couch to 5k progress

helloooooo in my seinfeld voice... it's been a hot minute since my last post.  Since having my second little tater tot, i have been on a weight loss  slim down get healthy mission.  look, it's almost summer and there is nothing fun about feeling all sweaty and overweight on a hot hot day.  ya know.

i've been working out and eating a little better for a little over a month and making some good progress.  i'm the kinda lady that needs a goal in order to stick with something so i signed up for some 5k runs this summer and a 5k obstacle course (the dirty girl mud run) in september.  that'll keep me on track hopefully.  so here are some of my latest tips, ideas, motivational thoughts etc. 

p.s. i am not going to be admiting my post baby weight or showing before pics until i'm further along. hahaha so instead i will post this inspiring pic i found on pintrest.  she looks amazing!! and she has a seriously sweet page on her journey, recipes, tunes etc.  check it out...

( undressedskeleton.tumblr.com)

so i followed this couch to 5k program that i found on pintrest...

it is basically:

Week 1: Run one minute. Walk 90 seconds. Repeat eight times. Do three times a week.

Week 2: Run two minutes. Walk one minute. Repeat seven times. Do three times a week.

Week 3: Run three minutes. Walk one minute. Repeat six times. Do three times a week.

Week 4: Run five minutes. Walk two minutes. Repeat four times. Do three times a week.

Week 5: Run eight minutes. Walk two minutes. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.

Week 6: Run twelve minutes. Walk one minute. Repeat three times. Do three times a week.

Week 7: Run fifteen minutes. Walk one minute. Run fifteen minutes. Do three times a week.

Week 8: Run thirty

Boom.  i am currently on week 6.  and yowza i am feeling pretty good.  pretty sore but pretty good.   i skipped forward a bit  (i think i started at the 2 minute intervals and when i wasn't sweating hard enough and feeling appropriately challenged i jumped ahead.) and when i hit the 8 minute intervals and had to move on to the 12 minute ones, dayummmmmm that was a tough step.  but i'm doing it. 

so i have been running on a treadmill at the gym b/c i belong to the Y and the lovely ladies there watch my sweet girls while i work out.  but my dad (5k runner, extraordinaire) keeps kindly reminding me that i need to run outside to really prepare for a 5k b/c it's much harder than running on a treadmill.  yay.

so here's a little tidbit about workout clothes. props to you ladies that wear fancy things to the gym...

(google.com)

but this gal will stick with t-shirts and nike running shorts these days.  i luuuurve these shorts (i love when shorts have a little pick up on the side, looks kinda fun and sexy to me) and they come in like every color.  i have to be comfortable.  i dream to look good in those tight spandex workout tanks.  but i am so not there yet.  yet another goal :)

(helixzone.info, found on pintrest)

i will take one in each color please and thank you.  and put it on the underhill tab. ;)

i would argue that the most imortant thing in my workout is the music.  i have got to have some decent motivational tunes in order to make it.  right now the song that most pumps me up and makes me smile is "sexy and i know it" by LMFAO.  love it! (also digging "country girl shake it for me" by Luke Bryan.) i have also discovered that if i use my iphone for music i can use pandora! this was a frickin revelation to me b/c i adore pandora.  i like the pop fitness and country fitness channels.  they have the appropriate BPMs to keep ya pumped.  and sometimes just downloading a new song to add to the paylist can make me want to go runnning. sounds silly but true. 

visualization is key.  when i'm running and i'm starting to get grumpy and my knees start to ache a bit, i start to picture myself walking down the beach on a beautiful day looking a little like this...

(google.com)

and i imagine feeling super milfy and fabulous.  and then i push harder and get it done.  but i do think that having a mental picture of your goal is super important in the process.  not to make you feel bad about where you are but to keep you focused on where you' like to be.

"do these jeans look super baggy to you?"

i think i drive my hubs crazy when i ask him if my jeans are looking looser.  i think i whine about my "baggy feeling" jeans like everyday. 

reason #1: i am proud of myself for working out/feeling skinnier

#2: i am prepping him for my "i don't fit into anything right now and i need to go shopping for smaller clothes" moment. 

and #3: i am every so subtley fishing for a compliment.... who me?  ;)

but for real, what is better than loose fitting jeans when they used to be tight fitting jeans.  nothing i tell you. (except ice cream? or a huge tax return or.....)  and let me tell you, these darn jeans are just sliding off my bum, i tell ya.  i'm just going to have to go shopping soon.  darn it.

and most most most importantly, i try to remember to be so grateful and kind to my body. i am so thankful for this body that carried my sweet girls for nine months.  so be patient with yourself b/c it took almost a year to put on weight and it's not going to vanish overnight.  i am strong and healthy and thankful!!!

stay tuned for more progress.....

DIY booster seat

After seeing this DIY booster seat on Pintrest made out of a vinyl table cloth (genius!), i was determined to make one for my little 2 and half year old monster.  I'm so sick of the clunky old booster with attached tray, i mean, it was great for her when she was younger, but now it's just annoying to hook and unhook it from the chair all the time. 

So this was super easy to make!  I am, by no means, a fancy pants sew-er.... seamstress... whatever you call it.  It may not be perfect, but the little one loves it and it boosts her up to the perfect height for meals at the table.  Yay.

here's the cupcakey vinyl table cloth i found at kohl's for around 3 bucks:

and here's the finished product:

it looks super poofy but when little one sits on it, it's the perfect amount of.... poof. haha.  this will be so great in the summer, to toss outside and use on the patio chairs. 

It's so pinteresting...

My sissies and I are Pinterest addicts.  It's changed my life- I swear!  I cook, bake, craft, decorate and organize more than ever.  It's so darn inspiring!  So after seeing pictures of people's shelves, backed with pretty paper, I swore I would try it with our shelf.  I picked up a pack of pretty white and green damask contact paper from TJ Maxx (it was specifically called self adhesiveshelf paper) and got down to bidness.

Here is our cool shelf, i love the funky lines of it. i've never come accross a shelf like it before... sheesh maybe shelf-y and i should just get a room.  Anyway, here's a before pic, it desperately needs orgnization:

eeeeek, since it's near the front door, it seems to catch a LOT of junk.

And here it is after, ahhhhhhhh

oh.em.gee. i loveeee it. now you can really see the cool design of it!

yeehaw!

Project #2 complete!

Operation Lenten cleanup is well underway. :) 

Project Organization.

Sooo Lent crept up on me this year and instead of giving something up, I decided to try to do something positive everyday.  Like whipping our house into shape and getting rid of the crap simplifying.  After reading this blog post from Clover Lane, I was inspired!  So i wrote my list and got to it!  First up was organizing the front hall closet.  We have an itty bitty (ie crappy) one, so it fills up fast and looks eternally messy.  Luckily I had a 2 yr old helper.  (She was so very very helpful). 

*sadly, no before pic...... but here is the during pic...

*helper (rockin dad's snow hat)

                            

                                                  and after, ta daaaaaaa!

*see, i wasn't lying.  it's teeny.

*new blue bins from christmas tree shop: 3.99 each. green one: dolla tree!  

*shoe rack from target clearance 13.99 (p.s. it's terrible to put together)

  

So, job #1 is accomplished and didn't take too long!  And we accumulated an entire bag full of things to donate.  I feel more zen already ;)