Memorial Day Weekend

Itz Memorial Day weekend, so hopefully you’ve got the day off work and are able to get outside and enjoy the nice weather!  My summer has officially begun as Thursday was my last day with my students.  Check out the cutest homemade gift I received as an end of the year present:

Itz

Seriously, so cute!  It will be the first decorative item that goes up in my new classroom as I’m looping up to fourth grade with my same class.  Looping has many benefits and I’m excited I get to stay with these kiddos for another year.

Today I’m linking up with Katie’s Marvelous in my Monday while I share about my marvelous weekend.  Lots of marvelous in the blogosphere today!

MiMM

On Friday I received a totally awesome package from Under Armour for working on their What’s Beautiful campaign with FitFluential.  The shoes are baller and so lightweight, I love the neon mesh tank, and the headbands all have inspirational messages on them.  Can’t wait to rock the UA gear!

Under Armour Swag

Have you signed up to be part of the What’s Beautiful campaign yet?  What are you waiting for?!  Join Team Fabulously Fit NOW! (More gear made especially for this challenge can be found here.)

Saturday was my dear grandmother’s 80th birthday, so my mom and aunt hosted a lovely luncheon for her at the Ritz.

Mama

Isn’t my Mama beautiful?  No one ever believes she just turned 80!  She’s definitely the most amazing woman I know.

Stephanie and I took really classy pictures during the luncheon…

seester

Actually there are about a million other pictures (including handstands with my mom!), but they’re on Steph’s camera, so I’ll have to wait on those.  This darling picture is taken while we hid behind curtains.  Why?  Because itz just so darn fun to pop out, yell, and scare my mom and grandma.  Yes, we’re kind of eight years old.

Saturday night included a night out on the town!  Kait, my co-worker, teammate, and friend is sadly moving to Texas.  She had a going away party and we had to take an obligatory hold-her-up picture one last time.

school friends

She better come back and visit.  We’ll miss her, that’s for sure.

The weather on Sunday in St. Louis was gorgeous.  I couldn’t bear to stay indoors, so instead of heading to the gym I went to a local park to walk with a friend.  We covered about four miles and I sported one of the Under Armour headbands.

UA headband

Good, better, best. Never let it rest. <– LOVE!  I took this to mean that even on your rest days, you should still be active.  I can’t sit still for long, especially when the weather is nice, I just have to MOVE!

As an afternoon pick-me-up, I decided to make a fresh juice with my NutriPro juicer.

green juice

Cucumber, grapefruit, apple, and lemon made quite a refreshing juice!

I had no plans for the evening, but the weather was still gorgeous, so I called my good friend, Jessica, and we went to Forest Park to walk another four miles before eating dinner at the Boathouse.

boathouse

Yeah, the glass of wine (in a plastic cup) sounded better than it turned out to be.  The warm weather coupled with the fact we just got done walking did not make the red wine appealing.  Stupid choice for ordering it and a waste of money.  Oh well.  My black bean and corn veggie burger was AWESOME as were the beer-battered fries that accompanied it.  I rarely eat fries, but these were good!

Then I went home and snuggled with this little pooch for the remainder of the evening.  We were both tired from all the walking (Zoey got two mini-walks yesterday, too!).

zoey yawn

What’d you do over the weekend?  Any plans for today?

Happiness

Life isn’t always happy.  In fact, sometimes life is downright hard.  It can be busy, sad, stressful, but it can also be full of joy and happiness.  Happiness is an outlook and I truly believe that happiness is what you make of it.

happiness is what you make of it

So today I’m sharing a few things lately that have been making me happy.  Simple things.  But itz happiness nonetheless.

Happiness is… seeing adorable and enormous baby animals at the zoo.  My class took a field trip to the St. Louis Zoo on Tuesday.  We had gorgeous weather and it seemed like all the animals were out.  Couldn’t resist snapping a photo of this baby elephant.

elephant

Happiness is… old friends.  Annette from Enjoy Your Healthy Life and I have been friends since we were two years old.  Inseparable during our elementary years, really, and itz just seven days before we are reunited at the Blend Retreat!  Annette just announced she is having a girl, so let the pink bows, dresses, and dance shoes begin.  Speaking of dance, Annette is an expert dancer; she’s danced her entire life and even convinced me to do a session with her (if that’s even what they’re called).  Please enjoy this beautiful picture of Annette and me from a dance recital probably fifteen years ago.

annette

Happiness is… receiving an awesome package from Victoria’s Secret!  I ordered four of their Perfect Burnout shirts – two V-Neck Tees and two Tank Tops.  Love the burnout look.  Itz a little sheer which will be sexy for summer!

summer shirts

Happiness is… Zoey!  Come on, did you really think I could do a whole happiness post and not include a picture of my little pooch?  Get real!  The sun is shining and summer is nearing which means Zoey’s summer apparel is surfacing once again.  I love this little red jumper dress.  Rainbows just scream summer!

Zoey

Happiness is… cake batter protein milkshakes.  My cake batter protein is as good as it sounds.  (I order it from iHerb.com – itz Muscle Milk brand – use code VAJ523 to receive a discount on your first order!)  The sprinkles addition is a MUST!

cake batter

What’s making YOU happy?

Check here to see if you were the Rodan + Fields giveaway winner!

Too much sleep?

Is there such a thing as too much sleep?  I think so and I think it happened this weekend.  Let me rewind.  On Friday night my family went to see my cousin perform in one of the leading roles in his school play.  The only time I was in “real” clothes:

steph

We came home after and Jonny and I were in bed by 10 pm.  (What can I say?  We’re party animals!)  I woke up rather early (4:30!) to my dear dog Zoey whining and wanting to go potty and have breakfast.  Shortly after, my dear Aunt Flo came to visit (sorry boys) and left me with pretty painful cramps.  I moved to the couch, curled up with Zoey, took some Advil, and waited for the pain to subside while I watched trashy tv (Teen Mom 2 and Bad Girls Club to be exact – I told you it was trashy).

A few hours later, I peeled myself off the couch and headed to the gym for a light sweat session on the elliptical.  Did you know one of the best things you can do during that time of the month is workout?  It can reduce stress, increase your endorphin release, and alleviate cramps.  Don’t skip the gym, ladies!

gym

This picture was from last week’s Best Body Bootcamp workout: the Squat to Crossover Crunch exercise – can be done anywhere, anytime, no equipment needed!  You literally do an air squat with your hands behind your ears, then as you come up you crunch down and reach one of your elbow’s to your opposite knee.  Alternate sides.

Anyway, after the gym I ran some errands, and then spent a good majority of the day back on the couch.  Stephanie and Phil and the kiddos dropped by on Saturday evening, and, as always, we were entertained by Jacob and Audrey.

Jacob Audrey

Jacob played ping-pong for the first time, and while he could barely see over the table, he actually did pretty well!  He’s a natural athlete, for sure.  The bottom picture is blurry because he was jumping off our treadmill to reach and hit the punching bag.  The kid is coordinated!  Audrey was infatuated with Zoey.  First she was giving kisses, then she was cracking up every time Zoey licked her, and then she pretended to go to sleep in Zoey’s doggy bed.

After they left, Jonny and I watched When Harry Met Sally and hit the hay.  Ten hours later, I woke up to find Zoey snuggled underneath one of our pillows and against my leg (not sure how the pillow ended up down there).  She loves finding the littlest nooks to snuggle in.

zoey bed

Sunday morning was spent at the gym with a little elliptical and a little stair climber action before coaching my girls’ soccer game.  They tied 3-3, but it was the best game they played (we are in an extremely competitive league!).  After running more errands, taking Zoey for a walk, and giving her a bath, I headed back to the couch with my freshly bathed Zo and a hot cup of tea.

tea

However, my tea was too hot to drink, so I set it aside, laid down my head, closed my eyes, and I was out.  Seriously, I passed out hardcore.  I’m not sure if it was the cold rainy weather, the lovely time of the month, the dreary day, or just merely the time I actually had to nap, but whatever it was caused me to be so tired this weekend!

I do think part of it was that I slept for TEN hours both nights and I think that’s too much.  My ideal amount of sleep is between seven and eight hours, and for me, ten apparently is a couple too many.  Not that I’m complaining.  My body maybe needed the extra sleep, and every now and then itz nice to have low key weekends.

me zoey pjs

Recycled picture.  We spent way more time horizontal than this.

I will say, I’m fully rested for this next week ahead.  Afterall, itz Marvelous Monday, so there’s no room to be tired.  Bring it on, Monday!

Do you think there’s a thing as too much sleep?  Are you affected by Aunt Flo?

A Simple Walk

With spring weather finally showing itz face, I just cannot get enough time outdoors!  I definitely do a lot of walkin’ & talkin’ as the best way to catch up with friends and family is by gabbing on the phone while moving!  Rain held off most of the day, but we had some showers in the late afternoon.  When it stopped, I laced up my sneakers and leashed up Zoey.  She was all like, “I’m not stepping my pretty little paws in those puddles!”

zoey puddle

Seriously, she was.  Diva dog.  After much coaxing, we got on with our walk and we both took our time enjoying the new signs of spring.  Zoey sniffed the fresh scents of neighborhood dogs and I took note of the trees beginning to blossom.

flower

Itz been forever (or so it seems) since Zoey and I have taken our usual outdoor walks, and she was definitely huffing and puffing and showing some tongue.

zoey

Don’t mind her ridiculously long, shaggy hair.  She is so overdue for a groom.  Zoey took one lap around our neighborhood and told me she was done.  I dropped her off at home and walked a bit more while catching up with my newly engaged little brother.  Pretty soon the clouds began looking ominous once again, so I headed home.

clouds

Itz a good thing because there were tons of tornado warnings in St. Louis yesterday evening.  Jonny and I took Zoey to our basement to stay safe until the storm passed.  Some parts of St. Louis had a lot of damage (not us), so our thoughts and prayers definitely go to those people and families.

By the time I joined Zoey and Jonny in bed last night, I walked in to this site:

zoey bed

Zoey had literally tucked herself in bed!

Anyway, my point of today’s post is that a simple walk can be so many things.  For me, yesterday, it was peaceful, calming, and relaxing.  It was time to myself (with my furball) to think and merely enjoy my surroundings.  Itz a simple walk, but itz really so much more.

What’s the best part of a simple walk for you?  How’s the weather where you live?

What I’d really like to do…

Thursday?  Itz just Thursday?  Oy!  Itz been an incredibly busy week which has made for a looong week.  Meetings before and during school.  Activities or meetings every single day after school.  Plus, I don’t think I ever fully caught up from last weekend.  And now I’m just complaining.  Boo.  I try not to do much of that.  But I’ve been legit busy.  Take my word.  Here’s what I’d really like to do…

Sit around in my pajamas.

me zoey pjs

Take a leisurely walk outside in the sunshine.

zoey

Maybe play with toys inside.

zoey

Or taking a bath would be nice…

Just kidding.  I really do make time to bathe.

I’d like to curl up in bed for a looong time…

sleeping zoey

You know what would be really fantastic?  Lounging by the pool…

zoey sunbathe

Is it summer Friday yet?

Snow Day

We had our first snow day in St. Louis yesterday!  And we have another one today!  Itz awesome because they called us off the night before, so we got to sleep in. Or at least in theory we would have gotten to sleep in, but at 5:00 in the morning (usual wake up time) I heard Zoey… throwing up in our bed.  Not a fun way to wake up, especially on my day off!  Luckily she was feeling better later and made up for it with several rounds of fetch and tug-of-war and looking adorable as ever.

zoey

Around 9:00 or so, I met my friend Diana at the gym where we completed this workout.  Itz always fun meeting friends at the gym and even better when there are no time constraints!

diana

After the gym we came back to my house where I prepared breakfast for us both.  I made Diana a pancake and topped it with Designer Whey White Chocolate protein frosting (1 scoop protein powder + a little water), fresh raspberries, and sprinkles.  I enjoyed a Three Cheese Quiche, Sausage Links, Peppers, & Onions from Diet-to-Go.

breakfast

After that is when the snow and ice came, so I was bound to my house for the rest of the day.  Well, I visited my grandparents before it got too nasty out.  I got a lot done at home which always feels good.  I finished my students’ report cards, did laundry, read lots of awesome blogs, threw dinner in the crockpot, and made a fresh batch of my Pulp Bread.  Per my grandmother’s suggestion, I increased the cinnamon and honey to make it a tad sweeter, and [like always] she was right!  The extra sweetness was delicious and Jonny even noticed a difference, too.

When there was about seven inches of snow on the ground, Jonny decided to go out and start shoveling the driveway.  I was feeling a bit stir crazy myself, so we bundled up and headed out.  While he shoveled, I took a walk around our neighborhood (I’m such a big help!).  It was less than a mile, but holy cow it was tough!  Nothing was plowed or shoveled and trekking through thick snow is hard work!  It was nice little extra bout of cardio.  Good thing I was bundled up!

snow day

And that’s how I spent my snow day.  Let’s see what today brings!

How’s the weather where you live?  Plans this weekend?

Love Day

Happy LOVE day!  Itz such a happy holiday that’s filled with LOVE!

LOVE for your husband.

jonny me

LOVE for your crazy awesome family.

Oh to be back in Mexico…

LOVE for this BELLA NutriPro Juicer that arrived at my door yesterday.  (CAN.NOT.WAIT.TO.USE!)

Nutripro Juicer

LOVE for yourself.

love yourself

LOVE for your furbaby.

Zoey valentine

LOVE for your body because itz the only one you’ve got.

bikram 1

LOVE for all of you.  Happy Valentine’s Day!

Free Flow Friday

Free Flow Friday is a fancy name for, “This post is going to be really random and I can’t think of a better title.”  Here we go:

1.  I’ve killed it at the gym this week.  Each morning at 5:30 I’ve gotten in a good workout, plus the Feel the Burn Total Body Workout I did on Wednesday at school.  I’m looking forward to two sweaty bikram sessions this weekend.

workout

I love working out.  Have I said that before?  ;)

2.  Treadmill.com is a great new fitness website.  It covers a range of topics (not just treadmill related!) and is updated almost daily.  I contributed two articles:

3.  I’m going to Blend Retreat 2013!  Seriously so excited and absolutely cannot wait!

I'm Attending Blend
4.  Zoey seems to be feeling better finally.  She started several new medications, and threw up in our bed two different times in the middle of the night.  Not fun to wake up to at 3 am (twice!), but I’m just glad she’s feeling better.  Pepcid AC to the rescue!  And we’ve started putting one of her medicines in the freezer which slows the absorption of the drug in her system per her vet’s recommendation.

zoey

5.  Link love: Tons of good heathy living posts/workouts/recipes in the blogosphere!

6.  Last night I attended the Soft Surroundings Retreat Launch Party.  Lots of fun with champagne, clothing, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and another excuse for us girls to get together!

diana jessica

7.  The winner of the Active Accessories giveaway is: #30 Mindy @ Road Runner GirlCongrats!  Please email me at itzlinz@gmail.com with your shipping information, so we can get your On-The-Go Hair Bands to you.  Thanks to everyone who entered!

Itz your turn to free flow in the comment section!

I’m thinkin’…

I have a lot of random thoughts going on; hence, today’s post may be a bit jumbled since I’m going to dump ‘em all out.  But hey itz Friday, so that’s gotta count for something, right?  Right.

I’m thinkin’… I’m excited to lift weights this morning!  I had been lifting weights on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, but this week was a little different.  I did a total body workout on Monday, took a rest day on Tuesday, and then incline walked on Wednesday and Thursday.  It made me miss strength training (yes, I really do miss those weights!), so I’ll be sure to get in a good workout this morning.

workout

I’m thinkin’… Mizuno compression socks are great when traveling – in the car or plane!  They keep the blood flowing while minimizing swelling.

mizuno socks

I’m thinkin’… I should probably take a short break from almond butter.  I’ve gone through two jars in ten days.  I’m all about enjoying foods and no deprivation, however I’m also a believer in moderation and two jars in ten days just is not moderation.  (Raw creamy unsalted from Trader Joe’s is my favorite!)  I’ll be back for you, almond butter.

almond butter

(No worries: you KNOW I’ll scrape out every last bit of that almond butter during this morning’s breakfast of oats in a jar!)

I’m thinkin’… Chobani is SO generous for sponsoring my school’s first “Wellness Wednesday.”  I’m on the Wellness Committee and we want to start providing healthy snacks for our staff members once a month.  We had such a positive response from people trying Chobani for the first time – they loved it! (I mean, who doesn’t??)  And now about 80 more people know that Chobani is a great snack, especially on the go.  Whenever people ask me about yogurt, I always suggest greek yogurt since itz packed with protein and keeps you full much longer than regular yogurt.

chobani

I’m thinkin’… I had a lovely dinner with my friend Danielle and her daughter Addyson last night at Sweet Tomatoes.  I’m not usually a buffet fan, but all you can eat salad bar with fresh veggies?  Count me in!  (My Instagram friends saw the massive salad beast I made last night.)  Addyson had fun tasting lots of healthy food: broccoli, butternut squash, sunflower seeds, kidney beans, spinach, and chickpeas.  Start those healthy habits young!  “Mmm mmm mmm!  This is good!” Yes, she really said that while munching on a piece of broccoli.

addyson

I’m thinkin… I wish Zoey felt better.  She has really bad allergies and gets skin infections a lot.  We had to take her back to the vet (again!), and now she is on several different medications.  Well, last night after dinner she got sick.  I’m hoping she tolerates the meds a bit better today and we can kick this infection!  But she’s still super cute…

zoey

What are YOU thinkin’ today?

Friday Facts

Wait, itz Friday?!  The end of my one full week off?  Where did the time go?  Well, I have been thoroughly enjoying my break, and still have Monday and Tuesday off of next week.  Here are some Friday facts from this past week.

FACT: I love working out.

plank

Shocker, right?  What’s different about this week is that I don’t have to set my alarm to workout, and I can take as long as I want at the gym.  Usually I’m still up by 6, but just the fact that I’m not pressed for time and don’t have to wake up at 5:15 is a bonus.  Plus, I have more time to create my own workouts and try them out. Like this one.

FACT: Numerous cups of coffee have been consumed this past week.

coffee

I’m not an everyday coffee drinker, but when I have extra time I do like to leisurely have a cup.  Most mornings itz been happening while I’m at my computer reading blogs as I’m in no rush to get dressed or be anywhere.

FACT:  The majority of my time off has been spent in my pajamas.

me zoey pjs

And I’m totally ok with it.  In fact, I got FIVE new pairs of pajamas for Chanukah.  Totally serious.  Jonny, my parents, my in-laws, my sister, and my brother all got me a new pair.  Think I’m obsessed?  Or set for life?

FACT:  I’ve put together some glorious meals.

mexican dinner

Since we had tons of leftovers from the Mexican Omelette, I put it to good use for our dinner.  One of my Chanukah presents from Jonny were these dish things that you can put a tortilla in and bake them to become taco shells.  Well, I found the most perfect tortillas with 50 calories, 7 grams of fiber, and 5 grams of protein.  We used them as our taco shells and added fresh spinach, the Mexican mixture, and topped it with avocado, plain Chobani greek yogurt, and a sprinkle of cayenne pepper.

FACT: The winner of my New Year New Rules giveaway is #16 Elle.  Congratulations!  Please e-mail me at itzlinz@gmail.com.  Thank you to all who entered; you may still register for NYNR here and use discount code nynr20 to receive 20% off.

Tell me a FACT for today.