Drum Roll Please...

     This is about ten minutes after all of us crossed the finish line!!  I know its not the most flattering picture... but I just don't care, I'm so proud of all of us!  From left, Me, Sparkles, Momma, and Jimmy.  Yea, they are all nicknames, but you get the idea of who I will be talking about.  I received the 3rd place medal in my run for my age group and Sparkles got 4th place.  Momma received the 2nd place medal for her age group as well.  My time was 37 minutes, Sparkles was 38, Mommas wasn't far behind, and Jimmy was in the walking group.

    Not only did we all finished but we all exceedded our goals and expectations, as a matter of fact we have already found another race in July.  Do you see what having a goal and reaching it can do for you?  I not only have surpassed all my resolutions, but I have made more and plan on flying right above those as well.  I have lost 3 more pounds putting me at 127 pounds and I'm loving every minute of it.  Its a lifelong battle that I am willing to win.

     Next up for me is incorporating P90X back into my routine and staying on track with my healthy new choices.  Wish me luck!  Not that luck will have anything to do with it, because I ROCK!

5k...

    Note to self:  Do not watch professional women runners running an 800 meter race before you run your first 5k.  Self, you have really messed up your Self confidence!  Oh yes... and Self, that cookie you ate to make your SELF feel better didn't work either.

     So yesterday morning I was so excited that I wanted to watch and take notes.  These powerful beautiful women were running half a mile in under 2 minutes.  Their legs were like cement slabs, the song "Brick House," kept ringing in my ears.  I thought my 5 minute half mile was pretty good.  Turns out I truly am just a beginner, and I think i might have made peace with that after that chocolate chip cookie, or four.

     I have to get up at 6:15 am, and I might not sleep because of my nerves.  I keep telling myself it is just for fun, and its only my first time, but I have worked so hard to get here that I am determined to run the whole thing.

   I tried to eat my oatmeal today and couldn't.  I hope that this in not a sign.  Sparkles found two four leaf clovers yesterday so I am hoping that one of those was meant for me; smile.  Although, Sparkles isn't feeling herself today either, so maybe this is the storm... before the kick butt!
     Wish me luck!  Ill let you know tomorrow evening how it goes, hopefully I can run this thing in 35 minutes, here's hoping.

Even SuperMoms Have Their Days

     You have all met Gage?  He is my four year old, and he can be a handful!  I have been working on my consistency skills with Gage, meaning when I say NO I mean NO.  Well today I had said no quite a lot, and I had to do time outs almost all morning and afternoon long and I was at my wits end.  I don't like spanking.  I am not against a swat on the bum, but I prefer to use time outs because spanking does not work for my children. 

     You see Gage wanted a glass of water after he chugged the glass of juice I handed him.  I said "No, you just had some juice, now wait a bit and Ill get you a glass of water."  He preceded to try to take the glass of water I was drinking out of my hand saying, "Give me your water, NOW!"  What I did next was emotional, it wasn't exactly right, but I had a good giggle and I think he learnt his lesson.

     I took that glass of water in my hand and splashed the water right in his direction, soaking him in the water he screamingly demanded that I give him.

     So I gave it to him all right!

    No, this is not a tip of the day.  I just felt like baring my faults at the moment, so that you can see that we are all human, and sometimes our emotions get the better of us.  I think next time Ill take a deep breath and ignore the nasty screaming, but today I had my moment.  I'm ready to move on.

     On a brighter note, I've just started trying out all the new Greek Yogurts available and my consensus is... they are all disgusting!  So in order to get past the taste and receive the benefits I have been making smoothies with vanilla Greek yogurt.  I add Naked juice and whole fruits to the yogurt and put it all in a blender, SOOO good and always fat free!  Not to mention my favorite Naked brand juice is Blue Machine and it has 7 grams of fiber per serving and great benefits like 100% of the daily value of B vitamins.  Yes, and by the way, always buy the vanilla flavored Greek yogurt or its like putting thick sour cream in your smoothie... eeewww!  The calories in Dannons Greek Yogurt is 110 and no fat.  Let me know if you try it, I always down one after my morning or afternoon workouts.

Brand New Day!

     O what a week.  We all had a little dose of the sickies, but this morning I woke up at 8 a.m., made breakfast, went running, 25 minutes straight and walked 10.  My little Raine's rash went away finally, but their behaviour has been out of control this last week.  I decided that from now on I will keep to the whole foods diet and keep the caffeine and high fructose corn syrup out, and continue to cut way back on the gluten.  It definitely seemed to work, but last week we fell off the wagon due to how cheap and easy the alternative was.
     I spent 80 dollars on an entire 12 meals of healthy whole foods with my savvy self.  I did the math too.  At over 20 dollars a meal eating out, we have saved over 160 dollars in 4 days!  Keep that up and it is over 1200 dollars a month!  I know that I didn't eat out 3 meals a day, but even once a day is too much on any salary.
     The 5k is this Saturday!  All week long I am hydrating and eating all the right foods, like berries, nuts, Greek yogurt, peanut butter, healthy carbs, and lots of water, lean protein, and vegetables.  Sparkles, the nickname of my bestie, is running with me and gave me this great link to take a look at.  It helped me figure out some great meal ideas for this week just for my runs.  http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-300--13352-0,00.html
     One huge tip, it is great to have a partner when you have a fitness goal.  Sparkles and I check in with each other each time we run to see where we are, and its not a competition, but a motivation for us.  I'm not sure how I would get out of bed to run if I didn't have a friend relying on me!  Good luck!

My Miracle Foundation!

    

     This is my miracle worker.  Merle Norman Luxiva Timeless Age Defying  Makeup with SPF.  I have never worn foundation because every single kind that I tried made me look cakey and later after sitting there looked slimy and settled in creases.  I have always had normal skin with a tiny bit of redness around my nose and lips.  I put this on and I look like a porcelain doll.  I love it, but like every foundation you have to know how to blend blend blend.

 

     I use a liquid foundation brush, it looks like a concealer brush only bigger.  If you have ever seen Memoirs of a Geisha, you have seen one of these brushes.  You don't have to use primer with this makeup either, but if you would prefer, the only kind I'll buy is Smashbox!  Its like silk going on your face and makes blending a dream!  To avoid streaks or spots I always put my makeup on in natural light and blend into the hairline and onto my neck and decollete.

     I hope this picture shows you how even my skin tone looks... once I get through all the makeup beauty blogs Ill post a real up close photo so you can see all the products on and the hair done!! Have fun shopping!

    

Rash

      I have taken the last couple days off of my blog because Raine came down with some sort of virus.  He has a rash covering his entire body... even his hands and feet.  Poor little guy!  Ill be back tomorrow for beauty blog II.  Foundation!

Oatmeal Shmoatmeal! Rockstars Shining Moment!

        Someone point me in the right direction!  I have been trying to eat oatmeal for years.  I just bought 100% natural Irish rolled oats and poured the box into an airtight container and added 1 tablespoon of cinnamon to store for each morning.  Yesterday I added 100% pure maple syrup and raisins... I didn't like it!  Today I added a tablespoon of peanut butter and did not like it!  I know that I want to eat this oh so nutritious breakfast, but I just can't get past the 4th spoonful.  I refuse to add sugar, but maybe its the only way?  Is there anyone else who may have this problem?  The thing is, I crave it, but when I make a steaming bowl and try to dig in, I am left gagging.  Oh Oatmeal, perhaps we weren't meant to be.

       Rockstar spends almost all of his time from 2pm to sometimes 2am making music, however, he is always sure to be the best husband and father he can be when he is able to be home with us.  Latest example, and oh what a man he is, our flaming dryer!  My husband never calls a plumber, or any kind of repair man available.  He can fix ANYTHING!  I was going insane thinking of what to do the other morning when my dryer went up in flames.  I laid laundry out all over the house.  My girlfriend, we will call her Vegan Goddess, came over the other day, and bless her heart didn't give notice to the bright orange underwear hanging on the back of the chair her little Aspen was sitting on!

      Any hoot, I thought my not very old dryer was a goner, it didn't even tumble dry more than one towel at a time anymore!  My Rockstar, oh how I love him, had from 7:30 to dark to fix this mess in the garage, he had it taken apart, hoses changed and cleaned out by 9pm and NO JOKE, the thing now dries an entire huge load of towels in one cycle???  I cannot believe how lucky I am... I mean look at him up there, absolutely nothing hotter than a man with a guitar who sings AND is good with his hands.  People, he can even fix computers... this guy is GOOD!

Tip of the Day Sunday... Over Indulgence.

Over Indulging is never a good thing!
I decided to try eating out.  I went to Red Lobster and didn't eat the cheddar bay biscuits, I had a salad without dressing, grilled shrimp, asparagus, baked potato, one drink.  I felt so good!  Rockstar ate my biscuits, such a good Rockstar, taking away the temptation.  Later that evening I caved.  I had too much of not a good thing.  I ate apple pie, and chicken nuggets, why oh why did I do this?  I felt so bad afterward and sick today.  Even though I keep telling myself how not worth getting sick it is, I keep doing this about once a week, I cave!  Moral of the story?  Indulge... go ahead... indulge in love, indulge in friendship... indulge in hobbies and exercise, but when it comes to food, Over indulging will only lead to regret.  Replace that temptation with a new TV series and some natural popcorn!  My husband and I started watching 24 together.  I look forward to this more than ice cream or pastries!  Its our little way of rewarding ourselves after a long day of eating healthy!  I've also been watching Dexter.  Once you realize that you can reward yourself in other ways, you will be golden!

Quinoa Cinnamon Rolls... FAIL

     Boy... those look yummy huh?  NO... they are not, they were like eating rubber with sugar water.  However, the boys love them and ate two.  Obviously I have a very sophisticated palate, and I just couldn't get past the cement like dough.  I made these little gems with Quinoa (pronounced keee-nwa)  flour, my husband doesn't know this because he wouldn't have tried them, but he actually liked them to.  You see I wanted to make a sweet breakfast treat for my little ones that were of course gluten-free and all natural.  Perhaps I need a new hobby?  I should have known when the ingredient list was only 4 ingredients, my baking has seen better days!

     It has been raining in Indiana everyday this week.  Running in the rain on Monday wasn't so bad, but I think Ill pass doing it twice in one week.  I also ran on Wednesday, you know 3.4 miles because I am awesome!  I would say that I'm not slacking, but I could have ran yesterday and did not.  So I definitely may have failed in the 5k training department this week, but man o man do I love supplementing with my re-found love for Denise Austin's Aerobic tapes... Next week I will run all three days MWF and do 3 miles each day... or more?  Who knows?  Hope you are all doing well with your endeavors!

Beauty Blog I: Hair

      This is my hair.  I am not bragging, but I have had a lot of compliments on my hair!  So I am going to share my little secret.  I wash my hair only 3 times a week!  Twice a week I use Head and Shoulders shampoo and conditioner.  It doesn't matter what type either because I learnt the secret to beautiful healthy hair was number one not to strip the oils by washing everyday, and number two, like the commercial, it starts with your scalp.

     Now, once a week I use Organix (which you can find at walmart) Coconut Milk shampoo and conditioner.  I love the smell and the fact that it is organic.  It also has egg whites in it for shine.  Love it!

     After every shampoo I learned that using a hair oil like Moroccanoil doesn't way it down, but actually gives my hair more texture and a healthy shine.  In order to get some volume I use Pureology's root lift.  First off all of Pureology's products are vegan friendly, or organic, and secondly it is safe if you color your hair, which I usually don't, but have recently darkened it a bit.  So, I hope this helps any of you find something that will work for you. :)

Rockstar LISTENS!

     Rockstar LISTENS!  Tonight he decided he didn't want fish and rice and veggies so I sent him to go get groceries without explanation or lists... He came home with all gluten-free, MSG free, and high fructose corn syrup free products.  We had a Mexican fiesta... YUM.  Here are pictures of the products, I actually called the 1-800 number just to make sure too!  He fell asleep when I was filling his ears about all the new information I have been learning... so you can understand my surprise when he showed his support like this... Laugh out LOUD!

         Its hard to see the pictures so Ill list them from top to bottom. Mission Yellow Corn Tortillas; Kroger's Private Selection Zesty Cilantro; and the best Tostino's Scoops!

    

      I also ran 3.4 miles in 36.22 minutes on my first time running the whole thing.  Its been a good day!  I went to google and googled running maps in my area to map out a route around my house... its easy to do and you know exactly how far you are going. 

      The coolest part is that we are all ready seeing results!  Both boys have been so much calmer.  Today when I rewarded them with o-so gluten-free butterfingers they went a little berserk from the refined sugar, but they deserved it!  The lack of high fructose corn syrup is making a difference.

     For me, these last few days have been like withdrawal.  I  have had dull headaches and weird bowel movements, I know TMI!  Let me tell you though, I feel so energetic, so happy, and my headaches are much better than they were.  So we will keep on this!  Stay tuned tomorrow, I've dubbed it Beauty Blog day... where I will share all the beauty products that I use that work WONDERS.  I have been asked by many women how I keep my hair so healthy, so stay tuned!

    

    

Don't Give Up!

      Today I wanted to quit, but the thought of this little one being sick, or unhealthy because of what I was feeding him was too much to bare, especially after reading this article: http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Complementary-Medicine/MSG-and-its-other-names-and-affects-on-the-body/show/930124 

This is why I am so scared of MSG and other additives.

The fact that the FDA will actually go to lengths to cover this up is why we have to be aware.  My pantry was full of high fructose corn syrup and MSG!  So bad for you!

      So I kept it up, even though this cake wasn't gluten-free... because his birthday was a few weeks ago, Ill make sure that the next one is at least free of preservatives and additives by making it at home.  Obviously I won't be completely cutting out gluten when It comes to birthdays, but when we eat everyday I can surely keep it as low as possible by eating whole foods.  Today we tried gluten free rice pasta... sooo good!

      On a lighter note, do you all remember Denise Austin??  I broke out the ole Aerobics videos... had to dust them off, but man nobody can boogy like Denise Austin!  My heart rate was up to 180 and I was sweating buckets after just 30 minutes.  LOVE IT, try it... so much easier than going to the gym and you can get it done while the kids are watching their favorite show!

    Another tip:  I get dinner all ready to throw on the oven... packages open, water in a pot to boil pasta, veggies ready to steam or roast, then I pop in the tape and do thirty minutes of cardio, or sixty if its p90x, when I'm done I'm revved up to get dinner on the table.  Works like a charm!

Rockstars Little Fans

                                                            
          This picture reminded me of Rockstar.  You see when he records a new song, he brings it into the house to listen to it on our home entertainment system.  Of course he is standing there watching my face and the boys are standing around him dancing and singing along to their daddies music!  Sooo sweet!  They are standing there like these little penguins.

Day One... Epic Failure...

         These are the mother's day flowers my brother and his wife gave me, they were drooping and about to die this morning and I managed to bring them back to life.  I am no failure.

          However, when it comes to cutting out gluten, MSG, and high fructose corn syrup, it seems to be that I failed today.  The GLUTEN, believe it or not, was the easy part.  I ate Yo plait Yo plus yogurt, which is free of gluten and high fructose corn syrup, and a banana for breakfast with skim milk; at lunch I had grilled chicken, brown rice, and green beans; dinner was Progresso Vegetable Lintel Soup, which was gluten free, free of MSG, and free of all preservatives and additives.  Once I got used to the texture it was edible, but my oldest Gage quoted "Ewwww its soup with poop in it!"  For snacks I tried the Enjoy Life soft baked chewy chocolate chip cookies, these were not very good last night when I tried them, but today I found myself enjoying each and every bite.  Ill keep eating these.  I also had peanut butter, natural, which is naturally gluten free, YUM.  Then lastly today I tried Kettle cooked Jalapeno potato chips.  These were AMAZING, but you see they are where I failed.  There is MSG in these chips!!  I will probably wake up with a headache, but they tricked me by saying it was maltodextrin, which folks, is basically the same thing, and for people who are sensitive, this won't work.
     So I didn't fail too badly, even when my little boys were begging for oatmeal cream pies and soda, I kept my footing.  They are in bed before midnight, which in a Rockstars house is a record time!  They will thank me for feeding them as healthily as I can one day when they live to be 100!  Lets hope!  Tomorrow I am going to try the gluten free Cinnamon Chex cereal, I'm so excited that I'm heading to bed now.  Oh and in case you were wondering, I ran two miles today before it started to pour.  So here is to tomorrow!

Gluten-Free, Why Me?

Who:  Me and the little ones
What:  We will be cutting out gluten, high fructose corn syrup, MSG, and caffeine.
When:  I was going to do this for a week to see how we did, but after some extensive research I discovered that is takes at least 3 weeks to notice a difference in behaviour and in the way we feel.  So we will start today and go until June 7th.  If it has made a difference, we will continue on with this good nutrition.
Where:  This means that we will be eating all of our meals at home.  I am not going to chance going to restaurants and not knowing the ingredients. 
Why:  For the past few years I have noticed that my oldest son has had behavioral issues, such as hyperactivity, adhd like symptoms, constant tummy trouble, and sometimes he lashes out at us out of nowhere.  I however would like to do this because I have struggled with depression, lethargy, migraines, IBS, muscle twitches, and unexplained bruising.  My little one is going to go along for the ride, well, because it is healthier, and he deserves it.  The Rockstar however will continue eating wheat products and drinking caffeine.
How:  Let me share with you a few websites that have helped to change my life.  First of all where I found most of the side affects of gluten, high fructose corn syrup, and other additives http://www.healthyeatingadvisor.com/food-labels.html
next since I do all of my shopping at Kroger, I found these helpful pdf.s that will make it easier and cheaper to eat healthy and gluten-free!!
http://www.kroger.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/healthyliving/Naturally%20Gluten%20Free%20Products.pdf
http://www.kroger.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/pharmacy/GlutenList.pdf
and thirdly, here are a couple of blogs that have come in handy to find family friendly recipes and support
http://nancysplace.wordpress.com/2007/06/22/thirteen-things-i-hate-about-being-gluten-free/
http://glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com
So tonight when I post the blog about how the day went... Ill let you know the products I used and what were the tastiest!!  Wish me luck!

Sunday Tip of the Week

Stop and smell the Chrysanthemums.
If the dishes need to be done, let them go
If the laundry needs folded, let it go
If there is dust on the mantle, let it sit
Every one with a 9-5 gets a break... why shouldn't the stay at home parents, or even the parents that work all week long and then work more when they get home.
Life is going to go on, so take a deep breath and relax, if only for a few hours.
I'm gonna take a nap with my little one, and have a piece of apple pie, I deserve it!
So do you.

Hectic Day.... How do I do It?

       Meet Gage.  Gage is hyperactive.  I have my hands full today with Gage.  I also have a rockstar husband who works today from noon to 8:30pm.  I have a dinner party to prepare for and I don't have a vehicle today.  I also have to get in my exercise somehow without leaving the house.  How do I prepare for a 5k inside the house you ask?  Ever heard of Leslie Sansone Walk Away the Pounds?  Well, she has a 3 mile and a 4 mile routine that I do on the days I cannot go outside and since I don't own a treadmill, I jog in place instead of walk, along to her routine.  It works!

      Now, meet Raine.  Raine is Gage's younger brother, and they like to play all day and not take naps when they are together.  How am I going to manage getting the dinner ready you ask?  Well, its a wonderful invention called a Crock Pot.  No one can beat a roast, red potatoes, baby carrots and an onion, all stuffed into a crock pot.  It took me literally ten minutes this morning before rockstar headed off to work.  All I have to do now is put some music on for the boys to boogie down to.... pop in my 4 mile Leslie Sansone walk.... clean the bathroom while I'm giving them a bath.... and later when they are tuckered enough to watch a movie... I slip in the movie UP and get cleaned up, and WALLAH, dinner party is done!  I'm good!  Now see how excited our guests are!  Stay tuned Monday... my new Gluten-free diet plan!                                                                                                                                                                          

A look at my Men...

This is the Rockstar... He works a LOT... went away for a week last year to record his second album with producer Eric Greedy, and I stayed at home with my two toddlers.  As you can see by the pictures, I have my hands full.  I love every minute of my hectic life.  Currently the toddlers are jumping on their new twin size beds and screaming for dear life.  Ooh the joys of motherhood.  The rockstar however is hard at work, he works in the morning, then comes home for an hour and leaves again to teach guitar lessons, and then sometimes he has to leave again after 9pm to head out to a gig.  So I would say that the precious little time I have to focus on fitness is sometimes hard to get motivated for.  I manage to do it though, and I know if you struggle with this, you can to.  For one hour a day, if you can, put yourself first.  For the other 23 hours, well, let them have them.  You know they love you for it!

Finished p90x first 90 days lean... here are the results...

24 pounds ago!  This is where it all started folks.... literally.  I was 189 pounds after the birth of my second son... here I am 154 pounds and that is when I started p90x!  I was a couch potato extraordinaire!  I ate and ate and slept and sat, and I needed a new hobby terribly bad.  So I started the p90x lean program and instead of taking 90 days it took me 160 days to complete because I did it every other day.  Let me tell you, for beginners, even this seemed impossible at times.  I felt like I had been beat with a meat cleaver most days and left for death!

      So after accomplishing this... now 130 pounds and counting I decided to start training for a 5k in June, and decided to let the world join me in my journey there.  So far I have very sore calves and shinsplints that have been taped for two days.  I have been able to reach 2.5 miles in 24 minutes but cannot seem to tack on that extra mile before I give up.  Starting tomorrow I am doing it come rain, tornados, or carb cravings.  Even if my husband is away at a gig, or my two toddler boys won't take a nap... I will succeed!  Stay tuned... much more to tell you!