This Week in Fitness/Moving Time!

Monday 7/18: None (traveling all day)

Tuesday 7/19: None (recovering all day...who knew a 3 hour time difference could cause jet lag?!)

Wednesday 7/20: Jillian's Best Moves from Exercise OnDemand...I didn't do all of it. It's a KILLER workout and would take about 2 hours. I did about 1 hour worth of it.

Thursday 7/21: 2-mile jog + 1-mile walk

Friday 7/22: 1-mile jog + 2-mile walk

Saturday 7/23: Xtreme Timesaver Training (Jackie Warner) DVD

Sunday 7/24: None (although I was organizing for packers/movers to come all day so I still got in some movement!)

The move has officially begun!! The packers arrived this morning to start putting our life into boxes. Today and tomorrow are packing days, then on Wednesday they pick everything up. Friday we leave Arizona for good and start making the long trek towards Tennessee!

Time for a new chapter in our Army life!!

This Week in Fitness/Boston Trip

Sorry I'm late this week! I don't know if anyone actually cares about these fitness posts, but I feel accountable for sharing my workouts (or lack there of, as the case may be this week)! The reason for my late post this week is because I was traveling back from a fabulous trip to Boston on Monday!

And things are only going to get crazier from here....the big move officially starts next week! Ahhhh! Bear with me through my potential lack of posting over the next few weeks. I'll try to pop in from time to time!

Monday 7/11: 45 minutes walking on the treadmill at alternating inclines between 5.0-10.0

Tuesday 7/12: 30 Day Shred Level 3 + 15 minutes walking on the treadmill (10 min. @ 8.0, 5 min. @ 2.0)

Wednesday 7/13: 25 minutes of intervals (1 min. run & 1 min. walk) plus a 5 minute warm-up and a 10 minute cool-down (40 minutes total)

Thursday-Monday: Rest Days....On vacation in Boston with my friends! We walked (and danced) a TON though so I still got some good movement in. :)

Just for kicks, here are some of my favorite pics from Boston...

Me at the ocean!

The whole group at Cheers....where everybody knows your name!

Connie, Lori & Me dancing the night away!

We're Army wives....but we support all branches of the miltary!! :)

This random guy photo-bombed this picture of Lindsey and it makes me laugh.

Ice cream!! My vacations always revolve around food! (That's me, Lindsey & Lori)


More dancing/singing. (Lindsey, Kate & Emma)

Walking the streets of Beantown. (Me, Emma & Connie)

Summer Perfection

Just popping in to share my idea of a perfect summer lunch.

A panini made with fresh mozzarella slices, tomato, baby spinach and a schmear of pesto. Plus a side of extra ripe, juicy peaches on the side.

(I use my George Foreman to make paninis and it works like a charm.)


Peaches are so good right now! Yum.

I love summer!

What's your favorite summer lunch?

This Week in Fitness

Another week in fitness, another week of just-okay workouts. I have obviously been less than motivated lately and my workouts have suffered.

I think my lackluster workout regime is a result of:

A) The ridiculous heat. It's like pulling teeth to get me to go run outside these days. Most of my runs are done on the treadmill, or more appropriately the "dreadmill". I hate running on a treadmill BUT at least it can be done in an air conditioned room with a fan blasting. Ah well...I'll get back on my running routine when the Fall arrives. :)

B) The house purchase/the impending move. My mind has obviously been elsewhere lately and I'm okay with that! It's an exciting time for us and there is a lot to get done before and after the move. We're less than 3 weeks away from moving so there are a lot of appointments to set up, calls to make, moving prep to do, etc.

Anyway, after making excuses, now I'll let you look at my workouts for the week. I'm still proud of the fact that I fit in what I did!

Monday 7/4: 2-mile jog

Tuesday 7/5: Jackie Warner's X-treme Timesaver Training DVD

Wednesday 7/6: Rest

Thursday 7/7: Jogged 3 miles + some tricep dips & pushups

Friday 7/8: Sexy & Strong (from Exercise OnDemand) + Butt Bible Lower 1** (from Exercise OnDemand) + 10-minute jog

**Yes, I do realize that "Butt Bible" is quite possibly the most annoying name for a workout video ever. And the host is also extremely annoying. However, I felt the burn in my buns...so I guess there's that.

Saturday 7/9: 2-mile jog

Sunday 7/10: Jackie's Power Circuit Training DVD

How was your week in fitness? Do you notice your workout motivation slipping during certain times of the year or around big events?

We need to all keep this in mind sometimes:
So true!

I Scream, You Scream

We all scream for ice cream!


I have a long and loving history with cheesecake ice cream. I first fell in love with the flavor combo at a Marble Slab Creamery. If you haven't been to a Marble Slab, go to the website, find the store closest to you, and go there now. Seriously, trust me on this....I think it's the best store-bought ice cream out there!

When I got my driver's license I would often go to Marble Slab at least 2 times a week and get a pint of the cheesecake ice cream to take home. Wow...gotta love young metabolisms!

Unfortunately, there is no Marble Slab within 3 hours of where I live now so I had to get creative to satisfy my beloved ice cream craving. (However, I definitely just checked and there are two Marble Slabs in Nashville, less than an hour from our next duty station! Woohoo!!)

I searched the web for cheesecake ice cream recipes and ultimately decided on the one that looked the easiest and didn't involve any stovetop cooking. I mixed up the ice cream base in the food processor and then popped it in the fridge for about 8 hours to chill.

Then I used my Kitchenaid Ice Cream Maker Attachment to freeze the mixture. And the result was.....
....amazing!!!!

Rich, creamy, tangy, perfectly cheesecakey (yes, it's a word).

My husband was mmm-ing the whole way through his bowl. It was almost obnoxious.

He's already requested that I make it again. Given that it's not exactly a health food, he might have to wait a little more than 2 days before I make it again.

Cheesecake Ice Cream
Source: adapted from David Lebovitz, The Perfect Scoop

8 ounces (1 box) cream cheese (I used reduced-fat)
1 cup sour cream (I used 0% greek yogurt)
1/2 cup light cream (I used half and half)
2/3 cup granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon (I omitted)
1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt

Place all ingredients in food processor or blender and process until smooth. Pour into container, seal tightly, and refrigerate until well chilled.

When ice cream base is chilled, process in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's directions. Place finished ice cream in a freezer-safe container with a tight-fitting lid and freeze immediately. Let ripen in freezer for at least 3 hours before serving, for best results.

Note: Next time I would probably double the recipe because it didn't make that much. Just enough for two me-size servings and two Husband-size servings.

Also, this ice cream is VERY rich so next time I might try using more half and half or milk to take down the richness a bit.

EDITED TO ADD: I made this a second time and I made some changes to make it a little less rich...
-Increased half and half to 3/4 cup
-Added 1/2 cup of skim milk (it was all I had...I would have preferred 1% or 2%)

These changes resulted in a not-so-rich but still totally delicious ice cream. It does freeze a little harder (because of the lower fat content) so just be sure to let it sit out of the freezer for 10 minutes or so before serving.

Mil Spouse Friday Fill-In #48

Howdy friends! If you're looking for more information on the Fill-in go to Wife of a Sailor's blog.

1. Does you significant other read your blog? Is this a good or a bad thing? Yes!! He is probably my number one blog supporter. He scolds me if I haven't blogged in a while, gives me ideas, and tells me if I make a mistake. He has even considered writing a couple "guest posts" but never got around to it. I'm still working on it though. :)

2. What is one item in your house that holds the most sentimental value and why?
We have a large frame that holds a photo from our wedding, a copy of our wedding invitation, and a painted likeness of the church where we got married (painted by a friend who is an amazing artist). I would be devastated if I ever lost it because it is so special and personal to us. (I would put up a photo of it but it has our last names on it so for privacy reasons I'm not going to.) I feel the same way about a pearl necklace that I have because it was given to me by my mother but once belonged to my great grandmother....plus I also wore it on my wedding day. :)

3. When it comes to water fun in the summer do you prefer the beach, pool, lake or sprinkler? I tend to really like pools because there is no sand going up my crack (haha) and there are no creepy animals lurking in the water underneath me. Plus there tends to be more shade around a pool, and I need a lot of shade to avoid getting a horrible sunburn. However, I LOVE beach vacations so there is definitely a time and a place for that.

4. What is the one special thing that you do for yourself to get you through the first week of a deployment/separation? The night after Alex deployed I went to get drinks and dinner with some of my fellow Army wives. This was such a huge help because I went there straight from work and didn't get home until late so I hardly had time to think about things. Plus, my girl friends made me laugh and I had a great time. I also rented a bunch of girlie movies that Alex would never watch to help get me through the first weekend.

5. What is your biggest guilty pleasure website? PerezHilton.com. I know he's a loser but I just can't stop reading his celebrity updates!

Product Review: Sally Hansen Nail Polish Strips

Question: Zebra nails...fashion forward or fashion faux pas?

Hopefully not a faux pas, because I was rocking 'em for about a week.


I tried out Sally Hansen Salon Effects Nail Polish Strips for the first time a couple weeks ago and thought I would write up my review of them.
If you haven't heard of them, they are pretty self-explanatory: stick-on nail polish. These are different from stick-on fake nails because they are super thin and don't add thickness or length to your nails.

What I Liked:

-The fun designs that they come in. You can't exactly paint zebra print on your nails (well, at least I can't) so it's a fun change to be able to have a print or design on the nails. I got a couple of compliments on the fun nails so that's always a good sign.


-The fact that they're supposed to last longer than regular polish (up to 10 days). However, mine only lasted about a week but I think that could be more my fault for not applying them correctly.

-No dry time. I hate hate hate waiting for nails to dry so that was a nice change.


What I Didn't Like:

-The price tag. At $8.50 per box, which is only enough for one application, they are definitely more pricey than buying nail polish for the same price and reusing it over and over. That being said, they still cost less than a manicure, so I guess it's worth it for a once in a blue moon treat.

-Application was trickier than I expected. I've never been good with tasks that require a steady hand and these definitely need that in order to make sure you're sticking it on in the correct place and/or lining it up with your cuticles. They looked far from perfect if you looked closely, but the zebra print kind of helped hide that fact. Also, it took me just about as long as it does to do my nails the old fashioned way (base coat, 2 coats polish, top coat) but that's probably just because I sucked at it.


So basically, I liked 'em but I didn't love 'em. I might buy them again but not anytime soon. It would be a good stocking stuffer for someone like me though (hint, hint!). :)

Have you tried the Salon Effects Nail Strips? What did you think?