Yes, I did a Peak 10 Challenge in the spring, but I'm already anxious for another one! I typically complete two rounds of the Challenge every year and 2016 is no different.
Before every Challenge, you're supposed to do the Fit Test - to see how much you improve over the course of the eight weeks. This time, I completely forgot since I was out of town last week. Maybe I can fit that in this weekend!
But off we go!
Monday: PeakFit Pure Cardio + walk
I was excited to do Pure Cardio this morning because it's such a great workout! With my 45 minutes in the morning, I have to skip one circuit of this workout but it's still great! In reality, it's a Cardio Interval Burn without the peaks. So, much less stressful! At lunch, I went to the rec center, despite some drizzle, and walked the track. The students were back so I had to dodge sprinters, runners, and meandering texters. Ha!
Tuesday: Dozois' Total Body Cardio and Strength
Today it was time for weights! I hadn't done this workout since the last Peak 10 Challenge so it was fun to get back into it. The up and down planks are still tough! Whew! But it was fun - and such a great workout. I kept the cardio low-impact, deciding that today would be my light-on-the-knees day. Ha!
Wednesday: Peak Fit Anytime Anywhere No Excuse Workout
Ah, my old friend, my frenemy. What can I say about this morning... I survived. I did better than I thought - usually, the first time I do this one, it kills me. But I survived and I did all the peaks, even the burpees. Yay! I don't know why this one is so hard for me. Maybe it's going to the floor so much.
Thursday: Amy's Kickboxing Skills and Drills + Ilyse's Sweaty, Sassy, and Strong + walk
It was fun to do some different workouts this morning. I hadn't done Amy's kickboxing in a while and it was nice! Ilyse's dance is always fun and I tried to make this one more high impact. I was sweating up a storm! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and did a lot of ab work.
Friday: BodyFit 360 Vol. 2- Dance Conditioning
It's Friday! That means a fun day! This workout is a lot of fun - and it's challenging in some deceptive ways. I did the arm and ab work this time, which I don't always do. It's tough!! But I was glad to get some god work in. I had every intention of doing weights at lunch today, but something crazy happened at work, which prevented it. Ugh.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn + Amy's Metabolic Meltdown
I was ready to work today after eating badly yesterday at dinner. This CIB - the original CIB - is so much fun! You never go to the floor, which is a relief, but the peaks are tough! It's deceptively easy starting out and then….dang! After that finished, I did 15 minutes of Amy's workout - so 70 minutes of cardio. Wow! It felt good but I was tired. I then stretched really well and did sit-ups.
Sunday: Peak 10 Cardio Strength + weights
So I was a little pressed for time this morning. I did a five minute warm-up before starting this CS. And….dang, this CS is tough. They're all tough but this one, the first one I ever did, gets me every time. I forced myself to go all out and I felt very accomplished afterward. I did an additional five minutes of cardio after it ended. Then, 15 minutes with my 12lb weights - since I missed weights on Friday. And finally, a stretch and ab work.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - 1152
Tuesday - 1290
Wendesday - 1058
Thursday - 1415
Friday - bad
Saturday - BAD
Sunday - 1188
Trying to get better…. Sigh.
Monday, August 29, 2016
Friday, August 26, 2016
Yarn Crawls
So for yet another year, I missed the DFW Yarn Crawl. I've always wanted to do it but another year has gone by without it getting done. Sigh.
One of the highlights of my year is the DFW Fiber Fest, where tons of yummy yarn is showcased for our delight under one roof. Four months later, when the Crawl comes along, it seems like way too much hassle to go around, for miles, looking at yarn…. Yet I'd like to.
And now, I've learned of yet another crawl - the Hill Country Yarn Crawl. One stop is, of course, the end-all-be-all of Texas yarn shops, Hill Country Weavers in Austin. I must do this. There are so many LYSs I need to get to! Oh my!
Part of my problem (addition, ahem!) is the almost daily emails from Kitterly. And now they have kits featuring the patterns of Casapinka, one of my favorite designers.
I have a problem. I'm so addicted to yarn and knits….. But my real problem is that I don't have enough hours in the day to knit everything I want to knit!!!
Oh my!
One of the highlights of my year is the DFW Fiber Fest, where tons of yummy yarn is showcased for our delight under one roof. Four months later, when the Crawl comes along, it seems like way too much hassle to go around, for miles, looking at yarn…. Yet I'd like to.
And now, I've learned of yet another crawl - the Hill Country Yarn Crawl. One stop is, of course, the end-all-be-all of Texas yarn shops, Hill Country Weavers in Austin. I must do this. There are so many LYSs I need to get to! Oh my!
Part of my problem (addition, ahem!) is the almost daily emails from Kitterly. And now they have kits featuring the patterns of Casapinka, one of my favorite designers.
I have a problem. I'm so addicted to yarn and knits….. But my real problem is that I don't have enough hours in the day to knit everything I want to knit!!!
Oh my!
Monday, August 22, 2016
Pre-Peak Workout Week
I've finished my first eight-week FitnessGlo Challenge and it's almost time for my next Peak 10 Challenge.
After almost getting my butt whipped by a Peak 10 workout on Sunday, I'm ready to get back into Peak 10 form. Stat!
Monday: Shape's Bikini Body Camp Transforming + Ilyse's Groovy Dance Party
I turned to one of Michelle Dozois' older workouts this morning, this one being the cardio workout on Shape's Bikini workout video. It's so good - just a little less intense than a Peak 10 workout. It left me breathless! I then turned to Ilyse's fun dance workout, making it high impact where I could for a really good workout!
Tuesday: Ilyse's Full-On Cardio Blast + Easy to Follow Dance Moves + weights
Must have cardio! Today I wanted to work so I chose one of Ilsye's few athletic cardio workouts. This one really gets me, especially the non-stop jumping in the beginning - whew! After that 30 minutes, I took things down a notch with Dance Moves. Fun! At lunch, I did weights at the rec, despite a crazy day. But I'm so glad I did!
Wednesday: Dozois' Calorie Burning Cardio Blast + HIIT - Breathless and Energized + Scott's HIIT - Sports Inspired Intervals
I wanted to work hard this morning so I decided to do all these HIITs in a row. Fun! I started with Michelle's easier one before doing her hardest. These really did leave me breathless. Scott's Intervals were tame by comparison! All together, these make for a great, sweaty, workout. Whew!
Thursday: Dozois' Cardio Strength 2 on Glo + Tip Top Shape
Today was a vacation day - and tomorrow, actually. Yay! So I had plenty of time this morning. I got up at my normal time and did this CS - which is a lot harder before 6am. Dang! It was a struggle to get through it, but I did. Awesome! I then tuned into Michelle's strength + cardio workout. Love it! It was a morning filled with hard work but I felt great afterward!
Friday: PeakFit Dynamic Flexibility
I was in east Texas today so I decided to take it easy with this workout. Since I'm about to start another Peak 10 Challenge, Dynamic Flex sounded great. And it was! I really love this workout. It makes you sweat but stretches you in every way imaginable.
Saturday: Dozois' Rockin Body Cardio
I hadn't intended to do this workout today but I had no internet which meant no Glo. But I hadn't done this video in a long time so it was a nice change. Even Michelle's earlier workouts are tough! This one is fun but you definitely work up a sweat! I felt like I'd had a good workout when I was done!
Sunday: Michelle's Cardio Interval Burn on Glo + Scott's Athletic Burn
After eating too much all weekend, I was ready to do anything to feel better about myself. This CIB is not at all easy but I did it all - glad to be working hard. Nothing - nothing - gets me working harder than a Peak workout. After that 55 minute workout, I did Scott's HIIT - for 25 minutes. Whew! It's a good one and I may have to do it occasionally. Finally, after that - a stretch and sit-ups.
Calorie Counts:
So, so bad. I'm truly disgusted with myself. The summer is almost over so that means it's almost time to buckle down again and get back to my normal, healthy eating. And Peak 10 will help!
After almost getting my butt whipped by a Peak 10 workout on Sunday, I'm ready to get back into Peak 10 form. Stat!
Monday: Shape's Bikini Body Camp Transforming + Ilyse's Groovy Dance Party
I turned to one of Michelle Dozois' older workouts this morning, this one being the cardio workout on Shape's Bikini workout video. It's so good - just a little less intense than a Peak 10 workout. It left me breathless! I then turned to Ilyse's fun dance workout, making it high impact where I could for a really good workout!
Tuesday: Ilyse's Full-On Cardio Blast + Easy to Follow Dance Moves + weights
Must have cardio! Today I wanted to work so I chose one of Ilsye's few athletic cardio workouts. This one really gets me, especially the non-stop jumping in the beginning - whew! After that 30 minutes, I took things down a notch with Dance Moves. Fun! At lunch, I did weights at the rec, despite a crazy day. But I'm so glad I did!
Wednesday: Dozois' Calorie Burning Cardio Blast + HIIT - Breathless and Energized + Scott's HIIT - Sports Inspired Intervals
I wanted to work hard this morning so I decided to do all these HIITs in a row. Fun! I started with Michelle's easier one before doing her hardest. These really did leave me breathless. Scott's Intervals were tame by comparison! All together, these make for a great, sweaty, workout. Whew!
Thursday: Dozois' Cardio Strength 2 on Glo + Tip Top Shape
Today was a vacation day - and tomorrow, actually. Yay! So I had plenty of time this morning. I got up at my normal time and did this CS - which is a lot harder before 6am. Dang! It was a struggle to get through it, but I did. Awesome! I then tuned into Michelle's strength + cardio workout. Love it! It was a morning filled with hard work but I felt great afterward!
Friday: PeakFit Dynamic Flexibility
I was in east Texas today so I decided to take it easy with this workout. Since I'm about to start another Peak 10 Challenge, Dynamic Flex sounded great. And it was! I really love this workout. It makes you sweat but stretches you in every way imaginable.
Saturday: Dozois' Rockin Body Cardio
I hadn't intended to do this workout today but I had no internet which meant no Glo. But I hadn't done this video in a long time so it was a nice change. Even Michelle's earlier workouts are tough! This one is fun but you definitely work up a sweat! I felt like I'd had a good workout when I was done!
Sunday: Michelle's Cardio Interval Burn on Glo + Scott's Athletic Burn
After eating too much all weekend, I was ready to do anything to feel better about myself. This CIB is not at all easy but I did it all - glad to be working hard. Nothing - nothing - gets me working harder than a Peak workout. After that 55 minute workout, I did Scott's HIIT - for 25 minutes. Whew! It's a good one and I may have to do it occasionally. Finally, after that - a stretch and sit-ups.
Calorie Counts:
So, so bad. I'm truly disgusted with myself. The summer is almost over so that means it's almost time to buckle down again and get back to my normal, healthy eating. And Peak 10 will help!
Wednesday, August 17, 2016
Babies
Last week, one of my best friends, SKP, had a baby boy. Yay! It was such a relief to hear that both mother and son were healthy.
Birthing babies has been on my mind a lot since it's been greatly talked about in the fifth Outlander book, The Fiery Cross. I think we, as a society, take modern medicine for granted at times. And there's nothing like childbirth to help us remember just how precious our lives truly are!
The preciousness of life - any life - is why I don't understand hunting as a sport. On the rare occasion that I've hit a squirrel in the middle of the street, I'm devastated! That squirrel could have been taking food to babies...so did I just kill all those baby squirrels?!
Every year and sometimes twice a year, we have barn swallows nest on our back porch and lay eggs. Each time, we're terrified of something happening to the eggs or then the babies. And something always happens to at least one of the them, it seems. Life is harsh and sometimes a baby gets pushed out of the nest.
Yes, I'm rambling but babies make me reflect on a lot of things. Never take a life for granted. A small one or a big one.
Congrats, SKP!
Birthing babies has been on my mind a lot since it's been greatly talked about in the fifth Outlander book, The Fiery Cross. I think we, as a society, take modern medicine for granted at times. And there's nothing like childbirth to help us remember just how precious our lives truly are!
The preciousness of life - any life - is why I don't understand hunting as a sport. On the rare occasion that I've hit a squirrel in the middle of the street, I'm devastated! That squirrel could have been taking food to babies...so did I just kill all those baby squirrels?!
Every year and sometimes twice a year, we have barn swallows nest on our back porch and lay eggs. Each time, we're terrified of something happening to the eggs or then the babies. And something always happens to at least one of the them, it seems. Life is harsh and sometimes a baby gets pushed out of the nest.
Yes, I'm rambling but babies make me reflect on a lot of things. Never take a life for granted. A small one or a big one.
Congrats, SKP!
Monday, August 15, 2016
FitnessGlo Challenge: Week 8
It's already been eight weeks?! Holy cow!
I've really enjoyed changing things up with this Challenge. I've enjoyed it so much that I'm thinking of doing it again this year - instead of another Combat Challenge. We'll see. In the meantime, it's time to get to work. I need all the help I can get this summer!
Monday: Petra's High Intensity Drills + Ilyse's Just Dance + walk
I need to up my cardio game this week to burn off some calories, stat! Petra's workout is a challenge because of the length of the drills - 45 seconds. Eek! But I got through it and then had fun with Ilyse's dance workout. This one isn't my favorite but it's fun and light - though I tried to jump as much as possible. At lunch, I walked at the rec center. Quickly.
Tuesday: Denise's Cardio and Sculpt Challenge
This morning was rough after a bad night of sleep. I decided to keep this workout low-impact since I've been jumping so much lately. And it was good. I lifted my heels and barely let my feet lift off the ground for the jogs and jump ropes. The weights were good, too. I did my own cardio once Denise went to the floor but I still got a good workout!
Wednesday: Ilyse's Your Best, Sweaty Self + Dance Intervals 101
I was ready to work hard this morning and Ilyse's workouts were great. Unlike a lot of my recent Glo workouts, these are not circuit based. You go, go, go....and go. Ilyse is relentless in both workouts and it gets tiring jumping and jogging continuously. Ha! But it felt good and I was glad to work hard.
Thursday: Scott's Athletic Burn + Dozois' HIIT - Breathless and Energized
Extra cardio - intense cardio - was needed this week. Sigh. Scott's workout was new-to-me and it was good. The circuits were different lengths which kept me guessing. I skipped the burpees but did everything else. Dozois' HIIT is always great - and had me huffing and puffing more than Scott's longer workout. Ha!
Friday: Dozois' Body Fit 360 + weights
I love Friday workouts. They mean something light or yoga-y for me. Today I decided on Michelle Dozois' original Body Fit 360. It's so good. Because I wanted a really good stretch today, I did the first 25 minutes of cardio and then skipped to the ab section and, finally, the great stretch. Love it! At lunch, I finally made it to the rec for weights - after skipping it last week. Thank goodness for my motivated co-worker, who helped get me over there!
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn Remix + McLean's Cardio Hip Hop
Even though I'm not in peak form, I was looking forward to this CIB today. I just love it!…outside of the peaks. Ha! Michelle works you hard but you also have a lot of fun. And that's why I love her style. After that 55 minutes, I tuned into McLean's dance workout for 15 minutes. Whew! I made it high impact and just kept on sweating. After all that, a nice stretch and ab work.
Sunday: Peak 10 More Cardio Strength + Petra's Target All Your Angles
This is my least favorite Peak 10 workout and today it really kicked by butt. I struggled through the floor work when it came up….in every single circuit but one. Sigh. When the end finally came, I was glad….and exhausted. After that (50 minutes), I only got through about 15 minutes of Petra's workout. I wish I could have done more….but I stretched and did sit-ups instead.
Calorie Counts:
So bad.
I've really enjoyed changing things up with this Challenge. I've enjoyed it so much that I'm thinking of doing it again this year - instead of another Combat Challenge. We'll see. In the meantime, it's time to get to work. I need all the help I can get this summer!
Monday: Petra's High Intensity Drills + Ilyse's Just Dance + walk
I need to up my cardio game this week to burn off some calories, stat! Petra's workout is a challenge because of the length of the drills - 45 seconds. Eek! But I got through it and then had fun with Ilyse's dance workout. This one isn't my favorite but it's fun and light - though I tried to jump as much as possible. At lunch, I walked at the rec center. Quickly.
Tuesday: Denise's Cardio and Sculpt Challenge
This morning was rough after a bad night of sleep. I decided to keep this workout low-impact since I've been jumping so much lately. And it was good. I lifted my heels and barely let my feet lift off the ground for the jogs and jump ropes. The weights were good, too. I did my own cardio once Denise went to the floor but I still got a good workout!
Wednesday: Ilyse's Your Best, Sweaty Self + Dance Intervals 101
I was ready to work hard this morning and Ilyse's workouts were great. Unlike a lot of my recent Glo workouts, these are not circuit based. You go, go, go....and go. Ilyse is relentless in both workouts and it gets tiring jumping and jogging continuously. Ha! But it felt good and I was glad to work hard.
Thursday: Scott's Athletic Burn + Dozois' HIIT - Breathless and Energized
Extra cardio - intense cardio - was needed this week. Sigh. Scott's workout was new-to-me and it was good. The circuits were different lengths which kept me guessing. I skipped the burpees but did everything else. Dozois' HIIT is always great - and had me huffing and puffing more than Scott's longer workout. Ha!
Friday: Dozois' Body Fit 360 + weights
I love Friday workouts. They mean something light or yoga-y for me. Today I decided on Michelle Dozois' original Body Fit 360. It's so good. Because I wanted a really good stretch today, I did the first 25 minutes of cardio and then skipped to the ab section and, finally, the great stretch. Love it! At lunch, I finally made it to the rec for weights - after skipping it last week. Thank goodness for my motivated co-worker, who helped get me over there!
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn Remix + McLean's Cardio Hip Hop
Even though I'm not in peak form, I was looking forward to this CIB today. I just love it!…outside of the peaks. Ha! Michelle works you hard but you also have a lot of fun. And that's why I love her style. After that 55 minutes, I tuned into McLean's dance workout for 15 minutes. Whew! I made it high impact and just kept on sweating. After all that, a nice stretch and ab work.
Sunday: Peak 10 More Cardio Strength + Petra's Target All Your Angles
This is my least favorite Peak 10 workout and today it really kicked by butt. I struggled through the floor work when it came up….in every single circuit but one. Sigh. When the end finally came, I was glad….and exhausted. After that (50 minutes), I only got through about 15 minutes of Petra's workout. I wish I could have done more….but I stretched and did sit-ups instead.
Calorie Counts:
So bad.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Dog Days of Summer
After so many days and weeks of 100+ temperatures (or 98+), it's a superb relief to see this.....
Hallelujah. That's all I can say.
Now please excuse me while I go and water my parched plants.
Monday, August 8, 2016
FitnessGlo Challenge: Week 7
This week started out a bit rough, with some stomach issues. But I quickly got back into the swing of things. And considering my eating, I needed to be able to work hard.
Monday: Crunch's Fat Burning Pilates + Scott's Tone, Tighten and Firm
This morning, I wasn't feeling well. Later in the day, I did about 15 minutes of Ellen Barrett's Pilates video. I hadn't done this one in forever and it's so good! Then, I did Scott's weight workout - all 20 minutes. Dang, triceps! I used the 12-pound weights when I could and definitely felt it!
Tuesday: Dozois' 30 Minute Boot Camp + Ilyse's Heart-Pumping Groove
I was almost back to normal today but I wanted to take it a bit easier than usual. So, I did Michelle's level 2 boot camp - which is basically a bit slower than a level 3. It was still a good workout, though I skipped the burpees. Next up was Ilyse's fun dance workout. Mr. Higgins laughed at me as he ate his breakfast. I'm glad I can provide some comic relief at 6am.
Wednesday: Amy's Bootcamp Blast + Scott's HIIT - Sports Inspired Intervals + walk
My week is all screwed up as far as weights go - so I did them today with Amy's workout. I think I'd done this workout before but I can't remember.... It was good! After that, I did Scott's HIIT - always effective! At lunch, I walked at the rec center, unable to bring myself to do weights. Ugh.
Thursday: Scott's Multi-Level Cardio Drills + Amy's Intervals + walk
It was hard to get going this morning but Jeffrey Scott made me move - and very quickly! This was a good set of drills - much like his others. After that ended, I did 15 minutes of Amy's intervals - always super effective. At lunch, I walked at the rec center. It was a challenge to do that today because of meetings but I made myself!
Friday: Scott's Boot Camp Burn + Shape's Bikini Body Camp Transforming
This morning, I had a few extra minutes so I tried to put them to good use. I did about 35 minutes of Scott's cardio/weight drills in Burn. Then, all 20 minutes of Dozois' cardio in Bikini. It made for a very effective morning workout, all in all! Even though the Bikini cardio is a bit more basic than Dozois' later workouts, it's still tough! Hello lunge jumps in the last circuit!!
Saturday: Michelle's Cardio Interval Burn on Glo + Ilyse's Power Stretch
I pulled two hamstrings yesterday, somehow. I have no idea. But I hurt. I did 65 total minutes of cardio this morning - all of the CIB plus my own cardio to get a good, long workout. This CIB is definitely different from the others but very, very effective. Whew! Afterward, since I was so sore, I did Ilyse's 10-minute stretch, wanting to be forced to stretch well and long. Ab work finished off my morning.
Sunday: McLean's Tabata - Get Gloing with Tabata-Inspired Drills + Amy's Cardio Combo
Wow, so I finally found a workout of McLean's that I can tolerate. This one wasn't easy and I had to modify just a bit but it was doable and almost un-hateable. LOL! He alternates a weighted move and then a cardio move - each done 20 seconds. After that 45 minutes, I tuned into Amy's level two workout - also a nice combination of weights and cardio. That lasted 30 minutes. I then did five minutes of core work followed by a nice stretch. My hamstrings are still annoyed with me.
Calorie Counts:
Bad. So, so bad.
Monday: Crunch's Fat Burning Pilates + Scott's Tone, Tighten and Firm
This morning, I wasn't feeling well. Later in the day, I did about 15 minutes of Ellen Barrett's Pilates video. I hadn't done this one in forever and it's so good! Then, I did Scott's weight workout - all 20 minutes. Dang, triceps! I used the 12-pound weights when I could and definitely felt it!
Tuesday: Dozois' 30 Minute Boot Camp + Ilyse's Heart-Pumping Groove
I was almost back to normal today but I wanted to take it a bit easier than usual. So, I did Michelle's level 2 boot camp - which is basically a bit slower than a level 3. It was still a good workout, though I skipped the burpees. Next up was Ilyse's fun dance workout. Mr. Higgins laughed at me as he ate his breakfast. I'm glad I can provide some comic relief at 6am.
Wednesday: Amy's Bootcamp Blast + Scott's HIIT - Sports Inspired Intervals + walk
My week is all screwed up as far as weights go - so I did them today with Amy's workout. I think I'd done this workout before but I can't remember.... It was good! After that, I did Scott's HIIT - always effective! At lunch, I walked at the rec center, unable to bring myself to do weights. Ugh.
Thursday: Scott's Multi-Level Cardio Drills + Amy's Intervals + walk
It was hard to get going this morning but Jeffrey Scott made me move - and very quickly! This was a good set of drills - much like his others. After that ended, I did 15 minutes of Amy's intervals - always super effective. At lunch, I walked at the rec center. It was a challenge to do that today because of meetings but I made myself!
Friday: Scott's Boot Camp Burn + Shape's Bikini Body Camp Transforming
This morning, I had a few extra minutes so I tried to put them to good use. I did about 35 minutes of Scott's cardio/weight drills in Burn. Then, all 20 minutes of Dozois' cardio in Bikini. It made for a very effective morning workout, all in all! Even though the Bikini cardio is a bit more basic than Dozois' later workouts, it's still tough! Hello lunge jumps in the last circuit!!
Saturday: Michelle's Cardio Interval Burn on Glo + Ilyse's Power Stretch
I pulled two hamstrings yesterday, somehow. I have no idea. But I hurt. I did 65 total minutes of cardio this morning - all of the CIB plus my own cardio to get a good, long workout. This CIB is definitely different from the others but very, very effective. Whew! Afterward, since I was so sore, I did Ilyse's 10-minute stretch, wanting to be forced to stretch well and long. Ab work finished off my morning.
Sunday: McLean's Tabata - Get Gloing with Tabata-Inspired Drills + Amy's Cardio Combo
Wow, so I finally found a workout of McLean's that I can tolerate. This one wasn't easy and I had to modify just a bit but it was doable and almost un-hateable. LOL! He alternates a weighted move and then a cardio move - each done 20 seconds. After that 45 minutes, I tuned into Amy's level two workout - also a nice combination of weights and cardio. That lasted 30 minutes. I then did five minutes of core work followed by a nice stretch. My hamstrings are still annoyed with me.
Calorie Counts:
Bad. So, so bad.
Friday, August 5, 2016
A Paris Apartment
My book group chose an interesting book to read - A Paris Apartment by Michelle Gable. Paris + art + history + historical fiction = yay!
This is the story of April, an auction house appraiser who is sent to Paris to look at an apartment that's been sealed shut for 70 years. She soon discovers some very interesting journals that lead to an art discovery that no one could have predicted.
Gable takes you into the life of the woman who wrote the journals - a courtesan of late 19th Paris named Marthe de Florian. The story alternates between Marthe's story and that of the present-day appraiser, April.
Marthe has plenty of romantic drama in her life, as expected, but April does as well. Though that's an easy statement to make, I found April's love life particularly pleasing - it wasn't perfect nor did it wrap up perfectly at the end of the novel.
This was really a surprise for me and I look forward to more from this author.
This is the story of April, an auction house appraiser who is sent to Paris to look at an apartment that's been sealed shut for 70 years. She soon discovers some very interesting journals that lead to an art discovery that no one could have predicted.
Gable takes you into the life of the woman who wrote the journals - a courtesan of late 19th Paris named Marthe de Florian. The story alternates between Marthe's story and that of the present-day appraiser, April.
Marthe has plenty of romantic drama in her life, as expected, but April does as well. Though that's an easy statement to make, I found April's love life particularly pleasing - it wasn't perfect nor did it wrap up perfectly at the end of the novel.
This was really a surprise for me and I look forward to more from this author.
Monday, August 1, 2016
FitnessGlo Challenge: Week 6
I'm really enjoying my FitnessGlo Challenge. It's nice to do some different workouts by new-to-me instructors. And I can't believe I only have three weeks left to go!
Monday: Ilyse's Your Best, Sweaty Self + Denise's Interval Sweat
This is one of Ilyse's toughest Glo workouts. She makes you do two sets of star hops (known to most of us as air jacks) and knee tucks. Yikes! I did the entire workout and then switched over to Denise's interval workout. It's good but her cardio just seems to always be the same. I skipped a lunch workout, walking outside for about 10 minutes instead.
Tuesday: Amy's Kickin' Cardio and Conditioning + walk
Time for some weights today! I was actually looking forward to Amy's workout today, though I get this one confused with her other two that are similar. But it was good! Except for the push-ups: three 45-second sets. Whew! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and I'm so glad I got out of the office!
Wednesday: Petra's High Intensity Drills + Dozois' Calorie Burning Cardio Blast
Time to work this morning! And I wasn't too thrilled, either, since I was sore from something yesterday. Bleh. Petra's workout definitely works you but at least it's a bit different than others. Michelle finished off my morning... Even when I'm not looking forward to the workout, she makes me happy.
Thursday: Scott's Sports-Inspired Drills + Ilyse's Groovy Dance Party + weights
I decided to skip the weights this morning so I'd have more energy for them later in the day. So, cardio! Scott's Drills are nice because they aren't too intense. I worked as hard as possible, though, and felt good! Next up: Ilyse's dance, which always me happy. This one is a favorite. At lunch, I was off to the rec for weights. Always happy to get those over and done with!
Friday: Dozois' Conditioning for Long Lean Muscles
It's been so long since I had a light Friday workout...and I so enjoy these days! I opted for Michelle's workout because it provides light cardio, toning, arm work, and ab work. Because I wanted no impact today, I skipped about 10 minutes of the cardio in order to stretch more at the end of the workout. A great morning!
Saturday: Dozois' Cardio Strength 2 on Glo + Scott's Bring It On
I really needed to work hard today. Starting with CS 2 on Glo, I was working hard before I knew it! Ha! This CS is definitely tough - Michelle takes you to the ground a lot. But I survived! Next up, Scott's cardio + weights. I like this workout but some of the weighted repetitions get hard for me. At least I know it's doing something! So, 80 minutes of cardio and weights today! Wow! Then, a nice stretch and ab work.
Sunday: Cathe's Intensity + Ilyse's Cardio, Strength, and Stretch
Today, cardio. And a lot of it. I did all of Cathe's Intensity and then added on 10 minutes of my own cardio for 60 minutes total. I was sore from something yesterday so all the squats were definitely felt. Ouch! Then, I did 15 minutes of cardio from Ilyse's workout - more squats and squat jumps. Dang! I did her standing ab work and then had a nice stretch. Talk about working hard!
Calorie Counts:
It's best that we not talk about that.
Monday: Ilyse's Your Best, Sweaty Self + Denise's Interval Sweat
This is one of Ilyse's toughest Glo workouts. She makes you do two sets of star hops (known to most of us as air jacks) and knee tucks. Yikes! I did the entire workout and then switched over to Denise's interval workout. It's good but her cardio just seems to always be the same. I skipped a lunch workout, walking outside for about 10 minutes instead.
Tuesday: Amy's Kickin' Cardio and Conditioning + walk
Time for some weights today! I was actually looking forward to Amy's workout today, though I get this one confused with her other two that are similar. But it was good! Except for the push-ups: three 45-second sets. Whew! At lunch, I walked at the rec center and I'm so glad I got out of the office!
Wednesday: Petra's High Intensity Drills + Dozois' Calorie Burning Cardio Blast
Time to work this morning! And I wasn't too thrilled, either, since I was sore from something yesterday. Bleh. Petra's workout definitely works you but at least it's a bit different than others. Michelle finished off my morning... Even when I'm not looking forward to the workout, she makes me happy.
Thursday: Scott's Sports-Inspired Drills + Ilyse's Groovy Dance Party + weights
I decided to skip the weights this morning so I'd have more energy for them later in the day. So, cardio! Scott's Drills are nice because they aren't too intense. I worked as hard as possible, though, and felt good! Next up: Ilyse's dance, which always me happy. This one is a favorite. At lunch, I was off to the rec for weights. Always happy to get those over and done with!
Friday: Dozois' Conditioning for Long Lean Muscles
It's been so long since I had a light Friday workout...and I so enjoy these days! I opted for Michelle's workout because it provides light cardio, toning, arm work, and ab work. Because I wanted no impact today, I skipped about 10 minutes of the cardio in order to stretch more at the end of the workout. A great morning!
Saturday: Dozois' Cardio Strength 2 on Glo + Scott's Bring It On
I really needed to work hard today. Starting with CS 2 on Glo, I was working hard before I knew it! Ha! This CS is definitely tough - Michelle takes you to the ground a lot. But I survived! Next up, Scott's cardio + weights. I like this workout but some of the weighted repetitions get hard for me. At least I know it's doing something! So, 80 minutes of cardio and weights today! Wow! Then, a nice stretch and ab work.
Sunday: Cathe's Intensity + Ilyse's Cardio, Strength, and Stretch
Today, cardio. And a lot of it. I did all of Cathe's Intensity and then added on 10 minutes of my own cardio for 60 minutes total. I was sore from something yesterday so all the squats were definitely felt. Ouch! Then, I did 15 minutes of cardio from Ilyse's workout - more squats and squat jumps. Dang! I did her standing ab work and then had a nice stretch. Talk about working hard!
Calorie Counts:
It's best that we not talk about that.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Now that Mr. Higgins' parents have moved to town, I'm in search of more recipes for entertaining. On this day, I wanted something easy. When I looked at my Pinterest recipes, these Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars looked delicious.
I love recipes that require no strange ingredients....so this one was perfect! I followed the recipe exactly...but made enough for an 8x8 pan. Figuring out a bake time turned out to be the only challenge.
But I put the pan in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes (the recipe said 20 minutes for a 9x13). At 15 minutes, it did not look done so I ended up adding an additional 5 minutes of cook time. At that point, the edges were plenty brown - as was the rest.
I let the pan cool and then.....realized they were gooey - so gooey they were not cooked all the way. Ugh. I put some in the fridge and they were actually delicious. The rest went into the freezer. I plan to defrost them, warm them, and put vanilla ice cream on top. They are incredibly yummy.....but they needed longer in the oven.
I love recipes that require no strange ingredients....so this one was perfect! I followed the recipe exactly...but made enough for an 8x8 pan. Figuring out a bake time turned out to be the only challenge.
But I put the pan in the oven and set the timer for 15 minutes (the recipe said 20 minutes for a 9x13). At 15 minutes, it did not look done so I ended up adding an additional 5 minutes of cook time. At that point, the edges were plenty brown - as was the rest.
I let the pan cool and then.....realized they were gooey - so gooey they were not cooked all the way. Ugh. I put some in the fridge and they were actually delicious. The rest went into the freezer. I plan to defrost them, warm them, and put vanilla ice cream on top. They are incredibly yummy.....but they needed longer in the oven.
Monday, July 25, 2016
FitnessGlo Challenge: Week 5
Wow, another month of Glo to go!
With all my horrible summer eating, I need to work out like crazy. Here we go!
Monday: Amy's Cardio Intervals + Kickboxing Skills and Drills + walk
There need to be a lot of cardio this week. Today, Amy's Intervals - always fun and challenging. Doing one high impact move for 90 seconds is never easy! Then, Amy's kickboxing - so very different from Combat but very fun! At lunch, I walked at the rec center - and then did some serious ab work.
Tuesday: Petra's Circuit-Style + weights
Normally, Petra's easy weights/cardio workout would have annoyed me. I didn't feel challenged or productive. But I think I really needed a lighter morning...and her workout was light. Almost all the cardio was low-impact and I kept it that way. I even used lighter weights so my weights at work would be more effective - and they were! So it turned out to be a productive day, after all!
Wednesday: Ilyse's Work Hard, Have a Great Time + McLean's Kickbox Your Way to Fit
No, I did not have a "great time" with Ilyse but parts of this workout were fun. It's definitely not my favorite since it's geared more toward athletic cardio (i.e. non-stop jumping and hopping) but at least it was effective. After that, I tuned into McLean's kickboxing workout. I always forget about the lunge jumps that happen at the beginning of the workout. Ouch!
Thursday: Scott's Boot Camp Burn
This was my second time through this workout and I didn't really remember it from the first time. Alternating between cardio and weights, it's good without being too intense, though it's a level 3. Jeffrey uses a ball for some exercises so I subbed a lighter weight. Just like Denise Klatte, Scott seems to follow the same formula for the majority of his workouts. At least he's predictable!
Friday: Ilyse's Full-On Cardio Blast + Amy's Wonderful Cardio Blast
Family obligations mean I won't be able to work out tomorrow so my Saturday workout had to happen today. I needed serious cardio and Ilyse delivered. So much jumping! Whew! After that one, I tuned into Amy's workout...but I didn't follow it too closely since she uses a ball in this one. I did the high-impact moves and then tried to keep my heart rate up as Amy did ball stuff. Ha!
Saturday: REST
Sunday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn - Fat Blaster
I wanted to really work today so a Peak 10 workout fit the bill. I really do love this CIB - there are a few circuits that are just plain fun. And then some are very challenging, so it's a good mix. I did a total of 60 minutes of cardio. Then, five minutes of work with the 12-pound weights, a good stretch, and sit-ups. So, about 75 minutes of work today. Cool!
Calorie Counts:
My eating has not been great. I'm only getting about two or three days of healthy eating in - below 1200 calories. But it's the summer and I'll have to buckle down again all too soon.
With all my horrible summer eating, I need to work out like crazy. Here we go!
Monday: Amy's Cardio Intervals + Kickboxing Skills and Drills + walk
There need to be a lot of cardio this week. Today, Amy's Intervals - always fun and challenging. Doing one high impact move for 90 seconds is never easy! Then, Amy's kickboxing - so very different from Combat but very fun! At lunch, I walked at the rec center - and then did some serious ab work.
Tuesday: Petra's Circuit-Style + weights
Normally, Petra's easy weights/cardio workout would have annoyed me. I didn't feel challenged or productive. But I think I really needed a lighter morning...and her workout was light. Almost all the cardio was low-impact and I kept it that way. I even used lighter weights so my weights at work would be more effective - and they were! So it turned out to be a productive day, after all!
Wednesday: Ilyse's Work Hard, Have a Great Time + McLean's Kickbox Your Way to Fit
No, I did not have a "great time" with Ilyse but parts of this workout were fun. It's definitely not my favorite since it's geared more toward athletic cardio (i.e. non-stop jumping and hopping) but at least it was effective. After that, I tuned into McLean's kickboxing workout. I always forget about the lunge jumps that happen at the beginning of the workout. Ouch!
Thursday: Scott's Boot Camp Burn
This was my second time through this workout and I didn't really remember it from the first time. Alternating between cardio and weights, it's good without being too intense, though it's a level 3. Jeffrey uses a ball for some exercises so I subbed a lighter weight. Just like Denise Klatte, Scott seems to follow the same formula for the majority of his workouts. At least he's predictable!
Friday: Ilyse's Full-On Cardio Blast + Amy's Wonderful Cardio Blast
Family obligations mean I won't be able to work out tomorrow so my Saturday workout had to happen today. I needed serious cardio and Ilyse delivered. So much jumping! Whew! After that one, I tuned into Amy's workout...but I didn't follow it too closely since she uses a ball in this one. I did the high-impact moves and then tried to keep my heart rate up as Amy did ball stuff. Ha!
Saturday: REST
Sunday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn - Fat Blaster
I wanted to really work today so a Peak 10 workout fit the bill. I really do love this CIB - there are a few circuits that are just plain fun. And then some are very challenging, so it's a good mix. I did a total of 60 minutes of cardio. Then, five minutes of work with the 12-pound weights, a good stretch, and sit-ups. So, about 75 minutes of work today. Cool!
Calorie Counts:
My eating has not been great. I'm only getting about two or three days of healthy eating in - below 1200 calories. But it's the summer and I'll have to buckle down again all too soon.
Friday, July 22, 2016
A Desperate Fortune
I forgot that Susanna Kearsley's novel, A Desperate Fortune, had been loaned to me….and then I thought I'd best get it read! After having read several of Kearsley's, I knew what to expect, or so I thought.
My Goodreads review:
I thought I was a bit tired of Kearsley's Jacobite historical fiction….and then this book proved me wrong. This novel, however, did not focus as much on the Jacobite cause. Instead, it told the story of one woman, Mary Dundas, on the fringes of the rebellion who led a rather ordinary life….until she's asked to go on a secret mission.
The story alternates between Mary's and a modern day code-breaker who is tasked with deciphering Mary's journal for a Jacobite historian. Again, I thought this storyline would bore me but somehow Kearsley kept me reading and wanting more - from both time periods.
My Goodreads review:
I thought I was a bit tired of Kearsley's Jacobite historical fiction….and then this book proved me wrong. This novel, however, did not focus as much on the Jacobite cause. Instead, it told the story of one woman, Mary Dundas, on the fringes of the rebellion who led a rather ordinary life….until she's asked to go on a secret mission.
The story alternates between Mary's and a modern day code-breaker who is tasked with deciphering Mary's journal for a Jacobite historian. Again, I thought this storyline would bore me but somehow Kearsley kept me reading and wanting more - from both time periods.
Wednesday, July 20, 2016
Orange Bundt Cake
I need to find some good cake recipes. After one failed birthday cake attempt, I'm determined to get better at making cakes.
Since I'd never used my bundt pan, I decided my first cake should be a bundt. I looked and looked and finally settled upon this Easy Orange Bundt Cake.
This is "easy" because you start with a cake mix and add to it. Nice! I found a butter golden cake mix - Duncan Hines - and used that along with vanilla pudding (there was no French Vanilla at my store). For the juice, I used my low-calorie Tropicana. And for the extract, I used vanilla....though I was tempted to do the orange. I love orange stuff!
I left off the glaze - too many calories - but Mr. Higgins loved it without it. Then, I took a lot of the cake to work and people raved about it. Men, who never comment on the goodies I bring in to work, were emailing me, saying this was the best cake ever.
Dang. I guess it was really good!!
Since I'd never used my bundt pan, I decided my first cake should be a bundt. I looked and looked and finally settled upon this Easy Orange Bundt Cake.
This is "easy" because you start with a cake mix and add to it. Nice! I found a butter golden cake mix - Duncan Hines - and used that along with vanilla pudding (there was no French Vanilla at my store). For the juice, I used my low-calorie Tropicana. And for the extract, I used vanilla....though I was tempted to do the orange. I love orange stuff!
I left off the glaze - too many calories - but Mr. Higgins loved it without it. Then, I took a lot of the cake to work and people raved about it. Men, who never comment on the goodies I bring in to work, were emailing me, saying this was the best cake ever.
Dang. I guess it was really good!!
Monday, July 18, 2016
FitnessGlo Challenge: Week 4
I'm almost halfway through this Challenge. Wow! I'm enjoying it so far, with only a few gripes about the program.
Monday: Amy's Intervals
I really enjoy this workout that Amy has designed. It's different from the other HIIT workouts - in a good way! It's a challenge but with little dread factor. I only got in this 30 minutes today. Life happened and it was uncontrollable.
Tuesday: Denise's Cardio and Sculpt Challenge + walk
So this workout seemed very familiar....because, I'm learning, all of Denise's workouts are very, very similar. Sigh. This one had some good cardio in the beginning (she used a medicine ball; I did not) followed by some good weighted exercises. After her push-ups, I did my own cardio and weights since she turned to core then. At lunch, I walked at the rec, wanting to burn more calories!
Wednesday: Dozois' Calorie Burning Cardio Blast + HIIT - Breathless and Energized + Scott's HIIT - Sports Inspired Intervals + walk
Desperate for serious cardio, I strung together three HIIT workouts this morning - all of which are among my favorite workouts on Glo. Michelle got me started with the lighter of her two HIITs - Calorie Burning. So much fun! Then the more difficult HIIT - Breathless, followed by Scott's HIIT. His is easier only because the breaks are longer. I felt well worked out after those three!! Ha! At lunch, I walked at the rec center. So much eating out means I need all the calorie burning I can get.
Thursday: Scott's Multi-Level Cardio Intervals + Denise's Total Body, Total Sculpt + weights
At first, I was worried about Scott's workout, which utilized a medicine ball. I didn't use a ball and then the ball wasn't used again after the warm-up. Yay! This proved to be a good interval workout. Cool! Denise's weighted workout was like the rest - but at least it's quick and effective. At lunch, I did weights at the rec. Fun.
Friday: BodyFit 360 Vol 2 - Dance Conditioning
Due to crazy morning events out of my control, I had only 30 minutes to work out. So I did 20 minutes of the dance in Michelle's Dance Conditioning…and then the full stretch. I wanted that stretch! And it was very nice!
Saturday: Scott's Cardio Drill Awesomeness + Get Your Circuit On + Ilyse's Fire Up the Six Pack
I didn't know whether to dread this morning, so that was nice. Scott's Cardio Drills (cardio alternating with weights) was a good level 3 - though not really a challenge for me. What is challenging about Scott is the number of weight reps he does. Whew! His Circuit was a level 2 and a bit easier - so I tried to make it harder. So many reps, though….geesh! All in all, 70 minutes of weights and cardio. After a nice stretch, I did Ilyse's ab workout. Her core workouts are difficult! I barely got through the first half of this one!
Sunday: Cathe's Cardio Core Circuit + Amy's Metabolic Meltdown
As usual, I dread Cathe's Circuit workout. Ugh. But I wanted cardio so I made myself do it. And I survived! Yay! After that 40 minutes, I tuned into Amy's workout for 25 minutes of additional cardio. I was tired after all this! I stretched and did my sit-ups. Whew!
Calorie Counts:
This week has not been good. I had a few good days but that was it. Sigh.
Monday: Amy's Intervals
I really enjoy this workout that Amy has designed. It's different from the other HIIT workouts - in a good way! It's a challenge but with little dread factor. I only got in this 30 minutes today. Life happened and it was uncontrollable.
Tuesday: Denise's Cardio and Sculpt Challenge + walk
So this workout seemed very familiar....because, I'm learning, all of Denise's workouts are very, very similar. Sigh. This one had some good cardio in the beginning (she used a medicine ball; I did not) followed by some good weighted exercises. After her push-ups, I did my own cardio and weights since she turned to core then. At lunch, I walked at the rec, wanting to burn more calories!
Wednesday: Dozois' Calorie Burning Cardio Blast + HIIT - Breathless and Energized + Scott's HIIT - Sports Inspired Intervals + walk
Desperate for serious cardio, I strung together three HIIT workouts this morning - all of which are among my favorite workouts on Glo. Michelle got me started with the lighter of her two HIITs - Calorie Burning. So much fun! Then the more difficult HIIT - Breathless, followed by Scott's HIIT. His is easier only because the breaks are longer. I felt well worked out after those three!! Ha! At lunch, I walked at the rec center. So much eating out means I need all the calorie burning I can get.
Thursday: Scott's Multi-Level Cardio Intervals + Denise's Total Body, Total Sculpt + weights
At first, I was worried about Scott's workout, which utilized a medicine ball. I didn't use a ball and then the ball wasn't used again after the warm-up. Yay! This proved to be a good interval workout. Cool! Denise's weighted workout was like the rest - but at least it's quick and effective. At lunch, I did weights at the rec. Fun.
Friday: BodyFit 360 Vol 2 - Dance Conditioning
Due to crazy morning events out of my control, I had only 30 minutes to work out. So I did 20 minutes of the dance in Michelle's Dance Conditioning…and then the full stretch. I wanted that stretch! And it was very nice!
Saturday: Scott's Cardio Drill Awesomeness + Get Your Circuit On + Ilyse's Fire Up the Six Pack
I didn't know whether to dread this morning, so that was nice. Scott's Cardio Drills (cardio alternating with weights) was a good level 3 - though not really a challenge for me. What is challenging about Scott is the number of weight reps he does. Whew! His Circuit was a level 2 and a bit easier - so I tried to make it harder. So many reps, though….geesh! All in all, 70 minutes of weights and cardio. After a nice stretch, I did Ilyse's ab workout. Her core workouts are difficult! I barely got through the first half of this one!
Sunday: Cathe's Cardio Core Circuit + Amy's Metabolic Meltdown
As usual, I dread Cathe's Circuit workout. Ugh. But I wanted cardio so I made myself do it. And I survived! Yay! After that 40 minutes, I tuned into Amy's workout for 25 minutes of additional cardio. I was tired after all this! I stretched and did my sit-ups. Whew!
Calorie Counts:
This week has not been good. I had a few good days but that was it. Sigh.
Wednesday, July 13, 2016
Monday, July 11, 2016
FitnessGlo Challenge: Week 3
We're back from the July 4th holiday, when I ate way too much. But it was all fun, and fun was needed, so it's fine.
The excessive summer heat is making everything almost unbearable, including working out indoors. The house is so much hotter. Ugh. But this new Challenge is keeping me motivated - new workouts are good!
Monday: REST
The holiday meant a rare day off!
Tuesday: Denise's Super Cardio + Total Body Strengthening
Weights today. Ugh. Denise's Super Cardio was mostly weights, after a cardio warm-up. That warm-up, though, was non-stop! Whew! Jump rope, run, jack, plyos.... I was glad to do weights! After this one ended, I moved on to her shorter Strengthening workout, which was all weights. I was sweating like crazy throughout this workout!!
Wednesday: Cathe's Intensity + walk
My one complaint about this Glo Challenge: all the weights. This program would have you do weights practically every day. And I don't understand that, especially from people who should know better. I was desperate for cardio so I chose to throw in Cathe's workout - though I hate doing it in the morning. It's tough but at least I feel like I worked hard! At lunch, I walked at the rec center..... Always proud of myself for doing that bit of extra.
Thursday: Ilyse's Dance Intervals 101 + Powerhouse Cardio
Ilyse's dance workout was not in the Challenge but I needed cardio! And it was nice to do one of my favorites. Powerhouse was in the Challenge program...and it uses weights. Sigh. I didn't use them - I did the cardio instead. And Ilyse did tons of cardio with and without light weights so it worked out fine!
Friday: Denise's Medicine Ball Blast + Amy's Complete Body Sculpt + weights
I won't lie - these videos were disappointing. For Denise's, I don't have a medicine ball so I used a 6-lbs weight occasionally but otherwise used this video for cardio. Denise's cardio, from what I've witnessed so far, is very unimaginative. Shuffle, jump rope, jack, squat jump. Over and over. Amy's workout was good but it had a lot of floorwork which I can't do easily in the mornings. So I only did the standing work. Sigh. At lunch, I did weights at the rec.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn Remix + McLean's Cardio Hip Hop + Amy's Core!
Peak 10 today!! Yay! I love this CIB and it was fun today! I sweated like crazy and worked hard - a great feeling! After that 55 minutes of cardio, I tuned into McLean's dance workout - one of my faves. And always fun! I got in 15 minutes of that before a nice stretch. Then, Amy's core workout…..tons of crunches. Ouch! A great day!
Sunday: McLean's Test Your Limits + Scott's Calorie Bursts for Calorie Burn
I was dreading weights today with McLean. This workout looked tough and it was. I skipped the burpees, doing other cardio instead, and I had to shorten some of the floor work. I wanted more cardio!! Scott's workout was heavy on the weights, which was good. So, 65 minutes of weights/cardio. I then stretched and did some abs.
Calorie Counts:
I had several good days this week. Thursday was really bad, as was Sunday. I weighed on Sunday, before the day started, and my weight wasn't too, too bad. Sigh.
The excessive summer heat is making everything almost unbearable, including working out indoors. The house is so much hotter. Ugh. But this new Challenge is keeping me motivated - new workouts are good!
Monday: REST
The holiday meant a rare day off!
Tuesday: Denise's Super Cardio + Total Body Strengthening
Weights today. Ugh. Denise's Super Cardio was mostly weights, after a cardio warm-up. That warm-up, though, was non-stop! Whew! Jump rope, run, jack, plyos.... I was glad to do weights! After this one ended, I moved on to her shorter Strengthening workout, which was all weights. I was sweating like crazy throughout this workout!!
Wednesday: Cathe's Intensity + walk
My one complaint about this Glo Challenge: all the weights. This program would have you do weights practically every day. And I don't understand that, especially from people who should know better. I was desperate for cardio so I chose to throw in Cathe's workout - though I hate doing it in the morning. It's tough but at least I feel like I worked hard! At lunch, I walked at the rec center..... Always proud of myself for doing that bit of extra.
Thursday: Ilyse's Dance Intervals 101 + Powerhouse Cardio
Ilyse's dance workout was not in the Challenge but I needed cardio! And it was nice to do one of my favorites. Powerhouse was in the Challenge program...and it uses weights. Sigh. I didn't use them - I did the cardio instead. And Ilyse did tons of cardio with and without light weights so it worked out fine!
Friday: Denise's Medicine Ball Blast + Amy's Complete Body Sculpt + weights
I won't lie - these videos were disappointing. For Denise's, I don't have a medicine ball so I used a 6-lbs weight occasionally but otherwise used this video for cardio. Denise's cardio, from what I've witnessed so far, is very unimaginative. Shuffle, jump rope, jack, squat jump. Over and over. Amy's workout was good but it had a lot of floorwork which I can't do easily in the mornings. So I only did the standing work. Sigh. At lunch, I did weights at the rec.
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Interval Burn Remix + McLean's Cardio Hip Hop + Amy's Core!
Peak 10 today!! Yay! I love this CIB and it was fun today! I sweated like crazy and worked hard - a great feeling! After that 55 minutes of cardio, I tuned into McLean's dance workout - one of my faves. And always fun! I got in 15 minutes of that before a nice stretch. Then, Amy's core workout…..tons of crunches. Ouch! A great day!
Sunday: McLean's Test Your Limits + Scott's Calorie Bursts for Calorie Burn
I was dreading weights today with McLean. This workout looked tough and it was. I skipped the burpees, doing other cardio instead, and I had to shorten some of the floor work. I wanted more cardio!! Scott's workout was heavy on the weights, which was good. So, 65 minutes of weights/cardio. I then stretched and did some abs.
Calorie Counts:
I had several good days this week. Thursday was really bad, as was Sunday. I weighed on Sunday, before the day started, and my weight wasn't too, too bad. Sigh.
Thursday, July 7, 2016
Watermelon Salad
For July 4th, I wanted a different fruit salad. My mom generally throws together a strawberry concoction that varies - blueberries, pineapple, etc. But I wanted watermelon.
When this recipe popped up on Twitter, I printed it immediately.
Our substitution: we used blueberries instead of blackberries. For some reason, my limes would hardly squeeze any juice out. But I put what I could get on the salad. The mint sounded great but I didn't really taste it unless I bit into it.
All in all, this was a tasty salad....but it could do without the limes or the mint. Chunks of watermelon and a sprinkle of blueberries.....delicious!
When this recipe popped up on Twitter, I printed it immediately.
Our substitution: we used blueberries instead of blackberries. For some reason, my limes would hardly squeeze any juice out. But I put what I could get on the salad. The mint sounded great but I didn't really taste it unless I bit into it.
All in all, this was a tasty salad....but it could do without the limes or the mint. Chunks of watermelon and a sprinkle of blueberries.....delicious!
Monday, July 4, 2016
FitnessGlo Challenge: Week 2
One week down and I'm really enjoying this challenge so far!
It's fun doing so many new workouts. There's very little dread factor when I wake up because I usually don't know what to expect! Ha!
Monday: Denise's Interval Sweat + Dozois' Work It + walk
I've done very few of Denise's workouts - and none of her cardio, I think. So she was a change this morning. Her level 3 workout was about a 2.25 for me but it was still fun. She layered in a lot of squats and lunges and after a while I did my own cardio instead to get my heart rate up! Next up, Michelle's level 1 workout which I really tried to make more challenging by jumping. It was a nice change. At lunch, I walked the track at the rec center.
Tuesday: Amy's Complete Strength and Conditioning
Back to weights today! Amy's workout is very effective and different enough to be good. I like how every FitnessGlo instructor has a different style and that really helps to keep things fresh. Amy's weights are more basic than others, like Dozois, and it's a nice change. A good, productive morning!
Wednesday: Petra's High Intensity Drills + Dozois' Calorie Burning Cardio Blast + walk
Oh, Wednesdays. My most difficult workouts are done on this day. I did Petra's HIIT last week so I was dreading it a bit today. But I got through it and didn't take the easy route on anything. Michelle's Blast finished off my morning - and I felt really well worked out. Ha! At lunch, I walked at the rec center.
Thursday: Scott's Boot Camp Burn + weights
So I'm learning that Jeffrey Scott has a style and it doesn't vary overly much. Ha! This workout alternated cardio drills and weighted compound exercises. I won't lie - some of the weighted moves were difficult for me. It's hard for me to do those really fast and that's what Scott wanted. But I did my best and it felt good - after the fact. At lunch, I did weights at the rec. I'd been dreading it so I'm glad it's over!
Friday: Dozois' BodyFit 360 Vol. 3 - Athletic Conditioning
I needed to do cardio today - but not too much or too hard. So I did 25 minutes of the cardio from Athletic Conditioning. I tried to keep it mostly low-impact. Then, 20 minutes of the fabulous stretch on this DVD. Love it!
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Strength Remix + Scott's Sports Inspired Exercises
Yay! Peak 10 today! I was looking forward to seeing how I'd do in a Peak 10 workout and today I got my chance. And it didn't kill me! It was tough, for sure, especially since this one goes to the floor for the first four (out of five) circuits. Whew! But I got through it! And I went on to do 30 minutes of Scott's strength and cardio drill workout. I didn't go 100% on the cardio - I was tired - but I did it all. Afterward, a nice stretch and sit-ups.
Sunday: Ilyse's Your Best, Sweaty Self + Full-On Cardio Blast
Today: all cardio. Since I won't get a workout in tomorrow, this one was important. Ilyse is different than the other Glo instructors. When she does cardio, she works you and she doesn't use a timer. And her counting gets off. So you will jack or star hop or jump until she feels like it's time to stop. And then you don't stop - you jog until the next thing. Her cardio is definitely a challenge! Both of these were difficult but I got through it. So, 50 minutes of cardio and then a stretch.
Calorie Counts:
I had three good days but this week was tough. And the holiday made it tougher. Sigh.
It's fun doing so many new workouts. There's very little dread factor when I wake up because I usually don't know what to expect! Ha!
Monday: Denise's Interval Sweat + Dozois' Work It + walk
I've done very few of Denise's workouts - and none of her cardio, I think. So she was a change this morning. Her level 3 workout was about a 2.25 for me but it was still fun. She layered in a lot of squats and lunges and after a while I did my own cardio instead to get my heart rate up! Next up, Michelle's level 1 workout which I really tried to make more challenging by jumping. It was a nice change. At lunch, I walked the track at the rec center.
Tuesday: Amy's Complete Strength and Conditioning
Back to weights today! Amy's workout is very effective and different enough to be good. I like how every FitnessGlo instructor has a different style and that really helps to keep things fresh. Amy's weights are more basic than others, like Dozois, and it's a nice change. A good, productive morning!
Wednesday: Petra's High Intensity Drills + Dozois' Calorie Burning Cardio Blast + walk
Oh, Wednesdays. My most difficult workouts are done on this day. I did Petra's HIIT last week so I was dreading it a bit today. But I got through it and didn't take the easy route on anything. Michelle's Blast finished off my morning - and I felt really well worked out. Ha! At lunch, I walked at the rec center.
Thursday: Scott's Boot Camp Burn + weights
So I'm learning that Jeffrey Scott has a style and it doesn't vary overly much. Ha! This workout alternated cardio drills and weighted compound exercises. I won't lie - some of the weighted moves were difficult for me. It's hard for me to do those really fast and that's what Scott wanted. But I did my best and it felt good - after the fact. At lunch, I did weights at the rec. I'd been dreading it so I'm glad it's over!
Friday: Dozois' BodyFit 360 Vol. 3 - Athletic Conditioning
I needed to do cardio today - but not too much or too hard. So I did 25 minutes of the cardio from Athletic Conditioning. I tried to keep it mostly low-impact. Then, 20 minutes of the fabulous stretch on this DVD. Love it!
Saturday: Peak 10 Cardio Strength Remix + Scott's Sports Inspired Exercises
Yay! Peak 10 today! I was looking forward to seeing how I'd do in a Peak 10 workout and today I got my chance. And it didn't kill me! It was tough, for sure, especially since this one goes to the floor for the first four (out of five) circuits. Whew! But I got through it! And I went on to do 30 minutes of Scott's strength and cardio drill workout. I didn't go 100% on the cardio - I was tired - but I did it all. Afterward, a nice stretch and sit-ups.
Sunday: Ilyse's Your Best, Sweaty Self + Full-On Cardio Blast
Today: all cardio. Since I won't get a workout in tomorrow, this one was important. Ilyse is different than the other Glo instructors. When she does cardio, she works you and she doesn't use a timer. And her counting gets off. So you will jack or star hop or jump until she feels like it's time to stop. And then you don't stop - you jog until the next thing. Her cardio is definitely a challenge! Both of these were difficult but I got through it. So, 50 minutes of cardio and then a stretch.
Calorie Counts:
I had three good days but this week was tough. And the holiday made it tougher. Sigh.
Thursday, June 30, 2016
The Ghost Bride
I just finished a unique novel entitled The Ghost Bride, by Yangsze Choo. This was one of the most original works of fiction that I've read in a while.
Li Lan receives a proposal of marriage - from a ghost. Yes, the deceased family arranges a betrothal, which was not unheard of in 19th-century Malaya. What follows is a story steeped in Chinese folklore, mystery, and romance.
In order to solve the mystery of her betrothed's death, Li Lan must visit the realm of the dead. There are demons, dragons, ghosts, and more mysteries complicating her journey. Along the way, by seeing the fate of so many souls, she discovers what she wants most out of her life.
Choo manages to make this novel part murder mystery, part coming of age, part romance, and part fantasy. Sometimes it's a bit clunky but overall, this is a beautiful story and I hope there's a sequel!
Li Lan receives a proposal of marriage - from a ghost. Yes, the deceased family arranges a betrothal, which was not unheard of in 19th-century Malaya. What follows is a story steeped in Chinese folklore, mystery, and romance.
In order to solve the mystery of her betrothed's death, Li Lan must visit the realm of the dead. There are demons, dragons, ghosts, and more mysteries complicating her journey. Along the way, by seeing the fate of so many souls, she discovers what she wants most out of her life.
Choo manages to make this novel part murder mystery, part coming of age, part romance, and part fantasy. Sometimes it's a bit clunky but overall, this is a beautiful story and I hope there's a sequel!
Monday, June 27, 2016
FitnessGlo Challenge: Week 1
FitnessGlo has programs designed by fitness level and goal (i.e. bridal workouts). These are 8 week programs they've put together - 6 altogether to choose from.
I've decided to try the Advanced program. In all honesty, it seems a bit too easy but we'll see. I can always jump more if I need to - ha! But I think this will be a nice change from Combat and Peak 10. It'll also force me to try some of the workouts put together by the instructors I don't normally gravitate towards. This should, hopefully, expand my workout horizons!
Wish me luck!
Monday: Dozois' Burn Calories, Release Stress + Ilyse's Easy to Follow Dance Moves + walk
After a hard weekend of not one, but TWO, Cathe workouts, I decided to take it down a notch this morning. I was still achy from Cathe so Michelle's level 2 workout was nice and low-impact. After that, I did some of Ilyse's dance workout - still one of my favorites. At lunch, I walked at the rec. Must burn calories!
Tuesday: Amy's Cardio Combo + Definition + weights
This advanced program puts a lot of emphasis on weights, so that means doing weights at home and at work in one day. Not ideal, but oh well. Amy's first workout was a combo of cardio and weights - the cardio was lower impact but still effective. Her Definition was all weights. It was a very productive morning. Whew! I did weights at lunch and it seemed tougher since my muscles were already well used for the day.
Wednesday: Petra's High Intensity Drills + Dozois' HIIT - Breathless and Energized
I don't do many of Petra's workouts because most are less advanced. This one is a level 3 and consists of 45 second drills. Whew! If you choose the hardest option of moves, this is difficult! I was working hard! And then I did Dozois' HIIT - which is always a challenge. Talk about a good workout!
Thursday: Amy's Kickin' Cardio and Conditioning
Time for weights. Again. Amy's level 3 dumbbell workout was in my rotation regularly with Combat but it's been a while since I've done it. And it's fun! Amy is so different from Michelle Dozois - she challenges me in new ways. And this one has some challenging parts, especially where push-ups are concerned!
Friday: Cathe's Intensity
I'm doing a hard workout today since I won't be able to work out tomorrow. Cathe was calling - well, not really but she was on my schedule. I did all the step of this workout and then the low intensity HIIT. This is such a challenging workout for me but at least it was doable in the morning without the high intensity HIIT. Whew!
Saturday: REST
Sunday: Scott's Sports Inspired Drills + Bring It On + Amy's Wonderful Cardio Blast + Denise's Completely Core
After moving my in-laws yesterday, my body was still exhausted today. But I wanted - needed - to work out. It's cathartic for me, sometimes - my own time to do what I think I need. And so I pushed my body - ha!. Scott's two workouts used a medicine ball and weights. I used one of my 6-lbs weights instead of a ball. And I got a good workout!! The cardio was good and the strength was sufficient. Amy's medicine ball workout wasn't as good but I worked hard. Then, finally, Denise's core was different and good. I couldn't do my full set of regular sit-ups afterward - my core hurt too much! A great morning - with 80 minutes of cardio/weighs!
Calorie Counts:
I had a few good, strict days and they helped me feel skinny again. I didn't weigh but I took my measurements and they weren't bad! Yay!
I've decided to try the Advanced program. In all honesty, it seems a bit too easy but we'll see. I can always jump more if I need to - ha! But I think this will be a nice change from Combat and Peak 10. It'll also force me to try some of the workouts put together by the instructors I don't normally gravitate towards. This should, hopefully, expand my workout horizons!
Wish me luck!
Monday: Dozois' Burn Calories, Release Stress + Ilyse's Easy to Follow Dance Moves + walk
After a hard weekend of not one, but TWO, Cathe workouts, I decided to take it down a notch this morning. I was still achy from Cathe so Michelle's level 2 workout was nice and low-impact. After that, I did some of Ilyse's dance workout - still one of my favorites. At lunch, I walked at the rec. Must burn calories!
Tuesday: Amy's Cardio Combo + Definition + weights
This advanced program puts a lot of emphasis on weights, so that means doing weights at home and at work in one day. Not ideal, but oh well. Amy's first workout was a combo of cardio and weights - the cardio was lower impact but still effective. Her Definition was all weights. It was a very productive morning. Whew! I did weights at lunch and it seemed tougher since my muscles were already well used for the day.
Wednesday: Petra's High Intensity Drills + Dozois' HIIT - Breathless and Energized
I don't do many of Petra's workouts because most are less advanced. This one is a level 3 and consists of 45 second drills. Whew! If you choose the hardest option of moves, this is difficult! I was working hard! And then I did Dozois' HIIT - which is always a challenge. Talk about a good workout!
Thursday: Amy's Kickin' Cardio and Conditioning
Time for weights. Again. Amy's level 3 dumbbell workout was in my rotation regularly with Combat but it's been a while since I've done it. And it's fun! Amy is so different from Michelle Dozois - she challenges me in new ways. And this one has some challenging parts, especially where push-ups are concerned!
Friday: Cathe's Intensity
I'm doing a hard workout today since I won't be able to work out tomorrow. Cathe was calling - well, not really but she was on my schedule. I did all the step of this workout and then the low intensity HIIT. This is such a challenging workout for me but at least it was doable in the morning without the high intensity HIIT. Whew!
Saturday: REST
Sunday: Scott's Sports Inspired Drills + Bring It On + Amy's Wonderful Cardio Blast + Denise's Completely Core
After moving my in-laws yesterday, my body was still exhausted today. But I wanted - needed - to work out. It's cathartic for me, sometimes - my own time to do what I think I need. And so I pushed my body - ha!. Scott's two workouts used a medicine ball and weights. I used one of my 6-lbs weights instead of a ball. And I got a good workout!! The cardio was good and the strength was sufficient. Amy's medicine ball workout wasn't as good but I worked hard. Then, finally, Denise's core was different and good. I couldn't do my full set of regular sit-ups afterward - my core hurt too much! A great morning - with 80 minutes of cardio/weighs!
Calorie Counts:
I had a few good, strict days and they helped me feel skinny again. I didn't weigh but I took my measurements and they weren't bad! Yay!
Friday, June 24, 2016
Gazpacho
For some very odd reason, I've been craving Gazpacho. Considering I've had about 1.25 servings in my entire life, I thought this to be a bit odd.
But I went about trying to find a recipe and settled on this one, because it made a larger quantity. You know me, I'm all about freezing soup.
To make this, I put it all in the food processor, in batches. I put a bit of tomato juice in every batch and the consistency was perfect - like a well-blended salsa. The only changes I made was using canned tomatoes instead of real (too messy) and adding some ground pepper to the finished product.
Mr. Higgins was not enthused by the idea of this soup. He thought it was strange and had no idea why I would want to make it. Then I had him taste it, before it was chilled. "It's like un-hot salsa!" he exclaimed. Yes, that's what I've been saying. Hmph.
And he loved it. He said he could eat it every night. I'll have to add some spice to it - jalapenos or green chilies.... But this is a great base recipe!
YUM!!!
But I went about trying to find a recipe and settled on this one, because it made a larger quantity. You know me, I'm all about freezing soup.
To make this, I put it all in the food processor, in batches. I put a bit of tomato juice in every batch and the consistency was perfect - like a well-blended salsa. The only changes I made was using canned tomatoes instead of real (too messy) and adding some ground pepper to the finished product.
Mr. Higgins was not enthused by the idea of this soup. He thought it was strange and had no idea why I would want to make it. Then I had him taste it, before it was chilled. "It's like un-hot salsa!" he exclaimed. Yes, that's what I've been saying. Hmph.
And he loved it. He said he could eat it every night. I'll have to add some spice to it - jalapenos or green chilies.... But this is a great base recipe!
YUM!!!
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
Jost Van Dyke
We love getting to new islands - hence our cruises. On our recent vacation on St. John, USVI, we decided to finally get to one of the neighboring islands, Jost Van Dyke, BVI. We had seen it from across the narrow sea for so long....it was time to set foot on it!
Since you're going from the US Virgin Islands to the British Virgin Islands, you have to deal with customs. And pay a hefty fee for the ferry. Honestly, so much paperwork was involved, I don't know if we'll go back in the next 20 years. But boy, it was worth all that paperwork, just once.....
We got off the ferry on Jost and hopped in a taxi to get to our destination, White Bay. Look at that water!
The most popular stop on Jost is a beach bar named The Soggy Dollar. Most visitors to the bar swim to shore from boats and bring with them soggy dollars.... Ha! This bar is credited with the invention of one of my favorite drinks, the Painkiller. Yum!
White Bay was absolutely gorgeous. You can see St. John, way off in the distance.
There were several well-known beach bars all along the beach so we bar-hopped all afternoon.
We even climbed over some rocks to get to the other end of the beach. The views were stunning.
The next day, back on St. John, we sat at Cinnamon Bay, our favorite place there, and gazed across the calm sea to White Bay. It was nice to know, finally, that we had been there and experienced that water and those bars.
Monday, June 20, 2016
The Week After Vacation - Workouts
Our trip to St. John, USVI, was incredible. We had a lovely time. Really, with some of the best beaches I've ever seen, it's hard not to have fun and truly relax.
We also ate and drank way too much. I'm ready to get back into my routine - and my workout routine. We got back home on Monday and on Tuesday morning, at 5:30am, I was working out, as usual....
Tuesday: Dozois' Rockin' Body Cardio
My traditional first-workout-after-vacation is Michelle's old, but good, dance workout. It's fun and challenging at times, without being a killer. Because I was going into work late, I was able to do the whole 45 minutes of cardio. I then had a nice stretch and did some ab work. A great first day back!
Wednesday: Amy's Metabolic Meltdown + Ilyse's Just Dance + weights
For my second workout this week, I chose to put together two of my favorites. First up was Amy's level 2 drill workout. The impact isn't quite as high as a level 3 so I even upped it at times to elevate my heart rate. After that, I did about 15 minutes of Ilyse's dance workout - always fun. At lunch, I forced myself to do weights. I'm always glad to get that done for the week!
Thursday: McLean's Unleash Your Inner Strength + Amy's Skills and Drills + walk
More cardio today. I need all that I can get to work off this vacation weight! I started with McLean's level 2 workout and quickly worked up a sweat. Next up: Amy's kickboxing - a favorite. This is nothing like Combat but it's fun in it's own way. At lunch, I walked - as fast as I could - around the track at the rec. My Fitbit was appreciative.
Friday: Amy's Head to Toe Body Sculpt
No rest/light day this week since I was traveling on Monday. Thankfully, this weight workout meant I wasn't jumping too much. I hadn't done this Sculpt in quite some time and it's good! The tricep/push-up track really got to me. Triceps with weights and then 16 push-ups…..three times. Ouch!
Saturday: Cathe's Intensity
Since I just finished a Peak 10 Challenge, I'm taking a short break from Peak workouts. That means that Cathe gets to be my weekend fun……or not. Intensity is at least different - you do step and then higher intensity step, high intensity HIIT, and then low intensity HIIT. After doing that for an hour, I was wiped out. But I didn't take any short-cuts…I did it all. Afterward, a nice stretch and sit-ups. And then I ached - ached - for days.
Sunday: Cathe's Cardio Core Circuit + Amy's Body Weight Training + Amy's Total Body Sculpting
I was hurting so bad this morning from yesterday's workout….. And I had more Cathe on my agenda. Sigh. I had to take some segments down a notch in Cardio Core. It was just too painful. But I got through that 45 minutes, still standing. I then wanted something with a lighter intensity so I did 15 minutes of Amy's Body Weight Training - and it was alright. A bit too much repetition for me. Next up - weights with Amy in Sculpting. I used the 12-pound weights where I could. My stretch after all that was sooooo nice.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - travel
Tuesday - 1341
Wedneday - 1165
Thursday - 1165
Friday - 1430
Saturday - 1182
Sunday - 1184
All things considered, I did pretty well this week. I resisted multiple office treats, even where a birthday was concerned. Wow!
We also ate and drank way too much. I'm ready to get back into my routine - and my workout routine. We got back home on Monday and on Tuesday morning, at 5:30am, I was working out, as usual....
Tuesday: Dozois' Rockin' Body Cardio
My traditional first-workout-after-vacation is Michelle's old, but good, dance workout. It's fun and challenging at times, without being a killer. Because I was going into work late, I was able to do the whole 45 minutes of cardio. I then had a nice stretch and did some ab work. A great first day back!
Wednesday: Amy's Metabolic Meltdown + Ilyse's Just Dance + weights
For my second workout this week, I chose to put together two of my favorites. First up was Amy's level 2 drill workout. The impact isn't quite as high as a level 3 so I even upped it at times to elevate my heart rate. After that, I did about 15 minutes of Ilyse's dance workout - always fun. At lunch, I forced myself to do weights. I'm always glad to get that done for the week!
Thursday: McLean's Unleash Your Inner Strength + Amy's Skills and Drills + walk
More cardio today. I need all that I can get to work off this vacation weight! I started with McLean's level 2 workout and quickly worked up a sweat. Next up: Amy's kickboxing - a favorite. This is nothing like Combat but it's fun in it's own way. At lunch, I walked - as fast as I could - around the track at the rec. My Fitbit was appreciative.
Friday: Amy's Head to Toe Body Sculpt
No rest/light day this week since I was traveling on Monday. Thankfully, this weight workout meant I wasn't jumping too much. I hadn't done this Sculpt in quite some time and it's good! The tricep/push-up track really got to me. Triceps with weights and then 16 push-ups…..three times. Ouch!
Saturday: Cathe's Intensity
Since I just finished a Peak 10 Challenge, I'm taking a short break from Peak workouts. That means that Cathe gets to be my weekend fun……or not. Intensity is at least different - you do step and then higher intensity step, high intensity HIIT, and then low intensity HIIT. After doing that for an hour, I was wiped out. But I didn't take any short-cuts…I did it all. Afterward, a nice stretch and sit-ups. And then I ached - ached - for days.
Sunday: Cathe's Cardio Core Circuit + Amy's Body Weight Training + Amy's Total Body Sculpting
I was hurting so bad this morning from yesterday's workout….. And I had more Cathe on my agenda. Sigh. I had to take some segments down a notch in Cardio Core. It was just too painful. But I got through that 45 minutes, still standing. I then wanted something with a lighter intensity so I did 15 minutes of Amy's Body Weight Training - and it was alright. A bit too much repetition for me. Next up - weights with Amy in Sculpting. I used the 12-pound weights where I could. My stretch after all that was sooooo nice.
Calorie Counts:
Monday - travel
Tuesday - 1341
Wedneday - 1165
Thursday - 1165
Friday - 1430
Saturday - 1182
Sunday - 1184
All things considered, I did pretty well this week. I resisted multiple office treats, even where a birthday was concerned. Wow!
Friday, June 17, 2016
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe
Since I so enjoyed my first Fannie Flagg novel, I decided to read another. My in-laws have all of her books and when looking through them, Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe caught my eye.
Here's my Goodreads review:
Fannie Flagg knows how to capture the American south - past and present. I loved how she brought the two together in this novel, about a small town called Whistle Stop outside of Birmingham, Alabama. Flagg's characters are uniquely southern and priceless. My favorite one from this novel was Idgie - a headstrong tomboy who did just what she wanted, despite what society thought. I wish I could visit Whistle Stop for some good, down home, southern cooking!
Here's my Goodreads review:
Fannie Flagg knows how to capture the American south - past and present. I loved how she brought the two together in this novel, about a small town called Whistle Stop outside of Birmingham, Alabama. Flagg's characters are uniquely southern and priceless. My favorite one from this novel was Idgie - a headstrong tomboy who did just what she wanted, despite what society thought. I wish I could visit Whistle Stop for some good, down home, southern cooking!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)