more progress & kaia kaia kaia

I don't want to say "before & after" because I am not at my "after." I never will be. I want to keep growing, changing, learning new things, building endurance, and getting stronger. I consider this more of my progress - where I'm at after six weeks of Kaia.

A lot of people have asked me what is Kaia, and what exactly we do. Gather around children, it's story time. Criss-cross applesauce. I just finished a six week BRIK session. SIX weeks, FIVE days a week of hour long high intensity workouts, runs, yoga, lots of squats, lunges, jump roping, sit-ups, push-ups, high knees, butt kickers, sprints, mountain climbers, (and on and on and on) using mostly only our body weight. We did use kettle bells or our lovely weighted handbags for many exercises for added resistance. It was like a bootcamp. It was INTENSE, I was sore many many days, and I worked MY BUTT OFF. Quite literally actually. More on that later.

In between the BRIK sessions (there are 3 BRIKs a year), they have CORE sessions. Which are "only" five-weeks, four days a week. This is more the maintenance session of what we accomplished during BRIK, and to get stronger. There's no yoga during this session. And since I went this morning, I can attest, these workouts are no less intense. I got worked this morning. Worked. And I'm still sore from Saturday.

Kaia isn't just about working out, the coaches really take the time to talk about nutrition, eating clean, eating whole, eating foods that nourish our bodies. We have a Kaia Cookbook. To get the best results, we need to "eat clean, train dirty." For me, the eating part has always always always been the hardest. I don't think I'm alone in this. Amiright? But once I got a grip on getting sugar out of my system, and went through all the normal "sugar detox" symptoms, I felt amazing. It's kind of scary that withdrawing from sugar, that is in EVERYTHING, makes you have headaches, feel cranky, feel SICK, want to kick puppies, and generally hate life.

Even beyond exercising, eating foods that nourish our bodies, Kaia is about friendship and meeting women that really encourage you, cheer for you, and you for them. The coaches are phenomenal. They push you to your limit, and then some. The owner, Amanda, is just fantastic. It's clear that everyone absolutely loves their part in Kaia.

Oh hey. 

I know most of you saw my "week 1" and "week 6" picture. Here it is again. Sorry. You're welcome. 

I realize I'm not flexing (lol) in the week 1 picture, but that's because I felt embarrassed to even try. Honestly. But like I said before, the change is real. A lot of my clothes are loose, and some that were on the tighter side before, now fit. 

Here are my official stats: 

So what did I completely remove from my body? 

9.2lbs

4.5% body fat

9.25"

After about 8 weeks of clean eating, 6 weeks of Kaia, and a few days of double workouts. Kaia + Stroller Strides = a very worked, but feeling great, Amber. 

What could possibly be more motivating than losing weight and inches? This. 

I improved my timed mile by 2 minutes! And I promise I actually tried in week1. Twenty more push-ups than the 1st week. (I can now do a few "real" push-ups yay!) And that last one? That's my favorite. AMRAP = As Many Reps As Possible before you feel like dying. There was a series of exercises we had to do in succession. After we finished the list, we started again until the allotted 10 minutes were up. Once we made it completely through the list 5 times, we got a time. The first week I made it through the list 3 times. The third week, through the list 3 times and about half-way through the 4th round. On week 6, I made it through the list 5 times in 9 minutes, 11 seconds. 

Which leads me to another thing I just love about Kaia. You compete against yourself. No one else. It's a perfect fit, because I'm not competitive against anyone else, but I totally am against myself. 

Truthfully I've been a little nervous about our vacation to Virginia, and various stops on our road trip. Virginia is traditionally where I just let myself eat whatever I want, whenever I want. Cracker Barrel biscuits, GET IN MY BELLY. I always say I'm going to workout, but I never do. And I ALWAYS come back with at least 5-10 extra poundage. Not this time. Because I have THIS. 

I have even been looking on Groupon and LivingSocial for some classes around Richmond. So if anyone has any good recommendations, then I'm all ears. Or wants to meet-up and go together, then YES. I'd love to take some barre classes, and I saw that there was a TRX class somewhere around Richmond. Or maybe a few Bikram classes. I've seriously considered lugging the BOB, but with the time change, Christian sleeps until about 11am, so that probably won't work. Or maybe I'll just run around the neighborhood and workout in the living room. 

I have the knowledge and enlightenment of how eating clean has made me feel, and I won't let Cracker Barrel derail me. Btw, Rob thinks Cracker Barrel is nasty. Hair FLIP. He'll be a good guiding light because our first stop after we land is always the grocery store. He always stocks up on vegetables, fruits, healthy things. I usually scoff while I'm running past him and his produce on my way to the banana pudding they make with Nilla wafers. 

On Saturday we had our end of BRIK celebration, with so much amazing, delicious, mostly-healthy food! Or as Rob calls it, "hippie junk food." (But he loves it too.) We also got some Kaia swag and yours truly won an award. 

Told you I was committed. 

I'm so excited that Suzi got to join in on a few Kaia classes while she was here. She summed it up as, "this shit is nuts." Well said!! Because yes. 

Suzi and I at the top of Makapu'u sporting our Kaia gear! 

I really recommend checking out either their main website: http://www.kaiafit.com or our Oahu location's website: http://www.kaiafitoahu.com. If you live where there's a Kaia, DO IT. You will not regret it. 

So, basically, I love Kaia. I didn't know if you could tell or not. 

rob's birthday celebration: round 1

Rob's birthday isn't until August 4th, but since we're going out of town FOR A MONTH, tonight we celebrated with Rob's parents and our good friends, the Grzebik's, with pool time and a delicious meal.

It was really the perfect evening with friends and family, celebrating a wonderful husband, son, father, and friend. We love you Rob! :)

Christian has no fear of the water. I guess that's what happens when your whole life is spent at the beach, or Mimi & Papa's pool! He will jump in over and over and over again until we finally have to say enough for now. 

I really wish I had gotten some pictures of everyone together! But it's almost impossible to capture a shot of the kids! They are just way too busy chasing each other, and their laughter and giggles are just the best. 

We decided to grill outside because the weather was perfect (duh) and the kiddos could continue to burn off energy even after leaving the pool. Rob's mom cooked the most delicious lamb chops, with potatoes, bok choy, and brussels sprouts. Jayme brought a yummy Hawaiian fruit bowl complete with a cacao pod! But oh the dessert. Can we have a moment of silence? Linda made a blueberry crumb pie that was to die for. It was so rich, and delicious that I'm pretty sure I could live off of it for the rest of my life. I mean, blueberries are healthy, right?? I may have dreams about that blueberry pie. 

Happy Birthday to you!!

Oh, please let me tell you about this neat little "trick" Papa showed Christian a while ago... but he never seems to forget. Papa puts whipped cream on his (Christian's) finger, Christian licks it off,  and thinks it's the best thing since sending man to the moon. Papas really are the best. 

I am so happy that the G's got to come celebrate with us. It was the perfect evening in so many ways made extra special with our friends being there. Thank you to Mimi for arranging, preparing, and cooking such a delicious spread, thank you to Papa for catching Christian in the pool 293849234 times and giving him your ice cream, and thank you to the Grzebik's for driving to our side of the island to celebrate. 

An almost full moon with a perfect Hawaiian sunset.

Happy (early) Birthday to you, Rob!! You are loved by many! Especially by this girl, and a little boy who calls you Dada! 

happy birthday to me!

Yesterday was my birthday! Woot! I can't believe this is the last year of my 20s... again.

Since Rob had his last day of recurrent, the munchkin and I headed to the zoo. But not before a serious manhunt in Waikiki to replace a hat we LOVED and lost. Sigh. Life with a toddler. And trust me when I say... if [insert person or thing] brings me to Waikiki, I must REALLY love [it]. Because Waikiki drives me bananas. On the plus side, it always smells like vacation.

Anyway, here's the hat we're still on a mission to replace:

It was a gift from the Fishes, our beloved Fishes that have moved back to the mainland. And we accidentally left the hat behind at an event we volunteered for as a family. I'm pretty sure we'll never see it again... because how rad is that hat? So yesterday, we popped in about 15 stores on Waikiki's main drag that sells Quicksilver. No luck. We did find the adult version of that hat, which Christian thought was hilarious when I put it on his head. Luckily there's about 39823947 other stores on Oahu that sell this brand. I'm a mom on a mission! 

After all that, we headed to the zoo. Which IS technically in Waikiki but on the outskirts, so I'm not afraid to go there. Christian has this OBSESSION with pushing the stroller. And yesterday he wanted me to carry him while he pushed the stroller, where I push the stroller. That lasted about 30 seconds, and then he had a full on meltdown. Right there in front of the elephants.

We had a quick picnic lunch, watched at the tiger "roaring" (or whatever that noise is they make), played on the playscape, and headed home for a nap.

Later Mimi came by and rescued me... I mean, took Christian to the park so I could sit on my butt for 10 minutes without thinking about one thing, and then get ready for AN AMAZING dinner with my hubby. Papa came by after work, so Christian was in his glory. Mom and Dad who?

We ate at Asuka Nabe + Shabu Shabu. If you don't know what Shabu Shabu is, you are missing OUT. It's like the very less expensive original Japanese version of The Melting Pot. We ate ourselves silly.

I chose pork and beef, and it comes with lots of other yummy stuff to throw in the hotpot too.

Rob and I got two different broths - I had tomato which tasted like tomato soup and was DELICIOUS, and Rob got something spicy. Which he also said was delicious!

We definitely wanted to have dessert afterward but we were stuffed. So we walked around Kaimuki for a bit until the sketch factor was high and then got some Tutti Fruitti Froyo. Here in Hawaii we have fun flavors like Taro, which is surprisingly delicious. And if you've ever had poi, you might think I'm lying.  But I'm not.

It was great end to a great birthday. And Rob let me sleep in this morning since I couldn't yesterday. BONUS. I slept until 9am y'all! Unheard of.

And thank you for all the birthday cards, gifts, wishes, phone calls, texts, and love from friends and family! You made my day extra special! I am thankful to have been blessed with another year. Cheers to the last year of my 20s... again!

the big island!

I'm finally getting around to writing the post about Mom and I's trip to the Big Island. I know quite a bit of time has passed, but life has been moving at warp speed here on the islands. Hey, wait, aren't we supposed to move just a bit slower here? Ok, so maybe we are moving a bit slower... and that's why I'm  just now getting around to this.

We had a fantastic time! This trip was a pretty big deal for me. It was my first time staying away for a night (two nights!!) from Christian. I knew Rob would be fine, and Christian would have a BLAST with Dada time, but it was like the beginning of a new chapter. Something indicating that Christian isn't a "baby" anymore. I stopped nursing him at 16 months old. He basically weaned himself... it was me having a hard time letting go. Although I knew that it would open up more opportunities for travel, it still made me a little sad. So, Mom and I boarded our flight to Hilo on the Big Island, also known as Hawaii. It's confusing, I know. "You're going to Hawaii? But... I thought you lived in Hawaii?" I think that's why most people just refer to it as The Big Island.

Before we drove to our B&B in Volcano Village, we stopped and had a delicious dinner at Hilo Bay Cafe. And it was divine!! Afterwards we drove the hour or so to Volcano Village, which conveniently put us a mile away from Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. We checked in, and hopped back into the car and drove into the park! The next time we visit the park, we will most definitely stay in Volcano Village again. It was SO convenient to be so close... and closer to Hawaii's most famous black sand beach.

It was dark when we went inside the park, but it's open 24 hours a day. AND I KNOW WHY. Oh holy stars... seriously, I have never seen so many stars in my entire life. Never. There is almost zero light pollution, and it was just heavenly. And we watched the volcano erupting, the Halema'uma'u Crater of the Kilauea Volcano to be specific. I can't even explain it. Everyone just stood there watching, quietly. We listened to the crackling of the volcano, it sounded like rocks exploding, and watched the beautiful orange and red glow, under the most starry sky. To see something so beautiful, powerful, wonderful, and something very few people get to ever witness, it was hard to wrap our heads around it.

The next day we really packed it in. It was our one full day. We drove back into the park, and stopped at a few spots along the way checking out the Steam Vents. Water seeps into the ground from the rain, but is heated by the hot underground (thanks volcano!) and then comes back up as steam. 

We walked around, taking random trails here and there. 

Late morning we decided to leave the park and drive the hour to Punaluu Black Sand Beach. The drive was interesting... not very scenic... but very scenic at the same time. I know it doesn't make sense. The land was lava... with a road paved through it, for the most part. There was a lot of "nothing" to look at it. We even saw a few Nene wandering around. 

But the beach was beautiful. We saw lots of honu (sea turtles) swimming around in the rough waters. And the black sand is formed when the hot lava reaches the "cold" ocean... Cold compared to the lava! It's a bazillion little pieces of lava. 

After we left the beach we were STARVING. We had tried to eat lunch earlier in Volcano Village, but were DENIED because a tour bus of people were about to roll up for lunch. They actually told us they wouldn't serve us. Rude. However, I'm pretty sure we were the ones that won because we had the most amazing lunch with dessert. Ever. The pie. It was so delicious. I would fly back to the Big Island JUST to eat their homemade pies again. 

We almost drowned walking to the restaurant because it had really started to rain, with no sign of letting up. But it was worth it. I found this gem in the Big Island Revealed guide book. Located in the very small, you'll miss it if you blink, town of Naalehu. 

After this very satisfying lunch, Mom and I drove back towards the park. I really wanted to drive down Chain of Craters Road all the way to the beach. We didn't stop too much because it was pouring. And we were already drenched... with no dry clothes or an umbrella or a trash bag to wear. So we stayed warm in the car stopping every few miles when something caught our eye, taking pictures from inside the car. 

Doesn't it look like we're driving on another planet? It was wild! 

When we reached the end, the rain had given us a break. We checked out the very cool Holei Sea Arch, and walked past the newly relocated visitor center (nothing more than a few trailers) to the "true" end of the road. This road has been covered over and over again by lava, unfortunately wiping out the town of Kalapana as well.  

Our last day on the Big Island we got up early, checked out of our B&B, and headed to Hilo for breakfast at Ken's House of Pancakes. I had the most delicious french toast made with Hawaiian Sweet Bread. I mean, really. We spent the morning at the Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden at the recommendation of our friend Rachelle. This was no ordinary botanical garden. It was a beautiful tropical rainforest, with thousands of plants from around the world, huge spiderwebs, and a waterfall.

What a fun trip full of memories!! I love being able to experience things like this with my Mom. I certainly had a great time, and I think she did too. And when we finally got on a flight back to Honolulu, I was so excited to see Christian I almost cried. I think he missed me judging by the awesome welcome home hugs he gave me... which lasted approximately 15 seconds before he was onto the next thing. :)