upper body exercises:

6_5 pyramid

Yesterday I tried yet another new workout! My friend Christie invited me to the martial arts studio, 5 Elements Martial Arts, where she works (her sister owns the studio) to take a Fitness Kickboxing class. I have only taken (and taught) cardio kickboxing before, so I was excited to give it a try! Christie lended me the equipment- hand wraps, gloves and shin pads. Her sister taught the class and did a mixture of combinations with the bag and floor work. It was definitely a much different kickboxing workout when you are actually punching a bag than punching air! I really loved the class and hope to go more, but it is on the other side of town (I know, lame excuse, but it takes forever to get there!). Perhaps in addition to the anchor I want Tyler to install for my TRX (instead of using the door) he can also put one in for a punching bag? Just a thought. I mean, it did help me get out a lot of stress and anger 😉

Combined with all these workouts, I have also been going to a Hot Yoga class every day. I have already noticed a lot of improvement, and am always excited for the next class. I think my recent leap of faith to try yoga led me to be less nervous with trying the kickboxing class– although it really helped to know someone there. I made it my goal to try at least one new-to-me workout during the month of June and I already have that accomplished! I am looking to try other new things, so if you have suggestions (like, where is the best Barre studio in Calgary. What about pilates?!)

On to fitness-y things from these here internet box:

I am convinced that if my friends Athena and Ashley and I were friends and boys in the 80’s, we would look like this
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Also, Athena- I think you need to teach #7 from this video:

I SERIOUSLY CANNOT STOP LAUGHING AT THIS ONE. I REALLY WISH I WAS AROUND TO TAKE THIS IN A GROUP EX CLASS. HAHAHAHAHAHAH

Ok, now I’m really excited to workout today!

Right, so two posts in one day. Basically,

Right, so two posts in one day. Basically, it’s a long episode of The Bachelorette, and Tyler is playing video games. Soooo yeahhhhh…

Just two things I NEED to share. Number one: The workout I did today. Consider this your Monday Moves post for the week. It was a great mix of strength and cardio and I was super sweaty and ready to hit the showers by the end. (Note: I completed the workout nearly 3 hours ago and I have yet to shower. Cue the gross factor.)

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(Source)

Number two: The cookies I baked today. I don’t know why I never thought of making these before, but DAYY-UMM they are yummy. I almost didn’t want to share, but realized I probably should since it would be rude to tell you about them, but not tell you how to make them and be all Cookie Monster-esque like me:


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K, onto the stuff. Might as well give you the workout first.

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I did this workout with a 5 minute warmup on the row machine, 20 min spin after Circuit 1, and 15 minute run after circuit 2. I would have completed extra cardio after the third circuit, but I had already made a trip to the dog park earlier in the day AND I needed to get to the grocery store for dinner stuff before Tyler got home. There’s my excuse. Still a great workout, though!

Now…the COOOOOOKIES!

5.27 cookies

 

Browned-Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

Here’s what you’ll need:

  • 3/4 c butter
  • 1/4 c sugar
  • 3/4 c bown sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 3 tsp vanilla
  • 2 c flour
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • dash salt
  • 1 c chocolate chips

Here’s what you do:

1. Place the butter in a sauce pan over medium heat. Continuously stir for several minutes until butter bubbles, then begins turning light brown.

2. Immediately place the browned butter in a mixer (or bowl if using hand mixer) and cream with both sugars.

3. Once they are fully incorporated, add the egg and vanilla.

4. Then add flour, soda and salt and mix until just incorporated.

5. Hand fold in the chocolate chips.

6. Place mixture in the refrigerator. Preheat oven to 350 and prepare baking pans. After 30 minutes and once oven is ready, spoon blobs of the dough onto the baking sheets and bake for 12 minutes. Cookies will be soft to touch upon taking out of the oven, so allow them to cool on cookie pans for 5-10 minutes before moving to wire racks.

Night, y’all.

Exercise and Eats: Week of 5/27

I suppose this post is just to keep record of my exercise and dinners for myself. Short and sweet (typing this as I’m watching the Universe’s worst show ever: The Bachelorette).

Last week’s eats:

Monday: It was our holiday here last Monday and we did NOTHING. Meaning, no cooking. I haven’t been too keep on Subway lately, but it was a quick, easy, somewhat healthy option that Tyler swung by and picked up on his way home from Football. No picture because, well….no picture.

Tuesday: Burgers

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Wednesday: Chicken Salad with Cherries and Pecans

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Thursday: Turkey Tacos with sauteed veggies

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Friday: Homemade Pizza

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On tap for this week:

  • Monday: Turkey Club Quesadillas
  • Tuesday: Teriyaki Bowls
  • Wednesday: Spaghetti Squash and Turkey Marinara (I WILL find a spaghetti squash!)
  • Thursday: Cobb Salads or out to dinner
  • Friday: Whichever we don’t have Thursday

For exercise (crap, I should have typed this earlier because I sort of forget what I did)

Mon, 5/20: Cardio Kickboxing

5.27 workout

Tues, 5/21: AMRAP workout, 20 min run, 30 min at-home yoga

Wed, 5/22: 30 min run, 5 min spin (i think!)

Thurs, 5/23: Full-Body circuits, 20 min spin

5.27 workout2

Fri, 5/24: TRX/Stability Ball circuits, 40 min home cardio

5.27 workout3

Last week was technically the last week of this round of Best Body Bootcamp, but I wasn’t entirely feeling the last round of the workouts we were given. So, I improvised! BUT- I did sign up for the next Round of Best Body Bootcamp. If you’re interested, check out Tina’s site to see if it’s something you might like!

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For this week:

Mon, 5/27: Circuit & Cardio Intervals (stay tuned in the next post for the complete workout!)

Tues, 5/28: Run, ab tabatas

Wed, 5/29: Upper Body workout, 30 min spin

Thurs, 5/30: Lower Body workout, 30 min run

Fri, 5/31: Full body workout, 10-10-10 cardio

Sat, 6/1: TBA

There ya have it. Favorite eats or workouts lately? I wanna know!