Thirsty Thursday

Today's Thirsty Thursday cocktail is...

The Envy

 

 

 

How it's made:

 

1 1/2oz silver tequila

1/2oz blue curacao

pineapple juice

ice

 

 

Cheers!!!

Fitness "tips"

So... this is my third attempt at writing this post.  I think health and fitness is a very important topic and I'm not sure why I have been struggling with writing this post. 

For those that don't know me, I have a Bachelor's degree in Athletic Training and a Master's degree in Physical Education. 

I have spent my life since age 3 involved in some form of athletics whether it was participation as a child (ballet, soccer, t-ball) or in high school  (lacrosse and kick-boxing) or as an athletic trainer since 8th grade working with my high school football and basketball teams.  In college I played intramural lacrosse and flag football and as a working adult I have played on softball, soccer, and kickball leagues. 

I worked as an athletic trainer for years in high school, college, and post-college and when I decided to change careers, I became a health/PE teacher. 

I guess what I am trying to say is.  I know what I need to do to be healthy.  I have been highly educated.  It's a matter of actually doing it.

I wanted to link up again with Kelly's Korner because I think this is another great topic to read about what others are doing to either get motivated/ get creative/ or stay active.

Last September I really started myself on an intense weight loss challenge (I weighed 156 and my goal was 140).  I started using My Fitness Pal App:

 

 

I leaned about from my husband who had used it to help him lose 15 pounds.  I have to say, after all the education, all the years of activity, and all the experience.  This app helped me more than any of those things.  I programmed in all the food I ate every day.  It was super annoying the first week and then it became habit about 9 days in.

 

I also started using Endomondo to help track my running.  It is another great app that I use almost everyday.  (I think it's like the Nike Plus App, but I have never used that one)  This app tracks not only how long I have been running, but the distance, my average speed, how many calories I burned, and can track my route.  You can also used Endomondo for other sports.

 

 

*I have an android, but I think these are available on windows and I-phones*

 

 

 

Since Thanksgiving I had reached my goal and I have lost another 7-8 pounds on top of that.  I weigh around 132-133 and have gone from a size 12 to a size 6.

 

I still use My Fitness Pal everyday and I still use Endomondo anytime I run outside.  These things worked for me and they may work for you.  If not, try something else.  But remember, you have to want to be fit for you.  That is the only way you will lose weight and keep it off.

Thirsty Thursday

On Thursday we grilled hamburgers, baked French Fries, and had some vodka lemonade with our dinner.  The weather was beautiful and Ben and I enjoyed a nice evening outside on the deck.

Vodka lemonade (great for summer!)

 

To make:

Add ice

1 shot vodka

Lemonade to the top

 

Cheers!!!

Our kitchen got a much-needed face lift!

We closed on our house on February 28, 2011.  We moved into our house March 18, 2011. 

From the day we walked in the door on a rainy, cold January morning with our real estate agent I have wanted to own our home and to do one thing to it.  Put. granite. in. the. kitchen.

My friends, that day is today!!!!

Now you may ask yourself, Abby- why did you wait so long to put granite in?

The answer is not long or complicated (ha!). 

Two months after moving in I got pregnant with Elizabeth.  So...we had to spend our "granite money" on turning our "3rd bedroom loft" into a real bedroom.  We added a wall, a door, and paint.

When I was seven months pregnant our basement flooded.  Our basement needed new carpet, new paint, and a complicated sealing process on the outside. 

After Elizabeth was born we bought baby stuff.  And more baby stuff.  And you know, more baby stuff.

So now. Finally.   We have our granite!

Some "before" pictures:

Question: Don't you just love that laminate?

Answer: Heck no!

 



Taking the old laminate off.

Putting the new granite on!

We also got a new sink and a new faucet.

Yay for new granite (and sink)!  Now we are going to paint as well.  Anyone have any paint color recommendations?

Spring time in DC

Today we took our eighth graders to the National Mall for a day of service field trip.  I snagged some fabulous photos during our day on my cell phone.

The Cherry Blossoms have finally come out and they are gorgeous!!!

The drive around the Tidal Basin

Look at the beautiful Cherry Blossoms!

So fabulous!

Up close. 

The Washington Monument

(still having work done from the earthquake 2 years ago)

LOVE this photo

The MLK Memorial

 

The FDR Memorial

FDR

The FDR Memorial has 4 "rooms" that open into each other and they all have water like this.

Each room is beautiful and holds statues and art work that represent

 historical points during FDR's Presidency.

 

 

It was super hot (about 90 degrees) but today was a great, relaxing morning with my students enjoyed the Cherry Blossoms and two wonderful monuments.  I had not been to either monument so I learned a lot from the park rangers while we were on our tours.

 



I was me, before we were we

Today on Kelly's Korner she and four other bloggers are getting together and talking about Remembering You (taking care of yourself and keeping your identity).

As a new mom and a young wife it is easy to lose yourself in the new "we-ness".

When I first got married it became an instant "we".  We are having people over for dinner, we are playing softball, we are going kayaking.  Want to join us?

As a new mom, it became an instant "Elizabeth".  Elizabeth sleeps through the night, Elizabeth can roll over, Elizabeth is crawling!

And my new favorite; our family would like to invite your family over for dinner, our family is going on vacation, our family is thinking about going to the zoo.

BUT... before I was a "we" or had an Elizabeth and became "our family" I was a me.

So.  How do I stay me while enjoying the we?  One word: Effort.

I put in the effort to still be me and enjoy things that I enjoyed before becoming a wife and a mom.  It's not always easy and doesn't always happen as often as I would like.

It's not big things.  It's the small things that keep me me.

I LOVE getting my hair braided. 

I LOVE getting pedicures. 

I LOVE some Chick-Fil-A

But in all seriousness...

It is a struggle.  

Especially after Elizabeth was born.  I started working out a few months after she was born and I was struggling with not spending time with her because I was going to the gym.  Our routine was I would pick her up after work and we would go to the gym.  She would play in the gym daycare while I worked out for an hour.  After a few weeks I was telling my co-workers that I was feeling guilty about not spending that time with Elizabeth.  Then my coworker, Sonia, offered a wonderfully refreshing perspective.  She told me to look at it from the perspective of the example I was setting for Elizabeth.  That I was taking care of myself.  That I value good health and that that was a wonderful example to set for a child.

After that discussion I felt a lot less guilty (not totally guilt free, but it helped).

Some other things I try to do:

I try to do a girl's night once a month.  

I try to schedule a date night once a month.  

I try to work-out four days a week.

I try to entertain at home, so I am still social, but on Elizabeth's schedule

I also walk with my neighbors when it's warm and we push our kids in their strollers.  Now we walk about 1mph but it's an outlet.  A wonderfully, simple outlet that allows me to spend time with Elizabeth, be social, and vent (if I need to).

I have also started some new interests/hobbies since becoming a wife and a mom.  I have started blogging, running, and cooking.  All of these things are new outlets for my creativity and incorporate the new me.  It's okay not to be the same me I was before being a wife or a mom.  In fact I 100% believe that being a wife and mom make me a better me.

It's important not to lose your identity, but it's equally important to recognize that your identity will change.  So, I'm still me, but not the me I was 5 years ago.  And that, is great with me.

Show Us Your Life - Kids Books

This week on Kelly's Korner show us your life (SUYL) Friday is about Kids Books.

 

Elizabeth used to enjoy being read to and now she enjoys "reading" on her own.

 

She has two favorite books right now.

 

 

Night-Night, Little Pookie is one of Elizabeth's favorite books.

She loves finding everything in the photos that the book is describing.

 

 

Clifford the Big Red Dog is her other favorite book.

 

Elizabeth doesn't see many dogs. 

Her babysitter (Laura)  has a cat, our neighbors have 3 cats, and her Nana and Pap Pap have 2 cats...

(So anytime she sees a dog she gets excited)

 

AND...

 

My favorite book series when I was growing up was the Angelina Ballerina book series.

I loved everything ballet growing up.

I started dancing when I was 3 and continued until I was 11 or 12.

 

I can't wait to introduce Elizabeth to these books in a couple of years.