CURRENTLY PINNING...

dessert // cadbury mini egg blondies- from six sisters stuff . k really? does that not just look delish?!
food // i have been pinning lots of clean eating recipes lately- not sure how "clean" this is, but this southwest chicken wraps- from mostly homemade mom looks amazing!!
diy // masen jar soap dispensers !!!!!!
baby // can you believe i'm coming up on baby's first birthday in just three short months?!
style // i went with this one ^^ this one aaaaannnnd this one . they're all my style and that swim top is adorbs.
work it // time to work the butt . enough said.
future home // i'm obsessed with pinning things for the home and i've pinned A LOT for the home. it was hard to find just one that i wanted to share.

if you like what i've pinned, check out some of the other things that i'm currently pinning, here!

CHEESEY HASSELBACK CHICKEN

i'll probably be getting all my recipes from pinterest.  whoever invented that site is genius. i love it. i'm all about simple and quick. especially with a 9 month old and a hubby who gets home from work an hour before baby's bed time. simple and quick is a must.

again, i found this yummy cheesey hasselback chicken recipe on pinterest. so, so easy! pretty much, you know the directions just by looking at the photo.

Cheesey Hassleback Chicken

ingredients:

2 boneless chicken breasts

8 cheese slices of your choice

8 slices of ham

directions:

+ cut 4 slits into each chicken breast, be sure not to cut all the way through

+ stuff each slice with a piece of ham & cheese

+ salt and pepper to taste

+preheat oven to 350 degrees

+ place chicken breast in oven safe pan with 3-4 thin butter slices

+ bake for 30 minutes or until chicken is cooked.

serve with a side of vegetables of your choice, and enjoy!

ARM DAY AT THE GYM

[i'm still feeling super weird about taking & posting pictures of myself, here is my first "gym selfie"]

today i decided that it felt like an "arm" kind of day. ballet blast is a variety of pretty much everything but the majority of it is your lower body. which means i have to work my butt off outside of ballet blast on the things i feel didn't get quite as worked.

before i went to the gym i did a quick search [of course on pinterest] of arm exercises. and this is what i came up with.... it's kind of a lot but my arms were burning and it worked out every muscle in my arms and upper back.

bicep curls // 3 sets // 20 reps

overhead tricep press // 3 sets // 20 reps

standing chest fly // 3 sets // 10 reps

tricep extension // 3 sets // 10 reps

bicep diagonal reach // 3 sets // 20 reps

bent over lateral raise // 3 sets // 10 reps

crisscross reverse fly // 3 sets // 20 reps

[i don't really know what to call this last one, because i kind of just made it up so i will explain it as best as i can...]

arms parallel in front of you, out to a "T", up parallel by ears

down to a "T", arms parallel in front of you, back down to beginning.

3 sets // 10 reps

SUNNY SUNDAY// COLOR BLOCKING

yesterdays weather was amazing, we had to take advantage and soak it all in because we know it won't last very long!! we decided to take the babe on a little stroll around the temple and then ended up at the park to finish the day.

right now at victoria's secret, with any PINK purchase you get a "tumbler & sunglasses". i'm all for free things especially when there is no purchase limit!!

shirt || victoria's secret      pants || lulu lemon       shoes ||  vans [similar here]    sunglasses || victoria's secret     watch || american eagle

APPLESAUCE OATMEAL PANCAKES

i stumbled upon this recipe on pinterest the other day and pinned it so that i could try it out in the near future.  while i was looking through my food board for breakfast ideas this morning, this one sounded amazing and we just so happened to have all of the ingredients.. so i said, why not?! dave is not a fan of applesauce or oats but he said they were "surprisingly really good"  it's always a good thing when the hubs likes your cooking.

// Applesauce Oatmeal Pancakes //

Servings: 8           Total Time: 30 minutes

ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup quick or old-fashioned oats

1 1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup Silk Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk

1 cup unsweetened applesauce [we used homemade]

2 egg whites

1 tbsp. coconut oil

directions:

*in a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. be sure not to over blend, if your batter is light your pancakes will be too!

*preheat a lightly oiled pan, pour 1/4 cup pancake batter and cook until golden brown. continue until mixture is gone.

nutritional information: 

serving size: 2 pancakes

155 calories

4g protein

29g carbohydrate

3g total fat including 2g saturated fat and 0g trans fat

0mg cholesterol

424mg sodium

2g fiber

vitamin A 1%

vitamin C 1%

calcium 12%

iron 8%

BALLET BLAST

i'm the kind of person who has a hard time committing to the gym.  it's hard to find the time and it's hard to stay motivated. after i had olive i was determined to lose all the baby weight and maybe a little more as fast as i could.

while i was pregnant a friend had told me about a new work out class that has become extremely popular and northern utah has been lucky enough to have classes taught at local dance studios.  it's called ballet blast. i had decided before olive was born that as soon as i was able, i would start attending this so called "amazing work out class"

a week before my doctor cleared me, i decided to just give it a try. and hoolllllyyy cow. it was intense. keep in mind i hadn't worked out in a very long time & i had just given birth 5 weeks earlier. i probably almost passed out 5 or 6 times. despite how difficult the class was i didn't let it stop me from continuing to go. now 8 months later, i am going two times a week and absolutely loving it. i would go three times a week if i had the time and money.

i lost the remaining baby weight and more JUST from going to ballet blast within 2- maybe 3 months. now, i am just working on toning this body of mine!

some of you are probably thinking, "i can't dance"! well good news.... there is no dance experience required.  i will admit we do use dance "terms" but it's nothing you can't do and you will quickly catch on!

if you live anywhere from lehi to logan, utah... give it a try!! click here to get more details!!

below is a little sneak peak of what you'll experience in a regular ballet blast class. trust me, it kicks your butt!!

+ warm up & stretch well. especially those LEGS!!

+ calf raises: 

feet in first position, regular reps- up & down 16x 8x 4x

feet in parallel, regular reps- up & down 16x 8x 4x

feet turned in, regular reps- up & down 16x 8x 4x

feet back to first- 8 SLOW and controlled reps

HOLD on releve for 8 whole counts

+inner thighs:

feet together, in fore starch. legs are going in an open/close motion. start as low as you can, if you can't feel the burn- go LOWER. make sure to keep your body straight and those heals kissing.

start at a regular pace- open/close 16x 

slow for 16x

regular pace- open/close 8x

slow for 8x

regular pace- open/close 4x

slow for 4x

open right, together. open left. together. repeat 8x 

together at regular pace- open/close for 16x

+abs:

regular crunches 16x

right leg straight up 8x

left leg straight up 8x

both legs up 8x

regular crunches 16x

ankle reaches right & left 8x both sides

legs straight down (on the floor) crunch 16x

regular crunches 8x

feel the burn???

A NEW JOURNEY // LULU LEMON

hi friends, you've probably noticed the new blog make over. [YAY FOR NEW BLOG DESIGNS] i am so excited for this new chapter in my blogging career and of course i have to share it with my readers. first of all, i need to give a huge shout out to my amazing husband for always encouraging me to pursue my dreams & always believing in me. so because of him, i am taking this next step forward.

i've had this blog for years now, and have been wanting to expand my blog posts past just "keeping up with my day to day life"- i have been so self conscience and so hesitant but i'm just going to go for it!! besides my little family that means the world to me, i have been extremely passionate about a few things. fitness, fashion, healthy eating & design. if i'm not posting about my two loves- i'll be posting about these four things and MORE! click on the tabs above for direct links to fitness motivation, recipes, designs and fashion ideas! but for now... let's get started!

i thought i would start my new journey with my very first outfit of the day!! now, i've never done one of these before. and let me tell ya, these pictures were awkward to take. thank heavens for my little girl and helping me feel not so out of place. i also decided to start with something simple and casual. something that is in my comfort zone. lulu lemon.

i've always loved clothes since..... forever. what girl doesn't?! up until i had Olive, i always made sure i was dressed and ready before heading out the door. but yoga pants and a tee are just so much easier- 24/7! so, enjoy my very first #ootd!! :)

top // lulu lemon    wunder under crops // lulu lemon    shoes // vans     hat // husbands closet [similar here]    watch // american eagle    ring // icing