I did it!

I went to C.urves three times this week and it actually wasn’t too bad. I really want to go at least three times a week and if I feel reckless, maybe four. That’s my goal.

I look at the mirror and I still see flaws but I’m okay with it. The other day, my mom noticed that I looked a little slimmer. I don’t know if it’s true, but her compliments definitely encourages and motivates me.

I’ve been eating healthier, as in, more water and no pop. No chips, actually, I had a small bag of chips the other day but that’s okay. I think I’m allowed to have ‘naughty’ foods once in awhile as long as it's in moderation.

I’ve been adding prunes to my diet! Luckily, I love the taste and texture of prunes. It keeps me regular (holy smokes, does it ever!) and I feel less bloated. I’ll limit myself to about 5 to 8 pieces every other day. They are high in sugar and I don’t need them every day.

I emailed my sister-in-law yesterday and she is also making ‘lifestyle’ changes which is awesome! It helps to know that someone else is going through the same struggles and triumphs as me. She said that she hasn’t lost any weight yet, but noticed the toning of her muscles, etc. So good for her! Contrary to what I said before, I really don’t care about the number of pounds I lose. I just want to be able to feel comfortable in my clothes and just to feel good. I think I can accomplish that.

Grumble.

That's the sound my stomache is making right now.

15 more minutes until lunch time. I can do it. Usually at this time, I'll quickly find something to appease my tummy. Doesn't really make sense since I'll be having a good lunch pretty soon.

I have to be strong...

By the way, I'm not starving myself. I had a fair bit of breakfast this morning at 6:30 am and at 10, I had a at least 2 servings of blueberries. Plus, I had two full large glasses of water.

I have a peanut butter granola in my purse but I am saving it for my mid-afternoon snack.

I think I have to 'up' my mid-morning snacks. Blueberries aren't enough. I'll try to bring some veggies or something.

Oh my gosh! 8 more minutes to go! I'm dying here.

But I think I'll win :D

Slow motion.

Today feels like I am walking in slow motion while everything around me is moving so fast. Have you ever felt like that before? When you know that there are so many good things in your life, yet you are still unhappy?

Yes. I am unhappy today.

I’ve been spending too much time self loathing. I look at the mirror and all I can see are tired eyes and ugly, fat cheeks.

I want to lose weight and start feeling good.

When I was 10lbs lighter, I was more confident and more energetic. But I also remember wanting to be another 10 lbs lighter; it never ends does it?

I need to be patient.

Since the beginning of the month, I’ve been to C.urves once a week. Last week I went twice. I’m daring myself to go 3 times this week. I can do it.

I want to start eating healthier. I’ve been drinking more water each day and drinking less pop. Actually, it’s been more than a week since I’ve had any. I’m adding more veggies and fruits to my diet. Slowly but surely, I am going to do this.

I will lose 10 lbs by December and be happy.

Yes, be happy.

I want to be the happy person that everyone thinks I am.

Maybe.

I don’t know why, but lately I’ve been thinking a lot about babies.

Maybe it’s because everyone around me are having babies or maybe because the dust is beginning to settle after our move and the impulsive part of me is thinking, what next? There’s no way we are going to get another dog; K-puppy and M-puppy are plenty enough and certainly we are not planning on selling our place. There is only one more thing to do and I think we both know that it’s almost time.

We haven’t had any serious talks about it but we both know that we want to have one down the road. The question is, when? I just turned 29 and The Hubby is 34. Time is creeping up on us and one thing is for sure: we want to be able to keep up with our kid!

I know I get excited when I think about the ‘bells and whistles’ that comes with having a baby: room & furniture designs, baby clothes, names, etc. But when it comes down to the real stuff, like actually raising a baby, my heart stops. I don’t know if I’m ready for the responsibilities.


At the end of the day, I stop thinking about it but then it begins again every morning.

So I don’t know.

Maybe I’m just bored or maybe this is how it begins.

I love books.

I love reading books.

I don’t read as much as I would like to but once I pick up a book, especially one that I really like, I devour it within days.

That’s what happened when I read The O.ther. B.oleyn by P.hilippa G.regory.

She is an amazing author. I can’t believe it took me this long to discover her. I am absolutely intrigued and I can’t get enough of her stories.

On Friday, I purchased The W.hite Q.ueen. I started reading it last night and I'm hooked.

Now all I can think about is that book. I cannot wait to go home to find out what happens next.

***

Home sweet home.

I’m loving the new house and thank goodness for The Hubby! I don’t tell him much (which is bad) but I’m so lucky to have such a hardworking husband. Instead of relaxing and enjoying his holidays, he’s been busy with getting the house in order. Since we moved, he:

1. Ripped out the old carpets and replaced the floors in the main living area/dining room/my office and extra bedroom.
2. Organized his office.
3. Organized the garage.
4. Is halfway through re-building our theatre room.
5. Started landscaping the yard.

We are positive that he has a little bit of ADD, hence the various projects but the best part is that they actually get done.

What did I do? I organized the kitchen (put things away), unpacked our clothes, and….. Oh and last weekend, I painted my office! And finished reading The O.ther B.olen G.irl.

Hey, I don’t have the summer off so once I get home from work, I want to relax and unwind!

I will definitely, hopefully get my butt in gear in the next couple of days because his dad is coming down this weekend to help him with more work. I suspect he will give me the evil eye when he learns that I’ve done nothing. Hehe, kidding but not really…

BOUGHT and SOLD!!!

That’s right! We are moving July 15th!

Remember the last post? The Hubby and I worked our a**es off that evening. Cleaning, organizing and staging our home. I have to say, we did a fabulous job! We were so impressed with the final look that we wanted to put an offer in!

Well, another other couple felt the same way too because... we sold that evening!

To this day, we still can’t believe that our home sold so quickly. We didn’t have much time to celebrate because we needed to find a house. Can we say stressful? Although we were in a better situation than last year (we bought our townhome first before selling our apartment), it was still stressful. We didn’t want to settle on a home just because we had to buy one AND we didn’t want to go through the trouble of renting and putting our things into storage (if we didn't find a home).

After a lot of trial and error, we found the perfect home so goodbye Strata and goodbye Gremlin!

The house doesn’t have a basement suite but it’s a whole lot cheaper than the previous homes we’ve been looking at. Our mortgage will definitely go up but it’s still affordable. We just need to really cut down on our variable spending (we are spending about $1500 each month on nothing).

We are also seriously looking at hosting exchange students/home stays. It will definitely help pay off the difference in mortgage plus add to our savings. We’ll see. The most important thing for us is that we don’t to sacrifice our lifestyle and freedom. It may be difficult to juggle in the beginning but I’m confident it will all work out.

Our new home is a bit further out from where we currently live. We’re not in the ‘central’ location anymore but that’s okay. We’re only less than 15 minutes away PLUS the new neighbourhood is gorgeous; there are lots of parks for the pups and lots of shops within walking distance.

As you can imagine, we’ve been really busy since June 9th; lots of packing and planning. Luckily, The Hubby is off work (he’s a teacher, lucky bum) so he’s been plugging away. I’m so thankful he isn’t as lazy as I am!

Yahoo!

It's crap time.

Oh my goodness, remember when I talked earlier about being calm?

Scratch that.

Our realtor just informed us that we are having our first showing tonight at 7!

I can’t believe we already have a showing! I think that’s great but I wish we spent more time with cleaning the house last night. I know we’ll get things done but there’s always that fear. It's like all of a sudden, there's so much to do.

Anyway, there’s really nothing I can do right now since I’m at work. I guess that’s what’s frustrating me right now. As you can see, work is really slow today and I know I’d be more productive at home.

Oh and I just ate a slice of rich chocolate cake. Not sitting well with me right now. Too anxious!

Buy and sell.

I’ll begin this post by saying, I suck!

I didn’t go to the gym last week and I am probably not going this week either...But with good reason! :D

The Hubby and I have been busy cleaning and organizing our home. We met with our realtor on Sunday and we’ve decided to list our house!

A professional photographer will be coming over tomorrow and our first Open House is scheduled for this weekend! Luckily, The Hubby and I already started our ‘clean-up’ last week so we are a little prepared.

First impressions are important when it comes to viewing your home. You’ll be surprised to know how many people can’t see past the clutter! I remember watching this show and seeing a buyer commenting on the old furniture and decorations. He-llo? They won’t be there when you move in!

Anyway, we are hoping to sell our home as quick as possible because…

…we placed an offer in a home! We’re in the middle of negotiations at the moment but I’m confident that the seller will come to an agreement. Even if papers get signed by end of this week, we still might not get it as our offer includes subject to sale. So if another buyer decides to put in an offer, the seller can ask us to either remove all subjects or terminate the contract. It would be so great if we can sell our home as soon as possible to avoid that. However, we just can’t accept any offer on our home. In order to be able to afford the new house, we need to sell our place for at least a certain amount.

I’m not as stressed as I was before. I’m calm but I’m trying very hard to reserve my feelings. I don’t want to get attached to that home in case it doesn’t work out. And you know, if it doesn’t, I’m not going to freak out about it. It just means that it wasn’t meant to be. If we are unable to sell our home this year, then that’s okay too. I’m still happy with our home minus the Gremlin neighbour.

What's worse than swine flu?

....looking like a swine.


Man, I need to start exercising.

I used to exercise 4 times a week – volleyball, dance, circuit training, etc. I was really good.

Emphasis on “was”.

I need to make a change NOW. I can’t use volleyball as an excuse anymore since the league officially ended on Monday!

I want to change.

I’m tired of thinking of what to wear in the morning. And it’s not because I have too many clothes. Well I do, but most of them barely fit me anymore! A simple solution would be to buy clothes that fit (aka. embrace the body I have today) BUT, I just don’t have the money to burn.


Sadly, I have a C.urves membership that I haven't been taking advantage of at all. In fact, I am wasting my money away since I haven’t been to the gym since early February!

What’s my excuse? I didn’t feel the need to go as The Hubby had asked me to join boot camp with him for 6 weeks from February to March (twice a week) and that I did. In addition, we were playing in volleyball league. I just didn’t want to overwork my body.

After boot camp ended, I should have returned to C.urves but I just didn’t. I was burnt out and I was enjoying the free evenings I had. What should have been a break ended up being my lifestyle. For the past month, I have felt unmotivated, lethargic and worse, unhappy with myself. So in a way, I’m glad it took me 5 tries to put an on outfit this morning. As frustrating as it was, I feel liberated right now. I want a change. I’m ready for the change.

So tonight, I WILL go to C.urves. I just called them and they said that since I’ve been registered for a year now, I can cancel anytime – just give them a 30-day notice. So I will go tonight. I’m not ready to cancel plus, I really like the gym. I haven’t been there for four months yet the lady who answered the phone remembered me. Lots of nice ladies there.


It’s June 4th today. I’ve already eaten a lot of crap this week so I will make June 8th the first week of eating healthy and exercising. I’ll still go to the gym tonight as a pre-start.

This month I will eat healthy and exercise 3-4 times a week. My goal is to stick to the plan.

I haven’t weighed myself yet but I think I’m back to my original weight when I started my C.urves membership: 127lbs.

I am 5 ft. 2” so technically I have a healthy weight. I would like to lose 10lbs and maintain that weight. I think 115-117lbs is realistic. When I first met Brent (3 years ago), I weighed about 115lbs and I remember feeling so great.

I want that feeling back.

Birthday bumps ahead.

It’s The Hubby's birthday on Saturday and I can’t wait to give him his present.

He told me not to get him anything for his birthday since I had already given him two awesome E.cko S.tar W.ars sweaters:

They were originally meant to be his Christmas presents but due to delays, I didn’t receive the shipment until late April. And of course, I couldn’t wait until his birthday to give them to him!

I think he suspects I will get him something anyway for his birthday, he knows me too well.

I bought him a DVD set: Visual Effects for Directors! He has the other set and loves it and I think he will enjoy this even better! I sent him the link a few months ago and he showed interest! I think it’s something he would like to own but probably won’t buy it for himself.

So the package arrived! It’s at the post office waiting for pick-up! I was worried that he would be home to receive the package or see the notice on the door. Luckily, he wasn’t home!

I’ll pick it up tonight and maybe get a couple more small things. Who doesn’t love multiple presents?!?! Probably me when I get my bill statement. Yikes. But you know, making The Hubby smile is totally worth it! And I love this sort of thing. I should really start a business in shopping presents for people - with their own money, of course!

So that’s that.

I’m hoping the weather will be nice. We plan to have a bbq at our place starting at 3pm. The MMA fights are on that evening so whoever wants to stay, can watch the fights.

We’ll be having hamburgers, hot dogs, pop and probably salad. Very simple. Can’t wait!

Oh and it’s M-puppy's 1st birthday on Friday. Hehe, he’s our 2nd puppy. I’ll see if I can find a nice toy for him tonight. And after work on Friday, I’ll stop by at the dog bakery and get him a cake. I’m sure K-puppy will be looking forward to that too.

[Left: M-puppy; Right: K-puppy]

Aren't they adorable?

Busy weekend.

I hope everyone had a good weekend, I know I did!

Friday night we went to see four houses. We originally requested to see more, but a couple have already accepted an offer and another was not available for the showing.

Too bad.

However, the four houses we saw provided the information we needed.

The Hubby is meeting with our mortgage broker tomorrow. We can finally finalize the numbers and confirm if we can do it. It's starting to get exciting and overwhelming...

After the showings on Friday, we went to BP for dinner. We talked more about property and future plans. It was a nice dinner except that I had a tummy ache! Too much pop and mini-donuts. We originally planned to see a movie afterwards but it didn’t start until late and I just wasn’t feeling well. We went home instead and went to bed right away!

Saturday was spent working on house projects. Well, The Hubby spent the day working on house projects. I lounged while thinking about what needed to be done :D

After lunch, I went to get my haircut. I’m still not completely convinced that it looks good. I wanted layered bangs. My hair ended up looking like an 80s rock mullet. But everyone seem to like it!

We dropped off the pups at my parents and went to see the movie we were supposed to see on Friday: Ang.els & De.mons. I read the book a long time ago. It was entertaining. I still think Tom H.anks was miscast but I still enjoyed the movie. We went home and watched another movie in our theatre room: The D.ay the E.arth S.tood S.till.

Meh. It was okay.

Sunday. What did we do on Sunday? Right, I didn’t go to Church. I didn’t have any excuse other than I was just too lazy! Errr, next week, I’ll go for sure.

I did a couple loads of laundry until The Hubby's friend stopped by. All three of us took the pups to the local dog park and watched them explore and run around with their tongues hanging. They are so cute!

After, we went out for a nice late lunch and talked about everything. It was overall a nice visit from C.

Later that evening, we went for a grocery run and ended the night with watching another movie: The W.restler. It told a good story; all of a sudden I want to support all wrestling events :S

So that was my weekend! Although busy, it felt like a long weekend to me. Fabulous!

Property ladder.

The Hubby and I have been talking about listing our townhome and upgrading to a bigger house with a basement suite.

There are a few out there that looks good on paper but you never know until you step into the house. We’re pretty good in looking past the furniture and decorations; we realize that all of that can change. It’s the structure of the house that we need to pay attention to.

Last weekend, we went to a couple of open houses and were disappointed to see that a lot of square footage was wasted in hallways, etc. We saw a place that boasted 6 bedrooms; it should have been 3 bedrooms. We want a house with lots of space and good bones for cheap, cheap, cheap! Ha, right.

The market right now is getting better but definitely not for the sellers. We’re probably not going to make any money on our home. BUT because our place is unique and shows well, there’s a high possibility that we can break even.

Anyway, lots to think about. I’m sure after tonight, we'll have a better idea if this is doable. We need to make an appointment with the bank as well to confirm our calculations.

I don’t want to get too excited just in case we can’t do it this year. But it would be so nice to own a house!

When The Hubby first brought this idea up, I went into panic mode and thought he was crazy. We just bought our townhome last April and now he wants to move again?

We plan to have children in the near future and what a great way to start a family – dirt poor.

Kidding.

After sulking for a day, I finally agreed with him. This is a great opportunity, and why not? We’ll only do this if we can afford it and still have some spending money for ourselves. We do not want to live paycheck to paycheck. So if this works out, awesome. If not, well, now it’s on our minds and when it’s time, we will be ready.

This is one of many reasons why I love him so much. He’s a risk taker and a smart one at that.

Let's try this one more time.

I started a blog a few months ago.

Lost it.

So here I am again.