quest for domesticity

These are some amazing pumpkin cupcakes!!!  I saw them on your blog yesterday at 6 PM and at 6:05, I was in the kitchen baking.  I omitted the caramel topping because I am not a fan of caramel.  Also, since I didn’t have an egg substitute, I just used a whole egg.  I am sure it changes the caloric intake slightly, but still very yummy!  My husband enjoyed as well.  Best breakfast ever!!!

It’s gonna happen folks!  I am steadily employed at a job that I am not miserable at.  I have all the time in the world now to really dedicate myself to getting healthy.  Not only is there now time, but also the motivation.  About two years ago, I lost over 20 lbs (which on a 5’3” frame is about 2-3 sizes).  I went from a 10 to a 4.  I purchased all these great work clothes and jeans that were in a size that I haven’t been since middle school.  I haven’t bee able to really wear all of these nice work clothes because I put on about 15 pounds.  I just got lazy and content with how I looked that I didn’t put in the effort and time to maintain my weight.  I stopped counting points and very rarely exercised. 

Now that I am back to teaching and broke, I cannot afford to buy clothes in a bigger size.  Nor do I want to.  I am going to suck it up, get up early and kick my own ass at the gym.  Mark my words people!!! It’s gonna happen.  I can’t let this opportunity get away from me again.  It isn’t just about the clothes, but it is about me for once.  I want it.  I want to be healthy.  I want to be fit.  I want to have kids and not pass on an unhealthy lifestyle to them.  I may not have a lot to lose, but for me it is the world.

Well, not that anyone really cares, but I have been mega-MIA for a while.  There was so much going on after I got my daycare job and my hours were not conducive to living life, tumling, and being a wife.  Something had to go but I wasn’t in the financial position to leave.  That is until Monday, when I got a call from the school that I had interviewed for earlier in the month.  Basically, I am now a part time Spanish teacher that works 12.5 hours and makes more money than I did working 40+ hours in a week at the day care.  I start on Monday and I am very excited that this is a step in the right direction for my family and my career. 

The only thing that day care gave me was strep throat and stress.  Not cool.  I am currently couch-ridden and haven’t exercised in 2 weeks which is taking its’ toll on me.  I really like having a schedule and really enjoy how I feel after a good workout.  As far as eating healthy, not so much either.  I haven’t really been that bad, but not that great too.  I need to start counting my points and paying attention to the quality of food that I put into my system.  (Yes, self, even though pumpkin donuts were bought at the awesome farmers’ market, doesn’t mean you need to eat them for breakfast.  And lunch). 

I’m hoping that the wedding of my best friend this weekend is awesome and everything goes smoothly for all involved.  I can’t wait to get into my new routine on Monday and can’t wait until I can get to the gym!

smaller-n-smaller asked: I miss seeing your pretty face on here!!!

I know!!! I miss my little fitblr community!!! Things have been so crazy lately.  I got a new job (& quit), got strep throat, and then got another job, in a nutshell.  My hours are now more easily enable me to keep up, post, blog and have a little fun!

This morning I dragged the pup out of bed for the farmers’ market that takes place every Sunday from 9-2 in downtown Red Bank.  I had never been to a farmers market so I really didn’t know what to expect. 

I am now a forever fan and will not be getting most of my fruits and veggies from the supermarket ever!  (Except the berries that are not in season now that are not at the market…[I love saying “the market”]). 

This is how the breakdown of my $25 went:

• $19: whole container of tomato berries, two large zucchinis, 1 huge broccoli stalk thing, three large vidalia onions, 3 xtra large and long sweet potatoes, 6 Macintosh apples, and four green bell peppers
• $2: organic peanut butter and oats large dog treat for Miss Molly Moo
• $4: splurged on a squeaky toy for, again, Miss Molly Moo. (This one had sentimental value because it was a replacement for the original toy she had since she was a puppy that had to be thrown out when a foster dog had parvo.)  Totally worth it.
• Free: All natural, organic, no preservatives carrot dog treat, fruit for the dog that vendors insisted on giving her, two cookies for me, slice of zucchini bread

Definitely going back next week but with more cash because I want to get more specialty foods like fresh mozzarella cheese, sauces, agave nectar, and more veggies. 

My husband’s response to me suggesting that he should come with the dog and I next week: “ugh, you know I don’t like activities before noon on weekends.”  What a bum!

So with this being my first week back to a real job, I have been exhausted working with six screaming, needy, spitting up, but cute babies all week that I really haven’t been consistent with reading everyone’s blogs as well as updating my own.  Here is a brief follow up with me:

• My new job can be crazy and there are times that I am definitely doubting why the hell I even took it; but then when you are holding a sleeping baby and having a little one smile at you for the first time makes up for it.
• I get baby throw up on me and it smells horrible.  Disgusting.  Makes me dry heave. Literally.
• There are horrible food like cookies and sweets that I don’t eat in the staff room.  Problem: I get bored and tired and sneak a cookie here or there for a pick me up. Bad news bears.
• I have been eating healthy, but when I get home I am starving and my husband doesn’t necessarily cook all that healthy, so it is a downfall for me.  I need to work on this.
• I am trying to figure out my sleep schedule and I am not making it to the gym.  I might need to either go after work (hate it!) or force myself to get up at 5AM and just get it over with.  I know if I don’t go before work, chances are that I won’t go ever. 
• I am making a new September goal: go to bed by 10.  Dvr whatever shows that keep me up, like Chelsea Lately and watch them when I am getting ready for work or after work. 

Also, thank you to all of the new followers this week!!! Cra-zay!

How are all of you fitblrs???

So who would have thought that working 9 hours with six babies would make me this exhausted?!?!

I barely have the energy to watch my girls Oprah & Ellen on dv-r, let along being able to blog.  Sorry peeps, I live for those ladies! 

Anyway, an update thus far.  Since I don’t do WIW, rather a monthly weigh in, I have nothing much to report on my numbers.  However, now that I have to leave my house at 7:30 to get to work, I have been going to the gym at 5AM.  Today, well, not so much.  That snooze button got a workout this morning, not me.  And I am OK with that.  Not going to stress out because the workout I get with the babies is intense.  Constant movement.  Secondly, eating has been going OK except for the one cookie I had today and yesterday at lunch.  Again, not stressing.  Thirdly, my 30 day shred goal has been broken.  I have not done it since Saturday just as I got to level 2!  I am actually really upset with this one because I like to do, I just don’t have the energy in all honesty.  I am literally laid out when I come home. 

Well fitblrs, I need to hit the hay because if I stay up any longer, my snooze button will again be getting a workout.  How is everyone doing?

Be warned: This is not a fitness/health related post.  

Prep - Curtis Sittenfeld

One of my September goals was to read a new book.  Goal: completed.  Somewhere over the summer I read American Wife by the same author.  I wasn’t necessarily into that book in the beginning but somewhere along the line the style of Sittenfeld’s writing really hooked me.  That is what inspired me to read her first novel, Prep. When I researched it to get more information on it, critics loved it, but average readers like myself didn’t warm to it.  I decided to give it a go and see what I thought about it. 

This book is about a freshman in a prestigious private high school named Lee Fiora.  She basically reveals her experiences and how she navigated the halls of growing up and becoming an individual.  I wouldn’t necessarily categorize the book as “coming of age” because I found that she was only trying to become someone that she really wasn’t just to fit in and be included.  There are some things in this book that I am sure most people experience either first hand or second hand.  Not that it brings you back to high school, but some of the emotions and experiences that Lee goes through are definitely relateable and “bring you back.”  I highly recommend this book for someone who just wants to get wrapped up in another world and may or may not want to relive their high school years.  It definitely made me feel like I wasn’t alone in my high school experience; I was more “in” than I was out. 

I always worried someone would notice me, and then when no one did, I felt lonely

Nothing beats coming home from working 9 hours at a job that I am overqualified for, extremely underpaid, filled with five crying, sick and snotty babies to ….. my puppy who I haven’t seen since 7 this morning and who just wants to sit on my lap, pin me down and lick my face.  Yes it is possible to be manhandled my a 20 pound schnauzer with endless amounts of love.  One of the best feelings ever. 

However, I am so tired and I can barely keep my eyes open as I type this.  I am going to bed shortly because I now go to the gym @ 5 am. 

Ps - Boo to eating 6 chips ahoy cookies even though they were so good and crunchy.  Definitely went over my points for today, but tomorrow is a new day with a clean slate.

thefoodchronicles asked: Lovely to see you are a reader too!!!!!
xxx

Yes I am a very big and avid reader!  My husband gets annoyed sometimes because I can completely tune him out when I am involved in a good book…

I love to read and if I could legitimately get paid to read and try on dresses for a living, I would.  In a New York minute. 

So, back to what I was saying.  If you love reading but have a lot of books on your shelf that you wouldn’t mind getting rid of, didn’t like, will never read again, etc., there is this website that I belong to called paperbackswap.com.  It is a completely free service that lets you upload your books by entering the ISBN number and you get credits for books uploaded.  Then you get to look through other peoples’ books and can order the book with the credits that you have accumulated and the person ships it to you.  The website creates a mailing paper that you can wrap your book up, go to the post office and for a little fee, mail a book that another member has requested.  The more people request books from you and you send them out in an appropriate time frame, the more credits you earn, and the more books that you can get. 

I love it because it is fairly inexpensive, I wrap my books in computer paper or brown paper bags, and I get new books that I didn’t have to spend money on.  If I like the book I got, then I get to keep it.  You don’t have to send it back or post it, if you don’t want to. 

Any who, just wanted to share because I noticed that there are some fellow book worms out there as well.

and I thank you! 

Today, I had to go to my new job and pick up my new hire paperwork to do over the weekend and I had made plans to get up extra early and go to the gym.  However, I think I legit have a sleep disorder because I can go to bed fine, but I wake up every 3 hours or so and sometimes I go back to sleep only to wake up in 3 hours again and other times I wake up at 4am and am awake for the rest of the day.  So, last night I woke up every three hours and by the time my actual alarm went off, I was completely out of it, exhausted and couldn’t drag myself out of bed.  Therefore, I skipped the gym this AM and my Day 10 of the shred.  I cleaned instead because that is what I do when I feel guilty. 

And I cleaned some more when I got home around 2.  And then … I took a nap because I was so exhausted.  I just got up and had a great dinner consisting of 1 cup of Chobani Non Fat Greek Yogurt (3 points - wish it was Fage 0% but the supa-market was out), mixed in a tablespoon of honey (1 point & major yum), and finished it off with a small plum (0 points).  While eating my dinner, I decided to check out my OnDemand fitness TV channel and watched a workout video (does this count?) and perused my tumblr dash because I was MIA all day.  reading every one’s accomplishments today with their healthy eating and workouts, definitely put a little pep in my step and I am just about to change into my workout clothes and do my last day of level 1 30 day shred workout (eek level 2 is tomorrow!) and probably do a biggest loser last chance workout as well as a Kim Kardashian workout or another Jillian workout.  Yes, that is right.  I said Kim Kardashian.  I went there.  My guilty pleasure.  Don’t hate … participate!

So, again fitblr community, I thank you for keeping my fatass on schedule and holding my end of the deal up to stay committed and be fit!

ps - @thepeoplewatcherchronicles … I just watched your vlog (yes it does not roll off the tongue very nicely) and I love your Joisey accent because 1) I it too & 2) My husband makes fun of me for the “tawk” and “cawfee” as well.  Nicely done and I love Stella & Louie…too cute!

Fuel Your Body Ladies (& Gents): 

• Hair: low fat cottage cheese & pumpkin seeds 
• Brain: arctic char & kale (or other leafy greens)
• Nose: sunflower seeds
• Eyes: scrambled whole eggs & orange cauliflower
• Skin: tomatoes & hemp
• Lips: walnuts
• Nails: beef
• Bubbies: broccoli sprouts
• Heart: asparagus & purple grape juice
• Gut: dried plums (prunes) & tempeh
• Lady Parts: blueberries & keifer
• Muscles & Joints: ricotta cheese & extra virgin olive oil
• Bones: chocolate & canned salmon

Some of these things I have never heard of but after reading what the list says, seems like I might try some (except the canned salmon - I can’t bring myself to eat canned fish). 

1. be an early bird to get to the workout: lace up first thing and you’ll increase your odds of exercising today threefold.  75 percent of those who worked out in the morning did so regularly, compared with just half the afternoon exercisers and a quarter of the post-work crowd.

2. hit the metal before the pedal: doing a quick sculpting routine pre-cardio could increase the amount of fat you melt. exercisers in a study at the University of Tokyo who biked within 20 minutes of lifting weights tapped more of their fat stores than those who rested longer or didn’t tone at all.

3. push your pace, rev your metabolism: high-intensity exercise increases the release of growth hormones, which mobilize fat to be used as fuel, plus it causes your metabolism to stay elevated about 10 to 15 percent above its baseline, so you’re burning more fat for several hours post-workout.

4. give up your seat to trim your bottom line: even regular exercisers could benefit from extra toning of their tush, the largest muscle group in the body, which dozes all day at your desk job.  stand up from your chair, feet shoulder-width apart. lower your bottom to the seat as though you’re going to sit, touch down, and then spring up, squeezing your glutes as you straighten. do three sets of 10 to 15 reps two or even three times throughout the day.

5. take a power walk to beat the mid-day slump: call it the 20-20 rule: as little as 20 minutes of low-intensity aerobic activity such as walking can give you a 20 percent surge in energy, research at the University of Georgia in Athens finds.

6. do the two step: when you opt for the stairs, go at them two at a time — as long as you’re not wearing heels. the quick bursts of power activate your legs’ fast-twitch muscle fibers, which burn more calories than slow-twitch fibers. plus, you’ll be using a part of your muscles that commonly doesn’t get enough action.

7. go like gumby: consistent stretching significantly decreases muscle soreness

8. set out your sneakers: a recent FITNESS poll found that sneakers — with sports bras being a close second — are the piece of gear that is forgotten most often, foiling women’s workout plans.

Full article can be found at Fitness Magazine Online.