start.

I don't mind Mondays.

It's the waking up part that I dislike, which is characteristic of every other day of the week; naturally, Mondays are no exception to this.

I used to have serious motivation to wake up a couple times a week to work out when Big Steven headed off to work (5:30ish), but I lost it.

Somewhere along the lines I decided sleep was much more favorable.

I decided to aim for 2 mornings a week to run at least a mile - with some inspiration from Mandy.

After a minute of ponder, I decided that Mondays should be my consistent day every week; the way I work out and eat on a Monday seems to foreshadow how I work out/eat for the rest of the week.

I started today and it sucked...at first.

I'm still tired because I could seriously sleep forever and I will always prefer to sleep over working out, but I feel good about myself - accomplished.

It's a start, right?  A good one, too!

Vision without action is a daydream.  Action without vision is a nightmare.

Smilings My Favorite + Awkward & Awesome

Do you even see that picture?!  I just die!  Every time I have a camera, he is ready to smile.  Of course, I love when he smiles in general, but smiling is so contagious.  In pictures, I smile with my mouth shut because I have adult braces; however, in real life, people get the real deal - hardware and all.  It's pretty incredible how much a person's mood can change just by smiling - and how much we can change other people's moods by smiling, too!

I used to work for a hospice company.  I absolutely loved the job itself and am super passionate about the industry; it's the reason I know my calling in life is to be a nurse.  For the most part, I was surrounded by some of the most beautiful people I've ever met, including my Mama, and continue to be so inspired by them.  In contrast, there were a couple of people that rubbed me the wrong way for various reasons.  While I know now that responding back in a negative way was a horrible idea and only cultivated worse feelings, they made it difficult to really enjoy my job and smile.  It occurred to me that I wasn't really proud of the person I was at work in some instances; while I gave and received a lot of encouragement and kindness from the the majority of my coworkers, it bothered me that I wasn't giving and receiving the same encouragement from the minority - specifically two.  So, I decided to move on.  My job now isn't necessarily the most positive working environment, but it allows me to go to school, be a mom, and make money; even if I have my complaints, I'm seriously blessed to have an opportunity to do all of these things and am incredibly grateful for my boss and his kind (albeit, stubborn) heart.  What's not to smile about?

Awkward:

- Snorting.  I snort when I laugh sometimes, which is common knowledge to my friends and family,  but it's always really uncomfortable when a 'new' person experiences the snort.

- Being told by more than one person that Zooey Deschanel's character in The New Girl reminds them of me.  I thought so myself, too, but the realization that everyone else knows me to be that awkward is...awkward.

- My two pack.  I have successfully developed a two pack in my belly, but the part where the other 4 are supposed to go is still a little bit like Jell-O, so it's in a really strange looking stage.

- Giving the neighbors and accidental 'show' this morning in my nighty letting Bella out.  I didn't think anyone would see me!

Awesome:

-GLEE started this week!  While the premiere wasn't all that great, I know it's gonna be a good season.

- The Redskins being 2-0 for the first time in 4 years.  HOLLAA!

- A two pack > A keg.

- Big Steven's cousin had her twins this morning.  Two very big, healthy baby girls!  She's one of the sweetest people I know and has a GIANT heart, so this blessing for her makes me ultra happy.

- Crockpots.  'Nuff Said.

- My Chocolate Banana Muffins.  To be continued...

Things That Make Me Happy...

This lovely for the guest bedroom/office (also comes in green, which makes a big decision for me):

{via}

Toying with ideas like this to hide an unused door in the guest bedroom/office:

{via}

Thrifting for old picture frames of all sizes because I fell in love with Ashley's look:

{THE SHINE PROJECT}

I am seriously obsessing over this DIY Headboard idea:

{via}

Big Steven is aware and I think he's actually on board for this project! 

I bought cork board and put some in the kitchen and some in the guest bedroom/office.  The ones I put in the kitchen are fine because I haven't piled a bunch of crap on them, but I am not happy about the clutter of pictures on the ones I hung in the guest bedroom, so I will be redoing those sometime over Labor Day weekend.  I plan to mat them and declutter so the room doesn't look like it threw up pictures in that one area.  Pics to come!

AAAAAND I think that's enough to have on my plate for now! 

Just Keep Moving.

Frustration.

That about sums up this whole running experience for me right now.  I am so proud of myself for sticking with it and pretty amazed at what my body can do, but I am also incredibly frustrated with the 'results' I'm getting.

At first, I lost a couple of lbs, so I was excited, but then...

...let's just say that my weight now compared to my weight before I went to the beach (I started running the week I came back) is 10 lbs heavier.  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!  Everyone keeps saying that it's muscle, and I believe some of it is muscle because I feel incredibly strong, but that wouldn't really explain why my jeans are too tight. 

H O R R I B L E.

Yesterday was my best run to date; I finished my one way trip to the school - a little over 1.5 mi. - in 20 minutes.  Now, that may not seem impressive, but it's 10 minutes faster than I usually go and I only walked 2 minutes of that time, which is considerably better than my first run less than 4 weeks ago where I could barely run 5 minute intervals.  On my way back home, I couldn't run as much, but I kept telling myself 'just keep moving.'  So I did.  I ran when I could and walked when I couldn't, but I just kept moving.

I decided this morning that the only way to counteract this weight gain and start seeing results is parallel to my individual runs.  I gotta keep moving.  What I really want to do is sit on my butt for a few days, eat some cheeseburgers, and call it a day because I'm frustrated, angry, and super upset, BUT I won't.  I'll just push myself harder and surely the results will come, right?

Essentially, it's my new fav slogan:

Just Keep Moving.

The Thursday Push: The Blogger Brag Version.

Oh, bragging.  That's sort of an underlying subtle theme in virtually every blog, isn't it?  A little brag?  Look what I can do!  A little brag is harmless; it's merely a celebration of personal strengths and accomplishments.  Today, though, I might be laying it on thick as I'm feeling pretty proud of myself.

post run!

Today's brag topic (aka 'brag-top') is about running.  I have been pretty active for a while now and walk or hop on my bike when I can and I go at it determined, but I've had some pretty half-a'd attempts at running in the past.  Trying it about once a week for a few minutes during my walk and determining that it's just too hard and I'm just not a runner.  Then, I started reading a book called Run Like a Girl while we were on vacay and everything sort of clicked.  I have only even read a couple chapters and it motivated me so much.

Running is a whole new level of fitness because it's a full body work out.  I started only last Monday determined to stick with it and not even two weeks into it, going only 3x per week, I feel significant improvement.  I feel strong, my breathing has improved, and I can run for longer increments of time.  I haven't yet reached the point where I'm excited to go for a run, but when I'm done it's like a crazy high that I've never gotten from any other workout.  I even smiled showing my braces up there!  It doesn't take an A&P student to recognize endorphins when they come around :).

Run Like a Girl often mentions the little voices in our head that discourage us.  We are our own worst critics and I've found that to be true the last couple of weeks.  When I've had to stop, I feel like I've given up and I start to compare myself to these other ladies running around like it's nothing.  Not to mention how hot they look doing and it and here I am glistening (because I don't like the word 'sweat'), red, and splotchy.  But, then it hits me that at least I'm out trying, which is more than 60% of Americans are doing (true statistic). 

There's my brag and here's my unsolicited advice: JUST MOVE. 

Health is never a guarantee, we've all seen that in various situations.  If you're given a body that is capable of movement, appreciate it; not everyone has that blessing.

The Thursday Push!

{source}

So, back in the day (think some high school and some college - some meaning it depended on the day), I was a brat.  I wasn't nice to my friends, I wasn't nice to strangers, I wasn't nice to my family, and I wasn't very nice to myself. 

I know it sounds weird, but I literally woke up one day about 3 years ago and thought, "why am I so mean?"  I decided that day that I didn't want to be that way anymore, so I worked pretty hard to change it.  The reasons to why I was that way slowly started to show; I was incredibly insecure.  When someone had something good happen to them, all I could think about was why it didn't happen to me  - being happy for them was simply not an option.  Complimenting pretty girls was out of the question; it was much easier to call them nasty names.  The ease with which I cursed 'the other woman' in multiple situations was astounding considering the direct fault of the man.

Then I got pregnant and the only thing I could think about was what kind of example I want to be to my son and how I could raise him to be a kind, honest, loving man.  Kids learn by example and are a product of their homes, so I needed to do some more shaping up before he arrived.

It has taken a while, but my heart has honestly changed.  Though I am human and still say some mean things, I am able to recognize when something I say isn't productive or kind.  Though I've exchanged hurtful words with people, I've learned to remove myself from the situation even when it's a pretty tough move.  I still have to tame the occasional potty mouth before my son picks up on any more words ('boobs' is the most recent...), but I'm workin' on it.

I learned some profound life lessons during this time; I learned that it makes me feel good to make others feel good and I learned that behind a mean and nasty person probably lies a soul that's a little bit lost.  It's amazing what sharing kindness can do to people.  It's incredible how much more productive a compliment can be than an insult.

It's never too late to be a better person.

In the words of the brilliant Led Zeppelin,

"Yes there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on."

Oh, there you are...

After taking a much needed break to focus on 'things,' I'm happy to say that I feel okay re-entering the blog world.

It's been a trying and exhausting time for me mentally, physically, and emotionally; the detes of which I will not bore you.  I am happy to say that my little family has come out intact and stronger than before.  My blessings stretch far beyond anything I could possibly ever earn in this lifetime.

Things have changed these last few weeks, which will probably reflect in my writing and the direction of my blog, but I'm still me.  My passion is still about cooking/baking, saving money, and being creative.  I've found many different outlets that have simply broadened my horizons, so to speak, and I am looking forward to sharing them with you.

In the past few weeks, I've...

...started working from home.
...become motivated by fitness.
....made a personal goal to read more.
...taken a much needed family vacation.
...called on God many times to lead me.
...spent way to much money.
...studied my butt off for school.
....learned some new easy peasy recipes that are totes worth sharing.

I'll expand on each at another point.  For now, I'll leave you with this:



Nothing about the last few weeks made me want to quit being happy, and I am glad for that.  Nothing about the last few weeks made me question God's authority, and I am grateful for that.  Lastly, nothing about the last few weeks made me feel defeated, and I am proud of that.

Be happy in this moment, for this moment is your life.

More Dreams and Things...

Still not working from home, which means still no time to follow through with plans.  That does NOT mean I can't be prepared with ideas.  Big Steven loves my ideas.

I bought some little inspirational signs to build my master bath around...2 years ago?  Anywhoo, here is an idea of what it WILL look like:









Think blue and white crisp deliciousness.

BTW, if you are a real friend to me, you will volunteer to help me paint said bathroom.  Pays in beer and somethin' on the grill.  No application necessary, all helpers pre-approved!

Ahem, ahem - Whitney - you are my numero uno choice because of your mad painting skillz.  You love beer and you love me.  Plus, we can just be silly for old times sake.  All around WIN!

The Thursday Push!

First, let's be glad we've made it this far.  HAHA!  I could seriously go for a nice long nap right about now; if I can't have that, please give me another large cup of coffee :)

I will forever embrace you, my delicious cup of wonderfulness.  Caffiene-free is not for me!

OMProcrastination, I have done it again.  All the of activities in Unit 1 for one of my courses is due by tomorrow - this includes a writing test I have to take at a computer lab on campus!  First of all, I have a serious bone to pick with having to go to campus anyway; I am taking a few online courses because I cannot get to class with my schedule, so finding that time to get to campus during the week has become difficult.  I'll just have to suck it up and go this evening after I drop my son off at home.  Ladies and gentlemen, I am going to have a very long night.

So who's to blame here?  My teachers who have NO sympathy whatsoever for people trying to work through college and maintain a full time job?  Or is it Big Steve's fault for not doing something (I usually find a good reason to blame things on him)?  Or maybe it's my mother's fault for letting me be a procrastinator growing up!

Seriously?  It's my own darn fault.  I could have taken the test ahead of time at the campus where I have my Sunday class, but I chose to wait until the last minute to get 'er done, so I have to deal with the consequences.  The consequence in this case will probably be total exhaustion tomorrow.

I was momspired (inspired by a mom, duh) yesterday when I read this quote on another 'mom blog:'

"Don’t say you don’t have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michaelangelo, Mother Teresa, Leonardo da Vinci, Thomas Jefferson, and Albert Einstein." H. Jackson Brown

If we spent less time trying to find reasons why things are the way they are or why we simply can't do 'it' and used that energy to actually get crap done, we'd be a little better off.

I hate to use this phrase excessively, but I just have to say it...

GET 'ER DONE!

Oh, and happy Thursday!