Category Archives: weight loss

Lessons learned…wisdom earned? Time will tell….

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Friday, Friday and the kids have no school and yet…..yes, that’s right…..Mama and Papa have work.  Stinkers.  Whatev….Either way, I am wrapping up my week with a few lessons (in Quick Take, Conversion Diary form)  learned from this week.

Lesson 1.  Home with the youngest on Monday and I learned that I could do without HALF of my closet.  I mean really, how MANY pair of khaki capris and shorts does one need?  Between donating 5 bags (Publix size, not garbage!) to our church’s thrift store and then reorganizing by color, I feel refreshed, uncluttered and actually inspired to be a little more “fashionable”.  I’ll do it again once it’s cool enough to bring the winter-ish clothes down.  True fact.

Nice right? OK, not my closet, but you can find some great organizing ideas AND this picture HERE!

Lesson 2.  There is a need to revamp my social media.  Apparently.  Now I know why people are always face down in their phones.  They are updating tweets, RTs, MTs, statuses, blog reading, photo sharing, liking, commenting.  You HAVE to be face down 24/7 to keep up. Farm out the laundry, dinner, kid care, schooling, house chores, work for $$ job, because you cain’t do none of that if you’re doing the other. Serious. As for me,  I joined Twitter to be more abreast on the world.  Facebook to KIT with fam and friends.  Pinterest…..ah, I’m not sure on that one but I’ve gotten lost on there a few times and have really added to Hubby’s “to-do” list.  Instagram b/c I love photos, taking and looking.  However, the sad fact is that I don’t get paid to be social 24/7, so I am going to just chill.  Check in when necessary, disregard the numbers and try to relax on the house projects.  ‘Cuz it’s crazy yo!!!    True fact.

Image cred and social media organizing tips HERE

Lesson 3.  Walking near dusk with a gator in the lake, the podcast must be turned down, eyes must be watchful, legs must be ready to run and camera must be ready to shoot.  Sadly I missed the basketball versus gator wrestling match, I heard it was a doozy.  True fact.

Image cred…ME..on Instagram 🙂

Lesson 4.  If perhaps you are with a middle schooler for after school pick up and you see a fight going on with the amoeba crowd closing in and would by chance, I don’t know, lay on the horn like a crazy lady a few things would happen:  a) the amoeba crowd would scatter like ants and, b) the middle schooler in your vehicle would become like melted butter and sink to the floor of the vehicle.  Then, if you were to call the Rec center to report the fight and the coppers came and some kids almost got arrested, YOUR middle schooler would be the scapegoat the next day.  However, if you use The Jedi Mind Trick and remind him that cell phones are pretty popular and ANYONE could have called as well as blaming the honking on a mother– reminding him to remind his friends that their parents are embarrassing sometimes, too….suddenly the scapegoat is freed and the mob are again little kittens eating out of his hands.  And he wouldn’t be mad at his mother anymore either.  Hypothetically true fact.  Of course.

Lesson 5.  If you call your friend to chat and her 2 toddlers answer taking turns regaling you of tales of nausea and vomiting  and “Mama in the shower”…she probably isn’t going to get that message.  True fact.

Lesson 6.  If one is tempted off their healthy eating focus by a son’s birthday it most definitely is a force to be reckoned with to get back on track.  4 1/2 days later I think I broke the spell with a 40 minute power walk, abs and arms workout followed by a healthy dinner!  The fact is, “we can start our day over at any time….even if it’s 5:30 p.m.”  True fact.

Lesson 7.  Open house at the girls elementary school was eye-opening as our district introduces “standard based grading” and implementing all steps at the same time.  And…..it’s not fully ready yet.  All I can say is, holy crap.  These teachers are getting the shaft.  The tediousness in grading in this manner is ridic beyond words.  Not to mention I am going to need a ruler, reading glasses and a freakin’ LEGEND to interpret the grades when this thing is finally up and running.  I am seriously drafting a letter (sans text lingo and cussing) to the school board, because apparently someone with way too much alphabet soup behind their name decided a nice complicated system would make them look like they are earning their grotesque salaries!  Well, guess what…I have alphabet soup, too….(BS)(RT)(R)(CT).  This  IS putting a teacher’s day far beyond the 8 hours required for their job and I honestly believe… 3 months off for summer isn’t enough.  True fact.

That’s all folks.   Hope you learned a thing or two from my own experiences.  Have a great weekend!  Be sure to check in with the MANY awesome peeps @Conversion Diary with Jen (Reality star).  There’s a bunch so a beverage and snack come in handy when reading through…it’s a great Saturday morning distraction for me 🙂

Sick days bite!

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Our youngest had another little sore throat sneak up this weekend and being a veteran of strep throat for far too many episodes, I absolutely believe her self diagnosis as she is SPOT ON.  EVERY.  TIME.

I went ahead and called in to my work yesterday so they’d have time to get coverage and hopefully not shaft my friend and co-worker in my absence..I think it worked out and was far less stressful on me having to jump ship to get our girl to her doctor appointment AND figure out who’d watch her today.  It all worked out.  In the end, her appointment was at 2 in the afternoon so I had a lot of free time on my hands as a result.  Sadly I can’t just chill, nap and read (though I’d LIKE to!) so I tackled some tedious little tasks I’ve been “meaning to get to” forEVAH…

And the cat was truly enjoying snuggling up on humans all day….after he slept off his all-night out and about the neighborhood, that is…

Sleeping off his big night out

he’s snuggling me or my laptop…either way it’s really hard to type like this.

 

  • We had several bags of clothes to donate to our churches thrift store, so I went through my closet and dresser and added several more  bags AND….delivered them.  To the thrift store.  I know, right?  The delivery is key to purging, otherwise it’s just moving it all around.
  • I had so much room on my side of the closet so…….I reorganized and color grouped my shirts and blouses.  I’m a nerd.  I know.  However, it looks really good.  I might actually be able to FIND something when I need it!!
  • I did my Abs and Arms routine, 3 sets each.  I’ll be walking while our oldest daughter has soccer practice, therefore that makes a good start to Week 2 for Peak 313‘s 5 week challenge.  And I DID eat and log my food today which, BTW, is a huge struggle, especially while at home tempted by all the choices.  Add a little restlessness in and it’s a potential recipe for disaster.  I made it through.  Phew!
  • A month ago we had to cut down a magnolia tree in our backyard (it was diseased and dying) and had to replace it with a new tree.  We did that yesterday with an elm in the front yard.  I called the city to come inspect it and check us off the list.  I hate those silly phone calls.  It’s done.
  • Deleted MANY, MANY duplicate albums clogging up my iPhoto library.  Still lots more to do, but I made a HUGE dent today.  Tedious, tedious, tedious..Don’t even ask how it happened…it’s still a mystery!!
  • Then I took the girl to the office and dropped off her antibiotics and then since I was home….the taxi was in full motion…pick up older daughter, pick up youngest son, pick up antibiotics, now to get dinner going and then off to soccer…dang, I need a nap!!
  • I did manage to give myself and my girl a pedicure….garnet and gold toes for my ‘Noles and pink for her.

Peace out, peeps.  We’re off to soccer!

Quick Takes, Mom Guilt, Exercise and MORE!

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Time again for the weekly wrap up, seems that’s my most consistent day to blog…probably because it’s a quick summary and I can knock it out before the household is up and roaring along and/or I can start it up before I go to bed…Work really gets in my way of blogging, however, since it allows for the basic necessities I suppose I’ll zip it.  So you can join in and be sure to check in on Jennifer Fulwiler, the new Catholic reality star….(now THAT is an untouched niche in reality TV!!) and her weekly buddies with 7 Quick Takes and see how their week is shaking down!  AH, but THIS week QT is hosted by the hilariously funny Grace @ Camp Patton…she is completely addictive, don’t say I didn’t warn YOU!!

1.  As I mentioned earlier this week, I’ve joined in with Clare et al. @ Peak313 for her 5 week challenge.  Basically a great accountability challenge with a Christian theme focused on spirit (see below for her super cute cutout reminder for memory verse #1), mind (wrapping mine around treating my body as the temple it IS instead of waiting for the fit-fairy to show up…she’s late apparently…), and body (exercise videos, workout suggestions and inspirational success stories)….the whole package.  She has mentioned prizes which has whetted my competitive spirit ( a little), but I really like the whole idea and she’s just so perky and encouraging…

Memory verse week 1 from Peak313 challenge! It’s not too late to join….

2.  Along those lines of building healthy minds AND bodies in this house, a friend recommended this documentary on Netflix (instant queue!!) America the Beautiful 2:  The Thin Commandments.  With 2 teenage boys in the house and one girl walking the line of puberty and the other totally immersed in the cheer life, it’s a message that can’t be touted enough.  In words.  Actions.  Example.  Man, this parenting stuff is tough!!

3.  For some inspiration, check out Lizzie Velasquez and her book, Be Beautiful, Be You.  What a strong message for my girls (and boys) both ways….on judging AND disregarding what others think of you.  Rise above???  She is soaring.

4.  The opposite of inspirational…..I won the “Loser Mom” award this week.  Despite having my daughter’s 5th grade teacher conference in my phone AND on my work calendar, I still managed to completely space it.  To make matters worse, it caused my DD to be late to her after school music practice and she didn’t get enough time and…..<sigh> won’t be playing the water drum this year, only the hand drum.  Which she played last year.  Ugh.  Dagger to the heart.  To ice the cake…..THIS is what I was doing when I could/should have been at the conference:

Yup. That’s me…resting in my car at lunch. Enjoying the 80 degree weather and breeze whilst reading a book. Niiiiiice.

**disclaimer, I usually do conferences in the a.m. because our work schedule is so hectic in the afternoons that it’s too crazy to leave.  Still.  I hang my head.  DD is over it, but this will live on in my Mom guilt “hall of shame”….

5.  This week our Saturday sports consist of 2 HOME games.  Let the angels sing!!!  We will be done by 1.  My feet are doing the happy dance.

Also on Saturday.  We will welcome a second TEENAGER into the house.  YIKES!!!  How is this happening?!?!?!?  I’m just not old enough for this.  Our nutty boy.  Our sensitive boy.  Our competitive boy.  Our smart boy.  Our driven boy.  Who is 5’8”!!  WHAT?!?!?  What happened to my fuzzy little hair boy with the infectious smile and laugh who made his entrance on the heels of a hurricane mid-evacuation of half the state?  He’s a big boy with an infectious smile and laugh.    someone slow this train down!!

Crazy boy bringing out my inner nut…

6.  In WWW. news this week, I’ve been venturing further into Twitter…mainly because I feel cut-off from the world during the day and it’s a great source for news, however, I’m also enjoying keeping up with various bloggers and podcasters and famous people I admire throughout the day as well.  I tweet a little, but nothing like some of the people on there…WHOA!  crazy, I tell you.  You can follow me if you want, maybe I’ll get over 24 followers….wooooooo…or follow me here and boost me out of the 70s….double woooooo.

I also had a Pinterest success this week with PB and Nutella Crescent rolls.  I blogged about it earlier this week.  It was enough of a hit that I may possibly feel inspired to tackle something bigger this weekend; perhaps that herb garden or the back porch project….hmmm.  Stay tuned…

7.  It’s Friday.  So that means.  I think I can, I think I can, I think I can make it through this day!  I usually take above mentioned boy to McDonald’s for a McCafé on Fridays before school (his teachers love me).  I’ll hit the gym at lunch.  And the weekend (for me) starts @ 5:30 p.m. If you are in Dubai…it started yesterday 😉

Time to get rockin’ people.  Have a great weekend!!

Monday Madness

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Peak313 5 week challenge…Starts TODAY!!

Did you have a great weekend?  Goes too quickly doesn’t it??  Once again, Monday is upon us and thus begins the rat race once again…

I actually woke up early to make the kids this yummy Pinterest breakfast (and fruit) and it actually came out pretty good, so far….50% of the kids are still sleeping, at this time though, I am 2 and 0!  Pretty decent start!

OK, not super healthy, but since I’m not a huge Nutella fan these are safe for me!

I also knew I needed to get up and check out Peak313 for the plan for the week.  It’s my gym day at lunch and I need to print out some workouts….Hubby is my accountability partner so hopefully he’ll keep me in check @ home and my girls @ work will keep me in check there (we already have a workout calendar going to keep a visual on each other…it takes on a whole new life when you write it down!).  Exercise is fine for me, I’ve got that component, it’s the food I struggle with and since that’s roughly 80% of the game….it’s going to be a challenge, but I’m in.  A great way to bring in fall, wouldn’t you say? (#livingandactive on Twitter)

Off to the printer and then get these kids rockin’ and this day rollin’!!

Blessings!!

Summertime and the living is easy….for those who have off that is!

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My view from the track for the next few months…BUT….it’s guaranteed cardio, so there’s that!

‘Tis the last week of summer for us and I’m taking off Wed-Fri to chill and occupy the children.  Except that I panicked at the thought of the next 4 months being utterly sucked up by soccer and cheer practice/games and any opportunity of any travel outside of games is POOF, gone, so I decided to make an somewhat-impromptu visit to see my girlfriend in Atlanta.  Taking my girls, of course.  (the boys aren’t interested…they are too cool for that, besides her boys won’t be there…)

what bored soccer players do at cheer practice…

It will be a busy few days, because that’s how I roll….all busy and hectic and such…it’s black and white with me sometimes–ok mostly.  Balls to the wall busy or slug.

Anyway, possibly a day trip to Gainesville to see my pregnant friend before she enters the world of 4 kiddos, birthday skateboard shopping for our almost 15-year-old!  WHhAaTt?!??!?!  Meet the teachers.  Pick up middle schooler’s schedule/locker/etc.

But first….let me get my arse off the chair and get ready to GO VOTE!

Have a great day and hopefully will have some fun stuff for you at the end of the week!

Ciao!