Our 7th Wedding Anniversary

I'm going to spare you all the mushy details of the past 7 years of marriage and just get to the details of our day.

If you're a parent you'll understand (at least I hope you will) the silly feelings that rush back as soon as you know you're free from kids.

No this isn't what we listen to on a regular basis. (At least I don't) He was trying to show off because he knew most of the lyrics.

We took a drive to Casa de Fruita in Hollister, Ca.
Stopped halfway and had breakfast at Country Waffle.

Nice scenery along the way.

Funny story: he thought he was getting his favorite candy coated raisins but ended up getting $14 worth of candy coated almonds! He was so disappointed he couldn't stop talking about it. So we ended up going back before heading home and he got some guacamole pistachios. If anyone knows where I can get candy coated raisins that are flavored different fruit flavors, please let me know! I'll order some for him.

A plethora of dried mangos in lots of delicious flavors.

Olives, olives and more olives.

Butt rub. This place has everything.

Ginormous peanut butter cup.

Chocolate cinnamon bears. These are not all that. Good thing I only bought like 6..I still ate most of them.

Why am I a crate of oranges? I do not know.

We spent the day shopping and eating. What could be better than that?

I couldn't ask for a better companion and friend. He is my soul mate and I am so blessed to have such a wonderful man in my life. I'm sure he feels just as blessed ;-)

A movie, a bike ride and another movie

We took the kids to see The lego Movie today. It was really funny and random. Which I love.

About a week ago I got my bike from my parents' house. I decided to dust off my helmet and go for a spin. I did 1.2 miles and it felt great! I like that mapmyrun has an option for biking. I'm pretty sure this will be my go to source of exercise until my knee is in ship shape and I get the all clear from my Dr.

I had some cheerio's for dinner. Good stuff.

And this is happening now. Love it so far!

Tomorrow is our 7th wedding anniversary so we're going on a road trip for the day. I'll post about all that mushy love stuff tomorrow. ;-)

Back to the movie. Catch ya tomorrow!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend! 

But first, tell me your favorite "kid" movie!

Friday Favorites and an Update

I realized I take photos during the day but then I usually forget about the pics and don't share with you guys. Not today!

First Friday fave: Jamba!

Orange juice, carrot juice, kale and bananas. :-) and a cheddar tomato twist.
Next time I'm going to try one that has orange, carrot, mango, banana and soymilk.

Next fave and newest fave: Starburst Mini's. And they're unwrapped!! I'm thinking these might work on long runs as a little boost.

I'm really excited about all the green bean plants that sprouted up this week! The bigger plants are green beans but they'll grow on a bush. The sprouts will grow tall and are considered "string" beans.

This is an old photo but I love it because it totally describes both of our kids so well. Kate loves riding in the Stang with the windows down...Daniel..not so much. 

I'm not a huge dog person. I never have been. But for some reason I've been feeling more attached to our dog Ginger. She seems to doze off in some of the weirdest, yet cute, ways. I'll snap a pic of her when she's all curled up like a pretzel and share it sometime.

I'm looking forward to seeing how broccoli grows! Lookin' good so far!

UPDATE ON MY EYES/HEADACHES:

I saw my eye Dr yesterday and he measured the distance of both of my eyes. My right eye protrudes more than my left. I had an appointment today with my neurologist and she was concerned about the protrusion and the pain that I have daily. She ordered an urgent MRI to rule out a tumor..but I haven't heard anything yet. My eye Dr tried to get an approval from my insurance for an MRI weeks ago but for some reason they wouldn't authorize it. I'm hoping since it's coming from a neurologist they'll approve it no problem.

So my training for a Sprint Triathlon is on hold until I get the o.k. from my Dr's. I hate this waiting period..waiting for an answer. It's a strange feeling..

Anyway, I enjoy posting about things going on in my life but I did promise I wouldn't post about depressing things so I'll try not to. :-)

How was your week?
Anyone racing this weekend?
What's your favorite kind of candy?

Enjoy your weekend everyone!

This girl's gonna Tri!

For some time now I've been thinking about training for a Sprint Triathlon. Yep, you read right. I may go from the long haired runner to the long haired triathlete!

When I set my mind and heart on something I can't seem to think about anything else. I tend to read and research all I can to help me along the way.

I signed up on beginnertriathlete.com and found some really great training plans! I'm aiming for a sprint triathlon in October. (Around my 27th birthday)
That gives me about 6 months to train.

I have the running part down but I have quite a bit to learn about swimming and biking.

I'm a bit nervous about the swim but excited just the same! I REALLY hope I don't get punched or kicked in the face but I'm sure I'll live to tell about it.

If anyone has any advice or suggestions for some blogs or websites to help me out let me know! I'd really appreciate it!

What are your thoughts on triathlons?

Wonders of the weekend

This weekend I was supposed to volunteer at the Modesto Marathon but it just didn't fit into our schedule. I had a really good and productive weekend though.
I let my inner crafter/handywoman come out and built a ladder planter box out of fence boards. All on my own.

I'm pretty happy with the way it turned out. I planted English Daisies, Sweet Basil, Alyssum (small purple and white flowers) and some Viola's (small purple flowers). I want to plant some cilantro but I might just plant some in the garden.

I planted some Pea Snaps in a five gallon bucket and once they start to grow I'll add a trellis behind it so they can climb up it.

We had a delicious summer meal last night after Bible study. Yes I know it's Spring but here in central Cali it sure feels like summer!
This plate looks like it's for someone who runs 5 miles or more a day..not someone who runs 2 miles every now and then. Oh well.
Grilling sweet peppers, zucchini and mushrooms was brilliant. *pats self on back*

My mother in law and I planned to go swimming at the gym pool but it was closed because they were having the roof repaired. As we were driving back to her house we passed a very popular walking/running/biking path. I couldn't resist so I stopped and ran/walked two miles. It felt so good to run outside again!

Unfortunately my knee hurt like the dickens. That's pretty bad. And I felt some tension in my head and eye which later turned into one of those nasty migraines. Thankfully I have an appointment with my neurologist this Friday. So I'm back to square one with the headache issue.. which means don't over exert myself until we find out what's causing them. I also have a small bulge on the side of my neck. (Same side I have the headaches and eye pain)

Anywho.. I'm really liking the collage app on my phone. It took a couple weeks to make this one but it was cool watching a rose bloom over time.

If you haven't tried this hummus you really should. I really like roasted red pepper flavored foods.. Trader Joe's has some delicious Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Bisque Soup that I love!

So that's what my weekend consisted of.
How was yours?
Are you enjoying nice weather or are you stuck in the cold still?

I hope everyone's having a fabulous Monday!

Easy Slim Wrap Review & How To

So last weekend my sister traded some magic mud for my Saucony Cohesion 6's. (They weren't workin' out for me) We saw this stuff on the show "Supersize vs Superskinny" but I didn't know until later that it was the same thing. The lady's who tried it out said they lost anywhere from half an inch to up to five inches! (I'm pretty sure they said five but don't hold me to it)

I decided to give it a go. I figured it couldn't hurt and if anything I'd get rid of some toxins. So here goes...

Benefits of Easy Slim Wraps:
-Break down fat in your problems areas in just 1 hour
-Tone and erase your cellulite & stretch marks
-Remove harmful toxins from your body
-Give your skin a smooth, healthy glow
-Tighten & firm loose skin
*All Natural*

The kit costs $30 and it comes with 1 jar of mud, two bandage wraps, instructions, a measuring tape, pins for the wrap, and a loofa (sp?)

The kit says there is enough mud to do 8 applications. I did two. -_-

The instructions were easy to follow and if I didn't read them I would've missed the loofa part.

So first you use the loofa and rub off any dead skin cells on the area you chose to apply the mud. I don't know about you but I've never been able to see dead skin cells. But I scrubbed anyway.

Oh and there won't be any action shots because I chose to try it out on my trouble areas which you don't want to see. I'm doing you a favor. Trust me. ;-)

Step two: use the measuring tape and measure the area being treated. You'll measure again after 1 hour and compare. Key step here people.

Next you put the wraps in warm water and while they are getting moist you apply the mud. I used almost half the jar...I really want to lose fat in those trouble areas! More is better right?

Squeeze out the wraps the best you can and wrap the treated area.

Wait one hour before you wash it off. I couldn't just sit around for an hour so I cleaned the house, vacuumed and walked on the treadmill for the last ten minutes.  Without shoes because I didn't want to bend down too much and cause the wraps to move.

After an hour I excitedly removed the wraps and jumped in the shower. I measured and compared numbers. I was pretty bummed to realize that I didn't lose anything on my thighs or bum. I DID, however, lose half an inch around my hips/lower stomach!

So was it worth the $30 my sister paid? No.
I would much rather spend that hour working out or running. At least I would know for sure I was burning fat.

*All opinions are my own. I was not asked to review this product.*

Have you ever tried a body slimming wrap?
Have you ever had a mud bath?

Weightloss tips from a 40+ lb. loser

Growing up I never felt "over weight" but I was always self conscious. I never felt confident or thought I "looked good".

I've battled low self esteem and eating disorders for at least 10 years. I never knew how to eat healthy and was afraid to try new things.

After getting married I gained a little weight here and there. Then became pregnant with our daughter and gained a lot of weight! I tried all kinds of diets and workouts but never stuck to any of them.

Then one day I was watching a show about overweight people finally getting the help they needed in order to lose weight and get their lives back. Suddenly something changed in my mind. I didn't want to get to that point. I immediately got up, changed my clothes and went for a walk. We all know it wasn't as easy as that but almost a year later I lost 43 lbs and I've kept it off for almost two years now.

This was me at around 155 lbs. I don't have any photos of me when I was my heaviest: 165. I apologize for the poor quality photo. It's a picture of a picture.

I was so unhappy it was affecting our marriage. That was another reason I wanted to shed some pounds.

This was sometime last year after I lost some weight. I guess I really like purple.. I caught my first fish!

One of the first things I started to do was taking walks while my kids rode their bikes. I had to walk fast at times to keep up. Which led me to running. We lived right down the road from a high school with a track so since I couldn't handle the hills in our neighborhood I went to the track almost daily. I could only run about 30 seconds at first then slowly increased and progressed over time.

So here are some tips on how to get moving, eat healthy and shed some pounds.

The first step towards a healthier life is making a mental change. You have to want the change in order to make it happen.

The next tip is my favorite:
TIP #2:
DO SOMETHING ACTIVE EVERY DAY!
Go for a walk
Do an exercise video
Go swimming
Do some yard work

*Whatever you do, make sure you make an effort to move every day for at least 30 minutes per day*

We all hate the word "diet" so I like to say just be more aware of what you're putting into your body. Food is meant to be fuel. Yes we can enjoy what we eat but we should eat things that are pleasing to our bodies, not just our taste buds.

TIP #4:
Try New Things!
Step out of your comfort zone when it comes to eating and activities. Once you start to realize there's a whole new world of wonderful flavors and foods beyond the twinkie, you'll never want to go back to your old habits. It's called "re-training your brain."
Try new ways to be active. Go outside! There's an entire world to be explored! Exercise doesn't have to be done in your living room.

Give yourself a cheat meal once a week. If you're feeling like you can handle it, use a whole day as a cheat day. But don't over do it! It's ok to have a treat every now and then. Not every day. ;-)

TIP #6:
Recruit a friend.
Find a friend or group for support and encouragement. It's tough trying to be healthy and active solo. There are lots of people out there trying to change their lifestyle who would love to have a buddy to encourage them along. Use your resources ie: internet, local gym, friends of friends.. maybe even your spouse or significant other or possibly your child/children.

Tracking my progress was one of the most encouraging things I did. It was so motivating to see my progress. I kept track of inches and pounds lost using Fitday.com. Whenever I'm having a "fat day" I remind myself of how far I've come and all the hard work I put in along the way.

AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST: TIP #9
BE KIND TO YOURSELF!
Do not put yourself down. Any time a negative thought about yourself pops into your mind, replace it with one or more positive things. Like: "I hate my thighs" to "my legs are strong and hold me up and allow me to move". Appreciate your body. Be good to it and soon you'll reap the benefits.

Here I am, almost two years later and I'm about 42 lbs lighter, a lot stronger and much happier! I'm double jointed in my thumbs.. -_-  I'm working on those "thumbs up" photos.

Please feel free to contact me if you'd like some encouragement or any advice for weightloss the healthy way!  I'm not an expert but I do know what worked for me!

Retail therapy, a dinner date, frog legs and candy

Today was a busy but fun day. I needed it! I have been bored out of my mind all week so it was nice having something to do. My mom and I had a yard sale today at my house. I made $4.50! But a dollar was for Daniel and .50 was for Kate so I ended up with 3. But Michael owed our neighbor 2 so what did that leave me? $1 -_-
Anyway, enough math.

We couldn't handle the heat so by noon we packed up and called it quits. Then my sister wanted to hang out and go shopping. She bought some mud stuff that you're supposed to rub on your body then wrap it up and magically lose inches! She gave me a box and I gave her my Saucony's. No trade backs allowed.

I'll do a review in about a week ;-)

Our first stop was right next door to us which is a big yard sale shop. I bought Kate a bracelet made from shells for a quarter.

Our next stop was a cute little thrift store in town.

We weren't feelin' the whole thrift store shopping so we headed to Target then Marshall's.

Somehow I always end up in the activewear.

These candy packs were pretty cool.

If these weren't so fattening I would've bought them. Pillar of strength.

After a lot of browsing we met up with our guys and went out for Chinese.

The guys decided to try a frog leg...I couldn't watch for long. I'm terrified of frogs so just knowing they were eating a leg from what seemed like a bull frog grossed me out beyond explanation.

Then we went over to the mall and browsed some more, bought a skirt that I'll be taking back and then got some candy for dessert.

We need one of these in our house.

My sister has a moustache on her car mirror. I couldn't help myself.

I definitely needed some grown up conversations and laughs today. I enjoy being a stay at home mom but I can only handle having five year old conversations for so long. I'm looking forward to tomorrow: a morning run in town, group Bible study, fellowship and some good food!

So how was your Saturday?
Have you tried frog legs? They said they taste like a cross between fish and chicken...

Enjoy your Sunday everyone!!