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January 29, 2016

Flashback Friday Faves

Happy Friday, friends! Even though most of the week was worked from home, I'm still super excited to see the weekend so close. It won't be nearly as relaxing as our snowed in weekend, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be quite fabulous.

Today's faves are a lil different and you can thank a local radio station. They played one of the songs below for a stunt and I was like holy crap I totally forgot about that song. And thus began the downward spiral of looking up high school songs on Youtube. Sigh, the life I lead I tell you. Judge away or enjoy a dance party, your choice [insert dancing lady emoji here].




  


 Genie in a Bottle



I know this isn't a flashback and I'm sure it's everywhere in blogland today, but I can't NOT share this adorable video of Kristen and Dax. Their music video to "Africa" is the totally meaning of adrobs. #mustmakeonesomeday


I hope you have a fabulous day and a wonderful weekend. I'll see your pretty faces after my Monday class < 3 !
**linking up  Here  here herehere and, this week**

January 27, 2016

Recipes To Try This Month

We survived Snow Storm Jonas, y'all. I'm finally back at work -- although schools are still out, possibly until Friday -- and while the roads aren't normal they are safe enough to navigate to work [drat].  I totally enjoyed my snowed in weekend with all the treats and down time, but my body is not happy with me right now.

So it's time to get back on track with workouts and healthy eats. Obviously I'll be turning to my tried and true clean eats, but I thought new year, new recipes too. Cue Pinterest and blogs for inspiration.

Paleo Squash Ravioli: This recipe is probably the most involved, but it is also the most intriguing. I'm a huge ravioli fan but find when I ate more than three pieces I can feel it in my body before dinner is done. I'd love to enjoy the taste of ravioli without the after effects. Fingers crossed my mandolin can slice thin enough.
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Cauliflower Fried Rice: First we had cauliflower pizza crust and now we have cauliflower rice. I was not a fan of the pizza crust, so I am a bit wary of the rice. Is this something people rave about because everyone is raving? Or does cauliflower rice really work? We eat a lot of cauliflower with our meals so I'm trying to find something new this month.
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Avocado Chicken Salad: If you've read for awhile you've realized I'm not really a sandwich person after Whole30. So, I'd add this to chicken to a salad or just eat it on it's own or on cucumber pieces.
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Sweet potato & Zucchini fritters: These sound perfect for a side dish with protein [I'm gonna take out the butter] and looks quite easy peasy with prep. I bet they would be a great addition to any breakfast routine too.
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Cauliflower Tater Tots: Non guilty tater tots? Yes please! The recipe calls for butter and bread crumbs which I'll probably cut in half but the rest of the ingredients makes my Whole30 heart smile. I'm not a huge spice fan but I bet these would taste awesome with a sirachia ketchup or a delicious guacamole.
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What are some of your go to detox recipes? Any new recipes I should try? Have you tried any of these?

Linking up  here & here

January 26, 2016

Sun Warrior Protein Makes Me Strong {Review}

Hello friends! How are you doing today? We are slowly thawing out up here but would you believe they are calling for snow again later in the week? Crazy town, y'all! I spent a couple hours with Le Husband and a friend digging my car out yesterday. So thankful for a helpful friend and a super strong husband. #nogymneededthisweekend.

Speaking of the gym, y'all know I love to workout, eat healthy and stay as fit as possible [snow weekends excluded] so I was THRILLED when SUNWARRIOR asked me to review their protein powder. Since completing three Whole30s I've been a bit meh towards protein powders because of alllll the random ingredients. SUNWARRIOR is plant based and their break down of amino acids and ingredients on their packaging [and website] keeps my mind at ease when it comes to what I'm putting in my body. I find that protein powder is a great way to stay on track when you need a quick boost of energy and a great addition to any workout and healthy eating routine. #workitoutandeatright

I chose to try their vanilla protein and once it arrived I began trying it out different ways. Since it's gotten colder, oatmeal has been my go to breakfast at least three times a week. However, I found that it never kept me quite as full as eggs, until I added in SUNWARRIOR protein. Just a half a scoop and I'm set until close to lunchtime. The vanilla flavor enhances the oatmeal itself and is mild enough of a flavor that it does not detract from any extra add ins [big fan of blueberries].
Protein oats in the morning.
I also found SUNWARRIOR tastes DELICIOUS in overnight oats. Everyone has their own version of overnight oats and I've always found they are a bit lacking without a good protein power. Until SUNWARRIOR, I had not found a protein that enhanced the taste of the oats without overpowering it or creating a grainy taste.Add in a half scoop to a scoop with your overnight oats and be prepared not to be hungry until lunchtime.
I like my oats with coconut, cinnamon, chia seeds and of course, Sun Warrior.

You know what never goes out of style? The classic protein shake. Well, only when you have a protein powder that mixes in with water [or liquid of your choice] without leaving a grainy taste. I had a few protein shakes before soccer and kickball games and found I had great energy but felt a lil water logged from all the liquid so close to game time. I knocked it back to two hours before games and felt a lot better on the pitch.

SUNWARRIOR has been a saving grace on Monday mornings before teaching my 6am class. I can't eat much before I work out but found after my first I was on the struggle bus hitting it hard without anything in my system. I started drinking a protein shake before class and man, the difference was incredible. I was able to lift a lil more weight and I didn't feel like I was dragging the last two tracks of class either. Bonus, I can make the shake the night before and it's grab and go at 5am.
Good morning, protien shake!
I've started to keep a serving or two at my office to keep the afternoon crash at bay and to drink before I teach on Thursdays. SUNWARRIOR gives me the energy I need when I'm feeling a bit low and also keeps me full so my tummy isn't talking while I teach.

If you're looking for a new protein or just want to try one out look no further than SUNWARRIOR. They are plant bases, have great flavors and keep you full when used as a meal replacement. I'm more than happy to answer any questions so feel free to leave them in the comment section.

***I was provided a sample of Sun Warrior for this review, but all opinions are my own***

linkinguphere&here&here

January 25, 2016

#SnowStormJonas in Numbers {#Snomageddon2016}

Hi, fabulous friends! I am alive and warm and working from home today. We survived #snowstormjonas quite well and thanks to all of you who checked in with me. I don't know anyone who lost power and apparently the main roads were cleared quite well. That can't really be said about the side roads, so I'm very happy to be working from my couch today.

This weekend was spent bunkered down inside eating lots of food, relaxing while watching tv and of course, enjoying the beautiful white snow dumped on our doorstep.

Our weekend in numbers looked like this...

95  :: emails read/answered in my pjs from the couch Friday.

60 :: minutes spent as a student at a lunchtime BODYPUMP class with Le Husband.

8 :: tracks done at normal non teaching weight. #realweightisheavynow

14 :: meatballs made and eaten Friday night.
Homemade Friday
6 :: episodes of NCIS & Elementary watched.

3 :: neighbors my dad helped Saturday during the storm. #snowplowforthewin #weneedone

3 :: guys joined Le Husband to start shoveling during the storm Saturday afternoon.

3.5 :: hours spent in the kitchen cooking up Julia Child's beef bourguignon. #amazing #worththetime


1140 :: minutes slept collectively over the weekend. #ilovesleep

5 :: layers worn to shovel on Sunday morning.
You know you love my outfit ;)
60.96 :: centimeters of snow that feel in our area. A few friends had three FEET!

12,600 :: seconds spent shoveling the snow.

5280+ :: feet walked while shoveling our half of the parking lot. 

1 :: snow balls thrown at Le Husband.

0 :: hills sledded. #sadface

6 :: deliciously gluttonous meals eaten. #funfettipancakes #nachos

5 :: the number of yahoos yelled when I received a text my morning class was canceled for Monday.

4 :: cups of hot cocoa enjoyed with whipped cream. #bothwhippedcreambottlesaregone

2 :: NFL games watched.

4 :: rooms I anticipated cleaning over the weekend.

.5 :: the number of rooms actually cleaned this weekend. #illgetitdonethisweek

How was your weekend? Friends that experienced the #snowblizzard how did you fair?

Linking up with these beautiful ladies whoop whoop 

January 22, 2016

Faves before the Snowmagedon

Morning, beauties and happy Friday! Thanks so much for your kind comments yesterday. I really don't like to complain too much, but gosh bad preparation really gets my goat. We are all battened down for the huge blizzard here so bring it SNOW!

A few favorites before we are buried:

* Two bottles of whipped cream for my hot cocoa this weekend. I can't wait for the SNOW FOOD!

* Julia Child's book is one of my favorites and hopefully I'll be able to recreate a recipe this weekend.

* Thursday night's class went well and I had someone tell me I rock at teaching, woohoo!

Faves not pictured:

* Sportyspice has a wedding date and we are now working on colors, woohoo!

* Cuddle time on the couch with Le Husband while we both work from home. 

* Working from home = super fave!

Hope y'all have a great weekend. If you're in the blizzards path, stay warm, safe and be smart with all decisions. If you aren't dealing with the blizzard send our area some prayers, I know there are a few people that will be suffering because of the cold. < 3

January 21, 2016

FLIPPING RIDICULOUS!

I hadn't planned to blog today. It seems Thursdays are my lightest reader days and when life is busy I don't wanna stress. However, what happened yesterday cannot go unnotice. 

If you've been reading here for a few weeks to a few years you get my personality. You understand I'm a glass half full kind of girl and I 99% of the time look for the silver lining and find the joy in life. I rarely come here to complain or vent because life happens and no one wants to read a blog by a constant complaining Carrie.

Bad traffic and unpreparedness brings out the complainer in me and I can't hold my tongue. I live in the Nornthern VA area, right outside DC and there is a "huge" blizzard headed our way this weekend. Everyone has been talking about it all week and people are freaking out and planning for an apocalypse at the stores [for the loooooooooooove] so you'd THINK the area would be prepared for one measly inch of snow. 

OHHHHHHHHH NO! THIS was what our roads looked like last night after a dusting to an inch because VDOT and other transportation companies did not PREPARE the roads.
It took me 45 minutes to drive four miles from my gym to my apartment. I saw six accidents on roads and I barely drove above 15 miles an hour to keep my lil coupe from spinning out. I also had to park three blocks from my apartment because there was a bus stuck on one hill and a car spun out on another. It worked out for the best because I parked on a flat road and didn't get stuck.

What in the world, DC? I don't understand not being prepared. But don't worry, schools are out this morning so teachers everywhere are bragging rejoicing and I saw a few kids already playing in the snow. I had a 45 minute commute to work this morning, which is okay since I slept in an extra hour because I WAS NOT dealing with early morning drama on the roads. Sassy looked pretty in the snow though.

And I got to rock my new Sorels to work which is fun.
Hi SNOW!
Oh and for those asking, checkout my white hat. Please don't mind the lack of makeup, it was early.


So, yeah. That's my post today. Sorry if it's a downer and a rant, but that's where I am. Hopefully today will be easy peasy on the way home and I'll rock my 5pm class at the gym. Thankfully I've been allowed to work from home on Friday and Monday already so that will be nice this weekend. I hope YOUR Thursday is awesome! Stay warm and stay safe!

January 20, 2016

Confession Session

I confess...

... I was more upset then expected when no one showed up for my Monday morning 6am class. Yes, I know it was a holiday Monday but I had a bit of hope SOMEONE would show. #bueller

... after I stopped pouting I practiced for my lunch class later that day, hit some cardio, stretched, foam rolled and NAILED A MUSCLE UP FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER. It might not have been Crossfit legal but I DID IT!!!!


... I'm more excited than I should be about the muscle up. #aintnoshameinmybraggame

.... I want to get certified in another Les Mills class, eep!

... a woman at work is going on maternity leave and I am so thrilled we won't have to listen to Wendy Williams anymore. She has the tv right next to her so she kind of controls the channels and I just CANNOT stand Wendy's voice, yuck.

... I am NOT excited about the lady going on maternity leave because guess who gets to cover all her work?

... I hate the cold, but I'm loving my warm sweaters during the chill. I also LOVE my suede boots even though Le Husband calls them my Pocahontas boots. I'd love to link where I bought them, but alas, I bought them in Chile 2008 when we visited Babyspice for a week. #mendontknowfashion #ilovemyboots #suede
Thanks for the sweater tip, Kristen.

... I left work early to get a massage because my shoulders and back are both a mess. #mymasseuseagreed #healthandwellness

...  my plan to stick to a Whole7 or Whole14 has not been as streamlined as anticipated. However, I'm at my precruise/post sickness weight so I'm not fussing too much. We made stir fry last night and it was the first time I've added rice to the dish and oh man, rice makes a big difference. Cheers for leftovers tonight. #dontforgetthepopcorndessert
Home made stir fry for dinner, yummy!

... I'm stubborn and I know it. #workingonit

... while I miss my husband when he's on overnight work trips, I very much enjoy the quiet evenings of pampering and not having to share the remote. #gilmoregirls Or the bed. #keepthehousetemperaturehighertoo

… people in the NOVA area are NUTS when it comes to snow. We are possibly getting a decent amount this weekend and the stores are already over run by scared lil people. Come on now, peeps, it's snow and then it's gonna be 40 degrees and 50 degrees, I think we will be okay. Now let me by my hot cocoa milk and whipped cream PLEASE!

Linking up for confessions & here & here

January 19, 2016

Loving & Lusting Lately

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Loving:
Winter white hat: Last Christmas I received the most AWESOME white hat as a gift and I LOVED it dearly. I wore it all the time but somehow I lost it packing away winter wear and I was crushed when I went looking for during my spring to fall change over. So crushed I asked Le Husband to find me a new one and he found one even better than my last one. I have been wearing this non stop, even in the office because it's an igloo up in herrr, and love that it goes with everything while keeping my head nice and toasty.

Brittany Fuson products: I've been a big fan of Brittany's creations the past few years, I bought all of my wedding thank you cards from her [on sale, woop]! She has such gorgeous pictures in her shop and I find a new favorite every time I visit her site. This year I decided to give her planner a try and I LOVE IT. So cute, so perfectly sized and soooo different than my normal planner. If you need one, I suggest you give this one a try, it's even on sale right now.

Warm Glittens: Cold hands are the worst so I love a good mitten, but do not love the lack of finger mobiltiy. Enter my pink warm and fuzzy glittens. I've worn them everyday the past two weeks and love the functionality and warmth. If you don't have a good pair of glittens I recommend you rectify that problem post haste.

Lusting:
Thanks to Lauren Conrad I have quite a few new lust items on my list for 2016. I'm trying to be good because we have quite a few BIG purchases coming up this year, but man, some of these outfits are so swoon worthy!

How gorgeous is this frill top with the billowing sleeves? Quite the statement piece that could jazz up any ensemble.

I've been looking for some new flats and these leopard flat mules would be the perfect addition to my shoe collection.

Pleats coming back make me happy, I find them so feminine and fun. I'd love to add this simple skirt to my collection and if money were no object, THIS ONE would be in my closet times two. #whosinforthelottooramoneytree

Maxi dresses have become my go to in the spring and summer and I'm THRILLED with the new romantic styles of 2016. I'd love to add this dress for my next cruise and how fabulous are the ruffles and color in this BCBG number?

A few more things on my current lust list: Alex and Ani bracelet, city map glasses, funny work calendar, multiple year office knick knack and warm winter booties.What do you  have on your current love/lust list? What trend am I missing out on right now?

*some affiliate links used
linkinguphereand hereandhereandhere

January 18, 2016

A {Mighty} Monday

Happy Monday, ladies. I hope you had a great weekend. Mine was extremely relaxing as Le Husband really wanted a chill birthday weekend. I'm starting the week off with a bang teaching my 6am class and also a lunch class today. Yep, no three day weekend for this girl, but that's okay, my two day weekend was quite nice. I haven't done a Mighty Monday in awhile, so thought I'd change it up today.

might have gone to the gym for my first HEAVY workout since the cruise.

There might have been too many people at the gym to get a good workout.

We might have watched three shows with dinner to catch up on our favorites.

might have fallen asleep on the couch then slept for 10+ hours that night.

The morning might have been the first slow Saturday since before Christmas.

We might have found a new favorite show, Bomb Squad: Afghanistan due to a marathon on EsquireTV.

might have taken 30 minute nap during the binge.

might have barely eaten any food because I was just too lazy to make anything.

We might have gone to Pollo Rico for dinner on a weekend.

We might have accidentally snuck Le Husband into a movie theatre due to a misunderstanding with tickets.

might have enjoyed Spectre more than I expected, although I do have some questions.

We might have stayed up late to watch the crazy Packer vs Cardinals game.

might have slept another 10+ hours Saturday night.

Church might have been a bit dull but sometimes that happens.

I might have let Le Husband skip church since it was his birthday.

might have made a hurried stop at a CVS because I left his birthday card at work.

He might have wanted to spend his birthday working out at the gym.

might have attempted a muscle up and I might have failed twice. #illgetitoneday.

We might have just hung out around the house the rest of the day because Le Husband wanted to chill.

He might have loved my cute lil gift while the big gift is in route.
Someone loves his Frosted Flakes

Our dinner of seven might have turned into four due to schedules and sickness.

The company and ambiance was great, but the food might have been a disappointment.
Happy Birthday, my love!

might have practiced BODYPUMP96 once before bed since I MIGHT be teaching twice on Monday.

might only have two pictures to share from the weekend…oops

Hope you have a great Monday < 3!

Linking up with these beautiful ladies whoop whoop 

January 15, 2016

Fiiiiiiiiiiive about my Guy

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Man is it nice to see Friday this week. Am I right or am I right? Sorry for the silence yesterday, but between an upgrade at work, teaching three BODYPUMP classes -- two being launch classes -- plus wedding dress deciding with Sportyspice [we have a DRESS] and you know, life, there was no time for le blog. Normally I have time to blog at least during lunch but I had to write my vacay recap all at home after teaching on Tuesday and I was not in the mood for it Wednesday night. Oh, and don't forget the hit and run on my CAR IN A PARKING LOT LAST NIGHT! Sheesh, I tell you some people are just rude, rude, rude. No one was hurt and someone left a note with the other car's info, but man, talk about a downer after a fun wedding dress moment. I may have to figure out a new schedule until I get into a new work and BODYPUMP groove, so stay with me pretty please?!

Anyway, on to today's favorites. In honor of Le Husband's birthday this Sunday, I thought I'd dedicate my five Friday favorites to the birthday guy. He's one swell husband and I want to celebrate him by highlighting some of my most favorite things about him and his personality. #mushypost #gottabragonhimsometimes #yaybirthday

What I love about Le Husband ...

His athleticism: Dude is a flat out athlete. Seriously one of the best I've ever seen. He rarely looks awkward doing anything physical -- although there is yoga, ha -- and if he isn't great at it the first time you better believe by the second, third or fourth he has it on lock down. In our kickball world he's one of the top players and is constantly sought after at the end of every year. At times it can be quite intimidating, especially when he's trying to teach me something new and I'm not getting it right away, but 90% of the time it drives me to be better athletically. And it's always nice when he has an incredible play to think, "Yup, that stud's my man"!

His drive: Le Husband wants to be the best at everything he does so he goes all in all the time. Part of me is sad I never saw him play baseball in college or in the minors, I would have loved to see him in his prime in HIS sport. There is part of me though that is glad we didn't know each other back then, because he has LASER focus and I've heard stories about how baseball was numero uno over everything, even girls, ha. Whether it's his job, baseball, kickball, or weight lifting, Le Husband goes after every goal with tenacity and hard work and is just a flat out hustler. I know no matter what we will be fine in life because he will always get the job done to the best of his abilities.

His love of cooking: In most of my previous relationships I was the chef. I was in charge of dinner and picking out food and every now and then I'd get some help or suggestions. Le Husband came into the relationship with some great cooking skills and together we've honed them into 'chef' skills and love spending time together in the kitchen. Our meals have become a lot more healthy since we were married and it's fabulous having someone to bounce ideas off of and help cooking new recipes in the kitchen. Our love of food and cooking sometimes makes me laugh because we constantly talk about a HUGE kitchen in a teeny house, just because we know what we need to make it work. Hopefully we can tape a fake cooking show for y'all one day, I would love to show you what goof balls we can be together.

His laugh: Le Husband has the best laugh in the world. Okay, maybe I'm biased, but I love his laugh. Since he's a quiet guy, his big chuckle and laugh kind of catches you off guard. I love making him laugh when I say something dumb or do something silly. We are both big goofballs and I truly enjoy giggling, chuckling and laughing through life together.

How he supports me:  I'll be honest, it took me awhile to understand Le Husband's support style. We are drastically different in the Love Languages [I am a BIG words of affirmation person and he's not at all] so not HEARING support used to make me frustrated. But then I noticed the new shoes I needed because my shins started hurting, the quiet cheers when I went up to kick during games, the 'that a girls' at the gym when I reached a new PR [along with the rare butt smacks a la dude sports] and too many to count meals cooked and cleaned up when I'm not feeling the greatest. He's been a huge supporter during this whole BODYPUMP process and has come to EVERY scheduled class of mine [yes even the 6amers].  He doesn't write me sonnets, but he shows me his love and support in his own way.

Happy, happy, happy birthday, my love. You are truly my best friend and I wish you nothing but happiness on your special day. This year is OUR year and I'm so excited to walk through life with you by my side. To the moon and back. < 3

Hope y'all have a great weekend. Catch you bright and early Monday morning < 3!

**linking up  Here  here herehere and, this week**

January 13, 2016

Caribbean Cruising {Wanderlust Wednesday}

Hello, friends. How are you today? I am quite sore after team teaching the BODYPUMP96 release last night. It was an awesome class and my sissys and Le Husband were there to cheer me on which was fabulous. I have another class on Thursday and I'm ready to rock it out. 

Today for Wanderlust Wednesday I'm sharing pictures and a quick recap of our amazing post Christmas cruise in the Caribbean. Few quick facts: This cruise was put together to celebrate Mama B's 60th birthday in style. We cruised on the Norwegian Dawn because it fit the dates we wanted best and had the best price. Embarkation and debarkation was out of New Orleans which gave us a fun city to play in before we left. I can break down statistics more if you want, but this is more of a recap then explanation. 

After a wonderful Christmas day we were up early for our flight down to NOLA on the 26th which is Mama B's actual birthday. Our flight was quick and easy and I even got a free drink for bringing a gift to the flight attendants, whoop. We landed around 1pm, grabbed lunch, walked around the French Quarter, took a quick nap then cleaned up of Mama B's birthday dinner at Arnauds. I CANNOT recommend this place enough for dinner, it is delicious and the service is fantastic. Back in 2012 we randomly stumbled upon this gem and visit it every time we are in town. They did it up for Mama B and it was fun giving her a special night. After dinner we walked through the Waldorf to see the Christmas lights and snapped a quick picture. We all quickly went to sleep to prepare for the cruise the next day.

Embarkation Day 12/24: Guest weren't allowed to board the ship until noon, so we woke up early Sunday morning and grabbed some beignets from Cafe Du Monde, they were so tasty. Once we had breakfast it was time to grab an Uber and head to the ship. My aunt gave us all crazy tshirts to wear when we boarded and EVERYONE loved them. My mom got a lot of attention which was nice. The boarding process was quick and soon we were in our balcony view rooms and on our way down the Mississippi. Dinner our first night was in the open dining room and we sported our tshirts once more for one last cheers to Mama B. We also brought our own decor too. The food was delicious and champs was flowing which was fun all around.

After dinner we grabbed a few drinks, saw the kickoff show and got the lay of the land on the ship. It was a great first night and start to a fun week out of cell phone and internet range.

Day At Sea 12/28: Our one day at sea was a fun mix of relaxing, pool time, food time and workout time. Yes, we worked out almost every day and I used the group room to practice my new BODYPUMP release with the family. It was a gorgeous day so we snagged some chairs by the pool an d enjoyed the hustle and bustle of the deck. I may have enjoyed two ice cream cones, but hey, I was on vacation right? We had dinner at the Venetian again and again it was quite delicious. I like that Norwegian doesn't lock you into a time, but I miss having the time to create a relationship with the servers. The production dancers and singers on Norwegian are fantastic and we really enjoy going to the shows. Le Husband and I also spent some time in the casino and there are some strange people that gamble on ships, golly gee.

Cozumel, Mexico 12/29: Tuesday was our first excursion day and the weather started off a bit dreary but was then gorgeous. Le Husband and I had already been to Cozumel and played on the beach so we did the catamaran cruise with our family. It was one of the later excursions so we were able to work out, eat and then head off to port. Y'all, this catamaran and snorkel excursion was awesome! The Mexican crew really knew how to make it a party and the ride to our snorkel sight was a ton of fun. The water was crystal clear and the guides were so incredible with my grandfather. T-Bone is 90 years old this month and still acting 80. He wasn't able to snorkel as well as he hoped, but the guides just helped him float along so he could see everything. After our hour of snorkeling we were taken to a beach and water park with obstacles that was a blast. Seriously, we all acted like were kids and had so much fun attempting all the different Ninja warrior apparatuses. Too soon it was time to go home, but we kept the party with free beer and margaritas and lots of music. The crew kept our drinks full and even brought us to the front for a dance party.


T-Bone got in on the dancing, please don't mind my duck face. I promise I was acting to the song, don't judge, okay? Everyone on the catamaran had a great time and we even led people in the Wobble and Cha-cha slide. I can't recommend this excursion enough, it was the PERFECT start to our four excursions.
 

 

Our group was the last to arrive in port so it was a quick turn around to clean up and head to dinner. Le Husband and I did our own thing for dinner and ate at the French Bistro that was similar to our Alaskan cruise. The food was delicious and it was nice to a have a lil date night together. Once dinner was over we met up in one of the lounges for the Dancing with the Production cast contest. Babyspice was jonesing to participate so we did our best to stack the deck for her to get her name called. Meaning, we all put our names in and if our name got called she'd pretend to be us. Well, wouldn't you know she was the 2nd girl called and then BOOM, so was Sportyspice. Since we all hate attention you know they were the first ones to lose.

Um, sike! Babyspice made it into the top three and was only voted off because the dude still in the competition was SO BAD everyone wanted to see him keep dancing. Wouldn't you know Sportsypice made it to the finals and boom, that girl too the championship home. It was a hysterical evening and so much fun watching my sissys have fun. I've attached a video for your viewing pleasure. 

Roatan, Honduras 12/30: One of the main reasons we picked this cruise week was THIS destination. We had heard so many amazing things about Honduras beaches and they did not disappoint in the least. For our excursion we did the beach snorkel party, with food included and even though we had just snorkeled it was a completely different experience. Our guide took us out for a good 45 minutes on a tour and then we were able to snorkel as much as we pleased until we left. The water was crystal clear and the marine life gorgeous and so unique. We saw all kinds of fun fish and some were so close we could touch them. One even kissed Babyspice, haha. There were a ton of people on the beach but it never felt crowed, the staff was extremely helpful and provided security for our things which was a load off our minds. Everyone was able to do their own thing and it was nice relaxing in the sun, snorkeling and playing volleyball.



How beautiful is this view? I did not want to leave Honduras, it was such a beautiful place and we had such a wonderful day together. And no one got sunburned, wooohooo! The evening was spent in the casino, watching another show and getting some rest for our next excursion.


Side-note: I love cruise towel animals, the are fabulous!

Belize 12/31: To be honest, we were all kind of torn about our Belize excursion. Everyone talks about the beaches, the jungle and the zip lines and we really weren't sure exactly WHAT we wanted to do. After researching we decided on kayaking in the jungle, right off a water park. This was the one port we had to tender which was a bit of a pain, but at least it was only one day. Since we arrived to the port early we spent some time shopping and taking token tourist pictures.



It was about an hour trip to the park and our guide spent the whole time telling us about the country of Belize. He was amazing and so knowledgeable, I felt like I could write an essay after we arrived to the park. Once at the park we walked along the nature path, ate an authentic Belizian lunch and played in the pool or sat in the sun.

Or sat on a chair when a big iguana decided to make an appearance. Homie was HUGE! #notafan

Originally we had hoped T-Bone would be able to kayak, but none of the kayaks provided enough back support so he hopped out of Le Husband's boat. I had partnered with another family so Le Husband could take T-Bone and I was a bit bummed I was already out on the water and could jump in his boat. It was SUCH a fun adventure paddling throughout the jungle waters. Every four boats had a guide so there was a lot of learning while paddling. This gave us a really unique view of the country and I'm really happy we chose it over zip lining.



Everyone took a slight nap on the way home and it was needed before the long process of tendering. If there is anything to knock the cruise line for it was their lack of tender boats at the end of the day. We waited for about 45 minutes to get on one, but were able to make our NYE dinner reservations. Everyone scrambled to get a snack and then get dressed in our New Years outfits. Dinner was delicious and we all enjoyed a bottle of wine and champagne together. After dinner we watched an incredible acrobatics show, then hit the lounge for the classy NYE party. There was a band and they played fabulous music, we even got T-Bone on the dance floor which was awesome. I'm not going to lie, we were all struggling to stay awake but were excited to ring in the New Year together. Norwegian did a great job making it a fabulous NYE and I loved all the fun decorations everywhere. We made it to midnight and then everyone went back to the rooms to pass out because we had to meet at 6:50am for our Mayan Ruin trip the next day. #woof


Costa Maya, Mexico 1/1: We were up way too early for a two hour bus ride to the ruins. It was nice to get a nap but the travel time was a bit frustrating. However, once we were there it was quite amazing. So crazy to think about how smart [but dumb when it came to killing] the Mayans were so long again. It was really neat that we were able to actually walk through the ruins and touch them. Even though it was hot it was still a fun time and we all enjoyed our day of culture and history.




Let's GO BUCKS!

Le Husband even got into the yoga action, you go dude!

The ride home included another nap and then it was time to eat and hit another show. Wouldn't you know my DAD was somehow roped into their American Idol show as a judge? Seriously, my family gets involved in everything. Le Husband had a really good night at the casino and it was fun watching him crush it at the roulette table.

Day at Sea 1/2: Our last day at sea was kind of a bust. It was windy and cool so there really wasn't any sun bathing. I ran through another BODYPUMP class with the family and we all made the best of our last day one the ship. So, yeah, we basically ate all the food, read all the books, ate all the food and just chilled out.

Debarkation Day 1/3: We all heard the ship dock bright and early since we were on the starboard side and everyone headed to have one last meal together. Le Husband and I chose to stay a few days in NOLA but the rest of the family went home on Sunday. It was so sad to see everyone leave and I was quite bummed it was chilly in NOLA. We found a yummy dinner place to eat and then just passed out because we were so exhausted from vacation, haha.



Day two in NOLA 1/4: We woke up when we wanted to and then hit up the WW2 museum again. If you remember my previous recap of a NOLA trip, we spent four hours in the museum and guess what? We spent four more this trip. Le Husband really wanted to see the Tom Hanks film Beyond All Boundaries and it was incredibly moving and sad. I cried, they did a fantastic job bringing you through the war and I have never been more proud to be an American. We walked through the Road to Tokyo and the Road to Berlin and it was almost overwhelming with all the information. I love history and we really enjoyed being inside since it was quite chilly and I had no cold weather clothes #packingfail.

After our tour we ordered a coke float, headed back to the room for a nap and then took forever deciding on dinner. We randomly decided on pizza and found the most delicious lil join in the French Quarter. By that time we were both ready to be home and just wanted to hit the hay before our morning flight. 

It was a fabulous vacation but one I needed a rest after for sure. I'm so glad we were able to have a great time celebrating Mama B and that we wore green shirts that blended into the green screen. #onlyus

If you have any questions about the cruise please feel free to hit me up in the comments. I'm more than happy to go into more detail if you wish, I just didn't want to overwhelm everyone with too much detail.

Linking up for Wanderlust Wednesday.