All I can say is
GLAD IT'S OVER!!!
If you were expecting a reflective type of post looking back on my successes for the past year, you're no doubt disappointed.
I know it's all about attitude, but at the end of the day (or should I say year), this is exactly how I feel...glad it's over. Time to move on. No looking back.
That is all.
See you in 2012.
FABULOUS SANDRA! ... The ramblings of a 40 - something wife and mum on a journey to be the best version of me.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
What would she want for Christmas...?
The lead-up to Christmas 2005 -
I was heading down to do my Christmas shopping - in one hit, as I do - I seem to remember it was the last week of school, so I took advantage of no kiddies with me and set off after school drop-off.
Five minutes down the road the thought hit me, a question appeared out of nowhere : "What do you get an eighteen month old? What would she want for Christmas? What did I get her sisters at this age?"...the tears flowed until I could no longer see to drive safely and I found a spot to stop on the side of the road. Then I just sobbed, out loud, in the loneliness and safety of my car, with the radio on, in full view of passing traffic, out of control.
The grief hadn't passed...the grieving never stops. Sure, you can pull on a brave face, and make sure the children that you do have don't notice how sad you are...because you are so happy and full of joy to have THEM, but at the same time you are so sad that you never got to make a beautiful Christmas for the little girl who left you before she was born...
...and every year it returns, this wondering, this emptyness...she'd be eight and a half this Christmas...I don't just think of her at Christmas, but I no longer think of her every day...I was told the wound would heal, and the scar would fade, and while that is true, I know I will never forget her, and never stop wishing she was with me,instead of watching over me...I wish I'd got to watch over her.
Every year our family gets together...I only see one of my brothers once a year (at Christmas)...his youngest (a beautiful boy with golden curls) was born three months after Maryanne...they were to have been playmates, his mum and I were pregnant sort of at the same time...I made fun of her when my morning sickness eased, because she still had three months of what I'd just been through...
Every year I try to keep it together on that one day, with that little boy full of energy and life...he's very tall for his age, but so are my girls, so it gives me a good gauge of how tall Maryanne would be every year...last year, for the first time, I caught Hubby looking at him with a funny look in his eyes...later he told me he was wondering the same thing..."Is that how tall my girl would be right now?"
*****Merry Christmas, my angel, Mummy loves you and misses you...*****
I was heading down to do my Christmas shopping - in one hit, as I do - I seem to remember it was the last week of school, so I took advantage of no kiddies with me and set off after school drop-off.
Five minutes down the road the thought hit me, a question appeared out of nowhere : "What do you get an eighteen month old? What would she want for Christmas? What did I get her sisters at this age?"...the tears flowed until I could no longer see to drive safely and I found a spot to stop on the side of the road. Then I just sobbed, out loud, in the loneliness and safety of my car, with the radio on, in full view of passing traffic, out of control.
The grief hadn't passed...the grieving never stops. Sure, you can pull on a brave face, and make sure the children that you do have don't notice how sad you are...because you are so happy and full of joy to have THEM, but at the same time you are so sad that you never got to make a beautiful Christmas for the little girl who left you before she was born...
...and every year it returns, this wondering, this emptyness...she'd be eight and a half this Christmas...I don't just think of her at Christmas, but I no longer think of her every day...I was told the wound would heal, and the scar would fade, and while that is true, I know I will never forget her, and never stop wishing she was with me,instead of watching over me...I wish I'd got to watch over her.
Every year our family gets together...I only see one of my brothers once a year (at Christmas)...his youngest (a beautiful boy with golden curls) was born three months after Maryanne...they were to have been playmates, his mum and I were pregnant sort of at the same time...I made fun of her when my morning sickness eased, because she still had three months of what I'd just been through...
Every year I try to keep it together on that one day, with that little boy full of energy and life...he's very tall for his age, but so are my girls, so it gives me a good gauge of how tall Maryanne would be every year...last year, for the first time, I caught Hubby looking at him with a funny look in his eyes...later he told me he was wondering the same thing..."Is that how tall my girl would be right now?"
*****Merry Christmas, my angel, Mummy loves you and misses you...*****
Monday, December 12, 2011
A little celebration
Last Friday my eldest girl, Maddie got her School Certificate. This is the last year that NSW students have to sit this particular exam, and as she is going on to Yr11 for her HSC, this particular exam didn't have me too worried...
However, she did really well! 90+ for English, 85+ for Maths, Science and Computer Technology and an achievement award for Science...all the other subjects were marked as "completed"...not sure how it all works, but it appears to be a good result.
So, as her little sister had a movie night at school that evening, hubby and I took Maddie out to dinner - we told her we were going to Bunnings to pick up some stuff for the kitchen, but surprised her by taking her to a new Mexican place she's been talking about. Mexican food is her favourite, and we were lucky that it hadn't rained that afternoon so were able to sit outside.
Michael and Maddie had chicken tostadillas, and I went with the naked burrito...the flavours were amazing, fresh ingredients make such a difference in Mexican food...YUM!
Yes, Michael loves to pull funny faces when posing with his girls...
So glad we got to have some special time with our gorgeous girl.
Very proud of you, Chookie. Bring on that HSC!
However, she did really well! 90+ for English, 85+ for Maths, Science and Computer Technology and an achievement award for Science...all the other subjects were marked as "completed"...not sure how it all works, but it appears to be a good result.
So, as her little sister had a movie night at school that evening, hubby and I took Maddie out to dinner - we told her we were going to Bunnings to pick up some stuff for the kitchen, but surprised her by taking her to a new Mexican place she's been talking about. Mexican food is her favourite, and we were lucky that it hadn't rained that afternoon so were able to sit outside.
Michael and Maddie had chicken tostadillas, and I went with the naked burrito...the flavours were amazing, fresh ingredients make such a difference in Mexican food...YUM!
Yes, Michael loves to pull funny faces when posing with his girls...
So glad we got to have some special time with our gorgeous girl.
Very proud of you, Chookie. Bring on that HSC!
Sunday, December 11, 2011
A new plan
To say that life has been crazy in my world is an understatement...
I have not had a kitchen for about four weeks...our bathroom only has a toilet and a shower recess in there, and our tiny laundry is currently housing a small shelf which holds microwave, toaster, kettle etc. Thank goodness for our walk-in pantry, because I was able to store enough crockery and glasses etc for four, as well as the fruit bowl and other basics.
To top it all off, our business is extremely busy, and those of you that "know" my hubby won't be surprised to hear that he has insisted on doing all this work himself...which is exactly why it's taking sooo long!!!
Back in September, I joined up for Michelle Bridges' 12WBT, I did not give it 100% - heck, I would say more like 25% truth be told...but I really did get a lot out of it. For one, I found an amazing group of women in the Forums, and we have become a really close-knit group who will continue to support each other beyond any weight-loss or fitness journey.
So I'm not sure exactly how much I weigh right this minute, but I know I haven't been this heavy for quite a while...
As we speak, my oven and cooktop is being installed (Photos of the completed kitchen next week, promise) so I have no excuse for not eating well. End of December/early January is traditionally a quiet time in our industry, and the girls don't need organising in the mornings, so it will be the perfect time to get into a routine in regards to my workouts.
So what I'm hearing here is NO EXCUSES - no reason why I can't put my health and fitness first and remain that way...
I have already signed up for Round 1 2012 of the 12WBT because I don't do things by halves and I want to give it my very best shot! I cannot speak highly enough of Mish Bridges and her team, and like I said, the inspiration just flows around the Forums.
So that is my plan - I would like to lose about 5kg between now and pre-season, which kicks off 16 January 2012. I think I can...I think I can...
Stay tuned.
xo
PS - Tried to link 12WBT but for some reason it isn't linking...just got to www.12wbt.com
I have not had a kitchen for about four weeks...our bathroom only has a toilet and a shower recess in there, and our tiny laundry is currently housing a small shelf which holds microwave, toaster, kettle etc. Thank goodness for our walk-in pantry, because I was able to store enough crockery and glasses etc for four, as well as the fruit bowl and other basics.
To top it all off, our business is extremely busy, and those of you that "know" my hubby won't be surprised to hear that he has insisted on doing all this work himself...which is exactly why it's taking sooo long!!!
Back in September, I joined up for Michelle Bridges' 12WBT, I did not give it 100% - heck, I would say more like 25% truth be told...but I really did get a lot out of it. For one, I found an amazing group of women in the Forums, and we have become a really close-knit group who will continue to support each other beyond any weight-loss or fitness journey.
So I'm not sure exactly how much I weigh right this minute, but I know I haven't been this heavy for quite a while...
As we speak, my oven and cooktop is being installed (Photos of the completed kitchen next week, promise) so I have no excuse for not eating well. End of December/early January is traditionally a quiet time in our industry, and the girls don't need organising in the mornings, so it will be the perfect time to get into a routine in regards to my workouts.
So what I'm hearing here is NO EXCUSES - no reason why I can't put my health and fitness first and remain that way...
I have already signed up for Round 1 2012 of the 12WBT because I don't do things by halves and I want to give it my very best shot! I cannot speak highly enough of Mish Bridges and her team, and like I said, the inspiration just flows around the Forums.
So that is my plan - I would like to lose about 5kg between now and pre-season, which kicks off 16 January 2012. I think I can...I think I can...
Stay tuned.
xo
PS - Tried to link 12WBT but for some reason it isn't linking...just got to www.12wbt.com
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Grateful for time to plan
Every morning Hubby and I take ourselves and our notebook to our favourite coffee shop - the staff know us by name and our regular order of a mocha and a skinny latte are at our table within a couple of minutes... today we got to sample one of their fruit mince pies - fresh out of the oven - on the house, which was lovely, and the pie was absolutely divine...as you can see someone also had a croissant...aaaahh my will-power muscle is taking a beating!
So I am grateful for the time to plan our day work-wise and a lovely place to do it in...I look forward to this quiet time every morning.
Sunday, December 4, 2011
It looks like I'm ba-aack!
Hey!
Two posts in as many days...what's going on???
Maybe I just realised that this is the way life is going to be for a while, and if I wait until life gets a little less busy, or until we finish the reno's or until the new year...(you get the picture) I will probably never post again...
Rainy and miserable old day up here...it started off beautifully - clear blue skies, warm sunny morning. Hubby and I went for an early coffee and I decided I felt like doing RPM, so we got back home, checked that the girls were OK - they were both still sleeping (aah, I remember those teenage years) and got changed to go. We got there with about ten minutes to spare, which was great, because I got to make sure that my bike was "just right" and warmed up at a leisurely pace while everyone else got set up.
I really pushed myself hard today - so hard that by Track 3 I almost thought I'd have to run to the ladies' to have a little "vommy" - but the way to the ladies' was too complicated so I just directed my thoughts elsewhere...the stains on the carpet in front of me were a good distraction...and pushed on.
The middle of the day was spent shopping for reno stuff - some kitchen cabinets and plumbing paraphernalia, and more tidying up. Then I went to the 4.30pm Pump class...doing two classes in one day is a first for me, but I'm just seizing every opportunity I get to work out because there are some very busy days coming up in the next few weeks...
It is now 10 degrees here - and it's the fourth day of Summer!
Being so busy with work and having so much "stuff" going on in my life - such as the deadline we've given ourselves to get this house on the market in feb 2012, means that I've adopted a mindset of "going on auto-pilot" when it comes to my fitness and nutrition, so Group Fitness classes are great for me at the moment. Just turn up at the gym and do what you're told. Done for the day. Easy. (in theory, anyway)
To finish off, here is my Grateful photo for today - the first kitchen cabinet is going up...after four weeks of no stove, this is a huge step and one I am so grateful for.
Two posts in as many days...what's going on???
Maybe I just realised that this is the way life is going to be for a while, and if I wait until life gets a little less busy, or until we finish the reno's or until the new year...(you get the picture) I will probably never post again...
Rainy and miserable old day up here...it started off beautifully - clear blue skies, warm sunny morning. Hubby and I went for an early coffee and I decided I felt like doing RPM, so we got back home, checked that the girls were OK - they were both still sleeping (aah, I remember those teenage years) and got changed to go. We got there with about ten minutes to spare, which was great, because I got to make sure that my bike was "just right" and warmed up at a leisurely pace while everyone else got set up.
I really pushed myself hard today - so hard that by Track 3 I almost thought I'd have to run to the ladies' to have a little "vommy" - but the way to the ladies' was too complicated so I just directed my thoughts elsewhere...the stains on the carpet in front of me were a good distraction...and pushed on.
The middle of the day was spent shopping for reno stuff - some kitchen cabinets and plumbing paraphernalia, and more tidying up. Then I went to the 4.30pm Pump class...doing two classes in one day is a first for me, but I'm just seizing every opportunity I get to work out because there are some very busy days coming up in the next few weeks...
It is now 10 degrees here - and it's the fourth day of Summer!
Being so busy with work and having so much "stuff" going on in my life - such as the deadline we've given ourselves to get this house on the market in feb 2012, means that I've adopted a mindset of "going on auto-pilot" when it comes to my fitness and nutrition, so Group Fitness classes are great for me at the moment. Just turn up at the gym and do what you're told. Done for the day. Easy. (in theory, anyway)
To finish off, here is my Grateful photo for today - the first kitchen cabinet is going up...after four weeks of no stove, this is a huge step and one I am so grateful for.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Finding a little calm before the "storm"...
This year Christmas will be very low-key for us...
We moved out of our home of eighteen years in October and have decided to finish off the renovations to this place and sell it early next year...
Which means I am actually sitting in the middle of a gutted kitchen as I type this. The only piece of furniture in this room being my desk and the fridge...
The bathroom is half-finished. We have a toilet in there and a shower, getting the vanity tomorrow and a bath some time next week...we have to find one small enough to look good without crowding the tiny space that is our bathroom.
This house is SO small...
Just one of those things, we've had this house for about six years and never realised it just doesn't suit us.
Back to my point - this year we are keeping Christmas low-key...
The tree will go up tomorrow - I have to shift some furniture into the shed so it will fit LOL, and once the kitchen is installed next week I will put out some more decorations on shelves etc...
For Christmas Eve, we will go to my brother's as always. It is my sister in law's birthday and we spend this evening with them every year. Christmas lunch will be a quiet affair, just the four of us and my parents in law, in the afternoon they will go to my brother in law's place and we will get busy packing for our week away. We are going to Port Stephens - again a bit of a tradition for us - for a much needed rest.
So by no means a hectic time for us - but with the reno's etc (we have set ourselves a deadline), things are getting a bit hectic around here...
So this week I have decided to do a little much needed (and overdue!) pampering...last week I decided I wanted some acrylic nails again. I have been growing my own for the past nine or so months, but with the reno's they were starting to break and look shabby...so now I'm very pleased with my French tips, they look very polished (excuse the pun) and need less maintenance than my own nails.
I booked myself in for a facial on Monday...haven't had one since July (!) and my skin is feeling a bit dry...and I love the time I spend chatting to my beautician Robyn while she performs her magic on my face - I love how invigorated my skin looks and feels after one of her massages.
Then, on Tuesday .... I've booked into the hairdresser's for a bit of a make-over...I've been going to the same lady for a couple of years but I am less and less happy with the outcome. She works from home and I suspect her products aren't the best quality...no matter what shade of foils we try, within a couple of weeks I'm looking "brassy"...and even the style we've been doing for ages is not holding shape so well...I've noticed she talks a lot while she's working - which could be a bad thing when it comes to cutting..?
So I've booked into a local salon that I've been to before with a new hairdresser there (he's a boy!!!!) and I'm going to try something a little different...not drastic, but just something to freshen up my look...
So there it is - time for a bit of self-indulgence...and I can face the next few weeks feeling a bit fabulous...
What about you? Do you take time out for yourself before the Holidays or after the whole silly season is over?
We moved out of our home of eighteen years in October and have decided to finish off the renovations to this place and sell it early next year...
Which means I am actually sitting in the middle of a gutted kitchen as I type this. The only piece of furniture in this room being my desk and the fridge...
The bathroom is half-finished. We have a toilet in there and a shower, getting the vanity tomorrow and a bath some time next week...we have to find one small enough to look good without crowding the tiny space that is our bathroom.
This house is SO small...
Just one of those things, we've had this house for about six years and never realised it just doesn't suit us.
Back to my point - this year we are keeping Christmas low-key...
The tree will go up tomorrow - I have to shift some furniture into the shed so it will fit LOL, and once the kitchen is installed next week I will put out some more decorations on shelves etc...
For Christmas Eve, we will go to my brother's as always. It is my sister in law's birthday and we spend this evening with them every year. Christmas lunch will be a quiet affair, just the four of us and my parents in law, in the afternoon they will go to my brother in law's place and we will get busy packing for our week away. We are going to Port Stephens - again a bit of a tradition for us - for a much needed rest.
So by no means a hectic time for us - but with the reno's etc (we have set ourselves a deadline), things are getting a bit hectic around here...
So this week I have decided to do a little much needed (and overdue!) pampering...last week I decided I wanted some acrylic nails again. I have been growing my own for the past nine or so months, but with the reno's they were starting to break and look shabby...so now I'm very pleased with my French tips, they look very polished (excuse the pun) and need less maintenance than my own nails.
I booked myself in for a facial on Monday...haven't had one since July (!) and my skin is feeling a bit dry...and I love the time I spend chatting to my beautician Robyn while she performs her magic on my face - I love how invigorated my skin looks and feels after one of her massages.
Then, on Tuesday .... I've booked into the hairdresser's for a bit of a make-over...I've been going to the same lady for a couple of years but I am less and less happy with the outcome. She works from home and I suspect her products aren't the best quality...no matter what shade of foils we try, within a couple of weeks I'm looking "brassy"...and even the style we've been doing for ages is not holding shape so well...I've noticed she talks a lot while she's working - which could be a bad thing when it comes to cutting..?
So I've booked into a local salon that I've been to before with a new hairdresser there (he's a boy!!!!) and I'm going to try something a little different...not drastic, but just something to freshen up my look...
So there it is - time for a bit of self-indulgence...and I can face the next few weeks feeling a bit fabulous...
What about you? Do you take time out for yourself before the Holidays or after the whole silly season is over?
Friday, November 25, 2011
All Grown Up...
Hey there - for some reason I feel like posting...maybe it's because my kitchen is lovely and shiny, or because it's after 5pm on a Friday and I'm calling it a day (not quite the end of the working week for me though...)or just maybe it's because Hubby has gone into town to see a client and I have some peace and quiet around here...LOL
So I thought I'd share some photos of my "baby" with you - she had her Year10 "Fomal" yesterday and she looked so lovely.
We are very proud of you Chookie xxx
She chose her pretty dress all by herself...I think she did a great job. She's into all things retro, so she wanted something reminiscent of the 1950's movie stars...
My two gorgeous girls...we think Cassie might end up taller than her older sister...
And this one has to be my favourite - the gorgeous Madeleine...
There's been a lot of crap happening since I last posted, but every now and then, there's reason to be grateful and smile...and nothing brings a smile to my face like my beautiful kids do.
Have a great weekend.
Back soon...
Sandra
xo
So I thought I'd share some photos of my "baby" with you - she had her Year10 "Fomal" yesterday and she looked so lovely.
We are very proud of you Chookie xxx
She chose her pretty dress all by herself...I think she did a great job. She's into all things retro, so she wanted something reminiscent of the 1950's movie stars...
My two gorgeous girls...we think Cassie might end up taller than her older sister...
And this one has to be my favourite - the gorgeous Madeleine...
There's been a lot of crap happening since I last posted, but every now and then, there's reason to be grateful and smile...and nothing brings a smile to my face like my beautiful kids do.
Have a great weekend.
Back soon...
Sandra
xo
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Maybe...one day...soon
Lots of changes going on around here - some good, some sad, some happy, some just inevitable and some exciting.
This time next week we will be in our "new" place...so many memories will be left behind in what has been our home for the past eighteen years...but I cannot dwell, this is a change we wanted and have been working on for about ten years...
My garden has literally bloomed too early this year - it is saying Good-bye and Thanks to me - the wisteria over the verandah has put on a show like never before, and there is colour and foliage in every single plant I have nurtured.
I started this garden from scratch - there was nothing here when we moved in. There had been goats in the yard, which was a blessing in disguise. They had eaten everything they could get to, but their manure meant that all I had to do was drop a seed or put in a cutting and just watch it grow...the early years of my garden were a lot of fun, and then, like a child, it just began to grow on its own and spread out comfortably, growing into its siblings in the garden beds...
I am grateful for this colourful good-bye from my garden, I will always remember the breathtaking beauty of the past few weeks.
.......back soon....time to start from scratch again...
This time next week we will be in our "new" place...so many memories will be left behind in what has been our home for the past eighteen years...but I cannot dwell, this is a change we wanted and have been working on for about ten years...
My garden has literally bloomed too early this year - it is saying Good-bye and Thanks to me - the wisteria over the verandah has put on a show like never before, and there is colour and foliage in every single plant I have nurtured.
I started this garden from scratch - there was nothing here when we moved in. There had been goats in the yard, which was a blessing in disguise. They had eaten everything they could get to, but their manure meant that all I had to do was drop a seed or put in a cutting and just watch it grow...the early years of my garden were a lot of fun, and then, like a child, it just began to grow on its own and spread out comfortably, growing into its siblings in the garden beds...
I am grateful for this colourful good-bye from my garden, I will always remember the breathtaking beauty of the past few weeks.
.......back soon....time to start from scratch again...
Friday, September 9, 2011
Lest We Forget
Ten years ago....
As one French newspaper headline read...
"For one day we were all Americans"
...............................PEACE..................................
Friday, August 19, 2011
Time for a break...
...from Blogging.
Quite frankly, I don't feel I have anything much of interest to share at the moment.
My life is quite chaotic with moving, and getting the other house truly ready to move in, as well as the everyday stuff like work, family etc
I'm sure some talented writers out there could churn out a post a day about similar circumstances and attract 124 comments every day, but I just don't have the inclination to document every single thing that I do right at this moment.
It is a potentially emotional time for us, leaving this house that has been our home for over eighteen years - Hubby and I have discussed it, and we both know that each of the four of us will have our own little "melt-downs" at different times and react in different ways. It helped to talk about it,because now we feel that we're "ready" for when it happens...
So I won't be posting for a while - not even sure whether I will be back. It will depend on how much I miss Blogging these next few weeks.
I will continue to lurk on my favourites, and possibly even comment if I have the time.
Thank you all for your friendship - I hope we'll chat again soon.
Take care.
Much love <3 <3 <3
Sandra
xoxox
Quite frankly, I don't feel I have anything much of interest to share at the moment.
My life is quite chaotic with moving, and getting the other house truly ready to move in, as well as the everyday stuff like work, family etc
I'm sure some talented writers out there could churn out a post a day about similar circumstances and attract 124 comments every day, but I just don't have the inclination to document every single thing that I do right at this moment.
It is a potentially emotional time for us, leaving this house that has been our home for over eighteen years - Hubby and I have discussed it, and we both know that each of the four of us will have our own little "melt-downs" at different times and react in different ways. It helped to talk about it,because now we feel that we're "ready" for when it happens...
So I won't be posting for a while - not even sure whether I will be back. It will depend on how much I miss Blogging these next few weeks.
I will continue to lurk on my favourites, and possibly even comment if I have the time.
Thank you all for your friendship - I hope we'll chat again soon.
Take care.
Much love <3 <3 <3
Sandra
xoxox
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Time to unwind...or maybe not?
The week-end is here, and although I plan to slow down a notch, I'm feeling a tad overwhelmed.
The ironing has grown again...three fat baskets waiting for me in the corner of the kitchen...
We have a prospective buyer coming to see the house tomorrow, so a big clean is on the cards today...
Cassie is dancing at a dance extravaganza next Saturday, so today is full dress rehearsal down in Penrith - thank goodness a note came home saying "no parents on rehearsal day please"...but she still needs to be dropped off and picked up at 4pm...
The pantry is looking a bit lean, so must stock up on some groceries, meat and veg...
On Thursday afternoon we got a call from our "boss" - our company's annual conference is held in August every year. We had decided not to go this year due to time restraints with having our house so close to selling, but he made it clear during his phone call that we were "expected" to be there...when I asked why bother ringing us at such short notice, he spilled the beans...apparently Hubby and I have won a national award within our company! It would be embarrassing not only for us, but to our state manager if we weren't there to collect it in person...
SO - Hubby and I are off to Port Douglas in a fortnight's time for four days. His parents will come over to stay with the girls. This has also sent me into a bit of a panic, as there is a lot of organising to do. It's a strange feeling - I know I should be very excited to be getting this award, but at the moment, all the "to do's" are shadowing the positives...
Anyway - better jump straight into my weekend - I might add one item to my "To Do" List - find an hour to myself and do something I enjoy
Have a great weekend everyone
xoxox
The ironing has grown again...three fat baskets waiting for me in the corner of the kitchen...
We have a prospective buyer coming to see the house tomorrow, so a big clean is on the cards today...
Cassie is dancing at a dance extravaganza next Saturday, so today is full dress rehearsal down in Penrith - thank goodness a note came home saying "no parents on rehearsal day please"...but she still needs to be dropped off and picked up at 4pm...
The pantry is looking a bit lean, so must stock up on some groceries, meat and veg...
On Thursday afternoon we got a call from our "boss" - our company's annual conference is held in August every year. We had decided not to go this year due to time restraints with having our house so close to selling, but he made it clear during his phone call that we were "expected" to be there...when I asked why bother ringing us at such short notice, he spilled the beans...apparently Hubby and I have won a national award within our company! It would be embarrassing not only for us, but to our state manager if we weren't there to collect it in person...
SO - Hubby and I are off to Port Douglas in a fortnight's time for four days. His parents will come over to stay with the girls. This has also sent me into a bit of a panic, as there is a lot of organising to do. It's a strange feeling - I know I should be very excited to be getting this award, but at the moment, all the "to do's" are shadowing the positives...
Anyway - better jump straight into my weekend - I might add one item to my "To Do" List - find an hour to myself and do something I enjoy
Have a great weekend everyone
xoxox
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Colour in my kitchen...
It looks like Spring is on its way...it takes its time, up here in the Mountains...a bit like life in general in these parts.
I don't mind - it means we get the full show of every season, no harsh sun light too early in the piece to kill the beautiful Spring blooms, they are afforded a natural lifespan by the slowly changing seasons...
So yesterday I ventured into the garden and couldn't resist bringing some Camelias inside...they've certainly added some colour to my kitchen, how can you not smile when faced with this beauty?
So, here's a reminder that warmer weather is not too far away...the days are already getting longer ever so slowly...but if you remember the time it was dark a fortnight ago, the difference is noticeable...
In the meantime, I'm just happy to enjoy what's left of the cool weather and consider shedding the Winter layers...one at a time.
Enjoy the moment - wherever you are...
xoxox
I don't mind - it means we get the full show of every season, no harsh sun light too early in the piece to kill the beautiful Spring blooms, they are afforded a natural lifespan by the slowly changing seasons...
So yesterday I ventured into the garden and couldn't resist bringing some Camelias inside...they've certainly added some colour to my kitchen, how can you not smile when faced with this beauty?
So, here's a reminder that warmer weather is not too far away...the days are already getting longer ever so slowly...but if you remember the time it was dark a fortnight ago, the difference is noticeable...
In the meantime, I'm just happy to enjoy what's left of the cool weather and consider shedding the Winter layers...one at a time.
Enjoy the moment - wherever you are...
xoxox
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Feeling better
All that's left is a slightly irritated throat and a bit of a runny nose - but after how I felt last week, I can cope with that.
I am so grateful for feeling this much better. Saw my Osteopath yesterday and he said that the tear on my disc of a couple of weeks ago was the biggest I'd had...so that explains the excrutiating pain...sometimes it's nice to be re-assured by the person treating you that you weren't exaggerating...lol
My back feels great at the moment - all *free* and flexible and I just want to jump for joy (and I actually can jump if I want to!!)
I picked up Maddie from work yesterday, and as I drove around the familiar streets, I felt this pull to go on my favourite 6km walk...might see how the weather shapes up and actually do it later today...
I am eating well - I don't want to label my eating as "clean", or "sensible", because I am sick of labels when it comes to diet, but I am in a happy place. Had a sneak peek at the scale this morning and I might just have a loss to report by the end of this week!!!
Hope you're enjoying life no matter what the season or the reason.
xoxox
I am so grateful for feeling this much better. Saw my Osteopath yesterday and he said that the tear on my disc of a couple of weeks ago was the biggest I'd had...so that explains the excrutiating pain...sometimes it's nice to be re-assured by the person treating you that you weren't exaggerating...lol
My back feels great at the moment - all *free* and flexible and I just want to jump for joy (and I actually can jump if I want to!!)
I picked up Maddie from work yesterday, and as I drove around the familiar streets, I felt this pull to go on my favourite 6km walk...might see how the weather shapes up and actually do it later today...
I am eating well - I don't want to label my eating as "clean", or "sensible", because I am sick of labels when it comes to diet, but I am in a happy place. Had a sneak peek at the scale this morning and I might just have a loss to report by the end of this week!!!
Hope you're enjoying life no matter what the season or the reason.
xoxox
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Flu...
Just a short one today - our family has been struck by the flu bug...I heard on the news that there are currently four times the number of people that are usually diagnosed with the flu for this time of year in Sydney.
Cassie was the first to fall last weekend, with Maddie following closely. I am now in the throes of it, and am very frustrated by the fact that no amount of Ibuprofen or Paracetamol is helping with these yucky aches and pains...so our household is a symphony of coughs, sneezes and requests for cups of tea...poor Hubby, he's not coping too well being the main caregiver to three females, but I bet once we're all recovered he'll come down with a dose of man-cold and get his own back...
Hope you're all well.
Back soon
xoxox
Cassie was the first to fall last weekend, with Maddie following closely. I am now in the throes of it, and am very frustrated by the fact that no amount of Ibuprofen or Paracetamol is helping with these yucky aches and pains...so our household is a symphony of coughs, sneezes and requests for cups of tea...poor Hubby, he's not coping too well being the main caregiver to three females, but I bet once we're all recovered he'll come down with a dose of man-cold and get his own back...
Hope you're all well.
Back soon
xoxox
Sunday, July 31, 2011
I'm on my way...
Yesterday Hubby and I went to a friend's 40th birthday party.
Hubby was having an "I don't know what to wear" moment, so I nipped down to the mall and bought him a pair of jeans in a darker wash than usual, which he wore with a black long sleeved shirt and looked rather hip...
The store was having a sale where you paid full price for the first pair of jeans but got the second pair half price...
I've been thinking of getting a new pair for a while, so I just grabbed a pair in *my size*, nothing fancy, just a classic pair of bootlegs and came home. I hate trying on clothes at the shops, something about the fitting rooms, and the crowds etc, I've always functioned this way...
Getting ready for the party, had a thought that maybe I might wear my new jeans - showered and went to put them on.....
Hmmmmm........... not happy, Jan :(
These things won't go past my (rather larger than usual) thighs...
To my credit - I did not break down and announce that I wasn't going to the party.
I just wore the skirt and top I'd originally planned to wear, enjoyed myself immensely at the party, had two glasses of wine and a Coke Zero, ate some finger food (lots of chicken skewers and similar "healthier" options) and danced the night away... it was particularly lovely to have Hubby on the dance floor with me - see, he is usually playing with his band, and I'm the band widow on the dance floor with my girlfriends, but last night, we danced up a storm...
Oh, and just for the record - I won't be returning my new jeans to the shop...they might be a little tight at present, but I'm on my way - to being fit, slim, and generally Fabulous...
* Watch this space *
Hubby was having an "I don't know what to wear" moment, so I nipped down to the mall and bought him a pair of jeans in a darker wash than usual, which he wore with a black long sleeved shirt and looked rather hip...
The store was having a sale where you paid full price for the first pair of jeans but got the second pair half price...
I've been thinking of getting a new pair for a while, so I just grabbed a pair in *my size*, nothing fancy, just a classic pair of bootlegs and came home. I hate trying on clothes at the shops, something about the fitting rooms, and the crowds etc, I've always functioned this way...
Getting ready for the party, had a thought that maybe I might wear my new jeans - showered and went to put them on.....
Hmmmmm........... not happy, Jan :(
These things won't go past my (rather larger than usual) thighs...
To my credit - I did not break down and announce that I wasn't going to the party.
I just wore the skirt and top I'd originally planned to wear, enjoyed myself immensely at the party, had two glasses of wine and a Coke Zero, ate some finger food (lots of chicken skewers and similar "healthier" options) and danced the night away... it was particularly lovely to have Hubby on the dance floor with me - see, he is usually playing with his band, and I'm the band widow on the dance floor with my girlfriends, but last night, we danced up a storm...
Oh, and just for the record - I won't be returning my new jeans to the shop...they might be a little tight at present, but I'm on my way - to being fit, slim, and generally Fabulous...
* Watch this space *
Saturday, July 30, 2011
After one week...
Yesterday was a bit of a whirl-wind...by about 5pm I was ready to chuck it all in, but I remained as calm as possible, told myself that it had been a productive day, and that if we were half an hour late for the cook-up, it wouldn't be the end of the world.
Well, as we arrived at Ronald McDonald House, so did the lady who was bringing the sausages - now that was the key ingredient, so if we still had to cook sausages, surely my veggie bake had time to finish cooking in the oven, and my caesar salad could be assembled without much hassle.
It was a great ending to the day...catching up with friends over a glass of wine, meeting some lovely people and their gorgeous kids. Makes you look at your own life and realise how lucky we are to have our health...
NEWSFLASH :
It looks like we have a buyer for our property. Feeling great about that now, but it was a mixed bag of emotions speaking to our RE agent yesterday...this has been our family home since way back when it was just Hubby and I ... it's bound to be sad leaving. The other thing that most of us are having trouble dealing with is that the buyers have said they will be cutting down our massive, beautiful pine tree...this pine tree is part of the identity of our house. We have such fond memories...the girls have always had swings hanging from its strong branches, they have climbed it, it has housed numerous possums, and I used it for shade the Summer of '98 when I was pregnant with Cassie...Maddie and I would sit under it on a big quilt in the middle of the day and play with play dough, read books, have tea-parties and nap...the tradition continued the following Summer, with the baby (Cassie) having her naps in the shade... - I think there needs to be a whole Post with photos dedicated to this tree...
So - life is going to get busier around here for the next few weeks. Bear with me if I'm absent, although from last week's dummy spit, I've learnt that this Blog is very therapeutic for me, and will probably need to keep posting during this big change coming my way.
Oh - and it appears that I have lost some weight, without obsessing, counting or tracking. Just some common sense and moderation ...
Bye for now xo
Well, as we arrived at Ronald McDonald House, so did the lady who was bringing the sausages - now that was the key ingredient, so if we still had to cook sausages, surely my veggie bake had time to finish cooking in the oven, and my caesar salad could be assembled without much hassle.
It was a great ending to the day...catching up with friends over a glass of wine, meeting some lovely people and their gorgeous kids. Makes you look at your own life and realise how lucky we are to have our health...
NEWSFLASH :
It looks like we have a buyer for our property. Feeling great about that now, but it was a mixed bag of emotions speaking to our RE agent yesterday...this has been our family home since way back when it was just Hubby and I ... it's bound to be sad leaving. The other thing that most of us are having trouble dealing with is that the buyers have said they will be cutting down our massive, beautiful pine tree...this pine tree is part of the identity of our house. We have such fond memories...the girls have always had swings hanging from its strong branches, they have climbed it, it has housed numerous possums, and I used it for shade the Summer of '98 when I was pregnant with Cassie...Maddie and I would sit under it on a big quilt in the middle of the day and play with play dough, read books, have tea-parties and nap...the tradition continued the following Summer, with the baby (Cassie) having her naps in the shade... - I think there needs to be a whole Post with photos dedicated to this tree...
So - life is going to get busier around here for the next few weeks. Bear with me if I'm absent, although from last week's dummy spit, I've learnt that this Blog is very therapeutic for me, and will probably need to keep posting during this big change coming my way.
Oh - and it appears that I have lost some weight, without obsessing, counting or tracking. Just some common sense and moderation ...
Bye for now xo
Friday, July 29, 2011
Catch-up
A very rushed post today, so might be better to go with dot points...
- Cassie getting an academic achievement award this morning at school
- grocery shopping ... hmm what's that again...?
- client to see after lunch
- make potato bake, veggie bake, caesar salad to take to Ronald McDonald House for our quarterly cook-up tonight
- Maddie having a day off...had a couple of nose bleeds last night and has strained her back at Sport on Wednesday
- my back is good - much better than this time last week, sooo much better :)
- going to gym on weekend to renew membership and check out the Group Fitness timetables etc, then diarising which days I will train, just to keep myself accountable
Apart from that, life goes on as usual, longer post coming up on week-end
TGIF!!!!
- Cassie getting an academic achievement award this morning at school
- grocery shopping ... hmm what's that again...?
- client to see after lunch
- make potato bake, veggie bake, caesar salad to take to Ronald McDonald House for our quarterly cook-up tonight
- Maddie having a day off...had a couple of nose bleeds last night and has strained her back at Sport on Wednesday
- my back is good - much better than this time last week, sooo much better :)
- going to gym on weekend to renew membership and check out the Group Fitness timetables etc, then diarising which days I will train, just to keep myself accountable
Apart from that, life goes on as usual, longer post coming up on week-end
TGIF!!!!
Monday, July 25, 2011
Progress...
No amazing feats of strength or endurance to report, no PB's from this gal...however I am happy to say, that my back is IMPROVING !
It actually took a lot of self-control to do very little over the weekend. It's easy enough to say, I won't plan any exercise, I won't go on that walk that I'd like to do etc, but to actually aim to stay *still* was quite an effort...
Lots of heat packs , LOTS of Ibuprofen, very warm showers, and sitting with perfect posture for no more than 20 minutes at a time, then stand up as straight as possible and try to hold it for a few seconds...
By Saturday night I was exhausted, and felt it was wrong to be exhausted as I'd done nothing...but I slept well, and when I got out of bed Sunday morning, I noticed something different - the pain I was used to feeling as I straightened out of bed was hardly there...just a shadow remained.
This morning was even better, but I've had to hold back and be very aware of my posture as I carry on with daily routine.
I am truly looking forward to seeing my Osteopath tomorrow. I want some feedback from him and some strategies for helping my back heal as much as possible.
I've been thinking about Pilates for a while, but the only studio that teaches Pilates using all the correct equipment etc is half an hour drive down the Mountains. It may be worth enquiring if it will help my back issues in the long run.
So all in all, feeling a lot better about things - funny how pain can cast a cloud over your whole life...it really makes me feel for people who suffer from chronic pain conditions.
Hope you have a great week!
It actually took a lot of self-control to do very little over the weekend. It's easy enough to say, I won't plan any exercise, I won't go on that walk that I'd like to do etc, but to actually aim to stay *still* was quite an effort...
Lots of heat packs , LOTS of Ibuprofen, very warm showers, and sitting with perfect posture for no more than 20 minutes at a time, then stand up as straight as possible and try to hold it for a few seconds...
By Saturday night I was exhausted, and felt it was wrong to be exhausted as I'd done nothing...but I slept well, and when I got out of bed Sunday morning, I noticed something different - the pain I was used to feeling as I straightened out of bed was hardly there...just a shadow remained.
This morning was even better, but I've had to hold back and be very aware of my posture as I carry on with daily routine.
I am truly looking forward to seeing my Osteopath tomorrow. I want some feedback from him and some strategies for helping my back heal as much as possible.
I've been thinking about Pilates for a while, but the only studio that teaches Pilates using all the correct equipment etc is half an hour drive down the Mountains. It may be worth enquiring if it will help my back issues in the long run.
So all in all, feeling a lot better about things - funny how pain can cast a cloud over your whole life...it really makes me feel for people who suffer from chronic pain conditions.
Hope you have a great week!
Saturday, July 23, 2011
In the Beginning...
Stepped on the scales this morning...not happy.
I've gained weight again, up a couple of kilos in a few weeks.
This is not the direction I want to head in...
Time for some adjustments, time to form habits and practices that will steer me in the right direction.
Simple stuff - baby-steps, one at a time...one foot in front of the other.
I will report on weight lost on Saturdays
- some people hate the scales, but for me, right now, at the stage I find myself, I need to weigh once a week to track progress. Simple as that.
.......................................
Back Report -
I tried some codeine yesterday. Pretty brave as I have had some nasty experiences with the stuff in the past...
I believe it took the edge off the pain - or maybe it is just the logical passing of time and the inflammation is going down.
Whatever it was, I felt a slight improvement yesterday.
Soaked in a lovely warm bath and then actually slept soundly (for the first time since I hurt my back) for a couple of hours.
I also washed my hair and took some time to do stuff like style my hair, cleanse and moisturise my face and put on some mascara...it took me forever as my back aches if I hold my arms up/out etc for any length of time, but it was worth it.
It took my mind off the obvious (pain) and all of a sudden there was a glimmer of hope.
I apologise if this sounds melo-dramatic, but this incident has scared me to bits. It sounds stupid and bloody obvious, but I don't want to be a cripple. I value my movement, flexibility, agility and these past few days I have felt very frustrated.
This morning I am better than yesterday morning - that is enough for me. I would love to wake up tomorrow and leap out of bed and go for a brisk walk and not feel the slightest twinge...but it isn't going to happen. The recovery is going to be gradual, and at the moment, I'm OK with that. It is enough to feel a little better every day...
Thank you to all my friends who commented on my last post. Support and feedback is why I have a Blog, so it is much appreciated.
Hope you all have a great weekend. I'm going to have a slow one (but I hope a good one)
xoxox
I've gained weight again, up a couple of kilos in a few weeks.
This is not the direction I want to head in...
Time for some adjustments, time to form habits and practices that will steer me in the right direction.
Simple stuff - baby-steps, one at a time...one foot in front of the other.
I will report on weight lost on Saturdays
- some people hate the scales, but for me, right now, at the stage I find myself, I need to weigh once a week to track progress. Simple as that.
.......................................
Back Report -
I tried some codeine yesterday. Pretty brave as I have had some nasty experiences with the stuff in the past...
I believe it took the edge off the pain - or maybe it is just the logical passing of time and the inflammation is going down.
Whatever it was, I felt a slight improvement yesterday.
Soaked in a lovely warm bath and then actually slept soundly (for the first time since I hurt my back) for a couple of hours.
I also washed my hair and took some time to do stuff like style my hair, cleanse and moisturise my face and put on some mascara...it took me forever as my back aches if I hold my arms up/out etc for any length of time, but it was worth it.
It took my mind off the obvious (pain) and all of a sudden there was a glimmer of hope.
I apologise if this sounds melo-dramatic, but this incident has scared me to bits. It sounds stupid and bloody obvious, but I don't want to be a cripple. I value my movement, flexibility, agility and these past few days I have felt very frustrated.
This morning I am better than yesterday morning - that is enough for me. I would love to wake up tomorrow and leap out of bed and go for a brisk walk and not feel the slightest twinge...but it isn't going to happen. The recovery is going to be gradual, and at the moment, I'm OK with that. It is enough to feel a little better every day...
Thank you to all my friends who commented on my last post. Support and feedback is why I have a Blog, so it is much appreciated.
Hope you all have a great weekend. I'm going to have a slow one (but I hope a good one)
xoxox
Friday, July 22, 2011
I don't want to be on a "diet"...but what to do???
I am feeling low...as low as it gets low...
I don't know, I think it's largely brought on by this back injury flare-up - call it the straw that broke the camel's back, if you will - me being the camel.
I don't like what I see, I don't like how I feel, I don't like the pain I'm in.
Is it all caused by neglecting myself??? ... Neglecting our children, our pets is a punishable crime. Neglect your car long enough and you won't be able to have it registered, not to mention, it will stop "functioning'...
Here I am - I've been grossly neglected by myself and no punishment - unless you consider the pain I'm in right now and the fact that (like a car) I am not really "functioning" all that well as punishment.
I am an intelligent, mature woman. I give friends advice on how to shed some kg's...they follow my suggestions and it works!! So why can I not follow my own advice? Apply my knowledge to my own situation?
I don't know
...................................
Here's the thing - I don't want to be on a "diet"
I don't want to count points, or calories, or number of meals I eat, or cut out carbs, or fruit or have protein every time I open my mouth...
HELP!!!!!
What I'd like is to come up with some rules, bullet points, things "to do", general guidelines, if you will to get me back in the swing of weight-loss.
Can you help? I'd love suggestions...I really need some support
PS - Back is still extremely sore - no change from yesterday. Off to my Osteopath next week for some adjustment. I think there's something out of place back there...
I don't know, I think it's largely brought on by this back injury flare-up - call it the straw that broke the camel's back, if you will - me being the camel.
I don't like what I see, I don't like how I feel, I don't like the pain I'm in.
Is it all caused by neglecting myself??? ... Neglecting our children, our pets is a punishable crime. Neglect your car long enough and you won't be able to have it registered, not to mention, it will stop "functioning'...
Here I am - I've been grossly neglected by myself and no punishment - unless you consider the pain I'm in right now and the fact that (like a car) I am not really "functioning" all that well as punishment.
I am an intelligent, mature woman. I give friends advice on how to shed some kg's...they follow my suggestions and it works!! So why can I not follow my own advice? Apply my knowledge to my own situation?
I don't know
...................................
Here's the thing - I don't want to be on a "diet"
I don't want to count points, or calories, or number of meals I eat, or cut out carbs, or fruit or have protein every time I open my mouth...
HELP!!!!!
What I'd like is to come up with some rules, bullet points, things "to do", general guidelines, if you will to get me back in the swing of weight-loss.
Can you help? I'd love suggestions...I really need some support
PS - Back is still extremely sore - no change from yesterday. Off to my Osteopath next week for some adjustment. I think there's something out of place back there...
Thursday, July 21, 2011
M-I-A
It wasn't a conscious decision, but although I've been reading most of my favourite Blogs and even commenting, I have not posted for a while.
The school holidays hit at "just the right time", we had survived End of Financial Year and hubby and I had birthdays to celebrate...
The two weeks literally flew by, and to be quite honest, I'm suffering from writer's (or should that be Blogger's) block.
Nothing much to report other than -
Yesterday morning, at the breakfast table, nothing unusual...Presley (kitten) jumped onto the table and I reached to grab him and take him to another room...only I never quite reached him, all I can remember is feeling something like a tear in my lower back...next thing I know I'm on my knees moaning in agony...Maddie and hubby had to help me up...I took Nurofen and put an ice pack on my back...
In agony all day, by 3pm I couldn't bear it any longer and rang my physio, who fit me in for 6pm
I had a treatment, during which I felt great...then he said "take your time getting off the bed" and agony struck again...it took me about ten embarrassing minutes to get off the damn bed and I was back in pain.
Sleep was shallow and interrupted by pain.
I cannot find a comfortable or pain-free position. I am in pain whether I stand, sit, lie down or walk. There is a dull pain shooting down my left leg...
Sorry about the rant but geez I'm cranky to put it mildly - I hate not being able to move at my usual speed, I feel old, and fat (honestly, I feel like my butt and hips are just poking out more than usual) and I'm not a happy chappy.
Hope you're all well
xoxo
The school holidays hit at "just the right time", we had survived End of Financial Year and hubby and I had birthdays to celebrate...
The two weeks literally flew by, and to be quite honest, I'm suffering from writer's (or should that be Blogger's) block.
Nothing much to report other than -
Yesterday morning, at the breakfast table, nothing unusual...Presley (kitten) jumped onto the table and I reached to grab him and take him to another room...only I never quite reached him, all I can remember is feeling something like a tear in my lower back...next thing I know I'm on my knees moaning in agony...Maddie and hubby had to help me up...I took Nurofen and put an ice pack on my back...
In agony all day, by 3pm I couldn't bear it any longer and rang my physio, who fit me in for 6pm
I had a treatment, during which I felt great...then he said "take your time getting off the bed" and agony struck again...it took me about ten embarrassing minutes to get off the damn bed and I was back in pain.
Sleep was shallow and interrupted by pain.
I cannot find a comfortable or pain-free position. I am in pain whether I stand, sit, lie down or walk. There is a dull pain shooting down my left leg...
Sorry about the rant but geez I'm cranky to put it mildly - I hate not being able to move at my usual speed, I feel old, and fat (honestly, I feel like my butt and hips are just poking out more than usual) and I'm not a happy chappy.
Hope you're all well
xoxo
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Birthday wrap-up and my very own "New Year's" resolutions
It's been a great weekend...apologies for any spelling/grammatical errors, but be warned that I am sipping on my first glass of red since last week as I type...
Yesterday afternoon we headed down to the in-laws' for a joint birthday celebration. Had a nice dinner with them and the girls had a few giggles at looking through Daddy's photo album (mind you, they look at this album every year and have the same reaction...)
This morning I was greeted by my beautiful family with some lovely presents ... (I <3 presents!!!)
- a new pair of Asics "Torana" from Hubby, they are awesome! really good for walking/running off-road, which just about sums up all the terrain around here, and the colours are really cute, too (pictures to come)
- a Pandora bead (a heart with a pink stone), a Chanel lipstick and an animal print scarf from my gorgeous girls. They both have part-time jobs now, and paid for all this out of their own money...so sweet...my heart sings with joy
- a vase and a work table from mother-in-law (the work table is actually quite useful)
We enjoyed a yummy breakfast of Hubby's pancakes with organic yoghurt, fruit and maple syrup and about a million cups of tea.
******************************************
Now, I don't go in for New Year's resolutions on the 1st of January like most people do, but since I turned 40, I have been making "personal" resolutions every year on my birthday.
This year's is seemingly simple :
*** I will take better care of Myself ***
What does that mean...? Well, these last 12 months have been hectic with our business. Hubby left his safe, 9 to 5 job to join me in our business exactly 12 months ago, and to say that I have slid down my list of priorities is an under-statement...
But it's never too late to turn it around.
Put simply, I will think about myself every day and try to just "take care" of myself.
I will report on it as I go. No strict, rigid plans, no unachievable goals, just doing what's right every day...
****************************************
Just got a last minute invitation from friends to join them for dinner - Mex lasagne is on the menu ... sounds interesting!
Bye for now.
xoxox
Yesterday afternoon we headed down to the in-laws' for a joint birthday celebration. Had a nice dinner with them and the girls had a few giggles at looking through Daddy's photo album (mind you, they look at this album every year and have the same reaction...)
This morning I was greeted by my beautiful family with some lovely presents ... (I <3 presents!!!)
- a new pair of Asics "Torana" from Hubby, they are awesome! really good for walking/running off-road, which just about sums up all the terrain around here, and the colours are really cute, too (pictures to come)
- a Pandora bead (a heart with a pink stone), a Chanel lipstick and an animal print scarf from my gorgeous girls. They both have part-time jobs now, and paid for all this out of their own money...so sweet...my heart sings with joy
- a vase and a work table from mother-in-law (the work table is actually quite useful)
We enjoyed a yummy breakfast of Hubby's pancakes with organic yoghurt, fruit and maple syrup and about a million cups of tea.
******************************************
Now, I don't go in for New Year's resolutions on the 1st of January like most people do, but since I turned 40, I have been making "personal" resolutions every year on my birthday.
This year's is seemingly simple :
*** I will take better care of Myself ***
What does that mean...? Well, these last 12 months have been hectic with our business. Hubby left his safe, 9 to 5 job to join me in our business exactly 12 months ago, and to say that I have slid down my list of priorities is an under-statement...
But it's never too late to turn it around.
Put simply, I will think about myself every day and try to just "take care" of myself.
I will report on it as I go. No strict, rigid plans, no unachievable goals, just doing what's right every day...
****************************************
Just got a last minute invitation from friends to join them for dinner - Mex lasagne is on the menu ... sounds interesting!
Bye for now.
xoxox
Friday, July 1, 2011
Happy Birthday Hubby!!! ... birthday weekend finally here
Hubby's birthday and mine are two days apart...so we've always shared the celebrating...being lovely Cancerians, it's no big deal, we don't mind.
The only thing is, we are super-sensitive, so it helps if we're both in the mood to celebrate or hybernate at the same time :)
This morning started early. The original plan had been for the girls to stay home as it is the last day of term...but they were getting their reports today, and being the sort of parent I am, there was no way I could hold on for two weeks until seeing them...
Hubby's "main" present this year was a bass guitar. He chose it himself (shhh), but let me house it under our bed for the last couple of days, and last night the girls and I put a big ribbon around its neck. We also got him a little hamper of "goodies" that he'll enjoy. A selection of chocolate bars and liquorice from Darrel Lea, two biographies, and some bath products. The girls joke that they can just picture Daddy in the bath, reading one of his books and eating chocolate...LOL
After dropping the girls off, I took him out to breakfast at a favourite cafe. He indulged in the ricotta and banana pancakes, and I had the eggs benedict with smoked salmon - to die for...
Then it was pretty much business as usual, we are now getting ready to head up to his favourite pizza joint for dinner...I'll try to get some pics up next post.
Tomorrow the celebrations continue, with afternoon tea at his parents', and then on Sunday we do it all over again...well, with some variation I hope, for my birthday!
Hope you all enjoy your weekend.
xoxox
The only thing is, we are super-sensitive, so it helps if we're both in the mood to celebrate or hybernate at the same time :)
This morning started early. The original plan had been for the girls to stay home as it is the last day of term...but they were getting their reports today, and being the sort of parent I am, there was no way I could hold on for two weeks until seeing them...
Hubby's "main" present this year was a bass guitar. He chose it himself (shhh), but let me house it under our bed for the last couple of days, and last night the girls and I put a big ribbon around its neck. We also got him a little hamper of "goodies" that he'll enjoy. A selection of chocolate bars and liquorice from Darrel Lea, two biographies, and some bath products. The girls joke that they can just picture Daddy in the bath, reading one of his books and eating chocolate...LOL
After dropping the girls off, I took him out to breakfast at a favourite cafe. He indulged in the ricotta and banana pancakes, and I had the eggs benedict with smoked salmon - to die for...
Then it was pretty much business as usual, we are now getting ready to head up to his favourite pizza joint for dinner...I'll try to get some pics up next post.
Tomorrow the celebrations continue, with afternoon tea at his parents', and then on Sunday we do it all over again...well, with some variation I hope, for my birthday!
Hope you all enjoy your weekend.
xoxox
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Sorry everyone, couldn't come up with a title for this post - be prepared for a rant...
At the moment, I feel like I'm getting nowhere (and I'm in a hurry) - sorry, couldn't help but quote from Cold Chisel's Khe Sanh...anyway, I digress.
My weight is 73kg...
I am yo-yoing between 71 and 73kg and I'm sick of it.
You've heard this before, but I have so many f---ing eating plans/diets/lifestyle choices floating around my weary head that I just cannot stick to one thing past breakfast...
So by the evening I'm eating whatever crap is around...
I'm TIIIIIRED, physically and mentally (I know, blame EOFY) but what will I blame next week? and the week after?
By the time the afternoon comes, I can't be bothered or haven't been organised enough to have something on hand/defrosted to cook dinner with, so it's some frozen crap or take-away...
I just want to get under 70kg...that would be a great motivation for me to keep going...
Aaaaargh!!! I am so over this battle. Sometimes I think I shouldn't even read Blogs because it's all so confusing. Everyone's doing something different, but most of you seem to be doing well. Me, I just try everything and can't maintain weight loss past the first week...
Hubby's birthday tomorrow, and mine on Sunday.
To be honest, I had hoped that I would be in better shape (read : weigh 65kg) by now, but I just seem to procrastinate and the weeks roll by one after the other.
Lately I've been thinking - will I ever lose this weight? Or is my life just going to be week after week of trying to eat "properly" but never actually having anything to show for it?
Have I become a "Gunner"...?
At the moment, I feel like I'm getting nowhere (and I'm in a hurry) - sorry, couldn't help but quote from Cold Chisel's Khe Sanh...anyway, I digress.
My weight is 73kg...
I am yo-yoing between 71 and 73kg and I'm sick of it.
You've heard this before, but I have so many f---ing eating plans/diets/lifestyle choices floating around my weary head that I just cannot stick to one thing past breakfast...
So by the evening I'm eating whatever crap is around...
I'm TIIIIIRED, physically and mentally (I know, blame EOFY) but what will I blame next week? and the week after?
By the time the afternoon comes, I can't be bothered or haven't been organised enough to have something on hand/defrosted to cook dinner with, so it's some frozen crap or take-away...
I just want to get under 70kg...that would be a great motivation for me to keep going...
Aaaaargh!!! I am so over this battle. Sometimes I think I shouldn't even read Blogs because it's all so confusing. Everyone's doing something different, but most of you seem to be doing well. Me, I just try everything and can't maintain weight loss past the first week...
Hubby's birthday tomorrow, and mine on Sunday.
To be honest, I had hoped that I would be in better shape (read : weigh 65kg) by now, but I just seem to procrastinate and the weeks roll by one after the other.
Lately I've been thinking - will I ever lose this weight? Or is my life just going to be week after week of trying to eat "properly" but never actually having anything to show for it?
Have I become a "Gunner"...?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Time for a Break
Taking a short break...life is crazy-busy at the moment, and to be perfectly honest I have nothing to say/report.
So rather than boring you with nothing, I'll take a break...haven't decided how long, just as long as it takes.
Will continue to read all my favourite Blogs and comment, so I'll still be around.
Take care and see you soon!
Sandraxoxox
So rather than boring you with nothing, I'll take a break...haven't decided how long, just as long as it takes.
Will continue to read all my favourite Blogs and comment, so I'll still be around.
Take care and see you soon!
Sandraxoxox
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Good-bye WW...
Didn't last long this time, did it?
I counted Points on Weight Watchers for three weeks...the first week was spot-on, then Cassie's brithday came along, and I "relaxed" a little. Missed the next meeting because I had to drop the girls off to separate activities...
I lost about two kilos since I started, but here's the interesting thing - this last week, I did not count "points"...I just used common sense in my choice of foods. I aimed for balance - ie, once a week I attend a breakfast meeting where a rather large (but not un-healthy) breakfast is served. For the rest of that day, I ate "lightly"...mainly fruit and a nice simple dinner made up of chicken and salad...
...and I still registered a loss when I stepped on my scales last Friday...Hubby even mentioned that I "feel" smaller (he's no doubt referring to my middle section)
So almost without thinking about it, I have made the decision to draw on what I've learnt about my body over the years and devise my own way of eating...a little bit inspired by LizN and her manifesto, which seems to have come about her Blog at just the right time for me.
Here are a few of the things I have learnt that work for Me in not only the "weight loss" department but also help me feel and look my best :
* Cut out/minimize refined carbs - notice I am not "cutting out" carbs, I will continue to eat carbs in the shape of fruit, vegies and whole grains, but will cut out refined "white" carbs and processed foods containing added sugars.
* Three meals a day- including a good source of protein at each meal, and two snacks to be fruit, veggies or nuts
* Good oils every day - flaxseed, olive oil or a good quality nut butter
* 2 Litres of water a day
* Full cream organic yoghurt - "low fat" or "sugar free" yoghurt has a pretty negative effect on my body...so I will indulge in the real stuff every now and then without suffering the side-effects
* I will enjoy occasional "treats"- or foods that aren't on my list without thinking of them as "cheat meals" or even worse, label them "bad foods" - Hubby's Sunday morning pancakes are a classic example : so he uses white flour and a little butter...the sense of ritual/tradition, the smell of the house on Sunday morning because he got up before the rest of us to start cooking, and the conversation and laughter as the four of us unite over cups of steaming hot tea and delicious food is just too "good" to cause any guilt or shame.
As far as exercise, I am really enjoying very long brisk walks in the bush 5-6 times a week. I am feeling energised enough to pick up my C25K again and give it a good shot, but the one thing we are changing a bit is that both Hubby and I feel so much better and stronger when we weight-train consistently, so come July (because June is so damn crazy work-wise), we will re-join the gym and start pumping some iron again.
In retrospect, I have never felt as good as I did back in 2009 after following most of the principles I mention above for about a year...I felt fit and strong, my size 10's fit very nicely, my skin hair and nails were healthy and I had so much energy!
Before I forget - it's still June!!!! better get some ironing done before Sunday is over! - back to craziness tomorrow ;)
Have a great week everyone!
I counted Points on Weight Watchers for three weeks...the first week was spot-on, then Cassie's brithday came along, and I "relaxed" a little. Missed the next meeting because I had to drop the girls off to separate activities...
I lost about two kilos since I started, but here's the interesting thing - this last week, I did not count "points"...I just used common sense in my choice of foods. I aimed for balance - ie, once a week I attend a breakfast meeting where a rather large (but not un-healthy) breakfast is served. For the rest of that day, I ate "lightly"...mainly fruit and a nice simple dinner made up of chicken and salad...
...and I still registered a loss when I stepped on my scales last Friday...Hubby even mentioned that I "feel" smaller (he's no doubt referring to my middle section)
So almost without thinking about it, I have made the decision to draw on what I've learnt about my body over the years and devise my own way of eating...a little bit inspired by LizN and her manifesto, which seems to have come about her Blog at just the right time for me.
Here are a few of the things I have learnt that work for Me in not only the "weight loss" department but also help me feel and look my best :
* Cut out/minimize refined carbs - notice I am not "cutting out" carbs, I will continue to eat carbs in the shape of fruit, vegies and whole grains, but will cut out refined "white" carbs and processed foods containing added sugars.
* Three meals a day- including a good source of protein at each meal, and two snacks to be fruit, veggies or nuts
* Good oils every day - flaxseed, olive oil or a good quality nut butter
* 2 Litres of water a day
* Full cream organic yoghurt - "low fat" or "sugar free" yoghurt has a pretty negative effect on my body...so I will indulge in the real stuff every now and then without suffering the side-effects
* I will enjoy occasional "treats"- or foods that aren't on my list without thinking of them as "cheat meals" or even worse, label them "bad foods" - Hubby's Sunday morning pancakes are a classic example : so he uses white flour and a little butter...the sense of ritual/tradition, the smell of the house on Sunday morning because he got up before the rest of us to start cooking, and the conversation and laughter as the four of us unite over cups of steaming hot tea and delicious food is just too "good" to cause any guilt or shame.
As far as exercise, I am really enjoying very long brisk walks in the bush 5-6 times a week. I am feeling energised enough to pick up my C25K again and give it a good shot, but the one thing we are changing a bit is that both Hubby and I feel so much better and stronger when we weight-train consistently, so come July (because June is so damn crazy work-wise), we will re-join the gym and start pumping some iron again.
In retrospect, I have never felt as good as I did back in 2009 after following most of the principles I mention above for about a year...I felt fit and strong, my size 10's fit very nicely, my skin hair and nails were healthy and I had so much energy!
Before I forget - it's still June!!!! better get some ironing done before Sunday is over! - back to craziness tomorrow ;)
Have a great week everyone!
Friday, June 17, 2011
Inspiration - it's everywhere...
I met with a new client yesterday.
I arranged to meet him in a coffee shop on his day off.
From the information he had supplied to me, I could see he had substantial savings for a person his age - he's twenty four years old. I also saw he holds down two part-time jobs but has only been working for a couple of months...
"aha" I thought "typical Gen Y"
A slim built young man walked in and introduced himself to Hubby and I...Hubby went to order coffee and I got straight into "finance" mode.
I asked him about his substantial savings and how it had come about. I expected it to be an inheritance from a grandparent or simply a "gift" from mum and dad...
He told me his "story" very calmly and matter-of-factly :
A couple of years ago, he was driving along a local highway and a truck pulled out and stopped in front of him. He hit the truck at 60km per hour and suffered major injuries...he's been left with fused vertebrae smack in the middle of his back.
He was awarded some compensation and that is how he came about the funds he will use to purchase his first property.
He was forced to be out of work for about two years as he had to undertake major rehabilitation. He was given a 45% chance of not walking again, but within two months he was walking.
He was told he would *never* run again...but he runs 15K a couple of times a week now...
I asked him if his back hurts when he runs...and he didn't quite answer my question, but proceeded to make us laugh by describing all the places he's lost feeling in and how sometimes if he goes out drinking with his mates he needs to "check himself" in the morning as he can walk into things etc and not feel any pain...
He is a lovely, mature and humble young man...his plan is to buy another property within 9-12 months. That's how he plans to "make his money",by investing in property, and his ultimate dream is to buy a house in Sweden in a few years' time.
... I hope he gets there, and I hope I can help him along on his journey...
I told him how inspired I was by him...I hear a lot of people bagging the "Gen Y", of which my girls are a part, and this young man was another example that they are not all bad...that they can work hard even in the face of adversity.
I came away thinking - WTF...? If this kid can recover from a serious spinal injury and run 15K...What's stopping me???
I wasn't *looking* for inspiration but came away with a renewed spring in my step...and funnily enough, I don't feel sorry for my new *client*...I feel somehow proud of him and so glad I met him, I came away with a happy feeling.
Inspiration is everywhere...we just need to be receptive to it.
Have a great weekend - I think it's time to bring C25K back on the training menu.
xoxox
I arranged to meet him in a coffee shop on his day off.
From the information he had supplied to me, I could see he had substantial savings for a person his age - he's twenty four years old. I also saw he holds down two part-time jobs but has only been working for a couple of months...
"aha" I thought "typical Gen Y"
A slim built young man walked in and introduced himself to Hubby and I...Hubby went to order coffee and I got straight into "finance" mode.
I asked him about his substantial savings and how it had come about. I expected it to be an inheritance from a grandparent or simply a "gift" from mum and dad...
He told me his "story" very calmly and matter-of-factly :
A couple of years ago, he was driving along a local highway and a truck pulled out and stopped in front of him. He hit the truck at 60km per hour and suffered major injuries...he's been left with fused vertebrae smack in the middle of his back.
He was awarded some compensation and that is how he came about the funds he will use to purchase his first property.
He was forced to be out of work for about two years as he had to undertake major rehabilitation. He was given a 45% chance of not walking again, but within two months he was walking.
He was told he would *never* run again...but he runs 15K a couple of times a week now...
I asked him if his back hurts when he runs...and he didn't quite answer my question, but proceeded to make us laugh by describing all the places he's lost feeling in and how sometimes if he goes out drinking with his mates he needs to "check himself" in the morning as he can walk into things etc and not feel any pain...
He is a lovely, mature and humble young man...his plan is to buy another property within 9-12 months. That's how he plans to "make his money",by investing in property, and his ultimate dream is to buy a house in Sweden in a few years' time.
... I hope he gets there, and I hope I can help him along on his journey...
I told him how inspired I was by him...I hear a lot of people bagging the "Gen Y", of which my girls are a part, and this young man was another example that they are not all bad...that they can work hard even in the face of adversity.
I came away thinking - WTF...? If this kid can recover from a serious spinal injury and run 15K...What's stopping me???
I wasn't *looking* for inspiration but came away with a renewed spring in my step...and funnily enough, I don't feel sorry for my new *client*...I feel somehow proud of him and so glad I met him, I came away with a happy feeling.
Inspiration is everywhere...we just need to be receptive to it.
Have a great weekend - I think it's time to bring C25K back on the training menu.
xoxox
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Blogger Etiquette...does it exist?
I am fairly new to this Blogging "thing"...
I admit I am not one particular "genre" - I enjoy reading the fitness Bloggers, but also like the "mummy"(?) Bloggers, love some of the fashion Bloggers and adore looking through the decorating Bloggers posts.
I generally comment or link up to the first two - the last two are way beyond me and not what I "do", I feel I would be out of my depth and my time is limited as it is!...but I like to look...
So, here's the thing - some Bloggers reply to (just about) every comment. These gals are dedicated and have the time and patience to do so.
Others don't, and that's ok.
Others "moderate" their comments...you leave a comment and get a little message saying it is awaiting the Blog Owner's approval. Which is fine...but sensitive Bloggers like *moi* can take it the wrong way if an innocent, well-intended comment is not "approved" by the Blog owner...is it because I'm not "fit enough"? or my kids aren't the same age as yours?...you get the drift, we start to wonder.
And that is when this Cancerian retreats into her shell and will probably never leave a comment on that Blog E-V-E-R again!!!
Mind you, I am not here for popularity or Blog awards...I haven't got the time or inclination to devote so much to my Blog...If I'm honest I'll say that I treat my Blog a little bit like a diary, or journal...somewhere to record thoughts and chapters in my life...except no-one got to see my diary from my teenage years, but as many of you as visit my Blog can read my thoughts and feelings from day to day.
Yes, it's a funny thing to ponder on, this Social Media.
Are there hidden rules that Bloggers adhere to...? Surely there is no such thing as *copyright*...? I recall a couple of weeks after I re-named my Blog, suddenly it seemed that the word "Fab" was everywhere...everyone wanted to be "Fabulous"...and I'm glad. It means there were a few people reading this Blog and I'd inspired them! :)
...and I don't think I'll be moderating or "approving" my comments for the time being - stats show me that for every 25 readers, an average of 1 reader leaves a message, so I'll just keep on replying when I can...
xoxox
I admit I am not one particular "genre" - I enjoy reading the fitness Bloggers, but also like the "mummy"(?) Bloggers, love some of the fashion Bloggers and adore looking through the decorating Bloggers posts.
I generally comment or link up to the first two - the last two are way beyond me and not what I "do", I feel I would be out of my depth and my time is limited as it is!...but I like to look...
So, here's the thing - some Bloggers reply to (just about) every comment. These gals are dedicated and have the time and patience to do so.
Others don't, and that's ok.
Others "moderate" their comments...you leave a comment and get a little message saying it is awaiting the Blog Owner's approval. Which is fine...but sensitive Bloggers like *moi* can take it the wrong way if an innocent, well-intended comment is not "approved" by the Blog owner...is it because I'm not "fit enough"? or my kids aren't the same age as yours?...you get the drift, we start to wonder.
And that is when this Cancerian retreats into her shell and will probably never leave a comment on that Blog E-V-E-R again!!!
Mind you, I am not here for popularity or Blog awards...I haven't got the time or inclination to devote so much to my Blog...If I'm honest I'll say that I treat my Blog a little bit like a diary, or journal...somewhere to record thoughts and chapters in my life...except no-one got to see my diary from my teenage years, but as many of you as visit my Blog can read my thoughts and feelings from day to day.
Yes, it's a funny thing to ponder on, this Social Media.
Are there hidden rules that Bloggers adhere to...? Surely there is no such thing as *copyright*...? I recall a couple of weeks after I re-named my Blog, suddenly it seemed that the word "Fab" was everywhere...everyone wanted to be "Fabulous"...and I'm glad. It means there were a few people reading this Blog and I'd inspired them! :)
...and I don't think I'll be moderating or "approving" my comments for the time being - stats show me that for every 25 readers, an average of 1 reader leaves a message, so I'll just keep on replying when I can...
xoxox
Monday, June 13, 2011
Happy Birthday Gorgeous Girl
Cassie turned 13 on Sunday...
I can still remember the day she was born as clearly as if it was only "yesterday"...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GORGEOUS GIRL!!!!
Amazingly beautiful
Winter baby
Cat lover
Drama Queen
So intelligent
Kind
Sociable
A great friend
A bit lazy
Good cook
Crafty
Cool dancer
Sporty
Legs that go on forever
"Little sister"
Our life is richer because you are part of our family.
Thank you for being your amazing self - don't ever change, and remember :
"You always had the power" - Glynda the Good Witch in the Wizard of Oz (c/o Oprah)
You make my heart sing every single day
Love you lots Chiky!
Mummy
xoxox
Monday, June 6, 2011
Hanging in there...
First weigh-in back at Weight Watchers
Lost - 1.3kg
.......................................
I have anemia. Confirmed by blood tests. Explains my constant tiredness and ability to fall asleep at odd hours of the day and sleep "soundly' for hours.
.......................................
I am on Iron tablets, to be taken with a Barocca, which has the right amount of Vit C to make sure the Iron is absorbed readily.
.......................................
C25K has been put on hold for a couple of weeks til my energy returns.
I have continued to walk for at least an hour a day, yesterday overdid it a little by taking my friend Karen on a two and a half hour bushwalk which resembled something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark - lots of climbing over fallen branches and rock-hopping to get over running streams etc but well worth it.
.........................................
June is a crazy month for anyone in the Finance industry, so devoting a lot of time to work, with family coming in a close second (...did I just say that???) and health muscling its way into a close third.
Not a lot of time for Blogging, but will be back very soon when the madness of End of Financial Year subsides and I don't need quite so much sleep.
Take care and get your Iron levels checked!!!
xoxox
Lost - 1.3kg
.......................................
I have anemia. Confirmed by blood tests. Explains my constant tiredness and ability to fall asleep at odd hours of the day and sleep "soundly' for hours.
.......................................
I am on Iron tablets, to be taken with a Barocca, which has the right amount of Vit C to make sure the Iron is absorbed readily.
.......................................
C25K has been put on hold for a couple of weeks til my energy returns.
I have continued to walk for at least an hour a day, yesterday overdid it a little by taking my friend Karen on a two and a half hour bushwalk which resembled something out of Raiders of the Lost Ark - lots of climbing over fallen branches and rock-hopping to get over running streams etc but well worth it.
.........................................
June is a crazy month for anyone in the Finance industry, so devoting a lot of time to work, with family coming in a close second (...did I just say that???) and health muscling its way into a close third.
Not a lot of time for Blogging, but will be back very soon when the madness of End of Financial Year subsides and I don't need quite so much sleep.
Take care and get your Iron levels checked!!!
xoxox
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
An "aha" moment
So this morning I just HAD to step on the scales to check on my progress...
1.5kg lost since Saturday's (latest) first weigh-in at Weight Watchers.
Hubby and I went for a bushwalk today during a break in the rain, and I was talking about how if I lose 1kg a week, I will be 6kg lighter by my birthday...
I added that I get so impatient with myself because I wish I could lose more than the 1kg per week that WW says you will lose if you follow the ProPoints Plan correctly.
It's been my downfall before - not losing weight fast enough -> skip a meeting -> scale starts to climb up again -> stop going to meetings altogether....etc etc
I'm trying to break this cycle once and for all this time around. The first time I joined WW I was successful because I weighed in EVERY WEEK...I still have the booklet. I maybe missed one meeting in four months...
and guess what? I did not lose EVERY WEEK, in fact, some weeks I had small gains...but in the end, I got to Goal Weight and I was even successful in Maintenance
Then Hubby said something that I needed to hear - it went along the lines of :
If you follow the Plan half-heartedly, say just count your Points every day but only exercise three times a week, you might lose .5kg...and you will walk away unhappy because you know you could have done better.
Imagine if you followed the Plan by counting your Points daily, and then committed to doing some form of cardio for an hour every day, you know that when you weigh in, the weight loss will reflect that and you can walk away with a sense of achievement.
**THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT YOU PUT INTO SOMETHING WILL BE DIRECTLY REFLECTED IN THE RESULT YOU GET**
....Is it any wonder I love my Man...?
xoxox
1.5kg lost since Saturday's (latest) first weigh-in at Weight Watchers.
Hubby and I went for a bushwalk today during a break in the rain, and I was talking about how if I lose 1kg a week, I will be 6kg lighter by my birthday...
I added that I get so impatient with myself because I wish I could lose more than the 1kg per week that WW says you will lose if you follow the ProPoints Plan correctly.
It's been my downfall before - not losing weight fast enough -> skip a meeting -> scale starts to climb up again -> stop going to meetings altogether....etc etc
I'm trying to break this cycle once and for all this time around. The first time I joined WW I was successful because I weighed in EVERY WEEK...I still have the booklet. I maybe missed one meeting in four months...
and guess what? I did not lose EVERY WEEK, in fact, some weeks I had small gains...but in the end, I got to Goal Weight and I was even successful in Maintenance
Then Hubby said something that I needed to hear - it went along the lines of :
If you follow the Plan half-heartedly, say just count your Points every day but only exercise three times a week, you might lose .5kg...and you will walk away unhappy because you know you could have done better.
Imagine if you followed the Plan by counting your Points daily, and then committed to doing some form of cardio for an hour every day, you know that when you weigh in, the weight loss will reflect that and you can walk away with a sense of achievement.
**THE AMOUNT OF EFFORT YOU PUT INTO SOMETHING WILL BE DIRECTLY REFLECTED IN THE RESULT YOU GET**
....Is it any wonder I love my Man...?
xoxox
Friday, May 27, 2011
Not so Fab...
Here's the thing -
For the last week or so, I've been trying hard to ignore a niggling itchy throat and a runny nose...
Today I feel exhausted, even after a good, eight and a half hour uninterrupted sleep...
My joints felt quite stiff when I got up, and some time during the morning my lower back just "went"...a twinge, but enough to make me irritable and slow down my movements....
NOT GOOD
In all honesty, I admit I have been neglecting myself and ignoring the signs my body is sending me. I've just been going through the motions and refusing to slow down when that is clearly what I need...
I am not one to go to bed because I am feeling unwell...but I will take some time for R & R during the weekend.
I was chatting to my brother on the phone today and he suggested Barocca - apparently the nurse at work told him the "trick" is to overdose on Barocca for a couple of days. The theory behind it being that it gives your body a Vit C "boost" and should help if it is a common cold...
...don't know, I'm not into self-prescribing, but I might get some Baroccas anyway.
So here I sit with a Lemsip, a kitten on my lap and some not-so-urgent work to try and get through.
It would be nice to get back to my Cto5K, but not sure - maybe even a walk in the fresh air would be enough.
..............
How do you get rid of the common cold? Do you do take action as soon as you feel "unwell"? Or are you like me and hope it will go away if you ignore it?
Enjoy the weekend, I may or may not be back tomorrow
xoxox
For the last week or so, I've been trying hard to ignore a niggling itchy throat and a runny nose...
Today I feel exhausted, even after a good, eight and a half hour uninterrupted sleep...
My joints felt quite stiff when I got up, and some time during the morning my lower back just "went"...a twinge, but enough to make me irritable and slow down my movements....
NOT GOOD
In all honesty, I admit I have been neglecting myself and ignoring the signs my body is sending me. I've just been going through the motions and refusing to slow down when that is clearly what I need...
I am not one to go to bed because I am feeling unwell...but I will take some time for R & R during the weekend.
I was chatting to my brother on the phone today and he suggested Barocca - apparently the nurse at work told him the "trick" is to overdose on Barocca for a couple of days. The theory behind it being that it gives your body a Vit C "boost" and should help if it is a common cold...
...don't know, I'm not into self-prescribing, but I might get some Baroccas anyway.
So here I sit with a Lemsip, a kitten on my lap and some not-so-urgent work to try and get through.
It would be nice to get back to my Cto5K, but not sure - maybe even a walk in the fresh air would be enough.
..............
How do you get rid of the common cold? Do you do take action as soon as you feel "unwell"? Or are you like me and hope it will go away if you ignore it?
Enjoy the weekend, I may or may not be back tomorrow
xoxox
Thursday, May 26, 2011
My secret to Fab skin...
I was blessed with genes for "good" skin...
I have a light olive complexion, thanks to the French on my Dad's side and the Spanish on my Mum's side...so I can go out in the sun and don't burn instantly, and I look younger than my "pure Anglo" friends who are the same age.
BUT .......
No amount of good genes is going to help if you neglect your skin - which is what I have been doing lately.
I looked in the mirror the other night and did not like what I saw, the next morning was no better - puffy eyes, dry itchy spots and dull looking skin.
Time to bring out the Big Guns....Botox...? Facial Peel...?....ummmm....NO!!!
Here is what I do for Fab Skin -
*** Water!!! - I need to drink at least 1.5L of good old H2O every day, 2L is even better. It completely reduces any puffiness and uneven skin tone in as little as two weeks
*** Exercise - after a really good work-out, I can usually look in the mirror and my face is bright red and even "purplish". That's a sign that I've really got the blood pumping, and my skin benefits from the work-out too. Again, I can notice an improvement in my skin within weeks of regular exercise.
*** Exfoliate - As we get older, our skin needs more help in renewing itself, when we are teenagers, our skin gets rid of the outer layers once every 28 days more or less. This slows down as we age, so exfoliating once a week is one way to keep the old cells "moving" right along.
Moisturise - I've been really slack these past few months and now that the chill has hit, I am paying for it. So my plan is to moisturise every morning and use a slightly "heavier" moisturiser at night after my shower. I've never used extremely expensive moisturisers. I worked in cosmetics and skin care for a short period of time and learnt that most beauty products contain the exact same ingredients, but we pay for the extra fragrances and packaging and, of course, the *brand name*
*** Eat FRESH - when I add my minimum two serves of fruit and a couple of cups of salad/veggies to my diet, my skin thanks me for it.
*** Sleep !!!! - I need at least seven hours good, uninterrupted sleep. This varies for everyone, but you know when you've had the *right* amount of sleep.
NOT ROCKET SCIENCE...IS IT?
So there you have it - my plan for Fab skin... now I have it in writing, I feel more accountable to *Me*
I'm linking to Lucy's Drab2Fab this week....check it out, lots of gorgeous Drab2Fab ideas.
I have a light olive complexion, thanks to the French on my Dad's side and the Spanish on my Mum's side...so I can go out in the sun and don't burn instantly, and I look younger than my "pure Anglo" friends who are the same age.
BUT .......
No amount of good genes is going to help if you neglect your skin - which is what I have been doing lately.
I looked in the mirror the other night and did not like what I saw, the next morning was no better - puffy eyes, dry itchy spots and dull looking skin.
Time to bring out the Big Guns....Botox...? Facial Peel...?....ummmm....NO!!!
Here is what I do for Fab Skin -
*** Water!!! - I need to drink at least 1.5L of good old H2O every day, 2L is even better. It completely reduces any puffiness and uneven skin tone in as little as two weeks
*** Exercise - after a really good work-out, I can usually look in the mirror and my face is bright red and even "purplish". That's a sign that I've really got the blood pumping, and my skin benefits from the work-out too. Again, I can notice an improvement in my skin within weeks of regular exercise.
*** Exfoliate - As we get older, our skin needs more help in renewing itself, when we are teenagers, our skin gets rid of the outer layers once every 28 days more or less. This slows down as we age, so exfoliating once a week is one way to keep the old cells "moving" right along.
Moisturise - I've been really slack these past few months and now that the chill has hit, I am paying for it. So my plan is to moisturise every morning and use a slightly "heavier" moisturiser at night after my shower. I've never used extremely expensive moisturisers. I worked in cosmetics and skin care for a short period of time and learnt that most beauty products contain the exact same ingredients, but we pay for the extra fragrances and packaging and, of course, the *brand name*
*** Eat FRESH - when I add my minimum two serves of fruit and a couple of cups of salad/veggies to my diet, my skin thanks me for it.
*** Sleep !!!! - I need at least seven hours good, uninterrupted sleep. This varies for everyone, but you know when you've had the *right* amount of sleep.
NOT ROCKET SCIENCE...IS IT?
So there you have it - my plan for Fab skin... now I have it in writing, I feel more accountable to *Me*
I'm linking to Lucy's Drab2Fab this week....check it out, lots of gorgeous Drab2Fab ideas.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
What do you get out of it...?
Cassie has always been my "questions girl"...as a toddler, she would spend the day asking me questions about anything and everything...I've always tried my best to answer them as best I can.
She is twelve (for another precious few weeks), so when she was little, I wasn't that much into Google...my answers had to come from what I knew to be true, if not we went to Daddy.
Maddie has never been as "chatty"...she will say something when she feels it is worth saying - very resourceful, she was always one of those kids who entertain themselves...as long as I was in her line of vision, she was OK. I remember going out to parties etc when she was tiny. All we had to bring was her little quilt and some toys, and she was right.
Thursday afternoons are the busiest for me (us) - Cassie has two dance lessons, Hubby plays basketball and Maddie heads to the "mall" with her friends for two hours after school. Us mums take it in turns to pick the girls up from the shops and ferry them back to their respective homes.
I am used to the routine - I take a couple of mandarines, a magazine in case I have to wait for someone and my Blackberry. In the car I listen to music, or sometimes "The Quiz" on the ABC...
.............
A couple of weeks ago, I had picked Cassie up from her dance lesson (at the top of the Mountains) and was heading down to pick Hubby up from the town at the very bottom of the Mountains (about 40 minutes down the Great Western Highway), and then we would pick Maddie up from a friend's place on our way back home.
Cassie - Wow, Mummy you sure do a lot of driving around for us on Thursdays...
I agreed and told her I'd actually been in the car for about two hours without getting out by that stage.
Cassie - What do you get out of it...?
Me - Ummm, nothing really...what do you mean?
Cassie - You know, what's in it for you? Why do you do it?
Me - Well, you love your dance lessons, and Daddy loves playing basketball, and Maddie enjoys her weekly outing with her friends...so you're all doing stuff that makes you happy
Cassie - But is there something about tonight that makes YOU happy, Mummy?
Me - If the three people I love most in the world are happy, I'm happy too.
Cassie - Gee, you must love us a lot, Mummy. I would be cranky to have to drive everyone around so much.
Me - Cassie, when you're married to a wonderful man and you have some beautiful kids that you love more than anything in the world, you'll get it. If they're happy, you're happy too.
Cassie - I hope so Mummy, 'cause right now, I can't understand it.
...........
Lucky she caught me in a good mood that evening - who knows what I'd have said if I had PMS or not had enough sleep the night before...
That's my girl - always making me think...
Yikes!!! It's Thursday tomorrow!!!!
xoxox
She is twelve (for another precious few weeks), so when she was little, I wasn't that much into Google...my answers had to come from what I knew to be true, if not we went to Daddy.
Maddie has never been as "chatty"...she will say something when she feels it is worth saying - very resourceful, she was always one of those kids who entertain themselves...as long as I was in her line of vision, she was OK. I remember going out to parties etc when she was tiny. All we had to bring was her little quilt and some toys, and she was right.
Thursday afternoons are the busiest for me (us) - Cassie has two dance lessons, Hubby plays basketball and Maddie heads to the "mall" with her friends for two hours after school. Us mums take it in turns to pick the girls up from the shops and ferry them back to their respective homes.
I am used to the routine - I take a couple of mandarines, a magazine in case I have to wait for someone and my Blackberry. In the car I listen to music, or sometimes "The Quiz" on the ABC...
.............
A couple of weeks ago, I had picked Cassie up from her dance lesson (at the top of the Mountains) and was heading down to pick Hubby up from the town at the very bottom of the Mountains (about 40 minutes down the Great Western Highway), and then we would pick Maddie up from a friend's place on our way back home.
Cassie - Wow, Mummy you sure do a lot of driving around for us on Thursdays...
I agreed and told her I'd actually been in the car for about two hours without getting out by that stage.
Cassie - What do you get out of it...?
Me - Ummm, nothing really...what do you mean?
Cassie - You know, what's in it for you? Why do you do it?
Me - Well, you love your dance lessons, and Daddy loves playing basketball, and Maddie enjoys her weekly outing with her friends...so you're all doing stuff that makes you happy
Cassie - But is there something about tonight that makes YOU happy, Mummy?
Me - If the three people I love most in the world are happy, I'm happy too.
Cassie - Gee, you must love us a lot, Mummy. I would be cranky to have to drive everyone around so much.
Me - Cassie, when you're married to a wonderful man and you have some beautiful kids that you love more than anything in the world, you'll get it. If they're happy, you're happy too.
Cassie - I hope so Mummy, 'cause right now, I can't understand it.
...........
Lucky she caught me in a good mood that evening - who knows what I'd have said if I had PMS or not had enough sleep the night before...
That's my girl - always making me think...
Yikes!!! It's Thursday tomorrow!!!!
xoxox
Monday, May 23, 2011
To make this work...
To be honest, my 21 Day Challenge sounded a little bit vague to me just minutes after I published it...
So I've been thinking and re-thinking, and the time has come to fess up to you my lovely Blogging friends...
I AM CONFUSED!!!
...and it's my own fault...
I have been speaking to two friends who have both lost weight in the last few months and are looking hawt ... I am like a little sponge soaking up information when I need help, so I questioned Lisa and Karen at length and begged them for advice...
The poor dears aren't to blame - they simply did what I asked them to - they told me what had worked for them, and they told me how they had lost their weight
LISA - decided late last year that she wanted to shift some weight fast and didn't want to stress about what to cook etc so she went for SHAKES...never mind the brand, they're all pretty similar...Lisa lost 12kg in about seven weeks. She is one focussed little customer...she did not stray from her Plan for about three months and when I caught up with her at Easter she had kept her weight off and was actually introducing "real food" back into her diet without having panic attacks because she would gain the weight back. Lisa loves running, she started about five years ago and hasn't looked back. It's her exercise of choice and really believes the fact that she ran five days a week as well as doing the odd Zumba class is what helped her lose the weight so quickly (4.4kg in the first week!!!)
Karen - of "the Trek" fame...found her clothes were fitting a little too snugly after a long-winded but amicable marriage break-up...She bought the CSIRO Diet book and followed it to the letter, losing two dress sizes in seven weeks...Karen goes to the gym five days a week and attends a weekly Bootcamp session, she is extremely competitive in all aspects of her life, so there was no looking back for her - once she decided on a Plan, it became a way of life, in fact she still sticks to the guidelines of CSIRO 90% of the time. She is one of the fittest and youngest looking 53 year olds I know...
Now, are you ready for what I'm going to fess up about...? OK - who's guessing already?
I spoke to Karen and to Lisa during the same week...and they both pledged to support me in my weight loss endeavours and give me advice etc...and they each thought I was going to follow their plan... and I did, well, I tried...
I went and bought some SHAKES, and I pulled out my old copy of CSIRO, and what can I say? My weight has been yo-yoing like there's no tomorrow, because I'm just so effing confused that I don't know what to do!!!!!
How did I get myself into this mess???
I get daily text messages from Lisa and Karen, giving me advice. They expect Weekly Weigh-ins to check on my progress...
As I type this I don't know whether to laugh or cry...?
FFS, I feel like I'm cheating on one plan by following the other...
............
Time to take a deep breath, re-commit to my 21 Day Challenge, but this time with a Plan - my own Plan...
Time to be honest - this isn't working...
I can't say that I've honestly given either Plan 100% effort, but I'm too confused to re-visit either/or...
So I will do something that worked for me nine years ago. Nine kilos lost in three months...it was relatively easy, I enjoyed it, and most of all I enjoyed the success....
Yes, friends, I am going back to **** Weight Watchers ****
First weigh in will be this Saturday morning and I will take a photo of my starting weight and post my weight loss every week from then on.
Rule 1 for successful weight loss -
Find a Plan and stick with it
It's not rocket science, is it?
So I've been thinking and re-thinking, and the time has come to fess up to you my lovely Blogging friends...
I AM CONFUSED!!!
...and it's my own fault...
I have been speaking to two friends who have both lost weight in the last few months and are looking hawt ... I am like a little sponge soaking up information when I need help, so I questioned Lisa and Karen at length and begged them for advice...
The poor dears aren't to blame - they simply did what I asked them to - they told me what had worked for them, and they told me how they had lost their weight
LISA - decided late last year that she wanted to shift some weight fast and didn't want to stress about what to cook etc so she went for SHAKES...never mind the brand, they're all pretty similar...Lisa lost 12kg in about seven weeks. She is one focussed little customer...she did not stray from her Plan for about three months and when I caught up with her at Easter she had kept her weight off and was actually introducing "real food" back into her diet without having panic attacks because she would gain the weight back. Lisa loves running, she started about five years ago and hasn't looked back. It's her exercise of choice and really believes the fact that she ran five days a week as well as doing the odd Zumba class is what helped her lose the weight so quickly (4.4kg in the first week!!!)
Karen - of "the Trek" fame...found her clothes were fitting a little too snugly after a long-winded but amicable marriage break-up...She bought the CSIRO Diet book and followed it to the letter, losing two dress sizes in seven weeks...Karen goes to the gym five days a week and attends a weekly Bootcamp session, she is extremely competitive in all aspects of her life, so there was no looking back for her - once she decided on a Plan, it became a way of life, in fact she still sticks to the guidelines of CSIRO 90% of the time. She is one of the fittest and youngest looking 53 year olds I know...
Now, are you ready for what I'm going to fess up about...? OK - who's guessing already?
I spoke to Karen and to Lisa during the same week...and they both pledged to support me in my weight loss endeavours and give me advice etc...and they each thought I was going to follow their plan... and I did, well, I tried...
I went and bought some SHAKES, and I pulled out my old copy of CSIRO, and what can I say? My weight has been yo-yoing like there's no tomorrow, because I'm just so effing confused that I don't know what to do!!!!!
How did I get myself into this mess???
I get daily text messages from Lisa and Karen, giving me advice. They expect Weekly Weigh-ins to check on my progress...
As I type this I don't know whether to laugh or cry...?
FFS, I feel like I'm cheating on one plan by following the other...
............
Time to take a deep breath, re-commit to my 21 Day Challenge, but this time with a Plan - my own Plan...
Time to be honest - this isn't working...
I can't say that I've honestly given either Plan 100% effort, but I'm too confused to re-visit either/or...
So I will do something that worked for me nine years ago. Nine kilos lost in three months...it was relatively easy, I enjoyed it, and most of all I enjoyed the success....
Yes, friends, I am going back to **** Weight Watchers ****
First weigh in will be this Saturday morning and I will take a photo of my starting weight and post my weight loss every week from then on.
Rule 1 for successful weight loss -
Find a Plan and stick with it
It's not rocket science, is it?
Sunday, May 22, 2011
Hubby
"Hubby" doesn't read my Blog...I've never bothered to tell him I have one. He knows I am inspired by the women who write the Blogs I read, but he's never broached the subject...it's sort of my little thing and he gets it.
Today's post is dedicated to him, my Partner in Life...
Mickey, here are some of the things that make me love you ***
Hot cups of tea on my bedside table the minute I open my eyes ...
Space in the morning...(you know I'm not a morning person) ...
You clean up after me when I work in the garden ...
The way you tell me I have the most beautiful hands ...
That funny Cockney accent thing you do...makes me laugh til I cry ...
You love animals, especially our crazy pets ...
The way you brag about my scones being so good you refuse to eat anyone else's ...
You understand my PMS ... so well ...
When everyone else says "You can't..." You say "Show them!" ...
And all the old cars we've owned during our life together...and the adventures we've had with them ...
I know you're getting older too (yes, you - the "younger man") and sometimes life gets hard and we've had some sad times but geez there have been so many good times...
Our girls absolutely worship you, how do you manage to not have shouting matches with them...? You're so calm in your dealings with them... I love what a wonderful Dad you are.
You work so hard with me for our family...but at the end of the day I know I could ask you for anything and you wouldn't say No - it's just not the way you are...whatever it was, I know you would try to do it for me, no matter how tired you were...I know this and I appreciate it so much that you'll never know.
...and you still make me go weak at the knees...
xoxoxo
Today's post is dedicated to him, my Partner in Life...
Mickey, here are some of the things that make me love you ***
Hot cups of tea on my bedside table the minute I open my eyes ...
Space in the morning...(you know I'm not a morning person) ...
You clean up after me when I work in the garden ...
The way you tell me I have the most beautiful hands ...
That funny Cockney accent thing you do...makes me laugh til I cry ...
You love animals, especially our crazy pets ...
The way you brag about my scones being so good you refuse to eat anyone else's ...
You understand my PMS ... so well ...
When everyone else says "You can't..." You say "Show them!" ...
And all the old cars we've owned during our life together...and the adventures we've had with them ...
I know you're getting older too (yes, you - the "younger man") and sometimes life gets hard and we've had some sad times but geez there have been so many good times...
Our girls absolutely worship you, how do you manage to not have shouting matches with them...? You're so calm in your dealings with them... I love what a wonderful Dad you are.
You work so hard with me for our family...but at the end of the day I know I could ask you for anything and you wouldn't say No - it's just not the way you are...whatever it was, I know you would try to do it for me, no matter how tired you were...I know this and I appreciate it so much that you'll never know.
...and you still make me go weak at the knees...
xoxoxo
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Time for a Challenge - 21 Days
I've been a bit slack with myself since that TREK...
July is shaping up to be a month of get-togethers and socializing...
Now, I've never been one to set myself a date or an "ocassion" to lose weight. Some people are very successful at saying - "I will lose weight for my cousin's wedding.." etc. Not me.
However I do not like the way I look or feel at the moment, and honestly, if I had a social engagement for next week, I'd more than likely find an excuse not to go - the real reason being that I am not happy with "myself"...
So, to avoid this happening when July comes around, I am setting myself a challenge.
A 21 Day Challenge.
For the next 21 days I will track what I eat, being mindful to eat unprocessed, natural food 95% of the time, focussing on lean protein, fruit and veg, wholegrains and healthy fats. Lots of water is also on the menu...
My weight today is 72.5kg TTOM is here, so judging by the way my tummy looks and feels, I would say the numbers are a tad exaggerated by fluid, but it is what it is.
I will post my weight again in 21 days... 11th June...
My goal here is to re-form some good habits. They say it takes 21 days to build a habit, so it should be enough to re-learn past good habits, don't you think?
Exercise-wise my plan is to move six out of seven days a week.
I will continue with my C25K program and also throw in stuff that I enjoy, like my long walks into the bush or around the neighbourhood with Hubby.
I don't have a gym membership at the moment as I am investigating a couple of options around here.
Yesterday I felt an "urge" to lift some serious weights again - funny when that happens to a person not considered the "fitness type" by some...
Things will get a lot more comfortable financially for us come July, so that's when I'll decide which gym to join and perhaps re-visit some of my old training plans.
I am a bit excited about embarking on my own little challenge...Can I make a difference in 21 days...?
What works for you?
Do you set yourself challenges from time to time? Or is your commitment to your health so strong that you never stray?
Stay tuned.
xoxox
July is shaping up to be a month of get-togethers and socializing...
Now, I've never been one to set myself a date or an "ocassion" to lose weight. Some people are very successful at saying - "I will lose weight for my cousin's wedding.." etc. Not me.
However I do not like the way I look or feel at the moment, and honestly, if I had a social engagement for next week, I'd more than likely find an excuse not to go - the real reason being that I am not happy with "myself"...
So, to avoid this happening when July comes around, I am setting myself a challenge.
A 21 Day Challenge.
For the next 21 days I will track what I eat, being mindful to eat unprocessed, natural food 95% of the time, focussing on lean protein, fruit and veg, wholegrains and healthy fats. Lots of water is also on the menu...
My weight today is 72.5kg TTOM is here, so judging by the way my tummy looks and feels, I would say the numbers are a tad exaggerated by fluid, but it is what it is.
I will post my weight again in 21 days... 11th June...
My goal here is to re-form some good habits. They say it takes 21 days to build a habit, so it should be enough to re-learn past good habits, don't you think?
Exercise-wise my plan is to move six out of seven days a week.
I will continue with my C25K program and also throw in stuff that I enjoy, like my long walks into the bush or around the neighbourhood with Hubby.
I don't have a gym membership at the moment as I am investigating a couple of options around here.
Yesterday I felt an "urge" to lift some serious weights again - funny when that happens to a person not considered the "fitness type" by some...
Things will get a lot more comfortable financially for us come July, so that's when I'll decide which gym to join and perhaps re-visit some of my old training plans.
I am a bit excited about embarking on my own little challenge...Can I make a difference in 21 days...?
What works for you?
Do you set yourself challenges from time to time? Or is your commitment to your health so strong that you never stray?
Stay tuned.
xoxox
Friday, May 20, 2011
Feeling hurt and vulnerable
Bear with me - I'll try to keep it short and simple
I just need to verbalise a little...just put some feelings down on "paper" if you will. Writing has always helped me, it's like talking to someone about your problem, it somehow becomes lighter.
A few weeks ago someone hurt me badly...I'm a Crab. Born in early July, if you are into the Stars, all I can say is that I am a fairly typical Cancerian...on the outside you see a hard shell, but on the inside there is a very soft mushy side to me which doesn't cope with a lot of poking - it starts to hurt.
My mother in law misunderstoon a reply from me to one of her e-mails and forwarded it onto one of her sons (and goodness knows who else...?) by mistake, that e-mail ended up in MY in-box and I read some nasty stuff about myself.
I felt gutted. Michael(hubby) read it too. It came into our work e-mail...
Michael did something extremely out of character - he picked up the phone and told his mother how much she'd hurt both of us with her actions. He reminded her of :
* the fact that since I had married him, we had always spent Christmas with her
* ever since we've had children, I have always made sure we catch up for birthdays, Christmas, Easter, they are always invited to School Plays and award ceremonies, eisteddfods, dance concerts and basketball finals
* I single handedly organised their 50th wedding anniversary, her 70th Birthday and his dad's 75th Birthday
* I am the only daughter in law who will ring her every couple of weeks to update her with news of her granddaughters
Michael also spoke to her about the fact that yes, I might be outspoken and "fiery", but I have a lot of people who love me and they don't have as much trouble getting to know me as she claims to have. He also said that he loved me just the way I am and wouldn't change a thing about our life together...
This was a huge and amazingly lovely thing for him to do - you see, he is very "old fashioned" in his dealings with his parents, in that he respects them highly and would usually not enter into conflict with them unless the cause was worth it.
It truly flooded my heart with love for him because I know how hard this would have been for him, but as he said to me, he's had enough of his mother focusing on the "bad" instead of seeing the good I do.
I know mother/daughter-in-law relations aren't always easy, but I can truly say I gave it my best shot. After nineteen years of hitting my head against a brick wall and feeling repressed because my mother in law takes absolutely everything I say and do the wrong way, I've had enough...
If only she knew that the fiery, "bitchy" daughter in law that she finds so difficult is absolutely broken hearted and reduced to feeling insecure and afraid to speak out in case everyone else also finds me hard to take...
I feel like maybe I should change the way I speak, the way I act...but that would mean changing WHO I AM...
Feeling so very low.
Sorry, no airy, light, happy picture for you tonight, just me...feeling gutted and confused.
Where to from here?
I just need to verbalise a little...just put some feelings down on "paper" if you will. Writing has always helped me, it's like talking to someone about your problem, it somehow becomes lighter.
A few weeks ago someone hurt me badly...I'm a Crab. Born in early July, if you are into the Stars, all I can say is that I am a fairly typical Cancerian...on the outside you see a hard shell, but on the inside there is a very soft mushy side to me which doesn't cope with a lot of poking - it starts to hurt.
My mother in law misunderstoon a reply from me to one of her e-mails and forwarded it onto one of her sons (and goodness knows who else...?) by mistake, that e-mail ended up in MY in-box and I read some nasty stuff about myself.
I felt gutted. Michael(hubby) read it too. It came into our work e-mail...
Michael did something extremely out of character - he picked up the phone and told his mother how much she'd hurt both of us with her actions. He reminded her of :
* the fact that since I had married him, we had always spent Christmas with her
* ever since we've had children, I have always made sure we catch up for birthdays, Christmas, Easter, they are always invited to School Plays and award ceremonies, eisteddfods, dance concerts and basketball finals
* I single handedly organised their 50th wedding anniversary, her 70th Birthday and his dad's 75th Birthday
* I am the only daughter in law who will ring her every couple of weeks to update her with news of her granddaughters
Michael also spoke to her about the fact that yes, I might be outspoken and "fiery", but I have a lot of people who love me and they don't have as much trouble getting to know me as she claims to have. He also said that he loved me just the way I am and wouldn't change a thing about our life together...
This was a huge and amazingly lovely thing for him to do - you see, he is very "old fashioned" in his dealings with his parents, in that he respects them highly and would usually not enter into conflict with them unless the cause was worth it.
It truly flooded my heart with love for him because I know how hard this would have been for him, but as he said to me, he's had enough of his mother focusing on the "bad" instead of seeing the good I do.
I know mother/daughter-in-law relations aren't always easy, but I can truly say I gave it my best shot. After nineteen years of hitting my head against a brick wall and feeling repressed because my mother in law takes absolutely everything I say and do the wrong way, I've had enough...
If only she knew that the fiery, "bitchy" daughter in law that she finds so difficult is absolutely broken hearted and reduced to feeling insecure and afraid to speak out in case everyone else also finds me hard to take...
I feel like maybe I should change the way I speak, the way I act...but that would mean changing WHO I AM...
Feeling so very low.
Sorry, no airy, light, happy picture for you tonight, just me...feeling gutted and confused.
Where to from here?
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Is imitation a form of flattery...?
A few years ago, I was chatting over coffee to a group of friends who had kids at my girls' school. One of them brought up the fact that she would like to enrol in art classes.
I mentioned that drawing was my passion - I'd had lessons as a little girl and still enjoyed just drawing, maybe a flower in my garden would inspire me, or a piece of fruit in the fruit bowl...
Another friend, who I'll refer to as "L" just listened, and said nothing.
Next term she was off to drawing classes every Friday morning...this went on for quite a few months. She attended every art show in the mountains, and even took her family to Canberra one weekend, just to visit the art galleries.
One day I was chatting to her while she sat in her car and I spotted a lovely cloche style felt hat on the console...I complimented it and she said "(her husband) bought it for me for my birthday, seeing as I'm an artist now, he thinks I should look the part when I go to art lessons"
This went on for a couple of years - I won't bore you with details, but this woman even became the "official" artist at our school fete, organising the face painting stall and even doing charcoal sketches of kids at the fete and selling them to raise money for the school
Fast forward to now - our house is on the market.
The real estate agent has done a lovely job with the ads he's running - describing it as a "1920's Charmer"...
L's house is gorgeous, but different. She has it filled it with 1940's furniture, sourced from family and antique shops...
Until last week, she had a low brick fence, which apparently was put up during the 1960's. She's never liked it.
Her daughter was here with my eldest girl the other day, and told us they are getting the brick fence modified to look more like an authentic "1920's brick fence"...
Our house is being advertised locally, so I can only think that L got the "1920's" idea from our ad.
A couple of years ago, I started a program with IBO. I was very diligent with it and worked out at the gym five or six days a week. Occasionally, I would run into L at the aquatic centre with her kids as I collected mine from the pool after my workouts."what do you do in there?" she would ask. I would reply that I just did some weight training and used the cardio machines.
Earlier this year, her eldest daughter decided she wanted to do some Group Fitness classes. As she is my girl's best friend, I was happy to give her a lift, and if the class was RPM or Step, I would usually do the class as well...
Suddenly, L has taken out a family gym membership and is at every RPM class available...last night my daughter went to Zumba and when she came home she said : "guess who was there?" - no prizes for guessing, my "friend" L is now a fitness fanatic...
Her birthday is coming up...I bet her husband is making a trip to LJ...? I'm sure he wants her to "look the part" now she hangs out with the fitness crowd....
Rant over... Do You get the s*its when people constantly imitate you without giving you credit?
Feel free to label this as "Sandra is being bitchy due to PMS"...but it's my Blog and I'll write what I like.
Have a good night all.
xoxox
I mentioned that drawing was my passion - I'd had lessons as a little girl and still enjoyed just drawing, maybe a flower in my garden would inspire me, or a piece of fruit in the fruit bowl...
Another friend, who I'll refer to as "L" just listened, and said nothing.
Next term she was off to drawing classes every Friday morning...this went on for quite a few months. She attended every art show in the mountains, and even took her family to Canberra one weekend, just to visit the art galleries.
One day I was chatting to her while she sat in her car and I spotted a lovely cloche style felt hat on the console...I complimented it and she said "(her husband) bought it for me for my birthday, seeing as I'm an artist now, he thinks I should look the part when I go to art lessons"
This went on for a couple of years - I won't bore you with details, but this woman even became the "official" artist at our school fete, organising the face painting stall and even doing charcoal sketches of kids at the fete and selling them to raise money for the school
Fast forward to now - our house is on the market.
The real estate agent has done a lovely job with the ads he's running - describing it as a "1920's Charmer"...
L's house is gorgeous, but different. She has it filled it with 1940's furniture, sourced from family and antique shops...
Until last week, she had a low brick fence, which apparently was put up during the 1960's. She's never liked it.
Her daughter was here with my eldest girl the other day, and told us they are getting the brick fence modified to look more like an authentic "1920's brick fence"...
Our house is being advertised locally, so I can only think that L got the "1920's" idea from our ad.
A couple of years ago, I started a program with IBO. I was very diligent with it and worked out at the gym five or six days a week. Occasionally, I would run into L at the aquatic centre with her kids as I collected mine from the pool after my workouts."what do you do in there?" she would ask. I would reply that I just did some weight training and used the cardio machines.
Earlier this year, her eldest daughter decided she wanted to do some Group Fitness classes. As she is my girl's best friend, I was happy to give her a lift, and if the class was RPM or Step, I would usually do the class as well...
Suddenly, L has taken out a family gym membership and is at every RPM class available...last night my daughter went to Zumba and when she came home she said : "guess who was there?" - no prizes for guessing, my "friend" L is now a fitness fanatic...
Her birthday is coming up...I bet her husband is making a trip to LJ...? I'm sure he wants her to "look the part" now she hangs out with the fitness crowd....
Rant over... Do You get the s*its when people constantly imitate you without giving you credit?
Feel free to label this as "Sandra is being bitchy due to PMS"...but it's my Blog and I'll write what I like.
Have a good night all.
xoxox
Monday, May 16, 2011
Cto5K ... Day 1
Well, after much procrastinating and excuse-making, I did it.
A comment by my friend Karen jolted me into action last week. I can't remember what we were talking about - more than likely weight loss, and I said something to which she replied - "Now Sandy don't be a "Gunner" - Just Do It. Just lose the weight"
So yesterday, at about 1pm, after catching up the ironing (which would usually have been an excuse to not work out because my back is damn sore after ironing for two hours), I got into some "comfy" layers and set off with my new little pedometer/calorie counter/stop watch thingy...
It was quite a balmy Autumn afternoon in the mountains, at 10 degrees, and the sun was shining...
And I did it!
I followed the intervals as best I could, and although it didn't seem like that long a period of time compared to my usual hour and a half long walks, I managed to run for 60 secs then walk for 90 secs for a total time of 20 minutes, plus a brisk 5 minute walk to warm up and another 5 minutes to get back home.
It was harder than I expected - my lungs were crying out in pain by the end of each of those 60 seconds...but it was more enjoyable than I expected - I came home with a delicious sense of achievement, and an "I can do this!" feeling that is hard to explain.
I kept repeating to myself "one step at a time", as I became tired, and it really helped take my mind off the pain and lack of breath.
I also drew inspiration from something Hubby told me last week -
He remembers reading Yiannis Kouros' biography, in which he talks about his ultra marathons, where he mentions that he never thinks about what he has to do next - instead he focuses on this stretch of road, this kilometre etc
I guess the message is to focus on the present and just do it - whatever comes next will take care of itself - a good philosophy for life in general, I think?
So, this morning a little (make that a lot) stiff, and what's "odd" is that I feel sore all over, as if I'd done a full body work-out...
Planning on a long walk today and then tomorrow it's Day 2. More of the same as Day 1 but really looking forward to it :)
Cassie is sick - she started with a nasty head cold on Saturday and now has a dreadful cough and sore throat. We have a Dr's appointment for this afternoon...poor little pumpkin, she hates missing out on school, but I'd rather she got well instead of going to school and spreading the bug to her friends and getting sicker in the process.
Have a great week everyone.
xoxox
A comment by my friend Karen jolted me into action last week. I can't remember what we were talking about - more than likely weight loss, and I said something to which she replied - "Now Sandy don't be a "Gunner" - Just Do It. Just lose the weight"
So yesterday, at about 1pm, after catching up the ironing (which would usually have been an excuse to not work out because my back is damn sore after ironing for two hours), I got into some "comfy" layers and set off with my new little pedometer/calorie counter/stop watch thingy...
It was quite a balmy Autumn afternoon in the mountains, at 10 degrees, and the sun was shining...
And I did it!
I followed the intervals as best I could, and although it didn't seem like that long a period of time compared to my usual hour and a half long walks, I managed to run for 60 secs then walk for 90 secs for a total time of 20 minutes, plus a brisk 5 minute walk to warm up and another 5 minutes to get back home.
It was harder than I expected - my lungs were crying out in pain by the end of each of those 60 seconds...but it was more enjoyable than I expected - I came home with a delicious sense of achievement, and an "I can do this!" feeling that is hard to explain.
I kept repeating to myself "one step at a time", as I became tired, and it really helped take my mind off the pain and lack of breath.
I also drew inspiration from something Hubby told me last week -
He remembers reading Yiannis Kouros' biography, in which he talks about his ultra marathons, where he mentions that he never thinks about what he has to do next - instead he focuses on this stretch of road, this kilometre etc
I guess the message is to focus on the present and just do it - whatever comes next will take care of itself - a good philosophy for life in general, I think?
So, this morning a little (make that a lot) stiff, and what's "odd" is that I feel sore all over, as if I'd done a full body work-out...
Planning on a long walk today and then tomorrow it's Day 2. More of the same as Day 1 but really looking forward to it :)
Cassie is sick - she started with a nasty head cold on Saturday and now has a dreadful cough and sore throat. We have a Dr's appointment for this afternoon...poor little pumpkin, she hates missing out on school, but I'd rather she got well instead of going to school and spreading the bug to her friends and getting sicker in the process.
Have a great week everyone.
xoxox
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Time to get back into it
I haven't walked since "The Trek"...
No gym, no RPM, nothing to even remotely raise a sweat!
The scale hasn't been nice to me this past week...but I refuse to let it get to me and I also refuse to ignore it. It is slowly but surely shifting downwards.
This afternoon, Hubby and I went on one of our pre-Trek "training walks".
It was 8 degrees out there and a slight wind was blowing...we rugged up with gloves and beanies and set off in the late afternoon sun.
Fifty minutes into the walk, I took in my surroundings and gave Thanks for living in this amazing part of the world that celebrates nature's every turn. It was a breathtaking time of the day to be outdoors.
Back home for a warm cuppa and a cuddle with Presley, then it's off to do the basketball and dance pick-up.
That's all I needed, the first step back into my Journey to Fab.
xoxox
No gym, no RPM, nothing to even remotely raise a sweat!
The scale hasn't been nice to me this past week...but I refuse to let it get to me and I also refuse to ignore it. It is slowly but surely shifting downwards.
This afternoon, Hubby and I went on one of our pre-Trek "training walks".
It was 8 degrees out there and a slight wind was blowing...we rugged up with gloves and beanies and set off in the late afternoon sun.
Fifty minutes into the walk, I took in my surroundings and gave Thanks for living in this amazing part of the world that celebrates nature's every turn. It was a breathtaking time of the day to be outdoors.
Back home for a warm cuppa and a cuddle with Presley, then it's off to do the basketball and dance pick-up.
That's all I needed, the first step back into my Journey to Fab.
xoxox
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
More pics from my week-end away
At the risk of totally boring you with any more talk about "The Trek", I thought I'd share some more piccies with you. Bear with me, I don't think they've turned out half bad considering I used my Blackberry instead of a "real" camera...
My friend Karen and our organiser/guide Tim...she is tiny, but he is a big guy...
I had such a great time, and I think it had a lot to do with the fact that the whole weekend was run extremely well. Tim is a bit fussy when it comes to detail, and I cannot fault him in any aspect of the organisation for the weekend. Every detail was taken care of for us, which meant we could just relax and submerge ourselves in the experience...
This is the view from the chairlift on our way down to Thredbo Village...
I must say I would have been quite happy to walk down to Thredbo - not a fan of chairlifts but I was in good company, and amazed myself that I was able to let go of the bars and actually snap some photos...
This is Jenny (Tim's mum), Karen and I (in grey) enjoying a well-deserved pre-dinner drink...
Jenny is an amazingly fit 52 year old...she has recently lost 12kg with Weight Watchers and works out at the gym four times a week. Her current "achievement" is that she can out-do the boys at "the plank" during Tim's Bootcamp on Fridays...gotta LOVE that.
And finally, this is Karen and I with our Achievement Awards...mine was proudly put on the fridge by my girls...once upon a time the fridge was completely covered by their pre-school drawings and school awards...and now it's MY turn !!!
Over and out for now.
xoxox
PS - no matter how hard I've tried I CANNOT rotate this last photo but I'm running out of time so will publish it anyway...
My friend Karen and our organiser/guide Tim...she is tiny, but he is a big guy...
I had such a great time, and I think it had a lot to do with the fact that the whole weekend was run extremely well. Tim is a bit fussy when it comes to detail, and I cannot fault him in any aspect of the organisation for the weekend. Every detail was taken care of for us, which meant we could just relax and submerge ourselves in the experience...
This is the view from the chairlift on our way down to Thredbo Village...
I must say I would have been quite happy to walk down to Thredbo - not a fan of chairlifts but I was in good company, and amazed myself that I was able to let go of the bars and actually snap some photos...
This is Jenny (Tim's mum), Karen and I (in grey) enjoying a well-deserved pre-dinner drink...
Jenny is an amazingly fit 52 year old...she has recently lost 12kg with Weight Watchers and works out at the gym four times a week. Her current "achievement" is that she can out-do the boys at "the plank" during Tim's Bootcamp on Fridays...gotta LOVE that.
And finally, this is Karen and I with our Achievement Awards...mine was proudly put on the fridge by my girls...once upon a time the fridge was completely covered by their pre-school drawings and school awards...and now it's MY turn !!!
Over and out for now.
xoxox
PS - no matter how hard I've tried I CANNOT rotate this last photo but I'm running out of time so will publish it anyway...
Monday, May 9, 2011
Sibling Rivalry
Remember this little fellow...?
His name is Presley (shhh...he doesn't even remember being called "Marylin" for a very short time)
...Named after another 50's icon - and a favourite of my fifteen year old daughter's
He is the cutest little thing - just like a kitten out of a postcard. And he is endearing himself to all of us...
There is only one member of the family who is having a little trouble coping with him...
Tammy has been Cassie's cat for two years. She is very small and quite rare in that she is a ginger female - don't worry, we're 100% sure about this one ;)
So Cassie has had to spend some quality time with Tammy re-assuring her that she is still loved, even if there is a new baby in the house ...
So cute...
...they really have a special bond...
They say dogs have masters and cats have servants...
His name is Presley (shhh...he doesn't even remember being called "Marylin" for a very short time)
...Named after another 50's icon - and a favourite of my fifteen year old daughter's
He is the cutest little thing - just like a kitten out of a postcard. And he is endearing himself to all of us...
There is only one member of the family who is having a little trouble coping with him...
Tammy has been Cassie's cat for two years. She is very small and quite rare in that she is a ginger female - don't worry, we're 100% sure about this one ;)
So Cassie has had to spend some quality time with Tammy re-assuring her that she is still loved, even if there is a new baby in the house ...
So cute...
...they really have a special bond...
They say dogs have masters and cats have servants...
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