Lucky

Some people may think that being a stay at home mother sounds like a luxury. To some it may seem like it's just a day full of boredom, and to others it may seem like a day were you get t to rest and lounge around. There are many different views and opinions on stay at home mothers. before I got pregnant I used to think that after having a baby I would just right back to work and I would just pay for a nanny or day care. That wasn't the case for me. Lately I have been getting questions on what I do all day being a stay at home mom. When ever I get the question of what I do all day most of the times it is followed by a condescending tone, as if I taking care of a baby was not hard or important. 

I started feeling depreciated by a simple stupid question. I hated that I let that question bother me and that I let myself think that being a stay at home mother wasn't enough. I may not be working or going to school at the moment and don't get me wrong those things are important things in life, but right now what I am doing is more important than going to school and working. I do plan on finishing school and eventually getting a job. At this moment in my life the most important thing is taking care of Liam. I need to remind myself that one day Liam is going to get older and I will never get these moments back. I think staying at home is very important to make sure Liam gets the parental support and discipline he needs. Not every mother gets the choice to stay at home. When we first came out to D.C. I felt bad that I wasn't able to work and help provided with the financial part of the family and that I wasn't doing enough. That's when Jorge told me that I'm doing the most important role, taking care of Liam. And that I should never feel depreciated for being a stay at home mother. That school and work would come later and to focus on being a mother to Liam was more important. I had to tell myself that school didn't have a time limit, I have plenty of time to get my education and still do the things I want. There shouldn't be a limit on what you are able to do even if you have children. It may be a bit more challenging but achieving my goals for Liam will make them even more rewarding. For me right now I feel lucky to be at home with Liam to see him grow everyday. 

Liam at his 9 month check up. 

looks like we have a tall skinny baby.

This wild child doesn't cuddle much. When he does, I must document it! 

friend time

This last week some of my close friends came out to visit me on their spring break. I was excited to have some girl time and catch up! Even though Liam is my favorite person in the world, sometimes it's nice to get a little time for myself. The first day my friends arrived we went to get a tour of the capitol. The best part about the tour was that Jorge was able to give us the tour. It was awesome to see Jorge at work and to see where he works, and the people he works with. 

The security personnel at the capitol were loving Liam.

The next day was probably my favorite part. The first place we went to was the Arlington National Cemetery. It was a great experience to see it. Being there was humbling and made me appreciate what all those men did for our country. I always heard about the cemetery and saw pictures but to actually witness it, was definitely amazing!

After the cemetery we went to Holocaust museum. I don't have any pictures because photography wasn't allowed but I do have to say it was one of my favorite museums I've seen here. I was actually born in Germany and I don't know if it's because I was born in Germany, but I have always been interested in the history of the Holocaust. It was always my favorite subject in history class. I can't believe that some people don't think any of it happened and that there were not concentration camps. It still amazes me that one man could have to much power over so many people and get them to think what they were doing was the right thing to do. If you are ever in D.C. I wouldn't skip going to the museum, it was a great experience. 

Saturday's weather was perfect, we first went to the Library of Congress and the American History Museum. We had lunch at the American History Museum cafeteria. It had a lot of options to choose from. It was my favorite part about that museum. After lunch we headed towards the Washington monument and the Lincoln memorial 

Since parking is a nightmare in D.C. be prepared to do a lot of walking if you are ever here! I don't think I've ever walked that much in my life. It doesn't seem to bad though because there is so much going on and so much to look at while walking place to place. 

Sunday was the last day we went out to see more sites. 

Jefferson Memorial 

Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial 

Even though I missed Liam those few days, I was happy to have some girl time and catch up with some good friends. I'm glad they came out to see me and got to experience D.C. with them. 

Pear shape

I was looking up different ways to work out my legs and butt when I came across this article on line from Women's Health about different body shapes and the best work outs to do. I have  a pear shaped body, so I usually focus more on my lower body which is totally accurate. I always look for ways to work out my lower body. My focus is always on how to improve my lower body so I end up neglecting my upper body. I learned from reading this article that I need to balance out my upper body with the lower. Pear shaped bodies have a smaller upper body so it can be a challenge to get the upper and lower balanced out. That is my problem area and I need to focus more on my upper body. This article gives great ideas to work out the lower and upper body and the same time. Instead of just doing one day of lower work outs and another day of upper body. You can get both in one day. 

Tried out this work out this weekend! I felt like I got a good work out with both my lower and upper body. 

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/best-workout-for-a-pear-shaped-body#.

Instead of me being so obsessed with just my lower body, now I can get the work outs I need to meet my goal. Everyone has different bodies and doing the right work out could really benefit to you. Go research what works best for your body type!

Go check out the website to find out the best ways for your body type.

http://www.youbeauty.com/body-fitness/body-type-exercises--3

Snow days

I remember in elementary school when there were snow days, it was the best! I got to go sledding, play in the snow, and the best part of it was not going to school of coarse.  When there was a snow day in Utah (if there is ever one anymore) it had to SNOW A LOT!! When there is a snow day out here EVERYTHING shuts down. There have been 3 snow days since we have been here.  It's great when Jorge doesn't have to go to work! It's funny to see how people react to when it does snow. We are so used to snow and driving in it that snow is nothing!  

This is a snow day here.

When it snows in Utah...

There are no snow days. 

Enjoying the snow the snow day.

If you know me, you know that I'm not a big fan of the snow. I love the look of snow at christmas time and that's about it. I hate the cold, having to warm up my car, and scraping off the snow from my car. The snow here is just the right amount of snow for me! 

Other then the snow days Liam and I have been sick the last few days. Having your baby getting sick is probably one of the most heartbreaking things! I always see moms post about their sick babies and didn't understand how they were feeling until Liam got sick. I believe that babies shouldn't be allowed to get sick!! The first day of Liam being sick was the worse day! The only plus side of Liam being sick is that he wanted to cuddle with me. We got him on some cold medicine, he started feeling better and was on the go again. Even when I was feeling bad he just wanted to be by me and was all smiles.

Making mommy feel better

Love this face!

mediocre work out

When it comes to working out, sometimes you just have to push yourself. Going to the gym and working out is great and all, but if you don't push yourself you won't see the results you want. Getting yourself to the gym is half the battle. It's great to make it to the gym, but if your work out is mediocre and not challenging, then you won't see results. More often than not, people hit a plateau, and their bodies remain the same. This is when you need to start pushing yourself! most people don't realize what their bodies are capable of. It is called WORKING out for a reason! If you are doing the same work outs every single day, then it might be a good idea to switch it up. I love doing different things every week. Have you ever noticed the people at the gym who seem to be getting great results, and you wonder how they do it? Take a look at the way they are working out, they push themselves and challenge their bodies to get results.  I'm still not where I would like to be, but I make sure I push myself every single day I work out, so that I feel sore the next day. If I'm not feeling sore the next day I know I didn't push my body hard enough. Don't have a mediocre work out! Push yourself to get the results!

I'm starting to see more results from using more weights. I know it will be a few months before getting to my goal, but I try to push myself. 

These pictures are just for motivation to get a good work out. It's better to be sore than not! 

leather peplum

I know I have been slacking in the fashion part of my blog lately. I have been trying to find a camera, that would allow me to take better pictures! Today's fashion post is a leather sleeved peplum shirt. I am in love with the sleeves, color, texture, and fit of this shirt. It makes me feel so stylish and chic wearing it. I decided that I would show how it would look as a business outfit, so I pieced the peplum shirt with a black pencil skirt, and black booties. When I put this outfit on, I felt professional, but at the same time fashionable. I added a cute gold, cream, and black necklace to make the outfit look better. I love business attire, it makes me feel like I'm ready to take on the working world. I really think anyone would feel more confident in themselves if they knew they looked good, so why not work hard and look good doing it too! When I worked in retail, I had so much fun helping women find outfits for work. I liked showing them that they could dress fun, and still look professional. If you look good, and are good at your job, then that's a bonus!

Peplum shirt: +nordstorms 

Necklace: +Bohme Boutique 

Pencil skirt: +head over heels

Booties: +Tjmaxx

home work outs

Hey everyone! I just wanted to share some of the work outs I did last week when I wasn't able to go to the gym. Jorge sometimes doesn't get home till 7:30 or 8. By that time the kids club is closed at our gym, and I'm not able to go. Sometimes I take him to work so I can go to the gym, but If that does not happen, I always try to find some work out to do at home. 
Luckily for me Jorge got an the new Xbox, and there is a bunch of great free work out videos on there. They have Insanity, Jillian Michaels, P90x, and other great work out videos. Some of my favorites right now are works out by Tracy Anderson. She has a few free work out videos in the Xbox fitness or you can buy them but for me I just choose to do the free work outs. Below are some links to free work outs I found on-line that you could try out. Usually, when I do her works outs I do two different work outs.

The other work out videos I do from Tracy Anderson are Transform 1 and Transform 2.

These are great work outs, and I really feel exhausted by the end of the videos. Here are just a few videos to check out and try. 

The key to working out at home is to  motivate yourself. It can be really hard to be motivated when you have a perfectly nice comfortable couch waiting there, and tempting you to just relax and not work out. Working out at home can be tough, I always remind myself that if I don't work out I'm not going to accomplish my goals and it would be like giving up on myself. Only you can improve yourself and get the work out you need to meet the goal you want. 

1. Tracy Anderson Transform 2 Cardio - YouTube

   ► 32:02► 32:02

   www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsFt1_H-2...‎

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   YouTube

   Dec 31, 2013 - Uploaded by All Tracy Anderson

   
   

   Playlist: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLy9rbSlL2y_piWSxmfOoa9r_LUn71Mihs&feature=edit_ok.

1.    Tracy Anderson Metamorphosis Workout L1 - YouTube

2. ► 28:31► 28:31

   www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEcE15yt12w‎

   
   

   
   

   
   

   
   

   YouTube

   Aug 2, 2013 - Uploaded by sephill chap

   
   

   Order Metamorphosis now at tracyandersonmethod.com For all body shapes! Tracy Anderson Method.

3. 1. Tracy Anderson Transform Days 111 120 - YouTube

      ► 32:43► 32:43

      www.youtube.com/watch?v=SzIA8Z64jr8‎

      
      

      
      

      
      

      
      

      YouTube

      Aug 3, 2013 - Uploaded by Desmond D. Shannon

      
      

      Tracy Anderson Transform Days 111 120 ... Tracy Anderson Transform 1 Toning 1by All Tracy Anderson31 ...

   
   

   1. Insanity is my favorite workout when I really want to get a good cardio burn. I have the work out videos and I highly suggest investing on it. I did this work out series before I got pregnant and loved it. It gives you a calendar to follow so you know what work out you should do for the day, which is really nice! I don't follow the calendar anymore though just because I'm doing something different everyday. I really like to mix up my work out. That way my body doesn't get used to just one work out and I get results quick by surprising my body with different work outs. 
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   3. I know that working out can be hard sometimes especially if you have toddlers that run around every where. I usually work out when Liam is napping but sometimes those naps are when you want to relax. When Liam is awake I place him in his bouncing toy, and work out while he watches me. Sometimes he will even watch me and he think it's funny. I find it useful to work out in front of him because I feel like I am setting an example for him. I believe Liam will grow accustomed to exercising, and he will always be an active boy.
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   5. If you are a Bachelor fan here is a work out you can do while watching.
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   7. Here is a show I love to watch and will try it out this sunday while watching it. 
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   9. There are a lot of different work outs to do. Any work out is better than no work out. 
   10. Try it out! 
   11. +Jillian Michaels 
   12. +Insanity 
   13. +P90X 
   14. +Walking Dead 
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