Outside the Box Thinking

One main take-away from this year's Type-A Parent Conference was "Think Outside the Box." I think I'm pretty good at that already. But sometimes we get stuck and our "outside the box" becomes "inside the box," if you know what I mean.

Here are a few "outside the box" thoughts:

~ People still like e-mail. Kelby shared in her E-mail Marketing session that 93% of all online users share content via e-mail. If you're not utilizing e-mail in your marketing strategy, you're missing an important piece. Just don't annoy people.

~ I need to learn how to use more online tools. There are so many out there, and I get overwhelmed into a state of "paralysis by analysis." I don't want to be obsessed by tracking the numbers, but I do need to push myself to learn more. Such things as Google Analytics, Get Clicky, Twitalyzer, Google Alerts (done!), Linked In (done!), SlideShare, Facebook Chats, etc., etc.

~ Be consistent across all online outlets. Use the same descriptors in all of your online profiles. Same picture as well. And if you want to be taken seriously as a professional blogger, don't use a cartoon as your avatar.

~ Not something I learned directly in a session, but learned intuitively. If I'm wrong, please tell me. Because I choose to use Blogger as my blogging platform, and because I choose to have an iPhone or Droid phone, I need to be more creative. (I could say that in a negative, as in "I will always feel like a red-headed step-child," but I want to look at this positively.) I LIKE the Blogger platform, and I LIKE my Palm Pixi, thank you very much. They may not have all the bells & whistles, but that doesn't make me less of a blogger, social media enthusiast or wanna-be techie geek.

~ I also felt challenged, for the second year in a row, to do more creative writing. So I'm sharing that here to make myself more accountable. I enjoy writing. I may or may not share all of those future musings here on this blog, but I am committing to one hour per week of creative writing.

~ And of course, I loved connecting with the sponsors that were there. Thanks, Together Counts, for sponsoring two yummy (and healthy!) breakfasts and morning walks. And thank you, Zone Perfect, for the healthy snacks, comfy t-shirt, and great conversation!

Thank you to the other awesome sponsors for making such a great conference possible!

Recapping the Awesomeness of Type-A Parent Conference

I always have the best intentions to recap a conference as soon as I get home. But reality is, I arrive home physically tired, with my mind reeling in a hundred different directions, to a family who has missed me and deserves my attention. So posting a recap falls of my radar.

But I know that not every blogger can attend blogging conferences, so I feel I MUST attempt to sum up the awesomeness of the Type-A Parent Conference. Really. Because it was awesome.

This was my second year attending this conference. I love the size because I tend to be like a deer in headlights when I'm in a large crowds. Maybe it's the small size, maybe it's a comfortable venue. Whatever. I love the atmosphere.

There was an emphasis on learning new things, not the same old generic session topics. There was also an emphasis on networking with bloggers and companies, a sense of collaboration & camaraderie, that I don't think you find at bigger conferences.

I attended sessions on e-mail marketing, blogger/brand outreach, pitching your passion, basic coding, mobilzing your blog, and breaking through writer's block. The opening keynote by Patti Digh was amazing (she also led the writer's block session). I hope to have another post this week with my main take-aways from the conference.

My favorite part, of course, was the people. I connected with friends old and new. I love putting faces (avatars) and names together. And I love hanging out with amazing, inspiring people.

Jill of  Diaper Diaries, me, Mandi of Cumming Local

With my wonderful roomie Liz of A Nut in a Nutshell

With longtime friend Tara of Feels Like Home

Thanks to Kelby Carr and the sponsors of the 2011 Type-A Parent Conference!

Knock Out the Fat Week 7

What did I say at the beginning of my post last Monday? This is a journey of health.

I believe there are many factors that indicate health, the scale is not and should not become the sole focus of a health journey (at least for me). Stepping on the scale every day, even multiple times a day, is not mentally or emotionally healthy.

Other ways I measure my health: tape measurements - I am down 3.25 inches in the last seven weeks. Self-confidence - I am wearing shorts in public for the first time since my Ladybug was born (she's 4!). Fitness - I can run (RUN) 3 miles without a walk break. Energy levels - I feel that I can manage a day with my energetic preschooler without being absolutely, utterly exhausted.

To me, those are just as important as the movement on the scale.

I will now step off my soap box so I can recap last week ... I traveled to a blog conference (recap coming soon!), but it is entirely possible to maintain, even lose weight, while on the road.

Fitness: I did cardio 6 days of 7, for a total of 205 minutes. Yes, you CAN get in exercise while at a conference, it's just a matter of being creative and tenacious. When I'm at home, the best time to workout is in the morning. But I found that I stayed up later and didn't want to get up, so I exercised during the afternoon break that we had each day. There was enough time to workout and get a shower, so it was perfect.

I enjoyed using the hotel fitness center, and because I was without my family, I had time to do cardio AND strength in one session, instead of breaking it up like I do at home.

Monday: running 30 minutes; lower body fitness circuits
Tuesday: exercise bike 30 minutes; upper body circuits
Wednesday: run/walk 40 minutes; cardio circuits
Thursday: exercise bike 35 minutes; lower body circuits
Friday: run/walk 40 minutes; upper body circuits
Saturday: walking 30 minutes
Sunday: rest day

Nutrition: I am very, very pleased with how I managed my nutrition this week. I packed snacks for myself. There were lots of fresh fruit and veggies at our meals, and I avoided the sugary treats as much as possible (I did enjoy a small portion of cheesecake).

One reason for my display of will-power was my previous conference experience. Because I am accustomed to eating a relatively clean diet (few processed foods), I do not feel well physically when all of a sudden I eat them at conferences. I knew that if stayed true to what I know is best for me, then I would feel better and be able to enjoy as much of the conference as possible.

I had a great chat with Alysa, the dietician for Mamavation and the George Foreman Knock Out the Fat Weight Loss Challenge, this weekend. We tweaked a few things in my nutrition plan for this week, so we'll see how my body responds. I posted my dinner menu plan over on my recipe blog if you're interested.

Did you check out my video last week for grilled sweet potatoes? They are so good!

The Scale: I am pleased with this weigh in, considering I was out of town for part of last week. I'm down another .4 lbs, for a total of 3.2 lbs since starting the George Foreman Knock Out the Fat Weight Loss Challenge. My total weight loss since January 2010 is 35 lbs! My current BMI is 36.8.

Spouses Challenge: It wasn't an easy week for either of us. Hubs was a solo parent for four days, and I was away. So he asked for a do-over. We are tracking water intake, fruit/veggie intake, fitness minutes, and food journaling.


Disclosure: I am one of 10 Brand Ambassadors in the George Foreman Knock out the Fat Weight Loss Challenge. I was sent a George Foreman Grill for my participation in this challenge and will be compensated for my time at the end of the 90 day challenge. HOWEVER, ALL opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own.

'Fess Up Friday

Rachel is hosting 'Fess Up Friday, which I think is an awesome idea. Let's face it. No one is perfect. As much as would like for others to believe that we are perfect, it's not realistic! So here's my confession:

Adjusting to a new schedule, with Ladybug (4 years old) home every day instead of at morning preschool, has been tough. It's an adjustment for her, because she gets to spend all day with ME instead of her fun, amusing friends.

It's also an adjustment for me. I didn't have a lot of time to get work done with her at preschool for three hours a day (and two of those days, I had church commitments that took that time). But I was spoiled with solo grocery shopping, time to write and blog in peace, and sometimes the occasional coffee or walking date with a fellow mom.

This has been hard. Please hear this. I love my daughter and love that I get to spend more time with her. But last week was tough.

There were too many times last week that I raised my voice. There were too many times that I got frustrated  because she didn't listen and respond on my first request. There were a few times when I had to give myself a time-out so that I wouldn't totally blow my top.

I don't know that there is any one solution to helping us have fewer blow ups. But my goal (along with Hubby), is to be firmer with boundaries. To give a warning then follow through on punishment. But also to give more attention. To get on the floor and play more. To laugh more. To enjoy our time together more.

Grilled Sweet Potatoes on My George Foreman Grill

I'm really enjoying the George Foreman grill that I received as part of the George Foreman Knock Out the Fat Weight Loss Challenge. This was one of my favorite meals so far!



Disclosure: I am one of 10 Brand Ambassadors in the George Foreman Knock out the Fat Weight Loss Challenge. I was sent a George Foreman Grill for my participation in this challenge and will be compensated for my time at the end of the 90 day challenge. HOWEVER, ALL opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own.

Knock Out the Fat Week 6

We're in this healthy living thing for the long haul. This isn't just about losing weight. This is about the health of our family. For Hubby and I, it's about finding what works best for each of us. For Ladybug (4 years old), it's about helping her develop life long healthy habits and giving her the knowledge to make good choices.

That said, we realize there is a place for treats in our life. As much as I would love to have ice cream every day, I know that much sugar is not healthy. So we don't keep it in our freezer. Ice cream has to be a planned treat because we have to get everyone in the car, drive to town & then we can enjoy a treat. And that's just what we did for Father's Day. And we all enjoyed our special treat!

But Monday is a new day, and time for a new challenge. Hubby is just as competitive as I am (and he wrongly thinks he can win this!), so today starts the Spouses Challenge, and it will run for three weeks. If I'm going to show Hubby who's boss, it's time for me to put my nose to the grindstone! I love a good challenge!

And if you haven't had a chance, check out my A-Ha Moment. I couldn't name Mamavation specifically in the video, but I gave y'all a shout out!

Here's last week in review:

Fitness: I did cardio 6 days out of 7, for 180 minutes. I think I'm finally adjusting to the heat and humidity, but we're also under a heat advisory for this week. Makes for fun times! I've been using resistance bands for my strength training and I feel like it's time to bump it up to the next level. I need to find a stronger band. I've been doing some of my fitness circuits in the pool, so that makes for good resistance. I've been doing lots of crunches and side crunches in the water. I also discovered that I can do mountain climbers in the pool, as I haven't been able to do them due to the extreme bouncing. And I got a new Pilates DVD - love it!

Monday - running 30 minutes; lower body fitness circuits
Tuesday - exercise bike 30 minutes; upper body fitness circuits
Wednesday - running 30 minutes; cardio circuits (mostly in the pool)
Thursday - exercise bike 30 minutes; upper body circuits
Friday - Pilates 30 minutes; lower body circuits
Saturday - running 30 minutes
Sunday - rest day

Nutrition: I admit, it wasn't a stellar week, even before the ice cream on Sunday. Time to focus on fruits and veggies! Even though I'll be traveling to a conference this week, I'll be taking fresh fruit, dried fruit and nuts for snacks. And I know there will be plenty of salad options for me to get my veggies. Hubs will be utilizing the George Foreman grill to make chicken breasts and turkey burgers while I'm gone. It's so easy to use and even clean up.

The Scale: Up .2 lbs from last week. I'm not frustrated. I know I haven't put 100% effort into proper nutrition. Plus I haven't kept up with my food journal as I should. Back to that this week. My BMI is currently 36.8, and I have lost a total of 2.8 lbs so far in the George Foreman Knock Out the Fat Weight Loss Challenge.

Special thanks and shout-outs to Kia, Steph and Greta for being such awesome "supporters" of my continuing healthy journey! Y'all rock my socks!

Disclosure: I am one of 10 Brand Ambassadors in the George Foreman Knock out the Fat Weight Loss Challenge. I was sent a George Foreman Grill for my participation in this challenge and will be compensated for my time at the end of the 90 day challenge. HOWEVER, ALL opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own.

The Spouses Challenge

Photo Credit: stock.xchng

People have remarked about my consistency with the all the healthy living changes that I've made in my life. One thing that keeps me going is a good challenge! Recently, my wonderful Hubby issued a challenge. He's just as competitive as I am, and *shhhh* he needs a good kick in the pants.

Now, I don't nag at my Hubby to eat right and exercise. He's an adult, he's smart, and he can make his own decisions. I buy healthy foods, but he has the ability to buy his own (junk) food if he so desires.

So I put together some rules for this challenge. It's not about pounds or inches lost because men lose differently than women. It's about healthy habits.

The first segment of this challenge will run three weeks, starting Monday, June 20th, and go until Sunday, July 10th, when we start our family vacation. We have chosen individual rewards that the "winner" will receive, but we will also reward ourselves with a date night when we finish the three weeks together.

I will make a chart to hang in the kitchen where we can record our daily points. I'm thinking of ways to give Ladybug (4 years old) points as well. We'll make it a whole family affair!

Here are our healthy categories and their points value. There are also a few penalties, focusing on our own stumbling blocks.

Fitness minutes - 5 pts for every 10 minutes of either cardio or strength training
Food journalling - 5 pts for every complete day
Fruits & veggies - 5 pts for each day of eating 6 servings of fruits and/or veggies
Water - 1 pt for every 8 oz consumed
Soda - DEDUCT 10 pts for every can/bottle consumed
Late night snacking - add 5 pts for no snacks after 9pm; deduct 10 pts for snacking after 9pm (double whammie!)
Carbs - deduct 5 pts for consuming more than 7 servings of starch per day

I'll keep you posted on how the challenge is going and who the winner is (me) after July 10th!

Sharing My A-ha Moment

You know that moment. It's a moment of clarity, a moment of destiny or fate, a God moment. A moment when you know with absolute certainty that path on which you must travel. Thank you, Mutual of Omaha, for allowing me to share my a-ha moment.

Knock Out the Fat Week 5

This will be a short & sweet update. Summer doesn't leave a lot of time for sitting & writing!

I participated in the Susan G. Komen 5k race this past weekend - it was a wonderful experience! I'll definitely be doing that again. It's the first race that I've been part of a team. I decided to stick with fellow team members during the race, so it wasn't my fastest finishing time, but I was able to offer support & encouragement to two wonderful friends who were completing their very first 5k. So much more important to me than finishing fast!

Here's my weekly recap:

Fitness: I did cardio 5 days out of 7, for a total of 168 minutes. I took an extra rest day on Friday to prepare for Saturday's race. I also missed Friday's fitness circuits due to traveling. But other than that, it was a rockin', sweaty week!

Monday: running 30 minutes; lower body circuits
Tuesday: exercise bike 30 minutes; upper body circuits
Wednesday: running 30 minutes; cardio circuits
Thursday: exercise bike 30 minutes; upper body circuits
Friday: rest day
Saturday: walk/run 48 minutes (plus lots of extra walking!)
Sunday: rest day

Nutrition: It was much better week. I was more mindful of my choices. I had fun experimenting with my George Foreman grill. I made grilled apples (a blog post is coming about that - yum!) and grilled sweet potatoes, in addition to our various grilled proteins. We'll keep the menu plan simple for this week, lots of summer fun on the schedule!

The Scale: Down .6 lbs from last week. My total loss for the George Foreman Knock Out the Fat Weight Loss Challenge is 3.0 lbs.  I have lost 1 inch from my bust and 1 inch from hips since this challenge began, and my BMI is currently 36.8.


Disclosure: I am one of 10 Brand Ambassadors in the George Foreman Knock out the Fat Weight Loss Challenge. I was sent a George Foreman Grill for my participation in this challenge and will be compensated for my time at the end of the 90 day challenge. HOWEVER, ALL opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own.

Susan G. Komen 5k Race Recap

Every race that I've participated in has been a completely different experience. Years ago, I walked in a Susan G. Komen event, but this is the first since I've become a runner. This was also my first race as part of a team.

Back in February, Jen and Malise mentioned doing a team for this race in honor of our friend and fellow blogger Chele Chestnut. In September of last year, Chele was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Thankfully, Chele's treatments have been successful and she was even able to be a part of the team on Saturday!

Malise, Chele, Jen & myself
Photo credit: CarolinaMama

My family and I drove up to the Raleigh area on Friday to spend some time with my husband's brother & his family. It was a fun, relaxing day. I got to bed at a decent hour but had the typical pre-race restless night, waking up several times and checking the clock. I woke up around 3:30am to go to the bathroom then couldn't fall back asleep. My alarm was set for 4:40 so I got up around 4:20 and started getting ready.

I was out the door by 4:50, since I had about a 40 minute drive to meet the team at the RBC Center where we needed to park and catch a shuttle bus to the race site. This was the area's 15th Komen event and it was extremely well organized. Wow. I was really impressed!

Team Chestnut met up, got our team shirts & socks provided by our sponsor Hanes Comfort. We took lots of pictures then boarded the shuttle bus.

We got to the race site with lots of time to spare, found the port-potties then the starting line. There were around 3000 participants in the competitive 5k. There were a total of seven people on our team. We all started together. One person wanted to run. Three of us decided to run/walk. And three decided to walk.

This was by far the largest race I've been in. I couldn't believe the size of the crowd.

It was a hilly course. I had decided to stick with the team rather than run on my own. Because of the hills, I'm glad I made that decision. It was also a blast to walk and talk and encourage one another. I was with Jen and a new friend Bobbi, and it was the first 5k for both of them. It was awesome to encourage them through the race. We walked up hills, ran down hills. No set interval. It worked well.

I know pictures never do the hills justice, but this was the biggest hill and it was close to the 3 mile mark. In spite of the early hour (7am), it was humid but thankfully partially shaded. We were running out of steam!

As we were coming in the final stretch, the women's only race was just getting started. There were a lot of survivors (marked by their t-shirt) in this group. So inspiring!

Bonnie, Malise & Chele at the finish line

Jen and I crossed the finish line with an official chip time of 48:05. Bobbi finished with 48:50. Malise, Chele & Bonnie finished with an hour flat. For Jen, Bobbie and Chele, it was the first 5k and think they did amazing! I'm so proud to be a part of Team Chestnut!

After we got some water, we walked around the sponsors' area. Whole Foods was handing out snacks. I grabbed a chocolate soy milk recovery drink, which was awesome. The carbs, potassium and sodium numbers were great, but I was a little shocked by the 340 calories!

I didn't push myself hard for this race, this was my slowest finish. But I wanted to experience the race with my team, which was amazing. I wasn't feeling as depleted after this race as I have for others. And no post-race headache - woot!

We finished walking around, walked back to the shuttle buses, then a few of us went for coffee.

It was an awesome event, with a team I'm proud to be a part of! Can't wait for next year!

A-ha Moment

I had a fun time yesterday sharing my A-ha Moment with Mutual of Omaha. Can't wait to see the final video (of course I'll share!).

Knock Out the Fat Week 4

This week's update is brought to you by the letter D. Discouraging, disappointing, doldrums. But also determination, dedication, and desire. It was a roller coaster of a week.

I really prefer to not talk about my hormones or monthly cycle, but unfortunately it greatly affects my weight loss journey. I know, this is isn't JUST about losing weight, it's about being healthy. But it's hard not to be discouraged when I feel like crap and the number on the scale goes up instead of down.

However, I know this is typical for me. I have one bad week, emotionally, physically, mentally. Then I can kick myself in the behind and get focused again. That's when the determination, dedication and desire come in. Yes, I am determined! Yes, I am dedicated! Yes, I have the desire! I know I can do this!

Another discouragement this week came in the realization that I won't be able to run the 8k on July 2nd. My body just cannot handle that distance yet. I've been getting terrible headaches after any 3+ mile run, and I think it's because of "the girls" bouncing for an extended period of time and causing muscle strain. I don't know that a better sports bra would help. I think the best thing for now is to keep running 2-3 miles at a time, and when I lose another 30 lbs, then I'll be in a better place to tackle to the longer distances. 

Here's the particulars from last week.

Fitness: I did cardio on 5 days out of 7, for a total of 156 minutes. The battle between Estrogen Girl and Captain Endorphin raged on this week. My energy lagged, especially with getting my fitness circuits done. I didn't fully exert myself, but I got them done anyway. We went swimming a few times, and it was fun to mix up the circuits by adding the water resistance. I'll definitely be doing more of that!

Monday - running 30 minutes; lower body circuits
Tuesday - exercise bike 30 minutes; upper body circuits
Wednesday - running 30 minutes; cardio circuits (in the pool!)
Thursday - cardio rest day; lower body circuits
Friday - exercise bike 30 minutes; upper body circuits
Saturday - running 36 minutes; cardio circuits (again, in the pool!)
Sunday - rest day

Nutrition: It wasn't a stellar week, but it was decent. It's tremendously hot and humid here, so the George Foreman grill is a welcome way to keep my kitchen cool. The veggies are in abundance, thanks to the farmer's market (and cukes from my own garden).

This week will be all about focusing on balanced snacks and meals. Here's our menu plan for the week.

The Scale: *sigh* I hate water retention. Up .8 lbs from last week. Total loss for the George Foreman Knock Out the Fat Weight Loss Challenge is 2.4 lbs. My BMI is currently 36.9.

Disclosure: I am one of 10 Brand Ambassadors in the George Foreman Knock out the Fat Weight Loss Challenge. I was sent a George Foreman Grill for my participation in this challenge and will be compensated for my time at the end of the 90 day challenge. HOWEVER, ALL opinions expressed in this post are 100% my own.