Because I Can

I would just like to say a few words:

5 miles.

Instead of 4 miles.

49 minutes.

This is how I party rock.

Ciao,
kc

Maddie Loves Laundry Day

Maddie loves laundry day.

It means that there is a new place to hide

(amongst the hang-dry laundry)

And new things to play with

(balls of socks that have been dropped or are merely conveniently located to attack at will)

And that she can follow Mom (me) around and get attention

(well, she thinks me hanging the laundry to hide in and folding the socks for her to play with is attention focused on her)

Maddie loves laundry day.

Did I mention that she thinks the big warm piles of clean clothes fresh out of the dryer are especially for her?

Super Indelible Never Come Off 'Til You're Dead

Did you ever read the children's book "Purple, Green and Yellow" by Robert N. Munsch? It's about a little girl named Brigid who is having fun with her markers until she goes overboard and paints on herself with her super-indelible-never-comes-off-till-you're-dead-and-maybe-even-later markers. 

I'm not sure why, but painting my nails always makes me think of this book. Maybe because when we were little nail polish wasn't so much "nail" polish as "finger" polish. Or "all over" polish.


I found this really cool nail polish the other day.

How cool is that? Looks like I had it professionally done and/or it took me a really really long time, right? Good thing it didn't!


I was at this little hair product supply place near my work that has OPI nail polish among other things. I'd had a customer come in this week wearing this adorable blue color and when I asked her what color it was, she knew it was OPI and called "Susie does Feng Shui" so I was at the store to find it. I was at the counter getting ready to check out when I saw this nail polish:

The purple one, not the clear one. It was by a sign advertising it. I told the check girl, "No way that works that well." The girl was like, "No! It really does and it's really easy!" so she showed me, and I was sold. The ticket price was a bit steep as the polish was $10 and then the design magnet was $10 as well. But it was super easy to do! 

You paint the polish on and then hold the magnet over it for ten to twelve seconds. It takes a nail or three to get the hang of it -- like how close to hold the magnet and how long to hold the magnet. Hold it for fifteen to twenty seconds and the nail polish will rise far enough to stick to it. Ooops. It was fun though and I got lots of compliments. 

China Glaze polish apparently holds up as well as OPI does at work. Only one nail chipped. 

Well, two, but the second wasn't work-related. I bashed my hand on my car door going to work, so that doesn't count.


Super cool. I love when these gimmicky things actually work as advertised. Because let's face it, my patience is slim to none, so if it takes a long time to get it to do that, or if it's not actually super easy to do, I'm not gonna do it.


Hope you can visit soon so I can do your nails!


Ciao,
kc

Big Word Wednesday: Temerity

Hi all,

Big Word Wednesday, at it again! A good word...though one I'm not sure I've been using correctly now that I've looked up the actual definition...for this week is temerity. But that's what big words are all about: the courage to use them even if you're not totally sure that you're using them correctly.

Be able to laugh at yourself if you use them wrong though.

temerity: noun. [tuh-mer-i-tee] reckless boldness; rashness.

This week, have the temerity to try out a new word.

Ciao,
kc

Found it

So as per usual, I wrote most of these on Sunday. The one that posted Monday I wrote before I hit the gym. This one I'm actually writing Monday morning, though I meant to write it Sunday after the gym.

Yesterday's post is about finding your motivation and hitting it while you can. Apparently I found some motivation on Sunday, because after my scheduled 6 mile run (on the treadmill watching Netflix because I started to run outside, but it's still winter here...and it was frigid) I did a few weights.

I did some crunches. With a weight.

And some arms. Shoulders, triceps, lats.

Then because I didn't feel like I'd done quite enough between my hour run and the arms, I did the HIIT to FIT lunge/squat/wall sit workout.

And then I went home and ate a cupcake.

Because I deserved it.

Talk about motivated.

Ciao,
kc

Motivation

I have a hard time motivating. I don't know if you know this, but I have a hard time getting my ass in gear. I know, I know, it doesn't seem like it, awesome four-time half-marathoner that I am, but I do. I'm a lazy homebody at heart.

I am still a rockstar, I just can admit that at my very core, I'm not very hardcore.

But do you know what motivates me? Paying that big race entry fee. And then having a date for that race. That's what gets my butt on the road. I would hate to waste that $60 fee. As my dad once asked me, "Why can't you just not run?" he was referring to a race that I got sick for a couple days before. I laughed. "Because I'm paying for the privilege."

He didn't know. Silly Papa.

The other thing that's been motivating me is my New Year's Resolution to Exercise More and Get In Shape. I've been actually really good at this one. Not been so good at the "Shopping Less" one, but I've been doing great at the other one. I did the thing I swore I'd never do and got a scale and have been loving watching the numbers tick down, talk about motivating. I'm almost at my goal, and am happy, healthy and fit!

For the record, you should always find the place where you're happiest with yourself and should not let it consume you. With this experience of dieting I've been careful to listen to my body and if I'm hungry for a little extra, I eat. If we go out, I have a drink, have some artichoke dip. That's important.

It's not about starving or about withholding, it's about awareness of what you're eating. Listening to your stomach when it tells you its full and when you acknowledge you're just eating because it tastes so good you stop eating. After just one last bite. And then stopping. Did you know that your stomach doesn't know you're full until 30 minutes after you start eating? It's about acknowledging that if you have that cupcake, you should probably get your butt to the gym, or forgo your afternoon treat.

It's just about moderation, dedication and finding the motivation that makes you happy and allows you to stay healthy at the same time.

Unfortunately, reaching my goal doesn't mean I get to stop exercising as I did put down that $60 entry fee for my race in June...oh well.

Wishing you all luck in achieving your goals and finding your motivation.

Ciao,
kc

Happy Birthday, Maddie!

I woke up this morning, checked my email on my phone and our vet had sent me an eCard wishing Maddie a happy birthday. One year ago today, I took Maddie in for her first check up at the vet. Granted, not her true "birthday" but as I can't remember what day we brought her home, this is as good as any.

So happy birthday to our fluffy terrorist.

...who thinks that the best place to sleep is on top of Tyler.

And as Tyler says, we're so lucky she picked us to go home with...she definitely won the kitty lottery. Until we bring that puppy home...

Ciao,
kc