'Till I Collapse

Time to get my fat ass back in shape! I went on a month long breakup with the gym while on vacations and I need to get back at it. I always find it a lot more motivating when I have a good playlist. And a cute outfit. I always love other peoples recommendations for workout playlists so feel free to leave some of your favorites in the comments. 

I am by no means a fitness guru. I puked the first day I worked out with a trainer last winter. I cheat in bootcamp. I try not to take myself too seriously when I'm at the gym. One time I went to get on a treadmill and whoever used it before me didn't shut it off. I went flying off the end of it at probably a 6.2 speed. I'm sure it looked really awesome to anyone who got to witness that. I might start leaving the treadmill on when I get off it too. 

So one thing you need to know about me is that I have really random taste in music. If you don't like the first song just skip along to the next one. If you don't like that one either I don't know what to tell you. You probably have really bad taste in music. 

Workout Playlist 

Warm-Up

Slackstring: Lend Me Your Love & Stranded

Bob Marley & The Wailers: Is this Love

James Morrison: Undiscovered

When you are running and feel like your about to die and need a pick me up

Mika- We are golden & Big Girl (you are beautiful)
Hendersin- All I got 

Pitch Perfect 2 Soundtrack: Anyway you want it & Lollipop

B.O.B- Magic

Green Day: 21 Guns (The original Broadway cast recording ft. Rebecca Naomi)

Lil Jon: Act a Fool (featuring Three 6 Mafia) 

Hercules Soundtrack: Zero to Hero

You got this. Set that pace. Run like your kids are chasing you with greasy fingers and you are wearing white, girlfriend

Kid Cudi- Pursuit Of Happiness (Nightmare)
Dean Alexander: Live a Little

Milkey Chance- Stolen Dance & Flashed Junk Mind

Chiddy Bang: Opposite of Adults
Rufus: Tell Me Something Good

Craig Campbell: Keep them kisses coming

Miley Cyrus: FU (feat. French Montana) & 4x4 (feat. Nelly)

Three Dog Night: Never Been to Spain
The Band: Atlantic City

Nobody is watching. You can start walking now. 

The Head and the Heart: Rivers and Roads

Hillsong: Oceans

Sam Cooke: A change is gonna come

A few other places to check out for cute workout clothes

Albion Fit

Without Walls

Calia

Back to the grind

My goal of keeping this blog updated weekly slipped through the cracks the last month or so of summer. We had back to back vacations and I think I left my sanity on the last trip to Scottsdale. Nothing like having a delayed flight and then sitting on the runway for an hour the night before the kids are supposed to start school! Mom of the year over here. We got home at 2 am and then immediately turned around and went to school at 9. Their poor teachers didn't know what hit them. And if something or someone did physically hit them hopefully it wasn't my 2 years fist. He's going through a bit of a phase.

The first day of school is always really emotional. This is the first year Noah is doing Mothers Day Out and Levi is doing Preschool 4's. I basically have 3 days a week that are kid free for the first time in 4+ years. I did cartwheels cried all the way back to my car. I had no idea what to do with my new freedom. The possibilities were endless. All the things I complained about never being able to do with the kids tagging along, I could finally do. I could listen to Tupac in the car without worrying if Noah was going to pick up a new vocabulary. I could plan out meals for the week and make 1 trip to the grocery store instead of 5 trips because of forgotten items. I could go to the gym and work off the 3 pounds of vacation weight I put on. I could clean my house without Hansel and Gretel leaving a trail of ritz cracker crumbs behind my vacuuming efforts. In reality though I went home and slept, caught up on episodes of Naked and Afraid, got frazzled because there wasn't enough time to go to the store and pick up the kids and my house continued to stay a dog hair ridden pit. Im sure we had take out that night. So much for meal planning.

In all seriousness though I hope my kids really blossom in school this year. I keep seeing all these Facebook posts with moms posting their hopes and dreams for their kids futures. Be compassionate, respectful, giving. Heres what mine would say...

Levi,

You are such a sweet and loving kid. My hopes for you this year are that you learn to say your ABC's and not sing it to the tune of that really annoying girl on the Disney channel who is dressed up like a train conductor. You know the one. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX-m4XWgcu8 

I also hope that the teachers give you a good head start on math. If you are anything like mommy you will need it. I actually had to ask your dad a fractions question when measuring out waffle mix this morning.

 **side note** Its really sad that I could memorize a Bone Thugs & Harmony song growing up but couldn't recite my times tables to save my life. Also, you will never know who Bone Thugs & Harmony is. -Muah

Noah,

Even though you are not in real school yet I have big dreams for you this year! I really hope you learn what not to do this year. Like bite your friends. I also hope the teachers potty train you so I don't have to. Kidding. Kind of. Also, if they can get you to nap and sit still while eating meals that would be a plus. -Love you, boo.

Blackberry Pie Recipe

We made a little trip to pick blackberries over the weekend. It sounded like a great idea in theory but by the time we got there (30 min after the place opened) almost all the berries were already picked. We managed to fill up 1 container which was just enough to make a blackberry pie with. 

Blackberry Pie Recipe

Ingredients

1 quart fresh blackberries, washed and drained

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

pastry crust (2) for 9 inch pan

1 tbs. butter

Preparations 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Combine blackberries with sugar and flour. Let sit for 10 min. Line pie plate with pastry crust leaving some overhang. Fill pastry lined pie pan with blackberry mixture. Dot with butter. Roll out your second pastry crust and place over filling fluting the edges. Cut 3 slits in the top. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minuets then reduce heat  to 350 degrees cooking for an additional 25 minuets. Let pie cool before enjoying! 

Pretty Little Liars

We spent the fourth of July up at Grand lake this year. Levi and Noah had a great time swimming and playing outside and cruising around on the boat. The break from our usual groundhog day schedule was much needed. Both boys celebrated birthdays in the few weeks leading up to the fourth and as you can imagine life at the Jacobson casa was a little crazy. Although turning 4 makes him a year older, I'm not sure it made Levi any wiser as he put his arts festival bow through a 55' flat screen TV in his playroom. I was checking Facebook folding laundry in the hall outside the playroom when I heard the smash.

"What happened!?!?" -me

"Noah did it."-Levi

Noah was actually nowhere near the crime scene and Levi's nose was growing by the second. I sent him to his room until he could come clean about what actually happened to the TV.

 I don't encourage lying to my kids but I have to say he is not the first one in the family to blame something on Noah.

**Stop reading now Isaac** 

I went through a phase where I kept cracking the screen on my iPhone. It probably happened 700 times in a span of 6 months. I was out one day jogging with Noah in his stroller when I went to change the song on my playlist, hit a speed bump with the stroller and it flew out of my hands yet again shattering the screen. I told Isaac that the baby threw it and that was how the screen broke.

So after almost an entire day in his room Levi finally owned up to the TV situation.  I consider this a win. Minus the broken TV.

Loading up for a boat ride

Boating babies

One of these days everyone will look at the camera

Sweet boy

Checking out the sunset

Watching fireworks

Let Freedom Ring

Fourth of July is right around the corner!! We usually spend ours at the lake and I'm trying to get a head start on packing this year. These Wildfox Couture (3, 8) sweats are awesome for throwing on after a jump in the water. Super soft and they don't shrink up after washing. I think they actually get softer as you wash them...I'm also obsessing over this Janessa Leone hat. I want one in every style on her website. A little tip if you are not wanting to show off that stomach in a bikini: Find yourself some high waisted shorts. Rock them with a cute bikini top and voila. Hope you all have a great 4th!

Palm Print

The palm leaf print has been one of my favorites this season. Its casual but can easily be transformed for a night on the town with a hot pair of shoes. This For Love & Lemons dress needs to get in my closet ASAP. 

Favorite Sunscreens and Self Tanning Products

If I could go back in time and tell my 16 year old self to ease up on the days spent in the sun or tanning beds without sunscreen I would show up wearing bells and whistles. It makes me cringe to think how careless I was. Luckily, that whole fake bake tanned look went out of style (not sure it was ever really IN style but you know we all make mistakes) in my early 20's so I wasn't completely SOL. There are some really amazing products out there now that can help you achieve that same glowing bronzed look. I've tried all of the products listed below and can honestly say I love them. Next time you are in Sephora ask for a sample of whatever you want to try. They are usually very happy to help and you can try them out before purchasing. As far as sunscreens go, I have had a hard time finding one that won't make me breakout or leave me feeling greasy all day long.  A good tip is to use a daily moisturizer that has SPF in it. These are usually formulated to be less oily and you are already one step ahead before going out in the sun. Always reapply if it has been 30 minuets before going outside. I am hesitant to use spray sunscreens after reading an article about a little boy who got 3rd degree burns from having some sort of chemical reaction to the ingredients mixed with sun. Yikes! The sunscreens listed below are lightweight and they WORK. Aging gracefully is hard enough. Don't speed up the process by spending your days baking in the sun unprotected. 

Self Tanning Products for body and face

Alpha beta glow pad for body

Alpha beta glow pad for face

Somerville 360 Face

St. Tropez Everyday 

Sunscreen

Max 50 UV Milk

Max All Day Moisture Defense

Josie Maran Argan Daily Moisturizer

Clarins UV Plus