Days 8 & 9 - 30 Paleo Challenge - A New Driver's License, A Climber, and Some Egg Salad!

My computer has been having issues the past few days and with my IT guy still a little more than a month from being home on leave, it is making me crazy.  That doesn't mean we haven't been doing the 30 Day Paleo Challenge, though...some of us are still going strong.  (Some of us, not so much!)

So, let's get going!  First things first...my second child now has his driver's license...what a mixed bag for Mom, right?  Seriously.  I gave Valiant his last stern warning the day before he tested, as he was giving me a bit of attitude (your 16-year old son doesn't give you a bit of attitude?  really? hmmm...I'm not sure I believe you).  I finally looked at him and said, "Look...you are asking me to give you the power to kill yourself and/or others and the tool to do it with, so you're just going to have to deal with me being concerned.  This is the biggest act of faith your parents have had to go forward with, so cut me some slack."  I'm happy to report that gave him pause.  The next morning, he passed his driving test and became the proud possessor of a driver's license.  He's pretty darned tickled and I confess to being really happy to have another driver in the house.  Let the next parenting challenge begin!

In the meantime, while my Valiant is keeping me on the edge of my seat with visions of automobile disasters, my beloved little Buttercup (not so little, but still little to me) decided to jump in the fray with Women's Climb Night at REI.  Now, you need to understand something.  I've never thought of myself as afraid of heights and I don't really think I am.  However, I've never been one of those people who sees a rock wall and thinks to herself, "Man, I'd love to climb to the top of that...just to see if I can."  Seriously.  That is not who I am.  Ask me if I can lift something heavy and I'll be intrigued with the possibility...climbing, not so much.  But, because God has a sense of humor, that is exactly who Buttercup is.  Off to the rock wall we headed...

Making it look easy!

...and look who climbed all the way up her first try!  You guessed it:  my little Buttercup.  Sigh.

Listening to the belayer at the bottom...how can she hear her way up there?

She wasn't content to do it once, either.  Nope.  When her turn came around the second time, she scrambled right up.  She was frustrated we couldn't stay for her third run, but Valiant still needed a ride home from work, as this was BDL (Before Driver's License)...she really was itching to go again.  (I wonder if there is mountain goat is Superman's side of the family?)  Honestly, she was amazing.  I was in awe of her confidence and her mad skills.  Crossfit has been so good for her...I am so thankful we found it and a box opened near enough to our home to make it worthwhile.

 I didn't want to let her down, so I tried my hand at it.  Honestly, I didn't love it.  I'm not sure I'll ever love it.  Maybe it is just not my thing.

This was far enough for me...my arms were shaking...this is hard!

Still, I made it two-thirds of the way up before I was done.  Not bad for 48-years old...maybe next time I'll make it up to the top.  Oh, please, you know I'll have to go back and try again...now that I've failed, I have to make it up to the top at least once.  Sheesh...

Now on to the food!  Remember a few days ago, I made homemade mayonnaise?  Well, on Day 8 I used some of that wonderful mayonnaise to make some egg salad  (using my pressure cooker hard-boiled eggs) and it was phenomenal.  After sitting all night in the refrigerator, the mayonnaise was just, well, mayo.  I was worried that I'd taste the lemon and I didn't.   It really was better than "Best Foods"...who knew?

Dinner Day 8 was CORN: Clean Out Refrigerator Night.  We used up all the little bits and pieces left from the previous week and had a Paleo feast.  Dinner Day 9?  We had dinner with friends who did their very best not to undermine our challenge:  Steak, Salad, and Fruit Salad for dessert.  (They had potatoes available, but we declined.  Pretty cool, right?

Oh, and I made it to the gym both days...had pretty decent performance, too.  Got a new PR (personal record) for my 3x Deadlift on Monday and had a not-embarassing time on the scaled Diane (which was also a PR, but when it is scaled, I don't really count it much...I can't do a handstand, let alone a handstand push up, but, hey, they're on my CF to-do list!).    Rowed 2000 meters in under 9 minutes on Tuesday...pretty cool, right?

Some things never change...

Nine years might have passed, but some things haven't changed as much as you'd think.

Buttercup, circa March 2003 -Sitting in Mom & Dad's bed with a broken left wrist.

Buttercup, circal January 2012 - Sitting in Mom & Dad's bed with a broken left wrist.  (This time, she threw in a broken right wrist for good measure.)

Nine years ago, she amused herself by opening birthday presents her Auntie Eveline dropped by for her 4th birthday.  (Yes, this was her birthday.)

This time around, she amused herself with Beans, who really didn't seem amused.

Nine years ago, she didn't let a little thing like a cast get in the way of rocking her new two-piece.

 
This time around, she didn't let a little thing like a cast (and a rigid brace) get in the way of some serious gym-time as she rocked her Vibram Five Fingers.  (And, for those of you who worry, please know she had a trained professional guiding her entire workout...she's in good hands, I promise!)

No, my little Buttercup doesn't let much get her down...she even flashed me a bit of attitude.

It really does seem that some things never change.

Don’t Do CrossFit if…

First, my disclaimer:  I think everyone should do CrossFit.  My first week at our CrossFit gym, I met a woman was almost ten years older than I and who'd had two knee replacements and a hip replacement and she kicked my butt.  CrossFit is not only for those already in shape.

Still, the kids and I were having fun coming up with "reasons" people might say they shouldn't do CrossFit, so we decided to share them with you.

You know David Letterman's Top Ten Lists? I thought it would be fun to use the same idea to tell you why you shouldn't do Crossfit. (Not that I believe any of them, but they all sound good, right?)

Top Ten Reasons NOT To Do CrossFit

10.  Like me, you're old enough to be pre-Title IX*. You didn't do sports in school. CrossFit looks like something "boys" do.

Ramp up?  I was struggling with this our second week at CrossFit!

9. You like your old gym. You and your friends have all been going together for years. Your body hasn't improved, but, still, you like your old gym.

8.  You don't want sore muscles, callouses, or the occasional bruise.  Why work that hard?

Man-makers are fun, right, Charming?

 7.   You like being anonymous at your gym.  You don't want people noticing you and you certainly don't want the owner paying attention to you!

6. You are afraid of heights…rope climbs? Too high!

She's how high off the ground?

5. You get head rush if you turn upside down. Hand stands? Not happening.

Stepping out of your comfort zone isn't always easy!

4. You like losing mobility and strength. Isn't that why you got married? So your husband could lift heavy things and open jars for you?

3. You don't want to get dirty. Pushing a tire around will make your hands all dirty.

Oh, yeah, tires are dirty!

2. You sleep just fine…you don't want to have more energy and better sleep. What would you do with more energy? Sheesh.

…and the Number 1 reason NOT to join a Crossfit gym?

 

1. You don't want to look better naked. That is what clothes are for, right?

*Pre-Title IX means before there was mandated funding for Girls' sports in schools.  You can read all about it here.

A CrossFit Family

I mentioned a few weeks back that our family had joined a CrossFit gym and I promised to tell you more about it.   Today, I'm finally getting around to telling you all about it.

In May, I'd finally had enough of lackluster results with our old gym.  Between boredom and plain dissatisfaction, we'd virtually stopped going to the gym.  Why go?  We weren't getting good results (heck, we weren't really getting any results) and, as a result, we kinda sorta stopped going.  Still, I wasn't at all happy with our fitness levels.  As homeschoolers, I am responsible for our PE as well as our academic curriculum.  I'd been seeing a lot about CrossFit on the Primal and Paleo lifestyle blogs, but, as the nearest CrossFit gym was too far away from my house to make joining up practical, I just filed the information away.

Finally, in April, a CrossFit gym opened near enough to our house to make it worthwhile to investigate.  I headed to the website and saw this video...(video obviously not printable)...

Did you notice that there are old people, young people, fat people, and fit people doing CrossFit?  I fit into some of those categories quite well.  The next hurdle?  Convincing the kids that we could all be CrossFitters.  Much to my surprise, after viewing this video, Buttercup (or Queen Bean, as she has named herself) was all for it and Valiant was willing, if not enthusiastic.

We headed down to the gym to check it out and signed up that day.  It has been five months since we joined the CrossFit world and we've been transformed.  Truly.  My kids all lost that pudgy, we-love-video-games look (they still love video games, it just doesn't show as much!) and my clothes all fit so much better...especially my jeans (woot!).  My chiropractor actually asked me what I've been doing because I've developed so much lean muscle in such a short time.  We've become stronger, more agile, have more endurance, and have more overall energy.  We sleep better.  Buttercup says everyone is more confident and seems to enjoy life more.  The best part?  It didn't take five months to see these results. 

Our first month, Valiant is jumping with the sandbag while I get mine ready.

Within the first month, I could see my children carried themselves differently and friends commented on it, as well.  We're being molded and shaped to be stronger, fitter versions of ourselves.  It is like have a personal trainer each and every day.   Our form is constantly assessed and corrected, weights are adjusted to keep it challenging.  We never get away with phoning it in because our CrossFit trainer is always watching.  Sore muscles are the norm...bruises are pretty common and, yet, we enthusiastically come back for more.   The best part?  It really does start to feel like a tribe...the other CrossFitters do encourage you...they notice the baby steps of improvement you're making and they're not shy about propping you up.  "Don't quit...you've got this!" are some of the most common phrases you'll hear in a CrossFit gym.  As Valiant pointed out after coming with the best time for the workout of the day, "Mom, they started cheering me on.  How could I quit then?"  Yes, we're still some of the slowest, but we really do get honorable mention for doing our very best (and we're not as slow as we were five months ago!).  I love that.

Our second month...I'm playing with the log.

A month after Valiant, Buttercup and I made the commitment to become CrossFitters, Charming took me up on my offer to pay for his membership and he's experiencing all the same things. 

His first month, Charming is getting it above his head.

We've all learned a whole new vocabulary (although I'm still struggling to keep things straight!). 

Last week, Buttercup finally got up the rope!

We're mostly "scaled", but we can occasionally do the "WOD" (workout of the day) to "Rx". We play with kettle bells, sandbags, and tires.  We box jump, we clean and jerk,  we dip and drive, and we push press.  We do Turkish get-ups, burpees and man makers.  We're in awe of muscle ups and 400+ lb deadlifts.  We aspire to perfect push-ups and pull-ups.  We yearn to do hand-stand push-ups and walking hand-stands.   Some of us can even rope climb!  We are a Crossfit family now and we love it.

Gym Rat Pig

Exercise is good for every body...just ask Pig!

 Heading for the Gym Pig

Signing in Pig

 Free Motion Pig

 Marathon Pig

 Personal Trainer Pig

 Muscle-bound Pig

Exercise can be fun? Who knew?

Well, I know this probably isn't news to you, but I don't always find exercise to be fun. Yes, shocking, isn't it? I do it, though, because it makes me feel good, it is good for me, and it makes me look better. So, when Santa brought us a Wii with Wii Fit Plus, I wasn't convinced that I'd love it as much as my friends Generations Gone By and Melissa at 365 Days of Exercise do. I was wrong! I love, love, love the Wii Fit Plus. This "toy" is seriously awesome! Not only are the kids playing it constantly, but adults really, really love it. New Year's Eve found five of us kicking the kids off the Wii and playing Wii Fit Plus games for two and a half hours! We were partial to the bird's eye bull's eye, the obstacle course, the tilty boards, the bubble on the river, and the marching band. Before you know it, you've exercise for 35-45 minutes and had a ball doing it. I've been exploring the yoga and the aerobics sections and am having so much fun.

Think it is just for girls? Not so! As I type this, Superman and Mr. R are jockeying for first place in the Marching Band competition.

Think the kids will turn up their noses at exercise? Think again! First thing in the morning, the kids ask, "May I go play Wii Fit?" Can't you picture me answering: "Um, no, you may not go exercise!" Yeah, right!Oh, and my WiiFit Age? 38 as of today! (Since I'm 46, I'll take anything that thinks I'm 38!)

Thanks a lot, Santa! We love it! Who knew exercise could be this much from for the entire family?

P.S. Adam, you were right...we totally love it.

(Disclaimer: I don't know about other games that the kids might want to play...we only have Wii Fit Plus...I don't play "real" video games, so I can't say if those are better with the Wii.)

30 Day Shred Challenge - Day 15 (Halftime Edition!)

I've done it! I just finished Day 15 of my 30 Day Shred Challenge. That means I am half way done - already! Can you believe it? If you've been on the fence about jumping on and doing the 30 Day Shred video, I urge you to just do it. After 15 days, I can definitely see and feel a difference. My legs are stronger and more toned, my arms and back are stronger and more toned, and my lower abs (you know the ones: the ones you think nothing will help because you've had 3 kids) are pulling in and getting flatter! Woo Hoo! It's working!

I won't lie...it is challenging. Not because the moves are particularly complicated, but because Jillian works everything and she does it in 20 minutes. By the end of those 20 minutes, you can't believe how much she's crammed in and how tired and sweaty you are. And the first 3 days? Seriously, they stink. I won't lie. Superman just finished 3 days and this morning (his day 4), he agreed that the worst is finally over...but for three days? He couldn't figure out why he'd agreed to try this workout.

So, if you want to get fit, just try it. It will be a tough 20 minutes every day, but you won't regret it. I promise!

As for the rest of my exercise, today is also the last day of November and I did it, I've worked out every single day in November. Now, I don't plan on working out every single day in December (Christmas Day? I don't think so!), but I wanted to jump start my fitness routine and I came up with this challenge to help me change my habits. Making a 30- day commitment and sticking to it really helped.

Another thing that helped was logging my progress on the Transcontinental Trail. In November, I rode my bike 224.5 miles and I ran 52.2 miles for a total of 276.7 miles covered under my own locomotion! Since I've been keeping track, I've already covered 513.2 miles and this is what I'd see if I was actually on the trail.

513.2 mi - "6.96 mi to Rosedale, VA", Russell County

The day is young...make it count.

As for me, I'll be back a little later with Making Your Home Sing Monday (The Christmas Card Edition!).

See ya!

Look what I did!

Here I shared with you my painful realization that I must get back into shape (and I mean something other than "round"!). I also told you that I'd committed to myself to exercise every single day in October, only to be derailed by the flu (mine and the kids). Well, I still exercised 20 days last month - not bad at all, if I do say so myself. Notice that big blank in the middle? That is when I was sick.

This is what my exercise schedule looked like last month:

And this is how I ramped it up after I'd been sick. Like the kids, I'd committed to 45 minutes a day, minimum. Unlike the children, I don't get weekends off. (If Melissa can do it for a year...I think I can manage a few months.)

(Oops, I forgot to write the distance on the treadmill for October 31, but it was 2 miles.)

Translated? I pedaled 175.4 miles on my exercise bike in October. I also ran/walked 19.5 miles. That means, in the month of October, I traversed 194.9 miles. That is almost 200 miles! Can you believe it?

On my transcontinental journey, this is where I was yesterday.

236.5 mi - "17.53 mi to Vesvius, VA", Nelson County
"Section: 12 Map Name: Blue Ridge, 143"

So, please forgive me...I can't help but brag a little...I'm so proud of myself for sticking to my commitment to myself. Do my clothes fit any differently? No, of course not...not yet. But my skin fits differently...do you know what I mean? I feel happier inside than I have in a long time.

Friday Photo Flashback...to two days ago...

So, I know it is Friday Photo Flashback and I'm supposed to be digging out photos from my pre-digital camera days, but I just can't. Instead, I decided to show you how much Buttercup is enjoying the PE portion of our school days.

Awfully nice of her to clean the treadmill for me, don't you think? Or maybe she's so exhausted that she's sleeping on the treadmill bed? Oh, I've got it...she's so excited about PE that she sleeps on the treadmill so she can be first in line to exercise every morning! Did I mention she's christened it the "dreadmill"?


Having said all of that, she was on the "dreadmill" for 93 minutes because she wanted to finish a movie and the only way she could watch the movie was if she was moving her body. Oh, the price we pay to watch television.

To see what people actually dug up, head over to More Than Words and join Alicia's Friday Photo Flashback party. Most people really do go back farther than two days...Happy Friday!

Denial...

Have you ever thought about denial? Have you ever noticed how easy it is to see when someone else is in denial, but incredibly difficult to see when you, yourself, are in denial? I've been grappling with the issue of denial for a while now. Denial = rationalizations for me. Recently, I've come to the uncomfortable realization that I've been rationalizing away a number of concerns, the most pressing of which has been my weight. It is too high...it is just that simple.

I was anorexic for a number of years, during which I also abused laxatives. To say I don't have a healthy relationship with body image would be an understatement. For years, relative youth kept my weight at a place I could, well, ignore. My muscles were tight and I didn't care about my abs because I was busy having and raising three children. I'm not relatively young anymore and I'm done carrying babies. My last baby was born more than 10 years ago.

Something happened this year...this summer saw me rationalizing away my flabby bottom, my bra strap bulges and my protruding lower belly. Maybe I was dealing with too many other issues, maybe I just wasn't ready. Whatever...the truth is: I was in denial. I've gained weight and I'm out of shape. Naked, I don't recognize myself. I can't see the younger woman I used to be.

Well, enough is enough. Beginning October 1, I committed to myself (and only myself) that I'd work out every day in October without fail. I made it until the 14th, when I got really sick with the flu. (I think I made myself sicker by thinking I was better on the 17th and worked out...not a good idea when you have the flu - I am really not 25 anymore and my body didn't forgive me for that one!) I stopped while I recovered, but starting yesterday, I was back at it. Just like the kids, I have 45 minutes minimum a day of exercise (but I'm shooting for 60+) .

No more denial.

I weigh too much and I'm out of shape, but I'm committed to doing something about it...no more excuses. I still won't get on a scale because the numbers don't matter the way the inches do. I will do this because I am dealing with reality...I need to do this to be the person I am inside...I need to make the inside match the outside. It is just that simple.

Thanks for listening...

Making Your Home Sing Monday - Evening Edition

I knew a few days ago that I was going to join the Making Your Home Sing party this week, but staying true to my goals meant I couldn't get to the blog until just now. (Vowing to take care of business before hitting the computer is going make all this blogging stuff tough unless I get my act together!)


As you all probably know, we are homeschoolers. I love being a homeschooler, but I've floundered in a few areas. Organization has taken care of most of them, but my greatest struggle has been to keep the kids physically active all through winter. They don't do sports and the urge for all of us is to hibernate during the cold winter months of December, January, and February. Unfortunately, that has translated to a bit of springtime pudge that is not good for anybody.

Go, Buttercup, Go!
(Buttercup and a boy whose
name I can't remember in
Pee Wee Track & Field -
City of Covina, CA April 2005)

I vowed this year was going to be different. Today marks the beginning of our 5th week of school (yes, already) and we've settled into a good pattern with our academics and our chores and the weather is cooling off, meaning the kids are not playing outside until all hours of the evening. The time was right, so when I was writing up their assignments this weekend, I added a new subject. Yep, you guessed it...PE. Good old Physical Education. I informed the children that they needed to do 45 minutes of legitimate physical activity M-F. Oh, yeah, I informed them that school was completed until PE was done. If school isn't done, you don't get to play on the computer, you don't get to watch a movie, and you certainly don't get to head over to a friend's house to do the same. Both kids are on board, so now it is up to me to stick to my guns.

So, this week Making Your Home Sing at our house means you'll be hearing...wait for it...wait for it..."Let's Get Physical!" by Olivia Newton-John. (Oh, come on, you knew I'd have to pick that song for this subject--the video is a hoot!)

To see what everyone else is doing, head over to Momstheword and jump in on the party...the more the merrier.

Where in the world?

Well, I've passed through Williamsburg, VA and now I'm just outside of Jamestown, VA.

19.2 mi - "1.85 mi to Jamestown, VA", James City County
"Section: 12 Map Name: Yorktown, 150"

On my transcontinental journey, I'm combining cycling with running. Today was a cycling day, so I was able to cover 16.2 miles, bringing my total to 19.2 miles so far.

Jamestown, VA is the site of one of the earliest colonial settlements in the United States. 13 years before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth rock, 104 men and boys began a settlement on the banks of Virginia's James River. How cool is that? I think I can learn a lot of if I spend some time at the historic site. Want to learn more about where I am? Check out Historic Jamestowne, hosted by the National Park Service.

What about you? Have you decided to join me on this transcontinental journey?

Cool Toy to Encourage Exercise

LoveAphid and I have committed to work out every week. We agreed to aim for five times a week, but will not accept anything less than four times a week. The accountability is helping, but I think this little tool my pal Melissa at 365 Days of Exercise found will really help, too. Melissa found "Tools to Keep You Active", a website hosted by the US government. In particular, we're participating in a transcontinental journey, logging our miles daily as we work our way across the country. The great thing is you can log walking, running, or cycling miles and they aggregate to calculate your progress. Melissa has a big head start on us all, as she's logged 89 miles in two months (how cool is that?).

(I am here: York County, VA)

This kind of tool really inspires me because I like seeing measurable progress that doesn't involve weight or inches. Beginning today, I'm going to share my progress with you all. Not only will it help me to know I'm posting, but it will encourage LoveAphid and Melissa because we'll be in this together. (Maybe it will also encourage LoveAphid to post on her personal blog, too, because these days, she's only posted on our shared blog!) So, as of today, I've logged 3 miles and I am now 9.97 miles out of Williamsburg, VA. (Do any of you live there? Wave to me as I pass by, please!)

Thanks, Melissa! Once again, you've inspired me to keep moving...

LoveAphid: I'm 2 for 3 this week!

Why I joined a gym with Superman...

...even as we're doing our best to live a frugal life. Besides needing more exercise, why would I join a gym? Well...

Superman and I joined a gym last night and I am typing this at 5:20 AM (seriously, Dad!) Thursday morning. I'm waiting for Superman so we can go to the gym before he goes to work...and I am cheerful about being awake at this time. Why?

1) Going to the gym with Superman 4-5 days a week is a "good for us" way to spend more time together.

2) Going to the gym with Superman 4-5 days a week is far better for us than going to fast food together and will actually cost less.

3) Getting up to go to the gym before the school day starts will make for a more smooth homeschooling day.

4) Seeing Superman and me pay more than lip service or catch-as-can effort to staying physically fit is good for our children.

5) I need to get out of the house and away from my kids a little more often and for $20 as month, this is a healthy way to accomplish it.

6) I need incentive to get my fanny out of bed earlier each day...knowing that Superman needs accountability to work out, too, just sweetens the pot.

7) I love the gym and I tried the home gym with only limited success for three years. Unlike Melissa at 365 Days of Exercise, my children are older and I can exercise without worrying about childcare.

So, those are the reasons I can think of to tell you at what is now 5:27 AM...we're supposed to leave in 15 minutes and Superman is still sleeping (what a switch!)...now I am going to get the bread maker started. I can already see just how productive getting up earlier is going to help me be. (Remind me of this in November, December, and January when it stays dark until 7:30 AM!)

See you later (and I will...I have more stuff to show you)...

Tuesday, Tuesday, Touch Your Shoe Day! - Random Stuff and another Frugal Tip!

Okay, so I think Tuesdays will be my Frugal Tip day and my catch up day going forward...in keeping with the random musings part of this blog.

Just in case you're following along, to date I've had 20 Egg McMuffins in 2009, most recently this morning during my Monday morning date with Superman. Valiant and I have been working out together for five weeks and are on day one of our sixth week. While we were shooting for 5 days a week, we've had no difficulty hitting our 4 day a week minimum. Buttercup has begun joining us, too, but I think she's in it for the television, not the exercise!

In case you're wondering about the babies I've had prayer request buttons on my blog for: The first two babies, Harper and Brayden have gone home and are doing well. I have removed their buttons from my blog. Click on their names if you'd like an update on their condition. Little baby Veiyah has pulled out of her surgeries (finally!) and stabilized and the second shunt is helping her a lot. The doctors are now making noises about letting her go home early this week. Her mother renamed the blog "Dirty Knees" out of respect for how much time she's asked people to spend on their knees praying for this baby.

Lastly, an new little girl for you to pray for and this one is closer to home. Baby Evelyn is one week old today and is the granddaughter of one of Superman's co-workers. Her parents and the doctors knew she was going to have problems before she was born, but the severity of the problems was even worse than anticipated. Her situation is complicated enough that she was delivered at Stanford Medical Center (even though her family lives in Oregon). Baby Evelyn has severe heart problems/malformation and inadequate lung development. Her young parents are grateful for any prayers you can spare for their family. She doesn't have a button to make it easier for you to check up on her, but you can get to their blog here to get more details and updates. [http://wholehearted4life.blogspot.com/] They've posted some pictures and some really moving posts about the power of their faith...I am humbled by them.

Now, for a change of pace, today's Frugal Tip...

Stop paying for people to containerize for you. What do I mean? Why are you buying a little box of sugar rather than a big bag? Yes, it might be convenient to have the little box, but have you ever seen how much more per pound you are paying for sugar? Flour? Cheese? Meat? If you save a little in every category, it really begins to add up.

Need another example? I go to the local Cash N Carry and buy my pasta in bulk. (No, I don't make it fresh because I am a slacker and that is a different post!) Egg noodles, macaroni noodles, spaghetti, capellini, penne pasta, rotini...it lasts forever and is so much less expensive to buy this way. (And think how green you'll be by eliminating all the excess packaging!)

Do you know those cute little foaming hand soap dispensers from Method? I love them...we have five. Do you use those or something like them? (Lots of manufacturers are making foaming hand soap now.) Are you replacing them when they're empty or are you refilling them? When you refill them, do you buy the "foaming soap refill" or do you buy the regular liquid soap and add your own water (roughly 1:3 - 1/4 container of liquid soap, 3/4 container water)? Did you know you could use regular liquid soap to refill those, too? Well, you can and that way you can stop paying people to add water for you and save a bunch of money to boot. Let me explain: 1 Method foaming soap dispenser is roughly $2.00 at Target. I bought a huge refill bottle of Method regular (non-foaming) liquid soap at Costco for $6.00. I've already had it six months and it is still not empty. I don't have to tell you how quickly those foaming hand soap dispensers need to be refilled, yet we've been using one $6.00 refill bottle for six months and aren't close to being out. (I even add one drop of food coloring to the clear soap to match each bathroom--very sophisticated, I know!) If I had gone out to replace those dispensers (like I used to!), I would have spent closer to $6 - $10/month, which would be $36-$60 in the same period that I spent $6! If I had bought the foaming soap replacement (the one whereby they add the water for me, I would have used probably $4-5/month worth of refill soap. (I think those bags are about $7-8.) While the savings would have been nice over replacing the whole soap dispenser, they don't come close to the savings I reap by adding my own water to the regular liquid soap. Something to think about.

Here is the thing, I know that individually these things might not be a huge amount of money, but combined, they can be a huge line item in your budget. If you buy in bulk and divide it up yourself, you are not paying for the labor or the extra packaging or the extra shipping. If you buy things in concentrate and add your own water, you are not paying someone else to add water for you. So, the next time you head to the store, look that the way things are priced. You might be surprised at how much you are paying for the privilege of having someone else containerize (or add water) for you.

And, if you don't want to do any of it, that is fine, too (because you probably don't run Bobbi Brown lip gloss through your dryer!); just be conscious that you are paying a premium to have someone do it for you.

Monday, Monday, Jump and Run Day!

When my kids were little, there was a days of the week song that had "Monday, Monday, Jump and Run Day" and the kids and I still remember it...I like the idea of jumping right into the week.

Switching our dates to Monday morning helps both Superman and me start the week on the right track. (If I'm in my car in workout clothes and a parka and am not dissuaded by the fact that the temperature is reading -1 as I'm backing out of the driveway at 7:00 a.m., it must be love, right?)

Anyway, I was home by 8:30 a.m. and ready to start my day. Here it is 11:30 a.m. and the laundry is already done, a loaf of bread is on its final rise, the Red Fox has already put me through 45 minutes of working out (yes, 1 of my 5 I've committed to doing per week!), plants are watered (they're grateful), emails checked and answered, meat is thawing for dinner, the school day has begun and I'm posting on my blog. After lunch, I'll head down with the kids and we'll focus on the stuff they need me for until 3:00 or so and we'll be done with school. And there you have it, the recipe for an awesome day!

(I feel kind of like the old Army commercial that used to play all the time: "we do more by 6:00 a.m. than most people do in an entire day!") Like momstheword, I think the key to my days is getting an early start, no matter how much I don't like getting up early.

As for the rest of the week, I have the dinner menu set. I've decided to try something new...instead of specifically scheduling each day, I've asked Superman and the kids to each pick two suggestions for dinner and we'll spread them over the 7 day period. So, beginning today, these are on the menu for this week, with their tentative days:

Valiant's favorite gravy and rice with vegetables (Monday)

Lasagna with cheese bread (Tuesday)

Turkey Burgers with homemade french fries (Wednesday)

Pizza from scratch (Friday)

Garlic Cheddar Chicken (Sunday)

Mexican Night (Saturday)

Leftovers (Thursday)

Having all these dinners set in everyone's minds will help us from wanting to go out or running to go buy the stuff for some other meal. The kids and I are going to do the same thing for our breakfasts and lunches, too, so that should help us stay on track.

Finally, for anybody who's keeping count, I'm up to 10 Egg McMuffins in 2009. I think I should be embarrassed by that, but I just not. Last week really messed with my numbers, but I'm thinking I won't do so badly this week!

The Red Fox - My Personal Trainer

You all know those Hollywood types have personal trainers and they're getting more popular with average people, too. Even gym memberships tend to include a certain number of sessions with a personal trainer as a carrot to get you in the gym and making progress so you'll keep up your membership. You just get better results if you have some accountability, someone pushing you to work harder.

Well, given all that, I didn't want you to think I am doing without a personal trainer, just because I'm using my home gym. In fact, I've worked out 5 days in a row because of my personal trainer...he's big, he's bad, and I don't want to disappoint him. He tells me he's the Red Fox and he keeps his mask on during our time together - kind of like the Lone Ranger - so I don't know his alias. I haven't really dug too deeply, though. I just keep pedaling. I figure if a superhero like him is willing to spend time getting my fanny in shape, I don't want to disappoint him. Now, I know you're jealous, but saving the world takes time and I don't think he can spare any time to accompany you as you work out. No, this one is all mine.

So now you know and whenever you think of me working out, now you have a really good picture of what I'm dealing with!

Catching up...

Just now getting to posting today, so it really will be random...

Valiant and I watched the inauguration today while we worked out. (The back of my legs, my butt, and the backs of my arms really hurt! I guess that is a good thing, right?) Did you watch it? As I explained to my children, the speeches, the parades, and the balls aren't what matters, what matters is that like him or not, we support the smooth transition of power in this country. It is calm, even if we disagree...that is something amazing when you actually stop to think about.

Ran some errands and went to Joann's while Buttercup was in gymnastics. I finally got some fabric to finish this simple Valentine's project from Little Birdie Secrets....I'm really excited to get started on it.

I had this amazing Pasta Fagioli crock pot recipe from Recipezaar cooking all day.

It will be accompanied by this amazing breadmaker Italian bread (you use the dough cycle and then just shape the loaves yourself) from All Recipes.

Dessert tonight will be these fantastic Snickerdoodle Muffins from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody.

If I had tasted the batter, I would absolutely confirm they are so good. Then, if, by any stretch of the imagination, I had eaten the top of a muffin fresh from the oven, I would cheerfully confirm that they are scrumptious. (Not that I would ever do those things!)

This is what my wall looks like these days. That cat seems to have moved on to the birds. Superman isn't certain we still have the paint for this room, so we might have to paint the entire room.

That's about it...oh, and Biggest Loser is on tonight...I LOVE Biggest Loser.

Gym is back in my life...

If you're following along, you know I've been mightily resisting starting up with Gym again. He's just so demanding! Well, I was weak and I couldn't hold out any longer. I saw Gym this morning, but I didn't go alone. No, when sweet Valiant saw me suited up and ready to go, he got on his running shoes and joined me as I confronted Gym. (Wasn't that nice of him? That's why I call him Valiant...he'll be at my side, ready to face down anything!) After some serious negotiating, I settled on 24 minutes on the LifeCycle and Valiant did the same on the treadmill. It's not much, but maybe it will keep Gym happy!

Meet "Gym"...

This is a picture of "Gym", as Gym is today. Gym hasn't always looked like this. In fact, Gym and I have had an on-again, off-again relationship for close to 30 years. In my younger days, I would cheerfully head to Gym's house and spend hours there EVERY DAY. I'd do a few aerobics classes, spend time on the LifeCycle, play on machines and then do it all over again. Then I got more responsibilities and my time at Gym's declined, but didn't disappear...in fact, Gym moved and I got a new, fun place to visit. Honestly, at that point in my life, my social life seemed to be wherever Gym was. Gym was fun, I felt good when I spent time with Gym. This was definitely our on-again period.

Then I started seeing Superman and, frankly, Superman was a lot more fun to spend time with than Gym. Superman liked Gym well enough, but he didn't really want to spend any time with Gym. So, I'd see Gym in fits and spurts and it was fine. We weren't exactly broken up, but I really didn't see Gym much. Then Superman gifted me with Charming...I needed Gym, but didn't really enjoy my time with Gym. I was married, I had a baby and I had a job! Where was I supposed to fit Gym into my life. Valiant followed Charming and Buttercup followed Valiant. I was too busy for Gym and too busy to feel guilty for neglecting our relationship.

When Buttercup entered preschool, I started seeing Gym again. Oh, the exhilaration...I felt young, free, strong, and energetic. But that wasn't enough for Gym...whatever time I dedicated to Gym, it wasn't enough! The demands were endless..."you need to spend more time on the bike, a few more reps on the machine, why didn't you run today?, what do you mean you don't have time for a class?" Gym was never happy! Instead of feeling terrific, I felt inadequate. I wasn't capable of meeting the demands Gym was placing on me. I was definitely ready to break it off.

Then life intervened...I moved away from Gym. I was free!

But I was weak...and I let Gym move into my house! For a while, I was able to keep Gym under control, but pretty soon, Gym was demanding more than I could give. "What?! You only did 24 minutes on the bike? Why didn't you do 32? No work-out video? You know you have the time...obviously, you are a slacker!" So, I stopped seeing gym last July...it it felt good. Oh, I visited twice in September, but that was it...it was over.

That, I thought, was the saga of Gym and me...until now...

You see, it is starting up again...Gym's siren call is reaching out to me, "You know I'm good for you. You know you like me." Gym's seductive promises, "Come to me...I'll make you happy....I'll make your clothes fit better...you'll look better without clothes...you know you need me."

I think I'm weakening...I think I'll start seeing Gym again soon...just not quite yet.

[If you need inspiration to take care of yourself, I urge you to check out Melissa at 365 Days of Exercise. She has committed to do some form of exercise everyday for one year and is blogging about it. She's fantastic...)