It's the truth! This video (courtesy of Mompetition on YouTube) so perfectly lays out the path for first time moms to go absolutely insane! Watch this one-and then watch every other video she's done-they are all brilliant.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Yoga Pants or Sweat Pants?
Isn't that the great question for so many stay at home moms? I know, when I go to the bus stop there are three groups of moms.
1. People who work outside of the home during the day. You can tell they do because they are wearing real clothes. You know, clothes that look clean, make an outfit, and make the people look like professionals, adults, not slobs.
2. Sweat Pant wearing moms (this includes people in pajama pants, too). Generally they are wearing some sort of large sweat shirt (typically a Men's size) and a T-shirt with a Disney character on it.
3. Yoga pant wearing moms: (also other types of athletic pants not to include wind pants.) Usually work out or like to give the appearance of working out right after the bus leaves.
I am not a sweat pant wearing mom because I don't like sweat pants. I am, however, often times a yoga pant wearing mom and occasionally a real clothes wearing mom. I am always amazed by how much better I feel if I actually get ready, have real clothes on and feel "put together" for my day when I go to the bus stop. Sometimes, I'll change into jeans and a nice top just for the bus stop (because, let's face it, as a stay at home mom there are some days when that's the only time I get out of the house or see other adults all day!) just to come home, change into my workout clothes, and get my sweat on.
It's interesting how, when I was working outside of the home, I never would have gone "out," even to the bus stop, in my yoga pants. I really put much more emphasis on feeling and looking good because I felt more like it mattered. And, in some ways, it did matter more. I'm not going to be written up because I look like a slob when I'm cleaning the tub or changing diapers, but I would at least be talked to if I showed up to facilitate a meeting in a dirty t-shirt, un-showered and wearing yoga pants.
However, that's where I am now. In some ways, I like my new "uniform," and I love this job. I like wearing comfy clothes, having the relative freedom to structure my day, do my work in my pj's if I want to, and to play with my youngest daughter while the oldest is in school. However, a part of me yearns for the "old" me-who wore makeup and jewelry, had nice work clothes, did my hair, and got raises. Maybe that's a new part of my goals for 2011. Keep working out, keep eating healthy, get more organized, and wear real clothes to the bus stop in the morning.
1. People who work outside of the home during the day. You can tell they do because they are wearing real clothes. You know, clothes that look clean, make an outfit, and make the people look like professionals, adults, not slobs.
2. Sweat Pant wearing moms (this includes people in pajama pants, too). Generally they are wearing some sort of large sweat shirt (typically a Men's size) and a T-shirt with a Disney character on it.
3. Yoga pant wearing moms: (also other types of athletic pants not to include wind pants.) Usually work out or like to give the appearance of working out right after the bus leaves.
I am not a sweat pant wearing mom because I don't like sweat pants. I am, however, often times a yoga pant wearing mom and occasionally a real clothes wearing mom. I am always amazed by how much better I feel if I actually get ready, have real clothes on and feel "put together" for my day when I go to the bus stop. Sometimes, I'll change into jeans and a nice top just for the bus stop (because, let's face it, as a stay at home mom there are some days when that's the only time I get out of the house or see other adults all day!) just to come home, change into my workout clothes, and get my sweat on.
It's interesting how, when I was working outside of the home, I never would have gone "out," even to the bus stop, in my yoga pants. I really put much more emphasis on feeling and looking good because I felt more like it mattered. And, in some ways, it did matter more. I'm not going to be written up because I look like a slob when I'm cleaning the tub or changing diapers, but I would at least be talked to if I showed up to facilitate a meeting in a dirty t-shirt, un-showered and wearing yoga pants.
However, that's where I am now. In some ways, I like my new "uniform," and I love this job. I like wearing comfy clothes, having the relative freedom to structure my day, do my work in my pj's if I want to, and to play with my youngest daughter while the oldest is in school. However, a part of me yearns for the "old" me-who wore makeup and jewelry, had nice work clothes, did my hair, and got raises. Maybe that's a new part of my goals for 2011. Keep working out, keep eating healthy, get more organized, and wear real clothes to the bus stop in the morning.
My Dog...
My dog is not a genius. I've known this from the beginning, when she was a puppy, but I never really realized just how dumb she is until a few weeks ago.
Now, to preface this story, my dog is really sweet, excellent with the children and generally well behaved. She was house trained really quickly, doesn't bark a lot and makes us happy. She's also 8 years old and
A few weeks ago we bought a stake to put in the ground with a 30 foot leash attached. We decided to do this so that she could go out, do her business (which is getting more frequent as she gets older) and come in without me having to take her out all day long.
Our house sits in the middle of what we affectionately call "the moat." Our house is on a raised plot of land with woods around it. The woods are lower than the house and in the spring they tend to get very wet. Our dog run is long enough for our dog to get into the woods and around a tree or two. These are very small trees.
So here's the situation. Last Sunday I let my dog out. She quickly twisted her leash around the trees and started barking for me. I went out to get her. I pulled her back around the tree and she was completely amazed that I knew how to get her out of such a horrible predicament. We did this three more times that afternoon and each time, she looked at me like I was a wizard as I brought her around that tree.
I looked back at her, after my third rescue, completely flabbergasted. "Ellie!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air, "I love you but I don't believe you can really be that stupid!" She jumped around, wagged her tail, and ran inside.
My husband got home, let her out, and she tied herself around the tree again. He was the magician this time.
Since I started writing this blog entry, about a month has passed. Ellie still is getting tied up around the trees, rocks, pieces of bamboo, you name it. I've now given up the hope that if I show her how to free herself, she'll figure it out. I still love her, I just won't be relying on her for any rescues or great demonstrations of logic in the future.
Now, to preface this story, my dog is really sweet, excellent with the children and generally well behaved. She was house trained really quickly, doesn't bark a lot and makes us happy. She's also 8 years old and
A few weeks ago we bought a stake to put in the ground with a 30 foot leash attached. We decided to do this so that she could go out, do her business (which is getting more frequent as she gets older) and come in without me having to take her out all day long.
Our house sits in the middle of what we affectionately call "the moat." Our house is on a raised plot of land with woods around it. The woods are lower than the house and in the spring they tend to get very wet. Our dog run is long enough for our dog to get into the woods and around a tree or two. These are very small trees.
So here's the situation. Last Sunday I let my dog out. She quickly twisted her leash around the trees and started barking for me. I went out to get her. I pulled her back around the tree and she was completely amazed that I knew how to get her out of such a horrible predicament. We did this three more times that afternoon and each time, she looked at me like I was a wizard as I brought her around that tree.
I looked back at her, after my third rescue, completely flabbergasted. "Ellie!" I exclaimed, throwing my hands up in the air, "I love you but I don't believe you can really be that stupid!" She jumped around, wagged her tail, and ran inside.
My husband got home, let her out, and she tied herself around the tree again. He was the magician this time.
Since I started writing this blog entry, about a month has passed. Ellie still is getting tied up around the trees, rocks, pieces of bamboo, you name it. I've now given up the hope that if I show her how to free herself, she'll figure it out. I still love her, I just won't be relying on her for any rescues or great demonstrations of logic in the future.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Addressing Excuses
Since starting with P90 in January, moving onto P90X in April and now working through Insanity, I've had many people ask me what I do. When I tell them (I eat a healthy diet, work out 6 days per week and keep pushing through and challenging my body) they either say
1: Cool, I've wanted to try (insert program here) for a while. How do I get it?
or
2: I could never do that because (insert excuse here).
1. "I don't have time to exercise." Then I say: Yes you do! How much time do you spend sitting on the couch every night watching TV? If you cut out one show per night (30-60 minutes) you could make major changes to your life and energy level.
2. "I don't have the energy to exercise. I'm so tired when I get home from work." Then I say: The amazing thing about changing your diet to be cleaner and adding in regular exercise is that you find energy that you didn't realize you ever had. You will sleep better at night, you will be able to focus your brain better, and you will reduce your stress levels.
3. "I could never follow a diet plan. I'm too busy and/or I have kids" I say: You do have time. Not only do you spend more money on your fast food lunches (that rob you of precious energy and leave you feeling more lethargic than before) but you spend time getting to the restaurant and waiting for them to deep fry your food and remove all semblance of nutrients in them. You can easily prepare a nutritious, tasty, balanced meal in advance and even save money. Best of all, Beachbody programs come with nutrition plans which lay out for you all of the options, recipes and even have guides for eating at restaurants. If you really want to make it simple on yourself, try Shakeology. You'll get amazing results, it tastes great, and it's actually good for you. Also, your kids will eat what you give them if that is their only option. Don't give them the option of junk food. Give them two or three healthy choices and tell them that's what they can choose from. They will eat better because they'll get hungry eventually ;)
4. "It's too expensive." Small picture here: Eating at restaurants, monthly gym memberships, constantly feeling tired/depressed/unhappy with your body, spending money on "gadgets" to fix the problem for you, and so many other aspects of being unhealthy are far more draining on your wallet and your psyche than simply pressing play in your own home, working out and eating clean. Big picture: In the long run, you will save money because you will imporove your health. Therefore, you will be at a lower risk for Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. You will have more energy and feel better about yourself. You will sleep better, you will get more regular and you'll want to keep the momentum going. Also, you can become a Team Beachbody member and get 10% off or become a Coach and get 25% off. So, it's really not that expensive after all!
Trust me- once you get past your own objections (these were the excuses I used to make to myself all the time) you'll be able to help people overcome theirs, too!
Have a great day and let's get active!
1: Cool, I've wanted to try (insert program here) for a while. How do I get it?
or
2: I could never do that because (insert excuse here).
1. "I don't have time to exercise." Then I say: Yes you do! How much time do you spend sitting on the couch every night watching TV? If you cut out one show per night (30-60 minutes) you could make major changes to your life and energy level.
2. "I don't have the energy to exercise. I'm so tired when I get home from work." Then I say: The amazing thing about changing your diet to be cleaner and adding in regular exercise is that you find energy that you didn't realize you ever had. You will sleep better at night, you will be able to focus your brain better, and you will reduce your stress levels.
3. "I could never follow a diet plan. I'm too busy and/or I have kids" I say: You do have time. Not only do you spend more money on your fast food lunches (that rob you of precious energy and leave you feeling more lethargic than before) but you spend time getting to the restaurant and waiting for them to deep fry your food and remove all semblance of nutrients in them. You can easily prepare a nutritious, tasty, balanced meal in advance and even save money. Best of all, Beachbody programs come with nutrition plans which lay out for you all of the options, recipes and even have guides for eating at restaurants. If you really want to make it simple on yourself, try Shakeology. You'll get amazing results, it tastes great, and it's actually good for you. Also, your kids will eat what you give them if that is their only option. Don't give them the option of junk food. Give them two or three healthy choices and tell them that's what they can choose from. They will eat better because they'll get hungry eventually ;)
4. "It's too expensive." Small picture here: Eating at restaurants, monthly gym memberships, constantly feeling tired/depressed/unhappy with your body, spending money on "gadgets" to fix the problem for you, and so many other aspects of being unhealthy are far more draining on your wallet and your psyche than simply pressing play in your own home, working out and eating clean. Big picture: In the long run, you will save money because you will imporove your health. Therefore, you will be at a lower risk for Diabetes, heart disease, cancer, etc. You will have more energy and feel better about yourself. You will sleep better, you will get more regular and you'll want to keep the momentum going. Also, you can become a Team Beachbody member and get 10% off or become a Coach and get 25% off. So, it's really not that expensive after all!
Trust me- once you get past your own objections (these were the excuses I used to make to myself all the time) you'll be able to help people overcome theirs, too!
Have a great day and let's get active!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
A Glimpse...and I wasn't ready!
I was sitting in the living room today, reading and glancing up at Olivia as she was dancing around the living room. She was wearing her costume from her recital and twirling, jumping, and laughing. She was stunning and silly, sweet and innocent in that way that only children (especially young children) can be.
She put her arms down and trotted around the corner-and suddenly I had a vision into the future. In my vision, I was myself, only in the future. I was reading another book and I looked up, and my adult daughter came dancing around the corner, wearing a wedding dress. I heard Olivia's voice saying "Mommy, don't I look pretty?" and was brought back to present time.
I started crying. No, not crying. Sobbing! I was a mess! Instantly, my very sensitive and sweet daughter came running over and gave me a hug. I hugged her back and she said "You have to let me go now." "I know." I said. I choked back my sobs and smiled at her. "I am very proud of you," I said. "I'm proud of you, too," said Olivia as she smiled up at me.
She put her arms down and trotted around the corner-and suddenly I had a vision into the future. In my vision, I was myself, only in the future. I was reading another book and I looked up, and my adult daughter came dancing around the corner, wearing a wedding dress. I heard Olivia's voice saying "Mommy, don't I look pretty?" and was brought back to present time.
I started crying. No, not crying. Sobbing! I was a mess! Instantly, my very sensitive and sweet daughter came running over and gave me a hug. I hugged her back and she said "You have to let me go now." "I know." I said. I choked back my sobs and smiled at her. "I am very proud of you," I said. "I'm proud of you, too," said Olivia as she smiled up at me.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Today I put on my Cranky Pants
Today is a rough day. Today I put on my cranky pants without even realizing it.
When you're a mom, you don't really get cranky days. When you're a kid, you can have a day where you are grouchy and frown and scowl all day long and everyone tells you to change your attitude and maybe you get sent to your room...but that's it. When you're a mom (especially when you're a stay at home mom) the cranky pants day is not really something you get to take advantage of.
As the mom of the house, I generally need to be on my toes, keeping an eye on the day's schedule, working on my tasks and trying to find a few minutes to de-compress during nap time. Today, though, after our really kick-butt Kenpo X workout, I was in the shower and suddenly I was full of rage. Everything I thought of made me spin off in a "Sneaky Hate Spiral"(If you haven't read it-I highly encourage a thorough perusal of www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com ). This is dangerous. Not only was my husband quickly going to expect some sort of polite conversation as he got ready for his shower-at this point I was so full of ridiculous, impotent rage that when he entered the bathroom he was barraged by a spastic, psychotic rant of verbal diarrhea. It was bad. He is a true champion, though, and as I finished my rant he smiled at me and said "Perfectly reasonable. I love you!"
After lunch, and after he left for work, I put my youngest daughter down to nap and started an afternoon movie for my oldest daughter so that I could do the dishes, clean up and take a few minutes to stew.
Boy, did I ever stew. I called a friend and stewed in my grouchiness, I sat in my chair and stewed, I even laid on the couch, crossed my arms, and pouted...and didn't feel any better. That made me even more grouchy! I refused to get off the couch until I got some sort of confirmation from the universe that I was justified in my grouchiness. Then I really made it official-I posted it in my status on Facebook. There. Now everyone would know that I was grouchy and rush to make me feel better. But no one did. So I did. I commented on my own status "C'mon, me, turn that frown upside down!" Then I laughed at myself.
Now, I've changed out of my cranky pants and back into my happy, normal pants-and I'm ready to tackle my biggest hurdle of the day-GROCERY SHOPPING AT SAM'S WITH TWO CHILDREN IN TOW!!!
No pouting allowed.
When you're a mom, you don't really get cranky days. When you're a kid, you can have a day where you are grouchy and frown and scowl all day long and everyone tells you to change your attitude and maybe you get sent to your room...but that's it. When you're a mom (especially when you're a stay at home mom) the cranky pants day is not really something you get to take advantage of.
As the mom of the house, I generally need to be on my toes, keeping an eye on the day's schedule, working on my tasks and trying to find a few minutes to de-compress during nap time. Today, though, after our really kick-butt Kenpo X workout, I was in the shower and suddenly I was full of rage. Everything I thought of made me spin off in a "Sneaky Hate Spiral"(If you haven't read it-I highly encourage a thorough perusal of www.hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com ). This is dangerous. Not only was my husband quickly going to expect some sort of polite conversation as he got ready for his shower-at this point I was so full of ridiculous, impotent rage that when he entered the bathroom he was barraged by a spastic, psychotic rant of verbal diarrhea. It was bad. He is a true champion, though, and as I finished my rant he smiled at me and said "Perfectly reasonable. I love you!"
After lunch, and after he left for work, I put my youngest daughter down to nap and started an afternoon movie for my oldest daughter so that I could do the dishes, clean up and take a few minutes to stew.
Boy, did I ever stew. I called a friend and stewed in my grouchiness, I sat in my chair and stewed, I even laid on the couch, crossed my arms, and pouted...and didn't feel any better. That made me even more grouchy! I refused to get off the couch until I got some sort of confirmation from the universe that I was justified in my grouchiness. Then I really made it official-I posted it in my status on Facebook. There. Now everyone would know that I was grouchy and rush to make me feel better. But no one did. So I did. I commented on my own status "C'mon, me, turn that frown upside down!" Then I laughed at myself.
Now, I've changed out of my cranky pants and back into my happy, normal pants-and I'm ready to tackle my biggest hurdle of the day-GROCERY SHOPPING AT SAM'S WITH TWO CHILDREN IN TOW!!!
No pouting allowed.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Learning from the Children
My daughters are tightly coiled balls of ever increasing energy. My eldest daughter does not just get out of bed in the morning (or stumble, flailing until I find my glasses, swearing at the sun for rising, my dog for getting in my way, the coffee for not already being made, etc.). No. She wakes up in the morning, leaps to the end of her bed, jumps from her bed to the floor, and skips...skips! down stairs. She skips every where. She skips all day long. She skips to the bathroom, she skips to the kitchen to get a yogurt, she skips or runs but hardly ever walks.
My husband and I were discussing this the other day. We noticed that her first choice is to always skip between tasks. We both watched her skip into the bathroom and as she left the room, we were both smiling and laughing. Watching her skipping brought us joy! We both remarked that we wished that our first thought was to always skip-instead of plodding along as it seems some days.
Our youngest does not just wake up, either. If, by chance, we have to wake her up she doesn't roll over and groggily greet us with a smile. She lies on her stomach, flapping and clapping and slapping her feet and hands on her mattress until she springs up, grabs onto the bars of her crib, and jumps up and down. This whole sequence takes about 5 seconds. She is ready for action as soon as her eyes open. She is full of joy and thrilled to greet the day.
Both of my daughters are excited to get on with the next thing, but they are also so happy to be in that moment that they make us happy to be a part of that moment. They have helped us to find joy in mundane moments and, quite often, cause us to stop, take a look around, and be happy for simple moments.
I'm not going to pretend that I can alter my bad attitude upon waking up. I don't know if I am willing to work on that part of me when there are so many other facets of me that need work (such as the part of me that follows through with things, the part of me that cleans the bathroom more often, or the part of me that can focus on things for more than 10 minutes). However, I am willing to take a little more time and be thankful for small moments of joy and peace and be looking for opportunities to recognize those two things. Hopefully, in the future, my daughters will remember me as a fun mom whose moments of joy outnumbered the moments of grouchy, flailing anger.
My husband and I were discussing this the other day. We noticed that her first choice is to always skip between tasks. We both watched her skip into the bathroom and as she left the room, we were both smiling and laughing. Watching her skipping brought us joy! We both remarked that we wished that our first thought was to always skip-instead of plodding along as it seems some days.
Our youngest does not just wake up, either. If, by chance, we have to wake her up she doesn't roll over and groggily greet us with a smile. She lies on her stomach, flapping and clapping and slapping her feet and hands on her mattress until she springs up, grabs onto the bars of her crib, and jumps up and down. This whole sequence takes about 5 seconds. She is ready for action as soon as her eyes open. She is full of joy and thrilled to greet the day.
Both of my daughters are excited to get on with the next thing, but they are also so happy to be in that moment that they make us happy to be a part of that moment. They have helped us to find joy in mundane moments and, quite often, cause us to stop, take a look around, and be happy for simple moments.
I'm not going to pretend that I can alter my bad attitude upon waking up. I don't know if I am willing to work on that part of me when there are so many other facets of me that need work (such as the part of me that follows through with things, the part of me that cleans the bathroom more often, or the part of me that can focus on things for more than 10 minutes). However, I am willing to take a little more time and be thankful for small moments of joy and peace and be looking for opportunities to recognize those two things. Hopefully, in the future, my daughters will remember me as a fun mom whose moments of joy outnumbered the moments of grouchy, flailing anger.
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