#FitnessFriday Abs Workout from Popsugar

It’s almost summer and with it, concerns about how you look, especially your abs. More importantly, strengthening your core is something you need to do for health reasons, but what if you don’t go to the gym and have lots of equipment.

Well, you don’t need a gym or equipment for a lot of workouts, like this one from Popsugar. Even better, it’s only 10 minutes long and who doesn’t have 10 minutes to improve their health?

I also like what I think is an alternative to the burpees everyone is always going on about (see minute 1 of the slide back and forth). I have issues with my big toes (seriously, I do) and that move back onto them in the burpee is painful.

If you have a Swiss ball, do a similar move that’s called a prone jacknife to help with those lower abs.

Click here if you can’t see the Popsugar video and please visit their site at www.popsugar.com. They have lots of awesome workouts, fashion, recipes and tips for you!

#ThrowbackThursday 1985 Villanova Champions

Still celebrating Villanova’s win in this year’s NCAA basketball championship. We’ve been waiting for 31 years since that Perfect Game to see the Best Championship Game Ever!

So this Throwback Thursday I’m sharing a commemorative collage I made to celebrate the 1985 Villanova Championship win. I’m already gathering newspapers and magazines to make a collage for this year!

Why so excited? Well, besides it being my alma mater, it just goes to show what teamwork and heart can do. Villanova is not a big school compared to North Carolina or some of the others. The guys on the team are not top NBA prospects, but they gave it their all and played like there was no tomorrow.

Who doesn’t love an underdog?

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You can also check out my board of photos and videos about the championship game!
Follow Caridad’s board Villanova 2016 NCAA Champs on Pinterest.

#TeaserTuesday Under the Boardwalk from the SUMMER HEAT Box Set

It’s time for a teaser and today it’s a short excerpt from my new story, Under the Boardwalk, in the the SUMMER HEAT Box Set!

This is a sexy, but emotional story, about a married couple trying to rekindle the summer love they had discovered along the Jersey Shore boardwalks. Why a married couple? Well, marriages sometimes take hard work to maintain, but I do believe that if you truly love someone, that hard work will pay off with a happily-ever-after.

In the case of Natalie and Chase, passion is not the issue, and as I said, this definitely is a sensual story. But more importantly, I hope you’ll be rooting for Natalie and Chase to work through their issues and rediscover their love for each other.

Teaser

Natalie Ramirez has spent less and less time with her husband over the last year and more and more time alone. She longs for the happy days of summer when she and Chase would pass the time together on the beach and under the boardwalk, exploring the passion that simmered between them as hot as any summer sun.

Chase Smith had to work hard for everything he ever had, including his wife Natalie. His wife had never wanted for anything in her life and Chase didn’t want to disappoint her. But somewhere along the way, Chase lost sight of the most important thing she wanted: his love.

A passionate night under the boardwalk brought them together, but can Chase and Natalie rekindle that lost love and save their marriage?

Excerpt

Click here if you cannot see the excerpt below!

Additional Info

The SUMMER HEAT Box Set is specially priced at 99 cents for a limited time and is now available at:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/1SXcNjW
BN: http://bit.ly/1VIZ7qJ
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1XPUCvS
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/20CGJBa
SummerHeatAuthors.com: http://bit.ly/1oI4s7c
SHteaser1

#ManCandyMonday Villanova Basketball Coach Jay Wright

Humor me this Monday morning. Today’s choice is fashion plate and Villanova Basketball coach Jay Wright. This man, unlike Rollie Massimino (1985 National Champs!), is always perfectly put together. So much so that he’s been a multiple winner of GQ’s Fashionable Four of best dressed college coaches.

And despite disappointments in the last few years where Villanova was eliminated in the early rounds, this year Jay has led my alma mater to tonight’s NCAA Basketball championship game. WOO HOO! Let’s hope I’ll be able to celebrate tonight!

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By Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (Flickr: 140507-D-HU462-384) [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0) or Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

#WriteWed In Search of the Older Heroine

TO CATCH HER MANAs I grow older, I’m always tempted to write a story about an older heroine – a woman in her forties or more who has had life experiences such as having children, ending a marriage, changing careers and most importantly, finding love again.

I am, after all, a hopeless romantic. In TO CATCH HER MAN, Tori’s mom Virginia and her ex-husband Pablo are on the way to finding love again. I’ve been toying with the idea of writing their story, showing how they first met and what happens after they find each other again.

What do you think? Would you be interested in a story with an older heroine?

#TipTuesday The Carb Dilemma

I’m a carboholic. I admit that and falling off the carb wagon is really really bad for me. Case in point, this week. It started off last weekend with a conference, built over the week in anticipation of Easter and crescendoed on Easter Sunday. Cakes. Bread. Chocolate. Pastries. As much as I kept to eating well for most meals and not only continued with my workouts, but intensified them, the addition of carbs set me back massively on my weight loss plans.

I’m sad about it, but taking steps to rectify the problem by watching my carbs and trying to limit myself to complex carbs in small quantities. What’s the difference between simple and complex? In a nutshell, complex carbs are those that are naturally occurring in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. While they break down into simple sugars eventually, they also contain fiber and other healthy ingredients.

Simple carbs are things like refined sugar, white bread, etc. which even if they have naturally occurring sugars, lack the beneficial fiber and nutrients that come with complex carbs. You can find a more detailed and scientific explanation about the different carbs in this article by Fitday.

So what foods are complex carbs? Here’s just a few:

    Oats
    Fruits
    Carrots
    Potatoes
    Sweet Potatoes
    Peas
    Barley
    Brown Rice
    Beans
    Lentils
    Corn

You can get more info on additional complex carbs and a carb calendar at MyFit.Ca.

I hope this was a helpful Tuesday Tip. You can click there to visit another good article on things to do to lose weight!
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#ManCandyMonday Model, Fitness Guru, Rugby Player Stuart Reardon

It’s chilly and wet today, so I really needed someone to heat me up! I’ve been seeing Stuart Reardon around on various covers, pages, etc. and thought, today’s the day he visits the blog.

Stuart is a fitness model and professional rugby player for the North Wales Crusaders. You can find out me about Stuart at his website, including lots of awesome photos at his gallery and more about his Fear Nothing Fitness program.

Click here if you cannot see the trailer below for Stuart’s 2016 calender.

I hope you enjoyed today’s Man Candy Monday.