Me? Skinny?

So it's been a while since I've blogged and I can't come up with anything good.  Everyone is about the same.  Ty's little in-home evaluation is Tuesday and we are eager to get therapy started.  I've lost another pound and 3 inches.  Jeff is making progress on his quest to build muscle.  Our Isagenix Team Hemingson is expanding which is fun to watch others start to achieve their goals too!

So today I was looking at myself in the mirror and it hit me.  I still see fat Jeni.  You hear it all the time.  "I know I've lot weight, but I still see the heavier me when I look in the mirror."  In the past I would yell at the TV, "what's wrong with you, you look great, you worked hard, you should be proud of yourself, etc."  I totally get what they are saying.  While I am very proud of my accomplishments, I still can't get over the image looking back at me.  That's not MY body.  It's like someone photoshopped my face and put it on a smaller body.

Why does this happen?  Are we afraid of success?  Perhaps afraid of success so that we might need to maintain it?  Maybe that's why some people can't get started in the first place.  If I don't really try then I don't have to fail.....maybe?  What DOES happen when we succeed?  How do we know when we get there?

Well here's what I did this morning.  I kept looking at myself.  All angles.  Until I could confirm in my brain that it's me.  I even told Jeff "I'm a smokin' hot momma.  I look good, I like it."  Am I perfect?  Heck no.  But I like it.  Maybe the more I see it and the more I say it, the faster my brain will catch up with my body.

Am I afraid of success?  Maybe.  I've never been this healthy before...now what?  I'm 38 and in the best shape ever.   It's all new to me.  I've never been "athletic."  Now I run and lift weights.....and I like it.  What's up with me?  I'll tell you.  I feel good and I can't stop myself.

Maintain it?  I still have some fat to release and some muscles to tone.  So that's where I'm going.  I'm releasing more fat and toning more muscles.  It's a game plan.  It means working smarter.  I don't have more hours to exercise, so I need to continue to maximize the time I have.  Heavier weights, run faster, push myself harder.  It's a bitter sweet moment when I'm at BodyPump class and I realize I need to add weights.  Yay I'm stronger....shoot that means the bar will be heavier.  I was getting comfortable and now I need to get uncomfortable again.

How do I know when I've reached "success"?  I guess I will just know!

Any other "smokin' hot mommas" on the inside screaming to get out?  Contact me asap!  I love watching the transformations!

Pictures!

Feeling pretty good today!  I've had a productive weekend signing up for some 5Ks, shopping for new clothes and rocking my new body.

Wanted to post some pictures.

This is me on June 12, 2013

Here is me this morning!

And for fun, a side view.

20 pounds released!  55 inches smaller!

First I have to say how much more happy and energetic I am.  You know what they say about people who exercise and those endorphins.  Yep, it's true!  I feel happier for myself and for other people.  It's amazing!

Then there's the shopping because my clothes are looking a little baggy.  Of course they feel big, but when they start to look like they're going to fall off, it's time to bite the bullet and get some new ones.  I bought the blue work out outfit yesterday in a size smaller than in the past, it's more form fitting than I'm use to, but I'm not self-conscience like I use to be.

Still going to hit the Y to shed the last of the belly, thigh, and upper arm fat.  This week looks like BodyPump, Shred, Stair Climber, Rower, running, and taking a day off for a cleanse.  If I can stay on task the last few inches shouldn't take long.

Thank you Isagenix and my friend Lori for helping me find my groove again.  I feel better than I did when I was 20!

School is underway and a challenge has started!

Labor Day weekend!  The sign of the end of summer and the beginning of school.  Our school actually started this past week, so we have a week under our belt.  The kids LOVE their teachers and have adjusted well.  Ty enjoys having mommy to himself again.  Mommy loves having a schedule.

Ty had his preschool screening this week.  We got about 1/2 into the screening and the teacher stopped.  He couldn't finish because he doesn't talk.  Yay!  Exactly what I was talking about, and finally someone confirms what we already knew.  He needs help before starting school.  Obviously we have two years before Kindergarten, but it might take that long to get him caught up to kids his age.  Our next step is to have a more thorough evaluation by the school district to determine exactly what therapy(s) he will need.  We should hear back from them in the next week or two to schedule the appointment.  We are very excited for him.  How much easier his life will be when he can talk.  In every other category he's pretty much normal or above.

I have hit my goal weight and continue to loose inches and fat.  I have never felt healthier and stronger.  This morning I completed BodyPump class at the YMCA with heavier weights in all muscle groups.  I can run longer and faster.  Jeff and I have signed up for a 16 week Isagenix Body Challenge.  Jeff is signed up for the Performance challenge and I for the Weight Loss challenge.  We are both excited to tackle this challenge together.

For inquiring minds, I have released 19 pounds and 53 inches.  Jeff has released 15 pounds and 31 inches.  We've both gained lean muscle mass.  Pictures will follow as the challenge progresses.

And for the kids.  They continue to enjoy the shakes and bars for snacks.  So much better for them than other snack foods they could indulge in.  Larson has taken some additional supplements and we are happy to report that he has more control over his emotions.  Maybe not perfect, but better.  This is a game changer for him.

Happy Labor Day Weekend My Friends

Sick kids and lost inches

It's been a while, but I'm back.  We've had some minor drama in the family and I finally have time to sit down and blog.

The little guy has some kind of cold virus and ear infection and is being treated for that.  He has become a super picky eater during this time so I don't know if he still has ear and throat pain or if he's just being silly.  I've also been back and forth with our insurance, the speech rehab facility and the school district on Ty's speech therapy.  Right now we are approved by the insurance for eight rehab sessions.  I just found out that the school could possibly help him, but they need to do an assessment sometime in August.  Today I will be contacting insurance and rehab facility to see if we can wait on those eight sessions until after the school's assessment.  Why?  Well the school's speech therapy would be free.  Speech therapy at the rehab facility will be pretty much 100% out of pocket expense.  Not a financial hit we want to take.  We will do it if we have to, but we want to check out all our options first.  It will be a busy day of making phone calls today.

My big guy had a pretty bad bike accident.  Took a good chunk of skin off his elbow, and also banged up his mouth.  Stitches in his lip and two broken teeth.  Of course he broke his two front permanent teeth. We visited the dentist earlier this week, but his lips were so swollen and tender, the dentist couldn't do anything.  We are going back in a few days to get at least a temporary fix on the teeth so Larson can eat normally and feel more confident.  It's been a long week.

Weigh in time!  Down another 2 pounds which makes 15 pounds in 6 weeks.  I only have 3 more pounds to go to make my original goal.  Once I get there I have to re-assess because I might want to go a few more.  This week I lost 5.75 inches (total of 42.5 inches)!  Which is huge because in the past few weeks I had only lost between 3 and 4 inches.  I was surprised to find I lost 1/2 inch around each arm because I've never lost in my arms before.  Also surprising was 2 inches around my waist!  In trying to evaluate what I did differently this week, the only thing I can think of was Body Pump class and an extra effort to work on an ab challenge I found on Facebook (below).

Tonight both kids have sleep overs.  We are doing a "child swap" with another family.  Our households will have the same number of kids, but different personalities.  It will be fun for everyone!  I know the kids are super excited!

Onward to fight the good battle of raising kids and trying to be the best mommy I can be.

Even less of me!

Just finished another 48 hour cleanse.  I'm down another 2 pounds and 3.5 inches!

I tried Bosu class this morning.  Pretty much kicked my butt.  That instructor is fantastic!  I like switching up my routine and try not to do the same exercise more than twice a week.  I feel like I have to do weight lifting though.  It might be easier if I sign up for a personal trainer, but I don't really want to spend the money on it.  I'll have to think more about that.

Kids are doing good.  Ty still isn't potty trained, but the speech thing kind of messed us up.  I don't want to throw too much at him.  We saw Despicable Me II yesterday with our neighbors and we had a GREAT time!  It was a cute movie.  The big kids laughed and laughed, and it kept Ty pretty entertained until he fell asleep.  Unfortunately we had to go close to his nap time, but it all worked out in the end.

The noises from the basement lead me to believe that a neighbor girls are over and the big kids are having all sorts of noisy fun.  Ty is content watching his pre-nap Mickey Mouse show.  Looks like our day is on track!

Happy Thursday everyone!

SO TIRED

Got home from ladies' night last night and everything in the house seemed normal.  Ty was up, but I assumed he was waiting for me.  He's a momma's boy right now.

I put him to bed when I went to bed.  About 30 minutes later he's whimpering at our door and I put him back into bed and sit with him for a while.  Something seemed off.  I assume it's a bad dream and go back to bed.  Not 10 minutes later he was back at our door.  Jeff brought him back to bed and shortly after, it hit.  The sound of a little one puking.  UGH!  I jump out of bed and help Jeff clean up and get the little guy back to bed.  I grab a pillow and blanket and hit the floor next to Ty's bed so I can be closer for the next round.  He's restless.  We snuggle in the oversized chair in his room.  Just as I think he's sleeping, it hits again.  Puke down my arm and on the blanket.  Poor guy!  Jeff runs in and helps me clean up.  Ty can't seem to get comfortable in the chair so back into bed.  I find myself thinking of Grandma Harriet and try to channel comfort from her.  I ask for some help/strength from both God and whatever other maternal spirit would help me, and what happens.....more puke!  This time contained and easy to clean up myself.  Ty pretty much slept through the whole thing and fell sound asleep for the rest of the night.

Lightening strikes and the thunder rolls across the sky.

For the love of Pete!  Now the big kids will be up neither mom nor dad have slept yet.  Fortunately only Larson wakes up and he's big enough to make a bed on the couch and fall back to sleep.  Still a restless night.

We slept in somewhat (if you call lying there awake with your eyes closed sleeping) and Ty wakes up at 9:00!  Yay!  He got some sleep.  Now for the unfortunate part, there's no way he's napping since he woke up late and that means no rest for mom nor dad.  

Mom and dad have to take turns hitting the Y today because we can't bring Ty to Kid Stuff.  Mom takes the big kids first and gives dad some quiet time with Ty.  I didn't think a work out was going to work for me today, and if I hadn't skipped yesterday, I would have skipped today.  I grab an Isagenix shake for breakfast because I know, if anything, this will get me through it.  I also bring an energy drink just in case I need it mid-workout.  I climb up on the stair master and rev it up to my average speed for 30 minutes.  Plug in the ear buds and set the TV at the trusty DIY channel.  They are making over bathrooms today.  About 10 minutes into it I feel great!  I'm thinking I'll be able to crank it up no problem....who needs sleep?  So I take a peek at my heart rate to make sure my vitals are in check, and it's about the highest I've seen it so early in a work out.  Who needs sleep?  ME!  Talked myself off the ledge.  It's OK to work at a slower rate today.  Thank goodness I did!  By the end of the 30 minutes I was wiped!  I was one of those crazy people whispering to myself, "come on! you got this!"  Of course I felt much better when I notice the guy next to me having an even harder time and he's at a lesser pace.  HE needed a shake and an energy drink! Downed the energy drink...feeling better.....off to the weights.  You'll never guess what I did.  Yep, increased my weights by 5-10 pounds.  Woohoo!  Should have had the drink earlier!  Live and learn.

You know, I pretty much skipped out of there because after recovering from my little heart attack at the end of the stair work out I felt great!  Momma needs to keep herself healthy and strong if she's going to take care of other people too. 

Older and Never Felt Better!

Happy Birthday to me!

Started the day with a weigh in and measure.  Down almost 4 inches.  Stayed the same in weight.  I'm not surprised with the July 4 weekend, etc.  Like I said before, sometime you're only one potato chip away from maintaining vs loosing weight.  I'm very excited that I didn't gain weight, as the case would be if I hadn't had Isagenix on hand to hold me at bay.  The 4 inches confirms that things are still moving in the right direction.

This morning also included a Bosu class and some swimming with the kids.  Followed by a very welcomed lunch!  We were super hungry.  Rest time this afternoon, quick grocery shopping, and going out with the family for dinner.

Today starts my 38th year (or 39 depending on how your counting) and I have never felt so good!  Bosu class was manageable...still super challenging, but I never felt the urge to bolt from the class this time.  I can actually see my face has become thinner.  I am stronger and have more endurance.  Shoot, I couldn't run a mile in high school and now I'm thinking of trying 4-5 on my next run.  The hair is starting to grey, but I'm totally blaming the kids on that one.  A little highlights and no one knows the difference.

Bottom line:  I FEEL REALLY GOOD!

I am soon starting my 2nd month on Isagenix, and I'm very excited!  Hopefully I'll be down to my goal weight in the next 30 days.  Time will tell.

Happy day everyone.  I'm leaving you with a picture of the nice birthday flowers my family gave me this morning.

2 Week Update

Two weeks I'm down a total of 9 pounds and 24.5 inches.  I can feel the difference in my clothes, and that feels GREAT!

I am a little disappointed in the 2 pound loss this week.  More so disappointed in myself in that I had a couple of cheat times.  At the time it didn't seem like much.  Just a good reminder that you're one bite away from loosing or gaining weight.  It's a thin line.

Also, I've never had good results when having to count calories.  (In this program, the "knife and fork meal" is a 400-600 "healthy low-glycemic meal.")  For some people it works out great....me, not so much.  I'm going to have to try something a little different this next week.  I think my saving grace for last week was a 2 day cleanse.  Without that, I don't think I would have lost anything.  In this journey of mine (probably about 4 years) I've figured out a few things about myself.  One of which is counting calories doesn't work for me - emphasized by this experience - and once I get the right food combinations figured out, I'll have better results.  

For anyone starting on their journey, I encourage you to allow yourself time to experiment and figure out what works for you.  There's a delicate balance between how much you eat, what your body does with that food, and how much you exercise.  It's not always as easy as calories in / calories out.  Every BODY reacts differently.  So experiment and allow yourself the time to learn what your body needs.

Trying Something New! Isagenix

I'm I a bit of a fanatic when it comes to eating and exercising?  Yes!  I have to be.  To be me and live in this society in this day, I have to be.

I'm a bit of an obsessive compulsive over-eater (self-diagnosed).  I eat until I'm stuffed and still eat more.  It all starts after my noon meal.  I can't stop until I go to bed.  I walk to the pantry hundreds of times a day.....for no reason what-so-ever!  It's horrible!  It is horrible to be obsessive, and obsessive over food is a nightmare because you have to eat.  It's not something you can "quit cold turkey."  Yet amazingly I don't weigh 300+ pounds!  I don't because I have used systems to help me control myself and I exercise.

As you know, I've been exercising and doing different eating programs....counting calories and Weight Watchers.  I've also participated in LA Weight Loss.  All of which worked for me.  To a point. 

So I learned of Isagenix from a Facebook friend.  I'm not the "gimmicky" gal, and I tried to just eat a balanced diet and exercise.  Because to a point it works.  (For sure I'm not into the pill idea, because in the end, a pill didn't change your habit.)  After following my friend for some time I decided to check into it more and went on the website.  I really liked the idea of the nutrition the different solutions this company delivered.  I like how the focus is on nourishing the body appropriately, and the natural side effect is weight loss. I liked how they explained toxins and how detoxing your body is beneficial. Everyone also claimed to feel so much better.*  Huh.  Sounds just like every other program, right?  But I couldn't stop thinking about the nutrition.  I didn't really believe I was doing the best I could do, even on all those programs.  

After a quick discussion with Jeff, we decided to give it a try together.  He's in the fitness industry and wants to tone up a bit more.  We jumped in a little over a week ago.  I won't get into the details of the program other than it consists of shake days and cleanse days, but of course we still eat "real" food too.  It has fit into our lifestyles.  Let me say, that it has taught me how many times I mindlessly search for food and how many times I eat the miscellaneous drop of food off the kids' plates.  I am down 7 pounds and 15 inches in my first 7 days.  Dangerous?  No.  The first week of a program you tend to drop a lot of weight.  The inches are spread out over my body, so it's a little over 1 inch in each area measured.  How fantastic is that!?  Over an inch around the bust, waist, hips, and butt....each.  Yes, my clothes feel good and I don't think about what to wear.  It all fits.  I open the closet, and it all will look nice.

I'll definitely blog more as we go.  But if you have questions, contact me or check out the website.  Or contact me through the website at: http://jenihemingson.isagenix.com/us/en/home.dhtml.  I'm not an expert on this system yet, but I'm happy to help you navigate an answer any questions.  I really do feel good!

*Yesterday I had Jimmy Johns....we were in a bind.  I could definitely tell I had too much bread because I felt terrible.  Don't get me wrong, Jimmy Johns has fantastic tasting sandwiches, but I don't think I'll down a whole one again.  My body is already changing and is loving it.  It knows when it has something good going on.

EEK! It's been a while.

I haven't blogged in a very long time.

The kids adjusted well to school.  Dad enjoys the shorter commute, and mom found some friends.  Woohoo!!

At this time, we are attempting to potty train the little guy.  He just turned 3 and it's time to get this show on the road!  However, I don't think it will be easy with this one.  He's cute and he knows it, and he has a stubborn streak.  Those two put together makes it really hard on mommy to get this guy to actually tinkle on the potty.  He'll sit there, but he won't go.  Silly guy!

My weight and eating struggles continued through the winter.  (The exercise part went OK though.)  Of course I gained the Thanksgiving-through-Christmas-15, which was painful to say the least.  Very frustrating!  The saying "80% food, 20% exercise" is painfully true.  I can exercise my butt off, but if the right food isn't going into my mouth, it's all for nothing.  I think this is common knowledge, but no one wants to really believe it or actually do anything about it.  Food is so good, and so abundant.  Or let's just say THE WRONG food is so good and so abundant.  I have done relatively well on Weight Watchers, but I decided to try something different.  I'm a week into it and I'm seeing some great results.  I'll post more about that tomorrow.

What about the Christmas 15?  Well, it's gone, but it took more work to get it off than put it on.

As for today, it's a regular day with a chiropractor appointment and running around with the kiddos.

Cat Puke, Laundry, Exercise, Oh My!

Most moms will know exactly what I'm talking about.

Woke up last night to Emmy puking on our bed.  Yes, on our bed, while we were in it.  Nothing like waking up to that gagging hacking sound of a cat.  Everyone say "EWWWW." 

Get up this morning and pull all the bedding off the bed.  If I have to wash the duvet, I might as well do it all.  While I'm at it, might as well wash everyone elses' bedding too.  Smile and nod if you know what I'm talking about.

Little Ty wakes up an hour early since we put him down an hour early.  This is both good news and bad news.  The good news is I'll make it to the gym in time for 9:30 cycle class.  The bad news is I have one more little person to attend to while I clean up and get the kids off to the bus. 

Once the kids are off to school our day gets back to normal.  Oh no, wait, did I think this morning would go smoothly?  Got an email from our sub Sunday School teacher that she can't really sub on the dates that we need her.  Note to self, when we get home from the Y, finalize the teacher schedule and make sub request forms for next Sunday.

Take a peek at the carpet and notice the stairs are totally filthy.  I've got 25 minutes, I can vacuum.  Yep, I did it, I vacuumed.  (Why do we put so much pressure on ourselves??)

So that great idea set us back a few minutes, but we made it to the Y on time.  Ty had a great time playing with his friends and mom got a great workout.  Exactly what I needed after a rocky start to the day. 

School's in session!

Yay! The kids are back in school.  Down to me and Ty and our new little routine.  Hit the YMCA in the morning.  Ty is adjusting well to the child care center at the Y.  I go almost every day because the more I go, the happier he is when I drop him off.  I've found several classes that I enjoy...Body Pump, Cycling, Tabata, Boot Camp.  I also still hit the elliptical and treadmill on days I miss class.  There are a few I haven't tried yet like the water classes and zumba.  The schedule hasn't aligned correctly yet.

After the Y I shower, we have lunch and Ty gets down for a quick nap.  After naps we pick up the big kids from the bus stop.  Then the hard part starts.  Seriously the hour of Body Pump followed by a 3 mile run isn't as exhausting as afternoon snack time in this household.  Noisy, hungry, tired kids ready to tell me all about their day, demand a snack, and ask to go to a friend's house....all at the same time.  Talk about multi-tasking!  I'm exhausted 30 minutes after the kids get home. 

The kids have adjusted well to the new school.  So far we are doing great with the long walk to the bus stop....check back with me this winter when it's cold, windy and snowing.  I've gotten to know the kids' neighbor friends' parents better.  Behind us lives a family with a girl Larson's age, her older brother, parents, and grandmother.  The grandmother recently told me that the mom was praying a family with kids her daughter's age would build a house here.  We've had a few short conversations and hopefully we will develop a closer friendship as our kids have.  It's cute to see the "fabulous 4" walking to and from the bus stop together. 

Sunday School starts this week.  I've had to volunteer to teach Larson's Sunday School class, as they didn't have any volunteers  That would mean no Sunday School for that class until a teacher steps up.  One other mom volunteered to cover 1/3 of the classes which is fantastic!  I asked the coordinator to help us find one more teacher.  This church is a little different, as Sunday School meets during church.  The kids' lessons follow the message of the church service.  I kind of like this because they don't really enjoy sitting through church anyway, it's more convenient for the parents, and the kids probably get more out of Sunday School.  The only con is that the days I teach, I miss sitting with Jeff in church.  The program does quite a few "Sunday School in Worship" Sundays.  Which means the kids get an activity sheet to complete during church so the service is their Sunday School that day.  This means more time as a family in church and less lessons for me to prepare. Although I wasn't quite ready to jump into teaching, I'm looking forward to meeting more people. 

MOPS also starts this week!  Woohoo!  I found a group a few miles from me and I'm looking forward to checking this group out.  For more information about MOPS, check out www.mops.org.

Off for a nap before the bus comes.  I need all the rest I can get!

Hit the Y one too many times

Joined the YMCA a while back to give my work out routine some variety.  AND to get a moment away from the monkeys without messing up the "family time" schedule. 

The kids LOVE the child care area, so that was a huge plus.  Ty has a little separation anxiety, and over time it seems to be getting better.  The staff is really good with helping him while I'm gone.  He puts on a good show for me as I turn around and walk out the door.  Usually the mom checking in behind us will find me and let me know he stopped crying as soon as I was up the stairs.  I love how the moms at the facility support each other!

I'm excited to have found a huge variety of equipment and classes that challenge me.  My favorite classes so far are group cycling and Bosu boot camp.  On my own, I like (what I call) speed hill walking and a few of the programs on the elliptical.  The elliptical that I like the most is Octane's run stride.  I can do sprinting and intervals without killing my back and knee.  I've been doing the 30:30, which is 30 second sprints, 30 second rest and every few minutes you get a 3 minute recovery.  That style of exercise is HUGE for weight loss.  Get your heart rate up and down throughout the work out. 

Anyway, I'd been working out 4 days straight!  This morning when I woke up and couldn't sit down on the toilet, I decided today is my rest day.  Ouch!  Tomorrow I'm going to try the 10K on the elliptical.  Maybe lift some weights too. 

I feel SO good these days!  I'm super excited I'm back at a gym and taking time for myself.  Even if I have to drag everyone out the door and leave one screaming at the child care area.  It's totally worth it to have a happy momma again!

Mommy and Daddy get a day off!

It's been well over a week since I've blogged.  I want to skip back to last week when Jeff and I had a child free day.  We got so much done!

We started the morning by sleeping in!  Not sure how that happened.  I'm usually up by 7 at the latest.  We finally opened our peepers at 9!  We were going to run, but that didn't happen.

We started the day by shopping at Ikea for ideas on redecorating our bedroom.  We want to paint the room grey with a blue/green accent wall.  We decided on white furniture and found a white headboard we can agree on.  I think we're going to paint our dressers, but buy a new headboard and maybe new night stands.  We found the perfect duvet cover.  Now for the duvet.  We visited Lowes and picked up some paint swatches.  I'm very eager to get started on our new project!  Probably later this fall. 

Of course the picture doesn't give the colors justice, but you get the idea.

Ali reminded me we have to paint her bed white too.  Yep, we will do the kids' room and their bathroom this fall/winter too. 

We had a nice quiet meal at bd Mongolian BBQ.  I wanted to try it, but didn't want to go with the kids the first time.  We needed to check it out to make sure the kids would like it there.  They have a good kids' menu, so I think we can chance it.

After a nice nap we hit the road on our bikes for a 7 mile workout.  It is so nice to exercise with a mate, isn't it?  I find it boring to run, walk or bike by myself, but with three monkies, it can't be helped.

Surprise!  We had some extra time before dinner.  Off to Valleyfair!  While slightly strange to go without the kids, it was fun to go without them.  We hit the "big kid" rides that we can't do when they're with.  Steel Venom, Power Tower, Wild Thing, etc.  We wanted to hit Extreme Swing, but the line was long and we wanted to head back. 

I can't say it enough, we had a FANTASTIC day.  We definitely need to do that more often! 

Bike helmet, check! Costco run, check!

Got a bike helmet and off I went!  It was so nice to switch it up and take a bike ride instead of running.  I went about 5 miles....I think.  I'll need to check it out.  I loved working different muscles.  It felt SO GOOD!

We ran to Costco this morning and picked up a new toaster (a 4-slicer!), new Rubbermaid set, and various food items.  You know, it feels really good to get new stuff and throw out the old.  Obviously with a new house it seems like you need new stuff.  I had blogged earlier that we got new kitchen and bath towels because it didn't seem right to come into a new house with old towels.  Besides, our towels were getting gross anyway. Our intention was to use what we had because it's more cost effective.  Obviously.  But something feels weird about walking into a new house with old towels.  We spent a lot to build the house and landscape it.  The last thing we needed to do was re-furnish it.  The toaster today replaced the 2-slicer so that feels more like a necessity as the family is getting older.  The Rubbermaid replaces our disposable containers.  Not so much a necessity, but it sure is nice.  I almost feels like we're newlyweds again!  Seriously, try it sometime.  Buy a box of some new kitchen stuff, wash it up and put it away.  See what happens.

When we go to wedding and baby showers, we always say, "it would be nice if I could have another shower to get new stuff.  My stuff is so old after (pick a number) years."  Well, yes.  I would encourage, if you can to just get new things....if you really feel you need to be refreshed.  This isn't a very frugal idea and in these times, who can afford it, right?  I'm not saying go out there and re-furnish your house in one evening.  Look for sales and replace things as you can.  We have been donating and recycling lots of the old stuff and are actually down sizing in the process.  We had over 20 bath towels that we never used.  We went to Target (Walmart would work too) and grabbed 6 new towels in the store brand line.  Each towel was about $5 if I remember correctly.  That's right, we live off of 6 towels (plus the 3 baby towels for Ty).  Think of how much room we save.  We hang and re-use 5 towels for a few days and then I wash.  I'm storing only 4 towels.  We have a few hand towels for guests and one wash cloth for Ty.  We use mesh sponges so there's not point in having a bazillion hand towels.  (Actually, the hand towels went to the kitchen rags and I use them to wipe up Ty after meals.  They are the perfect size and saves money on paper towels.)  Sorry, I ramble, but there are ways to de-clutter and get new if you work at it.

Another run, another day, and a visit to the zoo

Weight is a little up and I'm not sure why.  My goal this week is to track my intake a little better.

Went for a run this morning but ended up walked the last part because my knee hurts.  I injured it a while back and I have to back off when it acts up.  It was still a good run because my goal was to go faster, which I did for 1 1/2 miles. I'm eager to get a bike helmet so I can add biking to my list of exercises. I should probably add kettlebells to the list.  I could fit that into the schedule in the evenings.  Oh ya, the kettlebells are at the old house still.  UGH. Well, add that to the list for next week.

Last night we went to Como Zoo.  We only had an hour before the park closed, but it was a great time to go!  No crowds and it was coolish outside.  We zoomed through the exhibits and the animals were up close and personal (except the bears...I think they were already in their dens for the night).  I had a monkey run at me, which was spooky.  It came out of no where on a branch and pounced the glass.  I screamed of course.  Totally wasn't expecting that.  He was a cute little fellow.  The lion was pacing in front of the glass so the kids got to be very close up.  Poor thing wanted to be outside.  Not sure why he wasn't, I'm thinking the lions were brought in for the night.  That's the closest we'll ever be to a lion! The gorillas were looking pretty sad in their inside enclosures, but when we went outside we found out why.  They're doing a huge renovation to the outdoor gorilla exhibit.  It will be a much better space for them.

Today is a "stay home day."  We're going to try to do stuff around the house today.  Lars and Ali like playing with their friends and they hate having their play time interrupted.  I don't blame them.  Nope, today we stick around the house.  Maybe I'll get some house work done too.  Make a couple of phone calls.  Yep, that sounds good today.

woohoo! 4 miles!

It was a much cooler morning.  I was able to make it the 4 miles today!  Of course I went the Lite Side route so I only had 2 hills to battle.

At what point does the body take over?  It seems like I got about 2 miles and suddenly my legs were going and I was along for the ride.  It's a great feeling!

I'm so glad I made up my mind to go that extra mile.  Half the battle is committing in your head.  If I would have gone out thinking "I'd really like to run 4 miles, but we'll see what happens," I'd never made it.  Commit and do it!  The next run will be easier and maybe soon I'll go even farther.

Parties, Cake, and Cleaning

2 words....busy weekend.

My oldest is 8!  He is turning out to be such a sweet boy.  After two years of long awaited anticipation, we had his party at Chuck E. Cheese's on Saturday!  3 kids and 10 adults had lunch at Chuck E's.  It was pretty fun.  Even Uncle Scott came, as it was his birthday too!  It's nice when we can celebrate the two birthdays at the same time.  My parents took Lars and Alicia home with them for an over-nighter.  Apparently they went to Applebees for dinner last night and the staff sang for Larson and he got free icecream.  I talked to him on the phone last night and he said this was his "BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!!"  So cute.  Not sure if we can out due ourselves next year.  It was a pretty good day.

Lars and Ali with Chuck E.

Little Brother Ty gives Chuck a kiss.

Speaking of pretty good, Costco makes awesome cakes!  MMMMM  Chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and chocolate mouse filling.  Two pounds of chocolate mouse filling!  OMG, heaven.  So far we're 2 for 2 in the cake department.  Ty's cake two weeks ago was super yummy too.  I'm good for cake for a while.  Well, at least another 2 weeks ... for my birthday.

Now the cleaning part.  We went to the old house to clean up this afternoon.  It was a hot day.  90F with no air conditioning or fans.  The sweat drips immediately.  Got the house clean for the most part.  Still need to do the oven and scrub the kitchen floor, but that won't take long.  Maybe in a few weeks we'll go back and finish up.  Lars and Ali were able to play for a while with their Hutchinson friends.  They miss their friends and it was nice that they had some time to reconnect.

Weigh-in:  I didn't loose any weight, but I didn't gain any either.  I ran and I ate.  It all equaled out.  Looking forward to be better week next week.

Not a fluke. I did it again!

So I chickened out on the morning run.

I got out this evening and found yet another route.  Let's call it Dark Side II since it's an off-shoot of Dark Side and it's longer.  I managed to conquer that route, despite my fantabulous decision to have second helpings at dinner. 

Let's talk about what you shouldn't eat before going off on a run.  An alien stole my brain for a moment and I made the yummiest mexican hot dish.  It's one of those dishes that you only eat if you're trying to gain weight.  Take seconds if you need to gain weight faster.  Corn bread and sour cream are the biggest offenders in the dish.  But seriously, you have to live sometimes.  Only you should be smart about it and take a small portion.  My tummy is still stuffed and I ate 3 hours ago....and took a run. 

I had an excellent run, which makes me wonder....am I not eating enough before my runs?  Obviously a double dose of a Mexican dish is not the answer, but maybe I need to re-evaluate how I'm fueling up.

HMMM  Lots to think about. 

Now to take the last for minutes of my day to relax and prep for bed. 

Good night everyone!

What a great day

It was a scorcher today in Minnesota!  Hot and humid is not a good combination.  I believe it was in the 90s (F) with 71% humidity.  We're lucky to have central air!

This morning we biked to a park nearby.  Even at 10:00 am it was sticky hot.  Super mom saved the day and got the Burley changed from a jogger to a pull-behind for the bike.  Dripping sweat I braced cab with my feet and pulled with ultra super strength on the tire and POP it came off.  Whew!  The kids were a bit nervous that mom wouldn't be able to do it and then the ride would be cancelled.  Mom couldn't let that happen.  Putting the trailer piece on was much easier.  So got that ready, hop on the bike and the chain falls off.  Twice.  ARGH.  Needless to say, I got it fixed.  We had a good time riding bikes together.  I think that's the first time we all hopped on a bike and rode off. 

One of the kids' new friends spent the first part of the afternoon playing.  It is so much fun to have friends close to keep us busy.

Like a normal kid, Larson informs me when we get to the pool that he doesn't have his shoes.  He was embarrassed and said he was sorry so I really couldn't get angry.  We've all been there.  But OMG.  Seriously.  We have an agenda after lessons!  Took this time as an opportunity for some Love & Logic.  "Well honey, the pavement is really hot.  You're going to have to run to the door.  Watch for cars!"  He tries to pin it on me..."mom, you forgot to remind me."  Nope, not working.  My come-back...."sorry buddy, your shoes are your responsibility.  You know you need to put shoes on when we go somewhere.  Remember next time."  So yes, I got about 30 minutes behind running errands because we had to go back home and get the shoes, but he learned a lesson and I kept my head about me.  Yay mom!

So after Larson's lessons, I pick up a take-n-bake pizza at a place in Savage called Woodland Take-N-Bake Pizza Company.  Dare I say it's better than Papa Murphy's?  So many toppings! Yummy crust!  Anyway, we just sit down and the door bell rings.  The neighbor kids are inviting the kids to a pool party.  Yep, eat and hurry off, kids.  Ali's swim lessons are in 45 minutes.  Ali and Jeff soon take off and Larson stays out.  All the kids are pool hopping and running through various sprinklers.  They were out until 8:30 pm!  Good times. 

On to tomorrow.  Dare I take a run in the morning?  I've been a slacker the last few days and it should be nice and mugging tomorrow morning.  Well, my punishment for procrastinating.  Wish me luck!