Back to School!

You guys rock my socks!!  I was surprised so many of you liked my (I thought dorky) playlist!  Whatever gets the blood pumping right?  

Yesterday was my first day back to school and it bordered on boring.  You know the drill: "This is the syllabus, let's read it together..."  Zzzzz.... let's get to the meat already!  Thanks to my new year's resolution to procrastinate less, I didn't wait until the last minute to sign up for classes and am really happy with my schedule.  My classes are an hour apart, so I won't be running back and forth between home and campus.

This semester I'm taking A&P (right now we are learning about blood) and College Algebra.  My math teacher is very energetic and reminds me of PeeWee Herman, but not creepy (if you can imagine that).  Wish me luck!

When I came home from my classes, it was after two and I was starving.  I slapped a salmon burger (from Costco, meaning it'll take me a year to get through them) on the stove, microwaved a Yukon potato and some green and wax beans and made a piece of garlic toast.  

Told ya I was starving.  I scarfed this all up!

Back in the days of my youth, my brother and I would set up a lemonade stand.  Ours was special though, because I baked the best oatmeal chocolate chip raisin cookies and all of my neighbors would come and buy them from us.  I'm pretty sure we made more money from the cookies than the lemonade!

For Christmas, my brother texted me to ask me what I wanted.  I replied "I don't really know.  I like baking.  Maybe a cookie sheet?  Or mixing bowls.  Or a cook book."  He called my mom and demanded a translation.  Anyways, I got a big brandspaknin' new cookie sheet from him.  

I'd been thinking about making oatmeal cookies for a week now and finally went for it.  I used Jenna's recipe, so you can find it on Eat Live Run.  I used semi sweet chocolate chips and dark chocolate chunks, since I was planning on giving some away and wasn't sure they'd like nuts or fruit.

Overall, they were just ok.  I think the best recipe for oatmeal cookies is the one on the lid of Quaker oats.  I'll have to make those as soon as the current batch is all gone. 

Sorry Hunter, none for you.

By the way, I learned a random but cool fact the other day.  When your grapes get kind of dry in the fridge, soak 'em in a big bowl of cool water and they'll plump right back up!

Well, I'm off to watch the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.  Camille drives me crazy, but I think her husband is such a shameless pig.  Kyle is definitely my favorite.

Any thoughts on the Real Housewives?

Lastly, I'll leave you with another picture of Hunter.  He is such a ham.

Hunter uses a pillow like this regularly.

Get Cha Sexy On

Let's face it: winter is not a sexy season.  Unless maybe you live in Florida or Hawaii.  Bundles, layers, wind, snow, rain, freezing temperatures and frost.  I kind of forget my body under my michelin man layers.  And let's face it.  No mater what your body type, you'd better be feelin' good to get into a swimsuit!



Since Hawaii is less than a month away, I wanted to get a confidence boost to be ready.  You already know I've been making it a priority to make exercise 4-5 times a week, typically 30-45 minutes each time.  I think it's really important to pace myself and switch it up between pilates to cardio to weight training to battle boredom and injury.  I'm proud to say that I've been exercising not to loose weight but to just get tightened and toned.  I'm sure many of you can agree that it's a lot more fun when you're not thinking about how many calories are being burned.

You know what else helps at the gym?  (Don't laugh too hard.)  A sexy playlist.  Let me preface this by saying that I'm not what I'd describe naturally sexy.  I'm more goofy, silly and playful.  When I try to put on a sexy face, I just crack up laughing.


I just don't take myself too seriously.  That being said, having a somewhat cheesy playlist to work out to definitely helps put a little strut in my step!

Here's my Hawaii Shape Up playlist:

1. Overprotected- Britney Spears
2. Fist Pump- HardNox (I there might be a little Jersey in this white girl)
3. Goodbye- Kristina DeBarge
4. Only Girl- Rihanna
5. Supermassive Black Hole- Muse
6. Hey Baby- Pitbull
7. Bulletproof- La Roux
8. Starstruckk- 3OH!3
9. La, La, La- Auburn
10. Puakenikeni- Nicole Scherzinger
11. I Know You Want Me- Pitbull
12. Krazy- Pitbull
13. Check It Out- Will.i.am feat. Nicki Minaj
14. Walk It Out- Unk
15. Let's Go- Trick Daddy
16. She Wolf- Shakira
17. Show Me How You Burlesque- Christina Aguilera
18. Superstar- Kimberly Cole
19. Trash Me- Jessie Malakouti
20. Ruff Me Up- Brooke Hogan
21. We No Speak No Americano- Yolanda Be Cool & Dcup
22. Lip Gloss- Lil Mama
23. Jump- Flo Rida feat. Nelly Furtado
24. Unstoppable- Kat DeLuna feat. Lil Wayne
25. Bottoms Up- Trey Songz feat Nicki Minaj
26. Beat Dat Beat- DJ Pauly D


Told ya it was pretty cheesy.  Some other things I like to do to boost bikini confidence:

-Whiten teeth: I hate the actual process but love the results!


-Get a pedicure/manicure in a hot color (or do it yourself or trade with a girlfriend)


I rarely get a professional pedi.  I have a hard time paying for something I can do for myself!

-Pamper your feet to soften any tough or dry skin.  I like to use Shea It Ain't So and then pull on some spa socks.

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-Get a spray tan (oops, there we go with Jersey again) or do one at home!  Check out these tips to avoid getting streaks.  I like to touch up with a bit of bronzer and Jergens Natural Glow.



-Get a facial (or do one for yourself) and make sure you take off your make up and the end of the day.  For lazy girls like me, make up removing sheets are worth the extra price.  I like Neutrogena night calming sheets.

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I also wash my face daily with Murad acne complex kit.


-Drink, drink, drink water!  It keeps your skin radiant.  I haul my water bottle everywhere to sip throughout the day.
-Get your fruit and veggies.  You are what you eat!


Mmm... beets.

Pizza with extra green pepper and olives, green pepper slices, golden delicious apple slices.

Two egg whites plus one egg and peanut butter and banana toast.

Loaded oatmeal.  I added vanilla soymilk, chopped apple, chopped walnuts, craisins, and raisins.


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-Toss the baggy sweats (just to the back of the closet) and lounge in fitted yoga pants.  Even though I'd die for a pair of Lululemon (sigh, maybe after no buy month), they can be a good price, like these from Old Navy.

Also, Stephanie recently tagged me with the Stylish Blogger award.  How sweet!



The rules:
1. Make a post and link the person who awarded you.
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers.
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them they've won!

7 Things About Me

1.  I didn't get my ears pierced until I was 19.  I don't know why I waited, it just wasn't a priority.
2.  I'm crazy allergic to horses, cats and mangoes.
3.  Sometimes, I talk in random voices for no reason.  Like Pee-Wee Herman or like an old man.  My husband looks and me and says "That's not sexy."  I just laugh.
4.  I love the water (must be the Aquarius in me) but I'm terrified of jellyfish.
5.  I'm not a huge peanut butter fan.  I have to be in the right mood for it.
6.  I have the most crazy random dreams.  The other night I dreamed I was in a concentration camp.
7.  Speaking of sleep, I'm totally addicted.  If I put my mind to it, I can sleep for any anytime, anywhere, no matter the conditions.

Winners
1. Samantha- Bikini Birthday
2. Emily- Your Food Smiles
3. Sophia- Burp and Slurp
4. Eden- Eden's Eats
5. Janetha- Meals and Moves
6. Natalie- Cinnamon Bums
7. Camille- I Will Run For Chocolate
8. Autumn- Good Eats Girl (she's not really new, but just started back up again!)
9. Julie- Peanut Butter Fingers
10. Nancy- Spiffy Kerms
11. Samantha- Health, Happiness and Skinny Jeans
12. Brittany- A Healthy Slice of Life
13. Monique- She's Going The Distance
14.  Carrie- Adventures of Scott and Carrie
15.  Katherine- CyclicalUnemployment

Congrats girls!

I hope everyone has a fabulous week and takes some time to pamper yourselves.

What's your favorite way to be pampered or feel sexy??

Wow, Just WOW!

I could not believe the response I got from my last post!!  Thank you for all the love and support.  I loved reading your experiences about your own personal struggles.  I wish we lived in a society where we didn't feel we had to put on a front for people and stuff all of our feelings under the surface.   While I still struggle at times with feeling insecure or inadequate about things, I feel like I am learning to stand up for myself and just go for it!

It's halfway through the month and I've been keeping up on my monthly goals pretty well.  I actually found it kind of easy to have a no buy month because it's helped me avoid impulse buying snacky foods and focus more on whole foods.  That being said, I'm still planning on making some oatmeal cookies tonight.  I'm all about 80/20 balance!

In the workout department, I'm spot on my goal to make exercise a priority during the week, and I can see and feel the results from it.  I feel more energized, happy and my pants thank me too.

I'd been feeling anxious about going back to school next week, but I've figured out my schedule and am happy with the classes I signed up for.  Bonus: no school on Saturday this semester!!


In the food department, I've been eating a TON of clementines and drinking lots of ginger and green tea.

I've been having a lot of breakfasts like this:

Definitely on an egg sandwich kick.

Last night, I made a tuna noodle casserole, which is my all time favorite comfort food.  I found the recipe on Andrea's blog.  I can't even count how many of her recipes I use.  She's amazing!


In other news:


The first surprise announcement of the year is... (drumroll please!) in less than a month, we're going to Hawaii!!!!   Even better, we're going to be there over Valentine's day.  I just finalized booking the airplane and hotel last week and held it in as long as I could.  Man, I am ready for some sun and warmer weather!


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We are staying in a 4 star hotel right on the beach of Oahu.


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There is a nice gym in the hotel too, so I'm hoping we can motivate ourselves to make use of it. We plan on snorkeling, visiting the polynesian cultural center, LDS temple, shopping, eating and whatever else strikes our fancy. :)


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Needless to say, I've got a little motivation to exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet.  I just bought two swimsuits on sale from Victoria's Secret and they fit great... so I better keep it that way. ;)

I'm so excited for the beach!  Don't worry, I'll take a million pictures so you'll feel like you were right there with me (anyone who wants to meet us in Ohau??). :D

I Love My Body

Please note the title does not say My Body Is Perfect.   I don't think that at all.  But you know what?  My body isn't airbrushed.  Anyone can have the perfect airbrushed body. ;)  Sure, there are still things that bother me about my body: my butt, my hips, my boobs (really, lack there of) just to name a few.   But they don't bother me the way they used to.

Blogging affected me more than I expected.  I know it sounds cheesy but it really has changed my perspective on body image, exercise, weight and eating habits for the better.

Two summers ago, I got to a point where I was desperate to lose "the last 5 pounds".  I was convinced that if I lost just 5 more that I'd be happier.  Please note that I was in no way underweight, but still within a healthy, normal weight.   Still, it sounds ridiculous now.  I actually turned to using diet pills, thinking that surely they'd be the "magic pill".  All they really did was make me feel like I was on crack.  I'm assuming because of all the stimulants they contain, they made me feel jittery, paranoid and emotional.  I decided it was just not worth it.

I am a total whitey.  This is tan for me.  That's ok too. ;)

Then there was a point where I considered plastic surgery.  Please, please, please know that I am not putting down or judging anyone who has opted to have it.  Everyone has to choose what is best for themselves, and I respect those decisions.  I hated my 34A cup.  I used to get hopeful when the salesgirl at Victoria's Secret would ask me if I wanted to be measured.  Now, when they ask me, I just laugh and say I haven't changed since 8th grade.  I've decided that I'm happy to be the size that I am.  Thank goodness for the push up bra. ;)  Perhaps a part of being happier with my weight is that when I weigh less, my chest is the first thing to go.  Plus, the twins don't get in the way of running... or dirtbiking.

I have learned to love my body more.  It is an amazing machine and I appreciate that it works well and that it is healthy.   Tina wrote "I'd rather look like I work for my body than starve for it."  That really struck me.  I do work for my body and I work to enjoy the things in life.  I've also learned to stop comparing.  My body is not like anyone else's and that's ok!


I've learned that variety is crucial for me to stay active and enjoy exercise.  Being on the treadmill for an hour isn't any more effective than bouncing around to different cardio machines for 15 minutes a piece.  Working out 30-45 minutes a day is probably a better habit than trying to get in 2 hours once or twice a week.  Sure, some days I have to give myself a pep talk to get moving.  On those days, I know in the back of my mind that regular exercise makes me feel good.


I feel like I've found a happy place with exercise, allowing variety and easy days.  As laid back of a person that I am, I realized I am really hard on myself.  And I'm totally ADD.   If I want to take Hunter for a walk, I do. If I decide at midnight I feel like doing yoga, I do and call it a day.  I actually enjoy choosing the variety in my exercise regimen.  It's hard getting back into a regular habit but when I make it easier to start the habit, then I can build from there.


I eat what I want.  I've never been they type to restrict myself or to follow a food plan.  Lucky for me, making healthy choices was instilled in me as a young kid thanks to my mom who taught us to eat healthy.  Through that, I was able to learn that sweets and junk food were treats and were not eaten every day.  Sometimes I still eat too much sugar and sometimes not enough vegetables.  But just because I ate sugar all afternoon doesn't mean my day is "lost".  I can still cook myself a balanced and healthy dinner and life can go on.




I guess what all of this is saying is that the thing that needed to be changed the most was my attitude.
 

What has blogging changed your attitude about?

2010 Highlights and 2011 Sneak Peek

Happy New Year!!  Wow, 2011.  Bring. It. On.  :D

Technically, this blog was started Jan 5th of last year.  That's when I wrote my first post.  I abandoned it for  3 months, and then it took another two to really get it rolling and find my groove.  As one to not finish things I start, I'm still going strong!

These are some of my favorite parts of last year.  Some of them I shared on my blog and others will be new to you!  I'll try to keep this short and sweet.  Just like me.  :)

January
We were still digging out of boxes from buying our house a month earlier.


Here is the kitchen, the best part!

February
We went to Joe's Crab Shack for my 24th birthday and Jeremy send me the most beautiful roses for Valentine's.



March & April
Uneventful.  But here is a picture Jeremy took.


May
Ran the Race For the Cure 5k.  Got a dirt bike.




June
Quit my job with a huge potluck.  Went to Oregon for a visit.



July
Floated the Boise river.


August
Got a new car and rode my dirt bike some more!



September
Started school again.


October
Celebrated my 3rd wedding anniversary.  Went to a BSU football game.



November
My mom came to visit.



December
8 inches of snow and my favorite Christmas present.




So what's in store for this year?  Some things are still a surprise... I can't wait to tell you!

One new thing is I am now teaching Sunday school for the sunbeams (3 year olds) and I'm excited!  I'm totally a 3 year old at heart.  ;)

I did set some new years resolutions AND some monthly goals.

My new years resolutions are:

1.  Be more grateful and complain less.
2. Do more yoga and try hot yoga.
3. Procrastinate less.

My goals for January are:

1. No buy month (saving up for something special!)
2. Exercise (including yoga, running, walking Hunter, DVD's or gym time) 4-5 times a week.
3. Clean the garage aka the last frontier of boxes from last year's move. 

So there you have it!