Closing out the year

Took a relaxed approach last week but with the laziness comes the guilt.  And the cupcakes.  I do love that funfetti frosting.  Man oh man is that stuff good. lol  So this week I'm closing out the year with double-duty on the workouts.  I have to burn the cupcake calories and make up for lost burn-time last week.  I have some new dvds for this week that I have yet to try so I'm looking forward to it! A couple of my beloved Ellen Barrett workouts for this evening to start the week off right.

I'm ready for a new year.  I'm ready to cut out the bs, cut out the fat, avoid people and conversations that don't bring anything positive to my life.  I've started taking steps to battle the stress, the stomach fat, the high-strung/on edge constant that circles over my head and my middle.

 The kids and I are eating better (though they are still two fickle eaters...seriously...how can you eat an italian bmt with lettuce, tomato, green peppers, onions, oil & vinegar and mayo and not eat a variety of "simple" foods?? lol)  I have one salty/sour kid who also needs dessert after every meal and one strong/savory eater who also has her mommy's sweet tooth.  Thanks to Dinner Done I now have less to come up with on th entree front but that means I need to be more creative with side dishes the kids will actually eat......so I have some used cookbooks waiting for me in my Amazon cart. ;-)

Our schooling is going well, we've finally been doing lessons each week day and it's one of three goals I have for each day.  1.  Don't lose my mind..breathe...take a time-out..unclench the teeth...and don't kill anyone.  2.  Exercise 3.  Lesson time

We have had a choppy school schedule so far this school year but we've finally found the happy time slots that work well for us.  Running errands is now an afternoon thing (and only every other week) so there's less running around in the cold, less germy people to come in contact with and less "other stuff" keeping us from doing the productive things we have to do here at home.  The kids are re-discovering their many toys, as well as new Christmas gifts.  I'm weeding through the clutter and donating/freecycling as much as I can.  I'd like to organize the schooling cabinets this winter and clean out the spare room downstairs.  I have a couple of storage bins of clothes I'm ready to go through and donate.   If I'm not going to actually wear my shorts from junior year in high school they can be donated.  I WILL keep one or two jean skirts that I wore in high school...and if I can fit into them then I will wear them this summer. ;-)

Speaking of clothes...I tried on a dress 3 sizes smaller than I normally wear and it fit!  Well, not around the boobs but that's not so bad. lol  It's definitely progress considering I couldn't squish myself into any of my dresses a few months ago.  Since I started blogging at the end of September I've now lost 13 pounds.  13 pounds on 60% effort.  Not bad eh?  I cannot eat rabbit food (though Mike says a salad IS rabbit food) but I've cut excess calories and if I decide to treat myself then I just take it easy on the other meals of the day or week.  I'm not exercising every day but for the last couple of weeks I've been setting out 5 days worth of workouts...and if I skip a day then I just make up for it on the weekend.  This week I have catching up to do so I'm doing double, 7 days this week.  You won't see results if you just coast. lol 

Setting out the workouts for the week has been really motivating.  I'm getting a chance to do new workouts instead of choosing the same ones over and over.  I'm looking forward to trying something different and I'm more aware of combining cardio and strength training to balance it out for the week.  I'm also ready to put some dvds on Ebay because I found some new ones I want to try. ;-)

http://www.collagevideo.com/

This site is great for previewing exercise dvds.  You can see clips of the workouts, read reviews, see the breakdown of the workout (how many min for warm up, cardio/strength training, cool down).  I check back with Amazon for additional reviews and price comparison though.  Amazon is usually cheaper but doesn't have new videos in stock.  For some reason CollageVideo gets new dvds before Amazon offers them (every yet to be released dvds). 

Wishing everyone a healthy and happy new year full of positive moments with your loved ones!
 

Cardio Axe

Axe (A-shay) in Portuguese means "energy" or something along that line.  Cardio Axe is part of the Brazil Butt Lift Beachbody program.  30 minutes of fun Brazilian cardio.  I liked it.  :-)  Good part is I did Jackie Warner's standing ab workout before this one (approx. 20 min) and that alone used to kill me back in August when I started working out.  Now I can put that together with a higher intensity cardio workout and not feel like dying afterwards!  Woohoo!

Haven't blogged in a bit so time to catch up.  I've tweaked the schedule yet again.  I can't muster enough energy to get breakfast into children and myself, do lessons with my son and have energy to workout during naptime if I fit everything in the morning.  So I flipped lesson time to afternoons between lunch and dinner.  You know that gap of time when you start looking at the clock wondering how soon you can feed them and get them to bed? lol  Yeah, we leave the girl upstairs to play or watch a show and the boy and I scootch downstairs for 30 min or so to do lessons.  I do my workout an hour after breakfast during morning playtime or during naptime (or if I'm really procrastinating, after the kids go to bed!).  It all gets done eventually.

Today is Monday and I'm always lagging on Monday.  The mojo for the week hasn't set in yet. lol  We have lots of holiday crafts to do.  Not a crafty mom in general but little kits at Michaels and a foam gingerbread house that was on clearance...I can handle those. ;-)  So this afternoon will be craft time and both children can participate.  We're having an early dinner today -Salmon with dijon cream sauce and garlic mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli with lemon butter. 

I have a list of meal ideas for this week and 4 cardio choices, 4 ab workouts and 4 cardio/strength training workouts.  I hope to get through all of them this week in some combination every day but what doesn't get done this week will be used next week.  This way I get through each dvd once instead of sticking to my favorites.  I also have some new ones I've previewed but haven't done yet.  And some more coming. ;-)  This is the healthiest addiction ever. lol  Thank goodness for Ebay, now I can re-sell the dvds I don't use or I don't like as much and try something new.  Until tomorrow....

Don't you ask yourself that question!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IkhM0i8sV0&feature=related


Beth Moore talks about working out and she says, "Don't you ask yourself that question, you get your tail out there and do what you need to do!"  Amen!  We ask ourselves too many questions.  Do we ask "Am I going to have lunch today?"  Nope.  We eat.  We plan our meals.  We dream about dessert.  And we live in bondage.  How much do you weigh?  What did you eat today?  Was it good or bad?  Hmm...these pants don't really fit right..looks like my pants are ready to explode.  Yup, that's mental bondage.  Consumed by unnecessary thoughts.  I don't know about you but I have enough going through my head.  So as I head into a new week I remind myself of how good I feel when I exercise and get it done for the day.  The absence of guilt when I know I've moved my body "enough" for today. 

As a woman, a wife and mother, I've come to realize that I need "teasers" during the day to keep me going.  I need a good lunch to get me through the afternoon and evening with the kiddos.  I need a break at naptime to have some quiet and do some things alone without the children around.  If my husband were here (or if he ever got the million dollar memo I tried to get him to understand) he'd flirt with me on the phone or something so that I'd actually be happy to see him when he came home in the evening. lol  I've learned the same goes for exercise.  Doing a full workout at naptime hasn't been working for me.  My son wakes up before I've had adequate alone time and I feel jipped.  Or he interrupts me while I'm in a zone doing squats and tries to run over my foot with a file cart. 

BUT...if I get my butt downstairs and get on the pilates chair for some movements, my body warms up and I'm reminded of how good it feels to be slimmer and more flexible.  I have my Leg Magic right at the bottom of the stairs so as I see myself in the mirror I'm reminded to hop on for a minute or two before I allow myself near the computer.  I have several 10 minute options, just abs, a full body 10 min workout, arm weight segments, etc.  If I get on the pilates chair, do some arm movements and some abs and get the heart rate up a bit, in less than 20 minutes I've given myself the teaser and I still have plenty of quiet time before the kiddos wake up.  Then when the kids go to bed for the night, I have the energy and enthusiasm to do a full workout.  Here's the thing, 50 or 60 minutes straight through sucks.  It's just too long.  Unless the workout is REALLY fun...it's just long.  You shouldn't be checking the clock.  That's why I like Ellen Barrett's workouts.  45 min or so but the movements flow so well you just keep going.  Richard Simmons is 50-60 minutes but it's "low impact" compared to the other stuff I've been doing so 50-60 min is necessary to equal a decent amount of work for one day.  If I'm doing a high intensity workout, 15-30 min is all I can muster.  On an ideal day, I'll do an Ellen Barrett workout and then add on a 10 min arms, abs or higher intensity segment to complete the hour.  Knowing what works is half the battle...and tomorrow I will NOT be asking myself if I will work out.  I will tease at naptime and get ready for the full show after bedtime. ;-)

Turbo Thanksgiving

Wednesday:  Physique 57 Arm booster, pilates chair and Turbo Fire's HIIT 15 workout

Thursday: Spent all day in the kitchen...that's a workout right?

Friday:  Washed dishes...again...working back, legs and arms.  :-)

Saturday:  Just enough energy to do 10 min of Disco Sweat, abs on the pilates chair, and there was this chart on Pintrest, the 4 minute workout.  I did it...it worked..heart rate up, body warmed, out of breath. 

Sunday:  Ellen Barrett's Fat Burning Fusion ...I get enough mojo to work out...and then I get interrupted by someone who not only finds something to argue about but runs over my foot with the cause of the argument..grrrrrr!  I get in a zone.  The whole point of exercising is to concentrate, work and move the body, clear the mind and focus on the movements.  The cause of stress coming in and ruining the concentration killed it.  This is why I've scootched back my workouts from naptime to bedtime.  I washed dishes while watching Friends on the portable dvd player (I put it on the kitchen window sill, how cool is that? lol ) and then I worked out and by then naptime was clearly over when I heard foot steps.  I have a headache so time to pop some Excedrine and drink a bottle of water. 

And up...and up....one more...and up....

That's what the lady on the Physique 57 dvd sounds like... lol  It's actually amusing but it works...it keeps you going.  I just did the Arm Booster portion and man your arms feel like they're gonna fall off when you're done.  I burned about 150 calories on the recumbent bike before my butt fell asleep. lol  I also did the "makeover moves" on the pilates chair.  The pilates 100 is actually getting easier!  I couldn't believe it.  When I first started I couldn't do 10 "pumps" without holding my breath.  Now I can breathe through 30 pumps before I need to take a break.  I sit up, take a deep breath, then get back into position for another 30.  I did 100!  Getting stronger....;-)

Yesterday I did Turbo Fire's Fire 30 workout.  You sweat a LOT but it's fast-paced cardio which is exactly what I need.  I modify the moves to take it easy on my knees.  I've had experience with Turbo Jam before and it kills the knees a bit.  Lots of twisting and awkward movement...and I don't use my legs well during kickboxing workouts so I just keep my lower body stable and work the waist up which is my trouble area anyway.  Tomorrow is the HIIT 15 workout, high intensity interval training for 15 minutes.  Every other minute is intense high intensity work with the next minute of rest, alternating through the 15 minutes.  I'll do some other cardio before that to warm up and then I'll do that.  It's a short time so I can do 45 minutes of something else before the 15 minutes of Turbo Fire kills me. lol

Sore and more sore

Owwww!  I can barely walk.  Note:  Do not do 40 squats in one day.  I was supposed to do 80 yesterday.  I wouldn't be able to get out of bed if I had done 80.  Seriously so stiff and sore.  In need of stretching so I did about 10 minutes or so doing some hatha yoga poses from a book I have.  I did it with a faster tempo so I was definitely warmed up and sweating, not to mention I was stretching through the pain. lol

I'm still crazy sore this evening but I felt like I should do more so I did Ellen Barrett's Fat Burning Fusion for the first time.  I only did half.  The whole thing is 43 minutes and I don't have much time before the kids go to bed.  They're watching The Fresh Beat Band upstairs.  Thank goodness for Nick Jr. I swear.  I really liked this dvd so I could have done the whole thing if I had done it earlier.  The moves flow very easily into the next so even if you want to quit you end up just flowing into the next one.  I would have done less but I kept going through an extra 5 minutes of moves because they felt good. lol  I really like her.  And now..I'm craving a bowl of Fruity Pebbles.  Makes me think of Mike.  He's like a 12 yr old kid in a lot of ways.  He looks like he could kill you with his bare hands and yet...he likes Captain Crunch and Fruity Pebbles.  He can also see smoked sausage right out of the wrapper from the fridge and a side of pickles.  Clearly he's not a foodie gourmet. lol  Tomorrow's another day....maybe some Disco Sweat?

A Week of Work

Monday:  I worked up a sweat in the first 10 minutes doing jumping jacks, pony hops, football drills, "jumping through tires" and a few other plyometrics.  I also did 5 minutes of uphill battle on the manual treadmill.  That thing is no joke.  All you, all incline. lol  I skipped, I did the sideways shuffle, I walked backwards, 10 laps each across my family room downstairs.  I also used 5lb dumbbells and worked my arms and shoulders/back.   I did my "morning moves" as my cool down.  I'm sweaty and pooped in 25 minutes. ;-)

Tuesday:  I danced for 30 minutes.  We were watching the movie Deck the Halls while the kids had their breakfast and then I started dancing to the music during the ending credits.  Then I turned on the cd player and started dancing to some oldies rock and roll.  Gino followed along with my movements for a bit and Nina danced in her high chair.  The kids then went off to play and I danced around for the remainder of the time until my parents showed up.  I incorporated my "morning moves", did laps backwards, sideways shuffled, skipped, some ballet moves and moved to the music.  It was fun and an easy way to break a sweat.  My mom said I looked rosy and rested when she walked in.  I told her it was because I had been moving my fat a** for half an hour. lol 

Didn't exercise the rest of last week so I had nothing to blog about.  I have to make up for 2 weeks of being bad about food and exercise.  Time to play catch-up.

Remembering the beauty

Listen to this song and then come back here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orc4TuIO56s

I was watching episodes of The Biggest Loser season 6 and one of the women, Kelly, said she was working hard to be beautiful on the outside to match how beautiful she was on the inside.  We are told not to be superficial and judge a person by their looks, but it's reality.  Being big doesn't mean you're ugly, but you're not the best you could be.  Your health is your biggest asset, your biggest wealth.  After that comes how you feel about yourself.  I don't know anyone that truly feels 100% happy about themselves physically.  No one will ever be 100% happy because that's the way humans are...but we should be more than 75% content with how we are, and most aren't even up to that percentage. 

So my cousin got on Pintrest and told me how fantastic it is so I checked it out.  It's like millions of women going through magazines and catalogs and life in general and sharing with their girlfriends.  A random picture of someone's eyeball, a recipe, a dress they think is pretty but have no occasion to wear.  I figured, where there are recipes, there are fatties so I typed in "exercise" in the search box and came up with this:

The 100 Workout:  100 jumping jacks, 90 crunches, 80 squats, 70 leg lifts, 60 jumping jacks, 50 crunches, 40 squats, 30 leg lifts, 20 jumping jacks, run for 10 min. 

I did everything with the exception of 40 squats and only 5 min of running on the trampoline.  And yes, you can "run" on a trampoline just like you can "run" on an elliptical.  The benefit of running on the trampoline is no pressure on your joints.  The jumping jacks made my chest catch fire.  The crunches made me not be able to breathe, the squats hurt my knees after 40, the leg lifts were the easiest.  I did knee ups to work legs and abs, side lifts to work legs and obliques, and southeast and southwest lifts to work the legs and butt.  Crazy thirsty and I'm sitting here at the computer in pajama pants and a sports bra.  My exercise clothes of the day. lol 

Summer Inspiration

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MR8XQ-tqQbA

Take a look at that....and tell me that beach doesn't inspire to lose weight and get a tan. lol  You can almost feel the heat of the sun, the smell of the salt air...and if you listen closely you can hear the waves...ahh, heaven.  Just arrived in the mail yesterday, previewed the whole thing last night.  The first part is cardio, the second is weights and toning.  It's a sweaty one for sure.  It's one of those big-bang-for-your-buck workouts.

I haven't posted in a few days.  I took a break to satisfy my cravings.  Steak, grilled shrimp, mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, and chocolate.  Not just cheap chocolate...chocolate that comes in a pretty box.  Good thing I only like about 4 kinds that come in the huge box. lol  Caramels and nuts are crowd pleasers..that random crap they put in there? Not so much.  And not dark chocolate.  If I want to eat something bitter I'd get some radicchio..ylekh. 

I also was too busy looking for additional motivation.....summer rentals.  :-)  Finally decided on a condo in Carolina Beach, NC.  Had to coordinate with my dad's work schedule so now we're officially reserved.  A condo ON the beach with a pool.  Nice to have the comforts of home and wake up to the view of dolphins popping out of the water.  The kids will love that.  ;-) 

Now that I have 6 months to get ready for family vacation, I've gotta get on the ball!  The stability ball that is...and the treadmill and the recumbent bike and the trampoline and the pilates chair...and a few hundred viewings of dvds like the link above.  I don't want to look like a stuffed sausage in my bathing suit next summer, no sir.  lol

Mix It Up

Lots of stuff on my mind so I'm going to mix it up a bit today.  I did some abs and pilates chair but I have a bad headache so I popped some Excedrine and nursing a coffee while I type.  I'd like to do something mellow this evening like Ellen Barrett's Fusion Flow or maybe just get on the recumbent bike.  We'll see.  My cousin called last night and told me she was getting Chipotle so of course I've been craving it ever since.  SO good.  Everything's healthy but you just eat and eat until you want to pass out.  You can't stop..must finish.  So maybe that'll be my dinner. ;-)

I've planned my Thanksgiving meal.  It's just my parents, me and the kids so we make what we like.  I make a ham (more like reheating since it's already cooked), green bean casserole, sweet potatoes (just butter and cinnamon, brown sugar).  My mom requested cranberry sauce from scratch so I found an Emeril recipe for that.  I love him.  Seriously.  Love him.  If I could curl up into his chest I would.  I'm using his recipe for cheesy potato gratin as well.  I usually use Mike's recipe for cheesy potatoes but that's kind of a pain to make the sauce.  I just put in an order for Dinner Done, 8 entrees with free delivery for Saturday.  I've heard it's great so I'm finally giving it a try.  They assemble and package everything and deliver it to my door.  Can't get better than that..and it would cost me well over $120 to make 8 different entrees so...one of the entrees is a almond and cranberry stuffed chicken breast so I may add those to the menu if I can't find turkey legs anywhere.

I've been taking pictures of new recipes I try but I put ALL my pictures on the computer at once a few times a year and I'm feeling quite lazy these days.  I'll put the food pics on Facebook eventually. 

I was looking through a catalog, you know the kind with quotes on t-shirts, Christmas sweaters and cheesy gifts.  I was thinking that I want a cheesy Christmas sweater.  You know, the kind elementary school teachers wear. lol  I looked on Ebay...and I'm really not a cheesy dresser.  I can't do novelty earrings or Mickey Mouse watches.  I get hot in sweaters around the house.  So I found some cute aprons instead.  One for Thanksgiving and one for Christmas.  It'll put me in the festive mood when I'm cooking. 

So while I was browsing Ebay, I looked at shoes.  These are the kind of shoes I used to wear:  (Not the brand for pete's sake but the style!)  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Christian-Louboutin-39-5-8-5-Elisabeth-lip-steel-heel-slide-shoe-AUTHENTIC-/110766801032?pt=US_Women_s_Shoes&hash=item19ca374088

And now:  http://www.ebay.com/itm/Andiamo-Slipon-Sandals-w-Jewelled-Medallion-Black-Sz-8-5-/400253850402?pt=US_Women_s_Shoes&hash=item5d30fd1322

A world of difference.  Sigh....I used to be cute.  I used to get checked out.  Nobody checks out a lumpy mom of two.  Nobody gets checked out going to Costco and Target.  Anybody going in or out of there is married...and most likely to their very own frumpy mom of two. lol  Life just ain't the same.  I used to shop at New York and Company almost weekly back in the day.  I still love that store...but what's the point?  Where do I go?  I'm already the dressiest woman I know and that's kinda sad actually.  I'm actually hesitant when I get ready to socialize...I have to tell myself to take off a piece of jewelry...change my shoes....I remember last year, first night of book club...I wore a black v-neck cotton dress and a periwinkle sweater over it....I normally would have worn my black wedge heels...I was toning it down for the homeschoolers...so I wore my black patent thongs....I wore silver jewelry....and makeup.  I looked like I was going out to dinner and the rest of the women looked like they just came home from the library.  Very casual.  It's not a bad thing to be casual...in fact I was the one that stood out.  I don't know anyone that dresses up.  I see women who look hot to trot going in to Target with children...but no one I know does that. lol

I was talking to my cousin this morning and I told her I'm planning on being the flashiest old lady EVER.  I mean gold sandals, blinging to the nines...you know those old ladies that go to the salon for a weekly styling?  That'll be me...only I'll do it myself because I know how. lol  I really admire those 80 yr olds that do their makeup every day.  They grew up in a different time...a time when a lady took care that she looked presentable when she left the house.  We all look like shlubs when we leave the house nowadays.  It's not just about appearance...when these old ladies do their face and hair and pick an outfit for the day, they put their jewelry on, they have a place to go, something to live for.  It's about attitude.  You think if they stayed home every day in their nightgowns they'd live to see 90?  Who would want to see 90 when that's all you have going for you??! 

Switching topics...I'm dreaming of the beach lately.  I miss the hot sun...my tanned skin...the salt air.  It is my mission to spend at least one week at the beach next summer.  I will make it happen.  I'd also like to get the driveway done and pay off bills but you know, whatever...priorities.  lol  Traveling up to see the in-laws in MA is on the agenda too....we'll see what we can manage.  I'd like to do that, the kids will be old enough for a road trip but that's not laying out on the beach.  Two totally different vacations.  We may do that with Mike and have the truly relaxing vacation after he leaves. lol  My parents can only be with us for a weekend so if I can manage to find a place I feel safe enough for a week just me in the kiddos...man oh man would that be heaven.  Maybe Topsail...oooh, the wheels are churning.  I'd need a pool too.  I've been to Topsail before..it's low-key...perfect for families and I have a choice of two Food Lions on the island. lol  You know what would really stink?  A week at the beach with non-stop rain.  That would truly stink.  That's me, Ms. Positive Thinker. ;-)  That's all for today folks.

Muscles

I was contemplating taking an online course for personal training or fitness and nutrition just to keep me in the zone, motivated and my brain on track.....they made it more expensive since the last time I checked so whateva...I hit the library website instead. lol

Picked out some Biggest Loser cookbooks, definitely more recipes that I liked more than I didn't like which is rare, I'm picky with cookbooks. 

I found book in particular I really liked, Anatomy of Exercises which shows strength training exercises as well as the muscles used for each.  Really interesting...so that's what I did today.  I started with my "morning moves" and stretched, then 20 jumping jacks (jiggling up and down is decreasing, hallelujah!) and then I did the exercises from the book with my hand weights.  I tried to see if I could feel the muscles in my body working just like the pictures...they were pretty accurate.

I've got some cooking to do this afternoon and then I'll use the pilates chair later this evening, the leg magic and some ab work as well.  All of that takes me maybe 30 minutes or so but really works...and a nice way to end the evening before I go up to bed to read. 

Look it and you will become it

I'm referring to my short pony tail and my workout clothes.  If I sorta look like the chicks on the workout videos (nevermind that I'm carrying 50+lb more) then slowly...maybe I'll get closer and closer to what they really look like.  I tell ya, the shorter pony tail and the tank top feel heavenly when I'm moving around.  I left my Diamonique studs in...who doesn't look just a touch better with a little bling?? ;-)  I can't hide behind my hair now so it's put things in perspective a bit.  The mojo has returned this week and I'm kicking it up. 

Today was Zumba Express, 20 minutes of fun latin dancing.  I also did the arm section from the Ab & Arm Booster from Physique 57.  I use 5lb weights.  I never work out my back, arms and shoulders enough and I look like a linebacker (I'm guessing) on a good day.  Broad shoulders indeed.  I've lost an inch off my arms since August so it's an improvement..but I can do better.

Movin' to the Music

My mom was over yesterday.  She kept the kids busy, she gave them lollipops, they argued and screamed.  Nina cried.  I count the number of times she's pushed to tears when my parents come over.  It's not directly their fault...it's more a reaction to the actions of the boy and the get-away-with-murder manipulation that results in her crying.  I don't like to hear or see her cry.  It's unnecessary.  She's quite sassy in general but she's a good seed and has a generous nature.  She doesn't deserve the BS she gets sometimes.  Anyhoo, I had asked my mom for a haircut so after the kids went down for naps I showered and she cut my hair.  The apple did not fall far from the seed.  She went to cosmetology school back in the day.  Here's the thing with curly hair...you can pull firmly but it shouldn't be too firm..because the hair will spring back and look utterly ridiculous when it's too short.  My hair is now two inches shorter than where I showed her I wanted it.  Her response:  "It's hair, never cry about hair."  True that.  I wanted it short anyway because I have my hair in a pony tail every day.  Working out with long hair, even a long pony tail resting on my back, makes me super hot, as does wearing sneakers.  (I don't like saying sneakers.  I don't like calling them tennis shoes either.  I think I'm going to call my shoes "cross-trainers"..because technically I think that's what they are...sounds a hell of a lot cooler than sneeeeakers.)  So now I have a ridiculous-looking bob.  My hair is back to it's original non-layered thickness.  When I blow dry my hair and it's straight I'll cut some layers into it.  For now, it's up in a midget pony tail.  By next summer it'll be long and fabulous to go with my new body.  ;-)

So while my mom was playing with the kids, I put on some music.  Some good old school rock and roll.  Like borderline oldies.  lol  And I danced.  And I did my "morning moves".  And I did knee lifts, arm weights, trunk twists and well, you get the picture.  Think I'll do it again today when my parents come over.  I need to do something when they come over and doing a full workout with the circus in town is too distracting. 

Have I mentioned I love Ellen Barrett?  I'm hooked.  I think I love her out of ALL the exercise dvds I have.  Youtube her.  She's the perfect blend.  I love when I find a favorite.  Speaking of favorites, my cousin told me about Jane Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series and I finally got 1-16 and I'm on book 6 now and I'm hooked.  I'm in that comfy stage of a series, you know, where you know the characters well and you don't get sleepy reading and when you're done with one book you don't think twice about picking up the next one immediately.  I hear foot steps...somebody's awake.....

Out of whack

I'm all off schedule today.  I got on the computer before breakfast..big mistake.  I'm sure you know how that goes..anyway, I didn't eat breakfast.  By the time I went upstairs to eat something it was almost time for the kids to go down for naps and that's usually when I exercise.  Can't really do that with something in my stomach, now can I?? lol  So I put it off.  I read in peace and quiet instead.

Note:  The Resolution is to Courageous as The Love Dare is to Fireproof.

I went from wanting to do the Yogini dvd to then deciding on Zumba...I finally ended up just getting on the Leg Magic for inner thigh work and using my 5lb dumbbells for arms.  I'm sore from yesterday but I could have done a workout today.  My eyes are ready to close and I could care less right now though. lol  I've been craving a bowl of cereal all afternoon so I think I'll have a bowl before bedtime. 

Cain't hardly walk

Seriously. Can't. Walk.  Power Fusion kicked my arse.  You look at it and think, "This is nice, flowy, they don't seem to be sweating too much..."  and then you do it.  I had to stop twice to get water.  I never stop to get water.  I couldn't move and my form was getting sloppy so I had to hit pause twice.  The first half builds and builds and next thing you know I'm trying to go through the menu in my head to remember how many more segments there were left.  That's how I know I'm working hard...when I'm dying to stop. lol  There aren't a whole lot of movements throughout her dvds, that's what I like about them.  I don't like the aerobics dvds where they keep building on the same routine for 20 minutes, especially if I'm not really enjoying the combination of moves in the first place.  She doesn't do that.  Her moves seem very basic but the way she incorporates the whole body into it really gives you the biggest bang for the buck.  They were all wet by the end of the dvd and I was pretty slick myself.  Good thing I wore my pretty tank top.  :-) 

She keeps you squatting or lunging throughout which is why I can barely walk.  I had ankle weights on for the first segment which was a bad idea.  I didn't need them.  There's a reason none of them needed any equipment. lol  I did however keep my 1lb wrist weights on the whole time.  I really wanted to work the arms a bit more and that was doable.  I feel the soreness in my arms a bit right now so hopefully I'll REALLY feel it tomorrow.  I'm sure my legs will be plenty sore tomorrow too judging by how I felt after her Barefoot Cardio dvd.  She tells you what you're working as you're doing the exercises which I find motivating.  If I'm going to feel like I'm dying while I'm doing it, I want to know my waist will get smaller or my butt is getting firmer.  lol 

I followed up with some stretching and some ab work on my own.  I feel better after I'm done...it's the absence of guilt.  ;-)  I'll probably be sore so I've got her Yogini workout on the agenda for tomorrow.

Previews and abs/arms

I previewed some new dvds today.  I liiike.  :-)  10 Minute Solutions with the stability ball.  It looked like so much fun.  Something about tossing and moving a ball around makes me feel like a little girl again.  Definitely can't wait to try that one.  Jackie Warner's Power Circuit Training...she works it.  She's like Jillian..totally different moves but kills you in a short amount of time.  The Firm's 500 Calorie workout is long, 60 minutes but for 500 calories, it's one of those that I think I'll reserve when I need to punish myself. lol  I like the moves, she incorporates cardio and strength training throughout (that's the signature The Firm method). 

I did stretching, some pilates chair moves, some ab work, 2lb arm weights for upper body.  I did a little of the ab isolations on a belly dance dvd from the library but I don't like when the one woman is silent with the narration as she does the exercises.  So that one is going back to the library tomorrow.  I'm dragging for sure this week.  I'm moving my body but I'm not putting in 100%.  Sooo...I need some motivation.  I laid out my workout clothes on my bed for tomorrow.  I figure if I look the part maybe it'll psych me up more.  lol  On tomorrow's agenda, Ellen Barrett's Power Fusion.  Barefoot with a mat in my racerback tank and cute yoga capris.  ;-)  I keep envisioning myself next summer, all lean and tanned in a cute skirt with tanned and toned legs looking fabulous in a halter top.  6 months until May...if I want that to be a reality I gotta give 100%.  I think I can...I think I can....I think I can....

The Bar...ouch!

If you recall, a week or two ago I had meant to try The Bar Method Body dvd from the library.  I never got around to it until today.  I did my own warm-up with my "morning moves", the basic exercises on the pilates chair and some 2lb arm weight work.  I started the dvd with the arm work which started right after the warm-up.  I liked it.  There's nothing special about arm work.  It's pretty much the same on every dvd that has you work your arms.  You work the shoulders, the triceps, biceps and back.  I normally use 2lb weights for lots of reps but since she did one set of 10 and then a second set of 20 I figured I could deal with using 5lb weights.  KILLED but in a good way.  I want to feel my arms get tired.  Then we moved on to thigh work.  I liked that part too.  Inner/outer thighs holding on to the back of a chair and I could definitely feel it.  After that she did some stretching and yoga type moves to stretch out the legs but I was wearing 3lb ankle weights on both legs so I did some leg presses while sitting on my chair while she did the leg stretches.  I stretched my legs on my own.  Then she went into a "pretzel" pose to work the outer thigh/butt area.  The way I had to lean on the floor hurt my rest thigh/butt so I managed to get through one side only.  Too bad I worked the butt cheek that doesn't need work. lol  I'm majorly right-side dominant so my right butt cheek is more round than my other side.  I also stand on my right leg more which means I'm flexing leg and butt muscles more.  ANYway...lol

On to a different topic....parenting decisions seem to be irking me a lot lately.  I have strong opinions and I can be pretty judgemental.  For the most part however, I conclude any thought with, "Well, whatever works for them as long as it has nothing to do with me..."  I also feel strongly about giving new parents advice.  If they ask or they are consumed with doubt, I'm honest but I'm also available to give them peace of mind.  I don't agree with placing fear after fear on their shoulders because of a personal circumstance that happened to someone (either yourself or someone you know).  That doesn't help anyone.  It's not "educating" them.  Something horrific or crappy happened to you or your kid and you need to point the finger at someone or something.  There's no need to make a new parent question what they otherwise would have been fine with just because you had a bad experience.  I know several parents that have medical issues with their children.  I wouldn't wish that on anyone.  We all want our children to be happy and healthy and issue-free.  I respect a fellow mom a lot when she knows maybe there were things she could have done differently to change the outcome but she doesn't beat herself up about it.  "It is what it is, now let's do what we need to do to show our child we can live a happy and full life regardless of the circumstances thrown our way."  From the food we eat to the containers it comes in to the cars we drive to the medical care we choose for our families, EVERYTHING is a variable that can lead to good or bad.  I strive for better each and every day and that's all we can do.  Make better choices tomorrow, smile more and love more. 

AND...I have something else.  Yesterday my parents were over and we were all outside.  My dad was blowing leaves and the kids and my mom were playing in their car so I came in to check my email while I had a free minute.  Next thing I know my dad's coming in to get Gino's scooter and says "Come and look, Gino's in love."  So I go out with him and see Gino talking to two little hispanic girls from 4 or 5 houses down from us.  One was probably about 4 and the older one (the one Gino liked) was probably closer to 7 or 8.  She was riding one of those metal scooters that goes faster and Gino has a red plastic red scooter so he was trailing behind trying to catch up to his beloved. lol  He was trying to talk to them, asking them if they wanted to go for a walk or ride bikes some time.  It was really cute.  He was also shy and embarassed and my parents kept interfering, telling him what to say.  (SO annoying by the way.  Sometimes I wish I could push the mute button on both of them.)  Anyway, they went back and forth from our house to theirs riding their scooters for a bit and then they came back to our house with their little brother following behind.  Now, a couple things:  1.  The older girl was wearing a spaghetti strapped black dress.  It's almost November and we're all wearing long sleeves and pants.  2.  The little boy was dressed appropriately for the weather but he couldn't have been more than 2 yrs old. 

So they came with the brother and then the girls went back to their house and Gino and the little boy stayed with us.  So right away I'm thinking, "Uh, HELLO...they just left the kid here??"  He didn't talk.  He just stood there staring at us.  So my dad lets him play with the bubble mower we have.  Then he offered the boy the little bicycle we have and helped him get on it.  Meanwhile I look down to where the boy's family lives and I see a couple men standing by their cars and a female in the car and they're talking and hanging out.  The men would look over periodically so I figured they had seen the boy.  I sent Gino a few times to tell the girls to come get their brother and he did, poor thing.  He'd run down there and then try to talk but wouldn't know what to say and got all flustered and would run back.  Torn between his embarassing crush and Mommy's orders. lol  Poor thing.  So finally I'm like, "This is ridiculous, we're ready to go inside and this kid is just standing here."  So I took the bikes and put them in the shed and the kid starts crying.  My mom tries showing him to walk and saying "Follow, follow" and pointing towards his house but nothing.  The kid just stood there.  My dad and Gino wanted to take the car to Costco to get gas so you know, show's over, go home kid. lol  My dad took Gino's hand and the boy's hand and walked him down to his family.  The mom runs out of the car and picks him up and apparently she thought he was in the house.  What the hell??  This whole thing probably last 15 or 20 minutes.  The whole time I'm thinking, "There's relaxed and then there's stupid.  These are the same types of people that will cry over their missing kid tomorrow on the news." 

We've got psychos in this world raping small children and almost every day I read an article but a missing child.  I'm all for these relaxed parents that want their kids to be free to run around but unfortunately this ain't that kind of world anymore.  Alrighty, got that off my chest.  I still can't believe it.  I think of my children at 2 yrs old....at someone's house with a family I don't know...I just can't even imagine how people can be that clueless as to their kids' whereabouts.

True You

Well, this past week was a bust.  I was exhausted.  I drank soda, I ate comfort foods and I didn't exercise.  Not evening my "morning moves" or my ab work.  Tomorrow is a new day.  I just don't think I can work against it that one week a month so I'm not going to try.  I need time to recover, to rest and to be comfy in pajamas all day long. 

Starting this week tomorrow I needed some motivation.  I didn't expect to get it where I got it though. ;-)  In the evenings lately I've been watching Joyce Meyer or Beth Moore on Youtube.  I enjoy both ladies very much.  (I dig the southern twang and I have to say, Paula Deen has an eternal piece of my heart as well)  I'm more familiar with Joyce Meyer because she's more popular, has more books and dvds out, has her own show, etc.  I've been watching Beth Moore on Youtube trying to catch up on her different shows and tonight's was a pleasant surprise.  I've included the links for both Part 1 and Part 2 of her segment below if you're interested. 


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYuYrFW60e4&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2IkhM0i8sV0&feature=related

She shares positive words about her method of physical worship and it really spoke to me.  One quote that comes to mind is ".....your spiritual act of worship."  Worshipping your body, being thankful for all it can do, appreciating your healthy and maintaining it for yourself and for your family.  Getting to a place in your body, mind and spirit at least once a day to focus on who you want to be...the true you. 

She speaks of extremes and how it probably ain't a size 0 and it probably ain't a size 20 either.  Women sometimes speak as if they are content, when really internally they're eaten up about their reality.  Extremes are not the way we were intended to be.  We are not supposed to withhold food from our bodies and yet gorging is also wrong.  I know when I look in the mirror, THIS is not how I am supposed to be.  There are no excuses to be made for the way I look.  I know my portions were too big.  I know my sweet tooth won the battle.  I know I chose poorly.  I'm changing my ways to more true me.

I lose momentum when I take a day's break.  I lose my focus, my drive, my motivation.  This week my goal is to exercise every day and make it count.  I'm seeing changes in my body and I want to increase my strength this week.  I want to push myself a little harder each week so that when next month rolls around, I can allow myself to rest for a week and be content.  When your mind isn't set and you slack, that's when you make excuses.   Work before I rest, that's the goal.  A new day and a workout to report tomorrow.  :-)

Homeschooling Look-alikes

It's Monday...I have a certain crampy blahhh inducing visitor so the mojo is at zero today.  I've gotta get it back because I need to exercise hard this week and it's the last thing I actually feel like doing.

I'm ignoring the exercise bit for a moment to share something interesting...well, interesting for me.  I was watching Sister Wives and then The Real Housewives of New Jersey's reunion and Gino was playing with his cars on the floor.  (We had a very off day yesterday so he went to bed at barely 6pm and woke up about 8:30, we had some oreos and milk and I let him stay up with me and I promised he could sleep in my bed since he had been asking to do so for a while.)  Anyway, at one point he came onto the couch and got in his "nest" between my legs.  We use his big Pottery Barn comforter on the couch and it's over my legs and he climbs onto it and then pulls the extra section over him so technically we're both covered but he's extra cozy and he lays his head on my big fat gut. lol I was flipping between Bravo and TLC and we watched a promo for next week's Sister Wives and he goes:  "Are those homeschoolers?" 
Me:  "Why do you think they are homeschoolers?" 
Him:  "Because I hear you talking about homeschooling and homeschoolers and they look like regular people we know."
Me:  "How come you don't think they (flipping back to Bravo's evening dress/styled to the nines/makeup and false lashes) aren't homeschoolers?"
Him:  "They're too fancy to be homeschoolers."
Me:  "So what makes these women (going back to Sister Wives) seem like homeschoolers? Is it because they have kids with them?"
Him:  "Yeah, they look like regular people and they do fun things and they go places and they play with their kids."

Hmm.  So, first off, I guess I'm not the only one that has noticed homeschoolers tend to be an au natural bunch.  The Sister Wives don't wear much makeup, if any.  They wear "normal" every day casual clothes.  Gino noticed the similarities.  Personally, I'd like to be somewhere in the middle.  I don't need a stylist or a size 2 body.  I don't need a nanny or Jimmy Choos.  I love makeup and hair but frankly, it's not worth the effort to make a quick stop at the library and then Target.  So I doll myself up for a random dinner out with friends or for a homeschooling get-together.  My mom wears makeup every single day if she leaves the house.  I'm not that extreme now but I used to be (back when I was hot stuff and loved the attention ;-).  I also think it's borderline insulting to the people you are socializing with when you come looking like you just woke up from a nap and forgot to brush your hair.  But for my son to notice the difference was pretty surprising.  He's quite the people-watcher like his mom so I shouldn't be that surprised I guess.  ;-)  I am happy that Gino is realizing we are part of a community of like-minded people who put their children first, are making countless sacrifices for their decision and are out DOING things, contrary to the stereotype.

A special note:  I've been seeing some awful eyebrows lately.  Eyebrows frame the face.  With excellent eyebrows you get an instant face lift.  Over-tweezing, eyebrows that need a weed-wacker, not filling in sparce eyebrows or having two different shapes tells me (and the world) you haven't a clue.  Please let someone help you!

Stinky weather, food and crazy people

This is going to be a rant and rave session so get ready. 

First off, this weather stinks.  It's October, I know, it rains in VA.  Whatever.  The mugginess is what gets me.  Today was actually a bit cooler, mid 60s so it felt more appropriate.  It's been gray and rainy for three days now and it's done nothing positive for my mood.

On a good note, I made that vegetable soup I mentioned a couple days ago.  :-)  Baby lima beans, carrots, leeks, potatoes, garlic, celery, tomato paste w/italian herbs, chicken broth, crushed red pepper, my house seasoning (salt, black pepper, granulated garlic) and I think that's about it.  The recipe says to add orzo but since I'm trying to cut down on excess carbs, I just left it out.  I only put in one small potato.  Came out pretty good.  You're supposed to puree after you've simmered it for 45 minutes, which I did.  Then to serve you can add a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.  I'm a bit immature when it comes to eating enough veggies but this soup really "hides" everything.  I think next time I'll add the usual but I'll add in turnips instead of the potato, maybe some spinach....and I have some turkey kielbasa...maybe I can throw that in for some protein.  I'm not a huge fan of soups in general but a thick hearty soup I can do.  I'm a meat and potatoes girl but I'm trying to eat healthy and satisfy the hunger while taking it easy on the overall calories.  I've been good about desserts and liquid calories, my biggest problems.  If I crave some soda, I'll get some if we eat out.  If I have it at home, forget it. lol  Same with desserts.  I buy the kids stuff only they like and if I do get something I like, I share it with them so I consume less. ;-)

This winter I would like to improve on what my children eat.  The majority of it is processed junk.  The foods I do make are iffy.  If my son likes it, my daughter doesn't...or vice versa.  It's bad enough that I have to figure out what to make for myself but then picking winners to serve the children...sigh.  I got a new cookbook in my Amazon order and it's by Anne Burrell, from the Food Network.  I love her, she's awesome.  She knows her stuff and she uses crushed red pepper!  I've tried a few of her dishes so far and she delivers.  She has a recipe for mac&cheese w/bacon in her book....since my kids are hooked on boxed macaroni and cheese I figure I'll try it.  They better eat it!!  It has bacon in it..what's not to love? ;-) 

They eat scrambled eggs, pancakes, my son will eat most meats, my daughter prefers not to.  She can eat my roast beef and horseradish with lettuce, tomato on wheat with a side of olives and peppers but yeah...something like chicken and green bean casserole and she says it's disgusting.  She definitely likes the stronger flavors. My son likes the more simple options.  Both will eat fish thank goodness.  I make a salmon with mashed potatoes and I make a dijon cream sauce with a little bit of chicken broth, the kids have no idea they're eating salmon.  The sauce takes the fishiness out of the salmon.  It's heaven with the mashed potatoes.  Oh yeah, did I mention the mashed potatoes are from Country Crock?  I add milk, butter and my house seasoning to it when I heat it up on the stove, gotta tweak it a bit but yeah, it's yet another processed easy fix.  It's just not worth me standing over the stove for an hour or two when I'm already dying for bedtime and all I want to do is get the kids fed and in bed.

I haven't done much yesterday or today in the way of exercise.  Some inner thigh work on the Leg Magic, some arm weights and ab moves but that's about it.  Nothing to cause a sweat. 

Okay, now for the crazy people.  I had a little debate on Facebook last night with someone I know only a little bit.  I had a status update followed by an additional comment I made on the thread and next thing I know she's defending her decision to put her children in preschool.  What got on my nerves was that I never said anything about anyone's personal choices nor was I starting a debate on preschool vs homeschooling.  She went the personal route right off the cuff....and then she kept draaaagggging it.  I deleted the whole thread because I didn't want anyone posting anymore.  I had had enough.

The majority of my Facebook friends are non-homeschoolers.  A couple of girls I went to high school with are now parents and they teach public school elementary grades.  A lot of my relatives think I'm nuts.  Whatever.  I'm not trying to convert anyone nor do I ever have a status that says "Hey, public schoolers....I feel sorry for your children!"  I'm opinionated and I'm proud of my decision to educate my own children but I'm not a moron.  Here's what I don't understand:  The non-homeschoolers that I know are the first to get defensive and the first to feel the need to "prove" their decision.  They are also uneducated on the subject of education in this country, both from their public school perspective as well as alternative choices such as homeschooling.  When someone gets defensive, there's usually a seed of self-doubt or insecurity there.  (I made the mistake of saying that to the loco from last night who inevitably got even huffier.)  If I post something on Facebook it is because Facebook is an outlet for me.  I find articles online that are interesting and I post them.  I find cartoons or pictures that are amusing or inspiring and I post them.  I quote books I read or people who say something funny.  If I say something about homeschooling, why don't they take it for what it is?  Why is it automatically implied that if I say something about homeschooling, it must mean I'm putting down the public schoolers in the same breath (when I don't say a WORD that has anything to do with someone's personal choices!)?  Anyway, the loco from last night decided she wasn't interested in my Facebook posts anymore and deleted me.  One less person I need to worry about. 

Lastly, I'm on an Ellen Barrett kick.  Fusion Flow, Fat Burning Pilates, and Fat Burning Fusion were delivered today.  Her Yogini workout should be coming soon.  She just came out with a Power Fusion workout in September and she has two sculpting workouts I'm interested in.  There are two 10 Minute Solution dvds I like too with Amy Bento.  When the next box from Amazon comes I'll let you know what I got.  ;-)  Thank goodness I can preview dvds on Youtube so I can see if the moves are what I'm looking for!

Cranky Pants

My son woke me up at 6am.  Pitch black darkness.  I was MAD.  He's lucky I took a few deep breaths.  My head is groggy today sooo.....I had my coffee, my peanut butter on wheat ( I started off my weight loss journey having two slices of bread but I think my stomach is shrinking because one slice is plenty now.)  and now I'm sucking down the water.  Small bottles make me feel like drinking more.  Note to self:  Forget the stainless steel and water pitcher and just buy some cute small 8 oz. water bottles.  As long as I'm drinking water I'll pick my battles. 

I did my morning moves, my ab work, stood on my balance pods and worked my arms/back.  My "morning moves" consist of trunk twists, sun salutations, forward bends and stretches, breast stroke, back stroke, arm circles, knee ups, etc.  I get all the basics in and move whatever I feel needs moving/stretching.  I'm in the mood for some music today so I may put on some music after lunch and dance while the kids ignore me and run off to play.  I love my kitchen.  It's hidden from the living room so I don't need to feel embarassed when I exercise (or when I'm doing something and I don't want little eyes to get distracted and notice me...and then start TALKING to me).  The floor is also tiled so it's quiet, no creaking, no thudding.  I have a portable dvd player on the kitchen table but I bring it into the kitchen on the counter and do some workouts there.  It's odd but I like it.  It feels private. 

Besides the walking this week I've lost my dvd mojo.  I've been waiting for my new Amazon exercise dvds and they are taking FOREVER to ship.  Completely ridiculous.  Stick the stuff in a box and hurry UP!  Can you tell I'm impatient when waiting for a present? lol  In the meantime I found another one by Ellen Barrett, her Yogini workout.  I preview dvds on Youtube...at first I thought I wouldn't like it...but then I watched a couple other clips from the same dvd and then I checked the Amazon reviews.  Yes, it looks like a winner.  I really like her style.  That'll be the next one I get.  I need to do one more order before the holidays so I'll order it then. 

60+ lbs to push around

I did my bedtime moves last night and my abs were SORE this morning.  My legs are still sore from Sunday.  I had an early taco salad lunch today and didn't feel like working out.  By afternoon the guilt kicked in so I fed the kids an early dinner and we loaded up the double stroller for a walk.  2 miles.  The last half mile was straight uphill pushing not just myself but the 60+ lbs of children and stroller.  I was dying.  I kept thinking, "This is worse than any crazy cardio...as soon as I get home I'm sitting in a chair and not getting up." lol 

We made it and I'm proud of my 2 miles.  It took about 43 minutes.  It would have been faster if I was alone but I'm not worried about time.  The kids were better because they could look at so many things in the neighborhood.  The track is easier of course but boring for them.  I'd like to do 4 miles a week so maybe I'll do 2 miles on the track one day and 2 miles around the neighborhood another day.  Note to self: Load up the stroller with books for track days.  I like the walking.  It works muscles I don't use doing workouts at home and it's a different kind of sore.  It's also getting fresh air for me and the kids without actually getting dirty. ;-) 

So tonight I'll do some stretching before bed and some more ab work.  I've been guzzling water all evening and didn't even have dinner.  I'll be starving in the morning for sure I bet.  I'm already looking forward to my amaretto coffee (not liquor, just flavored cream) and natural peanut butter on wheat for breakfast.  The rest of the taco salad fixins' for lunch and who knows what for dinner.  Oh! I have stuff to make soup.  My mother-in-law gave me a recipe for a vegetable puree soup with orzo and I found a simple potato leek soup recipe that I want to try as well.  I'm wondering what will happen if I add the potatoes and leeks to the vegetable soup recipe.  You can pretty much add whatever you want into it.  We shall see....;-)

I'm smiling...

Well...I started blogging about my weightloss on September 26.  I didn't want to weigh myself...but I got curious last night.  So I pulled out the scale.  I'm down 5 pounds.  :-)  Not bad for a little over 2 weeks right?  Could it be more?  Absolutely.  I had splurge days.  I had soda.  I wasn't drinking water. I took days off from full workouts.  There's definitely room for improvement...and there's plenty more weight to be lost.

I'm crazy sore today.  I'm exhausted.  I was up all night, my legs were KILLING me.  I had an electric blanket on me all night trying to heat up my legs.  I got out of bed at midnight to heat up my gel pack to put under my legs too.  It wasn't enough.  I'm pooped.  I still have my legs wrapped and they feel a little better this morning but my eyes are burning.  Just want to close my eyes for a bit...but no...the children are up.  It's not going to happen.

Today will be a Stretch Armstrong day.  Morning moves, pilates chair, arm weights on the balance pods, some ab work and then I shall rest.  I need to do more ab work so I'm adding in "bedtime moves" to the daily schedule.  Before I get INTO bed, I lay down flat on my bed and do leg circles in the air, bicycle, crunch twists and reverse crunches.  You get the idea.  Doing it on the floor kills my back, even with an extra thick yoga mat so I do the ab work on my bed.  I use my yoga mat for actual yoga. lol  If I feel better by this evening maybe I'll do the Bar Method Body workout...or I'll save it for tomorrow.  Lots of water drinking today.  My growing muscles need water! 

Owww......

I'm in pain.  My legs hurt.  I wouldn't normally be this miserable but my legs get these weird pains for no reason and something like walking and running around my neighborhood will definitely lead to crazy leg pains.  I wrap them in ace bandages and a few hours later they'll feel better.  I'd like nothing more than to lay down on the couch with my legs covered with a heating pad watching TLC or Bravo but no, the grandparents are here. 

They stress me out man.  Thank goodness they brought over some margarita mix because after a Sunday with them I need something for sure to kill the mental anxiety.  It's not so much that they're crazy...it's a combination of things.  My son turns into the biggest brat around them.  He orders them.  Gives them demands.  Requests activities, toys and outings he knows I normally don't allow.  And he screams the whole time.  It's chaotic.  My daughter searches for bits and pieces of attention where she can get it.  She finds ways to play and occupy herself and usually that means hanging out with me or playing by herself.  My mom floats between my son and my daughter, all the while complaining to me about something.  It's non-stop complaining when they come here.  "The house is too cold.  He's sneezing..is he getting sick?  Take her hair clip out and fix her hair.  You never let them go outside, let me take him to Costco to get gas.  Why did you give him a haircut like that?  He's hungry, what's wrong with you, why don't you feed him??  See, you're nicer to her.  If he threw that book what would you have done?  I thought you wanted to make tacos, should we just wait until we go home to eat?"       I'm not exaggerating.  My brain is FRIED.  The last thing I want to do is make friggin' tacos for these people.  The kids won't eat tacos and I don't have much of an appetite right now.

They took the kids out for a walk and I could have A. Washed some dishes or watched tv or B. Put on my shoes and go for some exercise.  Since I slacked this past week I decided to get my butt into gear by starting this week off right.  I started off running and walking for the first 5-7 minutes.  I should have warmed up with straight walking first but I wanted to get away from the zoo crew so I ran past them.  I walked the remaining down hill and then around the neighborhood and then up hill.  I don't know how far it was exactly.  Somewhere between 1-2 miles.  Next time I'll wear my pedometer.  It took me 25 minutes.  I felt it going uphill on the way home.  I'm pooped.  I'm washing my bed linens and taking a shower as soon as the kids go to bed.  I'll be sleeping good tonight I bet. 

Tomorrow's workout will be The Bar Method Body.  Ballet moves with some strength training.  I previewed the dvd (from the library), it looks good.  Tomorrow I'll make myself a taco salad and use the rest of the ground beef for bolognese sauce for the kids' dinner.  Kill two birds with one pack of ground beef. ;-)

Motivation

I needed some motivation heading into this coming week.  I want to amp it up and move it hard this week.  I'm starting to see a change in my face and my stomach and I have to keep it up.  It's only going to be as good as the effort I put into it.  I can do better.  I'm stronger and I can do more..and so I will.  I need constant motivation.  It helps me to see how far people have come.  It helps to see the visual changes in transformations.  So I turned to Netflix. 

I'd never seen a full episode of The Biggest Loser.  I bought a couple of The Biggest Loser books from Borders before they went out of business and they're very inspiring.  I was drawn to the cast from Season 4 in the books so I watched the first 4 episodes of Season 4 on Netflix today.  Jillian comes back to "save" the rejects that were not chosen for the blue and red team and I cried when she showed up.  I could FEEL their desperation at wanting to get help.  They didn't think they could do it on their own at home.  Jillian KILLED her team.  She worked them harder than the other teams.  It was a cake walk for the blue and red during their workouts compared to what she made the black team do. 

It put things in perspective for me.  The women lost a lot less than the men did.  The men had pretty significant drops in weight each week with the women losing only single digits.  It's no joke that it's harder for women to lose weight.  So...I don't need to kill myself but the weight will come off.  I'm not concerned with actual weight right now.  I want to see a change in my body.  I'm moving from an XL pajama pant to a L.  lol  As my friend Matt says, "My socks are feeling a little loose." lol  I was unknowingly wearing a size 8/10 capri jean which was a great surprise (though to be honest they have an elastic waistband).  I look like less of a football player with my broad shoulders and big arms.  Slowly but surely, it's getting better.  One day I will see my pants fall off and then I'll know it's time to get on the scale.  Or maybe I'll hike them up and enjoy the feeling of too-big pants.  ;-)  One day I will pull out a skirt I wore senior year in high school...and it will go up past my butt.  One day I will pull out a pair of jean shorts that I wore junior year in high school...and I will be able to pull them up past my thighs.  And one day I will need to donate ALL of it...and go shopping.  :-) 

The Big Picture

The AM/PM Tai Chi was relaxing...very relaxing.  My eyes were half-closed through the whole thing.  Definitely something wonderful to do before bed in the evening.  I know the movements now and I can incorporate them into my "morning moves".  I also added some pilates chair moves after I was done with the dvd.  Nice and stretched and relaxed. 

I'm high strung.  I get anxious about germs.  I'm raising children on my own with no emotional support, no pat on the back, no "You're doing good, keep it up."  No hug at the end of the day to soothe my soul.  I get crazy cranky when I'm tired.  I eat when I'm tired or stressed out.  The stress isn't good for my mid-section and belly fat is the worst thing for your internal system.  The heart, your sugar levels and on and on.  Exercise is not only necessary for me on a daily basis but should be mandatory.  It doesn't matter what it is.  It can be cardio, strength training, a simple walk, sweating my brains out doing something "amped up" like a HIIT workout, pilates, yoga, or Tai Chi.  The goal is to increase healthy foods into our diet (the kids are snack junkies) and get Mommy moving.  Yes, I need amped up cardio for now.  Won't be forever but I need to get the weight down.  Hopefully by the spring I'll be in better shape.  When I look better and my body feels less heavy and tired, my spirit will be lifted and I'll be (hopefully) a much more calm parent.  I'm working on the outside as well as the inside. 

The mission is to create a healthy body both inside and out for my well-being as well as for my children.  By increasing healthy foods and WATER into my diet, daily exercise and some method of stress-release I should be able to accomplish the mission.  You know when you hear people say, "I didn't just lose weight, I changed my life!"  ?  Yeah, I want that to be me.  Are there plenty of size 12/14 women out there?  Sure.  I just don't want to be one of them anymore.  When I look at women that are toned and it's obvious they exercise...do you know what that tells me?  They care about themselves.  If they care enough to exercise, they care enough to think twice about what they eat.  When they take time to exercise it means they're taking the time to remember who they are, what their body is capable of.  It also means they're making themselves a priority. 

I've forgotten the old me.  I'm trying to remember her again.  The Bahar that used to warm people with her smile.  Now I'm tired and cranky.  The confidence isn't there.  There was little to begin with and of course now it's non-existent.  There's a part of the dream that's missing.  I'm trying to fill that void with something positive.  I messed up but now I'm trying to make it right.  The only way to make it better is by improving each and every day.  I see the bigger picture...now I just have to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward.

Bad, bad girl

So...from Tuesday-Thursday I didn't do an official workout.  Bad, bad, bad.  I know.  I did, however, do squats, lunges, strength training on my arms, standing crunches and my "morning moves" every day.  I also utilize the minutes I'm nuking something in the microwave (or reheating my coffee 4 times per morning) by doing some trunk twists, stretches and punches.  Anything to keep the body moving right?  We also went for a short walk yesterday afternoon.  I'd love to be able to just go out for a walk/run without worrying about what the kids are doing but nope, I'm too controlling for that. 

I have a few Amazon goodies coming by way soon and one of them is the Scott Cole Tai Chi for Weightloss that I tried on Monday.  I really liked it.  I got his AM/PM workout from the library so I'll be doing that one today.  Just enough to get the blood flowing, the body warmed...but this time I'm doing it without the zoo-crew around.  Not that relaxing with backround chatter.  lol

I also have some belly dance dvds from the library by Rania.  I've tried hers before and she's good.  Some of them are too annoying.  I didn't accomplish my goal of "amping it up" this week but it's not a total loss.  I ate well this week and I did move my body.  This weekend will be some Tai Chi and belly dancing and tacos on Sunday (all the toppings are healthy and we don't use sour cream ;-) 

Lessons learned:  Must remember to switch errands to afternoons now.  We ran errands in the mornings all summer before it got too hot and now I have to switch.  If we run errands in the morning by the time we get back and the kids go down for naps I'm too pooped to exercise and just want some quiet time.  I also learned that if I exercise when the kids are napping, I'll still have some alone time before Gino wakes up.  Then when he's up when can come downstairs to do his lessons before Nina wakes up.  Everyone gets their special time.  I also learned that it doesn't matter if you exercise in one straight period of time or you break it up.  Every little bit helps.  I did bicep/tricep work while I watched my movie last night.  My fatso arms are looking better! lol  And last...I learned that I now feel guilty when I don't work out.  Guilt is good.  Means I'll bug myself until I work out again.  ;-)

Ahh, Tai Chi.

I took the day off yesterday.  6 days of exercise, one day of complete rest.  Well, not complete rest because I did have to deal with kiddos all day but you know what I mean.  lol  My dad came over today and good thing too because our heat wasn't kicking on.  He had his friend stop by and they changed the thermostat and it's back on.  It was a bit too chilly this morning, even for me.  So after a busy morning, naps and lunch, I mentioned to my dad that he should try the Tai Chi video with me since we were talking about the art of de-stressing.

I put it on, Nina in her high chair, Gino stomping around angry that he didn't have my dad's undivided attention.  My dad sat and watched it.  lol  I got up and DID it.  It actually got the blood flowing and I really liked it.  The reviews on the video had said it wasn't a beginner dvd and too difficult to follow.  I really don't understand that.  Following a dvd isn't rocket science.  Unless you have two left feet and you're completely uncoordinated, you should be able to follow along.  You're mirroring the movements.  Anyway, I didn't find it hard to follow.  The beginning breaks up each move while flowing into the next but he shows you how to do each move in a slower way.  Then the second portion is where he's outside on the beach and goes through the entire flow of exercises.  I was sweaty at the end but I felt good.  I felt like I had positive movement in my body but I wasn't drained. 

This week my goal is to get in some running or at least get the heart rate up significantly to get my body trained to feel the same as I do when running. That means boot camp style moves, running, treadmill, trampoline, jumping exercises etc.  I have Turbo Jam's Fat Blaster as well as Turbo Fire...might get into that a bit this week.  I get bored doing the same series all week long but the goal is to amp it up 3 times this week.  The other days I'll do strength training and other types of cardio or yoga.

Abs and arms

Whew...I got another one in.  I was not feeling it today, let me tell ya.  I previewed three dvds from the library this morning. Spoga..which wasn't worth watching so I turned it off after fast-forwarding to get the jist of it.  The Biggest Loser's Cardio Max was worth buying for sure.  It increases in intensity every 2 weeks for a total of 6 weeks.  The first cardio session was led by Bob Harper doable for me at this stage.  The second cardio session was led by Jillian Michaels and man is she tough.  It was doable but those poor people on the dvd were Struggling with a capital S.  I didn't watch the third cardio session but it was more kick-boxing styles with some other buff chick I didn't recognize.  If I see it at Target I'll get it....then again I have Jillian's Ripped in 30...I could do that and be just as dead in a month. lol 

I also previewed Scott Cole's Discover Tai Chi for Weightloss.  I've seen bits of his dvds on youtube and I was debating between this one and his AM/PM Tai Chi.  This one is better for what I need.  He shows the slower movements and then accelerates the same movements to get the heart rate up.  It's still very fluid but more what I need.  It's about 53 minutes in length.  He goes over the movements in the studio and then goes through the entire set of moves outside in Hawaii.  The wind is blowing near the beach and you can totally feel the wind when you do the moves.  I was calm just watching it. ;-)  This one I'm getting from Amazon for sure.  I don't own anything like it right now.

On to the actual workout of the day:  I did the arm booster portion of the Ab&Arm Booster from Physique 57.  I used 5 lb weights and I have a feeling my arms will kill tomorrow.  I usually use 2lb weights.  I need to amp up the arm/back exercises.  That was only a few minutes.  Then I almost quit.  I had done my "Morning Moves" already and I'm dead on my feet.  But no.  I meant to do my Zumba abs workout and I wanted to time it to see how long it actually was so into the dvd player it went.  Approximately 17 minutes and full of dancey cardio moves that work the abs.  I LOVE standing ab work.  My stomach is my biggest problem area so yes, Zumba abs is perfect.  I love the particular moves combined with the music they chose.  It really makes me sweat and you can feel your abs getting warmed.  So...I was a good girl.  Glad I didn't quit after the arms.  Finished my mysterday yesterday so today my reward is my US Weekly.  ;-)

Pooped Zumba

I am pooped.  But I did an express Zumba workout.  20 minutes.  I got hot, my sides were burning and now I'm even more tired.  I love Zumba.  I don't even watch the clock when I do it.  I dig the whole latin vibe, the music, reminds me of the old me.  My foot was bothering me though.  I do Zumba barefoot because you can't "dance" properly in sneakers.  My foot issue started before the Zumba though.  Anyway, I did my workout...mazel tov to me.  I'm going upstairs to finish my book now.  I hope I don't fall asleep on the couch.  I get crazy cranky when I nap a short time until I hear the footsteps of the child that woke me twice last night....sigh.

Stretch Armstrong

Do you remember that toy called Stretch Armstrong?  It had stretchable arms and legs and kids just pulled the crap out of "him"?  I of course did not have this toy since it would require at least two people to pull it and I was a one and only.  Anyway, I felt like I needed to be pulled and stretched like good ol' Stretch this morning.  My legs were tight and achey and I felt wonderfully sore.  I'm still trying to finish the bottle of water I started yesterday.  I did my "Morning Moves" (which is a cute name I made up for my usual morning exercises and stretches) and I stretched again after I put the kids down for bed.  Too tired for cardio but in need of lots of stretching which feels wonderful on my sore legs.  The good news is I felt sore which means I actually worked some new muscles yesterday.  Progress, progress. 

Hump Day Cardio

Well, I stuck to it and did the Barefoot Cardio dvd today.  I did my usual stretching exercises and 25 jumping jacks in the morning while I waited for my coffee.  Then I put the kids down for naps and put on the Barefoot Cardio.  Love that I didn't need a single thing for it.  Just me in my pjs in the living room.  No socks or shoes. 

It really uses the tried and true exercises we've all learned over the years as well as some basic ballet moves as well.  Plies and relaves (sp??) as well as the long straight arms of the dancers.  I'm sitting here SWEATING.  It was approx. 45 minutes give or take.  I stopped for water 3/4 of the way through and I'm so friggin' thirsty I've got my beautiful bottle of Fiji water sitting in front of me.  I think I'll get the liter of water in earlier today. ;-)  I really loved this dvd.  It's been a long time since I've found something I could enjoy all the way through without skipping sections that either killed my knees or made me get on the floor for anything.  I'd love to combine this with Jackie Warner's standing abs work out.  She kills you with the weights/arms/abs in that workout and it's about 20 minutes but if I had a full hour I'd do it.  Right now I think I'm about dead after a solid 40 minutes but maybe I could try next week.  Off to finish my water....

Gloomy Tuesday

So groggy every morning lately.  This gloomy weather ain't helpin'.  I needed coffee so while the kids were having breakfast I brewed some coffee and did my exercises.  Not a full workout but some weights for my arms, you know, bicep/tricep stuff, some squats, lunges, twists, stretching, etc.  There are about 10 exercises that my dad swears by and it's the exercises they have kids learn in PE.  Arm circles, stretching, jumping jacks, stuff like that.  It works.  People think you need to break a sweat each and every time you exercise but that's just not true.  I used to think yoga wouldn't work but after losing 13 pounds on just straight AM/PM relaxation yoga a few years ago, I was looking good without breaking a sweat. 

So, the stretching and morning exercises done, I sat down with my cup of coffee and just watched the birds on the deck standing in line at the bird feeder.  I also noticed a pig of a squirrel chowing down and a line of ants going up the deck straight to the bird feeder.  "Get it while you can wildlife, cuz when the bird feed is finished Mommy's closing up shop!" lol  I do not wish to clean the mess the squirrels leave and have to deal with ants visiting through the fall. 

I previewed a dvd called Barefoot Cardio.  Perfect for me since I work out in pajamas. lol  I do put on socks and shoes to do cardio and strength training or my circuit training downstairs though.  I need the foot/knee support.  So Barefoot Cardio is a mix between pilates/dance moves and is slow and easy and yet still gets the heart rate up.  Definitely want to give that a try tomorrow.  (I say this and tomorrow of course I may be in a totally different mood.)  Zip on the water intake today.  Tsk, tsk, I know.

An inspiring mom I know is going up to Maine to run a marathon relay there.  I googled Northern VA marathons and this came up. 
http://destination-va.site.raceit.com/race-info.htm

13.1 miles in 3 hours and 30 minutes.  I think I'm out of my mind to even consider it.  It's 8 months away.  It's a goal.  Even if I didn't run it, it would still be something cool to work towards.  I don't know how to even train for something like that.  First thing though would probably to begin running.  I power walk a mile with two children in a double stroller and God only knows how long it takes me.  I've never timed it but there are several rounds of "I'm TIR-ed! Can we go home after this??"  Telling my son that Mommy is fat and needs the exercise doesn't help much.  Time to google "Training for a half marathon" to see what comes up....

Get off the couch!

  Well, I don't really sit on the couch.  The couch is reserved for my son.  My seat is at the kitchen table where I can read, have my coffee and supervise the living room chaos.  We were all up early this morning but breakfast dragged forever, they played and honestly I don't know what I did....probably counted the minutes until nap time.  They are sleeping now..hopefully.  I should probably go check the monitor upstairs in a minute.

I'm ashamed of myself.  I wasn't a very good girl for the last 3 weeks.  I measured myself August 18th and started working out every day during nap time with the exception of weekends.  I'd call my cousin or she'd call me and we'd share our workouts.  She has 5 pounds to lose.  I have about 60.  She's hot and got a few compliments so she's content now.  I, on the other hand, have lost nothing but maybe an inch here or there and still weigh the same I did in August.  Somewhere between going to bed late, my never-ending period and life I lost my mojo these last 3 weeks.  Time to step it up. 

The Firm Wave, Zumba, Turbo Jam, Jillian Michaels, Richard Simmons, Brazil Butt Lift, an insane amount of toning, yoga, balance ball, balance pod, weight lifting and dance dvds to put me on the Beachbody website.  You'd think I'd be ripped by now.  Sigh....you would think, wouldn't ya?  That's okay, I'll get back on the wagon!  Kicking myself in the butt ain't gonna make it smaller. lol  So today I did The Firm Wave's 10 minute intro and then half of the Cardio Express workout.  It's a lot of stepping on the Wave, they go really fast and I'm still slow of course.  I'm moving around with 60 pounds more fat than these women.  I made it through, figured I was a sweaty mess so that's a step in the right direction.  I cooled down with the Malibu Pilates chair (I'm telling you, my excuses are not because of lack of STUFF).  Pilates abs 60 count, the standard chair leg exercises and some arm push-downs to work the arms and stretch my back.  It's amazing how stiff you get in just a couple of weeks.  I'd love to spend the rest of the day watching tv and not talking to anyone. 

I'm pooped and I have a headache.  Ah yes, water.  If I drink SmartWater will it give me Jennifer Aniston's body??  A liter a day is my goal.  I don't care to look up how many actual glasses of water a liter is but who cares.  I go all day and only take a few sips of water so a liter is a hell of a lot better than what I've been doing. 

Tomorrow's workout will be....I dunno.  I do know I don't want to do floor ab work or push ups.  Maybe Zumba's Ab workout with some Jackie Warner standing abs.  Or maybe I'll get some Disco Fever with good ol' Richard.  I tell you...seeing 300lb + men and women lifting their legs and moving and shaking makes me feel like I have zero room to complain.  Strangely motivating.  I'll let you know tomorrow!

Old School Black Mama

To Spank or Not to Spank, that is the question.

I've come to the conclusion that I am an old school black mama at heart.  The crazy loud stereotypical mama.  You hear comedians talk about their crazy mothers....but you know what...they came out successful, full of pride and a good sense of humor to boot.  Almost everyone I know spanks their kids...and the ones that don't are either afraid to admit it, their kids are too young or they're afraid of their children.  I don't mean abuse.  I don't mean burning your kid with cigarettes or not feeding them breakfast because you're passed out from drugs and alcohol.  I'm talking about when your kid steps over the line after a firm warning just to test the limits...SHOW HIM THE LIMIT.  Kids need structure, they need to know what is expected of them.  When you set limits, when you tell and show your child what is expected of them...and then they STILL step out of line?  Wrong choice, now they'll get the message.  Oh yeah, stickers?  Eventually they'll get old enough to tell you to take all your smiley face stickers and shove 'em where the sun don't shine.  Then what?

Here's the thing...there are some children that shape up just by the sound of your voice.  Just by the look you give them across a room.  I call that a smart child.  I was like that.  Was I asking for trouble?  HEYALL no.  If my mom was having a bad day I stayed the hell away from her!  That is NOT the day to test the limits.  Kids want power, they want to know they are somebody.  That's fine, I'm all for choices and letting the kids speak their mind.  But if you say no, that means no.  They are welcome to ask me something but if I say no, they better drop it.  "You keep whining in my ear and giving me a headache?  Take the hint baby, take the hint.  When Mommy warns you...back off." 

I'm pretty self-aware.  I'm not an instigator.  I don't go looking for trouble.  I can feel myself getting frustrated.  I can feel the anger start to build up with every additional step.  I warn people.  I'm calm...I try to diffuse a potential argument...but if you don't get the message and you keep pushing it....don't get upset when I get mad.  It takes me a while to get really mad.  I don't go from 0 to 60 with no warning.   I'm not politically correct.  I'm conservative.  I don't believe the "children should be seen and not heard" rule BUT...if I say nicely and calmly, "Mommy needs to make a phone call and you need to be quiet until I'm done."......and two seconds later you come nagging me about something totally unimportant?  You better hope whoever I am talking to keeps me talking.....lol

How many times have you seen some nasty child in a store who wouldn't quit...and his mother just looks like she just gave up??  Puhlease.  That kid needs a spank and so does the mother.  I'm not saying spank the kid in the middle of Target...but a good "look" (see my blog on "The Look") should keep him in check until you leave the store where you can properly explain where he stepped out of line. 

I watched a youtube video where this chick was talking about a SuperNanny episode where the little girl grabbed the pot of boiling water off the stove while her mom was cooking and they put her in time out.  Are you kidding?  That kid isn't going to learn the severity of what she did.  But I guarantee you if she got spanked she'd remember not to pull that crap again and think twice the next time she felt like being a brat in the kitchen. 

I know some people who only have one child...and that child is a girl.  You most likely don't have the drama in your household or the chaos..because one little girl usually ain't all that bad.  I didn't get into much trouble...in fact I was a piece of cake.  My mom had it too easy.  If you have multiple children (and God help you if one of them has a penis) then all bets are off.  I bet you they'll get spanked either by you or your spouse at some point.   I have yet to see successfully grown teenagers that aren't into drugs/alcohol/sex that don't talk back and are actually respectful of their parents from non-spankers.  I'm sure I'll meet one someday but so far it hasn't happened.

One extreme or another isn't good.  I think a good dose of fear is good for kids, we do it in other ways.  They need to be afraid and wary of strangers, being alone, of sharp objects and other dangerous things.  They need to know consequences of their actions and it's not expecting too much of them. 

P.S.  My mother thinks she was wrong for the way she raised me and now thinks I should let my kids walk all over me.  I think grandparents should never raise their grandchildren unless they're the tough kind that don't put up with any crap, regardless if it is their first born grandchild or not.  That's all folks, time for my beauty sleep.  :-)

9.99 from Ross!

I don't like logos.  People who wear labels from head to toe are trying to prove something..and it's painfully obvious.  Fancy purses just advertise how much money you have to throw around, not necessarily that you're cool.  I like the bling and I love Italian leather but if you say you like my jewelry I'll tell you what's "real" and what isn't.  I'll tell you what is fine and what is costume.  If you like my purse, I'll tell you where I got it...because you'll probably never know by looking at it.  If you like my shirt, I'll say "$9.99 from Ross!" and say it with a smile.  I love to get dolled up and primp...but I have nothing to prove.  If it makes me feel pretty or I like it, I'll get it.  Doesn't matter if it's a luxury or a markdown.  People who buy something for nothing and then swear they got it at Bloomingdales bug the hell out of me.  If you're like that, just make sure I'm not with you when you shop...because I will blow your cover.  Not on purpose...I just won't remember to lie to cover up your "Louis Vuitton" knockoff from the mall kiosk.

"She's fiesty"

That's right, I'm feisty.  I curse...or cuss.  Doesn't necessarily mean I'm mad either.  I'm not politically correct.  Feminists make me roll my eyes.  I judge people.  I will correct your spelling mistakes.  I will make fun of you when you keep making the same mistake over and over again.  I'm loud and I have a big mouth.  People who love me wouldn't necessarily call me a bitch..they say I'm "feisty".  I like it.  ;-)

The "Look"

Some guys from Driveway Impressions came to give me an estimate this morning (see facebook status).  I'm sure most people looking to improve the look of their home isn't telling them "I don't really want to invest that much on this house because..heh...look at our neighbors."  It's true though.  Part of not having an HOA means you'll have neighbors that throw every piece of junk they have in their front or backyard like lawn ornaments.  Whateva.  So the "main dude" was chatting and he asked about my last name, asked where I'm from..yada yada yada so I had to explain my schpeal of "my husband is half Italian but we both like to roll around in the Italian-ness hence our childrens' names..." you know the drill.  Both kids were actually pretty well-behaved the entire time but most people don't realize they don't just act that way for nothin'.

No, actually I "prep" them before people come over.  I give them the "look"...I threaten....I point my finger at the one with the winkie in particular since he's usually the one instigating the trouble in this house.  Then I put the girl in the high chair since she'll be relatively safe and secure and the boy is told to remain on the couch or in its vicinity.  The tv is on, pacifiers, burpies and other items are handed out and a final warning before I open the door to guests. 

So the "main dude" at one point looked over at the kids and goes, "They're really well-behaved."  He said it almost like he was surprised.  He just stopped talking, looked over as if it just dawned on him that two children were in the house.  Three men and only I happened to notice and hear the chatter and loud talking in the first few minutes of driveway/patio discussion.  I keep hearing that "kids will be kids" and that "they're like angels compared to other kids!".  Yeah, as I said...they don't just come out like that.  Kids are kids but not in front of other people. lol  I told the guy I run a tight ship and he goes, "No that's good, believe me...look how good they are."  The pediatrician says the same thing.  She has three boys and she admits to yelling, cursing and being on their ASS.  She says boys will run you into the ground if you're not on them.  I believe it....and I agree. 

I was talking my friend....haven't decided what I'll call her yet...my "redheaded Mama"?  She's called herself Twinkie Mom but somehow I can't call her that not actually ever having SEEN her eat a twinkie..lol  I'll have to think about that.  Anyway, the fine line between a child who clearly has issues or a child that just needs an ass-whooping...hard to tell sometimes.  I'm fortunate in that I know if my kids are doing something ridiculous it's usually because some tough love needs to happen.  I can give "the look", I can gesture with my hands (cuz they're up in the air when I'm on the phone anyway), I can snap my fingers, clench my teeth, take a threatening step toward the one with the winkie (do I need to remind you he's usually the one starting something?)....but sometimes you just need to say, "Excuse me, I need to yell for a sec.."  and let loose.  I'm loud.  Very loud.  Embarassingly loud.  Apologies to all that have ever had to hear me.  It's the price we have to pay...otherwise my kids will be "muling" in my ear..and yours.  Nope, can't have that..cuz I run a tight ship.