As 2012 Winds Down..

Where did it go?? I am just scratching my head, looking around, and wondering how in the WORLD my children got so big and what time warp swept me to 2013!

As I look forward to the New Year, I am looking for a "theme" for 2013.  A motto of sorts; one that represents my aspirations for what the next 365.25-day cycle will bring about!

How about these?

Getting Lean in 2013 (probably in wide use all over!)

Peace with Routines in 2013

Hot in Skinny Jeans for 2013 (hehehe)

Skinny Jeans and Routines in 2013 (ohhh...?? I like!)

Ok, I am going to think for a while, but I am leaning toward the last one!!  It incorporates the two changes I'd like to see in myself for the new year!

I have a cleaning tip... I just loaded all the dispensers in my HE washer with bleach and sprayed bleachwater in the drum and ran the washer through a "Sanitary" cycle (hottest and longest)... and I have a headache from the nasty bleach fumes.  I would recommend ventilation when you run that much bleach through a 2.5+ hour cycle!!  

Happy Almost-New-Year's-Eve! :)

Merry Christmas!

First, Merry Christmas!  I hope your Holiday was blessed and you got to (or get to) enjoy time with people you care about during this Season.

How appropriate that I'm re-entering the World 'O Blog now... Because my workouts have come full circle!  The SHE contest is over... and I, never thinking of it as a competition, actually won 3rd place!! Woot!  It was an incredibly amazing 14-week, life-altering, whole-earth-shifting experience!

After we finished the program and had really ramped-up our workouts considerably, I have gone back to the "Sculpt Phase", which was Phase II in the program (what I last blogged about!!).  I have increased my weight in all the exercises, and I added a round on to the end, and I'm able to do it without difficulty!  Now, with that said, I still sweat like a Frosty in the desert, but I can DO IT!  it feels SO great to be able to go to the gym and kind of know what I'm doing and how to do it!  For the next six months, I will continue going to Tipton Lakes Athletics Club and really solidify the routine of working out on a VERY regular basis!

I know I didn't start this blog as a Gym Rat page, but it's part of who I want to be, and I'm working for it.  It feels good, it's good for me, so I'm going to write about it. :)

But... (always a but, isn't there??)

The house has not made the progress my body has made!

Here is what I have done pretty well:
1.  Laundry- Washing it, that is.  Folding and putting away are a different story.
2.  Personal Hygiene- I have been consistent about showering! (not much choice, but hey- give credit where credit is due!)... and yes, I normally took a shower each day before... it's just that now, it's more like 95% of the time instead of 85% of the time!
3.  Keeping almond milk and orange juice stocked in the house.

Yes, that is kind of a pitiful list... but I'll take it for now!  A big change is happening, and the other ones will come along with time!

Tonight, I ran the dishwasher (twice, really), picked up most of the Christmas trash, cleared paths on the floors, put away two loads of laundry, washed another, took my vitamins, took a shower (I still had my jammies on at 11pm),

Now, it's time to sit, sip my tea, and reflect on what I will do tomorrow with the kids, myself, for exerise- an actual "blizzard warning" has been buzzing around all day, so that takes away my 9am trip to the gym- and to keep from eating the wrong things!

Entering Phase 2

This is Thursday, and we entered "Phase 2- the Sculpt Phase" in the SHE contest on Tuesday.  This is an all-new workout (two, actually.  And adding length to the four that stay in place).  I am overwhelmed with it!  Going to the gym with gym clothes on and trying new exercises (yes, two weeks still = NEW for those of us who have no clue) is hard.  Changing it all up two or three weeks in to it... something else.  I am having mental blocks- My inner brat has been screaming for almost a month, and I am tired. sooooo tired.

My face is washed. The dishwasher is running. I took my vitamins. I am going to bed!

Parting thought would be Ian's handout from Tuesday:

Life Begins
at the end of your
Comfort Zone

I am LIVING now!

Focus on the Positive!

WOOT!!!  I am SO going to focus on the things going right in my life :)  We overcame sickness in 4/5 of our family members in the past week!!  I have done two loads of laundry and I ran the dishwasher twice today.  Then, there was the small matter of going to the gym and taking the "assessment" (I call it a TEST).  Oh yes, I rocked it!!  Well... you know the pictures going around now about what you think you look like.. and then what you actually look like??  hehe, It's kinda like that for me.  I feel good, and I know what I'm doing is good for me- even if it's less than half what someone else can do- it's twice as good as what I'd be just sitting on the couch!  It's all good, and I feel great about it!

We are looking at changing the way we eat here at the Slacker household.  This really sucks... because I don't "cook" per se.  We need to eliminate gluten, I fear.  My dear son keeps getting hives, and they seem to be getting worse as time passes.  I'm going to try to get him in to the doctor soon, but man, I do NOT want to change our whole food-lives!!  I have to find a doctor.  The one we have used is never available, and I don't trust all of her back-up providers.

It's the Little Things

I love my little MP3 player.  I need to rephrase that.  I LOVED my little MP3 player.  I listened to free audiobooks from my library ALL the time on it.  Every time I went to the barn, the earphones were on and I was enjoying a book.  Well, last night (or should I say this morning?) in the chaos of trying to get the boy to the toilet, my MP3 player got knocked off the nightstand.  The touchscreen cracked, and now I can't control the thing.  I was so desperate, I took out an old, non-working iPod and plugged it in (desperate times and all).  I'll be darned if I didn't wait a while, and the thing kicked on and started charging!!  I am loading my WAV file books on there as I type this!!!  HOLY COW.  I am so thankful.  I would go crazy without being able to escape with my audiobooks!!  *sigh* this has been a WINNER of a day!

My boy is well, so he can go to school tomorrow!  I have my workout tomorrow evening... and I am sore from learning the warm-ups!!  It's crazy.  I really like the women in the group for the contest!  I'm trying to stay involved and active... It's not like the Biggest Loser where someone is following you around 24/7!

The only thing left to do in my Before Bed Routine is brushing my teeth.  I think I'm going to do that, and then I am hitting the hay.  An hour and a half of sleep last night is not cutting it for me tonight!

3:30 in the Morning, for Pete's Sake! (Not for the Squeamish)

Just in case the time isn't stamped on my blog entries... yes, I am writing this at 3:30 am.  I have a sick boy, and he's not doing so hot with his bucket.  Therefore, I need to stay awake and guide his precious little head to avoid having to wash/clean even MORE stuff. (plus, I have no sheets on my bed right now, even if I wanted to crash there- wanna guess why?)

I hate it when my kids are sick, but I wonder if all boys are as pitiful as mine at throwing up?

Ok, I'm done with the puke talk, I think

I had a busy weekend- Said Boy(see above) turned 6!  We all went out to dinner on Friday night with Grandma and Grandpa, Saturday was soccer and our dear friends came over, Sunday was our first church service in the new building at The Ridge and then... (sorry, I just had to leave for a bit to take care of my boy, then... I poured another cup of coffee.  This is going to be a long, long night)  on Sunday afternoon, I had my initiation meeting for the Strong, Healthy, Empowered fitness contest!

Last evening (Tuesday evening), we had our first workout time.  We went over how to warm-up.  That seems so simple, but I am overweight, relatively healthy, and I have NO joint/muscle/tendon problems right now.  I think doing warm-ups correctly is going to be key for me- If I do it right and avoid injury, there are no physical limits to what I might be capable of!  Ok, coordination might come in to play with some things, but you know what I mean!

Now, for the confessions... My inner BRAT (Peggy is her name, I've introduced you before) throws fits at routines and responsibilities.

On Friday, I straightened up, wiped up, etc. because we were having company. The house looked pretty good (not great- let's be real).  It's a good thing, because the rest of the weekend wasn't so great.

I have also been lousy at my before bed routine!  I am sitting with my face unwashed, I brushed my teeth at about 4:30 this afternoon, so that doesn't count, my sink is full of dishes, and I have these fruit fly thingies hanging around,  They like to swarm around my freshly-picked tomatoes, and it ticks me right off!  If you have any suggestions for getting rid of these fruit-fly gnat thingies, I'm all ears!  I finally broke down and put the tomatoes in the refrigerator even though I prefer them at room temperature.

I got on here tonight because I was going to adjust the settings to make this blog private- like a personal diary.  I have struggled with keeping it up and public since I failed at posting through the week, but I really NEED this.  I need to keep things out in the open, even though I have no readers at this point.  But, if you know me at all, that's my way of coping- as soon as I start struggling, I want to take things private- draw it all in- so no one can "see" me flailing or failing.  I can see I am going to have to deal with this major issue in the gym, too.  This is serious.  I like myself pretty well, and I don't want to beat myself up, but I have GOT to put myself out there and ask for help, reach out to others, and be vulnerable.  If I keep doing what I've always done, I'm going to GET what I already had.  I want and expect MORE of myself!  So, here I am, and welcome to my never-before-seen-real-live-world!!

There you have it.  It's been 6 days since my last confession- it feels good to come clean!  No apologies, I'm just pushing forward!  No one's perfect.

A Day of Firsts

First #1:  I volunteered in Kindergarten today!  I love my kids very much, and I think they are great- And I know I put myself at risk of being judged by simply stating this... but hey, I'm "out here" to let my faults and this whole learning process hang out for the world to see, right?!  Well, I'm not really crazy about the idea of being responsible for other kids.  It always turns out better than I anticipate (I had a fun time today- that class is just fantastic!), but I am uncomfortable being in charge of (responsible for) other people's kids.  So, today was really an exception, and volunteering was more than just tolerable as I had feared!  I like his teacher and the kids in the class!

First #2:  I watched/helped with a cria birth today all by myself! This was our 5th birth on the farm, but this was one that I waited out and helped with on my own!  Ok, I really didn't do anything- Emmy did the pushing and the birthing stuff... but, hey, I got the baby's nose out of the limestone- that counts, right??  And this baby was a GIRL!  Girls are coveted among alpaca owners (ask more if interested, I can talk alpacas all day!)

I ended up in the barn for the majority of the day after I got home from being a Kindergarten volunteer.  Here is the kicker... When I came in the house, it was picked up AND my sink was shining!!! WOW, it seriously felt like someone gave me a gift. Oh wait- I did that!!!  (happy dance- that felt great!)  I am NOT saying my house was squeaky-clean! We are far, far from that.  But this success felt good, all the same.

I did my before bed routine in it's entirety last night, and I am hoping to get all finished up and in bed by 11pm tonight~

This was a good day :)

Laziness Devotional

I am finding a desire to study the Bible. Of course, being a habitual thinker and "starter" (NOT "finisher")I want to research where to begin from here to Kingdom Come (bad pun, I know).  I caught myself, though, and remembered one of my beloved FlyLady mantras about jumping in right where you are!  I found some free devotionals online- and I thought they would be great for me! The first title I downloaded is called "Laziness", the second is "Overeating"... you can see where this is going.

I got about halfway through the Laziness devotional, and I couldn't keep going.  I feel lazy on a pretty regular basis.. and this devotional was just crushing me!  It was totally focused on the BAD.  I don't even know if I can make sense of this, because I agree that laziness is bad, but to offer 12 citations in Proverbs that only re-word how BAD laziness is... well, folks, that's what I call "beating me down"- I want something that mentions how God feels about laziness, but then I want actions, steps, ENCOURAGEMENT to move toward change instead of giving me 12 versions of  "laziness is bad, mmkay?"

We happened to be at the library today, and I happened to remember the Dewey Decimal guide... so I wandered over to the devotionals (242 is where I went) and got "Purpose Driven Life".  I have heard much but read none of it yet!  I hope it's a good place to start again!

Tonight, I am going to bed as soon as I am done here- my first day of volunteering at school is tomorrow!

I have done ALL of my bedtime routine! WOOHOO!! Go me :)
I fixed the fence in back of the boys' pasture, I fixed their cattle panel, too!
I weighed the cria
I took more pictures of the cria
I cleaned out the dog kennel (washed it down and everything!)
I did laundry (2 loads)
Took DS to soccer
Homework is done
Time for bed now!

Oh, and I also found out that I missed an ad for the contest on Sunday- so I went and fished out the paper and cut it out!  I think I might hang it on the fridge :)

Cria and Brat

We had our first 2012 cria today!  What is a cria, you ask? A cria (pronounced cree' ah) is a baby alpaca!  They are very cute, and I will post a picture soon to show you (my, uhh, nonexistent readers at this point- thank goodness!).

This brings me to another part of my life I suppose I'll be sharing; we have a herd of  eight alpacas with #9 expected any day!  They are awesome, fun, low maintenance, and I'm sure I'll want to share more about them later!

Now for the "Brat" part of my post. (deep breath and remember confessing is good for the soul).

After learning I was selected as a contestant in the fantastic opportunity with She Magazine, I did what any self-loathing brat would do... I started eating junk, staying up later, and being a general b-uhh- Witch.  My inner brat jumped into my fore-brain and yanked my controllers down- and I heard her yell "Hang on, cause I'M in control NOW!!"  I am going to have to spend the next couple days bargaining with her (Peggy is my brat's name- if you're familiar with the Slob Sisters, you'll know I'm not completely crazy).  She only wants to have fun... so we have to focus on the fun and back off the bloating, bingeing, bickering and so on! Yikes.  The way I have felt for the past four hours or so is just plain scary.  I see now why I love junk food so much.  I literally feel like I've had too much to drink.  My head is fuzzy, I'm not completing my thoughts, and I am having trouble focusing my eyes. (and no, I haven't had any adult beverages or medication at all!).

I did manage to make the kitchen much improved each night this weekend.  This is a big step for me to do it this many days in a row.  Last night, I stayed up too late, but I did my complete "Before Bed Routine"!

Today, I offered my first service to our new church. A couple weeks ago, an email went around about serving meals to folks dealing with illness in their families.  This sounded great- I have not volunteered or done anything of significance besides common courtesy/friendliness for others in way, WAY too long.  I wanted the chance to DO something for someone else!  So... I signed up to cook a meal for a family today.  Awesome opportunity, right?  Not too hard, right?  Wrong.  I loved being able to serve, but I am a ... let's just say a bad cook when it comes to entire meals. One dish, I'm golden- a whole meal- mmm, not so much.  I think I need to sign off that volunteer list or figure out a few fail-proof dishes (if that exists!).

I feel much better after "fessing up" to my weekend-long tantrum.  I also saw the positive in that I still did most of my "Before Bed Routine" despite the junk food and exhaustion from lack of sleep.

Life Changing News!

Yesterday, about two hours after I posted my very first message, I was given a HUGE gift/opportunity/chance to put my money where my mouth is!  I have been chosen as a contestant in the She Magazine/The Republic "Strong, Healthy, Empowered".  Holy cow!  I will be competing to lose the most weight, but the thing I am most excited about is having access to a GREAT gym, trainers, and support from other women who struggle with their weight!  It is just too fantastic- I couldn't be more excited... or scared!  The informational meeting will be September 9.  I look  forward to sharing about this unexpected, wonderful opportunity.

As far as other "stuff"... I spent some time outside, trimming, puttering in the garden, scooping poop, raking

I did manage to have my "before bed" routine done last night, which made my morning just a little easier yet again :)

I am exhausted (not that I should be, I just am)- I need sleep!

How to Eat an Elephant

Every journey begins with a single step.
Be not afraid of going slowly, be only afraid of standing still.
If you wait for perfect conditions, you'll never get anything done.

I know lots of encouraging words for starting a change in my life.  I am a fountain of information- These little gems, however, have been useless to me.  Until today.  I have my fork, bib, and plate ready. Bring on that elephant!  I am ready to work.

I have great intentions, but it boils down to work.  If I'm going to eat this thing one bite at a time, there is more involved than just talking about said elephant.  I have to cut, stab, chew... ok, I'm not sure about the elephant metaphor.  It sounds kind of grizzly.  Let's just say I know the work is going to be the key.  Writing and whining are NOT going to cut it here or in my home!  

I am a self-help junkie.  I have started tons of books, hoping that I would uncover the pill, the wand, the spell that would magically transform me from slacker to Superwoman.  Go ahead, ask me if I have actually worked through any one of them.  They have great ideas, but I constantly justify why I can't do this and that.  And,  I get frustrated with the obsessively organized authors trying to herd the creative, free spirited (ahem, like myself!) brains into a neat little organized (boring) box.

So, as I begin, I want to offer a special thanks to Nony at  A Slob Comes Clean, who, for three years, has recorded her baby steps through "deslobification" (a Nony original term, I think!). I feel like this is the time for me to work through my metamorphosis, one step at a time.  I am public (yikes!), accountable, present, hopeful, willing, and seeking change to make improvements in my life!

I have an evening routine written down (ask how many years it's been on paper..about 6, I think), which I followed last night.  It seemed to make this morning run much more smoothly!  I would like to keep up with doing these very minimal steps before bed:

• Shine Sink
• Lay out Clothes for Tomorrow
• Wash Face
• Take Vitamins
• Brush Teeth

These may seem like such basic steps to most folks- but I am not most folks- I have trouble remembering to do all of them every night.  I want to work on these steps.  There are a million other things, but these few items help my morning start more smoothly.

And so, my first blog entry is complete :)