thoughts Archives - Popcorn and Pandas

Fit Mama Thoughts

Shortly after I became a fitness coach, I discovered I was pregnant. I panicked. Not because of the whole extra child part. For that I was pretty excited, even though we were a tad surprised at the time. But I panicked about just starting a new job where people would rely on me to reach their health & fitness goals, because how could I set a good example while pregnant? I obviously wasn’t going to be showing any “results” photos from my program. I had to switch my program. I would be getting BIGGER…not smaller. What if I couldn’t keep up? Would people want to work with a coach who couldn’t practice everything they preach?

But I decided to give it a shot…give it my all…and see what came out of it. I have been working out as much as I can, eating healthy, and sharing my journey through pregnancy as a fit mama.

And you know what? I now have over 30 challengers in my groups and THREE of them are prego mamas just like me! I never would have dreamed I would be able to help and inspire so many people to reach their goals and stay healthy…especially the pregnant mamas. I am actually so incredibly inspired by THEM and all of my challengers to keep going on a daily basis.

This job has given me an amazing opportunity to not only help others but to better myself in the process 🙂 A year ago, I never would have thought I would be able to stay at home with my son and still accomplish so much in the working world. I am incredibly blessed and thankful, and I can’t wait to see what else is in store!

Hope you all are having a great week!

XO,

Gina

Brooklyn Botanic Garden

Beauty. Natural light. Vibrant color. Fresh blooms. Sweet smells. Tranquility. These are some of the things that come to mind when I think about our trip to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden. Spring is here, and I couldn’t be happier. Coming off a harsh winter, there is nothing nicer than walking around in the sunshine without a heavy coat. Taking in the views of the tiny buds coming to new life in a new year reminds me why this change of seasons is important. It forces you to pay attention. To appreciate the nature that surrounds you and the warmer, happier months ahead. At least, I think they are happier. I’m sure there is someone out there who loves the snow. To be bundled up, cozy and toasty by the fireplace with a good book and a hot chocolate. Don’t get me wrong. I do enjoy those moments for what they are worth. And those moments get me through the winter season. But I am much happier outside in the sunshine and warmth. I enjoy taking long walks, picnicking in the park, riding my bike, hiking through the woods, jumping into the ocean, sipping a pina colada, and everything else that comes with these warmer seasons ahead. The blooming flowers at the Botanic Garden give me the sense as if this is the real start of the new year. And it makes me excited for the adventures of what’s to come for this little family of mine.

After an exceptionally gorgeous three days we just experienced here in Brooklyn…today I don’t even mind the rain. Cheers to spring, and everything it brings.

XO,

Gina

Seven Deadly Sins {Link Up}

To celebrate this Halloween season, I’ve decided to link-up with Shane, who came up with the brilliant idea to share Seven Deadly Sins. I adore Halloween, dressing up (have never repeated a costume…see here for last year’s), pumpkin carving, and most importantly…candy corn.

PRIDE

Seven Great Things In Your Life

1. My amazing family including my fantastic husband, adorable baby boy, and my incredibly supportive extended family on both sides as well as in-laws. We are so blessed.

2. My phenomenal circle of friends that I have made throughout my life starting in childhood, and moving through middle school, high school, college, post-college in Maryland, Dewey Beach, New York City, and now in my neighborhood of Brooklyn.

3. This blog as my creative outlet. It’s a place to vent, a place to share, a place to (hopefully) inspire, and also a place to document my life, my fashion, my adventures, my friends, and my family.

4. My apartment. We are lucky to have a spacious apartment complete with parking, outdoor space, a garden, a grill, washer/dryer (practically unheard of in NYC), dishwasher, and wonderful neighbors…all for an extremely reasonable cost…and all within the incredible city of New York.

5. Speaking of NYC…I love my city and the fact that we have pretty much anything we could ask for at our fingertips…beautiful parks, museums, art, culture, a melting pot of people from all walks of life, delicious food, shopping, fashion, and even the beach.

6. My job. I am so thankful to have a job that I enjoy, wonderful coworkers who are fun to be around, and the stability that it offers to help provide for my family. And the fact that I am being fully supported while on maternity leave.

7. Soccer. While I haven’t been able to play in quite some time due to my little monkey…soccer has always played an important role in my life. It’s my favorite way to work out and de-stress, because I can run around without thinking about how tired I am every 5 seconds. I am excited to hopefully get back on the field again soon.

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ENVY

Seven Things You Lack And Covet

1. I know I said I loved my apartment…and I do. But I secretly covet the adorable Victorian mansions in my neighborhood, and it’s my goal to buy and renovate one of them one day.

2. A bank account that has no end. Okay, so maybe that doesn’t exist…so maybe just a bank account that has more money than mine does haha.

3. No matter how much shopping I do, I can’t seem to have enough delectable fashion in my closet!

4. Time. The days go by so quickly! It feels like there is never enough time to do anything.

5. The creativity and skills to draw and paint. We went to an artist’s open house over the weekend, and the artists were so skilled and talented. I can barely draw a stick figure.

6. The ability to let things go. I am super stubborn and must win every argument. Or at least get the last word. I should have been a lawyer…

7. Ultimate confidence. There are things I wish I could have/should have done in life, but ultimately didn’t have enough confidence to pull it off. I envy those who do everything they put their mind to.

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WRATH

Seven Things That Make You Angry

1. People who stop walking in the middle of the sidewalk. I don’t care if you are a tourist. MOVE OVER to the side to figure out where you are going, and stop blocking everyone from walking.

2. The fact that I practically have to stand on my tippy toes to reach the upper hand bar on the subway. One stop and I’m already exhausted from holding on. Don’t they know that not everyone is so tall?

3. Liars. The truth will always come back to bite you, so you may as well just be honest.

4. The fact that America is one of the few countries in the world that doesn’t give a shit about parental leave after having a baby. Don’t believe me? See here.

5. Bad drivers. I’ve seen my fair share in Brooklyn (seriously, stop honking your horn for no reason), Maryland (oh my God, it’s raining! Let’s all forget how to drive!), and in Boston (I mean, they just breed straight up maniac drivers), and they all know how to ignite my road rage.

6. Religious wars. I mean, to me that just sounds like an oxymoron…

7. People that are ignorant or close-minded. There’s a whole world out there people, and (gasp!) everyone may not be like you.

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SLOTH

Seven Things That You Neglect To Do

1. Floss. I will do it for about a week after I go to the dentist, and then it gets forgotten again.

2. Iron my clothes. I hate ironing. I’m not really sure why…maybe it’s because I end up putting more wrinkles in them than they started with.

3. Clean. Don’t get my wrong, I am tidy. I am good at straightening up. But ever since I got pregnant, and it became a huge burden to get on my hands and knees and scrub anything, and the cleaning got totally neglected. I haven’t exactly had much time since the baby was born either. I admit, we have been paying someone to come in and clean every few weeks these days.

4. Change the filter in the Brita. It should probably happen a few times a year I’m thinking, but it very rarely gets done.

5. Wash my car. I mean…it’s just going to get dirty again!

6. Cook dinner every night. Luckily, my husband enjoys cooking!

7. Tweeze/Wax my eyebrows. Yeah, I can’t tell you the last time I did that.

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GREED

Seven Worldly Material Desires

1. A Chanel bag. What girl doesn’t want Chanel?

2. My dream house. With dual staircases.

3. Weekly manicures. It takes forever to dry when I do them myself.

4. Unlimited airline tickets to travel the world. There are oh so many places I long to go.

5. Louboutins. See above re: Chanel bag.

6. A Canon 5D III. One day, when I really know what I’m doing, I will splurge on this.

7. Sparkly jewelry…preferably diamonds.

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GLUTTONY

Seven Guilty Pleasures

1. Ice Cream. Can’t get enough of it.

2. Reality TV. I watch waaayyyy too much of it. Especially the Real Housewives.

3. Singing in the Shower

4. Picking my skin when it’s peeling…I know, it’s disgusting.

5. Chick lit. Sometimes we all need a good beach read.

6. Hitting the snooze button

7. Online shopping.

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LUST

Seven Things You Love About Love

1. The way it sweeps you off your feet.

2. Those little butterflies during a budding romance.

3. Having someone that you can completely trust, be open and honest with, and tell them anything without judgement.

4. Knowing there will be someone there to support you through both good and bad times.

5. Not having to hold your farts in anymore.

6. Cuddling/Snuggles

7. The passion

Well, now you’ve definitely gotten a deeper look into me, and it was fun linking up with Shane this Halloween season. If you’d like to link up, you can do so here!

Hope you all enjoy any Halloween parties that you may have planned for this weekend. We have one in the neighborhood, and can’t wait to dress up our little one!

XO,

Gina

Monday Musings: Man’s Quest for Leisure Time

I stumbled upon this piece that I wrote a few years ago for a collaborative blog that no one really saw but a few friends. Since I never really shared it before, I thought I would share these thoughts today. I tweaked it a bit to make a a bit more current, but it’s mostly the same…

Man’s Quest for Leisure Time:

As much as I love my life–I have a steady job, a great husband, a wonderful family, amazing friends, and good health–I realized that sometimes I think the grass is still always greener. A few years ago, this became evident to me while embarking on a dinner date with friends. Cruising the Upper East side with “That Vacation Guy”, “Violet of Leisure”, and “Summer Yaffa Dalia” (names have been modified to protect their identities ha), I felt like the loser who couldn’t stay out late because I had work tomorrow. While they could go off galavanting to the next piano bar or Irish pub, I had to go upstairs, vacuum my apartment, and get ready for bed. How fun is that?

I know I should be happy that I have a full time job, so that I have money to pay bills and go on said dinner dates, but don’t you ever feel like you waste half of your life sitting and staring at a computer screen waiting for the time to pass by so you can get back to your “real life?” It’s not that I don’t like my job; I do. I actually enjoy it. But I like not working so much more. I love the freedom of roaming around finding fun adventures to take part in, not having a curfew, waking up whenever I feel like, & enjoying the sunshine outdoors (instead of seeing it shine through my office window).

My 9th grade history teacher once brought up a topic of discussion about “man’s quest for leisure time.” You work hard to make lots of money, until you can afford to pay people to do the work for you, freeing up yourself for more fun adventures in life. In other words: work hard to play hard. Except if you work hard enough, you can eventually just play. This has been evident all through history, and this mentality still exists in a lot of people today.

More and more people I know in our generation don’t want to work for someone else–they want to be entrepreneurs with their own businesses, doing things they enjoy, making their own schedules, still working (because most of us still have to), but working at their leisure, and making sure there is enough time for travel, rest, and fun.

I often wonder what my life would be like as a “freelancer” per say, and what exactly I would even do? Or if I did eventually work so hard that I never had to work again…would I then not appreciate leisure time as much? Would I take it for granted? Would I become bored with it? Would the grass actually be greener–or is that just a fantastic notion? I suppose time will only tell, but for now, I will just continue on my own quest for leisure time–working hard to play hard.

Hope ya’ll have a good week!

XO,

Gina