Wednesday, March 14, 2007
Change of address
As I am sure you have noticed, I have a new home for my blog. Really this move was about making life easier for everyone involved with this blog, and trust me...MANY people helped to make this blog happen each day. So, I hope to make some updates including posting some new pics, and this even inspires me to post a weekly pic!! I just want everyone to know that I really appreciate all the support!! Keep reading and commenting :)
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Home of a HUSKY
Super news for our family arrived in a beautiful and colorful (purple and gold) envelope on Saturday.
Yup! My son Cody received his acceptance letter from the University of Washington!!!
I am so proud of him and his goals. He has worked so hard to reach for his dreams, and truly he is my inspiraton to strive for what I deserve!
To start off my new blog home, I decided I would celebrate with the PURPLE and GOLD fever we feel at our house right now.
Balance
I recently read a great article about Richard Simmons. Do you know what the fireball of energy (who doesn’t seem to age) is up to lately?
He teamed up with some representatives (including Jay Inslee, a WA rep) to work on making physical education compulsory and mandated by the federal government.
Did you know that it wasn’t? Richard (feel like I can call him by his first name) created a questionnaire regarding physical activity and then collected over 60,000 of them!
From that he worked to have bill HR 1224 created that will make physical education a core curriculum of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
Don’t get me started on NCLB, but…BOY, do I think our kids need physical education!
There are actually MANY students in our nation who do not even have the opportunity to participate in PE.
Check out Richard’s site, where he does point out that we have a generation of obese and inactive kids who may not outlive their parents!
(http://www.richardsimmons.com/pages/richardgoestowashington.php)
So, now on to me…I have had a couple of STRESSFUL days, and I have a couple more to come.
I really need to focus on balance. I need to figure out what I can give away. I am just too busy.
I had just mentioned to my friend Barbara that it is not about somebody making me do all the things I do or that I feel guilty if I don’t do EVERYTHING.
In reality it is that I WANT to do everything. I have too many interests, too many things I want to experience and learn.
Of course I want it all RIGHT now! SIGH. Balance…that’s the key.
And, that’s the last word, until tomorrow.
He teamed up with some representatives (including Jay Inslee, a WA rep) to work on making physical education compulsory and mandated by the federal government.
Did you know that it wasn’t? Richard (feel like I can call him by his first name) created a questionnaire regarding physical activity and then collected over 60,000 of them!
From that he worked to have bill HR 1224 created that will make physical education a core curriculum of No Child Left Behind (NCLB).
Don’t get me started on NCLB, but…BOY, do I think our kids need physical education!
There are actually MANY students in our nation who do not even have the opportunity to participate in PE.
Check out Richard’s site, where he does point out that we have a generation of obese and inactive kids who may not outlive their parents!
(http://www.richardsimmons.com/pages/richardgoestowashington.php)
So, now on to me…I have had a couple of STRESSFUL days, and I have a couple more to come.
I really need to focus on balance. I need to figure out what I can give away. I am just too busy.
I had just mentioned to my friend Barbara that it is not about somebody making me do all the things I do or that I feel guilty if I don’t do EVERYTHING.
In reality it is that I WANT to do everything. I have too many interests, too many things I want to experience and learn.
Of course I want it all RIGHT now! SIGH. Balance…that’s the key.
And, that’s the last word, until tomorrow.
Monday, March 12, 2007
March Madness
No, I am NOT talking about the basketball craziness, but rather that of my ever-busy life.
I was just looking over my calendar for February and March, and I cannot believe how absolutely packed both months are.
There are days when I have three or four meetings on top of teaching and shuttling my kids from here to there.
I also have some school obligations this month (and had some last month, too) where I will have to miss classes, which means having a substitute, which really means more work for me.
I made a few choices last night about things I am going to give away, responsibilities that I am not going to be responsible for anymore.
As for my weekend, it was a good one, relatively relaxing. As far as exercise goes, I did go for two different walks. Being outside was fantastic.
I don't know why I have not been motivated to go to the gym. I like going, it costs both arms, and I haven't weighed now in like three weeks.
On the weekend when I actually seem to have time for the gym, I head outside instead. I don't know why.
It's not a bad thing that I am exercising outside, but I know I need to go to the gym, too.
My eating was not so good on Friday. I ate four pieces of de-lite pizza.
Then on Saturday I ate chips (in excess) and cabbage salsa from the Mexican restaurant. So, that is disappointing.
Water over the weekend was not near my daily goals. I definitely can feel that, too.
So, relaxing weekend, yes, but as far as being on track, a resounding NO. However, I would not say that my weekend was a complete loss by any means.
And, I have also discovered a new cereal that I love! It is the Grape Nuts Trail Mix cereal. It is a wonderful breakfast or even a snack later in the day.
You know, it is really hard to make me the priority when my life seems to get in the way. I have some thinking to do, Lucy.
And, that's the last word, until tomorrow.
I was just looking over my calendar for February and March, and I cannot believe how absolutely packed both months are.
There are days when I have three or four meetings on top of teaching and shuttling my kids from here to there.
I also have some school obligations this month (and had some last month, too) where I will have to miss classes, which means having a substitute, which really means more work for me.
I made a few choices last night about things I am going to give away, responsibilities that I am not going to be responsible for anymore.
As for my weekend, it was a good one, relatively relaxing. As far as exercise goes, I did go for two different walks. Being outside was fantastic.
I don't know why I have not been motivated to go to the gym. I like going, it costs both arms, and I haven't weighed now in like three weeks.
On the weekend when I actually seem to have time for the gym, I head outside instead. I don't know why.
It's not a bad thing that I am exercising outside, but I know I need to go to the gym, too.
My eating was not so good on Friday. I ate four pieces of de-lite pizza.
Then on Saturday I ate chips (in excess) and cabbage salsa from the Mexican restaurant. So, that is disappointing.
Water over the weekend was not near my daily goals. I definitely can feel that, too.
So, relaxing weekend, yes, but as far as being on track, a resounding NO. However, I would not say that my weekend was a complete loss by any means.
And, I have also discovered a new cereal that I love! It is the Grape Nuts Trail Mix cereal. It is a wonderful breakfast or even a snack later in the day.
You know, it is really hard to make me the priority when my life seems to get in the way. I have some thinking to do, Lucy.
And, that's the last word, until tomorrow.
Friday, March 9, 2007
Whoa, on the water!
I just read about the lady who died for drinking too much water! She drank two gallons in a short period of time in trying to win a Wii gaming system.
According to a preliminary autopsy the 28-year old woman died from "water intoxication."
It's a very sad article, especially when you read the end where it talks about the fact that the lady was trying to win the Wii for her three kids.
I personally had NO idea of such a thing as water intoxication, or that you could die from an over-consumption of water.
You can read the article that was forwarded to me at http://news.com.com:80/2061-10797_3-6150870.html.
Obviously there were a couple of issues related to this lady dying. First, she drank all of that water in a short time and she was not allowed to use the restroom.
My water goal is 77 ounces, but that number will decrease as I lose weight. I am drinking it all day and with bathroom breaks.
Now, for my trip to Seattle, I have some good news and some bad news. I will go with the bad news first to get it out of the way.
Although, I did pack healthy snacks, I still made some poor choices in the dinner and lunch departments.
I ate a grocery store sandwich (not a super healthy choice), a small order of cheesy Tater Tots and a small chocolate milkshake at a fast food place, and I also ate a plate of Thai food for lunch yesterday.
But I did walk a ton, and I drank all of my water both days so I feel good about those two things. As well, my snacks were good choices, just not the meals.
The musical was fantastic! One of the best I have ever watched. "Fire on the Mountain" will be at the top of my list of favorites for a long time.
I was glad to be home last night and sleeping in my own bed. I am definitely behind on the sleep, but hopefully I can pick some of that up this weekend.
The weekend looks busy already, but I will try to find some down time to squeeze in a nap, maybe.
And, that's the last word, until Monday.
According to a preliminary autopsy the 28-year old woman died from "water intoxication."
It's a very sad article, especially when you read the end where it talks about the fact that the lady was trying to win the Wii for her three kids.
I personally had NO idea of such a thing as water intoxication, or that you could die from an over-consumption of water.
You can read the article that was forwarded to me at http://news.com.com:80/2061-10797_3-6150870.html.
Obviously there were a couple of issues related to this lady dying. First, she drank all of that water in a short time and she was not allowed to use the restroom.
My water goal is 77 ounces, but that number will decrease as I lose weight. I am drinking it all day and with bathroom breaks.
Now, for my trip to Seattle, I have some good news and some bad news. I will go with the bad news first to get it out of the way.
Although, I did pack healthy snacks, I still made some poor choices in the dinner and lunch departments.
I ate a grocery store sandwich (not a super healthy choice), a small order of cheesy Tater Tots and a small chocolate milkshake at a fast food place, and I also ate a plate of Thai food for lunch yesterday.
But I did walk a ton, and I drank all of my water both days so I feel good about those two things. As well, my snacks were good choices, just not the meals.
The musical was fantastic! One of the best I have ever watched. "Fire on the Mountain" will be at the top of my list of favorites for a long time.
I was glad to be home last night and sleeping in my own bed. I am definitely behind on the sleep, but hopefully I can pick some of that up this weekend.
The weekend looks busy already, but I will try to find some down time to squeeze in a nap, maybe.
And, that's the last word, until Monday.
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
Listen
I did it! I drank all of my water yesterday. I was thinking about why I don't normally drink all my water, and really as ridiculous as it sounds, it's all related to being busy.
During my day, I would forget to breathe if it wasn't naturally happening. I lugged my water around, but I kept it in my mind all day.
Then came a new problem. Drinking so much water meant I needed to use the restroom more, which in turn meant that I needed to make time to go to the restroom.
Ha! My day really is THAT busy. I thankfully did make it each time, but it helped me to realize just how hectic each day is for me.
I had another realization yesterday. I was really hungry at lunch, and I was craving chocolate - or so I thought.
I almost dug out change and went to the vending machine, for the first time in more than a month, while I was waiting for the microwave to beep.
Instead I grabbed an apple and ate that, which of course did satisfy me. I definitely felt hungry. I had not snacked at mid-morning (too busy drinking water).
I truly felt hungry. Now, I thought I wanted (needed) chocolate, but really anything sweet ended up working.
So, it really is all about listening to what your body says. But the important part is REALLY listening . . . are you hungry, thirsty, what do you need?
I did not exercise yesterday, other than a quick 15-minute walk. That was disappointing, but at least I can say I did something.
I am leaving today after school to go over to Seattle to take a group of kids to see a musical.
A bunch of walking will be involved tomorrow for sure! And we are not stopping at any fast food restaurants.
I have my healthy snacks packed, and I have my choice already for when we hit the grocery store. And, I will be lugging my big water bottle along for the trip, too.
And, that's the last word, until Friday.
During my day, I would forget to breathe if it wasn't naturally happening. I lugged my water around, but I kept it in my mind all day.
Then came a new problem. Drinking so much water meant I needed to use the restroom more, which in turn meant that I needed to make time to go to the restroom.
Ha! My day really is THAT busy. I thankfully did make it each time, but it helped me to realize just how hectic each day is for me.
I had another realization yesterday. I was really hungry at lunch, and I was craving chocolate - or so I thought.
I almost dug out change and went to the vending machine, for the first time in more than a month, while I was waiting for the microwave to beep.
Instead I grabbed an apple and ate that, which of course did satisfy me. I definitely felt hungry. I had not snacked at mid-morning (too busy drinking water).
I truly felt hungry. Now, I thought I wanted (needed) chocolate, but really anything sweet ended up working.
So, it really is all about listening to what your body says. But the important part is REALLY listening . . . are you hungry, thirsty, what do you need?
I did not exercise yesterday, other than a quick 15-minute walk. That was disappointing, but at least I can say I did something.
I am leaving today after school to go over to Seattle to take a group of kids to see a musical.
A bunch of walking will be involved tomorrow for sure! And we are not stopping at any fast food restaurants.
I have my healthy snacks packed, and I have my choice already for when we hit the grocery store. And, I will be lugging my big water bottle along for the trip, too.
And, that's the last word, until Friday.
Tuesday, March 6, 2007
Hurray for the freezer
Seriously, part of the reason why my eating is going so well is due to the freezer. I have found some frozen foods that I love to eat for lunch and even a couple for breakfast.
So, today it will be easy for me to celebrate National Frozen Food Day as I pop my lunch into the microwave.
My favorite manufacturer is, hands down, Lean Cuisine. I have yet to find a meal I don't like from them.
I especially love their sandwiches and pizzas. I also like Healthy Choice meals because they always give you a variety.
By that I mean that on the plate you receive a meat, veggies and even a dessert, which feels like a full meal.
I have also recently discovered South Beach Diet meals. I really like its breakfast options; the burritos are delicious.
So long as the meal tastes good, it works for me. Then I know exactly what I am eating, it's something warm (which feels more filling), and the portion is already determined.
OK, so for yesterday. I lugged around this jug of water that was 2.3 liters (77 ounces), and I drank only half of it.
I am going to try the jug one more time today and I will see if it works for me or not. Then I might go back to the smaller bottles (from which I drank about the same amount of water).
I have tried flavored water and even adding various things to my water, and what is so strange to me is that I have never had a problem with drinking water before.
For exercise yesterday, my step-daughter and I turned the timer on and danced two different times for 15 minutes each time.
It's amazing how fast that time goes when you are just laughing and having fun. I definitely was sweating and burning off calories.
What I need to make happen and figure out how to schedule is my time at the gym. I need to find when it will work in my schedule.
So, water and exercise . . . I can do this! How come I can always make one or two things work well, but there is always something for which I cannot find the balance?
And, that's the last word, until tomorrow.
So, today it will be easy for me to celebrate National Frozen Food Day as I pop my lunch into the microwave.
My favorite manufacturer is, hands down, Lean Cuisine. I have yet to find a meal I don't like from them.
I especially love their sandwiches and pizzas. I also like Healthy Choice meals because they always give you a variety.
By that I mean that on the plate you receive a meat, veggies and even a dessert, which feels like a full meal.
I have also recently discovered South Beach Diet meals. I really like its breakfast options; the burritos are delicious.
So long as the meal tastes good, it works for me. Then I know exactly what I am eating, it's something warm (which feels more filling), and the portion is already determined.
OK, so for yesterday. I lugged around this jug of water that was 2.3 liters (77 ounces), and I drank only half of it.
I am going to try the jug one more time today and I will see if it works for me or not. Then I might go back to the smaller bottles (from which I drank about the same amount of water).
I have tried flavored water and even adding various things to my water, and what is so strange to me is that I have never had a problem with drinking water before.
For exercise yesterday, my step-daughter and I turned the timer on and danced two different times for 15 minutes each time.
It's amazing how fast that time goes when you are just laughing and having fun. I definitely was sweating and burning off calories.
What I need to make happen and figure out how to schedule is my time at the gym. I need to find when it will work in my schedule.
So, water and exercise . . . I can do this! How come I can always make one or two things work well, but there is always something for which I cannot find the balance?
And, that's the last word, until tomorrow.
Monday, March 5, 2007
Recharged and raring to go
I spent the weekend recharging. I spent a lot of time laughing and relaxing, both of which I needed.
We went to see "Wild Hogs" on Friday night, and I laughed so hard. What a funny (albeit predictable) movie! I love the actors in the show, and it was well worth the money we spent.
OK, before I go on about my weekend, I have to tell you about something I witnessed in the Safeway parking lot yesterday.
I had finished shopping, and I was sitting in my car waiting for Cody to finish working.
A guy pulled up behind me and was obviously waiting for a car to pull out. This car he was waiting for was the closest parking space to the store (non-handicapped).
Anyhow, I was third the parking space over from the store, and there was nobody next to me or even near me in my row.
I watched the guy wait five minutes for the people to finally pull out. FIVE minutes! I seriously timed him on my car clock.
He could've parked next to me (only a few spots from the coveted space), and he could've walked into the store and been clear over to the bakery in the amount of time that he waited for that spot.
What is the deal? Is that how lazy we have become today? Do a lot of people do that? Wait for the spot that is closest to the door when you can park a couple (not a huge amount) spots down?
I even watched the guy thinking maybe he was injured or had a hard time walking, but he just popped out of his rig and walked into the store.
Now that I've got that off my chest . . . exercise for me (besides then parking really far away from Wal-Mart) was that I did go for a walk on both days.
And yesterday we had to lug our groceries (a car full of them) in multiple trips from the car which, because of the returning mud, did take awhile.
I did eat well (both in what I ate and how much), and I did not drink enough water. That is my challenge for this week: Drink enough water each day!
I don't know what I am doing for exercise tonight. I need to get to the gym, so I can at least weigh.
I did catch up on much-needed sleep this weekend. I really did just take it easy. I feel good this morning.
That's the last word, until tomorrow.
We went to see "Wild Hogs" on Friday night, and I laughed so hard. What a funny (albeit predictable) movie! I love the actors in the show, and it was well worth the money we spent.
OK, before I go on about my weekend, I have to tell you about something I witnessed in the Safeway parking lot yesterday.
I had finished shopping, and I was sitting in my car waiting for Cody to finish working.
A guy pulled up behind me and was obviously waiting for a car to pull out. This car he was waiting for was the closest parking space to the store (non-handicapped).
Anyhow, I was third the parking space over from the store, and there was nobody next to me or even near me in my row.
I watched the guy wait five minutes for the people to finally pull out. FIVE minutes! I seriously timed him on my car clock.
He could've parked next to me (only a few spots from the coveted space), and he could've walked into the store and been clear over to the bakery in the amount of time that he waited for that spot.
What is the deal? Is that how lazy we have become today? Do a lot of people do that? Wait for the spot that is closest to the door when you can park a couple (not a huge amount) spots down?
I even watched the guy thinking maybe he was injured or had a hard time walking, but he just popped out of his rig and walked into the store.
Now that I've got that off my chest . . . exercise for me (besides then parking really far away from Wal-Mart) was that I did go for a walk on both days.
And yesterday we had to lug our groceries (a car full of them) in multiple trips from the car which, because of the returning mud, did take awhile.
I did eat well (both in what I ate and how much), and I did not drink enough water. That is my challenge for this week: Drink enough water each day!
I don't know what I am doing for exercise tonight. I need to get to the gym, so I can at least weigh.
I did catch up on much-needed sleep this weekend. I really did just take it easy. I feel good this morning.
That's the last word, until tomorrow.
Friday, March 2, 2007
Can anybody say . . .
Thank the world that it is FINALLY Friday? I wasn't sure this week would ever end, and last night I woke up and thought today was Saturday.
Talk about needing this week to be over! I am planning little to nothing this weekend.
That, of course, doesn't automatically mean that the weekend will be completely relaxing, but at least there will be some down time.
I do want to meet up with my girlfriend to celebrate her birthday, and maybe we will go out for coffee or something.
I also am planning on going to the movies sometime to see the new movie "Hog Wild" because it looks like a good laugh!
As well, I want to rent some movies, since it seems like we have missed a whole bunch lately and there are lots of movies that we haven't watched to rent right now.
This weekend I am also hoping for some extra sleep, and I am definitely planning on exercising up at the gym and maybe squeezing in a walk if the sun is out.
Yesterday was a good day for everything but my water consumption. I really did a good job eating (breakfast is the key!), and I even exercised twice.
I went for a 20-minute walk (it's so nice when the sun is out!), and then last night my step-daughter and I turned the timer on and danced for 15 straight minutes.
We were laughing so hard and being so silly, and really that 15 minutes went by quickly and didn't feel much like exercise.
Now, if I can just shake this cold (which seems worse this morning), I will be a much happier camper!
I am proud of myself for still exercising even when I don't feel good and would rather take a nap.
Now, I just need to boost the water, and I know I will feel better!
And, that's the last word, until Monday.
Talk about needing this week to be over! I am planning little to nothing this weekend.
That, of course, doesn't automatically mean that the weekend will be completely relaxing, but at least there will be some down time.
I do want to meet up with my girlfriend to celebrate her birthday, and maybe we will go out for coffee or something.
I also am planning on going to the movies sometime to see the new movie "Hog Wild" because it looks like a good laugh!
As well, I want to rent some movies, since it seems like we have missed a whole bunch lately and there are lots of movies that we haven't watched to rent right now.
This weekend I am also hoping for some extra sleep, and I am definitely planning on exercising up at the gym and maybe squeezing in a walk if the sun is out.
Yesterday was a good day for everything but my water consumption. I really did a good job eating (breakfast is the key!), and I even exercised twice.
I went for a 20-minute walk (it's so nice when the sun is out!), and then last night my step-daughter and I turned the timer on and danced for 15 straight minutes.
We were laughing so hard and being so silly, and really that 15 minutes went by quickly and didn't feel much like exercise.
Now, if I can just shake this cold (which seems worse this morning), I will be a much happier camper!
I am proud of myself for still exercising even when I don't feel good and would rather take a nap.
Now, I just need to boost the water, and I know I will feel better!
And, that's the last word, until Monday.
Thursday, March 1, 2007
Good news
Yesterday afternoon I came home in between running from here to there, and I did my aerobics! Thirty minutes!
Then I took a quick shower and ran off to do the other 12 things on my "to do" list, and I finally ended up at my class at 7 p.m.
So, I felt so much better. Even though I am sick, working out still felt good. Well, my lungs were burning and my throat was aching, but my energy level increased, and I did not feel as tired as I did before I started!
I was still absolutely pooped out when I returned home at 10 p.m., and it was definitely a long day, but I went to sleep knowing that I had squeezed in the exercise.
While I was working out, I totally felt like I was sweating out the sickness, or at least I hope that was what was happening.
I still feel pretty icky today. However, I still plan on doing the aerobics this evening when I return home.
I ate right on target yesterday. I "saved" calories throughout the day, so last night at my class, I had a small brownie (I chose the smallest one there), and some yummy huckleberry cream dessert.
Definitely both of those were worth the scrimping during the day, and I was proud that I had planned for them.
I drank tons of water yesterday, not quite to my goal, but close. Still, my lips were burning last night. I need to drink more water!
I am afraid to jinx myself and say aloud that next week doesn't look as busy. That's what I always think, and then BAM, the slow week ends up being busier than what I thought would be the hectic week.
I will be glad when I shake this cold, and when I can figure out a schedule that works for ME.
A very wise friend of mine talked to me about how hard it is for me to be selfish. It's true. I am such the nurturer that hardly ever can I feel like I can put myself first.
And, if I do . . . then I feel tremendously guilty. But, as Barbara said it best, "It's about balance."
I need to figure out the balance in my life. And, I am an important part of that equation that I am trying to steady.
OK, so now some completely random facts: Today is National Peanut Butter Lovers Day and tomorrow is National Banana Creme Pie Day.
I propose that you make a smoothie and celebrate one or both of those days. I love to use sugar-free pudding to add to my smoothie for both flavor and texture. Enjoy!
And, that's the last word, until tomorrow.
Then I took a quick shower and ran off to do the other 12 things on my "to do" list, and I finally ended up at my class at 7 p.m.
So, I felt so much better. Even though I am sick, working out still felt good. Well, my lungs were burning and my throat was aching, but my energy level increased, and I did not feel as tired as I did before I started!
I was still absolutely pooped out when I returned home at 10 p.m., and it was definitely a long day, but I went to sleep knowing that I had squeezed in the exercise.
While I was working out, I totally felt like I was sweating out the sickness, or at least I hope that was what was happening.
I still feel pretty icky today. However, I still plan on doing the aerobics this evening when I return home.
I ate right on target yesterday. I "saved" calories throughout the day, so last night at my class, I had a small brownie (I chose the smallest one there), and some yummy huckleberry cream dessert.
Definitely both of those were worth the scrimping during the day, and I was proud that I had planned for them.
I drank tons of water yesterday, not quite to my goal, but close. Still, my lips were burning last night. I need to drink more water!
I am afraid to jinx myself and say aloud that next week doesn't look as busy. That's what I always think, and then BAM, the slow week ends up being busier than what I thought would be the hectic week.
I will be glad when I shake this cold, and when I can figure out a schedule that works for ME.
A very wise friend of mine talked to me about how hard it is for me to be selfish. It's true. I am such the nurturer that hardly ever can I feel like I can put myself first.
And, if I do . . . then I feel tremendously guilty. But, as Barbara said it best, "It's about balance."
I need to figure out the balance in my life. And, I am an important part of that equation that I am trying to steady.
OK, so now some completely random facts: Today is National Peanut Butter Lovers Day and tomorrow is National Banana Creme Pie Day.
I propose that you make a smoothie and celebrate one or both of those days. I love to use sugar-free pudding to add to my smoothie for both flavor and texture. Enjoy!
And, that's the last word, until tomorrow.
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