driving home

If you've never been to Arizona, you should definitely make a point to get here one day. It's a beautiful, beautiful place with gorgeous mountains, desert, forest, and sky. We live in Northern Arizona, which has more of the forest than desert variety, but it's amazing that you can drive an hour or two and be in a completely different environment. Desert to snow in a matter of sixty minutes. This morning I made the two-hour drive home from my parents, and it was a stunning day; huge clouds in the sky and a bit of darkness due to the impending storm. I love driving long distances, and I think this stems from going away to college and making the drive home often, and then spending the first year of Hank and my relationship living hours apart. Sometimes there is nothing better than putting on a favorite album and just losing yourself on the open road- it clears my head in the best possible way.

Here are some photos from this morning:

...and a little "driving" playlist for you, too! Today's music consisted of mostly Lucero- it was just one of those days.

Wonderful weekend

I had such a great, great weekend that was jam-packed with plans, people, and fun.  Saturday I had a sweet girl date with my friend Anita and had the best time.  We left both of our babies at home with their grandparents, and it was basically the first time I'd really done that. It was nerve-wracking but also fun to be able to go do something on my own outside of a quick run to the gym or the store. It was a great night- so much girl talk, so much good food...and cupcakes too!  We ate at Joe's Farm Grill- I got a chicken sandwich and fries, delicious- and followed it up with sweets from the bakery next door. I adore Anita and it was immeasurably fun to actually spend time with her. I can't wait to do it again!

When I got home Henry and I fell asleep around 8:30pm and slept the night away. He woke up once but for the most part sleep really well and I felt great on Sunday morning. I had a full day planned today so I was really grateful he didn't pick last night to end his amazing sleeping streak. We're at my parents, so I thought it could happen being in a different environment, but nope! Thank you sweet Henry! So we got up this morning, got ready, and I headed over to Shirley and Nate's for a girl's/bridesmaids brunch, followed by shopping. My parents graciously agreed to watch H. so of course I was excited to go spend the afternoon with my ladies. These girls are some of my oldest and dearest friends, and it's always always a good time, filled with laughter and silliness.

So we brunched and chatted for awhile, and then we all headed to Chandler Mall to check out some of the shops in the hopes of finding black bridesmaids dresses. The last time I went to the mall with five other girls I think I was 16, so I had to stop and kind of smile to myself as I watched all of us walk into Nordstrom together. So funny. We walked around and visited different stores (hello J. Crew, I adore you and so wish we had one closer), and then Emily suggested we look in White House Black Market.  Lo and behold, we found the dress!  It's the perfect black dress- it has a classic, vintage look to it and we will absolutely we able to wear it again. Pretty awesome as far as a dress goes, and really, really awesome that we get to wear it as a bridesmaids dress. We all purchased it right then and there and it's nice to have this detail out of the way. Now, onto finding Shirley's dress!

So yes, the afternoon was really lovely. I've said it before and I say it again- I feel incredibly lucky to have so many wonderful, positive girlfriends in my life. My heart is incredibly happy today, from my dinner with Anita to today's festivities. I'm looking forward to all that is to come in the next few months, and especially for my sister's wedding, which is on March 12th- so soon! Her bachelorette party is next weekend too, and although I am forgoing the barhopping, I am joining the ladies for dinner. I can't wait. It's funny because while I was pregnant we laid so low- even this blog reflected that. Lots of quiet weekends at home, not much hanging out...but now I feel like we're back into the swing of things and I'm having just so much fun. I think Henry has been enjoying meeting so many people too, and I love that he is such an easy baby in terms of traveling and being in new environments. He never ceases to amaze me, that boy.

I need to get to sleep now in sweet anticipation of going home to Hank tomorrow (he had class all day Saturday) but I'll leave you with some photos from the weekend. Happy, happy Monday and have a wonderful start to your week!

in my sister's old bedroom, getting ready to head out to dinner- don't know why this photo is so red-tinted!

Anita and me

birthday cake cupcake. This was so.good.

Anita!

Sunday morning, getting ready for brunch

H for my Henrys :)

the bride-to-be/hostess with the mostess. Love Shirley so, so much.

Shirl's sister Erica and Autumn!

yummy apple spice muffins Emily made...I wish I had one right now.

quiche, fruit salad, muffins, mimosas, and coffee.

Em and me- and Maxon in her belly! Cutest pregnant gal ever.

the bride and her bridesmaids, minus two!

the dress

Lauren and Abe's engagement photos

This morning I snapped a few photos of my little sister Lauren and her fiancé Abe. They'll be married next month and I am so incredibly excited for their big day! I've talked about it before, but they've been best friends since middle school, and only started getting romantic during college, while he was over in Afghanistan with the Army. Talk about a love story! This was my first time attempting to take photos like this, but I had a lot of fun with the two of them and I think my sister will be happy with the finished products. So I thought I'd share a few (of the hundreds) here! Have a great Saturday. xoxo

Working it out...at home!

"Everything changes when you have a baby." I can't tell you how many times I heard this while pregnant...and for good reason- it's absolutely (and obviously) true! Everything changes. Even the things you don't really think about beforehand- being able to watch an entire season of Seinfeld in one sitting, staying in bed for hours on a Sunday morning, surfing around the internet, bored, on a Tuesday evening, making a quick trip to Target at 9pm by yourself, just because. For me, another bullet on that list would being able to go to the gym whenever my little heart desired. Of course I wouldn't trade my Henry-time for anything, but coming from someone who pre-baby found their self at the gym close to everyday, it was a bit of an adjustment once my number one priority wasn't...me. It's interesting how all notions of selfishness fly out the window when you have a child. And not that taking much-needed time for yourself is ever selfish, but now, my time isn't really mine...there's a certain little guy who dictates most of it! ;) So, due to this new schedule I am on, I've had to become a little creative in my workouts.  Before Henry I would often get up at 4:45am and arrive at the gym by 5, workout until about 6am or maybe even 6:30, then come home and be at work by 8. This was ideal to me, and getting my workouts done and out of the way has always made me the happiest. Thanks to my extremely supportive husband I still get to the go to the gym in the evenings when it works out with our schedule, but I can't always make it if one, we have plans with family or friends or two, the only time I'll have for the three of us is that night. And "the three of us" always wins in my book.

So, I try to get a little creative while Henry is napping. We don't yet have an elliptical (soon!), so if a gym visit isn't in the cards my cardio is done either via video, or by taking Henry out on our often-daily walks. If you're not a mama, you can go the video route, or just take yourself on a walk or run outside. It's always good to mix it up, so I try to never ever do the same cardio two days in a row. Even when I'm able to go to the gym five days in a row I mix it up by breaking up my say, 40-minute cardio session into two twenty-minute segments on different machines, or if I have an hour I'll do the same but on three different machines. Variety is key.

My very favorite magazine in the entire world is Oxygen. You may have already seen this magazine on your newsstand but if you're not into the super muscular look of fitness competitors you may have just passed right over it. The women on the cover are typically ripped- all muscle and very low-body fat. At first glance you might think, "this magazine is NOT for me." But I swear, it is!

Oxygen is amazing for a woman just getting into working out, all the way up to the expert or fitness competitor. It includes fitness plans, weight training routines, clean eating inspiration (from the clean eating queen herself, Tosca Reno). Everything is extremely easy to understand. In fact, I recommended Oxygen to a far-away friend who couldn't afford a trainer, and she was able to learn and implement one of the weight routines into her workout quite easily. So, if you're looking for some fresh motivation definitely pick up an issue, or at least thumb through one next time you're at the bookstore. This magazine will help you both in the gym and at home, as it provides all sorts of workouts and moves for each environment. The only negative about the magazine is the over-abundance of diet-pill/protein powder/wonder product ads. They can get annoying but the content is so good that I skim right over them.

Next up, videos. I am going to recommend a few tried and true videos that have been in my rotation forever.  The first is my favorite video ever- Billie Blanks' Ultimate Tae Bo.  This video is HARD and is a full 90-minutes long (although at 60 minutes Billie gives you the option to stop or go on). When I'm in the mood to really sweat I pop in this DVD and I am never disappointed. Plus, Billie is kind of ridiculously funny in all of his seriousness that you just have to smile and love him and his extreme cheesiness. And don't forget to pay attention to all the other people in the video too- they are really hilarious and always make me laugh. Oh, and "Tae Bo Get Ripped: Advanced" is also very challenging if you'd like another Tae Bo option. Both are full body workouts that rely on Tae Bo's traditional non-stop combinations to get your body in tip-top shape. If you're a beginner and the moves seem challenging, just go slow and stick with it- you'll get it in time. And the best part of all- you don't need any equipment.

The second video I adore is Jillian Michael's 30-day Shred. To me, this video is easier than the Tae Bo videos, but I really enjoy it and I think it's a great workout that utilizes various exercises and body parts. Plus, I love love love Jillian!  For this video you do need a set of hand weights and possibly a mat, but you could always improvise and use water jugs or soup cans if you want to get crazy! ;)  This video is made for all levels, and as you progress you can change it up. Best of all, the workouts are short which makes this video a great option for mamas with limited time. If you're serious about getting in shape though, I'd add in additional cardio on your own.

Thirdly, I love P90X. Now this program is not for everyone, but I thought I would just throw it into the mix because I really love these videos for an at-home workout. A lot of people have asked me about them once they find out that Hank and I use them, and yes, they do work...and yes, they are hard! A couple of years ago I did the actual program, but I need variety outside of working out at home to a video everyday, so now I just work them into my routine on occasion.  I will say though that all of the Beach Body DVDs I've tried have been great, so check out their site if you're interested.

Outside of the videos, it's always good to have some cheap equipment at home. There's no need to run out and buy a million things...you just need a few items that have multiple uses. First off, resistance bands! 

I'd recommend getting a set of these at Target or similar retailer- they're inexpensive and often come in a set of three various resistances. I like to use these in place of weights now and then, and they are the BEST if you have to travel for work or play; simply stick them in your suitcase and you can do resistance training anywhere. The premise behind these bands are the same as weights, but they are a lot more versatile. If you're interested in workouts using these bands you can check out this link for some basic moves, or simply google the term. Oxygen mag often integrates them into workouts as well.

I'd also recommend getting a cheap set of hand weights. I say a set because if you just get 5-pounders you'll soon grow out of them for some of the larger muscle exercises and need 8+ pounders, and you'll spend more money buying them separately than all at once, together. At home we have 5, 8, 10 and 12. At the gym I use more but these are a great mix for at home workouts. You can also look into kettlebells too- they are an amazing calorie burner/muscle toner. And again, Oxygen mag is a GREAT resource for using weights safely and properly, and Jillian Micheal's videos do a good job of explaining as well.

The last simple item I'm going to recommend to get your "home gym" started is an exercise ball!  I use our beloved ball for all sorts of ab work, I sit or lay back on it while doing various exercises with weights, and it's also a comfy chair for an extra guest. This is a great site for workouts using this tool!

So, these are just a few things you can do now to get a small home gym started and to get your body moving!  There is always a way to get active, even if you can't get to the gym or have time for hours of working out.  Quick videos, circuit training at home, walks outside...they all work. There is no better time than now, so make yourself a priority and start small. Every bit of change you make will make a difference, so remember that when you feel discouraged.

I'm going to be posting about motivation and what works for me next week, so stay tuned for that too!  And if you have any questions, please ask away, and check back in the comments for my answers.

and p.s...80s babies, remember this?! hahaha!

New button!

Happy Friday friends!

I'm just finishing up a little post about at-home fitness tips, but in the meantime, I thought I'd share a new button with all of you! I just got photoshop on my computer (thanks hubby) and I'm beyond excited, so I'm sure I will be putting up more in the upcoming weeks. I probably could have waited until I had three or four, but I was so excited about having a brand new shiny one that I just had to share tonight.

So if you'd like to grab the new button, head over there to my left hand sidebar where it's waiting for you! And as always thank you so, so much for supporting this little blog.

I love you!

Links to love!

from my friend's wedding last year. Love it/my adorable friends. Hi Erin!

Hi everyone, and happy Thursday!  Here are some fun links to get you into the beginning of your weekend!  Enjoy.

How cute is this video?  I've never really gotten into the whole Facebook chat thing, but you can bet this was the case for me when I was all about AOL and later AIM.  Too funny.

I am loving these DIY thank you cards via my pal Allie and her darling 1-year old Henry.

Classic stars and their bikes? Okay! Such a cute post.

Interesting article on gender and identity- discusses everything from Disney princesses to internet culture.

365 days of ampersands?! How did I miss this?

I really adore this DIY "EAT" sign and definitely plan on making one for our kitchen shelf. I also happen to adore the blog where I found it, which I just came across when she left the address in my "what's YOUR blog?" post.  So happy to meet all of my readers. I'm slowly but surely making my way down the list, so if I haven't stopped by yet, I will!

I love me some muffins, and I love me some Chelsea, so this was a great mix! Can't wait to try out this recipe.

Love this interview with one of my favorite artists, the talented Angelique Houtkamp.

Why having a toddler is like living in a frat house. Yup.

Adeline's Dad, Don, is definitely a Super Dad/Man!  Go Addy's Daddy go!

Another adorable wedding video. It makes me want to get married to Hank all over again. So sweet.

Ever have an awkward moment when you were a pre-teen? Yeah? Me too. And probably everyone else. Submit your funny anecdote to this radical new zine and get that embarrassment off your chest once and for all. ;)

My sweet best friend Amber found her holy grail of red lipsticks!

I'm dying. Just LOOK at this bedroom makeover on one of my favorite blogs. Can't wait to read about the details.

Love this collection of "cutesy retro" interior design on another one of my fave blogs. Eye candy for sure.


That's it! Have the best day, xoxo.

A Slice of Berlin, Germany!

Hi, I´m Hilka from Berlin/Germany. I am 28 years old and love the arts, music, intercultural life and experiences this town offers for me. I have a blog written in German and a flickr, too!.

I've wanted to live in this city forever and finally moved here four and a half year ago. Berlin has 3.4 million inhabitants and is, as you might know, Germanys biggest town. But don't think Berlin really has much of a metropolitan-flair because it doesn't have many skyscrapers; instead it has various parks and can therefore be called kind of a "green city."

I love that the people here use the parks as their gardens during the summer. You see sunbathers everywhere, and there are loads of barbecues, flea markets and many many parties! Now that the Airport Tempelhof is closed, there is a huge park in the middle of the city. It´s perfect for running, inline-skating, flying kites or just enjoying to see so so much of the sky in the middle of a big city!

One thing I had in mind when I decided to move here is the art scene. I love street art as well as the historic museums, art gallerys or art fairs, and there is such a variety and constant development in Berlins art scene, which is the most interesting thing to me about this city.

 

But also the alternative life in the streets plays a big role in “my” Berlin. There are many solidarity events, like “myfest” on May 1st, which is a labor movement-holiday. “myfest” is a street festival in Kreuzberg, a district which is characterized by Turkish migrants, and is attended by more than 10.000 people. You can see live music, buy snacks and drinks, sit in the streets, dance around - and wait for the riots to start by the end of the day… but before it turns too political and violent, it really is a nice intercultural party.

I also love visiting the typical tourist places of the city – but only when I have friends or family over to show them the city.

 

 

Next to wandering through the city, I enjoy the intense cultural life here. Going to the theatre has become one of my favorite hobbies. I know, you might not know many (good) German actors, but they hide in the theatres and that’s why they are not known in the cinema-world. ;)

One thing I also love about Berlin is the rich offer of vegetarian or vegan food. For example, there is a restaurant in Friedrichshain called “Vöner," where you can get vegan döner (kebab). In my neighborhood there are a lot of shops that sell local, organic and ecological food and the prices in bars and restaurants are mostly very cheap. That’s why I eat out very often, but I also like just sitting on a train-bridge, have a little picnic and watch the day go by…

If you like to know more about this city you can always contact me if you are ever visiting Berlin- http://www.couchsurfing.org/people/lalatika!

See you!

Hilka*