Good morning! I hope you guys are enjoying a fabulous weekend!

Between the SHINE Women’s Conference on Thursday and Friday and my AFAA Group Exercise Certification course yesterday, I feel like I haven’t had much computer time with you guys! Friday was the final day of SHINE and we all agreed that it was fabulous. On Thursday night they opened with “Oh Happy Day!” and I basically freaked out. That song is so fabulous.

SHINE was the first Christian women’s conference I’ve ever attended and I have only good things to say about it. I am still very much growing in my personal journey and am glad I was able to attend the conference with my mom and sister and my sister’s boyfriend’s mom and sister. We had such a warm group and I loved listening to the various speakers with such kind, loving women.

Yesterday I spent the day at an AFAA Group Exercise Certification workshop and will know the results from the practical and written exams within four to six weeks. I think it went really well and I’ll be sure to share more about the experience on the blog soon.

And now I have something to share with you guys that I think many of you will  enjoy, especially those of you who are on the go a lot, don’t have a gym membership or prefer to work out at home.

FitnessGlo

In between the conference sessions on Friday, we had a two-hour break and since were all feeling a little antsy from sitting for most of the day, we decided to do an at-home workout. I plugged my computer into the television and my sister and I spent some time on the FitnessGlo website selecting a workout we thought we all might enjoy from the various videos available on the site.

I first learned about FitnessGlo through a partnership with FitFluential and was immediately impressed with the workout videos on the site. There are tons! (Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, but all opinions are 100 percent my own. I loved this site!)

FitnessGlo is a website created for women by women with busy women in mind. The website features workout videos with varying intensities from level one (On My Way) to level three (Good to Glo). Their videos last anywhere from five to 45 minutes, so they’re perfect for on-the-go women who might only have a small amount of time to squeeze in a quick workout before work.

We decided to try Ilyse Baker’s barre workout because I already knew I liked her teaching style since I’ve taken a dance class with her before at the Reebok headquarters last year.

Her energy is contagious without being annoying. She’s motivating but lets you know she’s feeling the burn, too!

The workout lasted 30 minutes and we were engaged the entire time.

We started sweating and definitely felt the burn! My sister and I liked it so much that we decided to try another 30-minute video immediately after the barre workout. We selected Amy Dixon’s Cardio Athletic workout which included lots of intervals. It was right up my alley!

I loved the format of the workout and the way Amy took us through several exercises for 30, 60 and 90 second bursts of intense cardio. My sister and I were super sweaty by the end of this workout! Amy was awesome… and kind of looks like Laura Prepon from That ‘70s Show to me a little bit! I’m also hoping to pitch a similar class to my boss at the gym because I think it could be a hit in a group exercise format. 

The site makes it easy to sort through videos by duration, workout type, instructor and level.

If you need a little push to start your routine, FitnessGlo offers an 8-week customized jump-start program and ways to track your workouts and make sure your routine includes a balance of strength, cardio and stretching.

Access to the FitessGlo website costs $12 a month, but anyone can receive a free 15-day trial. And one of you will win a free 90-day membership!

To enter this giveaway for a free 90-day FitnessGlo membership, simply comment on this post telling me why you are looking for a great at-home workout option or what type of workout video you’d be most excited to try. Barre? Core strength? Cardio dance? Let me know!

I will randomly select one winner on Monday.

Good luck!

A month or two ago, I saw a survey pop up on Chelsey’s blog and bookmarked it because it seemed like a lot of fun! (Speaking of Chelsey, she is currently pregnant with twins! Check out her blog for all the details and to wish her congratulations. What wonderful news!)

Anyway, this survey is appropriately called “currently” and takes you through some things I’m currently loving. Feel free to play along in the comments section!

Current Book(s):

On my recent vacation I read Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling and loved it! It’s a quick, hilarious read.

I also read Summerland by Elin Hilderbrand. A previous passenger left it on the boat that we stayed on in the Galapagos Islands and I breezed through it. A bunch of side stories surrounded the main plot and kept me interested. It was an easy read. A great beach book! 

Current Music:

Even though I ran in the ZOOMA half marathon back in January, I am still rockin’ my half marathon playlist.

It is probably my favorite workout playlist to date and never fails to pump me up.

Another song I am loving? Mission Bells by Fighting Gravity. A friend of mine burned it onto CD for me in high school and I recently rediscovered it. Such a great song!  

Current Guilty Pleasure:

Malted milk balls. I never used to like these things, but lately I think they’re freaking amazing. I get them from the bulk bins at Earth Origins (10x better than Whoppers) and love them.

Current Nail Color:

Bright pink! I also tried sea foam green a week or so ago and liked it, but I always seem  to go back to pink.

Current Drink:

Sparkling water. Always a favorite!

Current Food:

Kettle corn. I can’t get enough of it lately. Also, almond butter.

Current Favorite Show:

The Big Bang Theory! So, so great!

“Penny!” (knock, knock, knock) “Penny!” (knock, knock, knock) “Penny!” (knock, knock, knock)

Current Wish List:

I need to find a pair of strappy silver heels to wear to my friend Laurel’s wedding next weekend.

All of the bridesmaids are supposed to wear strappy or open-toe silver heels with our long, lilac dresses and I am on the lookout!

Current needs:

A haircut.

Current Indulgence:

Ice cream. Always, always ice cream.

Current Blessing:

The ability to travel. Traveling lights a fire within me and I am so grateful for the ability to explore some of the fabulous places on this planet.

Another blessing is our small group. I cannot express how much Ryan and I love our small group and the discussions we have with such a wonderful group of people.

Current Outfit:

Right now I’m typing up this post in my pajamas but my current favorite thing to wear is a maxi dress. So darn comfortable! 

Current Excitement:

My friend Laurel’s bridal shower this Sunday! And her wedding next week!

Question of the Morning

Your turn!

• Current Guilty Pleasure?
• Current Blessing?
• Current Favorite Show?
• Current Excitement?

Hello from Jacksonville Beach!

I am staying at my parents’ condo for the next three days with my sister and my sister’s boyfriend’s mom and sister. (Got that?) We’re all in town for the SHINE Women’s Conference through Celebration Church and so far our experience at the conference has been wonderful!

Workout  

From the moment I woke up this morning, things have been go-go-go!

With no morning shift at the gym requiring a ridiculously early wake up call, I opted to sleep in a bit and got out of bed a little before 7 a.m. for a workout.

I headed out to the beach to run four miles before everyone else was awake.

Dogs are allowed on Jacksonville Beach before 9 a.m. and I had the best time watching them run in and out of the surf. I immediately thought about Sadie and how much she would love starting off every day with a romp on the beach. Lucky dogs!

My run was a little sluggish, but it felt good to get outside and sweat a bit.

Breakfast

After my run, it was breakfast time. I assembled a yogurt bowl with Liberte coconut yogurt, cold oatmeal and raw pecans.

Have you guys tried Liberte yogurt? It tastes like dessert in a cup! Delicious!

Once I had food in my stomach, I hopped in the shower, got dressed and sat down to blog when my sister said it was time to go! We had a little miscommunication about our intended departure time, so I grabbed my purse and headed out the door with everyone to attend the morning sessions at SHINE.

This morning we heard from Kerri Weems, Dianne Wilson and Priscilla Shirer, three incredibly inspiring women who spoke with such passion and energy.

Priscilla actually opened the conference last night and I was thrilled to find out that she was speaking again today. She has such charisma and sass and is a phenomenal speaker. If SHINE ends up posting videos or sharing podcasts of the conference sessions, I will be sure to share links on the blog so that those of you who may be interested can check them out.

We just arrived back at my parents’ condo and it’s time to dig into a late lunch before we head back to the conference for the evening sessions.

Hope you’re having a great Thursday!

Question of the Afternoon

• What is the best conference you’ve attended?
• What is one conference you’d love to attend in the future?

On Sunday my mother-in-law and I joked about using the song “Oh Happy Day” as our morning alarm. It is impossible to wake up in a bad mood when that song is blaring!

I probably should have used that song as my alarm today because when 4:20 a.m. rolled around and I was greeted with an annoying “beep, beep, beep,” all I wanted to do was roll over and go back to sleep. It took me a while to get into my groove this morning, but eventually it happened. I probably have my tumbler of coffee to thank for the nice little jolt of energy that finally hit me around 6 a.m.

My shift at work went well and I set up three fitness assessments for next week that I hope will morph into personal training clients.

Once I was done working for the day, I changed into shorts and a tank top and went through another Best Body Boot Camp workout. The most challenging part of the workout was, without a doubt, the tabata-style jumping lunges and jump squats. I completed jumping lunges for 20 seconds followed by a 10 second rest, 20 seconds of jump squats and another 10 second rest. Complete four total rounds and just try to tell me you’re not out of breath! It was tough!

Lunch

By the time I made it home, I was more than ready for a filling lunch and reheated some leftovers.

In my bowl:

• Corn
• Ham
• Broccoli
• Onion
• Green onion

About an hour later, I found myself back in the kitchen blending up another green lemonade smoothie. I’m lovin’ them lately!

Now it’s time to pack up and hit the road for Jacksonville where I will be through Sunday morning.

I am attending a conference that kicks off tonight and lasts through Friday and my group exercise certification workshop is in Jacksonville on Saturday. See ya from the beach!

Question of the Afternoon

• Is your alarm the usual annoying beep or do you wake up to music? Any great alarm wake up songs out there? 

When Ryan and I arrived home from our evening walk with Sadie, I could not shake my craving for something sweet and cold.

I opened the freezer and when a giant bag of frozen strawberries stared back at me, I knew I had a winner!

Along with the frozen strawberries, I grabbed some frozen raspberries and took out my blender, determined to make a cold and creamy dessert.

After Monday’s yummy dinner that centered around coconut milk, I decided to pop open another can to use in last night’s dessert to keep the delicious coconut milk momentum going.

The end result was a fantastic bowl of strawberry coconut soft serve!

Strawberry Coconut Soft Serve

Serves one

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1/4 cup raspberries
• 1/4 cup light coconut milk (plus more, if needed, to get everything moving)
• Tiny splash coconut extract
• Shredded coconut for garnish

Directions:

1. Combine strawberries, raspberries and coconut milk in a high-powered blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy (several minutes).
2. Add coconut extract to taste. (Note: Start with a very small amount and increase gradually. Coconut extract is very strong!)
3. Scoop soft serve into a bowl and garnish with shredded coconut.

If you are a banana-lover, feel free to add half of a frozen banana (and likely a little more coconut milk) to the mix to make the soft serve even creamier! And if you’d rather not use coconut milk, you can easily use almond, soy or regular milk in its place, but, if you choose to do this, I would definitely add half of a frozen banana to keep the soft serve nice and creamy.

Enjoy!

Good afternoon!

I was up before dawn again for the early shift at the gym. Work today went well and I had fun taking a potential personal training client through a fitness assessment.

Once my shift was over, I quickly changed and got in a workout of my own before driving home.

Workout + Lunch

Today’s workout began with a quick 25 minute elliptical interval workout. The changing resistance levels kept me engaged and I followed up my elliptical session with two rounds of the functional training workout I shared yesterday.

I arrived home in the early afternoon and immediately busted out my blender to make a big green lemonade smoothie. I followed Brittany’s recipe but added the juice from a whole lemon and another half of a pear.

It tasted so refreshing and was a great way to sneak in some greens!

Sipping out of Ryan’s R-initial Tervis Tumbler made me realize that I cannot, for the life of me, locate my J Tervis Tumbler! I’m almost positive that I haven’t taken it out of our house within the past month or two and I have no idea where it could be. Also missing: A glass loaf pan. I think our dishwasher may be eating our dirty dishes.

I followed up my smoothie with leftovers from last night’s coconut ginger curry brown rice bowl and couple small handfuls of cashews.

Yum!

BICBands for Boston

By now you guys know how much I love BICBands workout headbands. They’ve always been a company that gives back (and makes an awesome headband that doesn’t slip!) and now Sandy, the owner of the company, created a Boston Strong headband with 100 percent of proceeds going to The One Fund to help the people most affected by the tragic events that occurred in Boston last month.

You can check them out here.

Of Possible Interest

• The Seven-Minute Workout (NYTimes.com)
• 4 Quinoa Breakfast Recipes (FitSugar.com)
• Tempeh Taco Salad (FFGlobetrotter.com)

My love affair with coconut milk continues and last night I made a dinner that centered around the creamy, flavorful milk.

I actually used light coconut milk in the dish but it still tasted decadent!

I jotted down the ingredients and measurements of everything as I cooked just in case our dinner ended up tasting good enough to share and I realized that this dinner is both vegetarian and vegan. And delicious!

I loved the blend of flavors of ginger and curry and the crunch from the chopped cashews. This meal was also quite filling!

Coconut Ginger Curry Brown Rice Bowl

Ingredients

• 1 13.5-ounce can light coconut milk
• 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 large onion, diced
• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 cups broccoli florets, chopped
• 1/2 cup roasted cashews, chopped
• 3/4 teaspoon ginger
• 3/4 teaspoon curry
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 cup cooked brown rice

Directions

1. Heat olive oil in a pot on medium high heat. Add onion and broccoli and stir for approximately 5 minutes, until onion begins to soften.
2. Add cashews and stir for another minute. Pour in coconut milk, ginger, curry and garlic salt. (You may add additional spices if desired or increase the amount of spices to taste.)
3. Allow to cook on low for approximately 20 minutes. Add brown rice to pot and stir. 
4. Scoop rice mixture into bowls and enjoy!

I hope you enjoy this meal as much as we did in our house!

Hey party people!

My day began at 4:20 a.m. Yep, it was another early shift day at the gym! I arrived before the gym opened at 5 a.m. and worked through the morning.

At 8:30 a.m. I took a group through a basic functional training workout. It was easily the highlight of my day! The workout was another informal group workout (like Friday’s workout), but since this was a basic level workout, it was less intense. I made sure to modify some of the more difficult exercises to make them more appropriate for those who are just beginning to incorporate functional training into their exercise regimen.

I also changed up the whiteboard workout located on the gym floor and created this challenging workout for people to try if they’re looking for something new:

I based the workout off of my Weekend Circuit Workout and had a good time walking a few people through the workout throughout the day. It seems like functional and circuit-style workouts are becoming more and more popular at our gym which is great! You know they’re my favorite!

Workout + Lunch

Working at 5 a.m. has its perks when it means you’re done for the day around lunchtime. Before heading home, I hit the weight room for my own workout and finished a strength training tabata workout from Tina’s Best Body Boot Camp plan. It was outside of the box compared to my usual strength workouts which I liked a lot!

Once I made it home, I quickly assembled lunch before hopping in the shower.

I made myself three-mustard chicken salad (dijon, spicy and honey mustard) with Snapea Crisps and salted cashews.

As for the rest of the day, I’m planning to spend several hours curled up with this bad boy.

I will be attending a workshop to get my group exercise certification this weekend and I really need to study. Though I feel pretty comfortable with a lot of the information thanks to studying for my NASM personal training certification a few months ago, I didn’t give myself a lot of time to prepare for the AFAA exam, so I need to get to work!

Question of the Afternoon

• What is the most difficult test you’ve ever taken?

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and that you were able to spend some time with loved ones.

Ryan and I spent the weekend in Sarasota celebrating Mother’s Day with his family.

Isn’t Sadie the best at posing for group photos?

On Sunday morning we woke up a little after 7 a.m. and sipped on our hot mugs of coffee outside in the already hot and humid weather. I think it’s safe to say summer in Florida has arrived!

A big Mother’s Day breakfast was planned for 9 a.m. and by the time everyone arrived to dig into the delicious food, I was more than ready to eat!

We had a fantastic feast of scrambled eggs, bacon, fruit salad, pecan danish and French toast.

I started with fruit, a few strips of bacon, eggs and some pecan danish and went back for more bacon, danish, a piece of French toast and fruit.

Everyone refilled their plates a few times which is how family gatherings at my mother-in-law’s house always seem to go. The food is always too darn delicious to stop at one plate.

After breakfast, we meandered into the living room to hang out.

At one point, Ryan and I sat down and started playing around on his mom’s piano which was a blast! We used to play the piano together at my sorority house in college and it was fun to play around again.

We’re both pretty terrible, but have a lot of fun trying! The only song I can play somewhat well is “The First Noel,” and I can only get away with playing that song one month out of the year. Ryan can play “Unchained Melody.” We’re both one song wonders on the piano, with the exception of the songs everyone can play like “Heart and Soul.”

Our weekend in Sarasota passed way too quickly, but it was so wonderful to spend time with family. We hope to head down to visit again soon!

Question of the Morning

• Can you play an instrument?
• What instrument do you wish you could play?

Part one of our Mother’s Day celebration occurred yesterday when we arrived in Sarasota in the early afternoon. We spent a few hours hanging out in my mother-in-law’s backyard, chatting away and catching up while Sadie ran around hunting lizards and shadows and Billy the cat tried to coerce us into lots of back scratches.

Sadie loves my mother-in-law’s backyard because she has little mirrored decorations hanging up all over the place that catch the light and cause reflections to dance all over the place, creating Sadie’s hunting paradise.

At little before 5 p.m., we drove 1.5 miles to Ryan’s grandmother’s house for a Mother’s Day feast featuring crab claws!

Hi, Dottie!

A dinner that centers around seafood is basically my heaven.

Ryan’s mom made cheddar biscuits that tasted a lot like the warm cheese biscuits from Red Lobster and I had no trouble polishing off two of them before it was time to dig into the crab claws.

After dinner, we ate a delicious dessert that featured homemade cookies, maple walnut ice cream and white chocolate raspberry cake before moving our little party into the living room. We hung out for another two hours before calling it a night and heading home. It was so nice to be together!

We have a Mother’s Day breakfast planned for this morning, so it’s time for me to get dressed and join the festivities.

Happy Mother’s Day to all of the mothers, moms-to-be and mother-like figures out there!