happy, happy birthday, J!

 

 

 



Free Fitness and A Quickie Strength+Cardio Sesh

Namaste, Y'all! How's everyone's 2013 going so far? Its been rainy and dreary in H-Town the past few days, but other than that, I can't complain :)

I don't know about ya'll but I am not really a fan of gyms. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE classes - spin, kickboxing, yoga, bootcamp, pilates, etc. etc. etc. - but I really hate going to the gym to lift weights. Mainly because of the douchebag single guys who think oogling women while they are trying to get their fit on is acceptable. Is anyone into being hit on while you're doing the thigh press machine? Didn't think so.

But I digress! The whole point of that rant was to tell you why I LOVE getting my weights in at home :) I've tried a lot of DVDs, but I must say that I always go back to the same few websites for FREE workouts. No, I haven't ever tried BodyRock {why?}, but if you enjoy working out at home you should check out the following sites -

Tone It Up: Karena & Katrina are the cutest girls ever and might have the most enviable physiques imaginable. So if their rock hard abs don't get you motivated, I don't know what will! I also love that all of their workouts have a printable version in case you don't want to watch the actual video or would prefer to go at a different speed.

Blogilates: Okay, I like this girl and I think the nutrition and fitness information on her site, as a whole, is pretty sound. I don't necessarily agree with every tid bit she has on her site - though I am far from a professional! - and sometimes I put her videos on mute because she tends to talk the whooooole time...but at the end of the day, I really enjoy the routines and the video quality is decent, and that keeps me going back.

Fitnes Blender: This is probably my favorite site and has definitley been my go-to lately. Don't be turned-off by the 1990s simple design.They have the largest variety of videos, all easily categorized and a multitide of different lengths, so whether you have 10 minutes of 60 minutes, you're covered! Also, every workout I've done on this site has been pretty intense. {bonus - their barre video is a MUST!}

And if you're really feeling like you want something personalized, why not make up your own routine? Here's a quick cardio+strength work out I'm sorta embaressed to admit took me a LONG time to recover from!

 

 

  

 Your buns will love you for it {although they will be screaming in pain the next day, and the next, and the next, and maybe also the next one after that =/!}

In other news, my darling mother - you can call her Pegs - is having ACL surgery today. My sister sent me this picture of her prepping - obviously a lipstick touch up is necessary for surgery. Would you expect anything less? Everyone send her well-wishes and speedy recovery vibes!

 

 



Looking Back

Since we're all getting to know each other here, I think it's fitting to do a 'year in review' post to update you all on life as of late...or in 2012 at least! Without further adieu, here's a photo re-cap of my 2012:

 

 

Last year I sipped champagne on top of the Eiffel tower, learned to snowboard, partied & spa-d in the French Alps, bought our first house, hosted my first Thanksgiving, saw the Mona Lisa, had a College reunion in Austin, stood on top of Mt. Bonnell, went beach exploring in Cabo San Lucas, found a new hobby in running, spent quality time cuddling my fur-child, witnessed some amazing sunsets, spent time with good friends in the Texas Hill Country and watched some of our closest friends grow a baby and become amazing parents! Life was good to me in 2012 and I'm entering 2013 with a full and happy heart.

I don't generally make New Year's resolutions, choosing instead to set 5 or so goals for each year on my birthday. But this year I'm feeling ambitious. In 2013, I resolve to:

- Take More Pictures!
- Run a 10K
- Master 3 New Yoga Poses
- Recycle more!


There's something so exciting about a clean slate and a fresh start! I have a feeling 2013 will be one for the books.