Posts Tagged ‘Holidays’

Sometimes, being “sexy” and feeling “sexy” is a state of mind. It’s true … when you look great — you feel great! In honor of Valentine’s Day, get a little flirty, fun and playful with your workout routine.

Here are some creative fitness moves you can do at home. All you’ll need is a chair, music of your choice and good attitude.

Hip roll, head roll – Stand behind your chair. Roll your hips to the right and to the left. Then, roll your head to the right and to the left for a quick stretch. Keep one or both hands on the chair for balance. Suggested: Do one to two sets of 15 reps.

Long stride, short stride – Take a sexy walk around your chair. Try big steps and work your way around with just five steps. Take small steps and work your way around with 10 or more steps. Suggested: Go around the chair a total of 10 times, alternating your stride (5 steps – 5 times; 10 steps – 5 times).

Close-open, close-open – Sit on your chair and open and close your legs. Make your movements slow and measured to really work your inner and outer thighs. You can also add your own “resistance.” Focus on squeezing your outer thighs with each “open” movement, and squeeze your inner thighs as you bring your knees together. For an extra challenge, keep your feet off the ground and grip the seat underneath you for balance. Suggested: Do three sets of 15.

Flirty kick – Sit on your chair and move forward so you’re on the edge. Lean back and grip the seat underneath you. Lift your legs up, squeeze your abs tightly, keep your knees together and kick — tiny little kicks — to work your abs. Suggested: Do three sets at 30 seconds each set.

Drop it like it’s hot – Sit down on your chair and stand up — to work your quads, hamstrings and glutes. Concentrate on that squat position to make a 90⁰ angle with your lower half and squeeze your glutes tightly as you stand back up. Suggested: Do three sets of 15.

Dip, baby dip – Stand with your back facing the front your chair. Grip the edge of the seat and keep your fingertips facing toward you. Bend your elbows to make a 90⁰ angle and bend your knees to make a 90⁰ angle. Lift and lower — keeping your hips up — to work your triceps. For more of a challenge, do the same arm movement and keep your legs straight and extended. Suggested: Do three sets of 15.

Sexy lunge – Stand behind your chair and push one leg back, squeezing your glutes. Bend your front leg and make sure your knee is on top of your ankle at a 90⁰ angle. Hold on the back of the chair and slowly pull your back leg up to meet your front leg to work your legs, hamstrings and glutes. Suggested: Do this 15 times each side — two to three sets.

Lean back – Sit on your chair backwards. Hold on the back of the chair and lean back to stretch and exercise your back. Shake your head to toss your hair! Do three sets of 15.

Step-up and walk away – Place one foot on the seat of your chair. Push though the heel of that foot and step up to pull yourself up and work your quads, hamstrings and glutes. Step down and walk away. Do this 15 times each side — two to three sets.

Open and up – Lay with your back on the ground in front of your chair. Stretch your arms out to the side or keep them under your hips. Open your legs to be on either side of the bottom of the chair, then bring your legs together to work your abs. Do three sets of 15.

If you want, show your “honey” these sexy fitness moves … and enjoy your night!

This blog was also featured on MrsMosNJ.com. Photo by B G.

Here are some ideas for showing your honey, your significant other or BFFs that you love them!

Cook in and stay in. Cook something new and decorate your dinner plates with fresh fruit slices. Serve fruit kabobs for dessert. Drizzle sauces — like gravies or chocolate sauce — in swirly designs.

Get crafty. Get a matted frame from Target, Walmart or any craft store. Insert a picture and write nice things on the matte. For example, places you’ve gone together, favorite memories or private jokes.

Make a gift basket that’s useful. I love when Billy wears Axe Dark Temptation Body Spray. I like when he shaves his face too. A toiletry “basket” with all of his favorite (and my favorite) stuff would be perfect!

Go somewhere. My favorite places are Grounds for Sculpture and the Mutter Museum — admission is really cheap! Oh yeah, the grease trucks at Rutgers University are yummy and fun too!

Act like kids together. Build an indoor fort and hang out underneath the covers.

Keep it simple. Order a pizza and watch your favorite movie and your honey’s favorite movie.

Get nostalgic. Gather all your old pictures, movie and concert tickets, matchbooks, etc. to make a memory box. You can also buy a shadow box at the craft store and add your memorabilia there.

Create a rainy-day fund. Give your honey a piggy bank and make plans for how you’ll spend the bank together when it’s full.

Laugh together. Try to get your hands on some old home movies. Yup, Billy has seen video of me at my 5th bday party, my First Communion and me in the Philippines wearing umbros and a Bartman tee-shirt.

Take a couple’s class together. Cooking? Yoga? Pottery? Do your research. There’s a lot out there! Even if it’s not something you would normally want to do — but your partner would — suck it up and do it!

Photo by weenee.

Since I’m 30 now … here’s a list of 30 things what I’m thankful for:
1. My fiancée, Sweet William! He loves me for my craziness, randomness, dreams and goals.
2. Gabby and Sofia — my beautiful and fun nieces.
3. My brother, Mike, and his wife, Kim. They give so much to the community …
4. Hardworking parents. They’ve given me so much!
5. Front-row friends.
6. Cousins by the truck-load.
7. Loving and supportive “in-laws.” They are so generous!
8. My SUV. I can drive in the snow!
9. A set of new, sharp knives. I love cutting stuff now.
10. Inspirational books.
11. People that challenge me.
12. My Fit Friends, my workout partners and students.
13. Writing mentors — Holly and Greta, who really helped develop me and encourage me as a writer.
14. My Twitter friends.
15. People who give me blog love.
16. My favorite aunts — Auntie Evelyn, Auntie Alice and Aunt Diane.
17. Danielle — my maid of honor/BFF.
18. My education. No one can take that away.
19. My job at Amerikick. I’ve been teaching there for almost nine years.
20. Private jokes that make me laugh, even when I’m by myself.
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I do love Super Bowl Sunday — and it’s not because of football — I have great party memories. Going to my friend’s parent’s house and eating all their food … “canoeing” on the frozen late behind my brother’s house … every year is a good time. My favorite was a few years ago when the Giants won.

Billy and I had been dating for three weeks or so — and it was a whirlwind romance. On the first date he asked me to go to the Cat Power concert. (I was like … um, ok buddy, maybe I’ll spend my birthday DAY with you — and I did! HA!) But after that first date — Thai food, my choice, of course — we hung out a lot and did fun stuff like wander around Wegman’s, go to Chinatown for dim sum and Reading Terminal Market. We talked, texted, went out to eat … all those good things … then he told me he was going to bring me to his parent’s house for Super Bowl Sunday. AND he told me he’s a Giants fan. Little did I know what I was getting myself into!

There we were, February 3, 2008. We walked around the back of his parent’s house. His dad was out there. He introduced himself and said — I’m Bill Meise — I had the stupidest look on my face because I thought … is he messing with me? That’s Billy’s name!

We went inside and there were all kinds of people there. Billy’s mom, sister and her friend, Uncle Gary, Cousin Karen, her husband and their kids, her husband’s father … Cousin David and his son … Timmy and Timmy’s girlfriend. It was kinda funny. Looking back, I wish I wore that eye-patch and hook like I said I was going to …

Anyway, we ate and ate — Billy’s mom did it up big — and people yelled, screamed and acted crazy. I’m not sure if Billy was “testing” me out that night, but I passed! He told me later that he knew he had fallen in love with me that night. I guess I did too … especially when the Giants scored, I went to hug him … and Cousin David beat me to it. Those two were lifting eat other up and carrying on (while I stood there waiting — like chopped liver!)

Oh Super Bowl … food, friends, family … and love! (And some football.)

Photo by tabgiblehope.

Over the weekend, Billy and I went to the annual “Meise Family Christmas.” Yup! It was January 30. A little late for a tree, Santa, stockings, all that — but that’s what makes it awesome. I love family traditions, and I love that I’m marrying into a family as crazy, fun and big as mine!

So this is what the Meise family looks like … Billy’s dad is one of nine, so Billy has 25+ first cousins. Add in significant others and kids, it’s kinda overwhelming. I don’t feel bad though, because my dad is one of eight and I have no idea how many first cousins I have. I think it’s harder for Billy around my family sometimes since everyone’s speaking another language, and there’s a lot of funky food. Sometimes he has no idea what he’s eating.

Anyway, I really love that we come from big families. And, I love that Billy values family as much as I do. It’s things like this that makes me love him more and more.

Don’t skip meals — and eat sensibly. Don’t “save calories” to prep for a disastrous meal. You might just end up gorging on crappy foods because you’re starving.

Eat high-fiber foods before the party. Fiber helps you to feel full. Try low-calorie vegetables, salad fruit or oatmeal.

Eat small amounts of the foods you love. Don’t deprive yourself. Eat a little bit of what you love and choose wisely. Pick one thing you really want to enjoy — then fill up on good stuff like fruits and veggies.

Don’t hang around the buffet. Out of sight, out of mind. Get your food and back away.

Pace yourself. You know your body doesn’t always feel full right away. Slow down. Really chew your food. Set your fork down between bites and take sips of water.

Photo by beyond20khz.

There are no captions necessary. Please leave a comment and add your own. Muah! xoxo!

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Ohhhhh I love the holidays!

What does your family do? Pretty much when I asked everyone on Facebook told me they have this thing with Christmas pajamas and breakfast at the parents. I swear that I saw a bunch of pics on my friend Steve’s page – and like 15 people were wearing the same pajamas! It was hilarious and looked like so much fun! (I’m trying to get those pictures from him, too! They make me happy.)

My cousin, Peter, and I are with our Aunt Bella and Grandpa Recinto. We're at my Aunt Joy's house in Woodbridge, NJ.

What does my family do? It’s evolved over time and every year is different. Here are my favorite memories:

• We used to go to my cousin’s house in Woodbridge, NJ. The adults would toss coins off the balcony and us kids would scramble to catch the loot. I was one of the little ones and usually ended up crying. What do you expect? Some of my cousins are like four+ years older!
• As one of the “little ones” – I’d get tortured. My cousins would put me in a blanket, gather around and hold the edges and bounce me around. One time, my cousin laid on his back and told me to sit on his feet. He catapulted me in the air and I missed the pile of throw pillows. I gave “hit the wall” a literal meaning.
• To entertain the cousins, I’d do this “I’ll sit on a balloon ‘til it pops” thing. It would hurt to pee for a week after, but I loved the attention.
• One time, I couldn’t find my dad. He dressed up as Santa, and I didn’t even recognize him!
• In 2006, my whole family went to Disney! It was AWESOME

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