Body Revolution: Weeks 3 & 4

I'm not gonna lie, these 2 weeks have been a slog.  I don't think it's Jillian - let's face it, she's the same no matter what.... so it must be me.  I've just felt exhausted. And 8 more weeks of this feels almost overwhelming.  Ugh.  Let's hope this gets better.

Notes: There are a lot more single-leg balance moves, and I had trouble with them.  I do OK on the right side, but my left side is still weak.  I modified.

And it really bugged me how she talked about losing "sick amounts of weight..... like 5 or 6 pounds a week".  I think that's VERY unrealistic for all but the most overweight of participants.

Workout 3

This is her "back of body" workout.  It seemed really tough the first go-round, but it got better.  Tough moves: Crab tricep dips,  Walking Crescent pose (balance issues).  Favorite moves: all the rows.

Workout 4

This is her "front of body" workout for these weeks.    Tough moves: Hollow man, side lunges with bicep curls (balance & rhythm problems), single leg deadlift w/ row.  Favorite moves: Plie hops.

Overall: The cardio intervals are higher impact, but can easily be modified.  Each workout is still about 30 minutes long.  I did the Cardio DVD once, and subbed in swimming and the elliptical for the other days.  I was up a pound at the end of week 3, and have decided that I'm going to stop weighing myself for a few weeks.  I haven't taken measurements again, but I am noticing more toned muscles, especially in my shoulders & arms.

I am taking the entire weekend off before starting Phase 2 on Monday.  I've been having a little pain in my left ankle/foot, so I am resting it, taking Motrin, and stretching in anticipation of Monday's workout.

PS - I want to be clear that the workouts are not killing me.  It's 30 minutes a day.  Jeez.  I think it's just ME.  Especially since I am being a bit lackadaisical with my effort & food.  Not terrible.  I'm at about 70% effort.  And I'm not going to see "Big Results" with 70%.  Maybe I need to add C25K.  Next week.

Review: Jillian Michaels Body Revolution, Phase 1

I spent August ramping up my workouts just a bit, (and trying to pull things together for the start of school).  I wasn't sure what I wanted to do next, but have been interested in Body Revolution for a while.  I've seen the infomercials, and since I've had decent success with Jillian Michaels workouts before (30 Day Shred, Ripped in 30, Banish Fat Boost Metabolism), I thought this might be a good challenge.  Unlike her other DVD's, this is a 12 week program where the workouts change every 2 weeks.

I'm only 2 weeks in, but here are my impressions:

• The first 2 weeks - Phase 1- consists of 3 DVD's: Workout 1, Workout 2, Cardio 1.  Each DVD is done on consecutive days, with 1 day off each week.  
• Similar to my favorite DVD, 30 Day Shred, all of the workouts are circuits - meaning that there is a set of exercises that is repeated multiple times.  In Workouts 1 & 2, the circuits are repeated 2x, with a total of 3 different circuits.  In Cardio 1, there is 1 circuit repeated 3 times. 
• Workout 1 is front of body with a little lower body.  Workout 2 is back of body and lower body. Weights are used in both, but there is no emphasis on the size of weights to use (I used 5's for Workout 1, 8's for Workout 2).  A resistance band is also used for 1 exercise in Workout 2.  
• Cardio 1 is a medium-impact, non-weighted workout. 
• Most of these exercises are single-muscle group (bicep curls, squats, etc.).  This is to prep you for more intense combination exercises later in the program.  

Pluses:

• Circuits keep me from getting bored, so I do like this formula.  
• Switching off front of body & back of body is different from her other workouts that I have done and I really like it, especially since the Cardio day allows for a "rest" before starting the workouts over. 
• The workouts average about 30 minutes each. 
• The Cardio is a total body workout (arms & legs are used).  

Minuses:

• I don't care for the Cardio DVD.  I only did it once each week - I skipped one Cardio workout the first week, and swam for the 2nd Cardio day on week 2.  I'm facing this Cardio DVD 4 more times in the next two weeks, and I may sub in swimming instead.   
• Cardio DVD: 'Suicides' - no, thank you.  
• Yes, the Jillian shtick gets a little tiresome, but I'm able to tune it out, so it doesn't really get to me.  

Results: I don't plan to measure again until the end of the program.  2 weeks in, and I am -1.6lbs.  I often do a little extra cardio in addition to the weighted workouts (probably an extra 20-30 minutes, 3 times a week) - riding the spin bike or walking hills, and plan to keep it up.

Note: Body Revolution can be purchased here, or through Amazon.  I am not being compensated for doing these workouts or writing these reviews.

Over It

I feel bad about neglecting my blog, but I think I'm just going to enjoy the lull.  That's what it is - it's a lull.  Just like life has ups & downs, so does blogging, and after 6 and 1/2 years of blogging, it had to come sometime, right?

And honestly, I sort of hit what I'm calling "internet saturation".

Also known as "I'm over it".

You see, a few weeks ago I was on Pinterest and I saw a pin for a spray bottle cozy.

SPRAY BOTTLE COZY.

I just couldn't take it anymore.  I know there is Pinterest fatigue, and Pinterest pressure, yes, there are totally a ton of great Pinterest ideas out there, but I think the cozy just put me over the edge.

I mean, are we doing this?  Are we really making little aprons to pretty up our cleaning supplies?  I thought I was doing OK by finding an all-purpose cleaner that I looked forward to using (bonus for it being non-toxic!), but apparently that's not good enough, and the sleek, well-designed yet functional bottle now must be cloaked in a handstitched cover, too.

I.  just.  can't.

I like to craft.  Make no mistake about that.  But this is just beyond the realm of my understanding.  Maybe someone had a ton of extra time and fabric on her hands.  And it is unique, I'll give you that.  But in addition to the pressure to be well-groomed, fit, competent at all things, on time, a financial whiz, document your unique style with a quirky personal flair, be a cleaning machine, have a nutritious cooked-from-scratch meal on the table at 5pm sharp, and whip up themed parties for 12-50 people within 24 hours, now I have to ponder if my naked bottles are an offense to momkind?

No.

I'm over it.  I'm going to soldier on in my bottle-cozy-less life, and hope for the best.  Wish me luck.

BTS 2013

The long awaited day finally arrived!  

This girl hardly slept at all the night before.  

4th grade is a very exciting year, ya know. 

This guy was a little apprehensive, but suuuuuper excited for his first day.  

Outside his classroom.  

Getting off the bus at the end of a loooong day.  

There were hugs & smiles all around.  

Things to remember:

1. A special breakfast of donuts, which Daddy brought home after his all-night shift.  
2. While waiting to go inside the school, I watched a small boy climb out of a car, clutching his plastic Walmart bag of school supplies.  I caught a glimpse of a scrapbook page inside his bag, so I knew he must be a kindergartner, too.  He was all smiles, and waved to the driver, then turned and spotted the crowd of kids & parents waiting for the morning bell.  His face fell as he took in all the strange-to-him people, and I was so glad to see the principal spot him right away, and guide him on where to wait & what to do.  Poor little guy! 
3. Walking into the house after work & soaking in the SILENCE that greeted me.  Even the dog was acting like it was weird.  
4. J talking about the Jitter Bug Juice they had as their end-of-day snack.  Sprite, Crystal Light, and rainbow sherbert.  "Mama, you HAVE TO keep this recipe".    

Thanks to Grandma & Grandpa for the new outfits!  

Birthday "Cake"

This year's birthday was a mixed bag of meh, ugh, and YES.

The meh: It was mostly "just another day".  I worked, M worked late, I didn't sleep well, and I made my own cake.

The ugh: The kids fought most of the day.  There was some yelling, a few tears, and a couple of time outs.

The YES: I didn't cook, I bought new jeans, I received a number of birthday texts and emails, we had pizza for dinner (and for a change, I ordered the kind I wanted), and the "cake" was awesome.

So let's talk about cake.

Technically, it wasn't a cake, but a dessert.   I made a recipe that I had Pinned over a year ago.  It's titled Brownie-bottom Coconut Chocolate Cream Cake.  I've been on a coconut kick lately, so this sounded amazing.... and it lived up to its delicious title. I won't include the recipe, because it is not mine to share.  I will say this is probably one of the most complex recipe I've ever attempted.  It wasn't difficult, but it was time consuming.  I made the brownies one day, the coconut & chocolate layers another (about 6 hours apart), and the whipped cream the day it was served.

Layer 1: Brownie.  Any recipe will do.  I used the Hershey's Ultimate Brownie Recipe.  Of all the fancy brownie recipes I've tried, it's my favorite.  Next time I would omit the chocolate chips.... it just seemed like a bit much.  

Layer 2: Coconut cream.  Y.U.M.  I went the extra mile and ground down the coconut in the food processor.  It makes it a little more fine and less stringy.  Worth the extra 3 minutes.  Sprinkled between the brownie & the coconut cream are bittersweet and semi-sweet chocolate chips.  A-mazing. 

Layer 3: Chocolate cream (it's a mousse).  Essentially this is a ganache with whipped cream folded into it.  I never knew that was how you made chocolate mousse.  This may be very dangerous knowledge.  

Layer 4: Whipped cream topped with toasted coconut.  The one thing I did not like about this recipe was using gelatin to "stabilize" the whipped cream.  I think it was too warm when it was time to add it to the partially whipped cream, and I ended up with bits of unflavored gelatin floating in the whipped cream.  Not horrible, but it randomly ruined the mouthfeel of the dessert.  

Pros: Amazing taste, not too chocolate-y or coconut-y, looks fancy. 

Cons: Takes a long time to make, gelatin bits in the whipped cream, and the brownie layer was pretty heavy.  

Verdict: I would absolutely make this again.  Next time I would leave out the chocolate chips in the brownie, halve the amount of brownie in the bottom layer, and possibly leave out the gelatin from the whipped cream.  

Is This Thing On?

After not posting for over a month, I guess it's time to face up to the fact that I DO still have a blog.  Poor neglected blog.  Like so many other things this summer, I have not been giving you enough attention.  I'll try to remedy that in August.

July recap:  Although there is a lot to say, I'm not sure how much is worth sharing.

Mostly, I struggled in July.

I finally took my Boot off and started Physical Therapy.  After just a few weeks, all was well enough that the doc told me I could stop.  I - and my wallet - were happy.  But I was also frustrated at the slow, slow progress I was (am) making.

I realize I was much too optimistic about my recovery.  That there is no way I am ready to run, despite being 3 1/2 months out from surgery.  That I can't even do a jumping jack yet.  That I will most likely take the next 6 months to rebuild the muscle I lost during recovery.

It has been humbling.

But I am trying hard to get back to my normal physical activity.  I'm on the spin bike.  I'm walking the neighborhood.  And best of all, I find that I can strength train again - specifically that I can squat.  It seems silly to be so relieved about being able to bend down, but I am.  I really am.  I'm doing the Basic 4 workout found on Go Kaleo and I am eager to regain some muscle tone.  Overall, gentle activity is making the biggest difference and I am hopeful that if I am consistent in August, I may be able to break into a slow jog in September.

Despite these struggles, I've enjoyed this summer.  After the craziness of school, sports, dance, choir, church, and work, the slower pace has been a relief.  And I think I have savored everything a little more just knowing that J will start Kindergarten in a few short weeks.  I am excited (mostly about not writing any more checks to preschool) but it's bittersweet too.  He's my baby boy and although he is more than ready for K (despite having sudden, uncharacteristic anxiety about it), it is yet another signal of life moving on & continuing to speed up.  It also feels incredibly selfish to say, but the start of school also means a few hours of alone time, too.  I've had little shadows for the last 9 years and now that they will both be in school full time, I will (hopefully) have 2-3 hours to myself each weekday.  Honestly, it's hard to fathom right now.  I can watch what I want on TV?  I can read a book without interruption?  I can clean without tiny tornadoes descending behind me? I can get in a workout without having to stop to regulate a dispute, refill a cup of milk, or answer 4,612 questions?  Inconceivable!

Other events in July:  I sold my jogging stroller, we updated the downstairs bathroom, Mega Sports & Art Camp for M (she did soccer), she also lost another tooth (#9), I signed up for Instagram - mostly to keep up with a friend who no longer blogs (you know who you are), we went to the pool a few times, found out a good friend is expecting her first baby, passed through the first step in getting M's medical license, attended our first recruiting dinner (that was an eye-opener!), and ..... that's about it.

Yep, that is a BLUE bathroom.  It looks amazing with the (newly) white trim. 

Soccer Star!

The Tooth Fairy came.

From the Internets

It was an incredibly long week.  

I was in a terrible mood every day (very much not like me, despite what my husband may think), and plagued by a sense of frustration over not knowing if I'd have my job come Monday morning.  

As long as Gov. Kasich signs the Ohio state budget today (get on it, Gov!) all will be well.  At the very least, I still plan to show up tomorrow.... whether to clean out my desk or put in my 4 hours is still TBD at 6:45pm on Sunday.  

In the meantime, I whipped together a blanket for the newest little girl in the neighborhood.  I took the lazy way out, and simply handstitched a binding on a large piece of marshmallow minky.  Soooo soft I almost didn't want to give it away.  

I was also inspired by this post from eighteen25, and made a Dole Whip Fund jar.  I used the Cricut (love that thing!) for the vinyl.  I did find the Mickey figurine at the local Dollar Tree and used the white contac paper (vinyl) I already had.  The jar was from Walmart so I think the entire project cost me $5, and an afternoon.  

Finally, although I don't believe that (most) everything on the internet is true, I DID test out the "all-natural weed killer" that has been floating around.  

And it worked.  

Honestly, I used the very scientific method of  dumping about half a small bottle of vinegar into a spray bottle, and adding 3 squirts of random dish soap.  I sprayed the weeds dotting the crevices of my driveway, and 2 days later they were brown and shriveled. I was shocked.  And am ready to stock up on vinegar.  Is there anything it can't do?  

PS: post #660!