Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Ready for the "Merry-thon!"

I am so excited that several of you have decided to join me for the "Merry-thon!" Yesterday was my first day back at the gym in a week and WOAH could I feel it. A mile into my run I felt like I was going to puke and walked the next mile, but tonight I plan to add on another quarter mile until I have worked my mileage back up. I know having this challenge and knowing you guys are keeping up your mileage up is going to help to keep me motivated as we head into the holiday season. Thursday I will have to hit the gym at 5AM UGH...because I have a monster of a day at work and probably won't get home until about 10 that night! It wears me out just thinking about it :)

What are you guys looking forward to the most this month?  I love our town's Christmas Parade. I have been in the parade the last couple of years, but this year I decided with all that was going on at the library, we just didn't have time to put a float together. I am so excited about being a spectator! I also enjoy our town's tree lighting that will be this weekend...the weather is supposed to be gloomy and wet, so I am not sure I can talk T into going, but sometimes he surprises me! And I must leave you with a sweet picture of Humphrey sleeping under the tree :)

Monday, November 29, 2010

A Merry-thon Challenge!

I don't know about you, but Challenges really help to keep me focused in keeping up my mileage. Confession Time...I didn't run at all last week. I wasn't trying to complete a challenge, and since I was away from my gym and the outside conditions weren't great, I didn't push myself to keep up my running.  I did quite a bit of walking and even did a DVD one day, but I didn't get a good run in all week. ( I am also really behind in reading about you guys! I have only had access to the internet for about an hour in the past week!)  Today I am back to my regular routine and I am really looking forward to gaining some miles tonight.  As the Christmas Holidays approach, and all the extras that go with it, I need a new challenge to focus on. I will be working late more this month, and I need a good reason to hit the gym late (or early that morning) instead of just shrugging it off and heading home to PJs and my warm blanket. I need to commit to hitting the gym before or after that holiday party. I don't want to set myself up for failure by making the mileage too high, but I want there to me enough that I have to get to the gym several times a week for a couple of miles.

I am challenging myself to get in 26.1 miles of running during the month of December. I will be running tonight, but this challenge will officially begin December 1. Will you join me? ~ Jess

Sunday, November 28, 2010

Drop Dead Gorgeous by December -Weekly Report 15

1. A picture of you holding up a positive sign for yourself.
"Ho Ho Ho! You better keep up your mileage! Santa is watching!

2. Your current week’s weight as well as your challenge start weight. *optional
November Weight: 190.5
3. Your goal(s) from now, or whenever you decide to join, until December.
Goal 1: 200 tracked workout miles...(treadmill, street runs,biking,elliptical,swimming,etc) Woohoo Goal completed!
Goal 2: 5k in under 40 mins... Completed 10/30/10 PinkDressRun 38:39
Goal 3: Journal food 5days a week.  Too much food this holiday week.

Goal 4: Do something for myself to make me feel gorgeous. Eyebrows waxed :)


4. ONE thing that you are proud of for the week.
Enjoying my vacation time. I used one day to clean the house and get up my decorations. The rest of the week was just relaxing and enjoying the holiday and time off.
5. ONE thing that you can improve upon for the following week.   
         I must get back into my normal routine.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Drop Dead Gorgeous by December -Weekly Report 14

1. A picture of you holding up a positive sign for yourself.
Tommy made this week's signed and snapped the picture :) I loved it!

2. Your current week’s weight as well as your challenge start weight. *optional
November Weight: 190.5
3. Your goal(s) from now, or whenever you decide to join, until December.
Goal 1: 200 tracked workout miles...(treadmill, street runs,biking,elliptical,swimming,etc) Woohoo Goal completed!
Goal 2: 5k in under 40 mins... Completed 10/30/10 PinkDressRun 38:39
Goal 3: Journal food 5days a week.  Food has been all over the place...good days and bad days. Not enough journaling.

Goal 4: Do something for myself to make me feel gorgeous. Hubby gave me some extra kisses and I felt gorgeous :) Hee hee ;)


4. ONE thing that you are proud of for the week.
Getting my Snow Village set up...hope to get the rest of the decorating done this week.
5. ONE thing that you can improve upon for the following week.   
         Log more miles..this was a laxed week at the gym.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Three Things Thursday (a little late)- Thankful Edition 3

1. I am thankful for our house and home. Even though there are many little projects I would like to get done (and can't afford), and the fact that I can never keep it clean, I am so thankful to have a house that I can sleep in each night. I am also for the love inside our house that makes it a home.

2. I am thankful for my Mother-In-Law. I think all MILs can drive you crazy, but I am so thankful for mine. I think it took a couple of years for us to fully adjust to each other, but she is absolutely golden.  I hope never to take her for granted. She is wonderful to cook dinner occasionally when I have had a long week. She let's me vent when it is much needed. And she helps us out without being overbearing.

3.  I am thankful for memories. "When people you love become a memory, those memories become a treasure."

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Honesty and Questions (with Tags)

Thank you to Mary for giving me this "Honest Scrap Blog Award." The rules of this award are simple...list 10 honest things about yourself and then pass it on to 4 people who have shown their honesty through their blogs.
1. I truly love my job. Most of your know that I am a children's librarian in a public library. Each week I have over 400 children participate in the different programs I do at the library and during the summer that number sometimes triples. I do programming for infants - age 15 and my days are never the same. There are people of every economic level that use my library. I have seen children crawl for the first time and read their first book. I have spoken to young teens about what they hope their future holds. I am thirty years old and have worked at the library is some capacity for 15 years. I started as a volunteer and worked my way up to the Director of Youth Services. A few years after I graduated, my favorite University professor ran into me and asked what I was doing. When I told him I had chosen to stay at the library he said, "what a waste." It devastated me. A year or so later, I  confided this to a lady that brings her children to the library. She took my hand and said, "then he has no idea what you mean to the children of this community." And I knew my decision to stay was the right choice.

2. I have struggled to lose weight after I had my gall bladder removed in 2007. This makes me proud of every single pound I lose. 

3.I worry about my husband dying young. Most of this fear is completely irrational and stems from the fact that my mother's father died when he was 56 and then my Dad died when he was 56. My best friend's husband died in his 40s. Some of the most important men in my life have died too early.

4. I am having a hard time with my Mother dating. In my head, I want her to be happy, but in my heart it hurts to see her with another man.

5. I love to just relax in front of the TV and watch mindless television.   Sometimes I am not even really watching, I am just not thinking about anything else.

6. I love planning a trip almost as much as actually going on the trip. However, I am very flexible with my travel plans. I like to read about everything that is available to do, but I am usually not disappointed if we do none of the things I have researched and follow a completely different itinerary.

7. I work with the public everyday, but I am incredibly shy is social situations. I would much rather be at home with Tommy than at a party. And I hate to mingle. It makes me very uncomfortable. I don't even care for group situations with my family.

8. I worry what my body will look like when I reach my goal weight.  I used to never think about this, but recently I have noticed how my skin is sagging. I read that if you lose slow that your body usually has time to tighten up, but mine has not done this at all. I want to lose weight in order to have a healthy body and to improve my fitness level, but it would also be nice to have a bathing suit body, but I don't think that will ever happen...especially when I look at my thighs!

9.  For that last few years, I haven't looked forward to holidays. I have always LOVED the holidays, but after Dad died...it just became very hard to get into the holiday spirit. This year, I have been so excited about the holidays...but I am worried that I will wake up any day and that excitement will be gone again. I think that is part of the reason I want to get my decorations up early this year.

10.  I am so thankful to this blog community. You guys just don't know how much your sweet comments mean to me. (Or maybe you do...since this is your community too!)

I want to pass this on to Jennifer, Girly Girl, Lori, and Karen!

I was also tagged in a question game by Moving Mertle at Diets and Sweat. These are the questions she asked:

1. What is your favorite mantra/motivational words/quote?
"RUN when you can, WALK when you have to, CRAWL if you must, Just NEVER GIVE UP!"- Dean Karnazes

2. What was your favorite book as a child?  I loved the book, A Panda Cake by Rosalie Seidler! I had the weekly reader version. The first year Tommy and I were together, he found the book on ebay and gave it to me as a Christmas gift. It is one of my favorite gifts.

3. What is your favorite recipe or cook book? This is an easy one. When Tommy and I got married an elderly lady gave me a notebook filled with her families favorite recipes and helpful hints around the kitchen. I treasure this gift.

4. What do you want for Christmas? I would love a Nike+ sports band.

I want to tag Rae, Brittany, Tish, and J with the following questions.

1. What is your favorite Christmas memory?

2. What is your go-to meal?

3. How would you spend a day if you could do anything...from morning to night.

4. How do you plan to motivate yourself to keep up diet and exercise during the holidays?

Monday, November 15, 2010

Oops :)

Sorry about the sign yesterday...I didn't realise you couldn't read it when I posted it :) It says, " Believe and you can do it!"   :)

I really started to get into the holiday mood last week! Because we are going out of town for Thanksgiving this year, I have decided to put up my Christmas tree next Monday. ( I am taking off the week of Thanksgiving.) One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is read wonderful holiday stories. Last week I read, Finding Noel by Richard Paul Evans and then I read A Cedar Cove Christmas by Debbie Macomber this weekend. I really enjoyed both books in different ways. Finding Noel wasn't your typical holiday book, but I think it was perfect for starting off the "Season's Readings."  I adored A Cedar Cove Christmas. Very Cute! I haven't  read any of the Cedar Cove series, but think I might give them a shot after the holidays.  Last night I started another Debbie Macomber book, The Perfect Christmas. Do any of you enjoy reading holiday books, if so, what are some you have enjoyed in the past? Every year, I mean to keep a list of the books I read during the holidays but never do. This year I plan to keep a list on my sidebar. If you are interested in any of the books, or want to know more about them let me know! :)

I am very behind in my blog reading! Hope I can get caught back up with you guys in the next few days :)