Something I've been dying to share with you... :)

@ashkae

 

After sharing this picture on my Instagram this morning, I figured this would be a good time to share some exciting news happening soon in my life!

 

Those of you sweet enough to read this little blog have probably figured out that I have been obsessed with Pilates from the moment I took my first class at the end of January of this year.

 

I had never even really heard what a reformer machine was before being invited to come to a class taught by a darling lady in my home ward growing up and parents' neighborhood, Katie Boman, who got certified and put a studio in her basement. There was something comforting about it being in the home of a darling lady I knew, so I decided to give it a shot.

 

During the first class I was AMAZED at all you could do on this machine, how fun and different it was, how muscles I never usually worked were burning in a very good way, and how fast the hour flew by! I was HOOKED-- I didn't care what it cost, when the classes would be, or that it was a 20 minute drive from our condo-- something felt so right about it, and from that day forward I have been going to the same class twice a week.

 

Right after that first class I went home and googled "benefits of reformer pilates" and spent a good hour reading-- I was so intrigued! Solves back pain?! You can do it while you're pregnant?! No impact on your joints?! Will improve my posture?! Guarantees long lean muscles?!

 

(This is one of my very favorite articles on reformer pilates. Make sure to read the part about pregnancy!)

 

It just kept getting better and better.

 

 

quote from Joseph Pilates himself!

As I continued coming to classes, I felt and saw my body getting stronger and healthier. Tuesday and Thursday mornings were my favorite part of the week. During this time I was planning on going to hair school in the fall, and in the back of my mind during every single class I had this unsettling feeling that I knew I wouldn't be able to do this while I went to hair school which made me very discouraged.

 

Katie has been a huge part of my growing love for pilates. From the very first class she told me I was a natural (even though I know I wasn't), would build me up, and push me to always be better. She didn't just run through the same moves every single class, in fact every single class was different, and if I told her I wanted to work on my hamstrings, or my abs, she would tailor the work out to what her clients wanted and needed.

 

Something else that I love about pilates is that you get to know your instructor and the people you see bi-weekly really well. There is background music in pilates but you can also chat (until the move you're doing gets really hard, then everyone goes silent haha) and I really loved that! Not only was I improving my body but my relationships. Advice is exchanged, friendships are made, all while doing your body good.

 

So back to the story-- No matter how much I tried to make it feel right, hair school was just not feeling right. One day it hit me like a ton of bricks-- why don't I get certified and teach like Katie?

 

It had so many pros and so few cons-- I mostly loved that I could do it out of my house while being a mom and always be improving my health and others.

 

Katie was nothing but overly supportive, which made me love her even more. She has helped me so much with where to get certified, where to get my machines, the best place to get my books-- the list goes on and on. I could not be more grateful for her in my life and the influence she has had on me. I am forever indebted to her.

 

So in March I went and visited the certification center and put my deposit down for their next reformer pilates training course in September. It felt so right.

 

Since then I have continued my classes with Katie and have also tried out a few other awesome reformer classes to see different teaching techniques. I also put a studio in my parents' basement in Draper! Everything is pretty much set except mirrors which are being installed in a few weeks and I'm having a hard time containing my excitement.

 

A few weeks ago I set up all 3 machines and have taught Brennan and a few other family members some practice classes, since I will practice teaching during the certification. It has been so much fun and is so clear to me that this is what I'm meant to be doing.

 

This has taught me that you can develop new passions at any time in your life. I would have never guessed that this would be my career at 22 but I am so excited to start teaching classes as my full time job at the beginning of October.

 

Please come try it out! First class is always free.

 

And now I'll leave you with some pics of celebs and athletes who love it too :)

 

If you look close you can see "PILATES" on the door!

 

 

 

 

Coeur d'Alene

I got 2 responses when I would tell people I was going to Coeur d'Alene.

 

It was either, "Oh my gosh that place is so beautiful, you will never want to come home!"

 

or, people had never heard of it.

 

I had never heard of it until my uncle and his family moved there, and ever since my sweet grandparents have wanted to get everyone up there for a family vacation. This has been in the works for over a year now, and to be honest I wasn't overly excited about it at first until 1- I google imaged "Couer d'Alene", and 2- Brennan informed me that one of his bucket list golf courses was there, and that he's only played it 1000 times on Tiger Woods' Playstation golf game growing up.

 

The part I think we were all dreading was the 10 HOUR DRIVE. Coeur d'Alene is at the very tip top of Idaho, just 30 minutes from Spokane, Washington and a few hours from Canada. Since we had to haul bikes and golf clubs there, flying wasn't an option, so we sucked it up and made the trek up north.

 

 

Pretty cute car cuddlers if I do say so myself.

 

My grandparents rented two houses next to each other right on the lake, and now I'm kicking myself for not getting more pictures of them. They were exactly what you would expect, true lake houses.

 

 

The second we got there we ate dinner and then headed out for a boat ride. It stays light until at least 10 pm there so time was on our side.

 

 

 

 

It was so fun to see all the lakehouses by boat. They all have their own little dock and some have sand beaches.

 

I stuck to tubing but Bren tried some fancier things. Neither Bren or I are big boaters. We always joke that we know we're meant to be because Bren was so relieved to find out he wasn't marrying into a big boating family, and I felt the same way. But once a year and especially in Coeur d'Alene? We're all over it!!!

 

 

The canoes were super fun. Bren got a great shoulder work out while I took in all the scenery ;)

 

The next morning we headed over to Honeysuckle Beach and took turns taking boat rides from there. It was a darling little beach!

 

 

 

 

My beautiful, beautiful sis.

 

 

 

No lifeguard on duty

 

Then we got ready and headed into town for lunch. My uncle took us to the coolest café I couldn't even tell you the name of -- these French names are tough to remember, let alone spell!

 

After that,

 

IT WAS TIME TO GOLF!

 

Bren and I borrowed my dad's truck and headed to the course. We drove up to the gates of the most pristine landscaping we'd ever seen and checked in with a sweet man that said, "Oh do have a marvelous time" and then opened the gates for us. Then they valeted our car and got Bren's clubs on a cart while we checked in at the pro shop and then met our darling caddy.

 

The famous floating green was RIGHT THERE and it was pretty dang cool.

 

 I'm always the practice shot while Bren sets up his camera before we ask someone to take one of us haha. 

 

 

3 CHEERS FOR A CLEAR SHOT!

 

We of course got there almost an hour early (Bren's request) so he had lots of time to practice on the driving range.

 

 

You actually hit the balls into the lake and the current brings all the balls in to the shore. How cool is that?!

 

Even cooler: Bren got a pre-game massage too!

 

 

It was so fun to come along with him for this experience. I'm sure I got a looooot of looks for how many pictures I was taking.

 

 

(see what I mean)

 

Then it was tee time!

 

 

 

Bren and his caddy-turned-bff Kyle. He's getting married on September 19th! What a great day. The caddys at this course are not allowed to ride on the back of the carts! We told him we wouldn't tell anybody and to hop on but he said his boss is always watching and that people have been fired for it. He was running all over the course to tell you yardage and all that fancy golf stuff I still don't fully understand.

 

 

 

I guess these are famous sand bunkers. One of the guys Bren was playing with hit it in that sand and I told him that at least it's famous sand!

 

My sweet, sweet boy. Like a kid on Christmas morning.

 

 

Bromance.

 

Now let's talk about hole #14 AKA the floating green.

 

 

 

Bren totally said a prayer before this hole. If he made one good shot, he wanted it to be on this hole.

 

 

Good caddys get down on all fours HA

 

 

AND GUESS WHO PARRED IT!?

 

 

With a certificate to prove it! The lady who took us over to the hole and back by ferry asked Bren if he wanted one and wrote it up for him. But it gets better...

 

 

Engraved bag tags for both of us!

 

Brennan could not stop talking about how much fun he was having and how happy he was. It was definitely the highlight of the trip and I'm so happy I was there with him. We celebrated at a Mexican restaurant in town before heading back.

 

The rest of our trip was spent hiking Tubbs Hill (supposedly the #1 hike in Idaho),

 

 

 

eating at more fun restaurants in town, and lots of rides on the Razor.

 

 

 

 

There was also some rain on the lake, which made it even more peaceful than before. Most people would probably just enjoy it from inside but not Bren- he wanted to play around with his camera and get wet in the rain. He definitely makes me more adventurous.

 

 

 

It was so fun to be here with family for a long weekend. Coeur d'Alene is the definition of the heart eyes emoji- I mean WOW. Now I know what those people were talking about! The long road trip was worth it to see this place with my own two eyes.

 

xoxo

 



It's good to be a Gregory

My parents are off in Ireland so this year's glorious long 4th of July weekend was spent partying with the Greg's. And when I say partying I mean it.

 

Like Lagoon from 11 AM to 11 PM? One nonstop party. We even rode the CANNIBAL opening day and lived to tell about it. Jude joined us too, my 9 year old nephew AKA my new hero.

 

Oh and side note: forgive my lack of photos, I'm going through this phase where I'm not in the mood. I just want to live in the moment you know? Glad Bren snapped a few that I stole off his phone.

 

 

The first ride after Laguna Beach and a gourmet picnic by Martha Stewart-- I mean my mother in law. We were PUMPED.

 

 

Ezra, who calls it "Magoon" got off this kid's rollercoaster when it was over, turned to the worker running the ride, pointed back at it and said, "You know what?! That was so awesome!" Experiencing Lagoon through the eyes of a 4 year old will kind of melt your heart. Now let's take on Disneyland... :)

 

 

And then there was York, who was just happy to be there, despite probably sweating to death in his stroller all day. The older he gets, he looks more and more like Ez, and that makes me very, very, happy.

 

 

Happy campers is RIGHT.

 

 

Just when they thought their day couldn't get any better, Minions joined the party.

 

 

We both realized we're getting old when the Samurai made us a little queasy for the first time. That, or those spinny-twisty rides are getting wilder than they used to be.

 

 

And then we celebrated America at none other than Sugarhouse Park. This year, I had a little more love and pride for my country than usual. Going outside the country will do that to you. There is no place like home and I love these Gregory summer traditions.

 

xoxo