April 14th marked BB's 1 year birthday! We had a celebration fit for a 'little man', complete with mustaches, bow ties, and some cake smashing.




April 18th a dear friend, Daniel, passed away. He had a long, courageous battle with cancer. He is the husband of my best friend, Erin - who is no doubt, hands down, one of the STRONGEST women I know.

We celebrated his life April 23rd.

Watch this video, he left quite the legacy.

Daniel's parents, George & Nancy, are another example to me of strength, but more so faith. They have their only 2 children in Heaven, Daniel & his younger brother Matthew. Matthew passed in a car wreck when he was 15.

Faith is what they exude.



As a Christian, I know that faith is a necessity. To have faith that there is a reason for everything - and that it's God's reason. It's hard though to fathom the "why".

One day though, all questions will be answered....

The month of April brought so much laughter & great memories, but it also brought so many tears. Causes me to want to hug my loved ones a little tighter, and make sure that they all know how much they mean.

Do you have an example of faith in your life?

Do you have a courageous woman in your life?

I gave Erin this bracelet....leave it to me, when I can not find the words to say I use fashion!



This bracelet is called COURAGE. It is one of our 'friendship ties'.
The card it comes on reads: From caring comes strength


How has your April been?

Chris at RunHundred shot me an email about the monthly list he puts out. Chris comes up with a list of the top 10 workout songs for each month, and includes the bpm's so that YOU can determine what's best for your workouts! Pretty sweet if you ask me.


You can log on to the website & from their vote on songs you WOULD or WOULD NOT workout to.
Best yet? It's FREE! Go check it out NOW :)

Thanks for the email, Chris!

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In other news: I started a Baby Jelly Beans website for my little bambino(a) on the way. That way you guys don't have to grow tired of me talking about the pregnancy :) You can check it out HERE if you're interested!

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Did anyone else read this article!?!? I'm absolutely KICKING myself that I went ahead & withdrew from my half marathons that I'm registered for....based on my doctor not clearing me for them. What the heck!? This lady finished a FULL! Why can't I do a HALF!? So annoyed.

Matthew & I celebrated our 3rd year wedding anniversary on October 11!
It made me think back to our honeymoon & how much FUN it was!

we went on a Royal Carribean cruise to the Bahamas & Coco Cay

we also invited our bridal party & their significant others along!



amanda, me, erin, nickie, & melissa

the boys played in a dodge ball tournament...

while us girls literally held our breath to pose with the scuba diver in a tank @ the Atlantis Hotel.

the picture that started it all....the ORIGINAL prom pose photo

beautiful scenery, the love of my life, & great friends, made for an AMAZING honeymoon!

12 on my side

11 on Matt's side (2 MOH's walked with the BM - best man, not bowel movement)

This week I restarted the half marthon training. I'm using a program from the Women's Running Magazine. Instead of having mileage goals this week (with the exception of the endurance run, which is tomorrow), it was all time goals.

Their schedule for me this week:
M - 45 minutes, easy run
T - 45 minutes, moderate pace
W - 30 minutes, easy run
Th - cross training
F - 45 minutes, easy run
S - 7 miles

I changed it up a bit:
W - Rest :)
Th - 30 minute run, Physique 57 30 minute advanced express workout
F - Rest :)

And tomorrow, will be the 7 miles definitely, but I may squeeze in a few more miles. We'll see.
How's your training!?

My friend Erin is having a baby girl, due in November. Matt had bought me a Cricut a few months back, so naturally I wanted to make her baby shower invitations. The theme is punk baby / glam rock....so I adorned the invites with this:

kinda hard to see but the hairbow is glitter cardstock  "Girls Rock" in the same paper as the hair bow

 I've also been spending a ridiculous amount of time on Etsy looking for baby goodies for Erin's girl. Good grief that site has everything! I found this little treasure today:


Somehow I drifted over to twin stuff ~ I think it would be so cool to have twins! My mom is an identical twin.
Any twins in your family?
What is / was your timeline for children?
Matt & I said 5 years. We're approaching 3 years. With many of my friends being pregnant & having babies this year....I'm hoping that 5 year plan will go away :)

A jam packed weekend has left me with a "weekend-over". Matty & I OD'd on family time, I got some great shopping in while he got in some baseball at the Rays v. A's game; and we got our grub on a ridiculous amount with an amazing homecooked meal, a visit to the Columbia, and a visit to Cheesecake Factory. Yumm-O!

Saturday was supposed to be my long run - but after 3.2 miles I pooped out. I used one of iTRAIN's treadmill workouts - & I think it's worth sharing the details about it. Here's a link to hear a sampling of the workout....http://www.itrain.com/workout/119

The workout is 4 phases, and offers 3 different levels: walker, jogger, runner. I normally always do the runner level or just under it, perhaps at a halfway point between jogger & runner. You start out at a fairly comfortable pace (9:30 per mile), once you reach about 1.2 miles (or 11 minutes in to the workout), you are prompted to walk at 4.5mph for 60 seconds. After the 60 seconds, you have your first of four sprints (the speed varies based on the level your working - walker, jogger, or runner). Your incline varies from 1.5% to 3% throughout the course of the workout.

The workout lasts a total of 60 minutes, with the goal of completing: 4 miles for walker, 6 miles for jogger, or 7 miles for runner. I really like it for the speed training, and since I have the natural tendency to compete, I normally always compete with the distance I clocked the previous time I used this workout.

I followed up the run with Physique 57's Thigh & Seat Booster. 30 minutes of blasting your thighs & rear. Ouch.

And incase you were wondering, here's how to dress up for going out - when it's blazing saddles hot outside:

So, a few things that have made me happy lately are....

#1 - My hours changed at work! I get to come in around 8:30 / 9:00AM now! (It was 6:00AM.) So this week I've been able to get a workout in & breakfast all before I leave for work. It's been amazing.

#2 - Matteo turned in his 2 week notice at his current job, because he got a sales position at my job!

#3 - This past weekend we celebrated my dear friend, Emily's birthday....which meant quality time spent in Hyde Park at Anthroplogie & a cute little French pastry shop, Sophie's.

at Sophie's pastry shop

So, #2 may be a 50/50 thing for most of you...but I'd love to know your opinion on working with a spouse. Can you do it? Would you do it?
There's pros & cons to everything in life, but in this case I really feel like the pros outweigh the cons.

Any exciting news that YOU want to share?
What's been making you happy lately?

My workouts this week have consisted of Physique57 volume 2 57 minute workout & advanced express 30 minute workout. Which by the way - these discs totally kick butt. If it wouldn't be infringing on copyright laws, I'd post videos of them on here for you to demo. Legit stuff right there.

I've only had 1 run this week - a 4 miler. For some reason, my left hip flexor has been extremely sore & has been making my runs insanely difficult.
I know, quit whining.

Today is the last day to enter the iTRAIN giveaway!!!
Only 2 of you have entered so far...why isn't there more interest in the product?

Matty & I color coordinated today - grey & black were the color choices :)

                                                                       Emily's outfit:

Saturday went by fast. I got up feeling lazy from a late night of partying with Matteo, his Aunt Nanc & Aunt Suz, and cousin Cameron.

I ventured out of bed to do Physique 57's volume 1, 57 minute workout. And then my bestest called to tell me she needed help with prepping for her gender reveal party!

The bestest, Erin, is due in November, and just found out the sex of the baby on July 5th. She wanted to throw a gender reveal party for family, so that way everyone found out at the same time.

Superb idea if I do say so myself.

the cute sign she made

mommy & daddy!

So the colors were black, white, and yellow. The menu was super simple: burgers & hot dogs! And there were tons of desserts...strawberry shortcake, oreos, and these fun brownies:

tattooed brownies!

The "reveal" portion were the cake pops. Erin colored the batter to reveal the sex (pink for girl or blue for boy), and then used a recipe she found online to turn them into cake pops. Not the easiest thing, fyi.

haha, handcrafted by yours truly

it's a girl!!!!

I was able to snap a shot as her family was finding out....

erin's dad in the blue throwin' his head back in happiness and erin's mom fist punchin' the air over the news!

So the fashion for the party....Erin & Daniel had asked that everyone attending wear pink if they thought the baby was going to be girl, or blue if they thought a boy.

our traditional prom photo pose

As you can see: Matteo missed the memo (even though he had been told a few times, he said I didn't remind him the day of so he forgot), I opted for pink accessories & blue jeans, Erin & Daniel in the middle, Amanda in her blue dress, and Tom in Amanda's pink shirt. (Every group has "one", Tom is ours) :)

another pink accessory i wore: betsey johnson's elephant ring (my necklace was betsey johnson as well)

shoe shot with erin's stepdaughters...how cute are their sandals!? and my pink shoes!? :)

Can't wait for the birth of this baby! She's already so loved!!!

I never knew all the words to that BareNaked Ladies song...

Today I ran. Not hard, not fast, not far...but I ran lightly jogged.

It was kinda ironic: I started at 10:00pace, got to 1.5mph, then Dr.Matt called to tell me "take it easy". Bleh. I dropped the speed & my pace went to 11...and then I played with the incline for a bit.

So I jogged, walked, inclined, a total of 4 miles.

I'm almost back.

Oh, and it's attempt #2 for the dentist tomorrow morning.

Kinda reminds me of the FRIENDS episode where Phoebe won't go to the dentist, because every time she goes "someone dies". ( Here's the video )

Hopefully that won't be the case here: going to the dentist causes car wrecks.

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Okay so Dr.Matt just so nicely pointed out that I laugh at the dumbest things.

Case & point: I took 1 bite of a slice of leftover pizza, put it back in the box, in the fridge for him to find as soon as he got home from work.

Which reminded me of this other incident...



Preface: I had a bad experience with Chinese take out, and did not eat it for 4 years. During that time I only ate Chinese food that my friend Nickie's mom made. Literally.

nickie & me

So when Nickie encouraged me to "give it another shot", Matt was ALL ABOUT IT (since he lived off of it pre-marriage). So we did.

Matt arrives home with a bag of Chinese take out. Matt leaves it on kitchen counter, then goes to bedroom to change. I'm sitting near kitchen & can smell it. I sneak into kitchen, pilfer through the bag, locate a spring roll, take a bite, put it back in the wrapper & put it back in the bag; then I exit the kitchen. Matt returns from the bedroom...
Matt: ready to eat?
Me: bleh, I suppose...
Matt then empties the contents of the bag & puts my portions in front of me. (Which include an un-eaten spring roll - he unknowingly takes the one I bit into. It's still in the wrapper.)

Fast forward to after dinner...
Matt: well? did you like it?
Me: i prefer Nickie's mom's, but i guess it will do
Matt: great! i didn't want to tell you, because i know you probably would have freaked out; but someone took a bite out of my spring roll!
Me: why didn't you tell me!?
Matt: because i thought then you'd definitely never have Chinese food ever again
Me: but you ate it!?!?
Matt: well yeah! i just ate the other end...not the part that was bitten off of!
Me: laughing hysterically it was me.

It doesn't take much to make me laugh.

Please tell me you laugh at dumb things. Or at least at yourself?

Have you ever had a "bad experience" with take-out?

What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon?

Mine was none other than...

Gone are the days are of lazy morning Saturdays, watching cartoons & then Saved By the Bell.

I could sleep in on Saturdays if: I wasn't training for a half, if Dexter would let me, and if I didn't eat a lot the night before.

Last night we met up with our good friends Emily & Casey for some dinner at Ballyhoo's!

We started off with a mile high pile of nachos - delish!! And then I ordered their seared tuna salad - which they might as well have just brought me a plate of spinach, tuna, and wonton strips. By the end of the meal I was just picking off the wonton strips garnish to eat. Leaving behind the carrots & water chestnuts.

Since we were right by a mall, we swung by there so I could pick up a baby shower gift, left a car there, and carpooled to get some froyo!!!!

I had gone in to the evening with the expectation of getting froyo...mainly because I had never had it & the part of town where Matt "the Situation" & I live has diddly squat.

I was really excited when Emily found this place:

appropriately named

And then it had to be weighed.
womp, womp.



I tried to stay conservative with the toppings since it had to be weighed. I didn't want Matty having a 'situation' at the counter & exploding about the weight of my froyo.

That just wouldn't be nice.



Since FroYo was having a 2 person concert inside we opted to eat in the car. Hotel California & Killing Me Softly just shouldn't be sung unless you're at a Chinese restaurant that has karoake, in Italy. (Am I the only one that's done that?)

Needless to say, when the lady was singing Killing Me Softly we got our Fugees on & said "one time" & "two time" when needed. 

Yes we can be obnoxious. 

              Some shots of us getting our froyo on in da Honda:

pretty Em!

you can't have him. he's mine.

caseface & the garbage...i didn't act fast enough to get him with his froyo

Since we had left our car at the mall, Emily & Casey drove us to pick it up...and naturally Matt had a "situation" and found a stroller / cart / buggy thing.

the epitome of ridin' dirty

Casey encouraging the delinquancy of...Matt

thumbs up - he found the best parking spot. again, he's mine, try not to be jealous. 

This morning MattyB, me, & a group of our friends from church, headed out to our local Feeding America warehouse to volunteer.

Here is some information about the organization from their website:

An amazing fact:

In 2010 Feeding America Tampa Bay distributed almost 19 million pounds of surplus donated food into a 10-county service area in West Central Florida. It was accomplished in partnership with hundreds of approved non-profit charity partners, direct distributions, and our Kids Cafe programs.



So, our group had the pleasure of organizing the food for distribution. Us gals took on the juice/coffee aisle, while the boys tackled the condiments/crackers/snacks aisle.

Our aisle looked so much better :)

For real, I have never been around so much Capri Sun...holy fruit juice. My OCD tendencies kicked in full force (luckily my friend Shannon is also Type A so she completely understood). Together Shannon & I totally tackled the Capri Sun. Oh we didn't just organize the shelf....no, those puppies were grouped according to flavor as well.

Okay, we may have gone a little overboard.

Do you volunteer anywhere?

Afterwards, we rewarded ourselves with lunch at this little gem:


They're pretty well known around here. Matty prefers their cubans & deviled crab (which is like the size of your head!...I could be exaggerating....but it's huge, definitely big enough to share). I haven't quite figured out what I like best...but I definitely got the man taking our order to raise his eyebrows at me when I ordered a cuban without ham :) 

Matty decided to go golfing after lunch....so I decided to do my long run. 9 miles, my longest distance to date for running.

My knees are killing me. Probably from the bending & squatting this morning, and then the run.

Did you get a workout in today?

How did you spend your weekend?

My Friday night was spent at the ball fields...being a supportive wife. MattyB's softball season was coming to an end, so he had the championship games. Thursday night there was a double header, and then another double header Friday night.



And now it's time for some Real Housewives of New Jersey.
Don't judge.