L.T.B.

L.T.B….. also stands for lift, tone, burn, and is the motto my new place of workout, and I've been doing a lot of that this weekend. As a Birthday gift from my mom, I received a gift card to attend Pure Barre! I don't know if many people have heard of it, and it is seriously the best kept secret! "Pure Barre is an intense, non-impact work out that utilizes small isometric movements done at the ballet barre which promises to lift tone and burn fat; the followers of pure barre claim it is the fastest most effective way to transform your body." It is seriously a killer work out but probably unlike any other I have ever done. The isometric movements we do have me shaking and my muscles burning yet I don't sweat uncontrollably like I do at zumba class. It is more like a mixture of ballet, yoga, and pilates. It is awesome and I already feel the burn…in fact I feel it EVERYWHERE! I ache in places I didn't even know I worked out. Here's to reaching my goal weight! and my goal toned body!

Oh and as a side note…I've been doing really well with eating healthy! I made a very expensive but much needed grocery shopping trip this weekend and loaded up and pantry and fridge with healthy foods. I've been drinking water mostly and skim milk occasionally (with my breakfast shakes). I'm sticking to lean meats, veggies, and fruits, and trying to stay away from processed foods and carbs as much as possible. I do eat whole wheat bread and tortillas occasionally to get some grains in, and stick to low fat cheeses, nuts with no salt, and diet sodas when I feel like eating something like that. I also have been trying to keep my portions small. It's crazy because I can already tell my stomach is shrinking and I get full a lot faster now. My issue before was eating out because my family eats out all together at least once if not more than that a week. I have found that if I put half the meal in a to go box as soon as I get my food, then I will eat a smaller portion and I stick to ordering meals that are in my "healthy foods" category like fish, and chicken, steak even, and then steamed veggies. I don't completely ban myself from eating certain foods but I try and stick to one bite (just a taste) to quench my craving. I am using my fitbit religiously right now and if I stick to my plan I should be at my goal in April!! Woot Woot for ahead of schedule!!!

Pure Barre! L.T.B. !!

The Big 2-5

It's true! I turned 25 on Tuesday! I had a wonderful Birthday…well sorta hahaha. It all started when I found out that I would be in clinical all day on my Birthday from 6am-3pm. Ahhhh! When I arrived to the parking lot where the staff all park our cars to catch the shuttle to the hospital, I locked the keys in my car with my lunch box. So I spent the day working my bum off in the PICU and never ate. Plus my mom had to bring me the keys to get back in my car! YIKES! yeah not quite the start to my birthday I would have wished for but it turned out great. I arrived home to find Eric had played sneaky from work and stayed home all day. He cleaned the house and had a nice dinner already to cook. Unfortunately I never got to eat that meal because Eric invited all my family over at 7 for cake and I didn't get home till 6:30. By the time we celebrated and had cake and they left it was almost 9. It was too late to eat dinner and so Eric and I just cuddled up and hung out before I had to head off to bed again for another early morning. I got a few Amazing gifts for my Birthday. First off, Eric's parents bought me a spa package to my favorite spa in the area. I am so excited to go get a massage and pedicure and whatever else I choose to get. Eric got me a Fitbit one and he bough a second for himself. It is a wireless activity and sleep tracker. He thought they would be good for us to wear as we try to be healthier and monitor our activity and health. I'm so excited to setup my account and start using it. We are making a competition to see who can travel the further distance in a day by walking, running, or whatever and who burns the most calories. Nothing like a little competition to get us back in shape quick!

I guess there is a scale on its way that comes with an ap for my iphone. So when we weigh in we can keep track of our progress. From all this you would assume that he and I are overweight hahaha but we're not, we are just really excited about trying to be healthier in all aspects of our lives.
I got to celebrate my birthday with me family the weekend before my birthday at Moe's BBQ. They have the best BBQ anywhere around, and you know the South has good BBQ. It was fun and loved the family time.

I love my husband! Happy Birthday to ME!

The family at Moe's BBQ

Sweet Allie is getting so big!

So is Mr. Thomas!

I feel so blessed to have so many people in my life who I love and love me too hehe! Thanks again to all my FB friends out there too! I feel so loved and blessed to be able call you my friends! Here's to being OLDer…and hopefully WISER! :)

NOLA

I would have written this post sooner but I've been having computer issues. Apparently I just have way too much saved on my computer between the movies, music, and pictures I don't have any more space to load all the pictures from my camera from Eric and I's trip to NOLA, also known as n'awlins….or New Orleans for those of you who really don't know what I'm talking about! Eric is working on getting me a new hard drive for my Mac, so until then... I can only share the photos I took from my iPhone/Instagram.

Eric and I made the 2.5 hr. drive down to New Orleans Saturday morning the 29th and stayed through the night of the 30th. We stayed at the Hilton on Saint Charles Street, and felt very spoiled in such a fancy hotel. While we were there we spent time at the Riverwalk Marketplace looking through all the shops, ate at Drago's (best charbroiled oysters we have ever eaten!!), walked around the French Quarter, ate beignets at Cafe Du Monde, went to BMC (a Jazz club - we danced and listened to good music), ate breakfast at The Ruby Slipper (recommended by a local and was well worth the hour wait in the freezing cold for a table), again spent the day walking around the French Quarter visiting Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, the French Market ( the oldest market in America), and enjoyed all the shops we could go in. It was a blast just spending time with Eric…3 days straight, uninterrupted, and just having fun together. Eric keeps telling me he isn't happy with me back in school cause I'm not fun anymore. I told him I'm glad I'm back in school because I hate staying home all day having to try and find things to keep myself busy…I told him if I had a baby I would be okay with it though…bahaha hint hint. Enjoy the pics: (hopefully I can add some better pics soon).

Beignets and hot chocolate at Cafe du Monde

BMC Jazz club in the French Quarter

Listening and dancing to good Jazz!

More Jazz….you can seriously walk down the street and there are people on every corner playing or singing jazz music.

At St. Louis Cathedral

Freezing our bums off waiting for breakfast! We had the BEST breakfast! Expensive but worth it!

Inside our hotel!

Shopping in the French Quarter…Eric really wanted to buy a voodoo doll but resisted the urge! Bahaha!

Waiting for Mr. B's…this is where I had a bout of impatience and we left without eating… so I promised Eric I will take him back again sometime and we will eat there. 2 hours is just not worth it to me.

Every year Eric buys me an ornament for our Christmas tree an it's supposed to symbolize something meaningful we've done together during the year.  This was mine this Christmas…he was nice enough to let me pick it out. 

We had a wonderful trip and our looking forward to my graduation and hopefully many trips to follow!