O Christmas Tree! O Christmas Tree!

So Brian put up the tree. I'd like to say I helped. I did a little, I fanned out the fake branches. I couldn't do anything more than that though, because I couldn't get up off the floor and by the time I did, I wrenched my knee and hurt my baby bump :( I was put on "supervisor duty" from the couch.

A job I did to the best of my ability, I assure you.

Actually I just watched Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and took a few pics!

Aww

See the angel on top? It's my very own ugly angel. My mom grew up pretty poor and one year when she was little, my grandma bought her a $1 angel tree topper. My mom thought she was the most beautiful angel in the world, and it's been on every Christmas tree since. It's a huge tradition in my family. I love that ugly, mangled little angel so much. My mom bought me my very own to start our own ugly angel tradition. The craftsmanship may not be the best... a 4th grader could do better, I'm sure... but I love it all the same. It's my very own. And she will adorn my tree every year.

Putting the Christmas tree up is my favorite part of Christmas. Aside from being showered with gifts, that is :) I'm really looking forward to adding a new ornament this year: one with the baby's name and birth date on it. But considering he's due(ish) on the 29th... he could very easily be born in 2012, so that is why I haven't taken the opportunity to get one.

Brian and I also have a great gift idea for our parents and grandparents... but again, it depends on when the baby is actually born. Either way, they will get this special gift and we will have a lot of fun with it!

Also- Know anyone who wants a Kindle? I'm selling mine on eBay since I have a fancy schmancy iPad. You can check it out uhm here http://bit.ly/suMC0x :) Thanks a lot!

Day 4 of the Shred and River Rat Race

Woke up with sore shoulders and slightly achy abs, but otherwise, very little stiffness/soreness. What others have told me, about Day 2 being the worst, was definitely true.

Day 4:

Suuuuuuucked. Sucked so bad. I could *not* seem to get into it today. The cardio was just not in me. I just jogged in place and did the cardio boxing... but I can now do 10 bicycle crunches, whereas Day 1 I only managed 4 complete ones. So there is a major improvement!


After I finish 30 Day Shred (note I said "after" not "if") I am officially going to start my training program for C25K. By then it will be spring and there fore I can start running outside (with dog in tow.) I am going to say screw the treadmill and just get out there and pound the pavement like a pro. (Secret confession time: I really don't like going to the fitness center because it's dark, its dank, and the people there are all "omg we are all going to stand in line for the treadmill even though there are other machines!") The River Rat Race is September 24th and since I have never run a whole mile in my life (save for that one time on the elliptical) I will have to start training soon! And by soon, I mean like... 26 days since that is when I am done with the Shred.

Exciting news: I took "before" pics on my camera for the Shred, and I have to say I can't wait to see how much progress I have made. I know I won't look like Jillian when I am done but I know that I am going to lose inches, gain muscle, and feel a lot better about myself because I will have accomplished something worthwhile. 


If you haven't, you should totally look up 30 Day Shred before and after photos. You will seriously be impressed.

Now off to shower, do my hair and makeup and get some work done. :)

Day 4 of 30 completed! 13% done!

It's All About Me

That's my theme this year. It's all about me. Things I am going to do to improve myself and my life (and thereby those around me.)

This year, my goals are to do things I normally don't. Such as getting up, getting dressed (nicely, if possible) and doing full hair and makeup, even if I am not going anywhere that day. Such as taking more pictures of myself. Such as taking pride in my home.

I also have other goals, like running that whole 4 mile race in September. Like wearing my orthotics EVERYDAY. Like trying spinning or taking a cardio boxing class.

This year is the YEAR OF THE CHRISTIE.

As if I need to be any more conceited.

Today I got up, and I put in my contacts, I styled my hair, and I put on my make up. I got dressed. I took not only one picture, but 15. Some of them didn't turn out, but a few did. Like this one

Yay I actually photographed myself!

What do you think of my new hair? Previously, it looked like this:

Crazy eye McGee

Today, I tracked my breakfast. 1 cup of coffee with 2 T of hazelnut creamer, fake sugar, with 2 blueberry Eggo-knockoff waffles with 1 T of margarine, 1/4 cup of light syrup, and a bite of a Morningstar "sausage" link. The texture and the flavor of those links sucked. It was kind of mealy texture wise and the "sausage" seasoning was really only a back note, instead of a foreground player. It was also a little cold

All my breakfast was cold by the time I was done measuring it and tracking it. (10 whole points, in case you were wondering)

I haven't had lunch yet, I am about to eat my midday snack of string cheese. I think lunch will be baked chicken with 1/2 cup of fat free cottage cheese and 2/3 of a cup of Green Giant niblet corn. (also approximately 10 points)

I have no idea what will be for dinner tonight. Probably something else chicken related. Or maybe I will make Taco Bake with refried beans, rice, and ground turkey. That sounds pretty good to me too. I have no idea how many points that will be, either. I'll have to add it into WW and see what we come up with.

I also started "take pride in my home" by doing 6 loads of laundry, two loads of dishes, and cleaning our bedroom and putting our bed back on the slats so its off the ground, and we also rearranged our bedroom. When I say "we" I really mean "Brian moved it all while I ran around looking for a screwdriver"

We also got new lights for our bathroom. They are those stupid vanity-looking light fixtures that house multiple bulbs and they are the big stupid bulbs too. I tried putting a regular sized bulb in there and it wouldn't work. Dumb thing. But we replaced all of them and got the higher wattage ones so I could see better. Don't worry, I picked up the energy efficient ones! We replaced all our incandescents with the compact fluorescents (CFLs) that had a "natural" light feel to them too. And we bought a few extra lamps. It was starting to look like a cave in here! Now it looks like a light house. I won't have to worry about ships plowing into the side of our apartment building any more. Whew! Soon we are going to paint. Brian had this GREAT idea! We will take pictures of our apartment and then upload them into Photoshop and we will scan in those paint swatches and he will put them on our walls so we can see how it looks. And we will take the pics in a few different lighting conditions to see how we like it. Isn't that nifty?

Someday very soon, my progress blog. I promise!