I heard of the "Newlywed 9" before. The supposed amount of weight most newlyweds gain after getting married. I just didn't think it would happen to Steve and me! While I don't think it's officially nine pounds each, we've both been pretty lazy about cooking healthy meals and exercising regularly. We're trying, but our schedule gets so packed that sometimes we're just too tired to care. We decided today though that enough is enough! It's almost summer and time to run around in swimsuits. Instead, we both would rather stay in our pajamas. Well no more! We're going back to cooking our own delicious, healthy meals and going to the gym or for a run outside. With school ending our schedule will open up, which should definitely help.
No more chubby hubby or wife in this house! :)
Monday, May 30, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Running = Peace?
This is how I feel about running right now...
I'm frazzled, stressed, and not enjoying it AT ALL. I'm doing it because I feel like I have to. I have the Chic-fil-A 5K coming up on May 28th and the Icelandic 8K on June 4th. Running outside lately has been tough with the rain and my horrible allergies. (I was just finally able to put my contacts in for an entire day today after who knows how long)
The treadmill has been my replacement, and honestly I feel like a chubby hamster stuck in a wheel. My iPod keeps playing the same songs. The TVs at the gym show terrible lifetime movies or Man vs. Wild re-runs. And my calf muscle is still tight and sore from my last race. I've been cheating on running with Zumba to try and say I'm "still working out". Zumba is an AMAZING work out, but it's still not running. And my legs are going to remind me of that when these races roll around. I don't want to be disappointed in my times. I don't want to feel miserable during the entire race. I want to feel like this...
Is it possible? I sure hope so. I'm going for a trail run tomorrow and find out.
I'm frazzled, stressed, and not enjoying it AT ALL. I'm doing it because I feel like I have to. I have the Chic-fil-A 5K coming up on May 28th and the Icelandic 8K on June 4th. Running outside lately has been tough with the rain and my horrible allergies. (I was just finally able to put my contacts in for an entire day today after who knows how long)
The treadmill has been my replacement, and honestly I feel like a chubby hamster stuck in a wheel. My iPod keeps playing the same songs. The TVs at the gym show terrible lifetime movies or Man vs. Wild re-runs. And my calf muscle is still tight and sore from my last race. I've been cheating on running with Zumba to try and say I'm "still working out". Zumba is an AMAZING work out, but it's still not running. And my legs are going to remind me of that when these races roll around. I don't want to be disappointed in my times. I don't want to feel miserable during the entire race. I want to feel like this...
Is it possible? I sure hope so. I'm going for a trail run tomorrow and find out.
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Weird
I went grocery shopping at Trader Joe's today, and then I headed to Farm Fresh to get some saltine crackers and ginger ale for Steve since he's had this stomach bug. I also picked up some light honey mustard dressing while I was there. Why is this important? I have no clue. But apparently a woman buying saltines, ginger ale, and salad dressing is concerning because the guy behind the check out counter said, "Make sure you drive home safely" when he gave me my receipt.
Ummmm?? Do I look drunk? I know I let my hair dry naturally today, which means it's a little frizzy, but GEEZ. Are you worried that I'm the sick one? If that's your nice way of telling me I look like crap, then maybe next time I should straighten my hair and put on more make-up before getting groceries. Or maybe he's psychic and wanted to warn me of my impending doom. I have no freakin' idea. But really, this was at 4:30 in the afternoon. What kind of trouble am I going to get into? Crazies on the road on Mother's Day? I don't think so.
Ummmm?? Do I look drunk? I know I let my hair dry naturally today, which means it's a little frizzy, but GEEZ. Are you worried that I'm the sick one? If that's your nice way of telling me I look like crap, then maybe next time I should straighten my hair and put on more make-up before getting groceries. Or maybe he's psychic and wanted to warn me of my impending doom. I have no freakin' idea. But really, this was at 4:30 in the afternoon. What kind of trouble am I going to get into? Crazies on the road on Mother's Day? I don't think so.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Cruise Re-cap
I realized I never had a chance to actually write about my honeymoon cruise. Life has been just a bit busy! Our trip was incredible. We had a direct flight into Miami and then took a shuttle to the port. We toured Miami first, and I must say, it was more beautiful than I expected. If we sail out of Miami again in the future, I think it would be fun to send a couple days in Miami first.
Embarkation was very easy, although Steve and I didn't realize that it would be a few hours before our luggage would be delivered to our rooms. The weather was warm and sunny, but unfortunately we didn't pack our swimsuits in our carry-on bags. Note to self for next time! We toured the ship to check everything out, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon eating lunch on the deck and enjoy some fun adult beverages. A steel drum band performed some Bob Marley tunes, and we relaxed in some comfy chairs in the sun. Going in April was such a great idea! We snickered a little bit about the fact that many of our family and friends were dealing with snow and chilly weather. ;)
We dressed for dinner and met our table mates. We really lucked out because all 3 couples were so much fun! Of course we were officially the loudest table in the dining room. Seems to be a trend no matter where I go...hahaha. I had already made up my mind that I would be ordering whatever I wanted at dinner, with no care about how "healthy" it might be. I could eat healthy at breakfast and lunch, but dinner was my chance to enjoy myself! The first night I ordered crispy fried shrimp with a plum dipping sauce and baby back ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and onion straws. OMG, they were both sooooo good! Then I finished the meal with Carnival's famous warm chocolate melting cake. To die for! (And yes, I ordered two scoops of ice cream to go with it!)
After dinner, Steve and I both needed a walk, so we toured around the ship and then relaxed for a bit on the deck watching the water race by. It was very strange to finally start moving, because we realized our ship was a little smaller than most. You could feel it rocking at different times, which was the only part of the cruise we didn't like. That evening we listened to karaoke for hours in one of the lounges, and let me tell you, this was SERIOUS karaoke! People from across the country were singing, and most of them were really good. One kid could honestly win American Idol if he tried. I was impressed! We collapsed into bed pretty early after a long day of travel. The state rooms were small, like I expected, but they were very nice with plenty of closets, a vanity, a comfortable king-size bed, and a flat-screen TV. For as much time as you spend in your room, I thought it was perfect. We always looked forward to the towel animals we would find each night after turn down. :)
Our second day was spent docked in Key West. Southern Florida was experiencing record high heat and humidity for April, so we spent most of the day sweating like crazy! We wandered the streets checking out the sights and shops. It was 10am and everyone was drinking! :) We decided that we needed to find the Mile 0 marker and the Southernmost point of the U.S. A lady told us to "just walk 5 blocks that way" which turned into over 2 miles! Definitely well worth it though. We met some fun people along the way and passed some really neat houses and buildings. Funniest moment of the day:
Crystal: Hey look! It's Ernest Hemingway's house!
Steve: Who is Ernest Hemingway?
Crystal: Seriously?
Steve: Yeah, I don't know.
Crystal: Um, he's a very well-known American author.
Steve: Well that's why. You know I don't read.
I love my husband. :) Here's some pics from our walking tour:
I will write about the rest of the trip soon!
Embarkation was very easy, although Steve and I didn't realize that it would be a few hours before our luggage would be delivered to our rooms. The weather was warm and sunny, but unfortunately we didn't pack our swimsuits in our carry-on bags. Note to self for next time! We toured the ship to check everything out, and then we spent the rest of the afternoon eating lunch on the deck and enjoy some fun adult beverages. A steel drum band performed some Bob Marley tunes, and we relaxed in some comfy chairs in the sun. Going in April was such a great idea! We snickered a little bit about the fact that many of our family and friends were dealing with snow and chilly weather. ;)
We dressed for dinner and met our table mates. We really lucked out because all 3 couples were so much fun! Of course we were officially the loudest table in the dining room. Seems to be a trend no matter where I go...hahaha. I had already made up my mind that I would be ordering whatever I wanted at dinner, with no care about how "healthy" it might be. I could eat healthy at breakfast and lunch, but dinner was my chance to enjoy myself! The first night I ordered crispy fried shrimp with a plum dipping sauce and baby back ribs with garlic mashed potatoes and onion straws. OMG, they were both sooooo good! Then I finished the meal with Carnival's famous warm chocolate melting cake. To die for! (And yes, I ordered two scoops of ice cream to go with it!)
After dinner, Steve and I both needed a walk, so we toured around the ship and then relaxed for a bit on the deck watching the water race by. It was very strange to finally start moving, because we realized our ship was a little smaller than most. You could feel it rocking at different times, which was the only part of the cruise we didn't like. That evening we listened to karaoke for hours in one of the lounges, and let me tell you, this was SERIOUS karaoke! People from across the country were singing, and most of them were really good. One kid could honestly win American Idol if he tried. I was impressed! We collapsed into bed pretty early after a long day of travel. The state rooms were small, like I expected, but they were very nice with plenty of closets, a vanity, a comfortable king-size bed, and a flat-screen TV. For as much time as you spend in your room, I thought it was perfect. We always looked forward to the towel animals we would find each night after turn down. :)
Our second day was spent docked in Key West. Southern Florida was experiencing record high heat and humidity for April, so we spent most of the day sweating like crazy! We wandered the streets checking out the sights and shops. It was 10am and everyone was drinking! :) We decided that we needed to find the Mile 0 marker and the Southernmost point of the U.S. A lady told us to "just walk 5 blocks that way" which turned into over 2 miles! Definitely well worth it though. We met some fun people along the way and passed some really neat houses and buildings. Funniest moment of the day:
Crystal: Hey look! It's Ernest Hemingway's house!
Steve: Who is Ernest Hemingway?
Crystal: Seriously?
Steve: Yeah, I don't know.
Crystal: Um, he's a very well-known American author.
Steve: Well that's why. You know I don't read.
I love my husband. :) Here's some pics from our walking tour:
 |
| Renoir statue in front of the Art History Museum - this thing was HUGE! |
 |
| Entrance to the "Little White House" |
 |
| A bed & breakfast almost completely entangled within a bayan tree! |
 |
| Mile Zero! |
 |
| A great kapok tree! Had to take a picture because it's one of my favorite children's books. |
I will write about the rest of the trip soon!
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Wedding Watch!
I know that many people are tired of hearing about the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. I've been reading people's complaints all week on Facebook. Personally, I couldn't disagree more! I'm so excited and can't wait!
My reasons?
A. The news is full of enough depressing information. I appreciate that for once we are focusing on something positive, even if it is a bit extravagant. They're royal for goodness sake! It should be extravagant!
B. I had a secret (or not-so-secret) crush on Prince William in middle school. Pretty sure a magazine photo of his gorgeous smile and disheveled blonde hair was hanging in my locker. (Most likely it was similar to the photo below.) He may be thinning on top these days, but he's still pretty dashing. And his voice? I could listen to him talk all day. There's just something about those Brits and their accent... ;)
C. The fact that Prince William chose a women he seems to truly love and care for is inspiring. They both took their time to know and trust each other. Hopefully they have much better luck than many of the other royal couples.
D. I believe the traditions of the monarchy are beautiful, even if they do seem old-fashioned by some. Traditions make us who we are today, and Prince William and Kate are respecting their country and church by honoring traditions of the past.
So how will I be celebrating this momentous occasion? I plan to wake up bright and early to get ready for work, and then I will enjoying a cup of tea on my comfy couch while curled up with my puppy watching the festivities. I'll have to go to work eventually, but then my co-workers and I plan to watch the rest of the wedding on our Promethean boards in our classrooms before our students arrive. The little munchkins may have to watch the end of the ceremony with me, whether they like it or not. I mean, it's history in the making, right? I do teach social studies after all! ;)
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Honeymoon, here we come!
I'm so flippin' excited! Steve and I are leaving for our honeymoon cruise in 2 days. We'll be flying to Miami to set sail with the Carnival Imagination ship. We will go from Miami to Key West, then to Cozumel, Mexico, spend an entire day at sea, and then return to Miami. We will only be gone for 5 days, but we figured that was a good start since neither one of us have ever been on a cruise before. Hopefully we aren't the seasick type! lol
Here's some pics of the ship....I'll be returning with many more of course! ;)
Here's some pics of the ship....I'll be returning with many more of course! ;)
Sunday, March 27, 2011
"Me" Time
Yep. I did it. I took a whole day to myself to get things done and then simply enjoy some "me" time. I organized closets. I took donations to Goodwill. I cleaned out junk from the spare room/office. I did about 30 loads of laundry. I got groceries. I even went for a 3 mile run (with my fastest mile yet at 9 min 30 sec!). I felt like Superwoman.
Then this afternoon, I went to Loft to use some coupons, went tanning, and spent a good 2 hours or so wandering around Barnes & Noble. I absolutely love bookstores. I sip my green tea while flipping through books in every section. I love checking out travel books and dreaming of trips I could take. I love perusing books on different religions just to take on a new perspective for a moment. I laugh at the people who feel they are "important enough" to write a biography. And I spend at least 30 minutes rummaging through the bargain books looking for a gem. I went home with one bargain book and a new journal.
I've decided I need to get back to writing when the moment strikes me. I used to do this a lot in high school and college. I wrote poems, short stories, quotes I found that I loved, or even my random thoughts of the day. I sincerely miss it. I didn't realize how much until I had to start writing again for a class I'm taking for my masters. I thought it would be really cheesy, but I'm actually enjoying it. We're sharing our pieces while being critiqued by our classmates. It's a very humbling but stretching experience.
So here's to taking a little "me" time just to write...
Then this afternoon, I went to Loft to use some coupons, went tanning, and spent a good 2 hours or so wandering around Barnes & Noble. I absolutely love bookstores. I sip my green tea while flipping through books in every section. I love checking out travel books and dreaming of trips I could take. I love perusing books on different religions just to take on a new perspective for a moment. I laugh at the people who feel they are "important enough" to write a biography. And I spend at least 30 minutes rummaging through the bargain books looking for a gem. I went home with one bargain book and a new journal.
I've decided I need to get back to writing when the moment strikes me. I used to do this a lot in high school and college. I wrote poems, short stories, quotes I found that I loved, or even my random thoughts of the day. I sincerely miss it. I didn't realize how much until I had to start writing again for a class I'm taking for my masters. I thought it would be really cheesy, but I'm actually enjoying it. We're sharing our pieces while being critiqued by our classmates. It's a very humbling but stretching experience.
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