Muffin Top?!

You've heard of the term muffin top right? If not, it typically refers to a woman's excess skin that hangs over the top of her pants....however, men can totally get it too. Thus looking like a muffin and or cupcake. I think cupcake top sounds a little more demure, if that's possible when speaking of excess skin.  People also refer to these as love handles.  I'm not sure I like that term either, handles are something you grab and love....well....

See the resemblance? 

It's not the most flattering term, nor the most flattering picture of elegance. I am by no means the most fit person in the world.  I prefer to call my "excess" mini muffins. I thought it would be kinda cute that when all excess skin is gone that I get a little tattoo of a muffin and or cupcake to be a reminder of my hard work and dedication. LOL.
You may be attached to your handles, I would prefer to see them go...thus.....I looked on the web for some fun gut busting workouts to shave off some lbs.....

This one is titled, How to Lose Your Love Handles:

P.S. If anyone is counting, bathing suit weather is about 4 months away and for me like 2 with Spring break....my minis have got to go.

KEEP IN MIND: even if you do the exercises, diet has to go with it.  Diet and Exercise go hand and hand.  If you just exercise you may be getting tone underneath, but you also have to shed extra lbs by eating right, getting proper nutrition: veggies, fruits, vitamins, protein.

Spare Change?

 Do you ever just have change lying around the house?

My husband moonlights as a bartender..... and therefore we often get a lot of change in the house.  Six years ago while visiting one of my besties in Philly I saw a empty water jug lying on the side of the road.  I thought to myself "self, this would be perfect to collect coins in."  


We've been collecting all of our spare change and depositing it into this jug.  I don't really know what we are saving it for. A rainy day?  A trip to some far off land, preferably Asia..... who knows?!  All I know is that after 6 plus years of collecting change it hasn't seemed to get much higher, but than that jug is sooo dang wide! Stupid area.....AND it's getting REAL heavy!


I can literally find dollars worth of change at any given moment on our bedroom floor, or rather around in our bedroom.  I am forever picking it up, hoarding it away.... it does however come in handy when I need to find the meters.  Here are pictures I took last night of the money I found lying all over the room...

 

First quarter found on the bed...I'm amazed it didn't slip through the cracks and end up in the abyss under the bed with how many other lost coins.

 Yes, that's my picture on the floor.  It's on my husband's 
side of the bed.  He has trouble picking things up.  Don't get me wrong I LOVE the guy, but picking things up is not one of his many gifts....haha!
That's two quarters by the way =$0.50

 Next to the unused and very dusty TV (don't judge). It isn't the weekend yet so I haven't had time to clean....I think there are 5 quarters there, a dime and a nickel ....if you're keeping tabs that's $1.45

 Um....yes, those are my socks with a glass of water on them. I didn't want to water stain my dresser- is that a crime?

 This coin was found by my husband's closet, by his Brooks Ghost 3 running shoes.  That's another $0.25.
So in total I found.......?? Guesses?! 

What should we use the money for?

School Dayz

Happy 100th day! So today was the 100th day of school.  Actually it was the 105 day of school somehow all of us were off, I don't know how that happened, but that good news is there are only 75 days of school left now. I suppose that teaching is one of the few jobs where we can actually have a countdown.  We count up to 100, celebrate and then count down to 0 and celebrate!

You probably think "we have it easy"  I DISAGREE! Yes, I love my vacations and summers off, but if I didn't have them I think I'd go crazy.  My kids are great, all 27 of them, well most of the time.  One on one GREAT, but all 27 at once, well.....
So yesterday we had a Valentine's Day celebration and today 100th day! Good times, but oddly enough sooo much more draining! Just like field trips, while I don't have to "work" and or teach, being screamed at to come look at this and that and keeping everyone together and making sure all the chaperons know what to do and buses and yatta yatta....WORSE than actually having to teach all the subjects.  Actually the last field trip we had I had 3 parents tell me they don't know how I do it everyday, ha and they only had to walk around with 3 children.  I have 27 everyday.  At least they were sympathetic.  
100th Day of School ideas- gotta use these next year! Read this, Kids loved it! Super Cute...I have to say though that I never celebrated the 100th day when I was in Elementary School.

 

We did activities across the 1st grade. We rotated among the three classes, we've done it for awhile.  I have the students make fruit loop necklaces, 100 fruit loops in a pattern either groups of 10, 20, 25 or by 1's.  

Had a pretty bad headache after all that, but forced in a run.  Only did 4 miles, but I am trying to increase my pace so I "booked" it so to speak.  PR in my 4 mile by 4 minutes! Holla!  Hopefully it isn't raining tomorrow so the hubs and I can run.  I've always been told I have a quick turn over, but apparently Gary just noticed it...my stride is A-W-F-U-L to non-existent.  My knees are also not so great and therefore I don't pick my feet up off the sidewalk/road very high. Is that bad?  Everyone who passes me when I'm running seems like they have the longest legs and the longest stride and cover enormous amounts of ground. 

Did you celebrate the 100th day when you were in school?  

Do your children? (if you have them?)

Newest Running Gear

Hobby: Running and Shopping (mainly online)


I've been buying new running gear A LOT lately.  Thankfully running is a hobby where you can pretty much by unlimited items, shoes, socks, sports bras, shirts, compression shorts, etc... the list goes on and those are just thing to wear, not including watches, water bottles and music!


I just bought a shirt from Skinny Runner: Super cute and in two of my favorite colors, hot pink and black!  Plus, who doesn't love Flock of Seagulls?! I love my 80's running mix.

My new bic band: skinny sparkly turquoise...will be buying more, I love to sparkle! Plus.... I've been looking for something that holds those fly aways in place

New Socks:  My feet always fall asleep without fail, lately it's been getting pretty bad.  My feet have also been getting really cold, my new shoes have more ventilation than the last pair and wind rushes past my little toes and they freeze.  Freezing and asleep feet do not make for a pleasant run. HELP!!!

New Compression Shorts: Nike.... usually I wear them under things, but in the privacy of mi casa, I sport them alone while doing a little Jillian Michaels- I ban my husband from being in the same room as I am while I'm doing the Jillmiester

What to buy next? What do you feel helps you with running? 

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I think that the hubs and I used to make this day more than we do now.   That was probably when we were dating and this was "my day."  Don't get me wrong, jewelry, flowers and candy is GREAT....but it doesn't just have to come on one day a year, especially when expected.  Now that we have been married for almost 6 years we keep things low key.  Tonight he will be making me chicken cordon bleu...pics to come...if it's a success haha


My purchase: I bought myself some Valentine Day treats
I suppose that they can also be presents to Gary, like the mints and wine and shaving cream.... My students benefited from the Valentine Cards and cupcakes.

Please note that this animal cookies say a good source of CALCIUM! I mean who's going to argue with Target? I've been looking for this delicious cookies, but only found them in the gigantic section. Then TADA found them in a small box. Shoulda bought the big container.....c'est la vie.

 Funfetti, yes please! And....super moist that's a must for me with any cake products. Pink homemade vanilla butter cream frosting....mmmmm....not that kids know the difference between the real deal and not.

 This was my present that I woke up to....card from Hallmark- I'm a little snobby when it comes to cards.  Hallmark always knows just what to say, plus once upon a time my mother worked for them.

 

Contents: Haribo- I LOVE me some gummy bears. I'll pretty much eat any of them, but my very favorite are Haribo, favorite flavor the white pineapple ones. Gary and I fight over them.  Sweettart hearts, I used to eat bags of these each time they came around once a year. I suppose he knows me a little.  Gary also gave me the new Fray CD. I almost NEVER buy CDS, but there are a few bands that we always buy.  If you look at the top left corner of the CD holder you will notice that I ripped it open in order to get to it quicker.  

 

 These lovely gifts were from my adorable students.....mmm... I was hoping for that chocolate and thankfully almost everything is edible, with exception of the stuffed animal, which I think is super cute and will make a February appearance once every year. 

 My lovely basket full of cards from my cuties. 

 

 Needless to say my kids were amped today from games and fun-ness but I saved all the candy for the parents haha!

Do you celebrate any special Valentine's Traditions?

Burpees

What's a Burpee?
I wasn't sure what that was when my friend posted it on her facebook page. I am pretty sure that Biggest Loser has done then before and the contestants have suffered through them.  Burpee doesn't necessarily make me think of fitness.....but then again we have some pretty weird fitness terms, downward dog, donkey kicks (it's what you think), star jumps, crazy 8's....


Anyway....here is a burpee

Who doesn't like a little variation to their cardio?  I'm just a little worried about my knees. I have bad knees and therefore doing jumps isn't always great for the girls.  But I'm willing to try anything new to help with my fitness regime....What doesn't kill you makes you stronger right?

My friend is trying the 100 day burpee challenge....Why NOT?! Do 1 on day one, 2 on day two, 3 on day three....I think you get it. So on day 100, ONE HUNDRED Burpees! Ahhhh

Have you done burpees before? How do they make you feel?  Do they work?

Let the Challenge begin. Day 1

Tiiiirrrreeddd

Do you ever have one of those weeks where you just feel run down, or run over?!

 Sometimes I almost do this at my desk....

It's definitely been one of those weeks and I don't know why.  I even had a "sick" day on Tuesday.  I haven't been overly busy, not like my two job husband.  I only had to make dinner once this week and I haven't really cleaned cleaned the house yet.  I hope that doesn't mean.....sickness.....ugh. I've been doing pretty well lately in the health area.
Not my kiddos though.....and by kiddos I mean my students.  I had one out all last week and then this week I've had 3 out pretty much the whole week. I also sent one home with double pink eye. Yup, that's right in BOTH eyes!  I sanitized his seat area real quick.  Poor kiddo, didn't mom notice his bright red eyes?!
I am an early to bedder during the work week. Teaching wears me down! Well the kids run me down. So it's now 10:30 at night on a Friday and I'm calling it quits.  This looks like a fabulous place to rest and very peaceful, but alas it's "winter" and no beaches in sight.

What time do you go to bed?
I wish that I was one of those people who needed like 4 hours of sleep. Imagine the accomplishments you could have? or just procrastinate more....haha I need 8 or more.  The weird thing is I sleep the best when I have to wake up early the next morning. When I have no arranged time- I wake up early.
Thus I go to bed between 9:15-10:00 and up at 6:00.