Friday Five: Last Friday of Summer

(I used the Rhonna Designs app on my iPhone to make this pic. I used this picture I took from my recent visit to Santa Cruz Boardwalk).

1.  This is my last Friday of summer vacation. 😦  This time next Friday I’ll be at a “Welcome Back” meeting for the start of the new school year for our first teacher workday.  My plan for the day is to spend it the way I’ve spent the entire summer – a combo of fitness and fun.  Fitness: a session on my home elliptical, walking the dogs with my dad, and swimming some laps. Fun: a bit of shopping (just took advantage of Victoria Secret’s most recent email offer), reading poolside, and a possible date later tonight.

2. This week has been a very social one, getting together with lots of friends that I’ve known since high school, which I’ve loved.  That’s one of the huge distinctions between my life now and my life before I lost all the weight.  I was always a social, extroverted person, but I often felt a bit depressed about the way I looked. Not to mention the clothing issue – I always tried to look my best, but nothing ever fit the way it should’ve.  I can’t count the number of times I turned down an invitation or made some excuse just so that I wouldn’t have to deal with all of that.  Now, I have tons of clothes in the closet that look great and make me feel fantastic.  Now, I am happy and excited when someone suggests going out.  I’m actually getting teary-eyed thinking about what a huge switch this is.  Just one more thing to be so grateful for about this new life.

3. I’ve been getting into Instagram a lot this summer, as you can tell by my feed on the right.  I post daily check-ins for my workouts and lots of pics of other things that just strike my fancy.  While I’ve been off, it’s been easy and really fun. This month I’m participating in three different photo-a-day contests, and I’m hoping I can keep up with them once school starts. If you haven’t joined a photo-a-day contest, I righly recommend them…maybe not just three in one month.  Still, the contests are a great way for me to stay focused on fitness, get motivated, and inspire myself and others with all the photos.

One is for the TIU community,

one is hosted by @MoxieFitchick,

and the third is the Active Living Challenge with Fit Approach and Lorna Jane Active.

4. In anticipation of the school year starting in about a week, I spent a good portion of the day yesterday mapping out my school year workout plans in my iCal.  Since I have a morning prep period on my B days (which means I can get to school a bit later than normal) I’m going to fit in early morning fitness classes at the gym several times a week.  The live Insanity class that I tried a few weeks ago is now offered Tuesday mornings at 5:45am, and I’ll be there whenever Tuesday is a B day.  I’m also going to spinning at least once a week at 5:45am.  I’m still undecided about what I’ll do on my A days, when I need to leave my house by 7am.  Towards the end of last year I was waking up at 4:30am to do a morning workout, but that is just SO early.  Although it’s not ideal, I think I may go back to afternoon workouts on A days, because I really did enjoy them and they’re a great way to relieve the stress of the day.

5. Kandis, one of the TIUgirls, mentioned a week or two ago that she had started reading Gabrielle Bernstein’s May Cause Miracles.  Who doesn’t want “subtle shifts for radical change and unlimited happiness” right? The reviews and general internet buzz about the book was so positive that I thought I’d give it a try.  Have you read it?  What are your thoughts?  What book are you reading right now? Let me know in the comments.

That’s my Friday Five – I’m off to enjoy some pool time.

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

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Friday Five: Beach Day!

(I used the Rhonna Designs app on my iPhone to make this pic. I used this picture I took from my trip to Oahu in April.  This is Waikiki Beach, and I loved the color of those umbrellas).

1.  As soon as I finish writing this post, Sofi and I are hitting the road and going to the beach for the first time this summer.  I can’t believe I haven’t been to the beach at all yet this summer. I’m excited to beat the heat (it’s supposed to hit the mid-high 90s here today), walk along the beach with Sofi, and just enjoy the crashing waves. Look for pictures on my Instagram later.

2.For those of you with curly hair, you know how important it is to find the right products.  It’s only recently that my hair has returned to it’s normal curls. After getting my hair smoothed with the formaldehyde-free keratin treatment last December, my curl pattern was completely changed; it wasn’t curly anymore, it was barely wavy.  I’m glad that I got the keratin treatment, because my massive weight loss affected my hair terribly, making it thin, frizzy, and really difficult to manage.  But I’ve realized that I’m just not great at blow drying my own hair on a regular basis (I just don’t have the technique), so I’ve decided not to get the keratin treatment again (which costs $300), and instead treat myself to Dry Bar appointments now and then. But let’s get back to the products.  Now that my hair is back to it’s normal curls, I wanted to find a product that would keep them defined, control the frizz, but and not build up. After trying lots of different things, I found Curly Sexy Hair. I’ve been using the shampoo, conditioner, Full-On Curls, and the Curling Creme.  I like that these products are really affordable, and that they work. I’ve been enjoying lots of compliments on my hair lately, which I haven’t had in about a year.

3. I’ve had a few clothing NSVs this week.  On Sunday, I found the cutest top, but it as in the petite section.  I liked it so much that I decided to try on the petite Medium anyway, and it FIT! Then on Monday, I was shopping around Target and found a cute 49er tee that was a juniors Large (see Instagram photo). The week before last, I went online to Venus and found a bunch of cute tops, all of which were size Mediums; they came on Tuesday, and every single one fits great (see the turquoise, floral peplum top in my Instagram). Yesterday I was thrilled to finally fit into the Chase Infinite tank that I’d bought a couple of months ago (again, see yesterday’s Instagram workout post). Every time I buy clothes in these small sizes, I am amazed at the fact that they fit. Not only fit, but that they look good.  Shopping is such a pleasure now.  I’ve always loved getting new clothes, but now that I can walk into any store and find something adorable, I am loving it!

4. I usually love watching movies in the summer, but I have to say that I’ve been very underwhelmed at the offerings.  The last movie I went to was The Fault in Our Stars, which was very good.  In the many weeks since, there really hasn’t been much I’d be willing to see.  But suddenly there are a few that I’m looking forward to:

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5. I found this photo on Instagram awhile ago, and I love it.  Not only is “choose happy” the way that I try to live my life on a daily basis, but I also love the beach and the image of the sun.  Seeing this just makes me smile, and I’m going to put it up on my white board at school as a daily reminder.  Because no matter how stressful the situation, how disappointing the news, or how unfortunate the event – I choose my reaction and I choose HAPPY.

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

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Friday Five: Day Off to Organize

Friday Five

1.  I took today off to get myself organized around the house.  I’ve had busy weekends for the past month, and I feel like my house is in need of a deep cleaning.  For example, the other day I had to use a beach towel because I was in desperate need of doing laundry. Plus, as part of my Lenten Sacrifice, I need to spend some more time going through my closet and compiling clothes to donate.

2.  Speaking of clothes, I’ve been having a great time buying some clothes for Hawaii.  I wanted to buy a few sundresses, and found some great ones:

They’re all really light and will be perfect for Hawaii’s temps.  The maxi dress will definitely be too long for me, but I found a great tailor who hems dresses for really cheap, and since the dress itself was on clearance at $17, paying for the tailoring is worth it.  I’m a bit worried that the hi-low dress might be a bit too short in front, but hopefully it will hit me lower because I’m short.

Remember those bikini tops I bought from VS?  Well they arrived the other day, and they were a bit too small. (I am very happy to say that the bottoms I bought fit well). They fit, but they were cut really sexily, and I just didn’t think I’d feel very comfortable wearing them, and would be worried that I’d “pop out.” So I returned those and got these “perfect coverage” tops instead:

I think I’ll feel a lot more secure in these.  That third one was on sale at Kohl’s and I like that it has a tiny bit of aqua detail.  Plenty of tops for the beach for a week. I also finally bought the board shorts that I’d planned on:

  I haven’t received these yet,but I’m really hopeful that they’ll be long enough and fit well. A few comments on the site that I bought them from said that they wore them out and about on vacation, as well as on the beach, which I think is a great idea.  I don’t have any pants suitable for Hawaii (I think jeans will be too heavy), so I also bought a few pairs of capris:

The first ones are fleece crops from Victoria’s Secret, and because I really liked the fit of the boyfriend pants I bought from VS before, I thought I’d  give these a try.  The second are from Kohl’s and were only $15; they seem like good lounge pants.  And the last ones are also from Kohl’s – I really hope they fit well because I think they’re really cute.  The only things left to buy for the trip (and for my spring/summer wardrobe) are some tanks and a few tops.

3. I started this morning off with a great spin class!  I’d bought some new padded bicycle capri pants that worked really well; I didn’t feel any of that pelvic bone pain that I’d had the first time.  I definitely need to fit more spin classes into my normal routine, because I love how powerful I feel when I’m in the class, and I really like the huge calorie burn that comes with the 60 minute session.

4.  I thought I’d share a lunch that I’ve been loving.  I first saw it on Pinterest, and I’ve seen it a lot on Instagram, too.  It’s a twist on egg salad – instead of using mayonnaise I substitute guacamole.  It might look a little strange and green, but it’s really delicious and adds a nice kick. Today because I’d burned so many calories with spin class, my TIU workouts, and taking Sofi for a walk in the neighborhood, I put the egg salad on two slices of Dave’s Good Seed Thin-Sliced Bread.  But this egg salad is also great on spinach to keep it more low carb.  I know it seems odd, but just give it a try.

5. This weekend I have some fun plans! Tomorrow afternoon I’m heading to SF to meet up with VSGTanya, whose videos on YouTube and posts on FB have really helped me learn so much about this journey.  Plus, she’s just a cool lady! She lives near New Orleans, but will be here in my area for work, so I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet her while she’s here. I can’t wait to meet her after following her story on YT and FB for over a year and a half.  There will be quite a few other WLS -ers there, so it will be fun to meet new people.  Then on Sunday my friend Di and I are volunteering for 3 hours doing a cleanup day at a local lake county park.

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

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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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Friday Five: February Break Edition

Friday Five

1. This week the scale has been especially friendly.  I weigh myself every morning because it helps me stay on track, but I usually wait to record my results until my “official” Sunday weigh-in posts.  This week I’ve been posting my weigh-in results on MyFitnessPal almost daily because I’ve been seeing so much success.  This morning when I stepped on the scale, it showed me that I am in the 180s!!!!!!  I hit 189.8, and I can’t think of a better way to cap off this fun week.
2. Why oh why did I start watching this show this week? Don’t get me wrong, I am LOVING this show – Kevin Spacey is at his wicked best in this role. The problem is I have a ton of essay that I should be grading instead of “binge watching” this show.  I’m in the middle of Season 1, and each episode is better than the last.  Have you seen it?
3. I’m a huge coffee fan, and one of my very favorite blends is Casi Cielo from Starbucks.  The package says that it has notes of lemon and dark cocoa.  It’s also only available for a very short time – January through late February, which makes it all the more special.  My sister and I are obsessed – we buy a new box of KCups every time we go into a Starbucks. On a side note, I’m actually really proud about how I’ve cut down on my daily coffee consumption.  Before surgery I would drink a 12-cup pot of coffee daily.  I know! Crazy, right?  Now I’m down to 1 cup a day, two at the most on the weekends, which is why I switched to a Keurig.
4. I need some new pjs.  The ones I bought for myself a few months ago are practically falling off, but I hate to get rid of them because they’re so comfy.  Still, it’s always fun to shop for new, smaller clothes.  Here’s a pair that have caught my eye:

They’re Nick & Nora from Target. I love the beachy scene!

5.  Hawaii is on my mind.  I leave for my trip in 41 days, and I can’t begin to describe how excited I am.  There are three things on my Fitness Bucket List that I may be able to cross off during my trip:

• Swim in the ocean in a tropical locale (Hawaii, Mexico, the Bahamas, etc).
• Learn (or at least attempt) to surf.
• Go ziplining.

We’ll see what I end up doing, but for now, it’s so fun to imagine the vacation possibilities.

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

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Friday Five: Spring Break

I’ve been enjoying this week off to the fullest! It’s been a nice combination of getting in workouts, seeing friends, getting just a bit of grading done, and going here and there. Fun stuff!

1. Yesterday Ani, my sis, and I took our pups to the beach and had the most amazing day. If you’d like to see more gorgeous pics, and read a bit more about it, you can check out the post I wrote on Sofi’s blog.

2. TinkerBell made a good point the other day, when she said that she bought a cotton maxi dress to come home from the hospital in after WLS. Because we’ll be feeling sore and bloated, and the 5 laproscopic incisions will be sensitive, a lightweight and easy-to-wear maxi is ideal. Only I don’t have one. After checking on LaneBryant.com and being appalled that they were charging $59.99-$89.99, I went on Target.com and found these dresses for $21.99 each:

Why spend a lot of money on something that won’t fit me for long anyway?

3.Have you seen the great giveaway Kenlie has going on over at AlltheWeigh? I entered, and if you workout at a gym and need a small solution for your essentials, you should, too.

Kenlie’s photo

4.  I’m excited for a much-need pedi that I have scheduled for later today.  I think I’m going with a fun turquoise, like For Audrey by China Glaze.

5. And finally, I’ll close with a great quote that I saw on FitApproach’s FB page:

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Friday Five: March 8th

1. I’m really glad this was a short week (Monday was a furlough day) because tomorrow I’m losing half of my Saturday to proctoring the SAT.  On the plus side, I will (hopefully) get lots of grading done while I’m getting paid a little bit.

2. Today our faculty social club has organized a bowling excursion, and I’m really looking forward to it.  It’s been ages since I’ve gone bowling, so who knows how I’ll score, but it will be fun to hang out with my colleagues and do something a bit active.

3. Speaking of being active, I’m really looking forward to my Hot Hula Fitness class tonight.  I bought in on an excellent deal via Groupon, so this will be 1 of my 10 classes.  I can’t wait to shake my hips and burn some serious calories.

4.  The other day I found the BEST sweet snack: They’re almost too good, but luckily my willpower is intact, and I kept it to a serving size.  If you’re looking for salty, buttery, and sweet – get them.

5. And finally, I’ll close with a great quote:

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Friday Five: Another 3-Day Weekend

1. This weekend is another long one for me – I have a furlough day on Monday. Even though I hate the fact that we had to have budget cuts this year, I have to admit, having another day off of school so soon is nice. I’m going to use the extra day to get in a great workout at the gym and get some home organization and cleaning done.

2. Yesterday I put together what I think was an adorable outfit for work, featuring a “new” blazer that I found in my closet. I got several compliments from students, which is always a good sign. Better yet, I felt great in the outfit, which is really the most important thing, don’t you think?

Since the weather has been in the high 60s, I thought it was high time for a flower in my hair to add a touch of spring to the last day of February.

3. I’m way overdue for a pedi (I never ended up getting one a few weekends ago), and I think I’m in the mood for green toes, in honor of St. Patty’s Day and the beginning of spring. Plus, I’m teaching The Great Gatsby right now in class, and green is a very symbolic color in that novel, so it works on a lot of levels:

Essie’s Mojito Madness

4. My weekend plans include going for a bike ride with my sister, shopping for my niece’s Easter baskets with my mom and sister (we do things EARLY in my family), and going to the movies. I’m not sure which movie we’ll end up seeing – any suggestions? What’s the last movie you saw that you enjoyed?

5. I saw this a few weeks ago, and loved it:

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Friday Five: Presidents’ Week Break

1. What a great week to be off of work!  I’ve spent my week off doing the perfect mix of activities – plenty of hardcore gym sessions, a few new culinary experiments, spending tons of time with friends, and reading.  The only way I could think of to top this week would have been if I’d been laying on a tropical beach somewhere.

2. One of my culinary experiments was my cauliflower crust pizza.  Although my first attempt has needs some perfecting, I think I know exactly how to do just that.

3.  Yesterday I spent a fabulous day riding my bike in Half Moon Bay, and I also found this little quote, which just so happens to look strikingly similar to my beach cruiser, Lola.

4.  I finished Gone Girl, and all I can say is if you haven’t read it – READ it!  I can’t say much more because there are lots of twists and turns that keep you shocked all the way to the final page of the novel.  My current read is another one by Gillian Flynn,

As the title implies, this one is another dark novel, and I am just as engaged by the flawed characters in this one.

5.  Finally, this morning as I was making my coffee, Sofi once again reminded me that sometimes all you need to be content is just a little spot of sun.  I love my pooch so much, and I’m glad she’s here to teach me all of these life lessons.

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Friday Five: Day Off

1. I’m off today, and while I don’t have any real plans, I’m really enjoying having the freedom to do whatever I want to today. So far I’ve taken Sofi to the groomer’s, worked out, and started checking out all my favorite online haunts. Later I’m going to the dentist. It’s wild and crazy around here, I tell ya! But I am looking forward to catching up with a couple of friends later today.

2. On Sunday I went on the David’s Tea website and ordered three different varieties:

1. Movie Night: it has real popped popcorn in it and is supposed to taste just like the real thing, without any calories.
2. Cocoa Canela: this one is like Mexican chocolate, chocolate with cinnamon in it. Yum!
3. Crème Caramel Rooibos: caramel is probably my favorite dessert flavor, so this will be a nice treat.

My thinking behind the order is that these teas, although pricey, will be the perfect after dinner sweet treat. Since I’m reducing my calories so strictly, I know I may have some cravings, and this will suit me perfectly. I’ve heard amazing things about David’s tea, and I couldn’t wait to receive it, but since it was coming from eastern Canada, I knew it would take a while to receive it. Not so! I just got my box today!!

I’m drinking the free sample of their coco chai as I write this, and it’s yummy!  I can’t wait to have cups (& pots) of all the others.

3.  I’ve just started reading Gone Girl, and although I’ve only just begun it, I’m really enjoying it.  I’ve heard so many great things about the book, and I can’t wait to see if it lives up to all the hype.  What’s on your bookshelf?

4.  I’ve been doing great with my workouts all week, but the one that I’m looking forward to the most is a love-themed Zumba class with Ani tomorrow, and you can bet I’ll be sporting either red or hot pink:

5.  Finally, I saw this on FB this morning and loved it…

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