{Wordless Wednesday}

Ok... so I know I am not supposed to "say" anything on Wordless Wednesday but I just have to on this first post... 

This will be Week 1, sometimes I'll post one photo, sometimes more. No caption, no words, no description, you get the point. I'd love to hear YOUR captions for my Wordless Wednesday posts though! Please leave them in the comments!! 

Ahhh, A-Rod, We Meet Again

As I posted earlier {via my blog post on East Valley Moms Blog} I mentioned that it's that time... Time for Fantasy Football! This will be my fourth year playing and I think I am MOST excited about this year. I am participating in two leagues, one with other moms from EVMB and the other along side my husband and some of our friends.

I have done fairly well in past years, always getting either first or second place. Last year, I was quite proud of my first place ranking and owe all of my thanks to Mr. Aaron Rodgers. {Yes! I drafted him AGAIN!}

Don't get my excitement for drafting him confused with being a Greenbay fan, because that I am NOT. No way, definitely NOT. 

Our EVMB league used an auto-draft because of our busy mom lives. We couldn't all coordinate a day to sit down and do a draft, let alone the fact that a few moms have no idea ANYTHING about football.  I am pretty pleased with my draft, with the exception of my TE, Rob Gronkowski. GREAT player, yes and ordinarily I'd be quite happy with him as my TE pick, but since he's injured and will be out for a little while longer while healing (from back and forearm surgery) I am a bit bummed. 

The rest of my team is as follows:

QB: Aaron Rodgers, GB

RB: Stevan Ridley, NE

RB: Frank Gore, SF

RB/WR: Cecil Shorts, Jac WR

WR: Wes Welker, Den

WR: Eric Decker, Den

TE: Jared Cook, StL

Flex: BenJarvus Green-Ellis, Cin RB

D/ST: Seahawks

K: Blair Walsh, Min

On my bench: 

Rob Gronkowski, NE TE

Daryl Richardson, StL RB

Mike Williams, TB WR

Joe Flacco, Bal QB

Rams D/ST

Dan Bailey, Dal K

Golden Tate, Sea WR

Fred Jackson, Buf RB

Not a bad team if you ask me... They are all strong players and what has helped me in the past is consistency and starting my studs; such as A-Rod. Last year I considered benching him after his HORRIBLE first few weeks and am glad I didn't as he ended up getting me quite a bit of points! Since my team of choice is the San Francisco 49ers, I am SO happy that I drafted Frank Gore!! Now I can actually cheer for a fantasy player while I'm cheering for my team. Was hoping to get their Defense but the Seahawks are great too. 

My tips to myself for this year's league: 

1} Start my studs, always even when I doubt them.

2} Keep track of BYES week after week. 

3} Check my line-up throughout the week, watching for injuries and suspensions 

4} Don't judge the season by the first few games

5} Talk smack to my fellow leaguers 

This will be an exciting season, and I can't wait to root for my 49ers again!! 

Who are YOU rooting for? 

If You Can't Beat 'Em, Join 'Em! Why Fantasy Football Can Be Fun

It’s that time of year again. NFL team jerseys get pulled out of the closets, husbands start getting amped up from pre-season football games and many of them go MIA for the next five months. Wives start rolling their eyes and complaining about the amount of time the sport pulls their husband away from them, and their honey-dos, while others are excited because this just means more time to go shopping on Sunday afternoons. What many wives don’t understand is that football can be fun, and so can signing up for a fantasy football league.

Growing up, the only football I ever saw was the occasional 49er game on at my grandparent’s house on a Sunday afternoon or Thanksgiving Day games played while we feasted on turkey and mashed potatoes. The only knowledge I had of football was that my grandma really liked Joe Montana and that everyone got excited when there was a “touchdown”. Until I met my husband, I was one of the women that rolled their eyes at the mere mention of football. I hated that he would spend hours with his buddies having their fantasy football draft and then he’d spend even more time watching the games, week after week, yelling at the TV.  I am a very competitive person and what I started to realize was that, “hey, maybe I can beat him AND we can spend more time together.”

This will be my fourth season playing fantasy football and I’ve learned a little bit more each year. There are so many different platforms that offer fantasy football, such as Yahoo! Sports, ESPN, NFL, and Fox Sports, just to name a few. The platform that I love is the free ESPN one and with today’s technology, having an app right on my iPhone is so convenient! I had no clue about football when I joined my first fantasy football league and the only thing I regret about signing up was that I didn’t do it sooner!

With that said, here are my top five reasons that I feel wives would benefit from joining a fantasy football league; whether you like football or not!! You never know, it may grow on you as it did me!

1. Socializing

Really. Who doesn’t like to socialize? Whether the kids and husband are in tow, everyone needs to be around friends while sipping on their beverage of choice, eating finger foods and shouting at the TV because they feel the referee made a bad call. Thousands of people gather on Thursday nights, Sundays, and Monday nights to watch America’s pastime sport, football.  If you aren’t into the sport, instead of staying home and missing a good football gathering, joining a league gives you something to talk about with others when everyone is getting together to “watch the game”. Next time you are out to eat and the whole restaurant starts cheering at the TV, you’ll know why and you can cheer right along with them. Plus, it’s a good excuse to invite friends over on Sunday afternoon.

2. Breaks the Language Barrier

Touchdown, holding, pass interference, what? Do you hear your husband using these words and you have no idea what they are? I had no idea what any of it meant, (well, except for a touchdown of course) and after four years, I still hear the referee make calls that I have to ask my husband about. Being a part of a fantasy football league has helped me to understand the positions, calls being made and who does what on the field. I think my husband and I actually talk MORE now because I can speak his football language.

3. Bragging Rights

Everyone likes to talk a little smack every now and then, right? If you have any sort of competitive nature in you, you will love fantasy football. When your Quarterback throws a touchdown pass or your running back runs 60 yards, you are going to want to brag about it and who better than to those that you are playing against and beating for the week. Part of the fun for me is bragging to my husband, and the rest of the teams, how awesome my team is.

4. Possibility of Earning Money

All of the leagues that I have participated in over the past couple of years have been “For Bragging Rights” and there was no money involved. However, friends of ours and past leagues my husband has played in had a pot that everyone put money into and at the end of the season, the winner gets it all! Sounds great, if you win!

5. Shared Hobby

Not only do I now speak and understand my husband’s football language, there is a lot less resentment between the two of us, having this shared hobby. Instead of being upset that he’s gone out to watch a game or that he wants to watch football on Sunday, I am happy and can talk to him about it. Since we have different teams in fantasy football and we play against each-other, it’s fun to brag to one another about how well our players are doing that particular week or day. We have so many different interests between the two of us that it makes it really nice to share this hobby. I also enjoy discussing with him how my players have been doing while checking my weekly lineup.

Joining a fantasy football league may or may not be your thing, but my suggestion is to at least give it a chance and try it before you knock it! I am so excited for this new season of football to start and really excited that I am a part of not one, but two leagues this year. One of them being our very own East Valley Moms Blog league, which I am REALLYlooking forward to!

***Originally Posted on East Valley Moms Blog as a contributor post***

Teenager, Toddler & a Starving Momma

I eat pretty much the same thing everyday for breakfast. It's either egg whites and plain oatmeal OR my yummy RVL shake {I always prefer this one, since it tastes like eating cake}. As you know from previous posts, I love breakfast. It has always been one of my favorite meals and if I could just eat breakfast all the time I would be happy. French Toast, pancakes, muffins, donuts {yes, I said donuts}, omelets, berries, ok... you get the point.

So my teenager is taking a Culinary Arts class in high-school this year as one of his electives. We figured we'd let him take a "fun" elective class for his Freshman year and he can follow through with his three years of a foreign language his Sophomore, Junior & Senior year. So far, I am loving this culinary arts class. At back to school night we had the pleasure of meeting his teacher, who is a total hoot, and she shared with us that by the end of the year, they would be required to cook at least one full dinner meal a week. SCORE!

This week in class they made some breakfast concoction that my son said was fabulous and he wanted to cook it for me. That would be AWESOME! Of course I went to Safeway yesterday and bought him the necessary ingredients that I did not have on hand {such as chorizo}. I have been waiting for this morning of yummy breakfast that my son is cooking for me, all week.

I am a pretty early riser, usually up by 7am on the weekend since my toddler is usually up by then. When I am not doing a fasted cardio workout first thing in the morning, I need to eat pretty close to waking. Like, within 30 minutes or I get shaky. Need my protein!!!

I am thinking that I needed to coordinate this a little better with the teenager who likes to sleep until mid-morning and is also feeling under the weather. I woke up this morning, mouth watering for eggs and pepper-jack cheese with chorizo {which I haven't eaten in over two years, so we'll see what my stomach thinks of that}. But, here I sit at 8:30am, starving.

While waiting, I decided to make some blueberry muffins that I had in the pantry for the toddler. Thinking I'd have eggs to eat I wouldn't want one...

I was wrong. Do you see how yummy they look?

Yes, I ate one. And I'm still waiting patiently for my eggs, as I sit here with a growling tummy. It makes me remember being a teenager and sleeping in until 10am on the weekends without a care in the world. No job {at the age of 14} and no responsibilities other than laundry and cleaning bathrooms. No thought in the world that my parents may be waiting for me to get up and make them breakfast.

Oh to be 14 again...

Sweaty, Out of Breath Type of Cardio

For a little over a year now I have been doing higher intensity training. Years ago, when I didn't know better, I'd go to the gym and get on the elliptical for forty-five minutes to an hour, set on the same level. Thinking that's all I needed. Of course, I was twenty-five and my metabolism was much different.

A few years ago when I was just getting started on my fitness path, starting my day with fasted cardio and adding in ninety days of P90X, I still had no idea that the forty-five minutes to an hour on my elliptical wasn't doing the same as what I've been doing for the last year.

Every day, I am learning so much more about fitness, nutrition, and exercise and I'm applying it all in the gym and at home. I am hoping to someday turn my love for fitness and nutrition in to something more, but for now, I'll just stick to sharing some of my workouts and blogging my thoughts...

This was the cardio I did yesterday, and it kicked my booty!!! Sweating, out of breath kicked my booty. Try it and tell me how YOU feel after!

xo

Impromptu Visit from the Parental Units

This last weekend marked yet another milestone. My first son's fourteenth birthday. I gave birth to him when I was just nineteen years old, living in Hawaii and still a newlywed (of a little over a year).

He's now taller than me, wears a size ten shoe and his voice is getting deeper and deeper by the week. I can't believe he's in high-school now and in just a few short years, he'll be driving. Scary! (that means I'm REALLY getting old).

Between a busy busy weekend and a last minute planned visit from my parents, I haven't been to the gym in four days. Yes, I said four days and it's killing me! Life is happening and it's not the end of the world, but still... the gym is my sanity; or anti-depressant if you want to call it that.

It was so wonderful having my parents here, I miss them so much and wish we could live closer to them. I love their company, conversations and evening walks with my momma. They only stayed a couple of days, and I'm hoping that they will be back soon to visit again! Today marks their 30th anniversary! What better way to spend it than twelve hours in the car together driving home!

30th Anniversary Kiss 

My little swim monkey, loves the pool!! 

Doing Tricks! 

I love my momma!! (Nevermind that it was 109 degrees outside...)

It's only 95 degrees outside, is this August?

The week is half over, or halfway started, which-ever way you look at it, and I've managed to get a lot done surprisingly! With the wee one sick over the weekend, I actually got caught up on a lot of the cleaning and organizing that needed to be done. This left me more time for ME the past couple of days! I have been busy brainstorming, writing and researching for my first blog post on East Valley Moms Blog  (which if you haven't checked it out, you should!) and planning my meals and workouts for the week.

Really?

You think that's all I've done? Ok, so I've paid the bills, cleaned the house (including toilets), done the dishes, taken out the trash, played with the dog, gone to the park, read books to tiny human, played legos with tiny human, changed diapers, etc... Writing in my blog or any blog is just extra stuff I get to do when it's nap time and all of my other chores are done. 

I did manage to have a pretty good workout Monday night, partially with the hubby. He was there and even though we were doing different things, it's fun to be there at the same time. I treasure our newly found gym time hobby. Yesterday I managed to kick my own booty with some good leg exercises that left me walking funny. Wait, didn't I post about legs last time too?? Did I mention LEGS ARE MY FAVORITE?

When I did these yesterday, I was averaging a rest time of 30 seconds to a minute in between reps. My weight has varied over the last few weeks, increasing of course, and I'm quite proud when I have to add weight! 

My Weight Amounts for Tuesday, August 6, 2013 

Leg Extension (single leg) ~ 25lbs

Squats ~ 70lbs

Glute Kickbacks ~ Bar only (on the Smith Machine)

Walking Lunges ~ 15lbs in each hand

Leg Press ~ 90lbs

Deadlift ~ 40lb Barbell

Hip Extension ~ 20lbs 

I'm learning. It's all a learning experience for me right now. I'm focusing on form and learning the different exercises and machines. BUT, it's working. Whatever I'm doing is working. I'm still doing a small amount of cardio (at least 20 minutes a day) and eating a clean diet, consisting of the proper amounts of proteins, fats and carbs, and it's working. My shorts are looser, and while I may be bloated at the end of the day from the gallon of water I have drank or the egg whites I've eaten, I'm still getting closer to where I want to be. 

I drink my MonaVie juice every morning and every night, a RVL shake at least once a day and minimize my snacks. I believe that ANYONE who sets their mind to achieving goals can do it. Whether you want to feel better, lose weight, or just quit complaining, it can be done! I am proof of that one. 

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, registered dietitian, or fitness expert. The purpose of my blog is to share my experiences with food, fitness, and life—not to dole out advice. When it comes to your health and fitness, do your research. All blog content is for entertainment purposes only. This blog contains my own views and does not necessarily reflect the view of MonaVie. 

Herpangina, what is that?

105 fever, lethargy, and grumpier than ever.

Let me rewind a bit.. do you remember my love/hate relationship post about parents bringing their sick children to the gym? Well, if you haven't read it, you can find it here.

Yes, my child has been a bit sheltered for the past couple of years. Is that really a bad thing? It's a large debate among parents every-where and I fall on the side of when the time is right it's right. I would much rather throw my child's immune system for a loop at the age of two instead of six months old. Heck, I'd really like to wait until after his third birthday but c'mon, mommy needs her gym time.

I am a stay at home mom and I do "get out". I just choose to stay away from friends with sick kiddos and play groups where I know a parent is bringing their sick child. My child isn't exactly an "easy" child and when he's sick it doesn't make things any better...

So one week after the first cold (from the gym daycare) came about, my tiny human started acting funny again. By acting funny I mean sticking his hands in his mouth gagging himself. Teething again? Sore throat? Strange toddler curiosity? I thought it was the wicked molars until Saturday afternoon's 105 fever.

A fever we couldn't break.

This, of course, led to a trip to the pediatric urgent care. After taking his temperature (rectally if I might add) and checking his pulse, they said, "oh yes, something isn't right." Really? That's why he is here.

That is when the doctor dropped the possible diagnosis.

Herpangina.

Say what???

Apparently, it's a summer virus that affects wee little ones in the form of a sore throat, high fever and lack of appetite followed by sores or lesions on the back of the throat. Nice. Just another virus that he picked up from the gym daycare, and hopefully one we won't encounter again. The high fever was a bit scary, especially when you can't get it to come down very easily.

Today, he is almost back to normal, bouncing around playing, talking and singing. Of course, says dear husband... waste a whole weekend being sick and as soon as he goes back to work Monday morning, tiny human feels better. The story of parenting!

Now it is Monday and time to get back on track. The weekend ended up being kind of a wash and aside from strolls around the neighborhood, workouts were literally non-existent. 

Today's Workout - Thur, August 1

I decided that I wanted to start blogging about my workouts... maybe not all of them, but most.

Today was "leg" day and I was still feeling my legs from Monday's leg day workout. I want to make sure that I am really changing up my workouts so my muscles don't get used to the same motions over and over. By changing the exercises frequently, your body will consistently stay challenged and you will definitely see results!

I've been waking up at 5:30am and doing fasted cardio first thing (usually 20-25 minutes on the elliptical) and then lifting weights a few hours later at the gym. Today, since I had planned on a higher intensity workout I skipped the morning cardio and snoozed a few minutes longer. (Really, it was like 20 minutes, I just couldn't stay in bed!)

My friend met me at the gym and we got started... Wow, was that a great work out! The first and second set of the circuit was probably the hardest for me, with the fourth being the easiest. I felt almost like doing a 5th! Once I was done with the leg curls I went back to stretch and held a 3 minute plank to really challenge myself. 

It was definitely a good, sweaty, workout and helped to change it up from the normal squats, leg press, lunges, kick backs, etc... and of course I threw together my RVL Vanilla Cream shake in the locker room for recovery! 

Enjoy! Let me know how YOUR legs feel after this one!