Tuesday Morning

Can you believe I worked out on a non-workout day? What is happening to me? It's a lovely morning here and my husband is off work again so we went for a bike ride. Oh, and yes my legs feel the simple running I did yesterday...sad but true. The only reason I wanted to blog right now was to show off my baby seat on my bike. I ride what my kids and my husband call an "old lady bike" but I have the coolest baby seat. I am attempting to post a picture with this posting...lets see.

Well it's there, but it's above my text...any suggestions? Anyway, there's Sophia in her awesome bike seat. She can hold the handle bars and look ahead. She doesn't have to view my butt the whole ride, she can see all that I get to see...she points at the birds, cars and trucks, she's constantly saying "wow" or "oh wow"....I love this seat. I think I could have sold at least 10 of these so far, if you want to know more about it or maybe get one for yourself click here.

My in-laws are coming tonight, they are on a month long car trip...so not sure if I'll post again tonight....(assuming I have readers who care! lol)

Suzanne

Monday

I am not sure how some women blog everyday. I suppose it shows that they are even more incredible than I already thought. I'm thinking I will be a Monday through Friday blogger? I was so incredibly busy this weekend, I barely had any internet time. Let me list a couple things that I accomplished.
1. Refinished a coffee table
2. Made throw pillows for the sunroom couch
3. Painted my bedroom (3 coats) , a yummy yellowish brown (pumpkin butter)
4. rearranged furniture
5. refinished some decorations for our room
5. attended swimming practice, booster meeting and two baseball games
Plus all the normal mommy routines and errands.

I was inspired to change my master bedroom because of Nester. Her blog was my inspiration last week to begin. It came out so incredibly beautiful. I took her advice and didn't put any kid pictures in there, it's romantic and "grown up".

I also tried to win a design consultation by my favortie blogger, Layla, for my 1970's living room, complete with a sparkling popcorn glitter ceiling and gold streaked linolium, oh and you can't forget the track lights. Erin at Rare and Beautiful Treasures was giving one away....I didn't win the consult, but I did add a few more blogs to my list of favorites. :)


I am still keeping up with the couch to 5K program...officially into week 2. Yea me! Now it actually involves running (imagine). My hubby was home from work today since he worked all weekend, so he asked if he could come with. It's been 15 years since the last time we worked out together...I wasn't sure it would go well. We took off with the baby in the stroller, I kept smiling because I was a tad embarrassed, not really sure I could even do the running that was required in this workout. The first 8 minutes were quiet but fast. I know he was trying to motivate, inspire, and push me. When it came time for the running, I went into it with all my heart...I wanted to show him I could, to make him proud? Yeah, I burned out fast and yelled at him (his watch must be wrong).....we walked another 9 minutes (pretty much in silence) knowing that another run was coming ...my ribs hurt, my legs were jello...but I wasn't quiting...not in front of him of course. Then came some more walking...one more run to do...I counted in my head, my ribs hurt, my legs hurt, my cheeks were on fire.... I knew when time was up, he kept me running...4 extra seconds! He's trying to kill me! :) All in all the workout consisted of three runs within a 3o minute timeframe. Will I really be able to run the whole thing in 3 months and 3 weeks?? Seems a little unachievable...but I know it isn't. I know this can be done. Since starting this program I am feeling healthier, sportier and now today I feel a little like a runner...not during ....but after! :) I'll continue. If anyone reads this, I'm wondering if anyone else has gone from being a non runner to a runner??? Or a hopeful runner? I'm only into week two, if anyone wants to start the program we can talk eachother through it.

Actual Comments

Wow! I'm so happy that there are actual people reading my posts!! I really got excited to see comments. Thank you very much for the kind words and the encouragement. I really appreciate it and I'm looking forward to visiting your blogworld.
Today was an "off" day on the working out, but I accomplished so much. I haven't mentioned that we bought a 70's fixer upper. We know we're stationed here for at least 3 years, so we (like everyone else) are hoping the economy picks up by the time we have to sell.
Anyway, I reupholstered a chair, cleaned out a closet that was really cluttered, sorted through files, shredded papers and got my master bedroom ready to paint tomorrow. I feel the need to add that my 14 month old is very active and for every step forward I take on a project I have to take two back to clean up after her...oh, and my 11 year old was home with a fever of 102 today...My 98 year old Memere is also in the hospital, so giving all that I am sooooo thrilled with everything I got done.
Now here's what I'm thinking. I have followed a few blogs for awhile now. I don't know how to do the link thing yet, but "Layla at the Lettered Cottage" and "Nester" and "Just a Girl" have silently been motivating me for weeks. They are beautiful, full of life and have fabulous taste. I am always amazed at how they get so much done in a day and how they always have something to say or something they did that makes me say "wait, I can do that too"...my thought is that they get things done because they have to tell their readers what they did. They know that there are people out there waiting for inspiration from them. I wonder if their postings are always on their mind. So... was today such an accomplished day because I feel great from working out and eating right, or because I wanted positive things to be able to blog about? Maybe I'll learn how to post pictures and show before and afters of the chair...or the closet....hey, maybe of me in 4 months??? Maybe my postings are boring to most. I'm so new to this. I know that when I read "my favorite" blogs I am usually entertained...not sure I'm ever going to be that good, but I enjoy that in one day of blogging I already have two really nice ladies that posted and encouraged me. Maybe that's what's missing for me...in everything I have, everything I do...this last move has not provided "girlfriends" yet...Maybe I need more Laylas, Nesters and Just a Girls....

PS...I just figured out the link thing...so accomplished ;) PLEASE let me know if I do something that doesn't follow proper blogging "Etiquette"...thank you.

Motivated

Ok...so I began this blog hoping to motivate myself (sounds bad when it's typed). After I finished my first post, I made sure I got my workout done for today. See, my thinking was right, if I say I am going to do something I feel compelled to do it. So this was the second workout and this time it was a 30 minute brisk walk. This time I went alone, I walked fast and didn't have to push the stroller. Right now, hours later, I can feel my walk. REALLY? Day three of the plan, only two workouts and I FEEL it??? Will I really be a runner in 4 months? The good thing about walking though is you have your thoughts. Usually I am talking to my daughter who sits in the stroller and yells at all the "birdies" and points alot, occasionally dropping her "juice" and having me stop to get it. Today I got to actually think. Imagine?? I heard the trees moving in the breeze. It was really the first time in forever that I was alone with just my thoughts. There wasn't laundry, pets, chores, dinner....it was just me and 30 minutes of nothing else. I only hope I can walk tomorrow....it's an "off day" but I still need to be able to walk....:)

My first blog post ever!

My whole goal for this blog is to motivate myself. Even if no one, not one person, reads this I am certain it will motivate me. I will always think 'what if' someone is reading it. I can't type.."I did nothing to improve myself today"...I will always want to type something positive and really mean it.
Recently I started the couch to 5K program. My goal is to run a 5K by June...of this year...run the whole thing. I have NEVER been a runner. I was that girl in gym class who walked the track while others ran. Was I alone? No...but I was embarrassed to run, acting like I was too cool to run. I am still that girl in gym class. I am raising very active and athletic children. My son is a 13 year old pitcher sought after by many coaches. My 11 year old daughter is a terrific swimmer and very competitive at meets. My one year old has yet to choose her sport, although she's very active. My husband is a Marine, always training for the next triathlon or half marathon. He is the one who inspired me to try this thing called running. He said the feeling you get when you cross the finish line can't be compared to anything. He wants me to feel that.
Ok..day one of the 'couch to 5K'...Simple. Walk 25 minutes briskly. Umm, that sounds so simple and yet it showed me so much. I am grossly out of shape. I am not a lazy person, I am very active, but walking what turned out to be a little over 2 miles briskly while pushing a one year old in a jogging stroller...wasn't simple. My thoughts turned to how easy it would be to just never admit I started the program, never tell a sole I quit the first day. Darn it, I already told my husband and kids...can't back out now, there are no quitters in this family.....