20 Random Things About Me

20 Random Things About Me...

1. I've always enjoyed peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwiches - gross, I know... but it was a childhood favorite and every once in a while, I'll have one.

2. I will always have a pet. I don't care if it's a dog or a cat... but I can't be with out a pet.

3. I don't care if my bra and panties don't match. I'm not one of those girls. Just as long as they are clean and cute, that's all that matters!

4. I have a bad habit of biting my nails. I'll break the habit every once in a while, but I always end up biting them again.

5. I love taking pictures. I'm not a great photo taker and I don't take nearly enough pictures, but I do love taking them.

6. I love to read. If I can, I'd ignore everything else in the world and read books forever.

7. I taught myself how to knit. It's something I only really do in the winter - when it's cooler and I'm less busy, but I still do it.

8. I have stomach issues and I hate it!

9. I became a mom at 19 and wouldn't change it for the world. I want to be one of those cool, young mom's.

10. I don't have many "in real life" friends. Most of my dear to the heart friends are ones I've met via the Internet.

11. I love Sushi and could eat it multiple times a week - but I don't. I'd be broke if I did.

12. Dark beers are my favorite. I'm all about the Smithwicks and Firerock Pale Ale.

13. I love watches. Just rarely wear them.

14. I don't know what my real hair color is. Guessing it's a dirty blonde by now.

15. I can't sleep with any part of my body hanging off the bed - the boogie man might get it.

16. I can't stand scary movies.

17. I find myself, as I'm getting older, to be less patient. Which is a bad thing.

18. I like to be connected to the outside world - via phone or computer - but really didn't mind not having the ability to use my iPhone at times in Ireland.

19. I've only been out of the country once... and that was just recently to Ireland.

20. I will go back again.

Yuck

Yea, that would be a great way to describe how I'm feeling at the moment.

Colds seriously suck.

They suck the life out of you.

They make you not want to do a single thing. And they pretty much not allow you to accomplish anything you had wanted to do... um, like work out.

I've found it hard to work out when you can't breath out of your nose... and being a mouth breather sucks.

The chapped lips suck even more.

Ugh.

What a downer of a post this is, right?

So, I'm pretty sure you've guessed, I didn't accomplish my work out that I wanted to do last night... After suffering through cheer practice, I went home and melted into the couch and stayed there until it was time for bed.

I wasn't even able to stay up to watch the season premiere of "Sons of Anarchy".

Thank goodness for DVR's.

Now, to attempt getting through the day...

Well, Well...

Look who has returned from the great beyond...

I have had the inkling to return to blogs for a while now. So I figured that I'd take the time and do that today...

I don't know how much I'll be around... but I'm intending on using this blog as sort of a journal - to talk about my journey with exercise and weight loss (again)... as well as just being used to do the normal blogging stuff about daily life...

So, about the exercise and weight loss.

I have decided that I need to get back on the wagon and continue my goal of losing the weight that I don't need... which is about another 25 -30lbs. I have sorta slacked off for the last few months, which ended up making me gain about 7lbs back from my initial weight loss... which pisses me off.

I signed myself up for the September Challenge over at the Shredheads blog. I'm partaking on "Team Bob" challenge which includes doing Bob Harper's newest DVD's - Inside Out Method. I started off really good... went home and did my work out and then the next day was an off day (I'm following his work out plan).

After that, I didn't do anything. I came down with such a bad head cold, that I couldn't even think about working out... I still feel rotten, but tonight, no matter how I feel or how tired I am, I will be doing my work out.

I realize I can't continue to live this way - over weight and tired. I need to better myself - Inside and Out - so I can be a better person all around.

And, I can't let my husband - who has been working out and lifting weights, making himself look good - walk around with the fat wife. LOL

So. Like I said... I hope to be around here more. I do read lots of your blogs... I don't comment much, but I am going to try to start doing that again... I miss the community.


*photo from http://www.weheartsit.com/ (thanks Brandi)

Update

So, life has become busy once more.

Cheerleading started this Monday... its 5 days a week... for 1.5hours each day... that is until after Aug 22nd... then we go to three days a week. Thank god. Because I bet by then, I'll be even more whopped than I am now!

Rowan returns to school on the 10th... I'm sure she will be shell shocked with school activities plus cheerleading for the first few weeks. I can't believe she is going to be in 2nd grade. It kills me. Really, it does.

Working out has been going really well. Well, at least most days. LOL

Since the middle of May, I have lost 19lbs. I'm hoping for another 16 lbs more by Oct. 1st. Not sure if I will make it, but I'm going to try hard.

I'm doing a lot of different things. Lots of treadmill, some videos - like Jillian Michaels "30 Day Shred" and "No More Trouble Zones"... even have done the CardioMax video from the "Biggest Loser". But mostly, its at least 30 mins of the treadmill almost every day.

I'm eating better... feeling better. Its amazing what exercising and being healthy feels like! LOL

I have dropped just about 1 1/2-2 sizes... and I can totally see my body toning up and developing muscle structure from the weights. Oh, yes, I'm doing that too... its in the videos - but I've also done it with the husband at the gym too. LOL

Told you we were on healthy/exercising kicks!!

I took some recent pictures lately - from when we went to Tahoe for the weekend... here are a few:

I wish I could share some of my honey and me - but, well, because of his job, I'm not going to... plus, most of you are friends on my facebook any how... so you will see them there!!

Hope all is well... Gonna go relax now... its been one of those day!!

Good Gravy...

... where the hell have I been, eh?

I have no excuses... except for that I find life to be very busy under the Pickle Jar.

We really don't have too many extra curricular activities going on - besides getting ready for fair - but I find that I'm constantly on the move. Okay, not constantly, because damn it, I've become addicted to "Farm Town" on Facebook... but moving enough.

I've moved on from the 30 Day Challenge on the Wii Active to doing the 30 Day Shred by Jillian Michael's from The Biggest Loser. I'm not doing it 30 days in a row - but more like every two to three days... then take a break and just do cardio or like today and yesterday, just doing nothing.

The last three days, I've done the level and then hopped onto the treadmill for more cardio. Well, between that, the dreaded Curse, stress from my parents being gone... and life in general, my body decided to up and get tired and give up on me. So yesterday and today were down days.

Tomorrow morning, I'll be right back at it... Its funny how exercising can become some what addicting or rather, part of your routine after not being a part of your life for some time.

I'm still struggling with some issues - getting it done and eating better - although, I've pretty much cut out all sodas and most alcholic drinks... lol But I can honestly say I'm enjoying the work outs and the results I've been seeing.

I've lost about 15lbs since starting the 30 Day Challenge back in the middle of May... and I hope to lose another 20 lbs by October. I really need to keep track of my food intake - thinking of starting a food diary along with my exercise one... because I want to make sure I'm eating enough and not too much to lose the weight I want.

Anyways, enough about my weight loss challenge - although, I highly recommend Jillian's DVD's or rather, any of the Biggest Loser one's!!

The kids are great... Rowan is enjoying her Summer break. She is particularly enjoying the fact that I'm on vacation this week (my parents are gone, hence the need for child care)... she is getting herself ready to show her rabbit come next month at the fair. I got all of her whites for show, except her shirt... I can't wait to see her all dressed up. It will be too damned cute.

Zach, well, what can I say about him... he's my love bug and monster boy all mixed in. He is growing his hair out and looks like a long lost Jonas Brother. His laugh is unbelievably catching... and I don't know what I'd do with out him - although, some days he makes me want to rip my hair out.

Right now, he's going through a stage where he doesn't want to nap... and he wants to back talk. Its no fun. I think he's getting the hint that his mommy doesn't like it too much. LOL

Derek is good... he's dropped a bunch of weight too - the bastard. I hate how men can just drop the pounds with out trying as hard as us women. No fair. He's working a lot, but not as much as he had been...

We are looking forward to a trip we are taking at the end of the month to South Lake Tahoe for a wedding. It will be just him and I for two nights - plus the other people going as well - but I mean no kids... it will be a good time, I'm guessing. Its been a while since we've gone away by ourselves. Its over due!!

I've been keeping up on blogs, just so you know... but honestly, I'm not commenting like I should. I know that makes me a bad blogger friend... but sorry... sometimes, there isn't time or I don't know what to say! But I am reading...

Hope you all have a fantastic weekend... we are in for another busy one. There has been no breaks the last few weekends for us...

Toodles!!

30 Day Challenge

So, I decided that its time to make a life change.

Its time to do that dreaded thing and lose some weight.

I can honestly say I don't eat too badly. Mostly I don't eat enough... and then sometimes, when I don't eat and then eat, I eat the wrong things or eat too much because I'm so hungry.

I've decided to throw some exercises into the mix along with eating better - small, healthier meals more often during the day.

I recently saw some commercials on a new work out videa game by EA Sports. Its called EAS Active... You can find it HERE

It has a 30 day challenge that you can do... and I decided that is exactly what I needed!! I don't have the time or money to go to a gym. We have a treadmill (when its not making funky noises like tonight!) that we can use... so all I needed was more "gym" like stuff to do.

I really think that the EAS Active is what will be right for me - along with the cardio on the treadmill.

I have a goal.

I would like to drop at least 30 lbs by the end of September. If you average it out, its about 7.5 lbs a month... I know it will be hard... but I'm determined!!

Wish me luck, alright?

Its Cool to Celebrate Your Birthday All Week

Yea, that's what I've been doing all week pretty much!

My birthday was this Thursday, but I had been celebrating since Tuesday at work where we had BJ's Brewhouse brought in and I so enjoyed a Stuffed Baked Potato! Yum.

I even got a crazy cool balloon - that is still up and floating in my living room! Isn't it stinking funny???

We have gotten the last 3 or 4 birthday people some kind of Holy Cow its your birthday balloon... so I guess it was my turn!

Then Thursday, my actual birthday, I didn't have anything planned besides Rowan's Open House... because Derek had been scheduled to work all week during the evening.

Well, come 5pm on Thursday evening, when I was still at my parents house waiting to go to the Open House, Derek called and asked when I was going to be home because he was there waiting for me!!

Yup, my husband pulled a fast one on me. He got off work early and went and picked up stuff to make for dinner. He cooked a feast!! Stuffed chicken breast, bacon and jalapeno wrapped shrimp, twice baked potatoes! Omg. So yummy. He even picked me up one of my most favorite desserts - ice cream cake!!

I couldn't have been more surprised!! I swear, I'm one lucky duck to have him!

He even went to the mall and bought me some new Roxy flip flops - but he didn't get the right size :( So, I have to go and exchange them. But still, it was the thought that counts!!

I was off Friday from work and didn't do too much... pretty much took the kids to school and ran an errand to Target where I picked up some new sunglasses because my other pair had broken on Thursday morning.

I love Target glasses because they are cute, but if you break them, it isn't that bad because they didn't cost you a fortune!! I mean, $15 isn't the same as $150 you know?

The rest of the day, was pretty much spent being lazy! We played outside by the pool in the evening and did some more BBQ'ing... just the way I like to spend a day off.

Saturday was the last of the celebrating of my birthday though.

After our baseball game in the morning - where we did great! - and after Rowan went and got fitted for her cheer leading uniform (it will be here before we know it!) - we went to my parents where they were throwing a combo party for both my birthday and Derek and my anniversary.

I got some fantastic gifts, too! Some cash from the Grandma that Derek and I are going to put away for our Vegas fund - October is just around the corner! - then I got a Border's gift card and if you know me, you know that is like Gold. Then my MIL got me this cool Roxy bag and a gift card to Famous Footwear so I can buy some new sandals. And my parents got me this beautiful, I mean beautiful necklace when they went on their cruise. Its a round circle, with diamonds and two beautiful Emeralds on it. I was shocked! I can't wait to wear it...

We spent the afternoon/evening in the pool... enjoying drinks, snacks and a wonderful BBQ. I think that is pretty much a standard thing in the Central Valley when its summertime though. When its 100+ degrees!!

Today, its supposed to be around 104!! Can't believe its going to be that hot when its only the middle of May. That is more like mid June weather!! Its craziness!!

And today we are supposed to be working out in the yard!!

Thank goodness for the pool... if we get too hot, we'll just jump in and then hop on out to finish!!

God, I love summer! I am determined to get tan this year too! LOL

Have a great rest of the weekend ya'll!!