Play List

Alright ladies, I have a favor to ask of you.  As mentioned previously, I am in the midst of learning to run and while I am still really enjoying it, I need your help.  I have been trying to update my iPod with songs that might help keep me motivated.  That being said, what songs/artists/music helps keep you going when you are working out?

{via}

Girls Weekend

I am beyond excited for this weekend as I am heading away with 8 other friends for a girls weekend to this beautiful place.

There will be tons of fun, loads of laughs, many crazy stories and pictures to share upon our return.

Hope your weekend is fantastic.

Express Spring Swimwear

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Express for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

 If you are anything like me, bathing suit season is front and center on your mind.  Between working out and eating well, I have been trying my best to get in shape so that I can wear a bikini this year and that has had me browsing online to find the perfect suit.

Express has a great selection of women's swimwear and I am crushing on this one:

 

I plan to spend a lot of time in the water with my boys this Summer and a new bikini is just what I need for the beautiful days that are quickly approaching.

Express has a great selection of bikinis, two piece swimwear and they even have swim shorts for men in case you are looking for something stylish for your man.  At Express you can shop bright solids, on-trend graphic prints, the essential reversible style, nautical-inspired striped and sleek metallic styles.  Some designer details include flirty ruffles, sexy self-tie sides, glam beaded embellishments, polished metal hardware and removable padding in tops. 

Don't forget to check out their Spring essentials accessories, including sandals, tote bags, sunglasses and hats for him and for her.

Also, if you sign up for Express e-mail you will have a chance to win one of ten $200 Express Gift Cards.  Hurry though, the sweepstakes ends 4.21.10 at 11:59pm, EST (check out the sweepstakes rules for more information).

Talented

I grew up in a really small town.
A really small town.
A town of 2000 people.
My high school graduating class consisted of 60 students (give or take a few?).

One of those students was Julie Corrigan.

In fact, Julie and I went to school together from the age of 4 until we graduated from high school.  I remember going to Julie's and playing Barbies together and listening to Natalie Cole's LOVE

and Julie would sing along like she did to most songs.

Moving on to high school...if you knew Julie chances were that you heard her sing.  She liked to hum and sing almost all the time and it was by no means a bad thing.  Her voice has always been amazing and her personality matches it perfectly, she is and always was one of the kindest people.

To this day Julie still sings.  In fact she has several songs available on iTunes and even had one of her own songs played on our local radio station Hot 89.9. 

Julie also had a YouTube page and all of her songs and covers are there for you to check out.  Some of my favorites...

Been Through The Fall



Born This Way

Just The Way You Are

Take A Bow

Julie is such an amazingly talented person and I am so proud of her for following her dreams.  Get going and check her out, you'll see just how lovely she is.

Top Two Tuesday - Two Random Facts About You

It's been a while since I've linked up with Taylor's Top 2 Tuesday and today's topic is two random facts about you.

1.  I can not stomach the feel of loose cotton.

Cotton balls make me almost vomit and I am actually gagging as I type this.  If there is cotton in a pill bottle I can't take it out or if I have blood work done and they put a little bit of cotton under the tape my stomach turns until I take it off.

2.  I don't drink pop but I crave Pepsi and Ginger Ale.

I haven't really been a pop drinker since I was 16 or so.  However, for some reason I actually crave Pepsi (either fountain or directly from the can) and Ginger Ale (with crushed ice) randomly.

What are two random facts about you?  Head on over to Taylor's and link up to play along.

Update & Bachelor Finale

Just wanted to post an update to keep myself accountable.  The last time I weighed in (March 3rd) I was down 2.5lbs (for a total of 4lbs, 7.5 from goal) and since then I have been pretty good at continuing with working out and eating well, with the exception for the first Saturday night when I had a few too many drinks. Oops...

I have been going to kettlebells 1 night a week and running 3-4 times a week and the cardio has been a huge help with losing the weight, while the kettlebells has helped me shed some inches.  I am so happy to report that I am down a size in shirts and pants.  I can't believe that after only losing 4lbs that it would make such a difference in my clothing, but apparently inches are greater than pounds.

Last Wednesday I bought Jillian Michaels 6 week six-pack DVD and I have done it 4 times so far.  I definitely think it will be a good workout if I am consistent with it (which I will try to be 4 days a week).  As usual, Jillian combines cardio with abs and strength in this video and the best part - it's only 30 minutes long.  It makes it so much easier to do when you think that all it takes is 30 minutes.  If I can ever get my butt out of bed for a morning run and then do this at night, I'd be set!  Someday, someday...

{via}

I can already feel a difference in my abs (they are hurting!) and I am noticing a change in my body shape even though I've only done it 4 times!!!  I can't wait to see what the end result will be.  I'll definitely keep you posted on how it goes.

Did you watch tonight's finale of The Bachelor?  I am so pleased that Brad chose Emily to be his wife, she seems like such a kind soul and they truly do seem to be in love.  I did like Chantal as well, but you could see just how crazy Brad was about Emily throughout the entire season.  Here's hoping that Brad and Emily work out and that Chantal will be the next bachelorette.

  

{via}

Bob Harper DVD

I recently won a giveaway over at Marissa's blog and I couldn't be happier!  She was giving away a copy of Bob Harper's Ultimate Cardio Video and yours truly won.  I am so excited to get the video so that I can add it to my list of workouts  Thanks so much Marissa!  If you don't know who Marissa is, you best be checking out her blog.  She is a wonderful blogger who shares delicious recipes and wonderful workout tips all the time.  Marissa also has an amazing weight loss story that she shares on her blog, along with a Wednesday Workout Blog Hop, so what are you waiting for, get going and tell her I sent you.

Weekend Plans

Yes, I am a terrible blogger with little to no consistency...I'm a busy woman, what else can I say?

We've been pretty busy over the past two weeks and thankfully this weekend is looking pretty quiet and we are planning on spending it at home, working on our house.  I had a hair appointment tonight with the lovely Kristen and then we went for supper at The Works and oh.my.goodness. AMAZING!!!!  I ordered the Red House which was a burger topped with roasted red peppers, avocado, beechhouse sauce & havarti cheese and it was delicious!  Mmmmm...
 For tomorrow, our first order of business is to hit up Home Depot on Saturday morning to get some tile ideas for our bathroom and our kitchen back splash and to buy some paint for our bedroom.  I am thinking of doing our bedroom in Pelican Bay...

The kitchen, dining room and living room is very open concept and we have rounded corners which makes it difficult as to where to change colors.  We I have decided on the colors below for the living room/dining room/kitchen:

Darkest GrapePencil Point

Burnished ClayElephant Skin

The burnished clay seems to have a pink tinge to it in the picture above, but it's more of a grey tone.  I got inspiration from a color card I found a while back at the store and I love it.  We may or may not paint anything the darkest grape, however, it will be used as our accent color for decor.  We also have big plans for our cupboards, table and hutch.  We will be refinishing them all a darker color.

That is our excitement for the weekend and I can't wait!  I'll be sure to take some before, during and after pictures to show our progress.

What are your plans this weekend?