Book Club recap! (plus lots of other miscallaneous other info... )

Hello, hello! How was your Monday? Mine was just okay. I didn't feel as inspired as I did last Monday and I'm just ... tired. Tired of school! There is only 40 something days left and, it feels impossible, but at the same time, I feel SO READY for summer. I need another break.

The day did get better though. We started a persuasive writing unit today and I began with an example piece of writing in which I wrote a letter to the principal stating why RECESS should be eliminated or cut in half. The looks on my kids' faces was priceless and I had to turn away from them to keep myself from laughing. As far as I know they still believe it is true (gosh, I'm mean) and I'm so impressed with the counter-arguments they came back with. Cannot wait to see them put it into writing! We just might have to show the principal. ;)

Well, tonight we met for book club, and it was such a great stress-relieving time for me. I think I needed to vent about a few things in a healthy way with my girlfriends and it felt good! Everything that is going on this year just gets me sometimes, and it seems to be dumb things that make me break. I didn't really break per se, but I did need to talk about it.

Planning a wedding is fun, but can also be disappointing at times. It's the disappointment that I don't want. Disappointment when things do not work out the way you want them, disappointment over not being able to afford what you want and (most of all) disappointment when people you care about won't be there. I was pretty disappointed this week by that last statement and I'm trying hard to remind myself that the people that matter will be there. I am so lucky for the great group of friends I have. I know what I have is rare and I need to remember that. I am so lucky.



Anyway, back to book club. I wish I could talk about the book, but ... only on of us read it! No, that one person was not me. :::hangs head in shame::: We read The Last Letter from Your Lover Jojo Moyes and I got to around page 90 and just put it down. I couldn't get into it. I still can't decide if I want to try and finish it or not. I have so little time for reading that I really want to be sure I'm reading something that I really enjoy!

However, I did recently finish a book that I really enjoyed!! Recently I was sent Sarah Pekkanen's newest novel, Catching Air and I was SO EXCITED to read it! It was probably the reason I put TLLFYL down (in fact, yes it was!)

Sarah's books almost always include multiple viewpoints and characters that you just cannot help but love! I automatically wanted to know more about several of the characters and read every chance I got! If you're a fan of Jane Porter, Emily Giffin, or Jane Green, I think you would really like Sarah Pekkanen!

Definitely check out Catching Air or anything else on this author's backlist. I assure you, that you will not be disappointed! 





What was the highlight of your day? Mine was Zumba, book club and the amazing class discussion about cutting recess in half or eliminating it (I couldn't pick just one!)

Workout wrap up

Hello, friends! It is Monday and time to wrap up my workouts last week. I had a great week for workouts and I'm super excited to share.

Monday - 16,760 steps. 30 minute run in the morning (about 3 miles I believe ... I didn't write it down), 30 minute core strengthening class and 60 minute Zumba class. By the end of this 2 hour workout I was *dripping* with sweat and felt awesome!

Tuesday - 12,322 steps. 30 minute run in the morning (also about 3 miles). Tuesday night I met up with a friend for sushi, and I had planned to do an AM and PM workout, but that did not happen! I'm glad I gave myself a small break though.

Wednesday - 17,911 steps. Hour long 5:30 AM Body Pump class (taught by my good friend, Chandra!) and hour long Zumba class at night. Solid day for me and I'm glad I got in strength training two weeks in a row! Hopefully I keep my streak up. (yes, two weeks is a streak).

Thursday - 12,552 steps. 30 minute run after school (3 miles). Thursday night was our monthly "Foodie Night" which is hosted by my good friend Manon, and is basically about 20-30 of us that want to check out a restaurant in Des Moines, eat good friend and enjoy adult conversation over dinner! I love this monthly tradition. :) 

Friday - 11,516 steps. 30 minute walk at an 8% incline in the morning. Getting myself to the gym Friday morning was HARD. I could NOT drag myself out of bed and it was a huge battle to actually get there because I was just so tired. I knew running was not going to happen once I did finally get there, so I settled on a walk and kept increasing the incline. It was actually a decent workout and my butt was sore!

Saturday - 24,853 steps. Ohhhhh, yeah! Record step day, everyone! I don't know where my energy was coming from (perhaps the sweet potato hash and eggs I made for breakfast that was delicious??) but I made it to my normal 9:30 AM Saturday morning Zumba class annnnnnnd a two hour Zumbathon in Ankeny! I felt amazing and like I could keep going! What is also exciting is I could tell how much I have improved since the last Zumbathon. A month ago, I was really irritated at my gym's Zumbathon because there were so many instructors from other gyms and I didn't know their choreo and I just so .... lost. This time, I could follow all the routines really well, and for those that I couldn't see (there was a lot of people there) or didn't like, I just made up my own choreo. It was SO fun! I cannot be more grateful for Zumba. It has done SO much for me this year.

Sunday - 17,259 steps. After Saturday, I honestly was very worried about today's "long" run, but I knew I could do it and I had to at least try. I set out planning to do 8 miles and run an out and back on the trails near my house. I got about 3.5 miles away and decided to turn around. It was windy as hell and I could feel my legs getting heavier and heavier. I am actually quite proud of what I did end up achieving. I ran 6 miles at an 11:00 pace and walked about 1 mile to "cool down." I know I made the smart choice and I'm happy with what I accomplished.

You might be wondering what I mean by Zumba doing so much for me this year. I know my body is changing and I am loving it. Saturday morning I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirrors and I did not recognize myself. My arms looked toned, and skinny. From behind, I looked like a girl who knew what she was doing. Then, a friend of mine came up to me and also said almost the exact same thing. She saw me in the crowd and couldn't tell if it was me! Holy moly. This feels so good, and I am so excited to see where I am at when July rolls around.

What I really need to get a handle on is my eating. I literally eat whatever I want. Since giving up sweets for Lent things have gotten a tad under control, and I almost always eat salads for lunch and a healthy breakfast, but for dinner I am all over the place. Starting April 7th I am participating in Amber's Dietbet challenge, and I am determined to do well.

Basically, this challenge is a bet to see who can lose 4% of their body weight in 4 weeks. The cost is $25 and those that complete the challenge split the pot. I knew that to do this, I would need to clean up my eating drastically. So, Bill and our roommate, Cody are thinking of doing the Whole30 challenge. My friend Emily just finished the challenge (successfully! Yay Emily!) and some friends of Cody's have done it. I like the idea of a lifestyle change with my nutrition and I know I need it. Honestly, my only source of anxiety is the cost of all this food. Whole30 is A LOT of meat and that gets very expensive, but hopefully between the three of us, it won't be that bad.

How did you move last week? Have you tried any "fad" diets? What are your thoughts on them? 

TGIF!

Wow, how is it Friday already?

This week (obviously) flew by for me, which is weird considering it is the first week back from Spring Break. But, really, this entire year has flown by for me and I am in awe that my first year of teaching is almost over. It is just so surreal!

Anyway. It's Friday and I have a weekend of nothing planned, except yes, I do have things planned! Do you know those weekends where "nothing" is really "planned" but it still ends up being a full weekend? Yep, it will be one of those. Tomorrow night my group of friends are awakening our weekly Friday happy hours and meeting at The OP in West Des Moines for some friend time, beers and the Iowa State game! My team made the Sweet 16 and I am hoping they kick butt tomorrow! They play UConn ... so, my fingers are crossed and I'm thinking positive thoughts! Go State!

On Saturday I have my regular Zumba class in the morning and then a Zumbathon that I would like to attend in Ankeny ... that is three hours of Zumba. Wonder how many steps that will be!? #stepobsessed #ILoveMyFitBit

Saturday night we usually go to church. Which, I love! Next week starts pre-marital classes at our church. Like a nerd, I'm looking forward to it. ;)

Sunday, I am hopefully going to get in a long run and then I know there was something else, but I am blanking. This isn't good. Gah. Hopefully it isn't something important!! I will probably get some grading done (I didn't get as much done over SB and this stuff multiplies faster than flies. I swear.)

Maybe Sunday we'll figure out more wedding invitation information. I need to get them ordered, but we haven't decided who will be invited to the ceremony AND reception and who will just be invited to the reception. I hate the thought of having to choose and I'm hoping we can invite everyone to both, but we really need to sit and figure it out FOR SURE. Planning a distance wedding is harder than I thought!

What are your plans this weekend? Anything fun? 

Workin' it out!

My spring break was great and I am so thankful for a much needed break! Although I was very productive over break, I know I also got some great R & R time as well.

Anyway, here's how I moved last week!

Monday - 60 minute Zumba
I tried a class with a different instructor because it was offered during the day. She was okay, but I was bummed when she cut the class short by about 15 minutes. I told myself I would go to my regular Zumba class in the evening, but then that didn't happen. Womp, womp.

Tuesday - 4 mile run/walk and 45 minute Piloxing class
This was my first Piloxing class and I loved it! She got the intensity up really high and was extremely energetic. I'm definitely going to this class again!

Wednesday - 60 minute Body Pump, 30 minute walk on the treadmill, 60 minute Zumba
 Ay yi yi. Was I ever sore after this! Luckily, by Friday I pushed through the pain and I think I just stretched it away! Haha! That horrible soreness is a sign that I *need* to do more pump and strength training.

Thursday - 30 minute bike ride
Due to the intensity of Wednesday, I skipped Zumba and did a 30 minute bike ride (on the new bike!) instead. I was still incredibly sore and the bike ride didn't help that, but I'm glad I got some activity in.

Friday - 75 minute Zumba "happy hour"
My gym does Zumba happy hours on Fridays every so often and they're kind of like mini Zumbathons. They are so fun!!! I was really sore, and honestly, worried about making it through this class, but once I warmed up I was fine! Afterwards all of us Zumba regulars hung out that gym celebrating one of our favorite instructor's birthdays and drinking beer (yes, our gym serves beer! I was surprised!)

Saturday - 60 minute Zumba class and 30 minute walk on the treadmill
This class was tough. I was just so tired!! I powered through and then hopped on the treadmill to get my steps up to 10k. I usually get a small run in after this class, but the thought of exerting much energy sounded awful.

Sunday - 60 minute Power Flow Yoga class and 30 minute walk on the treadmill
Gah, sometimes yoga is so hard for me. This class was hard for me. I could not get into tree pose for the life of me and felt silly making pathetic attempts the entire time. After the class I did feel good though. I needed a good stretch.

My steps for this week are lower than they normally are due to being on spring break. I was hoping I could make up for those steps by working out a little more and keeping myself busy, but that proved hard than I thought it would be!

I really need to get in more running. I only ran once last week and that is pathetic. I have a 10k coming up at the end of April and I would really love to pull off a good time, but if I don't get my booty out on some quality runs, that is NOT going to happen!

How did you move last week? What do you do when you're no longer motivated to run? (if you're a runner) 

Mailbox Monday

I know it's only Sunday, but I'm linking up with Mailbox Monday a tad early! It has been ages since I have participated in any of these link-ups and due to the way I look forward to others' posts about what they have received to read, I then figured I should participate too!

It has been a good week for me in books. Now, hopefully I can pull myself out of this reading slump that I have been plagued with! Life has been so hectic and I just cannot seem to focus for very long. I know this is normal, and I am trying to cut myself some slack but I really miss the relaxation I get out of a good book!

Recently I began using Netgalley again and I am so excited about these titles I was approved of!

From Netgalley:
Catching Air by Sarah Pekkanen
Safe With Me by Amy Hatvany
That Night by Chevy Stevens
Disconnected (a novella) by Jennifer Weiner
Little Lies by Heather Gudenkauf (a fellow Iowan!!)

From Goodreads First Reads giveaways
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell

From the library
The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes

I'm reading Catching Air right now, and so far it's really good! I have loved everything that Sarah Pekkanen has written and I have a feeling her newest will be no different!

What did you get this week? Do share!

5 on Friday

Happy Friday! I wish I was excited it was Friday, but I am actually not.  Friday means that my spring break is almost over and on Monday, I have to go back to work. Womp, womp. It has been a very nice staycation and I have quite enjoyed the relaxation and alone time. Don't get me wrong, I was very productive this spring break, but I also made sure to get some "me time" in too.

Well, since it's Friday I am participating in Five on Friday again! What a simple, yet fun post to do each Friday!

1. I am so excited to see Divergent this weekend! We are going to see it tomorrow night and I am dying in anticipation! Bill is even a little excited too because he actually thinks it looks good! Gasp!

2. As many of you know, one of my best friends is a Zumba instructor and she's always doing fun events at our gym. Tonight she and one of the other instructors is having a little Zumba happy hour with a small get-together afterwards for some of the regulars and I am pretty pumped! 75 minutes of Zumba and then some girl time after? Yes, please! I am excited to get to know some of the other regulars better. I'm not usually a chatty person at the gym, I'd rather get in and get out and I'm often in my own world at the gym. I hope I don't appear to be snobby. Anyway, that is why I'm looking forward to this!

3. Yesterday I decided to skip Zumba in favor of a bike ride out in the gorgeous weather we had! This was the first ride on my new bike and I loved it! There is definitely some getting used to it though ... she for sure needs to be broken in and I need to learn how to use her. I honestly have very little knowledge of how to use the gears properly. Yesterday was interesting, yet exhilarating!

I ended up buying a Trek Lexa road bike and I just love her, she's so pretty! I know that what we spent on a good bike is relatively inexpensive in the bike world, but whoa ... a little part of me thinks that we should have bought .. oh, I don't know, a new couch instead? However, we both want to ride RAGBRAI this year, and to do that, I need a good bike. At the end of the day, I know we got a good deal, I am just a stingy sister. ;)

4. I am currently sipping on my first ever homemade smoothie. I know, where have I been? A blogger that doesn't make smoothies? Crazy. I have to say though, it's pretty good. I used some strawberry Chobani, fresh strawberries, blackberries, spinach and chocolate protein powder with some ice and a splash of milk. I'm a fan! If it is filling and keeps me full till lunch, I may have to make them more often. Sorry, no picture. It's not the prettiest of smoothies!

5. On Wednesday I decided it would be a good idea to a Body Pump class, followed almost immediately by an hour long Zumba class. Whoa, am I ever sore. Ay yi yi .... I am not going to use it as an excuse though. I took yesterday to rest a little (just took a 30 minute bike ride) and I'm hoping that tonight's Zumba event goes well and the soreness goes away once I'm warmed up. Fingers crossed!

That's it for me! Tell me what your plans are for this weekend! Anything exciting?

Wedding stuff

Warning: this is probably going to be a random, rambling post, because I'm exhausted but mentally still "going". Know what I mean?

Well, wedding planning. I believe it is going well... we have a couple big things that I feel should be done by now, but it is what it is. For example, we do not have an officiant yet. I have been playing phone tag with my brother-in-law's pastor in Spencer. I'm beginning to think he is avoiding me, but as Bill logically pointed out, we are probably just not high up on his priority list. Luckily, we have a couple "plan Bs" if he doesn't work out.

Last night we finally hired a photographer. I am super happy with what we are getting, the price, and most importantly, who it is. He is a friend of a friend whom I have met a few times, and he has the exact personality I am looking for in a photog!

This week I also have the Save the Date's ready to be assembled and set out. We're still waiting on a couple addresses, but we have about 95% of them and today I bought stamps, so tomorrow is assemble day! Fun times ...

I need to order invitations. I wish I was creative enough to make them myself, but I am not, nor do I have the motivation. I just got a few samples from Wedding Paper Diva's and they are cute. I am trying to care, but I honestly don't really care. Does the invitation say what it needs to say? Good. I'll take it. (Ok, it's not that bad, but, pretty much).

We are trying to figure out how guests will get to and from the wedding site. It is about 20-30 minutes out of town out in the country. I want people to have a good time, but I also want my guests to get home safely (obviously). This is a hurdle we will figure out with time, I suppose. I am sure we'll hire some sort of shuttle service.

My first dress fitting is coming up on April 12th and I am excited! I took my dress to a tailor here in Des Moines, and they quoted me 60% of what the dress actually cost. I calmly picked my chin up off the ground, said thank you, left and immediately called a tailor that is near where we're getting married (3 hours north of Des Moines in a small town) and she said she could not guarantee it, but it should be cheaper than Des Moines tailors. Plus, due to where my dress was purchased (a shop she works closely with) I will get 20% off. Worth driving for, I'd say.  Wedding related items are so expensive. For real.

The biggest project I have undertaken though, is dropping some weight. So far I have lost approximately 10 pounds. I say approximately because I do not weigh myself regularly. I have weighed myself twice since the beginning of the year I am happy not being obsessed with that number. Currently my scale is in storage as well, and seeing as I am not hopping on a scale at the gym, it may be awhile before my feet step foot on a scale for awhile. Hopefully when I do, I will be at least 5-6 pounds closer that my long term goal of 30 pounds.

Speaking of losing weight. I know I would lose tons of weight if I could get my eating under control and really get better at eating clean. I have been working out like crazy and I know I am burning more than I am taking in, but I am not eating as well as I could be. I tend to eat out a lot out of convenience. I don't necessarily go for a burger and fries regularly (actually, rarely) but I do eat a lot of fast food salads and quick things on the go and I know that it is not as healthy as homemade meals. 

Well, that's about it for me. I'm off to bed and I did not proofread this. Sorry! :p