The Five: Refreshers

I have been absent due to the high demand my school work and competition prep has taken. With late-night studying and AM cardio sessions, here are some things that help me feel refreshed and get me through:

Optimum Nutrition's Essential Amin.o Energy

1. I LOVE this stuff. It gives me the energy & pick up I need without the shakiness that Red Bull & coffee can cause. I usually take a heaping scoop around 1p, to get me through my afternoon work out and to focus into the evening. And it taste so YUMMY, like healthy Kool-Aid! I prefer the grape, but it comes in orange, fruit punch & blue raspberry.

(You can get it at any Vitamin Shoppe or GNC) .

2. JASON Lavender Body Wash. The hubs bought this before he left a few weeks ago. Usually I like something more creamy (e.g. Dove) since I have super dry skin, but hubs is trying to go more organic, so I support him (except with the "healthy" toothpaste ... yuck!).

This stuff smells so good and calming, AND! the smell lasts so you feel clean all day!

3. I attempt to drink a gallon of water a day (I know, crazy, but when you work out for two hours a day, it's actually not that difficult). I really love water, but it does get boring. So here's a fun little recipe for water that not only tastes good, but can help you with digestion issues:

Sassy Water Recipes

(from the Flat-belly Diet)

~ 8.5 c. water

~ 1 TSP. grated ginger

~ 1 medium cucumber, sliced

~ 1 medium lemon, sliced

~ 12 spearmint leaves

Combine, let sit overnight in the fridge and enjoy!

4. I lost my face cream while traveling a few weeks ago. I used to have pretty scary and scaring cystic acne, and much to all skin care professionals dismay, I have to use a cleanser with 10% benzoyl peroxide, so I stick to drug store brand moisturizers as well. This is from the Yes! to brand. Who knew tomatoes can help your skin? It feels a little greasy (maybe heavier than I'm use to?) going on, but my skin stay soft and un-scaly all day. I might have to try their Acne Daily Pore Scrub.

5. And of course, these guys:

Martini-dog!

Morgan

Nudes

I did watch the Golden Globes, mostly for Ricky Gervais ... and he wasn't on nearly enough. But I watched for the fashion too, so here are some of my faves (apparently I have a thing for nudes ... and the women of Modern Family):

Loved her headband too!!!!!

And, of course :)

Friday Five

I wanted to do a new type of post to kick off the weekend. I’ve seen confessionals or five favorites; I want to combine the two, and give a little more of me into this blog. So here is my first Friday Five.

1. I love trashy reality shows. I am super jealous of the Toddler & Tiara girls, and I totally wish I could have been one. Have you seen this:

Toddlers & Tiaras with Ashley Tisdale from Ashley Tisdale

And I am totally anticipating the Extreme Couponing All Stars next week. (Also, did I see a commercial for the return of the Real Housewives of Orange County!!!!)

2. Speaking of, T & T, for all who watched it on Wednesday, how jealous are you of Hailey from Paris, Texas and her drag queen godfather? I mean seriously! I always say, If I wasn't already a woman, I would have been a drag queen.

3. I still have not put away the Christmas decoration. I don’t want to part with my Christmas tree-scented candles.

4. I have not taken the laundry out of the dryer … that has been in there since Monday night. Nor put away the laundry my husband folded and left for me … on Sunday.

5. When my husband is gone for weeks on end, I use his sink as a hair station. It takes me, like 15 minutes, to scrub the hairspray off the sink when it is time for him to come home.

Have a great Friday the 13th!!!!

Listing

Are you a list person?

I am. I have them everywhere. Grocery. Cleaning. To-do. To Remember.

Tuesdays are my day off, so often I get a lot on my list completed. Today’s list content:

Yes … neither of the top two are completed. Hopefully they get done. I hate anything involving packing or unpacking.

Why must I unpack?

I was back to Ohio this past weekend to celebrate this special lady’s round-number birthday:

me mum.

I was supposed to get in to Ohio on Friday night. However, about 20 minutes after taking off from Fort Lauderdale, our plane began losing the cabin pressure and air conditioning. No airbags dropped from the ceiling, but I thought my eardrums were going to burst!

We were quickly diverted to West Palm Beach, so I asked the Hubs (who luckily was still home!) to come pick me up. I convinced the Delta customer service rep to put me on the flight out from Fort Lauderdale in the morning (which was not allowed, but I didn't want to spend the night in a hotel room in Atlanta by myself, when I could cuddle with my dogs and spend one more night with the Hubs).

My dad had organized a surprise party for my mom. So much so, that even my brothers and I had no idea until hours before the party started!

a blurry surprise

my mom and grams

Mom is Lillified

Since I was in St. Maarten for my birthday and Christmas, and because all my family, minus one, was in town, we celebrated my birthday and Christmas again.

two birthday celebration ... okay!

My family spoiled me:

Can you tell I'm in contest prep: neoprene shorts, waist trimmer, cooler ...

By God’s grace, I was able to go to my cousin’s baby shower on Sunday before I left. I was a bit out of it, with the travel drama, the surprise party and a lot waiting on my plate for when I returned home. But it was really nice to see my family and Grams. I miss Ohio, though I don’t quite miss the frigid temperatures.

I didn’t get until Monday morning at 12:30a. Yikes! I had a quiz in my class, so I had to go to class with only hours of sleep. Thank God my husband cleaned the house (and the dogs!) before he left for the month. Clean sheets and clean pups are the best!

So I slept in today, got my double workout in, and have not started on my to-do list.

When I got home from the gym today, this was waiting for me:

Which contained this:

A thumbs up?

Since I graduate in a year (yeah!!!!!), I feel like I have to start thinking about work clothes again. I am not going to be a scrubby acupuncturist. And my business idea involves being a bit stylish (of course). So I have a feeling this dress will be worn a lot.

Okay, now to the list … which might be soundtracked (or sidetracked?!) by the double Teen Mom 2 and Dance Mom premier tonight. :)

Deny Thy Self

I hope everyone had a great new year celebration and I’m sure most everybody is back in the swing of it all.

The hubs and I had a low-key New Year’s Eve, but we made it out.

Hey, it’s progress.

Our first NYE together we spend running around London Gatwick Airport looking for our hotel (Did you know there are three! Holiday Inns at the Gatwick Airport? … We’ve been to all three).

The second year, we (as in Mark) had just finished an 18-hour drive from Ohio. We couldn't move into our apartment until Jan. 1, so we stayed the night on the sailboat in Fort Lauderdale, figuring there’d be a lot going on in the yachtie-world … except, the yachties are in the Caribbean during the winter. After a few attempts at empty different bars, we went home.Last year was a similar story.

And this year … we made it out AND past midnight!

Hubs with the countdown ball in the background

We went down to the Riverwalk in FLL. They closed off the streets, had two bands and big ball drop. It was more family-friendly than Halloween is there, and although I had my cheat meal earlier in the evening, drinking is a no-no during prep, and hubs felt out of place drinking alone, so it was a rather tame evening.

Goodbye 2011!

Next year, we'll hopefully get our butts in gear and ring in 2013 in style. (It will be a big year of change for us, so it deserves to be rung in right!)

With that said, I have been thinking of resolutions. I believe resolutions never last through March; so I rather have goals.

It started four years ago, after I found myself as one of a few single gals in my group of friends. I realized I didn’t want to even consider a relationship until I got some things outta the way (for example, I’d always enjoyed acting and theater, so I thought I’d put all those classes to use and start auditioning. I got a part in a community theater production and got paid for a few industrials: the training videos you watch when you start a new job … if you worked for Macy’s or Vicki’s Secret you might have seem me :))

Last year’s a goal was to compete in a bikini competition.

I also don’t believe in resolving ambiguously. I find that if I make specific, realistic goals, I tend to achieve them. And, while I have a list of things I’d like to accomplish, I usually focus on one goal at a time. When that’s done, I choose another.

This year, my goals converge into one major theme.

I’ve been reading the book, Not a Fan by Kyle Idleman. It talks about how being a Christian isn't about being a fan, but rather realizing what it means to become a commited follower. As Idleman says, “Jesus doesn’t need fans.”

One of the major themes in the book is Luke 9:23:

“… And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”

I know I fail on this daily (thank you God for grace!).

But …

… this year I joined a new training team. It’s a yearlong commitment, which means a yearlong commitment to dieting (different for contest prep and off season, but it means I need to consciously think about what I put in my mouth). It’s a mentally daunting concept, especially since I have a HUGE sweet tooth and a never-ending pit doctors call a “stomach.”

On vacation (probably while craving a mimosa or piece of cheesecake) I read the verse and realized I needed to give this year of sacrifice of what I want (as well as fear, uncertainty, stress … insert adjective here) as a lesson in becoming closer with God.

Which is my number one goal.

Beside that, I obviously want to become a better person (i.e., work on my anger = deny my first response), a better sister, daughter and friend (communicate better since I tend to not be a phone person) and more disciplined in my school work (since I need to graduate and need to work after graduation … studying for boards is probably a good idea … again, denying my want to lay on the couch and veg).

nom! nom! nom!

I know Jesus is probably talking about a deeper type of “cross,” but when I can’t have chocolate (and coffee may be cut soon!) then I need to take it one day at a time …

Have a good week!