"The most important thing she had learned over the years, was that there was no way to be a perfect mother - and a million ways to be a great one".
Jill Churchill
Hard to believe, but it's already October. And while the weather doesn't exactly feel Fall-ish yet... it's just a matter of time before a new season is upon us & it's dark outside by 5:00.
But as the seasons change... hopefully so do we just a bit, with setting new goals or waking up each morning with more intention.
Are you someone who tends to hold onto what was or someone who welcomes what's ahead?
As the end of the year approaches... so does the holiday season, which can bring added stress & diet choices that may not necessarily be the best.
I joined a Facebook group along with some friends from Bloom to take part in Rachel Hollis' Last 90 Days Challenge. Let me know if you want to join us & I'll add you to the group. It's free & sometimes just having the support of others helps us to be more successful in our own goals.
"5 to Thrive" is the basis for the challenge:
Wake up 1 hour earlier & use that time for yourself
Workout for at least 30 minutes
Drink half your body weight in ounces of water
Give up 1 category of food
Write down 10 things you're thankful for
A couple of those things are no-brainers for me... with the working out & drinking enough water. I would like to be more intentional with journaling what I'm thankful for each day though, as well as writing in general... and even scrapbooking, of course. Both of those things are just as therapeutic for me as getting in a good sweat on the dance floor.
Anyway... I read this the other day & loved it so I thought I'd share...
"A child wishes summer would last forever. But if summer actually did last forever, it would very soon grow painfully boring and tedious.
One season ends, and makes room for a fresh new season, full of energy and possibilities. One door closes, another opens, one opportunity disappears, and another is just over the horizon.
Summer comes to an end, as does every good season. And all those impending deadlines prompt you, motivate you, beg you to make the most of right now.
The bananas on your kitchen counter are there to be eaten, now, before they turn brown and mushy. The hours in this day are here to be lived, to be filled, before they turn into hazy regrets.
Life is defined by change, sustained and energized by change, inseparable from the changes. Embrace this moment now, when you can, and then embrace the next one as it arrives.
This season won't last forever. Yet the values you live, the love you give and plant firmly in your heart, will survive all the passing days."
Had lunch with a friend recently who was telling me about some of her current skincare obsessions, which lead to her purchasing this book... Eat Beautiful.
I was intrigued because let's face it... I sometimes do judge a book by it's cover... and since it was pink with metallic gold lettering, I thought it was cute enough to be on display as a coffee table book if nothing else.
But the content is great as well. And quite honestly, it's pretty much how I eat most of the time.
But if you're curious to know what foods are good for repairing skin cells, better digestion, detoxification, boosting your mood and more... this is a great read.
She talks a lot about how the food we eat, can either mess with our skin and prematurely age us... or nourish, not only our bodies, but our skin too. I love it. There's even a lot of recipes in the book with pretty pictures as well, if you're into that.
And I don't know about you, but as far as this aging thing goes... I'm not going down without a fight. LOL
The obvious bonus to adding nutritious foods to your diet, while removing toxins like sugar & processed foods... is that not only will your skin look better, but your whole body will look and feel better... especially if weight loss or a healthier lifestyle is a goal.
Coincidentally...on a similar note, I read this today & thought I'd share...
"The quality of your output is highly dependent on the quality of your input. What quality is the input you are giving to your life?
Vigorous, healthy activity, good nutrition, positive, truthful information sources all lead you toward favorable outcomes. So do beneficial habits, a variety of experiences, uplifting thoughts, and enthusiastic people.
If the results you desire are not coming out of your efforts, ask yourself this. What can you do to improve what you're putting in?
You can't make a quality product from inferior raw materials. To achieve the best outcome, start with the highest quality input.
Bypass the junk in your food, your facts, your friends, and your activities. Insist on truthful, in-depth information, quality nutrition, challenging work, and positive people in your life.
The quality of the life you live comes from the quality of what you put into it. Every day, every encounter, every choice, take the opportunity to give your life the best input."
- Ralph Marston
It's all food for thought and a good reminder to have more self care.
Detox your mind, body, refrigerator, home, timeline, contact list, environment... all of those things can weigh you down if they aren't healthy or positive.
Looking for a fun and easy way to jazz up a basic "boob light?"
Or worse yet... the builder's grade light most of us get in a walk-in closet?
Maybe I shouldn't really care so much about the lighting in my closet, but since I kinda like staring at all the shoes I rarely wear while I'm mostly in workout gear... I figure I should also like the lighting as well.
Although... since I don't exactly have a handy-man around anymore... any projects I attempt on my own cannot include rewiring of any sort. Good grief, I had enough trouble changing out a doorknob a few weeks ago... so no way I'm attempting anything electrical just yet! But the new doorknob is super cute if I do say so myself, so I'm kinda proud. LOL
Anyway... I've had this project pinned on my Pinterest board for quite some time and finally decided to investigate some mirror options online that would work for this project. Here is the image for my inspiration and the directions they provided seemed easy enough:
I found a mirror on Amazon that had the perfect dimensions... and let's just say I was also crossing my fingers that I measured correctly and the mirror would come out without an issue.
That actually ended up being the most time-consuming part... trying to get the dang mirror out. And yes, I had pliers to pull up the clips behind the mirror, and yes I guess I thought it would just pop right out like a picture in a frame. However, I'm pretty sure they must've super-glued it on so as to keep it secured through any force of nature. But being the true determined Taurus that I am, I persevered and the next thing I knew it was shattered into a million tiny slivers all over the carpet. #winning
So... if you need to figure in vacuuming time... the project MIGHT take more like 20 minutes than 10 minutes.
Here's what I started with...
I removed the dome and then placed the frame of the mirror around the circumference of the light fixture. There's about a half-inch to spare, which is good because I didn't need to paint or do anything to make the light look as if it wasn't all attached together.
I added 4 screws in between spokes around the frame to attach it to the ceiling. I also decided to hit the top of the screws with a gold Sharpie paint pen because I didn't like that the silver screw heads stood out next to the gold frame. I should probably go back & add another screw because clearly they aren't equidistant, but again this is my closet & I'm the only one who's going to really see that minor detail...
Bryn was at school as you know, so I did this project by myself. The trickiest part, aside from avoiding shards of glass on the carpet, is obviously holding the frame in place, while trying to attach it to the ceiling. But with a little patience & elbow grease it is totally doable!!
Quite honestly I love it so much, I'd do it in other rooms except I had already changed out all the ugly builder's grade light fixtures when I moved in. Although I guess I could hit the boring entryway light. It looks pretty Mid Century Modern to me, so if you love that style as much as I do, this is an inexpensive way to add new life to a boring light. I'll likely go ahead and add this to my other closet as well!
As for the shoe storage if you're interested... that's been around since I moved here and I miss having actual shelves, but these were an inexpensive solution that allowed for an organized display without having to remove the wire shelving. Because why not have a nice little display of shoes you rarely wear? SMH
I don't usually promote things that are labelled "skinny" or "low fat"... because nutritionally that usually means that it's packed with extra sugar or some kind of preservative to make it taste better.
So... yeah... steer clear of those products in the store. If nothing else it gives a false sense of thinking you can just eat more of it, because hey... they said it's fat-free! Ummmm... NO.
Additionally... I didn't reach for this product in the store because I think I need to lose weight or eat things that appear by the name to be low in calories. Quite the contrary.
The reason it caught my eye was because it said VEGAN on the label. I'm not totally vegan, as I do eat lean proteins like chicken, turkey, eggs & fish, but since Bryn has severe life-long allergies to dairy, eggs & nuts... I've become accustomed to reading labels since she was diagnosed at 3 years old. And unless a product includes nuts... VEGAN usually means she CAN eat it!
So I grabbed 2 different Skinny Souping soups to try. If you're local, I found them at Fresh Thyme. Here's the ingredients of the Spicy Super Greens soup:
All fresh ingredients. No preservatives. High in fiber. And it tastes SO GOOD!!
It's pretty low in calories too... thus the name.
I checked out their website & apparently "souping" is a better alternative to a juice cleanse. Unlike with juice cleanses... the fiber, vitamins & nutrients are all maintained in the souping process.
Since a cleanse was also not my goal in trying this soup... I'll add that if you're like me & just going to eat it because veggies are really good for you... you could always add some extra protein like a few slices of grilled chicken or a handful of shrimp for a meal that's still healthy!
I've since gone back to try a 3rd soup... so I can now give a big thumbs-up for Spicy Super Greens, Tomato Ancient Grains & Broccoli Lemon Arugula. And I'm patiently waiting for the others to be restocked so I can try more!
It's BPA-free packaging, so you can heat it up in the microwave or just eat it cold... I like it both ways.
Great way to sneak some extra veggies in your diet!
Also a quick way to have already-prepared meals ready to grab if you're lacking in time or desire to meal prep every week.
When you have already-prepared healthy meal choices, you're less likely to grab food that isn't good for your body.
And although I'm a fitness instructor that promotes EXERCISE... the biggest impact you can make for your body if weight loss is a goal... is in the kitchen. "They say" it's 70% diet... and 30% gym. And unfortunately, we can't out-exercise a bad diet.
Anyhoo... obviously this soup isn't a cure-all, but it's worth trying if you want some healthy choices in your fridge.
And this isn't an ad, nor do I get anything other than the satisfaction of knowing that you might be inclined to add something quick & healthy to your diet.
And on that note... I do hope to see you in class as well!
Much has changed in 33 years since I left home for my freshman year at Mizzou in 1986.
First & foremost... perms are no longer in style. Thank goodness.
Prince music is still pretty cool, although I can't imagine anyone would hang a poster of him in their dorm anymore. Also fairly confident no one has a land line phone with a cord hanging from their loft either. In fact, speaking of lofts... you don't even have to buy lumber & build your own... the rooms already come with loftable beds.
Oh and air conditioning too. No box fan for the window necessary.
In fact, much of the decor is now coordinated months ahead of time if you're lucky enough to know your roommate in advance of moving in. And while I did know my roommate from high school, I think it's safe to say we both just brought whatever we could find at home for our bedding and decor.
I mean... I needed every cent I had saved for clothes, Sunday night dinners when the dining halls weren't open, and well hairspray, obviously.
I also took off for school knowing my high school boyfriend would also be arriving to school when I got there. That made leaving home a lot easier for me because my world pretty much revolved around him. Of course by the time the holidays were rolling around, I was beyond ready for home. And at one point I called my mom and said how much I was looking forward to some family time. Things of course changed when my boyfriend ended up dropping out of school at semester, but by that time I'd met enough people that I survived without his daily existence in my life. I imagine it gave me more time to study too. LOL
Bryn on the other hand has 2 main people she's closest to... her best friend, who's going to another state university, and me. And at the last minute she said to me, "I don't want to go."
One thing I said to her though is that you're never stuck... whatever or wherever it is. Whether it's school, a relationship, a job... there's always a way out. You always have options. And if you decide this isn't for you, it's changeable. There are other schools. And not every successful person out there has a college degree.
But with that... I also told her that while she may not realize it right now... she was going to meet a lot of new people, make new friends, enjoy this new independence, enjoy most of her classes, enjoy a different social life... and to give it a little time before she decided she didn't want to be there because we all feel like that when we're heading into new territory.
I also said that it's during our most uncomfortable times in life, that we're in a period of growth. And that getting out of our comfort zone was a good thing, even if we don't usually realize that until we have hindsight.
It's been 2 weeks since I dropped her off. The longest time period I've gone without seeing her prior to this is a week. So... let's just say I've had moments of really missing her.
But this is what we raise our kids to do.
We raise them to be independent of us. We raise them to ultimately leave home & lead self-sufficient lives.
These are things I know in my head... and I've certainly done my best to prepare her for... but once it's here, it's still hard. And I'm sure it's safe to say we all wish we could go back & slow time down a bit... because you're never really prepared in your heart for the next stage of life when you wave goodbye.
Part of me sees this prepared 18-year old adult and the other part of me still sees this sweet little girl with her backpack & her baby doll...
In fact, after we had a bit of a tearful goodbye in her dorm room, I nervously walked out of the building feeling like my legs were going to collapse underneath me. Cried part of the way home. And then cried again after posting pictures on Facebook & friends started commenting such sweet responses for us.
She stays in pretty close touch with me though and seems very happy, and also very busy! Between school starting and activities with her new sorority, Kappa Delta, I'm quite sure she's not getting a whole lot of sleep. But therein lies college life. And we all get to a point where we start saying no to fun, and yes to studying & going to bed early.
I had someone ask the other day what made her decide on Mizzou. I said, "Uh... she's pretty much been groomed since birth." LOL
I ended up graduating from Missouri State University. But her dad is alum. My dad is alum. My mom went to Mizzou before graduating at another school. And while my sisters also graduated from Missouri State... we're all lifelong Mizzou fans. Suffice it to say, it's been in her blood.
And well... she's been going to football, basketball and volleyball games all her life. So... while the choice was hers... she was determined to get into Mizzou. And that she did.
Proud mom here... who's slightly envious of all the Interior Design classes she's taking.
And also REALLY glad she asked me to come visit tomorrow & grab lunch/shopping! Can't wait to hug my girl...
I woke up to a text from a friend yesterday. It was a screen shot of a page from her daily devotion & part of it reminded her of me. A conversation we've had in the past that related to it. She's a very dear bestie of mine & I don't always get to see her, but it was really nice to get a random text.
Let me just first say that I find it so kind when someone thinks of me when they see something & then reach out to let me know.
I've tried to become more aware & purposeful in reaching out to people when they cross my mind, especially if I haven't seen them in awhile. I know it means a lot to me when it happens out of the blue & you just never know if someone needs a smile!
So... in my response to her text I mentioned I needed to get better with reading my own daily devotional book because I was hit & miss with it. I'll be really good with reading it first thing every day... & then I'm waking up late or sleeping in when I don't have a class.... and next thing I know everything's gone to hell in a hand basket... also known as I'm just starting my days reading stupid Facebook instead. SMH
However, her text reminded me to open up my book & read. So I thought I'd share what I read...
Here's what I love though.
This daily devotion reminded me that I JUST had a dream that night about 2 people that hurt me in some way in real life. Like both of them, were in the same dream. And the hurt had nothing to even do with each other.
I may not have even picked up my book this morning had it not been for my friend's text.
I may not have been reminded of my dream had I not read my devotion.
I may not have been reminded that not forgiving, only pollutes ME... keeping a hold on MY life, not theirs.
I wouldn't say I live with bitterness or resentment by any means, but clearly some level of the hurt is in my subconscious and letting go of that is a choice I can certainly make!
Do you ever have dreams so vivid that they stick with you all day? And then... God forbid you see that person & you're still mad about the dream... and then you're giving them the side eye like... oh you KNOW what you did in my dream... LOL
I have a few recurring dreams... likely all stress-related I guess... one of which is where I'm back in college.
I get through the entire semester & then realize I've missed going to a class and I'm going to fail. Like I've missed the entire semester & I'm thinking in my dream... how could I not find this class... how did I not go to this class for an entire semester... I'm an idiot!!
It always feels so real that I'll still be anxious about it after I wake up.
I've talked to a lot of people who've gone to college & have similar dreams since then.
Also have a friend who told me she has a recurring dream that she's back in high school & can't remember her locker combination.
I mean... if that's the worst thing that can happen... really??
I guess I shouldn't judge. Maybe she couldn't get her locker open & was late to class. Being tardy to the party is stressful, I suppose.
But back to forgiveness... just do it. Not for them, as you don't necessarily need to say to their face, "I forgive you," but for YOU. Especially if it's a friend. Let's be honest... as much I love my female friends, women can be... shall we say... not so nice.
Of course, I suppose men can be the same... LOL
Forgive and just move on with your awesomeness.
And on that note... I'm hitting the beach this weekend with my awesome family. Bryn is already there, but my sister & I join them tomorrow. Can't wait!
Do you ever sit in the same place every day & stare at an area that is completely uninspiring? Not that every area of my house needs to be inspiring, but it does help if I like to walk into a room. Or in this case, sit in a room. And let's be honest... the sight of my teenage daughter's room drives me nuts, but I've learned to just close the door and ignore it.
Maybe college will make her a bit more tidy?
When I moved here 3 years ago, I went from a very large 565 sq.ft. craft room, to one the size of a very small bedroom, and a wardrobe closet that went from an entire converted bedroom to 2 small walk-ins.
I'm not complaining. I know I was fortunate to have that & that I'm blessed beyond measure with what I have now.
But suffice it to say, I had to get rid of a few things & decide what I was really using & what I was just holding onto for no good reason. And let's face it, it was less to move if I just threw it away or gave it away.
Trust me, I know how to organize &/or purge. I've been Marie Kondo-ing things before Marie Kondo was even born. Minus the "thank you" part.
I also tried to do this move as inexpensively as possible... repainting or repurposing furniture I already had, using things in different ways, and basically seeing how things ended up with my personal life before making any crazy changes or big purchases.
To make a long story short here, I got tired of looking at the closet in my craft room & decided to reorganize it with some shelves. Once again though, I didn't get St Louis Closet Company on the phone like I did in my old house, I did this on the cheap. Man would I love to have them come do all my closets though. And I'd be lying if I didn't say I'd like to someday have another bedroom converted into my closet again. It's on my vision board though.
I had 2 goals in redoing this closet... get the scrapbooks off the floor & into a more organized space, and find a place to put the vision board I made a few months ago during Book Club at Bloom Fitness Studio. Technically when you make a vision board, you're then supposed to hang it somewhere you'll see every day... and well... mine's just been sitting on the closet floor inspiring no one.
I'm not sure how long I'll be in this house, so for now I'm creating spaces to work for how I want to live in it, but I don't want to do anything too crazy that may not give me any return on my investment if I move.
I started out with 2 shelf units. And then once I got started & realized it wasn't working out like it did in my head, I ended up buying a 3rd set.
I realized while going through everything that I've still got a lot of stuff in this closet that I haven't used in the last 3 years. So technically speaking, if I haven't used it in that long, I probably don't really need it. However, in addition to pitching stuff, I kept a lot too. Don't ask me why because I guess the honest answer is, I like to look at it, since clearly I don't seem to use it!
I could say the same for a lot of stuff in my wardrobe closet too. I just like to look at it. Like some kind of wanne-be fashion collector.
And then I'm reaching for a hat & workout clothes... and I'm out the door in that boring get-up once again. Insert big sigh...
I digress. Back to the closet... it may not look totally different, but it FEELS different to me. And as for my soon-to-be-interior design major daughter, she walked in midway & said... "I really don't think those poles look good like that."
Really? You really think I was going to leave it like this? I'm space planning right now. There will be another shelf on top, but I had to order it. LOL
Literally still laughing out loud even typing this. SMH. She clearly doesn't have much faith in me, but trust me... I've taught her everything she knows. And man am I envious of what she's about to learn!! So wish I could see all her projects & sit in on her classes!!
Here's some non-recent BEFORE pics though. There was quite a bit more clutter & boxes of stuff that were in the closet prior to these old pics that were taken, which ultimately lead to me doing something about it...
Everything on the wall is basically just random stuff that inspires me, makes me happy or reminds me of my former paper-crafting days, which by the way, I'd like to return to soon. 3 of the things on the wall are Bryn's art work, which I always love to display...
And yes, I did make all the greeting cards, minus a few that I purchased & just stuck in there...
As I mentioned earlier I had a pretty big craft room. Within that space, I went from an entire gift-wrapping station, featured on Great Day St Louis several years ago, to a couple shelves now. And actually I was featured on Great Day St Louis again with the rest of my craft room a year later. So I'm pretty proud to say that you CAN downsize & still have a space that is organized & functions just as well... even if it's not TV-worthy. LOL
I agree it's probably odd to have your printer in a closet, not to mention a paper cutting board as well, but I like the fact that for aesthetic purposes, these "work" items can be hidden when I close the door to the closet. But for my own purposes they're still at hip level & easily accessible. And as you'll also notice, I left the original closet shelving alone, figuring it was something the next owner wouldn't have to mess with replacing if I ever did move. Annnnd... it allows for additional storage anyway...
And by the way... just in case you're wondering about the shoes in the first pic, they're also something I just like looking at.. because I mean... calf hair & animal print... are you kidding me? And well, I like wearing them too, but I can't say they're good for anything fitness related.
Since not everyone I know follows Bloom Fitness Studio's Facebook page, I thought I'd share our most recent blog post here... since well... I wrote it... LOL
Check out Bloom's website & all of our blog posts right here.
It's already the middle of April, and Easter weekend is here!
Traditionally for some this might mean jelly beans, the Easter Bunny, dying eggs or wearing a sundress & a bonnet (and usually in Missouri...that's likely with a winter coat over it).
In Biblical terms, it means that HE is risen... that death leads to LIFE.
Whatever Easter means to YOU though, this can be a great time to decide to RISE UP in your life. This might mean physically rising up in a literal way, but it can also be in an emotional or spiritual way as well depending on what you're feeling or experiencing in your own life right now.
What is necessary for you as an individual though, will likely involve doing something different in your life... to let go of the past, to let go of what was, to shed the old and make room for new... a rebirth of YOU, so-to-speak.
What are some of the ways you might consider RISING UP? And what does that even mean?
Think of this as a time of TRANSFORMATION... a time for dramatic CHANGE in form... a time to let things DIE that no longer serve us well, so that we may become the best versions of ourselves!
If you think of things in nature with reference to Spring... plants, trees, and flowers have to shed the old to BLOOM or come ALIVE again and show it's new beauty. Can you imagine if trees didn't lose their leaves or if we didn't prune plants? It would actually INHIBIT growth. It would inhibit new life and the ability to begin again.
Every day that you wake up and breathe, you have the opportunity to RENEW your life. You have the opportunity to TRANSFORM yourself by making different choices that will serve you better.
We are here in this life to THRIVE not just survive. We are here to GROW, not to remain the same.
It's very easy to SAY you want to make changes. But are you willing to do the WORK in order to make it happen? It's a choice we have every single day. And every single days presents us with the opportunity to transform, no matter what challenges we might be facing.
What do you want to create in your life? What are you willing to give up to make that happen? What can you allow to DIE in order to create space for your own transformation?
You have to GIVE UP to RISE UP.
Here are some ideas to get you thinking about your own renewal...
1. Master your mornings. RENEW your mind daily. The ONLY way to make changes is to be purposeful about it every single day. Our days are better served when we begin them first thing with positivity. Rather than immediately checking out social media and seeing what everyone else is up to in their life... how about taking some time for YOU instead. You might consider meditation, visualization, writing in a journal, reading & learning something new or watching an inspiring video. What are the things you want to accomplish today? Write them down & feel the joy in checking those things off your list as you complete each task or goal.
2. Wake up earlier. Your days can be more productive if you wake earlier and get your body moving with some exercise. While it might seem that you'll feel tired that day from waking earlier, that workout will actually GIVE you more energy for your day ahead. Consider also going to bed earlier at night to accommodate for this. Sleep matters just as much as movement.
3. Shed some of your unhealthy eating habits. No, you don't have to perfect everything in your life overnight, but deciding to remove one unhealthy habit at a time can go a LONG way. Start by removing one unhealthy thing today.... maybe it's soda or your daily Starbucks... and replace it with something healthier... like more water. Your body is meant to feel good and to thrive, but it needs the right fuel in order to do so.
4. Schedule some time for YOU. Granted we don't always have the extra money to spend on ourselves for things like massages or manicures, but carving out some free time for you to read, write, get crafty or take a walk around the neighborhood, can make you feel just as rejuvenated and pampered.
5. Prep for your week ahead. This might mean mapping out your week on the calendar or taking Sunday evening to prepare your meals for the week in advance. A little extra time prepping can save you a lot of time and stress during the week. And when it comes to meal prepping, you're setting yourself up for more success when you pre-plan with healthy options!
6. Get honest with yourself & others. Do you find yourself saying yes to things you really don't have time to do? Or over-committing yourself because you feel guilty saying no? Remove the F.O.G. from your answers to others... and ask yourself if you're agreeing to do something out of FEAR, OBLIGATION or GUILT. Ultimately, you're only doing yourself a disservice when you say yes, but you really want to say NO.
7. Instead of saying no, say YES. Do you find yourself saying no to things you're afraid to try? Do you worry that you'll look awkward in a class at Bloom, for instance? Have you ever caught yourself saying, "I can't do that... I don't have rhythm... or that's not me." This is a great time to shed those fears and do something outside your comfort zone. Remind yourself that we were ALL once beginners.
8. Garbage in, garbage out. What are you focused on? Where are you putting your energy? Who are the people you're surrounding yourself with most of the time? If you surround yourself with toxic energy, guess what you'll be fueled with.... toxic energy. Change what you're feeding your mind, body and soul. Maybe that means less social media time... maybe that means a new circle of friends... maybe that means more time at the gym and less time in front of the computer or TV.
These are just a few ideas to get you started. And how we choose to RISE UP is individual for all of us. Ultimately though... it's up to YOU to create the right conditions for your own GROWTH. It's up to you to not inhibit transformation in your life. It's up to you to step out of what you've deemed a comfort zone.
Rise up and attack each day with enthusiasm.
You've been given one life, but you have the opportunity daily to begin again and flourish. And you are worth it!!
Happy Easter, Bloomsquad! We are so grateful for you and want to help you continue to become the best versions of yourselves possible! ♥
Reminder that we are closed on Sunday, but we'll be back at it full force on Monday!!
Read an article today that I wanted to share regarding fat-loss.
Unfortunately there's no magic solution to it or quick fix weight loss diet. There's also no way to spot reduce. In other words... if you're looking to lose belly fat, the biggest way to do that is to change your eating habits while also staying active.
To be honest though, sometimes it boils down to looking inward to what you're eating AND what's eating you.
It can simply be a matter of not having learned the right way to eat... because let's face it... we typically learn our eating habits from our parents, so it can be up to us as adults to relearn things about diet and better nutrition.
It can also be a matter of dealing with the stuff going on in your heart and mind though. Some habits, diet or otherwise, are a form of self-sabotage.
I certainly don't have it all figured out & can always stand to make positive changes, but I do like to share what I know to be true about what works with physical fitness and nutrition.
We get one body.
Sometimes we get wake-up calls & second chances with our health that force us to do it, but we can always take the initiative and make positive changes in our lifestyle to avoid consequences.
Ultimately the goal isn't skinny. The goal is to be healthy and FEEL good. Strong bodies... strong minds.
Our bodies are designed to move and feel good, so let's DO IT! ♥
It seems like every day there's a new headline on the internet or a new coverline on a magazine promising you can slim down in days, shed belly fat with just one ab move, and completely transform your body with one specific fad diet.
In reality, losing fat (which is really what people want to lose when they lose weight) boils down to these simple basics. We tapped registered dietitians and personal trainers, who explained how to lose body fat and keep it off for good. For starters, you'll want to get rid of that Shake Weight and those weird body-wrap things and actually start eating carbs (yes, carbs!). Scroll through for more expert tips.
Eat in a Healthy Calorie Deficit
Ultimately, losing weight is all about calories in, calories out. In order to lose weight, you have to burn more calories than you take in. "You have to create a deficit of 3,500 calories to lose one pound," explained registered dietitian and ACSM-certified personal trainer Jim White, owner of Jim White Fitness and Nutrition Studios. "This can be done by burning extra calories through exercise or reducing your intake of calories, but the best way is to use a combination of both methods. This ensures that you're giving your body enough nutrients during periods of weight loss."
However, eating in a 3,500-calorie deficit doesn't guarantee an exact weight loss of one pound. There are a lot of other factors that impact how your body loses weight, including stress, sleep, and hormones.
Although you should eat in a calorie deficit, he doesn't recommend anyone eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day. And since calorie needs are highly individual from person to person, Jim recommends meeting with a registered dietitian if you can to assess your needs and your goals. If that's not a possibility, you can use this formula to calculate your estimated calorie deficit for weight loss.
Focus on Healthy Fats and Lean Proteins
For your diet, you should load up on whole foods, with an emphasis on lean protein and healthy fats. "Focus on healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, seeds, and legumes that will help your body by feeling satiated," explained registered dietitian Shana Spence, MS. She also recommends eating lean proteins, such as chicken, fish, or plant-based proteins like tofu. "These also fill you up and leave you satisfied," she said.
As far as how much of these macronutrients you should eat, Jim recommends a macro breakdown of 40:30:30 — 40 percent carbs, 30 percent protein, and 30 percent fat.
Don't Totally Give Up Carbs
Like Jim said, 40 percent of your diet should come from carbs. So even though low- and no-carb diets are wildly popular, to lose fat for good, you'll still want to eat carbs.
"Many people make the mistake of going low-carb or trying to cut carbs altogether; you want to do the exact opposite," Shana recommended. "Our body needs carbs to survive: it's fuel for our body and brain."
As for what type of carbs to eat, she recommends complex carbs that have fiber to fill you up. "These can include healthy grains like quinoa, which is also a protein, whole-wheat bread, oats, barley, or farro."
Be Active Outside the Gym
When people think of activity for fat loss, they usually envision hours on the treadmill or taking an intense Spin class. In reality, to get in more activity and boost fat loss, it's all about just moving more.
Eric Bowling, NASM-certified personal trainer at Ultimate Performance, said he encourages his clients to be more active outside of the gym and increasing their overall steps to 10,000 per day minimum.
"This little addition will increase your daily activity and rapidly boost the total amount of calories burned throughout the day," he said. "This is called nonexercise activity thermogenesis, and it's one of the most effective fat-loss tools most people overlook."
Lift Weights
Yes, cardio burns calories. But people often neglect strength training, which can help you lose fat for the long-term. Eric recommends lifting weights three times a week starting out. Weightlifting will help you build lean muscle, which burns more calories at rest. It will also change your body composition, so you'll look more toned and defined.
There is some evidence that HIIT can target belly fat. Eric is a fan of HIIT and recommends people do it one or two times a week to lose fat. HIIT can also help you achieve EPOC, or excess postexercise oxygen consumption, also known as the afterburn effect, during which your body keeps burning calories even after the workout.
To get started, check out some of our favorite HIIT workouts.
Get Enough Sleep
And while diet and exercise are important for fat loss, many people tend to overlook another important lifestyle habit: sleep. A lack of sleep could increase the production of the stress hormone cortisol.
"When you are sleep-deprived and cortisol levels increase to keep the body running, you will likely experience fatigue, increased food cravings, mental fog, and lower 'real' energy," Eric explained. "All of these will impact your effectiveness in the gym and impair your adherence to an eating plan."
It never ceases to amaze me how many people are willing to workout on Sunday mornings in Zumba & Piloxing. It's truly impressive & inspiring.
When asked if I was interested in adding a 30-minute strength class at 8:30am, I thought it made sense to try it out. I figured a couple people might show up?
I was totally wrong. More than a couple people showed up for the first class. Which just goes to show that not everyone is tired or hungover on Sunday mornings. And even if they happen to be either of those... exercise actually DOES give you more energy & we are surely sweating out all the toxins we might have too, just sayin'.
Also... you know you might have issues when you cut your chin with your thumbnail while dancing. Currently hoping it doesn't leave a scar. (insert eye roll)
Does anyone else get injured in class with stupid stuff like that? Happens to me more often than I care to admit, but usually it's my hands or fingers bleeding or bruised from my obnoxious clapping. I've learned to not wear rings or any kind of bracelet that might cause harm.
Maybe I should wear gloves? And possibly a mask.
Anyhoo... this will be short week & then we're headed for our 2nd of 3 road trips with Bryn's volleyball team. Last month was Franklin, TN and this weekend will be Columbus, OH... a state I've not yet visited. Although when it's a volleyball trip, all we're really going to see is a court & lots of games. So in all likelihood there will be no touring the city other than to look for food.
In addition to not being a huge fan of "bleacher butt," I'm also not a huge fan of driving on long road trips. I prefer to fly. And Ohio isn't exactly close.
This princess quality I have probably stems from years of driving everywhere with 3 sisters seated closely to each other in the backseat, concerned with who's crossing the imaginary lines & not staying in their allotted space.
"I'm hungry. She's leaning on me. When are we going to be there?"
The good news is... Bryn can drive too. The bad news is... we'll likely have rain & possibly snow, so I'd rather she not.
And as for the other complaints above... I do hear I'm hungry regularly. She also doesn't care for my purse leaning on her arm & I don't care for her gigantic blanket crossing over onto the counsel while I'm driving. In fact at one point on our last road trip we started shoving the blanket back & forth so many times when we stopped for gas that we were laughing uncontrollably.
I'm laughing again just thinking about it. I'm not sure who's in charge anymore, but I'm beginning to think we need a personal assistant to keep us in line.
And drive for that matter.
My parents did take us on many trips when we were younger though. And I know now as an adult how expensive it would've been to fly 5 people everywhere we went. I'm VERY grateful they instilled a love for travel with us and took us to experience many places, even if it wasn't always the most comfortable mode of transportation. There were always laughs along the way for sure, many stories of which we still reminisce!
I'm also going to miss our team meeting where they'll be making vision boards. I regularly use Pinterest to stay inspired in lieu of having an actual vision board, but IF I was going to be there & make one, it would most certainly look something like this...
I don't know who made that but she might be my soul sister. Like I've seriously probably pinned all those things separately at one time or another.
How about you? Have you ever made a vision board? It's a great way to keep positive images, inspiring words & future goals in daily sight.
And I hope your week is just that... positive & inspiring!
Stuart Smalley might be a character that got a few laughs, but in all seriousness, he did have some sage advice.
Your mind is VERY powerful.
Positive thoughts or negative thoughts. You may not always be able to control how your day goes... but you CAN control where your mind goes. You CAN decide what you give power to & train your mind to focus on the good.
When you're feeling the urge to allow other people's words or negative situations to take residency in your head, take a moment to acknowledge it & redirect your attention.
Here are some empowering affirmations that may help in your thought process...
My strength is greater than any struggle
I'm fearless
I'm getting stronger every day
I'm in awe of what my body is capable
I can do this
I was not made to give up
I am who I want to be
No one can make me feel inferior
I've discovered that I am fierce
I know my worth
I inspire others
I do not fear the fire... I am the fire
I choose what I become
I've decided that I'm good enough
I'm brave enough to climb any mountain
I wink at a challenge
I have the power to change my story
It's not their job to like me... it's mine
I use my failures as a stepping stone
I have the courage to say NO
I didn't write this list, but man do I LOVE it.
If you're the praying type and find strength in Bible verses, my favorite to fix my own thoughts is "She is clothed in strength & dignity and she laughs without fear of the future. " Proverbs 31:25
In fact, I asked Bryn to make something to hang on the wall for me so I could see it daily. She has great printing & handwriting...
Empowering affirmations, goals and positive thoughts can be even more effective if you keep them in daily sight.
Make a vision board.
Add a sticky note to your mirror.
Hang something on the refrigerator with a magnet.
Keep a daily affirmation journal.
Start a private board on Pinterest.
There are so many ways to create an avenue for positive images to take up more residency in your head, than to allow the chatter of toxic things meant to bring you down.
It will in fact bring you down. But YOU decide whether you allow it.
There's a fun high-energy song I do in Zumba... "Level Up" by Ciara. The lyrics are actually very empowering if you listen to them.
And well... just getting through that song at full throttle is pretty empowering too.
Do you shop online? I've been doing it for years. Like probably since I gave birth and realized it was easier to just sit at home and shop on my laptop than it was to get Bryn ready to go, load up the stroller & head through the mall.
Not that I'm lazy necessarily... or maybe I am... but really I feel like there's access to more stuff online than we have here in the Midwest.
Plus you can shop at any time of the day or night.
Annnnd you can do it in your sweats or pj's. With no makeup. Which almost sounds like my everyday workout look, but... I digress. If I'm not in the store, no one has to wonder if I took a shower.
If you're an online shopper, my guess is that you already know about EBATES, but on the rare chance that you don't, I'll share the love & the info.
I've apparently been a member since 2002... which sounds about right since Bryn was born in 2001.
EBATES gives a certain percentage back to you in cash for the amount you spend via qualifying stores. And there's A LOT of stores from which to choose.
Basically what you do is start off on their website & click a link to the store where you're about to shop.
No... not all stores can be accessed through EBATES, but I always check there first before I make a purchase somewhere. I just put the name of the store in the search link at the top of the page...
Let's say I was about to shop at Old Navy. I'd search for that store... and yes... I see they have an offer. Looks like they'll pay 8% cash back on your purchase price. They'll also show coupon codes if applicable on that page for an ever bigger discount you can apply as well.
Then I'd just click on the Old Navy 'SHOP NOW' link... and it will bring me to Old Navy's website, remembering that I used EBATES to get there...
This makes a big difference during the holidays... like Christmas for instance... when I'm doing a lot of online shopping. But outside of groceries & day-to-day errands, in all honesty, I really do most of my shopping online year-round.
I also realized that you can find links to travel sites like Expedia on there as well. Which was awesome considering I booked 2 trips through Expedia last year, so I got cash back on both of them. You get an email confirmation usually the next business day on every transaction you make. Most of the time it's within 24 hours of the purchase. Although in the case of Expedia, you're not credited until you actually take the trip...
I mean seriously, folks, if you're making purchases online you really should be on some kind of website that gives you cash back for doing it.
They send you a check 4 times a year... once every quarter. I think you have to have a minimum of $5 that you've earned in that quarter for them to issue a check, otherwise if it's less than that it will roll over to the next quarter. That's never been an issue for me... ahem.
If you notice the total in the upper right hand corner on the first & second image above, you can see that they've sent me $653.76 since 2002.
And imagine if you have a credit card that pays you cash back as well? Which I would guess many of us do.
Gotta maximize your spending! LOL
Granted I've done a lot of shopping that wasn't part of EBATES list of affiliated stores, but I do comparison shop with them first before making purchases when I can.
Today I shared a quick at-home workout on The Daily Bloom you can do simply by spelling out your name. Sounds quick & simple, but I can assure you, it will be challenging... especially if your name is spelled with more than just a few letters.
Use the chart below to spell out your name while doing the corresponding exercise for each letter...
For example, here's my first name:
D - 10 burpees
E - 60-second wall sit
A - 15 pushups
N - 10 pushups
A - 15 pushups
I suggest you further challenge yourself by doing the corresponding exercises that go along with your last name too! In my case that means:
B - 50 jumping jacks
O - 20 lunges
S - 30 bicycle crunches
T - 60-second wall sit
O - 20 lunges
N - 10 pushups
Yes, I did the whole thing before posting this. And YES, I'm officially over all the pushups. Only 50 of them to be exact, but who's counting.
This challenge isn't just for all the BADASS ladies, who by the way, got some pretty good air on those burpee tuck jumps we did in the above photo.
I'm challenging the guys to do this one as well.
Let me know how it goes!
Or perhaps you'd rather join me for Zumba30/The MIX30 at Bloom Fitness Studio 9:00am? I guarantee it will be a lot more fun, just sayin'.
Head over to The Daily Bloom for more inspiration & information to help make this your STRONGEST year yet!
Ok... first things first. For all those who didn't jump on that bandwagon over the weekend... I'll say it. You look the same as you did 10 years ago. You haven't aged a bit. Actually you look better than you did 10 years ago. And younger too, much younger!
Now then... let's move on to other fun snow-day activities... besides shoveling that is, but that's another story involving my lovely HOA.
Anyone else besides me binge on this Netflix series with Marie Kondo? I finally caved after hearing her name mentioned, not once, but twice over the weekend. So about 2 episodes in (and I watched 5 before I made myself go to bed) I started reorganizing my workout t-shirts drawer.
So technically I was also engaging in actual work, while sitting on my ass binge watching. So what if I could've choreographed something new for class instead during that 5-hour time frame? Minor detail.
To be perfectly honest, my house is pretty organized. Aside from a few "piles" I've created in random spots that never really move, most things have a place. And most places are fairly neat & tidy. My house may not always be CLEAN, but it usually appears that way anyway because I don't operate well when my surroundings are a mess.
In fact I don't operate well when anything about my life is a mess, so yeah, deep thoughts. LOL
Back to organizing though... as for my t-shirt drawer (and sadly that's not even all that I own in that drawer... the "holiday" stuff is elsewhere since they're seasonal), the t-shirts were folded of course, but the drawer was filled to the max. I'd say I mostly wore the stuff near the top of the folded piles too, while the rest of it just stayed buried at the bottom.
Until this particular folding technique...
Now I can see at a glance every single t-shirt I have, so it's easier to choose the one I want. I could probably get really OCD & organize them all by color, but I kind of like the randomness of it.
I started to make a giveaway pile with the ones I no longer wanted, but a friend suggested using my old t-shirts to make a quilt with Project Repat. SO... that's my next project! And it's also making it easier to part with some of my fav t-shirts that I've held onto for sentimental reasons... or frankly just because I liked the inspiring or sarcastic saying on it. If only I hadn't already got rid of many others when I reorganized last time. Apparently I don't have a YMCA shirt anymore either, so that will be the only job not represented, but the blanket will be special to me nonetheless.
The only problem is that I've cut up all my tees to wear as halters, so I'm not sure if I have enough room to work with on a lot them for cutting them down smaller per their specifications. I mean I know I can send a smaller than 12x12 portion, but they'll charge $5 extra for every square on which they have to add more fabric.
Do you happen to know someone who's local who makes these blankets?? I'll gladly give them the business instead!
Apparently more snow is on the way, so maybe that show will give you inspiration to organize & get rid of some things too. I, however, will be on a road trip for more volleyball.
An impending snowstorm ought to make it quite eventful... (insert big sigh & eye roll)
Happy 2019!!! Hope your year is off to a healthy start!
Mine began with a quick 3 night all-inclusive trip with Bryn to Cancun on New Year's Eve. We left our house at 4am that morning & were at the resort before 2:00 that afternoon. It was the most fun NYE I can remember having in my life. Honestly... between raising a child & frankly not wanting to do anything too crazy on NYE that would result in having to be out driving with the other crazies, we just never really did anything other than maybe go out to dinner. Even in my 20's... I just don't recall doing anything that made me excited to ring in a new year? So many laughs though & it was a memorable time for both of us!
It was a quick trip, but it was blast and also very relaxing.
A much needed change of scenery for both of us...
I made a little video of some of it... using a very old Zumba song of course... because I mean, duh, what other kind of music would work for a Mexico trip? LOL
It's always good to be home though, even if we might be getting a lot of snow this weekend.
Thankfully I don't do bread OR milk. Strictly chips & guac for this girl. LOL
I will say though, I'm glad to be back to a normal work week too. With Christmas Day & New Year's Day falling on a Tuesday, I've REALLY missed that night's classes.
Have I mentioned how much I love the month of January for classes too? The challenge is to figure out how to keep people coming back all year long, without resorting to kidnapping those who may have fallen off the wagon.
Speaking of classes though... LOTS of fun stuff ahead at Bloom Fitness Studio this year, including a new blog The Daily Bloom.Someone you know might be at the wheel. (ahem) Go check it out here! The website itself will be changing a bit soon too, as all the instructors had quite a photo session recently with head-shots & group pics & videos & lots of mayhem. This is just a snip from a video, but you get the idea of the size of our cool crew...
We're really excited about the new year & personally I have this feeling of excitement that I had when the studio first opened almost 3 years ago! Lots of momentum going into 2019 & hopefully others are feeling that along with us!
Our focus for January is NUTRITION.
Starting with SMALL changes in your diet & with your lifestyle is the key for big results.
One small way you can make a change is by removing soda or sugared drinks from your daily routine and adding MORE WATER!
If it's the caffeine &/or the sweetness you crave, I have an alternative for you. Spark has caffeine, but also added vitamins, minerals & nutrients. And although it tastes sweet, there's NO SUGAR!!
It's available in about 10 different flavors & comes in individual stick packs that you pour right into an 8-ounce bottle of water. OR it's also available in a canister size if you want more for your money.
It's helped many people kick the soda habit. It's even helped people replace their coffee addiction.
There's no nutrients in soda or coffee either, just sayin!
I usually have samples on me if you're local & ever want to try it for FREE!
Okie dokie... that's all for now. Probably ought to run to the grocery store just in case we really DO get this weather. Secretly crossing fingers that we get snowed in though.
Yes, I know, it's been awhile. So long in fact that even my phone prompted me with a message the other day.
Write a post. LOL
Gotta love it. And yes, I know Facebook, it's been since August to be exact. Insert big sigh...
So anyway....
I had a couple things in the last 2 weeks that have been sweet surprises. Words to me that were nice reminders of why I do what I do.
It's not that I needed the feedback to know why I do what I do, but it prompted a lot of writing, so I'm running with it & that's why I'm mentioning it.
One of those things was just a simple little note on a scrap piece of paper left by my boss/friend intended for me to see right before plugging my music in for class. It was timely too.
That's the thing about kindness sometimes. It's divinely guided. Also a good reminder for myself too, that if I'm feeling a nudge from the universe to say something nice to someone, there must be a reason they need to hear it at that moment.
The other was the kinds words on this cup I received from a friend who started taking my Zumba classes this year...
Here's the thing though... here's what I don't think the awesome people who take my classes fully understand.
THEY have changed MY life one song at a time over the years.
Literally. Every single time I walk into that classroom, no matter what kind of mood I'm in, whether I've just been bawling my eyes out moments before or not... I throw on my hat & smile!
And the minute the music starts, it's on like Donkey Kong. We're all in it together, leaving our lives at the door for that hour.
Trust me. I remember that. I know for certain we ALL need that hour, some more than others on ANY given day. It's my privilege to be there & it's my job to leave my life at the door, because everyone is counting on me to do that.
And while yes, it's me at the helm of this ship leading the way, it's a room full of energy and we all feed off of each other.
In fact, I walked in on a conversation after class between 2 regular Zumba attendees last night... one telling the other how she inspired her to work a little harder & get a little lower during class.
And that just about sums it up.
Each one of us in there inspires someone else, usually without any awareness of it at all. Your mere presence could be someone else's "why" they are there. "Why" they continue to come back. "Why" they work a little harder. "Why" they have fun. It's not just me. We're all a team.
I love it.
One of my prayers, especially when I'm struggling to be inspired or frankly just to show up at all, is... "Use me God. Show me how to take who I am, who I want to be, & what I can do, and use it for a purpose greater than myself."
It's a gift that I've been put into this role.
A gift that keeps on giving back to me in ways I can't even explain.
These last few years have been full of much happiness & so many blessings for which to be thankful for as always, but also some painful periods of growth.
Have you had some years like that? Like... Ok, God, I get it. I'm listening... I'm looking for the lessons. Can we carry on with something else now?
I'm heading into 2019 with a mindset that's ready to get back to my true authentic self though. The best version of ME that I can be.
I mean, what the hell. I'm 50 now & not getting any younger!
I just listened to a podcast with Rachel Hollis & Ed Mylett yesterday. You can also see the actual video here...
They mentioned so many things I wanted to remember, that I found myself quickly typing notes on my blog with intent to eventually publish something, since hey, it's only been a 4-month dry spell.
One of the things mentioned here & frankly it's not the first time I've heard it either... is to remember who you were before the world told you who you were. Before you were someone's wife. Before you were someone's mom. Before you were someone's employee.
Think back to who you were as a child. What were your interests? What were your goals? Your hobbies? Your dreams?
In answering that for myself, I know that for as long as I can remember, I've been taking photos & making scrapbooks. Some of my older ones were literally on construction paper tied up with string.
I doodled all the time. Drawing houses, clouds, animals, the sun, rainbows... I was always creating in some way.
In fact all those silly little things as I look back over more recent years of my scrapbook pages, STILL show up in the form of stickers/embellishments. I'm just drawn to it for whatever reason.
In addition to creating, I'd be the group leader of "shows" we'd put on in my basement. I'd come up with choreography & decide how the show would play out with my sister, our neighbor & me. Usually that meant I was the lead singer/dancer in front doing my thang... while those 2 were behind me doing cartwheels or something I suggested as backup. LOL
I mean is that not funny & ironic or is it just me? That little girl's interests have followed me to adulthood. I unknowingly made them come to fruition in my life.
I'm not sure everyone is able to say they've unknowingly had their authentic childhood interests follow them into adulthood.
And for me, none of those interests have provided a sustainable income, so I guess I've downplayed all of it... the scrapbooking & the Zumba.
Which brings up another topic covered in that podcast...
That we tend to have the mindset that if we can't attach monetary value to something, it doesn't matter.
But that's just it. It DOES matter. It DOES have VALUE. When you're doing something you were literally created to do... it has VALUE for YOU.
"Your creativity isn't frivolous... it's a vital part of who you are."
Does this mean it becomes your job? Not necessarily.
For me... the way I've made sense of all this lately... is that when I'm NOT doing those things I was created to do... I'm unknowingly & unintentionally in a more depressed state. I require more sleep. I end up wanting to just stay in bed longer. I get less accomplished.
And when you have a job that requires a LOT of physical energy, not to mention mental focus & clarity, where do you pull from if there are also other factors in your life that are pulling energy from you?
There's only so much energy.
So there you go. I have to be intentional in bringing back those things into my life that unknowingly energize me, including that creative side that has been stuffed underneath things/people/situations of the past couple years, that in fact did the opposite.
If you have a pulse, you have a purpose.
Find it. Think back. Who are you? Who were you?
None of us have it all figured out. But we can stop & think back to who we were as a naive child and start with that.
I challenge you to go there as we head into the new year.
I'm going there too & I'm running with it... no pun intended.
Although who knows, at some point I may just run another half marathon....
I always find it interesting & also very creepy when I've been shopping for a pair of shoes or something online & then that same pair of shoes shows up in my Facebook feed just taunting me. Like... remember me... the pair you wanted to put in your cart?
To my knowledge I don't have Facebook linked to anything else.
My Instagram posts are usually totally different content & don't feed into Facebook.
I don't sign in with Google or do any kind of crossover sign-ins like that.
I have the option of feeding my blog content through Facebook, but it doesn't automatically happen.
Aside from that... I don't understand how "Big Brother" watches my shopping habits or reading content. But it does seem that if I click on a link to read it on Facebook.... they just assume I must REALLY be interested in that topic & then it shows up tenfold.
So perhaps the fact that I mentioned my divorce in my last blog post, Facebook thinks I'm interested in all topics concerning divorce now. Which literally just made me laugh out loud.
Let's get one thing straight, Facebook, I'm not. Assuming you're listening, that is, & apparently you are.
However, since Facebook thinks divorce is of major concern to me... this particular link showed up in my feed & I'd love some opinions from people who are or have been divorced because I have to admit, it did get me thinking...
Although the legal dust has settled and you are officially “divorced,” you probably realize that your process is not quite complete. Things are still messy and unclear; that’s because you’ve not yet arrived at your final destination, your stabilized AFTERWARD. You are recovering from this life altering event, reassessing and rebuilding yourself as an independent person, and you realize you actually have limited resources. You have limited time, strength, mental space, and even material things. Often, this is the time you are looking for ways to free up your life even more, to rid yourself of unneeded baggage, to streamline. And so inevitably there comes this question. The one we ask you now: why are you holding on to all that stuff anyway?
Why are you holding onto all that stuff anyway?
Yes, there’s the emotional toil, the grief, the anger, the loss that must be contended with… but what about the symbols? Certainly ask yourself this question about your engagement ring or other things your ex may have given you. Why are you holding onto them? Pause for a moment before you answer. I encourage you to write down your answers so you can consider them. I know, because I myself had some very good answers that genuinely (well, sort of) held water:
Maybe my daughters would like the ring (but really, why would I send out that karmic message?)
It was kinda pretty (it wasn’t what I would have chosen, to be frank)
It was my “You Never Know” (I hadn’t hit that point yet where I’d have to hock my jewelry. Until I did.)
I have heard better reasons: “It was his grandmother’s, and she would want me to have it,” or “It was custom made, I love it.” Admittedly, that last one is rare.
It’s okay. Throughout history, jewelry has done this for us, for women. We’ve been given it, we’ve adored it, we’ve cherished it, it’s helped us cross borders. It’s a currency when we can’t access cash. It has literally saved our lives, liberated us, as we sewed it into our hems, kept it next to our hearts, swallowed it with hope.
If you don’t keep it, what could it do for you instead?
Wipe clean a credit card debt?
Be on a gondola float in Venice?
Buy a flight to see your oldest girlfriend?
Are you not sure?
Why not find out the real value of the stuff under the bed? By all means, hang onto it if you like, but do make that decision from an informed place, not one of mythology. Know the real value and cost of hanging onto something. With your jewelry, you can do it with Worthy, or with any GIA or IGI-certified jeweler for that matter. (But make sure s/he is certified.) I myself like the easy method of sending things off to the universe, to have them valued, a la Wor-thee, then I can decide what to do with it, and perhaps it circles back to me in the form of a check!
Here’s something I learned the hard way
While I am here, allow me to share the biggest thing I learned (— I did in fact sell my engagement ring and other trinkets for a worthy cause, the final semester of education of my daughter.) Here’s the deal. The truth is we tend to romanticize the value of these trinkets. We expect we’re going to get as much out of them as they cost in the first place. You won’t, I am sorry to say. The price you pay originally includes the design time and artistry that went into the piece. When you go to sell, they really only look at the value of the stones and metal themselves. The point is, you are probably not going to get what you think you are going to get for it. I just want you to mentally prepare yourself.
SEND
So if you find it difficult to give up, ask yourself what’s really going on.
Finding it hard to part with it? Think about it for a moment and you may realize it’s not just about the ring.
It’s about the loss. You are here in this place, reading this post for a reason. Forgive yourself. Love yourself! What we find working with women who struggle through this stuff is that you are probably hanging onto certain things, vestiges of another time, because you are in mourning. You are mourning the real loss of another lifetime or story you told yourself. Who you used to be. You have likely deferred dealing with these kinds of issues for good reasons, but now you are starting to lighten. You are starting to declutter, you want to live cleanly. You are choosing and purging. You are deciding how you will live going forth.
You are starting to believe there is real possibility for your life, you are operating now out of this place of inspired thinking. You realize carrying around hardware from an old chapter sounds heavy, when really it could be letting you move and groove and fly.
Get scrappy. Go creative. Not just with jewelry, but with papers, files, events, recyclables, and the questionable people in your life; start choosing only what is worth keeping. I have never heard a woman say she regretted offloading the things that were weighing her down.
So I guess that's my question. If you're divorced, have you sold your ring(s)? And why or why not?
I don't need the money to pay bills. But doing something to make me happy like taking a trip is probably what made me think otherwise. Or maybe even doing something to my house, like building another dressing room closet since well... that did make me pretty happy at one time.
A girl does need a place to put all those online shoe purchases, Mr Facebook stalker.
And what would I ever do with the ring it if I kept it? It's gorgeous & I still love it, and yes there's sentimental value, but I obviously can't wear it anymore & haven't worn it in over 3 years... so what purpose does it serve now?
Hit me with your opinions on this.
And side-note... no, I'm not actually contemplating sending my ring "off to the universe" to get valued... I'd use my own jeweler thankyouverymuch.
I mean... I'm an idiot sometimes, but not quite to THAT level.
Goodness. So much to say. So much to get caught up on.
And while I don't need to go into detail on everything... I can hit some bullet points of life around here lately...
I had an amazing trip recently with Bryn. Our first trip ever with just the 2 of us... aside from 1 volleyball tournament earlier this year to Nashville that was more of a road trip. This trip involved flying to another country... Mexico... and when we do it, we do it right.
All-inclusive. And we enjoyed every single second of it. Even the part where we had a cancelled connecting flight on the way home and also both ended up with some stupid stomach parasite... mine escalating to a fever & a 10-day antibiotic prescription. Two antibiotics to be exact, but who's counting. Insert big sigh. No regrets though. We had a blast & I'd do it again in a freakin heartbeat. I mean, the trip was full of guacamole til we busted, Zumba at the pool & IN the pool... it couldn't have been better. We're already talking about doing another trip next summer as her graduation gift. Maybe not to Cancun again & hopefully without the parasite as well!
And yes.... she's a senior. Her first last day of high school was on Wednesday. Insert another big sigh. School is off to a good start. She's on the varsity volleyball team again... middle hitter... and also has a job working as a server at a local retirement/nursing home. I'm very proud of her, as I'm sure you all know. She's not perfect, who is?, and we get along sometimes like sisters, but she keeps me sane & laughing, which is really all that matters!
Additionally, Bob & I are now divorced. The actual settlement day that happened this past week was emotional to say the least, and coincidentally also happened on Bryn's last first day of high school.
Nothing between us happened overnight. Not our decision to separate. Not the actual filing which happened literally a year ago this month. And not the actual signing of papers. It was a journey, to say the least. But it does bring a sense of closure with it.
What I do know to be true is that I've known him for half my life so I don't take any of this lightly & I don't think he does either. He'll always be a part of my life. We will always be co-parenting & I'm very glad we are still on amicable terms with each other. It matters for all 3 of us.
In today's day & age of social media you wonder... am I supposed to update my status as divorced now? Or single? Or do I really have to have a title? I think we all feel like we have some kind of title or branding of who we are & quite honestly... does it really describe us or is it society's description of who we are?
I'm happy to say though that in the midst of everything... something made me decide to attend another group fitness training over the weekend & I left it being on a "high" I haven't felt in awhile. So it was the perfect ending to an emotional week.
I had started this blog post a couple weeks ago in anticipation of the training and had started writing about the whole story of how I ended up teaching Zumba 7 years ago in the first place, because trust me... it was NOT a goal at all to teach... I liked being a student & that was it! But I deleted it all & will save it for another day.
Since then though... I've added on the following certifications/licenses. All of the trainings have had their crazy stories, some of which I've shared on this blog:
Zumba Toning
Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA) Group Fitness Instructor
Les Mills Body Pump
The CRT Method
Can I just say though that THIS training on Saturday was by far, the most unpredictably FUN training I've ever attended! I mean... it spoke to my soul in ways that I just can't describe. But I'll sum it up as saying it was almost 9 hours of dancing &/or learning to dance better with a format that is near & dear to my heart.
The MIX by Piloxing is a commercial dance format. Essentially that means, any kind of dance EXCEPT Latin since basically Zumba has got that covered already. And quite honestly, all the stuff we do in Zumba besides the Latin is what speaks to my soul the loudest, so this is a good fit for me.
Learning all the new choreography (which is repetitive just like Zumba), not to mention the verbal cueing that needs to happen while on a mic will be a whole different beast, but I'm practicing & memorizing as much as I can. We'll see where this leads, but I'm a happy camper to say the least!
Quite honestly, there's no way it couldn't be fun. Our instructor is a very dear friend who is also my boss & one badass on the dance floor. In fact, she's so good she's a Master Trainer & in their promotional video. Check it out...
And with that, it's Monday, which means I'm headed off to take her class tonight & commit some more of all this to my ever-fading memory!
Music is so powerful... the feelings it creates... the memories it brings back... it's always been such a huge part of my life. Music was always playing in our home growing up. Even had my own Donny & Marie 45-record player in my room before I could afford to buy a decent stereo. Columbia House addict anyone?? Why yes, I do have a penny. If that doesn't show my age, I don't know what does.
It's still very important in the job that I do. Music can make or break an experience for someone, especially in a fitness class.
But I felt compelled to quickly write & share this video I saw on Facebook.
Funny how a 20-minute video can literally make you smile the entire time, laugh out loud & even cry not once but TWICE while you're watching it. First... because they sang Blackbird, which we played at my sister's funeral, and then again toward the end when they sang Hey Jude... because that song always reminds me of an entire house full of people who had gathered after my best friend's mom's funeral years ago, all singing that song together in honor of her mom, Judy.
If the Beatles didn't play some role in your life with memories... well... you must just be young. Although just like they mention in the video... their songs are still relevant today.
So.... Bryn got her wisdom teeth removed yesterday. As per her request ahead of time, I videoed the drive home which, by the way, was hilarious. I mean... hard not laugh hilarious. Poor baby.
I tried to avoid laughing in the car because I didn't want to start her crying again like she did in the recovery room. Her dad & I were both there for the 30-minute surgery. When we got called back into the recovery room, we were hit with a LOT of follow-up care recovery info. I imagine we were both nervous about her condition & trying to listen as intently as possible, both hoping that between the 2 of our can't-remember-shit-diseased brains, we'd get the info correct. So the nurse ends all of the info with something like... just drop off the prescriptions, go get a milkshake or a smoothie while you wait & then give her the meds when she gets home... any questions?
Bob says... "Uh sorry, I guess I got hung-up on the smoothie part & didn't hear what you said after that."
So I burst out laughing & say, "He must be hungry."
At which point, Bryn got mad & shook her head & started crying.
So I'm like... oh my gosh that can't be good for her mouth & teeth... we're just being idiots & she's 3-sheets to the wind & doesn't get the humor in ANY of this. Nor does she understand our being overwhelmed with too much info (it wasn't quite as short & sweet as I depicted above), so I say... "oh, sweetie, it's ok... everything is ok" & the nurse says... "don't worry this is a totally normal response to be crying."
So... let's just say it was really difficult to not laugh during this video, even though I did a couple times. And there's a 2nd video too which took place after I got back in the car with the smoothies, but it's really just more of the same hilariousness so I won't bore you with both.
And as a side-note since you'll likely wonder who the hell he is... "Cleetus McDuffy" is a character in a stupid funny YouTube video we watched when she was a lot younger & I was in the thick of my scrapbooking life. The husband of a well-known scrapbooker made a mockery type video of the craziness that went on in the scrapbooking world back in the day. It was hilariously on point & I think it's even more hilarious that he came to mind in Bryn's brain somehow yesterday.
Anyhoo... she's doing well so far & is totally back to "normal" now. Just about as normal as her mother...
Happy Friday & hope you have a GREAT weekend! XOXO
Rising above & refusing to engage is usually what I feel serves my energy in the best way possible.
Call it ignoring, call it moving on with positivity over conflict, call it I'm getting way too old for this... call it whatever you want. Not everything requires a response.
Some can create conflict where there is none. Some will use social media to air every little grievance in their life.
Just because someone is sharing their words to those who will listen either in person or on social media, doesn't mean their story is THE story though.
Just because other parties involved DON'T speak up to defend or refute, doesn't mean they don't have a story too.
In my own case, I may just end up writing a book. I mean, why not... I personally know a few people who have done so & mine would surely be a page-turner as well.
The Real Housewives got nothin' on this real Zumba instructor. LOL
As for my own platform on social media, I prefer to use it in a positive way that empowers or inspires. Or at least makes you laugh because the world needs more kindness & less created BS.
This morning I read a post on Facebook that was shared by a friend. It impacted me enough to want to share it too. Here's an excerpt from it...
"...Sometimes the juice isn't worth the squeeze. We are not responsible for everyone else's issues. Just because someone is demanding a response from you doesn't mean you owe it. You are a grown adult that gets to exercise discernment when it comes to conflict, and some people are unsafe. The end. You may be invited to the Big Fight, but you get to choose to stay home and watch Netflix instead.
"But they are saying lies!" "But they are mischaracterizing me!" "But I need to defend myself!" "But I want my side of the story on record!" "But I need to set them straight!"
Sometimes these objections are true and require a thoughtful response, and sometimes we need to DROP IT because it isn't going to do a lick of good. Don't get baited into a fight when you know there will be two losers, no winners.
Let them duke it out with someone else."
I know who I am & how I treat people. I know I choose kindness & respect. I know I choose to help others as much as I can, sometimes to the detriment of my own time & energy. I know that I'm sincere in the way I engage with others, ESPECIALLY those I'm fortunate enough to know because of my role as instructor.
These aren't qualities I feel I need to advertise about myself, and I would hope my actions over the years of however long or little you've known me, speak louder than my lack of words in any given situation past, present or future.
Which brings me back to my blog, which has now been in existence for over 10 years. It started a few years before I was even on Facebook & particularly for my love of scrapbooking & my desire to use this vehicle as a means to get more involved in that world.
And it worked.
I would eventually go on to being part of a few design teams and have my work published in quite a few magazines & publications. It was fun. Really really fun & I miss it a lot.
And while my writing style has changed over the years, and my posts are few & far between these days, the content has pretty much been about my life... as a parent, a wife, now soon-to-be-exwife, our home, our travels, scrapbooking, card-making, my job that would eventually become fitness instructor (which I love even more than scrapbooking), my distributorship with Advocare, my friends, etc.
My intent is simply to entertain, inform or inspire.
Perhaps it's possible if you don't know me that well &/or you haven't been reading this blog over the past 10 years... that you could make other assumptions & not realize how much content I've put on here & how the content has changed & adapted to where my life is at that moment.
For example... if you wanted to read further on any given subject, like pictures of my house for instance, you could just click on that link for interior design on the sidebar & it would give you content that potentially went all the way back to 2010, depending on how diligent I was with categorizing over the years...
If I write about something or show photos of something, it doesn't mean I think I'm an expert on that subject or that I'm in some way bragging. My life is good, but it's certainly not perfect enough to brag about. LOL
It might mean I posted photos because I was marketing a particular item for a scrapbooking company who sent it to me for that reason. Or it might mean someone asked me to post more photos of my home & then I did, since I've been randomly doing that anyway for the last 10 years. It might mean that I try to share what I know to be true about what works with regard to diet & exercise.
It's meant to be light-hearted & fun. It's similar to content which I personally like to read when I'm cruising through other people's blogs.
It's an extension of my life, my home & my scrapbooks. Not in a way that puts everything out there, but enough to keep things real & hopefully relatable.
And I can assure you that if you have any kind of sleep issues, a little light reading on here will likely bore you to death & you'll be off to dreamland in no time! Consider it a free version of Melatonin.
Which, by the way, is becoming more & more of a friend to me these days when sleep eludes me.
On a similar subject, I also saw this the other day on Facebook & wanted to share...
If you've attended my Zumba class in the last couple weeks, you've done a new routine to No Excuses. As you may or may not know, Meghan Trainor teamed up with Zumba for this song & did a video for it. I've used the choreography from that video with a couple modifications for class as you'll likely recognize...
Another recent Zumba collaboration was with Jason Derulo. I added his song Tip Toe to class right after he released it, but a few months later he teamed up with Zumba for it. There was no "official" choreography for that song to my knowledge, but here's a snippet of mine...
Love both songs & ALWAYS love the energy everyone brings to EVERY SINGLE class!
Now that we're into March, it's right about the time that New Year's Resolutions may begin to fade. If fitness or healthy eating is a goal... baby steps & making small changes can add up over time & can show big results!
One small change you can make is to drink more water. "They" say... at least eight 8-oz glasses per day is optimal. Water does so many great things for our body that other liquids simply cannot do.
Since your brain is mostly water, drinking it helps you think, focus and concentrate better and be more alert. As an added bonus, your energy levels are also boosted!
2. Promotes Weight Loss
Removes by-products of fat, reduces eating intake (by filling up your tummy if consumed prior to meals), reduces hunger (hello natural appetite suppressant!), raises your metabolism and has zero calories!
3. Flushes Out Toxins
Gets rid of waste through sweat and urination which reduces the risk of kidney stones and UTI’s (urinary tract infections).
4. Improves Skin Complexion
Moisturizes your skin, keeps it fresh, soft, glowing and smooth. Gets rid of wrinkles. It’s the best anti-aging treatment around!
5. Maintains Regularity
Aids in digestion as water is essential to digest your food and prevents constipation.
6. Boosts Immune System
A water guzzler is less likely to get sick. And who wouldn’t rather feel healthy the majority of the time? Drinking plenty of water helps fight against flu,
7. Natural Headache Remedy
Helps relieve and prevent headaches (migraines & back pains too!) which are commonly caused by dehydration.
8. Prevents Cramps & Sprains
Proper hydration helps keep joints lubricated and muscles more elastic so joint pain is less likely.
9. Puts You In A Good Mood
When the body is functioning at its best, you will feel great and be happy!
10. Save Money!
Water is FREE! Even if you choose bottled/filtered water, it’s STILL cheaper than that high sugar soda or fat-filled latte!
And speaking of that high sugar soda & fat-filled latte... cutting it OUT of your diet is another small change that will make a huge difference in your body! It's simply added empty calories that provides no nutritional value whatsoever.
If it's the caffeine you crave... a great alternative that provides caffeine AND vitamins/nutrients with NO sugar, is SPARK! It comes in individual stick packs or a canister. The newest flavor is Raspberry Lemonade, but there are 10 other great flavors available as well!
Spark contains an effective amount of caffeine to give you a quick boost, B vitamins to enhance your body's natural ability to produce and sustain its own energy, and neuroactive ingredients that enhance mental focus and alertness. Plus it tastes good, so it's a great substitute if you're looking to give up your soda habit!
Reduce your sugar intake, increase your water intake & stay hydrated to help keep your body functioning at it's best!
I've been part of a challenge group at Bloom since the beginning of this year. One of the goals for the group is to workout at least 5 times per week. My role is obviously one of the instructors, but I've personally become re-inspired by everyone involved to start working out for myself again too.
In the last year or so, I've become kinda lazy. Lazy for me, that is. I do get it that I teach at least 5 classes per week & that's 5 workouts. But I've found myself not caring about doing anything on my 2 days off. Like literally sometimes sleeping until 11am & then not even so much as jumping on the treadmill. My longest walk is sometimes to the refrigerator & back.
Not to mention if I'm doing the same workouts week in & week out, my body has obviously adapted to it, so it's good to change things up sometimes. Shock the body with something different.
"Old me" would do some kind of workout every day. In fact my chiropractor asked me at one point how many "rest days" I took & I said, "uhhh... well... sometimes I take one..." He wasn't amused.
So today instead taking an extra hour of sleep before getting in the car for over 5 hours, I decided to set my alarm & actually get out of bed when it went off. No laying in bed for a half hour cruising through Facebook & Instagram... or hiding under the covers for a few more minutes.
Got my ass up, even after not sleeping very well, got dressed & headed to my garage to hit the treadmill.
I only allowed myself enough time for about a 40-minute workout, so I decided on treadmill + some random HIIT stuff... aka. high intensity interval training.
No running for me today... just kept it at a 4.0 walking pace. But every few minutes or so, I jumped off the treadmill & did a random exercise... then jumped back on. This repeated for the entire 40 minutes & at the point of the jump tucks I actually felt proud of myself. I'm not one of those people who do burpees for fun. I really do NOT like them. However I would've pushed myself to do them today, but the garage floor is disgustingly dirty, so I kept it at tucks. And they aren't easy!
Here's the exercises I randomly did. I have my own barbell set that I used for the weighted exercises, but hand weights or your own body weight could also be used. I did everything quickly to spike my heart-rate:
30 jumping jacks
30 weighted squats
30 pushups (stayed on my knees to do them quick)
15 clean & press
30 bicep curls
30 jump squats
15 jump tucks
30 crunches
1 minute plank
These moves were my own modification from a list Bryn found & used at the gym recently. I would've liked to have added more HIIT moves, but time didn't allow for it. Plus I figured that whatever I did was better than just sitting on my butt all day. Here's Bryn's list if you'd like to have an extra at-home workout similar to mine or hers on the days when you can't make it out of the house to the gym:
And with that... one more bit of inspiration from the Daily Motivator that spoke to me ...
If you wish, you can immerse yourself fully in this moment. Or if you choose, you can focus your awareness beyond the moment and transcend this moment entirely.
At any and every point in time the choice is yours. With this choice you shape your life, your experience, and the world around you.
You decide what gets in and what is left out. You decide which notions, stimuli, experiences are amplified, enshrined in memory, acted upon, and which are attenuated until they are forgotten.
This great power is yours. With this power, you manifest your intentions into reality.
What drives all this, what makes it work without breaking down into utter chaos, is your clear sense of purpose. And that comes from being completely honest with yourself about yourself.
Live to love all that you love, to support all you value, to care for what matters most. You have great power over your life, so be sure to direct it with even greater purpose.
Have a great weekend & I'll see ya on the flip-side. With my "bleacher butt." And ready to rock it out on Monday!
Ok so I know I've posted this photo on here before, but it's probably one of my fav photos of us ever. It was taken of us in a hotel room in London and we were laughing our guts out as usual. Who knows why.
I laugh a lot, that's no secret. However, there's only a few who can make me obnoxiously laugh to the point of tears & no sound coming out of my mouth... & she's one of them. My dad is another. Actually my entire immediate family. They're crazy. I don't even know how it gets to this point with us, but it happens quite a bit & usually over something really stupid.
So last night I said goodnight to Bryn, told her to please turn off her phone & give her eyes & her brain a break... and then went into my room & got in bed. A few minutes later, I get a text from her (yes, from across the hall) of the following video she apparently took a couple months ago & probably put on her Snapchat story for all I know. I transferred it to Youtube so I could share it on here & I'm sure no one really cares about the stupidity of this except for me, but I want to remember it & I'm so glad she took it. It's SO us.
Neither one of us can even remember why we were laughing. And if anyone else was in the room with us during these episodes, they could surely never understand a word of the unintelligible stuff that comes out of our mouths while we're gasping for air... only for some reason, we can understand each other in the midst of it. And it just carries on & on until I'm yelling, stop... my stomach hurts!
Needless to say, I ended up laughing my guts out at bedtime last night & so was she... each in our own bedrooms across the hall.
And this is why she's my favorite person in the whole world. Truly blessed.
Whether you celebrate Valentine's or not, hope your day is full of happiness & some laughter too!
Happy February... happy apparently 6 more weeks of winter... happy Justin Timberlake rocked the halftime show... and happy I-think-I've-already-posted-on-here-more-in-the-last-month-than-I did-all-last-year. Go me, with that resolution!
The other day I posted photos of my craft room. You can see that here if you missed it. And thank you so very much for your kind comments & positive feedback! ♥
Continuing on with more of the tour... these are photos from the first floor. I'll do another post soon with the rest of the 2nd floor once I get everything edited. My favorite app for editing photos lately is A Color Story. It's great for lightening up photos, especially for rooms that do not get a lot of good natural light. And it's easy to edit right from my phone since goodness knows almost all my photos are taken with my phone these days, while my Canon just sits there collecting dust. Pitiful. But when phone cameras are convenient AND take good quality photos... I mean... why bother??
So this old TV armoire was the inpsiration & starting point for the whole room. I really wanted it to be a funky, bright statement piece. And at the time, I found myself "pinning" a lot of painted furniture on Pinterest, so I decided to tackle it based on some suggestions of paint that promised minimal prep work because sometimes I'm lazy...
Velvet Finishes paint is made specifically for furniture & requires no sanding or primer... just a clean surface of course. The color I chose is HANDSOME. Literally. And figuratively in my opinion. LOL
I really love how it turned out.
And while I was at it, I painted old tables that used to be silver or black with a can of gold spray paint. All of this took place in the garage & let's just say that I shouldn't have left the can of spray paint laying on the garage floor. Because while the newly painted beautiful blue armoire was still sitting there, I decided it would be a great idea to back up my car over the can of gold spray paint, causing it to explode & violently spray gold paint everywhere, including onto the blue armoire AND my tire.
I mean... I'm totally into bling & sparkle as you probably know... but a gold tire was a little much.
So... I suggest you don't do that & you'll likely not need 3 coats of paint on your furniture. Ahem...
Oh & I spray painted the knobs gold for the armoire too. What can I say except it's easy to get on a roll once you get a can of paint in your hands...
As I've said before, Bryn has a great eye for design & is very creative & artistic. She made a couple of the pieces of art hanging in this room based off inspiration found on Pinterest. White canvas, black paint... again... it's very cheap to make, but would cost a lot more money to buy it...
Design on a dime was my motto, so repurposing what I had &/or altering things I purchased at Ikea was how it all went down. It was really a mix of mostly old stuff with some new stuff thrown in. I also decided to just leave the paint on the walls white for now so I could play with more pops of color & pattern in all the rooms.
Again... very different from my other house which had more color on the walls there.
This Ikea light makes me really happy. So cheap, but such a cool piece that also catches your eye. And I love the shadow it casts on the ceiling at night...
I'm an 80's girl & I will always love my albums. Gotta love that record player I received as a gift a few years ago so I can still play the albums too...
There are quite a few references to Bloom in the accessories in several rooms of my home. Kinda love that place... just sayin'.
That print of the girl dancing was a gift & has my name in her body. Are you kidding me right now??? So cool...
More Ikea purchases with the counter stools & chairs. Cheap white chairs that had an aluminum base to them that I again used gold spray paint to change the look. Honestly I think they look less "cheap" with the gold, but they also match the room better that way too.
The kitchen table was not cheap, so I figured I could get away with mixing that almost farmhouse look of the table with modern chairs. I found it a few years ago at West Elm. Love love that store. Wish they were local.
As for the corks... I'd like to say I didn't partake in drinking all those bottles of wine, but I'd be lying. So try to focus on the cute little Bloom ornament instead...
Recently I organized the pantry after getting inspiration from The Home Edit on Instagram. Again with my design on a dime motto... most of what I used as storage was found at the dollar store. And I had almost paid like 5X that amount at Target, but decided to look there first instead...
These chalk board markers will write directly onto glass or plastic surfaces & then easily erase with a paper towel too...
I almost painted all the cabinet door pullls gold too, but my laziness kicked in & said... You know...you can mix metals & stick with some silver stuff instead of all gold, DUH.
Plus I really don't like anything to be too matchy-matchy anyway, so laziness won out.
But I do have a goal to get a backsplash & also get rid of the ugly sink & faucet. I'd like to switch it out for a big white porcelain sink with something gold & yummy like this faucet. Be still my heart...
This fish is totally my buddy & I'm not ashamed to admit it.
We get each other. In other words, he doesn't bark & wake me up in the middle of the night so he's totally low maintenance.
He gets that I'm not low maintenance & sometimes go out of town for a week leaving him without food. And that I'm not great about cleaning the poor thing's bowl regularly.
I mean... he's like Gloria Gaynor & will survive my occasional bad parenting. Honestly though, I probably care way too much about that fish, but it's really the only living thing in my house other than maybe an aloe plant, when Bryn's not with me.
You're my boy, Blue...
Moving on... this is just the main floor half-bath right off the entryway. And surprise, surprise... there's more gold spray paint!
Are you getting sick of it yet?
At least it's not gold polka dots.
We'll get to more of that on the next post... much to Bryn's dismay...
This "shelf" was a bright turquoise blue color when I purchased it, but I decided to paint it gold & use it to store extra toilet paper... a decision that Bryn suggested when we found it at Hobby Lobby.
Love that she can see beyond the obvious in that brain of hers.
As for the cat photo, I think I probably found the inspiration from Pinterest. Decided to make my own version of whatever I had seen... found a photo of a cat with it's tongue sticking out somewhere online, then added the text Dat Ass & printed it. What can I say except it makes me laugh & I thought it was good bathroom humor...
OK then...
More to come soon with the rest of the tour.
Happy Monday & I hope you have a great week ahead!!
Decided to start getting some photos to post a little house tour on here, based on some feedback I received. I may do it over the course of a few days though, so it's not one big mile-long post. Which it seems this one might be anyway.
That being the case, I figured I'd get Bryn on board for cleaning her room since, well, the bed is rarely made & clothes are always all over the place... mostly the floor. And if I'm going to post photos, there should at least be the illusion that her room is untouched by a teenager. Nothing but realness here, folks. Honestly, I've given up on arguing about it & most of the time I just close her door so it's out of sight. I'm all about the old trick that if I can't see it, then it doesn't exist. However, if she caves & gives me a clean room once a week, I'm good.
So we had this conversation...
Me: Soooo, Bryn... I need you to do me a favor.
Bryn: What is it?
Me: I need you to clean your room so it's photo-worthy.
Bryn: Why is a TV station coming to film it?
Me: laughing... Uh, no, but that's funny. And is that the only way I can get you to agree?
Two things are funny about that...
Is it too much to ask for a kid to clean their room without a tv crew coming over??
It is probably weird that we have had that happen at my old house twice.
Great Day St Louis came over to film my craft room back in 2010 & 2011. And I went back to look at the links I provided on my blog, but I guess there's no archives for video that far back on KMOV because apparently it's been deleted. Which stinks since I have no recording of it either.
But I did save this screen shot from the 2nd episode on their website. Bryn & I were both sitting at our desks pretending to be working...
Another illusion that I sit at home in high heels to do scrapbooking. Only on TV, folks, only on TV...
The topic for that episide was "mom caves" so they did an interview & video about the entire craft room.
The first time they came over though was to do a shoot on my wrapping paper station. A friend of mine knew Claire Keeling who used to do their interviews back then & she told her about my craft room, so they called me. Here's some pictures from the prep for that shoot. The drawers I had installed were extra long so they could hold rolls of wrapping paper. And all the cards on the counter were cards that I've made. She asked me about the larger of the two card spinners. It was actually an old paint chip card holder from a paint store that my sister didn't want anymore so she gave it to me...
The room was pretty big... 565 square feet of bliss. If you were ever looking for me back then, it was highly likely that I was in that room. I have significantly down-sized to a small bedroom for my craft room/office, but I love it just the same. You can see the old room in it's entirety & read more detailsabout it here.
And here's my current room. It's a lot less pink & green, and a lot more white. And it's a lot smaller. The zebra print rug HAD to be there again though even if it does take up almost the entire room. I love that thing...
I'm not crazy about the scrapbooks being in all different colors/patterns. May invest in the same color for all of them eventually. There's even more inside the walk-in closet too. I've used that closet as an extension of the room, so it's where I have my printer, cutting board, card spinners & additional storage. Not quite like the other "wrapping paper station" I once had, but I can close the door to the unorganized non-pretty stuff so that makes me happy...
You'll begin to notice that I have those gold polka dots on the wall in a few of the rooms in our house. They're self-stick decals that I found on Etsy. I love them. It gives the illusion that I have a wall-papered wall, but much easier & they're removeable if I ever get sick of them. Bryn sarcastically asked me at one point if I was going to put them in every room. I said, "Well I don't know... I just might!"
She's got a really great eye for design, but her advice on polka-dot excessiveness fell on deaf ears.
Kind of the same way she ignores my request to clean her room...
Oh my how this makes me happy. Have you ever used My Social Book to create a scrapbook of all your Facebook photos, posts, comments, etc? I mean, it's ALL literally in there... every single comment & memory. How COOL is that?! I have a book for every year since I've been on Facebook (except last year & I'm patiently waiting for another coupon to order it... never never pay full price).
Very easy to use though. They pull all the content for you & do all the design work once you grant access. You'll get a preview of the book prior to ordering, but the rest is like opening a surprise gift on Christmas morning.
Who knows if anyone will ever read them, let alone care, but they look cute on my coffee table & they are certainly a great extension of our scrapbooks with content that likely would've never made it into those books.
And let's be honest. Do I even scrapbook anymore?? This could be the only thing I end up with from last year, at the rate I'm going. Ugh...
Happy FriYAY & I hope you have a fantastic weekend! I'm just happy to be finally be getting over the flu. Although I gotta admit... I'm super happy there was a lot of energy in that room today to make up for the lack of mine. Whewwwwweee... this week has been a doozie!
And the following might accurately sum me up, since I'll pretty much show up under any circumstance... but I finally waved the white flag on Tuesday & surrendered. LOL
onebriar Round Decorative Antique Gold 24" Metal Starburst Hanging Mirror for Wall, Modern Boho Decor for the Living Room, Bathroom, Bedroom, and Entryway
♥
