Let's Talk Fall

Challenge of the week 2 update: Green tea had always been a love of mine...but so has coffee! I am almost out of k-cups but am thinking I might switch to tea when they are gone until I run out of the massive amount of tea bags I've got left. :]

So it's been officially fall for a whole week now!! This is my by far favorite season. I mean come on how can you not love fall? Sweaters, beautiful trees, amazing scents, boots and moccasins..I could go on for days.

I've been in my first apartment for a few months now & was excited to finally be able to ad some fall decor. I ventured to Ross & TJ Maxx for some supplies. I know that doesn't sound like the typical decor supply store but trust me there are some great finds! I like to check out these stores before hitting Micheal's some times. I was able to make this lovely table decor piece for right around $10!

 

I'm still looking for some fall place-mats but it adds a nice touch of fall. This is a very simple decor idea anyone (yes, even the less crafty of you!) could create.

1. Buy a vase, some sort of fun focus piece (bird), a bag of fall items and a candle.

2. Add an array of the items to the vase until it is full.

3. I then took the rafia from the fall items bag and a ribbon I had stashed away and wrapped them around the vase.

4. Set the items on the table in an arrangement that faces the direction where most people will first see the table

and you're done! Easy 5 minutes, no stress! :]

Another reason I love fall beside the decor and scents I now have on my table is the weather! It's been so gorgeous out lately. I've continued to go to the NCR trail and run. I gave two miles a try the other day and shockingly finished with a time of 20:23! Exciting considering I haven't run that distance without stopping in more than 3 years.

What is your favorite part of fall?

Do you decorate for the fall in your home?

Run, Run, Run!

FYI : The last post was intended to post the 25th at night so when I say yesterday in this post I do mean yesterday. :)

Challenge of the Week #2 Update: Going well, I wasn't expecting this weeks challenge to be too difficult seeing as  I've always loved green tea. The challenge is not walking straight to my Kuerig when I wake up in the morning! Which I will admit I did this morning...but instead of another cup of coffee when I got to the office I swapped in my green tea :)

Not the most appealing photo, but I'm sure fellow tea drinkers can appreciate this view!

Last night I challenged myself to not only beat my mile time but also increase my mileage to 2 miles without stopping. So I headed out to the NCR Trail (which by the way is beautiful and a great place to run/bike/walk) after work, laced up my running shoes and got to it!

My first mile was much less painful that it has been my past few runs. Unfortunately my first mile time was slightly slower than normal. It was only a 3 second difference but it was a little disappointing seeing as it felt much easier, I was expecting 5 seconds faster in my head. Any how, I didn't let it discourage me during the run and instead used the disappointment as motivation to complete the second mile.

True story: I always imagine people giving themselves pep talks in their head. You know the ones coaches give in movies or those motivational picture quotes show online? Well I'll admit...I totally did this yesterday! I was coming up the last stretch of my second mile, feeling dead, legs burning and in my head I thought

"You're not stopping. It's not much farther. The only thing

that can make me stop right now is myself. ...am I really

giving myself one of these pep talks? ...all that is standing

between me and finishing this mile is myself. ...hey this

is kinda working. Okay pick up my feet and get there already!"

 And in the end I ran 2.02 miles in 20:23 :] Not mad about my time one bit! Not only was this the first time I'd ran more than a mile at once in a few years, but I hit my goal and it felt great!

The rest of my night my excitement and pride followed me around while I made dinner and then went shopping for some fun 21st birthday gifts for a friend.

Dinner included: Whole grain pasta, grilled chicken and roasted butternut squash topped with a light shredding of cheese

Not going to lie, I'm excited for the leftover squash for lunch today!

How far do you normally run on a cardio day?

Do you prefer to run outside or inside on a treadmill/elliptical?

Becoming a gym-rat?

Got myself out of bed at 5:20 this morning to hit the gym. I have to admit...waking up wasn't as easy as I wished but I made it! I have started to like going to the gym early before work because not only does it leave my entire evening free, but the people who are there in the morning are often what you might call 'gym-rats'. Most are in good shape and you can tell they push themselves constantly during their workout. It motivates me and makes me feel like I need to do the same so that I don't stand out as 'the lazy girl who should have stayed in bed'.

I have an app on my phone called Nike Training Club and it's awesome. There is a variety of workouts to choose from and they all make the most of the time they take to do. I also love that I can play my music but still audio get instructions from the app on what exercise to do and how much time is left. This morning was the first time I did the Flex Machine workout, it took about 30 minutes and I had jello legs when I finished! (Love that feeling! :) ).

Going to the gym early also give you the chance to see some beautiful morning skies/sunrises...

'Challenge of the Week' 2 update: Had a cup of green tea when I got to the office this morning. Haven't had any coffee at all and I'm not feeling a crash coming on yet!

What is your favorite time of day to workout?

Do you prefer coffee or tea?

Challenge of the Week #2

I've got a wonderful job doing exactly what I love. I have time in my life to enjoy life, relax and drink some wine. I've found my best friend in a man who is more than perfect for me. I've reached all the goals I've worked toward so far in life. What do I do with myself now?

That was the question that nagged me the first months after graduating from college...and I'm proud to say: "I've got the answer!"

Now is the time to dig deeper, explore and define myself. College was an opportunity to really learn about and find myself, now I get to mold and shape myself into an even better person than I originally imagined.

I've started challenging myself every week to do one thing that I've been thinking about or attempting to do but never actually doing/completing.

Last week my 'Challenge of the Week' was to exercise everyday from Sunday-Friday. I started off with a run on Sunday, hit the gym on Monday and Tuesday, Ab workout on my bedroom floor Wednesday, back to the gym on Thursday, and an easy stretch & walk on Friday. Surprisingly it was easier than ever to motivate myself as the week went on. I even went for a run today before grocery shopping without having to convince myself!

This week I plan to keep up the workout regime, and begin my second 'Challenge of the Week' - Swap one cup of coffee a day for green tea. Oh and of course I plan to celebrate my 22nd birthday to the fullest! :]