Starting Early on New Year's Resolutions

The day after Christmas, I decided to make myself do at least a half hour of my Yogalates DVD to get an early start on one of my New Year's Resolutions of exercising more.  The next day, I felt sore all over, even more so than usual.  By that night, I was having chills and fever.

I don't know if it's fatigue, the flu, or even both.  I am working a full-time temp job right now after being a stay-at-home mom for 2 years.  It's been a difficult transition.  Plus, Hubby got a full-time job as a baker!  He loves it.  However, I do not love his work schedule.  He works 3 AM to 11 AM.  This wouldn't be a big deal except for the fact that we have only one car.  The kids and I have to load up at 2:30 to take him to work, then get up again at 6:30 to get ready for the kids and I to go to work and day care.

I stayed in bed until 10 AM today and felt much better after last night's chills and fever.  I though maybe it was just fatigue.  About 10 minutes ago, however, my stomach started making unearthly noises and I realized that I wasn't just tired.  To make it worse, the toilet flooded after.  After I got the mess all cleaned up, I sprayed the floor and toilet seat with Lysol.  I'm not feeling up to mopping the floor, so this will have to do for now.

When I feel better, I will try exercising again.  For now, I just need some rest.  I hope the rest of trying to meet my health goals goes smoother than this...

Thanks for reading!

~Hot-Mommy

Skinny Guys

I've never been much with skinny guys.  I've always been attracted to guys that are tall, dark, handsome, muscular, and on the stocky side.  However, I had a steamy dream about Jeffrey Donovan, who played Michael Weston on Burn Notice.  Now, I'm even more disappointed that the show ended, lol.

He looks good for 45 years old, right?!

Thanks for reading!

~Hot-Mommy

Getting Hit On while Selling Popcorn for my Son's Fundraiser

My son is a Cub Scout and we are in the last 2 weeks of his popcorn fundraiser.  He would really like to earn a Star Wars Lego set, so we are volunteering for the store front sales as often as we can.  This means that I have given up every weekend for the last 2 months, just about.  It is for a good cause and to help my kid, so it's worth it.

He's doing most of the work by asking people if they would like to buy some popcorn and describing the flavors.  I'm just there to greet people and manage the cash box.  I smiled and said hello to a guy leaving the store (as I do everyone) and he turned around really quickly and came back.  He said something to the effect of asking what I said.  I told him that I just said hello and was helping my son sell popcorn for his Cub Scout pack.  He didn't even notice my son right beside me, lol!  He stumbled a little at a conversation then turned red and walked away.

It was a little flattering and very unexpected.  It was even a little of an ego boost.  As a stay-at-home mom, I feel invisible some days.

 - Hot-Mommy

Rice Cake with Peanut Butter and Dried Apricots

Tonight's dinner was 2 rice cakes covered in peanut butter and dried apricots.  It's very good and meets 4 out of the 5 major food groups.  The only thing missing is a dairy product.  This was my standby quick lunch that I made quite a bit when I was working.  I also mix it up with fresh fruit or different dried fruits and especially like it with dried cranberries.

My dad spent time with my kids this evening.  He made them macaroni and cheese for dinner.  I admit that I do give them this at times, but I make sure to give them chicken nuggets and fruits or vegetables to go with.  My dad just gave them macaroni and milk.  It is a warm night, so I just wanted a light dinner and to supplement my kids' dinner with something healthy.

What are your standby light dinners?

 - Hot-Mommy

Cold Yoga

I'm trying to do gentle exercises to start out with.  It is going ok.  I have a bad habit of getting impatient and doing too much to soon and injuring myself, then I have to wait to heal and gain weight in the meantime, and have to start the cycle all over again.  I am also trying to go slow, as I just started a new semester in college today.

I have been doing Yogalates lately.  It meets the criteria and keeps my attention, so I don't get too bored.  It's so hot out right now that I'm not motivated to do anything more strenuous.  I had a thought, as I was doing that this evening, I should invent Cold Yoga, a yoga class that takes place in a very cold room.  On a day like this, I couldn't imagine seeking out more heat and Hot Yoga is pretty popular in this area.  I would attend Cold Yoga class, anyway, lol.  I'm sure being overweight makes the heat even more noticeable.  I hope to become more active this fall when the temperatures drop more.

Low Carb Veggie Saute

For dinner tonight, I made a veggie saute to go with meatloaf and mashed potatoes.  I make it with whatever veggies that we happen to have on hand.  Tonight's saute had:  beets, rutabagas, carrots, collard greens, and onions.  In making this as an experiment one night, I discovered that I like beets.  I had never had them before.  They have a slight sweet taste to them, so it appeals to the kids, too!

30 Day Squat Challenge

I've been hearing about the 30 Day Squat Challenge from some of my friends on Facebook lately, so I decided to give it a try.  Today was only day 1, so we'll see how it goes.  I was going to wait until at least day 4 (the first rest day) to blog about it, but I decided that I'll be more likely to stick with it if I announce that I'm officially doing it.  If that makes sense at all.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

"Hot" Yoga

I'm not sure that I could ever take a Hot Yoga class.  While the hubby ran to the store last night, I decided to get some stretching in and did my Yogalates DVD.  It was 90+ degrees in my house, even with the large fan blowing directly on me.  It was a very sweaty half hour.

I enjoy doing yoga and Pilates, which makes the Yogalates DVD a great choice.  I have always wanted to try a hot yoga class, but I'm not a big fan of such hot temperatures.  I wonder if they offer a Cold Yoga class...

Fajitas and Peppers

Fajitas are one of my and my family's favorite foods.  I love bell peppers, raw or cooked.  My husband tolerates them cooked only.  Up until now, my kids have refused to eat bell peppers.  They've been convinced that because of the name of "peppers," they have to be spicy.

I am trying to serve more and a variety of vegetables to my family.  Fajitas is a good option for this.  Even with sour cream, it is low in fat and has every food group.  However, my kids were only willing to eat everything except for the peppers, so they were not getting these nutrients.

Last time I made them, I tried giving them their portions of the peppers raw.  They like raw peppers!  It's a compromise to remember to give them half of the peppers raw and then cook the rest, but at least they're eating them now.  I know that many vegetables have more nutrients in the raw form, so they may even be getting more nutrients than my husband and I!

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Graduation BBQ

I haven't been on here much from being so busy with school.  Summer semester is 12 weeks, instead of the normal 16 weeks.  One of my courses is an accelerated course, so it is a whole semester's worth of work crammed into 6 weeks.  It is an anthropology class, so all I've been doing lately is reading ethnographies.  I hope that I did well on my final essay!  I've had an "A" so far, so I hope to keep it that way.

One good thing about being so inactive is that I haven't had much of an appetite.  I've been good about my food choices and I'm down 5 pounds.  I'm sure some of that is muscle loss.  Like I said, all I've been doing lately is reading and typing papers.  I am only taking one class as of tomorrow.  I have a bit of catching up to do, but I'll be less busy now with the self-paced course.

Today was my youngest sister's graduation BBQ.  The choices for the main course were:  hamburger or bratwurst.  I went with the hamburger and put lots of veggies on it.  I thought that it would have less fat than a brat, buy maybe I'm wrong.

My only splurge item was potato salad.  I only had one scoop of it and ate it slowly to savor it.  I also had strawberries and watermelon.  The only veggies there were the toppings for the hamburger.  I passes on all of the chips, dips, crackers, cookies, and cake.  I'd like to say that I just have great will-power, but honestly, I'm studying so much that I don't work up much of an appetite.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Meatless Meals

I am making an effort to make meatless dinners at least half of the week.  My kids eat meat at school, so I am trying to add more of a variety in our diets.  So far, we have tried:  baked potato bar, stuffed peppers, stir fry, and nachos.

I am trying to incorporate beans for protein.  Beans are also more inexpensive to buy than meat, so this is saving us money.

My kids are having mixed feelings about some of the new veggies.  They love veggies and fruits, but prefer to stick to the ones that they know.  Peppers in particular haven't gone over well yet.  They can't get over the name and assume it will be spicy.  

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Blistered Feet

I'll spare the visual, but the bottom of my feet are not pretty.  Well, I'm not much with feet to begin with, though.  But, I currently have some pretty big blisters on the bottom of my feet.

My dad treated my sister, my family, and I to Supercross last night.  To save money (and the frustration of a crowded Seattle parking garage, we parked a couple of miles away from the event.  I was not wearing the right shoes for such a trek twice in a night.  Plus, to save more money, we sat in the nose-bleed section in the fifth level of the stadium.

I had attended a Girl Scouts training that whole day.  I was so hungry when I came home that I hadn't thought to change my shoes.  I had had these shoes for a few years, so they were already a little worn out on top of being dress shoes.

I will definitely need to get in some exercise in the water this week to stay off of my feet a bit while the blisters heal.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Feeling a Little Less Blue Today

I've been going through a rough time lately.  A teen neighbor boy killed himself a couple of weeks ago.  I've been really struggling since I found out.  He was a great kid that loved animals.  He was so full of potential, but took his life due to bullying.

My neighbors were saddened for a couple of days, but it really effected me.  He really bonded with my pets, especially my guinea pig, Coco.

I haven't been sleeping well and I haven't been motivated to do much lately.  Yesterday was the worst day.  I made the mistake of Googling an article about it the night before and read a few comments.  The neighbor kids were especially horrible yesterday and really getting to me, though I have been more sensitive and irritable than usual.  It was actually the first day that I had gotten into real clothes, too.

I've been especially sad about the lack of effect on the other neighborhood kids.  This was their friend and he's gone due to bullying.  I would have hoped that this would have made them nicer, and not ruder, especially to adults.

Today, I talked to one of the neighbors who are also irritate by my next-door-neighbors.  They also knew the boy that committed suicide and it felt good to talk to someone else that knew him.  We talked about what he would have wanted.  I was glad to share some good memories of him, even briefly.

I know that everyone handles grief differently.  I've never dealt with such a premature and preventable death before, and I haven't handled it well.  I'm starting to feel a little better and getting over the sadness.  I've caught up in my classes, as I fell behind a little.  I'm going to catch up on housework today and hopefully feel up to exercising tomorrow.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Pool Policies

Last week, during spring break, I took my kids and a friend of theirs swimming at our local YMCA.  Their friend is a year older than my son and gets a little annoyed at having to be in the activity pool, instead of the main pool.  My two are still learning how to swim and she already knows how.

Out of curiosity, I asked a lifeguard how old kids had to be to go in the main pool.  I was surprised when he told me that the minimum age is 14 years old.  I would have guessed that kids 10 and up or so could be in there with a parent.  I wonder how well that policy is enforced, though.

At first, I felt that age was a little excessive.  Then, I thought about when I go there to swim laps.  I really do want the pool to be quiet and no playing around when I'm exercising.  Personally, I wouldn't care if an older child was in the main pool to swim laps, but not every child is well behaved.  Lifeguards are there to supervise the safety of all swimmers, not babysit unruly kids.  Years down the road, when my kids can be more serious about swimming for exercise and not playing around, I may have them join me in the main pool.  Like I said, I'm not sure how well enforced the rule is, but I do agree with it for the most part.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Weight Training with a Cold

As I've mentioned, I've had a cold for the last couple of weeks.  I'm starting to feel a bit more energetic, so today, while K did gymnastics, I sneaked away to the weight room for 15 minutes.  For the last couple of weeks, I've just helped out in her class instead of getting in any exercise.  Her teacher has appreciated the help with spotting the kids, but today, I felt a little selfish, and that's ok.

Even though I only sneak away for 10 - 15 minutes, I figure that it's 15 more minutes of exercise than I would have gotten in.  I took it a little easy today, but I'm glad that I made myself do it.

I've been trying to find a low-impact cardio class to do at the gym once a week for when I actually have the time to exercise and not just sneaking out for a bit during my daughter's class.  I've done a couple of water aerobics classes and enjoy them.  I plan on continuing trying out the different water aerobics class until I find one that is the right fit for me.  For now, I don't want to get anyone sick, so I'm staying out of the water, which I'm sure the elderly people in the class appreciate.

This cold and the 15 minutes of weight training wore me out, though!  I took a long nap after I got my daughter off to school.  Life's about compromises, I suppose.  I guess that 15 minutes of lifting weights was worth a 2 hour nap.  I'll see how motivated I feel once my kids go to bed and I might try to get a second round of Yogalates in this week.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Extra Customer Service

First of all, let me say that I've had a cold for the last 2 weeks, so I am a little sensitive and cranky.  If I sound extra neurotic, please chalk it up to this lingering cold.

I've noticed lately that many stores are trying to improve their customer service and be more personable.  I'm all for more associates being knowledgeable and available, but I'm not much with being too personal with strangers.  My goal in shopping is to get in and get out quickly.

I have worked retail for many years.  I worked in a deli where customers really did want to be known and get to know the employees.  It was a little odd at times, but I actually really enjoyed sharing the experience of my first pregnancy while working in that deli.  I had one customer, though, Mr. F., who really seemed to develop more and more of a crush on me as my pregnancy developed.  I wouldn't be surprised if he had some sort of a fetish.

Today, I stopped by a take-and-bake pizza place to pick up a pizza for the hubby and I to share.  Like I said, I'm a little under the weather, so I'm a little sensitive/cranky.  I think they're just trying to improve their customer service, but I don't really want to be on a first-name basis with the employees there.  As I've previously said, I'm not feeling well, and them greeting me by name made me question if the few times a year that I go there is too much.

That's my slightly neurotic rant for the day.  I'm going to try to get some rest.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Aqua Motion Review

Class:  Aqua Motion

What the class is:  water aerobics and stretching.  There are also water dumbbells that are used for extra resistance and stability.

Population of the Class:  mostly later middle-age-to-elderly women.  There were a few men of the same age group.  I was the youngest person in the class (beside the instructor) by at least 15 years.

Hardest Part of Class:  "Taco Sit-Ups."  They consist of floating and laying down in the water with the arms out with the water dumbbells and doing sit-ups by folding yourself in half with the torso and legs up.  These are intense crunches, not to mention trying to remain anchored and not drift aimlessly around the pool and bumping into everyone.

Sorest Body Part During Class:  the balls of my feet and my toes, in general.  I don't normally walk on my tiptoes, and despite being in water, my feet were about as sore as they were when I used to do ballet as a kid.  Specifically, the outer part of my left ball of my foot and pinky toe were the most sore.  The pool slopes slightly to become deeper, and I was over-correcting my footing by leaning on that side of my foot.

Sorest Part the Day After:  my lower back.  There were a lot of stretches that were done that were pretty strenuous, like the "cheerleader jump" (jumping and spreading legs/feet outward and touching the toes to the hands) and "forward jump" (the same thing, except stretching the legs straight forward to touch the feet to the hands).

Intensity:  7/10.  It was pretty gentle, but it is a surprisingly tough workout to work against water.

Rating:  9/10.  The class was fun.  It is a gentle, but effective workout.  I felt a bit out-of-place at first.

Would I Recommend the Class:  Yes, I would recommend this class to anyone that would benefit from a gentler workout.  Working out in the water is much easier on the joints.

Would I Take the Class Again:  Yes, I would like to try other water aerobics classes, as well.

Granny Swimsuit

For the last couple of years, I have used the same tankini and swim shorts.  I have lost just a little bit of weight so far, but it's been enough to make my tankini too baggy to wear anymore.  I found out about OneStopPlus.com a couple of years ago and have bought my (plus-size and hard to find) bras exclusively through them.  I decided to buy my swimsuit through them, too.  Ordering through them is cheaper, especially as I am shopping in the plus-size section.

My trouble areas are mostly my tummy and boobs.  I had my kids pretty much back-to-back and breastfed both of them as babies.  My youngest child is now 4 years old, and I still look like I'm nursing.  No offense to anyone that does breastfeed this long, but she's been weaned for quite a while now, and I hope to go back down really soon.  I was always told that boobs eventually go back to normal after weaning.  I'm not so sure about that.  I still have the same cup size that I did when I was nursing.

I chose a swimsuit that is a bright, tropical print.  It fits me fine through the tummy and even is roomy enough through the chest.  I'm pretty conservative, so I wish the top was a bit higher, but it is adequate.  I do need to take the swim suit in a little in the straps, though.  It's also a little loose in the hips, but I'd rather have too loose than too tight.

However, the swimsuit is a little granny-ish.  I immediately thought so when it came in the mail.  Of course, the model in the online calendar did not have my shape, and it did not appear granny-ish at all on her.  From what I can tell, OneStopPlus caters more towards middle-age-plus women.  But, when you're unemployed and overweight, paying lots of money for clothes (especially when you're trying to lose weight), isn't a fun option.

My opinion of my granny swimsuit was confirmed today when I swam at my local YMCA.  I had several older ladies ask where I shop.  I didn't really intend to me a trend-setter for the elderly, lol.  I do love the colors and print, though.  When I lose weight, and go down in size, I will buy a new swimsuit.

Here is my new swimsuit.  What do you think?  When I take it in a bit, I might take a pic of me actually in it.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Re-Motivated

I don't know about anyone else, but I like to have a concrete goal that I am working for, rather than a vague one, or I tend to slack off a little.  I was trying to lose weight before my friend, S's wedding that was supposed to take place in June.  A couple of months ago, S and her fiancee broke up amicably and called off the wedding.  Although I'd love to lose weight by swim suit season, that is still a little too vague of a goal date.

I found out last week that my family is invited to my hubby's cousin's high school graduation.  They live on the other side of the state, so we don't see his aunt and her family much.  Plus, some of his other aunts and cousins that I have never met will also attend the graduation.  My hubby and I have been together for 8 1/2 years and I have never met a couple of his aunts and their families.  I really wish I could have met my husband's extended family 8 1/2 years ago when I was thinner.  I know that they won't care what I look like, but who wants to have someone's first impression of you to be that you're fat?

This has definitely re-motivated me to up my weight loss commitment.  Of course, I would love fast results, but I am also trying to figure out what is the right program/class for me at my current fitness level.  I am going to be trying out various classes at my local YMCA to figure out what I enjoy and to mix up my routine, which is always a good thing.

Please check back here while I continue my weight loss journey and step out of my comfort zone by trying new fitness routines.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Fitting in Fitness

Yesterday, I babysat a 7-month-old and an almost-5-year-old, so I couldn't find time to fit in any exercise while my kids were in school.  I try to fit in exercise when my kids are in school or after they go to bed.  Last night, when they were going to bed, I was watching Scrubs on Netflix.  Ok, I said, I'll exercise right after this show is over.  I ended up falling asleep about 5 minutes after they went to bed.  I never fall asleep at 8:00, so I probably really needed the extra rest.  However, when my hubby got home at 10:30, he woke me up and I tried to go back to sleep in our bed.  This took a couple of hours to fall back asleep.  I'm still feeling groggy from the weird sleep schedule last night.

Today, my daughter had her Tumbling class.  The class is 45 minutes, and I try to sneak off for 15 -20 minutes to take advantage of a little exercise time, since we are at the gym.  However, today, the kids in her class were not in the mood to pay attention, and I had to stay to keep my daughter at least somewhat on-task, instead of goofing off with the others.

The parents of the kids in the class are pretty divided.  Half of them stay through the whole class to watch, and the other half drop their kids off and do other things.  I try to balance it out and sneak away for some of the class, but stay for the majority.  I think the instructor appreciated me staying today, as the kids were pretty wild and not paying attention today.

So, here it goes again.  I'm have the radio on, instead of the TV, so I'm going to clean up in here, then try to fit in some "real" exercise, though I know just being on my feet and cleaning will burn some calories.  It's hard to stay positive and flexible in times like this, but at least I'm trying.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Don't be Afraid to ask for Discounts

Pre-losing my job and the economy taking a dive, I would have been too embarrassed to ask for discounts on anything.  A few years and a 2 kids later, I sing a different tune.  I am a stay-at-home mom/college student.  I now inquire about student discounts and other discounts I could be eligible for as much as I can.  Being able to keep my family healthy is especially worth looking to discounts for.

I raised pretty poor, and was taught not to ask for anything.  Asking for things made me feel greedy.  Asking about discounts made me feel tacky.  I have had to get over this, in order to afford to stretch our money as far as possible.

My family in on financial assistance through YMCA.  My daughter is a little more overweight than her pediatrician would like, and I try especially hard to find activities for her to do to keep her active, and that she enjoys.  Last year, she tried ballet.  She insisted that she liked it, though she seemed to have no interest in learning the steps.  She liked dressing up, but that was it.  She has been in Tumbling all school year, and seems to love it!

As part of my financial assistance, we are supposed to receive a 50% discount on programs, too.  I have inquired about it periodically throughout her taking the class, and the Customer Service folks point out (a little rudely) that I save $10 already by being  a Y member.  I was on Unemployment previously, due to being laid off, so I just left it at that, as I had a little money coming in.  My Unemployment has now run out, and we are surviving on my hubby's part-time job and my occasional babysitting job for our income.  The $24 dollars that I normally pay for her class is what I make for a single day of babysitting.  Don't get me wrong, she's worth it, but it really is a lot of money to me.

Today, when I paid for her class, I again inquired about the 50% discount I should be eligible.  The boy at the front desk looked it up, and sure enough, I was supposed to receive a discount!  Her class only came to $12!

I am very grateful to YMCA and them being able to have programs like this!  Otherwise, families like mine wouldn't be able to put their kids into these programs, which are so good for their emotional and physical development!

Getting over feeling judged by asking for discounts isn't easy, but I figure that the worst they can do is to say "no."

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Celebrity Crushes

I've never really crushed too much on celebrities.  Even as a teenager, I didn't have a thing for the teen heart throbs that other girls did.  Now, I'm definitely going to be dating myself here, if you already didn't know my age.  My friends were all typical teens and had more age appropriate crushes, like Taylor Hanson or JTT (Jonathan Taylor Thomas, to those who weren't a teenage girl in the '90s).  I'm not ashamed to say that I loved MMMBop for probably a bit longer than I should have.  In fact, I recently added it to my happy cardio mix on my MP4 player.  But, they weren't my weird taste.

My crushes as a young teen were:  Mark McGrath, Tim McGraw, and LL Cool J.  It's funny, I can't remember a single song/movie of LL Cool J's, but I sure remember the way he looked doing it.  Are these the best choice for a teenage celebrity crush?  Probably not.

I don't know if it is turning 30,.or if it's being out of high school for nearly a dozen years now, but it seems like all of my old friends have somewhat returned to their former drooling-teenage-crush selves.  The most common object of these affections is that vampire from Twilight.  I refuse to even Google it and find out his name or what his appeal, or the appeal of the movies, could be.  Seriously, what is the appeal of Twilight to any age group?

Until recently, I was happy that I was again above having a celebrity crush on the latest heart throb.  That is until 2 weeks ago when I saw New Girl's kiss between Nick and Jess.  Jake Johnson now tops the list of my  offbeat-taste-inner-teenage-girl crush list after that kiss.  I'm so glad I'm married, because I'm not sure any guy could live up to first kiss expectations after that.  I'm a little embarrassed about how much I've watched that episode and kiss. And I'm sure I'm not alone in the crush department or how much that episode (ok, just that kiss) has been watched.

How about his closing line, "I meant something like that"? Hot damn, Nick Miller has game!

What were/are your not-so-common celebrity crushes?

 - Hot-Mommy

My New Ring!

Here is my new ring!  I found the first replacement ring that I ordered through OnePlusStop.com too thick.  This one is also thicker than I'm used to.  I have a feeling that I'm going to have to custom order just a plain gold band, like my original wedding room.  I ordered is ring through Walmart.com.  I like it, though it's much fancier than I'm used to.  I'm a little afraid of losing or breaking the diamonds!  My husband has an aunt that is a manager at a jewelry store, so I'll have to contact her about eventually ordering a thin, plain, gold wedding band.  I'm trying to lose weight, so I hate to have to re-size a ring again, though hopefully, I'll have to re-size it down next time!

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

New Ring Update

I got my replacement wedding ring yesterday and was very excited!  Until I opened it up...  It is only a little wider than my original wedding ring, but is much thicker.  I was so excited to order my ring online from onestopplus.com.  I have ordered bras through them for years (as I am still about the bra size that I was when I was breastfeeding).  They are less expensive to order through them than to go shopping locally, so it's usually worth the wait.

I paid just under $20 for it.  I looked at the return policy, and it is nearly $10 to return it.  Granted, they take out that amount from the refund, but still, I'd be out $10.  This is the only time I've ever had trouble with ordering a purchase online, and it's just because I'm so picky about jewelry.  I really don't have much jewelry and like, especially rings, to be as slender as possible.

Since I'd only get $6 back on the purchase, I'm going to keep the ring.  I actually kinda like it as a thumb ring, as the thickness doesn't bother me there.  I had to order a new ring through Walmart, where I purchased my original wedding ring nearly 7 years ago.  I could not find a size 11 slender wedding band that I like, though!  This ring is pretty simple, though, so it's ok.  When it arrives, I'll take some pics!

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

New Wedding Ring

During the summer, my hands tend to swell, especially as I live in a state where it rains most of the year.  Luckily, I am pretty good at noticing when my ring gets too tight.  I am also quite a bit bigger than when my hubby and I got married and had kids.  Both of my kids are summer babies, so I had to wear my wedding ring on a necklace towards the end of both pregnancies.  

I have known for a while that I am no longer a size 8 ring size.  I've been hoping that I'd lose weight and not have to pay to get my ring re-sized. Last summer, like most summers, I took my wedding ring off because of my hands swelling in the heat.  I admitted defeat and found out that I am now a size 11 for rings.  It has only been a couple of months since I took it off, but it feels like a long time.  Plus, I'm getting tired of people assuming that just because I'm in college and involved in my kids' activities, that I'm a single mom.  

My husband and I ordered our rings from Walmart 7 years ago.  (Please don't laugh too hard, we were young when we got married and determined to pay for everything ourselves.)  I went to the jewelry counter and asked how much re-sizing my ring would be.  They said I would need the receipt and warranty.  We have been married for nearly 7 years and have moved many times since then.  I doubt any of these items still exist. Without the ring being under warranty, it would cost way more to get the ring re-sized than to buy a new one.

I ordered my new ring today!  It is a sterling silver band.  Someday, I'd love for my husband to buy a fancier ring for an anniversary or birthday.  For every day use, though, I prefer a simple, thin band.  It still makes me feel a little bad that I've gone up 3 ring sizes since I got married, but I'm glad to have one again.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Purging the House of Sweets Today

The holidays are over!  So, I'm getting rid of the excess sweets that have accumulated around here.  Even though most of the sweet treats are not tempting to me, I don't need them around, and neither does my family.  One of my main fitness goals for my kids is to eat healthier.  Getting rid of all of this candy will definitely help!

Multitasking with Exercise

My daughter, K, has Tumbling class once a week.  Every week, I'm a little torn between staying to watch her (and getting some great pics!) or taking advantage of being at the gym and getting some exercise of my own in.  I really do like to know what it is she's learning each week and what she needs to practice at home. I'm glad that she's taken to Tumbling so much!  I'm happy that she's found a way to get some physical activity that she enjoys!

2 of the moms drop off their kids for the whole class.  I just kinda feel guilty when I leave.  Then again, I feel guilty when I don't get exercise at the gym since I'm right there.  My unemployment insurance has run out, so my family is solely relying on my husband's part time job for money.  The only time that I go to the gym lately is the once a week that I bring my daughter there for her class. Plus, I babysit twice per week, have a volunteer job that I do once per week, and have to accommodate my hubby's work schedule.  We only have one car, so my ability to travel to the gym is limited, plus it's a half hour commute to the gym.

Either way, I feel a little guilty.  When I leave to go workout, I feel bad that I'm abandoning her and feel a little judged by the moms that do stay for the whole class.  When I stay through the whole class, I feel clingy and that I'm just being lazy.  Until recently, I was the only mom that stayed through the class.  3 new kids have joined the class and they stay for the whole class.

Today, I decided to compromise and stayed for the first 10 minutes of her class, lifted weights for 20 minutes, then returned for the remainder of her class.  I still felt a little guilty (which I'm going to do anyway, unfortunately), but at least I was there for the majority of her class.  If I'm going to feel guilty, I may as well get some exercise in.  I feel better about the compromise option that the other 2 choices.

On the way home, my daughter brought up that I left her class.  I told her that I was only gone for a little bit and told her that I lifted weights.  She seemed relieved that it wasn't something more fun, lol.  I assured her (and me) that if I step out of her class for a little bit, I'll always be back before the end.  If she's ok with this compromise, then I should be, too.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Took the Dogs for a Walk

My kids are at school, my hubby left for work early today, and the sun is shining (with no rain or snow!), so I decided to treat the dogs and I to a mile-long walk.  I think it was more exercise than all of us are used to, lol.  The dogs are both sleeping on the floor and I'm drinking water and blogging.  I originally planned to walk a little further and clock 2 miles today, but I forgot my MP4 player at home.  Music really does motivate me to keep going.  Still, a mile is a pretty good starting point.  I plan to continue walking them everyday when I have some time to myself.

The kids and I walk them pretty often, but we only do half of a mile with them and at a much slower pace.  My husband normally starts work late in the afternoon, just before our kids get home from school.  I know that I could sneak away to walk the dogs or go for a walk alone while he's home, but I feel a little guilty spending time alone or with the dogs, instead of with him, as he works so much.  It's something that he even says is silly, and I'm trying to get over.

Now, to start on doing dishes and the rest of the housework before the kids get home.

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Great Wolf Lodge

My mother-in-law bought my family a one-night-stay at Great Wolf Lodge for our Christmas present this year!  Planning and going on the mini-vacation definitely derailed my fitness goals a little, though it also re-motivated me to get back on track again.  My hubby and I were not the biggest people there, though we were definitely not the smallest people there.  I have to say, walking around the hotel in my swim suit, I felt a little naked.  I am not used to walking around in public in a swim suit.  Plus, my tankini top had gotten a little stretched out (I hope due to weight loss!), so I have to pick up a new one soon.

There is a gym there in the lobby of the hotel.  If we would have stayed longer, I would have sneaked away from my family for a little bit to get some exercise in.  We weren't even there for a full day, so I wanted to get as much as the water park in as we could.  I kinda regret not sneaking away to go in the hot tub, too.

There are actually some great opportunities for eating healthy there!  For dinner, I had a buffalo burger.  The breakfast buffet has some great opportunities for eating as healthy as you would like to!  The kids and I had the omelette bar.  It was so good!  My kids don't like omelettes as much as I do, so I don't make them often at home.  I also had lots of fresh fruit.  My hubby wasn't as calorie-conscious and had biscuits and gravy, french toast sticks with whipped cream, and cantaloupe.

Our vacation entailed lots of walking and playing in the water, so I got a workout in just by playing.

Healthy Dinner Tonight

My mother-in-law bought our family a one-night-stay at Great Wolf Lodge for Christmas.  We just got back yesterday, and it was a blast!  Plus, it really made me want to step up my weight loss efforts.  My swimming suit was a little more baggy on my than expected.  I've lost just a couple of pounds and inches lately, but my body must be shifting the weight around or something.  

After eating out lately from being on vacation and wanting to take it easy from catching up on housework, I made sure to eat a healthy breakfast and dinner.  For dinner, I went with a favorite standby of stuffed chicken breast wrapped in turkey bacon and salad.  I stuffed the chicken with items that I happened to have on hand:  canned tomatoes, kale, and cheese.  My dad and I are into canning (especially salsa!) and I have lots of canned tomatoes to use up soon.  We have guinea pigs, so we usually have odd veggies around.  And cheese and bacon just make everything better.  I only had turkey bacon on hand, as I prefer it to eat plain or in eggs.  With wrapping chicken breast, pork bacon is slightly better, but oh well, I went with what was on hand.  I put lots of veggies in the salad.  Plus, by preparing a veggie-filled dinner for myself, I save time, as I'm also preparing mostly the same dinner for them.

I admit that I fell off the bandwagon for a couple of days, but I'm looking forward to getting back to eating healthier and hopefully losing weight!

Thanks for reading!

 - Hot-Mommy

Seating at the Tacoma Dome

Last night, my dad treated my hubby, kids, and I to Monster Jam at the Tacoma Dome.  The seating there was so uncomfortable.  Granted, I am overweight and trying to lose weight.  The only people around me that were seated comfortably with no complaints were my 2 young children.  The seats were narrow and the sides were made of metal and there was nearly no space in between the seats.  Even much thinner folks around us were squirming a bit.  We decided to go to Monster Jam because of the "free" tickets for the kids that we got from Burger King.  There was only limited seating available for those tickets, so we ended up paying full price for everyone, but that's another story.  I doubt I'll be going back to that event for both of these reasons.

Received a Random Act of Kindness Today

I have really been seeking out ways that myself and my family can be more active lately.  My hubby is working tonight and we ran out of milk.  When my kids got home from school, I decided to take advantage of the rare lack of rain and the kids and I would walk the mile to the grocery store.  I also had to bribe them with one treat each from the dollar store.  They picked out animal shaped bath toys.

I can probably walk a mile in 20 - 30 minutes at a normal pace.  However, with kids, it takes at least double that time.  It was dark outside by the time we left the grocery store.  On the way there, I listened to the MP3 player I treated myself to for Christmas and the kids kept themselves occupied by singing songs from school.  I'm not very comfortable walking with the kids in the dark, so we decided to take the bus home.  They were so exhausted in the store that I let them both cram into the cart.  They looked so comfortable and they were begging to be pushed in the cart on the ride home.

I managed to cram all of the groceries into the backpack I brought along, minus the bananas that I didn't want to get bruised.  While we were waiting for the bus, we each had a banana to snack on.  When we got on the bus, the driver saw the 2 kids and the groceries and told us not to worry about the bus fare home.  Even though it only saved me a dollar, that was very kind of the driver to let us ride home for free.