Smoothies, Playlists, Gadgets, Oh My!

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Amanda @ Simply Southern

I think its safe to say I have caught the running bug again. I go through phases. Phases when I am completely obsessed with running, then I start hurting and I have to back off, then I start doing videos and sometimes I get sick of working out all together….. Annoyed But I have come full circle and found my deep love of running again. It’s so simple and highly effective.

We have a lovely little running trail in our neighborhood! I jogged/walked (so out of shape) 3 days last week, as well as today, and I plan on it tomorrow as well!

My old heart rate monitor started acting up so I got a new one! Nothing like a new gadget to motivate me to workout!

Polar FT4

I also made a new playlist. Music fuels me more than food.

Anything Can Happen – Ellie Goulding
Blown Away – Carrie Underwood
Catch My Breath – Kelly Clarkson (OOOOHHHH Kelly Clarkson!)
Hang With Me – Robyn
Hello, My Name Is – Matthew West
Mirrors – Justin Timberlake ( I can’t stop listening to this! I am listening to it now as a matter of fact!)
Next To Me – Emeli Sande (can’t stop this one either)
Sweet Nothing (feat. Florence Welch) – Calvin Harris
Times – Tenth Avenue North
Wake Up- All Sons and Daughters

I feel so amazing, beautiful, confident, & on top of the world after a good run….Runner’s high maybe? I wish I could bottle it.

The Smoothie Gods have been kind to me lately as well. Listen, I have dumped many a concoctions down the sink. But lately, I am obsessed with this smoothie. I actually wrote down a recipe as well so I could recreate it! Mostly I just dump stuff in and pray for the best! <<<<—— clearly not a good technique.

It’s based on Dashing Dish protein shakes. It’s her Peanut Butter Maple version that I used as a guide.

This one has……

1/2 cup fat free cottage cheese
ice (that I didn’t measure, possibly 1 cup of crushed ice? Follow her number if using cubes)
2 tablespoons of vanilla protein powder
handful of spinach
2 tablespoons PB2
1 tablespoon sugar free butterscotch pudding mix
1 tsp. maple extract
1 packet Truvia
3/4 cup light vanilla soy milk ( I usually use unsweetened vanilla almond milk but ran out today )

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As a side note:

A while back we found out Trixie has bladder stones and rather than pay $2,000 for surgery, we decided to try and manage them with diet. She started acting really strange last week but wasn’t presenting any of the symptoms we were told to look out for. Then one morning (about day 3 of the strange behavior) she came in from using the yard whimpering. That afternoon Jeremy took her in. I couldn’t bare the bad news I knew was coming. I asked that somehow God would intervene. I didn’t know how in the world he would, but I asked anyway. Jeremy came home and made the boys go to their rooms and brought me into our bedroom. I felt tears welling up and my throat closing. He said “They have to come out.” I said “We cant….” He said, “Dr. Franklin said he would do it for this….” Then he handed me a sheet of paper. The total was circled. $342 I was so overwhelmed with joy!!! TRIXIE LIVES!!!!!!

So Wednesday morning she is scheduled for surgery!

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Indeed.

Baked Eggs

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Amanda @ Simply Southern

What? Yeah that’s what I thought! But listen, I will never traditionally boil another egg.

One day while trying to find a technique to boil “The Perfect Egg”, I came across this….

Alton Brown’s Baked Eggs

Hmmmmmm, intriguing!

I like boiled eggs. I don’t like having to deal with the actual boiling of the eggs. Do I bring the water to a boil THEN put the eggs in? Do I put the eggs in first then bring to a boil? How long do I boil them for? How long to I let them set? Do I boil them in water that was cold? So confusing?!?!?!

Baking Eggs is the only way to go. It’s easy. Just put your eggs in a muffin tin, bake at 325 for 30 min. When they are done baking put them in an ice bath and peel as soon as they are cool enough to touch.

This is what I have found. They are easier to peel, there is no delicious sulfur smell, and they are always a creamy texture. They also just taste better to me!

I eat them with some salt and pepper, or paprika. Eggs are the perfect complete protein and a very healthy “fast food”

Focus

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Amanda @ Simply Southern

I think it’s very safe to say things have been…..CRAY….around here. I know a lot of people hate that term but guess what….I LOVE IT! Everyone says “Oh things are crazy…” But to me that’s like saying “Oh, I’m so busy!” Guess what? Everyone is busy. But to say CRAY instead of crazy, means like seriously crazy. I can’t even recall what I have been doing for the last month since I wrote last. I can’t even believe it’s been a month. Let’s try to recall……

The movers damaged just about everything I own in the move…..ok that is an exaggeration….they shattered the glass in my china cabinet, scuffed up my dining chairs, dented my washer and dryer, damaged Jeremy’s table saw…..It’s ok, they have all been repaired…. Annoyed

Jeremy had to replace our master toilet the first week we were here…..I honestly do not want to re-live the details of it…..but lets just say…..ugh…..never mind. He is a champion and that’s all there is to that.

Scrubbing filthy grout that we thought was brown until I was cleaning base boards prepping for painting. After the grout around the base boards dried, I realized it’s beige grout. Jeremy bought me a steamer…..

McCulloch

so that my life would be easier. Indeed. Have I ever mentioned how much I love to clean? It’s an obsession. But….after hours and hours of steaming my grout…..I am over it. I still need to go over some areas that were seriously bad, but I am taking a break and moving onto other tasks for now.

Painting…..choosing a shade of beige for most of the house proved down right impossible. We had about 20 swatches taped up all over the wall for a week. Different lighting, different moods….so glad that choice has been made.

Desert Fortress

It looks a little pink in the picture but it’s more of a warm beige color with grey undertone. It’s perfect and makes me happy! We have the largest part of the house all done so now we can move on to the smaller jobs.

I set the burglar alarm off while I was talking on the phone to the school nurse. While I am alone in the house during the day I keep the alarm set. (I know it sounds weird, but keep in mind that I am married to a cop) We have terrible reception in the house so I stepped out onto the porch…….I don’t understand WHY it has to be so so loud! I mean I seriously thought I was going to have a heart attack. After I had turned it off, I called the nurse back but the alarm company kept calling me! The nurse was questioning me as to why Aidan was wearing glasses…..don’t get me started on that….to say the least I was very annoyed and trying to reassure her that he indeed needed glasses and that I needed to get off the phone. I called the alarm company back to let them know I was ok and not to send the police. But low and behold an hour later the police show up……Stressed spelled backwards is DESSERTS.

Speaking of Aidan’s glasses…..

After a well-child exam early March, our Pediatrician told us to get Aidan’s eyes looked at. We knew this was inevitably looming but we prayed and prayed for his eyes to be spared. Jeremy’s entire family has poor vision. I tease him saying he has Special Eyes but seriously…..I have never known anyone with vision poor as his. Think –12 prescription…..at risk for retinal detachment……Lasik completely out of the question….yeah bad. Aidan has never presented any symptoms of vision impairment but I think it’s because he has never had clear vision. When we took him into the optometrist we learned his prescription was –2.50! I was shocked. That’s worse than mine! She said it will only get worse as he grows so we have to take him in every 6 months now. Bless his sweet heart. It was so heart warming to me when he first put on his new glasses. His eyes lit up and the sweetest smile came on his face. He was seeing the world for the first time.

Anyway…..I could go on and on…..

So, FOCUS…..that is what I have been lacking. I feel like my schedule and my days have just been all over the place. I long for routine which I have been hanging onto by a thread. I also am HATING this cold weather that just keeps lingering and lingering like an unwanted house guest. I am dreaming of the 110 degree Texas heat!!!!

Each week I tell myself, ok Little Miss….this is your week. You are getting back on track….getting back to your schedule and routine. Following all of your own advice and healthy habits…..and then low and behold….a wrench gets thrown in.

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A field trip, a dr appt, a dentist appt, a damaged furniture appt, a phone call from the nurse followed by setting the house alarm off and a friendly visit from the local police department…..replacing a toilet, nursing a migraine, you name it. Then at 8:30 pm, I am taking a shower thinking…man….I have got to get it together! For a short time I even thought that maybe this is just a season of change in my life and I need to take a break from working out and eating like a champ. But who am I kidding? Not working out and not eating right makes me down right depressed, unfocused and feeling crummy emotionally and physically. A sweet friend of mine and I decided we were going to start P90X again last week….yeah I did Mon-Wed before life got in the way of that. We both admitted neither of us “brought it” but would do better this week! So….here is to time management & making exercise and eating right a priority.

Everybody has their 15 minutes

Posted on March 12, 2013 by Amanda @ Simply Southern

Goodness! It’s been a WHILE since I last wrote. Sufficed to say, I’ve been busy. I hate that word. “busy”. It’s way over used.

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Triple Crown Leadership <—– great piece on “being busy”

The word itself doesn’t even look like it’s spelled correctly. Busy…..Bussy? Bisy. Bisie, Bizy? Anyway, I hate busy. HOWEVER! That being said…..I have been busy in a good way!

Right now I should be packing. Why? Oh maybe because we are moving in 2 days. I am at the point where everything that can be packed is packed. Everything else has to wait until the last few mad hours before we leave for good. So I thought I would write……it may be another month before I get to again. I can’t WAIT to be back into my normal routine.

I think I will start with probably one of the most exciting things to ever happen to me.

There I am! It’s finally out! I didn’t think it would be out until today actually but much to my surprise it was early!!! I was talking to my friend on the phone last week and she said “So, I saw your article in Women’s Health”. I screamed “WHAT!?!?!?!?!” I may have made her ear drums bleed.

“JEEEEEEREMY!!!!! GO GET THE MAIL GO GET THE MAIL!!!!!”

“WHAT? WHY? What’s wrong?

“MY ARTICLE! CHERYL…..ITS HERE….MAIL!!!!!”

He makes a mad dash out the door.

And there it is! Crazyness I tell you…..crazyness. What an honor. What a moment. What validation. Wow. Jeremy went out and bought two additional copies at the store. I am not ashamed to admit I will be laminating that bad boy, framing it and making it a focal point in my house. Ok, maybe not a focal point, but it will be on the fridge, inside the pantry, folded in my purse, in my journals, and for sure framed in my office. Not because I am trying to brag or show off, but as a reminder, when the days are dark and my mind tries to go back to the places I never want to return.

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One day I can show my clients, hey look at this….I UNDERSTAND!!!! I can help, you can trust me, I have been there.

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So, here are some other things that have been going on…..

Oh the blasted crane…..I finally did it!!!

Valentines Day Happiness

Cuddles with Cici. When Aidan was learning to talk, he couldn’t say Trixie so he would say Cici. That’s become her nickname…along with BRAT.

Aidan’s 6 yr molars started coming in and his gums swelled up in the most alarming manner! Apparently it’s totally normal for that to happen. Poor guy. OUCH!

Even though it’s been weeks since I have had a proper workout, except an occasional sporadic run, I have been getting plenty of physical activity in the form of packing and pushing boxes around…..so my foam roller and I have become BFF’s. I am not sure what I ever did with out it. Oh yeah…..I laid on the floor for an hour stretching and complaining…..

I was fixing Aidan’s hair one morning and I see these two “bobbed” spots. He says bobbed instead of bald. I can’t bring myself to correct him. He also says thair instead of fair. Sometimes his cuteness is overwhelming. Anyway, as a mother, my mind goes straight to “OMG what disease does he have?” As I am looking at the spots he lets me know he doesn’t have some rare incurable disease, he just gave himself a little haircut. Whew!!!! Thank goodness!

So as I was packing one evening I came across this little box of gems. My past. CRINGE! Look at those gallon zip locks of notes!!!!! I didn’t read all of them but the ones I did read were awesome. They are priceless. Filled with drama and silliness. Lots of “oh my gosh…..I can’t believe I wrote that.” was said aloud. I was a different person back then that’s for sure.

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The last few weeks I have been reading a book called May Cause Miracles by Gabrielle Bernstein. Finding it was a bit serendipitous but I am convinced it’s also one of those things that I was meant to read. I heard about it a while ago and thought, Hmmm….that looks interesting, I will have to check it out. Then while browsing at B&N one day I walked right into it. SIGN!!!!!!! It’s a little on the hippy dippy side but it has REALLY opened my eyes to so many things I was blind to. The first two weeks were are about overcoming fears. I was able to discover some fears I have that I never realized were there. Being able to identify them has been life-changing. In one of the first chapters she says this about fear. “Love did not create this.”

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That simple sentence has altered my entire world. I wish I could expound on how and why but….yeah…..you know…..too personal.

Just the other day I read this little gem of a passage…..

Yes, yes and more yes. Many have misconceptions about this. Forgiveness doesn’t mean reconciliation or relationship. Ex. I have forgiven the man who took Daniel from us, but I am not going to go have coffee with him. Forgiveness means that you have let go of the hurt and bitterness that once poisoned your heart and mind. You are free to love and live the life you were meant to live.

I highly recommend this book. It’s so good! Read it with an open mind and get out of it what you can.

*****

So then there is this little thing we did yesterday!

WE CLOSED!!!!! So excited! We signed papers for AN HOUR!!!! But….honestly, it was quite fun!

I can’t wait to start a new chapter in our lives. I will be sad to say goodbye to our first house together. Sad to say goodbye to our sweet neighbors. It will be an adjustment getting to know the new house. I have said several times this week “I am going to miss my stove and microwave.” Little things like getting used to what light switch goes to what. Learning how to use the sprinkler & alarm systems. I anticipate hilarity to ensue concerning those! Especially if I am the one operating them! But I am excited about being able to take the boys to the neighborhood pool and play ground all summer. Sitting on my covered porch that has a ceiling fan on those HOT summer days. Enjoying our fireplace on the cold and dreary ones. Getting to know some new friends in the neighborhood. There are walking trails & several ponds with water fountains throughout the neighborhood as well. I can’t wait to explore those.

Hopefully it won’t be another month before I write again but until then……

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Oh Uncle Si…..you’re the best.

Relatively Speaking

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Amanda @ Simply Southern

You know how when you go without something you appreciate it that much more when you get it back? Going without sleep for so long when the boys were babies makes me appreciate it so much more now. I appreciate my husband being home at night because he worked nights for so long. I appreciate the abundance of healthy food that I have because I ate so poorly for so long. I appreciate the health of my children after they have been ill. I appreciate a shower that stays warm all the way til the end when the weather warms back up. And now, I appreciate the complete peace and serenity I feel now that the hard part of selling/buying a house is behind us. Actually packing and moving is going to be a cake walk, relatively speaking. I am looking forward to having a “normal” life again. No interruptions. No making sure the house is spotless before I get on with the rest of my day. No more having to be out of the house for hours at a time when all I want to do is sleep and watch T.V. No more wondering if today’s appointment will be THE ONE. Having to read on a daily basis why someone doesn’t like your home. No more circling the neighborhood when an appointment is going over their time, having to pee so bad you are willing to pull over and squat. Did I just say that? Yes I did. I never ever ever could have imagined how difficult and stressful this process would be. You know when you go to visit a new doctor and they have you fill out that form asking if you have experienced any of the following in the last year?

Divorce
Death in the family
Loss of Job
Serious Illness
a MOVE

Yeah, I get that now.

It’s a miracle and by the grace of GOD that Jeremy and I are still married. No I am kidding, but seriously…..it IS by grace that Jeremy didn’t leave me! On the contrary, we are closer than ever so I wouldn’t trade the last 4 months for anything in the world.

Good news first…..we got the house we wanted. Praise God. But not without a fight.

The house we wanted had been on the market for 280 days…..nothing wrong with it at all just priced a little high, market slow…..honestly, I believe it was saved for us. After seeing it again last week and loving it, I said “We need to put an offer on this place immediately, like this minute…” I knew it, I could feel it….someone else was going to offer soon…possibly even that moment. Mike reassured us that there was no other offer on it but I just knew….. Our offer was low but we weren’t asking for closing costs and accepting it in “as is” condition. There were a few minor things that need to be addressed, light bulbs out, nail pops exposed etc.. …..nothing we haven’t fixed on our current home. I felt comfortable with our offer. We had some issues getting our paper work emailed back to Mike so he was going to come by our house late that evening after work to pick it up. It was 7:30 pm, I was feeling down right anxious because I knew we needed to get that offer in ASAP. Sure enough, sometimes I swear I am psychic, Mike calls. “There is another offer.” My heart sank and my stomach churned. I may have teared up a little. There goes the sweet slumber I was hoping for. Thankfully because we knew about the other offer and hadn’t turned ours in yet…..we had the upper hand in the matter and were able to change our offer last minute to a more competitive one. Ultimately, we won the house! HIGH FIVES ALL AROUND! We are set to close March 11 and will be moving out the next few days after that! What a great way to spend Spring Break!

The very last stress inducing event was our buyer’s inspection on Friday morning. I started out the morning with a clogged potty. Then the milk for my oats boiled over and burned in the stove. We opened up the back door to let the smoke air out and Rya the cat escaped. On her little adventure outside she ate some grass which induced vomiting…..of course not on the tile but the carpet. I said out loud with a smile and in a very friendly manner to who or whatever was causing the issues.….”Nothing can shut what the Father has oooooopeeeened! Just so ya know!” That fixed that. I felt good leaving the house that day. Confident that no issue would arise. We haven’t heard anything back about the inspection and Mike said when there is a problem, they address it immediately. No news is good news. We have the inspection on the new house Wednesday morning and I am confident that will go smoothly as well.

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Aidan turned 6 on Saturday.

We had a very low key event. There is no denying that he is my child. I asked him a month ago if he wanted to have a “Pump It Up” party and invite all his classmates and friends. His response?

“Ooooooh noooooo way. It’s too loud in there and the kids get super duper crazy. I just want you and me and Daddy and Luke and Rya and Early and Trixie at our house where its peaceful and quiet.”

What? I didn’t think I could love this child anymore than I already did.

On Friday morning I asked him what kind of cake he wanted for his birthday. His response?

“I don’t want a cake, I don’t want a party, I just want white donuts.”

Wow…..

He does love him some chocolate chip cookies so I made him a giant one, and yes, I did pile a bunch of white donuts on the birthday platter and served it to him for breakfast.

I am so happy right now. I can’t even explain it. I am just over the moon. I feel so light and full of excitement. I can’t wait to start packing. I can’t wait to start making our new house our own. I am so happy to be thinking happy thoughts again instead of “Good God, when will this ever end? Are you even there? Have you forgotten us?” Or worse trying not to think at all.

This week I will be getting back to my P90X. I had to put it on hold while we dealt with life last week. Each day I set aside the time for it and it just never got done. I really tried to follow the diet at least but even threw that out the window this weekend. It was too much. But…..I am getting right back on that horse and galloping my way to being bikini ready!

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123 Days

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Amanda @ Simply Southern

The last 123 days have been some of the hardest days of my life and I wouldn’t change a single moment of any of them.

I have gone from bright eyed and full of hope and excitement!

To questioning whether Jeremy and I were doing the right thing.

To whether or not I deserved the abundance that God promises me in His word.

To being angry at God, then having buried emotional baggage rear it’s ugly head at me.

To suddenly coming to the understanding that the trials I face make me stronger.

To completely surrendering to God’s plan, not mine, for my life.

To having a peace in my spirit that surpasses all understanding. Believing beyond a shadow of a doubt that I am deserving of His abundance and trusting Him more than I ever have in my life.

Finally finally, in an interesting turn of events, we have accepted an amazing offer that was over and above what we ever expected. God is GOOD.

One day last week I had a last minute showing request. I almost didn’t accept it. But…..I did anyway. I drove down the street (without shoes on) and watched a man drive up to our house, walk around our property, go into the house, come out and leave. What in the world? Jeremy called Mike (our realtor) and asked if that was normal. Apparently it is….so I was like ok whatevs……that night Mike called us with an offer from that man!!! Turns out he was from an investment firm who buys houses and rents them out. The offer was ok….better than the Lowballers (funny story about that another time). So we started working on accepting the official offer and then went to look at houses the next day. With this offer there were a lot of hoops we were going to have to jump through. A lot of things that were on their terms. First, they weren’t going to give us time after closing to close on our own home. Then they weren’t going to do any inspections, then they were…..

The morning we were going to meet with Mike to look at houses we got a showing request for that afternoon. I sort of laughed it off. I checked to see who it was, to see if it was a second showing or not, and I didn’t recognize the name. I approved it but we didn’t take any extra measures to make the house show ready like we normally do. I mean we cleaned like we normally do but not with OCD-like detail.

When we met Mike he said “Hey guys you know that showing you have today? They are going to make an offer.” Jeremy and I were so confused. Say what?! They had been to see the house before but had a different realtor. That’s why I didn’t recognize the name. I am going to assume they weren’t happy with her, called the number on our for sale sign and were assigned one of the agents who works in Mike’s office. When he spoke with their realtor he told her “It better be something significant because what they are entertaining now is real pretty.” That afternoon after looking at 5 houses, only one of which we liked that was also way overpriced, we were feeling really nervous. We were looking at having to be out of our house in a month & having to rent something!!! Not what we had in mind. …..The cash deal was making Jeremy and I feel very uncomfortable. I told Jeremy that ultimately, this was our house to sell and it would be on our terms, not theirs.

Ever true to his word, Mike called us later that afternoon and told us he had sent the offer from the couple via e-mail. Sadly, it wasn’t any better than the cash offer and we were a bit disappointed. Then I remembered something I had just read about making offers. “The buyer’s offer will be low and is only an invitation to start negotiations.” I told Jeremy, “They don’t know what the other offer is. They had to start somewhere. Let’s counter.” They had asked for closing costs so we accepted the offer minus the closing costs. That would have us making 2,750 MORE than the cash offer. It ended up being exactly what our asking price was. There were so many things to consider. I felt the need to devour a bag of Peanut M&M’s. I told Jeremy that if it weren’t for the cash offer we wouldn’t think twice about this. We would be stupid not to take the extra cash. The worst thing that could happen is that it could all fall through and we would be back on the market. And you know what? So what. We’ve been doing it this long, we can keep doing it. We are not desperate, we have 5 or 6 other people out there who have loved our house and will be back. Decision made.

That night I couldn’t go to sleep nor stay asleep. We accepted the offer officially and now….WE HAVE THE BIG FAT RED PENDING BANNER!!!!!!

But wait, there is still the issue of not having a house to move into……

Since we started looking at houses 4 months ago, there has been one favorite that has remained. The only problem was that the living room was set up in such a way that wouldn’t allow for our oversized furniture. We have a HUGE living room and we filled it up with huge furniture and a gargantuan entertainment center that took Jeremy almost a year to build. Out of the blue, I am convinced it was divine intervention, Jeremy said, “Amanda…..our couch comes apart.” “What?” “Yeah, LOOK!” He unconnected it and we moved it apart.

I couldn’t believe it! With what I am sure were Puss N Boots eyes, I said “JEREMY…..this changes everything!!!!” So we got on the phone with Mike and got all the goods on the house. We are going to look at it again tomorrow at 2!!!!! YIPPEEEE! I have this intense sense of urgency to put an offer on it because I can just feel other people’s eyes on MY HOUSE!!!!

But…..deep in my heart. I know. That. It has been on the market all this time, if He has been saving it for us….He will continue to do so. If not, then He will provide something else. Even if we have to rent some little shack for a few months…..the trust is there.

Accepting an offer on our part is only half the battle. We still have inspections to pass and our own offer and inspections to get through. I remain confident that it will be easy sailing from this point forward.

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….and the saga continues

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Amanda @ Simply Southern

Friday night we got an email saying “HOA Guy” was interested in making an offer. We haven’t heard anything else from him. Thumbs down “Late Low ballers” countered OUR counter with 2,000 less than our counter AND they want our fridge. Annoyed We had 4 showings Saturday and have one tonight at 5:30. I am over it ya’ll. That’s all I got to say about that.

P90 is going much better this week. Jeremy and I did Kenpo X (I kept calling it Kempo…until I saw the DVD Confused smile ) on Saturday morning. I loved it! It was so much fun!!! I can’t wait to do it again. I don’t think Jer feels the same…Yesterday was my second chest and back workout and I did much better this time. My chest is still tight, my gluteus maximus is still pretty sore but over all I am feeling much better. This morning I decided to do Plyo first thing before I ate breakfast. Saturday I did Kenpo first thing and felt so much lighter and had more energy. So I thought I would try PLYO on an empty tummy. “They” say that cardio on an empty tummy burns more fat too so….that’s a plus. It was MUCH easier today. I didn’t peter out in the end. I was able to complete most of the exercises, got super sweaty and burned about 100 more calories this week! Thumbs up

My friend posted this on her Facebook today and I can’t stop laughing at it!

I am so in-love with this program. Even though I am borrowing it right now, I am planning on buying one for myself. I think it will be a great tool to use when I am training and counseling. When your 11 year old says, “Mommy! Look at your arms!” “Let me see your abs…..MAN!”, you know the program is legit.

We were so busy this weekend & I wasn’t able to get all my food in but tried my best to stick to the plan.

Friday night I made some ground chicken with homemade taco seasoning. I served it over 2 cups of spinach and 1 1/2 corn tortilla.

Saturday after Kenpo I made my protein shake, showered and then had to leave because of a showing, so I grabbed a protein bar. This was DELICIOUS!!!!! Love it.

Clif Builders Bar

I read that these are a good substitute for the P90X performance bars so I grabbed a couple to try. Impressed!

Saturday afternoon I took L for a B&N/Ice Cream date. We hung out looking at books & drinking coffee (don’t freak out…decaf/fat-free/white mocha for him) like hipsters for a few hours before heading to Braum’s for the best ice cream in the world.

He got Peanut Butter Ice Cream

I got Pineapple Almond fro-yo. Probably the best thing ever…… Winking smile

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Aidan is my little workout buddy. He hangs in there like a boss most of the time! Yesterday he was lifting this 15lb weight up over his head, making me super nervous! He also did 40 “push-ups”. More like 1-2-3-4-567891011123940! Watch out Arnold! I have a secret dream that he will be my actual workout/running buddy when he is grown up!

Today after PLYO I made my protein shake.

Later I had a snack of 1.5 oz. avocado, 1 cup cucumbers/carrots, 2 light cheese sticks and my daily vitamins.

about 30 min later……

A Luna protein bar. Red heart YUMS

I am sort of off on my eating schedule today since I didn’t eat breakfast but I am sure I will make up for it later!!!

I have to get going so I can get the house “show ready” *eyeroll*. I should be thankful for lots of traffic, but look, I am not. I just want the Lowballers to accept that we aren’t going accept anything less than what we countered with!

On the bright side….I had a game changing conversation with Aidan’s preschool teacher on Sunday. It was definitely a God thing that we ran into each other and had some time to talk. What we talked about is possibly why we haven’t accepted an offer yet.

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Speaking of church….As I sat in the service a young lady and her little baby girl (~3 months?) sat a few aisles over and in front of me. I kept looking at that sweet baby and thinking how beautiful it was to see a young woman holding her little baby. My womb ached a little. Then I went to volunteer in the nursery. I held a crying baby for two hours and changed a poopie diaper….ache no more my friends, this kitchen is closed!!!!

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Waiting…..

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Amanda @ Simply Southern

Jeremy and I went to Starbucks to wait out two showings earlier today. This has gone on long enough folks. Even Jeremy was irritated we had to leave the house. “What?!? I have stuff to do today!” Welcome to my world Green…welcome to my world. “The Late Lowballers” are “thinking about it”. Meanwhile one of the showings today was a second showing with “The HOA Guy”. So lovingly called because he wanted more information about our HOA and his realtor keeps calling our realtor. We don’t have any information other than we pay $195 a year and we have gotten two notices to fix our fence pickets when they were broken. So….Mike called to let them know we just countered an offer then he came for second showing! I suppose that could be good. That’s where we stand as of now. Thumbs up

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I had kind of an off day yesterday. I woke up late, ate my breakfast late, took a two hour coma nap, didn’t get all my food in (my stomach is in KNOTS) and didn’t get the Yoga X in until around 8pm because I wanted to wait for Jeremy. He was working an extra job and wouldn’t be home til 5. Then we had two showings from 5-6pm so we were all kinds of off schedule.

Speaking of coma naps, we are exhausted. These workouts are taking everything out of us. Thankfully the soreness is working its way out but the persistent pain is making me physically tired too. It’s such an effort to get around. Jeremy has been totally passing out every night. P90X is not a joke friends.

I got all of my breakfast in yesterday morning.

The same as the rest of this week.

This morning I had time to make steel-cut oats. I was only able to finish half of it, thankfully Aidan finished the rest.

1/4 cup steel-cut oats, 1 1/2 cups water, Ideal, cinnamon and vanilla, 4 slices turkey bacon

For lunch yesterday I had 2 oz mashed avocado, 1/2 cup cucumbers, 1/2 cup carrots, and 2 light cheese sticks. Then I had my zone bar. Super yummy and filling lunch.

I didn’t get another chance to eat until about 6:30 and I knew we were doing yoga in a little bit so I made my protein smoothie.

After yoga I had my fruit bar and 1 tbsp. peanut butter.

Yoga X was awesome. It was 1 1/2 hours but it didn’t seem that long. Jeremy was completely bored with the first part but liked the second part. The first part was all Vinyasas and the second part was balance poses and “Yoga Belly X” Once again I have A LOOOOOOOT of room for improvement. We couldn’t stop laughing at the end. Those who have done P90X know what I am talking about. Winking smile

TODAY’S workout was legs, back and our favorite Ab Ripper X. It was (excuse me) pure hell.

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It was by far, for the both of us, the hardest DVD so far. I totally hit the wall at about the 45 min mark. At that point I was just moving. I sat out an entire pull up round but got back into it and finished it. The Ab Ripper seemed easier today.

After today’s work out I had my protein shake….I needed it SO bad today!

When we were able to finally return home (after waiting for “HOA Guy” to leave) I wasn’t super hungry but knew I needed to eat. Thumbs down

This morning I prepped two tuna salads for Jer and I to eat for lunch. I was glad this was ready to go.

Tomorrow is Kempo X, which I believe is like kick boxing. Could be fun? Maybe the boys will get into it with us! Sweet Aidan wanted to do yoga with us so bad last night! But it was bed time. Sunday is a rest day or we could do a stretch video. I think he would like that!

Hopefully I will be able to pop in over the weekend with some good news! Until then….keep us in your thoughts and prayers!!!!

THE phone call

Posted on January 24, 2013 by Amanda @ Simply Southern

Last night as I was sitting down to write about Day 3 of P90, we got a phone call. THE phone call…..a legit offer from the “Late Lowballers”. One day last week I had an appointment for a 1:15 showing that didn’t show up until 2:20. I had already returned home and was about to eat a very late lunch when they finally showed up. They were the ones who sent our realtor two VERY lowball offers. So hence the term of endearment. Smile But they have finally offered something we are going to work with! Hopefully they take it because it is the bare minimum we can take and have enough to put toward our new home without having to dip into our nest egg! Fingers crossed

It’s so surreal to think that what we have been waiting for all this time has finally come. It’s very anti-climactic. I think because I had it all played out in my head a different way. I completely dismissed these people and was thinking that any day now we will have a surprise offer from one of the many that have said our home is their favorite but are still looking. I have/had this theory that we would get a call from our realtor saying “Ok guys….got 5 offers on my desk!” Everyone realizing that yes our house is the prettiest!!! A girl can dream & it’s a fantasy that has gotten me through 111 long.arduous.days…..

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DAY 3

Jeremy and I rarely take anything like Advil or Aleve unless it is absolutely necessary. Yesterday was one of those days. Jeremy could barely walk because his hip flexors were so sore. I could barely move anything. It is a whole new level of muscle soreness. I decided that in order to make it through this first week, it would be a smart move to take something for the soreness. We both took one Advil in the morning and then took two last night before bed. We are both still sore this morning, but not anywhere close to what we were yesterday. I am so happy that today is yoga day.

Teaching Aidan how to foam roll! He kept calling it a “Foam Ruler” Silly Billy!

Day 3 was Shoulders, Arms and that blasted Ab Ripper X. I am happy to report that I was able to do more of it this time. Not a lot more, I sat out one whole exercise because it was physically impossible to do what he was asking me to do. I did try though, that counts right? One of the things I like about this program is that I can’t get through it all. It’s challenging. I am looking forward to seeing my progress and at the end saying “I remember when I couldn’t do ONE of those, now I can do the entire routine!” I liked the Shoulders and Arms workout. Dare I say it was easy? Ok, “easy” would be a relative term. I would say it was the least difficult of the DVDs thus far.

There are a few things I am noticing physically. First, my arms and legs are a little swollen and it’s making me feel fat. Thumbs down Not a good thing for my head. I just have to remember that it’s just swelling and it will go away. Second, I have gained a pound….yes it’s just one pound but as a former fat girl….it messes with me. Third, I am hungry. The first two days I was not. I struggled to get all my food in. But yesterday I had NO problem! I even had an extra “treat” of some almond butter before bed because my stomach was growling. It was an extra treat but I don’t drink the recovery drink so I was still within my calorie allowance. And lastly, I am already noticing muscle definition in my biceps and my stomach. Hey, THERE is the silver lining!!! Thumbs up

Here are my eats and treats from yesterday….

Breakfast

4 slices turkey bacon and I made steel-cut oats instead of rolled oats. This bowl was 1/4 cup oats, 1 1/2 cups water, Ideal, vanilla and cinnamon. Cooked on low for 30 min.

Post Workout Smoothie: same as yesterday…. except I used fat free milk because I ran out of almond milk.

Lunch

2 cups spinach and arugula mix with tuna salad. 1 can tuna, 1 tbsp. light mayo, mustard, salt & pepper.

Then my afternoon snacks…

Cucumbers, carrots, 2 light cheese sticks, and a Zone Bar.

Dinner

Dinner was really yummy. ~ 2 oz avocado mashed up with some Mrs. Dash garlic and herb seasoning, 1/4 cup brown rice and 2 Vegan Boca Burgers.

TREAT

My fruit bar treat and then later a tablespoon of almond butter before bed.

*******

Here’s to praying I don’t hurt something else doing 1.5 hrs of yoga on steroids!!!!

I need this A.S.A.P

blogilates.com

P90X Day 2

Posted on January 22, 2013 by Amanda @ Simply Southern

I have the mother of all DOMS today my friends. The soreness I feel right now is deep, in places I didn’t know could hurt. My lower abs, that blasted pooch area is the most surprising place, my hip flexors. It hurts to laugh….yeah that kind of sore. I am reminded of that episode of Friends, “The One Where Chandler Works Out.” Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow, Ow, ……The good thing is that I can’t whine about it this time. I have to suck it up and do the work anyway! I was a strange mix of excited and intimidated over today’s scheduled workout. Plyometrics. I am very familiar with plyo because of the Jillian and Bob workouts I am so fond of. But ya’ll….. this one is plyo on steroids. I was excited because I am twisty like that and I enjoy a good torturous workout, but genuinely concerned about my ability to perform because of the soreness and fatigue in my hip flexors from the AbRipperX. I really didn’t know how I was going to make it through but some how, I surprised myself, and I did it.

via

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Breakfast

This morning I ate pretty much right away at 6am even though I wasn’t all that hungry yet. I made less oats this time because yesterday was really too much.

4 slices turkey bacon, 1/4 cup old fashioned oats, 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk, Ideal and cinnamon.

I got all my morning work done and then it was time……

and I survived!

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Feeling pretty much like I was going to collapse, I made my post workout smoothie!

1 scoop vanilla protein powder, 1/2 frozen banana, 1/2 cup frozen blueberries, 3/4 cup almond milk and 1/2 cup ice.

Lunch

I was able to eat lunch right on time today!

3 oz. baked chicken seasoned with Mrs. Dash Onion and Herb Blend, 2 cups spinach and arugula blend with 2 tbsp. pomegranate vinaigrette. After lunch I had my Zone Bar

I also got my afternoon snack in around 3:30, same as yesterday, carrots, cucumbers and string cheese.

Dinner

6 oz. of the baked chicken & 1/2 cup brown rice

TREAT!

All-Natural Fruit Bar & not pictured 1 tbsp. almond butter.

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P90X has been a very humbling program. I am thankful for that. I am thankful to have a “project”. I am thankful for a new challenge, something that is really hard. I am thankful to have a goal. I am thankful for my able body. I am thankful for these sore muscles. I am thankful that my husband is doing it right along with me. You should see the two of us trying to get around right now….pathetic.

I am not exactly sure how we are going to get through tomorrow’s workout. I told him I need to watch it tonight so I can mentally prepare myself.

Nighty night friends! Off to foam roll and stretch!

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As a side note….look at my two hip attachments. Do they love me, or my personal space heater?

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