The last couple weeks have been a blur of slump-y-ness for me. (Yes, I know that's not a real word, haha!)

Every afternoon it seems I am sluggish and tired. I've been getting head aches, and just feeling blah.
I decided that it's because I'm in almost the worst shape of my life! It's been years since I have been this inactive, and it's taking it's toll.

With so much going on with the house and work, I've been too busy to make too much of an effort in the working out department. So, I'm making it a goal to start walking more, and utilizing my gym membership (oops!).

But, my gym doesn't offer one thing that I really used to love doing, and that's yoga!

I got started with a very cool yoga program on Youtube from Yoga with Adriene a few months ago (recommended by my awesome s-i-l Emily! Hi Emily!), and then life got busy. So I have just started back in and it is just the boost I needed!

So now when I get into my afternoon slump, I just get in my yoga session and I feel much better!

She has a Thirty Days of Yoga program that is a great place to start for anyone wanting to get into it as well :)

I also decided to give a leeetle bit more structure to these afternoon session posts of mine, like I used to back in the day, so here goes!


Reading- Lots of blog posts! (That's all I read these days ;) ) Gorgeous floral sketches from Shannon Kirsten, Emma Chapman's house buying story over at A Beautiful Mess (which I totally understand, since we just went through the whole process ourselves!) and all things branding related from Elle & Co. Also, I can't forget to shout out to my friend Toni and her new blog, Home Sweetly Home! She posts a lot of great recipes and tips (plus beautiful pictures of her house!) so you should definitely check it out!

Drinking- Iced lattes. Yum! And La Croix, to try to break my diet soda habit!

Listening- To Lullatone. I heard of them from Amanda at Wit & Whistle (she uses their songs in her videos!), and they are so relaxing!

Loving- That the weather is cooling down. Fall is on it's way, I can feel it! I've already been busting out my sweaters! Also, those little succulents pictured above that I bought for my kitchen! I may move some of them to my office, but until it's a little more organized, they'll stay put. And can I let you in on a dirty little secret?.....They're fake! I bought them at hobby lobby because, you know, brown thumb and all.

What have your afternoons consisted of lately? Do you ever get into slumps, and what do you do to perk yourself up? Let me know! I'd love to hear :)

Thanks for stopping by!

You guys, I am unbelievably excited! This week I hopped on my scale, and guess what?

 2.5

Happies

1. I've gotten back into working out lately, and I'm feeling great! I really needed to get myself moving again, and after these last couple of weeks, I'm to be happy seeing those results again.
2. I've been working so, so much! I love staying busy like this, and I actually don't feel like I'm behind on things! (besides blogging, but I'll get to that) I'm so glad that I love my job as much as I do, because I don't think I could be this happy about  all the time I spend there otherwise. 
3. Dane finished his school term this week, so he's going to have some more time on his hands for the next few months! I'm excited, and I know he is too. It's been a busy, packed, and stressful spring for him!
4. Handsome has been behaving really well lately. He's still having some issues with jumping up on us, but overall, he's improving a lot! This is great, because we're taking him camping in a week! He's always surprised me with how well he does camping, even when he was a puppy, so I'm not too worried about it though.

Crappies

1. Well, obviously the biggest crappy for this week is the fact that I seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth! Between work, and trying to keep up with chores, I just have been way too tired to write! I'm way behind on the BEDM challenge, and I haven't posted since Sunday! Blogger fail! These next few weeks will be just as busy though, so I need to figure out a system that still lets me fit in my blogging.
2. The Office ended! I'm watching the last episode as I write this right now, and I think I might cry! I love this show, and this finale is a doozy! It just makes me so sad when something that has been around for so long is going away. I guess that just means it's time to start watching re-runs on Netflix!

Well, I hope to start catching up a little bit around here, and to not let myself fall so far behind again! This was the longest I've gone without writing in months, and I'm not a fan. 

I hope you all have a fantastic Friday, and a great weekend!

Happies

1. I woke up to sunshine this morning, and in my opinion, there is just nothing better than a beautiful, sunny Friday! Gets my weekend started off on the right foot. 
2. People are starting to notice that I've lost weight! It takes a little while after I start noticing before other people do too, but it's such a nice boost to hear it when they do. It gives me some extra motivation!
3. Like I mentioned on Wednesday, I got a really great opportunity! Now, I will tell you that it is a product review, but I won't tell you what for. I'm super excited about it though, and like I said, it may or may not be coming with my very first giveaway. So keep an eye out for that, because it will be coming soon!
4. I discovered that I pretty much rock at SuperMario Kart for the Wii! Ok, well maybe I don't completely rock, but I did get the most points out of the group (the group being me, Dane, and a friend of ours). It was a lot of fun, and it was a nice middle-of-the-week breather. It's not very often these days that we hang out with friends during the week, and I would like to change that.
5. Pear Blossom is tomorrow! (That would be my race) I'm excited, but it starts at seven in the morning, so I have to be up early! It will be good though, and I'm hoping that I get a decent time. (And by decent, I mean I hope I beat the walkers, that's how slow I am!)

Crappies

1. My hair is needing a trim in a bad way! I have so many split ends, that it's not even funny. But, being the over spender that I am, I spent my extra money for the month already. And yes, I know we're not even quite half way through! So, I will either have to do a trade (which I probably could because my friend does my hair) or I will have to wait until next month. Hello two weeks of buns! 
2. Before my 5k tomorrow (!) I have to go get registered today. To do this, I need a postcard that they mail to me, and I usually get it a few days before registration day. Well, last night it dawned on me that I haven't gotten it yet! I'm waiting to check my mail before I go, and I'm hoping I get it today. This is the fourth year in a row I've ran in one of this festival's races, and there hasn't ever been a problem, so hopefully it isn't too big of a pain.
3. Right now, I still haven't worked out, or showered, or done anything I needed to this morning, and I still have to take my honey his lunch before I drive several towns over to get my race registration packet. So I probably should go, and wish you all a very happy weekend! 

Happies

1. Well, I'm in my home state, and that's a pretty big happy in my book! I've been spending a lot of time with friends and family, and it's been so great. It's been a busy, busy week, but I've been having such a good time!
2. I've managed to stick to my workout and eating plan the whole time I've been here! I'm pretty proud of myself, since I tend to find any excuse to fall off the wagon. I'm waiting to weigh in until I get home, but I'm still noticing some changes in how toned I am. I don't think things could have gone any better, as far as that's concerned.
3. Yesterday my best friend Kayla, of K&M Photography, took my pictures for me! I've been wanting some new photos for the blog for a while, but I waited for her to take them. We had a lot of fun, but I discovered that I'm a terribly awkward model! I didn't know what to do with myself, and even though it was my best friend taking them, I was still uncomfortable. They turned out really good though, and you will be seeing them around here soon (update: I already changed my main picture)! In the meantime though, here's a little preview for you.

She's super talented and, if you would like, you can check out her Facebook page here.

Crappies

1. The only crappy thing about this week would be the fact that it's not long enough! A week just isn't enough time sometimes to see everyone I want to see and do everything I want to do. But, then again, I suppose I have to put things in perspective. I get to see my family several times a year, both when I come here, and they travel to Oregon. There are probably a lot of people who aren't so lucky! So I will just count myself blessed that I was able to come for a whole week, instead of just a weekend!

So, like you may already know, last week I jumped back on the workout wagon! I've been feeling like garbage all winter long, and I'm determined to get fit for summer! I've had some questions about what I'm doing to work out, so I thought I would share it with you!

I really want to focus on strength training, and so that's been a big part of it. I'm not doing any super heavy lifting or anything, and I will probably have to up my weights/intensity at some point, but for now, this is what I'm doing.

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Some of these probably look familiar, huh? Yes, I had them as a part of my Oh, How Pinteresting a couple weeks ago. I've been doing them on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I also do more for my ab set, usually a lot of boats and planks (normal and side), until I really feel it! I also throw in some more for my lower body, like some extra sets of squats and lunges, and some more arm work with weights. I've been adding a little bit each week, because I don't want things start getting too much easier.

I have some at home dvds too, that I can do if I want to switch things up. I'm a really big fan of the Biggest Loser workouts. I have a Bob Harper yoga, and Jillian Michaels last chance. They are both good ones for strength training! I also have the Supreme 90 Day System set of dvds. I've never done P90X, but I think these are similar, at least in idea. They are very intense intervals of weights and fast cardio movements. I tried to follow the system last summer and then quit after two weeks, but they are great to split up and use as my upper or lower body workouts!

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Even though my main goal is to get really toned, I still have to do cardio to lose some of this fat! As some of you know, I'm training for my third 5k run. I sign up for the same one every year, and it seems to be the only thing that really motivates me to get running! Or working out at all. At least this year, that seems to be the case. So the program I've been following is from Fitness magazine, and you can find it here.

I end up training three days a week, doing a combination of walking and walking/jogging intervals. (Let me just say that it is a whole lot easier than the training program I followed for my ten mile run last year!) Then, I have my two days of cross training (my strength training days) and two rest days. I do my ab workout everyday except rest days. It's a pretty easy program to follow, and I'm really liking it so far.

Food wise, I've been doing a low carb diet/lifestyle change. I'm not following anything specific, I'm just trying to follow the "no white" rule. It usually seems to work pretty well for me, and I would love to be able to stick to it for good! Or at least only have those white foods on occasion. The biggest benefit I get from eating this way, is the fact that I have to replace the starches in my meals with fruits and vegetables, and that makes such a difference in how I feel! I'm really liking it, and I hope it's something I can continue to do long term.

I'm also currently in the middle of a No Dessert March challenge!

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It really hasn't been too hard, and I think it's been totally worth it. Sugar is just not my friend, both in weight-loss terms, and in how I feel physically.

Right at first, I felt like I was doing everything right, but it I wasn't seeing a lot of results! The scale just wasn't budging, and I didn't notice any of my clothes fitting better either. I was starting to get a little discouraged. There's nothing worse than busting your backside, and having nothing to show for it!

The last few days though, I've started to notice some changes! Like my arms being more toned, some ab definition, and the scale finally starting to move! I'm pretty happy about it, and even though it doesn't seem like much, I'll go for the small victories. I hope to start seeing more of a change in how my clothes fit soon. I bought those pink skinnies I've been wanting, but they are a little too tight for me to be comfortable wearing them in public. I don't care as much about the scale, as I do getting into those pants! Ha!

So there you have it, my workouts and how I'm eating. I hope it was informative, and inspiring to some of you to get your own workout on! If you're anything like me, and the diet always "starts on Monday" then hopefully this will get you active today!

Have a great week everybody, and a special thank you to all of my new followers! I'm glad to have you all reading along!

Reading  Still haven't been reading much at all, besides some blogs. I started reading Wildwood by Colin Meloy a couple of weeks ago, but I haven't touched it since! I did go check out it's sequel, Under Wildwood, and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, from the library this week though. I guess that mean's I had better get on it!
Writing  This post, mostly. I've had a couple of ideas for new posts bouncing around, but I haven't put those thoughts into text yet. I'm hoping to soon though! I also plan on re-writing my About page soon. I just think I could do it better, you know? So that is definitely on my list.
Listening  The same old stuff, it seems like. I have just about burned out my playlists on Spotify though, so I'll be on the hunt for some new tunes! Or maybe some old ones that I haven't heard in a while. Also, I guess I should also mention that I learned to rap word for word along to "Thriftshop!" I know, it's ridiculous, and it drives Dane crazy because it is so overplayed! Then you throw me in, rapping it to myself constantly throughout the day, and he's had just about enough, ha!
Thinking  About my upcoming trip to Idaho! I'm so happy to be going home for a little while. Five months is just so long to go without being there! I've seen my parents a couple times in those five months, and a couple of my sisters got to stay about a month with me, but there's lots of other people I haven't seen. Especially my bestie! I'm coming Kayla, you'd better be ready!
Smelling  Fresh air. It has been so nice out lately, I've been opening my house up. I love it when I finally get to air out the stale old winter air! It's so, so refreshing! I feel like this is one of the nicest end-of-winter seasons we've had since I've lived here!
Wishing  I was in a little better shape. The worst part about not working out, is how hard it is to get back into it! You would think that I would use that motivation to always stay active but, for some reason, that's not the case. A year ago, I ran a ten mile race. This week, my lungs are burning after running for ten minutes. It's not good, people! It's not good.
Hoping  I don't pig out too badly today. We're having our first barbecue of the year with my in-laws, and it's going to be delicious! Luckily, I can have lots of veggies, and I'm sure there won't be a shortage of those.
Loving  My first pedicure of the new year! I've been terrible about doing my nails (fingers and toes) for a while now, and I've been craving some pink! So, as you can see, I busted out my Spring colors, and jazzed them up a bit! I forgot how much more I love my feet when they are all cute and colorful.


Wanting  To be seeing some results already!. I've started eating better and working out, and week one yielded no losses. I'm bumming hard! Well, maybe not that hard, but it's a little discouraging to feel like you did everything right, and see nothing for your hard work. Oh well, I feel better physically, so that's a huge plus, and hopefully this week will be better. I've already planned some tweaks to my diet, so wish me luck!
Needing  To be drinking more water! I make sure I have some everyday, but I know I'm coming nowhere near what I should be. I need to start carrying my trusty water bottle with me everywhere again, and see if that helps.
Feeling  Pretty tired! Losing that precious hour of sleep in the Spring always does me in! Coupled with the fact that I already had a late night, means that I didn't get up early enough to run this morning before getting ready for church. I'm going to have to try to fit it in later today, which will be challenging. And as for being tired, well, I'm sure it will even out soon. I just plan on hitting the hay early tonight!
Clicking  On this. If you are not familiar with Buzzfeed, you should be! I found this on Pinterest, and I just died! I literally had tears! My stomach hurt so, so bad, but it was so worth it. In fact, after writing this, I think I will go look at it again! The Google one is the best, hands down! Or, you know, all the way down....


Also, I just had to share. This is what my camera kept doing to me while taking these photos! Stupid camera! (The grass looks neat though)

1. I've started eating a lot healthier this week, and training for my 5k run has officially started! So, needless to say, I'm feeling really good! It's amazing what cleaner eating and regular exercise can do for my body. Whenever I'm doing it, I can't imagine why I would ever stop!
2. I won another giveaway! I know, what's up with that? Two in two weeks, man I'm feeling lucky! Maybe it's time to head to the casino, eh? Anyway, this one was for two pairs of earrings from Thrifty Girls Get Deals, and it was hosted by the amazing Heather, of Bumblebee! She is just too cute, and I love her blog, so if you don't already follow her, please do! You won't regret it!
3. This week has been okay in the weather department, but the forecast for the weekend is sun! We're going to be having our first barbecue of the weekend at my in-law's house on Sunday. I can't wait!
4. I finally figured out how to make my first blog button, complete with grab box! I'm slowly getting the hang of some of this techy stuff, and I'm liking it a lot! I'm also working on a sponsor page, and soon I'll be ready to start swapping buttons. I'll be sure to let you know when it's up and running!
5. All day at school on Thursday, kids were asking me how old I was. Not in a "wow, you're old" kind of way, but in a "are you old enough to be a teacher" kind of way. You see, this elementary has high school students come in and help out as aides, and the kids constantly think I'm one of them. I had kids ask if I was a college student (which, I guess, I could be), how old I was, and how long I've been a teacher! It made for a fun day, but hey! I'm still old enough that hearing how young I look comes across as a compliment!

1. I've been super sore all week! I guess that's what I get for not seriously working out in the last six months. Hopefully it won't be too long before it clears up!
2. I just cannot seem to keep up on laundry these days! I'm constantly behind, and even though I'll almost catch up every week, I never quite make it. Then, next thing I know, another week's gone by and I'm out of everything! Then it's back at it, fighting with that overflowing hamper. It never ends! Oh, and don't even get me started on the pile on the floor of my laundry room. You know, those things that aren't essentials, like random socks, towels, guest room bedding. They don't seem to be going anywhere, but I know that I will feel so, so much better when I finally get around to getting them all done!

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Reading  Still no books this week, but I do have a couple on hold at the library! I just haven't had the time to go and get them yet. Hopefully by next week I will be reading one of them, and then I can tell you all about it.
Writing  Not much. I've been getting in my standard posts, and that's about it. I never did brainstorm new topics last week like I wanted, but I suppose there's always this week!
Listening  To my Anya Marina playlist on Spotify. She has such an interesting voice! So far, my favorite song of her's is "Satellite Heart" from the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack. It's very pretty.
Thinking  About the night Dane asked me to marry him. It was five years ago last Friday that we got engaged, and part of me can't believe it was that long ago! It was such a great night, and I'll be honest, I totally knew it was coming. I didn't mind though, and he still had a couple of tricks up his sleeve! It was one of the happiest nights of my life, and I always think about it around February 15.
Smelling  My coffee. It really is the best morning smell!
Wishing  It was spring already. I could totally go for May right now. I want some consistent sun and 70+ weather! I guess I'll just have to try to be content with this wintry weather for a little longer, and prepare myself for the rainy days still ahead.
Hoping  That I can get my ceiling fans done today. The rain is supposed to hit tomorrow, and I'm about half way done. The best place for me to work on them is outside, so if I miss my window, who knows how long it will be before I get to the second set.
Wearing  An old black tank top from Target and and grey workout shorts from Walmart. Yeah, those would be my pajamas. I'm also wrapped up in a cocoon of two different blankets. My house is always cold in the morning!
Loving  That my honey surprised me Friday night with some pink roses! I made him a card and a fancy dinner, but I just kind of figured that we weren't really doing "gifts" this year. Honestly, most years I really did want him to buy some, because what girl doesn't love getting flowers? This year though, I didn't even think about it. I wasn't even disappointed on Valentine's, because it never even crossed my mind. So when he showed up with them on Friday, I was so excited! They are so pretty, and I love them. He sure knows how to make a girl smile. :)
Wanting  To buy a lot of new summer dresses! I did the same thing last year, once the sun starts to come out a little, I am in the mood to shop! And I love dresses, especially maxi summer dresses. Those are the best. Hopefully I'll be able to add at least a couple to my collection soon.
Needing  To come up with a workout routine that I can stick to. I managed to do some yoga one day last week, and yesterday I worked a little bit outside, but it's not enough! I need to be back at three to five days a week, badly! It's been a long time since I've been this out of shape, and I don't like it.
Feeling  A bit bloated. Ugh, I know, too much information, right? I have not been drinking enough water this week though, and I can feel it!
Clicking  On shutterfly. I got a catalina coupon at the grocery store last night, for a free 8x8 photobook! It's a thirty dollar value, so I'm pretty excited about it. It's like a scrapbook, but easier! I'm just not sure what I want the theme of it to be, or what pictures to use. Luckily, I have about a month to decide!

Yesterday I got on my scale and week one....was a success! I lost 1.4 lbs. which was pretty much my goal, and pretty impressive since I felt like I had totally failed all weekend long. We had a series of get togethers going on Saturday that made it about impossible to "diet," although I could have opted for healthier choices almost every time and I didn't. Once I fall off the wagon so badly it takes me a few days to get back on track, so I was a bit surprised when the scale showed some progress.

Now, I know some people are very anti-scale, but I find mine to be a very useful tool. I can't just judge by how my body is feeling. I can feel slimmer and then step on to see that I've gained two pounds, or I can lose two pounds but feel totally bloated and fat! It's very easy for me to convince myself that if I just "try to eat healthier" and I'm having a good day, that I'm losing weight. When actually I'm gaining! So I like to see clear results and know for sure whether or not I am having any progress. I don't obsess over it or anything like that, I just weigh in once a week to make sure I'm headed in the right direction.

Two things I would like to work on this week are drinking more water, and logging a little more work out time. Last week I did alright as far as exercise I thought, but looking back I think I only walked a couple of times and went to yoga once. I was being a total slacker and I've skipped my last two yoga classes, so my goal is to make sure I go this week. I've also gotten into the bad habit of drinking most of my water at work. Which means that I'm not drinking very much at all! So I'm making myself drink a glass right now as I sit here writing.

I hope that the good results I had from last week will push me through this one too. I know that the more I lose the harder it will be to shed those pounds, so I'm hoping that I can keep the motivation to keep going. I guess I'll find out if I did next week!