A Day Off Means Work!! (Don't miss this tip!)

As with most working moms out there, my day off today consisted of a considerable amount of work!  I did get to "sleep in" for an extra hour this morning, though.  I use that term loosely because my time "sleeping in" was peppered with Col asking "can I get up now?", "Can I play my DS?", can I do this...that...etc, etc.  I finally gave up and started my day. :-)

So, now nearly ALL the laundry in my house is DONE, we've installed a new faucet in the kitchen and bathtubs, toilets, and floors have been cleaned.  But what I'm MOST proud of today is my SHINY SINK!!!

I really should have taken a "before" picture, but here's my sink now:

Yes, I have a cow on my sink.  It's been on every sink we've had since we were first married.  Back then, I wanted to do my kitchen in a black & white country farm kind of theme, but we couldn't afford to go out and by all new things.  My husband happened upon this toy cow at a yard sale and bought it for 25-cents so that I could have something black & white/cow/farm related in my kitchen. We've changed our kitchen decor a dozen times since then, but that cow goes with us where ever we go! :-)

I used the "shiny sink" method from flylady.net.  It is a VERY thorough cleaning that I have used in every place we've lived since I learned about it years ago.  We've been renters for more than 10 years, and while I'm not usually germ-o-phobic, the thought of using sinks without doing this really does make me cringe.  :/

So, I encourage all my readers who are renters or ministry wives with housing provided by the church to check out the flylady's method for shining your sink.  Even if you think your sink is clean already. :-) Here's the link for that: Flying Lessons: Shiny Sink.  (BTW, even if you own your own place and have for years, still check it out!!  While you're there browse around the flylady's site.  It's very helpful for any domestic engineer, whether you work outside the home or not.)

Since I love my readers so much that I gave you the link to see how to make your sink shiny, I won't bore you by regurgitating what that link will tell you.  I will, however, give you a few pointers that I've learned (I may have even learned them from the flylady and just don't remember...regardless, I'm sharing my knowledge anyway.) :-)

• The entire process will take more than two hours to complete, BUT each side needs to soak in the hot water/bleach mixture for an hour, so most of that time is just waiting.  It helps to have laundry available for while you're waiting. ;-)  
• Speaking of laundry, wear something you don't mind being ruined.  No matter how careful I think I will be, I still manage to get some bleach of some sort on my shirt & then get angry with myself.  Don't say I didn't warn you!
• Read all the instructions before you get started.  (probably should have put this one first, right???)
• DON'T BE AFRAID to use brillo/steelwool pads in your stainless steel sink!  What she tells you to do WILL NOT hurt your sink, I promise.
• If you have a shiny chrome faucet (like my new one above), I wouldn't use the steel wool pad on that -- I've never tried it, but I'm thinking that, unlike your sink, the chrome faucet WILL get hurt by the steel wool.  
• Use a sharp knife for the nasty crud/lime that may have built up over the year.  And be ready to put some elbow grease into it!  My cleaning the sink actually logged me about 24-minutes of activity on my body bugg, but my sink looks awesome!
• Flylady mentions that if your sink still doesn't look as good as you wanted, you can use certain types of oil to sort of "polish" it.  I've never used the oils, because my sinks always wound up looking great anyway.  Let me know if you try it and like the oil better.
• After you finish cleaning your sink, keep it up throughout the year.  The easiest way is to wipe your sink dry everytime you use it! I know, I know, that seems completely weird...and kind of OCD...but think about it - you know how those water spots on your really nice glasses irritate you when you unload the dishwasher (or dish drainer)?  Water spots will dull your stainless steel sink too!  And when people come over and don't see even a water spot, guess who just became the best housekeeper on the block? LOL

So, there you have it!  My first post about housekeeping.  When you try this, make sure to take a before/after pic if you're able, and post it in the comments for me to see!!

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!!

Saturday List - Blogs & Sites

Yes, I know there's a place on my sidebar for this, but I wanted to give you a list of all kind of blogs and sites  I've found helpful and just plain enjoyable... :-)  They are in no particular order and you'll find all kinds of topics, from fitness to Chrisitanity, to motherhood, to crafting.... I'm sure there's something for (nearly) everyone in this Saturday List!!

fittipdaily.com == This site is a GREAT resource for all kinds of tips - from exercise to nutrition to even style & Hollywood.  I've set it as a favorite and check in every few days for whatever little nuggets the crew at fittipdaily.com have for me.
sparkpeople.com == You've seen me write about this before, but the fact is you can't beat a FREE resource for tracking food and fitness.  Honestly, even though I use my bodybugg and its software/program, I still use sparkpeople for my nutrition tracking.  Sparkpeople's food tracker has probably the LARGEST collection of foods to choose from & will allow you to add a recipe or food that's not listed.  When you do that, it's put into the collection so all the other sparkpeople.com members have access to it, too -- I'm serious.  Mega-Info on this site!
bringingprettyback.blogspot.com == follow Kristen as she continues on her journey to bringing the "pretty" back into her life.  She's already accomplished quite a bit in the fitness/weight loss arena, and she also writes about real-world things and it's really fun just to keep up with her.  Plus, I love her radio shows that she posts!!
moneysavingmom.com == one of the first blogs I started following a couple years ago...I totally have a blogger/mommy crush on Crystal!  The subtitle of her site says "Helping You Be a Better Home Economist" - and she totally does!  She'll alert you to deals - whether they are online, in store (and most times with coupons), but she also gives tips and info for living simpler and (drum roll, please...)  DEBT FREE!  Dave Ramsey is one of her financial 'heros' and he's actually mentioned her on his show and website because she's doing such a great job equipping families today with what they need to survive (and thrive!) in today's economy.  Plus, she's a Christian, which is always refreshing in the blogging world! :-)
fussymonkeybiz.blogspot.com == One of the most recent blogs I've been following.  I LOVE how Crystal (interesting how many Crystal's this list has...) uses Proverbs 31 as part of her header on her blog.  She blogs about her family and events and such like everyone does, but she has such a talent for decorating and shabby-chic craftiness that I feel totally inspired every time I visit!
lysaterkeurst.com/  == Lysa Terkeurst is my hero for helping me to realize that my weight loss battle isn't just a flesh-and-food kind of battle.  You may remember, she is the author of Made to Crave - a book that has totally transformed my life.  On her site, she does a great job at giving day-to-day encouragement on many different topics even though she goes through many hard times herself.  She is an awesome woman of God!
eachdaygodsway.wordpress.com/ == Leah is a good friend of mine, who I'm ashamed to say I don't see NEAR as often as I want.  But she is SUCH an encouragement on her blog!  Leah's a stay-at-home mom and wife who blogs about whatever truths the Lord reveals to her, and I can tell you from experience she is full of God's grace and love for her fellow Christian sisters.
And, last but definitely not least: sharalonghorne.blogspot.com/ == Let me just say it this way:  I want to be a Shara when I grow up! LOL  Shara is full-blooded, unashamed, almost in-your-face Pentecostal & proud of it.  It's so rare to find a Pentecostal woman who is NOT a kook (or "code 24" as some my my old WHC security friends would have said), but who is confident enough in what she believes that she honestly feels like she'd be doing wrong if she DIDN'T share! But she also blogs about things that real parents in the real world are concerned about.  I love her encouragements and her teachings, and I'm sure you will too!

Hope you enjoy!!  Happy reading!!

Blessed Art

I'm getting into craftwork again! I'd forgotten how much I enjoy it and how therapeutic it can be! ;) This is a gift I made for my bff's birthday, whichbis today. I got the inspiration for it on the way home from church this morning (what? You think I procrastinate!?!?!) and this verse is super special for us because my sweet BFF is pregnant with her first child! Hope you like it! I know she did! I had to "bling" it up a little bit cause she loves her some bling! ;)

It's kinda hard to tell in this pic, but the plaque is not black-- the color is actually "oiled bronze" which goes so well with the burnt paper the verse is printed on. I also used Mod Podge, hot glue, jute twine, sandpaper to distress the wood after painting, a clear acrylic sealer spray and of course a bling-y pearl, lace, and feather rose. :)

NSV's...my own list

So, here's a list of things I'm thankful for  - things that I owe purely to my newfound commitment to fitness!

• went down a pants size
• lost 25+ lbs
• playing with my son is a lot more fun for both of us!
• when I started out a few weeks ago it took more than twenty minutes for me to walk ONE mile.  Now I'm at just under 17 minutes for walking one mile.
• I'm running at an avg speed of 4.5 on the treadmill
• people are noticing that I'm losing weight
• clothes fit much better (didn't realize how freaking tight they were till they started fitting RIGHT!)
• I actually feel worse when I DON'T exercise

And, things I need to work on:

• staying committed to healthy eating ALL day
• exercising in the morning vs. evening - it helps me drink much more water throughout the day!
• my posture (see previous post)
• walking more at work instead of being so chained to my desk ---makes me wish I could afford one of these:

A LifeSpan treadmill desk.  I want one!  But seriously, why did they have to put an old guy on there?  Don't they know that hot, fit working moms want them too?? ;-)

So that's it for the Saturday list.  Now on to my favorite grocery store for healthy food choices for the rest of the week!!

PS - we are working on something REALLY big that's got my creative juices flowing!!  So be ready for an AWESOME DIY/shabby chic kinda post coming up soon!!

Modified Couch-to-5K (& one more treat!)

This week has been a CRAZY week!  Started the week with Mother's Day, which was emotional in all sorts of ways for me, I wound up getting sick Monday, and the rest of the week I've pretty much been catching up.  My exercise program has begun to fit into a nice routine, and the couple of days I missed the exercise, I REALLY missed it! ;-)

I've been walking on the treadmill since I saw my doctor last Friday.  He believes that my headaches after exercising are caused by some muscular issues - mainly poor posture, but also enlarged trapezoid muscles in my shoulders.  The poor posture is mostly my fault, but if you've seen my maternal grandmother's family, it may very well be a bit genetic too.  So I've been VERY careful to keep better posture this week (including my neck) and it's seemed to help.

The enlarged trapezoid muscles are due mainly to my size - hopefully as I watch my posture and become more fit that will be corrected. ;-)

The trapezoid muscles can be enlarged in obese men & women, resulting in muscle strain during seemingly "normal" activities.

Given my history of having headaches after exercising, I decided that I would just walk on the treadmill for a while instead of doing the more intense boot-camp type workouts.  So, Saturday night, I got on my -determined to just keep moving - after all some movement is better than none, right?

Well it is INCREDIBLY boring to be working out for a stinkin' hour doing nothing but walking!!  So, I decided in the midst of my walk that I'd still do my couch-to-5K program --- I would just modify it!  So here's my Couch-to-5K modified program:

Week One: 3 miles (or one hour), running as fast as possible while retaining good form for 1:00 every 15minutes.
Week Two: run every 10 minutes for 1minute
Week three: run every 10 minutes for 1m30s
Week four: run every 10 minutes for 2 minutes.

I'm not sure how I will do on this "program".  My main concern is that I maintain good form while running so that I don't wind up hurting myself.  I will push myself to do more, but I will not push myself to the point of injury!

So, It's after midnight! I will update some non-scale victories in the next day or two...stay tuned!!

BTW - here is my boy and his very first science fair project!!

Bugg and Body update :-)

So I went to the doctor Friday for the first time since I had my meltdown at the end of February and started on this new journey of fitness, and found out that since February 22, I have lost exactly 25 lbs and my BMI has dropped by 5 points! :-)  I think it could have been more, but the last few weeks I've not been as active as I'd have like (due to migraines and travel), but i will take 25 lbs anytime!

My bodybugg usage has gotten better.  Basically, I just had to accept that there were certain things that I'd have to do to make sure my bodybugg and iPhone were useful - namely, reconnecting anytime I wanted an accurate read-out.  I suppose this is to be expected for most techies out there, but this instant-gratification girl had to learn that the hard way.

I absolutely LOVE that I have a pretty accurate of my calorie burn.  For example, yesterday, after walking/running 3 miles on the treadmill, I burned nearly 500 calories MORE than my goal AND walked over 1,000 steps over my step goal, too!  Love that part.  Here's a screen pic of my bodybugg dashboard for iPhone:

I'm still using sparkpeople.com to track my food/calorie intake, though.  Mainly because Bodybugg's food tracker leaves quite a bit to be desired.  So on bodybuggs' dashboard, I should be able to see my calorie deficit (my calorie burn minus my calorie intake - you always want a deficit to loose weight), but I don't because I use sparkpeople.com to track my food.  Then I just try to make sure my calorie burn is MORE than my calorie intake by just checking between to the two apps.  Who knows, maybe they'll improve the app for food tracking, but for right now it kinda sucks. :-/

In other news - Happy Mother's Day!!  Hope all the mothers/grandmothers/godmothers out there have a beautiful day!

Here's a little bit of inspiration for you before I sign out: