My Trip to LA/San Diego!!

As most of you know, I took the plunge and went out to California to see what all the hype was about. I headed out there with my girlfriend Anna bright and early Thursday morning in hopes to see the "tourist-y" spots like Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Malibu, Venice, Mulholland Drive, etc.

This was at 7am...yet we were very excited about our upcoming trip!

When we were getting close to the LA area, our captain got on the intercom and told us to look out the window...Low and behold, this was our view:

The Grand Canyon!

I am sure seeing it from 30,000+ feet in the air does not do it justice but I have always wanted to see it! I got an excellent capture of it too! After we landed and got our trusty car (which we named Penelope or "Penny" for short) we were on our way!

Penny was so good to us- and she got GREAT gas mileage!

We were on our way to Hollywood! We decided to take the long way from LAX so we could hit up the beaches along the way! Our drive took us through Santa Monica, Venice, and Malibu where we saw views like this:

They have the best backstreets that take you on some wild twists and turns but the scenery is out of this world! Anna and I loved sightseeing around here because every single house was different than one another. We could not find two that were remotely the same.


When we finally got to Hollywood, we stayed at the historic and iconic Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel (Thank you Kayak! ) The hotel had a 1930's feel to it and with great customer service! Just take a look of their main lobby:

So gorgeous inside!

The next day was a much needed walk down Hollywood Blvd.! Being across from the Chinese and Kodak Theater we were definitely in the thick of the action and buzz so it was pretty easy to just stroll across the street to take some pictures! Of course I had to get mine taken with my all time favorite idols:

Paula!!

Michael Jackson!

Of course in front of the Chinese Theater was the infamous hand/footprint display where I shot these in memory of my grandmother:

Cary Grant! Such an amazing actor in the 1930's and 1940's!

She always wanted me to be like Gene Kelly...another classic actor/dancer/choreographer/icon!

Of course when you are in LA every girl thinks of the movie, Pretty Woman, and it is a necessity to hit up Rodeo Drive. Although we knew we totally would not belong, we headed that way!

Infamous and beautiful!

If you are following me on twitter, you probably already saw many of these photos as I was too excited at the time to hold them on my phone! While walking down Rodeo Drive we went into stores like Dolce and Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, Tiffany's, Jimmy Choo's, and more! We even saw this little baby parked on the side of the street:

Just to let you all know, that is a Bugatti and it costs between $1.5 and $2 million. Ahhh!


Along our walk, we went into Cartier and I decided to be brave and ask to try a ring on. I was then brave enough to ask how many karats, the cost, and if I could take a picture:

That is a 3.65 karat, $115K ring, ladies! *Sigh*

Ok so as we were feeling kind of down on ourselves at the fact that we were definitely out of place here, we decided to move on. Anna and I took our sight seeing on a scenic route that we found in an LA magazine. At only 10 miles long, it took you down legendary Mulholland Drive to scenic overlooks, canyons, and even some surprises! Along the way we were able to capture views like these:

Charlie Sheen's house! I told you there were some surprises!

Wow! What a view!

Amazing, right?? You would think we had enough excitement for one day...Hell no! We still had so much to do! We headed down to Venice Beach where we were to meet up with our friend Melissa for dinner and to stay the night in Long Beach. After what seemed to be forever (the traffic out there is out of this world!!) we finally got to Venice Beach pier in time to see the sunset:

There were people still out there surfing when we took these pictures! What a bunch of beach bunnies!

Stay tuned for Part 2 which includes hanging out in "Fangtasia" from True Blood, La Jolla seals, the Ravens game, and more! Hope you all come back and read all about my adventures and how I stormed California...on my own two feet...




Until the next step bloggers... 

Day 2 is in the Books!

Today was an awkward day for me. Usually when I don't eat for long periods of time, my stomach feels like it wants to eat every organ in my body...and you can hear it trying from a mile away. However, today I didn't feel hungry at all until the late afternoon. Weird...??

Anyway, I woke up later than I wanted to today (8:45) but I needed to get a move on because I had a final at 9:30. I did a mix of jumping rope, jumping jacks, high knees, and butt kicks to get my heart rate up for a little bit and then I did what any working girl-on-the-go would do...COFFEE AND WATER TO GO PLEASE!

Today I was determined to drink at least 110 oz. of water (which I should be doing anyway--even though it's way more then half of my body weight). I stole 2 water bottles from my fridge (the one thing I absolutely HAVE to have in my refrigerator at all times)...and I packed my coffee just with some skim milk and Stevia (just like yesterday!)

After destroying my final (in a good way!) I came home to make some breakfast--the Protein Pancake! Personally, I don't care for the mix of ingredients in this meal (flaxseed, blueberries, bananas, protein, and egg whites) so I opted out of the banana and had it on the side!

It looks like a small amount but it is very filling! In the awesome Maryland cup? Water!

We have company coming this weekend from Georgia so I went to cleaning the house! Sometimes putting some "elbow grease" in it feels like a workout in itself!

Thanks to Sean, I got my oil changed in my car today but not before I had my amazing snack I consumed yesterday (half an apple, peanut butter, and granola!)

Other than that I really didn't get hungry throughout the day...


Once home I made a Protein Shake (the same as yesterday) and did a workout. Thanks to Jillian Michaels I once again completed the 30 Day Shred for a 2nd day in a row...Level 1. I was definitely feeling rather sore from yesterday, especially in my calves and pecs but I even went on to do a workout from her 6 Week Abs DVD... Do work!


Thankfully, I had some left over fish from yesterday so I heated that up with a mix of veggies (carrots, broccoli, and cauliflower) for dinner!

Nom nom nom...





Thanks to a little online retail therapy:

I am ready to go to sleep!


Thankfully my Cinnamon Apple Tea always puts me in the mood for bed!

I love my Starbucks coasters too!

I have an early wake up call tomorrow to meet up with my Baltimore Workout Crew. I love how these girls inspire and motivate me!

We have had to move our workouts inside--it's freezing!!

However, this is a view I would always get up for:

Beautiful Baltimore!

I will be back tomorrow to recap Day 3...Sorry Day 2 wasn't more exciting :(


I hope you all are excited for your Friday! May you embrace it with excitement and conquer it...on your own two feet...





Until the next step bloggers...

7 Day Slim Down and 30 Day Shred!

Ok so by now you all probably know that I have been super excited to book my trip to LA/San Diego for next week. Well, any vacation you take has the same reaction: "Holy crap! I gotta get into shape!" Well, let me tell you, I have the answer!

Thanks to the wonderful trainers of Tone It Up and their amazing Nutrition Plan (No seriously...you should get it!) I decided to start their "7 Day Slim Down" exactly one week before leaving for California. I won't give away too many details (so you all can check out these ladies yourselves!) but I will keep you all updated in hopes it sparks some of you to either create a challenge of your own and to hold myself accountable during this week!


So here we go! Day #1! The beginning of my slim down!

This morning I woke up a little later than usual (9:15am). With my family issues and the semester coming to a close, I think I was just so sleep deprived. However, I woke up super excited because I knew today would be the start of my week long journey. After drinking a big glass of water, I hit the gym for some cardio. I mixed up some running, biking, the elliptical, and rowing. I can't stand staying on a treadmill for long periods of time. I get super bored without any scenery or a buddy to talk to.

Meal 1: Though my day started a little slower and later than usual, I made the amazing Slim Down Scramble!

Of course I had to have my coffee and some more water! Don't hate on my Ravens and Navy love :) !


2-3 hours later, time to eat again!


Unfortunately, I did not take a picture of it because it was THAT good. However, as my mid-morning afternoon snack, I sliced up half an apple, spread them with about a tablespoon of peanut butter, and threw some honey almond granola on top. YUMMY!! I could eat that all day!

I know that lean protein is so important in the process of losing and maintaining weight, but honestly? I get tired of the same dishes time and time again. Healthy salad + lean protein = win? Wrong! SO for my lunch and meal 3, I decided to opt on the meats (especially since I had peanut butter as part of my snack).

Yes Meal 3 for me was a salad but it was a salad I did not have before and I actually enjoyed it.

Spinach, chickpeas, lemon juice, olive oil, and pepper!

Do you like my reading material for lunch? I love getting these things in the mail--especially since Trader Joe's is less than 10 minutes away from my house!

After some cleaning and studying for finals (I have one tomorrow! Eek!), it was time for my favorite meal of the day-- PROTEIN SHAKE! Adding things like almond milk and almond butter make this drink super yummy and one of my favorite "meals" of the slim down.

I needed to get to the gym, of course, to burn this fat off! However, looking at the clock. I knew I would have to wait in line for every machine I wanted to use (I hate this!) so I went to the next best thing: Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I knew I would get a full body workout with her ass-kicking routines. In getting ready for my workout, I thought, "Why not do the 30 Day Shred as a challenge??" Why yes, Sarah, that's a great idea! So, let me ask you all this:

For those of you with the 30 Day Shred, would you like to join me on a 30 Day Challenge?? Let's see how great we can look after one month! We can do it!

With her great 3-2-1 technique in this DVD, I was definitely feeling my muscles burning in no time (Thank you weighted gloves and hand weights!) Her workout included strength, cardio, and abs...LOVE IT!

For dinner, I had some fish with light seasoning and some broccoli-- Lean and Green as K&K like to call it! I love fish and if I could I would eat it everyday!

And whoops! While making dinner (aka Meal 5) I totally forgot today was Wednesday which means I have class! Dinner to go! Thank goodness the class was short and it was a test prep for my final next week!

As I have been writing this post, I have been drinking my favorite:

Super yummy and definitely puts me in the holiday mood. Plus-- NO SUGAR, CAFFEINE, OR CALORIES! What more could you ask for??

All in all, Day 1 is complete and in the books. I am feeling good and plan on getting to bed early so I don't get hungry again and to catch up on my sleep!

Have you participated in a slim down? Are you going to join me in the 30 Day Challenge??

I will be back tomorrow for Day 2 updates, of course. Make sure you follow me on twitter as I update my followers and fellow Tone It Up sisters!


I am off to bed and going to prepare myself for Day 2. I am ready to conquer it...on my own two feet...



Until the next step bloggers...

Friendsgiving!

Happy December everyone! Did you all enjoy your Thanksgiving?! (Which is my FAVORITE holiday!) Well, as most of you know my grandmother passed away on the 15th and her memorial service was on Saturday the 26th so my family did not have a traditional Thanksgiving. Leave it to the Baltimore Tone It Up Crew to change that though! We planned and created our very own Friendsgiving last week, something I needed and wanted to have.

You know how they say, "A picture is worth 1,000 words" ? Well, this is one of them...

Oh geez. This was part of our post-dinner photo shoot and we just had to do it.

This dinner was planned as a pot-luck, however, I don't believe I have ever seen so much food at a pot-luck before in my life. You might be wondering what was on our menu...brace yourselves...

Brie & pear bites

Butternut squash soup

Pesto, sun dried tomato & goat cheese pinwheels

Spinach salad

Honey roasted carrots

Zucchini pizza

Roasted veggies

Chorizo stuffed peppers

Chicken & Mediterranean salsa

Turkey & gravy

Broccoli

Green beans

Sweet potato pecan casserole

Buckwheat salad

Cranberry relish

Pumpkin roll

Pumpkin chocolate chip streusel muffins

Pumpkin pie & apple pie pops

Lots & lots of wine

(When I have more time, I will attach the recipes for each menu item.) Oh yes, we did a recipe swap and I think I came home with more papers than orientation day at my job.

Either way, to say that I became full was an understatement. With plates looking something like this:

-it was hard not to become STUFFED!!

We needed to showcase the fact that we were thinking healthy thoughts after our wonderful dinner. What did we decide to do? Oh, just some casual planking...

Yay us! All in all, it was an incredible night filled with good times, many laughs (happy squatting!), amazing friends, and lifelong memories. We have only 2 1/2 weeks until our Christmas party so more recipes and fun pictures are to come with these girls! I will leave you with more pictures:





Licked our plates clean!

Can't forget about Molly's damn Pie Pops :)

Pumpkin and apple filled Pie Pops- thanks Molly!

My pumpkin rolls that we killed! Delish!

My amazing friends! Myself, Caitlin, Lauren, Jami, Molly, Mary, Brittany, Annie, and Kate!

This is going to be our Christmas card...expect one soon!

Thank you to Kate and Brittany for the pictures!



Hope you all have set new December goals and are preparing to enter the new month...on your own two feet...



Until the next step bloggers...

Rest in Peace...

Death is a funny thing. Though the word itself sounds “dark,” many people view death differently. For some it is a time of mourning. For some it is about a celebration into another life. For me? I see it from both sides.

I was raised Catholic, but now not so much. Sure I believe in God, Jesus, the Bible, heaven, etc. but I do not believe I need to go to church weekly and do X, Y, and Z to have a relationship with Him. I firmly believe in the power of prayer and I believe that if I ask (nicely) I will be forgiven of my sins. That is a whole other conversation, however.

My medical knowledge lets me know that your hearing is the last sense to go. Research shows brain activity through auditory sounds when unconscious. This can be a good and a bad thing depending on how you look at it. I believe that when you die, you have that “out of body experience.” You can see yourself, others around you, hear their voices…and you feel lighter. You feel warmth, protection, safety, happiness, and contentment. I think that you hear the choirs of angels before heading towards the Pearly Gates to meet with your Maker. You have finally reached Home.

My grandmother passed away this past week. I have mixed feelings about it. I was given the incredible opportunity to see her and talk to her before she passed and I was even there holding her hand when her heart beat for the last time. I got to tell her what I wanted to in her last moments. I know that she could hear me. How awesome is that? How many people get to say they get to do that with their loved ones? Not many. My immediate reaction? Total breakdown. This woman helped to raise me when my mom was working her butt off trying to get a better education and support me so that we could live comfortably. I was sobbing. I was hysterical. Tears came like Niagara Falls down my cheeks and they burned my face as I came to the realization of what had happened. Her touch still felt so real to me at that time. I couldn’t even talk and my eyes were swollen shut. My heart was breaking into a million pieces and I did not know what to do.

On my way back to her house from the hospital, I called some close friends and asked them to just pray with me on the phone. Maybe I just wanted to hear their voices and understand that I had people I could call when I was feeling like my whole world was crashing down on top of me. Maybe I was asking for a miracle. Maybe I was just asking for the strength I so desperately needed to be exuded from their body into mine. They knew the truth though. They could not give me back her as much as I wanted them to.

In the days that followed, I had my moments of course. Walking into her closet and smelling her, seeing her picture everywhere, looking at her handwriting as perfect as it was, listening to her voice on the answering machine. It was surreal and these moments brought me back to a hard reality. I took a walk one morning and thought about everything going on. My grandmother was one of the purest of hearts I have ever known. She was so deep in her faith and in her love and it showed with her smile, laugh, and kindness. She loved to talk about anything and everything and I distinctly remember many of our conversations. She could not wait until she could experience her life in heaven. She was not scared of leaving her shell here on Earth and being what she was meant to be: an angel. She wanted us to be able to celebrate her life knowing that she was going to be happy, wherever she was. An instant joy came over me. I was at peace. I knew my grandmother was genuinely happy. And I knew that when I talked to her, she would listen and be there.

Will I still have my moments? Of course. I am only human. We grieve the loss of a body because of its tangible components. But I did not lose her. She will forever be mine and I will forever find comfort in knowing I can just talk and she will listen.

Death can be the mourning of the loss of a physical substance but it is also a celebration of what one was. The stop of something and the start of another. The end of a beginning and the beginning of an end. Many people do not like to talk about death and that is their decision. My grandmother is the 9^th person in 5 ½ years that I have lost. The others have all been friends. I find that talking about them keeps their memory vivid in my mind. I can remember them more accurately when I talk about my losses with someone else. I can smile knowing that they still are a part of my life through my words, like these.

Death is a funny thing. Though the word itself sounds “dark,” to me it is the “light” that leads you down a new path. A path of grief, love, celebration, and remembrance. A chance to fall and explore a world of unknown…on your own two feet…

I have started to read Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo. It is a written glimpse into heaven as told by a four year old. Your imagination will definitely run wild with this book as he recounts vivid details about events that happened before he was born, what God looks like, how the angels look, what heaven is like the way the Bible describes it when he hasn’t learned to read yet. A must-read for all that want to forever change the way they think of eternity and who want a chance to see and believe.

R.I.P. Janette Lynn Reardon  September 17, 1944- November 15, 2011 “May angels guide you in…”

New Month, New Goals

Holy moly, it's November?? What??! I feel like this year is flying by and I am just now noticing! I only recently wrote down a new set of goals for myself...My lovely friends Jami, Molly, Kari, Janie, Cait, Lauren, and Brittany (did I miss any of you??) all a part of the awesome Tone It Up team created a challenge for ourselves to prepare for my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving! Please join in if you would like! Our challenge? No alcohol, 5-6 workouts a week, check in each Friday (when we meet for our Baltimore Tone It Up Workout Crew), and one cheat meal. Sounds reasonable, right? It's a great way to lose that last 3 pounds or so!

Every Wednesday, us Baltimore ladies have recently gotten into CXWORX, a new Les Mills high intensity core class that can burn up to 230 calories on average in just 30 minutes! You may not feel the burn right after class but later that day or after 24 hours you are definitely going to feel it! Many gyms are offering the class for their members and its a great quick workout! (For more information about the new revolutionary program, go to this website! )

This morning I had my usual protein smoothie, modified from the Tone It Up meal plan. I have this smoothie about 5 days a week (though I drink some kind of protein drink every day). It is super yummy and I usually take it on the go with me.

I have been told that drinking protein shakes/smoothies that contain yogurt, milk, or other dairy should be consumed for breakfast or with a meal. Post-workout, if you are drinking your little slice of heaven, you should mix your protein in with warm water. It might not taste the best, but dairy contains fat and the protein drink is best absorbed post-sweat fest with water. Warm water allows the body to digest it faster since it doesn't have to bring the liquid to your core body temperature.

Protein Smoothie

(modified from the Tone It Up meal plan)

4 ice cubes

1 scoop vanilla protein powder (I use chocolate sometimes)

1 Tbl. almond butter

1/2 cup water

1 cup unsweetened almond milk (I use soymilk)

Throw it all in a blender and blend for 30 seconds or so. Enjoy! 

Last night I did an intense cardio workout for about an hour and a half and burned upwards of 1,050 calories. Here is an example of what I do:

Treadmill (12-15 minutes)

Walk 4.2mph 1-1 1/2 min

Walk 4.2 mph 3% incline 1-1 1/2 min

Walk 4.5mph 5% incline 2 min

Jog 5.8mph 2% incline 5 minute

Alternate Jogging with sprinting at 8.5mph at 3% incline (1 minute each) for 5 minutes

Elliptical (15 minutes)

I always keep my heart rate in my target zone but it is usually never less than 172bpm

Increase your resistance as you see fit.

Keep your pace UP! Go! Go! Go!

Stairmaster (10 minutes)

I keep my resistance at around 65 and then move it up by 5 every 2 minutes...are you sweating yet??

Biking (about 10 minutes)

Usually in 10 minutes I can bike about 3 or 3.5 miles. My gear is never set below 12 (the higher your gear number, the faster you go on the machines in my gym)

The stairmaster and biking is when I really see myself sweating buckets! I love it!

Then I go back and do the circuit all over again. I leave about 30 seconds of rest time in between each station. Of course, I always finish my workouts with abs (about 15 minutes worth). Make sure you calculate your target heart rate zone to get the best workout :) 

I am thinking about signing up for the IronGirl triathlon next year (some of my Tone It Up Baltimore sisters I am hoping will do it with me??) before leaving for the military so I definitely need to rev up my workouts! My goal is to do a cardio workout like this one 4-6 days a week and strength training 3 days a week. Yes, sometimes I do two-a-days which makes me want to kill myself the next day, but hey...I'm gettin' it in!

Me and my girlfriend, Justina, as Batman and Robin for Halloween

What are some of your November goals?? When do you like to drink your protein drinks??

Hope everyone gets their daily fix of protein and gets that cardio in! You will find yourself more energized in no time and be able to accomplish more...on your own two feet...

Until the next step bloggers...

For all you Football Fans!

This was a project I had to do and thought since we are in the height of football season, I would share some of it with all of you. Just something fun to get you pumped up for whatever game you might be watching this weekend. Enjoy! (PS. To get the full effect, watch the first video first, read, then watch the next 2 in order :)

Grills are lit as early as 8 o’clock in the morning. Canopies and games are unfolded into the parking lots. Hundreds of hot dogs, burgers, steaks, chicken wings, and other “party foods” are unwrapped and devoured. Groups of people flock to a central location just to get a glimpse of what Saturday afternoon has become in America. A crisp fall day, where red and yellow can be seen for miles. But it’s not from the changing of the leaves. It’s where people come to cheer on a team, a unit, a herd, a brigade. It’s where people come to show their spirit and to be a part of this family. It’s where people come to show Maryland pride with three simple words, “Fear The Turtle.”

University of Maryland Football has become a staple for decades on Saturday afternoons in the college town of College Park, Maryland. Fans of all ages come together to cheer on the Mighty Terrapins as they take on Towson University, another beloved Maryland school. “A Battle of the Beltways” they are calling this day. And Terrapin fans are hungry for a win. Cheers can be heard in the parking lots surrounding Capital One Field before the game even starts. Footballs can be seen flying high in the air, music blaring from one car’s speakers to the next, and the mingling of alumni, current students, and just regular spectators can be seen with every turn of your head.

Before you know it, game time comes. Swarms and crowds walk to the main event, like a mother ship calling us home. Once inside the stadium, guns, cannons, and fireworks start the show. The team comes pouring out of the tunnel, but not before each player stops to rub the bronze terrapin for “good luck.” The team huddles and jumps up and down, hit each other on the helmet, and maybe even do some last minute stretching before the war begins. This is a place where boys become men. Where a uniform turns into armor. Where blood, sweat, and tears are left on the battlefield. And We Must Protect This House…

Until the next step bloggers...