A Little March Madness

No, I’m not talking about basketball. I’m taking about this past month – the good, the awesome and the sad.

So remember how I said I was doing P90X? Well check this out! This is yours truly as photographed on March 9th…I’m back in a size 2, bayyybeeee! {Aww yeah!}

Not only that, but I currently have 6 ladies in my first ever Challenge Group and, at a week and a half in, they’re already seeing results! Woot, woot! I’m so proud and excited for them! We’re working out, making healthier food choices, and holding each other accountable every stinkin’ day for 90 days!

Each Challenger is a mom - some of us homeschool, others don’t; some are still chasing toddlers, while others are planning “dates” with their grandbabies; and some of us go to work every day, while others stay home. But despite our differences, one thing is clear: No matter HOW busy we are, we still MAKE time to get our health in order!

{True story: One of my challengers is a homeschooling mom of 10 and a grandmother of 1! If SHE can find time to workout, ANYONE can!}

Moving along…!

On the 19th, we celebrated Abby’s ascent into the TEEN years! Yep, that’s right. My 3rd and final “baby” is now a teenager. {Boo hoo! }

Like the nice (old) Mommy that I am, I decided to take her out shopping and let her pick out a new outfit – complete with new shoes! (Which was exactly what she said she wanted…clothes, shoes and cash. Okay, so I didn’t give her cash. Ahem.) We also stopped at the Bare Minerals counter at Nordstrom for her very first professional makeover!  

The funny thing about this is that Sierra has been trying for months to get her sister to jump on the cosmetics bandwagon, only to be rebuffed at every turn.

Why???

Because unlike Sierra, Abby is a “less is more” kind of girl. So instead of blending 6 eyeshadows on her lids at once (I’m NOT exaggerating!), Abby prefers to look like she’s not wearing any makeup at all. {Funny how sibling preferences can vary so dramatically, huh?}

Then, we had Sierra’s friend, Emily bake Abby’s custom birthday cake featuring a Momma Hedgehog, Baby Hedgehog and “Mini” Cake!

To say this cake was a HUGE hit would be a SEVERE understatement! {Isn’t it awesome?!}

And in closing…just this past weekend, our family had to say goodbye to my parent’s beloved pooch, “Baby”. Unbeknownst to us all, Baby had developed cancer. By the time she began displaying some very scary and painful symptoms, it was too late. Her cancer was discovered last Friday - her health declining rapidly - and on Saturday afternoon she was gone.

So if you wouldn’t mind saying a few prayers for comfort and peace for my parents – especially for my stepdad who spent 24/7 with Baby and is having a really, really hard time without her – I’d be ever so grateful.

How has YOUR month been?

Hellooooo, Bombshell!

Hey, guess what everybody! I’m a Bombshell!

Now, before you cast me aside as a serious egomaniac, allow me to explain…  

As every single one of you knows – I enjoy a good workout. But over the past few months, I found myself wanting a workout that was more systematic. (A+B = C) I was tired of trying to plan my own routines or figure out which DVD to use today. I wanted a “systematic” approach. I also wanted something that would hold me ACCOUNTABLE. (Because even workout junkies need a swift kick in the shorts too!)

Enter Brazil Butt Lift {crazy name, I know!} and P90X!

Like P90X, Brazil Butt Lift (BBL) is a program produced by Beachbody. I’d originally purchased BBL back in April as a late birthday present from me to me but never opened/used it due to lack of time. (Working 4-5 jobs has a way of doing that. Funny, right??) And as I’ve mentioned before, I’d received P90X a few years prior, but never completed it in full. But after starting P90X again, then shortly thereafter discovering a cool HYBRID schedule featuring both programs….Well, needless to say, I was in heaven.  

Granted, my work schedules made life crazy to say the least, but I’m committed and determined to see myself through to the finish line. In fact, there’s a short BBL workout called “Bum Bum Rapido” as well as a set of TriAngle Training Cards featuring exercises from the program that I’d use on those days when I had VERY little time!

And slowly but surely, I’m being rewarded with a firmer, leaner, tighter EVERYTHING. (Hee hee!)

Then right around Christmas, I decided to delve into the world of Beachbody even further by doing the 3 Day Vegan Chocolate Shakeology “Cleanse”.

My plan here was three-fold. I wanted to:

1. Jumpstart my weight loss,
2. Get rid of those excess toxins and “crap” that we all have built up in our systems, and 
3. Find something that would fill in the holes (nutritionally speaking) for my oldest who was now a self-proclaimed “vegan” (and a crappy vegan at that!)

Good intentions all, right? But I have to admit I was a bit apprehensive to even try this stuff in the first place since the last time I drank any sort of “protein” or “health” shake was waaaaay back in the early 90’s when they all tasted like chalk at best and powdered cat food at worst. (Weider Weight Gainer Powder, circa 1993? ‘Nuff said.)

But surprise surprise! This stuff didn’t taste like that AT ALL, but rather like a yummy chocolate milkshake. (No joke!) It completely wiped out my sugar cravings, gave me tons of energy (more so than my regular caffeine buzz), and after the 3 days, my work pants were looser and I felt like a million bucks! (Best of all – all 3 of my kids AND my hubby loved it too! And that’s saying somethin’, people…seriously.) Three-fold plan? Check, check and check!

That’s when I decided that there was more to this whole Beachbody thing than flashy advertising and cool infomercials. They were the “real deal” and had the “total package” of fitness, nutrition and accountability all rolled into one.

That’s why I decided to (wait for it…) join Beachbody as a Coach – specifically joining forces with The Bombshell Dynasty. (I am sooo excited by this, you have NO idea!  ) These ladies – especially my coach, Kati – were instrumental in my decision to purchase BBL in the first place, and I’m thrilled to finally have the chance to help others the way they helped ME over a year ago.

Just think: a whole group of people – both men and women – who are just as insane as I am about working out! Hee hee!! I love it! 

The next workouts on my list include:

• Insanity (been DYING to try this one for YEARS!),
• ChaLEAN Extreme
• Turbo Fire

And get this: my own MOTHER is on board with Beachbody now too, and is working hard on her transformation as we speak! I’m so proud of her!  

Stay tuned! Updates to follow!

 

If you’d like to take a peek at some of the other Bombshells and their incredible transformations, click here. **Please Note: Many images contain ladies in their bikinis, which some of my readers may find a bit inappropriate.**

Healthy Reese’s in a Glass? Someone Pinch Me!

Okay, so it's not exactly a Reese's but it sure does taste like one! For my lunch today, I whipped together 1 scoop of Chocolate Vegan Shakeology, 12 oz of vanilla almond milk and 1 tsp. of PB2 powdered peanut butter. (And three crushed up ice cubes.)

And…ohmygosh! It’s delicious! Like seriously delicious. No extra sweetener or anything necessary. (Crazy, huh?)

Do you know what this means???

It means I've officially found a way to kill my chocolate cravings AND not blow my diet, all in a single swoop! YESSSS!!!!

It’s seriously yummy, folks. I’m not even joking. Ask Abby! I gave her some and she freaking LOVED it! (And she’s WORSE than ME when it comes to picky eating!)

The only eensy weensy problem I have now?

I totally chugged it all down and it's now gone!  

Why's that problem?

Because it's a MEAL replacement shake, not a “drink”. So now I'm completely FULL. 

Oh well. Guess I’ll have to wait for dinner when I can have another glass! Yippee!

Twins? Nope!

Okay, this is kind of a crazy, random post...however! I thought it'd be cool to share these 2 recent photos of Ethan and Abby.

Pretty crazy look-alikes, huh? ;-) 

Everywhere we go, people are constantly asking if they're twins. I mean CONSTANTLY! ;-) It's pretty cool, actually...even if they don't see the humor in it all the time. (Well, I should change that...ETHAN doesn't see the humor in it because he doesn't like being mistaken for a girl. Hee hee! But like I told him, that's to be expected if he's going to keep his hair long.)

Okay so, not only do they look alike, they're also nearly the same height and only 16 months apart, which REALLY ups the "Oh! Are they twins?" factor because they look like they're the same age.

So, what do you think? Would YOU mistake them for twins??





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Learning to Let Go and Press Ahead

On Sunday, January 13th, I received the terrible news that Momma Sheila Yaniv had passed away - less than 10 minutes after I'd initially heard she'd been taken to the hospital.

To say that my family and I were crushed - would be a serious understatement. For those of you on my Facebook, you may recall how Pastor David - Sheila's husband of nearly 52 years - passed away in June. To lose your two closest and dearest mentors - people who felt distinctly like FAMILY for the past 11+ years as opposed to your typical "Pastor/church member" relationship - is so very, very painful.

While I'm thrilled by the fact that these two lovebirds are reunited and dancing somewhere up there in heaven, (because let's face it; watching Momma grieve her hubby the last 6 months has been extremely painful as well!), I've found myself struggling to keep putting one foot in front of the other. The past 9 days have been so darn hard, in more ways than one.

I kept meaning to write a blog post about her, but I just couldn't make the words come. I mean, sure I'd post about her on FB, but that's where it stayed. (A few sentences here 'n there is one thing...but a whole post? No way.) Even now I can't really bring myself to do that.

On a side note, I want to say "thank you" to all my friends for their love and support. (You guys are amazing!)

Back to my story. Just this morning, I felt God - and even Momma Sheila's voice - say to me, "It's time to get up". And they weren't just telling me to get out of bed. (Because I *was* still in bed...) No. What they were saying was:

It's time to get up and push through this depressing fog.
Time to get back to living my life the way God intends for me to live it.
And most importantly...time to re-evaluate where I am spiritually and make the proper changes.

Okay. Confession time! 

I've been feeling kind of "out of it" for quite awhile now (spiritually speaking). I think a lot of it had to do with the sheer number of things I've had piled on my plate over the past few years. But now I feel as though a great paradigm shift (if you will) has taken place. And as strange as it may be to actually give CREDIT to something as horrible as death for something so positive...well, there's no other way to describe it really.

So for the first time in 9 days, I actually got up and WORKED OUT (yep, you read that right. No workouts for the past 9 days!). And you know something? I felt pretty darn good afterwards! :) And you know what else? I could've sworn I'd heard Momma say, "Now that's my girl! Onward and upward!" 

I'm ready, God. Bring it on!



PS: Momma? If you can see this, I just want you to know...that I will love you forever, and I'll like you for always. And that for as long as I'm living, my momma you'll be. xoxoxo 

For the Love - and Loathing - of Kenpo X

Today's sore upper arms brought to you by...Kenpo X!

Ugh! I cannot BELIEVE how sore my arms are after yesterday's "little" kickboxing workout. *Yikes!*

Yes, I know (now) that I should've expected it. But quite honestly, I didn't think that kickboxing - with all of its jab, cross, hook, upper-cut glory behind it - would do much for your muscles because it didn't (wait for it...) require the use of weights. Doh!

{Yep, I admit it. I'm a total weight snob.}


Well, after a good 30 minutes "in the ring", I've clearly learned my lesson. I will never again doubt the benefits of a "kick-butt" kickboxing routine. EVER. My arms are killing me, people. Kill.ing.me!

And while I LOVED doing all those super awesome jab-jab-attack moves (seriously, I had a blast), I did not...I repeat, did NOT love the Yoga warm-up.

Nuh-uh. No siree, bub. Didn't like it at all. No way, no how!

"You have GOT to be kidding me!"

I don't know what it is, but I just can't seem to jump on the Yoga-wagon. Perhaps if I was all super f-l-e-x-i-b-l-e and bendy like a twisty straw good Yogi should be, then maybe I'd enjoy it. {BTW, am I even using that word correctly? Yogi? Ehh, whatever.} 

But in all honesty, it would take a highly trained pit crew to hose me down with WD-40 in order to get me to properly execute each pose! (Think: Tin Man) And since THAT'S not gonna happen (safely), I guess I'll have to work on the ol' flexibility the old fashioned way....

With much weeping and gnashing of teeth! :)

Wish me luck, everyone...

Dude! It's Been HOW Long?!

Talk about your blogging hiatuses! It's been over 7 months since I've penned (okay, typed) anything on this here blog.

*Knock, knock, knock* Is there anybody here?

Abby waiting for her surgery.

Sooooo, are you ready for some (kinda-sorta) exciting updates? Okay, well...Abby had to have her appendix removed about 3 weeks ago. Yeah. Scary stuff, man! Thankfully we caught it early, there was no perforation and no rupture. She was admitted at 8pm, surgery at 2am, home at 11:30am. (Badda bing, badda boom!) Yes, she's still dancing her little heart out - now 5 days a week - and we're in the midst of her 2nd year of Nutcracker. In other news, I'm now doing volunteer work with her ballet school's Parent's Association. {I'm the Communications Coordinator! Sounds fancy, doesn't it? Good thing I don't have to communicate via blog...because we all know how bad THAT would be! *Ahem*}

Sierra's got her first J-O-B. (Insert "Hallelujah" chorus here) She's working P/T as a nanny for one very sweet 16 month old girl, whom Sierra just adores to pieces! On top of that, she's in her senior year of high school (insert shrieks of horror here) and *just recently informed me* (like 2 weeks ago) that she really wants to go to school to be a medical examiner. Yeah. Nothing like "picking your major" at the last freaking minute, right? So now we focus on doing that which is necessary to get into medical school. (If you happen to spy any new gray hairs on my noggin - this is why.) She'll also celebrate her 17th year of life in a few more weeks. (I am so stinkin' old...)

They're pretty cute - even if they don't look like me.

Ethan celebrated the big "14" ten days ago. Wow! And like a typical teenage boy, all he wants to do is eat, sleep and play video games. Bathing and other facets of personal hygiene do not even make the list. In other news, he finally got his Danbo belt (black & white) in taekwondo. He's officially 1 belt away from being a black belt! (Booyah!) Oh yes. And he's recently started taking guitar lessons, too. He's actually quite good at it, which I feel he MUST get from me. (Hey, 7.5 hrs of labor? Yeah, I'll attribute whatever finer qualities that boy has as stemming from my DNA, thank you very much.) 

Now for me...I'm working my tush off (well okay, not quite...but I WISH that was true!) at the hospital. Remember a(long)while ago when I'd mentioned how I was going to start training for a new position delivering trays? Well that's the "Room Service Ambassador" position (read: glorified waitress sans tips) and it is a definite workout! Nothing like pushing a metal cart that's nearly your height around the hospital! Or, if there's only 1 tray ready to go (as opposed to 4 or even 10), I'll skip the elevator and hike that tray up the stairs instead.

Did I mention the kitchen is on the 2nd floor...and I sometimes take the stairs alllllll the way up to the 8th floor? (Buns of steel, here I come!)  I've also recently been trained on the Room Service Call Center, which means I can also TAKE the orders ANNNND deliver 'em. ;) Yep. Pretty sweet.

Even with this wealth of knowledge tucked securely under my apron, I'm still considered 'on-call' so my hours are never ever consistent. But that's okay. It keeps things interesting, if nothing else. And yes, I'm still working from home, too (can't forget about that), so I log anywhere between 50-60 hours in each week. {When Dean made a comment last week about how I "shouldn't be tired" because I didn't work (much), I seriously had to count to 10 to avoid attacking him like a wild animal. Okay, that's a lie. I counted to 3, glared at him, then whacked him solidly across the chest. Humph.}

I'm still working out, only now I've decided to do P90X again. Haven't touched those powerful DVD's in at least 2 years, but man oh man - they are absolutely awesome!  {Bring it!}


That's it for now.

Bad Blogger...OUT!