Saturday, August 10, 2013

Fitness and Dieting

I've been continuing to work out, in fact I'm starting to get to where I can walk faster and farther and still feel good afterwards. I also have been seriously cutting back the calories I eat, and the combination is working! Dieting makes me tired and cranky, but it's so worth it when I step on the scale and see that number going down. I bought a belt so my shorts and pants will stay up. A couple of days ago I stepped on the scale at the Y and I was down to 205! My weight tends to fluctuate a lot but as long as it keeps trending down and I keep losing inches I'm happy! I hope it's that low or even lower at my next doctor's appointment. 

I really want to add more strength training to my cardio but I'm not sure how to go about doing the with the machines at the Y without hurting my back. I found a workout that's designed to help strengthen my core without being tough on my back that I can do at home so I'm adding that to my exercise routine. Once I get that down I'm going to try out the weight machines. I know it's all about being healthier, but I really can't wait to fit into my pre-pregnancy jeans again. I was at about 190 when I got pregnant with Alicia, and 175 when I got pregnant with Jaydra, so those will be milestones for me, but I don't want to stop there. I'd like to be really in shape and do a triathlon, and fit into 9/10 jeans. Right now I'm wearing size 20's, and while they're loose on me I have a long way to go. That's why I have lots of short term goals. I need little celebrations along the way to keep me going.

Potty Training Progress

Jaydra is ready to graduate to big girl panties! We've been doing a gradual switch from diapers to pullups to panties instead of the crash course jump straight to panties that some parents do. I thought about doing the crash course 3 day potty training plan, but this is working for us. She's telling me when she needs to go, and is able to use the big toilet with her seat on it all by herself. It's such a relief to be able to just take her to the bathroom and let her do her thing! When she's done she's so excited to ask me to look at her pee or poo, and I try not to laugh to much. It is so hard not to crack up when she says, "Do you want to see my pee pee mommy?" She really resisted pulling up her own pants and pullups, and I had to refuse to help her until she at least tried to do it herself. She used the potty at the Y kidzone (something she'd been resisting so yay) and the lady working there said she walked out of the bathroom with her pants down. She's still got some learning to do but she's getting there.

Alicia is a little over a year younger than Jaydra and is going through a phase where she's really resisting using the potty to the point that she won't even tell me that she's wet herself. I'm continuing to encourage her, and I'm not freaking out about this like I did when Jaydra went through the same thing. I also have a trick up my sleeve: I'm getting Elmo's Potty Time from Netflix. The nice thing about going through things like this with her is that I don't stress about it as much because I know we'll get through it and have more experience so I know what to do. Truth be told, not everything works the same way it did with Jaydra because their personalities are so different but at least I have a clue about what to try this time.

Combating Laziness

Well, it's been a while since I've written so I've got a lot to talk about, so I'll probably do a few different posts. The girls are doing pretty well, but I haven't been doing as many activities with them as I would like. Blame the heat of the summer, blame lack of funds in our budget, blame whatever I like but the main culprit lies within me: laziness. I have a ton of reasonable excuses, the neighbors pit bull is never in their yard and always in our front yard, the girls need their nap time, when we go out it disrupts the potty schedule. The reality is that I don't seem to have any motivation to do anything but  take care of the girls, exercise and do the cleaning and cooking. I'm even falling behind on the laundry all the time. I'd like to do more with the girls and just more in general but lately everything seems so hard. How to find more inspiration and motivation? I just want to get away on a vacation, or even have one day that someone else is responsible for the girls and I can just recharge. Keep dreaming Jessie!   

Friday, June 14, 2013

Finally, Some Progress!

I've been going to the Y pretty regularly, and in the last month I've lost 6 pounds! Okay, if I was a contestant on the Biggest Loser I'd probably be kicked off the show, but I think it's glorious! I need to get a belt because my pants are getting to loose, and that is a wonderful problem to have. I'm not done yet, but at least I'm starting to get somewhere. Besides exercise, I've gotten better at cutting back the calories. Despite the fact that it's so hot, I've become obsessed with soup. It makes me feel so much fuller than most diet meals, and I've figured out a decent recipe for french onion soup that I could probably eat every day!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

YMCA!

Last week we got a membership to the Y, and I can't believe I didn't do this sooner. I can do some cardio, swim, sit in the steam room, and get a nice workout. Meanwhile the girls go to the kidzone, which has an outdoor and indoor playground. They can spend time with other kids while I can be around other adults. I'm so out of shape I'm only going every other day and keeping an eye on my heartrate, in fact the cardio machines have heartrate monitors built right in so it's super easy. Well it's still hard to do the actual exercise, but I've lost two pounds this week and feel pretty damn good! My back is not real great, but after cardio I sit in the whirlpool and that seems to help. I hope I'll have less pain after I get into better shape but at the very least I'll be healthier and have more energy. I have my ups and downs about losing weight and it feels good to know I have access to a gym with childcare. I like my workout videos but I can't make it through one without having to stop a million times to take care of the girls.

Fun with tents

We have a megaland play tent that includes three tents and a couple of mini tunnels that can be connected in a variety of different ways and came with a bunch of balls and a storage bag. This was only fourty dollars and the girls love to play with it. It's got a basketball hoop, soccer goal and a beanbag throw/ball toss. It's super easy to set up because the tents just spring open and twist flat when we're done with it. The only hard part about cleaning up is finding all the balls because they go everywhere. It's a great way for the girls to be active when we can't (or just don't want to) go to the park.
In these pics I set up one tent with their music stuff, which is so cool I'll probably write a blog about just that. The biggest tent got filled with stuffed animals for them to roll around in. I even got in there with them for a bit, and they laughed and crawled all over me. They also gave me their favorite stuffed animals to play with. It makes me smile just thinking about it. So worth squeezing into a little tent.

Activities With The Girls

I mentioned the dry erase crayons in an earlier blog and found another activity to do with them that the girls absolutely loved! After making sure that the curtains were out of the way we decorated the windows with the crayons. Maybe it was the novelty of drawing on something other than paper but both girls were enthralled with this and clean up was a snap. This would be even better if you had glass patio doors, which would make a much bigger canvas.

Happy Happy Joy Joy Garden Blooms

There's nothing like watching the buds start to form and all my perennials return all green and bushy. My oregano is turning into a decent sized patch (at least 2' by 1') and it's hard to believe that it's grown from a single plant a couple of years ago. This year I got two poblanos, a red bell pepper and a cherry tomato. I also decided to try growing a stevia plant, and planted some basil seeds, but the kids and dog won't stay out of them so I might just go out and buy a plant.
My chives are blooming like crazy, but the columbine is hardly blooming at all this year. I've decided to move my spearmint to the back of our yard, away from everything else. Those roots seem to strangle anything they come into contact with. If they survive the move, then I'll be happy because mint comes in handy for so many things and thrives in our yard. The irises are purple and yellow this year, they've been getting more color every year since they were given to us and are now getting quite beautiful.
I also got a bunch of petunias and sweet potato vine, as well as some perennials like dianthus and lilies. For mothers day I was given a gorgeous planter that I put in the center of our biggest garden bed. All that and some mulch given to us by a generous freecycler and I've got the most fantastic garden in the works! I'll put some pics here, and post some more as the season progresses and things fill out.

Friday, April 26, 2013

Exercise and Losing Weight

Still working on getting in shape, and I'm happy to say that I'm making progress! I'm down about half a jean size. This puts me about half way between one jean size and the other so all my pants are either to tight with a muffin top or to loose and make me look bigger than I am. What a nice problem to have! If I keep going then the tight ones will start to fit great! 

I'm exercising more often, the last few weeks I've been focusing on things like crunches to build up my muscles, and today I added in one of my favorite cardio videos. My back is killing me, but what the hell! If I get in better shape then it'll be worth it.

Potty Training

Jaydra's almost three, and she's finally starting to get the hang of using the potty. She was initially reluctant to try it, and she still needs a lot of encouragement to stop what she's doing and use it. I've started using a few different rewards because when I was using just one she'd get bored with it and start resisting again. I got her a book that came with a princess crown and stickers. We let her wear her princess potty crown when she's sitting on the potty and when she goes in the potty she gets another jewel sticker to stick on her crown. Also I got her some kandoo flushable wipes and she likes to open it herself and wipe, then throw it in the potty. This is a BIG DEAL because she loves to do things for herself.

I have to keep saying and doing things to motivate her because she says she wants to be a baby and wear a diaper. I've tried pointing out that if she uses the potty she's DOING IT HERSELF, but apparently I just don't get it. I'm sure I'm not the only one out there with a kid that struggles with this, so I thought I'd share some other things that have worked for her:

-Telling her that it makes her potty happy when she pees or poops in it. Also that it makes Mommy and Daddy happy. When she succeeds, I make a big deal about it and how happy and proud I am. Do I feel ridiculous? Yes. Is it worth it. Oh hell yes!

-Letting her play the zoodles app on my phone while she's trying to use the potty. It keeps the kids locked in the app so they can't make calls or anything, and it has a variety of age appropriate videos and games in it for free. You can also add any apps or games you want onto the menu. *note- I have her sitting on a little potty on the floor when she plays with my phone, so don't worry my phone won't be taking a toilet bath any time soon.*

-Stickers and tattoos when she uses the potty. She likes the crown, but switching it up with a temporary tattoo now and then helps to keep things interesting for her.

-www.pull-ups.com has info and helpful tips, apps, coloring sheets and all sorts of great stuff. You can even set up a phone call for them from Cinderella or Mater to remind them to use the potty.

-I got some reusable pullups that have plastic on the outside that help to contain some of the mess, but don't absorb everything away so she can be more aware of when she's peeing. Plus they are much cheaper than buying packages of disposable pullups.  

She's just about gotten the hang of it now, and only has accidents when she's sleeping. If she's doing something extra fun like playing outside or watercolors I still have to remind her to take potty breaks, but at least we're making progress.

**My younger daughter Alicia used the potty twice today and she's not even two yet. Woo hoo!** 

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

A new BB cream I like

I was interested in all the new BB creams I kept hearing about, so I went out and bought one. Big mistake. I have oily skin that break outs if you even look at it funny, and that BB cream did just that. 

Luckily, I got a free sample of Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector Oil-Free B.B. Cream. I like it because it helps cut down on the oil on my skin, and doesn't come off when my skin gets oily like so many other things do. It has a nice level of coverage, letting the skin show through while helping to hide my numerous acne scars. It cuts down on shine, but doesn't make me completely matte. I have some spots that are super oily so that's not to surprising. It also has a thin drippy texture that can be messy to apply but is easy to blend.

After using this for a while, my skin looks healthier. I don't think it faded my dark spots, but the moisturizers in it make my skin look healthier even when I'm not wearing it.

Bottom line, I would recommend this to anyone that has oily skin.

#gotitfree# #buzzagent#

 

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Next steps for getting healthy

Last time I wrote about this, I was feeling really frustrated and had some setbacks. I haven't exactly made any progress.. yet. I've been thinking about some solutions and found some things I'm going to try.

I found this slideshow on WebMD that has exercises that help strengthen the abs and lower back.
lower back pain WebMD slideshow-exercises I was suprised and dismayed to realize how many exercises I'd been doing that were actually irritating my back pain. I've started to incorporate these into my workouts. Speaking of workouts, I plan on doing more of them, but not as intense. I tend to overdo it when I exercise, then the next day my back and muscles are screaming in pain. Sometimes even the day after that. The next time I'm supposed to exercise, I don't want to. After skipping one, it's easier for me to skip the next and the next thing I know I'm not working out at all.

So I'm going to do a little every day, then a little more, until I'm actually less of a lazy blob oozing reluctantly out of my recliner and more of an energetic athlete with energy and strength. I used to run track and cross country so I know I've got it in me, damn it!

I've also read that if your heart rate goes to high for to long it can actually cause lactic acid to build up in your muscles, making you sore later. So I downloaded an app to monitor my heart rate so I can make sure it's high enough to be worth it but not so high that I regret it afterwards. This is going to be an adjustment, but if it works then it'll be worth it.

Also I ordered four It Works body wraps today. I guess they also come with defining cream. I'm going to try them on my stretched out jiggly stomach, and hope for the best. They are expensive, but if they help at all then it'll be worth the price. Once I get them I plan on telling you how they work. If I have the guts I might even do before and after pics of my tummy.

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Judging People's Parenting Skills

As a long time fan of Alphamom's advice column I read it all the time. This one is especially great. If you haven't had a chance to read it yet, here's a link alphamom-on other peoples parenting.
The lady writing in for advice doesn't actually have any kids yet, but as someone that's read about it, she has some definite opinions about how her partner's niece should be disciplined. I've got to pause for a moment of nostalgia for that feeling of certainty on the rules of parenting that I once had before I'd actually had any kids. I saw your kid misbehaving? Well not only did I know how you should fix them, I also was certain that whatever you did was wrong. What a self righteous jerk I was! Call it irony or call it karma, but I constantly run into people that have this same judgey attitude. Some of them are family, some fellow parents, some are total strangers giving us the stink eye as we shop at the grocery store. I'm not saying that I'm a perfect parent, in fact I've made more mistakes than I can count, but the important thing is that I've learned from them. As a parent, I've felt more judged by others than at any other time in my life.

Everyone has their own parenting style and it's very easy to stand on the outside looking in and say that they're doing it wrong. In Alphamom's column, it sounds to me like the 4 year old's parents need to teach her some limits, but who knows? Maybe they think that she's only doing it for attention and that ignoring it will make her stop. Maybe the only time she acts like that is during these family gatherings and they're even more frustrated about it than the letter writer. Is that what I would do if it was my kid? No way. I can also understand why she's concerned that they opt to feed her sweets instead of dinner, but if the parents aren't actually mistreating their child, then keep the judgement to yourself. If they ask your opinion, feel free to share it with them. I love love love Alphamom's suggestion that they offer to babysit for a few hours, because it might help them to open up a dialogue with the parents about her misbehavior, and also "You’ll also get to see firsthand that the road to parenting hell is paid with know-it-all-y good intentions, yes. Three hours alone with this child could completely shatter every illusion you had about knowing anything about child-raising, sure." Her advice to praise the little girl when she's doing something right is also great. I suspect I like it so much because that's what works for me.

I think parenting is such an emotional topic that criticizing someone's parenting style is probably a terrible idea. Unless you want them to really dislike you, then tread very lightly when you're talking about it, or just keep your opinions to yourself. 


Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Weight Loss Woes

Whether in a picture or on person, anyone that looks at me can see that I'm overweight. What isn't visibly obvious is that I have problems with my back. While not directly related, I haven't been able to find an exercise plan that doesn't cause a ton of pain, which is definitely a problem. I've asked numerous doctors- my general practitioner sent me to see a specialist, the specialist said that I needed to talk to a physical therapist. I can't go see a physical therapist until I start getting spinal injections, which I'm waiting to have approved by my insurance company. This can take up to two weeks, and I have a lot of mixed feelings because I don't want to be in pain all the time, but spinal injections!? Those two words don't belong together, and I'm worried they'll really hurt. Actually I'm certain they'll really hurt.

Currently my exercise options are so limited that I mainly have to concentrate on dieting, which isn't something that I find easy. My doctor recommended some prescription diet pills, which helped but the side effects became ridiculous! Despite the fact that I took them in the morning I would lay awake until 5:00 or 6:00 am. After a night when I literally didn't sleep a wink I talked to my doctor, who said I didn't need sleeping pills and prescribed something new. This new prescription had two different meds, one was the same thing as what I was taking before, plus another to make it last longer. The insurance company said it would cost over a hundred dollars a month! I can't afford that, and the last thing I need is something that is even stronger and longer lasting. I've decided that I'm done with diet pills, at least for now.

I've lost 14 pounds over the last few months, going from 231 to 217. I've got a long way to go, and I'm currently sooo incredibly frustrated! Just when I make it down to 215, I bounce back to 217. I don't know if I can make any meaningful progress without adding exercise. I hope these spinal injections are approved and really help me. Also I'm glad it's getting warmer, so I can load the girls up in the stroller and go for more walks. I've been thinking about joining the YMCA, and maybe it's time to do that as well. I'm really tempted to give up, but screw that! I can do this, even if I'm miserable about it right now. Who needs pills anyway?

Friday, March 8, 2013

Do it Yourself Play Dough

Today we got out the play dough and some plastic cookie cutters and had a ton of fun. It kept both girls busy for over an hour! To keep the mess to a minimum I put an old shower curtain on the coffee table. The dough we used was over a month old and was still soft and pliable when I pulled it out of the fridge. The recipe I used is:
No Cook Play Dough
1/2 cup salt
2 cups flour
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp cream of tartar
1 1/2 to 2 cups boiling water
Food coloring
All you have to do is mix everything but the food coloring together, then knead until smooth. Add food coloring and knead until thoroughly mixed in.
If you're making more than one color, try to make sure the colors will mix well, or you might wind up with a shade like what you see in the picture. This was originally neon pink, neon green and blue when I first made it.

Thursday, March 7, 2013

Honesty is the Best Policy

After getting in trouble and getting a time out, we asked Jaydra if she was ready to be good and follow the rules. Her answer was a resounding no! After a little while, we asked her the same question, and she said, "No, not yet." She might not be perfect, but at least she's honest. 

The Parent Rap

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Abortions and Surrogate Pregnancy

Surrogate offered 10,000 to abort pregnancy- CNN
Crystal Kelley was hired to be a surrogate by a friendly couple who were friendly and kind to her, until an ultrasound revealed that the baby had multiple serious health problems. That's when the train ran off the tracks. The couple wanted her to have an abortion and even went so far as to try to call the hospital to schedule one for her. Crystal said she was tempted when she was offered $10,000 to have an abortion and even asked for $15,000. She'd decided to be a surrogate because she needed the money, but ultimatly decided that she didn't want an abortion. After the parents told her their intention was to turn the baby over to the state after they were born, she fled the state to Michigan. In Michigan, the baby is considered to legally belong to the surrogate mother, so she could decide who would be the best people to adopt the baby.

Personally I think abortion should be legal, but ethically it's wrong to get one except in cases of rape or when it's medically necessary. I'm well aware that not everyone feels that way. In the case of surrogacy, I think that it should still be up to the surrogate mother. No one should be able to legally force someone to get an abortion if they don't want one. When I was pregnant, my husband and I were on the same page- we were going to have the baby, come what may. I think that this is something that should be discussed by the parents and the surrogate before the pregnancy, with the specific plan they agreed on laid out in their contract. In Crystal Kelley's case, their agreement was open to interpretation, which is a big reason why this became a problem.

Dry Erase Crayons

The other day I found a couple of really cool Leapfrog learning games in the dollar bin at Target. I got one for ABC's and one for colors and shapes. They have a spinner on the front, with a worksheet on the back, and since they're laminated they can be used over and over. We already had some washable dry erase markers, but that means that Alicia (1) couldn't use them because she's still in that stage where everything ends up in her mouth, not to mention all over her and everything around her. Jaydra (2) loves markers, just not the part about keeping track of the lids and putting them back on when she's done. Actually she likes to stick the lids on her fingers and pretend she has rainbow nails. Needless to say, markers dry up fast in our house.I saw an ad for these dry erase crayons and thought that there was no way they could wipe off as easily as the markers, but decided to try them anyway. Nothing ventured nothing gained, right?

I bought them for about $3.50 and we tried them out. They actually work pretty well! *As a side note, crayola is not sponsoring this although if they wanted to send me any samples I'd love to try them out.* They come with 8 crayons and a cleaning cloth, which works slightly better than my dry eraser. They also have a sharpener built into the box, which confused Jaydra. She couldn't understand why mommy wanted to make her crayons sharp. To wipe them off, I had to press down a little and they were slightly harder to erase than markers. Dry erase crayons made cleaning up the inevitable collateral damage on the table much easier than it is with normal crayons. Jaydra did a sneak attack on the curtains, and they will definitely mark fabric, but the box says they're washable so I'm really hoping that's true. I'll update about that when the curtains are dry.

*Update* Curtains are as good as new. 

Hello!

My name is Jessie, and I'm a stay at home mother of two girls. They are one and two, with tons of energy, creativity, and stubbornness. We like to play games and do crafts as often as I have the wherewithal and energy to do them. Besides my girls, my current obsessions are knitting, planning out my garden for spring and losing weight.