A big beef

I recently started going to Wicked Barre, on the suggestion of FP . I feel great after a work out there, and I honestly think that after the month of going to classes 2-3 times a week my body is really changing. My legs feel leaner, my core stronger (a tiny bit stronger anyway). I still watch what I eat for the most part, I don't always follow Weight Watchers as closely as I'd like but I am aware of how to eat healthy and make the right choices. One thing that really bothers me - and it probably shouldn't but it does- is when people say things to me like, "you're so skinny", or "oh you can eat that, you can afford it." Firstly, I don't consider myself skinny. I am average. I wear a steady size 8 or sometimes I can squeeze myself into size 6. Skinny in my opinion is size 2 or 4. I am on the thinner side of average but "skinny" I don't think so!!! I am often the biggest person in barre class (especially on Fridays!?!?!) Second, I can't "afford" to eat like a glutton. I work hard on eating healthy, I worked even harder on losing 25 pounds and keeping it off is a daily effort. I really can't eat whatever I want,(although in all honesty, eating junky, fatty foods doesn't really appeal to me anymore as it just leaves me feeling gross, bloated and very uncomfortable for days afterwards) nor do I even want to eat "junk food" regularly. I see what eating unhealthily can look like. I've been on that end of the spectrum. The people who generally comment on how I can "afford" to eat whatever I want are usually the ones who really can't afford it but indulge regularly- perhaps daily! Why do people make comments without thinking about them? (not that i've never been guilty of this-that's for certain) Is it jealousy or just ignorance that make people speak first and not realize the impact their words will have on the receiver? Maybe they are trying to pay a compliment and likely don't mean anything negative by their words but I just find these types of compliments to be slightly back handed!

the most wonderful time of the year...

It's boot season!!! and browsing all the beautiful boots on display in the stores now brought me to my newest love...

Dirty Girl

I recently decided to give an old tried and true face wash a try again. I had used Noxzema as a teenager and never had really bad skin. In fact I would say my skin overall had been pretty good. When I saw a huge container on sale for a really good price I bought it without hesistation. Fast forward a few weeks...after using the Noxzema for about 3-4 weeks i started to notice a great deal of breakout and gross spots on my face. The product claims to deep clean and mosturize, and leave your skin feeling fresh so i never thought my skin would be so dirty after using it to wash my face at the end of the day. I was really upset about all the blemishes on my face so i went over it several times with a cotton pad soak in rubbing alcohol (a tried and true cleanser- even if slightly drying on skin) the puff was filthly. It looked as though i had not even washed my face at all. I was horrified and am now on a search for a pruduct that actually does what it claims and cleanses my face, removing makeup and dirt!

take a look at how dirty my face was just after cleansing with Noxzema

Rosemary Roasted Chicken with potatoes

I made this delicious chicken last week and needed to share

ingredients

2tsp paprika
1 1/2 rosemary leaves crushed
1 tsp dehydrated minced garlic
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
1 1/2 pounds red potatoes cut in 1 inch cubes

directions
1. mix all the spices in a large bowl add chicken and potatoes, toss to coat well. Arrange chicken and potatoes in a single layer on foil lined baking pan
2. roast in pre-heated 425 degree f oven for 30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink and potatoes are tender. turn potatoes occasionally during cooking.

judgement calls

The other day i met up with a very old friend. We are so different and I am always a little surprised we have remained friends over the past 20 years. But i guess our differences make for interesting conversations...or at least interesting to talk about afterwards with my dear husband!
During this particular visit our conversation was slightly dull as i listened (once again) to her chatter on and on about her own kids, the kids she will be working this year and her hatred of patterned clothing. Then we spoke briefly about someone i just recently met and whom she has known for years. She said something about this woman that got me thinking.... she told me she doesn't like the other lady because she's happy being fat. i was slightly dumbfounded by this comment and just let it go.
but it got me thinking. why should it matter to someone whether or not another person is happy with who they are, thin or not? I think it's quite admirable that this new friend of mine is so confident in herself that she isn't bothered by her weight. or even if she is she doesn 't talk about it and seems very comfortable in her own skin. She has a fabulous life, a loving husband, 3 beautiful kids and gorgeous professionally decorated house and no need to ever worry about working. who wouldn't be happy.
Who is my old friend to judge this woman based on her weight? Would i judge and not like someone because they never bother putting on make-up, or should brush their hair more often- no. i accept them for who they are. flaws and all! I might not like someone for being judgemental and over bearing but because they are fat... not the case, I may even be a little jealous that they can be happy with themselves as they are because weight is such an obsession for both myself and so many women (and men) in society today.
Is being happy with being fat a bad thing? I think it is more important to teach your children that being a good person and being confident in who you are comes from within and not based on exterior appearances.  Obsessing about weight and complaining about being fat all the time can lead to a lot of issues for both you and the people around you. (although admittedly i am guilty of this but am really trying to make a concerted effort not to complain about my appearance - especially in front on my kids)  Having so much self-confidence that you are happy in your own skin just shows a level of maturity that perhaps not everyone can obtain.
anyway  i was so bothered by this comment i had to express my opinions on it... what would you have said or perhaps thought about this???

fourty not frumpy

Before turning 40 i was really scared for what was to come. i had always thought of 40 as being the turning point in a downward spiral towards the end...or just "over the hill"
Now that i am 40 i feel that I'm 40 but not frumpy. unlike so many of the women i know around my age i want to be fabulous and fashionable. I don't want to let my age deter me from looking great, rocking high heals and bikinis. i refuse to wear tankinis with skirt bottoms and "sensible shoes".
i don't always have my nails done nicely but i never (ever) leave my house without mascara and lip gloss.
In my pursuit of fabulousness i have recently picked up these great treasures....

feeling great

The past few weeks..since turning 40 in fact, i have been feeling great- with the exception of an awful reaction to some foods- i've never felt better. I have been getting compliments from so many people at work on everything from my shoes to my hair. And honestly i don't think i've changed anything i've been doing- other than maybe wearing a couple of pairs of sexier shoes! I haven't even had a hair cut since December 14th!! !
I have been running a little more these days and with running comes reduced appetite which of course leads to a nicer figure! but i haven't bought any new clothes, just been digging out what i already own. Maybe the fact that the weather has been getting nicer (except of course for today- which is miserable) helps...

July Challenge

I promised myself I would complete the 30 day shred in July. i have started it several times and have never completed it. I am off to do day one....

outfit of the day

inspired by FP's old blog style i've decided that while the weather is nicer and clothing is more fun to wear I'm going to post my outfit of the day...

Today I dug way into my closet and pulled out a MEXX skirt that I haven't worn in years. When I bought it in 2003 it was a bit snug... then it got so tight I couldn't do up the zipper at all (post baby x 2 ) Now it is a tad loose but I still love the length and straight style. I could probably have it taken in a bit but not really worth it given how old it is and how cheap it was to begin with. My top was another "snug when purchased" from RW. I loved the color and was on Weight Watchers religiously so I knew that the smaller size would eventually fit.. but again it fit then got big.. anyway I liked the look and especially love it with my new hot shoes .. still getting the hang of taking self-portraits though so excuse the crappy quality !

I did it!!!

Finished the Sporting Life 10K yesterday in 1:05:28. Pretty good. I was hoping to get it done in under 60 miutes but sicne the weather has been so friggin' cold lately I have not been able to train as much as I needed to get to that goal. In any case I'm very happy with my results and now that it's done I plan on registering for a few more races over the summer.
The only downside to yesterdays' run was it was SO SOOOO very cold. My legs were blue and my feet/toes were so cramping that even today I'm limping and stiff. Couldn't take the stairs today like I normally do as my muscles just won't work that way today.. but honestly it's an awesome feeling!!!

and to top it off I raised almost $150 for Camp Ooch thanks to the generousity of my friends and family!!!

depression

every year since having kids I find this time of year very depressing. I am not sure exactly why, the weather is beautiful, the sun is shining and spring has sprung but I start to feel like a prisoner in my own life. My kids go to bed fairly early and often it is still light outside, I am then stuck inside with nothing to do but watch TV or clean the house...same old stuff I do in the winter. I never get the chance to enjoy the beautiful weather and sometimes start to feel resentful. I miss my old life, when i could go sit on a patio and have a drink or two with friends, take walks in the evenings with my hubby or even friends.
I have told hubby that I feel this way and he wasn't taking me seriously at first but he realized that this is actually an issue for me and we are going to work on ways to fix it,. Won't be easy as my kids need their sleep, but maybe taking them to the park after dinner for a bit and getting out of the house into the sunshine will ease my upset about this issue!

Sunny Spring Styles

Seems like patterned and printed pants are all the rage this spring. Every store I go into has them on display. They look nice but I'm not sure I'll be buying into the trend, unless I find a pair I really like, at a super steal. I like to wear my jeans/pants for years and years and don't anyone to think that they are "so last year" next summer!!
Will you buying into this summers trend with patterned pants???

Who knew,,, how great turning 40 would be!!!

I was dreading turning 40. I always pictured 40 year old women as old and going down hill... but really this has not been the case at all. First of all, I think I look great for my age. People are always surprised when my age comes up. I do take decent care of my skin and hardly ever take sun so I think that helps a lot.
I also try to exercise, not as regularly as I'd like but often enough that I'm not horribly over weight. I have been running recently and find that the more I exercise the better I look and especially feel.
My birthday was celebrated with style. On the actual night I went out to dinner with my closest friends.It was really nice!! I realized that I've been friends with some of these ladies for upwards of 30 years!!! The restaurant itself was ... eh. Food could have been better and it was a bit over priced but the company and conversation well made up for that!
My husband got me the exact camera I wanted. I have always wanted to take up photography and the pictures I take with my phone camera just don't cut it. Now I can start my new hobby in style! I am really looking forward to creating some awesome photobooks and printing the pics to display in my home!

My mother-in-law surprised me the most. She came over on my birthday and gave the most beautiful bracelet. I usually receive cash from her and was so touched that she actually took the time to pick something out for me. I had absolutely no idea how popular this style is! After receiving this I have started noticing it everywhere. (as a side note- went to a book club meeting on Sunday and noticed 4 other woman wearing the exact same Tiffany bracelet- how weird is that- I'd never seen it before and suddenly it's everywhere!!)
My parents watched the  kids so hubby and I could go away for the weekend. It was the very first time we were able to get away without the kids and it meant so much to both of us. It was an amazing time- even with having to go to the doctor in Niagara Falls due to feeling really sick on Saturday morning! They also surprised me with a beautiful pair of earrings and pendant from one of my fave jewelers.

All in it was one of the best birthdays ever!!! I love my family and friends for making it so special for me.

his versus hers...

My hubby is wonderful. He tries so hard to help me out around the house, he does the dishes-puts them away (often in the wrong spots-but he does them) He folds his own laundry and will put it away in his dresser- but there is no rhyme or reason to his dresser and I can't tell where things are supposed to go- socks mixed with t-shirts, mixed with underwear etc... I have on many occasions organized his dresser with many thanks and promises of keeping it organized but after a few days it is usually chaos again.. I'm not sure why i keep trying or why it matters- but it does to me so i keep trying!

One thing that drives me absolutely batty is when the bed isn't made right. I have showed hubby in many occassions the way a bed with a foot board is supposed to be made. I have given him step by step instructions but over and over again it is made wrong... again not sure why it matters so much but it just does so i would really LOVE it if he made it right...

Can you spot the differences in his versus the right way???

excellent excel

A few months ago I went for teeth whitening. The procedure was horribly uncomfortable and I honestly didn't see the results I would have expected. I figured I would need to invest in more expensive whitening treatments or just give up hope of having pearly white teeth. Until recently. I bought a four pack of excel white gum...and I've been chewing it religiously now (meaning at least 6 pieces a day)  for the past week and I actually started to notice amazing results. I'm positive the gum is making my teeth whiter than the 40 minutes sitting in a room with my teeth immersed in a concentrated hydrogen peroxide solution that burned my gums and made me drool uncontrollably!!
I will continue to chew the gum for another week or more to see if it is really the gum or just wishful thinking!!

yeah for yoga!!!

I had been wanting to get into yoga for a really long time. Both my Chiropractor and FP recommended it to me. I was just hesitant to go for several reasons...most of which were really unfounded. Anyway today FP suggested I come with her to a free class at our local Lululemon store. It was just what I needed. I really felt that I took some valuable lessons home with me from the class. Most of which is more to do with my personal life than physical fitness. The instructor was talking about finding your here and now and trying to let go of all the external factors in ones life to get a true practice. I really want to take that into my daily life and try not to focus on all the insignificant things I can't control. So along with a great stretch and relaxation from yoga I also felt that I took away some important life lessons as well.
I do plan to continue to practice with this class weekly!

A few challenges

As part of my annual "New Year, New Me" resolutions I have decided to join a grain free challenge. I was skeptical at first as I usually start my day off with 1/3 cup of bran buds mixed with greek yogurt and fruit...i was okay today without it but of course I wasn't working and was distracted by friends and family at home. I think the challenge might pose a little harder than I initially thought. For lunch today I served a baked mac and cheese (pre packaged as our friends are orthodox and strictly Kosher-which we are not) as well as lots of cut vegetables with hummos. Luckily for the me the mac and cheese was pretty disgusting (i even noticed one of our guests gagging on it- they later told me they normally get a different brand if they buy that sort of food). For dinner I replaced the taco shells with lettuce as was suggested. It was pretty good- and I don't feel overly stuffed! I was able to eat four of them without the horrible guilt i would feel if i ate four tortilla shells! I wasn't tempted by the chocolate cake I baked with my girl this evening. It looked okay but even though it was a low fat, parve cake when I calculated the points value from Weight Watchers I was still a whopping 6 points. No thanks!!!

Other resolutions include things like get back on the working out regularly track. I signed up for a 10k in May and hope to get to the finish line in under 60 minutes... need to work towards that goal!
and finally of course there is the patience with my kids resolution...they can drive me batty at times but i vow to try and keep my cool, not let them rattle me and to keep screaming to a minimum..that is a really hard one for me and I did break it today already but will keep trying to work on it. Really that is the most important one IMO!!