Introducing: Wedding Wednesdays!

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On July 2, 2011, my boyfriend of 5 years became my fiancee. You can read the story here!

After I finally started to come down off cloud 9 and the reality settled in that we’re getting MARRIED, I felt a little overwhelmed at the prospect of this whole wedding thing. The marriage and combining our lives thing I’m over the moon about, the stress of planning a wedding – and planning a wedding from a different city – a little daunting! Where does one even begin?!

Thank goodness for Google. I found some wedding websites and checklists to formulate a slight idea of a timeline for things. I looked at Etsy and The Knot and a few wedding blogs. Suddenly, I was excited about planning a wedding!

I decided that I wanted to blog about it – the inspirations and ideas, the whole process of planning a wedding from a different city and my reflections on the whole deal.

Enter: Wedding Wednesdays

Going forward, my Wednesday post will be all things wedding related. I want to share my thoughts and where I’m at in the process but also to hear your comments, advice and suggestions from your own wedding or weddings you’ve been to.

I’m very excited about this journey and looking forward to sharing it with you all, blog world!

Sitting Is Killing You

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I spend most of my day sitting down. I sit down to drive 20 minutes to work, I sit down at my desk to work on my computer, I sit down to eat lunch, I sit again after lunch for more work, I sit in my car for 20 minutes to drive home, I sit down to read or watch tv in the evenings. LOTS of sitting. Unfortunately, I’m not unlike many Americans.

Recently, my friend Sarah sent me a link to this infographic, Sitting Is Killing You (infographic below the jump).

The stats and facts on this infographic are startling: on average, we sit 9.3 hours a day. As soon as we sit down, calorie burning drops to 1 calorie per minute, enzymes that help break down fat drop 90%. Even if we exercise, we’re not safe from the havoc long hours of sitting wreaks on our bodies. Essentially, as soon as we sit down, our bodies go into shut down mode. Yikes!!

I am fortunate enough to have a desk that I can crank up and down to be standing height. Yesterday, I cranked up to stand for part of the day until my knees got a bit sore. Also, I’m very tall (5’11″) and the desk doesn’t crank up quite as high as I need – I could use a good 4 more inches – so my wrists and shoulders started to ache from the misalignment. Today, I wore my pair of supportive flats and found an empty box to place under my keyboard to raise the height.

I’ve noticed that since I’ve started working full time in an office – and especially since February with being on the running DL with my knees – the office weight gain has crept up on me. Although I haven’t weighed myself in a month or so, I’d venture to say I’ve gained about 7-10 lbs over the course of office working. The graphic is true – even if we exercise for the recommended 30 minutes or more each day, it’s not enough to kick our bodies and metabolism out of sedentary mode.

Starting today, I commit to standing at my desk for at least 2 hours a day for the rest of the month and cut down on the total number of hours I sit each day. I better start looking for a few more supportive (& fashionable!) shoes to wear!

View the infographic below the jump.

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Back To The Grind

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Coloradocation is officially over. My fiancee went back to Florida last night and I’m back in the office today.

I set my alarm this morning to get up and do the 6 a.m. spinning class at my gym but when my alarm when off this morning, I must have hit snooze and rolled right over. After a busy and fun week of camping, hiking, water parks, biking and concerts, I guess my body needed to ease back into the work week routine.

Since I didn’t make it to the gym this morning and I’ve got a full evening of meetings and conference calls for the suicide prevention walk I’m helping to organize, I’ve decided to stand my desk up today while I work. It might not be a cardio workout but feels so much better than sitting down all day!

Time for a quick Meatless Monday lunch and back to email catch up!

Coloradocation: The Final Day; Bcycle & Avett Brothers Concert

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Yesterday was the final full day of Coloradocation and we tried to cram as much fun into one day as possible. Mission accomplished.

First up, another round of Jersey Mikes. Typical.

After lunch, Alex wanted to ride bikes in the city and since I only have one, we opted to try the Denver BCycle. BCycle is an amazing bike share program in the greater Denver area, with 50 stations throughout the city.

At lunch, we downloaded the BCycle app for our phones which shows where the closest stations are to our current location and how many bikes are available at each bay. So easy to use!

We rented bikes a few blocks from lunch at the Denver Botanic Gardens. Renting was easy – Use a credit card to check out your bike and go!

You can pick to do a 1 day, 7 day, 30 day or annual pass. We picked the 1 day pass for $6. For each ride, the first 30 minutes are included. For a ride that’s between 30 and 60 minutes, it’s only $1 additional.

We rode from the Botanic Gardens downtown to Confluence Park to play in the river. It’s about a 4 mile ride – partly on the road, partly on the bike path. I much prefer riding on path – riding on the street with cars can be scary.

We parked our bikes at a nearby BCycle bay and walked over to Confluence Park – it was full of activity! Lots of people and puppies playing in the water.

We weren’t at the park long before the rain clouds moved in and scared us away.

We found another BCycle station, hopped on and rode back to the Botanic Gardens and the car. On the way, we passed a construction site with a very decorative fence and random pianos throughout downtown for passerbys to play.

I love Denver.

We hurried home, stopped by the store to pick up some snacks, freshened up and were out the door and on our way to Red Rocks for the Avett Brothers and Grace Potter concert!

We tailgated in the parking lot with our snacks and a few beers before heading into the amphitheater.

The concert was awesome – sold out, great music and after a bit of rain early on, great weather. We danced and sang and loved every second.

While they didn’t play this song, I will leave you with a favorite Avett Brothers song.

Cellulitis (The Freak Forehead Infection…Or Not) Update

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A surprising number of people have found my blog by searching a variation of Forehead + Raised + Swelling + Cellulitis + Sunburn. I wanted to present and update, as I’m not so sure what I had was Cellulitis.

Remember a few weeks back when I spent an unfortunate Monday night in an emergency room in Florida? I’d gotten a crazy welt looking rash on my forehead inexplicably and the ER doctor ‘thought I may have Cellulitis.’ This means that I had a bug bite, scratch or small cut that was infected by bacteria.

The diagnosis seemed to fit at the time – Alex and I had noticed a bug bit on my forehead on that Saturday, we went paddleboarding on Sunday, and I noticed the rash on Monday. So it made sense that maybe the bug bite we noticed on Saturday got infected while in the ocean on Sunday.


‘ Cellulitis’ didn’t completely fit to me – I’d looked up symptoms and pictures after we got back from the hospital – but I accepted it and moved on. It was a one time thing and it’d gone away so why spend too much time worrying about it?

Since that week in Florida, I haven’t spent extended time in the sun and when I did, I put sunscreen on like always.

Saturday, (or, the Best Day Ever) I’d put sunscreen on before our hike but failed to reapply. I have to say, I was too wrapped up in the moment to think about sun safety. After we got home Saturday afternoon, I’d noticed that one side of my upper chest was a bit red and burned. I noted and dismissed it.

On our drive Sunday to camp in Utah, I’d noticed that the part of my chest that was burned was also slightly raised. Like a welt. Like ‘Cellulitis.’  Later, after we’d gotten to our campsite, I’d noticed that the back of my shoulders were also raised in a similar pattern to the shirt I wore Saturday. Alex confirmed that it was a bit burned,  felt my back to confirm I wasn’t imagining things and he agreed. My back was raised where my skin appeared to be burned. A small section of my forehead was also slightly raised and red. All of these raised marks were gone within 2 days.

All of this seems to refute the Cellulitis diagnosis. Most recently, my skin wasn’t infected. It was burned. And it was raised. The photos of cellulitis on the internet (quite vivid, if you look) don’t match what I’ve experienced.

Now, I’ve only done minimal research at this point and intend to make a doctor visit to discuss this further. And I’m certainly not a doctor or any type of medical professional – this is my own experience and speculation.  But in the meantime, it seems that I may have some type of ‘sunburn allergy’ or sensitivity – if that’s even a thing. I’ve been extra, extra careful about sunscreen this week and will continue to be attentive going forward.

To all of you who find me by searching for Cellulitis, I hope you enjoyed the comparison to a Klingon I presented in my last post but unfortunately, I’m not sure that I fit your bill. As soon as I nail down a reason, I’ll be sure to update to give you forehead swelling searchers some insight and, hopefully, relief.

Coloradocation Part 2: Camping (In Pictures)

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Part 1 (and Day 1!) of Coloradocation wins ‘Best Day Ever’ award.

Part 2 was camping around the state with a tiny Utah detour. After spending a few days (mostly) out of cell phone and civilization range, Alex and I got back home to my apartment in Denver last night. After washing the campfire, bug spray and sunscreen smells off of us and eating a real meal, we were wiped out! We had a great time but are happy to be home!

Coloradocation Day 2 (Sunday): Drive to & camp in Ashley National Forest in Utah with friends

Coloradocation Day 3 (Monday): Camp in Dinosaur National Monument

Coloradocation Day 4 (Tuesday): Camp in Rifle Falls State Park

Coloradocation Day 5 (Wednesday): Driving home to Denver

No pictures – we stopped in Glenwood Springs to hike to Hanging Lake, only to find out it was closed for routine maintenance. Bummer.

The next few days we have together, Coloradocation Part 3, we’ll be hanging around Denver. Today’s plan is to play in Boulder. Stay tuned!

Coloradocation Days 2-4: Camping!

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Hello from Dinosaur National Monument!

Coloradocation has been quite the adventure so far. Yesterday, we spent the night in Ashley National Forest with some friends and currently, we are braving an epic wind storm in Dinosaur National Monument. It looks like we’ll miss the thunderstorm but the wind is crazy! Our tent has almost blown away 3 times.

We’re excited to explore the monument tomorrow- the ‘mountains’ (we can’t think of the right word for them) are enormous and look incredible.

But first, we’ve got to weather the weather! Just felt the first raindrops!

Coloradocation Day 1: ENGAGED!

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It’s the first official day of Coloradocation and it already rules. A lot.  Today, my boyfriend of (just about) 5 years asked me to MARRY HIM! HOLY COW!!!

Alex got into Denver Friday night and told me over dinner that he wanted to do a specific hike this morning. So we woke up early, filled the water bottles and were out the door, headed west on the highway.

Our destination was Mount Falcon Park, right outside Morrison. Recognize these rocks? Mount Falcon is next door to my beloved Red Rocks Amphitheater.

The weather was perfect for a hike – sunny, warm and breezy.

Still climbing!

At one point on the trip up, Alex said: ‘This is a great day. What could make this day better?’

I replied: ‘Jersey Mike’s (my favorite sandwich place) for lunch!! and a big cup of FroYo for dessert!’  Little did I know that he would make our day so much better than any food ever could.

We reached the top of the trail/mountain and explored around a bit. Alex knew that at the top of this trail, there was a failed attempt at a summer home for the US President – during construction, it was struck by lightning and burned down. All that’s left is the corner stone.

Our hike to the top was just about 3 miles – we snapped a few pictures.

And then… it happened!!!!

We sat down on a rock ledge to look at the scenery and rest before trekking back down. Alex had other plans. We had a special moment to ourselves, some important words were said and then the question came. A questions I was so surprised to hear!

‘Will you marry me?’

Of course, I said yes!

First picture engaged!

And here’s the be-a-u-ti-ful ring!

This ring is incredibly special – When Alex was very young, his birth mom died of cancer. This ring is the engagement ring Alex’s dad gave to his mom, with some beautiful modifications by Alex. And we learned today that yesterday was their anniversary date. Extra, extra special.

At this point, we don’t have much thought about the wedding details except that it will likely be late summer/early fall next year and will likely be in Cincinnati. All of this is subject to change, of course.

What a DAY!

And, my fiancee (!!!!) bought me Jersey Mike’s for lunch. :)

And now, it’s time to celebrate!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coloradocation starts… NOW!

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Yesterday morning, I tried a class at The Bar Method in Denver (recap here!) which is a ballet dance inspired fitness class. It was tough! I was feeling a bit sore yesterday afternoon in my shoulders and calves mostly.

Today is another story! Wow! I’m feeling the burn – in a very good way!

I dragged myself out of bed this morning and stumbled into my gym to shake my legs out. Since I can’t run, I spent 30 minutes walking on the elliptical and did some yoga moves (down dog, plank and child’s pose) to help alleviate the tightness. I think a CorePower Yoga session is exactly what I need – and fortunately, a level one class is on my agenda in a few minutes!

Since our office closed early for the 4th of July holiday (yay!), I’m taking full advantage of the day – yoga, cleaning my apartment, First Friday at the Santa Fe Art Walk tonight and then (!!!) later tonight, MY BOYFRIEND COMES TO DENVER FOR 10 WHOLE DAYS!!

We’ve got a big agenda this year – I’ve been calling our time together our ‘Coloradocation‘ (Colorado + vacation) because we plan to road trip and camp across the state for the first part of our week and then we’ve got fun Denver events and friends to see the last part of the week.

It’s going to be a great day, night and week!

Now it’s off to yoga to stretch these tight muscles out!

The Bar Method Denver – My First Class

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WHEW! What a workout!

A few weeks ago, I saw a Groupon/Living Social deal for a place called The Bar Method. I was intrigued but since I couldn’t discern much about the workout from the website (read: would this hurt my knees?), I decided to not purchase the deal. Instead, I did start following them on Twitter (@BarMethod_CO) and was sent a coupon to try a class.

So this morning, I set my alarm super early (5:16) to get to the 6 a.m. class. The sun wasn’t even up yet!

I got to the studio about 10 minutes early to check in and get situated. I wasn’t sure what to expect from this class – I’m not a dancer and have never taken a dance class so I was a bit intimidated by the barres. We were in a big, carpeted studio with full length mirrors on 2 walls and barres on each wall. The studio and facility were very clean and comfortable.

 

There were only 6 women in class with me so the instructor was very interactive with us throughout class and was very helpful in correcting my form and positioning. Some people don’t like to be corrected in classes but I LOVE it.

 

This method of exercise focused on small, tight movements for an intense, full body workout. The small movements work a deep, specific muscle group and I could feel the burn immediately!

 

We started out with a series of arm movements with weights – the 2 lb weights I used felt like 20 lbs by the end of the series! Then it was over to the bar for legs – calf raises, quad tightening, and ‘seat’ strengthening (I love that she called booty-targeted exercises ‘seat’ exercises). Then sitting ab work, mat ab work, more ‘seat’ work, stretching and it was over!

 

This class was super hard for me – I don’t have the small, dancer frame or small, dancer muscles or know many of the dance terms – but the other women and the instructor were all very helpful in getting me into the right movement. I shook like a dry leaf in an autumn wind storm for 99% of the class – and even after class! My muscles were worked in ways that I didn’t know were possible. (Here are examples of what we did in class – next time, I’m bringing my camera!)

This exercise was a killer:

I definitely plan to return to The Bar Method. The non-impact to my knee was awesome! I think this would be a great supplement to my current routine to build up more of those small muscles in my body before the (temporary) exercise death that is knee surgery. Look for more Bar Method posts to come. :)

If you’re looking for a new way to spice up your workout, I strongly recommend The Bar Method – great muscle-building, fun energy and attentive staff. You can find a studio location near you here.