This Week in Workouts: Travels

Well, as you may know, I we finally arrived home late last week. What you may have also realized is that the Sunday post did not get out... This is mostly because I was just savoring being at home and being with our cats again. But now, it is back to work and back to slightly fewer cat cuddles.

The road home ended up being super fantastic and filled with more than one adventure. Everything started out at our good friends' wedding reception in Wisconsin. There will be much more on that as well since these friends also have an organic coffee farm in Colombia that is getting ready to start sales of their first roast. It was wonderful to see them and incredible to be with all our friends and family together again! Then, we were able to camp in the Smokey Mountains and climb a mountain. My goal (albeit silly) was also accomplished and I was able to eat Trail Mix on the Appalachian Trail. Epic. 

The mountain climb and trail hike did leave my muscles surprisingly achy... Especially the downhill run from a giant rattle snake- for real. Needless to say, the following two days were followed with relaxation and plenty of yoga. Turns out downward facing dog is the best thing ever for sore calf muscles.

Then, came two days at Disney World and a recuperative stay at the Swan and Dolphin where we had, possibly, the best view ever. I have always been partial to the Swan Hotel at Disney World, but after this stay, I may have been converted. We stayed at the Dolphin Hotel for my first time ever and had Hudgens, the  most incredible check-in assistant ever. He upgraded us to the nicest view I have ever had at a Disney resort where we opted to stay in and watch two fireworks displays from the comfort of our room. And yes, the picture above was taken from our wall-length window :)

The next morning the second part of my travel goal was completed and I jogged around the Swan and Dolphin Hotels along with a bit around the Yacht and Beach Club. Granted, my calf muscles were still the most sore things ever, so the run was only a mile long.

My legs were completely soothed by Friday with a welcome home hot yoga class to round out the week. This week's goals include at least two more hot yoga classes and a couple more short runs. Nothing too crazy, but some things that I have been missing incredibly!

Happy Monday, I hope your week is simply wonderful!

Things I am Loving

We all have things that suddenly and unexpectedly make us look like this. There have been a few items, blog posts, and the like over the past couple of weeks that I have simply fallen in love with. Get ready, because there are a lot of things that I have become completely addicted to. One of them being this completely unproductive yet engrossing name website. For instance, I now know that my great-grandmother's name, Alma, was quite popular at the turn of the century. Well, it may not be the cure to world hunger, but I found it super interesting!

There is one thing, however that has lost me. Sadly, as of two weeks ago, I fell out of love with Pretty Little Liars. I mean really, if there was a town that crazy ANYWHERE the entire world would come together in the sole purpose of destroying it. Getting rid of the craziness that is Rosewood could literally bring world peace. That is how crazy PLL has become. Rant complete.

These Jeans

I am LOVING all of her super handy and simple make-up tutorials. She, like me, is a bottle red-head and does make-up to suit those color tones. This has made is super easy for me to do what she does and, bam! have amazing looking make-up. So far, my absolute favorite has been this one on using oranges. It revolutionized my summer make-up regimen.

I am not usually a Hollister kind of gal, but I was in the market for jeans at a time they were having a sale no one could refuse. I purchased these and my love has grown everyday that I wear them. Granted, it has only been a week and I have not washed them yet, but they are incredible. Simply the most comfy, least awkward-when-worn-too-much jeans I have ever purchased, and for under $30!

Braided Buns

These are so easy to do and look so refined. Definitely not like something you just did because your hair has decided to go in every direction but flat. And let's face it, that is one of the best reasons anyone has for putting their hair in a bun.

Deodorant for Clothes

Because we are camping. And because sometimes you just don't have time to dry clean that one needed article of clothing.

These Shoes

I got them on a sale and have also fallen in love with them. If they are still available, man are they a good buy! The only downside is that the buckle hits right on my ankle bone. This has made a comfort issue when I try to wear them too tight. Just as long as the buckle stays loose though, they are super comfy.

Sales

My wallet is telling me no but my mind is telling me yes! There have been so many incredible sales this past month on Etsy, J. Crew, The Gap, Hollister, and about 50 other places that I cannot currently think of. It has made purchasing all those needed clothes for summer and fall soooo easy!

Photo Beautifiers

Apps like Afterlight and Over have made my new Instagram goals soo much easier! Not only am I able to get pictures out more regularly, but they do no look like my usual sad, gray photos of nothingness. Yay for apps that make us look much more proficient with cameras than we may actually be!

Michigan Weather

We are heading down to Florida this week and I have an odd feeling there will be some weather shock in my future. The summer in Michigan has been wonderful with very few days reaching above 85 degrees. This Michigan summer has definitely been on the top of my "Things I am Loving"  list.

This Bracelet

I ordered it. Received it 4-days later. And fell for it on the spot. It is simple, light, and comes in some pretty nice packaging to boot!

Fishtail Braids

They are easy when you get the hang of it and look so wonderful. I also absolutely love them with a pretty hair band or some big earrings. Swoon.

This is a great tutorial as well!

Jaclyn Hill

I am LOVING all of her super handy and simple make-up tutorials. She, like me, is a bottle red-head and does make-up to suit those color tones. This has made is super easy for me to do what she does and, bam! have amazing looking make-up. So far, my absolute favorite has been this one on using oranges. It revolutionized my summer make-up regimen.

A City Girl's Guide to Camping

The hubs and I will be going on our first camping trip together starting Friday. This will be my first camping trip since I was about six and to say I am nervous, but excited would be an understatement. We are starting out simple with what they call "car camping". This is where you simply pull your car up to the camp site, hitch your tent, and enjoy. There will be a bathroom station with flushing toilets (apparently this is a big deal?), cold running water, and something else that seems quite expected but I cannot remember.

We have invested in a super nice tent, an air mattress, queen sized sleeping bag, lanterns that turn into flashlights, a semi bear-proof cooler that keeps ice frozen for 24-hours in 100 degree weather (whhhaaatt?! awesome), camp cookware, fire starter, a First Aid kit, and emergency food- because this one gets hangry. Something the husband has also found for me is a pretty conclusive and easy to understand how-to on camping. This web series on How Cast is done by Heather Menicucci, author of Let's Get Primitive: The Urban Girl's Guide to Camping.

Heather gives packing lists, first time camper tips, backpacking tips, and lists on what to avoid. She also ads nice things like How to Camp, How to Pick a Camp Location, how not to sleep, and what to avoid. It is awesome. This quick web series will help those who have camped before but maybe it did not go so well, those who want to expand there camping knowledge, and those who consider camping a 2-star hotel.

So, when was the last time you went camping? Also, how important do you think bear spray is in the Smokey Mountains?

How Do You Run Safely?

Since I have started running outside waay more often, I have also started thinking a lot more about running safety. Of course this means running on the proper side of the road, wearing bright colors, have a phone with you at all times, and not running during busy traffic times. That last one is more important up here since we are running on roads with no sidewalk and no shoulder at times. Other than the basics though, how do you stay safe while running?

The hubs just got me a new key chain pepper spray and had requested that I never run alone without it. I think both of us watched waaaayyy too many episodes of Unsolved Mysteries at far too young an age. Especially since, now that I have it, I would never consider running outside without it.

For all those other issues that could befall me when running, I have turned to Kitestring. Kitestring is, possibly, the best use of my cell phone ever... Other than Instagram, obviously. This is not an app (thankfully since my storage is at about 1 mb free space), it is a number you have saved and simply text. Going out for a jog? Walking down a creepy ally? Going to buy something on Craigslist? Just text Kitestring the amount of time you should be done in and they will check on you when that much time has passed. If you are safe, you send a quick message back. If not, they will notify your emergency contacts right away.

There are two options for Kitestring, the free one and the $3 a month one. With the free option you get eight outings a month and one emergency contact. For $3 you get unlimited emergency contacts, unlimited outings, and two upgrades called perennial mode and a customizable check-in period.