The Ivey League

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Allow Me

2012-02-22T06:04:00.000-08:00

Alright people. Let me 'splain how we play hang-man.

Winds of Change

2012-02-21T12:52:00.000-08:00

This is my new favorite blog. LOVE, LOVE LOVE!
It's awesome so go read it. I love being convinced of what I already feel is right. I like reading and seeing evidence that the path I'm on is correct. It makes so much darn sense. Todd writes in his article titled, "Let's Discuss Your Sugar & Wheat Addiction...It's Slowly Killing You."

"If you eat food that comes from a box and think you can’t stop then you are an addict."

Cereal was/is a big one for me. Think about it. What foods can you consume in mass quantities? Chips. Crackers. Cookies. Broccoli? Red peppers? How about apples? Ever down a 3 lb. bag of those?

He also links in one article to many Real Food/Paleo/Primal blogs that I can't wait to check out.

In other news...

One month ago today Ryan and I were sitting at Panda Express eating dinner. We never go there! Anyhoo, I got us a couple of fortune cookies. I don't believe in fortune tellers or anything like that but I get a kick out of reading these things. Here's what mine said~

I usually trash 'em but I decided to stick this one up on the fridge. Ya know, see if within a month anything cool had happened. I'm weird. :>

A week ago, I was presented with an opportunity at work. I had no idea it was coming and I hadn't been unhappy with my current job status and schedule. Ryan and I talked about it a lot and I prayed for peace and direction with the way we should go. There were several pros and a few cons but we came to a decision - quickly - because they needed to know. As of March 1st, I'll be going back to work full-time. It's funny because March 1st of 2011 is when I went back to work after maternity leave. I can't believe it's already been a year! I thought about listing out our reasons for this decision here but it really doesn't matter. For our family and for this season of time, we think it's the right decision and one that will benefit our family both now and in the future.

I KNOW it's not going to be easy some days and there will probably be times I'll cry and wish I was home. :-) But, I'm going to give it my best. We've tried to think through some ways we can make this transition easier and one of those is by hiring a housekeeper. I am SO excited. Twice a month, I'll get to come home to a glistening ~~castle~~ house, complete with scrubbed showers. :) We also joined Costco yesterday so that we could do a little bit more bulk shopping, hopefully cutting down on grocery store trips. We're really going to try to use our weekends for family time and get out and do things together. Yay!

We're so blessed that Karlyn can extend her stay with our wonderful in-home sitter each day and she is thrilled to get to keep her! Karlyn and her daughter play so well together. I'm also grateful that I'll get to leave each day before 5:00! That helps mentally a lot.

So that's it! It's going to be a big change for us but one we hope is good.

Dear Mr. President

2012-02-20T12:40:00.000-08:00

Thanks for giving me a day off. I really appreciate it!

We've had a nice long weekend and I'm sad that it's almost over. Let me do a ~~brief~~ re-cap. Friday after I got off work, Ryan's mom, sister, and myself spent about 5 hours decorating their casa for the birthday boy's party. We didn't start out with much but by the time we were done, it looked fabulous! I was exhausted by the time we finished and Ryan's grandparents that were in town decided to take us to Babe's Chicken. I hadn't eaten there since I was about 10 years old! I ate chicken, ribs, and green beans and looked longingly at the rolls and mashed potatoes.

Saturday came and I tried to play it cool and do our normal around the house chores and act like I wasn't on a schedule to get him to the party by 5:15. I couldn't tell if he was suspicious or not...but he wasn't. And I had been telling him that I had something planned for Sunday. We walked in and as he rounded the corner, friends and family yelled, "SURPRISE!" =)

We had a great party, ate yummy foood, and played some good old hang-man using phrases from Ryan's life. The cake was probably my favorite part because I had gotten Amanda's sister-in-law Melody to make it. It was incredible! He says turning 30 isn't so bad now that it's here and there's really no avoiding it. :> I'm so thankful to those who came and celebrated the start of a new decade for Ryan with us.

My fave party pics:

Guests!

BFF's Mallory & Karlyn

"30 years" collage - this was so cool!

The man of the hour

Ze Cake!

Me and my man

After Karlyn's party in December and then Ryan's, I've been saying no more party planning! But, my friend Lindy is due in July with a little girl so let the baby shower ideas commence!

Sunday morning we went to church and sunday school and then I skipped Bible Study. I was so. tired. and wasn't feeling that great. I wasn't able to nap but somehow made it through the day. I was getting a little edgy and just needed some alone time so Ryan took Karlyn for a while while I went and detailed my car and hit the gym. It was just what I needed to de-compress a bit. And now I have a clean car. Love.

Today has been nice so far. Sharon kept Karlyn this morning while I went to Target and did what I do best. Kill the clearance. I got a pair of insanely cute flats for $10 and a pair of dark skinny jeans for $7.50 plus some other necessities. I woke up too early this morning and would love a nap now but I can still hear a certain someone jabbering in her crib.

. . . . .

Eat Real.

Honestly, the first week of Eat Real has been pretty tough for me. I've been C.R.A.N.K.Y at times and especially have felt it this weekend. Sugar and processed carbs really have an effect on me and when you take them all away, it gets ugly. I feel a little better today and I remember from last time that the first week was killer. It sucked. I also haven't been sleeping the greatest but I think I remember the transition there too from bad to good. Our bodies are crazy huh? When you take the things they love most away, they throw a mega fit! At least that's what it feels like. I ate some cake at Ryan's party ~~and maybe a few other things~~ and oh my gosh, it was ridiculous how yuck I felt afterwards. So not worth it but it's very hard to make those decisions - when you know how GOOD something will taste but know how BAD you'll feel when you eat it. Sometimes you don't care and I want to learn to care. I know this will get easier and when I think about it...Ok, what are the foods right now that I wish I could eat? Cheese, chips, sweets...are those things healthy for my body? Are they going to increase my energy and give me a clear head? NO. But they still have a pull on me. So I'm trying to push back. Wish me luck!

Eat Real - Day 4

2012-02-16T18:27:00.000-08:00

Man, yesterday afternoon was ROUGH. I so wanted something, anything Non-Paleo! I made it through though. I experimented with some fruit dip from this site and it was pretty good! Coconut milk, banana, and vanilla. Tonight I made some "date honey" with boiled and pureed dates + cinnamon. I had to tell Ryan that they weren't refried beans. :) So today was much better than yesterday but I still have thought, why the heck did I sign up for this again?! I know I'm just detoxing though. That's what I'm telling myself. The no salt is tough. I remember last time though that I just got used to it and it became the norm. 29 days left... woo hoo?!

Valentine's!

2012-02-15T12:33:00.000-08:00

First...a little then and now!

2/14/2011 -

2/14/2012 -

CRAZY!

Yesterday we had a fun Valentine's Day around here. Ryan surprised me with some flowers and a pretty hilarious card. What a sweetie!

I had planned for Karlyn to wear a red V-day outfit for the playdate we had planned. My mom bought her the skirt, Ryan's mom bought the shoes, and I picked out the shirt. Of course she wouldn't keep a bow in her hair. Every now and then I try. She looked super cute though :>

After work, we headed to our playdate with Amanda, Lyndsey, Mallory, and Liam. We tried to get some pictures early because poor Liam was tired. YOU try to get 3 little ones to smile!

Lyndsey was so sweet to make the babies their own heart shaped rice krispie treat along with a book and a heart with their name on it. Amanda gave them each some hershey's kisses too. :) Mallory got upset when her treat came out of its wrapper and it was taken away from her. ha ha. It was fun to see them all interact and see the different stage they're each at. The last time we did this, Karlyn had just started to crawl! Crazy.

Ryan surpised me by offering to bring home dinner but of course mine had to be Paleo. He followed the rules and got me steak and broccoli! And a side of guac.

Lest you think Ryan was forgotten, I gave him a gift bag with an assortment of manly things the night before. AND, my mother-in-law was so nice to bring us a gift as well! She made Karlyn this super cute blanket! I know she will love it as she gets older. They are super soft. She also gave us the dvd of the movie, "Courageous." I'm looking forward to watching it with Ryan.

. . . . .

Day 3 of Eat Real~

Today has been pretty normal. I made some paleo pancakes using banana, egg, and almond butter and I don't know what's for dinner yet. I haven't worked out the past few days but that's coming...It's really hard to all of a sudden just completely cut out the junk I've been eating and even stuff like cheese and cereal. I'm hoping that *fantastic-lovin'-this* feeling kicks in soon. :-)

Day 1, Day 2, and other Late Night Ramblings

2012-02-14T19:57:00.000-08:00

Yes, 9:45 is late to me. I have a 1 year old. Make that almost 14 month old!

So I forgot to post my Eat Real day 1 blurb.

Day 1 - Not too bad. At least I knew what I was getting into! I started off my day with scrambled eggs, bacon, spinach, onion, and peppers + fruit. I also whipped up some sausage stuffed, bacon wrapped dates and some breakfast egg cups. Recipes to follow =) I really wanted something sweet while I watched tv last night but settled on some frozen banana blended with coconut milk and cinnamon.

Day 2 - Valentine's Day! No big deal, just the holiday where gobs of chocolate is consumed by the masses. I totally passed on a mini bundt cake at work and ate my unsalted nuts and raisins. Go me! Dinner was from Chili's - a little surprise from the hubby :> STEAK! + broccoli and guacamole.

. . . . .

This week has taken quite the turn. Let's just say that Monday morning Ryan and I had no idea that we'd have a decision to make over just a few days. I think we've made it though. We had a nice long talk tonight and we both feel a peace about it. More details to come!

Tomorrow I'll post lots of fun pics from our Valentine's play date today. The kiddos were so cute!

And...I just may be joining a certain gym...or "box" soon. Eeeek!

Have a wonderful night of love with your fams ~ for all you Valentine haters out there, take it easy. It's not that bad. ;)

tomorrow...tomorrow

2012-02-12T17:56:00.000-08:00

Eat Real starts tomorrow! I'm glad. I think.

We're on teams again of course and someone came up with "The Winning Team," for our name. Whatever works!

I'm not gonna lie. I've eaten a bunch of stuff over the past several days that I know I won't get again for a while. My 2 goals for this challenge:

Finish It
Begin to actually WANT to eat this way 90-95% of the time.

I read this sentence today:

Remember that the extra time spent in the kitchen is a very small price to pay for lifelong health and well-being.

I know that and I believe it; I just need to start living it and reap the benefits. I get a sore throat and runny nose from too much dairy, wheat and sugar just make me crave more, and I'm way too addicted to salt.

I know this isn't going to be easy but I'm glad I'm doing it again. Just remind me of that two weeks from now!

I'm thinking about posting a photo of one meal/snack a day to a facebook album, maybe once a week. Also, I plan to post daily updates here on the blog of my day so that I can look back and capture my journey. I know this is going to be good for me and I'm so glad my friend and co-worker Michelle is right there with me again.

Here we go!

Hair Pics and a Trip to Tar-jay

2012-02-07T19:03:00.000-08:00

Today was so gloomy! Ryan's mom had offered to keep Karlyn this afternoon and I knew Ryan was working late so I thought a trip to Target was in order. Can you really walk in that store and NOT have it brighten your day?? I say no. Plus, I did need to pick up ~~anything that caught my eye~~ a few things. It was so nice to roam the store for over an hour with no baby!

I've been wanting to experiment with some new eye shadow colors. And...can someone please come over to my house and teach me how to do it correctly? I mean yeah, I know the basics but I want to learn how to do fancy-smchancy eye shadow. Please???! I'll pay you! I didn't want to spend a ton of money on it today so I spotted this e.l.f. brand in the make-up section. 8 colors for $2.00?! I'll take 'em! I can't wait to play with them. :-)

So. If you know me very well, you know I like change. I get bored. I don't like to get or stay in ruts and I enjoy mixing it up, whatever IT happens to be. I've had so many different hair styles/colors over the past few years that I'm sure my poor husband's lost count. I've done highlights. Lowlights. Short hair. Long-ish hair. (The longest it's ever been was for my wedding.) Of course we get back from our honeymoon and what do I do? Chop it off. Why, why, why?! But seriously. I think I look better with shorter hair. I have a long face and when my hair gets longer it kinda drags my face down with it. Ryan actually prefers it shorter but I've always wanted to have long hair. It takes so stinking long to grow it out though!

I saw this cut on Pinterest. What do you think?

She probably has a much shorter face than I do though!? Yeah? I like it. I really do. I'm just scared to make that plunge especially when I've been so desperately trying to grow it out. Also, almost two years ago, I had the worst hair-cut of my LIFE and even though another girl was able to salvage it a bit, it reminds me of the pic below. I think my current hairdresser could do a much better job and I think the pic above looks more razored on the sides than this one.

I had just found out that morning that we were having a GIRL!!! =)

Anyhoo. What do you think? I know people have no real vested interest in my hair length so I'm just looking for opinions. Here's about where it is now. Crop?! Or keep growing?

Why? And Why Not?!

2012-02-03T12:37:00.000-08:00

This is a little follow-up to my last post on Paleo. If you read it, what did you think? Does it seem too daunting? Maybe some people (heck, I have) wonder what the point to all this is. Why follow a Paleo diet? Why watch what we eat in general? Does it really matter and what's the real goal here that we're looking at?

A Paleo diet reduces inflammation and from what I've read most chronic conditions, diseases, and a multitide of other ailments are caused by some type of inflammation. What foods cause inflammation? Well Whole9 (this site) says that these foods do:

grains
dairy
sugar
legumes

Dairy contributes to mucus build-up and is often filled with hormones. Though some people are diagnosed with an actual gluten sensitivity, gluten actually negatively affects everyone even if you show no immediate apparent symptoms. I'm not an expert and want to read more but our bodies have a hard time digesting gluten. It's like, well, uh, GLUE!

But we love our ice cream, CHEESE, and bread. In the grand scheme of things, who really cares about what we eat? You should! And I should. As Christians, I think there's absolutely no getting around the fact that we should take care of the body that God gave us. How can we be effective moms, dads, aunts, uncles, grandmothers and grandpas if we aren't living at full capacity? Is it fair to our kids when we eat a bunch of junk - therefore teaching them to do the same - and sit around on our butts all day so that we don't have the energy to play with them? Is God glorified when we take the body He's given us and don't treat it with the utmost respect and care and throw processed foods into it that MAN created on a continual basis? This is not to say that there is no room for mistakes or the occasional treat. How boring would that be? I'm talking about regular habits that we are setting for ourselves and for our kids.

*Fyi. I'm writing this to myself...not preaching at anyone. I need to hear this! And write it. I need to know why the heck I'm doing this.

Which bring me to this. WHY? Why, why, why. It is crucial before beginning any endeavor that we understand and pin point why we're doing something. That way, when the temptations and stress come *and they will*, you have a reason to fall back on. " I'm doing this because of xyz." Then put that reason in front of you. I just recently cleared the front of our fridge of the many Christmas cards we received. In their place, I want to put up motivational reasons/sayings for why I'm doing this. I want to see them every time I walk into the kitchen. One I thought of: EAT GREAT, FEEL GREAT - EAT CRAP, FEEL LIKE CRAP! I am becoming more and more convinced that this is the way we were made to eat. Think about the foods that existed before processed engineered factory food came into play. You had:

meat
vegetables
fruits
and healthy fats (think olives, avocado, and coconut)

Here's why I'm doing this 2nd challenge.

I want to have as much energy as I possibly can every single day. I want to feel like working out, playing with my daughter, cooking a healthy dinner, and cleaning my house when I get home from my part-time job instead of napping for 2 hours and feeling spaced out after I eat a handful of cookies. I want to have a positive outlook on life and for me sugar often = depressed afterwards. I want to keep a stable mood so that I don't snap my husband's head off when he does something I think he shouldn't. :) I want to feel fabulous! Not eh, I'm ok.

. . . . .

Now, for the "Why Not?"

You should think about doing the challenge! What's the worst that could happen? You feel great one week into it, (which only keeps getting better) and you create awesome new habits that lead to a healthier, happier you? You start working towards kicking that sugar habit? You realize just how strong of a pull you have towards certain foods?

I get no reimbursement for this. :) I just know what happened to me the first time and the ridiculous difference I see even now when I eat Paleo for a day as opposed to when I don't. So why not? Join us! I promise you won't regret it.

Paleo

2012-02-01T12:51:00.000-08:00

This post has been in the works...oh, since about forever ago.

I've been putting it off, going back and forth in my mind and in my diet and I feel like I'm at a crossroads. I either need to get on board with this or keep eating my SAD (standard american diet) and feel like crap off and on.

Where to start. Back in October, I signed up to complete a 33 day challenge with my co-worker Michelle through our local CrossFit gym where she's a member. *I would join in a second if I had the money!* I didn't really know exactly what I was getting into. I had heard Michelle talk about CrossFit and Paleo and honestly my first thoughts on the "diet" were, "Yeah, that sounds stupid. You just eat a bunch of meat?? That can't be healthy."

Little did I know. Now I'm not going to pretend to be an expert on the Paleo/Primal way of eating because I'm not. I have done quite a bit of reading since being introduced to it and if you look on my "Paleo" page above, there are several great sources of info where you can learn more. The one thing I do know is what happened to me during that first "Eat Real" challenge. It sucked at first. The challenge started on a Monday and by Friday I was sitting on my couch sobbing because I felt overwhelmed with life and I badly missed my sugar, grains, and dairy. What the heck was I supposed to eat? Did they expect me to just cut it all out COLD TURKEY?

Yes they did.

I almost quit. I didn't think I could do it. I didn't think I wanted to do it. But I kept going with some encouragement from Mary, who organizes the challenges and who owns the CrossFit gym. I made it to Day 25, 8 days earlier than our official end date. Day 25 is when Ryan had his second bout with intestinal damage and we found ourselves back at the hospital. I also got the stomach bug of my life where I threw up every hour on the hour the night before he had surgery. I didn't feel like eating anything, much less meat and veggies. I drank an entire 2 liter of gingerale and had some toast. Good times.

After all of that, I meant to sit down and talk about my experience eating Paleo but life got crazy and I had a husband to tend to. And then Christmas came, yada yada. But here's the deal.

The challenge changed me.

It changed how I felt, how I looked, and how I thought about food. It changed my moods, my digestion, and my cravings. It changed my outlook and now I can't ever un-learn or un-experience the things I did during those 25 days.

What exactly IS "Eat Real?"

For starters, read this. For 33 days, you go without DAIRY. SUGAR. GRAINS OF ANY KIND. PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING PROCESSED. NO SALT.

What can you eat? Meat. Vegetables. Fruit. Healthy Fats.

I've had a passion for health and fitness ever since college. I've always been fairly healthy and I've never really had issues with my weight. I like to workout and I enjoy eating what I always thought were "healthy foods." Oatmeal, whole wheat pasta, PEANUT BUTTER. Did you know peanuts are actually legumes?? Which means you can't have them during the challenge or the lovely nut butter they create... which I've always consumed regularly. Did you know they are a gut irritant and can actually cause your body to NOT absorb other key nutrients that it needs? Boo. I love my PB!

Despite being what I considered "healthy," I've dealt with other issues. Cravings, pigging out on sweets, mood, anxiety, and depression struggles. Trouble sleeping. Low energy. Mood swings.

During "Eat Real," I very quickly felt more balanced. I felt calm and my mood seemed to steady. After a meal, I didn't crave more. I slept great. And even on nights when I didn't, I didn't have to nap the next day. I felt GOOD after a meal instead of hungry for more. I honestly felt fantastic some days. No, every day wasn't rosy but I could tell a difference. My digestion was awesome. (Read: super regular!) Sorry, but I want to list all positive aspects. I lost a few pounds which wasn't even my goal.

You may be tired of reading, so I'll sum this up. After the challenge and over Christmas, I stopped eating strict Paleo. I let desserts and cereal and just crap creep back in. I kept telling myself, go back to what you were doing. It worked! But I haven't yet.

CrossFit Rockwall is offering their 2nd "Eat Real" challenge that begins February 13th and runs through March 16th. I'm 99% sure right now that I'm going to do it. I need to get back on track. I'm wondering if there's anyone else who would be interested?? Let me know if you are. It would be nice to have each other for encouragment! You will have others on your "team" as well and you don't have to live locally to participate.

You never know. It could just be the best $30 you'll ever spend.

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Captions!

2012-02-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

BRONCOS! Do something!!!

A ball in each hand, gaps between my teeth, and slobber on my shirt. Yo yo.

I could watch Everybody Loves Raymond all day...

I'm gonna stand on my stool and make mom nervous.

In desperate need of a bath.

I am gonna get a bath right? ?

This stool is the perfect size for me.

What are you lookin' at camera lady?

I'm so cute I can't stand myself.

Sick-Ville

2012-01-31T19:02:00.000-08:00

I feel like poo. Again. Why is this happening?! I'm not normally a sickly person but I feel like I'm getting the same crud that started for me on Christmas day. Karlyn has been off and on coughing with a runny nose and she's almost done with her ear infection antibiotic. I thought this time for me was going to be milder but my throat's been hurting all afternoon so I called and made a dr's appointment for 8:00 tomorrow morning. I don't care what they give me. Just make this all go away!! Luckily Ryan hasn't gotten anything yet. Can it just be Spring yet? These wild temperature swings from 35 to 70 degrees in one day CANNOT be helping. From what I hear everyone else is sick too. What IS IT with this year??!

Right now I'm debating my medicinal choices before bed tonight...sudafed, benedryl, a large thermos of hot chocolate? Yeah. That last one.

I watched several episodes of "The Revolution" today and poor Karlyn; the most activity she had was when we walked to the mailbox and then I left her walk up and down the sidewalk in her fancy red glitter shoes. She cried when we had to go back inside.

Before this craptasticness began, I cooked several new recipes that were quite delish! I'll do a separate post on those soon. I really need to feel well soon. February/March are busy times around the Ivey house. Here's a rundown~

Feb 12th - Anniversary of our 1st date :> Ahhhhh...

Feb 14th - Valentine's Day. Obviously.

Feb 19th - Ryan's Birthday - The Big 3-0 this year!

March 10th - Our official anniversary - 5 years!

March 20th - MY BIRTHDAY. The last of my twenties...not sure how I feel about that.

So yeah, I've got card buying to do and surprises to plan. I've got a cute post ready for tomorrow.

Ciao.

Resolutions, Take 2

2012-01-26T12:09:00.000-08:00

Ugh. You know what I really hate? When I have a post all written and ready to go, I try to publish it, and somehow it disappears into the blogosphere!!! I think it was because I was trying to post it from my phone, UM, WHICH I'VE DONE BEFORE SUCCESSFULLY. That's ok. I have plenty of free time to write the same post twice.

Here we go. Take II.

I made 2 New Year's Resolutions for 2012. Only after reading an article from this site, I decided to call them habits instead. The thing with habits is they tend to stick around. Kinda like brushing your teeth. You know you need to do it, so you do. Then one day you can't imagine not doing it and before you know it you want to do it.

Do something for 30 days and it's bound to at least have made an impact and you just might remember and want to do it for the next 30 days. Last year I made 10 resolutions. But I kinda got busy learning how to be a mom. I'm cutting myself some slack. Without further ado, here they are!

1) Read my Bible every day. I didn't set a time or chapter limit. I simply want to open my Bible every single day and read something. It's not that I don't enjoy reading my Bible or know that I should spend time in the WORD; I just quite honestly haven't made it a habit. My Beth Moore Bible study is helping with that and the more I read, the more truth, conviction, and new life is breathed into me.

2) Write a letter to each member of my immediate family, once a month. This is something I've wanted to do for the last several years but just haven't made time to. I want my family to know how much they mean to me and who doesn't love getting a hand-written letter? Ok, so my brothers may not squeal with delight but they can get over it. :) I wrote down each person's name and threw them into a mug for drawing purposes. I won't say who I drew first because they may read this before the letter arrives.

So those are my 2012 habits I hope to form. So far, so good! I like having just two. If your read more from this site you'll see how sometimes NOT setting as many goals, resolutions, etc can often free you up to be even more productive and actually do the things in life you love. It was a novel idea to me. Less rules means more results!

Do you have any 2012 resolutions you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them!

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Off the Shoulder

2012-01-25T04:25:00.000-08:00

This is how we woke up yesterday.

What in the world?! How does that even happen? She either had a very rough night or she's a budding fashionista.

11 Randoms

2012-01-22T19:06:00.000-08:00

A few days ago Lyndsey tagged me in a "Random Things" post so I thought I'd play along tonight. Check out her blog if you get a chance! She has an adorable little boy named Liam who has more hair than Karlyn could ever hope to. ;)

1. What is your favorite thing to search for on Pinterest? (Assuming you use Pinterest. Which you should if you don't.)

Hmmm, probably recipes and party ideas. I just now typed in: paleo breakfast

2. Have you ever been outside of the country you currently live in? Where?

I've been to Mexico several times for mission trips and for our honeymoon we took a cruise to Jamaica, Grand Caymen, and Cozumel.

3. If you could speak a second language fluently, what would it be?

Ummm, Spanish?

4. Are you a cat person or a dog person?

I used to be neither. Then we got a dog who was my baby. Then we had a real baby. Enough said.

5. What type of house is your favorite? (colonial, ranch, tudor, etc.)

The house I live in now. So many memories already...

6. What is your dream car?

Ugh, I never think about stuff like this. I've kind of always wanted a jeep.

7. If you were vacationing 10 hours away - would you drive or fly? (and not because of money)

Fly! Too much car time.

8. Would you relive high school if you could? What would you do differently?

I might. I would definitely wax my eyebrows BEFORE graduating! I wouldn't be a dork.

9. If your significant other had an accent - what would it be?

British of course. :>

10. Would you rather not shower for a week or not brush your teeth for a week? Ew! :)

Not shower. Not brushing and flossing is just gross. And there's always body spray.

11. Would you rather have all boys or all girls?

Girls. It's all I know so far!

- - - - -

And now, 11 random things~

I way overthink. Like pretty much everything. In fact, I'm already overthinking this list.
I can't remember life before my daughter. What did we DO??
I really want to write something worth reading. I want to inspire and motivate people.
If I never go to Branson, Missouri again, I will be just fine. Just. Fine.
When I was younger, I pulled an entire cabinet full of glass items over on top of me and had to get several stitches on top of my head.
Chocolate is my weakness. Are salted fudge brownies Paleo approved?
I love my bathtub. It's my escape and where I forget about life for 30 minutes
Every morning, I wake myself up with iPhone. Literally. My alarm goes off and then I check facebook, the weather, blogs, and let my bleary eyes adjust.
I think every person should strive to be the very best version of themself. That includes physically. God gave you your body. Take care of it!
I want a little boy and another little girl. =) I wouldn't mind that order. Or reversed! I know this contradicts #11 above!
On my bucket list: take piano again. I don't care if I'm 70 years old. I regret ever stopping and I want to learn to play again.

Alrighty! Now...I'm tagging:

I honestly don't feel like typing 11 new questions so just answer the ones I did and come up with your own 11 Randoms list. :)

1 Year Well-Check

2012-01-21T04:46:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I took Karlyn to her pediatrician for her 1 year well-child checkup. We had a longer wait than usual plus we got there early but she still did really well the whole time. I was late in scheduling it because after her birthday life got crazy but better late than never! I really like this doctors office and the staff they employ. We've had good experiences so far.

This child was cracking me up in the waiting room though. Her new thing is standing. She wants to be little miss independent and stand on everything. I plopped her down in the chair next to me so I could fill out a new info form they're using for 2012 and what did she do immediately? Stand up. I let her and kept an eye on her. The waiting rooms - well and sick - were both more full than I'd seen before so babies and kids were in and out. She took it all in as she decided it would be fun to walk up and down the row of chairs, lifitng her legs over the hand rails to step to the next chair. The office staff thought it was funny, kept saying how cute she was, and admiring her sweet denim skirt. :)

We finally got to go back and before the nurse could weigh her, I had to change her diaper. Well as I picked her up off the table once we were done, the crinkly paper stuck to her bottom. ha ha. After she weighed, that paper stuck to her too. It was pretty funny. We had to wait for the doctor to come in then and I knew she was hungry. I didn't want to put her clothes back on only to take them off again and I knew she wasn't going to be down with sitting in my lap so I let her walk around in her diaper and shoes. I started giving her a snack, some little Gerber veggie puffs, and she was inhaling them like crazy! It was hilarious and she even wanted to keep eating them when the doctor was there. She walked all around the little room and I realized just how much she'd grown since our last visit.

Her 1 year (er, 13 month) stats~ 24 lbs, 31 inches - She's around the 90th percentile for both and the doctor was super impressed with her growth. She's getting longer and leaner! She asked if she was saying "mama" or "dada" and I said oh yes, and about 10 other words. Including "no." :> We talked about bottles and when to completely ditch them AND brushing her teeth! I know with 9 teeth I should have already been doing this...oops!

It made me happy to get such a good report even though I know it's by the grace of God that we've been blessed with her good health. I'm so thankful to have such a vibrant, crazy, silly 1 year old!

The Revolution!

2012-01-18T14:13:00.000-08:00

So guess what. I have a new favorite tv show! I was able to catch it on Monday when it premiered on ABC. I really don't watch a lot of tv these days and ours is usually set to Sprout tv or some news/financial channel when it's on. But Ryan and I do like to watch a few things together every now and then to relax in the evening. Daytime tv: ICK. Until now!

ABC is kicking off their new show, The Revolution, this week. I. love. it. It's so my kind of show. You can check it out online here~ I've set our DVR to record it for me each day from 1:00-2:00 and yesterday, Karlyn and I watched it while I did a livingroom workout. Seeeee, I'm still being productive.

Here's the deal. 5 "experts" run the show and rattle off all kinds of self-help tips on everything from fashion to fitness to mental health. Ty Pennington from Extreme Home Makeover is one of them. Tim Gunter is another. The other three, I didn't know. There's an OB-GYN, a therapist, and a celebrity personal trainer. I've already learned some really cool stuff! During the show, they take one audience member and give them a makeover backstage with a big reveal towards the end. They also have weekly "heroes" which is a person or persons who have elected and chosen to go through a 5 month total *whole person* transformation. Each day of the week they update the hero's progress, so Monday showed the results of the first 30 days and by Friday, I'll get to see the final product! It's really neat and kind of Biggest Loser-esque.

I love shows that help people look better, feel better, and learn to make real and simple lifestyle changes.

So tune in and watch it! Or tape it. The great thing about DVR is you can skip the commercials :>

Do you have a favorite show yet for this year?

More BB and MLK, Jr. Day

2012-01-17T13:19:00.000-08:00

Hi. my name is Kati. And I'm quickly becoming addicted. To this. I LOVE IT! I think the points system is so cool and I have been thrilled with the items I got in my January box. The eye serum is awesome, the lip gloss is very sheer, pretty, and not sticky which is precisely the reason I never wear lip gloss. That, and I don't think about it. The perfume grew on me and I cannot say how much I love the Zoya nail polish! I don't paint my nails. I never have seen the point. I do dishes. I lift weights. Inevitably, whenever I've tried to paint my fingernails in the past, they get messed up WHILE I'm painting them or shortly after. I used my Zoya nail polish in "Kristen" on Sunday afternoon while my child napped and I was able to do four coats. A base, two of color, and then a top coat. Since then I've washed multiple loads of dishes, cleaned, everything, and the color has held up amazingly! Zoya also uses none of the harsh chemicals that you find in most nail polishes, so it's even extra safe for pregnant women to use. I liked it so much that I just ordered some in a different color, a light grayish. Yay!

I know I sound like an informercial for Birchbox but I think it's such a cool idea. With my nail polish, I also ordered some Alex and Isabelle hair ties that won't damage your hair when you use them. They are adorable and apparently they were in December's box. I got an e-mail this morning saying all December box items ship free for an extra week so I decided to get some. I need them right?? I'm trying to grow my hair out so I definitely want to minimize damage in between trims. And I'm not paying $500 to $2,200 dollars to get hair extensions. So it all evens out. ;-)

Ugh. Now I can't even remember what else I was going to blog about. ha. Yesterday I was off for MLK Jr. Day. I love off days. I went with Ryan to his follow-up CT scan which we already got the results on. The CT scan doesn't tell us if adhesions are forming again but his small intestine and pancreas both looked great. He had to drink the nasty barium stuff beforehand but he did great. I would have puked. :/ Ryan's mom kept Karlyn during the procedure and then on into the afternoon so I could finish a chore I had been putting off. I really, really, really needed to clean out and organize my closet. It looks so much better now! And I'm not 100% done. I tried to go through my clothes and ask myself two questions.

Have I worn this? (A lot? Lately?)
Will I wear it?

If the answers were no, then it went into a stack to either take to a re-sale shop for cash OR to be donated to Helping Hands. Ryan is super thrilled that I'm going to make him do the same thing with his 5,000 shirts. Don't worry. I'll be there to ~~run the show~~ assist. :>

I snapped some cute pics of Kar in the afternoon once she got home. She turned 13 months yesterday! My plan for this year is to do an update for her every 3 months...15, 18, 21, and 2 years old. She's such a goober.

Happy Tuesday! OH! And what do you think of the new blog look??

Friday Night Hoops

2012-01-13T19:02:00.000-08:00

Tonight I got to watch my sister Karoline play basketball. We had a great time and got to visit with my parents during the game. Ryan joined us for the end and then we hit up Fuddrucker's afterwards for dinner. A nice change from our typical Friday night :-)

I love that my sister wears #23. That was my number in high school and it brings back so many memories. Whenever I watch a high school girls game, I kinda miss it. The warm-up music, the uniforms, the drills, the plays, the excitement, the competition. I actually wouldn't mind joining a league and playing... Of course, I'm nowhere near in running-up-and-down-the-court shape but it would be fun and a great workout. Maybe I'll look into that someday. Ya know, when I have time and all that.

I love these sweet pics of Karoline and Karlyn !

my favorite!!

Karlyn did well during the game although she would have much rather walked all over the court than sit in our laps. During the first half whenever the buzzer went off, it upset her but then she got over it.

Hope you have a happy weekend ahead of you. I have a 3 DAY-er and the big Broncos/Patriots playoff game is tomorrow night! We'll be watching it on a big screen with our game faces and maybe some snacks :>

My first box!

2012-01-11T15:52:00.000-08:00

Yay!! It came today! I bought myself a little present.

Since I can't join this box, I found another kind I just might like. Have you heard of Birchbox? I hadn't either until I saw a friend on facebook talking about it. Go check them out!

I just think it's the neatest little idea and I'm a sucker for samples. I don't buy high dollar make-up/beauty products so I figured this would be an inexpensive, fun way to get to try some. I've been tracking my 1st box online and stalking the mail-man like a crazy woman. I read that the boxes get dropped off when your everyday mail does but I wasn't sure if they would set it inside the mailbox or bring it up to the door. It was in the mailbox!

Eeeek! Who doesn't love opening pink boxes full of girly things? When I opened this box, there was another box. Cute =)

Of course you know I'm documenting this whole process. Even if the photos are sub-par... I had read reviews of what some of the boxes were like so I wasn't sure what to expect. I had filled out my beauty profile when I joined, which customizes the products you're likely to be sent. Neat huh? My box though had a card that said today's samples included some of their latest discoveries and all-time favorites. I'm guessing the next one may be a little diffferent? Next pic...

Mini-size LARABAR? Ok...ha. Wasn't expecting that. Anyhoo, the first thing I picked up was the little bottle. It's an eye serum that runs $80.00 for the full size. It may look small but I bet there's quite a few applications in there! I'm excited because under-eye problems run in my family and I would love to find something that actually helps! Inside the little package?

Lip Gloss. Nail Polish. Perfume. !

I've heard awesome things about this nail polish brand so I can't wait to use it! I'm sure you can't wait for me to either after seeing my un-manicured nails... The lip gloss is a pretty bright pink color and I've never worn Juicy Couture perfume before so that will be fun too =)

All together now~

I got a magnet too :>

So yeah, I'd call the first one a success! I will use all off it! The Birchbox system allows you to rack up "points" by doing a couple of different things. You get points when you

Review online the samples you've recieved
Refer someone else to Birchbox - and they join
Pay for a full year's subscription
Order full size items in their Birchbox store

If I chose to order any of the full size items that I received samples for today, I woud get free shipping. Your points also add up to give you credit. I think 100 points is worth $10.00 off. They also have a facebook page you can "like" where they hold giveaways and more. For subscriptions, you can order one month at a time (they will re-bill you each month unless you cancel), you can pay for a year up front, OR you can join at a 3 or 6 month plan. You can cancel at any time, fee free. $10.00 a month is what you'll pay but if you join for a year, you get 1 free box. You can also "gift" this as a present to someone else. Fun!

There's my review! Shannon :> Head here if you want to learn more! And then hit me up if you decide to join so I can snag some points ;)

Ta ta for now.

Crazy Shopper...That's Me

2012-01-07T18:55:00.000-08:00

Let me tell you about my day. C'mon, it'll be fun.

Today kind of stunk. I started off by leaving this morning to get my car inspected. This was AFTER I got a ticket yesterday for my inspection sticker being out. I knew it was out...just as I knew the cop that I passed going to work, was going to make a u-turn and pull me over. He did. We had already tried to get it inspected (late) in December. The throttle body was messed up though (I'll pretend that I know what that is) so they had to replace it/repair it and then we had to drive 100 miles and bring it back for re-inspection. Well, Karlyn's b-day happened, Christmas happened, and my car never made it back to the shop. I knew I needed to do it, but December was craziness and honestly, I had no idea that we had a 2 week limit to bring it back or we would be charged again. Anyways. This morning. They wouldn't give me my darn sticker because they said the tread on the back tires was too low. Ugh!! I called Ryan and he said to wait on the tires so he could look at them. I headed to workout and went through my weights workout even though I wasn't feelin' it that much.

Came home. Cleaned some and showered and we headed out to do some shopping and returns. I had decided that I needed some new jeans and even though I really wanted to do jeans shopping alone, all 3 of us went. Why is it so much easier for guys to shop than us women?! The last pair of jeans I bought were MATERNITY so yeah...I knew this would be ~~not very much~~ fun. I tried on pair after pair *while Karlyn whined in her stroller and Ryan shoved cheddar bunnies into her mouth* and the poor boy helping me. I'm sorry. I'm picky when it comes jeans. At least some of them...if I'm going to spend a good chunk of money on a pair, I want them to FIT VERY WELL, be the right wash I want, AND have good pocket placement. So sue me. And call me OCD. It was bugging me too because it seemed like I was in-between sizes.

Anyways. I finally found a pair I wanted. But they didn't have a long. Oh I didn't mention that? I want my jeans long enough to wear with heels ~~twice a year.~~ I was super not happy after all that. NOTE TO SELF: Don't decide to go jean shopping when you're hormonal! Got it?

My husband was starving so he took us to eat with a gift card. Still not happy. We got home and changed clothes and I headed out to a mall. Alone. I don't remember the last time I was at a mall. I had a couple of returns to make but this mall didn't have a GAP. Super. I went to the same store I'd tried on jeans at earlier and a very sweet girl assisted me. We found the pair I'd tried on earlier but got the size and length I needed.

I went to make my other return but it turns out it didn't come from the store I thought it did. Coooool. I spied some clearance racks though so I picked up a top and some dress pants for super cheap. I also decided to stop for a "fitting" of sorts since it had been a while in that department too. Dilliards was having a great sale!

So maybe it wasn't really that bad? But it felt like it. I was having an "I don't like my hair-face-body day" and trying on clothes that don't fit the way you want them to doesn't help.

And one more thing. Maybe this is just me, being post-baby-paranoid but every time I shop for clothes or something like expensive jeans, I get this annoying thought. Um, what if I get pregnant again? I just shelled out money for xyz and if baby # 2 decides to come along, those pants aren't gonna get much use. Please tell me I'm not the only mom who thinks like that. Please? I'm just weird. And crazy. And I'm sure that was tmi.

Here's to a better tomorrow!

Life Lately

2012-01-05T13:30:00.000-08:00

Well hello there. Thought I'd, ya know, check in on the blog and all. I took a nice little 2.5 week hiatus and it wasn't even really on purpose. After Karlyn's birthday, my life quickly became a whirlwind of Christmas shopping, cooking/baking, wrapping, New Year celebrating, football watching, and oh yeah, I got a cold that started Christmas day and lasted till about 36 hours ago. I never knew how necessary and glorious it is to be able to breathe through one's nose. Oh. And I did end up using my Neti Pot. No sign of brain-eating amoebas yet...

I've seriously had so many blog posts floating through my head but just haven't sat down to do it. While I'm tempted to go back and re-live Christmas and tell you all about the wonderful festivities that were had, if we're friends on facebook, you've already seen my Holiday pics. If we're not friends, you probably don't care anyways. :-) I may throw out a few highlights with some pics...we'll see. Of course, there's the obligatory "New Year's Resolutions" post but don't worry; I've got that covered too. ~~Except I don't have any.~~ They're called HABITS this year.

So what's been going on?

Ryan is doing really well! He's gained a solid 10 lbs back which we're both thrilled about. He goes back on January 16th for a follow up CT scan. He's back in the gym and his appetite has skyrocketed and those are both very good things. We found out too that his office is moving this summer. We're not though :> It will just make for a longer drive for him.

Karlyn has been her adorable little self as usual and even though a runny nose crept in a few times, she never got full-on sick over the holidays. Thank you Jesus! She got sooo many new clothes and toys for her b-day and Christmas so she's been having fun playing with those. And yes I'm that mom that has set some toys aside to bring out later for new, post-January wow factor.

Me? Like I said, I'm just thankful to be well right now. I've been experimenting with some new Paleo recipes that are pretty darn scrumptious and also trying to get back in the gym. I lost ground from being sick and not going so I'm trying to work my way back up. I'm beginning a Bible study with girls from church on Sunday that I'm looking forward to. My "office" is still a wreck from December. I want a new blog look. Again. And I'm only slightly weirded out to say this but I've really been enjoying my job lately. It's a good fit.

Ryan and I have been talking about this some and I don't know why but it almost scares me to say this.

I'm just really enjoying life right now.

Sometimes I feel like as a Christian that I shouldn't say that. Messed up huh? Like I think I should be suffering more, or waiting for the next crisis to hit. It feels a little cocky to say yeah, things are going good right now. I have a great marriage, a wonderful kid, a good job, a comfortable place to live, and amazing family and friends. The Bible says, to everything there is a season. And I like the season that I'm in. No, it's not perfect but I think it's OK to be OK with where you're at. Where things are at. And enjoy it. And relish it. Our pastor has once said that every person is either coming out of a storm, in the midst of one, or heading into a storm. I'm not trying to be naive. I just feel happy.

I'll be back with more!

Karlyn's Birthday - Part 2!

2011-12-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

The big day! I told Ryan ahead of time that the plan was for him to stay home with Karlyn that morning and let her nap while I made one last store stop and then helped get things ready at the house. She didn't get a huge nap but it was fine. The party was a lot of fun and even though our good buddy Asher didn't make it, Karlyn's BFF Mallory was there to help her celebrate :-) Grandparents, great-grandparents, and aunt and uncles came too!

I was really proud of myself and thought the decorations ended up looking perfectly pretty for my little 1 year old. I even made a party playlist for some background music. Fun songs by Jack Johnson, She and Him, Jason Mraz... My sweet friend Amanda snapped some pics for us throughout the party and then of course I managed to take too many myself. Here are some of the best ones!

And now...for the birthday outfit!!! Side note. My child doesn't smile for pictures.

Let's face it people. My daughter doesn't have enough hair ~~or willpower~~ to keep a bow in her hair. But we tried! She also managed to somehow break the tutu elastic half-way through the party so that was fun. Ryan tried to tape it back together (with blue painter's tape!) but that didn't work. Onesie and leg warmers it was! Amanda took this super cute pic of the girls~

We can't wait to watch these two grow up together. They are 5 months and 5 days apart! Mallory gave Karlyn a very special little girls Princess Devotional Bible by Sheila Walsh that we are so excited to read with her. So fun!

Time for presents! And CAKE!

It was such a special day for our sweet girl and many thanks to those of you who came and celebrated with us! We love each and every one of you. Karlyn received so many fun toys and cute clothes and we were richly blessed by everyone's generosity. We appreciate as I said at the party the love, encouragement, and support you've shown our family over the past year...and the 9 months leading up to it! Thank you again!

I can't believe I have a 1 year old. She already seems different ;>

Karlyn's Birthday - Part 1!

2011-12-19T12:32:00.000-08:00

Don't worry. There's only going to be two parts. I think.

Friday morning I woke up way earlier than I'd planned and couldn't go back to sleep. After scarfing down some cereal, I started blowing up balloons with my nifty little $2.00 Hobby Lobby pump. *Thanks Andrea for the tip!*

Once Ryan was ready for work, we walked down the hall to Karlyn's room, opened the door, and...

Balloon Ambush!

I went on to make her chocolate chip banana pancakes for breakfast which she gobbled right up. We spent the rest of the day hanging out and then decorating her Nona's house where the party was going to be. I really didn't feel super great that day so we came home and rested after that and had a low-key Friday night.

I'm so glad I got to spend her birthday morning with her!

1 YEAR!

2011-12-16T03:11:00.000-08:00

Karlyn Kaye, YOU ARE 1 YEAR OLD TODAY!

I seriously cannot believe it. When did that even happen? It seems like just yesterday I was having a meltdown over you turning six months old. I bought myself a doughnut that morning. Today I might need a whole box.

Karlyn, you bring your daddy and I so much joy. We have a hard time remembering life without you! I am loving this age right now. Here's what you're up to~

Your meals may not be the most nutritious these days. You stopped liking vegetables and still love Annie's Mac n Cheese. You also like, grapes, bananas, pineapple, eggs, puffs, yogurt with pumpkin, beans, and the little Gerber ravioli things. Ok, so you're still getting some good stuff. But what happened to veggies?!

You eat 3 meals a day and drink 3 bottles. Do we nix the bottles soon? I've been wondering. You sleep from about 7:30 or 8:00 to 7:00 and you love going to the sitter's each morning. Your vocabulary has been taking off! Here's what you can say:

Mama
Dada
Baby
Bye Bye
Dodger (Dar-Dar)
Night Night
Tree (Tee!)
Uh Oh *this is my fave and the cutest!*
Pa Pa (you only whisper it)
Nona
and you say "Bo Bo" which I think can mean banana, or just a snack in general

We know that once you really start talking, you're not going to stop. You have a favorite book now that we absolutely must read before bed every night. You look for it and point to it once you're through with your bottle. It's called, "Welcome to Your World Baby."

Your hair is getting longer in the back but you still don't have a lot. :> You walk all over this house and try to sneak into the bathrooms where you've (more than once) stuck your hand into the toilet to splash in the water. #RealLifePeople.

You like to hold mommy's phone or a tv remote and act like it's a phone. You hold it up to your ear and say something that sounds like hello. It's adorable. You still use a paci to sleep. You're wearing size 12-18 month clothes, size 4ish shoes, and we just recently put you into size 5 diapers. You get crazy silly at night and can't walk in a straight line. It's pretty entertaining.

You're into everything. You're always on the move. We're saying "No No" more and more...you're starting to repeat it. You have 7 teeth, and are working on the 8th. 4 on top, 4 on bottom!

Karlyn, mommy wanted you so, so, so badly for several years. And the whole time I was not-so-patiently waiting, I think God was trying to tell me. He was whispering...just wait. You have no idea. I'm going to give you a little girl that's so incredibily stinkin wonderful that it'll blow your mind. You won't care that you had to wait. You won't wish you had seen her sooner. You'll know.

You'll know that the timing was perfect and that she was a gift straight from heaven sent to one young couple who won't know what they're doing but they'll figure it out. They'll make mistakes and do the wrong thing, and try their best. And they'll love this little girl with all their hearts and she'll make them smile and make them sigh. And then she'll make them more into the people they're supposed to be.

Oh. And you started giving kisses last night. IT. WAS. SO SWEET. I can't possibly love you any more!

We love you sweet girl. Happy 1st Birthday!

Love, Mommy and Daddy

Beep...Beep...Beep

2011-12-14T18:56:00.000-08:00

Attention. I interrupt this week's smothering of baby-ness and love for my ALMOST 1 YEAR OLD to bring you a picture-less update on life at the Ivey's. Nothing too exciting but here ya go.

Ryan's been feeling pretty good and has even gained a few pounds. Woo hoo! We're glad about that. Hoping a few more holiday pounds will attach themselves as well.

I've been super busy at work this month which is a good thing. I've been working 5 hours each day this week instead of 4 so that I can be off on Friday.

Why Friday? In case you didn't know, Karlyn's birthday is Friday! I know, I know. You know. :> I've been preparing, buying, planning, and I hope her party Saturday will be really fun. Friday we'll get to spend the day together, go decorate, and get ready.

She's so crazy.

Tim. Tebow. Is. Amazing. The Broncos right now are killing it!!! Ryan and I are watching a little documentary thing right now about last Sunday's game where they play a lot of what Tim says throughout the game. I don't care what you think about his throwing motion, his lack of experience, or his displays of faith throughout the games and interviews. The Broncos are winning and you can't tell me that any team wouldn't be lucky to have a guy with that kind of character and work ethic. Ryan tells me all the time about these sleeze ball guys that go out, get drunk, and do things that normal everyday citizens would be arrested for the night before, and then go play the game the next day. Role models? Yeah, not so much. I'm a Tebow fan.

I made cake batter rice crispy (krispie?) treats tonight for the first time. Recipe here! I wanted to practice making them before the party so I'm taking them for a co-worker's birthday tomorrow.

Did I mention that tomorrow is my Friday? Yay!

I'm going to do nothing but CRASH on Sunday. After the big party, we have an afternoon wedding to attend. Just what we'll need. More cake.

Oh, Christmas? Yes. That would be coming up wouldn't it. I'm not done Christmas shopping and I'm a tad disappointed with some of my online purchases. Ugh, when am I going to finish that? I'm guessing next week in the afternoons.

I have my last "monthly update" post ready for Friday to celebrate my sweet baby. This has all been making me a bit mushy. I told Ryan the other day, "I think I need a new baby Karlyn!" He said, "Yes, but then that baby grows into the walking, talking terror we now have." She's not a terror. He was kidding. And I was only half-way kidding. Hmpf.

G'night!

BIRTH DAY

2011-12-14T04:14:00.000-08:00

12.16.10

You can read the full story here!

Man, I love her!

Down Memory Lane...

2011-12-13T14:12:00.000-08:00

Let's take a walk. I'm feeling nostalgic this week...

More to follow... :-)

Karlyn - Watch Me Grow!

2011-12-11T17:47:00.000-08:00

Newborn

1 Month

2 Months

3 Months

4 Months

5 months

6 Months

7 Months

8 Months

9 Months

10 Months

11 Months

12 Months

Ready...Break

2011-11-30T18:20:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking of taking a blog break for the month of December. For one, I have P-LENTY to keep me busy between a certain little girl's birthday in two weeks and 5 million Christmas presents that need to be wrapped. For another, I'm just not feelin it right now. This month is going to be super busy and I spend enough time as it is just reading other blogs!

I may be back before the new year; I may not.

Happy December. Happy Holidays. Merry Christmas to you and yours!

Wordless {ish} Wednesday: Holiday Helper

2011-11-30T05:58:00.000-08:00

I may or may not have semi-posed her here...

Luckily, so far she's not too interested in the TREE!

Fitness Friday: Link Love

2011-11-25T05:15:00.000-08:00

Hi there FF pals. Today I've got a smorgasbord of links for you to dive into. If you're anything like me, you ate way too much yesterday and are looking to get back on track now. So skip the Black Friday MADNESS and enjoy some healthy reads!

**********

Got Milk? The Dairy Dilemma...

Paleo Thanksgiving anyone?

This has nothing to do with fitness but might it improve our health by improving our SANITY?!

PMS? Ugh. Eat this.

Need a reason to get that puppy? I was never a dog person. And I should probably be nicer to the one we have.

Jillian vs. CrossFit. I liked watching this video. Nice post too.

And more CrossFit...Newbie? Thinking about it? What is it?? Oh, and you want to donate to the "pay for a monthly membership for Kati to CrossFit fund? :-> I love the quote towards to the end of this about lifting!

I NEED TO READ THIS EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND POST IT ON MY FRIDGE.

Sleep better tonight. I'm partial to #3! And have gotten better at #14.

Finally, I'm becoming more and more intrigued with this site. I want to read everything they've written!

happy weekend everyone :-) gobble gobble.

thankful

2011-11-24T04:14:00.000-08:00

i'm thankful for...

so. many. things.

my husband. his health. his presence at home and that he's out of the hospital. i don't know what i'd do without him.

my sweet precious way too stinkin adorable 11 month old daughter. i know i've never professed my affection for her on the blog before <kidding!> but i'm in love.

my savior. saved by grace. not of good works or trying hard enough or being good enough. nope. i already failed. i'm thankful for the path he's led me down and the salvation he's freely given.

my family. church. workplace. iphone. laptop. bathtub. andrea's cookie dough covered brownies. fall. friends. mommy friends. sweaters. forgiveness. acceptance. love.

work outs and weights. blogging and pins :> quiet and naps and time to reflect. lessons and struggles and figuring out what works and what doesn't.

a pastor who preaches the truth. a roof over our heads. a little doggy with a big bark. bananas and peanut butter. scrambled eggs with cheese.

another day to live. another year to remember. another THANKSGIVING to celebrate. i can't take one day for granted because each one is a gift.

i'm thankful for you. yes, YOU. thanks for reading this silly little blog that i write and ramble on.

~happy thanksgiving~

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Kitchen Help

2011-11-23T06:06:00.000-08:00

Check out the nap hair.

I've started giving her a few things to play with in the kitchen while I'm cooking and it works pretty well. Nothing's as fun as hanging onto mom's legs though while she does dishes. ;>

Hubby update and Monday musings

2011-11-21T18:15:00.000-08:00

Today was a big day because Ryan went back to work! He made it all day and said he felt pretty good. It must have worn him out though because he is SACKED OUT on the couch right now... and has been for about 30 minutes. It felt really good to be back in our normal "routine." Can anyone give an amen to the fact that sometimes being home all day every day is just a little too much togetherness sometimes? I think we were both getting on each other's last nerve! He goes back to the surgeon tomorrow for another post-op check up that should be quick and easy. He is eating well and for the most part feeling good but there is still some soreness and his energy level is not quite the same. Of course he's lost a lot of strength and it looks like the total amount of weight he lost = 25 lbs. Ladies: wouldn't you love to be told you needed to gain about 25-30 lbs? Ha!

So pray that he can gain slowly and steadily. Although he would prefer quickly. 500 extra calories a day gives you a 1 lb. gain per week but that's if all other conditions are right. So...it's not going to be easy but hopefully he'll see progress soon.

Karlyn and I enjoyed a nice afternoon at home and I tried to do some party planning. Little miss is going to be the big ONE before we know it! I'm excited about her party. I'm not super creative or crafty and I'm not going with a theme but I have several ideas and I think it's going to be perfectly cute. :-) We took a walk right before it got dark. I like to get her out of the house for a simple change of scenery even if it's not a grueling work out for me.

goober!

I needed to get to the gym today but I didn't have child care so maybe I'll go tomorrow. I wasn't super motivated but I do not want to skip several lifting sessions in a row because then I'm back to square one and you have to start over in a way. Maybe I should just get a barbell, squat rack, and plates for the garage! But then my car wouldn't fit.

Did anyone have more of an exciting Monday? This morning I was in one of those moods where I question everything, including my job. Is this what I want to do forever? But is it where God has placed me for right now... Should I go back to school? How would that even be possible?! And what would I do with it? Should I look for something more health/fitness related or is sharing my passion within my small sphere of influence good enough? Yeah. Too much for a Monday morning. I need a good night's sleep tonight. Last night's was terrible!

Oh. And I got some super fun exciting news last night from a certain someone. Eeeek. Yay!!

Just Real Life

2011-11-19T18:15:00.000-08:00

What a day. It started out great and is ending nicely but the middle? A bit sketchy.

After eggs and apple cinnamon oatmeal with the girly, I headed to the gym for a quick lifting session. Maybe I'm weird but I get such a RUSH from going up in weight! I love getting stronger and seeing results. I did front squats, pull-ups, and deadlifts. And doing front squats just makes me feel cool. :-)

Once I got home, our plan was to shower, get ready, and head out for errands consisting of an Ulta stop and the grocery store. We live it up on weekends. I did have something exciting planned though. I've been toying with the idea of coloring my hair. At home. Using a box. Have you ever read the reviews of those things? Not good! At least a lot of them. I still wanted to do it though. I got a couple of brand referrals from friends and I'd used one once in high school and didn't remember being too emotionally scarred over it. So...I wanted to pick out a box/color at Ulta AND get a new blowdryer! Mine died while Ryan was in the hospital and I've been using a loaner from my mother-in-law. It was working fine but I wanted a new one with the directed air flow nozzle attachment thingy. That's an official term.

So we got ready to go *and this matters not a bit but Karlyn looked super cute in navy blue leggings and a navy and white striped hooded sweatshirt from baby Gap* and the trip didn't go so well. About ~~1 minute~~ er...30 seconds out of the driveway, Ryan and I got into it over something dumb and let's just say neither of us handled it well or acted very adult-like. The trip pretty much was ruined from that point and yeah, that's real life sometimes. We made up later and confessed we were both at fault and maybe I overreacted a tiny bit. I don't want my blog to ever give the misconception that our lives are perfect. So far from it and I'm human, as is my husband who is not feeling wonderful still and I need to be patient and understanding but sometimes I get tired of taking care of so much by myself and, and, and...long run on sentence. Yeah, we're not perfect. But that's how marriage goes. For better or worse right?

Fast forward. Ryan took a nap on the couch and my sweet mother-in-law came and took Kar for a few hours to her house. I ran up to Target to look at their hair color and picked one that I thought would be better than the box I'd gotten at Ulta. I also got a big tub of unsalted mixed nuts and some Godiva chocolates for Christmas presents. I CANNOT LEAVE TARGET WITH ONLY ONE ITEM. I'm pretty sure I have a problem and need to start a Target's Anonymous group.

I dyed my hair. Made dinner. Cleaned up the bathroom. Took some pics. ~via Instagram~

It's a bit darker than it looks here but it's only semi-permanent. Fun change. My child was such a ham tonight! She is getting so silly and Ryan's mom couldn't believe how much she is walking! I'm looking forward to a Thanksgiving get together at my Aunt's tomorrow and spending the day with my mom's side of the family. Turkey for me...turkey for you...actually, I think we're having baked potatoes and pulled pork. Traditional on Thursday though!

Fitness Friday: Squat. It does a booty good.

2011-11-18T04:08:00.000-08:00

I think a lot of people have a love/hate relationship with squats. They're not exactly fun to do but they're an incredible exercise that can give you amazing looking legs!

Squats recruit most of your muscle fibers and burn a ton of calories even after you're done working out. They are an exercise you can do in the gym using a squat rack and barbell or in your living room holding a pair of dumbbells. There are many variations of the squat but you don't need to get all fancy, especially at first. If you've never done them before, it's a good idea to find someone who knows how to properly perform one (like a personal trainer!) who can show you good form, then watch and correct as you practice. Never, ever done a squat before? Sit down in a chair. Now stand up. That's sort of what it should feel like.

And don't buy into the whole mini-squat, knees should not even come within an inch of your toes business. Learn to do a full squat. Get low.

Benefits to Squatting? Read on!

*Your core will become stronger from squatting as you support the bar on your shoulders. 6 pack anyone?

*Defined legs. Strong low back.

*Improved stability around the joints of the lower body. Believe it or not, squatting can actually improve the health of your knee and hip joints. While squatting may be contraindicated for certain populations, the benefits are vast for healthy people. With proper form, the muscles surrounding the knee joint will strengthen and protect.

Here is a great article on FULL SQUATTING like I talked about above. Progression comes pretty quickly with squats also. It is fairly easy to move up in weight every time you do them but be sure and give yourself a day of rest in between workouts.

Right now I'm doing squats 3 times a week: back squats twice and front squats once. Here are excellent videos on how to set up either movement! Yesterday I did back squats and here was my progression. I know, it's not much at all but I am just now getting back into it.

6 x bar (45 lbs.) - warm up
5 x 55 lbs.
5 x 65
5 x 70
5 x 70
5 x 70

I was actually feeling happy and proud to hit 70 lbs. yesterday when miss soccer player showed up and starting throwing multiple 25's onto her barbell. She was so strong! It inspired me though...I'll get there. My first goal is to be able to squat my body weight.

I took information from this site for today's Fitness Friday. Go forth and squat!

11 Months!

2011-11-16T04:12:00.000-08:00

Karlyn Kaye. You are 11 months old! The time has just been flying by and you are growing up to be one sweet, silly little girl. I'm glad we only have one more glider photo shoot though...you will NOT stay still!

Here's what you're up to~

You still drink 3 bottles a day and eat 3 meals. I thought you were going on a bottle strike there for a while but I think you were just cutting more teeth. Speaking of those pearly white chompers, you have SIX now! Four on the top, and two on the bottom. They're so cute and you can really see the top ones now when you smile. You have a gap between the top two middle ones and we're quite sure you'll need braces just like both of your parents.

You sleep from about 7:30 to 7:00 (ish) and you take two naps a day - one at the sitters and one at home in the afternoon. I love those naps! I try to rest too during that time...You can say:

mama
dada
bye bye
be be (baby!?)

You point to your picture and say "be be!" You call me over and over..."ma ma ma ma ma!" It's cute.

You're learning to drink from a sippy cup and you're a bit picky these days when it comes to meals. When you're done, you like to throw food on the floor for Dodge. Great habit. Your favorite food is pasta! Specifically, Annie's Mac n Cheese.

You like to watch Wonder Pets sometimes but tv just doesn't hold the same allure that it used to for you. You'd much rather crawl and now WALK around the house. Yes. You are walking SO MUCH big girl! It has really taken off and you just walk wherever you please now. You even can crawl up Nona's stairs so she's trying to teach you how to safely come down them. You like to shriek like a pterodactyle (sp?) still and you squirm like crazy *or just crawl away* while I'm trying to change your diaper or get you dressed.

You wear size 4 diapers and size 12-18 month clothes and size 4 shoes. But mostly you go barefoot :) We're having an unseasonably warm Fall! You want anything that's not yours: the mail, daddy's cell phone and computer, the tv remotes. You're just getting so BIG and you're not my tiny little 7 lb bundle anymore!

Mommy and daddy love you sweetheart. We can't remember life without you and you make us shake our heads and laugh every day. God gave us a GIFT when He gave us you.

***Happy 11 Months!***

10 years...really??!

2011-11-13T17:50:00.000-08:00

So...last night was my 10 year high school reunion! After I spent way too much time trying to come up with an outfit, I headed to Dallas to meet up with my classmates. I thought it would be fun to get something new to wear and how often do I get to pick out a new outfit these days? Not very. I had a $10 credit and a coupon to use at a store in Rockwall so off I went. Poor salesgirl Mallory tried and tried and was very helpful but we could not find a shirt to go with the 6 different vests they had and once I tried one on, I knew I wanted a vest! I finally decided to go with the one I liked best whether it went with the shirt or not.

I'm really glad I got over whatever attitude I was sporting yesterday afternoon and decided to go because it was a fun time! Not everyone was there but it was fun to catch up with those who came and meet their spouses. They had a slide show playing of old high school pics...oh my gosh. Talk about embarrasing! Let's just say high school was not my best look. Need proof? No, I'm not showing you those pictures. But towards the end of the night, they gave away "awards" to a few people in certain categories. I tied another guy for "most changed since high school." Is that a compliment? :-) Um, and since we tied, I got half the award.

Anyways, it was a good time and I think several of us thought it'd be fun to get together more often! We only had 32 in our graduating class...very, very small. But hey, I came from being homeschooled so any class size was big to me. Here are a few pics from the night~

Kari and I

Rachel, Carissa, and Heather

Rachel, Carissa, and I

Kari, Heather, Rachel, Me, Carissa!

Group Pic!

And our momento :>

They had a little booklet made up too of questions and answers submitted by everyone but I procrastinated and didn't send mine in...and I also didn't even know if I was going! I wished I would have though and I thought maybe I'd jot mine down in a post for this week. Don't worry; it won't be very exciting ;)

Let's Talk About It

2011-11-11T19:15:00.000-08:00

Let's talk about the fact that my husband is home! Woo hoo!! We spent a long, slow afternoon at the hospital waiting for them to finally release him and now he's asleep in our bed. Yay :-) Thank you SO MUCH for your thoughts and prayers this week. We would not have made it without them.

Let's talk about how super incredibly thrilled I was today to finally get a hair cut. I'm trying to grow my hair out so I had gone almost 12 weeks since my last cut. It was shaggy/frizzy and it looks so much better now. And I kind of got new bangs! I can wear them more straight down now or sort of parted in the middle and off to both sides and I like them :>

Let's talk about these amazing non-Paleo MIND BLOWINGLY DELICIOUS cookie dough brownies my friend Andrea brought over on Thursday. But let's not talk about how many I've eaten. Ok, ok. 3 1/2. Seriously, they are awesome and she was so sweet to make them for ~~us.~~ I mean me. ;)

Let's talk about how sad it is that I'm planning to go to my 10 year high school reunion tomorrow night, alone. Ryan was of course planning on going with me before all of this happened but...and lest you think I'm totally abandoning him in his time of need, he's given me his blessing to go and his parents will take good care of him for a few hours. Let's also discuss how I have nothing I'd like to wear and how I plan to look for something tomorrow. Pressure shopping. Oh what fun.

Let's talk about how my almost 11 month old daughter is starting to walk more and more! It is crazy. And when did she get so old anyways? And who pray tell is planning her 1st birthday party? Whoever it is needs to get on the stick and get some invitations out.

Let's talk about how I haven't worked out now since November 2nd and how I've probably lost any momentum and muscle gains I was in the processs of creating. Back to the drawing board. Hopefully this next week! Also on that note, let's talk about how I haven't been eating Paleo and feel kind of yucky because of it. Also, I am now in love with Gingerale. Thanks stomach bug.

Lastly, lets talk about this baked potato soup I whipped up tonight for Ryan for his first meal back home. What did we do before the internet?! A couple of quick searches and I had a recipe to go by that was awesome. Thank you Google. Now come up with an outfit for me tomorrow. Ready....go!

Where We're At

2011-11-07T18:31:00.000-08:00

I need to write this out because it's only Monday and I think if I go through this whole week without blogging through some of my thoughts and emotions, I will explode.

I'm too tired right now to fill in every detail of how we got here but basically Ryan had scar tissue built up from his first surgery where his spleen was removed and this tissue was causing problems. It caused a twist and blockage in his small intestine and the doctor said he had only seen scar tissue this bad in one or two other people. Ryan is very prone to scar tissue and this will probably not be the last time. :/ His surgery was on Friday and it lasted three hours. Karlyn and I got sick on Thursday night but hers luckily wasn't as bad as mine seeing that I pretty much threw up every Paleo piece of food I'd eaten for the past 3.5 weeks in about five hours. Fun. You know when you're sick and you just want your mom? But then no, you're married. Your mom's not there anymore. Oh but wait, your husband...he's in the hospital. Your child is 10 months old, asleep in her bed. It's just you and the porcelain bowl. And you want to die.

It's been a blur ever since then. Ryan called me Friday saying he had to go back in 30 minutes and I started balling knowing I couldn't make it up there to see him, and didn't need to. His surgery went well and after a brief scare where they were possibly discussing even more surgery if a few tests didn't improve, that possibility is now not likely. Right now we need prayer for quick healing and no infection and Lord, he does NOT need to get what we had! His mom got it last night...

It's hard too dividing my time between he and Karlyn and then being back at work too. I want to be with him as much as possible but I also have to get Karlyn and I through each day. Luckily, his family is there to help out too and someone is pretty much always there with him. He has had many visitors and we thank you for that.

Right now *tonight* his back was really, really hurting him and he just can't get comfortable. The tube he has down his throat is really hurting and making his voice weak. He looks so sad and I hate it for him. In many ways, it feels like we're back to square one, back to two months ago. He needs his intestines to "wake up" and start working again soon. He'll also start to get TPN tonight..."Total ? Nutrition" which he'll get through IV to help reduce even further weight/muscle mass loss and provide him with the nutrients he needs.

I miss my husband and it's only Monday. I know we'll get through this but it's going to be a long week. I hope that tomorrow is better than today for him, and each day after that. I feel better and my appetite is starting to come back after dropping several pounds. It was crazy. I'm not eating Paleo, I'm eating what I can stomach and what I can put together quickly, and I feel the difference I guess. So much for finishing "Eat Real" strongly, but it's not my top priority right now and after I got sick the last thing that sounded good was chicken and sweet potatoes.

You can always count on life to throw the unexpected at you. Oh, and my mom said now I'm now a "real mom" since I've cleaned up baby vomit. My response? Yay.

I can't wait to have him home. And healthy hopefully soon. Lord, grow us through this season!

Fitness Friday: Some Inspiration

2011-11-04T09:48:00.000-07:00

I wish I had an incredibly thought out and well prepared Fitness Friday post for you but as I said last night, Wednesday evening and yesterday brought some unexpected issues to our house and I just haven't had the time I thought I might.

So...how about a little inspiration?

I know this is completely hodge-podge and thrown together and I actually put it together last night BEFORE I WENT TO BED AND PROCEEDED TO VOMIT ALL NIGHT AND WAKE UP TO THE SAME WITH KARLYN. I feel horrible and am hoping this is short-lived. Pray for Ryan too. He's about to have another procedure.

I'll post more when I can.

Fun with Friends

2011-11-03T17:20:00.000-07:00

We hadn't had the pleasure of a play-date in quite a while so yesterday was a real treat! Erica and I went to church and ran cross-country together and then lo and behold ended up having little girls within 2 weeks of each other, AND we used the same doctor! ha.

Karlyn and Raegan played together until they got fussy and then we called it a wrap. It's so nice to get to sit and talk with another mom about what's going on and funny, quirky, kid stuff. Of course I did get lost on the way there but that's nothing new if you know me.

Cutie Patooties! Raegan's legs crack me up in this 2nd pic.

And why will my child not smile anymore? Oh well. Does this week seem super long to anyone else? My gracious, it is drag.ging. Friday, hurry up already!

I can't believe our Eat Real challenge will soon be over. I'm not even sure how my eating will be going forward but I know that I definitely DO plan to implement a lot of what I've been doing. It works! As I mentioned, my high school reunion is the night that the challenge ends and I most certainly also plan to have some dessert that night. A co-worker told me that the restaraunt we'll be at makes an awesome chocolate cake!

**So I wrote this post last night...then the last 24 hours kind-of threw us all for a loop! Just say a prayer for us if you think about it. It's always something, right?!

Wordful Wednesday

2011-11-02T04:12:00.000-07:00

My Favorite Commercial

2011-11-01T15:26:00.000-07:00

This is my favorite commercial right now. So happy! So family. So cute. :-)

Watch it!

Other Tuesday Things?

1) We had a "Thanksgiving" lunch today at work to celebrate 20 years of service as a company. It was really nice and we had all of the employees there but three. I didn't have dessert. Even though it looked yum-tastic.

2) Karlyn's at her Nona's which means I should be doing something productive. Does this count?

3) We have fun plans this week for a play-date tomorrow and a baby shower on Saturday + a family gathering that night. That's a lot of togetherness for this girl and her momma.

4) I still need to fill out a survey that we've been given for our 10 year high school reunion that's coming up. But how the heck am I supposed to answer questions like, "What one thing have you done that people wouldn't expect of you?" Um. Changed jobs 5 times, gotten married, had a kid? Oh, and I like to work out and blog. Shocking.

5) There's a "pin" that I've been meaning to get around to reading about how to keep your house clean in just 15 minutes a day. I wonder if hang up your clothes each day is one of the tips. I like to pile.

That's all I've got!

Joining the Club

2011-10-31T12:32:00.000-07:00

I really had no idea. Color me a first time mom but I wasn't aware that there were certain things one must do with their kids every Fall. I don't remember one single time participating in this as a child myself but apparently the rules have changed. And one of those rules states:

"Thou shalt take thy first born child (and any consecutive siblings) out to a spot which has been designated to be a PUMPKIN PATCH and thou shalt peruse the patch looking for adorable photo ops, during which your child will neither smile for you or look at the camera."

Hmpft. Well, I did it. We did it. Saturday the Ivey's headed out on what turned out to be an extensive search for a Toy Story costume for a certain someone. Another story in itself. But if I was going to be dragged around on this last minute, procrastination at its finest mission, then we were certainly going to stop and take these pumpkin patch pictures.

After all. I wanted to be a good mom and ya know, join the club. The secret, elusive, all moms take their kids to pumpkin patches club. And it was October 29th.

So here are the best ones!

Now do I get some kind of certificate or what?!

*Oh. And I wrote this post in jest. You are in no way not a good mom if you haven't visited your local patch ;-)

My Rangers confession and Happy 13th!

2011-10-29T18:44:00.000-07:00

The last two Friday nights we've headed out to watch Ryan's brother coach football so last night we decided to do something different and drove over to my parents house to watch the Ranger game.

*I'll be honest. I'm not a baseball fan and never have been. I played softball once and was pretty horrible. So. I wasn't upset when they lost. Nor would I have been overjoyed if they won. Like I told Ryan, nothing invested, nothing lost. :-)*

My heartfelt sympathy though to those of you who took it hard!

Karlyn got to stay up well past her bedtime but she hung in there, slept on the way home, and then went right back to sleep in her bed. My dad and Kaleb couldn't be there because they were at their own football games so it was just a few of us. Yesterday was actually Kolton's 13th birthday! I can't believe that my parent's last baby is now a teenager. I still remember finding out that my mom was pregnant...again... :) and couldn't believe it! I love Kolton and he is such a trooper with all he's been though. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age 2 and I was so upset. I just know that God has big plans for him.

We took some fun pics ~

Now these just crack me up. Keith brought out a wig but by this time Karlyn was in no mood. It was hilarious!

Notice the shoes.

We had a crazy long Saturday today with Pumpkin Patch pics to come! Say that 3 times fast!

Fitness Friday: Staying Motivated

2011-10-28T04:45:00.000-07:00

Motivation: The driving force by which humans achieve their goals.

This finallly came to me this week! I'm half-way through my "Eat Real" challenge, I've just started a new workout/lifting schedule, and this follows last week's FF up quite nicely.

First, Do Something.
Second, Stay Motivated!

It's pretty easy to start something and it's really easy to get excited about something. The finish can even be quite thrilling. But it's the middle part that counts. The part where you keep on keepin' on. Where you're a little tired, and a lot sore, and you feel like maybe you should just quit.

Here are 7 steps to Staying Motivated ~ Easy, Doable, Essential!

1. Find your why. Why are you doing what you're doing? Is it to look better? Feel better? Run a certain distance? Once you figure out your why, it will be a whole lot easier to stick with it. And go a step further: put your WHY in front of you. Whether it's a written reminder on your bathroom mirror or a board in your office with pictures of your goal, make sure you can see it.

2. Get some support. In or order to stay motivated, it is absolutely crucial to surround yourself with a positive support system. If those closest to you aren't on board, find people who are and encourage and learn from each other. You need someone to lean on when you start to fizzle out. Tough love, not just, "Well, you tried!"

3. Set short term/long term goals. This is pretty easy. Set some goals and get them on paper. A short term goal could be, I want to be able to run 3 miles by Christmas. A long term goal: I want to get off xyz medication by this time next year. Make your goals doable but also slightly out of reach. You want something to work for.

4. Push through lulls. You're not going to feel like working out, eating right, and just generally staying on course every single day. On those days when you're just not "feelin' it," do it anyways. Feelings often follow action. When was the last time you regretted working out?! Another sure fire way to bust through a rut? Mix it up. Run a new trail, or pick out some new workout music.

5. Reward your progress. Whatever the length of your goal is, be sure to reward yourself either along the way or at the finish line. Rewards give us something to look forward to and help us keep our eyes on the prize. Maybe you want a new pair of jeans once you lose 10 pounds. Or promise yourself a fancy-schmancy kitchen gadget after you eat clean for a month.

6. Take a break. Um. Doesn't this contradict #4? Not neccessarily. Every now and then, IT'S OK TO TAKE A BREAK. A lot of times our bodies *and minds* will respond even better and come back stronger after a short break or rest period. Use common sense and don't feel bad if a break is what you reallly need.

7. Be disciplined! No one can do the work for you. Whatever your goal, big or small, find a way to KEEP GOING. Learn what motivates you, and use it!

I'd love to hear your thoughts! How do you stay motivated? And - let me know if you have future topic ideas or questions for Fitness Friday!

Pure Cuteness and A Little Excitement

2011-10-27T12:27:00.000-07:00

Where did my little baby go? We are working on our 4th tooth over here and it's about to bust through any second. How cute is she going to be with 4 teeth?!

Speaking of cute, last night Karlyn got to go to her first "Trunk or Treat" that our church hosts for the community every Fall. She was kind-of overwhelmed but she did great and posed for too many pictures by her crazy mother. Here are some of my faves~

She'll be toddling all over the place next year! Our sunday school class had a basketball booth set up where the kids got to throw bean-bag socks into the goal. Ryan and I helped out over there for a little bit while Sharon pushed Kar around. By 7:30 it had gotten dark, windy, and chilly so everyone started to pack up. We got several comments on her Arkansas Razorbacks outfit...it was a gift from Karlyn's great-grandmother who lives in Arkansas now :-)

3 Things I'm excited About:

* Tonight I get to go up to the Crossfit gym again for a free "Eat Real" team workout. Woo hoo! I'm hoping it's a little harder than last time although I should probably be careful what I wish for.

* My 2nd "Fitness Friday" post comes out tomorrow. I'm excited to hear what you think!

* Two weeks from Saturday, I'm taking Ryan somewhere that should be a lot of fun. My 10 year high school reunion! Has is really been that long? :-0 Craziness. I'm looking forward to catching up with my classmates!

Anything exciting going on in your neck of the woods? ;)

Wordless Wednesday: Backwards

2011-10-26T05:07:00.000-07:00

Some Paleo Recipes

2011-10-25T14:17:00.000-07:00

I had my first Paleo recipe food flop today. I tried to re-create my friend Brittney's recipe for banana pancakes when I got home from work. I had high hopes because hers looked delicious!

2 bananas
1 egg
1 T. almond butter

I blended this up in my magic bullet and cooked them in butter in the skillet. No such luck. Instead of pancakes, I got gooey, mushy banana bread batter tasting blobs. Don't get me wrong, it tasted wonderful but looked like mush. I will be trying again though! I think next time I won't blend it, I'll just stir AND cook them on lower heat. I hate wasting ingredients though...Brittney is doing a 30 day Paleo challenge with her gym and I will most definitely be borrowing the recipes that she posts. =) She's a pro at this!

This morning I also copied her and made a pumpkin banana smoothie. It WAS delicious! And looked how it was supposed to :>

These were the best shots I got in my hurry this morning.

1 banana - frozen slices would work great
1/4-1/3 cup pumpkin (play around with this amount - I actually used two ice cube tray portions from Karlyn's baby food stash)
Coconut milk (1/4 cup or less - it was what I had left)
Almond Butter ~ 1 T. and you could leave this out but I wanted some fat
Ice cubes
Water
Cinnamon

Delish! I want to make this into "ice cream" now with pecans :->

Brussel Sprouts Salad

Brussel Sprouts - roasted in olive oil
Grilled chicken breasts
Bacon :-)
Avocado
Apple

Roast. Grill. Chop. Combine. Eat.

Paleo Ninja Spaghetti

Buy a spaghetti squash and stab it repeatedly with a fork. Microwave for 7-10 minutes depending on the size of your squash. Cut it in half length wise and scoop out the seeds (some squash will come out too but it's ok.) Scoop all the wonderful spaghetti "noodles" out into a bowl. Top with your favorite spaghetti sauce and meat of choice. This. Is. Awesome.

I still haven't decided on a topic for Fitness Friday, although I've had some ideas swirling around. What do you want to see?!

Eat Real {Week 2} and Sunday Football Madness

2011-10-23T18:28:00.000-07:00

I've made it two weeks into Eat Real and we have 20 days left. I honestly am feeling so fantastic! I was telling Ryan tonight that I feel like I have more energy and after I eat a meal, I actually feel GOOD instead of tired, lethargic, and craving more salt, sugar, etc. Whatever's happening, I like it and it's motivating me to stay strong and to keep it up. I still have my moments where dessert sounds really good but I'm learning to ride the craving wave until it subsides or have a healthy substitute instead like grapes or some banana "ice cream." Or more meat =)

Last Thursday night I went to a free CrossFit workout they offer twice a month at the gym and it was a lot of fun. My co-worker Michelle and I were on a team and they set the clock for 15 minutes. We had three exercises (ring pulls - like a row, barbell push press, and walking lunges) 20 reps each - 10 from me and 10 from her - and we went through the circuit as many times as we could. We got 5 rounds in! It wasn't as intense of a workout as I was anticipating but Michelle said sometimes you catch an easy one like that. BUT, this next Thursday I get to go again because they want to celebrate us being half-way through the challenge and all work out together as a team. I can't wait!

Today for lunch we had Ryan's brother over for food & football.

We stuck sweet and regular potatoes in the oven before we left for church and then we also had some chicken breasts seasoned up and ready to bake as soon as we got home. We had a spinach salad too with hard boiled egg, avocado, tomatoes, onion, and Ryan threw in a tiny handful of cheese before I stopped him! ha.

The Broncos were playing pretty terribly and were down 15-0 with two minutes left. Something ~~crazy~~ miraculous happened though and Tim Tebow brought them back for the WIN!!! Ryan was going crazy and was in a super good mood after that. :)

I used this recipe to make us breakfast for the week and I'm hoping it's delicious,quick, and easy. I used 17 eggs, 1/2 lb. of sausage, spinach, onions, and green peppers and went ahead and sliced it into squares for easy portions. Even though I'll likely eat two squares.

Oh, I have to share this. I dressed Karlyn in a new outfit for church and totally forgot to take the tag off her skirt. Woops.

Oh well. She still looked cute.

She has been super fussy/clingy some nights after dinner and refuses to let go of my legs while I try to work in the kitchen. It's cute but restricting.

I'm looking forward to Wednesday night because our church is having their annual "Trunk or Treat" Fall Festival. Our Sunday School class is having a little basketball booth for the kids but before I help out there I'm going to take Karlyn around in her little outfit. Our friend Nicole, the bow girl, graciously brought me this bow to church this morning so Karlyn could wear it on Wednesday.

Nicole is going in TONIGHT to start the induction process with little Emma, her 3rd sweet baby. She will have 3 under 3. God bless her!!

Hope you all have a fabulous week :)

Saturday Stuff and The Return of Noah

2011-10-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

Yawwwn. I'm tired. It's been a good Saturday though! I was eager to get to the gym this morning but not before I fueled up with breakfast.

Eggs + Warm cinnamon apples = Yum.

I'm starting a new lifting routing and am going to start going (one way or another!) to the gym 3x a week. I'm hoping to lift on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays although I may have to be a little flexible depending on babysitting. Sometimes Ryan's mom is able to keep Karlyn during a weekday afternoon but other days I might need to make myself go up there after he gets home. Of course there is always the option of rising at the butt crack of dawn to work out in the morning. Ugh. I've tried that before and while it's a great feeling to have it over with that early, it makes for one long day. I think if I got into the habit though, my body would probably adjust. Part of me finds that option tempting. Hmmm.

Is anyone else motivated by new workout gear? I got these 3 pieces on clearance at Target for about $3.50 each! 75% off in the workout clothing section is RARE but I guess I got lucky =)

After my workout, I bit the bullet and got groceries. I really don't love buying groceries but I do love having a stocked fridge, freezer, and pantry. Paying for said groceries? Not fun either. I do want to get better at finding and taking advantage of grocery deals. Kelly just put up a post with dozens of links to other posts on ways that familes are finding to save money and I want to spend some time perusing those. Do you have any tips?? I've yet to see a coupon for "BUY 1 BAG OF APPLES, GET ONE FREE!" :-0

My sweet husband cleaned a lot of the house today and mowed the back yard while Karlyn and I headed to visit my mom. She had her tonsils out yesterday! Not fun. Her sister was there to see her too and we all hung out in the bedroom while she rested and she got to see Karlyn. While we were over there, Ryan texted me that he had found Noah. Remember a few weeks ago when I took Karlyn's ark of animals up to Kid-to-Kid but I couldn't find him? Turns out Dodge had taken him outside and...well...see for yourself.

*So what did you think of Fitness Friday?! I had a friend (hi!) tell me that she was pumped after reading it and was motivated to do something! That was my goal and made me happy to hear. Let me know if you have a question or topic you'd like discussed on future Fridays. I'll do my best!

And, I'm out.

Fitness Friday: Do Something!

2011-10-21T00:00:00.000-07:00

Today's "Fitness Friday" is about doing SOMEthing when it comes to taking steps to better health. I think for most people, ok everyone, time is an issue. We all have busy lives, with jobs, family, and commitments to uphold. We all have 24 hours in a day. We all have goals and we all have excuses. Many are even legitimate!

I was up all night with my child
I have a HUGE to-do list
I don't know how to get started
I'm so out of shape
I'm embarrased to go into a gym
I can only do a little bit OR I only have x amount of minutes, so what's the point?

The point is, you can't do everything, but you can do something. I know personally, it's easy for me to get stuck in no-man's land, where I get so paralyzed by not knowing what to do or thinking that I can't do it perfectly, so I might as well not do it at all. My dad says I'm an all or nothing person, and while in some cases that's true, it's something I'm trying to work on.

My house may not be spotless, but I can keep it tidy and picked up. I may not be able to get to the gym for an hour long workout but I can definitely do a video in the livingroom while my 10 month old plays. The point is, do something! Even if it's a small something, every little bit counts. How can we translate this into everyday decisions?

Ask yourself this question~ What one thing can I do today that is a positive step towards better health?

Let's make this practical. Here are just a few suggestions:

Eat an apple instead of a sugary snack from the vending machine
Go for a walk with your spouse, kids, or dog after dinner - before you watch tv!
Find 1 new healthy-ish recipe you'd like to make and put the ingredients on your shopping list
Do a mini-workout! Set a timer for 10 minutes and do 10 squats, 10 push-ups (use your knees if you want!) 10 crunches, and 20 jumping jacks. Repeat as many times as you can for 10 minutes.

Small steps like these can really add up and begin to motivate you to make even bigger changes. So what will you do today?

Have a great weekend!

Fitness Friday

2011-10-19T13:13:00.000-07:00

Hi Guys!

So earlier this week, I got the idea to start a Friday feature called "Fitness Friday." I'm kind-of excited about it! It will really be anything health, fitness, or nutrition related; it might be just one topic, a combination, or maybe links to related articles. Not that I consider myself an expert but it might be fun to do a question/answer type thing too. During the week, I'll take a question from one of you (or come up with a trending topic if no one has one) and either answer it from my own knowlege or do some research.

What do you think?

Like I said, I'm not a wellness coach, or registered dietician but I did major in Exercise Sports Management, work for a time as a personal trainer and physical therapy technician, and I absolutely love and have a passion for all things HEALTHY. I've done a lot of self-learning and have experimented with different types of workouts and diet. *And by diet, I mean the foods a person chooses. I am not a fan of simply "going on a diet." It's all about lifestyle change!

I've got my first post ready to go but feel free to shoot me a question if you've got one! It can even be a "Hey, what do you think about xyz program, diet, food, etc. I've added a note to my side-bar on the left with my e-mail address if you've got anything.

Happy Hump Day =)

Wordless Wednesday: Uncle Klay's Visit!

2011-10-19T05:56:00.000-07:00

Are You a Fan?

2011-10-18T13:23:00.000-07:00

I work in an office (read: room) with 7 other women. That's a lot of estrogen. And personality. And opinion. So it goes without saying that this little "Eat Real" challenge one of the girls and I are doing has brought about some discussion. I actually kid about the amount of women in one room. I think it says a lot that we actually get along quite nicely the majority of the time and are happy to see each other. We can hold intelligent or reality tv discussions without a lot of arguments.

So today Michelle and I were talking about some of the things we've been eating and what we're allowed to eat...healthy fats, avacados, etc. I can't even remember what all we said but another co-worker chimed in saying that she usually shied away from avacados because they are high in fat. Michelle and I were saying, yes, but it's the good fat! And unless you plan on eating 5 avacados in one sitting, you're probably ok. Mary, the head honcho of this whole challenge, Michelle was saying, will go though plenty of avacados in a week herself.

I said, "Yeah, and she's incredibly lean and BUFF!"

Our co-worker said, "Yes, but you know she didn't get that way overnight. It took a lot of hard work. And personally, I'm not a fan of hard work."

Wowzers. I couldn't get that statement out of my head. "I'm not a fan of hard work."

It didn't surprise me that she said this, knowing her, but I still let it ring in my ears over and over. I'm not a fan...hard work...hard work...hard work.

It just got me to thinking. Yes, Mary probably does work hard to maintain her level of fitness. And I'm sure she didn't become the owner of a crossfit gym overnight.

Where am I going with this? A lot of people might say they're not "fans" of things like:

Working out
Healthy eating
Stress relief

These things take time. It takes time and effort to work out each day. It takes time and effort to make yourself something healthy to eat instead of running through McDonald's. It takes time and effort to do a yoga session when you could sit on the couch and watch tv instead. They take work and yes sometimes hard work. But aren't the things we value the most in life often attained by time, effort, and hard work?

I'm not just talking about fitness or a specific jeans size. What about relationships and character? Don't those take time and hard work to develop and maintain? Doesn't progress require work? And if we're going to work, why not go ahead and just work hard?

I'll admit, hard work was instilled in me by my parents. I'd venture to say it's one of the most important things they taught me. Whatever you do, work hard at it.

I want to teach my children to work hard and to pursue not perfection, but excellence. I want them to try their best and not to be afraid of hard work in any area of their life. Do you want a better job? Then start looking for one and start learning the skills that you'll need to get it. Do you want a run a marathon? Then go for a walk today. And tomorrow. And then jog one day.

You may not be hard work's biggest fan but are you a fan of diabetes or high cholesterol? Are you a fan of developing osteoporosis or a fan of being so out of shape that you can't even enjoy time with your family outdoors? We have to make choices about our health not just for today but for the future. I want to look back when I'm 60, 70, and say yeah, I'm glad I was a fan.

Thoughts?

Thoughts on Eat Real - Week 1

2011-10-17T18:51:00.000-07:00

I'm pretty sure I've gone crazy. My eating habits are changing and it's kinda weird. I think mashed sweet potatoes taste like dessert - or pie filling? I pretend that cauliflower can become regular ol' mashed potatoes when blended up with garlic, butter, and black pepper. I realllly wanted ice cream tonight or something desserty so I whirled some frozen banana slices with a little bit of coconut milk, then stirred in some almond butter. It was surprisingly delicious! Coconut milk is so going on my weekly grocery list now. And I mean the full fat kind in the can...

So week 1 of Eat Real is over and while I'm proud of myself for overcoming some hard moments, I can't help but think that I still have 3.5 weeks left. Yikes. I'm ok though. I'm really trying to take it one day and ONE MEAL at a time. In case you missed this post, here's what I can have during Eat Real.

Meat. Vegetables. Fruit. Healthy Fats. That's it. Oh, and any seasonings but salt!

This challenge is encouraging me to think outside the box (um but within the above box of course.) It's making me deal with uncomfortable feelings or bad days without using sugar. I can't just stuff my face with a brownie when I feel stressed or bored. I have to make sure I'm prepared with healthy foods each day.

You know what else? I think I feel better. I feel more even keeled, more stable, less mood-swingy. Less irritable, less sugar crashy. The no salt is making me not "crave" more dinner. I'm fueling up with healthy starches/carbs like fruits and squashes.

Here's some of what I've been eating~

This isn't easy but I think it's good. Here's to week 2!

Sweet Potatoes. Mashed!

2011-10-16T18:35:00.000-07:00

I got really excited about these but before you go and do the same, understand that I'm currently on a semi-restricted diet for an "Eat Real" challenge I'm doing. They tasted delicious to me! If you like/love sweet potatoes, you'll like these too!

Here's step by step what I did:

Mashed Sweet Potatoes with Coconut Milk ~ Taken from my "Weelicious" app. Check out the website!

2-3 sweet potatoes (or yams?) I'll never understand the difference
1 can of coconut milk (find this in the asian section of your grocery store)
Cinnamon

Ok, bake your potatoes. I did mine at 400 degrees for about an hour and a half. Skin em ;> Plop em in a blender or food processor. I used the Vitamix. Add about 1/3 cup of coconut milk and 1 teaspoon (ish) of cinnamon. Blend. Or pulse. However you want the consistency to be. That's it! Very yum and pretty easy. I did two at a time then did the third potato on its own. You could even do these without a blender. They might be thicker/chunkier that way.

When you can't eat sugar, these are quite the thrill :-)

Let me know if you make them and what you think!

10 Months!

2011-10-16T04:29:00.000-07:00

Karlyn, you have officially entered double digit months! I can't believe it. That just puts us one month closer to 1. And I don't want to talk about it. ;)

Did you know that you are my best baby girl friend? ha ha. I tell her that.

Here's what you're up to sunshine~

You took you first steps 4 days ago!! Your daddy and I watched in shock. Ever since then you will let go of whatever you're holding onto and try again but you only take about 1 step before you plop down on your bottom. That's ok. We're good with that not happening just quite yet.

You still have just 2 bottom teeth. You take 2 naps a day and you sleep from about 8:00 to 7:00. Usually. You love to eat as always and some of your favorites are peas, pasta with sauce, and apples that I cook on the stove with cinnamon.

You're really starting to interact with Dodger and you like to pull his hair and annoy him. Toys you love are your football from daddy's work, your telephone, and a new toy I bought you that you can push and walk with. We'll work on turning.

You say "ma ma ma ma" and "da da da da" and I'm trying to teach you how to give kisses, but you don't get it. You just say "mmmmmmm ah!"

We took you to your first football game this weekend and you loved the people watching. You like to follow me all over the house and you cry if you're in the room with daddy and I go into another room and close the door. You developed a love of shoes over the past month and you're simply fascinated by them. If they're on your feet, you're touching them...but really you want to hold them! One in each hand and you'll get pretty darn mad if we take them away. It's hilarious.

You're getting more hair. See??? You let me brush it but that really doesn't do much. ha. You are such a good, happy, and content little baby and we greatly appreciate that! You're curious about everything, including the dog food which you've tried to eat now multiple times. You don't love getting dressed sometimes and changing your diaper can be like wrestling a calf. Not that I would know what that's like though.

The bows don't get worn so much anymore. I did my best for a few shots here but you like to just pull it completely off. That's ok. They look pretty hanging on your wall.

I've been doing some living room workouts and you make them quite entertaining. You crawl all under and over me and definitely give me added resistance! It's hard to do a push-up with you underneath me! You love when daddy gets home from work and you try so hard to get to his computer and push the buttons before he gets to you. Daddy tells me all the time that he's so glad we have you and what a great kid you are.

Karlyn, I can't wait to see you grow even more over the next few months. I'm so blessed to actually get to see your day to day changes and personality and lovable face. Daddy and I LOVE YOU! Happy 10 months baby girl!

*Oh, and fun little tid bit. This dress you're wearing? It was mine! Your great grandmother gave it to me for my 2nd birthday. Yes, that's right. It's a size 2T. ;-)

Big Night. New Foods. Super Cute Bibs.

2011-10-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

Well hi. Is it Thursday already? Yes it is! Praise the Lord. I am feeling kind-of fantabulous right now and I'm going to say it's the new diet. =) We can pretend right? But really, I'm sure *no sugar* certainly can't be hurting. I've actually felt pretty even keeled lately and haven't had crazy mood swings like I can with sugar. I'm hoping things only get better!

I whipped up some sweet potato chips today for Karlyn and I and used butter this time instead of olive oil. A lot better! I also bought my potatoes at Kroger instead of Wal-Mart. Again, better! I try to cut them thin so a few get crispy. It's the little things...~~when you can't have cake or pie.~~

Um, big night last night!!! I posted on facebook, but Karlyn decided to take 4 STEPS ALL BY HERSELF!! It was so cute! Ryan had just gotten home and she was standing up next to him. All of a sudden she was standing by herself, and we just watched in shock with our mouths wide open as she took one little baby step, and then three more! We were like, did that really just happen?! Of course I had to call the grandmothers and let them know and then we tried to get her to do it again but she wasn't up for it. I'm wondering if she'll try again soon or if it was a fluke. ha ha. She's been cruising around the living room table and couches now for weeks.

Besides potatoes, I got a few other things at Kroger today on my way home from work. Kinda pricey but they should last a while.

Lara Bars. Almond Butter. Medjool Dates. I plan to stuff these with almond butter and call it dessert :)

I'm debating on a workout for today. Yesterday I did Jillian's 30 Day Shred, Level 1 while goober crawled all over and under me in the process. I couldn't stop laughing at her and she was definitely giving me extra resistance for the abs portion. I may do it again today. I really want to get to the gym but don't love the idea of her being in the kid area with minimal workers and older kids running all around. If someone could just watch her for an hour and a half each afternoon, I'd be set! I'd even pay in sweet potato chips :>

While I'm on a health kick in this post, I just love being able to feed Karlyn healthy foods. Today her lunch was avacado, peas, chicken I'd done in the crock pot, and the S.P. chips. She ate it up! I want to teach her healthy habits from an early age AND I want her to give her minimal sugar. Just every now and then.

Feeding a kiddo can be MESSY though, ya know? They need a good bib! They also need a stylish bib. A comfy bib. A 38 Stitches bib! Seriously. Go check out my super talented friend Rachel's Etsy shop. She makes all kinds of bibs, burp cloths, and more! You too can adorn your baby in such beauty~

Lucky for us, they wash well too! C-ya!

Wordless Wednesday: Yoga Baby

2011-10-12T15:29:00.000-07:00

I have a new song

2011-10-11T13:01:00.000-07:00

Man I love getting stronger!! I PR'd on my push-ups today. 44 total! I was bummed at first because my first set was a little lower than normal but I felt so much stronger than usual for the second and third sets. I'm gonna try to get a walk in with Karlyn today too. I still have a tiny bit of the crud feeling but I'm hoping that goes away soon. Neti Pot and I have been getting reacquainted.

Do you ever find a new favorite song and then play it over, and over, and over until you're sick of it? Yesterday this song came on my Adele Pandora station and I loved it. I wrote it down so I'd remember it and then I listened to it today at work on Grooveshark. You can listen to it here! Her voice is amazing.

Alright. I'm keeping this short and sweet today. Do something healthy today! Eat a piece of fruit. Or a vegetable. Do some push-ups :)

Lots-o-Frames, Toy Swap, and the Missing Bible Character

2011-10-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

Um. Look at cuteness here in her overalls. Pink hearts and everything! She had to look super cute for her girls day with Nona. Ryan's mom was kind enough to take Karlyn for a good chunk of the day so I could get some things done and rest. I didn't rest but I did get a few things accomplished.

Exhibit A. Or the great frame project of 2011.

I decided to round up every possible frame I had and could use. The hallway leading up to Karlyn's bedroom is blank and for a while I've wanted to do a sort-of collage of frames down one or both sides using family pics. I need the frames to somewhat go together though! Enter: SPRAY PAINT! I picked up two bottles at Wally World but I'll wait to paint them on a weekend. I may get a third color too...reddish/burgandy? The tan color is called "Caramel Latte" and has little specks of shimmer in it =)

Ryan's mom also took Karlyn to get some pictures taken a couple of weeks ago as a surprise for us! They are soooo precious and I already have some of them up and in frames. THANK YOU Sharon! What a great gift.

Here's some of the ~~incredibly bland~~ "Eat Real" approved food I ate today~

MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMmmmm, right?

So I got this good idea today. Karlyn has grown tired of her normal everyday toys so today I took a couple + some clothes up to Kid-to-Kid for store credit and new toys. I came out pretty good and got 4 new toys for $15.00.

But, my idea! Us moms need to get together and have a TOY SWAP! I will organize it :> We could pick a central location, date, and time and then you just bring your kid's toys that they've outgrown or no longer like/want and we'd organize them all out. You get to drop off your old toys and pick out new toys and everybody wins AND it's free! I'm sure there'd have to be some rules as far as how many you can pick and such but I think it could work.

What do you think??

I took this arc up today but they wouldn't take it because some animals were missing. Picky picky. Poor Noah was nowhere to be found...I'm thinking he jumped ship.

So the great thing about having Monday off? Short work week. Hoo-rah.

New Look, Spanking? and Weekend in Pics

2011-10-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

Well well, what do we have here? Notice anything new??!

I am so excited and overly proud of my new blog header! I know it's nothing fancy but I had found a tutorial that my friend Heather posted on Pinterest and last night I decided to follow it step-by-step to see if I could make my own. It was so stinkin simple! The hardest part was picking out the pictures I wanted to use and then sizing the whole thing to make it fit within my template.

I've also added a few "pages" to the blog. Check em out if ya like! I'll be posting updates there for the "Eat Real" challenge since I'm sure daily blog diatribes on my sugar cravings will quickly get old. I can't belive this starts tomorrow :-o Lord help me.

I have some Sunday cleaning to get to so I think I'll do a repeat of last week and post our weekend in pictures. But first, I have to share this. Every Sunday I get emails from thebump.com about Karlyn's development...you know, "You child is 41 weeks old," etc. Today's had this little nugget of wisdom~

Reinforcing good behavior with a smile or hug and redirecting negative behavior with a time-out is a more effective type of discipline than spanking. Physical punishment can be dangerous and may lead to violent behavior down the road. (I italicized.)

Ha ha ha haha. Are you kidding me? I'm all about reinforcing good behavior and I'm not saying I will never use a "time-out," although I'm not so sure about those, but you can bet your pretty little self that I plan to spank my child. Dangerous?? Mmmm, no, Not really. More like 100% necessary and Biblically mandated. I just thought it was funny :)

Here's out weekend!

Friday night I went to our Eat Real kick-off meeting. No pics.

Saturday:

Grocery shopping with miss thang. Ruffle Butt. GYM! I have no idea...~~Ok, maybe it was a pumpkin pie shake as a farewell to sugar.~~ Visit with uncle Kollin.

Sunday:

Asleep after church. Breakfast this week. Dodger - we do own a dog!

I really really really hope I'm not getting sick. I woke up with a sore throat that is lingering...ugh.! NO. Go away. Gotta love Texas weather changes!

What have I gotten myself into?!

2011-10-06T13:11:00.000-07:00

Oh, you know me. Always up for some craziness and a good challenge. Even though I love my routine, I'm also a sucker for a little sponteneity and I LOVE all things healthy food and workout related. Enter...

Have you ever heard of CrossFit? I had, a good while back and then I forgot about it. A month or so ago, I saw a girl I used to go to church with on facebook and she was into CrossFit. IS into CrossFit. And she looks freakin fantastic! I know it's a good workout program and I would love to get involved and join our local gym, but it's quite a bit more than my LA Fitness membership and I'm not even going up there much for lack of childcare.

CrossFit follows what I've also only heard briefly about and that is the Paleo Diet. I've done a little more research into it and still have a lot to learn but I like what I read so far. If you know anything about it, you know there's an emphasis on protein, or MEAT. Didn't I just do a "meatless month" not long ago? Yes I did. I didn't even finish the month though. To be honest, I started feeling kinda crappy. Kinda craving meat. I like meat.

If you're interested, you can read more about CrossFit and the Paleo diet here and here. I'm going to be doing this challenge with my friend and co-worker Michelle. Michelle actually took over my job when I went out on maternity leave! She is a sweet heart and I am excited to do this with her.

Here are the specifics. I'll get even more info at the kick-off seminar tomorrow night at 7:00.

33 days. From October 10th - November 12th. You blog (on their site) what you eat each day. You record any "cheating" too...

You can't have: Salt. Sugar. Anything Processed.

You can have: Meat. Veggies. Fruit. Sweet Potato. Eggs. Seeds. Nuts. Almond Butter. Spices.

Do I think I might die? Oh yes. :-o I like my sugar! And my carbs! And my CEREAL. Seriously. That's my nighttime snack.

So why am I doing this?

I like challenges and like exploring new ways of eating that might make me feel better, look better, get stronger, and have more energy. If something's not working (no meat) I have no problem switching gears!

I eat too much sugar. No, I'm not a sugar-holic (is that a word) but I do have a huge sweet tooth.

I need to eat more vegetables and less crunchy granola bars.

This is my passion. Health and fitness. I want to be the healthiest wife and mom I can be, for my quality of life and for my family's sake.

. . . . .

I'll post more info over the weekend as I prepare for this. What in the world have I gotten myself into?! I have a feeling I'll quickly be asking that.

Wordless{ish} Wednesday: Birthday Fun!

2011-10-05T11:22:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, we got to go to a birthday party for little miss Eleina, Karlyn's babysitter's daughter. Karlyn was the youngest one there but I think she still had a good time. She tried hard to get involved!

These two girls have so much fun playing together each day and we are SOOOO thankful for such wonderful childcare from Lindsey. We are beyond blessed with her!

Honestly, I was going to do the whole "linking up" thing but then it just seemed like too much trouble. =)

Happy Hump Day!

Routine

2011-10-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

I'm mostly a creature of habit. And I'm ok with that. I like things to stay the same for the most part and having a schedule or an idea of what's coming next is calming to me. Before Karlyn was born, I read "Babywise" and loved it! Ok, honestly I don't remember every part of, and I mainly focused on the "setting up your routine" chapter. At first, it stressed me out in those early days and weeks because gosh-darn-it, my 6 day old infant wasn't on a schedule already! :-0

Maybe it was my mother (I think it was) who then told me I should see it more as a routine that I was trying to come up with rather than a strict schedule. The part that I loved and totally used from Babywise was the:

FEED TIME. WAKE TIME. SLEEP TIME. repeat.

Baby eats. Then she plays. Then she sleeps. It's so good for the baby too to know what's coming and kind-of get into a little routine. I knew that if I had just fed her, and she'd had a full feeding *another Babywise emphasis* that if she cried 30 minutes later (and we weren't going through a growth spurt =) the odds of her being hungry were low! When she got tired after playing, I put her down and she learned to go to sleep on her own, without being rocked or me pacing the halls with her.

Not that this all happened overnight, oh no. But we had our little "schedule" and yes, it was adjusted from time to time. That was the cool thing, I learned how to be flexible within our routine, something I didn't think I would ever master. That came with her getting older too though...

These days, at 9.5 months old, we have a different routine and it seems to flow pretty well most days. I thought I would capture it in writing so that I can look back and remember how our days went at this point in our journey :)

This is pretty much what happens every day~

We Ivey's wake up, sometimes begrudgingly. Ryan and I both get ready for work and sometime around 7:00 Karlyn wakes up. I go get my sweetie out of bed, change her, get her dressed, and bring her in our room if we're not done getting ready. Once I'm satisfied that I look semi-ready to enter the real world, I take her in the kitchen to eat some puffs in her high chair while I eat breakfast and pack her b-fast/my lunch if I haven't already. I should have already!

We're usually running late at this point. We tell Ryan bye, race out the door, and I drop Karlyn off at our sitter's and head to work. Work goes by fast if I'm busy...I'm always excited to pick her up and hear how her morning went though :>

At home, I fix Karlyn some lunch around 1:00 and might snack on something myself if I've already eaten at work. We play after that. I might clean the kitchen and tidy up the livingroom. As soon as she seems tired, she goes down for a nap and I use that time to either blog or REST. Sometimes both. Even if I don't sleep, just letting my head hit the pillow for 20 minutes is often enough to re-charge me for the rest of the day.

Karlyn gets up from her nap in the afternoon and has a bottle and then we play again! We go on walks, or start dinner, or run an errand maybe.

Ryan gets home eventually and I try to have dinner ready. We'll eat, Karlyn eats, and then Ryan relaxes with some tv while Karlyn plays some more. I might get on the computer some, watch tv, or get things ready for the next day. Around 7:30, I do Karlyn's bath, she gets a bottle, and then goes to sleep. Unless something's up with her, she goes down perfectly with no fuss. I'm just waiting for those new teeth to come in though!!

I then get a couple of free hours and will mess around on the computer or watch tv. I love a hot bath before bed so that's usually a given and helps me sleep. I have sleep issues! I like to read too...

So that's it! Pretty hum-drum but of course, other things go on in there too and days don't always stick to that schedule. I enjoy it though and love getting to be home with my baby girl. I wouldn't trade it!

What is the GOSPEL?

2011-10-04T12:17:00.000-07:00

Our Sunday School teacher shared this with us a few weeks ago. I love it! It's called "spoken word poetry" and it's powerful.

Watch it HERE!

What is the Gospel? And what does it mean for us?

I'd love to know what you think.

Our weekend in Pics

2011-10-03T18:46:00.000-07:00

I feel behind AND I'm watching the Sing-Off. So how about more pictures and less talk.

Are you watching?? I loved Blue-Afro tonight! It was as my brother said, "sick."

Friday:

Fun at Home. Crazy Nap. Beautiful Girl. DSW - Shoes!

Saturday:

Hilarious Book Title. Purple Berri Fro-Yo. New Puma Kicks!

Sunday:

Joe Cool with Aunt Karo. Sunday Night Pizza Tradition.

Today!

Cute. Crazy. PEDICURE! Crock-Pot Shredded Chicken Tacos =)

Night Ya'll.

Paper Mama, Push-Ups, and Why I Don't Want Boys

2011-10-02T18:51:00.000-07:00

Hi there! I've been MIA this weekend but not intentionally! I've had this post in mind to write since Friday and it just didn't happen. Better late than never though right?

Let's begin. I have a new blog love! I will be adding her to my roll shortly... Maybe you already know about her but I didn't! The Paper Mama! I was instantly taken with her and can't wait to read more. I started out looking at this post *um, so cool idea that I really want to try but might need my hair to be thicker and longer* and went on from there after browsing around a little to read the birth story of her daughter, Rauri. Yet another reason I'm a fan. She named her after the Gilmore Girls show! But back to the birth story - wowzers. I'd have a hard time considering having another one too...

PUSH-UPS. I was doing them, took a little break, and now I'm back at 'em. My new goal is to do 30-ish every other day. I do 3 sets: as many as I can do in the first set, same for the second, and then finish to hit my goal number. Here's my last two push-up days~

Friday:

Set 1: 13
Set 2: 10
Set 3: 7

Sunday: (today!)

Set 1: 16
Set 2: 10
Set 3: 9

I did 35! Woop!! I rest in between...not for a set amount of time...but I'd guess maybe a minute?

Why I don't want boys:

Ok, this is a true story. Friday afternoon I took Karlyn for a walk. About 5:00. We headed over to the neighborhood across the street where we usually walk because the view is nicer :-)

Well, as we begin our walk I notice these boys, maybe 8, 9 years old? They've come up with a SUPER GREAT IDEA. They've decided to ride their skateboards, on their stomachs, from their driveways, down into the street. Brilliant! I thought, where in the world are your parents?! It would have been sooo easy for a car to come cruising down the street, not see one of them, and hit them as they were lingering down in the street after their "ride."

Total mom moment but I had to say it. "Um, hey, ya'll be careful and don't get run over."

They said, "Oh, we won't"

:-0

It was then that I decided I do not want boys. Ha. Kind-of just kidding.

So that was our Friday. Oh, and this little dog decided to accompany us as we walked. It was kinda funny. I have no idea who he belonged to.

Come back tomorrow for the rest of our weekend :>

Copy Cat

2011-09-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

I decided to copy my friend Amanda's little ABC post. After yesterday, I think something lighter is in order. I am still kind-of in a funk and I don't know what my deal is. No tears yet today though! I took Karlyn to her 9 month check-up...we were late because her other more recent visits have been sick ones. The doctor said she looks great! She was enamored with her shoes and would not let go of them :>

A. Age: 28

B. Bed size: King. We had a double when we first got married. You can only guess how long that lasted...hard to go to bed angry in such close quarters ;>

C. Chore that you hate: Mopping and Dusting. Ick.

D. Dogs: A 2 year old "shorkie" named Dodger.

E. Essential start to your day: Checking facebook. I know, sad.

F. Favorite color: Used to be blue. I have a thing for gray sweaters...

G. Gold or Silver: Silver mostly. Gold earrings sometimes.

H. Height: 5'7.5"

I. Instruments you play: I used to play the piano. I very much regret stopping.

J. Job title: My official title is "RDE Coordinator." I'm an account admin.

K. Kids: 1 - Karlyn Kaye. I want more. :-)

L. Live: Texas. I hate our summers!

M. Mother’s name: Susan

N. Nicknames: Never really had one but a lot of people would call me by my maiden name, "Fields."

O. Overnight hospital stays: 2 nights, after Karlyn's birth

P. Pet peeves: People not looking at me while I'm talking to them and LOUD SOUNDS.

Q. Quote from a movie: “I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her." ~Notting Hill

R. Right or left handed: Right!

S. Siblings: There are 8 of us. Yes, EIGHT. All K's. No, we're not Catholic. Kyle, Klay, Kollin, Keith, Kaleb, Karoline, Kolton

U. Ultimate Vacation: I really want to go to Maui.

V. Vegetable you hate: Celery. Wet grass...am I right?

W. What makes you run late: See letter, "E."

X. X-Rays you’ve had: Dental, Left Elbow

Y. Yummy food that you make: Chicken enchiladas, butterscotch oatmeal bars

Z. Zoo animal: Not so much a zoo fan. Panda? ha.

Your turn to play!

Lessons of September

2011-09-28T12:49:00.000-07:00

Can I word vomit a little? Just a tiny bit ~~or a lot?~~ *Breastfeeding talk ahead* fyi.

As I've already written about, September has just been kind-of a month. On top of Ryan's accident, Karlyn has had two ear infections, one single, one double, and a slight bit of croup. And of course some runny nose and sneezing to go with all that. She's been weaned for 2 months now...10 weeks to be exact.

I know I wrote earlier about my decision to wean. And I was ready to. At times I still missed it, especially at night. I mean, good grief, we'd done the same bedtime routine for sooo many nights, it was like clockwork. But I didn't dwell too long on it. She was doing fine and I was ok too. She was getting big!

I had read some about relacation before and only began to think of it a few nights ago. I started thinking about the long Fall and Winter ahead and wondering whether it was going to be one long stream of doctor appointments and anti-biotics. I wondered if I could get any milk back and if that would help. I read some more, started taking a couple of non-prescription things that supposedly helped, and decided to give it a try. Big fat no go. Granted, I didn't try for too awful long. Karlyn has absolutely zero interest anymore and has forgotten the whole thing and I have a single electric pump that I'm pretty sure has lost some of its zest. It was going to require a whole butt load of work and even at that, I might still not get results. All this has really started filling me with regret and yes, mommy guilt. Why did I stop? What was I thinking? I've failed and any time she gets sick, it's all my fault.

Ugh. Then I started crying today at work because I think I knew it wasn't going to work. Because I have a 9 month old who is no longer a 5 month old that wants to snuggle up next to me. Nope, she'd rather crawl around exploring and spitting. Yes, spitting. It's her new thing.

I am thankful to have some amazing friends who have encouraged me and told me that it's really ok. I don't know if Karlyn has allergies or what but it doesn't really matter at this point. We have to move forward and I have to keep some semblance of mental and physical sanity. Yeah, so pumping after 10 weeks when you haven't, hurts. Trust me. I'm thankful that at least we only have a few more months of formula before we can move on to something else. Not that formula is evil! I believe I clarified that in my last post on this subject. I just regret that I can no longer give her the immunity and anti-bodies that breastmilk provides. Live and learn huh? I even considered taking a stronger drug to help but learned that there are some not so nice side effects that go along with it.

Being a mom is not easy and is filled with all kinds of decisions. Thankfully, many are NOT life and death and these babies will continue to thrive and grow in a home filled with love. It's so crazy because all of this has just made me realize how fast time really does fly. When they're tiny, you think it will never end. You think you'll literally be breastfeeding them, burping them, changing them for 12,000 more years. Then you turn around and they're 9 months old, spitting, and taking off their bib. And grunting at you because that's their little version of a mini-fit. I can be sad that my little girl is growing or I can embrace each day with her as one more we share together in this thing called life. I need to appreciate today and worry less about tomorrow.

Those are my September lessons. Care to share yours? Let's end this post with some happiness. I give you: "The Spitter." Notice the wet shirt...