My Sleep Tips for Slaying Your Early Morning Workout

We all know that sleep is important - but actually getting enough restful sleep can be challenging for a variety of reasons. Do you have a hard time falling asleep, responsibilities that keep you up late at night or force you out of bed early in the morning, do you toss and turn throughout the night from an uncomfortable sleeping environment (or in my case - a husband that snores!)?

We all know we need more sleep, but how in the heck to we get MORE of it?! I get out of bed at 4:45 each morning to get my workout done early while its cooler outside and my family is still sleeping. I routinely even wake up 15 minutes or so before my alarm goes off - because I feel so fully rested.

I get asked all the time  - Amy, how do you do it? Here are my "secrets" to getting enough sleep, waking up refreshed, and creating a morning workout routine that you will stick to!

1. I make sure I go to bed on time! If my body has had "enough" sleep then it will be much easier for me to wake up in the morning. If I know I need 7 hours of sleep to feel rested - I know I need to have my lights off by 9:45 at the absolute latest. Typically I'm in bed with my lights off a little earlier than that 9-9:30. To accomplish this, I need to be diligent wit getting my kids to bed on time, so that I can have some time with my husband in the evening too.

2. I lay out all of my workout clothes and equipment the night before. That way I won't lose precious time looking for items in the morning and won't wake up my family by digging through drawers in the wee ours either.

3. I take one ORB Sleep Complex every night about 30 minutes before I head upstairs to go to bed. This innovative complex uses time-release technology to deliver top shelf ingredients such as L-Theanine, GABA and 5-HTP along with aromatic Lavender an Ylang ylang to calm and relax me along with Melatonin and Valerian Root to help me sleep deeply and continuously. It also contains a delayed release dosage of Vitamin B12 so that I wake up full of energy, never groggy, and ready to slay my day.

Really can't say enough great things about this product and how it helps me fall and stay asleep until my alarm goes off in the morning so I get rich sleep and wake up full of energy. I used to wake up several times in the night from my husband snoring (his only downfall!) I've even noticed my mood and energy level throughout the day have been so much better since taking this for a couple of weeks. Before I started taking the ORB  sleep complex, I'd often "hit the wall" energy-wise after lunch and have to take a nap while my toddler laid down. I honestly don't feel tired in the afternoons anymore and not only that, I feel like I've had more stamina and patience with my kids as well - which comes in handy now that they are out of school on summer break!

The recommended dosage for the ORB Sleep Complex is two capsules, but I find that one is enough for my sleep needs - but something you can try for yourself to see what suits your needs. I was super excited to see that these were available now at my local Costco (since I'm there all the time anyway, because #kids)! I picked the up on my last visit (I found them in the supplement aisle). They are now available at Costco locations in California, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado and are available on Costco.com HERE. And of course if you're not a member at Costco you can get them online at ORBWellness.com.

4. I give myself 15-20 minutes to "ease into the morning". I make and drink my coffee and have a little breakfast while scrolling through my phone. It helps me feel more alert and I really enjoy this quiet "me" time in the morning before I have to rush into my workout.

5. I start my morning workout with a cross training routine (Tone it Up) that I really enjoy and look forward to. They have a huge variety of routines on their app and it is always something different (and in my opinion, fun!) everyday and because I really do love these workouts, it is not a chore for me to do them in the morning. They warm up my body and I usually get pretty sweaty too, so after I'm done with that part of my workout, it makes it much easier to lace up my running shoes and finish my workout with a killer run.

Getting enough sleep to allow myself to get up early and slay my workout first thing in the morning, really does help set the best tone for my day. I feel so accomplished so early and because I have had my "cup filled" already, I can give freely to my family and my other commitments all day long. What are your tips and tricks to get enough sleep and get moving in the morning?

The Importance of Cross Training - Terra Core Review

You all know I'm a runner - I love running. But, would you believe, that I might almost like cross training even more?! I just love the feeling of being able to work my body from all angles, feel my muscles shake, and watch as they grow stronger - it is just so empowering. I love the never-ending variety of cross training exercises and how each day and each workout can be custom tailored to my mood, energy level, or time frame.

I'm also a HUGE supporter of strength and cross training at home. I'm a busy mom or two and I don't want to drive to the gym to get a good workout in. With the Terra Core I can get a hard core, heart pounding, sweat dripping, strength sesh in, quickly and conveniently.

On the Terra Core you are working out on an unstable surface, your muscles are firing and working up to 4x harder than if you were performing the same exact exercises on the ground. Plus, it just adds such a good variety to any strength training moves - it really is a super fun and unique challenge! The exercise options are endless meaning I'll never outgrow my Terra Core - and there are so many ways I can modify or adapt workout moves on them depending on your fitness level. 

It's such a versatile piece of exercise equipment and a must have for any home gym. It's literally like a long, bench shaped balance trainer, that can be used as a stepper and weight bench too. Flip the Terra Core over and that's where the real fun begins! There are four different handles on the underside that allow you to hold a variety of hand positions to take burpees, push ups, and shoulder taps to the next level. Heck, you can even pick the Terra Core up by the underside handles and preform advanced moves like shoulder presses, rows, or squats. You see, the possibilities really are endless with this versatile piece of equipment!

One of my favorite features is that you can scan the QR code on the side of the machine and it will take you to their free app where they will guide you through a series of exercise you can do on the Terra Core depending on what body part(s) you want to work. I love this feature for days when I want to be told what to do instead of designing my own exercise routine. 

The Terra Core is designed to be used on it's own but you can also use it in combination with weights, resistance bands, kettlebells, or booty bands. Traditional standing dumbbell curls only work the biceps. However, if you do standing dumbbell curls on the Terra Core, in addition to working your biceps, you core will fire to keep you upright, your legs and gluetes will shake and engage to help keep you standing on the unit, and pretty soon, a basic standing dumbbell curl will turn into a full body workout - pretty cool, right?

There really are so many exercises you can do on the Terra Core. I love creating full body circuit routines and repeating them three times for a fast paced, full body burner.

One of my favorite circuit routines are:

Jumpsquats

Shoulder Taps

Pushups

Toe Touches

Back Lunges

Mountain Climbers

Do 15-25 reps of each exercise (per side) and repeat the entire circuit 3 times through.

Another sequence I've been loving:

Side to Side Jumps

Squats 

Step Up's

Reverse Side Push Ups

Alternating Heel Taps (laying on top of the platform)

Hip Thrusts

Do 15-25 reps of each exercise (per side) and repeat the entire circuit 3 times through.

End with 25 Bird Dog Extensions.

Really any exercise you can do, you can do on the Terra Cora and get more bang for your buck - you'll sweat more and get in a tougher workout, because if you're going to workout, why give less than 100%? I can't wait to see how much more strength and power I will gain from regular workouts with my Terra Core and how these fitness benefits will translate into not only a stronger physique, but faster race times this Fall. 

What's your favorite strength training move? What about your least favorite, but one that you do anyway, because you know it's good for you?

Our Stay-Cation at Hyatt Place Mesa

What if I told you, that you could go on an amazing vacation without all of the hassle of driving 6+ hours?! You guys, stay-cations are LIFE and after our most recent one, I am SOLD!!! We just got back from the most fun, rejuvenating vacation with our kids (did I just use rejuvenating and vacation with kids in the same sentence - yes I did!) and I am completely sure that everyone needs to vacation IN town at least once during the Summer months.

There are a couple of key things about stay-cations that really take out the stress equation:

1. Packing is so much easier. You literally just throw a swimsuit and a couple of tanks and shorts into a bag for each member of your family and you're good to go! You know what the weather will be like so you don't need 18 million outfit options per day - easy peasy.

2. Much shorter travel time. When your stay-cation time is over, you're home in 30 minutes (give or take!). Coming from the person who had the worst luck on our last drive home from California - TRUST ME, this is a huge deal!

3. You're not a total newbie. I like to be pretty familiar with an area when I vacation, which makes stay-cations such an attractive option! You sorta know the area and attractions, but most likely haven't taken the time to really explore. It's familiarity and adventure rolled into one - a perfect combo in my book!

We recently got back from the most fabulous stay-cation at the Hyatt Place Mesa. We live in North Phoenix, so we were super excited to check out all that this hotel and the East Valley had to offer! 

When we first walked int the hotel we were blown away by how nice it was and how friendly the staff was. Every single time we passed the front desk during our stay, the staff greeted us with a welcoming smile and wished us a great day - I feel like by the end of our stay they knew us all by name!

Our room was super modern and so well appointed too. There was a huge comfy sectional sleeper sofa and a separate sleeping area with two queen beds, that were so comfy that both Adam and I remarked how we both had the best nights sleep there that we've had in a very long time! Our room overlooked the pool and had gorgeous skyline views of the nearby attractions and even Camelback and Pagago Mountain views too - so pretty!

Speaking of nearby attractions, the Hyatt Place Mesa is located in the heart of Mesa River View which is a prime location for shopping and entertainment. We LOVED being able to walk to so many nearby attractions and even dinner one night.

 It is home to the always fun Bass Pro Shop which we had so much fun walking around in and dreaming out one day purchasing a boat!

The Mesa River View Park is less than a mile away from our hotel and so much fun for the kids! Our family absolutely loves playing outdoors and checking out new parks is one of our favorite activities.

 River View Park has some of the coolest playground equipment we've ever seen and such a fun splash pad and even a lake too! One morning I went running in the park and had a blast!

 We were lucky with cloud cover on the morning we spent playing there so we were able to spent a lot of time enjoying the outdoors as a family. 

We also loved checking out Mesa's Pioneer Park. This place has probably the most unique playground equipment I have ever seen - so many creative designs and fun pieces to climb up, slide down, and run through.

They also had a cool life size train engine replica that the kids loved and another neat shaded splash pad area. If your family loves parks like ours, you would love Mesa!

Another fun area attraction we loved was Tempe Marketplace - its only 2 miles from Hyatt Place Mesa too! This is such an awesome place for with so much to do. We spent an entire evening there eating dinner, browsing the shops, playing some games, and then ending it with some frozen yogurt after letting the kids run through the splash pad that's in their center courtyard area. 

As an Arizona State grad, I'm always blown away by how much this area has grown and all of the amazing shops, restaurants, and entertainment options this area has now.

 I have several friends who have an annual tradition with their kids to do a stay-cation the last weekend or two before school starts - a time to reconnect and relax with their families before its time to buckle down. I think it would be really fun to stay at the Hyatt Place Mesa for a long weekend, and with all this nearby top-tier retail, you could also do a bunch of back to school shopping while you're at it!

Even if you don't want to venture out, the Hyatt Place Mesa has a bunch of things to keep you busy at their hotel too. We absolutely loved their resort style pool! It was crystal blue and the perfect temperature and had fun little fountains that spray water into the air.

 I really appreciated that it had shaded lounge areas and misters too - perfect for escaping the sun and taking a breather in-between cannonballs into the pool! They even had a hot tub too that we loved to dip our feet into after the sun went down!

I think my son's favorite part of the hotel was the nine hole putting green. We love when hotels have an in-house entertainment option like a game room or mini-golf. It's something fun to do when you come home from dinner and aren't yet ready to retire to your room.

If my son's favorite part of the hotel was the golf, then mine was definitely the food! I think I could write a whole blog post about their breakfast at the Hyatt Place Mesa - seriously it was THAT good! 

Breakfast is included in your stay and it's incredible. We stayed there two nights and there were different options everyday which I loved.

 There were so many healthy and gourmet options like Cage Free Scrambled Eggs, Rosemary Potatoes, French Toast, Bacon and Sausage, Greek Yogurt, Oatmeal with all the fixings and the yummiest fruit salad. 

The hotel also offered several other 24/7 dining options which was super handy!

 They have a all-day gallery menu that offers many choices for hot or cold meals that you can eat in the hotel dining area, poolside, or in your room, a coffee and cocktails bar, and even a grab and go market with quick bites, drink, and (our favorite!) dessert options. We LOVED their cookies and chocolate lava cake too!

Which is a good time to talk about their fitness center - ha! They had a great fitness center that I took advantage of one morning. It overlooked the pool and was fully stocked with top of the line cardio machines, free weights, and medicine balls.

 I loved that it had runners painted on the wall too - which I forgot to talk about until now - this hotel is actually right at the start and finish lines of the Mesa Phoenix Marathon! So cool right? I had several friends, both from in and out of town, that stayed at this hotel for that race because the bus pick up line is literally right outside the front doors of the hotel. I really need to take advantage of this next time I run that race!

Speaking of taking advantage of something good - the kind folks from the Hyatt Place Mesa have extended a special offer to stay at their hotel for all of YOU! You can save 20% off your stay by using corporate booking code 112324 or clicking HERE will apply the savings for you automatically. Savings are good for bookings now through September 30th on travel dates now through December 31st, 2018.

So there you go friends, if you're like me and a little over summer already - do yourself and your family a favor and book that super fun stay-cation now for a killer deal. I promise you'll have a blast and make some incredible memories too (as noted from my picture overload on this post - sorry, #notsorry!)