May 31, 2011

Hard to believe it is the last day of May already!!!  It’s also hard to believe all my weeding and mulching are done!!  Since my first pregnancy (I now have two boys) back in spring of 2006 my garden has taken a back seat.  I love to garden, being out in nature, getting your hands dirty and creating something pretty and sometimes edible is pretty awesome.  It conjures a feeling in me similar to Tom Hanks in Cast Away, “I…have made FIRE” 🙂 Anyways, my green beans and peas have sprouted and will hopefully (if the bunnies and chipmunks stay on the right side of my garden fence) begin to climb the trellis.  This is my 2nd year in having a raspberry patch.  Last year the new plants only gave me a about a dozen berries, I can already tell this year will be different.  This year is so very different!!

I’ve started another great week on my road to a new me.  Although I didn’t get in my Pilates workout on Sunday, since my brother and his family were staying with us.  I did go for a very long walk with my sister-in-law on Sunday.  We walked for almost an hour.  The best part was that I was able to keep up with her, thanks obviously to my recent efforts, very cool!!!  Yesterday and today I also got in my 40-minutes workout, yahoo!!!  My mom sent me a link the other day, which won’t work with my schedule.  I’m a stay at home mom, I need workouts I can do with a couple of kids around.  I’m hoping to start it in a couple of years when my boys are older.  I had to share because I’m actually excited about starting it myself.  Here is the link and their blurb: The Couch-to-5K ® Running Plan
Our beginner’s running schedule has helped thousands of new runners get off the couch and onto the roads, running 3 miles in just two months.

May 30, 2011

It’s Memorial Day, a day to remember all the men and women who have died for our freedom.  I have a few friends and a few family members who have served (my father-in-law is a proud Navy man and my Grandpa was a cook in the Army).  I feel very fortunate that as an American the ugliness of war is not at my finger tips.  The extremely brave men and woman of our armed forces are simply amazing, they do things I can not, they do things so I don’t have to.  One of my favorite things to do is to thank those that serve.  They are easy to spot when they are in the uniforms they wear so very proudly.  However how do you say thank you to all the families, the mothers and fathers, the wives and husbands and the kids of those that serve.  Thank them for supporting these brave men and woman and for waiting for them to come home.  Like most things in life we can’t do them alone.  Today and all days I remember those who have died, who have served and who supported, thank you.  Thank you for the peace we have today.

May 27, 2011

I did it, I met my goal again this week.  Six days in a row of workouts.  I’ve been working out now fairly consistently for two months, although only in the past two weeks have I worked out more than a couple of days a week.  wow that went fast.  I broke down this am and weighed myself.  I’m only 5′ 2″ and with my starting weight at 165 (BMI 30.2) I was obese.  Did you catch that, WAS.  Today the scale read 160 (BMI 29.3), now I’m merely very overweight.  Obviously this isn’t a big change in numbers, but it’s some clear evidence that I’m doing something right.

I’ll tell you what I’m not really doing right and that is eating right.  I have been making better choices, cutting back on the large portions, drinking more water and not eating after dinner.  Food is my downfall, and the reasons for this have filled many books, but basically I just love chips and french fries and …  Usually when I start a workout plan my eating gets better over time.  As my body gets healthier my body starts craving healthier food and I’ve recently seen evidence of this while reading a fellow bloggers post, thank you Dacia for the inspiration!!

May 26, 2011

Ah man Lauren didn’t win 😦 but last night’s American Idol finale was rockin, wowsers 🙂

So many stars came out and performed and there were some seriously funny stuff too.  If you didn’t see the clip of James and Casey talking about who was the more shocking vote off you’ve got to watch it, and keep watching until the end, funny and cute.  Oh and you got to see Casey and Jack Black perform.

The weakest performance I’m sad to say came from TLC, seriously love them and it was great to hear their songs and see those moves again.  TLC performed with the top ladies and it was the strangest performance.  I think TLC did not sing live, but the top ladies did, just weird.  Beyoncé performed on her own and with the top 13 ladies, both were pretty great (but neither topped her Oprah performance from Monday).  Judas Priest performed with James, which rocked the house.  Lady Gaga performed on her own which was pretty awesome, except for the overly dramatic swan dive she and her dance/simulating sex partner took off the stage, I mean come on.  Haley performed with Tony Bennett!!  Tim Mcgraw and Scrotty sang a duet which was pretty awesome, as was Lauren’s duet with Carrie Underwood.  Tom Jones performed with the top guys and it was actually pretty good.  And if that wasn’t enough Bono and the Edge brought their broadway spidey.  Wow, the flying spiderman who flew from the rafters to land right in the aisle in the middle of the audience, way cool and the song was amazing too!!!!!  Marc Anthony performed, man he can sing and Shiela E played drums (how cool) and Jennifer lead the dancers, she can really shake :)!!  Steven Tyler performed dream on, yes, simply awesome!!!!

Yes all of that was in one show!!!  Several minutes after 10pm we finally found out that Scotty won.  He didn’t even really try to sing, he walked into the audience and his voice would cut in and out as he hugged his family.  Apparently his last family member was seated next to Jack Black, but Scotty left Jack hangin with his arms open as he turned back to the stage, funny.

I’ve found most of the performances here check it out.  A sign of a great show: it took over 2 hours to find out Scotty won and I didn’t think about  that once during the show.

May 25, 2011

I have to talk about American Idol first, next I have a book to mention and last I’ll give a progress report on the week’s workout goal.

I thought last night’s American Idol finale part 1 was wonderful.  Scotty and Lauren performed 3 songs each. Song one was their pick, song two was hand-picked by their personal idol and song three was their first single.  Lauren clearly one song two and three and I’d also say she won song one (because she was amazing), but Scotty’s round one song was extraordinary.  I still say Lauren won the night, of course I’ve been rooting for her since her first day.  Critics like Eonline thought the night fell flat, I couldn’t disagree more.  I’m very much looking forward to tonight!!

Recently I started a new book A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness.  I’m only a quarter of the way in, so I can’t give a real review, I’ll do that after I’ve finished the book, but so far I simply love it and I had to mention it!!!

This is my first week on my newest workout goal: Sunday=Pilates and Monday-Friday=40 minute aerobics.  I started the week out great.  Sunday and Monday went as planned.  Now Monday and Tuesday my parents were in town, specifically so my Dad and I could remove sod in the bed in front of my house (I’ll write about my gardening another day), add soil and plant 5 new bushes.  It sounds simple in description, but it was a lot of hard work.  On Monday, from mid morning, until late afternoon (with a break for lunch) I was working hard.  Tuesdays yard work wasn’t as intense (because there was no sod removal), I still worked hard most of the day.  Anyways, on Tuesday I only did a 20 minute-Pilates workout.  Today I did get back on track with a 40 minute-Aerobic workout.  Although I didn’t stick to the exact plan, I believe I got plenty of physical exercise and I still got up early Tuesday morning and got in a workout.  I’m looking forward to the first time I put on my jeans and I can tell they are a little bit looser…when will that day come???

May 23, 2011

I’ve started the week right, Pilates yesterday and a 40-minute workout today!!!  Lets see if I’m capable to finishing the week as well as I’ve started…

The last week for Oprah, wow, I’m getting sad actually.  I heard today that people are actually seeking professional help in dealing with the end of her show, wow, glad I’m not that sad over it!!  I actually have plenty of others things in my life to worry about and to be happy about.  Concentrate on the positive, right…right!!

May 20, 2011

American Idol…well it’s not going to be an all ladies final 😦 very sad to see Haley go!!!  But Scotty is pretty sweet.  The real exciting news is that my pick from the first time I saw her, Lauren, is in the final!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I did it, I met my work out goal for the week!!! Awesome 🙂 Now what should be my next goal…I know, I want to start doing Pilates on Sunday mornings.  My goal for next week is to start with Pilates and then finish the work week with five 40-minute workouts.  So this is it, right, the beginning of the rest of my life.  I’m not surprised that I’m tired just thinking about.  It will be tough and I’m certain I’ll stumble along the way, but I will get back on track and keep moving forward (thank you Walt Disney for that piece of inspiration).  I think I may need to specially tag this post, I think I may need to read it every now and again.

May 19, 2011

American Idol was awesome last night!!  The top 3 had three performances each and they each had a time to shine.  I’m tempted to say I think It’s going to be an all girl final, but who knows what America thinks???  highlight for me was Haley signing Led Zeppelin‘s “What Is and What Should Never Be.”  Her dad played guitar for her, how awesome is that!!  I’m sure the other contestants had to ok this decision and their parents got to say a few words during the night, pretty cool and cute.  Lowlight for me was Beyoncé’s critiques, sugar sweet, didn’t seem all that helpful to me.  They did premier Beyoncé’s new video, awesome!!  There were two slip ups tonight, Haley fell down during a performance while going up the steps, quick recovery.  Lauren missed some words while she got caught up in her performance, but also got right back on track.  Slips happen and these two ladies handled it like professionals.  Lauren’s confidence issue showed up again tonight, but she still did awesome.  I think I want Scotty to go home, sad to say, but someone must and the girls ruled the roost last night!!!

I was up early this am for work and now I’m heading downstairs for a 40-minute workout, yahoo!! 🙂

May 18, 2011

I gave myself every opportunity to not workout this morning.  Starting with going to bed too late.  Of course there was a lot going on, but I could have gotten to bed a bit earlier.  It was very hard to get up this am and I pressed snooze one too many times.  If my kids had not slept in a little I’m not sure I would have made it, but they did.  I got in another 40-minute workout!!!  Why do I self sabotage my progress?  Am I really that afraid of failure.  I know the answer is yes.  I also know getting in shape is not a race, it’s a marathon, I’ve just always leaned towards the quick payoff.   Well I guess this is a good day to learn from what I’ve done and why.  Tomorrow is another day, with another 40-minute workout, right?  Right!!!

May 17, 2011

I did it!!  I worked out for 40 minutes.  I feel pretty great right now.  I don’t look good or smell too good either, but I feel great!!  It was hard to complete the full 40, but I know it will only get easier from here.  Can’t say that I’m looking forward to tomorrow’s workout, but I am looking forward to completing the week with at least 4 – 40-minute workouts completed.  It looks like I’ve challenged myself, oh boy, I’ll let you know how that works out 🙂

Making progress in my yard.  I’ve cleaned up more than 1/2 of my perennial garden.  Today I’m going to finish prepping my garden and I’m going to get the peas and green beans in the ground.

Progress, if feels good!!