Planting...

The first few days of nice weather arrived in Anchorage, which meant planting flowers and herbs. Our condo doesn't allow for much space to "plant" flowers and/or herbs, but we try to put our deck to good use with planters and pots.

The site was not pretty before I started...

...so I took a quick trip to Mill and Feed for plants and soil...

and spent the afternoon planting...

We had decided on oregano, cilantro, rosemary, mint and basil...and three varieties of lettuce...romaine, butter crunch and endive...

The end result is much better.

I hope you enjoyed your weekend!!

Love these two...

I was lucky enough to spend some time at home in Iowa before a conference I attended at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Although the visit was quick, I could not pass on the chance to spend a couple days with these two gems...

Pure love.

I hope you are enjoying your LONG weekend. With all of this nice weather in Anchorage, I'm planning to plant flowers and herbs that Matt and I can enjoy all summer.

Cheers!

Walk MS

Walk MS is a nationally recognized event that raises money to help find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. There are a few people in my life that battle MS daily, and it is a pleasure to walk on their behalf, so they or others can some day experience a world without MS. 

The Anchorage Walk MS starts and ends at Lake Hood, a beautiful seaplane base on the west side of Anchorage. Lake Hood has the most seaplane activity in the world, averaging 190 flights per day. 

The walk was a beautiful 4 miles, with snack stations periodically along the way. 

About 500 walkers came out for the event and more than $50,000 was raised. 

Our group had a nice time walking around the lake, supporting those who we know and love impacted by MS.

Cheers!

15 minute arm workout

I had to share this "15 minute Bye Bye Arm Jiggle" workout. Originally developed by Women's Health Magazine and posted on Facebook by Lean Power Yoga, this workout may surely banish "arm jiggle" forever. I've done it twice already and definitely felt a slight burn the next day in my arms...evidence of a good workout.

Do these arm exercises one after another with no rest in between. Repeat the circuit once, resting a minute between circuits.

MOVE 1Standing V Raise

Hold a dumbbell in each hand and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, arms at your sides, palms in. With arms straight but not locked, raise the weights diagonally in front of you, so that your arms form a V shape, until your arms are parallel to the floor. Hold for one second, then return to the starting position. Do 12 to 15 reps.

MOVE 2Shoulder Press

Holding a pair of dumbbells just above your shoulders, palms facing each other, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Press the weights until your arms are straight overhead. Hold for one second, then take three seconds to lower the dumbbells back to your shoulders. Do six to eight reps.

MOVE 3Rotating Triceps Kickback

Stand with your knees bent and lean forward slightly, with a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your right elbow to bring the dumbbell to your side, making your upper arm parallel with the floor. Press the dumbbell back, and as you straighten your arm, rotate it so that your palm faces the ceiling. Rotate it back so that your palm faces in, and return your arm to the bent position. Do 12 to 15 reps with each arm.

MOVE 4Pike Walk Pushup Combo

Stand with your feet together, arms at your sides. Bend over (it's OK for your knees to be slightly bent) and place your hands or fingertips on the floor in front of you. Walk your hands forward until you are in a pushup position and do one pushup. Keeping your hands in place, walk your feet forward until they're as close to your hands as possible. That's one rep. Continue moving forward until you've done five or six pushups.

MOVE 5Airplane Extension

Lie facedown and extend your arms out at shoulder level with your palms facing the floor. Pull your shoulder blades together and lift your arms, legs, and chest off the floor. Holding that position, bring your arms forward, reaching past your head. Hold for one count, then move them back. Lower yourself to the floor. That's one rep. Do 10 to 15.

MOVE 6Crescent Lunge and Row

Grab a dumbbell in your right hand and stand with your feet together, arms at your sides. Lunge forward with your left leg until your left knee is bent 90 degrees. Lower your torso as close as possible to your left knee as you raise your left arm out to the side to shoulder height, palm down. Allow the dumbbell in your right hand to hang naturally. Row the dumbbell straight up until your right elbow passes your torso. That's one rep. Do 12 to 15, then repeat on the opposite side.

Tip: Start with an eight-pound dumbbell. Don't increase the weight until you've mastered perfect form.

MOVE 7T Pushup

Get into a pushup position with your hands on the floor directly below your shoulders. Lower yourself to the floor. As you push yourself up, rotate the right side of your body upward, lift your right arm, and roll onto the outside of your left foot. Straighten your right arm so your fingertips point toward the ceiling. Hold for one second before returning to the pushup position. Repeat, this time rotating left and reaching up with your left arm. That's one rep. Do five.

I hope you enjoy the workout. Have a great weekend.

Food Truck Round Up

My coworkers and I headed to Spenard on Thursday for lunch. Every Thursday during lunch time many of the food trucks from the Anchorage area gather around for a Food Truck Round Up. I have been wanting to check out the food trucks since the event started about a month ago.

Not quite the food scene of Portland, there were about four or five food trucks that participated. Plus, there was lovey music and a dancer twirling fire sticks! Classy!

I chose to order a roasted beet sandwich and a side of quinoa pilaf from "Wheel Good Food."

The food tasted great and I look forward to making the "round up" a more frequent tradition during the summer. 

Cheers!