I Work Out

Over the last year I've been an elliptical junkie but I don't want to burn myself out.  I have started to add in the treadmill and I seriously need to venture over to those machines to work on muscle building.  I want to work out at home more too so I ordered some new exercise videos to add to my collection and mix things up a little.  I love ballet and my goals are to increase my flexibility and tone so I got a bunch of ballet inspired and yoga workouts.  I actually already had Time Saver Cardio and Balletone in VHS which was almost like not having them at all.  Who has the patience for VHS tapes?  Or a VCR for that matter!  Time Saver Cardio is so old school that it was only .50 cents and the shipping cost was more then the actual DVD!  Over this month I've got a package of classes I need to use up so I might not get to these right away but I'm looking forward to trying them out.  A good source for exercise videos is Collage Video.  They have tons to choose from.  There are lots reviews, sample clips and a detailed breakdown of every workout.  I ended up buying these on Amazon.com though because some were cheaper there.  

Kathy Smith Time Saver Cardio

Balletone:  The Dancers Work Out for Everybody
Xtend Barre: Lean & Chiseled with Andrea Rogers
Tracey Mallett-The Booty Barre-Total New Body

Element: Ballet Conditioning with Elise Gulan  

Jillian Michaels: Yoga Meltdown

Power Yoga - Total Body Workout with Rodney Yee
Elle Make Better Series:  Elle Workout Yoga with Brooklyn Decker (not pictured)

I've been watching TV during my elliptical work outs for a while now.  It's been a lifesaver keeping me entertained especially during the hour long sessions which sometimes feel like forever.  I'm usually lucky enough to get a machine with a TV attached but last night I didn't so thank goodness I updated my i Tunes.  My music was so stale.  It wasn't motivating me and I didn't even want to listen to it anymore.  I created one play list using the new ones and mixed in some songs that I already had.  Now my workout mix has 93 songs and they are all in one place so I can frantically navigate to that one song I need to get me through those last 5 minutes when I feel like I'm gonna die.  If anyone needs any ideas here they are.  Some of them might not be the newest....but again it's been a long time since I bought anything.

Give Me Everything (Tonight), Pitbull Ft. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer

Stereo Hearts (feat. Adam Levine), Gym Class Heroes

Without You (feat. Usher), David Guetta & Usher

We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris) [Calvin Harris Extended Mix], Rihanna

The Edge of Glory, Lady GaGa

Firework, Katy Perry
California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg), Katy Perry
Dynamite, Taio Cruz

Raise Your Glass, P!nk

Stereo Love, Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina

Fly, Nicki Minaj & Rihanna 

Here is my exercise summary for the last two weeks.  No, I don't count my house cleaning as a workout but if I'm going to spend 2 hours slaving away you can bet I'm giving myself credit for calories burned.  Last year I started out slow committing to just 2 days a week for a minimum of 30 minutes after not working out for over a year.  I figured doing something is better then doing nothing at all.  I didn't want to push it and it worked.  I've stuck with it and now exercise actually feels like part of my life again like it used to.  Having the time and energy to exercise during Christmas Break reminded me of how much I actually enjoy it.  It's hard fitting it in but once I just accepted the fact that going to the gym on a weekday often means barely having time to come home and eat and fall exhausted into bed it was all good.  Last year working out was a NYE resolution and this year it's a lifestyle.

Mj lost 3.5 pounds after the first week of his Beach Body Challenge.  He's following his meal plan and work out plan and is off to a great start.

Do you have any new workout plans or fitness goals for the new year? 

Monday Dec 26- Sunday Jan 1:  
Worked out every day except Tuesday and Friday

Exercise Summary		Calories
Yoga	45 Min	110
Elliptical 280	30 Min	280
Yoga	1 Hour	220
Situps	5 Min	11
Elliptical	1 Hour	520
Stretching	10 Min	40
House Cleaning	2 Hours	214
Elliptical	30 Min	290
P90X2 Stretch & Recovery	55 Min	195
Elliptical	1 Hour	550
Total	2431

Monday Jan 2- Sunday Jan 8:
Worked out every day except Monday and Sunday

Exercise Summary		Calories
Pilates	50 Min	130
Situps	10 Min	44
Mix Technique Class: Yoga, Pilates, Ballet, Cardio	1 Hour	330
Walking	30 Min	175
Elliptical	30 Min	250
Elliptical	30 Min	260
P90X2 Yoga	1 Hour 5 Min	190
Yoga	1 Hour	220
Total	1599

Shopping Around

Celebrity Pink Skinny Jeans at Macy's

I hate  it when I want something specific.  I'm very impatient once I've made up my mind that I want [insert anything new here] and inevitably I can never find it.   Once it's in my head I am basically tormented by it so I pretty much don't give up until I find it.  I'm on a mission.  This time I wanted Beige skinny jeans, I didn't want to pay a lot for them and I wanted 'em now.  I walked into store after store at the mall until I finally found these Celebrity Pink Jeans at Macy's.   The color is darker then I originally wanted but I was desperate.  Just one problem.  That darn mannequin girl was wearing the only pair in my size.  She's not going anywhere; surely she can wear something else so I ask the sales lady if she can get the mannequin to take off those pants.   She had to call someone else for help because miss mannequin wasn't giving them up easily and the pant removal actually required tools.  I felt like a whiny high maintenance customer asking but I really wanted them.   I distinctly remember colored denim being in a loooong time ago when I was in high school.  They were mom jeans compared to the low slung version of today but I had white, black, beige, hunter green and plum.  They disappeared for a while but like everything else in fashion their baaaaack. 

The next day I stopped at Ross looking for some new work out clothes.  I haven't bought new ones in about 10 years.  I've basically been working out in rags (not really).  Since this whole 'working out again' thing seems to be sticking it was time to update my gear.  I found some cute tops and bottoms then poked around in the Juniors section and what else do I find?  Celebrity Pink Skinny jeans for $18.99.  Not only was the price $11 cheaper then at Macy's but the color was the lighter Tan I originally wanted.  Little Miss mannequin at Macy's can have her jeans back.  Sometimes I overlook Ross because it can be very disorganized and a pain in the butt to shop but this time they had exactly what I wanted.  

I love it he doesn't.  What now?

I poked around in housewares and found a black rimmed full length wall mirror ($14.99) and the black storage ottoman that has been haunting me for about a year.  I am so excited!  Most of the ones I've been finding are about $250 and this one is only $99.  I have tons of pajamas and instead of storing them awkwardly under the bed in a bin that doesn't quite fit I can put them in here where I can get to them easily AND we can sit on it.  Later that night Mj says, "Will you be upset if I don't like it?"  Uh, heck yes I'll be upset.  I've been looking for this thing for over a year!!  To top it off he says he isn't even sure why he doesn't like it; which clearly isn't a good enough explanation for me.  I tell him he better "splain himself" and he says he thinks it's too big.  Sigh.  I think it fits in nicely in our bedroom.  I'm hoping it will grow on him because I love it, I need it and like everything else I wanted it yesterday and don't want to keep shopping around for it.

What I did on My Christmas Staycation

Driving with the sun roof open

I had no grand ideas about what I wanted to accomplish on my Christmas Break aside from relaxing. Thirteen days is a nice long time to be home and off work.  It can easily be ruined with over scheduling so I wasn't about to do that.  I spent time with my family a couple days before and on Christmas and then after that I did whatever I felt like doing.  During the hectic work week I forget that I even have a sun roof but when the sun is shining and I'm in a happy go lucky mood the sun roof is open, the radio is loud and the wind is in my hair.  That basically sums up my Christmas Break.

Ready for Yoga.  My mom got me this top for Christmas.

I felt so much more energetic without work sucking me dry every day. I stayed up later and slept in later but when I woke up I was ready to go.  I finally had time to visit my friend and see her new baby girl.  I got to to go my hair appointment on a Wednesday afternoon instead of dragging myself in after work and practically falling asleep under the dryer.  The gym is something I really looked forward to and was not just an obligation to try to squeeze in before or after work. I went almost every day.   The class times usually don't work for me but I made it to three yoga classes.  I loved starting my days this way.  It reminded me that I actually do enjoy exercising.   It felt so good to have the time and the energy to enjoy it and not just endure it. 

I usually get 3 flavors.  This one is Cafe Late, Cake Batter and Peanut Butter.  YUM.

On the couch in my comfy blue robe

 I spent plenty of time in my robe on the couch watching my shows.  My DVR is all but cleared out.  I watched Toddlers & Tiaras while eating my Golden Spoon Yogurt;  my favorite.  It's not my first time eating that Yogurt or watching that show but doing so on a Thursday afternoon after a great morning work out and knowing that I could do the same exact thing the next day if I wanted to made it better then ever. When Mj came home from work I energetically greeted him at the door.  We got in some nice cuddle time on the couch together watching TV and movies before bed.   Instead of being dead tired by 9pm like usual I was still wide awake.   He actually went to bed before me most nights instead of the other way around. 

Mj eating lunch

I got a veggie and Chicken Bowl and he got a Jalapeno and Quinoa wrap

I got to meet my handsome husband for his lunch break. We went to Crazy Bowls & Wraps. It was a cool sunny day so we ate outside. He had to go back to work but I got to go shopping.

Christmas Presents!!  My new leather jacket and top

I saw a brown leather jacket from H & M that I liked in my Marie Claire magazine. I figured the chances of it actually being there after Christmas was slim to none but since I didn't like the one I got for Christmas I decided to give it a shot. I walked in and there it was waiting for me. It wasn't the one in the magazine but I actually liked this one even better. It was in my size and it was 50% off of $199. The other jacket I got was more expensive. I saved hubby so much money on the deal that I knew he wouldn't mind throwing in an extra top.  "Mj, wanna see the leather jacket you bought me?"

SDSU vs Redlands

We went to a College Basketball game.  My first.  Mj and his friends have season tickets and usually go with each other but this time I got to be his date and we took the trolley. 

I didn't sit around on my couch the WHOLE time.  I got our washer/dryer maintenance done.   I cleaned house and did laundry.   We spent what felt like hours grocery shopping.  But even household chores and errands are better when you are on a staycation.  I didn't have to worry about when I'd have time to do them and I wasn't annoyed that it took up hours of my precious weekend time.  Life is so much sweeter when you have the time and energy to actually live it.  Some days it was just the gym and some errands.  Other days I actually had plans. But on all days my time was 100% my own. I did what I wanted, when I wanted and I enjoyed every wonderful day.

Good thing I don't hate my job because going back is inevitable and I'll be there tomorrow bright and early.   Time to get back to the daily grind but I've had an amazing break and it's great to go into the New Year feeling refreshed and relaxed.

Low Key New Year's Eve

If I told you that for New Year's Eve I ate fast food and donuts and drank champagne straight from the bottle you might think; how sad.  It actually is kind of a borderline pathetic New Year's Eve but we're OK with that.  I made dinner reservations one day but then decided to cancel them the next.  I checked Yelp and the only good review it got were for those who went to happy hour.  Everyone else said the place was overpriced, had really bad service and the food was just OK.  Guess I should have read the reviews before 5:00 pm on New Year's Eve.  It was too late to get reservations anywhere else and I wasn't really feeling Applebee's or On The Border.

I haven't had Taco Bell in a long time so we made a fast food run.  I love their soft tacos.  I had a craving for a Cinnamon roll so that was desert.  Healthy I know, but I'll work it off in the New Year.  In fact, it's one of my resolutions.  Can you believe McD's had the nerve to be closed at 8:30 pm?  Mj was one some kind of feeding frenzy before he starts his diet and exercise regime and wanted it for a 2nd time that day!  He had to settle for his left over KFC.  It was just the two of us so I said why bother with a glass?   Let's live on the edge and drink straight from the bottle.  So maybe I'm at home in my pj's watching a NYE countdown show but that's what makes it so edgy.  Right?  That's what I told myself anyways and Mj just thought I was crazy.

We spent a quiet low key night watching Friends With Benefits and then Dick Clark's New Year's Eve countdown with Ryan Seacrest cuddled up in the corner of our sectional.  If I had done this alone or with anyone else I probably would have considered it a pretty crappy New Year's Eve but since I was with Mj it was just fine with me.  We have fun together no matter what we do or where we go.  I wasn't out freezing somewhere in the middle of a crowd or spending too much money and I still got my midnight kiss.  I do resolve that next year we will definitely do something for NYE.  Anything at all would be a step up!

Happy New Year everyone!

Christmas Time

New Uggs!!

P90X2

I'm never sick!  So imagine my surprise when I contract some kind of stomach bug just in time for Christmas.  It started on Christmas Eve.  I ignored it of course because I never get sick.  I figured it would be gone when I woke up in the morning.  No such luck.  I refused to let it spoil the holiday and still enjoyed Christmas with my family.  Mj and I exchanged gifts here at home before we left.  He totally surprised me with Uggs.  He doesn't find them that cute but he knows I do.  I also got a brown leather jacket that I picked out.  I didn't like it as much as I did online so it will be going back and I'll have to find another one for him to get me.  I got him jammie pants, P90X2, Shakeology and a blender to go with it.  He asked for the gift of exercise and I gave it to him. 

Sisters

A present for the baby

We all met up at mom and dad's house where we spent the entire day.  My mom cooked and Mj made his homemade bread and some gravy.  I basically choked down a delicious dinner in between being wracked by stomach pains.  The one plus side to the stomach bug was that half the time the thought of food was unappetizing so I didn't even want to pig out.  Which is unusual for me this time of year.  My mom and little  sister spent all of Christmas Eve baking so there were plenty of cookies to choose from for dessert...and Ice Cream...and Apple Pie.  I could only stomach one cookie and a bit of ice cream.  After dessert we did our family gift exchange.  My dad had me and got me some cute bright fashion scarfs and some trouser socks that were on my list.  Mom got us all a few things because she can't help herself.  It was a very Merry Christmas.

Mom and sis handing out gifts

Mj and I

Big sis and her family

The whole family together

The day after Christmas I went to the gym.  I have no idea how I made it through that hour long work out because the rest of the day was spent fighting that stomach pain which came almost like clockwork every 10-20 minutes.  It really makes you appreciate your health when you feel like total crap.  Tuesday Mj took an extra day off because I asked him to in my sad sick voice.  I was feeling well enough to visit my friend Eb and it was nice to finally have time to see her and her new baby girl.   Today I had a great pain free work out at the gym and then got my hair did.  It was a beautiful sunny 77 degrees today but do you think that stopped me from wearing my new Uggs?  Nope.  I wore a tank top to balance them out.  I'm still really enjoying my time off from work and basically don't ever want it to end.

Sister Time

Little sis

Big sis Dani and my nephew

Dani picked out this robe and Tia gave it to her for X mas.

 I had a great time with my sisters.  Last Tuesday I picked up Tia from the airport and she spent the night at my house.  On Wednesday we spent the day with our older sister up where she lives.  We went out to Mimi's Cafe for lunch first.  I had a delicious Cobb salad which was a welcome break from all of the pure junk I've been eating.  Then it was time for the mall.  We all finished up our Christmas shopping then went back to the house and hung out.  Later that night we went to a late showing of Breaking Dawn Part 1.  I'm not sure who's idea it was to wear our pajamas but a 10:25 pm showing is pretty late so it seemed like a perfectly reasonable idea.  The movie was so good that I got my 2nd 3rd wind and perked up enough to enjoy it.  Can't wait for part 2.  As soon as we got home we went straight to bed. 

Dressed for the movies...sort of

The Theater was deserted.  Glad we didn't bother getting dressed!

waiting for the movie to start

I'm the middle child

The next morning we woke up and went to mom and dad's house.  We hung out there and mom made hamburgers for dinner.  I'm so glad that I was off of work and got to enjoy this time with them.  I really love spending time with my sisters.  Too bad it doesn't happen often enough but I certainly cherish it when it does.