Blazin

As the temperature gets hotter,

and my hair gets frizzier,

the outfits gets shorter,

and more colorful.

This weather has been amazing.

80 degrees and sunny.

Sign me up please!!

I'm obsessed with my white blazer so any excuse to bust it out of the closet and I'm there!

Dress: Francesca's (old)

White Blazer: Francesca's (found here)

Shoes: Steve Madden (Similar Ones Found Here)

Necklace: Tiffany

Motivation Monday and Why I'm Obsessed With Lauren Conrad

Can we just have a quick chat about summer?!

It's only 6 weeks away...

aka bikini time by the lake for us.

And we are in full focus bikini boot camp mode now...

And just like clock work,

as I'm panicking,

I receive a great email from LaurenConrad.com

with her bikini bootcamp plan.

Perfect Timing....

here's her plan.

I'll be following this as well.

My Bikini Boot Camp Plan

A Refresher of the Rules

• This is a lifestyle change, so do not think of it as a diet. Try to stick with this as long as you can!
• Don't lose sight of your goals. You can do this!
• Drink lots and lots of water. {Tone It Up tip: "Drink half your body weight in ounces of water per day. If you have trouble remembering to drink water, get that calendar out and mark it down to remind yourself.}
• As soon as you wake up, have one cup of lemon water. Make sure you drink it at least 30 minutes before you eat.
• Pick one exercise to do every day (save one day for rest). Need a little inspo? Listen to my workout mix!
• Do all of the exercises listed under "Everyday Exercises" each day in addition to your selected workout.
• Pick one meal from each category for each day.
• Pick one snack for each day.

The Off-Limits List

• No white breads, large portions of cheese or fried foods. {Tone It Up tip: Try to limit these but don’t become obsessive—leave a little wiggle room for your favorite foods.}
• No candy, baked goods, or ice cream. Ideally, no sugar! (Learn how to curb your sweet tooth by clicking here.)
• No soda or flavored drinks.
• No eating 2-3 hours before you to go bed.

Breakfast Options

• Any of the options from the Busy Girl Breakfasts post
• Overnight Oats
• Ezekiel toast topped with 2 sliced up hardboiled eggs served with half of a grapefruit
• Perfect Morning Quinoa
• Egg white veggie omelet
• Slim Down Protein Pancakes

Lunch & Dinner Options

• Any of the options from the Busy Girl Lunches post or Busy Girl Dinners posts
• Rosemary grilled chicken with a side of oven-roasted carrots
• 1 Stuffed Bell Pepper
• Portobello Turkey Burger
• Two slices of cauliflower crust pizza with a side of steamed veggies
• Apricot chicken with a side of quinoa
• Salad with mixed greens, ½ avocado, 1 handful of cherry tomatoes, 1 sliced cucumber, ¼ cup slivered almonds, ½ cup cooked quinoa (mix together olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon, salt and pepper for the dressing)
• Pasta-less Spaghetti
• Chicken wrap with mango, basil and mint
• Baked Tofu Veggie Rolls served with ½ cup of brown rice 
• 1 cup of your favorite low sodium, organic soup served with a side of steamed vegetables
• So Fresh & So Lean Tempeh

Snacks

• 1 cup Greek yogurt with ½ cup strawberries
• 2 stalks of celery with 2 tablespoons of peanut butter and a few raisins
• Revitalizing Kale Smoothie
• Raw veggies with 3 generous tablespoons of hummus {Tone It Up tip: Load up on veggies, fruits & nuts instead of chips or crackers. Most crackers are high in fat and butter—even the all-natural kinds. Check your labels!}
• Sweet & Slim Grapefruit
• ½ cup of bran cereal with almond milk and a few berries
• Kale Chips & Guac
• ½ avocado with a handful of sunflower seeds and 1 teaspoon of honey
• Grapes & Grahams

Exercise Options

• Run for 45 minutes
• Alternate sprinting and walking for 60-90 seconds for 30 minutes
• 1 hour of yoga, kickboxing or Pilates
• Cowabunga Full Body Toning Workout
• 45 minutes of spin
• The Aussie Babe Sunseeker Workout
• 20 minutes of cardio of your choice (Make sure you break a sweat!)
• 2 sets of my arm workout + 30 squats, 30 lunges, 30 leg lifts for each leg
• Any of the exercise options from my 7 Days to Skinny Jeans Plan

Everyday Exercises

• Run for 45 minutes
• 50 crunches in the morning, 50 crunches at night
• 60 second plank in the morning, 60 second side plank on each side at night {Tone It Up tip: Side planks will blast your love handles! Pulse your hips to the floor and back up to increase the intensity.}

If you follow this plan pretty strictly, you will be ready to tie on your bikini by the time Memorial Day weekend rolls around. Stay focused and remember that the overall goal of this Bikini Boot Camp plan is to feel confident, fuel your body with healthy foods, stick to your workout plan, stay hydrated, and get at least 8 hours of sleep every night. Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it!?

Just like last year, I will be checking in with you over the next few weeks to see how you are doing. I will also be sharing some tips on how to perfect your crunches as well as more exclusive exercise tips from the Tone It Up girls. So stay tuned, get excited, and get ready to flaunt your Bikini Boot Camp figure in a few weeks.

Are you going to join me in my Bikini Boot Camp Plan?

Here's the link to the full article on her site!

http://laurenconrad.com/blog/post/get-fit-it-s-bikini-boot-camp-time-exercise-diet-plan-tips-lauren-conrad-summer-2013

Let's all challenge each other to follow this plan!
We will be bikini ready in no time!!

Can We Just Discuss How Cute My Son Is?

I mean does it get any more cute than this little booger?

I think not...

That is all!

Follow us on vine if you want to see even more adorable videos!

@rachaelmcm

I'm Seeing Dots

Happy Monday! 

Hope everyone had a fabulous Mother's Day!

I know I did!

This Mother's Day was extra special since It was my first ever with my son.

And I couldn't ask for a better job than the job of his mother.

Waking up each morning to snuggle,

laughing,

playing.

Every moment is just amazing.

Work...

but amazing work!

Another great thing about mothers day is my mother.

Without her I don't know where I would be.

She's my best friend,

and the person I talk to a million times a day.

She's the most amazing role model,

and I love her so very much!

Hope all the mothers out there celebrated the day with your loved ones!

Skirt: J. Crew (ON SALE HERE)

Tank: Target (old)

Sweater: Target (old)

Heels: JustFab

Necklace: Tiffany

Watch: Michael Kors

My Latest Foodie Success...

Now like I said yesterday...

I try to do it all.

But I did miss that much needed workout...

Oh well.

A glass of wine and some really good homemade food will have to do!

I had to share my latest kitchen success with you all,

because like DIY,

these things don't just happen every day.

I wanted to whip something up yummy for hubs and myself,

and it was an excuse to bust out my new monogrammed cutting board.

(Yes I am aware you aren't supposed to get monogrammed things before the wedding)

So let me toot my own horn here for a second.

Me myself and I,

butterflied a pork loin,

made my own stuffing,

complete with breadcrumbs,

sauteed mushrooms in garlic and truffle oil,

parmesan cheese,

(the block kind you get at whole foods...aka the fancy kind)

and a little basil pesto.

Popped those suckers in the oven at 400 for 30 mins...

and BAM...

one delicious dinner.

This may not sound amazing to your chefs out there...

but ladies and gents...

this was as good as it gets around the Morris household.

I Work Out

Fitted shirt / Forever 21 / NIKE crosstrainer shoes / sport bottle

I read in self magazine,

that Kelly Osborne motivates herself in the gym,

by looking cute when she goes.

She said that when you look good,

you feel good,

and you want to stay and workout,

not escape as soon as possible.

I totally get that.

I'm not saying grab your makeup bag and have full on victoria secret hair going on,

but find fun,

cute workout clothes.

Every little boost in the fitness area helps in my case.

And let me tell you,

there is nothing more exciting,

than showing off a pair of new shoes...

Even if they are nike crosstrainers.

A Different Motivation Monday

You ever get caught up in trying to have everything be perfect all the time?

That's the story of my life,

and I realized it this weekend.

I get so consumed with having the house cleaned,

looking great,

making sure other people are happy,

that I forget about what makes me the happiest.

My biggest struggle,

is finding time to just let things go and relax every now and then.

I feel like it goes along with being a woman,

a mother,

and a wife.

We are taught at a very young age,

that women are supposed to.

Clean the house,

make dinner,

take care of the kids,

and on top of it all,

some of us have to work.

So just like the rest of you,

I'm stressed,

spreading myself too thin,

and obsessing over all the things that weren't done perfectly.

Where is this going?

Well I'm making it my goal,

and I think others should attempt this as well,

to let at least one thing go a day.

If I'm running around like a crazy woman,

and the kitchen doesn't get picked up that day,

OH WELL.

If I didn't get a workout in,

because I was running errands,

cooking dinner, 

working,

and picking my son up from daycare,

OH WELL.

I know easier said than done.

But I feel if I can accomplish this,

and learn to breathe a little,

I'll be a little happier...

and frankly,

more sane!

So I challenge you all to do the same.

Take a deep breathe,

and let it go!