I had a very good busy day today. My sister in law stopped by and we all went to the local gym and took the kids swimming then went to the park. We played on the playground and went for a little walk down the trail. Then tonight we went over to my other sister in law's house and ate some yummy grilled out food and pasta salad and watched Napoleon Dynamite. I tell you what, with all that exercise and then laughing at that stupid movie I think I'll see better numbers on the scale than if I had weight loss surgery!
Speaking of great results on the scale... Last night we went for a family walk, I pushed the stroller while we walked down the nice trail down town. Well, this morning my wonderful husband gets on the scale and had lost 3lbs just from that walk! makes me so mad. Amazing to me how he can walk once and lose that much weight. :)
Anyway, it's late and I'm tired! Good night!
Food Habits
A while ago a good friend blogger had recommended the movie Food Inc. Recently my sister in law rented it from netflix and we watched it. OH MY is my reaction. For over half the movie my eyes were bugged out of my head and my jaw was on the floor. I felt like a Texas truck accident lawyer walking up to a messy accident. I was disgusted, frustrated and sick at what is going on in the food industry and what I am putting in my family's body! If you haven't seen the movie yet, I highly recommend you watch it. Right now it is available online free to watch through PBS. DO IT.
It has changed the way we eat. Well, it will once we go grocery shopping anyway. Right now we are trying to finish the food we have in the house and we will be replacing it with organic, local, free range, grass fed, natural foods. It's going to mean giving up some things I'm sure. Like McDonalds and Arby's, and other fast food... yah, it will take a while to get used to but I can't wait to know that what is in my food is healthy and NATURAL.
It has changed the way we eat. Well, it will once we go grocery shopping anyway. Right now we are trying to finish the food we have in the house and we will be replacing it with organic, local, free range, grass fed, natural foods. It's going to mean giving up some things I'm sure. Like McDonalds and Arby's, and other fast food... yah, it will take a while to get used to but I can't wait to know that what is in my food is healthy and NATURAL.
My weightloss journey
I know I've touched on this subject a few times here and there but I wanted to get it all down in one place so here it is.
In January I was not happy with myself. I was so far away from where I needed to be spiritually that I knew things needed to change. I struggled so hard with gluttony and knew the only way to break it was through fasting and prayer. I knew fasting and prayer would break more than just the addiction of food and would help me get on the right path. I took a few days and was reading my Bible and praying as much as I could be, every chance I got I read and prayed and thought about what I had read earlier. When something I struggled with came my way I quickly started quoting Bible verses to help me remember where my focus was and the proper thoughts that I should be having at that moment. Whether it was something about food, worry, judgmental thoughts or selfish thoughts. There's a Bible verse to help with everything.
That was around the middle of January. I immediately stopped drinking soda and coffee (I was drinking about 3 cups of coffee and 1 soda a day). I started running and training for a half marathon, I made healthy food choices, using sparkpeople to help me keep track. I started seeing the pounds come off faster than I ever imagined. All without the help of diet pills, I had no need to look up nuphedragen reviews.
3 months later I ran my half marathon, I still haven't had any coffee or soda, I didn't always make great food choices and I haven't always had the best attitude, but I know a lot of progress has been made. I lost almost 35lbs, went down 4 pants sizes and went from not being able to run 3 miles to running 13.1.
Losing weight is not easy, but it is worth it, it does feel good to be healthy! I am scared that since the doctor told me not to run during this pregnancy that I'll gain a bunch of weight. I hope not!
In January I was not happy with myself. I was so far away from where I needed to be spiritually that I knew things needed to change. I struggled so hard with gluttony and knew the only way to break it was through fasting and prayer. I knew fasting and prayer would break more than just the addiction of food and would help me get on the right path. I took a few days and was reading my Bible and praying as much as I could be, every chance I got I read and prayed and thought about what I had read earlier. When something I struggled with came my way I quickly started quoting Bible verses to help me remember where my focus was and the proper thoughts that I should be having at that moment. Whether it was something about food, worry, judgmental thoughts or selfish thoughts. There's a Bible verse to help with everything.
That was around the middle of January. I immediately stopped drinking soda and coffee (I was drinking about 3 cups of coffee and 1 soda a day). I started running and training for a half marathon, I made healthy food choices, using sparkpeople to help me keep track. I started seeing the pounds come off faster than I ever imagined. All without the help of diet pills, I had no need to look up nuphedragen reviews.
3 months later I ran my half marathon, I still haven't had any coffee or soda, I didn't always make great food choices and I haven't always had the best attitude, but I know a lot of progress has been made. I lost almost 35lbs, went down 4 pants sizes and went from not being able to run 3 miles to running 13.1.
Losing weight is not easy, but it is worth it, it does feel good to be healthy! I am scared that since the doctor told me not to run during this pregnancy that I'll gain a bunch of weight. I hope not!
Morning sickness
Now that we've moved close to my husband's family I am watching his niece and nephew. His niece is almost 10 and I home school her, his nephew is a little over 2. So with My two girls and them I've got 4 kids, 10, 3, 2 and 1. and Now I'm pregnant too! Some days are awesome and others give me gray hairs, a few days I swear I've found an age spot. do those come from stress too? :) Lately we've had good days overall, with a few little stressful whiny parts- which is normal for having 3 little kids and a pregnant woman in the house.
Sunday I started getting morning sickness, my favorite part of pregnancy. Mine is more like all day nausea, luckily I don't throw up, Today I kinda felt like I might though. The past 3 pregnancies I've worn sea bands which worked like a charm, but they aren't touching the nausea this time. With Lexi I didn't have sea bands so I just ate all day, it worked but I gained a ton of weight- something I'm trying to avoid since I just lost 35lbs.
So what's your favorite morning sickness cure?
Sunday I started getting morning sickness, my favorite part of pregnancy. Mine is more like all day nausea, luckily I don't throw up, Today I kinda felt like I might though. The past 3 pregnancies I've worn sea bands which worked like a charm, but they aren't touching the nausea this time. With Lexi I didn't have sea bands so I just ate all day, it worked but I gained a ton of weight- something I'm trying to avoid since I just lost 35lbs.
So what's your favorite morning sickness cure?
a secret
Want to know a secret? I'll be getting a really nice Christmas present this year. Diamonds. just kidding, another baby!( assuming all goes well) In turn that means we'll be needing another Christmas present, a van. Our little Taurus wont hold another car seat.
We're praying for a healthy baby (we'd appreciate any addition prayers), my husband would love a boy, I wouldn't mind one myself but a healthy baby is all I really want! After two miscarriages last summer we're a bit nervous, but we refuse to live in fear. My doctor did advise me to stop running until 12 weeks. Of course after a 7 week break I'm not sure it would be ok with my body to start running again!
In the back of our minds we are trying to figure out arrangements to fit 3 kids into their bedroom, or do something else with our office so that Lexi can have her own room. Right now my husband works from home so putting his computer in a place where the kids are all day wouldn't work well at all. we've got a few ideas we're toying with, of course we have plenty of time to figure it out since we still have until December before the baby comes and then about 6ish months before it would be moved out of our room anyway.
So there's our big news as well as a bunch of random thoughts! :) Hope you're having a good day!
We're praying for a healthy baby (we'd appreciate any addition prayers), my husband would love a boy, I wouldn't mind one myself but a healthy baby is all I really want! After two miscarriages last summer we're a bit nervous, but we refuse to live in fear. My doctor did advise me to stop running until 12 weeks. Of course after a 7 week break I'm not sure it would be ok with my body to start running again!
In the back of our minds we are trying to figure out arrangements to fit 3 kids into their bedroom, or do something else with our office so that Lexi can have her own room. Right now my husband works from home so putting his computer in a place where the kids are all day wouldn't work well at all. we've got a few ideas we're toying with, of course we have plenty of time to figure it out since we still have until December before the baby comes and then about 6ish months before it would be moved out of our room anyway.
So there's our big news as well as a bunch of random thoughts! :) Hope you're having a good day!
New Goals.
Saturday was my race. I ran my first half marathon in 2 hours 10 minutes and 3 seconds. that's just under a 10 minute mile. Not too bad. that includes a bit of walking at the water stations and a potty break at mile 9. Miles 7-9 were the hardest, but luckily a random guy came up next to me and started a conversation. Yup, someone was telling me jokes and keeping me entertained through the hardest part of my race. It was much appreciated, and if I wouldn't have had to use the port a potty I would have continued running with him and got a better time. oh well, when ya gotta go, you gotta go!
I had a blast and would love to run another one soon. I had major disappointment when it was over though. I have been training for 4 months and now it's over, what next?!It was a perfect race day, the sun stayed behind clouds most of the race, peeking out every now and then. There was a nice cool breeze keeping things at the perfect temperature. I even managed to get a nice free leg massage after the race was over. Nothing like rubbing down sore muscles!!!
There was a professional photography company there taking pictures during the race, they got a few good ones of me, but I'm not sure I want to spend the $8 to get a 4x6 picture. Even if it is on nice paper and good quality color printing... Because the course was a down and back type run the only photo opp for normal people was at the start and finish line, Eugene managed to get a picture of me, and a video as I was coming up to the finish line but it's not as good as the one the company got.
The whole weekend was just really good, The race was in Chesapeake, VA so we found a campground in Virginia Beach and stayed in a little cabin type thing. It was a great get away, we had a bunch of fun playing with the girls, we went to the zoo, the beach and also played on a million different playgrounds. :) It was great times, except for the 6 hour car ride where I had to sit in the middle of the front seat because our passenger seat belt is broken, and the speeding ticket my husband got on the way... oh well.
Now to set some new goals.
I had a blast and would love to run another one soon. I had major disappointment when it was over though. I have been training for 4 months and now it's over, what next?!It was a perfect race day, the sun stayed behind clouds most of the race, peeking out every now and then. There was a nice cool breeze keeping things at the perfect temperature. I even managed to get a nice free leg massage after the race was over. Nothing like rubbing down sore muscles!!!
There was a professional photography company there taking pictures during the race, they got a few good ones of me, but I'm not sure I want to spend the $8 to get a 4x6 picture. Even if it is on nice paper and good quality color printing... Because the course was a down and back type run the only photo opp for normal people was at the start and finish line, Eugene managed to get a picture of me, and a video as I was coming up to the finish line but it's not as good as the one the company got.
The whole weekend was just really good, The race was in Chesapeake, VA so we found a campground in Virginia Beach and stayed in a little cabin type thing. It was a great get away, we had a bunch of fun playing with the girls, we went to the zoo, the beach and also played on a million different playgrounds. :) It was great times, except for the 6 hour car ride where I had to sit in the middle of the front seat because our passenger seat belt is broken, and the speeding ticket my husband got on the way... oh well.
Now to set some new goals.
Flaming Telephone Poles
I saw the most interesting thing last Thursday night. It was around 6pm, I had just started supper (YUM PIZZA!!) I had the homemade crust ready to be put on the preheated pizza stone, the cauliflower was steaming for my cauliflower pizza crust, the sauce was ready the cheese was grated. As I started spreading the crust on the stone when I heard "crackle crackle POP" and the lights were flickering, they went out, then came back on as I saw more flashes from outside and heard "Crackle, crackle POP POP!" then the lights went out again.
In a weird sort of panic we started unplugging all electronics thinking the surges were going to fry our computers and tv. I tried flipping the breaker thinking maybe it was just our house, then we saw the neighbor outside looking around and realized it was the whole street. The transformer blew. We loaded up the "fixings" for supper to go to my sis in law's house to finish cooking when we heard and saw firetrucks coming down our street, we were confused until our neighbor pointed out the flames shooting out of the top of the telephone pole. It was pouring down rain and the power had been out for about 30 minutes and STILL the telephone pole was on fire! So weird.
We decided to just go grab some supper, then went to Walmart to waste some time knowing it would be a while before the power was turned back on. We were right, it was 11pm before the lights came on. It was fun to be forced to sit still and talk and play cards though!
Luckily the only thing affected by the power surges was the internet, we thought at first it was our wireless router causing us the problems, then found out it was the actual internet. FEW! we didn't have to replace any expensive electronics!!
In a weird sort of panic we started unplugging all electronics thinking the surges were going to fry our computers and tv. I tried flipping the breaker thinking maybe it was just our house, then we saw the neighbor outside looking around and realized it was the whole street. The transformer blew. We loaded up the "fixings" for supper to go to my sis in law's house to finish cooking when we heard and saw firetrucks coming down our street, we were confused until our neighbor pointed out the flames shooting out of the top of the telephone pole. It was pouring down rain and the power had been out for about 30 minutes and STILL the telephone pole was on fire! So weird.
We decided to just go grab some supper, then went to Walmart to waste some time knowing it would be a while before the power was turned back on. We were right, it was 11pm before the lights came on. It was fun to be forced to sit still and talk and play cards though!
Luckily the only thing affected by the power surges was the internet, we thought at first it was our wireless router causing us the problems, then found out it was the actual internet. FEW! we didn't have to replace any expensive electronics!!
Spring!
Spring is here! well, it's been here for a while, lately the weather has been more summer like. The past two days were in the upper 80's and I'm pretty sure the next two days are suppose to be there too.
Today was a much needed break, my sister in law had a few days off so her kids weren't at the house, we decided to go to the park and play with the girls for a while, it was a blast, then this afternoon my other sister in law called to see if we wanted to go to the park to have a picnic supper and play. So of course we said yes! Two trips to the park in one day? who could turn that down?!
This is a really cool park, it looks like a castle with lots of levels and slides, and monkey bars. All sorts of fun stuff to play around on. Both girls love it (and I do too) it reminds me of something a little kid would make with boxes in their back yard, only it's cooler cuz you can actually climb up it. I wonder if they make custom cardboard boxes in the shape of castles, that would be fun.
Both girls were surprisingly good today, at least until about 8:30 when Lexi decided to get all her bad deeds done for the day. She's still fighting us about sleep, i guess it's better than a whole day of being bad right?! They should sleep well tonight, we wore them out!
Today was a much needed break, my sister in law had a few days off so her kids weren't at the house, we decided to go to the park and play with the girls for a while, it was a blast, then this afternoon my other sister in law called to see if we wanted to go to the park to have a picnic supper and play. So of course we said yes! Two trips to the park in one day? who could turn that down?!
This is a really cool park, it looks like a castle with lots of levels and slides, and monkey bars. All sorts of fun stuff to play around on. Both girls love it (and I do too) it reminds me of something a little kid would make with boxes in their back yard, only it's cooler cuz you can actually climb up it. I wonder if they make custom cardboard boxes in the shape of castles, that would be fun.
Both girls were surprisingly good today, at least until about 8:30 when Lexi decided to get all her bad deeds done for the day. She's still fighting us about sleep, i guess it's better than a whole day of being bad right?! They should sleep well tonight, we wore them out!
The joys of moving
I love moving, there's just something fun about change. I know not everyone likes it, but I am one of those people who does. The only thing I hate about moving (aside from the packing) is switching over car insurance and registration and drivers licenses. i say a big fat BOOOO to that. We stuck with the same car insurance company (and renters and life) but each state has it's own branch so we had to switch to the local one, which was pretty much like starting over. Luckily we didn't have to worry about getting life insurance quotes, that was the one thing that we didn't have to change. Thankfully my sister in law watched our girls and my other sister in law's kids while we went up to take care of all that. Anyway...
So that's the fun we finally got done! It was nice to get a new drivers license though, my old one was only a few years old, but since I've lost almost 35lbs I look a little different. One thing about Virginia is that they mail you your new card, so I have to wait 2 weeks until I see what the picture looks like. :)
So that's the fun we finally got done! It was nice to get a new drivers license though, my old one was only a few years old, but since I've lost almost 35lbs I look a little different. One thing about Virginia is that they mail you your new card, so I have to wait 2 weeks until I see what the picture looks like. :)
Stretching under the stars
I ran tonight and had an awesome run. I've been working on my mental thoughts while running because since I've moved here I've had a hard time running. Before we moved I did 9 miles and never once walked. I don't know if I've done a run without walking since we've moved which is pathetic. but I decided it has to be mental there's no other reason for it. ANYWAY....
My run was good, the best part didn't last long enough. When I do my long runs I have to drive down to the town and run the path, so my longer runs (Wednesday and Saturday) are ran down there. Today I ran after supper so it was starting to get dark by the time I finished my run, while stretching I got to lay down on the grass a bit and look at the sky. It was amazing, there were a few stars scattered across the sky, and the moon, although only half full was bright and lit up the night. I wanted to lay there for hours like I did when I was little, but I felt a little weird since I was alone and there were a bunch of men and teenage boys around. So I got up.
When I was young I used to take a sleeping bag out into the front yard and look at the stars for hours, there's something about nature that i just love, and nature at night is wonderfully amazing. For a minute laying there tonight I slipped back in time to when there were no cares in the world, no worry of being attacked by people walking by, no worry of getting home to see the kids before they went to bed, no worry of needing to look up skin id reviews because I stayed in my sweaty clothes too long . Just soft grass and a starry sky. I think we all need to take more time to do that. (don't go thinking I don't love my family and my life now, because I DO with all my heart i love them).
My run was good, the best part didn't last long enough. When I do my long runs I have to drive down to the town and run the path, so my longer runs (Wednesday and Saturday) are ran down there. Today I ran after supper so it was starting to get dark by the time I finished my run, while stretching I got to lay down on the grass a bit and look at the sky. It was amazing, there were a few stars scattered across the sky, and the moon, although only half full was bright and lit up the night. I wanted to lay there for hours like I did when I was little, but I felt a little weird since I was alone and there were a bunch of men and teenage boys around. So I got up.
When I was young I used to take a sleeping bag out into the front yard and look at the stars for hours, there's something about nature that i just love, and nature at night is wonderfully amazing. For a minute laying there tonight I slipped back in time to when there were no cares in the world, no worry of being attacked by people walking by, no worry of getting home to see the kids before they went to bed, no worry of needing to look up skin id reviews because I stayed in my sweaty clothes too long . Just soft grass and a starry sky. I think we all need to take more time to do that. (don't go thinking I don't love my family and my life now, because I DO with all my heart i love them).
Words from my Lunch break
Almost every day my wonderful husband gives me a 30 minute lunch break (one of the BIG bonuses of having him work from home). Now that I watch my niece and nephew I don't get any time during the day to just sit and not think about dirty diapers or feeding kids, so this little lunch break is great! Some days I run, some days I blog (not very often obviously), some days I read my Bible, and once I've napped. I figured it was time to blog since it's been a while!
My weight loss is going good, I'm right around 30lbs gone since January 14th. I hit that 30lb mark, then hit this horrible plateau where I've gained a few pounds, then lost them then gained them then lost some. It's been going on for over a week and I am getting frustrated. My wonderful husband decided to help me yesterday by hiding the scale so I can't think about it. This means I have no clue how I'm doing, which has had a positive effect on me today. I woke up feeling thin, which made me feel great about myself and my ongoing lifestyle change (not diet!!) A few things I've noticed and tried to change are the fact that at night I'll check my calories and realize I still need more food, so I load in a bunch of calories right before going to bed instead of snacking during the day. So yesterday and today I've entered in breakfast and dinner in the morning, then I know the rest of the calories have to be eaten BEFORE dinner. it's helped a ton to me. I had also been subconsciously avoiding breads, which meant I wasn't getting in much fiber which well, you know what happens when you don't get enough fiber. :) So yesterday and Today I've made sure to get some fiber! I'm hoping all this will help me break through the plateau and lose these last 10lbs. I've been considering taking a daily multivitamin to help me get everything I need because I'm sure I'm lacking some good stuff in my diet, I just have no clue how to find a good one!
My running is going good, I ran 11 miles on Friday with my sister, I got my first blister from running! I consider myself a real runner now (because of the blister not the 11 miles). I did learn though that I don't like running with people. I had a HARD time running, partially because she is used to running a little faster than I have been which meant I got tired faster, also because I am used to running to music to help me keep a steady pace. My race is just three and a half weeks away now! amazing how fast it's coming I'm starting to get nervous. I reserved a cabin at a hotel in Virginia Beach (cheaper than a hotel, plus I like camping, I get to bring my own sheets and stuff and don't have to worry about how nasty the hotel room might be). The campground is pretty big, has 4 playgrounds, 4 pools, mini golf, basketball courts, an arcade... and the usual campground stuff.
Life with the kids is going good, I'm starting to get the hang of homeschooling, although I'd love to get more creative with my niece. She's in 4th grade and right now school seems a little boring! I will say I am learning a bunch of grammar though, maybe one day my writing will be pleasing to an English major. probably not though.
Lexi hasn't been doing school because she is just frustrating me when we tried, hopefully that will change by next fall when we actually start kindergarten. Caylee and my nephew are about 7 months apart in age and they make for an interesting combination. They are both the youngest and take turns being the spoiled one. Hitting is a daily event around here and I've pretty much stopped yelling at them when they do. Only because one will hit the other, then visa versa, I figure one day they will realize it hurts and just stop hitting!
I've been going to the local gym to Zumba classes every once and a while with my sister in law. They are fun! It's not a hard work out so it's great for beginners but it's also REALLY fun! It's nice to switch up my cardio and so something other than running!
Right now we are dog sitting for my sister while her and her husband are on a cruise. I'm kinda jealous, floating around the Caribbean on a big boat kinda sounds like fun right now!
My weight loss is going good, I'm right around 30lbs gone since January 14th. I hit that 30lb mark, then hit this horrible plateau where I've gained a few pounds, then lost them then gained them then lost some. It's been going on for over a week and I am getting frustrated. My wonderful husband decided to help me yesterday by hiding the scale so I can't think about it. This means I have no clue how I'm doing, which has had a positive effect on me today. I woke up feeling thin, which made me feel great about myself and my ongoing lifestyle change (not diet!!) A few things I've noticed and tried to change are the fact that at night I'll check my calories and realize I still need more food, so I load in a bunch of calories right before going to bed instead of snacking during the day. So yesterday and today I've entered in breakfast and dinner in the morning, then I know the rest of the calories have to be eaten BEFORE dinner. it's helped a ton to me. I had also been subconsciously avoiding breads, which meant I wasn't getting in much fiber which well, you know what happens when you don't get enough fiber. :) So yesterday and Today I've made sure to get some fiber! I'm hoping all this will help me break through the plateau and lose these last 10lbs. I've been considering taking a daily multivitamin to help me get everything I need because I'm sure I'm lacking some good stuff in my diet, I just have no clue how to find a good one!
My running is going good, I ran 11 miles on Friday with my sister, I got my first blister from running! I consider myself a real runner now (because of the blister not the 11 miles). I did learn though that I don't like running with people. I had a HARD time running, partially because she is used to running a little faster than I have been which meant I got tired faster, also because I am used to running to music to help me keep a steady pace. My race is just three and a half weeks away now! amazing how fast it's coming I'm starting to get nervous. I reserved a cabin at a hotel in Virginia Beach (cheaper than a hotel, plus I like camping, I get to bring my own sheets and stuff and don't have to worry about how nasty the hotel room might be). The campground is pretty big, has 4 playgrounds, 4 pools, mini golf, basketball courts, an arcade... and the usual campground stuff.
Life with the kids is going good, I'm starting to get the hang of homeschooling, although I'd love to get more creative with my niece. She's in 4th grade and right now school seems a little boring! I will say I am learning a bunch of grammar though, maybe one day my writing will be pleasing to an English major. probably not though.
Lexi hasn't been doing school because she is just frustrating me when we tried, hopefully that will change by next fall when we actually start kindergarten. Caylee and my nephew are about 7 months apart in age and they make for an interesting combination. They are both the youngest and take turns being the spoiled one. Hitting is a daily event around here and I've pretty much stopped yelling at them when they do. Only because one will hit the other, then visa versa, I figure one day they will realize it hurts and just stop hitting!
I've been going to the local gym to Zumba classes every once and a while with my sister in law. They are fun! It's not a hard work out so it's great for beginners but it's also REALLY fun! It's nice to switch up my cardio and so something other than running!
Right now we are dog sitting for my sister while her and her husband are on a cruise. I'm kinda jealous, floating around the Caribbean on a big boat kinda sounds like fun right now!
YAWN
Monday's don't normally bother me, they tend to be like every other day, but Today.... today was a day. That's about all I can say about it.
It was CRAZY here. I'm not sure if it had to do with the time change or not, but 3 of the 4 kids were cranky off and on, meaning at least one was fussing at all times. Top it off I was still trying to recover from whatever was wrong with me yesterday (body aches, fever, FREEZING, a bit of a sore throat) so I didn't have all my energy.
I managed to get up enough energy by this afternoon to get in a short run. There's not too many places to run around here that aren't completely mountainous, There is my road (a whopping .35 miles long) and the road next to mine (a whole .7 miles long) that together with the road that connects them makes for a decent 2.25 mile run. It has a few small hills but nothing I can't handle (now that I'm used to the thinner air). The .7 mile long road ends at a junk yard type thing, I doubt you'll find Ferrari parts there, but there are a lot of old police cars and some beat up vans. It's a quiet little road, when I run in the morning I normally see a few kids waiting for their bus, but other than that there's nothing and no one! My road is the same way, aside from the German Sheppard who acts like it's going to attack me every time I run by it (lucky for me it never even comes to the edge of the yard, it has scared me a few times though).
Now that I'm watching two extra kids I don't get much computer time in, so blogging is getting even harder to do. I just spent a few hours here getting some important things done that should have been done weeks ago. In front of me is a list a dozen items long of stuff that needs done. Time is so hard to come by, especially when I have days like today!
So how was your Monday?!
It was CRAZY here. I'm not sure if it had to do with the time change or not, but 3 of the 4 kids were cranky off and on, meaning at least one was fussing at all times. Top it off I was still trying to recover from whatever was wrong with me yesterday (body aches, fever, FREEZING, a bit of a sore throat) so I didn't have all my energy.
I managed to get up enough energy by this afternoon to get in a short run. There's not too many places to run around here that aren't completely mountainous, There is my road (a whopping .35 miles long) and the road next to mine (a whole .7 miles long) that together with the road that connects them makes for a decent 2.25 mile run. It has a few small hills but nothing I can't handle (now that I'm used to the thinner air). The .7 mile long road ends at a junk yard type thing, I doubt you'll find Ferrari parts there, but there are a lot of old police cars and some beat up vans. It's a quiet little road, when I run in the morning I normally see a few kids waiting for their bus, but other than that there's nothing and no one! My road is the same way, aside from the German Sheppard who acts like it's going to attack me every time I run by it (lucky for me it never even comes to the edge of the yard, it has scared me a few times though).
Now that I'm watching two extra kids I don't get much computer time in, so blogging is getting even harder to do. I just spent a few hours here getting some important things done that should have been done weeks ago. In front of me is a list a dozen items long of stuff that needs done. Time is so hard to come by, especially when I have days like today!
So how was your Monday?!
to cut or not to cut
that is the question.
I am so torn between whether or not I should cut my hair again. I got it cut in November and it looked really cute, I got a ton of compliments. I had never had a hair cut like that, so the different style was nice. The thing I loved about having short hair is that I had to style it every day. It made me feel like I was taking care of myself better and I always felt more put together when i went out into public. However, that had it's cons too... It meant always having to take the time to style it. No more just pulling it up and running out of the house. If I was running late it was obvious because my hair was a mess!
Well now it's at the point where I can just barely pull it up again and I'm debating between cutting it or not cutting it. Sometimes it's nice to pull up, especially when I'm running and it's flopping in my face. But once my hair is long enough to pull up I RARELY style it.
But do I want to HAVE to style it every day or do I want the option to pull it up knowing that I'll probably pull it up 99% of the time? UGH it's such a hard decision. My short hair made it easy for special occasions, there was no guessing what I'd do with my hair, it was just one thing and one thing only. It was fun wondering what the wedding favors would look like instead of what my hair would look like.
I had scheduled an appointment for yesterday then decided to cancel it until I fully make up my mind. I asked for opinions on facebook and the consensus was it's a hard decision. Thanks for the help. he he he.
So for now it's here... but will I change my mind tomorrow?!
I am so torn between whether or not I should cut my hair again. I got it cut in November and it looked really cute, I got a ton of compliments. I had never had a hair cut like that, so the different style was nice. The thing I loved about having short hair is that I had to style it every day. It made me feel like I was taking care of myself better and I always felt more put together when i went out into public. However, that had it's cons too... It meant always having to take the time to style it. No more just pulling it up and running out of the house. If I was running late it was obvious because my hair was a mess!
Well now it's at the point where I can just barely pull it up again and I'm debating between cutting it or not cutting it. Sometimes it's nice to pull up, especially when I'm running and it's flopping in my face. But once my hair is long enough to pull up I RARELY style it.
But do I want to HAVE to style it every day or do I want the option to pull it up knowing that I'll probably pull it up 99% of the time? UGH it's such a hard decision. My short hair made it easy for special occasions, there was no guessing what I'd do with my hair, it was just one thing and one thing only. It was fun wondering what the wedding favors would look like instead of what my hair would look like.
I had scheduled an appointment for yesterday then decided to cancel it until I fully make up my mind. I asked for opinions on facebook and the consensus was it's a hard decision. Thanks for the help. he he he.
So for now it's here... but will I change my mind tomorrow?!
Zumba!
Last night I tried out my first Zumba class. I had a ton of fun, it wasn't as much of a work out as I expected, but it still definitely made me burn calories! There is a small gym here that allows non members to participate in the classes they offer for $5 each class, or you can buy a day pass for $7 i think. Not too bad if you just want to do something every now and then.
The Zumba class was so packed we could barely move which I think prohibited me being able to fully work out, it's a very popular class! We were squished in there so tight we couldn't see the instructor so I was watching some of the people who you could tell knew what they were doing. It was fun dancing around to different music. I am not very talented when it comes to dancing so I'm sure I looked like a fool. One girl in there was rocking out her skechers shape ups, she was awesome and hyper! She knew what she was doing so I watched her whenever I couldn't see the instructor.
I'd love to take the class again, we might even pursue a membership we'll see. There is talk of them moving the class to the big gym which would be nice AND helpful! I think my sister in law and I are going back on Saturday for more! Bring it on!!
The Zumba class was so packed we could barely move which I think prohibited me being able to fully work out, it's a very popular class! We were squished in there so tight we couldn't see the instructor so I was watching some of the people who you could tell knew what they were doing. It was fun dancing around to different music. I am not very talented when it comes to dancing so I'm sure I looked like a fool. One girl in there was rocking out her skechers shape ups, she was awesome and hyper! She knew what she was doing so I watched her whenever I couldn't see the instructor.
I'd love to take the class again, we might even pursue a membership we'll see. There is talk of them moving the class to the big gym which would be nice AND helpful! I think my sister in law and I are going back on Saturday for more! Bring it on!!
Our New place
Well, we're settled. I guess you could call it that anyway. We moved 9 days ago, I spent the entire day after we moved unpacking. My wonderful sisters in law watched the girls, my husband and my brothers in law went and painted our old place, leaving me to myself to get everything here done.
I was going good and strong until about 4 hours into it when I started to get a little lonely and realized I really haven't been alone in YEARS and YEARS. so I started texting in between emptying boxes.
I love our new place, except we are trying to get the smell of the last tenants out (they smoked). We have an entire room just for toys, which is great, except that there's no heat in that room so it's pretty chilly in the mornings and afternoons. We're consider an Amish fireplace, nice little electric fake fireplace I have no clue if they are safe around kids or not though. We got a little "room heater" it stinks, it does nothing to heat that room even though it was suppose to be able to handle a room that sized.
Anyone have any ideas for heating a room?
I was going good and strong until about 4 hours into it when I started to get a little lonely and realized I really haven't been alone in YEARS and YEARS. so I started texting in between emptying boxes.
I love our new place, except we are trying to get the smell of the last tenants out (they smoked). We have an entire room just for toys, which is great, except that there's no heat in that room so it's pretty chilly in the mornings and afternoons. We're consider an Amish fireplace, nice little electric fake fireplace I have no clue if they are safe around kids or not though. We got a little "room heater" it stinks, it does nothing to heat that room even though it was suppose to be able to handle a room that sized.
Anyone have any ideas for heating a room?
Baby it's cold inside...
There is one thing I am not going to miss about this apartment. The heat. Seriously, whoever thought of this is just a moron. First, the heat vents for downstairs are in the ceiling. Have people never heard that HEAT RISES?! See, upstairs stays nice and toasty, downstairs however... is very COLD.
Also, we have some weird form of heat where the hot water is how the place is heated. Something about air blowing across the pipes that the hot water is running through... yah it isn't very effective. Maybe it's just because of the whole ceiling vents... but also- we don't have much hot water in the winter. In order to even get a slightly warm shower in the mornings we have to turn the heat way down and wait about 20 minutes. Then the first person gets a lukewarm shower and the 2nd person gets a warm shower. Sometimes it's so cold I wish I could just give my hair a quick trim (ok, chop it all off) so I didn't have to worry about washing it. BRRR.
Seriously though, who thought of these brilliant heating ideas?! Tonight I was watching a movie all curled up on the couch under a blanket and my nose started to freeze. I checked the thermostat and it said 62. Some mornings we forget to turn the heat back up after our showers... seems like we must have forgotten for about 3 days now. Think I'll go curl up in my bed now.
Also, we have some weird form of heat where the hot water is how the place is heated. Something about air blowing across the pipes that the hot water is running through... yah it isn't very effective. Maybe it's just because of the whole ceiling vents... but also- we don't have much hot water in the winter. In order to even get a slightly warm shower in the mornings we have to turn the heat way down and wait about 20 minutes. Then the first person gets a lukewarm shower and the 2nd person gets a warm shower. Sometimes it's so cold I wish I could just give my hair a quick trim (ok, chop it all off) so I didn't have to worry about washing it. BRRR.
Seriously though, who thought of these brilliant heating ideas?! Tonight I was watching a movie all curled up on the couch under a blanket and my nose started to freeze. I checked the thermostat and it said 62. Some mornings we forget to turn the heat back up after our showers... seems like we must have forgotten for about 3 days now. Think I'll go curl up in my bed now.
Thoughts on the internet...
We are moving on the 26th. I am excited but at the same time a little overwhelmed with what needs done around here! Packing seriously takes forever. Seems like I've run out of things that can be packed up this early too. When I think of something I'll pack one box and then lose my ambition. I am easily distracted, especially by the computer. This little box of technology that makes everyone's lives "easier". I'm starting to wonder if they make life more complicated. There's just too much you can do on the computer, especially if you have the internet. There's facebook, myspace, twitter, all sorts of social sites where you can find out what every single person you ever knew is doing at every single second of the day. Or there's Google, you can research ANYTHING you want, Do you need fast weight loss tips? no problem, just google it! How to cut a fresh pineapple? Oh that's on there too, but not just one site with answers, no 45,642,154,654 sites!
It's not that I am anti internet- obviously, I love me some facebook, but I just wonder if having all this information at the tip of our fingers is honestly making life easier, or just keeping us busy. I mean, if I lived 10 years without knowing what someone I went to high school with is doing, why do I feel the need to look at every single picture of their children?
It's not that I am anti internet- obviously, I love me some facebook, but I just wonder if having all this information at the tip of our fingers is honestly making life easier, or just keeping us busy. I mean, if I lived 10 years without knowing what someone I went to high school with is doing, why do I feel the need to look at every single picture of their children?
I'm 28 can it stop now?
Seriously, I've had acne since I was like 5 I think. All the hormones are balanced, no puberty, no pregnancy, no pms. I thought maybe it was related to my sugar intake, but I haven't had soda or candy or junk food other than once or twice in about 6 weeks. I've tried acne washes, acne systems, and even RX acne cream. Nothing is working. Can I blame it on genetics now? I die when I hear/see people complaining about a zit on their chin/nose/forehead... I'd love to have just one zit to worry about. I haven't had a day w/no zits since I started puberty. A day with only one zit? I don't recall one, if I did it was probably a pimple the size of a quarter. Anyone else love oily skin as much as I do?
Ok, I'll stop ranting and raving now...
Ok, I'll stop ranting and raving now...
Half marathon
I've found the half marathon I want to run, it's called the Dismal Swamp Stomp half marathon. Doesn't that sound fun? It's in Chesapeake, VA, it's flat and on a paved trail that runs right next to a swamp through the "wilderness". It looks like fun. Plus, I can turn the trip into a mini vacation. There are a few state parks around Virginia beach, I'm hoping to hear a big YES from my husband that we will commit to this! a nice camping trip at the beach with my family sounds like a ton of fun, add to it running my first half marathon and it will be a perfect trip. Now to get my knees to cooperate.
This lifestyle change has been great for me, it's my own little quick weight loss plan. I'm at 16lbs and hope to lose another 14. I don't want to call it a diet, yes I'm watching what I'm eating, but I've still allowed myself a cookie or two here, a piece of pizza there, even a donut the other day. One thing I've learned is that I need to eat enough! When I first signed up with sparkpeople (about 3 weeks into my progress) I had hit a plateau, it was on accident one day I ate more calories than normal and started losing weight again. Some days it is hard for me to even get in 1200 calories, on those days I like to splurge with a cookie, or a couple glasses of milk. At least with the milk it's good for me! he he.
Anyway, I'm really excited to run my first half marathon, I have to rest tomorrow even though it's a running day though. I hurt my knee doing Jillian's 30 day shred Friday night. Stupid butt kicks. I kicked my knee up too high towards my butt and it hurt SO BAD. Then I tried to do my 4 mile run yesterday and only made it two. Normally any aches and pains I have go away by the time I hit mile 1, but when my knee was still screaming out to me I decided to just turn around. Did I mention I was walking on it pretty much all day Saturday? Today it's pretty big and kinda sore. Hopefully by Wednesday it will be ready to resume all running!
This lifestyle change has been great for me, it's my own little quick weight loss plan. I'm at 16lbs and hope to lose another 14. I don't want to call it a diet, yes I'm watching what I'm eating, but I've still allowed myself a cookie or two here, a piece of pizza there, even a donut the other day. One thing I've learned is that I need to eat enough! When I first signed up with sparkpeople (about 3 weeks into my progress) I had hit a plateau, it was on accident one day I ate more calories than normal and started losing weight again. Some days it is hard for me to even get in 1200 calories, on those days I like to splurge with a cookie, or a couple glasses of milk. At least with the milk it's good for me! he he.
Anyway, I'm really excited to run my first half marathon, I have to rest tomorrow even though it's a running day though. I hurt my knee doing Jillian's 30 day shred Friday night. Stupid butt kicks. I kicked my knee up too high towards my butt and it hurt SO BAD. Then I tried to do my 4 mile run yesterday and only made it two. Normally any aches and pains I have go away by the time I hit mile 1, but when my knee was still screaming out to me I decided to just turn around. Did I mention I was walking on it pretty much all day Saturday? Today it's pretty big and kinda sore. Hopefully by Wednesday it will be ready to resume all running!
One of those days
So last night both of our computers started acting up. I ran a virus scan over night, woke up to see I had a Trojan virus. My husband couldn't even run a virus scan because his computer was that messed up. He got the blue screen of death. He did manage to get all his files off, but is still working on fixing it, if he can't get it fixed we're going to have to get him a new one, unfortunately my old dinosaur of a computer can't run the programs he needs to work. I'd love a lap top, even a Acer Aspire would be nice, But right now his computer is the only thing bringing in any money so it's kinda important.
Anyway, so then My husband went to heat up a waffle and our toaster wouldn't work. to top it all off, he went to the store and when he left the car wouldn't start. He did figure out it's the starter, which luckily we have a warranty on it so it wont cost anything to fix, but before he can get the new one he has to bring them the old one. To top it all off they are calling for freezing rain tonight. I hope our car isn't stuck at the store for too long...
When it rains it pours!
Anyway, so then My husband went to heat up a waffle and our toaster wouldn't work. to top it all off, he went to the store and when he left the car wouldn't start. He did figure out it's the starter, which luckily we have a warranty on it so it wont cost anything to fix, but before he can get the new one he has to bring them the old one. To top it all off they are calling for freezing rain tonight. I hope our car isn't stuck at the store for too long...
When it rains it pours!
