Holiday Health Control Thursday, Dec 18 2008

Here is an unsettling fact: The average person gains anywhere from 2-5 pounds during the holiday season… and the worst part is that most people never successfully reach their pre-holiday weight again.

Now, I will not admit to being over-weight or self conscious about my body, as a matter of fact I am quite satisfied with my semi-fit post double pregnancy body.  But it is very true that the holiday season is chalk-full of sweets and oh-so-unhealthy treats (I have eaten at least two dozen cookies since Thanksgiving). Health is much more important to me than weight so I have decided to make a pledge to ensure my ‘fitness’ through the busy holiday season.

My goal is to eat to satisfy myself (not to fill) with healthy food (for the most part) and more importantly… run one mile everyday for thirty days. Yes that’s right, Leah has voiced her goal to run a minimum of one mile each and every day, no breaks for me! This is so important to me because I am a third year health major and I know the effects of a not so physically fit body.

Let me just say something, I have never ever been a runner. I performed miserably running the mile in high school even though I excelled at everything else. I think this time will be different because I have an elliptical machine, an ab-lounge, and motivation. I can say that most mothers have a difficult time with their body after pregnancy (myself included) and it seems impossible to get the cute pre-pregnancy figure back; but we can try!

I am on day two and it’s not so hard. On my first day, I ran one mile and did sixty sit-ups, today I ran a mile and one half and did sixty sit-ups. The most difficult part of my plan is getting the first few steps in, after that it is all downhill (no pun intended). I hope to be able to run two miles without stopping by this time next month.

I encourage all of my readers to implement some type of exercise plan (even if it only consists of a few minutes each day) so that we can all survive the season in confidence. Besides, heart disease is so last year!

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A word to the Unprepared Thursday, Dec 11 2008

Hello readers, it has been a very long while… I have been so busy with school finals and stuff. I am proud to say that I now have an Associates Degree and will be continuing with my Bachelor’s in January. Because of my school break I have additional time to blog, and I must take a moment to lecture because I had a finance incident the other day…

I used to purchase Proactive Solutions face wash. Their policy was that they sent me the soap and then billed me for it later. Over one year ago I cancelled my subscription and paid for my last order of Proactive. Just about a week ago I received a collections notice for 45.90 that I “still owed” Proactive. Nice try, I was sure I has paid my bill. Now, I know that it is important to keep through records of every payment but I typically don’t do that. I started shuffling through all of the payments I happened to keep (usually because I hadn’t yet had the time to throw them away). Nothing; well, yesterday I had the sudden urge to clean out my messy desk and SURPRISE I found my check stub that stated I paid the amount to Proactive. I ran to my phone confirmed the payment with the bank and then called the collection agency; there is no way I am getting a mark on my score for something that I did correctly. Thankfully, the collection agency said that if I sent them a bank statement and a copy of the check that was withdrawn my payment would go away. Lucky me, I had both of those.

So, the lesson to my ‘lucky’ story is that it is sooo important to keep accurate records of check and bank statements. If that collection would have been for more money and I didn’t have proof that I paid… I would be screwed and very very upset to say the least. Please keep a record of all payment histories.

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Nothin’ to Say Saturday, Nov 15 2008

I have been neglecting my poor blog the last few days… ok almost a week. The truth is I really haven’t had much to say. My life really has no exciting elements in it, at least not right now.

Anyway, Sven goes Monday to fill out waivers and then we just wait for them to be sent back, hopefully with a big “APPROVED” stamp on them (lol). After that Sven should get an appointment down at MEPS to swear in. Also, I am almost finished with my Associates (December 7th); I can’t wait for that!

I got some really bad news about the Diagnostic Medical Sonography school that I wanted to go to… there is a five year waiting list! I am so bummed out because it is what I really want to do. Allied Health certified schools are few and far between (the most I have seen in any state is three) and that is probably why they have such a long waiting list. Now, the school I checked out is in Southern California, and we don’t know where we are going to be stationed yet but I am pretty sure that there will be a waiting list no matter where I go.

I think what I will do is get on the waiting list as soon as we are stationed and then just keep chipping away at my Bachelor’s of Science until I get in; then I’ll put my Bachelor’s on hold, do the DMS school and complete my Bachelor’s after that. That’s four more years of schooling but I can’t wait! I love learning and I love working.

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Guilty Pleasure Monday, Nov 10 2008

I am a stay at home mom, so there are times that I have some extra time on my hands. I must admit that in my free time I like to browse Etsyand check out all of the cool hand made things. I used to have an Etsy shop but I was never able to sell anything so I have settled with simply looking at all of the hand made knick-knacks and dreaming. Here are some really cool buys that I would buy if I was a millionaire:

 

Black Tea Bowls: These super awesome mini tea bowls are brought to you compliments of Dbabcock. They only hold 4 ounces of liquid but they are so cool, how could you pass them up?! The store has a ton of different styles of these cute little things plus some beautiful plates and serving bowls. (really, someone buy me these for Christmas, seriously I love ‘em)

The Tab Dress: I love this dress for all occasions! Ureshii offers this flirty dress in ten different colors (wow) and every size. Right off the bat, this dress reminds me of Marilyn Monroe, but I could see wearing this for almost any season (at least in California). If I had it on, I would just want to twirl.

Plant-able Seed Cards: Yes you heard right, these frilly cards made by TaylorGray are plant-able and totally eco-friendly; the little die-cuts come off and you can plant them in the ground and a variety of wilds flowers will spring up! I love this idea, especially with the green movement going on.

Cinnamon Roll Candle: Does this not look like a real and delicious cinnamon roll? SparklePuss has the great gift of turning yummy foods into candles. These candles would be great as white elephant gifts, secret Santa’s, or just as stocking stuffers or to make your home smell yummy… and the best part is they are only $1.95 each!

Garnet Nugget Ring: Stamp made this beautiful ring that I have had my eye on since March of this year! It is made of Rhodolite and Garnet, which is probably why I don’t own it. However, this shop is full of professional and amazing jewelry. I love to dream about all of the pretty pieces… it’s ok to dream every once in a while right?

 

Belle Tote: Thanks Christystudio, this bag is perfect for me! I love the color (grey is fantastic) and it is a good size for someone like myself who carries everything around with her. This would also make a good diaper bag or book tote. It also comes in black leather.

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What Happens in Vegas: A Review Sunday, Nov 9 2008

What Happens in Vegas; with Ashton Kutcher and Cameron Diaz

This movie is about two completely different people; Cameron is the uptight business woman who just got dumped by her fiancee, and Ashton is a lazy guy who just got fired by his father. They are both super upset that they have experienced such a big loss and are looking to have a little fun in Vegas. They get hammered (as many do in Sin City) and get hitched. I won’t give away all the details but, Ashton ends up winning a 3 million dollar jackpot. They go to divorce court to figure out who gets the money but the judge isn’t buying it. Both Ashton and Cameron are in a race to make the other ‘forefit’ their part of the cash.

First, I would like to say, that we have all seen this movie before. If you are looking for something new to watch don’t rent this one. The story line is a typical romance comedy that had my husband and I calling scenarios the entire movie (and we were right). Then again, if you want a good laugh and an old fashioned chick flick to eat your ice cream to… this is the one. The movie had it’s funny parts but you will not see it in my DVD library anytime soon. Overall, I would give this movie three stars.

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Time to Vent Sunday, Nov 9 2008

Everyone needs some time to just let everything off their chest… and my time is now. I have been thinking about so many different things and because I know that there are (or at least should be) some big changes coming very soon, I have so many things on my mind.

Army: First off, Sven has wanted to join as long as I have known him; for a very long time I said “hell no” but, April of 2007 I let in and agreed that he could join if that is what he wanted to do. Now, since then he has been strung along, denied, and straight fight to get accepted. He has taken his ASVAB and passed his physical up to height and weight. He has also gone out of the way to drop forty pounds and attend a Future Soldier class every Thursday (offered by his current recruiter). In addition, he has memorized almost everything he needs to know to be signs as an E2, yielding a higher pay. It has taken him so long to finally meet all of the requirements he needs to sign his contract (almost two years).

Now, it’s getting closer to when he will allegedly be able to sign his contract and swear in. Thursday the 13th he is officially beginning paper work including police checks and a court check. After his recruiter has all of those in hand, he will fill out waivers and send them to Kansas City to be approved, the recruiter tells us this will take about two weeks for the two of them. If everything goes according to plan he should be ready to sign his contract in about three weeks.

I am getting so nervous because he has gone to officially weigh-in and sign so many times now that it is just second nature for me to think that he will be denied again. I am afraid that they will find some reason that he cannot join or he has to wait for a while. We already know what job he wants to do, and we know that in four years he will either enlist for the full twenty or he will go National Guard and we will buy the house we want in Lake Elsinore. I have to pray and trust that God has a plan and it is for a reason because I am so ready and looking forward to finally living on our own.

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No time for T.G. Thursday, Nov 6 2008

Suddenly, it seems that Thanksgiving has been completely overlooked. What the heck happened? I remember back in school when Thanksgiving was a big holiday filled with water color turkeys, and pilgrim hats. Thanksgiving was a very tasty and ”warm” holiday.

At least from where I am standing, there is no Thanksgiving celebration anymore. All of the commercials go straight from “After Summer” to Christmas. The stores mark Halloween costumes as clearance then throw up the fake trees, and ornaments… Don’t get me wrong, the stores do stock up for Thanksgiving and people are smart to shop ahead of time, but it seems so rushed.

In my mind Thanksgiving is still a very cool holiday, the one that reminds me of cooking with grandma and sometimes overkill on the family time, but that is half of the holiday fun. *As I switch over to Christmas* I’m not going to lie, when I was a child it was all about the presents but now that I am all grown up I really could care less about gifts.

I am shocked about how my list of Christmas gifts went from a full blown notebook to one or two little things that are all necessities… I guess that’s when you know you’re really all grown up. This doesn’t mean that I don’t love the holiday, I really do but it is more about giving gifts to my boys and giving thanks to God than it is getting things for me.

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My Views on Obama Wednesday, Nov 5 2008

I have never been a strong political girl however, this election has really ruffled my feathers to say the least. In my opinion, which I am completely entitled to, America has made a serious and uneducated decision about Barack Obama. The Bible has plenty of things to say about the current situation that we are in.

First off, in Matthew 7:15-17 (NIV) Jesus warns “Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” Please don’t be confused, this is not about race… many people have dubbed Barack as the savior of our country and this is clearly not true, especially since Obama who has made it clear that he is not walking with the Lord; there is no way that he will be guided correctly.

I feel that many people have voted incorrectly because they wanted to see historical change. What many people don’t understand is that simply because Obama has a different skin color does not mean that he will be the person to bring light to the country, as many claim. What first comes to mind is the many people in the Bible who have let greed and glory get the better of them, and they have all fallen.

The unfortunate scenario panned out, and even though God is not with Obama we may pray for him and our country because God has assured that Faith will save us. “if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land” 2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV). It is so important that Christian’s pray for the country and for Barack because the Bible says that God’s will may be done through any person.

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Love and Respect: A Review Tuesday, Nov 4 2008

Love and Respect © by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. (Non-Fiction) Published by Thomas Nelson Inc., ISBN-10: 1-59145-187-6

Love and Respect is a Christian book that goes far deeper than simply how to improve your marriage. The whole book is centered around Ephesians 5:33 “However, each one of you must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband” (NIV). The concept is so simple, unconditional love for her, and unconditional respect for him. This is not just a book on how to improve your marriage, this is a book that informs you what should be done according to the Bible to make God happy.

The book is chalk-full of analogies that I personally could relate to and the silly little things made me laugh and remind me every day to work on myself. I took a lot of knowledge from this book, and there are many useful links to Scripture throughout the book. Many times, I found it hard to tear myself away from the pages, but when it got to be three o’clock in the morning and my eyes would not stay open any longer, I had to put the book down. I have had my fair share of bumps in my relationship with my husband however; since I have realized that I am not the picture perfect wife and learned what I can do to work on my own contribution to the marriage I feel that our relationship has grown in only a positive way.

This is not just a book for females either. I kept talking about this book to my husband and explained to him what I had been learning from it, one night when we were sitting together I saw him pick up the book and read the first few pages. I looked over at him and he commented that “it was interesting right off the bat, and [he] intends on reading the whole thing”. There is a specific section for men and a specific section for women to read. I chose not to ready the part about women because I don’t feel I need to please myself; however, I did skim it over and I found it all to be true about me as a woman.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a good read. This book will be useful for married couples, men and women of faith who would like to be married some day, and anyone else who needs help finding God and who wants to grow with Him.

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Choose or Loose Tuesday, Nov 4 2008

As if there aren’t enough voting blogs and posts out there, I thought it necessary to put my two cents in as well:

This year is such an important election, one that may possibly even create history; well, it already has but who knows what will happen. From a religious and personal point of view, there are many things that I do not like or trust about Obama. You will find me at the voting booth today, voting for the lesser of two evils because, this is important and I refuse to sit back and throw my vote away.

I can see how one vote doesn’t really make a huge difference, but if I didn’t vote and Obama got elected for president I would be kicking myself because I didn’t vote against him. When you really think about it: all of those non-voters could add up to a whole mess of people to sway the vote one way or another.

By the way all of you non-voters, I don’t want to hear you complaining about the government status after the election…

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