oh. ma. gah. stones.

When I said I might need surgery for those gallstones, I had no idea what was to happen.

About 3 in the morning on Friday I woke up once again in intense pain, and despite the pain meds, it only continued to get worse.  Once again we had to wake up the kids and head back to the emergency room for the second night in a row.  Within hours though I was being admitted due to high liver enzymes.  

{in other words, I was yellow, full on jaundice people!  not cute. SO not cute.}

Turns out my gallstones caused pancreatitis, which only seemed to further complicated things.

Without the pancreas issues, I could have had my gallbladder out almost immediately.  But because the pancreas is not to be messed with when angry (i guess it could be fatal) I had to wait out the pain in a hospital bed for 32 hours until my levels started to come down.

Might I mention I was not allowed to eat or drink while I waited it out?!?

not good, not good at all.

{after the pancreas calmed, before the surgery, smilin' through the pain...with kids, life goes on.}

Finally Sunday afternoon, I headed into surgery to have yet another organ, (already now without my tonsils & appendix), removed from my bod.

And, aren't you having a blast hearing all about it?

That's what you get from a girl who's spent a week with the elderly in a hospital.

{who is also, um, slightly medicated.}

What was that about the elderly?

I forgot to mention that because the hospital was full when I was admitted, I got to reside on the floor with the elderly demented patients.

Super fun and lively bunch they are.

The nice thing was that every time a nurse came into my room, they commented on how cute and young and adorable I was.

I think they were just happy I knew why I was there and who they were....

because really not only was I yellow, but I had not showered since Thursday.

There is NOTHING cute and adorable about that, I don't care HOW MANY old people are around.

On that note, if ever in the hospital make sure to have someone bring you:

baby powder (for dry shampoo, nobody wants to smell the grease)

facial cleansing cloths (nobody wants to see the grease)

and your own pillow (which has nothing to do with grease, but still very important!)

Anyway here I am at home finally, SHOWERED, loaded up on pain meds, and ready to embrace bed rest for the next week.  

{bed rest that includes taking care of the kids while Jimmy's at work, so life as usual really.}

And to think....it all started back at Walmart.

In the words of my friend Lacey, who knew screaming kids could cause gallstones*?!?

Or mmmmmaybeeee...

it's all WALMARTS fault?!?

oh. ma. gah.stones!

*side note 

what DOES cause gallstones sometimes?  

losing weight too quickly.  

{Rapid weight loss, particularly eating a very low-calorie diet}

i had symptoms of "sludge" (sexy, I know) and severe gallbladder attacks shortly after losing the pregnancy weight from having Chloe.

once again, they flared up after the 30 day method...

the doctor couldn't say for sure this is what caused mine, but just wanted to put it out there.

and here i am, passing it along.

and pssssssss.....

thanks for all of you who were so SWEET and SUPPORTIVE on facebook and twitter.  

your comments kept me smiling when I wanted to cry, honestly.

makes me just want to mwa you all!

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

we are the people of walmart.com

Sometimes when you pray for blogging material....you should be more specific.  

The following wasn't quite what I had in mind....

The Tale of Yesterday
or 
Why There Was No Blog Post Yesterday:

Okay, so yes...we've established I shop at Walmart sometimes...

I used to think I was one of the classier ones there, just looking for a good deal.

But as it turns out, I guess I really do belong there.

As do my children for sure.

I should tell you before I begin, that Chloe is 2 and a half, and she has just figured that out.  

You know, that she's two, and that maybe it's time to act like it once in awhile.  

Only, MOST of the time she is happy, completely chill and totally easy peasy.  

But then...oh my...it's like she'll suddenly remember it's been awhile, 

(usually happens in Walmart....hmmm, maybe she's trying to tell me something....), 

and then she'll decide to do this:

{i like to call these videos...BIRTH CONTROL!}

{I only share that video, not to "expose" my children...but to let you know that your kids are in good company.}

Mmm hmmm, yup folks.  That's my sweet daughter.  

And yes, they are surrounded by pillow pets borrowed from the shelves of Walmart, and yes I do put them back before we leave.

{judge not lest ye be judged!}

And if you think this is embarrassing, you should have seen how I looked.  Not cute guys, not cute.

After this particular taping (there were two total) we then ran into Taylors piano teacher.

{of course}

Who took one look at our getup and then promptly offered to take a picture of the three of us for www.peopleofwalmart.com.

{she's actually a friend, so we were laughing...smile through the pain!}

This all happened of course just hours AFTER Chloe pooped a weeks worth in the bath AND followed that with another day of refusing to take a nap.
Going on two weeks of that ish.  

{hard to tell she's tired from that video i know.}

And then, do me a favor.

Play that video over and over for, mmm, about 2 hours....and then you'll get a taste of what it was like until she went to bed.

So that was fun.

After Jimmy got home (late, but who was looking at the clock?) I rocked back and forth in a dark room until I felt strong enough to come back out and help get them to bed.

To bed they went...and rather than wine or chocolate, I found comfort in the three tums I consumed because who knew two kids could cause heartburn**?!?

Later as I started to feel relaxed and calm and ready to get some good sleep after a dose of melatonin, I went to do my nightly check on the kids....

only to discover a major Pull Up FAIL in Taylor's bed just 2 HOURS after he went to sleep.

{I'll delete this post before he starts dating....maybe.}

You do NOT want to see that child woken up from a dead sleep, and apparently, you don't want to ask him to put his pull up in the trash, because then you will basically see something like this:

{vintage taylor tantrum, but still gives you the idea of what went down tonight}

So, all in all, a day.

Not necessarily fun so much, but a day nonetheless.

Like I said, be careful what you wish for when asking God for some good blogging material.
Or...don't shop at Walmart.
Or....maybe I should have never facebooked that everyone was asleep by 7:30 the night before.

My bad.

What a year of life lessons this is turning out to be....
=)

~~~~~~~

**EDITED TO ADD** 

So I wrote this last night around midnight (about my day yesterday) while still working through the "heartburn."
 That heartburn?
Turned out to be a gallbladder attack that landed me in the emergency room at 3 am.
Turns out I have MULTIPLE gall stones....and will likely need surgery.

But at least I'm home now, and today will be better, because the Vicodin promises so.  =)
And you know, God works in mysterious ways...
He must have known that I needed a break, and what better than a nice nap during surgery and a hospital stay that includes nurses and drugs?

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

my method after the madness

Madness.
That's what I call Tracy Anderson's 30 Day Method.

Result producing madness, but nevertheless, madness.

A lot of you have asked, would I go back and do it again knowing what I know now?

And the answer is, Absolutely!

But would I ever do it again, the full 30 days diet and all?

Um, absolutely NOT!

Who am I, if not truthful?

The only reason I say that is because I've realized and then forgot,
and then just recently realized again....
that total deprivation = failure.

For me.

When I was pregnant with Taylor, I developed gestational diabetes and had to endure 5 months of pregnancy eating barely any carbs and absolutely NO sugar.  Can you even imagine???  Your first pregnancy and you aren't allowed to indulge in the slightest???

Torture is what it was.

And while all's well that ends well, the diabetes went away with delivery and Taylor was born healthy and happy colic...still there was the whole cranky baby's mama who had gone without carbs and sugar for far too long and it was time to self soothe.

Woah, the self soothing!

Hello fast food restaurants!!

Hello chocolate cake and pizza!!!

Hello Mikes Hard Lemonades!!!!

{okay, so that last one was more to numb the breast feeding pain* I was enduring at the time...but still, 4pm every day I indulged!}

*click that link if you ever endured breast feeding trauma, you won't be sorry!

And to be honest...the same sort of thing happened after I ended the 30 Day Method....except instead of Mikes Hard Lemonade, I discovered an old love of Pinot Noir.

Because even with the choco chestnut pudding, the entire month of the diet, I couldn't help but still feel slightly deprived.

And when all was said and done, while I had a few new recipes and a bunch of new taste buds for healthier things, I still had not in the slightest lost my desire for carbs and sugar.

Maybe it will be different for you.

Maybe IT WAS different for you....but for me, I don't think any diet can cure those kind of genetics.

{my mom used to hide red licorice in drawers and you should have SEEN the amount of sweets my grandma hid in her basement freezer!}

I'm telling you, we get these "lindley arms" for a reason.

Genetics.

Anyway....all that to say....

I've been searching high (in the cupboards) and low (at little ceasars) trying to figure out where MY balance is.

How can I incorporate the things I love, yet find a way NOT to go overboard and still manage stay healthy and fit?

You always hear about the 80/20 rule, and I think that's fair, and most likely doable.

And I know there are a ton of ways to make that work.

Two days on, one day off...five days on, two days off....all days on, with one cheat per day...

The trick is finding what works for you, and what will guarantee your success.

Before I went all "holiday eating" on my a$$ back in October, I had found some success in eating healthy Monday through Friday, and allowing my weekends to be free.

The problem became that I never defined "free."
And free soon became, eat as much as you can of what you love and then spend the next week working all that off....

Eventually that caught up with me.

And my a$$.

So.

Here I sit, three weeks post 30 Day Method, trying to figure out what will work and trying to set healthy limits for myself.

While I'm content-ish with where I am physically, I would also be okay with a little more improvement...something a little closer to the boot camp success perhaps.

Although, I don't think I can ever live up to and keep up with a size 2....
I'm pretty sure size 2 girls don't eat pizza once a week...and if you do and you are, please don't tell me.
My heart can't take it.

So.
I'm still pondering...
but I think until things "smooth" out body wise, my best bet is to stick to healthy Sunday night through Friday Night (because that's generally easy for me), and allow one free meal (ahem, pizza) and one cheat dessert (winchell's you won't ever lose my business!) on the weekends.

Once all feels right again in my clothes and I'm comfortable with my progress, I may go back to allowing two full free days...within moderation.

And I'll need to find a good definition for moderation when that time comes.
{ideas?}

In addition to that, I'm super excited because I'm getting ready to begin a new supplement regimen (per the mood cure, which i just finished reading and HIGHLY recommend!), and from all that I've heard, it should provide some amazing results!
{Not so much in achieving the perfect body, cause that's definitely not my goal...but more in finding a balance within my life as well as my cravings.}

And finally, to answer a few of the questions you guys had:

For my workouts, I just started Tracy Andersons Metamorphosis program today (omni) and am planning to do that in addition to a dance cardio dvd (in place of the omni cardio) 5-6 days a week.

And no, I still have yet to step on the scale.

I have no plans as to when that will change, but should it change, you will most definitely be the FIRST to know!

Anyway, enough about me...

What about you guys?

What have you found works for you in finding balance in health and nutrition?
Share with me all your secrets, trials, and tribulations...

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

monday muse: braids

It's been awhile since my beauty school days, and I had all but lost my creative touch when it came to styling my hair beyond straightening and curls...until awhile back when my sister turned me on to Tiffany's hair and makeup tutorials.

 Instantly I became hooked, not just on the tutorials, but on her and her moms blog and website as well.

As a celeb hair and makeup team, they specialize in using and recommending ALL NATURAL products, which I have been trying to move more towards as well.

So far, with all they products they've shared that I've had a chance to try, I've not in the slightest been let down.

And it helps that they're both insanely adorable.

And while normally I wouldn't want to be friends with girls as gorgeous as they, because they're so freakin' sweet and personable, I just. can't. help. but love them!!!

Might I swoon any more?

My word....

Anyway, I had to share my adoration because anytime I step out in public with their braids (like today with this fishtail do'.  whoops, totally forgot to take a picture of mine), compliments always abound. 

I've literally become a walking advertisement for their videos!  

Love that!

In keeping with the theme, monday muse, let us allow the natures knockout girls and their braids inspire us just a bit.

Oh sweet braids, how do I love thee?

Let me count thy ways...

...and these are just the ones I've managed to snap pictures of.

Now go forth and be inspired...

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

my latest and greatest favorite things

Finally!

My video of all my latest and greatest products.

I'm hoping that soon I'll be able to make another one showing you my endless loves, the products that have stood the test of time, and still have a special place in my heart.

Sorry for the length....I swear I tried to make it short....but I'm on my old laptop which lacks editing tools and I wasn't about to record all that again.

It's all good stuff though, you'll be fine.  =)

links to products:

Ocean Potion Everglow Lotion

Maybelline Smooth Mousse

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Enhancer

Loreal Infallible

Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towlettes

Cover Girl Lash Blast

Maybelline Falsies

Let me know if you guys try any of these and what you think!!!

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

change your lives with 3x5's

Lately I've been feeling as though there is no direction in my days...in my life...(in my eating, ack!)

And I'm not so much a big fan of that.

A few months ago, my sister Heather, directed me to this book she loved called Sidetracked Home Executives and I immediately ordered it and read it in a day.

I then ran to my nearest Staples and scooped up all the supplies and got to work changing my life with 3x5's.

Jimmy and I worked out all the details on our Tahoe trip, spending a good coupla hours organizing our life...

and then we spent the week after that following it to the letter.

What a good week that was.

All the way back in December.....

But then, 

Christmas came....

The new year came....

The 30 Day Method came....

Then Valentines Day....

And with all that excitement, apparently I got a little sidetracked.

Must be the book for me, ya?

Anyway...now that things seem to have settled, I'm realizing that I do much better when there is some sort of method to my life.

I do better with routine, somewhat, and I need a little more than intention so that my days are purposeful.

After all, that was my main goal for 2011.

To be more intentional and purposeful in my life, in my walk with God, and in parenting and marriage.

{not too lofty at all...right?}

So, here I am back to the Life Box and getting things in order and set up for success.
{which includes making a few tweaks to a couple of book suggestions that just didn't work for me.}

tip: don't be afraid to make changes to other peoples advice and suggestions, especially if those changes are more likely to guarantee your success.
As Tim Gunn likes to say, "Make it work!"  snap, snap, snap.

If you're a bit like me, in that you have GREAT intentions to do this or do that and yet another day slips by without even a hint of progress...you should absolutely look into this book and do it with me.

Okay, here's what I've done so far:

~ got my cute box, colored index cards & dividers, then organized them accordingly in said cute box.

~ sat down with Jimmy and created our list of chores and tasks and events that we need reminders to accomplish....then organized those tasks according to day or dates.

{this is all laid out in the book}

~ set up a home for the box and index cards where I am constantly reminded and encouraged to accomplish my days goals.

{I even made cards with pictures for Taylor, and set up a place for them in his room....it's a family thing!}

Still to do:

~ make index cards for birthdays

~ make index cards for friends numbers and addresses {have begun this a little}

~ create a few more index cards for new tasks and events that I didn't think of in the beginning....such as: clean out car once a week, write in the kids journals, do character workbooks with Taylor, piano practice, and shredding & filing...

~~~~~~~

So, it's a bit daunting in the beginning, I won't lie.

But it feels AMAZING to be intentional and purposeful, and most of all organized.

No more getting sidetracked.

No more days without direction.

Today is the day.
Okay, so actually tomorrow...
But ONLY because I'm getting it all set back up today.
Totally not going to get sidetracked anymore...

Remind me of that, okay?

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

reeboks easytones ~ mega deal

I may be a sucker for a scam, but still, I love my EasyTones.  

{and I didn't get paid a dime to say so!}

Not only are they super cute, but I find they make me focus on my balance during my mat workouts, which can only do good things for my core.

Anyway, I just discovered an amazing deal for them, where normally they sell for $99, on 6pm.com they are now $39.95!

Kinda wishin' I had scored them for that price.

If you've been wondering about them, this would be the deal to test them out!

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

love is in the air

Last night, after what felt like an insanely long weekend, I glanced up in the sky and saw this amazing sight:

It appeared to be, at least to me, a once broken heart that piece by piece God was putting back together.

Immediately my heart and lips whispered...

"Thank you Jesus."

Today there is love in the air...

regardless whether you're in love or not.

I hope you see this heart as a reminder, that you are indeed, loved...

by Him.

by me.

Happy Valentines Day.

{i also wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you to all that took a moment to email me or leave loving and encouraging comments on my last blog.  as i told another friend...sometimes i wish i didn't continue to have life lessons to learn....but at least God has given me incredible friends to carry me through them when i do.  i am TRULY thankful for each and every one of you.}

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

hate on me hater...'cause I'm gonna do me

The other day it came to my attention that there was a website with a specific link dedicated to hatin' on me.

What started as a specific post to make fun of my home and design choices....ended up being a personal attack on not only myself...but my husband and my kids.

Oh no they di'int.

{not giving the link, they don't deserve the traffic...although i should thank them for sending me some.}

Okay, so to be honest, I totally get that.  

I mean, I don't get wasting time bashing someone and their family, but I get that my home design style isn't for everyone.  

I get it, because, my word!, come a couple months, it may not even be for me anymore!!!

{how happy they will be when that day comes....}

But what really got me was when the comments went from picking on my home to attacking me, my kids, and my husband personally.  

That is just purely low and mean, and really...

heartless. 

{come here sad people, tell me, who hurt you to make you this way?}

While I sat there reading comment after spiteful comment, I began to feel my body go numb.

And before I knew what was happening, I couldn't seem to stop the tears that were determined to spill down my face.

My heart literally ached.  

I knew cutting comments from loved ones hurt, but I had no idea the sting from strangers quite like this.

I don't know these people, they certainly don't know me, so I shouldn't have spent even a moment wasted on them.

But, waste I did, because I'm human...

one with, apparently, very thin skin.

But after a bit of time & a TON of support from my family and friends...not to mention the hilarious and touching comments from my facebook crew, I began to feel somewhat better and was able to begin processing through the situation with a bit more clarity.

{and wine....and chocolate cake...and glee...and the office.  cheap therapy}

Of course my initial reaction was to shut it all down.  Close up shop, stop sharing my life and heart, and instead stay close to the ones I love and trust.

But who wins then?

My sweet friend, Gillian, sent me a text later in the night that said:

...on your blog you wrote that you didn't care if you never made any money for what you wrote, you just wanted to make a difference.  I want you to know that you have made a difference in MY life...

And while really SHE'S the amazing one in our friendship, it meant a lot that she took a sec to remind me of my purpose here, and why I initially and continue to make my life an open book.

It's NOT to be loved by all.

It's not in hopes of becoming famous, or to be known, or even to make money.

It's simply to share my journey in hopes that someone, even just one person, doesn't feel so alone in theirs.

I don't pretend to know it all.

I don't think I'm the best at anything.

And I definitely don't take myself too seriously.

{unless, of course, i'm being serious.}

It bums me out that there are people like that out there....

and it sucks that this little tiny episode of mine is barely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what other people have encountered and been through.

But, I won't let them win.

I won't let them steal my intentions or my heart or my love for writing... 

and I definitely won't give them the satisfaction of caring any longer.

In the words of jill scott...

hate on me hater

now or later...

cause i'm gonna do me.

Oh girl.

Sing it girl.

mmm mmm mmmm.

snap.

snap.

snap.

snap.

Now, let's move on.

ps
for anyone else who has something to say about the grammatical error of the name of my blog...
you should know that i don't speak french,
and I came up with the name after i took an ambien...
and it really did seem like a great idea at the time!
2 years later it's a little too late to change it.

now really....
let's move on!

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

i wanna know...your favorite things

You know as much as I love to share the things I love with you guys...

sometimes I just want to know what it is EVERYONE else is ob. sessed with.

So.

It's time to stop being so silent.

There are things I want to know, and you know them, so tell me!!!
Kinda like when you find a certain something and you want to call all girlfriends to tell them to go get it now?!?

I'm that girlfriend.

Some examples:

magazines, books, food, restaurants, drinks, makeup, skin care, vitamins, websites, blogs...(besides mine, duh)....paint colors (need ideas!), etsy shops or finds...

You name it, if YOU LOVE IT, I want to know about it!!!

See below where it says, Leave a Comment?

It's crazy, I know, but that part is FOR YOU!

You get your own little space to say whatever it is you LOVE.

It's like your own little blog space.

Amazeballs, right?

Usually I don't pressure for comments, I'm not one for begging or making people do something I generally don't do a lot of myself...

But this once, I am making demands.

And in return, I'm getting together my own list (and making a video!) on all the things I am loving and am currently obsessed with as well.

Give and take guys, it's all about give and take.

So, tell me....

What are your favorite things?

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

far from recovered yet absolutely reformed

I absolutely would not be complete without my method of journaling*.

What started as a log of my fights with my sister in 3rd grade, has now transformed into a method of therapy* for me even when I don't even intend it to be.

I'll just get this bug that I have to write, honestly and transparently, and I must. do. it. now.

Then I'll sit and without any premeditation, suddenly it all spills forth*.

My heart writes what my mind can't speak, and once it's poured onto paper, sometimes with tears flowing... I'll set down my pen and breath a deep sigh of relief.

Because suddenly I'll understand.

Maybe that is true intimacy with God, maybe it's His way of speaking through me....

but when I have those moments with my journal, it's a moment treasured and sacred.

Recently, I had a night like that....after months of having not written.

It was shortly after I finished the 30 Day Method, and I had been feeling...unsteady.

I went to my journal, ready for some therapy.
And not 30 minutes later, I felt secure.
Secure in my journey, secure in the lessons, secure in my God.
I had an unbelievable sense of peace.

Reading back over it a couple days ago, I realized that I needed to share it with you guys.

Though those words held close to my heart and soul, were not meant simply for me.

I understand that my struggles are not mine alone.

And we were never meant to walk this road alone.

*{links to other journal entries of mine i've shared}

~~~~~~~

february 4, 2011

I feel as though God has truly been at work in me...molding me and bringing me through some awful yuk on the inside.  

And while I know that I am far from "recovered," especially in light of my body issues....I know in my heart that He has absolutely "reformed" me.

It's almost as though I'm coming out of a dark tunnel and I can see the sun ahead and I can see that there is, in fact, an end.  

Then when I look back and see all the darkness that surrounded me and how far back that darkness extends....I can't help but feel incredibly broken and sad for the girl who's endured it all.

Yes, I know I am that girl, and that she is still in there somewhere...
and all it could take is one step back, one misstep away from Him, and she'd be back.

But that's what is different, I won't ever go back there.

I just can't.

My life is intended for more.

I understand now and grasp that I will not find lasting happiness in a flat stomach, I will not change lives by being what the glossy pages of magazines say is "perfectly thin."

I will not fulfill my life's purpose in striving for physical perfection.

I wasted too many years.

I cried WAY too many tears.

I lost out on so many moments because I'd lost my focus.

It's all about balance now, finding my balance, which is different than hers or theirs.

I went from one extreme to the next and now I feel my pendulum is swinging towards home.

My home.  

My comfortable place to be.

It feels good and it feels right.

And even though those times were rough and dark and sad, I know God allowed it and I KNOW He will bring beauty from my pain.

{words that feed my soul}

I pray that from my pain, I can bring beauty into the lives of others.
Keeping them from this.
Holding them through this.

And if not for anyone else, at the very least, for my sweet Chloegirl.

It just overwhelms me to see God so incredibly faithful to me.

To see He HAS been working when I honestly believed He wasn't there, believing He'd just had enough.

But, maybe I believed that because I was the one who, in fact, wasn't being faithful.

But still...

there He remained.

Loving.  Patient.  Forgiving.

And doing all He could while I did my best to catch up.

So, here I am Lord.

Doing my best.

And as I rely on His truths and on HIS STRENGTH...

I feel more apt to let go of my own self imposed strongholds.

He's working on me.

I know it.

I feel it.

I welcome it.

And I love it.

~~~~~~~

Regardless of what it is you struggle with..
whether you think He understands it or not...
I hope you know...
you were NEVER meant to walk it alone.

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

burts bees grab bag

I love passing on good deals to my friends, and I LOVE when my friends pass on good deals to me.

So, here's one for you!

Burts Bees has this AMAZEBALLS grab bag with loads of surprise products that normally sells for $50.

But, right now it's on sale for $25!!!

And with the code febfamily, you'll save another 20%!

{which basically is another $5, and that covers your shipping.}

Or you can add more products for a total of $49, and get free shipping.

I've heard awesome things about this grab bag, so I made sure to get mine this time.

Pass it on!

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

a master bedroom dream begins

I'm gearing up for another decorating bonanza in my home....and this time, it's our master bedroom.

I often have these moments where I'm in bed, drifting off to sleep, when out of nowhere a home decor image bolts into my brain and all of a sudden I'm WIDE AWAKE and feeling the need to DO IT NOW!!!

Ya, so that happened a few weeks ago in regards to my bedroom, and the moment it happened I texted my sister (who is as ob.sessed as I) to make sure it could work.

I saw visions of gray walls, with accents of black and white, and a burst of kelly green.  It was perfect in my brain, and all I needed was an inspiration room to get me started.

Lo and behold, yesterday as I was skimming through my fave design blogs I came upon this image:

{via Emily A. Clark}

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!!

Someone else had my vision!!!

In their home!!!

I almost died.

In fact, I was like, I. DIE.

I may have to go more the route of this gray paint though, since I don't want to go too dark for bedroom walls:

{not sure where i found this picture, but I do quite love!}

Anyway...

I'm super excited, super ready, and super impatient...

Because it may still be another week or two before we can even begin.

In time...in time.

So, what do you guys think?  

Dark or light with the gray?

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

monday muse fashion post - the 80's called

...but they ain't gettin' their dress back!

{see below for a video showing another look to this braid, as well as a link to the tutorial}

{trying to get a shot of all the accessories}

dress: vintaged tag reads allison blair, thrifted 

tank: mossimo, target...best layering tanks ever

scalloped knee socks: tj maxx

boots: f21

multi chain necklace: walmart, represent!  

initial necklace: jennifer zeuner

watch: la mer

bracelet: tiffany, engraved with our wedding date

ring: f21
another look to the free fall braid & a messy bun tutorial:


Natures Knockout: free fall braid tutorial

~~~~~~~

I had a moment with my thrift stores this weekend...and what made it even better was that all the clothes were on sale for 50 cents.  

While I was on a time crunch (and had Chloe with me...), I did my best to scour the entire place in search for the best finds there.

This dress was one of those finds.

While I get that not everybody is going to swoon over it as I do, that's totally ok.

That's actually what I love about thrifting.

There is nothing like the thrill of finding pieces that are questionable (like those shorts, lol!) and finding a way to make it work.

Finding a way to make it my own.

I'm hoping that I can find time this week to shoot a few pictures in the other two dresses I found as well...all vintage, and all 50 cents a piece!!!

Btw, I did go back for those shorts.

And would you believe they were gone?

Some other lucky soul is rocking a sexy pair of shorts, and I'm slightly jealous.

Guess it just wasn't meant to be.

sigh.

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

bringing 80's workout wear back

Recently I was lacking motivation to begin my work out, so I went to my closet and pulled out this little DIY number I've had for awhile:

It most definitely made me feel a tad cuter as I pranced about my living room...yet I couldn't help but feel that I was missing something to complete the 80's look.

And then yesterday, as I was perusing the aisles of my favorite thrift store, I happened upon perfection.

{the front}

{the back}

I almost bought them, as a joke....but I just couldn't get the image of a Borat type male wearing them previously...and NO AMOUNT of washing with soap and hot water could get that out of my head.

Still...they are kind of amazing.

They might actually still be there...and I might actually need to go back.

I'm having a bit on non-buyers remorse.

So you just watch out guys, they just may be coming to a gym near you.

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

creating moments

Sometimes we just don't have the time or the budget to make may-jah changes in our home...

and when that happens, I tend to focus more on creating little moments here and there instead.

I share this...because I'm currently ob.sessing over finishing our master bedroom.

And while I continue hanging out with craig and his list searching for just the perfect credenza to complete things....

I have to instead focus on little moments to hold me over.

Maybe it'll hold me over to the weekend.

Maybe.

{p.s. a HUGE thanks to kristen at 6th street design school for featuring my home today.  i feel insanely honored!}

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

if you thought you were dying, you'd eat it too

Holeeeeee

Crap.

This whole being sick for 4 days?

I mean....

Not cool.

What's really not fair, is that after 30 days of eating cleaner than I ever have...

all it took was being sick to bring me right back to old habits.

I was telling a friend today that I never get the kind of sick where food doesn't sound good.

Oh no!

I get the kind of sick where I feel that I absolutely MUST be about to die, therefore I should be granted a last meal for every meal until death occurs.

Only death never occurs, and instead I'm granted a few extra lb's and a fair bit of regret.

{yes, I AM a middle child...what made you ask?}

At some point in my fever, I came up with a BRILLIANT idea that if I made the cleanse foods and had them all in my fridge, I might be apt to eat those instead for 2-3 days thus reversing any damaging effects of my last few indulging days....

Except that with my fever gone today, waking up to a fridge full of 4 oz bland foods, I found myself questioning how genius I really am.

I made it through the day, until I decided that huh... 

sniff sniff...

....yup!  

I was definitely still stuffed up, still had possibilities of dying...

and so how could I possibly deny a dying girl some extra chocolate chips?!?

Well I wouldn't.

I couldn't.

So after I licked up the 4 oz of pudding, I opened the bag of chocolate chips and went to town.

{my "town" was, at present time of writing, 2 small handfuls.  so not that bad...}

Where oh where are those lessons I learned now?

I guess the good thing about being sick at the end of the boot camp, is all the sleep I have been enjoying.

This must be what retirement will be like.

{If retirement, you know, included a 2 and a 5 year old waking you up at 5 in the morning every day.}

But, I've been making up for the early mornings with a nap every afternoon,

and a party with NyQuil every night.

{note to self: do not text after NyQuil.  you are the only one who thinks you're funny at that time.}

I live like a rock star.

I will tell you, for those of you who thought "i can't believe she put a picture of a size 2 on here!"

Well, the moment I ate pizza?

{like it was just the pizza...DE-NI-AL.}

Not so much a size 2 anymore.

Feel better, now?

I know I do!

Who wants to try to keep up with a size 2 anyway???

{not me, not me, not me, not me....the more i say it, the more it's true, right?}

This is where I need to take my own advice, and grant myself a little grace, know that I don't have to be perfect....

And, 

say it with me,

embrace the process.

But at least I'm back from the dead people!

I'm alive and I'm ready to perform again.

Tomorrow is a new day.

And tomorrow...

it.

is.

on!

Right after one more handful of chocolate chips.

And then again right after Saturday night when we have friends over for our Pizza/Just Dance party.

And then again right after...
Wait, isn't it Super Bowl Sunday?
So after that...again...
and then....

Like I said, who wants to be a size 2 anyway?

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"

tracy anderson's 30 day method q&a

Being that I kinda sorta consider myself one of the 30 Day Method experts, and since I want everyone who begins The 30 Day Method to be successful, I've done my best to put together all I know and all I've learned in one place.

Of course if there's anything I've missed or anything else you want to know, feel free to email me and I'll do my best to hook you up with the wisdom you need.

Okay, so we'll start with my tips and advice and then I'll answer the questions that some of you had.

Tips & Advice:

~ Get a friend on board.  If they aren't brave enough to step up and do it with you, at least have them  promise to give you all the support you will need.  Believe me, even with the insane changes you'll start to see, every two days you will want to QUIT.  And weekends WILL be the worst.

~Take it DAY by DAY!  If I looked too far ahead on the menu or the calendar, I would freak.  

If I stayed on the day I was in, I was fine.

Stay in the day you're in.

~Take your vitamins and supplements.  I'm BIG on this, and if you need advice on what to take, click here.

In addition to those on that list, I also started taking Mercola's Krill Oil with Primrose which I love.

{and it doesn't stink!}

~ Stretch before and after.  

{I used the warmup from her 2008 Dance Cardio}  

And if your shins and knees are rockin' it in the not so hot way, ice them after your cardio for 20 minutes, and then maybe another 20 minutes before bed!!!

~ Get on Pandora!  

My favorite "station" for Mat Work was Womanizer Kaskade Mix.

And for Dance Cardio I created a station called Novaspace.

~I would suggest starting with 30 reps and when you stop feeling sore from that or it begins to get easy add another 5 reps working up to 40, 50...or more if you have time.

~Alternate the leg and arm you start with each day.  For example, Monday I started with my right leg and right arm, Tuesday I started with the left leg and left arm.  

~ Mix up your cardio.  I have all of Tracy's dance dvd's so I go between them during the week.  

If my ankles or knees were feeling a bit ticked, I spent a day or two on the rebounder....but mixing it up HELPS!

{tip for the rebounder if you've had kids....get ALL your pee out before jumping.  and even then, pad up.  don't say i didn't warn ya.}

~Try to space your meals about 2-3 hours apart to keep your metabolism going.  And it totally helps to do that by splitting your snack in half, having half mid morning and the other half mid afternoon.

~You WILL be super hungry in the beginning, but as your stomach adjusts the hunger will become less and less.  Try to not to up portions until at least the second week when you can trust your hunger more.

In the meantime, drink lots and lots of water.  It will become another food group for sure.

~If you're apt to gagging at pureed foods such as I, it's super simple, don't puree them.  

{i.e. cream of broccoli, the "bloody mary," and lots of the cleanse recipes}

I didn't, and I still got GREAT results!

~You may poo a lot in the beginning, not much in the end, and then when you eat processed foods again, get the toilet paper ready.

That's all that needs to be said about that.

~You WILL be moody.  A lot.  Or every other day at least.  Prepare your husband and kids and buy them lots of presents to make up for it.

~Say goodbye to your boobies.

{unless they're fake, and in that case, i'm jealous.}

~Have REALISTIC expectations.

I say this now because I didn't. 

I wanted to have ALL my issues resolved in 30 days....and while there WERE may-jah changes, I still have a ways to go before the "skin pulls back to the muscle" as Tracy likes to say.

Just be patient with yourself, with the process, and know that it TAKES TIME.

EMBRACE THE PROCESS.

~~~~~~~

Your Q's and My A's:

How much does it cost?

For us, I made almost all the lunches and dinners for both Jimmy and myself, so I doubled the recipes.  We also eat organic/free range, which raises the cost as well...so all in all, I think I spent between 

$100-150 each week.  

Keep in mind though that we did not eat out AT ALL in 30 days, so in the end we actually SAVED money!

When did you do your grocery shopping?

I went every Friday morning, and did my shopping for the following week.  Because all the ingredients are fresh they go bad quickly, so sometimes I would have Jimmy stop and get something on his way home from work.

{I have all the grocery lists for each week here}

How much food preparation did you do in advance?

I pretty much made my breakfast, lunch, and snacks the day before whenever I had some free time.  Sometimes I got it done the morning before, sometimes it was after the kids went to bed at night.  

As for dinner, Jimmy and I would make that fresh the moment he walked in the door from work.  

After the first week, we fell into a pretty good routine and I was ALWAYS glad that I had food prepared when hunger would strike! 

How much time did you spend each day between food prep and workouts?

Tracy was not kidding when she said this 30 Day Method would be like a part time job, because it truly does take up A LOT of time.  

Now, I'm a stay at home mom with a thousand other things going on in my day, so I had to quickly learn some time management skills...but it all worked out and I got it down pretty well.  

In the mornings, I'd do some "home schooling" with Chloe, which really means that I put on Letter Factory (reading) or Umizoomi (math), and then I got busy in the kitchen preparing snacks and lunch for my next day.  

That would take at most an hour.

{keep in mind i don't cook, so i'm extra slow}  

Then at nap time (or quiet time), I did my workout.  

Depending on the sequence, that took anywhere from 1.5- 2 hours each day.  Because Chloes nap never goes beyond 2 hours, I didn't have the luxury of adding reps beyond 40, so instead I'd put ankle weights on which most definitely did the trick!

{only needed to do this in the first sequence!}

Dinner took another 30 minutes at night, so I would say...

total hours a day maybe 3-4 hours.

Which days were harder?  Was there a pattern through the sequences?

I had heard it said that every third day was hard for others who attempted this, and I would have to say...ummmmm, yes!!!

There is most definitely a three day pattern of:  TODAY TOTALLY SUCKS that transitions the next day into TODAY ONLY KIND OF SUCKS that then transitions the third day into THE ONLY THING THAT SUCKS IS THIS FAT AND I CAN TOTALLY KICK IT'S A$*!

Sounds fun right?

Don't you totally want to do this?

{YES!  Yes you do, because you will LOVE your results.  So, suck it up girl, suck. it. up!}

When the moves were different in the book and dvd, which did you follow?

Always, always, always I followed the DVD.  I only referred to the book for the explanations, which seemed spot on even when the pictures didn't add up.

~~~~~~~

All in all, remember:

If you miss a day, substitute a meal, cheat once or cheat twice...

it doesn't have to end and YOU DID NOT FAIL!

This is a learning experience.

Learn the lesson, pick yourself up, and move on to A NEW DAY.
Every little change you make is a change for the better.

Make your mantra:

Winners never quit, 

and quitters never win.

You will win this, and I'll be right there with you every step of the way!

© 2011 "Le Musings of Moi"