Work, Wife, Mom... Life!

Black Friday Shopping?? I'll pass

2011-11-30T08:05:00.001-06:00

My brain and pocketbook always tell me to go Black Friday shopping. I would probably do a much better job than my husband as I'm typically pretty low key and can be patient. If I get what I want, then great! If not, I won't stress... nor will I make myself crazy over it.

However, I did not do Black Friday shopping. It's typically the only long weekend I have all year so I love taking the time to enjoy and spend with family. Besides, I'm usually done shopping by the time Thanksgiving rolls around... this year.... well, I haven't even started.

Which sorta attests to the busyness I have right now. I know... it's almost December 1st and I haven't even shopped yet!!!!!! (Gasp!)

I enjoyed the long weekend, spending time with family and taking the kids to the theater to see Arthur Christmas. We go to the movies, like, twice a year... so that was fun!

Black Friday shopping is something I might prefer to do alone, simply because I would want to be on my own time table. But I didn't go this year... and I may never ever go.

(Thanks for hosting WMW Rachel!!!.... I'm back!!)

Christmas Tradition

2011-11-29T07:29:00.000-06:00

I love Christmas time. Typically (other than the chaotic Black Friday videos of people pushing and shoving and pepper spraying other people) the world seems to be a brighter place. People are willing to help out those who are less fortunate... whether it be with gifts, food, shoveling their driveway, or just being a little more polite at the store.

I'm one of those that enjoys Christmas music... only from the day after Thanksgiving until Christmas Day.

I'd much rather give presents than receive... even though the gifts I give might not be monetarily expensive.

I love the Christmas movies... especially when I get to stay up late and watch them with the kids.

Every year I always say I'm going to do more lights, or make the Christmas tree a little more... organized. Every year I want to put ever all the decorations, but when the time comes, I find that I just don't have the space for it all. (And the fact that I would have to convince my kids that there are certain decorations that are not toys.)

Ever since Hannah was born, we decided to start a tradition of opening a pair of pajamas on Christmas Eve. Then they would wear those to bed and have nice, new jammies to open presents to in the morning.

We've done it every year for the last 4 years.

That's really the only "tradition" we have. Except this year, we're trying a new thing. Something we've always wanted to try, but then December sneaks up too fast and we're ill-prepared.

We found all the Christmas and winter-themed books and movies (and we bought a few more through Scholastic Books) and we wrapped them individually. The kids will open one book during the week to read before bed time and a movie on Friday and Saturday night to watch together as a family.

I'm super excited about this new tradition! I think the kids will love it and it's a great way to spend a simple, yet snuggly 10 minutes together... every night.

Happy Halloween

2011-10-31T08:00:00.000-05:00

It's been a whirlwind here lately... work is busy... but good. Kids are crazy... but good. A few projects on my plate... as always.

Our (my and 6 friends) project - Girls Gone Strong - has taken off... 2000 likes on our facebook page in just a week. We are PUMPED about the things to come!! Can't wait to continue spreading the word about women & strength - physical and mental.

Kids are awesome! My monster man, who is almost 3, is peeing standing up. Can't tell you how excited we are for no more diapers. It's been that way for quite a few months now, but whew! (Ok, he does wear one at night but we're working on that by getting him up at 10pm to go potty.)

Hannah is loving pre-school. She loves the teachers, her friends and the things she is learning. She's excited about learning and that's so cool to see. Her teachers say she is doing really well and will be ready for Kindergarten next fall.... yikes!

Happy Halloween, my dear blog friends!!

Dove Self-Esteem Weekend

2011-10-21T23:10:00.000-05:00

Have you ever seen Dove's beauty campaign?

http://youtu.be/iYhCn0jf46U

It's really a great way to show young girls how twisted the media is... and how our perception of beauty is actually pretty distorted.

This weekend, Dove is encouraging people to spend time with young girls, do some activities and share your heart. These young girls are the future of our generation.

Here are some resources Dove has that you can use for you and your daughter, a neighborhood girl, or even a group of girls!

We'll be gone at a wedding most of the day, but I'm definitely hoping to use some of this stuff in the next few weeks... just me and my daughter!

WMW: blogs and motivation

2011-10-19T07:35:00.000-05:00

My dear friend Rachel is hosting another week of Working Mommy Wednesday. WMW used to be the brainchild of myself, but I had to pass it along because things have gotten so busy... busy is good, but somethings just needed to take a back seat. So glad to continue to be a part of this community.

Share a blog or website that you’ve found meaningful and rewarding to visit (if it's Pinterest please share why this has become such a raging fad).

Well, I must admit that I haven't been reading a lot of blogs lately. But I do come across some great blot POSTS that I find awesome, inspirational and applicable.

My good friend/sister has some really great interviews with "beautiful badasses" who talk about their life in the fitness industry. Like the recent one, another friend, Jen, used to hate working out... but she tells her story of how she found love. :)

A motivational video... apply it to ANY aspect of your life...

There are some amazing, motivational posts over at one of my mentor's blogs... Training For Warriors... yes, I get it, many of these blogs are fitness related. But many of these posts can speak to you in other ways than just through fitness. Besides, we can all use a little motivation when it comes to eating right and getting healthy, right?

Mom-helper

2011-10-17T20:49:00.000-05:00

Hannah has been in her preschool for a little over a month. She is loving it... her teachers, her school work, her friends... I really love her school!

At the beginning of the year, they asked parents to sign up for to be a helper once a month, or once every other month. Although totally optional, I figured it would be nice to help and see what she does while at school.

Last Thursday was my day. When I told Hannah I would be helping her at school, she was BEYOND excited.

"I get to hold the flag! I get to stand in the middle of the circle! I get to...!"

At this point, I was glad I volunteered. It seemed that most kids who were bringing their parents were getting that "special" attention for the day. I'm sure every one gets their chance, but I think Hannah was more excited for me to be there.

They did some "school work" for a bit at their assigned rooms/tables and I was assigned to a spot doing a little learning game. If kids were done with their work, they could come to my table. Hannah was AMAZING at "inviting" her friends over to her "mama's table."

When it was group time, Hannah was asked to stand in the middle for the Pledge of Allegiance. (I was pumped they are teaching that!) And... she got to hold the flag. That was her favorite part... I could see in her eyes she felt so special!! They went over the month, the days of the week, the weather and the date.

Then they split back up to finish their work before story and music time.

I loved being there... and I'm even more glad that she loved having me there.

I hope that feeling for her - the feeling of being proud to have her mama around - never goes away.

31 years ago...

2011-10-11T07:34:00.000-05:00

......A little girl was born.

Her parents thought they were going to name her Adrienne. It didn't turn out that way. Day 2, a new name was picked. And they say they couldn't imagine her with any other name.

She grew up following in her big sister's footsteps. She even stole a book from her first grade teacher. And when her older sister found out, she made the little girl tell her parents what she did... and return the book.

She grew up being the youngest in her class... when all the other freshman in H.S. were already 15, she just turned 14. Probably a disadvantage, but it just made her work really hard.

She ended up graduating 11th out of 600 kids and went off to college where she met the man of her dreams. So many twists and turns along the way, but grateful that God had a hand in everything.

Today, she is a happy and healthy mom of 2, and a wife to a supportive and loving husband. She has found her passion in helping other people... using fitness and exercise as a means of getting others to dig down deep and see that they are truly capable of more than they realize.

Happy Birthday... to me.

A charge, a challenge and a bedtime miracle

2011-10-10T07:19:00.000-05:00

Today is Monday. I know Mondays are typically known for their awfulness... you know... "a case of the Mondays."

But isn't it really dependent on our attitudes? Amidst all the Twitter talks and Facebook statuses that curse the Monday mayhem, I refuse to let a day get the best of me. Yes, Mondays are busy for me. Yes, Mondays are long workdays for me. But by the time you're reading this, I'll be sipping on my coffee, tweeting something like, "Make this day worth it... choose joy" or "Got a case of the Mondays? Shut that little voice up that says Monday has to be bad... choose joy."

Not that I'm a bubbly happy-go-lucky person all the time, but did you know that the first 10 minutes in which you wake up and the last 10 minutes before you fall asleep are uber important to your attitude? Yep, it's true. So fill your first and last 10 minutes with positive, confident thoughts!
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Looking for an even bigger challenge?? I'm running a 30 day fitness challenge over on the other site (MomWOD.com). It's for anyone. I've got some gals in it for weight loss, some for definition, some because they just don't work out and know they need to! Head to the site and sign up for the newsletter. There you'll get an email with ALL the info. It's going to be a blast!!

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And I'm fairly certain we might have a miracle on our hands. My co-worker brought over a twin-size bed she was getting rid of. We decided to make a big deal about it, hoping it would convince Noah to not sleep on the floor anymore. (He hasn't slept in his toddler bed in 3 months.) Well, it worked. He's sleeping in his "new" bed and I'm hoping it lasts.

Poor kid was gonna be 12 years old with a bad back if he kept sleepin' on the floor!

Fall. I love fall.

2011-10-05T06:30:00.000-05:00

I love fall. I love autumn. I love this time of year.

My birthday.

Halloween.

Football.

Pumpkins.

Colors.

Pies and food.

If you look around Pinterest for just 5 minutes, you'll see all the lovely fall inspiration.

So if I had to pick a holiday for this time of year, it would be Halloween. All my Christian friends probably look down on me for that, but I still think it can be something fun without being "devil-ish." I've always loved Halloween.

I love fall.

*linked up for working mommy wednesday! Thanks Rachel!*

Fate? Karma? Luck?

2011-09-26T07:03:00.000-05:00

Some people say fate brought them to where they are today. Some people call it Karma.

Others say it's by luck or chance.

I'm not sure I really believe in any of those. In fact, most people in sport, fitness and even business will say that luck had nothing to do with it. That the reason they had success was because of hard work, dedication and continuing to pursue their passion. Unwilling to let any obstacle, any negative thought, or any "no" get in their way.

We know there's no short cut to anything. Yet we still continue to find ways to beat the system. Think about it... getting in shape, eating right, having a successful business, being a world-class athlete, being selected to write a book.... the list goes on and on.

So, I think I subscribe, not to the line of thinking that luck is what gets you where you want to be, but that you are where you are ON PURPOSE. That what I've done in the past has led me to this point. That the chances and risks I've taken led to this exact spot. That the opportunities that I've missed are really my own fault.

And as I think back to the past 10 years and where I am now... it's exactly where I've led myself to be. Which sometimes frustrates me that I didn't do more, but also makes me excited about the future. I know God has a plan for me and will lead and guide my path... but that also doesn't mean that I sit back and wait for things to fall in my lap.

My passion drives me. Does yours?

(photo credit)

I'm dress-code spoiled

2011-09-21T07:23:00.000-05:00

I've never had a real job. Ok, I once worked as a cashier in a hardware store (high school) and I waitressed every summer at a pancake house in college.

Besides those two jobs, I've been working my entire life in a field that "requires" me to wear workout pants, t-shirts and gym shoes.

Ok, so I look semi-professional... "nice" workout pants and a polo some days. Other days I wear black cotton capris and a tee. Oh, and I love me some Vibram Five Fingers.

See? This is typical attire for me....

I blame my jobs on the fact that I have no fashion sense........ what.so.ever.

*Linked up with Rachel for Working Mommy Wednesday.*

Dear Hubby

2011-09-19T07:28:00.000-05:00

I've known you for for nearly 11 years now. 7 of those years you've been my husband. Over 4 of those years you've been the Father to our children.

And not once have I given you the birthday you deserve. August seems to creep up on my and I always say I'll do something special, something memorable, something awesome.

And then September 19th comes and I've got nothing. I use the excuse that you're "hard to buy for" or that you "don't really need anything," but that's just an excuse for not making it a priority. I know you're not dependent on gifts, but face it... everyone loves gifts.

Some day it'll be the Indianapolis Colts tickets we've always wanted. Or a trip to Ann Arbor to see the Wolverines play a football game. Or something.

I can promise you this though... that from now on your birthdays will be special. It might be a tangible gift for you to open with Christmas wrapping paper because I couldn't find birthday paper. Or it might be a date night or a gift card or a big vacation. (Probably not that last one.)

Regardless of what I get you... or don't get you... I will love you forever. You're my best friend.

Happy thirty-something birthday!!
xoxo

52 Weeks of Pinterest: Week 2

2011-09-18T19:59:00.000-05:00

I really loved the idea that Julie had when she came up with doing a year-long Pinterest project. In fact (ahem), I sorta helped her by saying "365 days of Pinterest is a lot, Jules. How about 1 a week??" And so it was born.

Last week was the first link-up and the OCD in me doesn't want to miss a week... even though I was super duper uber busy and it's not like I'm winning a prize or anything.... I just like the idea of "completing" all 52 weeks.

Besides, Hubby really wanted cookies so I scoured Pinterest for a Sunday afternoon bake session.

I had a box of chocolate cake mix and found these bad boys.

Source: food.com via Kate on Pinterest

And here are mine........

Can you guess how many, out of 2 dozen, are actually left??? These were super easy, needed only 4 ingredients and took less than 30 minutes from start to finish.

I don't cook

2011-09-14T07:27:00.001-05:00

My first week of Working Mommy Wednesday and not being the host! ;) Rachel is awesome... thanks girl!

One of the questions this week is:
1. Meals for the week, do you cook every night? If so HOW do you working mommies do it???

Ummm... no, I don't cook. In fact, I rarely cook. And yet still manage to have home-cooked meals every night. That's because my husband is an amazing stay-at-home-Dad. Amazing. If he doesn't cook, we mish-mash some leftovers together from the night before, but we never eat out.

Eating out is too expensive and too time-consuming. I don't get home from work until anywhere between 6:30 and 8:00. If it's later (7:30 or after), the kids have already eaten and are in their pajamas waiting for bedtime stories and kisses. If I do get home in time, we will all sit down at eat together. That is the one thing I miss about not getting home earlier... having dinner every night as a family.

But Hubby will cook anything from beef stew to pasta dishes to stuffed peppers. He's a very good cook. I'm really really lucky.

Check out Hubby's recent post about "What's in your food?"

Do you cook dinner every night? How do you balance work, kids and cooking? Link up with Rachel!!

Not a good wife/mom

2011-09-13T07:31:00.000-05:00

I'm busy.

I'm tired.

I have stuff I want to do.

I'm exhausted.

I'm sore.

My feet hurt.

My head hurts.

The kids are driving me bonkers.

I want to get out of this house and go to work.

I want to leave work and go home with my family.

I'm still tired.

Kids want more books read to them. Hubby is hinting at needing a foot massage. The dishes need to be done, The laundry needs to be folded. The toilets cleaned. The toys picked up.

I've been so horrible at take-take-taking lately. Giving up reading time with the kids. Not wanting to really talk to anyone. Hubby gives me a massage and I don't even return one back.

I feel horrible. I feel like a bad wife and a bad mom. And I know I'm not. It's mostly just stupid hormones and stupid emotions. But I hate feeling this way. I hate being this person.

I almost made cookie dough... to eat. But Hubby talked me out of it. I need a hug. But that would be just more taking.

I think I need to go give someone a big chocolate cake.

Any takers??

First Day

2011-09-07T08:14:00.001-05:00

By the time you are reading this, my daughter will be in a little red school house.

It's sorta surreal that we're at that stage. But as I tweeted the other day, I'm not like freaking out. Probably because it's only for 2.5 hours. Probably because it's only 3 days a week. Probably because I'm at work eleventy-teen hours a day so I'm kinda used to being away from her.

But it's not really about me. It's about her. How will she handle it?

I don't think she's freaking out either. Probably because she's been talking about school ever since she knew what a school bus was. Probably because she loves going to Sunday School at church. Probably because she thoroughly enjoys being in the Playroom at work for two hours a couple days a week.

She's a social butterfly. She loves playing with other kids. She's a good listener and a good helper. She will be awesome!!

I'm so proud of her and so proud to be her mom.

I thought about sitting across the street and spying on her while she's there... but I decided to head to the gym to workout instead.
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I got the idea to do a sign on the first day of school from Inchmark.squarespace.com. And I think someone somewhere mentioned something about having the kid write their name, so that's what I did!!

This post is being linked up to Julie's 52 weeks of pinterest... let's see if I can keep up!!

Monster Cupcakes

2011-09-05T08:43:00.002-05:00

The Borders book store by our house is going out of business. Some of the already clearanced bargain books are a pretty good deal. Otherwise, most books are about 60% off- of the retail price. If you dig around, you may find some gems. (And they are clearancing their fixtures and bookshelves too. Three bookshelves for $100! And not some flimsy crappy bookshelf. But real good, real wood ones!)

We found a book called What's New, Cupcake? for just $5! Any book with the word cupcake in it is worth it. The ideas in it are so cute and so easy. They use easy candy (instead of fondant) for fancy decorations.

I decided to give one of the "ez" recipes a try. They are these cute fur ball and string monster cupcakes. I would totally show you what they are supposed to look like, but then that would make mine look foolish. So I'll let you use your imagination.

I mostly just need to practice piping the frosting. And since I wasn't making these for any special occasion, I didn't buy the peach rings it called for, or the M&M's. I call this the amateur look.

Either way, the kids loved them and thought they were adorable. I do have a couple tips though. Make sure your frosting is cold. I thought having room temperature frosting would make it easier to pipe, but instead it just made it runny and not hold it's shape very well.

By the time I got to the last one, I decided to go for some different piping designs.

I actually have a few more unfrosted cupcakes left, so maybe tomorrow I will take my time and see if I can make some a little better.

Hope you are enjoying your Labor Day Weekend!!

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Just a heads up... Rachel from Occasional Boredom is going to be hosting Working Mommy Wednesday from now on! YAY! It was time for me to pass the buck with all the other things on my plate. And I'm so glad she took the reigns! Make sure you go to her place on Wednesday for the info! Thanks Rachel!

linked up to:

MomWOD- Mom Workout of the Day

2011-09-01T07:02:00.003-05:00

IT'S HERE!!!!!!

MomWOD.... fast fitness solutions for the busy mom

PLEASE go visit, leave a comment introducing yourself and what you'd really like to see on the site or could use help with.

I'm so giddy!!!!

MomWOD

a new chapter

2011-08-31T07:48:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow, I launch a new project.

A new chapter of my life, so to speak.

While some might just think it's "another" blog. But to me, it's a dream that I've had for quite some time.

To help busy moms get their body back.

No matter what your schedule, your life, your kids, your husband, your hobbies... you CAN find time for yourself. And you SHOULD!

My new adventure will provide a couple at-home workouts a week that you can do anywhere... at home, at the park, in your backyard. And the really awesome part is if you're a member you'll get MORE workouts, advanced workouts, strength workouts, recipes, interviews, tips and MORE!

Extremely proud of myself for taking this huge step and making it happen! Too often, we have ideas and never take action. It was time for me to take action.

And I'm pumped about helping more moms. The amount of confidence that is gained through taking control of your body through fitness is AMAZING! I've seen first hand women's lives change dramatically because of the confidence built.

Come back tomorrow for the LAUNCH OF THE SITE!!!!!!!!!!!!

one on one

2011-08-29T07:30:00.001-05:00

Hubby took Hannah to the library the other day. It was just me and Monster Man at home alone.

It's been awhile since we've had mommy/son time. And while we didn't go anywhere or do anything fancy, we had the best time ever. I could hug and kiss and love on him without any distractions. And that's so important for every kid to have.

Isn't he amazing?

Have you had time with your kid one-on-one lately?

P.S. This would be a great idea to take pictures of your kids, put them into a homemade journal/book, and you have your own "faces" book!

26 hours

2011-08-26T07:19:00.000-05:00

Work.

Kids.

Husband.

Preparing for school.

Keeping up with house.

Preschool meetings.

Work.

Working out.

Blogging.

Kids.

Husband.

Sleep.

Eat.

Work.....

Lately, it seems like nearly every minute of my day is filled. If I'm home and the kids are sleeping and it seems like relax-time, I find myself replying to emails, working on the new site (which I'm super pumped about), reading work-related stuff, or catching up with Hubby. If I'm at work, I'm... um... working. If I'm home and the kids are awake, I'm either playing with them, doing housework while trying to play with them, or eat while trying to play with them.

And then squeeze in all the other little things, like shopping for a back pack, paying the bills, or breathing.

It's probably my own fault. Perhaps I need to time-manage a bit better.

Seems like lots of work meetings have popped up making my days really long. I keep telling myself to just keep chugging along and things will eventually slow down, or have a day off.

What do you do when it seems like life is moving faster than it already moves??

Starting School

2011-08-24T07:10:00.000-05:00

I left work early yesterday. Not because I was completely exhausted from a weekend on the road. Not because I wanted a few extra hours with my kids.

Although those are all viable reasons.

But because we had our first parent meeting for school.... preschool.

I'm in still in awe that my little girl is going to preschool. At times, she still seems so young... wanting to snuggle on the couch, read stories and be tucked into bed. And other times, she seems like she's growing up so fast... talking about getting married (to Daddy), walking around the house in her princess get-up, and wanting to go to school.

I can't believe it's here. 2 weeks from today, I may or may not be crying like a baby that my girl is in school.

Oh, come on... it's just preschool! Suck it up, Julia!

Yeah, well, most days I feel like I'll hold it together... and other days it just makes me realize that she's growing up.

Too fast.

We sat on the couch last night and read a book called "Mommy's Little Girl" and the moment hit me, that even at age 4, and 14 and 54... she'll always be my little girl.

But for now, I must relish every moment.

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P.S. I'm sorry there's no Working Mommy Wednesday... it's been a busy weekend and I'm not quite back on track. But please feel free to share your back to school stories in the comments!

Frugality & Freebies

2011-08-23T20:29:00.000-05:00

A little tip of my own this week... We have a Speedy Rewards card for Speedway gas stations. It's free (awesome) and you earn points for buying gas (awesome) and you get a coupon for a free item every month (AWESOME)! Sometimes a pack of gum, sometimes a drink. It's not a credit card. You just swipe the card when buying gas, then you pay with cash or credit/debit card. I hate having credit cards for specific stores, so it's good that this is just a rewards card.

Now, for some freebies from Clair:

10 points from pampers Gifts to Grow with code: 2beginearning10
Free Subway kit for teachers.
Free sample of John Freida Full Repair for Flyaways
Free sample of Burberry Bodyfragrance via Facebook.
FREE papermate pens from Target with this $1 off coupon

More deals and freebies from Clair here too!

When the stars align

2011-08-22T22:19:00.003-05:00

Have you ever met someone for the first time and you were amazed at how well you got along? Maybe it was your spouse years ago? A friend from high school? And nowadays, perhaps a Twitter friend?

Well, I became entangled in a web of connections across the world wide web. It's such a small world out there, ya know? A few comments and some long conversations later, a few of us girls from Twitter and Facebook decided to make my recent powerlifting competition a place to meet up.

Internet blind dating, if you will.

All these girls are intertwined in the world of fitness. And not just "fitness" but being "strong and sexy." All these girls truly have a desire to get women in shape. And not just any shape... but their best shape.

I'm pretty certain I could write an entire essay paper on how incredible this "meeting of the minds" was. We've all admired each other from afar so it was pretty amazing to spend an entire weekend with them.

More to come... and more on why YOU will want to be a part of this.

Oh.... and my competition went well. After a 3 year hiatus, I was very happy with how things went. I'm proud to be where I am in the midst of being a working mom.

P.S. If you want some inspiration, watch this video....

And visit them all at:

Molly Galbraith- J-M Strength & Conditioning

Alli McKee- AlliMcKee.com

Nia Shanks- NiaShanks.com

Marianne Kane- My Oh My TV
Jen Comas Keck- A Peace of Jen

Goals, whatever they may be

2011-08-18T12:22:00.000-05:00

In just two days, I'll be 5 hours away, putting my body through one of the toughest things ever.

Besides child birth, of course.

I'll be doing a powerlifting competition... not to be confused with bodybuilding or figure competitions (which is standing on stage in a tiny, sparkly bikini showing off my body). That, my friends, I will not do. (At least not yet.)

My smokin' hot friend, Alli McKee

Some people wonder why I do it... why lifting heavy weights has such an appeal to me. I equate it to having an affinity for running marathons or cycling or being The Cake Boss or knowing every episode of The Office forwards and backwards. For me, it's what I'm good at.

But mostly, it's the sense of accomplishment I feel when I'm done. Knowing that I've done something challenging and I defeated that challenge. Whether it's the workout of the day or my entire 16 week training cycle preparing for a competition... I have goals and I desire for those goals to be ~~met~~ crushed.

Well, I don't have a goal of deadlifting 300 pounds... I just want to be healthy and maybe even look good in a swim suit!!

And while I agree that most women don't have weight lifting "goals," they need to have something. If a writer sits down and says, "I'm going to write a book about the wild elephants in the jungle," he needs to have smaller goals set (write 2 pages a day, complete 1 chapter a month) in order to reach the larger goal - the book.

Poor goal: Get in shape for swim suit season (what defines "being in shape?")

Good goal: Workout a total of 4 hours a week (3 days for 1 hour each day and 2 days for 30 minutes with the kids at the park).

Poor goal: Get rid of my flabby arms ("flabby" is so subjective and not measurable)

Good goal: Do 15 military pushups (if you can knock out 15 honest pushups, that probably means the rest of your weight training is going really well... which leads to non-flabby arms)

So for me, competing in something like powerlifting keeps me honest. When I took a 2 year hiatus from competitions, my workouts suffered and training was not a priority (just ask my Husband). And I saw the effects of it. Once I committed in March to doing a competition in August, I became goal-oriented and haven't missed a training session since.

Not sure where to start? Find something that interests you first. Maybe it's a local 5k race. Maybe it's a 8-week Bootcamp class in your area. Whatever it is, commit to it. Once you complete that goal, set another one. The overwhelming sense of confidence and accomplishment is amazing.

I know you're tired of procrastinating. I know you're tired of saying "someday." I know you're tired of saying you'll start tomorrow.

Start now.