Life Overhaul

So today, I am starting the 21 Day Fix with a friend of mine. It's a Beach Body Program, but I am not a BB rep nor did I did buy the product. The great thing about the internet is that you can find basically anything for free :) So, I found a calorie calculator for it, some awesome tracking sheets, the measurements for all of the containers, and some recipes. The only thing that I couldn't find were the workout videos, but that's ok since I will be going to CrossFit everyday (the thought of 21 straight of CrossFit is kind of intimidating but whatever, I need it). I'll post before and after results when it's over. Yes, I know that a quick 21 fix isn't a permanent fix, but it's a great jumpstart for me and it will help me to get back into a healthy routine.

Along with getting back on track with eating and working out, I am also giving up alcohol for those 21 days. That is something that really needs to be done because my nightly wine consumption is not helping my waistline or my sleep.

Something else that I am implementing is an actual daily schedule. It's in the planning stages right now, but I know that it will start with me getting up no later than 0700 and going to bed (as in lights out) no later than 2200....now I just have to figure out the detailed parts in between. I need time for chores, errands, cleaning the gym, working out, nap (for the kids), and playing with the kids and dogs. Ideally I'd also like some beach time 3 times a week, too, especially since the summer tourist crowd is thinning. Oh, and once the school year starts there will need to be some time scheduled for homeschooling.

So here's hoping that I can stick with these healthy changes and a daily schedule!

Kids' Bedroom is DONE

The kids have never really had a decorated room. In Colorado, I had 10 days to prepare for them moving in, so they had necessities but not decor. When we moved here, they were originally sleeping in the now playroom, and my brother in law and his wife (best sister in law EVER) were living with us and sleeping in the kids' now bedroom. When they moved out, we moved the kids in there but didn't know how to decorate it. The kids share a bed and a room (their choice), so decor had to please both of them. They picked out bedding, but then we didn't get any further....until now :)

Here are some before pictures:

And here are the after pictures :) To say that I am THRILLED is an understatement!

The green wall is Jax's wall. They each got to pink a wall color for one wall, and he picked green. He also loves Daleks. 

This is Bella's wall-she loves pink, princesses and Doctor Who.

That is the exploding TARDIS print....yes, we have little Whovians :)

They picked out this bedding from Target. They like is because the blue robots remind them of the Cybermen from Doctor Who. 

Better view of the Dalek poster. 

Their before bedtime books :) 

They agreed on this toy organizer for their bedroom. They also agreed that the toy organizer for the playroom will be Cars themed.

They've had this book shelf since we first gained custody of them <3

They now have their own space, that they partially decorated and gave opinions about everything. It makes them happy and makes me so very happy. They'd better like it for years to come because this momma is so not repainting any time soon....so much paint on me! 

Next mission, finish the trim work in the hallway! Mission "make this house into a home" is 100% underway!

Bathroom Update

Here are the pictures of our 1.5 baths after I painted and updated them yesterday. I am so happy with the results! I am not a decorator, but I know what I like and finally, after 2 years I am getting it all put together. These are the full/master bathroom. LOVE!

And now here is the half bath. It is really simple, and no shelving. I'll add shelving eventually but right now, there is no need for shelving.

Currently, the kids use this bathroom the most, but long term plans are to decorate this in a pub style...hence the Guinness poster.

Today I am finishing the kids' bedroom, and I will have before pictures of their room. Here is a teaser picture of the redo :)

Making a House a Home

Life has been busy and I have felt disorganized and out of sorts, so I've decided to do something about it. Lets start with the house....

We've been here about 2 years but it's still not put together at all, and it's been driving me crazy. I feel like we can't have friends over because I am embarrassed about how it looks. Granted, our yard sucks too, but at least we have some patio furniture and a grill so I'm ok with the backyard for now. Well, I decided to do something to start getting the house in order.

Yesterday I decided that the bathrooms, kids' bedroom, and the playroom HAD to get 100% put together, and soon. So, I painted the master bathroom a gleaming shade of white and talked to the kids about colors for their bedroom (more on that in a minute). I know what y'all are thinking "Ooooo, gleaming white, so daring" (while rolling your eyes), and yeah I know that white walls aren't for everyone, but I love simple, minimalist bathrooms. I don't like all the jars full of Qtips, cotton balls, etc everywhere on shelves and counters. I don't like lots of patterns and stuff in small spaces, and I don't like dark walls or dark accents in bathrooms. So in our master bathroom, this is the center of attention

I bought this years ago when we lived in Colorado, and I still love it. Now that the walls are gleaming white, the colors in it stand out even more. I bought these a few months ago (there's also a soap dish) and LOVE them! (well, the kids broke the cup but that's no biggie, shit happens when kids handle breakables)

I bet you're wondering why I don't show a picture of the entire bathroom...well, that's because it's dirty right now, including the painting supplies, and I'm too lazy to clean it at the moment. Any way, I am happy with the master bathroom for now. Still need to get a couple of towel rods, and eventually I'd like to replace the light fixture but that is down the road. BTW, here is a link to the shower curtain that I bought at WalMart-I like it and it was cheap! The half bath just needs a fresh coat of white paint, a trash can, and a new rug-easy peasy!

Next up is the kids' bedroom. A, our 6 yr daughter, and J, our 4.5 yr old son, share a room and a full size bed. They want it that way, so that way it shall stay. They literally refuse to get separate beds or rooms, so it kind of makes things easy. This is their bedding (they jointly chose it):

Additionally, they have the window toppers to match the bedding, Doctor Who posters (framed) and a closet with curtains instead of doors. I'm happy with the decor so far, but the walls badly need painting. So I talked with the kids and we decided that 2 small walls would be eggshell color, and they would each get to pick a color for 1 of the remaining walls. B wants her wall to be pink and J wants his wall to be green, so that's what they will get! We are going to get paint today, and I will paint all the walls today and tonight. After the painting, the room will only need mini-blinds, a toy chest, and a second dresser. We bought the first dresser from Target, and with much cussing and alcohol, I finally got it together, so I made the decision that I will not be doing that again. Instead, I will be trolling Craigslist, yard sales, and thrift stores until I find a second dresser and a toy chest. The kids are so excited to have their room complete, and so am I!

Lastly, the kids' playroom needs to get finished...that is gonna be a chore. Here are a couple of pictures from a few months ago (pay no attention to the headboard, footboard, etc-those are gone now).

It needs a second coat of yellow paint, mini-blinds, curtains (for the window and closet), wall decor (I'm thinking Disney posters), a chalkboard area (they love chalk), a new rug, more organizing baskets, a full size bed (to replace the stained couch) with lots of large couch pillows so that the kids can use it as a couch. For now, I will settle for the paint, curtains, and rug. 

While I am redoing that part of the house, I am also hanging curtains (already purchased) in the TV room and looking for 2 "new to us" couches. After I am done with the bathrooms and kids' rooms, I'll start working on trim work in the hallway, then changing one of the paint colors in the family room and hallway. *sigh* Maybe I can get done with the whole house by Thanksgiving. 

There ya have it, my house redoing plans for the next couple of weeks. I will be sure to post some before and after pictures. 

Why Endometriosis and PCOS Suck (aka, why I haven't been able to CrossFit for over a week)

So today is both a whine, an explanation, and a request for any non-surgical, non-hormonal suggestions for treatment.

Background: As discussed in a previous post, I have endometriosis. I was diagnosed with stage 4 endo years ago and have had 2 surgeries for it. My most recent surgery was in early 2013 and the surgeon cleaned out all visible adhesions, as well as a portion of a damaged ovary (I have PCOS as well). I had been on continuous birth control pills for both, but that raised my blood pressure (like to the low end of the high numbers) and caused acne, so I stopped those a few months ago.

Fast forward to this month...it has been not fun at all. Cramps, nausea and fatigue have been around in full affect. And for anyone who tells me that exercise helps menstrual cramps, i'll punch you. Ok, not really; but seriously, menstrual cramps are different from the pain and cramps associated with endometriosis and PCOS. Once those 2 symptoms went away, the fatigue associated with both diseases really set in this month and it has been awful. I mean, I've been so tired that I literally can't think straight and have slightly slurred speech. I've been doing my best at just keeping up with the kids, fur babies and housework, so CrossFit has definitely fallen by the wayside.

Tomorrow, I am determined to get to CrossFit and at least do one WOD and hopefully yoga. I really want to get back to my super, energetic, CrossFit self so if any of my fellow endosisters have suggestions, I am all ears.

Jamberry and Crossfit

Ok, so here is where I talk about Jamberry  and CrossFit and how, for me, they are great and kind of intertwined.

When we decided a couple of months ago that I would be a stay at home mom, I decided to become a Jamberry consultant. Well, life got in the way (sorry for the vagueness, but there are some things I agreed to not share publicly), so I am just now really getting into it. I have been wearing Jamberry wraps and lacquers for MONTHS and really like them! The wraps last, on me, about 10 days (and I am HARD on them-cleaning daily, CrossFit, and going to the beach) on my fingernails and more than 4 weeks on my toenails. The lacquer lasts over 5 days on my fingernails with no chips! Both the wraps and wraps are non-toxic and not tested on animals. Oh yeah, and there are Junior sized wraps for  children or for those with small nails :) Here are some pictures of the wraps that I have personally worn :)

I am looking to add people to my fabulous team and I'm always here to answer questions! Check out Jamberry's awesome lines of wraps and lacquers on my site!

So how does CrossFit play into all of this? Because CrossFit and Jamberry are 2 things that I believe in, and I am willing to sink my money, time, and name into them.  A company of non-toxic, not tested on animals, nail lacquers and nail wraps, that was started by a small group of women? AND that contain SO MANY FREAKING FABULOUS CHOICES?! SIGN ME UP!

As for CrossFit....a little background: At one point in time, I signed up to be a "coach" with another big name fitness program. I did it for the discount on their goods and because one of their programs got me down to a size 4 (I am 5'8") and 132 lbs. I was happy and looked good at that size, but I had to deprive myself of so much (like no alcohol, no bread, no sugar, no beer, and eat less than 1800 cal/day) and do so much cardio to maintain that size. Oh, and I was definitely not strong, not at all. Then came CrossFit, and the reality that I didn't HAVE to be a size 4, or even "skinny" to be awesome. See, previously not named company focuses only on weight loss, not on strength. There I was in my 30s and literally for the first time I started to focus more on the weight I was lifting rather than how much I weighed. I stopped counting calories and started reading labels. I stopped killing myself on cardio machines and started doing WODs that involved AMRAPs with weights and short bursts of cardio. I GOT STRONGER and I got happier. Am I 100% satisfied with how I look? No (and that is a deep rooted issue), but am I 100% satisfied with my workouts, coaches (like, actual in person, certified CrossFit coaches) and CrossFit friends? Yes, yes I am.

My CrossFit girlfriends and I talk about how much we can lift, not how much we weigh. We don't talk about what size clothes we wear, we compare the sizes of our hand callouses. We don't count calories, we count reps, double unders, and how fast we can row 500 meters. You know what all of that means? It means, that we constantly push each other to be stronger. It means that we stick around after WODs to cheer each other on, and to sometimes do another workout. It means that when any of us gets a PR (personal record) on a lift or skill, we ALL celebrate and congratulate.

The 2 paragraphs above, THAT is why I am studying and training to become a Level 1 CrossFit coach, and then a CrossFit Kids coach. I love that I walk into a WOD, and rather than feeling like other chicks are judging me, I feel a sisterhood (good lord that sounds cheesy-I blame the wine). I love that my kids literally cheer me on during some WODs and see mommy getting strong rather than Mommy trying to get skinny. And most of all, I love the personal pride that I feel when I hit a PR, or like this past week when I hit a few PRs. There is literally no greater high for me.

Maniac Monday

In an effort to get myself to blog more, and get the worries on paper and out of my head, I am starting Maniac Mondays on here. I am going to type out every current worry that I currently have, then I will do my best to NOT worry about them for the rest of the week.

Money-Becoming a SAHM has been a bigger financial burden that we originally thought. I know it won't last forever, and it is truly worth it (for many reasons), but it sucks. I am restarting the Dave Ramsey plan and am determined to get us on track. And no, I don't do the couponing thing because honestly, we don't eat many foods that are coupon-able (yes, I made up that word). I *do* shop at a certain grocery store, and utilize the rewards card and all their sales. I could go on and on about money, but if I do then there won't be time for any other worries.

Parenting-I think that every decent parent worries that they are not a good parent. Do they watch too much TV? Am I giving them enough freedom? Do they have too much freedom? Am I too easy on them? Am I too hard on them? Seriously, these are only some of the questions that I ask myself everyday.

Marriage-Relationships are hard, including marriage. I don't care what anyone says, marriage is not easy. Balancing parenting AND marriage is even more difficult and complicated. Worth it? yes. Hard at times? Yes.

Pets-Yes, I worry about being a good parent to our pets. I worry about affording the best food, the best toys, and the best vet care for them. I worry about providing the best life for them, and making sure that they are happy and safe.

Body issues-Every. Single Day. CrossFit is helping but still, I really need to throw away our scale. Speaking of weight, I PR'd my power hang clean last week! I'm now up to 100 lbs :)

Ok, that's it for today. Now I have to get on with my day, including CrossFit.