Awesome Giveaway!!

I don't typically blog about giveaways... but maybe i will start! this one is something i'm super super excited about!

The lovely, witty and adorable Jana over at Boobies, Babies, & A Blog is hosting a giveaway for Bikini Kitchen Booty Butter! i'll be honest and say that i have never heard of this... but the name definitely caught my attention. reading thru her review, i quickly discovered that this product is WHAT I NEED. (notice i didn't say *want*... yes i NEED it!!). ever since i was 15 i've been all about being tan. i just feel like i look better, and as a result, feel better when i am tan. i worked at a couple tanning salons over the years as second jobs (back when i still had a first job, lol). and to be totally frank, i never cared if i made money there (the minimum wage definitely wasn't paying my rent!!) i basically just worked there to tan for free!! so getting paid to clean a few beds, talk to a few customers, etc was no big thing when i was saving money on what i'd be spending tanning, plus i made a few extra bucks. but i digress.... point is: I LOVE TO BE TAN.

recently, after about a year hiatus from tanning, i decided to sign up at the local salon and start tanning again. but $80 in "sunpoints" and $50 in lotion later... i come to find out that for some unknown reason, out of nowhere, i break out in hives from the tanning bed now. it was super fun, lol. i tried everything to make tanning work. i thought maybe the bed or the bed cleaner was what was making me break out, so i started doing stand-ups. that didn't work. i switched lotion, that didn't work. the hives would last about 12 hours or so and fade, but they itched like crazy and kept me up at night. blah. finally, on my 3rd try, after sitting topless at home on a saturday night with frozen peas on my chest to reduce to swelling, i decided i am done with tanning beds. i'm still not sure exactly what went wrong there... but i'm not trying to test it and end up with the hives again!! coming to terms with not being able to tan anymore was seriously kinda rough on me. because i have used tanning as a short little escape from my crazy homelife for about 10 years or more. so having to give that up felt very weird and made me a little sad.

i decided to use all my leftover sunpoints for spray tans and that's what i've been doing since. it works out fine for me, i get good, natural looking results, and it lasts a decent amount of time. but it would be easier for me if i could just go outside and tan. that wouldn't require driving anywhere, i could play outside with my kids, there's just so many pros to being able to just go outside and get a tan....




so when i read thru J's Bikini Kitchen Booty Butter review, i was stoked! i can put this lotion on, go outside, and get an awesome tan. simple. and fast!! plus you can wear it over top of an SPF lotion, which is great! i do love tanning, but i do not think i will love looking super old when i'm like 35, lol (this thought helped me when i first decided to quit tanning lol). so the fact that you can layer it with a sunblock is definitely a huge huge positive. and the 3rd (possibly most important Pro) is the fact that it is also a bug repellant!!! we get awful mosquitos in this area, and lucky lucky me ALWAYS swells up when i get bit :( i hate bug repellants because they stink, they are sticky, i don't necessarily like the idea of putting nasty poisonous chemicals on my body, and more often than not the stuff doesn't work to repell any bugs anyway!! and speaking of nasty poisonous chemicals, did i happen to mention that this stuff is made out of natural ingredients? because it is!! and i don't think i need to even mention the fact that 1 tube of lotion vs. buying tanning sessions in a salon doesn't even come close to comparing in price!!

so, i went ahead and entered in her giveaway... but knowing how popular the BB&A Blog giveaways are, i also went ahead and already ordered my own booty butter. and now i'm just waiting on the mailman to bring it to me! seriously i feel like i discovered a hidden treasure here.

you can enter this giveaway, as well as many other amazing giveaways on her blog, right HERE.

So I Lied.

i had wanted to post something super cool and totally interesting but.......yeah. i've had no inspiration at all the past few days, and very very little motivation. i've been in a *mood* lately and i can't describe it. kind of depressed, kind of grumpy, kind of fed up with things in general. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. i had a few special requests for me to tell the story of when my psychotic ex hacked my hair off, and i definitely have intentions of doing so at some point. but when i thought about where to start that story, i realized that sooooo much background info is required to properly narrate it. and i'm not sure i'd feel totally comfortable discussing certain things. so i'm gonna wait on that one for now. just until i get a better idea of how i want to tell it, where i want to start, and where i want to end. 5 years is a long time to sum up in a blog post! and there still isn't really an "end" to the story yet. i mean yeah my hair grew back lol but a lot of things going on in my life (like, hello cameron!! and hi aubrie!) are still part of the story, i think. but it will definitely be posted at some point...

i can't quite put my finger on what exactly is putting me in this mood. probably a little of everything... things with ethan, steven, the kids, my family, etc. i am just pulled in so many different directions. the only outlet i have for the frustration is my workouts. thank god for those. it keeps me sane. or as close to sane as i think i can be. i'm hoping that after this holiday weekend is over, things will go back to "normal" (bear in mind that normal is DEFINITELY a relative term here... since there's no such thing as normal, especially for me!) and i'll feel more like myself again.

don't get me wrong, i haven't been moping about or crying or anything like that. i actually think i have been pretty upbeat. that's why this is so hard to explain. could have something to do with the headache i've had for the past week straight, blah. i just think something has to change. because everybody deserves to be happy, even someone slightly insane like me.

i hope everyone had a good weekend!! it's really pretty outside :)

Blog Hop Friday :)

i've been a little tied up this week, my mom had surgery and i had my other usual distractions (kids, workouts, boys) but i hope to post a few blogs this weekend. sooooo fingers crossed for a nice relaxing and safe weekend to me AND to you!!

xoxoxo,

lindsey

a little about kettlebells.

so i've had A LOT of people asking me about kettlebells. i'm going to try to sum it all up for you.

a kettlebell is basically a weight that looks like a cannon ball with a handle. here is a pic of one of mine:



they come in a variety of sizes, i've seen them as small as 5lbs and as large as 88lbs. right now i'm using a 12kg (26lb) bell. i also have a 15 and 20lb bell that i use for various exercises. i started with an 8lb just to get the feel for the workout and because i had no upper body strength to begin with. i wanted to start small. using the correct form is key so i definitely recommend starting small until you master each individual exercise so you can maximize you results without hurting yourself.

kettlebells are a complete all-around workout. it is not just "weight lifting". you get strength training and cardio in one. this workout will definitely get your heart rate up while toning your body. it's always good to be able to kill 2 birds with one stone, therefore not having to spend as much time on your workouts when we all have better things to be doing with our waking hours. i'm all about efficiency. especially with 2 kids and a house to care for! kettlebell workouts with lean you out, you will NOT bulk up, despite using the heavier weights. each kettlebell exercise works your core, legs, butt, arms, everything. so you are truly working your whole body. obviously in most exercises you hold the bell by the horns, but your arms are NOT doing all the work.

my personal favorite kettlebell workout is the ultimate body sculpt and conditioning with kettlebells by lauren brooks. lauren is an amazing kettlebell instructor and my personal role model. this dvd is everything you need to learn about kettlebells and get a GREAT workout. the video preview to the dvd is HERE. even if you have never picked up a kettlebell in your life, this dvd will teach you in very simple terms how each exercise works. plus, the way the dvd is set up is great. there is a 40 minute workout, as well as a 12 minute workout. even the busiest person can find 12 free minutes in their day. and as hard as it is to believe, you truly can get a great full body workout in 12 minutes! the 40 minute workout is fantastic too. the way it is set up is the best part (aside from the actual workout itself). you do 2 minutes of exercise, then rest for 1 minute. this goes on throughout the entire 40 minutes. it's great because even when certain parts seem hard, you still know that it will only last 2 minutes and a break is in sight. not only that, but the 2 minutes is counted down on the left side of the screen so you can see exactly how much time you have left until the next break.

i truly 100% stand by this particular dvd. it helped change my life and body. it does NOT take long to get results if you really buckle down and DO IT. i started kettlebells around january of this year and was noticing results within weeks... and i'm seriously not the type of person who has ever been "athletic" or into exercise. i used to hook gym class in high school bc i hated physical activity of any sort. so if i can do it, anyone can. if you decide to order lauren's dvd, let her know i sent you!! and as always you can feel free to ask me any questions, or if you prefer you could email lauren brooks herself. i have gotten great advice from her and she is truly inspirational.

here is me before:



and this is my current pic:



i've lost about 14lbs doing these workouts, and in a very short time frame. there are no quick fixes to weight loss. cleaning up your diet and doing some form of exercise is the way to go. pills and fad diets will not work, especially not in the long term.

i hope i helped everyone to understand kettlebells a little more. i'll close with a link to my favorite article by lauren brooks regarding kettlebell exercises. check it out.

xoxo,

lindsey

p.s. had to throw this pic in here because its so cute!!

pleased to meet you *curtsy*

so i just hit 50 followers!! not too shabby for only having this blog a couple of weeks. i figured that i should probably introduce myself, tell everyone a little bit about me so they know who is behind all the strange ramblings (nothing has been too strange yet, but i'd like to leave that option open).

i'm going to start by saying that, more often than not, i'm entirely too lazy to capitalize when necessary, so i hope that doesn't bother anyone too much. not only that, but my son decided to jam playdoh under my left shift key and it's way too much work for me to use the right one all the time. that being said, my punctuation might not be up to par either. this will continue until i stop being lazy and pull the key off myself and just fix it. i am a freak about spelling tho! i pride myself on never having to use spell check :-)



anyway, hi, i'm lindsey!! that's me up there ^^^ i'm 26 years old (born 11/24/83 which just so happens to be thanksgiving). i live in maryland in a teeny town that no one has ever heard of, so i usually just refer to the area i live in as "baltimore" since most people know where that is. baltimore is actually about 40 minutes south of here, but you all get the idea. i have a twin brother named patrick (pat is what he prefers), and an older sister named cristin. pat is the athletic one, cristin is the smart perfect one and i'm the problem child. isn't that the way it usually goes? i wish i could spend more time with my siblings. but they both have kids and lives now. we still get together on holidays and special occasions and we get along great. i just wish it was more often!!! i have relatively low self confidence (except for when i'm at walmart, then i feel super hot). i'm a stay at home mom to my 2 kids (i really should start thinking about some sort of source of real income one of these days). i cuss a lot (but i will do my best to refrain from doing so in this blog, just for you). i have awesome parents. my mom is my best friend. i lived next door to her for awhile and recently moved away so i'm still coping with that. it sucks being so far from her, even tho she drives me completely crazy the majority of the time. now she's 40 minutes away :-( but we still do our weekly saturday shopping trips and for that i'm very grateful. my dad lives in cape cod. he moved up there when i was 18. he says he wants to move back and i really hope he does soon because even tho it's been 8 years since he moved, i still feel a sense of loss at him leaving. i call him every day and we talk a lot. he visits once a month to see his grandkids. i love basset hounds (had one for 10 years ((the duration of her life--RIP lily)) and wanna get another as soon as my kids are old enough). i was a dog groomer for 2 years (i would like to get back into that one of these days). and i'm desperately trying to quit smoking (eww yucky). i refuse to cut my hair EVER (after having my hair viciously hacked off by a crazy psychopath ex, who is now in prison--yes this really happened. maybe someday i'll write about that, it was a pretty huge event in my life...a lot of my current personal issues in my own head are a result of that 5 year period and i'm not ashamed really) and because of that, i have hair to rival rapunzel's. i don't know crap about blogs, blog layouts, anything of the sort. maybe someone could take me under their wing?? ;-) i used to love writing when i was in middle/high school. but life took me in so many different directions that i never had time to keep up with that. as a result, my writing skills are a little rusty. i'm hoping that blogging will slowly start to bring it all back to me. i'm sarcastic, and pretty pessimistic in general, even tho i desperately try to prove otherwise about 99% of the time. i still slip up on occasion. i look sad or mad all the time, but i'm really not. i just don't like my smile. but other people say they do. i don't think they'd be honest to my face tho ;-) i don't have many close friends. i don't really relate to many people. but i'm a generally nice person even if people take me the wrong way (which happens a lot). i'm shy when talking to strangers, and usually say totally stupid things without thinking. but I MEAN WELL!

i have a son named Cameron Matthew (born july 27, 2007 which makes him almost 3 years old)


and a daughter named Aubrie Willow (born march 11, 2009... she is 14 months now).


if you do the math you'll figure out i got pregnant with Aubrie right before Cameron's first birthday, making them 20 months apart. and making me a total crazy person. i could go into great detail about both of them, but i really think they deserve a blog post of their own. so maybe i'll do that at a later date. but to sum up, they are both super cute, smart and sweet and probably the best kids in the entire world (besides your own of course!).

my only hobby, per se, is kettlebell workouts. i'm sure most of you have never heard of them, i hadn't either until fairly recently. but right now it is my favorite thing to do. i've never been a huge fitness freak, but now i totally am lol and i'm not afraid to admit it!! i've been up and down with my weight plenty of times (high school-up. after high school-down. pregnancy #1-up. long road to weight loss after pregnancy #1-down. repeat with 2nd pregnancy. you get the idea). i lost the baby weight after my 2nd pregnancy super fast, but still didn't look toned at all. i was "skinny fat". kettlebells totally changed that. i am toned now and just feel more strong and healthy. seeeeeeeee:




i don't want to turn this post into a PSA for kettlebell workouts tho. i will say that i am currently training to be a certified kettlebell instructor because right now it is what i love to do. and i don't see how that will ever really change anytime in the near future. but i started this blog as a way to keep track of my workouts for my own benefit. i apologize in advance if my posts about my daily workouts annoy/bore you. i find it helps me to put it in writing (typing) especially now that i am training for a long term goal. i never get tired of talking about kettlebell training, and no question about it is a stupid one. i would love to help anyone incorporate kettlebell training into their fitness routine, so any questions seriously don't hesitate to ask. i'd love to help!

another thing that i totally love is "friends" (the tv show, that is. i don't have many real life friends, so i like to live vicariously thru 6 fictional characters that left me for good 6 years ago... they must not be very good "friends", huh? hmmmph.) but i do love that show more than words can describe. luckily i have dvd's of each season and can watch to my hearts content. i can beat anyone at friend's trivia. i use friends references more often than i care to admit (and most people never "get" them because most people aren't freaks about the show like i am, but i accept that). to be honest, i try to use friends references whenever possible lol. i also try to relate my real life situations to friends episodes. it makes me feel like less of a loser for having problems ;-) i find myself constantly saying "this one time, on friends....". i think the only people who don't roll their eyes when i say that are my mom and sister who both love friends *almost* as much as me. but i still consider myself on my own "level". *brushes shoulder off*

....i never said i was very cool.

but basically my life is a nonstop juggling act. i try to juggle being a mom (a GOOD one), keeping my body together, and keeping my head on straight. turns out, i'm not so hot at juggling because i drop the ball(s) every single day. they really should make you take a course before you're even allowed to consider conceiving a child. but then i think that would mean the end of the world.

notice i didn't mention a man in my life. not because there isn't one, but because that is one of the balls i'm having the most trouble juggling. my kids have a wonderful, sweet, loving dad that i cannot say enough good things about. i love him very much, he is my best friend. but i don't know if i want to delve into everything that's going on with that particular situation right now. it would probably give you a headache. i know it has that effect on me. but rest assured, my kids and i are very very loved by him and the feeling is mutual.

but the aforementioned is the bare minimum about me. i hope i get to know each and every one of my followers and vice versa. i really appreciate you taking the time to read my blog!

xoxoxo,

lindsey

Friday Fun.

it's FRIDAYYYYY!!! and i'm joining the festivities.









Won't you join me, too??

Desperately Seeking...

a new belly ring!!

i was removing my jewelry prior to my weekly spray tan this afternoon when it hit me--- my belly button ring is superrrrr ugly & plain. after all the hard work i've been doing on my tummy lately, i feel like it deserves better!! right now i have the leftovers of a maternity belly ring i used when i was prego with aubrie. well, the balls anyway. the barbell itself is metal. however, after aubrie was born i could not for the life of me locate the cute purple flowery belly ring i used to rock :( so i had to improvise with an extra barbell i had laying around (who knows how i accumate this random stuff) and 2 balls that came with a maternity belly ring set i bought. but i digress...

i need to find a new belly ring. that is my mission. however, when buying items such as jewelry, clothing and the like, i try to support my fellow mommies by purchasing from their online stores. i know raising kids ain't cheap ;-) so i like to do my part in helping to feed/diaper/clothe/shelter a sweet little baby somewhere out there (at least this is what i tell myself to justify spending $$$$$ hahaha).

so here i am, open to suggestions. i *know* someone out there must fit the bill. any ideas???

thanks!!

Twitter Hop Thursday!!

i'm a newbie in the blogging community, and new at twitter as well!! let's see if i can get a few new followers and possible bff's out of this day :-)

mom, don't read this ;)

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Follow Me Back Tuesday!

this is my first time joining everyone in Follow Me Back Tuesday! Click the link above to join :)

a new adventure... :)

well i have made a pretty bold decision... i'm going to train to become a certified Russian Kettlebell Instructor!! i haven't found many careers in life that interest me or that I feel I could really do *well*. teaching kettlebells is something i truly believe i can do, and do very very well. it's going to be a long road to my goal, but i am ready to commit to the attempt. i have been reading up on the subject, and although the Russian Kettlebell Challenge Certification course seems very physically AND mentally challenging, i KNOW i'm up for it.

kettlebells have only been a part of my life a short time, but i have advanced quickly and i don't think anyone could dispute my dedication. i have inspired several people already, and i think given the opportunity, i could do so on a much larger scale. not only that, there are really not many instructors in my area so i think that could only work in my favor.

it's no secret that Lauren Brooks is my role model. she has inspired me so much. i hope to one day have other people hold me in the same high regard.

so i'm going to set small goals to lead me to my final goal. right now, i'm going to work on my snatching technique, as well as my stamina. i'm going to perfect my form on the basic moves. and i'm going to made a concerted effort to stick with my 12kg bell as often as possible (i will listen to my body of course and not overdo it). So basically for now i'm going to keep doing what i'm doing, but take it up a notch. i just know i need more "experience" than i have right now.

if anyone is interested in learning about the RKC, the link is:

http://www.dragondoor.com/certification_55.html

**edited to add**
saturday i did volume 2 and my swingy swings using the 12kg.
sunday i sat out my regular workout and just did my 350 swings (used the 20lb because my 12kg was still drying.)
and today i did volume 2 straight thru (used the 12kg ((even for the tgu's)) except for the high pulls but ONLY because i was insanely sweaty and i was afraid i'd lose my grip on the bell and send it flying!!) and then of course my 350 using the 12kg and gymboss :D
.......tomorrow i think i'm gonna hit up the volume 1 dvd again and work on the basics!

pretty in pink

so, being the ridiculously over the top girly girl that i tend to sometimes be, i decided to paint my kettlebell pink! why not, right?? it wasn't nearly as difficult as i anticipated. i think it turned out very pretty :)

here is the "before" pic:



after sanding the finish and black paint off of it, we primed it:



then the first coat of PINK (we did 2 coats):



and lastly, the clear coat:



it's still out there drying right now, but i'd say my little project was a success!!!

back to basics (sorta...)

Yesterday I decided to go back to my ultimate body sculpt and conditioning with kettlebells volume 1 dvd. I wanted to try to get thru the entire thing using my 12kg bell... And it was a big old FAIL. Lol I had to switch to 20lb for the last 2min section :( but hey I made it pretty far without it! I'm still proud. I also wanted to refresh my memory on the dvd itself since I have lots of friends who are either interested in purchasing one, or they already did and I wanted to be able to talk about it with authority (although at this point I could prob do the workout in my sleep without the dvd playing, but I digress haha). In a lot of ways I find volume 1 to be more challenging than volume 2. There are way more swings and the intesity stays pretty high throughout. But of course "the smoker" with "the finisher" in volume 2 is a challenge to me.

Wanna say more but I'm on my BB right now and it takes so long to get my thoughts out when typing on here :( I think tomorrow if I get a chance I will write out a full review of both dvds.

Oh yeah! Also did my 350 with the 12kg using the gymboss yesterday. WOAH.

a whole lot of the same.

well this week has been pretty uneventful, workout wise. so far every day i have done volume 2 in its entirety as well as my 350 swings using my 12kg bell for the 10k swing in 30 day challenge.

today i used my 12kg bell for all of volume 2 (with the exception of the TGU's)... wasn't nearly as hard as i expected. i even used it throughout the finisher and made myself proud :)

i got my gymboss interval timer yesterday and used it today for my swings. i did as many swings as i could for 1 minute, rested 30 seconds, then did more swings for a minute, another 30 second rest, and etc. it almost killed my forearms lol but i finished in record time!!

also, found a kettlebell class in parkville that meets every monday at 6:30pm (weather permitting). i'm thinking I can meet steven there with the kids, he can play with them on the playground and I can do the class. I'm really looking forward to that. i need to be around people lol and switch up my workouts a little. i'm hoping it goes well this monday so i can make it a weekly thing.

**edit** today i also did the 12min fat blast on volume 1 twice thru.

starting again!

since yesterday was the end of my 10k swing in 30 day challenge, i decided to go ahead and start again. i really enjoyed the extra workout and also it helped to have a goal that i could work towards. so today was the first day of my new challenge. i'm using my 12kg bell and i did 340 swings. last month i skipped 2 days (not consecutive) because i was either sick or hungover LOL and i had to do extra to make up for those. and that sucked. so i'm trying really hard to stay ahead this time so i don't have to kill myself with 100+ extra swings each day.

and UGH my new bell. i love it, it's perfect and just what i wanted BUT i have baby hands apparently and the handle is THICK. its hard for me to get a good grip on it when i'm doing hand to hand swings. so i'm gonna need to get creative to fix it. i figure one of my guys can figure something out, they're pretty handy and that's why i keep em around ;-) and i need to work on my presses, especially on my left side. i don't forsee that being an issue in a few days or so, i pushed thru with the 20lb when i first got it and i know i can do it with the 12kg too.

also started tracking my food/exercise on so far i've found it pretty helpful!!

oooooh and cameron has poison ivy on his FACE. so that is fun for everyone. booooooo.

today's workout:
*volume 1 dvd (40 mins) mostly used the 12kg, but also used the 20lb.
*340 swings
*maybe something else later?

woah.

just wanna recap my workouts of the past 2 days:

yesterday:
volume 2 dvd (the grind, smoker, finisher & bonus abs) 55mins approx.
415 swings (hand to hand, 2 handed, overhead) using 20lb

today:
volume 1 12min fat blast 2x using 12kg
volume 2 bonus abs (13 mins)
415 swings using 20lb

also i just ordered the gymboss interval timer from lauren's website. can't wait to get that. hopefully i can start making my own workouts and not rely so much on the dvds (tho i do love them lol).

today i completed my 10,000 swing in 30 day challenge! i'll have to tally up all my swings, if i added correctly it should be a little over 10k. i plan to restart the 30 days tomorrow using my heavier bell. looking forward to that because i know it's gonna really challenge me!

it's a start.

so i figured since everyone else in the world is blogging, i'm kinda the minority now. god knows i have enough opinions and thoughts about everything so here i go... if nothing else, i suppose this will serve as a great way to keep track of my workouts and progress. and if i can inspire someone to better themselves, then great.

as most people know, I have been training using kettlebells for the past 3 months or so. i like to think i've progressed pretty fast. i started with a little 8lb weight and worked up to a 15lb within weeks, then moved to the 20lb literally a week later. right now i'm impatiently awaiting delivery of my brand new 12kg kettlebell (i feel fancy using kilograms instead of pounds lol). i hope it will challenge me for a decent amount of time because i'm not sure i can continue to buy these weights on a semiweekly basis much longer.

and another thing most people know, i have been using the ultimate body sculpt and conditioning with kettlebells (by lauren brooks, love her) volumes 1 and 2. I can't say enough good things about her programs. i feel like a broken record a lot of the time ;) but it truly is the best thing i have ever done for my body. i know lots of people think i'm silly or annoying for talking about it so much, but oh well. my workouts and my kids are the only things that get me thru the days lately. maybe someday i'll touch upon my personal issues that i have thus far decided not to publicize. but for now i'm going to keep things kinda private. depending on whether or not i have any actual interest in any of my past, i may or may not share certain things. i like to think that i have had a lot of life experiences and could maybe teach someone something, or help someone somewhere. maybe one day i will write a book. haha.

ANYWAY.... my oldest hellion is demanding some attention right now so i'm going to wrap this up with a summary of my workout today... mainly just for my own purposes, but its possible someone might be interested, lol.

*ultimate body sculpt & conditioning with kettlebells vol. 2 (the grind, the smoker, the finisher & bonus killer abs)... about 55 minutes.
*day 28 of my 10,000 swings in 30 day challenge (415 swings)
*and Lauren Brooks Quick Fat Burning Kettlebell Workout (via youtube) 4x thru.