....put the fun back into mopping...

Ok, maybe FUN is an exaggeration!  But boy does this help me wanna mop...

This is the Shark Steam Mop.

My hubby and I actually bought it because we had an OLD gift cert for Bed, Bath and Beyond.  I am a hoarder of gift certificates, and have been known to hang onto them until they are expired.  Silly, yes.  I admit I'm weird.  My husband found a pile I had stashed away from our wedding and decided we would go and use them all. 

So we saw this in a center aisle display, and it just looked useful!  Now I hear they are on the top of every mom's wish list, so I guess others agree with me!

It steams your floors without any chemicals.  Makes tons of steam that just satisfy some need for clean I have deep inside.  Steam billowing everywhere.  Most stuff coming up with a pass or two.  Stuck on goo sometimes taking longer but at worst case it loosens it up so you can scrape it off. 

Its only flaw - it does not get up stickers that have been stuck very long.  I have super-hero parts all over my living room floor in one corner.  I shall have to google another solution for that...

But it does get off:  old beans, spilled milk, dried up yogurt, icky who-knows-what, and all sorts of other things.  Trust me.  I usually have a little of them all.  And then you just throw the pad in the washer and hang to dry.  Its as lovely as mopping gets, if you ask me!

But I love it.  If you're in the market, I highly recommend!!

Gonna go map now....

....how far is too far for coffee???...

That's kind of a silly question!

How far is too far for coffee??  I would drive 1000 miles!!

I gotta say Starbucks drive thrus are my dream come true.  I should have called them and patented the idea years before they showed up - I had the idea! 

But now with 3 little guys, I will drive QUITE A WAYS to get to one!!  In fact, I normally drive 4.92 miles.... a mere 12 minutes to my heaven in a cup!!!!

How far will you drive??

...CHAOS...

Can't

Have

Anyone

Over

Syndrome

Have you ever suffered from this??  I am a constant repeat performer in this area.  On one hand, I am ok with it because I choose to put people and time with my boys ahead of a house.  For some reason, I just haven't had that pressure I know lots of my friends have - to have a perfectly decorated and in order home with the stress that goes along with that.

But 5 years and 3 little boys later, I have swung WAY TOO FAR to the other side of the scale.  You know there's a balance... I am unbalanced and its on the CHAOS side of things. 

Main issue - I have too much stuff.  I should say, we have too much stuff.  Way too much.  I can get it all straightened and put away, but its not really organized and it takes (and I have timed it) about 3 hours before we're back to CHAOS. 

I also would rather do about 100 other things than dive in.  Like I'd rather blog about it.... O wait.  Whoops!  Is that what I'm doing now?????  BUSTED! 

I'll go get to it!!!!  :)

...a nap makes it all better...

Ever just take a nap???

I used to be a terrible napper.  No matter how long or short I slept, I'd wake up feeling terrible until I went to the sleep for the night. 

I have become a better napper.  And even if I haven't, having 3 littles has made me appreciate naps!  If not my own, then theirs.  Ha!  But naps really do reset their moods and attitudes.  I'm guessing naps do the same thing for us right??!!

So - here's to naps!  Its a beautiful sunny spring day here.  Think I'll go take one outside!!

...high 5 for friday...

High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5 High 5

!!! HAPPY FRIDAY !!!

Its time for High Five for Friday....  following are my top 5 things I'm thankful for from this week.

Check out Lauren's blog at From My Grey Desk to see her High 5s plus over 100 others!!

HERE WE GO........

1.  High 5 for low-carb pancakes - These are protein pancakes from Blogilates.com blog.  Very low carb, taste very carby, lots of protein, yum.  I use ground flax seed instead of her husk stuff, just because that is what I have.  Good stuff!!

protein pancakes from blogilates

2.  CHAOS - I am thankful for this word I found!  Stands for: Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. 
I suffer from this!!  Motivating myself (and praying for motivation) to work on that!

3.  Grande Americano with steamed breve!  See previous blog for more info on this.  But YUM.   I just had one.  And yes it is 8:01pm!!!!



<3 my friends!!



4.  FRIENDS.  I am thankful for my funny friends who do all sorts of crazy things with me and love me for me.  How blessed am I to have so many of them??!!   I am RICH because of them!!

5.  Bethel.  This is a church in Redding, CA.  Love their hearts, their wisdom, their LOVE for Jesus and people.  Its all about the LOVE!  I get to listen in at iBethel.tv and I also have friends who are down there going to their ministry school.  Have learned and experienced so much there!!  Freedom, love and wholeness I then get to share!!  Yay!!

High Five for Friday is linked in from Lauren at From My Grey Desk. 

Check it out to see over 100 other High 5s!



...connections...

What did we do before cell phones??

I know I grew up without them.  But it still makes it hard to imagine.  Waiting for someone somewhere, having no idea if they forgot or are running late and having to wait to get home and call to find out what happened.  Getting done early and needing a ride.  Seeing something FUNNY and having no way to share it with anyone....  What did we do way back when?  When I was growing up, no one had cell phones.  Maybe business people were just getting the GIANT ones that they kept in the car and were stored in a suitcase.  Remember those?  But most people just had home phones.

I, for one, love technology.  I should probably be thankful I didn't have iphones, texting, facebook back in the day because I would have been an online junky!  I just love people and I love to be connected.  I wrote letters like crazy back then - trying to stay connected to camp friends that lived far away.  Letters!  Who does that now?  There's something cool about letters - but really, how amazing is it we can stay connected like we do, so easily??  I LOVE IT.

Lots of people seem to be either embarrassed of facebooking or they hide it.  I love it.  I'm not on there all day.... but I do check it several times!  And I am not ashamed.  I love the fact I feel connected to people I never see.  People from the past or people from a moment in my life - but we're still connected.  I love it that as a stay at home mom, I feel like I am interacting.  Granted, it doesn't replace face to face or talking. I would MUCH rather do that.  But it still fills a need.

Last Tuesday, my mom watched my boys.  I had 4 meetings in a row.  A couple hard, but all very good.  Face to face meetings, full of real relationship, doing life.  And at the end of the day I was exhausted!!  But boy, was I also filled up!!  Emotionally and relationally I was loving it!!  I was thinking, "This is what my  heaven will be like!!  Meeting with people all day, every day!!"

In the meantime, on those many days I have my 3 littles, and I am at home, without the option to go out and meet with people...  I can still get online.  See what people are up to.  Hear big news.  See smiling faces.  Maybe share a little of myself too.

Here is something I am looking forward to:

Yes, I want to own a smart phone!  I have my little old slide out phone.  Its reliable, I can text super fast on it, the sound is good so I can hear people.  I should not complain.  But I want a smartphone.  Top 2 reasons?  GPS.  I have no sense of direction nor do I like to pay attention to where I'm going, so that would be amazing!  And you can have your starbucks card right on there!  HOW COOL IS THAT????  So someday....  and I can't wait!

All right - there are my ramblings for today!  I didn't really have much to say, but am trying to stay true to my 40 days of posts (though I've missed some - good thing for grace!) 

Wish we could meet for coffee and talk about your phone, and what you think about facebook, and your life.  But in the meantime, since I am home and 2 boys are taking naps and my laundry is out of control and my husband is out of town, I still feel connected to you!  Yay for technology!!

Have a great week!!!!  Until tomorrow...... lotsa love!

...speaking of coffee...

Ok, as COFFEE was the inspiration for this blog, I was thinking I should write something about it.

For 20 years (i-yi-yi, that's a long time) my coffee drink was:  20 oz chai with skim milk and 1 shot of espresso.  As you may have read earlier, now I no can do.  Too much sugar/milk/too much too much.  Still delish.  I still love you, 20 oz chai with a shot, but I have had to move on.

Now its:  Grande Americano with steamed breve. 

A regular Americano is espresso with hot water.  I was ordering that, and adding  my own half and half.  And it was good.  I liked it.  The half and half cooled it down a bit too much, but otherwise, I was content.

But then I heard of "steamed breve!"  And my world was once again complete.  Steamed breve just adds an inch of steamed half and half at the get go.  It is frothy, hot, and just about perfect!!

Thank God for coffee!!!!

A Grande Americano with steamed breve please!!

...healthy yummy-ness...

So I have been searching for some sweet-tooth-fixes that are also low-carb, no sugar, good for you.
My favorite so far is a shake in the blender, which I love wayyyyy more than ice cream for real (no lie), and my stomach doesn't feel ICK afterwards like it does with dairy... 

Anyways, my favorite sweet treat so far is as follows:

In the blender:

1 scoop of chocolate protein mix + 1/2 cup of Costco Frozen Three-Berries + 1/2 cup Rice milk 

= DELISH!!!!

Next I want to try making this yummy-ness I found on Pinterest recently:

Banana "Ice Cream"

Frozen bananas + 2 tbsp cocoa powder. 

Also looks like people have done options with peanut butter, vanilla, and other stuff.

LOOKS GOOD! 

(pinterest link here!)

...waffles, delicious waffles...

...yum...

Ok, so this is my first blog that is documenting my new passion about clean food!  I started down this road because of adrenal/thyroid issues that are driving me crazy.  Especially for someone who doesn't want to spend time on food.  Its just never been that important to me.  Hence why I probably have adrenal/thyroid issues!  I really wish God would have made little pills we could take 3 times a day (or even once a month!) with all our nutrition. 

But I am growing in this area!  In the past 5 years, since my first kiddo came along, I have learned to not hate cooking.  I don't love it, but now I don't hate it.

And as I started learning about clean eating for me, it only took a second to realize I want my whole family to be eating what they need, what is good for them, and how they were designed.

Now for a confession - up until a week ago I was making A LOT of frozen waffles and pancakes for my little guys.  My oldest is in pre-K, and this is the first year since he was born that four days a week we have to be somewhere in the morning at a certain time.  I am a stay at home mom, so until this year we've had things scheduled here and there but most mornings we could do whatever.  Enter next season of life:  school!  (that will be our life for the next 20 years...  suppose I'd best embrace it!)

So how to feed these guys?  Make something that they like, and make something that is fast.  In came the frozen breakfasts.

But as I've become a label reader, and have focused on what I need - it became obvious that the frozen breakfasts were NOT the answer....

ALL THAT TO SAY, last week I got a Belgian Waffle Maker.  Twenty bucks at Target.  I combined some easy recipes online that I have gone to town with.  The boys LOVE them.  And you can do all sorts of things.... add protein mix, more flax, green veggie powder, vanilla, cinnamon, frozen berries, bananas.  Anything is possible!

I also make a bunch and freeze them.  They heat up pretty good if you put a cup of water in the microwave when you zap them (keeps them from being hard!)  Tomorrow morning I may even try to heat them up in toaster....  leggo a BETTER waffle! 

RECIPE:

1 and 3/4 cups of whole wheat flour
1 TBS baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup of ground flax seed
2 TBS sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup of canola or veg.oil
1 and 3/4 cups of milk

While waffle iron is heating, mix all of the ingredients together in a large bowl. Batter should be lumpy.

Pour 1/4 - 1/3 cup (may be slightly more or less depending on size of waffle iron) of batter onto waffle iron.

Close the lid of waffle maker and cook for about 4 minutes.

Yay waffles!!!!

...never a dull moment...

Do kids change your life??

Is that a silly silly question??

I didn't get married until I was 30.  Went from working 60 hrs/week at a corporate job that I loved, being a Youth Pastor, and doing whatever I wanted to married with 3 kids in 4 years!! 

What changed??

I've come to live by the motto "if it isn't broke, its a miracle" which has made me much less attached to material things.  I realized after a few weeks, you don't even notice the permanent marker art on the front of the furniture in the living room.  I can change a diaper faster than a speeding bullet.  I do not miss sleeping in because I actually do get to sleep through the night on occasion now.  I have learned to cook and care about clean food for me and my fam.  It has beaten most of the "anti-home-maker" attitude out of me.  I have gotten used to never being alone.  I never have to talk to myself because there's always 3 of the funniest people I know around to laugh with.  My heart has learned to operate while over-flowing with love.  I have hollered like I said I never would, and I have apologized.  I have little social life but I don't have time to miss it much.  I have come to appreciate being marred to a man who loves our 3 little guys as much as I do and does this life together with me!!!! 

Speaking of him.....  here's A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JARED:

A Day in the Life of Jared

Kids have changed my life, but they have changed me so much more. 
Thank you God for my 3 little lovelies!

...High 5 for Friday...

____________________________________________________________________________________

*  HIGH 5 FOR FRIDAY  *  high 5 for friday  *  HIGH 5 FOR FRIDAY  *  high 5 for friday  * 

I almost just wanted to post SUNSHINE for all 5 things this week!

Its going to be 75ish all weekend.

Thank God for sunshine!!

But I realized as usual there is a whole ton of other things I am thankful for this week.

Take a look!!

____________________________________________________________________________________

1.  CHANGE.  I am thankful for change - but it aint easy!!  (See yesterdays post for more on this...)

2.  HUMMUS.  What is not to love about hummus??  All that flavor, and protein too??!!!  YUM.

HUMMUS = YUMMY

3.  JILLIAN.  I do not enjoy working out alone.  I do not enjoy workout videos.  But because sometimes its unavoidable, I am thankful for Jillian!!! 

My BFF (she just doesn't know it!)

4.  TRADER JOE'S.  Do you have one in your area?  I hope you do!  Good food at a reasonable price.  Makes organic and clean eating a much more reachable goal!  And they have great chalk drawings!

5.  SUNSHINE.  Of course, sunshine is on the list!!  Yay for a sunny weekend!!  I don't care what we do, as long as we are outside!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Warmth, brightness, and vitamin D here we come!!!!!!!!

HAVE A SUPER AND SUNNY WEEKEND!!!!!

O, and check out more fun High Five for Friday posts over at From My Grey Desk!!

High Five for Friday

...change...

Ok, until lately I really would have told you I am a laid back person.  In fact, I think almost everyone in my life would tell you that.  I would say I struggle with many things (many, many things!) but that CONTROL wasn't one of them.  And I would say I do pretty good with change.

Boy is that wrong!!

The control part in me is definitely there.  Its just subtle... subtle that is UNTIL things are changing without my permission!!  Changing without giving me any options.  Changing without me CONTROLLING the change.  Yep, there it is.  Then my CONTROL rears its ugly head and I go crazy!!

Its funny how we all have different ways to cope with stress.  I find again that I have been fooling myself.  I would have told you I like to take things head on, tackle things, be brave, take risks.  But I'm realizing my track record tells a different story.  I have always said (way too many times) to God:  "I'll do whatever you ask!"  And I thought I meant it....

But as I am now being asked to walk the talk - guess what I'm doing???

Avoiding.  Stressing.  Worrying.  Trying to control.

There it is.  Ug.  All the things I think I've even prided myself in not doing.  (Does pride really go before a fall?) 

But here is the good news...  because I really would rather be living in REALITY... so the good news is:  I can't do it on my own. 

I tell myself I would rather do it on my own.  Right now, its more comfortable for me to be in control.  But its not really how I want to be.  Self-sufficient seems safe.  But its not.

Even in just writing this blog, I am admitting I don't know myself that well, I act out differently than I think I would, I have even more faults than I thought I did....  So wouldn't I much rather let Someone else be in charge?  Someone who made me, who knows me.  Who has known me all along, and who knows me now, and who knows me in 10 years??  Who also, for the record, knows everything!!!!

Ok, once again I'm back to being thankful.  Thankful for the challenge, because the challenge has knocked me back into reality.  And I want reality.  I want to live my life to the fullest!!  I want to live as I was designed, being dependant on the Lord.  I want my reality to be to automatically TRUST God as my friend and provider.  And I don't want to be "safe" or "in control" on my own....  what fun is that???!!

So I go forward today....  forward to make some tough phone calls instead of putting them off until another tomorrow.  To tackle my house that is overwhelming right now, instead of waiting until next week.  To make some decisions and have some discussions that I have been avoiding.

But first, I'm off to spend some time with my Friend who knows me!!!!!!

...picture worth 1000 words...

http://www.picnik.com/

Ok, so Picnik is my favorite (and FREE) photo editing site.  Has cool options, has been easy to use, is free unless you add the premium stuff.....  I love it.

Sad news is they merged with Google.  So they are going to be doing stuff for Google+ or iGoogle or I can't even remember what their social media thing is called...  so they say their features will be available there but I tried it and doesn't look like it will be at all the same.

Anyways, bummer.  I will be on the hunt for a new photo editing site...  any good ones out there??!!

...summer can't come soon enough...

Come on, Summer!!

We can feel it is getting closer!  I personally LOVE the sun.  And here in Oregon, we get an average of 3 really sunny, wonderful months in a good year.  So I live for those months!!!! 

Today was close enough.  65 degrees and overcast, but not cold and no rain.  So we had to take advantage.

Here we are on our first canoe ride of 2012:

Can you tell my husband is a silly guy?????!!!!!!!

Hope you are all enjoying whatever weather you have right now!!!  (If you are in a hot, sunny place PLEASE go out and enjoy it for me!!)

Have a happy happy week!!!!!!!!!!!



...I *heart* Running...



at the starting line - the summit of Mt Hood


Running.  Even a bad run is a good run.  If you run, you know what I mean.  If you don't, you think I'm crazy!! 

Above is a pic from last August.  We had a team for the Hood to Coast, which is a famous relay race here in Oregon.  Its a 12 person, 195 mile relay from the top of Mt Hood to the beach at Seaside, Oregon.  I have actually ran it 7 - 10 times (have lost track!) and I love it... 

Its one of those things you do that has low and high points!! 

At 3am, when you're sweaty and hurting and have one more leg to do and you haven't slept and the porta potties are getting way gross  - you think:   "WHY???????????" 

But then, at the end, when you run into Seaside and there's 1000s of people on the beach and your done and your feeling all lovey with your van team...  someone invariably goes:  "Lets do this again next year!!"  And everyone agrees!!

at the end of the race, 195 miles later.... an awesome party on the beach

(In case that's right up your alley,  you can see more here!)

Anyways, all that to say - I was thinking about this race as I ran a measly 4 miles today that nearly killed me!!  You know, those SLOW ones where nothing feels right and you just need motivation to get through?  Ya, that was today. 

But regardless of the time, or the length, or how I feel, or if its the best or the worst run....  its still exercise,  I still get outside, its still therapy, its still alone time, time with God, time to myself...  If its the best or the worst...  I still love it.  Every time. 

(And btw - so does my family - ask my husband... whenever I am getting moody and bossy, he sweetly says:  Hon, maybe you should head out on a run!!  Love him!!)

Yay for running....  I *heart* You!

...High 5 for Friday...



From My Grey Desk

ITS FRIDAY!!  ITS FRIDAY!! 

OK - It totally doesn't feel like Friday, but it is!!

Once again, I am linking in with Lauren's High Five for Friday group - so fun.  Being new to this blogging thing, this has been the first "community" thing that I have figured out! 

(NOTE:  One thing I haven't figured out is how to get her button above

to link to her site, so for now just click on the link below please!!)

But check it out...  there are like over 100 bloggers who are linking in with their High 5s.  Love it!!

Now on to the FRIDAY HIGH FIVES!! 

1.  EASTER!  Sunday was a lovely lovely day.  We had friends and family together, it didn't rain, and there was an epic egg hunt!!  Lovely memories!  Great time celebrating Jesus!!

My 3 buddies Easter ready!

 2.  We got to visit Cascade Raptor Center.  I love birds, as long as they are locked up!  Not a fan of them flying free around me.  Long story about being attacked by nesting black birds.  ug.  Ok, back on track.... we got to go to this cool Center where they have tons of owls, hawks, falcons, etc.  Amazing.  I love finding stuff around the town I've lived in my whole life that I've never been to before.  We will have to look for more adventures!

Cascade Raptor Center

3.  BANGS!  Following this video, I cut my own bangs.  YIKES!  First time ever.  I felt so brave.  And I love them!!!!  Due to 3 boys/life I don't do appointments well in this season of life.  HOW COOL that I can cut my own...  If I can do it, anyone can!  You should try it!

BANGS

4.  ART.  Specifically, art made by my boys!!  (My 5 yr old drew this of our wedding day!  So cute!)



5.  And I am just feeling thankful for my boysies, so they are showing up here again as #5!!

!!!  Have a GREAT WEEKEND !!!

...self control...

So, I have realized blogging every day is easier said than done!  Especially the last few days... hence the lack of posts. 

I would like to say its because I have 3 little angel-boys (5, 3 and 2) who have the energy of 200, combined with a crazy house, other family, exercise, making meals, etc etc.

But I do realize those are just EXCUSES!  I read the other day (probably on pinterest - I do love pinterest) that "if its important to you, you'll get it done" or something like that.  Its the truth though.

And I want to apply to it all over the place!  Choosing to live in JOY.  Choosing to eat well, exercise and feel good.  Choosing to act in LOVE.  Choosing not to stuff myself with Cadbury Mini-eggs! 

I don't want to live in a land of excuses or justification...  I would rather choose what I'm doing and choose what I'm NOT doing.  There is the perfect amount of time in life to get done exactly what you should be doing....  Its finding the balance, choosing the GREAT, and knowing how to say no.

Ok, so all things we've heard before.  But how to put into practice???  That's part of the journey I suppose...



 

...swwwwwwwwwwweet...

Sweet AND inspiring!!  This makes my heart full of joy.  First, to see a little guy who is so creative and supported.  And second, to see this man who takes some time out of his life to be such a huge encouragement!!

Makes me think...  what can I do today that encourages somebody???!!!!

Check out the story here!

Here is Caine and his arcade!

Creative Creative Creative

This smile says it all!  Awwww!!!!!

...A Very Special Sunday...

Happy Easter!!

Thank You, Jesus, for everything!

 For my family, for my life,

and that EVERY DAY I can hang out with You

and live life to fullest!!

http://www.worshiphousemedia.com/mini-movies/23090/A-Very-Special-Sunday

Ok, sniff sniff.  Click here or on the link under the pic for the sweetest Easter video ever:
 A Very Special Sunday

(but fair warning you may need a tissue.)


HAPPY EASTER!!

...spring has sprung...

...beautiful...

Yes, Spring has finally sprung!  Here in Oregon, Spring comes with mixed feelings.  We get our occasional lovely sunny day in between long, wet stretches of rain, rain, and more rain.  Today as one of those days!!

The pic above is from a tree in our front yard - so so beautiful!  One of my favorite things about Spring is the blossoming trees.  They only last for a week, so must be enjoyed!  And boy did we enjoy them today!  We loaded up all the boys in trailers we pull with our bikes (they are getting HEAVY and by next summer at least 1 or 2 of them will need to be riding their own bikes!)  and did a 15 mile bike ride all around the town, stopping to run and enjoy the sites.  So fun!!

What a great way to enjoy the sunny day!!!!!!!! 

...high 5 for Friday...

HIGH FIVE FOR FRIDAY!!!

Its Good Friday, and Easter is coming.  That in itself makes it a great Friday!

Here too, is my week in review....

1.  We redid our fish tank!  We have had it for about 6 years now, but every once in a while we give it a make-over and add some new fish (to replace the ones no longer with us!)  For the next few days the boys have their chairs pulled up to the tank and they watch the action for hours!  Pretty exciting!

...better than TV...


2.  Our pellet stove!  When we bought our house, it had a pellet stove but we've never used it.  Finally a few months ago my husband figured it all out and got it going.  It is WONDERFUL.  This coming from a girl who does not like to be cold.  Ahhhh this week its been a steady 70 degrees in our house!  I'm loving it!

...heat...

3.  Daffodils!!  Sure sign that Spring is here.  In Oregon, you never know what Spring will bring - often just a lotta rain!  But its still a signal that winter is wrapping up and yes, our 3 months of sunny weather are on the way!  Love too how my boys spot daffodils along our drive, getting as excited to see them as Christmas lights!

...daffodils...

4.  YUMM Sauce.  If you live in Oregon, you know about Yumm Sauce.  From a place called Cafe Yumm.  This is the yummiest stuff ever invented.  Good on a Yumm bowl (quinoa, beans, veggies all mixed together) as well a thousands of other things.  YUMMY!

...YUMM sauce...

5.  TABATA.  Have you heard of it yet?  The 4 minute workout that is the best/hardest/craziest thing you'll ever do!  Its high intensity intervals (full squats), 20 seconds on with a 10 second rest, for 4 minutes.  I am serious.  The first time you do it, you use muscles you never know you had.  You get so sore.  No joke.  For 3 days you can't really move anything.  But boy what a good workout!  At our gym, The Box, we take a 2 week break every quarter, with no classes.  The break is almost over - we start again on Monday.  YIKES!  I have mixed feelings.  It will be good to be back at it, but I only did tabata once on my own so its gonna kick my behind! 
(for more info see www.fmwtraining.com)

...tabata...



"High 5 For Friday" is linked in from Lauren over at "From My Grey Desk" - Check her blog out!!

...but first, coffee...

So today I was thinking of something I'm sure we've all heard...  the definition of insanity.  If you do the exact same thing but expect different results, your insane.  Or something along those lines.

I agree.  Its true.  And I am applying it my life and changes I would like to make.  Because I gotta say I am in a bit of a Season of Slump. 

Low energy, low motivation...  And its not that all the time and love spend with my kiddos is not phenomenal and I know worth more than gold!!  But I am feeling unconnected.

I think I am missing COMMUNITY.  With little ones and a busy schedule and the slump-i-ness I've been feeling, I realize I miss friends and hanging out and community.  Doing life together with others, that include others outside of the 5 of us. 

So what to do what to do?  The thing with little ones and a busy schedule is that days go by fast.  Heck, not just days.  Months go by fast.  Seriously.  Its April??  That in itself is a surprise!!

So taking the advice/motivation from the definition of insanity, what do I do differently?  What change to make that ensures I am seeing my friends, staying connected, doing community? 

I think it starts with a small goal.  Isn't that whats recommended?  Attainable goals!  Baby steps!

So my first goal - to plan something once a week with someone outside of my family. 

That is so do-able.  And if I set it up in advance, the week won't fly by.  And if its one thing, it won't be overwhelming.

Yay.  So I am off to set up my first plan, for next week.

But first, coffee! 

(That is ALWAYS a good first step!  Coffee = sanity!!)

...I like to move it, move it...

This is what I need in the mornings!!!  A coffee IV!!  Brilliant!!

Coffee is motivation!  We do a workout class called TABATA three mornings a week, and when its over we always stop at Starbucks on the way home.  Seriously, often its only the thought of that coffee stop that gets me through the workout!!

I have a couple other motivators... I am done have kiddos, I am learning more about natural health and how to cook/eat that way, and I want to be healthy and moving my whole life - not limited by being out of shape or unable to do things.

So for working out, I would say the top 2 things that get me "moving it" are:

1.  Work out with somebody!  If someone is waiting for me, I will go.  Even if I didn't get any sleep, I will drag myself there and do a workout.  If I am on my own, I will procrastinate and delay and often skip!

2.  Have a goal! Weddings at the end of the summer are a partial goal. Not that I am too worried about looking perfect or anything - they are my dear dear friends and love me for me.  But it is nice to fit in a dress and not have too many lumps and bumps to worry about!!

I should add #3, which is a new motivator I have found, that I mentioned in an earlier blog.  Its myfitnesspal.com!  You track your calories and exercise and the the more you work out, the more calories you get to eat!!

I am typing this as I am sitting here thinking about how I should be asleep! Meeting my friend bright and early, and I won't stand her up!  But I will feel so much better tomorrow afternoon if I get some shut eye!

Good night!!