Nap from God Ice Cream Break

I just had a bowl of soy peanut butter and chocolate ice cream, with a glob of peanut butter on top.  I paired it with a delicous cup of coffee.  Let me tell you, it was amazing.  I decided to give in to this little fantasy after about 2 hours of thinking about it.  I can guaruntee if Dutch was not still sleeping it would not have happened.  I tend to really try to relax when Little D is taking a nap but I don't always do a great job.  Today I just turned on Army Wives on netflix and kept hoping for the relaxed, I am resting, feeling to hit me.  It never did.  I just kept thinking about how tired I was and that ice cream and coffee sounded BOMB.  BOMB.COM. So bomb that they might take away my exhaustion, transport me to a land where my two year old son gives me back rubs and pedicures.  He changes his own diaper and is happy and sweet all day long.  (he is the sweetest most beautiful boy in the world, btw, he still kicks my ass)

So, Dutch is into hour three of his nap from GOD (Naps from God are atleast three hours plus) and I decided to do it.  I knew before I ate this that if it was going to happen I was not allowed to feel guilty.  I would do it.  ENJOY THE HELL OUT OF IT.  And move on. 

There was a time in my life when this little indulgance would have sent me into a depressed spiral of shame but as 34 (almost) year old AMAZING MOM GODDESS CASEY, I am learning to enjoy these moments of delicousness.  Why not?  Really, why not.  I love my body and I love ice cream and I think these two things can go hand in hand.

I also realize if I would have read a book during nap time or actually took a nap myself, I would not have turned to the desert.  Sometimes I make the wrong choice, I act a fool, I over caffenate, I nag my husband.  I am human.  A mom human. 

In this moment I am VERY proud of myself for eating desert in the middle of the day and feeling happy about it.  That is a big accomplishment for me.  I re-learned ( I already knew this) that tv does not relax me at all and when Dutch is taking a nap I need to do things that are good for me.  Being overly tired and MOM'ing all morning makes me want to eat chocolate or peanut butter in any form unless I find some constructive down time for myself.  (I also learned that Army Wives is an awful show that I love to love.  I kind of want to be Roxy and am in love with Matt even though he had that drug problem after he got back from Iraq)

I do kind of have a tummy ache now.  I will remember this tummy ache tomorrow when I am READING my book, sipping my green tea during nap time.

So far, a great day at the office.

Body Image Nirvana, the constant quest

I love myself so much and can't wait to look into the mirror each morning. I thank my body for being so amazing and living with me each day, working hard, supporting me no matter what. AND THEN I WOKE UP. Does anyone out there really feel that way? Is it even possible to be kind to our bodies every day, every second of the day? My guess is that it might always take a level of effort to quiet the negative thoughts when they creep in but I have to believe if I put the intention out there, I can achieve that level of body image nirvana.

I have already come so far in my journey. I could be so cruel within my own mind, even when I was completely beautiful. (Even typing that I used to be completely beautiful makes me cringe for a second but I will carry on, part of the journey) Knowing how far I have come gives me faith that continuing to search for all the love I can find for myself will bring me to a more loving place till the end of time. I want to be 100 years old and loving the hell out of myself. I sometimes daydream of how easy it will be to let all the shit go when I am older than dirt, wrinkled-so the pressure of being beautiful is gone, eating all the desert I can handle because who cares, I am an old lady?! How demented and twisted is that?! I am definitely not going to wait till my old wrinkly, cute granny years to find my self. I know it starts today so whenever I find myself being completely judgemental I ask myself a few questions to snap myself out of it:

What would you say to Kelly (my bff) if she was thinking these things about herself? The answer here is always the same. I would tell her she was nuts and that she is gorgeous and fantastic and AMAZING!!!

What does Chad (hubs) think of you? He is constantly telling me I am beautiful (cringe again) and he loves me so much. Why am I being so mean to myself when I am married to an amazing man who thinks I am gorgeous?

What would I do if I heard my lil sis picking on herself? This one REALLY gets me. I love my sister so much and I never want her to struggle with judging how she looks. She is completely and totally gorgeous and I want her to know that every day all day. I want her to step into her power and own that hot bod. Feel confident and free. Women in this world rarely do that as much as they should.

When I think about the women in my life I honestly can't think of a single woman who does not pick on themselves regarding their looks. Not one. How is that possible?! They are all so beautiful in different ways. Why in the world are they not celebrating that every damn day? I would love to blame the media, tv, magazines, all of the evil tools out there that don't help the case. But really.....we are the one's picking up the mags. We are the one's who watch the tv shows that lead to self doubt. We are the one's comparing ourselves, deciding the airbrushed reality star is who we should look like. How about we all stop that today? I am not kidding. Let's make it simple. It might be a conscious effort everyday to let the negative thoughts go but let's start with today. One day at a time. Wake up and look ourselves in the mirror, tell ourselves we are gorgeous. I am going to stop typing to go to the mirror right now.

***Looking in the mirror, saying sweet nothings***

Okay, that was actually quite fantastic. Even if you may not believe the words now, keep saying them. You never know when your perspective will change. Let's all be in charge of finding as much love for our bodies as we can. This has to start now. Not 10lbs. from now. Not when you get to your goal weight. Of coarse you can still want to lose a few pounds but why not start loving your body while you are on your journey, even if you want to lose 100 lbs?

What sparked this intense rant? I had an amazing workout with a room full of super hot, fun women last night. There were three Instructors in that class and afterwards we were discussing how we feel in our bodies. I was SHOCKED to hear the other ladies describe what they were focusing on during class. It was nothing major but there was some negative in there. I was watching them in class thinking I wanted to BE them. I was in the same boat, staring myself down, going through a mix of thoughts like- "dang, my guns look good-to-man, I would look so much better if I could just shed a layer of fat- to- Man, look at HER, she is doing this so much better than I am." My brain was all over the place and the other ladies had the same experience. We all confirmed that we thought the others were crazy. They had the same game playing in their brain. It was like a science experiment into the female brain. The conclusion-every single woman I know is way too hard on themselves, myself included.

Deep breath.

The good news is, we are all in charge of this. Let's keep truckin, keep finding the love, keep surrounding ourselves with people who support us. I am so proud of how far I have come in my journey and it will never stop. Today I am going to be kind to me. When I look in the mirror I am going to smile and say thank you. When I pick up my heavier than hell son and throw him around, I am going to be proud of my strength. When I hear a negative thought I am going to observe it and quickly let it go. Small steps matter. Let's support eachother, girls. Get our power back.

There is so much to this message but for now, I want to focus here. I hope that being open and honest about this helps someone else realize they are not alone in their struggles. Whether you feel you have far to go or are on your path, I appreciate you. I support you. Now go look in the mirror and say something amazing! If you are ready for the next step, START BELIEVING IT!!!!

The Spiderman Sneak Attack Workout

Today was one of those days that was just so awesome I feel like a zombie right now. It is only 8pm. I mom'd my ass off and I am exhausted. I did get my workout in today, which is always an accomplishment. Dutch, Vader and I took ourselves to the park to see what we could come up with. I knew I wanted cardio today and I am very happy that I got it. It was misty raining out this morning, but we still went for it. Misty rain is great when you want to workout at the park because the place is usually empty. Today of all days, everyone had my idea. We usually walk to Grass Lawn park which is uphill pretty much the whole way. I clocked it today and it took us 17 minutes. We usually just hop on an empty field and do some sprints, burpees and whatever else sounds fun. When we got there and saw everyone and their mama on the fields, we came up with plan B. I figured we could run around the track even though there was kids soccer practice going on. Fun, right? mmmmm, fun for one lap before Dutch decided he didn't want to be on that rainy track, watching the other kids do cool soccer moves.

No problem! Time for Plan C. We all just started walking around the park and did a bit of exploring. I strategically had us walk past the play structure, looking at the AMAZING trees and grass (distraction so Dutch would not want to go on the wet slide and detour my workout) right to the tippy top of the park. I could not belive Dutch got back in his stroller willingly but it happened so away we went. We just kept walking as fast as I could power walk up to Bridle Trails which is about another 10 mins up hill. Not bad! My body was enjoying the power walk. I usually go so hard core that today I was diggin on the low core. But then I wanted to sweat. SO! We did a nice jog home and I still felt like I had some mojo. I have never taken Dutch into our apartment complex workout room and today was his day. I told him we were going to see a MAGIC, HIDDEN room and it would be so cool! The gym is not bad at all and has the basics. There is also a flat screen tv to entertain the Dutch man. I got in atleast 10 mins of hard core elliptical before he started to go nuts. I did pick him up and elliptical with him which he thought was hilarious. We then moved to the treadmill and I actually jogged with him in my arms for a minute. Not really that cool although again, he thought it was awesome.
By the time I got back home we had been out and about doing our workout adventure for over an hour and a half! I will take it!

We never really stopped the action today and went on many little adventures including fro yo and Juanita Beach. Two year olds are so crazy because one minute they are the light of your life, bringing you so much joy, then its time to go home and they become DEMON CHILD.

You will see my little angel playing on the beach, so peaceful.
Right after this innocent picture he ran into the water, up to his knees. Managed to cover himself in sand. Chase some ducks. When I told him it was time to go he FAAAAREAKED out. He was the kid kicking and screaming, begging me to let him stay. Uh......no. Homie don't play that, Dutch.

Being a mom all day and night for the rest of my life (doesn't that blow your mind, sometimes?!) is something I am fully in love with but at the same time, can just wipe me out. I understand how people can put exercise off or think they are too tired. That is when I encourage you to find things the whole family can do or atleast find something you love, that makes you feel good. I appreciated Dutch as a workout partner today and I love that feeling of accomplishment after a good workout.

I will also share that my baby is not in a crib anymore. On an impulse I tore that sucker down today and just decided it was time Dutch had a bed (which is a mattress on the floor right now cuz I was kinda crazy and did this with no plan). It was such a surreal moment. My baby........in a bed. Or atleast not a crib. Even typing this right now and picturing his little body on that bed like such a big boy makes my eyes water a bit. I am so proud of him and who he is.
Kids really do grow up so fast. Before you know it they are out of the house and you are back with just you. It is so important to make sure you know who that is. Its okay to take the time to remember yourself when you are mom'ing your ass off. It's okay to continue to sneak in time for yourself when you need it, whether its for a workout or just to close your eyes and breathe. Make sure you are looking out for yourself, ladies. You are allowed to love yourself too.

Hunger Games on a Bike

I had the privledge of teaching two Hunger Games themed flycycle classes last week. (www.wearesuperfly.com) People LOVE these books and the characters and I didnt want to let them down! I wanted to do this class to allow us "ADULTS" to have a little fun. Play pretend and get inside our imagination. The soundtrack to the movie came out the day of the first ride. The songs were very slow, dark, mysterious, almost sad. This not a traditional soundtrack for a cycling class but I knew the magic would be there.
I had to rely on the people in class to make this an EPIC experience. If they were willing to play along and go INSIDE themselves, this was going to be amazing.

Both classes WERE AWESOME!
I stayed pretty traditional to the soundtrack with the first group. It was a heavy and dark ride and they were able to go inside themselves and find the work. I felt comfortable telling stories and quotes from the book and we even had some trivia! My favorite prize was (Dave's Killer) bread from District 11. (Get it?!)

I threw in some faster songs for the second group because I knew atleast one person was doing this for the second time. It worked out perfectly because this group was definately a bit sassy. They were fired up and ready to have fun. A few of them were going to the midnight premier and they came into the class excited for anything Hunger Games.

I personally loved all three books and can understand why people are creating and looking for Hunger Games workouts. The story is so powerful, suspensful and full of hope. People want to connect to the characters as much as they can, wherever they can. When the books are over you are kind of left with.......whatever you can find. The movie, a workout, a book club, maybe even a mockinjay pin. (I saw these in my class!)
I had both classes write down a quality about Katniss that got her through the first Hunger Games. I loved what they came up with!:

Determination
Unbreakable
Love
Fierce
Concentration
Passion
Caution
Driven
Strong Athlete
Tenacity
Perserverance
Loyalty
Courage


I do think everyone has a little bit of Katniss inside of them. You can choose to tap into that Katniss power or not. If she can battle to the death against all odds, we can do whatever we set our minds to, right? That is all she did. She DECIDED how it was all going to go down. She was rarely weak minded and usually had goals and a plan of action. She was willing to adapt to her situation and even when everything was against her, she never let herself be a victim.
The odds were NEVER in her favor and yet she became the Mockinjay.

I hope this story and the hype behind it keeps going for awhile. It helps us all remember Katniss and helps us connect. I know she is a fictional character in a book but we are all just as strong as the story we tell ourselves. In every situation.
WHEW! All this Katniss talk makes me want to go throw some sand bags or run some sprints.
Happy Hunger Games!

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Burning the Mommy Uniform

That is it. I am having a fashion intervention for myself. Moms, how comfortable and safe does it feel in your sweats with your hair pulled back, lookin like maybe you have some relaxing to do? Maybe your kid is kicking your ass and it feels nice to be comfortable while it happens? Makes sense if I am working out in the afternoon to just wear workout clothes all day long. How practical of me?! Right? Very wrong. I have always felt very out of place when it came to fashion. I have always told myself, it really doesn't interest me and I don't even really know what my personal style is. I have never felt like I had any so I would avoid it at all costs. Shopping makes me beyond uncomfortable and almost depressed. I don't know how to shop or how to even put articles of clothing into a style so I just don't do it.


I started to realize this really needed to change. What did I just learn from Tony Robbins on Oprah? That we all have a story we tell ourselves about our lives. We need to make sure we like the story we are telling. This can apply to fashion! I WANT to rewrite my story and help myself find some sense of style. I realize it's not that I don't have an interest in fashion, I just avoid it. Deep down I do care but it scares the crap out of me. I need to believe it's possible and know I can do it. You may be reading this and thinking....she is thinking WAY too much about this. It's just clothes!!! Fashion is bigger than that to me. It is my fear. My phobia. One of my major insecurities. I think it's time I kick this insecurity in it's ass. If I am coaching people to get past their fitness fears, I need to look my fashion fear in the face.


Something clicked when I was speaking with my boss at work last night. I was telling her I needed to either get a superfly makeover or someone needed to send in an application in my honor for that show, WHAT NOT TO WEAR. I confessed some of my awful fashion NO NO's and she said something that really struck me. "You have to realize that you are worth the effort." OH NO SHE DI-IN'T. She was totally right. I am always on a mission to find love for myself and this is a category where I need to get uncomfortable. (Zone 3 in flycycle land) I am constantly telling my students to get out of their comfort zone, go beyond where you think your body can go, surprise yourself. I realize I need to practice what I preach, not just in fitness-where I feel safe pushing my limits. I need to do this with my everyday fashion too.


Again, you may be thinking-this girl lives in her head way too much. Actually, I do, but that is beside the point. I did something radical today and it felt amazing. I showered and I put on makeup AND JEANS all before 9am. My usual routine is to throw on my "mom uniform" which is workout stretchy pants and a hoodie. I do my fave hairstyle which my husband tells me looks like Tom Cruise in the movie Magnolia. Then I rock the day. BLAM BLIGGITY. After taking the time to actually care about my appearance and value being a beautiful woman, I felt better today. Things seemed to feel really good and I was way more proud being me. I am not saying all mom's have to look smokin hot everyday and get all done up, although I am sure dad's would love that. I am just recognizing a pattern in my life that needs to change because it would make me feel better. I felt so good I took pics with Dutch to share with my fit mama's. I know how mom's can put themselves LAST, VERY LAST, in most categories and my whole mantra is to value yourself because it sets a great example for your kids. So this is my declaration to give myself a new story. I am now a fashion Goddess and I plan to find my own personal sense of style.

First challenge as a fashionista. Sorority girl shot with the hands on the hips, looking over the shoulder. I think this pose came out way after 2000 when I graduated from my sorority days. When would I ever get the chance to embrace the pose, especially with no fashion sense??? I decided to do it at home, with Dutch and Vader standing by. ME: "oh hey---I am just casually turning around and looking awesome. I didn't realize you were there."

Who's your sexy mommy? Oh.........that's me.

NO MORE, Tom. NO MORE. Well, atleast not before 8pm.








So where are the patterns in your life you WANT to change? What stories do you tell yourself that need a revamp? If Casey Phillips can find fashion, YOU can do anything you set your mind to. I can promise you that.

Mama Ain't Tired-Rally Time workout

Dutch and I had quite the day today. It was crazy pouring rain outside and yet we had to get out. My family has one car so if I want to use it, I have to take the bus or walk to get it from my husband's work. It is a quick ten minute walk or five minute bus ride but when its pouring cats and dogs outside, it can feel like forever. The weather has been so bad that Dutch and I have chillaxed inside for two days too many. We had to get out today, plus we had a date with some homies for library story time. We went for it. There were times of joy, times of frustration, laughs, tears (his, not mine) and fun. All in a day's work, right moms?? Needless to say I was smoked! So tired! I really wanted to workout though because I created a fun workout and wanted to finally make a video. I was in lazy mode after our adventures and I had to pull myself out of it. I did, and my video is proof! I am so glad that I did. The workout I am going to share is SUPER hard or at least it should be. Like any at home workout, you will need to create the intensity for yourself. Feel free to wear your most ghetto at home workout gear, like I did. Grab your timer and dumbbells and get your sweat on. I created my first video and I have to say, it was super fun. I watched it back and cringed a little. It's hard to watch yourself on camera and I felt like a total dork. I am posting it anyways because it's real. I also think seeing me demo the exercises will make you realize we are doing this together.

Alright peeps, here ya go:

Mama Ain't Tired-Rally Time workout

warm up your body for at least 3 mins before you start this.

Do each exercise for 1 minute. Repeat this set of exercises 3x and BAM! 39 minutes of work and you are smoked like bacon!

1. Jump knee tuck alternating with a push up
2. curtsy squat with a one dumbbell shoulder press, Right side
3. balancing airplane rows, Right leg up
4. plank with knee to opposite elbow
5. curtsy squat with a one dumbbell shoulder press, Left side
6. balancing airplane rows, Left leg up
7. sumo squat with bicep curls
8. triceps kick back alternating with a squat thrust
9. Knee in's Right
10. Knee in's Left
11. Reverse lunge with a hop up Right
12. Reverse lunge with a hop up Left
13. Mountain climbers


I was literally dying at the end of this. I am also cracking up because you can hear me telling my hubs how to film the shots I needed. I kept telling him "okay, babe, enough" because I was to my max! The thing that was keeping me going was knowing I was sharing this with all of you. If three rounds seems crazy, then do as many as you feel you need. This is your workout so you might need to change it up a bit. Maybe doing the push ups on your knees or take mini rests throughout the work. You are working to your level of hard so celebrate that and rock on. If anyone does this workout or wants to make fun of my video, I love your comments. LOVE COMMENTS!!!


Here is the link to my video, y'all. Next time I will learn how to upload it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvtH2EriVXk&feature=g-upl&context=G2e0a471AUAAAAAAAAAA

The Diva Within-finding your passion

You know who I was dressed up as, right? Tina Turner. I LOVE dressing up with a little bit of crazy thrown in. My wig was that crazy and it felt good. Amanda and I taught a Flycycle Diva ride the other night which was a cycling class for women only-AKA-diva's. We jammed to Cher, Lady Gaga, Tina, Beyonce and many more. As I am posting these pictures I realize how incredibly proud of myself I am for taking risks in my life. I can't believe I am actually teaching alongside an Instructor of Amanda's caliber. I am shocked at the love and comfort I have found within my teaching style. A year ago I was working a corporate job contemplating finally going after a fitness career. Something I was too afraid to go after for the last 12 years. Looking back, I can't imagine not doing this. It completes me in so many ways. I am sharing this because so many people are afraid to take risks, especially when it comes to a career. So many people hate their jobs and loathe Mondays, this has become the rule rather than the exception. For me, sometimes my job is what keeps me sane after a day with my crazy yet fantastic, kid. I want everyone to know they can have a job they love as long as they believe that. I say time and time again in my cycling classes, "Believe you can do it and you will." This does not just apply to the bike, my friends.

If I would have stayed in my "safe" job, I would have traded my passion for a 9 to 5 that made me feel "LESS THAN." I remember days feeling so undervalued and overlooked that I started to doubt myself. I remember waking up and dreading the work ahead of me and just going through the motions. I would get home from a long day's work and just feel my negativity. I am so grateful for the time I spent doing a job that was "just okay" because it has given me a broader perspective. My biggest point is-TRUST YOURSELF. Deep down I knew I was in the wrong place but it was buried by fear, big time. I almost ignored it. I didn't hate what I was doing but I definately didn't love it and that was very clear.

Sometimes just asking yourself the right questions can open up your eyes.

1. Do you get excited to go to work?
2. Do you feel passion for the work you are doing?
3. Does your job bring out the best in you?
4. Does it seem weird that you get paid to do your job since you love it so much?
5. Do your career goals excite you to the max?

I can honestly answer yes to all of the above. I want everyone reading this to know you can have that same feeling and let me tell you, ITS FABULOUS!

Now, how about finding your passion? I know there are alot of people who think that is a really hard thing to pinpoint. I was one of them, although I am shocked because fitness was always my favorite thing in the world.
Here are some questions to get you thinking:

1. What is your favorite thing to do outside of work?
2. What brings you joy?
3. If you could get paid a million dollars a year to have any job in the world, what would that job be. Don't hold back here.
4. Think of someone who has your dream job and pretend that is what you do everyday. Do you feel excited, tingly, have goose bumps?
5. What are you naturally really good at? (Do you ever get compliments on a talent or hobby and shrug it off? For example, I used to try to get my friends together to do workouts in the park. My little sis used to let me pretend to be her trainer when we went to the gym.)

You can really listen to your reaction and thoughts to these questions or you can ignore them completely. There is never a right or a wrong choice, but there is always a choice. The road to your dream job may not be easy but if there is passion and a decision to go for it no matter what-it will be there. That is the law of the Universe.

So.....what'll it be?
Sometimes a good workout helps me clear my head. What about you?