On The Way to a New Me ... Week One. :)

My re-entry into the world of fitness.

Some of you may have seen my fb posts, if not you may not be aware of my re-entry into the world of physical fitness. A week ago Saturday, my boys wanted to go to the gym/spa where we have a family membership. They wanted to play basketball. Fine, I told my husband that they could go and I’d just stay home. Well, he wouldn’t go for that. I dug deep into my closet and found my bright white workout tennis shoes….not new, just rarely used.  Off we went to the fitness center that we joined last year but visited less than 5 times. As my boys (now 8 and 11 years old) hit the gym, I ran into my neighbor Michelle who asked if I was there for the Zumba class. When I said no, she said “Oh you should so try it.” At this moment I realized, I had a choice to make….work out with my husband and listen to his ridicule of how out of shape I had become….or go to Zumba………………… I chose Zumba. :)


My thoughts on fb after the first class: “Went to a Zumba class over the weekend...it reminded me of trying to learn dance steps at cheerleading camp when I was in high school…feeling uncoordinated and at least one "8 count" behind! lol And I know, I know…if I drag myself to a 2nd class it will be better…..right? ;)”


My thoughts after the second class: “Just got back from Zumba, 2nd class ever. My thoughts: 1) Doesn't really matter how bad you are, everyone else is either trying to figure it out too or so good they just want to look at their own self and 2) It is almost as challenging to find a place to park when you go to work out in the evening. :)”


First class was Saturday, second class Monday….but no Zumba class offered at my gym on Wednesday…back up plan. My thoughts after I obviously thought working out twice put me in the mindset I could do all the workout stuff I did when I was 17! Lol


My next post was “Perhaps a tactical error in my new workout plan. No Zumba offered tonight, so I attempted a step class instead...seems it was an advanced class...lol. I left early but am sure gonna feel that tomorrow. :)”


And here was my post the morning after! “ update: I am indeed paying today for that master step class last night... even though I only stayed for half I should have left when she said we were using two step benches....one in front and one in back....ouch.”


Week two update to follow…..since I am in the middle of it now!

:)

Memphis Fun in the Summer! :)

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So with no vacation yet for the Perrin family, we thought we’d set out and explore some places here in Memphis and the Mid-South. First stop…a place talked about by many, but a place my husband and I (both lifelong Memphians!) had never visited. In fact, we had never even heard of it until recently…..Jerry’s Sno Cones.

So, we headed out to experience the frozen treat. I will add my youngest has been on a snow cone kick this summer so it only seemed appropriate we embark on a quest to try all in our area. It seemed natural Jerry’s would be a place to try. We knew the general area (Wells Station Rd) and made our way there. Again, my husband and I, discussing as we were driving, how puzzled we were as to why we had never been. We pulled up a picture on the phone of the pink building that we would be looking for and showed it to the kids. To our surprise both said….”Oh, we’ve been there.” We were like what? No way! But turns out one day last year at one of their summer camps to cap off a field trip they indeed made a stop at Jerry’s. They told us they all got sno cones and sat on a little hill to eat them. Sure enough we get there, line about 15 deep (30 deep by the time we left) and my kids confirmed this was the place they had been. Go figure. My husband and I were thinking we were showing our kids unique, tucked away places in our city…only to learn they had been there first! :)

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Get out of town (aka where to go on vacation)

Summer is here so I realized that I better get to planning a family vacation before it is time for school to start again. Of course, no one in our family wants to go to the same place….my 2nd grader wants Disney, my husband wants the Grand Canyon, I want the beach and my 5th grader wants to go nowhere! Anyway, I got online to just explore airfare….WOW! Cha-ching…and that was before baggage fees for four people. So, unless I can scrape up and use some frequent flying miles, looks like we are driving to our summer vacation destination. Being unsure where to vacation that is somewhere fairly close to home, I went straight to Facebook and to 94.1 listeners for ideas…..and I got some great ones!

Most votes for family trips went to St. Louis, Missouri and Hot Springs, Arkansas. For St. Louis, highlighted attractions included the zoo, Six Flags, baseball games, the arch, science center (and more!) and of course a stop at Lamberts on the way home. In Hot Springs, the water park and Magic Springs seemed the biggest draws if you go with kids.

Other great suggestions included (but were not limited to) Branson, MO…. Heber Springs, Hardy or Eureka Springs in Arkansas…..Calloway Gardens in GA, Pigeon Forge TN, Pickwick Lake TN, Atlanta GA, Philadelphia MS, Birmingham, AL and in KY, the Cave City area for Mammoth Cave. I personally can tell you we enjoy the Space Museum in Huntsville (which we have done several times as a day trip.) Also, last year we took a weekend in Chattanooga … much fun…and yes we “saw” Rock City, Ruby Falls, Lookout Mountain and the Aquarium. Happy vacationing everybody….I know I am ready for one. :)

(For those of you reading this on FB, you can go to my wall and see the near 100 comments from my wonderful fb family on my original post for the complete vacation conversation ideas. If you are reading this and we are not yet fb friends - and you would like us to be - feel free to send me a message.)

I am Inspired!

This week I attended the Go Red for Women Girls Night Out. It’s a big fundraiser for the American Heart Association. I got to emcee the fashion show, filled with red clothing items of course. But along with the fun, there was a serious issue to be discussed, women and heart disease. While we can’t change our family history, I was certainly reminded that we can make choices every day for good heart health. A few months ago, I was featured in a AHA piece in Memphis Magazine….here is part of that:

Go Red For Women was created to remind us that heart disease is the number one killer of women nationwide, but over 80 percent of deaths due to heart disease are preventable. Like many women, I know most of the things I SHOULD do to be heart healthy, but if I answer honestly… there’s more I could do. My grandmother lived to be 94. Up until the day she died, my Grandma told me nothing had ever been wrong with her heart. I can only hope I got some of those good heart genes. But the rest is up to me. I have two very good reasons to pay attention to my heart: 8 and 10-year-old sons. They love sports and are always on the go. Family in mind, I have been doing my part to get more active, by making time to walk and at least joining a gym. (Joining is a start, right!?) Also, in the Perrin house we are doing our best to make healthier food choices as well. I have even gone soda free since September… a HUGE step for me! I am making healthy changes that will not only benefit me, but my family as well. And hopefully by setting good examples for my boys, heart healthiness will be a way of life for them. Like many of us, I am a work in progress. We all need to remember it’s never too late to take steps toward a heart healthy future.

After this week’s event (and hearing so many women share their personal stories) I am even more determined to get heart healthy. I have done those things I mentioned above, but now it is time to get serious. Summer heat is no excuse. Time to GO to the gym with the membership I have! Drink that water! Eat more fruits and veggies! Get up off the couch! Hey, I just thought of this…..maybe I should only allow myself to get on Facebook when I am on the treadmill. Wow! If I did that, I’d be 40 lbs lighter in no time! :)

Best Burgers...yum! :)

So a national magazine listed Dyers burgers here in Memphis one of the top ten burgers in the country. Nice! Not only did the list make us hungry, Steve Conley and I were curious what other hamburgers around the mid south were your favorites? Took calls at Classic Hits 94.1 KQK during the Conley and Karen Morning Show and here are (in no particular order) some of the suggestions. :)

Topps,

Alex’s Tavern,

5 Guys,

Huey’s,

Uncle Lou’s,

3 Angels on Broad,

Trolley Stop,

Off the Hook,

Big John’s in Marion,

Exlines,

Stinkerbells,

TGI Fridays,

Dales Restaurant,

River Oaks

and Shelby Forest General Store.


Memphis is a great food town. Enjoy a burger today. :)