Saturday with Loll

I really enjoyed my day yesterday. I always fantasize about sleeping late, but on my days off I always wake up at 6:45. But, there is something about enjoying your morning and a steamy cup of coffee without pressure that is just amazing.

Do you work out? I try to regularly. I think maintaining muscle strength and cardiovascular fitness is one of the best things I can do for my body. Even when I was sick a few weeks ago, I forced myself to walk and do some exercise videos. I find there are a lot of mental benefits as well.

Anyways, on a friend’s recommendation I invested in Beach Body on demand in November. I started the LIIFT4 workout program, which is 8 weeks long and focuses on improving lifting strength, but also has a cardio component. I have really been enjoying it, although I have stretched the 8 weeks out pretty liberally. The only equipment you need is a TV or computer, a mat or rug, and dumbbell weights. I started off with my 3 and 8 lb dumbbells, but found that I needed heavier weights pretty quickly, so I bought 10 lb dumbbells. Even those eventually were not heavy enough, so yesterday I bought 15 lb dumbbells. I have not yet used them in my work outs, but boy do they feel heavy.

I like the program because the instructor, Joel, tells you when to use a lighter or heavier weight, and he emphasizes that if a weight is too heavy for you to maintain good form during the exercise, then you have to decrease it. These workouts fly by, and I have gained a lot of strength. My arms, chest, and bum are stronger and more toned. I highly recommend!

So going back to my day yesterday, I started with a full body HIIT workout, then a little local brunch. We go to this restaurant in Turner’s Falls MA nearly every weekend. This place makes their own baguettes and bagels, makes a mean bloody mary, and even serves chicken confit on a homemade waffle. So delicious, and my eggs, potatoes, and greens kept me full until dinner.

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After that, we brought the dog for a walk at Piscah State Park in Winchester, NH. I have never been to this park before, and we barely explored any of it on our hour walk.

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The walk was nice, and not too strenuous, but it was very very icy. We both wore our YakTraks (find them here). Yaktraks are great because they bite into the ice and give you a more secure footing. Without these, I would not have enjoyed my icy walk.

We even put little boots on the dog. She didn’t seem to mind. Hers were just for protection from the cold. Afterwards we went to Petsmart and bought her a bone. She loves plush toys but she ends up destroying them. I keep telling her if she keeps eating her friends she won’t have any left.

Then, we went to Five Guys. I did not take any pictures here because I was too excited about my burger. Needless to say, it was delicious. Have you been to Five Guys?

Then I decided to treat myself. I went to Ulta looking for my usual eyeliner, but I also found a perfume that I couldn’t pass up. It is called Kate Spade Truly Timeless, and it is light and kind of smells like fresh laundry mixed with flowers. I don’t wear perfume often, so I don’t really buy it, but after I tried it on in the store, I couldn’t stop smelling myself (in a good way). I also bought a lipstick, and got some free perfume samples and a tiny mascara.

I was really looking for a dehydrator so I can make my own beef jerky, but there were none to be found in the stores. I will continue to use my oven for now. I did make a pit stop at Walmart, and bought these cute towels for less than $2 each. How festive.

Then we made the long drive home from Keene. Bae was nice enough to help me cover a problem window with insulating plastic. My pets keep popping holes in the plastic, so this is the second time this year. Have you ever used this as an insulator? It works great. We also took the time to use some white silicone caulking to fill in some drafty holes. Someday I will need to figure out why this one particular window is so drafty, but it’s a big project. With old houses, sometimes you may not want to know what is really going on.

Hopefully today will be another great day. I put another quiche in the oven, and there is probably another icy walk in my future. Here’s to hoping I don’t break any bones!