Weekend Recap + Food & Fitness #44

It’s crazy to think it is already 8 pm on Sunday. Where did the weekend go?!

The fun this weekend sort of started Thursday night when I had a girls painting night with a few girls from small group. We all met up at Fear No Easel and did one of those painting classes. I was a little nervous my painting wasn’t going to turn out because I’ve never felt very artistic. BUT, I love how they all turned out!

Friday I started coming down with a cold. Nothing like getting sick week 2 of the school year. But that didn’t stop our plans for the night. I first went out and celebrating surviving the first 2 weeks of school with some of my coworkers. Then Cody and I took Cooper on his first social outing! We all went to Waterfront Park for another movie night, this time it was Star Wars (the new one).

And Uncle James came out to hang with Cooper!

Saturday I woke up really stuffed up and just kind of lousy. So I spent a lot of the day lounging around and I think Cooper knew I didn’t feel good because he was so good and cuddled more than he usually does these days. It was really nice! But we had to get up eventually and clean the apartment before our evening plans.

Our friends Alexa and Mitch just moved to Augusta and came into town for the night. We went out to dinner with them at Home Team then took them on a tour of King Street, ending up on East Bay by the harbor. On our way back to the car we stopped for some dessert! It was nice to spend some time with them since our wedding was the last time we saw them.

Today we got up and went to church. Today’s message was about parenting, shaping the arrow. And honestly, it applied so much to my life. No, we don’t have any kids yet (well, aside from Cooper); however, I have over 80 kids in my life right now that I teach this year or are still around from last year. As their teacher, it is my job to shape those arrows, especially when some of those kiddos don’t have that model at home. Check out the message from today (it’s Part 3) because it can apply to anyone’s life! (The whole series has been great!)

Before we left church we also got signed up as the leaders of Financial Peace University for our small group, which starts in a couple of weeks. I’m really excited to learn a lot from this study and to grow even more as a small group!

After church we stopped at Target to pick up some pieces for our gallery wall we are doing in our living room. When we got home we did some lunch and I worked on planning and school work. Tonight we took Cooper on a walk, getting rained on the last part of it.

Speaking of Cooper, this is my weekly funny from him. He was just sitting on Cody’s leg like that for a good 5 minutes. We love him so much!

Questions for You:
What do you like to do when you have friends come to visit?
How do you get rid of a cold quickly?

P.S. Be on the lookout Tuesday for a reader survey! I would love some feedback from my readers now that I’ve been talking to y’all for over a year!

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So this week’s meal plan is going to be a little sparse. Cody is gone 2 nights this week and we are going out of town Friday for Labor Day weekend. For a full meal plan, check out some of my past ones on my Food & Fitness page!

Sunday – Chicken Parm Pasta

Monday – Crunchy Taco Hamburger Helper

Tuesday – Leftovers (on my own)

Wednesday – Quesadillas or Sloppy Joes (on my own)

Thursday – Spaghetti Squash Skillet or a Soup

Friday – Asheville!

Saturday – Asheville!

Last weekend we joined Planet Fitness and it’s been nice to have a lot more machines available for our use! 5:00 am comes really early but it’s great to already have my workout done before my day begins.

This week I still want to do some lifting but I’ll be listening to my body during my workouts. I’ll for sure be doing some cardio to at least be moving every day.

Monday – Cardio + Abs

Tuesday – Cardio + Legs

Wednesday – Off Day

Thursday – Cardio + Arms

Friday – Cardio + Full Body

What kinds of workouts do you do when you are sick with a cold??

Weekend Recap + Food & Fitness #43

My first weekend of the school year is officially coming to an end. I hope y’all had a great weekend! We had a nice mix of plans and down time.

Friday after work I met Cody at his work before we headed to the Riverdogs game with his company. We had some good picnic food and enjoyed hanging out!

After we left the game, we headed over to our friends Chris and Katie’s place for a night swim and to hang out. The guys did a bourbon tasting while us ladies chilled on the couch.

Saturday after feeding Cooper at his usual time, I was able to sleep in since we had a really late night Friday. We made omelettes for breakfast and laid around the house until we went to check out Planet Fitness. After the tour, we decided to officially become members.

Saturday night was date night! We had supper at Lewis BBQ downtown, a new addition to the BBQ scene in Charleston. Their brisket is amazing! The sausage was good but a little spicy for my taste. Overall it was a good experience!

After we filled our bellies, we went and played some mini golf at Charleston Fun Park. And as always, Cody beat me, but only by 2 strokes.

We wrapped up our date night with frozen yogurt for dessert. I got a mix of white chocolate mousse and mountain blackberry with some Kit Kats and Oreos. YUM!

Later Saturday night we invited our friends Chris, Katie, and James for a night swim at our pool. It was fun to finally be able to do that in our pool!

Today started out with an amazing message about marriage at Seacoast! Everyone should go to their site and listen to it!

The rest of the day was pretty typical. We played with Cooper, did a workout (at PF), meal planned, did some school work to get ready for this week, and relaxed.

It was a really nice weekend and I’m now rejuvenated for another great week at school.

Here is another adorable pic of Cooper from this weekend to end our recap!

Questions for You:
What did you do this weekend?
What is your go-to date night?

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Here is our meal plan for this week. We decided not to go get groceries for the week, so I had to work with what we already had in our kitchen.

Sunday – Homemade Pizza

Monday – Turkey Walking Tacos

Tuesday – Crockpot Cheesy Chicken & Rice with Peas

Wednesday – Egg Burritos

Thursday – Burgers & Sweet Potato Fries

Friday – Chicken Parm Pasta

Saturday – Wine Bar Date

As for fitness this week, I am starting in full force at Planet Fitness. I’m planning on going with our friends Gracie and Trevor in the early mornings. Not sure what I’ll do for workouts, but I’m sure I’ll take ideas from my Being Fit Pinterest board. Check it out for ideas for yourself!

Weekend Recap + Food & Fitness #42

Sorry I was little MIA last week. It was a crazy week with getting ready for the school year to start back up tomorrow. As I sit down to write this post, I feel ready but still have those first day back jitters. Just leaving it up to God and planning on having a great day tomorrow 🙂

I wanted to make sure we had a great weekend before heading back to school!

Friday started off great with heading over to Home Team to celebrate a co-workers birthday. Then Cody and I went out to Waterfront Park under the Ravenel Bridge for a movie in the park. This week’s movie was Space Jam! Classic. We got there early to grab some grub and listen to some music. Our friends James and Allie also joined us for a nice night.

Saturday started off early for me. I went into school to do all of my copies for the week and put my finishing touches on my classroom. Look out for a full classroom tour this week! Here’s a sneak peek for now.

In the afternoon, Cody and I headed out to Isle of Palms for some jet ski fun. We hadn’t been out on jet skis in several years and we missed it. We were able to go crazy in the bay before riding 15 miles up the Intracoastal Waterway to Capers Island and hang out on the beach for a bit before heading back.

Saturday night started out chill with some egg sausage casserole for supper (Cody’s favorite breakfast food!) and hanging with Cooper then we were invited out with some friends to watch some preseason football and Olympics at DIG in the Park, a great restaurant in North Charleston.

Today we heard a great message at church about how each family is imperfect behind the picture perfection on social media, pulling examples from the Bible as reference.

The remainder of the day was pretty typical with grocery shopping, lunch, and planning on my part.

In the middle of all the usual business, I was able to get together with a few of my girls from small group for some pedicures. This pampering felt great right before a new school year begins! It’s easier to take care of your students when you take care of yourself first.

I also want to give a shout-out to my amazing mom. It’s her birthday today!! I was able to chat with her earlier today and I hope she’s had a great day, she deserves it!

And, here is your weekly dose of our cutie Cooper. He’s been in a biting phase lately. Any tips to help him learn to listen and to stop??

Questions for You:
What did you for fun this weekend?
What is part of your typical routine on the weekends?

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Here is our meal plan for the week. I’m planning on doing some Pinterest workouts this week, give myself a break from the bootcamp workouts.

Sunday – Hamburger and noodles

Monday – Vegetable beef and rice soup

Tuesday – Crockpot chicken, potatoes, and green beans

Wednesday – Turkey meatloaf and asparagus

Thursday – Turkey dogs and sweet potato fries

Friday – Riverdogs game

Saturday – Homemade pizza

Weekend Recap + Food & Fitness #41

Hope everyone has had an enjoyable weekend! We certainly have had some good times this weekend.

Friday my weekend started earlier in the day with some tax free weekend shopping with my friend Gracie. We headed to Old Navy for some good deals and some new Pixie Pants (my fave!).

We also stopped into Target to pick up a couple of things, including some lounge chairs to add to my classroom.

Friday night Cody met up with some of the guys from small group to visit a couple of breweries in town while us ladies got together at our apartment for some wine, snacks, and girl chat while we watched the Olympic opening ceremony.

Saturday morning I started my day with a coffee date with a fellow blogger and Iowan turned Charlestonian, Rachel from The Latte Budget. After that I headed to Walmart to pick up school supplies I needed for this school year and also checked out some pillows and rugs to add to the lounge area of my classroom with the chairs from Target. I still have a few things to pick up but I’m pretty much set on supplies for the start of the school year.

The rest of Saturday was pretty chill with a workout and some usual planning every weekend has.

We ate some yummy crispy cheddar chicken and green beans for supper then took Cooper for a nice long walk. (Made a little too much sauce and needed to use it lol)

After our family walk, Cooper was worn out and cuddled with us while we watched some HIMYM. Officially into Season 8!

Today we decided to watch the early church service online so we could head to Sullivan’s Island for some beach time before it got really hot.

We came home in time to make some lunch then this afternoon has been nice to hang out, watch some Olympics, and work on the blog. Remember to check out and like Passionately Southern’s Facebook page!

Tonight we are going to video chat with both sets of parents, which is awesome! And I’m hoping to head to bed at a decent time since tomorrow I head back to school for our week of inservice before the kiddos come back to school.

To wrap up, here is your weekly dose of Cooper! I took this Friday night when he was hanging out with the ladies. How cute is he?!

Questions for You:
How do you spend the last part of the summer?
What is your favorite thing to watch at the Olympics?
If you are a teacher, how do you prepare for the upcoming school year?

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Here is our meal plan for the week:

Sunday – Spaghetti

Monday – Gnocchi and Chicken Sausage Vegetable Skillet

Tuesday – Slow Cooker Pulled BBQ Chicken with Sweet Potato Fries

Wednesday – Crunchy Taco Homemade Hamburger Helper

Thursday – On our own (I have freshmen orientation at night) … maybe pizza??

Friday – Egg Sausage Casserole (my mother-in-law’s recipe)

Saturday – Vegetable Beef and Rice Soup

I think I’m going to give my bootcamp workouts a break for a bit and for my workouts I will do a mix of cardio, TurboJam, Zumba, and weight lifting. Cody and I are going to do a trial at 9 Round Kickbox Fitness to see if we like it. We are also considering becoming members at Planet Fitness to have a place away from home to work out.

I’m also going to go back to tracking my food and macronutrients with MyFitnessPal (friend me if you use the program!) to get back into a healthy lifestyle as school starts back up.

Any meals on your plan you are excited about this week?

Weekend Recap + Food & Fitness #40

Another weekend in the books! Ours was a fun-filled weekend for sure!

Friday I had my friend Katie from work come hang by the pool in the 97 degree heat.

I also wrote a Fashion Friday post about my experience with Poshmark and some summer outfits I’d been wearing. Update on Poshmark: I had my first sale Friday night!

Saturday we were able to sleep in until 9:30 after letting Cooper out and feeding him at his normal time then putting him back to bed.

We had a slow start to the morning, eating breakfast and watching a little Netflix. We decided we were finally going to go see Finding Dory, so we snagged some matinee tickets and a free small popcorn from my birthday! It was amazing, y’all! Baby Dory is adorable and I definitely had tears multiple times during the movie.

After the movie we stopped at the post office to ship out my Poshmark sale! I also tried on the pieces I purchased from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (check out my favorites from the sale here – it’s still happening until August 8th!)

Saturday night we got together with our friends from small group to celebrate some of our July birthdays (including mine!). Our hosts did a great job setting everything up! We did kabobs for supper and they had a cute set up stations for them. We had snacks to eat throughout the night as well.

After supper, some of us played Cards Against Humanity while others did some Disney karaoke (so fun, by the way!).

We ended the night with some delicious ice cream cake and a great game called Drawful.

I love spending quality time with these amazing people!

Sunday we woke up and headed to church with a couple from small group. We saw clips from the Adjustment Bureau and the message was really good about fate vs. free will. After church us girls met up with a couple others from small group and we had brunch to catch up since we haven’t all been together this summer. We went to Another Broken Egg Cafe and the food was really good, making up for the long wait we had. But the company was the best part (and of course, I remember to take a picture of my food but not my girls lol).

Then this afternoon, Cody and I spent a little time at the pool before making supper, Turkey Taco Zucchini Boats.

The rest of the night has consisted of getting my to-do list for the week organized and choosing wedding photos to upload and print.

All in all, it was a great weekend and it’s crazy to think we only have two more left until school officially starts!

Questions for You:
What did you do this weekend?
How do you beat the summer heat?

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Here is our meal plan for the week. I’m excited to try a couple new recipes, which can be found on my cooking Pinterest board!

As for my workouts, I’m hoping with getting into a regular routine I can boost my motivation to workout again. I’m still using my Bootcamp workouts from earlier this summer, but I might switch it up next week.

Weekend Recap + Food & Fitness #39

Hey y’all! Hope everyone had a great weekend! Our was pretty low-key, which was nice.

Friday, I was excited to find some great things from the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale, including these beautiful heels!

I was also able to get my blog Facebook page up and running! Head on over and check it out!

Cody and I decided to stay home Friday night. We enjoyed some How I Met Your Mother and time with Cooper.

Saturday we slept in until 8 and the rest of the day was really chill. I did my usual meal planning and grocery list, we watched a little Netflix, took Cooper on a morning walk, and we swam in the pool in the afternoon.

Saturday night we had a double date with our friends Chris and Katie! First they came by to meet our little guy 🙂

We went out to dinner at the restaurant 5Church. It is an old converted church with the book “War and Peace” painted on the ceiling. They also display local art, my favorite being the one that showed Rainbow Row throughout history.

The food and drinks definitely did not disappoint! I got their wild berry mojito to drink and it was the best mojito I’ve ever had. We all shared a charcuterie board for an appetizer and the waitress brought a chickpea salad for the table to try.

For dinner, I ordered their prime bistro steak, which had a ranchero flavor to it, and included the creamiest mashed potatoes as a side while Cody ordered the duck. Neither of us had tried duck before and it was delicious; so were the veggies. Katie let us try her cobia dish and it was the best fish I’ve ever had.

For dessert, we decided to head over to Carmella’s where Cody and I shared their Oreo mousse. I love their desserts! We also tried a bite of Chris’s coconut cake and that was yummy too.

We didn’t want to end the night there, so we headed over to Cypress for another drink. I ordered their Lady in Pink, which had my signature fruitiness but wasn’t overly sweet.

Today Cody and I headed to church and were able to sit with some friends that I teach with and hadn’t been able to see at all this summer. It was a great message using the movie McFarland, USA, and it talked about investing in where you are now in life and embracing those moments.

The rest of the day was a typical Sunday with grocery shopping, lunch, workouts, planning out the week, and cleaning. And tonight we are planning on hanging with Cooper 🙂

Speaking of Cooper, here is your weekly dose of him. This was at the end of his walk Friday night.

Questions for You:
What did you do this weekend?
What does a typical weekend look like for you?

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Here is our meal plan for the week. I’m still going through the bootcamp again and looking forward to kicking it up a notch this week.

Sunday – Omelettes

Monday – Pork chops with spinach and garlic potato patties

Tuesday – Teriyaki chicken with rice

Wednesday – Lasagna and garlic bread

Thursday – Wing it (Cody has a work outing so I’ll be on my own for supper)

Friday – Turkey Taco Zucchini Boats

Saturday – Birthday Party BBQ

Any good meals in your meal plan this week??

Weekend Recap + Food & Fitness #38

This was our first weekend home after our honeymoon and we was nice and chill.

Friday night we had plans with our small group to grill out and hang out at the pool. It was nice to get together with them and we had a great time!

Saturday Cooper and I got up at our normal time and let dad sleep in. So after Cody woke up I let them have some daddy-Cooper time since I get a lot of his attention being home all the time right now.

Saturday afternoon Cody and I went downtown to Hampton Park to take a walk and so he could get some Pokemon Go play time (love my nerd!). This park is great because it is like a hidden gem and tucked back away from the road. It was hot out but there was plenty of shade to break it up.

Saturday night we went to check out a new brewery in Mount Pleasant called Ghost Monkey. It had a great vibe and I actually liked the beer! We first did a flight to try a few different ones then we each picked one to drink. I got one called Skinny Jeans, a session blonde. The only downside was that they don’t have AC so it ended up being cooler outside than inside.

Sunday we finally made it to church after a few off weeks. And it was a great day to come back because they started their series “At the Movies” again! This was the series we started on last summer when we moved and it’s great because they take popular movies from the past year and analyze them, connecting them to God. We took a look at Inside Out this week and boy did it hit me good. Inside Out is all about emotions and the message was about keeping emotions in check and not letting one emotion dominate you. I’m excited to see what the rest of the movies bring to light.

The rest of the day was pretty chill since the rainy weather finally fell. We both did separate workouts while the other hung out with Cooper. I also did my usual meal planning (below) and did my week’s to-do list (can you believe there are only 3 weeks left until us teachers have to begin going back to school?!).

Last night to celebrate National Ice Cream Day we went to our local ice cream shop and picked some up. And we were definitely not the only ones with the idea… there was a line about 20 people long when we got there but it was worth it! It got my fave – mint chocolate chip! I love the serving size they give you here… believe it or not, this is a small.

And here is a weekly dose of our Cooper! I’m doing a post later on covering our experience so far as puppy parents.

Questions for You:
What did you do this weekend?
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

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Here is our meal plan for this week. I’m back on the bootcamp workouts from earlier this summer.

Sunday – Sneaky Meatball Subs

Monday – Riverdogs game ($1 hot dogs!)

Tuesday – Crockpot Pesto Chicken + Asparagus

Wednesday – French Onion Hamburger with Rice + Green Beans

Thursday – Soft shell or walking tacos

Friday – Teriyaki chicken and rice

Saturday – Chicken or hamburgers (haven’t decided) with spinach and garlic potato patties

Any good meals on your plan this week?

 

 

Weekend Recap + Food & Fitness #37

Hope everyone had a great weekend!

We originally had plans Friday night to go to a reggae event with some friends but Cody didn’t feel well with a summer cold so we just got some pizza and hung out at home with Cooper.

Saturday we got up and did some cleaning before going over to James Island to help a friend move into her new apartment. Boy was the weather a little miserable with the heat and humidity combo.

Saturday evening, we had supper then our friend Freddie came over to meet Cooper. Cooper is gaining so many new friends! After Freddie left, Cody and I went to get some froyo then finished out the night when some HIMYM.

Today we did our usual meal planning and grocery run but we also hung out by the pool at our apartment’s BBQ by the pool event. There were a ton of people and a Jack Johnson tribute band played!

Cooper and I watched some Netflix/napped while Cody went disc golfing. I’ve decided in these weekend recap posts to start including a weekly dose of Cooper cuteness!

Plus his first selfie (he pushed the screen with his nose!)

We ended the night with the Game of Thrones finale! I love this show so much!

Questions for you:
What did you do this weekend?
Do you watch Game of Thrones? Who is your favorite character and why?

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Here is our meal plan for the week. Even though my bootcamp is over, I started it over to continue the progress I’ve made.

Sunday – Chicken sausage pasta

Monday – Fish fillets and baked potatoes

Tuesday – Small group

Wednesday – Game of Thrones Trivia Night (eat there)

Thursday – Black bean burgers

Friday – Baked pesto parmesan chicken with brown rice

Saturday – HONEYMOON!!

Any good meals on your meal plan this week?

Weekend Recap + Food & Fitness #36

Hope everyone has had a great weekend! The weather here was too good to pass up being outside for part of it.

Friday night Cody and I went to buy the rest of Cooper’s supplies! We stopped into Target to try and get as many things as we could since we had a gift card. We also checked out Petco to compare for a crate but we ended up buying one on Amazon for cheaper.

Saturday we decided was going to be a beach day, so we packed everything up into our new beach cart and headed out to Sullivan’s Island, our favorite beach.

Some of our friends came out to enjoy the weather and water with us. We played some smashball, snacked on some watermelon, and played in the waves.

Some got more sun than others (uh, me…) I always seem to forget to reapply sunscreen the first time I’m out in the sun for a long period of time. We were out there for most of the day yesterday and that was more sun than my skin was used to anyways. Anyone have any tricks for helping with a sunburn?

We ended the night with some good grilling then going to say goodbye to one of my coworkers and good friends. She’s moving and I’m sad to see her go but she is going to be amazing no matter where she is 🙂

Sunday we got ready and went to church to hear a great message about how we distort God’s image and what he is really like according to the Bible. Amazing lesson!

After church we went to pick up some groceries, which we were in desperate need since we did a no-grocery week last week to save some $$$. Looking into our fridge now, I’m really happy with the purchases we made! Our grocery load was mostly produce! And after snacking on some watermelon yesterday, we just had to get one too.

The rest of the day has been laying around and resting as my sunburn has been hurting all day. I even took a nap, which I haven’t done in awhile, since I didn’t sleep well last night.

For supper, we attempted a new recipe: cauliflower crust pizza. The verdict: it’s really good! The crust isn’t crispy like regular pizza but the texture was good and flavor was yummy. We will definitely be making this again.

This coming week is my first full week off for the summer AND our last week without our puppy! I’ll be spending the week doing some things around the apartment and running some errands. We’re also going to get together with some friends mid-week and I’m excited for that.

Questions for you:
Did you do anything exciting this weekend?
Any big plans for the week?

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This week is also my last week of the Bikini Bootcamp. I am really excited to compare where I was to start and to review/recap the experience. Hopefully my sunburn feels a little better tomorrow so I can put 100% effort into my last week of workouts.

Meals for the week:

• Cauliflower crust pizza (seen above)
• Burrito bowls
• Spaghetti squash meal (either something new or the skillet I made a few weeks back)
• Chicken burgers with cheddar and spinach with green beans
• Lasagna soup (modified)
• Sloppy joes with sweet potato fries
• Small group Tuesday

I’m hoping this week for breakfast I can try and do an overnight oats recipe since I have more time.

Any overnight oats recipes that you like?

Weekend Recap + Food & Fitness #35

Hope everyone had a good weekend and Monday. I’ve officially started my summer and it’s great! We spent this past weekend in Atlanta and had a great time!

We decided to stay in an AirBnB instead of doing a hotel, which saved us some money. It ended up being nice and not far from big attractions. We arrived late that night so we headed out to Joystick, a video game bar, then grabbed some food afterwards.

Saturday we went to breakfast at the Flying Biscuit, which had a healthy, hippie feel to it.

After breakfast, we toured the World of Coca-Cola. That was really cool! I loved the tasting room where you can try Coke products from all over the world.

After the tour, we headed to Covington to meet Cooper, our pug puppy! It was great to spend some time with him and build that bond. He is so sweet and curious and little. Later this week, I’ll share his photo in a different post.

On our way back into Atlanta, we stopped at Chick-Fil-A for some lunch.

Saturday evening we did some relaxing before going to Maggiano’s for supper. They have so many great choices for pasta but I knew I wanted to do something lighter and went with their flatbread and a glass of sangria.

After supper we went back to Joystick before turning in for the night.

Sunday we headed into Midtown for breakfast at Cafe Intermezzo. Cody and I shared a chicken sausage panini, which was delicious!

The last thing we did before we headed back home was Cody’s pick. We visited the College Football Hall of Fame. Their set-up was really great because your access pass was connected with the school you attended, so all of the modules and exhibits could be tailored to you.

 

I love visiting Atlanta and Cody enjoyed his first time there as well!

If you’ve visited Atlanta, what is your favorite thing to do there?

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I am officially in my fifth week of my Bikini Bootcamp and I’m feeling great!

Here is my meal plan for this week:

Sunday – Leftovers

Monday – Italian Cheesy Shells with Ground Turkey

Tuesday – Small Group (Potluck, bringing Swedish meatballs)

Wednesday – Grilled chicken with baked potatoes and green beans

Thursday – Breakfast for supper

Friday – Pasta or Paninis

Saturday – Grill out (burgers, turkey dogs, corn, etc.)

As for fitness, my workout schedule is the same as it’s been for the past month. We just started our last phase today and my arms felt like jello afterwards, so I know my muscles are still kept guessing while they are getting stronger.