1. Stick with boot camp.

I’m really ready to feel in shape.  I haven’t felt that way since before I had Lucy.  I have felt that my body is powerful and able but I haven’t felt like I’m in shape.  I want to feel that way again. 

I hope I have the same determination to get this done that Lucy has to ride a 2-wheel bike:

2. Buy clothes that make me feel good.

According to Susannah and Trinny, I have the body shape of a bowling pin (Skittle):

Average Boobs,
Slim waist,
OK tummy,
Big thighs,
Chunky Calves
[source]

According to Body Shape Style, here’s what I should do:

Dressing The Skittle

The biggest problem with a Skittle is the lack of balance between top and bottom. The bottom is bigger than the top and that highlights how much bigger the bottom half is. So the solution is to get balance back. This is done be adding volume to the top half and minimizing the lower half.

Don’t – wear short trousers or capris. You have short legs so if you cut them half way down the calves you’re simply making them shorter again which makes your thighs look wider. Yay, I don’t do this!

Do – get some interest happening in your top half with eye catching jewelry and eye popping tops. I need to do this more.

Don’t – wear stretch pants of any type as they will cling to your thighs. Thank god I listened to my intuition here!

Do – wear fitting clothes on your upper half as baggy on top will just highlight the lower half. I do this already most of the time.

Clothing – what shapes to avoid

Skinny leg jeans – assuming you can get them in your size (something I struggle with) they highlight your thighs and make your ass look huge. Yeah, they look horrible on me.

Pencil skirts – this works the same as skinny leg jeans in that it catches your lower half and highlights although it can be made to work if you have something extra special. I used to wear pencil skirts all the time…

Cropped pants – short pants cuts your leg off and makes your look shorter and your legs wider. I don’t think you can find cropped pants for me!

Ankle straps – your legs are short and an ankle strap on a shoe has the effect of making them look shorter, and again, wider. No ankle straps in my closet.

Clothes – what shapes to look for

Shirt with detail – use added embellishments and details on your blouses to add bulk and volume to your top half. The idea being that your lower half is contained and simple so bring the drama to your top half. It will draw attention directly to your face which is the ideal place for it! I need to get more of these types of shirts.

Panelled skirt – look for a firmer fabric with some shape to it. The paneling will give you firm support whilst the slightly flared shape will give a hint of femininity. Any vertical lines on your thighs and bottom will have a slimming effect. All of my skirts are on on their last leg.

Dress with flared skirt – a dress that is fitted through the top half of your body before flaring out over your thighs is the best choice. The fitted top hugs your curves and emphasized your slenderness on top, the detail at your waist highlights your waist and then the skirt flares over your thighs and discretely disguises their width. All of my dresses are on on their last leg.

Body hugging top – wearing colour on your top half attracts attention, more aptly it draws attention away from your lower half. A body hugging top shows your slender torso and ruched sleeves make your body look wider. The draping neckline of this top adds volume to your top half making your seem more balanced.

Fitted knit – the goal for a Skittle is always to make the upper half of their body broader to offset the width of your thighs whilst at the same time showing off your slender waist. A fitted knit vest over a feminine blouse will show your shape beautifully whilst making your shoulders look wider.

Wide leg trousers – wide leg pants fall from the hips and bottom and will skim over your thighs. Because they stay the same width all the way down they disguise your calves and make your legs look longer. Get them hemmed to your heel. If you prefer to wear heels have them hemmed even longer and you will look taller and leaner again.

Waist hugging jacket – make use of your tiny waist with your jackets by finding one that hugs it lovingly. The wide open neck of this jacket broadens your shoulders and makes your seem wider, offsetting the width of your lower half. I need to invest in some of these!

High chunky heel – wearing a slender heel will simply highlight the width of your thighs and calves, particularly if you wear them with wide leg pants. Select a chunky heel that offers good stability. A higher heel is good as it adds height which again gives the illusion of more slender legs. Yeah, this is never happening.  Heels and I don’t get along.

Here’s the thing-if I stick with bootcamp, my body is going to change.  When I hit a hip measurement of ~38, I’m going to go shopping more seriously.  In the short term, I need some pants for work that fit.  Thankfully Walmart has some black pants that fit the bill (amazingly enough!)

3. Save for a down payment on a house.

We want to buy and we want to have 20% down before we even consider it.

4. Stop being so snarky and judgmental.

I struggle with this and I’d really like to stop it.  I saw a quote on Facebook the other day (that I can’t find now) that said something like, “What I think about you, says nothing about you and everything about me.” How true.

2. Buy clothes that make me feel good.

3. Save for a down payment on a house.

4. Stop being so snarky and judgmental.

Last you heard from me about Lu, it was her birthday. Look at my 3 year old!

A Jeep!

At Flat Bread Community Oven watching her pizza getting cooked.

Happy Birthday little one!

There was a zoo birthday party!

With big balls:

And more candles to blow out:

Porter was there!

Mommy was too!

Papa too!

Isabelle, Vanessa, Kaitlyn, Lucy, Tessa, and Claudia at the zoo with popcorn!

On the carousel.

Then it was Lucy’s first day of school!!!

And then the Harvest Festival at the Botanical Gardens:

And then we went pumpkin picking with Jack and Tessa:

And then Lu got a haircut!

Halloween!

Which Lu LOVED! She totally got the concept and we told her that if a light was on, it meant the people had candy.  She would yell, “Their light is on! CANDY!!!!” And then totally said, “Trick or Treat!”  She told me later that it was her favorite holiday and that she couldn’t wait an entire year to go again.

We took a Girl’s Trip to Portlland and Lu got to see her friend Madeline:

Her Challenger school picture.  We’ve titled it “I Pity The Fool.”

Lucy’s art skills since starting at Challenger have taken off!

Thanksgiving at school:

Turkey day at our house:

Our annual Thanksgiving hike:

Lucy’s favorite friend!

(we’ve seen Santa 4 times this year-she LOVES him)

The next pictures I have are of Christmas tree hunting.

And sledding!

Our tree:

Decorated:

Lucy also got her Alphabet crown this month!

That means that she went up to the Director’s office and knew all the letters and what sound they make.  Lu is the youngest at the school to have her crown.  As she would say, it’s a “super duper” big deal!

She got ice cream for that accomplishment!

And just this morning, frosting cookies with Mommy:

Now we’re off to her very first dentist appointment!

Merry Christmas all!

I had a Groupon for a bootcamp and nutrition consultation with Fitness Revolution.  I’ve had a hard time doing anything regularly where exercise and nutrition comes in.  Because my new job is so much more active I have gone down 1 or 2 clothing sizes but I still didn’t feel great about the choices I was making.  I was craving a training plan like I had in my Ironman days but I don’t have time to train for anything like that.   I decided it was time to buckle down.  I met with Brett over at Fitness Revolution and got started on a program. 

So what’s my plan? I do a super intense bootcamp on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  I leave the house at 5:50 am, stretch/foam roll at 6, bootcamp officially starts at 6:15 and is done by 6:45.  I get home by 6:55 and hop in the shower. On Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday I do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)-which takes 30 minutes. During the week, I use the bike trainer that Shaun found for me on Craigslist for $20.  Saturday, I run.  Sunday is a day off.  I LOVE the fact that I only workout 45 minutes max a day.  It’s super high intensity but it literally only takes 45 minutes or less.  It’s AWESOME.

As for eating, I aim to eat 5 times a day.  Each time I eat, I try to eat 20-30 grams of protein and 1.5-2 cups (or more) of veggies.  I don’t eat carbs except for the hour following my bootcamp.  I can have up to 4 “free” meals a week where I eat whatever I’d like.  The fewer “free” meals I have, the faster my results will be.  It’s very 4 Hour Body but not as weird.  I’ve found it really easy to follow so far, I hope it continues to be this easy.

What sort of results have I seen? I’ve lost 3.5 inches on my waist and 3 inches on my hips-CRAZY! This is the first time since getting pregnant that I’ve felt this good and have had results like this.  Needless to say, I’m very excited!

What a year this has been little one! You’ve become little miss personality and smarty pants! Holy moly (one of your favorite expressions) you never cease to amaze Daddy and I. You LOVE to sing, ride your bike, play with Tessa, SWING ALL BY YOURSELF on the big kid swing!, love your ABCs, you are scarily good at math, you love to camp, to read, and to play with your baby dolls. You also LOVE to eat! Especially blueberries, raspberries, and frozen peas (yes, you eat them frozen and get really upset when they thaw). I love you more than words can describe.

A look back at the year, in pictures:

September 2010-your 2nd birthday:

October, at the zoo:

Cabo in November:

And then SNOW!

December, getting out Christmas Tree:

January, at the Library!

February, Tessa’s Birthday:

March, striking a pose for Mommy:

Easter in April:

Camping in May:

Disneyland in May:

LA in June:

PA in July:

Camping in July:

Fireworks in July!

Fresh Veggies in August!

My almost 3 year old in September:

You just woke up and said, “I was 2 yesterday and today I’m THREE!”

Smarty pants indeed.

You take my breath away every day:

Here’s a glimpse at a normal day for me:

6:30-7-wake up (5 if going to bikram)
8-leave house
8:15-drop Lu off at daycare (in a week this step goes away!)
8:30-arrive at school, prep for morning
9-9:20-opening at school (pledge, roll, alphabet song, etc). Whole class, 16, 4 year olds
9:20-10-teach phonics/reading to my group (8 students)
10-10:20 recess (I’m usually chasing kids playing tag, pushing the tire swing, or helping with the monkey bars)
10:20-10:30 snack for kiddos (make sure they are being responsible while cleaning up from phonics)
10:30-11:10 math with 8 students (same 8 as phonics)
11:10-11:30-teach music/dance/drama for whole class. focus on getting the wiggles out-lots of dance and then a felt story
11:30-12-supervise lunch
12-12:45-supervise nap/prep for afternoon
12:45-1:15 eat lunch
1:15-1:40 finish prepping for the afternoon
1:40-1:45 prep snack
1:45-2 get kiddos up from nap
2-2:10 logic and Spanish
2:10-2:20 supervise snack
2:20-2:50 supervise recess
2:50-3:20 Teach Science and Art to the entire class (teach things like the cephalathorax on a spider and how to draw/paint it)
3:20-3:40 teach music/dance/drama-more focus on learning songs but still get the wiggles out
3:40-4:10 teach and supervise craft
4:10-4:40 supervise recess
4:40-5 read books and stories, play indoor games
5-6 table games and play for kiddos, prep for the next day for me.
6 drive home
6:20 frantically make dinner
6:50/7 eat dinner
7:30-8 either put Lu to bed or clean kitchen (alternate nights with Shaun)
8-8:30 make lunches/breakfast/food for next day
8:30-10 finish any school prep, catch up on email, computer time/chores
10-whenever-try to fall asleep

So yeah, I’m tired. But happy! I can’t wait for the 26th when Lu will be at school with me. I miss her!

I realized quickly last week that with no smart phone, I was very disconnected – especially when email is my husband’s primary form of communication!  I changed back to my Droid and will get a new phone (hopefully the iPhone 5!!!) on September 27th when I can get my new every 2 $30 credit.

As for eats-Last week was basically the same as Monday (minus the melon, add cherries) all week.

This week? The first 2 days, up until dinner=
-overnight oats
-curried tuna salad
-massaged kale salad (kale, lemon juice, olive oil, s+p)
-Marys Gone Crackers
-Cucumber (from the garden) and hummus
-string cheese
-apple

I only had 1 can of tuna (I thought I had 2) so midweek I have to come up with something else. Variety is a good thing, right?

Here’s everything I’m eating tomorrow until dinner:

Salad with grilled tofu, quinoa salad, balsamic vinegar (for my dressing), string cheese, cucumbers (from the garden), hummus, watermelon, apples, and overnight oats (to eat in the morning before I go).

All packed up:

Shaun got a turkey and ham sandwich and chips. Plus overnight oats too.

We’ve been BUSY this weekend.  My aunt and uncle came to visit from Bakersfield.  Here’re some fun pictures.

Breakfast with the lions again!

Meeting a Walaby!

(great camera skills, eh?)

Feeding the giraffes:

The zebra!

The butterfly exhibit:

Just being freaking cute:

Silly Daddy/Uncle Shaun:

Wish me luck!

Today I am thankful that Lucy did not glow yesterday!

On Tuesday, Lu had her 3 year old well child appointment (early) because she needed some vaccines for school.  Our doctor (who is also a good family friend) asked if I had any other concerns.  I brought up how her arms were splotchy.  At first I thought it was uneven sunscreen application, then I thought it was a reaction to Eczema but I wanted to check with the doctor to make sure.

He looked, and looked, and looked, and looked at it.  He then told me that it could be one of three things. 1. Eczema reaction, 2. Bacterial Infection (which can be fixed with some cream, or 3. Vitiligo (which cannot be cured and is something she has to deal with for the rest of her life).

His first recommendation was to take a wait and see attitude and to recheck it in a few months.  As he looked at it more and more he decided that he was “almost certain” that it was Vitiligo and since it’s a very cosmetic thing and that she was a girl, that he wanted her to see a dermatologist sooner rather than later.  He warned me that it could take up to 6 weeks to get in and that there was really nothing that could be done but that he wanted a specialist’s opinion.

Vitiligo is an autoimmune problem where all the pigmentation in certain areas of the skin goes away and turns white.  The most notable person to have had it is Michael Jackson.  It can be mild or severe and when severe all the websites said it was “disfiguring”.  It would make her more susceptible to other autoimmune issues but otherwise is not harmful.

So this is not life threatening but it IS life altering and I freaked out.  I have cried more in the last few days then I have cried in a VERY long time.  All I could think was that Lucy was going to be different and ridiculed and made fun of. I was different and ridiculed and made fun of as a child and I grew out of it (I was really tall and mature at a very young age-I haven’t grown since I was 10 and I had purple lenses in my glasses due to dyslexia). I grew out of all of those things but still hold the emotional scars.  It broke my heart to know that Lucy would go through that herself and that it was something that would always be there and that she would always be different and looked at funny*. Believe me, I am so thankful for a healthy child but I was just so sad for her.  I didn’t want her to have to go through that her entire life.  It just felt like such a struggle that I didn’t want her to have to endure. I KNOW that everyone around her would support her and make her feel comfortable in her skin, I was just worried and a very upset Mama Bear.

Thankfully, the dermatologist was able to get us in immediately.  That sort of freaked me out since I knew that it normally takes a long time to get in but I took the appointment. When the nurse led us back she said that we had been the talk of the office because Lucy was so young to have Vitiligo.  I freaked out even more.  The dermatologist came in.  Did an exam and then took us to a completely dark room and shined a black light on Lu.  Apparently, Vitiligo glows under a black light.  LUCY DID NOT GLOW!

The dermatologist was very happy to report that she most probably did NOT have Vitilgo and that she was just having a reaction to her eczema.  There is still a chance that she has it (and it’s in the very early stages) but it’s not likely.  If it gets worse, I am to take her in and we go in for a recheck in 4 months.

I almost cried tears of joy and hugged the derm I was so happy.  If it was Vitiligo we would have dealt with it but it was such a relief to hear that it was “just” Eczema.

Lu now has a new skin care regime.  She gets CeraVe lotion twice a day, a shower/bath up to once a day with CeraVe cleanser (we were only giving her one once a week because of the Eczema-which the doctor said is a myth) and after the shower/bath we slather her in CeraVe (we’ve already been using the CeraVe).  We also need to be sure to be VERY liberal with the sunscreen.  Sunscreen is Lu’s number one irritants that cause the Eczema and I’ve only found one sunscreen that works (Nature’s Gate) that I can’t get in Boise and have to order. She recommended Cetaphil’s new sunscreen and gave us a few samples.  I really hope it’ll work for Lu as it would be so nice to have easy access to sunscreen!

We go back in four months for a re-check but right now, I am very thankful for “just” Eczema!!!

*I realize (and my husband has pointed out) that my reaction to the diagnosis of Vitiligo was a bit dramatic.  It’s not really that big of a deal but I think as someone with my background of body image issues, it just really hit home and made me incredibly sad for my little girl.  I, by no means, think that anyone with Vitiligo is a freak or “disfigured” but I know that some people DO and that’s what I was reacting to.

Friday night we had a BBQ at Megan and Luke’s for Megan’s Mom’s birthday.  It was HOT that night but we still had a blast.

Playing Frisbee!

You can see Lu’s new haircut in these pictures:

There were flowers from Megan’s garden that I arranged. Arranging flowers is not my strong suit but I thought these turned out really nicely.

We had a HUGE salmon!

Everybody enjoying the feast!

Porter’s Gramma and Lucy hanging out:

Fireworks!

And Lu’s reaction!

Porter’s initial reaction:

Lucy continued to love them:

Porter, not so much:

Then we had musical entertainment!

And then last but not least, “cake” for the birthday girl.  Megan got this recipe out Sunset and it was for grilled strawberries and angel food cake.  It was apparently delicious.

On Saturday, Lu and I went to the Farmer’s Market with Lissa and Tessa, then the park and then out to lunch with Shaun at the Crow’s Inn.  He was on the way back from an epic mountain bike ride and liked the restaurant so much that he called us to join him for lunch.  I’m glad we did (but I didn’t get pictures).

On Sunday I attacked the garden or as Shaun lovingly called it, “Chelsea’s Jungle”:

Most of that is weeds!

In the middle of weeding, I took a break to get some pictures of Lu.  She picked out her entire outfit.

It was finally done!

It looks so much better, don’t you think?

Lu and I harvested some veggies-the garden is about to EXPLODE!

Lu LOVED everything that we picked:

Then, later, to beat the 100 degree heat, Daddy and Lu ran through the sprinklers!

What a FUN weekend AT HOME!!!!