Houston Marathon

I got in!!!  I am officially going to run the Chevron Houston Marathon in January (pending something doesn't derail me).  I am so excited and so scared!  Yikes!

Moorhead's Blueberry Farm

A few weekends ago me, my mom, my sister Laura, and my nephew Cole went to  Moorhead's Blueberry Farm in Conroe, TX.  According to their website, the blueberry picking season is mid May through mid July so be sure to get there then!  I <3 blueberries.

On the way there we used the GPS in the truck to take us to Moorehead Road, but instead we should have gone to Moorhead Road.  We put the 'e' at the end of Moore when we shouldn't have. :/  My Mom was not happy (LOL), but they was were close to each other so it wasn't a big deal.  (p.s. City of Conroe, Why would you make two roads that are that similar in name?)

Tips!
1.  Use the correct street name when GPS'ing the street
2.  Wear sunscreen and a hat!
3.  Park on the street outside the gate
4.  Bring cash for blueberries, water, snow cones, and a small farmers market
5.  Bring some water or you can purchase some at the weigh station



Cole entertained himself on the way with my sunglasses. :)

We got there and had to park on the road due to there being so many cars, but it was so much easier getting out of there.  It was packed.  Tip: Park on the road before you get into the gates,otherwise you might have to wait til someone else leaves so you can back out.

You get there and they ask you what bucket you want, a smaller one or a big 5 gallon bucket.  We choose two of the smaller buckets and headed to the blueberries.  He had told us to go to the orange or blue sections just down the path to the right.  We didn't know what he was talking about until we saw this sign with arrows.

We got down to picking blueberries.  Cole decided he liked the blueberries on the ground better than the ones on the trees (bushes?) better so he plopped down and started eating them off the ground (ewww!).  Needless to say that he got bored with the blueberry picking process very easily and was covered with smashed sand and dirt by the time we left (but Laura used a water hose to wash him down).  He had fun running up and down the paths of the farm.

My Mom had fun picking blueberries!  We got each got about 3/4 of our bucket filled with blueberries to take home.

When you are picking blueberries there are some that are ripe and then some that aren't.  The other colored ones are sour!  I 'taste tested' a few. ;)  A few bushes had more blueberries at the top then at the bottom so I guess some kids had been there earlier in the day and picked the lower ones.

Then it was time for us to head to the weigh station ( a certain 1 year old was getting cranky and wanting a nap!) so we headed up there.  I thought I had about 5 lbs total, but it was really only about 2 lbs.  Score!  My Mom had about the same amount also.  When she got home she made some blueberry muffins!  Yummy.

Moorhead's Farm was great!  I really want to go back, but it's sort of farm from where I live now (Energy Corridor area), so I can only go when I visit my Mom.  I froze the blueberries in ziplock containers and use them for my oatmeal in the mornings! I plan on making some lemon blueberry white chocolate cookies soon that I found online.  If you are good I will share them with you. :)


Hurry!  Go to Moorhead's Blueberry Farm soon!

Passing

When I was 9 my Mom and my stepdad Keith got married. That day I gained a stepbrother (Brandon), a slew of aunts, uncles and cousins, and also two wonderful grandparents.

My grandparents, Grandmother and Grandfather, are two of the most special people you will ever meet.  They have been married for 55 years (in November) and are the most Christian people that you ever hope to come in contact with.  Everyone loves my grandparents and everyone knows who they are. 

On June 8^th my Mom texted me and said that my Grandfather was in the hospital getting some tests done on his heart, but I didn't think much of it since they were just tests.  Then she called to say that he was having open heart surgery the next Monday. Huh?  I thought it was just tests!

Grandfather had the same surgery 4 or 5 years ago but at the time he didn't have many veins to work with.  When he was in the Air Force he had varicose veins so they stripped them out.  When he went to have the surgery, they didn't have many veins so the surgery wasn't quite as successful as it needed to be. This time however they had flown in veins from Atlanta so they knew they would have some to work with.  Before the surgery we were all joking with him that he probably would be getting a rapper's veins and he would wake up wanting an Escalade and a grill. :) haha.

On Monday we all got to the hospital and waited to see how he was doing.  The surgery went well and we went to lunch for a break.  When I was coming in from running an errand my sister called to say that he had just had a heart attack and wasn't doing well.  I rushed inside and we waited. About 7:45 pm I decided to head home since he had become more stable.  Tuesday and Wednesday were up and down days but mostly stable and there was no need for me to leave work to come up there (but my work would have been 100% understanding for me to take off).  I thought he was on a road to recovery.

On Thursday morning at 4 am I got a call from my sister saying that he hospital called and that everyone needs to get to the hospital as soon as possible and that he had taken a turn for the worse.  My sister said she was on her way and that she would call me if I needed to drive over.  I decided I wanted to come anyway so I emailed my boss (I couldn't call since it was 4 am!) to let him know I wouldn't be in and got dressed.  On the way there I stopped and got breakfast tacos for everyone.  When I got there we all talked and waited for the doctor to come talk to us.  What had happened was that the pump that had been placed in him wasn't strong enough and they were going to switch out the pump for a larger one.  His blood pressure had also been going up and down and the medicine they had been using to stop it was not working.  The surgery went well and the doctor said that there was still hope.  Around lunch he was doing a bit better so my sister Laura and I went to get something to eat.

We were sitting in the Mexican food restaurant when my Mom called Laura to say that we needed to get back asap and that he wasn't doing well.  I was eating chicken soup with vegetables and got a weird feeling staring down at it.  I honestly don't think I will ever want chicken soup again. :/  We got our bill and drove back to the hospital.  We saw our little sister Tori crying downstairs (everyone was on the 4th floor) and asked what was wrong.  Apparently the larger pump stopped working and his heart couldn’t beat on its own.  Before he went in he had told Grandmother that he didn’t want to be hooked up to machines keeping him alive so they agreed to let him go.  Around 1:30 or 2 pm they decided that it was time to let him go on to Heaven.  We all got to say goodbye and it was heart wrenching.  This was the first grandparent that I have lost, and also the first person that was close to me that has gone.  It was a sad day.

(Obituary from the paper)

Afterwards we all went back to Grandmothers and just talked about our memories of him.  So many people brought dinner (I think I have gained 5 lbs this weekend) and came over to pay their condolences.  I went home that night and cried.  Jabba just laid at my feet by me at the end of the bed while I cried myself to sleep.  The next day I was going to get dressed for work, but I just couldn’t go in.  I went over to my other grandparent’s house and took my Maw-Maw to Hope Village to eat lunch (she had wanted to go ever since I had first wanted to go).

On Saturday I wanted to get out of the house so I called Brandon (my stepbrother) and we went resale shop shopping and to the zoo!  The zoo was fun…I saw FLAMINGOS (and some other animals).  The entire time we kept telling stories about Grandfather to each other.  It was a fun day.  When we were going home I got a call from my friend Debbie and she invited me to a play.  I had kept myself busy all weekend because I didn't want to be alone and think about losing someone I loved.

Sunday was Father’s Day so we took my Dad to Bingo (we didn’t win) and afterwards I went back over to Grandmothers to be with my family.  A few people had flown or drove in that I had never met, along with my Aunt Kay cousins Jonathan and Grace.  It was great seeing everyone.

Sunday night I went to stay at Laura’s house (my Mom’s house was full) and played with the boys (Cole loves peek-a-boo) and woke up the enxt morning ready to go to the memorial service.

I woke up around 6:30 to shower and get dressed.  Hunter wanted pancakes (and I wanted iced coffee) so I went and got everyone breakfast from McDonald’s then we headed to the funeral home.  They had the burial first, then the memorial service at Spring Baptist Church.  The memorial was packed with family and friends.  We sat up front closest to the stage, next to all of the flowers.  My work had sent a really pretty plant and there were about 15 other arrangements on the stage.  Keith’s (my stepdad) entire team (U.S. Marshall’s) came to support him, along with other police officers.  My Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw had come also and they sat next to me.

The service was beautiful and uplifting, just has Grandfather would have wanted it to be.  There were so many jokes and funny stories told about him.  Each son, daughter in law, and grandchild had written something about Grandfather and they read what we had written.  The service ended with an uplifting song and the family went out to the lobby, then everyone came up to us and hugged us.  Afterwards we had a huge lunch and ate tons of food!  I was still full from lunch at 9 pm.

I headed home around 7 pm and Jabba met me at the door.  I picked him up and hugged him (my friend Sarah had fed him on Sunday night and Monday morning while I was away…Thanks Sarah!) and he had lots of things to say to me.  This morning I went to work as usual to get back into my regular routine. 

At work today everyone came up to me like I was so fragile and like they didn’t want to upset me.  Honestly though, I am really ok.  It’s weird but I really ok.  I miss him and have cried a lot during this past week, but I sort of feel at peace.  He was 78 years old and had a great, fulfilling life, but he was ready to see his Mom and Dad again.  God wanted him in Heaven. 


I know that he heard "Well done good and faithful servant" when he entered the pearly gates. :)  In his prayers he always said “God please guide and protect our loved ones wherever they are” and I know that Grandfather is up in Heaven with God helping guide and protect me.  Thank you Grandfather for loving me and mentoring me, you will forever be missed.

Here are some memories/stories about him that I thought I would share.

Christmas-Every Christmas Eve we all went over to their house and Grandfather would read the story of Jesus’ birth to us.  He had a box with gold, frankincense, and myrrh and would show all of us (I remember thinking that was so cool when I was a kid).  Then Grandfather would pass out presents to each of us one at a time and say ‘Is Stephanie here, I haven’t seen her’ then we would say ‘I am right here’.  After everyone had gotten a present we would go around again.  “Is Stephanie still here, I think she must have left”  then we would say “I am right here!” and roll our eyes.  It went on for a while.  Even though I would roll my eyes, I loved it.

Gum-Grandfather always carried around Wrigley’s gum in his pocket.  Yellow, Red, White, Green, and Blue (not sure what all the flavors are).  Anytime we wanted some gum he would pull all of them out of his pocket and ask us which one we wanted (Me?  Green or blue please, not red-YUCK!). 

Coke-When my parents first got married I went to Grandmother and Grandfather’s house and they asked me what I wanted to drink and I wanted a cherry coke.  They didn’t have one, but the next time I came over they made sure they were stocked up with cherry coke (and have been for the last 21 years that my parents have been married).  It is sweet that they cared enough about me to get what I liked and keep it there for whenever I came over.

Laugh-Grandfather had the biggest laugh and it sort of sounded like Santa! I will remember that laugh.

Who let the dogs out-Grandfather heard “Who let the dogs out” and for YEARS he would go around the house singing “Who let the dogs out” then would (really loud) go Whoo Whoo Whooo. LOL.  It’s was really funny.



So you want to get in engaged?

This is so super cute!  I was hunting for a recipe and came across this one from Glamour Magazine's cookbook on Amazon “100 Recipes Every Woman Should Know: Engagement Chicken and 99 Other Fabulous Dishes to Get You Everything You Want in Life.” 

I just had to share this recipe with you since it might help some of you.  One day I just might make Engagement Chicken.  Let me know if it helps!  Haha.

Also, this just might be the funniest review I have ever read on Amazon.

“I really enjoyed the engagement chicken recipe, but the amount of prep work was exhausting. You need to start several months in advance, initially leaving random copies of the recipe around the boyfriend's apartment. Then you need to bring up the recipe whenever possible, like crying when your friends eat engagement chicken, wondering aloud if you're getting too old to eat engagement chicken, and mentioning how happy your mother would be if you finally made engagement chicken. It turned out well (a little lemony), but there were definitely times where I wanted to give up and go to McDonalds for a "I'm going to die alone and the cats will eat my face" chicken sandwich instead.”

So, here is the famous and magical Engagement Chicken recipe (which I in no way shape or form had anything to do with creating).

Engagement Chicken

First comes chicken, then comes marriage? Be skeptical if you must, but this recipe may be charmed. It all began 26 years ago, when then-Glamour fashion editor Kim Bonnell gave the recipe to her assistant, Kathy Suder, who made the chicken for her boyfriend, who, a month later, asked her to marry him. “It’s a meal your wife would make. It got me thinking,” says Jon Suder, who now has three children with Kathy. Details of the simple dish passed from assistant to assistant like a culinary chain letter. When Bonnell heard that her recipe had inspired three weddings, she dubbed it Engagement Chicken. Try the recipe, give it to a friend—oh, and let us know when it works!

Engagement Chicken

Serves 2 to 4

Ingredients:

·         1 whole chicken (approximately 4 pounds)

·         1/2 cup fresh lemon juice, plus 3 whole lemons—including 1 sliced for garnish

·         1 tablespoon kosher or coarse sea salt

·         1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

·         Fresh herbs for garnish (4 rosemary sprigs, 4 sage sprigs, 8 thyme sprigs, and 1 bunch fl at-leaf parsley)

1. Position an oven rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F. Remove the giblets from the chicken, wash the chicken inside and out with cold water, then let the chicken drain, cavity down, in a colander for 2 minutes.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Place the chicken breast-side down in a medium roasting pan fi tted with a rack and pour the lemon juice all over the chicken, both inside and out. Season the chicken all over with salt and pepper inside and out.

3. Prick 2 whole lemons three times each in three different places with a fork and place them deep inside the cavity. Chicken cavity size may vary, so if one lemon is partly sticking out, that’s fine. (Tip: If the lemons are stiff, roll them on the countertop with your palm before pricking to get the juices flowing.)

4. Put the chicken in the oven, lower the oven temperature to 350°F, and roast, uncovered, for 15 minutes.

5. Remove the roasting pan from the oven. Using tongs or two wooden spoons, turn the chicken breast- side up. Insert a meat thermometer in the thigh, and return the chicken to the oven and roast for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the meat thermometer reads 180°F and the juices run clear when the thigh is pricked with a fork. Continue roasting if necessary. Keep in mind that cooking times in different ovens vary; roasting a chicken at 350°F takes approximately 18-20 minutes per pound, plus an additional 15 minutes.

6. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before carving. And here’s the secret: Pour the juices from the roasting pan on top of the sliced chicken— this is the “marry me juice.” Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon slices.

30 under 30 F.A.Q.

Did you finish the entire list?

No, I did not.  I finished 29 out of 30 but I am honestly ok with that.  I did not finish #11, Dance in the Rain.  When I added it to the list I had envisioned it romantic, and not just jamming in the rain and doing the stanky leg. :) So that item will not be added to my ‘bucket list’.

Do you wish you could have done one of them differently?

No, I liked how I did all of them.  A few I had to tweak (see below), but I am glad I did them the way I did.  

What are you the most proud of?

Proud?  Proud of stepping out of my comfort zone-Skydiving.  Proud of accomplishing something I worked hard on for months-Half marathon.  Proud that I actually did something for 30 days straight-30 day Shred and Being a Vegetarian for a month.   Proud of my country-Sending a care package to Iraq.  Proud of spending time with my two adorable nephews-Baking a cake from scratch.

What item cost the most?

Hmm.  Well, the most expensive ones were the limo ride ($400 plus drinks/food) and Mt. Rushmore ($350 flight and hotel, plus $100 car rental/gas, and spending money was $100-I split the hotel and car rental/gas with my friend who went with me).  

How much do you think you spent total?

Hmm.  Well this is a ROUGH estimate because I am sure I am forgetting something (plus I didn’t count if  I had travel costs or food costs not associated with it-like the keg stand I didn’t count gas getting to Nac because I was going to Homecoming anyway).  Here is the list and an estimate of what I spent.  Bull Ride-free, martini-$6?, spray tan-$50, cooking class-$65, Mt Rushmore-$550, Half marathon-$175?(including fees and shoes), 30 Day Shred-free, Bake a cake-$10?, Dolphins-$75 (plus $50 entrance fee to the park but I used that for the roller coasters, Skydive-$200, Party in New Orleans-$150 (car rental plus gas), keg stand-free, Opera-$85?, margaritas-no idea!, blind date-free, karaoke-$10 (on drinks to get me on stage!), skinny dipping-free, 5 classic films-$30 (bought them different places or borrowed), homeless-free, vegetarian-$ no idea (just regular food costs so probably none), puzzle-$130 (puzzle, frame, and glue), Old Baldy-$60 in gas?, roller coasters-$60 (entrance fee to park), crash a party-free, tire change-free, random kindness-that’s a secret!, limo-$460 (limo plus drinks and food), message in a bottle-$40 (the bottle was free-thanks Nicky! But gas was abut $40 to get to Port Aransas), care package-$150 (the stuff plus shipping).  Rough total=$2216.  Yikes!  Ummm. Wow.  That was over the course of the year though and it included some big things.

Did any of them take longer than expected?

The training for the half marathon took a few months and it seemed like the roller coasters went on forever (but it was super fun!), but other than that it none of them took an extraordinary amount of time.  The 30 Day Shred and being a vegetarian took forever it seemed because I wanted them to be done. Haha.  30 days does not create a habit for me, it makes me annoyed. :)

Did any turn out differently than expected or did you have to adjust any of them?

For the swimming with dolphins I didn’t technically swim with them, we just trained with them.  Seaworld San Antonio is not set up for swimming with them, so I had to change it.  Honestly though, if I would have had to hang on to a dolphin fin and swim I probably would have freaked out a bit.  When I put on the list about taking a homeless person to lunch or dinner thought it would be easy to ask a homeless person to meet me at McDonald’s, but I listened to my friends/family and they said to rethink that one…so I changed it to serving lunch at a homeless shelter.  Oh, I also didn’t think I would make it 30 times on a roller coaster without puking! Ha!

Which one was the most fun?

Oh, that’s hard.  30 roller coasters is exciting, Mt. Rushmore was beautiful, singing karaoke by myself was embarrassing (and really funny), doing a keg stand was hilarious, having 30 margaritas in 30 different places was intoxicating (hehe), partying in New Orleans was different, going skinny dipping was nerve-racking (like we would get caught), crashing a party and a limo ride was thrilling (stealing cake and going to scary bars!) and sending a care package (and making a new friend!) was super sweet.  All were fun.

Which one did you not have fun?

I had fun on all of them.  Some more than others (I’m sorry, but the opera is boring!) but my friends made them an awesome experience.

Are you going to do it again?

There won’t be a 31 under 31, or 40 under 40 but I do now have a bucket list.

Which ones were you the most terrified of?  Would you do them again?

Top three terrifying (before) were 1.  Half marathon.  2.  Skydiving  3.  Blind date.  Out of those three the most terrifying was skydiving!  I liked it and would recommend everyone doing it, but I will absolutely not do it again. The half marathon and blind date weren’t as bad as I had imagined.  I am actually planning on running a marathon in January!  Crazy.  In reality which were the top three most terrifying?  1.  Skydiving.  2.  30 roller coasters.  3.  Karaoke

Did you do all of them with someone?

No, several were done by myself.  Take a cooking class (but I made friends there), Finish a full cycle of the 30 day Shred (except one day when Krista was in the hotel watching me-see the keg stand post), go on a blind date (technically I wasn’t by myself-but I didn’t know him so he doesn’t count), watch 5 classic movies I haven’t seen, take a homeless person out to lunch or dinner, be a vegetarian for a month (lonely experience eating salads because you friends only want to go to a hamburger joint-just to torture you . haha), complete a 1,000 piece puzzle (which is now hanging above my fireplace), and send a care package to Iraq.  

Would you recommend someone having a 30 under 30 list?

Absolutely!  Step out of your comfort zone.  I have actually made a bucket list now (will share it soon!).  

What sort of reaction did you get when you told people about your list?

Most people want to make their own list!  I hope I was able to inspire my friends and family (and strangers on the internet-stranger danger) to accomplish things in their life that they have always wanted to do.  Some people disapproved of some items on my list like taking homeless person to lunch, crashing a party/wedding, and skinny dipping.  But you know what? It’s MY list! Butt out.  Some people even questioned me becoming a vegetarian during training for a half marathon because I wouldn’t get enough protein (btw, that is a dumb argument-go HERE for proof that being a vegetarian is not harmful to athletes or anyone).

Is there any that you wish you wouldn’t have put on the list?

No, I wish I would have thought it through a bit more (30 freakin’ roller coasters?!) but I liked the ones I added.

What’s your favorite memory?

Too many to list. :)

Any tips when making a 30 under 30 list (or any age)?

Weren’t you scared of #10 or #20?  Yes!  I did them anyway.  That’s the point of this list.  Step out of your comfort zone and take some risks.  Don’t limit your challenges, challenge your limits.  I got to do 30 things that I have always wanted to do but never did.  I got to push myself and accomplish so much in this past year. I never would imagine that I could ever have run a half marathon…but I did it!  I trained myself and I didn’t let myself slack.  I didn’t want to look back and wish I had done more.  Make a list today no matter what age you are turning.  Set a deadline.  Oh, and make sure you think your list through REALLY hard before you publish it. I didn’t realize what I was getting myself into when I made it.  Some were more difficult to accomplish than others.

And finally, is there anyone you would like to thank?

Yes!  All my friends and family who did something with me on my list.  Whether it was drinking margaritas or running half marathons I enjoyed every minute of my time with them.  Thanks to the following people (in no particular order):  Mandy, Brooklyn, Jay, Layton, Amy B. Lori, Clyde, Pie, Dad, Michelle, Katie, Kim, Lili, Erika, Oscar, Krista, Ginger, Tyler, Colleen, Brandon, Nicky, Chris R, Justin, Amanda, Lynda, Kona, Debra, Kennisha, Brandi, Carol, Lora K, Amber, Clarissa, Chris L., Hunter, Cole, Beau, Laura, Carberry, Kelly, and Maw-Maw.  I hope I didn’t forget anyone! I  went down each item in my head and remembered who I was at each one with.

 

 

***This item has been done for a loooong time, but I have been lazy about posting it!  Enjoy.

Over the weekend I went to my sister’s house in Spring and baked a Cake from Scratch with my nephews, Hunter and Cole.  I love these boys!

#8 on my list is to bake a cake from scratch (and enjoy it) and I completed it!  For those of you who are counting, that’s 6 things off my list…24 more to go!!!

I looked online to find a recipe to make and I couldn’t decide which one I wanted to make.  Strawberry? Pineapple Upside Down Cake? Lemon? White? Yellow?  Pumpkin? (my favorite option) Coconut?-Yuck! My neighbor even said I could borrow her cookbook that had cakes from scratch in it.

Then I called my sister and told her my dilemma of which cake flavor to make and she said “Fruit and Cake do not belong together” and if I wanted to do it over there it would need to be chocolate.  BOOO!!! She then suggested that I use this recipe that her Mother-in-Law always makes for parties and get togethers.

These are all the ingredients needed for this recipe.  I included pictures of each step so if you are like me and cannot cook a thing you can follow this easily!

First up:  Wash your hands.  Hunter has included a visual of how to make a soap bubble with your hands for your enjoyment/learning.

Sift together Sugar, Flour, and Cocoa.  This step is important to SIFT together.  I thought you could just mix it together and be done, but no, it needs to be sifted. I actually broke my sister’s sifter and need to replace it.

This is Cole eating Butternut Squash and helping from afar.

Add Baking Soda and Milk then Stir.  Then add Mayonnaise and stir (can you already tell this recipe is low calorie? ;) 

Cole moved closer to help us stir.  He is having fun!

My sister greased the pan (important step, otherwise the cake will stick)

Pour the cake batter into the pan then an important step:  Lick the bowl clean before washing it

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees, afterwards check with a toothpick, use a butter knife to separate the sides from the pan, and flip over on a cookie sheet

The icing: Add Milk, butter, and cocoa

Put over medium heat until it boils (big bubbles).  Constant stirring needs to occur.  Then add Sugar and blend together. Pour over cake (hurry, it gets thick fast!)

Enjoy with ice cream!!!

I had a wonderful day spending time with my nephews baking this cake.

 1 Cake + 2 Adorable Nephews = Happiness and a Rockin’ good time :)

Question of the day:

Have you ever baked a cake from scratch?  How did it turn out?

The 30 Day Shred

***Again, I have been super lazy and this should have been posted waaaaaaaay back in October.  This has actually been written for the most part since then, but I just kept forgetting to upload it (my old apartment didn't have internet).

I have attempted in the past to complete the 30 day Shred in it's entirety, but I have always come up short.  I go for a few days straight, but then I miss a day and my good intentions are out the window.  So I added Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred to my list of 30 before 30.  

I of course had seen Jillian on the Biggest Loser, but it was when I saw this post from one of my favorite bloggers that I wanted to purchase the DVD and see what it was all about.  I bought my DVD copy at Wal-mart (I think it's $9), but I have seen it at Target as well (follow the link above to get it from Amazon).

So here is my 30 day run down of what happened when I decided to tackle...the Shred.

Day 1-Not so bad.  I say not so bad because I kinda cheated a few times.  OK…so I cheated a lot.  Who does she think she is making me push myself?  She’s not my Mom.   Well, OK.  I bought the DVD because she is known as “TV’s Toughest Trainer” (which she repeats several times-I get it, your tough!) and I wanted her to push me.  But while your are grunting and doing crunches you are just like leave me alone Witch! 

I am already sore…time to take a shower and get on with my day.  BTW, who in there right mind gets up early on their day off to workout with the Shred at 8 am?!  Apparently me.

Day 2-During the cardio jump rope and sections I have to hold my boobs down so they won’t fly up and cause a black eye.  Note to self: Get better sports bra.

Day 3-I brought the DVD over to my sisters house and convinced her to do the workout with me.  My nephew started to make fun of us for doing a workout video, so instead of him laughing at us when we had sweat dripping down our faces I bet him $5 that he wouldn’t be able to finish the entire DVD with us.  He took the bet and started the workout.  Bet a kid $5 and you could get him to do anything, I wouldn’t take a $5 bet anymore.  Kids are cheap.  He made it through the entire DVD without stopping, although he almost did once and I had to remind him that he was doing this for money.  Day three complete!

Day 4-I had the bright idea to go for a 3 mile run before popping the DVD.  Smart.  Smart.   Smart.  Not. Not. Not.  So tired, must go to sleep now.

Day 5-My friend Kali invited me to the Pearland Crossfit tonight to do bootcamp with her.  I have heard things about Crossfit and wasn’t sure I wanted to go, but she convinced me that I am very active now so this should be a piece of cake for me.  Yeah right, Crossfit is hard! We had to do as many sets as possible in 12 minutes of 5 pushups, 10 sit ups, and 15 squats.  I couldn’t wait to be done, so you can imagine when I got home to do my dvd I was not feeling it.  I did it though.  Crossfit Bootcamp + Plus 30 Day Shred.  Who’s tough?  This girl!

Day 6-I am so sore today from yesterday’s bootcamp.  Even squatting to pee hurts so doing lunges and jumping jacks did not make for a fun time today. I am getting stronger every day though.

Day 7-Today I noticed that my arms do not jiggle as much as they used to…they still jiggle though so let’s keep pushing on!  Or as a song goes from my favorite musical (The Great American Trailer Park Musical) goes "I am going to make like a nail, and press on.”

Day 8-I ran 8.69 miles today so needless to say that my knees were not happy when popped in the DVD for tonight’s workout.  

Day 9-"I can do this, I got this. I can do this, I got this."  That's my new mantra.  What do you think?

Day 10-Last day on Level One!  I keep trying to convince myself that I should enjoy this workout, as it is my last one on this level…but I can’t seem to care. I am so over this level.

Day 11-First day of Level Two!  I think I am ready, bring it on.  **30 minutes later-What was I thinking, can I please go back to level one?  Please!  Who ever heard of a plank jack?  

Day 12-I.   Absolutely.   Do.   Not.   Like.  Level.    Two.   Of.   The.  Shred.  Level Two is not my friend.

Day 13-I sweat a lot during this level.  Sweat dripping down into my eyes makes it hard to see when doing high kicks.  Jabba better watch out, it’s hard to hear a meow over all of the grunting and screaming that I do in this level.

Day 14-Almost halfway through.  Keep pushing!

Day 15-Ran my fastest time ever in a 5K…and shaved off 58 seconds.  I know it is because of the Shred.  Today’s workout was extra special once I realized it.  Push it!

Day 16-Level 2 is still not my friend.  Planks jacks are not my friend either.  On that note, neither are butt kicks.

Day 17-I did this tonight at 11:30 pm.  I fell asleep on the couch and woke up with a start thinking it was past midnight.  Luckily it wasn't and I was able to finish. That would have sucked to have to start all over.

Day 18-Sweat in my eyes!  Sweat in my eyes!

Day 19-Exhaustion and hunger to the max!  Why am I so hungry?  All this working out and running makes me hungry.  Running at 5 am, then the Shred at night?  I am oh so tired.

Day 20-Level 2 is done! Peace out!

Day 21- OK wait.  Level 3 includes punches, butt kicks, and jumping jacks with WEIGHTS?  No one warned me about that fact!  You should be ashamed! 

Day 22- Level 3, Day 2.  I am tired.  Can’t hold up my arms to type from all the plank moves.  Check back tomorrow, maybe I will have a witty response.

Day 23-Level 3 has knee circles in the warmup, I really missed knee circles.  Great job Jillian for bringing them back!

Day 24-I think Jabba thinks that I am a bridge that he can lay under when I do a plank move.  He doesn’t understand that I am about to collapse from the muscle strain!

Day 25-Ran 4 miles right after work, came home and did this DVD.  I rock!

Day 26- I kind of like doing the sumo squats and jump squats.  My thighs are burning though!

Day 27-The sit ups on this level will be the death of me!  I have yet to complete a ‘real’ one without using my feet and arms to gain momentum.

Day 28-Did you hear that I did a keg stand?  Well, did you know that I did my first keg stand about 20 minutes before doing day 28 of the 30 Day Shred?  Committed!

Day 29-One more day.  One more day. One more day.

Day 30-I finished!  There is no feeling like when you know you have just completed an entire month of working out and can see a visible difference.  There is also no feeling like the one when you know you don't have to do something anymore.  Yay!

Final thoughts:  I loved the Shred.  I didn't take measurements or weigh myself before/after but I know I lost weight and absolutely some inches.  Try it!