Good Morning! We made it!

Camping!  And not only did we "make it" as my title suggests, but we ROCKED it.  Ok, so we're not exactly shopping around for deluxe campers complete with strings of lights, nor are we feverishly booking our next trip to the great outdoors; but overall, camping was a huge success.  So huge in fact, that tears were actually shed by the littlest Wheaton when he was told it was time to pack up to head home. 

Of course, as my hot-mess luck should have it, my camera died as soon as I snapped the first picture on Saturday morning, so all memories of our first family camping trip must now reside in our heads.  EPIC FAIL.  So sadly, pictures didn't happen this weekend. But in no particular order, here are some things that DID happen:

• Bodysurfing in the lake
• Building sandcastles
• Neighbors who played their music too loudly til 2 AM
• Baby bunnies
• Live music on the beach
• Doritos, potatoes, bacon, marshmallows, ice cream cones, lemonade, basically every other unhealthy food you can possibly think of
• An air pump that wasn't charged up enough to blow up the air mattress
• A trip to the camp store to purchase a hand-held air pump
• Playgrounds
• Walking in the woods with flashlights
• Basically every other activity that boys enjoy, including but not limited to, both peeing and brushing teeth outside. 
• Mistaking an adult drink for a kid drink... and then being asked to perform a sobriety test in the form of Follow The Leader.  (Just kidding, that didn't happen.  OMG YES IT DID. We were scared out of our minds that our 5-year-old was gonna be wasted. But thank God he was totally fine.  There was hardly anything left in the cup anyway. Maybe the sobriety test was a little over the top...)
• The phrases "I wuv tampin'!!!"  and "Woah, camping is so awesome!!"
• Passing out and completely missing both marshmallows and glow-in-the dark bubbles the second night.

So here we are, home again, and I am fatter than ever.  I'm pretty sure that I gained 50 pounds while away so it's time to get things back on track. 

Here's what's happening on the workout front:

Monday- 4 mile walk (dare I say Power Walk?) with the stroller/ 1-hour Power Body class
Tuesday- (yep, that's today) Arms with free weights/ Zumba = Dunzo!/ Hopefully "hiking"(walking on a trail) with boys later if it's not a million degrees out.
Wednesday-Friday- some running, more weights, maybe another cardio class or 2, hmmm... the possiblites are endless 

What's on your workout agenda for the week???

Have a healthy day,

J

Hell Yeah For Summer Vacation!

First things first- did everyone check out my debut on Skinny Mom? I'll be on there every Wednesday and Friday, so you can hit me up over there all the time. Tell your friends and tell your enemies.  And then leave me a comment telling me (and the editors) how much you love my posts.  Please and thank you. 

Ok, now. Let's talk about more important things.  Like the fact that I am on summer vacation!!  And it has gotten off to a great start. I've had a week full of playdates, field trips, cleaning the house, swimming, showering, and working out. (And yes, I know that last cross-out is grossing you out.  Sorry.  Not-showering much is happening.  I'm aiming for once a day.  Whether it comes 5 minutes after a run or 12 hours after is another whole issue.)   

I know I've said this before, but early morning runs are good.  It's not always easy to get out of bed on a non-work day to strap on the sneakers and move your legs, but it's *always* worth it.  By Monday morning at 7 AM, I had already run 2 miles and done a load of laundry.  I thought, "Wow, I might actually be productive over these next couple of months".  On Tuesday morning, I slept through my alarm.  Oops. But I did walk 4 miles with the stroller.  That counts, right? (Even though I stopped at my sister's house 2 miles in and ate some strawberry shortcake? Just kidding, that didn't happen.  Ok, fine, maybe it did.)  Maybe "productivity" will take on a few different personalities this summer.





Anyway, moving on.  Strawberry picking happened on Monday, too.  Fun!  This is the last week for strawberries around here, but the first week for raspberries.  The boys had fun gorging themselves on berries straight off the plants, and my mom and I collected as many as we could. Since Monday, we've had them sliced, in parfaits, frozen in smoothies, in shortcake, and as stovetop jam.  Yay strawberries! 


 CJ got to see some of his preschool friends for a sweaty playground playdate (and Ty got to be totally miserable cuz his brother dissed him for a while). My spoiled kids have gotten to swim, ride bikes, go to a (kindof weird yet oddly entertaining) singing/drumming show put on by a crunchy guy with bare feet and an animated face, meet a totally bootleg Superman,  and play at the gym while I've worked out.  And it's only Thursday!  I'm already tired of this entertainment s*#t.   There's gotta be a camp or something that starts soon.  After all,  I need to clean my house sit down.

Happy Summer everyone!!  What fun things are you doing to get this season started??

Have a healthy day,

J

PS- pics to come.  I know you're anxiously awaiting their arrival.  My camera battery is dead.  Chill out, they'll be added soon.

Random Thoughts on a Thursday

Source

 Happy Thursday.  Weirdly, there's not that much going on around here today.  So lucky for you, here is a window into my head.  Feel special. 

Did anyone see Jennifer Lopez on American Idol Wednesday night?   (Here she is just in case you missed her).  Whether you love her, hate her, or are totally sick of her, you must admit that she has a smokin' hot bod.  I am jealous in a major way of those freaking abs.  Not only does she have two kids, but she gave birth to them at the same time!  And those abs STILL look like that.  No fair.  Well, I mean, I guess it is fair if you have a trainer, a chef, and access to unlimited babysitting and gym time.  But still, Wahhhh.  Can I please look like that? 

It's like, 90 degrees out today. I love the summer, and am ecstatic that it came early this year. I like being outside and not wearing a coat.  I enjoy sleeping with the windows open.  But 90 is too hot.  I had to turn on the Central Air today, much to the husband's dismay.  He claims that I complain when it's hot and I complain when it's cold.  He's right.  I hate being uncomfortable.  Is there any place on earth where it is 75 and breezy every day?  I wanna move there. 

It's currently 3 in the afternoon and my children are still upstairs talking to themselves.  As in, not taking naps.  They've been up there for an hour and are supposed to be taking a trip to Dream Land right about now.  But they're not.  And... oh wait.... I take that back.  It no longer sounds like they are talking.  I actually think it's rapping.  I love days when naps don't happen. 

OMG. Go to sleep!

I know what you're thinking... sheesh, so much negativity.  Let me back in to that brain NEVER.  Chill out. There's good stuff happening in the old noggin' too. 

Like my workouts this week- I ran twice (even this morning before it was 90 out!) and felt so good both times.  Hmmm... maybe I'll do another 5K. I did Power Body, I did Zumba, and I walked while pushing the gigantic double stroller. Oh and I did free weights.  I enjoy working out.

A kid at school rated one of my lessons a 6 on a scale from 1-5.  This may sound stupid, but my kids are emotionally draining most of the time. They refuse to admit that they even kind of enjoy anything, and I have been contemplating whether or not I even have it in me to put in another year with them.  But one kid liked something, and I'm gonna hang on to that. I enjoy making connections, and I enjoy validation.

It's a three day weekend.  And it's going to be beautiful out.  The pool is almost swimmable. I am going to enjoy my family.

I enjoy my life.  

Have a healthy day, (and do something this weekend that you enjoy!)

J

Spring Fevah...

:

I've got it sooooo badly today, don't you?!?!  It is such a sunny day, and the birds are going nuts out there.  It's still pretty chilly (my car told me it was 50 as I was driving home), but it's coming, friends.  It's coming! 

He's figured out that if he
rides his bike fast enough, the cape
will fly out behind him like
a REAL superhero!

I CANNOT wait until we don't have to be cooped up inside anymore.  The boys are dying to get out there and ride their bikes, and I'm so excited for the long naps and early bedtimes that come with all of that fresh air! 


It's ALMOST making me want to get out there and go for a run (jog? walk/jog?)  But I pretty much hate running, and there is zero shot that I'm pushing the huge ass double stroller the whole time.  I'm hoping though, that I can convince them to accompany me on a nice long POWER WALK later.  The daycare at the gym is closed today, which means that Friday is usually my day off.  Getting out there to enjoy this day would definitely be an added bonus!

This weather is also making me cotemplate cleaning my gross house.  As you know, I'm on a kick to detoxify both my body and my home.  I found this awesome cleaner on Pinterest (Yes, I'm addicted to Pinterest.  I'm not ashamed.) It's completely homemade, and chemical free!  And once I looked in to it a little further, it turns out that it's actually a pretty well known little secret.  Here's the ridiculously easy recipe in case you're interested:

Homemade Disinfecting Cleaner

1 cup Dish Liquid (I use the clear Palmolive stuff)- heat it up for about 30 seconds

1 cup white vinegar

water

Essential Oil (optional. I used Lavendar so my house didn't smell like vinegar)

That's it!! How easy is that?  I diluted the soap/vinegar mix with water because I was planning on using it on my counters and basically everywhere else around my house, but you totally don't have to. In fact, my original source left the water out.  I will totally be using this from now on!

Giving some credit where it's due... here's the original source

(This is totally not my picture.  I stole it from my Pin).

Have a healthy day (weekend!),

J