Home is where the __________ is.

Home. That one word evokes so much emotion. And we've all heard the different sayings:

"Home is where the heart is"
"Home is where you are"
"Home is where your mother is"
"Home is where I am when I'm with you"

And the list goes on...

This week my husband and I are on our annual summer vacation back in my hometown. I come from the Jersey Shore....the real one. Not the one with all of the fist pumping, hair gel and gold chains (we do have those here but the locals aren't the culprits). The one with the beautiful views, boats, water, beaches, fishing and so many friends and family that I've been missing so much lately. We missed last summer's trip home because we used up all of our time off for the wedding and our honeymoon in Jamaica. It had been so long since I've been up here that the ache for "home" was so deep in my soul I could barely stand it.

Years ago I left home for college and then went to grad school and then before I knew it I had started my career nearly 500 miles away in North Carolina. Some people run away from home the first chance they get. They vow that they're "getting out" and will never look back. I wasn't ever running away from anything. I was just pursuing my own thing and learning more and more about myself in new environments with new people and new jobs and interests. One thing after another and now I'm married and loving my life in Raleigh. It wasn't until pretty recently that I really started longing for my "home" and wondering what it would be like if my husband and I were living somewhere reasonably close to here.

But this begs the question...what am I really missing? Is it the nostalgia of being here that evokes my deep feelings? The thought and sight of all of the places I spent so much time in my younger years? The mornings before work spent sipping coffee on the beach, the winter evenings sitting at the inlet just watching the tide roll in and out, the smells, the sounds and all of the relationships that are unique to here? Or is it the feeling of missing out on so much of the people who were always such a significant part of my life? I don't know that I'll ever be able to answer that question from Raleigh.

The last couple of weeks I've been thinking hard about the idea of home. Is it possible to be completely at home in two distinctly different places? To have half of your heart in one place and half in the other? To long for one place so much it hurts but to so deeply feel that you can't leave the other place because you love it there too? How do you manage when that's the reality of your life? I'm sitting here on my last day at "home" and I'm so happy for the time we've had to spend here but I'm really sad to leave. However I'm excited to go "home" to see my dogs and be back in my routine and get together with friends and just be in Raleigh. I'm lucky, you know? I have two places so close to my heart that I get to experience on a regular basis. I have close relationships and fun memories in both homes and for that, I am fortunate.

So for now I will be a girl with two homes and two hearts each filled with love for those places. It's been an amazing week and I eagerly look forward to my next trip. Now to head off and get ready to go home...

Until next time.

90 Pledge

I never said I was good at keeping up with this blogging stuff. It's true, I want to be good at it. I want to have a blog that people look forward to reading and that I look forward to writing. I want to inspire others, make people laugh (and hopefully not cry...), provide a vehicle for my far-away family and friends to keep up with life, and create a way for me to document my existence so we can someday look back and smile at all of the cool, and sometimes seemingly insignificant, things we've done.

I love to write. Sometimes when I've composed something I'm proud of, even if it's a boring work document, I'll go back and read it half a dozen times. I enjoy putting words together and letting my personality show through my writing. I hate the lack of time that I have, or think I have, to commit to writing. It's my dream to create my own little freelance writing gig where I do business and technical writing for all sorts of different clients. I also really stink at making time to work on making that dream a reality.

For those of you who have been around lately, you know that I am going through several health issues these days. With these issues, I've had to adjust a lot of things in my life. Daily B12 injections means constantly sore arms and no alcohol, six months of antibiotics means a much more careful diet and numerous side effects that I'll save for another day, Lyme flare-ups mean unpredictability in how I feel from day to day and sometimes, hour to hour. The weight gain that has resulted from much of this over the last 8-9 months is discouraging and depressing to say the least. However, I have committed to start to combat some of this instead of wallowing in my own self-pity.

So I've made a pledge. I will be going through the P90x program in my home for the entire summer. I started on Memorial Day and I will end on Labor Day. I have chosen to do this because I'm ashamed of how badly out of shape I've become and I went from loving the gym to loathing it. Once upon a time I could keep up with the others around me in the weight room but those days are dormant. I can get a good workout in my own home and not feel so awful when I wake up feeling like complete crap because of a certain antibiotic or Lyme reaction. I don't have to worry about other people.

Why am I sharing this? Because as a part of that pledge, I'd like to pledge to blog daily - or almost daily, through the same time frame. If I'm waking up everyday at 5:30am to workout, I can use the time right after my workout to write.

I don't expect that anyone is reading this anymore but hey, if I can make it a habit once again maybe it'll someday be worth reading regularly!!

Until next time...

A Hokie Day of Remembrance

Usually I'm rushing out the door with my hands full of what feels like 10 different bags, a coffee mug, keys, and a bunch of other odds and ends. Typically I have 17 different things on my mind and a to-do list is already running through my head. Today is different. I'm sitting here on my balcony overlooking the city as I enjoy my morning coffee. I have chosen to slow down and enjoy my morning today as I spend a little time reflecting on the last 5 years.

Five years ago today, 32 of my fellow Hokies lost their lives at the place I cherish most. Thirty two beautiful, innocent, young, vibrant, and promising young students and professors were brutally gunned down while they were simply in class engaging in learning. Those 32 students and faculty got up five years ago this morning and they were rushing out the door to class with a hundred things to do and a million different things on their minds. Thinking about finals, graduation, job interviews, grading papers, finishing projects, and the list goes on...they never could have imagined that their lives would tragically end before any of that mattered.

On April 16, 2007 I was living in Harrisonburg, VA and I was completing my final semester in graduate school at James Madison University. I remember sitting at my desk at work when people started talking about a gunman on Virginia Tech's campus and how many lives were thought to have been lost. I picked up the phone to call several of my fellow Hokie alums to hear what was going on. I remember driving back to my apartment with fear for those who I both knew and didn't know back in Blacksburg and dread for the place I once called home. I turned on the TV and with shock I watched the scene unfold before me. National news and law enforcement crawling all over my pristine campus. The buildings I spent four years in were all over the TV with crime scene tape. Poor, innocent, and wounded students were being pulled from classrooms and stories of fear, desperation and heroism were being recounted for the National audience. I remember the tears rolling down my face as I couldn't believe that such evil and horror could overtake the place that I hold so dear to my heart. I couldn't wrap my head around the fact that so many people lost their lives in a place that is supposed to be safe and nurturing and hold so much promise for the future. I just stood there and cried. And cried. And cried. I remember driving from Harrisonburg to Charlotte for a job interview and as I passed by Blacksburg the tears were clouding my vision. I stopped on campus on April 18th and I sat on the top of War Memorial and gazed out onto the Drillfield. Amid all of the chaos, saddness, and tears,I felt at home and at peace. Virginia Tech can never lose it's magic and now we have 32 angels to look over our incredible Hokie Nation and the place we all hold so dear.

I feared that the world would now only think of tragedy when they thought of Virginia Tech but fortunately, my fears have not come true. For me, April 16th is a reminder to slow down and reflect. It's a time to think about the life I've been fortunate enough to live and appreciate all that I have. It's not a day to be rushed through but a day to be thankful and proud. It's a day to think of and pray for all of the families that lost their children, friends, and parents and hope that they have seen the light through all of the darkness.

To all of my Hokies out there, I love you all today and always and I'm proud to call you my family.

Never forget...

It's a dog-eat-dog world

These last few weeks of city living have been fun. Different, yes, but still really fun. The first question people ask when they find out we moved into a city condo is about the dogs. I mean, we do live on the 6th floor so that requires two trips on an elevator and a jaunt at least around the block everytime one of them has to pee. Thankfully, our dogs are fantastic and we've got them on a schedule so they're not having to go out every 10 minutes. I've been rather enjoying my longer walks through the city with the boys and now that Jackson has adjusted to the lesser amount of grass and the higher level of noise, I have been able to relax a bit and not be so stressed out. On another note, it didn't take a whole lot of effort to get used to being able to just step outside and walk anywhere we want. Nothing in the house to cook? No problem! There are at least 20 great restaurants within a 5 minute walk of here. Want to grab a drink? Easy peasy...we've got margaritas, craft beers, and southern specialties all within three blocks. Headed out to the movies? The IMAX theater is 5 blocks away. Museums, bars, restaurants, parks, farmers market...it's all right here. In fact, we barely even take our cars out on the weekend. If it weren't for the weekly Harris Teeter trip, we'd be burning absolutely no gas from when I pull in from work on Friday evening to when I leave on Monday morning.

The bigger adjustment has been the fact that city people don't like dogs. Seriously. Not at all. I mean, I might be biased but I think that Jackson and Vince are pretty stinkin cute but it seems that the people we pass on almost every walk don't agree. It's not even that they just walk by and ignore Vince's ewok ears and butt wiggle but they actually scowl and physically move further away from them. When I see a dog walking by I about crawl out of my skin to get my hands on it so I guess I just don't understand. Now, I realize that not everyone is like me but how could anyone scowl at these two?

So I may be making it my personal mission to use Vince and Jackson as the catalyst to change the minds of all of the dog-hating city people in Raleigh. I'll let you know how that goes!

Until next time...

Reunitied and it feels so good......I hope.

As my dear friend over at The Adventures of a Holmesinelli proclaimed recently, me and blogging have not been the best of friends lately. In fact, we took a break. We're testing the waters again so here I am, tentatively re-opening the door of our relationship.

What's happened since you last heard from me? Well, my husband was laid off AND started a new job, we've rented and moved into a new condo in downtown Raleigh, I've started running again, and I've just been working working working as usual.

In addition to the above fun and exciting things that have been going on, I've been dealing with a few health issues that I have done a good job of not addressing...until today. Today I'm heading to the doctor with the anticipation of a long run of antibiotics being perscribed. Why? Because I'm 95% sure I'm in the midst of a Lyme Disease flare-up that I've managed to ignore for awhile now. It was easy to ignore the crazy knee pain that I've had since September and the inability to sleep. The constant weight gain and difficulty with weight loss is easy to blame on the lack of exercise that resulted from the weird knee thing. The confusion and bad memory are just from stress both at work and at home and they're sure to clear up soon. The persistent lightheadedness for the last 6 weeks must be from allergies and sinus issues and finally, that strange pain on the back of my head and behind my right eye must just be something that I'm fighting. The bone-crushing exhaustion that I've been feeling for the last week, combined with several of the above symptoms, has finally put me over the edge. It's not okay to be in tears on my way home from dinner with my husband because all I want to do is crawl in a little ball and not move. So I made the leap and called the doctor and now I'm watching the clock tick down to my appointment time.

It's difficult to explain why I don't want to go to the doctor. My antibiotic protocol that was perscribed when I was first diagnosed with Lyme and then a couple of times since then, is no shorter than 3 months. If you've never been on a long string of aggressive antibiotics it's nearly impossible for you to imagine how it effects your body. This time around I am more educated on some holistic natural approaches (thanks to an amazing Integrated Medicine doctor here in Raleigh) to managing these effects so I intend on dipping into that knowledge and strategy if it comes to that. I'm crossing my fingers that there's some other much more easily treatable something going on with me and that I'll be reporting later on that all is well with my world.

So anyhow, our new fun urban lifestyle has brought with it a lack of me spending time in the kitchen and us spending more time checking out all of the local spots around us. While this is fun, it is not exactly easy on the wallet or the waistline or the healing process. As is the story of my life, I need to find a good balance that works for both me and my healthy living efforts and my husband and his pursuit of downtown adventures. When we figure it out I'll let you know!

Until next time..

Ten Commandments

As I was Pinteresting (that's a word, right?) I came across the following Ten Commandments of Weight Loss:

Anyone who has ever tried to lose weight, supported anyone else trying to lose weight, read a women's health/lifestyle magazine, turned on the TV, stepped into a gym, read the news, or basically ever left their house has probably heard at least a few of these. They're good, they're true, they've been around forever. After awhile commandments like these, the ones everyone knows, don't resonate. We have to take a long hard look at our efforts to see what's working and what's not.

Reading the above list of the 10 Commandments of Weight Loss inspired me to come up with a list of my own. Sometimes we all need a little brutal honesty.... 

LADY IN MOTION'S
10 COMMANDMENTS FOR WEIGHT LOSS

1. PUT DOWN THE DESSERT

Seriously. Dessert every night might taste great but it doesn’t look so great sqeezing out the top of your jeans.

2. QUIT IT WITH THE "CHEAT DAYS"
Bodybuilders have cheat days. These are not designed for a "normal" lifestyle. If you exercise moderation, you shouldn't have to dedicate an entire day to "cheating."

3. WATER IS YOUR BEST FRIEND
Just because coffee is made with water doesn’t mean it should take the place of it. Drink water. Period.

4. PORTIONS ARE SMALLER THAN YOU THINK     

Don’t fool yourself. That bowl of cereal you just ate wasn’t actually 160 calories. It was more like 480 calories.

5. HAPPY HOUR IS PART OF YOUR PROBLEM   

  Just because you drink it doesn’t mean the calories don’t count. If you eat healthy for all of your calories and then hit the bar for a few drinks, you’ve just blown it.

6.  WEEKEND CALORIES ACTUALLY DO COUNT

7.  WORKOUT ≠ PIG OUT

8. WASH, AND DRY, YOUR CLOTHES      

Baggy jeans don’t always mean you’ve lost weight. Throw those bad boys in the wash and see what happens.

9. GET REAL EXERCISE    

Walking from your car to your destination does not qualify as exercise.
10. CONSISTENCY IS CRITICAL
Just keep going...you're doing great!

What are the commandments that work for you?

Until next time...

Workout Woes

Does anyone else out there suffer from workout boredom? You show up at the gym, plug along on a piece of equipment for awhile, lift a dumbbell or two, and then throw in the proverbial towel because you just "aren't feeling it." Maybe it's lack of purpose or direction, maybe it's boredom with the same old routine, maybe you don't see the value in what you've been doing. Maybe it's just time to shake things up.

Now if you think I'm going to give you answers about my favorite way to change my workout or the best way to add variety I am so sorry to disappoint. I too suffer from this same issue and I am furiously trying to find something that I can stick with long enough to see results. I swear, I've been dealing with this very issue for at least 18 months. In May 2010 I competed in a half-ironman triathlon after months of concentrated and very focused training. As soon as I crossed that finish line it was like a light switch went out. I no longer had any interest in my bike, I decided I hated running, and the pool was my biggest enemy. I was excited to get back into the gym and hit the weights but that too became so extremely boring and unmotivating to me.

So here's my solution: 30 day challenges. I'm going to find, or create, a workout routine that I like and commit to sticking with it for 30 days. If at that point I am motivated and see results, I'll extend another 30 days. If not, I'll change to something new! This is not an entirely new concept but it's something that could work for me. So, join me if you wish as I embark on my first 30 day challenge!

Here's the workout:
3 days/week of strength sessions (they are found here)
3 days/week of choice cardio
For cardio I will most likely take cycle class, swim, and participate in a sports conditioning class that I enjoy at the Y.

For today I'm just going to go for a run and get myself excited for new and exciting workouts on the horizon. You can stick with anything for 30 days, right?!

Until next time...

Nice Little Saturday

An early morning cycle class, seeing old friends at the Y, time spent cleaning, a leisurely lunch of leftover Chinese, enjoying a freshly cleaned house, a rainy Saturday, no real plans....


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Enjoy your Saturday!!

My Fitness Pal = My Hero

Holy Moly, it's been awhile. And don't you worry....plenty of folks have managed to call me out on my silence in the blogosphere. My brain has been working but my motivation and drive to actually create and execute full-fledged ideas into read-worthy posts have been lacking. However, I've journaled some moments over the last several weeks and I think I'm back and ready to share.

I don't make New Years Resolutions but I have vowed to take better care of myself in 2012 so that I will hopefully be a more pleasant person to be around, more fulfilled by life, and just generally happier. As you know, this blog is supposed to keep me on track with my 50 pound weight loss goal and so far, I'm not even close. I am, however, enjoy the attention to health and my actions that it has provided to me.

So far in 2012 I've managed to stick with my initial goal of logging my food and activity through My Fitness Pal (referred to as MFP from here on out..) both online and through the app on my iPhone. For those of you who are unfamiliar with MFP, it is a free....that's right, FREE....online and mobile tool for tracking your calorie consumption and activity level. You basically enter your current weight, weight loss goal, and how much weight you want to lose each week (max of 2lbs/wk) and it tells you how many calories you are allowed. When you track your exercise or daily activity, calories are dumped back into your allotted amount for the day. The food and exercise database is EXTENSIVE and it's been extremely eye-opening for me. It wasn't until I actually had to track everything that I realized how much little stuff that I was consuming throughout the day. It really really adds up. Also, knowing that if I go and workout, I will be "allowed" to eat more really motivates me. I'd like to say I'm motivated by how great a hard workout feels but the truth is, this lady likes to eat.

There are lots of other tools on MFP that I have yet to use and I am sure they are also extremely useful. Go and check it out and let us know what you think!

Until next time...

Merry Christmas

It's no secret, I love Christmas. I love the spirit of the season, I love the decorations, I love the tree, the shopping, the baking, the celebrating, the love shared among family and friends, and I especially love the traditions.

My very favorite Christmas memories are those magical years back on Cohocton Place when everything was just right. When thinking back to what made Christmas, well, Christmas I think about the traditions that we had as a family. Other than receiving the JC Penney Wish Book in the mailbox and dog-earing every single page so that I might start crafting my letter to Santa and my wish list for my mom and dad, I don't remember much before Christmas Eve. As a family, we spent the day cooking, cleaning, and preparing for a house full of family and friends (in between we'd squeeze in a trip to the store with dad to finish up his last minute shopping...). Evening would come and our house would be buzzing with people. My mom hosted an open house every Christmas Eve and it was this that really made the holiday for me. I got to see most of my cousins, neighbors, and lots of family friends. We exchanged gifts, ate far too many cookies, and got to spend time with each other sometimes for the only time that year. Sometime during that night, Santa would swing by and hang for a little bit on his way around the world.

The party would wrap up, we'd clean up, and I'd shuffle off to bed so that Santa could return and leave our presents under the tree. As a child I was pretty frightened of the idea of a strange man entering my home, no matter how generous he might be. Because of that fear, I always slept on the floor of my brother's room on Christmas Eve....even up until 5 or so years ago. We'd wake up at some ridiculous hour...like 4am....and we were allowed to go and get our stockings from the fireplace and open them together. Of course, this was my parents' brilliant plan to keep me from jumping on their bed before dawn. It was pretty awesome.

Christmas morning we were up bright and early, presents open, hung around a bit, and then jumped in the car to head to the Tonks Family Christmas dinner. It was like Christmas Eve all over again! More food, more family, more presents, and more fun. I remember getting back in the car after our time at my aunt and uncle's house and just being so depressed that it was all over.

I can't remember exactly when everything changed but sometime in the last 5 or so years our Christmas routine stopped being routine. Cousins moved, aunts and uncles relocated, marriages, babies, and so on all started re-crafting what Christmas meant. I'm not going to lie, it took me a couple of years to be okay with it and I'm still not completely there but this year I'm able to reminisce and be nostalgic for years past while appreciating the present and all of the great things to come.

This Christmas is the first in my life that I did not travel home for the holidays and I've been surprisingly okay with it. Maybe it's because being away from home makes the absence of those old traditions less difficult and maybe it's because I'm so excited to be celebrating Christmas with my husband for the first time. Don't get me wrong, I wish my brother and his family were here and I miss the family and friends I won't get to see this holiday season but I know it'll only be a short time until I will get to hug them and wish them well in the new year. Tonight, Christmas Eve, my husband and I hung out with my parents and watched football, baked cookies, and had a great dinner of make-your-own pizza, salad, and a Rocky marathon. We'll get up tomorrow, have a delicious breakfast (recipe here..), open some presents, go pick up Parker, and get ready for a houseful of Phil's family. It's the first time in several years that I'm excited for some new traditions and that this has truly felt like Christmas. For that I am thankful.

Here's to a very merry Christmas to you and your family and to all of the traditions, both new and old, that make your holidays special!



True Confessions

Over the last couple of weeks I've had an epiphany of sorts. When you really boil it down, blogging is a lot like working out. It requires routine, discipline, practice, goals, and so on. The longer you go between visits to the gym, the harder it is to get back in the door. Other things creep in and take the place of that time that you set aside for your workout and it's almost embarrassing to face all of those people who you "abandoned" over the course of your hiatus. The same is true for the length of time in between posts. Blogging gets put on the back burner during the busy-ness of life and then it's almost embarrassing to return and admit to your followers that you really slacked off.

During the last couple of weeks I've been caught up in all of the fun celebration and excitement of the holiday season. My husband and I are celebrating our first Christmas as Mr. and Mrs. and it's the first time in my life that I've not traveled home for the holidays. We are hosting my parents and many of my husband's family members at our place for Christmas dinner. There have been holiday parties, engagement celebrations, hockey games, Pinterest projects, shopping, and so on and all of that has swooped in and taken the place of my typical gym and writing routine.

So to confess, I've slipped off the wagon and I'm getting back on by first getting back into my writing routine and then getting back into the swing of things at the gym and with my diet (after Christmas, of course!). I hope that you'll continue to follow along!

Until next time...

A matter of convenience

It's all work and no play, right? Well how the heck does that leave any time for planning and packing healthy meals and snacks? The fast food industry didn't get rich just because. It's just so hard to plan ahead accurately and it feels like there's barely enough time in each day to get all of the "must-do" list done, let alone plan and prepare food for the next day.

One of my favorite Sunday activities is planning meals and grocery shopping for the rest of the week - I know, call me crazy. However, no matter how carefully I plan it's the execution that I always screw up. I'm too tired one night to pack lunch for the next day and I run out of the house, lunch money in hand. I forget that I've got a late event at work that doesn't allow me to get home until after 8pm. I mean, who wants to start cooking and then clean up the kitchen after 8pm? A last-minute invitation to do something out with friends derails our at-home dinner plans. The deck is not stacked in our favor.

So what do we do? I'm certainly no expert but I've got a few strategies that I've employed in the last couple of weeks and they seem to be working for now. Take a look and see what you can try and add things that work for your and your family as well!

1. Only plan dinners for 3 nights. I know that sounds ridiculous. That doesn't mean that we only eat at home 3 out of 7 nights each week.We typically eat out twice a week. Planning for 3 nights allows for at least one night of leftovers and another night to raid the pantry and/or fridge and create an "unplanned" dinner of stuff that needs to be used up. This has drastically reduced the amount of food waste we create (i.e. food that has gone bad because planned meals have gone uncooked and uneaten) and has freed up space in our refrigerator.

2. Pull out the crockpot on Sunday. My husband makes fun of my slow-cooker obsession but I just can't get over how easy it is to make a huge meal in the crockpot with barely much thought or work. It means that we always have a tasty hot meal at home on Sunday night and then the leftoevers can be a part of the week's meal plan or can be packed for lunches. Bonus: you can freeze meals for much-later convenience.

3. "Baked" potatoes/sweet potatoes. I distinctly remember a conversation with my husband after a couple of weeks of me creating new and exciting meals from a number of different recipes, cookbooks, food network shows, etc. It was simple. He made the statement, "you know, we could just eat a piece of chicken and a potato every once and awhile." At first, I was offended. Then I realized how right he was. Why was I trying to be inventive every night? It was stressful and time consuming...and oftentimes expensive. Now, at least half of our meals contain a protein, salad, and a potato. It's usually a sweet potato for the added nutritional bonus (which you can...and should....read more about in the Reader's Digest article here.). It's so stinking easy. I take a sweet potato, wrap it up tightly in plastic wrap, and stick it in the microwave for about 7 minutes. BAM, done. In the meantime, I am fixing whatever else our dinner encompasses and dinner's done in 10 minutes.
Side note: Same prep idea can be used with really any vegetable. I have a very picky spouse who is basically allergic to anything green. I prefer not to make multiple options with dinner so I go with a compromise and that's usually a sweet potato and salad.

4. Bake multiple pieces of chicken, pork, beef, etc. Our favorite is taking a pack of chicken, putting all of the meat in a baking dish, covering with a jar of salsa, and baking in the oven on 350 for up to an hour depending on your oven. We eat two meals (one can be lunch) off of one pack of chicken and it's delicious. You can use the same strategy with pork, beef, fish, tofu...whatever floats your boat.

5. Rice. When in doubt, put it over some brown rice. That's what I do with many of our leftovers. Chicken and broccoli with a potato on Monday night? How about chicken and broccoli with soy sauce (or any other ideas for "saucing" it up) over brown rice on Wednesday night?

How do you plan ahead without going crazy? I'd love to hear your solutions and ideas!

Until next time..

One of those weeks

Have you ever had just one of those weeks? You know the kind. When you're grumpy about everything and you really don't feel great about anything. Yeah, well this week was one of those and because of that, I really neglected you all.

Nothing felt like it was working or going right this week. Work was frustrating for no good reason, I felt like no matter how much I worked out or paid attention to what I was eating my clothes still felt tight and icky, my husband and I were too busy to hang out with each other, the house was (and still is) a wreck, there's no food in the house and we ate every meal out, I haven't done any writing since Monday and on and on.

I guess the most important things on days/weeks like this is to not mope around, eat crappy food, and lounge on the couch. A good morning at the gym (like today!) gets those feel-good endorphins going and taking a few hours to straighten up and get things right will make everything fall into place. Because when you really look at it, I'm a lucky lady and I don't have much to feel grumpy about. It's time to pick it up, look around, and smile about all of my blessings.

So it's getting back on track and staying motivated to live well that's got my focus now. Next time you have one of those days remember, it's okay. Just don't let it linger long enough to derail all of the good work you're doing!

Until next time...

Music Monday #2 - Christmas Edition

FINALLY! It's after Thanksgiving and we can stop dodging Christmas music and embrace it as it deserves to be embraced!

I must venture from workout music today to share my absolute favorite version of 'God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen' sung by the Barenaked Ladies and Sarah McLaughlin.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving in Boston

After a few days offline and out of town, I'm back and ready to take these next few weeks by the horns and go into Christmas a little lighter and a lot fitter! Over the long Thanksgiving weekend my husband and I took to the friendly skies and headed northbound to Boston and its surrounding areas. We enjoyed time with family, sightseeing around a few of the the beautiful and quaint towns and beaches, and a day in Boston to take in the city. The weather was great, the food was awesome, and the company was the best.

A few of our nature shots around Rockport and Manchester, Mass.

On Thanksgiving morning we hung around the house for a bit before taking a little hike out to some rocky coastline in Manchester.

As you can see, our post-hike Thanksgiving feast was amazing (thanks to my sister-in-law and mom!) and not at all in the arena of weight-loss food. I paid for it at the gym this morning..

On Friday we took the train from Beverly (where my brother and his family live) into Boston to see the sights and more accurately, enjoy the beer. We started by Fenway and had lunch and a beer at The Tasty Burger. I think it was the Doritos on the burger that sold Phil.

We made our way up through Back Bay, had a cocktail at Top of the Hub (amazing view...but of course we didn't get a picture), and walked up to the Common. In the Common we saw the absolute fattest squirrels I've ever seen. They were getting ready for some serious hibernation. Seriously. I think they may have been larger than some dogs. We took a stroll over to the original Cheers (used to be the Bull and Finch) to have another beer there. My claim to fame? I sat in Frasier's seat. Yep, I'm famous now.

So a quick taste of our fun Thanksgiving trip! Thank you to my brother and his beautiful family for entertaining us, cooking for us, hanging out with us, and having an all-around great time. We had an amazing time and we can't wait to come back.

Did I break the rules? Yes, almost every single one of them. Do I regret it? Not one bit. I had a great time, enjoyed the food, the drinks, and had lots of stress-free fun. I will not dwell on any set-back I may created from this. I've put away the turkey and the pie, corked the bottle of wine, and put my gym shoes back on. It's time to jump back on the journey toward my goals!

Don't forget, it's MUSIC MONDAY!!! Check back later on tonight for my weekly music choices!

Until next time...

I'm Thankful

It's the season of Thanksgiving which, believe it or not, is about a whole lot more than deep fried turkey (however delicious it might be), stuffing, and pie. It's a time to reflect on all that we are thankful for and maybe even share that with others. I have a tendency to go through my days in a seemingly robotic way. I come and go the same way every day and I have fleeting thoughts about all of the awesome things that I am so thankful for. I've been reflecting on and excited for this post for the last week or so and I'm finally getting to write down my reflections of thankfulness!

1. My husband. He is my support, my relief from the reality of everyday life, my best friend, and my biggest fan. He loves me unconditionally and for that, I am thankful.

2. The humor in my family. All of my grandparents were/are jokesters, my parents are jokesters, my brother and I are jokesters, we married jokesters, and my niece and nephew are the newest jokesters in the family tree. Every family has its challenges but I’m thankful that through everything, we’ve always been able to laugh together.

3. My sense of independence. Without my self-reliant attitude I never would have taken the leap to move to Raleigh all by my lonesome. That move in and of itself completely changed my life. I have gained incredible experience in an amazing organization, met some of my best friends, and married my husband.

4. My struggles with weight. This sounds ridiculous, I know. Am I thankful that I am overweight? No. But I am thankful for what my journey has taught me. Resilience, persistence, self-reflection, tenacity, and most importantly compassion and empathy for every single person out there struggling with the same thing.

5. My Friends. They are crazy, fun, sassy, hilarious, supportive, loving, and life-long. I love them. So. Much.

6. All of my work experiences. I've had some cool jobs. Period. Radio stations, broadcast centers, recreation centers, Universities, YMCA. I'm a lucky girl.

7. The Hokies. All of those Hokies out there understand. I am thankful that I have something in my life that instills such an intense sense of pride.

8. Where and how I grew up. I was surrounded by cousins, lived at the Shore, lived in a safe small town, and was able to be independent. The longer I’m away from home and the more life experience I gain, the more I realize how lucky I really am to have grown up where I did.

9. My dogs. They make me laugh every day.

10. My parents. They set me up to be successful and I took that opportunity and ran with it. I love them.

Take some time to remember what you're thankful for. Then dig in....there's a lot of eating to do :).

Happy Thanksgiving!

Surviving the office potluck

The sign-up sheet went up last week and everyone rushed to make sure they got signed up to bring their favorite holiday "specialty" to this year's office potluck. We've got the traditional turkey, ham, and mashed potatoes plus macaroni and cheese, stuffing, broccoli salad, probably 5 different kinds of pie and any other dessert you can imagine. There's plenty of food there to feed a small army and it will challenge even the strongest will.

My strategy - plenty of protein, plain veggies, no rolls, and no dessert. Let's see how this goes. I'll have an extra long/intense early workout tomorrow morning....just in case.

How will you survive the office potluck this year?

Music Monday #1

If you're anything like me, you don't go a moment throughout your day without music. Music is playing during the morning routine, in the car on the way to work, in the office, during the workout, on the ride home, prepping dinner, bedtime, and so on. Basically the only time music isn't playing is if I'm in a meeting or watching TV. I don't think I could live without Pandora, Spotify, my ipod, old mixed cds, and the list goes on. It really does make everything better.

The thing I look forward to most about my solo workouts is putting in my earbuds and zoning out to some of my favorite songs. A new playlist makes me giddy with excitement for the next opportunity to workout. The good news is, music isn't just another distraction. According to an article written by Barbara Russi Sarnataro, it's proven to make you work harder and keep you committed to your weekly exercise routine. For more information on the benefits of music during exercise, you can find Sarnataro's article here.

To honor the love of music and the benefits that it has for our workouts, Lady in Motion designates every Monday as Music Monday! It's a time to share what's on your playlist for the week and a place to hopefully, discover some new workout tunes!

The following are some of my go-to songs on this week's playlist:
(DISCLAIMER: I have a tendency to listen to some "offensive" music...no surprise to those who know me well)

• Eminem - Mosh
  
• Everclear - Santa Monica
  
• Kid Rock - American Bad ass
  
• Fort Minor - Remember the Name
  
• Eminem - Never Enough
  
• Eminem - Rain Man
  
• Eminem - Won't Back Down
  (Obviously I enjoy Eminem...)
  
• Nickelback - Burn it to the Ground
  
• Green Day - Holiday
  
• Ludacris - Number One Spot
  
• Ok Go - Here it goes again
  
• Trick Daddy ft. Luda - Sugar
  
• Weezer - Beverly Hills
  

Leave a comment and share your favorite songs this week!

Until next time...

Two minute mug brownie

I have a killer sweet tooth. When people describe things as "too sweet" or "too rich" I totally can't relate. When the sweet tooth attacks I'll look for anything and that often results in me baking. Inevitably, I eat way way too much of whatever it is that comes out of the oven.

I came across a recipe for a one minute mug brownie and did a little dance in my head. This is PERFECT for those times when you just really need something chocolate but you don't want a bunch of it laying around for future snacking.

1/4 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
pinch of salt

In a microwave-safe mug, mix above ingredients together to eliminate lumps. Add the following ingredients to mixture:

2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp water/coffee/milk...whichever you prefer

Mix together until you have a thick paste. Place in microwave for 60-90 seconds until you have a spongy top and gooey center.

VOILA! A mini-brownie in just a few minutes and no leftovers to torture you later!

Until next time...

Inspiration Station

In my most recent Pinterest travels I have come across a number of really inspiring photos, sayings, thoughts, ideas, etc. Tonight is the kind of night where I'm fighting the urge to go in the kitchen and snack on whatever I can find. I will not succumb to that temptation and instead I am charging up for my weekend workouts with some strong and inspiring words.

What's keeping you going?

Until next time...