The great computer crash of 2011

I know. Ive been gone quite some time. I can explain, really.

It started a couple weeks ago. I woke up, started perking coffee, got the kids their sippy cups, and went to turn on our desk top...same routine every morning. And the screen turned blue, and kept telling me Dive A wasnt accessible. What the...? Panic set in. We are small business owners. Our entire life is on the computer. Microsoft Excel, Quickbooks, years of information we need. Our livelihood. O.M.G.
So I hauled my tushy to the nearby Computer Fixer's, who opened up our computer and declared my hard drive dead. With promises to salvage whatever possible, I was sent on my way.
Bottom line: had to buy a new hard drive, and back track everything business related for the 2 week lapse between backing up our info and the great crash.
The next day (and no, I am not kidding, nor exaggerating) I woke up, and went to turn on the lap top. I got the normal looking screen popping up that Windows had an update, and would I like to update now? I thought "sure, whatever", and pressed OK. POOF! Black screen of death appears. Computer mumbo jumbo. We still havent addressed this problem. Torn between bringing it in to service, buying a new lap top, or just springing for a tablet. Any thoughts on this one?
 Then, my phone died. The the display shot. Sent that in for a free replacement. Got the replacement 2 days later, and the ear and mouth piece stopped working within a week. I refuse to get another Droid, so I am without a phone that actually can handle phone calls until the 17th. I plan to go Iphone.
All this has led to me being behind on blogging. I like to blog curled up on the couch with my laptop, not strapped to my desk on the P.C. But, such is life.
There has been a lot of stress in my life, aside from our obvious Tech troubles, but the stress has led to me being careless with my diet and exercise. After a week or so of slacking off, I felt terrible, and decided to do the 3 Day Shakeology Cleanse. I did the cleanse as follows:
Day 1:
Woke up, had a cup of green tea.
Made shake #1: ice, 1 scoop of Shakeology, 8 ounces of water and a banana. Blend.
3 hours later: 1 piece of fruit (I had a peach)
Lunch time: Shake #2 (made the exact same way as first shake)
3 hours later: 2nd piece of fruit (again, a peach)
Dinner: Salad with protein; I FILLED a big bowl with dark, leafy lettuce and baby spinach. Topped with 4 ounces if kidney beans, red onions and diced tomatoes. For dressing I did 2 TBSP organic Ranch.
After dinner snack: 3rd shake, made the same way.

* you can only drink green tea and water for the three days*
*I repeated the same exact methods for the three days*

I weighed myself the morning after the cleanse was over, and was down 5 lbs! I ate in a normal, healthy manner the following day, and weighed myself the next morning, curious how my weight would adjust...and I was down an additional 3 pounds! So, its true that the cleanse reboots your metabolism.
Im very happy with the results. And the hardest part for me was not having coffee, and missing the act of eating. I didnt feel like I wanted to pass out, or overly fatigued. Good experience!

My Dream Sample Box Giveaway!

Not too long ago, I came into contact with the creative mind behind My Dream Sample Box. Her name is Cindy, and she is an Event/Party Planner (check out My Dream Party). Her idea was genius:

So many other Party/Event Planners and moms ask me for samples of what I have to offer. Sometimes I could not find what they were looking for. This made me come up with an idea…How can I get samples out to them? This is how My Dream Sample Box was born.

It takes me out of being the middle man and offers people a chance to grow their business!! I spend a lot of my time looking for the perfect products to add to my sample box. Making sure they are getting into the hands of people that will buy them. A lot of the samples are from home businesses’ just like me. These businesses’ make all their items and work real hard on their product. I love the fact that because of this box they can get their products noticed and reach people that they might not have ever had the chance to reach!

 And there was the birth of My Dream Sample Box!

I am fortunate to be hosting a grab bag give away of some of the products artists and small business's have handed in to Cindy. 

The grab bag contains some candle samples, some oil samples, and it looks like there may be some chocolate in there too! This is a fun giveaway, and a fantastic way to support and advertise small business and artists!

After this giveaway ends, I will be hosting one for Cindy's Event/Part Planning business!

So here is the deal, to enter the giveaway, check out her blog:

http://mydreamsamplebox.blogspot.com/

Her Facebook Page

Her Twitter

I would appreciate it very much if you could give a "like" and a "follow" to support Cindy! Please follow at least 1 of her pages, and each additional page will be an additional entry!

This giveaway will end 2 weeks from today (7/29/11)! Please enter, and share on your wall, who doesn't like candles, and oils and lotions and potions :-) 

Results will be chosen by www.random.org

Please leave a comment to let me know you entered the giveaway

Wondering what all this talk of Shakeology is about? Check out my 5 Day supply giveaway!

OK, so here's the thing. I know I have been plugging my new Beachbody venture and Shakeology on Facebook and Twitter, but Its because I BELIEVE in the message. Which is to help people achieve their goals, and lead healthy, fulfilling lives. Sounds good to me!

One of their various products is Shakeology. To put it simply, this is the most delicious shake Ive ever had. It comes in two flavors: chocolate and greenberry. To be honest, I havent thought about trying greenberry, because why leave the best (chocolate, obviously) for the rest?
But Shakeology is so much more than desert in a cup. Its a miracle of nature. Well, I suppose not literally, because as most of you know, I truly believe that the body can, and should, thrive off what the Earth provides naturally. But, moving on.
Shakeology is made of 70 natural ingredients found all over the world. All natural, baby! There are:

Protein and Essential Amino Acids

• Help build and repair muscles
• Reduce hunger and food cravings
• Help keep blood sugar steady
• Support brain function to help promote alert thinking and reduce anxiety
• Promote healthy skin, hair, and nails

Shakeology includes whey protein isolate, an easily absorbable source of high-quality protein that's ideal for building and maintaining lean muscle mass. It also helps keep your blood sugar steady, reducing hunger and junk food cravings. Essential amino acids, found in protein, help the body repair muscle tissue and heal wounds; support the brain to promote calmness and alertness; and reduce hunger pangs. The whey protein in Shakeology provides a highly bioavailable source of essential amino acids. 

Prebiotics and Digestive Enzymes*

• Aid digestion
• Help boost the immune system
• Increase absorption of nutrients
• Help keep you "regular"

Shakeology contains many ingredients that are beneficial to the digestive system. Prebiotics, natural components of certain plants, help support the "friendly" bacteria in your digestive tract. They may also help with the absorption of minerals such as calcium. Digestive enzymes, from plant sources such as pineapples and papayas, help your body break down food into its individual components, making the nutrients easier to absorb. Cooking can destroy food's natural digestive enzymes, so there's a good chance that you don't get enough of them in your diet. 

Antioxidants and Phytonutrients*

• Get rid of harmful free radicals
• Help decrease inflammation
• Help boost your immune system

• Potentially decrease the risk of degenerative diseases
• May even increase longevity

Many of Shakeology's fruit and vegetable sources have been chosen for their high concentration of healthy natural substances known as phytonutrients, including flavonoids, polyphenols, anthocyanins, and catechins. These substances have antioxidant properties, meaning they help get rid of molecules known as free radicals, which damage cells and may be a key component of the aging process. In laboratory tests, phytonutrients have shown promise in helping prevent a wide variety of degenerative conditions. What's more, studies suggest that the natural mix of phytochemicals you get from whole-plant sources is more effective than taking them individually as nutritional supplements. 

23 Vitamins and Minerals*

• Get a wide range of essential nutrients
• Get your necessary vitamins every day
• Make up for dietary deficiencies

Most of us don't get the complete range of essential vitamins and minerals in our daily diets. Some important vitamins, such as vitamin C and the B vitamins, are water-soluble, meaning they're flushed out of your body after a short time and need to be replenished regularly. Others, like vitamin E, can be difficult to get enough of in food. Shakeology provides all these nutrients in an easy-to-take, easily absorbable form, so you never have to worry. 

OK, so there you have the information directly from the Shakeology  website.  My experience so far has been fantastic. Ive been drinking it for 4 days. My nails are already stronger. Ive lost about  1.3 pounds. My coffee cravings have nearly disappeared (SHOCKING! I typically drink coffee all day long. like, 3 pots a day. Im not kidding). My energy is much higher. And Im full after drinking one, for about 3 hours. My kids LOVE it. And now I dont have to buy vitamins for everyone. Shakeology can actually replace PRENATAL'S! I am really curious what a 30 day result will be!

Now, for the financial part. There are two options. If someone would like to buy Shakeology monthly retail, the cost would be $4 a day. This isnt bad if you're going to replace it with your morning Dunkin Donuts/Starbucks/fast food breakfast stops. In fact, this is a fantastic opportunity to jump start your health! The other option would be to join the Beachbody team (message me for details and assistance!) and pay $3 a day, or make a profit from selling it yourself and helping others get their fitness on the right track.

Im offering a 5 day supply giveaway through my blog. Please enter and share with your friends!

Here are the rules:

1.) You have to "follow" my blog for a bonus entry!

2.) You have to go to My Beachbody Page and join the "free membership" (or, if you join as a Coach, Ill throw in 2 more packets!)

3.) You have to leave a comment on this blog post telling me you entered the contest

4.) You have to "share" the contest on your wall for a bonus entry!

Contest ends July 19th, 2011!

Results will be chosen by random.org

And there ya go! Good luck to everyone!

What's that foolishness they say....what doesnt kill you makes you stronger?

Ive heard that more than enough times, and even annoyed myself with repeating it to Chris this past week an a half.
After our fantastic 4th of July, The Universe decided to have a chuckle at our expense, and placed a cloud of doom over our family.
We JUST bought a secondary work van a few weeks back, so OF COURSE the brakes went out completely on the 1st work van last Monday. Then, every single day this past week, one or all of Chris's scheduled jobs fell through. It was really remarkable how something went wrong each day. Customers needed to reschedule, materials were shipped wrong, laminate flooring was delivered broken, etc etc. Then Thursday came. A terrible, horrible day. First of all, as I was doing my Insanity work out, Emma started freaking out, telling me something was dripping in the kitchen. I went in there, an there was a big old crack in the ceiling with water dripping out. Fantastic! So, I turned off the AC and prepared to roast in my house for the day. Later on, it was stripe night at Karate, and as I was sitting there, watching Emma, I started to feel sick, like the clammy, nauseous sick. I was in agony waiting for Emma to finish up. As I rushed her out in the parking lot, and into the car, I turned on the Ac and tried to breathe an calm my stomach. But, my tummy laughed in my face, and I grabbed the nearest bag i had in the car and got sick.
As Im driving home to change, and pick up Eli, I get a call from Chris, who broke down with his "new" work van. Are you kidding me???? So im holding back vomit, trying to pick him up, get money for a tow truck, etc...all while the house is 16543 degrees because the AC is off from the waterfall in our kitchen.
He is up until 1030 that night, fixing the van. He takes it for a test drive, and all seems well.
Friday comes, and im almost at the point of being able to keep things down in my tummy. Trying to stay positive. I get a call after I pick up Emma from school. That the van caught on fire. I almost laugh, because, what else can you do at this point? No one was hurt, thank God. So I drive out to where Chris pulled off the road, and am greeted by police and fire men. Another tow fee. No work vans running.
So Friday, Saturday, and Sunday Chris worked on his brake-less van. Obviously, it didnt go easy. Around 3 yesterday, he goes to take it for a test drive and cant find the key. I have nothing to say at this point. After searching for hours, we blame it on the kids. And call a locksmith. Locksmith was here until after 10 last night.
Have to try and laugh, right? Though, I must admit, stress helps me with losing weight!
However, I am very positive about my Beachbody venture. Im hoping to build up a team of people who want to get fit, stay fit, or help others. You dont have to be a fitness expert. Just have the drive to help yourself or others. And make money. Ill be mailing out samples of Shakeology  
soon, so if you are interested, please message me on Facebook, and I can answer any and all questions.
I also am going to have a fun giveaway of oils and candles. Who doesnt love that!? Stay tuned for details!

Fourth of July Fun, and some upcoming giveaways!

Yesterday our family celebrated Fourth of July. And among the chaos, I managed to squeeze in the Insanity workout! I nearly broke my arm patting my back for staying focused ;-)

For those of you who dont know, our family is Vegan-ish. I say -ish because I dont force my kids to stay strict when they are at other people's houses, and Chris eats what he can when he is out and about working. And, Ive been known to eat candy (milk products), and an Iced Coffee or two...or three....

Anyway, so for yesterdays grilling adventure, I decided to marinate portobella mushrooms, zucchini, and onions and throw them on the grill

Tasty, and filling! I was feeling pretty guilt-free, and confident that I could enjoy a healthy holiday...until I pulled out the trifle Emma and I made

Needless to say, I indulged. Emma and I had made a festive American Flag on the top with blueberries and strawberries, but the cream and fruit slid all over the place, and down the side of the trifle dish while It was chilling in the fridge. I reassure you, it did not affect the taste ;-)

Hub's took full advantage of the fun the south has to offer: legally buying fireworks and having backyard fun. He put on quite the neighborhood show last night. We got to meet nearly all the neighbors!
We had a great day with family and neighbors yesterday. I love summer time.

I have some exciting things to announce as well!
I have been selected as 1 of 200 blogs to host a great giveaway!


The event will be held from September 12th, 12:00 A.M through September 22, 11:59 P.M E.S.T.
This is being held by the Blogorama Bonanza of 2011.

Here is the deal:

Starting September 12th, all 200 of the chosen bloggers will be posting their blogs, advertising the giveaway, with links to the other 200 bloggers. This means that those of you who wish to participate in the giveaways can "Blog Hop" and enter in as many of the 200 giveaways as you want!
Each blog is going to have its own "theme" for the giveaway, and the prize value must be a MINIMUM of $75.00. This could be several prizes adding up to that value, or one big prize.
I will be updating everyone as the time comes closer. If any of my readers are bloggers, you should check out the Blogorama Bonanza button on my sidebar and see if there are any spots open to participate in the giveaway!

Insanity Week 2 DONE!

Today was a great day!

Hubs was technically home, but he is really never NOT working (he is a contractor for Lowe's). He had an estimate to do out in Wise, VA. Turns out this was an hour an a half away, and assuming that we would see some cool rural, mountain sites, we all went along for the ride.

The scenic drive did not disappoint! Pictures really dont do the beauty justice. We have lived in the Smokey Mountains for 3 years, and It still takes my breath away.

Later on, I threw together some Quick As Lightening Chili (Thanks to Robin Robertson's Vegan Planet), and told the family to eat while I did my Insanity work out. Today was the two week Fit Test.

My results were mixed.
(let me preface by stating I had my kids awake and trying to "work out" with me, and I definitely used correct form this time, where as the first Fit Test, I was just trying to figure out WTH I was doing)

1.) Switch Kick- 109/126
2.) Power Jacks- 38/36
3.) Power Knees- 65/65
4.) Power Jumps- 36/29
5.) Globe Jumps- 8/3 (this was due to the kids under my feet, and chris annoying me about form)
6.) Suicide Jumps- 11/9 (I was not bringing my feet between my hands the first time. This time I did)
7.) Push Up Jacks- 2/5 (my form is still not good)
8.) Low Plank Oblique- 35/38 (i love this one....hurts so bad, yet feels so good)

As it stands, my weight loss is approximately 4 pounds still. My weight can fluctuate up and down 5 pounds in a day, so Its far from accurate.
On June 29th, I had Chris take my measurements, and he re did them today. I lost 1 inch from my hips since the 29th.

My arms and thighs are getting nice definition, and I feel much stronger. Im happy with the progress so far!

I hope you all have a great holiday weekend! Tomorrow will be a day of grilling, pooling, and fireworking :-)

Here is a crash course...

In Beachbody!

You may be wondering, What is it??

Beachbody is a A+ rated BBB fitness and wellness company. They promote and support healthy lifestyles, and dominates the at home fitness market. You may know of, or watched a late night informercial or two, on one of these products:

These are a few of the products Beachbody produces.

So, why in the world would I get involved with this company?

Ill gladly explain!

Before I had my kids, I didnt think much about fitness, or health. I worked, I partied, I didnt care what I ate. Then, after we had our kids, and I stayed at home to raise them, I became very unhappy. I became restless, and my body was a mess. I needed goals. I needed a purpose. Confidence.
I started to run a year ago. I fell in love. It provided me mental clarity. Self esteem. Joy. The happier I was (am), the happier my house hold and family is.Then, I evaluated the health of our family. I rehauled how we ate at home.
As the past year wore on, I realized I have a passion for health and fitness. At first, I thought "well, im not a professional in this field, and I dont have a degree. Too bad I cant take it further".
And then, Heather started talking to me about her new adventure in the Beachbody Coaching experience. Requirements? 1.) A goal of living a healthy and fit lifestyle 2.) A passion to help others do the same.
They help you with the rest. Its that simple.
Really, why WOULDN'T I take this opportunity? I blab on and on on my Facebook and blog about my work outs, my food experiences, and im thrilled when others do the same. And to have the chance to make some money, just doing what I do anyway?
And, Im doing Insanity right now, living the proven results. I am stronger, I feel great, and am losing weight. 
Im really really excited for my new chapter. And Im REALLY thankful to have a fantastic coach guide me through it, and a fantastic company like Beachbody backing it.
As I am learning, I will be sharing. And please dont be afraid to contact me if you have any questions, or are curious!

“It takes struggle, a goal and enthusiasm to make a champion.” Norman Vincent Peale

Need a kick in the butt? Take your measurements!

I believe the Plague has officially left our residence. I spent  Saturday morning tending to my little guy who spiked a fever, then Saturday afternoon through Sunday on the couch. 

Yesterday, I woke up and figured I was going to sweat the uglies out of me. And I didnt want to negate all the hard work that Ive put into my Insanity Challenge (which by the way, has been renamed The Insanity 62 Day Challenge). Yesterday I was due to huff and puff through the Plyo Cardio Circuit DVD. It was by far the hardest workout to date. I felt weak, and I was incredibly fatigued from being sick. And I paused a lot to regain my breath and drink water, but its all good. The thing I love about Insanity, is that there is no realistic way for a couch potato, or a moderately active person to blast through these workouts with out pausing to collect yourself...and thats O.K. You do your best, and forget the rest (Thanks, Tony Horton). 

Today called for the Cardio Recovery workout. The Amazon seller immediately shipped me a replacement disc, and I was excited to check it out. I KNEW going into it that "recovery" was a sneaky term....I mean, we are dealing with Shaun T. This workout consists of deep muscle conditioning, deep yoga stretches, and lots of plank work. Do not be fooled. The only recovery happening was to my lungs. My quads, glutes, shoulders, and arms have not hurt this bad.....EVER. This is an intense control workout, and I LOVED it. It was nice not to do cardio, im not going to lie. Im intrigued by the week of Core and Balance that is scheduled before we move on to Month 2. 

And then, tonight, I finally got my butt in gear and took my measurements. I am still down about 4 lbs, and I overly indulged the past two days. Now that I have my measurements, its holding me accountable. Im going to try and find some kind of cool graph/chart thingy that I can put all my numbers in for the end of my week 2 or 3 recap.

Have any of you challenged yourself recently? There is a cool graphic floating around Facebook, stating "do one thing every day that scares you". I try to keep this in mind every day. 

I do find irony amusing

It's funny, really. Yesterday I wrote all about how life will never go as planned, and you need to buck up and fit in your exercise/training days/fitness goals. Aaaand today was NOT the day for me. Emma has been sick all week, and her fever returned today. And then Eli started with the throwing up and fever. Chris hasnt been home all week, and he worked 20 hours fri-sat morning, and got home at 5am. Then after lunch time, I started feeling way less than stellar.
My week 2 , day 3 Insanity workout (cardio plyo circuit for those of you who were curious) most definitely did not happen today.
So, instead I figured Id write about random things about me. Its interesting looking at Blogger stat's and analysis. I have had readers all over the place! For those of you who dont know me, here is some odd facts:

1.) I am a total Southern Vampire Series/True Blood groupie. Not at all a Twilight fan. I have read Charlane Harris' series at least half a dozen time. I could talk for hours about the book and TV series.
2.) I grew up in Massachusetts; lived in FL from 2005-2008; then moved to TN. Although a part of me will have be a liberal  New Englander, I have to admit, I would never leave the south. I love it. I love the sun baked springs and summers. I love the slow way of life. The way southerners keep life simple, and dont take anything they dont rightfully earn.
3.) I have serious wanderlust. I would travel the rest of my life if it was feasible. If I won the lottery, my family would be the new Jolie/Pitt crew (minus a ton of kids), and would travel, gaining world knowledge.
and finally....
4.) Negative energy makes me very uncomfortable and awkward. Oprah said it best "kindly leave your negative energy at the door". Oh yeah, I am an Oprah groupie too.

Insanity 60 Day Challenge- Week 2; Days 1 and 2

Ive learned a few things the past 2 days of my Insanity work out:
1.) Im stronger than I think I am. Mentally and physically. I keep pushing, and pushing, and surprise myself with every work out with how much longer I last, and how much more I can do. I was completely ELATED that I managed to do PUSH UPS yesterday! Never ever ever give up! You are only as strong as you think you are!
2.) When you set a goal, you need to fully intend on achieving the goal. Life always happens, and your plans will not always fall into place. But you need to take detours to reach said goal. For example, Emma has been sick for several days, and Eli hasnt been sleeping well, and I am running on mom fumes. My house is a mess, my life is in disarray, but I am serious about finishing this challenge, so NO EXCUSES. No one is going to hold my hand and help me get where I need to be. I need to stay focused and on track. And it wont be easy.
3.) Living a healthy lifestyle is crucial, if you want to be fit and happy. Exercise just needs to be part of daily life, just like eating and breathing. Working out, to get to a certain weight, or pants size, then slacking off when you reached your goal, sets a person up for a lifetime of yo yo-ing and disappointment. And diets dont work, Let me repeat that...diets dont work. It HAS to be a LIFESTYLE change. And the person has to be ready. It needs to click. It needs to be an "aha" moment (throw back to Oprah). Im so at peace with myself now that I understand these things. My body isnt perfect. But thats OK. Im a work in progress. Thats realistic. But I dont deprive myself. Because I can do what I want in moderation.

My workouts for week two have been great. And I see and feel results. Unfortunately, I still havent done measurements. Chris has the measuring tape, and I havent seen him all week :-(  I weighed myself this morning, and I am down 4 lbs. But my success so far is so much more than that. The challenges of these work outs are huge. And the fact I am meeting them with everything Ive got, and learning so much along the way, is worth so much more.

Week 1 DONE of Insanity 60 Day Challenge

**phew**

How happy I am that I completed week 1! OK, Ill be honest. This workout is completely wearing me out! I dont know if its the combination of never getting 6 or more hours of sleep a night, or just the work out in general, but I have been exhausted! So, yesterday I completely wanted to cry, thinking of doing the workout on my Handy Dandy calendar, which was Cardio Strength and Plyo (a.k.a Assault On Arms and Shoulders).
What did I do? I went crying over to Heather, Ms Beachbody Coach Extraordinaire, who assured me rest and recovery is as important as the work itself. I had missed my Recovery day this week, so she suggested I do some Yoga Meltdown yesterday as my Recovery, and to take today completely off. 
Music. To. My. Eyes.
All in all, I am very happy with my first week. I think tomorrow will kick off a real, true, INSANE week of working out. Now I know what to expect. Now I know how much I can push myself.
If anyone reading this has wanted to try Insanity, do not let the thoughts "i cant do that" enter your mind! ANYONE can do this! Give your best, thats all you need! Growth is exciting!
Measurements coming next week!

Insanity 60 Day Challenge! Day 5!

Im finding it hard to be witty and interesting with my daily blogs. However, I want a record of each day of the challenge, so that when all is said and done, I can look back and see how far Ive come.

My scheduled work out for today just happened to be Pure Cardio. Minus the Abs that I did yesterday. Silly me. Why didnt I look at my handy dandy calendar when I chose Pure Cardio to sub in for the Recovery disc yesterday?

Anyway, I went for it with guns blazing today. I want results. I really, truly gave todays work out everything I had. But, my upper body strength is a joke. Which is irritating, because if you know me, you know how much I love Kettlebells. But, for the life of me, I can not do push ups. And, I am telling you, I try. In the time it takes Shaun T and his army of rockin bodies to jump into plank, bang out 8 push ups, sprint, and jump back down into planks....Im still trying to do 1 push up in proper form. But, you know what? Ill never get there if I dont keep trying. I imagine myself as the Little Train That Could. Im chugging along, determined to get there one day. And I will. As pathetically slow as my push up progress is, I will do push ups sooner or later!

To my fellow INSANE members...my favorite move of this work out is the pedal. SPRINT SPRINT SPRINT! LUUUUUNGE! SPRINT SPRINT SPRINT! LUUUUUNGE! I love it, lol.

But, the best part of this whole work out? The end, when Shaun T drops on his back on the floor, and says "this shit is BANANAS!". Yes, Shaun T, you are correct.

Insanity 60 Day Challenge- Day 4

Today was supposed to be  "Cardio Recovery" day, according to my complimentary Insanity Wall Calendar (a.k.a accountability).

I grabbed my disc, and popped it in, to find..."cannot read" flashing on the screen. I tried it in all our DVD players, and the disc never worked. Thankfully, the amazon seller I bought it from was awesome, and will have another copy of the DVD in the mail tomorrow. Score! So, I eventually decided to do the Pure Cardio and Abs disc. This was a 56 minute work out in total. This work out has made me REALLY want to get a heart rate monitor. There are really no words for the intensity of the cardio. Im so curious how many calories I burned!
I was kind of overwhelmed with the abs portion. I felt my strength was not nearly enough for that, lol. Maybe by next week ill feel better about it! Actually, I think once I go know what to expect for each workout, I think Ill get a better work out.
Ready for day 5 tomorrow!!

INSANITY! Day 3

Sorry I didnt blog my Day 3 work out yesterday, folks. My 2 year old really stuck it to me yesterday and was wiiiiide awake until the wee hours of the morning. It was not a fun night :-p

Before I dove into the INSANITY challenge, I either ran when I could have someone watch the kiddo's, or I did my video workouts after the kids went to bed (Kettleworx or a wide variety of Jillian Micheal's). I learned FAST that I can not do these Insanity workouts after they go to bed. First of all, they are somewhat long, in comparison to what I was used to. And, Im WAY too keyed up after the work out to head to bed shortly after. And, Im a budding extreme couponer, and I need that time before bed to clip and organize ;-)

*By the way, I am not giving up running. I am doing this challenge to make me better*

So, Saturday was my Cardio Power and Resistance day. 

Still, the warm up has me taking water breaks, and leaves me in puddles of sweat. The warm up is followed by intense stretching, then a water break before the Insane workout. 

To be perfectly honest, I don't even know where to begin with the different exercises in this DVD. There was a lot of cardio. A lot of lower body work. A lot of upper body work. I cant even keep up, lol. 

My thoughts so far? I wish I took measurements of myself before I began this work out. I didnt. I also need to be clear that I havent been counting calories. I dont eat meat or dairy. I do have "bad" snacks sometimes. I also cant do these workouts with out taking breaks. I dont mind this so much. I see it like this: more value for my dollar. I have a long way to go before I master this set. Its a challenge, and I am a work in progress. 

I absolutely recommend this work out. You need to be willing to make a lifestyle change, however. This isnt a magic solution for laziness or someone who wants to hurry and lose a few pounds. This is for someone who is committed to being a healthier, better person, and isnt afraid to work for it.

INSANITY! Day 2

Today was a rough day. I couldnt fall asleep for the life of me last night, and today was chock full of errands. 

Once the kids and I were home for the day, I got bold, and decided to do Day 2 of Insanity while they were awake. I knew I wouldnt be able to bring myself to get it done once they fell asleep.

So, I popped in the Plyometric Cardio DVD (after I begged the tiny humans to please please dont fight, dont open windows, dont climb anything, play nicely, and Ill even let you hang out in moms rooms to watch TV!) and braced myself.

**those puddles of sweat are not gimmicky advertising. blood, sweat, and tears are involved in this workout**

Anywho, so I began. Let me just say, the "warm up" in itself, is a workout.  Jumping jacks, mummy kicks, high knees, heismans, butt kicks....need I go on? This workout covered pretty much all bases. Upper body, lower body, cardio, cardio, cardio. I needed to pause it several times to intervene disasters with the kids, but even with my pause breaks (which I regained my breath), I still couldnt go full out with the work out, without taking breaks. You also CAN NOT do these workouts without HYDRATION. This is really, really important. 

I also want to stress, that you do not have to be a rock star, or a REAL athlete to do these videos. Its OK to be intimidated, but dont let that stop you from trying! Its OK to take a break, just keep trying! 

So the end result of Day 2 of INSANITY looked somewhat like this:

excuse the silly face, and obtrusive finger blocking the lens, hahaha. Mirror pictures are not a natural talent for me yet. 

Day 3 tomorrow---BRING IT!

Blog Reboot! Im Going INSANE!

Im pretty bad at maintaining my blog. I apologize. In my time lapse, our whole family has become more fine tuned in the fitness lifestyle. This is so reassuring to me, because as parents, you want to provide the most stable foundation for your children's future. We cannot provide a trust fund for our kids, but what we can provide is confidence through physical activity. This, for me, is super important. Emma (4) and DH (Chris) are involved in Kenpo, which I really cant rave enough about. More about that at another time.
This all comes full circle to the reason for my Blog Reboot...In my mission to be a bad@ass woman/mother/wife, I am throwing myself into the INSANITY 60 Day Challenge. Thanks to my pal Heather, who tipped me off with her awesome journey, I am dipping my toe into the Beachbody world.

So, after waiting for what seemed like eternity, today was the most exciting of mail days!

Naturally, I waited impatiently for bedtime, so that I could pop in that Fit Test DVD and begin to "dig deep".
The Fit Test consists of 8 different exercises that you take every 2 weeks to monitor your progress. Chris ended up doing it as well.  We performed each move for 1 minute.
1.) Switch Kicks- I did 109; Chris 122
2.) Power Jacks- I did 38; Chris 48
3.) Power Knees- I did 65; Chris 64
4.) Power Jumps- I did 36; Chris 41
5.) Globe Jumps- I did 8; Chris 9
6.) Suicide Jumps- I did 11; Chris 16
7.) Push-Up Jacks- I did 2 (I was thrilled---for real!); Chris did 21
8.) Low Plank Oblique (BTW- Im in love!)- I did 35/Chris 50

For first impressions: I LOVE the packaging! Am I the only one who was impressed with the packaging? Sturdy and eye appealing, lol. I am excited for what you get for your money. I got 10 Insanity workout DVD's, PLUS 3 extra DVD's that arent included in the 60 Day program. I need to refrain from popping in "Insane Ab's", lol. If any of my readers have done those extra workouts, I am intrigued!
I cant wait to dig into the first "real" workout tomorrow. This Fit Test is barely going to touch upon the sweat and work ill be doing tomorrow, and I cant wait :-)
I did weight myself and take a "before" picture, but I wont be posting those items until I am happy with some results :-) For now, I am NOT brave enough to make that public, haha.

Yikes, my last blog written was on my birthday!

Its been so long since Ive blogged. 2 months and 2 weeks! Since I last blogged, I didnt run for weeks on end, and my family became vegan.

Right around Christmas, my treadmill broke. I CHOSE not to run outside thru the winter weather, (I.E excuses), but kept up with strength training with an array of Jillian Micheals DVD. Dont hate. She offers an INTENSE variety of workouts :-)

Around the same time of starting to run over the past summer, I also began an interest in cooking. I absolutely love food, and cooking. To be perfectly clear, I think the notion of "Eat to live" is ridiculous. I am totally on Team "Live to Eat". And not in the junk food way. Food is essential to life. It should be enjoyed. To make people, cooking and food is their form of art. Expression. I have recently dipped my toe in this pool. I love to make yummy, delicious food.
Of course, this love has always had consequences. Calories. Weight. Will power to resist often. Thus, its been a love/hate battle between weight and food.
Which eventually brings me to an episode of Oprah I saw with Michael Pollen and Kathy Freston. To sum it up: KNOW where you food comes from; be aware of how meat and dairy get to your local grocery store; there are numerous advantages to become vegan (not eating meat or dairy). I am intrigued. I use my swagbucks to order Kathy Freston's book, Veganist from Amazon. In the mean time, I research "veganism" obnoxiously on line. You mean, people dont NEED to eat meat?? I cook chicken and beef all week, because I think I HAVE to for nutrtion! And dairy?? Dairy nearly poisons our bodies?? 75% of people are lactose intolerant because we shouldnt be drinking another species milk?!
Then Veganist arrived. And my whole outlook on food and nutrition changed. I turned around and ordered Thrive (a vegan Ironman's journey), The Kind Diet, Vegan On the Cheap (a cook book), and An Idiot's Guide to Raising Vegan Children. I read a lot. And many myth's and personal beliefs were debunked. So we have been vegan for several weeks now, and its gone amazingly well. No complaints from the kids or Chris!
But, there will be many tangent blogs re: veganism to come, Im sure.

In more exciting news! My parents were AWESOME, and passed on their treadmill to me! So I started Couch 2 5k for the second time last week! This is very exciting to me :-) My plan is to do the local Haunted Halloween Half Marathon.
Life is good :-)