Workout # 11 - The 52 Card Deck of Death...I promise it won't kill ya!

I've got a fantastic new workout idea for ya'll today! It's not exactly super new to world of fitness, but it's new to me, so I wanted to share it - it will blow your mind, get you super sweaty and feeling the burn for at least a day afterwards! And the best part is, the only piece of equipment that you need is a deck of ordinary playing cards!

It goes like this, each type of card (note - NOT the suits) has a different exercise, for example:

With the deck of cards face-down near you, flip the top card over and do the corresponding exercise. For example, if your card is a RED 8 of Diamonds, you would do 8 push ups. If your card was a BLACK 10 of Spades, you would do 10 squats. Get it? Suits don't matter at all! Do all 52 cards quickly, but without losing form, it should take about 45-60 minutes. And the best part is that each exercise is easily exchangeable for something else. If you don't like push ups, you could do jumping jacks instead - or anything you choose!

I hope you enjoy it as much as I did - I did it last Saturday for the first time on my back patio and Kona kept laying on my mat! She thought it was sunbathing time :) Silly girl!

InstaFriday. Cause it's been too long.

 

It's been far too long since I've linked up Floral+Ivory with Jeanett over at LifeRearranged. But I finally managed to throw together my Insta's from the past few weeks, yay me!

 

And PS - Jeanett has something super special on her blog this week, especially close to my heart and my family, so if you have a moment, check it out. Right here! It's so amazing what the power of a simple link can do - you'll see what I mean by checking out Jeanett's post (and searching the post for Agro Towers!!....we're like famous, or something!) 



 

 

Anyway, back to my Insta's. As many of you know, I recently started a new job at NAU (Northern Arizona University) and I LOVE it. Mostly because I can wear my leopard print, with my polka dots and colored demin and no one thinks I'm crazy :)

 



A wee little snap shot of the view from the dirt bike ride that Sam and I went on a few weekends ago. It didn't need any of those stinkin filters or sepia tone, it's pretty all on it's own!

 

 

 

And then our 20 mile walk in the woods, 2 weekends ago. This was our campsite. I believe I posted this picture already, but if you want to read more or see more pictures from my first overnight backpack trip, you can find that here.

 

 

I need to take a little time out to say THANK YOU to our good friends, the Clay and Shawnacy for letting us borrow those wicked awesome chairs and the pad for sleeping, it would have been yucky without those! 

Back at home, I finally took a moment to clear away the crap that was on my mantel. Since it we moved in, it's been a place to store any thing decorative that didn't have a home. So it had turned into a slew of mismatched candles, candle sticks, books, art prints, horseshoes.... and other random things that didn't belong. So I shopped the house for my pretty blue mason jars, some vintagey books, and milk glass to make this a neater, prettier sight for us. And without spending a dime, I'd say it doesn't look half bad!

Again, work outfit. Same pants as the previous work outfit photo (from Target, BTW.) With my amazing bunting necklace and sweet buckle flats. (also from Target.) Just too much cute to not take a pic!

Little brother, Weston finally got himself a MAN truck! We're super excited for him and proud of him for making a wise choice in truck purchase -- no financing here!

You guys. It was 70...seventy! degrees here last weekend. Finally! So back to work on the back yard - priming the fence so we can make it one solid color, rather than 3 or 4 mistmatched colors. Planting our veggies and getting rid of the weeds. We're ready for some BBQ's!

Oops, out of order. This one belongs back up with the picture from riding a few weekends ago. Can't remember the name of this little lake, but it's supposed to be chock full of great fish!

Really big news for Floral+Ivory - we made our 10th sale last week! I know, that's not exactly record breaking sales or profit. But it's pretty exciting. I've been hoping to get numbers up with wedding season being here, but I'm not really sure how to market it to brides.  Any ideas?? or even ideas for products?

The photo below was my first rendition of a mongrammed cake topper. Which turned out wonderfully!

You know what's awesome. When it's your second week at a new job, and you can't get back from lunch on time because your battery dies...sweet. Luckily my awesome hubby was right around the corner and was able to get me up and running again. But what a pain. Thank goodness it wasn't snowing or raininy!

Within the past year, Sam and I have finally found our wine tastebuds. We even joined some wine clubs, cause we're winos like that now...obvs. Anyway we've got some questions from friends recently about why we chose the wineries that we did. So here's a little explaination: first off, we joined Tobin James, James' Gang on a whim while tasting in CA last August. (That might have been a wine induced impulse purchase) But what we like about the James' Gang is that we get 8 bottles, twice a year, of REALLY good wine. Plus a great gift is included in the package - this time it was a fancy shamancy corker. We also like that tasting is free at Tobin James, no matter what.

We decided to join a local Arizona winery and have so far not been as impressed. It's more money, less bottles, and not as tasty. Plus they use synthetic corks, so I can't even craft with them... hmmmpph.  So, if you're looking to join something fun and delicious, we reccommend Tobin James.

Lastly, what's a InstaFriday without a cute Insta of our pooch? This was the morning of our hike, she obivously didn't want to get out of bed....yes she's a bed sleeper, and we like it that way. Don't judge.

 

Happy Friday, friends!

Recent Adventures - Heffelfinger Style

The past two weekends we have been blessed with some decent weather. (Finally). So Sam and Kona and I took advantage of it and had ourselves some good ol' outdoor adventure time.

First off, we packed up the bikes and headed out towards Sycamore Canyon for some easy dirt road riding. Nothing too technical, just the wind in your face and a little dust in your hair.

Our next adventure involved a little more planning, sustenance, and water :) Sam mapped out a 20 mile backpacking trip for us in the canyon just over from where we had been riding in the photos above. It was my first time relying solely on the items in my pack for an overnighter - I was a little afraid of forgetting something vital...like water or food...kidding. But Sam was very prepared and had lists of items and food packed and ready two nights before we left.

We also packed Kona's backpack so she carried her own water and food - she's such a trooper! This is the pack that we have for her - thanks to a our wedding registery :) she loves it and it's worked really well for us, if you're looking to get one for your pooch.

As you can see, Sam was the photographer on this trip - since there is maybe 3 photos of him total...ooops.

 

Thankfully we made it through the night (no bears..lions, or tigers...whew!) after a hearty meal of Parmesan pasta and sausage. Oh, and some smores...can't camp with out those!

And the next morning we hiked about 2.5 miles to a trailhead for Secret Mountain, then switched to the Loy Trail.

Well I guess you can't really read the sign... but it took 3 takes to get that picture!

And that, my friends, was the last photo taken on this trip. We were suffering from blisters, and it was hot, and lots of thorny things to watch out for, (gosh darn desert!) so the camera stayed put away. But the good news is we made it back to the truck in time for some Dairy Queen, and a quick stop off at Oak Creek in Sedona to swim and play some fetch. 

It was a great weekend, a lovely way to spend some quality time with the hubs and my favorite furry friend. 

Have you been on any great adventures lately? Let me know in the comments!

How are you!?

It's been way too long since I've posted - starting a new job has thrown my schedule into a frenzy, so I'm working on adjusting. And since the weather has finally turned warmer, our evenings have been spent outside, working on the backyard or BBQing with friends.
Here's some quick unedited shots of things going on around here:

Our windows in the living room when from this:

To this!:

Sam and I whipped up these curtain rods out of pipe and re-barb with a clean coat of spray paint and some of Sam's ingenuity, they are sturdy and easily removable so I can change the curtains when I want. Also, the awesome polkadot curtains were a clearance find at UrbanOutfitter's for only 10$ a panel! Score!

We also got to work on the backyard. my brother-in-law, Wyler, came up to help out. The boys worked their tails off and closed the gap in the fence (which you can see in the picture below). The fence still needs to be power-washed and painted, but it's a huge improvement, and much more private since we can no longer see into our neighbor's backyard.

Hank and Daisy, the neighbor dogs, really enjoyed visiting with Kona while the fence was being repaired.

We also purchased the first bit of block to begin building a retaining wall for another raised garden bed. You can see it in the top photo of the collage below. Sam and his "engineer brain" took the different sized and shaped blocks and created a uniform height wall that will go around the patio. We purchased some soil from a local gardening shop and filled up the two garden beds. Unfortuantly the weather is still below freezing at night, so we can't plant anything yet, but hopefully that will change soon. (As I type this it's actually hailing and raining...ugh)

So that's what's been happening around the house lately. It's an on-going process, but so much fun and worth it to have an outside space to host BBQ's and parties this summer. 

We also installed what was a nasty bronze outdoor lamp to our covered patio - with the help of a bit of spray paint of course to give it a whole new look!

You can see the difference of the old bronze and the new dark finish. But I forgot to take a picture of the finished product--- sorry. But trust me, it looks really nice compared to what was there (a tiny little light bulb all by it's lonesome).

In other news, Sam and I were invited by our good friends to attend Financial Peace University - a nine week course presented by Dave Ramsey on financial planning, becoming debt free, and growing your wealth. We're only one week into the class, but really enjoying all that we've learned so far. It's exciting to think that as young as we are, we can be debt free (not including our home mortgage) in less than two years. If you're interested in learning more about the class, check out Financial Peace University.

And this coming weekend we're headed off on my very first overnight backpacking trip. I'm slightly terrified that I might get eaten by BigFoot, but very excited to try a new adventure! 

What has the blog world been up to while I've been out gathering my wits?? :) 



A post about the hard stuff.

Even though I posted just last week about the Top 10 Best Things in Life, some things aren't so cheery and happy. A few weeks ago, I was contacted by Heather, a mom and loving wife who has experienced some very trying times. She asked if I could share her story with my readers. At first I was unsure of how to go about this, as I try hard to keep this blog a light, airy place on the net to share the good things, but when I read her story, I knew it was too scary, too important to pass up. It's a story I hope I never have to live through, but a reality that many face. So, here's Heather for you, please take a few minutes to read her story, check out her blog and send a prayer to those who are affected by stories like hers. It's Leah, again. A short, but powerful story. Before meeting Heather, I had no idea what mesothelioma was, how it could be contracted, or that it is such a killer. I hope her story, if anything, allows to you learn something new, and embrace the ones in your life, because life is short, even when you think it's not. To learn more about Heather and her story, check out her blog, here.

Dealing With Cancer as a New Mother

Life can sometimes throws us unexpected curveballs. When I was 36, I experienced this
phenomenon. On August 4, 2005, my daughter Lily was born, and I was overwhelmed with joy.
The excitement that my husband and I felt at that moment cannot be exaggerated. Unfortunately,
however, the joy would soon be tempered.

After returning to work, I felt unusually tired. While this is not uncommon for new mothers,
something about it felt wrong and unusual. What really concerned me, however, was the fact that
I was losing 5 to 7 pounds every week. I went to my doctor and underwent a battery of tests. We
figured that the doctor would come back with an easy diagnosis, along with a simple solution.
Unfortunately, the results were a lot more serious than we had anticipated.

Three and a half months after Lily's birth, I was given a diagnosis of malignant pleural
mesothelioma. Mesothelioma is a specific type of cancer that affects the lining of the lungs. I was
unknowingly exposed as a child to asbestos, which is the only known cause of mesothelioma. My
doctor believed that I would only live for 15 more months without any treatment.

Needless to say, the news was devastating. Lily was always at the forefront of my mind, and the
idea of her and my husband not having me was difficult to bear. Right after I was diagnosed,
my husband and I decided that we would do everything possible to beat this. We discovered a
new form of treatment that would require me to travel from our home in Minnesota to Boston. On
February 2, 2006, I received an extrapleural pneumonectomy, which involves the removal of the
cancerous lung in addition to parts of the heart lining, chest lining and diaphragm. After 18 days in
the hospital, and an additional 2 months of recovery I began chemotherapy and radiation.

During this treatment, Lily lived with my parents in South Dakota. Fortunately, they have a strong
network, and there was no shortage of friends and family members willing to help. While their
help was instrumental for my recovery, I missed out on much of Lily's early life. I missed Lily
eating solid foods for the first time, and I was not there when she began moving around on her
own. Despite this, I knew I would be there for Lily in the future; she would have many more firsts
that I could witness.

As awful as mesothelioma was, some good did result from it. I knew I had to be there for my
family, and the experience gave my husband and I a deeper appreciation for life. Although it can
be difficult to see, there is some good in even the darkest of situations.

It's Leah, again. A short, but powerful story. Before meeting Heather, I had no idea what mesothelioma was, how it could be contracted, or that it is such a killer. I hope her story, if anything, allows to you learn something new, and embrace the ones in your life, because life is short, even when you think it's not. To learn more about Heather and her story, check out her blog, here.

Workout #10: Spring Break 13'

Well, for NAU, spring break is right around the corner. And in honor of that, our gym puts on a spring break challenge to encourage students to get to as many classes as possible before spring break. I put together a 20 minute ab workout for class tonight, which I thought went really well. It made my abs burn, and heart rate rise, and left me feeling strong and ready for a bikini.

To start class off, we warmed up with suicides across the room, we did 5 jumping jacks, high knees across the room, then 5 push ups. High knees back, 7 jumping jacks, high knees, 8 push ups...all the way to 10 push ups.....make sense??

The workout included 5 sets of tabata abs, each with 2 different exercises. We repeated each tabata 2X for a total of 2 minutes per tabata. We repeated the workout for a total of a 20 minute ab shred! Here it is, posted on a picture of Jamaica for motivation!

I hope you enjoy this as much as I did! And if you're like me, and don't get to participate in spring break this year, I hope you take a moment to enjoy something festive -- I'm enjoying a glass of wine on my patio after work, but if the weather isn't so great still in your neck of the woods, maybe bring some pretty flowers home to liven up you house!

For more of my workouts, check back at my Fitness page (right side of the blog), or click here!

Top 10 Things: The Good Things

Life's been a little crazy lately. I mean, really, when is it not? Am I right? But more so lately than usual I think. With some spare time before I start my new job on Monday, and spending the weekend in Phoenix, I thought it would be a good time to sit down and reflect on all the good things in my life. There are a lot. I'm so thankful to be able to even come up with a list like this. Sometimes when life gets busy, you forget to to be thankful, or you let the bad, ugly things come a little too close to your heart. So, here goes, a list of all the good things in my life at this moment in no particular order:

1. Spending an extra 15 minutes this morning to cook up some eggs to enjoy with Sam. It's not often we have time to eat breakfast together. It was a sweet moment to be in each others presence and relax before the day began....maybe we should do this more often.

2. Kona has to make it on this list. Other than Sam, she's the love of my life! She's been doing this kooky thing with her ears in the morning lately that just melts my heart, I haven't captured it on camera yet, but just trust me on this, she rocks my socks and knows how to make me smile even when I don't want to.

3. My family. Weston's hockey team is traveling to Nationals this weekend, which is fantastic, we're all so proud of him. If you're in the Paso Robles area, check out last weeks Paso Press for a great article on him and the journey from roller hockey to ice hockey. My parents are packing up and heading east to watch him play too! It's so wonderful to know the kind of support that kid has, the kind of support Sam and I have (I've got some pretty darn cool in-laws!) and how awesome my whole family is!

4. New friends. It seems since the wedding, Sam and I have really expanded our friendships, mostly in the "couple" friends. Which I think is fantastic, we're lovin' game nights!

5. A new job. Not sure yet if it's my dream job....actually I know it's not. But sometimes you've got to take the risk in hopes of other doors opening. And it certainly is a blessing for both Sam and I to have full-time benefit eligible jobs in times like this where many people can hardly find work.

6. Etsy. Maybe it's because it's wedding season, or soon to be, but Floral+Ivory has slowly but surely picked up the pace a bit. I'm so grateful for a little boost in income and I LOVE knowing that I had a hand in someone's special wedding day. I'm praying the sales keep coming, and I'm praying I find some time soon to restock the store with new things!

7. Working out. Gosh, hitting the gym, even with the stress of having to teach the class, rather than just partake in it, is such a stress reliever. I'm healthier now than I've ever been, and it feels so good. Sometimes I can even get Sam to come with me, and it's so fun to work out with him! And knowing the difference that I might be having on someone else's life is awesome, I truly hope that I can impact my students in a positive way, challenge them, and help them see all the benefits that a healthy lifestyle can have.

8. Old friends.In combination with the newbies, has been so much fun lately! We're looking forward to weddings, summer camping trips, lunch dates, and so much more. As these relationships have grown, it's been great to collect memories and make new ones. I'm looking forward to many more years with these guys! And who knows...maybe our kids will even like each other when the day comes ;)

9. Sewing.Thanks to my good friend, Bethany, I finally started sewing my quilt that I've been talking about for ages. It's been so therapeutic, to come home and turn on some soft music with a cup of tea or coffee and listen to the hum of the machine. Watching the progress has been fun too, it's slowly coming along, I can't wait to bind it all together and show it off!

10. Our home. Much like my quilt, our home is a work in progress. Sam and I recently sat down and discussed all the ideas and projects that we want to accomplish to make our home extra comfy and US. I'm planning on posting that list soon, as a way to keep us accountable for starting and finishing these things. But on top of all the decorating and projects and whatnot, in the big picture, we're just so lucky to have a home to call our own, something we own and can paint whatever color we want, to have our friends over for BBQ, to have an office to sew in, to give my wonderful brother a place to stay, a backyard for Kona to play in, a mailbox to catch all the lovelies that come our way. It's just wonderful!

What about you? What are your Top 10 Best Things right now? Care to share -- leave a comment and say hello!