Wedding Week Begins!

Wedding week begins today!

And also on that note, seriously who gets sick the week of their wedding?

I think all of this running around like crazy has done a number on my immune system because the sore throat, headache, and runny nose bug has hit me. Hopefully I can fight this off before Saturday!

And for a heads up: my blog will most likely be on hiatus until after we're back from our honeymoon! 

Have a great week, everyone!

Prep, Pumpkin Muffins, & Instant Iced Coffee

Good morning! 

I've been MIA the last week due to tons of wedding prep. One week from today, I will be a Mrs! 

It seems as though each day has been packed to the brim with working, errands, appointments, and making lists.

However, it is all coming together and the last "big" thing that we need to do is print out programs today! I keep peeking outside to see if the sun is going to come out so I can get a run or bike ride in before we leave...hopefully the weather flips around!

Last week I headed to the salon for a wedding undo consultation with my hair stylist. Since I arrived a little early, I stopped by the bakery right by the salon for a sample. Pumpkin swirl bread? Yes please!

My name is written on the tub of hummus since sometimes I leave it at work during the week so I don't have to bring it with me each day!

My sister-in-law, Casey, gave me the great idea of taking a bunch of notecards and writing wedding tasks on them before handing them out to those involved in the wedding. This has helped keep me organized and calm knowing that everything will be taken care of.

I sat down last weekend and made a stack of them--including a list of things that need to be purchased, packed for our trip, and brought to the wedding ceremony.

I got my sister hooked on this show, too! She's way ahead of me in seasons though! I watch an episode each night before bed and it's nice because I feel like right now that's the only time to myself each day. ha, ha.

Wedding Preparations

We went wedding cake tasting at a bakery last weekend to design our own wedding cake. This proved to be a fun experience--looking at all of the cake designs and then building our own based on what we saw. We ended up choosing an almond cake with buttercream frosting. So tasty!

Andy suggested we choose some treats to go before we left the bakery--of course I was all over that! Normally vanilla cupcakes are my favorite, but when I spotted this cupcake with fluffy pink glittery frosting, I couldn't resist!

See the glitter? Awesome!

Andy chose a coconut flavored cupcake. It looked like a little snowball!

These were so good!

We enjoyed our cupcakes after a lunch of homemade chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese--perfect for a crisp day.

After our cake tasting experience, Andy and I went to Target to print some photos for the reception tables. 40 photos, an X-acto knife, and a million little frames later, part of the table decorations were complete!

All ready to go! We'll also have flowers and a little pumpkin on each of the tables as well.

A couple weeks ago Krystine and I had another "Coffee Friday" break since the weather was chilly and we needed to get out of the office for awhile. It always does wonders to leave during our lunch break rather than stay inside--I always seem to come back more refreshed when my eyes get a little break from the glossy iMac screen.

Instant Iced Coffee

I recently tried Starbucks Via Ready Brew Iced Coffee. I wasn't sure if I was going to like this or not--since instant coffee can be kind of iffy. Plus, whenever I think of instant coffee, Folgers comes to mind and that stuff tastes like dirt.

The coffee is microground and comes in little single-serve packs that you mix with cold water before adding a splash of milk or cream.

After taking my first sip, I was pleasantly surprised! This tasted a lot like the real iced coffee that I'm obsessed with from Starbucks! 

The flavor was rich and spot-on, not burnt and acidic, like a lot of instant coffees. My only request would be that they make an unsweetened version since I don't usually add sweeteners to my coffee; however, it was nice for a change!

Cute little packets are perfect for stashing in your desk drawer, purse, or backpack for instant iced coffee on the go!

Photo Challenge Day 10: Something I made

Homemade pumpkin muffins! I made these last weekend on a whim and they turned out okay--next time I think I'll make a few tweaks and then share the recipe with you guys!

Do you like Starbucks Via Coffee?

Favorite flavor of muffin? Mine would be lemon poppyseed or pumpkin for sure!

Vanilla or chocolate cupcakes?

3 Years + What I Know about Weight Lifting

Good morning, bloggers!

First and foremost, it is our 3 year anniversary of dating today! We're headed out tonight after work to celebrate after running a wedding errand. The past few years have really flown by and I am so thankful that God brought him into my life as my best friend and the man I love. It's hard to believe that we'll be married next week!

Fitness Fanatics

Seeing that I haven't done a fitness post in quite awhile, I've decided to churn one out this morning. Looking for some tips to stay true to your workout? Click here for my other fitness post.

I used to be a fitness fanatic--working out 6 days a week with the majority of my time spent on the cardio side of things. Long story short, things have changed and now I work out 3-4 times a week at a higher intensity. Why, you ask? Because there is more to life than working out. Some nights I just like to come home and sit on the couch rather than swipe a membership card and devote an hour and a half to the elliptical while playing the same episode of Wheel of Fortune for the second time. Believe me, it's not fun when you already know the answers...

What I Know about Weight Lifting

I recently signed up for a couple of sessions with a personal trainer at my gym. I gave this decision a lot of thought and I am so glad that I did it. Working with my trainer taught me new things about lifting, cardio, and nutrition. He helped me customize a plan just for me that would meet my needs and give me the best results.

When he asked about my goal for working out, I presented these things:

• I don't want to lose weight
• Lean muscle gain was my ultimate goal
• Learning how to use the free weights properly was a high priority
• I already get more than enough cardio in on my own

He did a great job of taking my criteria and combining it into a fitness plan that focused on gaining muscle without losing weight in the process.

Cardio

I learned that strength training ultimately is your best choice when you're looking to gain muscle. If you need to lose weight, it is important to do a lot of cardio in your routines, but if you do too much and are not looking to lose weight, it can cut down on the amount of muscle that your body builds. Sometimes weight loss is necessary in order to see muscle, too.

Protein

When I used to slave away on the treadmill each day, I built a lot of endurance but never really saw any results. My weight stayed the same and I didn't gain much muscle. Working in the strength training department and really upping my protein intake helped my body build lean muscle faster.

Consistency

Change doesn't happen overnight. It's important to switch up your workouts so that your body doesn't plateau at one point and then stop gaining muscle. You need to challenge your body--forcing it to adapt, recover, and rebuild--resulting in you becoming STRONGER. It is also important to take rest days so that your muscle tears can heal before you work them again. I like to switch up my strength training for this very reason. Arms and chest one day, legs, back, and abs another. I also switch up between strength circuits, free weights, and the cable machines.

Circuits

Circuits are generally done with lighter weights with more repetitions. I used to think that these were bogus workouts and that they were a waste of time. Ha, was I ever wrong...these things kick my butt. I am usually drenched in sweat by the time that I complete all of these. Circuits are a great way to switch up your routine from getting too boring and to make sure you hit a variety of muscle groups.

So, what exactly does a strength training circuit look like? Here is just one of the workouts that I complete 2-3 times each week:

Circuit 1

Pushups with taps - 3 x 30

Squat to Row - 3 x 30

Side to side weighted lunges - 3 x 30

Circuit 2

Squat to press - 3 x 30

Ab rollers - 3 x 30

Chest presses 3 x 30

Circuit 3

Deadlifts - 3 x 15

Lateral raises 3 x 15 

Lying leg lifts 3 x 30

Circuit 4

Band walking - 3 x 30

Shoulder rotators - 3 x 15

Lat pull down - 3 x 10

I usually wrap this routine up with 20-30 minutes of light cardio before heading home to refuel with a protein shake. You generally have a 45 minute window after a workout to refuel so that your muscles get what they need. On days that I'm in a time pinch or if I'm headed somewhere after the gym, I'll pack a protein shake (powder, then just add water and shake) or Power Bar in my gym bag to make sure I get something within that window of time.

That being said, I also must share some of the strange things I've seen at the gym--seriously, I can't be the only one who thinks these behaviors are odd:

On Appearance

• Polos and khaki shorts (are we going golfing after our treadmill session?)
• White yoga pants and bright-colored underwear
• Complete sweat suits while running on the treadmill for an hour (how do you not sweat to death?)
• Flip flops while walking at an incline
• Perfectly straightened hair and tons of makeup...at 5:30am
• Mesh shirts and pushup bras
• Pants that are two sizes too small (how is that comfortable to move around in?)
• Denim anything
• Knee-high socks 
• Button-down shirts

On Behaviors

• Riding the elliptical for 5 minutes and then leaving (that's all they did?)
• Bringing 3 books to read while on the machines
• Staring at the same magazine page during your entire run (literally staring...not "oops, forgot to flip the page")
• Sweating like a banshee and not wiping down the machine afterwards
• Sniffling every. three. seconds.
• Not wearing deodorant
• Drying, straightening, or curling your hair in the nude
• Sitting on the locker room benches without anything on (another reason why I don't put my bag on the bench!)
• Drinking protein shakes while working out 
• Extreme grunting/yelling/cursing while lifting
• Singing along to your headphones while you run

Photo Challenge Day 9: Faceless self portrait

This photo represents a lot about me: first of all, it has my name in the background, and on top of those boxes is my first half marathon medal. Cups from my favorite coffee shop house my markers, since coloring/drawing is another hobby of mine. Front and center is a delicious homemade iced coffee, next to my MacBook Pro, where all of the design magic happens. 

Off to go deal with my hair! See ya!

What are you favorite routines to complete at the gym?

Any strange behaviors that you've witnessed?

What are your current fitness goals?

Random Recent Eats

Good morning!

Don't you just love weekend mornings? Seriously...waking up whenever, fuzzy slippers, coffee in a real mug as opposed a travel one, lounging on the couch. Ahhh, yes. I told myself that at noon I need to start being productive, but until then, it's blogging and watching the news while sipping some coffee.

Recent Eats

I'm a candy fanatic! 

Trying new things: TJ's rice blend, potato wedges sprinkled with sea salt and parsley flakes, tomato-basil-parmesean chicken

The office is freezing year round--but in the Fall/Winter, it is even worse--I sip tea and wear sweatshirts all of the time to stay warm while I work. One of my coworkers actually used to wear gloves since her hands got so cold...she cut a hole in one of the fingers so she could use the mouse...hahaha. It is a very rare occasion that I will walk around the office in a t-shirt! I'm more of a fruit tea person and enjoy blends like Tazo's Passion Tea along with Celestial Seasonings's Peach, Wild Berry, Blueberry, and Lemon Zinger teas. 

(source)

However, my favorite is this little gem that usually only makes an appearance around the holidays. Has anyone else tried this? It is so tasty! 

Lunches as of lately--usually combined with half of a turkey sandwich or a cup of soup as well. I haven't had much of an appetite lately so I've been sticking to snacky lunches that I can spread out over the course of the day. This seems to work pretty well as opposed to sitting down and eating everything during my lunch break.

Smoothies on the go in my blender bottle--this container is the perfect size for a huge protein smoothie!

Sometimes you just have to go with what you're craving. Tuesday night all I could think about was making and eating the biggest salad of my life--it definitely hit the spot!

Ice cream treats while spending the day with my cousins awhile ago. I haven't had one of these in so long!

My cousins both have iPod Touches and we spent a large majority of the afternoon playing with their food creation apps. This one let you design a cupcake--how fun is that?! 

Random lunch I assembled while at my parent's house; it was my first time trying fresh mozzarella and I must admit, the texture of it is a little strange. Not sure if it's better when melted? Any thoughts on this?

This was pretty good--much better than that Athenos yogurt that is in one of my first photos! 

On today's agenda:

• Clean like crazy
• Laundry x 3
• Design wedding programs
• Finish assembling table decorations
• Hit up the gym
• Clean up my iPod playlists

Oh, and on a side note Shape.com recently featured an article regarding 7 exercises and machines you should skip at the gym--it's pretty interesting and it made me rethink a few of routines.

Speaking of which, I'll be back tomorrow morning with a fitness-themed post! I haven't done one of those in awhile!

Photo Challenge Day 8: Technology

Seriously, where would we be without it? Living much simpler lives, I assume. It's funny how we think that by getting all of these gadgets and synchronizing them, we'll be more organized and less chaotic but sometimes I think all of this technology actually makes life much more complicated.

Without the internet, we probably would get more sleep since we wouldn't sit up surfing the web in attempt to procrastinate going to bed. Oh well, I still choose to embrace it as I write "an iPhone" on my Christmas wish list...

Alright, have a great day!

What have you been eating a lot of lately? 
Favorite McFlurry flavor?
Do you drink tea? What kinds do you like?
Favorite technology that you own? I'd have to say my laptop or iPod since they get used the most