House, Hibachi, Halloween, oh my

Yay Halloween is finally over!I think it's a little too drawn out, I'm not a fan of the 'holiday' personally.Sorry Angela, I know it's your birthday too! A friend of mine invited us to their ward trunk or treat last night and Gavin loved it. I wonder if there is something wrong with that picture though-little kids walking up to strangers cars and getting candy? He didn't want anything to do with the candy part, he just liked walking around following the kids.I wasn't planning on dressing up but at the last minute I decided to throw on some of AJ's cardinal gear so I could participate in the whole dress up thing.Here's my cute little tiger:(he wouldn't wear the head piece, just walk around holding it like a stuffed animal)

We went out to dinner to celebrate the new job and took Gavin to his first Hibachi (sp?) restaurant.He loved it!He didn't eat the food but he was definitely entertained.He watched all the cool tricks while drawing on his little piece of paper the whole time (he's really into drawing right now).It was the BEST one we've ever eaten at.Ever.

Here's our new house!I took some pics of the inside with boxes everywhere but couldn't get myself to post them, it's just too messy!Give me a few days and I'll put some up, it's really nice.Kinda wish we had a yard!But I can't complain. There are only about 4 houses occupied in the whole subdivision and we know everyone.We have some friends behind us and over one who have a little girl a month younger than Gavin and is already using the potty!C'mon Gavin! I ran that trail I said I was so excited about and it's not gonna work as awesome as I thought it would.It's lined with trees/bushes so I got freaked out thinking someone was gonna jump out the whole time.And to get to it I have to run down a road with just street and then ditch on the side as cars fly by me at 60mph...sooo we'll have to work something else out....If I take Gavin I will just have to drive a half a mile to get to it.

So here's a pic of the 'doggie' bag I stayed up til 3am making the night before I flew out here. I finally thought of a name I think I like for my bags- "Princess Diaperies", then I can keep all my crown decals.Still debating.... the plate was one of the things they wer doing for a Relief Society activity in our ward the other night.I went over to the church to meet some of the ward and they had extra so I slapped a sticker on a walmart plate and called it good!

Fitness tip of the day- Here's some squatting tips from Jillian Michaels:

"The gluteals, located on the back of the hips (as if you didn't know that), are the largest and strongest muscles in the body. Their function is hip extension, or driving the upper legs backward. I cannot overstate how important it is to make sure these muscles are getting their workout. Activities that engage this muscle group include walking, running, jumping, and climbing.

Lunges, leg lifts, and squats are all great exercises for working the glutes. Here's the lowdown on some of my favorite squats:
Traditional squat (beginner): Stand with your feet hip-width apart, with your weight on your heels. Keep your abs tight and your shoulders squarely over your hips. Sit back and down as if you were going to sit on a bench. Keep your back straight. Then stand back up, straightening your legs, and repeat.
Sumo squat (intermediate): Place your feet as wide apart as you can and point your toes outward. Lower your body until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Hold for a beat, then exhale and press back up to the starting position. Repeat. This squat modification places a greater emphasis on the inner and outer thighs.
One-leg squat (highly advanced): Stand with your weight balanced on your right leg. Lift your left foot an inch or so off the ground. Keep your head up, and don't lean forward; abs stay tight, and the right heel stays on the ground. Don't let the knee go over the toe. Slowly lower yourself as far as you can comfortably go. Exhale and stand up straight, still balancing on the right leg. Continue for a full set on the right leg, then switch to the left leg and repeat. This modification requires tremendous balance and allows you to strengthen each leg.

SQUAT RIGHT

Don't let good form slip when you're doing these squats. Be mindful of the following:
-Keep your eyes focused forward.
-Don't lean forward or let your heels come off the ground.
-Don't let your knees travel forward over your toes or bow inward as you lower or stand.
-Keep your belly button sucked in toward your spine as you stand back up, being careful not to arch your back."-Jillian Michaels

Here's a few questions:

-Do you get sick often?

-Do you feel tired frequently, or ever feel like you could take a nap in the middle of the day even after 8-10 hours of sleep?

-Do you get spaced out sometimes and feel like your brain is foggy?

-Are you progressing well with your workouts, or are you lifting the same reps/sets and weight you did months ago?

-Do you have the energy to do other activities of daily living like washing your car, painting, garden work etc.?

-Are you unusually short tempered or grouchy (skip this one if you're nearing competition!)

-Do you still get your period? (Note: Some birth control pills such as loestrin Fe or its generic microgestin Fe may make cause you to lose your period independently of any other factors.)

-Have you noticed major changes in your sleeping patterns?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, consider your diet and whether or not you're meeting your caloric needs. If you work out hard and eat the same amount of calories as a 60 year-old woman on Weight Watchers, you aren't eating enough, and it's time to slowly increase your food intake.-by Marie Spano, MS, RD, FISSN, CSCS

Enjoy all that candy you just got!Don't let it sit in a dish in the kitchen for you to eat piece by piece, just get rid of that crap!