My Pinterest Inspired Fitness Plan

I adore Pinterest. I really do. I gather so much inspiration from it, and I can get lost for hours. It's kind of ridiculous. But it's worth it. I have found several delicious recipes, fun little crafty projects, and now, a fitness routine.

I will start this out with a backstory on my relationship with working out. I'm sure you can't wait.

I was a super active child, starting gymnastics at about four (not my thing) and then moving very quickly on to dance. I started with ballet, tap and jazz at the age of five, and by eight or so I was doing clogging, hip-hop, pointe (a bit), and modern as well. I loved it, and it came easily for me. By junior high my mother was driving me back and forth (an hour each way) to class several nights a week, and I was competing or performing almost every weekend. Around the same time I started cheerleading at my school. I can't even imagine the incredible shape I was in and I didn't even know it....

Anyhow, I soon burned out on dance and quit altogether when I was 14 (biggest mistake of my life, but that's for another day). I kept up with cheerleading through my junior year of high school, mainly for the social aspect of things. So until the age of 18 I was pretty much working out every day and not even realizing it.

I went to college in the fall of 2003, and took a couple of dance classes for fun. This was also the first time I ever really "worked out". I would go to the campus gym with my friends and do the stationary bike or treadmill. And hate every minute. So I stopped. And never really did much after that at all. And somehow miraculously hovered around 105-110 pounds for the next several years. If I could go back in time I would punch myself because it's just so annoying how much I took it for granted.

Needless to say, I hit 24 and everything changed. My metabolism decided it had had enough abuse and bailed. I gained about 10 pounds overnight it seemed like. This is also the same time I started dating Arsen, and he would cook pasta dinners for me almost every night, so there may be some tie there as well. So for the very first time in my life, I needed to work out.

That was almost four years ago, and I have yet to find something that works for me. I really enjoy jogging, and Zumba is fun. I love dancing, but haven't found any classes nearby. My issue is that I don't know how to stick with anything. Which is totally my fault. So I've been looking for inspiration everywhere. I need a routine that isn't boring, that is easy to follow, and that I can get done in about 30-45 minutes, because there is no way I have more time than that to commit to exercise on a daily basis.

Enter Pinterest.

I love how super simple both of these plans are to stick to, but neither is enough to make me feel like I'm getting a great work out. So I've decided to do them together. I've been doing the Daily Workout Plan for a couple of weeks now, and I swear I'm already toning up.

Via Pinterest

But with my body type, I need cardio to really do any good. I'm short (5'2") and curvy, and I build muscle super duper easy. So in order to not look like a body builder, I have to do some cardio to shed some inches. I'm planning on trying the Couch to 5K thing. I've heard people mention it, and it seems like an easy plan to stick with. I started Monday in the hideous 95 degree Texas heat. I guess that's something there's no getting around.

Via Pinterest

So we'll see how it goes. I think it will be much easier with "a plan". I've been doing pretty well for the last month or so since I started The Challenge thing with my mom and best friend Rachel, but I think this will (hopefully) kick things into high gear. I could get crazy and do progress posts along the way....but I don't feel like I've got it in me to be one of those "fitness bloggers". We shall see :)

If anyone out there has any tips for sticking with a fitness plan, any healthy eating suggestions, etc., please fill me in. This is an area that I am by no means an expert, so all advice is much appreciated!

Speed Date!

Hi friends! I'm super excited to be linking up with This Little Momma for her Speed Dating Party. Being pretty new to the blog world I'm always looking for new bloggers to follow, and hopefully get to know. I thought today I would start with the very most basic of information about me. So here we go!

I'm originally from a teeny, tiny town in Oklahoma. Population less than 3000. 

I am an only child, and I both love and hate it. I was pretty spoiled growing up, so I can't complain, but I do feel like I've missed out on that special bond people have with their siblings. 

My parents are amazing, and I consider them to be some of my very best friends. They divorced when I was about 22, and I think it was the best thing that could have happened for all of us. They now get along wonderfully, and are both in happy relationships. 

I have had the same best friend since the age of about nine (with one little friend break-up in junior high). She is an amazing lady and I adore her and look up to her more than she knows. She's more like a sister than a friend.

After a failed attempt at college (I hated it SO much) straight out of high school, I decided to move to Los Angeles to try and make it as an actress. I moved out there knowing basically no one, with a roommate I had met once or twice, and not a whole lot of experience. Needless to say I was back in a year. I was way too homesick to stay.

After returning from L.A., I wandered around aimlessly for a bit before ending up at Oklahoma State University. Best. Decision. Ever.

I met my second best friend, and my future husband at OSU. I also finally completed my Bachelor's Degree in Public Relations.

I married my husband (Arsen) in September of last year. He is funny, charming, kind, outgoing, crazy, thoughtful and super duper ambitious. He is the best thing that's ever happened to me, and I feel incredibly lucky to have found him.

Arsen is Armenian, and moved here at the age of six. Actually, today is the 20th anniversary to the day of them arriving in America!

Since my husband is Armenian, my children will be half (obviously) like the Kardashians. Here's hoping we have children who are that exotically gorgeous...

I am the proud, proud mama of a little furry shih tzu named Addie. Addison Jane to be exact. She is the apple of my eye, and I am shamelessly obsessed with her. 

My favorite things in the world are laughing, reading great books, shopping (for clothes, home decor, plants, paint, books, you name it), working on projects, lounging on the couch with my hubby and dog watching good TV, being outside when the weather is gorgeous (rare in TX), traveling to new places, learning new things, and spending time with family.

I am a super friendly person, but I'm also very reserved. I hold back before getting to know people. This has not helped my social life since moving to Texas, but I can't help it. I would rather have two great friends than 20 so-so friends.

Marriage has been quite a learning experience thus far. It's the best thing I've ever done, but it's also super challenging. I'm lucky that Arsen and I communicate wonderfully...if we didn't, I can't even imagine.

I am love, love, loving everything about blogging, and hope to be able to take it more seriously in the near future. It's a bit intimidating coming into something like this with not a lot of knowledge, but I'm excited to be giving it a try!

Our Super Fab Memorial Day Weekend

Our Memorial Day weekend was a fabulous one. We spent time with great friends, went to the Rangers game, ate out for every single meal (not the wisest decision, but yummy), and just had a super wonderful time overall.

 For some reason Addie and Oliver really enjoyed rolling around on their backs and barking and moaning at each other....not really sure what that was about. But whatever, they had a grand ole time. Other than that, they spent the majority of their time racing around our coffee table at incredible speeds, racing around our backyard at even greater speeds, and stealing toys from each other.

Saturday morning after breakfast and mimosas we decided to go bowling. I am not a great bowler, but I can usually have a pretty good time with it (typically depending on my drink intake). Katie however, is incredibly competitive, and isn't the best bowler. Needless to say she wasn't overjoyed. But the boys seemed to have a good time. Arsen had us all beat until the very last frame, when Q got like three strikes in a row or something. Arsen was not pleased.

  

The rest of the weekend is a blur of randomness. Saturday night we had dinner at Chuys, mine and Arsen's favorite Mexican place (which is hard to choose in Dallas). Then we went to a bar in Frisco called The Londoner that we've been wanting to try out. It was super packed because of a soccer game and we planned on leaving and heading back to the house to hang out. Somehow we ended up staying until closing time. Funny how that happens. 

I think my favorite thing about the weekend is the fact that we spent it with three other couples. Do you know how incredibly rare this is for Arsen and I? We do have a few couple-friends, but it seems like it's just so hard to get together as a group. More often than not it's me and several guys hanging out, or Arsen and several girls. So the fact that we got to spend the entire weekend surrounded by other couples was just phenomenal. 

 Two of my very favorites

The Newlyweds!

This picture makes me laugh every time I see it

We spent Sunday at the Rangers game getting sunburns and eating $8 nachos, then went out to dinner in Plano to watch the Thunder game. As a native Oklahoman I consider myself a proud Thunder supporter, but Arsen threatens divorce anytime I mention it (die-hard Dallas sports fan, no matter the sport). So I tend to keep quiet and silently cheer them on. 

Rangers Game!

And then Monday was (thankfully) spent resting for the most part. After a trip to see Arsen's parents, a run by Lowe's, and grocery shopping at Target, we basically just relaxed. Much needed after an exhausting weekend. But we had an amazing time, and even though we spent about a million dollars, it was well worth it.

Of course I can't finish out this post without mentioning what Memorial Day is all about. My dad is a veteran of Vietnam (he was in the Navy) and he is probably the most patriotic person I know. Even though I didn't consciously realize it, he raised me to be the same way. I have so much pride in the fact that I am an American, and although our country is definitely not without problems, I'm so glad I live here. I appreciate everything that every single one of our military men and women do. I am that sappy girl that cries whenever I hear the Star Spangled Banner or watch videos of service men and women returning home. So from the very bottom of my heart, I am truly, truly thankful for what they do. 

I hope everyone has a super amazing short week....it's already Tuesday night!!! Woohoo!!!

Scenes From My Morning

Ahhhhh three day weekend....I couldn't be more excited about THREE mornings of sleeping in. I mean, I'm excited about the activities we have planned and hanging out with my husband and friends. But I think more than anything I'm excited about the sleep.

So far the weekend has been quite wonderful. Katie and Q arrived last night and will be here all weekend. This morning I slept until nine, had a yummy breakfast that Arsen fixed for us, and now we are sitting around drinking mimosas and watching the Pauly D project. Definitely not my choice of television, but the mimosas make it alright. We've got big plans of dinner and drinks tonight, a Rangers game tomorrow, and who knows what else. Can't wait!

My Brilliant Baby Dog

The entire drive to work today Addie was trying to talk to us. She was sitting by my feet in the floor board, looking up at me. She refused to sit in my lap because she wanted to make eye contact. She kept opening her mouth in a little O and making a noise, not like a yelp or cry, just a little sound. It's like she was honestly trying to tell us something. When she could tell I wasn't getting it, she would look over at Arsen like, come on, surely you understand!

I think what led to this was that she had been chewing on a piece of fuzz from her favorite orange squeaky ball, and I pulled it out of her mouth and threw it out the window. This was just too much for her. She started growling very quietly, and yelping a little. I swear she was giving me a look of disgust. And she couldn't let it go. She kept talking until we dropped her off at daycare.

I know every dog is special and wonderful, and I love every dog in the world more than what is probably normal. But I swear to you Addie is exceptionally brilliant.

She's not one of those dogs that gets excited over everything that happens. She only gets excited if it's really worth her time. It's like she debates everything before she reacts. And she gets uncomfortable with extended eye contact like a human would. Staring contests are really fun, because she just can't handle it. She also sighs when she's annoyed with us. And when she's mad at me, she will go hours without looking directly at me. I can pick her up and put her directly in my face, and she will look everywhere but at me. She's cold-hearted sometimes.

She also understands English. Not like, she knows when I'm asking if she wants to go outside or when we say "treat". I really think she understands every word. I'll give you an example, because I'm sure you're doubting me.

The other night I took her out to potty before bed, so we went to the kitchen afterward so she could get her treat. She took it and ran to her normal treat-eating spot in the living room. As soon as she sat down I said, "No, take it in the bedroom, it's time for bed". She picked up her treat and trotted off to the bedroom. I hadn't even started walking that way, I was still in the kitchen, so it's not like she was following me. Basically, it's just that she's a genius.

Now I know all of you other dog mommies out there probably have similar stories, or think your dog is just as intelligent as mine. And that's fine. But I know the truth.

Can you imagine what kind of mother I'm going to be? 

 

 

MOH Business

I've been meaning to do this post for more than a month now...but ya know. I forgot. So here we go.

I was Maid of Honor in my best friend Katie's wedding last month. I planned a shower for her in Tulsa, where she lives, and also had a Bachelorette party for her here in Dallas. One thing I learned is planning an out of state bridal shower isn't easy. The amount of stuff I packed up in my trunk and hauled to Tulsa was insane. But, I think it turned out pretty well.

 The Cutest Guest

 The Bride-To-Be

This is actually the baby from the baby shower at my house last summer!

I did a good job taking pictures beforehand....and then kind of forgot during. I got wrapped up in the moment! But I think it turned out cute, and stayed within the theme of the wedding. I had a lot of fun putting it all together. By the way, how gorgeous are the huge windows in that living room? The house belongs to my other bff Rachel. Love it!

I also decided to be crafty and make the invitations to the Bachelorette party by myself. I got some blank invites from Michaels, along with leopard print scrapbook paper and some cute party themed stickers. I had a super fun time doing this, although I left it to the VERY last minute (like everything). Arsen actually had to help me out in order to get them sent off in time. Which proves how wonderful of a husband he is. I originally planned on doing them all the same, but I was having so much fun creating them that I made them all different. I'm only posting a few, because who really wants to see 15 versions of a bachelorette invite?

So there you have it! Think I did alright at the whole MOH thing. It was basically my first time, since the only other time I was a Maid of Honor I lived in California and wasn't able to participate in anything other than showing up for the wedding. This time actually took some effort!

I think what reminded me to do this post is the fact that Katie and her hubby are coming to visit this weekend. I'm looking forward to hearing all about the honeymoon, being jealous of her tan (which she always has, and I covet every summer), and spending some quality time with another couple. They are also bringing their dog Oliver, so I'm sure I'll have some fun photos to post of Addie and Ollie time. He is much larger, but she's much crazier, so it always makes for an interesting time.

Now, I'm off to browse Pinterest/play on Twitter/stalk some blogs. Goodnight friends!

Life Gets in the Way

I have great intentions. In my relationship, in my friendships, when it comes to our house, this blog...everything. But I've also noticed that most of those great intentions never come to fruition. There never seems to be enough time. And when there is time to get something done, all the mundane everyday tasks have to be taken care of, and the things I really, really want to do get pushed to the side. Life just gets in the way.

I want to spend more time with Arsen, like good, quality time. I want to call my best friends on a regular basis to catch up on their lives. I want to keep the house spotless. Not just "eh, it's clean enough" clean, but really, really clean. I want to fix up all the things around here that I've been planning to fix. I want to be able to spend as much time on the blog as I can, making what I really want it to be. And I want to be able to go for a run every night. Just a quick jog around the neighborhood would work really.

But, what I've come to realize is that there will never be enough time. We are gone from 7 am to 6 pm every night, and many nights we don't get home until almost 7. That gives me 3 or 4 hours a night to do all of the things above. Pretty impossible. So I've decided something.

I'm going to appreciate every free minute that I have. I'm going to make a point to do something that I enjoy every single day. If the dishes sit in the sink overnight, or the laundry piles up a little bit, I'm not going to worry about it. Life is too short.

What I'm going to worry about is spending good, quality time with my husband (and my baby dog). Taking time to catch up with the people I love. Doing the things that make me happy. Of course the chores have to be done, the house has to stay clean, I have to go to work and all of that. But I'm going to make an effort to truly treasure each moment. Life is such a gift, and such a short one at that. I want to take a moment every day to appreciate and be thankful for how blessed I am. Because I really, truly am.

My Biggest Blessings