The Fit Skool | by Kelly

September 14, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Date Night & Weekend Recap

Hello Monday!

After a fun & relaxing weekend with my family I’m feeling energized and ready to tackle the day. Last Thursday & Friday Marc was in Buffalo, NY for work travels and a golf tournament so I was home with Ava and Cooper until early Saturday morning. While I didn’t like having Marc gone I did catch up on housework, computer work, and sleep.

Friday night was a very low key night.

Ava and I took a trip to Bruce Park to play on the playground.

She had so much fun and I loved seeing her smile the whole time she was playing.

After we got home my mom and brother stopped over to keep me company and we hung out and chat, until 10pm rolled around and I decided I was ready for bed.

Saturday morning we got up bright and early, I took Cooper for a long walk and then we headed to the YMCA for Ava’s Soccer Kick & Play program.

The program is for 12-24 month old kids and they alternate between soccer kicking and play time. It’s a great program that helps with hand eye coordination, balance, listening, communicating and play time skills.

We look forward to the next class next week.

After class Ava was wiped! She had a snack and then took a nice long nap. Marc also napped with Ava so I took advantage of the sleeping house and ran about 10 different errands around town! In the afternoon we headed to our neighbors house for a play date and then Marc and I had a date night dinner at Barcelona restaurant.

It’s our go to date night spot. The service is great, the food is awesome and it has a great atmosphere. We love their tapas!

We started with the Spinach & Chickpea casserole & meatballs. (MY FAVORITES)

Plus some calamari, smoked trout pate,

& broccoli rabe.

We also indulged in some red wine.

It was a great date night and we left with full bellies!

Our Sunday morning started off similar with a long family walk and then we made a trip to Trader Joe’s. Is anyone else obsessed with that place???? I literally could buy every item in the store. I had to hold back from some purchases but I love all their stuff.

Our evening was spent hanging out with our neighbors on our porch while our daughters played until bedtime! It was a great weekend.

What was something fun you did this weekend?

Are you a pumpkin fan?

September 11, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Things I’m loving this week!

These posts have become a weekly blog topic for me because I really do enjoy looking back and picking out new things that have stood out as “favorites” to me!

I usually only pick a handful of things but I usually have at least 10 on my mind. Some of them are repeats so I don’t post them

THINGS I’M LOVING THIS WEEK!

On Labor Day we went to my parents to BBQ. My brother has been eating really healthy and trying lots of new nutritious snacks and foods and one of them was Ranch Kale Chips. I was excited to try them because I have only had them with olive oil and sea salt. Before I tried them he told me he wasn’t a fan, but after one bite I was sold. I really did like it and I was also happy to hear that they had 6g of protein, 4g fiber, iron and vitamin K with each serving!

Speaking of last weekend, my whole family was sick… rather then ramble on about sick details I want to tell you about my frequent trips to Green and Tonic. I went there twice last weekend and both times I took a shot of Fire Cider! No it doesn’t have alcohol, its an immunity booster shot containing apple cider vinegar, ginger, and HABANERO! This stuff is legit. I know I mentioned it last week, but I loved the way I felt after drinking it. It was almost like having a cup of coffee, a rinse of mouthwash and a lozenger in one gulp. That may sound weird but it worked wonders so I needed to mention it again.

I’m a huge fan of anything popcorn related. It’s probably one of my favorite healthy snacks, so when I saw this bag of Chia Pop I had to buy it. I was intrigued that it had chia powder but I assumed it would taste like regular popcorn and it did. The flavor was salt & pepper and I was surprised when I was full after one serving. Marc liked it too!

Ice cream is my weakness. It’s a part of my life and it’s one of my go to treats especially in the summer time and especially when I have a sore throat. What’s not soothing about ice cream right?? I stumbled upon this Breyers Natural Vanilla when I was just GLANCING at the ice cream aisle…. it caught my eye and when I saw that it only had 5 ingredients I knew it was a winner. It was creamy, delicious, soothed my sore throat, and tasted great. Each serving only has 130 calories too!

Ava has been such a happy camper these last 2 days and really what’s not to love about a happy child! She’s been energized and so fun to play with.

We have no big plans this weekend and I’m looking forward to a relaxing weekend!

What are some things you are loving this week?

Any fun weekend plans?

September 10, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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My 3 Favorite Exercises

My 3 Favorite Exercises are my favorite because you can do them anywhere… at home, on vacation, outside, at the gym, while watching tv, I think you get it.

If you can’t find time to workout, you can do these 3 exercises while you watch your favorite TV show. During each commercial perform one of the exercises below. I’m sure you will be tired by the end of your show!

MY 3 FAVORITE EXERCISES:

BURPEES When I’m looking for a full body workout and a workout that’s going to get my heart pounding I turn to burpees. You work almost every muscle in your body & you get your heart rate up with this one simple exercise, plus you can do them anywhere!

PUSHUPS I enjoy pushups for the pure fact that they will always be challenging to me. I have gotten stronger over the years but I have always stepped outside of my comfort zone to increase my range of motion, increase the # of repetitions I do, or the angle of the pushup that way they are always tough! I know it sounds crazy that enjoy the challenge of a pushup but I do.

JUMP ROPE For as long as I can remember I loved to jump rope. Whether it was with playing around with my friends, basketball practice, or even at Boot camp. Jump rope gives me a great cardio workout! I prefer to use it over the treadmill or elliptical because I don’t get bored and I’m able to have fun while doing it.

For an awesome full body workout that you can do ANYWHERE, complete the workout below.

BODY WEIGHT CHALLENGE

BURPEES

PUSHUPS

JUMP ROPE

Perform each exercise for 1 minute, Repeat 4x! (or more if you are looking for a longer workout)

Be ready to work hard and drip sweat!

What are your favorite exercises?

What are you LEAST favorite exercises?

September 9, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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WIAW: Labor Day Eats

Hello there and happy hump day!

I’m happy to feeling healthy today and off to teach Group Power as you read this. I wanted to back up a bit to Labor Day and share some of my food journal with you. After a weekend of pretty much no big events, my eats weren’t that exciting but they were healthy

I’m linking up with the WIAW crew to share my eats from Labor Day.

I woke up around 6am on Monday when my little alarm clock child started calling Mama & dada until Marc decided he was going to get up and let me sleep. I was so thankful he let me shut my eyes for another hour because I was still craving more sleep.

At around 7am I woke up and headed downstairs and Ava greeted me with a big smile. I knew it was going to be a good day.

I made us all eggs for breakfast and Marc went out to buy us some iced coffee. I had over easy eggs with spinach & toast. yum. Marc & Ava had scrambled eggs with cheese.

At around 830 we took Cooper for a long walk. When we returned I quickly made a Chocolate Shakeology and then we headed out to Kohl’s so I could pick my dad up a Fit Bit for his Birthday.

My dad is a gadget man and he’s really into walking/logging his activity so I knew this would be the perfect gift.

We got home around 11am and I snacked on some carrots with Ava before we put her down for a nap. At 12pm my stomach was rumbling again so I knew I needed a big lunch. My taste buds were pretty off from the cold we had over the weekend so I opted to eat food that was leftover. I had a piece of Pesto Chicken, Spinach & Sweet Potato Burger

and some Apple & Fennel Salad that Marc made. It was delicious and filling.

Ava took a long nap and I got some computer work done before she woke up. I had some nuts & fruit for a snack.

We headed to my parents house around 3pm to have a cookout for my Dad’s birthday & labor day. It’s always nice to hang out with my family and enjoy the weather outside on the deck.

For dinner we had hamburgers, BBQ grilled chicken, potato salad, pasta salad, salad, zucchini, green beans, etc.

Plus cheesecake & anisette cookies for dessert. Believe it or not I don’t like cheesecake but its my dad’s favorite. So I opted for a cookie instead!

It was a great end to the weekend.

Isn’t this picture so cute of my Dad and Ava holding hands!!!!

What’s something yummy you ate on labor day?

Are you pumped it’s almost the weekend already?

September 8, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Quick & Easy Turkey Burgers

When I cook dinner, my recipes are usually based off of what we have in the fridge/pantry and what my belly is craving. Marc recently suggested burgers and I thought to myself yes I could go for burgers! To make them lighter, healthier & kid approved I quickly came up with a recipe that came together nicely.

I am always trying to sneak veggies into foods for Ava because lets face it, even the “good eaters” have a tough time getting the correct amount of veggies in on a daily basis. Although we all eat healthy I decided sneaking in some peppers would make this burger more flavorful & crunchy and that it did.

We all agreed that these were tasty and satisfying. I will definitely be making them again.

QUICK & EASY TURKEY BURGERS

1 lb Ground Turkey Meat

2 tbsp Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup bread crumbs

2 tbsp water

1/2 cup red bell pepper (chopped into tiny pieces)

1/2 cup orange bell pepper (chopped into tiny pieces)

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Makes 5 burgers

Directions:

Chop peppers into tiny pieces.
In a large mixing bowl add in all ingredients, mix until everything is combined. I used my hands but you can use a large spoon.
Form into 5 burgers. Some of the pepper pieces might fall out but you can stuff them back in.
Heat grill to high (about 400 degrees) cook approximately 8-10 minutes on each side or until cooked through.

These burgers are delicious served over a salad, in a lettuce wrap, on a bun or in a wrap. I don’t know about you guys but even though summer is coming to an end I will NOT stop grilling until the snow piles up over our grill

What foods do you try to sneak veggies into?

Do you like turkey burgers?

September 4, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Things I’m loving this week!

Happy Friday!

This post is coming a little later then I would’ve liked but I’m not feeling that great, and Ava has been sick since Wednesday. All my attention and free time has been devoted to her and getting her better.

I feel like we are a healthy family but for some reason when Ava gets sick it’s inevitable I get sick. I’m assuming its because she rubs her face in mine and I have to wipe her snots! I probably don’t get as much sleep as my body needs too. Plus when you are a fitness instructor you don’t get days off when you need them.

Anyways…I have a pretty busy weekend with a bachelorette party, my dad’s birthday, plus labor day so I’m keeping my fingers crossed I’m feeling 100% in the morning.

I have a few favorite things from this past week that I wanted to share with you!

Things I’m loving this week:

Looking back at pictures from our vacation helped me get through this week. I actually had a great week and it felt great to be back to a routine but there was a huge part of me that missed all the quality family time we had over our vacation.

It was so helpful to have Marc around all week and that gave me a huge break from having to do everything for Ava. He’s such a hands on Dad and doesn’t hesitate to do anything and everything with Ava. He makes her laugh more then anyone and I’m truly lucky.

Even though everyone keeps saying summer is over. I’m still enjoying lots of summer foods like BBQ Grilled Chicken and Burgers!

Speaking of chicken… Arcuri’s loads their salads with lots of chicken and I’m pretty sure their house dressing is out of this world!

I’ve been on a plantain kick all week. They are so easy to whip up and they are loaded with healthy vitamins and carbs! What’s not to love

I’m pretty sure Justin’s Vanilla Almond Butter is the best tasting treat in a package ever. I’m glad I didn’t buy the jars because I wouldn’t be able to stop eating it. Thank goodness for perfectly portioned sample packets!

This morning I headed to Green and Tonic once I mustered up some energy to get out. I bought an Ultimate Green Warrior smoothie and it was delicious. Ava even enjoyed some. I also bought a “SHOT” of apple cider vinegar, habanero and ginger. It sounds gross but I was looking for anything to help give me an immunity boost and this worked! It helped clear my up and literally made my eyes open as wide as possible, I think I liked it

Now its time to rest and take care of little Miss Ava.

What are your holiday weekend plans?

Have you ever tried any immunity fighting remedies before?

September 2, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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WIAW: Vacation Eats

Well, I titled this post vacation eats but technically it was our last day of vacation (sunday) and we ate all our meals at home so my food journal isn’t anything fancy but it’s worth sharing.

I thought I would shake things up a bit,I’m linking up with the What I Ate Wednesday Crew to share with you my food journal from Sunday!

Our human alarm clock (Ava) woke us up at around 5:45am AGAIN. This girl’s biological clock needs to be reset because we need more sleep haha. Marc and I look at each other like “are you gonna go get her??”

We had been rotating so that over our mini vacation we could each get some extra sleep. I’m one of those people that once your eyes open I’m wide awake and can’t go back to sleep. So I got up and started my day.

We had some leftover iced coffee in the fridge so I poured myself a cup and also drank some water with it.

Feeling ambitious and ready to tackle the day, I decided to saute some zucchini and mushrooms, I also quickly baked some potatoes and put a couple eggs on top and that was our breakfast. It was quite tasty and easy to make. Man do I love breakfast.

At around 830 my dad came over and was going to help us with another one of our projects. ATTIC CLEANING! UGh. Well I am glad we did it because we cleared a lot of space but I was a sweaty tired mess at the end.

At around 1030 my stomach was rumbling so I snacked on a peach

Ava was also hungry so we snacked on some of this trail mix too.

Ava decided she had enough and was ready for a nap. While she napped we took a break, I ran to the grocery store, did some laundry and got organized.

Marc and I ate lunch right around 12 because we had worked up a big appetite from cleaning. I made a big salad with romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, orange glazed chicken & balsamic dressing and an orange on the side.

I also had 2 spoonfuls of peanut butter, yaaaaaaaaaa.

After Ava woke up from her nap we decided to head to the beach to enjoy our last day of vacation. It turned out to be a nice afternoon and we were glad we went. Ava loved the water and literally didn’t want to leave. It made me so happy to see her having so much fun!

When we got home around 3pm I had a Vanilla shakeology. I anticipated an early dinner so I didn’t want to fill my belly too much.

For dinner Marc and I baked some zucchini, yellow squash, sweet potatoes and had blackened salmon. This meal is our go to Sunday dinner and it never fails. We always say how much we enjoy all the simple flavors.

At night I snacked on some strawberries

and some roasted plantains in coconut oil

It was tough getting back to work the next day, but honestly this week couldn’t be going any smoother and I’m super happy it’s already Wednesday!

Whats something yummy you ate this week?

Do you have a go to Sunday dinner meal?

September 1, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Back Workout & Minor Injury

Before I get to one of my quick back workouts, I wanted to tell you guys about my “Minor Injury” that I had a couple weeks ago. At first I didn’t feel the need to tell anyone about it, but it caused me a bit of pain and it definitely effected my workouts so I felt the need to share.

2 Thursdays ago, about an hour before boot camp I dropped something on my left foot. It hit my TOE so hard I literally screamed. Ava looked at me like I was crazy and then she screamed (she was imitating me) It wasn’t funny though. I limped around even though I tried to act tough, but the truth is it hurt SO BAD. I didn’t think I broke it, so I hobbled around for a bit and then put my shoe back on because I had to get ready to teach boot camp.

When I teach class I don’t think of anything else besides motivating others, instructing the class, and giving them my undivided attention.

It wasn’t until we went to do pushups that I felt my toe throbbing and in pain. I had to balance on my feet and my toes were bent during the pushup exercise and I wanted to scream, but I didn’t. I switched to a knee pushup to modify and avoid causing myself more discomfort.

After class I left… and while I was driving my car I literally felt a throbbing in my foot. UGHHHHHH I was so mad.

I immediately iced when I got home and found myself sad by this little injury. I automatically start thinking I broke my toe, I’m not going to be able to walk Cooper, we are going on vacation and I can’t do anything. You know “negative thoughts.”

Then I sat myself down and repeated to myself (without speaking out loud) THINK POSITIVELY KELLY. It’s just a toe, it will heal, you will be fine, you can work around it.

This quote came to mind AGAIN.

Before I knew it, I convinced my mind I was fine. I stayed positive and gave it as much rest as possible through the weekend.

Although there was pain, I could deal with it. I have had way worse injuries this was nothing. The bottom line is there’s nothing like an injury.. its both physically painful and mentally challenging but I know I’m strong enough not to let it bother me.

So the next day I went to the gym and told myself I was going to be my own “TRAINER.” If I had a client with a broken toe I would tell them we can work around it. You can’t let yourself become immobile because of small minor injury. There’s other ways to be active without effecting the injured area.

I road the bike for 15 minutes as a warm-up, I did some light stretching (because I was sore from boot camp) and then I completed this back workout:

15 Minute BACK WORKOUT

REAR DELT FLY 3 SETS OF 8-10 REPS (25-35LBS)

PULL-UPS 3 SETS OF 8-10 REPS (50-60LB ASSISTANCE)

SEATED ROW 3 SETS OF 8-10 REPS (50+ LBS)

EACH SET I INCREASED THE RESISTANCE UNTIL MY BACK WAS COMPLETELY TIRED.

I finished with some light stretching and left with a smile on my face. I was happy I got a workout in but I was also happy because I didn’t feel like the injury effected anything I did that day at the gym.

I am also happy to say my foot is completely FINE. My injury only lasted about 5 days, and I got through it. I feel fortunate that I didn’t break it bad enough that I would need more time to rest but sometimes you need to remind yourself that stuff happens and you WILL get through it

Have you ever injured your foot?

How do you workout when you have a minor injury?

August 31, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Vacations should never end

As I write this post it makes me sad to think our vacation week has ended. Vacations should NEVER end right?

I just started getting used to the “no work” thing and I kinda liked it. We had no set plans each day and kinda went with the flow. Each morning we started our day with breakfast & a long walk. It felt great to get outside and enjoy the beautiful weather as well as get our bodies moving bright and early. It just set things off to a great start.

On Friday we made another trip to Tod’s Point. We really couldn’t have lucked out anymore with the weather. Blue skies and warm temps made our vacation beautiful.

Friday night Marc and I had a “date night.” My mom offered to watch Ava so we could get out and have some alone time.

We decided to go to L’Escale Restaurant in Greenwich CT.

It’s a fancy restaurant located right on the water in the Delamar Harbor. Marc and I arrived around 6:15pm and we were asked if we wanted to sit inside or out. It was such a pretty night so we didn’t hesitate to take an outdoor table.

For an appetizer we had Roasted Oysters that came in a bacon, shallot, wine sauce.

I’ve only had oysters a couple of times before and I wasn’t a fan until I tried these. They were so tasty and I was sold after my first one.

Marc and I also enjoyed a glass of Chateau Red Wine. For our entrees I chose the Halibut Provencal which came with fennel, artickoes, tomatoes & potatoes in a saffron sauce.

It was amazing and I’m pretty sure I couldn’t put my fork down. Marc had to tell me to slow down!!

Marc had Branzino Boillabaisse which was rock shrimp, mussels, saffron potato, sea beans, rouille. He liked it a lot!

Our night was perfect and I am so thankful for the quality time we were able to spend together at dinner. After dinner we decided to go to another local steakhouse called Gabriele’s that had a small bar to have a drink together so we didn’t have to rush home!

Marc had a Cucumber Gin Fizz and I had a Skinny Margarita. Both drinks were quite refreshing.

After lots of chatting and good times we headed home!

Saturday and Sunday were all about productivity we did some attic cleaning, some organizing and stuff around the house.

We also had spent some time at Fairways At the Griff.

Ava loved being outside and of course smelling the flowers.

Our vacation was full of great food, lots of smiles, awesome workouts, perfect weather, relaxation and family time. I really hate to say this but I wasn’t looking forward to going back to my regular routine. I enjoyed having Marc home to spend my days with and I might shed a tear that vacay is over.

Now I’m off to teach Group Power and get my sweat on!

How was your weekend?

Is it tough for you to get back to work after taking a week vacation?

August 28, 2015
by Kelly @ The Fit Skool
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Things I’m loving this week!

Today’s Friday already and my vacation week is flying by… how does that happen??? The first part of our week was spent in Rhode Island and the second part was a “staycation” in Greenwich.

We have enjoyed the last couple days at the beach and are planning to go to Todd’s point again early today. The weather has been perfect and we’ve practically had the beach to ourselves.

It’s so relaxing and peaceful and I really don’t want summer to end.

Sorry I didn’t post yesterday but vacation time got in the way of me blogging.

I figured today was a great day to share some of the things I’m loving this week!

First up is my workouts. Being able to workout the way I want to has been so awesome. Don’t get me wrong I love my job as an instructor, but sometimes I’m forced to do specific workouts on certain days when I would rather be working on a different area of fitness. So this week I took advantage of mixing up my workouts. I did a few 21 day fix workouts plus boot camp class and it felt great. I feel a difference in my arm strength this week and my inner thighs are on fire….two thumbs up.

This quote was perfect for my workouts this week. I literally dripped so much sweat but you know what it felt great!

I’m loving Terrafina Trail mix. I bought it when we were in Rhode Island and it’s a great mix of nuts, seeds, & raisins. We have been snacking on it while we are at the beach and it’s almost gone. Mixed nuts have been my snack of choice this week.

We have eaten a few lunches at home this week. Once we left the beach Ava was wiped so we came home so she could nap and I ran out to Citarella to get some food. This Orange Glazed Chicken was AMAZING. We also had roasted butternut squash with carmelized onions and cranberries. SO Delicious. I love stores that offer fresh prepared meals. It was like eating at a restaurant in our house. I highly recommend Citarella.

Twice this week I had a Quest bar after my workouts. It’s an easy snack for me to grab and I love that it’s super high in protein because my muscles needed it this week. I’m pretty sure the cookie dough flavor is to die for.

I found this Quinoa mix at Stop and Shop the other day and I’m glad I did. It only has “real” ingredients and it was so easy to make. It was the perfect side dish to chicken or fish and I the taste was great!

Spending time with family this week has been incredible and I don’t want it to end.

It’s made me push aside all the non important things in life and focus on what really matters and to me that’s happiness. If you aren’t happy you aren’t living.

Have you ever had a “staycation” before?

What’s something you are loving this week?