Word Press

Guess who got bored due to being snowed in?  Yep!  I got a little bored so I decided to change Balance for Mere from Blogspot to Wordpress.  Check out the new site.  It is a work in progress.

Please update your Google Reader and Blog Rolls.  

http://balanceformere.wordpress.com/

Thanks!

Snowed In Weekend

It looks like I won't be leaving the house much this weekend.  We have about 8 inches of snow outside and it is still lightly falling.  I am looking forward to keeping busy but enjoying the peace that snow brings.  

This morning I was excited to make Kath's Classic Oatmeal.  Stove-top oatmeal beats microwave oatmeal any day of the week. 

I made his and her bowls.

Her bowl:  a close-up

Here's my To Do list for the weekend:

• Complete report cards
• Do No More Trouble Zones (maybe twice)
  
• Finish cleaning and vacuum
• Do some major cooking
• Laundry
• Go sledding
• Have a dance/cardio party for one or two (if Husband decides to join in)
• Organize clothes closet
• Organize dresser
• Finish my current book so I can read Salinger in honor of him
• Do some other school items that are complicated to explain
• Drink hot chocolate

What do you have planned for the weekend?   

Oh the Weather Outside is Frightful...

but cleaning can be so delightful when you have nothing better to do!

Well, we made it through the day without an early release but around four o'clock the snow arrived.  By six o'clock it was snowing heavily.  

And of course Ansel Husband wanted to photograph it.

I decided to use the time to clean out our cabinets.  And they were a mess!  I hope my mother-in-law doesn't ever see this.  :)

Pantry Before: 

Pantry After:

Refrigerator Before:

Refrigerator After:

While cleaning I discovered I had a stock pile of Evaporated Milk (all expired).  I have no idea how or why it's all got there but it is not longer in the house.  Have you ever noticed an item that you stock pile for no good reason?

Have a great Friday night! 

Update:  We have already gotten about 3-4 inches and it is still snowing. 

Three Thing Thursday Focused on Snow!

The weekend is almost here!  My week went by quickly (thanks to two workdays) but I am still glad it is almost over.  Anyone have big plans for the weekend?  I don't because... it's going to snow!  I'm looking forward to being shut in.

1.  There is a really good chance that it will snow tomorrow afternoon through Saturday.  I live in the South (North Carolina) where we might get one good snow a year but that is not very common.  In December we got 4 inches of snow before Christmas and that is a lot for us.  Now the forecasters are predicting 6-10 in my area and the models show it to start snowing around 3 o'clock in the afternoon.  Which means school will be crazy!  The kids will be excited but who could blame them?  Then the day will be crazy because there is a good chance we'll get an early dismissal.  My goals for tomorrow are to stay calm and relaxed and make sure everyone goes home safely.

2.  Tonight Husband picked up Jason's Deli for us for dinner so I could go to the grocery store before the above mentioned snow hits.  I love take out from Jason's.  Where is your favorite take out place?

3.  As of today I have run 80 miles in the month of January.  There is a good chance that might be my last run of the month.  I'm ok with that.  I was hoping to get in 15-20 miles between now and Monday but even without it, I hit my January goal.  

Picture from the December snow (photographed by Husband).  This is the view from my dinning room window.

Wake Up MEre!

Aside from my lovely 10 mile run/walk on Sunday I don't have much to be proud of.  My diet has been less than stellar, even knowing that I am competing in a weight loss competition.  This morning I tried to use the weight loss competition to motivate me to make better choices and it simply didn't do it!

So what motivated me?  A reminder that I have PCOS!  I made myself get on Web-MD and look at the symptoms and problems associated with it.  It clearly states that a good diet with exercise is the best thing I can do for me.  The bottom line is if I want to have a baby I need to treat my body better.

Motivation isn't a horizontal line; there are curves, peaks and valleys along the way.  What motivates you when your resolution wanes? 

I think I'll be enjoying a healthy spinach and vegetable quesadilla and fruit for lunch and a great sweat session this afternoon, before attending a work function with Husband tonight.  And in the meantime my job today isn't teaching but assessing.  I have a love/hate relationship with report cards.

Last Call

Have you ever closed down a bar?  Did you stay until the last call?  I don't think I ever did but would stay until the party ended.  Today I didn't close down a bar but closed down the gym.  The YMCA that I am a member of closes on Sunday at 5:00.  I stayed until the employee said they were turning off the lights.

I did 10 miles today!  This is a personal record!  It was a combination of running and walking and took about 2 hours.  It felts great!  I love seeing how far I can go or how far I've come.

This is one of my favorite songs to listen to as I run.  I try to time a race so this is towards the very end.   

And now the rest of my evening will be stretching and eating tacos with my mom and family!  Have a great Sunday!

In My Own Biggest Loser Competition

Last year the school nurse held a Biggest Loser competition and I didn't join in.  And to be honest I felt like a not cool loser left out.  This year I had to participate!  So I'm in.  Today was day 1 and our weigh in day.  I don't anticipate losing much weight.  If I lost 6 pounds in the next 10 weeks I would be thrilled.  Losing 2-4 would be really great too.  So clearly I won't be much help to my team in my percentage but I am helpful in other ways:  for every 100 minutes of exercise my time loses 1 pound.  I don't quiet get the math but know that me sweating is good for my team.

I am excited about the competition because of the team effort.  I don't want to let my team down.  And I would love for my team to beat the other team.  My team is comprised of teachers and the other team is administration and office staff.  It's all in good fun but the winning team and Biggest Loser does win some cash.  I am already trying to clean up my diet and focus on better choices.  Eating a pretty clean diet last year helped me drop weight last spring so it's worth the effort.  Have you competed in a weight loss program at your work or gym?  How did it go?  Any tips?  

I may or may not watch The Biggest Loser tonight.  I am kind of indifferent to this season.  Are you going to watch it?

image source

Eating Lunch in Under 15 Minutes

If you're a teacher you completely understand this title.  If you have to eat a quick lunch then you understand too!  When I plan my lunches for the week time and effort are things I consider.

Here's what I am planning for lunch this 4-day week:

Tuesday:  Spinach quesadilla from the microwave (grill marks not necessary) and clemintine

Wednesday:  tomato soup with carrot sticks and ranch mix and clemintine

Thursday:  hotdog with carrot sticks and ranch mix and clemintine

Friday:  clean out the frig salad (spinach, lettuce, apple, avocado, carrots, etc) with crackers and laughing cow and clemintine

This is what my daily lunch is like:

• Minutes 1-5:  get food in microwave and help students get lunch and to their seat
• Minutes 5-15:  eat lunch quickly with some chit-chat with other teachers while students come up to get help with pudding cups, ketchup packets, etc.
• Minutes 15-17:  check on students and throw away my trash
• Minutes 17-20:  go to bathroom, put up lunch box and get jacket for recess
• Minutes 20-23:  get students up from tables, help with trash issues, pick table washers and monitor line of students.

This is a picture my lunch bag.  I love it!  It is big and from Target!

Home Gym Survey

Husband and I are planning to make a small bedroom into a home gym.  We are planning on purchasing a new, nice treadmill and then a few years from now get a used elliptical trainer.  Husband sees it as an economical move.  I see it as a family friendly move.  We have been members of our YMCA for over 3 years now and are regular gym-goers.  Our membership is $50 a month.  We're planning on saving for a good down payment then use our membership money to pay off the treadmill.  I think that having a home gym in our home will be the difference between getting in our workout and not once we have children.  It will also set a good example to our kids about being active and healthy.

Image source

So here's the survey:

• Do you have a home gym?
• What equipment do you have?  Do you like it?  Where did you purchase it at?
  
• What equipment do you wish you had?
  
• How often do you use it?
• Is your commitment greater, lesser or equal to when you worked out at a gym?
• What color are the walls in your home gym?  Or what color do you suggest?  I'm planning on painting that room in the next month or so.
  

Bringing Up the Down

Thank you so much for all the kind comments about feeling down yesterday.  I spent the evening relaxing and doing things that I enjoy.  I gave myself a mani/pedi and went to bed early.

This morning I made sure to get in a long run/walk at the gym.  I did 8 miles!  And the high following it was wonderful.  I came home to clean, pack and shower.  I made sure to put on one of my favorite outfits.  I like simple, timeless outfits:  jeans with a black 3/4 length turtleneck.  When I look and feel pretty, my mood changes!

And I love this jacket!

Have a great weekend!

Ups and Downs

This blog helps me be honest with myself and others.  So here is the truth:  for the past 2-3 days I have been feeling "down".  Normally I am a up, sunny, cheerful, annoying, happy person.  But for the past few days I have felt like I was in a funk.  My diet has been bad and I feel like that is a good portion of my feeling but it isn't the only thing.  I am just feeling kind-of lonely, unmotivated and just in a bad mood.  I didn't feel that way during the school day; the energy and the business of the day consumed me but after the school day was done I felt those feelings.

This weekend Husband and I are visiting his family and going to a college basketball game as a group.  So I know my energy will have to be "up" because if not my mother-in-law becomes paranoid.  I wish I didn't have to pretend to be "up".  I wish I was just feeling that way.   

What do you do to get out of a funk?  What makes you happy?

Teaching isn't a Sprint but a Marathon

Wordless Wednesday

The Art of the Budget

My husband is spreadsheet crazy!  He records every bill, dream and plan on them.  He can tell you different options and plans for each of our major bills (student loans and mortgage).  I love it!  I know he is working to take care of our financial future .

Most days I think of my eating as a budget.  If I want a bigger dinner or a dessert in the evening then I need to save calories during the day or earn "extra spending" calories through exercise.  Each day that I burn more calories than I consume my calories go into "savings" towards losing weight.  Some days I eat poorly and dip into savings. 

Yesterday I was WAY over my calorie allowance.  I went crazy!  It was bad!  I dipped into the savings that I had created during the weekend, when my eating was great.  Today I focused on my budgeted calories.  I splurged at lunch with a cookie but had a great workout and light dinner so I feel like it balanced out.

Knowing that I can "spend" certain calories each day allows me to make better choices.  I want to get the most bang for my calorie buck.  That cookie did nothing for me aside a few moments of enjoyment as I ate it.  It did nothing for my body and didn't fuel my workout at all.  It was a waste!  Better choices make me feel better and gives me more fuel for the day. 

My Savior of Strength Training

I am terrible at strength training.  At the gym I don't push myself and really don't know what to do.  Enter:  Jillian Michaels and No More Trouble Zones.  She is my savior of strength training. 

I love this DVD.  I love the circuits and how it is broken up.  It is a killer and my body currently is hurting.  I also love that it is just strength training and not cardio; I'm getting my cardio in with my miles.  Yesterday I did circuts 1-3.  Today I did circuits 4-7.  Both days I had run 4.5 and 6 miles so I didn't want to push myself to do the full DVD.  On Wednesday I am planning to do the DVD in its entirety instead of going to the gym.

I was such a fan of the 30 Day Shred that I thought nothing could compare to it.  But I now love this DVD in a different but equal manner.  

  

Recipes Don't Go Bad

Last year for Christmas my mother-in-law gave me a subscription to the magazine, Cooking Light.  I enjoyed getting the magazine each month and seeing the wonderful new recipes.  However, I probably only cooked 1-3 recipes from the magazine each month.

Luckily, I saved the magazines and the recipes.

I even marked a couple recipes that I really liked, when the magazine was "new".

I was happy to fill in a couple nicer and more intensive dinners into our meal planning calendar for the weekends.  I'm looking forward to homemade (slightly light) fried chicken later on this month. 

I loved going back through the magazines and discovering new things to cook.  The gift given Christmas 2008 is still being used in 2010. 

Today I made Cajun Red Beans and Rice from the January/February 2009 issue of Cooking Light.

What magazines do you like to read for recipes?  I like Cooking Light, Clean Eating and Weight Watchers.

Running Away From the Week

Do you have a favorite day to workout?   I do.  My favorite day is Friday!  I love Friday workouts.  I generally get to the gym earlier and far there are less people; the latter is especially important during "Resolution" season when the gym is more crowded.  I feel like a good workout puts distance between me and the week.  It helps me de-stress to begin the weekend. 

Today I "ran" 7 miles!  I took a couple walk breaks but the majority of it was running.  The miles ticked my quickly and I was happy with it.  My mind just wandered and the running felt comfortable. 

Happy Birthday Elvis!

Today would have been Elvis's 75th birthday.

In honor of that I decided to make my Hunky, Hunky of Burning Love a breakfast that Elvis would love! 

I made oatmeal with banana and peanut butter. 

Normally Husband eats a packet of High Fiber oatmeal.  I am trying to show him the better way to eat oatmeal.  His only request was "please no blueberries".  He doesn't share the same respect that I have for blueberries.

I'm heading off to school now.  We had a 2-hour delay!  Yay!  Teachers love those too.  After school I am heading straight to the gym for a fun, long workout.  And my Friday will be capped with one of my favorite meals:  a turkey wrap from Jason's Deli.  Sounds like a perfect Friday to me!

Have a great Friday!  

It's A New Day!

I had a great day!  Life felt new.  I woke up

excited and ready for the day; "yay" for 8 hours of sleep.  I was excited to be with my class.  I had fun teaching.  I was also happy with my Eats today; I felt satisfied, content and not-deprived.  I enjoyed my meals. 

My EATS:

• Breakfast:  1/2 cup oatmeal, 1/2 cup blueberries, 1/2 cup water, 1 tspn brown sugar
• Snack:  1/2 an apple, 1/2 Harvest Power bar
• Lunch:  Greek salad sandwich on a pita with shrimp, clementine, Dove chocolate piece
• Snack:  1/2 an apple, 1/2 Harvest Power bar
• Dinner:  salad, fresh pineapple, home-made calzones
• Dessert:  decaf-coffee

Calories consumed:  1765

Calories burned:  535

Net calories:   1230

Yep!  You read correctly!  I owned that treadmill today!  I did high incline, interval walking/running/sprinting for 6.5 miles!

 

Now most days are not this good.  Many days are "blah".  But I think it's so important to remember that each day is new!  I can make changes each and every day!  Each day is a new year and a new day! 

Who's excited for The Biggest Loser?  I'll be making my predictions again this season, even though last season's prediction was WAY off.  Biggest Loser predictions are to me what March Madness and brackets are to the college basketball fan. 

Picture Info:  I took this picture in January 2004 on the beach of Normandy in France.  I was studying WWII and was amazed that such a beautiful beach could hold such a terrible past.

You are Beautiful!

Be sure to check out my 2010 Goals and my January Goals.


I really like this song.  I love the message.  Who doesn't like hearing they are beautiful?

I am one lucky girl!  I received the same award from 2 different bloggers, both of which I respect and enjoy reading.  Ms. Holly of The Balance Broad and Lizzio of Fit Lizzo's Blog gave me this lovely award.  Holly is one beautiful lady; she is sweet, focused and thoughtful.  Lizzio is another gorgeous woman; she is tough, determined and talented.  

For this award I need to give it out to 7 other bloggers and include 7 things about myself.  I would like to give it to Angie of Angie Eats Peace, Ashlee of Ash is Fit and A Year in the Kitchen, Devon of Run, Sleep, Rinse, Repeat, CJ of Mrs. CJ Running and Travel, Rachel of 365 Runs, Hopefully, Kelly of Fitting Back In, and Tyler or Life of Ty.

Seven Facts About Me

1. My favorite movie is Forest Gump.  I love it!  I never get tired of the movie.
2.  I had my wedding dress made for me.  I kind of regret it.  My dress was beautiful (in my opinion) but I never got to have that "WOW" moment in the store.  I decided to have it made because I felt like I was too "big" for the wedding dresses that were in the stores.  I also didn't want strapless and so many of the dresses were strapless.
3. I'm obsessed with my planner.  I have to have a place to record dates, appointments, projects, etc.  Now I also use it to track my calories.  I've had a planner every year since middle school.  Yes, I am a Tpe A personality.
4. I love my job!  Teaching is all I have ever wanted to do.  I love being silly with my kids and being creative with my teaching.  When I don't force myself to be creative and original I get bored.
5. I really don't enjoy the summer break or long holiday breaks.  I usually enjoy about 2 days to a week of quiet time but generally get very lonely by myself all day.  Most days I have 20 little people who need me.  On days off it's just me and the pup, Ella Blue.  I think it won't be so lonely once I have a child, but until then I almost dread long breaks.
   
6. I can't go to bed without having my outfit for the next day laid.  This isn't important during the weekends but is during the week.  I put WAY too much time and focus into picking out my outfits.  I mean who really sees me?  7 year olds!
   
7. I love the music group Hootie and the Blowfish.  I've loved them since 8th grade.  We saw them in a mini-concert when we were on our honeymoon in Charleston, SC.  Charleston is also my favorite southern city.

January Goals

I love goals.  Creating my list of 2010 goals was a lot of fun.

Here are my January Goals:

1. Do more "special" things for Husband... romantic, fun, a surprise, etc. 
   
2. Have a detailed plan for my National Boards lesson.
3. Track my calories 25 of 31 days.
4. Workout at least 5 days a week.
5. Run at least 80 miles.
6. Strength train at least 2 days a week. 
7. Lose 2-4 pounds (holiday weight)
   
8. Read 2-3 books.
9. Read a daily devotional most days.
   
10. Prepare to paint our last bedroom.

1,000 miles in 2010

Miles to date in 2010:  58.5 miles

January Miles

1st-2nd:  4 miles

3rd-9th:  25 miles

10th-16th:  21 miles

17th-23:  8.5

24th-30th:  21.5 (as of Thursday, January 28)

31st:

I'm running or walking my way to 1,000 miles!

10 Goals for 2010

I hate the word "Resolution".  Goal sounds so much better.

My 10 Goals for 2010:

1. Love on Husband more and more.
   
2. Work on National Boards in Teaching
3. Run 1,000 miles this year (inspired by Kelly of Fitting Back In) and 
4. Train for and run a half-marathon.
5. Expand and strengthen my circle of friends
   
6. Maintain my weight through tracking calories and work to become as healthy as possible
   
7. Go meatless for 1 week.
8. Create a recipe.
   
9. Read at least 25 books (children or educational books don't count).
   
10. Blog more.  Perhaps I'll become a dot-com this year.
    

10 Things I am Looking Forward to in 2010

1. Becoming tenured as an educator.
   
2. Paying cash for a "new" used car.
3. Paying off one of our student loans
4. Going to Las Vegas (more info to come)
5. Repeating and PRing races I ran in 2009.
6. Completing all major home-projects.
7. Going on weekend trips with Husband.
8. Finishing our Wedding Photobook (by our 3rd anniversary)
9. Holding Enrichment Week again in August
   
10. Continue to make memories and enjoying just being a married couple.  2010 will be the last year before we start trying to have kids.
    

What goals do you have for 2010?  

What are you looking forward to in this new year?