Battle of the Spouses: Biggest Loser Challenge {Update}

As you all know, Greg and I are competing against each other to see which one of us will wear the crown of Biggest Loser in our Family Fitness Challenge. 

Well, last week I wasn't being completely fair to my husband.

He was exceptionally busy at work and I {subconsciously} took advantage of that.

{Innocent until proven guilty, right?}

Needless to say, I realized my mistake and consented to starting the challenge this week so that Greg has ample opportunities to workout. So, we will take our measurements and starting fitness test on Wednesday and will begin our challenge from that point on, making it an 11 week challenge instead of 12.

I guess on the bright side I get to change my starting weight from 157 lbs to 155 lbs! 

Music Monday {Flashback Edition}

I was listening to Pandora Radio last night

{the Adele station of course}

while soaking in a much needed bubble bath and sipping on some coffee, taking in the aroma of my scented candles, and savoring a few minutes of peace and quiet.

Bubble baths, take me to my happy place.

About halfway through my relaxing bath a song came on that I had not heard since 2005, when my college roommate, Courtney, was married; and in which she danced with her father. 

"My Girl"- The Temptations

The song immediately took me back to when I was a little girl, growing up in Southern California. I recalled many Sunday afternoons when my family would spend what seemed like hours, just driving up and down the coast, on scenic Hwy 101, just listening to the oldies station and watching the surfers out in the distances. 

Those were the days...

It was a much simpler time. 

A time when I didn't yet have "grown up" responsibilities. 

I enjoyed my "flashback" so much last night that I found myself switching to the oldies station, reliving memories of my childhood. So today, on Music Monday, I'm going to share with you some of my favorite songs as a child. 

"Brown Eyed Girl"- Van Morrison

"Kokomo" - The Beach Boys

"Highway to the Danger Zone" - Kenny Loggins

What songs immediately take you back to your childhood? 

Will you share them with us?!

Battle of the Spouses: Biggest Loser Challenge

Via

Greg and I are battling it out: Biggest Loser style

As I mentioned in my previous post Getting Beach Body Ready, we are going on vacation to the Dominican Republic in May. Therefore, we are buckling down and getting serious about reaching our individual weight loss goals. 

Greg and I have made a friendly bet about who will come out on top as the Biggest Loser in our Family Fitness Challenge, and we invite you all to join us on our journey! We are including two separate pages located at the top of our blog, titled Team Greg and Team Meg, which will provide those of you who are interested, our stats each week as we make this commitment to fitness.  

Let's place your bets! 

Will it be...

Team Greg 

or 

Team Meg? 

Greg is known for his determination and drive. When he puts his mind to something, it almost always gets done. His focus is unparalleled. He once lost 30 lbs in 8 weeks while in college. Do you think he will  arise victorious once again?

Meg is known for her commitment to the things in which she is most passionate about in life, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle has been recently added to this list. She is already in the process of training for a half marathon and has an upcoming 5k scheduled for the end of March. Do you think Meg has what it takes to overcome her husband in this challenge?

Join us each week for 

Weigh In Wednesday

Leave a comment and let us know who YOU are rootin' for!

Getting Beach Body Ready

Eeek! I have exactly 3 months to lose 30 pounds!

Why, do you ask?

We are going on VACATION!!!

Via

Greg's parents have been so gracious in inviting us to go with them to the Dominican Republic in May! My parents are equally as gracious in that they are watching these two adorable hoodlums while we are gone.

So, I am asking all of you to help me get beach body ready. According to all of the research that I've done, 30 pounds in 3 months is a healthy, realistic, and achievable goal. It's roughly 2-3 pounds every week. I'm pretty sure that I can do this with a little bit of determination and motivation :) 

Therefore,

I have challenged my husband, Greg, to see which one of us can meet or exceed our weight loss goals by the time we leave to go on vacation. 

{More on that challenge to come} 

So... what does that have to do with all of you?

Well, if I meet my weight loss goal of 30 pounds AND beat my hubby in our Biggest Loser Challenge, I will host a giveaway on the blog as a way of saying thank you! I have yet to determine what the giveaway will be, but I promise that it will be good! 

So help a girl out! 

What are some of your go to weight loss workouts? Do you have a diet plan that you recommend? I'm all ears! 

Music Monday

I am a sucker for reality shows like NBC's The Voice.

I can't help it.

There is just something about this show that draws me in.

The blind auditions at the start of the season are my favorite part. If you haven't seen the show, here is a brief overview of how it works. Each hopeful contestant performs in front of four industry judges:

 Christina Aguilera 

Adam Levine

Cee Lo Green

and

Blake Shelton

{All images courtesy of Google Images}

All four of the judges are seated in over-sized red chairs facing the audience.

{They somewhat remind me of a Mr. Toad's Wild Ride at Disneyland. Anyone else? No? Just me?} 

The judges listen to the contestant's performance and decide if said contestant has what it takes to make it in the industry. 

And here is what I love about this show: 

the judges make their decisions blind- they must listen intently to the contestant's voice- tone quality, pitch, overall sound, etc. The contestant isn't judged based on age, appearance, or stage presence; but on pure talent. Once the judges express an interest in the contestant, the contestant then determines which mentor he/she would like to work with. The banter that often takes place between the judges, trying to convince the contestant to pick him/her as their mentor, is beyond hilarious at times. There were moments during last week's episode that had me practically rolling on the floor with laughter. 

Watch the following clips and you'll get the general idea of how this all works.

So far this season has completely captivated me because the talent is amazing, unique, and refreshing.

Have you seen The Voice? What are your thoughts? Do you enjoy the show as much as I do?

If you haven't seen it yet, it airs Monday evenings at 8/7c on NBC. 

Milestone

Okay Y'all...

I just hit a major milestone in my Journey to 13.1

Via

I just ran a 5k in 34:53 minutes!!!

Now I know that for you more experienced runners that may not be such a big deal; but it's a huge accomplishment for me because I haven't run distances like this since college. My goal is to complete a 5k in under 30 minutes by my first race at the end of next month. I'm pretty sure I can reach my goal if I keep this up- so that excites me! 

Well, you can all go about your day now :) 

I just wanted to share my exciting news with you! 

5 Things That Take Me To My Happy Place {Listable Life}

I am so glad that I found Nicole's Listable Life blog series via SITS! Granted, I jumped on board in Week 3... but I've still found it rather enjoyable and it is my hope that you have too.  It has also provided me with a prompt to blog about rather than trying to come up with something on my own. {I've had writer's block as of late}

This week's prompt:

5 Things That Take You To Your Happy Place

So, here we go!

1. God's Word


The Word of God defines my happy place. 

It is my rock. 

my fortress. 

my hiding place. 

my source of comfort. 

my greatest treasure.

Via

2. My Boys

When I say, "my boys," I am most definitely throwing my husband, Greg, into the mix. But I thought that I would spare all of you that uber romantic, sappy, sentimental, crap. {you're welcome} As you read from last week's Thankful Thursday post, I absolutely adore my husband. There usually isn't a "happy place" moment that does not involve Greg. But like I said, I am going to spare you from all of that mushy stuff and talk about the other "men" in my life. My sons, Hayden and Rylan.

While they drive me crazy at times and are often the source of chaos in our house, I cannot help but be overcome with joy whenever these two goobers curl up in my lap for some one on one time with Mommy. It melts my heart. My day instantly brightens when they shower me with hugs and kisses. Stress and worry disappear the very moment they whisper, "I love you, Mommy." My sons have taught me a great deal about love since they have entered into my life, because their innocence has yet to be tainted by the world's perversion of the word. These two have turned my world upside down and there is nothing that I wouldn't do for them. 

3. Running 

Running not only provides me with an excellent source of exercise, it also provides me with the ability to work out all of the things troubling me on my pavement. I love this image from Asics that I found on Pinterest, because it paints an accurate picture of how I feel while I am running.

Via

Even if I am dreading a particular workout {ie- hills} I always, always feel better after my run. And I have yet to regret the time that I have spent either on the treadmill or the pavement.

4. Bubble Bath

Light some scented candles. Turn on Michael Buble or Josh Groban. Slip into the warm, silky water, and simply drift away. Awwww... my happy place. Peace. Quiet. Tranquility. 

Via

Even if I can only get 20-30 minutes uninterrupted by little boys pounding on the bathroom door- it's pure bliss. 

5. Chocolate

Dark chocolate. Milk chocolate. White chocolate. Doesn't matter. I love me some chocolate. To say that I am addicted would be an understatement. Okay... maybe I am exaggerating a little bit... but I do enjoy chocolate. If you ever need to butter me up for whatever reason, all you would have to do is bring me some chocolate and I am a happy girl.

Via

So... what are some things that make you happy?