The Baby Weekend - The Sissy Not a Kid

Wah, it's Monday. I'm tired, sleepy, cranky and just a bit sad because Babyspice just drove away to head back home to DC. I know each day is a blessing and I want to be kicking booty this weekend, but right now that ||woop|| feeling just isn't here. I miss her already, sadz.

What's getting me smiling today is all the fun memories squashed into a quick three days together. She arrived Friday afternoon and we honestly hit the ground running. Or pumping. Or CPRING, because your girl right huuuur, needed an updated CPR certification and I dragged Babyspice along to get hers too. #oldersisterproblems

Once we completed the course it was off to SOCCER TACO to watch the United States Men's National Team play Panama. The USMNT stunk their last qualifying game so we were a bit nervous, however, Friday night they came to play and rocked it like no other. It was a great evening of chips, guac, margs, goals and sissy. #ole

The rest of Friday night was spent sissy timing hanging out then to bed early because guess who was asked to sub a BODYPUMP class Saturday morning? Yup, this girl. You will be happy to know I ASKED BABYSPICE before committing to help. Of course she was all for the workout it was fun seeing her face in the class. Afterwards we had fun posing and playing on stage, because yeah, that's just what we do.

Next stop was Honey Bee Coffee Company for their delicious artisanal coffee and pastries. Babyspice chose the Cold Brew Nitro coffee and I ordered the Lavender Honey Latte. Oh my delicious and caffeinated. The vibe is a fun one, we sat outside relaxing and stretching while we enjoyed our mini breakfast before brunch. Yes, that is a thing.

Our brunch was with T-BONE, woop woop. There is a delicious restaurant right near his house so we picked him up and got a seat on the water. I had the fantastic chicken and waffles and Babyspice enjoy the BBQ eggs benedict. T-Bone is doing well and looking good for 91, we enjoy spending as much time as we can with our super cool dude of a grandfather. 

Good granddaughters help around the house to say thank you for brunch. When we dropped T-Bone off we both notice the leaves everywhere so we offered to take care of the front yard and the driveway before the rain settled in early next week. I felt so much better when we drove away, knowing we helped make the house more functional and helped it look better, too. Don't worry, next time I get to break out the chainsaw, T-Bone already pointed out what needs to be done.

After brunch it was time for yoga stretching and a nap before preparing for the evening's festivities. Man, naps, are they not the greatest things ever? Too soon it was time to get up and get ready but we did and headed downtown to meet some of my faves. The evening starting at our favorite wine bar where flights, bottles and champagne were had as we discussed fitness, life, friends and Europ. Too many laughs with this fabulous crew

The next stop was an upscale Mexican restaurant and it was quite delicious. More margaritas were had and then it was off to the Library. For reading. Ha, sike. The Library is a speakeasy themed bar and super fun. More drinks, more laughs, more fabulousness and then it was bedtime.

Sunday morning we were up for church [rough start though] enjoyed a great service then headed out for one last brunch. Took longer than expected but the coffee and muffin made up because they were to die for delicious. 

We chilled out at home for a bit then it was off to another fitness class because, yeah, your girl always helps out a friend in need. I admit, it's so nice to have a sissy in the class, someone to smile at more, someone to make you want to rock it a lil more and someone to give you feedback. The ladies in class loved our humor and everyone worked super hard which was the best. 

After class we headed home, did laundry then headed to my aunt and uncles house for dinner. T-Bone made an appearance too, so it was the fun family affair. Yummy food, family fun and a few more drinks passed the time and suddenly it was time to head home and get ready for the week.

Our bodies were exhausted from the fun weekend but neither of us wanted to sleep yet. So we packed her up, prepped food and then finally went to sleep. This morning came much to quickly and I'm super bummed to be the only sissy in the house now. The countdown to Thanksgiving is on now.

AIMing HIGHER and a BLATE

Hi, friends! Wait, a post on a day other than Friday, get outta here with my bad self right?!? I'm slowly trying to get back into the swing of blog things and SLOWLY trying to make my way over to other blogs. Can't make promises, just know I'm trying, kay?

Anyway, THIS WEEKEND WAS INCREDIBLE. Seriously, so so so amazing in so so so many ways. While I'm looking for a big girl job, I'm using this down time to up my certifications and this month that included attending an Advanced Instructor Module [AIM1] for Les Mills BODYPUMP. When I looked and saw it was in Memphis I realized I could attend and MEET ONE OF MY FAVORITE BLOGGERS at the same time. WINNING times two right?!?!

My girl JESSI [ I can say my girl cause I KNOW HER IN REAL LIFE] lives in Memphis and was the sweetest friend ever when I asked if I could stay with her to attend this training. Yeah, we hadn't 'met' before, but we've known each other for awhile and I was uber excited to have her show me around Memphis [which I've never seen].

I took Friday off of work and DROVE across the state. Lil Miss Pinky had NO idea how far away it really was until this drive. Yeah, not close, but easily doable for the weekend. I arrived not long after Jessi got home from work and we CAUGHT UP with each other then enjoyed a delicious home cooked meal for dinner. Oh yeah, we also enjoyed a few glasses of sangria, too. It was such a blast and we chatted as if we'd known each other for years, while we learned more about each other at the same time. Sadly I had to cut the party a bit short because I had a very early call time for my training.

After barely sleeping due to nerves, I was up bright and early and on my way to the gym. There was almost a heart attack moment when I couldn't find the entrance but thankfully I used my critical thinking skills and found the gym. I walked in full of nerves and worries and SO SCARED of falling flat on my face in front of this AMAZING trainer and my peers.

Y'ALL!!!!! IT WAS THE BEST TIME EVER AND THE MOST INCREDIBLE EXPERIENCE. I honestly can't even begin to explain how crucial this was to my LES MILLS journey. I walked in a scared lil baby instructor and left a badass veteran of the program. We were taken through an intense technique class and everyone had a bunch of little tweaks for each move and we all had MANY 'AHA' moments as well. Presenting still brought the nerves however the knowledge shared throughout the class lent to a pretty amazing presentation number two and I feel SO REINVIGORATED with my coaching. Definitely found my LOVEMARK! Our instructor was the most fabulous trainer and she really helped me find my BODYPUMP self. I learned it was OKAY to be more PINKY while teaching, as long as I still stayed in the essence. Seriously I could go on and on, so I'll just stop and share these to fabulous pictures.

FIERCE!

EXCITED!

Once the training was over I hightailed it back to Jessi's and after a quick change we headed out to downtown Memphis for some FUN. Sushi was our choice for dinner and the place was super cute and delicious. I LOVED my Saki-tini.

Next we moved on to walking Beale Street, which was such a fun experience for this Memphis newbie. The vibe is like New Orleans with the streets closed but the MUSIC coming from all the bars was sooooo bluesy and happening. We wandered up and down the strip then settled on a dive bar in the middle. To say we stood out is an understatement but the music was too good to pass up. SO much talent for real.

After we finished our drinks we walked further down to main street to find another place to chill. Jessi took me to this awesomely themed speakeasy. I tried my first Kentucky Mule [delicious] and we were again treated to some fabulous Memphis tunes. The decision to shut it down after this bar was total mutual and we headed home to get a lil bit of sleep.

Sunday morning was a nice easy wake up with yummy coffee and a scramble a la Jessi. Too soon it was time for me to pack up and leave since I driving to Memphis has me crossing a dateline. Though the weekend together was short, we made the most of it and I'm SO HAPPY we were able to hang out. There's already a Nashville trip in the works and HOPEFULLY I'll get her further east for some hiking. THANK YOU JESSI FOR BEING YOU, which is just the awesomest!!!

Hope y'all have a great week. I teach another BODYPUMP class today and then will hopefully be taping my BODYATTACK certification video on Thursday. Cross your fingers for me!!!!

Bridal Showers are my Favorite

Especially when they honor one of my favorites. As many of y'all read, I was home last weekend in VA for Sportyspice's bridal shower. Being away was a bit of as stressor, but the famjam was able to manage and bust tail to get things organized for her special day. I did all of the favors down in Tennessee and worked with the lovely Karli for our design decorations. We tried to touch every room with a lil bit of bridal love and I was very happy with the overall effect. It wasn't all smooth sailing but everything came together and the bride LOVED everything which was the most important thing.

She wanted a brunch so we had pancake mini stacks, bacon hearts,  mimosa bar, fruit skewers, ham biscuits, Silverado copycat salad, coffee bar and the piece de resistance, cereal cupcakes. Sportyspice is a cereal fanatic so I knew I wanted to honor her love of cereal at her shower. Enter, delicious cupcakes themed after her favorite cereals. They were a hit and the one [okay, two] I tasted were delectable. So adorable and so fabulous for our wonderful bride.

Below are some pictures to sum up the afternoon. There was a fun appearance of my besties lil man and he really stole the show with everyone, especially my parents [yes, I got the hints haha].

Even though I'm a state away, it was so nice to be home for  a bit and celebrate my sissy. Next up is her bachey party and then the WEDDING! EEEEK, so exciting and so much fun. I hope everyone has a FABULOUS weekend!

Try Something Tuesday

Hi, fiends. Happy 5th! I hope everyone had a great weekend, I'll be recapping mine later this week. Today I wanted to share a few [random] things I've tried and think you should try too. Have a fabulous day!

|| Vegan hair products from Kroger. I'm a huge fan of products that don't have any nasty chemicals in them and it's a HUGE plus when they are cruelty free. Best thing about this duo right here... CHEAP! Found them ON SALE at Kroger in the natural aisle, woohoo. Love the smell and so far [past two weeks] my hair has styled like normal. 

||  Making your own wine charm. Sportyspice's bridal shower is this weekend and part of our 'shower gifts' for the guests are personalized wine charms. They were super simple to make and something I plan to do for every season going forward. 

||  Stand up paddle boarding is my jam and should be yours too. Seriously, this board is NOT nearly as hard as people make it out to be and is an AWESOME workout. Le Husband and I snagged one on sale over the holiday weekend and we've LOVED getting out on the lake for a quick workout. 

|| Want to get back on the fitness train after a fun and festive Fourth? Try my five minute ab burner this week. There are five moves and it amounts to JUST about five minutes, depending on your transitions. You'll be doing around the world planks, alternating leg extensions, oblique crunches, knee to nose, and leg scoops. Super quick, super hard, super fabulous for your core. I hope you like it, let me know if you have any questions/concerns!

Here is a video demonstrating all the moves, hope you enjoy!

Family Fun Wedding Weekend

Hello and happy Monday, friends. I hope everyone had a good weekend and spoiled their father's rotten [bighugtothosewhosnolongerarewithus]. My father was spoiled but he had to share the weekend with a  family weeding, which of course he didn't mind. His side of the family all congregated in Lexington, KY to watch our cousin [his nephew] get married. It was a fun filled weekend and I was so ecstatic to be reunited with my sweet sisters and parents. I know it's only been a month but I've missed having them close something fierce.

Everyone arrived on Friday night and we BBQed at my aunt and uncles house while everyone was at the rehearsal and dinner. The wedding was at their home [which is a small horse farm] and we were there to keep watch on the setup so hooligans wouldn't come around and do something foolish. It was nice to catch up with grandparents and other aunts and uncles then it was time to head to the hotel and off to bed. 

Saturday morning I was up early with Sportyspice and we hit the gym before breakfast with the family. Mama B and Daddy headed to get Babyspice after they ate so we hit the pool for a lil tanning time before the wedding. Soon enough the entire clan was outside and our chill pool time turned into family knockout basketball games. It was quite completive and hilarious with laughs and trash talking all around. Soon it was time to break for lunch though and start getting ready for the wedding. There was a fun Chickfila adventure with Sportyspice and then more cousin and sissy catch up time. All the girl cousins decided to get ready together and its as great talking to our one cousin who is THISCLOSE to making the Olympic Rugby team, so exciting. 

We all headed out to the house together and it was SUCH a gorgeous Kentucky day. The sky was so blue and there was a delightful breeze which kept us from sweating…too much. It was very warm during the ceremony but it was so lovely no on really minded all the sweat, haha. 

Lots of cheers were heard when they were announced as husband and wife and then it was on to family picture time before cocktail hour. You know we had to get some fun sister pictures, right?

Grandma with the grandkids

Missing our one cousin in Spain.

We clean up nice, huh?

New favorite picture!

Reunited and it feels so good!

The wedding had a lovely shabby chic hipster vibe and I LOVED the blushing bride signature drink. 

The biggest hit of the night was the photo booth. I've NEVER been to a photo booth this good nor have I ever enjoyed one as much. I seriously have a whole stack of different pictures with different family members and it was so much fun. 

In between the photo booth fun we all broke it down on the dance floor and danced our lil hearts out. Yes, even Le Husband :)! As usual, the Brady sisters were a hit and we started quite a few different dances which was a blast. 

Too soon we were sending off the happy couple with sparklers as they began their new life together. 

The family closed down the party and sadly it was up bright and early for family brunch the next morning. Everyone was a bit tired however we were all laughing about the fun the night before and all the shenanigans. There were a few people who spent the night on the back porch, haha. 

When brunch was over it was time for people to start heading back which meant it was time to say goodbye to my family again. I have to admit, it was so weird watching them drive off for home without me. There may have been a tear or two when it happened. I had so much fun with my sissys and can't wait to see them in just three weeks for Sportyspice's bridal shower. 

Miss them already

Le Husband and I headed home later that afternoon and it was a quick three hour drive to Knoxville. Once home we helped get dinner ready for the grandfathers and then spent time catching up with the fam. There are a few interviews in place this week so if you can say a prayer or two that would be wonderful. Hope y'all have a wonderful Monday!