A complete mental block

Let me start by saying that this picture is of me and one of my little sisters. Let me continue to say that both of my little sisters have been complete blessings to me all of my life but most especially over this last year. Things have taken a complete turn in my life and in my family and without my parents, my sisters and a few very close friends, I am not so sure I would have survived it all. I have the best people in my life right now and the funny thing is, there are a few of them that have been out of my life for a long time but God's timing has allowed them to come when I need them most.

For several years I have been keeping a family blog and not long ago started this one. But as you can see, they both have taken the back burner. I have had a complete mental block to writing or any creativity for that matter and I am praying that if I just jump back in with both feet, it will all come back to me. I will be moving most of my blogging to this site so if you follow The Busy Blaine's please come here for awhile instead.

For now, the name of this blog will remain the same because truthfully that's what this one is all about... a revolution, a new beginning and a fresh start!!!

Amazed by His Grace,
Tinie

Weekly Shred

Sunday- Arm workout
Monday- 1 hour of Zumba :)
Tuesday- C25K week 2 day 3'
Wednesday- 1 hour of Zumba and 2 hours of yard work (that counts right?)
Thursday- C25K week 3 day 1 (haven't done yet but it's on the list for the day), and arm workout


Trying to stay focused and do my daily food log. Weight has stayed the same since last week. The biggest thing I have to learn to do is not beat myself up when that happens.

On the agenda for the day is to take my measurements because I know that makes a difference even if there are no change in the numbers on the scale.

A weekly shred and exercise log

Needing to shred, lose, firm and just overall increase my fitness level is a major goal for myself over this year. It's a journey I have been working on over the last 4 years and will continue for a lifetime. The last 2 years I have put a little weight back on but I have also been exercising and feeling some better endurance wise. Something I have always struggled with is my own self worth and just looking in the mirror and being happy with what I see.

I keep track of my eating and exercise on an app on my phone called My Fitness Pal. I have previously used another one but a friend showed me this one and I love it. The only trouble is, when I am home I tend to forget to pick up my phone and record everything and I need to be more accountable than that.

Week one-
Monday- 1 hour of Zumba (still recovering from the zumbathon 2 days before)
Wednesday- 1 hour of Zumba


Starting Weight-
Haha you didn't think I was actually give you a number did you? ;)
Down 2 pounds :)

Things I would like to tell my 11 year old daughter (and my 11 year old self)

1. You are beautiful! 2. You are not fat!! 3. No matter what you think, you do not know everything. 4. He might tell you he loves you but don't believe it!! 5. You should listen to your parents because they really do know what they are talking about. 6. Always work hard at keeping your grades up...school matters!! 7. You don't need to smile for every picture. 8. Take lots of pictures and be in as many you can. One day you will love looking at them. 9. Do not EVER listen to the people that tell you that you can not do something. You can do anything you set your mind to. 10. Pay attention. 11. Remember how it feels to be a part of the team and always cheer your team on. Be an encourager to your team members, don't beat them up if they make a mistake they will do that to themselves enough. 12. Do no drink sodas...ever!!! 13. Read!!! A lot!! 14. Write!! A lot!! 15. Take on the mean girls and stand up for those that can't stand up for their self. 16. Talk to your grandparents and learn from them. Ask them about your family and about when they were young. 17. Learn to cook and learn to like it. 18. Take risks!! You will never regret taking a risk but you will regret it if you don't try. 19. You don't need makeup. Really, you don't!!
20. Remember that even if your mom doesn't approve of your choices, she will always love you !!!
21. Laugh and be silly!!!

Fighting the clock

In my last post I mentioned fighting the clock and how it gets more and more difficult every day. These are the products that I am currently using and so far I really like them all.
Purity made simple (all products are Philosophy)- love this cleanser more than any other I have ever used. Very gentle and completely melts off all of my makeup.
Hope in a tube- eye and lip cream. LOVE this especially under the eyes.

When hope is not enough serum. This product is full of peptides and has made a very big difference in my skin.

When hope is not enough neck cream. Been using this one about 4 months and can not live without it. I am a side sleeper so boy oh boy are the wrinkles starting to show up on the decollete. I drown my neck and chest in this every night.

Hope in a jar. Also known as Oprah's favorite. Love it use it every single day as my base moisturizer. Not greasy at all.Among the Philosophy products I love are their fragrances and shower gels. I use Falling In Love. My bathroom is a sad place if I run out of any of it. Very light but sweet, a mix of vanilla and blackberries is a good description.These are just a few of the other shower gels that are in our bathrooms currently. My girls love every one of these and love standing in the shower trying to decide which one they want to smell like for the day.

Hope you get a chance to try some of these. Let me know what you think...

40 ish

As I was in my bathroom the other night doing the ritual washing of the face, it hit me just how much work it takes and hard of a battle fighting wrinkles truly is. Not even just the wrinkles but the aging process alone. Physically it can be tough to learn what your limits are, emotionaly it can be tough to look back and daily it can be tough to look in the mirror at the battle against the clock. A nightly routine of facial cleanser, the clairisonic, eye creams, neck creams, hand and foot creams, brush the teeth, floss the teeth and start all over in the morning. Morning routine of showers, shave creams, shampoo, tons of conditioner, lots of shower gel, clairisonic, eye creams, neck creams, body lotions, facial moisturizer with SPF, tweezing, brushing, flossing, mouthwash, magnifying mirrors, mousse, hair wax, hairspray and never, ever, ever forget the lip gloss. Then lets not even talk about the dreaded trip to the closet...good grief!!
The battle against weight loss and weight maintenance is something that I never thought I would have to worry about...boy was I wrong! I struggle with it on an hourly basis, truly I do. Being around others that don't have that battle makes my own battle that much more difficult. How can she eat like that and not gain a pound? How can he eat like that and still be as fit as he was in his 20's? The older I get the more I realize that my own perception of myself has more to do with it than anything, I have never, ever had a good self esteem and aging has not helped.
The aging goes on daily for us all and being 40 ish you realize it more and more. Some one once told me getting old ain't for sissy's and I sure do get it!!

It's OK!!

If there's one thing I have learned as I get older, it's that guilt must be a female thing. Or perhaps it's a mommy thing. Either way it is something that I deal with on a daily basis. Why is that? Why do women (me) beat themselves up over needing to take care of their self first? Why do women (me) feel a gut wrenching pain sometimes over needing a couple of hours alone? Why do women (me) feel guilty over wanting to have some time with girlfriends that can totally relate on a female level? Is it simply because we are born with that need to be a caretaker for everyone else? Is it peer pressure to have that perfect family so we work ourselves to death to make it appear that way and in the process forget about keeping our self healthy and happy?
As things change and I get older I realize that it is so important to take care of myself on so many levels. I need to be physically healthy, for myself and for my family. If something happens to one of them how am I gonna take care of their needs if I am sick or exhausted? I need to be physically fit, for myself and my family. How can I go outside and run around with these beautiful girls of mine if I can't literally run around? I need to be spiritually healthy, for myself and my family. In the event of something tragic, how can I stand strong and be a light for people if I can't even hold myself upright and not be heap on the floor asking why? And I need to have peace and joy. When it comes to that mommy guilt, peace and joy are the most difficult for me. Guilt can suck the joy right out of the moment.
Ladies, it's OK to have some "me" time!! It's OK to take time away to go to an exercise class that you love to go to a couple of times a week. It's OK to go out with a girlfriend or two, with no kids or husbands, just to laugh and catch up. IT'S OK!! It's OK to find some quiet time in your house to read a devotional or to have some quiet prayer time. It's OK on your day off to walk away from the laundry so you can go get a pedicure! The laundry will always be there, trust me :) IT'S OK!!
Guilt is no fun and to get rid of it is a work in progress. I am a work in progress and IT'S OK!!

Why Women Cry

My dear sweet cousin that lost his wife a couple of years ago dropped this off to me at work and I came across it and wanted to share....

WHY WOMEN CRY-

A little boy asked his mother, "why are you crying?"
"Because I am a woman," she told him.

"I don't understand," he said.
His mom just hugged him and said, "and you never will."

Later the little boy asked his father,
"Why does mother seem to cry for no reason at all?"

"All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say.

The little bot grew up and became a man,
still wondering why women cry.

Finally he put in a call to God.
When God answered, he asked,
"God, why do women cry so easily?"

God said:
"When I made the woman she had to be special.

I made her shoulders strong enough
to carry the weight of the world,
yet gentle enough to give comfort.

I gave her an inner strength
to endure childbirth
and the rejection
that many times comes from her children.

I gave her a hardness
that allows her to keep going
when everyone else gives up,
and take care of her family
through sickness and fatigue without complaining.

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children
under any and ALL circumstances,
even when her child has hurt her very badly.

I gave her strength to carry her husband
through his faults
and fashioned her from his rib
to protect his heart.

I gave her wisdom to know
that a good husband never hurts his wife
but sometimes tests her strengths
and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.

And finally,
I gave her a tear to shed.
this is hers exclusively
to use whenever needed."

"You see my son," said God,
"the beauty of a woman is not
in the clothes she wears,
the figure that she carries,
or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes,
because that is the doorway to her heart...
the place where Love resides."

Author Unknown

Tough Mudder Virginia 2011 Official Video

Lord help me!! This is a goal for 2012 and I WILL BE A TOUGH MUDDER!!! We are putting our team together for this fantastic cause and I must admit I am excited and scared to death all at the same time :0
If you don't know about this event I encourage you to check into it. This is not a race, it is a personal/team challenge and no mudder will be left behind!!

Zumba!!

I have been going to zumba for almost a year now and I love it even more now than I did then. It has become such a stress relief for me to go 2-3 times a week and get in a good sweat while having a fantastic time. It is so much fun to me and the hour goes by way to quickly. If you haven't been you should give it a try. I will admit it takes a few times to really feel comfortable and to learn some of the moves. Even as much as I go, I still mess up and miss some steps but it's no biggie. I would love to go even more than I do now it it were possible but for now I will take what I can get. You should give it a try and "turn that booty up"!!

Details in the Fabric Lyrics

I've been listening to a new favorite of mine lately, James Morrison. I posted a couple of his videos on Facebook and then someone said to check this one out. Who doesn't love Jason Mraz?! And then put a little James with him and this is what you get. I love it!! And really isn't that what a revolution is all about...holding your own.

Living not wasting

Mind, body, house, style and attitude....they all need a major overhaul and are about to change. That was my post on my Facebook wall today and I had a bit of a light bulb moment when I really sat back and read it. So this is it, this is my journal of how things are going to change in those ways. I have been blogging for several years now about our family and different aspects of our life. But things for me personally have been a struggle for some time now and it is time to make some changes. Even baby steps can be difficult but rather than sitting back and wasting time, life and opportunities, it's time to start living.