Fun Times at the Luchka House

One thing I LOVE is spending some quality time with my husband and little girl.....and of course all the animals!  lol.  Our weekends are usually pretty busy....there is always something that comes up.  Isnt that the way though.

We are slowly getting things ready for the arrival our our new little family member....a little boy.  He wont be saying hello to the world until July 3rd.  Now if he is like Aspen then he will be here in June....Aspen was a week early.  Yes, I know, not that common to deliver early on your first baby. I was painting the basement at the time when my water broke.  Looks like I will be doing the same around the time when baby is due.....I repainted the basement before christmas and still need to finish it.  Aspens room is finished being painted, and Vince is finishing up the shelves in her closet.  I have to finish decorating the walls with "things" over the next little bit.....so pics will come soon when its totally complete.

Next is doing a second cost in our room and starting the baby's room.  I've picked out the color for baby's room.....I really like it!!  Im not the type of person to do bright colors or pink for girls room and blue for boys.  The colors still have to flow with the rest of the house and im an earth-tone girl!  For Aspens room i went with a purple (cause thats what she wanted - yes, i let her pick).  Its hard for me to have a "color" on the walls but it actually looks great.  Its a very crisp, clean looking Lavender Mist by Benjamin Moore.  LOVE their paint!    I deal with Oshawa Paint and Wallpaper on Simcoe st in Oshawa and ONLY deal with Mark (one of the workers there).  He's fantastic!!  He knows what color tones I like, which is so helpful. 

For the new baby's room, I'm doing a steel blue!  So more of a blue grey as apposed to a "blue".  I cant wait to get that color on the walls and see what it looks like finished!!  ...ugh!  More painting!!  lol
Used to LOVE painting....it was my downtime.  I got to think and clear my mind.  I was so fast at it too.  Things are different now with a little one who needs you.  Aspen will want me to get something for her, or i will stop to play with her for a bit, get her something to eat, etc.  So painting, and all other things, take time now.  But all worth it and I wouldnt have it any other way. ;)  I'll have to get some pics up of the final product once its all done.

Vince sometimes has to work here and there on weekends (self employed so this is what we have to do), but when he's home we have a lot of fun together.....

Vince playing with Aspen!  He is trying to see what shoes fit on Tinkerbell.
Aspen is looking for the other shoes....with her cute little Tinkerbell dress on!

Another day of Aspen in her Tinkerbell dress!!  This time its half on.
And how cute is our kitten, Angel.  Aspen was watching Snow white and the
Kitten jumps up beside her to cuddle.  Aspen's little buddy!!!

A day full of fun and this little kitten still doesnt leave her side!!
Look closely and you can see Angel sleeping in the white part of the blanket!
My little angels!!

LOVE LOVE spending time with my beautiful family!!  I'll be sure to get the dogs in the blog next time!!  Its hilarious how Aspen sits on Kona, our doberman, and grabs his ears to steer him!!!  He loves it!! 

Vince and I are so excited for baby B to come!!  His room should be finished in the next couple weeks.  He absolutely LOVES my baby belly!!  Its too cute.  Aspen knows she is going to have a baby brother!  And she knows her old room is now the baby's room!  She even says his name, as we have already picked it out.  So far its sticking!! 

More bloggin to come....next up will be more fitness, and health stuff.  Enjoy

Nina xo

Knowledge and Doing the Right Thing

Im a listener....and observer.  I LOVE to and need to find out answers....WHY!  This is who I am.  I need to know answers and I ask a lot of questions, keeping an open mind and taking in what I need.
When I got into my sport of Fitness/Figure, I did my research and looked for the best on how to train.  Over the years (10 years) of training for shows I got to understand a lot.....A LOT that could not have been learned from a course or books.  This is hands on learning.  And this is why I've always went to the best in a sport, to learn.
I see many people who run their business soooooo terrible.  They think they know what they are doing but in actuality they dont!  Kind of scary really.  NOT saying that i know everything about running a business, but I do notice a lot of mistakes.  Ones that will destroy a business.
Ive seen people in my field, personal training, think they know what they are doing, and totally far from it.  I've seen them injure clients (pretty bad sometimes), i've seen terrible form, terrible meal plans, their clients not getting any results (but you can tell from how they are beign trained).
I've seen people (who say they are qualified trainers) get ready for a sport, THINKING that aerobics class are going to help them gain the athletisim they need for the sport.  NOW dont get me wrong, aerobics classes are great for everyone but when you are getting ready for a sport you need athletic type training.  You dont see a hockey player or Lance Armstrong or a triathlete or a bodybuilder doing aerobics classes to prepare for there game, race or competition.  When you are training for something you NEED the proper training for it.  ANY professional trainer will know this.
I've seen companies highball on prices and tell their customers they need a new furance, when all that customer needed was a $50 part to fix the problem. 
Its unbelievable the people that are out there that own their own businesses and dont have the knowledge or the skills to actually do it properly.  Or the businesses that are out there that will suck all the money out of you when its not needed.
My husband is in to heating and air conditioning and the stories I hear first hand are incredible!!!  I wont mention the company that is bad for highballing and sucking the money out of their customers, but if you ask me I will tell.  ;)  These poor customers will call my husband for a quote jsut to make sure, only to find out that they would have had to pay $3000 plus, when all their furnace needed a $50 part.  Sure my husband could do the same, but at the end of the day, he (nor I) would be able to live with ourselves......and What comes around goes around. 
So my piece of advice for those out there looking for a service, do your research!
And for those who are running a business and have NO CLUE what they are doing, educate yourself better! Or go back to working for someone else.  With lack of knowledge, you are no only hurting your business, but you can hurt others (customers) as well.

Nina xo

Quick to Blame

Funny how people are QUICK to blame!  SOOOOO quick to blame!!
I've seen this for so many years and especially being a Personal Trainer,  we get the blame A LOT!!   We train people, tell them how and what to eat, etc, we understand and know how to help people lose weight or reach their fitness goals, BUT its our fault cause they didnt lose weight or reach their goals.  They dont take the blame on themselves, own up to it and say "hey i ate this that I shouldnt have or didnt do my cardio as long as I was suppose to". 
Or lets take for example a PRODUCT....people will blame the product cause it didnt work for them.  But meanwhile this product is a strong company, strong product, helping MILLIONS but that one or two or handful of people WILL blame the product cause it didnt "work for them".  HMMMM.  Really!  How is it that Millions of people are seeing great results buuuut the few arent?.. 
Like I said I see this all the time over the past 11, 12 years of being in a business that gets blamed a lot. 
There has even been times where us trainers will get the blame cause they didnt look good for a show.  Now Mind you, some trainers have NO clue how to get someone ready for a show (fitness, figure, bikini or bodybuilding), but the ones that do, we get blamed.  The thing is, is WHY would we send our client on stage looking sloppy?  That client is a walking business card for us.  We bring in clients in top shape for stage, helps our buisness grow.....PLUS we want the BEST for our clients! 
So when I see people that are quick to blame something or someone else for THEIR error or failure, I have to giggle at it.  What are they thinking??  Who do they think they are fooling??  THEMSELVES!! 
Own up to YOUR mistakes!  OWN up to YOUR failure!  Instead of blaming others, if you stand up and confront YOUR failure, you WILL get back up and try it again and this time SUCCEED!!!  And if not, THEN TRY AGAIN! 
There is nothing wrong with failure, this is own we learn in life.  But if people go through life and not taking credit for THEIR failures or mistakes, then those people will NEVER get anywhere in life....and never achieve their goals! 

And a little side note for those out there who say they CANT lose weight or have followed a program and got nowhere.....cant fool us professional trainers!!!  We KNOW what works and what doesnt, this is what we do and why we are good at it.  Sorry...cant fool us!  ;)  Nice try though.  Food, exercise, strength, agility, weightloss, weight gain, maintaining weight, etc  is what we are good at and know all about.

;)

Nina xo

Our Newest Little Family Member

So Aspen has been asking every day for a Cat.....we say Keet.  Vince would come home from work and Aspen would ask "daddy, where's Keet?".  Too cute.  Well, we then decided to get her a Keet.  I went through pictures online and we came to a conclusion that we would adopt a kitten from the humane society or rescue.  We saw a few Keets but things never worked out....things happen for a reason!   Then I came across a little cutie online.....a little white kitten and his name was Toupe!  He is all white with a light grey patch on his head.....so cute.  Now that was jsut a name the foster parents gave him.  Aspen already had the name picked out....months ago!  Aspen had named her Keet, ANGEL!  Where she got this name, i have no idea.  I dont think I have even said the word angel around her yet.  But Angel sure suits this little white kitten. 

Angel LOVES playing in the shower!!!

LOVES to cuddle!!!

He is soooo playful and soooo cuddlely!  He plays with Aspen and she absolutely LOVES it!!  I must say that we ended up picking the right Keet for Aspen and us.

Nina xo

20 Week Ultrasound.....its a BOY!

Had to share....I went for my 20 week ultrasound to see how baby is doing, and find out the sex, the technician was showing me all the body parts.  As we got to the face, the techinican giggled and said look the baby is smiling!!  Whether its an actual smile, I must say it was pretty amazing!!You could actually see the baby's mouth form a smile and then open and close his mouth.  SO cool. 

So Vince and I are pretty happy.....we are having a boy!  REALLY it doesnt matter if it was a boy or a girl.  Although a girl would have been easier.....we have SO MUCH clothes from Aspen!!!  But all in all, as long as baby is healthy when baby is born. 

We already have the name picked out!!  We will keep that secret until baby B is here.

Its funny too, Aspen is excited to have a baby brother!  She tells me what she will do when baby cries, and how to feed baby!!  What a cutie!  She even knows that her old room is for her brother.

My little cutie is going to be such a great, big sister!

Nina xo