Success Along the Weigh

Howdy do all!  It's finally Friday and we're super excited because...Friday. We have a lot to do this weekend so we'd better get to it.  While we're getting shizz done, how about you jump into... Grilled, Baked & Cedar Planked: 7 Easy and Delicious Salmon Recipes   (Yum!) How to Secure Your Online Accounts By Revoking Access From Third-Party Apps   (It's time to do a little social media lockdown, yo) This Body Positive Advocate Wants You to Stop Striving for the Perfect Angle   (I don't really "do" selfies unless forced but yeah, I know that feeling when you look and accidentally hit the button and yell "AHHHHHHH!") A Flight Attendant’s Jet Lag Survival Guide   (Wish we would've had this last year!) 22 Celebrities Reveal How They Feel About Not Having Kids   (I once had someone who has three adult kids say to me "who is going to take care of you when you're old if you don't have kids?"  I said ...

Paddling season is coming up and that means we need to make sure our delts and rhomboids are ready to dig in.  While the goal is to get out on the water and be a little leisurely, a good gust of wind or prolonged wind we didn't plan for can make paddling very tiring.  Shoulder fatigue and back pain can set in if we're not careful so we're doing some exercises to help prep us for a season on the water. **I am not a health/fitness professional.  This workout should not be construed as medical advice.  Always consult your doctor before beginning a new fitness routine!** Warm Up - Reaches, arm circles, speedbags, etc Straight arm row with band - Tie a knot in the band    (affiliate link)  in the middle and put into a door. Grab the ends, standing straight with core engaged. Keeping arms straight, pull band back bringing shoulder blades together using your back to do the movement.  The arms are just along for the ride. Bent Over Rows ...

Yesterday, Patricia asked me about how I use my Food Saver    (affiliate link)  and I thought "hmm, I do rave about it a lot but I don't know if I've shown how it works and what we use it for!"  So thanks for a post idea!  I heard a lot of people say they either have one and don't use it or would never use it.  Well, I'm here to show you why it's a dang good investment and can save you hundreds o' bucks depending on your habits but more importantly how it can save you TIME! Here's my black beauty .  (affiliate link)  Now if you get a starter kit, you might get some pre-cut bags but rolls are the way to go because you can customize the size to the amount of stuff you want to freeze. Inside they have instructions telling you how to make a bag from the roll and how to seal it. First, you pull the bottom of the roll to the foam, click the lid closed and push seal. Voila...sealed bottom! Then decide how big of a bag you'...

Howdy do, y'all? Yesterday was a weird day.  You ever have one of those just hodge podge days where if someone asked you what you did, you wouldn't really be able to pinpoint it? Let's see, I scrubbed these outdoor pictures we have hanging up because they got mold or something on them.  Vinegar and baking soda FTW!  I watered our lilacs and enjoyed the scent as the wind whipped.  I did some research on blog stuff which I then forgot to talk to the Mr about when he got home.  I filmed a recipe that had to be done in parts so that was irritating because my light kept getting worse throughout the day despite being assured by the local weather team that it would be sunny all day.  Lies.  The other night at the grocery, I saw that they marked down Easter turkeys and for $12, I can't pass that up.  So I got him thawed (not gonna tell you how) and roasted his bum up because I always love the option of having turkey to grab from the fre...

Happy Monday all! For once, I can say the weekend didn't do a swirlie down the toilet!  I don't know the last time that happened!  We were both shocked that we lost a pound each given the Easter basket carnage of last Saturday but we were both ecstatic so it was a good way to kick off the weekend.   We went to a mom and pop store that will be shuttering while we're away and I wanted to see while it still had some items on the shelves.  It was very sad.  It's the only place I could still walk in and smell my childhood.  While the Mr didn't grow up and have childhood memories attached to it like I do, it's still been a big part of his life for 25 years because of me.  I mentioned how I wanted to get some lilac bushes since I've seen people with them planted in our area and they happened to have spring flowers in and some bushes.  We thought that would be a lovely way to remember them by planting fragrant three season lilacs and always think...

Happy, happy Friday you sassy pantses!  (Is that how you address multiple sassy pants?)  I hope you're ready for the weekend too.  Let's jump right into... 11 Cooking Tips Pro Chefs Swear By (and You Should Too)   (Some good stuff in there!) 39 Mindless Ways You're Wasting Money in Every Part of Your Life   (Take inventory...you could save some moolah!) 4 Weird Ways Your Body Warns You Something Is Wrong  (Pay attention!) 24 Essential Push-Up Variations for Total-Body Strength   (Because we all need options.) 4 Important Reminders to Ask for Help (Earlier Than You Think)   (We can't do it all and we shouldn't hold it in) 12 Garage Sale Items That Sell Like Hotcakes   (It's that time of year!) Are Big Muscles “Scary?”   (Actually, when I see a chick with big muscles I always assume she can kick my @ss!  I think that's a pretty good thing!) 10 Ways to Relax Before Bed    (Please don't light incense...

I have always been a very sensory, tactile person.  There are certain sounds, smells, and textures I like. For instance, I love the sound of a rotary phone...the longer the number the better.  When I was a kid, I used to sit and rub my grandma's smooth, polished fingernails for a good 20 minutes.  I always found it soothing.  I loved it when people would stroke my hair, don't touch my scalp but just stroking my hair with their hand.  When the Mr and I were dating and he'd whisper whatever sassy things teens would whisper to each other when trying to score, it would literally send an involuntary jolt through me down to my lower back.  I thought that was totally normal because you know, horny teen.  I never gave much thought to any of these things until a week ago. People have always told me my voice is very soothing.  I don't think it is but a friend's boyfriend said he fell asleep to my voice when they were watching a video I did one time. ...

Our rental situation thankfully got settled before lunchtime yesterday but it wasn't without a nice morning full of panic attacks where I couldn't take a full breath.  Don't mess with mah vacation woman!  Thankfully that passed by the afternoon and I got some work done.  The Mr was kickin' butt helping me so we had the evening free.  We did our cardio of walking the hood for three laps because my legs were cursing me from deadlifts from the previous night's workout.  Tonight will definitely be upper body because I'm still pretty tight and I don't want to overdo it.  Dinner was BBQ chicken, twice baked potato and green beans.  Then it was time to take in some movies. Wild Oats     (affiliate link)   (Jessica Lange, Shirley MacLaine, Billy Connelly)  A recently widowed woman (MacLaine) erroneously receives a five million dollar check instead of the $50,000 she was expecting from her husband's life insurance.  Egged...

Happy Tuesday. I got some work done yesterday which made me feel a little better.  Then I got an email from one of the places we're staying saying we still owed money.  (We don't.)  I emailed her proof through the place I booked it through that it was paid 4 months ago.  She claimed we didn't pay the security deposit (we did) and I sent her a screen shot of our credit card statement showing not only the payment she claimed she received but a separate charge of the security deposit with her reservation next to it. *Crickets* I sent a follow up and we'd better be square or I'm sicking the Mr on her.  Why is it we always have to "earn" our vacations 4-6 weeks before we leave by dealing with extra crap we shouldn't have to.  It doesn't matter how big or small.  So say a prayer because mama needs a crap free vacation on all fronts. We did our workout, a Fitness Blender lower body workout- a bit of bodyweight HIIT in the first part and then stre...

Good Monday morning all!  Everyone recovering from da ham bloat? Saturday we got out and had fish and chips outside at a local eatery.  It was nice to be able to sit outside but unfortunately it was a little breezy so we had to dodge crap from the trees we were under.  I took the ducks my leftover fries and just as we were finishing up, the heavens opened up so we had to run back to our car.  We ran some errands and visited with some friends of ours who own a local store.  Of course the table I was there to show the Mr was sold.  I knew it would be.  Sigh.  We totaled our Easter baskets and our guts were full of regret.  Remember when you could demolish that thing as a kid and think nothing of it? (I couldn't help myself when I saw his little butt after I bit it off- Lindt Dark Chocolate bunny.  Homer Simpson drool) But I will say we did enjoy some of the treats we picked up in Canada. The Mr loved his Oh Henry egg even if i...

Another week zipped by...how'd that happen?  No matter, it's Friday!! Let's dive straight into... Eating More of This Will Make You Live Longer  (If people need to be told this, we're in serious trouble y'all!) The 5 Top Nutrition Mistakes & How to Fix Them   (All of these) Are You Sabotaging Your Health and Fitness Success?   (There's some good tips ri-cheer) Beyond The Back Squat: 3 Squat Variations To Mix It Up   (Always appreciate a new way to work mah booty!) Do These 4 Things to Have an Amazing Poop Every Single Day   (Is there a guarantee on this because I do most of these and no go.  Also, we tried the squat stool and that thing made a bad situation worse for both of us!  LOL) 7 Signs You're Losing Weight (Even When the Scale's Being Rude)   (Good things to remember if the scale is giving you the middle finger) 8 Diet Myths – Busted!   (Courtesy of the Mr) Everything You Need to Know About ‘Natural’ Skin...

I was watching this vlogger yesterday and they have a 7 year old daughter.  They were buying carpet and the camera was set up between the rolls for the shot and it triggered a memory for me.  I used to love going to the carpet store as a kid.  My favorite thing was to stand between the tall rolls and hide and be enveloped in that probably cancerous scent of new carpet.  Sometimes I would just stand there out in the open and other times I'd hide and watch my parents looking for me.  I also loved flopping down on those cascading samples of carpet and just breathing it in.  Weirdo. Then typing about that made me think of how I used to hide in racks of clothes at retail stores. Remember when they'd have those big, round racks of clothes?  (I know some places still do)  My mom worked retail and I loved just going in there and sitting.  Something about people being all around me but not knowing I was there. It was something I obviously sough...

Happy Hump Day all! I hate to sound like a broken record but yesterday was crazy busy...again.  I'm trying to see the light at the end of the tunnel but every time I see a pinprick of light, some other seemingly urgent new task pops up.  I had the tornado dream the other night.  I knew it was coming.  It always happens when I have a crapload of stuff to get done with a deadline.  (FYI, according to dream interpretation sites: "To dream that you are in a tornado means that you are feeling overwhelmed and out of control."  Yep, that about sums it up!) Like I started this post an hour ago, got sidetracked and here I am at 11:30pm.  *bangs head against wall* Earlier, when the Mr's work day came to an end, it was time for our workout.  The previous two days made us both pretty hobbly so something with a bunch of jumping and stuff was out.  I suggested a walk around the hood.  I had to laugh at this duck enjoying his "pond" before flying...

Top o' the Tuesday to you all! I was quite the busy bee yesterday.  I made my homemade baked beans which need to be babysat a bit while the beans are re-hydrating but I didn't mind the excuse to have to get up every 30 minutes.  I got some work done when the lawn care people went on lunch where I needed silence...or as close to it as I'm going to get where I live.    I felt super productive but dang the day zipped by and before I knew it, the Mr was coming home and boom, the evening was upon us. We did a Fitness Blender kettlebell workout and I created some new swear words.  I'm not a super fan of when they repeat a round (or in this case 3 rounds) of the same exercises.  It's like when I know they're coming, I usually tend to give less effort.  But thankfully the past few weeks, we've really been bringing the intensity so I feel like we were just as strong in the last set as we were in the first one, focus wise.  Now I won't lie, we both fel...

Who's there? Boo. Boo Who? The weekend's over, you don't have to cry about it! Actually I do have to because damn man, it was jam packed full of work and even though we got out of the house it was for half of our grocery re-stock so that just feels like work!  Then we had dinner out (we usually do lunch out, less crowded).  We had some loud family beside us, screeching children behind us and a waitress that thought we apparently looked like it'd be okay to drop an F bomb as she bid us adieu.  (We're not prudes but yeah, not appropriate until you've waited on us about 3x then let 'em fly.)  The meal was okay but this is why I end up cooking at home half the time. I wanted some fur fix so we got out this little guy... "I'm about to remind you why you haven't gotten another pup!" He was a cutie and ran around in circles until he started circling period looking at his butt and took a fresh, steamy dump on the floor... followed ...

It's Friday!!  This week has kind of flown by for me.  So much to do and not enough hours in the day. (Hence my being up until 1am most nights.  Oy) But enough of my sleep deprivation, let's get to... A Trainer's Take on How Many Days Each Week You Should Strength Train   (I already do three, I don't really want to up it from there just yet.) The One Thing No One Realizes About Happiness   (Very good tips) I Did the World's First Ice Cream Cleanse: Yes, Really   (Courtesy of The Mr) Here's What a Doctor Has to Say About All That Protein You're Eating   (That large Spain study is some scary shizz!) Nutrition and healing; how to eat to help healing   (This came at a time the Mr needed to read it.  Very helpful info for those coming back from injury) 15 Little Spring Cleaning Tasks You Can Tackle in Under an Hour   (We've all got that drawer/bin) The Unexpected Reason You're So Anxious   (YES, this!!) 8 Times i...