zumba

So Long, Twenty Twelve

On New Year’s Eve, it only makes sense that I pause to reflect on the year and some of the awesome things that happened. I sifted through the 265 posts that I wrote this year to share with you my very favorite “No Thanks to Cake” moments of 2012.

NTTC Greatest Hits of 2012

The “little blog that could” grew leaps and bounds during 2012. Here’s a few of the highlights of what happened this year:

Extreme Makeover – Blog Edition: I moved NTTC from Blogger to self-hosted WordPress and worked with a graphic designer on its redesign. This was a fun, yet nerve-wrecking time. How do you choose the design for your blog that makes most sense? How do you design it in a way that will reflect the essence of your message. I think we ended up in a pretty good spot!

Does anyone remember this ol’ place?

Launched Several Regular Features: I launched my first regular feature on the blog called Workout Wednesday (AKA WOW.) The fact that I was working out enough to have content for this was awesome as well. I also started responding to reader email via “Email from Readers” features throughout the year, giving us all a way to interact a little bit more. Both of these features will be getting a fabulous facelift in 2013… and I think you’re going to like it!

Enhanced Social Networking Presence: I’ve become even more connected via social networking this year. This has been HUGE because I feel like it gives me another way to interact (and get to know!) you guys! So fun!

You can now connect with NTTC via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram… and who knows what will come next! Click any of the highlighted links to connect, if you haven’t already.

Attended Fitbloggin’: Attending Fitbloggin was one of the pivotal moments of 2012 for me personally and from a blog perspective. I got to meet so many new friends and bloggers through this experience and become a part of a fantastic community of men and women who inspire so many to be healthy every single day.

Won Some Awards (REALLY?): Well, award. NTTC was named amongst the 18 Best Weight Loss Blogs of 2012 by Healthline.com. But, NTTC was also nominated for Best Weight Loss Blog by Fitness Magazine, and featured on Diets in Review for keeping my weight loss resolution. So crazy to think all of this happened this year, too!

My Favorite Posts of 2012

I’m going to channel Friends on this one, as I pick the most appropriate categories my favorite posts of 2012. These are just the posts that I liked writing and love going back to read… hopefully, they are a few of your faves too!

The Ones Reminding Me of How Far I’ve Come: These are always some of my faves. Here’s a few to check out that include pictures over the year: 730 Days Later, Reflecting on this Journey and Unexpected Recognition, Independence Day, and Travel Companions.

The Ones Where I Went On and On about Fitbloggin: I love all of my Fitbloggin recaps because it was such a POWERFUL three days in Baltimore, but What I Brought Home from Fitbloggin really is my favorite. I also love the post where I completely geeked out on Zumba.

The Ones Where I Recapped My Best Friend’s Wedding: One of my most emotional pieces of the year, I love the post where I wrote a letter to Angela and Jamie after their wedding weekend. Love you two!

The Ones Where I Talk about My Other BFF Kelly Clarkson: I saw Kelly in concert not once, but TWICE this year! And, yes… you got to hear about the Denver AND Nashville concerts here. Expect more of this in 2013, unless I’m too busy attending to my bridesmaid duties (She is engaged, afterall!)

The Ones Where I Try New Workouts: Can you believe that all of these were new to me this year? Candelight Yoga, Zumba, Pilates and… let’s not forget my introductions to Lululemon and Athleta (love!) where I now shop for my favorite workout gear! I also loved telling you guys about my first Turkey Trot and my first trek up Camelback Mountain.

The One Where There Really Aren’t Words: There have been many moments throughout this journey where I’ve been overwhelmed by kind words. Simply Grateful is one where I describe how it feels, as best I can.

The One Where I Realized How Much I Loved Cooking: I had quite a few awesome cooking moments this year (and MANY new recipe successes at home.) I absolutely LOVED touring McCormick and learning about all of their spices and seasonings and the health benefits they provide. Visiting the Gourmet Spoon Cooking School as part of a team builder for work also topped the list! My at-home wine and cheese party was also incredibly fun to put together and write about!

The Ones Where I Crack Myself Up: Interesting that both have to do with fart noises, but re-reading Yoga Laughs and the story about The Faux Fart cracked me up tonight.

The One Where I Shot a Video: I can’t believe I did it, but I recorded my very first Vlog (video blog) this year. Click here to see it in all its glory. There may be more of these in the new year (since there’s been some demand)

Wow… to think that all happened in one year! It was an awesome trip down memory lane, for sure. I feel healthier, stronger, more active, and more thankful than ever before.

On this eve of the new year, I encourage you too to think about all the great things that happened in 2012. We will be turning the page to 2013 in just mere hours… Fasten your seatbelt, it’s going to be another amazing year!

What were your favorite NTTC posts of 2012? Which ones stand out as your faves?

My First Gazpacho

Asian Carrot Ginger Dressing

Chicken with Creamy Tomato-Pesto Topping

WOW: Fitbloggin Workouts

For a while now on Wednesdays, I’ve been featuring “Work Out Wednesday” on (you guessed it!) Wednesdays to recap my week in the gym…

Since Fitbloggin is designed to be fitness friendly and for the fitness bloggers of the world, it’s packed with different workout session to appease anyone looking to sweat it out!

While the conference schedule included informational sessions, it also included Yoga, Crossfit, Zumba, a Trampoline Fitness Class, and a Bootcamp class. I knew that I needed to do the Yoga class. Having proclaimed myself a yoga-holic, that class was high on my list (even if it started at 6am). The folks at Nature Valley had thankfully provided free yoga mats to the attendees, so I was all set.

It took everything in me to get out of the cozy bed to make this class, but I did it!

On the way out of yoga, I ran into Julie from Am I There Yet and we decided to head out to Starbucks for post-yoga refreshments.

Check out all those special instructions on the cups!

I had the pleasure of introducing Julie to the Salted Caramel Mocha and I got to enjoy an SCM for the first time with Hilary (all doctored up the NTTC way!)

On Saturday, I knew I had zero interest in the early morning bootcamp, and kicked off the morning with a lovely walk around the Inner Harbor.

Such a gorgeous morning for a walk. I love this area!

Eventually, we’d had enough of the walking and were ready for our 2nd Salted Caramel Mocha from Starbucks. So delish!

We finished our walk in plenty of time to attend a morning session before heading to ZUMBA. While I had tried Zumba several months ago and did not enjoy it, I figured why not.

I had new shoes to break in from our Fitbloggin sponsor Reebok, afterall… We got the best swag!

When it was time to take this class, I was STILL hesitant. I don’t like Zumba. I don’t do Zumba. I don’t dance.

Oh… how wrong I was once again!

The instructors for the class made it ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Their energy, their song selections, their motivation, and the fact that they were shaking it up there… inspired us all!

I parked myself in the back of the class….

Halfway through… and still smiling!

I honestly couldn’t believe how MUCH I loved Zumba this time around. Maybe it was the music, maybe it was the energy coming from the crowd, but I just got into it… and frankly, I am still slightly obsessed a few days later.

And, pretty soon… I found myself working it. Seriously!!

OMG… Here we are after it was over. Glistening with beauty. What a workout!

I seriously can’t tell you the last time I sweat this much, and I mean that in the best possible way! Every muscle in my body got a workout… and my core felt like I had been working it for hours!

So moved and inspired by the whole morning, I had to get a picture with the instructors, starting with Sam. I totally gushed to Sam about how awesome I thought she was and how I loved Zumba…

And it is my love for Sam and her class that has me posting these super-sweaty pics. This doesn’t happen often, folks, enjoy!

And, then I met Sue… Sue got the bulk of my cheesiness. Remember all those endorphins were FLOWING post-workout. So, I did what every normal girl does.

I talked about how I love, loved her class… and then I invited her to move to Denver.

And then, I told her that we were obvi BFF now, since she got me to dance…. and no one does that! Luckily, Sue still was ok with the picture taking after I geeked out.

Something crazy happened in that Zumba class… I’m serious. I have a feeling you’ll see more Zumba updates in the future. It was just that AWESOME.

So awesome, in fact, that I found this video of the class online and I just had to share it. AWESOME!

I’m equally motivated by the fact that it felt like I had done a ZILLION crunches later that night. Yep, Zumba whittles the core…. and I’m completely pumped about it.

There were so many options for workouts that I almost wished I had done more… but then again, I think what we did worked perfectly!

One last note on Zumba… check out my Fitbit steps on Saturday morning (post-walk and post-class!)