Certified Crybaby to Certified Instructor

I can remember it so clearly -- it was sophomore year of college and Rob had gotten sucked into an infomercial and bought P90X.  He was about 30 days into the program and asked me to do a workout with him.  My fitness back then pretty much consisted of walking to and from class so I'm not sure why but I said yes.   I agreed to doing the shortest video -- Ab Ripper X.  There has never been a truer workout title!  Those 15 minutes were absolute torture and I couldn't even do half of the moves.  I am not exaggerating when I say that three days later I still could not even sleep at night because I was so uncomfortably sore.

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I HATED Tony Horton.

But it's easy to look back on it now and realize that my hatred for Tony Horton was really just a cover for how uncomfortable I was with myself.  I hated being so out of shape.  I hated being so sore from a tiny workout.  I hated that I wanted to be healthy but not enough to actually stick to anything.  I desperately needed to hear what Tony was saying but I didn't want to so I took offense to everything he said.  I pretended my problem was with HIM when it was really with myself.

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On Sunday, seven years after that infamous Ab Ripper X workout, I officially became a certified P90X Live instructor.  WAIT...WHAT?!  I know, sometimes I have to pinch myself to believe it too!  I am a complete and total convert, and total proof that it is never too late to change your path.  I think Tony Horton is the man, I'm currently doing P90X3 all the way through at home, and I absolutely love love love P90X Live.  This weekend really solidified that I am not the same girl I was back then and that I can do anything that I put my mind to.   The last year has not only transformed my fitness and nutrition but has completely transformed my confidence. 

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I signed up for this training on a whim.  I was loving P90X3 at home so when I saw that a P90X Live instructor training was coming to Alabama, my heart said DO IT.  In case you aren't familiar, P90X Live is a total body workout inspired by moves from P90X, P90X2, and P90X3 but designed to be done in a group class setting.  Instead of being a home workout with different workouts for each day, it has a little bit of everything - cardio, strength, core - built into each workout.   Signing up was totally out of my comfort zone but as all those old fears started creeping in, I reminded myself of all the incredible things that have come from saying "yes" before I was ready.  I love this quote from Nelson Mandela: "I learned that courage is not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it."  It's so true!  Even on the drive to the training, I kept thinking "Can I really do this?  What if I fail?  What if I'm not good enough?" but instead of buying into those self-limiting beliefs, I just committed to trying my best.

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Turns out, my best was enough!  The training itself was great!  It was held at a gym in Montgomery, Alabama and while I didn't know a single person, everyone was super friendly and willing to take me under their wing.  In the morning, we learned about the design of the class and the logic behind it and then did a workout through completely.  I was on a total endorphin high after the workout!  We talked strategies for reaching all levels in the class, form, and technique.  In the afternoon, we broke up into small groups and practiced teaching and cue-ing different sections.  Later, we paired up in another set of small groups to teach the workout through in sections.  Needless to say, by 5pm my legs were completely burned out...in the best way possible, of course!
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I left the day feeling so accomplished and proud.  If I went back in time and told that girl struggling to do crunchy frogs that not only would she be able to do them but that she would be certified to teach P90X Live classes, she would have never believed me.  But here I am and I can't wait to continue to prove my old self wrong!


Want to try out P90X or P90X3 FOR FREE for 30 days?!  Check it out HERE!

Hot Sausage Squash Bowls

Spaghetti squash is a staple in our house.  It's delicious, filling, and super versatile.  While we usually stick to marinara pasta style dishes, this recipe takes things to a whole new level!  These hot sausage squash bowls are so flavorful and totally satisfy my carb cravings, while still being light enough to keep my stomach feeling happy!
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Hot Sausage Squash Bowls
Inspired by: Kelly
Ingredients
1 Spaghetti Squash
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
1/2 Onion, diced
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 lb. Hot Ground Sausage
1/2 cup Chicken Broth
1/2 Can Rotel tomatoes
2 TBSP Unsweetened Almond Milk
Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes, Salt and Pepper to taste
1/4 cup Mozzarella cheese, shredded and divided
1 Tbsp Fresh Basil, thinly sliced

Directions:
Cut spaghetti squash in half and bake face down on a baking sheet for 40 minutes at 350 degrees.
Meanwhile, add oil into a large skillet and saute onion and garlic until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add sausage and cook until crumbled and lightly brown.
Add chicken broth, tomatoes, almond milk, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
Bring everything to a boil then cover and allow flavors to simmer on low to medium heat until spaghetti squash is ready.
Remove squash from the oven and scrape out all the strands of spaghetti using a fork. Add spaghetti squash to your skillet along with half of the cheese. Mix well until cheese is melted and squash is fully incorporated.
Add squash mixture into your now scraped out squash bowls and top with remaining cheese.
Place them back in the oven for about 3 to 4 minutes until cheese is melted and squash is heated through.
Top with basil and enjoy!

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Friday Favorites: Meridian Edition

It's hard to believe but we have already lived in Meridian for an entire year!  When I got married, I knew my life would be full of adventure but I can honestly say, I never expected to live in Mississippi!  When we moved here, I had a little bit of culture shock but I can genuinely say life in the Deep South has far exceed my expectations!  Today's Friday Favorites is dedicated to some of my favorite things about Meridian!

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1.  Our House
This will go down in the books as our very first house together.  We lived in tiny apartments and spacious condos on the beach but this was our first official house.  And I LOVE it -- 25 year old tile floors and all!  Sitting on the porch in the mornings to drink coffee, grilling out in the backyard, not having to worry about neighbors below us while working out...it is so nice having a space of our own!

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2.  Our Neighborhood
I am forever grateful that we decided to live on base in Meridian.  While I never thought it would be something I wanted to do, it turned out to be the best decision for us.  I absolutely love being a part of a neighborhood with block parties, impromptu cookouts, and being able to walk home after Wine Wednesday.  I love that our friends live right across the street and are always down for crazy ideas like Flip and Slide, getting season passes to the waterpark or hooking up the TVs outside for college football.  When Rob has night flights or is gone on a cross country, I feel completely safe being home alone.  It is so comforting to know that I can literally ring any doorbell on the street and ask for help if I needed anything.

Another perk of being on base is we live in a bubble!  I love that I can leave my house at 5:50 when I realize I need "just one more ingredient" and be in and out of the commissary before it closes at 6!  I love that Rob has a five minute commute and is able to come home for lunch between flights.

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3.  The Community
I am convinced that the smaller the town, the tighter the community.  While we absolutely loved everything about Pensacola, most of our friends were people we met on our own and I don't think I ever went to (or even heard of!) an event with Rob's squadron.  Total 180 to Meridian!  I can honestly say that they really do everything they can to make this a tight-knit group.  The OSC has events every single month, big events like the squadron Christmas party and Lady Eagle Day are a blast, and everything feels very inclusive.  I've met some of the nicest, most welcoming people here and really have been blessed by this community.

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4.  Wine Wednesday
When I moved to Meridian, I was added to the Wine Wednesday Facebook page and realized that pretty much every in the student spouse world is filtered through Wine Wednesday.  It's super informal -- someone volunteers to host each week.  The host makes snacks, everyone brings their own wine.  Sometimes there are five people and sometime there are 25!  Sometimes there is even a sunset yoga class before the wine!  One of my favorite things about WW is that it is always fluid -- old people are always moving and new people are always coming in.  I remember going to my first Wine Wednesday and meeting a girl who's husband just winged.  I remember thinking she was "so old" and "so cool" and that we would never get to that point!  Now it's weird to be just a few months away from the other side!

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5.  Location
Location?!  What?!  Sure, Meridian might not have a Target...or a Starbucks...or a Whole Foods BUT Meridian is centrally located to so many awesome Southern cities.  On the weekends, Rob is approved to go 300 miles without taking leave.  Within that circle we have been able to explore Memphis (twice!), Nashville, Atlanta, Pensacola (a ton!), Birmingham, New Orleans and attend college football games in Tuscaloosa and Starkville.  There is so much to see within a quick day or weekend trip that sitting in Meridian and complaining that there is nothing to do is just plain silly!

Linking up here

LDW in Charleston, SC

What are the chances that we would plan our second trip to visit Rob's parents in Charleston exactly one year from the last time we visited them there?!   I'm convinced a trip to Charleston is never a bad idea, although I much prefer flying!  This year because leave wasn't approved until the last minute and Rob was scheduled on Friday, we made the nine hour drive to Charleston.  While it was worth the trip, let's just say I don't plan on doing that again for a LONG time!
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We got into Charleston past midnight Friday night so we said our hellos and went straight to bed.  Saturday we woke up and headed to brunch at Page's Okra Grill.  The weather all weekend was gorgeous so sitting outside with a carafe of mimosas sounded just perfect.  We did a little shopping and touring before heading home to watch college football.  Saturday night we did happy hour at Vendue's rooftop bar (hard to believe our first time here was when we were moving to Pensacola!) and then dinner on King Street at Magnolia.
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Sunday we rode to brunch in Rob's parents' golf cart right on Daniel Island at Honeybee Cafe.  We did a golf cart tour of Daniel Island and then headed to Holy City Brewery for an afternoon drink.  For dinner, we ate at FishHouse which was an awesome restaurant at Patriot's Point that overlooked the USS Yorktown.
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Monday came way too fast and we had another nine hour drive ahead of us.  Luckily, we left early in the morning to give ourselves time to stop.  We made a pitstop at Panera in Augusta, lunch and Trader Joe's in Atlanta, and Whole Foods in Birmingham.  These stops made the trip much more manageable!

Weekend Travels: Meridian MS to New Orleans

This month has been filled with so many exciting trips....so many that I am WAY behind in even recapping them!  I know, not a bad problem to have! ;)  Last month, we relaxed at the beaches of 30A and the weekend before we made a trip to the Big Easy to celebrate Erin's 30th birthday.  It's hard to believe that this was my FIFTH trip to NoLa and each time there is always something new and exciting to see.
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Rob had to work on Friday so I woke up and drove down to pick up Erin and her friend Valerie from the airport.  We checked into the condo and headed straight to happy hour at Dickie Brennan's.  Rob got into town just in time to pick up his mom from the airport and meet us for a drink.  From happy hour, we had to make a trip to Pat O' Briens for a round of hurricanes.

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Saturday morning we headed to Cafe Du Monde (because what trip doesn't include their beignets!) and explored the city a bit.  Afterwards, we headed back for a little pool time (our condo had an awesome rooftop pool overlooking Canal Street).  Saturday night, we had dinner at August and then drinks at the Carousel Bar inside of Hotel Monteleone.  Rob was scheduled for flights on Sunday so he had to leave late Saturday night to make it back to Meridian in time.
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Sunday we had brunch at Broussard's.  The bottomless mimosas at brunch led to a bit of a Sunday Funday where we just couldn't resist stopping at bars with live music pouring out of the open doorways!  Needless to say, after three days in the Big Easy, I was in bed asleep by 7pm ;)  I slept through the night and woke up just in time for leftover birthday cake, po-boys at ___, and to take the girls to the airport.
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Such a fun weekend and I'm so glad that we were able to help Erin celebrate her 30th!

Weekend Travels: Meridian MS to 30A

While my favorite weekends are definitely the ones that have highly anticipated trips planned, a close second goes to the ones where Rob gets home at 3pm on a Friday and says "pack a bag, we're heading to the beach!"  This was one of those spontaneous weekends and it did not disappoint!
Caliza hammocks Alys Beach
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Best place to stay in Alys Beach
Our natural instinct was to head to Pensacola but we decided to mix things up a bit and head to one of my other favorite places in the world: 30A!  It's crazy at we start to think about moving away from this area soon that each trip could be our last...at least for a while.  We threw clothes in a bag and hopped in the car, booking two nights on Eglin Air Force Base at the last minute.  (This is a super budget friendly option for visiting Destin/30A and also good for last minute trips like this when everything else is booked!)  The great thing about our drive is we passed right through Pensacola.  We decided to break up our drive and stop for dinner at Atlas.  A glass of wine, a couple sushi rolls, an awesome sunset...not a bad "pit stop" ;)
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We got in late Friday so we decided to just call it an early night and watch a movie in our hotel room.  We woke up bright and early Saturday, knocked out a quick workout, and then did what any normal people would do post-workout...headed to the Donut Hole for red velvet donuts!  Bellies full of donuts, we headed to Seaside for a day of bike riding, sun tanning, and exploring.
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Caliza at Aly's Beach is one of the most gorgeous places and a necessity for drinks and relaxation.  Lounging in a hammock with a drink in hand, it's hard to imagine that you are just four hours from home and not on a tropical island somewhere!  We finished the night off with chocolate fondue and red wine at La Crema in Rosemary Beach.
Alys Beach 30A vacation
roadtrips from meridian mississippi
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We slept in on Sunday before driving back to Pensacola for a quick lunch on the bay at Jaco's and then eventually back to Mississippi.  It's hard to believe these gulf coast beaches we have called "ours" for the last three years might soon be more than a quick drive away.

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