snackeries

as i was sitting down to my 10am snack break, it dawned on me i have yet to mention my metamorphosis to the blogosphere. z and i started this tracy anderson "body perfection is possible" journey a little over a month ago and while i have cheated here and there (and everywhere) there are some tid bits of the program i have actually fallen in love with.

one being that i feel as though a little bit of gwyneth is with me anywhere i go. she is the one who told me about tracy, afterall, and i am indebted forever.

i also love the 30 minute muscular structure workout dvd that changes every ten days. we threw the 30 minute cardio dvd out the window after about four days, but the muscular structure one works your arms, abs and legs and i honestly think i'm seeing results. (even though my measurements have indeed stayed the same so far... which defies all logic.)

last but certainly not least, the "dynamic diet component" left a liiiiitle to be desired. nothing but pureed parsnips for seven days was not cutting it. so again, z and i modified and i think that's fine. a couple of things she introduced have been total lifelines and i will absolutely carry them with me from this day forward. for instance: la croix sparking water. the lime flavored version is my favorite, especially because it reminds me of when i was sick as a kid and i'd wake up in the middle of the night and reach for the sprite my mom left me and all the ice was melted, so it was really watered down with only minimal carbonation left... that's what this stuff tastes like. sounds strange, sounds odd, but it works for me. next are these amazing GLUTEN FREE thinkthin bars. someone please make sure i'm buried with one (chunky peanut butter flavored).

and that does it for the nutritional and dietary goodness blog post for today, folks. the moral of the story is gwyneth is always right. bu-byeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee....

girl's day

sem * maddie pie * abby

gettin' our toe-nie nails did. nothing better.

love her

a lot of people in my life are waiting for something right now. i feel like i've had more conversations surrounding this subject than at any time before. many of us are on the verge of something that hasn't quiiiiiite come to fruition and we're stressing... becoming impatient... and semi-spirialing.

keeks to the rescue. i might as well copy and paste her whole entry, but here's the jist...

When I was younger, I never thought about waiting, except to rush it along. But I am trying to cultivate a deeper level of patience in time for my 40th year. I have spent some time recently thinking and journaling about the Wait and I came to the conclusion that there are two ways to wait.

The first way is the path of Hurried Anxiety. This is a period of waiting characterized by fear and scatteredness. We push the reality of the wait to the outer edges of our consciousness and forge ahead with a spirit of busyness. We scramble and rush and do several things at once, none of them very well. We strive and dwell on the various things that could go wrong, giving our power and energy away to empty threats. It is a shallow way to wait. It is marked by the impatience of a child, minus the cuteness of youth.

The alternative way to wait is the Wait of Hopeful Expectation. This path is the peaceful, reflective version. It calls us to a higher level of consciousness, acutely aware of the discomfort of the wait while maintaining a willingness to be present in it. This kind of waiting creates an opportunity to seek clarity and focus and create a reservoir of stillness and intent. Whatever it is that we are waiting for is then blessed by the access to this reservoir, assuring that we will not run dry. Our usual nervous energy is collected and channeled into purposeful endeavors. Even if the endeavor is simply rest.

The most marked difference in the wait of hopeful expectation is the component of Trust. Whatever the challenge that lies ahead, be it of a personal nature, work related, or running related, the wait is the time to cultivate trust. Trust God, trust your training, trust your body (listen to it!), and trust your heart.

People who learn how to wait are ultimately the people who know when to make a move...we will only know how to go for it if we have truly learned how to wait for it.

complete blog can be read here. happy weekend of waiting in hopeful expectation!

xo, sem

that's just good tv

haven't dared turn on TLC since college. those shows are mind sucks and if i didn't go cold turkey and ban myself from the channel, i was going to fail out of school and turn into one of those 850lb people who never leave their tvs and have to have a crane come and take them out of their house.

but i think after a near 10-year hiatus, i'm ready to cave and put the learning channel back on my tivo. why? two words. extreme couponing.

this is the best video i could find and it's not that great at depicting the suspense and genius of the show as a whole... but my favorite so far is this lady (j'aime) who owed upwards of THIRTEEN HUNDRED DOLLARS at the register,but after coupons, paid $103! what?!?!?!!?

and in other television-related news... guess what starts this fridaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy?? (as if you needed a reminder)

"one of TV's greatest achievements"... couldn't have said it better myself. oh and you know i hate to brag...

**texas forever**

DIY Sawah

there are a total of three shirts in my closet i currently do not wear because i do not know how to put a missing button back on them. i have asked the cleaners to do it but they never remember and so i'm stuck with these fully laundered articles of clothing that i love... just sitting there because cinderella's seamstress mice have yet to find my closet. i guess it's true. there really are no fairy princess happy endings.

or are there?

drying my hair this morning, wondering what i was going to wear, bummed out because i wanted to wear a certain cardi that is missing a button, i thought to my self... the Lord gave us youtube for situations exactly like this.

so. i'm going to learn a trade this weekend. i'm going to learn how to sew a button. and i'm going to do it by watching these quirky freaks do it over and over and over and over again.


i'm assuming target has "quality" needles and thread? watch out world... i'm starting to take bulls by the horn like never before. this is only the beginning.

sew excited to report back on monday... sem

a whole new world

a few friends of mine have been mentioning this little thing called "google reader" for some time now. anytime they would suggest i look into it, i completely dismissed the idea. probably because it's something new that i didn't find first. so two weeks ago, in a moment of boredom?, i clicked on it and added a couple food blogs i've been interested in. you know, just to see what the hype was about. i was sure i would never log onto this "reader" again. except for i have. every day since. i'm pretty sure i have about 75 new blogs i'm following and i just can't stop. from cooking to travel to the best of NYC... there's just so much information! i'm overwhelmed by it in the very best of ways.

so i thought i'd pass on a little something from one of my new blog friends. her name is kristina and this made me laugh, as just yesterday i was walking into target in my own happy, little world and an elderly man told me to "wipe that sourpuss off my face."

have a great weekend, sourpusses!