A new workout routine. "The Daisy duke"

Back in high school I had a total girl crush on J. Simp. Tuned in for every Newlywed episode, bought every magazine that had her on the cover (or even mentioned her name). And yes, I admit to being a tad bit depressed with Nick & Jessica announced their divorce. Who saw it coming? Also during that time she played Daisy Duke in Dukes of Hazard, never saw it, heard it was horrible..but lets move past that, her bod was freaking rockin'. <--- maybe I should have had a better role model? She was totally in her prime, it's ok Jess..you just keep gettin' pregnant. So I came across Jessica's "daisy duke" workout routine recently and knew that I had to give it a try. She did this 5x a week for 25 weeks to get in daisy duke shape.

Last night I tried this for the first time, only doing 2 reps per exercise to start out and IT.WAS.KILLER but awesome. My buns and thighs are so sore today (I love being sore). I would totally recommend giving it a try if you are looking for something new! It is hard but don't give up! I decided that I deserved a treat today for my achievement, Paul & I went to food truck Thursday at the fairgrounds and stuffed ourselves with some Burnt Truck So counterproductive Kelley, but so delicious...

add some sparkle to your day.

So we've been back in the real world for 2 week now & I've been doing a whole lot of the above. Shopping & baking. I don't know about you but I sometimes get these sudden urges to bake 6 different things of my Pinterest board. Allinthesameday. You'd think my husband would be all for it, but I know he dreads it as a push my creations in front of him as my official taste tester. Sorry Paul, I'm no Martha. Few make it for a second try but these two surprisingly did.. Paula Deen's PB cookies & traditional key lime pie. Head over to my Pinterest board to grab the recipes! 

Now..If you have a Target nearby, jump in the car and get your booty their now. A few nights ago I was aimlessly walking by the shoe section and came across these 2 gems, each 70% off! I had been eyeing those gold flats for a few weeks, with the sale I snagged them for $6 & $10! Hello new favorite shoes. 

The Big Apple

Well..I sure wasn't joking when I said we were planning our next trip. We have the dates officially set for our first trip to NYC (Excuse me while I jump around the room like a crazy person). The truth is, I've always had a subtle obsession with the big apple, the energy of the city, the opportunity it provides and the history. My first dream as a child was to work for a magazine in New York. Real life eventually happened but I always continued to see myself living there at some point. We are planning to go for about 5 nights and would love any advice of "must-do's" or favorite places to stay. Finding a hotel in the right location seems so overwhelming, although I'm sure I would be happy with anything! Please leave a comment below of any recommendations you have!

taxes & anti-wrinkle cream.

Ok random-est title for sure, but it works in Lou of my random weekend. Not much went on, Paul & I tackled the dreaded duty of getting all our 2012 business info prepped for a Monday meeting with our CPA all while I continued to fight this never ending cold. Aren't they always never ending? Well...somewhere in the mix of that mess I took a trip to TJ-maxx, while browsing I somehow came to the conclusion that I needed anti-wrinkle cream. What? I have no idea. But it happened. Paul thinks it is pretty much the most ridiculous this ever. Which I can see... I mean, here is his 23 year old wife applying wrinkle cream every night before bed. Hey 23 going on 53 I guess? 

So, I don't know why but it doesn't seem that weird to me? We are taught to use sunscreen at a young age to protect or skin, whats the difference here? Friends, feel free to poke fun, call me out or come out of your wrinkle cream closet (it's never too late). Paul promises that he would never let me get any plastic surgery, which I secretly love. Not that I would want any, but there is something about knowing your man doesn't want you altered or formed any other way really gives a girl some confidence.

It got me.

My bed, tea, baths, & Friday Night Lights marathons..these are a few of my favorite things when a cold has come to kick my butt. I also have the house to myself while Paul is off on a shoot.. aanndd I may or may not have promised him that the our place would be completely spotless when he comes home this afternoon. So far my piles of used tissues next to me say otherwise. Common immune system, let's kick this together & I'll treat you to some fro-yo later. Happy Friday all, have a great weekend & if you live in So Cal, stay dry!

Getting in shape for our vacation. How I finally did it!

Let me first day that #1. I'm already feeling super self-conscious for blogging these photos, I promise I'm not vain! I finally found something that works & had share this journey in hopes to inspire someone, #2 having to get anywhere close to bikini ready mid-January is just plain cruel. Cruel I tell you! ...The road to loosing weight & toning up for our vacation seemed like a long one, I tried so, SO many combinations of different diets (which I always failed..miserably) & exercise routines beginning 4 months before our trip. Three months into it and I still wasn't seeing the results I was looking for. I didn't know what else to try :( With just a month before our trip I was feeling defeated. 

One day while on Pinterest, I came across this 30 day challenge. With nothing to lose, I decided to go for it. I began doing this once a day before bed, sometimes even twice a day (morning & evening) when I was feeling real adventurous. I started small with fewer number of reps & increased them as my core became stronger. Just a week later I was seeing results. In addition to the 30 day ab challenge I was also doing 20-30 minutes of cardio along with 20 minutes of weight training (the same amount that I was doing the past 3 months but still not seeing noticeable results). The ab challenge was really working! 

After 2 weeks of completing the ab challenge I wanted to try & mix in a healthy eating regimen. I searched & searched making sure that it was something I knew I could stick with. I was over setting myself up for failure like I had done in the past. This one really caught my eye.

I loved the fact that I could still have a little of my bread that I love (mmm carbs, I love you) & that they had a healthy option for dessert! Paul even liked the Skinny Cow bars! Most of the time I switched out the grilled chicken with grilled Salmon :) 2 weeks later I was feeling even more confident & never got tired of the Flat Belly Diet! It really is pretty amazing.

If you are already straying from your New Years resolution I would 100% recommend the Flat Belly diet to get you re-inspired, maybe even add a 30 day ab challenge to your day! 

a birthday, real life & twins.

Today we celebrated one of my best friends birthdays! It's funny how birthdays are celebrated at this time of life, now in our early-mid 20's, still somewhat feeling like you are still 19. Seriously, it's hard to believe that I've been out of my teens for 4 years. Oh life. We celebrated at Plum's Cafe in Costa Mesa. It's a trendy little joint off of 17th St. If you are ever in Costa Mesa, I would definitely recommend you stroll down 17th St. Go ahead and grab a table at the cutest little eatery you can find (there are many). Order a latte & maybe a pastry while playing "how many OC mom's in spandex" It really makes for a fun afternoon.

After lunch I finally talked myself into walking into our office. It took 3 days after getting home from vacation to pull myself in there.  I even considered rolling a jar of Nutella in & seeing how long it would take for me to follow it, my thighs told me there had to be another way. Here's a glimpse of my work day, desk, laptop & beats headphones, all day long. Who knew that "headphone hair" actually exists? Go 3+ hours with these guys on & I'll come out of the office with some sweet kinks that no straightener can tame.

Oh hey..who's the nerdy couple who dressed like twins at brunch. Oh that's right, us.

Cruising part 1

The week before we left could have been the longest week of my life. I was just too excited to jump on that plane and go. I probably packed 3 days before I needed to & still found out on the trip that I hadn't packed enough! We got to the airport that Saturday morning wide eyed and smiling, it felt like we were heading to our honeymoon all over again!

After spending a day at sea, we made it to Grand Caymans. We were amazed with their beautiful beaches, it was like something you see on a poster. 7 Mile Beach was where we spent the rest of our day after exploring the island via Jeep, stopping in to check out cool shops, their famous rum factory or to grab a coconut when we were thirsty :)

 

7 Mile Beach also has some rediculous restaurants. I was completely content indulging in the best fish & chips of my life with this as my view. Looking back on these photos already makes me sad that it's really over. We are actually already planning our next trip!

   

Part II coming soon!

Vacation was great, home is too.

We're HOME!! Vacation was "kdjgksdkdn!!" Meaning, amazing. Oh my gosh I never wanted to leave. Never in my life did I ever think water could be so clear and perfectly blue. It was like an extra salty version of a swimming pool. We snorkeled everyday, adventured the islands on a vespa, shopped in the markets & ate our body weight in french fries (those bad boys were seriously dangerous). It was truly a week in paradise. Hoping I can get around to blogging a few more images of our vacation, for now my insta feed is crawling with a couple. Now I'm ready to crawl into bed and sleep my life away. Home is so good. 

We're outta here!

It's here!! Can it really be?! Paul & I are currently in the airport just waiting to board and we are so excited. In a few hours we will land in Ft. Lauderdale and I know that tonight my 6 year old self the night before Christmas will come out of hiding while I try and sleep before boarding our home on the sea for 1 whole week, pinch me friends, just pinch me. Although my parents & the rest of the cruising crew have strategically planned out their adventures on each port to the hour, Paul & I plan on having no plans. I'm fully content with the idea of getting off the boat with no preconceived schedule at all. Renting a couple vespas and traveling to a private beach together for some snorkeling sounds heavenly right now. Of course my spontaneity junkie self is jumping up & down while Paul's inner planner is on the verge of a breakdown. Meh, It's good for him ;-) See you in a week!

Marriage is a funny one.

Image by Color Me Rad

This past weekend, we were able to spend a lot of time with our good friends Max & Leigha. They have been great friends to us both together and apart. They got married just 9 months ago and immediately moved to San Diego after their wedding while we stayed in Orange County. We were a tad bit heartbroken that we couldn't hang out with them as fresh newlyweds, mainly because I knew how much we needed a married couple to hang out with after we got married. The problem was, none of our friends were married yet, we were the first of the group and dove right in. I remember wanting to just be able to talk with another "new wife." The issues I was facing wasn't something that I could go to mom for. I was looking for advice, feedback and just to know that the things that Paul & I were experiencing in our first few months as husband & wife were okay and normal. That it was ok that we were arguing and that we weren't having sex 6x a day (yes I just went there). Young Christian couples somehow get that idea in their head. After 4 years of waiting, I guess your mind goes wild with possibilities (yep still going, hang with me). I look back and laugh at my naivety at 20. But don't we all..

Now that I'm are 2.5 years in as a Mrs, I don't feel like a pro, at all. Sometimes I go thru moments of, "Hey I'm starting to figure this whole marriage thing out!" Only to feel completely discouraged days later. As my friend and I split a grilled cheese and talked on the couch together it felt great knowing that she wished for all those same things too as a newlywed. She expressed how she felt so alone amongst her single friends, they wouldn't understand the current failed expectations of newlywed life she was experiencing and the not so fabulous marital bliss. Although we now have been blessed with many married friends in our life, a small weight lifted off my shoulders after that chat. Marriage is a funny one but I'm thankful for the support of friends & family and happy to take it on with this one inparticular.

San Diego, you're my favorite. 15k completed, what?

With no plans tying us down last weekend, we decided to make the short drive down to San Diego for a friends trip! Normally when we are in SD we are solely visiting family and switching back & forth between houses. Just coming off of the holidays, we've had our family fix for awhile & recently, we've had so many friends come up and visit us that we decided we should return the favor.

  

The boys golfed, the girl went antiquing, got our puppy fix, discovered hard cider, and had great dinners. Trip successful. 

My dad knew that we were coming down so Friday I got a call from him inviting me to run to run15k with him that Sunday morning. A 15k?!? I didn't even know what distance that was! Luckily it was a 5k/15k race so you could choose what best suited you. Of course I opted for the 5k, only to find out the morning of the race that my dad had signed me up for the 15k! 9.3 miles. I felt sick to my stomach. I hadn't trained for a distance like that let alone ever ran that distance before! It was 6:30am, 42 degrees outside (cali girls don't do well under 60), & the race was ready to begin in 20 minutes. I began mentally preparing myself for it, trying my hardest to wrap my mind around running a little over 9 miles. Trying to stay as positive as possible! My step sister was there to document the whole journey.

Here we are at mile 3 feeling great!

                     

                    Onto mile 5, still feeling surprisingly strong!

Mile 7 "Point to what hurts!" at this point my right knee was giving me some trouble
but with only 2.3 miles left I had to work thru it!

We finished & never once walked!!! 9.3 miles completed and I'm still in awe as to how I did it. I know I definitely couldn't have done it without these 2 who were there the whole way building me up with confidence!

A first time ever hair tutorial.

Last night my sister in law came to stay with us for the day, which turned into a sleepover and common on, who doesn't still love sleepovers? In the midst of our spontaneous sleepover, we decided to make a hair tutorial for a style I blogged about a while back, a couple people commented asking for a "how to" video and here it is! Now, before watching, know this. We did this in 1 take! So please excuse our awkward ness, my ability to say "so" 16x and my frequent use of the word "super" I didn't even know that I used that word. Enjoy!

fakin' bakin'

There's nothing like preparing for vacation, am I right? Grabbing a couple new fun tops, new tanning lotions, a bikini perhaps? Making sure that you are fully prepared for lounging by the pool with a drink in hand, it's hard work. Since we will be cruising, I've also been on the lookout for a dress for formal night :) I can't wait! In the next 10 days I will also be preparing my tan for the caribbean rays. Now this is totally embarrassing for me since I am not the tanning salon type & Paul hates anything fake, including "fake baking" but today I made the decision to get a 2 week tanning package & just go for it. I'm honestly feeling a little pressure since the last time Paul & I vacationed somewhere tropical we were on our honeymoon. Listen now, my bod isn't exactly as perfectly toned or tan as it was back then. I've still been diligently working on the toned part, so tanning was my next venture. Trust me, I'm getting tons of laughs & judgement from my friends (cue head lowering in shame). And as if my ego wasn't smothered enough; before I went in for my first fake bake, the teenager behind the counter took one look at me and said, "let's start off with just 4 minutes today ok?" It's January child, give a girl a break!

oh hey 2013.

Sushi, friends, catch phrase and bubbly. 4 great things when welcoming a new year.

Wishing you so much love in 2013.