Flavor of the Month Obsession

It all started when P told me he was thinking about getting a personal trainer in the fall.

Let me back up. I have been begging gently asking P to workout with me. I knew he would love P90X and get great amazing bomb.com results.

But he couldn't seem to find the personal motivation.

I asked him to go to the gym and lift with me.

He said it wasn't his hobby. 

I understood that. Pool wasn't my hobby. So i dropped it. His BFF talked him into running a 5K. He did amazingly good. Beat me and almost won the bet. But hated it.

It wasn't his passion.

We talked him into doing the Warrior Dash at the end of August. Passed it off as a drink fest. He's probably going to hate it.

So why is he all of a sudden talking about a Personal Trainer?  What's his why?

He stumbled across another passion (besides pool). He loves to boat and wakeboard. As a result, he wants to get stronger and lose his belly. 

It's that simple. He found a hobby that he enjoys and realizes that if he gets in a little better shape he can get up on the wakeboard one more time. Push himself to attempt one more trick.  Get a little better.


And so today we joined a new gym. One of those spa type gyms with the most amazing amenities. Sure I'm a Beachbody Coach who should be promoting Beachbody workouts such as P90X or Insanity, but if Preston wants to join a gym and hire a personal trainer I'm in. No questions asked. Because the goal is getting in shape not about selling Beachbody workouts.

Now let me tell you about this new gym. It has a rock climbing wall!! Yep, it comes with the membership. I have been rock climbing only once and I immediately feel in love with the sport. But I never perused it because it's a two person activity and costs some cash-money-hoes.  Now I can do it everyday if I chose.

The new gym also has an MMA training room with MMA classes. Free with the membership. Oh how I have missed kickboxing.

We also get a health assessment that tells you what your inner age is- kinda like the Biggest Loser. Plus we can go back every 4 weeks to get a reassessment.

Did I mention, they have indoor tennis courts!

I am soo excited! But I am like this with all new toys. In fact, I'm going to the gym in the morning for my first official workout! Oh ya, the locker rooms are heaven!

I must admit I feel a little guilty for quitting Gold's. I'm leaving the smaller guy to join the big-box-drive-you-out-of- town company. Down inside I feel like a trader... Then I remind myself that Preston is just as excited as I am to workout. Finally! And the guilty feeling goes away.

{DIY: Trendy Wrap Bracelet}

I stumbled across the blog Honestly...WTF through Centsational Girl. The moment I saw these bracelets I knew I had to make them.

{Image from Honestly...WTF}

{Image from Honestly...WTF}

Ashely and I used to make  friendship bracelets in high school. We were obsessed with them. They were literally piled high around our ankles. You would walk into my room and string would be strung EVERYWHERE!


When I saw these bracelets and others on this blog I was immediately excited! Like back in high school excited. I called Ashley to tell her about this new craft project- she didn't answer. I called my sister- she didn't answer. All very sad. But once they see, and you see, my first creation everyone is going to stop what they are doing and run to Michale's and Lowe's to buy the supplies. {I left in the middle of the Women's Soccor Championship Game to buy the supplies... and I missed all of the overtimes and excitement!}

{My First Creation}

But I think it was worth it! I love it!

Click here, Honestly...WTF, for step-by-step instructions with pictures on how to make this braclet.

A Pleasant Surprise

Isn't it great when you pick up a book not expecting much, really just hoping to get through it, and before you know it you're up every night reading.

The Friday Night knitting Club is this exact type of book. As the plot thickens and twist the characters start to develop and slowly they begin to grow on you and you start to connect. The book is about relationships: strengthening, repairing and growing. 

I enjoy knitting, so the title originally drew me to the book. Plus doesn't belonging to a knitting club sound fantastic?!

As with most books these days, they are making it into a movie staring Julie Roberts. It looks like the movie won't come out until 2013. I will more than likely see the movie, but I love Julie Roberts. Okay who doesn't love Julie Robert?!

The Best Handshakes EVER!

A Post That I Have Been Avoiding

I am finally going to write about it. Actually put it on paper and admit it. Yikes! 

I am having a hard time eating healthy. 

I am having a hard time controlling how much I eat. 

I am obsessing over food.

I am eating out a lot.

I buying healthy groceries and then letting them rot in the fridge.

I am gaining weight. 

I am miserable.

I have such a bad relationship with food. I can't see food as simply energy or something that my body needs to live on. You know eat to live instead of live to eat. I dream about food and as soon a I eat one meal I am already thinking of the next. 

Enough ignoring the situation. I am stepping up and doing something about it. I'm not starting tomorrow, I started tonight. 

The only way I am going to succeed is acknowledging that summer activities are going to get in the way.  I want to continue to have a fun summer and induldge in some adult beverages. So I am not going to go all health-nut-psycho. But I am going to make better choices.

I know what foods are healthy and what foods I need to stay away from (Chick-fil-A, Monica's, Chocolate). So I am not going to say I am only eating salad or following this crazy diet. I know me and I know that by putting restrictions will lead me towards failure not success.

Starting Tonight

Mixing Shakeology, Water, Ice and 1/2 Frozen Banana

Chocolate Banana Shakeology

Fair Food

Growing up and into my late 20's my most favorite time of the year was the El Paso County Fair. I have so many fond memories of the fair. They are silly memories like a carnival game, or riding in my Poppy's golf cart, or wining the Sheep show, sitting in the Cattle Barn, the excitement of seeing a boy or boys, catching chickens, Friday and Saturday night dances, fair food, the adrenaline of the sale. Honestly the list goes on and on. 

My favorite "Fair Food" yes this is a coined term. Not sure who coined it, but Katie Coulson White comes to mind. Anyways my favorite Fair Food is hands down no contention Indian Fry bread. It might just be called Frybread, but because the food booth, the same booth and people mind you for as long as I can remember, called it Indian Fry bread that is what it will forever be known as in my book. 


Since we are in the month of July- official fair season I decided to try and make my own Indian Fry Bread for our camping trip. It wasn't bad. I made the fry bread on Thursday and we didn't eat it until Saturday. I think it would have been a lot better fresh.  

Pre-Cooked

Indian Fry Bread

Harley Supervising

Here is the recipe I used and the video I followed. The video definitely adds character! Enjoy!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup milk
• Hot shortening or oil in deep frypan or fryer 

Steps:

1. Sift dry ingredients.
2. Lightly stir in milk.
3. Add more flour as necessary to make a dough you can handle.
4. Kneed and work the dough on a floured board with floured hands until smooth.
5. Pinch off fist-sized pieces and shape into a disk
6. Disk must be rather flat, with a depression -- almost a hole -- in the center of both sides.
7. Fry in very hot oil or shortening (about 375°) until golden and done on both sides. Drain on absorbent paper.

website credit for recipe

The "Old Lady" Author

My young hipster sister asked me the other day why I was reading an old lady author. The old lady author is Nora Roberts and the book is The Search. Ironically, our old lady mother recommended I read the book hinting that I could maybe use some of the dog training tips in the book on my own two dogs. Hint taken mom! 

The book was actually pretty good. Another great summer read that I couldn't put down. It is a book about dogs, finding love with a mystery mixed in. If you are a dog owner you will enjoy this book! If you don't own a dog, well don't be surprised if you find yourself thinking about getting a dog.  You also might catch yourself daydreaming about moving to a secluded island to find your true passion.