Follow Your Dreams

Good Morning and Happy Saturday to you!

As you are reading this, Phoebe and I are off to BARCStoberfest!

Barcstoberfest is an event sponsored by BARCS, an animal rescue and care shelter. There’s a 5K run (no I’m not running with Phoebe, are you crazy!? I’d have to carry her!), a 1K walk *us*, and lots of food, fun, and puppies galore! I didn’t realize how big of an event it’s supposed to be until I just googled. They are expecting 5,000 people and pets! Holy Moly. We better pack our walking shoes for just the parking spot!

Anyway costumes will be involved. I might be the only person dressed up, but does that bother me? Nope! I will just look adorable with my little matching ball of fluff.

Any guesses as to what we will be?

My breakfast yesterday included a pot of coffee (yes almost one entire pot… oops), cottage cheese and then I was so busy working on my costume that I forgot to eat more. So a little later I turned my lunch I prepped for work on Thursday (I had off), into a breakfast scramble! Inside my lunch was chicken breast, asparagus, and mushrooms.

I heated those up in a skillet, added 3 egg whites, one whole egg, and salsa. Yum! On the side I put a few slices of avocado. Healthy lunch scramble 🙂

I totally felt like Sandra Lee. “Semi home made”, even though I already made the other ingredients too!

Then I danced around my apartment a little with Phoebs. We always do this on Friday mornings/afternoons. It’s our little routine. Friday dance party! I wore my AWESOME socks.

I usually walk around like this. Yoga pants, sports bra, high socks. I work hard for this bod of mine! No muffin tops here. Although, I kill the sex appeal with the socks, I know.

After lunch and dancing, Phoebe had a vet appointment. I THOUGHT it was just a puppy check up. I was so very wrong…

Okay let’s all pause for a moment.. or *PAWS* 😉 to talk about how gorgeous my baby is. Sorry she just is!

Anyway, it was SHOT DAY! Whoops, sorry Phoebs!

Shots!? Get me outta here!

She was very good, even though she had two shots in the shoulder, the dreaded bum exam, and stuff up her nose and in her mouth. A little traumatized, but we made it through!

She was so relieved to head to G-Mama and Pop Pops. Mommy has to be the bad guy sometimes I guess.

Then I headed to the gym and went into cardio mama.

Stepmill success! I’m crazy, I’m aware. Over 8 miles climbed.

My grip wasn’t 100% there for arms, but I did the best I could.

• Side bicep curls, 15 lb weights, 12 reps x 4 sets
• Tricep dips with 25 lb plate on lap, 10 reps x 4 sets
• Hammer curls with 35 lb plate, 10 reps x 2 sets
• Side bends with 35 lb plate, 10 reps x 2 sets each side
• Overhead tricep extensions with 25 lb plate, 10 reps x 4 sets
• Bicep curls, 17.5 lb weights, 10 reps x 4 sets
• Tricep kickbacks, 17.5 lb weights, 10 reps x 4 sets

I also did 3 sets of TRX ab pikes.

As you see, not much because my hand still needs one more day! Today is SUPPOSED to be back day, but unfortunately I might have to skip all together. I tweaked something near my left shoulder blade and it has been torturous. You don’t realize how much that muscle works even doing daily activities. I stretch more than anyone I know and I still tweak stuff. I guess that’s what happens when you slay the gym daily 😉

So onto my title. Follow Your Dreams. My parents have always told me I will do great things in life because I’m incredibly dedicated. I’m not a quitter, but I’m also hard headed. So what is my dream exactly? No, it’s not to look awesome in a bikini. That’s just a superficial goal. My dream is to put my words and recipes into REAL print. My initial plan was to write an “e-book”. Lots of bloggers do this, throw together some recipes, then charge 10-20 bucks for it that you can download, put on your iPad, or just read in your e-mail. While that sounds nice, and is perfectly fine for some people, that’s not what I want. I DREAM BIG.

I want my cookbook on the shelf of a bookstore. Next to some of my favorites. Something like this takes a great deal of time and effort, and PATIENCE. The thought of everything scares the heck out of me, but I have to start somewhere. I think of all the rejection that will come and it makes me nervous, but I know I can do it. If I can just write it, I’ll make it happen! I’ve set a deadline for myself to keep me motivated. I want that baby in print at age 30. So my deadline is June 26, 2016. The day before I turn 31.

So A LOT of work is in my future. But dreams come with work. Dreams come with rejection. And dreams come with that extra push when you feel like giving up and something tells you to keep going, then it happens.

So here’s to my hard work, my dreams, and my future success!

XOXO With a Cherry On Top,

-Minnie