The Best Fall Weekend!

Like I said before, Summer may now be officially over but the fun isn't! This past weekend was the first weekend of the new season and me and the kid welcomed it by going to Larriland Farm. We went on an educational hayride,  then through a haunted barn and a hay maze. After taking a break from the fun for refreshments (fresh apple fritters and fresh apple cider) we went over to the fields to pick apples, broccoli and raspberries. It was such a beautiful day out that we stayed at the farm for over 3 hours, then it was off to one of our favorite restaurants (Bahama Breeze) for a wonderful lunch of seafood chowder, lobster and shrimp quesadillas, fresh mango smoothies and shrimp pasta. It was a wonderful Saturday!
  Sunday of course was football day! We went to the Ravens game (and won!) early in the afternoon and the evening was spent getting prepared for another great school/work week. I'm looking forward to many more fun Fall festivities! I'll post pics later!

Random Calm...

And so as the dryer hums in the background, the dishwasher swishes and swashes, the shower runs upstairs and the scent of the grilled herbed chicken breast from dinner still lingers in the air...I feel a calm wash over me that feels a little weird and unfamiliar. It's the calm of knowing that everything is in order. It's the calm of no worries and the security of having everything under control. Tomorrow's clothes are ironed and hung, tomorrow's breakfast lunch and dinner is decided. Everything for the morning journey to work and school is waiting in it's place near the front door...ahhh...to feel prepared and organized is a wonderful feeling. And so now I can sit and have my cup of tea and read the final chapters of another great novel given to me by a friend who buys books and waits for my review before actually reading it herself. Friends...another part of the calm that has suddenly washed over me. Real friends, who know what it means to cultivate and nourish friendships with likeminded people. I know this post is so random...but i just had to share. :-)

Planning For A Great Start!

Hey Dolls! I don't know about you but I'm ready to say goodbye to lastweek and say hello to a clean slate! This past week has been...well...ummm...yeah...ummm...I don't even know how to describe it. If you know what hospital I work at, then you probably know what I mean. Needless to say, I'm looking forward to a fresh start. Time to get prepared for a successful work/school week for me and the kid. It's feeling more and more like Fall every morning and since the official start of Fall is this week...it feels perfect! I haven't done my usual Sunday prep for the week (laundry, ironing, schedules, etc...) but I have a day off tomorrow so I plan to get alot done during the day while the kid is at school. I'm planning to welcome the new season by taking the kid to pick apples at a local orchard and having a Fall harvest party at home. I'm planning for a great week...hope you guys do the same!

Healthier Me Update

I'm feeling good right now. I'm feeling motivated right now. I'm feeling like everything that I have plans to accomplish will take place....right now. I've started my workout, I've gotten rid of MOST of the things in the fridge and just started all over again. I bought lots of fresh fruits and veggies and more than enough things to pack a lunch for work and cook a different meal every night to cut down on ordering out. I'm still not in a stable routine for my 20 minute run but I'm getting there. The morning air has been so crisp and fresh that it definitely keeps me motivated to get out there! I just have to work on conditioning myself to be able to run the entire 20 minutes without stopping to walk in between. Right now I start with a 6 minute walk to warm up and then I run for 1 minute and repeat this cycle about 3 times. I was told by a trainer to decrease the walk time by a couple minutes each day and increase the run time by the same amount of time. This routine has been working for me and I feel so energized even though it's only been about a good week. I've also increased my water intake (I hate water by the way) so far to about 4 cups a day. I'm hoping to stay on this path until I reach my goal of a healthier lifestyle. That's my update for now dolls!

Mental Clutter...

must workout. don't forget niece's field hockey game on Wed. gotta stay organized. gotta make menu for the week. should work some overtime. hope I'm ready for this vacation by November. gotta take the kid to buy his instrument for school. gotta finish reading this book. gotta START writing my book. need to go shopping. hope the Ravens win tonight. need to get the car detailed. need an oil change. wish people would keep their constant complaining to themselves. glad I took that walk last evening. need to make a healthy food grocery list. should really re-organize the kid's room. gotta plan this dinner party. still not sure about having a Halloween party for the kid. gotta see when the haunted hayride and corn maze starts. gotta buy a box of green tea...the blueberry one. should make some cupcakes today. I felt unprepared for the morning...gotta get things in order. I feel the need to start "listing" again. I'm gonna drink my 8 cups of water today. feeling slightly agitated today. hope this week is as productive as last week. need to plan some fall activities for the kid. forgot to drop off a purple shirt for M...damn. the day will be over before I know it, hope I get something accomplished.

Getting that mental clutter out of my head and sending it somewhere really made me feel a little less stressed. have a great day!

Try Try Again!

Sooooo....I guess you're wondering how the whole workout thing is going. Truth is...it's not. I haven't worked out not even once yet but my plan is to "fully" commit by the end of the weekend. The reason is not that I've been too busy, or too tired. I've flat out just been too lazy to get out there and get started. I realize that no results will come from curling up with good books, baking cupcakes and cookies or saying to myself, "I'll do it tomorrow" (especially since tomorrow always turns into another tomorrow). My goal is to live a healthier life which ultimately involves more than just "wishing" myself a better body and good eating habits. I know that I have to get motivated, stay motivated and do the hardwork it takes to reach that goal. So no more promising myself that "tomorrow" will be the day....I have to start NOW. I've also decided that I am not going to weigh myself down by putting a number on how much weight I plan to lose. I'll lose until I feel comfortable with how I look but the absolute main goal is to just be healthier all the way around! So, let's try this again...and once again, I'll let you know how it works out!

More Of Mom's Flower Garden

Appearance

Although we are taught from an early age "not to judge a book by it's cover"...we have to think realistically. As much as we may not mean to do this, we often do. This is the reason that I stress to my kid how important it is to look clean and well put together at all times. I've taught him that having a nice haircut, being clean-shaven, having on clean  pressed clothes that fit and good hygiene will show people that he takes good care of himself...and it will also make you feel good. When you walk around looking disheveled people will think that you don't care about yourself or how you look and it could change the way you are treated by others. So...when you feel that you're being stereotyped or treated a certain way, take a look in the mirror and go over your appearance. If your pants are sagging, your hair looks like a bird's nest or you having earrings stuck in unnatural places....well...take another look.

Plan Of Action

Hey Dolls! I'm going to try and start the week off right with my new workout/healthier eating routine. Here are just a few goals I've set for myself to get started on, so here's the plan of action for the week.

* go to the gym at least 3 times this week and do some cardio and light weights

* do some walking in the evening or early morning (whichever my schedule allows on those particular days)

* drink more water, less caffeine (but I do need my morning dose of iced coffee to get me going in the morning)

* eat a reasonable breakfast in the morning to give my metabolism a jolt

* more veggies and fresh fruit, less snacking

* 50 crunches/sit-ups before bed

This is just a start. I'll let you know how it went at the end of the week. The goal is fitness!

Preparation For A Successful Week

It's Sunday. Time to get started on preparation for the upcoming week. The kid has gone to a Labor Day parade with my dad so I have some free time to get some things done early without interruption. Laundry and ironing, meal planning for the week, grocery shopping and I'm also planning to do some re-organizing around the house this week...little by little until the project is complete. The weather is now definitely starting to feel more "Fall-ish". It's much cooler and the night breezes have been wonderful but it's also still warm enough to enjoy meals out on the deck. I'm looking forward to another successful week!

Committing To A Better You

As I've said before, the start of a new season is like a chance at a new beginning. It's a chance to make new goals and new commitments for and to yourself. For the upcoming Fall season my goal and commitment to myself is to live a healthier lifestyle. I rarely eat the right things and although I have a gym membership, I don't exercise enough at all. I have made a mental commitment to myself to improve in both these areas. I've created a workout routine for myself and will try to make better decisions when it comes to what and how much I eat. I am so not ready to embrace the "mommy body"...and so, fitness will become one of my top priorities. We all have areas of our lives that need some upgrading or re-inventing. Use the start of the new season as your new start at a better you...no matter what area of your life needs some attention. I'll let you know how it works out for me!

Allowing Yourself Moments Of Peace

So...dinner's in the oven, the kids' homework is checked, I've already let calgon take me away and I'm already in my pink pajamas and fuzzy slippers. I'm allowing myself a few moments of peace. A few moments where I don't have to answer the phone, the door or the word "mommy" (the kid is playing at a neighbor's house). We all need these moments. When the long week catches up with you right in the middle, you just have to be able to not feel guilty about finding a small space to include some "me" time. If you don't allow yourself to have a little time BY yourself, the week can seem endless and exhausting. A walk around the neighborhood at dusk, a few minutes on the patio, a 20 minute nap after work, may not seem like alot when you think about it... but, when you are constantly taking care of other people you tend to forget that these small moments can exist. Talk to your family and let them know that during these times (whenever you choose), you do not want to be disturbed unless the house is on fire or clearing house sweepstakes is at the door. They will HAVE to understand. Trust me...you'll feel so much better if you allow yourself these "moments of peace".