Just A Stay-Cation

Oh hey friends! I've been a little absent here on the blog lately but this past week I took a little stay-cation from work! I had decided to take a five day vacation from work and didn't make a single plan which is very unlike me. I always have a plan for my vacation time but it was SO nice to just hang out! Well... that was the plan.

Before vacation there was of course the Super Bowl....

Which of course had the greatest result of all time! Another ring for the Pats!

Also I thought I would show you the plant I have actually succeeded in growing! I mean, it takes very little maintenance but I have managed to keep it alive.

A second blossom has emerged since this picture and another will be appearing soon too!

Tim and I have been doing a lot of shopping lately...which has been a little dangerous. This is one of my favorite moments...Tim sitting on the floor of Marshalls....

We spent the day with Brittni, Stephen and Emma over the weekend. We had lunch at Newport Creamery and always have the best time watching Emma enjoy different types of foods. 

We also got the chance to visit with Rachel, Ant and Tilly. I soaked in some newborn snuggles while the boys played video games.

Tim did enjoy some newborn snuggles too!

We also have been doing really well at going to the gym! I even started riding the bike and did four miles the other day!

Unfortunately my grandmother passed away at the end of last week so we spent our Valentines Day at a funeral. We were able to sneak in dinner and tons of quality time together which is the best! I am so lucky <3

I hope you guys had a wonderful Valentines Day and I am off to enjoy one last day of vacation tomorrow before I head back to work on Thursday....boo!

Pure Barre

For my birthday my mom purchased a five class pass for Pure Barre. I was so excited because I had mentioned it several times in the last few months. It seemed like something I would really enjoy with my love for dance.

I took Tuesday and today off of work this week to turn my three day weekend into a five day weekend. I'm loving not having to work! Anyways, back to Pure Barre...

Our local Pure Barre studio is only ten minutes from my apartment which is fantastic! 

I had taken a barre class at the gym a couple of years ago, but it wasn't the same as taking an actual Pure Barre class. I expected it to be a little more like ballet then it was. It was a lot of small movements and my legs were shaking by the time class was over.  What I loved about the class was that we worked abs, butt, arms, and thighs but it was with super small movements that worked my body until I was uncontrollably shaking.

The instructor Jess was great. She was very encouraging and came over to make corrections to my form several times which I always appreciate! The hour long class went by so fast and we ended with a nice deep stretch which made me feel great.

I wasn't entirely sure what to wear so I opted with leggings, a loose t-shirt, and sports bra. I fit in just fine since there was a mix of tank tops, t-shirts, and long-sleeved tops. Everyone was pretty much wearing leggings and it is required that you wear socks during the class. They do have Pure Barre grip socks that you can purchase but I found that I was just fine with my regular white socks.

All the equipment is provided during class which includes; a ball, stretch band, mat, and weights. I took small 2.5 pound weights because I'm not a major weight lifter but I felt I could've handled larger weights.

I have four classes left to use in the next 30 days and I will definitely be using each and every one of them. My only issue with enjoying the class so much is how expensive it is. I can't exactly afford to spend over $200 every month when I could just join another gym for less then $50. I wish it was just a little cheaper!

If you have a Pure Barre in your area definitely check it out! You can always try it through a Groupon deal and from time to time they do offer free class weekends.

What workouts have you been doing lately?

Life Lately!

Happy Friday! Thank goodness it's finally Friday, I swear yesterday dragged like no day I've ever seen before! Todays post is all about my life lately and if you've hung around in this little corner of the internet enough you've seen several posts like this where I share a hodgepodge of pictures I've taken recently. 

We're going a few weeks back but here are some things we've been up to besides moving!

One night after work we headed down to Narragansett and took a hike that was absolutely gorgeous. We walked all along the water and even though it was just about a mile walk we spent a lot of time wandering around the rocks and sand, picking up shells and enjoying chatting.

The hike was Black Point in Narragansett and it is a gorgeous area! It starts to get pretty crowded down that way after Memorial Day so I'm glad we did this hike before all the tourists showed up!

Just a quick loop but a fun one!

I also got to spend some one on one time with Tim's sisters dog Attie!

I went and let her out one day that I had off work and she was such a sweetheart! I miss having a dog so it was great to get to play with her for awhile!

The same day I was in charge of letting Attie out they gave us our apartment keys and the fun really began!

I visited Tim at work and thought the way he sits is hilarious....it's a very casual office ;)

Emma came and ate lunch with Brittni and I one day! She was so quiet that I didn't even know she was in the backseat of the car at first! This little girl is truly the cutest baby and is so well behaved!

Last weekend Tim and I spent some time walking 6 miles on a local bike path! We didn't set out to walk six miles but rather walked three, realized it wasn't going to loop around, and then turned around to head back to the car!

Along the way there was an outdoor gym which provided us some entertainment!

Look at those muscles! ;)

Oh hi Tim- thanks for reading my blog! Even though I tell you not to!

So I forgot to turn off the app once we had completed the six miles and were back to the car. It ended up being slightly over 6, but for part of the last little bit we were wandering a grocery store grabbing some water and eating from the salad bar! So we'll just call it 6!

Afterwards we thought we deserved a reward so some good old-fashioned Del's it was! We both opted for the Watermelon flavored Del's which I highly recommend if you ever visit our lovely little state.

That night we headed to a party where...

SURPRISE my brother showed up too! Well not so much of a surprise because I may have called him to come. How often am I somewhere that my brother is invited too? Not that often is the answer!

Poor Tim, dealing with drunk Melissa.

On Memorial Day we had our youngest visitor yet at our apartment...

Emma! Her parents came over as well :)

She loves her Uncle Tim! I swear every time Tim holds her she just stares and stares at him! It was so nice to have Brittni, Stephen and Emma see our new place! Rachel and Ant came to see it on Sunday but they came for breakfast and unfortunately I didn't think about taking pictures at that time! I love that my best friends have visited so quickly! 

This week has been slow going but we welcomed the newest member of our trivia team!

Yup, Emma again! She's certainly around a lot these days huh? :)

Well I am off! Have a great Friday and weekend everybody!

What exciting things have you done lately? Share with me in the comments and keep up with my daily adventures on Instagram!

21 Day Fix: Week 3

I'm well past week three of the 21 day fix and am starting it all over again today because I loved my results so much! 

I also didn't take a ton of pictures this week so you are getting some personal pictures as well.

First off, my boyfriend Tim and his softball team came in first for the third year in a row in their league! So proud of him! :)

Here's a sweaty selfie halfway through the week. I found that as I did the workouts I was much stronger in the third week. I'm very proud of my progress during this journey and have some skills about healthy living that I didn't have before!

Friday was my (and my co-workers) last day in our office. Cheryl left for good, quitting the company entirely and I have moved on to a different job within the company. The treats were tempting but I can tell you honestly that I didn't have one bite of any dessert! Before I would've definitely eaten something, but now I can hold out for other foods that I prefer to these sugary treats. I would much rather save my cheat for a bowl of pasta!

This is one of the cats that lives at Tim's house, Blue.  I just thought I would include this picture because she's super sassy and cute and soaks up every bit of love I give her. It must be hard to live with all boys!

Finally, on day 20 I had my first coffee- a small chocolate chai as I met with my Beachbody coach. I loved my journey as a participant to much that I have decided to become a Beachbody coach myself!

http://www.beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/MELISSAPEARCE57

I would love for you to check out my website because I want to share this journey with as many people as possible! Let me know if there's anything you have questions about!

21 Day Fix Week 2

Happy Saturday everyone!

I'm popping in today to share with you week 2 of my 21 day fix. I'm actually just about to finish up the third and final week but have yet to share what I thought of week 2 so it's time to do that now!

My number one tip for those of you doing the 21 Day Fix is to drink ALL of the water they recommend! I honestly have been so full because I make sure I get my nine cups in each and every day. 

I'm also getting better about planning out my lunches because of this routine. I make sure I bring a salad, lots of vegetables and fruits to work with me so I won't be tempted while I'm working to eat the other treats that so often find their way into our office. I also bring cashews as a snack and while I was completely distraught to find out that they consider 8 cashews a serving, I have to say that it satisfies me as a morning snack almost every day!

My shakeology has become my favorite meal of the day. Score for it also being the healthiest meal of the day. I mix chocolate shakeology with fat free milk and ice in a blender and have a delicious chocolate shake. I usually try to make this in the morning, but if I have a particularly early day at work I will have it for dinner after my workout as well.

The best part about these workouts is I set up a beach towel, use my weights and put on my sneakers and that's all I need! I don't have to spend the $48 a month I was spending at the YMCA each month. I get my workout in right at home and don't spend the extra time and money I would have put in driving back and forth from the gym either!

                

                                                

Each day I check in with my challenge group and it has been so motivational. Although my sweaty selfies aren't the most attractive pictures I have of myself- they are real. You need to work hard and get sweaty to see results and I feel confident in posting these pictures because I know that I am working harder then I would be sitting on the couch!

I rewarded myself with a new water bottle from Kohls :) My next reward I think will be new weights- the 5lbs are just not cutting it anymore ;)

I have also signed up to be a Beachboy Coach and while I'm still starting the process I would love to hear if you have any questions or are interested in programs at all. It has truly changed my life- I am already down 7lbs, and have lost an inch and a half off my waist!

Have a great weekend everybody!