Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Weekend hike

We finally did what most Colorado residents seem to do.  We went on a hike on Sunday!  We went out to Matthews/Winters park just West of Denver.  It wasn't a bad drive at all - less than an hour from our house and it was well worth it!  We took the kiddo because we hadn't planned it much in advance and he did so well!  He actually hiked most of the way with us and we only carried him a little bit towards the end.  At the end, he got a little fussy but that was after almost 2 hours! 

Anyway, here are some pictures!














Monday, March 28, 2011

A skinnier me?

I am ready.  I had my personal training session on Saturday at our new gym and yesterday, Todd and I went for a hike with the kiddo.  Both good workouts as I am super sore, mostly in my legs and butt.  It feels so good to work out again.

I am also eating better already and want to continue doing so.  We have bought a whole lot of healthy foods and our fridge and freezer are stocked.  Now I just have to choose to eat only the good stuff and in moderation.  My problem is, I eat too much.  Period.  It is hard to cut back because I end up feeling hungry all the time but I am determined.

30 pounds.  That is the goal.  In the last year I had lost almost 30 but gained some back.  I am still down overall from this time last year but want to lose more and make exercise a regular part of my life.  I realize I won't always be able to eat perfect, but if I do my best most of the time, the exercise will help me at least maintain once I am done losing.  I know I have to eat clean for quite a while in order to lose the weight I want and I think that will be the hardest part.  Once I get going working out and get in a routine, it is a lot easier.

My dilemma is, do I do only cardio at the gym, only weights, both?  What do I do at home on days I don't want to/can't make it to the gym?  I am struggling to find a routine that will work.  I guess I can keep switching it up but just don't what direction to go in.  I think as long as I keep moving, that is key.  I need to stay up off my butt more to burn more calories and lose more weight.  That is hard with a desk job, but can be done.

I can't even imagine what I will feel like if I lose 30 pounds.  It will be nuts!  I will be near the smallest I have ever been and I think I will feel amazing!  I can't wait for that feeling so I wanna get going in a hurry.  I am at the point I wish I could work out twice a day just to lose weight faster but I don't know if it's possible without giving up a ton of sleep and getting sick a lot.

For now I just need to do the best I can and prepare as much as possible for meals, snacks and workouts so I am not caught off guard too much.  That's all for now.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Gym!

So, in relation to my last post, Todd and I joined a gym tonight!  I am hoping we use it at least 3-4 times a week but the good news is, it is really cheap so if we don't use it a ton, we won't be wasting a lot of money.  We are hoping to go a few days a week and do some other exercise or physical activity 1-2 other nights a week at home (like going for a long walk or stuff like that).

I would love to get back down closer to the weight I was when Todd and I got married or even a few pounds over that, but I know it will take a ton of work.

I can't wait to get started!  I want to lose weight and make health a priority, but I just have to DO IT!!!  :)

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

It's about that time

Time for me to get back on the wagon and lose some weight and start working out again.

I had a good run last year but have been lazy now for about 6 months!  I am not that much above my lowest weight in the last year but I sure don't feel that great about myself.

My husband proposed a bit of a challenge.  I will be sharing more on that later.

Summer is coming and so is my sister-in-law's wedding.  Time to work it out!  Oh, and get my tan on!  :)

Monday, March 21, 2011

30 day challenge

I know, these type of things are usually boring to read about, but this is for myself and my family, no one else. 

My 30 day challenge is this - no buying any clothes or shoes or accessories for me or my kiddo.  We need NOTHING!  I sometimes forget that we live in this country that is so blessed and we have way more than we will ever need when it comes to clothes and shoes and such.  We are rich compared to the rest of the world and I am a serial shopper.  It's not that I spend a fortune on stuff - I don't.  I am a bargain shopper through and through.  I hate spending more than about $10 on shirts/sweaters and also any more than that on shoes for me.  For my kid, I hate to spend more than about $6 on tops and $8 on pants/shorts.  Shoes for kids seem to be harder to find deep discounts for so if I can find shoes for him under $15 that are the color and size I need, I consider that reasonable.

Anyway, we both have an abundance of clothes and other 'stuff'.  I always give in to a bargain and have an overflowing closet because of it (and so does Xander).  Again, I don't need anything! We are blessed beyond measure!

I am hoping this will help teach me a lesson in contentment.  I have more than enough and need to be happy with what I have.

I will still buy food and any household items needed (dish soap, trash bags, etc.) and a few things that we need for our house in general since we just moved in, but I won't buy extra stuff that is not on a previous list just because it was a good deal.  Also, I cannot speak for my husband.  I will try to get him on the bandwagon but I cannot guarantee he won't buy anything and he buys far less than me anyway so I can't say he is the worst offender in our house!  :)

I think this will also help me practice the 'think about it' principle.  They always say that any time you want to buy something, you should wait and think about it for a week or more to make sure you still want it as bad as you thought you did and also to research the best price.  I bet if I think I have to have a sweater or some shoes or anything else and leave it in the store to think about, I won't end up wanting it so bad after all. 

My personal challenge starts today and I'm sure it will be hard since all the cute new spring clothes are coming out for me and for the kiddo. 

If there is something I am dying to have, maybe I will post it on here to get it out of my head and then see how it goes.  Wish me luck!

Sunday, March 20, 2011

A mama dilemma

My life is a constant dilemma.  What is the best way to spend my time, my money, my life??

I always think, should I let the house work go to crap and spend all of my extra time with my kiddo?  That is a constant thought in my mind as a working mom.  I hate working.  I completely admit it.  I love the paycheck and not feeling like we are drowning every single month but I hate being away from my kid so much.  I hate it with a passion.  I feel guilty and wonder if he would be a much better kid if I was always home with him.  I feel like I could stay on top of discipline better if I was with him everyday.  I also realize at this age, it is good for him to interact with other kids to learn to share and play nicely. 

I especially struggle with this dilemma right now as we moved into our new house a month ago and we still have a lot or piles of stuff sitting around and I want to work on them so bad but I feel like when I do, I am ignoring my son.  I try to get as much stuff done during his naps as possible but they seem to go so fast and he is up before I know it every time! 

It's ok though.  Life is never perfect and I know despite my wanting it to be, our house will never be perfect either.  I can learn to accept that, even when it is hard.  I won't say this house is my 'dream house' but it is a lot closer to it than our last house and I had such high expectations for it.  So far it has almost lived up to my expectations but I need to let go of the 'ideal'  in my mind about what I want my house to be.  For one thing, it would take a whole lot more money for this house to be ideal and that is something we don't have and may not for a while.

Anyway, for now I will just do my best everyday to get stuff done and slowly get our house into order.  It may take a few more months for it to be fully organized as I continue to spend most of my extra time with the kiddo.  He's worth it!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

A very productive day!

I am so excited that it is only 1 pm on Saturday afternoon and the hubs and I have already gotten so much done!  Todd rented a rug doctor and has done almost our whole house's carpet as well as the couch and love seat.  We also partially cleaned out our bathroom and are going to finish it up today.  I have worked on the office a ton and gotten rid of about 6 boxes.  I still need to organize a lot of stuff but already feel accomplished!

We still have so much of the day left and that rocks!  I am going to get our bedroom done and cleaned out once and for all today so there are no more piles on the floor!  Also, my sons room in completely organized so that is a good feeling.  I still need to work on moving more stuff to the basement to get it out of the way but it is amazing how much you get done when you start working first thing in the morning.  Maybe it was that McDonald's iced coffee that helped??!!  Yummy!

Anyway, later we are headed back to the furniture store to pick out an area rug, end tables and a coffee table to finish up the living room and we may pick out a lamp or two also.  I need to go to Lowe's or Home Depot too and get some hooks for my closet.  I figured out I can easily hang all of my scarves in the back of the closet on the wall as it is just wasted space back there.  We also need to get a little cabinet for the extra bathroom on the main level as well as for our bathroom.

I am feeling so good!  We moved into our house almost a whole month ago and still aren't settled but are doing small projects here and there that have taken up a lot of our time.  I think if we get the house to about 95% this weekend I will feel great!

We are having two sets of guests in the next month so I am more motivated to get stuff done.  Todd's parents are coming and so is Todd's friend Gary.  We need to make sure to have everything nice and ready to go by then.  We still need to do some more actual cleaning too, not just organizing.  It's not super dirty in here but I wouldn't mind having it even cleaner. 

Also, I really, really want a new dishwasher!  Our handle on ours is basically worthless right now and it doesn't clean worth a darn either plus part of the plastic racks are rusted.  I think we are going to look around for one when we are out today. 

Overall though, we are happy with the progress we have made.  Can't wait to see what the house will look like tomorrow night when we have worked another full day on it.  It may just end up looking how I hoped it would.  Wouldn't that be nice?

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Uncertain

I don't know if I can do it anymore -this thing they call my job.

There are too many issues.  A long commute, a small staff, poor (no) training, ridiculous requirements.

I am beside myself.  I feel like walking out.

I am not sure what to even do at this point.

Sunday, March 6, 2011

The joys and challenges of parenting

Saturday night was the biggest power struggle I have had with my 27 month old to date.

Xander didn't want to put on his pajamas, he didn't want to take a bath and he wanted to wear his new Toy Story shoes to bed that I had bought him yesterday (hey, they light up - I get it).  I won't say sorry for this next part because I fully believe in it and I realize some people don't, but I ended up spanking him a few times before he would calm down as he was screaming and carrying on for a long time.  I kept telling him no and he wouldn't listen.

I realize some parents would give in and just let their kid wear shoes to bed but it's about more than just that for me.  It's about my child listening when I tell him something and understanding he can't always have what he wants when he wants it.  Some parents would say it's not worth the fight but I have to disagree.  I do agree there are some small things not worth worrying about but I think things should be done in a normal way most of the time (not wearing shoes to bed) and I don't need to accommodate my son just to avoid a fight. 

I don't know, maybe I should have just given in but I felt like I should stick to my guns last night.  Also, once you say no, you need to enforce it otherwise the kid will learn you are inconsistent and will challenge you even more.

I know I am not a perfect parent but I sure am trying my best.  It blows my mind how few parents out there seem to have no common sense in raising their kids.  There are so many rude or oblivious kids out there and I actually feel sorry for the kids because they are being short changed in being shaped into a responsible adult.  I just can't let my kid turn into a crazy, bratty kid.  I want nothing more than for him to live a normal life with values and morals and learn hard work and determination. 

I know everyone has their thoughts on how a kid should be raised but I feel like society as a whole is going down hill at least in the manners department so I want to do everything I can to prevent that.  We are already teaching 'please' and 'thank you'.  It seems to be a lost art.

I know the struggles are worth it as he is overall a very good little boy.  He has very few tantrums and is happy most of the time.  He is pretty calm too - not a really high strung kid.  I feel lucky he is so easy most of the time.

That is all.  Some people may disagree but that is ok.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

I've Lost It!!!!

I can't believe I lost my last blogger account!

I had a blog already - you can check it out here- http://123vests.blogspot.com/

I know that my password was correct and also my security question, but the stupid system says that it is wrong and that they can't identify me and since it is a free service, there is no way you can get help from Google or anyone that works for them.  I have tried filling out the form to get access back several times but it keeps saying they can't identify me.  I almost wonder if someone hacked my account, but nothing else weird has shown up in that regards.

So frustrating.

Anyway, I went ahead and chose a new title for my blog since my last one is still taken.  :(  I wonder if it will sit out there forever or if they shut it down after a while.

It will take a while to get my new blog to where I want it to be as far as pictures and links and other stuff.

I chose this new name, not because we travel or move around a lot, but because that is my mind constantly.  It is all over the map.  I jump from one thing to another, from one thought or idea to another, all without hesitation.  I am a random person by nature and I just can't apologize for it!

I have so many things I could write about.

I look at losing my last blog as a chance to start fresh.  I am going to cover a variety of topics that interest or affect me instead of just general info about me (which I am sure is somewhat boring).

Here are things I want to talk about:

-Parenting and all the fun that comes with it!

-My diabetes - not just about it in general (cause that's just boring) but how I want to work to be healthier.

-My weight.  Always a struggle and if I am accountable and write things down, maybe I can stick with doing something about it.

-My family life.  The dynamic with all three of us and including our extended family.

-Scrapbooking and/or crafts.  I haven't worked on this in months and want to get back to it.
-Work life - while keeping it vague as to not get in trouble!  :)

-Money.  Goals, accomplishments in paying certain things off.  We are ok with money but need to be better.

-Random thoughts in my head (which is what this blog is all about anyway).

-Love and my relationship with my husband.

-Pictures.  I have gotten really bad about taking them and am going to start again soon.  I like to tell a story with them and I need to take more artistic pictures besides just the usual family ones.

-Product reviews.  I am a dork but I love to mention stuff that I love or even sometimes that I hate.

-Anything else I choose to write about.  Hey, it is my blog right?  I will write about whatever, whenever cause that's the way I roll (or something).

Ta ta for now!