Cookies, cakes and more!

Prepping for my husband's milestone 40th birthday party tomorrow night. No idea how many people are coming. Could be small, could be big. This morning I baked the cake and cupcakes. I have a great plan for decorating them later if the kids don't dive in first. They had a sample so they should be satisfied.

I'm tired. I feel almost anxious. We are selling the last of our Girl Guide cookies today at another mall. I will be glad when the campaign is over Monday. I feel like we (D & I) have done so much for it already. Spent the last half hour dusting the living and dining rooms. More tidying, vacuuming and cleaning of the kitchen is next on the list. Still have to wash the floors and clean the bathrooms.

It's a P.A. Day so no work for me and no school for them. We haven't done anything as a family yet today. I shouldn't complain. It's only 12:15pm. I'm just wiped out. I have to learn to accept things won't be perfect.

I received a long awaited back order from Epicure today. Have to contact the hostess and deliver to Ajax. Not sure when I can do that. I know Sunday I won't be up for anything. Maybe tomorrow? Gotta get the kids to do homework this afternoon. Lots of laundry to put away. Hard to do it all myself. Kids helped a little but I guess I'd rather do it and have someone entertain them.

I should make lunch. Today I had a shake for breakfast - 1/2 scoop of whey protein powder, handful of grapes, peach yogurt and milk. Maybe that's why I am beat - no carbs and all that running around.

It's been a while ...

Okay, so with my hectic schedule, I suppose health is taking a back seat - again. I did have a great workout at 6:30am yesterday with my Just Dance 3 Wii game. Really makes you sweat!

I have been incredibly busy the past few weeks. I posted some items online for sale and sold two kids' outdoor toys my young ones have outgrown. That was a big deal for me. Ah, more space in the garage. I donated 5 bags and a box of clothing to Value Village too. Another sigh of relief that the clothes and shoes are now gone.

Got myself a new, short haircut and used my b-day gift card finally to get a sundress (those sizes at Old Navy are wacked - it's a size small and by the looks of me, I am not a small but in this dress I am so yay!) and a cute pair of wedge sandals.

This volunteering is wearing me out. I thrive on it though. Monday we were supposed to clean up the park for Pitch In week. It was raining so a last minute consult with one of my other leaders and we had our Brownies making up their own weather reports and writing songs about water, then presenting to the rest of the group. They learned a lot, had fun, even had time to play a fairly new game and finish on time. That was great! Tuesday was our advancement. My group took up 25 minutes to get their pins, certificates and photos taken. I have 21 girls going off to Guides in the fall. I will miss them. They are a great group of kids who have learned so much over the past two years with us. It's a shame I can't find a job like this. I had a lot of praise from parents of the girls who are moving forward and disappointment from the younger Sparks and some parents coming up to the group in the fall as I will no longer be a leader. D wants me to join her in Guides so I will. I suspect we may have some followers.

Last week was my night to plan Beavers. I arranged for a fantastic tour of a garden centre where the kids got to plan little plants, make tags, take home colouring sheets, seedlings and a packet of seeds. They loved it and learned something too. J had a good time because it wasn't just doing crafts at a meeting or running around.

I offered to volunteer in E's JK class next week. Think I'm off my rocker yet? Last Saturday I planned an Earth Day camp for our Brownies and we spent 7 hours hiking, taking notes, learning about water conservation and nature, cooking over the fire (and it was not just hot dogs - we cooked dessert and foil dinner packs too) and saw some wildlife.

Tonight my shift was cancelled for work. I am disappointed that not only do I lose money but I won't be able to work with the family. I think I have had a positive impact on them. Their mom seems pleased.

I did deliver some Epicure products already this morning, had a daycare child and will have him all afternoon and for dinner, and still have lunch duty at the school soon. An evening to clean and prep for the party here Saturday night. Tomorrow night I arranged for Red Cross to come to Beavers to do an emergency preparedness night. None of their volunteers can make it so Pres. Peter and I will take over. Thank goodness! I know it will be good.

Friday is a P.A. Day - baking, cooking and having a lazy day with the kids. Maybe I can sneak in some geocaching! The kids have been disappointed with it since we don't always find the caches.

So when to find time to go to the gym? I don't know. I need to go more than once a week. I also need to stop snacking at night (again) and drink more water. I am stressed and you can see it but it's a good stress. I enjoy being busy and helping out. I think I need some more "me" time. More couple time too and not just watching TV. We need to go out!

Hmm ...

What have I done lately in my mission to achieve health and happiness? Had more bad luck recently but whatever. Smooth sailing and rainbow will come. I know it will.

Today my exercise consisted of geocaching with the family for over an hour. Lots of walking and bending. I also loaded and stacked firewood (free) from a neighbour this morning. Did some house work, played with the kids and enjoyed the sunshine. I ate fruit, drank lots of water and read about Good Friday from the Bible to the kids for 1/2 an hour in lieu of having them sit through a long church service (because I know if we did that, there's no way I'd get them there on Sunday morning too).

Had to cancel two nights out this past week due to a little man's illness and it actually worked out well. We played board games as a family, relaxed and enjoyed each other's company without rushing through dinner to go out.

Have I been to the gym? Not in over a week. I had ongoing hip pain so I thought I should skip it. I feel better now apart from a drippy nose. Been active though and since January have managed to take off a few pounds. Keep working towards it slowly and it will come.

Monday's work out

Housework: 1 load of laundry washed

Errands: Picked up something for a friend

Work out: 40 mins. of adductor, abductor, Hammer Strength ab machine, triceps, squats, quads, calves, back extensions, chest press, torso twists with medicine ball, curls, body bar bent over rows, shoulder shrugs ... came home after a quick errand and then did 1000 sweat points (whatever that means ... 4 songs) with Just Dance 3 on the Wii. That was fun!

Early lunch: garden salad with 1 tbsp Caesar dressing, 1/2 tuna sandwich with reduced fat mayo on whole wheat bread, water, 2 strawberries

Snack: TBD - likely the rest of the strawberries, maybe yogurt

Volunteering tonight, sent work emails, working a couple jobs today. Craft time!

I'm back!

I keep getting off the wagon so to speak but climbing back on. Great weekend, although extremely busy. House is a complete mess - I haven't been home.

Saturday went to the gym for a weight lifting workout and spent 10 mins. walking the track with my daughter. Had some Party Mix as a snack late at night. Not good but whatever. We all need a break sometimes.

Sunday's dinner was full of veggies: salad, carrots, sauteed peppers and mushrooms, mashed potatoes without salt and some roast beef (small piece). Dessert was a small slice of cake. Had 3 glasses of wine.

Monday - today! Omelet with 1 egg, egg whites, red pepper, mushrooms, tomato and 2 tiny cubes of spicy cheese on a toasted whole wheat English muffin, water to drink. Off to the gym soon for a work out.

What I don't understand is the people who never exercise and lose large amounts of weight fast or steadily and even though I make bad choices sometimes, I am always active, rarely sitting for extended periods and trying to think about everything I put in my mouth. Damn genetics! I hope I can achieve my goal.

A snowy day

But not enough to build a good fort outside. Yesterday, Friday, was a great day! I did a pilates DVD workout before my Friday night pizza and garlic bread feast. My abs were still a little sore from Wednesday's workout. Thursday I walked 4000 steps downtown to run some errands and kept up a good pace.

Friday I cleaned out my dresser and closet. A nice pile of dresses, skirts and shirts to donate - all in great condition but they either don't fit well anymore (which is a good thing) or they just aren't me. I filled a garbage bags with other clothes that were stained, shrunk or stretched out. I even tried on 5 items that once were tight and now they fit! Hooray! Well, of course at one point they fit back then too.

I applied for 3 advertised jobs too. Feeling positive!

Saturday morning weights and cardio workout is around the corner. After that, some mommy and son time and then on to counting and compiling receipts to prep for tax time. I want it all completed tomorrow and ready to send. I need to get better organized in the receipt area.

Keeping track of drinking lots of water and eating well today.

Breakfast: whole wheat toast (1 slice) with peanut butter, banana and large glass of water. Multivitamin.

Post-workout will be a blueberry protein smoothie.

Thursday cardio day

I can't remember when I posted last - Monday? I had 3 salads that day. Tuesday I had light veggies beef soup for 240 cal for a big can. Yesterday was super healthy eating at less than 1200 calories. At the gym, I tried the Hammer Strength ab extension machine. You have to pull down, the seat moves to a crunch position. Kinda scary to be truthful. I did low weight and 2 sets of 12 reps to try it. My abs hurt today. Maybe that's because I also did the ab crunch for 3 sets of 20 reps at a slightly higher weight. I walked to the gym that day.

Today is Thursday. It's cardio day! Rather than doing a specific work out, I opted to walk downtown about 1 km or maybe more to do some errands. Kept up a good pace and walked over 4000 steps, burning 151 calories according to my pedometer on the iPod.

Breakfast was a breakfast burrito from the freezer and 6 oz of milk. Not high in calories but not as healthy as it could have been I suppose but with the cold and walking, I think my body was craving more substance. Water when I returned.

For wellness: went to a business meeting Tuesday night. One presentation was on personal image and branding. Great spiel about wardrobe, body type and accessorizing. I am inspired to finally clear out my closet once and for all from the items that are too big, too tight from way back before I had kids and there is no way my shape will ever change that much to be truthful, too shapeless, too blah or just old that I never choose to wear. Must go through my jewellery too.

For me: finished sewing 7 crests on a camp blanket last night at work #3 and read more of my Happiness Project book. It was a good night at work. Work #4 of the day - delivered an order, received payment for another order and had a small inventory order placed. Also had a ref. letter dropped off for me. Yay! Productive!

Job hunt? Sent 21 resumes since Jan. 27. I have to send more. Need inspiration.

Lots to do. I don't see how anyone could be bored at home. I think I am my hardest boss. I don't give myself many breaks, keep a to do list with deadlines for myself to follow, just so much to do in day. One day I would like my house organized, no piles everywhere, no emails to catch up on and some hours in a day to do fun stuff.

Tonight - volunteering!

Back on the horse - again

After a hiatus, stuff happening, new job search which is not that easy I might add, I am back!

About 20 resumes sent out so far in a week or so. Not bad, not bad, considering I don't have all day to send them. Feeling discouraged in this health journey. Seems I make progress, go off track and indulge a little but still keep the exercise up and the scale jumps back up. Yeah, yeah muscle weighs more than fat but seriously, I think I need help. Weekend indulgence should have been offset by Friday night ice skating, Sat. 1 1/2 hr. weights and cardio, Sun. house cleaning and Wii tennis and bowling but it was not offset. Sigh ... HELP!

Health today:

6:15am treadmill at home for 25 mins. Sweating away! Whoo!

7:30am Breakfast - smoothie made with 1/2 scoop protein powder, pineapple, canteloupe, honeydew melon and 1/2 little yogurt single serving cup of Silhoutte 35 cal. yogurt.

8:35am Power walked to the gym

8:50am Weight lifting.

Today I challenged myself with the Back Extension machine. Only 50 lbs and 2 sets of I think 12 reps but that thing freaks me out. I never know if I'm doing it correctly and I feel like I will fly over the balcony there. Adductor, abductor, ab twist machine, ab crunch machine - 3 sets of 20 reps each, leg curl, leg press, chest press with dumbbells on the stability ball, squats with 10 lb weights in each hand, shoulder shrugs with the same weights, curls x 2 sets and more curls with heavier weights x 2 sets. I skipped the tricep extension machine. I used it again on Saturday and am still a little sore from it.

10:00am Salad - tuna, lettuce, celery, broccoli and tbsp or so of ranch dressing, plus spices

Little bit of artichoke dip and pita chips for my daily fat intake :)

1:30pm Salad - lettuce, broccoli, celery and vinaigrette dressing - and a homemade mince tart. Should not have had it but no one else will eat it and I forgot to serve it yesterday for dessert.

Happiness today: Applied for 1 job so far, played 3 games with Jr. after school, had fresh air, house is reasonably clean, paperwork for volunteering tonight done, but of my other job done too. No chill out time really except maybe now.

Feeling overwhelmed by the job sit. though. It will happen. Stay positive.

Yesterday's meals

Okay, yesterday's meals ...

Lunch was leftover beef stir fry with 1/4 cup of rice. Brown rice would have been better but it takes longer to cook and no one in the house will eat it except for me. Water to drink.

Snack: homemade granola bar featuring Harvest Crunch cereal, oats, peanut butter, min marshmallows, cho. chips and some other stuff. Mostly healthy and 150 cal. per bar.

Dinner: fish (coated but that's what we had), salad with green pepper and celery, low cal. dressing, potato nest - 150 cal. for one.

Lemongrass tea at 9:00pm.

Not bad for meals. Housework and family time after dinner. We played a new board game!

Today is Wednesday: 6:30am and a I had a banana, multivitamin and water. Going to do some yoga and cardio before my clients arrive. I have to hurry!

Back on track

So I was discouraged about my journey after a weekend of pop, pizza, chips, birthday cake, pecan pie flavoured ice cream and lack of exercise for a few days ... felt like all my hard work was gone and that's ridiculous! How could it be? If T.O's Rob Ford can lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks or less why does it take me months? Maybe it's because there's not that much to lose. Maybe it's because my body has a comfort zone and sometimes you can only do so much but I will not be defeated!

Today I had a multivitamin, water, 3 large strawberries in 1/2 cup of Harvest Crunch cereal and yogurt.

Workout:

2 sets of 15 reps 12.5 lb curls

2 x 12 reps 10 lb alternating curls

2 x 20 reps 10 lb squats

2 x 15 reps 8 lb shoulder shrugs

2 x 20 reps 115 lb seated leg press

2 x 15 reps 40 lbs leg curls

2 x 15 reps 45 lb leg extensions

2 x 20 reps 75 lb adductor (inner thigh so is it abductor?)

2 x 20 reps 60 lbs abductor (outter thigh so reversed?)

2 x 12 reps 30 lb tricep extensions

30 reverse crunches

20 alternating oblique crunches

stretching!

Cardio: 22 mins. at 5.0 incline, a bit of jogging on treadmill. Average heart rate 142, high was 167.

The gym was very strange today ... I felt almost exposed because they had removed a lot of equipment and were bringing in new stuff. Where did all those people come from? It was busy in there at 9:00am!

After the gym, I had 1/2 scoop of whey protein, 3 strawberries and milk blended. It was great!

Wish me luck.

Thursday already?

So I have been slacking in the writing department. I have still being doing well. Tuesday I went to the gym and jogged/power walked on the treadmill, 45 mins. of weight lifting, reps of 20 mostly and 2 sets of each exercise using machines, free weights, medicine ball and stability ball. It was great! Been eating well too.

Wednesday was a crazy busy day for work for me. 15 hour day at least and sadly didn't give much time to two of my kids but I did manage to squeeze in 31 minutes on the treadmill at home at 6:15am, burning 175 calories according to the meter. Certainly broke more than a sweat!

Dinner was some ham, 6 pieces of rigatoni (yes, only 6 squiggly pasta bits) and celery with a touch of Guk for dipping. Maybe a tsp of it. No food after 6:00pm and I went to bed at 12:45am. Got some sewing caught up and read part of my Happiness Project book too.

Today is Thursday. Haven't done a Wii scale check yet. I will tomorrow. It's been a full day of working 3 jobs so far and it's 1:20pm, and I have volunteering tonight.

Breakfast: omelet made with 1 egg and some poured egg whites, topped with a little marble cheese and diced tomatoes, 2 strips of bacon, 3/4 slice of whole wheat toast with margarine (I was full and gave the other 1/4 of toast to one of the kids) and 5 oz of 2% milk. All four food groups.

Snack: 2 stalks of celery with a little cream cheese, water - 11:15am

Lunch: Not hungry. I should eat something soon.

Work-out: Hopefully at 8:00pm tonight when I get home. It was supposed to be my gym day but sometimes life gets in the way of plans. Cardio and stretching will do nicely. I've had 32 oz of water at least so far today. Had my fresh air for 40 mins. outside too.

Tonight's dinner is nachos and tortilla soup. I think I will load mine up with green pepper instead of chips underneath. I feel really good about this low-carb diet so far. Low-carb meaning less grains, rice, pasta, cereal, etc. It's been nearly 3 weeks!

Funeral today

I am attending my grandfather's funeral today. It will be a solemn day. I am to do the first reading at mass. I hope I don't stumble. I am honoured that I was asked. Last night was the viewing. Not as difficult as I thought and nice to have almost the entire family together. It's a rarity.

Okay ... I can't sleep so I am online. Yesterday I did manage to get in a half hour of exercise in the morning. It was cardio combined with crunches, bridges, calf raises, leg lifts, torso twists and a few other stretches. Proud that I could fit that in.

So food yesterday ...

Breakfast: banana, water, vitamin

Lunch: garden salad with sliced turkey on top, low cal Caesar dressing, 1/3 potato made into home fries, water

Snack at 3pm: granola bar (150 calories), water

Dinner at 9:00pm: Diet Coke (0 calories), southwest salad at Montana's - greens, black beans, corn, few tortilla strips, jalepeno and red peppers, topped with steak. Ancho ranch dressing on the side and I used 1/4 of the cup of dressing provided. Didn't finish the salad. Very proud of my healthy choice. A full salad is over 500 calories. I didn't need much dressing at all!

My Grandmother said I looked thinner. I saw her 2 weeks ago just before New Year's. The compliment was nice.

Today ... no breakfast yet. Maybe I should try to get some more sleep. I've been up for an hour at it's 6:40am.

A busy weekend

On Friday I was down 0.2 kg. I did a lot of cardio exercise in the morning, snow shovelling in the afternoon, and was feeling good, considering I received bad news about a death in the family the night before. That's another story. My dinner was my "fun" night ... 2 beers (1 was light), 2 slices of pizza with meat and veggies on it, 2 brownies (that I made), 2 pieces of cheesy garlic bread and breaded chicken twists. So worth it! No night snacking after that.

Saturday (yesterday), I went to the gym and spent 1 1/2 hours lifting weights, walking the track and jogging on the treadmill. My incline was 4.5%, maximum heart rate 178 bpm. My target is 111- 148. What happens if I go over? My steady heart rate was within the high end of my range, closer to 155 though. Breakfast unfortunately was a granola bar and lunch was 2 slices of leftover pizza. I didn't eat again for several hours until dinner but drank plenty of water.

Dinner: hamburger (NO BUN), slice of bacon, mustard, garden salad with a little Guk sauce on the side, 1/3 potato made into home fries with NO SALT.

Evening: slice of apple cheesecake, 2 shrimp with seafood sauce, handful of whole grain (gluten-free) crackers with seeds in them and brie, glass of wine, butterscotch martini, couple of rum & Diet Cokes so all low calorie drinks at a party.

Today is Sunday. Not in the mood for much. I need some down time after a busy week. House work has been done daily this week. Kids need reminders to keep up with things. We have a viewing to attend to later. I have managed to do 14 days straight of exercise and watching what I eat carefully. I noticed in pictures I've gone up and down ... wondering what I did before to go down. I don't think it was this intense. I have to do some form of exercise today.

Breakfast: banana and water - for now. Not in the mood to eat. I know bananas are "bad" in a way but whatever. It's fruit so better than a couple of slices of toast, right?

Lunch today

Lunch today was left over chicken and veggies from last night and a blueberry muffin made yesterday. Did I mention my breakfast? Egg white omelet made with a splash of milk, black pepper, sprinkling of cheese and diced tomato with 6 strawberries on the side, a vitamin and water.

Water drank as of 1:00pm: 6 glasses

Speed walking at 8:30am

Last night for dinner I had slow cooker country chicken made with skinless chicken, 2 potatoes, peas, celery, carrots and corn. The pot made enough for everyone but only us adults and 1 child had some with plenty left over. I made corn bread and mini corn muffins too so I had one slice of the bread. It was good! I went out for a meeting, came home hungry and had a glass of water. No night snacking for me!

This morning the scale on the Wii shows a drop. Horray! I did 30 mins. of exercise, burning 100 calories with activities like hula hoop, ski jump, 3 yoga moves, step, boxing and baton march. I went for a power walk up and down hills to the bank and back. At red lights, I did standing calf raises to keep my heart rate up. It was a 3.4 km walk round trip, burning over 150 calories and home by 9:10am.

Happiness means decluttering

Today is Tuesday. First, the health portion of this blog ...

Yesterday for dinner I had beef meatballs with mozarella on top and veggies cooked in a little oil and seasoned with Mediterranean sea salt and black pepper. Veggies tried were zucchini, green pepper and mushrooms. It was good! No evening snack.

Today's breakfast: oatmeal with a handful of blueberries on top, water, vitamin.

Went to the gym and did a great work out:

CARDIO: Walked to the gym in a fast pace - 7 mins.

Treadmill at incline of 5.0, bouts of running and walking while watching Storage Wars for 20 mins. I did not want to get off - wanted to keep watching the show! Highest heart rate was 177. Average heart rate 148 bpm. I should look up what is appropriate for fat burning for my age.

Walked home at a fast pace - 7 mins. so total of 34 mins. of cardio.

WEIGHTS: 2 sets of 20 reps (2x20) seated leg press at 110 lbs.

2x20 ab crunches at 60 lbs.

2x20 abductor (the inner thigh machine or is it adductor?) at 70 lbs.

2x15 leg extensions at 45 lbs.

2x15 leg curls at 45 lbs.

2x15 bicep curls at 12.5 lbs.

2x12 different type of alternating curls at 10 lbs.

2x15 squats holding 10 lbs. at sides

2x12 shoulder shrugs with 10 lbs.

2x20 lat pulldowns at 30 lbs.

2x15 tricep pull down extensions at 30 lbs.

I think that was all I did today. Can't remember!

Now on to the happiness and decluttering portion!

We had the city come and do a special garbage pick up for us today. First one of the year is free. This morning, we had scavengers pick up the mops, computer and scanner. A lady came by and asked my husband if she could have the highchair, potty, ride on outdoor toy and booster seat for the table. I spoke to her and she said her church is sponsoring a family from Iraq and they have 3 kids under 3 and will be new to the country as of next week. Her plan was to take those items home, clean them up and donate them. Well when I heard that, I went inside and grabbed some kids' clothes, baby toys, kids' dishes and a few other things that might be useful. I'd rather give away to a family in need than put working items in the landfill. So she came back and took almost all the kids' stuff away except for the furry chairs which can't easily be cleaned. Came back from work at lunch and all the garbage was gone. Feels so GOOD to declutter and free up space.

Today is Monday!

Sunday I went skating with the family. We were on the ice for about an hour. Maybe not a smart thing since I was sore but it was good. I must have burned a couple hundred calories skating. Didn't get to much more exercise than that but I suppose a day of rest was in order. I did get all the items off my organization check list completed though.

I'm not going to beat myself up over lunch or "brunch" as one of the kids wanted. I had 2 perogies with low fat sour cream, a small slice of cheese pizza, part of a cheese omelet, 6 oz glass of 2% milk and a bit of pasta with cheese. At least everyone ate up the rest and none lof the kids complained. Victory in the meal department!

Dinner was healthier. Homemade vegetable soup made by my 7-year-old, Moroccan chicken (new recipe for me) and water. No home fries for me - everyone else had them. My evening snack was a handful of chili lime peanuts.

Today is Monday! Breakfast at 8:45am was unexpected - a blueberry muffin brought in for me from one of my daycare children. A guilty pleasure and my only wheat based carb today. Better to have it in the morning than dinner.

Exercise: I did 30 mins. of Wii Fit and burned 100 calories at 6:30am before work. I plan to do something more intense later. I worked for 3 1/2 hours this morning and now am taking a break at home while my little one watches the tube.

Lunch at 10:30am: leftover Moroccan chicken on a bed of romaine lettuce with 2 sliced mushrooms and not quite a tbsp of calorie wise ranch dressing.

Snack at 1:45pm: 2 thick slices of tomato, 5 slices of cucumber with marble cheddar sliced on top and sprinkled with Arriba sansel salt-free spice blend. Satisfying. Better choice than cheese & crackers.

Water consumed so far as of 2:00pm: 6 glasses

Dinner: Unsure what to prepare.

Progress: According to the Wii scale, 1.2 kg lost since Jan. 2. Hmmm ... all that work for only 2 pounds? Really? So unfair! A friend suggested checking out the health food store for metabolism and thyroid boosters. I exercised daily and reduced my food and carb intake drastically and that's all that happened. Progress is progress though. Keep it up and by Valentine's Day, it should be visible.

January 8, 2012

Yesterday was Saturday. The night before I had 3 slices of thin crust Montreal smoked meat pizza, celery and cucumber with dip and some chips while watching Pocohontas with the family. I had 3/4 of a cranberry gingerale. I checked the label - less calories than the other pop in the house. I felt bad but it was so good! No beer for me either.

Saturday food: egg white omelet with mushrooms, cheese inside a thick slice of green pepper. Snack: cucumber slices, low fat vanilla yogurt

Dinner: 2 square slices of pepperoni pizza after curling at 4:00pm, 3/4 gingerale

Snack: 1 Italian sausage with spicy mustard (mustard is fat free) at 5:30pm

Snack: salad with green pepper, celery, calorie wise ranch dressing (maybe 1/2 tbsp) at 8:00pm

Saturday morning I jumped on my treadmill at home for 25 mins. In the afternoon we went curling for the first time with our volunteer organization kids. It is more physical than it looks. Today my inner thighs are sore from all the movement. Should I take an exercise break? Nah.

Sunday breakfast: smoothie. Was hoping spouse could make bacon and eggs but everyone seems to be enjoying the last day of Christmas break doing their own thing so I went healthy. Made with 2% milk, frozen mixed berries, low fat vanilla yogurt and 1/2 scoop of whey protein powder. I feel full.

My fitness plan for today: skating with the family in the afternoon, ab work, some other exercise

My organization plan for today: laundry! Have kids put away their own (everyone in the house has a chore chart taped to the bedroom doors. Check marks given for each item done - kids get allowance based on this at the end of the week.)

b) mop kitchen and bsmt bathroom floors, sweep

c) throw out a bunch of stuff from the laundry and furnace rooms

d) activities with the kids

e) put away Christmas village and lights

Lots more on the list on the white board in the kitchen so will see what I can get done. Would LOVE to go out for dinner. Haven't been to a restaurant since Dec. 3rd so over a month. I did book a spa appointment for myself in a few weeks though. ME time!

Health and Happiness: A Mom's Tale

Why didn't I think of this sooner? I love writing, miss writing and it's a great way to get thoughts "on paper". About me ... a 30-something (29 forever!) mom of three young kids, married for 10 years to a wonderful, supportive husband, educated and creative lady who gives to others. I have four jobs - all part time. Some days are longer than others. I volunteer for three organizations, one of which takes up a lot of time but while doing these activities, I get to spend time with each of my children. My world revolves around children, teaching them, exploring the world with them and I am good at it!

I often am the ear which listens to other's problems. I've heard it all. I am the voice of reason, the voice of encouragement, the voice of new ideas. I have two college diplomas and a certificate. I have yet to find "the perfect job" as a counsellor, which is what I will be searching for once August 2012 is over. I have paid for membership in the OCSWSSW and have not used it to my advantage yet, except for having those little letters after my name. That journey is another tale.

So with the jobs, volunteering and family (and we have pets) down, there is still the house to organize, businesses to keep paper work organized for, friends to spend time with and oh yeah ... ME time. Not much of that guilt-free that's for sure.

Okay, the purpose of this blog is to document, I suppose, my goals towards having a healthier, better organized ME. Not selfish at all. I feel I am mom first, then wife, house manager (sewing, cooking, shopping, cleaning, banking, social calendar arranger, appointment booker, chauffeur, play date arranger, first aider, etc.), self-employed, employee, everyone else's "servant" and then myself.

My 2012 resolutions are to be more organized, have the household chores divvied up amongst everyone and get in better shape. I hope to eat healthier without guilt if I have a snack day. I carry a lot of guilt about many things. I started reading The Happiness Project after Christmas. Good read so far.

January 1st I thought I could try this zero carb diet. I got a bad migraine late in the day and ended up having a slice of toast. I thought no carbs at all, even from certain veggies wasn't a good way to live for me personally. I am active and I know anything lost from that will quickly come back. I decided to try a combination of several and kind of create it myself. I was posting on Facebook my meals and exercises while receiving comments from friends. It was turning into a journal. Here I am.

So I have been using Calorific and Noom apps on my phone. I think I'll ditch Noom. I end up inputting the same info on Calorific. I bought the Making the Cut Jillian Michaels book and a Shape magazine. Read Shape on my treadmill at home over two days. Inspiring.