Project Lose Weight Pt 4

I meant to write this earlier today but I am swamped at work and just now have had a chance to sit down.

Yesterday was Week 2 Day 1 of C25K. It was tough. I think it may have been harder then the very first day. My breathing was rough, I really had to focus to keep it steady and not go into a full on asthma attack. It was probably good that I had to focus on my breathing to take my mind off the familiar pains of shin splints.

This was the first time I can remember that I had to really fight my own mind to keep going. The thing is, I KNEW my body could do it. I kept telling myself I could run 90 seconds because I went through labor and gave birth. If my body can do that it can run 90 seconds.

I know it is going to get tougher. Strangely, I am looking forward to see how far I can push this body of mine.

As John Cougar Mellencamp sings, "It hurts so good..."

PS. Thank you for your encouragement. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate every word. It definitely helps me to get through a workout and even to just get to the gym, which we all know is the hardest part. Thank you.

xoxo

Project Lose Weight Part 3 & 3.5

I'll try to keep this short and sweet because it is getting late and I am tired and NEED to go to bed at a decent time (it is now 9:30 and I have to be up at 5am, decent is slowly slipping away)

Saturday I dragged my sorry bum (and Avery's) to the Y in the cold snow/rain. I completed week 1 of C25K. I was actually surprised each time the running segments were over. Like I could have kept running.

Hey, maybe this program works.

I know, I am only 1 week in but I am so out of shape - I really surprised myself this week.

So I did 30 minutes of running and then 20 on the elliptical. Then we cooled off in the indoor pool. Avery LOVES the water. And that makes my mama heart happy. (plus, I am glad all those swim classes are making a difference)

The rest of the weekend was spent working on my bedroom. Oh come on, you didn't think I was not going to mention my pride and joy of the weekend?

And in case you missed it on Instagram, here is a little look:

A bedroom post to come once the crown moulding is put up this weekend.

Because of my painting/stenciling day yesterday, I was up until 1am finishing up laundry so I was EXHAUSTED today. And I got my period. YAY!

Needless to say, I did not make it to the gym tonight. But my awesome sister went anyway and took Avery with her so I could get a quick nap.

This week, I am planning on going tomorrow (Tuesday), Thursday, and Saturday. Maybe I will get to spin on Friday.

So keep checking on me (Kaly). I may need an extra kick in the rear since I am not in my usual state and would rather sit on the couch and eat chocolate.

Here is to one day closer to spring!

xoxo

Bloglovin - I have no idea what I am doing

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

In efforts to be up-to-date with life in general, I joined Bloglovin.

What a new, easy way to read my favorite blogs! I don't even know what rock I have been living under.

Project Lose Weight Part 2

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I will start with apologizing beforehand for these posts. Lucky you though, you don't have to read them.

But I have to write them. I need to because 1. I need to keep myself accountable in anyway possible. And I am really hoping that you few poor souls that actually read this, out of sheer boredom, I am sure, will call me out on my laziness when you don't see a post for a few days. Let's face it, that is what it is for me. Pure and total laziness.

Oh and #2. so that I have somewhere to go back and see how far I've come - because I plan on this being it. With each shuffle of my feet (because let's get real, that is what jogging /running is to me at this early in the game), I've felt the stirring of motivation. I think doing the C25K program helps a lot because there is a viable goal accomplished. And depending on what app you are using, someone telling you "Good Job".

I am sure that seeing the screen of the treadmill or elliptical I am on or the screen shot of my latest C25K app running in my Instagram feed doesn't spark many to "like" it, but I feel the need to post there also for accountability's sake. And I am not doing it for the "likes" - although it does add encouragement to my very fragile ego. I am doing it, again, in hopes that someone will call me out when they haven't seen a post.

Go ahead. Be all like, " Hey lazy, why aren't you at the gym?"

Please.

In other news, I have not had an asthma attack yet while wogging (walking/jogging). My shin splints have been tolerable. I have been able to get up out of bed in the morning without too many aches and pains. I have learned that running with double Ds requires 2 sports bras. I was ready to resort to an Ace Bandage, Brandon Teena/Boys Don't Cry style. (I watched that movie one time, when it first came out and have regretted it ever since - way too violent and graphic for my tender soul) The only downside to not having your gigantic boobs flopping all over, is now I am more aware of all my other rolls flopping and jiggling.

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The weekends are always the toughest time for me. My plan for this weekend is 5:30am spin class tomorrow morning. C25K day3:wk1 on Saturday and some swim time with A, which I am hoping will help with my aching back and sore muscles. Sunday I may rest or maybe go to a yoga class. It is supposed to be rainy and gross this weekend around here so my plans of walking outside have been put on hold.

There is a HUGE kids sale at the school/church my aunt teaches at on Friday so I am planning on going there with her while Avery stays home with The Husband so I can trip/elbow/push the crazy moms browse in peace. Also, we are planning on finishing our bedroom make over, which I will gladly share photos (from my iphone so don't get too excited for quality pics). I have to stencil the wall behind our bed - of which I am getting very excited to do. I don't know why because I am quite sure it will be a huge pain in the ass. But I know it will turn out lovely. My talented, wood working brother is coming over to put up crown moulding and we will paint the rest of the trim and get new outlet/light switch covers. It is coming together even better then I have envisioned.

Enjoy your weekend! Hoping I have lots to share next week.

xoxo

Project Lose Weight, Part 1

Now that I put my face on, I can type.

But can I just tell you about the massive zit I have on my nose? I haven't seen the likes of this size zit since middle school. I kind of look like a mix of getting punched in the eye and Sloth from The Goonies, that is how swollen this thing is.

Side note: I was able to pop it last night, and let me tell you, it was up there on the satisfaction scale of giving birth. I am serious. I will take swollen monster face for a zip popping experience like the one I had last night.

Thank baby Jesus for concealer and make-up or I would be scarin' a lot of people today. With the redness subdued, it is not so bad, but the swelling isn't as easily remedied.

Back to the topic at hand, my return to the gym. My sister, Amanda and I went to the Y yesterday afternoon when I got home from work. I dropped Avery in the babysitting room (which she calls "The Party") and trudged up to the fitness room. My plan was to be there for an hour. I was going to start the C25K program and get on the elliptical machine for whatever time I had left.

I am proud to say that I completed the entire session of C25K, day 1-week 1. I ran the entire time for each interval. Now some of you more seasoned runner may scoff at that, but its a big deal to this shin-splint-ridden, exercise-induced-asthma, lazy, out-of-shape babe.

When I got off the treadmill, I felt like I was floating. So I floated over to the elliptical and burned another couple hundred calories.

I also snapped a picture of the elliptical screen and posted it to Instagram with the mention of the room's aroma. And while I would love to go into more detail here, I am afraid if I revisit the stink in order to write about it, I may not go back. I am thinking I may make a fan donation to the Y, at least to help move some of the stagnant air around the room. Do they make deodorant for balls?

Today I am a little sore, but I was sore yesterday from painting this weekend (yes, that is how out of shape I am). I feel good. I logged all my meals into MFP and seeing how hard I worked and how little calories I actually burned (yes, I know that those things are not the most accurate of measurements but it still gives you a general idea of how much you need to move to work of just one measly, little cookie) make me much more conscience of what I ate the rest of the day/evening which is usually my downfall of the day.

I am resting today.And it is The Husband's birthday so I will be dodging the cake bullet. He loves DQ ice cream cake, I don't really care for it (except for the crunchy fudge middle) so it should not be too hard for me to skip it. I am actually looking forward to getting to the gym tomorrow. I am praying I keep up this motivation and do not hurt myself.

Lastly, my cousin started her own blog recently. It is called Auburn Ambitions. She writes about her blended family, nutrition, exercise and hair/beauty stuff (since she is a hair stylist). Give her a go-see. She is actually pretty funny and her nutrition/exercise posts are well researched and informative. This one is one of my favorites so far.

You are welcome and have a nice day.

xoxo

Pasta Memories

I was making dinner tonight, chicken stuffed with ricotta and pasta, and I thought of my maternal grandfather. He passed away last May after Alzheimer's got the better of him.

I try not to think of those last couple of years and the times it was so much more apparent that he was slowly slipping away. I like to think of him and my memories of him. And we have memories, we spent a lot of time with him and for a long while, we, my siblings and I, were his only grandchildren.

When my parents got divorced and my mom had to start working, she decided to follow her dream of becoming a nurse, something my dad did not support, and she went back to school.

I was 14 when she started an RN program at a local hospital, and even though I was the 2nd mother in our house, I was still too young to stay home with my sister and brothers at night while my mom went to her classes. So, to keep us company, feed us dinner, and generally make sure we didn't kill each other or burn the house down, my grandfather or my great Aunt Iris (his sister) would take turns and come up to our house and give my mom some peace of mind while she got educated.

Most of the time Aunt Iris would take us out to dinner, or my mom would have something cooked before hand that just had to be heated up. But my grandfather didn't mind cooking. One of our favorites (and still is) is what we call Grandpa's chicken. It was a meal he learned to make from his 3rd wife, Kumiko, the most wonderful Japanese lady that died far too early from lung cancer when I was 12.

Granpa's chicken is a simple dish. Cut skinless, boneless chicken breasts up into cubes, brown in a wok with oil. Add Soy and Teriyaki sauces and maybe some broccoli. Let it cook for 10-15 minutes and then serve over rice. So good. So easy.

One of the nights that my grandfather was there, I decided it would be nice to make him dinner, since he was always doing it for us. I decided to make spaghetti. Couldn't be that hard, right?

I can make some mean mashed potatoes. And a pan of brownies. But pasta? Not my best.

My grandfather let me do my thing in the kitchen, most likely assuming I knew what I was doing.

I did not.

When I deemed the angel hair spaghetti al dente, I dumped it in the colander and got the rest of the meal together. I went back to put the spaghetti on the plates and when I dipped the noodle spoon into the bowl, expecting to pull a serving's worth of noodles up, the entire bowl of noodles came up. They were all stuck together. It was at this exact moment my grandfather walked into the kitchen to see how I was doing.

I will always remember the look on his face when he saw that glob of over cooked pasta. I will remember seeing the thought cross his mind of, "Great, now what am I going to feed these kids?"

That night we ate pizza for dinner.

Tonight, I when I dropped the handful of spaghetti into the boiling water, adding a dash of olive oil and some sea salt, I thought of Grandfather. And when I drained it in the colander and scooped each serving onto our dishes, not one noodle stuck together.

My brothers: Eric and Zach, Auntie Iris, and my Grandfather. This was taken Thanksgiving 2011.

An Award? (I Never Win Anything!)

My new virtual friend, Ashley, nominated me for a Liebster award last week.

A who? What?

Here's the deal (copied and pasted from Ashley's blog):
 In Jen's words, it's "a networking tool for new bloggers, to recognize 'up and coming' bloggers with less than 200 followers. Liebster is a German word meaning: sweetest, kindest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome." I love that this little award recognizes the small blogger, the little stay-at-home mom who doesn't have a giant following, the writer who hasn't made it "big" in the blog world.

I am a fraction German so I thought, why not? And I am currently at a loss on how to finish the 10+ drafts that are sitting there, calling my name to be finished and posted. So this, my friends, is a prime example of my  procrastination skills. 

The rules:
1. Answer the 11 questions that were posted for you by the blogger who nominated you

2. Give 11 random facts about yourself

3. Nominate 11 bloggers with less than 200 followers

4. Create 11 questions for your nominees to answer

And here I go...
(Ashley's questions)
1. Why did you start blogging? 
Well, I started reading blogs about 3-4 years ago. I never commented. But then I started to feel kind of creepy for reading all about these peoples' lives (the parts they choose to share, don't forget) and not sharing my own (or what I choose to share - like my awesome selection of clothes <that's a joke> and my kid, sometimes my pugs, rarely my other half). And then I had Avery. I wanted a place for her to be able to go when she is older and read about our life, witness my saneness, when I still had it because I am certain I will lose my mind when I get older. 

2. When & where do you normally blog?
On the toilet, when I poop. 

Notreallyjustkidding. Usually before bed. But now every time anyone who has read this post reads anything else I write, you will probably picture me on the crapper. And my husband and I will attest, it is not a pretty sight. Picture Lena Dunham. I could be her body double if I had smaller boobs.

3. What scares you?
I used to be scared/fearful of a lot. But as my relationship with Jesus has grown, I have been able to give it to Him. Not that I walk around now with rainbows falling out of my behind, I still have fears, I am human, remember? I am scared that Avery is going to get kidnapped - or worse. I am scared of flying, so I take drugs. I am scare that the people I love and care about will not come to know Christ and will not be in heaven with me. But when these fears start to get the better of me, I just give it to the One that is in control and I am still amazed at how much more peaceful I feel.

4. Tell me a little bit about your family (parents, siblings, etc.)
How about you read this post. I am the oldest of 6. My parents were 24(my mom) and 22(my dad) when they had me. Then Lauren, Amanda, Zach and Eric. My parents separated when I was 11 and divorced when I was 13. It was not a nice divorce and they still despise each other to this day, almost 20 years later. My dad remarried and had my sister Lindsay (#6 in case you lost count). Then he divorced his 2nd wife and has not been remarried since. My mom has never remarried and doesn't really date. She says she is married to Jesus. My mom is the oldest of 5 and my dad is #5 of 7 kids. So I have lots of aunts and uncles and cousins. I plan on starting a blog about my family. It will probably be anonymous. But there are stories I have to write down. 

5. How many children do you currently have/hope to have?
Well we all know about Avery - I mean if you have read anything more then this post you know about her. We would like one more and then we will see how we handle 2. I always thought 3 but we will see what the good Lord provides. 

6. If you had to name one thing as your "happy thing," what would it be?
A thing? stripes make me happy. so does chambray. going to church usually makes me happy. spending time with Avery and The Husband usually does too. I cannot pick just one. But all these "things" can only make me as happy as I can make myself. 

7. What's the one food you could eat everyday?
chocolate.

8. Is there one food you will never eat?
liver.

9. Tell my your favorite holiday & why.
Thanksgiving. Because you don't feel obligated to buy people things. And you get to eat. A lot.

10. What's your ideal "date night?"
The movies. Goobers. movie theater popcorn. Cherry coke. 

...and to keep it light...
11. If you had to do one in public, which would it be: picking your nose or passing gas? (I wonder how many of you will actually answer this one!)
definitely picking my nose. I might wait for the deep dig when I am home, but if I feel a booger, its gotta come out one way or another. 

11 random facts about me:

1. The best thing I do is procrastinate. 
2. I cannot stand second-hand cigarette smoke. 
3. I am very critical, but the hardest on myself. 
4. I have always wanted to live in England. 
5. Ireland is my favorite place in the whole world. 
6. I already have a lot of gray hair. 
7. If I could do it over again, I would do better in school and become a Veterinarian. 
8. My Pop nicknamed me the "Queen of Mean" when I was younger 
9. I have diagnosed myself with ADD and believe I would do a lot better in school and at work if I had some drugs. 
10. My dogs are my anti-depressant. 
11. Summer 2001 was the best of my life when I lived in OC, MD. 
12. I met Richard Simmons at the Lionville Regal. 
13. I got "flown" up the Morgantown Burger King flagpole when I was 12 (by choice), and I still have phantom feelings of that wedgie.

So I went over 11, sue me.

And if you are still reading, here on my nominations:

1. Kaly
2. Laura
3. Sarah
4. Jill

And I am not sure who else.

But here are my questions:

1. What makes you read a blog and/or follow?
2. How long have you been blogging?
3. What is your favorite dinner to make? Please post the recipe if you know it off the top of your head.
4. Do you know - or have you met anyone famous?
5. Do you get along with your parents? One better then the other?
6. Besides your spouse and kids, what is one of the biggest blessings in your life?
7. Do you have any pets? Give 'em some love, tell us about them.
8. If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
9. When was the last time you peed the bed?
10. List 5 of your biggest pet peeves.
11. List 5 of your favorite bloggers.

Hope this was entertaining.
Toodle-loo!

xoxo