1. Plank with Leg Lifts.

Start in plank position, either on your elbows or hands, and alternate lifting your legs. Do 20 lifts per leg for 3 sets.

2. Mountain Climbers.

Start in a push-up position with your arms completely straight, slightly wider than your shoulders. Your body should form a straight line from your head to your ankles. Lift your foot off the floor and raise your knee as close to your chest as you can without allowing your lower back to round. Alternate legs.

3. Oblique V-Ups.

Lie on your left side, legs angled 30 degrees from your hips. Rest your left arm on the floor and put your right hand behind your head. Lift your straight legs off the floor, bringing your torso toward your legs. Slowly return to start. Do 15-20 reps and switch sides.

4. Bicycle Crunches.

Lie flat on the floor with your hands behind your ears. Raise your legs about 6 inches off the floor and bring your shoulders up, so that your arms are in a wide V. Next, use your abs to drive your right elbow toward your left knee, release, and then drive your left elbow toward your right knee. Alternate sides.

5. Stability Ball Roll Ins.

Start by placing your feet on a stability ball with your upper body in a straight arm plank position. Using your abs, pull your knees into your chest while your legs roll along the ball. Slowly return to start and repeat.

6. Stability Ball Roll Outs.

Kneel with you hands on the stability ball in front of you. Slowly roll your hands, then arms along the ball while keeping your back straight. Flow through the motion until you are extended like in the second picture. Return to the first position.

7. Oblique Twist.

Sit on the floor holding a medicine ball or weight with both hands out in front of your abs with your arms slightly bent. Lean back slightly with your upper body and elevate your legs off the floor. Rotate from side to side and touch the floor on each side.

8. Scissor Kicks

Llie on you back pressed against the floor with you arms fully extended at your sides, with palms face down. Lift your legs up so that your heels are about 6 inches off the ground with a slight bend at the knee. Now lift your left leg slightly higher while your right leg is lowered until the heel is about 2-3 inches from the ground. Alternate legs.

What are your favorite ab/core exercises? Are there

any moves you hate?

The post Eight Moves for Abs appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

2. Regular planks are difficult, up/down plank are real hard and plank jumps are almost impossible…for now, that is. Thank you Tina for the butt kicking this morning!

3. You can tell if an egg is raw or hard boiled by how fast it will spin. A hard boiled egg will soon very quickly, while a raw egg will barely turn. Go try it!

4. Sometimes the simplest, DIY at home methods work the best. I found a recipe for this Aspirin Mask on Delighted Momma’s blog and I am loving the results I got after one use. All you do it crush up four uncoated aspirin tablets, mix with a teaspoon of lemon until it forms a paste and apply it to your face for 10 minutes.

What have you learned lately?

The post Things I’ve Learned appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

I realized that I suck at planks. I can barely hold an elbow plank for 30 seconds and a straight arm plank kills me after 15. I think I’m going to make one of my goals to do planks everyday to strengthen my core muscles. Hopefully I can get up to a minute on straight arms!

I am also planning on going for a run manana. I haven’t been able to run outdoors in ages because of my work/school schedule and Munchkin’s sleep schedule. Since I am not comfortable running by myself when it’s dark out, I’ve been stuck on the elliptical and other indoor cardio. I’m going to slowly start incorporating running back into my schedule since the sun is rising earlier in the mornings and setting later in the evening. Depending how it goes, I might be signing up for a few races I’ve been eying!

I’ve already got three of my friends on board to do this one with me!

Aside from the workout, I’m planning on today being a lazy day. A bit of cooking, a lot of sandboxing and enjoying the day before I hit the books hardcore for my first official finals study session.

One month, two finals, a paper and a contract stand between me and three months of glorious summer freedom. Time to hunker down and get it all done!

Have a great Friday and enjoy your weekend!

What was the first race you ever ran? What are your plans for the weekend?

The post Climbing the Ladder appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Friday started out with a great workout, a great sale at J Crew (50% + 30% off!) and a great dinner, which I will save for a post coming up soon.

Saturday consisted of grocery shopping, sandbox buying and BBQing in the evening with great company. We had our first official BBQ of the season, complete with homemade veggie burger. Great friends+great food = perfection. Tommy also surprised me with a food processor! I have been wanting one of these babies for a long, long time. He told me that we needed to stop at Best Buy because he wanted to buy a new game for his PS3, but came out carrying this instead. Best surprise ever!

The weather for Sunday was supposed to be iffy, but Tommy and I made plans earlier in the week that we would take a trip all the way out to the end of Long Island, to Montauk. I have wanted to go to Montauk for a veeeeerry long time, but for one reason or another, I never made it out to The End. I woke up early Sunday morning and saw the sun shining through my window. A quick check of the forecast showed me that there would be no rain happening until the late evening, so I knew we were in for a great day.

We got ready and hit the road around 10AM. The ride out the Montauk is about a 2 1/2 hour drive outside of the city, so we packed some snacks and told each other no stopping until we get there.  Once we caught sight of the end of land, we pulled over to take a look.

We ventured even farther out to sea and explored the Montauk lighthouse. Tommy even climbed to the top to check out the view. Unfortunately, Munchkin was too small to make it up all the stairs, so we stayed on the ground and checked out the exhibits in the museum.

After the lighthouse, we set out to the beach. We parked our butts in the sun on the rocks and spent a good while just taking in the ocean and teach Munchkin to skip rocks. It was perfection.

All that rock skipping worked up quite an appetite, so we headed back into town to get some eats. On our drive out we passed by this little stand and knew that it was where we would be returning to eat.

I got a cup of New England Clam Chowda to start.

And rounded out my meal with a lobster roll and some of Munchkin sweet potato fries.

We finished off our trip with a stop at the outlets where Tommy picked up some shorts for the fast approaching 80 degree weather and I picked up a super inexpensive running top at Under Armor and a sweater at American Eagle. We drove home with nothing but smiles on our faces. Why do perfect weekends end so quickly? Only 5 days until the next one though!

Have a great Monday! Enjoy the 90 degree weather in you’re in my area!

What did you do this weekend? What was the last road trip you took?

The post Trip to The End appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Things have been a bit of a whirl since Monday night, when Munchkin woke up from a nap a very unhappy baby. The rest of the evening and night was filled with a lot of snuggling and soothing and after a phone call from a nurse, we found out that he probably had an ear infection and we would have to go back to the doctor on Tuesday. Luckily, on Tuesday Munchkin woke up feeling a lot better, but we still went to the doctor who confirmed that he did have an ear infection and would have to take antibiotics for the first time in his life. I’m very proud that he has been healthy for this long and his little immune system is strong enough to fight off the infection that have come his way, so far. I used to work as a pharmacy tech in college and I would cringe at mothers who came in month after month getting antibiotics for their seemingly healthy looking kids – it only takes away from the kid’s immune system and makes them more likely to have to use antibiotics the next time they are sick. It’s kind of a Catch 22 I guess, but I’m glad that my little man is feeling much better.

Since I was all over the place yesterday, with going to court from work and to the city to take Munchkin to the pediatrician, I didn’t have much time to eat. And when I finally got to eat, I was too hungry to remember to take a photo for WIAW. So, instead of WIAW this week, I’m giving you WILW – What I’m Loving Wednesday. These are some of my favorite things as of late, and it’s the perfect way to share my latest obsessions!

First up on my list are Twistbands.

I’ve got a lot of hair and regular hair ties always snap when I try to make a bun or ponytail that it tight enough. I first tried Twistbands thanks to Birchbox and when I realized I had a credit with Birchbox for being a monthly subscriber, I used to to buy these babies. They are super soft, don’t pull out your hair and stretch as far as you need them to, to get your hair up. Love!

Next up is a scent – White Citrus. I fell in love with this smell when it first appeared in Bath and Body Works a few months ago, but their last Buy 3, Get 3 Free sale sent me on a White Citrus kick.

I’m usually not a big fan of citrusy scents because I feel they smell like Lemon Pine Sol, but the white citrus smells deliciously refreshing. The BBW website describes it as a mixture of Crisp Lemon, Invigorating Grapefruit, Lush Waterlily and Alluring Ginger Flower. Amazing!

The following item also came out of a Birchbox (they have been sending me some good stuff lately). The Sugar Lip Treatment has been keeping my lips super soft. Usually when I get sick, my lips get very dry and cracked, but I’ve been using this religiously to great results.

It also has a bit of a rosey colored tint which has helped quite a bit to brighten my sickly face.

Another thing I’m loving is the fitness kick I’ve been on thanks to the Best Body Bootcamp. I’ve become a regular exerciser and I could not be happier with this fact. I’m getting my pretty nice arm muscles and I can’t wait for tank top season to start showing off the guns.

My current greatest obsession is CB2. I texted Tommy this morning that I’ve found the place where I want to register when I get married. Now I just have to wait for someone to ask me! I hope my boss isn’t reading this, but I spent a good chunk of my workday ogling away at pages of dishes, furniture, and other home accessories. Here are a few of the things I need to buy, like right now.

If anyone wants to purchase any of these wonderful things for me, I’ll be more than happy to send you my shipping address. I’m only half kidding.

I feel like there was another thing I wanted to include on this list, but it seems to have slipped my mind. Maybe I don’t love it that much at all!

Have a great Wednesday!

What is your latest love/obsession?

The post My Latest Obsessions aka What I’m Loving Wednesday appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Even though I wasn’t feeling too hot yesterday, I had to spend most of the day out of the office. Since, I completely missed lunch time and left my lunch in the office, I made up for it with fro yo. Fro yo is considered a healthy lunch, right? I think I hit all the major food groups – rainbow sprinkles, cookie dough and strawberries. Not only was it a well balanced meal, it also helped my cold.

A friend of mine who was studying microbiology once informed me that even though everyone tends to go for hot tea and soup to help fight off a cold, cold things are just as effective

as hot ones in killing the bacteria that may be causing your cold. So fro yo = best cold medicine.

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Since I missed out on my workout Tuesday night, I pushed myself to get it done last night. Even though I wasn’t feeling 100% it felt good to push through the workout and I felt pretty darn good afterwards. Workout B of the Best Body Bootcamp was circuit style and took me through 10 different moves for 40 seconds with 20 second rests in between.I downloaded the Seconds app to keep track my workout and I found it really effective.

The app counts down three seconds before the start end of each circuit, so you know when to peel your sweaty self off the floor and into position for the next move. The free version is exactly like the one you have to pay for, except it doesn’t have an option to save your workouts.

I really found it crazy that I actually worked out last night. I used to be the person who used any excuse possible to skip a workout, but now I try to push myself no matter what. There’s a theory that says it takes a person 21 day to form a habit, and it seems to be true in my case. I’ve been doing to Bootcamp for a bit over a month and my workouts have become a regular part of my day. I love it!

Time for me to run. I need to get my little man up and ready for his appointment. Wish us luck!

What are your go to foods when you’re feeling under the weather? If you work out regularly, how did you start the habit?

The post The Best Medicine appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Another thing that started off my week on the right foot, was the fact that I got my Mental Disability Law Midterm Grade back and it happened to be an A+. I didn’t even know you could get an A+ in law school! I was over the moon when I check it and I wanted to e-mail my professor to make sure that she didn’t confuse the exam numbers (because all the grading is done anonymously by exam number), but Tommy told me that I am a dumb dumb and need to be happy instead of doubting myself, so happy I am!

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Over the weekend, I made something that I literally cannot get enough of. I’ve eaten it for dinner on Saturday, Sunday and Monday and there is still enough for today! I love leftovers. I loosely followed Jamie Eason’s recipe to make Three Bean Turkey Chili.

Three Bean Turkey Chili

• 1.5 lbs. extra lean ground turkey
• 1 large chopped onions
• 2 – 4 oz. cans of diced green chilies
• 1 – 15 oz. can Red Kidney beans (drained)
• 1 – 15 oz. can Black Beans (drained)
• 1 – 15 oz. can Pinto Beans (drained)
• 2 – 14.5 oz. cans Diced Tomatoes (do not drain)
• 1 packet Chili Seasoning
• 1 teaspoon Red Pepper Flakes

In a large pot add onions and meat and cook until no longer pink. Next add the green chilies, beans, tomatoes, and spices and stir until combined. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes. Serve hot.

Have a great Tuesday!

What are your favorite leftovers?

The post Starting Off On the Right Foot appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

When I did the workout last week, I felt it was a little too easy with the weights I was using and I barely broke a sweat. What a difference a week makes.

But before that workout and sweatiness ever happened, I ate a churro. If you’ve never had a churro, they are deep fried dough covered in cinnamon sugar and very popular in Latin American countries. Tommy’s neighbor actually stopped us yesterday and told us in Argentina, where he is from, they make churros filled with caramel and chocolate. Can you say heaven?

Tommy bought the churros on his way home from work in the subway station. There isn’t a store that sells them or anything like that, just a nice man with a grocery cart full of churros. I was always a little hesitant to try them, but a few months back Tommy and I gave them a shot and they are some of the best churros I have ever tried. So if you are ever on the L train and see a man with churros, try em! And they’re only two for a dollar, so even if you don’t like it, its not much of a loss.

With the churros still on my mind, I decided to make French Toast for breakfast today. I love all things cinnamon!

I topped off the French Toast with a mix of plain Greek yogurt and peanut butter and drizzled some maple syrup on top. I inhaled this, it was so good.

On the agenda for today, is a trip to the park with Munchkin, followed by a trip to the supermarket to pick up some veggies for a new recipe I’m trying out today. It’s my first try at cooking with wheat berries, so wish me luck!

Have an awesome Friday! TGIF!

Where’s the most random place you’ve found some good eats?

The post Subway Churros and French Toast appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

School was, well school, but the whole time I was there I had the thought that I still had a big assignment to finish, looming in the back of my head. When I got back home, I spent some time with Munchkin and put him to bed. I grabbed some brain food and hit the books. Pumpkin protein bar and half a banana topped with Choco Choco Peanut Butter.

I had planned to get Workout B of the Bootcamp done some time last night, but that obviously did not happen because it was close to 1 AM when I got done with writing my contract. By the time, the only heavy thing I was up for lifting were my eyelids. I went to bed a little bit bummed because I have been doing pretty good with keeping up on all the workout for bootcamp over the last month, but life happens and you have to adjust accordingly.

On the bright side, I will be able to do my workout tonight with my new weights because they are scheduled to be delivered today. I noticed that the 5 pound weights that I’ve had and used since high school were just not cutting it anymore. I was set on the idea of buying 10 pound weights when Tommy told me to look into adjustable weights. I ended up getting the CAP adjustable 40 pound weights which some with two bars and a couple of weight plates that you can adjust.

The weights can go from 5 to 40 pound so I think they will last me for a good, long time. And they were basically the price of two 10 pounders. I can’t wait to feel the burn tonight!

Have a great Tursday!

How do you manage to get everything done when life gets in the way? What kind of weights do you use when working out?

The post Not Enough Hours appeared first on Frolic Through Life.

Before I knew it, it was lunch time. Since you’re not allowed to eat on the subway and that’s where I was stuck for a while, I pulled out another goodie from my Foodie Blog Swap.

This little bar has 12g of protein and really helped my hunger. It was pretty yummy, but the texture was a little chalky. Either way, it did the trick.

The Department of State just happens to be a few blocks from where Tommy works, so after I dropped off my documents, I met up with him for a few minutes. Tommy is working on a really biiig job site. It was amazing to watch the steel workers walking around on the beams like it was nothing.

Tommy had been telling me about a smoothie cart that he goes to in the mornings, so being the awesome guy he is, he bought me a smoothie. It was a smoothie kind of day yesterday!

I don’t remember what was in it expect mango and orange juice, but I do remember that it was number 31 on the list. You’re welcome for that piece of knowledge. With smoothie in hand, I said goodbye to Tommy, picked up my documents and headed back to the office. I broke the law again my drinking my smoothie in the train. I was such a rebel yesterday.

When I got back to the office, I had the other snack I had packed – Wasa crackers and Dark Chocolate Dreams PB.

I love the

little packets of this stuff!

After work was school, but that’s not all that interesting, so lets fast forward to 10 PM when i finally got around to doing Workout B of the Best Body Bootcamp. Workout B consisted of 5 sets of full body supersets. I love the variety in the workouts, I feel like Tina could keep sending us workouts forever and I would never get into a workout slump doing them. I do think I need heavier weights, because some of the arm workouts felt a little too easy with my five pounders. I doubled up my weights to bring it up to 10, but it was a little difficult to hold two weights in one hand and keep proper form. I’m excited to do the workout next week, but with heavier weights.

It’s time to get going. I need to be out the door in 20 minutes. Yikes!

Whats your favorite kind of smoothie?

The post Smoothie Kind of Day appeared first on Frolic Through Life.