Avoiding the Gym

Hey Guys!

Most of the time, I have no problem getting motivated to go to the gym after being stuck at a desk for 8 hours.  However,  for the first few weeks in January, it's pretty much the last place I want to be.

No matter how hard I try to be positive and to welcome the January Joiners with open arms, I fail.  Fighting crowds and waiting for machines is definitely not a stress reliever, and I end up leaving the gym tense and frustrated.

Luckily I have lots of workout equipment at home, including a treadmill, weights, and a step. So, rather than give the newbies at the gym the evil eye, I generally do most of my weekday workouts at home at this time of the year.

On the bright side, it gives me an opportunity to switch up my routine and I've discovered how much I love circuits! It really should have been a no-brainer considering how much I dislike strength training but breaking it up with bursts of cardio makes it so much more fun! 

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I've also really been enjoying using my step again. It may be a throwback to the 90s, but I love that it can be a high-intensity, lower-impact workout, which is something that is especially important to me now that I'm back in half-marathon training mode :)

It's no secret that I love Cathe Freidrich and the fact that you can download her workouts so you can try something new right away! I recently purchased Basic Step and Body Fusion and Intensity Series: Cardio & Weights and I love them both.

If you're new to step workouts, or haven't done one in a while, I'd suggest starting with the Basic Step and Body Fusion. The choreography in this one is pretty simple yet you still get your heart rate up.  I was able to do this one the first time I watched it without having too many moments of utter confusion or tripping over myself to get to the same side of the step as Cathe and her group ;)



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If you're looking for a more challenging workout, you might want to try the Intensity Series: Cardio and Weights.

There are a lot more over-the-step moves in this one, which is not ideal for me given that I have a limited space to workout in, but I managed to modify the steps to make it work. It took me a couple of tries to get the hang of this one but, lets face it, I'm not the most coordinated person on the planet to begin with :P

Any other step lovers out there?

Are you better at coping with the January Joiners than I am?!

Weekend in NYC

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed the holidays :)

I had a great Christmas and I decided to take the week off work and go to New York City between Christmas and New Years. I'm sure I've mentioned it here before, but I love love love that city so much, and it's even more amazing at this time of the year.  I met up with a friend there and, as always, we had a great time!

I can wander around NYC for hours doing absolutely nothing and be totally happy so we did a lot of walking and admiring the decorations.  I love Bryant Park and I was happy to see that the shops were still up there since it reminds me of the European Christmas markets I miss so much! We also ducked into the library to warm up a bit and the architecture in that building is unbelievable.  Obviously I had to go see the tree at Rockefeller, both during the day and at night :P

We did some window shopping along 5th Avenue and at Columbus Circle.  I love looking at all the higher end stores even though buying anything would mean not being able to afford to go to NYC a few times a year - so not worth it ;)!

On Sunday afternoon, I went to see the Nutcracker, which was really good, although I will admit I preferred the Rockettes show I went to last year. After that I walked around Central Park for a while before I had to head to the airport. It was so nice to finally see the park with a little snow :)

I get sad every time I leave the city, but the plan is to return in April to run the More/Fitness Magazine half-marathon. I seriously can't wait!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve! I hope everyone has been enjoying the season. I love this time of the year and I'm soaking up every last second ;) Unfortunately that's meant that I've neglected the blog, but I wanted to post today to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! I saw this survey floating around and I figured it would be fitting to answer it today so here we go.

1.      Favorite Christmas Album/CD/Song? I like to buy a new album (or 2) every year. This year I'm listening to Christina Perri and Colbie Caillat.

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2.      Run on Christmas morning or take the day off?  I always run or walk on my treadmill for at least a little while on Christmas morning before I head over to my brother's for the day. Of course I do it while watching a Christmas movie :)

3.What do you usually eat on Christmas morning?  I don't eat anything special Christmas morning.  After reading other answers to this survey I think I need to establish a new tradition here though.

4.   Favorite holiday or Christmas tradition? Growing up we always went to my grandparents' on my mom's side on Christmas Eve and those are my favorite memories of this time of the year :) I am so happy that my brother bought their house when they passed and he has carried on the tradition. We're a big family and our gatherings are always so much fun.  Oh, and Santa comes to visit which makes it even more exciting for the kids :)

5.   Real tree, fake tree or no tree?  My parents get a real tree so that's what I grew up with, but there is no way I'd go to all that trouble myself :P My apartment is not huge so I bought a little fake tree and it's perfect. 



Clearly that is not my tree :P But it is my favorite and I've been lucky enough to see it the last few years!

6. Christmas pajamas… yay or nay? I implemented a new tradition last year so now the rule is we wear pyjamas on Christmas day. We haven't gone as far as getting matching pyjamas though!

7. Where do you spend the holidays? Christmas Eve is at one of my brother's house, and Christmas Day is at my other brother's house.  We used to do Christmas Day at my parent's but it's easier to do it at my brother's now since they have the kids :)

8.   Food that you always have during the holiday season? Favorite Christmas food/treat?

I have 2 favorites: shortbread cookies and magic cookie bars. They are both things we only make at Christmas so I enjoy them while I can!

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9. Open presents all at once or take turns? We take turns.  The kids start, and then it's the adults turns!

10. Favorite Christmas(ish) movie? I watch Little Women every year while I'm wrapping. I also watch way too many of those made for tv Christmas movies :P

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Merry Christmas! I hope Santa spoils you :)

Bake Sales and Cookie Swaps

Hey Guys!

Well, I survived the whole allergy test process! We discovered that I'm allergic to chemicals found in most shampoos, conditioners, body washes, moisturizers, and facial cleansers.  My dermatologist recommended a brand but it is expensive, especially considering how much conditioner I go through with my long hair, so I'm on the lookout for something a little more affordable.  Do any of you have similar allergies?

I also need your advice on how to deal with spam on Blogger. I've been getting a lot of comments from "Anonymous" and somehow the real comments on my last post were all deleted last week :( So, if you commented just know that I didn't delete it and I had replied! I love getting feedback from you guys so I'd hate for you to think I was just ignoring you!!!

I've been spending a lot of time baking these past few days. We're having our annual bake sale at work today and I'm also participating in a couple of holiday cookie swaps. So, I thought I'd share some of the recipes I've made or am going to make! They are all Pinterest finds, but I've linked to the original recipe.

White Chocolate Peppermint M&M Cookies



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Peanut Butter Pretzel Bites

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White Chocolate Candy Cane Truffles

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Pineapple Coconut Snowballs



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And, I found this cake that I would love to be talented enough to make! How cool is this?!

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Have you guys been busy Christmas baking too? What are your favorite recipes?