Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Passion= traveling
Friday, June 3, 2011
Swimsuit season!
LandsEnd
Ann Taylor LOFT
Then of course, Macy's and Dilliards...Kohl's isn't bad either....
Anyways, I would like to ask the blogging world about any other recommendations that you could give as I begin my quest to find the perfect suit????
And I would just like to add, that swimsuit models are not representatives of the vast majority of the human family. I mean, who looks like that??? Certainly not me, but I just tell myself that's ok :)
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Wait, its JUNE??
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
being "polite" versus speaking your mind.
now i don't mean speaking every little snarky thing that comes to mind. i really don't. my mama taught me to be respectful and, if you don't have something nice to say, to not say anything at all. i have made use of those lessons many a day (as a teacher, let me just let you imagine how many times i have bitten my snarky retorts back and proceeded with decorum...let me help by telling you that the answer is "a lot").
but i'm talking about the feeling that i need to, perhaps in fear of not being polite enough, not say what i really think or not confront a situation.
case in point: church and a new baby. most of the people that i know at church are more than welcome to fawn over and adore my baby, and a few of them have even held her. i have zero problem with this. i know them, i trust them, and thus i have no problem with this. even as an overanxious first time mother with delusions of germs everywhere, i have no problem with this.
i do, however, have a problem with people i don't know coming up to my baby, touching her and kissing (!) her head, reaching back behind their chair to pat her when she's fussing (even though i am clearly in the middle of burping her), suggesting that perhaps the reason that she's fussing is that she's wet (no, actually, it's because i stopped her foodfest in order to prevent catastrophic gassiness), and telling me that her head is red and, upon hearing that she had a headband on earlier, telling me to be careful.
if you're a mom, i just want you to pause for a moment and imagine how you might feel when encountered by this situation. if you're not, i want you to ask yourself if you would ever have the audacity to do these things (the last three all happened in fairly quick succession, by the way).
did i say anything? did i kindly suggest that she mind her own dang business, that our baby is fine and healthy and that we really didn't need any suggestions from the proverbial peanut gallery?
no. i didn't. i stewed in my own juices a little bit until the end of church, when my husband and i were in the car. then, i said that if this particular person said one more thing to me i was going to LOSE MY MIND.
but this whole situation has gotten me thinking about what we do as women. i feel like there are many times when i swallow what i really want to say in favor of either saying nothing or saying the socially appropriate thing. i think there's definite merit in that--please don't get me wrong--but i wonder if there are times when i should be saying more than i'm saying.
when did we learn that we weren't allowed to stand up for ourselves in every circumstance? or, perhaps the better question: when is it appropriate to speak your mind and when is it more appropriate to keep quiet?
has anyone else had an experience like this? how did you decide?
Friday, May 27, 2011
Skinny people
Hmmm...now that the blog will be expanded, I will have to think of what other things from my glamourous life I can share with our readers :). For now, I will move forward with my previously contemplated topic of my skinny husband...
I married a skinny man. He's not sickly or even bony, but the guy is a lean machine! This is not due to his diet (which has dramatically improved since I stepped in). But, if I'm not around, he will eat donuts or pop tarts for breakfast, peanut butter and jam sandwich with chips, a snickers bar for a snack, a frozen skillet meal for dinner, and a heaping bowl of ice cream for dessert. Mind you he's very active, but he seems to burn off whatever he eats so dang easily! Now, I realize that there's more to health then merely just being skinny, but I can't help but be jealous of him when I feel it takes so much effort for me to control my weight.
And this isn't about just husbands. I've had my share of skinny roommates and other family members who eat whatever they want. They'll buy junk food and keep it around with no problem.
What I have to keep reminding myself is that just because someone eats unhealthily, I DON'T have to. I can find alternatives, I can have some self control, I can stop trying to compare myself to them, but it is really hard sometimes. Anyone else have this problem? What have you found to be helpful?
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Branching out...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
what we're thinking.
we think maybe we want to expand this blog to be about women and what makes them tick, including of course our quests to live healthy lives, but expanding that to include not just the physical elements of living healthy lives but all of the things that make us well-rounded daughters, wives, mothers, friends, and employees.
quite frankly, i'll admit it--i don't feel like anybody's posterchild for physical fitness, so i feel like a great big flashing neon sign that says HYPOCRITE starts going off whenever i think about posting about a non-existent exercise regime or my less than stellar food choices.
(i'm nothing if not honest--you've got to give me that.)
so when ashlee suggested this change, i thought it was brilliant.
so i pose this question to you, our loyal readers: what would you like to read about, talk about, learn about? what would you like to share with us or get advice about? i know that, as a new mom, i would love to open the floor for parenting issues and suggestions. what would help you? what would you like to see?
i'm excited about these changes, and would love to hear about what you might be interested in. it will help us figure out our new directions and focus, both individually and as a blog crew.
tell us!
Friday, May 20, 2011
A fiasco...
On the agenda for tonight: Sand Volleyball (if the courts aren't all in use).
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Doing good for yourself and others!
So, I think I'm going to get back on the weight watchers train. I joined back in 2005 and became a lifetime member. I've tried to keep up with it but then I start estimating points values and start thinking I don't actually need to "track". I cheat it and then get frustrated that I'm not making any progress. But the bottom-line is that the system really does work if you do it right.
Anyhow, someone who is close to me is starting to get very serious about losing weight. I recommended weight watchers and even volunteered to get back on track so that they could have some support.
I know you should be healthy and feel good for yourself, but it's motivating to do it for others too. I'm not talking about looking good to please someone, but making healthy decisions can affect those around you in a positive way. Trying to support this person by joining them has made me more careful with my actions. I can find ways to cheat myself, but when it comes to someone else, I want to be loyal and dependable.
I would say whether you have a buddy you're working toward healthy goals with or if you have family/friends that want to see you happy and healthy (and vice/versa), it helps to think about how you can set an example and help them by making good choices!!
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
A foodie's revelation
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
the most important meal of the day.
if there's leftover turkey burgers, for example, in the fridge, i think they make a most excellent breakfast. i often don't even heat them up (don't judge me!), finding leftover burgers almost better when they're cold. (i also think that way about pizza, but i think that's less rare than the burger thing.) this morning, i ate leftover pasta.
in short, my best breakfasts often look like lunch or dinner or some hybrid variation inbetween.
sometimes i try to do the traditional breakfast route, eating cold cereal in carefully proportioned amounts, hoping that it sustains me.
it doesn't. for me, cold cereal is best eaten as a snack or as a dessert.
everything else seems like a terrible idea--why are so many breakfast foods so incredibly terrible for you? (don't ask me about my foray into donuts a week ago. remember how i said one of my successes was not having eaten donuts in 2011? yeah, not so much anymore.)
so, here i am, asking for breakfast suggestions. now that i am ready to start reining in the calorie content and slowly, but surely, start chipping away at the extra weight, i want to start at the very beginning (it's a very good place to start!). but, as the mother of a 6 week old baby, i don't really have the time or the 95 extra hands to cook eggs every morning (though i do find them delicious AND filling AND healthy), and i'm often lucky if i get the chance to eat before about 11.
so i need ideas. ideas that are a) relatively inexpensive and b) healthy options to start the day. if it can have a good proportion of carbs and protein, that would be awesome too. and if it's doable for someone like me, that's even better.
what do you eat for breakfast? what do you find helps you make it, with energy and without wanting to gnaw on your own arm by 10am, to lunchtime?
help me, please!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
there's no easy way out.
this, like many of my expectations relating to labor and delivery, has been dashed by circumstance.
see, much as i wanted to breastfeed, the girls just don't seem up to the challenge. perhaps my complicated delivery (which brought with it a blood transfusion and a surprise emergency procedure) had something to do with it, but i'm simply not making enough, no matter how many herbs and lactation consultant and pumping sessions i go through. nothing's working to elevate my numbers, so me and my baby girl and my husband are dealing with the realities of a supplementing life. i'm still pumping, and still doing my best, but i sincerely doubt that the numbers that i'm producing are going to do much for the scale's numbers.
so even though i've lost half the weight i gained with my pregnancy already, i am dealing with the reality of a pretty uphill battle. there are lots of things i'd like to have be true, but none of them is truer than the fact that i'd like to fit into my pants again. i just feel soft and flabby and large. so very very large.
i'm ever so slowly getting back onto the wagon. first will be writing things down. i haven't been doing it for a while now, and i know that's the first key to my success.
the second thing i'm doing is going back to exercise--hard core. i went back to body combat on saturday and again on monday. it's been something like nine months since i've gone (i counted...37 weeks), and it was surprisingly not as bad as i thought it would be. but i am more clumsy and less self-assured than i once was, and i'm modifying the heck out of some of the moves (scissors? jumping jacks? no way. not now.) while giving my all into the others (jab-jab-cross? you got it. with my whole heart.).
this battle's a hard one. and i'm not going to lie--it's super discouraging to be in this place. people tell me all of the time right now how good i look. i don't see it. all i see is a burning desire to have my old body back ASAP, and the feeling that somehow i'm not doing enough to make that happen. and hips that are two sizes bigger than they used to be.
even when i am eating right and exercising, the reality of being a new mom is that i am severely sleep deprived and often running on empty, physically and emotionally at times. that's not been, in my experience, the best fountain of successful weight loss. so it may be, i know intellectually, a while before i start to see real results.
but i can try to see in myself the good stuff rather than focusing on the bad. i'm going to work on that one. that might be my third step.
so my three goals for this week are this:
1) write down my food for the next week, even if i'm not sure what i ate or how much it was, i will guesstimate as accurately as i can and be accountable.
2) go to body combat every time it's offered. that means that i will go on wednesday, friday, and monday. i will also try to incorporate at least one walk in there as well, which will mean that i am exercising 4 days this week.
3) i will stifle the negative self-talk. every day, i will find something positive to say about my physical appearance, and i will work earnestly to believe it.
so there you go, dear readers. i'm back, and i'm on a journey. i hope you will come along with me and, especially for those of you who have been there, will tell me what worked for you and what lessons you've learned along the way. i know ashlee has been incredibly successful of late, and i know many of you have as well.
what did you do that kickstarted your postpartum weight loss? what advice do you have for me?
Monday, May 9, 2011
Tis the Season... Strawberry Season!
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Post-op update
The swelling is down, the incision is clean, everything looks great, BUT I am extremely weak in my quads. Of course, I expected this to a degree - I'm continually providing education to patients about how quickly you can lose strength when you aren't working your muscles - but I do have an increased appreciation for this principle. I was shocked to see what 2 weeks of inactivity did to my little thigh...and I mean little. It's nice and skinny now, but not in a good way. I have a while to go before to turn that squishy mess back into strong muscle of any sort.
Moral of the story? Keep moving! You can never stop or you will have to face the consequences. When I think of it like that, it's rather depressing but I have to remember all the amazing functions that I've retained what a miracle the normal, healthy human body can do.
HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY to all you moms out there!!!
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Are you living?
Question: What is the craziest thing you have ever done? How did it make you feel?
I have a quick story for you, from my college days, back when I was dating a biker. There are all sorts of tricks that riders can do on bikes, pop a wheelies, or stoppies, or christ air. But these should always be done with a single rider, not a rider and passenger. Unless you are dumb like me and my ex-boyfriend, who regularly tried these tricks with me on the back of his bike. And almost wrecked. More than a few times (Mom, don't worry, we never did. All is well).
You may be asking yourself why I would share such a story. Not because it was smart, or anything like that. But when I think back to those times, I can think that I was really enjoying the moment. I was living, however dumb it was, and doing something that I really enjoyed. I look back with fondness to those times with a little smile on my face, close my eyes and shake my head.
I was facebook
The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, answered :“Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
Now, I have no idea if The Dalai Lama actually said this, but it does give food for thought. Are we experiencing the present? I have written in the past about comparing ourselves to other people. But what happens when we don't even enjoy where we are now? Here at So Maybe Your Mom Was Right, we are at all different stages of life. We have all sorts of relationship situations, from single to married with two children. We have teachers, a physical therapist, a stay at home mom, and a grad student. We live in different parts of the country and experience different things everyday. Yet I imagine that none of us would give it what we have for something else or something "better".We each experience life according to to our individual timetable and we need to be sure that we enjoy each stage that we are in, or else it will fly by. So whether you are a stay at home mom with five children or a career woman or whatever the case may be, be sure to be thankful for each day that you have and each moment that you experience.
So again, I ask what was the craziest thing you have ever done? How did it make you feel?
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
oh hi.
i'm emerging from the blogging hiatus to poke my head in and tell you that exciting things have happened today.
my doctor said i can resume normal activities, which in my mind meant I CAN GO BACK TO THE GYM!
i am so excited. i have lost half of the baby weight just by, you know, having the baby, but the rest of it has caused my pants to not fit at all, which is frustrating to say the least but even more frustrating when that's usually what happens with pants normally. it's a whole saga, me and pants, and so to have no pants to wear is ANNOYING and DEPRESSING.
so tomorrow, i'm back to body combat. i am SO excited.
i may die, but i'll die trying.
i'll be back next week to start chronicling my journey back to post-baby fitness as well as a few thoughts on new motherhood, and i think next week we might be unveiling what we've been thinking about doing with SMMWR. i think you'll like it, and i think you'll likely find it to be an even more awesome place to come and stay a while.
it's nice to be back!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Back and better than ever (hopefully...)
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
A lesson in meal planning...
- 1 pound ground turkey
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh mushrooms/carrots/zucchini (optional)
- 1 1/2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
- 1 (1 ounce) envelope dry onion soup mix
- 2/3 cup ready-to-serve creamy tomato soup, divided
- 1/4 cup ketchup, divided
- 1/4 cup BBQ, divided
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, divided
- chili powder to taste (I did not include the chili powder)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- In a bowl, mix the turkey, eggs, mushrooms/carrots/zucchini, bread crumbs, soup mix, 1/3 cup creamy tomato soup, 2 tablespoons ketchup, 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce, and 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce. Mold the mixture into a loaf shape, and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle with chili powder (optional).
- In a separate bowl, mix the remaining creamy tomato soup, remaining ketchup, remaining BBQ sauce, and remaining Worcestershire sauce. Set aside.
- Bake loaf 45 minutes in the preheated oven. Top with the sauce (I added a little more breadcrumbs for crunch), and continue baking 15 minutes, to a minimum internal temperature of 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
Friday, April 22, 2011
Saying hi for the high...
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Vacay
Do not think that I have forgotten you. I have not. But I am on Spring Break. In Miami. I will have lots to tell you next week. But I plan to spend all day at the pool tomorrow.
kthanksbye,
Adriana
Monday, April 18, 2011
Gardening. Squared. [Part II]
- One head of cabbage
- One head of broccoli
- One head of cauliflower
- Four heads of romaine lettuce
- Four heads of red lettuce
- Four heads of leaf lettuce, followed by sixteen scallions
- Four heads of salad lettuce
- Five pounds of sugar peas
- Eight bunches of Swiss chard
- Nine bunches of spinach, then nine turnips
- Sixteen small, ball carrots
- Sixteen beets, plus four bunches of beet greens
- Sixteen long carrots
- Thirty two radishes
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Wildflower Bike Ride Review
Well, the bike ride was a hit (for those of you who were wondering)! Cuero is the epitome of a small town and it was nice to have a change from the city. The weather was awesome and so my husband and I set up camp in the city park Friday night. We were told there would be "camping" and that we could do this, but no one else did and I don't think people have ever really camped there. People arrived to the park early the next morning for the ride and there we were in our little tent on the lawn. I'm sure we looked kind of ridiculous but no one seemed to care :).
Tips to Live By
2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.
3.. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.
5. Pay off your credit cards every month.
6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.
8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.
9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.
10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.
11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.
13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.
15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.
23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
24. The most important sex organ is the brain.
25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.
26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'
27. Always choose life.
28. Forgive everyone everything.
29. What other people think of you is none of your business.
30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
33. Believe in miracles.
34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.
37. Your children get only one childhood.
38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
42. The best is yet to come...
43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
44. Yield.
45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Springtime and a Wordle...
1. I took Alina's advice and spent some time outside. This weekend I had a chance to go to the White House Spring Garden Tour, which allows people to go on the White House grounds and check out the gardens. I think the most impressive of the gardens was the Kitchen Garden. They had quite the collection of food! The only problem is that the garden is a little walk from The White House (poor Michelle, who has to walk all the way down to the garden to get her veggies...).
The day was originally a little cloudy and a bit chilly, but by the afternoon, the day turned out to be really nice. My friends and I walked down from The White House to the Capital to get some lunch and it was such a pleasant walk! It was only about 2.5 miles, but in good weather and great company, a very enjoyable experience.
2. Have you heard of Wordle? It is a great application that allows you to create word clouds out of text, and makes the words you use the most the biggest. I was interested to see what words I used the most when writing on this blog. I am very pleased that some of the biggest words were know, good, work, get, going, Weight Watchers, and healthy. It amazes me that we have been working on this blog for 10 months!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Gardening, Squared. [Part I]
Friday, April 8, 2011
Meet Teacherbaby
Thursday, April 7, 2011
Wildflower Bike Ride
Wow! So much good news on this blog! Congrats to teachergirl on the baby and meghan on the new job!
April Already?
Monday, April 4, 2011
What's Zumba?
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Women and Strength Training
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Easy??
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
celebrating small victories.
this may not seem like a huge revelation to you, or even a huge accomplishment, but it's the thing that i have wanted to eat the most since i've been largely pregnant. every week, when i go to the grocery store, i look at them. my personal favorite is an apple fritter. our local grocery store makes a good one. they sell them individually and they sell them in packs of four.
when i walk into the store, i walk by and look at them. sometimes i have even picked them up.
but i have not yet purchased one, which means that i haven't eaten one.
that's not to say that i haven't eaten other ridiculous things, but somehow realizing that i have resisted that particular brand of my personal temptation is a huge victory to me.
today, i just wanted to write that down and say hooray a little, just for myself.
what have you done well lately? what do you deserve a momentary celebration for?
--
in other news, i'm about 25 minutes away from having this baby (don't get alarmed--not really, but things are progressing, and i don't think it will be too terribly long), so i may not be around for a little while. i'll trust that the ladies will let you know when our Baby Girl is born, and i'll be back with tales of new momhood and, most assuredly, some comedic stories of getting back into a workout routine.
until then, thanks for your continued support of this little blog and, by proxy, of me.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Clueless in Virginia. {Sharing discipling dos and don'ts.}
Last night, after putting Avery to sleep, Emma Kate and I were downstairs playing. I went to do the dishes and EK was left to play on her own. It was suspiciously quiet, so I went looking for her. I found her in the place I least wanted to find her (other than a police station), in her sister's crib. She had let herself in, pulled down all of the dresses framed on her wall (along with the frames), climbed in Avery's crib and was undressing her to put on one of the beautiful dresses. Clearly a better outfit for "pwincess" dreaming.
I just about lost my mind. I was so mad. EK got sent right to bed and I cleaned up the mess, nursed Avery back to sleep, and went back downstairs, fuming.
Fast forward to this morning, it's Avery's nap time and she's resting peacefully in her crib. EK and I are downstairs, playing. I go to get some other things taken care of, leaving her by herself. That same quietness came upon the first floor of our house. I immediately dreaded what was about to happen. I began looking for EK and found her, again, in her sister's crib.
This time I did lose my mind. There was plenty of yelling, and even a little, LITTLE swat on the fanny (the only other time this has happened is when she colored all over the wall in her bedroom). Off she went, to sit in her room and cry while I went downstairs to fume.
After her timeout was over, I called her downstairs, gave her a hug, and we talked about what had happened. She then went to play in her playroom while I cleaned up the kitchen. It got quiet again, so I called her name and began to look for her.
This time I found her, not in her sister's crib, but hiding in the corner, quiet as a mouse. I asked her what she was doing and she said, "hidin'." So I asked her what she was hiding from. Her response,
"Mommy is going to yell at me. It makes me sad."
Talk about a major gut check. I struggled to fight back the tears as I realized my two-year old little girl was scared of me. I'm supposed to be the person she runs to when she's scared, not the person she hides from.
So I'm at a loss. I have no clue how to discipline this child. Timeout doesn't really work anymore, at least not for the big offenses (like sneaking into her sister's room and coloring on the walls), I don't want to spank her, and I hate yelling at her. I've said this a lot, but I want to be the type of mother the General Authorities talk about during General Conference. The mother that "rules in righteousness" and never raises her voice.
But how?
How on earth did those mothers discipline their toddlers?
Now I don't know how this fits in here on this blog, but this is the biggest thing on my mind, as I'm sure is on many of other mothers' minds. I figured I would ask the question here and open up the comments section as a sounding board for everyone to share their experiences with this... the good, the bad, and the ugly.
What methods of discipline and positive reinforcement work in your house?
If you don't have children yet, what methods did your mother use when you were growing up?