5 Minute Office Exercise Routine

For those of us who work full-time sitting at a desk, avoiding "office butt" can be rather difficult. In order to prevent our backsides and mid-sections from getting fluffy, we have to keep active during the work day. I have created a short 5 minute exercise routine that can be done all throughout the day when you have a few minutes to spare. I try to do this routine once per hour but at the very least, I do it when my coworker goes out for his smoke breaks. He's taking years off and I'm putting them on!

20 chair crunches











20 squats










                             20 side lunges (10 per side)














                             20 side leg lifts per side













                              20 reverse leg lifts per side












                           40 side bends (20 on each
                           side) without weights

My Exercise Routine at the Gym

As I have said in previous posts, I am NOT a fan of spending endless hours in the gym. First because I just simply do not have that kind of time and second because I do not believe it is necessary. If you have a consistency and make your workouts count and eat a whole food, organic diet you should be fine spending an hour a day on exercise. I know a lot of people focus on one part of the body each day; I do not do this. I like getting a complete workout everyday so I'm not crippled the next day. Slow and steady is how you are going to obtain goals and be able to maintain the results without getting burned out and reverting back to couch potato status.

So, here is what I do on the regular:

Begin with 20-30 minutes walking on the treadmill at a 3.5 speed and 6 incline. You should be able to walk just over a mile in this time. Honestly, it is really all you need. I used to be a runner but running puts so much stress on your joints and I have neck and back injuries from an accident. Walking is a great way to warm up and burn fat. *I also suggest just walking to the gym if your gym is close enough and weather permits.

Next I work my arms by first using 7.5 lb dumbbells. I do 20 curls on each side. 20 arm presses using both arms at once. 20 bent over rows on each side. 20 extensions using both arms (I use 15-20 lb dumbbell for this one). That is it. Remember, we're ladies, we don't want guns, just toned arms.

Then I grab a 20-30 lb barbell and do 20 deadlifts. 20 overhead presses with a deadlift. 20 barbell squats. Put the barbell away and grab 5-10 dumbbells. Do 40 walking lunges.

After that head over the machine area and hop on the outer thigh machine. Do 3 sets of 20 at a weight that is heavy but you don't have to strain. I do 70 lbs. Switch to the inner thigh machine and do the same.

Then grab a mat and a balance ball. Do 20 regular sit-ups, 20 right-side sit ups, 20 left side sit ups, and 20 lower ab lifts. Stretch your back! Continue with 20 side flexion on each side. Stretch your sides! 20 regular leg lifts and 20 small leg lifts (only lift and lower halfway, foot should not touch the floor) on each side. 20 butt lifts. 20 inner thigh squeezes. Put the ball back.

Lay flat on your back with legs and arms extended on the mat. Raise right knee to chest and swivel ankle. Rotate right knee to left side, extend right arm out and turn head to the right. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat with left leg. Sit up and put your legs in a butterfly position. Move knees up and down. Extend legs outward in a straddle. Extend right arm over head toward left foot. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat on left side. Place legs straight out in front of you and extend arms toward feet. Hold for 10 seconds.

And that's all folks. Not too bad and you aren't going to die getting out of bed in the morning but you will see great results if you stick with it and eat right. Good luck!!!

 

Prepping to Tie the Knot...25 Days to Go!

Well, I haven't updated as much as I was hoping to but I do have some good news! I am making some really good progress...finally.

A few changes occurred since my last post. 1.) My fiancé has moved to a more local driving job in which he is home most nights and on the weekends!!! Yay! 2.) We joined a gym.

With that being said, lets discuss what these changes mean.

Having my fiancé home more often means all the burden of the house and child care do not fall on me. I have more freedom and time to focus on my own health and well-being. I have more time and incentive to prepare well-balanced and complete meals.

Joining the gym has given me accountability. I now make it a point to go at least 5 days a week so I'm not wasting my money. I hate wasting money! We decided to go with MUV Fitness. Mostly because it is located about 1/4 of a mile from my house but also because they offer new equipment, pool, sauna, a variety of classes, and I get to meet up with a trainer once a month (for free) to see my progress and go over what I could do better. They also offer more access to trainers for a fee if you're needing that. Oh, did I mention they have a child care center for my little one? This is huge because my fiancé isn't always home when I want to go to the gym or he wants to go at the same time as me.

I am not a workout for hours on end kinda gal. I like quick consistent workouts. I'm not an arms one day and legs another kinda gal either. I do a full body workout and cardio everyday. I'll post by the end of the week about my routine. I also have a quick 5 minute workout I do every hour at my desk at work. I will also do a follow up post on that too.

Going back to meals. I have started meal prepping for my lunches instead of heading to Subway and spending at least $6 everyday on lunch. I am able to choose the best ingredients for my meals as well. I am keeping it really simple right now to boost the weight loss. I pre-made a weeks worth of food for the morning and at work.

 

Breakfast: pre-boil hard-boiled eggs and place them in a sealed Ziploc bag. Eat one each morning with a handful of raspberries.

 

A.M. Snack: Banana.

 

Lunch: Baked Chicken with seasonings of my choice and steamed sweet potatoes Mon & Wed

Baked Tilapia and broccoli on Tues & Thurs

 

P.M. Snack: Side Salad

 

 I just make these up on Sunday and freeze for the week. Friday I'll go to Subway because I just love them! I am also ensuring I am drinking lots of water throughout the day and I am not having my Pepsi with lunch anymore. If I need a little caffeine, I make a cup of tea.

 

At night I am back to actually preparing an actual dinner. I use whole and mostly organic foods. I switch it up a lot but for example, last night I made Sausage & Spinach Stuffed Shells, tonight I'm making Ham & Bean Soup.

Sunday Funday

I am a 35 year old woman which means there is a certain maintenance required to remain fresh and beautiful. No more are the days of sleeping in my makeup or not having to pluck a random hair from a place that women are "not supposed" to have hair. Sigh...

 

I am a busy lady so generally during the week I just make sure to keep my face clean at night and shave as needed. My only time I have to do the true maintenance is on the weekend. I have chose Sunday as my beauty day.

 

I actually begin this on Saturday night just before bed by lathering my hair in my Joico K-Pak Deep Penetrating Reconstructor and Pure Brazilian Deep Conditioning Masque. I just mix them both together and lather all over focusing on the ends. Then I through my hair in high bun and go to bed.

 

When I am done with my morning coffee and am ready to function on Sunday I grab my nail polish remover and take off all my polish and then I hop in the shower. I start by rinsing all the conditioner out of my hair and shampoo as usual. Then I put in my regular conditioner and let it sit in my hair until I'm done with the rest of the following shower routine. 

1. Scrub entire body with any good sugar scrub focusing on knees and elbows.
2. Use any callus remover (foot scrubber) to get feet nice and soft.
3. Shave. It is critical that you shave AFTER using the sugar scrub as shaving opens the skin and the scrub will create little cuts all over if you shave before. I do a complete shave so I'm smooth all over. I personally use a men's razor. I just feel they are better.
4. Wash body with whatever body wash you prefer.
5. Completely scrub face with Dr. Brandt PoreDermabrasion focusing on the forehead, chin, and edges of the nose. Place small amount on fingertips and apply using small circular motions. Leave on for about 2 minutes and rinse.
6. Clean face with Acne Free Advanced Deep Cleansing Duo.
7. Rinse hair and get out of the shower.
8. Place a small amount of Astringent on a cotton ball and rub over face to make sure those pores are really clean.
9. Use any brand facial moisturizer you prefer (I use the Equate version of Oil of Olay). Make sure you rub the lotion into your neck, chest, hands, and elbows as well. Just a little beauty tip I learned a long time ago. This helps those areas not only keep hydrated but prevents wrinkling if you moisturizer offers that protection.
10. Completely moisturize your entire body with your choice of body lotion. I use Jergens Ultra Healing.
11. Clip nails and file. I use a Nail File Drill with all kinds of fun attachments.
12. Paint nails. My favorite brand is Sinful Colors.

Prepping to Tie the Knot...the beginning

 

Well, here I am 81 days until I say I do in Fabulous Las Vegas and I need to lose a good ten to fifteen pounds for me to feel my best in the dress I have chosen. I decided that since we are doing Vegas, I have to have a very sexy and glamorous dress. I also plan to be at any one of the many pool parties each day I am there, we plan to be out on the town every night so I'll need to dress up for that, and it will be hot in May so I want to be able to wear cute dresses and shorts while we're doing the tourist thing. I also want to do a boudoir photo shoot for my fiancé to give him the morning of the wedding.  I'm overwhelmed already!
 

 

 

By the time the wedding comes around, our daughter will have just turned two so I really have no excuse as why I have not already lost these last pounds. The only excuse I have is simply that I have not put forth the effort to exercise. That is it. I am truly disappointed in myself for this. I was a size 0/2 and 103 pounds before conceiving my beautiful little surprise. I am currently a size 4/6 and  127 pounds. Now, I understand to most people this is hardly cause for concern. I understand that I am not overweight. However, I am carrying excess fat around my stomach and hips and butt. I am not used to this. I do not like it. I want it gone. I long for the days of a toned tummy and butt. The days when I could literally close my eyes and pick what to wear and look amazing in whatever I threw on. I miss feeling healthy. I miss feeling confident. I miss the carefree woman I used to be. 

 

In order to reach my goals I know my habits must change. I have to get my brain back into the mode it used to be in. I have to get back to the point where daily exercise is not even a question. I also must make time to prepare my lunch for work everyday instead of eating out.  I need to create a dinner menu instead of eating ramen noodles over the sink because nothing is thawed.  Dinner is going to be a tough one. My fiancé is an over-the-road truck driver so making a full meal every night for me and an almost two year old seems a little ridiculous. When I do cook a full meal, I end up eating that same meal for three or four nights in row in order to get through it all.

Knowing how to exercise to get back to my ideal body is not the problem. I did it before. My problem is having time to do it when I'm basically a single mother who works full-time. I know millions of single moms do it, I just have to learn their tricks. I am not a group fitness kind of girl so I will not have to schedule my workouts around a gyms class schedule. That is good! Years ago I gained some weight due to stress in a relationship; when I was ready to get back to myself, I walked. And walked. And walked some more. I walked until I got to a comfortable weight and could then feel good about trying new workouts and try out running. My plan is to walk every night after dinner now that it is getting nicer out here the Northwest. This will eliminate needing to worry about childcare and losing more precious time with my kiddo. I'll just toss her in the stroller and get to it. I sure hope it will be that easy! I also have many workouts I have used over the years to tone all the areas I am worried about. I am a huge fan of balance balls. They give a full range of motion that you may not get if you are just doing a floor exercise. I like hand weights no heavier than 10 pounds for arms. I'm a lady, I want toned arms, not guns.

 

 

As it is March 1st, I feel this is as good a day as any to get to it already.

I will be posting updates, recipes, and workouts soon so check back!

Rustic and Romantic Save-the-Dates

Wedding season is just around the corner! Brides-to-be are in the throes of planning. Deciding on everything from color schemes to what kind of chicken will be served at the reception. It can be an overwhelming experience for some. I am in love with designing Save-the-Dates and invitations for weddings although I decided to elope in Vegas myself (more to come on that later).

Rustic and romantic weddings are very in right now. Transforming barns into beautiful and sophisticated venues are the new norm and I love it. Before we decided to go non-traditional with our nuptials, we were planning exactly what I just described.

 

 

I created this beautiful Save-the-Date that I print on brown card stock to give it the rustic yet sophisticated look most brides are looking for. I am in the process of creating the invitations and place cards to coordinate with it.

 

 

 

 

I created it in a post card style as I feel Save-the-Dates should be easy peasy. They are 4 inches by 6 inches in size.

Link to purchase postcards: https://www.etsy.com/listing/267800580/rustic-save-the-date-postcard?ref=shop_home_active_1

Campout 10th Birthday Party

 

Probably one of my most favorite parties I have ever planned has to be the Campout Party I did for my son, Ethan, when he turned 10.

 

This party allowed me to spread my creative wings but everything I did was super simple and lots of fun. I LOVE parties that do not end in crying or going into debt.

 

 

Since this was a camp theme, we weren't going for pretty and perfect. I took a large drop cloth and painted in black craft paint "Welcome to Camp Ethan" and hung it on the front porch.

 

 

 

I took an old pallet and cut out directional signs. With the same black craft paint I painted where everything could be found at the "campsite". This was placed near the front door so guests would see it as they were entering.

 

 

Just inside, I placed a large folding table with a basic checkered tablecloth often found on campsites. I made a "Camp Check-In" sign on plain old paper and put it in a simple frame. I bought lanterns and unfinished birdhouses from the dollar store for each kid to have. During the party the kids had the opportunity to paint their birdhouses.

 

 

I downloaded basic camp signs from Google images and printed them out. I pasted them on little wood squares from the dollar store and attached skinny wood sticks I found at Michael's for under a $1 each. These were placed all around the backyard.

Link for signs: https://www.google.com/search?q=camp+signs&biw=1920&bih=985&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjW7-2m4frKAhVNyWMKHRDpC9MQ_AUIBygC#tbm=isch&q=camping+signs+symbols

 

 

For the cupcakes, I made cute camp fires. Simple chocolate cake and chocolate icing for the base, then white icing with a little red dye mixed in for the 'flames' and pretzels for the logs. Easiest cupcakes ever and they turned out so cute. Just be sure the cake is completely cooled before doing the icing or your flames will be runny. And who wants runny flames?

 

 

I have zero sewing skills so I recruited my sister for this little project. These teepee's were made of 3 PVC pipes and a drop cloth.  Arrange the PVC in a tripod and sew the opening of the drop cloth small enough to hold them together. Then sew a loop at the bottom corners to go around the bottom of the PVC so it doesn't blow around. Done!

 

 

What is a campout without s'mores by the fire?

 

 

As the party favor we put together our favorite "Cowboy Cookies".

 

Recipe:

2 cups All-Purpose flour                                                 1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder                          2 eggs

 

1 teaspoon baking soda                               1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

½ teaspoon salt                                            2 cups rolled oats

 

1 cup butter, softened                                  1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

 

1 cup white sugar                                        1 cup m&m candies   

 

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

 

2.      In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients. Stir in the rolled oats and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.

 

3.      Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing.

 

    I bought a big pack of Mason jars with the wide mouth and all the dry ingredients for the cookies. We measured out what a batch of cookies would require and put the ingredients in layers in the Mason jars. To top it off I printed the recipe on 6 inch circles to put on the lid.



Barbie Girl 7th Bithday Party

Every little girl should have, at least once in her life, a super girly birthday party. If she is obsessed with Barbie or Princesses, take advantage of that obsession and throw an amazing and fun birthday for her. Planning a party in my house NEVER involves the big box party stores or pre-made unoriginal decorations that they sell. I begin planning parties at least two months in advance. Even if you are low on funds, hand-made parties can be really affordable if you use your imagination and utilize what you may already have and Dollar Stores. I had so much fun with this Barbie party I did for my daughter, Jordan, when she turned 7.

My very first goal was to craft a photo booth. What says Barbie better than her classic pink box? I knew it didn’t have to be super big because my clientele were all  6 to 7 years old and younger so I bought a sturdy garment box and  taped it all together minus the top which I taped standing up to make it a bit taller than it would have been closed. I headed out to my local Walmart, on my way over to the paint department I grabbed a Barbie from the toy department, and had the guy match the color on the box in a quart size container. I headed home and went to work painting the box on all sides and inside so there would be no brown box color showing in angle of pictures. While I was waiting for the paint to dry, I went upstairs and fired up my computer. I downloaded the classic Barbie font into Microsoft word from fonts2u.com (for free) and printed my daughter’s name on construction paper. I also created a ‘Limited Edition’ tag to add to the box for effect. I have to say this box was a hit with the girls! It actually stuck around my house for several months as a kind of makeshift playhouse/reading nook.

 

Then I had to come up with a party favor that did not consist of cheesy cellophane bags stuffed with crap that will be lost or broken before the kids even get back home from the party. My children have always enjoyed making (and eating) Cowboy Cookies so I figured I could fashion up a way to all the kids home with something they can do with their family instead of the standard goody bag. I bought a big pack of Mason jars with the wide mouth and all the dry ingredients for the cookies. We measured out what a batch of cookies would require and put the ingredients in layers in the Mason jars. To top it off I printed the recipe on 6 inch circles to put on the lid. We changed the name of the cookies to “Barbie Girl Cookies” for this event.

Barbie Girl Cookie recipe:

2 cups All-Purpose flour                             1 cup packed brown sugar

1 teaspoon baking powder                          2 eggs

1 teaspoon baking soda                               1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon salt                                            2 cups rolled oats

1 cup butter, softened                                  1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup white sugar                                            

1.     Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease baking sheets. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

2.      In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Gradually stir in the sifted ingredients. Stir in the rolled oats and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets.

3.      Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes before removing.

I do have to admit that I cheated a little on the cupcakes this time. I made the cupcakes homemade with this recipe:

1 cup white sugar                                1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

½ cup butter                                       1 ¾ baking powder

2 eggs                                                    ½ milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract                 

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x9 inch pan or line a muffin pan with paper liners.

2.      In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine flour and baking powder, add to the creamed mixture and mix well. Finally stir in the milk until batter is smooth. Pour or spoon batter into the prepared pan.

3.      Bake for 30 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven. For cupcakes, bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cake is done when it springs back to the touch.

Then I iced them with good ole store bought white icing (I know, gasp!). But where I cheated is with the decoration. I admittedly just didn’t want to deal with it this time and ordered them off of a cute little shop on etsy.com.

I also ordered an adorable little embroidered Barbie shirt for the birthday girl (pictured above) to wear (from etsy as well). For the skirt and chair decorations, I went to the fabric department at Walmart and searched their clearance stuff. I grabbed a half yard of each fabric I liked and then I cut them all into about 1-2 inch strips. I measured out an elastic band that would fit my daughter’s waist and then just tied the fabric strips to the band like you would a tutu. I took the remaining fabric strips and tied them to the back the chairs.

I dusted off the Cricut and cut out a name banner, flags, and tags on cute scrapbook paper to match the color scheme. I bought a huge bin of beads and stretchy necklace wire and had the girls make necklaces and bracelets to fill up time and keep my house from being completely destroyed.