1. On the agenda for today – a gentle yoga class focused on stretching and relaxing. Then, a mommy/daughter date at Makenzie’s school. I can’t wait!
2. How can I not pass along the cuteness?
This is a picture from last Friday night’s “drive-in movie” at our church. Luckily, with cute kids like mine, no one even notices the lackluster mommy car crafting skills. 
3. I need a coffee IV drip. I feel like a broken record on the “I’m tired” front, but sometimes it’s all my mind can focus on. Makenzie has started waking up with night terrors a couple of times a night. Every. Single. Night.
4. I read this Bible verse while doing my devotional this morning.
How fitting as I have felt happier and more at peace this week, even while organizing 300 plus bootcampers and working on 10+ client plans. I am so thankful for that one morning of prayer where I felt that gut tug to step out into online training. I can’t help but shout from the rooftops today – I’m eternally grateful for the passions God gave me and the faith in knowing I could trust Him. I can’t help it. I’m in AWE!
5. Bonnie posted a crazy challenge earlier this week. A challenge to complete 100 burpees (WITH the push-ups!!!) in under 10 minutes. I had to accept the challenge.
Ten minutes after reading her post, I went down to our basement gym and banged out 100 burpees, push-ups and all, in 9:52. Then, I wanted to die. Thank you, Bonnie!
6. I bought a cheapo eye mask to see if it would help me sleep better at night. I figure if I can only get a few hour stretches at a time, then I might as well make them deep sleep. Then, I keep forgetting to wear it.
7. I am seriously SO excited that the Blend Retreat is less than two months away! It’s 100% fun and getting time together with other bloggers and readers. Plus, you could workout with me in person! There is still (super affordable!) tickets and rooming left. Do it!
8. You can still vote for me as Best Personal Trainer Blog at Fitness Magazine. Thank you to all who have already!
9. I am seriously debating purchasing a Kindle or Nook or other such reading device. My main reason to get one? Something easy to read on the treadmill. My main reason not to get one? I don’t buy books. I only read what I can get at the library and I’m not sure how the library works with online versions of books.
10. Please send some positive thoughts and prayers out to my family. A few things have been going on for them, including another MS relapse for my mom. I’m trusting God completely, but it’s hard seeing them happen so much more frequently now and affecting her in more serious ways. 
11. I have been having random cravings for Lean Cuisine french bread pizza lately. Good thing I’m not 100% opposed to the frozen meals on occasion. Definitely a rare occurrence, but not going to kill me, either.
Your Turn –
- Ever sleep with an eye mask?
- Do you have a Kindle or Nook or similar? Recommendations?
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Mother. Wife. Personal Trainer. Exercise lover. Blogger. Woman of faith. Striving for fitness inside and out. 
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{ 80 comments… read them below or add one }
Tina:
Your blog is incredibly inspiring and motivating for me, as both a fitness instructor or blogger. Keep doing what you’re doing! Happy Friday!
My prayers go out to your family and especially your mom. You might want to check into your library’s use of dowloadable books. The Charlotte library has a lot of downloadable books available so I’m guessing the ATL one would. I’m thinking you live outside of ATL but some libraries have cheap memberships for non-residents or allow anyone to join. Last thing — if you decide to not go the frozen food route, I bet you could make an awesome DIY french bread pizza with pre-made french bread, turkey pepperoni, mozzarella, and tomato sauce.
Oh sweetheart…your family is in my prayers! I hope you have a wonderful day with your little love. Mommy daughter days sound like just what you need. <3
Your children are PRECIOUS! One thing to know about the Kindle is there are TONS of free books on the Kindle store. I had one (until I bought an iPad) and loved reading on it. Super easy and would be great for cardio equipment.
Sending lots of positive thoughts an prayers to your family! And yes…. Eye masks have been life changing… Haha I buy the cheap-o ones from any drug store and they work great! Such a better sleep!!
I would recommend getting an e-reader. I never read until I bought one, now I don’t go to the gym without it. It makes the time on the machine go so much faster!
I have a Kobo Vox which I can surf the internet and check my email on as well. I would highly recommend it.
i just booked my plane tickets for blend this morning!!! yay
Sorry to hear about your mom! ::hugs::!! I have a kindle, and it breaks the bank sometimes, Im not going to lie!
Happy Friday, Tina! Prayers for your family coming your way.
I own a Nook and I LOVE it! I read more now that I have one. Barnes & Noble offers a Daily Deals every day for an e-book. They also have Free Fridays where they have free books. Another thing you can do is borrow books from the library. I haven’t done that yet but from what I understand it’s pretty easy. And they also have a program called Lend Me, where you can borrow books from friends who also have a Nook, which I love. And finally, if you have find a PDF or e-pub version of any book you want you can put that on Nook, even if it’s not from Barnes & Noble. And of course you can buy the book from them. And if you have Nook Color, they have enhanced versions of some of the books that provide extras such as video and all. For example, they have some fitness books that are enhanced editions that include videos on how to some of the exercises correctly. It’s pretty cool
I’ll keep your family in my prayers Tina! I have a Nook and I absolutely LOVE it! It’s great for the gym too. And I so want to try that burpee challenge from Bonnie but I don’t know if I can do 100 burpees haha. I guess I won’t know unless I try though right?
Yes! You won’t know unless you try!
It can take you as long as you need – that’s the beauty of this challenge. Just work on completing it. 
You got this, Lindsay! Have fun (and feel the burn) 
Have you considered using a laptop while on the treadmill? I watch tv shows from netflix, but I’ve watched training/informational videos in the past. I would imagine it’s hard to run & focus on w ords unless you are just walking. http://www.clickthegoodnews.com/2012/02/13/treadmill-running/
Hope all is well with your family!
I have to do the burpee thing. Maybe this afternoon when I need a work break…
I have a Kindle and love it. It did take some getting used to reading a book on a screen, but now I’ll never go back.
Hope everything is ok. My thoughts are with you and your family!
First things first, sending love and prayers to you and your family and your mom right now. Hugs, friend.
Second, that devotional? SO incredibly fitting and beautiful. Thank you for sharing it, I really needed to read His words this morning, on the eve of my big debut. It’s time to feed this passion of mine, He has lead me along this path for a reason, it’s time to embrace it and LIVE it.
And finally, french bread pizza from Lean Cuisine used to be a fave of mine! Followed by english muffin pizzas. Yum.
Sending positive thoughts your way!
I like Lean Cuisine pizzas. I probably have one every few weeks or so.
Love the picture of the kiddos. So cute. I remember when my niece was waking up with night terrors all the time. Really stressful for my sister – you want to make it all better but can’t then you’re tired too. I’ve been thinking about your mom recently. I’m sorry to hear about the relapse.
I have a kindle and I *love* it – but I’m living overseas right now, and doing a ton of traveling, so it’s been really great. Yes, it does make a dent in the wallet, but the price of kindle books is usually less than that of physical books.
100 burpees with the pushups? wow. I’m gonna have to start seriously kicking up my burpee performance!
You poor woman! I hope you get some quality sleep- and soon!
Sending prayers and love to you and your family <3
I have the kindle and LOVE it!
Have a wonderful day and I am so excited for BLEND too!
Tina you and your family are absolutely in my thoughts! I hope that things improve
And I do not have a kindle or nook but I do have an iPad which I find very handy at the gym and would definitely recommend! I’ll read both books and articles (and blogs!!) on it or watch episodes of tv shows and movies! The only downside to the iPad as compared to a Nook or Kindle is the normal, glary computer screen.
favorite kind of posts!! and thanks for the BLEND linkage!! Want to hang out with more cool people!
(we get to hang out in a week!!)
If you get a kindle, then subscribe to the pixelofink.com blog. They list tons of free and cheap kindle books every single day!
I wear an eye mask every single night & I recommend the kind w/ the little ‘bubbles’ that are over your eye (it bows out there). They sell them at Bed Bath & Beyond. It doesn’t press on your eyes and it’s so comfy!
Praying for your mom.
I have a Kindle just for reading on the treadmill, too
. Amazon has tons of free books, every single day, and some of them are absolutely great. There’s a FB page, Pixel of Ink, that lists them through the day, or you can get it via email. I definitely recommend one, I can’t get through a treadmill (or really any other form of cardio!) workout without it!
good luck with everything, thoughts go out to you and your family! I’m on my second kindle and love love love it. Get the kindle touch with 3g. I love being able to download a new book in the car or out and about, definitely worth the extra money. I actually returned the fire because it was only wireless to get the 3g touch! I know there’s a way to sync your public library membership with the kindle I just am not sure of all the details but I know books that are at your library digitally can be downloaded to your kindle for free and you just return them when you’re done! Same thing through amazon if you have a prime membership. You can borrow one book for free per calendar month! hope that helps!!
oooh get the kindle fire and with amazon prime you can ‘borrow’ books for free for a month!! Sort of like the library. I love my fire!! it’s awesome.
As for your family, prayers are certainly with you. I hope everything is ok.
((hug))
I sleep with an eye mask! Love it
The Forsyth library system does “lend” e-books! I don’t have an e-reader so I’ve never done it before, but I think you just log-in on the website and there is a special catalog of all the books they offer electronically. It’s probably a more limited selection, but would be worth checking out!
Yea. I noticed that when searching the catalog once. Need to see what they have for options. We need to schedule another “date”
We got a Nook for my Grandmother last summer because you can actually get eBooks from your library with the Nook.. When we looked into it – the Nook made more sense as you could get books in different formats vs. with the Kindle they all had to be the Amazon format. Just something to think about and I am not sure if that has changed with the Kindle fire. Maybe you should check with your library and see if they have eBooks (and, if so, what is available / format / etc.).
Oh, thanks for that suggestion about the formats. I wouldn’t think to check that!
I have a Kindle Fire and I love it! Writting blot posts is a little tricky if you want yo get fancy, but I absolutely love my Kindle Fire. I have tons of free apps and Internet on here. I don’t buy books either, but I can rent ebooks from my local library, you should look into that at your library.
I have a Nook (color version) and I LOVE IT! I use it during all my treadmill runs and it makes the time pass so much more quickly. I do buy more books than I did before having the Nook but I also borrow them from my library. I usually have to wait a bit to get the newer books and you only have them for 2 weeks (which usually isn’t an issue) but I figure I’m saving so much money each month that it’s worth the wait. Definitely recommend!
Sending thoughts you way for your family! I had a Kindle before and now have an Ipad and love love love it. If you buy one that you can add books to let me know. I have 3,000 book files that I would gladly send you.
Love love love my Kobo. It’s a Canadian bookstore one, dont know about it’s states availability, but its a jewel reading a lot more lately!
Yes, I sleep with an eye mask sometimes. The cheap ones always squeeze my head. It could be the I have a big head though! hahaha I have a Kindle Fire and I love it! I “rent” books from the library with it. Also Amazon has lots of books that are always free AND run specials on books that are free for a limited time. I have gotten a ton of free books that I would never have normally picked up except that they were free and they have been really great.
#5…omg. I did the 7 minute burpee challenge the other week and thought i would die. I also only hit like 50 something burpees (with pushups) so you are like superwoman hitting 100 in less than 10 minutes!
I have a nook. I like it but I tend to buy books (when they’re on sale, I have a thing against full priced items) rather than use my libraries system b/c 1. the books available are usually not anything i want and a much slimmer section of the real books in the library and 2. the wait time for the books I do want that they have is ridiculous.
Just had to chime in about how cute your little ones are!
I want to die thinking about 100 burpees.
I love my nook touch! It’s so nice. I was surprised by how quickly I adapted to reading on it
It’s also awesome that you can get library books on it too!
I LOVE Fridays. I get cravings for Stouffer’s french bread pizzas. Making a homemade version instead is my usual remedy, mostly cuz they don’t sell em in Canada. Ohhhhh childhood cravings.
I got a Nook for Christmas two years ago and I love it!! Get it!
Also…sending out love and prayers for you and your family.
Those kids are SO darn cute!!
Your burpee challenge is really impressive- I don’t think I could do it in under 10 minutes (not with the push-ups anyway!)
I am bursting at the seams for BLEND. I wish May would hurry up and get here! It will be my first experience at any kind of big blogger meet-up and I’m so excited to meet everyone. And, I’m obsessed with Colorado, so that’s just a bonus.
I’m looking forward to meeting you at BLEND! It’s going to be a wonderful event. I love my Kindle. Besides the library, you can also check out sites like Project Gutenberg. Any book that is past copyright (75 years) can be downloaded for free. You won’t get the latest blockbuster, but I’m working on reading some classics I missed in high school (like Jane Eyre). Amazon also has many classics downloadable for free.
Prayers and hugs for you, your mom and the rest of your family. XOXO
Tina! I’ve been on a self-imposed blogland hiatus for so long that I didn’t even know you’d moved! This new site looks fantastic, and I love how you’ve focused the shift so much to helping others (although you did that before through the old platform too
So excited to keep up with all your new goings on!
Thoughts and prayers your way. I love my kindle and you can get library books on it too – it’s great!
I had a Kindle and I sold it. I really like buying books for like $1-3 and holding them in my hand. (I always forget to renew books from the library or return them on time and end up owing a bunch of fines anyway. OR they don’t have what I want. Darn.)
First, am I the only one most impressed by the fact you cranked out 100 pushups in a row? Wow!
Second, I have a Kindle and I love it, but I can’t read it on the treadmill. I can’t read magazines or any text on the treadmill, actually, my head bounces too much or maybe I’m just uncoordinated because I trip and fall. Making the text large enough to read just means I’m turning the page every 2 seconds which doesn’t work either…. I have to stick to T.V. for the treadmill, magazines for the elliptical, and books/kindle for the bike. Kindles can read different formats, and a besides the free ones on Amazon/through the library, you can also find free ones on some publisher’s websites (like Baen) – they’ll put the first in a series up for free so that you’re hooked!
Third, since I’m a military pilot and have to sleep in some odd places at odd times, an eye mask is essential! If you don’t have blackout curtains, it’s amazing how it helps the quality of sleep.
Finally, prayers for you and your family.
My positive thoughts and prayers go straight to your family, I hope everything turns out well and that you can try to stay optimistic through tough times.
I have a kindle, the white version of the ones pictured, and I absolutely love it. My personal reason for getting it was so that I didn’t have to shlep my books to uni and back home again (I used to take up so much of my baggage allowance with books) but now I just enjoy reading on it. I’ve heard that some libraries are starting to make kindle books available to borrow and I’m pretty sure amazon prime has a loan program, which might be something to look into if you are on the fence about getting one.
Happy Friday!
That Bible verse is awesome. I feel the same way about my career decision. God had a plan for us. Will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers. And…. loving your cars. We’re looking for a new truck. DO you do trucks too? Happy Friday!
Thinking and praying for u and ur mom, Tina! And amazing job about the burpees- I felt like death after 20 this morning!
My mom has a Nook and it is amazing. It’s seriously like an ipad, I love it! I want to go to Blend SO bad! I’ve been talking about it, but it all depends on one thing. Hopefully I can go
I will be praying for you and your family! I wish you the best of luck and will send well wishes your way.
I’ve always respected you, Tina, but HOLY WOW did my level of respect for you just skyrocket. 100 burpees in under ten minutes?! I did 20 burpees without pushups in a row once in my life and I sincerely hope to never repeat that awful experience. You are superwoman!
I think I might have to do the burpee challenge. Well, at least work up to it…..minus the push-ups….and maybe take away a few zero’s.
Hey Tina! I’m so sorry to hear about your mom…praying for you guys in a hard time right now. And those two little ones of yours sure are cute – love the “drive in” movie idea for kids! Pretty fun. Way to tackle the burpee challenge! I love that you just went and did it – you rock! I actually can’t wait to see how much faster I become at doing that many in row – like anything, it WILL get easier and I WILL get stronger. Thanks for sharing on your blog!
drive in movie–i love it! so dang cute. and i can’t wait to hang out in may!!!
I have a Nook and I just love it! 100 Burpees is amazing! You rock Tina
I have an eye mask, and even though it seems silly I sleep SO much better every time I wear it. Just a little bit of light bothers me!
I read books on my smartphone with a B&N app that I downloaded. I don’t have to carry an extra device, I can still read my books on my Sony e-reader as well.
My thoughts are with you and your family. My step-mum suffers from MS too, so I know how painful it is to watch someone you love go through the up and downs of this terrible illness.
Also, if you like classics, books older than 100 uears old are public domain and you can get a lot of them for free 
On a different note, I have an e-reader and only download books from the library (BC online library is awesome). You should check with your library
OK, your tator tots are TOO PRECIOUS!! I’m sorry to hear M is getting night terrors
I hope it stops soon! And good grief… 100 burpees in 10 minutes?! There is no way. I don’t think I could even do 100 push ups alone in two hours. You are buff! I love my Kindle and if you can read on the treadmill then you’ll love it too! Apparently the library has books available to lend for the Kindle- I’d just check with your library and find out if they have a good selection! I haven’t done it yet, but hope to soon. Your family and especially your mom are in my thoughts & prayers. <3
I have the Nook Touch and LOVE IT! I, like you, borrow books from the library to avoid having to purchase books and have done so with ease on my device. Some libraries have more e-books than others, but, if your library has a very limited collection, you can easily become members of any library since you don’t have to actually visit. I think the Kindle has recently adopted a lending system, but, from what I understand, there is a fee. I can’t confirm that for sure though. I know, however, that I borrow countless books from my public library, simply drag and drop onto my Nook once it’s connected, and the library revokes my access to the book after the month is up. You don’t even have to remember to return it! No late fees! Phew! Either way, it’s the absolute best thing to have while at the gym. Time flies and you can prop it on the machine and change pages with one hand. Some machines have the little rack a little further than others, so I just change the font to a little larger type and it works perfectly. Hope this helps. Best purchase I’ve made in quite some time!
I bought an eye mask from Whole Foods and oh man oh man it changed my life. Hubby loves to watch tv in bed, so once I slide those babies over my eyes, I am out like a light in record time.
I’ve bought masks in the past, but they were always cheap and never completely shut the light out. The mask I love now I bought at Whole Foods and is not only soft and a little thicker than your normal ones, but it also has a tiny slot in the front in case I want to put some chamomile herbs in it. I loved it so much that I bought two. The downside? I can no longer sleep without it! (I even take it with me on vacations)
As far as remembering to wear it, I tuck my mask within my pillows. That way, you can’t see it during the day, but when I roll back the bedding at night, it sorta pops out as a reminder. But then again, I’m sure the changing lights of the tv at night (used to be source of much bickering!) would remind me anyway.
Awesome job on the burpees! One of my goals is to get 100 in under 10. They kill me more than any other exercise.
Our local library is compatible with some e-readers but not all. You can download the books for 2 weeks then they disappear off your device. Check with your library about it before making the purchase! Also, with Nook I know you can share books with other Nook users. Kindle was talking about adding this option, I’m not sure if they have yet. Just something else to consider.
Adorable kiddos!! Love that picture
I have a Kindle and I love it. It is really nice for reading on the treadmill… also I like it because it is the e-ink, you can read it outside or inside, and it reads very similar to an actual book. If you have amazon prime, you get to ‘rent’ one free book per month, and local libraries have some good rental programs as well. The Kindle’s also have come down a lot in price… I highly recommend it!!
Thinking of you and your mom. Prayers are being sent your way.
Your local library probably has an e-book lending program- it’s fairly common and what most of our patrons are asking for (I’m a librarian). BUT expect a smaller selection because it is extremely expensive for libraries to purchase e-books. Publishers are not happy with the lending arrangement (Penguin books aren’t even selling e-books to libraries!!) and have been increasing prices for libraries over the past year, especially within the past few months:
http://money.cnn.com/2012/03/08/technology/apple-ebook-price/index.htm
http://www.news-leader.com/article/20120219/NEWS01/302190033/library-e-book-costs
http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/02/necessary-evil-random-house-triples-prices-of-library-e-books/
AND many publishers won’t allow libraries to lend their new e-books, and libraries have to wait 3-12 months to even get that hot new title in their collection!
So if there is a limited selection: it’s not that your library doesn’t want to provide those books electronically- we just can’t financially do so!
I borrow from the library myself, so I dont’t have one of those devices. But, I’ve heard u can borrow from the online library system. I think you only have two weeks though. Which is why I don’t have one. Didn’t want to add pressure to a relaxing activity!
My mom is affected my MS as well Tina. She has not had a relapse in years, and we are so thankful. It is such a terrible disease, and is so unpredictable. My thoughts are with you! Stay strong and be her #1 support
will keep your family in my prayers!
I love my Nook! I only use it for library books and it’s been easy to use.
I would go with the kindle. You can download books from Amazon super cheap!
Sending extra prayers your way! xo
Hope you had a lovely Friday, girl! A gentle yoga class sounds fabulous. I love my Kindle – I’d recommend it for sure. My dad loves the Kindle Fire.
I hope your mom feels better, Tina. Hugs and prayers <3
Thinking of you & your family. Sending positive vibes your way.
I have a Nook & absolutely love it. I’m very happy I made the purchase.
Most public libraries use an app called Overdrive- you can “check out” a book for up to a week at a time. It’s compatible with all e-readers now, but I personally think the Kindle is easier to use. Though not as easy an iPad!
I have a Kindle and I love it!!!
You can get many of the classics for free on Kindle. Plus, they have other random books for free or just 99 cents. I love my kindle.
300+ boot campers?! Holy cow…so happy for you that this brave, and very inspired, endeavor has become such a huge success! Can’t wait to hear more about it…hopefully, one of these days, I will be in a position to participate myself!
Sorry to hear about the night terrors…wishing ALL of your family peaceful sleep!
Also (most importantly), thoughts and PRAYERS for your Mom and for you & all of your family too!
I will definitely be keeping your family in prayer Tina!!
Psalm 121: 1-2, 5-8
1 I lift up my eyes to the mountains—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
5 The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
6 the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
I sleep with an eye mask pretty much every night. I have a hard time falling asleep and that extra bit of darkness makes aaaall the difference.
I have a Kindle and though you CAN download library books to it, the quantities and choices are VERY limited (I refuse to buy books, too). I am hoping that the library system gets a bit better about this in the future. But as far as I know, that’s across the board with readers not just Kindle. I <3 my Kindle – so much easier than lugging around those library books.