Well hey my friends!
For some reason I thought I would have *more* time in the summer to get things done, get a little organized and relax a bit. Ha ha! Sadly, that has not been the case!
I have had a few moments of quiet here and there, but I never know when they are going to happen! It seems like all of the planets have to align and then when I finally realize, “Hey, it’s actually a nice quiet moment right now….what should I do with this blissful time?” **Poof** It’s over! 😉
Sooooo, I’ve just been trying to roll with it!
Summer is crazy, but we’ve been having a lot of fun! I’ve also been able to get a little more sleep, which is always nice. I really love that we don’t have a ton of stuff on our schedule, but we’ve just been running around like crazy people living up summer! It’s also a full time job trying to keep the kids entertained, enriched and not killing each other, lol.
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Well, I gotta say that I’m LOVING my exercise routine right now!!!! I’ve mentioned on my Instagram Stories (I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned it here or not) that I quit my gym, F45 and rejoined my old gym, Vasa Fitness.
I love, love. love, love, love F45 and would highly recommend it to anyone! I really cannot say enough good things about it!!! If you want to get in kick butt shape, learn a ton about weight training and exercise in general and get an amazing workout in in just 45 minutes….F45 is the way to go!
I was a member there for almost 2 years and loved every minute, but I just felt like it was time for a change. Kev still goes to F45, but I decided to go back to my old gym and change things up.
Side note: My old gym used to be Gold’s Gym and I had to drive 20 minutes to and from to get there. Yes, it wasn’t ideal, but I went to some amazing classes there that made it worth the drive. They also had a great childcare facility on site that my boys actually liked going to. That was another huge perk!
Anyway, a couple of years ago the management at Gold’s Gym decided to ditch the Gold’s Gym name and create their own brand, Vasa Fitness. It has been incredible and the gym is so much cleaner and nicer now! I was also thrilled when they opened a new gym right down the street from my house. I went to that gym for about 6 months before I joined F45. I must say that the gym is really nice, everything was brand new, BUT the classes just weren’t that great. I only found one class that I liked there. The childcare was also sub par. My kids didn’t love going there and they just didn’t offer quality care. 🙁 So, I just left my kiddos home in the care of their older siblings or their dad.
It was a bummer that the gym wasn’t as awesome as I hoped, but I was still glad it was a lot closer to my home. BUT, when F45 also opened up near my house and I started going there, I was hooked! I loved my time there, learned a ton, made some great friends, but I just felt like it was time to do something different.
So now, two years later, I’m back at my old gym again and I’m loving it so much! I’m beyond stoked that they’ve since opened up another full size gym not too far from my house, so I’ve been switching it up between the two gyms. I’ve found some amazing classes (HIIT, strength training, boot camp), I started going to a weekly yoga class and I’ve been loving doing some weight training in the weight room on my own.
I’ve really felt like a pig in mud. 🙂
I look forward to my workouts and I love that I have so many options!
I’m also so happy that I’ve finally reached a stage in raising all of these kidlets, that I can leave them home for a little while quite easily! My baby is finally old enough (almost 4, sniff, sniff 🙁 ) that he’s not too hard for the other kids to watch and my other kids are now all old enough to help take care of him. Woot! It’s been a long time comin’ for sure!
YOU GUYS, I’ve spent so many years either taking my kids to the gym daycare or working out at home during nap time, late at night or with kids running all around me! It’s hard to believe that I can finally fit my workouts in sort of, kind of easily now. Yay-hay!
It always makes me so sad as I realize how quickly my kiddos are growing up and I’d really love to just freeze them and keep them little forever, but hey, there are some perks to having them grow up just a bit.
Oh, and another fun thing is that my 17 year old daughter joined the gym too! So I guess now instead of taking my kids to the gym daycare, I can take them to the actual gym WITH me!!! Ha ha! She’s come with me a few times; we’ve done our own workouts together and she came to one of my classes with me this week. So fun!
I gotta say that when I workout next to her, I feel a bit like a giant! Ha ha. Just sayin’. She is very, very tiny and told me that she’d actually like to gain a little bit of weight. I told her that is a nice problem to have!!
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Well y’all, I’m so excited to tell you guys that I will be starting the Oxygen Magazine challenge again in just over a week! Woo hoo! This will be my third time doing this challenge and it’s really one of my favorite programs out there!
I’ve been a reader of Oxygen Magazine for years. It’s SUCH an amazing magazine full of so much great information, recipes, workouts and advice. Love it!
Sooooo, when they offered their first Challenge in 2015, I knew I wanted to do it! I chose Erin Stern as my coach, I learned a ton and saw some decent results. You can read about my experiences with that challenge here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here if you so desire.
Sadly, I fizzled out the last month of that challenge (It’s a 3 month program.) In my defense, I still had a nursing baby at the time and just felt like a crazy, overwhelmed, busy mama. I was still so glad I did it though. I saw some great results and learned a lot of things that I still use today.
Here are the results I saw from that challenge….
I didn’t sign up to do the Challenge in 2016, but I did do it last year and I LOVED it! I chose Jamie Eason as my coach (love her!) and I learned so much, saw some great results and was so glad I did it. You can read about that challenge here, here, here, here, here, here and here if you care to. That time, I did not quit! I wasn’t 100% perfect at it the entire time, but I stuck with it.
Here were my results from last year….
Right now I feel like my weight and body are somewhere between those two pictures. I’m excited to see where this next challenge will take me and I hope to see even better results!
I also decided to pull up all of my Instagram Stories that I made while I was doing the challenge last year and share them here if any of you are interested in hearing about my progress and thoughts that I had along the way.
Oxygen Magazine actually reached out to me and asked if I would like to do the Challenge again this year and share my thoughts on my blog and social media. I thought about it for about .2 seconds and said, “Of course I would love to do that!” It really is such a great, comprehensive program and I’m more than happy to share the things that I love with all of you! I could also use some motivation and direction right ’bout now. I always love a good challenge!
This year, you can choose between Jen Widerstrom (one of the coaches from The Biggest Loser) or Karina Smirnoff (from Dancing with the Stars.) I actually got both of the programs, but will probably be following Jen’s program more closely.
The Challenge officially starts on Monday, July 16th. It is usually $89.95 for either Jen or Karina’s program or $129.95 for both. However, they still have Early Bird pricing right now, $79.95 and $119.95 respectively (I’m not sure when the Early Bird pricing will end.)
Oxygen Magazine also gave me a coupon code that I could share with my readers for an additional $10 off. SO AWESOME! So, if you would like to join the challenge, you can use the code HAPPY10 for an additional $10 off. Woot!
I feel the need to mention that I do not benefit at all if any of you sign up for the program or use that code. It is purely for your own benefit.
I really have to say that I have tried so many different programs and challenges over the years and the Oxygen Magazine Challenge has been one of my very favorites.
It’s always been a very comprehensive, well thought out, interesting, fresh, effective program and I’m always so glad I did it. I will say that, just like any other well thought out healthy living program, it is not easy! It takes good ol’ fashioned hard work, dedication and commitment.
It really does always come down to eating a clean, healthy diet, working out consistently, getting adequate sleep and taking care of your body! These challenges always offer tons of great recipes, very effective, simple workouts (simple as far as easy to learn and do….they are still hard workouts that take effort, lol!), including videos of your coach showing how to do each move. They also include access to a private Facebook group that includes all of the other ladies who are doing the challenges too.
I also love that this challenge always includes a Cover Model contest for the chance to be on the cover of Oxygen Magazine! Woot! I never really think I’ll win that challenge (ha, ha), but it is so motivational to take and submit a before picture, knowing that I will also be taking and submitting an after picture as well.
I really just love everything about this program and am so happy to be doing it again. If any of you would like to do it too, sign up and let me know! I’d love to go through and complete this challenge along side y’all! I will not quit and am committed to sticking with it for the long haul!
Well I gotta go so I can fit my workout in before the gym closes. I love you all! xoxo
**Oxygen Magazine offered me a complimentary Challenge and coupon code for my readers in exchange for my review of the program. I truly love and believe in this program and was more than happy to do the Challenge and share my thoughts with my readers!**
I hear you about the challenges of trying to get a workout in with little kids. I started running regularly because my oldest didn’t like the childcare situation at the Y, and I could get 3 miles in before my husband left for work. This is actually kind of funny because now that same kid works in the childcare department at the Y (with the older children), and from what I see, the kids he works with have a ball.
How did the Ragnar Wasatch Back go? Were you going to post a little review, or are you trying to put it out of your mind (haha)?
Ha ha, that’s hilarious about your son and his experience with the childcare at the Y! Too funny!
Yes, I am planning on writing a review all about my experience at Ragnar, the good and the bad! Ha ha!! I really had a good time, I was just super bummed that my body didn’t cooperate! ☹️
You look wonderful, Mel! I love how you are constantly challenging your body with new things. I saw in your IG stories last week you tried Pilates as well. I really love Pilates and feel rejuvenated after a class.
Keep up the awesome work!
Thanks so much Char! I really loved Pilates so much! It’s such a great workout that felt awesome for my body, but also wonderful for my mind as well. I’m hooked. <3