A Day in My Life [May]

Deleon Springs & the Old Spanish Mill Pancake House. We love this place and the food is awesome. 

Meet Posum!

Happy Mother's Day to me!

Now go check out Sara's post about 'A Day in My Life' and follow the circle around!

Random Tuesday Goodness

It is hotter here in Ohio than what it was in Florida for an entire week. Well, maybe not hotter, but the humidity sure does feel out of control. I was not expecting to leave with a heavy sweater on and come home sweating to death. I'll take it though, bring on the summer!
Vacation really did us some good this year for several different reasons. I learned a lot about myself and how I want to do things differently at home. We ate. We laughed. We spent time together, uninterrupted time, as a family and soaked in every single minute of it. It was glorious.
I really felt as if perhaps we over think things too much in our time at home. We have too much stuff and we watch too much TV and we often try to cram too much into a work week. Living in a condo with just the basics really was refreshing. No tripping over toys because Henry only had a couple of his favorites with him. No rummaging through the closet to find something to wear because I only had a few outfits that I knew were both comfortable and stylish (and fit). We used two pans, a couple of towels, shared a charger (there was no service anyway), and never, ever complained about any of it because it was both comfortable and functional. I told Jeremy that when we got home, I was going through everything and getting rid of a ton. And I will...because they serve very little purpose and too much stuff I think can prove to lead to too much stress. Also, this little space of mine, well...I plan on filling it with only the best. I want to look back and see nothing but my life, 100% true, memories, photos, and overall my soul on paper (or screen).

7 1/2

7 1/2 hours...

the countdown is over.

I'm going to bed and when I awake, we'll be outta here.

Wednesday, April 10th

It was 80 degrees yesterday and today we have severe weather alerts: Welcome to Ohio! We went from winter to summer in one week!

I've been bitten by the procrastination bug. Monday I packed both Henry and I's bags, Tuesday I spent the day with my grandmother and today... well, today I have done a little bit of this and a little bit of that, but it's amounted up to just about nothing. Tomorrow I know I'm going to have to get the house in tip-top shape, pack Jeremy's bags and finish some odds and ends before we leave early Friday. I got this thing... I think.

I haven't quite put my finger on why this vacation has gotten me so excited. We always go on vacation, usually twice a year, and I never get this excited. I've felt bad every time I sit down to write a blog lately because I feel like it's ALL I can think about. Sorry about that - I promise you guys won't have to put up with it much longer.  =P

Henry has been such a little ball of excitement lately. I took a step back and examined our lives and how busy we are sometimes, and I realized that I spend way too much time frustrated with his fits and stubbornness and not nearly enough time just cherishing him. I've made it a point the last week or so to laugh with him, cuddle him closer, and focus on him in a positive way. I don't ever want him to doubt that I love him with my whole heart and that no matter what he does or how angry or frustrated I may be, that will never change and he can always count on his Mommy.

He's been going around saying 'dog' too. That makes me so happy... my little boy is finally saying something other than 'dad'. He makes my heart swell with pride and joy. Today he got caught in the middle of a rain storm and it soaked him to the bone. I thought it would scare him, but no, the kid laughed like there was nothing funnier in the entire world. I wish that that innocence and joy with life would never go away for him...

I suppose I should go finish our laundry. Our washer is on the fritz and we'll probably have to replace it when we get home. In the meantime I'm pretty much stuck with wringing the excess water out of our clothes before drying them. (Maybe this is why I'm procrastinating?) I hope you guys are having a wonderful hump day, it's all downhill from here!

Tid-Bits

There is one thing I know about having a sick baby: I will feel horrible.

Emotionally I will hurt because my baby is sick and there is minimal that I can do about it. Physically I will be exhausted because I will be up a good part of the night rocking, cooing and urging him that the best way to get better is to just close his little eyes and go back to sleep.

It's 6 a.m. and we are currently sitting on the couch watching Mickey Mouse and drinking water. I'm exhausted but the best sleep he seemed to get through the night was when I was sitting up so he could sleep on my chest - so that's how I stayed. He didn't really sleep much otherwise. I think it's just a small cold or virus. He's running a low grade temperature and has a stuffy nose and cough. He doesn't seem to be feeling completely horrible, he's still active, running around the house and playing like normal, he just never sleeps well when he's stuffed up (who does?). I really hope he feels better soon, I hate when my baby is sick in any way.

I've been working on getting my Etsy shop stocked once again. I used to keep it full of items that could be custom made - and I can still take custom made orders -  but I ran into the issue that I would sell 2 or 3 orders at once and I would be working my hands off trying to get them all made and shipped as quick as possible. So for now, I'm planning on keeping mostly pre-made items in the shop. This way if someone orders something, I can throw it into a box/envelope, run it to the post office and be done. It's so much easier!

We also set our official vacation dates. We will be leaving for Florida on the 12th of April, staying in the condo there from the 13th to the 20th and then making our way home on the 21st. I'm so excited to take Henry to the beach again (and hopefully get some pictures this time). He loved it so much the first time! I'm ready for the vacation too, although I'm not ready for the long drive or the coming home part, haha!

Today is the last day of February which means my brother turns 17 either today or tomorrow. He's a leap year baby so I just leave that decision up to him every year. I can't believe I'm even saying that - 17. Someone pinch me and tell me it's just a dream. Love you Levi, Happy Birthday!!


It's Thursday which means it's time for Why I Love My Husband (The Never-ending List)

19) He brought me tea home from work yesterday - just to be nice.

20) He says ‘thank you’ and he says it often.

21) He trusts my judgment on pretty much everything.

22) He knows exactly how to calm my fears and anxieties.

23) He fixes my broken car and never complains because I break it quite often.

3...2...1...GO!

Two posts in one day... I know, I know... you don't love (or even like) me that much!

Here's the deal. We've got a vacation planned for April. I don't know what week of April yet, but Jeremy, Henry and I plus Jeremy's mother and father are renting a condo on the beach in Florida for a week. We're taking 2 extra days to drive down and back so it will actually be more of a 9 day vacation than a 7 day vacation.

I. Cannot. Wait.

But I'm a whale. Seriously. I set a huge weight-loss goal somewhere in the middle of January and I know it's going to be nearly impossible to reach, but I want to work REALLY hard towards losing at least SOMETHING in the next month plus however many weeks, depending on when we decide to go.

I've lost 6 pounds so far. It's averaged out to a little over a pound a week. Which is good. It's progress and I mean...if you lose 1 pound a week for a year, that's 52 pounds! Right!?! I need to keep it up, but I'd really like to vamp it up to 2 pounds a week for the next month. My original goal was 2 pounds a week up until Jeremy and I's five year anniversary on December 23rd this year. And yes, that does equal out to almost 100 pounds, 96 if you want to be exact, but I realized that although I was dieting and exercising on a daily basis, it was just disappointing me when I didn't see that 2 pound weight loss every week.

Disappointment = Discouragement
Discouragement = A Drop in Self-Confidence
A Drop in Self-Confidence = Binge Eating
Binge Eating = Weight Gain
Weight Gain = More Disappointment

It's a vicious cycle. So I set my goal to 1 pound a week, which is more realistic and what most dietitians and trainers will tell you is what you should be focusing on losing anyway. I'm also not 'dieting' per say, but watching what I eat and how much I eat of it and then focusing on how certain foods make me feel and also how moving and pushing my body makes me feel.

I like to work out. I do. What I don't like is being out of breath and feeling like I'm going to pass out or constantly worrying if people think I'm gross and silly looking. But I know if I keep pushing, it will get better. I'd really like to take up running. I used to run and I loved it, but I am SO out of shape that it's going to be a push for me.

I found this and thought it might work for me. So this week I am starting with week one. I even added an extra 10 minutes of 'slow' walking so that it made it a full 30 minutes.

I've also been doing this workout every morning for the last couple of days although I've only done one rep. My goal this week is to move it up to twice a day and then hopefully increase it to even three times a day. I did increase the push-ups and sit-ups to 30 instead of 10 and 20 each. I've found that I'm actually quit strong when it comes to strength training, I'm just horribly out of shape when it comes to cardio. The jumping jacks about kill me.

I need motivation and I need rewards so I've started a little 'wish-list' rewards program. I have a couple short-term goals and rewards for vacation. But I also have some BIG rewards for the end of this year and journey.

If I can keep up the good work and continue losing 1 pounds a week until our vacation, I'll splurge on a really cute summer dress right before we leave. I love this one.

I'm also going to need a new bathing suit, so I'd like to find one that has a bit of a vintage flare and is also a two piece (even if it is a tankini). I'll be using this a lot this year considering we've already decided to get a new pool this summer. If I can work-out at LEAST 4 times a week until our vacation, I'll allow myself this. If not, it's the old, drab black one that I have tucked far away that I was hoping never to see again. 

Here are my incentives otherwise:

For every month that I continue to lose 1 pound a week, I'll treat myself to something from my wishlist. A movie, book...etc.

For every 10 pounds I lose, I'm going to treat myself to one 'essentials' outfit. A new pair of jeans and a cute shirt or something along those lines that I can find on sale/clearance that won't break the bank. Jeremy and I are also going to have a date night. I don't know HOW I'm going to accomplish that one, but I'm going to make it happen.

When I lose 25 pounds, I'm going to buy myself a new pair of shoes. I love shoes...and purses, so I'm itching for something new and super cute for the summer. This is going to be regardless of price (although I don't have super expensive taste). If I work really, really hard...I may be able to accomplish this before our vacation. That would be 19 pounds in 5-8 weeks, depending on when we go. I can do this.

When I lose 50 pounds, I'm going to treat myself to an additional outfit, regardless of price with the addition of accessories.. I'm also going to buy myself a 'hobby' accessory, whether that be photo, crochet or otherwise related. I'm also going to cut and dye my hair however I so choose.

When I lose 75 pounds, I'm going to buy another additional outfit and a right-hand ring. I want a vintage ring so badly so I'm going to find one that I love and keep my eye on it until then.

Isn't this just stunning?

When I lose the 96 pounds total, which is my goal...well, I'm going to go crazy. I'm going to get a new tattoo, maintain that weight (or even push to lose a little more) and feel wonderful about myself. I'll buy clothes and hang them in my closet knowing that they'll never be too small again. I'll look in the mirror and feel completely liberated knowing that I did it and that I did it for all the right reasons. I'll force Jeremy to buy me a new camera. I'll participate in a color run and wear dresses that come above my knees and shorts and tank-tops and will be able to shop anywhere for clothing. I'll renew my wedding vows with my husband and have an actual wedding ceremony and I'll buy a beautiful new dress that will stun all who see it. I'll cut and dye my hair, have my nails done, pamper myself a bit an bask in the idea that I did it all ON MY OWN!

I can't wait. Because I WILL do it. Even if it takes me two or three or even four years, I won't give up!