High School Reunion

My 10-year High School Reunion is next week. I feel like I have so much to do before leaving town for a weekend with my High School BF's.

• Clean and scrub my house. (It's a pre-leaving ritual I HAVE to do).
• Create a new budget.
• Organize our finances (up until now I've pretty much left them up to my husband. I'm ready to turn over a new leaf. Maybe I'll spend less if I'm more aware of where it's all going...we'll see).
• Find a babysitter in California for my 8-month old (unless she decides to take a bottle before then, so I can leave her home).
• Pack for myself and baby.
• Pack for my 2-year old and his stay at Grandma's.
• Probably pack for the husband and his man-weekend-pheasant-hunting trip. Ewwwww.
• Shop for what-I-consider-suitable-snacks for my trip (we all know I need my fiber).
• Gear up for some most-likely awkward reunion conversations (Yeah...I do remember that time...errrr...what was your name again?)
• Get out old Yearbooks for a refresher.
• Cut my hair. (I want it long again, but this in-between length will never do.)
• Get a pedicure.
• Find something suitable to wear (for each of the 5 days I'm there).
• Lose the last 9 post-baby pounds.
• Workout 3 times a day in a last-ditch effort.
• Hurry and start a successful business.
• Wonder why I care about impressing people I haven't seen for 10-years, and probably won't see for another 10 (besides my girlfriends...but why would I need to impress them?)
• Decide that cleaning, packing, and budgeting will have to suffice.
• And maybe just one new outfit.

Do any of you have times where you want to appear beautiful, successful, happy, intelligent, fill in the blank with desirable qualities, etc. I'm pretty sure no one else will care what I look like since they'll all be worried about themselves. So I guess I'm not going to care either. I'm good enough, I'm smart enough, and gosh darnit people like me! You like me, right?

I Did It!

Every day, my toddler says three words OVER and OVER with each activity accomplished. I. DID. IT. He recently learned to take off his own pants and diaper...that could get messy! But he's so proud of himself. He looks at me (basking in his nekkid glory), smiles, and says, "I did it!"

Every time we go to the park, he still thrills in the excitement of going down the slide by himself. "I did it!" He buckles the top buckle of his carseat. "I did it!" He opens the fridge. "I did it!" He puts his shoes on (usually the wrong feet). "I did it!"

I love his excitement over the little accomplishments. He's loving his newfound independence when he does something himself. And he wants the world to know...he did it!

How often do we give ourselves credit for our own personal accomplishments? How often do we acknowledge the seemingly small achievements? When does the childhood excitement diminish?
I think we could ALL learn some lessons from the world of toddlerhood. Feel proud of what you do! Give yourself some credit. Let the world know what you've accomplished!

I went on a walk today. I stopped eating for the day at 7 pm. I was on time to _________. I took time to put on makeup and do my hair today. I asked that cute girl out (Michael...). I bought tickets to my High School reunion (I really did!). I made a healthy dinner for my family. I ate breakfast. I completed everything on my to-do list. I completed ONE thing on my to-do list.

Whatever it is. Give yourself some credit! My 2-year old NEVER dwells on what he DOESN'T get done, or what he CAN'T do. We shouldn't either! We accomplish a lot more than we think in any given day. Take note and pat yourself on the back! And try something new...it feels great to say "I did it" after doing something not done before.

Give yourself a shout-out below in the comments. What have you accomplished today? What new thing have you tried? Or what new thing are you going to try? Let's hear the ideas. And let us know how the "I did it" factor has helped you personally with your goals.

One Hot Mama!

Many of you, who are dedicated readers to Starpansie, know how much I love music--especially music that relates to my own life.

My husband and I have multiple "theme" songs we feel best describe our marriage, or "moments" in our life. However, the one that best describes us is "One Hot Mama" by Trace Adkins.

If you haven't heard it, it is hilarious! I am always amazed when a male song writer can get into a woman's head and describe--vividly--the way she feels about herself. I mean, my own DH (love him dearly!) can't even do that sometimes!

Read these words and tell me you haven't (or don't ever) feel this way.

You're doin' all you can to get in them old jeans.
You want that body back, you had at seventeen.
Baby, don't get down; don't worry 'bout a thing.
'Cause the way you fill 'em out, hey, that's all right with me.
I don't want the girl you used to be.
An' if you ain't noticed, the kids are fast asleep, *wink, wink*

An' you're one hot mama;
You turn me on, let's turn it up,
An' turn this room into a sauna.
One hot mama,
Oh, whaddya say, baby?
You wanna?

Well, I know sometimes you think that all you really are,
Is the woman with the kids an' the groceries in the car.
An' you worry about your hips an' you worry about your age.
Meanwhile I'm tryin' to catch the breath you take away.
Oh, an' believe me, you still do.
Baby, all I see, when I look at you,

Is one hot mama...

So classic, right?

Why is it that we worry so much about our hips, our age, the kids, the stretch marks, the old jeans that no longer fit, and sometimes feel like all we are is "the woman with the kids, the groceries, and the car?" Seriously, how can we be expected to turn that room into a "sauna" with all of these things on our mind?

My DH claims loves me just the way that I am (stretch marks, saggy boobs and all).

{{Sometimes I think anything would turn his room into a sauna *wink, wink*}}

So. Why is it we still struggle with our own self-image? Why not embrace the stretch marks and sagginess?

Here at Fit Me Pink, our goal is to help you be a better you! If that means helping you embrace your stretch marks, sagginess, or maybe give you motivation to blast some calories, run a marathon, eat healthier, and feel beautiful just the way you are...then we have accomplished our goal.

We want to hear from you...our fitalicious readers! Do you relate? What is your story? What are you doing to feel like a "Hot Mama" every day? Cuz we know you are!

Discuss...

LOVE YOUR BODY

How many of you are satisfied with your body? An estimated 80% of women aren't. Hollywood has done a great job of distorting our ideas of how we should look, and what shape we should be. They've created a very distorted image of the "perfect woman". Take a minute to watch this video made by the Dove Self Esteem Fund. I love the Dove mission: to make women feel more beautiful every day by challenging today’s stereotypical view of beauty and inspiring women to take great care of themselves. To learn more about this AWESOME campaign, read this.

Your body, shape, size, and color are what make you unique. Let's stop focusing on what we CAN'T change, and more on what we CAN! We all have the power to take care of what we've been given, and to love who we are...whatever shape and size that may be!

I'm learning to embrace my skin tone (mostly white with an occasional short-lived tan with lots of freckles and moles from years of trying to be darker), my blonde eyelashes (you'll never see me without mascara), my post-pregnancy body (which I'm slowly, but surely trying to get back into it's natural PEAR shape). What kinds of unchangeable things do you embrace about yourself? And what small, attainable goals are you setting for the things you can change?