Buns & Donuts

I usually like to exercise at the gym... but I've gotten a bit burnt out. I decided to switch things up and exercise at the park with my friend Lexi. Silly me didn't take into account that the temperature is such that even a cactus would get too hot.

*Please exercise outside when temperatures are pleasant, or else you will have to cut your workout short like we did!

Today we decided to work our buns and thighs. We started with a brisk walk around the park and a few jumping jacks, then we got started with...

1. Squats.

 

I love squats! They really can kick your butt (literally) even if you have no added weight. I make sure to keep my chest up and pretend like I'm going to take a seat.

2. Plié Squats.

 This is a regular squat but with a wider stance, you know, like a ballerina. Great for targeting the inner thighs.

3. Lunges.

Walking lunges are so tough! We like to take it slow so that we can keep our balance and really feel the burn.

4. "Hop-Hop-Touch"

 

This exercise is SO fun! You start in a standing position. Take two giant leaps to the right. Squat and touch the ground. Then repeat on the left!

 

I know, it's tough to be so graceful, right?

 

Let me introduce you to this beauty, my Polar FT4 heart rate monitor.

 

 

 I love it! I wear a chest strap under my clothes which sends signals to my watch. It tells me my current heart rate, if I'm in "the zone", my calories burned, the current time, and how long I've been working out. The super cool part is that it stores all this information in the watch!

After working out so, so hard, it was only fitting that we try out a new little coffee & donut shop: CC's and Glazed.

We got iced coffee - I had an éclair donut and Lexi had simple chocolate. I didn't put my donut down until it was gone... so... it was really amazing.

A Day in Paris

 

 

Paris...

 

Something about the Eiffel Tower just makes me feel at home. Maybe it was all those French classes, my love of French cuisine... or maybe the fact that my name is "Remi" and my ancestors are from France... some things we'll never know.

 

I went to Paris in prime-time tourist season, so there were swarms of people everywhere. Like termites! I just wanted to flick them all away! Uh, could I just get a picture without you in the background, sir?

 

Spring and I woke up at the crack of dawn to start our journey over to "Zee Paree." Check out this system... We drove to a metro station, got on the metro, switched metros, got to the train station, took the train, got off the train, took another metro, then got on the Hop On Hop Off bus. Hello transportation! I'm so proud of us, though. We managed just fine!

 

Notre Dame

On the bus!

Spring being a silly bean!

3 cheese fondue for lunch

...and crêpes for dessert!

 



Ride the Alps 2015

So I've just gotten back from a little motorcycle extravaganza. Most of my time was spent in Garmisch, Germany... AKA the most beautiful place in the world. We were in the Alps, so every morning I got to sniff the beautiful mountain air (and with the abundance of bees, I also got to feel bee wing air on my forearms. Terrifying). I spent half a day in the other most beautiful place in the world, Austria. We hung out in a little ski in the winter/hike in the summer town called Lermoos. I loved it! Coming home I hit a few more countries: France, Italy, Switzerland, and Luxembourg! I am so glad I got to see the Alps, and the biker peeps were pretty gnarly too.

 

 

Iceland, The Rest!

This is the Skogafoss waterfall!

My first look at a geyser!

Gullfoss- The Golden Circle :)

 

Cruising around Reykjavik!

The Blue Lagoon... A Geothermal Spa!

Clay Mask at the Blue Lagoon!

 

Iceland was fun, on to the next country!