In today’s workout, you will do three rounds of four movements with a two-minute rest in between each round.
Three Rounds of:
Click here. Remember there are always modifications. Let me know if you need help or suggestions. You can always add weight to make the movements more challenging. Don’t forget to warm-up. Make this workout work for you!
I missed the new girl the first two days she was at the gym. But that’s how fate works. We met on a Saturday, but for me, it started the night prior.
I had just broken up with a girlfriend, and my friend, Eleina was navigating through Match.com. We would go out for “wing therapy” which consisted of wings, beer, and honest talk of what men and women are really thinking. So after a Friday night of wings and beer, we decided to go to Saturday Bootcamp.
Bootcamp was at 10 am, which was perfect after a night of drinking. A little late for Stacy as she had been going to 5 am CrossFit, and I usually went to the 8 am class. I met E upon arrival, and we chatted briefly before the group warm-up started. This is where I first noticed the “new girl”. We were instructed to the wall and started with leg swings. She somehow managed to get between myself and E even though we were talking during the warm-up. CrossFit is a group class and the “community” we have prompted us to part a bit to allow her a space along the wall. As we exited from the wall to continue the warm-up, Eleina was still talking as my eyes moved towards this “new girl”. I gave E a “shhh” with a finger held in front of my lips and pointed to her with my other hand. Yes, I noticed something beautiful and intriguing that morning.
E and I partnered for the 30+ minute Bootcamp workout. While these were usually long grinders, I stayed focused on the workout. It was easily recognizable that this “new girl” was quite athletic and had an amazing work ethic in the gym. Definitely not her first workout.
After the workout, the group gathered on the floor for a post-workout stretch. Eleina and I sat beside this new girl and chatted about the work that we had just accomplished. Stacy was her name, and she was down from PA enjoying the Florida sunshine and helping her gram recover from a broken hip. Her grandparents had a condo here and this was the first time that gram had been here since her husband had passed away.
We continued to chat and I offered suggestions of things to do in Ft. Myers. Little did I know that Stacy and her family had been coming to Ft. Myers for about 15 years. But I continued rambling on thinking this was her first time here. Stacy mentioned that she had friends coming in that night and was looking forward to seeing old friends from high school. I then mentioned that I was going to the beach the next day, and I asked Stacy if she would like to join me. “How are you going to take her to the beach if you don’t have her number?”, Eleina chimed in. Stacy and I kinda stared at each other, smiled, and then we exchanged numbers.
By now it was after 11 am and Stacy was concerned about gram being home alone. We all parted ways for the day. A few hours later Stacy texted. I forget what exactly she said, but it led to our first date the next day at the beach. I promptly texted E and said, “she texted!” I am not sure who was more excited to go to the beach the next day as I had not been there in a while. And yes, that “plan” to go to the beach was only in effect if I had Stacy with me. I certainly wasn’t planning to go without her. That was just part of my “pick up line”. And that is how I met the new girl.
Jeff is Stacy’s (the new girl’s) husband and partner in crime. Jeff is an avid crossfitter, pilot, boater, amazing husband, brother, and father. Jeff has been in the Fort Myers area for over 20 years. He enjoys being a snowbird and spending the summers up north in Gram’s house in PA.
As you read in, The Broken Hip, Gram broke her hip in December 2016 but by February she was making great strides. We left the snow for the sun and ended up at her condo in Fort Myers.
Since I had just started CrossFit, I googled CrossFit gyms near the condo. I found a few and decided on CrossFit Thoroughbreds. I took a few CrossFit classes and met some great people and instructors. It was my first time dropping into other boxes, and I fell in love with the CrossFit community. On Saturday, February 11, 2017, I decided to try Boot Camp. After class, I met two amazing people who would significantly impact my life. One would later become my husband and the other one gave me the tools and the support to start this blog. (Their stories of “how we met” will be published this week. Stay Tuned!)
I arrived at Boot Camp a little early and was stretching and warming up. I observed a man and woman having a conversation about what seemed to be some kitchen renovations and possibly an ex. They both talked fairly loud so it was easy to eavesdrop 🙂 They seemed to be very good friends who had a history of being there for each other. I was intrigued by their conversation and wanted to know more about both of them. The guy was good looking, and he seemed like he was about my age, but I can never tell. Plus, he had on a hat and you never know what’s underneath that! They both had great figures and looked like they were dedicated athletes.
During the workout, they were partners while I was in another group. I remember it being a pretty tough workout with push-ups and running. I also remember looking out of the corner of my eye to see how good of an athlete this guy was. I found they both worked hard and were impressive in their moves.
After class, the woman, who was sitting next to the man, said hi to me and asked if I was new to town. I explained I was only there for about two weeks and was taking care of my grandmother. I told them I had friends coming to town that night so they gave me some suggestions on where to take them. The guy mentioned he had some time off from work and wanted to know if I wanted to meet him the next day and go to the beach. Because I am a Yes Woman I didn’t hesitate to say it sounded like a fabulous idea. We chatted a few more minutes and before we parted ways, Eleina, the amazing wing woman, said how can he contact you without your number. I laughed and probably rolled my eyes. In the end, we exchanged numbers and the rest is history 🙂
I still find it hard to believe that quitting my job in 2015 led me back to my hometown which led me to caregiving for Gram which led me to CrossFit which in turn led me to my prince. I would not have met my husband if I hadn’t taken that leap of faith. And I wouldn’t have found him if God hadn’t placed me right where I needed to be at that moment.
This week is dedicated to our story of how we met four years ago this week. No, it wasn’t love at first sight and no, we didn’t start dating right away because we were in two different states. But we met and that was just the beginning.
Jeff, my husband, and Eleina, the wing woman will be writing posts Tuesday and Thursday of how our first meeting went from their perspectives. Check them out!
As you have read the posts, you may have noticed that we have recommended a few of our favorite things such as Rogue Fitness or Teepa Snow Videos. Together, with an amazing friend, we developed a beautiful page where you can easily access them. Therefore, check out Our Favorite Tools page where the products we use to Eat Better, Sleep Better, Move Better, and Live Better are listed. We also added categories of tools that help us Travel Better, CareGive Better, Blog Better, and Shop Better. There is a brief description of each product, why we like it, and a link to where to buy it. Some of the products have affiliate links that will help keep the lights on but some of them do not. We only recommended products we know, use, and love. We hope you find this Favorites page helpful and if you have any products you know and love, please let us know!
This page will be a work in progress so check back often for new favorites! You will notice there is a new category title across the top for easy access.
Once upon a time, there was a girl named Stacy. Her mom read her princess stories like Cinderella and Snow White. She watched movies like 16 Candles and The Breakfast Club. She believed in love and believed one day she would find her Prince.
Stacy “liked” boys in grade school, but it was grade school so it wasn’t anything serious. In 7thgrade, she was swept away by an older guy, and they were together for three years. While she had a great experience with him, she missed out on dances and a lot of girly things during those middle school years. During high school, she dated on and off but was more interested in hanging with her friends, especially her best friend, Missy, than anything else. She wanted to be free to discover and experience all high school had to offer.
In college, Stacy thought for sure she would find “her prince”. She dated a guy for about a year, but it just didn’t work out. After that, she continued to enjoy her friends and all the experiences college had to offer.
After college, she moved to California and then to Virginia. Stacy dated here and there, but she was one of those girls who would rather do what she wanted to do rather than be in a relationship and have to compromise. She just couldn’t be with someone who annoyed her within the first month. So she stayed single and enjoyed life.
When she was 23, she met a guy and thought maybe this was her prince. They spent a couple of years together, got married, then got divorced. Nope, just another frog. After that, Stacy started reading a blog called “The Spinsterlicious Life” because that clearly seemed to be the path she was on. In one of the posts, Eleonore Wells wrote about how there are relationship people and there are single people. She said you are either better at being annoyed (in relationships) or you are better at being lonely (single).
That post rang true to Stacy. She discovered she definitely was a single person. She realized all this time of dating that she was just better at being lonely than being annoyed. It made so much sense! Therefore, she played sports, she traveled, and she spent time with friends and family. She was still on her journey to find her prince, but she wasn’t sure he was going to find her.
Once she started caregiving for Gram, she really wondered if there was anyone out there. Who would take on her, let alone her, her grandmother, and a cat? She decided there probably wasn’t a lot of hope so she made a commitment to enjoy herself, the opportunities that presented themselves, and her time with Gram.
Then it happened. She met him. Instead of pushing things too hard or worrying too much, she tried to have the motto “if it’s meant to be it will be”. She hoped it would be, but she also knew her life circumstances may prevent that.
Funny how just the opposite happened. Her life circumstances led her to him. And enabled her to spend more time with him than her previous life circumstances would have allowed. She found a guy who was willing AND able to make the distance between them short. She found a guy who was willing to love her, her grandmother, and the cat(mostly)! She found a guy who somehow loved her for her. She didn’t pretend to be anyone else. She found a guy who was willing to listen. She found someone who loved many of the same things she did…traveling, working out, eating right, being outside, boating, trying new things, and striving to be better every day. She found her Prince!
Stacy is so blessed to be where she is today. To be with a man who loves her with his whole heart and who tries every day to make her life a little easier. To be able to care for her Grandmother who makes her day brighter by making some funny comments in the bathroom. To be able to live in two different states and have amazing friends and family in both. To be able to pursue her dream and write this blog. To be able to tell you, you might have to kiss a lot of frogs but someday you WILL find your Prince.
I don’t remember where I was when my sister told me she had cancer. She was 37 years old. She felt a cyst. The doctors removed it and that’s when they discovered it was malignant. We were all in shock. We couldn’t believe this was happening. Our family went through a nine-year battle with lung cancer with my dad from 2003-2012. We couldn’t believe it was happening again.
The doctors could not find the primary source of my sister’s cancer, yet they wanted to treat it aggressively. She started treatment at the beginning of 2017. She had two major surgeries that spring. One which was over 20 hours. But she was so strong she pulled through and went home just a few days later even though we almost lost her on the table.
I couldn’t believe how strong she was as she battled cancer and went through treatment. She would have surgery and be home in the next few days taking care of her kids, working as a nurse, and being a great wife.
We all thought and prayed that she would kick cancer’s ass. She fought so hard but it seemed the more surgery they did, the more aggressive it became. In the end, she was hospitalized and became jaundice. She came home, and we tried to get her hospice care. She was coherent, loving, and talked about continuing the fight but she was very weak and her body was ravaged. I thought for sure she would get stronger. We talked about future plans and possible treatment options.
Although at times I regret I didn’t pack up Gram and leave PA sooner, I was glad we got to spend her last six days with her. My boyfriend (who later became my husband), and I tried to distract the kids from her failing health by taking them to the park. We continued to try to make life as normal as possible, but they knew something was terribly wrong.
Less than a week after she came home from the hospital, we lost her. We were all there by her side as she took her last breath. Her son was only two and a half so he didn’t really understand. Her daughter who was five was crushed as we all were. It was the most difficult thing I have had to watch. Even though we were there when my dad and my grandfather went, seeing such a terrible disease take such a young life was devasting.
Looking back I wonder if I could have or should have done something different. With my dad, I had nine years to process it. I came home as often as I could from Virginia to spend time with him. I went to Virginia as often as I could from Pennsylvania to see my sister, but looking back I wish I would have gone more. I just thought I would have more time. I never thought she would be gone in just 18 short months.
My advice to you is to take the time to do the things that are important to you. Don’t miss visiting family or friends because you are too busy or you are holding a grudge for some reason. Make the time. Seize the moment and enjoy it. You never know when that moment to see them will be gone.
Because my husband graduated from The Ohio State University, we usually get together with other alumni to watch football games. Usually, we go to the restaurant where the alumni club meets but this year was a bit different and instead of going to the club we rotated watching the games at each other’s houses. One Saturday afternoon, my husband made Cowboy Caviar, and it was delicious. I am not sure where he got the recipe, but this is what we did. Check out other options for Cowboy Caviar here.
DRESSING
In today’s workout, you will do three small workouts moving right from one into the other. You will do 21-15-9 reps of squats and lunges then 21-15-9 reps of bicep curls and tricep dips right into 21-15-9 reps of standing abs and plank taps.
21-15-9 reps of:
21-15-9 reps of:
21-15-9 reps of:
Click here. Remember there are always modifications. Let me know if you need help or suggestions. You can always add weight to make the movements more challenging. Don’t forget to warm-up. Make this workout work for you!
Over the Christmas holiday, we took on the task of traveling with Gram to Virginia to see the family. Although she still remembers all of us, she really has no concept of where she is in the world or how far away Virginia is. When we travel with Gram we usually hear the question “Where are we going?” about 150 times 🙂 We usually fly out of Fort Lauderdale because there is a direct flight from Lauderdale to Richmond. Therefore, we have about a two-hour drive to begin the trip. Gram loves riding in the car. She looks out the window and reads all of the road signs. She doesn’t say much unless she wants to tell us who lived in certain towns or to ask the question “Where are we going?” We tell her every time yet she doesn’t remember.
When we pull up to the airport she asks “Where are we going?” or “Who is leaving?” because many times she and I take my husband to the airport when he has to go to work. Needless to say, I get her in the wheelchair, and we roll along to the security line.
Traveling with Gram is always an adventure. She has never liked flying but over the past five years I have made her become a frequent flyer, and she has done very well. We got her a transport wheelchair because the first few times we traveled we used the airport wheelchairs. And although they are very nice, I would rather be on my own time instead of having to wait for someone to push her. I also got her TSA precheck because we were traveling so much. If you travel frequently, I highly suggest you get TSA precheck. It is so smooth and nice. I am always nervous with Gram in the security line because I am afraid she’s going to say something loud and inappropriate. She can walk through the metal detector but she has touched the sides before and had to go through again. Plus she can’t hear so I am always afraid they are going to say something to her and she won’t hear them.
Once we are through the line and she is settled back in her chair, we roll to the gate. We ask to gate-check her wheelchair and many times the gate agent will move us up a few rows. I always appreciate this! We also get to board first which is such a great benefit of traveling with Gram.
After we are checked in, we usually head to the restroom. This is one of the hardest parts of traveling with Gram. The companion restrooms are a blessing and make it easier. But we go to the restroom and get ready to fly. We go to the gate, and she usually sits there just people watching as we all do at the airport. But every now and again, the question comes up “Where are we going??”.
She does really well boarding the plane. Smiles at everyone and takes the window seat. I usually keep the window closed during take-off. I always worry she will get upset about flying because she never really liked it but to this day it’s been smooth sailing. She just asks the repetitive question again and again “Where are we going?”. On this last trip, she was eating a muffin. I felt bad for the poor gentleman beside us because she asked at every bite “What is This?”.
Over the years, traveling with Gram has opened my eyes to many things. First, TSA precheck is a must. Secondly, you never know how far you will have to walk to your gate. These things don’t really cross your mind as a young adult but when you travel with the elderly you realize how BIG airports really are. You also are grateful for elevators and shuttles. I have also learned that it is ok to buy a one-way ticket to your destination and wait to buy a one-way ticket back. I also discovered that it’s ok to fly different airlines on the same trip. Yes, you have to pay attention to baggage restrictions, but you can find yourself better deals if you don’t mind researching a bit.
Because we usually travel with Gram to Virginia we have learned to leave a lot of our winter clothes there. That’s usually where we need them and that helps us to pack lightly. We pretty much have a wardrobe at my mom’s house with all of our toiletries which makes it very nice for flying. We usually just have a small bag each. It’s also very nice to have the wheelchair to hang them on instead of having to carry them 🙂 Spirit is one of my favorite airlines. If you live close to an airport, go to the counter to get your tickets. You get a discount buying Spirit and Frontier tickets at the airport.
Yes, it can be difficult to travel with someone who is in their 90’s, but if you look at all the positives, it actually can be a really great experience. When I travel without her I really miss the perks of traveling with Gram although I don’t miss answering the question “Where are we going?”.