And Then There Was Wednesday

Some days are tough. Some weeks are tough. Heels break, coffee spills, work gets crazy, people get cranky, plans get cancelled...hell, even hair goes flat.

And then there was Wednesday. For whatever reason today; this very Wednesday was the silver lining. This boring, random, middle-of-the-week-day worked out, and today I found new favorites:

*Trader Joe's Black Bean and Roasted Corn Salsa

I'm in love. This tastes like summer and I'm pretty sure I could eat it on about anything. Throw this in with some lettuce and a little chicken and you've got it made.

*Wedding Dress Fitting

Today I had my fitting to alter my wedding dress, for the upcoming LLS charity event Jason and I are helping with. The tailor had to take in my dress (yes my official, wore-it-almost-six-years-ago dress) an inch on each side of the bodice! How could I not love Wednesday?



*Femme Fatale

Obviously. Tracks 1, 2, 3, 6, 11...Duh.

So thank you Wednesday for renewing my faith in this week. And yes, I know I can be a total Pollyanna, glass-is-half-full, optimist, but that's okay, maybe it'll catch on... ;)

*MUAH*

Back Where I Belong

The party shoes have been worn, the decorations have been put away and the flowers made their way to the wastebasket. Cupcakes, cocktails and dance parties...oh my! The hair, the makeup, the shopping trips; it's been one party after the next. But despite the fabulous time I've had, I think I may have gotten carried away. Frankly, I think I'm suffering from a glitter-induced hangover.

Now that the birthday party is long over and my week-long break from boot camp and blogging is done, it's time to get back to earth. Spring cleaning (time to purge the closets and drawers), grocery shopping (the fridge has nothing but eggs and ketchup - yikes!), and regular workouts (which started up again tonight - ouch!) are SO needed.

I know all that sounds so ordinary in comparison to the fun I've been having, but in all this excitement I realized how much I love and need that "everyday, ordinary" stuff.

I'll leave the glamour and fast-living to the professionals for now. So off I go, to my ordinary bed for my regular ole beauty-rest. Back safe and sound, right back where I belong.

*MUAH*

The Results Are In...

Tonight was the final fitness assessment of my twelve week boot camp. We weighed-in, took measurements, calculated our resting heart rates, measured body fat and had our blood pressures taken.

Here's what I did in twelve weeks of training...

*I'm 22 pounds lighter. Put that together with the 8 pounds I lost before boot camp began and you get...30!

*My blood pressure is back to a healthy 120/80.

*My resting heart rate made an astonishing leap from the high 90's to the 60's! It changed so drastically that my trainer ran the test twice to verify the reading.  I'm heart healthy now!

*I've lost well over a foot of inches off my body. My shoulders, arms, hips, abs, butt, thighs - everywhere. I'm shrinking!

*At week one, my body fat was at the highest possible on the register, twelve weeks later I've lost 4% body fat. My body composition has changed so much that my belly button is in a new spot on my tummy. Seriously. How do ya like them apples?

*And last but not least, I found my sassy, happy, silly self again. I missed her, I'm so glad she's back.


On Thursday I'll get all the official charts and calculations with exact percentages of muscle gained and fat lost (and yes, I do plan on hanging these charts on my fridge with a gold star). I can't wait to compare all the numbers on paper. So exciting!

So twelve weeks later I have a new body, it's not perfect, but it's different and I love it. A big thank you to my amazing trainer, Chris Dixon of Insider Training, who changed my perspective on everything "diet and exercise".  Here's to "Boot Camp Round Two" which starts March 29th. Let's see if we can bust those extra 30 pounds off this body in round two. Sound like a plan?

*MUAH*

Twenty-Eight

Tomorrow I'll be another year older. Twenty-eight to be exact. I'm excited for twenty-eight.

Twenty-seven was bittersweet. Lots of changes. Some of them good and some of them challenging. I've absolutely felt a shift within myself in the past year. New habits were formed, fears were confronted, and priorities were set. It was a year all about growing up.

What will twenty-eight bring? I'm not sure, but here's what I'd like to try and fit in...

*New Foods
Last year I discovered my passion for goat cheese, spinach, agave, gluten-free baked goods and sushi. I wonder what I'll find this year? Yum.

*Vacation
I need a real one. Next winter. Someplace warm and with my friends. A definite must.

*Boot Camp Round Two
I'm ready for round two, there's 33 more pounds to lose to get to my first big "goal weight". I'm pumped.

*Dance Lessons
I want to learn to tango, to salsa or to just float effortlessly across the floor like a ballerina...who's with me?!?

*Adele
I love her. I hope she comes here or near here. I'd love to see her in concert. She's amazing. My hero.



*New Places and New Things
I want to find new stores, new restaurants...new favorites. I want to go visit more museums, see more plays, take more road trips, watch more bonfires, give more hugs and get more kisses. I want to fall in love with my backyard and all the people in it, all over again.

Yep, I'm excited for twenty-eight.

*MUAH*

Here Comes The Bride - Again!

So far, my weight loss journey has hit some pretty fun milestones. 10 pounds gone, heels with no pain, dresses with no shapewear, 20 pounds gone, new jeans, two dress sizes smaller. But now, I've hit a whole new milestone... almost six years after I said "I Do" my wedding dress fits! Want to know the best part about this? I've got somewhere I need to where it and I hope you can join me:


Jason and I have a close friend who's family raises funds and awareness for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) in memory of their loved one, Jessica Stenvik.


Each year "Team Jessica" plans a group of events to support fundraising efforts. This year's kick-off event is a banquet with a twist...think "My Big Fat Greek" meets "Tony and Tina's" wedding - and they've asked Jason and I to play the bride and groom. We're recruited a few goofball friends and plan on making this one wedding you won't want to miss!


Here are the details:


When: Saturday April 16th, 2011 - 6:00pm
Where: The Elegance Room - 1009 109th Ave, NE - Blaine, MN
Your $15.00 ticket includes spaghetti dinner, beer, dancing and ugly bridesmaid dress contest and entertainment from the silliest bridal party around.

Team Jessica has asked guests bring a "wedding gift" to be raffled at upcoming LLS events. Gift cards, certificates or monetary donations help keep these events successful and are appreciated!

*Must Be 21 To Attend*

Tickets are limited, so please contact me to order yours!

Jason and I are really excited about helping out with such a fun event, for such a great cause. So throw on your dancing shoes and party with us to help find a cure!


*MUAH*

The Everyday Details

You don't realize how important the little details are until you're forced to work though your everyday routine without them. Here's a few things I missed hysterically, while I was away in California:

*Boot Camp
Our twelve week camp was put on hold while I was traveling. I missed my boot camp buddies with their funny stories and everyday encouragement. I missed my trainer, who forces me to both love him and hate him all in the same second. I even missed my painful, tear-inducing, exhausting and equally amazing workouts. I'm so glad to be back to boot camp. I can't wait to hit these last two weeks out of the park. Party dress here I come!

*Honey Nut Cheerios
Ever spent nine days in a hotel without a fridge or pantry? I can't tell you how badly I just wanted to have a damn bowl of cereal. Eating out for every meal really tests your willpower. I'm glad to be back to fresh food with less butter and less temptation.


*Blogging
Between adjusting to the time difference and long hours at work, by the time I was back to my hotel I was just plain pooped, so the blogging suffered. I love to write and love that you read, so I'm back to it. I missed you!


*Jason and Humphrey
I missed someone asking me where I put their socks/ shoes/ wallet/ jacket/ toothbrush. I missed someone barking in face at 6:00am to take them on a walk. I missed morning dance parties. I missed snuggling on the couch. I missed being needed. I missed my boys.

So now I'm back in my perfectly mundane life filled with routine and structure. No more room service and no more mint on my pillow. No more peace and no more quiet.

I couldn't be happier...

*MUAH*