Realizations.

Oh wow...so by now you know that I love to talk about myself blog as much as possible so you know it's been a rough week when I go rogue.  The reason?  First week of school.  I know, I know some of you who work "normal" jobs don't get the luxury of "teacher hours" and may be thinking well yeah she is finally going back to work and is just tired and busy because she isn't used to it.  Oh friends.  I really hope that is not your thought process, but if it is, I invite you to my classroom for one day.  In just one day you will understand the complete amazement of watching children fall in love with the wonder and possibility of books and you will have a full understanding of the fall on the floor feeling of exhaustion of getting kids to that point.  I love my job, but I do not love the politics that go with it.  I love my kids, but I do not love some of the choices they make.  Growing up, I had no clue what being a teacher was all about.  I honestly thought it was making kids smile, reading them books, giving them hugs, giving them compliments, making them happy, giving them assignments and teaching them how to get along and they actually would.  Yes, teaching encompasses all of these.  However, it is more.  It is hard.  It is the hardest thing I have ever done.  One would think that the 8th year of the first days of school I would have it under control lickety split.  Nope.  It's hard every year.  I just get better at accepting it.  I was defeated these first few days, but I still have almost 180 days to change that.  As I look back, I wasn't defeated.  The kids do listen to me.  They do want to please.  They don't want to hurt one another...they just CRAVE attention.  I will give them what they need in a positive way.  Overcoming failure is what grows us.  That's why I love teaching.  Each day is a new day to try again.  I am so thankful that I have the opportunity to spend 7 hours each day with these little ones.  God has entrusted each of them with me for a purpose.  That's heavy stuff.  It's a huge responsibility.  I am thankful that it's my responsibility.  I am currently writing this at 11:20am on Saturday morning and Tom walked into the room and said, "Wow, you look out of it. You are still exhausted aren't you?" I replied, "Yep, I feel like a huge pile of exhausted mush."  That feeling of mush is worth it though because I don't want to feel this way.  I am going to overcome this extreme feeling of defeat and exhaustion.  It pushes me to be a better educator.  It pushes me to think of better ways to break through the walls of my students.  It pushes me to push my students harder to be their very best.  It pushes me to love them for who they are.  It pushes me to be creative in ways to light a fire under them.  It gets me past the poor behaviors to know that I could plant a seed in their lives that will grow.  This morning I started reading a book called, Educating Esme.  It's a diary of a woman's first year of teaching.  She impresses the socks off of me.  So bold.  So unafraid.  She stands up for what she believes in.  She knows what she wants and she gets it (most of the time).  She lifts her students higher than they ever thought they could go.  I can do that.  I know I can.  It's going to be hard, but it's going to be worth every exhausting moment.  This blog originally started out in my head on a completely different topic and I appreciate you coming along with me on my thought process today.  I guess I just needed to write it all out.  These were my realizations about my job and I hope that maybe you understand me a little bit more because of it.

Normal!

I just got a call that my hormone therapy is working!!!  Praise the Lord!  Both my progesterone and testosterone levels are in normal range.  I am so encouraged!!  I do feel better too...it's still tough trying to get my body awake and up in the mornings, but my energy levels throughout the day are definitely higher.  Yes! 

On another note, I am very much looking forward to next Wednesday, which is when I get my TMD appliance.  (It is much like a retainer, but is fit specifically for my bottom jaw and will apparently keep my muscles in the correct placement.)  If you asked a "normal" person if they were excited to wear a piece of metal/plastic in their mouth all day every day except when they eat and brush their teeth and makes them talk funny, they would say, "NO WAY JOSE!"  But you ask a person who deals with 8-10 migraines a month if they would be willing to wear a piece of metal/plastic in their mouth all day every day except when they eat and brush their teeth that makes them talk funny in an attempt to rid themselves of migraines all together, and they would definitely say, "HECK YES!  GIVE IT TO ME NOW!!"  <---------Well, that's me. I will get it just in time for "Meet the Teacher".  Haha...that's should be interesting learning to talk with it and meeting students and parents for the first time.  I'll let you know how that goes.  ;) ;)  Well, anyway, I am so excited about the possibility of reducing these migraines that I would dye my hair green and stand on my head all day if it would work.  But thankfully, I don't have to do those things.  I can just wear this tiny little thing in my mouth.  Sweet. 

Oh and guess what?  I took advantage of my last Friday before school starts up again and painted :)  You can find my new paintings in a tab at the top of this blog...yep look up...now to the right.  See the tab that says, "My Art"?  Click that and you can see all of my paintings.  I've sold two so far!  Really super excited about that.  One of my "30 before 30" goals is to sell three paintings.  If you have any interest in owning one (or two or three..hehe) please don't hesitate to make an offer.  Prices are negotiable and I really just want people to be able to enjoyment out of having them in their homes.  I will be doing another auction in September, so please vote for one of them to be the next painting to be auctioned off for charity.  Thanks friends!

One last thing...I just want to say how blessed I am by my readers' kind words, encouragement and comments.  Thank you so much for sticking with me and reading my blog.  I hope that my blog continues to help inspire you and bring joy to your life because you bring so much inspiration and joy to mine.  : D

New diagnosis

This week was a flurry of tests, bloodwork, and appointments.  Finally I have a new diagnosis.  It couldn't have come at a better time because August has brought wth it 4 migraines followed by 4 days straight of rebound headaches.  Rebound headaches can happen when I have taken too many of my rescue medication (Imitrex).  Yes I'd say taking four of them within 6 days would cause some issues.  I have never had to take that many in such a short amount of time. Wednesday through today have been miserable days.  I was hesitant to take any more meds because I had no idea what would happen if I did.   Finally today I took a couple of Advil.  It helped and I could at least function.  Praise the Lord! I just took a couple more and I am really hoping I will wake up pain free.  So onto my diagnosis, I went to my general practitioner on Tuesday for bloodwork and everything came back normal except for my liver function.  My liver function was low, probably due to the increased amount of medication I took for my migraines prior to my appointment.  I do have to go back in 4-6 weeks to double check on it though.  So the next day I went to see a new doctor specializing in TMJ, which is now frequently referred to as TMD.  A friend referred me to this doctor because she had been hospitalized for her migraines in the past and she hasn't been back to the hospital since she had been treated for TMD by this doctor.  Wow. So she told me her symptoms and it seems we had a lot in common. My symtoms include: clenching, grinding, sore jaw muscles, ear ringing, popping of the jaw, waking up with migraines, neck pain, shoulder pain, which are all symptoms of TMD.  So it was concluded at my appointment that yes I have TMD and might also be so lucky as to have sleep apnea as well.  The whole process is going to be extremely expensive.  Insurance doesn't cover much of anything and as the poor insurance girl at the office was explaining the cost of everything I started crying...oh how embarrassing! This progesterone therapy has made me so weepy! I couldn't stop thinking about the expense and I got so overwhelmed with the whole process....the sleep study, the xrays, the appliances, the idea of possibly having sleep apnea, plus all of the sudden migraines, trying to get pregnant and not ovulating and I just couldn't keep the tears from flowing.  Ugh. Stress.  I  really need to get a handle on it.  Anyway, after much deliberation this weekend I am going to go  ahead for the treatment because I need it and apparently TMD is to blame for many migraines. So  here we go on a new journey in the never ending quest to beat these stupid migraines. Yesterday I did another hormone saliva test to measure how well my hormone therapy is working.  Prayers and  suggestions are much appreciated!

Bidding begins at 7:00pm!

It was a resounding win to painting #1 in the votes for my first "Painting it Forward" bidding event. 

The name of this painting is "Easy Breezy".  This is an original painting by me on thin canvas using acrylic paints and transulcent buttons.  It's dimensions are: 8.5 x 11.  Frame is not included.  Estimated value is $22.

In case you missed my post about "Painting it Forward", you can read all about how I came up with the idea here. 

The bidding on this painting will start at $1.  The bidding will begin at 7:00pm tonight (8/10/12)and last for 48 hours on Facebook.  The bidding will close at 7:00pm on (8/12/12).  You may bid at anytime during this 48 hour period, but the amount must exceed the previous bid.  At the end of that time period, the person with the largest bid will get to keep the painting and will also get to choose a charity for the net profits to go towards.  If you are not Facebook friends with me and would like to bid, you may comment below with the amount you would like to bid.  If yours is highest, then you win the painting and the net proceeds will go to the charity of your choice.  Checks will be made out to me and I will then donate the net profits to the charity of your choice.  A receipt of your donation will be mailed to you along with the painting.

Questions?  Ask away! 

Happy bidding and thanks so much for supporting me in this venture!  Good luck!

100th Post

Wow, I can't believe I've already published 99 posts!  I started this blog on a whim and it's turned into more than I would have ever imagined.  It is such a blessing to know that this blog has inspired others to start their own blogs, grow more in their faith, begin an exercise program, experiment in the kitchen and explore their own hidden talents.  It has been a great journey for me and I hope it's been as beneficial to my readers as it has for me over the past 9 months.  What an amazing realization for me to look back 9 months ago and see exactly how far God has taken me in life. 

Laura's life changes in the past 9 months:

Dec. 2011                                         Aug. 2012

Just beginning to cook                       Cooking up a storm of healthy meals

Weight: 209.2                                   Weight: 179.2

Skeptical that I could paint                Completion of 6 paintings-1 sold

Could not run more than 30 sec.        Ran 60 minutes without stopping or walking

Never read through entire Bible        About to start 2nd reading of Bible

I am blown away at all of the positive changes that have occured in my life in less than a year. 

What a difference the support of family and friends, self discipline and prayer can make.

I wonder what God has in store for me in the next 9 months?  Whether good or bad, I know that it will be just fine because I have been richly blessed with an amazing support system full of love and encouragement.  Thank you to each and everyone of you who have read by blog. You have been a huge inspiration and encouragement to me.  Thanks for sticking with me and we'll see what the next 9 months bring :)

Thorn Sweating Race Recap

Sweat.  So. Much. Sweat.  This virtual 5K was appropriately named, "Sweat Your Thorns Off." Well if I had any thorns, they would have been sufficiently sweated off for sure.  I started the morning by rolling out of bed around 8:00am, slowing changing into my sweat wicking running duds, strapping on my Timex, taking a couple of good inhaler puffs and turning on my iPod.  Tiniest red speck of battery left.  Whoops.  Plan out route on www.walkjogrun.com.  Try to set route to memory so I end up right at 3.1 miles.  Fill up the water bottle, grab my phone and head out the door.  Here we go! Gorgeous morning!  Slight breeze, but pretty humid and 82.  First mile was smooth sailing, by mile two everything was soaked and I mean everything (sorry TMI), headed into mile three sweat dripping in ears, nose, eyes and mouth....yummmm sweat.  Delicious. Forgot which street to turn on towards the end and actually went a couple of blocks too far so ended up a bit longer than 3.1.  Kept checking my watch though so I was able to check the map when I got back and see where my 5K actually ended so I could figure my pace.  Finished 43.55 minutes later.  Subtract 3+ minutes for extra blocks and we've got a PR by a minute!  3.1 miles in 40.33 minutes. YEAH! 

Happy 3 month runniversary to me!  It's been exactly 3 months since I began the Couch to 5K program.  Very cool.  Plus I'm feeling pretty good too.  We'll see if the migraine beast decides to rear its ugly head. 

Here's my sweaty self post run sporting my AWESOME race bib. 

Thanks Adam from www.theboringrunner.com for designing it and for hosting this great virtual race!

I know some of my fellow bloggers are racing with me today.  Can't wait to hear all about your race experiences!!

7:00 Shut Down

So tonight I was thinking about how many hours I've logged online just in the last week.  The thought really made me stop in my tracks.  What am I missing out on by staring at a screen for hours on end?  How much more could I be getting out of life if shut down a couple hours early every night?  A lot.  Some people have 6:00 shut downs, and props to them because that's just a little too early for me especially during the school year.  By the time I get home it's time to fix dinner, eat dinner, clean up, etc.  7:00pm is a good goal for me because that would give me about 30-40 minutes to be online, which really, is plenty.  I'd much rather spend the last two waking hours of the day playing games with my husband, enjoying the great outdoors, catching up on some reading or just hanging out with friends. 

I researched this issue and there is an overwhelming number of people who are doing their own shut downs at various times throughout the day.  Some shut down in the afternoon, only in the morning or after a certain time like I intend to do. 

Are you finding this an issue in your life? 

I'm commiting to this starting Monday.  Keep me accountable please!!  If you see me hanging out online after 7:00 give me a virtual kick in the caboose!  Seriously.  Are you with me?

Shut it down, live your life.

Painting it forward

One of my goals on my 30 before 30 list is to sell three of my paintings.  I found a great deal on canvas so I am ready for another set paintings.  I've been thinking about what I can do to help the world with my painting.  It would be nice to earn a little extra money with my paintings, but if I can benefit others with my painting then that's priceless.  I'd like to bless others with the money I make instead of keeping it.  I'm sure others need it far more than me.  These pieces are no "Picassos", but it's what I love. 

Through a lot of prayer and thinking, here's the plan...I'm going to let friends, family, fellow bloggers, etc. bid on my paintings starting at $1.  The bidding will go for 48 hours on Facebook.  At the end of that time period, the person with the largest bid will get to keep the painting and the winning bidder will also get to choose their favorite charity.  The net profits from the bidding will go to the charity of the winner's choosing. 

I'm planning to do this with six paintings in hopes to go above and beyond my goal.  I feel like this will be a great way for me to give back and allow others the opportunity to do so as well.  Here are my recent paintings...please vote for which one you would like me to auction off first.  Just leave a comment with the number of the painting!  Thanks so much!

#1

#2

#3

Now what?

 

I really just want to sit down and cry.

 

Another migraine.  Really? 

 

I am getting really frustrated...I am still suffering from these migraines. 

 

About half the time post-exercise I get a migraine. It doesn't matter if it's running, aerobics, dance, stretching, yoga...still develop a migraine.

 

I stay WELL hydrated and as I have said before I have seen 3 neurologists, 2 gen. practitioners, 2 chiropractors, 2 gynocologists, had scans, MRIs, sleep studies, accupucture, chiropractics, ice therapy, heat therapy, electrode therapy, trigger point therapy, magnesium supplements, 9 different preventative meds, hormone therapy, elimination diets, anti-inflammatory diets and nothing really works.

 

I WANT to exercise for my heart, bones, tendons, ligaments and I NEED to keep my body healthy, but no matter the intensity I get a migraine about 50% of the time. 

 

I just don't know what to do...

 

So...fast forward to this afternoon.  I decided to take action and I have come this far. 

 

I am not giving up.

 

Today I went in to see my awesome pharmacist and he ordered me some progesterone cream to rub on my temples when I start to feel a migraine coming on.  Apparently it works for 63% percent of women who suffer from migraines.  Sounds good to me!  Definitely worth a shot.  Also, my doctor is going to adjust the amount of progesterone I take at the end of my cycle to try to achieve more of a hormone balance rather than a big drop off, which may result in a migraine.

 

I'm also scheduled to take another saliva hormone test this month as well as blood work and a food sensitivity test next week.  Hopefully those results come back with some helpful information.

 

You can refer to the tab labeled "The Great Migraine Battle" at the top of my blog to follow my current monthly migraine count.

 

The Great Migraine Battle rages on...but I don't really feel like I want to sit down and cry anymore.  There's always hope and God is faithful. 

Sweating My Thorns Off!!

That's right!  I'll be sweating my thorns off this Saturday in my very first official virtual race.  What is a virtual race?  Well, remember when I ran a 5K the morning of Relay and had this beautiful pic taken? 

Don't you just LOVE the purple crown!!??  I do!!  I mean seriously...when do you have the opportunity to wear something like this in public??  I couldn't attend my running club's Birthday 5K so I did it on my own at the same time, but 30 miles away.

So now this is an official virtual race.  Everyone is running on their own in their little corner of the world.  There will be people from across the globe running on the same day just to celebrate being healthy and the ability to run.  Pretty cool.  Plus, there are some seriously great prizes.  A fellow blogger, "The Boring Runner" is in hosting it.

Check it out and you can join me (virtually) ;)

Weigh in...post vacation

Everytime I go on vacation I come back with a few souveniers...not all by choice.  Unfortunately, a few of them are extra pounds.  I'm pretty positive that I'm not alone in this plight, however.  You go on vacation, a little dessert there, a bacon cheeseburger here, a couple extra sugary beverages and BAM!  You have yourself 5lbs of extra you coming back home.  Well, I planned out 10/11 meals and was pretty active.  However, I still splurged with an extra chicken sausage, pizza and a giant ice cream cone.  Plus I didn't run.  So I wasn't sure what the scale or the measuring tape would say today.  But I have been tracking all of my food and exercise every day.  Our Marathon Weight Loss weigh in day is Monday so I had no access to a scale last week while on vacation and then waited for the official weigh in day.  Here we go.

Wake up, use the bathroom (sorry TMI) deep breath, exhale, step on and wait....


Blink....


Blink...


Blink...


YES!!!!


Down 2.6


All of the planning was worth it!!!  I'm so excited!!  My hard work is paying off.  Definitely encouraging. 

That brings my total weight loss to exactly 28 pounds since January and 36 pounds since after breaking my foot.  I tend to get discouraged when I lose 0.2 pounds or gain back what I lost the previous week, but all of those little set backs and small losses add up over time.  Over 30 weeks I have lost 28 pounds so that averages out to a little less than a pound a week.  Woot!

ICE CREAM!

I decided weeks before we left for vacation that I would attempt to eat ice cream at the Dells.  Well, we went to "The Fudgery" and I figured, if I'm going to try it I might as well go big or go home.   

Just picture it...a giant, crispy, golden brown waffle cone with one scoop of Moosetracks (peanut butter cups, fudge, goodness, etc.) settling into the bottom of the cone.  Heaping over the top edge was sweet caramel ice cream loveliness.  Oh baby.  The girl serving up the ice cream could feel my excitement.  She said, "Oh I know...I get really excited about ice cream too!"  She had no idea.  Seven months is a LONG time to abstain from ice cream.  I savored it.  I loved it.  It was THE BEST ice cream cone I have ever had.  Totally worth the seven month wait.  What a treat! 

After it had been devoured, the waiting game began.  Would I get a migraine?  How long would it take to come on?  Would it be worse than normal?  Well, the next day brought with it a migraine starting on the way home.  I really would like to think it was not because of the sugar, but because of the sleepless nights of vacation.  Our cabin was not air conditioned and my body is a total wuss when it comes to heat and not sleeping.  So the migraine could be attributed to lack of sleep or the sugar. 

Well I was determined to find out. Yesterday we went over to visit my mom and she had Toffee Ice Cream bars so I decided to give it a shot because I've been sleeping like a baby ever since I got home.  Guess what??  No migraine!!!  One more crossed off the 30 before 30 list!  Woot woot!!! 

Now I don't want to get crazy here.  My goal is to reserve sweets for when I REALLY want them. 

I don't want to become additcted to sugar like I did before and I still want to be sugar/sweetener/preservative free in my meals because let's face it, it's good for my body.  But what a relief that I can have a sweet treat from time to time and not worry about a migraine.  It could be that if I ate sugar like I used to, then it could trigger a migraine.  Minimal amounts once or twice a month could be the ticket!! I've found it's all about moderation.  Eat well 90% of the time and "indulge" the other 10%. 

Life lessons...I know there are many many more to come :)

Prayer Journal

So lately, I've been feeling a bit of a disconnect in my spiritual life.  I just don't feel as close to God has I have in the past.  I realize that as a Christian, our walk with God waxes and wanes, but I don't have to be okay with it.  My daily devotion and prayer time with Tom has been such a great thing for our relationship with one another and with God.  I love our church and Sunday School class.  I even find myself looking forward to serving in Kindergarten.  Something still feels missing.  

As I was praying about it, God revealed a total "duh" moment.  As I began looking back on my life, I started to see that the times I felt closest to God throughout my life were the times when I was writing in a prayer journal consistantly.  Of course!  It makes complete sense because it's one thing for me to go to church, read the Bible and serve in ministry, but that can only take me so far.  I crave that one on one personal connection with my Heavenly Father and my favorite way to get that is to write out my prayers.  When I journal, it's very personal...more like a conversation or a letter rather than a list of prayer requests.  God has used my prayer journals in the past in so many ways...to help me get my priorities straight, to reveal how He is working in my life, to increase my awareness of just how incredibly blessed I am and countless other ways I'm probably not even aware of. 

So the other day Tom and I went to KMart and I picked out a nice leather journal.  And of course it is pink ;) Today is Day 1 and I can't wait to start!  I'm making a commitment to write in it at some point every day until it is full.  I love looking back on my entries and seeing how far I've come and the best part is feeling my anxieties wash away with the knowledge that God's got my back and He loves me so much that He even listens to this girl's prayers.  It's amazing to me just how many people there are in the world and how involved God is in the fabric of each of their lives whether they are aware of it or not.  This has been especially apparent to me watching all of the countries walking in the opening ceremony of the Olympics.  Our God is an awesome God isn't He? 

My question for you...Have you ever journaled?  If so, what was your purpose in doing so?  Did it have a positive impact on your life?

Ding, ding! Dinner's ready!! Spicy Chicken Tortillas...

I've been in a permanent Mexican mood lately and this is one of my favorites.  It's such versatile dish.  It can be a dinner, an appetizer, or a dip. 

Tonight, Tom wanted his as a dinner and I cut mine up like an appetizer.  So easy! 

**By the way, this recipe makes a LOT so feel free to cut it in half or even thirds!

Appetizer version with a few blue corn chips, a kiwi spinach salad with a cup of milk.

Spicy Chicken Tortilla Roll-Ups (serves 8-10)
Adapted from Sing For Your Supper

1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 can Ro-tel diced tomatoes, drained
12 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded cheddar or monterey jack cheese
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tsp ancho chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp garlic salt
8-10 large flour tortillas

Cut up the chicken breasts into small pieces.  Add to skillet over medium heat. Season the chicken with garlic salt, cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper.  Cook on med-high heat until cooked through.  Once the chicken is cooked, cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, combine softened cream cheese, drained tomatoes, cheese, and minced garlic. Mix together until well-incorporated. Add cooled chicken and stir together.

To make into a dinner:

Fill tortilla with mixture and roll up like a taco.  Top with lettuce and tomato.  Ta da!

For a dip:

Scoop into a pretty bowl, refridgerate and side with chips.  Easy peasy!

To make into an appetizer:

Lay out tortillas and divide mixture evenly in the center of each. Spread into a thin layer leaving the edges clean. Roll each tortilla tightly. Do not fold in the ends like you would with a burrito but leave them free. Use a sharp knife to cut into 1" thick slices and transfer to a serving platter. (The end pieces will likely unroll a little so just eat the extras). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.  This has been a huge hit at parties!

Can't say I never won anything...

That's right!  I recieved a blogger award!

I was awarded The Liebster Award from my fellow blogger Mary over at

 http://walks-in-the-woods.blogspot.com/

I'm so excited!!  It's a great way to share some things about yourself and learn from others in your blogging community!

So what is the Liebster Award:

The Liebster award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers.  The meaning: Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.

Rules for receiving this award:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.

2. Then answer the questions the tagger sent for them, plus create 11 questions for the people they've tagged to answer.

3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.

4. Notify the people you have tagged.

5. No tag backs.

Here are 11 little things to share with you about my life...

1. The best thing that's ever happened to me is marrying my husband.

2. The scariest thing I've ever done is finding out my mom was diagnosed with cancer.

3. The greatest news I've ever recieved is that my mom's cancer is gone.

4. The proudest thing I've ever done is being hired as a teacher.

5. I love driving my car.

6. I hate flying in airplanes.

7. I used to play the organ.

8. I am an only child.

9. My favorite color is purple.

10. I really want to take karate lessons.

11. The best decision I've ever made is to follow Jesus.

Here are the 11 questions Mary asked me along with my answers...

1. What inspired your blog name? I want to spice things up in the kitchen, in my art, in my teaching, and in my life so my blog is all about spicing things up and getting the most out of life.

2. What do you like most about blogging?  I love to write and journal.  It's a great way to sort out my emotions, document my life and be a part of a wonderful community of people.

3. What was your dream job when you were a child?  To be a teacher.  I made it!

4. Where is the furthest place you've ever traveled?  I did a J-term in London junior year of college :)

5. What is the strangest or most exotic food you've ever tried?  And did you like it?  Frog legs would probably be the most exotic and I love them!

6. What is your favourite film?  Oh this is tough.  It's a toss up between My Fair Lady, Christmas Vacation and Bridget Jones' Diary.

7. Who is your favourite TV show character?  Lenard from The Big Bang Theory

8. Do you have a crazy, far-fetched ambition and what is it? To be an author.

9. If your friends could describe you with one word, what would it be? Nice.

10. If money were no object, where would you live and why? I would live right where I am now because money does not buy happiness and this is where my family and friends are.

11. What is your favourite book of all time?  Gone with the Wind

And now my questions to all my lucky recipients:

1. Who has been an inspiration in your life?
2. What is a dream of yours that you've been holding back from achieving?
3. What is your best attribute?
4. What is your favorite memory from childhood?
5. If you could rewind your life, what is one thing you would do differently?
6. What was your proudest moment?
7. What is your favorite quote?
8. How did your life turn out differently than you expected?
9. What is the quirkiest thing you do?
10. What is your richest blessing?
11. What do you hope to accomplish with your blog?

Now I get to pass on the award :) 

So here are my lucky recipients...you have all inspired me in one way or another.  Thank you.

Step by step, bit by bit

Running? Really, what was I thinking?

Eat Teach Blog

Virginia Cooks!

Square Zero

A Mother&#39;s Journey...

Hello Fitness...We Meet Again...

Sexy Mother Runner

Mommy Meltdown

Will Move for Cake

Just Between You and Me

Exercise on vacation...yeah. about that...

I've heard all about how much exercise people are getting while on vacation...runners throwing on their sneakers and watching the sunrise as they run around campgrounds...bikes being strapped to SUVs and lots of hotel gyms being sweated in.  I decided I could do that on our vacation too, so with a couple of exercise capris, sneakers, my inhaler and some good intentions, I was ready.  A perfect campground for running, plenty of gorgeous shady trees and the quiet beauty of nature. 

However, shopping, boat tours, swimming, mini golf, ski shows, campfires, riding "Ducks" and hay rack rides trumped formal exercise. 

At first, I was disappointed in myself, but then I started adding up all of the activity we did over the three days of our stay.  There is absolutely no reason to be disappointed! 

We had an amazing trip, all but one of our meals were planned out and nutritious, and we were active almost the entire time.  I'm so glad I didn't stress myself out to try to squeeze in "formal exercise".  I didn't need it and I didn't need the stress.  We lived it up and loved our trip with lots of fun, lots of activity, and lots of memories made. 

Lesson learned...relax without stress, enjoy your trip and make the best choices you can. 

I'm glad I did :)

Healthy eats on vacation...my "how to"

Tom and I just got back from vacationing at Wisconsin Dells.  We've been doing really well with eating right and making good choices so I didn't want that to stop just because we were going away from home.  I did end up eating some goodies and I'll tell you about that in my next post.  But this is all about my meal planning.  We stayed in a cabin with a fridge, fire pit and a microwave.  We brought a toaster with us. So I planned out all of our meals except for one dinner, which we decided would be a nice dining out experience :)

Here's my valient attempt at a stress-free healthy eating vacation...it worked too, because we only ate out once and it was planned!  Go us!! :)  Here's how we did it...

Step #1: Plan out breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners (remember drinks too!)

Step #2: Be choosey on what, when and where you want to eat out.  Make sure it is something you will enjoy, you don't get often, keep it special so you won't feel like you are being deprived of eating out on vacation.

Step #3: Avoid typical camping food like premade salads (pasta salad, potato salad, coleslaw, etc.) They are full of mayo and won't fill you up.  Plan for lots of fresh fruits, veggies, hummus, string cheese and whole wheat crackers instead...think picnic at a rest stop instead of McDonald's drive-thru.

Step #3: Write down every single necessary food item to make those meals (don't forget condiments!)

Step #4: Write down every appliance, dish and utensil needed to make (and serve) the meals.

Step #5: Write down everything you will need to clean up or wrap up leftover food (think foil, cling wrap, zippy bags, paper towels, clorox wipes, etc.)

Step #6: Make a grocery list of everything you don't already have on hand.  Go shopping!

Step #7: Prepackage, prewash and precook anything you can.

Step #8: Pack wisely.  Utilize all those reusable grocery bags you get for free.  Put all snacks in one bag.  Put all appliances in another.  Pack all paper goods together, etc.  Take a small cooler for picnics or for day trips (to waterparks, theme parks, etc.) Pack a big rolling cooler with ice for all of your refridgerated or frozen items. 

Step #9: Fill up milk jugs with water ahead of time and put them in the freezer.  Then pack the cooler with them so you don't need as much ice and then you have drinking water at the end of the trip and you won't have to resort to that gas station soda!

Step #10: Enjoy, have fun and eat great food without guilt!

Here's a few photos of my food prep...

My shopping trip for some of our snacks and sides for the week.

We got a good deal on a meat bundle at HyVee...pork chops, brats (for Tom), chicken sausage (for me), chicken breast (I cut it up and precooked it).

I divided up the Pirate's Booty into individual servings.  Otherwise, I would eat half the bag in one sitting.  I also did this with my oatmeal so I wouldn't have to bring the huge container of oats or a measuring cup.

Prewashed cherries, blueberries, strawberries, cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery.

I used naan for my lunch sandwiches.  Naan, chicken, spinach, tomato and cheese...mmm.

The directions say they need to be warmed in an oven, but I just stick the pieces in a toaster :)

There it is folks...it does take time to plan, shop and pack, but it was totally worth it! 

I'll weigh myself in the morning and let you know my progress!

30 before 30

I was inspired by a fellow blogger, Hannah over at http://willmoveforcake.blogspot.com/ to compile a list of 30 things I want to accomplish or do by the time I'm 30.  I've got 8 months before I turn 30. 

Here's my list...

1) Get pregnant.
2) Eat ice cream without getting a migraine.
3) Sell 3 of my paintings.
4) Learn how to french braid my bangs.
5) Sign up for a mission trip.
6) Start a journal.
7) Read through the entire Bible again.
8) Volunteer somewhere outside my comfort zone.
9) Make my own bread from scratch.
10) Run/walk a 10K.
11) Read Gone With the Wind again.
12) Write a poetry book.
13) Make my own laundry detergent.
14) Make my own hummus.
15) Run 5 miles straight.
16) Go horse back riding and be comfortable with the horse trotting and galloping.
17) Go to a local winery.
18) Be a mentor.
19) Make a snowman with Tom.
20) Drive my SUV out of state.
21) Go kayaking.
22) Watch a sunrise with Tom.
23) Watch a sunset with Tom.
24) Learn to sew.
25) Start a Bible Study for college students.
26) Write a thank you letter to my 1st grade teacher.
27) Go to a fancy dinner and eat out of the bread basket without getting a migraine.
28) Bake a turkey all by myself.
29) Make my own Christmas cards.
30) Be thankful that I get to turn 30.

Teacher Guilt

So I want to know if I am the only one who experiences what I like to call, "teacher guilt".  Let me explain...first of all, I work my tail off from August through May.  Second of all, at some point over the summer, I am usually participating in some sort of professional development.  This year I co-facilitated our district's Comprehensive Literacy Model conference for grades 2/3, which included months of planning during our lunch breaks, a week of planning when school go out, and a week of faciliation at the actual conference. 

Then I'm planning to go supply shopping (Our school buys ALL of the school supplies the children will need for the year.  Parents give a donation and students just bring gym shoes and a backpack.)  I do kind of love going school supply shopping except when I get the stink eye at Wally World for lugging two huge carts busting at the seams with folders, notebooks, glue, pencils, crayons, markers, erasers, pencil boxes, etc. I see it as a challenge to get as much stuff as I can for the $200 limit.  Yeah, $200 for all the supplies needed for 30 kids (we have a lot of move ins/move outs).  But if you are smart with your limit, and the supplies you are purchasing it's doable.  Anyway, supply shopping starts August 1 for me.  Then after that I spend most of August setting up my room, organizing, lesson planning, copying, making templates, putting together binders, folders, labeling EVERYTHING, etc. 

So.  Here's my issue.  I get about 6 weeks off this summer and I feel SO guilty when I'm not working on school stuff.  For one thing, I want to get better at my craft of teaching so I have motivation to research and read prof. dev. books, but I know the school year is always so stressful and anxiety filled that I need to use this time to relax.  I put in a lot of time during the school year, and even in June with conferences, am on my 3rd professional development text and am in the first day of August, but I am having trouble giving myself permission to have a "lazy day" where I just lay on the couch and read and watch movies all day.  Maybe I have difficulty with this because for instance, today Tom's working all day from 6:00am-5:30pm and I feel guilty about that.  I know I shouldn't but I do.  He doesn't give me a hard time and he even encourages me to just relax because he knows how stressed out I get during the school year. 

How can I relax without the guilt??  Fellow teachers how do you do it?? Or should I feel guilty and be working on school stuff all summer??  HELP!

Eating my exercise

As a three times Weight Watchers veteran, I was ALWAYS told at meetings to eat my exercise points.  So now that I've been adding up my food and exercise on http://www.loseit.com/ I have been eating my exercise calories for the mostly every day.  However, I've only gone over my daily calorie limit twice since I've started counting calories and really haven't been losing weight.  I've gone up and down and am down 0.8 from the start a month ago, which I realize is better than gaining, but it's not what I was expecting.  I put in my weight, height, age, etc. and entered in that my goal loss each week is 1.5 lbs.  So according to loseit, my daily calorie input is around 1,500 cals.  On average, I burn between 300-500 calories in exercise daily.  I've been reading a lot of blogs, discussion boards and I've noticed that many people are only eating 1,200 cals/day.  Plus exercising on top of that and not "eating their exercise".  That just doesn't add up to me.  So let's say you do a 400 cal. workout and eat 1,200 cals.  So your body is only working with 800 cals. for the rest of the day?  It just doesn't seem like enough and that your body would rebel.  Can someone explain this to me?  Is my 1,500 cals. too much?  Maybe these people are just MUCH smaller and shorter than me.  I'm 5' 8" and 183.8 lbs.  (Yes, I did just share my height and weight...yeah I didn't intend to do that til I reached my goal weight, but I think this info is important in figuring out calorie intake) Maybe I just need to stop eating my exercise calories?  We had a Sole Sister conversation about this a few weeks ago.  Most people say not to eat the calories unless you save them for a special treat or big dinner out.  That's what I'm trying this week.  However, today I ended up eating half of my exercise calories because I ate three servings of Snackimals.  But half is better than eating ALL of them I suppose.  I also realize it's not all about the number of calories, but what kind of nutrients are in those calories.  I feel like I'm doing pretty well with eating a good balance of protein, veggies, fruits, dairy and grains.  I could definitely do less cheese and grains, but I feel good about what I'm eating for the most part.  I'm going to try not eating my exercise calories and see how that goes and then possibly adjust.  Help me out here if you think I'm onto something or if I'm completely off track.  Thanks.