Dancing On Eggshells

Day 2 recap, and a little breakthrough!

2011-03-16T08:37:00.000-07:00

Going in to day 2 of Herbalife I was a little apprehensive (my bad), but I slept horribly the night before and knew that coffee was going to be on my radar all morning.
B and I met up in the morning and made our first shake...

vanilla with peanut butter and granola

...did our tea shot and took the vitamins...

herbal tea concentrate, multivitamin, cell activator, and cell-u-loss

...and within a half hour I hit a wall.
I wasn't expecting that.
I was so tired I had to lay down at work and take a 15 minute power nap. Frustrated, I talked to my "coach" and let him know I really needed coffee. He encouraged me to keep pushing through it and drink more water...so I did...and by the afternoon I had a lot more energy.

I counted how much protein I had throughout the day, and counted calories as well...I focused more on protein. 100 grams of protein is my goal each each day, on day 2 I hit 113! So I skipped my last snack and let myself have a small chocolate treat. :)

My meals broke down like this:

Breakfast: vanilla healthy meal shake with 1/4 c low sugar granola and 1 tbsp of peanut butter

Snack: hard boiled egg, roma tomato, and 1/2 c cottage cheese (I was HUNGRY)

Lunch: vanilla healthy meal shake with 1/4 c oats, 1 peach, and 1/2 a banana

Snack: string cheese and 1 hard boiled egg, handfull of edamame

Dinner: 1/2 c rice, 1 large chicken breast seasoned with sea salt, 1/2 an avocado sliced on top with salsa

Treat: 1 piece of chocolate

I increased my water intake, and started adding lemon juice to it to make it a LITTLE easier to drink so much throughout the day. :)

All in all, day 2 was a little harder...but very worth it.

Today marks day 3, after today I will take my measurements and weigh again, but this morning I took a sneak peak and discovered I have lost 3 1/2 pounds!

May not sound like a lot, but I did that without even looking at a gym...each step counts!...tonight I'm going to do 30 min of yoga and a run around my neighborhood SINCE IT'S FINALLY WARMING UP!!!

I'm way excited to weigh and measure tomorrow and see how the rest of the week goes! I'll post my day 3 meals tonight :)

PS...anyone who watches Glee...HALLELUJAH KURT AND BLAINE!!! The moment I've been holding my breath for since yummy Blaine first batted his eyes :)

Day 1!

2011-03-14T16:53:00.000-07:00

Today is the day!
I let myself have chips last night as a treat before cutting them out of my life for the next month (and possibly beyond!)...and woke up this morning ready to take on this challenge!

This morning consisted of weighing myself (which put me in tears after realizing I had gained back all the weight I had worked so hard to lose 2 years ago), taking my measurements (even my wrists and ankles??? pretty sure those guys aren't going anywhere), and recording everything so my wellness coach could use it to give me my plan of action.

I made it small on purpose! Can't read these numbers!

Unfortunately I also had to take a "before" picture. Despite any embarrassment this may cause me, I'm going to post it to motivate myself and hopefully show really positive results. Hopefully it will also show that this isn't just something I'm doing for fun, I'm doing it to become more healthy since all my weight falls in areas that can have a major impact on heart health, and feel better about myself...given the stress I've been facing the last several months it's about damn time I did something to bring about a positive self image. Negative comments can be kept quiet please and thank you :)

Ignore scary morning face, and messy laundry area ;)

I also got to start making my shakes and taking the vitamins and supplements...
When picking out what 2 flavors of shakes I'll take, I wanted to make sure they would combine well with a variety of flavors...a month of all the same shit will make me go nuts.
I went with chocolate and vanilla...both go well with fruits, grains, nuts, and peanut butter :)
In addition to shakes and vitamins, there is an herbal tea concentrate that I'll take 3 times a day. I'm not thrilled with how it tastes, but B and I discovered if we take it like a shot it's pretty tolerable ;)

So this morning, my breakfast consisted of the following:

along with a multivitamin, cellular therepy, and cell-u-loss.
Doesn't really look like much but I used a little more soy milk than it called for and was surprisingly full afterwards.
Lunch was similar.
Dinner was on my own.
Snacks in between.

My meals broke down like this:
Breakfast: chocolate healthy meal shake with 8oz soy milk and 1/2 cup raspberries
Snack: 1 string cheese and 1/4 cup raw almonds
Lunch: vanilla healthy meal shake with 1/3 cup oats, half a banana, and 1/4 raspberries
Snack: 1 string cheese and a hard boiled egg
Dinner: 2 whole wheat pita halves, both with 2 tbsp lowfat skim mozzarella and 1 tbsp fat free italian dresseing...1 with half an avocado and 1 with 1/3 cup fresh mushrooms
Snack: edamame
**Each meal was paired with vitamins and herbal tea concentrate.

I wasn't very good at tracking how many ounces of water I drank, but it was 4 water bottles (the nalgene kind) full. (I swear to god I peed every 5 minutes...driving me crazy, but I'll adjust.)

All in all, I'd say today was a success, and all I can do is take this day by day!

**EDIT**
About an hour after posting, I started feeling pretty achey and nauseous...I texted my wellness coach to see if this is a normal thing and I was assured it's normal and a sign that the body has started detoxing...yay?

Herbalife

2011-03-13T13:56:00.000-07:00

So I'm making a commitment to myself and to taking the steps towards a healthy life.

I have been bad to myself for a while now...unhealthy foods, very very little exercise, and it's not right. I have to forfeit the right to complain that my clothes don't fit, and about always being tired.

A coworker of mine started using Herbalife products about a month ago and loved the results so much that he is now a wellness coach and has been spending time talking about it with me and B. Yesterday he had a shake party at his house and B and I went to scope it out and see if it was worth giving a shot.

I start my first month tomorrow! I'm so excited!
For the next little bit I'll be blogging about my experience with Herbalife and tracking my results...I could be setting myself up for embarrassment but it's worth a shot right??

Wish me luck!!

....

2011-03-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

And this is how my horoscope for today starts out ...

"You may be a bit aggravated today, Leo."

Ya think? Whoever says horoscopes aren't legit needs to re-evaluate.

It's an Addiction

2011-03-10T07:37:00.000-08:00

"I don't even want to see the damage you're going to do right now" says my husband as we walk to my favorite clothing store :)

**I will add that beforehand we stopped at the jewelry store where hubs gets all my jewelry to have my engagement ring and wedding band cleaned...I always have massive anxiety doing this thinking that if I leave them there to soak and be cleaned really well that they will forget who I am and not give me my rings back...I survived, but not without almost chewing a fingernail off while waiting...**

He then makes the smart decision to go on his merry way and leave me to my happy moment.
I have really wanted to update my spring wardrobe and while I have many of the basics, I needed a few fun things...
In addition to a pair of studded flats, 3 patterned dresses, new lighter wash skinnies, a white cardigan, 2 light fitting crop cardigans, and a light green peasanty top...I wanted a new watch and belt....

...then threw in a necklace for good measure :)
Lots of money spent...happy wife, happy life.

As another sidenote...scented nailpolish, while good in theory, will only give you a buzz when you aren't asking for one...

I finally got around to watching Tuesday's episode of Glee :) "Sexy"
I'm not sure when sex and drinking became Glee worthy subjects, but ever since the Michael Jackson/Yeah Yeah Yeahs mashup I really don't feel arguing their decision-making abilities is appropriate...clearly, they're geniuses.

Things currently making my life happy are:
1) GLEE

2) Making birthday cards as awesome as this one

3) Bellas fashion sense

4) girl scout cookies

5) Being GREEN and starting a carpool with coworkers!

Happy Thursday! <3

Wellll helloooooo there

2011-03-09T08:14:00.000-08:00

SOOOOOOOOOOOO it's been a while huh??

The last month has absolutely flown by in a mix of happiness, hilarity, and complete sadness.

I don't really know where to begin.

Let's start with how cute Bella is so I can keep the mood happy :)
I gave my little sugar a tutu (amongst a million other cute tiny human clothes) for Christmas and today her mom send me this picture...

Clearly, she's destined for fashion greatness. HOW CUTE IS SHE!!!! I can't even handle it. The poor baby has RSV now and is on a breathing treatment, and of course she looks cute doing that too. :)

My uterus basically talks to me in my sleep and tells me how much it needs a baby in it....

The mix of happiness and sadness comes in with my trip home to Illinois to see my family.
Who doesn't love seeing the people they love most in the world?? My family is a freakshow. Never met a funnier bunch of people in my life, and I'd give anything to see them more often than I do. The 8 days I got to spend with them included getting to celebrate Bella's 2nd birthday with her, getting to see my dad's girls' basketball team win their state qualifying game (obviously they won the championship), and have many a glass of wine with my mom.
I do feel the need to toot my own horn when it comes to packing for said trip. Mind you, I own more clothes than any 20-something should and my shoes have taken over a large portion of the closet I recently had to kick my husband out of...
However, I managed to turn this...

...to this...

...in a matter of an hour :)
***pats back***
(I'll choose not to include the cuss words this included OR the fact that I had to lay my body on top of the suitcase just to zip it...)

This trip also forced me to learn how to A) take the train in Chicago, B) not kill Brandon after he gave me shitty instructions, C) carry a broken suitcase, D) make camping boots look REALLY good, and E) sleep even harder on a plane/train than I do in my bed.

Leaving Illinois was incredibly difficult, not just saying goodbye but knowing that I was coming home to an impending separation as well as getting back into work mode after 8 days off.
My dad drove me to the airport and took me out to dinner (and a little gambling at the casino) before walking me to airport security. I was then THAT person sobbing as security scanned my bags, sobbing as I waited for my plane to board, and sobbing as it took off. I cried so much the ticket lady (Lisa) felt sorry for me and upgraded my seat (hell to the yea!) and the guy sitting next to me on the plane offered to keep buying me drinks...I took the upgraded seat, but not the drinks...**pats on back again**

Now I'm "home" in Utah, dealing with life, and making damn sure that I make myself a priority from now on.

I'm sure I'll get the urge to post more later today...

MJ + Glee = happiness in my loins

2011-02-10T08:59:00.000-08:00

Oh happy dayyyy!!!!!!!! Last week, Glee came back to my life. After the cast dealt with a laryngitis EPIDEMIC, they took a brief hiatus...~~crushing my soul and leaving me in a deep dark pit of doom and despair~~ bummer. The first episode back they paid tribute to my lover, Michael Jackson. Sure he's a creepy little baby toucher but I find him oddly sexual and the music speaks for itself. In THIS episode, the rivalry between footballers and Glee club hits an alltime high, while the Cheerios are up for a record 7th national title. Coach Beast makes the glorious decision that her footballers should join the Glee club :) and Sue schedules the Cheerios competition the SAME DAY as the "big game" leaving them without a halftime show...bitch. AND the footballers decide they hate Glee (duh) and they quit, and get kicked off the team. **Spoiler alert!** The Glee ladies join the football team, the Cheerios ladies quit the squad, and the footballers agree to join the halftime show...it all ignited in an MJ, Glee, "Heads Will Roll" explosion that left ~~happiness in my loins~~ a real big smile on my face. :) Here's another picture for your viewing pleasure.

My life = joyous.

On an even happier note...ole nug was put to rest last night and the helpful souls at Best Buy helped me pick out a nice replacement.
World, meet my new lil nug...name to be determined.

Ain't she purdy :)
So, the trials and tribulations of dealing with ole nug really were worth it...and it's the best proof I can find that buying the extended warranties on electronics IS the best idea. My extended warranty paid for itself 4 times over on the Toshiba. Since they junked it out, I got this one for only the price of a warranty! Hell to the yeah!

Today = happy day.

My favorite things...

2011-02-09T15:26:00.000-08:00

Oprah does it...so can I.

First and foremost...

This is my child. iPhone meet world, world meet iPhone. It may sound pathetic, but I do not know how I survived life without my lil nug. Has it saved my life? Nope. Can it change a flat tire? Nope. Can it cook me a delicious feast? Nope. BUT...I have WebMD to diagnose ailments (I usually think I have cancer and end up in a self-induced panic attack...whatev), I have Google to look up directions on HOW to change a tire (so I can read them to my husband and "assist" him), AND my Betty Crocker app puts plenty of meal ideas at my finger tips. Not to mention FaceTime, Angry Birds (which has consumed my every waking moment), KAYAK, and FaceBook... iPhone = l.o.v.e.

Coming in a close second...

Lucille

Now, this is a tricky one...it ties in 2 things that I love dearly. Owls. and tattoos.
I love all things owl...especially jewelry! And tattoos...well I have many and have no intention of stopping any time soon ~~(sorry Mom)~~. This lovely lady was brought into my life on my recent trip to my next favorite thing...

Las Vegas!!! Land of ~~drunken nights, strippers, dancing, and totally mayhem~~ wonders!!! I'm sure if I LIVED there it wouldn't be such an adventure, but living close enough to drive there for a weekend makes it awfully enticing. :) I have 2 trips there ~~up my skirt~~ under my belt, and at LEAST one more this year with Megs!! We will be running a half marathon in Vegas in December and then unleashing our awesome selves on the Strip for a recreation of the 2-1-3!!

Next up...LEGGINGS!

I wear these little goodies EVERYDAY...if I don't pair them with a dress and sweater for work, I wear them with tshirts on the weekends. Love love love them...can't live without them...well I would be able to LIVE without them, but I wouldn't be happy about it. The best leggings I have found came from Express. They have a snug fitting wide waistband (flattens the stomach a smidge) and they do NOT ride up. Cheaper leggings tend to stretch as the day goes on and need to be tugged down below the knee. Express leggings stay put all day and are SUPER comfortable.

Lastly...toasters.
No, not for bread, but toasters on wheels.

World...meet Stella. :)

She's my denim dreamboat! She's the first car I've bought 100% MYSELF...and not only does that give me such a huge feeling of pride, but it makes me love her even more.
This is exactly what Stella looks like, stripes and all (a girl needs accessories). Nerdy? Sure...but she stands out in a crowd!

Sorry, I don't have giveaways like Oprah...

The Laptop from HELL

2011-02-09T07:57:00.000-08:00

And here is the culprit...

This little nugget of technological SHIT has been the bane of my existence for the last 2 years...

Before the laptop, I had a Dell desktop that was lovingly referred to as The Beast. Beast took much abuse over my college career and lasted another year after...sure, she was slow and obviously took a few beatings...but she was Beast.
Once hubs (at that time just my "friend" and possibly more) and I started talking a little more seriously, he deployed (of course) so it seemed like the appropriate time to put Beast to rest and invest in something shiny and new.
After much investigation, and several trips to Best Buy with my dad ~~around my finger~~ on my arm, I settled on the little beauty above. It worked GREAT for about a year, then...as soon as I moved to ~~this cursed state~~ Utah it took a crap. I have been through 3 harddrives in a year, 1 cd drive, and a keyboard.
It's currently at the computer doctor and I'm awaiting news on it's health...hopefully I will just be getting a new one now that this one is technically considered a "lemon"...i.e. a giant piece of technological SHIT.

In OTHER news... I'M GOING HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOME in less than a week!!! I bought my return flight today, talked with my dad about final plans, and in less than 1 week, HELLO ILLINOIS. Hello frigid cold, way too much snow, nothing but BORING as far as the eye can see...and these lovely faces...

Brudder, future sister, the one who bore me from her loins, big poppa, other brudder.

Ivy Jean :)

Definitely worth long layovers and freezing temps...I'd travel to the end of the world for them. :)

Happy Hump Day!

My 2 Cents Monday

2011-02-07T17:37:00.000-08:00

Wellllllll I suppose this entire blog is really "my 2 cents" but I am feeling opinionated today so from here on out I am picking Monday's to be my overly opinionated day.

Hokay.

M's birthday is TODAY!!! Happy 26th Birthday to my beautiful friend!!
In celebration of her day, we made Saturday night our girls night out and did dinner and a movie. Yummy Italian cuisine and No Strings Attached.

HIL-AR-I-OUS! Many a one-liner I plan on adding to my already witty repertoire (yesssss I Meriam Webstered...yes I spelled it right). My girl crush cup overfloweth with Natalie Portman yumminess....even her adorable preggo self is still smokin!
I mean seriously, check her out...

Hot mama!

Since today is the day I've deemed as the day I can say whatever the hell I want...here's an ode to men.

Oh yes, I am married. And oh yes, I caught hubster in a liar liar pants on fire moment this weekend. What's THE POINT in lying???????????? Women are savvy, we find things out whether you think we will or not. It's like a gift God gave us as his apology for our monthly friend.
Children lie for many reasons...I remember being a child and lying about who broke what toy and who left the pudding pack on the carpet that of course spilled the second we walked away...it was usually a sibling that took the blame. When I was 7, I threw a temper tantrum and broke my bedroom window...my father watched the whole thing (unbeknownst to me). I remember trying to explain to him a whirlwind story about things falling off shelves and hitting the window and me not being able to stop it from happening...and it only ended in me getting sent to bed early for, like, a friggin month. What was the point???? The fact of the matter is, I was 7...probably should have known better, yet still a child.
But adults are supposed to take the high road. Adults are supposed to have grown out of the child phase and learn/remember the lessons taught to us as children. "Children want to be grown up"...yep...but do adults wants to be children? No. Then why act like it?

I'm ready to go back to Vegas...anyone in?

My first award!

2011-02-04T08:47:00.000-08:00

Not too long ago, a certain college "friend" got married...and, Megs and I ~~being the stalkers we are~~ are really good at loving people from a distance. Megs has been bugging me (in a really nice, loving, and sweet friendly way OBV) to send her pictures. Our first attempt at picture viewing failed since accessing someone else's FaceBook is about as easy as walking through the doors of the Pentagon naked with bombs covering the important parts. So yesterday, Megs resorted to ~~bribery~~ offering me something in return for the pictures...a "surprise"...I like surprises :)
I carefully selected my "favorite" pictures, click click boom...where's my surprise biotch????

To reward my efforts I received the following...
An email that reads as follows... "umm she looks old. She doesn't look like she lost that much weight. She looks orange. I hate the flowers. That is all" {Have I mentioned how much I adore this girl??}

And this!

My first blog award!!!!
What a good surprise!

Ok, so here are the rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave the award

2. Post 7 facts about yourself

3. Award 15 bloggers

1. THANK YOU Megs!! You inspired me to blog, and you are my motivation to get in shape and rip shit up in Vegas in 10 short months!! We have such a wonderful friendship that has been tested many times and still survived...everytime I listen to NSYNC or use highlighters I think of you, as well as when I get "migraines", think about "coitus", run into something, or get hit with a blast of cold water! The #2 button on elevators also brings back fond memories. :) LOVE YOU!

Now for some facts about lil ole me...
1. I LOVE birds, and tattoos....so much that I now have 3 bird tattoos!
2. I'm a godmother to the sweetest little sugar in the world :) She sings me songs, licks playdoh, and says "peace out"...what's not to love?!
3. I drive a toaster.
4. I am a military wife :) and when military wives say "for better or worse", boy do we mean it.
5. I cuss like a sailor, and can drink like a fish, but being in love and having a wonderful home and family of my own mean everything in the world to me....just call me the tipsy housewife
6. Moving across the country was THE single hardest thing I've done in my life, but surviving it meant I found some of the most beautiful friendships I've ever had.
7. Applesauce, string cheese, and wine make up 75% of my diet.

Now to award bloggers....since I'm so new to this...I am not sure I even know 15 bloggers...so I'm going to get back to you on this one.

Happy Friday!

Have I mentioned...

2011-02-01T15:02:00.000-08:00

...that I love living in the mountains? :)

While my entire family is facing over 20 inches of snow, this is the view from my window at work.

Jealous, family? :)

Communication Styles?

2011-01-31T16:28:00.000-08:00

Silly me, I thought earning a Bachelors Degree in Communication and Public Speaking would have an easier time "communicating" with people.

Today, I proved to myself TWICE that I should have paid more attention in college...

One, studying communication styles with my husband to learn how to get our points across better.
Two, lashing out at my entire work team via email. Woops. I believe my boss started a team meeting (that I chose not to attend) by asking "Who likes it when Amanda is mad?" No one liked it. Shocking.

Someone's Turning 2 :)

2011-01-28T07:13:00.000-08:00

In just a few weeks, this little sugar pie is turning 2 and I get to be there to ~~spoil spoil spoil~~ watch her open presents and give her lots of squeezes!

Being her godmother is awesome, but I have missed SO MUCH living this far away...but no more! I am determined to be there for everything important FROM NOW ON!

<3

“Make sure you have a different opinion and people will talk about you”

2011-01-27T08:39:00.000-08:00

Anyone who knows my personality, knows quite well that I've never bothered to explain, or apologize for, anything I like, believe, or feel.
It's the Leo in me.

What's my point?

Here's a text message I got from a friend...
"Well I'm not really feeling that new tattoo."
....
I ask why
....
"They look trashy and you're better than that."

Wellll friendo...I didn't ask. Nor do I care.

Again, what's my point?

We spend entirely too much time in life dwelling on what people think of us. It makes conversation boring, and life completely uneventful.
"We have no right to express an opinion until we know all of the answers". My friend has no idea what my tattoos represent, he just sees what he wants to see....trash. I see beauty, and truth, and details of my life that are treasured moments and memories. "You're stuck with those for life." I WANT to be stuck with them for life. "They'll be hard to remove once you come to your senses." I DON'T WANT to remove them, and coming to my senses has already happened...that's why they are there. I guess my question to my friend should have been, "Why do you care?"

Why care enough about something (that has NOTHING to do with you) enough to go out of your way to TRY to make someone feel bad about something that means a great deal to them?

Another good friend posed the thought "there is only one person that has all the answers".....
... clearly that person is Tupac. :)

Oh Vegas...you are my playground

2011-01-26T10:32:00.000-08:00

Sin City has a name for a reason :)

One of the best perks of living where I do is the closeness to things that are inherently better than where we are. Sure, Utah is pretty, but at the risk of sounding like a jerk...I'm reminded daily that it is the most overly-religious population on the planet. A girl needs a little ~~debauchery~~ fun sometimes!

M, B, R, and I hit the Strip for 3 glorious days of shopping, dancing, and cocktails.
On the drive down, B mentioned that she's always wanted to get a tattoo but would never want to get one in Utah...it didn't take much to convince me to get another one...and R was also along for the adventure. As soon as we mustered up the courage (in the form of vodka cocktails) and dolled up, M jumped on her handy dandy iPhone, hailed a cab, and off we went to Ironhorse Tattoos.
End result?

We love!
I have a hard time giving the go ahead to small tattoos, so I went with a slightly larger than planned owl :)

The rest of the weekend is a dizzying circus of total girlie-fied bliss, with some events leaving only pictures as proof :)

B, M, R, and myself on the strip

B and I gettin slizzard

B and I again

Second day, still riding the high :)

Hef can't handle this mess

Three days later, we are still busting a gut over the ridiculousness, and bandaging the blisters from dancing in stilletos on stages...all while celebrating the fact that we ~~destroyed~~ decorated our hotel room with glitter from unknown places, drank our weight in vodka shots, and came out of this trip an even tighter group of girlfriends than we imagined!

The First Few Steps

2011-01-26T09:46:00.000-08:00

What is life without friends...more specifically, what is life without girlfriends?
I, for one, would have ~~shot to kill~~ lost my mind a long time ago if it weren't for mine. :)

My college ladies...

(with many missing....)

And now...my Utah ladies :)

I think my husband should probably thank these girls the most...they're probably the only reason I haven't ~~heaved him overboard~~ lost my cool yet :)

The Utah girls and I took a trip to sunny Las Vegas recently. Hands down, best girl time I've had in quite some time. I think it's safe to say I'm out of "newlywedded bliss" and settled into a somewhat regular "routine" with hubby hubs. Seeing that ~~the good ole USAF~~ life has kept us somewhat isolated as far as family is concerned, it's pretty amazing to know that even after having the same core group of friends for years, I am able to make and maintain new friendships that add such awesome things to my life!

So I'm raising my glass to the friends that have saved me from myself, made me see the sunnier side of life, and have made me laugh until I couldn't breathe. :)
CHEERS!