Workout Thursday

Great leg workout with a bit of chest and back.

Start out by warming up on the treadmill for at least 10 minutes. Helps to get your muscles ready to work. 

Order gear used in this workout...

Bands

Kettlebells

TRX

Nike watch
Hair ties
Jump rope

(I had a cutie pie photo bomber today while doing my pics) 

Either regular "boy style" push ups or I like to hold one leg up in the air for a challenge. 

Start

Go down as far as you can. I always shoot for 20 reps....hoping for 25.

Kettle bell Bulgarian squats...hold as heavy as you can. I do 20s. Foot on bench and squat/bend knee then come up to starting position. 15 reps per leg.

Start.

Second position. Then straighten leg. Switch legs for a total of 30.

Jump rope for 1 minute.

Dumbbell row. Knee on bench. Make sure back is flat! Remember the back is a big muscle. Lift heavy!! Great exercise for the fat that hangs over your bra.

 First position. 

Second position. 15 reps per arm. Heavy weights ladies...at least 10 pounds. I do 25 pounds per arm. Your purse weighs at least 10;)

Band walk keeping band as far apart as possible...keep the tension on the band don't let it go slack. Walk forward large steps. 25 steps. Then walk backwards 25 steps. Then 25 steps to one side. Then side steps 25 more on the other side. Does nothing if band is not tight!! Keep tension!!

Jump rope 1 minute. 

Loving these lunges!

Using a 15-20 pound kettlebell.

Walking lunges ..difference is you are leaning forward as you lunge. 

Keep back and shoulders straight not hunched over...25 steps. 

Then switch kettlebell to other hand and do 25 more. 

Do this full routine 3x thru. 

Finish with 2 minutes of jumping rope! 

It's a tough one! 

All the cool kids are doing it...

I've never been one to dress like the masses..

(except in High School when Allllll I wanted to wear was clothes from the Limited Express...and I also went thru a huge BeBe phase)..

I like to be different..

original...

My nickname is Trendy Mindy...ya know..

I like to find cool pieces of clothing in off the beaten path shops.

While yes I do love the mall and LOVE a bargain...at TJ or Nordstrom Rack...I still like to wear less popular clothes...that not everyone has...

 Make sense?  

So my with kiddo I am doing the same...she couldn't care less about fashion...HELLO she's 4! 

But I have been trying to find her some "cool kid" stuff as of late...

Sunglasses

Sneakers

Fall lesson for Pre K, kindergarten, and First grade

Today we read the awesome science  Why Do Leaves Change Color? . It has so many rabbit trails you can go down so that's what we did.

We went on a leaf nature walk collecting as many beautiful colored leaves we could find. Enjoying the 80 degree weather in late October. 

We did leaf rubbings..which are so simple.

Place leaves between two sheets of paper and rub Rock Crayons / Stockmar Beeswax Block Crayons to make a print of the leaves. You can see veins of each leaf. Super pretty!

We then took it a few steps further.. She added facts from the book onto each page, and then we made it into a book. 

With younger children one fact per page is plenty for older kiddos you could easily add short paragraphs for each page. I prefer to reread a few pages and then have her tell me what she learned. She doesnt seem to get frustrated doing it this way.

Hot mama?

Why is it that when you become a mom there is this stigma out there that you cant be hot? Sexy? That you have to tone it down because you gave birth?!?

What evs!!!

I say the heck with that!

I still wear fitted clothes.. Sexy tanks... Cute workout attire!! Stylish mom clothes and i always will!

I try to be as age appropriate as a 41 year old should be.. BUT good lord it doesnt mean im gonna be frumpy!!!

Hello.. I got new boobs when i was 38 ahem my second set!!

Bonus my husband appreciates it!!!

My go to will always be a tank and cut offs! Yep even at 41 and beyond! 

Celebrate and rock your age ladies!!! Mom or not... Your hubs, boyfriend, girlfriend, and yourself will thank you for it! 

 

Waldorf Homeschool Farm Day

Weight loss..

Whether you do spin, Barry's, Barre, Crossfit, or are a runner and weight lifter like me.. You have to have a great diet or the scale wont be moving! 

Diet is the most important thing for scale weight loss!! 

Eating clean, no sugar, no alcohol, tons of fresh veggies.. Low cal high nutrient foods are a must. 

Whats on my plate...

Breakfast - ezekial bread with kerrygold butter

Snack - banana with a greek yogurt maybe a bar if Im super hungry!

Lunch - tuna with a slice of provolone 

Cup of rasberries, grapes, strawberries, and blueberries

Snack - smoothie...PB2, almond milk, fresh fruits and veggies whaterev i have on hand

Dinner - 2 whole eggs with spinach, kale, swiss chard... And a sweet potato!!!

Know your health numbers!!

Eye cream and topical vitamin C

I would say the number one question people ask me when it comes to skin care is what about eye cream?

My advice...

"I've never used one."

"Not worth the money".

"Small tubes...for a ridiculous amount!"

"Just use regular moisturizer under your eyes."

"Use your ring finger to gently pat it on."

Until recently.

Then I was given a free sample of CeraVe Eye Repair Cream..bonus - its cheap!!

And being that ever since having Pipiri I've had serious dark circles...I thought well why not...let's give it a try. It's free!

So after I would cleanse with Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser in the am with this. Then I would pat on the cream.

And at night post showering I would do the same...

And seriously...HUGE difference! 

Smoother skin. 

Softer lines....blurred...like I was in soft focus! Love!! Does it make the dark circles completely disappear? NO - but they do look better.

Next to talk about is topical Vitamin C powder.

I try to keep my routine pretty minimal (well as much as a high maintenance person can).

I've been using Philosophy Turbo Booster C Powder for about 15 years. I simply put my Eltamd UV Clear SPF 46 in my palm. Add a tiny amount say the size of an eraser head to the SPF...mix together in my palm and put on my skin...making sure to get all of the chunks out..being that it's a powder.

Done!

Vitamin C helps to keep all of the narly free radicals from your skin. Helps to repair cellular damage. Aka any sun damage. And bonus helps to keep the sun from making more damage! Love that!

Oh and look how old my bottle of vitamin c is! Yep this stuff lasts forever! Like years!!!

Hair obsessed

I have been obsessed with my hair for as long as I can remember.

Wanting long blonde hair like Goldilocks when I was 8. 

Then it progressed to Christy Brinkley. 

Then I wanted BIG 80s hair.

Then über long hippie hair like Kate Moss. 

Then shorter very blonde....kept that for many years!

Discovering hi and low lights in the early 2000s. 

Then way over processing for over 10 years! Bring on the bleach....the blonder the better! I never wanted to see even the slightest brown in my hair! No natural color showing at all!  

Throughout my obsession I've tried just about every product...every conditioner...every anti frizz...everything to make my hair look better, feel better, and be "pretty". 

I have overdosed on it all....bleach, hilights, low lights, flat irons, hair drying...curling...hair spraying...

Yep even hair loss. Read about that Here. 

I have always been envious of women with long locks that are so freaking healthy. 

Silky...smooth...no frizzies.

My daily routine consisted of every morning washing, conditioning...then blow drying, and then curling. Every. single. day. For many many years!!!!

And even though my hair is so much healthy since discovering balagye...read about that Here again

I still felt like it could be much better.

Jump ahead to vaca week.

Every time i go on vaca I stop the hair insanity.

I don't dry or curl my hair at all for the whole time! 

This year was no different. 

And I even took it a step further....washing in the evening...and letting my hair dry completely naturally and not doing anything to it during the day. No curling. Nothing! Nada! 

Typically I come back from vaca and start the ridiculous hair routine back.

Wellllll not this year!

I am on week 4 of no blow drying, no curling iron....and only washing in the evening. 

Whoooooaaaaa! 

The difference in my hair in over 3 wks is amazing! 

Silky...yes!

Soft...yes!

Do I need to use any frizz products ....no!!

Does it look bad....no! Very wavy and beachy.

Time savings...20 minutes per day! 

I truly feel like I have healthy Gisele hair! All from not blow drying and using a curling iron.

Plusssss....it is Sooo liberating to feel like I am not a slave to my hair. To feel like really who's looking at my hair that closely. Does it really matter? No! Does it look that much different NO!!

Typical post daily washing...drying and curling iron. 

During vaca week ....5 days no blow drying or iron used. 

As you can see very wavy...naturally that is.

This was the end of vaca week...so one week with no hair dryer and no curling iron. 

Long live healthy hair!

What I use - my favs with fantastic ingredients - no sulfates!
Loo Poo shampoo or Marrakesh shampoo
Loo poo and conditioner or Marrakesh conditioner
Marrakash leave in treatment - the best detangler!!
Marrakesh Oil  - loving it!!