Fitness Friday Questions

Another installment of Fitness Friday. Join myself and the rest of the Wii Mommies and post your fitness goals, accomplishments, struggles and ideas. Whatever. No rules, just sharing.

Today I have questions. Lots and lots of questions.

I'm down to 3.3 miles to complete the Island View Course in the cycling. That only gets me 3 stars. What's your best? and what do I need to get 4 stars?

Why did my trainer, Mike, ditch me for a day? How does he get that right? How do I give him crap like he gives me when I miss a day?

Has anyone done an apidexin review? I try to stay away from pills but really need some help with my late night munching. Maybe I should just go to bed? It's American Idols fault.

Marching. Who else is doing this? LOVE it! I actually got a PERFECT march on the beginner and advanced levels. Too fun.

I'm trying to get a perfect score on kung fu, but it hasn't happened yet. I'm two steps away from a perfect score on step aerobics. See where I'm going here? I'm not telling you to brag (maybe just a little) but that having scores keeps me coming back. I also moved up to the 10 minute level on hula hooping. That messes with my head (and hips) after a while. I forget which way I'm supposed to swivel.

I had previously set a 3 month goal and was all over the place. Up and down. It was getting hard to keep track, and I was getting nowhere. I reset my goal to two weeks (and 20 less pounds) and will see if that makes a difference. At this point I think I just need to minimize my portions and increase my water intake.

What changes have you made to your routine?

Gumdale Shiraz ~ Review

Why is wine so popular? Why do people enjoy wine of all sorts and in all fashions? Is it because of the price? You find it inexpensive enough to enjoy on a tight budget and you can spend a lot if you feel entitled to. So what is it? Maybe it's the variety. Maybe it's never the same drink twice. It's experimentation and the hunt for the perfect bottle. Maybe it's an easy conversation topic...maybe it's not. I know that I've been a fan for a while and enjoy finding the less expensive bottles that offer all the complexities of the higher priced varietal without the disappointment. I may need to do a wine sales job search and see if Barefoot or Tisdale are hiring. I could rock their sales.

Demographically my wine-loving friends are also budget conscious so they like the price tag of what I'm drinking and aren't afraid to try for themselves. That being said. I took a little trip to my local total wine for some new selections.

I found this Gumdale Shiraz with a $6.99 price tag and thought I'd give it a try. Another thing about wine is that even within a bottle, it's never the same glass to glass. This was very true of this Shiraz. I opened and poured. It was very dark in coloring, rich with red and purple. I'm not a big "looker" of wine, but that's what I got. It smelled of leather and black currant. Again, I'm not a big sniffer and in all honesty have never had black currants. It just seemed to be what they'd taste like and I didn't recognize the aroma so that's what I'm calling it. The original flavor was of leather and cherry. This wine is dry with a medium finish. As it breathed there was a definite licorice flavor and the cherry presented stronger. A delightful wine that I would purchase again.

Don't be afraid to try new things. Drink your wine your way, warm or cold, and enjoy all the flavors nature has provided us.

Funny Google Queries and More

I love Wednesday. I got to play with my new camera and posted my first (in a long time) Wordless Wednesday post over at More Fun..., and then I get to get all my rants off my chest along with Stacy, Elle and all the other party people playing What the Hell Wednesday courtesy of Blue Monkey Butt. You really should join in. You'll feel much better. Promise.

Let's see what I have this week...

I checked my analytics to see what crazy stuff people typed in google that landed them here. I haven't done that in LONG time and impressed myself with how many wine queries came my way. I must not suck...What the Hell? I have another review to post later. But there was some crazy stuff too, like...

Kids afraid of spiders Yep, they get it from their Momma.

Excuses not to do laundry Umm. I have some. I'm trying to do better.

Kids boobs.com and picture kid boobs You've come to the wrong place and I'm insulted you thought you'd find that here. What the Hell?

quick loon fun dang I don't even know what this means.

Crock pot butt wine What the Hell? What is butt wine?

and What the Hell is this and how did it land them here?
not very imaginative are we

I'll wait another month (or six) before I check that again.

My daughter was asking for a platypus a couple weeks ago, What the Hell? I posted on Facebook to see if anyone had one. No Luck. Today she told me she wants a mouse. Umm. NO!

Hubster has decided the last two days that he should give me suggestions about blog posts. I think it's his way of trying to seem interested in what I'm doing but...he only (sometimes) reads this blog and said "I don't know how to get to the others. I know you have a tiny url one that I can get to through FB but I usually just read them on there." What the Hell? Thanks for all the support, Hon.

Have you heard of the Bob revolution? It's a three-wheeled stroller for the baby-running moms. Fortunately my kids are beyond the stroller years and would rather just run with me. I don't think I could stomach the price tag. What the Hell? I bet they sell a ton, though.

Oh. Why do I get crap from Mike (my Wii Fit trainer) when I miss a day but then he just gets Suzy (the female trainer) to take his place without even consulting me. What the Hell, Mike? Speaking of Mike, it's time for our "date". He better show up.

About Me~Wine Reviews

I feel a need to justify or at least speak a little more on my previous post and my "needing a break" from talking about wine. Wine at Five? was never meant to be about reviewing wine, it was more a statement about me, a motto of sorts. I enjoy my "winethirty" and through meeting other wine enthusiasts, decided to give reviewing a try. I don't claim to be knowledgeable. I've made it clear that I'm all about the "inexpensive" bottles. I don't tend to "review" as in give the positives and negatives, I'm more likely to tell you about wines I've found to be enjoyable, at a reasonable price, that I think others, like me, will enjoy.

There is way too much criticism amongst wine reviewers on how to properly do it. I have no need to tell you which wines suck, it's just not who I am. I don't care that you don't think I can find a good bottle at Trader Joes, for under $5, because I can. If you don't think it's possible, then you definitely don't want to stop by to see what I'm drinking. We obviously don't have the same taste...and that's fine. If you do like to hear about bottles that will fit nicely into your budget and you've agreed with me on wines we've both tasted, then you may want to stop by from time to time to see what new finds I've come across. It's as simple as that. I don't read anything by Wine-Snobs. Truth is, we have nothing in common. I'm sure they are all nice people, just not ones I would enjoy drinking with...and it is about enjoyment, isn't it? Spending $50 or $100 on a bottle of wine would make me feel too guilty to enjoy drinking it. I know it's not how others feel, but it's how I feel. If you agree with me, let's talk about less expensive bottles.

I'll make you a deal. I won't tell you what you should like and you don't tell me what I should like, deal? I'll just continue to tell you what I like and if you think we have similar tastes, give it a try. It may be the best $5-$10 you ever spent.

Okay. I'm off my soapbox now.

On a lighter note. A tip for the women (although I guess men could use it too). For the life of me I can't remember where I read it. I went to where I thought it was...and it wasn't there. I would love to give credit, so if I read it from you (and I commented on it being a fabulous idea, 'cuz it is) then just drop me a line and I'll give you the credit, straight up.

Tip of the Day:

wrinkle filler = hot glue gun

don't you just love that?

Oh Wait...I Forgot

It's Sunday and I had had hopes of a cycling (wii) marathon. I was hoping to make a (virtual) trek to panama city. Why not? I can decide where I'm going. The Island is beautiful and I'm so directionally challenged I'll see the whole thing several times, and it will look different, because I'll be coming from a different direction...just saying. None of that is going to happen anyway. Normally Hubster takes the kids to church, oh wait, that was just while I was working on Sundays, now that I'm not, no one goes. It's fine for me. I'm not going either way.

Hubster has decided there is a Lego kit he MUST have and it's at the Lego store in Raleigh...or at least it was. He convinced my brother to pick it up for him yesterday. Actually, he had my brother pick up the last 3 they had. The thought is that if he sells two of these "hard-to-find" kits, he can make enough money to pay for the third and keep it, plus pay my brother back. We'll see how this works out. If you're looking for "hard-to-find" Lego kits, let me know. I may know where you can find them.

NOW I'm going to play outside.

Sunday Thoughts~ A Little of Everything

I was recently researching some common treatments for acne breakouts as I am still having issues. I came across an article on Phisoderm Reviews and saw nothing about phisoderm in the specific articles I read but instead discussed other "remedies" like tanning beds, drinking more water, using antibacterial cleansers and "if you're older" using moisturizer. As I stand over a pan of bacon cooking, I'm thinking less grease in my face might be a good idea too.

I haven't been doing any wine reviews lately. I've had some delightful bottles from Trader Joes but haven't been inclined to write about them. I'm noticing more and more the criticisms other wine reviewers are getting and it just doesn't seem like a game I want to play. Don't get me wrong, I'm not so concerned about what others have to say. I think some people take it way too seriously. I am also not trying to make myself out to be a leader in the wine review arena. I just enjoy wine, love to find good bottles under $5 (which the snobs say isn't possible) and share my good finds with others. If you are like me, enjoy wine and enjoy finding tasty inexpensive bottles, don't worry, I'll start posting my thoughts again soon. I just need a little break.

Off to enjoy this beautiful Sunday. It's supposed to be 60 today and I want to play outside.

Wii Fit Plus, Just Dance, and a Free Copy of EA Active

Another installment of Fitness Friday. This is my year. I'm done procrastinating and want to see if using the Wii to lose weight and firm up is actually possible. Others have made it happen so why not me?

I've lost 3 pounds. I lose and gain 3 pounds each day so I'm not convinced yet. I do know that muscle weighs more than fat and right now my thigh muscles are rockin' due to all the cycling and lunges I'm doing. I'd like to believe that's my issue for not losing more in 2.5 weeks. If I'm honest, though, it's more likely to be the pound of chocolate covered peanuts my In-Laws delivered that seem to have disappeared. They then brought Whoppers and Peanut Butter Whoppers. We still have some of those...but not much. February is when I'm going to add in a maximum calorie diet. I want to have a workout routine in place before I start using extra time to count and track calories and keeping a food journal. I'm also hesitating because the thought of giving up my (almost) nightly wine has crossed my mind and I'm just not ready yet.

New finds for the Wii this week were the Marching "game" on Wii Fit Plus and the addition of Just Dance. We play Just Dance for fun but I'm sure the extra activity will help, I just tend to move my arms and haven't quite got the hang of all the "bottom half" moves yet. Practice. Practice. Practice.

I'd also like to add the EA Active to my workout routine as I've heard from others that this really helps. The Wii Mommies are giving away a copy which you can register to win here. You must be a member of Wii Mommies, though, so if your using your Wii to get fit...join us.

Did I tell you about the crazy workout I set up for myself? I just linked some activities together without really thinking about it. I may be in need of some arthritis treatments on my knees if I keep this up. It's six activities, in this order: The Warrior pose, Leg extensions, knee bend (to chest thingy. Not sure what it's called), side lunges, forward lunges, and ends with the chair pose. Yeah, maybe I should put the chair at the beginning and the Warrior at the end. Mike keeps telling me I'm "shaky".

Whats your favorite combination?

Date Night, Pink Punk Cosmo and Mike the Trainer

Joining the girls over at Blue Monkey Butt for another installment of What the Hell Wednesday. Jump on over, read some funny stuff and link up...if you're playing.

Date Night happened. What the Hell? I know, it looked to be doomed, but it all worked out. We went to Friday's for Dinner and I had a Pink Punk Cosmo. You really need to try this one. It's a cosmo poured over cotton candy. It's yummy. I had two just to be sure. My ass thanks me and my Wii Fit trainer (Mike) wasn't impressed. Girls gotta live. We also ate...a lot. Thought for sure Mike was gonna toss me some fat burners that work, or at least suggest some, instead he made some comment about late night snacking...What the Hell? He's lucky he's not fired.

After dinner we went to Target and did a little shopping. Ended up getting Valentine's gifts for the kids. Yep. We were living it up. What the hell?

Some old school friends want to take a girl's trip to Nashville at the end of February. I REALLY want to go but Hubster thinks we should save any extra money since his job is going to end in March. Then yesterday he calls to say that he received a credit for some purchases he made at Christmas and had managed to come up with an extra $150. He's thinking about driving to the Lego Store in Raleigh (3.5 hours away) to pick up a Lego kit he really wants...What the Hell? Shouldn't THAT extra money be saved too? Just doesn't seem right to me.

Okay. Gotta run. Have a cute little boy staying with us today and have to get some small stuff up and out of the way so it doesn't make it into his little mouth. Have a great Wednesday.

Random Tuesday~ Wii Fit, Just Dance, and Pants on the Ground

It's time for Random Tuesday Thoughts. Sit back, relax, and get it all out. Then head to The Un Mom to link up and get a list of other's random thoughts.

My Wii Fit Plus exercising is going well. I achieved over four hours and burned more than 1200 calories last week. I mastered (perfect march) the beginner march (I love that game) and can now get through the beginner obstacle course (almost) every time. I tried doing my balance test at the end of my workout yesterday and guess what? Perfect Balance! That's a first for me as well. I'm usually not far off but have never had it perfect. Maybe I can get a pair of mbt shoes after all.

American Idol is off to it's start. How about all the publicity Larry "Pants on the Ground" Platt is getting? He's so cute. I saw him on The View yesterday all dressed up for the ladies. He has a fan club on FaceBook and Yes, I am a member. I can't wait until the actual season starts. I'm excited to see where Ellen fits in the mix.

I got Just Dance for the Wii over the weekend. It's a lot of fun trying to figure out the "stick people" moves. By Sunday night I had the whole family playing. Hubster thought it was a lot of fun...who knew? We took video of the kids and they thought that was super fun.

Finally, I posted here about a free e-book, Ripples of Difference, that you can download. It's about making a difference in the world and a great read for all. Go check it out.

What the Hell Wednessday ~Kids, Boobs, Butts, and Wii Fit

If you'd like to rant and rave about all the "What the Hell" moments of the last week, head on over to Blue Monkey Butt, say Hi to Elle and Stacy, grab a badge and link up.

My 6 year old son came home with a note from the teacher. He has spent the last two days having difficulties staying on task and has instead been talking and goofing around. The teacher specifically said she was concerned "with the talking." My, that brought back memories. No matter how well I did in school, I always got notes on my progress reports and report cards that I talked too much. What the Hell? My MIL says Hubster had the same problem. Poor kid doesn't stand a chance.

My daughter was playing yesterday with some Barbies. I happened to look over and, What the Hell? I noticed that she had two of the exact same Barbie. I asked her how she came to have two of the same, and also wondered how I hadn't noticed this before now. She looked them over closely and said "They're not the same Mommy. Look, this one has her boob showing." What the Hell? I quickly refastened her top and handed her back. Puddin Pop then says "Yep. You're right Mommy, they are the same."

And Lastly, we're playing "Retro" on Facebook. You must post an old picture of yourself. I came up with this one...

It was 1979 (or 80). That's my brand new bike. The Shorts? What the Hell? I have no choice but to blame it on bad parenting. I'm also pretty sure that I'm going to make sure that all the too small clothes get removed from my children's drawers so to avoid this happening to them.

I'm also thinking pictures like this are more likely to keep me using my Wii Fit Plus as my weight loss product, along with healthier meals. I'll also put a copy on the fridge and cupboard to "remind me" to stop snacking late at night. My Wii Fit trainer says that's what's keeping me from reaching my goals...What the Hell? He doesn't even know me.

Very Imaginative...NOT: Random Tuesday

I'm playing along, again, with Keely and friends over at The Un-Mom. If you have Random thoughts that you just must get out of your head, grab a badge and head over to her place and link up.

I mentioned the other day here that I recently started getting spam..in volume. I'd get hit with 4-5 comments each from 3-4 different sources. I mentioned, also, that I was deleting them. I woke this morning and was going through my e-mails (where all my comments go) and thought something had gone haywire as I was reading comments that I had already seen. Then I realized they were from someone else. promotional items (I won't give them a link) is the commenter and they just copied part of other's comments, on the same post, and left them as their own. They accidentally left the original poster's name on one, though. How tacky! I've left them up for the time being. Check the last 5 posts and you'll see it. I'll be deleting the comments later.

Even before the kids were born we had moved our home office into the dining room. It's a large room and all the office furniture and computer components fit nicely. I read early on to keep family computers in common areas to be able to monitor what the kids are doing, so I've kept it there, but now the computer no longer works and the desk it somewhere else for everyone to lay random objects they pick up off the floor on their way to the kitchen. The only saving grace is the chair that lowers and raises. We use that for Puddin Pop at the dinner table as it brings her up to table level...and is a lot easier to clean than than the booster seat we used to have for her.

Had a fashion show with a neighbor yesterday. She's trying to figure out what to wear to a wedding next month and wanted some input. She tried on several outfits and we all agreed on the second one as our favorite until...we looked at the pictures I had taken during the "show". #2 was a beautiful dress but only #3 gave her a slim waistline. Note to self, always take pictures to see what really looks best.

Girls Night In~ Margs, Salad and Chicken Enchiladas

Friday was another Girls Night In. Together time with the neighborhood Mommies. We drink, we cook, we drink some more, we eat, we walk home.

This is where we started...sort of. Our drink bringing member was running a little behind. We decided to each have a couple shots of Patron and a beer while we waited. Note to others: Always make sure your drink person is the FIRST to arrive.

These margs were wonderful. Very flavorful without being overly sour. Orange juice is the key to that.
We eventually moved on to the salad. It's the same recipe we had here.

So good we had to do it again. I think we each had 2 large helpings of salad before we moved onto the entree...

No. That's not it. Just part of it. We had Chicken Enchiladas. This is the cooked chicken mixed with onion, green chiles, cream of chicken soup, sour cream and chipotle pepper spice. You then take more of the soup/sour cream mixture and line the bottom of a pan and fill 8inch flour tortillas with about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture. Roll and set in pan seam side down.

This yields 8 enchiladas and they are BIG. I at 1/2 of one. Top the enchiladas with remaining soup/sour cream mix and top that with cheese. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until top is bubbly and edges start to brown.

Top with any of your favorite toppings. We used Sour cream and Chipotle hot sauce. Yum!

We also had mud pie for dessert, but I guess we forgot to take pictures of that one. It didn't look all that pretty, but it made up for that in flavor!

Time for Me and My Fun with Wii Fit Plus

One of my NY Resolutions is to get more exercise. Not just "get more" but I am committing to a minimum of 3 hours. I'm using Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus and with this being my first week (ending tomorrow) I only have 30 minutes left to complete my goal. The first day I set a goal of 30 minutes and actually lasted for an hour. I think the reason Wii Fit keeps me coming back is because it "grades" or "scores" each activity. I'm totally a competitive person so it keeps my trying to beat my high scores.

Wednesday night I got on to just have a little fun with the balance games and it said I had lost 15.4 pounds from my previous weigh in, the day before, obviously an error. I then had to get on yesterday and answer why I had gained 15 pounds. I answered "I don't know" because I knew it was just a glitch, and there wasn't a response for that, and my trainer gave me several tips. So sweet of him.

I finally made it through the beginner level of the obstacle course. The kids love to watch this one and crack up every time a ball smacks me in the head and launches me into the water. It's fun to listen to them giggle and motivation to get all the way through. I pretend I'm Super Man leaping over steel buildings, sometimes I make it, sometimes I end up going for a swim. Speaking of Super Man, is anyone good at the flying one? I gave up after miserably missing the very first target. I did make it through the beginner level of the cycling without my Mii stopping in the grass... after several tries, though. It took some time to get the footing just right, but I did it. I suck at Kung Fu, but I want to be good. This girl has no rhythm and that makes it hard. I'll keep trying though. Hula Hooping is fun, though I must admit, after 3 minutes my hips no longer remember how to keep turning. Haven't dropped any, but this is another case of getting hit in the head while trying to catch them. Seriously. You try leaning forward while still swivelling your hips. Not as easy as it sounds.

While I'm pretty sure I have not lost any weight yet (other than the magical 15 in one day) I know I'm doing my body good in getting it moving, stretching and just taking some time for me (mental health, right?). I look forward to continuing and working to consistently beating my high scores and trying new exercises as well. I'll keep you posted.

They Found Me

Let's talk comment moderation. Honestly, when I post a comment I like to see it posted. If the blogger is moderating, I'm still going to comment, I just have had my blogs set up to auto post comments...until recently. One of my blogs started getting hit by different spammers and while they actually post comments and not just a link, the comments have me going "huh?" So I set that blog to moderate. This morning I found 8 comments here from 2 different sources and again I was "huh?" For instance, On the post discouraging people to drink and drive over the Holidays I got comments similar to this, "If one purchases a good motorhome warranty then problem should be fixed." Really? I don't own a motorhome. Having a warranty or not has nothing to do with driving under the influence. If I'm wrong, dear reader, please be more specific on how this would work?

I also got several comments about "getting ready for Christmas". Now, either these folks are way more organized than I am or...they need to update what the are pasting in the comments. If that's even how it works. Can anyone shed some light?

I'm curious to know how many comments you delete each day? Is this going to get worse? Will moderation slow them down or just make it easier to delete them? Help Please.

Random Tuesday~ Pajamas and Slippers and a New Job

It's that time. Time to write all the thoughts, senseless or not, that have been trapped in my mind for the last week. Here we go...

On Christmas Eve, Hubster decided to take the kids to pick out a new pair of PJ's. Three and a half hours later he called complaining that they were both grumpy and needed naps. After further investigation, it turns out he wasn't sure what size they each wore and had been to 3 different stores and insisted they try each pair on to find a pair to fit each. Yeah...I'd be grumpy too.

My feet are my thermostat. If I'm hot in the middle of the night I just kick out a leg and instantly I'm cooled off. My In-Laws are slipper fanatics. We went over for lunch yesterday and my MIL immediately ran upstairs to get a pair of slippers (bedroom shoes, as they call them) for both Puddin Pop and I. I had socks on. I don't even own slippers. They also keep their thermostat at 78 in the winter. Yep. I was roastin'.

Hubster just found out that his job is going to be eliminated where we live. They are offering him continued employment. In this economy that would be pretty cool...if it didn't mean we have to relocate to Omaha. We'll see what happens. Anyone need an At-Home Operations Manager?

That's all I got. Wii Fit Plus kicked my butt yesterday and I' a little sore. Need to go take some aspirin so I can raise my arms to make lunch. Don't forget to head over to the Un-Mom to read more Random Tuesday Thoughts.

New Year's Award

It's been a while since I've received an award. I'm usually bad at following along. The new and improved 2010 model of me figures if someone thinks enough about my blog to give it an award, than I should treasure the award, the person it's from, and play along...dammit.

Thank You to my dear friend Sandy @ The Traveling Suitcase. Not only do I love traveling with you through your site, I enjoy our talks about wine and your great insight on family as well. 2009 brought many great things and I include our friendship on that list. Thank You!

Now, as you all know, awards come with rules and here's the list for this award...

(1) Thank the person giving the awards
(2) Copy awards to your blog
(3) Place a link to their blog
(4) Name 7 things people don’t know about you
(5) Nominate 7 bloggers
(6) Place a link to those bloggers
(7) Leave a comment on their blogs letting them know of their awards

Here we go...

7 things you may not know about me

1) I was 35 when I had my first child and 38 when I had my second. While I thought I'd be married with kids a lot sooner, I wouldn't change the timing of events in any way.

2) Everyone in my family has Life Insurance except me (The kids have had the Gerber Grow-Up plan since they were born). It's on my list of things to get in 2010. If you're in the business and can get me a good term life insurance rate , now is the time to speak up.

3) I used to play a pretty good game of tennis. Started when I was five and qualified for the Western Closed tournament when I was 16. I refused to go because it was the same week I was supposed to take my Driver's Ed test. Some things are just more important at that age.

4) I passed the 100 question Driver's Ed written test with flying colors...and then miserably failed my first road test.

5) I've loved to write since I was little and at 7 was producing a monthly newspaper (several pages) documenting all the events that had happened in our family (circulation of 4)

6) I want desperately to be crafty. I try a lot of things but haven't found any one thing that I'm really good at.

7) I'm in awe of people with more than 2 kids. I can't imagine having more and admire their organization and patience.

Now for the hard part. While I can definitely come up with more than 7 blogs to pass this along to, trying to pick seven that will play along and that haven't already received may be tough. Here's my list of nominees. Take your award, I think your pretty Kreativ

1) Grampy @ Grampy and You

2) Mama_Yarbro @ Now Seating: Yarbrough- Party of 4

3) Elle and Stacy @ Blue Monkey Butt

4) Anna @ Anna's Adornments

5) Stephanie @ The Blue Zoo

6) Ogladi @ MargaritaOn the RocksLots of Salt

7) Katie @ Katherine's Corner


Okay. There's my list. Check them out. As a final token of my appreciation to all my blogging friends...If I didn't mention you and you would like the award for your own blog...I'm sure you deserve it, so TAKE IT!