September 21, 2012
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It Is About Time

Well.  Time to make a serious change around here.  My shoes need replacing!  The current shoes I’m running in are FAR overdue for retirement.  As good as my Brooks have been, it is time to bid adieu.

They have been with me for some very serious, life changing events!

They have seen:

many pre-run strech sessions…

Many early mornings in Chicago racing races… or prepping for them…

Crazy long marathon training runs…

CARA 20 mile ready to run

MY FIRST MARATHON!!

They were guests at my wedding:

Even the photographer got a few shots (see above 😉 )

They were at the interview where I got a part time job at lululemon & were on my feet in a first trimester prego run (I didn’t know it but I was 5 weeks pregnant here):

a 26 weeks prego 5k:

and finally… a post baby 5k:

Many miles, many memories – these things are closer to me then some of my family.  They weren’t bought for their beauty – but I got a lot of green workout pieces because of them.  I’m going to make sure my next pair sees as much action as these babies did (well I’m not making another baby… or getting married again – but as far as races go 😉 )

Tomorrow I’m off to Fleet Feet, to see if my running stride has changed at all (I’ll blog more about this later) – Pregnancy can change your feet, so I need to have them rechecked for the correct size and make sure I still have a neutral stride.

It really is hard to say goodbye.  I’m sure these will sit in my closet for a while 😉 we really have bonded.

OH! and follow me… http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fit-Wife/500067030004065

September 20, 2012
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The Fit Wife – On Facebook

Yep, I did it… Made a facebook page 🙂   http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fit-Wife/500067030004065

There are so many little inspirational things I’d like to post, recipes and youtube videos to share and all that fun stuff – facebook makes it easy to share my likes, dislikes and learn a little bit more about my short (hopefully getting longer) list of followers 🙂

so please go and like 😀

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Fit-Wife/500067030004065

 

 

 

September 20, 2012
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What We Are Loving…

If you were like me, you spent hours and hours thinking about what you  were going to do with your baby.  What you wanted to wrap him in, what you were going to wash him with, how many kisses you were going to give him…

You really don’t need much for a newborn.  Some loving arms, diapers, a way to feed them (formula or momma’s milk), some clothes, and a car seat.  Those are musts, but everything else is just extra.  We have a lot of extras around here and even though nothing has gotten more use then my arms, there are some favorites around here and I’d like to share them 😉

MOBY!  We are loving the Moby around here:

Shopping with Evan in the Moby

I use it around the house to get things done and when we go shopping.  I LOVE that it keeps him so close to me.  He loves it too.  I did a lot of research on babywearing and although tying this thing could be a little annoying with all the fabric (next time I’ll buy the Baby k’tan so I have the Moby and the k’tan) it is worth it because Evan really is happy in it and I feel close to him, which I love.  You can find the Moby at Target, Amazon and Buy Buy Baby.

Babo Botanicals:

 

This family LOVES this product.  It is made in the USA, it has pure flower and plant extract, has no synthetic fragrances or colors, no chemicals, is paraben & phthalate free and is a great idea for parents with super sensitive skin!  It smells like heaven, has no harmful chemicals and has kept my sweet baby’s skin soft and moist.  We have never had issues with cradle cap (which I know he was starting to get, you can see it when their hair is wet – it is gone now – never a flake), dry skin and his baby acne was very mild.  The Oatmilk calendula moisturizing lotion is awesome too!

You can buy this on Amazon, or at Buy Buy Baby (I got a great deal on them on MyHabit.com).  We are huge fans and although it costs a little more than competitors with babies a little goes a long way and what is going on his skin is absolutely worth it to us and I would absolutely pay full price for this product in the future.  As we get low, I have their calming lavender products and I will let you know how we like those!

California Baby Candula Creme & Earth Mama Angel Baby Bottom Balm (and Nipple Creme, not pictured):

These two products are also chemical free (can you see where I’m going here?) – They are amazing and smell great too.  The calendula cream is for dry skin – I put extra amounts of this on his head when I feared he was getting cradle cap… gone!  Daddy has also used it for some of his chapped skin!

The bottom balm is amazing too, he really helps with the little bit of redness E gets here and there.  This is also multi use and can be used as a rescue ointment for bug bites and burns (for the parents!) we like things that we all can use – again skin is important to us. 🙂 – We are only given one body!

The Swing:

 

He cuddles in this swing so often.  He LOVES it.  We will babble to himself and take naps in this wonderful contraption.  ❤

Aden & Anais Swaddle Blankets ❤ LOVE LOVE:

 

He has been wrapped up in these every day since the day he entered the world (he was just two weeks old, how was that a month and a half ago already?!).  We have 13 of them.  I have bought their boutique (pictured above) paparazzi pack, their Oh Boy! pack (sold at Babies r us), an organic wrap, and their Bamboo Pack (our favorites, Evan’s FAVORITES).  They are great for swaddling, covering his car seat, nursing cover, burp cloth… everything.  The bamboo ones are AMAZING.  They are softer (didn’t think it was possible), and Evan loves to pull it up to his face (which I don’t freak out about because these things are extremely breathable).  As you wash them, they get softer… LOVE these. Plus the patterns are SUPER cute! I HIGHLY recommend their products.  We have their burp clothes too.

Our BOB Revolution SE:

Evan’s first trip downtown labor day weekend – BOB pictured with the infant adapter and car seat attached.

We have two strollers the Peg Perego P3 and the BOB.  The P3 is great for the mall, and is pretty light and compact for what we use as a travel system, but we do have a favorite stroller.  The BOB.  We were very prepared just to use the P3 because babies can’t jog in the stroller until they are at least six months old.  But one day (that turned into several days) Hector forget the P3 in his trunk and I was stuck without a stroller so I ordered the infant adapter and man was I glad I did.  We get a lot of use out of this thing already and my best friend has it for her son and she has told me she loves it!

The wubbanub!

 

Enough said, the cuteness factor of these things makes them worth it haha!  They are also so much easier to find then just the pacis.

So there are quite a few things we love, but the products above are the ones I will babble about to anyone who asks 🙂 – All babies are different, so I can’t say everyone will LOVE these products… But I did a lot of research about the anti-chemical stuff and I’m glad we stuck with them ❤

September 19, 2012
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To Join or Not to Join…

That is the question.

Do you have a gym membership?  Or are you an at-home kinda person.  Are you a lucky one with tons of equipment (i.e. a treadmill, full weight rack, a dip bar, a bosu, and other fun favorites?).  Or are you a light at home fitness junkie (dvds, maybe a set or two of weights, a yoga mat and some awesome running shoes to take outside?).

Speed work last summer with my pups

I’m technically somewhere in the middle.  I have some fitness equipment like a pull up bar, weights, a yoga mat (which I want to upgrade as a birthday gift to myself), a small collection of DVDs (I have a love/hate to love relationship with Jillian Michaels) and I have totally taken advantage of some of my mom’s goodies in the past.  But I also have a gym membership.  Which is currently suspended due to my little bundle sleeping on my lap as a type this post. 🙂

My reason for typing this is because, I LOVE my gym.  I literally day dream about it.  I have always called it my happy place. Although I may have to break up with it (tears will fall my friends) in the not too far future (details below) – I thought I’d write a post about finding your perfect gym.  Because as I evaluate mine I am slowly starting to feel as though it isn’t the perfect fit for me anymore. 😦 (it really is like breaking up… the thought hurts my soul)

** We live in the Chicago Land area, so we have lots of options as far as fitness facilities go and my examples of clubs may not apply to you.  Please note, these clubs may not be found in your area but I’m sure that there is something out there for everyone if you are looking to join a gym.  If a large scale club isn’t near you – look into park districts, local schools and even hospitals (my gym is located in a hospital.. and it is amaze-balls, seriously)! ❤

1.  Location:  Is your gym easy to get to?  Seems pretty simple, right?  Well a lot of chain gyms offer a membership to their location as well as other locations.  Or for a small fee (or large, better ask!) you can go to some of their higher-end gyms.  Examples are Xsport Fitness (Piper’s alley costs more as well as some other centrally located clubs), and FFC (Fitness Formula Clubs) (a few of their city options are more money).  Some fitness facilities, like mine, only have one location.  So I don’t have an option to go to a place that is close to work, close to home or on the way home or on the way to work that larger chains can offer.

* My gym is currently located VERY CLOSE to my work.  But is not convenient from home, which is one reason we might have to break up.  With a new baby, I can’t just run to the gym after work anymore, I’m going to need to bring my little nugget home.  Which brings me to my next point… hours.

FFC West loop pool (Source FFC.com/westloop)

2. Hours:  Are you a morning person?  Night person?  LATE night person?  Hours at a gym  are pretty essential.  Some are very limited (again, like my gym 5 a.m. – 10 p.m., shorter hours on weekends).  Or some are open 24-7 like Xsport.  FFC is open 24 hours Mon-Thursday close at a later hour Friday and have long but not overnight hours on the weekends.  This may vary, by state but it is how it is in IL.  Be sure to think long and hard about this, before I was a mom the limited hours at my gym worked.  Now it might be kind of nice to have extended hours because as many new moms know, sometimes you get up at 2 a.m. and can’t go back to sleep, why not get in some weights or a swim or a long sweaty run? And leave the sleeping (or not) baby at home with daddy 😉

3. Price:  This is usually what people focus on the most.  In my experience, the higher prices are usually worth it.  But there is something out there for everyone, even those on the tightest budget (Planet fitness offers a year membership for 100 bucks, or like $9.99 a month, crazy… Yep!).  But at Planet fitness, you are getting the bare minimums if it is your thing to just go sweat and leave… this is the place to go, not much there but what you need to get in a decent workout. Bally’s is now LA Fitness – I would say they are the next cheapest but I’m not sure on the pricing at LA Fitness as they are pretty new to our area but I think they might be closer to that of XSport which will run you from the low 30s a month to around 40 and maybe more if you opt to use their special gyms (like described above).  FFC offers a more high-end experience than the run of the mill Xsport and it usually comes at a price of around 65-70 dollars a month.  They do have a nicer facility and more amenities usually.  If you live in Chicago, you can always go the East Bank route, but prepare to dig deep into those pockets.  A membership will cost you around 150 a month, plus parking 😉 – I’m not going to lie, the facilities are sorta worth it… but you can check it out yourself, here.  If you are one who drools over celebs, that is the gym to visit.  I’ve been lucky enough to see and try out the insides (thank you my dear friend! amazing.) and it is pretty much a dream facility, oh no wait… it is THE DREAM facility.  *sigh* Equinox is another high end gym, which offers some pretty sweet amenities but this club will also run you about 100 bucks plus a month.

**Note, these prices are estimates, be sure to check around for pricing and deals and really work with the people at the facilities to see if you can get a better deal.  A little birdie told me that the best time to join is in the summer (sorry folks, late post) because not as many people join in summer months.  Also, many facilities have a initiation fee so be sure to discuss that with whoever you sign up (see if you can talk them down a bit).  Are you signing up a whole family?  Many places will give discounts if more than one member joins or if you refer a friend.

4.  Amenities:  This is super important to note.  Are you someone who is just going to get on a tredmill and hit the weights and call it a day?  Are you going to want to shower at your gym?  Lock stuff up in lockers?  Do you need a pool?  A steam-room? Do you want to take a TRX class? How about some Zumba?  Hot yoga? (YES! some gyms now offer hot yoga!! FFC West Loop!!! and LIFETIME fitness clubs!) Oh how about a rock-wall?  Before making a commitment to a gym, be sure to check out all the contenders in your area.  A 10 dollar price difference may make your experience go from OK to amazing.  I know, that I have fallen IN LOVE with my gym’s basketball court, pool, and women’s only steam room and sauna.  I don’t think I’ll ever be able to join a gym that doesn’t offer these things (and trust me, they all don’t).  Have a child?  Do they offer child care?  Do they have ways to get your children involved?  Do you need a massage?  FFC, Equinox and many other gyms around the 70 dollar plus range offer spa services (with extra charge of course).  

No idea where this gym is, but it is pretty isn’t it? Does your surroundings matter to you? I found that a prettier gym motivates me a bit more 😉 – Don’t get me wrong… I can just hammer it out anytime and anywhere – but a nice facility is worth it to me. (source)

**MOST gyms especially ones priced around 70 or below a month will offer free passes.  Don’t be afraid to use these!!  It is crazy important to see how that gym may work for you! Try things out.  How do things smell? (no really, does it smell like crazy BO or are the machines dirty?) How is the staff?  How is the parking?

 

(above is the AMT machine, love it for cardio – so many options)

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My list could continue forever, but the main points are to be sure to find a place that offers what you need.  One that keeps you excited and a place you LOVE to go.

My current gym is AMAZE-BALLS (as Guiliana would say, she works out at East Bank, btw).  I love everything about it, except the no childcare room and sorta crappy hours.  The staff, the machines (fat ropes, kettle bells, weighted balls, bosu, TRX bands, you name it… they have it), great stretch areas, huge indoor basketball court, the class offerings (yoga (not heated), Pilates, spin, zumba and others), indoor track, pool and awesome locker room complete with closed in showers, a whirl pool, sauna, and steam-room (no boys – they have their own!).

I look forward to returning to it, and daydream about my sweaty workout sessions.  However, for several reasons I may have to break-up with my gym.  My heart aches at this, so I’m not going to make any crazy decisions, yet – but I do need to roll with the punches and make sure I am at a gym that I use frequently, and that has the best hours, location and family friendliness I need.

Do you love your gym?  Do you prefer to workout at home?  What are your gym must haves?  Is it your happy place too?

Quick breakdown:

Cheaper (under $20 bucks a month):  Planet Fitness, HOME!! (although, buying equipment for your home can be expensive and I’m obviously not including those costs)
Middle range ($50 or less a month, even with upgrade package):  LA Fitness, Xsport (including Piper’s Alley and other Chicagoland locations)
Upper middle (Between $60-$80):  FFC, Loyola Fitness
Pricey (yep, about $100 plus):  East Bank Club (EBC), Equinox and LIFETIME fitness (not really in the Chicagoland area, but surrounding suburbs).

I’m sure I’m missing a bunch of places so feel free to leave some feedback.  Do you LOVE Your gym?

Again, do yourself a MAJOR favor.  Try out a gym before you commit.  That is the best piece of advice I could give.  🙂

September 18, 2012
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Dealing with Guilt

The previous post I wrote a few days ago and just got around to finishing.  This one has been a long time coming and might be a wordy nightmare, but I warned you 😉

As much as I love being a mother and a wife, as time goes on I find myself feeling increasingly more guilty about things: am I spending enough time with Evan?  Am I making time for my husband?  That run could have been longer.  Should I go back to work?  Really Jen, fit in some more time for fitness.  Did I just eat that cookie? Nope I had 4.  Who am I? I don’t do that.  – Yikes.

These feelings of anxiety just happen to be getting worse and worse as we draw closer to me returning to work.  I feel guilty that I need to leave my new son for hours and hours.  I’m simply not ready.  Another thing I feel guilty about?  If I feel guilty already for leaving him with my mother in law while I’m at work, how am I going to spend additional time away from him in order to work on my fitness goals? *sigh*

Life is about growing and adjusting and sometimes I feel what I do isn’t good enough.  That is when I know that I need to hit the pavement a little more, or roll out the yoga mat.  A healthy physical lifestyle is essential to dealing with these feelings, but isn’t it funny how those feelings zap the energy right out of you?  Or how about attempting to fit in, time with baby, time with hubby, time at work, time with my ipod running/workingout, time on my yoga mat (essential), time cooking, oh and lets write a blog while I’m at it… There are only 24 PRECIOUS HOURS in a day.

Lately I find myself clinging to my newborn even more.  How is time FLYING by?  Is he really 8 weeks old? Oh yeah, he is.  Is he slowly (and I mean rapidly) growing out of his 0-3 month clothing. Why haven’t I lost all my baby weight?!  Is it possible that I feel LARGER?  Oh goodness.  My mind races, constantly.  I’m not sure how to deal.

Appreciate where you have been but live to be where you are now. Life never stops… or slows down. Time is the only true constant.

So, as you can see, I’m not really dealing.  I’m attempting to fine-tune my tools that I know will help me deal.  So here they are:

1. Breathe.  Sounds simple right?  We do it to survive.  But I mean to really breathe.  Take a deep breath, live in the moment.  Yesterday I simply picked up my sleeping baby, held him close and smelled his sweet baby hair.  I soaked up that moment in his cute puppy pajamas and reminded myself he will never be this tiny again… soak it in.  Appreciate the moment.  So again, take a deep breath.

2. Organize.  This ISN’T so simple.  But it really is essential in my life.  If I spend another 2 minutes searching for a pacifier, or finding a pair of running crops… I really might scream.  Evan entering this world, really reminded me how quick time flies and how important the minutes are.  Being even more organized (I thought I was, clearly I need some work) – will really help streamline tasks.  Even though the process is intense it is important.

3. Give yourself a break.  If you really only get in a 20 minute run instead of a 30 – don’t beat yourself up.  This is my problem.  Evan will never be this small again.  If I want to spend 5 more minutes cuddling instead of washing the dishes… I need to be OK with that.

4. Plan ahead.  Meals.  I need to start cooking in bulk for the days things go, well, crazy.  How do I do this?  Cook quinoa in bulk.  It takes pretty much the same amount of time to cook 1 cup as it does 3 cups or 4 all at once and a quick pop in the microwave is way easier then pulling out the measuring cups and tiny grains with a screaming baby in your arms.  Same with chicken, a total staple… Instead of grilling one breast or two, we do 4.  Finally, making sure we always ALWAYS have some greens.  Spinach, TJ’s new power greens mix (LOVE!!! omg. love.) which is organic chard, kale and baby spinach – EXCELLENT in my wraps or cooked with anything.

5. Dark Chocolate & a cup of coffee. Well, in my life, this is a must.  It is that happy sugar and caffeine.  I limit myself to one cup of joe and some dark chocolate whenever I’m feeling a bit blue.  Why?  Well… Why not?  You have to live.

6. Tea. Put that teapot on the burner and make myself some herbal awesomeness.  Chamomile is always a favorite but I must admit I have to get a lot of Mother’s Milk down in a day.

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So some of the tools above work a little basically to just calm me down, but I’m open to suggestions to any others!! No seriously, any little bit of help. ❤

Do you just not have guilt?  Do you work to calm yourself down with some of the remedies above? Clearly I’m not just letting it go but easing it with the things above.  Maybe it has something to do with the fact I always try to over-achieve and I put a ton of stuff on my shoulders just to feel like I’m not cutting it… Which leads to less energy and not so healthy thoughts (i.e., guilt)

 

^^ Pictures like this (taken in Chicago 2011 the day of my 20 mile marathon prep run – A YEAR AGO ALREADY) remind me how beautiful life is.  I don’t want to waste so many minutes worrying anymore.

 

September 18, 2012
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Something I Love SO Much Right Now (and wasn’t sure I would)

While preparing for baby, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed.  Being someone who usually focuses a TON on their diet, I knew that I wanted to try really hard to breastfeed.  Now let me start off by saying:  breastfeeding isn’t for everyone.  I know some mothers cannot breastfeed, some babies have the hardest time latching, and some choose to formula feed, just because.  I just knew breastfeeding (for a variety of reasons) was what was best for my family.  That being said, I love the special time I get to share with my little guy every day when he eats.  Being eight weeks into our breastfeeding journey, I really am so glad I stuck to the breastfeeding.

He was once this tiny?! It is insane how fast they grow… And how I have been able to plump him up! lol

The one thing I was nervous about while pregnant, was breastfeeding.  I knew that some mothers had such a hard time and there is so much material out there that can freak you out.  However, I must say knowing what could possibly lay ahead really did prepare me for the highs and lows of this journey.  So I thought I would share how I prepared, because I think it really did make a difference in our success.

1.  Online resources.  This is so easy.  You can just hop on google and find a ton of resources.  I found www.kellymom.com very helpful as well as reading blogs (Daily Garnish, Healthy Tipping Point, Fitnessista).  The blogs helped me learn the highs and lows.  For instance, in the beginning can be very difficult.  Your body simply isn’t used to all the stimulation your little one is giving you.  He or she is learning as you learn and that is what I was very happy to be prepared for.  Knowing that some days will be hard, but that it WILL get better.  Sometimes it just helps reading about people you don’t know who have had struggles and overcame them, or how breastfeeding didn’t work for them and them choosing to formula feed, or to exclusively pump!  All these things are important to note because there is no RIGHT way to parent and sometimes paths change, even when we might not want them to.

2.  Breastfeeding Class.  This is a great way to get your partner involved.  We signed up for one through our hospital and it was a great idea.  Hector had no idea how wonderful breastmilk can be for a baby.  He knew it was the healthier choice over formula but he didn’t understand just how much better for mother and child it was.  This helped me created a live-in support system.  Hector still gets up most nights (even if he works) to change the baby so that I don’t have to and I can sit up an nurse.  I know that seems awesome, but he knows that it takes 5 minutes to change a diaper, and 20-45 minutes to nurse my son.  He also knows how to carefully handle my “liquid gold” when I pump (as I’ll be returning to work and my baby hasn’t to eventually get used to a bottle).

3.  Buying a few helpful things BEFORE baby comes.  I found the following products to be very very helpful with some of the discomfort I was having.  I bought breast pads (a MUST have, simple must have, I leaked like crazy in the beginning and still need them even now) and nipple creams.  I bought two different creams, one by earth mama angel baby (you can buy on Amazon) and one by Lansinoh.  The one by earth mama angel baby is way more my cup of tea as far as ingredients go, but Lansinoh did offer a bit more therapy when I needed it most so I was glad to have both.

4.  Knowing that whatever I chose, even if breastfeeding didn’t work, that I was making the best decisions for my family.  Confidence, that no matter what, I had my baby’s and my best intentions at heart.  If something would have went wrong with breastfeeding, then I was OK with that because just to try was a goal.  Goals are important to me, but I’m also ok when they don’t work out.

5.  Making short term goals.  My best friend helped me with this one.  My first goal was to try to breastfeed (at the hospital), my second goal when that was accomplished was to make it a week, then two weeks, then a month.  Now my goal is 3 months.  It will be tested too because I’ll be returning to work.  The longest term goal I have right now is 6 months.  I wish and hope I can do it for a year, but if I can’t I know that I worked hard and did what I could.  Formula isn’t ideal for me, but I was a formula fed baby and I’m perfectly healthy.  Lots of my friends had/have formula fed babies who are all healthy and happy.

6.  It hurts.  Yeah, I’m not meaning to scare anyone but it isn’t the most pleasant feeling the first week or so.  It really isn’t, there is no way around it.  Just be religious about the nipple creme and KNOW it will get better.  Many people find relief with cooling gel pads and warming ones, I didn’t use them myself so I cannot attest but the nipple creme does help.  Bright side?  IT TOTALLY GETS BETTER.  One day you just notice, “hey, that didn’t hurt!” – and now, it doesn’t hurt at all, ever. 🙂

Someone is getting big!!

For me, nourishing my child really does give me a sense of accomplishment.  We did it.  He is happy and healthy and I’m proud I stuck with it.  Again, don’t feel down if you can’t – it does come easier to some then others, but I think preparing myself has helped my journey.  Some days are better then others, but it really does get better and better as far as this topic goes.  Soon it is second nature.

 

One thing I don’t think I’ll ever like?  Pumping.  Oh my, I feel like a cow.  Sorry I do and I hate it.  I’m going to do it, because I know while I’m at work I’ll need the relief and I also will want to take my son and nurse him before and after work which means I will need to keep up my supply… But yeah, pumping is another post at another time that probably won’t be as upbeat.  It really is about your own journey and I just wanted to start to share mine. 😉

 

September 13, 2012
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Focus On: Goals

So the time as come, to stop thinking about all things baby and to start planting some seed goals. Something I have learned recently?  New baby makes it quite difficult to focus these days.  I’m totally guilty of having an intention, and then it flies out of my brain.  Although I have a baby who is fairly good sleeper I still get up once a night to feed him and have some pretty crazy anxiety that makes me feel like I cannot sleep.  So I’ve been doing some yoga breathing and stretching at night, need to remember to incorporate some tea, and Enya Pandora station anyone?  Hello. Yes!  Or my lullaby radio, haha, seriously I know but I am a parent these days!

Anywho, I’m not one for personal selling, in fact I am usually the one who gets annoyed when someone pushes Mary Kay or Avon.  I’m not pushy.  That is why I loved working at lululemon for that brief period (before my baby made me a sickly sleepy zombie) – we didn’t push products, we educated.  I love that.  I loved people walking into the store, listening to their story and figuring out what products may work for them and why.  If they didn’t buy anything, that was ok because the next time they walked in they would have a little more information on what they might need for their goals.  I loved learning about the clothes that worked better for yoga (luon) and why… and why power luxtreme is a dream to wear while running and the silverscent was anti-stink because I know someone who sweats A LOT *coughsMecoughs* – I hope someday my path is one that brings me back to this company because it really is something I enjoyed and something I believed in.  lululemon was HUGE on goals which was right with my personal view on them.  Goal setting is an extremely powerful tool, it helps envision the future in a positive way and helps you work daily toward shorterm/midterm/longterm goals.  By-when dates help hold us accountable, so I need to jump back on this train.  Checkout a little bit of how lululemons do goals:  here. (Yeah there is a reason lululemon is all over my wishlist for birthday gifts lol)

I could write a whole blog on goal writing tools, and I truly believe in them.  But after I got pregnant instead of re-evaluating goals (it is ok, things change!  Your goals can too, just revisit and readjust) I was living one day at a time trying to figure out how the HECK I was going to be a working mom.  I still have no answer to that…

Yesterday I met with my Aunt Lori.  She sells Market America products.  What I loved about her presentation is that she is so passionate (like to the point of tears) about what she does.  She really believes the products sell themselves and she just seeks to educate people on the product.  She doesn’t go door to door telling random people about the 100s of products they have.  If she sees someone in church, or a neighbor who starts talking about feeling uncomfortable she simply educates them on something that might help.  If that person is really looking to try something that may help they buy it and when they see results, my Aunt doesn’t need to say anything else about the product… it sells itself.  I’m not going to start selling anything right now, but I figured I’d try a product or two that speaks to me.  They have a huge nutrition line, which is HUGE in my book because as much as I try to get everything I need from my diet, some things are just very hard to get daily.  So I’m starting with a gift she gave me for my baby shower, prenatal vitamins and I will see if I see a noticeable difference with them.  I wanted to start today, but they are supposed to be taken on an empty stomach (opposite of what I’m used to) so tomorrow that starts.  I’d never attempt to educate on something I didn’t believe in and if I find this product can change lives… then maybe I’d consider selling it but for now I’ll see how this goes and just read more about it.

Why did I mention that above?  Because one of my 5 year goals is to be quiet comfortable financially.  I need to be able to build for my son’s education and our retirement and right now, that isn’t happening to the degree it needs to be.  I realize I’m young but I’m still very uncomfortable with this idea.

So I’m goal setting.  Short term health, professional and personal goals as well as mid-term and long-term for those three.  I start with the long and work backwards so that my mid-goals and short-term goals work towards my long-term goals.  I’m also going to create a vision board.  I hope to find the time to do this today but my by-when date for that is Sunday.  Having a general idea where you are going is better then fumbling around blind in my book.  Isn’t it obvious goals like this will be in my future:

This time last year I was prepping for a 20 mile run!

I have a little guy that is counting on me… I don’t want to let him down and I don’t want to let myself down.  That is why I’m planning not just professional goals but personal and health (personal like, I’ll read a book a month or write a book, travel!).

Are you a goal setter?  Do you look forward to reaching goals 30 days out, 5 years out and 10?  

Personal goal 10 years out?  Have traveled to 5 countries (better get started, that means a new country every other year!).

Health goal 10 years out? Have run at least 2 more Marathons or Triathlons (health goal Mid term is to have completed a Tri) – I really want Evan to know how important personal health is.  How exercise and diet can keep you strong and healthy both mentally and physically.  I hope that he is an Olympian in the future, ❤ but that is a dream of mine… He gets to pick his own dreams but I get to plant some healthy seeds.

Major lifetime goal?  To be a good mom.  To teach my son that mistakes are made, but you can come back from them.  Goals sometimes aren’t met, but if you worked towards them and things change… THAT IS OK!  I want him to love life.  I want him to enjoy many sunsets and Bears games 😉

Speaking of my little love, he is making noises for me… ❤

September 11, 2012
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We did it…

Yep first 5k post baby.  It is in the books.

 

It was exactly as I expected:  wonderful and slow – but that is OK!  I stopped a couple times the first time when I saw my husband and baby in the crowd.  I had to run to them and give them both kisses, the second time was to slow down for my sister and the third time was when I stopped for a bit of water.  In the midst of feeding the baby, pumping his next meal, getting dressed and packing up I forgot to drink water… not even a sip. Ooops.

Our super early start – it was still very dark and my baby was still very asleep…

It was awesome to be back in the race atmosphere, it reminded me that I can still do things, just for me.  Other nice thing?  My baby enjoyed it:

 

I couldn’t believe how slow I was but all I kept thinking was that I wish I was prepared for the half marathon that was going on during our 5k.  This lady is definately going to be working on her speed and mileage because I’m totally doing a least a half next season.  For now, I’ll fill up this race season with a couple more 5ks and hopefully just improve for each one.  After all, it is about getting fit and learning to balance my life as a  new mother and runner/fitness junkie.

It was also an opportunity to let my husband take care of baby for an hour plus without me.  He even got to enjoy the rare bottle feeding that happens these days:

 

I promise… I’m learning to share my little dude, even with his daddy.  Every day I think a make a little (very little) progress.

We also ran into a lovely familiar face, Patrick!  He did the half, we were very proud:

Today I got an email, that said tomorrow tickets for next year’s half marathon go on sale.  First 200 get 50% off… I’m going to stop by the site and definately sign up if I’m one of those lucky 200… I mean hey it is meant to be.

All in all it was a wonderful Sunday that started with a great run.  Another super high point yesterday was was the Bears win.

 

September 8, 2012
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Getting Our Feet Wet

So I just wrote about how I was slowly getting back into things…

Well in usual Jen fashion, I sorta just jumped right back into it and…

 

I signed up for a 5k, no no, I didn’t sign up for the half marathon – that would have been CRAZY.  But, I must say this… I’m not ready for the 5k but hey my goal is to just finish.  There is something about races that just draws me in.  This race is just to get to the finish line I am definitely not looking to break a PR here.  In fact, if I walk a little I’ll be ok with that. I blame this one:

My sister, Nicole.  She signed up for this race a long time ago and when she told me registration was still open, I decided “oh why not” – I’m glad I did.  We have another 5k coming up at the end of the month and this a great way to really see where I’m at now and improve for the next.  Plus, this one is in the city and I love love Chicago city races.  It is an AWESOME backyard to race/run in.  During Marathon training last year, I did almost all my long runs with very good friends of mine, along the lakefront…

 

The picture above is from last year, it is amazing what a difference a year makes.  Although I’m not as fit physically as I was a year ago, mentally I have never felt stronger so I’m ok with that.  Patrick and Michael (above) will be running the half tomorrow and I’m hoping to finish up the 5k and hopefully find them on the course.  They are running their third (yes THIRD) marathon in October.  I’m so proud of them, and although I won’t be participating we will be there rooting them on.

Yesterday reminded me how much I love the atmosphere of race weekends.  The expos are fun, you are surrounded by fellow runners and cool running gear.  It always hypes me up for the race ahead.  Not all races have expos, but most of the city ones do and yesterday’s was not the largest I’ve been to by any means but it still got that excitement flowing.  Oh, and it was Evan’s first:

Which alone makes it a special one. Oh, and he was a big hit too.  I have a stunner on my hands, haha.

Besides getting my feet wet race wise this weekend, we did another thing that gives me slight anxiety:

 

We nursed in public.  As natural as this is and as proud as I am to be a breastfeeding mother… We still go the stares.  Some people smile at you as if to say “Awesome!  Good for you!” while others, give you the stink eye.  Those people really annoy me.  I’m doing what is best for my little guy, how dare you look at me like what I’m doing is inappropriate? I’m extremely discrete when I nurse and you can’t see anything so it is quite annoying when people look at me like I’m doing something disgusting.  I’m damn proud to be able to nurse my child.

I mean, I do have a beautiful healthy baby and I can’t help but feel a sense of accomplishment when I look at how much he has grown the past 7 weeks.

I’m really excited for tomorrow.  Logistics in the morning will be interesting for sure, but none the less it should be a cool morning long run (yes, long, I haven’t run 3.1 miles since I was 26 weeks pregnant) for me tomorrow.

I’m very excited too that FOOTBALL season is here!  We are big Bears Fans and really excited for Evan’s first football season:

 

Happy Saturday!  Hopefully we can get things together quickly this morning and get to the Farmer’s Market… Fall is in the late summer air and I’m hoping for some mini pumpkins 🙂 – Also my hubby is off for the week a very rare treat and we are excited to spend time with him.

 

 

 

 

September 5, 2012
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Post Prego Body – 1 1/2 Month

Hello blog world.

Well, it is nuts, but one month and a couple weeks has passed since my little guy arrived.  So crazy hard to believe.  Over the past 6 weeks and few days, I haven’t focused on my post prego body much at all.  I’ve been living it up with my little man.  Although I daydreamed about workouts post baby while pregnant and immediately after.  I’m taking it super slow and setting very small goals for myself.

each day I cry because he isn’t this tiny anymore…
But I also smile because of how healthy and happy he is ❤

My handsome son and I at farmers’ market – he was 5 weeks old in this picture.

Here is the deal.  While I was pregnant I gained 23 lbs (according to my doctor) and the last week (40-40.6) I didn’t weigh myself so I’m assuming I was more at like the 26-28 lb range (that extra week was ROUGH, and food was my thing because many of the “inducing” things included food so everyone around me was stuffing my face).  According to my scale I did loose quite a bit of weight after the baby about 17 lbs.  Although, according to my doctor I only need to loose 6 lbs to be at my pre-preg weight, while looking at my body it is more like the 10-15lbs to get to where I was.  I’m sure I lost a ton of muscle mass and that is why the numbers are so off (muscle weights more than fat, and I haven’t and won’t be doing a body fat test for a while, but know I was on the lower end of the body fat scale for a woman pre-baby).  So, my goal is 10-15 lbs for now.  As I loose the weight I’ll adjust, for me the number on the scale doesn’t mean the world anymore.  This is because at my lightest I was skinny-fat.  My body was slim but I didn’t have much enurance or muscle.  My happiest was when I was eating when I was hungry and not focusing on the scale but on how clothes fit and how I felt.

My 25th Birthday – almost exactly a year ago… I was happy at this weight about 135-137 (with a lotta muscles for the Marathon 😉 )

I’ve started to run a LITTLE bit.  One issue I didn’t think I was going to have, that I do have is separation anxiety.  Maybe it is because I know I am going to return to week in less than five weeks but I don’t like my little man out of my range.  I went for a run the day before yesterday and couldn’t focus on anything but running back to him.  I have a 5k around the corner and it is going to be a rough one.  I definitely will NOT beat myself up if my time is higher than in the past because I will be giving myself a pat on the back that I was able to spend some time away from my son.

lace them up!

My wonderful husband got me this awesome push gift that I’m excited to get the hang of (I should skim the manual):

It is a polar heart-rate monitor and I’m excited to have an exact calorie burn and I’m excited to know my heart rate and focus on a healthy burn.

Post prego body with my 5 week old. (taken the weekend before labor day)

I’m a bit of a fitness clothing junkie, and I’m not too happy how any of my old things fit right now (they will get there) so to assist in my weight-loss goal I have promised myself one piece of lululemon clothing for every 5lbs I loose (I’d like some cool racerbacks because my boobs are so big I can wear my own sports bra, and they look good fitted and a bit loose) and my size 6 (lululemon’s small) pants fit comfortably (thank goodness for stretch) and so I’m confident that any money spent will be will spent 🙂 – I also hope that my hubby remembers they are on my birthday gift wishlist 😉 — Other fitness favs?  Nike (clothing & shoes, of course), underarmor (they have great warm gear, but so does lulu), Brooks (shoes), Gap Body (for yoga). ❤

Wish me luck!  Right now I’m focusing on cardio (mainly running, because of the few races I’ll be participating in), weight training and very clean eating.  I will also throw a DVD or two into the mix (I love Jillian, “get comfortable with being uncomfortable” – love) – did you guys hear she is returning the the biggest loser?!  This one right here is very excited!! I also am in love with the fitnessista’s burners and tabata workouts.

My running buddy ❤ – he loves watermelon just as much as I do.

Well enough of my mixed rambling… I hope to become more coherent in my blogs in the future, but I seem to still have baby brain.  With that said, I’m going to go snuggle with my son and listen to our Jewel Lullaby CD (ipod lol) together before figuring out what to do with the rest of this day.

Stay tuned for my [this] mommy’s must haves.

Belly picture — I really didn’t think I’d miss it… but I do. But now I’m focusing on the awesome memory of it and watching my body transform back – taking it slowly – one day at a time.