Sorry for no follow-up post yesterday evening…that little thing called “life” happened, and I just didn’t have the time. Don’t worry, you didn’t miss much…it was a busy day with meals on the run!

So I don’t know what it is, but for some reason, I am so much more motivated to get up and work out on Monday and Friday mornings. Maybe it’s the fact that I know I don’t want to go to the gym in the afternoon on these days, but either way, I’m just glad the motivation is there!

This morning, I woke up bright eyed and bushy-tailed rolled out of bed (I said I was motivated…but I never said I’m good at waking up early! ) and got to work on a couple videos (one new, one old favorite) from Exercise on Demand:

New: Bootcamp Calorie Burn with Kendell Hogan (30 mins)

• This video was pretty good. I think it would be suitable for most ability levels, and was actually not too difficult. I was looking for something more cardio based, with constant movement – this video definitely has you constantly moving, but doesn’t have too many intense moves. Not sure if I’ll try it again?

Old: 10lb Slimdown YOGA (24 mins)

• Love the vinyasa flow with this workout!

Breakfast

Helloooo OIAJ!

I feel like it’s been forever since I last enjoyed some overnight oats, let alone OIAJ. But lucky for me, Jay just recently finished off his jar of PB and I was quick enough to make sure he saved it. Yummmmm.

In the jar:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 mashed banana
• 1/4 cup pumpkin
• raisins
• cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice
• lots of leftover peanut buttery goodness

Of course, no oats would be complete without a little topping! Enter: granola.

I don’t have my mug-o-coffee yet, since it’s Coffee Friday, but I’m pretty sure I’m craving some hazelnut today…we’ll see. Hey, maybe that’s some of my motivation for getting up and moving on Friday mornings??

Check out this fun surprise I found yesterday!

Charlie from Sweet Salty Spicy was “sweet” enough to pass along the “One Lovely Blog Award” to me. Thanks so much, Charlie!!

Aaaaand, I actually have a little “Fashion Friday” for you all a little early this morning!

I decided to switch things up a bit from the recent Fashion Fridays, and give you all a little sneak peak today’s outfit, “Before & After” style:

Before:

This outfit is obviously lacking something. The shirt (which is NEW from my latest Old Navy purchase!) is just too baggy and does nothing for the figure. And when it comes to skinny leg jeans? Well, not only do the stylish black socks do nothing, but they could definitely be “kicked up a notch,” right?

After:

Look at what a little accessorizing can do! Nipping in at the waist with a simple belt does a world of difference for this shirt! When I first tried it on in the dressing room, I thought it was awful. Luckily, I had a belt in the room with me, and as soon as I put in on…complete transformation!

How ‘bout those boots?? They’re vintage!

And even better yet, they used to be my Mom’s! She gave them to me a couple years ago, saying that they were some of her favorite pairs when she was younger. I don’t get an opportunity to wear them too often, but I thought they’d go great with today’s attire.

Alrighty folks, I’m out…time to go get the coffee!!

Questions for the Day:

What are YOU wearing today that you love?

What motivates you to get up in the morning?

Whatever the reason, I told myself there was no excuses for not getting up for a workout. After the second hit of the snooze button, it was now or never…and I chose now.

I scurried on out to the living room for some Exercise on Demand. Today’s videos:

• 10lb Slimdown Total Body Blast (24 mins)
• 10lb. Slimdown CORE (22 mins)

It was a good 45 minute workout, but I’ve got to admit…I’m really starting to miss having my treadmill working here at home. We’ve gotta get that thing workin’ ASAP!

Breakfast

I think my stomach might still be a little off from yesterday’s massive veggie consumption, so I really wasn’t craving anything in particular. Luckily, I still have this amazing loaf to keep me happy!

I heated up a slice of my Honey Raisin Banana Pumpkin Bread in the micro for 15 seconds, topped it with about 1/2 tsp. of I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Light, and “paired it with a pear”

Since it’s a little smaller of a breakfast than I’m used to during the week, I also grabbed a Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Larabar to tackle any mid-morning hunger that may arise. I haven’t tried this kind yet, but hopefully it’s as good as the Cookie Dough!

As always, I’ve got my mug-o-coffee (regular today…had to compromise with the hubby), and I’m headed out the door!

Have a great day!!

Question for the Morning:

Are you a “snooze button” kind of person, or do you get up right away in the mornings??

I read about Exercise TV months ago in SELF magazine, but to be honest, with the way our internet connection was in Bedminster, there was no way I was interested in working out on a small little computer screen that took forever to load.  However, seeing their videos on FIOS intrigued me again, and I was very pleased with what I found on their site.

First and foremost, they do a fantastic job of driving people to their site.  The workouts that I chose to do had a calendar that you could print for a full plan available online.  Um, yes please!  Once I was there, I discovered there were a wealth of plans you could print online that correlated with what was on your On Demand service.

If you’re not as cool as me and don’t have FIOS, that’s ok.  You still can watch full length workout videos right on the site, as long as you don’t mind the small screen.  The options seem pretty diverse, which is great for a free service.  Even better, the ones I checked out are the right balance of challenging while not being over the top.

The Premium Pass is a new paid feature offered through the site that offers workout and nutrition plans that can be done easily from home.  It seems that plans start at around $10/month, and offer things like video download credits, 200 workouts, plans and playlists.  The highest plan goes for around $130 for 6 months and includes advanced features like a meal plan, subscription to SELF magazine, and ask the expert features.  Can’t say whether or not things like this are worth it-I guess it depends on what you need!  I will say this, though, considering some sports clubs can cost that per month, this might be a better option!

Exercise TV has really helped me kick my boring workout routines to the curb, with the option to offer variety in easily searchable fashions.  Since I’m nursing a pretty major knee injury, my focus has been on upper body and core, and the site and TV make it easy to find workouts that fit this need.

Happy Fat Burning!

Since I took an impromptu day off from the gym yesterday, and won’t have time to make it today after work, I made it a priority to get my booty outta bed bright and early this morning for a date…with my tv.

I started off with Cardio Sculpt by Jeanette Jennings from Exercise on Demand. That girl really believes in her reps…my muscles were burnin’! Then I decided my muscles would probably thank me by following up with some extra stretching, so I ended with the 10lb. Slimdown Yoga video. Definitely a great morning workout, which worked up quite an appetite…

Thankfully for me, today’s breakfast comes in the form of another fabulous bowl of Overnight Oats. You guys can be sure to see these guys around quite a bit on the blog, since they make for one of the easiest, quickest breakfasts around…not to mention DELICIOUS!

Pumpkin Overnighters deserve a pumpkin background, don’t you think?

In today’s mix:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/3 cup pumpkin puree
• 1/2 mashed banana
• 1/2 scoop vanilla protein powder
• cinnamon
• pumpkin pie spice
• raisins

I made sure to add the protein powder again today, since Monday’s oats stuck with me for almost 5 hours. That’s pretty much unheard of with my stomach.

Lucky me was able to brew up some Pumpkin Spice coffee this morning, since we just ran out of regular. Mmmmm, how I love my punkin’ spice!

Did anyone happen to see Dancing With The Stars last night?? Mr. Bolton was NOT a happy camper! Yikes.

Question for the Morning:

In less than 3 words, describe your morning so far!

Productive and Delicious!

Actually, I could be a little more psyched…I’ll be psyched at about 4:00 today when the craziness of my day has subsided.

Speaking of craziness, sorry for no post last night guys. If you read yesterday morning, I had our Open House last night at school, so it was definitely a busy day from 15 hour day…

By the way, thank you all for your kind comments and encouragement yesterday about my nerves. You guys are the best! Once things got rollin’, my nerves actually subsided and everything went very smoothly. It was a success!

As soon as I got home from the Open House, it was time to start getting things ready for the garage sale. By the time 11pm rolled around, blogging just wasn’t in the cards…

But no worries, I’m BACK today and full of energy! So full of energy, in fact, that I got up nice and early to kick start my morning with a kick-ass Kickboxing Bootcamp “class” from Exercise on Demand.

I tried this video for the first time earlier in the week, and I’m tellin’ you guys, it’s a GREAT workout. 50 minutes later, and I am one sweaty mess. In a good way, of course.

Breakfast

A quick and easy one this morning, even though I was really craving some pumpkin oats… (maybe for lunch?)

A combo cereal bowl of Quaker Oatmeal Squares + Multigrain Cheerios with vanilla almond milk.

Cereal really never gets old. It’s so delicious! (I actually had it for dinner last night, too.)

And look what else came my way this morning…it looks like we’re celebrating Coffee Friday today folks!

Jay’s dad is here to help out with the garage sale, and he came bearing Dunkin’ Donuts coffee gifts. I was beyond ecstatic.

I will actually be in and out of the house today, which is why Jay’s dad is here to help out. I have the day off from work, but it’s for a doctor’s appt. later this morning, plus taking care of a few other orders of business. One of which is QUITE EXCITING and I’ll be sharing that with you later today!

Question for the Morning:

What is the weather where you live today?

I am still baffled by the fact that it is supposed to be 87 degrees in Upstate NY today?!? What the heck!?! It’s FALL!

Howdy!

I hope everyone’s day is off to a smooth start. I know that mine didn’t start off as planned…

I have a confession to make: I actually chickened out on the BodyPump class. It had nothing to do with the class itself; I was just super nervous that I wouldn’t make it to work on time, the showers would be full, etc. PLUS, I didn’t make it into bed last night until almost 11pm, so a 4:45 alarm was not sounding all that appealing. Instead, I slept an extra 30 minutes, got up, and tried out a new workout from Exercise on Demand: Kickboxing Bootcamp.

It was a 50 minute workout, and it totally kicked my boo-tayyy! WOW! I’m positive that I got a better workout doing that then BodyPump, so I was stoked.

Lunch

Thanks to my leftover chicken from last night’s dinner, today’s lunch was prepped and ready to go in no time.

One of my favorites: An “Empty Out The Veggie Drawer” kinda salad.

• Spring mix
• Broccoli
• Grape tomatoes
• Corn
• Red Onion
• Carrots
• Leftover roasted zucchini
• Italian grilled chicken
• Athenos reduced-fat Feta cheese

I have high hopes for this bad boy.

I also packed myself a fresh pear and an un-photographed mini cashew cookie larabar, just in case hunger strikes.

After work today, Jay and I are headed to check out some more kitchen stuff!

Question for the Afternoon:

When’s the last time you switched up your workout plan for the better?

It’s always a little extremely hectic the night before the first day of school with students…I swear I get the jitters worse as a teacher than I did as a student. Such conditions definitely called for a quick and easy dinner.

I heated up some leftovers from my Roasted Veggie Casserole. There’s still at least two more servings left…easily.

I also cooked up a MorningStar Farms veggie burger, crumbled it up, and mixed it with some lettuce, tomato, red onion, and honey mustard…

…and tossed it into a Joseph’s Sandwich Size Whole Wheat Pita Bread. LOVE these things! 

Workout

I was really in need of a workout today. Not only because it’s been two full days since I’ve had one, but I also needed it to help relax my mind. (Which has been running at 110% since yesterday!) I was originally planning on hitting up the gym after work, but decided I wanted something a little more relaxing. I headed home and did two of my favorite workout videos from Exercise on Demand: 10lb Slimdown CORE & 10lb. Slimdown YOGA. They both really did the trick – I felt like a brand new person afterwards!

Time to get back to this work…my stomach already has butterflies! GAH!

Question for the Night:

Did/do you ever get nervous before starting up school again every year?

I know you’ve been sitting so patiently in that lazy susan, just waiting for a little attention.

Don’t you worry. Even though it’s been a while since we last met, it doesn’t mean that I have thought of you any less. But now, after long months of waiting, it is now time for us to reunite. Because if I wait any longer, I may go crazy and eat your whole can at once. And that would not be good. So let’s make a go for it…

Love, Courtney

They’re BAAAAACK!! PUMPKIN OATS!

In the mix:

• 1/3 cup oats
• 1/3 cup vanilla almond milk
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 mashed banana
• HEAPING 1/3 cup pumpkin
• Golden raisins
• Cinnamon & pumpkin pie spice

Topped off with:

• Sprinkle of Bear Naked Fit granola
• Maple peanut butter 

Absolutely divine. Totally worth the wait.

I think today may have to be the day that I finally stop at Starbucks to get my Pumpkin Spiced Latte…might as well keep the pumpkin trend going! Besides, it is Coffee Friday.

Workout

This morning I was able to get about 45 minutes of a solid strength workout in, thanks again to Exercise TV. I’ve been loving their new category, “10lb Slimdown” with Chris Freytag, so today I did the Upper Body & Core workouts. I love them, not only because they’re a great workout, but also because I complete almost all the moves without having to modify for my foot. It’s mostly low impact on the lower body, or floor work, which is perfect for gimpy over here!

This afternoon I’m spending some time with my Mom, doing a little “Back to School” shopping…she offered to get me a new outfit for “back to school” – can’t beat that!

Oh yes, and I almost forgot to share! Yesterday I got my hair cut & colored…what do ya think?

The “do” was a little faded out and dull from all the summer weather, so it needed a little updating. I wanted to add some red undertones this time, and Mom did an AWESOME job on it (she’s a hairdresser). Thanks, Mom!

Trying desperately to use the glass front door as a “mirror” to my camera screen…I’m horrible at taking self-photos!

Stay tuned this afternoon for a little Fashion Friday, Banana Republic style.

We all have things we lean towards. I LOVE  Zumba and so for me buying the DVDs for the summer was the best investment I could make. I love dancing around and sweating my butt off. I don’t care what people think about me while I’m doing it and I never wonder when I’m going to get to the end at any point during the hour. For me to get to know what I like I had to go through a lot of videos and classes to learn what I lean toward. We all have to go through that process. So this blog will be ways to try out different types of fitness workouts and routines so that you can find your “thing”.

There are a couple of pay sites that you can try that are cheaper than the cost of paying for a fitness class. Like all things you have to actually use them to be cost worthy. I tend to do fitness classes at a gym because I feed off of the people in class with me. I’ve looked through all of these sites but have not used them all in a serious manner. I suggest trying out all of the ones with a free trial and please be careful of any site that will automatically re enroll you every month because it’s up to you to cancel if you choose not to use them.

Pay sites

Exercise TV – This website is in a partnership with Self Magazine so varying levels of membership includes a subscription to the magazine. Memberships start from $9.95 a month and up. The basic membership includes 5 downloads a month which I find to be a great idea. You get to download workouts to your computer and then they are yours to keep no matter when you decide to cancel your membership. Each membership level includes 200 plus workouts ranging from a 3 min arm workout to a 30 min/ 2 mile  walking video ( I am actually interested in that one so if anyone tries it let me know how it is!). You can make a playlist of your favorite workouts so that when you log in they will pop up for you. I personally would try this if I did not have access to a gym and might try it out this winter when it gets hard to get out.

Netflix – Ok so this isn’t a fitness site at all but it’s the best place to try out workouts in video form to either just try something new or to watch a fitness video before actually buying it. Memberships start at 8.99 a month. Memberships include free instant streaming to your computer or through your tv if it is netflix enabled or if you have a PS3, Wii, Xbox and order the free streaming DVD for it. Most times you can find a free month’s trial offer.

Free Alternatives

Fitness Magazine – I find that all the fitness magazines have pretty good websites to check out. Fitness magazines’ site  has some good options. They have weight workouts that you can add to a playlist and then it will play through them in succession. They also have routines that the system will put together for you after asking you what tools you have at hand to work with (dumbells, exercise ball etc). The site also has a ton of fitness information that you can read through.

Shape Magazine – Shape has a wealth of information as well. They provide a free fitness trainer where you tell it what your goals are and it will generate a fitness routine and allow you to track meals.

There you go! Get that Booty moving.

~c

I’ve even had a partner working out with me for support!

But Jillian’s “Boost Your Metabolism” proved to be too much for Suzie, so she rested while I finished the workout. She was out of breath!

“Boost Your Metabolism” (the abbreviated 25 minute version anyway) was the first workout I did on Exercise TV in a long time but I actually did not do it in the morning, it was 4 in the afternoon!

But it was quite challenging still, so I felt the need to mention it on the blog. The next morning, I did Jillian’s “Yoga Meltdown” which wasn’t very calming or reflective the way Yoga tends to be but it was definitely challenging for my muscles; I was even sore later that day!

This morning, I did Cheryl Burke’s “Disco Abs” which was a lot of FUN but I did not feel it in my abs at all. Still, dancing at 5:30 in the morning was enough to wake me up and get me going for the day. I’m so glad morning workouts are back in my life!

Do you work out first thing in the morning? What do you do?

I wanted to start running but now that summer is coming to a close, sunrise is getting later and later. I’m way too chicken to run in the dark…by myself at least!

If you’ve been diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, do everything you can to find resources that will help you return to your former or better health. If you’re in a bad relationship, don’t wait for it to change, get out before it’s too late. If you don’t like your life, change it. If you want to go to college, research the facts, fill out that application to continue your education. Don’t wait. Time has a way of slipping past us so quickly. Find your niche.  Do what makes you happy because we‘re only here temporarily.

I recently lost a good friend of mine through breast cancer, which motivated this list of self care.

It is as follows:

1. Create a Life To-Do List. Place things of priority that you would like to achieve with a target date. Life is short, so don’t forget to be persistent in checking the items off your list as you accomplish them. There is nothing more positive than deleting items on your to do list. Chart Jungle has tons of free printables to share. Remember to make it inspiring, exhilarating and fun.

2. Eating Wisely. Eat organic if possible. Most people say eating “organic” cost too much. Actually the cost comes from not giving your body nutritional food, which is an even heavier price to pay. Food that is poorly treated or injected with drugs is what is costly to your health. Organic items are not hard to find anymore. There is no reason to turn to fast food or any other type of non-nutritional food anymore because there is similar food with quality ingredients that give you the same flavor. Whole Foods is a great place to start. Isn’t your body worth the best? Why not make the switch today?

3. Exercise, Exercise, Exercise. This is urgent, especially in our society where the popular thing is to eat poorly and then take a nap. Inactivity is what leads us to obesity which is connected to the high rate of diseases in this country. Walk, run, bicycle, hit the gym or use home videos. Jennifer Galardi has a few great ones on exercise.tv. It doesn’t matter what type of activity you pursue, just do it…and do it regularly. Be sure to drink plenty of water which also aids the body when working out.

4. Avoid Stress. Choose your battles when it comes to stress. Most situations are not worth the fight or attention we give it. When stress enters our lives, many of us reach for the smoke, the food, the drink or just zone out in front of the TV, which causes more destruction in the long run. If stress is unavoidable, which sometimes may be the case, try to focus on what calms you down or keeps you in control.

5. Be Passionate About Something. Find something exciting and interesting that you love doing and take it to the next level. There is no time like the present to research what you’re passionate about. Realize your potential and go for it.

6. Write It. Blogging can be beneficial to your well-being. It breaks tension and brings out your thoughts and creativity. It is a form of therapy. You don’t have to be a professional writer to blog. Blogging is a great way to find friends that share similar interests and best of all it is free. It’s easy to create an account immediately on wordpress.com. For newbie tips, check out virginbloggernotes.com.

7. Laugh. It is amazing what health benefits come from laughing. Laughing changes every situation. There are several medical benefits attained from laughter. Check out this full list from ehow.com.  One of my favorites is Michael Jr. Comedy because there is nothing vulgar on his website and he is still hilarious.

There are more ways to care for yourself. Early mammograms are a great place to begin.  I have also enjoy reading a book, gardening, looking at the night sky, taking a train ride, watching a movie or just visiting a friend. As long as your getting positive benefits from it and it improves your life and health, it adds to the care of yourself. Take a personal responsibility towards your health because there is only one YOU.

Please feel free to post comments, questions or share any information here. Thanks for reading.

As I mentioned, Jay and I headed out to get him some new running shoes. Well, being the huge dork that I can be, I proceeded to slam my hand shut in the car door. HOLY COW does that hurt! I’d honestly never done that before, but geez louise, the door actually clicked right shut. Luckily, nothing is broken, just a little puffy and sore.

(That whole episode happened before we even left the driveway.) Thankfully, we had no problems getting the boy his running shoes, and he actually got the male version of the same Asics running shoes that I have! What can I say, he has good taste.

So we came home, and Jay hopped on the treadmill to start his training (until we get some kind of mile tracker/stopwatch/etc. it’s hard to do the program outside.) Well, about 15 minutes into it, I hear him yell from the basement, “Babe, I think the treadmill is broken!”…

WHAT?!?!?!

Turns out, the belt has gotten loose and started “skipping” while he was running. Luckily, he found some info online that looks like there’s a way we should just be able to tighten it, but really…talk about a double whammy in one night! It’s a good thing I had all the cute boys from The Bachelorette to watch.

Workout + Breakfast

I started my morning with a couple videos from Exercise on Demand: “Less is More Pilates” & “Less is More Yoga”. Both of them ended up totaling about 45 minutes, and my body is feeling nice, long, and strong.

As for breakfast, I have been craving pancakes for days. Just the mere thought of the fluffy, moist goodies gets me excited. However, I still have quite a large tub of cooked wheatberries in my fridge that need to be eaten, so I figured I should try to incorporate them somehow. After scoping around blog land for an idea, I finally came across one at Tina’s blog.

Wheatberry & Flax Blueberry Oatmeal Pancake

Makes 1

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup oats
• 1/4 cup cooked wheatberries
• 2 tbsp ground flaxseed meal
• 1/4 cup egg whites
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup blueberries

Directions:

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl, except blueberries.
• Preheat a skillet over medium heat, spray with non-stick cooking spray, and pour batter in while shaping it into a “pancake” with spatula.
• Place blueberries in pancake.
• Heat for 3-5 minutes until ready to flip and then heat other side until cooked through.
• Top with your favorite toppings and ENJOY!

My pancake got the special treatment of 1 tbsp PB2, a drizzle of light maple syrup, and more bloobs.

Honestly, the pancake itself was good, but a little bland at times. I think if I were to make it again, I’d probably add half of a mashed banana to try to give it a little extra sweetness. Either way, this baby was super filling and I was totally lovin’ the melting PB2 & warm blueberries on top!

Now I’m off to run some errands, work on my “10 Random Facts” after being tagged from Nancy, try making a new chilled soup recipe, and then sneak in a little pool action.

Question for the Morning:

Do you like chilled soup? What’s your favorite?

I’m usually a big fan of gazpacho (unless it’s too spicy to finish!)

Yesterday at the grocery store, I passed by the butcher and saw that they had some ground sirloin in the case. The hubby has been asking to have burgers on the grill forever, so I decided to be a good wife and pick some up. By buying it from the butcher, I could choose how much I wanted, so I got 1/2 lb. for only $2.50. Now that’s what I call a good price! (<– Anyone else thinking of the Staples commercial right now? “WOW, that’s a low price!”)

The only stipulations I had for having burgers for dinner, was that the Grill Master had to make them. Burgers just aren’t my thang. When I asked him about his secret recipe, he happily shared his ingredients: some diced onions, Worcestershire sauce, minced garlic, seasoned salt, and some S&P. Sounded good to me!

On top of my burger, I added a few tiny slices of Gouda cheese that I picked up the other day at Honest Weight Food Co-Op.

I REALLY need to visit this place more often, because it is fabulous! They have such a wide array of local, organic, whole, and minimally-processed foods. What I found to be really neat is that they won’t stock food containing artificial preservatives, artificial food coloring and artificial sweeteners. How cool is that? Here’s actually a pic of everything I picked up last week:

Some locally grown grape tomatoes, my Honey Vanilla Almond granola I’ve been raving about, lite coconut milk (hmm, what to do with this?) some creamy almond butter, and the best part of the trip – Food Should Taste Good chips for only $1.99. It was a STEAL!! I decided to give the almond butter a try because they had bulk sized bins where you could take as much (or as little) as you want. I took just a tiny bit (maybe 1/4 cup?) to give it a try.

“Ok Courtney, really, we’re waiting for a giveaway announcement!!“

OOPS, way off track…let’s get back to dinner!

While Jay was taking care of the burgers, I cooked up some sweet potato fries, giving them a spray of PAM, garlic powder, paprika, S & P. They turned out scrumptious.

I enjoyed my burger with some lettuce & tomato on a whole wheat Arnold Sandwich Thin, along with my sweet tater fries and some sugar snap peas. I was a scrumptious dinner enjoyed al fresco, since it’s about 90 degrees in the house.

“Feelin’ Sexy for Summer”

So it’s summertime. We love it, don’t we? The warm weather, the cookouts, the swimming — it’s fabulous. And of course, we all want to make sure we look and feel our absolute BEST once all of those tank tops, shorts, and swimsuits have made their way out from the back of the closet.

Personally, I think summer time is the perfect time to switch up your workout. Try something new, whether it be a new group class, a new sport, a new DVD, or maybe even a new workout on TV…

You guys remember last week when I tried some of those killer workouts from Exercise On Demand, right? It turns out, some peeps over at Exercise TV caught wind of my new obsession.

So why does that matter to you?

IT’S GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Well, it just so happens that the nice folks from Exercise TV want to see some of YOU join in on the fun, too — AND they have offered to giveaway some AMAZING prizes for 3 lucky winners!

One winner will receive:

• A free download for “Sexy Legs”
• A “Be A Knockout With Kendra” DVD

Another winner will receive:

• A free download for “Sexy Beach Abs”
• A “Bootylicious Buns” DVD

And the Grand Prize Winner will receive:

• A New Balance workout tank top and sports bra
• A Piloxing with Viveca Jensen DVD
• A Carmen Electra: The Lap Dance and Hip-Hop DVD

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN WIN:

Go to the Exercise TV Store by clicking here, and browse around the shop. Leave a comment on this post telling me which DVD(s) you would most like to try OR which ones you’ve already tried and love!

You can also earn EXTRA entries by doing any of the following:

1. Follow me on Twitter @courtneyhoran
2. Follow Exercise TV on Twitter @ExerciseTV
   
3. Become a fan of Exercise TV on Facebook: www.facebook.com/exercisetv and let me know that you did.
4. Mention this giveaway in a blog post and let me know you did.

You have until Tuesday, July 20th @ 5:00pm to enter.

• Leave a separate comment for each way of entry.

I’m super jealous of whoever gets these prizes – they totally rock!! Good Luck!!!

Yes, this concept of EOD sounds pretty hokey, but I must tell you, I exercise more now that I ever did at the gym. I was one of those chics meandering around with my Nalgene bottle gazing past the machines, then deciding on one, and lifting 10 pounds, 10 reps, 10 sets. And then getting on the elliptical and reading a magazine at a Level 3 incline. And then I would complain about why I wasn’t getting into better shape after going to the gym 5 days a week, for 45 minutes, tops!

It’s not at all like Jane Fonda or Olivia Newton John’s ‘let’s get physical’ style workouts. The exercises are actually intense, hard and frankly, work. I have never been happier with my stamina and performance (ahem, ahem please take that literally, not figuratively) even after playing sports all throughout High School.

So here are my top 5 picks, that can be found on Time Warner and Comcast programming:

1) Chris Freytag’s Walking Cardio Shape Up: For total body interval strength and cardio training in 45 minutes

2) Tandy Gutierrez’s Pilates Fit: Total body workout in 30 minutes and quite challenging

3) Stephanie Vittorino’s Bootylicious Buns 2: Booty Blasting 10 minute workout where you feel the pain right away (my 5 year old niece was working out with me and told me ‘please shut this off my butt hurts’)

4) Cindy Whitmarsh’s Incredible Abs Series:There are 7 videos, each 20 minutes long and murder on the core

5) Jay Johnson’s Boot Camp Series: There are 3 videos (cardio, legs and abs) and each one is 15 minutes and a stellar workout. Doing all three in one shot is no pain, no gain style and a real challenge

You can find all these workouts and more on exercisetv.com. Just think how proud you will make Sir Mix Alot

I got this in an e-mail from my Dad this morning, and it’s one of the craziest things ever. When you look at this picture up close, you see Albert Einstein, right? Well, now if you get up, and stand 15 feet away, take a look at the picture again…who do you see???

Marilyn Monroe, right?!? Isn’t that CRAZY?!? Just a fun little something to start the morning off.

Breakfast

I could not, for the life of me, decide what I wanted for breakfast today. Pancakes? Takes too long. Oatmeal? Too hot. Eggs? Nah… Finally, I came up with this, which was quick and cool, which was good enough for me.

I took an Arnold’s whole wheat sandwich thin “fill ‘em”, cut it in half (since it wouldn’t fit in the toaster whole), opened it up, and lightly toasted both sides. Then I topped it off with a little Blizzard Butter & sliced banana.

On the side, I sliced up some fresh cantaloupe, which was super ripe and juicy!

Shortly after breakfast, I turned on the “boob tube” for a little Exercise TV! My muscles are still ridiculously sore from Tuesday’s workout, so rather than doing my original BodyPump plan (there was no way I was doing those squats or lunges today) I scanned through my other options.

Today, I chose to do two workouts from the 10lb. Slimdown – CORE & YOGA, and both of these are actually available right on the website! Just click on the links to check them out. I think I was equally excited to be able to use my new yoga mat – isn’t it pretty? Nice and tropical!

I can get pretty picky when it comes to trainers in workout videos, but I really like this one, Chris Freytag. Both videos were just slightly over 20 minutes, and were both really good workouts. I can already tell I’m going to feel it in more core, and I’m really looking forward to trying the upper- and lower-body workouts from this series too.

Random Question for the Morning:

What kind of peanut /nut butter are you currently enjoying? Do you have a favorite brand to recommend??

This week I tried the new Elle Make  Better workouts (yoga and cardio) starring model Brooklyn Decker. I first saw the ads in Elle and thought the idea of doing a workout supposedly done by models would be a great way to get physical without getting too bulky. Also, based on looking at fashion spreads with models in weird positions, I figured their yoga lessons must be doing something right because those poses are sometimes really hard!

Anyway, the workouts took about 1 hour total and left me feeling like I worked on muscles that I tend to ignore, which is very good. The next day, however, I felt energized in the morning, and then very heavy and lethargic at night. Maybe I’m just getting sick (I’ve had the sniffles and have been sneezing a lot) or I’m simply out of shape (hey it’s been a while), but I’d prefer to feel light as a butterfly the day after an intense workout.

The good thing is, my back feels very toned, which is a place that many women neglect or just don’t know how to approach. Below is the link for the workouts:

Brooklyn Decker Elle Workout

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Well despite the less than stellar weather that graced us with its presence today, I must say that I wasn’t too bothered by the start of the week today

Love when it rolls like that.

Work was normal, nothing major to report… last semi-full week downtown and getting really ready for the big transition!

Perhaps my Monday attitude will change then, no?

After work I got home pretty late thanks to the yucky weather + commute (won’t miss it a bit!) but that didn’t stop me from gettin’ my yoga on!

Yoga MeltDown.

After yoga it was definitely time for a quick dinner night.  On the menu:

• Italian Chicken Sausages
• TJ’s Shells n’ White Cheddar
• Sauteed Kale, Apples & Onions (remember me?)

I loved the kale recipe so much last week that when I went to the Farmer’s Market this weekend I knew that I had to get some more again.  Plus I just adore the farmer who sells this kale, he is so knowledgeable and his products are truly top notch.

Add some chicken sausages and mac n’ cheddar (made with almond milk, yet again!) …

and you got yourself an easy yet delicious Monday night meal

Can’t ask for much more.

Now if you’ll excuse me, we have a full line up of our fave shows on tonight so I better get to it…

Oh yea, and check back in tomorrow for a GIVEAWAY!!!

I thought you’d like that

Lata friends!

To begin, some large shrimp seasoned with Old Bay Seasoning (which p.s., I am really beginning love!)

Just a quick boil & sprinkle and voila!

With some cocktail sauce too of course

On the dinner menu was a fish that I have been seeing around the blog world lately and have been curious to try out:  turbot!

Huge! (TWSS)

Cooked up using my beloved Flynn’s Garlic Sauce Blanc on the stovetop this couldn’t have been easier.

To go with this fresh catch dinner I couldn’t resist cooking up some fresh brussel sprouts that I scored at the Farmer’s Market this morning…

Farmer’s Market finds were fabulous today too, but you’ll just have to stay tuned for more of that

Simply added them to some boiling water for about 7-10 minutes, drained, seasoned with salt, pepper and white balsamic vinegar.

What a wonderful summer night meal!

I adored this turbot and will most definitely be buying it again.  It seriously melted in my mouth like buttah and the subtle yet sweet garlic sauce couldn’t have been a more perfect accompaniment.

Well I’m excited for tomorrow, want to know why?

The Man and I are heading over to the local Lebanese Food Festival for some good lunch eats and then making our way to a Flying Squirrels baseball game during the afternoon with his brother and a few of our friends…

I <3 Baseball!

Bet you didn’t know that about me eh?

Yep, loved it ever since I was a little girl, baseball cards and all…

The Flying Squirrels (what a name?) replaced our beloved Richmond Braves just this year but they are doing great and have been a big hit around town, so I’m excited!

Oh yea, and one other thing before I go friends, remember a few days ago when I had the most intense workout ever with  Rock Hard Total Body w/ Marco Reed?

Well, today I had an even more intense sesh with RockHard Body Extreme…. holy mackerel (fitting, no? ) this was legit!

Every move was done with a medicine ball, I used 8lbs until my arms felt like jello about 30 minutes in and switched to 5lb weights… phew gonna feel that one tomorrow!

Alright and with that I’m out, have a great Saturday night friends and see you tomorrow for some fun!