It's Tuesday, and I'm not excited about it!

Howdy friends,

Although Champ is apparently not excited about Tuesday, I am! Things are starting to warm up here in Austin, and I am having to hold myself back from bringing out the tank tops and flip flops! The high is 82 on Friday, and I'm pretty excited about it.

Today's Spotlight is on an awesome studio I have discovered in South Austin called ToddPilates. This studio literally has everything: amazing mat classes, barre classes, Zumba, boot camp, cross-training, and yoga!



So far, I have taken their PilatesMat and PilatesBarre classes, and they were both fantastic. He uses a variety of props to spice up every workout and challenge your body from head to toe in ways you didn't even know were possible!




The thing that I like most about these classes are that they are taught on beat. As a group fitness instructor, it drives me absolutely crazy to be off beat. They use fun upbeat music to keep the class rocking along all together. It seriously feels like a Pilates party every class. You walk out with your booty burning, a big smile on your face, and a fun song stuck in your head. The studio is gorgeous as well. It is extremely clean and well maintained and gives off a very hip vibe. I'm learning that this is just a fact about Austin in general, but hey, I love it. If you live in Austin, you have to give it a try. You're first class is free, so why not?

Now that we have covered fitness, let's talk about food. E wanted meatball sandwiches the other day (which is not very gluten-free friendly), so I decided to stick with an Italian theme and make Zucchini pizzas instead!



They are super easy to throw together, nutritious, and delicious. I simply brush olive oil and garlic on the sliced zucchini, and bake for 20 minutes at 350. Then I added sliced Roma tomatoes, part skim mozzarella and baked for an additional 10 minutes. Lastly, I drizzled with some all natural marinara sauce to top it off. Voila, dinner!

Alrighty friends, I'm off to take a cycle class! Have a great Tuesday!

What are your workout plans for the day?

In health,

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Howdy Friends!

A new week is about to be upon us. Let's embrace it and take over the world! Ok, maybe taking over the world is a little overzealous, but lets at least rock the heck out of this week.

Today, was an absolutely amazing day! The weather was beautiful, we had great friends in town, and we got to spend some quality family time together. We started off the morning with a trip over to Kerbey Lane Cafe!

I've been dying to try this place. As you guys know, I could eat breakfast for every meal, so anytime I can partake in brunch is a good day by me. One of the things that I love most about Austin is how friendly it is for people who have food allergies. I told them I was allergic to gluten and they brought this gem right out!


They have gluten free apple spice pancakes and gingerbread pancakes. Oh, decisions decisions! I went with Apple Spice pancakes with eggs and fruit.


Oh my goodness those pancakes were life changing. I LOVE pancakes, and these were some of my favorites! :) E had french toast, scrambled eggs, and bacon. He said it was delicious as well.

After a quick trip to the grocery store, we loaded up Champ and headed over to Lady Bird Lake to soak up the beautiful weather and go for a hike around the lake. I couldn't stop saying, "can you believe how beautiful it is?" :) Hahaha

My cute boys! Both of them are smiling big for mama.

Figuring out our route.

Champ made lots of new friends today!

Don't they both look so athletic?

Champ worked up quite a thirst on our walk.

Champ was in a standoff with this squirrel. It was hilarious!

We put the state flag on everything in Texas.

You could see the capital when we crossed over the bridge. What a beautiful view!

It has been a perfect Sunday and we're going to wrap it up by grilling some burgers!

What did you do this weekend?

How's the weather in your neck of the woods?

In health,

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Howdy Friends,

How is your Thursday treating you so far? Mine started off great with a barre class at Barre3 followed closely by a mat Pilates class at Todd Pilates (look for a Spotlight on Todd Pilates soon). But before I headed out the door, I had to drink my morning cup of joe!

E got me this cup when we went to Disney World, and I am pretty obsessed. For a girl who loves sports and loves pink almost as much, it's perfect! :)

So let's talk about Barre3. We've talked before about how much I love barre classes, and this studio is no exception. "Barre" classes are a fusion of Pilates and ballet barre training. They combine isometric exercises with fluid traditional Pilates exercises for one but kicking workout that will leave you feeling strong and graceful. I think of it like ballet boot camp. I remember the first time I ever took a barre class looking down at my thighs and expecting to actually see flames coming off of them they were so on fire! Call me sick, but I loved it.

So what's different about Barre3? It brings in the yoga and mind body element a lot more than other barre formats. Let's here what they have to say first!

source

Our unique 3-step sequence creates the strength of an athlete with the long, lean, graceful lines of a dancer.

1. Isometric holds to align and strengthen combined with small range of motion to get deep into the muscles until failure.
2. Low impact dynamic movement to energize and elevate the heart rate.
3. Seamless recovery stretch to elongate and prepare the body.

Barre3 evolves the dancer’s workout by combining the grace of the ballet barre with the wisdom of yoga and the strength of Pilates. Barre3 classes are set to an upbeat soundtrack and follow a vigorous pace moving through a sequence of postures designed to shape and lift the entire body.

source

I really loved the focus on the mind body connection that runs throughout the entire class. You leave class feeling completely exhausted but rejuvenated at the exact same time. The focus on mind body awareness makes you really focus on class and not let outside distractions seep into your workout. This is great for me since I have a hard time turning my brain off and just relaxing. It's like an hour long mental break!

I also loved the upbeat music and dance feel to class. I literally found myself singing along and bobbing my head throughout the entire class. To get a feel for the class and blast your buns and thighs, try out this quick 10 minute video! I promise you'll fee the burn! :)





Overall, I would definitely recommend trying this studio if there is one in your area. If not, check out their online videos and DVD's.

Stay tuned..... In the next "Spotlight On" post I will be telling you about the most amazing mat Pilates class I have ever taken in my entire life at Todd Pilates! It was seriously life changing. :) Did I mention he also teaches a killer barre class. The music was out of this world! Ok, you'll have to wait to hear the rest.

What new workouts have you tried out lately?

Did you like them? Hate them?

In health,

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