There has been a lot of response to the 10 minute challenges I have been doing at work so I decided to put together a 10 minute office workout that you can do quick and easily at the office. This has helped me break up my day when I've been sitting a lot. Thankfully most days for me includes lots of running around, but I do get those days where I need stretch my legs and get my heart pumping.



All you need for this challenge is a timer, sneakers, and non-restrictive clothing.

2 Minutes: Warm up. I suggest taking a brisk walk around your office or doing jumping jacks at your desk. This will get your muscles warmed up so you do not hurt yourself.

2 Minutes: Do 3 sets of 15: squats. Rest for 30 seconds between each set.

2 Minutes: Do 2 30 second planks with 30 second rests between each.

2 Minutes: Do 2 30 second sets of tricep dips. 30 second rests between each.

2 Minutes: Finish up with jumping jax.

Make sure to stretch it out at the end if you are feeling any tightness or soreness. Always go at your own speed. If something does not feel right, then stop and modify it to make it comfortable. Drink plenty of water through the day to stay hydrated.

*Remember to always consult your doctor when starting a new workout practice. I am not a doctor nor am I a certified trainer. These are exercises I do daily at my own leisure. 

So what did you all think? Easy enough right? Would you want to see more of these? Lemme know in the comments below :) Happy Monday!

Happy Friday! I'm still on the wellness/health kick. I think it's something I am adopting for life. I feel much better when I am being healthy and taking care of my well being. Today I thought it would be fun to tell you about my top 5 wellness things that have really put me on track for a better and healthier life.



1. My yoga block! I picked this baby up at T.J.Maxx for $4 a few weeks ago. I have used it for all kinds of yoga poses as well as stretching techniques. It really helps a short girl like me work into some of the poses where I feel my arms or legs are to short to reach. It also doubles nicely as a photographing platform. I have put a few items on it to get a nice picture with a black background. Score!



2. Always loving my Garmin Vivofit. It counts my steps and gives me daily goals. It also monitors my sleep and reminds me when I have been sitting for to long. It works on bluetooth and connects right to my smartphone. I love how it updates everything right there and lets me see goals and participate in challenges with other users.



3. I have been eating a lot of chia seeds lately. They go great in smoothies, oatmeal , salads, or just sprinkling them over anything really. You can also use it to make pudding. Once submerged into a liquid the chia seeds form a gel like case around them. Sounds weird, but they are super good for you and help you feel full!



4. Thrive is always a help when it comes to my health and weight loss. I know I have talked about it before but this stuff really is the real deal. It is not a weight loss diet, it is a daily supplement that replaces all the vitamins we are missing. I have more energy and motivation to get out and do the things I need to do. I am currently doing an experiment on how I feel without Thrive. I can tell you I am tired and cranky. I don't want to do anything extra and my stomach has been upset. My anxiety has been showing more and I just feel like yuck Starting back up on that this week for sure!

5. 10 minute fitness challenges! Every Tuesday and Thursday at work I have the opportunity to participate in a 10 minute challenge at lunch time. It is a great way to get you moving during the work day and to get your heart pumping. This is especially good if you are sitting a majority of the time at work. It has certainly gotten me more motivated to get up and move!

I keep writing down my dreams, and crossing them off. Which ones are really my dreams? And which ones are just fantasies? Is there a difference? Am I being greedy by wanting such great things for myself? Some days I think so. Other days I jump on the "If I can dream it, I can do it" train. But once I peel off all the layers of these thoughts, what is it that I really want?



I just turned 32. I am working on building a life for myself now. My 20's were a learning experience full of fun and failure. Which makes sense right? So here I am standing at a crossroads. Which way should I go? The certain paved road or the uncertain dirt road? I want to leave all of these questions in the powers that be, but I need to also have some say in my life.

Back in college I wanted nothing more then to work in entertainment marketing. I went to school, graduated with honors and shipped out to Los Angeles in effort to make that dream happen. I had an experience of a lifetime but then home sickness happened. As things were slowing down and money was becoming more scarce I panicked. I booked a flight home, and on take off my dreams of entertainment stayed behind. That was 10 years ago this coming summer.

Now I am sitting here wondering, do I have a new dream? Or was that it? Did I leave it behind when I boarded that flight? It's still a question that haunts me daily. I am still very unsure of that answer. Today I am making myself a new life once again, but this time with the man I want to spend my life with. That is also my dream. Get married. Buy a house. Have children. Grow old together.

Can I have both? A family and a dream career? Is it to late to jump back into what I started 10 years ago? I'd like to say no, it's never to late, but again I panic.

Today I am linking up with Love the Here and Now for Wednesday Wishes. Today I wish for you all to follow your dreams and be happy with that path you choose!

What do you guys think? Is it ever to late to reach your dream?

How can it be Monday already? This weekend flew on by! Probably has something to do with it being Pi day. It was an epic Pi day being the date was 3.14.15 and of course if you celebrated at 9:26:53 you were really into it then! (Pi= 3.141592653).


Being I work at a scientific place and I have friends who are teachers and such, we all decided to get together and have Pi(e) and beer at a local brewery. It was a pretty great choice as we all contributed a pie or snack and then supported a local business by drinking their beer. Sounds like Heaven right?



Along with that awesome time me and R went and saw 2 apartments. We really liked both of them, and they were the first 2 we actually considered for our June move. One was an old original home in the town I currently live in. It was massive in size and had a super cheap rent attached to it. The second was closer to my job and only 3 years old. It had adequate space but nowhere as big as the first and with a much larger monthly rent. I wish I took pictures to show!
We have a lot of thinking to do. I would love to get it all nailed down soon so we know where we are going come June. Now in the meantime I need to get this apartment packed up and moved. No fun!

Oh I almost forgot, I had one other event on Saturday. It was a busy day for sure. I met up with a friend to support a local high school. They were putting on "Into the Woods" as their spring play. I didn't get a chance to see Into the Woods when it came out in the movie theater back in December so this was definitely a fun alternative!


Sunday was much more quiet, which I liked. Although there was some unexpected snow on the ground. I mean come on it was 45 degrees out Saturday and in the 50's today. Where did this snow think it had a place to jump in? Anyways, I started the day with breakfast at the best diner in town (and cheapest lol). I had yummy pancakes and eggs. And of course you can't forget the coffee.

Me and R went and packed up a few boxes in my apartment and moved them to his place. It is so bittersweet. I love my apartment but I know it is time in our relationship to move forward with our lives together. Remind me to tell you our story sometime. We have been together just over 2 years and it's been quite the journey for sure.


After moving the boxes we relaxed a little before doing some weekly food shopping. I have had some major face breakouts over the past 2 weeks and I can't shake the feeling that it's something I am eating. I bought only fresh and unprocessed foods for this week. It is time to figure out this issue once and for all. I'll keep you updated.

I hope you all had a great weekend as well! Happy Monday!

Christine over at The So-Called Homemaker said I should fill this out so I’m going to!  I encourage all of you to do this, too…such a fun way to get to know each other!

Favorite pet I ever had:
Oh my what a hard question. I have a a few cute little handsome kitties steal my heart in my life. I still have 2 of them around. Bean and Rocky. Both living with my parents and as happy as can be!

Favorite food I’ve cooked:
I really love to experiment with food. Lately I am experimenting with lots of healthier options and I have really enjoyed cooking sweet potatoes. They are so versatile and good for you!

Teacher who changed my life, and why:
My photography teacher in high school really touched me. She always drummed to her own beat and taught me it was okay to do the same. Don't be like everyone else just because its easier. I still love photography and she really helped me fine tune the eye I already had. 

The best paid entertainment I’ve ever seen:
I am a huge music fan. I would have to say some of the concerts I have attended have really blown my mind. Both on the local bands and professional levels. I don't think I could choose just one but that is always my escape when I choose entertainment. 

Favorite hobby activity that makes me get lost for hours:
Freebies and blogging. I get so sucked into all the things that the internet has to offer. I love to sit and read great blogs and search for my next freebie. Sometimes it sounds silly, but I have it down to a science and its worth it.

My greatest skill (past or current)
I have excellent listening skills but I still think I am pretty great at photography. I enjoy it and I know a lot about it. I could talk to someone for hours about it if given the chance.

The best advice I’ve ever been given:
No one has the right to discount your own life or choices. They may disagree with your choices but that doesn't mean they get to make you feel bad about it. 

My favorite flower or plant – personally grown:
I love lillies. They are beautiful and always come back every year just as beautiful as ever. 


The most favorite gift I’ve ever gotten – what and from whom?
My boyfriend took me away to Maine within the first few months of dating. It was an absolutely beautiful weekend with beautiful memories. I will always keep that in my heart and as a gift I will never forget!

My most suspenseful moment:
Waking up from a bad car accident not knowing where I was or if anyone else was alive. It was the most suspenseful and frightening moment of my life. Something I will never forget but wish I could.

My most unexpected achievement:
Moving to Los Angeles and being able to survive by myself alone in a big crazy city!

My favorite paid employment, ever:
Hmm.. Probably working in the prep-room of a world class spa. It was only part-time but it was so fascinating to learn about that world and how quick those ladies and gents have to move in between massages and facials. So much chaos goes on behind the scenes of such a relaxing place!

The favorite dessert I’ve ever eaten
I love cheesecake of any nature! All flavors and varieties!


The most scared I’ve been by a bug or critter:
Hmm.. I don't know when the last time was I was really scared of anything like that. Not many memories of crazy critters or bugs. 

My favorite household chore:
I really do enjoy vacuuming. I could vacuum all day if you let me. 

Favorite item no one knows I own:
What an odd question. I don't think I own anything that I love but no one knows about it. 

The prettiest shiny object I’ve ever owned:
Well.. at the moment I haven't owned much that was shiny except these shoes! lol

 
Favorite outdoor smell:
Burning of leaves in the fall. Such a great time of year.

Favorite song I ever danced to and with whom?
I'll get back to you on this one.

The favorite place I have ever traveled to where I’d spend my whole life if I could?
The Bahamas. I went for a whole week and lived like a local just enjoying the culture. It was so great and beautiful.

The most significant change I’ve had to go through and how it made me better:
Moving myself out of state away from everything familiar. I had to learn to live and I have really made my own life that I am proud of. It has been hard and there's been plenty of bumps, but it's been very rewarding as well.

Favorite environmental sound (rain, thunder, etc.)
Rain for sure.

Best time I’ve had playing with a pet
I love getting my parents dog all wound up. He gets all jumpy and dances. He is an English Bulldog so that can get very fun to watch.

The favorite picture I’ve ever taken?
That's a hard one! I have so many, but let's go with this one: It's like the sign is saying "Stop and look up! It's so beautiful up there!