Seriously, can you believe this?
30 Day Shred Giveaway! April 29, 2009
I had planned on saving this for my 500th post, but I have a feeling that will be a bit late in swimsuit season, so….this week, I’m giving away THIS:
I have had this workout DVD for about 2 months and have done it 6 or 7 times when I couldn’t make it to the gym. It comes with three 20-minute workouts, Levels 1 through 3 (they increase in difficulty). I started on level 1 and did Level 2 for the first time tonight. I expected Level 1 to be easily doable for me, since I work out regularly. However, it packed much more of a punch than I thought. I definitely got a good sweat out of it. They give you two women to follow, Anita for a more toned-down, low-impact approach, and Natalie if you’re looking for more challenge. I did Level 1 until I was able to keep up with Natalie the whole time. Again, I mistakenly thought Level 2 would seem easy. Nope. I sweat more tonight than I have in a loooooooong time, even doing some of the cardio at Anita’s level. I highly recommend this video if you want to get in shape FAST without spending hours “phoning it in” (as Jillian says) at the gym every day.
Interestingly enough, two of the bloggers I read often are just commencing on their own 30-day Shred, so you can read their takes here and here. They’ve inspired me to commit to doing it on every day for the next month (except for the days I have all-day weddings or am working out at the gym).
If you’d like to win, just leave a comment! If you want additional entries, feel free to write a blog post linking to this post or Twitter about it, leaving an extra comment with the link to your post(s). Contest will close next Thursday, May 7, at 5:00 p.m. CST.
And happy working out! Swimsuit season should (hopefully) be just a month or so away here in Minnesota, and already upon some of you!
20 months April 28, 2009
Anja, dear, you’ve really got to stop this growing up.
At 20 months, you:
- Have got quite a chambly face again. It’s actually extra-cute when you yell and it gets all squishy-cute. I don’t think I miss your skinny phase.
- Still can’t quite fill out 18 mo. pants in the waist, however.
- Say full sentences sometimes, like “Welcome home, Daddy!”
- Pooped in the potty on Sunday! Then, when I was putting a diaper on you a minute or two later, you said, “Chocolate….chocolate piece! Chocolate piece!” I didn’t understand at first, but then remembered the prior Sunday when I had promised you two chocolate chips if you pooped in the potty. That’s a pretty good memory! Then again, it is chocolate.
- Have a renewed interest (shall we say obsession?) with coloring. You ask for your crayons all the time, especially the green one. I found some of your art scribbled directly onto my white coffee table; I wasn’t particularly impressed with that art. One thing that you do frequently that I do find interesting is poke your crayons through the paper in patterns. Then you ask Mommy to draw you an airplane, an elephant or a circle. And then another one, and one more, ad nauseum. Yet my skills at drawing airplanes have not improved in the least!
- Get really excited when small group friends start showing up on Sunday night. Usually some sort of happy dance ensues, and you’re learning most of their names!
- Can identify the letters A and B and the number 1. But when you count, it usually goes like this: “One, three, six, nine.” We’ll keep working on that. :)
- Had to be separated from a library book called Monk Camps Out because we were reading it 5-10 times a day and if we didn’t drop everything and read it on the spot you would have a MAJOR fit.
- Ask to pray for Baby Stellan whenever you see his picture.
- Are giving much better hugs.
- Are starting to sit still better in church. You only had to be taken out once this week!
- Are running and jumping and climbing a lot more, which often means a lot more spills.
- Have an amazing sense of humor for your age. You keep us laughing all the time.
- Ask to watch “Chee-Vee” (TV) or “Eemo” (Elmo) whenever you go in Daddy’s room, even though 90% of the time you are turned down.
- Sing little songs about Mommy, Daddy, and whoever/whatever else pops into your head at the moment.
- “Talk on your cell” (old dead phone of mine) as you walk around the house, pointing out different things to the person on the other end. Never mind that they can’t see it; it keeps you entertained for 10 minutes, sometimes!
- Are fabulously good at putting puzzles together. We started you on the ones with the matching pictures beneath the pieces, but now you assemble plain ones with no trouble. We’re very proud of you.
- Take “pictures” of things with part of a play food grinder that you pretend is a camera. Maybe someday you can be my second shooter! But only if you want to.
- Are the apple of my eye. I love you!
Sunday Sunshine 04.26.09 April 26, 2009
Great Gifts for Kids That Don’t Involve “Stuff” – I love this article, because I, for one, don’t have room to store any more “stuff.”
As Long As I’m Living - Beck has this unspeakable gift that you have to read to believe.
Also, is it possible to love someone as much as I love her? What a gift it is to be a mommy.
Things to Do in An Elevator April 25, 2009
MckMama posted about riding in elevators today, and since I shared this with her, I figured it was only appropriate that I give you all link to a list similar to the one that some friends and I put to use in our college dorm elevators (Mandi, if you read this, ask T about ordering pizza to the elevator). Fun times. Enjoy!
Black & White
I took these photos of Anja in her Easter dress (which I bought for her shortly after Easter 2008, mind you) and neglected to post them until now. I liked it on her even more than on the hanger!
Oh, and the dress is actually black and white, yes. Black tights, white shoes, little white cardigan (not pictured here), and a bow with her initial on it. Think I might be on my way to being Southern! ;)
Sherman April 24, 2009
This is Anja’s little puppy (used to be mine…got him in college). He’s very small, and he’s been loved (read: chewed on, sucked on, drug around, “fed”) well. And he’s still adorable. Just something to brighten your weekend. Husband and I have a DATE DAY today!!!
Pray for Stellan April 20, 2009
If you aren’t already in the know, this dear one is possibly having surgery this very evening. Please be on your knees for the MckFamily.
I Could Scream! April 17, 2009
Someone…okay, it was me…just spent $70 on new business cards. They arrived today. I opened the box and was immediately impressed with the quality, the look, everything. Then I noticed. The. Phone. Number. Is. Wrong. I checked and double-checked those buggers before I sent them in, but apparently not enough. That is a VERY expensive mistake to make. Note to self: Have other people check before you send them next time, not just yourself.
Sigh…
