Category — encouragement

“No candles? But don’t those cost, like, 2 bucks?” Yeah, well so does a loaf of bread. Guess where my last $2 went.

Ah, the budget. Forever in the forefront of my mind. Always being reworked, borrowed from, stretched and sometimes broken.

Back to school and Christmas are the hardest times on the ol’ budget and I’m neck-deep in back to school prep right now. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t still very real things that need to be celebrated and done, like birthdays. 2 days ago, we had just such an event. When the budget for the 15th was written, I requested an extra $100 for the upcoming bday. My request was fulfilled. However, I had NOT accounted for some uniform items that the girls starting their Frosh year needed. So, the bday $ went to buy 2 new, white, button-down shirts and 2 pair of black flats for Dress Day Uniform requirements. *Think, think, think* What was I gonna do about the bday? I kept being asked for a Birthday Party. My blanket answer was, “well, that’ll be a tough one, but let’s talk about it”.  And talk we did. He asked if he could, “please, please, please have friends down to the beach for a beach day”. Hmmm…the beach is free. I can do that! But what to do about the food and favors? *think, think, think*. Well, we’ll forget “favors” altogether. If they really need something to take home, they can roam the beach for shells, right? Which by-the-way, 10 & 11 yr old boys really don’t care about. Now food-*think, think, think*. Well, I earned $27 from a book I sold on Amazon.com. So, $20 for a cake at Costco and $7 for a 40-pack of CapriSun juice pouches. I’m GOLDEN! I knew I had a huge bag of carrots, and plenty of celery and peppers to cut up and ranch dressing in the fridge (had to attempt to add something healthy to the mix) and there was plenty of PB&J and bread. Another mom donated bags of popcorn and pudding cups.

And we had ourselves a party!

Now, the agreement was that if I did give him a party, that would be his present. Since I got off so inexpensively I told him I’d take him to ToysRUs to spend a gift card he received and if he needs a little help with whatever item he chooses, I’ll pitch in…but not until after payday.

I’m proud of our $27 party!

Doing the Dance of the Children and Staying on this Tightrope of a Budget~

Here it is, the last day of Kraze Boot Camps class for M.O.M. This is the last day of the session, then it’s a week off and when the new camp starts up, I’ll be knee-deep in back to school schedules. This means no more 6 am classes for me.

I feel mixed emotions! I’m SO excited and proud that I did it! I DID it! I stopped making excuses and left some old, bad habits behind. I gained so much from these 8 weeks of classes. Seriously, I’m totally surprised! I gained confidence, better eating knowledge, lost weight/inches and showed my kiddos that it’s important to take care of our bodies. But I’m also feeling scared that I’ll lose my motivation! It’s now up to me to keep going. I have to go find a time that’s going to fit into my back to school/work schedule and commit myself to a daily workout that’s challenging and keep myself at it. I knew that going to Kraze Boot Camps was a good fit for me because of the daily motivation of a group. I feel like a baby bird that’s being pushed from the nest. I have to decide to fly!

I want to say thank you to Aaron Escobedo, for putting together such a great program with awesome people! Your dedication to your people is great and we all feel it! You let us know that we are part of something that you care about and not just a nameless body showing up to your classes. You keep the classes moving quickly and you mix it up EVERY day! I was NEVER bored with the routine, was ALWAYS challenged and learned to let go of not knowing what was coming. In the end I have to say that it was better to not know because I couldn’t dread, I could just move to the next thing. Thanks to your insistence that we could all do it, I have gained more stamina and a greater confidence for what my body can do. I no longer feel like the number of children I’ve given birth to has anything at all to do with where my fitness ability should or can be. Thank you!

So, to sum it up, in 8 weeks I’ve lost about 8 lbs, 2 1/2 inches from my chest/back, 3 inches from my waist and 3 inches from my hips. Not bad! I can run…well it really doesn’t matter how far I can run, the fact is that I can ACTUALLY run. This in and of itself is a feat! I can tackle a great number of stairs, remembered that I know how to jump rope, can do lunges and squats in a great variety of ways, found out that there are still muscles in my abs and core and no longer have to tie a sweatshirt around my waist if doing jumping jacks (this took a little knowledge of when and how much to drink and a quick trip to the bathroom before each morning’s workout ). Yea!

I may not be able join the next session, but YOU CAN! New locations are being opened up and you can take advantage of some great discounts. Message Aaron, let him know you want to get out there to give a class a try and tell him I sent you! All you have to lose is your fear, bad habits and extra weight!

A big thank you to everyone who followed along through this journey and encouraged me in so many ways! Don’t leave! I’m gonna need your encouragement through my next journey!

Somedays I feel so overwhelmed that I can’t move past the mountainous list of To-Do’s. Now that sports have started and the 3 girls are gearing up for school, there’s a constant flow to my inbox and I simply can’t keep up with the little kiddos, who are still enjoying summer vacation and the bigger kiddos whose heads are in school mode and keep handing me papers to sign and lists of needs/wants/must-haves. I end up feeling like I’m in a dark tunnel with nothing to look at or think about except the next “must do” task. AND I’m trying to do it all on a teeny-tiny-super tight budget. ~breathe~

To keep sane and somewhat on-budget today, I loaded up the 4 lil kiddos when I had to take Arianna to her tennis practice at the school, which is 15 miles away. I decided that to save gas, we would stay by the school and explore the parks available to us there. So I packed snacks and off we went. We had a little more than 2 hours to kill and ended up visiting 2 parks. One without a bathroom and one with (note to all city park planners-BUILD BATHROOMS in ALL parks!).

I also used my free drink that I’d earned at Chauo Chocolatier, that just happens to be in that area. I don’t know about you, but I try to keep *free* coupons and earned items on hand for when the budget has been emptied out. This way I always have little perks to look forward to, even when I’m out of cash. Do you guys do that too? Come on, we all belong to groups and clubs that keep us earning free items. Do you save them up for the lean times?

So there I was, sipping my spicy, mayan mocha, in a beautiful park, watching my kids run around, play games and enjoy the summer day and I realized I needed to count the good things that were going on instead of mope around about my overwhelming schedule, looming to-do list and dwindling budget. Come on! I live in a fabulous place, my kids are in great schools, I had a free drink in my hand and the gorgeous park was open to my kiddos. ~sigh~ All good! I closed my eyes, said a silent, “thank you” and soaked up a little sun.

Yep, I’m back at home, where the ever-present work is waiting, but it’s ok. I can’t change the demands of this life, but I CAN try to change the focus.

Boy do I ever do a lot of self-talk. Gets me through though. Share your tips and tricks for remembering to count your blessings and face the sun.

Doing the Dance of the Children~

Today’s lesson-
Sometimes life gets in the way of your best intentions and well-laid plans.

I knew I wasn’t going to be able to make this morning’s 6am Kraze Boot Camps class, so I had let Aaron know I’d be trying out the evening class. By 1pm, everything had changed. Mariah got called into work and Arianna needed a ride home from tryouts. So, M.O.M. had to put my plans on hold and make sure that everyone got to and from where they needed.

But the lesson in it is to not get discouraged and to start right back into it again tomorrow. Starting this program meant breaking old habits and starting new/healthier ones and in the past, if I got out of a routine, it was always hard for me to jump back into it. I’d feel like I might as well expect for things to come up and just not plan time for myself. So, in keeping with my better/healthier attitude, I need to wake up tomorrow morning and jump right back in.

Tomorrow, I do believe it’s abs/core & cardio. Gettin’ ready!

The focus of today’s Kraze Boot Camp class was upper body.

Kristi guided today’s class, while Aaron walked amongst us, checking form and encouraging us through the exercises. Her style is definitely different than his, but it kept it interesting and new, which seems to keep us going. I felt like we ran more than usual, but I could be wrong. What I know for sure is that I was beginning to feel stubborn and was gearing up for some foot-stomping if I had to run one more lap! My inner child likes to let me know when it’s feeling challenged.

My arms aren’t feeling sore, which I’m grateful for. We’ll see how they feel in the morn. Though, my body’s surprising me in little ways over these last few weeks. After last week’s leg work out, I didn’t feel any soreness! I was happy about it, but then wondered if I’d worked hard enough. Hmmm…

So, this was day 2 of drinking the after work out shake. I can’t say that I can FEEL anything different, but maybe it’s not about a feeling as much as what it’s doing for my body. So I’ll continue to drink it and trust that it’s doing it’s job.

I’m still looking forward to being remeasured at the end of this week. I’m being diligent about writing down my foods and even the shorts I bought 3 weeks ago are feeling looser in the waist. Now THAT is a good FEELING!

I’ll take it!

It’s the last week of this session and the thing I was most looking forward to today was FINALLY trying out my post workout shake! I went to the Kraze Boot Camps/GNC Happy Hour event on Friday and finally found out exactly what I needed AND got a great discount on it! If you missed out on this great event, there’s another Happy Hour tomorrow evening.

Today was a total body work out, complete with running zig zags up and down the Convention Center back stairs, jumping rope (hey Dawn-I counted my jumps, but I really didn’t get very far before having to start over again. I can’t jump like I could when I was 8!), an obstacle course, lunges, push-ups, burpies, inch worms (Yea for me, I can actually do these now!) and several other exercises that I either don’t remember or have blocked out

I’m actually really excited for this week to be over because I want to be remeasured. Yep! I WANT to be remeasured! Can’t wait! But even with my enthusiasm to see what my results are, I had a tough time getting out the door this morn. I sure had a million excuses for why I couldn’t possibly go. I bickered with myself over each excuse and found a solution for each “reason”. I hope I don’t have to fight with myself tomorrow!

Whoo hoo! Session 2 is almost done. I’m feeling proud!

Today marked the end of week 3. I’m super excited about the end of this week because it means that tomorrow is the special event at GNC for all Kraze Boot Camp-ers and those who are thinking of becoming Kraze Boot Camp-ers. I’m finally going to get the RIGHT protein powder so that I can start making those post-work out shakes! And the BEST part is that I’ll be getting a great discount on it!

If you want to find out what products to use and how to use them or if you already have a favorite product, come out tomorrow from 10-12, do a little sampling, meet other Boot Campers and let the GNC staff know you’re part of Kraze Boot Camps (even if you’re thinking about trying a class out) to get in on this great deal!

I’m going to repost Aaron’s invite so that you can have all the correct info!

Time
Tomorrow · 10:00am – 12:00pm
Location GNC in Hillcrest,
658 University Ave SD, CA 92103
San Diego, CA

“I am PROUD to announce that KRAZE Boot Camps has officially partnered up with 7, GNC (General Nutrition Center) stores throughout San Diego!

That being said, we will be having our FIRST, promotional event with the store off of University Ave, THIS Saturday, August 14th, from 10am-12pm, IMMEDIATELY following Beach Boot Camp!!!

Please come and support your BOOTCAMP Program, and stop by for some FREE samples of products, and the opportunity to LEARN about the benefits of proper supplementation! TAKE ADVANTAGE!!!”

So, there you have it! Come on out! Hope to see you there!

Only one more day left in Week 3 of this session of Kraze Boot Camps classes.

I was thinking back to the first session and that around this time, my body was really fighting with me to give up. It’s good to look back, know I pushed through it and that I’m not having the same problem this time around.

Last session the changes I noticed were that my energy level went up. I had less desire or “need” for coffee or caffeine and that I gained a stamina for the exercises. This session I’m starting to notice the physical changes. Suddenly my stomach is changing. My waist is smaller. My pants are all fitting better. I don’t feel the need to hide my arms. Yea!

I know that it’s the combination of becoming more aware of what I’m eating and when I’m eating it, in conjunction with the exercise, that’s bringing on the noticeable changes. I know I have to develop healthier eating habits and not just eat better but have the desire to eat better. I’m learning a lot! The stand out thing I learned today is that I should be eating protein before I go to bed. I’ve always believed I shouldn’t eat ANYTHING before I go to bed. So tonight I’m choosing edamame.

Alright, time to grab my snack and read a little before bed.

Wanna join me in learning how to better care for our bodies? How to gain energy and not be so reliant on caffeine? Wanna look and feel better? Message Aaron and tell him you’d like to give a class a try! Become part of the fastest growing outdoor fitness Kraze in San Diego!

It’s Thursday of another summer’s week gone by. There are only a few weeks left and I have a mountain of housework/school prep/paperwork to get through. There are kid’s physicals, sports tryouts, school shopping and the last of the summer house guests to keep me Doing the Dance. But I wanna play! The beach is RIGHT THERE and it’s screaming to me and the kids. The pools are sending out invites and wondering why we’re not lying in the San Diego sunshine in lounge chairs by their clear, blue sides. The parks are whispering of shady trees and picnics. I’m so torn!

For today I’m working in the house for a little while longer and then packing up my bickering brood and heading for the pool, book in hand. But I know I’ll come home this afternoon, look around at all that’s waiting and wonder what magical thing is going to happen to make it possible for me to get it all done.

Why, oh why are there only 24 hours in each day? This M.O.M. needs more. More of everything! More time. More help. More solutions to my inner tugging between work and play!

Grab some time on these fleeting, summer days and try to enjoy it before it’s gone. The work, well, it’ll still be there. I promise

Doing the Dance of the Children and trying to keep my balance~

3 things about today-

1) Upper body/shaky arms/sore shoulder/new kinds of push-ups that I would NEVER have thought of!

2) My notebook is missing! This can only mean that the kiddos took it for lack of coloring paper. I will be purchasing a new notebook tomorrow. Seriously-I can’t find it!

3) Kraze Boot Camps and GNC! That’s right! Kraze Boot Camps has partnered with 7 local GNC locations to bring all Boot Campers some GREAT deals! To get it all rockin’ they’re hosting a “Happy Hour” at the Hillcrest location on Saturday from 10-12. Wanna learn about and sample great products? Come on out, join the Kraze Boot Campers and enjoy some great discounts! Congrats to Aaron on this awesome, new partnership! We will all be benefiting by learning what products to look for.

Whoo Hoo! Kraze Boot Camp just keeps getting better and better! Good Stuff all around! Come join the fastest growing outdoor boot camp in San Diego! Wanna try a class? Send Aaron a message and let him know you’re coming. I hope to see you there!

This session is 1/2 over!

I had a tough time getting out of bed and out to the 6am Kraze Boot Camp class this morn. It was the closest I’ve come to not going. At 5 I realized that my clothes were still in the washer. I grabbed some dry towels, put them into the dryer with my wet things and hoped they’d be done in time for me to leave. Made it!

It was a total body work out today and everything moved quickly. Sometimes I find myself feeling uncoordinated, like when we were running backwards, uphill or after the first round of hurtles. I’m always afraid I’m going to trip, knock everything over, end up with people tripping over me and ruining the whole exercise for everyone. So far it hasn’t happened, but it’s still a fear.

My fear of writing down last night’s dinner was pretty silly too. Aaron did a great job of understanding the dilemma I have with feeding so many people and went through portion control and suggestions for substituting ingredients. This really is a whole process of learning what to eat, when to eat it and how much of it to eat. I give Aaron credit for taking the time to help us all learn these things because they will ultimately enhance our work out results.

So, 2 more weeks in this session. I’m looking forward to seeing what these next 2 weeks bring.

Abs and Core

That was the theme of today’s Kraze Boot Camp workout. Though my rear end and legs are still demanding attention from yesterday’s class! OUCH!

I’m finding it difficult to write about today’s class because I’m preoccupied with my itchy eyes, throat, back and arms. Aaron had us run over to a grassy area, form a large circle, get down on the grass and do all the abs and core exercises right on the grass. Uh…I’m allergic! I’ve taken meds to combat the effects of the grass on my eyes and throat since I was a small child. But who am I to say anything?! One of the top rules of Boot Camp is, “no complaining”. So there you go! I hope I can show up for tomorrow’s 6am class Claritin Clear!

After an abs workout, I always feel cheated. I worked hard, got all sweaty, breathed hard and can feel all those muscles feeling nice and tight…UNDER THE FLAB. It just seems unfair that to the everyday, naked eye, my stomach just looks like any ol’ stomach, because underneath it feels so good!

Notebook update-As I’ve mentioned, we’ve been asked to keep track of our daily foods by writing down all that we consume. This has been a good thing…really! But it’s a chore and a lot of head work;

Me-”Sure, I’ll make Mexican Lasagna for all of you guys! Yep, invite everyone you’d like, over to eat.”
My Brain-”GREAT! What am I supposed to do?! I feed so many people each night and I have to make meals that are inexpensive, good and go far enough that whomever walks through the door can be fed. Mexican Lasagna definitely fits all that criteria but I need to serve it with tortilla chips and guac if it’s going to fill everyone. There ARE black beans, fresh tomatoes, fresh onions, avocados and cheese involved, but there’s also, flour tortillas, refried beans (but the vegetarian kind, so there’s no animal fats involved) and corn. I feel stuck between cooking a certain way that fits my budget and feeds the masses and eating in a way that I don’t wince when I write it down!”

So there you have it. Yep, I’ve been writing everything down and I’ve gotten lots of helpful tips without being chastised, but I still feel very sensitive about the whole thing.

Tomorrow is the end of this week. 2 more weeks to go in this session. I know I’m stronger. I know I have better endurance and I know I need to be conscience about what I eat. Joining Boot Camp and taking on the challenge of going daily and working the best I can each day IS paying off in better habits, a better attitude and a leaner, healthier me. I just have to find a good balance for the whole meal issue.

It’s never too late to come out and give a class a try! I’d love to see you! Message Aaron and let him know you’d like to see what all the hype is about. Be a part of the Fastest Growing Outdoor Boot Camp in San Diego!

Dear Aaron

My knees are sore. My butt is sore. My legs are wobbly. If my children drop something on the ground I must tell them to pick it up themselves. I can not bend down because I will not be able to get back up. When I sit down (such as now), I pray that I can sit for a good, long time because it is much to painful to stand back up. I pretended to sit my butt in a chair so many times today that it is actually rebelling against the idea. I’m not sure I will actually be able to get out of bed tomorrow morning to join the 6am Kraze Boot Camp class, but you can bet I’ll give it my best.

Wow!

On the up side-in the past 2 weeks, I’ve worn 2 pair of jeans that could not be coerced onto my body before Boot Camp. Not only did I wear them, I wore them quiet comfortably. THIS is success! THIS is a healthier M.O.M. THIS is the beginning of new and better, healthier habits, with tangible rewards. THIS is something that I figured was NOT going to happen after giving birth to 9 children and spending 21 years paying attention to everyone else’s needs.

My sore glutes thank you and my cute jeans thank you.

You rock!

I may be hobbling, but I’ll see you in the morn~

Whoa Mama! That’s what I have to say about today’s Kraze Boot Camp class!

“PUSHUPS, JUMPING JACKS, PUSHUPS PLANKS, INCHWORMS, DIPS, DUMBELL ROWS, BAND LATERAL RAISES, JUMP ROPE, BICEP CURLS, JUST TO NAME A FEW OF THE EXERCISES FROM TODAYS UPPER BODY WORKOUT!” This is a direct quote from my trainer’s Facebook page.

I had a 9:30 appointment for a shoulder and back massage and when the therapist touched near my underarm (sorry, don’t know the technical term), he said, “been doing some push-ups?” Geesh! I was thankful for his finding the correct spots to work out after all that upper body work today.

As tired and sore as my arms and shoulders are, I’m not sure I’m looking forward to moving to my legs tomorrow. All I can think is, “stairs”. ~sigh~

Writing down my foods wasn’t as challenging today. I received some helpful breakfast tips after Aaron reviewed yesterday’s activity. I wasn’t able to return the protein powder I bought, but will try to get it done tomorrow. I have strawberries, blueberries, almond milk and bananas (wondering if I can skip the banana in the smoothie) waiting to become a recovery shake, once the correct protein powder is purchased. I keep forgetting to ask why soy protein should be avoided. I know that plenty of people add lots of soy to their diets. Hey Aaron-why do I have to avoid soy-based protein?

Ok-one more day down.

Good stuff!

Back home. Back to the daily Dance. Back to Kraze Boot Camp classes.

I missed the first week of this session, but I’m jumping back in with both feet. Thank goodness I kept moving while I was on vacation! I’m thankful to Aaron for sending a suggested daily workout to keep me from getting totally out of routine.

There are 2 new additions to this round of Boot Camp-1) Kristi Krajsa has joined the team. She’s helping Aaron to keep us motivated and to make sure each of our exercises are done correctly. You can read her interview by a fellow Boot Camp blogger here. 2) Notebooks! These lil notebooks were handed out to encourage us to keep track of all we eat each day. If we care to keep track, we can bring the notebooks to Aaron each morning before our work out and he can review and suggest. I started today and it’s amazing what you keep from eating if you know you’re going to have to write it down! I was in Sees Candy with JJ today (we were picking up a box for him to bring to France with him) and not only did I NOT pick out a piece to purchase, I didn’t even accept the free sample that was offered to me. No WAY I was writing THAT down! Same thing happened in Costco. Seriously, I’m not going there!

Since I got into the routine of having a recovery shake after each work out  on my vacation, I decided to add all the ingredients to today’s shopping list. I found a protein powder, sent a pic and description to Aaron, got the approval and was excited to get started making my own shakes tomorrow morning. After I was home, I read the fine print and it’s a 50/50 mixture of whey and soy. DANG! I’ll have to return it tomorrow and try again.

I’m looking forward to being back in the daily routine! I admit that I don’t like getting up and getting dressed and going, but I’m always happy that I’ve done it. Thanks for all the encouragement I’ve received! It’s really made all the difference. The BEST perk I’ve come across so far is that the jeans that I COULD NOT get on, but stashed into the closet, were worn-quite comfortably, on this vacation. YEA!

Good night~