The Workout Mama

Boyce Thompson Arboretum

October 24, 2018 by Tamara Leave a Comment

We ventured to Boyce Thompson Arboretum for the first time this month. When we left I was already trying to figure out when we could visit again. I loved it and can’t believe I have never visited this gem before. And I wish I would have taken more pictures. This place was so pretty.

We saw a few other people meandering about but for most of the two hours we felt like we had the entire place to ourselves. We brought our double jogging stroller for the two little ones and the older two walked with us. There are two parts on the main trail that narrow and our stroller wouldn’t fit but we still felt like we were able to see a good majority of the arboretum. If you are going with toddlers I would recommend a stroller. It was helpful to be able to contain Jesse at times, especially by the Cactus Garden. He walked a good portion of the time we were there but it was nice to have the stroller.

The day we went we had just finished a week of study in Genesis 1:1 learning about what God created and who God is. The kids were walking about saying “wow, God created lots of plants”. It was neat to see them connect what we were doing as a family to what we had learned about this week in our bible lesson.

You can bring outside snacks and drinks into the park and there is a large picnic area available by the butterfly garden. I loved the butterfly garden. It was so awesome and I loved watching my kids watch the butterflies. They were so still and quiet standing among the wildflowers soaking in the fun of having butterflies surround them.

If you are local and have never been I highly recommend it. And if you are visiting from out of town this would be a fun place to see.

I would love to know any other hidden gems I might be missing out on seeing in Arizona. Let me know.

My Most Read & Loved Fiction Books

October 22, 2018 by Tamara Leave a Comment

I love reading. My husband bought me a Kindle tablet last year for my birthday and I didn’t realize how much I would use it. I think I am reading more now because I have such easy access to books. I really enjoy having Kindle Unlimited too because for $10 a month I have access to loads of books I can read for free.

Below are my all time favorite fiction books. It was hard for me to narrow it down but all these books are either books I have read multiple times or books I am planning to read again in the near future.

Uncharted by Angela Hunt

“I’m beginning to think the island wants to keep us here.”

It was supposed to be an adventure. A little time off to honor the memory of a friend and complete a service project in the tropics. Do good deeds while getting a tan.

But when a storm rocks their plans, five long-time friends from college find themselves hurled onto a desolate island, and relief fades to fear. Here nature rules with a vengenance. The lone shelter from raw conditions is a sinister cave. Are they victims of a bizarre psychological experiment? Or could this godforsaken place have the power to maroon them forever?

This book still haunts me when I think about it. My mom recommended this book to me and once I started it I could not put it down. It was so good and made me really think. I don’t want to say much more at risk of giving away the plot but trust me. It is good. Don’t read the reviews on Amazon. Just buy it and read it.

These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy Turner

A moving, exciting, and heartfelt American saga inspired by the author’s own family memoirs, these words belong to Sarah Prine, a woman of spirit and fire who forges a full and remarkable existence in a harsh, unfamiliar frontier. Scrupulously recording her steps down the path Providence has set her upon—from child to determined young adult to loving mother—she shares the turbulent events, both joyous and tragic, that molded her, and recalls the enduring love with cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot that gave her strength and purpose.

I loved it soon much and can’t wait to read it again. If you live in Arizona this is a must read in my opinion. I have no idea how people survived a wagon train out west and lived to build homes and establish towns in the scorching desert. All the emotions with these books. I didn’t want this book to end and was so happy when I learned there two other books in this series.

Chataine’s Guardian: Book One of the Annals of Lystra (Volume 1) by Robin Hardy

“I am assigning a Guardian to ward you. His name is Roman. . ..”

Thus begins Surchatain Karel’s explanation to his daughter, ten-year-old Chataine Deirdre, as to why her life is about to change dramatically. Karel’s small country, Lystra, possesses the only navigable river on the southern coast of the Continent. The provinces that surround Lystra want its river trade, and will do anything to gain it–even kill the heir to the throne. So Karel places her life in the keeping of the most capable and trustworthy soldier he can find.

Willful and spoiled, Deirdre sees this guradian only as another servant to be mastered. She teases and abuses him as he places his life on the line for her day after day, year after year. Deirdre does not know at what point she beings to love him. But Roman knows from the very beginning that to love her will mean his death.

I am not sure if my mom bought these books for herself and handed them down to me but I can remember reading this book in our backyard when I was about 12 and really loved it. I have only read the first three books but there are more in this series but Volume 1 is my favorite and have read it more times then I can count.

The Christy Miller Collection by Robin Jones Gunn

It all starts the summer Christy turns 15. She leaves Wisconsin and spends her vacation with her wealthy aunt and uncle in Newport Beach, California.That’s where she meets Todd, the surfer with the screaming silver blue eyes who changes her life forever. Find out what happens when Christy’s parents make an announcement that puts Christy in a new high school at the start of her sophomore year.

I started reading this series in either Junior High or High School, I can’t remember, but I read them over and over again. I was around the same age as the main character when I started reading these books. The characters seemed so real to me and I loved the real life situations that these books portrayed and how to make the best choices based on what the Bible says. The author just recently published more books in this series and I feel like I have been able to grow up with Christy Miller. There is loads of Christy Miller books and several spin off series as well. If you have preteens or teenage daughters get them these books!

Chop, Chop – The Series of a Lifetime by LN Cronk

It seems to David that both Greg and Laci are a bit . . . out there. Between each of them constantly chopping off their hair for charity and Greg’s clandestine hand signals, neither of them seem likely to develop friendships with reserved young David. Despite their differences, however, all three grow closer to each other and – as they do – David grows closer to God as well. Nearing adulthood, David finds himself content in every way . . . but when tragedy strikes, David must struggle to find his way back to God.

There are 7 books in this series and I highly recommend reading Taken which is a spin off stand alone book by the same author. This is similar to the Christy Miller series where it follows the same character as they grow but these books are so much richer and deeper. All the books were good. I was so invested in this series while I was reading it that I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning on several occasions because I couldn’t put it down. This entire series is available to read for free with Kindle Unlimited.

RUNNERS UP

Do you have a favorite fiction book that you would recommend? What is the book and why do you love it?

Filed Under: Personal Tagged With: Book Review, Books

3 Day Split Workout

October 1, 2018 by Tamara Leave a Comment

Building muscle mass and gaining strength are fantastic goals to have. It can sometimes be challenging to know how to begin to program a routine that will yield these results. I have you covered with my 3 day split workout program that can be done at the gym or at home. You will need moderate to heavy dumbbells that you are able to lift for multiple sets of 8-12 reps. If you have access to a barbell that will be super helpful but you can always substitute with dumbbells if needed.

BENEFITS OF A 3 DAY SPLIT WORKOUT

A spilt workout is a strength training method where you train different muscle groups on different days of the week. This method allows you to spend more time on each muscle group and train with more intensity than a total body workout, plus it also allows your muscles more time to recover.

3 day spilt workouts are easy to follow and are the perfect fit if you are having a hard time making it to the gym or even to squeeze a workout in at home. These workouts will challenge you but they are doable and you will feel so accomplished after you have finished your first few weeks with this type of program.

WARM UP

Here is a suggested warm up to follow before you start to workout. It is always a good idea to warm up before a strength training program to reduce your risk of injury.

30 seconds plank walkouts
60 seconds walking lunges
10 arm circles (each arm)
30 seconds jumping jacks

CHEST, SHOULDERS, & TRICEPS

This workout is a dropset, which means that for this workout you will repeat each exercise 3 times but each time the rep amount will decrease. Be sure to wait 60 seconds after each exercise to let your muscles recover before moving on. For example rest 60 seconds after you have completed the 12 flat bench presses before moving on to do 10 reps of the same exercise. In order to gain muscle mass and strength it is hugely important to let the muscles recover. If you don’t need the rest time you are probably not using weights that are heavy enough for you.

LEGS

The leg day workout is structured differently. There are three separate circuits that you will repeat 3 times each before moving on to the next. After you have completed the circuit be sure to rest 60 seconds before repeating again. Repeat the same circuit 3 times before moving on to the next. This one is a bit of a doozy but it is fun and challenging. You shouldn’t be bored.

BACK & BICEPS

The format for the back and biceps workout should look similar to the chest, shoulders, and triceps workout because you will be going back to the dropset format. The only difference is that for the one arm rows and alternating curls be sure to do the full rep amount on the right arm and then the left arm. Again rest 60 seconds after each exercise but only after you have done the right and left side of the body.

SUGGESTED SCHEDULE

Monday: Chest, Shoulders, & Triceps
Tuesday
Wednesday: Legs
Thursday:
Friday: Back & Biceps
Saturday
Sunday

You have lots of flexibility with how this 3 day spilt workout would look but I like to separate each workout by at least a day. You can of course add in cardio on your other days but don’t feel like you need to do that. Remember walking is great as is swimming if you have access to a pool.

This is the first time I have ever shared this type of workout on my blog before. Please let me know if this is helpful and if you would like to see more workouts like this.

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Filed Under: Fitness, Workouts Tagged With: Strength Training