HR Monitor

I have been debating whether or not to purchase a HR monitor for a while now. 

My sister has had one for years and was always encouraging me to get one. I already had one to use with my Garmin Forerunner, but I couldn't figure out how to use it if I wasn't running outside. 

I finally find the pink Polar FT4 on Amazon for $60 and decided to go for it. 

It's safe to say I am now obsessed with it! 

I love seeing how much I'm burning when I workout. 

Whether it's a quick 5K on the treadmill and stretching....

Or a 9 mile run burning over a thousand calories!!

I LOVE seeing my maximum and average HR during my workout. 

I've also used it during Pure Barre and online Barre3 workouts. I love seeing how different each class intensity and burn can be! 

Best purchase in a while :) 

Do you have a HR monitor? Do you use during every workout? 

Get Fit February

I'm kind of late to the party, but I'm still going to join Mals Miles in the 

Lose 5 lbs in February challenge!

Mallory just got her certification in Body Pump and has lost a ridiculous amount of weight in the past two years. 

I am currently training for the half marathon in March so my workout schedule is in full force now. 

I am hoping to get in 3 runs during the week and 1 long run on the weekends according to my training plan from Marathon Rookie here 

Along with my runs, I want to add more strength and cross training workouts. I like to do Pure Barre or BarreAmped for my strength training, but I'd like to use the free weights and machines at the gym more. I'm hoping Ben will train me and push me to use more weights this month :) 

My goal for the rest of February:

 -Track EVERYTHING in MyFitnessPal

-Link up with the "What I Ate Wednesday" posts

-Link up with "Fitness Fridays" posts

I'm hoping this will help hold me accountable throughout the week!!

Here it is... 

My starting weight

(ok, so this is after dinner tonight. I usually weigh about 124-124.5, so maybe my goal should be lose 6 LBS, ha!)

Some inspirational pictures for the month:

Who's with me?!?!

Back to the Barre

It's time to head back to the barre for some Burnin', Tonin' and Liftin'!!!

I have been SO busy the past few months, and have not had time to schedule a PB sesh. I set all plans aside, and even said no to babysitting (extra cash $!!) so that I could make my date at the barre tonight!

I purchased an exercise similar to Pure Barre to use at home. It's set up very differently, but some of the moves are the same that we use in PB. I liked it.... BUT I still love PB more. 

via

So I purchased the new PB Flatirons 2 dvd! It mailed out right away and I got to Lift, Tone and Burn with Carrie herself right in my living room!! I was even a little sore the next day! This dvd is a great fill-in when you can't make it to a Pure Barre class, or you need a quick workout in the morning. 

 via

I LOVE pure barre, I rave about it (whenever I am actively going, that is...). While the dvds are great, I really don't think anything compares to attending an actual class. The music is great, the burn is intense, my thighs are usually shaking uncontrollably, and I LOVE every minute of it! I really think having the right instructor makes all the difference! Luckily, PB Lex has GREAT instructors. I have only had a handful of different instructors, because I'm pretty loyal to one in particular, Catherine. She was my first instructor when I took PB last fall, and was so sweet. She has a GREAT class and is so helpful throughout. Lex girls, if you've been debating taking a class or not, TAKE ONE! Catherine does classes on Tues and Weds nights AND Mon and Wed in the earllllly morning (5:30 am WAY to early for me to work out, but, hey it may work for you!). I promise, take one class and you won't regret it!.

I'm thinking I'm going to reward myself with a new Lululemon purchase tonight :) I deserve it, right?!

What I'm Loving Wednesday

 

What I’m Loving Wednesday

1. Real Housewives of Orange County is back! 

OC is by far my favorite Real Housewives. Although, I did love Beverly Hills. I still can't get into Miami. OC was the first season I started watching, and I haven't missed a show since. I can't wait for all the drama this season!!

2. The book I am currently reading: 

 Something Borrowed

I'm only 3 chapters in and I already loveeeee it! I can't wait to finish the book so I can start Something Blue next!!! AND see the movie when it comes out in May. Love any movie Kate Hudson is in!!

 3. Yesterday was Fat Tuesday and I celebrated by enjoying some Orange Leaf for dessert :) 

Ben and I shared... Actually, I'm pretty sure I had 3/4.. But it was amazing!!

4. It's already WEDNESDAY! So close to the end of the week. And next week is only a 2-day school work for me! Counting down the days until Spring Break. (Plans for SB are still up in the air though....)

5. That I'm off to Pure Barre tonight! I've been trying to go once a week, and I'm loving that I'm starting to see more definition in my arms :)

What are you loving today?! Link up with Jamie and share!!

Thankful Thursday

What I'm thankful for today....

1. It's almost the WEEKEND! I have a jam-packed weekend and I can't wait!! Friday night, I'm going to Table 310 with some girlfriends for drinks and appetizers! I can't wait to try this place!! 

 (via google images) 

2. My much needed hair appointment on Saturday morning!!! Can't wait to see my hair dresser, who is pregnant and just found out she's having a boy AND a girl! So excited for her. Think I may stop and get her a little gift before my appointment :)

3. The weather is supposed to be semi-nice this weekend. I think last weekend was just a tease with the warmer temps and sunshine! 

We currently are under a flash flood watch until Friday. I'm already over all this rain and it's just beginning. It is not helping me potty train Perry!

But I think it has convinced me I want NEED some Hunter Wellies! I just need to figure out what color would be best.... 

 Pink.... Or Black?

4. I'm thankful for my little Perry. He is always so happy to see me when I get him out of his crate in the afternoon. He really has been such an easy puppy so far. He's just started biting everything in sight. Which has resulted in buying more puppy toys and bones to try and keep him entertained instead of gnawing on my hand!

5. Pedicure time!!! It's almost March 1st, which means I can get my nails down again. I try and only go once a month because I feel like I waste  spend so much on nails when I really should just do them myself. But I do love the new "gelish" nails. Those manicures don't play around. My last one went over 3 1/2 weeks before it started to chip!! 

I'm hoping for one of these new OPI colors for my pedi! Maybe the Guy meets Galveston...

6. Pure Barre. I LOVE pure barre. I know I mention this a lot, but I LOVE the 55 minutes you are in there tucking and toning your arms, thighs, seat and abs! It really is a great workout. I have been going once a week and can already tell a difference in how my clothes fit. Plus I love how I feel after I leave a pure barre class. Even if I'm so sore I can barely move the next day!! 

What are you thankful for?

It Feels Like Spring in the Bluegrass!!

We had some GREAT weather late last week leading up to Saturday. It was so nice to be able to leave the house and not have to grab a coat for a few days. I love driving down the road with the sunroof open and the sun shining down with your music up. Makes me think of warm weather and the summer! 

 Perry was loving the fresh air with the backdoor open!

Friday night, Ben and I went all out for dinner and drove to Parkette Drive In.

 It was sooo good, yet sooo unhealthy! Their milkshakes are amazing!

On Saturday, my friend and I went to Pure Cardio at the Pure Barre studio. Class kicked my butt and I loved every minute of it!! It was different then the typical Pure Barre class and got your heart rate going! Perfect way to start off my Saturday morning :) 

I think I'm going to take the plunge and finally buy some Lululemon clothes. I have been trying to talk myself out of it because I think they are pricey, but I'm hoping to just buy a few pieces.

Like pants and a tank to start out with.

Cool Racerback

Astro Pant  

But I reallllly like this tank!

 Get Focused Tank

Do you any of you own Lululemon clothes? Are they worth the price?!

Saturday afternoon, Mr. Perry and I headed to the park to meet Tracy and Kaylee for a little Puppy Playdate!!

Perry was shy at first. But then was all over Kaylee, Tracy's chocolate lab. 

They were so cute together!

I think I have a lazy puppy on my hands... All he wants to do is be held, lay at your feet or hide between your legs! 

It was great weather, and I'm glad we were able to enjoy it while it lasted. It was rainy and cooler today. 

Today, I went to a few antique and consignment shops with some girlfriends. 

I didn't really see anything that I needed, but did find a little basket to put Perry's toys in! 

They also had some Lilly bedding and sheet sets. 

Whenever I buy a house, I will be hitting up these little shops for some goodies! Thanks Kath for showing me these stores!

After Antique-ing, I went to Marshalls, Target and Garden Ridge. I could go in each of these stores every weekend and find somethings else I WANT, but don't NEED. I think that's the beauty of shopping there though :)

Wish I could stay home tomorrow and play with this little guy!

BUT, we have school tomorrow :( Gotta make up for the 13894830 snow days we had. Hopefully I will be thankful come June!

February Finds

Happy February! 

Although today was the first day of February, it felt nothing like it outside. We had temps in the upper 50's today! Thankfully, the big storm that's hitting most of the US didn't hit Lexington. BUT we did get rain. ALL DAY. I can't imagine how much snow we would have had if the temps were cooler!

February is one of my favorite months. I love it because you get to wear lots of pink!!! And because it's a short month and usually flies by fast. My inbox was full of some February finds that I am currently loving. 

First, this new lilly background. LOVE!

(via http://blog.lillypulitzer.com)

More pink lilly backgrounds at A Colorful Blog

And another great find from Pure Barre Lexington! Definitely taking advantage of this deal! 

It's as easy as 1, 2, 3!!

Lift , Tone & Burn with 3 classes for $30 

It's a "Sweat"heart of a deal!!

Our Special February Price:

$30 for 3 class package

(Regular Price: $60)

I highly recommend taking a pure barre class. I was hesitant at first because I heard they were pretty intense and I thought I would feel way out of place taking a class with all of the pb experts in there. I was WAY WRONG. At my first class, the instructor came over and helped my friend I through every move and even talked to us afterward! She was so sweet and made the experience so much better. We even got a postcard in the mail from her a few days later. I have only taken several classes since my first class in November, but all the workers at PB are so nice and willing to help you before, during and after class.

Another great email list to be on is from Ashley Brooke Designs. She sends an email out at the beginning of each month with a free download for your iPhone or Blackberry. I always download these and use them as my screen saver. So cute and very useful!

A local favorite - The Front Porch. I love this store because they always hand out a coupon each time you shop there. They just started sending out emails with links for coupons! I can always find something at this store, even if it's just a tervis tumbler with my intital, I will buy it. You can never have enough monogrammed glasses!

I will defintely be going in the next few weeks to use this coupon! 

And finally, some Valentine's Day gift ideas for guys. Thank goodness for emails from Brooks Brothers! I will most likely be visiting BB for some v-day gifts for Ben!

What February finds are you loving this year? Any email lists I should sign up for?!

New Year, New Job

Happy, Happy New Year!!! 

So with the new year came a new job for me. I finally have a BIG GIRL job!! I was so excited to start working on Monday, I couldn't even sleep Sunday night! 6 am came VERY early Monday morning, but it wasn't as hard to wake up as I thought... I hadn't woken up to an alarm clock in 3 weeks because of my extended winter break! I must admit, it's nice to be back on a routine though. 

I am so happy with my school and class. It's one of the newer schools in the district and all the teachers and staff are very nice and great to work with. I think I am going to be happy here. The only question is how the numbers work out for the 2011-2012 school year, which could move me or other special ed teachers to different schools.

So as a part of my New Years Resolution, I have decided to stay organized throughout the ENTIRE year. I am always really good about staying organized with my planner and to-do lists during school, but when it comes to the weekend and summer, I am so bad about remembering to look at my planner or make To Do lists. One little present that will help me stay on track is my myagenda planner! I LOVE it!!! I was scared it wouldn't have enough room to write in each day, but it is perfect!!!

 Love, love my initials in the corner!!

I love color coordinating my appointments! blue was school, yellow peronsal appts and purple for babysitting.

Also with this resolution comes exercising, or as I'm trying to call it, maintaining a "healthy lifestyle" by eating healthy, working out, doing my physical therapy exercises for my back, drinking water throughout the day and getting enough sleep. I think this will be a good resolution because it's something I can work on everyday! 

(via google images)

Also, I am hoping to do either a hot yoga class or pure barre class once a week. I LOVE pure barre! I did my first class in late November and have only had a chance to go back twice since then. So I'm hoping I can make it more now that I have a set schedule and can reserve my spot ahead of time. Pure barre is a GREAT new workout that is popping up everywher. My hometown, Columbus, Ohio just opened one! Go to Pure Barre to learn more about this new workout class, it's amazing and you will definitely feel the burn each class!

(via purebarre.com)

Here's to 2011 and living a healthy lifestyle for the entire year!!!

AND surviving my first year as a college grad with my first full time job! I'm already anticipating my first snow day :)