Workout video junkie am I

My name is Ronnie Contreras, and I'm a workout video junkie/addict. In my defense, I do actually use almost all of the workout videos I have and due to my addiction, I have made it a point to find them at a bigger discount by purchasing used copies (not bootlegged though.) Anyway, my most recent purchase was Turbo Fire. It is UH-MAZING! Here is a list of my workout dvds in no particular order.


1. Tony Horton's 10 minute trainer: excellent workout! I used it to help ease me back into working out one 10 minute workout at a time following my c-section with Nicolas. I was able to stack them after a month and I still throw a workout in when I'm running low on time and need an overall awesome workout.The ab workout is killer and more effective and efficient than any other ab workout I've tried.

2. Zumba-Total Body Transformation: the original zumba set. This is an awesome workout but not super duper crazy intense. Without dieting, it helped me lose 5 lbs and I call it my "when I don't feel like working out" workout. It makes me sweat. Once I put myself on Weight Watchers, I lost my last 10 lbs with it.

3. Tracy Anderson Post Pregnancy Workout: really long, difficult video but excellent workout. I learned quickly that the TAM (Tracy Anderson Method) is not realistic for me. I actually want to vomit any time I hear Gwyneth talking about how TA changed her body, blah blah blah. Well, I'm pretty sure that if somebody has the time to commit to 5, 1-hour dance cardio workouts and 5 1 to 2-hour resistance training sessions a week, you better end up with a different body and maybe even an eating disorder or two. Just sayin'.

4. Zumba Exhilarate: it took me a while to warm up to this one but it is an excellent workout. The sentao workout is amazing, and the toning workout is great, but I miss the original instructors Tanya Beardsley and Gina Grant. They are featured in one of the easier workouts that is not intense enough for me. The music is very Latin American (Latin techno) as opposed to U.S. Latino/Hispanic (merengue, salsa, etc.) oriented like the Zumba TBT. Most of the workouts annoy me because it is not live instructional. The workouts are filmed without the instructors talking and the voices are added in after the fact so that the viewer has the choice to shut off vocal instruction. That is the biggest downside for me and it makes me sad. :( I'm hopeful that the next zumba collection will include the awesome instructors, Tanya and Gina doing live instruction. Some of the workouts remind me of white girls on ecstasy dancing at a rave. *I know many white girls that can dance, these white girls I think were chosen for their outward appearance as opposed to dancing skill.*

5. Turbo Fire: Chalene Johnson is a spaz but like she said, "I have found my workout soul mate." It is high energy and the woman has me drenched in sweat every time, even only during one of the 15 or 20 minute HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts. Even on mornings like today when I was feeling kinda tired, I finished the workout with incredible energy.  I can't speak highly enough of the workout, but you definitely have to be in decent physical shape to start out because she does not mess around. All the jumping has my Achilles tendon feeling a bit strained but I'm definitely trying to work on healing it quickly so I can get back to my crazy workouts soon. Highly recommend this one.

6. P90x: this one is actually Eddy's but because it helped me in my weight loss journey, I'll give it a quick critique. It is an amazing workout that I think is geared more toward men or for women who are looking to get ripped and not for weight loss. It includes a "lean" module which allows you to focus more on getting leaner but there isn't enough intense cardio for my taste. I like the cardio x, stretch x, and kenpo x. The Yoga x is ridiculously hard but definitely a great workout too.

We'll see what Eddy lets me indulge in next. :) I'm stuck on Turbo Fire for now so we'll see in what direction I go once I've finished my 90 days. My energy is oh so high and I love it. WOOHOO.

Thankful for Eddy

My mind started rolling the other day and I kept getting annoyed and then thankful...annoyed...and then thankful. So, what got me started was when the pest control guy came over to pay us a special visit because after 2 treatments since May, we still have spiders and silverfish roaming around the house, and both Nicolas and Alex have been bitten by spiders. So, anyway, the guy was a young, fresh Hispanic dude who exuded machismo. He introduced himself, and after seeing both my boys, he said, "oh I have a 2 week old." So, I proceeded to say, "oh you must be really tired," to which he responded, "nah, girl, I gotta work. My wife gets up." That's when everything started for me. Initially, I was annoyed with the idea. I would have never been able to make it through my first few weeks at home if Eddy didn't get up to help at least with changing diapers and then handing the boys to me to feed mostly due to my c-section recovery, but also due to the infection I had with Alex, the raging hormones of course, and having to deal with a crazy toddler (who gave up nap time at the same time of his brother's birth) after Nico was born.

I can't imagine what my life would be like if I didn't have the support I had from Eddy following the births of both of our sons and now our lives as a family. After Alex, I was in grad school and suffered with a lot of postpartum anxiety that wouldn't allow me to sleep and made me a very cranky mother. So, Eddy took most nightly duties waking up with Alex. We were fortunate that Alex slept through the night by 2 months occasionally and permanently by 3 months. With Nicolas, I didn't have any problems with anxiety (probably because I already knew what to expect) but Eddy still helped me with middle of the night feedings like a trooper.

So, after being annoyed with the obnoxious pest control guy all day, I decided to change my perspective and realize how lucky I am to have my hubs and even feel a little sympathy for him that he married a crazy, obsessive-compulsive person like me. We both have our fair share of compulsive behaviors but after 6 1/2 years married, we've come to embrace one another's quirks and still love each other more and more every day. :)

Our lives are filled with sacrificing of sleep, food (not because we can't afford it thankfully but because someone is always calling for one of us during meal time,) and alone time but we make it a point to try and make time for ourselves as a couple and alone time which is usually in the form of working out in the a.m. before both boys wake up. Ahhh, the joys of parenting! Did I mention how much the hubs rocks!?

Stresses of a working mother

So, I wanted to piggyback off of my post yesterday so that my working parent friends understand that I know how stressful it is to be a working parent and don't feel as though I was saying that being a SAHM is harder than being a working mother by any means. What I meant was that there can be more stress involved with being at home, albeit different. Here's what we contended with that we no longer have to worry about now that I'm home:

1. Alex getting sick constantly and having to take time off during a time when taking vacation days was not a luxury I could afford (we had a sickly daycare kid and now he has asthma.)

2. It was sooo hard to get quality alone time with the hubby. We were so busy catching up on time missed with Alex that we definitely put our marriage second.

3. The hustle and bustle of working life (commuting, fitting grocery shopping, laundry, housekeeping into the limited time at home, etc.) 

I'm thankful to be at home with both of my boys but the gratitude quickly gets murky while I'm trying to maintain my patience, teach my children right from wrong, keep the peace between the boys, work on preschool activities with Alex, cooking meals, cleaning up, doing laundry, taking the boys out to get exercise and interact with other children, and the list goes on and on. 

I was a much happier and more patient mother to be around when I was working I guess because I felt like I was contributing financially to my family while doing something I loved and knowing that Alex was getting to interact with other children all day in an environment that was encouraging him to be a big boy. Anyway, I'm sure everybody has their own idea of stress and being a mother but like I said in my last post, being a parent is a stressful thing.

When life gets tough, a little Mexican hot chocolate can help!

Mama had a trying day today so I was craving chocolate but not quite anything substantial so I went to old faithful, Popular Mexican hot chocolate. I absolutely recognize that the heat index is way over 100º here in South Texas, but the AC inside coupled with all the stress from taking care of two very rambunctious little boys had me feeling cold enough to crave a warm cup of yummy goodness. I highly recommend it over Abuelita hot chocolate only because my Mexican abuelita only made me Popular. I swear I'm not getting paid.

So, I obviously had a stressful day and what stuck in my head the entire day was for the brief 10 minutes that I was able to watch TV this morning (Nicolas was down for a nap and Alex was in time out in his room) I was watching the View and I couldn't help but get extremely aggravated with Joy Behar (somebody I highly respect) when she challenged Bethenny Frankel's statement that being a stay at home mother is stressful. Bethenny retracted and said, "well I guess it's not stressful, but..." followed by non-verbal language demonstrating a person pulling her hair out.

As much as I love Joy, homelady needs to be checked. I thought about it all day, and for those of us who don't take our children to "Mother's Day Out" or who don't have any help aside from our spouses, we carry the burden of childcare for at least 95% of the day. While I may not have the stress of the work commute, dealing with a crappy boss or coworkers, or deadlines, I have the stress of my children's safety at the forefront of my thoughts at all times. If anything were to happen to my children on my watch, it would be my responsibility and I could be punished and potentially have them taken away if God forbid something horrible happened to either of my children. So, yes, Ms. Behar, being a stay-at-home parent is stressful...more stressful than saying being a working mother who has the luxury of putting herself first even for just 20 to 40 hours a week. I'll get off my soapbox shortly but I have done both--working mom and stay at home and hands down, being a stay at home mother is harder. The dynamics of a marriage change such that a majority of the childcare burden is placed on the parent that is not working and one must be an advocate for their sanity (regularly scheduled "alone" or "adult" outings, etc.) In all fairness, being a SAHM to only 1 child was much easier than being a working mother.

Working was really hard on us and we find that having me at home is much better for our family. I often wish that I could go back to work just to get a mental break but I've come to realize that babies grow up way too fast and we'll never get the time back. So, I highly respect all working moms. My mom was a working mom and I'm convinced that she was Superwoman because she did it all.


In conclusion, being a parent is stressful. My theory is that the more children you have, the more stressful it gets. Today was obviously a difficult day but it was made easier when Eddy came home from his CE dinner which coincided with Nico falling asleep and Eddy took over Alex duty. So, what did I do with my small break????? Well, you're reading it. :)

June update

It's that time of the year again: birthday month!!! Only this time, we will celebrate my little angel, Nicolas', major birthday: his 1st. :) As my second born, he has had to live with a lot less than Alex had to including but not limited to: new toys, new clothes, one on one mommy and/or daddy time, and sadly for me, individual story time. BUT, I think he has a lot more in one area that Alex never had and that is a big brother who adores him and serves as his entertainment and protector all in one. :) They are my joy in life and I thank God every day for having blessed me with them.

June has already been a busy month, but this week, we will begin by celebrating Roly's birthday (33 years young) on the 16th and finish it by celebrating Father's Day and Grandma Mary's birthday on the 19th. Last year, Grandma Mary arrived in town on her birthday to help get us ready to welcome baby Nicolas. This year, we're pretty sure we won't see her right away, but we're hopeful that we'll see her very soon. Next week, Nico will be 1 on the 22nd and Daddy will be 35 years young on the 26th. Then, on the 29th Great Grandma Petra Saenz will be 87. My goodness, June is filled with birthdays of those I love.

Nicolas finally adjusted to life without the helmet albeit with many small bruises and bumps on his noggin. Poor guy. Alex continues to be extremely active, and he requires constant exercise and stimulation. He loves gymnastics, and we are looking to begin martial arts in the next week or two. He was in swimming lessons but his crazy inexperienced teacher completely made him lose all trust in strangers in the pool so needless to say, we will never take a class with her again. :( We will resume lessons soon but for now, we want him to forget about his traumatic experience as best possible. HA!

I'll post again soon. I've been slacking on the blog because a mobile Nico = crazy mommy with no time! :)

Chipotle chicken breasts

So, in my attempt to minimize points while I was weight watchering (I'm pretty sure that's a legit verb,) I stumbled upon chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. I experimented first by making this very yummy, spicy, and flavorful chicken breast. I failed with a few other recipes when I realized that baking the peppers in chicken broth then making a sauce was a lot less spicy than trying to make a sauce without the long cooking process. So, I wanted to share this recipe for those of you that are afraid of the really spicy stuff but still willing to take it on a little bit. Here goes:


In a 9X13 glass baking dish, place 3 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts with 1 cup of water, a few sprinkles of adobo seasoning without pepper (not the sauce) and 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (you are welcome to use any other kind of chicken breast but I love the flavor of the broth when the bone and skin are left on.) Bake it at 375º for 50 minutes (cooking time is for large chicken breasts-adjust time for size.) When the chicken is done, I take the broth and I de-seed the chipotle peppers and throw it in food processor and puree. Pour it over the chicken breast. The sauce is thin but will stick to the chicken breasts beautifully.

Half of a chicken breast without the skin (or 3 oz if you use a scale like I do) with the sauce is worth 3 weight watchers points. We usually pair it with green beans (0 weight watchers points) and a starch (white rice, mexican rice, corn) and it is always a hit. We don't let Alex eat it yet because it can be spicy although I'm sure he'd be fine with it. Instead of pouring the sauce over the chicken, Eddy dips his chicken in it. Enjoy! :)

Great news!

So today was a bit dramatic to say the least, but I wanted to write a quick post. Nicolas has graduated from wearing the helmet. :) This is according to Robert, the orthotist, because he met his goals with his numbers (cephalic index and cranial vault symmetry) and he has outgrown the helmet. We see Dr. Gennuso next Tuesday to get the final blessing but Robert said we basically don't need to wear it anymore unless Dr. Gennuso says otherwise. Ahhhh!

Now, the hard part starts. We have all become so used to the helmet that we're not overly cautious when Nicolas is on the floor, which is almost always these days. He constantly bangs around his head without consequence because he can practically hit it on everything and feel hardly anything. Yesterday, during his hour break, I noticed him hitting his head lightly and experimenting without his helmet as he crawled underneath the coffee table. It was quite amusing and I think he learned that it hurts when the helmet isn't on...or at least I hope he did. I'm a nervous wreck for now and I'm almost certain that the pack and play will become my best friend when I need to accomplish something.

Also, Alex had penicillin allergy testing this morning at our favorite allergist's office in the entire world. Dr. Dennis Dilley He is amazing and we are thankful that Alex is not allergic to it after all. The testing was not fun at all and had to be performed in addition to the traditional scratch test which determined that Alex is allergic to cedar, bermuda grass, and tree nuts last year in May. It required 3 people to hold Alex down because he had to be injected 6 times in his upper arm after having had a scratch test performed on his forearm prior to that. It was chaotic and dramatic but we needed to have it done so that Alex's pediatrician can prescribe the appropriate line of antibiotics if/when Alex gets bronchitis.


So happy that is over with. Next post, I'll post my newest favorite for a healthy chicken option. It is so yummy and spicy. :)