Turning 31!

I can’t believe that in a little over a week, I’m going to be 31! 31.

No more 30. It’s kind of mind boggling to me. I loved being 30.  Thirty was a great year. We bought and moved into our first house.  And we’re enjoying making it our home. We also had our “yard crashed” while I was 30.  That was a pretty awesome experience. Being on DIY’s Yard Crashers, we got an amazing tropical backyard where we could spend endless summer nights hanging out in front of a fire pit, lounging in the palapa and bbqing with friends and family. All thanks to a pretty little red head.  But best of all, I spent my 30^th year of life being a new mommy to the most amazing little boy I could ever ask for.  This was by far the best part of my 30^th year. Becoming a mother changed my life in a million ways.  I don’t remember what life was like before him. And I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him.  

I can’t believe all of these huge changes in my life happened in this one amazing year – I will miss it. But I’m hoping, wishing and praying for a blessed, happy, healthy, and exciting 31^st year.  One more week… cheers!

Ideas. Ideas. Ideas.

I love pinterest.

No seriously, I’m addicted. 

It is exactly what I need – I’m constantly thinking of things I want to do, am trying to do, want to cook, make, build, construct – and the ideas come a mile a minute, often causing me to forget many of them later.  I love that I can get browse through tons of ideas, pin them, and read them (or try them) later.  I love all the inspiration – the motivational quotes, the  reminders of living life to the fullest, of far-away places I want to travel to someday. 

As my friends know, I’ve been pretty focused on a healthier, leaner lifestyle.  No dieting. I don’t believe in dieting. I just want to be healthy, happy and set a good example for my son.  I came across a great page on pinterest that lists 62 great tips to achieving your health and fitness goals.  If you’re interested, here it is: http://www.leanitup.com/63-fitness-and-diet-rules/

I also really like this 40 minute beginner treadmill work-out to get you more into running.  I’m a beginner to running, but I have a goal to be able to run a marathon with a long term goal of running more and more marathons.  Most of my treadmill workouts recently have been similar to this AND I also alternate with days where I walk at a slower speed, but at a high incline for 45-60 minutes (3.2-3.5 speed, 6.0-8.0 incline, 45-60 mins). If you’re interested, here is the beginner treadmill work-out:

Time	Speed	Incline
0:00-5:00	3.0	1.0
5:00-10:00	3.5	1.0
10:00-12:00	5.5	1.0
12:00-16:00	3.5	1.0
16:00-18:00	5.5	1.0
18:00-22:00	3.5	1.0
22:00-24:00	5.8	1.0
24:00-28:00	3.5	1.0
28:00-30:00	5.8	1.0
30:00-35:00	3.5	1.0
35:00-40:00	3.0	1.0

Follow ME on pinterest here!

Happy Tuesday!

Powerful

Five Things Helping Me Meet My Fitness/Nutrition Goals

Patting myself on the back. I'm seeing results, slowly but surely with my fitness and nutrition lifestyle changes (no dieting here). It's exciting!

This morning, after my 5am sweat session which included 45 minutes of inclined training on my treadmill and some running on a lower incline, I was sweating like a wh*re in church. Which I LOVE, the sweating part that is. I feel accomplished when the sweat is dripping off my face, neck, chest and the rest of me.

Here are FIVE things that have been working for me that I thought I would share you:

1. 5am workouts: This has been what is most successful for me, when I'm consistent. 5am workouts once a week won't do anything. 5am workouts 5-6 days a week and I'm seeing changes after only a week.  Working out in the evening for me is pretty impossible.  With a toddler in tote, I rush home from work, pick him up from "day care," get him home, feed him dinner while I eat dinner, take him to the park (or do something else "active" with him), bathe him, give him a bottle, we cuddle and read a book together or chase each other around the house until he's ready for bed.  I usually curl up with him in bed and let him sleep with me until he's completely knocked out which is when I usually move him into his crib.  It's 9pm by that time, which means I'm pooped and not going to work out after that. IF I do, it’s usually while we're at the park, or if he falls asleep really early, but basically it’s an extra work out. The 5am workouts are doing wonders for me! I need to remember that the mornings where I snooze and don't get out of bed.

2. Treadmill at home: Best purchase recently, for sure.  I was leaving my house at 4:30am to drive to 24 hour fitness to work out at 5am.  Sometimes I wouldn't leave until almost 5, which means my workout would have to be cut short to allow me enough time to drive home and shower, get ready for work, etc.  The drive time (even if it was only 10 minutes each way), plus parking, getting into the gym, on a machine, etc. was just too much wasted time. So a couple months ago, I bought a used treadmill and I'm so happy with it. Now I crawl out of bed at 4:45-ish, brush my teeth, put my contacts on, throw my hair in some half assed pony-tail, some gym clothes and bam, into the living room I go. I put on some morning news with closed captions so I can peak at what's going on while I jam to Pandora for an hour. It's great!

3. Eating lean, green and often: Yes, often.  I didn’t want to diet. That doesn’t work for me. I wanted to change my LIFESTYLE so I could set a good example for my son, who is my world.  That is incredibly important to me and I’m proud that he prefers fruits over candy and crap.  With the healthy choices I’ve been making, my metabolism is on super charge right now so I'm hungry every 2-4 hours.  I usually start out in the morning with my post-workout protein shake, but lately I've moved that to about 9:30am.  I make it in the morning before I leave home but save it for my mid-morning meal at work. I started making a quick egg white and veggie scramble for breakfast. Takes the same time as it does to blend my shake together and it tastes delish! I use egg whites, usually zucchini, mushrooms and tomatoes but I always change up the veggies.  After my mid-morning shake, I usually have a chicken and spinach salad for lunch.  I love a colorful salad, so I often include a few olives, garbanzo beans, beets, carrots, craisins, mushrooms, and 1/2 an avocado + shredded chicken breast with a little dressing.  Yum! Then I have a mid-afternoon snack (usually fruit or granola bar) and then I head home where I have dinner, which I have been prepping on Sundays for the work-week (more on that below).

4. Prepping and Preparing: Prepping and preparing my meals is a HUGE part of what's helping me.  On Sundays, I bake chicken breast or salmon to last me til about Wednesday.  On Wednesday, I'll re-bake some to last me Thursday and Friday.  I cut up veggies and stick them in Tupperware so they're easy to grill up before re-heating my chicken breast or salmon in the evening.  It tastes good and is good for me. Plus, I can’t use the excuse that I’m too tired to cook and end up eating something quick and crappy. Avin received a promotion at work which requires him to work longer hours.  As much as he loves to cook, he hasn’t been able to for a while and since I’m determined to meet my fitness goals, prepping and preparing my dinners in advance is great for this busy Mom’s lifestyle. I don't plan on doing this forever as I miss having carbs as sides, but for now, it is working and I plan on sticking to it. 

5. Great family and friends: Having supportive family and friends who eat healthy and work out make a HUGE difference.  I've been bogged down by people whose goals are not in line with mine and I'm glad that the friends I currently have aren't influencing me to be lazy and to eat like crap. Thank you.

I'm not at a point where I'm going to start posting pix of my body. That would be overzealous of me since the change isn’t significant at this point.   But I can definitely see the change in my face. My cheeks aren't as chubby - yay!

This was me this morning, feeling great!

Monday Morning Thoughts.

1. After last week's eating poorly and barely getting in two days of intense cardio, I was left feeling like crap and disappointed in myself on Sunday.  But instead of being down on myself, I grabbed the reins and jumped back on the horse.  For one, I prepped/cooked my dinner for the next three days. Eating a healthy, portioned dinner at an early time has been my biggest and hardest feat. Prepping it on Sunday is helpful. 

2. My alarm went off at 4am, which of course meant I snoozed it until almost 5am. It's Monday and I'm definitely dragging. But I'm glad I forced myself out of bed, brushed my teeth, threw my hair in some ugly half assed pony tail, threw on some workout gear and got pushing on the treadmill for an hour.  After sweating like a pig, I was done. And I feel so much better for it. No one ever regrets a good workout, but I would've totally regretted sleeping through it.

3. I packed a delish healthy lunch I look forward to eating today.  I ate like crap for lunch all week last week. I didn't make it to the grocery store all work-week and used that as a horrible excuse to eat crap for lunch.  Not cool. That will NOT be the case this week. Fridge is stocked with healthy, yummy, delish foods.

4. I sat down with my after workout protein shake to check out the news for 2.5 seconds. In it, I saw the story about Linnea Lomax's body being found. She was the 19 year UCD student that went missing on June 26th after leaving an outpatient mental health clinic.  I heard about this on Friday, but it still bothered me Monday morning.  I feel for her. I feel like there was something more sinister happening (or could've been happening) that wasn't divulged by her family during this widely publicized missing person's search. We'll never know her side of the story. May she RIP.  I hope she is happy now and resting peacefully.

5. My son waves bye and runs to give hugs as he leaves with his Papa for a day with his Auntie and cousins while we head to work. It makes me teary eyed every time.  I can't believe he is so big now. That he waves bye to me. Being a mother is the best part of my life. Being HIS mother is an honor I'm so blessed to have. He is seriously the most well-behaved, sweetest little boy and has made me have a VERY big bias for little boys. I want more... boys.

I hope EVERYONE has a great week! Let's get this Monday, and the week together! I'm not going to make excuses or beat myself up for a not so good fitness/nutrition week last week. Instead, I'm going to pick up the pieces and work extra hard this week. Whatever your goals are, your hurdles, your issues: work past them. Do great things. And above all, smile!

Happy Monday - September 10, 2012.

You don't get my sympathy...

As a person of color – no, as a human being, I feel very little sympathy for Julie Sanders. 

NPR recently wrote an article in which a 40 year old woman, Julie Sanders, a mother of three from Portland, Oregon, belonged to a white supremacist group when she was 16 years old.  In 1988, she witnessed a murder of a 28 year old Black man, Mulugeta Seraw, who was violently killed outside of his apartment.  She witnessed this murder in the back seat of a car – the very same car the white supremacists exited when they intentionally set out to kill one of the three Black men they passed by.  The killer was her then boyfriend.  Sanders stated that in revealing this story to her friend at StoryCorps, she had rarely talked about her past at all.  She started out recalling her teen years and wanting acceptance as she didn’t receive it from her parents. "I was on a search for people who wanted me around. My parents didn't," she says. "And there was nothing about me that felt special. So, when I met these friends, it didn't matter if I was pretty or funny. None of that mattered. They liked me — because I was white”

 

With her new found group of “friends” she spent her weekends drinking, driving around, and looking for people to get into fights with.  When there wasn’t anyone to harass and beat up, her boyfriend used her as a punching bag.

This is the only time I feel sympathy for Sanders. No woman – no person, should be someone’s punching bag.

As NPR’s story on Sanders progressed, it was stated that in the criminal trial, Sanders testified on behalf of the plaintiffs in that case, not the defendants – her boyfriend being one of them.  For her part in the incident – being a witness and I’m assuming an accomplice to the crime, she was sent to a girls’ reformatory where she spent several years hiding from that horrible night when Seraw was murdered in her plain sight.  Sanders is turning her life around and teaching her three children to be accepting of others – their similarities and their differences.  She went on to complete her degree in social work and plans to work with children who are at risk of joining hate groups.

For all of that, I applaud her. I applaud that she can see the wrong she was a part of and try her hardest to break that cycle.  With that being said, I still feel very little sympathy for her. 

It’s easy for a White person to say “I’m sorry” in situation like this – I’m sorry I witnessed a person of color being murdered and didn’t give two shits or a fuck at the time.  I’m sorry I was haunted about that and that it took me years of trying to hide it before I came clean to someone to you know, rid myself of the guilt I still hold. I’m sorry. I’m sorry I in some way perpetuated the death of this man, a man who had a family – a child who called him “daddy.” I’m sorry.

Fuck that.

I’m sorry you felt the need to get acceptance by people who didn’t care about you at all. I’m sorry you were in that car and a part of such a violent and hateful act against humanity. I’m sorry that your children will grow to learn the true legacy of their mother – and that your hands will always be dirty. I’m sorry that a young man, with so much promise, lost his life because the hate you felt for him. You may not have thrown the final blow from a bat that took his life, but your hate filled heart, you presence and the simple fact that you sat around and did nothing to stop it – even running the opposite direction for help, shows me that you’re not sorry at all. The only thing you’re sorry for is feeling this enormous amount of guilt. Which you should.

Seraw will never get his life back.  While you did. You can move forward and again, I applaud you for making positive changes, but you get very little sympathy for me. As a person of color, as a human being, I feel sorry for YOU. I feel sorry that your heart was filled with so much hate – that you took part, in one way or the other in the loss of this man’s life. Who knows how many other Black people your group of friends beat up and you stood by doing nothing.

I hope you continue to progress in a positive way. I hope you continue to strive to change your hateful past. But you don’t get my sympathy in the process. You don’t deserve it.

Read the full story here: A Mother Tries to Atone For A Deadly Hate Crime

My heart in his hands

I lay in bed, next to my son and I can't believe how little he is. Yes, little. I see it differently this time. His lil fingers fit in the palm of my hands. He's so little. A day will come when his hands are large enough that my hands now fit in them. It's crazy - we give birth to these tiny, beautiful, delicate creatures and they grow and grow and grow. They get more beautiful in the process and we have amazing memories with them along the way. But we can't help to miss them when they were so little.

Ramadan is upon us...

As my brother said, “and so it begins…” The blessed month of Ramadan is once again upon us. 

For those that may not know…

Ramadan is the ninth month of the Islamic lunar calendar. Every day during this month, Muslims around the world spend the daylight hours in a complete fast.

During the blessed month of Ramadan, Muslims all over the world abstain from food, drink, and other physical needs during the daylight hours. As a time to purify the soul, refocus attention on God, and practice self-sacrifice, Ramadan is much more than just not eating and drinking.

Muslims are called upon to use this month to re-evaluate their lives in light of Islamic guidance. We are to make peace with those who have wronged us, strengthen ties with family and friends, do away with bad habits -- essentially to clean up our lives, our thoughts, and our feelings. The Arabic word for "fasting" (sawm) literally means "to refrain" - and it means not only refraining from food and drink, but from evil actions, thoughts, and words.

During Ramadan, every part of the body must be restrained. The tongue must be restrained from backbiting and gossip. The eyes must restrain themselves from looking at unlawful things. The hand must not touch or take anything that does not belong to it. The ears must refrain from listening to idle talk or obscene words. The feet must refrain from going to sinful places. In such a way, every part of the body observes the fast.

Therefore, fasting is not merely physical, but is rather the total commitment of the person's body and soul to the spirit of the fast. Ramadan is a time to practice self-restraint; a time to cleanse the body and soul from impurities and re-focus one's self on the worship of God.

As an individual, Ramadan can be very difficult, especially in everyday life - to not think badly of some, to “bite your tongue,” to refrain.  I will try, as I do each year. I can’t say I will for sure keep all 30 days of fasting, but I will surely try.  I find the most difficult aspect of Ramadan having to refrain from water. I drink a lot of water in a day and this, as always, will be the hardest part of my roza (fasting).  But for me, Ramadan is a way to refocus with each year, to give thanks for all that Allah (swt) has bestowed upon me and my family and to be a good person.  That’s all I can do. So I shall embark on this year’s holy month of Ramadan with good tidings. 

I wish all my Muslim brothers and sisters the same. Ramadan Mubarak!

"Oh shit!"

Apparently, my son's first words have gone from "Ma-ma" and "Da-da" to "oh shit!" (0.o)

I couldn't help but laugh when I first heard it but soon realized laughing only reinforces the behavior. So any laughter after that point had to be shielded. It just is so hard not to laugh, he's 14 months old, he can barely speak (minus a ton of baby babble) and yet he clearly says "oh shit!" Even crazier is that he knows exactly when to use it contextually. He drops something - "oh shit!" He trips or falls - "oh shit!" Sometimes it's just "shit shit shit!" lol! Sigh.

It's so hard as a parent to shield your child, not only from others mouths but your own. I cursed pretty often prior to becoming a mother. I've cut back a lot but definitely slip up here and there. After disciplining Elijah after the first dozen times he said it, I felt bad. Its not his fault. Babies/toddlers truly are sponges.

I heard ignoring it would help stop it but I was drawn to replacing the word with something that sounds similar but isn't a curse word, like "oh sugar." The idea is to repeat the new word/phrase every single time they say the one you don't want them to. Eventually, they will start repeating the new word they hear you say so often. We started "oh sugar" yesterday and will keep at it. Apparently, patience is key as it can take weeks to pick up the new word. Unsurprisingly, Elijah already is starting to pick up on the new phrase "oh sugar" after just a day. He said "oh sugar" once so far when he would usually say "oh shit." So we'll keep at it and hopefully "oh shit" will be soon forgotten.

Either way, it provided hours of smiles and laughter this weekend! Kids truly say the darnedest things!

Any parents go through something similar?

Camping with a toddler

To say I'm excited for our annual camping trip this year would be an understatement. I am beyond excited because this will be Elijah's first camping experience!

Eju LOVES the outdoors. As soon as the door from our house opens, any door, he darts for it. Kind of scary as its a reminder that we must keep an eye on him at all times.

He is an adventurous kid, for sure.

To prepare to go camping with a toddler, we bought a ton of things and I decided to share my checklist with others who may need an easy go-to reference.

Here is my list of essentials:

1. All of the basic camping gear: tent, sleeping bags, blankets, pillows, raft etc.
2. First aid kit: you never know when you or your child will need a bandaid, alcohol wipes, get a headache or need any other first aid items. In addition to what comes with a first aid kit, I also packed infant ibuprofen, and Desitin (for diaper rashes).
3. Infant lifejacket. We always camp around water and I am a safety nut with my child. A lifejacket is a must!
4. In addition to our regular tent, we packed a canopy for the common/eating area and a "Shady Shack" (beach tent). Beaches, whether on a lake, river or ocean front, tend to lack in shade. Shade is so important for hot summer days, especially for young children.
5. Beach blanket. Made from a more durable material, it will keep our booties from burning on the hot sand.
6. Don't forget sunblock! I wear sunblock daily so packing it for our camping trip was routine. I did; however, make sure to buy a waterproof infant sunblock for Eju.
7. Bug spray. Adult spray and an infant bug spray for Eju. "Deets" infant bug spray is made with no harsh chemicals and supposed to be less toxic for their thin skin.
8. Lots of food and snacks. Being outdoors, active and especially in water can make you extra hungry. I packed good foods, healthy snacks and even a lil junk food (hey, it's vacation)!
9. Water. Lots of it.
10. Toilet paper, lots of diapers (DON'T FORGET WATER DIAPERS), towels, sanitizer, anti-bac wipes... Stay clean when possible!

These are just some of the essential items we are taking with us. Going in our group on our annual camping trip is so much fun! We have an amazing group of friends and we all pitch in and share what we bring.

Some of the others are bringing a stove, cooking utensils, music player, games, canopies, and other things to share :)

I'll post pix after our trip. Here is one of Eju in his lifejacket (I couldn't get him to stand still) and one of him chillin' in his camping chair :)