Ryan Seacrest

Who knew Ryan Seacrest would have some sound advice when it comes to life and career? From LeanIn.org

"Here, some of the key lessons they’ve (women I've worked with) imparted to me along the way:

Be Passionate. Do what you love, and let your passion shine.

Communicate. Listening is key. Everyone can talk but listening produces real results.

Organize. Lists – love them. They keep you focused and on track. You can never have too many of them.

Solve. If there’s a problem, solve it. Don’t whine: be solutions-oriented.

Decide. Make swift decisions and then move on; don’t second-guess yourself.

Laugh. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Have a sense of humor.

Cry. A good cry can sometimes solve the world’s problems, do it if you need to. (Even if you’re a guy!)

Celebrate. It’s important to celebrate progress and achievement no matter how small."

Paper and Pencil

It's been at least 6 years since I have taken a math class. I may be smart, but I'm not smart enough to remember all that I need to 6 years later...therefore I am currently taking a Math 1010 class.

I'm using a notebook people. a NOTEBOOK! like with paper.. remember that? I'm also using this thing they  call a pencil....

It's a two hour class and here are my train of thoughts throughout....

How would I simplify the equation? Well am I allowed to take out those letters? no? Okay.....

...5-(-7+9)... ...turn it into a smiley face and make everything positive! 

I wish these boys next to me would shut up...why do you sit in the third row if you're going to talk? oh cool, thanks for chucking your pen at me.. let me just gather up all my crap and find it for you...dang these pants are tight...I can almost reach it....success! here you go bro.

so she assigns homework...but doesn't collect it? she's THAT kind of teacher. nice.

note to self: bring snacks. 
note to self: eat dinner before class so you don't need to bring snacks
note to self: you DID eat dinner before class...
note to self:......well then I guess the fat kid in me will just need some snacks too.



it should be an interesting semester....

12 months 12 pounds

So I was reading old blog posts and it has officially been one year since I got a personal trainer at the gym. This is actually a pretty interesting thing as I look back on what has happened since then. I have always loved being active, but when Bart and I met that activity level went waaaay down and the scale went up a little bit at a time. I finally decided last October that it was time to improve. I was in pain all the time from cutting hair and just not being active in general. My body hurt like an old lady and I hated it. 

Getting a personal trainer was the best thing I ever did. Not because I lost tons of weight (because I didn't) but because she taught me good habits and techniques that have led to my eventual weight loss. It was actually really depressing at first because the scale wasn't going anywhere every time my trainer took my measurements. Even the inches weren't going away. The number that was going down was my body fat percentage, and I realize now how important that was. 

By the time my 12 weeks were done, I had maybe lost a few pounds on the scale. My body measurements were hardly down and I was feeling pretty discouraged. I stuck with it though, and a year later I am down 12 pounds and 2 pant sizes. Pretty great right? I know some people may look at that number and not be too impressed since it's been a full year. But because I lost it slowly, and the right way, it's not coming back. I can eat out with our families and not go to the gym because I'm busy and the number on the scale doesn't jump up and down. I went from barely being able to run a mile, to running a 10K (which sucked, but I did it.) My body hardly hurts anymore (and yes, a lot of that is because I'm no longer working in a salon) but Bart pointed out that I have had a lot less health issues this past year, and that's really the most important thing.

I have been lucky to have enough self esteem that I have never hated my body. I realize what an amazing thing it is, and all that it allows me to do. how can I hate something like that? I wasn't happy with myself last year because I wasn't taking care of this amazing machine. Of course I love being back into my smaller jeans, and having the muscle definition that has been gone for a long time, but the main thing is that my body is healthy and I'm finally taking care of it the way I should be.

Bart and I mentioned the other day that our weekends now consist of races/running/exercise and active things, compared to eating out and going to movies, which was the main thing we use to do. I am really lucky to have someone who is supportive, I couldn't have done any of this without the help from him. Having something to do together, like running, has given us something to share and enjoy together.

Weight loss and being healthy isn't something that has a "completion date". It's a way of life. It's not 21 days of eating certain things and then going back to all of your old habits. It's not exercising every day for 2 weeks and then not going for the next 2. It has to become something that is just part of your day/week. It's sooooo much easier to sit on the couch and eat everything you can get your hands on. Most days changing into my workout clothes is depressing because I would rather take a nap. Of course I feel great after, which is why I will do it again tomorrow. 

I am so proud of Bart and I for this past year, and where we have come. Bart has seen amazing results (losing 30 pounds and running a half marathon) and I am so happy for him. This past year has rocked, and I'm glad I don't have to "start over" in January because I gave up.

Cheetah, Rhino and bumper stickers

sometimes I go to bed at 9 on Saturday nights because I'm really really tired. this early bedtime usually means I also wake up at 7 on Sunday mornings. I am a kind wife so I leave Bart alone and head to my blog when this happens.

at the moment I can hear our pet bird Cheetah chirping outside our window. This bird sounds like it is in our dryer vent moving around and singing his life away but after some investigation we decided that wasn't what was happening-but we can still hear him loud and clear. This isn't our first make believe pet either. At our first apartment we had a really old fridge...really old. And sometimes that fridge would make chirping noises. sometimes at dinner, in the middle of the day, or when we were trying to sleep at night. to try to make light of the situation we called him Rhino and whenever we heard him we reminded the other that he just must be hungry. Cheetah isn't as annoying as Rhino was, but every once in a while we will be eating dinner and Cheetah comes to visit through the dryer vent.

if you didn't know, Bart started a blog, and it's pretty entertaining, you should check it out.

Bart and I are 29 days away from being married for one year. crazy! It feels like we just got married, and it feels like we have been together for years (which technically we have) once we got married though all of our memories from when we were dating kind of just squished in with our being married memories. don't worry, you'll get a cute blog post on our anniversary-mark your calendar. :)

hello ladies, this next part is for you:
don't have a man as a work out buddy. this said man will trump you in all of your goals, despite your greatest efforts. you won't really be mad at this man seeing as how he is toning up and lookin pretty sexy. but you will be jealous at his results because YOU work out at least twice as much and twice as hard and yet your waist line shrinks just a little, and his vanishes within a month. that being said, having an activity both of you like to do, and do together, is pretty great. like my brother said, "I think you are the only one that complains that her husband is losing weight." I'm not complaining...well maybe a little. so, moral of this story? I need a chick work out buddy to help me feel okay about my results that are slowly but surly coming.

So Sunday morning of conference Elder Uchtdorf spoke and his talk has been the one that has already impacted my life.

"This topic of judging others could actually be taught in a two-word sermon. When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following:

Stop it!"

As I have grown up, I have stopped doing a lot of those things. For example, I don't really gossip anymore. In high school I did (just like everyone else) but eventually I stopped and when I stopped I realized something. if you aren't talking bad about others, you don't assume people are talking bad about you. Even if people are gossiping about you, it isn't on your mind because you aren't gossiping. There is something very peaceful about never thinking/caring what people are saying about you. It just isn't on your mind. 

No, gossiping isn't my problem, but letting other people's actions bother me, is. I realized I just need to worry about myself. I need to stop caring about what other people are doing and not let it bother me. I'm not their mother, boss or life coach, and if I just worry about myself I will be much happier. 

“Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you.”

I absolutely LOVE this- even if he did quote it from a bumper sticker. I think this quote is meant for members of the church. By judging others who aren't members by not letting your kids play with their kids, or not including them in neighborhood barbecues you are judging them for sinning differently than you. I think sometimes we as members think we are above a certain line which gives us permission to judge everyone who is under it. we aren't. 

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone. -John 8:7

Born to Run- Review

 "Born to Run"
by Christopher McDougall.

McDougall is an award winning journalist who set out to find the answers of why he kept getting hurt while he ran, and why there was a group of people on this planet who seemed to be able to run for days (literally) and never get hurt. This question led him to discover the greatest runners of all time, the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico's Copper Canyons. He soon meets characters along the way who are incredible in their own unique ways. It is composed of a handful of ultra-marathon runners who each have their own story to tell. Some of their experiences are hard to believe  if only because I could never imagine myself or anyone I know being able to do what they do. To give you an idea, one racer begins her day with 20 miles in the morning, does the things she needs to do and then as an reward runs another 20 miles. Later that evening, just to relax, she goes on another 15-20 mile run. THAT'S INSANE. This whole book blew my mind the entire time I was reading it.

But this book wasn't just a bunch of stories mixed together. He had scientists' and researchers' stories about how they discovered why the human body is meant to run. Needing speed back then makes sense, out run danger so you don't get eaten, but it was the endurance aspect that was puzzling. They soon realized the speed of most animals that humans would have hunted back then was similar to what a human can run. They also realized those same animals can't run for long periods of time without stopping for rest. This is where endurance comes in. The fact that ancient people were able to run 5+ hours at a time, chasing the same animal, is why they were able to catch it, not because the humans were faster in the first place. Isn't that interesting? I learned so much in this book, but I didn't feel like I was reading a scholarly assignment. He weaved in the science and facts in with awesome inspiring stories making everything connect.

There are stories within stories, but the transitions are seamless and don't seem distracting at all. Since I am training for a small race myself, I was obsessed with his descriptions of how these people were running, and what their secrets and techniques were. Last night I even put them to the test and while I can't run even 5 miles yet, I still did much better. This book helps you realize what your body can do. We weren't meant to sit around and be inactive, our bodies need us to move, that is why they were built the way they are. Another piece to the puzzle? Loving to run, and being a good person, makes you a better runner. That is the theory behind great runners like the Tarahumara and champion Scott
Jurek - They were compassionate and service oriented people, who loved to run. I haven't quite gotten to that stage of Zen quite yet, but hey, it's all about the journey...right?

Anyway, I loved this book. I think I loved it because I am currently killing myself in this race training and this just made me more motivated and excited to finish. That being said, I think I would still love it even if I wasn't a runner. It was so well written I couldn't put it down and I would recommend this book to anyone.

Alma 7:23

Bart and I were having scripture study when we came across this scripture:

Alma 7:23

And now I would that ye should be humble and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; being temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandments of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive.

This scripture really stuck out to me tonight. I wonder why in the list of things we should do -be humble, submissive, patient, diligent- that asking for what we need, spiritually and temporally, is on that list. Isn't that cool? The fact that we are commanded to ask for things? I think maybe sometimes we may feel like we shouldn't ask for temporal things because we don't want to seem greedy or worldly or prideful, but I don't think God sees it that way. I think as long as we realize that EVERYTHING we have is a blessing from Him, He is more than happy to help us out.

Bart and I have been blessed both spiritually and temporally more than I ever expected, and I know it all comes from God, and I am thankful for everything we have. I am also thankful to know that God wants us to ask for his help. it's a pretty great thing.

never wear gloves on the train

A kid asks me about my life and soon finds out I'm not very exciting.
He thinks I'm lying too. I mean come on, how can one person be so dull?
He asks me what book I'm reading
     "The art and craft of feature writing."
He said that sounds boring, 
      I wanted to point out he was doing MATH so maybe he shouldn't be so judgy.
I also have a great sarcastic voice... Monotone apparently.  
      Well maybe I don't want to bust out into a sing-song voice on the train?
He kept touching/poking me too . "you know what you should do" reaching to his side and touching mine.
     Um punch you in the face?

Moral of this story?


never wear gloves on the train.