Thanks to Katie and Heather for the link-up!

I am on the road folks!  Day 2 and about 7 hours away from a sandy beach for a WEEK!  I have decided to truly take a vacation and cut myself off from the world and enjoy my family for the week.  While I will not be doing any posts for the week, I may post some pictures from the vacation every now and then.  Don't hold me to it though!

Since ending my 60-day DailyBurn program at the beginning of the month, I decided to switch things up and create my own program.  I am working out 5 days a week doing my Pure Barre DVD's, HIIT running on the treadmill, and choosing some full body at-home workouts that are my favorites.  Right now, I am working out about 5 days (sometimes 6) a week.

A couple weeks ago, I shared my favorite HIIT running workouts (here) so I thought it would be only fitting to post my favorite at-home full body workouts too!

Most of these workouts require zero equipment, but some require dumbbells, boxes for box jumps, or kettlebells.  I sub a dumbbell for kettlebells and when it requires a box jump, since I don't have a box, I do 2 tuck jumps in its place.   Here are some that are in regular rotation right now:

Source: Found on Pinterest

Source: CarrotsNCake.com

Source: Eatwatchrun.com

Source: Rippednfit.com

I love the Crossfit inspired workouts because they really get your heart rate up and they are quick and effective.  I am usually done in less than 30 minutes and I am dripping in sweat.  

I hope everyone has a fabulous weekend and week next week.  I will see you when I get back from the beach June 1st!!!

XOXO,

Sherri

Thinking Out Loud | Stitch Fix Review

First, I want to give a shout out to Amanda @ RunningwithSpoons for the link up.

Its #thinkingoutloud Thursday!

Que the trumpets, this girl is leaving for the beach tonight!  But seriously, que the prayers too, because I will have a 17-mo in the back seat with nowhere to run feeling like he is in a straight jacket. We have Mickey Mouse shows on the iPad and some new toys for the car ride, so hopefully that helps.  I will have to fill you in on what works and what didn't work when we return.

On another note, I got my May Stitch Fix (#stitchfix) in the mail this week.  While my monthly fix is usually spot on (or pretty close), I must say I was a little disappointed in this one.  I guess you can't win 'em all... 

If you don't know what Stitch Fix is, it is a website that allows you to shop out of the comfort of your own home.  You sign up on their website and fill out a personal style quiz.  From there, you will have a personal stylist pick out five personalized pieces to send to you.  Once you receive your clothes, you have three days to try them on, and ship back the rest.  You only pay for what you keep and the cost of shipping the items you don't want back is free.

You can schedule to have your "fix" sent to you monthly or at your convenience.  There is a $20 styling fee, BUT, if you decide to keep anything, that $20 is then applied towards your order.  


At the end of my fix last month, I told them I wanted some beach attire for our trip and wanted to try a few things out.  I said I wanted to look at some lace shirt options, palazzo pants, and maxi dresses.  I don't know if they just didn't see my note, couldn't find options, or ignored it, but I didn't have any of the above in the fix.

That's okay though, I did find at least one thing to keep, so it wasn't all a loss.  Here were my options:

1.Pixley - Book Dot Print Tie-Waist Top

I actually thought the top was very cute, but it was boxy on me for some reason so it did not appear as flattering on.  Verdict: RETURNED

2 & 3.  41Hawthorn - Queensland Jersey Dolman Top & LA MADE - Banker Ribbed Stripped Infinity Scarf

The top was actually very cute on, but it was quarter-sleeved so I knew I wouldn't get much use out of it for the summer months.  Although I could have used it in the fall, I didn't want to spend the money for it to just sit in my closet for the next 4 months or so.  As for the scarf, I don't wear them in the summer.... Memphis is just too darn humid.  Verdict: RETURNED

4.  Papermoon - Remmie Geo Print Maxi Skirt

This maxi skirt fit great but I have one very similar that I paid like $24 dollars for and this one was $58.  I just didn't think the price was worth it.  Verdict: RETURNED

4.  Papermoon - Crissy Spacedye Cross-Back Knit Shirt

This shirt was super soft and it criss-crossed in the back so it gave a different spin to a typically short sleeve top.  It also had a cute pocket on the front with a cute design.  I decided to keep because I knew I could get use out of it and I am a sucker for a comfy/stylish summer option.  Verdict: KEEP

While I didn't get everything I asked for, I still thoroughly enjoyed my fix and being able to shop from home and can't wait for my next fix in June!

If you have never heard of Stitch Fix and want to know more, click on my link below and schedule your fix!

https://www.stitchfix.com/referral/3851724 

**Disclaimer: Just a heads up: The Stitch Fix link above is a referral link, so I earn Stitch Fix credit for anyone who signs up, but this post was not sponsored in anyway. (This blog is obviously not a fashion blog, so I doubt it’s even on Stitch Fix’s radar...I am FAR from being a fashion expert; that's why I NEED Stitch Fix.) If you sign up for Stitch Fix, you can use your referral link the same way and tell your family and friends about it, so you can earn credit too.



XOXOX,
Sherri

Questions:
Have you tried Stitch Fix and if so, did you like it?

Turkey Stuffed Zucchini

Leading up to going on vacation, I try my hardest to eat everything in my fridge so that I don't waste anything and have it spoil when I am away.  The other day, I realized I had a ton of organic zucchini lying around and organic ground turkey, so I decided to whip up a dish using both.  I have seen many different versions of Turkey Stuffed Zucchini on the web, but some required more ingredients than I had lying around.  So, I improvised and made my own version with what I did have and added extra veggies.  It turned out to be a family hit, and Ryan thoroughly enjoyed digging in.  It was hearty, and loaded in veggie!

Hmmm, I think I like it....

Let me think about it...

Yep, I do!  Now dig in!

A Look Back at Three Years...

 

1,095 days.  Yep, it has been 1,095 days since I married the absolute love of my life.  I couldn't imagine my life without my best friend.  These last three years have brought so much joy in my life than I could have ever dreamed of.

I met Russell on his 19th birthday 11 years ago (May 29th will be 11 years).  We were just kids with our whole lives ahead of us.  Who would have ever thought that our crazy love story, our ups and downs, would put us here today in each others arms?  What started as teenage dating, turned into a strong friendship and then, we came back together to fall truly madly deeply in love years later.

Russell is the best friend I could ever have, the most adoring husband, and an amazing hands-on daddy.  Everything I ever dreamed I would find in a man, I found in him.  I. am. blessed.

I want to share with you, some of my favorite photos from engagement to now. Let's get this party started!  Oh, and if you want to see our wedding music video, check it out here: https://vimeo.com/44882863

Our engagement photo by the talented David Schwartz

Our wedding photos: David Schwartz

Our wedding photos: David Schwartz

Our wedding photos: David Schwartz

Our wedding photos: David Schwartz

Celebrating at a dear friend's wedding, just a few months after our own.

Our last family photo of just the three of us before Buddy became a big brother! Photo by Erin Dahl.

Happy 1st anniversary!  I was just 8 weeks pregnant!

My first Notre Dame game with him!  I was 20 weeks preggo.  (Ryan's first game too!)

Maternity photos by Aleks McGraw

Maternity photos by Aleks McGraw

A few weeks shy of our 2nd anniversary.

By Southern Style Photography

By Southern Style Photography

By Southern Style Photography

And just like that, our family has grown!  I love looking back at the wonderful years we have had, and I get so excited when I imagine what the next 50+ will hold.

To Russell (if you are reading this...which you should since this is your wife's blog):

You are my everything.  My heart, my soul, my confidant.  You have made me the happiest wife/mommy in the world.  Thank you for making all of my dreams come true.  Happy Anniversary!

I promise to make tomorrow's blog post not-so sappy :)  If you want to view more of our wedding photos, you can visit this link: http://www.davidschwartzphotography.com/main.php#!/images/weddings/sheri-russell/1  

XOXO,

Sherri

Weekend Recap | I was defeated.

Happy Monday!  I am linking up with Katie for my weekend recap!


Have you every had a weekend where you had a huge list of things you needed to get done and then on Monday, you look back and realize you got nothing done?  Yep, that was me.  Since we are leaving on Thursday night to start our road trip to the beach, I really wanted to get 90% of our packing done so that I was not running all over kingdom come during my lunch breaks this week to get everything we needed.  Russell is out traveling until Thursday this week, so I am in charge of getting everything ready.

While I had lists out the wazoo ready to be checked off, not a single one was accomplished.  Weekend-1, Successful packing-0.

So lets recap:

Friday:  My employer let all of us leave a little early Friday to enjoy our weekend, so I was pumped to head home and get a jump start on my weekend to-do.  I needed to do a really good deep clean of the house before I started packing Ryan and I got to work.  He helped me water all of our potted flowers and then vacuumed and dusted the house.  That was about all we got to do before it was time to head to Chipotle for dinner.

I kicked back for the evening to rest up and enjoy just a little down time since I knew the rest of the weekend was going to have a lot of hustle and bustle involved.

Saturday: Ryan slept in until 8:30 (that never happens!) so mommy and daddy slept in too since he is usually our alarm clock on the weekends.  It threw us off a bit and got our day started a little later, but I guess we all needed our sleep.  Then, Ryan was full of energy all morning so I was chasing after him and not able to do much of anything else.  He climbed the dog, threw all of his toys all over the house, and ran around like he was running a marathon.  He did not stop until his afternoon nap crash.

When he went down for his nap, I took off to get my 3-hr Mother's Day Spa package put to use.  I enjoyed a massage, mani, pedi, and light lunch.  It was the most relaxing thing ever, but when I got home I realized we still had not done anything to get ready, so I started washing billions of loads of laundry.  Whoops.

Sunday: With just hours left of the weekend, it was time to really get to work.  I needed to backup/update our iPad for the trip, so I figured I would let it update while I got to work, well when I plugged it in to update, the update wouldn't take, my screen went black, and nothing would work.  I spent hours that morning trying to fix it myself before I threw in the towel and took it to the Apple store.  There, I spent even more time trying to have them fix it until they came back to tell me they couldn't and that the hardware pretty much went dead.  It would cost just as much as buying a new one to fix it.  Great, who has $300-ish lying around???  

I went home defeated.  Fortunately we have a 1st generation iPad lying around that we were able to transfer Ryan's movies on so that he had some backseat entertainment for the 15-hr road trip.  But, since the iPad is a 1st gen, it won't update to the current iOS system, therefore, I can't access all of our apps.  At some point, I am going to have to get a new iPad....but my wallet is crying in preparation.  I am going to try and hold out until Christmas and see what holiday prices the stores will have.

Since that took up the whole day, it was dinner time and we had a dinner commitment to go to.  My old sales partner from my job in VA was in town visiting his son who had just moved to Memphis.  We jumped at the chance to have dinner with him and his wife.  It was wonderful to catch up after 3 years and see old friends.  Made me truly miss everybody back home.

When we got back home, it was back to the grind, I finished laundry and attempted to pull out clothes for the suitcase, but then crashed in bed.  I have maybe 2 items in my suitcase.  Total weekend fail.

Now, my lists pushed back to this week...which means I will be running around like a chicken with my head cut off!  Shew, I am exhausted even thinking about it.

I hope your weekend was a little more productive than ours!

XOXO,

Sherri

Questions:

What was the best thing about your weekend?

Ever have a weekend where nothing you needed to get done got done?

Friday Favorites: 5/15/15

Thanks to Katie and Heather for the link-up!
Happy Friday!  Woohoo!

I am less than a week away from having my toes in the sand at a beach with my little family.  I could just jump for joy.

There is a lot to celebrate starting next week in our home.  On the 19th, Russell and I will celebrate our 3-year anniversary and on the 29th, Russell turns the big 3-0!  I think I am way more excited about his birthday than mine (my birthday is 6/15).

I think it is only appropriate that we end this week with a bang and I highlight some of my favorites from the week:

Yasso Greek Yogurt Bars

Costco had a nice big ol' box of Yasso Mint Chocolate Chip Greek Yogurt Bars in the freezer section with my name written all over it.  And they did not disappoint.  They are 100 calories and so delicious!  I do not feel guilty indulging in these sometimes every single night.

Right before it ended up in my belly.

Organization

I love visiting the Simply Organized website and getting the best ideas.  Granted, I never end up doing them, but these 2 images that I found this week will definitely be used...like soon!

How genius is this!?  

Russell's shoes are taking over my garage, this is the BEST solution!

QuickFlics

If you haven't visited Natalie's blog The Busy Budgeting Mama, you are missing out.  I was catching up on her blog this week and she posted a solution to a much needed issue I have had.  I have SO MANY videos on my iPhone of Ryan that I really need to do something with.  I mean pronto!  Our computer is a dinosaur and ready to bite the dust any day, so I am afraid to upload and try to burn them to a DVD myself.  (Thank goodness all of my photos and videos are backed up to my external hard drive.) 

Well Natalie posted a solution to my nightmare.  There is a new app out called QuickFlics that you can download that will allow you to take all of your videos from your phone and have them sent to you on a jump drive or on a DVD!  Hallelujah! According to Natalie, Once you download the app, you choose your media (flash drive or DVD).  Choose your plan: 8.99/monthly auto bill plan. You can start, pause, resume, or cancel your service anytime. $11.99/single one-time purchase. There’s no commitment, ever.  Then you get it in the mail within 1 week.  Visit her site to get a code for you to try it free (you just cover the shipping).

You can count on it that I will be putting it to use starting NOW.  

Ryan Schwartz

Every night after dinner, we work with Ryan on saying "all done" to let us know he is finished.  Well last night he was geeking out and thought it was super funny and then tried to say it too!  I shot a video of it and of course I am going to share it with you.  I just love this stage where everything is funny and he is trying so hard to really communicate using his words.

And that's that.  My favorites of the week.  I hope you have a fantastic weekend!  I get to indulge in my Mother's Day gift this weekend.  A 3hr spa package that includes a light lunch, massage, mani, and pedi.  I am going to come back Monday soooo refreshed with brightly painted toes ready for the beach.

See you on the flip side!

XOXO,

Sherri

Questions:

What were some of your favorites from the week?

What are you doing this weekend?

Thinking Out Loud | Will I survive a road trip with my toddler?

First, I want to give a shout out to Amanda @ RunningwithSpoons for the link up.

Its #thinkingoutloud Thursday!

In T-minus 1 week, my little family and I will be heading out the OBX (the Outer Banks in North Carolina) for our family vacation.  It will be Ryan's first time at the beach and our first real family vacation.  I already feel myself slowly starting to mentally check out so I need to reel it on in and pull myself together this last week of work :)

On another note, it will take us 15 hours to drive there.  Yes, you read it right....15 hours in the car with a toddler.  Hence why, this has been on my mind a ton and why I have dedicated my #thinkingoutloud Thursday to this.  Because I need some help!

We will be splitting the drive into 2 days, leaving Thursday night to get at least halfway while Ryan sleeps in the back.  That's all fine and good, but that still leaves us a good 7-8 hours in the car next Friday with a crazy toddler awake in the backseat.  

In the past, when we have done road trips with Ryan, he has not been mobile so he really slept the whole time.  Not the case now.  So while our trip used to be like this:

I am expecting it to be more like this:

Ryan Perry Schwartz Thinks He is Superman

You heard it first folks, I birthed Superman.  At least that is what my toddler thinks.  The only thing missing from his invincible ego is his spandex and cape.  Anyone have some I can borrow?

I guess after surviving the armoire fall (missed it? read here), Ryan has determined that he is either Superman, or has 9 lives like a cat. (Or both.)

When I arrived to pick up Ryan from daycare yesterday, I was told there was an "accident report" that I needed to fill out.  Simply put: your son fell, bumped his head, got scratched or something, and you need to acknowledge we told you about it.

I did not think anything of it.  I actually have to sign one of these accident acknowledgement forms at least once a week because Ryan is big into trying to run and then stumbles and bumps his head.

When I walked into class, he greeted me with a big smile, squeal, and then hug.  There were no new bruises present.  (He already had a few from this past weekend.)  Then I was presented the story.

She started with, "You're son thought he was Superman...."  Great.  I just knew how this was going to go...

Apparently, during outside play time, Ryan was living it up sliding down the slide.  (It's his all-time favorite outdoor play equipment.)  Then, he decided to switch things up...  He stood at the top of the slide, waved to everyone and said "bye bye" and then successfully attempted to RUN down the slide with a huge smile on his face.  Halfway down, he must have realized it was going to end bad, because it was only then, that apparently his eyes went wide and then face planted at the bottom.

He got up, shook it off, smiled, no tears, and then tried to walk up the slide.  My kid.  The Superman toddler with 9 lives.

It was, only then, that it occurred to me that I was glad we were paying an arm and a leg to have the the highest level of medical coverage available with my husband's employer, because we will need it.

From the weekend - the start of his Superman ego.

This is the look of a kid who knows he is about to get in trouble.

If Ryan keeps this up, I am putting him in a padded room!



XOXO,
Sherri


Questions:
Has your toddler ever done anything crazy?

How have you handled it?

Ryan's Favorites | Bath Toys

It has been a while since I have done a post on some of Ryan's favorites, so I figured it was time to highlight his all-time favorite bath toys.  Granted, he is almost 17 months old, so they aren't water guns or anything, but he really loves the toys he has.  They keep him entertained and help distract him when it is time to do the shampoo rinse.

Ryan used to never be bothered if he got water in his eyes, but lately, he has changed his mind, and it is the end-all, be-all of his bath time.  Several of his toys have distracted him so that he doesn't think about it if I get water in his eyes during his shampoo rinse, but there are the days where you think World War III has just started.  He screams, kicks, cries, throws toys, you name it, he does it.  Below are some of his favorite toys that have helped us calm him or distract him.

one  |  two  |  three  |  four  |  five

B. Fish and Splish Boat by B. Toys - Around the time Ryan turned 1, he was very bored with his baby bath toys.  You know, the soft chewy/squeaky rubber ducky?  A friend suggested the B. Fish and Splish Boat, so I bought it as a birthday present.  It has not disappointed.  The best part, is that there are so many toys that it comes with.  There are three stacking cups, multiple fish, a boat, captain, and fishing rod that you can practice catching the fish with.  Ryan loves stacking the cups and dumping the boat and then putting everything back in.  He hasn't quite understood the concept of using the fishing rod to catch the fish, but he laughs watching me do it.

Barnyard Bath by Sandra Boynton -  This is a new addition to our bath toys and it has quickly become a fan favorite.  Ryan is obsessed with books and always tries to bring his board books in the bath with him.  Sandra Boynton is one of our favorites and Ryan loves her books.  The best part about this book is that it FLOATS in the water!  It also teaches Ryan to take a washcloth and wash the animals on each page.  He loves taking his washcloth to practice washing and I use the book to my advantage too.  It's a great distraction to lift high in the air and make Ryan look up as I am rinsing his shampoo.  No water in his eyes = happy toddler and happy momma.  (I'm not kidding about World War III.)

Tug Boat by Green Toys - Ryan is big into boats right now, so he pulls out this boat a lot to "bang" into the B. Fish and Splish Boat.  (Oh boys.)  I like it because it fills with water and has a spout so you can pour water out of it.  

Fish in a Tub by Alex Toys - Fish in a Tub is also a new addition but Ryan cracks up over it.  It winds up and when you let it loose, it swims all over the tub.  He loves watching it swim and just giggles nonstop.  

Shampoo Rinser by Munchkin - This has saved me several times from World War III.  It has a soft and flexible rim so that it holds to Ryan's head as I pour water so that the water flows away from the face.  Granted, Ryan still has to look up and that is the thing that makes this not always work for us.  Ryan will look up but then get distracted by a toy right as I pour the water and then we all know what happens next.  I usually pair this rinser with the bath book as the ultimate way to distract Ryan.  As I lift the book to read and Ryan looks up, I use the rinser and never get the water in his eyes.  I listed this as a favorite toy for Ryan because he loves taking it and scooping and pouring water and then taking his stacking cups and stacking them in there.  He is in a big stacking and building phase right now.

_________

Now while we have found toys and bath tools that work for us, I just wish I could find a way for him to allow me to brush his teeth without a mad breakdown.  Does anyone have a toy or routine that works for that?  I have tried the banana silicone toothbrush and a regular toddler extra soft bristle toothbrush that has Mickey Mouse on it and he still clamps up and thinks I am trying to poison him.  You have suggestions on how to make it fun/work?

Help a mother out!

XOXO, 

Sherri

Questions:

What are some favorite bath toys your child likes?

Got a teeth brushing routine that might help me?