The Last

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Thing I ate... hard boiled eggs for breakfast. Got to be lean for Europe.

Thing I watched... throwback of DCC Making the Team. Needed something light and easy while I packed up my room and suitcase. Cheers to having access to all the seasons on line [insert hair flip here].

Account I followed on Instagram... tonycavalero. He's a high school friend of mine who is an actor and been on Heart of Dixie [Stanley], Splitting Adam and is now the star of the Nickelodeon series, School of Rock. I'm so thrilled he's making it out in Hollywood, he's such a great guy and HILARIOUS.
 
Blog I visited... Perception is Everything. My sweet friend and best buddy, Janna is back y'all!
 
Activity I did... drove into work. BOO, boring. But it's my last two days before vacation, whoop1

Song I listened to... Lips Like Sugar for an old BODYPUMP track. Gotta learn more chorey over the trip.

Person I talked to... Mama B on my drive into work. A lil ray of sunshine and BURST of energy in the morning.

Time I swore... last night when box started to fall so I jumped to keep it up and hit my toes on another box right in front of it. Yeah, hurt like the dickens so a few four letter words escaped my lips.

Product I used... hairspray to keep my locks nice and curly for BIRTHDAY DINNER!

Book I read... ummm yeah, book reading has been off the table most of April. I'm currently reading 'The Way of the Seal' because I want to learn to be better mentally. Most self improvement books don't resonate with me, but I have nothing but awe and respect for Seals so this book am really connecting to the mission statement in the book.
 
Thing that frustrated me... trying to figure out all the different airline carry on policies. We are flying budget airlines and they are all different in their terminology of a carry on, personal item or luggage weight. 

Time Le Husband shocked me... I found the corsage from our wedding day saved in a special place when we were cleaning out the office. He's not really a sentimental guy so seeing he kept that made me smile big.

*written on 4/12

partonehere parttwohere

How Well DO I know My husband

Hello, friends. I thought I'd shake it up a bit here in blog land and post lil about Le Husband. I saw this on Laura's blog a few weeks back and thought it would be fun to share while we're away. Here's LE HUSBAND!

1. He's sitting in front of the TV, what is on? Sports, history channel, national geographic channel or Criminal Minds.

2. You're out to eat; what kind of dressing does he get on his salad? None, doesn't eat salad in restaurants.

3. What's one food he doesn't like? Sushi

4. You go out to eat and have a drink; what does he order? Whiskey neat or water.

5. What is his nickname for you? Honey

6. If he was to collect anything, what would it be? Historical memorabilia

7. What would he eat every day if he could? Whipped cream, oh wait he does ;)!

8. What is his favorite cereal? Captain Crunch w/Berries

9. What would he never wear? Jewelry besides a watch and his wedding band.

10. What is his favorite sports team? His college team, Kent State.

11. Who is his best friend? Me, of course.

12. What do you do that bothers him? Talk too fast, talk over him, interrupt his stories with questions and when I join him in the kitchen while he's prepping and get in his way doing my own thing. #evileyes

13. What is his heritage? 100% an Irish man.

14. You bake him a cake for his birthday; what kind of cake? He's not a big cake guy, so I'd try and order his favorite Opry Cream cake from his favorite bakery from home.

15. Did he play sports in high school? Yes, he was a rock-star on the football and baseball team.

16. What could he spend hours doing? Working out at the gym, reading and surfing the internet.

17. What is one unique talent he has? He can set a goal, lock in and achieve it. When he decided to eat better he researched macros, created a plan for food a plan for working out, stuck to it and reaped the rewards. I am extremely envious of his ability. #willpowerfordays #unlessitempthimoops

Everything You Need to Know About Packing {Guest Post: Kristen}

Hi Pinky's readers! A huge thank you to the wonderful Pinky for having me over at her place today while she's off on an amazing vacation that I am insanely jealous of! For those of you I haven't met before, my name is Kristen and I blog over at See You In A Porridge (unrelated to goldilocks) about a whole lot of nothing and everything; books, cats, travel, expat life (I'm from Australia) etc etc.

One of the things I love to post - and read - about is packing. I'm one of those people who love to squish everything in a carry on. Mainly because I've been the unfortunate person who has had her luggage stolen / lost / damaged / delayed and I was just sick of it. When I first started looking into carry on only packing, I thought there was no way I could do it. I'm the girl who brought 2 full size suitcases on a 2 week trip. It was always the same though, because I brought so much it was so overwhelming that I would end up wearing the same few things and buying new stuff on holiday (I have a wee bit of a shopping problem). So I read basically every post on the entire internet on how to do it, and I've done it successfully several times. And so can you!

I have been able to pack using just a carry on for every trip I have been on in the last couple of years; Australia for 2 weeks, NYC in winter, 2 weeks in Europe and our most recent trip to Disney World / Universal (and a couple other times I haven't blogged about!). I'll never go back to checking a bag.

Today I wanted to share a basic packing list with 10 items that easily make 15+ outfits. You could change it around to suit your needs, tastes or location. You could throw in accessories - the thing is, this is super basic but it just shows you that you absolutely can do it, it's a matter of wanting to do it, and planning. That's it.

All item details can be found here.

And the outfits I put together:

You'll notice the skirt is also a dress - I know Pinky has a few maxi skirts that can be worn as dresses, which is just brilliant. I also used a different shirt in the bottom left corner to show one of my favourite things to do over a dress - knot a tee. It's the perfect way to get more wear out of a dress, especially if it doesn't convert to a skirt, and the knot is fun.

If you look at any of my packing posts, you'll find that most of them look the same, and that's because I know what I am comfortable with and what I like. I like neutrals and stripes, and that's just what I like. Packing posts, in my opinion, aren't meant to be a hard and fast rule, but a guide, and I love looking at them because they give me ideas, but I don't have to follow them down to the letter. So you don't have to follow this, nor do I expect anyone to take 10 items and actually wear them this many times without doing some laundry - but it gives you an idea, hopefully.

If you don't want to pack using only a carry on, you don't have to. But if you do, you absolutely can. Don't be discouraged, it's really not that hard. Read my tips on how to pack less here. My thing is - I'm still an overpacker at heart. I want all the options, I want to be prepared for all the things. You can still do that using just a carry on, I promise. We use the ebags motherlode bags and love them, they make my overpacking heart happy.

Thanks again for having me, Pinky!

NO, THANK YOU for such an informative post and for being SUCH an incredible wealth of information. Y'all the first person I contacted after Le Husband suggested the Europe trip last summer was Kristen. I knew had read about her summer trip and knew she had the info on the best deals and if it was something possible budget-wise. SHE is such a supportive friend and helped me constantly when I had questions about packing. The reason I can do 30 days in a carry on is all because of her, so THANKS SWEET FRIEND!!! Love you!

Wanderlust Wednesday {Normandy Snapshot}

Morning beautiful friends! I'm finally on my trip and hope your week is going well. I realized I never shared my full itinerary and probably won't until we are moving along just because I'm a bit security conscious. We will doing France, Italy and Greece with multiple stops in each country.

We arrived safely but tired in Paris on Monday and I have a whole other post to share with y'all on that. #tiredtravelingistoigh. 

Today was our first full day of exploring Normandy and I thought it would be more interesting to shar.  We headed 20ish miles west to Omaha beach and the American Memorial Cemetary.

The drive through the countryside was gorgeous and easy, making me wonder why we don't use round about a more in the United States.

What we did:

Our first stop was the Museum De Omaha and though it was tiny the detail and presentation was quite complete. Everything had an English translation making the displays more poignant. The movie playing was quite moving and had an incredible amount of day of footage, giving me goosebumps multiple times.

 The walk onto Omaha beach brings on an unexplainable sense of awe. Despite reading multiple books and waching multiple documentaries, nothing prepared me for the vastness of the beach. It goes on and on and if you squint your eyes you can vaguely seen all the ships in the water and the men rushing the beach.

 

We walked along the beach for a length trying to get to the American cemetary, however the beach enterance was closed. Not to be detoured we hike up the hill and found a bunker and another two memorials. The quality and number of memories along the beach is an incredible testament to the valor of the men who's served and the heart of this French community.   

On the walk back to the car I attempted to get closer to the shoreline and muddied up my shoes and pants in the process. It was for a good purpose as I wanted to get some wet sand in our token jar to add to the dry sand from the memorial.   

After the beach we hopped into the car for a five minute drive to the American Cemetary. The place was more crowded than I expected and not nearly as quiet, but it made me smile to see so many people paying their respects to the fallen.    

 

The Cemetary is breathtaking and painstakingly cared for which we saw throughout our visit. My eyes continuously welled up as we walked past the rows and rows of white crosses. You cannot help but be moved in such a sacred space.  

  
 

Since we have another two days in the are we decided to drive home instead of head to Utah beach as originally planned. That is now on the docket for tomorrow.

 Once we were home we tried to snag  a very quick TRX workout before dinner. We are hoping to find a local park because the door frames aren't quite TRX legal. #nofaceplamtsplease 

For dinner we walked around town and picked a random menu that looked good. It was nice to relax after a long day and the food was incredible.

Which brings me to the What We Ate section of our post:   

   
    
   

Le husband & I cannot get enough of the coffee or espresso and could easily blow our food budget on coffee alone. #justkidding #butreallyitsthatgood

Alright, time to hit the hay. The wifi that was awesome last night is acting funky today so I'm not sure how many more posts we'll have here. Fingers crossed for tomorrow!

An revior!!!!

If The Worst Were to Happen {Getting Real Here Today}

If you're looking for a happy post, click the lil red x right now. Today I'm getting heavy and that might not be the head space you're in right now. No worries, no hard feelings, I'll catch ya later.

Today I'm talking about death and dying. Not the normal Pinky topic right? And I'm talking about if the worst were to happen to me. YIKES! Again, probably not what you would expect while I'm gone on vacation, however this is a topic that has been weighing heavily on my mind since we decided to take our long vacation.

Death scares the crap out of me. Even though I am a Christian and believe in Heaven and seeing my God when I leave this world the concept flat out freaks me out. I can't think about it too much at one time because it is just too much for my brain [which is why this post was written in installments]. I've always had a hard time when people die because it hurts me so much that they are gone from here. I can't touch them, talk to them, see them or smell them. They are all in my heart and memories but no longer tangible. So we comfort ourselves saying 'They are no longer in pain. They are in a better place. They would want us to be happy', which is probably true. However, we will never KNOW unless they left us something to go off of when they leave.

I vividly remember reading a story in the newspaper when I was 12 about a young girl my age killed in a freak car accident. The sadness over a life cut short wasn't what stayed with me, but the fact this girl had written a letter a few months before to her family in the event something tragic happened to her. I was floored she had the wherewithal to put a pen to paper for her family and I knew I wanted to do the same thing. So I scrounged around for some stationary and spent over an hour writing this letter to my family 'just in case'. And then I hide it somewhere I can't remember because I didn't want anyone to find it while I was still alive. I didn't want people to think I was morbid or weird. Which some of you might be thinking right now, which is 100% okay, I'm totally weird.

With the bombings in Paris, Turkey and Brussels my concern for our well being has grown and let's not even talk about my fear of flying combined with my fear of non US carriers. Our trip has us on seven flights which is seven time of almost debilitating fear in the air. This is something I am working on, it's just taking a lot of time to get to a point where take off doesn't cause my face to go white. But, I digress. I am excited to experience a new country and learn new things however I also know the world we live in is no longer as safe as we think. Sometimes people are just in the wrong city at the wrong time as terrorism continues to spread.  While it's scary to talk about and imagine, doesn't me we should take steps to prepare for the worst.

I spoke with the BOFF and Babyspice about POA and living wills, however we weren't able to find someone who could see us on such short notice [ooops]. I downloaded a springing POA though and gave it signed to Babyspice. You might shudder with my lack of buttoned up business, however our families [Le Husband's and mine] are close enough that I am 100% confident everything would be split as it should.

But the assets and physical things are not what trouble me, rather the emotional burden we assume when those we love leave us. I do not want those left behind to question anything emotional. I know I am loved and I know they know I love them. To ensure there are no questions, I've written my family a note which I will give to my father with instructions not to open. When we get back safe and sound I'll take it back and burn it because it will no longer be relevant.

If the worst were to happen...

... I would want my family to know how much I loved them and how much fun our family is together.

... My hope would be that they would not grieve too long, but remember with joy the time we had together [easier said than done, I know. Pretty sure I would lose my job for not showing up if the roles were reversed].

... I'd want a big party after my funeral. With dancing music, champagne flowing and jokes about me being stupid. There is a time to grieve and be sad, but my personality is sooooo much about fun that I would hate people sitting around being sad for an extended period of time.

... I would want my name to be spoken without weight and sadness. I would want it to be spoken like effervescent bubbles in a bottle of champagne. There

... my wish for all friends and family is to know each and every single person made an impact on my life and I am grateful to everyone for all the lessons, good and bad, learned along the way. .

... I would want everyone to know that I will keep loving them and being with them like the waves in the ocean.

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Do you have a will? Do you have a note written somewhere if the worst were to happen? Have you ever thought about what you would say? Am I the crazy bird up here in blog land?

Thirty Two Was, Thrirty Three Will Be

Thirty Two was...

... another year of big muscles and lifting heavy.

... finally figuring out what diet lifestyle works for my body. WHOLE30 has been a game changer and I will forever sing praises of the lifestyle change it can make for everyone. You can do it, trust me.

... joining a new kickball team and worrying we made a mistake initially, but realizing it was the best decision.

... enjoying one last kickball hurrah with Le Husband and the sissys.

... stepping out of my comfort zone and trying something new with BODYPUMP training.

... studying and practicing constantly to become a CERTIFIED BODYPUMP instructor.

... getting a job teaching at my home gym.

... freaking out but learning how to teach and make each class better.

... setting a fitness goal and knocking it out of the park.

... nurturing old blog friendships while also watching new friendship blossoms.

... making a HUGE decisions about our life and finally putting words into action.

... saying goodbye to my home of 10 years and being close to family and friends.

... my last soccer game with my indoor team. #sevenyears

... a year of learning how to grant more grace and to let go of grudges. #workinprogress

... my middle sister's engagement.

... the start of our European ADVENTURE!

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Thirty Three will hopefully be...

... the most amazing trip of a life time with my husband.

... filled with new adventures in the USA and maybe more abroad.

... a year of realization, growth and inspiration.

... when I pass my AFAA certification and also get certified in another Les Mills class.

... the year I master layer two and layer three coaching in BODYPUMP.

... another year of eating a modified WHOLE30 program to keep my body fuctioning well and strong.

... the year we decide to start a family. #OHEMGEEEEEEE

... full of fun new memories with new friends in a new city.

... a fabulous time celebrating Sportyspice's wedding.

... the year we find our FOREVER home.

... the age I finally learn to let go of resentment and bad thoughts when people piss me off.

... finding a balance between creating  new friendships in my new home and nurturing those I left behind.

... a big step forward for this blog and the future.

Paris & Cinque Terre Snapshot

Ciao from Italy! We are enjoying our first few days in our second country, lots of beautiful sights and delicious food. Wanted to pop in and give you a snapshot of our Paris time and all bit of Cinque Terre. I'll be doing full recaps later, so this is a very picture heavy post.

During our day and a half in Paris we pretty much saw it all. The metro/train from Versailles to Paris was a bit of an experience, with a closed station but we figured it ou without killing each other. Le Hisband booked a night time bus tour of the city, with a boat ride up the Sein and an evening Eiffel Tower trip. It was a blast and we rode all the way to the top of the tower.

Our second day in the city we crammed as much sight seeing in as possible using their version of a bike share. It was great fun minus the rain. We made the best of it though, because when in Paris you see all of Paris. Which included: the Eiffel Tower, Arcs de Triumphe, Center of town, Notre Dame, the Louve and the Statue of Liberty.

Monday we were up at 430am to catch our flight to Milan. There was a short stopover which was fun because it gave us time to see the city. Then we trained to Monterrosso and from there we found our destination.

Cinque Terre is amazing, such a beautiful gem of a place. We love the views, fun houses and the food is divine. Our first day was originally planned for a chill two hour hike around our area and maybe the next town. 

Ha! Somehow two hours turned into all five lands six hours later. This is not a hike for the faint of heart, lots of steps (you start with 600 on the eternal stairmaster) and then keep going through all the hills. Thankfully the weather wasn't too cold and we made it to the end. 

There are only a few days left here and then off to Venice then our cruise. Not sure if il have wifi in the cruise so might not be able to pop in until it's over. If that's the case I hope y'all have a fabulous rest of the month :)!

What we ate in Paris and Cinque Terre!

Ciao ciao!!!