My Fall Bucket List

I started seeing all these Fall Bucket Lists turn up and I thought to myself, I need to get in on this! So, here are the things I plan on getting done this fall! Please share with me what is on your list!

Fun Little Mug Swap

A couple weeks ago, I decided to participate in a Coffee Mug  Swap hosted by Dalayna from Pointing Up and by Britt from Yellow Umbrella Designs. I thought it would be so fun to connect with other bloggers and really, what is a better way than to connect over coffee mugs...I mean, I am quite sure that my blood is made up of 50% coffee!
So here is the scoop on the coffee mug swap. I gave Dalayna all my social media info and address. She in turn sent me the information of another blogger and it was my job to stalk all of her media outlets in order to  get to know her and send her a mug that reflected her. Well, I was introduced to a lovely bloggess named Suzanne Winter from Winter Wonderings, Wandering & Whatnot. Suzanne is a busy mother of three incredibly gorgeous children; a set of twin boys and a baby girl 14 months apart. She does amaaaazing photography and is incredibly talented in sewing. I am of course super jealous, because as I have expressed many times, my craftiness level is close to non-existant.  It as great getting to know Suzanne through her blog and I had a blast finding a mug perfect for her.
I was super excited when I got to my mailbox to find my package waiting for me (my husband Josh of course thinks I'm an absolute bloggy nut-bag...lol. Whatever, he has fantasy football, and I have this!)
 Ready for the big unveiling...here it is!!!

This "mug" that Suzanne picked out for me is so wonderul. It has great little positive sayings on it that says, "Cherish Every Memory, Love Every Moment, and Embrace Every Possibility." HOW FANTASTIC IS THAT???  If you follow me on Facebook, then you know that I love posting motivational quotes throughout the day and I try to to maintain a positive outcome on life in general. So since, I have received my "mug," I have used it every day. It is actually the perfect size for me to drink my Shakeology out of in the morning and what a bonus to start my morning out with a reminder fun experience. So a huge thanks to Suzanne and to Dalayna and Britt for hosting this swap!

Fire It Up, Turbo Fire Style!

 For about the past 28 days, I have been doing the TurboFire work out program as part of my new goal to get toned up and fit into all of my pre-Drew clothes. I can't wait to tell you how impressed I am with the results so far, but first, let me fill you in about TurboFire.

So, what is TurboFire?

TurboFire is a 90-day weight-loss and body slimming program. 

TurboFire is a total-body conditioning program designed to give you 

the best experience and the fastest results—lean legs, sculpted arms, 

and flat abs. This program is packed with kickboxing drills, aerobic 

exercises, and dance moves perfectly choreographed to the hottest 

music to help motivate you to have the best workout possible. It’s the 

maximum fat-burning cardio revolution that puts you front and center 

at the head of the class for the best results. Your instructor is the highly 

sought-after, award-winning fitness expert Chalene Johnson, creator of 

other successful programs like Turbo Jam and ChaLEAN Extreme

So, pretty much it is a series of 10 different cds that includes 14 different workout programs, that range in time from 15-55 minutes. The program comes with a calendar that tells you which exercise cd to do on what day. If you follow the calendar exactly, then you work out 6 days a week and it also comes with a couple different workout bands used for abs, sculpting, and toning.
At first, I couldn't believe how uncoordinated I was and I felt a little foolish and discouraged. The program comes with starter and breakdown videos that you can watch to help you learn the moves, but I didn't want any part of that. I was deteremined that I could figure it out by myself!.  By the end of the first week, I was able to keep up with the routines no problem. I probably didn't look pretty doing it, but I was getting it done and able to change from one series to the next without tripping all over myself with arms and legs flailing about.
  There has only been maybe 2 or 3 times where I have had to miss a workout, but I just doubled up the next day to keep on track. Those days were not so fun :) It's funny how guilty I felt though missing the workout, like I had really let myself down for not making it a priority to make time for myself.  Plus another thing, that I have been really shocked about, is how much fun I am having working out!Don't get me wrong, I do have my moments that I struggle getting motivated to start, as I typically work out at 5:00 in the morning before the boys wake up and I have to get ready for work. Getting my butt out of bed and start intense cardio can be a total pain in the ass, but I know I will regret it later if I don't get it done. Plus once I actually get started it really isn't a big deal and I feel so accomplished when it's over with. So, best bet for me, is to just suck it up and Just Do It!
I haven't totally changed my diet. I am drinking Shakeology every morning for breakfast, which is also supposed to help with increasing your metabolism, energy, etc.

 Well, actually, truth be told,  I guess I have been eating a little better and a little less, because if you are working out as hard as I am, who wants to plow a bunch of chips and soda and candy to them?  However, at Jacoby's birthday party, you better believe I tried a piece of the cake and I still partake in the Bardsley Pizza Night every Friday night! 

Anyways, lets get down to the RESULTS! I have been hovering around 118 lbs and have wanting to get to 110 lbs. Any other time I have worked out and the scale has stayed the same or has gone up, I've been ready to smash the scale out the window, but not this time!! I am still around 118 lbs, but my clothes are fitting better, my love handles are decreasing, lower belly pooch is getting smaller,  my thighs are getting smaller...and wait for it.........I have found a muscle!

Now, please try to refrain from laughing, as I know it is not the mightiest thing you have ever seen, but it is in fact a muscle and a muscle that was not at all there 28 days ago! Plus it is in my left arm which has always been my weaker side! So Taddaaa!!

I have one more pair of pants that I really am waiting to fit into. I can get them on and button them, but they are tight on my legs. No way could I wear them out in public..yet! There is no doubt that when I am done with this program that they will fit, how can they not? I'm all ready thinking about what I'm going to do once TurboFire is over. I just don't want this to end. For once, I'm really starting to feel healthy, strong, and I feel good about taking care of myself!

***If you are looking to tone up, lose weight, have more energy, than I highly recommend TurboFire! My co-worker, Joline, has also been doing it with me, (which also helps keep me motivated) and she said she is also noticing a difference all ready in how here clothes fit! I have explained how I have become a Beach Body Coach in a previous post, which means you can order TurboFire directly from my website at www.beachbodycoach.com/coachjennyb. We can help each other stay motivated and work together to reach our fitness goals! I promise you won't regret it! I mean, seriously, take a look at that muscle again! Haha!

***Also let me know if you have any questions about Shakeology! It is awesome!!

4 Years of Love!

It was around this time 4 years ago that I was sitting on my bathroom floor painting my toe nails (nesting had been in full force around that time) and I thought I had felt a twinge in my stomach. A contraction I thought, nooo...didn't really hurt. Then another one came and then another one. So I went out to the living room to tell Josh and told him maybe I should give the doctor a call. So, I did and was told to watch how frequently they were occurring and if it took my breath away then I should probably go to the hospital. Well, the contractions were around 10 minutes apart and I could certainly breath fine, so we decided to go to bed. As I lay in bed, the contractions started to come faster and faster. Josh and I made the decision to go up to the hospital a little before midnight and expected to be sent home.  We went through the usual routine with being hooked up to the monitors and I was shocked when the nurse told us we were staying. The contractions were coming quick enough and were strong enough that we needed to be admitted. I tried to get some sleep but the contractions were not allowing for that to happen. Later in the morning I  got a nice cocktail of an epidural and was able to sleep. I woke up from a nap and said to the nurse, "how do you know when I'm ready?" She said, well, why don't I just take a look, she lifted up the blanket and so said, "Oh, shit." Me: "What do you mean???" Nurse: "That baby is coming now, I will get the doctor and let him know you are ready."  Ha! Frigging amazing. Things at that point moved very quickly. Doctor came in, my bed got broke down and was instructed to push and  and with under 10 minutes of painless pushing (other mom's don't hate me for this :) I take to epidurals very nicely)  my sweet little Jacoby Thomas was born after 2:00 in the afternoon on September 6, 2008.

It is so hard to believe that 4 years have gone by. Jacoby is one of the most amazing people I have ever met. His unbelievable memory, his sense of humor and his sensitive side blow me away every day. I now understand when people use the term, an old soul. It is Jacoby. I couldn't be more proud of Jacoby the way he is with Drew. He has a lot of patience, understanding, and love for his little beast of a baby brother.  From the first time I laid my eyes on Jacoby, his little face has melted my heart.
Here is a glimpse of Jacoby and his past birthdays:
This is a video (taken not with a video camera but put together by individual frames from his super fast digital camera) that my brother Izik put together of his first birthday that has always been one of my favorites: 

Jacoby's Second Birthday:

So close to his cousin Kara who is 6 months older

Me and Jacoby with Drew in my belly!

Jacoby's First 4wheeler!

It didn't take him long to get used to it..haha

                                                                       Jacoby's 3rd Birthday!

I think his face explains it all!

So happy!

Jacoby and Drew..the best brothers!

These are some of the best memories and I'm so excited for more to come!

Crafty?? Not So Much...

This week I am busy preparing for Jacoby's 4th birthday (I really can't believe he is 4 by the way, but I will save that for another post!) His actual birthday is Thursday and we are having his party with family and a few friends on Saturday. The theme this year, of course is Superheros, specifically Batman and Spiderman. In my superhero imagination I have envisioned myself baking a  fabulous superhero cake such as this one: 

I have also imagined the guests being greeted by an entry way like this, ready for a day of superhero fun:

Then when the kids got inside, how fun would it be to have a superhero changing station?

Seriously, look at these kids having fun!

So, what is stopping me from having the party I imagine Jacoby having?  One, I'm not crafty! Like, really, really not crafty. I laid in bed last night thinking that I could get black construction paper and cut out little black bats to hang from the ceiling. Um, right, not going to happen. I wouldn't be able to make a bat for the life of me..nevermind, doing it more than once. Then I thought, well, I could make an archway out of balloons, which brings us to the second point..no I can't. I'm not crafty! 

As for the cake. I made Jacoby's cake last year and it was your typical homemade birthday cake and truth be told, it had all fallen apart and was being glued together by frosting:

So, I know I don't have the skills to make that birthday cake above, but maybe I could draw a bat or spiderman's face on the cake or something??? Nope, can't be done, I'm not crafty!! So instead I will use those little candy cake toppers that come in the shape of superheros and pretend that I am being crafty by using food coloring to color the batter and the frosting.  

As for the decorations, we have spiderman and batman plates, and napkins, and a table cloth. I will buy a balloon and maybe even a "Happy Birthday" sign, but that is what is going to have to do. Beyond being not crafty, I also don't have the time... 

I know there are probably stencils online that I could find to make bat cut-outs and I'm sure that Pinterest is full of ideas on how kids can make their own capes/masks, etc and show me how to make that balloon arch and maybe even a step-by-step guide on how to make that cake. I just don't have the time to look for those things and put it all together. 

My biggest thing is praying for sun on Saturday as it is going to be an outdoor party and making sure the cake is edible and the house is clean. Other than that, all the other stuff is going to have to wait for another birthday. It's the thought that counts right??

I'm Going Home!!

I am going home tomorrow!!

(Insert happy Dance Here!)

Since last Friday, I have been in Clearwater, Florida doing some training for work.  You wouldn't believe the things I have had to learn if I told you! 

Anyways, that is 7 nights I have not tucked my boys into bed, (8 actually, because we have to count tomorrow night since I won't get home until around midnight)

I have not heard my little Drew's voice since Sunday. Apparently he really wanted to talk to me tonight but I was out to dinner and had my phone on vibrate (it was, after all, a 5-star restaurant)  and I didn't know that I had missed his calls (Mother of the Year Award revoked yet again!) I have been able to talk to Jacoby every night on the phone before he goes to sleep and he has been such a good boy while I have been away. I am so proud of him!

It has been a week since having any of their hugs, kisses, sticky hands all over me. 

It's been a week since I have heard Jacoby's stories and a week since I have seen Drew's bright smile and dimples!  

Tomorrow is the day though that I fly home!!!  I can't wait for Saturday morning to see Jacoby and Drew. They are going to get smothered by my hugs and kisses!

Of course I can't go home empty handed, so I got Jacoby a Jake from Jake and the Neverland Pirates and Drew, Donald Duck. They are going to be so excited! 

I am so excited to see their little faces! 

I also need to make note that I am so grateful for my mom and Mima (Josh's Gram) for their help while I have been gone. They stay at my house and bring Jacoby and Drew back and forth from daycare and help take care of them, and cook some meals. while Josh is at work. I don't know what I would do without them!

And last, but certainly not least  is Josh, who I appreciate so much for wearing both the mommy and daddy pants while I am gone.  I know that it is not easy for him or our family when I have to leave but he does an amazing job.  I love him!

So that is all, I can't put into words how much I have missed all 3 of them, but I am happy that tomorrow I will be making my way home. I look forward to having a big family hug! xx

Finally, Not The Griswald's Family Vacation!

Last Sunday was the last day of what was a really, really great vacation. In the past our vacations have been cursed with our kids being crazy sick, so any type of fun was replaced with doctor calls/appointments, high fevers, lack of sleep, and worry and disappointment. As a joke gift for Christmas one year, a family member even gave us a plaque to hang above our door that said "The Griswalds."  Well, move on out to someone else's house Griswald's because the Bardsley Family is back in action!

We just stayed home this vacation and tried to come up with different things to do nearly every day. We went to a Pig Roast, Maine's Children's Museum, took Jacoby to Storyland, visited family, had date night and my brother came home to visit from Chicago!!  

Here are some of the highlights!

We went to Maine's Children's Museum with some of our closest friends, Michael, and Kara, their son Jack and their new born baby girl, Lucy.  Its always great to get together with them and watch our kids play together.  Jacoby wanted to try everything. He even climbed a rock wall all by himself.  It's also fun to see Drew start to enjoy these types of children's places.  He loved climbing on things, pretending to drive cars, and playing with a waterfall.  

Jacoby and His Buddy Jack Driving the Firetruck

The Boys Grocery Shopping of Course

My Little Fireman

Drew Having a Blast Climbing!

Storyland! Storyland was a ton of fun. We had to leave Drew home with his Mima because he just isn't quite old enough for Storyland yet.  Jacoby loved every part of the day. His favorite rides were the Roller Coaster and the Log Flume, which of course were the highest and fastest! I think Josh's heart may still be beating out of his chest from it! (He did great too for his first time on rides..haha).

Jacoby and Josh Riding the Balloons

Jacoby and I Meet Humpty Dumpty

Awesome!

Big Bad Wolf!

Family Time to Celebrate Izik and Matt home from Chicago! We had a blast and I miss them sooo much!

My Sister and I and Our Loves

That's Right, My Brother and I Are Having Fun Disco Style!

Me and Josh! xx

My Family...so great to Have Izik and Matt Home!!