Four Things on a Friday

Today I wanted to share a few things I've been enjoying and doing lately.

Fitness
With summer back, our local FIA group is back to having morning workouts three times a week at 5:45. This works out so well for me. I get my workouts done and over with before the day starts. It's great. With that, I've been hitting my goal of working out 3+ times a week. Woohoo!!!
What is FIA? It stands for Females in Action. It's a free, peer-led fitness group that focus on fitness, friendship, and community. If you're invested, look them up because there all over SC as well as several other states, so there's a good chance there's a group that meets near you.

Reading
I've also do some good summer reading. It can be difficult to find time to read but lately I've been able to sneak in some me-time and get some good reading accomplished. I've ranked the ones I read from best to least favorite, although none of them were awful.

1. Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter- A young movie star ends up on a remote island in the 1960's with a secret.
Great read, especially if you're a fan of old movie actors.
2. Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple- When a young girl's mother mysteriously disappears, she does everything she can to track her down which includes uncovering her mysterious past.
Interesting characters and interesting plots twists.
3. The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty- A letter is written that shouldn't be read and when it is it can never be unread. The wife and other's feel the repercussions of her husband's secret.
The multiple character points of view took me a minute to get used to but the story was interesting and captivating.
4. The Girl in the Garden by Melanie Wallace- An abandoned girl and her baby are taken in by a cast of characters in a coastal New England town.
The writing took a little to get used to but the story was good.
5. Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll- A woman with a past returns home and doing so revisits the demons that still haunt her.
It took me a while to get into this one but it finally picked up even though it ended up being predictable.

Shopping

I've got a girls beach trip coming up in a few weeks and I did a little shopping for the trip. I've got a few more things I'd like to get but here are a couple that are making the trip with me.
First, soft matching pajamas. As lovely as my large t-shirts are that I normally sleep in, I thought I step it up and get a nice matching set. These are on sale and the pants are so comfy I may not take them off. Sale alert! Dillard's is taking an additional 30% off clearance now through Saturday online and in store, no code needed... so get your booties there now. While your there check these pjs that are also on sale, here and here.

shirt // capris

sunglasses on sale for $6// hat (similar) // coverup 

Home

I'm so excited because Pierce and I finally bit the bullet and bought an awesome washer and dryer set. We installed it on Tuesday and by Wednesday Pierce had washed AND folded all the dirty laundry in the house... so I know he's excited too. The plan now is to get rid of the crappy wire shelving, paint the dark brown walls and refresh the flooring to totally update the laundry room and make it a functional space. I can't wait to get started and show off our before and afters. Here's what we got.

washer // dryer // pedestal

I hope you all have a fun, safe weekend celebrating Independence Day!

Making Resolutions

Happy 2017! I hope that you are all having a great start to this new year. 

My typical New Year’s resolutions are for self-improvement (eat better, workout more, save more, spend more quality time with the family), and I have great intentions but my drive usually fizzles out after a few months. I hope that by setting monthly goals I will keep myself continuously motivated since I will be focusing on one or two manageable goals at a time rather than too many which would can be overwhelming. 

They say it takes 21 days to form a new habit, so rather than set lofty yearly goals that burn bright but fizzle out before spring gets here; I’ve decided I’m going to set attainable monthly goals. If they (whoever “they” are) are right, then as long as I stick to the goal I set for each month, I should be on my way to creating healthy habits.

January Goals:

**Get Moving**

Last year I had baby weight to lose and did the 12 week Bikini Body Guide. I had great results with the program and it really changed my mindset on how I should be working out. It taught me the importance of resistance and weight training along with cardio. As life would have it, I slacked off and let the chaos of life and excuses replace my workouts. Starting now I am back at it. 

Using elements I learned from BBG, I plan on doing at least 2 resistance workouts, 2 LISS (low intensity sustained state), and 1 stretching/rehab per week. No excuses, I have to do this every week. Hopefully by February it will be ingrained in me again. Working out makes me feel accomplished, strong, energized and motivated. Who doesn't what to feel that way? I sure know I do. 

Here is some workout gear I’ve been lusting over. One or two new things is sure keep me motivated, right? 😊

Yoga Commuter Mat

Cross Back Sports Bra

Kettlebell

Max Out Tank- the built in tank is awesome!!

Moisture Wicking Leggings

Nike Training Shoe- perfect for resistance workouts

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**Get Pretty**

Now that I’m in my thirties I’ve started to notice those signs of aging we all dread. They are inevitable but surely we can slow them down. I figure it’s worth a shot to try. I bought Pierce a face scrubber for Christmas that I’m going to test out. (I don’t know if your husband’s are into face products but Pierce loves a good face scrubber, peel, mask, etc., and I’m happy to ablige because then I can try them too.) 

Conner True Glow Sonic Skincare Scrubber

I’ve taken my before picture and, in 30 and 60 days, I’ll take after pictures, and we shall see if there is any validity to the claims that scrubbers help reduce lines. I sure hope so! Stay tuned. 

Thanks for reading and helping me stay motivated. 

What are your New Year’s Resolutions? I’d love to hear them.