Happy (late) Monday to you! Hope you’re well-rested and ready for the week.

Today I’m skipping my “Meal Plan Monday” post because, to be 100% honest, we didn’t do much planning last week and ate a bunch of random things (cereal on Monday night—Five Guys takeout on Wednesday, I think). It was already a short week, Baby M was not feeling well at all, and we were out of town Friday night for Scales and Ales in New Orleans.

Speaking of Scales and Ales—we had a blast! The weather was crummy and rainy all day while we drove in to New Orleans, but after we ate some lunch at Mulate’s, perused the shops at the Riverwalk, and took a brief nap/rest in the hotel room, all the rain was gone and it was refreshingly cool outside!

We got all gussied up before our friends joined us at the hotel to walk over to the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas. What a fun night! We sampled quite a few delicious bites of food (my favorite was the shrimp and bacon remoulade, followed by the pulled pork nachos with mango salsa) and equally tasty drinks (I had a maple pecan Abita, some red wine, and an odd-but-tasty “Tiki Torcher” cocktail that involved eating an Amazonian flower that made your mouth numb!). I even got to pet a stingray (which I don’t think I’ve done before? Weird.)!

We did our best to sleep late on Saturday before heading to the French Quarter for my favorite Bloody Mary (x2, at Muriel’s) and lunch at El Gato Negro (mountains of guac!). We walked around the Quarter and by the river briefly before making our way back home. Sunday was spent relaxing and finally getting to see our goofy, happy, energetic baby boy again instead of a sleepy, clingy, miserable little thing. He has not been himself lately (having an ear infection, taking multiple medicines that messed up his system (vomiting and constipation), and just feeling yucky). Gigi and Grandpa helped nurse him back to good health while we were gone. 🙂

Much like Baby M, I’m feeling a renewed sense of energy, too. Cardio Barre is on the agenda for tonight, and I’m hoping to get in more at-home workouts this week and maybe some evening walks in this cooler, fall-ish weather. It’s also the kick-off to a fun fitness challenge. Read on for details and join me for the next 4 weeks.

Today I am embarking on a 4 week challenge with BOSU and #SweatPink to prove to the world that I am #BOSUSTRONG. Being #BOSUSTRONG means I make fitness part of my everyday life, at home, out and about, and with my friends and family. I will squat, mountain climb, plank, push-up, lunge, jog and “barre” my way to a stronger and more toned body. And I will encourage all my friends and family to join me on this fun journey because we are one big, happy #FitFamily.
Being #BOSUStrong is not just about movement, sweat, or even owning a BOSU, its about being a leader, an inspiration to others, and sharing my own fitness journey with others. It’s about not letting long work days and stress stand in my way of sweating and getting strong!

The 5 things that make me #BOSUStrong are:

My strong arms (from lifting Baby M all day).
My ability to push through pain.
My love for a varied fitness routine.
My healthy work-day habits.
And my desire to be in great physical shape for my family.

So I want to know – are you #BOSUStrong? Copy and paste the above, fill it in and make it your own [by changing the bold & italicized words to your own] and then tag me in it on Instagram or Twitter and share with your friends! Let’s all be #BOSUSTRONG.

Disclaimer: this post was sponsored by BOSU but all opinions expressed are my own. I truly appreciate all of the brands that support the Fit Approach (Sweat Pink) community.