Wednesday, October 19, 2011

insert clever title...

...there. Hahaha...sometimes I just don't know where to start a post. I often just want to write and get things out of my system, without having a clear direction of where my post will go. Today is the 19th, a little more than 10 days left until Halloween and I really need to get my booty in gear! This year, I am making Flintstones costumes for me, Drew and Meghan, plus a pumpkin costume for baby Freddy and parts of Dylan's costume-he is going as Jake from Disney channel's Jake and the Never Land Pirates. A little more challenging than what I am used to! So far, I have finished crocheting Freddy's pumpkin hat and sewn the body of Drew's costume. I still have to sew my dress and make a necklace and (maybe) bracelet, sew the black triangles on Drew's costume and figure out a tie, sew Meghan's top and bottoms, sew Dylan a vest, boot shaped shoe covers, and sew Freddy's pumpkin costume. It is definitely going to be a bit hectic here the next few days :)

For my Wilma dress, I have to go buy some plain white sheets, as I will need 2 layers for the front and back because white sheets are pretty see-through. The necklace and (maybe) bracelet will be scraps of fabric rolled up and then stuffed into a tube of white fabric, with thread tied around each roll to make the 'beads'. For Drew's tie, I have to find some bright blue fabric, I have some options in my fabric bin, but nothing that is quite close enough for me. He might just end up with a light blue tie! Meghan's costume has been quite the internal debate. I was going to use some of the leftover orange fleece from Drew's and use either black pants or make black bloomers, but most of the images of Pebbles have her in a blue top and green bottoms, or hot pink top with black bottoms. I think I'm going to go with a blue top and green bottoms because I know I have the fabric for it and the orange is a little lacking for both her and Freddy's pumpkin costume. For that, I'm going to make a little baby bunting-essentially a tube with head, arm and bottom holes and then a larger tube over that, that can be stuffed with polyfil or somthing before being sewn together. Elastic in the bottom will make it like a sleep sack. Freddy has a Halloween themed outfit to wear underneath with long sleeves and pants, so we don't have to worry about him getting cold! I have the perfect navy blue pillowcase that I will be turning into a vest for Dylan's pirate Jake costume. I've never made anything like a vest, so we will see how it goes! Lacie provided a white shirt, dark denim pants,and red bandana for Dylan's costume, so his will be part store bought and part homemade!

I definitely need to get a big chunk of work done this week so that I know what I need to buy still to get everything done. And with that, I will take advantage of naptime and go get some crafting done! :)

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

onto...

...week 2 of C25k! I have to say, I'm a little proud of myself! Last week was hard and I thought for sure that I would either have to repeat week 1 or take it easy today. But, as I got into the groove earlier, I found it was actually easier than last week! My knees were still clicking like crazy, but the calves feel great and I didn't have to stop at all during the jogging sets. The program for week 2 is:


1 minute stretch
5 minutes brisk walk warm up
alternate 90 seconds of jogging and 2 minutes of walking for 20 minutes
5 minute walk cool down

I'm already noticing physical changes. I did not get as winded while working out like I did last week. The scale even went down a couple of pounds and I was pleasantly surprised at that! I was not expecting any change there and I know there will come a time when I plateau, but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. I weighed myself on Monday night, which I thought was a bad idea at the time, because I did not eat as well as I should/could have over the weekend, but then I got that nice surprise! :) This week will definitely be different, I went grocery shopping on Sunday, so now I'm a bit more prepared this week than I was last.

It's late and I've got hubby's lunch to make, good night!

Monday, October 17, 2011

happy...

...monday! HA! Mondays are often the most dreaded day of the week, but sometimes I crave the return to structure. The weekend can be so hectic and uncertain. On Saturday, I had to take our Oldsmobile 88 to our hometown so my Dad could take it to his mechanic friend to get it inspected. It passed, to everyone's surprise! It's a 1997 and has a slew of issues with it. We don't drive it much in the winter because the heat doesn't blow out of the vents. It does get warm-if you hold your hands up to the vents, but defrosting the windshield is really just a bad joke. Last winter was brutal; the car would get buried in the snow in our apartment's parking lot because of the snow plows and Drew and I would have to shovel the car out. (well...mostly Drew ;) ) So, we've gone back and forth as to whether or not to keep the 88 on the road, but it is a convenience. If we only have one car, then Meghan and I have to get up very early and drive Drew to work to drop him off so we can have the car for the day. We don't often go places, but sometimes we have doctor's appointments or WIC or just have to get to the store! :)

We also have a 2001 Alero, this is what Drew usually drives. Right now it's a bit under the weather. The exhaust separated from the car while we were camping last month and we haven't driven it since then because the noise is just obnoxious. I'm sure we would get a ticket for it if we were pulled over. Hopefully the Alero will be getting fixed this week. While my Dad was getting the 88 inspected, he spoke to the mechanic and he said he will be ready for it on Thursday. The plan is to drop the Alero off on Wednesday night. I have to call the mechanic on Wednesday to make sure he'll be ready for it, my Dad thinks the mechanic said he has 3 days of work...but really it might be 4 or 5. That's just how this mechanic is, Once I drop the car off, I'll have to call him every day just to make sure he's working on it. :) He really is a nice guy, great father, but he tends to think he'll have work finished faster than it actually gets done.

One other not-related-to-cars tidbit that I forgot to share with my bloggie friends is that we are still ttc. No luck last month! :( I did get a little sad, but I know God has a plan for us and I trust in Him. We will just keep trying, I know it will happen eventually. I really want a completely different birth experience than what Meghan and I had last time, but that's a whole 'nother crazy long blog post and I have to get up early tomorrow! Good night!

Thursday, October 13, 2011

whew...

...this is tough! :) I knew it was going to be hard to change so many bad habits and so far, I have to say it's going...ok. This addiction I have to sweets-mostly chocolate-is crippling to say the least. We don't usually have candy or pre-packaged sweets on hand, so only things that I bake. On Monday, the first day, I had to make Drew eat the rest of the Peanut Butter Truffle Brownies because I was having evil thoughts about how one little slice wouldn't hurt...well it does! I've noticed that after one such taste of anything (not necessarily sweet-last night it was garlic knots) I start to crave more and more until it's all I can think about and I just don't want to live with food constantly on my mind.

I'm doing pretty well with eating better. I have a least 1 salad a day, usually lunch. Breakfast has been either eggs or oatmeal, dinner is whatever I would usually make, but less carbs. I try to not eat carbs after 7pm and that works out ok usually. Last night we ate a late dinner so I didn't really snack at all before bed. Today I had oatmeal with peanut butter, honey and banana-it was divine! :) Lunch was 2 Biscuit Pizzas and a huge salad with hard-boiled egg, cheese and ham. Animal crackers for a snack with the kids (not so good) and then a crazy leftover dinner-spaghetti and a meatball, a hot dog, a couple bites of imitation crab, some pineapple...odd, I know!

Now for the fun part-exercise, ha! So I am 2 days into the C25k program and it's going pretty well. I have completed both days as instructed:

stretch 1 minute
warm up-walk briskly 5 minutes
jog 60 seconds
walk 90 seconds
continue jog/walk intervals for 20 minutes
cool down-walk 5 minutes

The first day (Monday) I waited to go until Meghan was in bed, so it was dark out. I don't really like exercising at night, even though we live in a town and there are street lamps, but it makes me uneasy-I don't like walking the dog after dark either. I did really well for being so sedentary and my only daily exercise was walking the dog around the block. I had to stop during the last jogging interval, but just for a second to check the time and then I pushed on. The second day, Wednesday was a little bit harder-especially when I expected it to be easier or just as hard. My calves were sore from so much activity, they're still sore now, but I've been conscientiously stretching them periodically throughout the day.

Now I just want to see some results! Ha-I'm not expecting too much, too soon, but a new number on the scale would be nice. I weighed myself Monday night and though that number is around the same I've been seeing for some time, I cannot wait for it to be the last time I ever see that number!

Saturday, October 8, 2011

i like to...

...move it, move it. Blast from the past for any of my readers? :) I don't really know where to start this post, but I've got to start somewhere, right? I am fat. (whew! There I said it!) You may or may not be able to tell from my profile picture, I am beyond fat, if there is such a thing. I'm not going to write a specific number, but I've never hit 300 pounds, even while swollen with fluids post partum (I lost 30 pounds in the first few weeks after Meghan was born).

I am at the heaviest I've ever been (besides pp) and I'm sick of it. I'm sick of getting winded just walking up the stairs. I dread letting Meg run around when we're out anywhere because I then have to run after her and I can just feel how clumsy I am. I'm sick of eating like I'm a scrawny 12 year old boy and thinking that nothing can touch me-because clearly it does. I'm sick of being tired. All. The. Time. Seriously, it doesn't matter how many or few hours of sleep I get, I am always feeling lethargic. Often cranky as well. And that's just not fun for anyone.

I've always been bigger than everyone else. For as long as I can remember, I've been one of the fat kids. I don't know how I got here. My mother and older sister are (relatively) healthy (they both smoke), but my father and younger sister are both overweight/obese like me. I can't speak for my sisters, but I know that I was never taught how to eat balanced and properly proportioned meals and snacks. And I don't mean to say that I had bad parents or we sat around eating crap all day, because we didn't. My parents are great and I love them. And I place no blame on them. Because by the time that I was old enough to know better, I just didn't do what I needed to. I've been neglecting myself and I've short-changed my life.

I want to get healthy and lose weight for so many reasons. Primarily, for myself. I want to look at myself in the mirror and smile knowing that I am healthy and happy. I want to be a great wife and have more energy. Drew is really outdoorsy and active-and would be more so if I was his physical equal. I love the outdoors as well and I would love to be outside as much as possible, but I am not able to. I also want more kids, and really it's not safe for me being as big as I am. When I was pregnant with Meghan, I was obese, but only gained 13 lbs, and I had gestational diabetes. Luckily, I was able to control it with diet, but I may not continue to be so lucky. Diabetes also runs rampant in my family on both sides and heart disease as well. I'm really putting myself on the fast track to both by being overweight. Lastly, I want to get healthy for Meghan (and the future babes). I want to be here for her in the future, I want to inspire her and I want to be able to chase her around with going into cardiac arrest.

So, how am I going to achieve this awesomeness? I am going to exercise and eat right. Sounds simple, no? You would think if it was so simple, then I'd be a skinny-minnie in no time. I am going to make small changes in my diet. I'm going to stop drinking soda (not that I drink a lot, but when we go out I always opt for the caffeine free soda when I should be drinking water), I'm going to drink at least 32 oz (or more) of water a day. I did this for awhile, and I stayed really well hydrated and it leaves little room for drinking crap! I'm going to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and less processed foods. Right now, I/we eat a lot of processed convenience foods, but it's not benefiting any of us. I'm also going to try and eat less white flour and white sugar. Also, less sweets. Now, sweets are my kryptonite. I have noticed lately that if I let myself have a small treat, then I start craving more and more until I'm full of refined sugar and simple carbs. I don't want to deny myself, but I will have to have some restraint.

As far as exercise, I've tried seemingly easy things like Wii Fit, which is fun but I find it mundane, repetitive and I find myself standing around a lot as the screens load in between workouts. I might still use it for yoga, since I have zero flexibility. I'm going to start the Couch to 5k running program. (more helpful links here) And I use the term "running" loosely, because, let's be honest, I won't be running anywhere for quite a while. C25k is a program that gradually builds up your ability to run a 5k in about 9 weeks. You start out slow, alternating walking and jogging for 20-30 minutes, 3 times a week. Eventually, I'll be able to jog/run a 5k in 20-30 minutes with no walking.

I'm going to start on Monday, I think. I haven't fully discussed this idea with Drew yet, as far as finding the time for me to get outside. I don't have a jogging stroller, so I won't be able to take the babes with me during the day. That leaves me with either getting up super early in the morning and going out before Drew leaves for work at 630am, or going out at night after Meghan goes to sleep which is usually around 730pm. That means someone (Drew) has to be here while Meghan is here so that I can exercise. This plan is 3 days a week and Drew is usually here at least that much during the week. We're/He's pretty busy on the weekends with band stuff, so I'm shooting for Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays/Saturdays as my C25k days. I plan to always rest on Sundays, and then do yoga on my "off days" which will help with flexibility and stretching.

I'm really excited and I know my biggest enemy is myself. I just have trouble motivating myself to get my life together. Hopefully this whole life change/plan will affect other areas of my life as well. :)

Might write more on this tomorrow, but I've got to stop this for now, Meghan will be up before I know it! :D

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

how do you like...

...the new blogger interface? (for those of you who use blogger) Originally I didn't like it, there's so much white space, I find it hard to concentrate on what I'm writing, plus it's just different! :) So I switched back to the old version for awhile and now I'm on the new version again.

I guess you could call me a flip-flopper! ;)

It's been a little crazy in the small apartment lately, isn't it always? September was just jam packed with birthdays, parties, adventures, and culminated in what I like to call"Angie/Rebeccapalooza"! This past weekend was Volunteer Retreat Weekend at my alma mater, Wells College And my good friends, Angie and Rebecca came into town. Wells is very close to me, Rebecca took the train in from Chicago and Angie drove in from Boston. We spent the whole weekend together, causing trouble like we used to in college! Well, not really, but we did have a lot of fun! And we learned about some great opportunities to help our school.

We also went apple picking on Sunday at Beak and Skiff. It looked like we were going to get rained out, but the weather held out long enough for us to pick apples, browse the general store, eat fritters and drink apple cider! :) MMmmmm, it was delicious!

Of course, now that I've been apple picking twice in 2 weeks, I have a ridiculous amount of apples. I'm going to make apple cake today and probably some apple muffins for breakfasts this week. I found a very simple recipe for the cake on AllRecipes, I'll let you all know how it turns out!

In the baby department, more good news! My good friend and wife of Drew's cousin, Klare is pregnant with their second child! We are very excited! Klare and Jeremy (Drew's cousin) have a 15 month old, Scott, who is 28 days older than Meghan, so we were pregnant at the same time! I joked with her on Facebook that we should be pregnant at the same time again and it would be so much fun! I was ovulating over the past week and I'll know in a about a week! :) I mentioned on Facebook that I had been having vivid pregnancy/birth dreams like I did last time-right before I found out I was pregnant with Meghan... :)

It would be so awesome to not only be pregnant again, but again at the same time as Klare! Amazing to say the least! I joked with Drew that it would be crazy if we were exactly a month behind Klare and Jeremy again-haha! No symptoms yet, so I don't have my hopes up too high yet-just the regular amount ;)

Well, I've got cake to back and toddlers to put to bed, so long.