Selfish Blogging

Tonight, I was at my weekly get-together-to-sing-a-little-and-talk-A-LOT night with my girlfriends. It was the first time we've gotten together since before Christmas, and it was great. It's our "singing practice," but we didn't even sing a single note tonight. We talked, and laughed, and relished in the beauty of away-from-home-and-kids time.

Four of us are pregnant, and listening to the two that are still in their first trimester made me SO GRATEFUL to have those 13 weeks of you know what behind me. All night vomit fests should be enough to force every woman to never have a second child, but somehow we forget.

One of my so-miserable-she-hasn't-washed-her-hair-in-five-days friends asked me how in the world I manage to keep working out when I'm pregnant. Honestly, when I wasn't feeling good for those few months, working out was the only thing that made me feel better.

A few nights ago, I was feeling sorry for myself. I had just watched Julie & Julia and was wondering why in the world I even write this silly fitness blog. I definitely don't have the knowledge or skills MizFit has, or the organization SimpleMom has, or the 365-day plan Julie Powell had.

But tonight, after talking to my lovely friends, I realized why I blog. I've started and failed at a lot of things in life. I've dreamed big dreams I've yet to accomplish. But I've somehow mastered the art of fitting fitness into my occasionally chaotic life. If I accomplish NOTHING else in a day, I can almost always (as long as the last two weeks don't count) say that I exercised in some way. And somehow, blogging about it keeps me motivated and accountable.

So for those of you who stop by and read what I have to say, thank you! YOU are my inspiration! I can't wait to share 2010 with you!

Resolutions

For the first time since I wrote them, I just revisited last year's resolutions. I didn't accomplish all of them, but I came pretty darn close. I'm not going to bore you again with this year's resolutions. I'm sure you've all read enough about making them by now that you didn't even click over to read this post when you saw the title!

I will, however, say this. As much as I hate the month of January, I do love that it gives each of us a chance to start fresh. Whatever happened in 2009 can be forgotten. You now have a clean slate, can move on, and be a little better this year. If you fall off the wagon this month, however, don't think the entire year is headed for disaster! Each and every DAY, WEEK, or MONTH can be a fresh start. If one day you don't eat how you'd like, start fresh the next day. It doesn't have to be a MONDAY! It doesn't have to be JANUARY 1st! Resolving to be better, healthier, and happier can happen ANY DAY OF THE YEAR at ANY MOMENT! If the whole day has been a disaster, there's nothing wrong with going for an evening stroll to get back on track.

Make every day this year count. Heaven knows I made more failed resolutions last year than I'd like to admit. Chocolate fast? Lasted one day. Sugar fast? Maybe one week. And here I am at the beginning of another year hoping to be a little better.

And as for resolutions? I lied. I'll let you in on ONE goal I'm hoping to keep:

Do not DRIVE from Utah to Tennessee for any reason. If we can't fly, we're not going. Vacationing after a 28-hour drive feels how I would imagine a never-ending hangover would feel. I'm still recovering! Four entire days spent (with my lovely children) in the car is more than this expectant mama can handle!

Happy New Year! What are YOUR resolutions?

New Year's Resolutions...again!

So I've been thinking a lot about my New Year's Resolutions. Every year around this time, I think about the things I want to do better. And then a few weeks later (when January--the most depressing month of the year --is over), the things I've resolved to do are just as undone as they were before the resolutions were made. This year I decided to set more measurable goals for myself. That way I can't pretend that I actually accomplished my goals when nothing really changed. Here are a few of my specifics...I'd love to hear yours!

1. Instead of vowing to "read more," I chose three books I definitely will read: YOU: Being Beautiful: The Owner's Manual to Inner and Outer Beauty (Dr. Oz), Breakthrough: Eight Steps to Wellness (Suzanne Somers), and Financial Peace Revisited (Dave Ramsey)
2. Instead of vowing to "read my scriptures daily" (something I always struggle with...I don't know why!), I decided to set a goal to read the Book of Mormon from beginning to end by my birthday (August 1st).
3. Something that is always undone in my life is: home decor. I'm terrible! I love taking pictures, getting pictures taken, etc. But I NEVER hang them! I also have paint we bought over 2 years ago. We painted the basement, but never made it upstairs. This year I'm setting a goal to paint and hang pictures, darn it!
4. Instead of setting a goal to "be involved with my local community," I've decided to run some local races. Does that count? In any case, I'm signing up for the Ogden 1/2 marathon, the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, I'm considering running the crazy Ragnar Relay Wasatch Back, I'm entering the lottery for the St. George marathon, and I want to take swimming lessons so I can enter a triathlon (without having to doggy-paddle the whole swim portion...ha ha).
5. A skill I'd like to improve this year: writing. (And I have big dreams for FitMePink...more on that later!)
6. I thought about my little 2-year old, and some of his strengths/weaknesses. Maybe I'm biased, but he's a pretty smart kid. I want to specifically nourish his amazing ability to memorize by teaching him some rote memorization that will come in handy later. (Times tables, Spanish phrases, Articles of Faith, etc.) As for weaknesses...I'd love to help him learn to share. And watch less TV. Suggestions?
7. Instead of vowing to "spend more one on one time with the husband," I'm going to schedule a few kid-free get-aways. I've arranged a kid swap with a friend so we can take turns going on these little get-aways without feeling guilty leaving the kiddies.
8. And finally, three words I'd like to describe my 2009: FRUGAL, PROSPEROUS, FIT, FUN! (OK...four!) (And I'm going to lose the darn baby weight once and for all!)

Phew....we'll see how I do. I have a few more, (but I'm not sure how much I can disclose without setting myself up for complete and utter failure!) What words would you like to describe your 2009?

Beauty Tips I Discovered on New Year's Eve....

This year marked the second year of our now annual sleep-over tradition on New Year's Eve: our good friends come over, we have dinner together, we all put our kids to bed, we play games to ring in the New Year, sleep for a few hours before the kids wake up, have breakfast together, then go about our New Year's Day. I was UGLIER than ever this year as we bid farewell to our friends. Here's what I learned...

How to avoid unbecoming smelliness:

Don't leave two curious-about-their-private-parts toddler boys alone downstairs. The older one will convince your all-to-happy-to-run-around-nekkid-even-when-suffering-from-the-runs 2-year old to remove his diaper, leaving a trail of stinky messes for you to clean up throughout the basement.

How to avoid red, puffy, swollen eyes (and a minor heart attack):

After the basement stench has become only a faint reminder of potty-less pooping horrors, make sure the gate at the top of the stairs in in place. Your angel baby just might attempt the long descent down the 13 steps while no one's watching. You will bawl. your. eyes. out. Poor baby! (Who suffered no major injury, thank heavens!)

How to avoid full-blown, fatigue-induced ugliness:

Keep your earlier-in-the-week-uber-sick-with-the-throw-up-virus toddler (yes, the same one who now has the runs) away from your baby. When you finally head to bed at 1 am after game-playing, big-apple-watching, sparkling-cider-drinking (not to mention glass-bowl-breaking...oops!) fun, your baby will begin her ringing-in-the-new-year-all-night-long-vomit-fest. You, your house, and your baby will become one big stinky mess!

How to avoid weight gain as the New Year begins:

Hide the brownies! You will head to the comfort food after each fun happening of the night.

My mom always told me sleepovers made me ornery. She never told me they made me ugly, too! How was your New Year's party?

Edited to say: OK...there was SOME good in all of this. I burned lots of calories running up and down stairs with laundry, and while scrubbinbscrubbingscrubbing the floorsfurnitureblankets!

New Year's Quotes

I came across a few quotes to keep in mind as you plan your New Year/Resolutions...

• Youth is when you're allowed to stay up late on New Year's Eve. Middle age is when you're forced to. --Bill Vaughan (why do I feel like this already?!?!?)
• Making resolutions is a cleansing ritual of self assessment and repentance that demands personal honesty and, ultimately, reinforces humility. Breaking them is part of the cycle. --Eric Zorn
• A New Year's resolution is something that goes in one Year and out the other. --Anonymous

And our favorite....

• People are so worried about what they eat between Christmas and the New Year, but they really should be worried about what they eat between the New Year and Christmas. --Anonymous

HAPPY (almost) NEW YEAR!

P.S. To those of you who requested a copy of the recipes from the contest, we'll be sending them shortly. Let us know if you want one!

The FOURTH Day of Fitness

OK people, it's already the FOURTH day of Fitness! This edition is all about NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTIONS! It is that time AGAIN. Time to decide to be the best YOU! So what are your plans for future improvement? Here are a few ideas to get you started...

1. SPIRITUAL IMPROVEMENT. A good friend of mine told me about a tradition in her family every year on Christmas Eve. In order to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas, members of her family decide individually and collectively what gift they will give to Christ the coming year. They write these gifts down, then store them in some sort of box that is brought out again the following year (to see how they fared). This resolution could include daily scripture study, more personal prayers, less swearing, etc. :-)
2. FINANCIAL. Given our current economic situation, this may be hard to tackle. Perhaps that's why it should be pretty close to the top of your goal list. Make financial freedom a priority! Get out of debt! One way to do this, is to track your spending more closely. Create a budget. At our house, we have a "receipt basket." At the end of each day, I empty my receipts into this basket, then at least weekly, we enter them into our budget. We use Quicken, but I also really like Pear Budget. It's simple, easy to use, and online. I have friends who also have "spending journals." Write down EVERYTHING, then determine whether what you bought was a need or a want. Cut back on the wants (clothing, accessories, eating out, etc.) and apply the savings toward debt. Also, eliminate credit card spending...use a debit card that offers rewards!
3. FAMILY. This is very individual, but one of my goals is to be better at sitting down together as a family at meal time. I don't want the precious time I have with my little ones slip away!
4. FITNESS. Does anyone EVER have a list of resolutions that doesn't include fitness goals? Even fitness guru's can find ways to improve. What is your goal? To lose weight? To tone up? To exercise more regularly? To eat more healthily? Let 2009 be your year to do it!

There are so many MORE areas of life to improve. Get a new job/promotion. Take a vacation. Go back to school. Learn something new. Quit smoking/other addiction. The possibilities are ENDLESS!

Instead of just writing a list this year, try creating a dream board. Cut out pictures of what you want your life to look like. Post it where you'll see it regularly, and see where it takes you.

What are your goals and dreams for 2009?