Glow Stick Party

Cheap, easy and fun. Things you will need.

1. Glow stick (I got an awesome pink heart glow wand from the Dollar Tree $1)
2. A closet or dark room
3. Your phone (Play some great music and I put a toddler lock game on my phone so she could play with it while the music was playing)

Bam! Perfect for kids around 2 years. Ava absolutely loved the idea. She danced to the music and swung her wand for about an hour. Hey cheaper than going out somewhere.

Fitness Journal Entry 3/30/12

I think I personally did well today. Although the beginning of the day I was pretty lazy. I did manage to portion control and incorporate more healthy items in my day. Hit the gym and felt great afterward so I ended up taking Ava to the park for a little extra running around.

(Ava enjoying the park)

Breakfast: One and half of frozen blueberry pancakes with cool whip. Honeydew melon.
Lunch: The other half of my 12 oz coke and a small portion of taco ring leftovers.
Snack: Orange
Dinner: Bean and cheese tostada with sour cream.

Exercise: 30 minute express. For those of you who haven't been to Planet Fitness here is the breakdown. 20 stations. Light turns green you are either stepping or using a weight machine. If done in order it takes 30 minutes.

1. Stepper 
2. Seated Leg Press     15 reps 50 pounds
3. Stepper 
4. Leg Extension      15 reps 25 pounds
5. Stepper
6. Seated Leg Curl     15 reps 25 pounds
7. Stepper 
8. Chest Press             15 reps 25 pounds
9. Stepper 
10. Fixed Pulldown       15 reps 55 pounds
11. Stepper 
12. Seated Row          15 reps 25 pounds
13. Stepper 
14. Forgot name of machine (doh)      15 reps 10 pounds
15. Stepper 
16. Biceps Curl        15 reps 30 pounds
17. Stepper 
18. Triceps Extension       15 reps 30 pounds
19. Stepper 
20. Abdominal Crunch     15 reps x 2 20 pounds

Arc Trainer for 30 mins on Program 8 Cardio.

One thing I have learned from working out and reading a lot of fitness materials is that its not how many pounds you lift or how many reps you do. Always lift weights properly. If you feel yourself using the right muscle to do the technique you will feel and eventually see the cut in the muscle. For a person like me trying to make lean muscle and not bulk up its best to lift small weights for more reps. This would be opposite for someone trying to be a pro weight lifter. 

During 30 minute express there isn't much time to do multiple reps so I do what I would normally lift in one set. On days when I work certain muscle groups I do multiple sets. An example would be 15 reps of 20 pounds wait 30 seconds then lift another 15 reps. That would be considered 2 sets. Sorry if all this jumbled mess is confusing.

Always always mix weight lifting with cardio. If you only do one or the other you won't see much difference. You need cardio to get your heart pumping and burning calories and you need muscle to continue to feed that burn.

A Modge Inspiration

So my friend Amy says "Let's have a craft day." To which I say "Yay!" We begin looking on pinterest for ideas and came out with a pretty awesome piece of artwork.

First we started with blank canvas. We made our own modge podge (FYI all it is one part Elmer's glue one part water). Cut lots of leaves from scrapbook paper and threw it all together. We both did it a little different.

(Our inspiration)

 I decided to change the colors up a bit. Teal background. Amy thought I should just leave the canvas like this that it looked just fine to hang :)

Purple and green leaves/petals.

Our homemade modge podge seemed to work perfectly on this project even though I have seen some comments saying otherwise. I guess its all in the technique. Remember half water half glue and to use a roller of some sort rather than a paint brush. Let dry after you apply your petals for about 20 minutes then apply another coat over all petals to hold them in place forever. I'll post pics of Amy's once she has them up on her blog.

Fitness Journal Entry 3/29/12 - Struggling...

I guess you can say today was my off day. Which I need configure my brain when I am on a off day it doesn't mean I get to eat what I want...

Breakfast: 1 kiwi, few pieces of honeydew, 2 bites of a french toast stick Ava didn't eat..
Lunch: 6" wheat chicken pizziola sandwhich and half a yogurt parfait from Subway.
Snack: Half a 12oz coke...

(Leftover Jambalaya I will probably eat for dinner tomorrow)

Dinner: About a cup and a half or two cups of jambalaya. Damn you cajun food goodness. Ava actually did help me eat most of this.
Snack/Dessert: Small vanilla shake from McDonald's and a new strawberry cream cheese pie. (I was totally only planning on the shake and then convinced myself to eat pie...)

Exercise: Off day (I am so sore from the last two days)

Current Life: All summed up..

Currently I live in Lafayette, LA.

 I am 27 soon to be 28 on May 23rd. I am married to a wonderful hard working offshore man. His name is Michael Haley. I have a daughter named Ava Ann. She will be turning 2 on August 26th. 

(Most recent picture 3/25/2012) 

I guess you can consider my weekends spent at the Lafayette Jockey Lot my occupation. I make ladies and girls feel beautiful with gel nails and designs. It is something I look forward to every week. Most of the people there are like family. Great to speak with and always looking out for me.

(The largest open air flea market in Louisiana)

(A few nail designs I have done)

I have a few close friends I see on a regular basis to keep my sanity. Being that my husband works offshore the only way to stay sane is stay busy. I try my best to hit the gym or craft. I am working harder at that now more than ever since I have gotten to the terrible two stage with my daughter.

I am very happy with the life and family provided for me. We have a nice home that we rent and a new car to drive. I am very thankful yes indeed. I pay my bills on time and we keep food on the table. Although I find it very hard to not focus on the things we need or don't have. I am tired of renting and living check to check. I am ready to be in a stable position and not always worry about the future or what will happen when the next hurricane hits or oil spill comes. The future is never certain. I know I will be provided exactly with what I need. But is it wrong of me to always want something more. I guess not but it is wrong that I drive myself to destroying my fingers (I now have been diagnosed with dyshidrotic ezcema) and my emotions are always getting in the way of my relationships with friends and family. This blog is my new way of expressing my stress, letting it out and hopefully getting past it.

Fitness Journal Entry 3/29/12 - Pumped

Seeing as I am a mother it is hard to find time to go to the gym. Due to the fact that I am addicted to sweets doesn't help the fact either. I try to at least make it to the gym 1-4 times a week. But sometimes even going once seems like a big hassle. Dieting is what I find the hardest of all. I am fine eating close to nothing (which I know is not good for me) as long as I can get a daily fix of outrageous sweets. I have been trying to take a more healthy route by eating fruits. I am having a mental block on ways to prepare healthy meals that seem appealing to me and still get my fix for the sweets. Not to mention I need to just eat more but the right choices, not just junk. Now that I have found some goals it is time to get started with a plan. Please feel free to post any comments or suggestions.

Breakfast: Orange, Banana, slice and a half of turkey bacon (All food Ava wouldn't eat that I finished)
Lunch: Easy mac (I know but she wouldn't eat that either...) and a few pieces of cantaloupe
Snack: Sweet and Salty peanut granola bar
Snack: 5 waffle fries and 3? chicken nuggets from Chick fil a (Amy had me stop since we were starved before dinner)
Dinner: Large Slice of Taco roll... sour cream, queso and black beans.

Granted I know most of these were not good choices...

Exercise: 30 minute Arc Trainer
I forgot to write down my sets for my weights which I will start doing soon. But I know I did all upper body machines at least 2 sets of 15. 3 sets of 15 on ab crunch machine.

My Earliest Memories

All this happened when I was very young. Some good memories. Some sad. All very important to me. All in order of when I remember it happening.

1.  Laying in my dad's lap in his rocking chair outside. Listening to the rain hit the tin roof of our carport.
2. Crawling across our huge kitchen table and eating a Advil I thought was an M&M. I can't remember if I got caught but I do remember quickly spitting it out.
3. Running inside on a hot summer day and grabbing ice cubes from the ice maker and chomping loudly. It always made my mom yell at me to go back outside.
4. Backing down the driveway on my way to swim class and my dad ran over my favorite puppy Chico. He just didn't move from the driveway. I cried a lot that day.
5. Pushing my vegetables into a pile to make it seem like I ate some. Only to have my mom tell me I had to sit at the table until I ate them all.
6. Riding my bike down gravel roads to get to my best friend's house. 
7. Getting the worst sunburn ever but having the best time at a lake in IDK Louisiana. Wish I knew where it was now so I could take my little girl.