Ya know, sometimes in life we just need to celebrate. No matter how small and insignificant it may be, we need to take the time to realize that the little accomplishments in life are just as important as the big ones...so, today I'm celebrating some little things:
- Henry knows the letter A. He knows what it looks like, knows what it sounds like, can draw it, point it out, and say it. Sure, there's 25 letters left to go. But the letter A is an official accomplishment in our household.
- I stepped on the scale this morning and officially weighed 20 pounds lighter for the year. One pound at a time ladies...only 80 left to go.
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| GONE! |
- We found a very, very small fitness center with a pool and playground for only $10 a month. The only downfall is that we have no one to watch Henry, so our plan is for one of us to spend an hour swimming with him while the other works out and then switch. I feel vulnerable going into a place where others can physically see me working out and sweating and trying so hard. But I'm going to get over it and do it because I want this so bad.
- I received my W-2 yesterday which means we can get our taxes done, which means we can start on our bathroom, which means I will have a bathtub, and room to move, and storage, and HALLELUJAH, a huge burden lifted from my shoulders.
- Vacation dates have officially been put in! Hurry up May!
- I've slowly been reconnecting with one of my childhood best friends. I needed this. I need community and friendship so badly right now.
- I only work two days this week: Tuesday and Saturday. Wednesday - Friday I have off with the hubs and we're planning somethings special. I can't wait.
- God is good, in all things, at all times. 'nough said.
I hope you all have a wonderful Monday! Don't forget to celebrate the little things!
I have a lot on my mind today and I can't seem to find a concrete place to stop and focus. Hopefully typing some of it out will help ease the spinning.
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I've been addicted to ice coffee lately - mid-winter too. Come summer I will probably dig the hot stuff right from the pot but right now I'm drinking it over ice and it is delicious. I sip it all day long. What's up with that?
I made these yesterday in an attempt to do something productive and keep myself from calling my husband at work every ten minutes to tell him I'm bored. They will be for sale (for cheap) in my shop soon. It's my first try at making cards and I kind of winged it, but I thought they turned out really, really cute. The inside of the first one is just as cute as the outside and is going to be perfect for Valentine's Day. I'm going to make another one just for my hubby.
I took a fast from Facebook as part of a 40 day challenge and I'm loving it. I am seriously considering limiting my FB use afterwards to strictly business and photo storage (I can't not share photos, okay?) because it's been so refreshing not to compare my life to anyone else's for the last week.
In other news, I am now addicted to Twitter. If you follow me, I sincerely apologize for the amount of tweets I can sometimes put out in a short period. I get carried away. (Like don't even think about paying attention to me tonight when Shark Tank is on...I get obsessed.)
Three friends of mine are pregnant and having GIRLS. It's girl season ya'll - time for me to crank out some cute headbands and girly crochet hats. I'm especially excited for a couple that I work with because they are as obsessed with the Reds as we are and I can make their little one a cute Red's hat or headband. I just bought a package of baseball charms that will be perfect.
My legs still hurt two days later from that circuit training. Yesterday I could barely move. I love it.
Winter is starting to make me a little stir-crazy. I want to get out of the house...and I want to run again. I will be a runner. I am determined. As soon as the temps rise above ya know, zero, my butt is going to be back outside hitting the pavement.
I'm really considering bangs. Like real bangs. Do you think I would look crazy?
Any big plans for the weekend? I have to work all day both Saturday and Sunday, but next weekend we may be going to Chicago! Can't wait!
Have a great weekend everyone. =)
Writing has been something that I have loved to do since I was a little girl. For as long as I could remember, words (in all forms) have been more important to me than other things. There's something about taking the time to sit and let your thoughts and emotions run from your mind and heart and onto paper or screen.
It's like magic.
That's the only way I know how to explain it. When you take out the pressure of writing, the need to impress, or the desire to entertain, you're left with the raw pieces that make up who you are. Who you really are, not just who you're hoping to be. That's magical.
In a busy world, we can often lose ourselves in our daily chores, or caring for our children, or making our way up the corporate ladder, or just giving of ourselves however that we've found ourselves fit.
Writing is a way to escape that. To sit with yourself and have a cup of coffee and get back to the basics of yourself as an individual, writing is an escape.
I can't imagine my life without it.
New month, new goals.
I decided to kick it up a notch and add a few different goals for February when it comes to health and fitness since January went so well and made me feel so good. I've realized that setting goals makes me feel like I wake up each day with some sort of purpose, and that is my ultimate goal for this year.
1) I'm adding circuit training to my fitness plan, which in January just consisted of walking and Zumba. I finished my first one yesterday and felt like I was going to DIE. This should kick my butt in the next month.
2) I'm adding measurements to my journal to see how I progress month to month. I want to focus less on weight, which is hard, and I think this is a great way to move towards that goal.
3) I'm replacing at least one meal a day with a protein shake or smoothie. I always hated this idea, but I was recently out and about and needed lunch but didn't want to eat fast-food and bought a protein shake instead and it seriously filled me up for HOURS. I've been loving on the green smoothies for almost a year now, but usually only 3-4 days a week. I think this will be a good step towards portion control too.
4) I'm pushing myself to set time aside to exercise no less than 3 times a week. Last month I exercised, sometimes 3-5 times a week, sometimes only once, and I felt kinda down about it when I thought about how sporadic it was. I love the way exercising makes me feel so I don't know why I put it off. I want to kick this habit and wake up wanting to exercise daily.
5) Before the month is over I want to find some sort of exercise that Jeremy and I can do together. He finally jumped on the bandwagon and has joined me in eating clean and making healthier decisions. However, I know he is not going to do Zumba, or go running, or do a lot of exercises that I enjoy, so I'm hoping we can find at least one thing we enjoy doing together. I'd totally lift weights, perhaps we'll look into joining the Y.
Do you have any new health or fitness goals for February? If so, do share!
The fact that I am overweight is not a new-found fact around these parts. The fact that I have been working my butt off (literally) to change it is nothing new either. But I have a confession to make, and it's not easy for me to say:
I don't care if people know that I'm fat, but I hate when people know that I'm trying to change it.
I don't know what it is, but others around me knowing that I'm at home, eating right and working out, makes me almost sick to my stomach.
Recently I took position as a team captain for a weigh-smart challenge at work. It goes from January 27th to April 27th and essentially the goal is to achieve your 'ideal' weight in that time. Obviously, someone like me will never be able to achieve a goal that big in only 3 months, but I am determined to be a face of change and do my absolute best in that time.
My hope is to inspire others.
But my biggest fear, the thing I despise, is that I don't want them to look at me and say 'she doesn't look any different' or 'she'll never do it'.
It scares me to put myself out there like that. It shakes my confidence. It makes me feel like all eyes are on me, all of the time, watching my every move, my every meal, my every 'bad' or even 'good' day.
Have you ever had to put yourself out there like this? Letting people into something that is already tough for you, and somewhat private? What helped you to boost your confidence and stand as a face of courage instead of fear?
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Now go link up with The Girl Between the Lines link-up. It's a free week, so write about anything you would like!
When you open your heart, and your soul, and your day to God, you are sure to be ultimately surprised about what He may reveal to you. But be prepared...
Sometimes it's not always something you want to hear.
As a teenager, I was immersed in church and volunteering and being part of a youth group. I taught Bible school during the summers and a Sunday school class on Sunday mornings. I chaperoned as I grew a bit older when the youth went on trips and volunteered for everything that our church had going on. I knew my place and role and I played it well.
Since I married Jeremy, I've struggled a lot at finding my role as a Christian woman and wife.
For one, we can't seem to find a church that fits.
I miss the comfort and familiarity of a church where everyone feels like family and we have struggled for five years to find a church that fits us. Not only that, but I myself am struggling to figure out exactly what I believe.
I was brought up in a very southern Baptist way of believing where tattoos and alcohol and staying up past 10 (haha) was sinful. The only Bible you were to ever look at was the good old KJV and our preachers were 100% spirit lead and most of the time very hard to follow. Not that there's anything wrong with that, but as I've grown in my relationship with God outside of my home, I find myself thinking differently on some aspects.
It makes it hard because I have to start all over in finding a place that fits my beliefs but still carries some of the traditions and comfort that I'm used to.
Walking with God is not always a walk in the park, sometimes there are obstacles that we have to overcome and that's where I'm standing right now - in the midst of a storm where the road is hard to follow.
When I asked God in yesterday, He was not shy to reveal to me that I have stepped too far away from Him. Essentially he broke me down and showed me that I needed to trust in Him - in all things. That includes finding a church perfect for us. But with brokenness comes healing and that is where I am headed - towards His love and His comfort and His all-knowing power to send us in the right direction. Always.
It's officially been one month since I starting taking great care and purpose with the food that goes into our bodies. I will say that it's been both a wonderful and challenging experience all the same. There have been days when I've wanted nothing more than to chow down on junk food, days that I have done nothing but chow down on junk food, and days that I have felt so sure about this new journey that I just knew I would never even think about junk food again (haha).
Despite the good days and the bad days, eating clean foods with purpose for this past month has completely changed my outlook of food and it's affects on our bodies altogether. They say you are what you eat and here are a few of my top reasons why I absolutely believe it!
1) Junk food makes you feel like JUNK.
Can I make it any clearer? One night last week I had fried chicken for lunch and pizza for dinner from fast-food places. I felt guilty at first but then told myself that we all have bad days and figured I would get back to eating my healthier, clean foods the next day. But the next day I felt so horrible, I didn't want to do anything. I had a headache, absolutely no energy, and zero motivation to do little more than sit in my recliner and watch TV. When I've ate nothing but a clean palette of food for several days, I wake up in the morning and am ready to tackle my day while feeling energized and great doing it.
2) Junk food makes you look like JUNK.
Despite the obvious weight-gain that junk food can cause, junk food can also wreck havoc on things like your skin and hair. One month ago it would be completely normal for me to wake up in the morning and have a huge pimple growing on my face. But over the course of the last month, I've noticed something amazing...my skin has begun transforming into something almost completely unrecognizable. I have no pimples, my complexion is evening out, and it has a sort of glow. I have wore little to no foundation or concealer in the past two weeks because I simply feel as if I do not need it. I've also noticed my thin hair becoming thicker and shinier - and who doesn't love that? Mentioning that 'obvious' weight-gain that comes from junk food, I've lost almost 20 pounds in one month. TWENTY POUNDS. I've watched the weight fall off faster than ever simply by eating clean foods.
3) Junk food makes you think of JUNK.
I absolutely, 100% believe that food can be an addiction. If you've never struggled with food as an addiction before, then bless your heart because you have NO idea how hard it is. I think most of us have - we do know first hard how hard it is to say 'no' sometimes. This has been my biggest challenge, despite the benefits, it is so hard sometimes to say no to junk foods. I've also noticed that if I eat a bunch of junk one day, then the next day it's what I crave. The night that I mentioned before, with the chicken and pizza? Despite feeling like absolute junk the next day, I literally had to talk myself out of eating the leftover chicken. I wanted it so badly even though I was currently suffering from it's poison from the day before. The more junk you eat, the more you want it, the harder it is to resist it, and the more often you'll give in. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat.
I feel great after a month of clean eating. Does this mean I will never eat junk food again? Absolutely not. But it does mean that I'm moving forward being more in tune with my body and the new found knowledge of the effects that junk food has on me. If you're looking to feel better, look better, and think better, consider clean eating. It sure has done wonders for me!
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With all the different clean-eating definitions floating around out there, I thought I would give you a quick definition of what it means to me:
Food that are natural, unprocessed and without additives. Essentially I have cut all processed foods, sugar, white flour, pork, and most diary from my diet. I still eat, I just eat things that have been prepared by me and come from reliable sources. There are very little boxed, canned, bagged, or bottled food left in our house.
My goal is to eat with purpose, and I purposely want to know where my food comes from and what is in it so I can best nourish mine and my family's bodies.
