Endorphins Make You Happy

                      Anyone who's seen "Legally Blonde" knows just how important exercise is ;)

image via pinterest

In the first week of Spring Training, it became painfully obvious to me that unless I really made an effort to be active, I would end up sitting around all day every day. Sitting around the hotel room, sitting around watching baseball, or sitting around driving to and from. I felt sluggish and grumpy and tired and bored. NOT GOOD. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says "Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.Therefore honor God with your bodies." God didn't create me to sit around and do nothing, and letting myself get out of shape certainly isn't honoring to Him. So I started doing some youtube workout videos... Which were awesome, but kinda hard to really stick to a routine.

Around that same time I connected with a girl named Toni whose boyfriend plays for the Tigers. I don't know if I have mentioned this before, but the MiLB wives and girlfriends group as a whole is pretty tight. When you live such a crazy life, connecting with other women who "get it" is crucial. Anyway, Toni is a marathon runner and BeachBody coach. I mentioned to her that I was struggling to get into a routine with working out, and she encouraged me to start the Couch to 5k running program and to also join her 3 week running group (that just started today, actually!) soo I jumped in.

I have always hated running. Probably because the only time I ran was for conditioning in high school sports... and nobody enjoys that crap. So it's safe to say I was less than excited about starting a running plan. But I knew that it would make me feel better overall though, so it was worth it.

WELL GUESS WHAT. I'm two weeks in and I am loving it. I run 3x a week and I am starting cross training in between. When I run, I am challenging myself. I am proving to myself that I am capable of more than I give myself credit for. I have way more energy during the day, and get much better sleep at night. So I went from hating the idea of running to loving it, all I had to do was actually try.

Sweaty, happy, no-makeup face of accomplishment!

So if you're like me and don't know where to start, check out C25K. If you haven't heard of "Couch to 5k" it's a program that starts you with walking and jogging in intervals and helps you slowly build up your endurance to be able to run a full 5k. There is a free app, and you can listen to your own music and it gives you "begin walking/running" instructions at the right intervals- it couldn't be easier. I'd also love to get you in touch with Toni, she is AWESOME and so sweet, she would love to help you get on an exercise routine and even help you with figuring out nutrition and a meal plan.

Have a great Monday, my friends! Hopefully this gives you a little motivation, because every Monday could use a little more of that ;)


xo
Hannah

MiLB Married Life: ST 2015 & Making a Hotel Room a Home

Our time at Spring Training is already halfway over.... What!??! Camp breaks on April 6th, two weeks from today. I can hardly believe the time has gone by so fast!

Yesterday Cy had his first outing and it went great! He pitched two innings and was really happy with his command and ability to pitch inside like his coaches were wanting to see. Right now pitchers are on a pretty small pitch count limit in order for them to build endurance and pace themselves before the season, so he will have longer outings as time goes on. Cy pitched after 2 big leaguers (Jonathan Broxton and Jim Henderson) who came down to play in minor league games in order to get more work in, which is pretty common since big league camp is winding down and some of the guys are finishing up rehab and need to be able to pitch on their schedule, which is hard to do in big league games. (yikes that's quite the run on sentence, sorry)  It was pretty cool to see him come in and throw after guys who have been playing in the big leagues for years! Cy will pitch again in about 5 days, so he will probably have 2 or maybe 3 more Spring Training outings. And no, we don't know where they will send him to play this season and probably won't know until a few days before we actually leave here :)

So we are in Phoenix for about a month total, and are staying at an extended stay hotel. Next year, hopefully we can find an apartment, but we are content in our little hotel room! Our apartment in Dallas was pretty small, but downsizing even further to a hotel room (in a brand new city) has been a little bit of adjustment! Now that "home" is more about being together than it is about an actual place, I am doing what I can to keep some sense of familiarity no matter where we are.

First, I unpacked. It was tempting to just live out of suitcases since we aren't here very long, but hanging up clothes and getting things out of boxes really makes me feel more organized and therefore  grounded.

Second, I put our mattress topper and pillows on the bed! This seems like a lot to pack around, but space bags made it pretty easy. Making the hotel bed feel a little more like our own really helps with getting a good nights sleep. I considered putting our own sheets on the bed too, but I don't want to do the extra laundry each week for that when it costs $4 per load haha.

Third, essential oils. Every night we put lavender and wild orange essential oils in the diffuser to help relax and sleep more soundly, and having the familiar smell every night makes sleeping in new places a lot easier! Our room also had a really funky smell when we first arrived, so I had the diffuser running Purify all day to get rid of the funk in no time.

Fourth, I bought a humidifier. The air here is so stinkin DRY, and getting some moisture in the air in here just made life more pleasant in general.

Fifth, I make an effort to keep the place tidy. When you're living in a tiny space, it gets messy real fast and messy makes me cranky. I am a big fan of "a place for everything and everything in its' place" and for me that meant bringing my nightstand basket and my bathroom counter organizer. Keeping things contained and tidy is a big part of keeping my overall stress levels down, so every morning I make the bed and tidy anything that's out of place, and it makes a huge difference!

If you ever find yourself living a baseball gypsy life, hopefully these little tidbits are helpful ;) If you have any other questions about spring training or anything, leave me a comment!

xo,
Hannah

The Best Dessert of All Time in the History of Ever

If the title of this post has you expecting something amazing, GOOD. Because this will probably rock your world.

A little background info. Cy loves sweets. Like LOVES sweets. He would like to have a dessert with every meal. Unfortunately for him, I'm not much of a baker. I can cook anything you want, but baking has never been my strength- my sister Haley got that talent (and she frequently spoils Cy with a batch of cookies from scratch). I generally just bake brownies or cookies from a box and call it good.

However, now that we are living in a hotel room without an oven, poor Cy is left without any baked goods.  He has been content with a nightly Klondike bar, but the other day I came across this Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel Oreo Pie recipe on Pinterest.... And, well, the picture pretty much speaks for itself. I saw it and HAD to check out the recipe.

image via Kevin & Amanda Blog

Lo and behold, this is one of the easiest recipes in the world. No baking required, and you don't even have to perfectly measure out ingredients. The hardest part for me was crushing the Oreos since I don't have a food processor here!

This pie is incredibly indulgent, absolutely decadent, and completely delightful. The buttery caramel paired with the rich chocolate and the hint of salt is absolute food perfection. Do yourself, your friends,  family, neighbors, etc., a favor and whip this up. It is THAT good.

Click << here >> for the recipe!

xo,
Hannah

MiLB Married Life: Our First Spring Training

Hello from sunny Arizona! Since my last post, we packed up our apartment, put most of our things in storage, and took the long 15 hour drive to Phoenix for Spring Training. (And the blog got a facelift, hope ya like it!)

I've decided to start a little series on what married life in the minor leagues looks like for us. Obviously it is different for single guys than it is for married guys, and it's also different for couples who travel together full time than for couples who don't. So over the course of the season, I plan to give you a little look into the slightly unusual lifestyle we live on the road. If there's anything in particular you'd like to hear about, please let me know! 

If you're not super familiar with baseball, Spring Training is when all of the players in each organization gather together for practices and exhibition games before the start of the regular season. Each organization has a training complex, about half in AZ and half in Florida, where their entire group of Major and Minor League players come together to prepare for the season and determine at what level each player should start, basically. 

Generally single players stay in a team hotel, and some in apartments or rental homes (especially those whose families travel). We are staying at an extended stay hotel, we have a small kitchenette and the front desk folks are super nice! Next week I'll share more about how I'm making this hotel room a home for the month we are here :) We are located in a pretty central area, so it's generally only 20 minutes in any direction to anywhere we would want to go, which is convenient.  

This week, Cy only has to be at work from 8am to about noon. A lot of the minor league hitters don't report for another couple days, so they haven't started playing games in the afternoon yet. This means that since he is just at the field for a few hours, there is no point in me driving him over there and battling traffic back, just to go pick him up again 2 hours later. When his schedule gets a little more demanding next week, I will start taking him to work in the mornings and then have the truck to run around and keep myself occupied during the day, but for now I'm hotel-bound. I'll be honest, the first 2 days I was SO bored and pretty pitiful, but yesterday I got myself on a little schedule including some exercise and I feel so much better! Cy's routine at the field is pretty low-key right now, just basic workouts and throwing, so I'll share more about that later when they really get the ball rolling.

Here's a rough outline of what our days look like (this week, at least!)

• 7am- Wake up (even though I could sleep in, its easier to just stay on Cy's sleep schedule)
• 7:20- Cy leaves
• 7:30- I get up and make some breakfast, then get back in bed and have my Bible time, then watch some Downton Abbey
• 9:30- Get up, get dressed, make the bed, tied the kitchenette, etc.
• 10:00- Youtube workout videos! 
• 12:00- Cy comes home, fix lunches
• 1pm-5:00- Pretty much chill- read, watch tv, play board games, run to the grocery store..
• 5 or 6- Dinner: We have a small kitchenette, so we will mostly just eat here. There are lots of cool restaurants around here we want to check out though!
• 9pm- get ready for bed! We are generally asleep by 10:30

The exercise time is great for me. I'm used to being pretty active (going for walks/running intervals while Cy did his offseason throwing and workouts, just being a busy bee in general) but our hotel isn't near a residential area where I could walk and it doesn't have a gym, so doing different workouts on youtube is a good solution for me right now. I'm trying to mix it up with yoga, cardio, dance, zumba, or p90x type stuff... Literally because it keep me from being bored- I never thought I would see that day haha! Hopefully starting next week I can find a park to walk and run in or maybe a gym to take a class or something. I'm reminded every day that this baseball life is all about being flexible and going with the flow, so who knows!

The big league teams are playing games already, but we haven't gone to any. I am so looking forward to Cy's games starting and can't wait to meet some of the baseball ladies I've made online friendships with already! The baseball wives and girlfriends "network" is really awesome, it's cool to interact with other girls who are in the same crazy lifestyle and understand its nuances. 

Anyway, I'm off to do some laundry and start getting ready for dinner- tonight we are meeting up with one of Cy's former DBU teammates who plays for the Angels :)

Until next time,

Hannah

Is it Engagement Season??

HOLY MATRIMONY!! Is it just me or is EVERYONE getting engaged?? I love it! Right now 3 of my very favorite gals are proudly sporting new left-hand bling (S/O to my baseball sistas Tessa and Kassie, and my lifelong best friend Courtney!), and another will be before much longer ;) Not to mention all the newly engaged girls I know through school! I seriously love love love it. Marriage is AWESOME, and the engagement season leading up to it is just so sweet.

A little throwback to when Cy proposed to me- June 8, 2014 at Horner Ballpark

In the spirit of all the bridal bliss and excitement, I've rounded up a few cute things for all the sweet brides-to-be as they start this exciting season- these would make great gifts as well!

1. Earrings - Love these sweet Kendra's, very bridal and a great accessory for everything from showers to engagement pics and beyond.

2. Kerastase Elixir Ultime - This nourishing oil is AMAZING for your hair. It is pricey, but worth it. I bought a mini bottle at my salon before my wedding in November and it is barely 1/4 gone. Get started now on healthy hair for your big day!

3. Maxi Dress - Every bride to be needs a white dress (or three) and I love that this is perfect for honeymoon wear too.

4. Date Bracelet - In case you didn't know, I'm a bracelet addict. Wearing the date of your wedding day is a perfect daily reminder of what all of your planning (and sometimes stressing...) is for.

5. Bride Tank - Perfect for wedding errands or getting ready on your big day.

6. TimeWise® Miracle Set® - Flawless skin on your big day starts with taking care of it early. I use this set every single day, it works! (I am a Mary Kay Independent Beauty Consultant and would LOVE to get you on a skincare plan, mention this blog post and I'll give you a sweet discount too!)

7. Wedding Planner - Now that the planning is underway, staying organized is crucial. And what better way than with a cute planner sporting your new name? I used this planner and loved it!


There you have it, 7 fun things that every newly engaged gal could definitely use! If your love language is giving gifts, these are great items that I guarantee any bride-to-be would so appreciate.

Until next time,
Hannah

PS. If you are looking for more bridal inspiration, scroll on back to my "Wedding Wednesday" series :)