Friday Favorites (this week!)

#1 I am now hooked on Blogilates. 

 

 

     The workouts are amazing and I can really feel the burn in my abs and my butt! The songs are fun and keep you going, plus once you memorize the workout you can do it whenever the song happens to come on the radio! Loving it!

In addition she has some great tips on clean eating and even posts up a workout calendar for the month to keep you going!

If you would like to check out her blog then go ahead and click on the link at the top of this section. No, this is not a sponsored post, she has no idea who I am or that I am promoting her blog and Youtube channel. This is just to share the fun! 

 

#2 Greek Yogurt

 

 

Okay so I know that everyone has been spouting the joys of Greek yogurt for awhile now, but I admit that I was too chicken to try it until just recently. It happened to be on sale at the store so I picked up some Dannon Vanilla Greek Yogurt. OMG. I love the thickness and the tartness! It was amazingly good as breakfast with a little bit of fruit added in. Tasty stuff! I cannot wait to try to make my own frozen yogurt with this yummy goodness. Again I was not paid for this, nor did I receive any freebies. Although that would have been awesome!  

 

#3 Birchbox

 

 

I have had Birchbox for about 6 months now and I have to say it is amazing. Every month they send you samples of some really great high end items (mostly makeup and face care) and it is really nice to have a chance to try some of these items that you might not have had the opportunity or you didn’t know if it would be worth it to shell out your hard earned cash to find out that you don’t like something! I have found a lot of products that I really adore and some things that I am really glad that I didn’t spend the money on as they didn’t work for me at all! The subscription is 10 bucks a month, but it really is worth it if you have the extra to spend. Admittedly mine started as a gift from a friend as a wedding present but after that ran out I started paying for it and it’s still awesome! Again this is not a paid review and I didn’t get any freebies. 

 

 

#4 Color Club Polish

 

I received this color from my Birchbox and I LOVE them! I hate the name of “Age of Aquarious” because that ridiculous song gets stuck in my head, but the color is just lovely. The second is almost a dupe for China Glaze “For Audrey” I love that it stands out and is so bright. It makes my toes look so happy!

Read More

Productivity

Yesterday was a rough day.

Work was crazy and I was tired from the long weekend of having everyone over. I told my husband that once I got home I would not be doing anything. I was taking the night off.

Ha. Ha. Ha.

I got home and suddenly I had a burst of energy. I am blaming in on the fact that I did a quick five minute toning workout at work on my break. When I got home I just wanted to get things done. The house was already really clean since we had done the major stuff last week in prep for company but I wanted to keep it up and do the little things that add up to big results. AKA laundry and dishes and junk like that.

So once I got home I set about making dinner and doing the dishes. After dinner was done my husband requested brownies, so I baked brownies and started laundry. Then it was time to do a little “Me” type stuff, so I did a face mask and painted my nails. Then it was time for more laundry. That kept going until I was all caught up for the week! I also got in another workout and my shower, plus pre made my lunch and breakfast for today!

Wanna know what time I got to bed after all this productivity??

10pm. Normal bed time!

So why is it yesterday I got so much done in the same amount of time that I normally cannot get anything done?

I think the afternoon mini workout really got me going, the energy boost and just the feeling good that I did something, even a small something, to better my health and move myself toward my goals. (Also my quads are so sore right now…I am so proud!)

Part of it was motivation, I wanted so badly for my house to stay pretty and clean and I needed to get all my work clothes cleaned and pressed for the week. (I had no choice I was out of options…) and part of it was just determination. I set myself to the task of getting these things done and I did. However I didn’t fill the time with negative thoughts like “Laundry sucks” or “Brownies are the devil!” I did have a brownie and it was fabulous, but then I had other stuff to do so I didn’t have time to sit there and dwell on the fact that I am trying to lose weight and brownies are not health food. Negative thoughts are not allowed anymore! 

 

 

 

Read More

Determination

It’s Monday again.

My weekend was ok….how was yours? 

Today I am trying to focus on setting my goals for the week and trying to relax after my weekend. I am also getting myself excited for the upcoming weekend in which I will be spending the whole time with my husband. For the past three weekends he has either been out of town or we have had company. It will be really nice to just have a weekend together! 

This week’s goals are as follows: 

(1)  Workout- try to find something that I can do easily in the mornings and something fun for evenings

(2)   Food- I am going to sit down tonight to make my plan for the week, healthy options and low stress quick fixes

(3) Start reading one of the books I’ve been meaning to this past month (there is a pile!)

(4) Try to do “me” type stuff- my nails, face mask stuff, girly things in general

(5) Write blog posts and work on my own writing

(6) Try to relax and enjoy my weekend with my husband without any negative thoughts or emotional hang-ups – I resolve to be Happy!!!

 

I am trying an experiment this week to see if I can’t just eat to live and not worry so much about what I am eating, how I am eating, when I am eating….seriously I have too much going on to be so very worried about food! So I am going to focus on the more important things in my life and just try to do my best when it comes to food by planning things ahead of time and not stressing when something doesn’t go quite according to plan. It might be a little tough at first but I am ready to get back in the game and take charge again! 

 

 

Read More

Let It Be

 

 

I was having a conversation with my husband last night about how frustrated I am with things lately. Everything I have attempted this week has ended up with a disappointing result. I am so very worn out and tired and usually I am a very bubbly and happy person so this is not a place that I am used to. I do occasionally have some bad days but this has been a week long epidemic…actually I think it has been a month long thing… it is just dragging on and it is wearing thin. 

 

So last night I was telling him that I am tired of this disappointment and I am tired of working hard without the results coming as quickly as I would like (patience is something I lack when it comes to my own self improvement. Everyone else deserves time and praise but me…) I told him, “Why do I even care about this stuff? Why can’t I just be happy?  Why can’t I just be content? WHY CAN’T I JUST BE??!” 

 

“Why can’t you?” He asked in is simple way of making everything seem clear when I’ve been brewing for days. “I love you just the way you are, I think you are beautiful and kind and smart and I am very lucky.” He is always catching me off guard with this stuff and last night is no different. He’s not the mushy type so when he says something like that he means it. Anyhow with his kind words he made me think clearly again. 

 

I am just going to let it be. I am putting my scale away and I am not going to judge everything I do under a microscope. I will work out because it is good for me. I am not going to stress about my weight any longer. That number is not who I am and it is completely arbitrary anyhow. No one cares about that number but me and I am done with it. I am going to eat well because it makes me feel better. I am going to do things that make me a better person in general…not just because a magic number pops up. I will see progress in how my clothes fit and how I feel. The scale is not the end all be all. 

 

I will stop nagging myself to death about how and what I eat. I will eat breakfast and lunch and dinner and NOT skip meals in the hope that I will have a better number. I will track what I eat but I will not worry about sticking to the calorie count more than I worry about my bank account. I will eat things I know are good for me and just let the rest be. 

 

I am going to strive to be happier with myself and stop being such a critic. I would never speak to someone else the way I do to myself and that is not acceptable. I am a good person, a kind person, and I am not my weight or my fat. Those things are just small parts of the person I actually am. 

 

So no scale for the next couple of weeks and we will see how I feel. No skipped meals and no punishing myself with exercise. Exercise is meant to be a benefit…not a punishment. 

 

I will just Let it Be.

Read More

The Party Is Over

The Pity party is over…I think I was just having a bad day. 

 

Actually I know what the problem is…I am in a funk about my weight. 

 

I loathe the fact that I gained weight back after the wedding

.

I hate the fact that I am not seeing quick results. 

 

I am more irritated with myself than ever because I know I could do better. 

 

I am not sure what switch to flip to get me going again. I am doing great with the squat challenge and I even get a run or two in. I love Zumba, but I am just doing it off of YouTube which can be really frustrating. Also working these hours lately have been hard on me, I really like my job but working the extra time is cutting into my energy level quite a bit. Plus I sit ALL DAY. Yesterday I made myself do squats and lunges behind my desk for 20 minutes just so I was up and moving. It helped a little. 

 

It’s hard to pull myself out of a funk when I am in one. I suppose I have been in one since the beginning of the month when I had to weigh in for my Biometric testing at work and the number was not what I expected. I’ve gone the range of angry to downright miserable, but enough is enough. 

 

I need to pick myself up and get going again because time is passing whether I do something about it or not…and everyone always tells me they love that I am so upbeat and happy when I am around…I need to start saving a little bit of that happiness for me. 

 

So today is the day, picking myself up and dusting myself off. I’m ready to start taking charge again instead of just falling back and letting life happen to me. I’m going to work harder on this blog and harder on myself. I can do this.

Read More

Uninspired and Overwhelmed

Lately I just have been short on blog ideas. I guess I just don’t have too much to say. I am working out when I can…and I am trying to eat better as well. I’ve been logging everything on Myfitnesspal. I’ve been doing the September Squat Challenge…but none of it really seems to be something to write about. 

 

I feel a little lost in the blog world lately. I loved my old blog dearly and I had followers and it was well established…going on three years’ worth of work. I miss the work I put into it…and I was really depressed about losing my blog to the virus and to evil spammers that filled it with muck so I had to close it down completely. 

 

I’m not really sure what type of blogger to be now. I am trying to get healthy but I am also trying to set up my life as a new wife. I am trying to learn to be a better cook, trying to learn to sew and crochet, and trying to figure out just how to balance my life and my new job. 

 

I feel like I am missing the tools to be a really great blogger. 

 

1)      I don’t have a camera, my husband does but it doesn’t work with our dinosaur of a computer. 

 

2)      My phone is an old slider that takes the worst pictures ever and I can email them to myself anyhow. No smart phone for me!

 

3)      I live a pretty quiet life. I don’t go on many wild adventures and when I do I am usually too wrapped up in them to take proper pictures. I do write everything down but I usually forget to post it on the blog in a timely fashion.

 

4)      I have no idea what this blog is going to be. Usually I have an outline of what I am working on. All my stories have nice bullet pointed lists…my blog does not. 

 

5)      I feel bad trying to promote myself. I hate Facebook and really only keep it around for my friends that are overseas. I don’t like going to other blogs and asking people to follow me and I also don’t like to leave generic comments, I usually won’t say anything at all if I can’t think of something that will add to the conversation. I do not Twitter. 

 

6)      I am feeling completely uninspired by my blog right now. 

 

Starting from scratch has proved to be really difficult for me. I have continued to follow other bloggers from their very small beginnings to being complete success stories. I have watched as others have passed me by in becoming amazing writers and amazing people. I feel like I am pretty much the same old me…weight and all. 

 

I don’t mean for this to sound like a pity party…and honestly the only other person besides me reading this will probably be the lovely Holly who has a fantastic blog and family and never fails to make me smile when I read her blog. So I feel pretty bad that I am posting a post like this…but it’s what is on my mind and in my heart right now. I’m not sure if I should continue the blog, or just be a blog reader. 

 

Okay, sad post is now over…I will go off and try to have a better rest of the day….

Read More

If you really knew me

So I have seen this little post floating around in the blog world lately and I thought I would give it a go! 

If you really knew me… 

You’d know that I have a nail polish obsession and my toes are always polished

You’d know that I love horses and rode my first one when I was three 

You’d know that I still collect My Little Ponies …and have well over three hundred of them… 

You’d know that I can quote any Disney movie and most likely know all the songs…and I cannot watch them without quoting or singing… 

You’d know I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was eleven….and I have nearly 100 journals that are full…even more that are only half full… 

You’d know that my favorite color is purple and has been forever 

You’d know that I am perfectly happy when left on my own…I am easily entertained 

You’d know I have a weakness for anything TokiDoki 

You’d know that I’m part Hawaiian and yes I can Hula! 

You’d know that I LOVE books and being a librarian is dream job number 2! 

You’d know that the number 12 is very important to me, my birthday is 12/24/84 ---all a variant of 12, there are 12 letters in my married last name, there are 12 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet, I was married on the 12th in 2012! 

You'd know that my husband and I dated for nine years before we got married, we are high school sweethearts

You'd know that there has always been a dog in my house...and there will always be one

You'd know that I am allergic to both carrots and bananas

You'd know that I like to color code everything...even the pins in the pin cushion

You'd know that I can win a game of Disney Trivial Pursuit in one turn

You'd know that I never win in chess against my husband 

 You'd know that my husband is looking over my shoulder and offering his opinion on what I should type

You'd know that my brother has never called me by my name....I'm always "Sister Girl" 

You'd know that I am desperate for a jacuzzi tub to take a bubble bath in

You'd know that I HATE sock monkeys...they are creepy

 You'd know that I'd always say "Screw the wine...pass me the bourbon"

Read More

A day in the Life....

 As per usual I am late to the party.....I meant to do this days ago but I have no camera or means of posting pictures and rather thought it would lack something without them.... :( sad to say the pictures never happened but I really wanted to do the post....So here it is...a day in the life of me....(also a picture I actually did have on the ancient computer...one of our engagement photos!!! )

A day in the life:

At 4 am the alarm goes off for B to get up and head to work. This is usually the point in my day where my decision making begins. Get up and get a workout in…or sleep for another hour? Sometimes the workout wins, sometimes sleep wins. This morning was sleep. 

5:30 rolls around and I wake up to the pups wanting to be let outside. I drag myself out of bed and put Brian out on the chain and stand around waiting for Kiya to finish up because I am deadly afraid something will snatch her up if I don’t stand there. She’s only about 6 pounds so I worry, she’s my baby! Brian is a big boy and I pity the critter that tries to take him on. He has “issues” sometimes! 

After the pups are let out and fed and watered it’s time for makeup and clothes. This usually takes only about 15 minutes if I have been good and put out my outfit for the day. Weekday makeup is usually boring except for my eye shadow. I will occasionally go for the muted flesh tone colors but rarely. I prefer purple….or blue and green. I like the little bit of bright color, especially to go with the purple contacts I wear.

After getting ready and gathering everything I need, lunch, purse, etc…I gather up the dogs and head out of the house. 

I drop the pups off at my parents’ house. They live in the country and it means Brian gets to spend the day outside and Kiya gets to spend the day with my mom’s little dogs in the house. It’s my own puppy daycare! I stand around and talk with my parents for a bit and then head to work. 

I work for a school district so I really can’t say too much about my job. I like it a lot but it can be stressful and by the time I have pulled a nine to ten hour shift I am beat. 

Flash to 5pm, time to stop by and pick up the pups and visit with my parents for a moment before heading back home. I am tired but I try to come home and get in a workout. My sweet husband takes care of dinner most nights and I clean up and try to get some writing or reading done for the day. 

Around 9pm I am usually half asleep on the couch and B tells me I should head for bed. I have no idea how he makes it that long since he is the one getting up at 4! By 10pm it is lights out and I have either an audio book going or a disc of “Friends” reruns. Some sort of noise to help me sleep, it’s a habit I picked up in college when I moved from the country and into town. I can sleep to frogs and crickets..but not to the sounds of the town. But once I’m out…I’m out! Then amazing two seconds later it is 4am and we get to start the whole thing over again!  

Read More