Housewifery at its best.

Hello friends!
   It's been a fairly successful week of getting settled into the new life as a wife and living with my husband. It's going to be a fun ride, folks.

  But I'm not so naive to think that it will always be sunshine and rainbows. Virtually every married person I know has told us as such and I've witnessed it first hand...marriage is just ongoing work. BUT.. I'm enjoying the playing house part of it for now.

So, in my last entry, I expressed a desire to get organized...it WILL happen and my little apartment home will be cozy, efficient and homey. For the wedding we got mostly items for our kitchen. We're appreciative, but now the trick is putting it all somewhere. We are blessed with a large pantry space (honestly, that's what sold me on the apartment!) but with that much space, I don't want things to get lost. I was to be able to see everything!

I've been trolling Pinterest for ideas on organization tips... I'm open to any ideas. These are the tactics I utilized so far:

1. Use baskets/tubs for smaller things. We don't keep a lot of junk food in the house, so we have a little tub for all of that so it's all in one central location. Jello/pudding is all in one. You get the idea.

2. Stair-step shelving for canned items. This allows us to see what's in there.

3. Healthier items at eye-level. -- because we're trying to be awesome. The same tactic was used in the refrigerator, so you are more inclined to grab fresh fruit than something unhealthy.

Here's (one side of) the pantry thus far:

Also, I'm making progress on the meal planning part of my goal. Months ago, my sister told me about www.emeals.com. On that website, you can choose your family size and the diet you'd like to follow (meal planning AND healthy eating in one blow? Yes, please!) The meal plans include, Paleo, vegetarian, classic, low carb, etc. I opted for Clean Eating. Then you download a week's worth of dinners and/or lunches. Main dishes, side dishes AND a grocery list, friends. This does cost to do this, but not that much! Plus my sister sent me a groupon! Woop! http://www.groupon.com/deals/e-meals-1-raleigh-durham

My first adventure with this plan was Mustard-Glazed Salmon with tomato-watermelon salad. It was SO great, and we had most of the ingredients already in our house. The glaze was a little much for me... I would have probably only put on half of what I did on my piece of salmon, but it was delicious. Even Randy complimented it several times, so you know it's good!

Last night was Randy's first night back at work. I went to mom's to get some stuff to take back to the apartment, ate dinner there and then got back to the apartment about 8:30.

From there, magic happened. My friend Amanda told me that Thursdays are her cleaning night. I think this is brilliant. That way, everything is clean and done and you can enjoy the weekend rather than spending 2 days getting things done around the house. I was inspired.

So, when I got home, I unpacked all the things I brough from my mom's house... clothes, toiletry items... nothing crazy. I plan to enlist the help of my nephews to help when they visit this weekend. Then, I put in a load of laundry and folded the pile of Chinese laundry-style laundry (see previous post). This included sheets and I think I have strangely mastered the art of folding a fitted sheet. I kinda rock at it.

Then I put on my heels and apron Randy's gym shorts and a t-shirt and mopped the kitchen floor. Vacuumed. Put away laundry. Made the spare bedroom bed.

Peach Cobbler. Bam.

Then I remembered Randy suggested we make spaghetti so he can eat on it this weekend during his weird work hours. So, I got busy browning the turkey. I felt like it would be easy since we had a jar of sauce in the pantry. Wrong. We had tomato soup and tomato paste. So, with those things, I created a sauce, which was amazing. I kept snitching it.

I was on a roll, and in our refrigerator we had some farmer's market peaches that were a few days from being gross, so I made a peach cobbler. That turned out pretty well also! I put a little oatmeal in it, just to try that, and it was great, but just a BIT dry... so I'll need more milk or water next time.

By the time Randy got home, I felt so accomplished. I was just laying around watching Friends like I had been lazy all night. While Randy watched Sports Center and ate spaghetti to detox from his "day" at work, I fell asleep.

Again, realize it won't always be like this, but it will be fun for awhile!

Getting organized to be organized plus one big character flaw

There are a few characteristics about me that you should all be aware of, moving forward. The first is that I love to be organized. But, in recent months and with my living situation, I have been doing a LAZY, terrible job of doing that. Now that I have my own home, it's time to get my life together and be organized and neat.

One of my biggest loves is making lists. I. love. lists. I feel like it was a habit of highly effective people listed in the book of the same name that was popular in the 90s. What most people don't realize is that while making lists is great, you actually have to follow through with completing things on the list. That's the fun of it, right? Crossing things off the list?

<confession: I've actually added things to my list after I've completed them just so I can cross them off. It's a problem.>>

So at this point, I guess you could call me a list hoarder. There are lists everywhere for everything and I'm overwhelmed with post-its. I would like to streamline these lists so I'm not buried in lists. My attempts at efficiency are mediocre at best. I feel like I should get one central list and work from there. So, here we go..

Goals for organization in my life:

- Go through mail. I hate mail and I usually just let it pile up. Then it becomes a cancer on my desk or in purses or whatever... it's too much. I need to get rid of what I don't want or need and file the rest.
- Purge. Get rid of things I do not need or want. This includes:
   - Closets: Clothes that don't fit or that I no longer want. Get rid of them by selling or donating them.
   - Email inbox: Seriously, with all the online groups, passwords, websites I belong to, etc. etc. It's junks up my email inbox faster than you can imagine. I am planning to unsubscribe for many email lists and focus on actually emailing people I know.
   - My car: It's cluttered and dysfunctional.
   - Text Messages: That inbox is super full. It also needs to be tidied up.
- Organize. I would like to have each nook and cranny of my home to be the picture of efficiency and organization. We also need to have a use for everything we own. If we don't, we'll grow out of out apartment pretty quickly. Obviously, I'd like my closet and pantry to look like this:



 

 

 

It's a work in progress. I want everything to make sense and be easy to see and find. Otherwise we'll be a mess. Other organization goals include:

 

- Under the kitchen and bathroom sinks

- Craft Supplies

- Winter/Summer Clothes

- Laundry Room

 

As a result of these things, I would like to have a garage sale in September. So, I have the summer to get my life together and be organized. Can we do this?! YES WE CAN!!

 



Post wedding and getting into a routine

The last month of my life has been an exercise in patience and coping with disorganization. Most days, I think I've lost my mind. Most of my stuff is still at my mother's home, while I am now living with a BOY, working on the name change process and still amazed that the whole wedding even happened. I am not myself. From what I understand from my dear friend Amanda, this is totally normal.

June 15, I married my best friend, partner in crime and the peanut butter to my jelly. It was a fantastic day that I wish I could re-live (well, most of it anyway!) I wouldn't trade my wedding day for the world... it was perfect.

We got married outside and it has been raining here literally every day for 3 weeks. My wedding day was no different; it rained in the morning. But, the rain held out for the ceremony and although sticky humidity set in, we had a gorgeous wedding.

From June 16 to June 19, we hung out with my family for a smaller version of our annual family vacation. We spent the 20-23 in Kansas City on what we've affectionately named "the mini moon." We had an absolute ball...If you'd like to plan a trip soon, go to a large city near you. It's pretty inexpensive and there's always a lot of fun exploring to do!

<<disclaimer>> I plan to discuss other topics besides my weight loss in this blog, but not really today. Bear with me.

So, referring back to my blogs pre-wedding, I didn't get to my goal of losing 25 pounds before the Big Day. But, I lost 15 pounds and I'm proud of that. I worked hard for it and I am healthier than I was last year, so I can't complain. But, I still have a long way to go!

In my wedding and post-wedding time, I ate like complate crap... anything I wanted and how much I wanted. I was gluttonous. So it came as no surprise that I gained a few pounds. My workout with the trainer yesterday (my first in two weeks!) was difficult and it was like I was starting off at the beginning again. I was back on track with eating and drinking water and it felt great.

Now, for the last few months, Randy and I have been putting a lot off saying that it will be done "after the wedding." Things like seeing a particular movie or planning a weekend with friends... it just could not be squeezed in. So, the time has come, (the walrus said) to do some of those things we said we'd do.

One of them is meal planning and being healthy together. Randy works a non-traditional schedule so planning will behoove us and I will get to be a healthy cook. I'm excited for that. Does anyone have any great methods or tools they use for meal planning? I'm open to suggestions!!

Fighting temptations

Happy Friday, friends. I don't know about you but between allergies and the incessant sneezing that accompanies them, lack of sleep and workouts, I am ready for this week to be over. It has seriously kicked my booty.

Yesterday, I went to bed pretty darn proud of myself. There are lots of reasons why, so here's a little shake down of  my afternoon:

 

About 2:30, 3pm I hit a wall. It was a gorgeous day yesterday so many people in my office cut out early to golf or get some yard work done while we have a reprieve from the rain. I. was. zonked. I couldn't keep my eyes open! I thought, "you know what I need? Caffeine. Just a little to get me through the rest of my day." So I went to the kitchen in my office and grabbed a Pepsi. I set the Pepsi on my desk next to my shake container and my bottle of water while I had an inner battle with myself. We then proceeded to have a stare down.

For anyone that has tried to lose weight, you know this struggle. You want what is in front of you even though you know you shouldn't. Eventually you give in and then doesn't taste as good as you remember it. The flavor is more like disappointment. Then you regret doing it, yada, yada, yada.

I weighed my options and then I put the Pepsi back in the refrigerator, y'all! Instead, I refilled my water bottle and walked around my office a few times. The main hallway goes in a circle around the office, so I did a couple laps and I felt better.

THEN, I had an alumni event after work. This was at a sports bar <one that is famous for pizza and has plenty of fried options>. I knew my sister was making a healthy meal at home (again! how lucky am I!?) but I was hungry. I bypassed all the fried stuff and ordered a water and a side of cottage cheese. I totally rocked that event.

When I went home, Meg had made shredded taco chicken, so I ate a chicken taco and it was amazingggg. Perfectly filling!

But, I had hit a wall again. Meg convinced me to do Hip Hop Abs with her for 25 minutes.

A word about Meghan: She's my younger sister, a wife and a mommy of a 2 year old and a 7 month old. Yesterday, I was exhausted when I got home but somehow she was bubbling over with energy. I don't know how she does it. Anyway, she was super pumped last night to do something. I could have gone straight to bed, but I didn't! Any you know what? Afterwards, I got a third wind and felt better. Hip Hop Abs is kind of a corny workout, so we laughed through the whole thing while getting a workout. It was a blast.

So, I overcame pop, fried food and sleep and had a successful day. Happy Friday, y'all!

My sister, Meghan.

Workout partner

Yesterday was the weekly cardio day at the gym. For good measure, I mixed in a few ab exercises as we're getting closer to the Big Day.

Can I just say, I have killer abs. I have strengthened them quite a bit in the last few months and I can feel a big difference. The only problem is that I have a layer of flab over my rock hard abs. Darn it. It's getting there... gotta keep working!

The treadmill I love was out of order yesterday, so I went into the "cardio room" at my gym. It's a large room with a bunch of differnt cardio machines in it. At the front of the room, there is a wall of TVs, each one showing a differnt channel. At each machine, you can plug in your headphones and watch whatever channel you like. It kind of rocks. Everyone in there is "plugged in," so upon walking into the room, it's eerily quiet. And it smells.

Of course, I didn't have my headphones with me, so I had to make my mind work by convincing my body I can do this! That, in itself, is quite a workout, y'all. Randy was at the gym with me lifting weights and he challenged me to be sweatier than he was.

Challenge accepted.

I got on a treadmill and began my incline workout. In a room that size with all those people behind me, I am painfully aware of any jiggle happening... I know most of you can sympathize. But, if my body was perfect, I wouldn't be there, right? That kept me going.

Note the sweat through the shirt!

4 minutes, incline 3, running at 4.3 pace.
30 sec. of sprinting, incline 3, 5.3 pace.
3 minutes, incline 5, running at 4.3 pace.
30 sec sprint, incline 5, 5.3 pace.
2 minutes, incline 7, 4.3 pace.
30 sec. sprinting, incline 7, 5.3 pace.

That is a a workout, you guys. After that final 30 seconds, I walked at a quick pace at about 3 to cool down a bit. Then every 30 seconds, I decreased the incline and increased the speed until I got to 20 minutes. Whew! I officially sweat through my shirt, which as you all know by now is my definition of athleticism.

I went to check on Randy to see where he was with his workout. He still had 20 minutes. We drove seperately so I could have left, but if I'm going to push myself, he's a good motivator. So, I jumped on the eliptical and started at level 4. Every 2 minutes, I increased the level. I got to sixteen minutes which is level 11. If I did that every single day, do you understand how tight my backside would be? It worked thighs, hips and my butt and I. Was. Soreeee. Randy joined me at the end so while he finished up, I got to stretch my legs a little. There's really nothing better than a nice stretch when your legs ache.

At home, my sister had baked pork, spinach salad and steamed broccoli ready to go. Delish! It was great to not only get a super healthy meal, but to have it waiting for me when I got home! Thank you, Sister!

I weighed myself at home again this morning and it was the same as it was yesterday, so either that scale is busted or I did  a pretty stellar job this last 3 days. My weigh in should go well tonight with the trainer!

Big FAT liars

I am working on not complaining (as much) but there are some things that just aren't fair. (Great intro to a postive blog, right?)

Ok y'all... I usually weigh myself once a week, at the gym, with my trainer. It's best to do that, by the way. Weigh yourself consistently, at the same time of day, once a week for the most accurate results.

Anywho, as a result of my laziness last week, I gained a little on the scale at my weigh in on Monday. But, I didn't work out with the trainer last week either, so I'm meeting with her again this Thursday. So, I'm hoping to drop a pound or two in water weight by Thursday. To check my progress, I weighed myself on my home scale this morning. I was 3.5 down from the scale at the gym on Monday. I know that's not right, thus, the reason for my complaint. Consider this my official grievance to scale companies worldwide.

Dear Weighers:
    You've got some 'splainin' to do. Somehow in the span of 2 days, I lost 3.5 pounds as a result of weighing myself at different times of the day on different scales. I understand that weighing yourself at different times of the day doesn't produce the most accurate results, but I believe the margin of error could be greatly reduced if all the big wigs at the scale companies got together, United Nations style, and came up with a fair and balanced (see what I did there?) system across the board. All of your scales should measure fairly so as not to confuse and depress your customers.
    With the standards of what's considered sexy and thin these days, women are under a lot of pressure. With the pressures of working, managing households, raising families AND trying to stay physically fit, women have a lot of balls to juggle, so to speak. Ergo, a lot of stress accompanies that. You are only adding to that stress with your scheming nonsense scales.
   Get it together, scale companies, because you are either giving women false achievements or false failures. I'd say that's a big FAT mistake.

Best Regards,
Laura

   

A little progress point.

I was going through my phone today at work and deleting some stuff I don't need anymore. I came across this little gem I forgot to post about 2 weeks ago. This is the most current photo I have of my workout progress!

I'd like to shrink down a little more from here, in the belly, hips and arms, but this is a far cry from where I was a year ago!

I think I will celebrate by drinking a bottle...

...of water. :)

The very simple weight loss checklist that I can't seem to master

Ok y'all... I've taken a little break from blogging lately. I could make up plenty of excuses, but let's face it.... I've been lazy. I barely worked out at all last week, which make a difference on the scale, but in my enery level, my eating habits and my mood. Crazy huh?

So, I got to thinking about the perfect weight loss formula. It's actually pretty simple if you think about it:

1. Drink water. All. The. Time.
2. Eat veggies with every meal.
3. Move more... exercise! (Fit happens in the gym, healthy happens in the kitchen)
4. Keep on chuggin' that water. (notice the reiteration)
5. Take a multi-vitamin and fish oil.
6. Stay away from potato-y carbs
7. Eat often (healthy snacks!)
8. Shop around the store... most of the unhealthy grocery items are in the center aisles.
9. Dairy and red meat should be consumed in small quantities
10. WATER!

Sounds so simple, right? Why can't I nail it down? To be fair, I have curbed a lot of my eating issues. I still live with my mother, so I can't fully get away from it because she makes some delicious meals that are not even a little bit healthy. But, once I get married (11 days!) I will get a better handle on it.

A year ago, I was 12 pounds heavier, and a LOT jigglier. Check out the picture...I was round and shiny and .. yowza. Not happy with how jolly I looked. I'm still not quite there but I'm getting there. This was our birthday celebration last year at Joe's Crab Shack (Our birthdays are 2 days apart). Granted a bib does nothing to make a person look thin, but both of us have definitely dropped a few lbs. since then. I'm proud of us.

So, I have 11 days until I get married. I won't get to my ultimate goal by then, but I will be closer to it. I just have to master my get fit list.