March 16, 2015

My Truths - Gratefully

I am borrowing this idea from Stephanie at Life According to Steph.

As she mentioned in her post there are some truths that are scientifically proven and then there are truths that may be true to one person but not to the next.

These are my truths.

/ / Twitter is hard. It moves too fast and I am always behind. Rather, when I can catch up nothing is happening, but when I’m too busy to follow along the best conversations are happening.

/ / Blogging is an amazing way to get your voice out and even get over anxiety.

/ / Kettle corn popcorn is the best kind of popcorn ever. Especially the farmer market’s one that’s around from April to October every year.

/ / Rude people will typically always be rude and they won’t typically realize they are doing it – even if they are told so all the time.

/ / Coloring with pencils, crayons, or markers will always be a stress reliever no matter how old you are.

/ / Saving money is good, but living life is also good – you have time find a balance between the two. A mani/pedi every couple of months won’t affect your savings too much.

/ / Purses must be changed every few months.

/ / Family always comes first and is always there.



/ / Puppies are good inspirations, along with FitBits, to walk a lot – specifically 10,000 steps a day.


What are YOUR truths?


I am grateful today for a nice, restful weekend. After being on the go go go the weekend before it was nice to have some time to sit and relax this weekend. 

Ember Grey: Grateful Heart
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March 15, 2015

Stand Up Sunday - Week 8

1. How many pounds did you gain or lose? 

I started the week at 158 lbs. I ended at 158 lbs. I broke even.

2. How many inches did you gain or lose?

I still haven’t measured myself… so nothing to add here!

3. Your weekly exercise or step goal, and did you meet it?

So far the FitBit is working. I walked a total of 80,266 steps (as of 8:30pm on Saturday) this week! I try my hardest to make my step goal each day. I take my puppy for walks in the evenings to get to 10,000 and don't come home until I do! 

4. What was your biggest challenge this week?

I went to be on a TV show on Thursday so I couldn't control my eating there, but I was pretty good this week. I did, however, go out to lunch twice and then on Friday a co-worker brought cupcakes for her birthday and OMG it was amazing. 



It was raspberry filled! 


5. What is your favorite healthy snack or meal?

Well... I don't know if this is really healthy but it's been keeping my occupied. I was introduced to Starbucks' Very Berry Hibiscus. It is delicious! Best of all the calories are relatively low. 130 calories for the Trenta size (31oz). 

6. Do you have any advice or tips for the rest of us?

Don't deprive yourself of things you like - you'll end up eating more of it! 




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March 12, 2015

My Work Ethic

I had never really thought about my work ethic. I grew up in a house where my dad went to work every day – and well into his 70s (he retired at 77). He only took time off when he needed it for his health or when one of us needed him to go to the doctor or anything of the sort.

My mom stayed at home, but she was as hard working as my dad. Maybe even more so. Managing our house was never easy, but she did it lovingly. My parents, who came to the US in their late 30’s and 40’s with only savings in order to get my sister a transplant were able to prosper because of their hard work. My mom scrimped and saved to have enough savings to live off now that my dad retired (he is getting a retirement but it’s half of what he was making while working).

I started working when I was 15. For a month or two at an amusement park.  Then in college I started working retail for a year or two. Then as a teachers’ assistant, then a substitute teacher, then a receptionist, and finally now as an eligibility worker. What I’ve noticed as I look back through all my years of working I’ve kept up a good work ethic.

I don’t call out just for the sake of calling out. I’ve gone to work even when I’ve been sick (yes, I know, not the best idea…) and when I do have an appointment or something to do I take the least amount of possible and not the whole day.

There were jobs that this was more difficult to do than in others. I love my current job so much that when my husband asks me to stay home I just can’t bring myself to do it. Of course I might of missed a day or two in the past (in other jobs) because I couldn’t take it, but it wasn’t often and it was definitely the exception to the rule.

I guess these are signs of growing up, right?



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March 8, 2015

Stand Up Sunday - Week 7

(I'm sorry for the bad formatting today. It is Saturday night and I've slept 1.5 hours in the last 24, so I'm too tired to figure out how to fix it! I'll update the weight in the morning!)

1.      How many pounds did you gain or lose?

I started the week at 158.6lbs. I ended at __________. A total loss/gain of ______.

2.      How many inches did you gain or lose?

I still haven’t measured myself… so nothing to add here!

3.      Your weekly exercise or step goal, and did you meet it?

I forgot my Fit Bit at home on Monday (I didn’t put it back on after my shower) so my steps are bad for that day. Then on Thursday I went out after work so I didn’t end up getting to my 10k steps. However I stuck to it the rest of the week.

4.      What was your biggest challenge this week?

The question is really what WASN’T a challenge. Once again the weekends mess me up. I end up eating things I shouldn’t and I don’t count the calories because they are not an easy to count (like pasta, I ate some noodles and I didn’t measure it out). I want to say I will be better this weekend (I’m writing this on Friday) but I have a an all-day thing I’m doing on Saturday and I don’t have a choice as to what I’m eating and on Sunday I have a baby shower.

5.      What is your favorite healthy snack or meal?

I discovered the Very Berry Hibiscus. I don’t know how healthy it is, but it’s not that high in calories (100 for a Venti) and it is delicious. I’ve been snacking on that this week.

6.      Do you have any advice or tips for the rest of us?

I cannot come up with anything this week because I haven’t been following any of my advise lately.




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March 3, 2015

Ten Awesome Things.... About Rain



As you may know I live in a non-rainy place – Los Angeles.  Which is unfortunate for me because I love the rain (although not enough to want to move anywhere else) so when it does rain I get super excited. For some reason, though, it only seems to rain at night time so I don’t get to appreciate it as much as I could.

This weekend  we had a couple of storms come through which let me enjoy daytime rain. In honor of these storms today’s post is all about rain!

O N E – It’s great for our dried up reserves. It’s no secret the California is in a drought (we usually are) and that this winter has been SUPER dry (hey East Coast, send some of that snow this way!) so getting these storms is helpful – we still need a lot more, though!

T W O – It makes us appreciate the sun more. There is that saying that you can’t know what happiness is unless you know what sadness is. The same goes for rain and sunshine. Without the rain would you appreciate the sun? (And the sun all the freaking time makes me appreciate the rain more).

T H R E E – It smells good! You know what I’m talking about! The smell of the concrete becoming wet. The fresh air. It’s all great, or is it just me? (maybe this is because it doesn’t happen often)

F O U R – Splashing in puddles! I love wearing my tall rain boots and walking in the puddles (as long as I don’t splash myself, that is). I also love going a good speed through big accumulations of water. There are lots of these here when it rains because our gutters are all clogged up. There is one street near me that for a good 3 miles gets so backed up with rain water that small cars cannot use the right lane. So much fun!

F I V E – The sound of it on the windows. As I’m typing this on Monday afternoon at work, I can hear (on and off) the pitter patter of the droplets on the window. I also love this at home. We have a skylight in our bedroom and at night the rain is loud against the skylight. It annoys Thomas, but I love it! Surround sound rain! (the window is on the opposite side of the room from the skylight).

S I X – An excuse to cuddle up and watch a movie. Not that we really need an excuse, but it does make it easier to want to do this. I love sitting on the couch, the sliding glass door open and a blanket pulled up around me watching something. Bliss.

S E V E N – Hail/Thunderstorm - even more rare than rain around here is hail and thunderstorms. This past storm had both. I didn't get to experience the hail myself but my niece and nephew got pelted on it on Sunday when they went to the Griffith Observatory and on Monday on the way home from school. Jealous!

E I G H T - Snow! No, it doesn't snow where I live. At least not on the ground. But within an hours' drive there can be plenty. Unfortunately this has not happened in a couple of years. Rather, it has snowed but it hasn't stuck around more than a few hours making snow play not really an option. 

N I N E - Rainbows! Without rain there can't be rainbows!! 

T E N - Walking in the rain. Beyond splashing in puddles - it's fun to just walk in the rain, even if with an umbrella. There is something nice about enjoying the storms all around you. 
Love the Here and Now

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March 2, 2015

Hubby's Conversation With A Nurse

As I mentioned on here last week my husband had his tonsils removed as well as his deviated septum fixed on Thursday. I had my camera ready when he came out of sedation. 

As you guys have probably figured out by now my husband is a character... so I wasn't really surprised at what I caught on video.


Although this wasn't MY conversation, I knew I needed to share it with you guys! 

Enjoy!


If you can't see the video click here!


My Grateful Heart today is for my mother-in-law. She came to the hospital and waited with me and then did grocery shopping for Thomas and spent Friday with him while I was at work. I love my husband... but I knew that I needed the day at work. My mother-in-law is great at helping out when we need her and doing it willingly. She rocks! No evil in-law stories in my marriage! 

Grateful Heart w/ Ember Grey


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March 1, 2015

Stand Up Sunday - Week 6


1. How many pounds did you gain or lose? 

I started the week at 158.8lbs. I ended at 158.6lbs. A total loss of .2 ounces.

2. How many inches did you gain or lose?

I still haven’t measured myself… so nothing to add here!

3. Your weekly exercise or step goal, and did you meet it?

So far the FitBit is working. I walked a total of 82,785 steps (as of 8:30pm on Saturday) this week! I try my hardest to make my step goal each day. Those of you who are friends with me on FitBit you might see hat I didn't reach 10k steps on Monday or Friday, but as you can see by my total number of steps I made up for it on other days.

4. What was your biggest challenge this week?

The weekends are becoming my hardest challenge. When I'm home or, worse, when I'm out doing things on the weekends I can get off track. This week because Thomas had surgery at the hospital I had a hard time. There was a farmer's market there that day and I bought some not-so-good things. They are all gone now, but the damage was done.

5. What is your favorite healthy snack or meal?

A week ago I went picked grapefruit and oranges, so I was loving grapefruit this week! Delicious!! 

6. Do you have any advice or tips for the rest of us?

My issues with weekends then to be that I go out and don't bring anything to eat with me and then when I get home my blood sugar is low and I just need to eat and don't have the energy to make myself anything. So plan your weekends out as you do your weekdays would be my advice - at least for myself.







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