Things I'm Loving Thursday - October Edition

It's time for the Things I'm Loving Thursday October edition.  Without further ado...some of my faves these days...

1.  Simply Balanced Sparkling Water from Target...

...I don't drink soda but I sure do love seltzer.  This blueberry flavor is good, but their other citrus one is even better.  I highly recommend it...and it's cheaper than La Croix too.  Bonus!

2.  Castronovo Chocolate...

...I got these truffles as a gift and they were INCREDIBLE!  It's a local chocolate shop and I can't wait to pop in and purchase more for myself.  She knows her chocolate!

3.  Stroller Running...

...the weather has cooled off enough that stroller runs are back in the regular workout rotation which makes for one happy momma....perfect timing for half marathan training.  I'm signed up for 2 this winter and absolutely giddy about it.

4.  Clif Kid Bars...

...my boys love these things and have been especially thrilled with the halloween version.  I feel good about feeding them a nutritious, organic snack.  It's a win-win.  I can only find this variety at Target so far...just fyi.

5.  RealBeanz...

...I think I found my new favorite long run recovery beverage.  This stuff is delicious and currently on sale at the Fresh Market.  I don't love coconut water but know how good it is for me after a tough workout and apparently I do love it mixed with coffee.  Who knew??  Check it out!

6.  Mrs. Meyers cleaning products...

...If you haven't discovered Epantry yet, you need to check them out.  (Shameless referral link included.)  They were having a nice sale and as a new customer I got an extra $10 off and free shipping.  I didn't have to think twice before stocking up.  Love all the unique scents to help make cleaning a bit more enjoyable. 

7a.  My boys...

...watching them play together makes my heart incredibly happy!

7b.  My boys again...

...I love catching moments like these. 

8.  Halloween Season... 

...every year our neighborhood does this fun booing thing and it always helps add to the fun of the season.  This week we got booed and got to boo some other neighbors.  It was fun!!

9. Free coffee... 

It's free coffee week at RaceTrac and they have pumpkin spice...need I say more??  Only 2 more mornings left to take advantage of it.  

10.  My PiYo Strength Slides...

...I've been using this things a couple of times a week this month and have fallen in love with them.  It's such a nice way to mix things up and get a killer workout without impact.  I think they're alot of fun too.  They're part of the PiYo deluxe workout upgrade and worth every penny.   You can get them here.  You won't regret it!

What are your favorite things these days?  Care to share?  I'd love to know what you're lovin' these days too.  

VBS and a Catch-Up Week

We came back from our trip to Chicago to jump right into a busy week here back at home.  The boys attended VBS while I tackled a mountain of a to-do list after being away for over two weeks.  The boys took a while to warm up to the fun each day, but ended up having a great time, such a great time in fact that they want to attend another VBS later in the summer.  Woohoo!!  They've continued their trend of not being very interested in coloring...

...but the stickers, spray paint, and gluing got rave reviews.  I'm not surprised!  They had nothing but great things to say about the music and activities, especially the flashing lights with the music :-).  The bounce houses were a huge hit with them as well.  I was impressed with how much they told me about their Bible stories and how much Jesus loves them NO MATTER WHAT"...which they reminded me of every time they got into trouble at home this week.  Smart boys!!  We'll be back again next year for sure.  Thanks First United Methodist Church for having us.  

Some of the fun I was up to this week included the return of early morning runs with my friend where we encountered this manatee by the dock...

...we also saw two dolphin that morning.  So cool!  

After my phenomenal FlyWheel class in Chicago, I got the spinning bug again and decided to try out a class at LA Fitness this morning.  It let me down :(.  Don't get me wrong, I still got in a great workout and worked up a fantastic sweat, but the bright lights and mediocre instructor didn't hold a candle to the stadium cycling at FlyWheel.  Oh to live in a big city...or at least have the big city perks :-)  

It was a great reminder to me of why I love my Beachbody workouts SOOOOOO much.  No travel, no forgetting a towel, no rushing to get someone on time, no annoying instructors, etc.  I truly love working out at home.  TurboFire has been a fun, challenging change of pace so far for me by the way.

I also tried out BrowArc for some eyebrow threading.  It's not painless but they sure are good and I highly recommend them.  Now if only I would have thought to go BEFORE the wedding.  Nothing like having your make-up done by someone else to remind you to tackle that task :-)  Typical me!  

And...I also ordered some new tires to replace the threadbare ones on my jogging stroller.  That's REALLY exciting for me.  I wish I had an odometer on that thing to know just how many miles I've put on it. 

Other than that, I tackled mounds of laundry, restocked the cabinets and fridge, did my usual story times, caught up on sleep, had the AC repaired, etc.  Fun, huh??!!  At least I feel on top of things again which makes me a much happier wife and mom.  

Now I am really looking forward to the weekend and all our company that will be arriving.  Yay for summer and LOTS of family time.  Can't wait to see the boys play with their cousins and catch up with my sister-in-law and brother-in-law.  Happy Friday!!

A New Wake-Up

Check out what I work up to this morning...

....this little stinker made his first early morning getaway from his room to join me in my bed.  Talk about keeping me on my toes, Colton! :-)  

He must have still been sleepy because this is how he spent most of my workout time...

 

...savasana for all you yogis :-)  

I on the other hand kicked my own bootie with T25 Speed 2.0 and Upper Focus.  Love Love Love that Upper Focus workout, especially this move...

...core, chest, triceps, etc.  Awesome!!  I really do love lifting weights.  I'm not gonna lie...that speed 2.0 workout get a little less love from me.  I know it's making me stronger though and for that I'm grateful.  Good thing each workout is only 25 minutes.

His brother decided to hijack my mat and curl himself up in it...

...telling me it was a blanket.  Silly Mason!  Good thing I spent the majority of my workout on my toes and didn't need the mat too much because they sure had fun with them.  

With that out of the way, we refueled, cleaned up, and hit the road for music class which was fun as always.  

The rest of our day has been spent on chores...most of which are finally done.  Time to spend some time with my boys and hopefully call it an early night since naps aren't happening today...like I said, they're keeping me on my toes today :-)  

A New Challenge and Loads of Outdoor Fun

Check out what came in the mail Tuesday night...

...only one week left in T25, then it's on to my next challenge of the year...TurboFire.  I'm stoked!  Who wants to join me??

You know what else went down Tuesday night??  Lots of play time outside in this GORGEOUS weather we've been having.  Colton got creative with a little coconut football... 

...he's serious about his football :-)

The boys also took the longest bike ride they have ever been on...

...we kept going and going and going... 

...even on a gravel road.  It brought back memories of riding my bike with my brother and sisters on our gravel driveway.  Fun times!

I kicked Wednesday morning off my morning much like I did yesterday...devotions and coffee followed by my T25 workout.  Today was the 2nd Dynamic Core workout of the week.  It's a killer!  After a quick shoe change and some refueling with Shakeology, we loaded up the stroller and hit the road to the park... 

It's always a good time when the park is involved...

...unless you're the bird being chased by my two silly boys...

The boys even got in a bit of spelling work while we were there...

Love these silly boys...

...especially with their fake sleeping ;-)

We spent the majority of the rest of our day doing our usual produce things.  One of my members even brought me a little treat this week...

...lychees!!!  Yum!!!  Needless to say, I devoured them.

We finished our day with our usual blue door story time followed by fro-yo...

Good thing I didn't buy any for myself because the boys just ate the toppings and left the fro-yo for me since it was "too cold."  Silly boys!!

Once the boys were in bed, I continued my tea ritual I've been enjoying this week...

...and painted my nails.  It was a pretty fantastic day!