Saturday, March 31, 2012

Blog Posts Roundup!

Hey everyone! Happy Saturday!!! I follow a ton of great blogs and I thought it would be fun to  share with you some of the great blog posts I've read over the course of the week. 

*I want to blog more about this next week!!

Run Your Own Race from Kelly Olexa
*I want to blog more about this too!!!

Punching with Fists of Fury from Breakfast to Bed

When Does It Change from I Run, Therefore, I Am

What Should Mom Say About Daughter's Weight? from Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat?


and last but not least, a post about books! What kind of librarian would I be
if I didn't leave you with some book recommendations?? :)

10 Books You Should Read from The Sweet Life

I also signed up for Foodie Pen Pals! I've seen posts about this fun program around the blog world and I finally got up the nerve to join! If you don't know what Foodie Pen Pals is, click HERE to learn more!

Thursday, March 29, 2012

That's What's Up Thursday

source

There are so many things I love about
this picture but I'm only going to focus on one.

Look at her face. What do you see?
I see pure joy and  complete confidence.

I think when you've found a place where you feel
like you belong and your physique
is valued & appreciated, you can't help but feel joyous.

This woman has found her place in the new Physique Division
and I love it!

IFBB Physique Pro Sara Hurrle - now that's what's up!!!

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

This Is What Happens

You guys want to know what happens when I try to play nice with the StairMill? 

I'll show you....


The damn thing chews me up & spits me out!!!  Look at me!! 
I look like I slathered baby oil all over my chest!!!!

I think we're destined to be frenemies for life :)

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

New Release Tuesday

My crush on Pitbull is still goin' strong...I can't explain it...did anyone watch his Behind the Music episode?? I kept staring at his beautiful eyes...yum yums...

Ok...sorry...focusing on this new song...not sure how I found it but I liked the beat so I added it to my cardio playlist....I want more dance type music for my playlist so if you have any suggestions, send them my way!

Shake your booty & enjoy the music :)

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Sweat to Street Sunday #4

Welcome to Sweat to Street Sunday's!

Each week my fabulously fit co-hosts and I will link up with one everyday outfit AND one fitness outfit that we love!

"Fashion" "Fitness" "FitFluential" "Fashion Link Up" "Fitness Clothing"

Meet Your Hosts!

Family and Life in Las Vegas (Emily)
Wild Things RUN Free (Charlotte)
Running and Cupcakes (Samantha)
MCM Mama (Erika)
Boobs, Barbells, and Broccoli (Tenecia)

***IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW SWEAT TO STREET ON TWITTER OR PLAN ON TWEETING YOUR POST, PLEASE USE THE HASHTAG #SweatToStreet***

Sweat to Street has been created as a place to link up your favorite outfits of the week as a new Sunday blog feature. The idea is to have some fun and change it up! Each week we encourage you to post one workout outfit and one outfit you wore that isn’t fitness related.
Every week we spotlight one awesome blogger who links up with us in the previous week! Our way of thanking you for sharing your fabulous/fun/fitness style!

This week's featured blogger: Becca from - I heart Eggs!
*Yay! I love Becca & her blog is fabulous!!*

 


SWEAT!!!!

I have to be honest - I can't remember which day this week
that I wore this outfit..lol! I will tell you that the top is one of my
favorites - I think it's really flattering whether I'm sportin'
my off-season or competition physique!


Excuse the weird angle of this pic! I wanted you to see the cute back
of my shirt & my crops!
Shirt: Nike
Crops: Old Navy Yoga Collection
Shoes: Nike (you may not be able to tell but my shoes 
are an obnoxious neon green! Love 'em!)
Bracelet: Livestrong

STREET!!!!

 
Shirt: Unshelved (it's a daily comic strip based in a library! Love it!)
Jeans: Common Genes (JC Penny's - $20!!!)
Shoes: Kelly&Katie
Sunglasses: Coach
Accessories: Livestrong bracelet, Fossil watch, 3 Coach bracelets, earrings from H&M
Mohawk: Tom's Barbershop (meaning my husband cut my hair in our garage..lol!)

Link-up Suggestions:

Remember if you don't link up, we can't choose you to be next week's featured blogger!
We are so excited to see all the fashions that are shared each week!



Thursday, March 22, 2012

That's What's Up Thursday

source

So they say that shows are won from the back...
I'm thinking that if I conduct Operation Build-A-Back
for the next bazillion years, I can have a back like this
and I'll start taking home some 1st place trophies.

Seriously! Look at this back and tell me you
don't want that kind of muscle!

IFBB Figure Pro Candice Keene - now that's what's up!!!

My First True Love

As I'm sure that you aware of the fact that I'm a public librarian. This is the perfect job for me because books were my first true love. Yes, being a librarian is more than checking out books and fixing shelves but there's something about walking into a building full of books that makes my heart smile!


My love affair with books began when I was a small child living on the southside of Tucson. The elementary school that I attended was called a "Back to Basics" school which just meant we had a ridiculous amount of homework to do each night (I'm kidding!). The librarian at my school had the coolest name (Mrs. Finklestein) and she was the most amazing storyteller! She also had a knack for introducing you to books that she knew you would like but never pick out for yourself. Often times, I would just walk up to her and say "Can you give me a good book?" and she never let me down. Mrs. Finklestein encouraged us to improve our reading skills and step outside of our comfort zones. I remember the time she handed me The Neverending Story and told me not to be afraid of how big it was (I was in the 3rd grade). I plowed through it and it is one of my favorite books to this day.

I remember the first time my dad took me to the public library. We walked in and he said to me, "All of these books are free. You get to take any of them home that you want." That was amazing to me. I didn't know there was a place, outside of my school library, that allowed you to take books home for free! My dad and I would go on "dates" the library and I loved spending that time with him.

 As I grew older, I would still hide away with a good book. I often found myself longing for a quiet space and a book instead of hanging out with my friends. It never seemed strange to me that I was able to relate to the characters in books more than I was able to relate to the people around me.

 


As a mom, I have worked really hard at encouraging The Princess to fall in love with books. I began reading to her while she was still in the womb and I swear she loved hearing Dr. Seuss and the Berenstain Bears. Before she could read, I would read her a story of her choosing every night before bed. These times were a chance for us to explore & experience a new world through a book together. Once she began learning to read, we switched roles and she would read to me each night. Now that The Princess is older, she doesn't always want to sit and read to me and that's ok. I'm just happy that those times when the television is off and the house is dead silent, I can find her in her room reading her newest library book.


Here's a funny fact - I didn't grow up wanting to be a librarian. When I graduated from high school, I wanted to be a police officer and eventually an agent with the FBI. With these goals in mind, I studied Criminal Justice and Sociology and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in both. It's funny how things change and when you walk a certain path, you realize that the destination in front of you is not where you should be. 


I still get giddy at the sight of books despite working amongst them every day. When I visited the Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia, I was in awe of their collection. It seemed like there were books as far as the eye could see (I'm exaggerating a bit but it was that awesome!). This branch was the type of library branch I pictured myself working at - it was a bookworm's heaven :)



So, now you know. Books were my first true love, followed by Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Willis (Hey, I was young! Don't judge me!). I'd like to leave you with a quote that I truly describes how I feel about books.

"Books are the quietest and most constant of friends;
they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors,
and the most patient of teachers."
~Charles William Eliot~


Tuesday, March 20, 2012

New Release Tuesday

My brother shared this video on his facebook page last week and I had to share it with you guys!!

I know very little about this group (Pentatonix) but I do know that they are INCREDIBLE & I can't stop watching their videos on youtube!

Check out their cover of Rihanna's You Da One!

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Sweat to Street Sunday #3

Welcome to Sweat to Street Sunday's!

Each week my fabulously fit co-hosts and I will link up with one everyday outfit AND one fitness outfit that we love!

"Fashion" "Fitness" "FitFluential" "Fashion Link Up" "Fitness Clothing"

Meet Your Hosts!

Family and Life in Las Vegas (Emily)
Wild Things RUN Free (Charlotte)
Running and Cupcakes (Samantha)
MCM Mama (Erika)
Boobs, Barbells, and Broccoli (Tenecia)

***IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW SWEAT TO STREET ON TWITTER OR PLAN ON TWEETING YOUR POST, PLEASE USE THE HASHTAG #SweatToStreet***

Sweat to Street has been created as a place to link up your favorite outfits of the week as a new Sunday blog feature. The idea is to have some fun and change it up! Each week we encourage you to post one workout outfit and one outfit you wore that isn’t fitness related.
Every week we spotlight one awesome blogger who links up with us in the previous week! Our way of thanking you for sharing your fabulous/fun/fitness style!

This week's featured blogger: Gorgeous Maria from A Life to Bragg About



a life to Bragg about


SWEAT!!!

I wore this outfit last Tuesday to the gym for my shoulder workout. 
My goal is to have Dwight Howard or Candice Keene shoulders...
yes, I know I still have A LOT of work to do! :)


Shirt: Old Navy - it was on clearance for $3!
Bra: Fruit of the Loom 
Shorts: Danskin Now - another great score from Walmart for $5!
Shoes: Nike
Bracelet: Livestrong


STREET!!!

I was in Philadelphia Wednesday through Saturday for the
Public Library Association conference. I wanted to 
dress cute but comfortably & warm since I knew
I would be walking around for a majority of the day.


 Cardigan: Elle Collection from Kohl's 
Camisole: Apt. 9 collection from Kohl's
Jeans: Lucky Jeans
Shoes: R2 flats from DSW
Accessories: Earrings from Creations (a local clothing boutique), bracelet (gift from my mom),
Fossil watch, Livestrong bracelet

Link-up Suggestions:

Remember if you don't link up, we can't choose you to be next week's featured blogger!
We are so excited to see all the fashions that are shared each week!



Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Up, Up, and Away

I'm on my way to Philadelphia for the Public Library Association Conference. I will attempt to update this thing while in Philly however I make no promises...I don't know if I will be able to put my cheesesteak down longer enough to type a paragraph :)

I was feeling a bit stressed & grumpy on my way to the airport so I listened to this song to put me in a "feel good" mood.

Hope you enjoy it & the rest of your Wednesday!!


Sunday, March 11, 2012

Sweat to Street Sunday #2

Welcome to Sweat to Street Sunday's!

Each week my fabulously fit co-hosts and I will link up with one everyday outfit AND one fitness outfit that we love!

"Fashion" "Fitness" "FitFluential" "Fashion Link Up" "Fitness Clothing"

Meet Your Hosts!

Family and Life in Las Vegas (Emily)
Wild Things RUN Free (Charlotte)
Running and Cupcakes (Samantha)
MCM Mama (Erika)
Boobs, Barbells, and Broccoli (Tenecia)

***IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW SWEAT TO STREET ON TWITTER OR PLAN ON TWEETING YOUR POST, PLEASE USE THE HASHTAG #SweatToStreet***

Sweat to Street has been created as a place to link up your favorite outfits of the week as a new Sunday blog feature. The idea is to have some fun and change it up! Each week we encourage you to post one workout outfit and one outfit you wore that isn’t fitness related.
Every week we spotlight one awesome blogger who links up with us in the previous week! Our way of thanking you for sharing your fabulous/fun/fitness style!

This week's featured blogger:
Madeline from Food Fitness Family

"FitFluential" "Fitness" "Featured Sweat to Streets Blogger"


SWEAT!!!!

I wore this outfit last Monday for my leg workout. If you haven't had
a chance to check out the video we did from that workout, you can see it here.


Shirt: Forever 21
Shorts: Nike
Shoes: Vibrams
Bracelet: Livestrong


STREET!!


The family and I were off to breakfast, errands, and the Farmer's Market
and this is what I threw on.


Shirt: Forever 21
Shorts: Express
Shoes: DSW
Accessories: Earrings from World Market,cuff from Creations (a local clothing shop), 
Livestrong bracelet, Coach bracelets, Tiffany & Co necklace (a gift from my parents)
Purse: Dooney & Burke (another gift from my parents)

Link-up Suggestions:

Remember if you don't link up, we can't choose you to be next week's featured blogger!
We are so excited to see all the fashions that are shared each week!

Friday, March 9, 2012

Workin' On My Wheels!

My legs have been one of the areas we've been focusing on during the off-season. 
Tightening and rounding my glutes and building some hammies 
are the two main goals of my workouts.

Tom put together a video of my first of two leg workouts for the week.
This was filmed on Monday at my home gym Desert Sports & Fitness. 
The man puts together a mean workout and video collage :)

We hope you enjoy it!


Tuesday, March 6, 2012

New Release Tuesday

Ok...I'm getting ready to share one of my dirty little secrets....I LOVE SUGARLAND!!! That's right - this girl who pretends to be ghetto fabulous loves herself some Jennifer Nettles & Kristian Bush. Don't even think about saying a word about it - I will take off my earrings ;)

Moving along, I heard like a 45 sec snippet of this song on the radio & I frantically searched to find it! It's good music...scratch that...it's great music....I hope you enjoy it!


Saturday, March 3, 2012

Sweat to Street Sunday's!!!

Welcome to Sweat to Street Sunday's!

Each week my fabulously fit co-hosts and I will link up with one everyday outfit AND one fitness outfit that we love!

"Fashion" "Fitness" "FitFluential" "Fashion Link Up" "Fitness Clothing"

Meet Your Hosts!

Family and Life in Las Vegas (Emily)
Wild Things RUN Free (Charlotte)
Running and Cupcakes (Samantha)
MCM Mama (Erika)
Boobs, Barbells, and Broccoli (Tenecia)

***IF YOU WANT TO FOLLOW SWEAT TO STREET ON TWITTER OR PLAN ON TWEETING YOUR POST, PLEASE USE THE HASHTAG #SweatToStreet

Sweat to Street has been created as a place to link up your favorite outfits of the week as a new Sunday blog feature. The idea is to have some fun and change it up! Each week we encourage you to post one workout outfit and one outfit you wore that isn’t fitness related.
Every week we spotlight one awesome blogger who links up with us in the previous week! Our way of thanking you for sharing your fabulous/fun/fitness style!

This week's featured blogger:

Sweet Tooth Sweet Life
Make sure you stop by and say hello!

From Sweat:




Shirt - Danskin Now 
*I found it at Walmart for $7!!
Shorts - Champion
Shoes - Nike
Attitude - that's all me :)


To Street:
Sorry for the blurry pic! I haven't quite
mastered the art of self-portraits in the bathroom :)

Dress- Liz Lange Maternity
*I bought this dress last summer when I was in Target & saw it hanging on the rack.
It was cute, it was on sale for $20, and I didn't care that it was a maternity dress!
Shoes - Candies for Kohl's
*Another sale purchase - $12!!!
Accessories - Fossil watch, Coach bracelets, wedding ring,
Livestrong bracelet, earrings from World Market
Makeup - c'mon now! You KNOW I don't
leave the house without my MAC! ;)

Link-up Suggestions:

Remember if you don't link up, we can't choose you to be next week's featured blogger!
We are so excited to see all the fashions that are shared each week!