Archives for November 2010

11/30

Gift Ideas for the Active!

The Holidays are upon us! Here are some of my favorite items that make wonderful gifts for the active person you’re gift-searching for:
TRX – duh. Because it’s all about body-weight training, functional/multi-planar movement, versatility, and efficiency. Need a 20 minute kick-ass workout? No biggie. Have a shoulder injury? Bring it on! (You’re in charge of resistance!) Don’t have a gym membership? Pshaw! You don’t need one! This is what you need. Price Range: $189+. Buy it. They’re %20 off with free shipping until December 12th when you type the code TRXMAS at checkout.

Vibram Five Fingers – because your feet were made to move, not be still in some crazy shoe. And since it’s publically banned (in most places) to cruise around barefoot, people need these!
Exclaimer: Don’t buy these for anybody with foot issues (joint/skeletal) or for running on concrete/asphalt. They won’t help. I wrote about these a while back. Price range: $70-$80. Buy it.
Heart Rate Monitor – Because you need to know what you’re training zones are and if you’re staying in them. The monitor helps you to train correctly and safely! Prices range from $50-$400, if you’re crazy. I wrote about it a while back. Buy it.

iPod Shuffle – Because people need motivation! And music is the best kind! And because iPhones are HUGE and don’t belong on your arm. These guys are tiny and they clip on to your shirt/pants. Price: $50. Buy it.

Workout clothing gift cards! – Don’t go purchasing clothing for anybody. You have no idea what they want or how they need things to feel for their particular training. So gift card them! My top workout lines: Lululemon Athletica, Under Armour, Reebok. Price Range: However much you want!
Happy shopping!
Share Button
posted by Leave a Comment
Filed Under: Christmas, gifts, heart rate monitor, lululemon, TRX, Vibram Five Fingers
11/28

Christmas Movie Time

I love Christmas movies. ALL Christmas movies. Even the cheeseball ones on the Hallmark Channel. It’s hard to find one I don’t love. During the holidays I usually search the DVR for anything related to Christmas and record it. That way, when I have a free hour, one will always be on hand. Too bad we don’t have cable/dvr right now. Whose stupid idea was it to just get internet while we’re in the rental house?! Damnit.
Now it’s hard for me to pick just one favorite Christmas movie, but I’ll give you my top 5. And I’ll do it like a countdown. It’s more dramatic that way…
#5. The Holiday: This is such a new one, but I could watch it a hundred times in a row. Actually, I watched it twice the other day. Thank you, TBS.

#4. Elf: There are just too many one-liners. It makes my tongue swell up and I feel all warm inside ; )

#3. White Christmas: Bing and Danny, Rosemary and Vera. Singing! Dancing! “Snooooooow.” I think I should have been a 1940s/50s entertainer.

#2. Christmas Vacation: ‘nough said. My husband had never actually seen this whole movie when we moved in together. No wonder he always looked at me funny when I told him his bonus was actually a membership to the Jelly of the Month Club…



And my #1, All-Time Favorite, Could Watch A Million Times In A Row-Christmas Movie is….

drumroll, please. “ddddddddddddddddd”





Smoky Mountain Christmas!!!!!
Dolly Parton and Lee Majors! You can’t go wrong. What? You’ve never seen it? What? You’ve never even heard of it? Pshaw. It’s great, trust me. And they’ve finally put it on DVD! So I can own it and stop scouring the CMT schedule to see when it’ll be on. Yesssss.

Happy movie watching, happy Monday!
And remember, it’s your last day to score %25 off, FREE shipping, and a free workout download for a TRX! Use code TRXMAS at this link to get the discounts!
Share Button
posted by 4 Comments
Filed Under: Christmas, countdown, movie, quotes, TRX
11/27

Angel Tree

The Salvation Army has one of the best donation programs for kids! It’s called the Angel Tree. It’s a program that helps local children who are in need of clothes, shoes, winter coats, and of course, toys! I had never been able to participate when I was younger (poor college kid, you know…) but now I’m able to and it’s been so much fun!

Here’s how it works, you go to the website and find an area near you to ‘adopt and angel’. It’s usually a local mall, but anyway, you pick out a child profile and sign up. Then you get to go shopping! The child’s profile will have all their sizes for you, (shirt/pant/dress/coat/shoe) and what they’d like for Christmas this year. Most of them just say ‘toy’ so it’s up to you to pick out something good. Now, you don’t have to go spend a million dollars on your angel, but they ask that you at least pick up one item of clothing and one toy. Once you’ve got all your goods, just drop them back off at the same point you adopted your angel. They take it from there!
I got Destiny, a 5 year old girl. I had a great time picking out an outfit, a pair of shoes, and some toys for her. I even found a mini bathrobe! It’s always funny to think about who this girl might be and what she’s into. I decided to go with a couple really girly toys and a couple tom-boy-ish things, just in case (’cause I was that kid).
Now, I could never find this program when I lived in San Diego so I just did Toys for Tots. (donate some dough. Every little bit helps! If you’ve got a little to spare this holiday season, please try to remember the Angel Tree. No kid should ever do without.
p.s. I had such a fun time playing Santa that I’m going to adopt another angel when I drop my things off tomorrow. This time, a boy!
Share Button
posted by 3 Comments
Filed Under: Angel Tree, charity, Christmas, donations, kids
11/26

Black Friday Deal

I’ve had a lot people ask me about getting TRXs for friends or family members (or selfishly for themselves) for Christmas. They’re having a big sale this weekend so I thought I’d share with you! Check it out! %25 off AND Free Shipping. That’s always nice.

and you don’t even have to leave your house…


Go to this link to shop. At checkout, enter the code TRXMAS to receive your discount. Happy Shopping, people! And I can officially say, “Merry Christmas!”

Share Button
posted by Leave a Comment
Filed Under: TRX
11/25

Thanksgiving Day Fitness Tips

I’m not even gonna pretend that I don’t love Thanksgiving food. I’m sure we all do. However,  if you’re currently trying to get in shape and worried about calories this year, here are a couple tips to help you enjoy the day without going overboard.
1. Work out BEFORE the stuff-your-face-fest. A little boost to the metabolism, ya know? You’ll burn more calories during the day. Take a quick run/fast walk Thanksgiving morning. If you’ve got family in town, try to recruit them to come with you. You don’t have to run 10 miles or anything, but getting your body moving will help. Aim for 20 – 30 minutes, alternating a light pace with a fast pace!
2. Choose REAL foods for your plate: things that were here 500 years ago. Cranberry sauce, from a can, was not here 500 years ago. Go for the turkey and the veggies.
3. Pace yourself: Put small portions on your plate for the first round and eat slowly. A portion is what you could fit in the palm of your hand (your hand, not Shaq’s hand) You won’t choke, you won’t look like the pig at the table, and it helps with the next tip…
4. Finish what’s on your plate, then wait 10-20 minutes before going back for seconds. When you give your body time for the food to reach your stomach, you’ll be full and won’t eat so much the 2nd time around, if you even want seconds by then.
5. If you’re dying for pumpkin pie, eat a piece! Just don’t eat 5 pieces.
I hope you guys enjoy the holiday!!
Share Button
posted by 2 Comments
Filed Under: healthy eating, Thanksgiving
11/25

Thanksgiving 2010


It’s my first year back home for the holidays. I’m LOVING it. I’ll get to see my entire family today and get to share them all with my husband. I’m thankful for so much this year. I feel like if I list all the things I’m thankful for, you’ll be really bored with this post.

In no particular order, here’s the top 10:

1. Being home with family. Nothin’ beats home for the holidays.
2. Conrad. He never gets on Facebook, but wrote on my wall last night, “psst, I love you”
3. Tango. Adopting my dog was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
4. My job. I love making people healthier and happier with themselves.
5. Security. I’ve been able to afford to spend money on charities the last couple of years. (when you’ve always been broke, that’s a really nice feeling)
6. Parents. I love being able to see them all the time. It’s nice just to be able to go for a walk or stop by their houses and say hey.
7. Partners. I love working with people that are fun, fair, and trustworthy.
8. My body. It doesn’t get sick, it keeps me moving, it helps make me a living. We’re buds.
9. Buddies. I have the best friends in the world. They make me laugh, they comfort me, they support me, and I hope I’ve done the same for them.
10. This blog. It’s led me to all you wonderful blog people. Thanks for reading, I’m glad I’m getting to know a lot of you!
Happy Thanksgiving Everybody!
Share Button
posted by Leave a Comment
Filed Under: holiday, thankful, Thanksgiving
11/23

Travel Thoughts – Boston

This weekend’s TRX work took me to Boston and Beverly, Massachusetts. I’ve never been to the MA, so I tried to get in as much as I could in my free day. Here’s what I thought about my weekend…





1. My flights are going really well. I’m getting better at flying. Maybe I’m not afraid anymore…
2. We’re going to die. (It was REALLY windy on my way into Boston. Not fun)
3. Boston is SOOO beautiful. The Freedom Trail is awesome! Way longer than I have time for though…
4. Boston Common: 1634?! I love old stuff.
5. Wow, it’s getting colder by the second.
6. Wish I could go back in time to the Revolution. Only for a day though… What? I like indoor plumbing and heating.
7. Where the F is Ben Franklin’s grave?
8. No drinks in the museum?! Where am I supposed to put my coffee that’s keeping my body at a surviving temperature? OK chug, chug, chug!
9. The good thing about traveling alone: You’re in charge of where you go, eat, and watch on the hotel t.v.! Room service and chick flicks, please.
10. The people at this TRX course have WAY BETTER accents than the peeps in NJ last weekend. NJ, you let me down.
11. I’m sure they felt the same way about my KY accent, which sneaks out from time to time, although I try to keep it under control most of the time.
12. I’m only 15 minutes from Salem?! Salem Witch Museum, here I come!
13. Just so everybody knows, Salem Witch Museum closes on 5pm on Sundays. I found this out at 5:30pm. “Oh well, I’ll just walk around.”
14. F, it’s cold out.
15. Room service it is!
16. It’s fun to sleep starfish-shaped, just because you can. (King sized bed, no husband to fight for space with)
17. Beverly is adorable, I would like a house here. I’ll take one on each street.
18. Thank goodness Boston wasn’t windy for my flight home. Louisville was. Bollucks.
19. Home for 2 weekends in a row! Thanksgiving, I’m ready for you.
20. Boston, I’m not finished with you yet. I’ll be back. Just you wait…
Share Button
posted by 3 Comments
Filed Under: Boston, travel, TRX
11/22

Playlist! – Rock

In the words of Danny Zuko, “That’s cool, baby. You know how it is, rockin’ and rollin’ and whatnot.” Exactly.

1. Back in Black – ACDC
2. Down the Rabbit Hole – Adam Lambert (whatever, I know he’s “pop” but he’s got the best rock voice. So there)
3. We’ve Had Enough – Alkaline Trio
4. I Know What I Am – Band of Skulls
5. Nice Guys Finish Last – Cobra Starship
6. Thing Called Love – The Darkness (our wedding party walked down the aisle to this at our wedding!)
7. I’m Shipping Up To Boston – Dropkick Murphy’s
8.Thanks For The Memories – Fall Out Boy
9. Welcome To The Jungle – Guns N’ Roses
10. Are You Gonna Go My Way – Lenny Kravitz
11. Knights of Cydonia – Muse
12. Fat Bottomed Girls – Queen
13. The Hardest Button to Button – The White Stripes
14. La Grange – ZZ Top
15. Livin’ On A Prayer – Bon Jovi
16. Here I Go Again – Whitesnake
Rock on, peeps.
Have a great week! I’m still in Bah-ston so travel notes when I get back!
image via this page
Share Button
posted by 3 Comments
Filed Under: music, playlist, rock
11/18

Leaves Are Fun

So Sarah (the owner of Inner Strength) and I always seem to find a way to get into something ridiculous when we get together. This day, we were just letting Tango and Dasher (his GF/BFF) play. This is what it turned into:

Just rakin’ some leaves…

“Patrick! Come take our picture!”


“wouldn’t it be fun to jump in?”

This is Dasher, having a good time:


And I think this is my new, all-time favorite photo of the Tang:


We have a good time with our dogs.
Lesson of the day: Make sure you remember to relax every now and then, act like a kid, and have some FUN! Taking yourself too seriously is bad for your health ; )
Side note: make sure your pile of leaves is bigger than ours. We both hit the ground HARD. Guess you need more leaves when you’re not 3 ft. tall or 50 lbs. anymore…
Share Button
posted by 4 Comments
Filed Under: Dasher, fun, Sarah, Tango
11/17

Winners!

I love having talented friends. A pair of my good friends will be in Louisville tonight. They are both incredibly talented and both WAY fun to be around. Jenn and Jason Burton are college chums / climbing buddies/ travel companions/ game night competititors/ and total winners (inside joke). Can’t wait to see them and hear some of Jason’s music tonight.

Listening links/Free downloads:
Paper Angels (my personal fave)
Daylight Mercy

Rudyard Kipling @9pm tonight! Come out if you’re local!
Share Button
posted by 1 Comment
Filed Under: Jason Burton, music, winner
» Previous Entries