"The New York Times" Feature

As I head into the Lorena Ochoa Invitational this week in Mexico City I want to thank the New York Times and writer Lisa Mickey for the wonderful article about my dream and journey to return to Rio and compete in the 2016 Olympic Games! Check it out here!

I still have a ways to go, but I have been improving! I am so grateful for the support coming from all corners of my life!

Travel Essentials

I have become somewhat of a travel pro given all the miles I’ve logged throughout my career, and I’ve been traveling a lot in the last few months. Sometimes I’m lucky to be accompanied by the girls, but lately I have been travelling alone quite a bit. When I go on the road, I always bring my “essentials” with me. They make the trip just a little easier, and I thought it would be fun to share them with you so that next time you plan for a trip, you can be well prepared – take a look at my top five favorites list below and let me know what you think!

1. Wireless headphones: I love them because I have the freedom to move around. Whether on the plane, with my kids or working out I love having them.

2. Longchamp Le Pliage Medium Tote: This might be my favorite item. I take it everywhere I go. I usually travel with a backpack and I need a handbag once I arrive at the tournament. It is the perfect size to fit whatever I need for the day and small enough that I can fold it and put in in my suitcase. So great! I have the black with brown handle so I can match it with black or brown shoes.


3. Convertible travel blanket: This is great. Sometimes I don’t want to travel with a sweater and often it is so cold on the plane that you just need a blanket. It also doubles as a pillow if you don’t need something to cover you up.

4. Backpack: I used to travel with a big purse but I wised up and now I travel with a backpack. SOOOO much easier and my hands are free. Nowadays you can get super stylish ones since it is on trend. I use a Tumi backpack that I got on sale. They are a bit pricey, but they’re great quality and worth every penny, especially if you get them on sale! It is practical and has a lot of pockets.

5. Baby wipes: I always travel with baby wipes, which are useful for so many things, especially any spilling that happens on clothes.

Oh, and please know that this is my list of favorites for traveling solo – when I’m traveling with the kids, the list grows exponentially!

Sky Zone!

Stella is now three is old!! I can’t even believe that she is three; time goes by way too fast.  As many of you know, she is an incredibly energetic child and I am always looking for activities where she can channel her energy while on the road… aka wear her down so mommy can have a little down time after a round of golf!   When the weather is bad and playing outside is not an option, our favorite place to go it SKY ZONE. 

We discovered SKY ZONE in Fort Myers this past winter. After a few rainy days, I was running out of things to do with Stella. She has always loved jumping on trampolines and I decided to look online for places where she could do just that.  Well, it was love at first sight! I cannot adequately convey to you how much she enjoys it.  We always purchase the one-hour package for her, thinking, as an adult, that she will be exhausted long before then and we will be able to leave… this is not the case! She could spend hours at this place and it is super fun for adults as well.  There are several options for things to do and she can jump from one activity to the next.  For older children, there is an option to play dodge ball with other kids, which looks really fun as well.  Stella usually opts for the basketball hoops and jumping into the foam-filled pit. 

Whenever I take the kids with me on a trip we always look for a SKY ZONE location at their site: www.skyzone.com.  We have been able to find one in most cities and it is a total lifesaver.  If you are traveling with your little ones and running out of things to do on a rainy day I highly recommend it!

Walmart NW Arkansas

This week, I have been extremely lucky to receive another sponsor’s exemption into the Walmart NW Arkansas. It is an incredible event with an extremely strong field, with 17 out of the top 20 players in the world playing this week. I feel so lucky to be here. I would like to thank Walmart and Octagon for giving me this opportunity; I'm really excited to play!

NW Arkansas has really embraced the LPGA and they put on an incredible event for us. It is a first class tournament all around. The course is in great shape. Greens are fast and the fairways are perfect. It is a great test of golf skill and I think it will take a good ball-striking week in order to play well. 

The tournament also contributes to various charitable causes in the area. One of them is the First Tee of NW Arkansas. As a national organization with local chapters, the First Tee’s main goal is to help kids develop core values such as confidence, respect, courtesy, responsibility, sportsmanship, judgment, honesty, integrity and perseverance through the game of golf. It is such a great program and I was fortunate to play with one of the First Tee students, Kelly, on Monday.  I was so impressed by her - she was incredibly polite, well-spoken and had a real passion for golf. It is obvious that the First Tee has had a very positive impact on her life and it is so nice to see how the game of golf can influence a young person’s life in such a positive way. If you would like to read more about the First Tee of NW Arkansas visit: www.thefirstteenwar.org/club/scripts/public/public.asp.

I can’t wait to tee it up on Friday and have a great week. I’ve been working hard and feel like my game has come a long way. I made my first cut last week shooting even par for the first two days. I feel like I left a lot of birdies out there so I hope to be able to capitalize on them this week.  Please follow me on www.lpga.com for scoring updates and I’ll be sure to share some anecdotes from the tournament here on the blog next week!  

Thanks for all your encouragement and support! It means the world to me!

Happy Father's Day

On Sunday is Father’s day and I am so bummed to be away from my family. I am lucky to have some amazing men in my life. My father, Lutz, my brother, Alex, and my father-in-law, Ned, are all amazing dads and I would like to wish them all a happy father’s day.  However, I want to take this opportunity to focus in and thank my husband, Adam.  Adam is by far my better half.  He is incredibly kind, smart and very funny.  He is my number one supporter and has been amazing throughout this crazy journey.

Going back to playing professional golf has created a lot of stress in our lives.  Having to move to Florida in the winter (well, maybe not such a bad thing considering the Boston winters), travelling two weeks out of every month for tournaments and my practice schedule has taken a toll and changed our family dynamic. Oh, and throw moving to a new house in Massachusetts on top of that!!!! It is INSANE.  I used to be the main caregiver for the kids, but Adam has had to fill in in my absence.  He has an incredibly busy schedule with the Red Sox, but not once has he told me that I could not do something.  He is my number one supporter and changes his schedule around all the time in order to make sure I do what I need to do in order to improve my golf game.

Adam is the kindest and most sympathetic person I have ever met.  He always puts his family’s, friends’ and co-workers’ needs and feelings above his own. He is kind to others without expecting anything in return and always 'wants to make others happy.  I admire him so much for that.  He never leaves a conversation without asking the person if they need anything or if there is anything he can do for them.

He is an incredible father to our two girls and always manages to make us laugh.  Seeing him with our daughters melts my heart every day.  I am definitely the crazy, loud, and disciplinarian one between the two of us. A lot of times he comes back from work just to read a book to Stella or tuck Luiza into bed and then goes right back to the office.

Marriage is hard work.  Like many couples we have our differences and our marriage is not perfect. However I am lucky to be able to say that the most stressful times always bring us closer together.  I love him with all my heart and I learn from him every day.  One of my best friends’ mothers once told me that we should marry the person, whom we would like our kids to resemble.  I can only hope that our girls are just like their dad…that would be an incredible gift.

Quality Time with My Daughter

As a working mom I am always looking for ways to spend time with my kids, especially Stella. She has been feeling the effects of me going back to work the most. There have been a lot of changes in Stella's life in the last 8 months. In September she welcomed home a new sister. Mommy went back to work shortly thereafter and we have been traveling non-stop ever since. Her life does not have the consistent rhythm it once had of going to pre-school, napping and going to the playground in the afternoon with mommy. But she has been a trooper throughout all of these changes.

So, when we arrived in Charlotte last week ahead of the Symetra Classic, I wanted to play nine holes to see the course. Stella was upset I was going to play golf again so I decided to take her with me. On the Symetra Tour we play our practice rounds in a golf cart so I thought it might be fun. IT WAS AMAZING!!!!  I borrowed a set of kids’ clubs from the pro shop and put them in the back of the cart. She loved every minute of it (still kicking myself that my phone died and I did not take any pictures). She felt so special and had a big smile on her face. She ran so much that after five holes she was passed out on the cart.

The experience was such an incredible step for her, and for me. It shows me that I can carve out time with my kids even when I am playing golf. I loved sharing my passion with her and having her by my side on the course. It was such a special afternoon and I can't wait to have many more late afternoon sessions with my kids. It has been, by far, my favorite memory of this process and I can't wait to have many more!!!  

This week is also another big week on the course. I am playing my first LPGA event at the ShopRite LPGA Classic. Can't wait to share the experience with you guys! 

Trial & Error: Feeling Overwhelmed

Sorry I have been on hiatus for the last two weeks.  A lot has happened and I felt like I needed to take a few weeks off in order to gather my thoughts and just take control of my life a little bit!  This journey has been a lot more overwhelming than expected. Trying to be a good mom, dedicating myself to golf again, and figuring out what tournament schedule works for me and for our family has not been easy.  

When I started playing and traveling again I had to give up a lot of the control I had over my kids’ everyday lives.  I remember when I had Stella; I was there for every single milestone. I left her for the first time when she was around a year old.  When I was not working, I loved knowing exactly what happened in my daughters’ days even if I was not around 100% of the time.

I was away all last week and came back to my youngest, Luiza, looking so much bigger and my oldest, Stella, telling me things she had done during the week that I had no idea about.  It made me sad because I felt like I was missing out on so much. I have not taken her to school in over a week. Before I started playing I NEVER missed one day.  I don’t have time to make them a freshly cooked meal every night and I always loved to cook for them.  Nowadays there are weeks that I don’t even see a single poopy diaper from Luiza!

In addition to that, I have also had to transition into becoming a different golfer. When I played on tour before I dedicated 90% of my time into becoming the best golfer I could be. Now there are days when I only have a couple hours to practice. I am not complaining - I have just had to adapt.  I have reached out to many former players and asked them how they became more efficient in their practice routines (I will divulge some of their tips in future posts!) I feel like their advice has helped me a lot and I cannot thank them enough. 

It is all a transition. I have had to evolve as a golf player and parent and become a better working mom.  I know it will all settle down once I find my ideal routine and travel schedule.  Until then we will go through a lot of trial and error.  OH BY THE WAY DID I MENTION WE ARE MOVING???!….to be continued….

Post-Baby Body

When I decided to start playing again I knew that one of the first things I had to do was to get back in shape. I have had two C-sections and I am much older than when I started playing. I knew my body had changed, but I still had to be in shape to be able to swing the way I used to and, to be honest, I just felt bad being in my post-baby body.

When I became pregnant with my first daughter, Stella, I promised myself I would take care of my body. I ate well and I worked out about three to four times a week. I lifted weights and did cardio all the way to the end.  I remember so vividly lifting weights the day I went into labor with Stella. I gained only 23 lbs and, after six weeks, I was back to my pre-baby weight. I was that woman every girl hates.

With Luiza the story did not repeat itself.  I started working out 2 months after having Luiza.  I did not have the time or the energy to work out as much as I did with Stella. I did not gain that much more weight, only 25 lbs when all was said and done, but boy oh boy was I up for a rude awakening! At the beginning it did not matter what I did - it was like my body had frozen. It was just stuck at a certain weight.  Two months after I started working out I had not lost a single pound.

There were so many times I just wanted to give up, but I kept at it and now I am so happy I did. With a combination of working out and eating better the weight is SLOWLY going down. Luiza is 7 months old and I am still not at my pre-baby weight, but I am getting there.

Below are some of the things that have really helped me:

1. Working out first thing in the morning. If I don't do my workout in the morning the day gets away from me and I find way too many excuses.

2. Keeping it fresh: I used to lift weights and do cardio -that was it. Now I do a little bit of everything and I feel like it keeps me going. I run, spin, do bar classes, build my own work out and do some workout videos. This keeps my muscles guessing and working in many different ways which I believe has helped me to lose the weight.

3. Taking days off. I need at least two days off a week. My body just needs it.

4. Doing a workout even if I only have 20 min. I am much easier on myself because time is just limited. If I sweat for 20 minutes or so it is worth it and I just feel better.

5. I refused to buy clothes to fit the bigger me. This really kept me motivated because every time I tried something on and it did not fit I would get so mad!

6. Most of my workouts combine strength training and cardio to maximize the time I put into them.

I will post more specific workouts in the futures....oh I forgot to add that I still have 5 lbs to go. Not there yet but almost!!!!!  What are your stay-fit secrets?