We headed down to College Station Wednesday afternoon and got stuck in HORRIBLE traffic. It took us almost 4 hours to get there when it usually takes us less than 2. Needless to say, by the time we arrived, we were worn out. I headed over to my parents house to help cook and Annabelle stayed with Dad so she could catch up with Uncle Greg and Aunt Meredith who live in Georgia.

On Thursday morning, I woke up early, fed the tiny human and then went for a quick 4 mile run. It was cool but not too cold and the run felt great! After my run, it was time for Annabelle to get dressed for Thanksgiving. Se decided she would represent the Indians at the Thanksgiving table!

Practicing her Indian yells!

After lunch, we headed back over to E's parents house to get ready for the A&M vs. LSU game. Not much to tell here. It was a rough game with some very questionable calls. Sadly, the Aggies lost. We did have fun tailgating with friends and family before the game. We even got a quick sister shot that was quickly photo bombed by Uncle Bryan.




Friday morning was D-day. Time for my 11 mile training run. Again, it was cold, but not too cold. Really, perfect running weather if you ask me. The first 8 miles felt great. Miles 9 and 10 were a little rough, and by mile 11, my hips were screaming for mercy. I'm not sure what exactly is causing the problem. I stretch, make sure I build in an extra long warm up, and foam roll, but nothing seems to help. I think they are still a little out of whack from my pregnancy. Anyways, I finished the 11 miles in a decent time and quickly showered and got ready to take Christmas pictures.


Eric's brother is a great photographer so he graciously took a bunch of photos for us (preview of those to come later). After pictures, it was time to celebrate Thanksgiving again George style. More delicious food and great times with the family.  After lunch, we headed up to Cleburne to visit with Eric's grandmother and extended family.


Belle visited with everyone and tried out her cute baby rocking chair. We headed back home Saturday afternoon so we would have Sunday to decorate the Christmas tree and get life back in order for the week to come. We took a quick break from decorating and laundry to take little bit for a walk. It was her first time sitting like a big girl in the BOB stroller and she really liked it. I think she enjoyed being able to see everything.


It was a busy and fun filled Thanksgiving! I feel like I have so much to be thankful for this year. I have a wonderful husband, great friends and family, a fun job, and the most amazing daughter on earth. I seriously don't know if my heart could handle much more happiness.

How was your Thanksgiving weekend?

Favorite Thanksgiving food? Sweet potato casserole over here! 

In health,

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Happy 4th of July!!

How are you celebrating our wonderful country's Independence Day? Since it's on a Wednesday, it definitely makes celebrating a bit difficult. I am going to teach a Zumba class and do a little work in the morning, then head home to hang out with the hubby in the afternoon! Even though we won't be doing anything crazy, I am still looking forward to celebrating such an important day in our country's history. I feel so blessed to live in the best country in the world! I also want to thank the men in women who fight each and every day for our freedom and all those that have served in the past. America would not be what it is today without your selfless sacrifice.

Just because it's a holiday, doesn't mean you have to kiss your healthy habits goodbye. Remember these tips and you'll have a happy & healthy 4th of July.

• Move early - Before you head to the lake, beach, or family BBQ, get in a quick workout! See the 80's cycle workout below for an awesome way to burn mega calories while jamming to some 80's classics.
• Sip Wisely - Remember that liquid calories count! Limit your alcoholic beverages and definitely avoid drinks that are loaded with sugar such a pina coladas, margaritas, and sugary bottled drinks like Smirnoff Ice. Also, beers add up. If you figure that each bottle of beer has around 100 calories, and you drink 5 beers throughout the day, that adds up to over 500 extra calories.
• Fill Up With Color - Fill your plate with fruits and vegetables first before you dive into the chips, hot dogs, and dessert.
• Keep It Simple - Dishes with less ingredients are often closer to their natural state and usually safer. For example, fruit salad is a better choice than pasta salad, and a corn and bean salad is probably better than most casseroles.
• Go Bunless - You can save a lot of calories and unhealthy carbs (in the form of simple carbohydrates) if you eat your hot dogs or hamburgers sans bun. You can enjoy them topped with your favorite toppings or wrapped in lettuce.
• Come Prepared - Bring a healthy dish with you so you know you have something nourishing to nosh on.

Some of my favorite dishes to take with me to parties include:


Let me know if you try any of these out!

Tuesday is my day-O-sweat. Even more so than a normal day. I taught a boot camp class at 6am, and Piloxing class at 8am, a cycle class at noon, a core class at 5pm, and a Pilates Reformer class at 5:30pm. Fun, Fun and more Fun!! :)

I was feeling the need to change up my normal cycle playlist so I decided to go with some Old School favorites! Click on the workout to enlarge and print.


If you teach cycle, this is a 50 minute ride complete with hills, sprints, and a few flats. I also played a name that song game with my class. The first person to name the song got a point, and the winner got a prize! It was a fun way to keep the class engaged.

This would also be a great workout to print and take with you to the gym for an intense pre 4th of July BBQ workout! I hope you love it!

And now, I must leave you with a picture that makes me smile every time I see it!

source

Is he not too cute? I hope you have an AMAZING 4th of July!

How did you celebrate the 4th of July?

Did you make a fabulous healthy dish you want to share? Link up below!

In health,

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Howdy!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend celebrating Easter, Passover, or just enjoying the nice weather!

When I got home from work on Friday, I had a package from Amazing Grass sitting on my front porch!

I have heard so many great things about this company, and I wanted to try a little bit of everything. Luckily for me, they have amazing sample packs that you can purchase to see what flavors/products you like before you buy the big tubs. I purchased an Amazing Meal Sample Combo, a Wheat Grass and Green Superfoods Sample Pack, and one other sample pack that had a few other superfood flavors. Amazing Grass products are all natural and literally bursting with nutrition. I couldn't wait to try one out, so I whipped up a smoothie for my afternoon snack on Friday and tried the Amazing Meal original flavor packet.



I used spinach, strawberries, 1/2 a banana, ice, and almond milk, plus the amazing meal packet. This was one super powered smoothie. Check out these facts on the Amazing Meal packet.


Since the original flavor actually didn't have much flavor, and I added extra spinach, the smoothie was a little green tasting (i.e. it wasn't as sweet as normal), but I still really enjoyed it. I can't wait to try the other flavors!! My smoothie fueled me for a little Easter shopping. I spent the rest of the afternoon putting together E's Easter basket. He's going to be on a sugar high for a month!


That evening, E and I got to go the the Maverick's basketball game with some people from my office. Even though the Mavs lost, it was a great game!!



We had a blast! Saturday morning was full of Easter goodies. I made E's favorite funfetti cookies, Easter themed Rice Krispie treats with white chocolate and M&M's, and cookie dough cheesecake.


E said they were both delicious, but he LOVED the cookie dough cheesecake. I found the recipe on this blog via Pinterest.

We felt very blessed to share such a wonderful Easter weekend with our family and friends. I hope you all have a wonderful Monday!

How was your weekend?

What is your favorite Pinterest find?

In health,

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Happy Wednesday,

I hope you all had an absolutely amazing holiday. I am back to work today, but I am still basking in the warm glow of the holidays. Instead of boring you with a thousand details about my Christmas celebrations, I thought I could just show you! :)

My parents' Christmas tree.

Christmas Eve dinner

E took all of us out to see Christmas lights on Christmas Eve. It was a little rainy.

My beautiful sisters :)

Champ was pooped after playing all day with his cousin Kona.

This was after Eric had already eaten an entire plate. Nope, I'm not kidding!

One of my Christmas presents from E!!

Santa was goo to me! :)

Cheesin it up!

Family Photo. From Left to right: Greg and Meredith, Dr. & Mrs. George, E and I.

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Family Photo :)

Meredith, Greg and Kona. Aren't they a cute family?

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!

That about sums it up. I hope you all have a great rest of your week. Are you ready for New Year's Eve?  I sure am!

How was your Christmas?

In health,

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Happy Day After Christmas!

How was your Christmas, Hanakuh, or holiday celebration? If you were celebrating yesterday, I hope you had an absolutley amazing day. We were so blessed to spend our day with our wonderful families!

We are about to head out for some Day-After-Christmas shopping so I will be back with a full Christmas recap later, but I wanted to share a delicious and super easy recipe with you guys. For Christmas Eve dinner, I decided to make roasted butternut squash. Someone made it at our office party, and it was too good to be true, so I had to recreate it. Talk about easy and delicious. My younger siblings, who are extremely picky, even ate it!


Ingredients:
2 medium sized butternut squash cubed
1/3 cup Smart Balance buttery spread
1/4 cup honey
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/3 cup crushed pecans

Directions:
1) It really helps if you zap the squash in the microwave for about 2-3 minutes before yout try to cut it. Butternut squash is extremely tough and the first time I tried to cut it I almost cut my hand off! Cut the squash up into 1 inch or so cubes.
2) Sprinkle pecans over squash.
3) Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over squash.
4) Bake for 45 minutes at 350 degrees or until tender. Enjoy!

I hope you love it! I will be back tomorrow with a full Christmas recap! Have a wonderful day!

In health,

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