A Van Awesome Journey

Hi thanks for finding my blog! I am a wife of an awesome husband and proud mother to two amazing boys. I just quit my job to stay at home with our children and now have all the time in the world to play play play!!! Play with my children and play some games of my own...hence this blog. I entered a contest to be part of an Adventure Race something I have never done before. So I am required to blog weekly on my journey...so here goes..thanks for sharing it with me :).................So what has started out as a blog for reasons mentioned above has now continued into an on going journey that I have been asked to continue to share...and you with me! So thanks for coming along for the ride :)

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Glamour shots to poop shots


I was contacted last week from Erin an interviewer from Always Good News, with Connie Smith CTS. They wanted to do a story on me! LOL COOL!

So they came out Fri and it was lights, camera, ACTION!!! They were reporting on my journey of weight loss, health and fitness. Of course we had to stop and re-shoot a few times cause my 2yr started playing around in the back round and was calling out, " WALLLL-EEEEEE!!" (he was playing with the Wal-E robot we have) LOL!! Then we had to stop so I could get the kids water, then stop so I could get them a snack and then last but not least....and this is an important one....stop for a potty break and then having to do the potty song/dance cause they peed in the potty!!. The cameraman (who I am sure has no kids) was laughing at all this going on. "Welcome to the world of a SAHM/WAHM" was all I could say.



We did some cool shots and can't wait to see how it will turn out, I'll keep you all updated as to when it will air.

But of course the glamour doesn't last long around here. I fed the kids lunch (I babysit a little girl during the day, along with having my 2yr)put them down for a nap and had an hour to catch up on my e-mails, facebook & twitter. At 2pm my 4yr's school called to say that he had pooed his pant and I forgot to send extra pants....o.....k...So I wake up the two kids drive to the school, clean up the accident and FYI it's not poo it's diarrhea....AWESOME!... (just to help you understand the situation) I get back home and at 2:40pm the school calls again to say he's done it again!!....poor boy is getting sick. So I pack up the two kids...again...and head to the school to clean up the mess, which was worse then the last time..double awesome!!!....then we all head home so that I can throw him in the bath :)


These kids sure do keep me humble eh!! LOL




'Live in YOUR Awesome!"
*ive
*ove
*augh
*******

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Thankful Thurs~ Deep breathe


One thing I have always loved about exercise is the deep breathing it causes you to do. I find that though the day I don't breathe enough or I am holding my breath. So after a good cardio deep breathing session I find that I feel 'lighter' and better....and I am thankful for that feeling. Now you add in exercise out doors and in this weather not only do you get your deep breathing in but you get filled up with fresh air! and boy does that help you sleep like stink at night....now only if I could get the 2yr & 4yr & dog & cat to leave me alone through the night so I could get my sleep in! LOL!!!




'Live in YOUR Awesome!'

*ive
*ove
*augh
******

Monday, February 21, 2011

BMI ~ BS!


So being a former 'big' girl I never did like the BMI thing...It just told me what I already knew....I am obese and unhealthy...thanks for the info. But also I wonder when did they come up with this scale? Back in the early 1900??!! I think it needs to be readjusted because I still don't think it works well.

I, just for interest sake inserted my info here to find out what my BMI is and guess what...I'm STILL over weight!!! Not to worry cause I know I am not and that I'm healthy and fit....but what's a 5"9' girl to do?.....This then got me thinking if it impacted others the way it did me?

So I want to clear the air...the BMI is BS...to a certain point. The way that I like to measure health is with a fit test. I LOVE these cause this really shows you where your fitness/health level is at. You can even do one one your own.

Do the following exercises for one minute each (be sure to rest between and catch your breath so you are not tired out for the next one) record how many you were able to do in that minute.....6-8wks later do this test again and see if you have beat your last numbers :)

-Jumping jacks
-Step ups on the stairs (step to the 2nd stair)
-Push ups
-Burpee's
-Time how long you can hold plank


Have fun and let me know how you do! :D







'Live in YOUR Awesome!'

*ive
*ove
*augh
******

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Thankful Thurs~ They let me in :)




I am unable to name names because I don't tell people who my clients are, but I am thankful for all my clients! It is such a privilege that you let me into your home, your life and your journey. Starting off the journey of health & fitness is hard and uncomfortable and I thank you for letting me in and trusting me during your uncomfortable time :D


'Live in YOUR Awesome!'

*ive
*ove
*augh
******

Monday, February 14, 2011

My new green monster


Ok so I'm not really into things like this normally but my sister passed on this info to me and I thought I'd share.

It's a smoothie!! It's called The Green Monster Movement....now normally if I read the ingredients on something and don't know what one of them is I wouldn't make the food. However this was simple and I pretty much had everything I needed already!

What made me interested in trying it was that my sister said she really felt a difference in her energy levels. I found this interesting as she has suffered from low B12 and lack of energy her whole life. That's what perked my ear to try it and when I took a sip of the one she made it tasted GREAT!!! Just like bananas! mm mmm

So here's what is in it (you can refer to the website for more info too)
Put in blender in this order:
-Ground flax seed
-Steamed spinach (I put some in a bowl, splash water onto it then put it in the microwave)
-A whole banana (I also use a BIG handful of frozen blackberries/blueberries to change it up)
-Skim milk


I have this smoothie for my afternoon snack, that's my hardest time these days for food. I find myself too busy getting one kid from the bus, getting up another kid and getting all three kids their snack and just munching as I go along or finishing what they didn't eat for their snacks......so far it's working out well, it's easy and fast to make while I'm getting the kids snack ready then I just sip it until it's gone. Now also I have never been a fan of using smoothies as a food replacement. I was always really hungry 20min after or they just taste nasty....this did neither! Totally held me over until dinner and is yummy!

So I am waiting to see how things will work out for me with the energy and other possible side effects....I'll keep you updated on it and if you end up tying this please let me know your experience with it :D



"Live in YOUR Awesome!"

*ive
*ove
*aug
*****

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Thankful Thurs~ That feel'n






I am thankful for that feeling you get when you in walk the door of your house and it closes and I am home, safe and sound with my family and the kids come running to the door calling "Mommy Mommy!!!" and give me a hug.....best feeling EVER!

Monday, February 7, 2011

Student Mommy


Ok so at some point last summer I decided that I was going to take a Personal Trainer course just for myself to gain more knowledge and not have to rely on my trainers as much...however this plan now also works well with my new business :D

So I signed up right in the new year, I did cause I said I would and even humbled myself to ask my mom for the money for the course.....so ok the course is two weekends. The first weekend I had to read 5 chapters out of the book and watch like 20 2min videos...easy enough right?!!

Well the reading went ok, I did that while the kids napped or played and just highlighted and took notes as I went along...watching the video's!! That's a different story. I thought there was only going to be like 2-3 video's we had to watch not 20!!! So of course I left it to the last night before I had to go to my class!

So this is how my video studying went

-sit down to watch video with my hot green tea...press play

-3.5sec later 2yr old comes up to me wanting milk...press pause...get child milk

-press play....take a sip of warm tea....dog whining to go out...press pause...let out dog

-press play.....children now fighting and starting to hit...press pause..each child in time out...deal with what they just did, hugs all around everyone is happy

-press play.......dog whining to come back in...press pause...let dog in

-press PLAY!!!!...4yr informs me he has to poo and wants me to come with him!!..press PAUSE!!!!! join child in bathroom, close my eyes at his request as he has his poo, cheer that he but it in the toilet, break out the treat box..

- Press play....take a sip of my cold green tea..now realize that I have to pee!

and so on and so on.....



So the first weekend went alright. Besides when the teacher was talking about the Anatomy I felt like he was speaking a different language!! The second day I even went for a run on the treadmill during lunch (the course was in the gym) and that felt GREAT after sitting around all day, and I could focus better in the afternoon. The second weekend I was still trying to get over the flu and instead slept in the corner of the room on our hour lunch break :(....but I did it and made it through and learned some really cool stuff and am excited :D

So now I just have to study for the test that I want to do in the next week while all the info is still fresh....even through I haven't even had a chance to look at the notes since the weekend...so finding a time to study would be good...well today at nap time would have been a good time eh!? But instead I am using this time to write this blog and cut out hearts for our V-day crafts this week that I got from Momstown :D....but I know I will do it...that's what us Mommy's do! We make it happen, we figure it out, we use our powers for good :D


"Live in YOUR Awesome!"

*ive
*ove
*augh
******

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Thankful Thurs ~ Being involved



Today is the Chinese New Year!



I am thankful that I have the energy and heart to be an involved parent. We worked all week on Chinese lanterns, dragon pictures and masks and Chinese fans to decorate. Tonight we will enjoy a homemade Chinese dinner with friends :D...the kids are so excited!