Merry Christmas!

We had a relaxing Christmas Day.  We got up opened some presents, ate, watched TV, grandma Jan came over, we opened more presents, ate again, took a nap, ate some more,etc.  It was a low key perfect Christmas Day!

Here it our Christmas card pic!  I finally got our cards back and mailed out last Friday. 

We hung out on the couch most of the day.  Ava took this picture of us relaxing.

  

For Christmas lunch we had steak on the grill, baked potatoes and salad.  It was a delicious lunch!

Here are Graig, Grandma Jan and Ava before lunch

Ava and Grandma Jan

Here are some pictures of other pictures of Christmas fun we have been having this week.

Sunday night I took Ava and her friend Anika to look at Christmas lights.  We call the the Clark Griswold house.  They have SO many lights and every year they add some new things to their display.  It's always fun to look at this house!

My friend Allison and I hosted an ornament exchange on Monday night at her house.  It was a fun night with friends!  She posted all about it on her blog.  

Brock's basketball season is in full swing!  It seems like almost every night we are at one of his games or one of Ava's games. His picture was in our town's paper last week. His team is playing in a holiday tournament that starts tomorrow.  

This afternoon we are going shopping so Brock and Ava can spend some of their Christmas money.  I hope you had a great Christmas!

Catch up!

 Oh my!  Life gets in the way and I don't feel like I have a minute to sit down and blog!  I need to get better about that.  This time of year is crazy busy for us and I'm trying to enjoy every minute of this hectic life of ours.
To get you caught up here are some things that have been happening in our world

1.  My Dad had heart valve surgery on Saturday, December 7.  He is doing OK and is thankfully at home but he has a long road to recovery ahead of him.  He is strong and he is a fighter so I know that he will get through it but it's been stressful for all of us.

2.  We are going to Disney in January!!   Ava and I are going with my sister and her family. My Dad and Vicki were going to go too but because of my Dad's surgery they can't join us on the trip. Hopefully we will be able to plan another Disney trip with them when my Dad is feeling better and when Graig and Brock can join us.

3.  Our nephew Gabe is going to be a big brother!  We found out Graig's brother Garth and his wife Jill are expecting their second baby in the spring!  Brock and Ava are excited to have another cousin!

4.  I have been doing a lot of baking this holiday season.  I made peppermint patties for our friend cookie exchange last weekend.  There were 33 of us that participated!

On Saturday my neighbor and friend Heidi got together to make Buckeyes (aka peanut butter balls!)
There were SO good and I passed many out to friends because I didn't want to eat them all!

5.  Both Brock and Ava are playing basketball now.  Last week we had some of Brock's friends and their parents over for a pizza party to celebrate our win in the first tournament of the year!  I'm so thankful that Brock has these good friends.  They have a great time together!

Tomorrow I will be back with our Christmas decorations!

Holiday Market

I am the worlds worst blogger!  Things got crazy and I never completed my 31 day series on working out.  I'm going to do one post a week on a workout topic to catch up. 

Today I want to talk about the Holiday Market that I hosted with some friends over the weekend.  We all spent a crazy week making crafts and then we hosted an open house and invited people to come and shop. We had it on Sunday and it was a great afternoon.  Here are some pictures from our displays.

Here are three things that I made to sell. 

These wreaths are really easy to make.  I used fresh boxwood and I loved the way the turned out!  

Graig found these old boards for me and I traced joy on them.  I think this sign would look great on a mantle at Christmas.  

I also made these sweet mercury glass votive holders. 

It was an exhausting, and thankfully, successful day and we have already started planning for next year!  Happy Wednesday

Water and sleep

Water

These things, water and sleep, are two very important things in any diet and excercise program.  Yet so many people (including myself!) don't get enough.  Water is crucial when you work out.  This morning I went for a run and my friend who was running with me got a painful leg cramp.  She said she knew she was dehydrated.  She said she always gets them if she doesn't drink enough water before running. 

Here are some reasons water is so important to workouts:

1-water acts as a lubricant for your joints and muscles it also helps flush toxins out of your body.  

2-water transports oxygen and glucose through your body

3-our bodies are 60% water and water is crucial in bodily functions including digestion, circulation and the transport of nutrients.  

4-water keeps you full when are trying to lose weight

5-water also keeps your skin looking great

You should drink 6-8 glasses of water per day. I'm pretty good about drinking enough water but if I don't I really notice that I'm sluggish and tired.  You should drink a glass of water before working out and then 2-3 ounces for every 15 minutes of activity.  If it's hot or humid out when your exercising you should drink 4-5 ounces.   This is gross and tmi but your urine should be very light yellow if it's dark yellow then you aren't drinking enough water.

Sleep

Getting enough rest is crucial to a good workout.  Sleep helps repair and restore your muscles it also helps you commit things you learned during the day to your memory, and it helps your body fight disease.  If you aren't getting enough sleep you need to make getting 7-8 hours a night a priority.  

When you're working out your body needs time to rest and rejuvenate so you can get the full benefit of your workout.  

5 on Friday!

Today I'm linking up to the 5 on Friday series. Like usual this week has been busy and fun.  I got a little break at work because the college students were home for fall break-yay! 

1-Last weekend Ava and I took a girls weekend trip with my friend Sabrina and her daughter.  We had a weekend of shopping, eating, and hiking in Western NY

2-This week I put finally finished this little stool.  I recovered it with fabric from my friend's fabric store.  I adore this fabric and have used it all over our downstairs.  It has so many bright, fun colors.  I just love it!

3-Monday evening I went to my first ever garden club meeting with two of my friends.  I have wanted to join for several years and this year we decided to do it.  Our lesson was on the Dahlia flower which I love.  I learned a lot and I can't wait to go back next week!

4-I posted this picture on Pinterest last week and it's gotten over 100 repins so I thought I'd share it here.

5- I'm sooooo happy it's Friday!!!  Can't wait to enjoy the weekend!

31 days to fitness schedule

I have been seriously slacking in my 31 days to fitness series!  I created a schedule so you can know what to expect from me for this series during the last 1/2 of October.  I have some exciting things to share and I'm happy that I have a schedule to follow which will make posting every day easier for me.  I can't wait to get started writing these posts!

October 19-The importance of water and sleep

October 20-Workout clothes

October 21-Workout shoes

October 22-Online resources

October 23-Couch to 5k program

October 24-Being motivated to run (when you hate it!)

October 25-Choosing your first 5k

October 26-Workout friends/workout group

October 27-Maximum Heart Rate

October 28-Base Training

October 29-Working out at Home

October 30-Kettle bells

October 31-Keeping your motivation to workout!

Happy Friday and I will see you back here tomorrow for tips on water and sleep!

Everybody's workin' for the weekend!

Have a great holiday weekend!  I'll be back on Monday with my next installment of my 31 days of working out series.  See you then!!  Xoxo Angie

Being organized for your workouts

I think being organized is the key to a good workout. If I  have everything laid out and ready to go I  am more likely to actually work out.  The days I'm unmotivated to work out are the days when I can't find my excercise gear and I feel like it's easier to stay home.  It takes a little time to prepare the night before but it is SO worth it!  

Here are some tips for packing the perfect gym bag

-your tennis shoes

-ponytail holders, hat or headband 

-headphones, iPod

-workout clothes (don't forget your sports bra!)

-water bottle

-towel (if not supplied by your gym)

-gym membership card

-yoga mat,weights, etc.  anything that you need for a workout class 

-magazine/book for elliptical

-inhaler (I use one in the cold weather)

-Chapstick

It's also important to have your things laid out for after your workout.  These are some pics from Wed morning.  Wednesdays is a double workout day for me and it's the one day I get ready for work at my gym.  I put my outfit (including jewelry!) on a hanger so it's easy to take to the gym.   I also had to pack my make up bag and blow dryer.  I did all of this the night before so I ready to go to the gym bright and early.  

Another great organizing tip is putting your shoes in the same place after each workout.  Mine go in a big tin basket by our front door.  I would hate to search around for my shoes while trying to get put the front door.   Another tip is to make sure you have your water chilled and ready to go.  I always keep a few water bottles in our fridge for all of us.  It makes grabbing them on the go so easy!

What's your favorite excercise organization tip?

Coming up tomorrow-drinking your water!!

5 on Friday!

Today I'm linking up again for the 5 on Friday party!  I am SOOOO happy we have a 3 day weekend!   We have lots of fun stuff planned for the weekend

1) Tonight I'm going to help my friend Sara set up for her sweet baby boy's 1st birthday party.  She is doing a fall theme for his party and I think it will be adorable.  Here is a picture of Lachlan the birthday boy.

2)  This weekend I am headed for a weekend of shopping, crafting, hiking and eating with my friend Sabrina and our girls.  We are going to stay at Sabrina's sister's house and I can't wait.

3)  I love, love, love the way I decorated our hutch for Halloween.  I think it turned out super cute.  I just painted it white and I didn't love it with all of my milkglass collection but I love it know because the fall colors pop against the white.

4)  My new gold iphone finally arrived yesterday afternoon-whooooo hoooooo!!  I am so glad because my old iphone has been completely dead for two weeks  and I  have been lugging my ipad around with me everywhere :(.

5)  I love American Horror Story and I am SO glad it's back for a third season.  I stayed up waaaaay too late on Wednesday night watching the premier.

Deciding when to workout

Thanks for your kind words about my friend Michelle.  It's been an emotionally exhausting week and I'm thankful for the support and love of my family, friends and co-workers.  Her death has touched everyone in our community and I still can't believe that she is gone.

I'm going to pick up my 31 days series today.  I've missed writing these posts and I'm happy to be back writing about something that I love.

Today I'm going to talk about WHEN you should work out.  This is a tough decision for a lot of women, especially moms, because we our lives are SO full and busy and we are all going pretty much non-stop.

I'm going to talk about 5 popular times of day to work out and I want you to tell me which one is best for your schedule?

After dinner/after kids are in bed-this is a popular time to work out because your responsibilities and commitments are done for the day and you have time to fit in your workout.

Late afternoon before dinner-I know a lot of people like to work out right after work before they even get home.  My friend at work goes straight to the gym without going home first for her this is the best time to work out because it fits with her lifestyle and schedule.  She gets her workout done and then goes home to eat dinner and relax.

Lunch time-Many people like to squeeze in lunch time workouts.  I go to my gym  one time per week on my lunch hour to do a class that I love.   My gym is packed then.  A lot of people like this option because you don't have to wake up early and you can go straight home after work.

After kids are in school in the morning-I have stay at home mom friends who LOVE working out at 9ish after their kids are in school.  They don't have to get up early and they can get their workout in early in the day.

Early morning-This is my personal favorite time to work out.  I get up before anyone else is up in my family and head out the door.  I am home about 7am to say good-bye to Brock and Ava before Graig takes them to school and then I can shower and get ready for work.

Tell me what is your favorite time of day to work out?

Coming up tomorrow-being organized will help you work out more

Sadness

I have an outline for most of my posts this month.  I was just about to sit and write my post for Wednesday when I got the awful news Tuesday evening that my friend Michelle lost her battle with cancer. Michelle was 43 and was diagnosed with esophageal cancer in late January.  I have known her for 14 years.  When we first moved to NY we worked together at the College.  She quit working after she had her first baby and we lost touch until last year when she joined the running group that I'm in.  We would run together Tuesday and Thursday mornings.  She was a fast runner and a fierce competitor.  We would do hill repeats once a week and I would bust my butt to try to beat her up the hill and she would do the same trying to beat me. We ran a 5k together on New Year's Eve.  The race was in the middle of the day and it was cold and I was miserable.  Michelle stayed with me and we ran the entire race together.   She said that she didn't want to leave a friend behind.  We crossed the finish line at the same time  and I'm so thankful she stayed with me.  I don't think I would have finished that race without her.  We ran a few times in January and and then she got diagnosed and had to stop running. 

My friend Michelle 

These past few months have been SO hard on her and her family.  She was a fighter and she battled her cancer until the end with grace and dignity.   We had lunch a few weeks ago with some friends and I'm thankful I got to see her and visit with her.  Of course none of us knew that it would be our last time together with her.  Life is a gift and we never know how much time we have left.  Michelle lived her life to the fullest and to honor her legacy I will do the same.  

This is a picture of our running group (and kids!) from a race that exactly one year ago.  Michelle is in the right hand corner in the black under armour hat.  I'm #81.  

Why work out?

I think it's important for you to figure out WHY you want to work out before you start working out.

Before I started I came  up with a list and if I ever get discouraged or want to give up I go back and look at this list to remind myself why working out is SO important to my overall health.

1.  Control your weight-we are a society surrounded by delicious food all day every day.   Exercise will help you keep your weight in a healthy range so you can enjoy the treats you love!  

2. Keep you healthy-working out will  help you fend off heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity. Heart disease runs in my family (both of my parents had heart attacks-my Dad at 58 and my Mom at 64) 

3.  Improves your mood-working out increases your endorphins which makes you happier :-). 

4. Better sleep-working out can help you fall asleep faster and help you sleep more deeply throughout the night.  You will wake up feeling refreshed and ready for another workout!

5.  More energy-regular activity will help build strength and endurance which will give you lots more energy to tackle errands, chores and daily life.  

It's important to write down the reasons why you want to start working out and refer back to it often.  You could put these on a post it, in a notebook or you could keep a list on your phone.  The important thing is to write them down!  Try to come up with one or two and you can add more as they come to you.  

Tell me what are your reasons for wanting to work out?  

Coming tomorrow-deciding when exercise fits in your busy schedule 

31 days to fitness!

I am going to join the Nester this month for her 31 day series.  Lots of bloggers will be writing about a variety of different topics each and every day during the month of October.  I loved reading about some of the 31 topics last year and I'm excited to join in as a writer this year.  I've thought a lot about what I want to write about and to be honest I don't feel like an expert in any topic but I've decided to follow my passion and write about working out.  

I started working out regularly in January of 2011 and though I'd still like to lose more weight I'm proud of the fact that I've stuck with it and it's become a part of my daily routine.  

Never in my life did I think that I would be able to run a mile.  I started couch to 5k in March of 2011 and since then I've completed 20 5k runs, a few 10ks, and 3 15k's!  In January I am going to begin training for a 1/2 marathon!  (I'm # 865, and #179)

This month I'll talk about starting and learning to maintain a fitness program.  I'll also talk about different types of exercises you can do and we will talk about weight training, eating healthy (I struggle with this daily!), and training for your first 5k race!  I also have met fabulous experts in the fitness field and they will be doing guests posts for me throughout this month.  I believe a training program should be balanced and most importantly FUN!  You are not going to stick with something you hate so this month I'll challenge you to find a training program that you love that you can stick to and be successful!  

Day 1-Why work out?

October 9 Day 2-Deciding when to work out?

First Day of school!

Last Thursday Brock and Ava had their first day of school!  I am SO happy that they are back in school and that soon we will be back in to our routine.

Brock is in 11th grade and Ava is in 6th grade this year.

This year will be the hardest year of high school for Brock class wise.  He is taking physics and chemistry this year and he will be playing baseball and basketball.  On top of that he has applied for a dish washing job at a local restaurant (bless his heart!) and we are going to plan a few college visits for the fall-yikes!

Ava is starting middle school so she will have different teachers for every subject and she will  change classes each period.  She will be playing basketball and softball through the Boys and Girls club (she can't play for the school until 7th grade) and she is (sadly!) only taking one dance class this year.  She has also taken over Brock's paper route in our neighborhood and will be doing that with Graig each morning before school.

I got up early and made them a back to school breakfast on Thursday morning. I wanted them to have a good breakfast before their first day.

I also looked through my blog and found some other back to school pictures of them. 

2009-Brock 7th grade, Ava 2nd grade

2011-Brock 9th grade, Ava 4th grade (they looked thrilled to be going back to school-ha ha!)

I guess I didn't take pictures the other years because I couldn't find them on my blog-oops! 

Happy Monday!

Catch Up!!

This summer I was determined for us to get the most fun out of each and every day.  I accomplished that goal because we had a great summer!  It was so fun that I forgot to do any posts in August-oops!

I really need to get better at blogging regularly!  Here are some pictures of our summer fun!

During the first week of August we went to Maine for a little vaca.  We had a great time but the water was FREEZING!!  It was beautiful but next summer I think we will head a little further south for warmer weather. 

Brock turned 16 on our trip and as soon as we got home we went straight to the DMV so he could get his drivers permit.  In NY you have to wait until your are 16 1/2 to get your license so Brock has been practicing and is patiently waiting until February when he can get his license. 

They are so thrilled when I take their picture-ha ha!

 As usual went to a ton of baseball games this summer.  Brock pitched at Doubleday field in Cooperstown in July.  I love this picture I got of him with my iphone.

Brock also started taking flying lessons.  He has wanted to do this for SO long and I am so proud of him but I am terrified at the same time.  I am such a nervous flyer and Brock as always loved flying and being on airplanes.  

This is Brock making his first ever landing-and yes that is a grass runway!

Last weekend my friends and

I have been going to a lot of yard sales with friends this summer.  A few weeks ago we had a spray paint party to paint all of the stuff that we had purchased.  

Our yard is full of pretty flowers and I have been making a ton of flower arrangements this summer

Graig and Brock went to a Yankee game last weekend.  Sadly the Yankees lost :(

My friends and I did a beverage tour last weekend and we visited all 6 breweries in our county.  

Brock and Ava started school last Thursday and I'll be back tomorrow with pictures from their first day!