5 Fingers of Thanks

 

1.) Thankful the #2weekchallenge is over. Now on to logging miles for #RunHades.

2.) Thankful that I got a good #Crossfit work out in today.

3.) Thankful to be inspired by the Crossfit Games. I think if I train for 5 years I'll be ready for the Masters!

4.) Thankful to be staying on track with the #28DayHealth Challenge.

5.) Thankful to be in church today. I feel at my best when I'm there among my church family.

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@GruntStyle - I'm Over & Out!

Meet Drill Sergeant Daniel Aralik Founder & CEO of Grunt Style LLC. He and Leah designed a two week challenge for the Mamavation crew. I'm sure you have seen some of my tweets or details on Facebook and Daily Mile about these work outs. It's kind of hard to miss with titles like "Puke Me Please, Sore Winner, Paralyzed" and my favorite "Sweat Monster!" 


For weeks I've been trying to keep up. I was doing great the first week but then I had to double up on work outs to prepare for surgery and healing time. I finally got back on track and finished it out. Here is what I know for sure about this challenge! It's no joke. As a person that spends at least 4 days a week in a Crossfit gym this was tough. This challenge left me working out 3 times a day for the last 3 days of it. It was tough to get through it. My little one was no help on some days. She kept trying to ride my back or get underneath me. A challenge for sure!

Personally, I found it easier to do these work outs when I was already warmed up. My favorite time to do them was after a Crossfit work out. My times were really good but they began to suffer when I wasn't warmed up. Also caffeine is my crutch. When I'm juiced up, I'm a power house. I don't feel aches and pains. As you might have guessed I pretty much stay caffeinated with Energy packets of Crave and pain relievers like  Bayer back pain which also has caffeine in it. Epsom salt baths are my best friend. I haven't tried the ice baths but I think they may be coming soon. I'm super sore.

My burpees were strong for the first few and then I would need to modify. My kids were copying me some days. They are always watching! Because I had some weaknesses during this challenge I'm going to work on them daily. Push ups and Burpees! Daniel didn't put Erasers in the challenge but those are also very weak. I'm going to design some way to work on these daily until I can master them. I've got a lot of work to do! I get to measure in the morning and find out if there was any change. Special thanks to all of you who have supported me during this challenge.


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Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

Are you hosting a #contest? Great! Post it here on Freebie Friday. What better time to search and enter contests than on the weekend? Sign in so that others can find your giveaway. I will be hosting Freebie Friday each week from now on so be sure to drop back by. Now go grab your tasty beverage, sit back and relax and contest hop with me! Don't forget to check out these hosted contest links too.




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Mother & Son Bonding - Game Room Style

Today my son and I went to Main Event. Think of it as a huge play ground filled with fun stuff for kids and adults. They have pool, laser tag, bowling, putt-putt and tons of games! First he owned me on the hockey table. I really tried too but he won 7 to 5.

He would like to be a pilot and an army tank driver in the military when he grows up so he tried this flight simulator game. It didn't work out so well because he kept crashing the plane while trying to do all these fancy flight tricks.

Next we hit this game where we were on some covert mission together. Talk about stress reduction! I had so much fun playing. Games have come a long way since the days of Pac-Man, Donky Kong...etc.

Of course we kept swiping the card to continue playing the game. I had to stop because of time constraints but he was still going strong for a few more minutes! We were a great team. In fact I may have gotten a little too carried away! Look at those points...until next time.

If you have the opportunity to take your kid one on one to a game room go for it!

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Wordless Wednesday - I Work Out Because...

I'm not sure what happened with this whole idea but I was asked to take a photo of myself with my reason for working out. Here you go! Feeling good and getting stronger and faster every day. I do love my #Crossfit.





For more WW participants head to:





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Saving The Day

In my world full of little people voices, constant scheduling and cleaning up messes things can get out of order rather quickly! Our community offered to take a group of kids to the water park today and of course my son wanted me to sign him up. He was really upset that he had not gotten to go to one water park this summer. I did call and they told me that they were full! No spots were available and he was out of luck.

This week I sent him to Grandma's house to stay. Funny thing happened this morning, I received a telephone call from one of the counselors asking where my son was because they would be leaving for the water park in just a few minutes. WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!????????? You mean to tell me that I already signed him up? I didn't type in my trusty Google calendar? I being the "Super Mutha" that I am completely dropped the ball? YES, YES and YES!

Option 1: Blow it off! Who cares, they already left without him. That money is down the drain. He's been a stinker any way and does he really need to go to the water park?

Option 2: Go get him, drive him there to meet up with the group, it's already paid for! You dropped the ball on this one Mom! You told him it was full and he already had a spot! Maybe he would be a lot nicer if he went to the water park.

Mother's guilt gave way to option 2. I broke records packing his bag and lunch, dropping off the other two at day camp, picking him up from Grandma's and racing to Galveston to drop him off. The counselors and I kept in contact through text messages. They were very cool about it! I got lost on the way back but still made it in time to hit my Crossfit work out. Whoot!

Maybe I should just have him keep his own calendar so he can write his own stuff down. At this point his 10 year old memory is much better than my declining adult memory.

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#Mamavation Monday - Princess #Crossfit

I had a surgical procedure done and I put it off and put it off because I just didn't want the healing time to interfere with my progress. There really is no perfect time, so this is me biting the bullet and waiting out the healing process. I'm a TERRIBLE patient. I was back at the gym for a modified work out two days later. Then I took some time off and went back again yesterday. The worst for me was running. That is going to make the Hotter Than Hades Challenge very interesting! I also didn't finish the Grunt Style work out. I was on schedule up until Thursday. Frustrating but it doesn't matter I have to exercise patience. It's just what is in the cards for now. Although my 28 Day Health Challenge is going well! Apparently I like to challenge myself a lot. Good luck this week ladies. I'm trying out some new Paleo recipes! If you have some to share let me know. The video this week is worth the click! It's my princess working on her push ups. She finally did for me so I could get it on camera.

Eating out:
Chilis - 7/1, 7/6, 7/7
Which Wich- 7/6, 7/17
Salt Grass - 7/16
Chic-Fil-A - 7/23



My Work Outs this past week-
Monday - Crossfit,  Paralyzed, Puke Me Please, Sweat Monster
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Rest
Thursday -Crossfit
Friday - Rest
Saturday - Rest
Sunday - Crossfit

Scale Reading -172 - one pound loss

Stress Level - Healing time is slow. Husband is gone again. Kids are home and it makes it hard to keep a consistent work out schedule.

The UP side- The Hotter Than Hades Run is in full swing! I have another 5K on the calendar for August!

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

• The long term goal 45 pounds by the end of the year.
• The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month. 
• January 179 - 180 = 1 pound gain
• February 180 - 177 = 3 pound loss
• March 177 - 176 = 1 pound loss
• April 176 - 174 = 2 pound loss
• May 173 -173 = 0 pounds lost
• June176 - 170 = 6 pound loss
• July 170 -172 = 2 pound gain
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:

Track my weight loss. 
Watch my waist get smaller.

Track my walking.  
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5 Fingers of Thanks

 

1.) Thankful to have been able to donate blood today and get a cool new shirt.

2.) Thankful to get in the #Crossfit gym today.

3.) Thankful to be healing. It's a slow process but at least it's happening. lol

4.) Thankful to be starting a detox challenge.

5.) Thankful that I'm almost done with school shopping!

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Sweet Potato and Bacon Salad #PaleoRecipe

It's my first time to cook a paleo recipe! It's my first time to cook a sweet potato and use our steamer that we bought several years back and never used.

Ingredients

4 cups sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

4 rashes bacon, fat removed, diced

Sliced almonds

Oil

Instructions

Steam diced sweet potato for 5-6min, or until tender. Remove from heat and place into a

medium sized mixing bowl.

Meanwhile, place oil, onion and bacon in a frying pan on medium heat and cook until

bacon and onion have browned.

Add bacon and onion to sweet potato and combine well.

Top with sliced almonds to serve.

Tweaks -  I omitted the Almonds because my son is allergic. I wanted him to taste it. He did and spit it out so I think next time I can use the Almonds since he won't be eating it with us. For the oil I would have used Olive oil but apparently I didn't and that makes sense why my onions burned! Geez, I really just now at this very moment noticed that I was supposed to use oil. LOL!!! oh....

 I had no idea how much 4 cups would be and two of these sweet potatoes were plenty!

 I really need to work on my dicing skills but better knives would help me dice properly.

 The steamer hard at work.

 I tried the find a small onion but I couldn't so I opted for half an onion.

The bacon was a pain! How do you remove fat from bacon and then dice it? I had such a hard time getting the fat off. It was gooey. I would rather cook it first, get the fat off and then dice it and mix it with onions. Unless someone can tell me how to do that properly I'm at a loss. I'm glad I went with half of an onion because it would have been way too much. Four out of five of us approved of this tasty dish. I will make it again and tweak it some more but it was fun to venture out and try something new. Thanks Shaun for sharing the recipe.

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Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

Are you hosting a #contest? Great! Post it here on Freebie Friday. What better time to search and enter contests than on the weekend? Sign in so that others can find your giveaway. I will be hosting Freebie Friday each week from now on so be sure to drop back by. Now go grab your tasty beverage, sit back and relax and contest hop with me! Don't forget to check out these hosted contest links too.




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Aloha Friday #273 - How Do You Hold Your Pencil?

My kids are going back to school soon and one thing that I have noticed is how they hold their pen or pencil. To me, it is the strangest thing and we have tried those little pencil holders to help them position their fingers. I took a snap shot to share with you.

Do your kids have a different way of holding their crayon, pen or pencil or is it just my kids?

Kailani at An Island Life has created this really fun idea. If you are interested in joining in, please visit her site for more details. Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

Why It's Good To Have a Trainer!

In case you are new here this is Shaun McCrary my #Crossfit trainer. He and I go all the way back to boot camp at the YMCA. He is a trainer that I trust and have trained with for years??? It's all a blur now it's been so long. When I was training for the Spartan Race he was one of the many trainers that helped whip me into shape for the big event.

This past Monday I had to get a tissue mass removed from the upper back part of my leg and have it sent off to the lab. During the initial consultation I asked the surgeon when I could resume my normal activities and he told me it would be two days later. It was important for me to clarify that I wanted to get back to the gym as soon as possible. He reassured me I would be fine. Instead he underestimated me, maybe he thought I was taking a dance class or something???? During the surgery (yes I was awake) I tried to explain to him Crossfit. I asked him specifically, "I'm ok to run, jump and do some Olympic lifting???" His eyes got as big as saucers and he quickly said, "NO! Why don't you wait until next week." ARG!!!!! - Guess he shouldn't assume what a stay at home mom's normal activities are, eh???

When I got home I had to get the word out to Shaun and he reassured me that he could modify my workouts when I was ready. After two days I was going B-A-N-A-N-A-S!!!!! Finally, I returned to the gym today and he created a workout that still made me work up a sweat! He worked around my issue and that is what is so great about having a trainer! I could sit out for a week or I could go to the gym, consult with my trainer and get a plan of action. No excuses!

And because he is so super cool look what he had made for us members!!!!!! Insert MEGA Happy Dance!

What is this? It's the most awesome all in one Crossfit book! I can keep up with my workouts, body composition, personal records and so much more. There is so much information inside it just blew my mind. I can't wait to dive in and start reading it all. I'm excited!!!!

Now I can stop trying to keep up with my progress with post-it notes!  This is just another added bonus of why I stick with my trainer. I trust him to guide me, educate me and provide me with the tools for my success. He is incredibly supportive and encouraging. He also calls me out if it's necessary. Right now I need modification and he will work with me as long as it takes. His "can do" attitude is contagious! I'm in such a better place now because I know what I can do and what limits there are at the moment. It's great because I still feel like I accomplished a good workout today. I have NO excuses! I'll be back full force in no time.


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Tag You're It! - A New Twist

During our Mom's Group play date at church the children on their own discovered a whole new way to play tag. One of the moms had brought this mesh laundry basket to bring her kid's balls in. My little Silly decided it would be best served storing her inside! She took off running around the gym and much to our surprise it quickly became a game of tag!

They would catch her and the next kid would put it on and take off running and the big chase would begin. I swear they must have spent a good half our doing this. We just watched amazed that this was such a big hit! The next time you have a group of kiddos be sure to bring the mesh laundry basket! It's going to provide some serious fun.



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My Ninja! - 900 Watts

Most of my family and friends know me to be a bit of a fruit smoothie freak! I make my own and I have one at least once a day. They are really simple to make and the kids love them. One morning I was washing out the glass pitcher and left it in the sink. When I returned it was tipped over and the glass was all cracked.

Panic mode set in! I needed a new one fast. The children piled up in the car and off we went to Wally World (aka Wal-Mart). After viewing everything that they had to offer the Ninja was what caught my eye.

Could it have been just because of the name "Ninja?" After all it's what I would like to be! It does say "Professional" on the box! More importantly it says 900 Watts of power! SOLD!!!! I didn't need any of the zillions of settings that most of these blenders have to offer. I needed it to do one thing, mix and chop my ingredients.

It's very simple folks! 1 Banana, a cup of mixed frozen fruit (at H.E.B.) and 2 cups of orange juice. For this smoothie I put in some extra blue berries! YUMMY!!!!! I'm happy, the children are happy. The Ninja does the job, well.

I love the poor spout! The design is simple and easy to use and clean. This time I went with a little extra mango. YUMMY!!!!! I'm back in action to feed my sweet tooth. It's better than my alternatives; chocolate, sweet tea, Big Red or some baked good. All is right with the world again, thanks to my Ninja!


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#Mamavation Monday - Give Yourself a Break!

I'm way too hard on myself. I wanted to do very well on that 5K I just ran but it was not to be. Most likely I can contribute it to not practicing running enough but the Hotter Than Hades Virtual Run is going to take care of all of that and I will be on to the next 5K for the month of August. So many challenges, so little time. I'm on the 2nd week of the Grunt Style two week challenge. It's pretty tough I have to admit! I've only seen two or three sisters doing the work outs. It could be that we aren't all on Twitter at the same time talking about it. Are you interested in leading the pack? I through my two cents in yesterday. If you have something to add to our group please fill out the form. Good luck to the Mamavation Moms this week! We are all cheering you on.

Eating out:
Chilis - 7/1, 7/6, 7/7
Which Wich- 7/6, 7/17
Salt Grass - 7/16



My Work Outs this past week-
Monday - Crossfit, Puke Me Please
Tuesday -Crossfit, Taebo, Sore Winner
Wednesday -Crossfit, Paralyzed
Thursday - Taebo, Sweat Monster
Friday - Rest, Sore Winner
Saturday - 33rd Lunar Rendezvous 5K
Sunday - Rest

Scale Reading -173 that is the same as last week but a 3 pound gain since the month started. There is only one more week left for the month to weigh in. No pressure.

Stress Level -I'm going in for a super minor surgical procedure today. Not really interested in blogging the details but it is on my mind and I will be glad to have it over with.

The UP side- The Hotter Than Hades Run is in full swing!

A bit of inspiration for you ladies!
Remember - YOU are a role model.

Need for fitness support? Join the "Sistahood". More great resources: The Y, Crossfit Training, Vitamins for your age group, RealAge.com

• The long term goal 45 pounds by the end of the year.
• The short term goal lose 3 lbs. per month. 
• January 179 - 180 = 1 pound gain
• February 180 - 177 = 3 pound loss
• March 177 - 176 = 1 pound loss
• April 176 - 174 = 2 pound loss
• May 173 -173 = 0 pounds lost
• June176 - 170 = 6 pound loss
• July 170 -
• August
• September
• October
• November
• December

Secure Your Success
Charting your progress gets you there faster. Try these tools:

Track my weight loss. 
Watch my waist get smaller.

Track my walking.  
Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

Star Fleet Events

The drive over to the Star Fleet Marina was a bit rough by the look of "Princess Pouter." Once we go there she perked up for a family photo op before we boarded The Star Cruiser. We were so happy with our family photo we had to post it on the Star Fleet Yacht's Facebook wall.

The kids were ready to start our Sightseeing Cruise around Clear Lake and Kemah.

 

We had such a great time as a family. The kids were all over the place! We would sit in the nice cool air conditioned and drink our beverages one minute. The next minute the kids were driving the boat. It was such a family friendly experience. It was fun to Tweet @StarFleetYachts about my experience. While sitting there at our table and looking around at the capacity of the yacht I began to think of all the great possibilities! My husband always has coworkers flying here from other countries. What a fabulous way to give them a tour of the area. We also have our eldest daughter who is engaged and what a great spot for a rehearsal dinner. After viewing the many menu options it would be a snap to put together something elegant. A friend of mine was just talking about how she wanted to surprise her husband with a birthday party, what a great idea! So many possibilities with Star Fleet Events and they have many choices to meet your needs, click on over to their fleet page for details. What a great way to spend a Sunday afternoon! Thank you to Star Fleet Events for giving us the opportunity to experience such fun filled time on the water.

No payment was received for this post. Tickets were provided to our family in exchange for an honest review of our experience. Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.

5 Fingers of Thanks

 

1.) Thankful to have another 5K checked off of my list. They still haven't posted the times but I finished.*Times are posted, recap of race here.*

2.) Thankful to finally catch up on so many posts! Get ready for a flurry of them.

3.) Thankful that Andrea came to visit our family and my hubs and I got to have a dinner alone! Whoo Hoo.

4.) Thankful that I'm still kicking abs on the two week challenge.

5.) Thankful that we got to take a site seeing cruise today!

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Take a Lap! - My Latest Parenting Tip

You may find this a bit bonkers but it's working over here in my world. Summer has been fun but it's come with a price! My ears have been aching with the sounds of shrills and whining! My head has been pounding from the constant she scratched, hit, pushed (insert verb here!) me. But wait there is more...he's copying me, he's annoying me etc., you get the idea! Any parent with multiple children would by this point.

Rather than the standardized forms of punishments which all end in me raising my voice and pulling my hair out I have gone the fitness route! That's right - "Take a lap I say." Run out your issue. It's possible you would see something like this if you were driving in my neighborhood.

She hit him and he had tattle told one too many times. If your going to tattle tale then someone should be in danger or you should be bleeding! This works really well because it's a circle and I can either make them run the circle or tell them to run to the white truck and back. If they walk they get to do it again! At first they thought it was kind of fun. They're not really thinking that any more.

This is one of those famous car rides! You know the one where they are constantly fighting in the back seat but there is nothing you can do because you're driving? I was on the way to some place and she kept hitting her brother. I asked her, "Do you wanna take a lap?" She said, "Yes!" So I pulled the car over into a parking lot and told her to run to a trash can and back! My boys were extra good from then on because they knew I had no problem pulling the car over.

Seems a little crazy don't you think? Well, there is still an entire month to go and yes clearly I'm a little crazy. As a matter of fact while I was writing this parenting tip to share with all of you it happened. My two boys came to me, one tattling on the other so I sent them both outside to "Take a lap!" around the circle. Here they are in their jammies running! My next door neighbor was backing out of her drive way being cautious not to hit them. I know she was wondering what the heck they were doing! Mind you the eldest is running with a television remote in his hands. Geez... I'm sticking to it! They are a lot nicer to each other afterward.


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Freebie Friday - Link Up #contests and prizes every Friday

Are you hosting a #contest? Great! Post it here on Freebie Friday. What better time to search and enter contests than on the weekend? Sign in so that others can find your giveaway. I will be hosting Freebie Friday each week from now on so be sure to drop back by. Now go grab your tasty beverage, sit back and relax and contest hop with me! Don't forget to check out these hosted contest links too.




Click on those "Like" and "Retweet" buttons to share with the online community. For current events see the side bars and click on the "Add Me" tab above to connect with me using other social media services.