fit-ish ~ part one

Who decided to join the gym this year? 
Yep, that would be me along with countless others, and a sigh from a relative about the gym being so crowded in January, that he might just stay home for two weeks while it dies down! PSST ... this girl isn't going to sputter out like the rest of the population, hoping to make good on their resolution in short time! I don't have that kind of money to waste!!

Well, gadgets, accessories, and schedules were put into play so both my husband and I can take full advantage of what the gym has to offer, and so far so good. The plan is to get to the gym at least twice a week, and meet with the trainer for measurements each month, and do date nights at the gym but the kids club closes at noon on Fridays, so that's a bummer! BUT we both have been doing pretty good other wise!

We both have step counters on our phones, mine is Google Fit which works nice, and neither of us were going to go full out and get a smart watch/fit device (whoa what a price tag!) but I did find a resale Jawbone that I liked, and then it stopped working.{UPDATE 9/2017: I now have a Misfit and it is awesome! Great price, great connected app, and simple device that takes a cell battery instead of charging} As you can tell, doing this gym thing on a budget is where we are in the world right now! No fancy running shoe or workout towel or duffle bag or headphones, just a couple on a journey to get fit!

I will tell you, having the trainer meet up every month has been awesome, otherwise I would just be walking on the treadmill not knowing how machines work or what kind of routine to pursue. We got in on a great promotion that included a trainer, but if you can afford a few sessions, I would really recommend it! 

The other helpful thing that I have done is, figuring out a few variations from looking up stuff on Pinterest. Yes, yes, Pinterest, everybody finds something on Pinterest, pin, pin, pin, pin ... but hey, if it's free, why not! And there is no "Pinterest Fail" when it comes to finding a workout!

Again, I have no idea what I'm doing, I just found these routines that I like!
Another app that I found and I use everyday is Sworkit! You can choose an area you want to work, pick and choose or do their routine, it demonstrates the exercise and set up the count down clock for the reps you need, set up a few minutes or an hour routine, and it syncs with my Fit so it keeps track of my steps and calories! They have a yoga & stretching app too! I have done the calorie counters before, and I just don't have the time to sit (no really, my two kids are running around, I don't have time!) and type in and how much of what I ate even after I get my 'menu' or 'favorites' set up.

Days marked for the gym have been missed, pounds are still yo-yoing, but we are a work in progress and it's going to take some time to get to where we want to be!

I'M UNDER CONSTRUCTION

xo

online is just fine

Aahh, downtime! The part of the day when everything on your list is completed and you just need to rest. A nap or early to bed would be a good idea, maybe some yoga or reflecting ... but most days you end up online shopping. Just scrolling through outfit ideas on Pinterest, or your friends photos of Facebook or Instagram, maybe look up a few kid clothes at Target. Yep, that happens and most of the time I don't purchase, I just window shop. Ha! Window shop, that is probably a term that will end up making me sound old one of these days!

In my adventures in online shopping, I've come across a few awesome sites that are different, really cool, or really cheap and who knows how many more are out there! So here are some favorites you should check out soon!

Bungalow 123 is such a great boutique online shop, I just love it and everything is so beautiful! Bohemian, casual, but not so vintage and they have extended sizes (which for most "boutique" shops is just unheard of). Versatile pieces and wonderful color palette is what makes Bungalow 123 one of my favorites!

Have you heard of 6pm?! Go check it out now ... now I say, I'll wait, it's ok! Huge discounts on name brands clothing, sunglesses, bags, etc! Lots of designers and discounts vary, but always a deal. Same with Backcountry, this site has a smaller selection, but who wants to wait for store markdowns!

Fabletics makes me want to buy everything they have! Same with lucy Activewear! Both sites are great to inspire some fitness and revamp you workout gear. Not sure how Fabletics special works, but both clothing brands have great prices from time to time!

There are so many kids clothing stores and websites out there, it's just too many! But my new favorite is Free to be Kids! Such adorable, breaking the stereotype t-shirts and onesies, I can't get over how awesome the pieces are! This is the new path that kids clothing needs to start heading down!

Etsy is somewhere that I go whenever I have a certain thin in mind that I want to see a variety of options and prices. So many great artists have beautiful pieces, from jewelry to home goods to clothing, vintage or modern, there is always a variety from different sellers!

Yoobi is school supplies that are fun, bright, and cute for the littles but can brighten up any office space. They also have a buy one give one program, for every purchase you make, they give supplies to schools in need! Yoobi is also sold at Target, but there is a lot more on the website. Also look up Discount School Supplies, this site has lots of great school stuff, more for teachers but not in bulk, so if your looking for paints, chalk, easels, math toys, spelling games, they have it!

Thrift Store Books is the best for recycled books! The pricing is good, the shipping is reasonable and I've only come across a few titles that they didn't have at that point in time. Another recycled site is Second Spin, they have cd's, dvd's, they buy back and sell good quality music and movies for such a great price. Yes, I still buy cd's ... cover art will never die!

Now, I don't have Amazon Prime and sometimes the shipping is more than the item itself, but overall Amazon has a good set up, I mean you can find literally anything! I got a Jet.com coupon in the mail not too long ago and haven't really figured them out, but it looks like they have a large variety like Amazon, but  three different prices depending on how you want to pay. Different, interesting, need to shop the website a bit more to get it.

So many more that I can't even remember, I'm always looking for a good deal and a different idea, there will be more to come!

LET'S FIND SOME DEALS!

xo

put on some pants!? my love letter to leggings

I am still hearing so many people say leggings are not pants, or that they are in their "mom outfit" and I really think that they sound silly for thinking, or saying, that it's lazy!
Let me tell you a little something ... whenever I have 5 minutes to myself, I'm squatting, stretching, or lifting something to get in a workout for the day!

 I wear yoga pants or leggings, t-shirt, sports bra, and sneakers just about everyday. And not because it's the only thing that fits me right now, or it's just so comfortable, or that I'm lazy, it's due to the simple fact that if we are not headed to the gym first thing in the morning, I will have to find some time in my day to get in a workout in small portions between playing with the kiddos, grocery shopping, household chores, and working! It really is that simple. I'm not one of those moms who gets up at 5AM to go to the gym before her day starts ... are you kidding me, I barely make it out of bed by 7AM to get breakfast ready for everyone!

What I can relate to in the leggings loathing conversation, is the wearing of a regular t-shirt with leggings as oppose to a tunic with leggings. I personally don't like a shirt that sits at my waist, I end up pulling it down all day long, so a tunic is a much better pairing for me. Also, the thin material of some leggings just doesn't do anybody any good! I have found much success with with a certain lovely little leggings company that has great patterns and material, as well as an awesome tunic length top. I have many pairs and I'm not ashamed of it! I feel like I finally found the perfect tunic and all my other tops were just 'ok for now' as I purchased them.

Yeah maybe the price is a bit steep, but for something I wear every day, it's worth it! The best part about all this leggings love going on right now, is that there are many other companies with similar styles, but take caution since some of those brands might not be the same quality material that you think it is.

Comfortable clothes with a stylish whim, 

that I can wear at the playground or to the gym, 

I will love you for now and forever it seems, 

even when it's considered "out" by fashion magazines

ONE PAIR IS NEVER ENOUGH

xo

let's play!

We just had a 2 year old birthday at the beginning of the month and we are still playing with wonderful gifts from Christmas, so this post a toy review!
I make a wishlist on Amazon (a fantastic idea from a dear friend!) and email family this list when asked for gift ides, I have a list for each kid and a hidden list that I have reminders on, so I can switch, delete, and keep so I don't have to rack my brain when it comes time for birthdays. It works great because I can always note where to buy and they don't need to go through the website!

Little People Zoo
I think this has changed over the years, but if you are lucky to find this one, it's great! Our oldest received this as a 1st birthday gift and would have never thought to get it, but it turns out the zoo and all the animals have kept both of them entertained throughout the years!

Alfie
I mentioned this in an earlier post and I think it is such a great toy for the older ages. It's a little robot computer and has a little cartridge and cards that help kids learn many a thing. Alfie interacts and makes jokes while playing different games and informing kids about the subject on the card. My husband remembers having one of these in the 80's sharing and playing with his siblings!

Kitchen
Both kids love playing restaurant and "making" lots of fun things! I have added many containers, bowls, spoons, cups, etc to the collection, and have been gifted (velcro)cutting foods, and I found a little grocery cart at a resale shop! This one is keeps their little imaginations going!

Cars and Ramps
There are so many cars in the playroom and we have created so many ramps out of gift wrap tubes, paper towel tubes, we add stacked books for hills, we add our Magic Tracks for a raceway, and the list goes on! Anything that we can build with, has been used! And I've found tall, swirly and loop-de-loop ramps at resale shops. I don't think racing cars will ever get old!

Magnets
It started out with the typical letters and numbers magnets on the fridge, then we nailed some sheet metal to the wall in the playroom, and now we have great shape pieces to make all sorts of fun designs with! Another great magnet toy is Magnaformers, they are free-standing, mostly squares and triangles you can build with!




Dot Paint
This is a fun, minimal mess paint or for small hands not skilled for a palette and brush! I've seen another brand that is refillable, so if you have a little artist constinaly painting and want to reuse bottles, look up http://www.discountschoolsupply.com






Trampoline
Enough said! It's a little big, but worth it! We have dance parties, fancy feet jump contest, fastest jumper races, and much more on cold days when they are full of energy!

Legos

Last but not least, we like our Duplo Legos and the little people in the sets! But I came across a fantastic add on from another brand, Hubelino, that fits perfect on Duplos! It's a ramp system or a marble run, we use the large shooter marbles, along with the balls that it came with and it all works together! Even the teenage nephews liked playing with it! Although, to build bigger towers with more turn going in and out of multiple levels, a grown ups help is needed.

If you are into making some cool toys for your kids, check out my Pinterest page 'Being Mom', I have pinned some awesome little things that you can create that will keeps kids entertained and learning. Some turn out great and we still have, others have been well played with and that was that!

TOYS DON'T HAVE GENDERS

xo

follow me

There has been so much going on, I can't believe there's been no time to write!! Not even jotting down ideas! Well, this blog is off to a slow start and I am trying to get it together, but in the mean time follow me on Pinterest and Instagram.
If I can't get a few minutes to write a cohesive post, I know I can get at least a couple seconds to scroll through and post some ideas or fleeting thoughts on either of those two platforms! https://www.pinterest.com/chrisannetcraig/

BE 100% YOU

xo

fun without the sun

The cold snowy St. Louis winter is almost behind us {and it really wasn't that bad this year} but the wet and windy spring is just around the corner, and on days that I need to pack a carry-on size diaper bag because the weather is not sure if it will rain, be humid, drop to freezing, or be sunny and delightful, I still plan indoor activities for S&Z.  All the great Pinterest ideas have been cycled through, everyone is just going crazy, and Z doesn't understand that even though the sun is out and bright she might get blow away ... so now what?!

I love letting them play in the rain and splash in puddles, it's a fun sometimes activity, and we are getting back into the swing of things walking and finding scavenger hunt items which is great, but I need to have my inside plans as a back up! Here are a few of our favorite places to go when it's just not quit ideal weather conditions!

~Library! There are so many great events that the St. Louis County Library puts on, it's the best! Such a variety for every age as well as Home School kid activities, it's definitely worth a look at their online calendar!

~Forest Park! Yes, I know it's an open park (the site of the 1904 World's Fair and the seventh largest urban park in the country!) but the wonderful museums that our park has is worth a look! The History Museum, the Science Center , the St. Louis Zoo, and the Art Museum all have awesome activities for kids throughout the year that will also amuse the elders in your group, and cost little to nothing to enjoy them!

~Miss Kelly's Gym! We love this place! Three days a week they have an open gym time for two hours and all the equipment is available for kids to swing, tumble, and balance on with a instructor in the space to help out. It's $8 per kid and if you are enrolled in a class, that kid is free. Everyone is so great and really make it a wonderful place to play!

~Dream Play Rec Room! This is a playground retail store that has a few days a week that kids can come and play on the inside displays! There is a $5 cash charge for each child and playtimes vary, but not bad price for an hour of running, swinging, sliding!

~Whole Foods! Yes, it's weird but they have activities as well as tours every month, free of charge! Check out your location for the calendar!

~Sky Zone! The best trampoline park around has a toddler time on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays from 9am-10am and open jump times Tuesdays-Sundays, it's $5 and a fee for jump socks.

And if those weren't enough, there is ... The Magic House, Monkey Joe's, Toy Tyme in Chesterfield Mall, Bounce U, Kokomo Joe's, We Rock the Spectrum, Chesterfield Sports Fusion, Hi-NRG, Contemporary Art  Museum toddler Tours, Mall Playgrounds, The Butterfly House in Faust Park, Barnes & Noble Storytime, Rise Coffee House.

DON'T FORGET TO PLAY!

xo

more modern couponing

I took you through my favorite apps for primarily groceries, and there are so many more out there and a few even have wait lists! That's a tad crazy to me ... but I'm not a crazy coupon lady, I just do some modern couponing.

By the way, is it {coo-poning} or {cue-poning}!? How do you pronounce it?! Maybe it's one of those 'where you grew up' kind of things. Although my SIL sounds like she's from Wisconsin but all of my husband's family grew up and pretty much stayed in St. Louis county area! Anywho, so here is the second installment of my favorite ways to save some money when shopping!*Cartwheel - If you don't have Cartwheel for Target trips, you have obviously been living under a rock! Sign up for free, shop Target and while you are in the store you can scan each item to see if there is a savings or make your list ahead of time, name brand and Target brand items are in the list, tons of items and a variety of categories to choose from all about 5%-20% savings, earn perks each time you shop (I got a full size cozy throw to snuggle up with while watching tv with the husband, FOR FREE!) items on the list change regularly and there is an expiration date on items so you know when to use the savings by!

*QT - QuikTrip gas stations are not everywhere but if you do have a location near you, you need this app! Sign up for free and you get a 32 oz fountain drink for free, lots of promos on lots of store items (not gas, oh well), just about every holiday they have something buy one get one or marked down, for Christmas they did the '12 days of Christmas' and gave FREE drinks or food for 12 days! The locations by us ran out of Hotzie breakfast sandwiches during this promo it went over so well! They always run a special on the pizza (which beats the other pizza chain, any day) and that is one of the best deals around.

*Swagbucks - I like this one a lot but don't spend much time on it, you can set your search bar with this one and every time you are shopping online it will pop up how much you earn on the purchase, there are games, offers, surveys, and videos you can earn more money by doing, refer a friend for more money too, simple and straight forward when shopping online!

*Inbox Dollars - Super easy and you already check emails all day, so why not open another one and just click a confirm button!? Every time you check email there will be a few that you click to confirm or to take a survey, each email if for a certain dollar amount and that adds up to actual cash, each time you reach $30 (I think) you request a check, they have other games and offers you can do to get more money, also refer a friend to get more money.

*Ebates - This one is tons of different brands and categories, so many that it's a bit overwhelming! If you're shopping online and want to find a coupon code check out this one for just about anything, get cash back for each store code you use and then redeem you points/percents, refer a friend to get more cash added to your account!

SHOPPING IS CHEAPER THAN THERAPY

xo