Workout Wake-up Call

Today was my workout wake-up call.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been moderately running. And by moderately, I mean some days I would, some days I wouldn't. When I would decide to go I would run 2 or 3 miles on the treadmill and then call it quits. The reasoning behind this is that I believe that running is the best way, for me personally, to get in shape the quickest.

But today was different....

Today I did an arm workout. My legs are still feeling the pain from yesterday, and Rawle does a rotation of arms and legs workout, and since today was his arm workout, I decided to join. The arm workout usually begins with the bench press, however tonight they were all full, and that't when it began....

So we moved on to push-ups.

I've always been someone who has been able to plop down and do a number of push-ups. Welp, not tonight! I plopped on down to the starting position and I could not lift myself up. I don't know if its because I've gain a little bit of weight or lost a lot of muscle. I felt like my mom (no offense, mom, since you may be th only one reading this). My mom a few months ago showed my how she attempted to do a sit-up and could not complete it, and I thought (arrogantly) to myself that that would never be me. Well, not the same, but pretty close. [and just for the record, after not being able to complete said push-up, I did roll over to confirm that I could still do the good ole sit up.]

And that, my friends, was my workout wake-up call. Time to kick it in to high gear!!!!

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First Date Finances.

This is the first of (hopefully) many financial tidbits.

I was working out this morning (yes you read that right) and while running on the treadmill was watching the Today Show. They were showing a clip about a credit score dating website, based on(you guessed it) finding a match for you based on credit scores. WEIRD. Anyways their financial expert did state one thing that I thought was very important and that every couple should do. I believe this is somewhat common sense, but for those of you who hadn't thought of it yet....youre welcome.

This is not necessarily first date material....but I would have this conversation take place sometime between then and getting married. You should know the following things about your significant other:

1. How much they make?

2. What they own?

3. What they owe?


I think all of this questions are important. The first one is kind of something I think that you would know naturally. But if not, it is going to be necessary is order to form any sort of budget/ spending habits. The second is important so that you will know what assests are actually theirs (paid off and all) and which ones that are still purchasing (financing). And lastly, I personally believe this may be the most important, is knowing what they owe and on what. You don't want to blindly be taking on lots of debt that you are unprepared for. Once you know what they owe, you can (together) come up with a plan in regards to repaying the debt. Also, it wouldnt be bad to know their credit score. Eventually you will may have to buy something on credit, and knowing that at least one of you can get a loan approval may be neccessary.

Finances play a big factor is the happiness/stress of one's relationship. Airing the much needed out in the open is one way in which you may be solving a problem before it ever becomes an issue.

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Recipe Three.

Doritos Taco Salad

1 lb. ground beef

1 head iceberg lettuce, cleaned and torn into bite site pieces

1 envelope of taco seasoning

1 medium sized tomato, diced

1 bag of nacho Doritos

1 bottle French Dressing

1 ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Brown ground beef. Drain fat. Toss with dry taco seasoning.  Set aside until cool. In a large bowl add lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese. Then right before you serve it add the beef, Doritos and dressing and mix.

...I do believe that Rawle is beginning to jump on board for this new year's resolution. He smiled with delight as he tasted recipe three. 

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Cheers.

The funk has ended.

The weeklong funk drew to an end today. It seems that the funk that seemed to set in last Sunday was a predictor of the week that was to work. When chaos taking place in the workplace, it made for a long and tiredsome (and unmotivated) week. However, today, after much needed sleep. I can feel the air of productiveness has come back.

Today, after the initial peptalk to get out of bed. I decide to tackle some spring cleaning early. I gathered up the information I will need to file my taxes in a couple of weeks. I also began to brainstorm recipes to get me inspired to cook again. I began to clean my condo. I cleaned through my closet, getting rid of 3 laundry baskets full of clothes. I was out of kitchen size trash bags, but gathered of a half dozen sacks of things to throw away. I brainstormed a list of repairs/ upgrades that I wanted to take place on my condo over the next couple of months.

I then went to the store to gather groceries for this week's recipe and to pick up an address book (see new year's resolutions). 

So this week will consist of beginning to write my recipes, starting the address book, brainstorming the condo upgrades, and finishing gathering my tax info. 

So cheers to productiveness....and to a great week to come!

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I hit the wall.

yep...

just like with every good thing....

i hit the wall.....

and at only 20 days in.....

i hit the wall yesterday......

i felt as thought this year was on to a productive start....

blogging, cooking, running, saving....

then BOOM!!!.....

for the life of me, i cannot get motivated....

not yesterday...

not today...

and for sure, not tomorrow.....

maybe i'm in a funk.....

i thought this short spouting might help...

nope...

and im already stressed about my workday tomorrow.....

i look at recipes....overwhelmed...

think about running....no way

try to blog....about what?

save money...well...this one's alright.....

here's a toast (without a drink in hand)....

though i wish i had some milk right now....

and cookies...

but im in bed....

here's a toast....

to letting this funk reside tonight....

and kicking it to the curb tomorrow....

or maybe the next day....

but definately before thursday....

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Blog-Vision.

 

 

While recently talking to one of my comrads about my new year's resolutions, and more specifically- blogging 100x this year- she asked "well what are you going to blog about?".

 

And while mostly, it'll just be anything and everything that i want to, I do have a few things/ideas that will probbaly dominate the blog.

 

What I plan to blog (mostly) about:

 

-Recipes that I try:

These will be good for the cook-wannabe. This means all the recipes will have only a few ingredients, and more than likely no of the outlandish ingredients.

 

-Homemade Costumes:

Anyone who knows me remotely well, knows my love for costumes. And knows my love for making them myself. When it comes time for some sort of costume to be whipped up, I am usually scouring the web for ideas. Most of the time, I end up just using original ideas after lots of searching leads to deadends. So I thought it only makes sense for me to write about my awesome costumes to assist with those others who are diyers.

 

-Financial Tidbits:

Due to my recent career change and personal financial lifestyle change, I thought I would post the tidbits that are assisting me in getting things done financially. These are not your parents financial tidbits, this is advice for you, in your life, at this moment. Just as a disclaimer: this is my personal opinion. This is not fact, this is not a dave ramsey/suze orman class. This is what has worked for me.

 

-Workout Regimen:

Based on my workout history, if I were to guess, this would become the most flaky part of the blog. But, then again, maybe I will suprise myself. We'll see. So if this portion happens to become consistent, then it would contain tips for the highly motivated unmotivated workoutter, and things that have made me stay on track.

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Recipe Two.

This recipe I also made for my Mad Hatter shindig. Super super easy and super super delicious. 

Here it goes: 

Limeade Pie

Source: Sheri Denney
Ingredients:

-1 (6 ounce) can of frozen limeade concentrate

-1 (14 ounce) can of Eagle Brand Condensed milk

-8 ounce container of thawed Cool Whip

-couple drops green food coloring (however green you want it)

-9 inch pre-made graham cracker crust

 

Instructions:

 

-Thaw out the limeade so that it is runny. 

-Mix it thoroughly with the condensed milk. 

-Stir in food coloring and fold in whipcream.

-Pour into the graham cracker crust 

-Let set up in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

 

.....and Tadah!!!! 

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Recipe One.

So with this receipe part of my resolutions, I thought I was way behind on trying new receipes...but thanks to my birthday gathering on January 5th, I actually tried 2 receipes. So while I am attempting to do a recipe a week, I'll consider myself golden if I even attempt 52 before the end of the year.


Cherry Limeade (Courtesy of The Pioneer Women)

Ingredients:

- 2-liter bottle of lemon lime soda
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 10-ounce jar of maraschino cherries (with juice)
- Thin lime slices

Directions

 

-Chill all ingredients before mixing.

-When cold, combine the lemon-lime soda, lime juice, sugar, cherries with their juice and lime slices in a large pitcher and stir. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

 

-Serve with a ladle, getting cherries and limes in each serving.

 

 

This recipe was super super easy, and served as our punch for the party. Was a great drink by itself or an alcholol of your choice.

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2013 resolutions..for now.

I guess it's better late than never.. 

...drum roll........My 2013 New Year's Resolutions:

1. Blog 100x this year. 

I have always loved blogging and really have a desire to do it regularity. For the few times, I have done it regularly, I love looking back on the times and being able to read and remember specific details about them. 

2. Pay off my condo. 

I have own my condo for a little over two years at this point. I am doing an owner-finance loan, which has been pretty seamless thus far. However, it always makes me a little nervous. Once the condo is paid off, it will be easier to save money and/or rent it out at that time. 

3. Make a new recipe a week.

I do feel that over this past year, I have expanded my cooking abilities. I want to try new recipes and begin to build a cookbook with recipes that I can (and have) actually made.

4. Save $10000.00

I opened up a savings account in November 2011, automatically adding $25 per month. I continue to have that same $25 put into the account monthly, and contribute additional money as of late. I am trying to aggressively save this amount. And this amount is for something particularly important. My much loved boyfriend and I use the countdown method, with a running total of what is left, which make it quite fun to see progress of little and big amounts.

5. Collect an address book. And write a letter to everyone in the book. 

Always have loved receiving and sending mail. I would love to have all of my loved ones addresses, so at moment's notice I could send something to them without having to ask for their address. I believe if I completed this project not only would it be making the days of people that I love, but remind me of  how blessed I am and grateful I should be. 

6. Make six figures.
Uh, a little bit (and by little, i mean alot) of a stretch. I am very curious to see what my career has in store for me this year. I will be put on a performance-based pay plan. So by setting this goal, I am really setting more of doing my absolute best in sales and maybe, maybe, maybe it could be achieved.

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There is such a thing as beauty sleep.

 After yesterday, I am convinced there is such a thing as beauty sleep. And here is why...


 On Thursday evening after going out to dinner, I returned home and all but immediately feel asleep on the bed. Boots, jeans, fleece on and all. It was 8pm. I slept just like this until 11:30pm, at that time, I woke up, changed into pajamas, drank a glass of milk, and fell right back to sleep until 9am the next morning. With the brief stint of being awake at 11:30pm, I slept right around 12 1/2 hours, give or take a couple of minutes.

This feat was amazing even for myself, who has always been a lover of sleep.

Well Friday, I went into work at 11am. I had 5 customers on Friday. Here are excerpts from 3 of them:

A couple of Asian gentlemen: "We get to work with this good-looking women!?!?!"

A young lady with her mother, in response to the Christmas picture of my boyfriend and me: "Shaila, you look much prettier in person." (I took this as a compliment, because I thought personally I looked pretty cute in the picture.)

Family of three, in reference to the same picture: "You are much too good looking for your boyfriend (sidenote: if you don't know my boyfriend, he's quite dreamy), you are such a nice looking lady and have a great personality to match."

So, if anyone claims or thinks I ever sleep too much, please reference this blog post. I am just testing my hypothesis and getting my much-needed beauty sleep.

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2012- Doneski!

I am so tempted, like so many times before, to go ahead and write right here about not blogging in such a long time, blah, blah, blah, and how I swear it'll be different this time. Well, by looking at past experiences, the odds are against me..so I won't even go there. But I can't even believe the last blog was about blueberry pancake cupcakes and it was ONE YEAR AGO...that feels like yesterday.

With this first blog post, I want to recap last year, because I think it's so important to recall the amazing things that came and went this year, and be grateful for them now and years from now.

-Continuation of living on a budget and I took financial control of my life
-Began paying on my student loan.
-Was the maid of honor at my best friend's wedding.
-Continued playing co-ed soccer.
-Road trip to Nashville for said wedding.
-Being blessed with 25 amazing, full years thus far.
-Continued contributing money to my savings account.
-PAID OFF MY STUDENT LOANS!

-Quit a job that I realized would never make me happy.

-Found a job I love and is rewarding in multiple aspects.

-Stood up for myself.

-Again, attended and made costumes for birthdays...though not as many this year.

-Fell more in love with the man of my dreams.

-Began to go to a new church -NorthChurch- with said man.

2012 was an amazing year. I do feel as though it was the year that I officially entered into Grownupville. And as scary as it may be, I am liking what I see so far.

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