Weekly Happenings and Marvellous in My Monday #1

It’s been one heck of a roller coaster week my friends, one heck of a roller coaster.

It’s also my very first week participating in Katie’s Marvelous In My Monday series, so here’s how I’m gonna do it:

For everything “not so awesome” that happened this week, I’m going to expand on one thing that was TOTALLY awesome. I’ll bet, by the end of this post there will be way more awesome than “not so awesome”.

How many times can this girl say “awesome”? Ha! a lot 😉

and GO:

Not So Awesome
-The Hubby has been working a lot of night shifts leaving me with the wee Munchkin all week, and it just so happens it’s been the HOTTEST week we’ve ever? had in Yarmouth. Ariel has been getting heat rashes all over her poor little body, her tummy has rashes from scooching around on it wearing nothing but a diaper.

(Digression in progress: she doesn’t “crawl” necessarily, she propels herself with one knee and pulls with both arms, dragging her entire body across the floor. Rash city! But at least she’s moving, that’s all that matters right?)

The Scooch

Awesome
– Hubs and I got to go on a date at the beginning of the week. It’s been 9 months since we were able to get out of the house together just the two of us, so this was a glorious evening that both of us really needed. We’re going to try and make sure it happen more often!

Not So Awesome
-The teething monster came back

That’s number 6 😉 only…. 12? moretogo….. *cry*

Awesome
– 6 teeth down, only 12 more to go! WOOHOO!

Not So Awesome
-We’re in the thick of summer and I’ve been crazy busy with work as well. Let me tell you, it is NOT fun dragging around a rash-y, teething, feverish, crying baby wherever you go. Very. Stressful.

Awesome
-A surprise bag of 50% off organic goodies my Husband found at the grocery store while he was working one night. *swoon* gosh I love him, He’s always thinking of me 😉 Included in the bag: 3 mini bags of organic flax seeds, cous cous, and lentils! ❤

Not so awesome
-There’s now a new rash covering Ariel’s entire head and neck and she will not stop scratching and smacking herself on the face because it’s so itchy! My heart is completely broken for her </3. It’s much worse every time she’s in her high chair (which means she barely eats anything everyday, so she’s probably hungry on top of everything else. *Sigh*), we are contemplating the idea that she may be allergic to the matial. Or perhaps it’s just another heat rash. She has an appointment with the paediatrician tomorrow so HERE’S HOPING everything will clear up.

Awesome
-Family pool time with our new kiddy pool in the backyard! so much fun on those extra hot days.

Not so awesome
– The dog is a jealous bag and keeps digging up the backyard, and he pooped in the basement, oh, and in the bed. agk!

Awesome
-This box of NEW Simply bars I won from Angela. I have’nt tried one yet since they just came in the mail about 2 hours ago, but they’re “maple pecan” flavour, I don’t know if those could taste bad in anybody’s world!

Not so awesome
-The fridge broke…… again. Now we ponder, repair costs or new fridge costs? hmm..

The repair man, aka the hubs, working his magic 😉

Awesome
– My order from National nutrition came in the mail today too. BOOYEAH! I ❤ you health products!

Awesome
-Waking up to the smell of homemade chicken broth in the slow cooker. mmmmm

Awesome
-These super sweet shoes I found for $9 at Wal-mart. So cute.

Awesome
-A new Superfood Series that I’m going to be starting on this blog within the next couple of weeks, stay tuned for more info!!! It’s going to be a blasty blast 😉

There, what’d I tell ya? WAY more awesome than not. But really who am I kidding, I’m the one that needed to see it laid out in front of me. This week ahead, yeah, I have a feeling its going to be a killer one!

What’s happening in your world these days? Awesome, or not so awesome?

Hugs Kisses and Cookies

Kaycee

My Story Part 2

This is a continuation post, you can catch the first part at My Story Part 1

While in college, living the college dream pulling all nighters, working, studying, working, working, studying, partying, I inevitably gained some weight back.

Me, 21 years old in my last year of college weighing 150 pounds

After graduating, I moved out to Nova Scotia to live with my then boyfriend (now husband). He’s the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me and I’m grateful for him every day. I’m also very lucky that being healthy and fit is just as important to him as it is to me, his job also requires for him to be in good physical shape, so it’s great inspiration for me to keep myself in order too.

As soon as I was settled, my journey started again. We were eating well, I was exercising regularly and I was the happiest I’d ever been! It didn’t take long for the weight to start falling off again.

22 years old weighing in at about 135 pounds

Things were so good for me! I learned to eat meals when I was hungry and not out of boredom, I was feeling good, clothes were fitting better, and my husband (bf at the time) loved me no matter what size I was. But I still couldn’t stop myself from eating that entire bag of chips at night, and then hating myself for it.

This is when my new found love for nutrition surfaced. I had always had a love for food and cooking in general, but I never focused my cooking on healthy meals. Now I started searching the internet for the healthiest superfoods, diet plans, nutrition information on absolutely everything. I fell in love with healthy nutritious food, and what it could do for my body, I was learning so much in such a short period of time, and I loved every minute of it.

I came across Damy Health’s Bikini Body Program in Spring of 2011, immediately purchased it and I can very confidently say this is exactly what taught me HOW I was supposed to be eating. Balanced meals, every 3 hours, emphasis on lean proteins and vegetables, etc, etc.
While on the program I lost a good 15-20 pounds and it took my to my healthiest and strongest I have ever been in my life, weighing 118 pounds on my wedding day

I’m so grateful for having found that program and learning the best way to feed my body, I still live (and eat) by what it taught me, without being quite so strict.

Then, 10 months ago, in September 2012, this little love of my life happened.

I had a very healthy pregnancy and birth, which I directly relate to being healthy beforehand and staying active during. I gained 34 pounds while I was pregnant, and even though I did remain active, 20 of them stuck around after she was born.

I came home from the hospital weighing 140 lbs, and now, 10 months later am down to 130.

Is this favourable? No. Am I upset about it? No. Do I want to do something about it? Of course, and I am in the process of doing that. (See my post on How I nixed the night time snacking to see how I jumped that hurdle.)

I feed myself very well, with the occasional treat, I am active, and with the exception of being zombie-tired most of the time, I’m extremely happy.

The only thing that has changed health wise since before having my daughter, is I no longer have time to do the hour long sweat sessions or go out for a run whenever I feel the urge. I have, for the most part, failed miserably at scheduling in my workouts and finding the time to get.it.done.

I love to be active, I love being outside, running and weight lifting, yoga, group classes, and I especially love how I feel when I’m able to do all those things. It’s no longer about the number on the scale, it’s about how comfortable I am in my skin, and my quality of life. It’s about being able to play with my daughter, and to be able to show her how fun it is to lead a healthy and active life.

This is the next step in my journey, making the time, and keeping myself accountable to get my workouts in, to enjoy them, and to be grateful that I’m able to do them. While, of course, having as much fun as possible and eating as much gloriously healthful and nutritionally packed food along the way.

 

This is probably the most horrifying thing I’ve ever done, putting my story on my blog for the entire universe to see, er’go, comment on, er’go, judge, er’go, you get the picture. But at some point between my childhood and now, I’ve learned that it doesn’t matter if I’m judged, if I’m told not to speak because what I say is always irrelevant, or if someone just plain doesn’t like me. It doesn’t matter. I’ve learned that what matters is the fact that I can shrug those things off, because I can be confident in myself and what I do, that comes from the inside. If I want to say something, then it’s relevant to something, and I have a right to say it. People can judge me for whatever they want, but I no longer care. Because my life is great, I have a beautiful loving family, I have my health, and I have myself.

I know there are going to be tons of people out there that can relate to this story, and I hope that maybe it can help someone who hasn’t come to this realization yet. You are you, and you deserve to be you. NOBODY can put you down for that, as long as you don’t let them.

And you have yourself. Only you can make yourself the you that you want to be.

So, what’s your story?
What hurdles have you had to jump? Or, would still like to?

Hugs Kisses and Cookies

Kaycee