I'm Not Dead Yet

Day 4
I'm still alive, and let me tell you this. If I haven't lost any weight this week - I'm going to be mad. I realize its more about being healthy - but for me it is also about the decrease in poundage and the super cute madras skirt from JCrew's spring line that I'd like to be wearing in a few months. If there is no change on the scale (or dare I say an addition of lbs) - somebody is going to get a serious talking to - and that person is me.

I realize I've skipped ahead here - so let me take you back to Day 2 - or Day I Thought I Would Die day. Took the tennis rackets with us on our walk...you know just in case we felt like catching a quick match in the middle of our walking workout. After days of no one being there, of course there are now people on the court. And not just people I might add. People who know how to actually play tennis.

After begging Eddie for us to just keep walking - we end up on the court next to them. We - two people - who haven't played tennis in years - other than that day I played on the Wii - but that doesn't count. Let me just go ahead and be honest. I was already tired from the walk. Combine that with the stress of playing in front of two semi professionals on the court next to us and you have one really exhausted (physically and mentally) girl. After chasing many, many, many balls I actually managed to make contact in what I imagined would be a sweet backhand.

Needless to say my sweet backhand soared right into Venus and Serena's court (MID GAME). I really thought that Eddie would let us go home - but no - we had to keep playing. Now I've moved from stressed and tired to completely nauseous and embarrassed. Nauseous and embarrassed usually leads to throwing up for me. After maybe ten more grueling minutes of watching ball after ball soar past me and bending over and picking up ball after ball that soared past me Eddie finally gave in and let us go home.

Oh guess what? We walked to the park. That meant there is no car to drive us home. Great - I'm practically to the point of passing out from the heat and exercise (seriously I'm out of shape - no kidding) and here we have to walk home. By some miracle of God I made it back to the house - where I went straight to the bathroom in the hopes of getting a shower before I passed out for the evening. I could barely move my legs - they felt like jello. I managed to lift my arms enough to wash and somewhat rinse out my hair before just giving up.

Day 2 was going to be the end. Especially when I woke up on Day 3 and couldn't move any of my extremities. Luckily God heard my cries and made it rain yesterday afternoon, which gave my sore, aching muscles and the blisters on my heels (from those so cute shoes) some time to heal.
Day 4 was pretty good. Less being hungry - more feeling like I wouldn't pass out from exercise. So I won't quit afterall (yet).

But PS if anyone has some good dessert recipes that are low cal/low fat and don't taste like they are low cal/low fat - please send them my way. Sweets are my weakness!

Day One

Diet Day 1

Yesterday was day one of our new diet/exercise plan. There’s good news and there’s bad news. Actually there’s mostly bad news. Diets suck. Ever since committing to eating more healthy, I have wanted nothing more than to have nachos and cheese, deep dish pepperoni pizza, movie theater popcorn, and Hershey bars. These comfort foods of mine are apparently not a part of most diet plans (I know! I'm as shocked as you are). I’ve given up the Coke as well. It’s like everything I love is gone and lost forever (not really – but I’m going for melodramatic).

Yesterday I had Subway for lunch with Amanda (which I’m classifying as diet food because Jared lost like hundreds of pounds eating those subs). Not too bad. I made it thru the day and went home where I found Eddie ready to go walk. What? Right now? So I changed into my yoga pants (which consequently have never been used for yoga), tshirt, and tennis shoes (which were brand new and very cute) and we set out to walk around the neighborhood with Puppy.

Puppy is totally against the diet and exercise. He protested multiple times by running circles around Eddie and even completely stopping and sitting on the road (which is his only trick to date other than that trick where he has learned how to bark really loud when I'm trying to sleep). There were other wayward animals that distracted him, so we had to take him back home after the short walk around the block. Eddie and I continued on sans canine to the park near our house, which if you’re in a car seems really super close. When walking though it felt like a trek to a city miles away.

I realized how out of shape I was when I had to stop talking to Eddie (because you know me … talk talk talk talk talk) to catch my breath. Tragic. Honestly. I managed not to die, so I figure that’s a good sign. It was only 1.5 miles total, but for someone who hasn’t seen the inside of a gym in a couple of years, it felt like I ran a marathon. I have a whole new level of respect for you Laura!!

I’m guessing with time it will get easier (yay) and we’ll walk longer (ugh). They have turned the skate park into tennis courts so we’re going to try our hand at that next. I figure if all else fails I’ll just run circles around Eddie and stop and sit down and he’ll take me back home :)

Die...it

So on Monday we started our diet. Eddie is playing Biggest Loser at work (cash incentive!) and since I’m not going to let him get skinnier than me (oh and for my overall health and well-being) I decided to be an “at home” player and do the whole eat less move more thing with him. Talk about a supportive wife!

So on Monday we also ended our diet. Eddie came home after work and informed me that the game didn’t start until NEXT Monday. Thank God!! Monday was terrible. The healthy eating I did at lunch was such a downer. So we had Reese’s Cups and soda and felt much better about how the day went. So this week is now “no diet week” and we’re making the most of our last meals, because you know once next Monday rolls around it’s back to being a downer.

No seriously – yes seriously – we do plan on making it work. I mean honestly I put on some pants that I hadn’t worn since before we got engaged and they were tight on me. I assumed that they had shrunk from the really high humidity level in our laundry room, but in my head I know that wasn’t true.

I’ve thought about buying Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred dvd– which “helps you lose big – up to 20 pounds in 30 days.” Sounds good to me. According to that calculation I will be lighter than air in just a few months!

I kept reading and found out that the training video includes “ three 20 minute circuit-training workouts that burn mega calories and build strong, lean muscle.” Sweet!

Then I read a review that said “you want easy? Don’t get this dvd! You want to sweat and really workout? Get this dvd!”
Uh – yeah I do want easy and I also don’t want to sweat and really workout so I’m kinda pondering the whole Shred thing.

I am not so much looking for a workout that is painful and/or torturous. I also hate being out of breath. Oh and I don’t dig sweating. But part of me longs for a skinnier, toned bod that will fit ever so cutely into a miniskirt and boots (which I know is so passe now – but give me a break and let me have my dreams even if they are too many years past the trend date).

The thing that really sucks about diets is the whole everything I love to eat I can’t anymore and the whole you should probably exercise part. The only weekly exercise I’m currently getting is finger cardio (keyboarding and moving the mouse at work), and some light weights (lifting the laundry basket). So far those haven’t proven to be effective in a quest for weight loss success (of course neither has Hamburger Helper or Funfetti Cake).

Anyways – so here’s to us and our diet adventure. I was going to post a before photo of myself, but then I was like nah.
I’ll let you know the status of our joyless … I mean healthy…eating progress as time goes by (and if I can move enough to post after doing the Shred).

Yard Sale

Quick update

So after the whole getting married, moving out of our parents houses thing happened, something was brought to our attention. Apparently Eddie and I own way too much junk…I’m talking years of accumulating random everything, starting collections of this and that, and oh my the amount of clothes and shoes the two of us have should really be classified as a sin.

So in an effort to de-clutter our parents houses (yes mom – I really am trying), we decided to have a yard sale. I even took an afternoon off to venture into my old bedroom at 260 and sort the crap…er…memories of my lifetime…into Keep, Sale, and Trash piles. After a couple of hours though I was done in. I did manage to load the back of the Jeep though and it seemed like a HUGE load. However I overheard mom say she couldn’t tell anything had been moved out of my room. So much for trying!!

Eddie was put in charge of the sale since I had a prior engagement (thank God). It was better for me not to have been there anyways – because I would have been like "oops sorry... not for sale" when I saw some lady checking out my old Dooney and Coach bags. Eddie is far much stronger than I am – so he managed to man the tables of our stuff…a lifetime of clutter and nostalgia there for the taking.

And despite the hard economic times that have fallen on us Americans, many people were willing to part with their hard earned dollars for our crap.

I’m trying not to dwell on what items of mine were sold and I’m not sitting around wondering just who exactly bought that favorite shirt of mine from 2006 and that Dooney bag.

I hate not posting actual pictures from the sale or our cluttered rooms, but I wasn’t there for the actual sale and my mom would disown me if I posted a picture of my old bedroom at their house. And because I don’t want to be disowned I’m refraining from doing such.

The money we made was a definite incentive to get rid of more stuff though so we’ll be planning another yard sale soon. I’ll keep you filled in on the details because I’m sure there will be something for everyone!!

You're my cuppycake

Currently I’m going through an intense “I want to be a baker” phase. And by baker I mean anything related to cakes, cupcakes, cake balls, cookies, pies, …pretty much any dessert that is made by way of oven…

Problem – I’m working with a less than fully stocked kitchen of cake decorating supplies and kitchenware…oh and my artistry skills (which are of paramount importance when it comes to creating cute icing and or chocolate coating flourishes and or tiny fondant flowers and animals) are a little on the elementary side…and by elementary … I mean that a second grader could probably do it better than me.

I really aspire to be like Martha Stewart – not in that whole jailed for insider trading felony conviction way – but that perfect hostess with the mostess way

Again – problem
Unlike Martha – I’m working on a cheapskate budget…out of my home in Etown (not my summer place in the Hamptons) – and unlike Martha I have little time and less talent to create such classic and creative treats ...oh and one more thing… I lack a little skill called patience and I’m not sure if my ambition level is high enough to take me to perfect gourmet hostess status as quickly as I would like

I’m the kind of person who if it doesn’t work for me the first time I’m pretty much over it. You can ask the husband – he’s already seen me try three or four new talent ventures that have completely fallen by the wayside – the one nite I tried calligraphy and it looked like I was learning to print again – I decided that it was over…and don’t even get me started on puzzles…

So I tried to think of something do that I actually really know that I enjoy already – taking pictures was an option until I saw that the camera I wanted costs a little over $2500.00 – and as a good steward of our finances – I immediately thought – gosh that would buy like multiple coach bags and new shoes – and then I thought – we better save that for another day

My absolutely dream life is still a serious fantasy land where I am the perfect housewife with a spotlessly clean house and have dinner waiting on Eddie everyday when he comes home from a hard day’s work. Like I said – fantasy (for him and me both lol). I would love to try out endless recipes and host fabulous dinner parties (come home D!!) for my friends. But yeah back to reality – professional housewifing aside…what else do I like to do?

I love to bake…and I love to wear aprons…and I love pretty things… so I wanted to bake pretty things
I’m not really a good cook – but I would go out on a limb and say I’m a pretty good baker – as far as I know no one has died yet from eating anything that I’ve whipped up

I can make an absolutely amazing box-mix cupcake …really…you have probably not tasted any that are finer … :) kidding

Just like when we were working on McNest (which by the way – it’s still not done…but that’s a post for another day)…and I loved looking at home magazines…now I just find that I want to dive inside the pages of all of these fabulous food magazines, online blogs, and cookbooks…I want to make beautiful desserts for lovely weddings…or birthday parties…or for no special reason at all … just to do it

But my creative energy usually stops at the page and the idea…

This time though – I’m not going to just throw in the apron…haha :)
I think we’ll venture to Hobby Lobby and get a book and maybe some little decorating starter sets to play with.

Luckily Eddie works with a fab bunch of people who are not afraid to try whatever I happen to send to their break room. Honestly – I have my very own focus group (how’s that for remembering a Marketing 101 term)!

Somebody is a slacker

and that somebody is me...I really should blog
and want to blog
it's just that i don't know what to blog about :)

To love, honor, and launder

Since becoming a newlywed over a month ago and subsequently moving into McNest, I’ve found myself discovering my inner housewife. Let’s just say I’m no June Cleaver (though I bet wearing some of those retro dresses would help)…but I have to say I am making great strides. I may only cook adequately at best (that’s a whole other blog) and my housekeeping skills are probably somewhere around subpar, but I do look really cute in an apron and I can bake great cupcakes.

My main problem is that there’s little to nothing that can rid me of any ounce of motivation I may possess as quickly as the thought of doing housework. I see the daily to-do list growing around me (the rug needs to be vacuumed, floors swept, floors mopped, toilet (ew) cleaned, dishes washed….yet I always suddenly find it of utmost importance and urgency that I do something else…such as anything other than housework. A nap, a sodoku puzzle, painting my nails, or watching episodes of the Cosby Show or John & Kate + 8 that my husband has lovingly recorded for me on that little miracle we call DVR. I bet if June Cleaver had Dish Satellite and DVR in the 50’s her kitchen wouldn’t have been clean either and I’m willing to wager that she would have had a few piles of laundry that hadn’t been washed too!

I’ve yet to find the ironing board to be a thing of beauty, but I do have to say I haven’t really hated doing anything around the house other than hand washing a few dishes every now and then that apparently aren’t dishwasher safe (which by the way – no company should be allowed to produce and market anything that isn’t dishwasher safe). And my hands…my poor hands just aren’t used to all of the cleaning product they have been subject to. But I digress…

Then there’s the laundry. Since I didn’t want to head down to the creek with a washboard, I’ve also done a few (or more than a few) loads of laundry at McNest as well. Who knew two people went thru so many towels and shirts in a week’s time.

I did my own laundry when I lived at 260 (my parents house). I figured that when Eddie and I moved in together – my laundry would double (and I was ok with that). I’m an accountant so I can totally do simple math – one plus one equals two. However I was completely unaware that once married there is a very complicated exponential equation and some sort of scientific phenomenon (thoughts Lisa?) that occur when we combine our tshirts and towels into the hamper. My laundry plus Eddie’s laundry does not equal double laundry – instead it equals quadruple laundry.

Our towels are huge so they are one load by themselves. Then there are jeans and darks…whites…then of course I have my own special “cold wash” wardrobe as well. Lucky for me Eddie actually does help fold all the clothes when they are done. It helps when I drag the laundry basket into the den and he can fold and watch tv at the same time. You’ll be happy to know (people at Sharp) that after one unfortunate incident I have yet to find any of Eddie’s clothes on the floor in the laundry room. I give him an A+ for remembering that dirty clothes belong in the hamper! Good job babe :)

I’m starting to wonder if instead of my perfume I smell like Downy fabric softener since I’m in the laundry room so much. Before long I’ll probly be a strand of pearls away from becoming Mrs. Cleaver herself! Which by the way Mr. Hanson - I would be down with a set of my own pearls! Ha Ha!