Today was a great workout day. I woke up and went to a Piloxing class this morning. If you haven't tried Piloxing yet, it's a fusion of pilates and boxing. It's sleek, sexy, powerful! Each class ends with those words. It's a tough workout but since it's fun, it makes the time go by fast. My girlfriend/Zumba instructor was at Piloxing this morning, and I noticed she had a special class that night. So, I committed to coming back that evening for her class, I've missed Mary and I've missed Zumba, so it was a great opportunity that I couldn't miss. Zumba was awesome, we used weights for the first time, and wow - one tiny little change and it seriously amped up the class! Zumba is a Latin-inspired dance fitness program. Depending on your instructor, it can be a lot of fun! I'm lucky to have two great Zumba instructors at my gym.
Oh before I forget, guess what?? Two things: first, my husband came home from his out of state job early! Woohoo! Secondly, I won that Giveaway Contest from the Thinspirations Blog! I feel so lucky and promise to share any new ideas/experiences from The Hungry Girl's Recipe Book with you guys.
I'm going to make this short and sweet, but on a good note, I just want to say, that instead of feeling tired and drab like I have been the last few days, I feel ENERGIZED and I even have enough energy for a third workout! See, it was great that I took that six day break and did a low intensity workout yesterday. I'm all set for my Turbokick class tomorrow morning! Bring it on!!
I hope you guys are feeling the inspiration. What workouts do you like?? There are so many different things out there. My next-door neighbor is doing a Bar class? She looks INCREDIBLE after only two weeks of doing it, and she's waking up early do it... which shows how much she's enjoying it! Also, Amy I loved your comment about your motivation to go swimming and how great you felt afterwards. I'm feeling that way right now! So proud of all of us!!!
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
One Step Forward, One Step Back
I went to a Pilate's class today, just for this blog! Whoo-hoo, me! I was not able to muster up enough energy to wake up early enough or go to a Cardio Kickboxing class... but Pilate's... was perfect! It was just what I needed: a low impact workout. One step forward!
Also, to continue my healthy streak, I had a green smoothie for dinner. I used a banana, frozen strawberries, frozen pinneaples, and kale. (If anyone has any other wonderful green smoothie recipes, I'd love to try them. Please share!)
Then, I discovered my husband's Cinnabon Cinnamon Bread - OH MY GOSH!!! He's not going to be home for a couple days and I just wanted something sweet... I thought, "this bread is going to go bad if someone doesn't eat it". Again, OH MY GOSH! I can not believe I've lived in the same house as this bread for as long as I have. It is the most amazing cinnamon bread "with cinnamon bursts" ever!! I was going to have ONE piece of bread, but here I am toasting my third piece. One huge step back.
On a positive note, here's what else was happening in my home today. Alexander and his friend, Briana, acted out a scene that they created for me. It was so awesome to watch, especially since I studied television production, and this totally reminded me of playing "producer".
Well, now that I am seeing this video, I feel that I need to explain my doors. I STARTED painting the frame, but I haven't finished yet. I am not sure why I lost interest half-way through... but I'm embarrased and I'm going to finish it BEFORE the kids go back to school. Promise.
Aren't they cute, though? Can you hear the audio?
Okay, I'm going to go do some reading now. I'm reading "Mine are Spectacular" and I'm not loving it yet, but it was in interlibrary loan and I feel like I should read it. My girlfriend, let me borrow the book, "The Help" which is great so far, but I can't read two books at once, so I'm going to finish "Mine are Spectacular" first.
Also, to continue my healthy streak, I had a green smoothie for dinner. I used a banana, frozen strawberries, frozen pinneaples, and kale. (If anyone has any other wonderful green smoothie recipes, I'd love to try them. Please share!)
Then, I discovered my husband's Cinnabon Cinnamon Bread - OH MY GOSH!!! He's not going to be home for a couple days and I just wanted something sweet... I thought, "this bread is going to go bad if someone doesn't eat it". Again, OH MY GOSH! I can not believe I've lived in the same house as this bread for as long as I have. It is the most amazing cinnamon bread "with cinnamon bursts" ever!! I was going to have ONE piece of bread, but here I am toasting my third piece. One huge step back.
On a positive note, here's what else was happening in my home today. Alexander and his friend, Briana, acted out a scene that they created for me. It was so awesome to watch, especially since I studied television production, and this totally reminded me of playing "producer".
Well, now that I am seeing this video, I feel that I need to explain my doors. I STARTED painting the frame, but I haven't finished yet. I am not sure why I lost interest half-way through... but I'm embarrased and I'm going to finish it BEFORE the kids go back to school. Promise.
Aren't they cute, though? Can you hear the audio?
Okay, I'm going to go do some reading now. I'm reading "Mine are Spectacular" and I'm not loving it yet, but it was in interlibrary loan and I feel like I should read it. My girlfriend, let me borrow the book, "The Help" which is great so far, but I can't read two books at once, so I'm going to finish "Mine are Spectacular" first.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Ethical Blogging?
What I threatened, (sort of) kidding around with my husband, "You better treat me right or I'll blog about it!"
Husband: "Oh, right because you have so many followers. Let me call Katrysse and tell her my side of the story."
Me: (squint eyes menacingly) "Ooooouuuu... (pause, think, nothing) you REALLY got me there!"
- I say this sarcastically, as if it wasn't a great comeback or threat, he didn't win this round... see, my eyes are still squinted.
Why can't I come up with any clever comebacks?
First of all, Kat, thank you my dear friend for being my one and only follower. I know beyond a doubt that I can count on you no matter what. You are a loyal and fierce friend. I absolutely adore you.... always.
Secondly, what are we going to do about my husband? Alex is clever and witty. I took him out of the south side, I had to have him because I am captivated by his quick wit and sense of humor, he thoroughly entertains me and it never gets boring. BUT can I blog about him and tell on him, or would that be crossing some unethical/ethical blogging rule? What about all the other people that I come across, is it okay to talk about them? How much is okay to tell? How much do you want to know? I was asking myself these kinds of questions today, and didn't come up with a really good answer. I think I'm going to wing it. I'm going to ask you to tell me when I've gone too far. You can just say... "Hey, red flag, maybe you shouldn't have gone there." Would that work for you? It works for me. My sister says that I like to be controversial. My husband says I talk too much and that I should really stop to think before I blurt things out. I think... that I sound controversial because I am so open-minded and empathetic that I can relate to two opposing parties simultaneously. In regards to my husband's point of view... well, I can't do anything about that. I've tried to shut up... but I can't! I have things to say and if I stay quiet too long I get grumpy. I like to talk... and yes it gets me in trouble, but only because I can't talk as fast as I think, and so sometimes I leave things out, or say them wrong, and then I didn't get my point across accurately. AND because people have to understand that most of the time, I am not talking out of intellect, but out of my emotions, feelings, and commitments. Also, I'm fickle. I can passionately talk about one thing today, and I could go home and change my mind because in all honestly there is no black in white in my world. Most things fall in a gray area, so although something could be really really bad in my opinion, if I change just a couple variables, I may be okay with it and passionately talk the other way about it tomorrow.
So, back to the point of why I started blogging. My daily activity level today was bland. I actually did go to the gym today, but I didn't make it there until 9pm. That's a whole 12 hours after the time I normally like to be there and usually exercise at. [I know that's improper English, so if anyone want to tell me how to not end a sentence with "at", please rephrase that last sentence for me and educate me.]
I don't want to make a ton of excuses for me, but what can I say? I'm human. I'm not feeling it. This morning, I spent time with my husband before he left on his work trip. I also took care of some pending business. We DIDN'T sell the car though! Boooo! That deal fell through, and now I have a ton of work for myself tomorrow regarding reposting it and calling back all the other interested parties. But, I did take my son on a leisurely bike ride to the library. He checked out some books and a PlayStation 3 game. I borrowed a Dean Koontz book for my husband to listen to on his car ride. Since I'm not done reading "The Help" or "Mine are Spectacular", I only got myself a couple movies. I rented Burlesque and Little Fockers.
I timed us to the library, it's 2.47 miles from my house and it took us 17.25 minutes to get there. We had some red lights, okay? I wore my heart rate monitor and it said I burned 64 calories. Woop-tee-doo!!
Then when I finally did get to the gym at 9pm, my knees hurt, my hands were swollen, and I still didn't want to actually work out. So, I drove myself there, just to WALK on the treadmill! I walked 3.7 miles, and burned 209 calories (according to my heart rate monitor, although the treadmill thought it should have been closer to 268 calories). Again, woop-te-doo!, but you know what, at least I went. I had to get back in there, now I'll have a better chance of wanting to go back tomorrow. I did weigh myself, and I'm still at 138 pounds. But, my body is already changing. I don't like this 138 pounds. It's fat and not muscle. Wait four weeks... when we're back on the school schedule, I'm hitting the gym hard! Yeah, baby! That 138 would never have looked so good! :-)
Tomorrow, I am going to have a green smoothie. That will kick things off and put things right. I'm thinking, banana, strawberry, and kale. I'll let you know!
Night!
Husband: "Oh, right because you have so many followers. Let me call Katrysse and tell her my side of the story."
Me: (squint eyes menacingly) "Ooooouuuu... (pause, think, nothing) you REALLY got me there!"
- I say this sarcastically, as if it wasn't a great comeback or threat, he didn't win this round... see, my eyes are still squinted.
Why can't I come up with any clever comebacks?
First of all, Kat, thank you my dear friend for being my one and only follower. I know beyond a doubt that I can count on you no matter what. You are a loyal and fierce friend. I absolutely adore you.... always.
Secondly, what are we going to do about my husband? Alex is clever and witty. I took him out of the south side, I had to have him because I am captivated by his quick wit and sense of humor, he thoroughly entertains me and it never gets boring. BUT can I blog about him and tell on him, or would that be crossing some unethical/ethical blogging rule? What about all the other people that I come across, is it okay to talk about them? How much is okay to tell? How much do you want to know? I was asking myself these kinds of questions today, and didn't come up with a really good answer. I think I'm going to wing it. I'm going to ask you to tell me when I've gone too far. You can just say... "Hey, red flag, maybe you shouldn't have gone there." Would that work for you? It works for me. My sister says that I like to be controversial. My husband says I talk too much and that I should really stop to think before I blurt things out. I think... that I sound controversial because I am so open-minded and empathetic that I can relate to two opposing parties simultaneously. In regards to my husband's point of view... well, I can't do anything about that. I've tried to shut up... but I can't! I have things to say and if I stay quiet too long I get grumpy. I like to talk... and yes it gets me in trouble, but only because I can't talk as fast as I think, and so sometimes I leave things out, or say them wrong, and then I didn't get my point across accurately. AND because people have to understand that most of the time, I am not talking out of intellect, but out of my emotions, feelings, and commitments. Also, I'm fickle. I can passionately talk about one thing today, and I could go home and change my mind because in all honestly there is no black in white in my world. Most things fall in a gray area, so although something could be really really bad in my opinion, if I change just a couple variables, I may be okay with it and passionately talk the other way about it tomorrow.
So, back to the point of why I started blogging. My daily activity level today was bland. I actually did go to the gym today, but I didn't make it there until 9pm. That's a whole 12 hours after the time I normally like to be there and usually exercise at. [I know that's improper English, so if anyone want to tell me how to not end a sentence with "at", please rephrase that last sentence for me and educate me.]
I don't want to make a ton of excuses for me, but what can I say? I'm human. I'm not feeling it. This morning, I spent time with my husband before he left on his work trip. I also took care of some pending business. We DIDN'T sell the car though! Boooo! That deal fell through, and now I have a ton of work for myself tomorrow regarding reposting it and calling back all the other interested parties. But, I did take my son on a leisurely bike ride to the library. He checked out some books and a PlayStation 3 game. I borrowed a Dean Koontz book for my husband to listen to on his car ride. Since I'm not done reading "The Help" or "Mine are Spectacular", I only got myself a couple movies. I rented Burlesque and Little Fockers.
I timed us to the library, it's 2.47 miles from my house and it took us 17.25 minutes to get there. We had some red lights, okay? I wore my heart rate monitor and it said I burned 64 calories. Woop-tee-doo!!
Then when I finally did get to the gym at 9pm, my knees hurt, my hands were swollen, and I still didn't want to actually work out. So, I drove myself there, just to WALK on the treadmill! I walked 3.7 miles, and burned 209 calories (according to my heart rate monitor, although the treadmill thought it should have been closer to 268 calories). Again, woop-te-doo!, but you know what, at least I went. I had to get back in there, now I'll have a better chance of wanting to go back tomorrow. I did weigh myself, and I'm still at 138 pounds. But, my body is already changing. I don't like this 138 pounds. It's fat and not muscle. Wait four weeks... when we're back on the school schedule, I'm hitting the gym hard! Yeah, baby! That 138 would never have looked so good! :-)
Night!
Thinspirations Blog
I just found an cool giveaway on the following blog: http://wolfpackchick10.blogspot.com/2011/07/giveaway.html
Good luck all!
Good luck all!
Monday, July 25, 2011
I'm in Trouble
This started off as an exercise journal/ fitness log, and oh oh! I haven't worked out! It's going on four or five days, this is no good! And I have been perusing Facebook and to my dismay have found that I look chunkier/thicker in my most recent pictures. Ahhh, yeah! That happens when a girl stops working out for as long as I have. During the school year, I was on a roll! Drop off my son at school and go straight to the gym to hit the 9:30am class four days a week. But summer, well, that's a tough one for me. Not only does my son not like going to the gym on a frequent basis, but I dont' work during the summer, so I watch my gas like it's a precious commodity. Also, there are all kinds of fun things going on, parks, camps, people visiting from out of town, family in from Mexico, fairs, carnivals, parties, picnics, you name it!
The truth is... if I have to be completely honest, I have been feeling myself getting wider. AND I think I do it on purpose. I know this sounds totally crazy, but I must have a blind spot about this because I sabotage my own success. I don't know why. It first came up when I was doing one of the seminars of the Landmark Forum. I never really quite got the breakthrough to discover the why, it was enough for me to see that I was even doing it. It's like I'm fearful of success. I kind of like staying mediocre, it's comfortable here. I know what to expect. It's not just about my weight, it's about everything. Is that not sick?? Ugh, I hate myself for it, and still I can't change it. Or I won't change it, or something. Maybe I should go back to Landmark and have a breakthrough in it. Go there with that one intention. I may be assuming you know what the Landmark Forum is, if you don't know it's a three day weekend event that costs a pretty penny (although it's not in the thousands range) and works with ontology. Basically, it's the study of being. I find it awe-inspiring that you can put two individuals in the same circumstance and they'll both BE different about it. This happens all the time, and it's not as amazing as it seems but it is something to think about. Why do you act the way you act? Why do you assume what you assume? Why do you do what you do? Why are you the way you are? Especially knowing that you don't have to be. That someone else in your circumstance or exact same situation may do things differently. And really all of our lives are an accumulation of these choices. These patterns that go on and on, on a daily basis, without us even thinking about it anymore. Well, I love these kinds of seminars. It tickles my fancy! People think I'm a little cucko over Lucky Charms of Cocoa Puffs or whatever, but any time that there is an opportunity for genuine discovery, growth, and possibility, I get really excited. I think in that fashion, I will always be a student.
Lately, it just seems that it takes more and more, bigger and bigger, for me to get excited about. Don't get me wrong, I will go all googoo and melt into tears over seeing a flower grow in an unexpected place, or watching the sun shine through the clouds. Gosh, I'm an emotional roller coaster sometimes, but every once in a while, I swear I can be at peace with the world and hear God's intention in all of it. If you haven't noticed, I am a bit spiritual. I love God. But, you won't find me at church on Sunday. (Maybe I'll have a breakthrough in that some day.) Right now, I need to get my butt moving so I don't lose any more muscle or gain any more fat. I could finish blogging, get my workout clothes ready, and go workout. Wouldn't you be proud of me if I did that??
Want to know something I did today, that is not in my character? I put our Isuzu Rodeo on craigslist. We've been talking about it, and considering it, mulling it over, and thinking about it. But here is the thing, we don't need three cars with Kassandra going to college in a few weeks.... (pause/break)
As I was writing this I had the most delightful surprise, two unexpected lovely visitors, my parents! It's rare for my parents to visit me, so I went to open the door and obviously stopped writing. I'll finish telling you guys all about the truck tomorrow, I didn't go to workout today. So tomorrow, or since it's already midnight, in a few hours, I definitely will. More about this and that tomorrow, no time to spellcheck or re-read anything so excuse any errors. Good night, and sweet dreams!
The truth is... if I have to be completely honest, I have been feeling myself getting wider. AND I think I do it on purpose. I know this sounds totally crazy, but I must have a blind spot about this because I sabotage my own success. I don't know why. It first came up when I was doing one of the seminars of the Landmark Forum. I never really quite got the breakthrough to discover the why, it was enough for me to see that I was even doing it. It's like I'm fearful of success. I kind of like staying mediocre, it's comfortable here. I know what to expect. It's not just about my weight, it's about everything. Is that not sick?? Ugh, I hate myself for it, and still I can't change it. Or I won't change it, or something. Maybe I should go back to Landmark and have a breakthrough in it. Go there with that one intention. I may be assuming you know what the Landmark Forum is, if you don't know it's a three day weekend event that costs a pretty penny (although it's not in the thousands range) and works with ontology. Basically, it's the study of being. I find it awe-inspiring that you can put two individuals in the same circumstance and they'll both BE different about it. This happens all the time, and it's not as amazing as it seems but it is something to think about. Why do you act the way you act? Why do you assume what you assume? Why do you do what you do? Why are you the way you are? Especially knowing that you don't have to be. That someone else in your circumstance or exact same situation may do things differently. And really all of our lives are an accumulation of these choices. These patterns that go on and on, on a daily basis, without us even thinking about it anymore. Well, I love these kinds of seminars. It tickles my fancy! People think I'm a little cucko over Lucky Charms of Cocoa Puffs or whatever, but any time that there is an opportunity for genuine discovery, growth, and possibility, I get really excited. I think in that fashion, I will always be a student.
Lately, it just seems that it takes more and more, bigger and bigger, for me to get excited about. Don't get me wrong, I will go all googoo and melt into tears over seeing a flower grow in an unexpected place, or watching the sun shine through the clouds. Gosh, I'm an emotional roller coaster sometimes, but every once in a while, I swear I can be at peace with the world and hear God's intention in all of it. If you haven't noticed, I am a bit spiritual. I love God. But, you won't find me at church on Sunday. (Maybe I'll have a breakthrough in that some day.) Right now, I need to get my butt moving so I don't lose any more muscle or gain any more fat. I could finish blogging, get my workout clothes ready, and go workout. Wouldn't you be proud of me if I did that??
Want to know something I did today, that is not in my character? I put our Isuzu Rodeo on craigslist. We've been talking about it, and considering it, mulling it over, and thinking about it. But here is the thing, we don't need three cars with Kassandra going to college in a few weeks.... (pause/break)
As I was writing this I had the most delightful surprise, two unexpected lovely visitors, my parents! It's rare for my parents to visit me, so I went to open the door and obviously stopped writing. I'll finish telling you guys all about the truck tomorrow, I didn't go to workout today. So tomorrow, or since it's already midnight, in a few hours, I definitely will. More about this and that tomorrow, no time to spellcheck or re-read anything so excuse any errors. Good night, and sweet dreams!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Advice to my Daughter
Why is it my teenage daughter will not listen to me? I KNOW, beyond a doubt, that I am not the smartest or wisest person around, but I have a little experience and something to say. I feel like if I died tomorrow, that girl would not know who I am. I mean... yeah, she knows - but would she implement everything I tried to teach her?
Here are a few things that I'd want her to know:
1. People are not always going to treat you kindly or fairly, heck they may even be cruel. Instead of feeling resentment and hatred, feel compassion for that other person - you never know the life they've lead or circumstances they are dealing with. Discard any negative feelings immediately. It turns people ugly and mean.
2. Just because I believe number one, and think you should, doesn't mean you should let people walk all over you either. There are people out there who are "going to get theirs". Don't get in a pissy match with them, but stand your ground and have respect for yourself. Stand tall, walk tall, head held high. You are an amazing person. You are unique and the stories and life you've lived make you a gem and a treasure. I believe this of almost any person who is trying to live life right and within the social norm.
3. There is a time and a place for everything. Don't wait until you're 34 to fall over drunk at your aunt's house thinking you're in a sorority in college. Just saying! If you're going to have pink highlights and feathers in your hair (which I think are very cool), don't do it when you have a job interview at a financial company - for example.
4. Looks are important, and whether you like it or not, people will judge you based on your looks. Every once in a while, look at yourself in the mirror and ask yourself, "What does my haircut/color/style say about me? What does my outfit say about me? What does my hygiene say about me?" It's okay to be self-expressed and colorful in your clothing (it's better than expressing yourself in tattoos, which are permanent.) There's just that (back to number 3) there's a time and a place for everything. If you dont' know what your looks are saying about you, ask someone you trust.
5. Do what you love, always, unapologetically. Do what truly inspires and motivates you. But be watchful of vices and unhealthy habits.
6. Friends and advice are wonderful and amazing blessings from God, but they're not ALL good . Be aware and careful of the advice you hear and receive. Let God guide you.
7. Take care of your family, always. They won't necessary like it or appreciate it all the time - especially siblings. But you do it anyway. Like my good friend, Katrysse tells her kids, "Love each other, protect each other, and take care of each another".
8. People will always have something to say, they'll always have opinions. You may find yourself in the center of one of these "controversies" some day. Know that since people will talk anyway, you can feel free to give them something to talk about. Be the diva at the party. Be the princess. Be the rockstar. Be whatever it is you want to be. Let them talk. I love the saying, "every truly happy person is somewhat delusional." Be delusional! But always remember first to be kind, be polite, be courteous, be respectful. Remember to make your momma proud, "if your mom could see... would she beam with pride, roll her eyes, or hide for shame?"
9. Follow the commandments. Or at very minimum Jesus' great commandment, which encompasses all of them anyway. Matthew 22:35-40.
10. Lady Gaga was brilliant only once, when she said, "don't be a drag, just be a queen." And she's right. No one likes a person with a bad attitude. But every woman should feel like a queen. Buy the dress, buy the shoes, wear the accessories, go on the vacation that you've been dreaming of. If someone unexpectedly pops up with a camera, flash your best smile! Paparazzi! Decorate your home like cameras are going to roll through any minute. Live huge.
11. When you choose a man to marry... you are marrying into his family, lifestyle, and choices. His problems become your own. Respect him and the life he's lived as well as the one he's meaning to live. Make sure he feels the same way about you. We marry once. That divorce crap is nothing to mess around with. It hurts people, especially when there are kids involved. It doesn't mean it doesn't have to happen sometimes or that it's not better for some people, but that's why you don't rush into marriage either. (Now, I don't want people getting all mad with me about this point, but if I wish any type of marriage for my children is the lifelong, healthy, nurturing, loving, respectful, and forever kind.)
12. When you raise your children, remember everything we've talked about. Raise them the way Wita would have raised them. Like it or not, you are your mother's daughter, and I'm mine. And I'm even present to being grandma's child. We're more alike that we know.
13. Don't live in fear.
14. Workout, and don't eat junk. If you love yourself, you'll take care of yourself. Don't forget to dance.
15. Of course there's more for me to say... there always is. Be patient with your mother. For now... isn't this such a great start? And I'm at the point where I'm repeating myself. So, I'll let it go for now.
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Way of the Tea
I am not a regular tea drinker. I usually enjoy coffee, although not the fancy lattes or frappuccinos or cappuccinos or even espressos. I'm a simple girl, I like regular coffee with cream and sugar. Lately though, I have been reading about how terrible sugar is for the body. If you haven't read Alicia Silverstone's book, The Kind Diet, I have to recommend it; it's a great read. Even if you are not interested in becoming a vegetarian, which I am not, it does teach a lot about foods, the food industry, animal cruelty, etc. My sister asked me to read it, and the first time, I couldn't even get through the first couple chapters, I was that close-minded about it. Vegetarians just seem so passionate about their stand and way of life that it's a bit intimidating to me. And the way they do it with so much vigor and enthusiasm, kind of annoyed me to be honest. The second time I tried to read the book, I ended up loving it! In the end, the biggest change I made was my choice to substitute white sugar with Truvia which is a natural sweetener from the stevia leaf - for those who like to count calories you'll be happy to know it has zero! It does have an aftertaste to it, which I wasn't use to it in my coffee. I solved that problem by adding just a dash of Truvia and then adding maple syrup. It was perfect that way!
But today, in honor of the fact that the male testosterones have won in the household and the two males in the house are watching Ip Man, I am drinking tea. I made my husband a green tea, sweetened with honey and Truvia and I am drinking a Country Peach Passion Herbal Tea... yum!! I sweetened mine with honey and Truvia also. My brother has a book about Tea Life and Tea Mind, I think that is the actual title of the book, and it's interesting that there are four basic principles to the Way of the Tea. The four basic principles are harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. I am humbled by this way of thinking and honor my cup of tea in the same way.
Oh my goodness... just now I caught a snap and flash of a camera... I turn around an my husband is smiling at me from the couch. He tells me, "just taking a picture of history." This is why I love this man. It doesn't matter what I decide to do or put my crazy little mind to, this man supports me in anything I want to try. When we were dating and I told him I wanted to skydive, he climbed into the little plane all white-faced and silent with fear. When I told him I didn't enjoy my promotion and career and would rather stay home and raise our son and be home for my daughter, he allowed me to quit my job and do just that. Once my family was going on a tropical vacation to Cancun and he couldn't get out of work but surprised me with two tickets (one for me and one for my son, Kassandra was in high school and couldn't pick up and leave as easily) he presented them to me just days before the departure date. It was the most unselfish and loving gift anyone besides my parents had ever given me. Now, he's snapping pictures of me blogging. And then people wonder why I wish all my single friends would find a love like mine.
And speaking of loves of mine, Kassandra just walked in with Monster. Who is Monster? Well, a western painted turtle that she found by the mailbox this morning and has been traveling everywhere with her all day today. She named him and posted pictures of him before I could even say, "no you can't keep him." And isn't she too old for this? I would expect this from my eight-year-old son, not my eighteen-year-old daughter who is one month shy of leaving to college. What am I going to do with a turtle? My son is just as enthusiastic about Monster as she is. I have to call the nature center tomorrow and find out if it's okay to keep him, how they live, and what they eat. I also probably should call the pet store and see what they can tell me. How do I get myself into these situations? At least it's not a stray cat! We're allergic to those.
Below: Pictures of Kassandra holding her beloved and rescued Monster (since she swears he would have gotten run over had she not come in the nick of time and saved him from this disastrous fate), and my honey and me.
But today, in honor of the fact that the male testosterones have won in the household and the two males in the house are watching Ip Man, I am drinking tea. I made my husband a green tea, sweetened with honey and Truvia and I am drinking a Country Peach Passion Herbal Tea... yum!! I sweetened mine with honey and Truvia also. My brother has a book about Tea Life and Tea Mind, I think that is the actual title of the book, and it's interesting that there are four basic principles to the Way of the Tea. The four basic principles are harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility. I am humbled by this way of thinking and honor my cup of tea in the same way.
Oh my goodness... just now I caught a snap and flash of a camera... I turn around an my husband is smiling at me from the couch. He tells me, "just taking a picture of history." This is why I love this man. It doesn't matter what I decide to do or put my crazy little mind to, this man supports me in anything I want to try. When we were dating and I told him I wanted to skydive, he climbed into the little plane all white-faced and silent with fear. When I told him I didn't enjoy my promotion and career and would rather stay home and raise our son and be home for my daughter, he allowed me to quit my job and do just that. Once my family was going on a tropical vacation to Cancun and he couldn't get out of work but surprised me with two tickets (one for me and one for my son, Kassandra was in high school and couldn't pick up and leave as easily) he presented them to me just days before the departure date. It was the most unselfish and loving gift anyone besides my parents had ever given me. Now, he's snapping pictures of me blogging. And then people wonder why I wish all my single friends would find a love like mine.
And speaking of loves of mine, Kassandra just walked in with Monster. Who is Monster? Well, a western painted turtle that she found by the mailbox this morning and has been traveling everywhere with her all day today. She named him and posted pictures of him before I could even say, "no you can't keep him." And isn't she too old for this? I would expect this from my eight-year-old son, not my eighteen-year-old daughter who is one month shy of leaving to college. What am I going to do with a turtle? My son is just as enthusiastic about Monster as she is. I have to call the nature center tomorrow and find out if it's okay to keep him, how they live, and what they eat. I also probably should call the pet store and see what they can tell me. How do I get myself into these situations? At least it's not a stray cat! We're allergic to those.
Below: Pictures of Kassandra holding her beloved and rescued Monster (since she swears he would have gotten run over had she not come in the nick of time and saved him from this disastrous fate), and my honey and me.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
An 11pm Blog
I was a little trepidatious about blogging today, first because "se me fue el dia"... how do you say that in English?? - The actual translation is "the day left me", which no one would ever actually say, I guess the best next thing would be to say, there wasn't enough hours in the day.
Also, I didn't work out today. I know this was suppose to be my journal for working out and all things healthy, but it just doesn't work that way for me. If we're going to talk about my health and be completely honest about it, today was one of the worst "health" days for me in a long time. I had limited use of my hands for the entire day. My arthritis has not been this bad in so long, that I had started taking it for granted. It's usually my "eczema" that bothers me the most. Today, I couldn't open my hand all the way out without pain shooting through my fingers and hands. Days like today scare me because I think I'm going to be the little old lady with the crippled fingers. But just for the record, that's not the reason I didnt' work out today. I had things to do this morning, appointments and errands, and I didn't make it to one of my favorite classes.
I had an experience this morning that brought me to tears. I'm not kidding. I'm an emotional person as it is, especially a couple weeks out of the month, and today I was so moved by people's generosity and the abundance of love and kindness that people extend out towards others. I was with my husband and we were shopping for groceries. Such a simple act, right? But, all of a sudden I was present to the fact that I've NEVER gone hungry. My family has never starved. God promised that we'd be taken care of, and we always have been. When I was contemplating quiting my job, it was one of my biggest fears since I knew we'd be cutting our income in half. My brother, who is not one to ever talk religiously or spiritually with me, sent me an email that I am sure I still have saved somewhere and which became one of my favorite passages. It's Matthew 6:25-6:26: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?". It may have actually been more verses, but these two are the ones that spoke to me. And anyway, I spent my morning feeling immensely blessed, loved, and taken care of.
It's not just the food either that makes me feel this way. I have amazing people in my life. I am supported by incredible friends and a loving family. I appreciate all the people I come into contact with during my day. For example, I absolutely adore my gym instructors. The fact that they get up and do what they do on a daily/weekly basis (whether they are in the mood to workout out or not) for the benefit of themselves and others in an inspiration to me. I go to the gym whenever I can or want to, they don't. They are there week after week for me! And they spend their time outside of the gym collecting rock blocking beats, choreographing workouts, being healthy and just plain amazing and inspiring.
Back to my day though. Last night my son decided he wanted to spend the night at my parent's house. I absolutely love this. My maternal grandparents where in Mexico when I was growing up, I didn't get to meet my paternal grandmother, my dad's dad died when I was young and we didn't have a lot of time together because he was in Mexico while I grew up here. The fact that my son loves hanging out with my parents and likes to spend the night, makes me feel so wonderful for the bond and memories they are creating. So this morning, before I knew it, it was noon and my sister called to invite us to the pool since Alexander was at my mom's house. My husband, daughter, and I met them at the pool. The rest of the day, I spent watching my family splash, tackle, and play in the water. We only left because our tummies told us to. And we had pizza! Like I said, not the healthiest day for me. But pizza after the pool, is heaven.
I was drained when I came home and napped, Kassandra visited family, and the boys watched t.v. Isn't that such a boy's things, though? T.v. and movies. So, here I am, blogging at almost midnight, and even though I had nothing to report on, I still typed a whole page!
I do want to say before I go since I mentioned it in yesterday's blog, that I had such a wonderful time last night with my girlfriends. My girlfriend's apartment is the cutest thing ever, she was a magnificent host, we had everything from strawberries and chocolate with wine to shrimp on those cute little kabob things. The concert was high energy with the best music that kept you moving and jumping the entire two hour performance, and the band members where so cool and approachable. We got to go on stage with them and meet them after the concert.
I'm going to be talking a lot about my family so I better introduce them. My husband's name is Alex and my son's name is Alexander. This can get confusing so most of the time, I call my husband my husband or Big Al. My son is a few days shy of nine years old and going into fourth grade. My daughter's name is Kassandra, she is 18 and leaving to college in less than a month! I'm very proud of her. I have two sisters, both younger, Maritza and Adriana. Mari is only a couple years younger than I am and Adri is a whole decade younger. My brother is Ernesto and I sometimes call him Ernie. I am at the stage in life when my mom is the cutest thing ever, and I find her to be quite funny and entertaining. My dad is my dad, and the best man I know. I have too many friends and family to list, but you'll be hearing about my book club girls a lot, we meet once a month and barely talk about the books. Our book club is the BBB.
I'll post pictures of all of them later. Good night guys. I'm going to go have a bowl of cereal. Breaking all the rules today!!
Pictures:
My kiddos bright and early one morning last week.
Visiting my girlfriend yesterday in Oak Park.
Hanging out at the concert. BBB girls at BBB concert!
My girlfriend with the lead singer of Balkan Beat Box.
Also, I didn't work out today. I know this was suppose to be my journal for working out and all things healthy, but it just doesn't work that way for me. If we're going to talk about my health and be completely honest about it, today was one of the worst "health" days for me in a long time. I had limited use of my hands for the entire day. My arthritis has not been this bad in so long, that I had started taking it for granted. It's usually my "eczema" that bothers me the most. Today, I couldn't open my hand all the way out without pain shooting through my fingers and hands. Days like today scare me because I think I'm going to be the little old lady with the crippled fingers. But just for the record, that's not the reason I didnt' work out today. I had things to do this morning, appointments and errands, and I didn't make it to one of my favorite classes.
I had an experience this morning that brought me to tears. I'm not kidding. I'm an emotional person as it is, especially a couple weeks out of the month, and today I was so moved by people's generosity and the abundance of love and kindness that people extend out towards others. I was with my husband and we were shopping for groceries. Such a simple act, right? But, all of a sudden I was present to the fact that I've NEVER gone hungry. My family has never starved. God promised that we'd be taken care of, and we always have been. When I was contemplating quiting my job, it was one of my biggest fears since I knew we'd be cutting our income in half. My brother, who is not one to ever talk religiously or spiritually with me, sent me an email that I am sure I still have saved somewhere and which became one of my favorite passages. It's Matthew 6:25-6:26: "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?". It may have actually been more verses, but these two are the ones that spoke to me. And anyway, I spent my morning feeling immensely blessed, loved, and taken care of.
It's not just the food either that makes me feel this way. I have amazing people in my life. I am supported by incredible friends and a loving family. I appreciate all the people I come into contact with during my day. For example, I absolutely adore my gym instructors. The fact that they get up and do what they do on a daily/weekly basis (whether they are in the mood to workout out or not) for the benefit of themselves and others in an inspiration to me. I go to the gym whenever I can or want to, they don't. They are there week after week for me! And they spend their time outside of the gym collecting rock blocking beats, choreographing workouts, being healthy and just plain amazing and inspiring.
Back to my day though. Last night my son decided he wanted to spend the night at my parent's house. I absolutely love this. My maternal grandparents where in Mexico when I was growing up, I didn't get to meet my paternal grandmother, my dad's dad died when I was young and we didn't have a lot of time together because he was in Mexico while I grew up here. The fact that my son loves hanging out with my parents and likes to spend the night, makes me feel so wonderful for the bond and memories they are creating. So this morning, before I knew it, it was noon and my sister called to invite us to the pool since Alexander was at my mom's house. My husband, daughter, and I met them at the pool. The rest of the day, I spent watching my family splash, tackle, and play in the water. We only left because our tummies told us to. And we had pizza! Like I said, not the healthiest day for me. But pizza after the pool, is heaven.
I was drained when I came home and napped, Kassandra visited family, and the boys watched t.v. Isn't that such a boy's things, though? T.v. and movies. So, here I am, blogging at almost midnight, and even though I had nothing to report on, I still typed a whole page!
I do want to say before I go since I mentioned it in yesterday's blog, that I had such a wonderful time last night with my girlfriends. My girlfriend's apartment is the cutest thing ever, she was a magnificent host, we had everything from strawberries and chocolate with wine to shrimp on those cute little kabob things. The concert was high energy with the best music that kept you moving and jumping the entire two hour performance, and the band members where so cool and approachable. We got to go on stage with them and meet them after the concert.
I'm going to be talking a lot about my family so I better introduce them. My husband's name is Alex and my son's name is Alexander. This can get confusing so most of the time, I call my husband my husband or Big Al. My son is a few days shy of nine years old and going into fourth grade. My daughter's name is Kassandra, she is 18 and leaving to college in less than a month! I'm very proud of her. I have two sisters, both younger, Maritza and Adriana. Mari is only a couple years younger than I am and Adri is a whole decade younger. My brother is Ernesto and I sometimes call him Ernie. I am at the stage in life when my mom is the cutest thing ever, and I find her to be quite funny and entertaining. My dad is my dad, and the best man I know. I have too many friends and family to list, but you'll be hearing about my book club girls a lot, we meet once a month and barely talk about the books. Our book club is the BBB.
I'll post pictures of all of them later. Good night guys. I'm going to go have a bowl of cereal. Breaking all the rules today!!
Pictures:
My kiddos bright and early one morning last week.
Visiting my girlfriend yesterday in Oak Park.
Hanging out at the concert. BBB girls at BBB concert!
My girlfriend with the lead singer of Balkan Beat Box.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
A day in a hurry
It's already after noon and I'm barely sitting down to drink a cup of coffee. Some days are very hurried. I'm making lunch as I'm typing this and watching a movie with my husband. HA! Talk about multi-tasking. But, I have to. My husband is waiting for the weather to cool off so he can go to a service call so it's rare for him to be here during this time of day. I'm looking forward to hanging out with a few really great gal pals so I have to make time now for my family. These really cool chicks I'm hanging out with, I'm meeting them in only two hours and I still have no idea what to wear!
So, before I gotta go, here is what I want to talk about: OH, wait and before I do that... just want to say that Fox News had a story today about how the American Medical Association is asking the media to stop photoshopping women, models, actresses, and superstars. I say... "HOORAY!" I know I'm not the only one that compares myself and hold them as the "ideal". Why wouldn't anyone want to look as curvaceous or sleek and wonderful as them?! And, they're beautiful anyway, even without the photoshopping. So let's celebrate ourselves! And by the way, here is my latest inspiration that I cut out of a women's magazine:
But, back to what I wanted to talk about: Isn't it amazing how having the right tools, supplies, equipment or clothing can make all the difference in the world? The first time I went sledding in snow pants and boots blew my mind! No wonder everyone else had fun doing this! I use to come home with my jeans and socks soaking wet and I’d be freezing within minutes. When I purchased running socks and running shoes I stopped getting blisters and bruised toe nails. If you haven’t visited your local running shoe store, I recommend it.
Besides dressing in the right stuff though, I am loving putting the right foods in my body. Yesterday I was excited all ALL DAY because my eggs are Certified Humane, Cage Free, Whole Grain Fed, and No Drugs or Antibiotics. It's the simple pleasures in life, right? Do you know how horrendous some of these chicken farms are? Some of them, a lot of them, cut off the beaks of the chickens, they kill the males as soon as they are born, they let them sit in their own urine and feces until the acid burns off their feathers! The best eggs to buy are Animal Welfare Approved, but I still have not found any that are. There is a really cool website that takes the guessing out of all the new egg carton labels. You can find it at: http://www.humanesociety.org/issues/confinement_farm/facts/guide_egg_labels.html.
The carton I bought even says that the chickens I bought my eggs from laid their eggs in nests. Isn't it sad that not all of them are?
On to a happier topic, I have to say this before I forget... I love when I can splurge a little and buy organic vegetables and know that I’m not filling my body with damaging byproducts, pesticides, or ingredients. I don’t want you to get the wrong idea though, I wish I was consistent with all of this, but the truth is that I also love and enjoy my cheesecakes, meals, and desserts. I'm not a huge health freak. I enjoy life, all of it. I like every pleasure and indulge in a bunch of them. I believe we should all treat ourselves like princesses, or royalty, or superstars, or whatever makes us happy. Have you treated yourself well today? 
I have! I got up and did a 45 minute Cardio Kickboxing class and it truly was a great workout. On my way out the door, I invited my husband to the gym, who declined - but I happily yelled, "Gotta go workout, gotta blog I gotta write!" :-) After the Cardio Kickboxing class which I was a few minutes late to, and had to take a break during, and which is why it was only 45 minutes instead of one hour, I did a 30-minute Sculpting class. I also treated myself by taking a few minutes and allowing myself to relax in the hot tub after my workout and my shower afterwards felt cool, refreshing, earned and just plain amazing. (I told you I enjoyed all of life's little pleasures!)
Want to know what I had for breakfast, I'm going to tell you because I feel very good about it. Brown rice pancakes from Gluten-Free Pantry sprinkled with flax seeds to add Omega 3's. Now if only my lunch was something to brag about... unfortunately it's not and it came out of a box. Today it's Tuna Helper, sweet corn, and mashed potatoes.
Want to know what I had for breakfast, I'm going to tell you because I feel very good about it. Brown rice pancakes from Gluten-Free Pantry sprinkled with flax seeds to add Omega 3's. Now if only my lunch was something to brag about... unfortunately it's not and it came out of a box. Today it's Tuna Helper, sweet corn, and mashed potatoes.
Well, like I said, I'm trying to get a ton of things done at the same time, so lunch wasn't as healthy as it could have been, and now I gotta run because what am I going to wear??? Enjoy your coffee, your day, your family, friends, and life! Love and peace! See ya!
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Truth in the Mirror
"Ran seven miles today".
The next day, "Didn't workout today, feel bad."
Same person, third day: "Feel great, ate a salad and worked out for two hours and a half."
Fourth day: "Ate a burger but washed it down with a four mile run in 30 minutes."
Fifth day: "7am and barely awake, but had a great boxing workout!"
DUDE... okay... get a blog!! Are you trying to make the rest of us feel crappy for not working out as much as you or trying to get compliments???
So, I'm taking my own advice. If you're reading this blog... you asked for it - the whole ugly truth! I have no idea if anyone is reading this, but it's me I'm doing it for. My goal - easy: to stop jiggling. That's it! I think it might take eight pounds or so... but who knows? My goal: no bulge in the middle and no jiggle in my wiggle.
Do I have to be totally honest and say where I started? I don't know... but since I'm not sure anyone is even reading this... SURE, why not? Today, I weigh 138 pounds. I'm 5'3" and workout 2-4 times a week. I did workout today, I did a Zumba class and ran 3.5 miles in 41:40 minutes. Yeah, I'm slow, so what?!
Now, let's do this!!! I'll tell you more about my diet next time, Peace!
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