Polite?

Lately, there are two phrases that bother me.

"You are soooooo young....."

"You would understand if you had children....."

I do not tell you that you look "soooooo old....." (inappropriate) and I would certainly never say, "Well, stop complaining, you chose to have children......" (also, extremely inappropriate). So why do people feel like they can down play, or explain my feelings, experiences, and outlook on life? Claybo gets this as well..... We just look young I guess. Yep, we are 12 yrs old, have full time jobs, and pay bills. We are very mature middle schoolers. I think people  honestly just do not think about their responses sometimes. I do not take offense to it, but I wish we would all be a little more "present" in each conversation. Stop thinking about what your response is going to be and TRULY listen to one another's feelings. Also, try to give others the benefit of the doubt.... maybe they do not really mean to affend you, they are just not aware of how they sound. Stop assuming the world is out to get you. Fear does not come from God, and I think anxiety/worry/paranoia all stem from fear.....

This week has flown by and I am excited to get a workout in after work today. There has been no downtime for me this week.... I have had something to do every night after work (I did get a good leg workout with with my friend Rebekah on Monday, but that is about the extent of my gym visits). The semester has just started and my workouts have pretty much consisted of circuits in my living room while dinner was cooking, laundry was drying, or an online video for school was playing. I hope you have a good weekend. I am sooooooo ready!!!!

Compartmentalized

Lunch packing made easy! Ever wonder why guys can just "think" about losing weight and they drop five lbs? Not only do they naturally have a faster metabolism, they also are more "compartmentalized".... Women are like spaghetti noodles, men are like waffles. Our thoughs, conversations, stress, and mood all interact with one another. Guys can genuinely be thinking about NOTHING. They finish emptying the dishwasher and honestly do not see the dishes in the sink that could be loaded.... it is just the way it is. We cannot change them.

I applied this to my lunch/meal planning. If you pre portion your meals, you are more likely to eat out of hunger and not emotions or boredom. I found this 60 piece tupperware set at Ross the other day for $9. I love it. Do not sit on the couch with a bag of chips.... you are setting yourself up. You CAN do it. Women complicate and sabotage their nutrition because "I had a bad day and deserve this venti frapp" or "I have tried and failed so what is the use." Snap out of it! You have will power. You deserve to treat your body as a temple.... if you are a Christian you are called to, but that is another topic. Let me know if you need help. I will help you, pray for you, and brainstorm. We all started somewhere. Pre portion and enjoy :)

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Easy Peeeezy

I do not know who invented the crock pot, but I am pretty sure he or she was a busy, efficient, type A individual. I love setting it up in the morning, heading out for the day, and coming home to the delicious smell of a finished meal. This morning I set up my version of lemon lentils.

- two cups lentils

- the rest of my low sodium chicken broth (about a cup and a half)

- onions and peppers pre chopped and frozen (one cup)

- one lemon, squeezed and sliced

- garlic

- salt free Cajun seasoning
I set my pot on low because it will be nine hours before I'm home.

I will let you know how it turns out. I desperately need to go grocery shopping so this was created with scraps :) have a good day!!!

What is your favorite CROCK POT recipe????

Check out this interesting BEACH BODY READY article

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munchies

Need help curbing your afternoon cravings? Hot tea works for me. Don't sabotage your goals by eating mindlessly. Chew gum, drink calorie free beverages, or go for a walk. If all else fails, I heard tape works :)

Be careful though. Usually, if you are eating enough you will not crash or feel like you are starving. Know the difference between hunger and "munchies." I hope everyone is having a good day!

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It's a new day

Oh, Monday. How I have not missed you. However, I did have an extra "pep in my step" this morning just knowing that I do not have homework this evening. Yesterday was probably the most relaxing day I have had in a long time. Claybo and I went to church, my parents went to their church, and we all met at our place afterward. We ate Cuban sandwiches and then hit the pool. The great thing about owning a townhouse is NO YARD WORK and a PERFECTLY KEPT POOL that yours truly does not have to take care of. SCORE. My sister Dianna and her hubby Nathan came over as well... she brought an Edible Arrangement for my mom, so we all munched as we swam and soaked up some rays.

The boys took off on Clay's boat and the rest of us sat on my back porch, drank lemonade, and stalked this HUGE cat. 29 lbs...I asked. The owner was quite proud. I decided not to go off on him with a lecture about animal abuse....he does, after all, life next door.

We went out for yummy Mexican food, frozen yogurt, and ended up back on our back porch. So relaxing. Such a great mom. She is the most unselfish person I know, and I hope I will be like her when I reach mommy stage....MANY MANY YEARS. Stop asking. Cheers to you mom!!!! WE LOVE YOU!!!

Healthy Topic: What are your goals this week? Care to post? Read a book? Run a certain mileage this week? I have been studying about the psychology of setting goals....nerdy because that was not in school, that was my "free time."

via good!!!

This morning's discovery:
- one packet of Starbucks via instant coffee
- one frozen banana
- one cup almond milk
- one scoop vanilla protein powder
- handful of ice
- sweetener of choice to taste
BLEND!!!

So yummy. Happy Monday!

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This is the life.....

I am sitting in bed, drinking coffee, reading blogs, and watching a movie with the hubby.... Seriously, loving this morning. I will manage to get my lazy rear end to the gym sometime. We have graduation parties and family events the rest of the day, so I need to do something. I Hope you all are relaxing as well. The above picture is his majesty, Malcolm. He reigns the home of Billy and Ruthy... Well, he used to until Liam came a long =) Well, I am going to get more coffee and plan a few workouts for the week.... and get my books ordered for my next semester.... Epidemiology. Jumping for joy.

Post Final

Finals are over! Seriously, what a relief. I have managed to get a few strength training workouts in this week, but no running. I am contemplating my run for tomorrow, but it will be the first day in WEEKS that I am able to sleep in without an alarm so I am going to take advantage.... which pretty much means I will wake up at 7:30am because I am cool like that.

Last week, I was given the opportunity to go out to dinner at Berns Steak House in Tampa with my family. Claybo's grandma turned 85, so his parents treated her (and all of us) to dinner at this renown restaurant. WHAT A TREAT. I have seen the wine cellar on the food network before, and we were able to take a tour. There were bottles of wine in there that were worth $40,000.... seriously? We took a tour of the kitchen and enjoyed dinner and the desert room... yes, they take you to a separate room for dessert. MY DREAM.

I ordered swordfish.... not ok to eat if you are pregnant... lucky for me, that is not a problem.

French onion soup... decent. I cannot eat that much cheese. My thighs appreciate it though.

Claybo's DelMonico steak

FABULOUS salad. All organic veggies from their garden!

Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate... seriously, that is the name.

Mississippi Mud Pie 

The whole gang =) ~ Claybo's side of the family

King Midas... carrot cake with macadamia  nut ice cream... holy cellulite. Amazing.

I am ready to get back to my running/blogging schedule. It is funny how we find "outlets" for our brains to take a break. Mine is fried. I hope everyone had a great week. I am posting a few workouts tomorrow. Stay tuned. Be safe. Work out. Be smart. "make good choices...." seriously, my parents said that when I would leave the house in high school.... Ok, signing off. Good night =)

Greener Grass???

One of the things that bothers me the most about some people is the inability to be real. The last thing I want is for people to think that I have it all together all the time (try, NONE of the time....what is "all together" anyways.....another soapbox). Women tend to compare themselves to other people too much so I wanted to share my dirt. I believe this is part of the female sinful nature; my identity is in Christ... not in what Mrs.X is doing, wearing, organizing, or cooking. I AM WHO GOD MADE ME. The truth is, I am awful at keeping things organized when I get busy. I do not take care of the things around the house that need to get done when there are other things to do. Finals week looks like this:

Dinner anyone? Sure, take a seat.... oh wait....

Where are all of the coffee mugs.... seriously. All dirty

How many times can you wear dirty socks in one week?

When we tell ourselves that we "should have done" this and we "should have done that," we are only living in the past. NEGATIVE SELF TALK does not come from God, and if you do not believe in God, even psychologists say that NEGATIVE SELF TALK is destructive and will not help you accomplish your goals. Think about what your priorities are. If spending time with your family, getting in a little workout, visiting a friend that needs you, or spending time SLEEPING are more important than that final load of laundry.... let it go. Keeping a spotless house does not make you superwoman, righteous, or wife of the year. No one expects your house to be spotless all of the time. I give you permission to let yourself off the hook. Go to bed. Go for a walk. Take a bath. Stop beating yourself up. 

I just finished my first of two finals. I am going to study for number two and then hit the sack. Have a great evening everyone....

Hodge Podge

Here is my hodge bodge of a lunch/snacks today:
- bowl o' veggies
- carrot cake protein bars
- whole wheat tortilla
- almonds

Hopefully it will all come together with some tuna at work. I have a final tonight so wish me luck and say a prayer! My brain is fried and today is going to be a busy day at work. I have done a few pretty cool weight circuits the past few days that I want to share. Stay tuned! Happy Hump Day!!

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smooothieeeee

Just a quick recipe and workout. Finals are this week so I am pretty spacey... don't let the picture fool you, I am obviously not a photographer :) this was delish!

1 frozen banana
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 cup almond milk (unsweetened)
Sweetener of choice
Handful of spinach
2 tbsp of wheat germ
1 tbsp peanut butter
5 ice cubes

Enjoy!

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