Megan inspired me to create a bucket list! I was just lamenting that I had let this thing die but didn’t know how to jump back in. So I’m going to try!

Some things I’ve already marked off the ‘ol bucket list:

-married my best friend
-gave birth to one wonderful little girl
-therefore I’m a Mom! (and a good one, I think)
-moved across the country (twice!) and ultimately tossed everything I knew out the window for a better, simpler, more family oriented life in Boise.
-completed an Ironman (almost 5 years ago!!!)
-became a teacher
-finished a Bikram 60 in 60
-bought and completely updated a house
-this is a silly one to put on a bucket list but I’m proud of it-we’re debt free except for my student loan (and working on that one)

I’ll follow Megan’s criteria for this bucket list:

My criteria for adding items to the list are simple.
-Each item must be something that can be solidly accomplished and documented, no touchy-feely goals for this list.
-A new item must be added every single day and posted on this blog. (caveat-I may not be able to update everyday while in Yellowstone-but I’ll still create them and update the blog at the end of the week.)
-Ideas can be crazy and far fetched, but must have the potential to be accomplished in this lifetime.

Bucket List
1. Write a book

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On the “me” front, things are going really well. I’ve got 1 week left of school and then we’re on vacation in Yellowstone (don’t try to break into my house, I have a very loud and effective alarm-my husband “tests” it quite frequently)! At the end of vacation Shaun, my brother, SIL, 17 year old nephew, and I will be doing a 50 mile mountain bike ride from Boise to Idaho City.

I’ve been training for that by mountain biking with my hubby on the weekends and pulling Lucy in the trailer to school twice a week (14 miles a day, 28 miles a week plus whatever Shaun and I do). I’m still doing my bootcamp MWF. After I’ve completed the ride, I plan to join a cheap gym to get access to weights to continue the hardcore lifting I was doing (and loving). I’ll probably try to ride my bike to school one day a week still because Lu absolutely loves it. Oh and I officially fit in most of my Pre-Lucy clothing. Yippee!

After my vacation, summer school starts. I found out today that I’ll be teaching Kindergarten this summer! For the summer, I’ll no longer be “Miss Chelsea” but will be “Mrs. Titus”. I’m really excited for the new challenge.

On the Lucy front. She’s awesome and gets more awesome everyday. There’s no more baby in her -except maybe her totally kissable cheeks. She’s a full on KID, like woah! She has a great sense of humor, she’s reading one vowel words, she’s working on mastering the monkey bars, and she’s counting to 100! She is loving the new house. She plays independently for large chunks of time outside on her “playground” or upstairs in her playroom. She LOVES to play school and is constantly drilling us or practicing her writing on her “magna noodle” or white board. Since her third birthday, she’s gone from a shy little girl to a girl who has no problem talking to people, asking their names, and being inquisitive (while hopefully still being polite!). I fully attribute this to Challenger. I knew when I went to observe the program that she would thrive. I’m glad I was right!

I’ve written this whole post on my phone. Let’s see if I can include some pictures.

In the mix is Lucy’s big girl room, Lucy before her Spring Performance, Lucy in the bath, Shaun and me on my Mother’s Day ride, Shaun and Lu cuddling on the couch <3.

Since February 1st I’ve been doing a body transformation competition.  If I win, I get $1,000.  I’ve been working my ass off.  I go to the gym M-F and I’ve been eating a VERY clean diet.  Here’re the results so far-I find out if I actually win later this week-I think I have a real chance of winning!

February 1, 2012                         April 1, 2012

February 1, 2012                         April 1, 2012

Weight lost: 12 pounds
Inches lost: 10
Body Fat Percentage lost: 5.2
Clothing Size Change: down 2 sizes

Even if I don’t win, I feel so much better about myself and my pre-Lucy clothes are finally starting to fit again! So in reality, I already won.

So….we’re moving!!! We’re staying in Boise but in 2 months we will be upgrading-BIG TIME. We’re moving about 4 miles away from our current house-we’ll be less than a mile away from Megan, Luke, and Porter!

My Aunt and Uncle are planning on retiring here in 2014.  They were here to visit at the beginning of January and found a house that they LOVED.  They put an offer in, it was accepted, and it closed today!Now they needed tenants!  The house is amazing-absolutely amazing.  One of the things that Shaun and I had to discuss was the fact that it might be hard to move out when the time comes because our future home probably won’t be this nice.  We ultimately decided that we could do it and the fact that the house is not in the neighborhood that we ultimately want to end up in would help us move out . Plus when we move, that means my Aunt and Uncle are here to stay!

We are very excited and a little freaked out.  I’m freaked out that I have to pack this house up-our last move was so massive-1,000 miles!!!! So I’m a little moving gun shy.  Shaun is freaked out about keeping the new place clean and the yard maintained.  The new house is TWICE as big as our current place (and almost 3 times as big as our condo in San Mateo).

I took screenshots of the virtual tour so I could show you our new abode (for the next 2 years!).

Front of the house:

Entry/Formal Living Room:

Formal Dining Room:

Eating Area/Kitchen:

Kitchen (See the counter space? The cupboards? The double ovens?):

Family Room:

Laundry Room (with heated floors!!!)

A bad picture of the downstairs powder room:

Office/Entry to Master Bedroom:

Master Bedroom:

Master Closet:

Master Bath (with heated floors!!):

Lucy’s Bedroom:

Lucy’s Playroom:

Guest Bedroom:

A bad picture of Lucy’s bathroom/guest bathroom:

Backyard:

Lucy’s play structure and play house (fully carpeted, working windows, and electric):

BBQ/Fireplace/Storage shed:

So yeah-we’re excited.  It’s going to be nice.  And even better?  My Aunt and Uncle will live here when it’s all over!!!

Yesterday, I said what my resolutions are, now I’ll say why.

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.

1. Stick with boot camp.

2. Buy clothes that make me feel good.

3. Save for a down payment on a house.

4. Stop being so snarky and judgmental.

I’m on Christmas break so I have some time to catch up.  I really should make it a priority to post about Lucy more often because I don’t want to forget all the sweet things that she is doing.  My very favorite thing right now is that she says “Super, duper, bery” (for “very") all the time.  For example, “Mommy, I am super, duper, bery hungry!”  It makes me melt every time.

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’ve been posting my meal and exercise plan but haven’t really explained what I’m doing.  To be honest, I’ve been using the blog as a space to plan my week.  Even though there is a bunch of repetition, I find that when I do plan it my week goes SO much better. 

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!

I cannot believe that you are 3! It seems like just yesterday I was holding you in that hospital bed staring lovingly at your face.

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:

…is the hardest and most demanding job I’ve ever had. Thankfully, it’s the most rewarding too.

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!

The first week was awesome but overwhelming! I have 4 2 hour classes with a 1 hour lunch break. It’s all great information and I can’t tune out. It’s also a 40 minute commute to get there! Actual school starts next Monday and I’ll be working 9-6 with a 1 hour lunch and a 20 minute commute. Much more manageable!

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?