It's All About The Passion Baby...

So today I was sorta remind in a subtle way that to keep readers interested, I need to update my site on a regular basis so here I am updating you on my life!

So what’s new? Well... If I had to give this past week a theme it would be a theme of "Completing and Finishing" things. As mentioned in a previous post, I took a Microsoft Office Specialist training class and pass that exam! My certificate arrived in the mail last weekend and I have it posted in our homeoffice. Go me, go me!! Whoop, whoop.. (my victory song). 

Secondly, I completed my Weight Watchers meetings as of today, 16 meetings under my belt and 23 pounds lighter. It was 25 but I think I gained a bit of water weight this week.No worries, I'll drop it like a bad friend in no time!

Also last week was my final CASA training class and I am now officially a "Court Appointed Special Advocate" for children and teens in the foster care system. I think I may be assigned to case involving human trafficking. I think I can make a difference in someone’s life no matter who it is. I really don’t care about the circumstances surrounding them I just really want to help. So I'll get my case in about 2 weeks.

I have one more week of classes for this session and then it’s on to the next. I can’t wait until graduation, yeah, yeah I know, I still have about a year to go but honestly that year will fly by, they always do! Then it's cap and gown, here I come!! I think I'll be the happiest Grad crossing the stage!

Also I found this really great position at my current company and am hoping to be able to apply. I’ll meet with the hiring manager later this week to chat about what the job is all about, I’m just really ready to make a move out of my current department and all the drama that has been brewing over the past 2-3 years! I'm a very drama-free person and don't like to be in the middle and really that's all that has been happening.. I'm so over all of it!  (I’ll keep you posted on the job).

So what else is new, oh I made these super yummy samosa’s for dinner and they were pretty low fat as well and only took about 15 minutes to make.  I’ll post the recipe under the Chew On This tab so go check it out!

So there you have it, a lil update on my life! Don’t forget to check out the recipe here.

Keep Reading,

It's My World...

So I’m sure you all have noticed that I haven’t been posting and updating as much lately… And I honesty feel really bad, I got an email from one of my readers recently asking me if I had stopped writing.  My answer to that, NO WAY, NEVER!!  Anyway, I wanted to kind of fill everyone in on what I’ve been up to lately and possibly let it serve as an explanation for my lax in posting…

So here’s a recap: in January I posted that one of my New Years Resolutions was to attempt to do something new every month so… I have really been trying to accomplish this goal.

First if you recall about 14 weeks ago I joined Weight Watchers and in that time I have lost approximately 20 pounds! So that’s the first big step I made in my “try something new” journey! Yay me!!

Second, I started taking a Microsoft Certification course in PowerPoint and after 5 weeks I had my exam today and guess what, I passed with a score of 900, the highest possible, 1000 so as you can see, I wasn’t really that far off! Yay me again! (My certification should arrive in the mail soon).

Third, I’m in my last week of training to become a Court Appointed Special Advocate, (CASA). This is a 1-month program, which requires you to complete 40 hours of training and one full day of court observation, which I have already completed. Once I am done with my 40 hours I will then be an official appointed advocate for children in foster care and will be able to advocate for their well being in a court of law. Sort a like a crash course in becoming an attorney/social worker.

Fourth, I just ran a 5K last weekend in 33 minutes! It was nuts and though I thought I was going to die about 5 times during the run I also somehow made it through, received my tee-shirt and was able to walk away with a sense of pride! I have another 5K next weekend (race for the cure).

Lastly but rest assure, not least, I have applied as a notary republic and was just ordained as an official/legal minister which I don’t plan to use for anything other than my own personal grow with the Lord. I will receive my notary information in the mail and am then required to appear in court to have the judge appoint me and sign off on the official documents.

I’m also registered and on the list to become a mediator. This takes 45 hours of training but the classes just ended and there is not another one scheduled for a few months so that’s on my to-do list for another month. Oh yeah before I forget, I also applied to become a Weight Watchers leader and I completed my interview and am now awaiting to hear the next step in the process, they should be calling me next week. 

In case you didn’t know, I’m also working full time and going to school.

I feel like there are more things that I have been doing but to be honest, I just can’t seem to keep track!! Maybe I need to slow down!!  Anyway, as you can see, I have been a busy bee these past few months!

Keep Reading, 

When Co-Workers Attack!!

Good morning! Today I decided to work out because I only lost one pound at this week’s weigh in at my Weight Watchers meeting which isn’t bad but isn’t good either. So far I’ve lost a total of 10 pounds so I need to lose about 6.5 more to meet the Weight Watchers goal and for my own personal goal, I need to push myself a bit harder and hit another 10 pounds. Nothing else new going on this week... Just gearing up for a few trips during the next few months, still struggling to find time to write and still going home every night and doing nothing to help my book progress!

On another note, one of my co-workers/friend is currently pregnant and will be going on leave soon which I’m not looking forward to at all because that means I’m going to be stuck in the office for a month and a half without anyone to talk to because I really don’t get along nor talk to any of my other co-workers. I’m so not looking forward her leaving!!!  Oh that reminds me of a funny story, well not funny but just a random story. One of my “not-so-friendly” co-workers is hell bent on stealing my position and not only is she new to the job whereas I’ve been here for YEARS but she doesn’t know anything and tries to turn everything into a big deal so that it seems like she know something others don’t! Do you know how annoying it is to have someone trying to steal your job who is a MORON and who thinks they know everything but knows NOTHING! Every day I have to come in and hope she has not totally wrecked anything in her futile attempt to feel important!

On and here’s the funny part, she has also some how convinced our boss that she knows what she’s doing, I feel no need to set him straight because I look at it like this, when I leave for good and she has a field day ruining everything that I organized and built over the years, those actions will speak for themselves!






Happy Blogging!

12 Steps, Withdrawal Is Already In Kicking...

So I had to post again today because I’m 3 days clean on this healthy eating diet and I’m seriously going through some sort of withdrawal and aggression stage in this healthy recovery thing! I don’t know what step withdrawal and aggression come into play but I’m definitely there! Early this evening I decided to run out to the market for some cream to put in my tea tomorrow morning and ended up spending 45 minutes in the ice cream isle.  I looked at almost every carton and flavor and I think at one point I had one in my hand ready to check out!  But my fluffy thoughts of sweet bliss were so rudely interrupted when some random guy in the same isle asked me something. I have no idea what he said and I honestly didn’t care, but I practically ripped his head off mainly because he was bothering me while I was lost in my ice cream fantasy and secondly because he was BOTHERING me! Oh the nerve! Needless to say, I pulled myself together and go out of there (minus the ice cream) as fast as I could.

So some people might criticize me for comparing my food diet to some sort of drug recovering program but think about this for a minute; a lot of the foods we eat have so many foreign chemicals, dyes, artificial flavors and who knows what else in them so take into considerate that after years of eating these kinds of junk-things, our bodies start to depend on them and trying to go cold turkey really isn’t the easiest thing in the world! Have you ever craved something like McDonald's or Wendy’s or some other food from your favorite restaurant, well you're probably craving those chemicals and you don’t even know it!  

 I’m only on day 3 and I’ve been in a foul mood all day. I’m smelling and tasting foods that are not there, I’m thinking of food every second of every minute of every hour (this is no joke) and it’s killing me that I reeaally want pizza, tacos, and Chinese but all I can eat is fruit for breakfast, salad for lunch and a small dinner.  Then I think of how far I’ve come (3 days is a lot, seriously) and of how tired I am of feeling bad about myself every day when I get dressed and I realize that I can get through all this, I just have to take it 1 day at a time.

Keep Reading,

Food, Fitness and Top Model...

It’s Friday afternoon and I’ve had the day off from work so its been pretty laid back. I had a doctor’s appointment earlier this afternoon and am now home watching the Top Model marathon. You know I never really realized how much work models have to do and I don’t just mean keeping lean and thin, that’s a whole other workload they have.  So what I’ve learned is that models have to be able to do anything, I mean anything. They have to be able to understand the elements around them, they have to be put into harsh environments and face many of their fears and still deliver a great photo! They are critiqued and told what needs improvement and We really need to give these ladies a big hand because they deal with so much and all we think is that they just show up, put on something cute, smile and get a giant paycheck… Nope it’s so much more than that!

Coco’s been lying in her bed (a rocking chair in our bedroom near the window that she has recently staked claim on) and has been watching the birds outside all day. Every now and then she hopes down for a drink of water and then right back up. Just a side note: that green blanket is her favorite and she always had to lay on it.

My doctor’s appointment this morning was just a routine check up and I took the opportunity to talk about my recent weight gain so my doctor looked back over the past few years of my medial history and realized that I had gained a few extra pounds. Unfortunately, she didn’t supply me with any additional news that I already had not tried, work out more, eat more veggies, and get more sleep, blah, blah, blah… I’ve done all these things and still weight the same. I need something else, something major! So I pulled out a book that I recently purchased and decided that I really need to get serious about working out more on a consistent fitness plan. I just love food and love to cook so this combo is not working for my figure at all! So I’m hoping that with this new mindset and this book by my side I can really do this!

So wish me luck! 

Keep Reading, 

 

Things To Do Before I'm 30...

With my pending 30^th birthday in the horizon this summer, I checked my schedule and just don’t see any way I’m going to be able to celebrate this year so as much as I hate to have to do this, I’ve decided to postpone my milestone birthday and remain 29 for another 12 to 24 months. Oh, I just hate to disappoint and I was so looking forward to celebrating but I just don’t see any way around this…

That being said I now have some additional time to start working on some things that I want to do before I turn 30. First thing on my list, lose weight. Yes I know this is very cliché but this evening I pulled out the scale and wiped off 2 years worth of dust, breathed a deep sign, closed my eyes and stepped on… I’m not going to divulge the astronomical 3 digits that taunted me from the scale below, I will tell you that I had to reweigh myself and then take off all my clothing items and reweight myself a third time just to make sure I was getting the correct read… Yep… I was and very disappointed to say the least! I have a plan to lose 20 pounds and I know I can do it!

The next thing on my “To-Do Before I Hit 30 List” is to find a better job! Or I guess I should say a more fulfilling job. I’m so fed up with all the drama, nonsense and high school antics that take place by some of my co-workers that I don’t even bother to talk to anyone anymore. Of course there are other issues with the job and maybe I’ve just hit that point where I need something new but either way, I’m so ready to go, therefore this is right up there at number 2.

Next, I plan to revive my face so I have started a facial regimen be combat any early signs of winkles, I don’t have any yet but hey, now’s a better time than any to start the preventative method. Oh by the way, in one of my other posts I briefly mentioned that I wanted to share some of my facial products and this regime was what I was referring to. 

So I started using Oil of Olay Pore Redefining Scrub, Oil Of Olay Deep Cleansing Clay Mask, Oil Of Olay Active Hydrating Cream and Oil Of Olay Night Firming Cream. I use the clay mask about twice a week, the scrub once or twice a week and the other two products daily and I just started this facial treatment and have already noticed a glow on my face and my skin looks so much fresher and vibrant!

So there’s my short list and there will be more to come so stay tuned! 

Keep Reading, 

Week Updates

My week started out pretty good, I had a four day weekend because I was off last Friday and had MLK Day  offon Monday, then Tuesday we had a 2 hour delay at work because of a crazy ice storm that hit.  I arrived at work safely and later that day I had a job interview which, well…

I’m still waiting to hear back but being the Christian that I am, I have faith that God will bless me with this job no matter how much I may have bombed the interview! I'm competing with about 20 other applicants and am a nervous wreck!

Wednesday rolled around and nothing out of the ordinary happened except one of my department directors gave me some tips on what I should do in the event that I make it to the second round of interviews so I took her advice and am keeping an open mind…

Thursday I was feeling pretty bummed out and realized that I had lost a few pounds because I had been cutting out a lot of calories from my impromptu diet so that cheered me up until I noticed that the Art House Projects that I had already paid for had not yet arrived at my house and the date to get the project postmarked and mailed in already passed! What a waste of $25, good thing I still have one more project to participate in! UGGH!! BTW: I emailed Art House to complain and still have not heard back, figures!

Then I woke up this morning with a bad case of the blues and I have no idea why.  I barely made it into work and didn't feel like doing anything so I decided to check out my blog when I noticed that I had a few comments congratulating me on being featured on FTLOB. WWWHHAATT....I almost peed with excitement! Lol, maybe that was TMI but, hey it cheered me up after a somewhat horrible week! 

So Thank you For The Love of Blogs!!!

Weight Loss Revolution...

For the past few weeks I’ve really been pretty upset with myself over my weight gain and yet I hadn’t done anything about it. Then on Monday I told my husband that I was going to start working out so I packed my gym bag and took it to work with me since the building I work in has a gym that all employees have access to. By Wednesday my gym bag was still sitting in my car and I hadn’t made my way down to the gym so I decided that I’d better bring it home in case I decided to work out at the gym near my house over the weekend. Last night I’d had enough of my procrastination and had a light dinner of Thai Curry Soup (very yummy) and got up early to head to the gym…

                             
As I dusted off my gym shoes I thought about the last time I had worked out and it’s been about 4 months (WOW). In the Fall I had been working out consistently and then I got really sick and couldn’t go to the gym for about 3 weeks and we all know just how easy it is to make excuses after you’ve gotten out of the routine… So by the time I started to feel better I kept saying, I’ll go back to the gym tomorrow and 4 months and 12 pounds later… Well you see my point. It’s actually sad because I have access to a free gym at work and then I have a gym membership near my home but I rarely go… But believe me, that’s all about to change, not only am I going to work out but I’m going to start eating better too! Watch out New Year’s resolutions cause I’m kicking butts and taking names and weight loss is next on my list!   
                              
So since today was my first day back in the workout saddle I didn’t want to over due it so I decided to keep it light, I did about 20 minutes of cardio and burned about 210 calories then headed home to shower… Of course as I continue, I’ll definitely up my workout time.
                                  
Okay, now to have a big bowl of pasta!  Just joking, though that does sounds really good right about now…