Tuesday, July 31, 2012

scout's honor

it may be due to my current love of all things sailing (or husbands who are learning to sail wink wink)
 but how cute is this print by scout's honor co.
all of their prints, cards, and gift tags are adorable! classic and simple.
below are 2 of my other favorites from their current collection.





















hope your week is going well so far. i've been up since 6 AM EST this morning! i went to a body sculpting class at 6:30 AM, took townes on a long walk, and now i'm on a plane headed to denver for work. i'm sure i'll sleep well tonight!
xo
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Monday, July 30, 2012

summertime, and the living is easy

so sad that this weekend is over! it had the perfect mix of productivity, good company, outdoor activities, and down time. j + i had a lunch date at our way cafe and it was incredible! imagine all your favorite southern food and all the veggies are vegetarian! fellow vegetarians can appreciate this, because it is so rare that veggies don't have a huge piece of back fat soaking in them! i definitely didn't need to eat the spicy cornbread, but i loved it (and the small salad i ate at dinner because of it later).

on saturday, we worked in the yard (it's coming together slowly but surely) and then cleaned the house. i went to zumba and got the sweetest call out in class and some really great advice (thanks jamie). i even met a sweet girl that also got certified last week! our niece, natalie, came over to spend the night and we all went to dinner for some yummy burritos. we read books together (including one of my favorites, "the butter battle book."

yesterday, we all laid around together and watched the olympics for a while. we went on a long walk and played in the creek then headed to the neighborhood pool! we beat the crowd and got plenty of diving board time to ourselves. natalie got to spend time with the neighbor's little girl playing with kittens and barbies (dream play date for a 7 year old girl). j + i ended the night with a sushi dinner and watching gymnastics.

happy monday y'all!

Friday, July 27, 2012

own it and bring it!

yesterday was a super exciting day for me!
after months of waiting, it was finally time to get certified to teach Zumba!
the class was taught by eric santana who was one of the original 13 instructors taught by the founder of Zumba. his energy was great and he taught everyone so much about the basics.
the day was loooooong (from 9 am - 6 pm) and we spent a lot of the time dancing. it was exhausting (required multiple changing of clothes), informative, and so much fun.

i met some great ladies from all over the southeast and got all the tools to start being able to teach!
now i just have to choreograph some routines and then practice, practice, practice.

it's unbelievable to go from feeling like am unhealthy and out-of-shape person, to loving fitness and even becoming an instructor (soon enough)! hopefully the inspiration and fun that my awesome instructor, jamie, puts into every single class will be how people see my class. if someone new goes to a class and doesn't love it, it could turn them away from Zumba forever so i want to be a teacher that helps each person have fun and get in shape!

i'll keep you guys posted on when i start teaching. in the meantime, i'd love some guinea pigs!

hope you all have a fun weekend!
lots of love!
xo

Thursday, July 26, 2012

color obsession: coral/ peach

coral love
i once read something that said that coral/ peach was the most flattering color for people with dark hair and olive skin. i'm not sure if it's true but i've been giving that theory a run for it's money! 
maybe it's the summer but i cannot get enough of this color lately (see here)! i have recently bought a blazer, dress, and tank top all in this color so i really need to slow down on my color obsession!

what's your favorite color to wear right now?
xo

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

summer bucket list

a few years ago we painted our kitchen backsplash with magnetic + chalkboard paint. there's a small area right by our sink and back door that is perfect for a little inspiration. 
right now i am loving the 2012 summer bucket list from whole living! it's so bright and colorful and it's filled with lots of fun summertime activities! every time i pass this spot in our kitchen, it makes me smile.

here are my top picks for summer from their bucket list:

  • Prep all your meals without using a stove or oven for a day.
  • Take in a music festival.
  • Run through a meadow.
  • Find a strapless bra that fits.
  • Be the first one at a farmer's market and score all the best heirloom tomatoes.
  • Take more pictures.
  • Reread your favorite novel.
  • Get caught in the rain - and like it, dance in it, even.
  • Take a road trip.
  • Get the room with the view.
  • Go for a natural high. (adrenalin rush)
  • Smell like salt water all day.
  • Move the dinner table outside.
  • Build a campfire.
  • Grow something green.
  • Make a great picnic basket.
  • Hike to the summit of a mountain.
  • Stargaze.
  • Eat all the plums, peaches, cherries, and watermelon that you possibly can.
  • Watch a sunrise and sunset.
  • Play hooky from work and sit in a park, stroll through your favorite neighborhood, or sneak into a movie theater to see the most shameless blockbuster of the year. 

  • which of these activities is top of your summer bucket list?
    xo 

    Tuesday, July 24, 2012

    weight loss: 7 month check in


    i wanted to take some time to share a bit about my recent weigh loss journey.
    2011 was definitely a year of apathy for me - which is hard to admit since apathy is one of the absolute worst personality traits in my opinion. when it came to my health and weight, i was completely apathetic.
    i ate french fries whenever i wanted and could easily tear through a whole pint of haagen-dazs rocky road.
    i shouldn't have been surprised when my weight hit an all time high around the holidays. the worst part was recognizing what i was doing, but not wanting to do anything to change my ways.

    finally a few days before the new year, i decided to make a change. it had to be my decision and i knew i needed to implement some small goals to make the long journey ahead seem less daunting. i started my 30 day challenge to get myself more active. along with the month goals, i started weight watchers online. weight watchers always has deals to get you to join (i.e., joining fee waived with purchase of 3 months) so i took the opportunity to join and i haven't looked back!

    for those of you considering joining weight watchers online - do it! they have so many wonderful resources and their mobile app makes logging your food and progress so easy. plus, with weight loss, your diet/ eating habits accounts for 90%. it doesn't matter how much exercise you do if you eat cake afterwards!

    with weight watchers, you get a daily allowance of points (based on your current weight), a set value of extra weekly points (to allow you some room for error), and you can earn more points based on your activity levels! plus, raw fruits and veggies have zero points which is great when you want a healthy and tasty snack.
    as you log your food, it automatically calculates your remaining points!
    one of my favorite features of weight watchers online is their daily health checks! this helps ensure that you meet your suggested/ required servings of water, calcium/ dairy, fruits/ veggies, multivitamin, healthy oils, and activity. it's nice to have this feature to help keep yourself accountable on such important needs for your body!
    so far, i am down 36 pounds since i started in late december/ early january! 

    as far as exercise goes, i've been very successful in maintaining physical activity, because i've found some things that i love! i walk my dog every day (minimum of 30 minutes), but i also go to the gym 3-4 times a week minimum. my favorites have been cardio funk and zumba! i'm still trying to incorporate some strength training, running, and restorative classes (like pilates and yoga) into my routine. it's a great feeling to actually love being active and to not be afraid of your body holding you back from doing things you enjoy.

    7 months down, a lifetime to go (and i couldn't be happier)! i have some exciting news for later this week!

    if you have any questions at all, feel free to email me njlehrer@gmail.com!


    "a year from now you may wish you had started today" - karen lamb

    Friday, July 20, 2012

    summer mix


    happy friday!
    after a long week filled with a broken AC unit, a sore body from too much exercise, and 3 nights of j being gone. i am ready for some r + r! i've got a baby shower for a dear friend (can't wait to meet baby girl audrey)! j + i are hanging out with his family on sunday for some grilling out + pool time.

    one of my favorite parts of summer is driving around, windows down, with the music turned up!
    NPR posted this article that has the top summer hits from 1962 - 2012. the writer notes that "the sound of popular music has changed the most, as the top summer hits go from surf rock in the early 1960s through British then American rock-n-roll, disco, power ballads, R&B, boy bands, and hip hop." interesting, huh?

    i have to admit that my favorite genres include surf rock, rock-n-roll, and [older] hip hop!
    below are some of my favorite summer hits. check out the full list here!

    2011: Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass"
    2009: Black Eyed Peas, "I Gotta Feeling"
    2006: Shakira, "Hips Don't Lie"
    2005: Gwen Stefani, "Hollaback Girl"
    2003: Beyoncé featuring Jay-Z, "Crazy In Love"
    1998: Brandy & Monica, "The Boy Is Mine"
    1997: Notorious B.I.G. featuring Puff Daddy & Ma$e, "Mo Money Mo Problems"
    1995: TLC, "Waterfalls"
    1994: Ace of Base, "Don't Turn Around"
    1994: All-4-One, "I Swear"
    1994: Lisa Loeb, "Stay"
    1993: Tag Team, "Whoomp! (There It Is)"
    1992: Sir Mix-A-Lot, "Baby Got Back"
    1990: New Kids on the Block, "Step By Step"
    1986: Madonna, "Papa Don't Preach"
    1984: Prince & The Revolution, "When Doves Cry"
    1983: The Police, "Every Breath You Take"
    1977: Fleetwood Mac, "Dreams"
    1972: Bill Withers, "Lean On Me"
    1972: Sammy Davis, Jr., "The Candy Man"
    1969: The Beatles, "Get Back"
    1968: Simon & Garfunkel, "Mrs. Robinson"
    1967: The Doors, "Light My Fire"
    1965: The Byrds, "Mr. Tambourine Man"
    1965: The Beatles, "Help!"
    1964: The Animals, "House of the Rising Sun"
    1963: Lesley Gore, "It's My Party"
    1962: Neil Sedaka, "Breaking Up Is Hard To Do"

    have a wonderful weekend!
    xo

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