Up for a Challenge

Happy Friday, friends!

I tell you what, I have been SO busy this week! Although, I guess I already mentioned that, huh?

Well, today is the last Friday with my sweet kiddos. It is very bittersweet. On the one hand, I'm feeling excited that we've almost finished the year. But then I remember it's my last time having these wonderful children in my class. I love the personality mashup we have going on in here, and I'm really going to miss them next year.

Field day was a hit yesterday! We had so many fun games, and some of them included a "musical hoola hoop" with a sideline dance party, and even the teachers playing tug-of-war with the kiddos - I played with both teams once against another teacher and my team won both times. Looks like that strength training is paying off ;)

I've got a packed weekend ahead of me, too. Tonight we have JB's high school graduation. I saw him graduate from 8th grade, too, so it's neat to see this one as well. Saturday we've got a little "couples dinner" going on, with the girls from my usual Girls Dinner crew and their significant others. We're heading to Adobo, and if we stay long enough we might wrangle the guys into some salsa dancing! (Any of you boys actually reading this? Did I just foil our plot?) Finally Sunday I'm heading to Northwest Indiana for a bridal shower for my good friend Katie.

Phew!

Anyhoo, before I got to rambling, the purpose of this post is to invite you to join me in Courtney's June Yoga Challenge!

Honestly, I've never been a huge yoga person. I've done it a few times, but I always find my mind wandering, which I'm pretty sure is the opposite of what's supposed to happen. Well, I decided that with summer and more time coming up, I could challenge myself to consistently incorporating yoga into my workouts. I know Jourdan is a huge fan, too. More encouragement to try, right?

My goal: Include Yoga in my workouts 1-2 a week for the month of June. 

I may or may not get that second one in each week, but something is better than nothing, right? I'm going to take advantage of my gym's yoga sessions and/or the ones on demand on Netflix. I'll keep you posted on my progress, and I hope you do the same!


Anyone care to join me?!

NYC: Part I

Hi friends! I'm back from NYC, and I can honestly say I had the best time. I think I forgot how much I adore NYC - I lived there 5 years ago while interning at a global PR firm. I felt so happy and at ease walking around, and I soaked up every bit of the city I could. I must go back again soon, but this time with the hubby!

Anyhoo, I have lots to update you on, and I'm not entirely sure how many posts I'll actually need to do so. I figured I would start here and see where it takes me. Sound good? I hope so!

I flew in Friday morning with my friend Jessi, and I was thrilled when she agreed to take a fitness class at Physique 57 with me! I asked the rest of my friends and was met with a resounding "NO!" from each of them. The class ended up being a blast, and my muscles were burning like crazy by the end of each "sprint." If I lived in NYC I would definitely make this class a habit!

After showering and getting settled at the hotel - which was fabulous! (I'll save that for the last post!) - we were off to explore SoHo a bit. After checking out some cute street shops and the like, we found a great little cafe on the street, Sanctuary T, which was perfect for people watching and relaxing. We split some fresh bruschetta (sp?) and truffle mac 'n cheese for a late lunch, and we sipped on some mimosas, too. Annie, our dear friend from Colorado, met up with us too.

After a few drinks we went shopping (window for me!) in SoHo. Annie found an adorable dress from TopShop, and then we saw this...Only in NYC would a bride walk down the streets of SoHo in her wedding dress.

We headed back to the hotel and sat at the hotel bar with the bride-to-be Deborah and her family. As our friends slowly got into town they trickled in and joined us. Girls had a few drinks and appetizers, and I headed up to the hotel to relax and freshen up.

The meat packing district was calling our name as a big bunch of girls loves to dance! We went to a few spots, including The Standard, and ended up at Kiss and Fly, where we danced the night away. I love nights out dancing with the girls! By the time I made it home I had been up for almost 24 hours, and was completely exhausted. The bed screamed my name and I slept blissfully for 7 hours.

Outfit for Friday
Dress: Forever 21
Blazer: Land's End
Nude pumps: Chinese Laundry via Macy's
Purse: Kate Spade via Nordstrom (sold out - same version but larger found here; same version but canvas found here)

Googliebear!

Silly girls...

in meat packing district

Friends since Freshman year of college! (soph year college pic on left, obviously!)

More to come!

WIAW: Hubby Cooks!

Happy Wednesday, friends! Last week I skipped What I Ate Wednesday, hosted by Jenn, because I completely forgot to take pictures of my food. That, and, I was totally engrossed in my books for about all of free time. Anyhoo, I'm back to sharing and linking up with this fun little group.




Breakfast: John made me my favorite breakfast - his famous egg sandwich! Oh boy, it is the best breakfast sandwich I have ever had, each and every time. Toasted 7-grain bread + an over easy egg (still runny once you bite in!) + fontina cheese. It was a perfect way to start my day since I was up and out early to vote in the primaries before school.

Lunch: That sandwich really tied me over, but I was super excited to try out a new-to-me lunch. I had some leftover quinoa sitting in my fridge, and I decided to dress it up a bit. I added chopped red, yellow and orange bell peppers, black beans, avocado, garlic salt, lime juice and a tiny drizzle of olive oil. I heated it up for about a minute in the microwave, and let me tell you, it was divine. I ate it with a nice side of fresh strawberries. Mmmm.

Snack: I had a meeting after school so I nibbled on some baby carrot sticks before it started.

Snack 2: After my workout I couldn't resist a few handfuls of Cheeze-Its, which the hubby bought on a whim. He ate most of the box but I had no problem polishing it off.

Dinner: John cooked!! I told him to use this super easy recipe for Ahi Tuna, and he did the whole thing on his own! Normally he sticks to mac 'n cheese and cereal, so I was quite proud of him. Not to mention it is a delicious meal. Have your hubby make it for you! We served it with some steamed edamame on the side and it was perfect.

Apparently all that cooking really wore John and the pup out... ;) He and Hoosh napped for a solid two hours while I did laundry, cleaned and caught up with my sister. 

Dessert: A couple hours later I was craving something sweet, so I toasted a mini whole wheat bagel and topped it with cinnamon and splenda (don't judge - I'm using the last of it before trying the ever-popular stevia!).

All in all a great day! How was yours?

Kettle Bell Full Body Blast!

Happy Friday, friends! I don't know about you, but this week has gone by pretty quickly. At this time of year, all the way through summer, time seems to fly. The end of the year approaches so quickly, and we have quite the busy summer ahead...3 weddings, 5 showers, 1 big graduation, 1 couples vacation and several parties in the mix. Throw in a couple weekends at the lake and the new school year will be here before I know it. Phew! It will all be a blast, but quite busy.

Anyhoo, I've done pretty good with my weekly workouts, and I'm feeling much better about myself now that I have two solid weeks back in my routine. I'm feeling stronger and like I'm treating my body well.

Weekly Workouts
Sunday	Rest day…ahhh :)
Monday	Elliptical Incline Power Walking	50 mins 15 mins.
Tuesday	Elliptical “Feel the Burn” workout* Abs circuit	25 mins. 35 mins. 10 mins.
Wednesday	Elliptical Incline Power Walking	45 mins. 15 mins.
Thursday	Strength Training (legs|arms|core)	50 mins.
Friday	Elliptical Kettle Bell Full Body Blast (below!)	20 mins. 40 mins.

So, here is a new workout for you! You use kettle bells for the whole thing, which is actually a super fun way to mix up your workout. The wonderful Molly, my trainer and friend, turned me on to a bunch of these and I have loved playing around with the routines. For a lighter workout, complete the routine for a total of 1 to 2 times. I hope you have as much fun with this one as I do. You will definitely feel the burn. :)

Kettle Bell Full Body Blast! Complete each of the exercises with kettle bells at your current physical level. Repeat for total of 3 times.
Squat	12
Windmill	20
Hockey Lunge	16
Squat with Back Row *bonus for doing it on Bosu!	12
Bicep Curls	15
Lateral Shoulder Raises	15
Tricep Extension	15
Front Shoulder Raises	15
Plank with kettle on back	45 secs.
Hot potato *in V-position	45 secs.
www.laurenbrapp.blogspot.com

 
Some moves you may not be familiar with:
*Windmill
*Hockey Lunge
*Hot potato (not shown in V-position)

Have a wonderful Friday - and weekend, everyone!

WIAW: Feeling the Burn

Happy Wednesday, friends! I hope your week is off to a great start and that the prospect of the weekend - and being halfway through the week! - has put you in a good mood today. I am super excited for the weekend because my good friend Deborah's bridal shower is this weekend! I haven't seen her in so long (hello, NYC-dweller!), and I'm really looking forward to spending time with her and my other sorority sisters who will be there.

Anyhoo, thanks to Jenn for hosting another great What I Ate Wednesday. As you'll see, these are fairly Asian-inspired dishes. I don't know what's gotten into me, but I've been having some rocking meals, so I'm not complaining. Not to mention, two of the dishes are new-to-me recipes this week. I love sharing those with you guys, especially when they are as delicious as these!





Let's get down to it, shall we?

Breakfast: Spoiler alert! This is nothing new. I am a creature of habit, that is for sure. A strawberry Greek yogurt from Trader Joe's. Definitely not as good as Chobani, but I was all out so this made do.

Lunch: Leftovers! I love when I cook a great meal that can be an equally great lunch the next day. I had leftovers of Quinoa Chicken Fried Rice (adapted from Jenn herself!) with some sliced strawberries and splenda. Yummy! Note: this is not the picture of my lunch...it looked so pitiful in my tupperware that I had to share the picture from the previous evening (when I had it for dinner). Trust me, you didn't want to see the other picture.

Snack: I grabbed a fruit strip and some celery and peanut butter. Please note, I never put peanut butter in baggies...but I went on a field trip to the Zoo with the kiddos Monday, and we had to bring disposable lunches. I ended up not eating my celery and peanut butter then, and fortunately it fit in my purse. Hello, tasty snack!

My snack helped me get through an afternoon with meetings at school, and a tough workout at the gym. I started with 30 minutes of cardio, and then did Courtney's "Feeling the Burn" workout plus an ab circuit. Let me tell you, as I type this, my shoulders are definitely burning. It was a tough but awesome circuit. You know I love maximizing my workouts!

Dinner: Another new-to-us meal! Seared Scallops with Orange-Soy Glaze (recipe coming tomorrow!). These were soooo tasty. Light, crisp, fresh and packed with flavor. I had my favorite Teriyaki-Roasted Green Beans on the side, and I was feeling quite satisfied by the end of the meal.

Post dinner, I took a few taste-test bites of guacamole and quinoa to go with my lunch tomorrow - sweet potato + black beans + guacamole + quinoa (inspired by a lunch Ashley made a couple weeks ago). Also, I may or may not have jumped around dancing to the Glee Whitney Houston tribute episode, in lieu of folding laundry...I mean....it's Whitney!

Don't judge me! (For the Glee dancing or the excessive use of exclamation marks...!)

Maximize Your Moves Workout

Happy Fit Fridays! I have been so bad about posting these lately. Maybe because I haven't been feeling like I was doing such a great job of staying "fit" recently. I continued my workouts but not as frequently as I had been, and I was feeling blah.

Well, this week I definitely took control and changed that. I've been at the gym every day (including Sunday), and I'm feeling so much better about myself already. So, as I write this, I've decided to try something with fit Fridays...add a "Weekly Workouts" blurb, where I share the basics of my workouts for the week. I won't post all details (though I'm happy to if you're interested!), but I will share when I went, what I did (cardio, strength training) and how long I did it. I'm aiming for some extra accountability!

Weekly Workouts (4.14-4.20.12)
Saturday	Rest Day – in Chicago!
Sunday	Elliptical Incline Power Walking	50 mins. 10 mins.
Monday	Elliptical “Maximize Your Moves” Workout (2x through)	30 mins 30 mins.
Tuesday	Elliptical “Maximize Your Moves” Workout (1x through)	35 mins. 15 mins.
Wednesday	Elliptical Incline Power Walking	45 mins. 15 mins.
Thursday	Strength Training (legs|arms|core)	55 mins.
Friday	[Plan to get 1 hour in before *date night*!]

The workout I'm sharing below is one I noted above.  I love it because so many of the moves are dual - targeting arms and abs, or legs and arms, etc. By focusing on two areas I don't have as much time to dwell on how one area is burning or whatnot. Plus, you get a whole body workout with fewer moves. Score!

So, here it is...let me know what you think! :)

Maximize Your Moves Workout
Exercise	Reps
Squats with Barbell Press	15
Wall Sit with Shoulder Raises	12
Alternating Lunges with Bicep Curl	12/leg
Alternating Reverse Lunges with Tricep Extension	12/leg
Back Rows	12
Incline Push Ups	12
Plank Side-Side (Toe Taps)	45 sec.
Russian Twist with Medicine Ball	30
*Complete the exercises a total of 2-3 times.
laurenbrapp.blogspot.com

Favorite Fit Blogs

This "Fit Friday" I decided to share some of my favorite fit/healthy living blogs with you. I've have some great workouts to share with you in the coming weeks, but I wanted to mix it up a bit this week. That, and, I'm too excited from seeing The Hunger Games and waiting for the IU game to start to create too much detail. Eek!

To start, I decided to share three of my current favorites. I've included the blog names, links and a description of the blog and/or why I love it. I have other great ones that I'll share in coming posts. So start following some of these (and don't forget about my little one...!). Happy Fit Friday! :)

Peanut Butter Fingers - I love Julie's blog. It chronicles her healthy life, but she will enjoy nights with indulgences every once and awhile. She is very real, which is important to me in following blogs. Plus, she shares great workouts and recipes!

Sweet Tooth Sweet Life - I also love Courtney's blog! It's similar to Julie's but I relate a bit more to Courtney because she shares her struggles with being healthy all the time - I feel you! She shares workouts (she's former teacher turned personal trainer!) and some yummy recipes, too.

In Sweetness and In Health - Lindsay's blog is great! It shares awesome workouts (hello, FLOW!), and tidbits of her life. I love reading her posts because she's upbeat and seems to genuinely nice. I have a feeling she'll be an awesome OT. :)

Date Sandwich

Remember how I told you I would tell you about our Saturday? Well, clearly the week got away from me so I'm getting to it now. Better late than never, right?

Saturday started bright and early in the Rapp house! We hopped in the car for an hour and a half drive east to watch John's brother compete in sectionals. The great news: they won! The not-so-ideal: we were driving back to Indy to turn around and drive back a few hours later. Enter date sandwich, aka cramming a date in the middle of this busy day.

We headed to RAM to enjoy a beer and some good food. We were at the Illinois bar, but since they were already out of the Big Ten Championship (like us, boo) we thought we'd get right in. Not so...unless, of course, you happen to have serious city girl skills and know how to stalk for a table and parking spot. John ran to the bathroom and I snagged a booth by the time he got back. Sweet!

We ordered two of my favorites: Amber Ale Cheese Dip (ohmygosh) with flatbread and Hefeweizen, a beer I strangely enjoy. I usually stick to wine, but for some reason I really like this. Go figure! I also had a sirloin salad with dressing on the side, while John got some wings.

We headed back to the apartment for a bit to give the puppy some snuggles and take a quick cat nap. Before we knew it we were back in the car heading to see JB's second game. This game was nerve-wracking. I kept thinking, this cannot be JB's last game! Even though they were ahead the whole time, you felt like the other team could come back. Luckily they didn't, and we ended up beating them by almost 20 points! Go JB!

The whole gang! John and I, JB and his girlfriend Kelsey, Leslie, Lauren and her boyfriend, Ryan & John

Welp, I'm off to get in a workout before we go to dinner with John's family tonight. (We're getting Italian tonight - yum! - and JB's semi-state basketball game is tomorrow!) I'm thinking of doing a yoga video, or enjoying this day and doing the outdoor-friendly circuit I came up with. I took my students on a nature walk today, so either would be a nice compliment. Happy Friday!