Fitness Obsessions

Tracy Anderson and I are on a 'break'.  I already miss her.  I keep telling myself its for the best.

I have been loyal to her method for over two years when I got back to regular exercise after having the boys.  I found her method through an online search of 'skinny fat exercises'.  Gwenyth Paltrow was crediting Tracy for getting her body back into shape after having two kids.  At the time, I liked what Tracy was claiming her method would achieve - long lean muscles, no bulking, teeny tiny.  I liked how blonde and perky she was sans all the annoying chatter during her videos.  I even liked all the pink -dumbells! Yoga mat! Lips! I especially liked her fashion sense, although not for everyone with her snakeskin print leggings, I appreciated the fact that she had a style all to her own.   Not to mention, who wouldn't want to look like Gwenyth?  She's stunning.
So Tracy claimed that if I stuck with her method only, 5-6 days a week, using only 3 pound weights, I could eventually look like this:

I have always been very loyal to my fitness routines.  Back in high school I did this video religoiusly with great results.  When I moved on to college I went to the free gym on campus (but lets be real, I seldom chose the gym over drinking with friends), and then shortly after I moved to Saint Louis I enlisted the help of a  personal trainer at Crunch Fitness in downtown St. Louis. I stopped exercising when I got preganant with Finn and didn't start up again until April 2010.  So lately I have felt that I have hit a plateau with Tracy's method.  My body and my mind need something different, something new and exciting.  Thus I must commence the search for the new PROGRAM.  I am taking any and all suggestions.  AS for Tracy this is goodbye, not forever, but for now because if it is really a true lasting love I must let it free and if it returns it was meant to be.  Or whatever.

Final Touches

I think I need this to complete the look I am after in my kitchen.  I love the marble and the steel but where do I put my stools?

Resurrection of the Blog

I suppose my excuse is that I was really busy for the past two years, you know, with the kids and all.  Which I no doubt realize has got to be the oldest excuse in the book, not to mention lame!  Nevertheless, I missed this silly old blog and all that it provided.  A somewhat creative outlet for me to share the non-stop action and adventures in raising two little boys, my love for and experimentation in cooking, and my newest journey through being fit and healthy.  I need to add in a bit of fashion and style, including product reviews, since this is an always has been my passion.
And with that a few recent photos:

Weekly Dinner Plan 4/26/10

The highlight of last week definitely came at the end of the week when Meg and Mahbod came into town for a visit. They arrived on Friday and I had everyone, including Matt and Christine, over for dinner at my house. The menu included rosemary ranch chicken kabobs, roasted asparagus, and spaghetti squash and chard gratin. The gratin was definitely my favorite and I look forward to making it again. Last night I put together a plan through Thursday.

Mon - Palak Dal w/ Rice and Naan

Tue - Blackened Chicken over Fettuccine Alfredo

Wed - Taco Night

Thur - Out for Dinner

Last night on a whim I made this recipe. It was so so good. I cannot wait to eat the leftovers today.

Weekly Dinner Plan: 4/19/10

I yearn to be a very organized person. Someone who has all there Tupperware labeled, laundry done for the week in a day with the clothes put away in the right drawers all neatly folded and ready to go. I want to be that person who can find anything in their house instantly and never runs to the store for a last minute ingredient. Luckily, I was recently advised by a friend to visit orgjunkie.com and I am so so glad that I did. My first step is to start planning my meals out for the week on Sunday night (oops...already a day late so there is definitely room for improvement).

Monday - Easy Skillet Lasagna

Tuesday - Braised Balsamic Chicken w/ Rice

Wednesday - Spinach and Feta Quesadillas

Thursday - Leftovers

Friday - Grilled Teriyaki Chicken

Saturday -Out to Dinner w/Friends

For more menu plans:

My Mid-April Resolutions

Because why not?? Why must one only resolve to be a better person the first of the year. It's right after the craziness of Christmas and it's my birthday month. I happen to prefer to take a break. Not to mention that January is a cold and depressing month and not at all a motivating time for me to positive life changes.

So without further ado, my Spring 2010 Resolutions are as follows:

1) Blog as much as possible - I will achieve this by not being overly concerned with grammar, punctuation, interesting anecdotes and writing, jokes, or posting pictures. I will just write daily about what is going on and I may bore (you?) myself to tears one day if/when I read this in the future, but at least I will have something to read about my life.

2) Meal Plan on Mondays - See next post.

3) Work-out 3-5 days a week - Warning!! I will be posting pictures to track before/after progress.

4) Do not bite off more than I can chew, daily - So that's all I will resolve for now.

*Still need to work on re-designing this blog - colors, format, pictures, and title are all under construction.

It's "Only" Taken Six Months to Get Back to This Blog....

The title pretty much sums up how crazy life has been.

I mean, I have been BUSY. Really busy. And then when I am not busy I am sleeping or trying to regain my sanity via alcohol or funny sitcoms (see: The Modern Family) John and I have been spending the last six months saying how life is a mere modification when you have your first child but with the second....well that is life changing. No Joke, yo.

Anyway, the last six months have been some of the best yet trying moments of my life. The newest member of the family is sweet and cuddly and everything I ever wanted in a cat but never had. I spend so many moments of my day grasping on to each and every precious sweet baby thing that he does because I know that this time is fleeting and yet life is happening and I need remind myself constantly to stop and smell the roses. The first 3 months were very difficult. Mainly because I went from very structured well thought out planned days to oh holy god crazy nonsense madness days. And it was everyday for the past six months. And well, let's just say I don't do well in these circustances.

However this is still my life and I am dealing much better than before. I am learning to embrass the madness and even - gasp - sometimes enjoy it. The great part is that everyday is a surprise. I wake up and I never know what to expect. Happy children. Laughter. Smiles. Hugs and Kisses. Surprise! Or simetimes, sad children. Crying. Screaming. Throwing (or most often a combo of the two). Surprises also come in the form of Finn saying his first sentence or expressing himself in a way he never has before or the day Elliott broke his first tooth or sat up unassisted for the first time.

I am so lucky that I have had a front row seat for all the madness and craziness that is my life.