The Rio Premiere Part I

What a whirlwind it was last weekend!

I flew out on Saturday afternoon for the Los Angeles premiere of the family movie "Rio", for 5 Minutes for Mom (my official review of the movie is right here! It opens up everywhere on Friday! Ps. there is a giveaway involved in that post -- you can take the whole family if you win! So go comment on it, mkay?)

But this is the story of before the event.

Flying out

On the way out, I got bumped up to First Class I am sure by accident which was nothing less than paradise in the sky mind you (I have more on that topic for another post) and eventually made it out to Hollywood where I checked in and promptly ordered room service. Short ribs and sticky rice to be specific. Yum.

And then I slept in to the wee hours of 6 a.m. Pacific (that's 9 a.m. Eastern -- hurrah!!), had breakfast, ran on the treadmill, and went in search of a CVS and tweezers for my unfortunate unibrow.

I had no idea where I was or where I was going when I left the hotel but quickly found myself on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, following my phone's GPS (what would we do without these things?! I swear!) So I played tourist for a little while.

I saw Tom Cruise.

And who knew P. Diddy had a star? I wonder if he changes it every time he changes his name?

And did you know Donald Trump has a star? (Why?)

I had heard that people who get one need enough people to nominate them for a star and then have enough to pay for it, and I thought "Hooray! I can try and get nominated!" (Not that I could pay for it or anything). Also except for the minor detail that you actually have to be in the field of entertainment for a while and as entertaining as I think I am to myself, I don't think that's what they mean. I looked up how to get a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. I don't fit the criteria. No star for me. Anyway.
I made my way back to the hotel and promptly began panicking over what to wear. My phone and its picture sending feature would not work in the hotel (!!!!) so despite the millions of tries sending my various outfits to friends, I found myself on my own with my decision. It was fashion roulette.

I eventually chose this:

I think it worked out and in hindsight any of the outfits would have been fine, but I was panicking! Also, sunscreen would have been a great accessory because now that farmer tan that appears in the picture is sunburned. I also learned (relearned) another valuable lesson: never ever paint your fingernails red 10 minutes before you walk out the door. I have traces of red everywhere and my fingers look like they were painted by a 6 year old with two left hands. Lesson learned.

I made my way with the other bloggers to the blue carpet with my bag of electronics, my dinosaur video camera, my precious Nikon and my phone (you know I had to Tweet!)

The rest of that story is for part TWO, complete with video, YES VIDEO!! The story of the blue carpet tomorrow!

Weight In Work Out Wednesday

Well, we've come to the end of another weight-loss challenge over at Shrinking Jeans! Overall, I am happy with the results.

I am down last week's pound that I gained for an overall loss of 4 pounds for the challenge. It is 6, though, since the holidays and that is fantastic! I was headed down a really slippery slope for a while.

This challenge was really great, it was awesome having Beki as my teammate for Sass & Fury!! It was also really great getting back on the wagon and counting calories on My Fitness Pal (I LOVE the app for it, by the way!) I still am counting calories, but had to hit pause for my trip to LA because it just wasn't possible to count. It was barely even possible to eat, we were so busy, but I did the best I could. Also, I did squeeze in every bit of exercise that I could though beforehand; we used date night to ride our long ride, 30 miles, I did my long run (8 miles) on the treadmill and I saved my sprints for the hotel treadmill the morning of the premiere.

Getting the hang of "balance" is really a key to the whole thing. Too restrictive and you piss everyone (even yourself) off; too loose and calorie counting does you no good anyway. Not thinking you're a bad person for missing a day or for going over is also a really big deal. In the end, I am still being healthy and reaching weight-loss goals and that's what it's about, right?

In other news, FIRST TRIATHLON OF THE SEASON THIS SATURDAY!!!!!

I'm excited! I'm nervous! I have a purple cap! Hooray!

This is going to be really great; I have really reached a happy place in open water swims and our mock triathlons have been so confidence-building; my riding has gotten faster and I AM EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!

Escape from Ft. DeSoto HERE WE COME!!!

I just released our triathlon group's newsletter, so if you want, check it out! There are great tips in there for getting out on your bike and safety precautions, there are funny quips about race day superstitions and lotsa other goodies, so go check it out!  (Yes, written by me!)

I hope you did well this challenge!!!

Ps. Don't mind the weird image at the top, I guess Photobucket is working on something and yes it's annoying the crap out of me but it's supposed to be fixed today. 

Five.

I don't know when it happened but you got all growed up on me. Well I guess I know when, since it's today.

I guess I just don't know how.

You, my baby, are five.

Five!

And you're tall, too. You're catching up to me (which is not that hard since I'm five foot and one-quarter inch.)

You're beautiful, you're intense and you're passionate. I love that so much.

Watching you grow from a baby into a boy has been the most amazing beyond words experience I've ever had.

I've watched you learn so many lessons for yourself, from kindness and gentleness to charity and gratefulness. I've watched you learn your letters, begin to read, soak up book after book after book on space, the human body, the country.

You worry so much about everything and everyone and of course that worries me so I guess I know where you got that from.

You tell me I have a pretty voice and you tell me you love me and I melt.

You're wise beyond your years, little Aidan, and you have the world in the palm of your hand.

Right now you're learning the lesson of how to "not give up" on things and it's a hard lesson to watch you learn but it's one that you'll learn over and over again throughout your life. I know this because I'm still trying to learn it myself.

I watched you conquer it though in your little ways and you're getting a good start. (The force is strong within you.)

I don't think I want you to grow up anymore though, ok?

Just hang onto your lightsaber and let's just stay here for a while and snuggle.

Even if it's just for today. Or perhaps until Kindergarten starts this fall. Or maybe until it's time for you to go off to college. Or get married. Oh, be still my heart, time goes so fast.

Happy birthday, little man. I love you.

Dear Husband

To My Dear Husband,
It is almost Mother's Day and it got me to thinking; reflecting upon my life and the life we've built together. And Ipad just wanted to tell you how much Ipad love you.

You have changed my life and my world and on this Mother's Day, Ipad want nothing more than the love of you and our beautiful children. That is all Ipad need. Nothing luxurious, nothing crazy, just you, me, and our boys.

Ipad love you more than anything in the world and am happy, just as Ipad am, in the life we've built together. Ipad just wanted you to know that. 

To infinity and beyond,
Your loving wife

Hollywood

I was searching and searching for this last night on my way from the airport; scanning the dark hills on the car ride over, feeling that magic that LA makes you feel, the possibilities, the imagination, the place where people come to make their dreams come true.


I woke up this morning and looked out my hotel room and there she was!

I've been to LA before but I don't remember being this starstruck, especially by a sign!

The premiere is later on this afternoon, I will be tweeting as I go! @christieo

For now it's time for sprints on the treadmill then breakfast!

No Yoga Pants on the Red Carpet!

Today I'm headed to RIO!

Not that Rio...the movie Rio! Today I am off to LA where I get to parade myself around like a real adult in real clothes! Because there are NO yoga pants on the red carpet!

Yes, where I'm going there's a red carpet!

Um. What am I going to wear then?? That's my uniform!

I was at Disney this week, so unless I was buying Mickey ears for the red carpet, shopping was out of the question. And I can only do carry on so that means I can't pack my whole closet and decide later.

Anyhoo. Oh yea, red carpet.

I'm excited to be representing 5 Minutes for Mom and seeing the premiere of Rio, an animated family film with lots of cool people in it and I am a big sucker for animated films, I love them! All of them!

I'll also get to hobnob and rub elbows with some of the stars on the red carpet! And then interview one of them! And then come back and write about it!

My to-do list before my flight is still a mile long and it includes a swim, kid tee-ball and soccer, and packing (still. I know.) Will I get it all done?

Also, yes, I already called ahead and the gym opens early and closes late. Yes I have my workout planned, I have saved up my treadmill sprints for the hotel gym. Don't know what I'm going to do about calorie counting yet. I'll tell you what I decide after a chocolate martini or two.
I'm also hoping to see some of my friends while I'm out there but I'm sure the entire weekend will be a whirlwind because I'm only going for the weekend and it will be Monday before I know it.

But if you're interested at all about reading some of the details of my trip, I will be tweeting from LA and you can follow me (www.twitter.com/@christieo) and then watch out for the review and write-up on the trip here and at 5 Minutes for Mom next week!

Mobile posting on Sunday! That is, after I sleep in....BECAUSE I CAN!

Ahhhh. Sleeping in and free wi-fi... it's like paradise!

Speaking of 5 Minutes for Mom, have you partied in the UBP11??? We've had a blast for the past week bloghopping and meeting new friends and it is time to announce the winners of my giveaways!

The winners of my Ultimate Blog Party '11 giveaways (as chosen by random.org) are:
The Bondi Band: LaVonne at Long Wait for Isabella and
A necklace from my etsy shop: Science Fiction Mommy

 Congrats!! I have already sent you an email, so go check it!!

It was so nice meeting everyone from UBP '11, thank you for all the kind comments in my party post! I'm still making my way through blogs even though the party is technically over!

Have a great weekend everyone!

How Going to Disney is Like Running a Marathon

We are freshly back from our two-day Disney excursion where I realized that going to Disney World with the family is a lot like running 26.2 miles through the Disney parks itself.

We had a big group of us, my best friend and her family, some of their friends, one day with my husband and one day without and in the end 7 LITTLE BOYS, roughly the same age. We were completely outnumbered.

If you've run a marathon and gone through the trials and tribulations of such, then you will completely identify (I think) and if you haven't, then there is only one thing to do: run a marathon! (Obviously!) Just kidding.

Anyway, besides the fact that the scenery is mostly the same (except that the run does not go through Space Mountain like I got to!) here are the similarities to a day at the park and a day running through the park.

Like in the marathon, you have a good breakfast first.

Then you start out slow and get the feel of it because you're not quite sure yet what to make of it.

You have a great time along the way, you see lots of characters, take pictures and everyone is having a blast.
You're starting to feel comfortable now.


There is both running and walking.

You do all sorts of things you have never done before (like BE A PIRATE!)

You battle your demons.

And you find out what you're made of.

Sometimes you feel like you're flying.

And sometimes you feel (and look) like a super hero.

You find safety in numbers because you're all in it together.

Then there is some pain involved because you're doing this for a long time and therefore, you find aches and pains in odd places. Sometimes for days afterward (Like today. Because I was mama sherpa carrying everything and everyone.)

You hit the bathrooms a lot. You are sweating. Profusely. For most of the day.

You're becoming a hot mess.

Eventually you and everyone around you get pretty tired. You're not sure you can keep going.

But you dig deep and rally. Because hello! It's Disney! It's the happiest place on earth! Of course you have more left!

So you have some more fun. Which in the end always outweighs the work you put in to get there.

And when all is said and done, the day was pretty long, you're all sorts of exhausted and definitely a bunch of sweet hot messes and inevitably there is crying at the finish.

And usually it's the ugly kind.

But going to Disney (like the marathon and also even like labor if we're being honest) becomes only this fantastic memory in your mind and you forget all the pain there might have been involved along the way because of the wonderfulness of the end product, which is awesome, in and of itself.

Even if at some point something came over you and you did try to poke Mickey's eye out, stunning the crowd and workers around you.


Luckily, Mickey forgave you. He knows you're not yourself once you finish a long day like this.


But yes, in the end, you absolutely most definitely no question about it without a doubt, would do it all over again.

Hello From My Happy Place

Mobile blogging today that my autocorrect changed to "mobile flogging" and wouldn't that be interesting and weird. but anyway we are at Disney! Hooray!!

Since it is weigh in day I have to report I am up a pound and it is because I didn't eat ENOUGH this time and I can't wait to blog about that. It also comes on the heels of a mock triathlon followed by an 8 mile run after which I always gain weight that will be off tomorrow. Speaking of that, I am in Tomorrowland with Mickey and the kids. Bye!

Sent from my HTC on the Now Network from Sprint!

My Trash, Butt or Laundry Don't Know the Difference

Toiletman looks entirely too happy in this scenario.

Can I just say that there are several purchases I've had to make within the past couple weeks that are particularly painful?

Painful because I don't WANT TO SPEND THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY ON THEM.

For instance, WHY is a trash can more than $40 and if you're really crazy, upwards of $150? I can't fathom paying $150 for a trash can. It had better be made of gold and even then why would I want a golden trash container?

I'm not really crazy. Fine, I'm crazy enough to get the foot-pedal kind that's $40 because germs skeeve me out and I'd rather push it open with my foot but not I'm not $150 crazy. $150 for something you are throwing your trash in?

OK fine, $40 FOR SOMETHING YOUR'E THROWING YOUR TRASH IN?

And then over the weekend, I asked in a much deeper post not about toilet seats, what is the difference between a $10 toilet seat and the $30,$40, or $50 toilet seats? Is it the name that's branded on it? Are there particular models I am not aware of? Because I touched them all, they felt the same.

They didn't look any different either besides being white or off white or round or oval and my choice was the white round version but there were many price variations for this. The burning question (maybe burning is the wrong word...) is, WILL MY BUTT REALLY KNOW THE DIFFERENCE?

No.

My bum will have no idea.

Will my bum be disappointed that I didn't splurge in this area? If my bum has an opinion on the matter, I have other problems.

However.

I am still annoyed that there is an expensive toilet seat out there that looks no different than the non-expensive one. (For the record I bought the $10 one.) If you have the inside track on superior toilet seats, do feel free to share. I know about the cushiony ones, but I don't like the "whoooooosh" sound it makes when you sit on it. I don't know if the cushion makes it more expensive either but right now I am aware that I am spending too much time writing about toilet seats.

And then, there are laundry baskets. Yes, I have the plasticky ones to carry my clothes, but I need a nice hamper.

So is it too much to ask to have a cheap wicker laundry hamper for my closet? All I want is a tall wicker laundry basket and I can't find these for under $40 either!

So in theory I could spend dozens (if I'm lucky) or HUNDREDS (if I'm not) of dollars for (granted) very useful every day items (I get that) but still, items that are for my trash-butt-or dirty laundry. And I think I just can't get over that last part!

I guess maybe if I didn't need all of these things at the same exact time, I'd be ok with spending $40 bucks on just one of them. It would be more like 3 easy installments.

But it's not. It's highway robbery. And it irritates me.

So where do you hate spending money? (I put 40 bucks in the tank the other day and it barely got me past half-full! Whaaaa???)

That's all for me!

Carry on.

Mantra Monday: Believe

Do you ever have a post in your head, words to write, but you can't get them out? They're swirling around in there in no certain order?

I'm hoping I can make a post out of this.

We'll see when I get to the end.

Look at our awesome tri group up there, those are the Tri Warriors.

They push me to train hard. They push me to keep up. They push me to believe.

In the last chapter of my latest freakout on myself (There is no Spoon), I had gotten to the point where I was tired of saying "I can't" and making excuses for myself. I was tired of holding myself back. I was tired of not believing in myself.

So, during the week I put my Mantra to work. "There is no spoon."

Whenever my mind would wander to "I can't do that..." or some other variation of such sentence, I'd finish it with, "Well why the hell not?" Those boundaries I had in my mind (certain predetermined miles per hour for running or biking or times or lengths for swimming which were "safe boundaries" for me), I erased them. I wiped the slate clean.

Yes, over the past couple years I've certainly come far and certainly pushed my boundaries (going from couch to whatever..) and I see that. I'm thrilled to be doing what I'm doing and breaking through the previous limitations I had set for myself.

But no matter how far I get, I notice that I never fail to make an endless list of excuses for myself. For why I don't think I'm good enough or for why I can't keep up. Back when I was told I was crazy for setting my sights on a triathlon, I did it anyway. But now that I'm doing them I want to do them well and no one is telling me that I can't do them well. EXCEPT FOR ME. Plenty of people can say something to you about what you're able to do and make limitations for you but YOU are the only real person who has control over whether or not you listen and whether or not you follow it and it's YOUR VOICE that speaks the loudest.

And what is that voice saying?

"I'm not built for running... short legs... my torso isn't big enough, something to do with the breathing and lung capacity, not a swimmer, I can't do that blah blah blah blah blah."

Honestly, the chatter in my head is exhausting and really quite ridiculous, really.

Last week I told myself to just shut my hole already.

I can't take it anymore my head hurts I'm sick of hearing the excuses I'm sick of talking bad about myself I'm sick of talking bad about myself to others I don't deserve that no one deserves that the chatter is too loud and frankly it's just exhausting to hear it over and over again!

So after the "There's no Spoon" post, I settled on one word.

Believe.

Amazing things happen when you believe.

Amazing things happen when you believe there are no boundaries.

So here are some things that I couldn't believe but after a week of no boundaries, I do. And you can picture a "sassy" me doing my best Martin Lawrence impression at the end of the sentence when saying, "Buh-LEE DAT!" (or "believe that!" in 'non sass') And maybe some snaps in a Z formation too..

I can't believe I was going 23 miles an hour, for a while, and I wasn't going downhill! Buh-LEE DAT! (snaps here.)

I can't believe I swam, stopping only while my goggles filled up with water, in water over my head, for a while, without freaking out about the fishes or breathing or anything! Buh-LEEEEEEE DAT!

Also I can't believe I did it confidently strong and somewhat fast! Buh-LEEEE DAT!

I can't believe I can feel stronger when running from my core and that all those minutes (hours?) of plank and pushups are paying off! Well Buh-LEEE DAT!

I can't believe that fear is dissolving and excitement and adrenaline is replacing it! That the child-like fearlessness is renewing itself! Buh-LEEEEEE DAT!

I can't believe that I'm starting to see lines where abs should be! Buh-LEEE DAT!

Honestly, it's scary to believe that you can do anything. Anything is a much larger vastness than a safe predetermined boundary.

When you look off into the distance toward anything, it's daunting! What will you come up against, what's out there trying to thwart you, and then, what happens after anything? More of anything?

Everything takes practice, perhaps believing in yourself takes practice too.

I also think it takes getting mad at yourself first. And me and myself had it out last week.

I'm glad we did, too, or I'd still be shuffling along wasting time and making excuses.

At the very least, anything you do should begin with believing in yourself.

I think I'm up for it now.

* * *
What's your mantra this week? Join me on Mondays when I try to start the week off right (or make sense of the complicated!)

Leave your mantra in the comments or post about it and leave the link in the comments below!

Sometimes

The guy in the garden center at Lowe's helped me load up my new red mulch and my beautiful new doomed flowers and ridiculously overpriced handpainted flower pot that I just HAD to have and he asked me, "Do you believe you have a calling?"
It was a pretty deep question from a guy in the Lowe's garden department.

I told him, "Yes, I believe that." Even though I am still trying to figure mine out but I didn't say that.

He had a very heavy spanish accent so it was hard for me to understand every word but I was listening intently to try and get all the words because he was talking really fast. He eventually went off to talk about how he thinks he was born to be a fighter in MMA and someone out of the blue told him he should be an MMA fighter and he thought it was a sign.

I wasn't sure where it was going from there but it seemed really important for him to tell me this and so I listened as we loaded up the huge bags of mulch together because I was stubborn and wouldn't let him do all the work.

The conversation went quickly, only the time it took to load up two carts of full of flowers, mulch and a toilet seat (can you tell me the difference between a $10 toilet seat and a $30 toilet seat? Is there really that much difference? All I care about is that it is hard plastic, which most of them are. Beyond that, what are the perks? Different post for a different day I suppose.)

So we were finishing and I said, "Thanks so much for helping me!" and he said, "Thank you! I really believe God sends angels to give us messages don't you?"

And I said, "Yes. I do."

OK so this sounds pretty crazy but for some reason that last comment impacted me.

It actually made me cry when I got in the car. I know. Really random, from the guy at Lowes talking about being a MMA fighter.

But still.

It was a big question and it was a question that was on my heart last night when I got an email back from my son's teacher at his school.

Do I believe that God sends me messages?

I do.

With my whole heart.

Sometimes I get a nagging feeling about something, a gut feeling, where I am compelled to do something I would never even imagine doing, and even in a desperate sort of way because it is something that I CAN'T NOT do. I don't believe this is my mind talking.

Sometimes my fingers fly across the keyboard without so much as an actual thought in my head and I wonder where the words came from.

Or there is something that is a total shot in the dark, it makes no sense whatsoever, there is no way in the world it will work out, but it does. It works out. And I've learned not to ask why because I will always figure that part out later.

There is always a because. A reason that something has happened.

Sometimes I find myself at a crossroads and I cry, I mull over the possibilities, the choices, I agonize and I pray for an answer or a direction.

I get one. Maybe not on my time. But I get one.

When I get over "myself" and look outward, toward the bigger picture, I close my eyes and listen, and in days, sometimes weeks, the answer just comes. Whatever has happened to me that makes me question or agonize or worry, the answer is almost never about me.

The picture is always bigger than the one I have in my head. The answer sometimes simpler, sometimes not even one of the options.

So this past week, I discovered Socks for Japan.

I've been in agony over how to help besides donating to the Red Cross and Socks for Japan spoke to me and I kept going back to it in my mind and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wanted to do this with my kids but will my tiny contribution with just me and the boys be enough to make any impact whatsoever? And I think, "No. It has to be bigger than that. But how?"

So I open up an email and start typing away to my sons' teachers about Socks for Japan to see if they will get the class involved in this project and I do it without thinking and I think my fingers aren't my own, they are typing for someone else, and a couple hours later she has emailed my email to everyone and now I am spearheading a Socks for Japan project at their school.

I still don't know where it's going or if it will be successful, but it doesn't matter. It's like my mom says, you send out little seeds into the world and you find out which ones stick into the ground and grow and which ones don't and they aren't always the ones you thought would sprout.

That nagging feeling? That voice in your head? The person sent to you as if out of nowhere to talk some sense into you, support you, identify with you?

I don't know if it's angels. I don't know if it's the man Himself doing all that, but I do believe that if you listen, you will hear a voice in your heart, your head, your gut or where ever it lives and who ever is saying it will tell you "why" and "what." It is more than a conscience and I believe that.

It won't always be what you want to hear or the answer to the "why" that you asked. And it won't tell you everything, but it will tell you something.

You just have to listen. Like I'm listening now. 

How to Open a Coconut or How NOT to Open a Coconut, rather.

A couple of weeks ago my son became transfixed by a coconut in the store.

He needed the coconut. He wanted the coconut. I said ok, let's get the coconut.

He carried it around proudly for most of the day and after dinner we decided to open it up.

I did not look on the internet ahead of time on how to do this.

AND THAT THING IS HARD! (That's what she said.)

For your reference, don't do this:

It doesn't work.

This does not work either.

No matter how strong your thighs are.

Eventually we got it open but also you can see the variety of tools we used to try to get it open, none of which actually worked.

What did work was the flat side of a meat tenderizer. Eventually I did look on the internet (sort of) and used the meat tenderizer to beat the crap out of it.
That worked. It was a nice release of some built up frustration, too, if I might add.

However.

Had I searched a little further I'd have found out that coconuts have a "sweet spot" or a seam.

If you bang that seam (not tap, but bang) with the blunt end (not the blade) of a chef's knife, meat cleaver or some big heavy knife (in my case, a meat tenderizer) while turning the coconut and following the seam (doing all of this over a cup or a sink to catch the water inside), it'll eventually split open. And also you'll look like you know what you're doing.

Unlike the madness that was a mom and a dad pulling out tool after tool after tool, frazzled and baffled, with children underfoot trying to figure out how to break open a coconut.

Oh, and a brick or rock or edge of a concrete slab can also be used according to WikiHow which also provides several other useful methods for opening a coconut. Including my personal favorite and most brilliant in my opinion:

"If nothing works you can wrap the coconut in a towel, then hit it with a hammer."

The other one super useful thing I missed out on by not looking it up on the internet is how to get the meat out.

That was another challenge.

How do people stranded on a desert island survive on coconuts without the internet to properly instruct them?

(Do they get 4G coverage there perhaps?)

You can freeze pieces of the coconut for 30 minutes and you can scoop the meat out easier. But I didn't do that (of course.) You can also stick the coconut in an oven on 350 for 20 minutes (after you've drained it first) which will cause the meat to separate from the shell on its own. Didn't do that either.

I scraped and I dug and eventually I got some pieces out.

Which he enjoyed. And I had just enough energy to scrape out a tidbit for myself before I was tired of looking at this thing and not in the mood for it anymore.

The other one lost interest after the chaos of banging the coconut was over. He's not pictured from here on out, he's off doing more interesting things like picking his nose or running around naked because that's how he rolls.

So there you go! How NOT to open a coconut!

It should have taken us about 5 minutes.

The whole process for us was about 30. Not counting the time spent ogling it of course.

But hey. We've got memories now, right?

The Ultimate Blog Party at 5 Minutes for Mom!!! (A Giveaway Post)

Woohoo!! Time to party!!

I love this time of year!

Time to meet new bloggers and new friends in a giant online soiree! (Pronouncing it in my best fake deep British voice, Welcome to the SWA-RAYYYY, dahhling!)

We're blog-hopping with 5 Minutes for Mom this week in their annual Ultimate Blog Party and if you're not involved in the party yet go git your partywear on and put up a post and go visit people, it's FUUUUUN!! There are prizes and everything!

(There are prizes here too!)

But first, if you're new here, I'll introduce myself and give you the short story and the low-down.

HI!

I'm Christie O!

In my former life (before kids) I worked in tv news as a producer and a writer. I decided to stay home after my first son was born 6 weeks early.

4 lbs 6 oz.

He's turning 5 NEXT WEEK!

We're having a mad science party and it is going to be AWESOME.

It's amazing how time flies.

I had a difficult time dealing with his prematurity (even though he was just fine and spent very little time in the NICU) and found out I was pregnant again when he was 10 months old. (Surprise!)

I swear he had that goofball smile straight outta the womb.

That little boy is now 3 1/2.

He is his own man.

I have the best husband ever. He does a great American Idol dance but will deny it to the death. Right now I only know that it actually exists and no one believes me. It is like trying to explain I've seen the Lockness Monster. But one day I shall get it on video. One day.

And I gained oh, about 60 pounds (give or give some) during pregnancy and went on a mission after I regained consciousness from post-partum depression to lose it.

whoopsy. how'd that happen?

I started running (slowly).

I continued running (slowly.)

I was losing weight (finally!)

I got bored with running and tried triathlon (slowly.)

And loved that. So.MUCH.

Because I learned so much about myself. I learned how much I am capable of. How strong I am mentally. How to overcome fear like in open water swimming.

I am on a constant journey, through life, through motherhood, through wifehood, through healthy living. I don't know where the journey's going, but I'm enjoying the ride!

What My Blog is About

I am in constant awe of moms. I rarely ever feel like I know what I'm doing.

It wasn't until after my sons were born and then they were getting older and I was having to make difficult decisions and I never seemed to know the right answer and my best friends and sister were becoming mothers and women that I understood just how hard it is to be a mom and I finally thanked my own mom.

We sometimes judge each other too quickly but the truth is, MOMS ROCK!

I believe moms should be celebrated for their uncanny ability to diffuse any situation or have any item available as needed in her giant purse in a moment's notice, for getting all done in a day, for everything they are to every ONE!

I believe that the average mom wears a cape. Not the SUPER mom that we all want to be, the average mom that is ALREADY SUPER! So every month I share an awesome mom or group of moms with everyone because we need to celebrate each other's awesomeness! (You can read about this month's mom right HERE! She's truly awesome, she's feeling her way through breastfeeding now and I remember that all too well, it did not go easy for me!)

I love sharing stories about the craziness that is family life, the bad mommy moments, good mommy moments, the hard stuff, the easy stuff, and the revolution that is going from a 40+ hour a week career girl to stay at home mom/room mom/soccer mom/minivan mom in 1.2 seconds. I blog about prematurity, health and fitness, motherhood, crafts, recipes, American Idol, and everything else in between!

I love being inspired by other writers, mothers, bloggers and friends so please introduce yourself and leave your link so I can follow! I can't wait to meet you!

WAIT -- did someone say DOOR PRIZES?!

This week, I'm giving away two prizes, and they are two of my favorite things in the world!

1. A Bondi Band!

These are really cool sweat-wicking headbands with cool sayings on them! I randomly draw winner from the comments and you pick your saying! You can click on the picture to make it larger to see all the sayings.

2. A necklace from my Etsy shop, Inspire Me Chic!

Same thing, I will randomly draw a winner from the comments, you pick your style! They are handmade leather necklaces with an inspirational circle charm on it. I wear "discipline" and "focus" depending on my mood and they work, truly they do!

The giveaway will close at the end of the day on the last day of the blog party and I'll announce the winners in the blog hop recap the next day!

Please introduce yourself and leave your blog link so I can come visit you!

Welcome!

Cocktail?

Don't go without the recipe for the best sangria ever!!!

Nice to meet you!!!

A Conversation About American Idol

Today I'm bringing back the occasional "Idol Chatter!"

First of all, my husband does this crazy American Idol dance to the intro of the show. It sends me into a hysterical fit of laughter that I'm sure broke my water almost 5 years ago. (I'm not kidding. My water broke a couple hours after he sent me into uncontrollable laughter where I couldn't breathe.)

Anyway, last night he heard something "pop" when he did it some leg-in-the-air move and he had to stop.

Gosh we're getting old.

Also, I feel close to American Idol because I covered the finale when I worked for FOX during the Clay and Ruben year which makes me ancient, doesn't it? So I feel a sort of kinship to it.

Today I must quickly recap my feelings and feel free to share your own .02 on this very important topic.

Country guy: cute baseball player with (confusingly) deep voice. Not the best performance by him but as I mentioned, cute baseball player with deep voice. *swoon*

Girl with dreads: LOVE HER. I don't know why but I was yelling at the tv screen begging the judges to save her. There's something about her awesome voice and her individuality and the fact that she was cleaning toilets at a stadium before she got on the show. She's her own person and she reminds me of Alicia Keys.

James Blunt guy. Or  Maroon Five guy. Or Rod Stewart guy. We have one (or two or three) of those already. When someone asked him if he "watered his suit" because there were so many flowers on it, it threw me on the floor laughing. Also, he actually looks European because of the way he wears his tight pants and dances (actually he reminds me of the British guy roommate in Notting Hill), but the fact that he has no accent always confuses me and throws me off.

Pia. I love her.

Little Joey Tribiani. He's been in my heart this whole time, he can't go. He's too cute. Like he needs to go in my lunchbox cute. I don't really like the high top sneakers though, they remind me that he's closer to my kids' age than mine.

Lauren is cute as a button. She can go in my backpack.

James is the baby that David Cook at Adam Lambert would make.

Thia Magia's name rhymes.

Casey got a haircut? SHUT UP. I like him, he's really talented but not at getting haircuts.

Jacob looked tortured during his song. Like there was actual pain coming out of him.

Haley's got this hot Edie Brickell voice and I still don't know what to make of her but I think I like her, I am not sure.

That's all.

Are you watching?

Weigh In Work Out Wednesday: Calorie Counting Experiment #546

In last week's post at Shrinking Jeans, I outed my inner conflict with "calorie counting in public."

Because believe it or not, it's a thing. Calorie counting in public is not the popular thing to do. In fact, it sort of annoys people.

Half because they think, "GAWD, give it a break already!" And half because when you're counting everything, people (my mom) think you've gone crazy and you're headed to the nearest eating disorder or starvation.

I assure you I am none of those things, nor am I in denial of such things, nor am I in denial that I'm in denial about such things (and so on and so forth.)

It's just that I'm a little over-educated in calorie counting now and uber-aware of what I'm eating while I try to lose the last 10. Like, um, 4 ounces of steak is NOT what I had pictured. Nor did I have any idea that just one cup of pasta takes up like NO space on my plate compared to what I used to pile on there.

I can see when it annoys waiters and waitresses when I ask for nutritional information. It annoys managers of restaurants when I call ahead and ask for nutritional information. It annoys people when they know I've looked up the nutritional information online before I went to a restaurant and it annoys people when I'm at someone's house and I refrain from certain foods or when I measure food in front of people who are at my house. It annoys people on special occasions/holiday/eating celebrations. I don't really blame them.

So, this past week, I was in a few situations that I thought might require easing up a bit and finding balance between totally neurotic and just sort of neurotic. Because I don't really like being the crazyperson, it's just that when I do things only partially, I know I'm not necessarily doing it "right," and I like to do things all the way.

Anyways. The result? No loss this week. None. Not even a pound.

Gah. Sorry Team Sass & Fury!! (My dear love Beki!) We were on the top ten weight-loss team last week too!! Number 6!!

So, that didn't work.


The experiment as follows:

Thursday McDonalds:
What "neurotic me" would have done: Order nothing, eat at home.
What "laid back me" did: Ordered two cheeseburger meal, shared it with 3 year old, got coke. Followed by swimming a mile.

Friday Spring Festival:
What "neurotic me" would have done: carefully scrutinize food so as to try and gather recipe in my head for calorie counting, taking tiny portions or have eaten before hand and not tried anything (BORING!)
What "laid back me" did: tried it all!Tried to estimate calories but eventually stopped and called the day a wash. OH WELL!

Saturday Celebration Station:
What "neurotic me" would have done: drank the protein shake I brought.
What "laid back me" did: ate two teeny tiny slices of pizza and had some lemonade because I was famished and crossed my fingers that the laser tag would work it off! Also, ran 6 miles afterward. IN 59 MINUTES!

Sunday Cheesecake Factory:
What "neurotic me" would have done: suggest somewhere else. Or eat at home and get only coffee.
What "laid back me" did: ordered the 840 cal steak and eggs because it was the fewest calorie-d brunch item (yes, I looked it up beforehand) but also it was a kickass protein meal for after my swim bike and run from the morning! I didnt' finish the whole plate of food either.

Sidenote: Spoiler alert! As much as I love Cheesecake Factory, which I do, my inner calorie counter gets pretty angry that most of their items are more than 1,000 calories and there are pastas on there that are more than 2,200 calories. It's almost criminal, I'm sorry. In some other state, they were forced to publish their nutritional data, and someone in that state was kind enough to post it here. Definitely for me, only a treat, like ONCE A YEAR. (end of sidenote.)

And then my husband and I ordered takeout that night and had a nice night in.

So maybe a little LESS of all that perhaps. *snicker* Not to mention the very basic notion that pizza and Mickey D's really isn't the best for fueling a hard workout but that's neither here or there, right? Ha!

Anyway, went too far the other way and in this case, it didn't balance out like my few indescretions of the previous week did. The good part is, I could do that if I wanted to maintain. But I don't want to maintain right now, I am focused on losing this last little bit.

In non-scale victory news however, my swimming is really coming along and so is my running! Speedwork in both of these REALLY REALLY helps and helps build confidence too.

(Repeat after me: THERE IS NO SPOON!)

I'll just have to be a little more mindful of the food this coming week and I can't apologize for the calorie counting. I'll try not to be so flashy about it, but it's what's gotta get done and that's the end of it.

I know. It's an intricately detailed report of my week and very likely TMI but it's easier to write it all out so I can work through it in my mind, so this is what you get! You're welcome!

How did you do???

The Philippines (Spring Festival Part II)

My three-year-old's class had the Phillipines for his country and in the Philippines, they have beautiful flowery celebrations. I took this picture of a book the teachers were working with and wanted to do something like this.

But how?

So I'm walking through JoAnn Fabric and I spot a little foam crown and I think, "Hmmmm...."

I find some fake flowers, went home, and came up with this:

I took inexpensive fake flowers, pulled them off the stems and poked them through the foam and hotglued them in there so they'd stay. It was so simple, I actually did one of them sitting in the parking lot of their school waiting for them to get out and glued it at home.

That little cord thingy goes around the back of the little girl's heads to hold them in place, I seriously couldn't have found a cooler thing to use for a headpiece! And they were $1 each!

I couldn't wait to get it to school to try it on a little girlhead, so I had to use the closest head possible.

Hooray! It works! (ps. we're in a shirtless phase these days. Not "we," actually, just him.)

He didn't mind being the model but made it clear to me that he's "not a princess, mommy."

This is how it looked at the festival:

We didn't even have to make the costumes, I was walking through Toys R Us on a completely unrelated birthday present mission and passed by this beautiful costume and there was only one left. It was $15. But there were tons of them online and free shipping! Hooray! I couldn't have made these for that cheap!

No one minded that they were actually "Bollywood" costumes, they just wanted them to be "colorful" and colorful it was! The parents were thrilled and the little girls loved being princesses.

We scoured for costumes online for boys/men and saw that they were always pretty plain except for either a sash or a scarf, so we went with an orange sash that my mom made (thanks mom!) I found inexpensive orange party taffeta fabric (and had a coupon) and we cut it out into strips and sewed them.

Of course none of the boys wanted to wear it.

And my boy, who was the star of the show in last year's spring festival and sang this year's "Planting Rice" song at home day in and day out, got total stagefright come performance time. Oh well.

Sash not on, not picking up shaker, not singing, must stare and say nothing. Maybe if I don't move, no one will see me.

That was actually pretty funny because he's usually pretty animated. Oh well!

Anyway for the rest of the festival, the "Jeepney":

A beach community:

And a working volcano that one of the middle schoolers made for the little people class that my little guy is shoving fake money into in his post-cupcake stupor.

(Notice the sash is already off. So glad my mom worked on this for hours!)

One of the teachers also made this delicious chicken noodle dish (we all forgot it was Friday during Lent and chowed on it) and we had traditional Philippines music playing in the background.

I absolutely love Spring Festival at this school and how the children learn all about other cultures and the world. I'll have to upload some video so you can get the actual feel of it.

But I'm darned proud of those headpieces!!! Only wish I could've kept one to wear myself! 
* * *
If you missed Part I of the Spring Festival, 20 Tiny Lincolns is here.