Back in....PINK! (plus some yummies;)

I took a brief hiatus from blogging last week to play 'Cake Boss Babe & Party Planning Extraordinaire'  for my now 6 year old daughters who celebrated her birthday on the 20th. Everything I do in my life seems to heir on the side of an 'all or nothing' approach (which always gets me way, way over my head). Also, next year I will most likely be going to classes full time as I registered for Business Management at our local college, so this might have been my last chance to go overboard at birthday-time for a while. I spent weeks shopping, organizing, writing my plans for the cupcakes, and cake and decor, sending out invites and putting the day together. The party was Monster High themed and I think it turned out spooktacular, and went off without a hinge, the 'ghouls' had so much fun! Here's some photos of the day:

Makeup Modelling for Alicia Thompson Photograghy

On Sunday I had the pleasure of being a model for one of my amazing besties, Alicia Thompson, who is a local freelance makeup artist. The reason I was asked to be a model is because she was updating her portfolio to return to her passion in makeup artistry post-babies. Our other BFF Lana Hamilton (who I briefly mentioned in the previous post) is a talented local photographer who offered to take the head shots and help put the day in play! My baby sister, Nina, also came to model, so between the four of us it was a fabulous day of awesome laughs. I am so lucky that despite living in this shitty oil patch town, to be surrounded by a close network of such talented, inspiring, and beautiful women. I honestly don't know how I got so lucky! Lana is currently on a leave of absence until further notice but you can find her on facebook. Alicia is just kick starting her business, and can also be found on facebook. Some shots of the day:

Alicia hard at work on my beautiful sister 

A few of my shots

Valentines

Valentines just so happens to be my favorite day of the whole year. Not because i'm taken, or because I look forward to being lavishly spoiled with chocolate and roses (which was not the case this year), and I've never been the kind of girl who craves expensive jewelry, it's just not my style. Maybe I love the day because it's all about love and I am so lucky to have an army of friends and family who I love whole heartedly, it just makes me get right into the lovey spirit of the occasion. Then there's the whole lust part, but again i'll leave that part a mystery;) Anywho, so knowing Valentines was on it's way, a few weeks ago I made arrangements for a little surprise for my Mister. Boudoir photos. I had to pull some strings (to say the least) including sneaking to the next town to go lingerie shopping un-suspiciously, go to the session, take the money out of our joint bank account without it being noticed, then get down to my bra and panties in front of a complete stranger. It all went off without a hinge and honestly was an awesome experience. I went to a local photographer Lauren Brooke, whom my bestie (another local photographer whose on leave right now, Lana Hamilton) recommended. Lauren was awesome, super friendly and super comfortable, I didn't feel awkward for a second, and she was really good at posing me, which I feel is super important because a lot of the poses feel pretty weird and you feel like you look stupid even though you look hot. When I got the disc back I was sooooo excited. I'm still high on what a babe I am, I seriously recommend all ladies to just go for it and get sexy photos done, it is such a confidence boost (not that I really needed it) but it's an awesome experience, plus one day when you're old you'll be able to look back on your sexy younger self. :)

Heres just a little peek of Laurens fabulous work;)



Kirk worked all day on Valentines, so I got up early to give him the album of photos as a surprise before work, got in my cardi-oohhh, got dolled up and took my daughter to school and dropped my toher daughter off with my sister so I could clean while day drinking red wine, eating dark chocolate while listening to sexy music to feel Valentinesy. He didn't get home until late so we had a quick supper together and he had to go to bed (he worked again at 3am) so that kind of sucked but it's what you make of it so I still had a pretty good day. :) I cooked roasted oregano/basil potatoes, steak with sauteed mushrooms, and greek salad. It was so good!

Sexcersise....because I can!

HAPPY HUMP DAY! Figuratively, and hopefully to all of you literally as well. I won't go into my personal life details on this matter, because though I live a little bit on the wild side and like to push the limits (always) I still like to keep a little mystery too. ;) Some great reasons to talk about sex today.. hmmm. It's hump day. It also happens to be cardio day for me (sexcersise=great cardio), Valentines is just around the corner, it feels good, and feeling good is healthy. I'n also a huge believer in sex being a huge variable in performance. And I am all about performance on all aspects of life. So in honor of sexcersise on hump day:

True dat. I love you Tina Fey. You're a bad ass babe for sure. <3

Do your workout! Sexy people like other sexy people!

Speaks for itself.

You're training for a marathon and you didn't even know it.

Okay maybe among other things. I can almost relate.

Just do it.

On that note, time to go do my cardio! :)

<3- Steph 

Zombie Apocalypse Training (volume 1)

Okay so in honor of the Walking Dead season premier last night i'm going to dedicate today's post to surviving a zombie apocalypse. I'm kind of obsessed with Zombies, I even did the local zombie walk last summer with one of my besties (and awesome local freelance makeup artist). Okay, and I do kind of like biting. Just kidding? Walking dead, Dawn of the dead, Zombieland, I love em all. I think a zombie survival checklist is relevant to our everyday training schedules. ;)

Heres to the ugliest hot zombies, Alicia and I...

How to Survive a Zombie Apocalypse

1. There's a reason they're called the walking dead. They don't jog. They definitely don't sprint. And if you're in reasonably good shape, heart and lungs and brains in working order (in addition to being absolutely scrumptious), once the dead rise you'll be getting a hellacious cardio workout. Good shoes are essential. (break em' in now, no time for blisters)

2. The world's gone horribly pear-shaped and there's shamblers toddling about everywhere, including the aisles of your local Whole Foods. Keep some granola bars handy. They'll give you the burst of energy you need to scale the side of the building from the fifth floor to the roof, make the flying leap over to the fire escape. Also, just because the world has ended doesn't mean you need to forget about having enough fiber in your diet. (always stay adequately nourished, you never know when it may strike)

3. Bet you thought I was going to say shotgun, didn't you? Nope. Firing a gun in any semi-populated area after Zombieggedon is tantamount to ringing a big-ass dinner bell. What you need is a good old headknocker for up close wetwork. Up close and personal zombie disposal without drawing a crowd of shamblers. Headknockers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. You can find one in every garage, every toolbox in America. A hammer, a hatchet, a crowbar, a two-by-four. A Louisville slugger. Destroy the brain and you're good to go. Big plus: relatively quiet and no need to reload. (it might be a good idea to take up organized sports now..specifically baseball)

4. They secrete fluids from the mouth, the nose. Goo pours from their eyes and ears and other orifices. And that's just the living homo sapiens. Zombies are a bajillion times worse and absolutely teeming with bacteria. You'll need some wet-naps for cleaning up after a good session of ooey-gooey headknocking. (They won't go to waste in the mean time when you're getting in your sweaty prep cardio)

5. The Surgeon General recommends six to eight cups of water a day, on average. But since you're gonna be running, jumping, climbing, and screaming all day long, you'll probably need more. Get used to drinking from toilets. (okay, we'll definitely wait until the zombies actually strike for that one).

6. Let's face it. America is fat and only getting fatter. I'm just ballparking numbers here, but let's say the average American weighs 170 pounds. So, New York is gonna have... Let's see, 9 million times 170... New York's gonna have 1,530,000,000 pounds of rotting human flesh sashaying about. That's a billion and a half to you and me. You're gonna want to sprinkle some Old Spice on your bandana and wrap it around your face to help with the stench. (This might be necessary in your day to day life depending on whos next to you at the gym)


7. Remember that leather jacket you got back in 1997 after browsing through a J. Crew catalog? I want you to dig that sucker out of the back of the closet and try to bite a hole in it. I'll wait. See? It's hard to bite through, isn't it? When the zombies rise, you'll want some good work gloves and a leather jacket. Dungarees. Steel-toed boots for stomping on zed skulls (if you've switched from running to last stand mode). A little leather can give you the protection you need when dealing with a onesy or twosy. A little protection can give you enough time for your buddy to brain Mr. Chompers while he's gnawing on your forearm. Any more zombies than two, your best bet is hunching over in a protective ball, placing your head between your legs and giving your gluteus maximus one last smooch in thanks for all the good times. If you have Kevlar motorcycle gear, in addition to looking cool, you're freaking gold, hombre. (it's okay to look hot in the mean time, afterall once the apocalypse strikes no one will care about your badass jacket)

8. Wal-Mart? Target? The mall? Whatever you do, don't go to a large retail outlet in hopes of living out your Dawn of the Dead consumer fantasy. That's where stupid people go, and stupid people usually become zombies. They're halfway there, after all. Nope, what you need to find is a defensible building, hopefully brick, with few windows. Old WPA buildings, dams, power stations, water treatment plants. Anywhere that the government might've beefed up security after 911. Get yourself to a defensible position first! Worry about food and water later.

9. You've been bitten by the dead girl in the garage - Of course she didn't need your help! She was just hungry for living flesh! - and you don't have much time left before your husband starts resembling a talking sirloin steak. You're gonna have to take yourself out, I'm afraid. You'll want a large enough caliber to make sure your noggin is vaporized. Place the barrel on your soft palette, pointing toward the ceiling, and give it a squeeze. Your loved ones will thank you for not having to shoot you themselves. Well, some of them, anyway. (Go to the gun rage, or stock your freezer with wild game in the mean time, the skills and meat will never be wasted.)


10. You've done it! You've reached safety, if only for a while. Now you need to reaffirm your humanity after all the running, screaming, headknocking, and death. Hopefully, along the way, you've run into another survivor with great abs and a canny ability to assess any situation. Best way to reaffirm your humanity? Sex. That's right. Bow-chicka-bow. Life affirming, mind blowing sex. Unless you're into the weird stuff.  (again, never a waste to have good cardio, you never know when you'll go from a wild sexcapade to zombie escaping during the apocalypse)

THIRSY, milk, and ABS!

Thirsty Thursday! Did you drink enough water?

Today was day 2 of the Raw Recharge Challenge! I'm happy to see on facebook that there was at least a few members participating! I love the energy of doing something health/wellness related as a team, I feel like it really builds adherence and becomes way more fun to participate in a 'challenge'!:)

My juice today consisted of coconut water that I had leftover, fresh dill, cucumber, celery, and lime. I was going to mix an avocado in after the juice was juiced but then decided I just liked it thin so I ate the avocado with a spoon. I used to find avocados SO nasty unless they were lathered in garlic and salsa in guac like form, but now my taste buds have changed a lot and I can pretty much just mow them and love them.. often times when I'm rushed I just eat an avocado on the go as they're full of good fat and I feel like they're substantial enough to be a small meal (with a side of bulletproof 'buttered' coffee of course;).

Tomorrow i'm thinking maybe coconut milk, celery, cilantro, and cucumber. I need to restock my fridge or I might have to repeat a juice recipe from the previous day.

I also wanted to share my awesome ab workout today.. 'basic' but effective (and grunty;)

10 minutes turbo skip followed by stretching (VERY IMPORTANT to warm up, and stretch! Don't skip this!)

I did  6 rounds of 5 exercises,  30 seconds on 10 seconds rest (totalling 30 rounds/15 minutes)

1. tuck abs
2. bicycle abs (advanced)
3. oblique crunch left
4. toe touches
5. oblique crunch right

(If you don't have a timer you could do 30 total of each exercise in sets of 10)

Take a Quick Breathe...QUICK (keep your heart rate up!)

50 Burpees (This is something I adopted from the wonderful Melissa from Hot Body Method:)<3
Full burpees please, with a push up, don't skip the pushup, go to your knees if you must but JUST DO IT!

Stretch! Don't forget post workout snack!

badass abs

I've been a bit quiet the last few days, I had a crazy girls night out last night, which was really needed. I feel rejuvenated now that I got a break from being a mom for a night, but i'm ready to get back to reality now. I don't really like to party because it interferes with my training but lately I just feel overwhelmed and maybe a mild case of the winter-blues. I just want to be on the beach or in my pool with a corona in hand soakin' in the sunshine. I am the biggest sun worshiper in the world, and somehow I ended up here. That said you have to make the best out of any situation you're in and not let it get you down, so maybe this week i'll go for a little artificial sunlight and keep extra warm by getting hot n' sweaty. Today I was feeling a little under the weather (to say the least) but I hydrated hard, and stuck with the coconut charcoal and I got a good ab workout in despite the hangover.

Just crazy lil' me on my girls night (and no I didn't wear fishnets and gum boots to the bar;) 

Don't forget to get on board the Sexy Squat Challenge, if you missed that post, it's not too late! You can find the post here. Day 4 already but rest day for the challenge. Tomorrow is inner thigh lifts, and for those of you who may be reading this and don't know what to do if you don't have an equalizer you can either get creative and carefully use a chair) or if you're really beginner you can do laying on your side and lift your thighs instead.

I've been writing my workouts to be specific muscle group days (with a little bit of cardio each day, usually skipping and burpees). I do an arm and chest day, then ass and leg day, then ab day, and then I repeat (6 days a week) today was ab day. I'm a big fan of bodyrock so occasionally I switch it up and do a workout (I did the last 30 day challenge 3 times through, and totally loved it, and the fact that it is FREE is a huge turn on for me compared to other HIIT workout videos) Since i'm still learning and working on my own body at the same time, it's become really important to me to be able to give credit to myself for writing the workout and doing the work. :)

I was reading bodybuilding.com just 'cuz I can and I think it's a great recourse, and I found this article about ab training, some really good tips! If you're interested you can find the article here.

My Workout Today:

I set my Gymboss interval timer to 30 seconds on/10 seconds rest (30 rounds total, 3 rounds of 10 exercises)

I start as usual with a 10 minute turbo skip, sometimes I switch this up with jumping jacks or a sprint on my treadmill but skipping is really efficient. Then stretch.

1. woodchop (left) - I used a 10 lb weight
2. tuck abs
3. woodchop (right)

4. sit ups

5. holding plank
6. reverse crunches
7. side plank pulses (left)
8. bicycle abs
9. side plank pulses (right)
10. holding plank

TAKE A BREATH! 5 seconds, gotta keep your heart beat bumpin';)

50 pushup variations
-10 spiderman
-10 tricep pushups
-10 staggered (left)
-10 staggered (right)
-10 regular

Then a Stretch! Don't forget a post workout snack!

<3 - Steph



***The entire content of this Blog is based upon my own opinions, the information on this blog is not to be used without your own research and advice of a qualified health care professional. The information is not intended as medical advice, and I will not be held liable or responsible for any injury sustained in your home, gym, or elsewhere. Please consult your health practitioner before starting any new diet, cleanse, detoxification, or exercise routine.