ap·pre·ci·ate

I'm not a great writer. I'm not a profound thinker or a deep conversationalist. I mean, hell, Jersey Shore and Teen Mom 2 are two of my favorite shows. (CABS AH HEEYA!) Don't judge me.

Single at 27 in the south is hard. If you're not married by the time you're 21, then there has GOT to be something wrong with you...

Gosh I love Snooki

There have been many Friday and Saturday nights I sat at home with my friends named Self Pity and Boredom. Let me tell you, they aren't much fun. When you are the last woman standing (as I've stated before) out of all my really close friends, it's hard not to feel sorry for yourself and ask "why not me?" and "what's wrong with me?" and "Do I smell bad?"

But then I saw this...

This time of my life is like no other time I will have. I have more freedom and independence than I will EVER have again. And I haven't taken advantage of that to the fullest potential.

Do I want to get married? Yes. Do I want to have kids? Yes. But why should that desire impede my ability to live in THIS moment?

So I started a list (anyone that knows me knows how much I LOVE lists) of things I can do now as a single 27 year old... prepare to get jealous married friends with kids...

• In the morning, I am responsible just just myself. No kids, no husband. Just me. That means, I can do my hair EVERYDAY. More than half the time I sport a big ol' messy bun on my head, but that's by choice. Mom's talk about how they never have time to wash their hair. Well sucks for you. I can.
• FULL CONTROL OF THE REMOTE. If I want to watch Lifetime Movie Network or The Bachelorette, I can. And there is no one there to complain about it. The DVR is full of MY shows.
• Sleep. That's right, no waking up in the middle of the night for some crying kid. No sharing the bed with a covers hog. I can sleep in the middle of the bed, diagonal in the bed, however the heck I want to. Which brings me to my next point...
• If I want my dogs to sleep in the bed with me, they can. 
• I can spend my money however I want. Granted, I try to be responsible with that, but if I want to save it for a vacay, I can. If I want to spend it on new jeans, I can. It's my decision.
• If I want to travel, I can pick up and go. No worrying about coordinating other schedules or finding a babysitter or kid friendly activities.
• I can volunteer without feeling like I need to spend more time at home.
• I can start started a book club.
• I can go see whatever movie I want. Even if it is by myself. Not sure you have the confidence to pull it off? Check out this post.
• I can sing around the house as loud as I want to without worrying anyone is going to hear me.
• If I don't want to do the dishes one night, I don't have to. Granted they will be waiting for me the next night, but still. If I don't want to do them, I don't have to. My mess is MY mess... no one else's.
• I can buy whatever brand of toilet paper I want to.
• I can pee by myself. So many friends talk about how they can't even pee by themselves now that they have kids. I APPRECIATE THE PRIVACY.
• If I want to paint my laundry room coral, I can. And I'm going to... No really, I've already bought the paint.
• If I want to get a new job or move to a new city, I can without consulting anyone else.
• I can spend hours at the gym or running or whatever I want without feeling guilty for not spending time with someone else.
• I can go on dates. Or I can say no to dates. 
• I can cook whatever I want. If I want cereal for dinner, I can. If I want cake for dinner, I can.
• All the closets in the house are mine. And yes, 3 out of the 4 closets in my house are full of MY clothes.
• I can do whatever I want with my spare rooms. So one of them is a craft room. Might as well take advantage of that while I can. I seriously don't need 2 guest rooms. 
• I can listen to my music at home as loud as I want and if I want to dance around, I can without feeling like an idiot.
• If I want to hold conversations with my dogs, I can. ... Not saying I do that or anything ...
• There is nothing I find more annoying than hearing "Let me check with my husband..." when I ask someone if they want to do something. I mean, I GET IT. I understand. I REALLY do. And I'll probably do that too when I get married, but dang it, I can make all my own decisions right now and just want everyone else to too. I think the biggest part of this line that gets me is that usually it's not followed up on. Fine, go ask your hubby if he can survive dinner by himself, but then ANSWER ME! I really don't want to have to ask again. I mean, if you don't want to do something, just tell me. I'd rather get a flat "no" than a "I don't know, let me check." and then no follow through. [end rant]
• The thermostat is completely mine.
• All of the food that is in my house is my decision.
• I still have the opportunity to become who I want to be, change what I want to change, see what I want to see, go where I want to go, and dream what I want to dream.

Do I sound selfish? Probably so. Is that my point? Not at all. 

My point is to make you stop and appreciate the season of your life that you are living RIGHT NOW. Whatever that may be. It's taken me 27 years to get to that point, but I think I'm finally there.

What is it about your life that you appreciate the most?

Weekly Goals 5/6

Whoever thought of this Weekly Goals Link Up: Genius. I never write down my goals (even though they say you should) and wow, what a difference it made. Let's recap last week's...

1. Drink More Water

Omg. I thought I was going to float away. Monday night I realized I was short about 50 oz. of my goal, so what did I do? I chugged it. At 9:30pm. I seriously got up and peed 4 times that night. I did really good Monday-Friday with this goal, but Saturday and Sunday were tough. I didn't have my trusty water bottle with me. Big mistake. Gotta remedy that this weekend.

2. Clean My Kitchen

SUCCESS! I got home from Huntsville Sunday night around 5:30pm and got to work. I knew if I sit down, it wouldn't happen. But since I knew I'd have to account for my actions today (via this blog), I had to get busy. Check out the before and after pictures (but don't judge my kitchen. It's a work in progress with tha painting and cabinets and all that)...

Before:

Pantry

Fridge

Sink (after I cleaned out the fridge)

I have a love affair with Lock n Lock and Tupperware.

Another shot of some messy messy cabinets

And now for the afters...

Pantry (and Bentley photo bombing)

Baking goods

Even reorganized my magnets

Fridge and freezer. I need to do some shopping.

Sink and countertops

ORGANIZED!

Dishes and cups

Can finally see the top of the kitchen table!

Coffee station

Chloe just chillin like a villian. She hates when I sweep.

3. Lose 1.8 Pounds

BLEW THIS ONE OUT OF THE WATER! I lost 5 pounds this week! Even with a trip home to Huntsville, I still managed to drop the weight. Running and watching what I eat. That's the only way to make it happen. I've officially lost 43.2 pounds since my highest weight.

Fan. Flippin. Tastic.

NOW ONTO THIS WEEK'S GOALS

1. Don't eat in front of the tv.

This is going to be so hard, but I've heard that it's a good habit to get into. Now that I've cleared off my table, I can eat there! Being single without any roommates (except the dogs), sitting there at the table by yourself can feel lonely. But I'm going to give it a go and see if it makes any difference. Not saying I'm going to stick to it, but I can do it for at least 7 days.

2. Clean my laundry room and bathrooms.

Since cleaning my kitchen was last week's goal, (and the only reason I did it was because I posted on here that I would) I'm going to make the laundry room and bathrooms this week's projects.

3. Set up the night before.

It never fails, in the morning, I am running around trying to figure out what to wear, pack my gym bag, pack my breakfast, lunch and dinner if I need to. This week I'm going to do all of that BEFORE going to bed.

4. COMPLETE A HALF MARATHON.

Months of training and it's finally here. On Saturday morning, I will be completing my first half marathon. I'm nervous but excited at the same time. When I first started, I had it in my head that I wanted to finish in 3 hours. Now, I just want to finish. Can't wait to put that 13.1 sticker on my car!


What are you goals for the week?

Weekend Recap 5/3 - 5/3

Alright people. Let's recap the fabulous weekend I had.

Started off by rolling south to my Sweet Home Alabama Friday after work. Usually takes me 3.5 hours, but stand still traffic (the kind where everyone just shuts down their car and sits there) took me 4.5 hours. Oh well.

Saturday was seriously the perfect day. It was pouring down rain so instead of running, I did 30 minutes of a workout video at home. THEN I got to hang out with one of my best friends, Christy. Usually when I am home, we spend MAYBE an hour together because she's got 5 crazy kids at home. But this time, we got our nails done, went to Hobby Lobby, Lane Bryant, Old Navy, and got lunch. It was seriously the perfect morning.

A couple weekends ago I went to Lane Bryant to find some jeans. I tried on a size 20 and they were just too big. Unfortunately they didn't have any 18's so I thought I'd look around some more then order them online if I couldn't find some anywhere else. A couple days later I got a flier in the mail that they were going to have a BOGO free this weekend. PERFECT TIMING! Christy and I went to LB and I thought, "I'll try on the 20's and the 16's just to make sure the 18's are what I need." LOW AND BEHOLD THE 16'S FIT!!! I was shocked. I seriously almost cried. So flippin happy. The jeans I had gotten there about a year ago were a size 22 and I think some were even a 24. Check out my new outfit, rockin my sexy jeans (shirt from Old Navy with their 30% off sale!)...

Saturday night consisted of a wedding for some of our family friends. Kellie looked amazing and I'm telling you, when I get married, that's how I'm going to do it. The venue was this awesome rustic barn type of place, simple easy centerpieces, it was great. However, a high of 50 something degrees in the month of May is just NUTS in Alabama. Good thing I had a winter coat stuck away in my parents' guest room closet.

My beautiful mom and I

Sunday, I went to church and a couple of truths really stuck out to me.

1) I've always heard that "ultimately everything works together for God's glory." That is something I'm really trying hard to hold onto right now. It's so much more comforting than thinking of all the negative possibilities in any given circumstance. Try it. When you accept that even bad things happen for God's good, then it's easier to accept.

2) John 15:13, "Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friend." I always looked at this verse as though Jesus laid his life down for US, not the other way around. Then we sang a song and the lyrics go, "I lay me down. I'm not my own. I belong to you alone. Lay me down. Lay me down. Hand on my heart this much is true. There's no life apart from you. Lay me down." I never thought of this verse applying to US as well. We have to lay down OUR lives to show God the greatest love we can.

I'm definitely not one to get sappy or very "deep" but for some reason, these two ideas have stuck with me for the last 24 hours. Maybe God is trying to tell me something?

Church was over, went to lunch with some friends and my parents and I ordered something new at Casa Blanca. If you ever go out to eat with me, you know I am a creature of habit. I get what I like and I don't try anything new. Before going to lunch, I had looked up healthy options for Mexican restaurants. I got a Tostaguac. Corn tortilla with chicken and cheese, lettuce, guacamole, and salsa. Not as good tasty as my nachos, but definitely a better choice. I love chips. It's a problem. I've found though that if I wait until the end of my meal to have a few, it's a lot easier to stop myself. So that's what I did. I ate my meal then had a few chips and I was done and I didn't feel like I had deprived myself. Go me.

Headed back north to Murray after lunch and sat on the couch and watched tv the rest of the night. Oh sorry, that's what I normally do on Sundays so it was just a habit to type. HA... Instead of chillin in front of the tv, I CLEANED MY KITCHEN. It was one of my weekly goals and I thought, "I have to do it." So I did. Check out my Weekly Goal recap entry to see the before and afters. It was rough, but now it's so clean! and organized! and snazzy!

Hope everyone else had a great weekend as well!

10 Favorite Healthy Tips and Tricks Link Up

Crafty Healthy Mommy gave a couple of great tips for weight loss HERE and HERE. I guess her posts were so popular that she decided to have a Link Up! To check out other's posts, click on the image below and you can see links to others' tips and tricks a well.

I thought I'd participate, so here we go, in no particular order...

MY 10 FAVORITE HEALTHY TIPS AND TRICKS

1. WRITE EVERYTHING DOWN.
When I don't write what I eat, I lose my mind. And by "lose my mind" I mean I probably lost it in the empty cereal box I just threw away after eating the whole thing in one sitting. You quickly realize how much your eating when you write it down. I write down my plan for the week and then I enter it into My Fitness Pall daily (username: Kimakazie). I try to enter it even when I've gone over my calories for the day. It's hard, but worth it. Sometimes my plan changes from what I write down for the day to what I actually end up eating, but it helps to have a plan and make substitutions as I go.

2. FIND A WAY TO KEEP YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE. 

For some people, it's having just a friend to keep you going. For me, I need more than that. So what is it might you ask? I've got a Tumblr account where I try to post my daily food intake. I am on My Fitness Pal with an open diary. I have this blog. I have a running buddy. I have gym buddies. We are doing The Biggest Loser at work. I've got a DietBet going on right now. For some people it might seem like over kill, but it works for ME. Find what works for YOU. (Links below)

Tumblr 

MyFitnessPal

DietBet

3. MAKE EXERCISE A PRIORITY.
Making it a priority means you have no excuse. My friends might want to hang out on the week nights or might want to go to dinner after work. That's all fine and dandy as long as it's after 6:30pm. I work from 8am-5pm and go to the gym on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5:30pm-6:30pm. I run after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays and I'm flexible on the weekends. I've got LifeTeam (small church group) that meets on Wednesday nights at 6:30 but they just know I'm going to be 10 minutes late. Can't workout after work? Go early in the morning or use your lunch break. LADIES: Not wanting to mess up your hair is not a valid reason. That is what dry shampoo and bobby pins are for. Deal with it.

4. TAKE PICTURES.
When you look in the mirror everyday, it's hard to notice changes. One day I stepped on the scale and was higher than I had ever been. I took pictures that day and I'm so glad I did. Now when I'm feeling gross or defeated, I look back at those pictures and my progress pictures I've taken along the way and it is a real motivator. BONUS TIP: Download an app that will password protect your pictures. I put all of my progress pictures in my app and then delete them off my photo roll on my phone. Never know when people are going to start scrolling through those pics and the last thing people probably want to see is me in all my glorious underwear and whiteness and paleness and rolliness and all of that blah.

5. FAIL TO PLAN AND YOU PLAN TO FAIL.
I make a plan at the beginning of the week and try to stick to it. If I don't stick to it, I make healthy substitutions or make changes to make it work. I am the worst at trying to figure out what to eat when I'm hungry so if I can go home and look at my list and see what I planned for lunch or dinner that day, that works for me. I make a plan and then shop accordingly.

6. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE WILLPOWER, DON'T BUY IT.
I can't have oreos in my house. I also can't have cereal in my house. When I get married, my husband will just have to understand that. You wouldn't have alcohol in your house if you were married to an alcoholic, and it's the same for me with some foods. When I go to the store with my plan and buy accordingly, that doesn't leave room for crap food. If you can limit yourself to 2 cookies, by then all means, buy them. I'm happy for you. I on the other hand, can't. And I recognize that.

7. PORTION CONTROL.
I used to just focus on using me measuring cups and spoons and all that jazz, but I can't stress to you how important a food scale is. "3 oz. of chicken is the size of your palm." BULL SHIT. Shaq's hand is is probably more like the whole dang chicken. I got my scale from Walmart for $10. Get a scale.

8. FIND OTHER MOTIVATION.
I have found that my motivation to get healthy will fade real quick if all I'm focused on is the number on the scale and the size of my pants. I needed to find another source of motivation to workout, so I signed up for a half marathon. I started off with the Couch to 5K program and before it was even over with, I signed up for a half marathon with my cousins and friends. That's coming up in two weeks now and I can't believe it. I ran 5 miles on Sunday (ran/walked but mostly ran) and when I was done, I couldn't believe how easy it was. Once this is done, I'm already signed up for a Warrior Dash in August and then another half marathon in October. Do I love running? No. Do I love the feeling after I've ran further or faster than I did before? Yes.

9. DON'T CARE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE THINK.
Have you ever NOT gone to a class at the gym because you're scared of what people will think of you? or that you'll look dumb? Have you ever NOT gone to the gym because you feel guilty for saying no to the friend that asked you out to dinner? Have you ever had friends or family over for dinner and cooked things you normally wouldn't because you don't want to subject them to your "diet food"? GET OVER IT! GET OVER ALL OF IT! The only person you're hurting is yourself. First, no one at the gym is paying attention to you. They were all newbies too. Second, if your friend wants to go to dinner, tell them to have a snack and wait an hour and you'll be happy to join. Or wait for the weekend. Just because you're having company over for dinner doesn't mean you have to cook with lard and fry everything. Grill some chicken, make a salad, and serve some fruit. BAM. Everyone is happy as a clam. Do what works for YOU and everyone else can just go away.

10. MAYBE THERE IS SOMETHING MORE TO IT THAN JUST A LACK OF WILL POWER.
I'm not going to lie. There were times when I would be sitting at home and a rush would come over me and that rush was telling me to go get 3 Dunkin Donuts Boston Cremes. And I would. I'd be sitting in the drive thru telling myself not to do it. But I couldn't help it. Other times, I'd go get a pint of Ben and Jerry's and eat the whole thing. The whole time, wondering what the heck I'm doing. Finally, I went to the doctor. I told her how I would have these carb and sweet cravings and I literally felt out of control. This was my first time seeing this doctor and she decided to do some blood work. Turns out that my cortisol levels, b12, and vitamin D were all ridiculously low. Apparently having low cortisol levels can make you crave carbs and sweets because you are looking for energy. I HAD NO IDEA. Let me tell you, ever since getting on a regiment to get those numbers up to normal levels, I haven't had any of those out of control feelings. Yes, I still crave chocolate every now and then, but nothing like they used to be. I'm not saying that medicine is the fix of all things. Nor am I promoting dietary supplements or diet pills, but maybe there is something going on behind the scenes you don't know.

So there they are. If you're still reading this, then congrats. You deserve a gold star. Thanks to Amber at Crafty Healthy Mommy for doing this link up. Can't wait to see everyone else's posts!

How to go to the movies by yourself

If I waited on having someone to do something with every time I wanted to do something, I'd be sitting at home alone. A lot. Let's be honest, I'm the last man woman standing when it comes to most of my really close friends being married. Which is fine... sometimes.

A few weeks ago I wanted to go to the movies. So I went.

By. My. Self.

Do you know how nerve racking that is?! Now if you are reading this and thinking, "I go by myself all the time. What's the big deal?" KUDOS TO YOU. You can stop reading now. This post is for those of you out there who think to yourself, "It takes a lot of confidence to go to the movies by yourself and I wish I could do that."

SIDE NOTE: I think it requires even MORE confidence to go to eat by yourself. Maybe I'll get there one day. (I'm not talking about somewhere like Panera Bread or Subway... I'm talking about Applebees or O'Charley's!)

Back to the topic at hand...

When I decided to go to the movies by myself, I actually googled, "How to go to the movies by yourself" and didn't find anything very helpful. So here it goes...

Kimberly's Guide to Going to the Movies By Yourself....

1. Pick a movie and time.
I suggest picking a movie that has been out for a while, but not too long. This is because it won't be as crowded in the theater but you want to see it before they move it to the smaller theater. You don't want to go to a sold out show. Don't pick a great date movie at 7:00. Because guess what, you're going to be there surrounded by a bunch of couples. No thank you. Choose a matinee. You're usually safe with a matinee because it's middle aged or older people.

2. Dress appropriately.
Do your hair. Do your makeup. Don't go in sweats. You don't want people thinking you're a loner AND a slob. I tend to go on rainy days. Wear shoes with traction so when you walk in, you don't bust your ass on the wet floor. I can't even imagine how embarrassing that would be.

3. Take your purse with you.
I occasionally take my wallet with me. NO. Don't do this. Take your purse. You want to put it in the seat next to you so it looks like you're saving a seat for someone.

4. Purchasing the ticket.
When purchasing your ticket, no one knows if you are there by yourself or if you are meeting your friends in the theater. So don't worry. Get yourself a snack if you want one. Use the restroom (this is important so you don't have to go to the bathroom during the movie and bring attention to yourself.)

5. Picking a seat.
I personally like to sit in the middle of the theater. However, when by myself, I walk in and go straight for the back row. You can even stop when you walk in, look towards the back, then nod and smile and walk up there like you saw someone you know. People won't care enough to turn around and see who you're sitting with.

6. Enjoy the movie.
Sit back and relax! No one cares you're by yourself. They really don't.

7. Exit.
When the movie is done, get up and walk out. Duh.


Congrats! You've just learned how to go to the movies completely by yourself.


Now if only I can bring myself to eat out by myself, I've got myself a regular old date night without having to worry about the awkward small talk and the awkward "is he going to kiss me at the end of this?" question in the back of your mind.

What are some of your tips and tricks for going to the movies by yourself?

Weekly Goals

One of the main reasons I've revived this blog is because I got to following others and thought, "why not?"

Among those that I follow is Crafty Healthy Mommy. Amber and I had a mutual friend in high school and even though we didn't hang out much (she went to a different school) I always thought she was really sweet. When I got on My Fitness Pal about a year ago, I linked up with her and couldn't believe my eyes. This girl is incredible. Check her out and see for yourself.

Anyways, something she does on Mondays are post her weekly goals. This is a linkup to another blog I follow,  Operation Skinny Jeans. 

They post some goals for the week and then revisit them the following Monday to see how they do. I thought I'd give it a go, so here we go...

1. DRINK MORE WATER

I drink 6-8 ounces of water everyday. However, I have read some places that you should take your weight, divide it by two, and that's how many ounces you drink. For me, that's 118 ounces. Yup, do the math. I just told you how much I weigh. Oh well. 

I've got a beauty of a water bottle that holds 24 ounces. That means I've got to drink 5 of these bad boys. Everyday. Lord, I'm going to pee a lot.

2. CLEAN MY KITCHEN

I'm not a messy person by any means. However, my kitchen could use a good tidying up. This includes the pantry, fridge, cabinets, everything. I'll make sure I take some before and after shots for you guys... and by shots I mean shots of tequila. pictures.

3. LOSE 1.8 POUNDS

I am 1.8 pounds away from having lost 40 pounds. Never in my life have I stuck with something like this for so long. I've joined Weight Watchers and workout programs and diets and all that crap in the past, but just making a choice to STOP BEING A FAT ASS has been the thing that has worked for me. When I get to 40 pounds lost, I can then focus on 50. One step at a time.

So there they are. My 3 goals of the week. What are yours?

My First Birchbox

Okay. I have a new obsession. Birchbox. Have you heard of this fabulous idea?! I mean seriously, why couldn't I think of it? It combines two of my favorite things: beauty products and snail mail. Wouldn't you be excited to receive this little beauty in your mailbox?

I love anything having to do with makeup, hair, whatever. Stores like Ulta and Sephora are my definition of heaven. Honestly I love this stuff because let's face it, it doesn't come with a size chart. It doesn't matter if your a size 4 or a size 34, makeup always fits.

There is nothing like opening up the mailbox and having something in there besides junk. How many Dollar General fliers does one person need? I love cards and invitations and packages. It's like Christmas!

Birchbox is a combination of both. You pay $10 a month and get a box of fabulous goodies. Check out out what I got this month:

Top left: Simple Revitalizing eye roll-on

Use for under eye bags and circles. Lord knows some mornings I NEED this.

Top right: Mirenesse Glossy Kiss in Starlet

This is a lip and cheek stain. The shade I got is REALLY REALLY red so I'm not sure if I'll use it or not, but who knows!

Bottom left: Nexxus Youth Renewal Rejuvenating Elixir 

Use for your hair.

Bottom right: folle de joie eau de parfum and LAFACE PUR purifying facial wash

The perfume smells AMAZING. 

Not pictured: 1 year subscription to Women's Health Magazine.

Once you get the samples and try them out, you can go on their website and purchase the full size items. I'll try everything out and let you all know what I think! 

Interested in Birchbox? Sign up using this link so I can get some referral points!