Showing posts with label I workout. Show all posts
Showing posts with label I workout. Show all posts

Can I Bring Albus: Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield

A couple of weeks ago, I got up extra early on a Saturday and I was super motivated. So I loaded Albus up for a quick little hike up Kennesaw Mountain. You would think that since I grew up in Kennesaw, went to the park every year for field trips in elementary school, drive past it every single work day, that I would remember the date of the battle. It was June 27th, 1864 and you guys will never guess what day I took Albus to hike the mountain. Go ahead, guess. Did you guess June 29th, the Saturday after the anniversary of the battle? BECAUSE YOU WOULD BE RIGHT! 

This post is not sponsored (but I would absolutely accept a National Park Annual Pass in exchange for taking Albus to all of the dog friendly ones and exploring them...) This post does contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase through one of those links, I receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thanks! 
A black lab stands in front of a sign that says "Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park" with park hours below it.

So, on this fateful day. I figured the park would be busy, it wasn't TOO hot yet, but it was a Saturday morning. I pulled up and the main parking lot was full (it's always full, but I always do a loop in case I'm there at *just* the right time and someone is leaving.) Then the overflow parking was a zoo too, I lucked into a parking spot, took a very official picture of Albus squinting in front of the sign in that parking lot, then we head to the opening of the park. We start to cross the street, and only then do I see the tents set up, the canons not in their normal places, and people dressed as Union & confederate soldiers. 
a lush green field is spotted with men dressed up as union and confederate soldiers with the base of Kennesaw Mountain behind them

In case you were wondering, no, Albus was not a fan of the cannon fire or the rifles. Since we had already fought to park and made it to the welcome center, I decided that we should try to go up the mountain anyways. The hike up Kennesaw Mountain is only 1 mile, but man I struggle every time. Atlanta Trails says it's a "relatively moderate" hike. In the intro they say "Hike a strenuous 2.4 miles roundtrip on the Big Mountain Trail," so maybe it's not so easy peasey. Not sure I'm going to be trying anything they say is more difficult. 

SPEAKING of more difficult. If you're ever in the area and end up at the entrance on the back side of the mountain, they call it "Little Kennesaw Mountain" that hike is substantially more difficult and I have been glared down by a troop of Boy Scouts with those poky hike stick things (staunchly refusing to google what they're really called.) because apparently letting the large group of boys who look like they know what they're doing pass is not actually proper hiking etiquette. I always operate under "slower traffic get out of the way" 
a black lab licks his lips in anticipation of the treat the camerawoman is bribing him with, the city of Atlanta is in the distance, as they're almost at the top of the mountain

So, on your hike up, you go about .8 miles and then there's a parking lot. Fun story, the first time I took my youngest brother hiking, he got SO MAD when we found the parking lot and insisted we walk the driving path down because he didn't believe that going around the mountain would be further than straight down it. Well, by the time Albus & I reach this parking lot, I'm breathing a lot heavier than I care to admit, and I plop down on the sidewalk for both of us to take a water break. We only do easy hikes, but I keep my doggy diaper bag packed with sunscreen, an extra water bottle, a bag of BarkBox treats, and a spare roll of poop bags. I also have this really cool collapsible bowl that clips on to the leash. Obviously I needed the break more than Albus did. 
A black lab smiling with the Atlanta skyline in the distance behind him

I asked the park rangers if they would be firing the cannons on the tippy top of the mountain, because by this time I remembered all of the Kennesaw Mountain knowledge I have amassed over the years. They were also firing those, the reenactment must be historically accurate you know, so I decided we'd just head back down. It was hot and sweaty, but we ended up doing over two miles anyways because we had to walk to and from that satellite parking lot. 
a black lab with a lime green harness is startled either by the sound of cannon fire or the fact that his human is not as agile going down the mountain as he is.

Kennesaw Mountain itself, as well as the rest of the park associated with it, is all very dog friendly. A KEY thing to note though, you're gonna need to bring your own bags and be a little prepared to carry one for a while. We once accidentally went 6 miles on the Noses Creek trail looking for a trash can. There are several different trails in the park and we've done almost all of them! Maybe on our next installment of "Can I Bring Albus?" we'll talk about the dog beach where Albus made some overly serious dog dad very mad..

Have you been to Kennesaw Mountain? Do you think I'm a wimp getting winded on the trail (it's okay, I know I'm out of shape.) Is there a National Park near you that you love? Tell me about it! Also, always accepting new ideas for where to bring Albus.

Best Laid Plans

I was planing to review Big Little Lies because surely I would have finished it this weekend... but then it was Harry Potter Weekend on FreeForm so there you go. I didn't finish the book, I didn't get the house cleaned, I did go to bed at 10 pm on Saturday night though. 

On Saturday, Albus & I ran a 5K that ended with beer (praise hands!) at Red Hare Brewing. They have this really cool wall, pictured above. ALL I WANTED was a good picture of Albus, my cousin, and me in front of this damn wall. We asked three different people and this is the best that we got. I felt so irritated that we couldn't get someone to tell us to move one way or the other, and then I felt even worse for insisting that we take it a third time because I just wanted something nice to Instagram. I don't usually have the perfectionist thing going on, but honestly how hard was it to get this picture right?
A post shared by Kasey Decker (@kdsmoove) on

Albus loves running 5Ks, it was his 4th one and we finished in 46 minutes! I don't run very fast, if we're being honest. He could probably do a 7 minute mile. I love pup friendly 5Ks because that means there are other dogs for him to interact with. Sometimes I worry that he's going to be that obnoxious only child, so I have to make sure to socialize him. Read, I make sure to socialize myself because some weekends I don't even leave the house or interact with any humans. Plus he made a new lady friend!
If you follow me on snapchat or instagram, you also got a sneak peek of us trying to get the little monster to swim. For some reason he is afraid of the water! He can definitely swim, but straight refuses to get in the water. We even tried throwing balls in the water for him to chase! I'm guessing we'll have to wait until it's warm outside so that I can get in the water with him. Sometimes he can be super clingy. Either way, it was a big weekend for both of us.
So somehow this turned into a weekend update! What did y'all get into this weekend? How ready for spring weather to stick around are we? It was 30-something degrees when we started that 5K on Saturday. BRR.

February Through The Lens & March Goals

I would say I'm surprised that we've made it to March, but that would just be a lie. February felt like such  a long month considering it was only 28 days. Let's see what February looked like through the lens of my camera! It's been a minute since I've done one of these! 
Obviously, Albus, the most photogenic pup in the world takes the cake on most of them. He tuned EIGHT MONTHS old, he let me dress him up for the Super Bowl, he ran his 4th 5K (we have number 5 coming up this weekend!) and he had a friend stay over for a whole week! He also managed to officially transition out of the crate life, although he still sleeps in there on his own accord. Then, it was National Margarita Day, and a month of yard work man

I would do a recap of my February goals, but aside from keeping the house clean, I failed miserably. I'm going to keep blog three times a week on my to-do list. Here are a few more I want to accomplish:

1. The Yard. I gotta keep up the exhausting work so that this summer my house looks like the cover of a Southern Living magazine.  Every little bit counts or something, I have to find a mantra that keeps me from getting frustrated. 

2. Work on the blog. I want to get back to scheduling posts because I'm still working on becoming a morning person, so it's a lot easier to get stuff scheduled the night before than to try to hammer something out while watching the Today Show in the morning.. I also want to get back into the whole swing of the community aspect of it. I missed y'all!

3. Read at least three books. I only read one book in February, I mean it was 900 pages, but it was still just one book. I want to read at least three. Last night I started Big Little Lies and I also have All The Missing Girls so I need one more to knock off the list in March. Any suggestions?

What did February look like through your camera? What are you reading this month?

The Breakup Challenge 2016

So. Laaaaaaast year. er, well I guess two years ago, when I needed a kick in the "stop moping around + be fun again" department, I booked a trip to Europe by myself. Sadly, I can't afford to do that every time I get mopey (but man, what a financial goal that would be. or maybe it would be counterproductive because if travel makes me happy, and I could go any time I wanted, would I ever even be sad?) So when Laura + Amy announced the Breakup Challenge, I figured it was a very good second to being able to book another trip to Europe. 
The Breakup Challenge

Now, I am absolutely cheating. First of all January is my birthday (yeah I celebrate the whole month, what are you new?) so I'm sure I could give up booze, but it's my birthday. Anyways. I do have a handful of habits I'd like to not bring into 2016 with me. So instead of the Whole30, what I'm more on board for is the breaking up with bad habits. So I saw the announcement + started brainstorming what bad habits I wasn't going to bring into 2016 with me -- it was a ragtag little list: 
  • sending text messages after 2 am. 
  • leaving for work without brushing my hair
  • waking up 10 minutes before I need to leave for work. 
  • being a bad blogger
  • letting my room look like a hurricane came through 
  • not balancing my checkbook
  • skipping dinner because I haven't gone to the grocery store
  • eating out for lunch 4 days a week
  • not being 
Now, I am pretty sure I've failed at every single New Year's Resolution, show me someone who has succeeded at them all, I'll show you someone who's pants are on fire. So I am not committing to breaking up with all of them. My focus for January is these: waking up 10 minutes before I have to go to work (which will also fix the whole leaving without brushing my hair thing too. guys.), skipping dinner because I haven't gone to the grocery store (which should also knock out eating out for lunch all the time), and being a bad blogger. 

My new plan is this: plan my meals + go to the store on Sunday (blog about it), wake up early enough to go for a run before work (blog about how much faster I can run, what I'm listening to, what my steps are for the week, how bad my sneakers smell....) then, since I won't want to be sweaty, I can make coffee, shower, and blog before I go to work. What do you think? It seems like a small enough change to make a big difference. 

Are you breaking up with any bad habits this year? Allegedly if we can do it for 30 days, we'll make a good habit instead! What are your goals for this year and how can I help you achieve them?  

I Fell Down The Stairs & Other Confessions.

HEY GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS? It's time to link up with Laura + Lauren for #HashtagHumpday! da da da dadadaaaaaaaaaaaaa! 
#Hashtaghumpday @ Life with Lolo

Yeah. You read that correctly. I fell down a pretty steep flight of stairs yesterday. Are you ready to know why? because I hadn't been to a workout in an entire month. Also, there was a little puppy involved, but it was about 90% because I couldn't walk right. ONE barre class + I'm all walking around like a baby giraffe? honestly.  #callmegrace #thatsgonnaleaveamark
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I HAVEN'T WATCHED PLL SO DO.NOT.TELL.ME. I haven't really been on tumblr because I don't want to see well orchestrated gif sets of this episode. On this note, why isn't there some kind of algorithm to allow me to hide those not-really-spoilers. (ooooh also political rants, baby pictures on some days, oh the possibilities!) #nospoilers #notaguiltypleasure
two can keep a secret
I went to GlowDry on Saturday to get my hair did + it. looked. awesome. She curled it + it was beautiful for about two hours. Then it was straight as can be. Because, of course it was. I was really bummed. Can I have someone to do my hair ALL the time though? #butIgotascalpmassage #WORTHIT
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That's all I have todaaaay because I still haven't unpacked my life + I cannot get my act together. HOW IS THAT HAPPENING? Also, any suggestions for the giant white wall in my room? I want to do something fun with my Europe pictures!! (also I saved all of my tickets and subway maps and ALL THE THINGS!) What do you have to confess today? 

Berry College Reservoir

Okay. So I spent all weekend in the land of seven hills, aka Rome Georgia. On Saturday morning we woke up early (I don't know when I lost the ability to sleep in on Saturday, but I would really like for that to come back...) and hiked up to the reservoir on Berry's campus! 
It's not a bad walk at all, in fact, saying we "hiked" is probably a bit of an exaggeration.... there was an incline though. We're also not sure how far it was, my mom has the Garmin fitness tracker? That said we only went like, two miles total. I used the RunKeeper app on my phone, which said we went 2.97 miles. The world may never know.....
It was really overcast all day Saturday, which doesn't make for the best pictures, but totally made for outstanding hiking weather. It was humid, because Georgia, but it wasn't as hot as it would have been had the sun been out! 
After we made it back down from our "hike" we rewarded ourselves the only logical way, beer, chicken wings, and a tour of the bars in Rome... What kind of trouble did you get into this weekend?

Reflections On 30 Days At The Barre

Oh hellloooooooooo there blogland. GUESS what I found out last night? I officially won the Peachtree Road Race lottery. hollaaaa! So on July 4th this girl will be struggling through that July Georgia heat + hopefully not being handed a shot of vodka thinking it's water like last year (I almost died y'all. but at least I looked cute) So I figured now was as good a time as any to reflect on my whole "30 Days At The Barre" adventure.
WHY YES THOSE ARE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES.
Since I already told you what I learned in the first 15 days I'm sure I might repeat some things. You know what 30 days in a row at the gym taught me? I'm stronger than I think, all gym clothes can go in the same load of laundry, off days hurt more than you think they will, you might forget how to get home without going to the gym first, and it's a lot easier to power through those last 10 seconds of crunches by imagining how great you're going to look in a bikini. 

Guys. I'm 400% addicted to this. I literally go to the gym 5 days a week. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday. THAT SATURDAY CLASS IS AT 8 AM  + it just might be my favorite one. I was out of town last weekend + I still woke up in time to go to that class. Have we ever covered how I am the polar opposite of a morning person? I need coffee to make coffee. (funny story. today I went to this place called Cool Beans in Marietta + definitely struggled with the self serve for a good five minutes before admitting defeat only to find out I had just used the very last of the coffee. I wanted to bless my own heart. BUT IF YOU'RE IN MAY-RETTA you gotta go to Cool Beans + maybe bring me some coffee while you're at it

Anyways. I'm hooked. I didn't take a before picture because I'm a really bad blogger + fitness fanatic + stuff. I took one midway through but I haven't taken an "after" yet. So we'll see if that ever happens or if I just realize I can post bikini pictures on instagram because I earned it. OH ALSO SPEAKING OF INSTAGRAM. If you hashtag "gun show" people think you're serious + you will be followed by a bunch of weight lifting enthusiasts on insta AND tweeter. I definitely got a good laugh out of that one. Anyone want to come to the gym with me? 

An Open Letter To The Mean Lady At The Gym Spa

Hey! Remember me? Oh, that's rhetorical. I know you do, because when we ran into you a second time, I didn't recognize you -- I was trying to be polite because I thought you were just any other person in the gym. You obviously recognized me because you were rude upon the realization that we were heading the same place. 

Here's the thing. Our first encounter should have gone completely differently. There was no need for the tone you immediately started with, nor was that lecture necessary. You see, being a loud person, I notice when people are making passive aggressive motions about my volume. I try to let everyone around me know when I notice them. So the first time you over exaggerated your sigh, I knew exactly what you meant. I even stopped talking because I saw it. 

What really steamed me (heh heh heh a little sauna humor, if you will. gosh I'm clever.) was what you did next. A simple "could you please take the volume down a little bit" or even a "could you please be quiet?" would have sufficed. You choose a different road. You slammed your book down and started in about how we must not know that place is for relaxation. Then proceeded to lecture us like we were kindergartners who dumped all of the finger paints out. 

That lecture on "relaxation" is really what has me irritated, now over two weeks later. Here's the thing. We had gone to barre class and wanted to unwind and detox a little bit before heading back into the hustle and bustle of real life. Personally, I can't sit in a completely quiet environment with just my thoughts because my brain works so fast that one second I'm taking a quick break, the next I'm replaying every stupid decision I've made that week. Completely undoing what release I got from my workout. 

You see, ma'am, that's the thing about relaxation. It's not a black and white, one size fits all thing. For you, it appears to be lounging around and reading romance novels, for that handsome guy who was in there before you, it's reading the finance section with his headphones in (hey! handy tip there! you know how you can decide when to hear other people existing? bring headphones!) For us it's chatting about the ridiculous things that happened that day. You see, that's why we go to the gym, because that way we get a chance to catch up. 

Now, here we are again two weeks later. You're huffing and being passive aggressive, even though we're texting each other instead of speaking out loud, so that you don't yell at us again. Congratulations, because just being in the spa with you makes us so uncomfortable we can't even enjoy the down time after our workout. Just to think, all of this could have been avoided if you had just considered how you would want to be spoken to, had the roles been reversed.

Thanks! Enjoy your romance novel.

What do you do about rude people at the gym? I mean, honestly sometimes I'm that person that people complain about "ugh, she's not even using the weights, just waiting for her friend to finish" I'm sure people complain about me too... 

15 Things I Learned Halfway Through 30 Days at the Barre

HELLO WORLD. I am on day 16 of this ridiculous 30 Days at the Barre thing. What on earth were we thinking? Oh yeah "let's get real toned before March is over so we look like babes for bikini season
barre addict meet me at the barre

  1. I'm really a lot stronger than I thought I was. Like, I have muscles instead of spaghetti noodle arms. Don't tell the boys though, they'll start making me lift heavier things...
  2. There's no such thing as too many gym clothes. Please send me more. Anyone want to sponsor the second half of my 30 days at the barre adventure? I'll take more pictures.
  3. I'm a bad blogger, I didn't take a before picture. I did take a "halfway" picture. So, that will count. 
  4. You should smile in you before picture too. No one is ever smiling in their before pictures. I think that's silly. I think that smiling makes your face skinnier anyways. If that's important or whatever. 
  5. I'm happy that I decided to do this. I feel incredible. I actually have more energy. Which is probably weird, but I think that I like having the routine more than anything. 
  6. I really can make friends with anyone. I like my new barre friends because we can all laugh at ourselves when we can't quite bend the way that the instructor wants us to. 
  7. I'm addicted to herbal tea. In addition to my daily coffee + gallon of water, now I'm hooked on infusion teas. Caffeine for days y'all. 
  8. Gym memberships are only expensive if you don't use them. It hurts less to think of them in terms of how much you're paying per class rather than per month. Also that motivates you to take more classes to get a higher ROI. ta da! 
  9. You can put your sticky socks in the dryer! I was scared to wash mine, so I had to take a post class poll because I didn't want to ruin my sticky socks. haha
  10. Ugg boots are easier than sneakers. I'm sure in the summer it will be flippy floppies. But currently it's Ugg boots all day every day. Even though they don't come up high enough to meet my yoga capris. 
  11. Old Navy yoga pants are just as good as those $100 ones. BUT I REALLY WANT THE LULULEMON TECH MESH. (that's my reward for finishing the 30 days, if when I finish the 30 days. if Lululemon decides to restock them, I'm not paying $150 for an $88 pair of leggings. that's dumb)
  12. EVERYONE loves to be complimented on their workout gear. And their workout. It's so much fun to see everyone kicking ass. 
  13. cliche comment about the barre family being a community here.
  14. Your muscles will actually be less sore if you work them more******* (I am in absolutely no way qualified to tell you what's best for your workout or body or anything. I just know that my muscles hurt less the more I work them. please don't hurt yourself on my account. I like you too much.)
  15. workouts are more fun if you're smiling! don't take it so seriously -- have fun
There it is! What I've learned in the first fifteen days of being a crazy person. Now, for those of you saying "oh my god you're going to hurt yourself without a rest day!" we do take Thursdays for a yoga flow type class -- that's more stretching, less tucking. Just to keep us from dying. NOW I know you've already entered to win $300 to Antrhopologie, so I know you're not going to win my $105 in cash right?  I guess if you win, you can sponsor my last 15 days! 

chelsea | karli | vicki
tawnya | sydney | kasey
samantha | kaelene | chelsee

Living The Sweaty Life

Okay. I cannot believe that my month of ClassPass is already over. I was so torn on what to do now that it has ended. On the one hand, I want to join the gym (Exhale) that I tried out with my sister thanks to ClassPass, but also I loved ClassPass. First world workout addict problems, am I right? I want to do a quick recap of all the studios I tried out right here though! Ready?

Exhale :: OKAY. So the first class I did at Exhale was "Thighs + Glutes" with Brianna. I almost died. I really did. It was really touch + go for a while. It was at 8 am on a SATURDAY. I don't know how Eva talked me into it, but she did. After that class was over? Everyone was so surprised I made it through the whole thing. I also had leaps and bounds worth of energy for the rest of the day. The next class I did was a Core Fusion, which also kicked my booty. It was the first class of our 30 straight days of Barre! I love love love the staff at Exhale + the location is pretty decent + easy for me to get to, plus they validate parking. Hollaaaa!

Pure Barre :: I mean, this one lives up to the hype. This was the first place I ever heard of when the whole Barre thing started. I'm not sure they're the first ever. Anyways. I took one class in Dunwoody (after I finally found the studio + cried big fat alligator tears) and I loved it. Lots of super sweet ladies in the class + I even met a few other girls who were using ClassPass there!

Pink Barre :: Okay, so I had already been to Pink Barre once (ATL Blogger Meetup plug here.) So I kind of knew what I was getting myself into. I tried out the Sandy Springs location for a regular class + then one day I got a wild hair + did that whole 6 AM Flow class. TOTALLY worth it. I was in a super mood for the rest of the day + my stepmom even told me I needed to take a walk because I had entirely too much energy for 8 am on a Friday. ( I had time to drink four cups of coffee at Panera before the sun came up.)

Red Hot Yoga Buckhead :: I want to get into yoga SO bad because I'd love to be all flexible + zen but I just can't. I the people at this studio were great, the teacher was fantastic, but I just couldn't get into it. wah wahhh

The Bar Method :: EVERYONE WAS SO GREAT. I feel like I'm really bad at reviews because I don't have anything negative to say about any of these places. The staff here was fantastic + so helpful + I didn't feel like an idiot when I fell down.

SO. I'm only torn because I want to do the whole "30 straight days of barre" + my seeester wants me to take all thirty with her, so I'm teetering. If you wanna try out ClassPass -- YOU TOTALLY SHOULD -- but you can skip the waiting list if you use this link right here. Are you ready to live the sweaty life?

**ClassPass let me try their services for free (for a whole month!) but all of these opinions are totally mine. Ask me anything you need/wanna!!**

I Think I'm Addicted to Barre

First of all. Every time I talk about going to "barre class" EVERYONE assumes I mean "bar" + they say, "Kasey, why on earth do you think you need to go to a class for drinking? You're already pretty good at it." SERIOUSLY. Anyways. So, if you haven't heard, ClassPass came to Atlanta!** If you follow me on the twitter, you'll know a couple weeks ago I tweeted "facebook tells me classpass is in Atlanta, so I'm really hoping I get an e-mail from classpass saying "hey try this for us + blog about it" THEN I GOT AN E-MAIL FROM CLASSPASS SAYING "Hey Kasey, we saw your tweet, today is your lucky day!" Just goes to show you, if you don't ask, the answer is always no. 

I. DIGRESS. Anyways. So I'm addicted to barre class. It kicks my booty every time but I want to go back for more. That's what you're supposed to get out of a workout, right? I love that, at least in the classes I have been to, there's not anyone who is all nose in the air, I am so much better than you are at this. [see, my inability to dance but still liking Zumba classes as well as my inability to touch my toes... in any class..] Everyone I've met at any + all my barre classes has been just as friendly as possible. I don't even feel self conscious about not being able to touch my toes there. Guys. My legs are really long okay?
here's a blurry selfie from a Friday night pre-happy hour barre class....
So, the moral of this short but sweet story is that what started as a fun little Atlanta Bloggers meetup turned into a total addiction + I'm going to have a rockin' bikini bod come summer time. Get excited! If you're interested in signing up for ClassPass, you can use this link to skip the waitlist! Maybe we can take classes together! Is anyone else addicted to barre class? Or using ClassPass? What are your thoughts? I'm a fan so far!

**obviously, ClassPass gave me a free month [because I asked for it..] in exchange for a review, opinions are my own + there will probably be another ClassPass post in the near future...**

Atlanta Blogger Holiday Meetup!!!!!!!!!!!!

OKAY. I know it's been an entire week. I also know that MeganAllison, AND Caitlin already posted recaps, but I want to tooooo okay? Okay. First things first, it took me five days to be able to laugh and not immediately grab my abs and go "ouch" like a little baby. Obviously I have to go back to Pink Barre!  

I honestly live .4 miles away from Pink Barre in Buckhead and quite honestly didn't know there was anything else in that shopping center aside from the wine store, the Italian place, and Zoe's kitchen. I tried to walk, but you know, Ben Franklin and DST prevented it. good thing I didn't walk, I wouldn't have been able to get home.
okay. I don't like eggnog, but those eggnog cookies were to. die. for. 
Also, I love all of the ladies in the Atlanta Blogger Network. Even the ones I haven't met IRL. I've never felt like there is an awkward down time when we get there. It's such a stellar group of ladies [and gentlemen...] that I always feel comfortable being myself. you know, everyone has that personality they present when they're not sure how they'll be received, in this case I definitely wasn't too shy to be the one to start the champagne drinking. 
As far as barre class goes, I will absolutely be going back. Yes, I did whine and hurt for a week, but imagine how awesome I would feel if I went all the time. PLUS I'd be in better shape and have abs and have an excuse to wear yoga pants more. Also, allegedly, it will help me with balance. In case you need me to paint you a word picture, I'm about as graceful as a bull in a china shop. Oh. And if you're wondering? I totally won the sweater contest. Obviously.

Also, being the bad blogger I am, I totally didn't take a picture of my gift bag. That doesn't mean I don't love all of the things inside of it! So I'd like to thank all of our beautiful sponsors: Pink Barre, Glow Dry, Rafflecopter, Brownie Brittle, Inkspot Workshop, PLA Beauty, and Moxie Makery. Also, can we talk about what rockstars Becca + Melissa are for putting this together? Especially all of the treats that Melissa made. I'm gonna need that cookie recipe. I might be biased, but I think the Atlanta Bloggers are the best -- especially since I make those faces + they still let me come play.