Friday Five: I Booked Hawaii!

Friday Five

1. I am so excited! I woke up early this morning (because it was payday) and booked my flight for Hawaii!!  After a lot of searching and decision making, I settled on non-stop flights each way on Alaskan Airlines.  I paid more than I would’ve if I wanted settle for 1-stop, but I decided my time was worth the extra money.  Not to mention the ease of travel.  I’ve heard great things about flying on Alaska to Hawaii, and now that I’ve purchased the tickets, it’s really feeling REAL!!  35 more days and I’ll be enjoying views like this: 
2. Today I go for packet pickup for the 408K race.  The cool thing about this race is that I organized a faculty group from my school to participate.  I love doing things like this, and I thought that doing something healthy together would be a great way for our teachers and staff to bond.  My original idea was that we’d get together to train (walk/run) on our high school track; the problem arose that it was soccer season and the games were on the same field where we have the track.  Still, I created a FB group and we all checked in with each other about our trainings.  Sharing this experience of doing an 8K (almost 5 miles) on Sunday is going to be a great thing.  Since packet pickup is at a popular spot for dining and shopping, I organized a post-packet pickup TGIF, which I’m looking forward to. This has been difficult week back and easing into the weekend with colleagues after school will be a fun way to end it. (I’m still deciding if I’m going to walk this one, or do my run/walk.  Most of the faculty are saying they’re going to walk it, so in the spirit of collegiality, I may do the same).
3. Even though I’m “just a renter” I take pride in the way my yard looks.  Recently two of the trees in front of my house had to be removed because they were deseased, leaving it looking desolate and sad.  As I’ve been walking Sofi I’ve been on the hunt for something new to go in the space.  I wanted something with color, but also something that would last for years to come.  I found this Razzle Berry (botanical name: Lorapetalum) bush in several neighbors’ yards, and I absolutely love it:   I like that when it’s in bloom, at this time of year, it’s  got this beautiful burst of hot pink, and then when those fall away, it’s a nice green bush with a hint of the hot pink on the leaves.  On Saturday I’m heading to the nursery with my dad (and his truck) to buy two bushes.  I’m buying them either way, but I’m hoping that my landlord will split the cost with me, since they’ll remain even after I leave (if I leave) someday.  (If he doesn’t split the cost, you can bet I’ll uproot these babies in the case that I do ever leave).
4. This Sunday I’ve been invited to a BBQ at the home of a friend I haven’t seen in a couple of years.  He and I worked together back in 1999-2000 at an internet company and have remained friends (mostly on FB) ever since.  I’m looking forward to the party because a few of my former colleagues should be there too.  Now I just have to figure out what I’m going to wear.  While most of the people didn’t see me at my very heaviest weight, they did see me weighing a lot more than I do now, so I really want to look my best.  The problem is, I hardly have any clothes in my closet.  So, I guess this means a shopping trip is in the works for me!  Fun!!  Another reason to look forward to the party.  Plus BBQs make food choices fairly easy.  Now I just have to come up with a good salad to bring.  Any ideas?
5. Sunday is a big day (408K, BBQ…) and also the Oscars.  I always love watching the Oscars to see what everyone is wearing, listen to the acceptance speeches, and see whether or not the Academy got it right in terms of who they give the awards to.  It seems like the perfect way to end a busy weekend.

Happy Friday! I hope you have a wonderful weekend, full of fun and exciting adventures.

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Saturday Smiles :)

There’s nothing like waking up really early on a Saturday morning and being outside in the backyard with Sofi. Today is going to be HOT, so I enjoyed the simple pleasure of watering my garden. It’s one of the most peaceful things I do: it gives me time to think, time to live in the moment, and time to nurture my green thumb. I love the way it smells in the backyard after everything is watered, when it’s still shady.

Speaking of the heat, in an effort to try to beat it, Sofi and I have been heading out really early (think 7:15am) to get in a good walk. Thursday I needed to mail a letter, so we hit the pavement and walked to the post office. And since my parents live near there, we decided to pay them an early morning visit and get a quick water break. Then we took the long way home. All told, we walked for 65 minutes and about 3 miles. Today we did another winding, early morning walk. This time it was just meandering around the neighborhood, walking for about 40 minutes, taking the long route around. It’s quiet so early in the morning, and I love being with Sofi as we’re exploring our little piece of the world.

Yesterday I had my post-op appointment (more on that later), and it felt good to hear such good news. One of the best parts was that my blood pressure continues to be normal. Yesterday it was 123/77. I know some charts would show this as above normal, but for me, it’s a great number. I love going to the doctor and not being worried about stepping on the scale or having my blood pressure read.

You guys know what a TV junkie I am, and one of the things I’m most excited about for this weekend is the season premiere of Dexter. This is going to be the final season, and I can’t wait to see what kind of Big Bad they have in store for us this year.

Today my mom and I are hitting the mall to escape the heat, but also to go shopping. Nothing especially glamorous, but after 56+ lbs, I’m in desperate need of some new panties. And I wouldn’t say no to a couple of new sleeveless tops to take me through this part of the summer. Yesterday I bought a few new sports bras at Target, because I have to double up on my current ones just to get a little bit of support. Retail therapy is so much more fun when I’m finding myself with more options.

Finally, the thing that’s making me smile the most lately is that I’m fitting into tons of smaller clothes! As a girl who loves fashion, and always tried to look my best, no matter what my size, it is fantastic that I’m moving on down the rack. At my heaviest, I was wearing pants in size 28 and tops in size 26. Now I’m wearing size 22 pants and tops in size 18/20. The scale might not be moving quite as quickly as I would hope, but I’m thrilled with the way clothes are looking on me. And the inches are just as important. Here’s a sample of some photos I’ve been posting on IG lately:

Top: Size 3 from Torrid. I bought this and could never wear it because it was too tight around my hips. Now it flows over them nicely.
Pants: Size 22 Se7ens from Lane Bryant

I bought this tshirt from SkinnyEmmie.com over a year ago, and it was skin tight. Actually, past that. Now it fits really well, especially after a few alterations. (I had to cut it so it was shorter, I cut the neckline because I don’t really like crew necks, and I cut off the sleeves.

I bought that blinged-out Giants tank from Bling Circus (Etsy), and it was way too tight just a few months ago. Now it’s form-fitting, but nicely hugs my curves.

I hope you have a wonderful day, full of things that put a smile on your face.

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