It's a LONG Way to the top! :)

Good morning everyone. Or afternoon/evening if you're reading this then! Or are in Europe. :D Hi to my German friends again. I don't remember a whole lot from high school but I do remember "Ich bin sehr mude"....hehe....aren't we all? 

I do seem to be much better. Thank goodness! I knew I needed to take it easy for a couple of days. My body told me to chill and I did and I feel pretty good. I go back to work tomorrow and my goal was to feel more myself by then so I think I accomplished that. I'm not used to feeling like crap! I started watching Game of Thrones this weekend too. Started at episode 1 and got through 3 of them. Good stuff. And very juicy!! ;)

Today is April 15th. Tax day! I got mine done. I'm getting a tiny bit back from the United States and a bit more back from Connecticut. How nice. :p As Benjamin Franklin says "In this world nothing nothing is certain but death and taxes" And 2013 marks the 100th anniversary of the income tax. I'm sure 100 years ago it was a much simpler set of rules as a much smaller percentage of people were taxable. All right, deep breath everyone! It's almost over for at least one more year. 

On that note..........I am looking to incorporate more yoga into my life. I'm sure my friend Jessie will get a laugh out of this based on the last time she saw me do it. I am admittedly a pretty clumsy person. I am amazed I can do the elliptical without falling off. Or even go hiking with the roots everywhere. Amazing I can be sure-footed when it comes to that but the freezer door kicks my butt and I fall backwards off my bed. I also shut my head in a door before. So we will see about yoga. The time I went with her I didn't have my own mat and had to use one of the floor mats which is much thicker than your traditional yoga mat and I couldn't get a good grip with my feet doing some of the balance poses. So when doing the tree I would fall over and yell "Timberrrrrrrr!" lol! 

It is a cool pose though! Very zen! 

I remember doing the strength moves well. The balance and flexibility are another story and I think I can benefit by incorporating that practice into my life. I know it is very good for the body and mind. And with so much around me trying to keep me from feeling calm I need all the help I can get. So we shall see. I have to limit the weights which I've talked about before. 

If you are thinking about trying yoga and don't know where to start the first thing to ask yourself is what you want to get out of it. There are so many variations of it that you can certainly find what you are looking for. It doesn't have to be about downward dogs only. I may just try different things and see which I like. I think the power yoga classes might be good for me. I do like to sweat. Though a more zen, relaxing type might be something to consider. With everything around me so fast paced and busy...having a reason to slow down is good. Along with meditation of course. 

Well, I will start and see what happens. And I will report back. If any of you have any good tips for me then I am all ears. I will still get my kick-ass sweat on the elliptical too. Oh, I didn't tell you I broke the machine! I have it at the highest level and I was using my legs and arms to pull it so hard that the resistance suddenly gave as I was mid-stride! I had to go tell the staff the machine was broken. I have often joked that there is smoke coming out the back when I'm working out. Apparently I don't know my own strength!! haha! 

As in anything, practice makes perfect and hopefully I will go from a yoga newbie to an expert in no time. In the words of AC/DC, It's a long way to the top if you wanna rock and roll. Words to live by.  Keep that in mind when doing anything. It just takes time to get things perfect if perfection ever happens. 

Love this song! One of my favorite rock songs. Angus Young is so young!! 

Have a lovely day, my friends!

xoxoxo

Tam

Just as long as you stand....stand by me. :)

Happy Sunday all!

I seem to be doing a little better. I went to bed early the past couple of nights and rested most of yesterday. Took my vitamins, drank tea, water and today I forced myself to exercise and sweat out the germs. I also got some fresh air which helps a lot. I have loaded up on the Vitamin C and had plenty of liquids which helped. 

All in all I do feel much better than I did on Friday. I am still weak and not myself though so I will take it easy the rest of today. As much as my boys will allow of course. They provide a lot of love and snuggles which is always helpful. But with the cold not lasting very long...... either it was a short cold or my body is just better at fighting things off because of the healthy living. You decide. :)

I was thinking about what it means to be successful. In anything really. Life, relationships, health, work....whatever. I was successful in fighting this cold because I took pretty immediate action and listened to my body. I think the same immediate action is what can help success in many aspects of life. If you're trying to lose weight or just live a healthier lifestyle there are traits you can try to add to your life that can help with that. As I've said before, keeping it simple is so important. The harder you make anything the harder it will be to maintain. Also, try to avoid being perfect. That is only going to lead to frustration because nothing ever really works out exactly as you think it will. Leaving room for error and recognizing it and learning from it is more important. Keep things positive! 

Making smart goals and informed decisions is also important to be successful. Too many people act rash and take action based on too much emotion in any given circumstance and end up realizing their mistake when it's too late. Also, when making plans you need to be smart about things. Having goals and things you want to achieve is great but you do need a game plan that can be smartly incorporated into your life that way other aspects don't go to crap as you are trying to achieve something. 

And remember, being busy does not mean you are being productive. Learn to use your time wisely. Sometimes taking baby steps that are thought out and slowly moving in the direction you want are better than taking a huge leap but going about it all wrong and ending up back where you started from. That is the way I went about losing weight and being healthier. Small, healthy baby steps leading in the right direction continuously. And while heading in that direction be sure to keep the people around that are encouraging you and helping you. The ones that are negative and trying to bring you down are never going be helpful unless it's to give you that extra push you need to never be that way. 

I am going to snuggle up and watch a movie with my boys. What energy I had to get some exercise and do a few things around the house is slowly waning. I am better but I definitely don't want to get worse again by being an idiot! lol! 

Love this song. I have sung it to J.T. since he was just a couple of months old. The movie Stand By Me is great too. It was filmed about 20 minutes from where I grew up in Oregon. Enjoy! It does make me miss River Phoenix a lot though. Ughhh such a loss! :( 

xoxoxoxo
Tam

I'm Sick! Grrrrrr!

Hi all. I am sick. Have a fever too so going to take it easy today. My head is fuzzy and my entire face feels like it's in a vice and writing a blog is way too much for me today. haha! I did down an Odwalla C Monster yesterday and will drink another today. 1500% Vitamin C. Kickin this colds butt! Will do the apple cider vinegar in water too. (It works, I tell ya!)

Stinkin weather fluctuation. I barely had the sniffles this Winter..and it's 80 degree weather then back to 40 degree weather in the course of a day that kicks me booty. It always happens to me! I called it!

Hopefully I'm back in normal blog writing form tomorrow but I can't make any promises. Enjoy your Saturday.

xoxoxoxoxo
Tam

Skin on Skin...let the love begin!!!

Well, despite my efforts to keep it from happening I do believe I have a head cold. Grr. I knew it with this damn weather fluctuating. I am pretty fuzzy headed. Either it's a cold or allergies are really kicking my tush today. 

I will be eating very healthy, drinking plenty of water and green tea and taking my vitamins and the length of the cold shouldn't be too bad. I'm strong and healthy thank God but I simply cannot be sick. It's not an option single, working mothers like me have. :) So mind over matter, I will not be sick. I WILL NOT BE SICK!! Ommmmmmmmm! ;) 

I wanted to talk about skin. We all have it. :D.......it's our largest organ. So we need to take better care of it. There are several natural things you can do to help maintain healthy, youthful skin. It doesn't have to be complicated or cost an entire paycheck going to a spa to accomplish. 

As I always say, DRINK WATER. I cannot stress enough how important water is to your health and appearance. I can tell immediately if I don't have enough. I am more sluggish and I just don't look as awake. My skin looks thirsty if that makes sense. 

Make sure your diet includes a lot of antioxidants. Foods like seeds, nuts, raspberries, spinach, blueberries (Dark colored fruits and berries) are loaded with them. And of course the green tea. Try to make these foods a regular part of your diet. Also include healthy fats. Olive oil, salmon and again the nuts are so good for you both inside and out. Try to make your plate rainbow colored in the foods you're eating to help combat the free-radicals that can age us. And if the warnings about sugar weren't already scary enough, did you know sugar can damage collagen and elastin and cause wrinkles? *Cue horror movie music*....And get your Vitamin C and use a cleanser that contains it. Research suggests that skin that is exposed for a long period of time can produce eight times more collagen. 

Other things you can do to create your own fountain of youth include plenty of sleep, exercise, limit sun exposure, do a body cleanse regularly to rid your body of the toxins that age us, use natural household cleaners and natural cosmetics and body creams and cleansers and buy a plant which can purify the air! I don't have the green thumb my mom did (She was amazing! She could take a piece of one plant and turn it into another plant!) but I will try! 

I know the limiting sun exposure thing is not a great one for many, especially those that love to suntan. I don't think any of us are ignorant to the harm that prolonged sun exposure does to both our health and our skin. My skin has never behaved itself. I burn, peel and freckle. So I own it and just do what I can to take care of it. Honestly, I'd rather be pale now than look like a leather bag by the time I'm 50 but that's me. I have a quest to be a foxy grandma so leather bag skin won't work for that! ;) 

One thing I'd love to stress to the ladies in their 20's. Yes, you are young but you need to start taking care of your skin now if you want to stay looking young. I have seen a lot of teenagers and young women who look much older from the tanning and makeup and "stuff" they are doing to their skin now. If you simply take care of it you will look natural AND young as you age. Wash your face and moisturize EVERY night. Even if you're out and get in at 3am, WASH your face. Don't ever go to bed with crap all over your face. Use eye creams. Even younger women. That area is the first to go so taking care of it early on will benefit you later. 

It really is in our control how we look and how we age. Some of it is genetics yes but what we put in and on our bodies makes a huge difference. Just as eating right and treating your body with the respect it deserves is important....how you take care of your skin is just as important and your body will thank you for it. 

Have a blessed day! 

xoxoxoxo
Tami

The Curse?? Nahhhh! :) Keep it Positive.

Hello Thursday! 

It was 79 here yesterday. About 55 today. 45 tomorrow. Rain coming. There has been A/C on everywhere and now heat. This is going to make everyone sick! I know they say weather doesn't make you sick but every single time the weather fluctuates like this, I end up with a cold. I am upping my Vitamin-C and immunity boosting in any way I can with fruits and veggies. 

Men, close your eyes and go do something else. Unless you're curious and want some tips on how to deal with something we all deal with, whether we want to talk about it or not. 

I'm going to talk about something that women deal with and talk about it openly. "That time of the month". Which I am experiencing right now. Hey I said I'd talk about everything. Yep. It's a lot of fun but it's part of life. I actually like when "It" finally arrives because the days leading up to it are the worst for me, I don't know about everyone else. I am really tired and feel like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

How I felt the past week!

It doesn't affect my mood so much. I'm still happy and feel myself but the fatigue might make me a little less tolerant of BS than usual. I am pretty self aware of this though and try to just limit altercations with people. I am so self-aware that even when I was pregnant, I knew when I woke up in the morning if I was not feeling myself. I'd actually say "I'm feeling pretty out of sorts today. You might want to tread lightly!" Nice right? To get a warning? Haha! And men, this doesn't mean a cue to intentionally push buttons or constantly browbeat her about herself and her period. Just sayin'. It's not going to help ANYTHING, trust me. Just rub her back and offer her a cup of something! You will be amazed at what such simple gestures can do when women are feeling all out of whack! 

There are some things you can do to ease this dreaded time of the month. Exercise is a huge one! Endorphins are a natural painkiller and are very good at easing cramps. Also, moving your bod allows the blood to flow to through the reproductive organs which can help with the low iron that can cause fatigue. As difficult as it is to move your body when you are so tired, it does help to limit that feeling and give you more energy in the end. 

Did you know eating warmer foods during this time can ease the cramps? Warmer foods can help with those who suffer from particularly painful periods. So as much as I enjoy my salads, a bowl of soup might be more helpful during this time. My pain isn't too bad but I do feel it the first couple of days. And tea is particularly therapeutic especially herbal teas like chamomile which helps to relax the body and ease pain. And as far as specific foods, try to eat protein, healthy fats and fresh foods. They help to balance hormones, reduce PMS and ease discomfort. 

Also try to get plenty of extra rest when time and life allows. Instead of staying up to watch a show or read, maybe just hit the hay early to get a few extra Zzzz's. That will only help you feel better when your body is already extra-fatigued. I had read something about pregnancy that I think helps men to identify with their wives a bit as far as their fatigue. It said that a woman's body in their first trimester are working so hard (even at rest) to prepare the womb that they are as fatigued as a mountain climber. A period is not the same as pregnancy obviously but they are the same "gears" at work and it is a similar feeling of exhaustion. (Not to the same extreme but similar). So just try to be a little sympathetic. We (or at least I) do appreciate that!! :) 

Of course the bloat is not a fun aspect of this awful time. Drink plenty of water to help counter that. And try to limit your sodium intake which will only make it worse. Put some fresh lemon slices and juice in your water. Lemons are a natural diuretic and you will be in the bathroom a lot if you incorporate that but it does ease the bloat significantly. And as I have said before, lemon water has many health benefits. 

Have a blessed day everyone! Keep on keepin' on and try to have a sense of humor about things. That can often be the best medicine. And not being so hard on yourself and loved ones helps too. :) 

"Love yourself first and everything else falls into line" - Lucille Ball

xoxoxo
Tam

Howdy! How is your Wednesday?

Hello there! :) 

We made it to Wednesday. Or "Hump Day". For me it's more of a speed bump as I work through Saturday. :D 

I'm having a bit of a conundrum. I don't want to go into the details but my big plan of keeping something a certain way doesn't seem to be working well. Sometimes no matter how hard you try to fight something, it just happens. So what to do, what to do. I suppose time will tell. Sometimes you can make all sorts of plans and figure it all out and at the end of the day, what will be will be. Que Sera Sera?? I did all that backwards and I know I did! :p

I see my checking my stats on here that the second biggest audience I have to the United States is Germany. How interesting. I actually took three years of German in high school! I don't remember a ton of it but I did find it fun. So Tag, Wie geht's?? :) 

It's a pretty short blog today. I slept in and need to get ready for work. It was one of those nights I fell  asleep around 9:30, woke up about 2 and had a hard time going back to sleep for awhile. Not sure why that happened. I do have a lot on my mind these days. I'm usually able to combat that and rest but sometimes it can get all of us. 

Just try to be positive today, do something good for someone. Despite the negativity surrounding us try and keep your smile and stay happy. Even positive affirmations about yourself are helpful. When you stop trying to be perfect and diet and do everything possible to "look" a certain way and instead focus on "being". Healthy, happy, positive, fun. It's amazing what that can do to your life. How it can transform the way you live. I am living proof of that. Of course I have insecurities. I think I'd be a robot if I didn't. We all have them but they don't have to define us if we don't let them. And we can conquer the fears that arise because of them. Confidence is a huge key to living the life you want and know deep down you can have. So many of us allow outside influences to rule this. Don't. 

Here are the glasses I'm thinking of getting. I need to just get them already. I keep changing my mind. You Danish make some fun glasses!

Have a great day everyone. Catch you on the flip side! 

And to my German friends, Auf Wiedersehen!! 

Let's finish with some Billie Holiday shall we? She's just ethereal. This my favorite tune of hers. :) 

xoxoxoxo
Tam

Available Power. I LIKE THAT!

Good morning sunshine! It is going to be 76 today in Connecticut! Oh boy! I need to get my legs and feet  ready. Haha! In need of a pedicure bad. 

Yesterday was an awesome day. It was a "ditch" day with my oldest. I've never done that before and it won't be a regular habit but I work so much and they were at their fathers all weekend and I just needed time with them. So I kept him home and spent the day with them. And the weather was gorgeous! We ran a few errands first and then went to the park and the beach and had a fun lunch. And ended up watching E.T. in the early evening. My oldest loves that movie. He's such a nostalgic kid. 

It looks like they had a little fun. :) 

en•er•gy (ˈɛn ər dʒi) 

n., pl. -gies.

1. the capacity for vigorous activity; available power.

2. a feeling of having an adequate or abundant amount of such power.

I don't know about you but there are definitely some days I need more energy. I am 

pretty conscientious about things to ensure I feel my best. I just know I won't be much good to my boys otherwise. There are some days I wake up and just feel blah and nothing I do seems to give me that badly needed pep in my step. These are the days that trying new things and incorporating them into your life is a great idea. Coffee does help some but it can often have the opposite effect overall. I am a huge fan of green tea later in the morning/afternoon. And of course drinking a lot of water helps. 

One thing to pay attention to is when your body is telling you it needs to rest. So many of us keep going and going despite our body saying "Go to bed!" I know life makes it difficult to just relax and get some sleep. Our schedules are chock full and there are only so many hours in the day. However, proper sleep is so very important and you just need to shut everything off and close your eyes and rest. Listen to your body. 

I know I am repeating myself here but please nourish your body. What you eat and drink really does make a huge difference in your energy. A sugary soda or drink might provide an initial boost of energy but you will only crash and just feel worse and that habit is one I highly recommend breaking as soon as you can. I keep mixed nuts and often have berries and a piece of fruit at my desk for that afternoon "lull". And I have water with me at all times too. Eat low-glycemic foods (complex carbs), soluble fiber, make sure you get plenty of Vitamin-C.

Try to be aware of what everything around you is doing to you. If people, places, things are draining you then you might want to think about eliminating or at least limiting these things. And at the same time try and be aware of what inspires and gives you energy and makes you want to do more. Then learn to manage your time better and figure out how and where to spend your time to use it more effectively. 

I just started using this great facial cleanser that has Vitamin-C and it immediately makes me feel more awake. It's a great way to start the day when you just have that sluggish feeling. And standing up, stretching, going for a brief walk can make you feel more energetic especially if you can get some fresh air. 

And as difficult as it is to work out early in the morning, try to do something before work. Jumping jacks, sprints, squats, planks. Something to get the blood flowing. And if you can get a great workout in then you will just set the tone for the day. 

Enjoy the day everyone. We are getting some amazing April weather here in Connecticut and I intend to enjoy it somehow. 

"Energy and persistence conquer all things" - Benjamin Franklin 

Have a blessed day!

Tam xoxo