Sleepyhead!

I'm soooooooo tired this evening & while it's only 645pm here in Valpo, I'm ready for bed! I went to bed at a decent hour last night but was awakened by my neighbor's daughter playing music MUCH too loud at almost midnight. I had a difficult time falling back asleep & thus my whole sleep cycle was well...screwed.

I did manage to get my cardio in after work though along with a few stability ball crunches. Dinner was DIVINE!!!! Some Baked Tostitos, a bit of goat cheese & hummus in each one. Yes, I take the time to do that. It keeps me from eating out of the containers & chips from the bag. Portion control :) Sooooooooooo good!

I really appreciate the comments about yesterday's post too! I want to say that I do have a very laid back job & mostly wear gym clothes to work but I do put on make-up almost every day! On the weekends, I get a little more dressed up to go out but it's still mostly casual so it was fun to put on my dress (which is still casual really.)

I have to say that I'm starting to feel like my old self again. Who I was when my Mom died & my world was shattered. I got a little obsessive about eating healthy but I felt good. It's been almost 3 years since that time & it's good to feel like me again. I was forever changed during that time & it's hard to be honestly. I've had some great times in the time since then. I dont want to make it sound like I've been living like a zombie. Here's what's transpired....

*Ran my second full marathon (in Mom's honor)
*Met the man that will become my husband
*Competed in 2 figure competitions
*Made my first visit to Universal Studios Orlando & Walt Disney World
*Became closer with family that became torn apart by circumstances

I'm sure there are more but those are the things that stand out to me. I love who I am & who I've become inspite of the tragedy & sadness that life has brought my way. I continue to live each day to be a better person, take care of myself so that I can live my "best life" & enjoy the blessings as they come!

Have a great evening all!

A couple things.

1) Here is my dress from Target that I got. Mine's brown though. Love it! So comfy & lightweight for summer. I felt like a million bucks Saturday night :)

2) I watched myself in the gym this morning like I always do except this morning was different. I actually didnt find anything to critique. Yes, I still want to drop the extra pounds but I felt good about what I saw nonetheless. I think I actually for once saw what others see. Maybe actually dressing a little nicer on Saturday & not feeling frumpy did the trick!

3) Okay, more than a couple. Tomorrow is the last day of the month & I think it'll close with some weight loss progress. Not lots but some which is better than I've had in recent months while trying. Will likely update on that in the next day or so. Anyway, it just goes to show you dont have to be all OCD, counting every morsel you eat if you arent competing & living off chicken with green beans ;) Live life, love your body & it'll love you back! Now, if I could just quit the scale habit! Ahhhhhh, forget it. lol

That's all :)

8 months to go......

So this weekend, I decided (lol) that we needed to celebrate. On Saturday, it was 8 months until our wedding date. Not often will the date (27th) fall on a Saturday! Kevin wasn't amused but he obliged me. I even put on my cute new Target dress!

We spent the day driving to IKEA & then Trader Joe's in Illinois. We found a really neat sink/storage area that will go in the basement kitchen/bar area. Then loaded up on some faves at TJ's.

Then gussied up & headed to New Buffalo, Michigan to have dinner at the Four Winds Casino. We tried to eat at the buffet when they first opened but there was a 2 hour wait to even get in line to wait! So this time was more successful. They have a weekend seafood bar that just blew me away. You name it & you could find it. That along with additional stations that included mexican, chinese (with fresh sushi), BBQ, fresh meats, fried stuff (like chicken fried steak), and the best dessert bar EVER! Tons of fresh mini-tarts (the lemon was like buttah!), fresh made ice creams & gelatos, etc, etc, etc. So friggin yum!

The casino was so packed though so we didnt end up playing anything there & left to head to the Blue Chip Casino which is our usual stomping grounds. We had played a bit, had a beer (Shock Top..yummy!) & headed home late. It was a fun night!

Oh I should add that before heading out at all, we went to Ogden Gardens to take a few pictures. We wanted to add a picture of us to our "Save the Dates" but all we have of our "nice dressy pics" are all at nighttime & just don't work. So off to the park we went! We got a few nice ones & decided on this one (it's the one I posted on Facebook.)



I totally love the layout the printer did for our Save the Date cards. I cannot wait to hear from our family when they receive them!!!!!

Overall, a nice weekend. I went to church yesterday, had brunch with family, ran errands & sacked out a bit on the couch. I did make us a nice steak fajita dinner though :)

Hope your week is off to a great start!

A quickie!

My air conditioner at home is fixed.

My radiator in my truck was replaced today.

I found ants in my house (ICK!) & psycho cleaned the kitchen.

I feel like I'm having a little meltdown.

I know that meltdown is just related to the 3 year anniversary of my Mom's death that is coming in just a month. I cannot shake the sadness right at this moment.

That's all for now.

Have a GREAT weekend!

Say hello to my little friend!

Happy almost Friday!!! This morning I had to be dragged (almost literally) out of bed! I'm a sleepy girl for some reason. It's likely the heat. Yea, we'll blame that!

Kevin was a very nice boy & took me to dinner last night! I had my all-time favorite chicken lemon rice soup with chicken shish-kabobs for dinner. They are so yummy. Fortunately, I got full so I have a full kabob for lunch too!

So we leave the house this morning for the gym & I see something walking down the road. I pull up beside it & it's a pretty large snapping turtle! It stopped dead in it's tracks when I stopped. I couldnt dig my camera out of my purse from behind my seat but fortunately Kevin stopped too & caputured it via camera phone. It's a little fuzzy but you get the idea!


There's a good sized pond in part of the subdivision so he likely wandered out from there! So fun! I'm such a sucker for wildlife & animals. I think half my camera is pictures of birds in my yard, the bunnies & my cat! lol Oh & one of Wrigley (Kevin's parents dog) that had to be put to sleep a couple months ago :(

Not much on tap for today other than work until 230ish then heading home to meet the air guy. Hopefully it'll be a fast fix & I'll be on my way to a cooler home by 4pm! We are just going out to dinner tonight since I didnt want to cook in my hot house so it'll be something simple.

This weekend might entail car shopping. Some really handsome man is in the market for a fun car! hehehe

It's getting hot in herrrrrrrrre!

Okay, check this out. That was the temp on the way home yesterday at 4pm. That is also the current temp as of 1130am here in the Region. NUTS! This is so unseasonably hot for our area! Actually, the whole Midwest area is being slammed by high temps! Tack on the humidity. And no, my air isn't fixed yet. I stayed at Kevin's last night!

Today's been another quiet day in the office. Not much to do really but things are picking up for the guys so many will come back in the next week or so. It's been like feast or famine. I would prefer a nice steady stream of work (so would Dad, I'm sure!)

I've been really slacking about keeping up with the food but you'll have that. But I have been having smoothies daily for my first meal & they are soooo tasty. I had not bought into the whole Green Monster brigade but did toss some frozen spinach in my shake yesterday. I could taste the spinach but it wasnt awful. I just used frozen strawberries, organic skim, honey & FF plain yogurt. Today was the same combo but I added a banana & half scoop of vanilla protein (I used BSN) and it was perfect. Not spinachy at all. I'm REALLY bad about getting my veggies in daily so I thought this would be a good way to up that intake. I'm also going to start using Berry Greens or something similar again. It's like the Amazing Grass stuff you are seeing on the blogs.

We had alot of fun with my BFF & her family last night (hubby & little guy who's 3.) They made us steak, oven potatoes, cole slaw & I brought a salad. For dessert, she presented us with one of our summer staples....lowfat poundcake, fresh strawberries, vanilla ice cream & whipped topping. It's like heaven in a bowl ;)

Tonight I'm likely heading back to Kevin's house due to the heat. I feel sooo guilty leaving Alex at the house but I think he's been fine. He's eating still so I'm not overly worried. He'd go to Kevin's with me but his roomie is allergic (though I'm not sure how bad his allergies are.) We'll be fixed tomorrow afternoon!

Hope you are enjoying your day & the blessings that life is bringing your way!

ps...thank you SOOOOOOO much for the kudos on a good doctor's report! I cannot tell you how big of a relief it is to know (like Marcia said) that I've kicked genetic's ass! I always say I live this lifestyle for health & this just is proof that it works!

Well, it's official....

I'M HEALTHY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As soon as I posted, I happened to check my cell phone & saw that the doctor's office called. I returned that call right away & got the news.

My blood sugar & thyroid are 100% fine!

My cholesterol is great as well.

Here's my digits:

Mine is 195 for total. (under 200 is desirable)
My HDL (the good one) is 70. (50-60 is ideal! Over 60 is a great defense AGAINST heart disease!)
My LDL is (bad stuff) is 114. (100-129 is near/above optimal)

I cannot even begin to tell you the relief! I really do keep active, eat well, etc. But when you have heart disease hiding around the corner waiting to pounce, it gets a little worrisome sometimes without the hard facts.

I actually fessed up to a friend that I was a bit teary-eyed in the doctor's office yesterday. I just get nervous sometimes but that's why I do like my doctor. She reassures me & would totally bust me out if she thought I wasn't living well!

So...join me in the collective SIGH! If anything this just reaffirms my desire to STAY healthy so I can be the best wife & mother in the coming years!

Cheers to good health!

I moved?

From the weather lately, you'd think that my "world" had been transplanted in the deep south! It's been very hot & humid here. Today & tomorrow forecast in the low 90's which are temps we dont normally see until mid-July or August. Global warming?!?

Last night, I stayed at my non-air conditioned house because I felt bad leaving the cat alone again. It was warm but I just slept in front of a fan. I keep thinking how this is saving my power bill & how many people have to live this way all the time. I can stay at Kevin's house if needed (which I'm doing tonight.) I've also not been running the air in my car as well.

Kevin & I actually spent time emailing last night trying to firm up details of our Save the Dates for the wedding. We actually added a picture & then our contact information will be on there as well. I cannot wait to see the finished product & send them out to our family! They will love them! My family is SOOOOOOO huge that we've limited it to aunts & uncles along with just a few very close family friends (those who we grew up around.) It was hard to cut down the invites again but it had to be done! People will be hurt/angry but it's unavoidable.

Tonight we are having dinner with my best friend & her hubby. They have a little guy too but I suspect that Auntie Hammer will be trumped by the super cool John Deer tractor that he got for his birthday! lol We are grilling out & I'm brining a salad. It'll be nice to veg out with them!

Still waiting on the word from my doctor too & really appreciate the good thoughts!

Anyone read The Engine 2 Diet? I came across this book online & it's a diet (duh) developed by a vegan firefighter. He helped many of his fellow brothers drop their cholesterol. I'm not looking for a "diet" perse but just like to read stuff like this. Will let you know what my thoughts are if I remember!

Hope your day is going well & you are keeping cool!

Monday Monday....

Isnt that a song or something? Just here at work after having a lovely annual with my very fun doctor. Well, technically she's a Nurse Practitioner but I really love seeing her. She always makes me feel better when I'm there, dispells any concerns & since she's active too we get to talk shop! So fun!

I really left there feeling better about my health concerns lately. She's doing the regular labs to make me feel better anyway...blood sugar, thyroid & cholesterol. All of which were spot on last year. It's hard to not be concerned sometimes when I'm faced with deadly heart disease in my corner. AND she told me I'm active, eat well & am very healthy EVEN with the extra weight. How's that for a stamp of health? It made me feel better for sure!

Not much else going on in my world. The weekend was good, relaxing & warm. I've spent most of it at Kevin's house which is nice. I sleep better with him anyway! Shhhhhhhh. Dont tell him that though I think he already knows.

Okay, back to work.

Happy Monday!

Steamy!

It's pretty hot here in Valpo today at a warm 85 degrees! But yesterday topped out at 93. Not so comfy with the humidity! ugh!

Oh why so complainy? Well...my air conditioning isnt working at my house! We slept at Kevin's last night but he's at work today. Fortunately, it's pretty breezy outside & it's not too bad in here at the moment!

Today's been productive. Did an hour of cardio this morning. I only intended to do 45 min but found The Ultimate Fighter marathon while I was on the treadmill so kept on until that hour was up. Good stuff!

I ran to the store from there, came home & had a smoothie then started mowing the lawn. It was sooooooooooooooo hot that I was soaked when I was done. Honestly though, it always feels good to sweat.

I also baked some of these Peanut Buttery Bars for my Dad for Father's Day but also a batch for Kevin & I. They are pretty tasty & not super sweet. I may try next week's batch with the chocolate chips. I made them to be a pre-workout bar. Yum!

Not sure what our agenda is for this evening. Will find that out when Kevin calls. I wouldn't mind either going to the boat (Blue Chip Casino) or heading to New Buffalo (in Michigan) to eat & walk the beach.

I really want to thank everyone for the great comments on the posts over the last couple days. It's so refreshing to read them & be not only encouraged but challenged to continue to be a better me! It speaks volumes about the folks that I'm connected with through blogland & truly helped me find peace with so many areas of my life!!!

Oh. One last thing....I got the proof yesterday for our Save the Dates & got all teary-eyed! I'm so excited!!!! I can't wait to get them & send them out!!!!!

Have a relaxing day!

Food recall!

I just got this via email & thought I'd share. Nestle has announced a big recall as a result of E. Coli!

Here's the scoop courtesy of WebMD.

Not much to report from me today! Been doing alot of talking with friends today, finding myself in such a good place mentally & realizing that it's been achieved through not only their help but also from reading some blogs that just focus on living as opposed to the obessesions that are learned (yes, learned) through the fitness boards!

So nice to have my head in a good place again!

I'll catch up this weekend!

Be safe!

Saving lives!

So yesterday while reading the Times, I came across the American Red Cross article that listed blood collection sites for this week. I used to donate on a regular basis when I lived in Vegas but have been a bit of a slacker since I moved home over 6 years ago. Just giving at random times with no real schedule. So I decided to put on my big girl panties & head over there after running errands.

I got there, did the interview that asks the most random questions ever. Got the look because my blood pressure & pulse run low (I took it as a compliment) then commended for a good iron level (thank you to all the beans I eat!)

Get to the collection chair & then it begins. She cannot find a vein so this guy working there offered his services. No biggie. I'm usually a hard stick. They find one & start going to town. Well, it's a slow bleed. Like molasses slow! Almost 90 minutes later & 3/4 of a full bag, he decides to stop. That was all preceeded by the shifting of the needle (by 2 people,) repositioning the line, reclining me all the way back with knees to my chest & making me drink a Sprite with all it's sugary goodness.

I was a sad girl thinking I had bad veins but come to find out it was the canula & it's line. Gee thanks...I'm not broken :) lol



I still got my stickers for a job well done (well, sorta.)



And the evidence of the stick.

I was fearful that it wasn't going to stop bleeding though. Once I'm stuck, it usually doesn't stop right away & the tech didn't believe me until he removed the needle.

But in the end, I told him that I didn't mind the discomfort of the ordeal because someone, somewhere is laying in a hospital bed waiting for that A negative blood that I just donated. They've been hurting for whatever reason so my moments of ouchie were worth it to know that I am priviledged enough to be able to save someone's life!

Do you give blood? Platelets? Ever considered it?

Empowering!

Well, this morning I was going to share about my experience donating blood last night but instead I'm shifting gears!

I know we all read alot of the same blogs & sometimes it seems we fuel off one another with topics. This will be another one of those times.

Have you read Goodbye to the Obsession at Oh She Glows? Watch the video too. It'll make you stop & think.

Then go check out Operation Beautiful at Healthy Tipping Point. And while you are there look at the pics at the end of this post from reader's of Caitlin's blog that have already joined in. The two that hit me the most were the ones on the Slimfast & the one on the scale. They brought tears to my eyes.

It really struck me this morning because last night as I changed into my jammies & headed in the bathroom, I stood in the mirror looking at myself. Awful words came out of my mouth. I said "looking good fat ass." I'm not joking & as I sat down to go to the bathroom, I apologized to myself.

Why would I say such a thing knowing full well that I've been doing great, making progress, weight is dropping little by little. I'm ONLY 20 pounds heavier than I want to be. I've still MAINTAINED a loss of 100 pounds. So why oh why would I even beat myself up?!? It was totally stupid & I kid you not when I said I made myself apologize.

Do you say negative things about yourself, discount compliments given by others, think or do things that are not respectful to your body, mind or soul? Do you want to stop?

Do you know HOW to stop? What step will you make today to stop the insanity?

I think I did pretty well last night with the apology. I've actually been so pumped about seeing changes with my body again that I've not said things like that in a while. I will not let that continue!

Will you do it too? Be an empowered, BEAUTIFUL woman who loves herself, taking care of the only body & life that you have?

I DARE YOU!

Get big?

Do you ever have those days that you dont feel entirely chatty? I'm having that sort of week. Blame PMS!

I wanted to share this article by Leigh Peele. It's about women's muscularity & getting "bulky." Good stuff & the comments are equally good. Any thoughts?

Let's see, what's up with me?

*I whacked my head with the car door when I stopped for coffee this morning. Sporting a decent knot that's pretty tender.

*I have NO food in my house thus not really keeping the
food page updated. Last night's dinner consisted of corn tortillas with cheese & a small can of vegetarian baked beans. Nice, eh? lol

*We trained legs this morning & did 20 min incline walking. They burn going up stairs (nice having a 2 story house!)

*Plan to get a few groceries after work today after running errands.

*May squeak in a light cardio so I can sleep in tomorrow.

That's a wrap :)

Whew!

Okay, being a bit of a slacker with all kinds of posting lately, let alone catching up with your blogs. I'm trying.....

Here's the scoop!

This weekend was fun! Friday night we dined with Kevin's roommate & his girlfriend. We planned on seeing Terminator but time wasn't on our side so we opted to stay in Valpo & see The Hangover instead. Holy farking hilarious (pardon my french!) This movie was soooooooooooooooo soooooooooooooooo sooooooooooooooooooo funny! It's a bit crude...very Super Bad-esque but if that's your thing, you'll love this movie! There's one particular "scene" that we keep re-enacting. It's funny!

On Saturday, I attended a baby shower for a friend that's due just after Kevin's sister. She's a gym friend but her hubby (& FIL) work for my Dad. It was very nice & I partook in some goodies along with a couple glasses of her Dad's lime "punch." Tasty! I also walked away with a door prize of a nice bottle of Shiraz. Yum!

Headed home & had time to change for our next outing. We had dinner with Kevin's Grandma at Applebee's. I've not been there in forever. More goodies for appetizer..spinach artichoke dip split 3-ways! Then just a salad for dinner.

After that (told you we were busy) we attended a fundraiser that benefits Out of the Darkness Community Walk. One of the top fundraisers there is Barb Smich & the benefit was on behalf of her son who committed suicide just 2 years ago (it was actually the anniversary.) He was a friend of Kevin's roommate's girlfriend so that's why we attended. Fun night with friends for a great cause!

Sunday wasn't one of my best days. I had a migraine & got sick (yack) so I spent the majority of the day on the couch! I'm feeling still a bit off but I am led to believe it's hormonal so I know it'll pass but it puts a crimp in my style & plans to visit with my BFF tonight!

I think that about catchs you up. Long post with lots of scoop.

Nothing much else going on at the moment. Just keeping my nose clean, avoiding the drama & appreciating life!

Hope your week is off to a great start!

It's here....

The weekend has finally arrived & it's shaping up to be a busy one!

Tonight, we are off to see Terminator Salvation!!!! Hello eye candy! *drool* We are heading to dinner before that & going with some friends. Looking forward to that!

I fully intend to sleep in tomorrow (okay, really that'll be until 7am if I'm lucky!) We'll head out for a run & then home to get ready for a baby shower! That's at 11 & I suspect will take a good chunk out of my afternoon. Though good eats will completely make up for it!

Dining with Kevin's grandmother is on the agenda then to a local bar for a benefit in honor of a family who lost someone to suicide.

It should be a busy one though still fun!

I confess to training this morning but took it VERY easy & felt no issues with the shoulder. It in fact is feeling a tad better. No training on the weekend other than cardio so it'll be rested then too. Fingers crossed. I still want to take a week off but would prefer to finish out the month of June's workout. So I'll just have to play it by ear.

I guess that's it from me. Nothing exciting to report though as most know about me...I'll take that over drama any day! Probably why I was friends with mostly guys in college :) lol

Have a fantastic weekend everyone & do something that you've never tried! I did ;)

It sleeps under the desk!!!!!!

Isn't he cute? That's my parents dog, Brutus. He's a shitzu/pekinese mix that my Mom got as a puppy. She always brought him to work with her & Dad continued that tradition after she died. He sleeps in his little bed under my desk, begs for my food (turned his nose up at feta & garbanzo beans yesterday) & barks at me when he needs to go out!

Today's a crazy rainy day in the region. I heard on the radio that Valparaiso already had 5 inches of rain! Things were definitely water-logged! The storms woke me around 3am & I tossed around until about 6ish before finally getting out of bed. No gym for me this morning.

In fact, I'm thinking I need to take a week off from training. I've done something to my shoulder & am led to believe it's a pinched nerve. It's so achy yet I continue to workout. It needs a rest & then if it doesnt improve I'll go see Dr. Turk. Not sure when my off will start (probably tomorrow) but I'll still cardio. So I'll likely become a cardio bunny (gasp!) in the next week or so. I actually LOVE cardio anyway!

I'm hungry...need to go scrounge. I think Dad has some nuts in his office!!!!

Do you ever......

....have those moments where you are so hungry, nothing sounds remotely good, you don't feel like cooking yet you know your stomach is going to start eating itself if you don't get food in there?!?

So yea, that's the kind of night I've had! I did get my errands done. Grocery store for water & stir-fry stuff for tomorrow. Home to drop that stuff of (debated food then too) but left to run to Target for a baby gift instead. Came home again...wanting to eat my cat & finally settled on something to eat. And I got the dishes done too. OH, need to put laundry in the dryer.

I'm currently watching Ghost Hunters & they are recapping their results from being at the Waverly Sanitorium. Very creepy but I wonder what's real & what's not. Since I don't know better, I'll just draw from my own experiences & believe what I want :)

I updated my eats for today. Is it annoying to have to check another page to see that? I just thought it would be better so they don't lost in my ramblings!

I think that's enough excitement from me today! I'm feeling good about where life's led me today. I'm a little sad sometimes with how certain things have come to be but in the end it's all making me a stronger person. So with that, I'll just thank the Lord for the blessings & move along "to the next" as my great-grandmother used to say.

Gahhhhhhhhh

Just a busy day in the neighborhood.

This man is making me earn my paycheck today!

Say hi to Daddy :)

Things are good otherwise. We trained legs this morning. You'll note it listed as the "leg slaughter" on the training page. It's a pretty accurate description when 15 minutes later they are shaking just walking upstairs to shower! Oy!

On tap for tonight is just grabbing stuff at the store, probably a baby gift for a friend's shower on Saturday then vegging in front of Ghost Hunters!

I have a few thoughts brewing so I'll blog about that stuff later along with catching you up with the days eats!

Until then........

Home at last!

I finally made it home & stopped at the store on the way. I grabbed a half gallon of organic FF milk & some organic flax seeds.

Dinner is in the tummy & Superbad is on the television. It's a crude but equally hilarious movie!

I wanted to share a couple pics of the bunnies in my yard. For some reason, I just feel really sad about the bunny that died & honestly cannot get the sounds out of my head that I heard. It's really awful. I have not seen any of the others since I've been home & they are always out playing.


This is just a couple of the three that played. They eat the seed that the birds drop. They actually nap in the flowerbed too!


Okay, this one had us kinda wondering what was going on. I opened the patio door & it never moved. Kevin & I both walked over & still nothing. I was worried that a dog had gotten to it & it was hurt. Nope. They are just soooo used to us that they dont flinch. It only moved after I opened the screen door.

The plan for tonight is to catch Whose Wedding Is It Anyway then Real Housewives of NJ. Definitely a no-brainer TV night in my house. I want to go tan too but it's hard to leave once I've settled in so we'll see if that really happens!

Have a great night. Off to update the eats.

Lemme off!!!!

I want off this crazy rollercoaster of a day! My best friend called last night to share news with me but I was already in bed. I had to get the news via email & I'll just say it's overwhelming & sad. It really took my breath away but I feel better. All we can do is pray for guidance in this situation.

The day otherwise has been decent. Payroll, taxes & union reports all fall this week so it's a busy day which is never a bad thing!

Lunch was tasty. I grabbed a bag of lettuce, a can of garbanzo beans & some feta to make a hearty salad. I'll have some leftovers for tomorrow to.

Tonight's agenda is finding mindless TV (aren't the Housewives of NJ on?), unpacking the dishwasher & making some dinner. In the fridge, I have some black beans, corn that was cut off the cob & cheese. I'm thinking a wrap of sorts so will stop & grab a package of those on the way home.

I'm also almost out of the icky almond drink (Almond Dream)that I got last week so am debating Almond Breeze or organic milk. I've finally gotten to a place (more post-show aftermath) where I no longer need to take digestive enzymes daily & am trying to work in that one last thing (that being milk) back into my regime. I dont use alot but would love the real thing in my morning smoothies or cereal once again.

I need to think about that. Any thoughts?

Bye bye bunny.

I'm so sad this morning. I think I've talked about all the bunnies that are in my yard. They play between my house & my neighbors just romping around like little crazies. It's so fun to watch & they are beyond adorable!

Well, last night when I was in bed, I heard the most strange noise. It was like a child screaming or something. I thought the other neighbor's kids were just being annoying. But it persisted a little longer.

I left this morning for the gym & found that a little bunny had been hit by a car :( That's probably the noise I heard according to my Dad. I just wanted to cry. I loved watching them all play. There are still some (there were 3 that played) but I was just so so sad.

So that's my morning. I'm working on payroll right now then I have a few other things to do. It's a busy week for me with union reports due as well.

I wish I had more of an uplifting blog this morning but I can't really think about anything other than the bunnies. I've taken some pics over the weekend so will share those later including one that was totally sacked out in my back yard (much like the picture of Alex below.)

He's cute, I'm bored.

I thought I'd share a couple pics of Alex. Though Dad calls him a horse. He is a large cat. He's around 14 pounds & not fat either. His sister is VERY tiny (owned by a friend) & is probably 5 pounds soaking wet!


To the right, you find Alex completely sacked out! He stretched & then stayed in that position for the rest of his nap. I guess the bird & bunny watching did him in!


This is usually what the scene is in my house though. There's a couple blankets I keep folded on the couch & he likes to curl up on them while I'm watching TV. He appears to be watching the screen on the laptop here. He's a funny little guy!

Today has been pretty uneventful. I've not been super hungry so you'll see (later when I update) that food has been light. Kevin's coming by for leftovers for dinner. Italian beef sandwiches & corn on the cob. It was intended for dinner last night but we ate at my grandparent's instead.

That's about it. I did train this morning (will catch that page up later too) & have some shoulder issue going on but it seemed fine today. I *might* do some cardio after work too but I'm not sure. Will ponder that on the way home.

Sunday Fun-day!

The weekend turned out to be quite nice!

Saturday night, we headed out to the Taste 5 Food & Wine festival in downtown Valparaiso. I was surprised to learn that my FAVE aunt was in town from Orlando. She's a flight attendant for Southwest & flew in for what will be a while. My other aunt has been in the hospital so she's here to help.

We had fun..a glass of sangria & a couple beers. Listened to some bands, chatted & just enjoyed time with family! It was so nice out that we drove around a bit then headed to BW-3 for another beer before heading home.

Another surprise on Sunday when I walked in church & saw my Grandma sitting there (this is my Dad's side of the family btw.) Church was a great service about Psalm23:4 & valleys. Pastor made the point that if you arent in a valley yet or havent come through one recently then be expecting one. Nice, eh? lol But he's right. Next week he's talking about the strongholds that keep us in those valleys. I'm looking forward to that.

I decided to have breakfast with the family (Dad, his ladyfriend, aunt & Gram, uncle & his girlfriend.) It took forever but it was nice to visit & watch them eat their greasy goodness. I still get picked on for my food but I they also appreciate me taking care of myself ;)

I had been texting with Kevin & we decided to head to my Grandpa's house with everyone later for a little fishing & impromptu dinner. KFC & all the fixins, broccoli salad, lemon torte cake & Dad's cabbage, sausage & noodles were carried in so my Grandpa didnt have to cook.

Kevin & I "supervised" the fishing. Grandpa has a nice sized, stocked pond out back. The take home stash was 4 decent sized bass & a few blue gills. The catfish were elusive & not one was hooked!

My Aunt Pat took the prize for biggest catch!
She got that huge bass & my Grandpa thought she needed help holding it ;) lol He was set free because that's the rules! Gramp's like to leave the bigger ones in the pond for spawning. The little'ens are also tossed back in.

It was really alot of fun & it was so great to spend that time with family. They are the most important people in my world & I couldn't have survived some of life's hardest times without them! I thank God for them :)

Lazy day!

Oh how I love a lazy weekend!

Last night, we dined at Friday's & watched The Day the Earth Stood Still. It's a decent movie. I know I've seen the original but it's been a long time!

This morning was sleeping in a bit & that felt great! Kevin headed to work, me to the gym. I also got grocery shopping done this morning.

I think tonight we might just catch a movie either at the theater or DVD again. I might also meet my Dad & gang from church downtown at the Taste 5 Food & Wine festival but I'm not sure yet. At the moment, I'm going to actually take a nap.

Getting nothing done today means I have to do it tomorrow but that's just the usual cleaning stuff so it's no biggie.

Just feeling a little lazy (inspite of a rocking cardio effort.)

I did also get myself a splurge today of some candy corn. One local market sells the Brach's (the best kind ever) all year so I indulged! Might have a cocktail later too.

Hope you are enjoying the day in front of you!

May I please have your attention?

Now that I have it, I'd like to redirect it to Healthy Tipping Point for a second. Watch Caitlin's video from this morning....then come back!

Now that you've seen that. I just have to share how close to home that hit for me today. I've been doing everything right. Eating well, doing my cardio, training hard & enjoying life.

I've said it before that the scale wasnt being kind to me but what's to be expected after what I put my body through during contest prep (exactly 1 year ago, btw.)

Today, I find myself dropping a little weight every other week (that's my pattern.) And I'm content with that. Why? Because it's dropping. I dont care (& said this to Kevin this morning) if it takes me through the end of the year to get back to my healthy weight. Why? Because I'm doing everything right. I know that & when you do the right things, you can't lose!

Caitlin's video actually made me a little teary-eyed. No surprise right? I'm an emotional person anyway but it really hit my heart & really drills home where my head is..that being in a good place!

It's not about anything but being healthy, living life, being a stunning bride, loving wife & hot mom (okay..that's awhile away but you get the point! lol)

Enjoy your day....do your best & know that you rewards will come. Maybe not in the form you'd like them & at your pace but they will come.

Is healthy a relative term?

Okay, I'm probably going to get a little ranty here but I read a couple things on a message board that irritated me.

Someone posted a "healthy" muffin recipe (okay, not being so secretive here) & was lambasted for it not being healthy according to someone else's definition. It uses flour (gasp), REAL sugar (gasp again) & even mentions adding Splenda for extra sweetness.

Okay. None of that seems that unhealthy to me! I use real sugar myself because I dont like artificial sweeteners. It's in my baking & in my coffee if I have it, etc. And white flour can be easily substituted (she even indicates that on the recipe.)

So why on earth does someone else make it their mission to flame or continue to comment on what's healthy or not. Not once but TWICE?!?

To me, healthy is using the most natural ingredients. Sugar is more natural that some chemically manufactured sweetener.

Next thing they'll say is that fruit is bad & has too much sugar. Oh wait, someone already has!

How do YOU define healthy? Do you take it to extremes or just strive to live within normal boundaries?

We weren't meant to live off chicken breast & broccoli folks!

ps...never say that a figure competitor doesn't belong on stage or isnt ready. You have NO idea what road they traveled to get on stage & what they've overcome to get there!

/rant (lol)

Oh happy day, happy day....

...cute, huh? It's a song we sing in church. The rest of the line is ...you washed our sins away! The best thing about this song is that my friend's 3 year old song will sing the chorus. Well, really he just sings that line but it's beyond precious! It often runs through my head! It's a fun song to take a listen if you care to!

So how's the day treating you thus far? It's early here still. Only 915am in the Region but it's off to a great start!

Cranked out a quad workout with Kevin this morning. Oh man were my legs on fire! The workouts this month are split in 2 leg days again. It doesnt allow us to work a weekend run into our schedule due to such soreness so I'm rearranging for next week for 1-midweek leg day instead.

How do you schedule your workouts? Or do you just wing it?

The day's plan is to get my car (well, it's a Blazer so truck I guess) emissions tested. Plates are due to expire this weekend (yes, I'm a procrastinator), get stuff for dinner (making BBQ chicken pizza) & countdown the hours to the end of my day! lol

Tonight we are dining at my house then heading to Kevin's to see the guy who's doing the plumbing in the basement. Kevin's been finishing his basement..home theater room is done but the bathroom & kitchen area isnt. It appears that he's trying to get that all done before his bride moves in in February ;)

For the weekend, we may go see a movie if Angels & Demons is in the Five Buck Club or maybe just rent one to veg at home.

Other things on the agenda include....laundry, sweeping, cleaning & hopefully more napping on the patio!

Happy almost weekend!!!!

Need a laugh?

Now, I'm not a fan of the Jonas Brothers but this is pretty darn entertaining!



ps..my apologies for putting that song in your head! lol

Hump day!

It's mid-week & I'm ready for the weekend. Is that bad? It's been rainy the last couple days & threatens to be the same this weekend but I'm still looking forward to it!

So to my surprise, Kevin said he'd go see the PCD if I wanted him too. Yea, it's what I want though I'm sure the fact that they are provocatively clad hot girl group weighs in too ;) lol Tickets aren't even on sale yet so I'll check it out! I love that some of you would join me & even got a Britney confession! hahaha

AND thanks so much for the comments on yesterday's "happy" post too. I really think that if we live our lives to the fullest it really does make a difference. I've had my share of heartache in my life but I do my best to not let it consume me though sometimes a little cry-fest does the body good!

I opted to sleep in today & will hit up cardio after work! The gym was soooooooooooooooo hot yesterday but since I love a good sweat I didnt mind too much. Anyone else feel like their workout is better if they leave a sweaty pig? My fave is when I have to go to the store or something after a good one! Oh the looks I get!

I'm working on capturing all food via photo today. Oddly enough, the phone on my Blackjack is working well & produces decent pics. You can check that out here.

Okay, I should tend to the bit of work that I have to do today!

Oh & I joined Blog to Lose so check that out (link button to the right.) I'm just trying to put the blog out there more. Also working on another way to do that.

Happy Wednesday!

Confession time.

Okay, I have a confession. I just got an email from the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond with their new concert announcement.

I was reading it & got all excited. Why? ....I want to see the Pussycat Dolls!!!!

Yep, that's right kids, the PCD are coming to Chicago-land. I forwarded it to Kevin & am pretty sure I'll be shot down though he may surprise me! Um ,hello..they are HOTTTT!!! Anyone in the area want to join me?!?

And no...I'm not kidding! hahahaahaha

For your entertainment, just because it gets me through cardio on many occasions.

Eating too little

Here's a great article from Everyday Health that I got on email this morning.

Sign of the times?

I wonder how many may think that's a bad thing. Yet, it's totally not my intention.

First things first...the water heater is FINALLY fixed. Dad took care of it last night & it was sweet music to my hears to hear it running. I swear that thing sounds like a jet taking off when the gas lights. So I took a HOT shower at home for the first time since last Sunday. Yes, I've been showering..either a cold one at home or decent one at Kevin's.

Back to the "sign of the times." I woke up this morning & was out the door on time to meet Kevin at the gym (we have a 530am date on training days.) It's day #1 of this month's training program. It was a good workout. I'll head back after work for cardio. I try to split them when I can.

Got to work & sat down to emails. Then it hit me. I feel good. I mean I feel really good. I've been eating well, not tracking calories or anything (though I still have a rough tally in my head) & know I'm eating enough. I'm successfully cutting processed/unnatural things out of my diet & am not fixated on things that programs tell me I can or cannot have. I'm eating.

I've been a little irritated with the scale not shifting much either but it's shifting down little by little. AND I'm noticing a better appearance in my "trouble" areas. Did the cavemen get on a scale & let it dictate how they felt about themselves? I wonder. Who created the scale & what made that person decide that it was a good measure to have? Oh sheesh, I could rant on...lol

I guess for me it really all boils down to knowing that I'm doing all the right things for my life & for my health. Other things will fall into place as a result & I'm happy with that outcome..whenever it comes.

Are you happy with you today? I mean not the number the scale tells you or what size jeans you are wearing either. Are you living well? Enjoying the blessings in front of you & taking time to smell the roses?

If you arent, I do believe you are missing out!

PB2 Giveaway!!!

Have you guys tried this stuff yet? Super yummy! The new chocolate is my favorite!

My friend Lisa is having a giveaway for some so check her out here!

I am pretty certain that I caused her addiction to this stuff & her kids love it too!

Pay her some love!

Note to self: You need to order some more of this stuff! I just realized I'm out!

Sleepy head!

So. The alarm went off this morning & it was our intention to hit the gym for cardio. It was storming (bad) out so we opted to not go! I'll head out tonight since I took yesterday off (note to self..update workouts page.)

The weekend ended on a nice note. Saturday we ventured to the Lighthouse Mall in Michigan City then over to the Blue Chip Casino boat for a little play (big spender here with my $2) but we had a beer & watched the Orlando game. Kevin got a text about the previously mentioned bonfire but we'd just arrived at the boat so stayed there.

Yesterday was a slightly busy but partly lazy day too. I went to church, picked up Kevin's lawnmower (mine's still on the fritz), ran to the store & then decided I wanted to veg out on the patio so I did! It was so nice to just sit out there in the sun & totally veg. I actually fell asleep for a bit too! I have NO idea how long I was out there but I was pretty pink last night!

This is the flower bed that my Mom's friend put in for me in her honor. Mom LOVED butterflies so everything planted attracts them. It's so nice! I added the birdfeeder myself & the decorations are in part from me, my aunt & the ladies that put it in for me.



The cat also loves it because of all the birds I get plus the rabbits who like to feed on the plants! He's equally entertained!

Tonight, my Dad is coming to finally fix my hot water heater. The replacement part was sent to me by the company since it's under warranty (my house was built brand new just 3.5 years ago.) It was a faulty part. And my savvy negotiation skills got it shipped for free as well! It's in the blood!

I think it'll be a quiet week in my world. We'll see!

Hope you are off & running with a great start to the week!