I've been known to argue practically to the death over a point that I think I'm completely right about...only to find that I'm dead wrong about it. Is it because my children have killed off some of my brain cells? Or because I'm a bottle blond? Or just too stubborn?

In any case, these days, there isn't too much that I know for sure.


Other than that I know for sure that I will never be on the People of Walmart the Gym.


Something else that I know for sure is that I can't sing.  At all. Even my two year old covers his ears in pain when I try.  But, while I might not end up as the butt of someone's blog post punchline due to what I wear to the gym, I very well might end up there because I often forget that just because I have my headphones in while I'm listening to music on the elliptical, people can still hear me if I sing outloud.


I can't help it.


Not Ready to Make Nice by the Dixie Chicks: I'm not ready to make nice, I'm not ready to bow down, I'm still mad as hell and I don't have time to go round and round and round....


All I Wanna Do by the Sugarland: All I want to do wo wo wo wo wo wo wo wo wo wo wo wo wooo is love you...


Stand by Rascal Flatts: You get mad, you get strong, wipe your hands, shake it off, then you stand, then you stand....


Back Where I Come From by Kenny Chesney: Back where I come from, it's where I'll be when it's said and done....

What I know for sure is that my singing voice should be outlawed in the gym. But, only after they ban guys wearing bootyshorts.


Linking up with MamaKat's World-Famous Writer's Workshop.


If you did not get a chance to read this week's Pour Your Heart Out about body image or check out any of the linkers, please check them out HERE.

Labels: the gym, working out, writer's workshop

Also, the linky is what you make of it- if you link up a Pour Your Heart Out post, please make an effort to visit some of the other linkers. And even if you don't link up, visit a link or two to find some new blogs to read!




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As you can probably tell from my posts so far this week, I've been on a work-out kick lately.

Labels: pour your heart out, weight

Hubs has claimed that our gym is like "The People of Walmart." Okay, okay- it suits our purposes, but it's never going to be featured as one of the most fabulous gyms around.

I really thought about taking pics for this post but I couldn't figure out how to be discreet about it didn't want to gross you out thought that would be rude.


Still, he's so right- here are some things that I've witnessed that are big Gym Don'ts:


*Don't workout in your jeans.  Jeans don't breathe.  I try to be sensitive about things that cost money, but you can go to Walmart and buy yourself a pair of $5 sweatpants or shorts.


*Don't wear bootyshorts. This is particuarly true if you are a man. A man who likes to lean over the elliptical, pushing your booty even further up in the air. None of us wants to see that. And even if you are a woman who is in fabulous shape, well, bootyshorts might be okay, even if it will make other women hate you. Just make sure that no one can see anything that they shouldn't.


*Don't use the treadmill in your flip flops or dress shoes.


*Don't wear spandex. Just don't. And neon spandex is a double no.


*Don't forget that the girls need support.  Even if your girls aren't very big, they are still going to be bouncing around. And can be seen through your tank top. And if they are big? Well, they shouldn't be peaking out the bottom of your shirt. Say it with me: sports bra.

Labels: exercise, the gym, working out

I hate the gym. I hate working out.


Especially in the beginning. If I can get myself into a routine, I actually enjoy get used to going and want to be there.  But, until I get myself to that point, I moan and complain about going and find a million excuses not to go.


But, one of my New Year's Resolutions was to get to the gym on a regular basis. And the weather is warming up, so I feel a need to be bikini-ready sundress-ready. 


I'm now on week four of going to the gym on a regular basis(3-4x/week).


So, if you are like me and have a hard time getting into a gym-going groove, I'll share my tips with you.


*Pick a time of day to go to the gym and stick to it. For me, this works best if I'm already out of the house. I usually go right after I drop off my oldest two boys at their schools. Youngest and I go directly to the gym after this. If I head back home to try to get "a few things done" before going to the gym, time will fly by and I'll never get there.


*If you can find a workout partner, that helps A LOT. Even if you end up doing different things, knowing that you are supposed to meet someone at a certain time will help you get there.


*Start SLOW.  Do not try out the hardest class that the gym offers on your first visit in a while.  You will feel like you are dying both during the class and maybe for the next few days and have no desire to go back. If all you can do at first is 30 minutes on the treadmill, then just do that- it's still much better than not having exercised at all.


*Drink LOTS of water. It's important to drink lots before you start working out, too. Starting when you are already dehydrated is not going to help.  If you drink all the water in your water bottle, do something to lay claim to whatever machine you are on by leaving something on it or yes, walk out of class, and go get more water. My first week, I felt the need to fill up my 16oz water bottle 4 times in an hour. I needed it.


*Gradually add time on to your workout or try something new.  I'm a fan of the elliptical, but was shooting hateful glances at admiring this woman's legs and realized all she did was the stairmaster, so I decided to try that. For 10 minutes, which made me feel like collapsing.


*When you do try a class, don't feel bad if you need to take a break.  Even if no one else is.  Most people are too wrapped up in themselves and how they are doing to care what you are doing. Go drink some water.


You notice I'm just talking about working out at the gym and not at home- I really admire those of you who can do this.  It doesn't work for me because I can ALWAYS find a distraction at home.  I need to actually be somewhere where all there is to do is workout. Even though I'm sometimes tempted to use the gym as a place to shower without children walking in on me.


This is what works for me. Do you have any tips to add?

Labels: exercise, the gym, working out

I'd heard a lot of talk about Nutella on twitter- mostly from people who seem to love it. But, I had never tried it until recently.


MommyParties sent me a party pack with Nutella samples and coupons, tumbler mugs, nutella spreaders, breakfast tips and other info cards for guests, as well as a jar of Nutella to use in recipes.


The idea behind this MommyParty was that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and that a little Nutella could encourage your kids to eat breakfast. A little, like 1-2 tablespoons.  I wouldn't just hand my kids the jar of Nutella and let them have at it.


A little Nutella on a whole-grain waffle or English muffin might make them more likely to eat their breakfast: you can then top the Nutella with fresh fruit. 


Another idea, one that I made and shared, is to spread a whole wheat tortilla with Nutella and then put fruit on it and roll it up. Dried fruit like cherries and apricots were suggested, but I tried it with fresh strawberries and it was a hit!


I've also made Nutella cookies- not that this has anything to do with breakfast, but they are SO GOOD.  Another way to enjoy Nutella is with pita chips. Someone on twitter suggested cinnamon sugar pita chips, but I used salted one and love the combination of the salty and the sweet.


Just a few facts about Nutella:

• There are more than 50 hazelnuts in one jar of Nutella spread
• Nutella does not contain peanuts or peanut ingredients, nor does it come in contact with peanuts during manufacturing.
• Nutella dos not contain any ingredients derived from gluten containing cereal

Have you tried Nutella? What do you think of it? How do you use Nutella?

You can click here to get a $1.00 off coupon for Nutella.


Thank you to MommyParties for sending me a Nutella party kit. All opinions are my own and I was under no obligation to blog about this.

Labels: mommyparties, reviews

This week, I'm sharing a blogger with you that I have met IRL. And she's a total sweetheart. I got to listen to her tell the story about her twitter and blog name and how people think that she spelled it wrong- but it's really just a play on words, tongue-in-cheek kind of name. Tracy blogs at Sellabit Mum. She used to sell things, not because well... well, she has three girls, so obviously...ahem.


Now that I've probably mortified Tracy by talking about her love life, I know that you all will make up for it by showing her lots of love today. And I do know that you will love her. She puts a lot of thought and heart into her writing. She is positive, but someone who admits that somedays are harder than others. Meet Tracy:



A Friday, March 2001

5:00 am wake up
Pee by myself
45 minute jog
Coffee
Quiet breakfast feeding only myself
Matt Lauer had hair. Oh wow, sexy hair.
Shower by myself, no one pulling on the shower curtain(well, maybe my boyfriend)
Long, hot, shower
I iron my clothes
8:00 am
I leave for work on-time in clean clothing
I leave for work and leave a clean home behind me
My car is clean.
I did not sit on goldfish crackers.



A Friday, March 2011

4:45 holy hell the baby is awake already
Pee holding baby and wipe and wash as best I can.
Jog? Jog?
Coffee
No jog, okay tweet. "I NEED COFFEE HOLY HELL IT'S EARLY"
Coffee
Nurse baby while tweeting. "Oh I love early mornings. Shooting rainbows out of my butt here."
Coffee. When is Matt Lauer on.
Sesame Street. tweet "Elmo is whacked. WHACKED!"
Check email while pretend to build block tower with baby.
Coffee.
Read blogs out-loud in sing-songy voice to baby.
Aw, Matt Lauer. Still hot without hair. Now I love older men. They grey-haired ones dig me.
Coffee.
Breakfast of licking peanut butter out of the jar while I give the baby bananas.
Wake-up big kids. They tell me it's early. "I'll show you early, girlfriends. You want to see early tomorrow?"
Zombie children stare at TV while I make frozen waffles. Baby is pulling on my legs. Bananas coat my yoga pants.
Oh Matt Lauer, you are fine.
Coffee.
Throw food down kids throats, pack lunches. Same lunches I packed yesterday, the day before yesterday and last year.
Throw clothing on kids. Wrinkled.
Baby gets out every toy in house.
Tweet "I love my life. My kids are so beautiful and perfect."
Check for blog comments.
Walk kids to bus-stop. Realize I am in my robe and slippers. Baby is screaming.
Coffee
Put baby down to nap.
8:00 am
Sit on floor. House is a disaster.
Drink coffee and stare at Matt Lauer.
Breathe


So how have your mornings changed since you've become a mother? Just less hair? Or more coffee?

Labels: blog friend feature, guest post

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Before I start, I just want to say that I am very thankful for the opportunity to work from home. I'm not complaining about having a job nor am I saying that I have it harder than someone who has to work outside the home. If you have a need to tell me to stop my whining and realize that you have it harder than me, I ask that you please read this post first to better understand where I am coming from.


I've been a work-at-home mom now since December.  My job is pretty fabulous- I get to blog about celebrity/entertainment news, which is fun and always provides me with small talk. Like Why the Hunger Games Will Be Better Than Twilight or The Real Reason Russell Hantz Cried When Voted Off Survivor.  Fun, right?  Clarification, since some people seem confused: if you click on any of these celeb links- they are NOT on Things I Can't Say- they are on Babble.com- which is my job.


It's made my husband see this whole blogging thing as something worthwhile, where he use to just see it as a giant timesuck.  Paycheck=credibility in his eyes.


And my job is flexible.  I have a certain amount of work that I need to do each day, but that's really the only requirement. So, if I have appointments or want to go to the gym or need to do things offline, I can figure out a way to make it work.


But.


But.


But.


This is still a job.  It is still work. It is still an additional demand on my time.


What I wasn't really prepared for when I became a WAHM:


*Because I work from home, it is assumed that I should still be able to keep up with the house. After all, I'm at home all day. So, why are there dirty dishes in the sink? Why is there a mountain of dirty laundry?  Why isn't dinner ready yet?


*When you work from home, you are always at work.  There is no leaving things at the office.  I love how flexible my job is.  Because yes, I could be getting work done at 1am if I need to. Drawback? I'm often up then, working.  Hubs comes home from work tired and relaxes.  My job really doesn't have a clear ending point to the day because I can always do more.


*One of my favorite parts of having a job is that for the first time in almost 6 years, I'm bringing in a paycheck!  But, it's funny how quickly this wahm paycheck goes from something extra to help out to being a total necessity. Especially when your special needs child needs to attend private school next fall.  So, it's added stress to keep bringing in that paycheck.



*My job is often not taken seriously. One, because I work from home and two, because of what I do. I get a lot of eye rolls. I assure you, this is still a job.  With work required. Yes, even though it's fun to write about why the Grey's Anatomy musical episode might not be a trainwreck afterall or the Army Wives spoilers for Sunday night, it still takes time.


*There are days when I feel like all I do is tell my boys "Not right now, Mommy is working."  Yes, I get to be home with them, but trying to find that balance is harder than you might think.  And when your kids are as young as mine, when they need your attention, they usually need it right now. Or you know, they go into Daddy's office for five minutes and do this to the walls:



But, I guess that I should have realized that this would be hard.  Being a work at home mom. So much of motherhood is hard and takes getting used to- this isn't any different.

Labels: pour your heart out, wahm