Working Out ~ Again

Ok...So I was working out really hard before going on a 10 day vacation in February ~ Then it's been rare workouts since we arrived back home ~ but I'm determined today to get back at it, on a regular basis!!!!  Plus I really want to reach my goal weight for my 30-Before-30 goal #1 :-)

Here's what my weight loss chart currently looks like:
Please note the sudden jump was due to weighing in after vacation :-)

So even though I gained during vacation, I'm glad that I'm still below where I started!!  ~ Seriously who doesn't gain weight on vacation :-)

sweating myself back into a workout routine

melodiejoy

30-Before-30 #14 Buy a New Espresso Maker, and use it Everyday for a Week

Back in December, a friend purchased me some new coffee syrups for my espresso drinks, and when I turned on my espresso machine the next morning to try one out...my machine died :-(  So sad, this is actually my second espresso maker to kick the bucket since I've been married ~ sigh ~  

So I began the shopping experience of looking for a new one....sadly I purchased not 1 but 2 different espresso makers (from 2 different stores, and 2 different brands) that I needed to return because they didn't work at all!!

Finally however, while we were vacationing in Austin MN, I found an espresso maker at Target!  Because of having to return 2 machines already, I took the machine to my hotel room, and tried it out before travelling back to Canada where I would not be able to return it.   Thankfully it worked great.  So I packed it back up...and a brought it home.

I was happy to be home from vacation, and on the first morning home, I made myself a yummy espresso drink.  Then to keep with my 30-Before-30 goal, I continued on for not 7 but now 9 days, having not 1 but 2 specialty drinks a day :-)

So I will share with you my favourite homemade coffee drink :-)

Hmm, for the sake of this post...I'll call it....

"Melodiejoy's Caramel Mocha"

First you need an Espresso Machine ~ just stating the obvious...because I wanted to show you a picture of my new machine.

Next, compress your grounds into the espresso ground container (or the what-ya-ma-call-it)

Then I start by brewing 4 cups of espresso, into my "brewing" mug... (yes I do love my coffee)

After this I pour 1/4 cup chocolate milk into my "frothing" mug...

and froth it nice and "poofy", till it bubbles over the top of the mug.  (you can also use white milk...but chocolate milk was on sale this week ~ cheaper than white ~ and it tastes sooo good)

Then I pump in some syrup into my "serving" mug  For this drink I use caramel flavoring...but lots of flavors would be great with this, just experiment with what you love!

I then pour the espresso on top the syrup...no stirring needed...but you can if you want too :-)

Next I pour the frothed milk on top...once again no stirring...

You can stop here if you like...because this also makes an amazing drink (it's what I had this morning)
Or you can continue on with whipping cream
This was a "splurge" purchase with my groceries last week :-)

I shoot some whipping cream on top....then drizzle some caramel (ice-cream) syrup on top
-I also sometimes sprinkle cinnamon on top

Finally I serve it with my breakfast...which the morning I took these photos,was a homemade iced cinnamon bun.  mmmm....

Then enjoy your creation ~ just avoid reading calorie content...because it could be discouraging ~ But I don't drink the whipped cream/syrup drinks everyday so I don't feel bad about having them once in awhile.

contently sipping coffee

melodiejoy

30-Before-30 #23 Ride a Roller Coaster and let go of the Bar

Ok...so a little back ground here....I only rode my first roller coaster 11 years ago on my honeymoon.  It freaked me out at the time (and looking back it really wasn't that spectacular of a roller coaster)

Since then, Michael and I have ridden any roller coaster we have had the opportunity to go on...slow, fast, twirling, upside down...ect....But I hadn't had the courage to let go of the bar.

Of course I've always known that I'd be fine if I let go, because tons of people on these roller coasters ride with their arms in the air while I cling on for my dear life :-)  So I made it one of my 30-before-30, in hopes that it would motivate me to let go.

So while on vacation last week, we spent an entire day at the Mall of America amusement park.
source
Which is called Nickelodeon Universe
So I decided to start easy, and my first roller coaster of the day was this one...the PEPSI® ORANGE STREAK I got on this ride and raised my hands in the air the whole time...even on the slow stuff...because well I wanted to 100% pass this 30-Before-30 goal!

Yay I did it, another 30-Before-30 DONE!!!!!

source
We then rode the other roller coasters at the park (and all the rides that were not babyish)....however I didn't initially have the courage to let go...till near the end of our time there. Finally on the LOG CHUTE  I let go of the sides and plunged into the watery spray.  That was lots of fun!  (side note, I've been to this amusement park twice now, and the Log Chute is by far my favourite!!!)
 source
Finally on our 2nd to last ride of the day, a ride we had taken countless times throughout the day.  My friend Heather and I decided to raise our hands half way through the ride...it was so much fun, that we got back on for one final time, raised our arms before taking off, and only put them down when the ride ended!!! It was awesome, and a major adrenalin rush!  So here's the twisty twirly ride (very similar to one at the West Edmonton Mall) The FAIRLY ODD COASTER 
  source
PS....  We also rode this ride...all my kids were tall enough to get on this one, and they all went on it...including my 6 year old... this ride was a blast!!!!!   Especially for my 8 year old thrill seeker Happy!  This is called the AVATAR AIRBENDER  
 source  source

Excited to have accomplished this goal

Melodiejoy

30-Before-30 #7 Go on an Awesome Family Vacation

Wow were we ever due for a Family Vacation, we hadn’t had one in a really long time.

We started our journey by doing a 17 hour drive (all in one day) with 7 people (3 adults, and 4 children) cramped in our minivan all the way to Austin, Minnesota.

After getting a good night’s sleep we began our relaxation time.

Some of the many activities we did during our time off included:

• Visiting the local YMCA for swimming
• Playing countless games of Killer Bunnies with our great friends Dean and Heather
• Explored the SPAM Museum (yes you read that correct)  This was actually a very fun museum with lots of interactive displays. (and it also is a Storm Shelter Area) ~ yes that is a wall of SPAM cans :-)
  
  
• Playing Connect (for the very first time) at our amazing friends Sarah and Troy’s house
• Visiting Faith Baptist Bible College to see another awesome friend who gave us a full campus tour, and the kids ran off some steam on the campus grounds
  
  
• Spent an entire day at the Mall of America’s amusementpark
  
  (more about this in an upcoming post)
  source
• Worshipping with the church family in Austin, Minnesota
• Built an impressively tall tower out of full individual milk cups with a good friend Ian at Perkins
• Unknowingly chatted with 3 NBA players
• Ate at countless delicious restaurants (no calorie counting this past week)

We needed to end our vacation a day early due to the passing of a godly man from New Brunswick.  So we headed home ~ taking 2 days to do the long journey this time.  We stopped mid way at an impressively wonderful hotel, where we enjoyed swimming and hot tubing.

The next morning we awoke early and hit the road for home. About the time we were nearing the Canadian border we drove into horrendous weather ~ this is really as good as the visibility got from this point on. 

We drove slowly and carefully and arrived safely home late Saturday night. We then awoke early the next morning to enjoy a day of fellowship with our dear church family.

Thanking God for a memory packed vacation
with our family and friends

Melodiejoy