Box of Books Giveaway

Do you love reading like me? Then head over to My Overstuffed Bookshelf's blog and enter to win a whole box of books!! How crazy is that?!?!

There are some great reviews of books at the blog too, so check that out while you are there. I can't wait to read a few books that are sitting on my overstuffed bookshelves. Now I just need to find the time to read all of them. :)

Progress!!!

Wednesday is my weigh in day at Weight Watchers and I was pleasantly surprised at the meeting. I got on that scale hoping for some downward motion to my weight, and ended up losing 2.8lbs.

WOO HOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That's definitely a step in the right direction, and it makes those 5lbs I want to lose by New Years look achievable.

I've also been to the gym 3 times this week and I'm planning on making a 4th trip when I get done with this post. I haven't been killing myself at the gym, but I have been doing between 12-20 minutes of cardio (stairmaster or treadmill), lifting weights, working my abs, and going to zumba once a week.

I feel good when I leave the gym and that is important! I feel like I can conquer this weight loss and get down to my goal weight with no problems. I've also been watching Biggest Loser like crazy! This week I had a couple of episodes back logged on my dvr so I had a mini-marathon. Talk about inspiration!!

I've wanted to try a workout similar to their last chance workouts, but I'm afraid I won't be able to move the next day or drive my car home from the gym. So for now, I'll stick to my workout routine and hopefully I'll get stronger so I can start running on the treadmill more often.

Dear Herbal Essence,

I need to have a heart to heart about your "Dangerously Straight" Shampoo. You claim that it is for pin straight styles and "love smooth hair? worried about high humidity? let us be straight with you. we'll help keep your look sleek and chic."

I live in a high humidity environment known as Texas, specifically on the coast. I love the way the smell of honeyed pear and silk come together. The shampoo makes my hair feel super soft too.

But it doesn't do anything for pin straight hair styles! What's up with that? As a consumer, I want the product I buy to do what it claims. Maybe I'm gullible and naive, but that's what I want: pin straight hair.

Is my hair too straight for the product to work? Or does it have too much waviness in it? Whatever the reason, I think you need to change the names on your shampoos. Name them after the scent like Suave does and don't make promises your products can't keep.

I will continue to use the bottle of shampoo in my shower and will use the one in storage, but next time I'll go with something else. Thanks!

Looking back at the last year...

That's what I've been doing since my last post.

I could say that a lot has happened in the last two weeks to keep me away from blogging, but that would be a lie. I'm on blogger at least twice a week to read all the blogs I'm following, but I personally haven't been inspired to write. The last couple of days I've thought of a few things to write about, and today I finally have the time to sit down to write.

Last week I celebrated my 27th birthday. To me it was just another day because how can you enjoy a birthday when you are so emotional the day before and the moment you are over being emotional, you walk into work to the chaos of the shootings at Fort Hood?

For the last two years, birthdays have caused an emotional outburst for me. I think it has to do with me being afraid of getting older. Getting older to me means that you've accomplished something in the years you've been alive. Another year older, another event/activity checked off the proverbial "To Do" list.

Comparing birthday #27 to birthday #26 is pretty identical. I'm working in the same job with the same salary (thanks economy). There hasn't been any radical changes with my boyfriend or family, which is a good thing. I've lost a few friends over the last year, and at least one recently. Some have moved away physically, others have moved away emotionally. Facebook and email have reconnected me with friends that I haven't talked to in forever and it's been nice catching up.

The only major change to happen to me in the last year is weight gain. Apparently in the last year, I thought I was doing a good job at maintaining my weight or maybe allowing myself to gain 1lb. Boy was I wrong!

This week at Weight Watchers, I discovered that I've actually gained 5lbs since my last birthday. We all know that the doctor only cares about what you weighed last year at your appointment to this year's appointment. He/she doesn't care that you lost 4lbs one week just to gain it back over the next month or two. The doctor doesn't care that you've been trying to lose weight and work out more. All they see is the number. Then it's time for the lecture.

Granted, I haven't been to the doctor lately (*knock on wood*) and I don't have an upcoming appointment. But this revelation has thrown me for a loop. And since this didn't come until AFTER all my birthday celebration, when I weighed in at WW on Wednesday I gained a 1lb from all the celebrating. So that's up 6lbs total!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Weight loss is SO frustrating!

This week I've been committing myself to writing down everything I eat and getting to the gym more. I hate that 3 weeks ago in an effort to motivate myself to workout, I posted about a workout challenge. In those 3 weeks, I've only been to the gym maybe 6 times. And I think I'm being nice to myself with guessing I've been there 6 times. It's probably closer to 3 or 4. Although this week I definitely went twice.

Instead of challenging myself on here to losing weight/going to the gym x number of times, I'm going to challenge myself to get with the program. Start doing things that are better for me. Develop a system that works with tracking my progress for a specific goal. Post motivators on the fridge/closet door to help me see where I am and how I'm slacking.

In all honesty, I want those 5lbs gone by the start of 2010. If I do that, I will be lighter than I was in January 2009. I think I can do it or at least be close to that weight, if I get my act together and create a new system that works for me.

I think having a concrete goal will be better for me. My overall weight loss goal in the past has been to lose weight gradually so that when the time comes to get married I will already be at or near my goal weight. I don't want to be one of those stereotypical brides that starves herself before her wedding to fit into a dress that is a size too small. Also if I can't get a grip on eating healthy and exercising consistently now, how is that going to happen with a baby around? I'm going to want to spend my time taking care of the baby and put myself last. My intentions are good, but I need to start putting my health and weight first.

I'll post again in January about a new concrete goal for myself. But until then, I'll definitely be using this blog to update my progress and vent about a few things. I can already think of some light hearted topics to vent about already. :)

Workout Challenge

After reading a post on Exhotgirl's blog about being a lazy bum when it comes to working out, I thought I would come clean. My gym membership is paid off and has been paid off since I put it on my credit card May 2008. The membership expires May 2011. So right now the gym is FREE. And I'm not going.

I'm going to challenge myself to go to the gym three times a week for 4 straight weeks. If I can accomplish that, I will reward myself with a new pair of workout pants that actually fit me. (I bought some today at Target, so I will put them up until a month from now.) The challenge will start on Monday 10/26.

It makes sense that I'm not losing weight like I want and I'm not going to the gym. I get mad at the scale b/c I think I did good in a week. When in reality, I'm not tracking my daily food intake and only working out once or twice.

A few months ago, I told myself I wanted to be in the 140s for my birthday. With two weeks until said day, I won't be making that goal unless I become deathly ill or loss a couple of limbs. And let's hope that doesn't happen.

I'll update this blog with how the challenge is going and what forms of exercise I'm doing. It would be great to be smaller by Christmas/New Years.

What was I thinking?

I challenged myself to do the Day Zero Project, but I didn't print out my list of 101 things to do until yesterday. What the hell?!?!? How am I suppose to keep track of my progress or remember everything on the list if I don't look at it everyday?!?!

So I printed it out and have been looking it over and checking off things I've done. My boyfriend has seen my list and is helping me get some things accomplished. :) So here's an update:

- I've eaten at 2/10 new restaurants.

- I have received my new drivers license with my Houston address on it.

- When I was at the Tax Accessors office, I verbally registered my car in Harris County. Now I just have to wait until March when I get the renewal papers to make it official.

- My boyfriend bought us a bigger filing cabinet and shredder for the house.

- He also installed a shelf, using part of the system from my closet, for our recycling. The shelf is a little narrow, but it holds 2 boxes on it that aren't on the washer/dryer anymore.

- I've also expanded my business wardrobe. Sort of. I picked out a bunch of shirts from Kohl's that I wanted for my birthday/Christmas. My mom bought them and they are currently sitting at her house until November or December. So even though I can't wear them yet, I count that as being 1/2 accomplished.

The goals of taking a vitamin everyday, working out 3x a week, emailing people everday, unplugging for 1 day a week, and wearing makeup 5 times a week are more difficult than I thought. Again, what was I thinking?!?!?! I've lost track of a lot of these daily things and it's only been a month and a half.

I'm not sure if I should have a redo and change those goals up a bit. Or if I should restart the goals and hopefully get my butt into gear with them. Any suggestions/ideas?

And now to an update on my closet....I did clean it out, change around the shelving a little, and added a few personal touches. I still have some work to do on it, but it's so much better now. My parents possibly have a dresser that I want to use in my closet for more drawer space. But they have to search their garage for it and make sure it's in good enough condition for me. Hopefully I can get the dresser in the next few weeks. If not, I'll be staking out garage sales and craigslist to find one!

Here are updated pictures of the closet:

Full length view:

Here's the right side of my closet. Taking out that shelf made for more room to hang clothes.

I want to replace the wire shelving/cube thing with a dresser. I also want to put a set of hooks above the dresser to hang up all my purses and bags on.

These clear boxes from Target are a lot bigger than those Xerox boxes I was using. Plus I can see what's in them.

Here's the left side of the closet. I still have some baskets of clothes that need to go into the dresser.

We moved the shelf up here and it feels like there is more space to store things in here.

Now I can easily find my boots and some other shoes that don't fit in my over the door shoe rack.

I finally got my mirror hung up. It's so nice to be able to see my whole body in the mirror with no boxes in front of it.

My mom made this for me when I was a baby and it means a lot to me. It may seem strange to hang it up in a closet, but I go in my closet everyday. So it's up there for me to see everyday.

Once I get the closet totally finished, I'll post more pictures.

Closet Dilemma--Sort of solved

So after pulling everything out of my closet, I kind of just stopped and did other things around the house. I eventually went through a bunch of the boxes that were in my closet and got rid of a few things. I also went through my collection of purses/tote bags and narrowed those down.

Ephram helped me by getting rid of one shelf on the right side and putting it above the wooded shelf on the left side. I think just doing that has cleared out a lot of space for me to start putting everything back inside. I thought I'd buy an expensive closet organizer piece, but I didn't have too! The only thing I'm waiting on is to get a small dresser from my parents' house. They have a set of 3 drawers that I can have and I think it'll be a perfect addition in my closet to store things.

I never thought that reorganizing my closet would take so long! But I'm determined to finish the project today (Thursday) and have everything back in there. Wish me luck!