I am a big fan of the Biggest Loser TV show. Unlike so many reality shows, this program really improves people's lives. I've never been obese, but I can relate to the show participants because I have been obsessed with food and my weight before and was unable to make lasting changes without God's help.
I found this DVD online and read great reviews of it. For $10, I figured it was worth a try. A 20-minute workout that could get you shredded? That was for me! I cannot even tell you how close to death I felt the first time I did it. Mind you, I am in good shape! I have been working out 4-6 days a week for a LONG time. And yet this workout had me gargling my heart as Jillian says on the DVD.
Probably the toughest part of the workout for me is it really kicks my exercise asthma into gear because it's high intensity, high impact, and no rest. Those who have never exercised would probably hate it! But if you're in shape and want a quick workout to boost your metabolism and push yourself, I can't recommend this DVD more. The only disclaimer is that she refers to the glutes with the A word, so you'll want to keep the kids from copying her. 🙂
Many wives would be insulted if their husbands brought home a Biggest Loser workout DVD for them, but when mine did recently, I was thrilled. I absolutely love surprises! He got me the Cardio workout which is easier (highly recommend it for you beginners out there). Since I started this workout, I've had several friends give it a try. Why don't you join us and let us know how you like gargling your heart?
We recently redecorated our basement (pics will be coming soon). In the window sill I found this ball.
I was ready to put it in the giveaway box, but couldn’t. I learned a lot from this crystal ball.
I grew up mostly feeling poor. Don’t get me wrong. We always had the necessities. But the wants were sometimes left wanting. In my first years out of college, even my needs were sometimes left wanting.
After finding it in the basement I decided to put it front and center on my desk–not because I like it, but to remind me of my foolishness. Wealth doesn’t mean over paying for useless clutter. It means paying as little as possible for the things you will really use and treasure. If this had been a real crystal ball, it might have told me that my true wealth would be found in my faith, family, and friends. One thing I do like about this ball is that you can see yourself in it, but you are very, very small. It’s as though it’s saying, “You can be truly rich by thinking of yourself less.”
What was one of your most foolish purchases? — Post From My iPhone
I wonder why I can’t ever outsmart my kids. I mean, I have a Ph. D. in psychology. I have read more parenting books than most small libraries own. I homeschool so I get lots and lots of “experiment” time. Yet I still can’t outdo them. If I was on Survivor with them, I would be the first one voted off. I’m a failure at forming alliances and fooling them into doing what I want.
Take these Color Wonder markers. These things are supposed to be the miracle workers for parents of preschoolers. Kind of like the Nanny only you get to keep your pride and privacy. The idea is they can play with these anywhere and anytime without making a mess. They will be quiet and clean. Perfect for chrch, right?
Wrong. Color Wonder markers only work on special paper. The special paper rather slowly takes on a pastel shade. My kids aren’t thrilled with this. They look instead for the one marker that I have overlooked that creates real color on everything. And they always always find it. They are like the Jack Bauers of mess-making. Just when you think they’re finished they find a way to defeat you.
On the off chance that they are unable to locate a real marker they rely on real paper. No CW markers don’t leave marks on regular paper but they do turn the kids’ church coloring pages into a wet paper towel kind of mess. Of course this gets old quickly because it’s still quiet play.
Most enjoyable is connecting them together to form a marker sword that you can hit people with. Screams are emitted if one’s sword is shorter than another’s, but no matter what happens in the marker war, they both win because no matter what I try, I know I can’t!
Like my husband, my third son is like an m'n'm. He's a little crusty on the outside, but the kind of sweet that melts your heart on the inside.
He is athletically skilled, passionate, forceful, productive, and sensitive. His sense of humor has really developed in the last year. He loves to tease. His favorite nickname for his dad is donut boy. If you've seen my hubby, you know he's anything but, but this nickname really gets the giggles going. My boy's love language is touch so I'm hoping he'll always be up for some cuddling, nine or no. We celebrated his birthday as we always do at home with friends and then at the indoor water park.
I'm interested to see what the future holds for Mr. A. Will he be a military man, a salesman like daddy, or will he be the first to get married? Only God knows. One thing I do know. He's nine and I'm so thankful he's mine.
I need to organize my vanity so chose this picture for inspiration for this post. I recently got new IPhone organizational software (yes, seriously) and was inspired to write this for the AutoFocus Yahoo Group I moderate. Can you relate to my Organi-Craziness? If so, how do you cope with it?
I think I have some of your predispositions, just not to the same degree. I LOVE anything organizational–books, systems, products, software. I'm in hog heaven when I buy them and get them set up. During this process, I imagine how "perfectly" it will work for me. I will be so productive, meet all my goals, and be so orderly. Then sometime after I've used it for a while, it gets boring or tedious. So I don't use the system as described. I get upset with myself for "failing" and I commit to using it more perfectly the next day. Then as time goes on, I use the system/approach/product less and less or even less like I'm supposed to. Soon I feel overwhelmed by the backlog of not only tasks I haven't done but organizing rules I haven't followed. That's when I decide that it isn't me, but the system that's at fault. I hunt for a new system and start the whole process all over again.
This is how I'm dealing with this predisposition at present:
I acknowledge my need for frequent change. I have to change things up (buy new containers, use a different schedule, etc.) on a regular basis–not because there's anything wrong with me or the system, but just because change keeps me motivated.
I acknowledge my desire for perfection will never be met. I would love to have a day with no interruptions. I'd love to have a time management plan that works out exactly as I conceive it. I would love it if I never grew lazy. It won't happen! Enough said.
I acknowledge that having a lot to do is what gets me up in the morning. Nothing would be more depressing to me than not having enough to do. If I had my whole house organized, all my projects were caught up, and I was right on schedule, I'd probably drive to the nearest bridge. Just kidding! But it really would suck the joy out of my life. I thrive on lots to do.
I acknowledge that I can't do it all. I love AF's no-guilt approach to letting tasks go. There's no hour-long session of wracking your brain to determine what's most important, what needs to be pruned from your life, etc., etc. These less important tasks simply get dismissed by default.
I acknowledge that I will continue to be tempted to continue in my crazy organizational cycle. I am a very creative, productive person who sometimes wastes time by going off on the latest organizing tangent. If that's the worst thing I do in life, I can live with it. My goal isn't to never go organi-crazy again; it's to keep these episodes shorter and less frequent. That's a non-perfectionistic goal I think I can achieve.
I hope something in my approach strikes a chord with you.
My youngest’s first word may have been B which he used to refer to his favorite bear blankie. For some reason I adopted his term and added it to his huge list of nicknames.
Today is a lovely spring day and I am enjoying watching my B drink his G. It is wonderful to enjoy a slow-paced day. I have been quiet as a blogger as I have focused on writing and video projects. I am hopeful to post more after next week. I have plenty of material!
I hope today you can focus on your own B’s–the people you love and the warm fuzzies in your life. Grab a G and forget the P’s and Q’s.
I’m a Christian psychologist turned homeschooling mother of six. My life can be a little crazy, so I look for sanity-saving ideas to use and share. I hope you’ll read my About page to learn more.
