Coffee Talk Vlog

(Hey, y'all! There have been several new people around these parts over the last few weeks. I'm excited and happy to have ya. Just in case you didn't know, I've got a Starbucks giveaway going on that you might want to go enter. You should also know that I'm in the process of moving so visiting blogs and commenting might be sporadic over the next week. I'm not sure how long it will take to get Internet set up. I'm sure I'll be back in business before too long. I can't stay away from you. )

(Disclaimer: The GCB was created all in good fun and only struck individuals that they (ahem-we!) knew well.)

On the Road Again

If you're reading this within 8 hours of me posting then I'm on the road. I have driven away from family and friends for the umpteenth time to start a life in a new state. This time, the U.S. Army had nothing to do with this decision- it's on us. It's exciting and stressful all at once. Because Captain J (can I still call him that?) is off training for his big boy civilian job, I am left to get our house unpacked and ready for our family. I suppose it's a good thing I've spent the last years doing typical Army Wife duties because nothing really ever changes, does it? While the Mr. is working hard in Ohio, I'm off to Florida with my two boys in tow. The mission? To pick up rental house keys, meet the movers, and unpack the house. I know this sounds like quite a feat with two under two. Fear not. I'm not totally insane. I somehow talked my lovely sister into helping me on this adventure. I'd say she probably started regretting that decision at around mile number twenty.

Say a prayer for safety and sanity? We'll need it.

XOXO,

Wednesday Walkabout

Oh, Hai! Look at your blogger...I'm the mystery host for this week! How exciting! It's perfect timing, really. Just yesterday I was walking about a park with an old college pal and our babies. It was fun to discuss motherhood and reflect on how much has changed in the last few (ahem four/five) years.

Cray K had great fun! Until, that is, mean ole Mom told him he couldn't play in the parking lot. Party Poopa. Anyway, I think I'll take a stroll around the link up and see what all of you are up to on this fine Wednesday...
 

<a href="http://www.taingamala.com/" target="blank"> <img src="http://i1211.photobucket.com/albums/cc422/JaneAdensam/WednesdayWalkabout.png"/> </a>

What is a Walkabout? It's a blog link-up party, every week here and with our co-hosts! Simply put your blog address or a specific post in the linky, visit some other people, and make some friends. Easy at that! I can't wait to talk to everyone!

PS: You only have to link up with ONE of the co-hosts!

The Rules:

1. Please follow at least ONE hostess, and let us know you're a new follower and how to follow you! To be entered as next week's Mystery Host, follow all hosts from this week. Mystery Host Mrs K- Mrs K and Captain J

Chantal- Scattered Shells

Jane- Taingamala

Sarah- G.I. Joe's Wife

Jamie- Handling with Grace

2. Try to visit 3-4 blogs that interest you. Take some time and let them know where you came from.

3. Grab the button and spread the word! (Not required, but just cool if you do). The more, the merrier.

Fitness Recap

It's time to weigh in again with the Biggest Loser Blogger Crew:

Starting Weight: 132
Current Weight: 132

Pshh. Whatever.

The week started off a little slow. I was feeling sickly and uninventive with my workout flow. I decided I would try Bob's Card Workout on Tuesday. It wasn't as tough as I suspected, but it was still better than nothing. The push ups got me the most, but gosh darn it if I am not feelin' good about the way my arms look lately. I'm so surprised. Typically I think my arms are massive and gross. I digress.

Wednesday I promised some of my Facebook Fans that I would add on extra squats to the end of my workout for every "like" I got on that status. That was fun! The end result was an extra 40 squats after a pretty good bike ride.

Saturday I broke out my trusty ole Pinterest board and went to work doing several different exercises. Here are a few:

Source: sweatsalty.tumblr.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

Source: weightloss.allwomenstalk.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

Muscle weighs more than fat. That's my mantra this week! ;) Ha.
How are your exercise goals progressing?

Coffee Talk

Grab a cup of coffee and stay awhile. It matters not what time of day it is- coffee and chit chat are good for the soul.

Dress Up

When you stay at home as a wife or mother, it's so easy to fall into the pattern of not ever EVER putting on real clothes. Trust me, I know. Remember I lived in Alaska and stayed home with two insanely hyper Alaskan Huskies? I didn't have a job or a car of my own so I was basically a recluse throughout the week. When we headed south, I made it a point to start getting dressed again. Then, I got pregnant. Then, I got pregnant again. 

Nothing really fits when I'm pregnant. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, more often than not, my husband comes home to a hot mess of a wife half the time. I've barely showered. I'm in workout clothes or worse- I'm still in the PJs he left me in. I don't necessarily want to be that wife. I want him to come home (at least occasionally) and think to himself, "Man, I'm lucky."

I've been making an effort to get dressed when he's here. It's not just for him either. It's fun for me. I can't explain to you how awesome it is to fit in regular (non maternity) clothes again. It's glorious. After being pregnant for the last 10 years*, I'm having a good time putting outfits together. Sometimes, I actually enjoy shopping, too. It makes me feel like my old self at least for awhile.

Here I am- all dressed up and no place to go!

(*slight exaggeration)

This girl still loves to play dress up. Do you?

You Are Amazing

All powerful, untamable

Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim

You are amazing, God

You are amazing, God.

I've got less than ten days left here in Tennessee. It's bittersweet, y'all. On one hand, I'm ready to be settled in with our little family of four, surrounded by old comforts like a nursery that is set up, a closet instead of a suitcase, and a place to call home. But the other hand is weighed down and heavy with all the reasons we should stay. Our families are here and it just feels wrong to drive away again.

I'll surely miss the sunrises and sunsets here. They always seem to come at the perfect time. In the mornings I'm frustrated, wanting desperately to still be cozy in the covers yet I'm awake with the youngest so he can eat. I sit down on the couch that faces the large glass panes at the back of the house and struggle to keep my eyes open. Then it happens. Like magic, the sky is a lovely pink and the pretty blue fog of the morning slowly spreads out and up. I look down at my beautiful son as I nourish him and wonder how anyone can think all this is just a fluke.

God is so real to me.

Then the day comes and some place between changing diapers and soothing little cries, I forget what I saw that very morning. There's so much to do and I keep chasing babies until there's no time left. My head is cluttered with lists of chores waiting to be done. Then the sun drops down and begins its descent and I have to stop, grab my eldest boy, and bundle up to go outside and just stand in awe. In that moment, little else matters. It's just me and K, enjoying the beauty God created around us. For once, he doesn't wiggle to get out of my arms. He snuggles closer to me and stares out at the bright yellow sky. Again, I'm reminded of the many blessings that I've been given.

God is so amazing...

and I know He has good things in store for my family this year.

NEW Starbucks Giveaway!

Special thanks to Kristin for sponsoring the Target Giveaway! I just love her despite her hate for Alaska, my home away from home. I digress. WE HAVE A WINNER! Congrats to Abbey. She won by following Kristin's kNook.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Your name isn't Abbey, is it? Well, you're in luck! Because I've got another giveaway for y'all today. Enter for a chance at winning a Starbucks GC from yours truly...just because you're all appreciated.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

and tell your friends, mmkay?

XOXO,

Fat Day (Alternatively Titled- "Ugh")

Let's talk about why I've had the dreaded "fat day" for two days in a row now. I can't put my finger on it. It makes no sense to me how I can look in the mirror one day and feel good about my progress and then the very next day, I'm thinking I look ten pounds heavier than the day before. Losing weight, toning up, and body image is a mind game for me. I wish I wasn't so hard on myself. I think it started with a trip to the fitting rooms at Marshall's the other day. Why is it that the only shirt I can find these days are those cute, tiny, thin tanks that are shorter in the front and longer in the back? They are not flattering on a breastfeeding gal, lemme tell ya.

Once I'm at the point where I think I'm fat, I give up for the day. After I got home from shopping yesterday, I went to town on guzzling down hot chocolate and marshmallows....and then later- bread! Ugh. Today is another fat day and I can't explain it. I didn't get to have my morning workout because the toddler woke up early and the baby was super fussy this morning. I think my attitude spiraled down from there. Out of boredom, I drove my flabby self to Taco Bell of all places. Ugh. Now the toddler is asleep, but the baby isn't. I don't know when I'll get to work off all the garbage I put in my body today.

The good news is- it's Biggest Loser night. That show is always inspiring. If I'm watching it in real time, I like to create workouts for the commercial breaks.

Speaking of Biggest Loser, I stumbled across this link-up today and wanted to play along...

 

It's Week 3 for them so I'm a little late, but I reckon that's okay. I'm off to weigh myself...

Starting weight: 132

I even took my shoes off, y'all. Ugh.

Anyway, the best workout I had this week was when I took this little cutie down and up the massive hill of a driveway here. 

Whew! I wore weights and pushed him in his stroller. I thought I might not make it. That's usually a sign of a good exercise routine, right? Afterwards, I strapped him on my hip for an additional burn as I finished up chores around the house.

How do you deal with a fat day?

Uninspired

When I get the kids to sleep at the same time, it feels like I hit the jackpot. The only problem is the big decision of how that time should be used. Tonight, for example, I came home to a messy house after a whirlwind packing spree and abandoned dishes from the mornings breakfast. I needed to clean. I wanted to blog. I straightened up what really needed to be done and then I sat down in front of the computer. And then?

Nothing.

Nada.

Zilch.

I don't have a darn thing to share that any of you would remotely care about so...

Hi, Writer's Block...you son of a gun. You're not really welcome 'round these parts.

Luckily, I have Pinterest for inspiration and boredom prevention. Here are some good things I've found lately-

Source: thinkin-bout-you1.blogspot.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

(This from the girl who just dropped a TON of money on 600 Thread Count Sheets, new foam pillows, and a pretty polka dot iPad cover. Sorry, honey. You shouldn't leave me--Retail therapy is so comforting!)

Source: etsy.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

(If ever you think to yourself, "What could I buy Mrs. K?" Look no further.)

Source: livfitclothing.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

(I've been LIVING in workout clothes lately. It inspires me to get my lazy butt out of bed in the mornings if I put them on at night. Too bad they're so expensive...I love this.)

Source: thefreshexchangeblog.com via Mrs. on Pinterest

(Our next adventure starts on February 1st! Florida bound.)

How do you deal when you feel uninspired?

Molon labe

Another day on the farm. Can I stay here forever?

(P.S.- 2 days left to enter the Target giveaway.)
(P.P.S. - If you liked my page on Facebook, you know why I have a ridiculously huge "pin it" button on each post. I'm sorry I'm too lazy to fix it right now.)

XOXO,

30 Sec Vlog Challenge

I'm one of those bloggers who blogs multiple times in a day- sorry for that. But I came across a vlog hop...and y'all know how I love vlogs! I hope you enjoy the 30 second (or 88 second for me) challenge.

Wanna play along? Link up here:

Postpartum "Secrets"

Many of you have asked me to share my "secrets" as to how I got the baby weight off so quickly. Others have mentioned me working out with them to show them my "routine." I'm flattered, really...but I still have a long way to go. I mean...y'all haven't seen me naked. I'm nowhere near where I'd like to be, but I'm so happy with all these endorphins floating around. I feel good and that makes all the difference in the world. I feel my body changing each week. I see the baby pooch getting smaller and smaller. Honestly, I feel like a million bucks most of the time.
There's still the lingering doubt when I look in the mirror. I've talked about my insecurities with my body many times--that hasn't gone away. I think that's why I feel the need to document some of my workouts with photos because I like seeing the difference. I enjoy having a reference to look back on and see how far I've come. In photos, I don't always see the fat girl that looks back at me in the mirror. I see the fit (ish) postpartum woman that I am.
As far as secrets go, I don't have any. What I do have is a list of things I think are important factors in losing this weight and getting back into shape after baby:

1. Breastfeed! Do what is best for you and your baby (of course- who am I to judge!), but as far as burning calories goes, you can't beat it. I heard somewhere (it's on the Internet so it must be true!) that nursing can burn up to an extra 500 calories a day.

2. Water - Drink it constantly.

3. Exercise- When you're cleared for exercise (ahem...I still haven't done that yet!), get moving immediately. You likely won't be able to jump back into a vigorous routine; start off slow if you'd like...as long as you're moving. I've always found it best to mix up my routines quite a bit. If you go to spin class 3 days a week for an hour at a time, eventually your body will be used to that and you won't be making progress. It's important to keep your body guessing. Put your body in different scenarios, push yourself to try new exercises/classes/routines. Might I suggest trying Bob's Inside Out Method? (Yesterday, Bob tweeted that the DVDs were on sale for $3.99 a piece! There are four of them.) I've done that. I've also consulted my Pinterest Board "Work It, Girl" for more ideas. Bike riding and hitting the treadmill have also been beneficial for me.

4. Make time for yourself. Believe me, sister. I know it's hard when there are multiple kids around and no husband to be found. At first it really sucks to give up what little free time you have over to exercise...but then something happens and you begin to crave that workout. It will make you feel better. On Biggest Loser this week, one of the trainers told a contestant to "fall in love with the gym." That's what I'm talking about! Except I still love chocolate equally so obviously I'm still working on this.

I hope this helps. Believe me when I say, I still have a really long way to go. I have at least 10 more lbs to lose, but doing the four things I mentioned above has gotten me to where I'm at right now. And before you say I just have good genes- that's not true. It took me much longer to bounce back from having Cray K. In fact, I still wasn't completely back to my pre-pregnancy weight before I was pregnant again with Baby A.

Slowly but surely I'm beginning to see muscle definition again. Maybe one day, I'll even have abs again! A girl can dream.

Any suggestions you would add to this list? Leave them in the comments!
(P.S.- You can follow my Fitness Journey pics on Instagram by searching for #mrskgetsfit )

3 Years

The Captain and I recently celebrated three years of wedded bliss. January 4, 2010, we hopped into the car prom-style and headed off to a private ceremony to get hitched. It was perfect and I find myself craving that day a lot lately. Wouldn't it be nice to go back and replay days whenever your heart desired? I think I'd add January 4, 2013 to that list of days to re-visit, too. It was the first time we left both babies and focused on us. It really was wonderful. I felt like my old self again!

We went shopping and out to dinner (and then dessert!). During our shopping, some funny things happened. For example, J saw this sweater in the men's department...

and said, "What happened to men?"

Then, after talking in detail about how I was pretty sure I didn't want to have any more children, I walked by this...

and just like that, I changed my mind.

After a delicious dinner at Bonefish Grill, Captain J and I toasted to many more happy years together and drove right back to our crazy, hectic life with our babes. It's nice to get away for awhile, but it's so wonderful to return to them, too.

Good Ole Time on the Farm

I finally got the tiniest babe to sleep, coffee poured, and blogger loaded to sit down and write and guess who starts crying as soon as I do? Captain J wonders why my writing is sporadic these days. It's not that I just don't write anything here. I also haven't written a single article or short story and I've abandoned my pen and paper journal. Who has the time? The free time I do have, I must decide between working out, sleeping, writing, or reading. Sleep usually wins with working out a close second. I have to do something about the lingering baby pooch. Sure, I look fine in clothes but soon I'm going to have to wear a bathing suit and I shudder at the thought. My exercise has been going well, though. It's just hard to fit in because J is gone a lot. I only thought we were getting away from the lifestyle of moving once a year and having him gone periodically throughout that year. Since we've been home (Dec.), he's already left three times for business trips. Finding time to exercise with two under two is quite a feat.

We are making it with him gone. It's crazy sometimes. There have been moments when I wanted to pull out all my hair and run from the house screaming. When both boys are upset at the same time, it gets my mommy senses tinglin'. I want to make it better for both of them, but I only have arms for one at a time. It breaks my heart. I am getting used to juggling the added responsibility and settling into my role as mom to two. For the most part, I'm able to step back and watch them and savor this time. They are both growing so fast! K is a big ole boy now and Baby A? He has already gained nearly 3 lbs since he entered into the world. I get sad just thinking how one day they won't need me. I love the sweet way Cray K looks to me for approval for everything. Something is funny? He wants me to laugh and enjoy it, too. He is so so sweet.

To sum it up, the Mrs. K and Captain J clan have been having a good ole time on the farm here in Tennessee. Living here has just solidified in our minds that this is where we want to be. Unfortunately, that can't happen for awhile. Anyway, we're excited about our new adventure in Florida, too. Moving day will be here before we know it. In the meantime, we'll cherish this time in our home sweet home.

(P.S. Have you entered the Target giveaway yet?)