Roses Are Red

This is a completely off the wall blog post from yours truly, but I’m sure you’ll find it a bit amusing. Okay, so the picture above is a before and after shot of what appears to be a rose plant. The pic on on the left is what it looked like when I first got it back in February. The pic on the right is what it looked like about a month after. I know you’re probably thinkin’ “what the heck that she do to it?” You know… I’m still trying to figure it out myself. 😛

The story behind this rose:

Hubby knows I don’t like fresh cut flowers because they eventually die. So for Valentine’s Day, he thought it would be cute to send me a plant with a stuffed animal and a box of chocolates. Pretty sweet, huh? Well, his plans didn’t work out quite like he had planned. He ordered this gift online and had it delivered to my job. Didn’t mention a word to me at all. Even when I saw him for lunch that day, he kept quiet about it. When I got out of work at 3:30pm, I called him as I was walking to my car to let him know that I was on my way home. It was then that he asked if I had received his gift. Told him I didn’t  and then it became this big ole thing. Went back into my work building and had one of the managers help me look for my gift. Here I was looking for a bouquet of flowers of some sort. Didn’t find a thing. He was furious. I went home empty handed. It wasn’t till I got home that he told me it may have been sent in a box. Nice. Hadn’t been looking for a box. Anyway, long story short, went back to work in the morning and one of the other managers had my box sittin’ in her office. And yay! No one “stole” it after all.

Okay, so the chocolates were gone in like a day. No joke. Was totally excited to have a plant. Yes I’m a dork, I know. Anyway, brought it home. And seriously did not know what to do with it. I have never, in my life, owned a plant. Ever. Never even took care of a plant before. And you wanna know what’s so ironic about the whole thing? I grew up on a farm. An agricultural farm. My parents were small business owners and farmed veggies. Growing up, I helped with the harvesting process. But never the planting and all the other stuff. Apparently I did not inherit the green thumb gene and I almost killed my poor rose.

So the after pic above is what happens when you keep the plant in that small itty bitty container it arrived in… it’s what happens when you forget to water it… it’s what happens when you basically don’t know CRAP about plants. Yeah, Ms No-Green-Thumb over here even kept the poor plant indoors because I was afraid it would die outside…because it was a tiny thing. I’m sure you’re probably laughing and shaking your head at me, but it is a true story. Sad but true.

Google saved it. When all the leaves started falling off, and after all the drama of finding my “lost” gift, I was not about to let this thing die. So I learned that this thing needed to be watered daily. AND it needed LOTS of sunlight. So I re-planted it (finally!!!) in a bigger pot and put it out in my front yard.

And tada!!! This is what it looks like today:

Yes I know it’s ready to be planted somewhere in the yard… just need to find the perfect spot for it. So, 2 months later and it’s still alive. I didn’t kill it. Thank goodness.

I Survived My Crazy Challenge

And that, my friends, is how I celebrated the end of a crazy 14-Day Challenge. It’s still healthy. But if you look closely… carbs, baby. Whole grain wheat pasta. But still… carbs. And it never tasted sooooo good. 😉 Yup. That’s my “cheat” meal. If you must know, it’s whole wheat rotini pasta with diced tomatoes, zucchini, spinach, green chile, and chicken. Seasoned with herbs and spices. Mmmmm.

I also celebrated by taking the day off from working out. My body is exhausted and sore. Will I do this 14-Day Challenge again? Yes. But not any time soon. It was definitely worth it though. My body needed that “detox”. I’m back down to my normal weight. All the bloat is finally gone. All 5 lbs worth. I have progress pics from Day 1 and Day 14, however, I’m not comfortable sharing them on the internet for 2 reasons. 1) I’m still very insecure about the way I look. And 2) I’m wearing just underwear that do not match. So yeah… not this time. 😛

I will say this… my muscles have toned up quite nicely. And slimmed some in the waist and lower body (yay!). And guess what… there’s also some major booty liftage goin’ on. Yup! Those dang squats did a body good!!! 😉

So yes, I’m so glad I did this challenge. I pushed myself harder in the gym than I’ve ever pushed myself. I’m lifting heavier weight. I love that I’m getting stronger. And I absolutely love the results.

You bettah believe I’ll be back in the gym tomorrow workin’ up a sweat. 😉

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Anyway, if you did the 14-Day Challenge with me… how’d it work out for you? Like it? Dislike it? 

Feel free to share your thoughts!

14 Day Challenge: Day 13 & Day 14

Yay! It’s almost over!!!! I did not get the chance to post today’s workout last night… but this is what I did today. I stayed home and worked out with the boys in the garage. You know what that means. I lifted weights. I guess you could say it was a full body workout. What did I do? 5 sets of a combo move. Low squats into a push press with heavy weight. I don’t know how to explain it to you. YouTube it. Then after that I did my 100 decline sit-ups and 100 push-ups.

And tomorrow is the last day of this challenge! Wooohooo!!! 2 whole friggin’ weeks of torture finally comin’ to an end! 🙂 So what do I have planned for tomorrow? Cardio, baby. And maybe some leg workouts. Do 45 minutes of all out cardio. Or 20 minutes of cardio and then 25-30 minutes of strength training. Your choice. You can totally repeat a workout that you’ve done within the last 2 weeks. Whatever it is, commit to working out for 45 minutes tomorrow. And that’s it. Remember to eat clean!!!

14 Day Challenge: Day 10, Day 11, AND Day 12

Sorry for not posting the last couple of workouts. I hope, if you are doing the challenge with me still, that you were able to get a good workout in yesterday and today. I’ve been dealing with some personal issues the past couple of days and didn’t have time to get on the laptop to hash out a post. Don’t worry, it’s not too serious. And, in case you were wondering, I haven’t fallen off the wagon… I’ve been working out like crazy, too.

Yesterday, Day 10:

Gym:

• ran a mile
• leg extensions – 12-15 reps (heavy weight) 4x
• hip abductor (outter thighs) – 12-15 reps (heavy weight) 4x
• squats – 12-15 reps (heavy weight) 4x
• static lunges – 12-15 reps (heavy weight) 4x
• leg press – 12-15 reps (heavy weight) 4x

At home 20 min AMRAP (as many rounds as possible):

• 20 pushups
• 20 bench press 45#
• 20 air squats
• 20 squats 45#
• 10 squat jumps

Today, Day 11:

Gym: 

• warm up: walked 5 min
• HIIT cardio on treadmill: 1 min @ level 9, 2 min @ level 4, repeated 8 times
• cooled down for 3 minutes

At home 30 min AMRAP:

• 10 burpees
• 20 side lunges (w/10# dumbbells)
• 20 V ups
• 6 – 95# squats
• 10 stability ball one legged squats

**ended the entire workout with 100 decline sit-ups

Tomorrow Day 12:

Gym: 

• HIIT cardio on the treadmill (probably the same one I did today)

At home 30 min AMRAP

• 10 – 75# bench press
• 10 – 25# snatches
• 15 – 75# deadlifts
• 20 box jumps

I may do a little more at the gym. We’ll see. And will definitely end the workout with 100 decline sit-ups and 100 push-ups.

Just a few more days to go!!!! 😉

 

 

Juice It Up

With all the craziness that went on last month, I didn’t get a chance to share with you what the hubs and I got each other for our wedding anniversary.

Since we’ve been married, the hubs and I have been following the “traditional wedding anniversary gifts” list. We thought it would be cute… it allows for some creativity and also doesn’t get boring. I told him he could get me expensive jewelry and handbags for my birthday instead 😉 haha. Anyway, there is a “traditional gift” list and there’s a “modern gift” list. This year, the “traditional” gift for the 4th wedding anniversary is fruits or flowers. And the “modern” gift is appliances. When the hubs and I read that, a lightbulb went off and we both looked at each other and said “let’s do both!” No really, we did say that to each other. Our dorky minds think alike I swear.

Instead of “surprising” each other with gifts, we just decided to buy something we’ve both been wanting to get for awhile. So this is what we bought.

 

Tada!

It’s the juicer to go with ALL the fruit (and veggies) we bought!!!

I know you’re probably thinking we must be the weirdest people on the planet…to be getting excited over a thing like that. But you have no idea how badly we wanted one. We kept saying we were gonna get one but never did. And we used our wedding anniversary as an excuse to get one. I wanted a VitaMix blender but I also wanted Vegas, too. 😉 So I guess our Ninja blender will have to suffice. At least now we have our juicer.

So yeah, we’ve been using this bad boy every single day since we got it. Some days 2 or 3 times a day. We love it. It’s easy to use, isn’t messy at all, and sooo easy to clean.

Yup. I’m a nerd. And now I’m a nerd with a juicer!

😛

I Want To Feel Beautiful, Too

I’ve worked my body so hard these past couple of weeks at the gym and am lovin’ every bit of it. Seeing the muscles tone up. Noticing certain areas slim down. Pleased with my new progress… But still not quite 100% satisfied.

Then a new thought transpired “Will I ever be happy with the way I look? Ever?” That’s a pretty scary thought, if you ask me. I mean… When will I be able to look at myself and say “ok, you look GOOOOD.”

This morning, as I was scrolling through my Twitter feed, a tweet caught my eye.

This is something I continue to struggle with. I am still trying to find that balance. Some days it seems I have it all figured out. And then other days I feel like everything’s out of control. Especially when it comes to my eating habits. When I allow myself to indulge in something that’s not “clean”, it turns into a binge fest and I just can’t stop myself. And then I feel guilty for it afterwards. And I know I shouldn’t. But it can be difficult at times. For the most part, I’m very disciplined when it comes to what I put into my body.

My husband tells me I’m too hard on myself. And he’s constantly telling me “you’re beautiful”. The thing is… I don’t feel beautiful. I would love to wake up one day and just love the way I look. Something I really need to work on. I know I’ve come a long way. I’ve achieved so much. And I really should embrace it.

I am definitely still a work in progress.

14 Day Challenge: Day 9 Workout (Tuesday)

No time to chit chat… just gonna give you my planned workout for tomorrow.

Guess what we’re doin’.

Full body workout and ABS!!!!

🙂

First workout:

**Tone It Up Workout**

 

And then this…

And then I might try to do my 100 push-ups after this… but if I remember correctly, the last time I did the ab workout, I was completely spent afterwards and couldn’t move a muscle. So we’ll see.

I’m doin’ these workouts at home tomorrow but will be back in the gym on Wednesday doing upper body.

Have a good one, guys!!!

🙂

14 Day Challenge: Day 8 Workout

Before I get into the workout, I just have to say that today was a tough day. Food-wise. I’ve been strong all week. Was able to say no to all the bad food. Like Day 1 of this challenge, the hubs came home from school starving and I hadn’t made him anything to eat. We went out to run errands and he stopped at Chik-Fil-A to get something. Saying no was easy. And yesterday? Piece of cake. Didn’t even think twice about it. But today? Oh-em-gee. It was most definitely a struggle.

We went to another birthday party today. A kid birthday party. Our nephew’s birthday party. We walked into my sister-in-law’s house and almost immediately became hypnotized by the overwhelming aroma of pizza. I hardly ever crave pizza. But today…it’s all I wanted. I wanted so badly to grab a box and just start shoveling them slices into my mouth. What made it even more difficult was hearing the same line “let this be your free day” repeated to me over and over.  Even that deceiving little voice inside my head kept telling me “just one…just eat one.” It took every ounce of energy NOT to pick up a pizza slice. Ohhhh and cake and ice cream? Yeah… so bad. Thank goodness I had packed myself a lunch before I left home.  Hubs was nice enough to fix it for me in the kitchen… It was best I stayed out of that kitchen because I don’t think I would have been able to stay away from all of those pizzas.

Anyway, we were there for about 4 hours and I managed not to slip up. Isn’t it funny how you start craving stuff that you can’t have? I’m just so glad I survived. 😛

Okay, moving on. Here’s the plan for tomorrow’s workout.



HIIT Cardio:

• 5 min warm-up
• stretch
• Run/sprint for 1 minute at level 9
• walk for 1 minute at level 2
• repeat 9x
• cool down for 5 minutes

Strength Training:

End with this:

If you want, you can do 100 decline sit ups and 100 push-ups like me. 🙂

This entire workout can be done at the gym or at home. At the gym, you can add weight if you feel you need a challenge.

Have a good workout, guys!!!

14 Day Challenge: Day 7 Workout

Bet ya thought I forgot about today’s workout, didn’t ya? NOPE!!! 🙂 I am well aware that it’s still a 14-Day Challenge. My entire body is in pain, so of course I did not forget about it at all. 

Anyway, today’s another busy day for me. Hair appointment with my salonist (not me, the hubs), then off to another birthday party, and then it’s time to get some groceries for the upcoming work week! Which, by the way, I’m planning on doing Tone It Up’s 5-Day Slim Down just because.

It’s Sunday. We are on the 7th day of this Challenge… halfway through! Wooohoooo! It feels awesome. Okay, so today’s workout will be a little less intense than the rest of the week. But it doesn’t mean ya get to slack off! Here are the workout options for today:

1. Go for a run/jog around the neighborhood. At least 30 minutes. Get out and enjoy nature! The weather has been really nice lately here in Southern California… take advantage! I might just take my dogs for a run. Maybe.
2. Go to the gym and do any type of cardio – on the treadmill, elliptical, bike, stairmaster… keep it low-intensity. Just get your blood flowin’ and sweat it out.
3. You can do cardio at home. Maybe try a new workout video. Yoga is a good one to do. Or jump rope! Sky’s the limit.
4. Do 100 air squats, 100 sit ups, 100 push-ups and then call it a day

Whatever it is, just do something for at least 30 minutes. If you’re sore like I am… and trust me, I am sore all over, you will enjoy the little “break” from the intense workouts from the past week. After I did my 100 decline sit ups last night, I seriously thought about not doing it today. But… I might change my mind. Who knows…we’ll see.

Enjoy your workout!!!

Another First

Can you believe I’ve never been rollerskating? I rollerblade. I even ice skate. But rollerskate? Never. Yeah, so today I was actually a little nervous about getting in that skating rink. Because really, I haven’t been skating in years. Oh no wait. I’m lying. I went rollerblading a few years ago as well as ice skating… anyway, my point is I’m a little rusty. And, of course, everyone reassured me that it’s like riding a bike. And you never forget. And you know what? They were right. But ya better believe I held the hub’s hand the whole time I skated. You know…just in case. 😉

Today we went to Cal Skate in Grand Terrace to celebrate the hub’s little sister’s 10th birthday. Gosh… saying that “out loud” just made me feel really old. I remember when she was just a tiny baby. There was pizza, birthday cake, and lots of soda. And just so you know, I did not have any. I made sure to eat before we went over there, and I brought a couple of Clif bars to snack on in case I did get hungry and my trusty water bottle. We were only there for 2 hours… so I did good.

We had a great time skating and hanging out with family. It’s always a blast when we all get together. I even mentioned to the hubs that we should do this again some time soon. Future date night maybe? I dunno. We’ll see. He’s a natural at anything athletic. So yes, it was fun. And I’d love to do it again.

Here are just some pics of today’s adventure….

Birthday Girl D’Anna

Hubs with his siblings (only one missing is his sister Valerie)

And with their dad…

And then with everyone else…

And since I was the photographer and couldn’t get in the pic, the hubs had his sister take one of us…

That’s me tryin’ to look cute. Sooo not successful.

😛

More family fun pics!

And how flippin’ cute are these skates? Birthday girl got them just for today. I think I’m gonna make the hubs get me a blinged out pair, too!!! 😛

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Happy Birthday D’Anna! We love you!!!

An added bonus vid of the hubs “showin’ me how it’s done” 😛 :

Mr. Show-Off