What I'm Reading This Week #17

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 "uh, do you seriously think your kids are going to do that for you?"  "Touche.")

50+ Clever Things You Can Do With Old Clothes  (Some cute ideas)

Sweet and Easy Romantic Gesture to Show Your Spouse You Care  (Very true!)

4 Ways to Detach From Work and Finally Enjoy Your Downtime  (Doing that as you read!)

Chris Pratt ‘Officially’ Weighs In On That ‘Jurassic World’ Theory  (Dude, this would be AMAZING!)

Robert Irwin Talks About His Uncanny Resemblance to Dad Steve With Jimmy Fallon  (That is seriously freaky!!!)

The Real Pirate Of The Caribbean, Johnny Depp, Just Surprised Fans At Disneyland  (I love when he takes Jack on the road.  If he'd like to come on over this way, I wouldn't be offended!)

Oreo Just Launched Peanut Butter Ice Cream Sandwiches  (Well... sh*t)

Jeff Goldblum Serves Free Sausages To People Because He’s Jeff Goldblum  (I LITERALLY would explode confetti if I was in this situation!!!)

In case you missed 'em this week...

Back to Nature Recap 
Hodge Podge  
Save Time AND Money?  Yes Please!
Prepping for the Season  

I've decided we need to do a full house cleaning this weekend...the Mr just got that memo as he proofread but mama is tired of the house looking like squatters live here.  We'll likely get out for a few hours but it'll only take a few hours to get the place lookin' spiffy.  Tis my only to do for this weekend!  Got some fun stuff coming up next week including a new feature.

What are y'all getting into this weekend?  (I hope it's more fun than deep cleaning!)

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Prepping for the Season

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- With back straight and knees slightly bent, hinge forward and let dumbbells hang down, palms turned in. Bend your elbows back close to your body and bring the dumbbells to your lower ribs. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and return your arms to the straightened position.

Reverse Fly- Bend forward at your hips until your body is almost parallel to the floor. With feet shoulder-width apart, let the dumbbells rest straight down from your shoulders.  Keeping your back flat, raise your arms straight out to your sides, pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

Upright Row- Hold dumbbells with a palms forward grip. With a slight bend at the elbows, lift dumbbells up near your chin. Return slowly to waist level.

Backbows- Lie straight and face down on the exercise mat. Extend arms in front of you. Raise your arms, chest, and legs off of the floor simultaneously and hold for 2 seconds. Slowly begin to lower back down to the starting position.

Lateral Raises- Get a pair of dumbbells and allow them to hang at  your sides. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and a slight bend in the elbows.  Raise your arms straight out to your sides until they’re at shoulder level. (You should look like a "T" with your body.)  Pause, then slowly lower the weights back to starting position.

Push Ups- Go into plank position with your arms straight and hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart. Lower your body until your elbows form a 90 degree angle and push back up.

Scapula Shrugs- With a pair of dumbbells, lean forward into a 90 degree angle allowing the weights to hang.  Squeeze your shoulder blades together until they touch as you remain parallel to the floor. Repeat.

Renegade Row- With dumbbells in hand, do a push up and at the top of the push up row the right dumbbell, lower it back to the floor and repeat with the left dumbbell. Keep hips parallel to the floor.

Dumbell Pull Overs- Lying on the ground, extend the dumbbell over your chest. With straight arms slowly drop the weight down towards the floor over your head. Keep abs tight as you bring the weight back up over your chest.

Overhead Press- Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at your shoulders with your arms bent and palms facing your body.
Press the dumbbells directly over your shoulders until your arms are almost straight. As you press, supinate (twist) the weights so that your palms face foward then lower the dumbbells to starting position.

TRX Pull Ups-  From a seated position under the suspension system,  (affiliate link) bend your knees and place your feet flat on the floor. Reach above you and grab the handles with your palms facing forward. Initiate the pullup by squeezing your back muscles together and down. Bend your elbows and pull your body up until your chin is in line with your hands. Your toes should always stay in contact with the floor.

Stretch!

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What is your favorite on the water activity?

(This post contains affiliate links.  Should you choose to buy through them, I may get a small commission to help keep the blog up and running.  Thanks for your support!)

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Save Time AND Money? Yes please!

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'll need then slide the cutter across.  There is a basic model  (affiliate link) that doesn't have the cutter but believe me when I tell you to get the model with one.  Much easier.  Then you're set to roll!

I've got that $12 turkey I cooked up that needs to hang out in the freezer.

Fill the bag either halfway or by weight.  I do by weight so our portion size is already determined and future me doesn't have to bother.  Yay for pre-planning!  

To vacuum seal, line up the top of the bag with the catch drain thingy because if you have any moisture in something that isn't already frozen, then even if you push the "moist" setting, you can still get some moisture sucked out.  Then you pop it out and wash it off so it doesn't gunk up your machine.

Hit the Vac/Seal button and watch the fun begin!

Boom!  Sealed from the nasty air and this here bird...6 months if you wrap it and do the freezer bag thing but 2-3 YEARS in a Food Saver.  Before you scoff...yes, I've had year old turkey and it was as delicious as the day I made it!  (It's never made it to 2 years but I know a few people who wouldn't touch stuff in their freezer for 2-3 years so maybe I'll see if they'll let me throw a bag in there!)

Then I label mine with a Sharpie.

I label what it is, how much it weighs so I know our portions with one look so I can enter it when meal planning and what day it was frozen.

That $12 turkey got us 5 meals...that's $1.20 per person.  When was the last time you paid $1.20 for a serving of turkey at a restaurant?  Ask your grandma because that's about how far back you're going to have to go.

So what else do I use it for?  We're only two people but sometimes I want lasagna but I don't want it all week.  Food Save it!

Same when I batch cook.  I can make my homemade baked beans and then freeze them.  So how do I do that without squishing both of them all to hell?

For the lasagna, I separate the pieces onto a silicone mat  (affiliate link) lined cookie sheet, cover it with plastic wrap and freeze it overnight.  The next morning...Food Save them in bags of two so I can pull them out when I'm feeling lazy!

For the baked beans, I portion them into servings I know will fit into our calories, freeze them in the bowl overnight and the next morning run a little hot water to loosen it from the bowl and freeze them in the bags.  No squishing!

The Mr absolutely loves it because when we go back to his hometown once or twice a year, he gets a pizza from his favorite pizza place and even frosted cream sticks from his favorite pastry shop!   That's right...you can freeze cream filled donuts in it!!

Just apply the same principle by freezing them overnight and the next morning, vacuum those babies and the Mr will attest that the donuts taste as fresh as the day he got them!  The only thing is the icing might be a little crinkled looking but nothing a knife spread session won't fix.  We'll usually put a sheet of wax paper over the top to protect the frosting (doesn't look like he did with this batch) then if he decides he wants them on a high cal day, he'll pull out a 2 pack, cut the package open and pull them out to thaw and an hour later they're ready.

We also do it when we road trip.  There's a donut shop coming back from Toronto that has amazing chocolate donuts so we just freeze them and then stick them way in the back so we're not tempted when grabbing the quinoa.

If you've followed for any length of time, you know we basically Food Saved our trip to Virginia last year and because of it barely gained any weight.

We had everything from chili and cornbread to chocolate chip pancakes to banana bread to meatloaf to a full turkey dinner completely frozen and Food Saved  (affiliate link) (a verb you will use once you use it frequently).  Then we put it all in a cooler we brought with us!  It helped tremendously so we knew what we were eating and still not feeling like we were missing out since the town we were staying in had limited dining options.  So I can't rave about this thing enough.  My first one lasted 10 years...TEN.

I just replaced it right before our trip to Vermont for Christmas.  We used it to have every single thing we enjoy every year...

From Christmas Eve and Christmas dinner to frozen cookie dough for Snickerdoodles after sledding and cut outs for Santa!  Yes, that means you can FREEZE your cookie dough in October and not have to pull your hair out in December whipping up 3-10 different batches of dough in one exhausting weekend!

Finally, it is also used to make sure my grandma and her husband get healthy meals on occasion and not just fast food.  A few meals are prepared, frozen and kept in the freezer.  Just a reminder to pull it into the fridge the night before and they're able to microwave it and enjoy a home cooked meal without having to cook it themselves.  So this can be a real God send for people who are caregivers that want to make sure there are always good, healthy meals available for the people they love!

I hope that helps those of you who already have one and may not use it much or for those who have been on the fence about buying one.  It's perfect if you bulk shop at Costco or Sam's Club.  You can marinate steaks, then freeze them and having them ready to go.  You can pre-cook meals and freeze them to pull out the day before and have them ready to go for lunch and no rushing around in the morning.  If you're saying "I have no room to store it" well, I live in a shoebox so I really have nowhere to store it.  But it fits nicely on top of the fridge in a bin so it's always readily available.  You store that thing anywhere other than the kitchen then no, it won't likely get used because you won't want to schlep down to the basement to get it.  If I haven't convinced you yet, I likely won't.  It's okay, time and money aren't incentives for everyone!  ;-)

Do you have a Food Saver  (affiliate link) and if so, do you use it or does it collect dust?

(This post contains affiliate links.  Should you choose to buy through them, I may receive a small commission.  Thanks for helping keep the blog lights on!)

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Hodge Podge

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 freezer.  Thank you, Food Saver! (affiliate link) 

The Mr, of course, got stuck at work and had to run to Trader Joe's for a few things they were out of the other day so we got down to workout later than I care to these days.  We've been trying to make it a point to go down by no later than 5 pm now which is an hour before we almost always did.  Then I started to get a phantom gall bladder attack.  Those are rare but always so fun.  That thing has been out of my body for almost 20 years and there are still times the scar tissue will twitch and mimic an attack.  It freaked me out the first few times I experienced it but I read from people it happens all the time no matter how long it's out.  Usually, I can do a really exaggerated stretch and massage the area and it'll calm it but sometimes it laughs and says "nope, not happening!"  Oh, we got our AA rewards gift cards.  We both got $100 gift cards for Target.

We had BBQ pork chops and sweet corn for dinner.  Yum!

Today Mean Dreams comes out.  It was one of Bill Paxton's last movies.  I remember seeing a press junket and he was so proud of this movie so we are definitely going to rent it and I will try not to cry.  I recorded Nights in Rodanthe  (affiliate link) from the HBO preview so I could watch it and sob.

So as you can see, it wasn't a fantastical day but you know, any day above ground is a good one so there's that.

What movie always makes you ugly cry?

(This post contains affiliate links.  Should you choose to buy through them, I may receive a small commission.  Like a good bra, I thank you for your support!)

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Back to Nature Weekend Recap

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 of them when we're enjoying their blossoms.  Sigh...I have to stop talking about it.

I felt the need to be by the water.

We sat watching the swallows skim and swoop the top of the water and the herons be creepy as herons tend to be.  Even the ducks were like "yeah, I'm not swimming by that thing unless you come with me."

It was a nice sunset and it made me get the itch to get paddling season underway.  It won't be long now!  I don't think we cleaned the muck off the paddleboards/yak last season so I'm sure a good wash down and pump up to check bladders will be in order in the next few weeks.  It will be nice to have that as a workout option again especially since we've both been working all winter on building up our paddling muscles.  *Flexes back like I'm in a fitness competition*

We went to Trader Joe's and Target for the first part of our refuel.  There was a hilarious moment in Target with a couple and their two kids.  One was maybe a year and the other was about four years old.  Well, the four-year-old was being a twit and the dad threatened to put her in the cart if she didn't stop acting a fool.  Of course, she didn't and he sighed as he begrudgingly went to his dad duties and said loud and sarcastically "have kids they said...it'll be fun!"  We went to the side and started giggling and the Mr said out of earshot "glad we didn't!"  Truth!!

Sunday was a work day for me but it wasn't too bad because we got to indulge in the fruit of my labor before boxing it up to be sent to his work for the dingoes.  ;-)  I put on a Hawaiian radio station, so it set up a nice chill day.  We still had a produce run to make and then get in our workout.  Beh.  The Mr was craving lemon pasta alfredo so I obliged with some grilled zucchini and shrimp on top...

I feel like I'm able to breathe a bit and still looking to get in some cushion on some stuff so I can try to enjoy the summer.

What did you guys get into this weekend?

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What I'm Reading This Week #16

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 when you're trying to fall asleep.)

Every Little Box of Jiffy Mix, Baked, and Tasted  (OMG, those fake blueberry muffins...soo good!)

Prince Harry stifled his grief after his mom Princess Diana's death  (So great he's speaking about this)

Stuffed Animals Bring Comfort to Dementia Patients  (We can vouch for this)

Smoky, purple home fries??  (Oh yeah babe...a brunch staple!)

Dog's Smooth as Hell Jailbreak Captured on CCTV Cameras  (Courtesy of the Mr.  I LOVE the cagemate next door like "dude...teach me!")

Not too sure what we're doing this weekend but looking forward to hopefully chilling a bit after having so much to do last weekend.

What kind of trouble do you have planned?

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So what is this all about?

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.  Others have told me it de-stresses them.  (I bet the Mr would beg to differ but now that I think about it, he may say "this is why I yawn when you speak!")  Last week, two different people contacted me saying how soothing my voice was and I would be big in the ASMR community.  AS-ya what??  I think, like a lot of people, I mistakenly thought it was a fetish thing but I soon found out it's not at all.

So I looked it up and if you're curious what it stands for, you can go here.  It basically means you get a physical (tingles from head through the spine) or psychological (relaxation/feeling drowsy) response from hearing people whisper, tap objects (I've always been a finger tapper but don't like to hear other people tapping), flip pages in a book or color or even watch Bob Ross paint happy trees. The more I read, the more I saw how much it actually helps people with all kinds of ailments and issues.  It helps people who can't relax on their own to unwind, people with insomnia to become sleepy and even people with PTSD get to sleep or relax if they're having a hard episode.

I kept seeing ASMR Darling pop up in my findings so I watched a few of her videos.  Now if you're watching them without earbuds on, it might look a little strange because she talks into each side of her microphone so it's like she's whispering in either ear.  Should you decide to check out her videos, I suggest wearing earbuds and do it close to bedtime.  You could definitely fall asleep at your desk listening to her at work.  I'm not a big fan of the role-playing videos because it's just not my thing but I guess the ones where she's just whispering are really calming to me and so many people in the comments talk about waking up with their earbuds strangling them or never knowing how a video turned out because they fell asleep!  Only a few times did I ever experience the tingly jolt I described earlier but a lot of people do with her videos.  Imagine how helpful this could be if you have insomnia, anxiety issues and need to unwind and don't want to resort to taking medication to do it.  Not all people experience ASMR like I don't think the Mr does but I guess it's taking the internet by storm.  I'm all for whatever makes people relax in this high-stress society and I'm actually thankful for those few people bringing it to my attention.  I really like this girl's channel not just because of her videos intended purpose but her personality is so sweet, encouraging and positive.  Can't we all use a little more of that in our lives?

Have you heard of ASMR?  Have you experienced any of those sensations and not known what the heck they are?

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Squared away and Movie Night

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 on by her best friend (Lange), they embark to live life to the fullest before they get caught.  Connelly's character is somewhat endearing and you'd know why I feel that way if you rented it.  The romp in the hay scenes with Jessica Lange were actually refreshing because it was very reminiscent of her performance in Tootsie.   (affiliate link) Very innocent and sex kittenish without trying to be if that makes sense.  It was nice to see that part of her come out again.  Howard Hesseman and Demi Moore also star.  The trailer on this looked pretty awesome, even the Mr agreed it looked good.  It's not that it wasn't good, it was just a little draggy and it was the director, not the talent that made it a little disappointing.  (Though I will say either Demi Moore has lost it acting wise or was directed to play an infantile schmuck,  It was grating.)  I wouldn't steer people away from it just know there could be some parts you're hoping will pick up a bit.

Split  (affiliate link) (James McAvoy, Betty Buckley)- This is an M. Night Shyamalan movie so you know you may sit through 110 minutes of "hurrrrry uppppppppppp" for 10 minutes of "holy sh*t!!"  While there are some slow parts, McAvoy is seriously...OMG.  Wow.  So very talented.  I don't even know who he is honestly but some split personality disorders are over-acted in movies but he makes you believe it. The back story of the main female lead, Anya Taylor-Joy, was predictable to me from the start but still doesn't make it any easier to watch evolve.  So it was enough to distract from the abduction situation.  (I'm not giving anything away, it's in the whole trailer.)  Honestly what you think is the twist was predictable as well however, you were just bracing to see "okay, is he going to go super over the top with this and make me regret renting it even though we got it for free or do it justice?"  He did it justice.  I guess the REAL twist at the end is one that only true Shyamalan fans will get because I just thought it was a famous actor doing a cameo at the end and the Mr immediately knew what it meant and it had to be explained to me.  I told him I thought it a little pretentious that M.NS presumes we all remember this character as though it's part of pop culture but whatever.  Still really liked it though and would suggest it for a rent.  Betty Buckley was also a nice surprise and played a pretty hefty role so I was glad to see her in something like that.

If this is riddled with typos, please excuse me as my editor is sleeping now.  :-)

Do you like suspense to be drawn out in movies or constant action?

(This post contains affiliate links  Should you choose to buy through them, I may receive a small commission to help with blog expenses.  Thanks for being awesome!)

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Earning it and feathery goodness

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 strength training for the second part and then full on PT afterward for us both.  I'm sure my legs will be thrilled today.  Dinner was mahi and Brussels.

Then it was time to catch up on the DVR.  We watched Training Day.  It's still so hard to see Bill Paxton but then he gets some great lines that are right in line with his personality and he delivers them so hilarious, we can't help but feel blessed to have had him to entertain us for so many years.  He was a big part of the Mr and I's lives both before we met and more so after we met.  Then it was time to watch the Grammy salute to the Bee Gees.  My Lord did I have the vapors for Barry Gibb.  I had the old school Bee Gees metal lunchbox...

(via)

I think it was my kindergarten lunch box.  I started young.  My Lord, look at that feathery goodness. Rawr.  So it was quite a treat to watch the special and see John Travolta and Barry enjoying the tributes from other artists singing their songs.  It also made me want to watch some Barry Gibb Talk Show episodes.

That about wraps it up on my end.

Who was on your grade school lunch box?  Metal, plastic or paper bag?

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Post Easter Weekend Recap

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 it looked like a Caddyshack turd and I loved my Cadbury egg which is packaged in the plastic casing like those Oreo eggs you might've seen and not that horrible foil that let's them get all stale because it gets peeled back or damaged.  They were the freshest creme eggs I've had in YEARS and if they don't start doing them that way here, we may be going out of the country for Easter candy.  Seriously, look at all of the stuff they had there...

We grabbed dinner later and did a grocery run.  I figured since I had half the ingredients at home, I'd also bring a fruit salad so I'd have something else to eat in addition to the turkey I was bringing.

I made our banoffee pies and put together the Easter platter my grandma used to do so all of that was done.

The Mr said he'd help me work on my rabbit lollys for the kids.

"Don't eat me, bro!!!"

The weirdo in me loves how the candy button eyes kind of makes them look like they're on something or just had their eyes dilated by the optometrist.  "Sorry bunny, your eyesight is going bad...eat more carrots."  Brrrum bum bump!  I just didn't have the motivation to put smiling mouths on them.  I think it's better they look terrified they're going to be eaten.  So all I had to do Easter day was jam a stick up their butts and we were ready to go!  That never happens!

Unfortunately we both woke up with horrendous headaches.  I think between allergies, stress and sleeping on the wrong pillow, I was a goner.  I don't know why he was so bad but we did our workout, Turbo Fire 55, grabbed our showers, packed up the truckster and headed out.  All was well and we were more than happy to be home and collapse for the night but yet again, another weekend swirled down the tubes.  How I would love one to just stretch out for once!

How was your weekend?

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What I'm Reading This Week #15

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 Care and Makeup  (People!  Gotta read your ingredient lists, you can't just rely on the word "natural" being slapped on a label!)

Hollywood Business Manager: I Stole From Alanis Morissette and Other Clients and I'm Sorry  (Interesting read.  It obviously doesn't make a difference in the end but does give some insight into his motives.)

Man meets Tim Curry, shares heartwarming story of why he's the sweetest guy ever  (Sweet, sweet nugget)

Kimberly Williams-Paisley recalls her most difficult scene in 'Father of the Bride'  (Oh well thanks...make me love you even more KW-P!  Video has nothing to do with the article other than the movie so turn down the speakers if you're at work)

How is it Easter weekend already?!  Cripes!  Today the Easter bunny will be putting together our baskets and then I have to get some work done so I can hopefully have all of Saturday to make my bunny pops for the kids for Easter.  Sunday morning we'll have to workout (ugh) then I'll make brunch then in the afternoon, I'll slap together my pies and reheat my turkey before heading out for festivities.

What are y'all doing this weekend?

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Peeking in to say hello

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 sought as a kid and then it just became a self-fulfilling prophecy as an adult.  People all around but no one knowing I'm here or at least caring enough to reach out from time to time.  My cousin dropped off of social media and I tried emailing him but he obviously never checks it and I don't text so...  My other cousin is wrapped up in herself and has a busy school schedule right now.  The last time I heard from her was on my birthday.  It wasn't to wish me a happy birthday either, it was to invite me to a performance of hers.  She literally could not have logged in without seeing it was my birthday but yeah...that didn't sit well.  We had plans the day of her performance anyway.  My mom doesn't really talk to me anymore and I don't know if that's because she's mad at me for not being involved in Grandma's care or if she just feels like we don't really connect anymore or what.  I've tried inviting her over to cook dinner a few times and she has turned me down but has no problem filling her social calendar with her sister and close friends.  My friend that I used to see once a month is now down to once a year and feels like an acquaintance relationship.  It feels like things have changed and I feel like her husband's attitude toward us has changed a bit and I'm not quite sure why.  I would love to just have a girls day with her or something but my own schedule is going to need to let up a bit before I can offer that up.  I have some people that are really good people to have in my life but I am the person who keeps the relationship alive.  I know they care about me/us but I'm always the one to have to reach out and keep it going.  I get it, people are busy and I know I've probably been guilty of being too busy when it doesn't take much just to check in with someone and say "hey, I was thinking about you."  It feels pretty darn good.

Then I have people I'm so close with and they live nowhere near me.  My heart kind of aches to have people who "get me" in my life that I could just say "hey, wanna go to the park?" or whatever knowing that a good talk would likely ensue.  They're people who I've revealed the more in depth stuff to and have accepted me as is...or at least they appear to!  LOL  Yet the people in my life geographically closest to me, I could give them a multiple choice quiz about me and they'd fail miserably.  I try to go deeper because it's just who I am but people don't seem to be interested in deep, they want surface.  So I sit here with the Mr, in our carpet roll row and inside the retail rack waiting for someone to pop in...wondering what it is about us that seems to be so hard to like or love.  I think we're kinda cool but we seem to be in the minority on that one.  So I'll focus on those willing to accept me/us.  The ones willing to poke their head in and say hello.

Wow, that was friggin' deep.  Sorry.

Are you the one who puts in the majority of the effort in your relationships and did this make you realize maybe you should text/email or call a few people to say howdy?

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Squeakin' in the "us time"

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 off...

We did three laps (3 miles) and by the time we were ready be done, the signs were all there.

I felt bad because I've been seriously neglecting the Mr the past two weeks.  No real down time so I decided we should take advantage of an expiring Family Video coupon and rent Office Christmas Party  (affiliate link) because Jason Bateman and Wild Oats because Jessica Lange.  Wild Oats is a 5 day rental so we're going to probably watch that later in the week.

We knew that based off of the usual office or party culture movie formula, it had the potential to be bad.  But we were laughing pretty much beginning to end.  Lots of crudeness but a really endearing undertone and I love it when Jennifer Aniston plays a ruthless beeotch.  The scene where she schools the girl who ate her Cinnabon is life and I hate that term.  So if you like kinda rude comedies, we both really liked it.

Unfortunately by the time it was over, we had a few errands to run.  The Mr has to get up early this morning to workout because he's got PT after work so that means I'm on my own for strength today. Oh hang on, let me send him a workout to do in the morning.  Okay...sent it to him.  Here it is if you want to do it too.  I'll figure out today what my body can handle but I'm thinking upper body for me.  I knew he was going to get his upper body workout at PT later too.  I think this might be his last session.  The previous one, he put him through a bunch of core crap and was making things up on the fly and he said he felt like he was just keeping him around because there were two more visits approved by insurance.  Well, we still pay $100 pop after insurance and if he was 95% two weeks ago, he's probably good to go.  So if he feels he's gone as far as can with him tonight, he'll probably just call Friday or something and cancel the one two week from now and just not reschedule it.  He's done quite well and it will continue to improve as he keeps up his home PT.

So I think we're caught up!  If this is riddled with typos and grammatical errors, my apologies since my proofreader is in dreamland at publishing time.  ;-)

Do you make a point to have "us time" when your schedule has been crazy?  Have you rented any good movies lately?

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Multi-tasking Tuesday

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 felt like we had our butts handed to us but we did that for 40 minutes and then 20 minutes of PT that had my butt that was handed to me falling back off onto the floor.  I was a sweaty mess.

(We've got a crappy old iPod downstairs so sorry for the bad pic but it works so I'm not getting rid of it anytime soon!)

The darker spots are sweat stained proof we killed it.  My work was not done for the night.  I seasoned our pork chops then headed up to grab a shower and got them searing.  While that was happening, I cleaned the thawed turkey I'm taking to Easter and made a chipotle butter to season it with.  Since I'm making what *I* like for me (and the Mr- who is now excited about Easter), I don't care if others don't like the spice.  I swear if it's not straight up salt it gets the side eye.  More for us!  So I slathered up da breast and skin and got that going while balancing dinner in there too.  Multi-tasker I am!

Dinner shot.

The Mr was kind enough to do some editing for me while I meal planned for the week and now I'm talking to y'all and trying not to fall asleep.  I got to bed at 2:30am and couldn't get to sleep until 3am Sunday into Monday and I felt it as last night wore on.  I can't keep getting to bed so dang late!  I've got some research I need to get done today and try to get some stuff planned.  All of this hustle bustle is so I can hopefully have a little breathing room in the near future!  HA...that sounds impossible!

Are you a multi-tasker?  Do you finish the tasks you start or find you start a bunch of things and get distracted and don't finish?

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Knock, knock

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 3 minutes later by a squirt thus reminding us why we don't have dogs.  The Mr was about done after that....probably because he was the one cleaning it up.  Bwaaahahaha!  (Seriously, steaming dog poo makes me dry heave.)  So we said goodbye, wiped down our clothes which were freshly shed on and went to a few more stores.

My new bedtime seems to be 1am.  That needs to stop, weekend or not.

Sunday I worked again while the Mr helped and before we knew it after working on some projects, the day was down to 4:30pm and we still had our produce haul to hit and one more store.  I decided since we were able to find a turkey for $17, I'm going to make a turkey and bring that for Easter.  I'm saving back the best pieces for us (two nice breasts please...LOL) and they're welcome to the rest.  I'll also make it clear I'm not bringing turkey every year either.  Don't wanna start that thought in their heads!  ;-)  So if I do that and maybe have some baked beans then I should be good.  Hopefully they'll have a veggie or something I can put on the plate too.  I decided on the sugar free banana cream pies.  Mix and dump.  Then I'll do donut bunny pops for the kids.  I did a test one and it looks like it'll work without being too much of a pain in my buttocks.

By the time we got done and took a few minutes just to sit down, it was 7:15pm before we got downstairs to start our workout.  I'm not gonna lie, I wanted to skip...hard.  Instead, I decided on Shaun T25 Focus  (affiliate link) because I knew we could do 25 minutes and if we put it into beast mode then I would feel like I wasn't wussing.  Well my lungs were burning and I was hacking and crap so I think we worked hard enough!  Thankfully, I had some makeover lasagna still in the freezer, so I put the oven on 325 while we worked out and then I took a shower after and it was done.  I had nothing left in me to prepare a whole meal afterward.

Then it was time to finally catch our breaths and that was at 9:30pm.

So yeah, I could totally use another day please.

What did you guys do this weekend?

(This post contains an affiliate link.  Should you choose to buy through it, I may get a small commission to help keep the blog lights on.  Dang, you're awesome!)

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What I'm Reading This Week #14

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 in Your Life to Take Advantage of a Major Declutter (I remember hearing a tip once about when you set out on a declutter mission to pretend you've just accepted a job cross country and you're keeping what you're moving.)

OMG, Eating Cheese Is Linked to Better Health in New Study  (Runs to cheese drawer in fridge)

Dad Devises Genius “X-Plan” That Could Save Your Teen from a Dangerous Situation  (For every parent out there!)

Bob Harper of ‘Biggest Loser’ Recounts Heart Attack ‘I Was on the Ground Dead’  (Scary stuff!)

Payless is closing 400 stores — see if your store is one of them  (Well poo balls.  Not that I shop here a lot but still nice to have a lower cost option.)

'The Neverending Story' Empress Tami Stronach Shares Behind-the-Scenes Stories From the '80s Fantasy Film  ("Bastian...pleeeease....CALL MY NAME!"  "I will!...*runs to window*..."MOFMOHDIAAAAAAAAAAAA!"  (aka-"Moonchild"  Bastian's mama or grandparents were hippies!))

I have a sneaking suspicion this is going to be a working weekend for me as I will actually have sunlight to film by.  Yay.  Not.  I'm hoping to at least get out of the house for an hour or two in there.

What are you guys up to this weekend?  

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Current Easter Crushes

Hey, it's been a while since I've told y'all what I'm crushin' on!  Since there are so many Easter things I'd love to have and not enough space to store them, let's go window shopping!

First stop...Pottery Barn.

This Bunny Basket Small Serve Bowl makes me want to host Easter...almost.  Never mind.

It really just makes me want to grab a few bags of those Ferrero mini hazelnut eggs  (affiliate link) we're obsessed with, fill the basket to pretend "guests" would eat them and then polish them off so they wouldn't "go to waste" Easter night in shame.

Let's hop over to Williams Sonoma.

I literally screamed when I saw these Damask Bunny Silicone Spatulas.  That first spatula...I die.

There's also this Nordic Ware Mini Easter Bunny Cakelet Pan.  The little bitty bunnies are just too adorable!  Look at 'em all curled up like that just waiting to be made into cake!

Am I the only one who wants to make red velvet cake, dump white chocolate ganache over the top and wait for the screams of horror from the family children when they bite into them?  Hey, I'm just honoring Aunt Fern's armadillo cake.  What??  (Points if you got the reference)

Time to head over to Sur La Table.

I am in love with this adorable Easter Bunnies Kitchen Towel!!  Bunnies on scooters?  Yes please!

I could put it in the drawer with my 73 other well-intentioned tea towels I couldn't live without!

OMG, look at this Easter Chick Child’s Mug!  I wouldn't use it for drinking but probably as a small vase for tulips or something.

Anyone else think it resembles Henrietta's boy chicken on the Foghorn Leghorn cartoon?  Crap...just dated myself.

Do you decorate for Easter?  Do you hoard tea towels?

(This post contains an affiliate link,  Should you choose to buy through it, you'll help keep this blog up and running with a small commission.  Dang you're awesome!)
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Don't be rash

Rashes are not a pretty topic but hey, it happens and they happen for all kinds of reasons.  They happen if you're a regular exerciser and/or runner and yes they happen when you're overweight and even when you've lost weight and the excess skin rubs.  If you don't take precautions to help prevent them, you're gonna end up walking bowlegged or be in tears in the bathroom at work cursing the biggest organ on your body. 

Here are some products we use to help reduce the risk of friction rashes when we're in beast mode.

Lady Anti Monkey Butt-   (affiliate link) That is one attractive name, isn't it?  But the name doesn't matter when it works this well.  This is perfect for all places you have friction from under da boobs to gut overhang to thighs and thigh cracks to arm or batwings.  It keeps rash and funk at bay.  Yes, ladies it's talc free so you don't have to worry about having it around your lady bits because... cornstarch.

FungaSoap-   (affiliate link) This is the first thing we lather on our hoo ha area in the shower after our workouts. (Sorry...but we do and you should too!)   It's typically used for athlete's foot to be treated naturally with tea tree oil.  It washes away bacteria and fungus from your skin so wash anywhere your skin has rubbed together during a workout or after a long day to keep the area as clean as possible.

Boudreaux's Natural Butt Paste-  (affiliate link) Another great name because having something called "butt paste" is just good conversation starters for snooping guests.  (Fill the bottom of your medicine cabinet with marbles to catch them in the act if you want a sure fire way of making sure they don't come back due to embarrassment.  I digress.)  If you know you're in for a long run/workout where the potential to sweat like a fountain, this talc free diaper rash cream is a good way to really bring out the big guns for all cracks, under the breastages and even nips if you don't already use BodyGlide  (affiliate link) for that purpose.

Look, whether it's an athlete problem or a weight (or weight loss) problem, people don't like to talk about this stuff.  So you know your girl is going to be real with you when others may giggle and pretend they don't suffer from these issues.  Rash can be real, yo and thankfully you don't have to suffer!

Do you use any of these products?  What are your tried and true items to help with rashes?

(This post contains affiliate links.  Should you choose to buy through them, I may get a small commission to help with blog expenses.  Thanks for your support!)

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