Month: October 2011

A Quick Post Before Bed!

A Quick Post Before Bed!

Good evening! Actually, it has been a GREAT evening!! My sweetie and I got the privilege of dressing up with some of our very best friends, and went down to the Salem Carousel and participated in a VERY SPECIAL wedding!! I only have one pic 

A Sunday of Nesting!

A Sunday of Nesting!

Good morning! Today is looking to be a very busy, but a very good day! I have already warned my sweetie that I am in a serious nesting kind of mood today! I already done a little reading this morning, gotten the laundry started, and 

Creating a Look!

Creating a Look!

Good evening!

I am in the market for a new look. My sweetie and I went out with my bestie and her fiance,  this evening. My girlfriend, Dawn, always looks like she just stepped right off of the latest fashion magazine. Well, tonight, her hair was looking extra especially cute and it has inspired me to stop on the way home to pick up some fashion magazines, and look into some new hairstyles, makeup techniques, and some new fashion looks.

I am not looking for anything super dramatic, but just a few minor tweaks and options for the me that I am right now. I find that I have gotten myself in a bit of a fashion rut, and have been really playing it safe. Super-safe – almost frump girl at times!! I figure if no one notices me, why does it even matter? But, the reality is, is that it matters because I notice!! now that I have started to lose weight, I really want to make sure that my outside is looking as good as my inside is feeling!

Who are some of my dream style icons?

  • Audrey Hepburn
  • Adele
  • Sophia Loren
  • Diane von Furstenberg
  • Kelly Osbourne
  • Katherine Hepburn
  • Diane Keaton

I think my style is feminine, classic, romantic, tailored. When I am not careful, it can run into safe, boring, ho-hum, so I need to make sure to do a good job to keep some life in my look, so that my spirit is truly represented in my overall style look. I am a firm believer that you really do have just moments to make a good first impression!! Besides, what woman doesn’t LOVE feeling FABULOUS??? 😉

What is your style, and who are you style icons? I would love to hear from you in the comments section.

Have a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

 

Tonight!

Tonight!

Good evening! Tonight is a cold and blustery night here in Oregon. It is raining outside, and I am soooo in a snuggly, stay-at-home kind of mood!!! My official plan is to go get into my most comfortable jammies, come back down stairs with a 

Pumpkin Carving with the Kiddos!

Pumpkin Carving with the Kiddos!

Good evening! My sweetie and I just got back from taking our neice and nephew, Megan and Morgan home this evening! They came over this evening to have dinner and then to carve some pumpkins with us! This was one of my life list memories 

Chunky Dunkers!

Chunky Dunkers!

Good evening!

Tonight is Chunky Dunker night, an online fitness/weight loss support group. We are always happy to have visitors so please feel free to stop by the comments section and let us know how you are doing with you weight loss/fitness goals, and please feel free to share any hints/tips/ideas that you have found helpful in getting closer to your goals!! The more the merrier!!

I am very happy to report that I am finally losing weight, 8.4 pounds so far. It is coming off slowly but surely, but as long as it is coming off, I will take it!!! YEAH!! I am still not up to exercising too regularly yet, but I have been dealing with a minor health issue that has been leaving me feeling run down and not exactly like my normal self! However, I have been really trying to work around that and make a point to get more movement throughout my day!

Anyway, this week’s topic is: The Importance of Hydration

The following was borrowed from Golds Gym’s Newsletter:

You’ve heard the rule before: Drink eight glasses (or 64 ounces) of water each day. But when you work out, your body’s demand for fluids increases even more, especially if you’re exercising outdoors — or even warming up on the way to the gym — during warm summer months.

5 Easy Ways
To Stay Hydrated

  1. 1. Drink eight glasses of water every day.
  2. 2. Can’t remember the last time you had a glass of water? Go get one now.
  3. 3. Drink 8 ounces of water every 20 minutes during a workout.
  4. 4. Drink 12 to 24 ounces of water before and after your workout.
  5. 5. Grab a low-calorie sports drink at Gold’s Gym.

According to Dr. Sam J. Romeo, CEO of Romeo Medical Clinic, Inc., in Turlock, Calif., half the population is at least mildly dehydrated all the time. These people don’t even know what a day feels like when they’re fully hydrated. Drinking the right amount of water daily can lead to better decision-making skills and concentration, elevated moods and improved coordination. So just imagine how the benefits of proper hydration might affect your workout.

“Dehydration can decrease your strength, endurance and sports performance significantly,” says Romeo. “If we have inadequate fluid intake, every cell and organ system in our body has to work harder. We have less blood volume, so the cardiovascular system has to increase our heart rate.”

Plus, the more you sweat, the more fluid your body loses. To learn specifically how much water your body releases during a workout, weigh yourself without clothes before and after. Every half-pound of weight loss is equivalent to eight ounces of water lost, explains Romeo. Generally, to maintain a healthy hydration level it’s important to drink 12 to 24 ounces before and after as well as about eight ounces every 20 minutes during the workout.

For shorter workouts — those lasting less than one hour — sports drinks are not necessary says Romeo. Longer, more intense workouts, though, require a combination of water and sports drinks to replace lost electrolytes and provide sugar for energy. To avoid the added calories, pick up any of the low-calorie sports drinks offered at Gold’s Gym.

Don’t worry about drinking too much; it’s difficult for a healthy individual to over-hydrate. Those cramps that sometimes creep up during a workout are not generally caused by too much fluid consumption. In fact, they can sometimes be a sign of early dehydration, explains Mary Arnold, a USA Track & Field-certified running coach and two-time national qualifier in long-course triathlon. But most often the dreaded side stitch actually comes from undigested food or an irregular breathing pattern. “I have my athletes slow down or walk for 30 to 60 seconds to alleviate the cramp,” says Arnold. “Walking with your hands stretched over your head — to stretch your diaphragm — and breathing deeply will get rid of the side stitch.”

To beat the summer heat, maximize your workouts and get all the benefits of proper hydration on a daily basis. “Good hydration is not just a part of a workout: It is integral to a healthy lifestyle,” Arnold says. “If you can’t remember when you last had a glass of water, you should stop what you’re doing and get one.”

Have a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

I Must Be Crazy!

I Must Be Crazy!

Good evening!! You know, I have decided that I really must be crazy! After being SOOOOO relieved after spending so much time getting Jason’s blanket done, that who would have thought that the VERY NEXT DAY I would choose to pick up another skein of 

I Finished It!

I Finished It!

Good evening! I am very happy to report that I have FINALLY gotten my sweetie’s blanket finished!! YEAH!! It took me about a month and a half, and 12 skeins of yarn to get this finished!! This is the first blanket I have ever made 

A Sunday of Fun Productivity!

A Sunday of Fun Productivity!

Good evening!

Just a short and quick update on how our day has gone today! Well, in a phrase, it has been a productively-lazy Sunday!! 😉

I spent some time finishing reading one book, got about halfway through another one. Jason helped me get some chores done, and we spent some time playing – do you know how much fun it is to randomly surprise your sweetie with a pillow smack to the face, while shouting “AIR BAG”!?!?!? We have been getting a crazy laugh from that all day!! Ok, so you may have to be there to truly experience that fun!! 😉

We snuck in a short nap, watched the movie Jane Eyre, and I have spent a good portion of the evening trying to finish up crocheting Jason’s blanket!! I have less than one skein to go, and I am sure that if I keep working at it, it will be done by tomorrow!! I hope!! 😉

I will keep you updated!

Have a FABULOUS evening! ;-)

 

A Quiet Evening At Home!

A Quiet Evening At Home!

Good evening! After a slight change of plans, my sweetie and I have decided to spend a nice, quiet evening at home. My sweetie has made us a lovely lasagna dinner, my mama’s recipe, and he picked up a couple of happy movies to watch