Sweatin’ It (Out)

It’s a really good thing I saved my feet by wearing flip-flops all weekend.

Because after more than my fair share of this…

And also endless lunch leftovers from cooking Bailey’s Birthday Brunch…

Bailey loved it when we made biscuits and gravy for champagne brunch a few months ago. We used her birthday weekend as an excuse to make it again…

I was more than ready to hit the gym. And sore feet would have been a disasterous set back.

Yes, I was definitely ready. I practically ran to the gym last night with open arms. Because that feeling of detoxing your system with a solid sweat session?

It ranks pretty high on the list of feel good moments. Sorry- workout nerd moment.

Because it makes me feel awesome, and there’s a solid chance I’ll be spotted in a bikini this coming weekend, I spent a few extra minutes doing various cardio in an ADD fashion.

18 minutes on the stairmill.
1.2-mile RUN. I say RUN because it was an 8:15 pace when the last few treadmill sessions were closer to 8:30′s.
16 minutes on the elliptical.

And because the weight room was a little too crowded for my liking (aka- people were on the whole two or three machines I use), I retreated back home to do some ab work on a yoga mat. In front of the tv. Multi-tasking at its finest.

Yes, I know longer workouts the week of a trip really don’t make that much of a difference in outward appearance.

My friends most definitely won’t look at me and say “well SOMEONE has been spending an extra 5 minutes a few days this week.” Quite frankly, if they did, I may push them into the pool out of annoyance.

But it’s a confidence boost. And if all it takes is an extra lil’ push here and there? I can handle that.

And like I said, it’s all about sweating it out. No matter how you do it. 

Too bad dancing with drinks in hand probably cancels itself out. Because in that case, this weekend we were workout superstars. If you don’t believe me, just ask these girls:

We taught Wrigleyville a move or two.

Or what not to do. Either/or.

After all the dancing activities, we all woke up in the same boat on Sunday morning. Most would have opted for a day of rest.

Us? Oh no…

When our plans to go see our favorite band, Rod Tuffcurls and the Benchpress, for Bailey’s birthday were cancelled due to NATO issues (assumably, crowd control was a safety issue in Wrigleyville on Saturday night), we decided to not let that get us down. As mentioned, we danced ourselves silly elsewhere. And waited patiently for the chance to check the boys out at Mayfest the next day- our first street festival of the season!

Because who doesn’t love an excuse to get outside and hang out in the streets while watching men with naked legs strum the guitar?

So yeah. Another long weekend down. Which means another full week of watching myself a lil’ better.

The vicious cycle continues.

No worries, though. I’m not sweatin’ it. Because the weekend was fun and there should never be regrets about that.

And I’m a weirdo that actually enjoys eating salad just as much as the cake and big brunch.

I don’t get it, either.

No more nights out for me until the weekend. Until then, it’s spending as much time running around outside enjoying the weather and chillin’ at home with the whole gang:

One of Bailey’s birthday gifts was a Tiger Beat magazine. So we now have someone to keep up company when cooking.

And maybe even give us a look when sneaking into the refrigerator for late night snackage.

Winning on so many levels.

Alright, kids. I gotta go. Time for coffee and a little more work on getting this hand stamp from Mayfest to wash off.

It’s like they tattooed it on.

Help!

An Itch

After 4 days of visiting and traipsing around the city with my high school friends, it’s down to just me again.

Ho hum…

But maybe that’s a good thing. I probably need the sleep. Blood shot eyes confirm this.

After spending a night out in Wrigleyville, a day of shopping the neighborhood, block parties, a trip to the zoo, cheering friends on in races, eating out at a few local spots, movies, etc, we still weren’t done.

Clearly, this means we need to fuel up with breakfast again.

I still hate the word moist. Gross.

But anyway, I finally had an excuse to make Jessica’s Cake Batter Pancakes. There is no better way to impress your guests than with funfetti. And I had an itch for something sugary. Surprised?No you’re not. Don’t lie.

For the record, the sugar rush from the pancakes and the powdered sugar glaze will energize you for the entire rest of the morning. Promise.Just be mindful of the pancakes as they cook. Otherwise, you’ll end up with one black sheep in the bunch.I always burn at least one. Often more. 

Believe it or not, we fought over who would eat it. I ended up tossing it because I had made a recipe and a half and there were WAY too many pancakes. And no one really wanted it. We were just being polite. A rarity that sometimes happens in these parts.

Afterwards, we rode the train down to Michigan Avenue. Because we all had an itch to shop. However, our most important stop was our first one of the day:We wanted to say hi to Marilyn before the rain in the forecast became a legit concern.

This 26-foot statue of her from The Seven Year Itch was debuted on Friday. My friends arrived on Friday. Coincidence or fate?This is the first, but not the last, of many trips to say hey. That I am sure of.

After sweatin’ it out on the Magnificent Mile for most of the afternoon, the decision was made to stop off for a little happy hour celebration.

Which put the trip back home in the thick of rush hour traffic. Before a Cubs game.

Not the brightest move.

But hey- when you’re thirsty, you’re thirsty…

After coming home and cooling off, the three of us decided to sweat through a second outfit for the day and head to a bar advertising $3 burger and fries and dirty trivia night.

We were there for the food. And only the food. I swear.

Yet held our own up until the 3rd round.

Either way, a good way to end the extended weekend. Leaving me here. Once again.

I’ve still got a couple of days of recovery before another weekend hits me with full force.

Plenty of water will be involved. Along with a few of these:Because if I don’t watch it, my body is going to start figuring out where to stick all the grease and sugar for safe keeping.

Yikes.

Happy Hump Day, kiddos!