4/30/2013

first step

I've been doing a lot of thinking about finding balance after my post yesterday. I decided that the first step is doing exercise I enjoy. When I thought back to what workouts I enjoyed most over the years I kept coming back to Group Power.
Back when I lost my weight the first time (2 years ago!) I was taking Group exercise classes 3+ days a week. I loved meeting my friend Christina at Island Gym and taking Power or Step or Kick! I reached out to Christina and she's still going to classes 3 or 4 days a week and was excited to hear I was thinking about coming back. She's on 6 week break though because her due date with baby #2 was yesterday!

A short chat via text with Christina was all I needed. After work I stopped at my current gym and cancelled my membership. They require 30 days notice so I will continue to work out there until the end of May but on June 1st I'm joining Island again! The best part is they're running a special, $99 for 6 months!

4/29/2013

weekend update


  • 1 item down, 39 to go!  I sold something on eBay!  I think it's hilarious that the first item we (me & Nicole, we're a team in this) sold is a wallet called the Lauren.  I'm ridiculously excited about getting rid of all the stuff I don't wear/use.  We have 21 items listed as of today and I packed up 2 more boxes of stuff over the weekend!  Here's to making some money back on my out of control shopping habit!
  •  I think 2013 Bayfest may have been my last.  I'm officially too old for day drinking outside in the sun.  I had a great time walking down to the event with Lorie & Katie then hanging out with friends all day long but by 6pm I was ready for bed and I was exhausted until mid afternoon on Sunday.  I just can't hang like I used to!

  • My Old Navy starting selling sunglasses (and jewelry), they have a whole display by the front door now!  I mean really I need another pair of sunglasses like I need a hole in the head but how could I pass up these super fun green guys?  I wanted to wear them while I was running errands with my mom but I was already wearing a similar shade of green jeans and after one comment from a gentleman at Home Depot they went back in the bag.

finding balance

For some reason I can't seem to find a balance when it comes to eating right and exercising.  It's like I have 2 speeds, all in or all out.  I'm either going to the gym 5 days a week and keeping my calories low or I'm not working out and eating junk all day every day.  There's no middle ground in sight. I desperately want to shrink my waist line and feel better about myself when I get dressed but I can't find the motivation to strap on my sneakers and go for a run (or even a walk).

The biggest problem is that I WILL NOT work out alone.  Lately all of my workout buddies seem to be taking a break as well.  I've tried to change, I've tried to work out alone, I just don't and I've accepted that.  So, instead of making lofty goals for May I'm going to be realistic.  While my overall goals will basically remain the same I've lowered the expectations of myself.  I want to figure out a lifestyle I can maintain, enjoy even.
  • Less then 20 meals out.  If I really want a smaller body without killing myself at the gym I need to eat out less.
  • 90 servings of fruits and/or veggies.  I eat too many carbs, end of story.
  • 64oz of water 26 days = healthier Lauren.
  • Calorie Goal Met 26 days.  The only way I can work out less is to eat less.
  • Outdoor Activity.  The days are getting warmer and sun stays out later, time for me to get off the couch.
  • 260,000 steps.  I don't have to run, I just have to move.

4/26/2013

Fun Facts Friday

    •  I am making moves towards crossing an item off my 40 before 40 list!  I have 7 items for sale on eBay with many more to come!  Nicole has graciously offered to operate my eBay store since I just can't seem to make time.  I offered to pay her 20% of the profit but all she's asking for is a couple of dinners out.
    •  We went to the Phillies vs Pirates game on Tuesday night with my sister & Bill.  We got to Citizen's Bank Park a little early and had a couple of beers before heading into the game and enjoying yummy ballpark food.  I obviously went over my calories but the Shock Top Honeycrisp Apple beers and Chicken Italiano hoagie were worth it.  We had a really great time but boy was it cold!
    •  I spent last Sunday cleaning out our upstairs.  We've accumulated so much stuff over the last 4 years and it was time to get organized.  In addition to finding all kinds of purses, shoes & clothes to sell on eBay we removed 3 bags of trash from various rooms.  There's still a lot of work to do but I'm loving the direction things are going.  AND I finally started printing and displaying some of our wedding photos!
    •  We went to a BBQ at Joe's work the other night.  There was face painting.  Joe ended up with an Apple logo on his face.  That is all.
    •  I finally gave my sister the rest of her birthday presents the other night including a Thirty-One Pro Duffle with Mathlete embroidered on it.  She liked it.  If you want one of our limited edition duffle bags be sure to place an order (www.mythirtyone.com/LaurenFields) before the end of April since they're not available in the new summer catalog.
    •  I am pretty much obsessed with our (Thirty-One's) new summer items.  The Fresh Market Thermal is a great size for transporting all those treats to BBQs this summer.  The Lunch Break Thermal is the perfect lunch bag for bringing food to work.  Nicole is raving about the Hang-It-Up Key Fob which apparently is great for hanging things off a stroller.  And the Bring-A-Bottle Thermal will keep your drinks cool all summer long!
    •  The new patterns are cute too.  I'm especially infatuated with Fun Flops and I know it's going to be a big seller at the couple of parties I have lined up for May.  No real Jersey girl can resist flip flops!

    4/25/2013

    hot mess

    I have a post about my birthday coming and another of miscellaneous goings on but I just needed to pop in and confess.  April is NOT going well, all that pink is not good!  


    This weekend has the possibility of being a disaster too with book club on Friday night & Bayfest on Saturday afternoon.  Cross your fingers I magically get my mojo back and get my act together ASAP!


    4/17/2013

    week days are so much easier

    It is really ridiculous how much easier it is to complete my goals during the week.

    1. I'm out of my lunch staples so I got something from the cafeteria...1 meal out, 12 meals total for the month.
    2. apple for breakfast, potato for lunch, salad for dinner.  3 servings of fruit/veggies, 45 servings total for the month.
    3. 64oz+ of water, 9 days total for the month.
    4. 261 calories under my goal, 9 days total for the month.
    5. walked on the treadmill while watching Glee.  32 minutes, 230 minutes total for the month.
    6. 10,031 steps, 136,335 total for the month.
    Even though I had a pretty busy day I still managed to accomplish everything!  The best part was dress shopping with Anne after work!  I found out I'm definitely working the Century Club Gala again this year which means, new dress!  I tried on about 15 different styles & colors before selecting this cobalt blue one shouldered number.  It was a little more expensive then I'd hoped but I already have like 4 pairs of silver shoes so I won't need a new pair...that counts for something right?
    not the best pic of me but I couldn't resist Anne hamming it up
    stock picture of my dress

    40 before 40

    That whole 101 in 1001 didn't really pan out.  I lost track of it after a few months and it got really hard to back track what we did when.  So...I've decided on a 40 before 40 list.  Being that today is my 32nd birthday I have exactly 8 years to knock this out!
    1. Take a road trip. 
    2. Go camping. 
    3. Learn to play poker. 
    4. Go on a “staycation” (4 days minimum) 
    5. Own something from Tiffany & Co. 
    6. Spend a long weekend at a B&B (3 days minimum) 
    7. Don’t eat out for one month. 
    8. Be a vegetarian for a week. 
    9. Learn to bake bread. 
    10. Go to a drive-in movie. 
    11. One year, watch all Oscar-nominated films. 
    12. Have a dinner party. 
    13. Become a mom. 
    14. Create and print a photo album for each year since our wedding. 
    15. Spend an entire day together with no technology. 
    16. Go skiing.
    17.  Follow cash only plan for 2 months. 
    18. Sell things on E-Bay. 
    19. Have absolutely no debt aside from our mortgage. 
    20. Write a will. 
    21. Run a sub 30 minute 5K. 
    22. Take a girl’s only trip.
    23.  Get down to then maintain 20% or less body fat. 
    24. Go to Disney World. 
    25. Purchase a nice camera & learn basic photography skills including Photo Shop.
    26. Stop being afraid of my sewing machine. 
    27. Buy our "forever" house. 
    28. See the Grand Canyon. 
    29. Get down to then maintain my weight under 135 pounds. 
    30. Grow my Thirty-One business. 
    31. Learn to golf. 
    32. No new clothes for 1 month. 
    33. Have family photos taken every year. 
    34. Host a holiday at our house. 
    35. Learn to play chess. 
    36. Host a game night where we actually play games. 
    37. Attend a high school reunion. 
    38. Take an Alaskan cruise. 
    39. Organize our important paperwork. 
    40. Learn to drive stick.

    4/16/2013

    The Name Game

    I don't have a lot of time today & very few pictures to share so a quick goal recap and a fun post...

    Monday
    the 1/2 bottle of wine I drank at dinner
    1. dinner at the Library III's new location...1 meal out, 11 meals total for the month.
    2. banana for breakfast, pear & apple for lunch, none for dinner (unless you count all the grapes in my wine).  3 servings of fruit/veggies, 42 servings total for the month.
    3. 64oz+ of water, 8 days total for the month.
    4. 128 calories over my goal, 8 days total for the month.
    5. 0 minutes, 198 minutes total for the month.
    6. 4,819 steps, 126,304 total for the month.

    **************************
    I saw this posted on a few blogs in my reader a while back so I saved it to try sometime. 

    1. How did your parents decide on your name?  My dad wanted to name me Melodie & Melanie but my mom said I could never be CEO of a corporation with a name like that so they went with Lauren & my family called me Laurie until I went away to college.

    2. Do your initials (first/middle/last) spell anything funny?  My maiden initials were LAF which is literally funny, get it, laugh, hahahaha.  Now that I'm an old married lady I'm LFC which is not nearly as fun.

    3. Did you take your middle name from childhood or did you drop your middle name & take your maiden name as your middle name?  In case it's not obvious above, I dropped my middle name and moved my maiden name to my middle after the wedding.  My mom did that and I just always thought that was what you were supposed to do.

    4. Are you or will you name your children systematically?  I don't have any plans to though it could happen by accident.  I tend to like names that start with vowels (Ethan, Audrey, Olivia).

    5. Did you decide on baby names as a little girl?  I've gone through all kinds of names over the years.  The earliest I can remember is Madison then there was Hannah and now I like Audrey & Conner.

    6. Does your family have any names that have been passed down through generations?  My family does not but Joe is a 3rd.  As of now he's not pressing for a 4th but only time will tell.

    7. Do you look at the meaning of the name or just the name itself?  I've never been big on the meaning of names.  Probably because my name doesn't mean anything exciting, "the bay, or laurel plant."

    8. Do you name pets with human names or pet names? I tend to like human names for pets, hence Ian.  I've always wanted a dog named Carl or Bob.


    9. Are their any names that you have an affinity or dislike for based on a childhood experience/someone you once knew?  There aren't any names I totally hate.  But I do tend to dislike "odd ball" names.  I just don't understand why people find it necessary to spell names differently, it just makes the kids life more difficult.


    10. What are some of your favorite names & why?  I feel like I answered this above with Ethan & Audrey.  I just like the way they sound.

    4/15/2013

    oh how the mighty have fallen

    Let's start with the good news...I had a very nice weekend.  Joe was off and we got to spend time together without any other specific plans.

    However, it was a total shit show in terms of healthy eating & exercise.  I was doing so well last week and sometime around Friday afternoon I lost my way again...

    Thursday
      my cats love each other
      1. We had a lunch meeting at work & picked up Saladworks.  My Sophie Salad with balsamic dressing was AWESOME...1 meals out, 6 meals total for the month.
      2. pear for breakfast, salad for lunch, none for dinner.  3 servings of fruit/veggies, 34 servings total for the month.
      3. 56oz of water, 7 days total for the month.
      4. 148 calories under my goal, 7 days total for the month.
      5. I walked/ran on the treadmill while I watched New Girl on TV...20 minutes, 198 minutes total for the month.
      6. 10,366 steps, 110,664 total for the month.
    Friday
      t-rex says Happy Friday!
      1. I had a leadership training class all day at work so bringing my lunch wasn't an option (no fridge).  I also met Lorie & Katie out for dinner at Charlie's...2 meals out, 8 meals total for the month.
      2. pear for breakfast, none for lunch, sweet potato for dinner.  2 servings of fruit/veggies, 36 servings total for the month.
      3. 40oz of water, 7 days total for the month.
      4. 323 calories over my goal, 7 days total for the month.
      5. 0 minutes, 198 minutes total for the month.
      6. 4,866 steps, 115,530 total for the month.
    Saturday
    I may have purchased butterfly print flats...
    1. breakfast at Shea's (kept me full until dinner)...1 meals out, 9 meals total for the month.
    2. tomato for breakfast, none for lunch, none for dinner.  1 servings of fruit/veggies, 37 servings total for the month.
    3. 8oz of water, 7 days total for the month.
    4. 18 calories under my goal, 8 days total for the month.
    5. 0 minutes, 198 minutes total for the month.
    6. 2,626 steps, 118,156 total for the month.
    Sunday

    1. breakfast Sal's Cafe...1 meals out, 10 meals total for the month.
    2. none for breakfast, none for lunch, green beans & sweet potato for dinner.  2 servings of fruit/veggies, 39 servings total for the month.
    3. 24oz of water, 7 days total for the month.
    4. Thanks to an ice cream run after dinner I was 674 calories over my goal, 8 days total for the month.
    5. 0 minutes, 198 minutes total for the month.
    6. 3,329 steps, 121,485 total for the month.
    I'm not proud of myself.  I really just didn't put any effort out this weekend.  I could have worked harder on all of my goals and I just didn't.  I'm concerned that this week is going to be a mess too because...it's my birthday week!  I have a happy hour, dress shopping trip, awards dinner, bowling party & birthday dinner(s) all planned for this week which won't leave much time for exercise.  I'm going to have to hit the treadmill at home EVERY night to keep things somewhere close to even.  But hey, your birthday only comes once a year, right?

    In other news, I renewed my love for my Thirty-One business over the weekend.  I had been a little off my game since the wedding and was in danger of falling inactive if I didn't submit any sales by the end of April.  Luckily I have 3 parties this month so there was no chance of that.  In fact I submitted 2 parties on Sunday and earned this incentive with new items from our new catalog!


    On Sunday I also had a C&C (celebrate & connect) meeting where we got our new summer catalogs and a super cute Large Utility Tote in the new flip flop print just for attending!  I'm really excited to get back into growing my business and sharing the Thirty-One opportunity.
     

    4/11/2013

    My Bridal Shower

    I didn't take ANY pictures yesterday so now's as good a time as any to start recapping my wedding festivities!  Quick goal recap:
      1. We got Chinese take-out for dinner...1 meals out, 5 meals total for the month.
      2. spinach & banana for breakfast, apple & pear for lunch, none for dinner.  4 servings of fruit/veggies, 31 servings total for the month.
      3. 64oz of water, 7 days total for the month.
      4. 41 calories under my goal, 6 days total for the month.
      5. Went for a bike ride with Nicole & Jack...58 minutes, 178 minutes total for the month.
      6. 13,113 steps, 86,667 total for the month.
    **********************************
    My bridal shower was on a rainy Sunday back in October.  My bridal party put together a beautiful event under less the optimal circumstances.  The girls had planned an outdoor event in Lorie's large backyard.  We'd had really nice weather all week, lots of sun, unseasonably high temperatures, you name it.  Of course the day of the shower it was raining and cold so they had to add a last minute tent & heater rental.
    Upon arrival guests were given a personalized champagne flute and chocolate covered pretzels as a favor.  The bridal party & mothers had glasses that matched their attire for the wedding.
    Those champagnes flutes came in handy, we all went through more then 3 CASES of champagne that day!
    The shower was in the late morning so my favorite meal, brunch was served.
    There were games set up for everyone to play while they waited for me to arrive.
    My brother-in-law stepped in as photographer and did a great job of getting shots of everyone as they arrived and mingled.
    The gift table quickly filled up.  Thankfully they arranged a "display" shower so the gifts were either wrapped in cellophane or totally unwrapped thus cutting down on trash and time.
    ALL of that happened before I got there! 

    They totally surprised me, a feat I didn't think possible.  Lorie, had set up a Thirty-One party for the 20th so I automatically assumed that's when my shower would be and stopped looking for any other signs.  I was especially shocked because I had spent the morning doing the Alzheimer's Walk in Atlantic City (in the rain).  On our way home Joe mentioned that we needed to stop at Lorie's house because her mom (who lives next door) was having problems with her remote starter and he promised to come by and look at it.  I slid down in my seat and prepared to play on my phone for a half house while he worked on the car.
    You can imagine my shock as we pulled into Lorie's driveway and I saw all of my favorite ladies standing under an umbrella in front of a tent waving at me!
    I believe I'm saying something like, "NO WAY!"
    Thankfully Kat and raided my house that morning and brought my make-up, flat iron and bridal shower outfit to Lorie's so I could do a quick change before getting started with the festivities.
    I love that Joe stayed for the shower.  He definitely hung in the back and let me have the spotlight but it was nice to have him there.
    My sister swears she didn't wear a matching dress on purpose.
    We played "Lauren vs Gerri: Who knows Joe better?"  I won!
    And as has become tradition amongst my friends, there was a panty parfait with a super cute poem to go with each pair.  I really loved the verses about Fishing & Batman.
    Of course there was the hat...while the gifts were being "unwrapped" Nicole was diligently constructing a bonnet from a paper plate.  I begged for a bouquet but alas they wanted me in a hat.
    We ended the day with a variety of cake and then people started to head home.  I hung out for an hour or two longer trying to help clean up and continually being told to sit down and enjoy myself.  It really was everything I could have hoped for and I'm not sure I'll ever be able to thank those ladies enough for all their hard work.