Happy Hump Day!!!! I am a bit sore this morning. I did some weight training last night and my arms are feeling a tad bit rubbery. I have been doing a bit of old school training the last few weeks to mix up my routine. Sit up, push ups, bench weights, jumping jacks, toe touches, lunges, etc and of course walking. Think junior high and high school P. E. workouts. I am really loving it. I keep thinking I am going to go to the gym, but once I get home, I do not feel like going out again, so home workouts it is. I can already see some results in the ab and thigh department. I now need to add more calories to my diet since I am concentrating on toning. I have such a hard time maintaining. I know, tough problem to have, but there it is. I am thinking of going the smoothie route again. Not as a meal replacement, but in addition to breakfast. Hubby makes yummy smoothies, so I am golden there.
Four years ago today the kids and I made the move from Bentonville to Cabot without the baby daddy. We had decided as early as February to separate, but wanted to wait until the kids were out of school to tell them as we did want to lay a bomb on them like this while they were in school. Ex hubby helped us pack and move into our apartment in Cabot. It was a scary time. I was going to be an official single mom. Ex hubby traveled a lot, worked a lot, studied a lot, etc so I was used to this role, but not officially. I needed to get a job and settle the kids into our new lives. It was also a very freeing time as well. I was able to re connect with friends I had not seen in forever and meet some new ones who would change my life forever. My sister and her family were also moving to Cabot at the same time and I loved having her close again. The transition was pretty smooth for the most part. I was envisioning things a lot rougher than actually came to pass, so I am very thankful for that. Are there things I would have changed? Yes. I would have made a direct move to Little Rock, because I ended up working in Little Rock and that commute was awful. I live around a 5 minute drive from the office now and it is heavenly. Anyway, this has caused my brain to go into reflective mode for the day. It is not a bad thing to look back and see how far you have come, or what changes need to be made. Life is about growing and moving on. How have you grown this year?
Enjoy your Wednesday and do something fun today. The weather in Little Rock is beautiful today.
Hugs!
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Never gonna give up
Do you give up when the going gets rough or do you dig in with both heels until you have reached your goal? Me? I am a little of both. My life is full of rainbows and butterflies and when dark clouds creep in I want to run as far away as possible, sometimes. Why not all the time? This is a question I ask myself on a regular basis. When I decided to go back to school 4 years ago to finish my degree, I was not stopping for anything. Money, time, whatever, I was bound and determined to finish before my son graduated from high school. I graduated December 2013 and my son will graduate May of 2015, so not only did I meet my goal, but I surpassed it. When it comes to fitness, I set goals for myself, stick to them and do not give up, regardless. I was determined to complete a 1/2 marathon so I could put that damn sticker on my car. Well, in May of this year I completed that goal. But, other parts of my life....run away! Hubby and I have been married 2 years this past May. To say that the first year was a bit rough was an understatement. Outside influences were bound and determined to tear us apart and honestly, I would be lying if I did not have more than a few conversations with the hubby about leaving. He always said to me, what is between us is what counts and the rest of them do not matter. At the end of it all, it is us and the rest is bullshit(he has such a lovely way with words). In other words, he would not allow me to give up. He told me it was not an option. It took him a long time to find happiness and love and he was not going to let it slip away. I am so thankful that he fought for me, because he was right. The outside stuff is bullshit and what matters is us. So, my point to all this? Let's stop giving up. When we stick to our goals and dreams, great things happen. A degree, a half marathon, a wonderful marriage, and the list can and will go on and on. This ties to your goal of a healthy lifestyle. Stick to it. The results will amaze you. It will be a slow process. It took me almost 3 years to finish my degree. It took 5 years for me to get into running/walking again and to be able to work up to a 1/2 marathon. Dig your heels in and get it done.
Hugs!
Hugs!
Monday, July 28, 2014
A Booby Monday
It's Monday, so let's talk about boobs.
A couple of weeks ago I was having a beer with some male friends and the topic of boobs came up. I cannot remember why, but wow, what varying opinions. I just assumed guys were the bigger the better, but that is so not true. Now, I have not been overly blessed in this area. Don't get me wrong, they are fabulous, just not big. As I tell everyone, B definitely stands for beautiful. Anyway, back to my conversation. I asked the guys around the table what they liked. Each one had a different opinion. One said the bigger the better(of course), one was very specific, as in race, fake, etc, and the other said more than a handful is way too much. I guess guys really put some thought into this topic so they should know. Believe it or not, this totally changed of how I feel about mine. I have always been jealous of the girls with the big boobs. As a teen, I kept waiting for mine to grow and fill out that training bra, but alas, they started and then just stopped. I had big ones while I was pregnant(loved them!), but as soon as I was done breastfeeding, they shrunk back to their original size. Now, over the years I have thought about implants, but I could not justify the expense or the fact that I truly believe we are made the way we are supposed to be made, imperfections and all. Plus, I am a big promoter of a healthy body image, so I am not a fan of plastic surgery. I have lots of friends who have them, but they are not for me and more power to them. The majority of them look (and feel) fantastic. I also started looking at before and after pictures and realized that hey, mine are not that bad. But as a boob obsessed society, I still feel a little deprived in this area. I went bra shopping yesterday(a task I hate) because it really makes me self conscience. But, I ended up finding some super cute and comfortable ones and realized I needed to count my blessings instead. For us small breasted women we can wear all the cute styles. We do not need tons of materials and fasteners to keep our girls in place and happy. I can fit in just about any style bikini top and clothing top without having to worry about over spill. I can run without pain. I do not have back pain. As a mid 40's woman, I never have to worry about sagging. That's right, my girls are still fabulously perky. And last but not least, my hubby thinks they are fantastic and at the end of the day, he really is the one who pays the most attention to them, so if he is happy then why should I complain. So, ladies, regardless of your size, embrace them and be happy with what you have.
Hugs!
A couple of weeks ago I was having a beer with some male friends and the topic of boobs came up. I cannot remember why, but wow, what varying opinions. I just assumed guys were the bigger the better, but that is so not true. Now, I have not been overly blessed in this area. Don't get me wrong, they are fabulous, just not big. As I tell everyone, B definitely stands for beautiful. Anyway, back to my conversation. I asked the guys around the table what they liked. Each one had a different opinion. One said the bigger the better(of course), one was very specific, as in race, fake, etc, and the other said more than a handful is way too much. I guess guys really put some thought into this topic so they should know. Believe it or not, this totally changed of how I feel about mine. I have always been jealous of the girls with the big boobs. As a teen, I kept waiting for mine to grow and fill out that training bra, but alas, they started and then just stopped. I had big ones while I was pregnant(loved them!), but as soon as I was done breastfeeding, they shrunk back to their original size. Now, over the years I have thought about implants, but I could not justify the expense or the fact that I truly believe we are made the way we are supposed to be made, imperfections and all. Plus, I am a big promoter of a healthy body image, so I am not a fan of plastic surgery. I have lots of friends who have them, but they are not for me and more power to them. The majority of them look (and feel) fantastic. I also started looking at before and after pictures and realized that hey, mine are not that bad. But as a boob obsessed society, I still feel a little deprived in this area. I went bra shopping yesterday(a task I hate) because it really makes me self conscience. But, I ended up finding some super cute and comfortable ones and realized I needed to count my blessings instead. For us small breasted women we can wear all the cute styles. We do not need tons of materials and fasteners to keep our girls in place and happy. I can fit in just about any style bikini top and clothing top without having to worry about over spill. I can run without pain. I do not have back pain. As a mid 40's woman, I never have to worry about sagging. That's right, my girls are still fabulously perky. And last but not least, my hubby thinks they are fantastic and at the end of the day, he really is the one who pays the most attention to them, so if he is happy then why should I complain. So, ladies, regardless of your size, embrace them and be happy with what you have.
Hugs!
Sunday, July 27, 2014
Fabulous weekend
Happy Sunday! Special blog post on the weekend while I have the time and it is fresh in my memory. Hubby and I had an absolutely fabulous weekend. We drove up to Northwest Arkansas primarily to see Steely Dan in Rogers at the new Wal Mart outdoor pavilion. They were fantastic! We decided to be on the cheaper side and sit on the lawn and we ended up with prime seats. If you ever get a chance to see a show at the pavilion, definitely do so. It is comfortable, food is good, beer is cold and the bathrooms are clean. The parking is okay. It is on a dirt road, so mind your foot wear choice. After the show,we went by the Kum and Go to pick up some beer and found out that you cannot purchase alcoholic beverages after 11:00. What the hell? We have some crazy stupid laws regarding alcohol in Arkansas.
Friday, hubby and I drove to Bella Vista to visit the princess. She was spending the week with her dad and we missed her, so we wanted to swing by and give her a hug and a kiss. From there, we headed to the Crystal Bridges museum in Bentonville. I had been there before with the kids, but this was hubby's first time. He is a huge art fan, so I was excited to show him the museum. We had a fantastic time. The museum is wonderful. They are setting up for a new show, so some of the art I wanted to show him was not available. We did about an hour and a half in the museum, took a lunch break, finished up the museum and then did one of the outside walking tours. It was hot, so we only did the art walk. It is so beautiful. I took some photos, but they really do not do it justice. It is well worth the visit. We are going to go again in the fall so we can take advantage of the outside gardens. After the museum, I took hubby on a quick tour of Bentonville. I lived there for about a year right before my divorce, so I had to show hubby Wal Mart land. After, we drove to Fayetteville and had a yummy dinner on Dickson Street. We ate at Hog Haus Brewery. Honestly, the house beer was crap, but the food was delicious and so was the wine. We ate on the top patio, which was shaded and prime for people watching, something hubby and I love to do. After dinner we went out for pie at the Village Inn. We do not have one in Little Rock, which makes me sad. They have awesome pie and I have been craving good pie for about a month. I had the French Silk. Yummmmmm. Sunday, we had a leisurely morning, stopped off at Rick's Bakery and then made our way back home. We stopped off in Altus and quickly went through two wineries. Honestly, the tasting at Wiederkher's was not good. I was all set to buy some wine to take home, but yuck, no thank you. We decided it was way too hot to actually tour so we are going to go back in the fall and taste our way through Altus. All in all it was a wonderful weekend. We did have a few hiccups. Mark locked us out of the apartment we were staying in and we had to call a locksmith. They were there in record time and it only cost $45.00. The scooter acted up for a minute, but the great guys at Midas in Bentonville got us sorted out and charged us $0. So that was awesome. Love kind people.
Princess is home as well as Jake and Rader. I am a happy momma. Here's to a wonderful weekend ahead!
Hugs!
Some photos of our weekend:
Steely Dan
View of Crystal Bridges
One of my favorite pieces
In one of the courtyards at Crystal Bridges
Turtle on the Art Walk
Rabbit on the Art Walk
My bee friend
In the garden
Shrimp and Grits at Hog Haus
French Silk Pie at the Village Inn
Altus
Friday, hubby and I drove to Bella Vista to visit the princess. She was spending the week with her dad and we missed her, so we wanted to swing by and give her a hug and a kiss. From there, we headed to the Crystal Bridges museum in Bentonville. I had been there before with the kids, but this was hubby's first time. He is a huge art fan, so I was excited to show him the museum. We had a fantastic time. The museum is wonderful. They are setting up for a new show, so some of the art I wanted to show him was not available. We did about an hour and a half in the museum, took a lunch break, finished up the museum and then did one of the outside walking tours. It was hot, so we only did the art walk. It is so beautiful. I took some photos, but they really do not do it justice. It is well worth the visit. We are going to go again in the fall so we can take advantage of the outside gardens. After the museum, I took hubby on a quick tour of Bentonville. I lived there for about a year right before my divorce, so I had to show hubby Wal Mart land. After, we drove to Fayetteville and had a yummy dinner on Dickson Street. We ate at Hog Haus Brewery. Honestly, the house beer was crap, but the food was delicious and so was the wine. We ate on the top patio, which was shaded and prime for people watching, something hubby and I love to do. After dinner we went out for pie at the Village Inn. We do not have one in Little Rock, which makes me sad. They have awesome pie and I have been craving good pie for about a month. I had the French Silk. Yummmmmm. Sunday, we had a leisurely morning, stopped off at Rick's Bakery and then made our way back home. We stopped off in Altus and quickly went through two wineries. Honestly, the tasting at Wiederkher's was not good. I was all set to buy some wine to take home, but yuck, no thank you. We decided it was way too hot to actually tour so we are going to go back in the fall and taste our way through Altus. All in all it was a wonderful weekend. We did have a few hiccups. Mark locked us out of the apartment we were staying in and we had to call a locksmith. They were there in record time and it only cost $45.00. The scooter acted up for a minute, but the great guys at Midas in Bentonville got us sorted out and charged us $0. So that was awesome. Love kind people.
Princess is home as well as Jake and Rader. I am a happy momma. Here's to a wonderful weekend ahead!
Hugs!
Some photos of our weekend:
Thursday, July 24, 2014
Time to rest
It's my Friday. Hubby and I are leaving at 12 to start off on another adventure. Unfortunately, this is our last getaway for a bit. Although, I should not say that as we are sorta planning a getaway in October so never mind.
I have stayed home the last two nights and it has been fabulous. I am loving the down time. I have done absolutely nothing except read and watch tv. I have laundry in the baskets, floors that need to be mopped, but I have no desire to do any of this. My house is picked up and the kitchen is clean. I cannot stand a dirty kitchen. Gross, gross, gross. Yesterday, it was pouring down rain, so hubby's soccer game was cancelled. We came home, went straight downstairs, snuggled under the blankets and took a nap. It was heavenly. I love those unexpected moments we get. Later, hubby went out to dinner with oldest stepson, and Jake had a friend over. They showed me how to play a new game, Cards Against Humanity. It was fun, but a bit awkward playing with two teenage boys. I am a bit old fashioned and believe some things you should not do with your kids. I don't mind some off color, but they need to keep that part of their lives with their friends. Now, it would be fun to play with my adult friends, so I am seeing a card night in our future.
I am dedicating the rest of my blog to a gentleman who I do not know personally. I only know him as the friendly, happy gentleman who walked his scruffy dog every morning in our neighborhood. Hubby and I would see him every morning and wave. When we were at the stop light, we would coo over his dog. He was an older gentleman who wore old school headphones(think walkman style) and seemed to really enjoy his morning walks with his dog. Well, on Monday, Barry Livingston, age 76 was hit on Hughes street while jogging. It was a hit and run, and Mr. Livingston was found by another jogger on the side of the road. He apparently took a morning run early and then would come back and walk his dog which was when hubby and I would see him. They are trying to find the individual who hit him, but there are not any leads as of yet. I will miss seeing Mr. Livingston and his scrappy dog and send prayers to his wife, children and grandchildren. Rest in peace.
Give someone an extra hug today. We never know when it will be the last.
Hugs!
I have stayed home the last two nights and it has been fabulous. I am loving the down time. I have done absolutely nothing except read and watch tv. I have laundry in the baskets, floors that need to be mopped, but I have no desire to do any of this. My house is picked up and the kitchen is clean. I cannot stand a dirty kitchen. Gross, gross, gross. Yesterday, it was pouring down rain, so hubby's soccer game was cancelled. We came home, went straight downstairs, snuggled under the blankets and took a nap. It was heavenly. I love those unexpected moments we get. Later, hubby went out to dinner with oldest stepson, and Jake had a friend over. They showed me how to play a new game, Cards Against Humanity. It was fun, but a bit awkward playing with two teenage boys. I am a bit old fashioned and believe some things you should not do with your kids. I don't mind some off color, but they need to keep that part of their lives with their friends. Now, it would be fun to play with my adult friends, so I am seeing a card night in our future.
I am dedicating the rest of my blog to a gentleman who I do not know personally. I only know him as the friendly, happy gentleman who walked his scruffy dog every morning in our neighborhood. Hubby and I would see him every morning and wave. When we were at the stop light, we would coo over his dog. He was an older gentleman who wore old school headphones(think walkman style) and seemed to really enjoy his morning walks with his dog. Well, on Monday, Barry Livingston, age 76 was hit on Hughes street while jogging. It was a hit and run, and Mr. Livingston was found by another jogger on the side of the road. He apparently took a morning run early and then would come back and walk his dog which was when hubby and I would see him. They are trying to find the individual who hit him, but there are not any leads as of yet. I will miss seeing Mr. Livingston and his scrappy dog and send prayers to his wife, children and grandchildren. Rest in peace.
Give someone an extra hug today. We never know when it will be the last.
Hugs!
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
You are beautiful
Happy Hump Day!
So there has been a challenge going around in the facebook world asking you to post 5 pictures of what makes you feel beautiful. I think the premise behind this is to post pictures of yourself of when you felt the most beautiful. I love this concept. I love seeing everyone's photos and especially their favorites. Well, I have a friend who did this in a different way. He posted pictures of things. It was mostly alcoholic beverages, but I got his point. What makes you feel beautiful? I have been thinking about this and came up with a list. By the way, I am a list person. I like to check off things and feel the accomplishment. So here are my five things that make me feel beautiful in written, not photographic form.
1. My husband. He is constantly telling me how beautiful, sexy, gorgeous,etc I am. I never get tired of hearing this and I know he feels this way because I can glance over at him and catch him "checking me out" and he gets this smile.
2. My friends and kids. They make me smile, which makes me happy on the inside, which shows on the outside.
3. The perfect outfit. You know the one that fits you like the designer made it especially for you. It hides the imperfections and accents all your good parts.
4. Makeup and Jewelry. I am a girly girl as you well know, so when the makeup is done and I am perfectly accessorized, I feel beautiful.
5. Being at the beach. I am at peace when I am at the beach and a person at peace glows, which makes me beautiful.
Work on your list and let me know. It is most important to be happy and at peace on the inside. Get rid of the hate and turmoil and your inner beauty will show on the outside. I know people who are beautiful on the outside, but their personality turns them ugly. Don't be that person. Get rid of your RBF(resting bitch face) and replace it with a smile.
Have a beautiful day and let it show!
Hugs!
So there has been a challenge going around in the facebook world asking you to post 5 pictures of what makes you feel beautiful. I think the premise behind this is to post pictures of yourself of when you felt the most beautiful. I love this concept. I love seeing everyone's photos and especially their favorites. Well, I have a friend who did this in a different way. He posted pictures of things. It was mostly alcoholic beverages, but I got his point. What makes you feel beautiful? I have been thinking about this and came up with a list. By the way, I am a list person. I like to check off things and feel the accomplishment. So here are my five things that make me feel beautiful in written, not photographic form.
1. My husband. He is constantly telling me how beautiful, sexy, gorgeous,etc I am. I never get tired of hearing this and I know he feels this way because I can glance over at him and catch him "checking me out" and he gets this smile.
2. My friends and kids. They make me smile, which makes me happy on the inside, which shows on the outside.
3. The perfect outfit. You know the one that fits you like the designer made it especially for you. It hides the imperfections and accents all your good parts.
4. Makeup and Jewelry. I am a girly girl as you well know, so when the makeup is done and I am perfectly accessorized, I feel beautiful.
5. Being at the beach. I am at peace when I am at the beach and a person at peace glows, which makes me beautiful.
Work on your list and let me know. It is most important to be happy and at peace on the inside. Get rid of the hate and turmoil and your inner beauty will show on the outside. I know people who are beautiful on the outside, but their personality turns them ugly. Don't be that person. Get rid of your RBF(resting bitch face) and replace it with a smile.
Have a beautiful day and let it show!
Hugs!
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
What is your normal?
Happy Tuesday! Congrats to the 501 Brewers and their success with Ales for ALS fundraiser at Dugan's last night. Sold out 66 pints in one hour and 15 minutes! Excellent. We had a great time and raised money while having some good beer. What more can you ask for? Here is part of our crew from last night. Told you it was fun!
I am a creature of habit, especially when it comes to the day to day routine. I have a morning routine that I rarely change, when I take a shower, I wash myself in the exact same order, every time, I get ready the same way, I have a work routine, etc. Now, I am not this way in all aspects of my life, but when my routine gets messed up, my whole day is thrown off. Is this a fault? I don't think so. I think we need some type of normalcy in our lives. Now, of course, the definition of normal varies greatly depending on who you are. Normal to you could be getting up at 5 am and going for a quick 10 mile run. This, is great, but definitely not my normal. Everyone needs to define what their normal is. I am a night owl. It is rare I go to bed before 11:00. People kept telling me this would change as I got older, but I am not seeing it yet. I did attempt for a short time to get up earlier than normal to exercise, but it just is not for me. I wish I could incorporate this, so I could get that off my to do list, but it is not to be. So, all this is to say, exercise should be a part of your norm. I do sit ups every night. EVERY NIGHT. The only rest days I have is when I am genuinely ill. I have done this since my early 20's. Lately, since my surgery, I have gotten out of this habit and I feel like such a sloth. It's crazy how changing one thing can effect you so greatly. So, I incorporated it back into my routine and feel so much better. Fit some type of physical exercise into your routine. Your body will thank you for it. It will take awhile for this to become a part of your daily routine. There is a myth that it only takes 21 days, but in all actuality it can take anywhere from 18-254 days. So, put a reminder on your phone, create a to do list, a note on your bathroom mirror, or a sticky note to remind yourself to walk every day, do sit ups, push ups, treadmill, ride your bike, etc. Start off with one type of exercise, do it for a short time and then build up from there. Let me know your progress.
Have a fabulous Tuesday and give someone a smile!
Hugs!
I am a creature of habit, especially when it comes to the day to day routine. I have a morning routine that I rarely change, when I take a shower, I wash myself in the exact same order, every time, I get ready the same way, I have a work routine, etc. Now, I am not this way in all aspects of my life, but when my routine gets messed up, my whole day is thrown off. Is this a fault? I don't think so. I think we need some type of normalcy in our lives. Now, of course, the definition of normal varies greatly depending on who you are. Normal to you could be getting up at 5 am and going for a quick 10 mile run. This, is great, but definitely not my normal. Everyone needs to define what their normal is. I am a night owl. It is rare I go to bed before 11:00. People kept telling me this would change as I got older, but I am not seeing it yet. I did attempt for a short time to get up earlier than normal to exercise, but it just is not for me. I wish I could incorporate this, so I could get that off my to do list, but it is not to be. So, all this is to say, exercise should be a part of your norm. I do sit ups every night. EVERY NIGHT. The only rest days I have is when I am genuinely ill. I have done this since my early 20's. Lately, since my surgery, I have gotten out of this habit and I feel like such a sloth. It's crazy how changing one thing can effect you so greatly. So, I incorporated it back into my routine and feel so much better. Fit some type of physical exercise into your routine. Your body will thank you for it. It will take awhile for this to become a part of your daily routine. There is a myth that it only takes 21 days, but in all actuality it can take anywhere from 18-254 days. So, put a reminder on your phone, create a to do list, a note on your bathroom mirror, or a sticky note to remind yourself to walk every day, do sit ups, push ups, treadmill, ride your bike, etc. Start off with one type of exercise, do it for a short time and then build up from there. Let me know your progress.
Have a fabulous Tuesday and give someone a smile!
Hugs!
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