Let’s get to it.

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Happy Monday, folks. Let’s get to it.

1. I won 2 tickets to the Kensington Wine Market Wine Fest on Friday! I was so excited because I really never win anything- and this I could share with Tyler!. Unfortunately, he got my cold, so at the time he couldn’t really taste much. We still had fun though!

There were 80 wines to try, and they were separated by country. Only one bottle of each wine was opened, so we were encouraged to ‘move on’ to another sample to allow for others to get a try. They had some food catered- finger foods as well as meat and cheese platters (I got hooked on the smoked bison).

And Crave cupcakes!

The event ran from 7-9pm. At 8pm, they brought out the cupcakes and dessert wines. If I could have just drank port all night, I would have been fine with that.

I got a good laugh because everyone arrived very timid and quiet, and by the first 15 minutes, we were all buzzed and chatting. Tyler and I made nice with the Spain and US tables. MMmmmmMMM (I have the pamphlet they gave us which listed all the wines, but I have yet to take a picture to share with you. I would do it now, but I am typing this in bed and I’m too comfy to move. Maybe another time.)

So fun!

2. Saturday, we ran tons of errands. But who cares about those. When we got home a bunch of hours later, we carved our pumpkins!

Tyler’s came out better than mine. Whatever. I scraped the insides out of both of those suckers, so I’m the real hero.

His:

Mine:

And I roasted the seeds! I had no idea how friggin easy that was. AND TASTY.

4. Our post pumpkin treats were….beer. We indulged in some seasonal brews from one of my faves, Big Rock Brewery. We loved all three!

Autumn Wheat: Spiced Ale. Light in taste. Great with din din.

Loved the Espresso Stout! Only 4.2% alcohol content. It tasted like cold coffee with a hint of beer. There was absolutely no aftertaste. We both thought this would be nasty, but it was an awesome surprise. I could have drank about 6 more of them.

But I moved on..

Winter Spice Ale was 6.0% alcohol content, so I thought it would be massively strong, but it was still quite pleasant. Seriously, there is not a single beer from Big Rock that I don’t like. Good job, guys.

5. Oh, and I actually got dressed on Saturday. Like, makeup and everything. That never happens. Even Tyler gave me a double look because of it.

Not TOO shabby.

6. Yesterday I finished up my two midterms. Not fun, but after about 5 hours of work, I submitted both and the weight was immediately lifted. Now, only 5 weeks to go and I’ll have my Masters!

7. Layla is a lazy bum.

8. Workouts. Love em. Let’s talk about em.

Friday

Saturday

  • OFF

Sunday

  • The 100 workout

Oh wait, you don’t know what that is? Probably because I made it up. I was too busy making pumpkin pancakes, watching football, doing schoolwork, and finishing my book to get to the gym for any cardio yesterday (wasn’t up for cardio anyways), so I do a bunch of strength stuff in my jammies at home.

  • 100 pushups
  • 100 Gliding side lunges
  • 100 stability ball situps
  • 100 lateral raises
  • 100 wall squats
  • 100 leg lifts

Today will be an INTENSE cardio session followed by Workout A from BBB.

8. I bought toilet paper this weekend. I know, I know, it’s a big deal. I used to buy it at Target (in bulk), and it’s cheap. But grocery stores are significantly more expensive. I chose the cheapest one, which oddly enough was 3-ply. The verdict? 3-ply is no better than 2-ply, so don’t waste your pennies. #justsaying.

9. Started this book last night:

(Source)

10. Got the new Pink CD. Played it on Friday night after we got home from the Wine Fest, and of course I had a dance party (with myself. Tyler doesn’t dance, and Layla usually just stands in front of me and stares)

This one is my fave: (you probably won’t see the link if you’re viewing this through Google Reader)

11. Important notes saved on my phone:

 

These are very imporant

  1. Trash can liner size
  2. light bulbs for house
  3. light bulbs for kitchen lights
  4. weight conversion (mostly for meat in the grocery store)
  5. gas prices. I still don’t understand why they price it so crazy looking,

Ok, I have to get to the mall. See ya.

Throwback Thursday (not that kind)

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Happy Throwback Thursday (usually people refer to throwback in the sense that they post old pictures or play old songs. But me, I ‘throw back’ a few brewskis. Umm it’s Thursday, so there’s football. And when there’s football, and a football loving dude that I just so happen to live with…..there’s beer)

Oh funny story: I have been saving all the booze bottles (and milk cartons and kombucha bottles) for the last couple of months and I returned them today for $23! Hells yeah I can buy practically nothing in Canada for that.

1. My Avon order arrived today! Woo hoo

 

(More than $23)

 

 

2. So did my new coat!

 

(Way more than $23)

 

(That’s my crazy i-look-like-crap-silly-face) Gimme a break, I didn’t put makeup on today because I am about to go to the gym, and I wanted ‘naked’ skin when I went to my Avon lady’s house just in case I was going to put a lot of samples on. But I didn’t) Layla doesn’t judge.

3. We also got some dimmer switches that Tyler ordered, but I didn’t open the box because those aren’t as exciting to play with…..until they’re installed.

*Have we noticed that I am useful being stuck at home? I answer the door for all the deliveries!

Yesterday’s HEAT class had a whopping ONE person in attendance. PEOPLE, DON’T SLACK OFF ON GOING TO THE GYM JUST BECAUSE THERE’S SNOW ON THE GROUND. I hate snow and I still trekked through that shi*

I did a 10 minute progression cardio set on the elliptical before heading to the studio for class, where I did:

(The first few rounds were taken directly from one of Athena’s workouts that she posted the other day. I used to hate being in her class when she did count downs only because I seemed to be the only grunter by the time we got down to 4’s. Oh wait, I think I liked it because I was the only grunter. Ahh, potayyy-toes, potahhh-toes.)

Countdowns (10 of each move, then 9, down to one…Athena explains it. Then one minute of the cardio, and about one minute of the core move)

Round 1

  • Bicep Curls/Overhead Presses
  • Jumping Jacks
  • Alternating crunch/toe touch

Round 2

  • Pushups/bent over rows
  • Jump rope
  • Side plank w/hip raise

Round 3

  • Tricep Kickbacks/Upright Rows
  • High Knees
  • Heel Taps

Then, I had to get a bit creative because my one participant was a little limited in her movement due to an injury.

Round 4

  • Donkey Kicks (each leg countdown)
  • Weighted left squat to left side lunge (45 seconds) to right squat and right side lunge (45 seconds)
  • One minute wall sit with a front raise

Round 5

  • Crunches/Supermans
  • Mountain Climbers
  • Leg lifts
  • One minute wall sit with lateral raise

Round 6

  • Weighted reverse lunge with 3-count pulse and 3-count hold (90 seconds each leg)
  • Weighted Squat to overhead press
  • Laying weighted hip abductions with 3-count hold

It doesn’t look like a whole ton of cardio, but since we were doing those countdowns like quickfire, we were both breathing hard and sweating lots.

Today’s workout will consist of 40 minutes steady state cardio, and a few moves that were in my workout from Best Body Bootcamp that I was supposed to do yesterday (but didn’t squeeze them in my class)

Peace out.

TRX class

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Hola, people of the world.

I just thought I’d write a quickie on my TRX class last night. It’s going to be pretty basic, so if you have any questions, feel free to ask!

We did  5 minute warm up (well, I told them it was a warm up..we really did a lot of side lunges while holding the ropes, and some arm stretching)

We did the next 10 moves for 1 minute each with a 45-60 second recovery (3 sets of this before moving to the next exercise):

  1. Hip press
  2. Suspended Lunge (3x on each leg)
  3. Chest press
  4. Single Arm Row (3x each arm)
  5. Atomic pushup
  6. Back row
  7. Ab rollout
  8. Suspended knee tucks
  9. Tricep Extensions
  10. Bicep Curls

Sounds simple with only 10 moves, but you’re doing them for a significant amount of time. And yes, you’ll be shaking by the end of it.

I managed to get to the gym way early before teaching this class, so I squeezed in a 20 minutes spin session. It was a great way to break a sweat before teaching (Even though I still felt pretty crappy)

Oh, and then when my class thought they were done, I had them get down on all four on their mats and do a few sets of the Dirty Dog (I call them fire hydrants- and contrary to the video I linked, I had the class hold the move at the top of their range of motion for a niiiiiiice loooooong tiiiiiiime). Bwahaha. I saw a few waddling out of the studio after that.

Very sore. Very awesome.

I started this book today:

 

(Source)

Already pretty far into that sucker, it’s an easy and fun read.

A few things before I go:

1. I won a Kombucha Home Brewing Kit from Lauren over at Oatmeal after Spinning! Woooo hoooo! Check out her blog, she has lots of cool things going on over there 🙂

2. I got my Bulu Box the other day. Since I have been sick, I really haven’t gotten myself to try any of the goodies, but as soon as I do, I’ll make sure to post! (One of them is Birthday Cake Whey Protein…cannot wait to try that!)

3. Since we’re all sick in this house, I made a run to the store for chicken noodle soup and the fixing for grilled cheese. I think things will start looking up pretty soon.

Talk to ya later!

Hello! I love everybody!

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I am a bad blogger because I haven’t published anything in almost a week. That is not acceptable! But I have some excuses if you’d like to hear them.

  • I am sick
  • It’s midterm week
  • SNOW

I don’t know if they’re legitimate excuses, but I am using them.

Hmmm…so since I have been stuck inside blowing snot out of my face and doing homework, what do I have to talk about???

1. Best Body Bootcamp started yesterday!

If you’ve never heard of this before, I definitely think you should check it out and register for the next round! Anyways, it’s an 8 week program for only $25. Cannot beat that. Tina sends you 4 phases of workouts (each are 2 weeks) that incorporate strength and cardio.

“But Jen, you’re a fitness instructor and personal trainer, why are you TAKING a class?”

“Because, my little internet friends, it is awesome to have someone plan a fitness regime for you. And it refreshes my workouts, and gives me inspiration to incorporate the different exercises and concepts to the classes I teach. Again, cannot beat that!”

Yesterday’s workout was 20 minutes of cardio intervals that alternated between 60 second and 30 second recovery periods. I did the strength portion at home because I had all the equipment. Then when I finally decided to chip the large ice cube that had formed around my car, I got to the gym for the cardio- which I probably shouldn’t have done while sick. I was doing my 8-8.5mph sprints in such a fog, that I don’t remember thinking of anything but bed.

I’m sore today, so it was worth it.

Today’s workout will have to be modified since I am teaching TRX. I’ll probably skip the strength portion for another day but still get the cardio done (assuming I can breathe, I heard that’s important).

2. Midterms this week. This is all I have to say about that:

 

3. There is a lot of snow outside.

 

And I lost my winter coat this weekend. It is my belief that all coat-checkers be certified (you know how elevators have inspection stickers, and restaurants have certifications, and hair stylists have their permits? Yeah, coat-checkers should have the same) I handed mine to an imposter and BAM my $220 coat was gone. So sad.

Because I am super cheap, I spent most of the day yesterday online trying to find a WARM coat for a good deal. After much hoopla, the best thing was to have my parents get one for me in NY and mail it here. Therefore, I can’t go outside until the FedEx guy shows up Thursday. (Ok, I do have a wool coat and a puffy parka, but the wool coat is fancy schmancy and the parka is for poopy dog walks only)

4. My bestie, Kysha, sent me an invite to Zulily since they had some coats on sale there. (THANKS!!!) I got sidetracked and looked through Zulily (it even allowed me to ‘shop internationally’, so Canadians out there, you can shop on Zulily, too!) and there are so many awesome deals. Click here to check it out, sign up, and SHOP SHOP SHOP till ya DROP DROP DROP! (or if you lose a coat, like I did)

5. I roasted my first acorn squash last night and it came out perfectly. I suck at using sharp objects in the kitchen, so I took a butcher knife and a hammer to that sucker and got the job done. I sprinkled each half with melted butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup and baked at 400 degrees for just over an hour.

I also tried my hand at Turkey Quinoa Meatloaf. It was alright, but not good enough for me to post the recipe. We also had asparagus. Um, there is a reason I don’t buy asparagus here.

  • it’s THICK (twss)
  • You end up breaking off almost half the stalk, so it’s wasteful
  • it’s MUCHO DINERO

6. My latest Pinterest obsession has been wedding flowers. I need to make a decision so I can figure out what some of the other decorations I might want. This one caught my eye for color purposes only

 

That’s the extent of my wedding posting for now.

7. If the stupid Lions didn’t F up the game last night, I would have won this week’s football poll. I can’t even be mad at Jay Cutler for that one.

I’ll leave you with yet another picture of my four-legged companion:

To the dog park

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Yesterday I woke up all ready to attack the day with my laziness. Followed by teaching HEAT class. But then I made lunch.

 

It was a good sandwich that I just randomly came up with. Some multi grain bread from the local bakery, sliced cucumber, sauteed red peppers, cream cheese, and a slice of cheddar. I slapped that on the panini press and lunch was served.

Immediately following, my stomach started hurting. It hurt so bad that I called for a replacement to teach my class last night…and I got in bed. I thought perhaps it was the cheese or the bread that did me in, but we’ll never know.

I tried to survive through dinner that Tyler brought home, but I think that made it even worse.

 

We took Layla for a walk afterwards, and then I knew I was a sicky-sick little lady (HA! Little?).

I woke up this AM with a sore throat, some post nasal drop and a headache that made me fall over when I got up to pee. (YOU’RE WELCOME).

And yet, I still managed to take my four-legged child to the park. Hells no I was not going to walk her, I am dead people! I took her to the fenced in dog park, slapped my chair in the corner, and watched her do her thing. Unfortunately for me, she knew the park was right next to the river, so she whined and jumped on my until I hooked her up and brought her for a swim.

 

So there I was, in my pajamas, coughing and moaning, while my idiot of a dog jumped into the frozen (ice not visible to the naked eye) water. Then she freaked when she heard all the broken ice clanking around her. I laughed. Then coughed. Then laughed and coughed at the same time.

 

 

 

You see, since I have been a miserable beast of a mess all day, I have no energy to do things to write about. Nor am I my witty, hilarious self. And don’t even get me started on how difficult it has been to attempt homework today. I think I might lay in the tub (with water in it, of course) and take a nap. And by nap, I really mean sit in there reading my book until I pass out, and then wake up with a crook in my neck.

I might also get real stupid-ass stubborn and head to the gym for a cardio interval session on the treadmill. I’m kind of craving it right now.

Oh, and I am making pulled pork.

And coleslaw.

And since football is on tonight, I might have an adult beverage. Doubt that’ll help with the sickness, but it’s Thursday, dang it! )That means absolutely nothing to me since I have been happily unemployed for 8.5 months now. Wow, time flies when you live in a foreign country with a dog, a dude and no money!

I gotta get better by Saturday! A friend and I are making out own impromptu pub crawl downtown! I can’t wait. Are you in Calgary and want to join? Let me know!

Also, I am accepting applications for a new best friend in the Calgary area. Must like working out, drinking, and laughing. (Kysha and Katie, you’re still my besties, but I need a gal that doesn’t have to use a passport to see me!) Why am I interviewing for a new friend? Because I need someone to have fun with! Someone that doesn’t always have to do ‘couples’ things, or has a bed time, or is a grump. Someone who isn’t Tyler. I love him and all, but I need me some quality fun-girl time.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some moping to do.