New Year, New (Old) Me

Happy New Year! I hope all of you will be safe tonight and that you have a wonderful 2011. Unfortunately, hubby and I aren't going to be going out tonight as we have no sitter for Tanner and Breckin. But I don't mind - we are actually going to hang out with our neighbors and their kids. Champagne around the firepit - not a shabby way to spend an evening. And the most important thing is that I'm with the ones I love when I ring in the New Year, and my boys are all I need. :)

Anyway, being that 2010 was spent being pregnant and then trying to reverse the damage said pregnancy caused...I am definitely ready for a new year. Don't get me wrong, there are so many wonderful things about pregnancy, but it definitely took up the greater part of my year and I'm ready to get back to me...get my body back and really enjoy the year to come. So the "new me" I'm wanting to be is really the "old me", as in having my pre-prego body back!

If you read my previous New Year's Resolution post, you will see I've set some specific fitness goals for myself. Now, I'm not like the many New Year's resolution-ers that up and decide I'm going to get fit this year and start out all gung-ho then give up by March. I'm an exception to the rule being that I'm not someone who hasn't worked out for years and is trying to go all out just because it's a new year. I'm a self-proclaimed fitness nut and before finding out I was pregnant last December, worked out 5-6 days a week on average. As well as worked out as much as I could during pregnancy. Anyhow, I feel the goals I've set for myself are attainable by me and I'm going to take it one week at a time. This week, my specific goals are to:
1) Complete Week 1 of Insanity,
2) Run at least a total of 10 miles,
3) Cut out bad carbs (no more holiday junk!), and
4) Drink at least 8-10 cups of water per day (64-80 oz) or more.

I love using this blog to keep track of my goals. In a way, I feel it helps keep me accountable. So if you would like, please check back often as I will be posting updates of my progress. I will post my beginning stats (measurements, etc.) here shortly.

I wish you the best of luck in whatever your goals are for this new year!

New Year's Resolutions 2011

I know it's so cliche, but I love making New Year's resolutions. I don't know whether it's because I like to think of each new year as a new beginning or a chance for self-renewal, or if it's just my need to organize my thoughts and goals because I'm a little OCD. :)

With that being said, here are my New Year's resolutions for 2011:

1. Lose the last 5 lbs of my pregnancy weight, and then about 10 lbs more.
2. Eat clean and drink more water (at least 8-10 cups a day).
3. Starting January 1st, begin the Insanity program again and stick to it for the full 60 days. (Doing this with hubby)
4. Continue to build my cleaning business.
5. Focus on being the best mother and wife I can be.
6. Give the house a good cleaning at least once a week :)
7. Make a visit back to visit family and friends in Idaho.
8. Make a visit to Cali to visit old friends.
9. Take a long girls' weekend with good girlfriends.
10. Introduce and cook healthy meals for my family at least 3 nights a week.
11. Make an effort to send relatives pictures of the kids more often.
12. Keep up this blog.
13. Take a new class - or 2. Particularly interested in Barre Evolution or dance classes.
14. Run in 5-7 local 5Ks, but aim for more.
15. Run 10 miles per week starting in January and build up endurance for more.
16. Have date night with hubby twice a month.

That's all for now!

The Non-Caffeinated Mommy

Caffeine. Such a powerful drug. So many hardworking Americans are addicted to it. Many can't bring themselves to function without it.

I used to be 100% caffeine-free. I guess except for a tiny bit of chocolate here and there, but I'll be honest, I wasn't consuming that for the caffeine. Anyway, I didn't drink sodas (not even the caffeine-free kinds), caffeinated teas, coffee or anything. My drinks of choice were water, skim milk and of course the social alcoholic beverages when out with friends.

Then in 2008, I opened up an in-home daycare. My addiction begins. During the year that I had my in-home daycare, I would be up around 5:30 or 6am...take the dog for a morning walk, then prepare for the kids to start arriving as early as 7am and the last ones would not leave until 5:30pm. That is a long work day - and with no breaks. Around 10:30am, I would start to get that nodding off feeling...and with kids, you just can't have that. You need even more energy to keep up with them than you do with just a regular job! So I started purchasing energy drinks. Diet Rockstars and Lo-Carb Monsters were my guilty-pleasures. And I drank one EVERY DAY. Sometimes two. Yeah, it was bad. Here I am, 2 years later (except for a 9-month break during pregnancy) and I'm still having one a day. I am now a stay-at-home mom for the most part and working on my cleaning business. I have a 5 year old and a 4 month old - both of which require a lot of alertness in their own ways. Tanner, the 5-year old, is off-the-walls hyper most days. You absolutely have to find things to keep him entertained. And he can be very hard to keep up with. Breckin, on the other hand, requires a great deal of attention at this age, and of course getting up in the middle of the night for feedings some nights leaves me exhausted in the AM. (Thankfully, he has been sleeping through the night most nights for about a month.) But my sleep is still light, nonetheless, since I'm used to getting up. Hopefully my body will get back to normal soon.

I have been on a mission to lose all of my pregnancy weight by the end of this year ever since I got home from the hospital with Breckin. In light of having to change my diet and exercise habits (at least from what they were during pregnancy), I have decided that it would also be in my body's best interest to lay off of the caffeine. Hopefully altogether. I want my body to run on the energy I get from exercising and eating right. For so many years, I functioned absolutely fine with no help from the caffeine jolt whatsoever. I know I can do it. It's a bit harder now that I'm a mommy of two boys, but I know I can do it. So here's to kicking the habit - wish me luck!

A Jolly Good Time...

Last night I had my 3rd Annual Ladies' Xmas Gift Xchange. It was another successful and fun-filled time. We had a wee bit much of the holiday alcoholic punches I made - Jolly Juice & Christmas Cheer. We were quite the jolly, cheerful bunch! The Dirty Santa game was a little dirtier this year than the last, with more of the girls finally getting the guts to get dirty and snatch up gifts from each other on their turns! It seems to get dirtier with each year - I think at my first gift exchange no one stole anyone's gift! Anyway, I love spending time with my good friends and catching up as we all lead very hectic lifestyles and need things like this to catch up with one another. Thanks to the wonderful group of ladies that came - can't wait for next year's...

Holiday 5Ks!

I ran the Turkey Day 5K and the Reindeer Run 5K this year with my dog, Dakotah. I am really starting to love running. I used to really hate it. I suppose my relationship with it is still more or less a love/hate relationship, but the past couple weeks I have been trying to run every evening or in the early AM in my neighborhood. I have to say, I feel like I'm getting addicted. I guess what everyone has always told me is true: at first you hate it, but then you get addicted (the runner's high) and start to really love it. Here are some pics from the 5Ks:

Allison, Tessa and I enjoying a beer after the Turkey Day 5K:

Dakotah & me in our reindeer attire for the Reindeer Run:

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

I hope all is well with you and the Mrs. up at the North Pole. I know you're very busy this time of year...visiting malls and having all sorts of little ones sit on your lap and rattle off their mile long lists which likely include wishes for Justin Beiber concert tickets, I-Pads, Wii's and plenty of other things I never had the pleasure of getting the equivalent of back in my day. But if you find you have some extra time, I have just a few little Christmas gift requests.

I was a very good girl this year...very giving. In fact, I lent my body for an entire 9 months to support the growth of a precious little human being. With this selfless act, I was not allowed alcohol, sushi, or the ability to keep up my workout regimen (due to extreme hip and pelvic pains)...which also caused my body to hold on to some extra baggage. Now all I'm asking is that you give me my body back. I've been working really hard and I feel I deserve it. Particularly, I would like a harder butt with a little lift, and a flat, tone tummy. Oh, and much smaller thighs - can't forget that. I just want to wear my skinny jeans again! If you could give me this gift, I would be forever grateful. I would also not take it for granted - I would work every day to keep it in tip-top shape.

Second on my list is a laptop computer. I have been taking care of the same desktop computer for 9 years now. NINE YEARS! I should get some kind of tech-geek award for that! I mean, they say you should upgrade every 2 years, but I have been frugal and have kept this baby running for almost a decade. It's almost unheard of. I have treated her right (and that's including moving her to different residences eight times). But alas, I have to accept she is getting old...she's like 92 in technology years. She's gotten very slow. I just don't have the time to sit and wait for her to process everything...I'm trying to run my business with Internet ads, email...keep up my Facebook and this blog...the slow processing is taking the time I could be spending with my family. So please, pretty please, could I have a new laptop?

This is pretty much it. You see, I don't ask for much. I mean, if you want to throw in some clothes or a few giftcards (I love Target, Old Navy, & Kohls)...by all means, I will accept them.

Anyway, I wish you safe travels this Christmas Eve. Merry Christmas!

Sincerely,

Morgan Smith