Fitness Friday Returns

Hey, friends, so about that fitness challenge. I'm pretty disappointed over all with how my month has gone. I had such high hopes for the last four weeks and I feel like my plans have been thwarted at every turn. I hate to make excuses for poor eating and not enough exercise, but it's been one of those months where no matter how hard I tried I just couldn't get it together. My job has been overwhelming, we've been gearing up for the end of school and summer vacation and for the last week I haven't felt great. It seems like something happens every day to prevent me from running or working out and celery sticks don't sound so great when you have a sore throat and are fantasizing about potato soup and coffee. I've lost a little over a pound this month and I have no idea what my measurements are. On the other hand, I haven't lost any ground. I haven't been eating too terribly (with the exception of last night's pizza), I have managed to get a few runs in each week and my clothes are still fitting great. I think I'm so used to seeing major progress after what all I accomplished last year, that I'm failing to realize I might be on the upside.

 

Yoga has been a God-send. I'm still going to a 90 minute hot yoga class every Monday night and more and more friends are joining me every week! I can see such a huge difference in my flexibility and balance and I know that my upper body is so much stronger. I wasn't expecting to see muscle definition from yoga, but all of that planking is really helping my arms and shoulders shape up. I've been running a little less than 10 miles a week this month, which is really low for me. The good news is that I haven't seen a loss of endurance and my pace is steadily on the up-tick. I've been doing some speed work on the treadmill once a week and even though I hate it, I know it's helping. I've got two races on the calendar in June and I'm hoping to shave a few minutes off of my 5k time.

 

I'm not calling it quits and I'll probably continue to blog on Fridays with mini-updates on how things are going. I have two more weeks before our beach trip, six weeks until my anniversary trip and ten weeks until our girls' beach trip. That's still a whole lot of weeks to work on myself. I'm done depriving myself of things I love and taking a guilt trip every time I have a rough day. I can drink a Dr. Pepper a few times a week and still fit in my jeans. I've come to enjoy the protein shakes for breakfast and they keep me out of the drive-through for breakfast. I limit my wheat intake and eat a fair amount of fruits and veggies during the week. I might not be on a strictly paleo diet or gluten free or whatever, but I've drastically changed how I think about food and I'm a much better eater than I was a year ago. I'd love to run 25 miles a week, but with yoga and lifting weights and summer and life, I just can't quite fit that in right now. I'm going to enjoy my family this summer, practice yoga and throw in a few runs and love that pool nights with my family count as cross-training.

Keep on reading and linking up. I might not have six-pack abs, but I'll be around...

Fitness Friday... on Sunday

I didn't mean to abandon you guys on Friday. Let me just say that I picked the worst possible month to engage in a fitness challenge. Challenge is definitely the operative word. It's been a challenge to eat well and even more of a challenge to work out on a regular basis. Not only was Josh's week in Iowa difficult, but work has been a little crazy. I don't talk much about my job on the blog, but it can be pretty stressful. I'm a paralegal for the litigation group at a defense firm in Birmingham. One of my cases has some pretty important dates on the calendar for the next several months and I pretty much haven't had time to breath while in my office. I've gone in early and stayed late and thought I was going to have work for a few hours yesterday. It's been so crazy that I haven't gotten in many lunch time runs this month and that takes a toll on my fitness level and also my mental stability! My legs get itchy after a week of not running and I'm starting to crave the miles. This week won't be much better, but I'm going to do my best to get out of the office at least a few days this week to run.

I've decided that instead of being discouraged about the first two weeks, I'm not going to put pressure on myself to have some major results by the end of the next two weeks. I'll still have almost two more after that before we head to the beach, so I'm going to work as hard as I can between now and then and keep on working when we get home. Every little bit counts and even though I haven't transformed my mindset completely in two weeks, I have made major progress.

• I'm drinking MUCH more water. I'm filling up my Tervis with ice water as soon as I get to work and nursing it all day long. I'm not keeping tea or soda in the fridge at home either and that helps. I did splurge a little at lunch on Friday and I am having some DP on the weekends, but over all I'm in a completely different place that I was a few weeks ago. I am drinking far fewer calories as a whole.
• I'm not eating out nearly as much as I was and I'm having very little fast food - none during the week at all and only once this weekend.
• My grocery cart looks a lot different and I'm loading up on fresh fruits & veggies. I'm steering clear of the processed foods as much as possible (even for the rest of my family) and trying to shop the perimeter of the market only.
• I also discovered Almond Milk this past week. Since I can't omit cheese from my diet, replacing milk in my shakes is helping me eliminate all other dairy from my diet. I have no idea what it tastes like by itself, but I haven't noticed a difference in my breakfast shake AT ALL.

The real challenge this week was swimsuit shopping. I told y'all I ordered a super cute one on-line last week, but I didn't love the way it fit. I was really disappointed. The bottoms were awesome, but the top didn't fit great. Awkward confession time... before I had babies, I had a pretty decent sized chest, especially considering my frame. Not only did two pregnancies and nursing wreak some havoc, but the weight I've lost over the last two years has really done a number on that whole situation. It isn't pretty and I have a really hard time finding a swimsuit top that is flattering. The one I ordered was sold out in a small, so I got a medium top and it just didn't work. Josh took me shopping yesterday for Mother's Day (even though the Mayer tickets were technically my gift) and what I really wanted was a swimsuit. We headed to Everything but Water and bless his heart, he was the only man there. He was a trooper and watched me try on suit after suit after suit. Our favorite topped the charts at $200 and I just couldn't bite the bullet. Instead I narrowed it down to the two suits below.

Let's just say it is completely outside of my comfort zone to share these pictures, but what are you gonna do? When comparing these to the way befores, there is no contest, so I'm gonna be happy with what I've got. I'm resolved that I'm not going to look like a super model, but I'll take my semi-flat stomach over the body I had two years ago. I know that some of you will look at these and think I have nothing to complain about. I get that, I really do. I've lost all of the weight I want to and I'm at my goal size. The thing I'm working on now is just toning it all up. I want to be tight again and even though I photographed pretty well, the "curtain of flesh" on my belly isn't all that great in real life!

I loved the one on the right and it was on sale. I actually tried it on last year and didn't buy it, but it was half price this season. I ended up not buying it, but I kind of wish I had gotten them both. It was really flattering in the chest area, but I was worried about the tan lines it would leave behind. The one on the left was the first one I picked up, the first one I tried on and the clear favorite. I have ZERO chest in in whatsoever, but at least the girls are contained and aren't having down by my belly button, right?! I love the cutouts on the bottom and the back of the top is amazing. Let me just say that I don't normally spend $100+ on a swimsuit, but I decided after all my hard work and finally being able to wear a bikini with confidence again that I was going to buy the one I wanted. It didn't hurt that we got a gift card at work for Administrative Professional's Day a few weeks ago and I hadn't spent it yet.

I was supposed to weigh myself and take measurements this weekend, but the battery in my scale died. I'm going to pick one up tomorrow, so I might come back and update the post after that. I doubt we'll see much of a difference, but I'm happy with the progress I've made in my head more than anything. I'm getting back into a great fitness routine and making good decisions.

I'm sorry for the post delay, but if you posted about fitness on Friday, feel free to come back and link up!

Finish This Sentence

I thought this was funny when I first read it over at Mama Laughlin's blog this morning and decided I should follow the link. This is what happens when you don't have anything more important to say...
 

• Unlike my sibling... my house doesn't look like a magazine cover (hers is BEAUTIFUL, by the way, and I'm not at all jealous. Okay, maybe a little). There is a lot of dust and dog hair in the corners, probably at least 9 loads of laundry to be folded, yesterday's dinner might still be on the stove and there is probably a sippy cup somewhere with curdled milk. It's unfortunate, but that's just the way it is.
 
• My best friend says... that we should have a slumber party. We haven't done that since high-school and I think we should do it. Is it weird for grown women to abandon their family for the night in favor of cream cheese icing and late night giggles? I think we should rent a hotel room, have a Twilight marathon and eat ourselves silly. Sounds fun, no?
 
• People call me... Margarita. Well, my husband does. Not to my face, but on his phone. I know we're weird, but we are saved as hispanic names in each other's contact list. It makes for funny conversation when someone catches you sending dirty text messages to your friendly, neighborhood Mexican... I mean spouse (not that this has ever happened to me, of course!).
 
• I most often dream... about how we would spend the money we'll win in the lottery. Which, ironically enough, would require us to live in a state where lottery tickets were sold. Instead, we might pick up one a year while on vacaton or something, but the odds aren't really in our favor. When deaming, we fluctuate between being really stingy and extremely generous, but I'm guessing we would actually fall somewhere in between.
 
• The best part of my day... is that thirty minutes before I finally fall asleep. I'd love to say it was the moment I saw my children after a long, hard, day at work, but those kids are fiesty in the afternoons and they are hardly ever happy for me to pick them up. I save sweet memories of them for the weekends when we're all rested and nobody is in a hurry to pack their lunch or put their pants on. On weekdays, those last few moments of the day talking to my husband, reading and drinking a glass of chocolate milk are golden.
 
• I really don't understand... wearing tennis shoes with your dresses. I know that walking from the parking lot to your office puts a lot of strain on your peds, but what is wrong with a nice ballet flat or a sandal? I cannot get behind putting on cross trainers with your panty hose. Shudder.
 
• I get really annoyed... at drivers on my morning commute. I have zero problem with you driving 35 miles per hour, that is totally your prerogative. Can't you just get out of the passing lane to do it?
 
• There's nothing like an... ice cold fountain Dr. Pepper from Jacks. Nothing. It's too bad that doesn't really fit in with the whole "eating clean" situation we have going on around here. A girl can dream.
 
• Lately, I can't get enough... of flat sandals. Last summer I didn't have nearly enough great sandals and flip flops and I find myself over-compensating this year. I've already bought three pair for summer and it's barely May. I find the ones without something between your toes a little weird, but that didn't keep me from buying two different pairs?!
 
• One thing I am NOT is... a saver. Yes, it's probably a good idea to have a nest egg or some fall back money, but I'm not saving all my money so my kids can spend it after I'm dead. We try to live within our means, give to the church and charities and save some money for a rainy day. Otherwise, we're buying new shoes and plane tickets. We might be poor one day, but we'll have lots of memories and adventures to look back on.
 
• I spend too much money on... vacation. Didn't I just say that?! We also spend a fair amount of money on food. I cringe when I see the grocery bill every month. I don't know how we can possibly eat so much.
 
• I want to learn... how to filter. I say way too much in almost every situation.
 
• If I ever met Paul McCartney (in real life), I would... wet my pants. I've been a huge Beatles fan since birth (thanks to my dad) and I love Sir Paul no matter what band he's singing with. I would absolutely die to see him in concert and I'm pretty sure I couldn't form a complete sentence if I were ever in his presence. Blackbird, anyone?
 
• I can't stop... counting things and scratching my legs. Just a few obsessive/compulsive behaviors I should probably shield you from. Sorry, I'm a nutcase.
 
• Never have I ever... been a bridesmaid. Only the maid of honor in my sister's wedding. I do have tons of girlfriends, but they almost all married before they came into my life. Isn't that weird?
 
• Reese Witherspoon... is highly entertaining - whether doing her best in a poorly scripted chick flick or in the road-side defense of her husband. I cannot get enough of that video.

You can head on over to Holly's blog to read her list of completed sentences, as well as link up and share you're own. She'll pick the funniest two responses and award a $10 giftcard! Wanna give it a shot? 

 

Ramble On

Life has been a little overwhelming lately. We've had so much going on and I have barely spoken to my husband in over a week and I haven't spent any quality time with the girls. I thought maybe I'd just ramble on today about everything that going on at the rock house...

 

Last week Josh worked in Iowa all week and that left the three of us girls on our own. He was supposed to fly out on Sunday afternoon, but his flight was delayed and he was going to miss his connection. He came home from the airport and spent some more time with us before attempting to fly out again on Monday morning. The same thing happened on Monday, so he spent four hours in Atlanta before another connection was available. After a somewhat uneventful week, he tried flying home on Friday night, but his flight was delayed and they bumped him to Saturday morning. I got a call from Delta at 3 o'clock in the morning saying his connection was delayed, but we thought his original flight would be okay. It wasn't, he was delayed a few hours because of the weather, but then his delayed flight was cancelled because the pilot got sick?! At this point, we were seriously considering having him drive home. He finally got here at 6 o'clock on Saturday night and we were THRILLED to have him home. I can live without him for a week if I have to, but the not knowing when he was finally going to get here really caused me some anxiety. I followed him around for two days.

 

We also had a banquet at our church last Saturday and I was in charge. Josh is the chairman of deacons, so I helped him coordinate the banquet. I spent all evening Friday and most of the day Saturday at the church, decorating and cooking and having an anxiety attack. Did I mention this was during Josh's airport shuffle? Yeah, he came straight to the airport in his flight-rumpled jeans and waved at everyone after the entire shindig was over. I slept about 12 hours that night.

 

Ella has been begging to get her ears pierced since early February and we've been putting it off. For one, I wanted to be sure she really wanted it done before making an appointment and shelling out money. Second, she had two dance competitions that required clip-on earrings, so I new we needed to wait until after competition season. I know this means she won't be able to wear her dance earrings for the recital in June, but they don't take off points for that! Josh & I took her yesterday morning before school because SK already had her yearly check-up scheduled. She had been nervous all morning, but there was no backing out. She teared up a little bit while the doctor prepared everything, but once the earrings were in she was all smiles. She has been beaming ever since. I missed bedtime last night, but she told me this morning that she turned them before bed all by herself. Tonight, I'm going to teach her how to clean them so that she has something to be responsible for.

 

As much as we wanted to travel abroad this year, we just couldn't make it work. We set aside the money, but spending so much in one chunk after depleting our savings in Disney World made me a little sick to my stomach. I also couldn't figure out how to do that and take a family vacation, so we're postponing it for now. I'm not sure when we'll try again to go, but we like to travel, so I'm sure we'll make it work. Instead, we decided to take a long weekend somewhere state-side in July. You know we like to take a trip without our children at some point during the year, so that is exactly what we're doing. We actually booked a hotel, our flight and some dinner reservations last night. We plan to shop, eat and visit a few places we've never been, but mostly just enjoy four uninterrupted days together.

 

I haven't been running much the last month or so and I miss it. My legs are itchy, but life has been so busy that I just haven't been able to fit the miles in. Normally, I would at least log a few on the treadmill at lunch, but work has been so busy that I've skipped my break most days. The weather here is beautiful and I hate not taking advantage of it. I want to run another half-marathon in September, so I really need to get back into racing shape before too long. My goal is just to beat my Mercedes time, but I'm secretly hoping to break 2 hours. I've even started considering a marathon. I don't think I'm cut out to be a marathon runner and I might only try it once just to cross it off my list. I doubt I'll even attempt it next year, but maybe in 2015. I'm going to start doing some research and see if the training plan is even something I can consider.

 

I bought a bathing suit. I got this one and I really love the concept. I found a coupon code on-line and saved $20, so it wasn't terribly expensive. I wear suits a lot over the summer, so I don't mind spending a little more on a quality suit. It came yesterday and I love the color and pattern. It looked really cute until I put it on. The bottoms fit great and I loved the detail on the hips, but the top isn't flattering at all. A smaller size might help, but it's sold out, so I'm returning it instead. Boo. I hate to even consider shopping for another one that I like just as well.

 

We're planning to do some yard work this weekend. We need to weed and trim bushes and cut down a few limbs. Our strawberry patch is on the verge of bearing fruit and I can't wait to have homemade strawberry shortcake for dessert! A few years ago, I used an old trashcan on wheels to haul some weeds and dirt out of my garden, but I never managed to empty it (it's been sitting behind our shed where I can't see it for several years). Josh refused to empty it because he couldn't believe I'd used it like a wheelbarrow, so there it sat. He discovered this week that there is a pretty big oak tree growing out of it! It is completely contained within the trashcan and looks really healthy. We are going to attempt to cut the trashcan off of the tree and plant it somewhere in our yard. I'm praying for pretty weather so the girls can play outside all day and we can spend some time together, even if we're being productive!

 

I'm a procrastinator and it's been four months since we've returned from Disney. I figure you've waited this long for a recap, you can probably hold off for a few more weeks, right? We're planning a family beach trip in June, so I think I'll wait and share those with you while we're gone. That will give you something to look forward to. Gran, I'm sorry. I promise the photographs are super cute.

 

Break time is over, it's back to work. Just a few more hours of paper work and I'll be in my pajamas cuddled up with a new book. Do you read the Sookie Stackhouse series? Oh my word, get them. GET. THEM. I'm not a fan of the television show at all - too much questionable material and the story line is completely different.. The books are phenomenal. Number 13, the final book, came out on Tuesday and I've been dying to crack it open all week. Let's hope I can get a few hours of reading in tonight before I start pressuring my fellow Sookie-lovers to spill the beans!

A Very Merry UnBirthday!

Now that I've had a chance to recover from the unpredictability of the day, looking back on Sophie's birthday is such a treasure. She is the happiest child and there wasn't anything that could have ruined the celebration for her. She was so excited for all of her friends to be in one place and she was truly enthralled by every little detail of the day. I know you won't be surprised when I tell you I didn't take any photographs that day. Having a talented sister is a dream come true. You haven't enjoyed a birthday party until you weren't forced to lug around your camera all day and stress over whether you missed any precious moments. Fortunately for me, I was able to enjoy the day with my family, knowing that she didn't miss a thing.

 

The party invitations were sort of a last minute project. As a graphic designer, that is usually the first thing that I tackle, but I was lacking inspiration this year. I finally sourced some vintage illustrations from the web and was much happier once I found those. The Alice figurine is part of a gift set SK got from her aunt Lane for her birthday. We thought it was the perfect cupcake topper paired with these striped candles. Of course, my children don't eat icing, so once the candles were extinguished, this coconut yumminess got devoured by Poppy instead.

THIS is the face she made every time she was reminded she is three. This is the face of a very happy birthday girl!

 

The first thing she did when we got to my parents' house was sit in her special chair and take stock of all the goodies around her. She inspected every little vignette and touched each tea cup and flamingo. This is probably my favorite picture of the day. Not one detail went unnoticed. We had the party in the sunroom at my parents house and the walls of windows were covered in white sheers. We used two old doors to make a big square table and surrounded it with mis-matched chairs from all of our friends. My mom and I layered the table with vintage linens and hankerchiefs and then added tchochkes until the table was full. Tea cups and pots, white rabbits, metal flamingos, playing cards and a random Snow White figurine (that SK instisted on despite her strange presence in Wonderland) were stacked high on the table's center.

 

At our house, you get a birthday costume and this year didn't disappoint. Instead of a full-on Alice costume, my mom made her a whimsical apron instead. It was royal blue and white satin with a fluffy, geometric flower and a bright, red tulle skirt. She was spinning in circles from the moment she got dressed!

 

I ordered hand-colored favor bags from etsy and we filled them with assorted candies for our friends to take home. There was a candy bar where they could add treats of their own, but it helped to give them a head start. K & I made garland from playing cards and baker's twine and hung them from the ceiling along with the fabric bunting from Ella's first birthday soiree.

 

I loved the floral centerpieces that K helped me whip up. Mom bought flowers at the grocery store and we used left over cards on skewers and some of the Wonderland figurines to jazz them up. I was lucky enough to find these metal flamingos on clearance at Hobby Lobby and they were much better looking that the standard plastic ones!

 

We used glass tea-party trays to serve the little kids and we were smart enough to have their plates ready when they arrived. Peanut butter sandwiches, marshmallows (SK's favorite treat), chex mix, mini cupcakes and ice cream made for a yummy celebration. The woodens spoons were from etsy and I made the Tweedledee ice cream labels to cover up the branding! They turned out even cuter than I expected.

 

We were one party tray short, so SK got a special place setting in the form of this turquoise glass plate. Of course she is the only child who refuses kool-aid and water, so she had milk in a special cup with a paper straw. The other kids had kool-aid coolers and water with "drink me" messages printed on their tags.

 

The best part of the day for SK was being surrounded by her friends. They were so excited to all sit together around the table. The adults were in a different room, so the conversations that occured at this table were hilarious! They shared food and played with the centerpieces the entire party.

 

We were THRILLED that our favorite family got to come and bring their newest addition, Emry. Isn't she adorable? The girls have been talking about her for months and were so excited to finally get a sneak peek. Of course, Ella & Grey sat together and are adorable as always.

 

Also from etsy, were these straws with playing card suites. They came in an "Alice themed" set along with blue and white striped straws. We have every color imaginable from previous parties and I always enjoy seeing them together in a mason jar.

 

 

My mom and aunt Lane made dozens of cupcakes and the girls helped to ice them in many different ways. I made scalloped cupcake toppers with an "eat me" message on one side and characters from Wonderland on the other.

 

Thanks to everyone who came to celebrate her big day! She got loads of princess attire and when home happy and exhausted. She's still talking about how much fun she had with her friends in Wonderland. Thanks for making this very, merry unBirthday just perfect.