One Lucky Girl

I am... Week 2/52

2012-01-15T11:27:00.002-06:00

The Focus52 prompt for this past week was... I am.

This was a good one because with everything that happened in 2011 (let's not even discuss everything that has already happened in 2012), I feel like I've really needed to think about who I am. I needed to look beyond just what has happened to me because it doesn't define me. I am more than just a series of {unfortunate} events. This has actually been my mantra over the last month or so...

So I am... LEARNING.

I am learning how to be a better wife, daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend. I whole-heartedly LOVE my family and I think I owe them this!!! And my friends-- they are probably some of the best a girl could ever ask for. They truly know me and love me anyway. I wouldn't trade a single one of them for ANYTHING, EVER!

I am learning how to be a better counselor, enforcer of the rules, and an educator... for at least 8 hours a day Monday through Friday:) My job is wonderful and I truly enjoy what I do. I was scared to jump into the unknown and make the switch from doing the one thing I had always done and was educated to do, to doing something I've never done and knew nothing about. Plus, making the switch from private sector to government was not easy. There are some huge perks to being in the private sector (aka the salary), but I've come to love what I do and that's more than any salary can offer me.

I am learning how to be a personal trainer. I'm not there yet, but I'm working on it. I am studying to take the NASM personal training exam and I'm excited. I love everything about fitness (and I'm super sad that I'm still not cleared to go to the gym) and enjoy showing people what it means to be healthy. I love when people ask me questions and want to know what I think. It's a good feeling to know you may be helping someone and that your opinion matters. I can't wait until I am certified.

I am learning how to be a photographer. This is an interesting one. I am new to it, but I do love it. My sister and I dream of being able to one day start our own photography business together. We actually took a photography class yesterday. It was small (there were only 4 of us!) and the teacher was great. Here is my favorite shot from the day...

After going through most of my pictures, I was pretty disappointed that I didn't take more and that I didn't love more of the ones that I did take. As I said, I'm new to this whole thing and I still have a LOT to learn.

To be perfectly honest, I think most of all, I'm learning how to be happy with where I am in life. I think I often lose sight of what's important. I mean, don't we all, at some point? For me, I need to learn how to let life happen and stop thinking about what isn't going right or what isn't happening the way I imagined it would. I started this process in 2011 and just a mere two weeks into 2012, I've realized I need to continue it. One event doesn't make me who I am-- I am a sum everything-- all events in my life.

Wow, that's one hard lesson to learn, isn't it?!

Focus52

2012-01-07T10:05:00.002-06:00

I've seen a ton of different photo challenges out there, but to be perfectly honest, I knew that having to take a photo every day probably wasn't going to happen so I went searching for something else. Something that would allow me to practice using my camera, but wouldn't cause me to ditch it after a few weeks. And lucky for me, I found this one...

Focus52 is about doing as much or as little as you want and posting about it once a week. Now, that's my kind of challenge. There is a weekly prompt (which you don't have to follow), you link up and post on Flickr. It's that easy. You should join in!

This week's prompt is... New.

I had planned to post a picture of something New Year's related, but when I got my camera out this morning, I snapped this shot of our boxer, Jack. I mean how cute is this guy?!? And all those wrinkles... where did they come from?

I don't know, but that face sure does steal my heart!

A new year, a new you?

2012-01-03T20:37:00.000-06:00

So they say something like 15% of people make a New Year's resolution to lose weight or get in shape and 60% of those people let those lovely new gym memberships go to waste shortly after the new year. So what gives? Well, I'm no expert**, but here are my tips for making this very New Year's resolution... and sticking with it!!

1. Be realistic with your goals. You're not going to lose 10-20 pounds in one week and to be perfectly honest, it's not really healthy to. There is no such thing as one size fits all when it comes to fitness so just because Suzy on The Biggest Loser lost 12 pounds in one week, doesn't mean you will and you need to go in with that attitude. If you set your sights too high, you'll find yourself having a hard time sticking with it. Setting attainable goals will keep you motivated.

2.   Diet pills don't work. Just like there isn't one size fits all, there is no quick fix. If it promises weight loss while you eat whatever you want and dont have to exercise, it's a lie! I mean, really? Every book you've ever read says that diet and exercise matter, but this one little pill box says they don't and you believe it? Don't bother- I can think of a lot of things you should spend your money on instead:)

3.   Get on a plan. I know a ton of people who the moment they start talking about getting in shape, they say that the lack of knowledge on what to do is what holds them back. I'm here to tell you that's no excuse. The internet is full of information and there are plenty of plans out there for free. Interested in finding one that works? Try bodybuilding.com. I know what you're thinking and stop!! Bodybuilding.com isn't about big manly muscles- it's about getting healthy and staying healthy. It's full of articles, has an exercise database, workout plans (including diet plans), and tons of products.

4. Pay attention to your diet. Exercise is important, but you can't exercise away a bad diet. I always chuckle when someone sucks down some pizza and a few beers and then says they have to run a few extra miles to burn it off. Yeah, that doesn't work. Sure, you may burn some extra calories, but your body still processed that food for what it was. Not all calories are created equal. I think you'll agree when you start eating a diet in which the bulk of your calories come from lean proteins and vegetables versus mostly carbohydrates. And definitely dont forget water- you have got to drink lots of water!!

5. Hire a trainer or find a gym partner. Accountability is paramount, especially when you're just beginning. If a trainer or partner is out of the question, at least keep a journal. I have hired several trainers, but I also really enjoy working out alone so I keep a log. While I like having my husband around to spot me, we typically walk into the gym and immediately part ways:) You might also want to look into what your gym offers- mine has traditional personal training, but they also offer small group training and a variety of classes. Sometimes a gym can provide you all the accountability you need. Do what works for you!

6. Take responsibility for your actions. You can't blame anyone but yourself for the progress you've made or the lack thereof. While external factors can sometimes get in the way of your goals, don't let it get the best of you. If you fall off the bandwagon, acknowledge it for what it is, but refuse to let it set you back. No one is perfect.

7. Stay positive. There is no room for Negative Nancy! You aren't going to see any drastic changes in the first few weeks, but you're still making progress and others will likely notice the changes in your body long before you do. I always like to take progress pictures-- not to show people, but rather for myself because that's the only way I can really see the changes and those changes are what motivate me.

8. Kick all those bad habits. I'm not trying to stand up on my soapbox and preach, but if you stop smoking and/or drinking, you'll be taking a huge step forward. That's not to say that going out with friends and having a glass of wine now and then is bad, just remember that it's better in moderation.

9. Sleep. You should aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night. I know that's not always possible, but your body uses that time to recover and you will need those hours if you're working out like you should. That whole beauty sleep thing is no joke!!

And last but definitely not least...

10. Live life!!  Enjoy your family and friends and don't deprive yourself of that. Stress will hinder your success so get out there and have fun.

**Disclaimer: Always consult your physician before beginning any nutritional or exercise program. The information contained herein is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment in any manner. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding any medical condition. All information contained herein is for informational and educational purposes only and any use thereof is solely at your own risk.

Goodbye 2011

2011-12-31T08:54:00.004-06:00

I've sat down quite a few times to write this and wasn't able to. Seeing that today is the last day of 2011, there's probably no better time. I am wholeheartedly saying goodbye to 2011 and standing with {wide} open arms saying hello to 2012. I know that isn't probably what I should be doing, but 2011 has proven to be a year of great struggles and in just the last month alone, I have experienced a pain that I never thought I could feel.

The beginning of 2011 was fairly uneventful as MJ was just ending his rotation home. We rang in the new year with my best friend, Ashley, and her fiance, Matt, in Boston and it was absolutely fabulous! We thoroughly enjoyed our time there and these two are so much fun to hang out with. Love them!

I ended up spending the next couple of months doing a lot with my family and just relishing in the fact that I am finally close enough to just stop by my sister's place or head into Maryland to spend the day with my cousins and aunts and uncles.

MJ came home again in April and we went to Florida with Ashley and Matt. We spent Easter in Tampa with MJ's family and then headed to Anna Maria Island for a week of sun and fun.

We then headed to Vegas to celebrate MJ's 29th birthday in May. It was another great trip that went by way to quick.

MJ's rotation at home went by quickly even though he was home for longer than usual. As you may recall, MJ and I went through a bit of a rough patch, if you will, and during his time home, there was a lot of tension between us. While I love every minute he is home, I admit that I often take it for granted and this was one of those times that after he left, I struggled a lot. I was really conflicted because I didn't know what I wanted anymore-- my job was super stressful, home was even more stressful and I was lost. Shortly after MJ returned to Iraq is when I made the conscious decision to change my outlook and I threw myself head first into what I knew I had control over-- myself and my actions.

I began working with an experienced trainer and set out with the goal to get in the best shape possible.

May 2011

August 2011

In September, I started a new job in a totally different line of work. While I had gotten some relief from the stress in my old job after being moved to a different team of attorneys, I, with some trepidation, decided to take a position with the government. I had to accept a pay cut and learn something completely different, but I knew that in the long run, it was good move for me. Thankfully, I still believe this was a good decision for me and I do love my job. I learn something new every day!

My cousin got married in October and MJ came home in November.

My cousin Lyndsy & her husband Drew

MJ and I opted to not take any crazy vacations and just stay home. We made a quick trip to Long Island to see MJ's Grandma and Grandpa as well as his Aunt, Uncle and Mom.

Grandpa Walter, Colleen (MJs Mom), & MJ

MJ & his Uncle Jimmy

We hosted Thanksgiving again this year and really enjoyed having our family here.

On December 3, MJ and I found out that we were expecting! We don't know how it happened... well we know how it happened, but we weren't planning on it. We were ecstatic! Later that week, I started experiencing some cramping and spotting (I apologize if this is TMI). I didn't think too much of it considering everything I had read said it happens often and everyone is different. On Friday, December 9, while out with MJ, I started to feel incredibly nauseous and had a terrible pain on my right side. I tried to dismiss it, but while eating dinner I told MJ I did not feel well and he needed to get me home. I originally thought I had just eaten something bad because the moment I got home, I was throwing up. Unfortunately, I started bleeding a bit more so first thing Monday morning, I called the doctor's office to speak to the nurse. I wasn't scheduled for my first ultrasound until the following week and MJ was scheduled to depart for Dubai that night so I knew I had to find out what was going on. They squeezed me in for an emergency appointment and much to our dismay, the ultrasound showed nothing in my uterus and the doctor was not confident that it was a viable pregnancy based on my symptoms. We prayed and prayed that we were off on the dates and the doctor said we could do a beta HcG in order to see where we were. While my first set of numbers were great, my second set did not rise like it should and when I returned for a second ultrasound, there was still nothing. The doctor diagnosed it as a missed abortion:( He immediately told me I needed to come in for a D&C to get everything taken care of. I couldn't do anything, but cry.

I quickly learned that for doctors and nurses, miscarriage is normal. For me and MJ, though, it was devastating. I had waited 2 years to get pregnant and when I finally did, I lost the baby. The doc asked that I have pre-op blood work done and I requested that they complete another beta HcG because I refused to have this surgery if I didn't need it. Again, much to my dismay, my numbers did not go down, they actually went up and I was scheduled for surgery the next day. On December 22, just three days before Christmas, I had the D&C.

While I wish I could say that it was over after that, it wasn't. The pathology came back the next day and there was no evidence of a pregnancy so I was rushed to the hospital to be given a dose of a chemotherapy drug called Methotrexate. It was now being diagnosed as an ectopic pregnancy. I had a million and one questions and was quite angry that I had to go through the surgery only for the doctor to say that it wasn't in my uterus despite the ultrasound and HcG numbers showing that same thing. I cried, my husband cried, my sister cried, my mom cried... we were a bunch of basket-cases to say the least.

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful that it was caught before it had a chance to rupture as that is life-threatening, but I can't help but mourn the loss of this baby. My first baby. Maybe that sounds crazy to some, but I remember everything MJ and I felt on the day we found out and knowing that our dream came crashing down just a few short days before Christmas is upsetting. Merry Christmas to us:(

I had my follow-up appointment yesterday and I am happy to say that things are going my way now. My numbers have dropped exponentially and my doctor says everything looks great. The Methotrexate did what it was supposed to do, I didn't require a second dose (which some people do), and he said that MJ and I can try again when he gets home.

I am so ready for the year to end. Tomorrow is a new day and a new year- Goodbye 2011, Hello 2012!

The next steps...

2011-10-21T08:26:00.000-05:00

I'm sorry for leaving you all hanging after last week-- I swear sometimes it feels like I go to bed and wake up days later. So to continue where I left off...

Last year I basically hit a point where the thought of having a baby consumed me. It took everything in me not to think about it- every time I passed the baby section of a store... every time I saw a baby... every time someone even mentioned a baby... it entered my mind. I feel like that's pretty normal though- anytime you really want something, you always notice it, right? I mean, after all, when I decided I wanted to buy a Toyota Highlander, I saw them everywhere... everyone had one- they had what I wanted!

Babies and cars- totally relatable, right?

All joking aside, after awhile, the constant thoughts of everyone having what I wanted became almost destructive- no, I take that back, they were destructive. And I didn't realize it until it was too late. I let it get the best of me and a lot of things suffered because of it. I'm not going to go into specifics, but I will say that my marriage took the brunt of it. To be perfectly honest, I don't even know why. There was no rush for me to get pregnant and there still isn't- I'm only 28! So why did I let it get to that point?

Unfortunately, I don't have an answer, but I do know that I've worked really hard on pushing through it. I think when things don't go as you always thought they would, you begin to second guess if what is in front of you is really meant to be. I actually took it to an extreme and began questioning everything around me. I questioned my job, my family, my friends, every single thing- even my marriage.

One day, while at the grocery store, I passed the card aisle. I'm not even sure what made me turn seeing as I had no reason to buy a card, but I happened to stop at the stand with inspirational cards. I came across one with a quote by Winston Churchill- it said, "if you're going through hell, keep going." As simple as that may seem, it was exactly what I needed to read at that moment. I was quickly letting my world crumble around me instead of pushing through it. Why would I give up? Why would I let something like this ruin everything around me?

So you're probably reading this like okay where's the ending? Well, I'm not pregnant, but I have found happiness. A different kind of happiness. Yes, I still want a baby, but I'm happy with where I am in my life. I'm happy to have such a loving and supportive family and husband.

I dove head first into fitness and improving my body (both physically and mentally) and I feel like a different person. It may sound silly to some, but I had to get my life back. I had to start focusing on what I have instead of what I don't have. I have a renewed sense of confidence and I wouldn't change it for anything. I needed this.

I started a new job last month that will provide me with a ton of opportunities. I'm getting my personal training certification in order to put my new passion to work. And even though, I still feel a little twinge of jealousy when a friend announces they are expecting, I can say that I feel a lot more happiness and joy for that person that I ever did before. I've realized that I have to be thankful to have them in my life and that they are willing to share such an incredible gift with me!

I am blessed-- baby or no baby!

For a long time it seemed to me that life was about to begin - Real Life.

But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid.

At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life. This perspective has helped me to see there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way.

So treasure every moment you have and remember that time waits for no one. Happiness is a journey, not a destination!

Souza

The Dreaded Question, Pt. 2

2011-10-11T09:54:00.000-05:00

So I left off yesterday with the dreaded question that seems to always be asked about 2 seconds after you've said your "I do's."

When are you going to have kids?!?

For those that asked, we said that we wanted children, but that we were in no hurry.

We had talked about it, of course, as most couples do before they get married. We knew that we wanted kids and we knew that we would have kids, but at that point, I don't think we had really mapped it out per-say. To be perfectly honest, I'm one of those people that even though I'm pretty open, talking about our sex life and getting pregnant just wasn't something that jived well with me. I wanted it to be private-- whatever decision we made and everything that came along with it. This has always been huge for me.

I had been on birth control for years, but when MJ took the job overseas, we discussed forgoing the monthly expenditure since there was virtually no need for it. We agreed that seeing as we would be married, if I did get pregnant, it would not be the end of the world (not that prior to marriage it would have been either). We adopted the attitude of, if it happens, it happens-- we're not preventing it, but we're not trying for it either. We were both happy with that decision. And when people asked that dreaded question, we would say, not right now, but eventually.

Fast forward several months and a few pregnant friends, and I found myself wanting a baby more and more. MJ and I discussed it again and decided that we would start trying to get pregnant. With MJ's rotations, he was typically home for 35 days. Well, for all of you girls, you know that means, one chance or if we're really lucky, two. Funny thing is, in the beginning, I didn't think I needed any luck. I just assumed it would happen. I mean, isn't that how it works?

I wasn't really discouraged at first and my doctor said I was healthy and should have no issues. I bought books on fertility and how to improve your chances. I also started buying ovulation kits and began testing to see if that would increase our chances. I talked to pregnant friends and got all kinds of "tricks" and ideas for things that would work. Sadly, it wasn't happening. And sadly, each time I heard of someone else getting pregnant or having a baby, I would feel myself get upset. It felt like everywhere I went people would inquire as to when MJ and I were going to have kids and sometimes I just wanted to scream "we're trying dammit!!!!!" I never said it and never would, but you better believe it crossed my mind. This is where that privacy thing comes in because I wanted nothing more than to keep our struggle with getting pregnant private. Guaranteed, the first time someone asks you when you're going to have kids and you tell them you're having trouble getting pregnant, they are going to shut up. But to me, that's the last thing I wanted to tell people. Telling people meant people feeling sorry for me or for us and it meant that our issues were, in fact, real issues. It's so much easier when everyone just thinks you aren't ready.

As if friend and stranger pressure isn't enough, family pressure is the worst. Don't get me wrong, my family has been amazing, but like most parents, they want grandchildren and like most brothers and sisters, they want nieces and nephews. My sister has two kids and isn't planning on anymore. Her kids surely aren't getting younger. I want my parents to be able to dote on my children like they do my sister's and I want my children to grow up with their cousins.

So here we are, 2 years into our marriage and about a year and a half into trying to get pregnant. Still no pregnancy and still no baby, but according to the doctor, still healthy and still perfectly able to conceive... so what's the next step?

The Dreaded Question, Pt. 1

2011-10-10T09:16:00.000-05:00

I know, I know. I'm such a slacker. Let's face it, I suck at blogging consistently. It's not that I don't get on and catch up on everyone else's lives, because I do. I just can't seem to find the time to sit down and write anything about myself. I honestly used to love to write and wrote often. When it was time to plan my wedding, blogging was a great outlet to give and receive new ideas and because it consumed my every thought, it was easy.

Now, I struggle a bit because what's important to me at this moment, might not be so important to ya'll out there. I know, I should be writing for me, but sometimes, it's nice to know that what is going on in your life can be related to by others (i.e. it's nice to have a comment or two or twelve waiting for you). I took some time away awhile ago to do some soul searching and I'm just now really starting to come out of it. I thought after moving, I'd get back into the swing of blogging (and I thought I was out of my funk), but then a new job opportunity came my way and I decided that it was best to fly under the radar for a bit. It worked out because I definitely don't think I was out of my funk!

So now you're probably wondering why I keep babbling about the fact that I haven't been babbling. The point of all of this is that a lot of things have happened in my life in the last year or so and while some of it, I will not be blogging about (at least not yet anyway), some of it, I've decided might be worth it to put out there. Not because I'm looking for anything from anyone, but because I think maybe it's time to use writing as my outlet again.

So why don't we start at the beginning? (Don't worry, I plan on doing this in parts so I won't bore you for hours with this one post!) Shortly before MJ and I got married (you can watch the video here), MJ accepted a job overseas. Our original plans of having him out of the Army and home were pretty much squashed with the horrible job market that existed at the time. Perhaps we didn't think that one out so well when we opted for him not to re-enlist, but nevertheless, we chose to have him separate from the Army and immediately began the job search. I distinctly remember the night we discussed the overseas position-- I remember my eyes popping out of my head when he told me his daily pay rate and I also remember them quickly retreating back in when he told me how long he would gone vs. how long he would be home. I remember thinking that the whole point of getting out of the Army was so that we could be together. I was tired of living without him. And now here is this incredible opportunity, but yet comes with such a high price-- the same price I had decided months prior wasn't worth it!

As you already know, MJ accepted the position and 3 months before our wedding, he left for his first 3 month rotation. It was a bit stressful, but really only because of the wedding. Day to day {normal} life was pretty easy. I mean during his last deployment with the Army, we went 11 months before he came home for his R&R so I knew 3 months would be easy. We did have a few scares that he wasn't going to make it home in time for the wedding (is it possible to get married by proxy?), but that was all settled and just a few days before our wedding, he safely arrived home. It was perfect!

Naturally, after the marriage, what is the first question people ask you? That's right., the dreaded..

When are you going to have kids?!?

Our response was what I think a lot of newly married couples say-- not right now, but eventually. We just didn't know what eventually meant...

10 Years Later...

2011-09-11T07:37:00.001-05:00

TOMS?

2011-08-30T08:06:00.000-05:00

So I've been contemplating buying a pair of TOMS for quite some time. I have these moments where I see someone wearing a pair and I think, I have got to go home and order a pair. And then I get distracted, don't get online, and don't buy any. Several days or weeks will pass and then I'll see someone else with them. They look so cute on others, I'm just not sure how cute they will be on me. Do any of you have TOMS? Are they as comfortable as they are cute? And how do you decide on a color? There are so many options!!

navy...

or olive?

Random tidbits...

2011-08-25T12:09:00.000-05:00

Here are my random tidbits for the day…

First things first, traffic getting into the city lately has been horrendous, but for some reason, traffic leaving the city, not so much. They are currently re-doing Constitution Avenue (for those not familiar with D.C., this is the same road the Washington Monument and the White House sit on) which means every day there are lane closures. Why they have chosen to do construction during work hours I have no idea considering everywhere else seems to leave road construction to the nighttime. They are doing lots of digging so I am assuming that whatever they are doing must be done during the daylight hours. I’m not 100% sure, but this morning, when we arrived into the city, my friend and I looked over to see this gentlemen reading the paper. Unfortunately, he put it down before I could snap a picture, but it was nice to see he was working so hard. By the looks of it, I’ll be suffering through the 10 blocks of bumper to bumper traffic for quite some time.

Learned something new this week—if you keep strawberries in an airtight container they will last longer. Perhaps this is old news to some of you, but I was quite happy that after trying it out, it worked! Wegman’s (my favorite grocery store) has had their 2lb container of strawberries on sale quite a bit this summer. I love a good deal so I usually buy them. The only problem-- my breakfast includes just a mere ¼ cup of berries, which isn’t all that much, so it takes me awhile to make it through 2lbs. In the past, I’ve simply eaten as much as I could before they go bad, which is usually just a couple of days, and end up losing a good portion of my strawberries. Last week, the sale was on again so I picked up another 2lb container. I was determined to make them last so I googled how to keep strawberries fresh longer. The trick is to limit the moisture (if you can, wash before you eat instead of washing all at one time which is typically what I do to save time) and put them in a container with plenty of space. I used two large Pyrex bowls with lids (the site said Tupperware wouldn’t work, but it might be worth a shot). A week later, my strawberries are going strong with no signs of going bad anytime soon.

Ziploc’s Zip ‘n Steam bags are fan-freaking-tastic!!! I pack all of my food for the day in a cooler and bring it to work with me. These steam bags make that process so much easier. This morning, while eating my breakfast, I was able to steam my broccoli for the day and it took a whopping 3 minutes! Not that I mind pre-making my food, but if I don’t make all of my meals for the week on Sunday, I generally find that I’m running out of time during the week. These bags are my life-saver. I had just enough time before the gym last night to cook up my protein for the next couple of days, but knew I wouldn’t have the extra time to cook my veggies in the steamer. Ziploc came to my rescue and I love them for it! (And no, I’m not receiving compensation of any kind for this endorsement—just a happy customer promoting a good product.) I love when companies make products that make my life easier, don’t you?

mmm love me some steamed broccoli!!!

I splurged and decided to buy a few items for myself this week. I’ve been trying to be good because I’m taking a {rather large}pay cut with the new job (which I start in like 2 weeks!!!!!) and I need to get in the habit of NOT spending money. Of course, on my way to another store, I passed by H&M and did not have the willpower to stay out. I found a super cute dress to wear to my cousin’s wedding in October (which I justified buying because I can wear it to work too) and a cute pair of jean shorts. I have to admit that I’m not really a fan of shorts—probably has something to do with my short legs—but this pair was cute and I actually liked them so I figured that was a good sign to buy them:) Then yesterday, I caved and bought a new bathing suit. I had been eyeing this suit ever since Tara posted her pictures from the beach. I need to do some serious clean-up of my beachwear and I thought I would add this one, while I throw out about 10 others. Now, let's just hope I like it!

And last but not least, I’m finally starting to get some definition in the muscles in my back and shoulders. Obviously, I can’t see my back when working out, but I know that I train hard and that I should have made some progress by now. Well, thankfully, I was right. I took some updated pictures for my trainer on Monday night and decided to include a picture of my back. I was pretty happy after uploading the pictures because I can see that training hard has paid off. The only thing that would have made this just a bit better would be more defined triceps… but I’m working on it.

So what are all you lovelies up to this week?

Who doesn't love free stuff?

2011-08-18T12:16:00.000-05:00

So I was doing my early morning run through of my twitter feed and noticed that Nina posted about a little giveaway that Minted is doing right now-- 25 FREE business (or Mommy) cards!!!!!

I'm not a mom nor do I have my own business, but I can't tell you how many times in the last several months that it would have come in handy to have a few calling cards. Instead, I've had to resort to either digging for a scrap piece of paper (read: receipt from last night's shopping trip) in the bottomless pit I like to call my purse or hoping that the person asking has a really good memory!

Since I love Minted-- their designs are fab and their customer service is spectacular--I just had to place an order! Once I perused through the long list of options, I settled on this pretty little design:

I can't wait for my cards to arrive! Hop on over to Minted or Nina's blog to order your free cards!!

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-08-17T08:10:00.001-05:00

I'm linking up with Lindsey for What I Wore Wednesday!!!

Floral Ruffle Blouse: The Limited (here)

Black "Lexie" Crops: The Limited

Black Heels: My beloved Christian Louboutins

I have to admit that I haven't been very good at taking too many pictures of what I've been wearing lately so all I have is the one of me from this morning (snapped it quickly once I realized what day it was!!!). I also have to admit that I don't know that these crops are all that flattering on me. I'd like to blame it on the the fact that I took this picture with my iPhone, but to be perfectly honest, I'm not sure that's really the case!

Have ya'll been shopping lately? Finding any good deals?

i L.O.V.E. working out

2011-08-16T07:30:00.015-05:00

As I've mentioned before, I am addicted to fitness!

I love all things related to working out-- I spend hours upon hours surfing the net about eating right and how to lose fat/gain muscle, reading fitness magazines, shopping for workout clothes, shoes, etc., even talking to others about working out is enjoyable to me. And not being able to hit the gym for two weeks was torture!! Being able to get back in there last night felt AH-MAY-ZING!!!

I mentioned yesterday that I went to the Arnold in March and became intrigued by the whole competition thing. However, to be perfectly honest, I knew my body was nowhere near in the shape it needed to be in to compete. Just to put it in perspective, here are a few of the pro bikini competitors:

Shelsea Montes

Jaime Baird

Nathalia Melo

All photos above courtesy of: http://forums.musculardevelopment.com/

Yeah, in case you were wondering, my body looks nothing like any of those 3 above! Far from it actually. So step number one was getting my body into the best shape it's ever been in!!! I began looking for a trainer and not just any trainer-- I knew I needed someone who was not only certified, but also one that was familiar with competing. I found one pretty quickly and began a 12-week training/supplementation/diet program. I got off to a bit of a slow start because I began the program on the same day that our vacation to Florida began, but I did much better once we were home and even better than that once MJ returned to work. Having him home was definitely a distraction:)

I currently weight train and do cardio every day with a few cardio-only days thrown in as well as an off-day (if I so choose) every 14th day. It is intense and I will admit that on the first ever leg day of this plan, I followed it up by immediately puking in my in-laws front yard. Yeah, I'm not kidding even though I wish I was-- nothing says Happy Easter like puking in the bushes!

The most important (and hardest, for me) part of the plan is the food. I eat 6 small meals a day and also take several supplements as well as vitamins. Here's a quick breakdown of my day, by meals:

Meal 1: 5am
Meal 2: 830am
Meal 3: 12pm
Meal 4: 3pm
Meal 5 (pre-workout): 6pm
Meal 6: (post-workout): 930pm

I can say that while I was miserable during the first couple of weeks (it always takes time for your body to adjust), I love this plan and I have seen some of the most incredible changes in my body. Here's the snapshot of my before (so totally embarrassing and reminds me of my before pic in 2009!!!!):

And here's a snapshot of me on July 20th:

I still have quite a bit of fat to lose and muscle to gain, but it's always nice to see the hard work pay off!

Let's Just Call It What It Is...

2011-08-15T07:37:00.000-05:00

Yep, a life dump. I mean how else can I fill you in on the last 6 months?!

You probably remember me being somewhat fitness obsessed (which I still am). The love affair with lifiting weights began in 2009 when MJ and I joined the gym finally and were told about the Body for Life program (read about the beginning here and the end here). Body for Life is a fantastic program and it taught me what I needed to know about food and exercise. From then on I was hooked! So, I continued my fitness journey and went through periods of running only with little lifting then went back to lifting and running. Well, in March, I was given the opportunity to go to the Arnold Sports Festival in Ohio with several friends. It was beyond incredible and I even saw a college friend on stage! I was immediately intrigued and upon my return, started looking into bodybuilding competitions and trainers. I found the Millers (yes, that is them below and yes, they look like that in real life!!!) and began a 3 month training/diet/supplementation program with them.

Photo Courtesy of http://www.stephmillerpro.com/

MJ came home in late April and we, of course, did the usual-- went on vacation. We spent Easter in Tampa with his family then we met up with one of my very good friends and her boyfriend (now fiance!!!!!) for a week on Anna Maria Island. It was a fabulous vacation and none of us wanted to leave.

In May, MJ and I went to Vegas to celebrate his 29th birthday. We decided to go all out and booked a suite at the Bellagio. And let me just say, the Bellagio did NOT disappoint!! We had an amazing time and were quite sad when the 4 days came and went.

View from our suite

Champagne & Strawberries Upon Arrival... Yes, Please!

Before MJ's Birthday Dinner

Hard to get a smile out of him-- it was our last day:(

In June, MJ and I took a quick weekend trip to Williamsburg to check out Colonial Williamsburg and to spend a day at Busch Gardens. We had a blast and really wished it hadn’t gone by so quickly. By mid-June, MJ returned to work as did I. And yeah, that pretty much sums up June:)

In early July, I moved to another team at work (after having to deal with several problems in my original position) and celebrated my 28th birthday. The move was perfect for me and the attorneys I'm working with now are awesome—young and self-sufficient. At the end of the month, I traveled to Maryland for a family reunion. However, it got off to a bit of a rocky start when I ended up at Urgent Care getting x-rays on my back. Thankfully, I didn’t break anything, but to my dismay, I received a shot in my behind and was put on pain meds and a muscle relaxer. Needless to say, I spent the remainder of the weekend nursing myself back to health.

Now it’s August and in just two week's time, it has proven to be an eventful month! I was still having some back pain as well as chest pain from the “accident,” as I’ve so dubbed it, so I thought it would be best to return to the doctor to see what the deal was. Unfortunately, she advised me to stay out of the gym (gasp!) and rest for 2 weeks. She gave me permission to walk on the treadmill, but said no heavy lifting and no running. I mean really, doc?!? Do you understand what that will do to me?!? Yeah, she apologized a few times, told me to come back if I’m still not feeling well in 2 weeks and sent me on my {not-so} merry way! I think I pouted and threw a bit of a pity party for myself for several days and now that I’ve made it through the two weeks, I’m becoming a little less cranky:) On a much happier note, the day after I received the no-good, very bad news from the doc, I got a job offer that I just couldn't refuse!!!!! Nothing is official, of course, until I start next month, but I gave my notice to the law firm last week and my last day will be September 9. I am ecstatic, to say the least!

So what has been going on with ya'll lately?!?!

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-02-23T17:32:00.000-06:00

So I'm running a bit late, but I want to link up with Lindsey for What I Wore Wednesday! Last week/this week kind of ran together so I'm doing a couple of outfits from last week and one from today:)

And once again, please disregard the quality of these photos-- I've got to take them with my phone at work!

Sweater-- Victoria's Secret

Top-- Express

Pants-- Express

Shoes-- Black Patent Christian Louboutin

Stripe Tunic-- Forever 21

Jeans-- Seven for All Mankind Dojos

Shoes-- Steve Madden Heaven in Cognac

Polka Dot Blouse-- Express

Tank (which you probably can't see)-- Limited

Pants-- Limited

Shoes-- Vera Wang Jewel Flat

What did you wear this week?

M.I.A.

2011-02-19T09:31:00.000-06:00

Seriously, where the heck have I been these last 2 weeks?! I got on blogger today and I felt like I would need a week just to catch up on everything I've missed. I didn't even realize it had been so long since I last posted until I logged on. Oooops!

So the last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind. It has been crazy busy at work which means ZERO blog time during the day and ZERO motivation to sit in front of the comp when I get home. I have been spending my lunch breaks in the gym so at least I'm feeling that kind of motivation. I hate to say it, but my fitness level went down the tubes after moving. As crappy as my old gym was, I really miss it. I think I miss the comfort level I felt more than anything. It was such a small gym and I knew so many people, so I felt totally comfortable. Now, I have a gym membership with a large regional sports club which is fine except the closest one to my house is 15-20 min away so my nightly 2 hour gym routine is no more. I can't even get myself to go on the weekends which makes it even worse. Although, I swear I'm going today. I HAVE TO!!!! No excuses...

In other news, I owe you all a ton of updates on our house. I haven't even show you a picture of what we ended up purchasing. Such a slacker! I don't want to do a ton since this is a bit of a hodge podge post, but for those of you that want to see, here is the house we chose...

The picture doesn't really do it justice as our driveway was a hot mess when we bought it (which has since been re-paved) and the yard looked much greener when we moved in August. I definitely love our house and while, when we first saw it, it was not the house I would have chosen, MJ was in love with it which made it that much better. Plus after spending 2 grueling days house hunting, it was time to choose something. It is more than twice the size of our last house and we had the builder partially finish the basement for us before moving in so MJ got his man room/bar and I got the kitchen of my dreams, but more to come on that later.

Anyway, I have got to get my butt to the gym so I'm outta here!! Hopefully the next 2 weeks won't be as busy as the last and I can start showing ya'll the inside of that beauty above!

What I Wore Wednesday

2011-02-02T20:29:00.001-06:00

Well you know I love all things related to shopping- clothes, shoes, accessories, etc. So when I stumbled across Lindsey's What I Wore Wednesday (WWIW), I thought I would join in on the fun! And if I wear something hideous-- hopefully ya'll will tell me:) If you haven't seen Lindsey's blog yet, you should definitely check it out!

Sweater dress-- Victoria's Secret

Brown Scarf, Brown Tights-- Walmart

Cowboy Boots-- Straight outta Nashville from Boots Plus!

*You'll have to excuse the lighting in this one-- it's a wee bit too dark at home to take these pics at home so I do it at work!!*

Black Sweater-- Macys

Black & White Pants-- The Limited

Gold Necklace, Gold Earrings-- The Limited

White Ceramic Watch-- Fossil

And those shoes you can barely see-- Tory Burch Sophie Wedge

I was feeling fun today!

Dress-- Target

Cardigan-- Victoria's Secret

Leggings-- Target

Flats-- Steve Madden 'Heaven' Flat

White Ceramic Watch-- Fossil

So what did you wear this week?

House Hunting, Part II

2011-02-02T06:46:00.001-06:00

I can't really tell you all about our new house without first explaining how we got here. I left you yesterday with pictures of some various homes we saw while on our search. Our house hunting was basically a two-way street. For some of the homes from my post yesterday, we didn't make the cut-- for others, the house didn't make the cut.

First, let me say that the market in this area is doing fairly well. Homes are selling pretty quickly and it's quite competitive (which MJ and I learned the hard way). When MJ and I first started looking into moving, we discussed where we would like to live and where we could afford to live. Let's be honest, I was dreaming of this...

MJ, on the other hand, was dreaming of divorce. HAHA, just kidding. Although, he did think I was insane when I told him I'd like to move back to Fairfax County where I lived prior to my move to Tennessee. I'll show you in pictures what I'm talking about-- that house above sold for $715k, consists of almost 8000 sq. ft. and is located just a few miles from our house. The house below sold for $655k, consists of a small (in comparison) 2400 sq. ft. and is located in the heart of Fairfax County. AYKM?!?!

Granted, they are both beautiful homes, but I think I'd fork out the additional $60k for the additional 5000 sq.ft. Not a hard decision in my book!

Because of this (and because I want to stay married to my husband), we decided to begin our search in Prince William County where the homes are a bit more affordable. We had no preference as to whether it was a regular sale, foreclosure or short sale as initially were were just looking. Fast forward a few months and MJ and I had made the decision to move as soon as possible which meant no more short sales. We had found some beautiful homes, but the thought of having to wait 6 months and fighting with the bank-- or multiple banks-- just wasn't something we wanted to do.

We found this one first. This was a foreclosure and was on the market for $399k. It was in need of quite a bit of TLC (as do most foreclosures), but it had almost 5000 sq. ft. and it was in a great neighborhood. We put an offer on it along with someone else and the bank denied both offers. Because of the amount of work needed, MJ and I decided that we did not want to offer too much more because it would cut into the money we had for repairs. Instead, we walked away.

This house sold 2 months later for $394k.

Then we found this one. It was a regular sale and had just come back on the market after the previous offer fell through. It had recently been renovated so it was in great shape; however, it was in a neighborhood with zero amenities and it had a small backyard with little space for a fence. It was on the market for $395k so we decided to make an offer. There was nothing to lose, right? Within two days we found out that there was another offer on the table and ours was not accepted.

After two failed attempts, we put things on hold and waited 2 weeks until we could go to Virginia and look for ourselves. We flew to VA on a Thursday evening and spent the entire day Friday and Saturday looking at homes. It was beyond exhausting! All of the other homes in yesterday's post were looked at and considered by us so here's my review of each in a nutshell:

Too Small; lots of building still going on; funky shaped and small backyard

Still being built when we saw it so it was hard to picture the finished product; didn't like the floorplan; no amenities and small neighborhood

The one below--I liked it, MJ didn't. Great price; great square footage; gorgeous, gated community; teeny tiny yard with 3 ft. fence (can you say runaway dog??)

And finally, a big contender in our home search. Foreclosure in a small, but nice neighborhood; GREAT square footage; awesome master suite; rough looking kitchen; in major need of some TLC; FABULOUS yard!!! In the end, we decided not to put an offer down as we thought the repairs would well exceed our budget.

And the winner...

You'll just have to wait until tomorrow for that:)

House Hunting, Part I

2011-02-01T06:23:00.000-06:00

As you know, MJ and I began our house hunt around springtime last year. We had decided right around Christmas 2009 that we wanted to move back to the DC area so at the end of January, I touched base with a real estate agent and began looking into what was out there. I knew the goal of buying a home in Northern Virginia wasn't going to be very easy to meet so I figured that if we gave ourselves enough time to search, we would find something we loved. Our original thought was that we would begin seriously looking in June when MJ was home on his leave and hopefully buy a home in October/November during his following leave rotation.

You know how that turned out, right? I think we fell in love with approximately 547,130 houses (or at least that's what it felt like!). The more we saw, the more we loved. I had a list of necessities and wishes as did MJ.

Here is what our necessities list looked like:

Brick or stone exterior
4 or more bedrooms
3 or more bathrooms
Large gourmet kitchen
Large master bedroom
Attached garage

Good school system

Under $400k

Here is what our wish list looked like:

All of the above, plus...

Hardwood floors

Stainless Steel appliances

Large backyard

Fenced backyard

Established neighborhood/Gated Community

Community Amenities- Pool, Tennis Courts, etc.

Overall, we both had the same must-haves and wants. The only thing we probably differed on was that I like old homes and he likes new homes. We bought our first home new and we didn't have a bad experience by any means (especially compared to this one), but there is something about an old, remodeled home-- I love it!

Here are just a few of the homes that we looked at...

I'll show you tomorrow what we ended up buying and how it, and the rest of these, scored against our list!

Day 11 of 30: Favorite TV shows

2011-01-23T08:37:00.000-06:00

A month or so ago, while MJ was home, he noticed that someone had hit the door of our car with something. He immediately went to the dealership to find out how much it would cost to have it removed, but when they quoted us $900 for a dent the size of a peanut, MJ just about had a heart attack. After seeing his face, they recommended a local place that could do it for a fraction of the cost. My sometimes fiscally conservative husband opted for that route. I took it in yesterday and 2 hours later, it was done and the dent is pretty much gone.

I took the car to be washed and picked up some miscellaneous things for the house and then stopped at Target. 2 hours later, I walked out. I got sucked in at the office supplies-- yes, you read that right, office supplies. I have a small obsession with all things organizational. Since the move, I have felt anything but organized so I spent over an hour perusing through the office stuff and decided I would spend today, getting our things organized. Especially with tax season coming up and spring almost upon us, I thought there was no better time than the present.

Anyway, enough about my boring weekend. On to my favorite TV shows...

You will find each one of these on my DVR every week!

Now, I'm off to do some organizing. Happy Sunday!

Day 10 of 30: Something I'm afraid of

2011-01-19T19:27:00.001-06:00

I am deathly afraid of heights. I know people who say they get a bit queasy at the top of a roller coaster or feel uneasy when standing at the top of a really tall building. But this girl-- I'm talking sweaty palms, can't talk, can't even breathe afraid of heights!

Apollo's Chariot at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Just ask some of my friends how that went down.

Source: ThrillNetwork.com

The Leaning Tower of Pisa-- historical and beautiful? Yes. Nothing to be afraid of? HECK NO! I was an absolute wreck! Don't know what was worse, the stairs to get up or the feeling at the top. Sad part is, it's only 8 stories tall which doesn't seem like much, but it had me shaking!

Source: New World Encyclopedia

You can generally find my feet firmly planted on the ground!

3-Day Weekend!

2011-01-18T18:07:00.000-06:00

While I would love to say that I had a productive 3-day weekend, I can't. I wasn't lazy, but as you know, some things came up last week that changed my original plans.

On Friday evening, a few old friends of mine came into town and we attended the viewing for Jenny's husband. It was pretty emotional from the moment we walked in the door. Seeing Jenny so exhausted and broken was heart-wrenching. We hugged her closely and I know I tried to avoid saying the dreaded, "I'm sorry," but in the end, what else do you say? Afterwards, we came back to my house and talked for awhile about how this could happen and what it would mean for Jenny and her boys. Her boys-- that was even more heart-wrenching because you could tell at the viewing that neither had any idea what was actually going on around them. It was so so sad.

On Saturday morning, we headed just a short ways from my house to attend the funeral. I don't know that any of us made it more than just a few minutes before we were sobbing and holding hands. They had pictures of his life flashing across the screen and all the while we could see Jenny sitting in the front pew struggling to comprehend this whole crazy thing. It was a beautiful funeral that really showed how much her husband was loved and how much he will be missed. On the drive home, we couldn't help but talk about what could have possibly happened on the road that night and why something like this would happen to such a great person like Jenny. We know that this has only just begun for her and we've all promised to keep in touch and help her in any way possible.

I ended up spending the rest of the weekend with my sister and her family. It only seemed right to spend quality time with those I love the most. We always have such a good time together so we did a little shopping and went out to dinner on Saturday night. Then on Sunday morning, we got up bright and early and headed to Bryce Resort to go snow tubing. It was such a good time! The kids loved it... and us adults did too! Finally, Monday came and it was just a lazy day spent at home hanging out with my pups. It had been quite a weekend so I figured we all deserved a little down time:)

Hope you all had a great weekend!

Tatiana, Renee, Jenny & Me in 2001

Me, Renee & Tatiana (missing Jenny) this past weekend

Day 9 of 30: A picture of my friends...

2011-01-17T20:36:00.000-06:00

I couldn't settle on just one... so I chose three. These are four of my nearest and dearest friends-- even though only one of them is my sister by blood, I consider each one of them my sister!!!

Day 8 of 30: A Place I've Traveled To...

2011-01-17T11:21:00.000-06:00

It's been an interesting and busy week so I'm a bit behind on my daily posts... ooops! Anyway, I'm going to pick up where I left off just because I can:)

Day 8 is supposed to be a place I've traveled to and it's hard to pick just one as I've been to quite a few that have left me wanting to stay longer. Some of my favorites are Maui, Florence, St. Lucia, Barbados and Istanbul. And I'm dying to visit each of them again.

St. Lucia was gorgeous and MJ and I will likely make it back there sooner rather than later. It was only one of several stops on our Southern Caribbean cruise last year. The water is beyond beautiful and we learned a lot about the island while there. Our tour guide was hilarious and gave us a great perspective on the island. We thoroughly enjoyed our trip.

With A Heavy Heart...

2011-01-12T20:46:00.001-06:00

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post tonight...

As I was driving home from work last night, a dear friend of mine shared some horrible news with me. A mutual friend of ours lost her husband in a tragic car accident Monday night. We all went to high school together and while her and I haven't spoken in quite some time, I instantly felt this intense heartache for her. I mean I think it's natural to feel sorry for someone when you hear they have lost a loved one, but this was a bit different. She is so young and has 2 young boys... 2 young boys that can't even begin to comprehend what this means. One instant has changed their lives forever.

I can't even fathom that...

I can't fathom what it would feel like to wake up one day and realize that the man you love, the man you were going to spend the rest of your life with, the father of your children, is no longer there. I can't fathom what it would feel like to have to tell my children that their father, their hero, is no longer alive. I can't fathom what it would feel like to be a widow at 27.

My husband risks his life every day and yet, I've never really sat down and thought about what I would do if one instant changed my life forever. And it scares me... to the core.

I think I take life for granted some times and I think I take my husband's life for granted too. I talked to MJ this morning while I was getting ready for work and made sure to tell him that I loved him and asked that he call to tell me when he had made it back safely from his mission today. When the phone rang tonight and I saw it was him, my face lit up. I could feel it. Nothing could ever replace that feeling of knowing I have one more day with the man I love.

I told him I loved him- a few more times than I normally do. I never want to know what it feels like to lose my best friend, but should I ever have to endure the pain that my dear friend Jenny is having to endure right now, I want to know that the last thing he heard me say was, "I love you."

To live in hearts we leave behind

Is not to die.
Thomas Campbell

King Bed Woes...

2011-01-09T07:34:00.001-06:00

Does anyone else out there have a king size bed and have trouble finding a comforter/duvet that will cover both sides of the mattress? I'm really beginning to wonder if it's just me.

Right after MJ and I got married, we decided it was time to purchase a king size bed. The queen just wasn't cutting it. In Tennessee, we just had the mattress and box spring on your run of the mill king bed frame. Nothing fancy because let's face it, our master bedroom, was anything but master. That in turn meant I was never really concerned with the bedding being perfect.

Then, when we moved to Virginia, we became proud inhabitants of what I would consider a true master bedroom. So, what did we do? We went out and purchased a bedroom set that filled the space. Now that we have this beautiful set, I care about the bedding and how the room looks. And I'm totally annoyed that only one side of my bed looks good.

Our Bedroom Set from Havertys

As you can see from this picture, the stagers have tucked the comforter in to show the bedrail portion of this bed. It really is beautiful and I want to show ours too, but how in the world did they do that? My comforter barely covers one side let alone two.

So do any of you king bed people have a solution? Where do you buy comforters or duvets to fit your entire bed?!?

Day 7 of 30: Favorite Movie

2011-01-08T22:17:00.000-06:00

Ah day 7- my favorite movie.

I don't have just one so I'll give you my three faves. No matter what time of year, if these movies are on, I'm watching them!

Who doesn't love The Holiday?!? Great cast and great storyline. I'm a sucker for rom coms (as you can see by my other 2 faves) so this is totally up my alley. And I love a happy ending!! My favorite part is when Cameron Diaz is in tent with the 2 little girls and Jude Law- melts my heart every time.

Another super cute, super fun love story. Of course, Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey are gorg and in this movie, they are amazing! This never gets old. When they go to Staten Island to visit his family, it's the sweetest thing. Love love love this movie!

And last, but definitely not least, Love Actually. Seriously, I don't know anyone that doesn't like this movie. Such a fun group of actors and actresses. I thoroughly enjoy this movie every single time I watch it!

What's your favorite movie?

The Holidays With Us

2011-01-06T08:37:00.003-06:00

I'm going to do a virtually wordless post- just because I can! Here's how we spent the holidays in a photo nutshell!

Days 5 & 6 of 30: My Siblings and A Picture

2011-01-05T20:37:00.001-06:00

Alright so I'm a wee bit behind. I got online last night thinking I was going to have time to blog and of course, before I knew it, it was past 10 and I needed to get my boo heiney in bed! I'll just have to combine days 5 & 6 of the challenge which I don't think will be too hard.

Day 5's challenge is to tell you about my siblings and day 6's challenge is to show you a picture of something that makes me happy! Well, family always makes me happy to this should be easy:)

Summer 2010- Dad, Heather, Tim & Me

I am the baby of 3. I have 1 older sister and 1 older brother. They are definitely cool!

My sister Heather is quite possibly the greatest sister ever. We are 5 years apart. We never really got along when I was younger (only because I wanted so badly to be just like her so I was always in all of her stuff), but we are extremely close now. She literally lives just around the corner from me. And that makes me oh so happy!!! She is married to this hilarious guy and I couldn't ask for a better brother-in-law. And of course, you can't mention either of them without mentioning their 2 adorable babies- Ryan and Hannah. Love them to bits!!!!

And then there is my crazy older brother. He is 2 years older than me and he currently lives around the corner too, but he's moving to South Beach this weekend:( He has been through a lot in his 29 years of life and I'd have to say that I respect him a lot for what he has done for himself. He's this goofy, fun-loving, always looking to have a good time kind of guy! I think he will make some woman really happy one day (even though he says he's not the marrying type).

I really do cherish the friendships I have with my siblings. I think when you're young, you take it for granted and you don't understand the kind of bond you have with the people that for so many years of your life, were right there by your side- they saw you at your darkest hour and on your brightest day. I know I wouldn't have wanted to share a single one of those moments with anyone other than my brother and sister!

Day 4 of 30: My parents

2011-01-03T21:04:00.001-06:00

My wedding- September 2009

These are my parents. Meet Tim and Sharon.

There are no words to express how much I love them. They are wonderful. I had an amazing childhood and while I think there were other parents out there that didn't always agree with the way my parents raised my brother, sister and I, they were fantastic parents. There's a part in the movie "Dangerous Minds" when Michelle Pfieffer tells her students that they all have A's and when they start asking how that's possible she tells them it's because anyone can get an A but the hard part is keeping an A. That reminds me of my parents. They gave us privileges first and and only took them away if we messed up. They believed in allowing us the freedom to grow on our own and become who we wanted to be. And I honestly never really got into trouble. I may have missed a curfew or two or made some stupid decisions (who doesn't in their teenage years), but I maintained straight As through high school and graduated in the top of my class. Something they did worked.

I was always very close to my Mom and still am to this day, but during my late high school years, I became quite a bit closer with my Dad. I think I resemble them both in a lot of ways and I have a lot of qualities from both-- I think I'm emotional like my Mom, but strong-willed and independent like my Dad.

They're great and I love them both very much!!

One Final Holiday Wish

2011-01-03T20:28:00.001-06:00

Since I feel like today officially marks the end of the holidays I thought I would send one final Happy Holidays wish to everyone.

I hope everyone has had a fantastic holiday season and I wish you nothing but the best in 2011!

Day 3 of 30: My first love...

2011-01-02T08:46:00.011-06:00

Well, I think my first love was a guy I started dating during my junior year of high school. A good friend of mine had introduced me to him and before I knew it, we were chatting on instant messenger (we lived in different states) then decided to start dating. He would come to see me or I would go to see him. We ended up dating on and of for about 4 years.

He was a great guy when we first started dating, but after our senior year of high school, I went on to college and he entered the Navy. I think it gave him exposure to a kind of freedom that he never had before and changed him a lot. He got pretty wild and I stayed pretty tame. It was definitely one of those relationships that at the time, I thought would last forever, but when I took a closer look, it was never going to make it.

By the time I had entered my junior year of college, we had been through more than most couples at that age and it had become a pretty toxic relationship. Thankfully (for both of us), during the spring of my junior year, we broke up one last time and never were a couple again. We attempted to be friends a few times, but we no longer really keep in touch. Every so often, I'll get a random message, but for the most part, we don't speak.

Nevertheless, he taught me a lot about myself and about what I truly wanted in someone. He taught me that sometimes the things you want the most aren't really the best thing for you and sometimes not getting what you want can be the biggest blessing of all. He also taught me that love-- true love-- is a two-way street and just because you feel it, doesn't mean the other person does. It can't be forced and it shouldn't be forced. I found my husband in the most unlikely of places and I can't help but be thankful for my first love for that. He led me to MJ, in a way, and I couldn't be happier!

Day 2 of 30: My Blog Name...

2011-01-01T08:46:00.003-06:00

Well it's Day 2 of my challenge and the topic is supposed to be the meaning behind my blog name. It's pretty self-explanatory, but since I've changed it a few times, I might as well explain:)

I originally started blogging to document the planning of our wedding and really hadn't planned too far ahead. I had stumbled upon so many wedding planning blogs and thought it was such a fun way to share ideas, but once we were married, it seemed silly to continue blogging about wedding planning. And of course, since I don't consider myself that great of a planner, it only made sense to change the name to reflect our change in status so I changed it to Nashville Newlyweds.

Then life took a few turns-- we began talking about moving, MJ took on a new job, and all sorts of other life changes, and once again, I felt like my blog didn't really reflect me or what I wanted to blog about. We had just recently gotten married, MJ had found a job he loved (which allowed us to live anywhere in the country) and we had begun our search for a new home in Virginia which meant I would soon be back at home and closer to all of my family.

I was feeling lucky... to say the least.

Day 1 of 30: Introduction....

2010-12-31T06:00:00.007-06:00

Christmas Photo Shoot courtesy of Lily B Photography

In case you don't know me, I'm Cat, I'm 27 and I'm married to that adorable man pictured above (MJ as he has been dubbed in the blog world).

Now for some interesting facts...

{1} I'm a sucker for sweets- no matter how much I've eaten, I can always make room for dessert!

{2} I have serious road rage- ALL THE TIME!

{3} L-O-V-E dirty martinis- the filthier the better.

{4} The snooze button and I have become best friends since August.

{5} I love working out.

{6}I love shopping just a bit more than.

{7} On a similar note, I have a small obsession with 7 jeans (and shoes, of any brand).

{8} Have to sleep with the fan on- it's too quiet without it.

{9} I love reading celebrity gossip.

{10} I want my long hair back really really badly!!!

{11} Love peanut butter, hate jelly.

{12} Christmas is my favorite holiday.

{13} We treat our 2 boxers like children.

{14} We've had our Highlander for just over a year so when I told my husband I wanted a Range Rover, he thought he'd be funny and bought me a Range Rover- matchbox size:)

{15} My sister and I want to work on our photography and start our own business.

And with that, I'm off to Boston to celebrate the New Year with one of my best friends. Hope you all have a fabulous holiday and an even more fabulous 2011!!

Here's to you and yours!

I'm Back!

2010-12-30T07:33:00.000-06:00

I have been toying with the idea of coming back to this here little blog of mine for quite some time. A lot has happened since I left, and even though I'm still struggling to find time to relax with my crazy work schedule, I miss blogging... and I miss you!!

I have tons to share and plan on doing some recaps of the summer/fall, our big move (and all the stress that came along with it), a little tour of our new house, etc., but I also want to keep things interesting. To get the ball rolling, I've decided to not only do all of the above, but I want to take on a blog challenge. Several of my blogging friends have started this and I thought it would be a great way for me to get back in the swing of things:) So for the next 30 days, I will blog everyday on the topics below:

Day 1-Introduction, recent picture, 15 interesting facts

Day 2-Meaning behind my blog name

Day 3-My first love

Day 4-My parents

Day 5-My siblings

Day 6-A picture of something that makes me happy

Day 7-Favorite movies

Day 8-A place I've traveled to

Day 9-A picture of my friends

Day 10-Something I'm afraid of

Day 11-Favorite tv shows

Day 12-What I believe

Day 13-Goals

Day 14-A picture I love

Day 15-Bible verse

Day 16-Dream house

Day 17-Something I'm looking forward to

Day 18-Something I regret

Day 19-Something I miss

Day 20-Nicknames

Day 21-Picture of myself

Day 22-Favorite city

Day 23-Favorite vacation

Day 24-Something I've learned

Day 25-Put my iPod on shuffle, first 10 songs

Day 26-Picture of my family

Day 27-Pets

Day 28-Something that stresses me out

Day 29-3 Wishes

Day 30-A picture

So happy to be back!

Life Happens

2010-05-15T08:38:00.004-05:00

I was sitting in a co-worker's office a few weeks ago and she said something that has just recently struck a cord with me. She said, "Life happens." Seems pretty simple right? No rocket science there. I mean everyone knows that life is this ever-changing, ever-moving thing. But for some reason, when I woke up this morning, I felt differently about that statement.

Life happens. What does that mean exactly?

As you have read (and can probably tell by my lack of posts), I have been struggling lately. Some things in my life have "happened" and I'm struggling with how to deal. Do you ever feel like everyone around you is living in this crazy fabulous world and somehow you've been left on the outskirts-- close enough to see it, but not close enough to be a part of it. Life is series of choices we make, right? And I've made a lot of choices in my life--some good, some bad, some really bad-- and they've all led me here. Unfortunately, here is not where I want to be.

When things really started to fall apart a couple of days ago, I picked up the daily devotional, Streams in the Desert, that our wedding pastor recommended MJ and I read together. Today's reading hit me hard:

Much of the world's beauty is due to clouds. The unchanging blue of a beautiful, sunlit sky still does not compare to the glory of changing clouds. And earth would become a wilderness if not for their ministry to us. Human life has its clouds as well. They provide us with shade, refresh us, yet sometimes cover us with the darkness of night. But there is never a cloud without its "bright light." God has told us, "I have set my rainbow in the clouds" (Gen. 9:13)... If only you could see your sorrows and troubles from above instead of seeing them from earth. If you would look down on them from where you are seated "with Christ...in the heavenly realms" (Eph. 2:6), you would know the beauty of the rainbow of colors they reflect to the hosts of heaven... Remember, clouds are always moving ahead of God's cleansing wind...

With that, I have decided to step away for awhile-- I need to find the beauty in the clouds. I'm in need of some soul searching. I love all of your blogs and will try to continue reading (and commenting), but for now, I'm going to spend some time looking inward instead of outward and just let life happen.

Mother's Day Weekend!

2010-05-11T21:28:00.001-05:00

I celebrated Mother's Day weekend with my two favorite moms-- my Mom and Sister! They've been planning this trip for quite some time and my Mom didn't get a chance to really see Nashville or our house when she was down here for the wedding so we thought Mother's Day weekend would be great. Her and my sister flew in on Thursday night and we had a fabulous weekend!

On Friday, we spent the day shopping (this is a recurring theme for the weekend), sightseeing and eating:) Because of the flooding there were a few places that weren't open, but we managed to go in almost every shop on Broadway, had some drinks at a few places and then ended the day with dinner at The Melting Pot.

On Saturday, we opted for a day of pampering (pedicures for all!), shopping (again!) and eating (again!). It was fantastic. The weather was just gorgeous and my Mom and sister managed to find some great deals at the mall. We decided we would grill out for dinner so we ended the day with steaks and margaritas!

On Sunday, we enjoyed an awesome Mother's Day Brunch at Sambuca. If you live in Nashville or near one of Sambuca's other locations, I highly recommend their special event brunches. It was super easy and delicious. We ended up arriving quite a bit early for our reservation, were seated right away, and managed to spend the next 2 hours devouring some of the most amazing food! My Mom was impressed as was my sister. Of course, after our busy weekend, we were exhausted so we made our way back home. We picked up Starbucks, stopped at Home Depot for some flowers, then came back to plant a them. And not only did I end up with a beautiful flower pot, but we got some great herbs too. I'm super excited to watch everything grow!

Unfortunately, they both had to leave yesterday. My sister needed to get back to work which meant my Mom did too since she's my sister's nanny! All in all, it was the perfect weekend and I thoroughly enjoyed having visitors. I don't get too many of those up here so it was a nice change of pace!

How did you spend your Mother's Day weekend?

We're Okay!

2010-05-04T13:50:00.001-05:00

I have had several phone calls, emails, texts, and facebook messages regarding the situation here in Tennessee. Thankfully, we are okay and our house is okay. There was no serious damage on our side of town, but I can't say that for many other areas in the town where I live. I know people have seen several photos of Nashville, so I thought I would perhaps share a few from my neck of the woods.

I actually live about 45 miles outside of Nashville and our downtown runs right along the river. You can only imagine what it looks like down there... and now you don't have to.

This is the town where I live...

The last picture is actually of the bridge/overpass from the major interstate that runs from my town to Nashville. This river is normally 50+ feet below the bridge-- yesterday afternoon around 1pm, it was just a few feet from coming over the interstate!

MJ and I are lucky that we purchased a home that is on higher ground and away from a lot of this water, but we can't say that for everyone. Unfortunately, we found out last night that one of our good friends and his fiance (they are getting married on Saturday!!!!) have lost their home and both cars to this mess!

It is, without a doubt, a sad state of affairs, but I have faith that we will pull through this. Nashville and the surrounding areas will be up and running in no time!

Fab Friday Finds... on Monday!

2010-05-03T11:00:00.033-05:00

So I didn't have a chance to post my fab friday finds on Friday so I thought, why not flood your reader with just one more post today...

This week's fab find- Letarte Swimwear! There's no better time than the present to start looking for a new swimsuit for the summer. And while I had every intention of sticking with the new one my sister gave me, I caved when I came across Letarte on Rue La La last week.*

Check out some of these suits...

And the 2010 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue features 12 Letarte bikinis. Now who doesn't want an SI featured bikini:)

All images courtesy of Letarte Swimwear

Have you found your swimsuit for the summer?

*I'm really hoping MJ doesn't kill me when he reads this post-- we're supposed to be saving like mad people, but I couldn't help myself... love you lots hunny!!!!!

Kristen Steele Photography

2010-05-03T09:44:00.002-05:00

On Friday I received an email from Kristen about her Launch Party on May 22 and I thought I would help her do a little promoting by posting about it on my blog. She is doing an awesome giveaway for brides who come to her Launch Party. They can register for a free Lifestyle Session & photo guestbook for their wedding. They get to choose from an Engagement Session, a Bridal Session, a Boudoir Session or a Day After Session {MJ and I loved every photo from our Day After Session}.

If you get a chance, you should definitely stop by on May 22. And better yet, check out her website and blog to see all of her awesome work!

House Hunting

2010-04-28T09:46:00.002-05:00

Can I just tell you how extremely exhausting house hunting can be????

MJ and I have begun our search for a new home and it is quite the daunting task. Not only is the market flooded with short sales and foreclosures, but almost every home is being bought up with the quickness!

When we bought the house we live in now, I found it online, we took one long look at it and decided it was perfect for us. Perfect location, perfect size. And now that we're married and looking to the future, we've quickly discovered that our house is not where we want to be or big enough for a family (I always wonder how my neighbor has room for 3 kids). Of course, changing locations and getting a bigger house means a bigger price tag, so we are in the process of saving like crazy. We've been flexible and we know that most of the homes we are seeing now, will not be available when we are actually in a position to buy (6 months or so); however, the search is still stressful.

Here are my latest favorites...

We've had a pretty good selection so far... I just hope it stays that way!

Did you know?

2010-04-16T09:46:00.001-05:00

Did you know that there are 1300 nerve endings per in² in each one of your hands?

This may seem like pretty useless information, but for me, not so much. You see, I have a condition called hyperhidrosis . It effects my hands, feet and under my arms. I don't recall a time when I didn't have it, but it has gotten worse as I've gotten older. It's not life threatening, but it is, without a doubt, life altering.

When I came to Nashville a few years ago, I decided it was time to do something about it and found a dermatologist for treatment. My main concern was under my arms and my hands, seeing as those are the most noticed. Unfortunately, after 2 years, we discovered that none of the traditional methods worked and the next step was Botox injections. However, Botox for hyperhidrosis in the hands is quite controversial and it's not easy to find a doctor to perform the procedure. My dermatologist couldn't do it, but he referred me to another who could. Although, I quickly found out that while he was a fantastic doctor, he would not submit my claim to insurance; therefore, I would have to pay for the procedure out of pocket and then submit my own claim. In an ideal world, that would be fine; however, Botox injections only last from 3-6 months so I would have to pay thousands!!! of dollars every 6 months to have this done. Yeah, not gonna happen. So I waited...

I saw my primary care physician last fall and was told that Vanderbilt had to have a doctor that could do the procedure and sure enough, he was right! I found a fabulous doctor (and he would submit my claim to insurance) and yesterday morning, he performed the first set of injections in my hands and under my arms.

Your hands and your lips are the most sensitive areas on your body. I got to test that out yesterday morning. Let me just say, I have never felt pain like that in my life! It probably didn't help that I was a giant ball of nerves (read: I hate needles and I have no pain tolerance), but it was horrible!!!!!!! I was given a topical anesthetic which didn't really work. I mean not only do you have thousands of nerve endings in each hand, but the skin on your hands is extremely thick. Talk about a bad combo when you're about to endure over 50 injections in each!

The nurse was awesome and kept trying to make small talk while I basically screamed and squeezed anything I could while the doctor repeatedly stabbed me! They were both super sweet and it was over in about 30 minutes, but damn, did that hurt!!

Good thing is, I survived (I only cried 3 times) and will return in 5 months to do it all over again.

Weekend Fun

2010-04-12T10:34:00.001-05:00

So my weekend consisted of a little bit of this...

I actually did this exercise (aka the lat pulldown) but I was NOT wearing such a tiny top!

a little of this...

but, again not in such a skimpy outfit (geez, what is with these pictures I found?!?)

a little of this...

and finally a little of this...

Overall, not a bad weekend. How was yours?

P.S. All pictures are from Google Images.
P.P.S. When I searched for woman mowing the lawn, every picture was of a woman in a bikini, wth??

Switching gears...

2010-04-11T15:49:00.004-05:00

So as you can see, I've made some changes... AGAIN!

I know you're probably thinking, "would this girl just make up her mind?!?" But please bear with me, I promise I'm done:)

As you read here, I have been doing a lot of thinking regarding my blog and why I write and if it's even worth it to keep writing. It started as a way to get ideas for our wedding and then once we were married I figured it needed a bit of a change considering it wasn't about the planning anymore, it was about the living. And then life sort of happened and ours has turned out to be a bit different.

As you can read here, MJ works overseas therefore I tend to have less "newlywed" like stories and more just "me" stories so I thought instead of trying to blog about our life as newlyweds, which isn't really possible, I want the freedom to blog about whatever I want. And I think this change will allow me to...

Fab Friday Finds

2010-04-09T11:27:00.016-05:00

Just when I thought I was doing well on the shopping front, this little baby appeared in my mailbox...

Thank you Nordstrom for attempting to ruin my good streak! I haven't purchased any of your goodness yet, but I might not be able to fight the urge much longer.

Here are some of my faves...

ECI Ruffle Romper

Velvet Heart Strapless Romper

Rebecca Taylor Waterfall Dress

BP 'Geneva'

And my absolute favorite...

Maggy London Sheath

Not sure about you all, but all this beautiful weather has me itching to add some perfect spring/summer pieces to my closet!

Would you post your weight on Twitter?

2010-04-08T08:19:00.002-05:00

I love eating right and working out, but I love my sweets (just ask my trainer-- he has so cleverly named me the Cookie Monster). Once a week, I provide my trainer with my meals from the previous week and then, once a month, we do measurements to check progress. Without a doubt, I need accountability so this system works for me. But what about public accountability? I mean, right now only one person sees my progress (or lack thereof, if that's the case)-- I'm not so sure if I want hundreds to see it.

Although, it worked for one man and he's already lost 50lbs in the last 3 1/2 months. It's been dubbed the Twitter Humiliation Diet or #twitterhumiliationdiet in tweet speak. And now there's a digital scale that makes it easy. A French company, Withings, developed a digital scale with Wi-Fi capability, an iPhone app and Twitter. All you have to do now, is get on the scale.

So my question is, would you post your weight on Twitter?

Current Crush...

2010-04-05T08:09:00.002-05:00

I am totally lusting after these...

Ponti by Nine West

They are absolutely divine, don't ya think?!

Toxic Pet Food!!!!

2010-04-01T10:51:00.002-05:00

If you have animals-- I urge you to read Amy's post about her recent discovery of toxic pet food.

Nutro is actually made by the same company that makes my dogs' food so I'm currently scouring the internet for reports or recalls and will be following up with my vet. I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to one of my precious pups!

At a loss...

2010-03-25T12:38:00.001-05:00

Do you ever feel like you just don't have anything to write about?

Let's just say I've been struggling with this here little blog o' mine. My life literally consists of working, eating, sleeping and gyming (yeah that's totally not a word, but I had to stick with the -ing)-- which leaves me with little to write about. I began writing as a blushing bride and used this blog as a way to share my experiences with planning. And of course, I was so quickly sucked in to other bridal blogs that it became the perfect outlet to give and gain inspiration. Then when MJ and I got married, I sort of slacked off on the posting, tried to do some recaps but later stopped, and finally just started writing about some pretty useless stuff (like here and here).

And now I'm here-- wondering if I should continue blogging. Blogging has been great and I've loved having blog friends become real life friends, but I think something is missing. Sometimes I wonder if I'm writing for me or if I'm writing for everyone else. I honestly don't even know if one is better than the other...

So what do you think? Do you blog for yourself or do you blog for your readers?

And the winner is...

2010-03-23T22:30:00.003-05:00

Thank you to everyone who entered my first giveaway! Miss Kriss, I'll send you an email this week to get all of your information.

Don't forget!

2010-03-21T09:36:00.001-05:00

Don't forget to enter my giveaway-- the winner will be chosen on Tuesday!

Hope everyone is having a beautiful weekend!

Fab Friday Finds

2010-03-19T10:33:00.002-05:00

As you all know, I love to shop. Well, a couple of weeks ago, as I was perusing Twitter, I saw a post about Lands' End. Now, I've been singing Lands' End's praises ever since they came through for me when I needed shorts for our cruise, but no one was carrying shorts (or at least not shorts that could be worn while hanging hundreds of feet above the rainforest!). So when the twitterverse (thanks, Nina!) introduced me to Lands' End Canvas, I am, once again, singing their praises.

You may just see me in a few of these this Spring:

Happy Friday (and happy shopping)!

Home Projects- Part II

2010-03-17T10:29:00.001-05:00

Home project #2: Headboard

Our dogs are just shy of 80lbs EACH and they sleep in our bed, so while MJ was home in September, we used some of our wedding money to upgrade from our {itty bitty} queen size bed to a king. We bought the matress set and while debating on a frame, I asked MJ if we could just get a basic frame so that I could make the headboard. And being the good husband that he is, he kindly obliged:)

Fast forward 4+ months and our headboard is finally done!

Using Holly's fab instructions, I created a tall headboard for our "new" bed. I measured the width and height that I wanted and off to Home Depot we went. Now, Holly cut all of her own wood, but I didn't really want to screw that up, so we had the very nice lumber man at Home Depot cut our wood for us. It was perfect! We also stopped at Hancock Fabrics and picked up 3 rolls of batting (we actually purchased pre-cut Queen size batting).

Here is the headboard right after we had secured all of the brackets (please excuse the dog toys):

Then we covered it with the 3 layers of batting. I will say that while I think 3 layers is sufficient, I kind of wish we had opted for 4 or 5 instead. Oh well, I'll do that next time.

Finally, because I had opted for a tall headboard, finding the fabric to cover it was a bit of a debacle. Luckily, after scouring a TON of fabric stores, one of the ladies at Hancock Fabrics suggested I buy a sheet and it clicked! I thought a sheet may be too thin, but I had purchased a cream colored quilt from TJ Maxx some time ago, but never used it. It was still in the package and sitting in my closet. I showed it to MJ and we both agreed that it would make a great headboard cover.

What do you think? Again, excuse the mess-- it was laundry day!

I'm quite happy with the way it turned out and I highly recommend checking our Holly's page for other fun decorating tips and instructions.

P.S. Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

My First Giveaway!!

2010-03-16T09:25:00.005-05:00

With summer just around the corner, it's a great time to start getting in shape. So what better time for me to give away something fitness related?!

I don't know about you, but I'm always looking for activities that I can do at home, especially on those days when gym time just doesn't seem to fit into my schedule. In conjunction with CSN stores* (where you can find everything from cookware to counter stools to exercise equipment), I am giving away this awesome resistance toning kit!

The kit contains an exercise ball, a resistance band, an ankle resistance cuff and a workout DVD. The exercise ball is perfect for gaining core strength and balance while the resistance bands will really tighten and tone your lower body. What's even better is this kit is 100% eco-friendly! You can't beat that!

You can receive up to 4 entries. Here’s how:

{1 Entry} Leave me a comment telling me some of your favorite exercises to do at home! *Be sure to include your email address so I contact you if you're the winner!

{2 Entries} Become a "Follower" of my blog and leave me a comment letting me know! If you already are a follower, just remind me in your comment.

{3 Entries} Tweet about this giveaway and leave me a comment with a link to your tweet.

{4 Entries} Blog about this giveaway and leave a comment with the link to your post!

I'll use random.org to select a winner on 3/23.

Good luck friends!!

*Please note that CSN will only ship to the U.S. & Canada.

Pain

2010-03-15T10:12:00.001-05:00

I am in pain and I mean SERIOUS pain!!!!!

I had a legs session with my trainer on Saturday and I don't know what he did, but I can barely walk! Normally I feel a little bit of pain a day or 2 later, but this is pain like I've never felt before. I've had the kind where it hurts while trying to sit down, but not this time-- this is the kind where I'm sitting and it still effing hurts!

The sad part is, I don't know what hurts worse, my quads or my hamstrings. Too bad you need both to walk:(

Home Projects- Part I

2010-03-13T15:03:00.001-06:00

I feel like I have done about a bazillion and one home projects so I thought I would show a bit of it.

If you remember, I updated the cabinet in our spare bathroom a few months back. It looked like this...

And I added a few more touches (new paint, repainted the towel rack and toilet paper holder and added a shelf) so it looks like this now...

The only things left are the shower rod and the faucets.

What do you think?

Answers to Your Questions

2010-03-10T10:12:00.002-06:00

The new Q&A section is up... to check out my answers to your questions, go here. And if you have any more, feel free to ask:)

Happy Wednesday!

My Q&A section is empty...

2010-03-09T09:10:00.001-06:00

I have a whole post/link above devoted to Q & A, but I don't really know what kinds of things my readers want to know and I'm tired of it being blank so I'm going to ask you for help...

What do you want to know about me... or MJ... or our life... or anything, for that matter (I'm pretty smart, ya know)?

2010-03-05T10:08:00.001-06:00

I was feeling a lot like this yesterday...

Source: Blunt Card

Several of my coworkers commented on my frankness at our weekly meeting yesterday. Here lately, some things have happened in my office that just make me want to scream (like people pretending to know what they are doing while other people do their work for them). So yesterday, I decided I was over the nonsense and just kind of shot from the hip. I've got a pretty busy weekend ahead (super excited for Local Taco with some of my Nashville ladies) so the bitchyness should be short lived.

In other news, after I drooled over several items at Anthro last week, I decided to stop in to buy a few things. I left with only 1 of the items I originally went in for and suprisingly, I have decided to take it back. I modeled it for MJ and he wasn't too impressed. Here are 2 of the 3 things I snagged on my lunch break last week (item #3 isn't online)...

Bordurette Tank

Slate Stripes Shift

MJ wasn't all too wowed by the shift which was somewhat disappointing, but I could totally see why he felt that way. Hopefully I'll find something else I love when I take it back tomorrow.

Plus, Rue La La had a sale on Juicy Couture this week, so I got a super comfy pair of fleece pants with my return credit. Best part is, I still have some $ left over and today they are having a sale on 7s!!!!

Happy Friday Friends!

Tuesday

2010-03-02T08:44:00.001-06:00

It's only Tuesday and I don't like Tuesdays. There's really for no good reason except that nothing really great ever happens on Tuesdays.

I mean, Mondays aren't too bad because I'm still coming off the excitement from the weekend.

Wednesdays are cool because I've made it through half of the week so far and I'm just 2 days shy of another fab weekend.

Thursdays are even better because I have a 2-hour meeting in the morning which makes the day go by super fast and there's always some sort of drama to talk about afterwards which lends to lots of laughing and poking fun at co-workers.

Fridays-- how can I not like Fridays?! I usually spend most of the day working on my to-do list for the following week. Mind you, I don't actually do any of it even if I have time, but I do plan it out.

And Saturdays and Sundays, well, these are my favorite days. I get to sleep in until whatever time ~~I want~~ the dogs let me... I get to wear jeans!!!... and I get to be lazy if I want to be.

But Tuesday-- nothing good ever happens on Tuesday!

Changes

2010-02-24T12:00:00.004-06:00

**Please beware: this is a SUPER long post.**

If you want to lead an extraordinary life, find out what the ordinary do-- and don't do it.

-Tommy Newberry, Success Is Not An Accident

Last night, after working out at the gym, I came home to tell MJ that I really feel like my body has plateaued-- my weight hasn't changed but the inches haven't changed either which is not what I was hoping for. I've been working out for over a year now, but have been working with my current trainer for 3 months. I have good days and bad days, but here lately, I feel like the majority of them have been bad. And then this morning, I read this (thanks, Amy).

It couldn't have come at a better time. MJ and I, as you have read previously, have made some life-changing decisions in the last few months and I've just recently made another. So after reading Amy's post, it got me thinking about everything in my life-- not just the physical part-- and what else could be causing me to be so negative lately.

On one of the first pages of the book, Success Is Not An Accident, Tommy Newberry gives these stats:

Currently, 49 percent of marriages end in divorce.
More than 80 percent of people working today would rather be in another line of work.
More than 50 percent of Americans are overweight.
One out of three Americans will get cancer, and two out of five will suffer from heart disease.
More than 60 percent of Americans, who live in the richest, most abundant civilization in history, will retire with little or no savings and will become dependent on so-called entitlements for survival.

It made me realize that it isn't just my body that has plateaued, but my life has plateaued. I can relate to each of these and it's kind of scary.

Divorce. No, my marriage isn't ending, but I think that with the line of work that MJ is in, I've sort of stopped worrying about us and just worried about myself. I don't talk about MJ's job often, but instead, I talk about shopping and trips and how I wish he'd let me stay home and eat bon-bons all day. But the truth of it is, in a marriage where one partner is often not at home, everything becomes a survival technique. I wake up at the same time everyday, I eat at the same times every day, I workout the same time everyday-- if only because getting through each one means I'm that much closer to the next and that much closer to MJ being home again. So what's missing? MJ. It's all about me making it to the next day, but what about our marriage?

Wanting to be in another line of work. As much as I don't talk about MJs job, I don't talk about my job either, but it is, without a doubt, one of the most troublesome areas in my life. I am not doing what I want to do. If you've read my about post then you know that I always grew up wanting to be a lawyer. And now, when I really think about it, I don't know why. There are no lawyers in my family (there are doctors, why didn't I want to be a doctor?!), but I told everyone I ever met that I wanted to be a lawyer. I found something about it intriguing I guess, and now I just can't figure out what it was. Seeing as I've kept you all in the dark about our first two big decisions (mainly because I'm not sure who reads this little blog of mine), I'll let you in on this one, but you've probably already guessed it. That's right, I've decided to change careers.

I've lumped the next two together because let's face it, they are both about being healthy and taking care of yourself. I don't think I lack the motivation to stay healthy, but I do have to be mindful of my family history and those things I can't control. I can control becoming overweight by eating right and working out, but I can't necessarily control cancer or heart disease. I can only control my lifestyle so that's what I'm going to do. I am going to continue going to the gym and will continue my regular physicals and yearly check-ups to ensure that I'm doing what I can to stay healthy.

And Newberry's last fact about retirement and wealth is so incredibly crucial. MJ is always talking to me about investments and retirement and I tend to only half-listen (I hear what he is saying but never really listen). I've always just thought we're too young to be worried about retirement. However, I don't want to be dependent on entitlements and I definitely don't want to be dependent on MJ. I need to play my part in our future retirement so I'm going to make it a point to map out some of my goals for our future and share them with MJ. Hopefully we can work towards them together.

Well, if you're still reading, were you, at all, surprised by any of those statistics?

Random Musings...

2010-02-22T10:27:00.002-06:00

I know I promised a post about our honeymoon, but I haven't really had time to sit down and recount the week's events so that will have to wait until another day. Today, I thought I'd humor you all with a few random musings...

1) Sadly, I only have one more week with MJ and then he's headed back to work. It's been a quick month and I only wish I had more vacation time so that I could have spent more time at home with him. We travelled so much at the beginning of the month so we laid low last week and we're doing the same this week.

2) After reading this post, I got the urge to shop at Anthropologie. I found so many things I loved and debated purchasing it all online, but saw that shipping was going to be another $20. I scoured the internet in hopes of finding a coupon code, but instead, discovered something even better. All this time I thought the closest Anthro was in Atlanta, but I was wrong. We have one right here in Nashville! How did I not know this?!?

3) I completely finished re-doing our guest bathroom several weeks ago, but have been totally dragging my feet on my other projects. My to-do list is growing and I need to get motivated. I have 2 partially finished projects sitting in my garage and several that I want to get started on, like the headboard for our new king bed and finishing the Family wall in our living room. It's a good thing we don't have company over very often because our house is one big unfinished project.

4) I just realized last night that I've had my movies from Netflix since December! Wow, you think I've been a bit busy? The sad thing is, I totally wanted to watch them in December, but don't care to anymore. Looks like they are going back today...

5) I saw 2 movies this weekend-- Dear John and Valentine's Day. And, I'm happy to report that I liked them both. I read Dear John almost 2 years ago and was happy to see that they changed the ending. Oftentimes I get annoyed when they change the ending of the book because it messes up the story line, but in this case, it worked. It was definitely a tear-jerker and it was nice to end on a more positive note. As for Valentine's, it was funny. MJ and I both enjoyed it. Some parts were funnier than others and I did get a little restless towards the end, but that may have simply been because I was tired and it was quickly approaching my normal bed time. I could have waited until it came out on DVD but it was still a good movie.

6) I'm still working out 6 days/week and trying my best to stay on my diet. It's a bit harder with MJ home because he likes to eat at his favorite restaurants when he's in town and eating out is difficult for me and generally means skipping the gym if it's on a weeknight. But we've done good and I've managed to maintain my weight while he's been here (I gained 10lbs the last time he was home!). I'll be getting measured again on Saturday so we'll see then what my true progress over the last month has been.

So did everyone have a good weekend?

Blog Design Giveaway

2010-02-18T09:54:00.001-06:00

I had a super boring blog until a couple of months ago so I know how important a blog design is and that's why I'm sharing this giveaway with you.

You should definitely check out Kelly of Fabulous K and Fabulous K Creative! Her waitlist is currently closed so what better way to get one of her fabulous designs on your blog than to enter her giveaway!

I think you'll agree that her work is amazing so go here to enter!

Blog Award

2010-02-17T11:40:00.002-06:00

I haven't received too many blog awards, but seeing as the lovely Sarah of Sarah Elizabeth has given me this award I thought I would pass it along!

Here are the rules:

* Link back to the blogger who sent you this award
* Post where you would like to be in 10 years
* Pass it on to 5 other special bloggers!

In 10 years I'd like to be a stay at home mom to at least a couple of rugrats, living in the DC area, and loving my life. I'd also love to possibly own a business or two with MJ, since that is his dream.

And my fab 5:

Mrs. Smith @ The Adventures of Mrs. Smith
Lillian @ A Bride In Boots
Kayla @ Living the Great Life
Kelsey @ The Seattle Smiths
Rachel @ History of the Harveys (even though I doubt with that adorable little newborn around that you have any time for awards, but I'm passing it on anyway)

And hopefully I'll find some time tonight or tomorrow to start recapping our honeymoon-- I know I'm so behind these days! 24 hours just isn't enough!

Two Things...

2010-02-15T09:32:00.001-06:00

First things first, I'm back from my honeymoon! It was uber fab and I can't wait to share some pictures with you. I went through all of them this morning and being the tourist that I am, most are of the water and scenery with just a few being of the lovely couple- here's a little sneak peek.

Our first morning in St. Thomas

And in even bigger news, remember when I shared this little desire with you... well, MJ was feeling oh so generous and bought them for me while we were in Atlanta last Saturday!!!!

The Sophie Wedge

2010-02-02T09:52:00.001-06:00

If MJ won't let me quit my job, maybe he'll let me buy these...

Photo Credit: Nordstrom

I seriously go to the website every day and swoon over them. Now, how do I talk him into letting me spend $300 on these beauties?

Cheese!

2010-02-01T14:24:00.001-06:00

Seeing as my weekend ended up being both good and bad (perhaps I will share more on this later), I really don't have much to post about. Because of this, I thought I would share with you my love of cheese. And not just any cheese, my little blog friends, but Mini Babybel Light!

It totally rocks my world! You should try it!

Self Magazine?

2010-01-26T08:13:00.000-06:00

Last month, I received a copy of Self Magazine and honestly, I just kind of assumed it was one of those, we'll send you a copy so you'll subscribe sort of deals. Then, I opened my mailbox last night and sure enough, this little baby was wrapped in plastic.

I'm totally confused because a) I swear I never subscribed to it and b) I don't think I'd ever opened a copy of Self Magazine until it came in the mail last month. It's okay, but definitely not something I'd spend money on-- it's pretty small and not exactly my idea of good reading. So why the hell is it being delivered to my door each month?

Does anyone else ever get a magazine in the mail and wonder how they got your name and address?

No more casual Friday

2010-01-22T13:04:00.000-06:00

Every Thursday we have a 2 hour staff meeting in our office. More often than not it's a pretty dreaded event (I mean who really enjoys 2 hour meetings?!). Giving the office bad news during the meeting makes it that much worse. So of course, in our meeting yesterday, one of the managers decided to tell us that casual Fridays are no longer allowed. The rule was always that you could dress down on Fridays, if and only if, there would be no visitors to our office. Which, in turn, required checking the calendar every Thursday evening before leaving work. Apparently there is some concern now that perhaps there would be an unexpected visitor or a last-minute meeting and people would be wearing innapropriate* clothing.

Morale isn't exactly at its highest in our office these days and then you go and take away the one thing that keeps us going all week. I mean, don't get me wrong... I'm okay with there being rules regarding dress code because, trust me, I've seen my fair share of fashion blunders, but no more casual friday? Ever? Really?! That's like telling a kid Santa Claus doesn't exist-- what's there to look forward to now? {I'm probably being a bit over-dramatic here, but whatever, it sucks}

The sad part is that those who actually wore jeans on Fridays (when the calendar permitted) rarely ever have meetings with people outside of our office. We basically have to dress up for everyone else's meetings in case their guest happens to see us. I think the rule should have been no more meetings on Fridays. Now how's that for a morale booster?!

*term being used loosely here-- we could wear nice jeans; however, no jeans with holes or tears, t-shirts, sneakers, flip flops, etc.

One Week!!!!

2010-01-20T07:58:00.000-06:00

One week from today my hubby will be home!!!!!!!!

I'm super duper excited to see him! He left in October and while it feels like this rotation has gone by pretty quickly, the excitement of him coming home never goes away!

Photo Credit: Red Letter Days Photography

Stir Fry- It's What's for Dinner!

2010-01-17T20:19:00.003-06:00

I was at Kroger today picking up a few items (I never thought I would go through an 18 pack of eggs in a week!) and noticed that they had a great selection of fresh stir fry vegetables. Generally, I won't buy things at the store without knowing how I'm going to use them, but I knew I had chicken and beef at home so I picked up the veggies and figured I would search for a recipe when I got home.

I don't know where you find your recipes, but my favorite place to go to is Cooking Light. Not only because the recipes are healthy, but they are also super easy to make and taste great. Tonight, was no different. Cooking Light came through once again and with a few substitutions on my part since I always like to change things a bit, it turned out GREAT! Here's the recipe with substitutions in red:

Sirloin and Vegetable Stir Fry

Total time: 30 minutes.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups stir fry mixture and 3/4 cup rice)

Ingredients

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder {I omitted this completely}
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 (1-pound) sirloin steak, trimmed and thinly sliced {I used skinless chicken breasts instead}
2 teaspoons cornstarch {I used 1 1/2 tbsp of whole wheat flour instead-- no reason other than I didn't have cornstarch in my pantry:)}
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
3/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium beef broth {seeing as I subbed chicken above, I used chicken broth here}
2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 cup (1/4-inch-thick) diagonally cut slices carrot
1 cup broccoli florets
1 1/2 cups snow peas, trimmed
3 cups hot cooked rice {I omitted this completely as well simply as a way to cut carbs}
I also added mushrooms, onions , red bell peppers and green bell peppers to mine.

Preparation

Combine first 3 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well; sprinkle evenly over steak (or chicken). Combine cornstarch (or flour), sugar, and red pepper in a medium bowl, stirring well with a whisk. Stir in broth and soy sauce.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot to pan; stir-fry 2 minutes. Add steak (or chicken) and broccoli (I added the mushrooms and onions here as well); stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in broth mixture; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add snow peas (and peppers too); cook 30 seconds or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with rice.

I ended up letting the stir fry cook for probably an additional 10 minutes after adding all of the veggies mainly because I like my veggies softer, but as it says, you can cook it to your desired degree of doneness.

It was fab... you should totally try it!

Shop much?

2010-01-15T08:29:00.003-06:00

MJ and I have this thing with shopping-- if he tells me he's been shopping (and yes, the man LOVES to shop!), I feel the need to shop too. And let's just say, here lately, we've been a nightly stop for ol' UPS and FedEx.

The recent bout of shopping began because 2 weeks ago we received a package from J Crew. I knew I hadn't ordered anything from them so when MJ called me, I inquired about the box. He jokingly said, "Oh I didn't tell you about that?" and proceeded to fill me in on the fact that he purchased the jacket that he has been eyeing since October. I just said okay and asked how much he spent. Of course, with that amount in mind, I got online the very next day and did some of my own shopping.

Yeah, this isn't really a good thing. But when I opened the door last night and found this waiting for me...

I was feeling pretty damn good about it:)

**edited to add-- Nine West (which is where I got this lovely bag) is currently having a killer sale if any of you are NW shoppers**

Fashion Trends

2010-01-14T11:31:00.001-06:00

I'd like to think that I know a little bit about what it means to be in style. With that said, I also like to be comfortable. I like when what I'm wearing works for both, but I pretty much dress for comfort.

Well... I'm branching out a bit and just snagged two pairs of these {in different washes of course}, all in the name of being in style:

Photo Credit: Victoria's Secret

Has anyone else jumped on the "Boyfriend Jean" bandwagon?

First Impressions

2010-01-12T09:04:00.001-06:00

For some reason, I was feeling pretty sluggish last night before heading to the gym-- not sure if it's this cold that I can't seem to shake or that I just wasn't feeling the whole working out thing. Of course, I got myself together and headed out. I decided that bringing my Ipod would be a good idea because considering how tired I was, I was going to need some serious pick-me-up music. Usually I do just fine without it, but every once in a while, I need it.

My pick-me-up music of choice is rap. Don't know why, but it works. Just does. So I'm doing my thing at the gym and my trainer comes over to comment on the fact that I've got "tunes" tonight. I mention that yes, indeed I do, because I was sucking and needed something to get me pumped. I also mention that my rap music was just what I needed. He bursts out laughing then asks to listen to my headphones. Sure enough, what he hears is rap. And not just rap, but "hard-core rap" as he put it. That's right, I listen to hard-core rap sometimes. Don't judge.

So flash forward about an hour and while I'm at the front desk asking a question, one of the girls that works there (or used to work there, I think she just quit last week, but that's really not important) starts talking to me. My trainer is there as well and decides to tell everyone that I listen to rap music. Apparently this shocks not only my trainer, but multiple people from the gym because they all gasp. I inquire as to why that is so shocking and this is what was said...

"I just figured you listened to country music..." (ok, that's way out in left field, but whatever)

"It's just not what I expected from you..." and,

"I don't know, I mean, with the car you drive, not a single hair out of place... you just seem so... prim and proper." (WOW!)

I mean this isn't to say that I don't mind my manners, can be refined when needed, and yes, I drive a hybrid, but their first impression of me was way off. Those who know me (and I mean, really know me) know that I can be less than... um... prim and proper. Sure I've calmed down a little, but let's face it, the things you could get away with in college don't really work when you're 26 and married.

I guess I'm just too serious when I go to the gym. I'll have to work on that!

Anyone else ever find that a person's first impression of you was way off?

Just Do It!

2010-01-07T12:43:00.000-06:00

Most of the time when I go to the gym, I feel like a walking Nike ad. I wear everything Nike-- Nike shirts, Nike shorts (or pants) and of course, Nike shoes. I love me some Nike! And no, Nike hasn't compensated me in any way for saying this but I sure wish they would. I mean, can you imagine how much money I could make every day just by wearing their stuff to the gym?

Anyway... I promised you guys I would post a run-down of my workout plan yesterday and now that yesterday has passed, I'm posting my workout plan:)

Basically, I workout 6x per week and alternate which muscle groups I work as well as throw in a little cardio and abs. Every week varies a bit for me too because I have a training session once a week so depending on what muscle group my trainer wants to work, I will adjust the rest of my week around that.

For weight lifting: I do 2 exercises per muscle and for each exercise, I do 3 sets of 20 reps (i.e. if I were working back and biceps, I might do lat pulldowns and rows for back and pull ups and curls for biceps). Everyone is different in this regard though. Depending on what you are trying to achieve will determine how many sets and how many reps you should complete.

For cardio: I do 30 minutes of fat-burning cardio at least 4x per week. No high intensity cardio. This again can be adjusted. My trainer suggests this for me because of my diet. As you can see here, I am taking in a limited number of carbs and much more fat (good fat and good carbs though). For some reason, I always feel like doing less on Fridays so I generally choose Friday as at least one day to not have to do any cardio. I also tend to like to avoid it on my leg days.

And for abs: I do 2-3 ab exercises (again 3 sets of 20 reps) at least 3x per week.

Here is a typical week for me:

Monday
Back & Biceps
Abs
Cardio

Tuesday
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
Abs
Cardio

Wednesday
Legs
Abs

Thursday
Back & Biceps
Abs
Cardio

Friday
Chest, Shoulders & Triceps
Abs

Saturday
Legs
Abs
Cardio

So the real reason for posting the Nike tagline as my title was not really because I'm secretly hoping Nike will read this and decide to make me their next poster child, but rather because just getting out there and doing it is the best advice I have. I can't tell you how many people ask me how I stay so committed and motivated. And just doing it, is the motivation. I actually get such a "high" from the gym. No, I'm not delirious or in some kind of euphoric state when I leave, but I feel good--great actually. And that is all the motivation I need to get up and do it the next day!

What I Eat

2010-01-05T09:48:00.002-06:00

I was asked by a friend of mine to post about my "meal plan" and while I never really thought about it, I think it's a great idea. As I've mentioned before, in the last year or so, I have become somewhat of a fitness fanatic. I hit the gym 6 days a week and I eat according to a pretty strict plan (although, I've been known to splurge on a cookie or two... or three or four, but who's counting?!).

I am currently doing somewhat of a hybrid plan. I started a "clean" eating challenge in early December with some others at my gym and while I'm sticking to that, I'm also eating according to some guidelines that my current trainer has worked up for me as well as a workout regimen that he has designed.**

I eat a variety of vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and non-saturated fats. I use Livestrong to track what I eat so I'm always aware of what I've taken in in terms of carbs, protein and fat. I also have a scale at home so that I can measure my food if necessary. You'd be surprised how many products come in a single package but contain 2-3 servings.

Here are my general guidelines:

4-5 small meals per day
Eat every 2-4 hours
No more than 25g carbs per meal (if I do go over, I make sure they are good carbs)
Eat fewer carbs as day progresses (I still struggle with this)
At least 115g protein per day (1g protein per pound bodyweight)
At least 20-30g protein per meal
Take in 30g of protein in the morning and 1 hour before the gym
Take multivitamin (I take 2 Flintstones Complete- don't judge!) as well as Fish Oil

Here is a typical day of eating for me:

Breakfast:
Coffee (1 cup)
Creamer (1 tbsp)
3 large eggs (2 whole eggs, 1 egg white)
2 slices low-fat cheese
Yields=26g protein, 7g carbs

Snack:
Greek Yogurt (4 oz.)
All-Natural Fruit and Nut Granola (1/4 cup)
Almonds (1 oz. or roughly 23 almonds)
Yields=20g protein, 31g carbs

Lunch:
Filet (4 oz.)
Steamed Sugar Snap Peas
Yields=22g protein, 6 carbs

Snack:
GNC Pro Performance Whey Protein (1 scoop)
Skim Milk (6 oz.)
Yields=27g protein, 13g carbs

Dinner: (within 1 hour of working out)
Grilled Salmon (4 oz.)
Steamed Green Beans (3/4 cup)
Yields=40g protein, 18g carbs

Totals= 135g protein, 75g carbs

One of the very first things I learned from my trainers was that I don't have to limit my diet to salads and vegetables. Granted, they are great (and vegetables are a source of good carbs), it's nice to know that you don't have to eat like a rabbit to look the way you want-- it's actually quite the contrary. I gained 10lbs while MJ was home in September and I'm happy to say that I've lost 6 of those 10lbs in the last several weeks!

I'll post about my workout plan tomorrow! Happy eating everyone!

**Disclaimer: The recommendations and advice contained on this blog are in no way intended to replace or to be construed as medical advice and is offered for informational purposes only. The plan described was developed by my trainer for me and I make no representation about the suitability of this plan for others.

First Monday of the New Year!

2010-01-04T07:59:00.000-06:00

Hello 2010!

It sounds weird to say that, doesn't it?

I've noticed tons of my blog friends posting New Years recaps that involve crazy parties or super long nights with friends. I haven't done a recap because mine wasn't all that exciting. I did, however, get to see 2 really good friends that no longer live in TN and got to spend some time with some people I hadn't seen in a while. It was a nice way to ring in the new year. And if it's any indication of how 2010 is going to be, I welcome the opportunity to see some old friends and spend time with those I didn't have much of a chance to in 2009.

Happy New Year my dear friends! I look forward to sharing 2010 with you!

New Year's Giveaway

2009-12-31T08:01:00.001-06:00

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new year-- can you believe 2010 is here already?!?

Well, in the spirit of the new year and all of those "need to get in shape" new year's resolutions, Elizabeth of A Wedding Story is giving away a new subscription to Fitness magazine. Go here to check it out!

I started my "get fit" journey almost a year ago and I made a lot of progress, but unfortunately when MJ came home on leave, all that progress went down the drain and I gained 10lbs! I already told him when he comes home this time, he's not going to be able to talk me out of going to the gym-- I even plan on working out on our cruise.

In just a few short weeks, I've mananged to drop 6 of those 10lbs and I'm getting back a lot of my muscle strength, THANK GOODNESS!!! I was beginning to worry. Nothing is more depressing than knowing you used to be able to lift a certain amount and no longer being able to.

I wouldn't consider myself a competative person, but when you give me a challenge, I'm going to follow through on it. I started the clean eating challenge and not long after that, I had my trainer take my measurements so I knew where I was starting from. Let me just tell you-- I was NOT happy with them and ever since that day, I've watched my protein, carb, and calorie intake like no other; starting taking more supplements (like protein shakes and fish oil); and I spend at least an hour to an hour and a half in the gym every night. I refuse to let myself get back to the way I was in February.

Here's to the new year, a new you and getting fit!

Bye-Bye Debt!

2009-12-30T11:16:00.000-06:00

"Some debts are fun when you are acquiring them, but none are fun when you set about retiring them." ~Ogden Nash

I must admit that I have had quite a bit of fun acquiring a great many debts in my life. I have managed to purchase a lot in just a few short years. I have a degree, a nice car, and a LOT of nice shoes (I love shoes!!!)! However, when MJ took this job overseas we agreed that we would use the money to pay for our wedding and to pay off our debt.

Well rotation one came and went very quickly. We were successful in paying for our wedding and we paid for everything in cash so we came out of it with no debt. Hooray for us!

Now we're in rotation two and we are well on our way. We started by sitting down and creating an Excel spreadsheet with each debt listed. We put down how much we were required to pay each month, what the actual payment we made was, and how much we ultimately owed. Let me tell you, putting it all down on paper and seeing the bottom line can be pretty scary! Who knew debt could add up so quickly?!

We were realistic though and knew that it would take several years to pay off our house, my student loans, and the car, but the credit cards would be fairly easy. So we opted to pay our highest interest rate items first and save the house, student loans and car for the end. As of tomorrow, we will have paid off 4 credit cards and put a signficant dent in several others! We've begun to have weekly conversations about our finances and what the next best step is. It probably doesn't sound very exciting, but it sure is exciting to see $0 balance on your credit card statement.

I don't know about you, but I've got a good feeling about 2010! Anyone else looking at the new year with hopes of getting out from underneath some debt?

Christmas

2009-12-29T16:49:00.001-06:00

I'm back!

I just returned from spending 5 days with my sister and her family. I flew up to DC on Wednesday and was greeted at the airport by my sister, mom, niece and nephew.
We spent all day Thursday just hanging around the house and doing some last minute shopping and then we spent that night wrapping those last minute gifts!

Christmas morning we all woke up to open some awesome presents! Santa brought my niece a trunk full of dress up clothes and shoes and he brought my nephew the Wii. They both were pretty excited!

Uncle MJ and Aunt Katie (yes, that's me... my family calls me Katie) bought Hannah her first pair of John Deere boots! They were just too cute for words and she loved them!

Then since we thought Santa might be bringing the Wii to my nephew, we bought him Mario Kart to play with the whole family.

Of course, Christmas (or any day for that matter) just isn't complete without a little craziness on behalf of my brother-in-law.

It was a great Christmas to say the least! I had an awesome visit with my family and was quite sad to come home.

Did you all have a good Christmas too?

Bathroom Re-do

2009-12-17T14:02:00.003-06:00

So as I've mentioned, I've been working a few home projects since MJ left and I thought I would show you a little sneak peek of what I've done. I would show you the whole thing, but I haven't finished painting so it will pretty much lose it's effect.

Interestingly enough, while scouring through several blogs (mainly after ogling over Holly's work), I got the urge to start refinishing furniture. I thought it would be a great hobby to keep me busy while MJ is away. I convinced him that my first project should be the cabinets in our spare bathroom since I hated the color that they were. So that same Saturday morning, I made MJ take me to Lowes to buy some power tools. We came back with a plethora of things for my little refinishing arsenal. I'm not gonna lie though-- MJ got a pretty good laugh at it all until he started to do some of the work and realized he enjoyed it too. I love when I'm right!

So anyway, I thought I would give the cabinets a bit of a rustic feel. The hardware that came on our cabinets is actually really nice so I kept that and went along with the oil-rubbed bronze look.

Here is your sneak peek--**

Before:

After:

And here is my quick tutorial--

I emptied the cabinet and removed the doors and hardware. Then I used a power sander to sand each piece (220-grit paper). I also used my 3M hand sander, but only on those tight spaces like that bottom portion underneath the doors.

After everything was sanded, I used an oil-based primer. After that, I painted on 3 coats of oil-based paint. Now I will say, I hate oil-based paint just because it is difficult to clean up, but I definitely recommend it for cabinets unless you are going to use a sealer.

Once those 3 coats were dry (which might I add takes forever on those doors when you can only do one side at a time), I used my 3M sander (180-grit paper) to rough up the edges of the doors and cabinet. Then I took some Minwax stain and put it on the roughed up edges. I put a bit of stain on the center of the doors too then wiped it off to get a little more rustic look.

After it all dried, I put the hardware back on, hung the doors back up, and viola!

**edited to add before photo

Christmas Spirit, Where Are You?

2009-12-16T08:02:00.000-06:00

For some reason, I just can't get into the Christmas spirit this year. I mean sure I'm excited to spend the holidays with my friends and family in Virginia and Maryland, but it just doesn't feel like Christmas to me.

Normally I am the one who is dancing around to Christmas tunes long before Thanksgiving. I am quick to switch the radio to the one station that plays only Christmas music between Thanksgiving and New Years too. This year, I don't even want to listen to a single Christmas song.

I don't know if it's the fact that MJ isn't home or that I've been so preoccupied with things around the office and at home, but it practically feels like it's only summer or something (minus the freezing temperatures). It probably doesn't help that I have done little in the way of decorating seeing as I won't be home.

Let's hope things change a bit because I'm beginning to feel like a Scrooge!

Should Elin leave Tiger?

2009-12-15T09:07:00.000-06:00

I don't think anyone can get away from the Tiger Woods debacle. We've all heard about the many (13 to be exact) women that have come forth to admit to having an affair with Tiger.

It's all over the news-- should his wife stay with him or should she leave? Will she forgive him or return to Sweden? Is Tiger a good father? Are the kids in danger? I mean, we all love a little marital strife, don't we?!

There are those that believe that because he is a pro athlete and puts himself out there, he should be held to a higher standard. His "dirty laundry" gets aired whether he likes it or not, right?  Well, not exactly... at least not for me. I personally don't believe it's any of my business (I also believe that what Bill Clinton did in the Oval Office isn't any of my business either- and yes, I did just say that). And since this is my blog afterall and a place to express my opinions I thought I'd share my thoughts on this craziness.**

The past few mornings on my very early ride into work, a particular radio show has spent quite a bit of time flip flopping back and forth about the scandal. On Friday morning, the radio hosts were reading snippets of news and stated that Elin knew all along that Tiger was not Mr. Perfect-- I believe the quote shared was something along the lines of "she knew he was a player."  Then on Monday morning's drive in, they were still talking about it all, except the focus seemed to be on the 13 other women and not so much on Elin. And then this morning, it was back to being about Elin.

Here are just a few thoughts from me...

First, who am I to judge Tiger Woods? I don't know him or what is going on in his life or within his marriage, so it really isn't any of my business or anyone's business for that matter.  How does anyone answer those questions I posed above-- I mean, sure you can answer for yourself and what you think you would do, but can you really say what is best for Tiger Woods and his family? Can any of you say that 100%, without a doubt, if you were in Elin's shoes you would have it all figured out and know what to do? I can't. I'd like to think that I would be strong and would figure it out, but no, I don't know, without a doubt, what I would do.

Second, the radio mentioned this morning that Elin was seen without her wedding ring which means she's leaving him. Or that's at least what people speculate because why else would she not be wearing her ring?!? Okay, I don't know about any of you married people out there, but have you ever forgot to put your rings on in the morning or perhaps taken them off for a particular activity? I know I have and believe it or not, that does not mean that I'm leaving my husband. Honestly, the first thing that came to mind in the car when I heard that was Kate Gosselin. Why you ask? Because she still wears her ring and I remember it being quite a big deal during interviews. Rings are simply a symbol. They do not define a marriage. As we all learned, Kate Gosselin wearing her ring did not mean that she wasn't leaving Jon so Elin taking hers off doesn't necessarily mean she is leaving Tiger.

Third, making a statement doesn't make everything okay. I believe yesterday it was mentioned that the whole scandal wouldn't be so big if Tiger had or would just come out and make a statement. And I'm not so sure I agree with this. He has not come out with a statement to deny the allegations so I think it's safe to say the allegations are true-- he likely would have denied it if the allegations were false. So what exactly would making a statement do? Do we ask that all men or women who cheat come out and make a formal statement admitting their indiscretions?  Look, Tiger didn't marry me, have children with me or cheat on me. Sure, he ruined his marriage and his reputation, but my life didn't change because of it. He doesn't owe me anything.

All I'm saying is Tiger Woods is still human and while I do not condone his actions, I don't feel it is my place to judge him or his family. That is not part of my job description and it never was.

**I am not looking to prove anyone wrong or anger anyone, I'm just stating my opinion.

New Layout Is Here...

2009-12-14T15:48:00.002-06:00

Well, the new layout has arrived! What do ya'll think?

You'll have to bear with me while I do some re-linking and updating, but I hope to be back in action and posting more often now!

Our Honeymoon- FINALLY!

2009-12-09T09:27:00.002-06:00

MJ and I finally booked our honeymoon yesterday. It has been a constant back and forth because we have changed our minds on where to go about a billion and one times!

We originally had plans to go to Bora Bora-- that was until we discovered that it will still be the rainy season in February and who wants to go to a beautiful place like that and spend it indoors. So, we postponed Tahiti until the dry season. Then we found this A-MAZ-ING house in Anguilla (thanks to The Thirty-Something Bride's recommendation of HomeAway) that we decided to rent for almost 2 weeks. It was perfect and we were in contact with the owner several times making plans. We looked into flights and were all set to book it and then life sort of got in the way.

As I alluded to here, MJ and I have made 2 VERY big decisions in the last month or so (sorry, still not ready share on here) and because of those, the practical Cat (yeah, she doesn't come around too often) suggested that we save our money and take a smaller, less expensive trip. So, that is what we are doing.

We booked a Southern Carribean cruise with Princess. I've cruised before, MJ hasn't. And while I'm not a huge fan, just because you don't really get that much time on the different islands, I am happy that we will be going on a vacation and taking a honeymoon FINALLY! Plus, MJ has worked really hard to provide things for us, including working on Thanksgiving and likely will on Christmas, so he deserves some time to relax and enjoy:)

Our ship will be stopping in St. Thomas, Tortola, Antigua, St. Lucia, and Barbados. I can't wait!

Clean Eating Challenge

2009-12-08T09:30:00.002-06:00

One of my trainers at my gym decided to start an 8 week clean eating challenge and I jumped on board. Ever since the wedding, it's been hard for me to get back on track with my eating. I've been pretty good about the gym, although I've definitely skipped a few days which I never used to do. I actually put back on the weight that I lost while doing Body for Life so my trainer's challenge is the perfect opportunity to get back on track.

Clean eating is all about consuming food in its most natural state. It's basically the practice of eating whole, natural foods and staying away from man-made sugar, hydrogenated and trans-fats, preservatives, white bread, and a few other unnecessary foods. Generally speaking, this is what I'll be doing:

Eliminating refined sugar
Cooking healthy meals
Packing healthy meals for when I'm on-the-go
Drinking a lot of water
Eating 5-6 meals per day, and
Eliminating alcoholic beverages (which is actually kinda hard for me around the holidays, but normally it wouldn't be)

We're using Livestrong to track our progess and it's a great free resource. If any of you are looking for an easy place to keep track of your nutrition and fitness, it's awesome. I created my profile yesterday and after every meal, I enter what I've eaten and it calculates the calories. What's even better is that most of the foods I eat are already in the system so I don't have to manually enter anything. I just pick the brand and the nutrition facts are there.

Just yesterday as I was about to open a certain light yogurt when I looked at the ingredient list and noticed high fructose corn syrup as the second ingredient and had to re-think eating it. I put it down in order to stay true to this challenge, but I love yogurt. So my solution-- greek yogurt! 100% organic and no high fructose corn syrup.
It's crazy to see how differently you eat when you know someone else is going to see. Being accountable to someone other than yourself is great because it gives you the motivation to eat better and work out harder.

I'll keep you all posted on my progress!

No love for tech support!

2009-12-03T19:20:00.001-06:00

Let's talk tech support for a (long) second, shall we?

I was always under the impression that tech support meant that whoever happened to pick up your call that day would so very kindly listen to your problem and work with you to diagnose and/or fix said problem. However, it appears that a certain tech support group is well on their way to trying to prove that little belief of mine wrong. In the last 2 weeks I have had several heart-to-hearts with this tech support group and I've come to a few conclusions.

Let's start from the beginning so as not to confuse you though...

It's 5am on day when I don't have to go to work and I'm awakened by the sound of my alarm system. My dogs jump up and growl as if someone is on the other side of the door and I'm still half asleep so I start to slightly panic. It takes me a second but I soon realize that no one was breaking in and instead my alarm is alerting me to some sort of problem. This, of course, leads to a phone call from my alarm monitoring company to let me know they have received a trouble signal from our smoke detector. While on the phone, I tell the woman that my house is not on fire so she lets me know that it is likely a low battery. I inquire as to the type of battery it takes (only because I have had battery issues with our alarm before and most of the time you have to order it through them) and she informs me that it takes what all smoke alarms take- a 9v. We had 9v batteries at home so I immediately snagged one, got up on my ladder (yes, I needed a ladder because I'm practically a midget), and proceeded to open the battery terminal.

Yeah, that woman was wrong. It doesn't take a 9v battery like all other smoke alarms. It takes two 3v batteries. Not only that, but the battery cover tells you that you must use a cable jumper to discharge the alarm prior to inserting new batteries. WTF is a cable jumper? And who the eff do you call at 6am to find out? So I did what any girl would do, I called my Dad. He quickly educated me then we hung up and I began my dissection only to discover that his solution wouldn't work because the space is too small.

So what do I do next? I throw on some jeans and sneakers and head to Walmart. This little debacle takes forever because no one at Walmart (at least no one there that early in the morning) knows what a cable jumper is and apparently 3v batteries are not stored in the same place that all of the other batteries are. It takes me almost an hour in Walmart and then I return home to call my Dad again for his help. And he is super smart and handy so he gave me another solution instead of this so-called cable jumper. A paperclip! Who would have thunk it?!

Anyway, back to the task at hand. I do what my Dad tells me to and everything is back to normal. That is for about a week and then I get a phone call on Black Friday telling me that our alarm company has once again received a low battery signal. I explain that I just changed the battery, but figure it's possible I got some bad batteries so I stop at Home Depot on the way home and pick up 2 more batteries. I replace the old new ones and once again, all is well. Or so it seems.

Sure enough, Monday morning at 5am, I get a phone call saying that I have a low battery and have to call back at 7am to speak to tech support. Yeah, I'm no alarm technician but I can tell you right now, there is no way those batteries died already. I get on the phone at 7am for what felt like the 15th time and explain the situation to the tech support group. Tech Support Person #1 tells me that the reason I keep having this problem is because I did not press and hold the test button after removing the old batteries so I need to do that now. (Mind you he also tells me to hold the test button after removing the batteries but to remember that the alarm may sound when I press test. Wait, is that possible without the batteries?) Okay, so I do that and everything seems to work. I opt to test my whole system afterwards just to make sure I'm not hallucinating. It seems okay until about 5 minutes later when it starts beeping again and tells me something else is wrong.

So began round 2 with Tech Support. I get on the phone with Tech Support Person #2 and have to completely explain everything again. First she tells me the smoke alarm isn't put together properly which I know isn't possible because there is only one way for it to go. Then she has me take the smoke detector apart and put it back together. She asks me about the status warning and when I tell her it went away, she says it's fixed. Once again, not an alarm technician but this shit has now happened twice so I'm gonna go with, no it's NOT fixed. I explain this AGAIN and she finally understood. She said she would note our account and if they received another signal, they would send someone out. Well, guess what? Got home last night and my alarm was beeping. Go freakin' figure!

I make one last phone call to tech support and discuss the issue with Tech Support Person #3. He asks me some questions and after listening to the alarm response (yes, our alarm talks), he tells me it has a low battery. AYFKM?!?!?!? At this point, I was about to reach through my phone and strangle this dude! Don't know how many ways to say this, but the battery isn't low! He tries to tell me once more that it's low and I cut him off. At this point, I don't have time for this nonsense. Let's just say the phone call quickly ended and a technician is coming tomorrow.

So here is what I learned from this little experience:

#1. Tech Support staff automatically assume you are an idiot!
#2. It doesn't matter how many times you explain your problem, tech support will always read whatever the next sentence in their book is. They don't know how to think outside of the book!
and #3. Despite telling you they are noting your account, it won't matter because the next time you call, you will still have to go through every damn step again.

I have no love for tech support right now!