Liebster Award...

I was nominated for a Liebster Award by the awesome and hilarious Jennifer of FatChick2FitChick

 It is a fun little blogging chain letter of sorts that prompts a little Q&A between bloggers and a chance to share some of your favorite blogs.

 

HERE ARE THE RULES FOR RECEIVING THIS AWARD:

1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions that the tagger set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you’ve tagged to answer.
3. Choose 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. No tag backs!

Here are the questions I was asked along with my answers:

1. Who is your embarrassing celeb crush? If you only love the pretty publicly acceptable celebs who is your crush in general?   Hm. I guess I would have to say Matt Damon. Ya I'm weird...but he's always been my crush.
2. Who is your favorite musician/artist/autotuned aficionado?  Right now that would be Colton Dixon. Can't get enough of his "You Are"
3. What is your favorite book either of all time or book de jour?  I love love love "The Shack" great book for perspective if you haven't read it I encourage you to give it a go.
4. What is the funniest memory you have?  Well...if I have to narrow it down to one. Lol. The funniest memory I have that makes me laugh years later is when my oldest son was about 2 1/2. He was still young enough for me to bathe with him...or so I thought until this happened. Anyway. He was sitting on the potty and I was getting undressed to get in the tub and he asked me "Mommy why don't you have a peepee?" I told him "mommy does have a peepee it's just different than yours and Daddy's because I'm a girl" He looked at me long and hard trying to figure out what I had just said...then he pipes up and says "you need to go to WalMart and get one!" I laughed so hard I almost peed on the floor. Haha. Two years old and already knew you could get anything at WalMart. Lol
5. What is the most important trait in a significant other?   A sense of humor for sure. Mine is still making me laugh 13 1/2 years later :)
6. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?  Tahiti, Jamaica, I don't know some warm beach with sunshine...Sunshine being the key word. Lol.
7. What did you want to be when you grew up?  I thought I wanted to be a nurse in high school, but I decided that really wasn't what I wanted after highschool, and thought I wanted to be a teacher (music) but I am 31 and still don't know what the heck I want to do when I grow up...I am a hairstylist (turned stay at home mom since we moved a few years ago) but I will get back in the salon someday. Although it would still be pretty awesome to own my own coffee shop. Someday maybe.
8. If you could meet one person living or dead, who would it be and why?  Hm, tough one...I really would love to meet so many...but  I will have to say my sister whom I've never met in person.
9. What talent do you wish you possessed?  Well, I can play a couple instruments...and that is for the better because I can't sing to save my life. Lol. I wish I could! That or I wish I had any sort or coordination and could dance.
10. What song would you blare at full volume and sing at the top of your lungs?  All songs! Lol. Seriously though I like pretty much all music...but the one I blare and sing along with right now is Colton Dixon's You Are
11. If you could travel back in time, which decade would you visit and why?   The late 1800's. I have always had a fascination with Little House on the Prarie and I think it would be interesting to see how much harder their "simpler" life is than ours are now with the abundance of technology we have. I know it wouldn't be easy but I think it would be an awesome experience in every aspect.

 

Here are my Nominees:

1. Rene at Adventures In Running
2. Christina at Once Upon A Time
3. Allie at Counting Our Cupcakes
4. Ashleigh at Life In Bloom
5. Emily at Life's Little Moments
6. Anika at anikalee.com
7. Ashlie at The Souder's Saga
8. B at Unexpectedly Expecting
9. Birdy at The Ladybird Cafe
10. Jacy at Back On Track
11. Kristi at The Staheli's

Be Sure to check out their blogs for their answers and to get to know some great new blogs!

Okay, Here are my 11 questions for my nominees!

1. Did you have any funny nicknames growing up? Do your parents or anyone else still call you by that nickname...or do you have a nickname that you gained as an adult?
2. If you could live somewhere other than where you currently live (In the U.S.) Where would that place be? Why?
3. Were you an only child or one of many? If you were an only did you hate it? If you had siblings, did you ever wish you were an only?
4. If you could do college all over again (or go for the first time) What would your major be?
5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
6. If you could go on a dream honeymoon, money not being an object, where would you and your honey go?
7. Do you have any weird phobias?
8. What is your favorite kind of music? Do you have a favorite song right now?
9. What is one thing that you do makes you feel pretty?
10. Do you have anything special from your childhood that your parents saved for you and gave you as an adult? Have you or will you save something special for your child(ren)/future child(ren) one day? If yes, what?
11. What is your favorite book?

11 Things About Me....

 

1. I am one of 10 kids! Yep, big family and I loved it growing up and still do. Wish we all lived closer though. It's hard growing up, and moving away.

 

This was way back and before the youngest 2 siblings came along

 

2. I am short tempered...always have been since I was little, It's something I have to work on daily.

 

3. I love to rearrange my house and would do it every couple months if I could. I love the feeling of a "new" room and rearranging is like therapy to me. Haha.

 

4. I love the color yellow. It is bright and cheery....and living in the land of gloom...I need to add more yellow to my house, I need to get on that ;)

 

5. I am 31 and have a child going into middle school next year! Huh?! Crazy! I feel old! Lol.

 

6. I was a young when I first became a mother and a wife. 19 for both!

 

7. I have been with my husband for 13 1/2 years and married for almost 12!

 

8. I was born and raised in southern California. I lived in the desert all my life until we moved when I was 27! I miss the HOT sunny weather.

 

9. I used to love the rain, and I thought I would love to live somewhere that I could wear rain boots. HA! Guess I should have been warned I might never wear flip flops again!

 

10. I drive a minivan, ya, I'm a mom...with a minivan....I guess that makes me grown up?! Haha.

 

11. If I didn't have to worry about medical issues I would love a bunch more babies...oh and if money grew on trees I would adopt a bunch too. :)

Thanks for getting to know me...now go check out all the other bloggers to get to know them too!

 

Throwback Thursday!

I have had a lot going on and forcing myself to sit down and blog here and on my family blog just hasn't hit the top of my priority list. I need to get better about keeping up both, for myself.

 

I thought I'd jump back in here with a fun post.

 

Without Further Ado...
a few Throwback pictures.

 

This was from our vacation last June. Um...Who was I kidding trying to hide and just get my face in the picture. There was no hiding that gut....and those capris? Maternity capris! Yep. 8 months post partum. Who am I kidding though...I wore them the summer before I got pregnant with Baby Little too...and I wasn't pregnant...in fact I was about the same amount post partum that summer from Middle Little.. The problem is I only gained 6lbs pregnant with baby little. I was really sick the ENTIRE pregnancy...and 2 weeks post partum I was down 20lbs! Awesome. Too bad I gained about 10 back. Blah. Oh well...here's to not wearing maternity anything when I'm not pregnant this summer! Here's to fitting into at least 4 jeans sizes smaller this summer(that's what I'm down now) but maybe even 5! :)

This one is from July of last year. My sweet bald baby sure has grown since then! Whoa.....and my face was SO round...and all my chins were super noticeable. I look so tired here...and not only because I was because Baby Little didn't (and still doesn't) like to sleep. I was so heavy and slow it was hard for me to follow the kids around and play at the park. I am so glad that I decided to make a change and that is no longer the case. It's 8 months later and I can now run pushing both kids in the stroller and not get so winded and my lungs burn so bad I feel like I'm going to die. In fact as soon as I get them both strapped in Middle Little likes to ask if I'm going to run to the school to get his brother...and I often do now...but the other day made me feel so good he said "Run like the wind mommy, I like it when you go fast". Now I know I'm not fast, especially pushing that stroller...but It's WAY faster than I used to be!!! When I started it took me 15 minutes to walk to the school...now? I can run it in 4 pushing the stroller. How awesome is that for judging how much better I'm feeling. I can only imagine how much better it will feel as I continue to get stronger and more fit.

 

Enough for this Thursday....I have another post to get caught up on here since I was tagged with an award. Post on that coming soon.

 

Stay tuned!

 

Weight Loss Challenge!!!

            Okay. I have been in a rut. A huge plateau. Lack of sleep, and a lull in motivation. I was talking to a good friend and she mentioned she wished there was a "Biggest Loser" weight loss challenge we could join and then she said we should start one. Well, I took the initiative and asked around on my personal facebook and my Mommy's Losing Rolls Facebook page gaging interest and there seemed to be a ton. Sooo...here it is!

The details of the challenge!

There are a few questions I need you all to answer.

           

-We need to decide on buy in amount...I was thinking $20???

-Decide on length of challenge...10-12weeks? I was planning on starting on Monday Feb. 4th and ending either April 15th(10 weeks) or April 29th(12 weeks).

-Money to me no later than the end of the first week! (Paypal transfers would be easiest for those I don't know personally) No money by end of first week...you are out of the challenge.

-No weight loss supplements or weight loss pills of any kind allowed !!!!

-Vitamins (multi, magnesium, Calcium, etc.) protein, etc. Okay... but this challenge is for those interested in a LIFESTYLE change. Healthy eating and exercise is all that is needed for all of us to be competitive and get healthy and fit together in the process!!!

-Winner will be based on percentage of weight lost so everyone has the same chance of winning.

-Weigh In's are mandatory once a week and there will be a deadline to get that to me.  If you miss that deadline 2 times you forfeit your money and are no longer in the running to win no matter what place you were in. 

-We will be posting weight and percentages just like in the real biggest loser. There's no shame in whatever your number is because we are all doing this for a reason and that is to get healthy and although this is a competition we are still here to support each other in that goal.  If everyone prefers I can make a private group that is just for the weight loss challenge members so it is a little more private since my page is public. 

-Once we are sure who is in fully, we will decide if we want to do a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd prize or just one big prize. 

-It is not part of the challenge but I encourage you all to take all your measurements before we start. Over 10-12 weeks you will be surprised by the changes you can make...I guarantee it. It will be a good bonus to look back and see how many inches you lost as well as the weight. (Before pictures are a great idea too!)

 Most of all, I would like you all to keep in mind that like I said before yes, this is a competition...but we are all participating for the same or similar reasons. Motivation and encouragement from others in the same boat can take you a long way in your journey to get healthy. I have benefited tremendously from the support I have received up to this point and I hope that we can all keep each other motivated and encouraged along the way during the competition.

Let's Do This!

Happy New Year!

 

I hope you all had a great new year's eve. I partied it up hard core with my youngest kiddos in bed and my hubby not home. My 11 year old and I watched the pretty boring New Years Rockin Eve, and then toasted with some sparkling cider at midnight. I think this means I'm boring...or I'm old...or both. Either way, New years eve has never been a big night for me other than ringing in the new year with my family at home. If that makes me boring and old...I'm fine with that. Then immediately following midnight both my little ones woke up screaming because they got woken up by the barrage of really loud big fireworks pretty much right outside our windows. My poor sweet 12 month old was screaming and shaking she was so scared. Poor thing was hyperventilating. Luckily my 3 year old went right back to sleep after I shushed and covered him back up. The dang fireworks continued until about 12:45. UGH! I love fireworks, don't get me wrong. I love that the big ones are all legal here. I love them on 4th of July....NOT at midnight on new years. At least not while I have little babies that wake up when it sounds like our house is being bombed. Ha!

 

 

Well, as you know I was doing the plank challenge from FatChick2FitChick on Instagram. The #merryplanksmas challenge was a good motivator for me. I couldn't seem to push past that 03:17 mark with my plank and frankly hadn't been doing them much. This challenge was just what I needed to challenge myself! I made my goal to be able to do 04:00 by the end of December. Guess what??! I totally did it!!! Barely...but I did! I am going to keep on planking for January and try to hit 5 minutes. I really don't know if it's possible...because 4 minutes was extremely hard. We'll see! FatChick2FitChick posted another challenge for the month of January and it's a great one. Check out the details on her blog (linked above). It's Wall Sits!!! Check it out on Instagram, #HappyGluteYear and join in on the fun! I did my first one today...and I don't know what my goal will be time wise yet. I did a minute today...I think I will just try to improve my time every day and go as long as I can stand (Or sit, I guess...haha)!

 

 

How are you all doing today? Are you starting anything new in this new year?

 

My goal is to continue this journey to health.

There are a few specific things I need to refocus on though, and I guess I can consider those my "resolutions".

 

Here's to a happier and HEALTHIER New Year!

Welcome 2013!