HAPPY SWEET 16 BABY BOY!!!!

Is it ok to say "Sweet 16" for a boy?

I hope so...because today is my 2nd child's 16th birthday.


He is such a great kid! Or, should I say, Young Man now? I love him to pieces and I am so proud of him...He excels in everything he does and is turning out to be a wonderful man. I hate to see him grow up, but I can't wait to see how his life unfolds.

Happy Birthday Babycakes!

Attention Companies: I Will Review Your Products...

Yes, I am shamelessly pimping myself out!!! I want to be a product reviewer....send it to me, I will try it, and give my thumbs up or thumbs down....Dixie can not tell a lie...I will give it my best opinion.....

Oh, the levels I will go to get free stuff..no, seriously..there are so many health products/foods out there, with 4 kids, I just don't have the funds to try them all...but, oh, how I want to....

I read so many health/fitness blogs, so many other great bloggers get free loot...how do they do it?

If anyone out there knows how to make this happen, or how you go about signing up, leave me a comment, send me an email and let me know...

Thanks..bye!!!

Just call me the Road Runner.....

Or..should I say the "Road Runner of treadmills?".....

I just went to the gym on my lunch break...and pounded out a speedy 3.5 miles...32 minutes and 22 seconds..that is a pace of 9 min and 20 seconds per mile....I really really want to get my time down to below 9 minutes per mile..but, being that I am only 5 ft 2 in tall...I think my little legs are pretty much running as fast as they are going too..nah, just got to maintain those 8 mile per min pace for more than once during that 9 min 20 sec mile....Deena Kastor I am not....although she is a little biddy thing and girl hauls ass! I think she can run a mile in like 5.25....awesome!

I really wanted to go to the gym yesterday, then again tonight, but due to circumstances, again beyond my control (hubby's friend dying), the fact that we had severely icy roads today, more ice expected tonight, the hubby has hardly slept at all in two days...the kids are home from school today, so that is not going to allow him much sleep today, so I have to head home immediately after work, so he can go to bed..that is fine. I am glad I went today at lunch. Gives me more of an evening at home. I haven't done any weights all week, but like I said in an earlier post, that is probably for the best that I take a break..I don't think a week off from weight training will make me lose too much of my muscle mass I have built up..at least I hope not.

Man, I just re-read the above paragraph..my English teacher from high school would have a coniption fit....talk about run on sentences..lol...oh, well...hardly anyone reads this blog anymore anyway...

Well, let's discuss food intake for today...I am doing really well...although, I admit some days, I probably don't eat enough....then when I do, I consume way too many carbs..I don't know how to get an equal balance of carbs/protien/fats, etc...I want to do some research on it..try and figure it out, but I don't even have the time to read....I have a stack of magazines 2 ft high (seriously) that I have piled in my closet, that I can't find the time to read, little long find time to research nutrition.

Ok....today...

Breakfast:
1 small container Dannon Lite/fit Vanilla Yogurt 80 calories
1/4 cup granola 140 calories
1 cup pineapple chunks 45 calories

3 cups coffee 60 calories ( I used sweetner/powdered creamer-Iknow-bad, bad, bad)

Lunch:

1 tuna wrap (whole wheat wrap, spinach, 1 slice tomato, 1 tsp lite mayo mixed in) 250 calories
10 pretzel sticks 45 calories
1 cup progresso lite soup (vegetable barley) 60 calories

Afternoon snack:
Banana 80 calories

Dinner:

Don't know yet....

Stay tuned...

What gives???? I can review products too!!!

Ok..I have been reading a lot of fitness/food blogs lately...and I just don't understand how some of these girls get so many samples of food from Healthy/Organic Companies....What gives?

I would love to try some of the freebies they get...how does one go about getting those kind of samples..I would be happy to get some free stuff, try it and give a review....

I am reading this one chick..love her blog, but every day, she is posting how she has received box after box of organic "free" products...from all kind of sources...Newman's Organic Products, samples of Pop Chips, Pumpkin Butter, organic ice cream....protien bars....I want to be a tester!

Ok..rant over.

Exercise stats so far this week....

So far this week:

Monday: Ran 3.5 miles on my lunch break

Tuesday: Ran 6 miles

No time for weights yet this week. I am having some "bottom" issues so I am afraid to lift too heavy...I am kind of scared/worried about what is going on..let's just say I go to the bathroom, number 2..and there is bleeding...lots of bleeding...too much information I know..but, it scares me..I am afraid I may have tore something lifting too heavy during squats....or, that something worse could be going on.
This is not the first time this has happened to me over the past four months...I have a doctors appt next Tuesday....I am worried to death. But, I tend to do that anytime something with me or my kids is not right. I always google symptoms, then immediately assume the worse..I.e...colon cancer, crohn's disease, etc, etc....I hate when I do that to myself. Damn Google!!!

Hubby had a very close friend die...he is going to be tied up the next couple of evenings with visitation/memorial, etc..and I have Mommy duty tonight. No work out tonight. That's ok...not feeling too swift. Plan on cooking dinner for the boys, spending some quality time with Max and his homework. I may have time for a quick run on my lunch break, maybe another 3.5 miler...that will put me at 13 miles for the week. Maybe this weekend, I can actually make it to the gym. Justin is coming up to visit, so..he may go with me. That would be fun.

Thank goodness it is hump day...2 more days left in the week, then the weekend is here. I am so ready for it!

Sample of my Daily Food Intake:

Eats for Monday, January 18th

Breakfast:
1 packet Apple/Cinnamon Quaker Instant Oatmeal (140 calories)
1 medium Banana (70 calories)
½ Cherry Pie LaraBar (95 calories)

Snack:
8 small pretzel sticks/dipped in peanut butter (1/2 tsp p butter) (calories ????)

3 cups coffee

Workout: Ran 3.5 miles in 33 min 42 seconds treadmill calories burned: 300 (although, I believe it had to be at least 350…the treadmill was wrong)

Lunch: Lean Cuisine-Chicken with Pecans (290 calories)
Lite Yogurt (80) calories
One small green apple (70 calories)

Dinner:
McDonald’s Grilled Santa Fe Chicken Salad with Light Italian (salad 320 calories/dressing 60)

Snack:
Something 100 calories are less

Total calories for the day: 1225

Calories burned during workout 350

875 calories for the day

What a terrific day this is turning out to be....

My boss...a.ka. "Mr. Burns"...

Called off of work today....for a reason that if I tried to use, I would without a doubt be given a lecture, or wrote up...

One of his friends, got arrested for a D.U.I...last night, while in jail, her dogs tore into one another, one hurt the other pretty badly, so not only did he havet to take care of her dogs, he had to go bail her ass out of jail...lol...

Oh, the irony...I am so going to use this the next time I need to miss work, if I am ill or one of my kids, they better not even dare to say a word to me....what cracks me up, this isn't a girl friend, a wife, a best friend, a relative...just some random loser chick he knows....he seriously must really want to get laid....lol....taking a day off work, to bail a friend out of jail..

How can they let him constantly get away with this kind of stuff? He is always missing for one reason or another...always taking off early (he is salaried) to "pretend" to go visit another customer in a different town over....an hour away...actually, I feel he is just going home...because he never seems to have any results or proof of these "meetings" the next day....

Every Friday, like clockwork, he leaves the office after lunch...to go visit properties, when we both know he has a gig at six in his hometown, every Friday night (he plays sax)...because come Monday mornings, no proof of these visits...lol...

He must really think we are morons....

Hope he enjoys his "three day weekend"...

Least I don't have to listen to him in the office today..well, I am off to lunch...3.5 mile run here I come!

Relaxing Weekend.....

Wow...what a relaxing weekend I had...I do don't want to be back here at work today. A lot of people have the day off...too bad our corporate offices feel it is ok for their office to be closed today, but our individual branch offices have to stay open..my opinion on that is what is good for one, should be good for all..bleh...what do I know.

I do know I had an awesome and relaxing weekend.

I went to the gym after work on Friday, ran an awesome 6 miles...did a ton of leg/butt exercises, threw in 4 or 5 abdominal exercises..called it a night. Came home to a clean house/candles lit...hubby had to go to work, but..we got past whatever issues that were making us hate on each other all week and Friday night was awesome. Hubby went to work..so grateful for the overtime, I relaxed with a several glasses of white wine, while watching t.v...a Friday night, I sit at home, in jammies, watching the Food Network..lol..it was glorius.

Saturday Morning, hubby came home from work, we got showered/dressed and went to town for some brunch..we love to go to Bob Evans...they have such great healthy breakfast choices, awesome coffee and the price is very reasonable...it was nice...afterwards, we paid some bills, then hubby took me to get my nails done and a pedicure....he was such a trooper. Up all night, wanted to stay up all day, just to be with me.

The only down side of our day, was having to go to the pharmacy to pick up the 10 year olds ADD medicine....we had to change insurance companies and the new one will not cover his medicine..it more than doubled in price....talk about sticker shock...it made me want to cry. What makes it even worse....that my ex husband..Aaron's dad...is a jobless, pathetic loser...who, when I called and asked him to help me with the cost (side note: he has not paid any child support to us for over a year and a half)...did not say one word, when I asked him if he was still there, He yelled at me, said "What am I supposed to do, Donna? I can't make people hire me!!"....He is such a loser, a poor excuse for a father and a man.. he needs to lower his standards and get a damned job! Even if it means working at McDonalds....regardless he has got to start helping me with Aaron's expenses...Keith is not his father, but he does more for Aaron and has for the past eight years, then Aaron's own father. If you can't tell, I am so pissed at that loser.

Moving on....after picking up the prescription, dropping the medicine off to Aaron at his Dad's...hubby and I stopped and rented some movies, went to Walmart for some groceries, then came home and relaxed...It was glorius!

I rented the new HBO Series TruBlood...it rocked! I have watched the first 4 episodes, can not wait to watch the remainder...it is a very grown up version of Twilight..lol....Vampires, innocent girl...etc, etc...Love it!

We also watched Zack and Miri make a Porno...hilarious! May not be suitable for some people, but Hubby and I found it to be quite entertaining...

Sunday, we lazed around in our p.j.s all freaking day. I made us a simple breakfast...we snacked on cereal, stuff like that for the afternoon, for dinner...I threw together a hodge podge of stuff that was in the fridge/freezer....

I only got up to take a shower, put on new fresh set of pjs and was back on the couch to watch Desperate Housewives....

So, that's a wrap...I didnt go to the gym at all this weekend....I am so pathetic..but, sometimes, a body just needs to veg and relax...now, I am ready to tackle the week, the gym, the crazy hecticness that my world revolves around....

Plan on going to the gym on my lunch hour, for a quick 3.5 mile run...

My schedule for the remainder of the week:
Tuesday- 6 mile run
Arms, upper body/abs strength training session

Wednesday-3.5 mile run on my lunch break

Thursday-4 mile run
Legs/abs srength training session

Friday-Day off from the gym

Saturday-10 mile run

Sunday-3 mile run with strength training for legs, upper body/arms....

I hope I can complete this itenerary for the week....

Eats...I am going to try to avoid any and all alcohol for the entire week, eat fresh and grilled all week, no carbs/no bread, no pasta....see if this bloatiness I have will dissipate....

Have a great week everyone!!

Workouts..or lack there of...Raging case of PMS....

I hate, hate, hate winter...it totally puts me in a depressed frame of mind, makes me totally unmotivated....My workouts over the past couple of months have been very hard to come by...I am still managing minimum of 3 days a week at the gym, when I have not been ill with one thing or another...We have all been fighting some sort of illness since October..one gets something, then gets better, someone else in the family (me) gets it, we keep passing stuff back and forth...sinus infections (me), Swine flu (hubby), stomach flu (both of us), head cold (me)...it never ends. Luckily, it has just been me and the hubs...the kids have been pretty much sick free, other than some chapped lips/faces.

Anyway, point of my title...It has been seriously hard, what with the holidays and illness to keep on track with my workouts/running.
I so wish temps would warm up so I can run outside again..but, doing so in single digit temps, not happening..thus, I must find time to get to the gym.

I feel like a nag with hubby lately...seems every time I have a gym session planned, something comes up, I can't go...

It is now Friday, I have only been one time this week. So, tonight, I am hitting it and hitting it hard. Last week....I managed to only run 15 miles...One night I ran 8, then I ran 4 and on Sunday I ran 3. Strength trained my arms once, my legs once.

This week, as I said, I have only ran once...4 measly lame miles....I am going to tonight for a 6 miler and then I am going to spend at least an hour on my abs and my legs.

I would like to run 10 miles tomorrow morning and another 4 on Sunday. If the time factor can be worked out. Hubby and I have been bickering and pretty much getting on each others nerves all week. I have been under a tremendous amount of stress, plus PMS and I have been taking it out on him...which is wrong, but for some reason....everything has been getting on my nerves...and my temper has been very short. He doesn't understand the PMS thing, he says that is just an "excuse"..but, I have never been one to use that as an excuse...it is just that as I have gotten older, about a week or so before "that monthly visit"...my emotions/hormones are all over the place...

I wish I could deny that is the culprit....kind of like this picture...


Even though hubby doesn't understand...SINCE HE IS A MAN!!!!!!.....I have got to find a way to reign in this raging hormonal beast inside of me....so, going to the gym will help that...for every mile I pound out on that treadmill, the exercise endorphins kick in, I start to feel the tension sweat out of me, by the time I leave the gym, I am on an exercise high, generally feel much better about myself and can tolerate others a little easier.

I admit it though, I have been a raging bitch this week...I don't like that..hubby and I are totally "out of sync" with one another...and I want to fix it. I have tried, but then he says or does something, or vice versa, and we are right back at it again...He is working tonight, I will be home alone...so, maybe some "me" time, along with the earlier gym time, will help mellow me out quite a bit...then hubby and I can try and reconnect and fix all the tension that is between us...

As I said in my earlier post...a vacation to escape these winter blues, is seriously in order. I can not wait until I get my tax check back...just a few more weeks, I can file, bills can be caught up and hubby and I can plan on getting a way....a cruise would be nice. We have in fact talked about that a great deal...seems it is a great value for the money you spend. As anyone reading this blog ever taken a cruise? If you have...which cruise line did you use, what amenities did they offer, where did you go? Was it worth it? Did you have a good time? Please leave me a comment, or send me an email, so that I can pass that info on to the hubs...he is seriously wanting to schedule something like that for us....

Well, I am out of here....Hope you all have a terrific weekend!

Dixie

So Much For A Better New Year's Start......

Wow...can't believe, again..that I have waited so long to post. I vowed to do better this year with this blog, so far...I have failed. First post of the New Year, 13 days late....well, better late than never huh?

Honestly, I have no excuse....other than the normal day to day busy monotony that is my life. Work is kicking my booty.....home life is always stressful....even finding time to go to the gym is a struggle..as everyone always needs every second of my day for them. Someone is always pulling at me for something, at work..at home....my days just blur one right into another....and I feel like I barely have time to breathe....nice to be needed...

I have a lot to talk to about on the food and exercise part...just don't have a lot of time at the moment. I will try to find time, if the office hasn't blocked blogger, to make a post later today. Another reason my post are so sporadic...work tends to utilize Web sense, which blocks certain sites you can log onto; blogger is one of those sites, because it sees it has a "social networking" site....like facebook or twitter...some days, the walls are down, like today and I can log on and surprise..blogger is there. Like today....

So, until later...Hope your hump day is going better than mine started out...(argument with the hubby before I left for work...Mr. Burn's...already here in the office, driving me to the brink of insanity and more work than should be humanly possible for one person to have to do....)

I NEED A VACATION!!!!!

This is where I would like to be at the moment....at some remote Carribean Island...on a beach, in a bikini...very few people around....
(Would post a picture..but, blogger is being an ass to me this morning as well)

With a cocktail in hand...at 8:30 in the morning....