Help Me Pick a Purse Ladies!

Ok, dilema...my birthday is 10 days away and my boyfriend is buying me a Coach purse...but I can't figure out which one I want!! I get a 40% discount through work so it's not a big deal if I narrow it down to two, but I won't get a second one till the warmer weather comes probably. Anyways, I'm trying to get one that's big enough to take to Italy and carry around a bunch of stuff like my new SLR camera, possibly books (because I'll be in a super hard class that semester, yeah perfect timing huh), and other stuff like that.

So I need help choosing! I need to go to Coach and try some of them on but I want to narrow it down. Here are the two I like and I'm trying to figure out which size to get, one is pretty big and one is medium size...

And I also like these!! (I need a new black purse pretty bad, my Prada one from a few years ago is getting kind of worn out)

So, what's a girl to do?

What a Mess!

I saw these pictures on a local photographer's blog today, they really show what a mess our city is right now. Pretty much everywhere you go looks like this. Thankfully my house was untouched because it's a brand new subdivision with no big trees yet. It's pretty depressing driving around though. Most people still don't have power from Monday and they're estimating that they won't get it back until mid-February! I would die.

We went to Outback with Tara and Ben last night, it was so fun and I laughed so hard the entire time! We always have fun with them! They haven't had power all week and they're neighborhood got hit reeeeally bad, I couldn't believe some of the pictures. They're trying to clean some of it up today. They also got a generator yesterday so at least they have a little bit of power and warmth now.

The good thing is, it's supposed to get up to 60 degrees today, so that's much better than sitting in freezing cold houses all day and all night.

I had a fantastic workout in BodyAttack today and I'm officially lost all my "Ice Storm weight", hee hee. My trainer said that your body goes into starvation mode when something like that happens, which would explain the wanting to eat everything in sight all week long! But it's all good, at least I didn't have anything unhealthy in the house to go crazy with!

Tomorrow is Super Bowl Sunday! It so doesn't even feel like the weekend right now, my days are so thrown off. We're going to a party at a friends house but we probably won't stay long since I get up at 5am and I've got class the next night till 10pm. Sleep is priority on Sunday nights! =) Speaking of school, I have a ton of reading to do this weekend and 1 little paper to write. Good thing I have 3 days including Monday to get it done, I'm not in the mood to do any hard core studying this weekend. Hopefully after I get back into my routine I'll have a little more motivation!

I've Been Tagged!!

Step 1: respond and rework—answer the questions on your own blog, replace one question that you dislike with a question of your own invention, add one more question of your own.

Step 2: tag—eight other un-tagged people.

What are you wearing right now? Black/pink foldover waistband yoga pants, black yoga top, pink and white Nike shox (I just got back from BodyPump.

What's the last thing I read/ are currently reading? "The Daily Fix"by Alexa Fishback, MS, RD, "The Hour I First Believed" by Wally Lamb, Self, and Oxygen Magazine, and of course school books (booooo)

Do you nap a lot? I LOVE taking naps and do so whenever I can (usually only happens on the weekends)

Who was the last person you hugged? Jeff, my boyfriend and my dog Vincent (he gets hugs a lot)

What's your current obsession/addiction? Extra Sugar-Free Spearmint gum, Victoria's secret foldover yoga pants, Real Housewives of Orange County, Fuji Apples

What was the last thing you said out loud? "What do you want to do tonight?" to Jeff trying to figure out where we're going tonight since 1/2 the city is still without power =( So much for a nice romantic dinner at Ella's like we had planned!

What websites do you always visit when you go online? Blog, Facebook, Google Reader, my gym's website to sign up for classes, online bank accounts, school accounts

What was the last item you bought? Brown and black tights from Mason's to go under a couple Lacoste dresses I bought online.

What is your most challenging goal? Getting EVERYTHING done on my schedule, I definitely have a full plate with work, school, working out, Junior League, Date Nights, Bible Study, etc.

If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished- anywhere in the world, where would it be? Dallas, TX, it's such a fun city and it's not too far away

Favorite Vacation spot? Well, used to be Destin, FL, but after going to Italy this summer with Jeff, I think I'll have a new favorite!

Say something to the person who tagged you: You're so fun, I love your blog, thanks for tagging me!

Name one thing you just can't resist no matter how bad it is for you: Cheese Pizza from Guido's or Tim's

What is your favorite item of clothing? Dresses, I can't get enough of them!

Favorite pair of shoes you keep going back to over and over, even though your closet is over flowing with a zillion others?! My guess by merciano pumps, they're so hawt and I get a ton of compliments every time I wear them!

Name one thing you can not live with out: Sugar-Free Gum (seriously I chew like 20 "slices" a day!)

Has a celebrity's haircut ever influence you on your own hairstyle? Pretty much every single Victoria's Secret Model

My Town Looks Like a Tim Burton Movie

Ok, so the ice storm turned out to be really really really bad! I've been stuck in my house for 4 days, power has been off and on, most people haven't had power for DAYS and the electric companies are estimating Saturday or the middle of February that they'll get it back! It's insane. I've been working from home the entire time with the exception of all morning yesterday because the internet was down everywhere.

Luckily, the sun came out this morning and started to melt some of it but after driving around this afternoon and tonight it looks like it really didn't do much. Most of my neighborhood lost power today too, my street and the street behind me are the only ones that have been holding strong this whole time. Jeff has lost power a lot and he's only 2 streets away from me!

When I saw that the sun came out today, I called the tanning salon and my gym and thank GOODNESS they were finally open! So I had a nice little tanning session then got my butt to BodyCombat and BodyPump. It was an awesome workout. I was getting really sick of working out at home. It really makes you thankful for the little things like classes at your gym, a hot shower, and HEAT! There were so many people there just taking showers, getting warm, and working on their laptops. The news said there are hundreds of thousands of people without power right now. They've declared our state a disaster or state of emergency or something.

Jeff and I went to Chili's after we worked out so we could use one of the gift cards I got for Christmas (I hate Chili's btw) and there were a ton of people there that said they didn't have power. It was so sad. There was a cute little older couple there that asked for a piece of warm chocolate cake to take home and enjoy together in the cold! =(

Not sure if I'm going to work tomorrow, what's one more day anyway?! I have a big conference call at 9:30 so I'm thinking it might be better to just do it from home. Might have less distractions here. I guess I should be getting to bed, it's almost 11:00! Everyone have a good night, and if you're in the ice storm, be safe!

Cabin Fever Setting In!

Well we are deep into an ice storm, pretty much everyone has lost power at some point in the day or for good. Luckily I slept right through my power outage this afternoon when I was taking a nap! =) It's crazy, there is ice everywhere and it's pretty much rained all through the night and all day so it's just going to freeze more.

The crappy thing is that my satellite doesn't work with all the ice on it. I've been watching DVD's of Sex & the City. I'm thinking it's going to be an all chick flick night, especially since I'll be missing a new episode of my beloved 90210 and Real Housewives of Orange County =( Good thing they replay the crap out of those shows on the weekend, I'm sure I'll have opportunities to catch up!

I really haven't done much at all today. I was busy working this morning but that slowed down after noon, I took a nap, and I've been eating waaaaaay too much. I've been eating healthy foods, just too many of them. What's with being stuck at home in an ice storm that makes you want to eat everything in sight? Must be the fight or flight thing? Hehe

I need to be catching up on my readings for class but I just can't make myself do it quite yet. I also need to do something active, I've been entirely too lazy today. I should do one of my cardio DVD's or something. However, the bottle of wine in the fridge that I started on last night is calling my name! What's with being stuck at home in an ice storm that makes you want to drink everything in sight? HA!

Today is Vincent's birthday! He's a whole 7 years old (I think) and I made him eggs and bacon for breakfast! He's been going crazy in the backyard, it's soooo funny to watch him walk on ice, he's so dainty!

Ice Storm on the Way!

Oh dear, there's an ice storm on the way, no bueno. They're predicting a quarter to an inch and a 1/2 of ice accumulation which means possible down power lines =( Our office is letting us go early because it's supposed to start this afternoon and they said it's going to get bad like instantly. I'm going to use my lunch hour to get gas, extra groceries, and some WINE! And if I have any time in Fayetteville I'll go get some movies maybe? Although I didn't see much of a selection this weekend.

I was in the last ice storm of 2000 (I think that's the right year) in Fort Smith and it was not fun! We lost power for like 2 days and it was coooooold!

I just e-mailed my two papers in for class that are due today because I'm guessing we're not having class. Hopefully there will be an opportunity to make up attendance points. I worked on my papers all weekend and finally got them done around 7:00 last night,

not bad!

I've decided I need to get a bigger desk in my office at home. I like the one I have because it's got a lot of shelving and it's pretty skinny so it leaves a lot of room. But I really need more desk space to spread out books and use my laptop, things like that. I had to move to my kitchen table this weekend. So I guess I may switch my desk out with a bigger one I have in my room at my parent's house in Fort Smith. My mother with be happy, I think she's phasing me out and making it a nice guest room! Haha!


My home computer is about to crash, my friend worked on it a little bit this weekend and he said he needs to do a major overhaul on it. I can't even get on the internet with it right now so thank goodness for my work laptop!

We didn't do too much this weekend. Jeff had his guys night Friday night, then Saturday we went out to eat at Marketplace then saw Frost/Nixon. It was a good movie but you definitely have to be a history buff to like it. We were one of two couples in the theatre that weren't actually old enough to experience the whole Nixon thing!

Yesterday Jeff and I had the BEST brunch EVER at Soul. We didn't end up going to Copeland's because we didn't want to drive the 30 miles because it was freezing yesterday. Plus we really wanted to try a new restaurant. Thank goodness we did, it was amazing and we now have a new favorite brunch spot! Here is what we had...
Me:
Grilled Shrimp and Sweet Basil Omelet
Grilled shrimp chopped with fresh basil, roasted tomatoes, and folded into a three egg omelet
Jeff:
Chairman’s Reserve Beef Tenderloin Stacker
Scrambled eggs, thin slices of beef tenderloin, hashed potatoes with our signature bleu cheese sauce
We were very pleased!

Well, I'm going to try and get things tied up here at work so I can start preparing for Ice Storm 2009! Have a great day and stay safe!

Ouchy!

My calf muscles, specifically my left one, have been killing me since yesterday. I took some L-Glutamine and stretched last night but it didn't work for this morning. So I woke up at 8:00 (when I'm supposed to meet my trainer) and stretched it for about 30 minutes then went to the gym and did a BodyAttack class instead. It started to feel better after about 15 minutes of it but I'm sure now that I'm back at home not moving around much it will get tight after a while. So I must streeeeetch today!

Not really sure how I strained it so bad but I think it may have something to do with the fact that I did the Arc Trainer for the first time Thursday morning. I also had it on a really high incline setting. It's a fun machine and it definitely works but I should have eased into it.

BodyAttack turned out to be a great workout, class was pretty full. I'm glad I went instead of taking the day off to heal! Then after I came home I had the biggest plate of egg whites ever...seriously, I think I used like 8 eggs! I've started putting cracked garlic pepper in with them, it gives it a yummy little kick!

Jeff had a fun night out with the guys last night. I just stayed in with the puppy and kitty and rented "Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2". It was cute, and a good update to the first movie, you definitely have to see the first one to follow along.

I think we're giong to go to a movie tonight. We've been wanting to see that Frost/Nixon movie, apparently it's a pretty interesting story. It was out in select theatres about a month ago and it's FINALLY made it everywhere this week. Plus our movie theatre has a fantastic coffee bar in it and I'm looking forward to an espresso! Yes, my name is Natalie and I have an addiction! =)

I think I'm going to go to BodyPump tomorrow just in case the freezing rain we're supposed to get comes early on Monday. And if it doesn't I'll just go again Monday morning (you can repeat classes like this because they use low weights and high reps). I think the bad stuff is supposed to come Tuesday morning but just in case, I'll get an extra workout in tomorrow, after brunch of course! I've also got to go grocery shopping this weekend, probably tomorrow so that everything will be fresh for the week.

I'm feeling really great on the last day of the diet, I made it down to 117 (I'm 5'3) and I'm very happy with that! My clothes are fitting much better (except for some work pants that I'm drowning in now) which really gives a lift to my spirits. It's not only about the way I look though, I also have a ton more energy, my muscles feel great, and my blood pressure is down. I'm definitely going to stick to doing this twice a year to make sure I stay on track as much as possible.

Well, I think I've procrastinated with blogging enough for today, I'm going to get back to my paper writing, have a fantastic day!

Friday!

It's Friday, woo hoo! And only 1 and 1/2 more days till I can eat a yummy bruch! =) Can you tell I'm looking forward to that? I was very sad this morning when I learned we had a HUGE breakfast here at work for us in honor of someone's 20 year anniversary with the company. It was pretty much all delicious looking pastries, none of which I could have. So I just made myself a big cup of espresso, it did the trick!

Jeff just informed me that he's going out with the guys tonight so I guess I'll work on my papers and get a head start on my weekend homework. It's supposed to be pretty cold this weekend so it's not like I'll have anything better to do! It was in the 70's when I got home from work yesterday and felt soooo good. To bad it's not going to get out of the 30's all weekend =(

Guess what is on Saturday night?! That's right...the Miss America Pageant! Think I can get Jeff to watch it with me? Hey, he gets a guy night, surely we can balance it out with a little pageant watching right? Haha, yeah right, we'll see how this turns out!

So yeah, I'm going to be boring this weekend and look forward to writing my papers, studying, working out with my trainer Saturday morning, watching Miss America Saturday night, going to church and brunch at Copelands with Jeff Sunday morning and grocery shopping! Woo hoo, what an exciting life this almost 26 year old lives! =)

Oops, that didn't show up too well...

Here is a typed out version of the excel spreadsheet Meal Plan from my previous post:

Monday

Breakfast:
2 Eggs + 2 Egg Whites w/ Lowfat Cheese & 2 Slices Turkey Bacon

Morning Snack:
4 Slices Turkey, EAS Shake

Lunch:
Protein Shake w/ Soy Milk

Afternoon Snack:
1 c. Edamame

Dinner (before class):
Panera Bread: Chicken Caesar Salad (No Croutons) w/ Apple

Tuesday
Breakfast:
4 Slices Turkey, EAS Shake

Morning Snack:
Apple w/ Lowfat String Cheese

Lunch:
Salad w/ Protein & Vegetables

Afternoon Snack:
EAS Shake

Dinner:
Tilapia, Green Beans, & Broccoli

Wednesday
Breakfast:
2 Eggs + 2 Egg Whites w/ Lowfat Cheese & 2 Slices Turkey Bacon

Morning Snack:
4 Slices Turkey

Lunch:
Tilapia, Green Beans, & Broccoli

Afternoon Snack:
Protein Pudding (1/2 scoop Protein Powder + 1/2 c. Yogurt + 1/2 packet Stevia)

Dinner:
Date Night Dinner: Bacon-Wrapped Terriyaki Quail, Green Beans w/ Almonds, Baked Tomatoes & Zucchini

Thursday
Breakfast:
Protein Shake w/ Soy Milk

Morning Snack:
Apple w/ Lowfat String Cheese

Lunch:
Salad w/ Protein & Vegetables

Afternoon Snack:
4 Slices Turkey, EAS Shake

Dinner:
2 Eggs + 2 Egg Whites w/ Lowfat Cheese & 2 Slices Turkey Bacon

Friday
Breakfast:
2 Eggs + 2 Egg Whites w/ Lowfat Cheese & 2 Slices Turkey Bacon

Morning Snack:
4 Slices Turkey, EAS Shake

Lunch:
Salad w/ Protein & Vegetables

Afternoon Snack:
Protein Pudding

Dinner:
Dinner Out - Protein & Vegetables


Saturday
Breakfast:
Protein Shake w/ Soy Milk

Morning Snack:
Apple w/ Lowfat String Cheese

Lunch:
1 c. Eggbeaters w/ Lowfat Cheese & 2 Slices Turkey Bacon

Afternoon Snack:
1 c. Edamame

Dinner:
Dinner Out - Protein & Vegetables

Sunday
Breakfast:
2 Eggs + 2 Egg Whites w/ Lowfat Cheese & 2 Slices Turkey Bacon

Morning Snack:
Protein Pudding

Lunch:
Protein Shake w/ Soy Milk

Afternoon Snack:
1 c. Edamame

Dinner:
Salad w/ Protein

**I like to eat combinations of the same things for a week then switch it up. I find this saves a LOT of money of groceries rather than planning out a bunch of different types of meals.

Meal Plan....Check!

Ok, for those of you that know me, you're well aware that I am the most ridiculous planner in the world. I love it, my day planner is one of my favorite things in the world and Excel is fantastic for planning out meals and workouts! Of course, they change over time, but I really like to get a snap shot each week for my meal plans and each season or so for my training plans to have a plan of action. It really helps me stay on track and hold myself accountable (not that my trainer doesn't do that already!) So I just finished my Meal Plan for next week. I'm still trying to figure out my egg to egg white ratio, I have to get as much protein in as possible in the next 3 weeks to get back on track with my macros so I'll see what it adds up to and maybe adjust. I give you, my creation! Feel free to make any suggestions! (And yes, there is no starch or sugar allowed in these next three weeks, hence all the protein and veggies)

3 More Days & Counting!

3 more days till the hard part of the diet is DUNZO! Woo hoo! I'm most looking forward to adding yummy omlettes with lots of cheese and EAS protein shakes back... Strange huh?

Jeff and I are planning on going to brunch after church on Sunday and I'm so excited! I've only eaten at a restaurant ONCE this entire month of dieting **pat on back** so it will be fun to enjoy dinners and stuff with him again. He said he misses going out to eat with me (awww) then I reminded him how much money he's saved this month from not having to buy me dinner! =)

I worked from home for the first time (on flex hours) yesterday and it was sooooo nice. I really think this is going to save me from being so tired after late night classes and studying every week. I feel very re-charged today and I made it to the gym this morning for some cardio. I usually skip Thursday's because I'm tired so this is muy bueno! And the best part is....TOMORROW IS FRIDAY! It kind of felt like a Monday driving to work today but low and behold, it's not! hee hee

Not too much going on today except a nail appointment and my mid-year review. And of course we have Grey's Anatomy to watch tonight! I've also got to finish my Meal Plan's for the next few weeks and make my grocery list for this weekend.

We have NINE couples going to the horse races on Valentines day weekend now! That's a whole lot of people! We're renting some condos so it should be pretty fun, I'm excited. And the Evite for my cocktail party in February is filling up quick with responses too! February is going to be a fun month. My birthday, horse races, and a cocktail party...oh my!

Yes I Can!

Haha, a little political influence to the title today to go with Inaguration Day. I'm saying "Yes I CAN" stick to my goals and workout plan this week! As usual, I was in class till 10pm last night and I actually got up at 5am for BodyAttack this morning! I had a lot more energy once I got going than I thought I would. I was getting worried after skipping last Tuesday morning's due to extreme sleepiness from getting home from class so late but I think I'm getting used to it and now I know that it's actually possible!

But seriously, the only thing that really woke me up and made me super happy was the lovely espresso I had as soon as I got to work. Did I mention we sell Senseo and have access to every single kind that we make here? We have an actual "Senseo Room", it's pretty awesome. We also have access to all the bagels and bread that we make but I try to stay away from that as much as possible (even though it's SOOOOOO good), I allow myself a bagle every now and then (cinnamon raisin is my fav).

I decided yesterday that I'm going to have a Cocktail Party at my house in February! It will be a busy month with trips to the horse races and shows at the Walton Arts Center and MY BIRTHDAY but I thought I might as well pack one more thing in. I would like to just have a small get together now then have a bigger party for a housewarming that Jeff has been dying to throw later on. I would rather wait for that one until the weather warms up so everyone is not packed into my house like sardines!

So this should be fun, I'm pretty excited. The concept is, everyone brings a favorite drink recipe or one that they've always wanted to try. We'll also have lots of yummy food of course. I was thinking of doing a bunch of meat skewers on the grill like steak, shrimp, and quail (because we SHOULD have some left over, if not, Dad will just have to go hunting again!). And of course lots of good desserts and appetizers. There are a few more things I need to get for my house like some wall art for my bedroom and a floor lamp for the living room (needs more light) and little things like that. So I think that's what I'm going to ask my parents for for my birthday, then I'll have it in time for the party.

I'm working from home tomorrow so I'm excited about that. It will be a nice break in the week and a nice break in my wallet on gas money! I've also got a lot of studying to do this week and 2 papers to write.

I Cheated!

I cheated on my diet Saturday night (oops) by having some oily dressing on my Sirloin Salad and 2 glasses of wine. But I've already lost the whole 0.8 of a pound that I gained from it so HA! At least I didn't give in to the tempting beer battered french fries sitting on Jeff's plate next to me....very yummy looking! We had so much fun, there were about 10 of us at dinner then we went to the Wine Cellar (a really cool new wine bar downtown) and met up with Greg and Kara. I was laughing so hard at everything (may have been the wine), it's definitely been too long since I've been out! Oh and I got to wear my new boots so that was fun! =)


We didn't do much Friday night, we rented that movie "Swing Vote" or something like that and I fell asleep in the middle of it around 9:00. It wasn't a bad movie, I just get so tired around 9 now, my body is really getting used to going to bed at that time and waking up early. (I'm old) And sure enough, I woke up BEFORE the alarm Saturday morning to go to Boot Camp. It was a great workout, I just wish my endurance would improve a little. It's not what it usually is because I'm not getting enough carbs right now.


Today is actually a company holiday but my department had to come in and get some work done. Luckily our boss is letting us go around lunch time (yay!) so I get to go home and take a nap before class tonight, that will be nice. THEN, I get to start working from home on Wednesday's this week, that will be so nice! I'll save on gas and a little bit of sleep in the morning! Plus, Wednesday's are Date Nights for Jeff and I so I'll be able to spend more time cooking (or learning how to cook) yummy meals for us! =)


Our first Date Night after the diet I'm going to try to make quail. Dad brought us back about 30 pounds of quail and pheasant from a hunting trip a couple of weeks ago and it's been sitting in my freezer waiting on me. Jeff already had some and said it was really good. I've had it in restaurants before and loved it so I'm excited.



Well, I'm going to finish up here at work then head home to make some lunch and take a nice little nap before class. Thank goodness I've finished my paper due today and I don't have much studying to do this week (except for writing two papers due next Monday, but I'm not going to start thinking about that till tomorrow!) so I can relax this afternoon. Ahhhhh....

Reward Day!

I decided to reward myself for making so much progress on my diet with shopping for smaller clothes! I've gone down 2 sizes!! I really needed some jeans because all the ones I have now are pretty big on me and are baggy in some areas (which I can't stand) so I went to Lola where the sales assistant let me know that the ENTIRE store was 50% off! So I got these...

Then I wandered over to Dillards. Their brand, Antonio Melani is my absolute favorite for work clothes so I check every now and then to see if they have any new stuff on sale. Low and behold, they did today! I found a pair of grey pants and some boots super cheap! Woo hoo! The pants are soooo long on me, so I'll have to get them hemmed =( I hate being short sometimes.

These boots started at $200 and I got them for $59...Score!

You gotta love some retail therapy right?

As for weekend plans, I think tonight Jeff and I are going to go see that Benjamin Button movie, we've heard it's really good.

Then Saturday I've got Boot Camp with Mica in the morning and I might stay for BodyAttack afterward if I have the energy. Then I need to clean the house and do a big ole pile of laundry that I've been putting off for about a week (I'm seriously about to run out of underwear which is practically impossible if you saw how full that drawer usually is!)

Then Saturday night we're going to go out with a big group of friends for dinner then probably out to Dickson Street.

Sunday will be church and BodyCombat and finishing up some stuff for my class. Everybody have a great weekend!

9 Degrees....I Repeat, NINE DEGREES!!!

Yeah, that's how cold it was when I got to the office this morning. It's currently 11, and not supposed to get much higher today. And it's snowing! Fun, but I hope I get home okay because it was starting to get pretty slick the closer I got to Bentonville this morning and then I found out that they closed the schools here.

I'm not going anywhere today if I can help it. I brought my workout clothes to workout downstairs at lunch time. We're very lucky to have a free gym in our office building. It's not much, just some cardio machines and a few weights, but it's great to have on days like this. I hope it's not unbearable tomorrow morning when I go to BodyPump in the morning.

I've discovered espresso this week! I can't have my normal Mocha Latte heaven on my diet because it has sugar in it and it's kind of high in calories so I tried espresso yesterday (only 5 calories). It was okay, but I still didn't really enjoy it. So today, I put a tsp. of non-dairy creamer powder stuff in it and it made it MUCH more tolerable. So I'm excited that I've taken my coffee habit from 100 calories to 15!

BRRRRRRR!!!

It is soooo cold today! It was 12 degrees and "spitting snow" when I got to the office this morning and hasn't gotten much warmer since. The high on Thursday is only 25...ugh.

I went to my first class last night and I LOVE it! Really, I do! It's such an interesting class and the professor is very easy to listen to. She's a really great storyteller. I think I'm going to learn a lot about myself and about who I want to be in the future. The readings are a little long but you don't really have to memorize a lot for this class because the grades are mostly based on writing papers.

I did get a little tired around the 9:00 hour, I felt my eyes starting to get a little heavy. But that's pretty much expected when I get up at 5am right? Yeah, that didn't work out so well this morning. I woke up at 5, stood up and turned on the light and I seriously felt like I had been run over by a truck or something. I've just been so tired lately and 6 hours of sleep just isn't going to cut it after a long night of class. So once again, I'm putting BodyAttack off until tonight and getting back into the morning routine on Wednesday. It's so much easier to get it out of the way in the morning, I was slightly mad at myself for "skipping", but I have to remember that my body needs REST!

Well, I guess we're going to the horse races on Valentines Day weekend now with a big group of people. It will be fun, we're trying to figure out the details now because we know it will be kind of tough finding places to eat and things like that on V-Day.

I'm about 1/2 way through the diet now! I can kinda-sorta see the finish line =) I've lost about 5 pounds from my average weight (or 10 if you count starting from my holiday weight) so that's pretty good!

Have a great day, I'll be working, studying, and FREEZING!! =)

Back to School, Back to School, to Prove to Dad that I'm Not a Fool!!

Haha, gotta love a little "Billy Madison" quote, right? Well tonight is my first night of graduate school! I'm actually really excited, I love school for some strange reason. I've heard my professor is really really sweet and always happy so there's nothing to be afraid of!

I've let Jeff know he's on "pet duty" every Monday until my class days change. I won't be getting home till well after 10:00 on school nights now =( Which will make for some difficult Tuesday mornings at the gym, so it's a good thing Tuesday morning BodyAttack is one of my favorites!

Speaking of working out, I had some fantastic workouts this weekend. I went to Mica's Boot Camp for the first time and it was AWESOME! I was planning on going for an hour session but about 15 minutes into it I was like "Mica, I think I'm only going to make it 45 minutes." to which she made fun of me, hee hee. I told her I would work my way up to an hour. I think I need to be off my diet before I can really get as into it as I want to. My endurance isn't what it usually is but I still hung in there!

Then Sunday I went to BodyCombat and it was PACKED! I'm talking dangerously packed, the kind where you constantly have to know where you are so you don't kick anyone around you. Not so fun, but it was an amazing workout.

So I didn't do much this weekend except work out, sleep, study, watch tv, and go to church. I was soooooo exhausted for some reason, I just couldn't get enough sleep. I feel better today though so I guess I'm caught up. Jeff went to a Razorback basketball watch party at our friend's house and I stayed home and fell asleep about 9:00. Yes, that's right, 9:00 on a Saturday, I am such a party animal. Ya know, my birthday is less than a month away, I'm pretty sure this is a sign of getting OLDER. =(

A Great Message

I got up pretty early this morning, especially for a Sunday (7:30am) and went to the 9:30 church service at Fellowship for a change. Boy, am I glad I got there early, it was PACKED! There were people sitting on the floor in the aisles and standing along the walls it was so full. For good reason, I found out. The speaker, Greg Smalley, Psy.D. did a FANTASTIC job! I guess he's written some books on marriage and the series he continued on today was "Growing a Healthy Marriage - Speaking Life into your Mate". Today's message was not only for people who are married, but it could also be used in any relationship in life.

Words are so powerful. I think I really learned that message in 2008. Even if you don't mean to hurt someone, just the simplest thing can have a negative affect. Words have the power to build up or tear down.

"Out of the same mouth comes praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be." (James 3:10)

"The tongue has the power of life or death." (Proverbs 18:21)

Greg taught us to see our spouse or loved one as Jesus sees them. This is very hard to do, especially if you're angry with them. But difficult as it may be, we must look past our anger and frustration and see in them what God sees through His loving eyes. The Lord looks at our heart.

He also talked about some words of affirmation that everyone should use to "speak life into your mate".

1. Words of Gratitude - Gratitude is thankful recognition by saying "thank you" for something specific that you appreciated that he/she did. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)
2. Words of Praise - "Words from a wise man's mouth are gracious..." (Ecclesiastes 10:12)
3. Words of Appreciation - Noticing what you VALUE about your spouse (Romans 12:10) The more you 'apreciate' something, the more valuable it becomes to you. Make an Honor List, listing all the ways you appreciate your spouse.
4. Words of Encouragement - The word "en-courage" meant "to make couragious" (Mark 1:11) Give extra energy and courage, release their potential.
5. Words of Validation - "Quick to listen, slow to speak..." (James 1:19) Care and be curious.
6. Words of Protection - Speak kindly of your spouse in front of others when he or she is present or not present. (Ephesians 4:29) Never gossip or dishonor.
7. Words of Blessing - The word "blessing" means to confirm its truth and to strengthen it. (Matthew 16:18) Call out something positive that you see they are interested in.

These issues we can all work on in our relationships and I know I will be keeping them in mind! =)

Finally, The Week is Almost Over!

Ugh, what a week. Work has been crazy and I've been dieting, not a fun combination! The diet is actually going really well, I've already lost 8 pounds! =) However, I'm not counting 5 of those because they were soley from holiday weight gain. So technically I've lost 3 from my average winter time weight =)

Tomorrow morning I'm going to Mica's Boot Camp for the first time!

I'm so excited, she's an awesome trainer and we always have fun. She knows I like to be pushed to the limit and takes me up on that every workout! I trained with her at the beginning of Spring last year to get ready for our Destin, Florida trip. I wrote down all the workouts as soon as I got home and make them into cute little pink notecards that I can take to the gym with me when I'm wanting to get a little more out of my normal workout.

The workouts are usually circuit/interval style combining weights, cardio, drills, and pylometrics, things like that. I love it because she always throws in something different. It definitely makes the time fly by quickly!

I got an e-mail back from my professor yesterday after turning in my first two papers for my class. She seems really really nice and I'm excited to meet her. I've got a lot to do this weekend with the reading assignments, like I said, they keep getting longer and longer! I've gotten a lot done this week though, just have a little more to catch up on. It's supposed to be pretty cold tomorrow so maybe after I get back from Boot Camp I should just shower and head to the library? Yeah, we'll see if that happens =)

The new movie Bride Wars comes out today! I think a Girl's Night Out at the movies is in order very soon for Tara and Hillary and I! I LOVE LOVE LOVE Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway!

Not sure what Jeff and I will do this weekend. Maybe see a movie or something, who knows. Can you tell I like to hibernate in the winter? =)

Happy Thursday!

Well, my kitty cat Millie finally got fixed! She was soooo groggy last night, it was cute. I wrapped her up in her favorite blanket and she slept in it on the couch until 9:00 when I finally put her in her room so I could go to sleep. Poor thing =( And Vincent just can't figure out what is going on! Usually she's chasing him all around the house and playing with her toys but now she just sleeps! He was trying to sniff her a little too much last night, I finally had to make him stop. Ahh, the wonderful world of pets!

So I guess there's some kind of National Championship game on tonight? Hehe, Jeff reminded me to watch it yesterday and I had to let him know that there is ALSO a brand spankin' new episode of Grey's Anatomy on tonight too! It's been weeks since we've seen a new one so I may just have to flip back and forth for a while =)

Jeff and I are starting to plan our February. Isn't that great? He's actually planning something a month ahead?! I guess I'm rubbing off on him =) He asked me when I wanted to celebrate my birthday, but I wasn't sure what he meant since my birthday is on a Tuesday this year so I didn't expect to do much. We're also planning a weekend trip to the horse races at Oaklawn in Hot Springs for that month. We're going to try to get a bunch of people together to go down and we'll have a really cool box to sit in. I love the horse races, they're so much fun! And since I had cheerleading competitions to coach at last year, I didn't get to go with Jeff at all. So I'm long overdue! We're actually trying to plan a trip in February with friends and then another trip sometime after that when we'll stay with his boss at their lake house that's pretty close to Hot Springs. So I have lots of fun events to look forward to in the near future!

Hot Springs is a neat little place to visit, there are all kinds of old bath houses and restaurants, and of course...hot springs...

This is the Arlington Hotel...a.k.a. the hotel that serves THE BEST brunch you have EVER had in your life! It's expensive but sooo worth it =)

I've got BodyCombat tonight, then BodyPump tomorrow morning. The diet is going really well, I haven't been very hungry at all yet which is great. I think it gets easier everytime I do it because I know what to expect and I know how to curb my cravings and hunger more now (lemon in hot tea, sugar free gum, and chewing ice!). Saturday morning is Boot Camp with Mica starting at 7:30am! I'm excited, I think it will be a lot of fun, more to come on that tomorrow. Have a great day!

Must...Work...Out!

I hate taking more than a day off of working out, it makes me feel sooo lazy! I'm going to BodyAttack tonight to make up for this morning. But seriously, my calves just now started feeling like they're going back to normal today. I could barely walk yesterday. And I'm wearing FLATS today...FLATS PEOPLE! Can you believe it?!

Ok so I've written the first 2 papers due in my first graduate school class and I'm working on the 2nd week's reading assignments and they just keep getting longer and longer and longer. I think the first week's were just a teaser to break us in. I've been trying to read and outline today but I can't focus! Probably cuz I haven't worked out! Der

Dad and Jeff are going to the basketball game tonight, we're playing Texas and I've heard of soooo many people that are going! I wanted to go at first, then I realized that since it's a televised game, it won't be over till 10 or 10:30 then with traffic you don't get home till about 11. So as a person who get's up at 5am to go work out, it just wasn't an ideal thing to do tonight =( I guess I'll just have to stay home and watch reality tv! Hee hee! Tonight is Real Housewives of Orange County...love. I told Jeff I watch it because I like to see what they wear and how they fix their hair. He didn't believe me and he make me promise to watch Meet the Press the next day.
Gretchen's hair is the prettiest on the show, I wish my hair would do this...

Speaking of reality tv (Jeff is probably gagging as he reads this, or closing the browser all together) did anybody see The Bachelor last night?! It looks to be VERY dramatic this season for sure. And what's up with that Deanna chick from the bachelorette who BROKE HIS HEART coming back to cause trouble? Not cool.
Personally, I'm rooting for Melissa because I've watched her on the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders show and she seems really sweet and funny.Sorry this entire post has been about reality tv, I don't feel like thinking today. Probably because of watching too much reality tv...it's a vicious cycle...