working at working out

I'm doing my best to stick with my exercising and have finally reached that miraculous point of actually looking forward to my next class (went to three this week).  Sadly though, I have not reached the miraculous point of being more energized throughout my day.  Working out in the morning is still my preferred time of day (for me it beats having to wait around for a class in the evening) and I do seem to get more done directly after.  Nothing like being a sweaty mess at the grocery store second thing in the morning.  


What I'm hoping is that I will start working again soon and therefore have more things to fill my day thus keeping my momentum going.  I've seemed to arrive at the old catch-22 though where I need experience to get a job but can't get a job without experience.  This was my dilemma when I last attempted a skin care career.  Fingers crossed that I may have an interview in the next week.  

Until I've rejoined the workforce though, I'm will continue to keep busy with working out...it's not as if I have any valid excuses not to do so.  Right? Right.  Once I'm back to work I will need to keep it up...but we will cross that bridge when we get there (again hopefully soon)! Motivation provided by Disney Pixar and I just have to keep swimming (or in my case PiYo-ing, Yoga-ing, and Barre-ing).  

Cheers to you and hope that all is going swimmingly for you!

Nighttime napping...or how I've been sleeping soundly

I've downloaded a couple of apps to my Kindle for bedtime recently and am kind of digging how well they work together.

Relax Melodies (free), upgrade with more sounds for $2.99.
Lose Weight Now Lite by Glenn (free version)

I turn the weight loss app on first then go to the melodies.  I get the voice guidance from Glenn who speaks for about a half hour and the melodies play in the background (I set the timer for 2 hours, but that's me).

I don't know that the weight loss app has really done much, but I will give it credit for getting me to sleep quickly.  I don't even think that I've ever actually listened to the whole thing becuase it knocks me out.  I do know there is some visualizing yourself at your best weight and making healthy choices.  It may be working I feel like I am taking a little more time to consider my choices and being more aware of what I've eaten throughout the day (without tracking and logging).

 

The melodies are nice, you can play with the mix of nature sounds and music and adjust the volumes individually and create your own little nighttime lullaby mix.  It's really kind of cool.  I've been satisfied with the free version.

If you are having trouble falling asleep, try starting one of these apps (or something like them) this week...tell me how you're feeling by Friday.  :)




Ps: If you haven't visited the Facebook page, maybe check it out...bonus articles and humor and such :)  Prettypalooza on FB

Rise and shine!

why you need an acupressure facial

This week I took a Chinese Acupressure class at the International Dermal Institute...while it was only a two day look into a massive subject it was AWESOME.  We learned a technique that focuses on 21 points of the face and neck area and I am hooked.

I've always had the basic European massage in facials before (it's the standard that most of us learn for state board testing).  It's all fine and dandy, I mean it feels nice and relaxes you but sometimes you want something a little different...enter acupressure.

It is also very relaxing, which I wasn't sure it would be at first (being so used to the European style).  Turns out that it is relaxing but somehow in a different way.  Maybe because the focus is on breathing and overall wellness so the relaxation comes secondary.  Based off of this class I'm super excited to attend the IDI Reflexology course and the Chinese Diagnosis: Face and Body Reading.

If you have the option of trying it, I would highly recommend it! 

Disconnect to Reconnect

Oh Facebook, what would we do without you?  We can check in on people and always know what they're up too...who has kids, who has dog-kids, who loves their life, and who is airing their dirty laundry (generally rather passive aggressively).  We get caught up in it, I get caught up in it.  Sometimes we need to remember to keep in mind that FB is really only what others want for us to see (in some cases, in other cases people put it ALL out there!).

That being said, be sure to check out Prettypalooza on Facebook...I'm up to about 20 likes, cause I'm kind of a big deal.

In the past couple of weeks though, I've been contacted by a couple of people who I had lost touch with (in real life).  One was a person that I'd been in school with pretty much the entire of K-12.  The other was a former co-worker who I used to hang out with a lot...but then you know, life got in the way.  I guess it's what some would call an "A-ha!" moment, where I realized that there was more going on in our lives than FB would have me believe.  Sometimes we do just need to carve out some time to sit with each other and connect person to person...like when something isn't working and you turn it off then turn it back on.  

While catching up you may learn that not only does she
not exercise, but also that she's never
had any official dance training.  

I dare you to meet up with someone sometime soon in real life and spend some time really catching up.  Phones only for showing a couple of pics here and there and maybe setting a timer if you only found 2 hour parking.  (Bonus points if you are having such a nice visit that you have to go move your car, because that's what I had to do!).  

Cheers to you, and have some fun!

Five stretches for a good night's sleep

Now that I've been working out more, I seem to have found some additional muscles that I didn't know I had.  So right before bed and first thing in the morning I've been adding some stretches to help with any stiffness or soreness.  These are some of my favorites (bonus being that you don't even need to get out of bed to do them).

Keep in mind that I'm not a doctor or a yoga instructor...I've just found that these combos have been working for me.

In any order:

1. Legs against a wall: helps to lower heart rate 

2. Pigeon: hip opener

3. Bridge pose: calms brain, improves circulation

4. Cat and Cow: good for posture, relieves stress

5. Child's pose and or Happy Baby: both good for calming body and mind

Again, I'm not a professional or anything, I just know these feel good and I've been getting to sleep easier and it's a nice way to wake up in the morning. Go ahead and check with a Doc, do what you need to do...it's the only body you've got!

If you need info on how to do these poses, or want more info on the benefits I found this website helpful: cnyhealingarts   

BOSU, for me...and maybe for you??

I've seen those BOSU balls laying around the gym before.  I've even seen some women with rather enviable bodies gracefully planking using the BOSU.  I had never dared picked one up at the gym though...I'm not what one would call graceful or coordinated. 

I did opt to try a class over at Equilibrium Fitness in La Verne.  The class sizes are small, so far between 4 to 6 and our teacher.  What I like about this class is that we do a bit of everything (legs, abs, arms) and work at a variety of paces.  I'm still at a place where I go a little slower so that I get the movements right (for the most part). It's kind of like a step class, meets a little kickboxing with some light yoga stretches included.  

Maura the instructor is super nice and welcoming and takes time throughout the class to check on everyone.  On my second visit we were balancing on the flat side of the BOSU and she actually came over an held my hands until I was up and balanced...twice. She came over and held my sweaty little hands, that's how nice she is.

It's a good workout, a get you sweaty and heart racing, leaving with wobbly legs kind of workout.  With a few more classes under my belt I may even feel coordinated enough to try it myself at the gym...during the off hours when not too many people can see me. 

too snarky for inner peace?

I enjoy my evening walks in nature, I do.  Right up until some joggers decide to run around me (it's not like I'm in the middle of the road, I hug the edge), or some mom with a stroller decides to pick up her pace right as I'm about to go around her.  So, for the most part I really like my walks.

I wanted to bring my mindfulness up a notch though. I downloaded the "Stop, Breathe & Think" app for my phone.  They have a "mindful walk" meditation and I decided to listen to it while walking.  Be more in the moment, not irritated by my fellow walkers.  As I listened to the app, I took time to breathe deep, and look at my surroundings.  I was looking to the sky and the trees and missed the sprinkler and tripped...didn't fall though, caught myself.  Then as I was supposed to be focusing on my breath and the scents around me I noticed that I was passing by the bathrooms...so not focusing on the scents over there!

I switched over to the "gratitude" meditation...and it was working for me.  Then this kid with training wheels caught up with me and started yelling at his parents to hurry up...at that point all I could feel gratitude for was the fact I did not have children.

I am a work in progress.  I do like the app, it's free and has a bunch of options for list of meditations.  Most tell you to be seated, but the ones I listened to were good while walking.

What do you listen to? Have you tried any meditation apps? Are you innerly peaceful?

Adulting isn't easy but it's necessary...apparently.

Lately I've noticed that everyone on my facebook is being a grown up... Babies everywhere, or the kids that were once babies are in high school.  High school, my high school friends now have children entering high school. What is that??

And I'm all over here like, um, yeah my last job didn't really work out.  So, I'm taking some classes while being unemployed.  Kids? Well no, no kids for me.  Sure I like them, I just don't have any.  I like fancy cars, boats, and horses too...but I don't have those either.

I hope that I live to be 120 years old or something, because then I feel that at some point I will have mastered the grown up thing.

plotting out my mom's future

In the last year or so my mom has begun to get her affairs in order...and it's kind of terrifying to me.  The talk of wills and living trusts and the occasional topic of where she'd like to be buried, it's a lot to take in.  I crack a lot of inappropriate jokes to ease my tension. 

(Image brought to by the artist Josh Agle...aka SHAG)

Very recently she began actually pricing cemetery plots.  What I've come to realize is that death is very expensive.  This last week we went to visit my father's mausoleum and my grandparents' cemetery.  Yes, I have a very small living family.  Upon visiting my grandparents we wandered into a garden, a pretty nice one (if you leave out the part about being located in a cemetery...and that it was filled with cremated people).  There were trees, flowers, a fountain and small memorial markers.

My mom made her decision...she would like to be put to rest here.  We visited the mortuary together and left with a "double" under a tree, near the fountain.  When the time comes, I have a space too (if need be).  So somehow I now have a permanent resting place.

As awful as it is that I will eventually have to come to terms with losing my mom who is one of my very dearest friends, I guess that it's one less thing to worry about.  It's still terrible to think about though, I don't know how I will even begin to cope.  Here's hoping that it won't be for a very very (very very very) long time.

Anyone else out there with older parents?  How do you handle the eventuality of it all?  

A letter to my doctor

As my regular doctor was out on maternity leave (very happy for her btw) I was left in the hands of the other doctor in the practice for my yearly check up.  At this appointment, I wanted to address my concerns that I am having difficulty losing weight even though I am actively working to do so.

Dear Dr. ______

I came in for my yearly physical exam this week and during the 15 minutes you spent with me I was able to bring up my concerns regarding weight loss.  I explained that I am currently at my heaviest weight ever and I can't seem to get the scale to budge.  I came to you for help.  I am aware of all the crazy diet pills and tricks and scams out there in the world, but I wanted your professional advice.

What I got from you was overwhelming negativity.  You opted to hand me a prescription only after telling me that I needed to be serious about losing weight.  You told me that I needed to diet (and only gave me suggestions to which diets I should look too after I asked you to be more specific).  You told me that you would not prescribe this to me again if it did not appear that I was taking my weight loss seriously....and based on your judgmental tone and scowl I doubt you think I do.

All in all I felt like a complete and total failure before I even got the prescription filled.  I now have 4 days to even get this prescription filled before it becomes void.  I did not come to you, a doctor, for sympathetic hand holding or a miracle drug.  I came for medical advice, suggestions from an actual doctor on the best way for me to lose weight and your professional opinion on how to proceed.  I feel that I got none of that in the short amount of time you set aside for me.

I am currently considering going to one of those diet doctors that advertise in the city's monthly coupon book...they seem nice and hopefully will have a few additional minutes to spend with me regarding my weight problem.

Sincerly,
I dislike your doctoring very much

Starting over, all over again

                                                                      Here I am at the starting line once again.  Feels like it's happened a lot in the last few years.  Luckily, I'm at the excited for a new beginning part.

I've been taking some continuing education classes over at the Dermal Institute.  I took the 3 Day Skin Care Technique class and met a great group of fellow Estheticians. I really enjoy taking classes there, the teachers are all great and a bonus is that we use Dermalogica (which is cruelty free).  Up next is a "skin series" class and a class in gaining and retaining clients...which will be pretty important as I currently have a whopping ZERO clients in my roster.

After these classes, I'll be hopping to the application process.  I'm not even really sure where to begin...but I'll figure it out.  Just need to get organized, be focused, and keep up my skills.

Unfortunately my workouts took a backseat when I was in class last week (2+ hours in traffic sure takes a lot out of you!)...but I will get started again, no wagon falling off for me!

Back to school...the education continues

This week I'm going back to school (International Dermal Institute style).  Taking the 3-day Technique course.  I'm at a strange point of my life where I'm still struggling with the whole "What should I be when I grow up?" 

Part of me totally wants to pursue being an Esthetician, but I know that that goes hand in hand with sales.  I just have never been confident in my salesperson skills.  I guess for me, I'm a look around shopper myself and don't particularly like having a sales associate checking in on me. 

The other part of me really enjoyed working in an elementary school.  I love working with kids...you will always have a good story to tell when kids get involved.  Add to that the fact that I don't have any kids of my own (and having them in my future is looking a bit bleak for the time being) I kind of miss the school environment.  Weekends and holidays off? Yes please.  

For now, while I'm in the gray area I'm taking a couple of classes at the Dermal Institute to brush up on some facial giving skills.  Also, I get to go to the student store and pick up some products...yay! (For info on Dermalogica/Dermal Institute/Continuing Education click here).

My workouts are trying to kill me

In an effort to lose weight and fit into my clothes again (oh yeah and to be healthier too I suppose) I've taken up walking.  I know I got all excited thinking that I would have a walking buddy, but that hasn't quite gone as planned.  No worries though, she got me out there and got me moving.

Sadly, my workouts have been trying to kill me.  It's not like I'm walking through some forest populated with lions, tigers and flying monkeys. I'm also not aiming for any marathon distances.

I arrive at the park a little after 7 (cooler time of day and parking turns to free).  I park by the lake...but away from the ducks.  I turn on my little "Map my Walk" app and get started. The loop around is about 2 miles and I've been going at least 3 times a week.  T

On Monday, I was about halfway around when my shins started to hurt.  Like a lot.  I stopped and tried stretching...but realized that I wasn't stretching where it was hurting.  Took a few more steps, so much pain!  Being at the halfway point sucked, either way I still had a mile to go.  Summoning my inner high school gym teacher I walked it off.  Got home that night and read all about shin splints.

I Googled (as one does) and it told me that the cause of my pain was basically exercise (too much too fast).  I read that I should take it down a notch, get some rest and try something with lower impact.  The heck?!?!  It has taken me forever to get into some kind of routine and when I've finally found one that I've been sticking too (for like several consecutive weeks) and it causes me physical pain! So frustrating.

I made a plan to alter my course a bit and work back into my regular loop.  I found some helpful stretches and added a 30 day Ab Challenge to my workout.

Shortly after altering my course to help my shins I stumbled upon a new problem, quite literally.  On my way back to my car I fell in a hole. I hurt my knee and my elbow and my pride.  Lucky for me I was wearing my sunglasses and did not make any eye contact with anyone! I am now adding "watching where I'm going" to my list of things to make my workouts better.


Cheers to you and your legs that are like working as they should!

Summer lovin'

I love summer, it stays light for so long the weather has been delightful.  It's slushy season.  I've been walking along Puddingstone in the evenings (after 7 equals free parking). It's glorious and I know that in California we need rain, but right now I'm just enjoying some rather lovely summer days and nights.

I've been working on fixing up our backyard, replacing some of the dead grass with some prettier (and drought tolerant) options.  Currently still working on the clean up portion, but once I get into the more decorative parts I'm thinking I'd like to go with a kind of Wonderland-meets-Labyrinth motif.  I think it would be a fun way to combine a couple of my favorite movies. 

I wonder if I could find a Hoggle garden gnome somewhere???

Between working in the yard, a couple of 2-mile walks earlier in the week and the trek to Top Deck at Dodger Stadium the other night I've been doing pretty well with keeping active.  Luckily for me the weather has been pretty nice this week.  Here's a quick look:

A view from my hike/walk @ Frank G Bonelli Park/Puddingstone

Hello Kitty night @ Dodger Stadium 

My go to products this week have been: Physician's Formula CC cream in Light/Medium...which I've let it "cook" while I'm getting ready and Josie Maran's Argan Oil Mascara.  That's pretty much it, I'm keeping it pretty simple. 

Hope you are having a lovely summer! Cheers to you. 

Getting started

Goal: Exercise more.
 What's stopping me? Myself.

In my head, I seem to think that I prefer to work out solo.  The thing about that is that it makes it increasingly easier to make excuses.  For all those articles that say "have a workout buddy", I've always thought "Nah, I'll go to a yoga class or head over to the gym on my own."  Then an hour passes (or two, or four) and I'm still on the couch.  Then I'm all...darn wasted today guess I'll go tomorrow.  This is all while having a membership to 24 Hour Fitness.  24 HOURS (and my gym is actually open during all that time)...how can I continually be making excuses?  You're guess is as good as mine.





So, having a workout buddy is probably the better way to go for myself.  Luckily for me, I sent a simple "how ya doin" text to a friend the other day which turned into an invitation to go for a walk that evening.  While on our walk she mentioned making this a regular M-W-F outing.  I immediately agreed.  We didn't track our walk beyond the time (about 1 hour) and we weren't like speed walking or doing lunges or anything but we were out there and we were exercising. 


For me, I feel like once I begin working out it gets easier.  Having 3 nights a week that I know I will be active will (eventually) spur me on to be more active in general.  As much as I like to think that I enjoy spontaneity, I actually really like having structure.  The hardest part is getting started.

PS: 

Hope you are all well and having a happy and healthy summer!
Cheers.

Points for me...or the day I joined Weight Watchers

My jeans don't fit.  Not even my stretchy pair...it's very sad.  I do not want to mourn the loss of these jeans just yet so I suppose I need to do something on my end.

My main problem area is my belly pooch...and I would also like to go back to just one chin in my pictures.  My arms could def be more toned...however I have seen pics of the ladies on both sides of my family tree and have kind of accepted my jiggly arm fate.

I signed up for Weight Watchers today.  It has been successful for a couple of my friends and also was recommended by my doctor a while back.  I had resisted the idea, thinking that I couldn't/wouldn't work on a diet. What made me all of a sudden change my mind?  I stepped on a scale at the gym and realized I was at my all time heaviest.

It's still very new to me.  I signed up online for a three month period.  I've tracked my food today but am currently finding myself guesstimating the amounts.  My big success of day 1 was choosing the vinagrette over the french dressing with my salad.  Yay me!

And so it begins...

Anyone out there been on Weight Watchers before? Any tips are appreciated.

Cheers all

all the time in the world...procrastination at it's finest

Being as I am currently unemployed I have a copious amount of free time.   I should be taking a class, or exercising, updating my resume...just generally being productive.  Instead, I find myself sleeping... a lot.

I am struggling, and feeling a bit Scarlett O'Hara ("Oh Rhett, where will I go? What will I do?") about life right now.  In-my-head-me sees all the possibilities, but In-real-life-me lacks the motivation to get things done.

Truth be told, I'm not even sure where to go with this post.  Apologies for being a downer...life's journey is full of peaks and valleys, right?  I'm just wandering through the valley for a while and looking for the next peak.

Wish me luck...or if you have any helpful thoughts or comments on what to do when you don't know what to do, please share!


Cheers to brighter days ahead. 

living the dream, or how I quit a job

Remember when you were little and someone would say "What do you want to be when you grow up?" and their were endless possibilites?  I really wish I'd thought about that a little harder.


I recently quit my last job in a rather fabulous fashion...going out the way you see it in the movies.   I was only there three months, but it was a very long three months.  On a Tuesday morning I sat down with my manager and gave my notice.  True to her haughty nature she responded with "Well, I'm not surprised...I saw this coming." and we went about out day in a polite but very awkward way.  Her response really irked me though...like a lot.  Why should I give her two weeks?  She was prepared for me to leave, right?

The next morning I sat at my desk when she came in with a stack of things for me to work on for the next two weeks.  In that moment, I knew I'd had enough.  I looked her in the face and said "No, I think I'm going to finish up what I already have here and call it a day."  She nearly blew a fuse! "WHAT!?...You're leaving right now? You're just going to walk out the door??!!"  Now, that is not what I had planned mind you, I was going to finish out the day and make sure my desk was clear...but suddenly something snapped and I said "Okay." and began shutting down my computer right then and there.  It felt glorious.

Life really is too short to be unhappy.  I may struggle through the occasional bouts with depression, I may need to sometimes check in with a therapist but I will not suffer day in and day out in a job that makes me miserable.  I am not sure what is next (I didn't actually have anything lined up - job wise); I'm just taking this one day at a time.

Any words of wisdom out there?  I'd love to hear from you.
Cheers ~ Tam

a visit with the doctor

Sometimes I read articles about how to get more time with your doctor, what questions to ask and whatnot.  I've never had an issue with this myself.  My doctor remembers the specifics of my life, and always wants to make sure all my questions/thoughts/concerns are answered.  This week we did the yearly checkup...and boy did she really get me thinking.

She asked about my eating habits: breakfast: in the car on the way to work (sometimes drive thru, sometimes just coffee), lunch: either at my desk or in the car (usually take out), and dinner: snack food/sometimes a salad.

She asked about my exercise: I aim for Pilates and Dance class every week...but often miss one (this week both). I miss because I can't seem to get out of work in time, no matter what time I start my day. I know I should exercise more, but after a long day where do you find the energy? (Seriously though, if you have suggestions--I'd love to hear them!)

Then my doctor asked how work was going...and I told her.  Technically and paperwork speaking I have two jobs.  I work for two companies in one office.  I regularly work 8 1/2 to 9 hours a day. The other day I was there from 7am-7pm...with no overtime (because two jobs=two time cards).  She looked at me and said basically I am not benefiting from this kind of schedule, and that I could not keep it up; she said it's not good for me. Then she said something that has stuck with me all week, "you're being taken advantage of".
Wow.  I sat quietly and realized she was right.

Having to own up about yourself to a medical professional really makes you take a look at where you need to make some life changes.  It's one thing to discuss life's trials and tribulations with a friend over a glass of wine...but it's quite a different feeling when your sitting there in one of those backless gowns.  I need to find some inner strength to make some necessary changes.  Wish me luck.

What motivates you? Are there life changes you need to make too?  I'd like to hear from you.
Cheers!