Night time and the thoughts

Late at night, particularly when Chadly is watching boring videos pertaining to business and there's a lovely glass of Skinnygirl right next to me, my thoughts wander. I'm just a late night thinker! Anyway, here's what's going on in the noggin:

Our 10 day challenge went FAB. I will be posting very, very soon about it, but one thing we didn't think about was any days off. We totally over did it, but you know what? It was worth it. Next challenge = conscientious resting days.

I'm overhearing bits and pieces from Chad's boring video, and let me tell YOU, it's even worse than I thought. He looks happy though, so that makes me happy. You've got to love a man who enjoys movies where phrase's such as "undeterred by his success," and, "sales tripled unbelievably, and they continued to triple every year..." are said in monotone, old man voices.

I'm in a three-way debacle as to which book I should purchase next on the ole' Kindle. Should I finish up the Harry Potter series, since it's now LEGALLY available on the marketplace? {My last two Kindles died horrible deaths because I tried to pirate those gosh darn books. Yes, I tried to pirate something! It's out there in the ether!} Anyway, it's between Harry, Fifty Shades of Grey and the third book in this series I've been reading which is all about Henry VIII's wives. I know. I'm a dull person because I enjoy period dramas. 

I just polished off my Skinnygirl bottle and this glass is STR-ONG. Wow. There was only about two inches left in the bottle, but holy guacamole. I think I'm skipping the tingly feeling and going straight to the okay-Nicole-it's-time-for-bed zone.

Should I take up a few scoops of mint ice cream, or should I not? The new norm in my life is spending inordinate amounts of time being indecisive about ice cream. Normal?

Real life and a fitness check in

Real life right now consists of...

- Waking up at the crack of dawn to drive the zillion miles down to Wednesday morning's work at 5:15 in the am.

- Spending a solid 20 minutes at an Angel's game because when Kota started crying, we felt bad for the old man sitting next to us who was, without a doubt, the most hardcore fan alive {binoculars and dirty looks, anyone?}

- Still being conflicted over matters surrounding that ole' institution of working outside the home.

- Being frustrated that Orange County fancies itself as the city of gold, keeper the fountain of youth, and/or paradise. I have no idea what justifies these high home prices, no idea at all!

-  Not cleaning like a proper person . . . Who says dust bunnies can't be your friends?

- Kota experiencing a massacre level poop situation half way through a 3.5 mile walk yesterday. 

- Apparently me turning into the world's largest complainer. I'm not sure if that's anything new.

Anyway!

It's high time for a fitness check in!

Here's what's been going on around here in the culinary realm:

Daily smoothies {this week I got LOTS of strawberries, mangos, bananas and I threw some celery in there, which Chadly hates, but it's all about the greens, man!}, I made Carter some vegetable muffins which made me feel like a super proactive mom and last, but certainly not least, I grilled myself a few steaks last night. For the first time. Ever. So I would say that Sprouts is still serving me well and that I'm turning into a regular Wolfgang Puck.

Woohoo!

Here's the count as of right now, having not done anything towards the goal today yet:

13.5/30 miles of walk/jog

1,400/3,000 sit-ups

180/500 push-ups

My numbers are pretty low since I took rest days on Sunday and Monday, then yesterday I only walked, but I'm feeling good about the next few days! The challenge ends on Saturday, so I've got a full plate for the next few days!

Woohoo!

Okay, writing that out was pretty motivating, so here is what else real life consists of:

- Carter loving his vegetable muffins!

- Kota smiling and talking like a maniac! 

- Chad growing out the ole' scruff yesterday. It's my favorite. Hands down. Forever.

 - Carter neatly eating said muffin with a mini spoon right now! That kid...

- This cup of coffee.

- The fact that I didn't buy Starbucks today, but actually craved a home made pot! Times are a-changin'!

- Kota loving her rice cereal!

- Chadly just being Chadly.

Fitness check in and the 10 Day Challenge

So to put some structure to this awesome new eating-well-and-feeling-good thing that's been going on around these parts, my friend Jenna and I have started the

10 DAY CHALLENGE,

where we have set goals for ourselves, all of which need to be reached within 10 days.

This is, yet again, inspired by the awesomeness that is Jen's Journey, except our version is much more small scale, therefore more applicable to our previously slovenly ways.

{Just kidding, we are not slovenly, just in the thick of expanding the ole' familias!}

Anyway, here are our goals for our first 10 Day Challenge:

30 miles of walk/jog

3,000 sit-ups

500 push-ups

And today being day three, here is what I've done the last two days, since today's work out won't be happening until the evening:

4/30 miles of walk/run

500/3,000 sit-ups

50/500 push-ups

The reason I'm loving this whole 10-day-parameter thing is because if you need to take a break for a day, that's totally fine, or if you're feeling extra motivated and on top of business one day, you can take on more! So long as everything is done within the 10 days. Awesome, I tell you.

Anyway, here's a random story from yesterday about eating horribly:

I went to pick up my little brother's high school graduation present {the guy has GRADUATED from HIGH SCHOOL!}, and the lady said I had to wait an hour for it to be completed, so off I went to grab Carts a little something to eat, and since I was awkwardly hungry, decided to get myself a little something too. The only healthy options available were served up with these huge portions which I wasn't hungry enough for, so I decided just to grab myself a once-fabulous pizza pretzel from Wetzel's Pretzels. 

Oh, Lord. Greasey-McGreaster. 

So greasy that when I was ready to choke down all that was the pepperoni/pretzel combination, I could have swallowed the grease first, then swallowed the rest. Basically, puking right there in the middle of the food court didn't sound like such a bad idea to me in that moment, and wouldn't ya know it? The rest of the day waves of feeling the need to animatedly gag came and went every time the experience flitted through my memory. Awful, man.

Anyway, back to my smoothie and reading Carts his new Potty with Elmo book!

Woohoo!

{PS- Anyone who reads Elmo, what about this "Baby David" character? Hilarious!}

My first fitness check in

Today I'm teaching at Purebarre at 6:00 am, 7:15 and 8:25, so I'm going to take it easy with these extracurricular activities. Since Wednesday's start at such an ungodly hour, I'm usually completely beat by 3:00ish, so I think a light, nice walk should reinvigorate this ole' broad. Anyway, I think I'm going to like these here check in's, even if I'm the only one!

Today's goals:

3.5 mile walk around the lake {no hills, just relaxing!}
300 sit-ups
45 push-ups


What happened yesterday:

3.5 miles of hills
300 sit-ups
30 seconds of plank
45 push-ups {knee's down, mind you}
30 elbow bends {crab!}

One of the most surprising aspects of this whole healthy life thing is how I'm pulling away from my usual obsessed-to-insanity coffee-buying habits! I've actually been preferring home brew over my McCafe/Starbucks delights, so long as a generous amount of my fabulous Italian Sweet Cream is present. The last few days I've had a warm cup of coffee around 8:00ish {except for today...damn you, 5:00 am!}, and then an iced coffee from the same pot around 2:30ish. Who would have thought that I would chill out on the coffee purchases?!

Findings in fitness

So this is awful, but I've never been big on the whole "nutrition" thing. It's just never been something I was ever particularly interested in! Growing up, of course my parerentals cooked a great deal, but let's just say that Burger King was conveniently right down the street. During college, who the hell knew how to cook for themselves? I was an active patron of Taco Bell. Anyway, bottom line is this: unhealthy eating never really affected the scale, therefore it never really affected my guilty conscious. Gorditas for all! - was my sick mantra.

But I think I have turned a new leaf! 

About three weeks ago I went shopping at the local Sprouts Farmers Market for the first time and without even meaning to, totally stocked up on fruits and veggies because they were so darn cheap! My outrageously cheap-skate eye has this thing for buying whatever the heck is thriftiest, and at this glorious market, it was all the stuff that actually helps your bod out! I even bought a can of coconut juice and it was delish! What on earth?!

Anyway, I came home and told Chad about my awesome score and per our compromise, we meal planned! Yes! We meal planned! For meals that I would be making! Mind blowing!

So the week went on and each meal was actually quite a riot to execute...A good time was being had by me, the mother of all burnt brownies.

During the days of that first week, all of our snacks consisted of something fruit or veggie-like since we had such a supply, and let me tell you something: I had never felt better! 

THEN, I came across this blog, and was just absolutely floored, particularly by this section. Um, can we say "healthy lifestyle pay off?" That insanity got me outrageously motivated, prompting me to go on at least four 3.5 mile walks, all during that first week! Apparently eating a few fruits, veggies and homemade meals makes one turn into a completely different human being!

So let's recap: Week 1 was a little bit of healthy eating and a few walks.

Awesome, but not as awesome as week TWO!

Back I went to Sprouts with a psycho determination to fill up again on these wild things which are au naturalle. I was so stoked to whip all my goodies into wholesome meals that I was actually perturbed when Chad came home early on that Wednesday night and asked if he could cook. When Thursday came around, I felt like I hadn't turned on the stove in years! Who the hell had I turned into?!

Anyway, week two consisted of awesome meals, healthy snacks, 3.5 mile walks AND my new thing: 300 sit-ups.  

Now for this week, WEEK THREE!

I totally splurged at Sprouts, therefore taking it off of my this place is so awesome because I have yet to shell out more than $50 per week so far list, but here's what we did with the loot during the kids' Sunday nap session:

- I pre-packaged little sandwich bags filled with fruit and froze them all so Carts, Chad and I can easily {quickly} have daily smoothies after adding a little bit of apple juice and spinach

- We meal planned more in-depth dinners {steak and spinach pinwheels, anyone?}

- and -

- Pre-packaged Chad's lunches for the entire week with the leftovers from last week so there's no need for any crazy processed foods out there in the wild world of the "lunch break."

...And those smoothies? Heaven. I actually crave them when I wake up now!

More things about week three: continuing the 3.5 mile walks WITH the double stroller {want to get into shape? Have another kid! You will be pushing a minimum of 45 pounds during each walk session!}, adding more sit-ups into the mix, and I'm determined to start pushups {the kind where my knees are on the floor...Full pushups? Not there yet, my friend!}.

So in the spirit of Jen's blog, I'm going to start posting my daily fitness goals {with my two days of teaching at Purebarre included}, along with what the deal is with dinner for us that night. 

At the end of the day, who would have thought that my cheap-o-ness would have led us down the road to some healthy eating? I guess everyone out there is right: eating well makes you feel good! 

Chad and Jesus walking on water

One of Carter's favorite books of all time is his little book of stories from the Bible, and I have to say, I've learned a thing or two from the simple little compilation. Anyway, we read this thing every night.

EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT.

Now look, I love reading about David and Goliath as much as the next gal, but after about...hmm...let's just round up to the 700th time in a row of viewing the same content, one's mind tends to wander. 

Such was the case with Chadly tonight. I was handling the babe and he had the tot, and after I laid her down and closed the door behind me, this is what I overheard from the next room over:

Okay Carts, 'Jesus Walks on Water.' 

Jesus's disciple's were in a boat on this crazy lake in the middle of a snowstorm. The waves were going all wild, so Jesus walked on over to them on the water!

Jesus said, 'Yo my peeps, I'm here to save you and calm these waters.'

So He calmed the waters and all went well from then on out.

And after the whole "on the water" part, he had this totally gangster voice going on! Like we were up on the block reading Bible stories to our little hoodlum child! Anyway, it was hilarious. That man of mine... he's got it going on :)

This moment in time

I'm in one of those totally funky moods where every possibility just sounds weird. Ice cream... great, but also horrible; going to bed... divine, but mind-numbing; sitting at the computer... boring, but reading my book doesn't sound too good either. 

So in order to fill this hideous void-ish feeling in my stomach, here is what is going through my mind:

{1}

Potty training has actually been quite a joy. Five days ago I would never have thought that those words would run through my mind, but you know what? It's not so bad! Thursday was our first day, and up until today {Sunday} the little ones and I have just been rolling around the floor waiting for Carter to tell me if he has to go. There has only been one HORRENDOUS accident, but as far as I'm concerned, only cleaning up once within a four day period isn't so bad. Anyway, this actually deserves it's own post, so more on that another day!

{2}

Kota Bear has been quite the unruly sleeper lately. Last night I punched the feeding clock at 12:30, 2:45 and 6:00, which was actually better than the night before. The thing is that she's still in our room, and there's just no way I could lay there and let her cry in an attempt to sleep train. That would be torturous for all of us. And unless she's sleeping all the way through the night, I don't want to put her in Carter's room. And the thing about that is, I'm sure if I just switched her to formula she would be good to go, but I don't want to do that yet. So as of right now I'm just waking up with her sans complaints. It's just the way it goes, man. The good news is that every single time I go to pick her up at one of those ungodly hours she gives me a big, fat smile. It makes me very happy, even though I feel like gauging my eyeballs out.

{3}

Carter refuses to go to sleep right now. I'm listening to Chad continually tell him, "Bed, now." Maybe I should go up there? Nah. This blog post is way more important.

{Just kidding... Chad already told me that he would handle it. Thanks, hun bun!}

{4}

I'm still conflicted in the whole should-I-go-to-work-full-time realm. A part of me thinks that would be amazing for the family and for this curious itch I have, and then the second I think those thoughts, I immediately sling shoot to the other side of the spectrum. Rolling around on the floor for the past few days has not exactly helped the whole "work" cause either. I'm telling you, man, kids just like it when their mom is home and readily available. 

{...And the Thank You, Captain Obvious award goes to me...}

Again, we shall see on this one.

{5}

...Which leads me to my thoughts on day care. I'm actually all for day care, as long as it's not for years and years on end. I think it's good for kids since it's built in social building time. If I did go to work, however, we would do an in-home day care, most likely, because it's a little bit more personable and I feel like I would trust the whole system a bit more. I was an in-homer for the first three-and-a-half years of my fabulous life, and look how I turned out! WONDERFUL as can be!

Can't you tell??!

{6}

Chad let me sleep in this morning for an extra 2 hours, which I was mad at myself for. I just can't sleep in anymore! Enough already, Nicole! It doesn't help you a damn bit throughout the rest of the day, and leaves you feeling wishy-washy into the night. {See: indecisive about ice cream.}

Anyway, I guess I should go read my book and drink some water. Who knows. Talks on potty training to come.