2 is better than 1

might as well start-off with a confession - i had TWO donuts today... why? because they were there... i know things even-out in the long run and i've been to the gym twice this week (and will be going today), but still - i am struggling with eating enough of the good stuff... we've been doing green monsters in the morning, but i was feeling crappy, hot, and big last night so eric goes, "lets grab a gyro" on the way home... i didn't argue - the last thing i wanted to do was make dinner... then all i wanted to do was lay on the couch (even though i have a good excuse)... i hate complaining/whining/bitching, but some days are just - hard... :(

i've started contacting in-home daycares and that hasn't been going too well (shocking)... most places are full (MD has a law where you can only have 2 infants in your home under the age of 2) and/or tell me to call back in oct/nov to see if they have an opening... that just makes me uncomfortable... 1 woman wasn't sure if she could wait until january to fill the spot, but seemed very nice so we may go talk to her... and 1 place is literally 3 blocks from our house (in the same neighborhood) so we're going to check-out that place tomorrow night... that would be the most ideal situation because if eric had to go into work early - i could drop-off the baby, come home, and still walk to the metro to get to work... we'll see what happens - i still have about 8 people that i haven't heard from and who knows if i will if they don't have an opening... :(

lets see, what else has been going on... eric and i finally went to see 'inception' on saturday - it was really, really good and we both agreed that we need to see it again... so much going on, but also so very interesting... highly recommend it...

eric also made progress on his office in the basement and moved his desk/computer down there on sunday... there's still much to remove from the soon-to-be-nursery so i'm hoping we make more progress this week/weekend... i'm going to look at furniture tonight and then will make my decision - i like what i've found online, but just want to make sure i'm buying good quality...

i'm pretty sure that i mentioned having my couch & chair redone - the place that i had THOUGHT was going to do it, told me that he still had a job to finish-up, then would be going on vacation, and then still had some other jobs ahead of mine... i spoke w/him back in june and he never told me this, so i was pretty pissed... luckily though - i kept the info from another place that i had contacted and they was more than willing to take the job AND matched the estimate from the other place... we will be dropping everything off on saturday so bye-bye to our LR furniture... we will still have another couch, but i want to get rid of that and buy and oversized chair & ottoman, along with some tables... i'm tired of not having anything that matches (eric thinks otherwise, but he's a guy and could care less) and we need more storage/shelf space... so this has been my project this week - trying to find a nice sofa table and end tables that match... :)

that's about all the updates i have for now... i have my weekly OB check-up tomorrow and then my sonogram on friday... maybe i'll have a better pic to show you since their equipment is much better than my doctor's...

happy hump day...

tell me that didn't just happen

i had another coffee episode this morning and yes, it involved a white shirt that i had never worn before... i really should make sure my coffee cup lid is on tight before drinking... anyway, i did cry but only for a second and then decided to try and wash out the stain and then dry it with my hairdryer... it's not perfect, but i refused to change my shirt so that's my story... =p

the contractor is moving-along and said he'd be done today - i told eric that made me uncomfortable since he still had to paint, install the sink, light, toilet, shower door, and seal the edges around the tub... eric also had a chat with him about working past 9:00 - that's just not working and maybe if he started before 10:00 - that wouldn't be the case... anyhoo, we'll see how things look tonight but it appears things could be done by this weekend... i'll need one day just to clean and that involves wiping down the walls, the floor, and furniture... =(

kitchen update: i've gotten all but one estimate back and hope to make a decision by the end of this week... we decided that it made more sense to get the countertop done first, then do the floor and paint... have i mentioned my goal is to have this all done by 7/31 - eric's 40th birthday party? yea, call me crazy... =)

went to the gym yesterday and had a good treadmill workout... today will be weights... =)

lunch today will be a salad with romaine from our garden, dried cranberries, granny smith apple, walnuts, gorgonzola cheese, and homemade balsamic vinaigrette... yummy... =)

happy tuesday...

so much for progress

the good: had a great workout - did the elliptical for 45-minutes (intervals) and burned 500 calories... =)

the bad: went to a new fro-yo place where it's self-serve with over 12 flavors, a ton of toppings (frozenyo), and it's sold by weight... and it was VERY yummy... =(

are you kidding?

happy sunday! our plans for making beer-can chicken for dinner were foiled when i took the chicken out of the fridge and realized it was still frozen... ugh, i hate when that happens... it doesn't help that i spent the whole afternoon in the kitchen prepping things for the week and was looking forward to eric handling dinner, but alas - we'll be having it another night instead... i'm still roasting veggies, but will making a salad and bought a baguette while at the store and some goat cheese... just hate when you're REALLY looking forward to something and then it doesn't pan-out... =(

on a more positive note - i DID get my ass to the gym yesterday for spinning... =)

we've also hired the guy that painted our house to redo our bathroom (he actually specializes in tile)... it won't be cheap, unfortunately, since he said it's better to redo all the walls so everything's even - who knows what things look like under the tile... they will start demolition on thursday so i'll make sure and take progress pics... =)

i've also been getting estimates on having my great aunt's couch & chair redone... it's in pretty good shape considering how old it is, but the fabric is outdated and the springs are going... i called another place yesterday and it ends up that the owner knew my dad and remembers us coming in to the shop when i was little... talk about a small world! i do too actually, so we had a nice conversation - i emailed him some pictures so hopefully his price will be cheaper than the first one i got... i know reupholstery is expensive, but damn - buying something new would be cheaper! =(

sounds like we have a lot going on and yes, i agree... i told eric that regardless if we spend money now (before the baby) or after - we're still going to spend money... i think getting some of the bigger stuff done this summer will be great because then it will be less to worry about this winter... and if eric does find a job in pittsburgh in the next year or so - we'll have less to redo before putting the house on the market... i WOULD also like to enjoy the new bathroom and kitchen while i can... =)

well, that's about it for me - hope you're having a great weekend!

decisions

i have one more doctor appointment today and that's it for the week (annual physical)... hopefully my bloodwork results will look good and i'll get another "thumbs-up" for the year, minus the whole being pregnant thing... will have to ask what my weight was, should be interesting if not down right depressing... anyhoo...

i did NOT go to the gym yesterday - my quads are extremely sore from the workout on tuesday, but i will be going after my appointment today... may check and see if the gym has a class later, but a nice walk outside could be in order since it's gorgeous out there... doing well with food and have used 'lose it' every day this week... =)

i've been working on registry lists - more like putting items on there even though I need to go to an actual store and make sure I like what i've chosen (so hard to tell what the actual color is, ya know?)... since amazon.com seems to be much cheaper that target, i am doing both so that way - people will have options... i've also researched cribs, strollers, and pack-n-plays on consumer reports and that helped a lot in my decision... ironically, the crib and dresser that i liked was one of the highest rated so i'm happy with my decision - see below for what i've been looking at recently... =)

are any of you watching this season of next food network star? i forgot to set my DVR on sunday night, but was happy to see they replayed it last night ... aria seems to be kicking-ass so far and she's definitely got great presence on camera... who do you like so far?

happy thursday...

small world

as far as my diet goes, i'm not eating bad things (really)... and yes, we really indulged on vacation - bread, cheese, pate, dessert, soda - so i know some of that 10 pounds is from that... generally, i eat very well during the day - cottage cheese & fruit, salads, apple, etc. - but have been slacking on the exercise... that is being remedied and i'm going to start weighing myself once a week again (which i haven't been) so that will help keep me on track... our garden has been doing well with lettuce and soon the tomatoes and peppers will be coming-in too, and hopefully beans and peas... i'm not a huge sweets person (thank god) so there haven't been containers of ice cream or stashes of chocolate around the house... no strange/bad cravings yet, but maybe that will change - who knows... i appreciate the concern though! =)

this morning i had my monthly blood test and it came out fine... as i was sitting in the room, waiting for the results, in walks my old doctor whom i haven't seen in years... she mysteriously left my primary care's office a few years back and i never knew what happened - she said things were just getting weird/bad there and she decided to find something else... i really do miss her - she was the type that would sit and talk to you, for as long as you needed, and that was nice... my current doctor is good, but it's a man and it's just - well, different... anyway, i hope to see her next month when i go back...

i haven't really started on the nursery yet, but know that has to start sometime this summer... currently, eric uses it for his office and dressing area since there's no room in our bedroom for any more furniture (and the closets are tiny)... he still may have to share the room, but that's okay - it's not like i'm going to be hanging up baby clothes... i have been researching cribs/dressers and while i was on target.com - i found this utterly adorable bed set... it also has curtains, decals, a mobile, and wall art so it may be just what i'm looking for - cute, right? i can stick to a neutral wall and then use the other colors as accents - very exciting! i may order the bedding to see if it looks as good in person as it does online - i may hate it, who knows... =)

went to the gym last night after work (yay me) and did 45-minutes on the treadmill... i even did hills and felt pretty good... today is weights and speaking of, i need to find a new routine before i head down there...

happy tuesday...

TGIT

today is my friday since the office is closed tomorrow (good friday)... my to-do list is growing, starting with a chiropractor appt. at 9:30 and then ending with shopping at IKEA with mom... as for everything in between - i have some errands that need taken care of (returns, dry cleaning, etc.) and would like to get the flowers planted in the front of the house... and even better - the weather is supposed to be gorgeous and in the low 80s... bring it on! =)

speaking of gorgeous - have any of you caught the new show justified on FX? my goodness - that timothy olyphant is quite the cutie-patootie... eric and i are really enjoying the show so far - it's a nice change from the usual cop/drama stuff that's on tv these days (and nothing like law & order)... check it out if you haven't already... =)

work has been busy, but i've made it to the gym 2x this week and plan on going for walk outside today... my walk/jog workout on monday went well and my foot seemed okay - i definitely had to go slow but was happy to complete 40-minutes... if can get my cardio back up to 3-4/week, i would be one, happy camper plus getting back to spinning on saturday is a great addition... =)

so what are your plans for easter weekend? eric and i plan on taking the harley out on saturday, we may venture to solomon's island, which is in southern maryland and on the water... the timing of all this, however, depends on when the directTV guy is done installing our new HD receivers and dish... i'm not sure about your area, but starting today - unless you have an HD receiver, you will no longer receive various channels... it sucks, but a fact of life so i'm hoping we don't lose any channels after the switch and gain some new ones! =)

as for easter - we plan on going to church w/my mom and then she's making dinner for us and prossilby my brother and his g/f... i offered to make a coconut, lime cheesecake (from a recipe she gave me) and am looking foward to just enjoying the day...

well, i hope you all have a wonderful weekend and holiday... enjoy the sun!

ouch

ugh, i am tired and VERY sore (got in two workouts today) but feel pretty good so far... the workouts are challenging, to say the least, but they are nothing i can't handle... it feels good to be doing something new so i feel this is just what i, and my body, needs... i had wanted to do the 6am spin class this morning but with the rain, i opted not too (even though i magically woke up at 6 anyway - grrr!)... i will try one of the spin classes this weekend for sure, probably on saturday before hitting some yard sales with the boy... :)

question: would pilates be considered cardio? i'd like to work in some different things, besides the usual treadmill/eliptical...

work has been very busy again - we launched our new website today so there was (and still is) much to format and fix... there's a whole new process to learn and it makes me miss the simpleness of using FTP - such is life, learning will do the mind some good! :)

weekend plans will be going to the gym, hitting some yard sales, picking strawberries (they're finally in season here though the rain hasn't been kind), and the usual house/yard work... it's been raining for 2 days, but they say it will be clear by saturday - can't complain about that... our garden, if anything, is totally LOVING it though... :)

happy thursday...

30-day challenge

there have been a lot of people doing some sort of new challenge/plan/workout these days - kathleen, anne, sizzle, and hilly are just to name a few... and since i've been struggling with getting back into a decent workout routine myself - i decided to start my own 30-day challenge... this is what i came up with so far:

1. 30-min cardio (min) daily
   
2. do the "belly-off" program 3x/week (more info here)
   
3. take a class at the gym 1x/week (min)
   
4. do better at tracking points (esp. sat/sun)
5. cut-back on sugar
6. lose 5 pounds
7. not feel guilty about putting myself first!
   

the list seems a bit daunting (the hardest ones will be the top 3) but i CAN do it for 30-days and i NEED to do it... i miss having structure and something to work towards, so hopefully this will get my lazy-ass up and moving again... though i won't post right now - i'll also take my measurements and see what progress, if any, is made after 30-days... i'm kind of excited! ;)

anyone else out there doing a challenge or thinking about starting one? if so, please share... :)

happy tuesday...

update: holy shit-skies! that first workout was H-A-R-D! i haven't sweated like that, during a weight-workout, in ages - so i have a good feeling about this... :)

yummy in my tummy

i haven't bought frozen meals in a long time but giant had heathly choice on sale this week (5 for $10) so i picked-up two cafe steamers and thought i would give them a try... i had the beef merlot today for lunch and it was fantabulous - there were huge pieces of beef, potatoes, green beans, and carrots plus a lovely merlot sauce that you poured ontop... and maybe i'm just a bit slow but i noticed they are now including WW points on the packaging (or perhaps i just never paid attention!) and this was only 4 points... i will be having the chicken with roasted red pepper alfredo sauce tomorrow and i can't wait - they're definitely worth a try... :o)

i jogged for about 40-minutes today, it felt good to be back on the treadmill... i've been making a point to get outside at least one day a week and since i had done that on monday, i opted for some tv-time and the trusted treadmill... i'm no soap opera fan but they sure do make the time go by much faster - i wish holden and lily would just stay together and be happy! ;o)

i watched most of american idol last night even though i'm not a fan - i just wanted to see who would perform and who would win... i was quite surprised to see george michael - i remember going to see him in HS and what a show that was... i think concert tshirts were still under $20 back then... i also watched last week's LOST online (in HD to boot!) and it's getting pretty good but that's expected since next week is the season finale... :o(

tonight i plan on taking a bath, reading some of my fitness magazine, and then watching a show i taped-off PBS last night about depression... it's always good to learn more about something that has affected my family (my dad and myself) so i'm hoping it's good...

oh and one more thing - i forgot to mention that i bought myself a new monitor for home... check out my new 22" wide-screen LCD - talk about awesome! it's so nice to have a bigger screen, like i have at work, because i can see more of what i'm doing (and the colors are much brighter too)... eric had to be a copycat and buy one for himself since they were a great deal online ($245 w/shipping at compusa.com)... so thank-you federal government! :o)

happy thursday...

TGIF

i'm so glad it's friday esp. since i don't have any major plans this weekend (always a good thing) and i will need lots of R&R before next week... there's already been talk of redoing the website after the conference is over, so i have that to look forward too, as well as work to do while the conference is in progress... hey, at least i get to enjoy the exhibitor reception on thursday (free booze), the reception before dinner (more free booze), and the dinner itself (even more free booze and the beach boys)... can't complain, can't complain... ;o)

went for a nice jog/walk today down by the reflecting pool - several ducks were out w/their little ducklings, all in a row, i just love seeing that... some weren't any bigger than my hand (i had to inspect up-close) and looked rather fluffy for being so small... it was pretty hot out there so i'm guessing it's in the mid-80s, again - can't complain... :o)

weekend plans as of now are to mulch eric's flowerbeds and that's about it... i know he wants to go see 'iron man' but i think it will be too nuts at the theaters (better to wait a week or two)... he also has to prep for some speaking engagement and conference so i'll be on my own sunday, which is fine... i'm still on a quest for new shoes and i also need a new raincoat/trenchcoat so i'll be paying a visit to burlington coat factory... i did buy some shoes off chadwicks.com but now wish i didn't because i probably won't like them (at least shipping was only $1)... i am about 5 magazines behind too so maybe i'll just in my sweats all day and read - sounds like a plan! :o)

hope you have a great weekend... :o)

i can see the light

at the end of the tunnel... i accomplished a great deal today - got my last, printed piece to the printer and now it's just a matter of approving the bluelines next week and we're good to go... there was also a meeting with the production company who's handling everything at the hotel - their graphics sucked and no one seemed to care... i mentioned the logo being wrong and they were like, "we only modified it a little"... a little? why modify it at all - it's the conference logo, you dumbasses! how would they like it if i just 'modified' their logo because i felt like it... stuff like that just makes me SO mad! anyway, i'm now researching photos to promote the '59 pink cadillac convertible that we're having in the exhibitor hall, along with $350 cutouts of elvis and marilyn monroe... i mean really! AND they're having a photographer there if you want your picture taken... maybe it's just me but i think we could've spent our money on something better - LIKE GETTING ALTON BROWN! :o)

went for a nice, slow jog today - i just can't seem to pick-up the pace outside but then again - i haven't been doing it regularly enough to make any improvement... either way, it was nice to be outside - got to see some doggies which is always nice... :o)

weekend plans: eric and i are meeting up w/his old roommate, wife, and kids for dinner tonight - i think we're doing indian but i'm not certain... we also have some time to kill so it's drinks after work until 7:00... tomorrow, we're going to a HUGE community yard sale - i usually go with my mom but he said he'd like to go so we're taking truck and hopefully will find some good bargains! the rest of the weekend will be spent washing my winter clothes, packing them away, and taking out all my spring/summer stuff... happy happy, joy joy! :o)

have a great weekend, everyone...

weigh-in

this past week was not perfect by any means, for tracking or exercising, but the scale said otherwise - i lost 3 pounds and accomplished losing what i gained last week and then some! whoo hooo! i really REALLY want to keep this momentum going because it feels great and i'm SO close to my goal... as long as i can keep things together at work, i will make more of an effort to get away from my desk for an hour and exercise... work will always be there when i get back... ;o)

i took today off because i had a doctor's appt. in the morning and a dentist appt. in the afternoon - my heart murmur is just that, a murmur, and nothing serious or anything for me to worry about... a lot of people have them, he said, and they're going to monitor it once a year to make sure everything remains in-check... the doc also took blood and will get the results in a few days to see if the synthroid level he has me on is right - he asked if i felt better and i said i felt fine, like i did before... i wasn't feeling bad or having any symptoms before the medication so maybe i won't feel anything after everything has levels out - who knows!

after i got home from the docs, i did 40-minutes on the treadmill, hit the shower, and then picked-up my mom (i take her along when she's not busy)... i headed to the dentist where once again, i was commented on how nice my teeth and gums are (note: i NEVER floss!) and i also have no cavities! since i rescheduled my hair appt. for later in the day - we had lunch at chipotle and then went to coldwater creek to exchange a jacket she got me (i needed a size small which still amazes me)... i tried on some dresses, since i now have two weddings to go too this summer, and found a knock-out dress with black lace over light blue satin on sale for $29... i also got another one that is cream with flowers, very flowy, and on sale $19 - the best part is that the dresses are in a size 8! i've never had dresses in a size 8! EVER! wow! i literally stood in front of the mirror, in both shock and awe, because what i was seeing was not what i'm used too... as much as a bitch and moan about gaining/losing - i think i've finally realized that my body HAS changed and all this hard work IS paying off... i'm glad no one else was in the dressing room because i probably looked really strange in front of the 3-way mirrors! ;o)

after shopping - it was off to get my haircut, then i dropped off mom, and headed to panera bread to meet two of my girlfriends for dinner... their new creamy tomato soup is to die for, if anyone's curious... i also ran to kohl's because my mom had a 30% coupon and i ended up getting another dress (for work) that will look adorable with black capri tights and ballet slippers... can you tell that when i go shopping, i GO shopping... :o)

hard to believe i have to go back to work tomorrow but it was a productive day and i'm ready to dive back into meeting material... unless there's a miracle, i will probably work on saturday - i just know things are going to start flying and flying fast so it's better to get what i can done now, and worry about the last-minute stuff later... i don't mind really because i can dress casual, play loud music, and not worry about people bugging me... :o)

happy hump day...

too good to be true

i'm too busy for a real post today but just wanted to let you know DO NOT ORDER THOSE BOOTS... i received both pairs today and they are a piece of crap - they're too wide in the foot and ankle and seriously - there's so way they are 100% leather (can you say pleather instead?)... i was SO excited to find them online and even more excited when they arrived but i should've known - the deal was too good to be true... so my search continues... :o(

dinner w/my girlfriend was great last night - we went for vietnamese so i had a nice, big salad for an appetizer and then ordered their 5-spice chicken in coconut/ginger sauce... it was SO good but i stopped myself halfway thru and took the rest home (and had it for lunch today)...

no gym today (it's still closed) but i'm going to kickboxing tonight so 1:2 ain't bad... work is killing me today, my boss is in a pissy mood, and she's taking it out on us - i hate when that happens... :o(

happy thursday...