Posts Tagged ‘I must be crazy’
I must be crazy
Posted on: October 12, 2009
- In: Life
- 5 Comments
On the 3rd of this month I ran a 5K with a group of girlfriends. It wasn’t a “real” 5K race, just a route we came up with on our own. We set out in August to train and run so we could each be more active. Guess how many times I trained?
Six.
Yep. Six times I went running. And I honestly thought I’d run a 5K.
I must be crazy.
Well, October came.
And I ran.
I must be crazy.
But, ya know what? It was actually not as awful as I expected. I figured I’d run 100 yards and walk the rest (no joke). But with a little inspiration from Leah I made it through without stopping – save for a red light when we crossed the street. Jonathan said it’s because I’ve been doing spin and Body Attack every week. Whatever the case may be, I went running the next day. I know, I know…
I must be crazy.
Then, because I can never just let enough be enough, I decided to run a 10K on the 24th.
I must be crazy.
So, for the last week plus, I’ve been running every couple of days. This last Saturday I ran another 5K and followed the next day by a 2-mile hill run. The goal for this week is another 5k then a 5 mile run on Saturday.
I must be crazy.
The funniest part of it all is my new motivating factor. Jonathan said I could download new songs on my iTouch the day I do my 5 miles. Talk about a goofy reason to run 5 miles.
Did I mention it was 5 miles?! Geesh, I really, really must be
CRAZY!
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
Once again, this really is for girls only.
No boys allowed (except for Jonathan, although, really, even you might wanna stay away).
Some of you might recall a while back I wrote about using cloth pads after I had Hannah. Well, here’s my update on my thoughts/feelings/ideas post baby.
On a scale of 1-10, 10 being deeply in love with cloth, I’d go with like a 7. I don’t passionately love them (or rather why I need them), but I really don’t mind them at all. They’re quite easy, rarely messy (more to come) and serve their purpose well. Overall, I’m glad I’ve made the switch and imagine that I won’t go back to store bought pads.
The nitty-gritty of the truth:
You really do need to change frequently, because they aren’t as absorbent as disposable. I think you could push them a little further if they have PUL or some other waterproofing material, but to save money and time I opted out of having any.
Maybe it’d would have been a better idea of a cleaning system before starting to use them right after a baby. Since I don’t have anything disposable on hand, it’s very, very important to not miss a washing day. Which seems far more taxing right after having a baby. But I’m getting use to it. Good news is, they’re small and wash/dry quickly.
Since mine are handmade, I don’t know what others are like, but it took me some time to figure out a layering system to know what absorbency and coverage would be best. I’ve found that two inserts, slightly over top one another work best.
Thickness isn’t always the best option. I’ve found having three thin layers works better than one super thick layer.
I’ve found, just like with Julia’s diapers, it’s best to have the pads already ready to go, so I don’t find myself fumbling around at 2 in the morning trying to put in inserts. Just switch and go.
Overall I really like them. I spent under $30 for 12 and have to say have been really happy with the switch. I’m tempted to buy a name brand one just to see what the differences are, but figure they can’t be that much. My friend who made them did a really excellent job and said she’d be willing to make more for anyone who’s interested. 😉
TMI, or For Girls Only – Seriously
Posted on: May 4, 2009
- In: Life
- 13 Comments
Seriously, if you’re a guy stop reading now. Really. Just close your laptop and walk away. No joke. If you keep reading you will forever be scarred.
Guys, I warned you.
Alright, is it just the ladies now?
Have you ever considered cloth pads? I’ve done quite a bit of research on them over the last 9 months and have decided to give them a try. They can get rather expensive, so I’m having some made. It seems kinda gross (Jonathan won’t touch this subject with a 10 foot pole), but I figured if I’ve got two kids in cloth, why not just add a third? Plus, from the research I’ve done they say that these things hold up for years. One blogger said that between her cloth and Diva Cup, she hadn’t used store bought products in ten years! How cool is that?! Last summer before getting pregnant, I used the Diva Cup for about 3 months. I loved it. Completely and totally amazing. I think what is so appealing to me is that 1) you don’t have to change it all the time, 2) I can leave my house without worrying about one more thing to have on hand, 3) it never leaks and 4) it’s so much more comfortable than a tampon. However, I can’t use it post-Dubya Dos which is where the pads come in.
So far I’ve found GladRags, Party in my Pants (they are sold individually at New Pi), and Lunapads to be the most recommended. However, just for a small postpartum kit the pads would run me close to $100. Which, if they last 10 years, is only $10 a year on pads. Not too bad at all, but outside of right after delivery, I never wear pads (maybe a liner for added protection), which means that these wouldn’t be used all that often. I’ve checked out some on eBay, but with shipping you don’t really save all that much, especially since you buy individually rather than in a kit.
Ladies, have you ever looked into cloth pads? If so, what are your thoughts? Do you use them? Would you ever use them?
***EDIT***
I did start using cloth pads after Hannah was born (June 2009). If you want to read about how that’s gone, check out TMI – the update.
I was forced
Posted on: March 12, 2009
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
At least that’s what Jonathan said I could say.
I had a sweet treat tonight, even though I said I wouldn’t.
It’s been a rough day, so Jonathan treated me to a treat. He said that I could tell everyone I was forced to eat a Cookie Doughn’t You Want Some from Coldstone. Pretty awesome guy, huh?
I’m still savoring every bite.
Oh, wow.
Posted on: March 2, 2009
- In: Life
- 8 Comments
Not to long ago we established that I am lazy but really need to be more mindful about where and how I spend our grocery money. So, last night I sat down with Hy-Vee, Fareway and Wal-Mart’s ads to make my grocery plans for the month (or close to it). It took me an hour and a half. Now, granted, I was doing my month meal schedule at the same time, while watching National Treasure 2, but still.
After Mabel woke up from her morning nap I was able to hit up New Pi and Hy-Vee. I scored some pretty good deals (in my mind) at Hy-Vee. We came home to eat lunch with Jonathan and then back out to Wal-Mart and Fareway (where I found 6 bell peppers for .59 cents total!). All in all, I spent 2 hours going from one store to another. And can I just say, I hated it. Alright, for someone who is lazy and likes to shop at one store and one store only, I sure wasn’t digging spending the better part of my day driving around to 4 different stores. And Julia really didn’t like it. Especially when she lost it in the Wal-Mart check out and got a spanking.
Whew.
Which makes me realize, Mondays are no longer my “grocery” days. We get Hy-Vee and Fareway ads delivered on Wednesdays, New-Pi’s are online, along with Wal-Mart’s. So, my new plan of action:
Mondays store run will be for “essential” items – cereal, milk, veggies for the week, etc.
Thursdays will be hitting up any deals that were posted from Hy-Vee and Fareway.
And random runs to New Pi thrown in throughout the week (it sure is nice that Jonathan works right next door!).
I think I’ll keep tweeking my plans as I go, but that’s what I thought would be best for now. I’m good with groceries till middle of next week (save for fruits and veggies), but I plan to still watch for whatever goes on sale this weekend.
What days do you shop? Is there a method to your madness? And if you have kiddos… how in the heck do you do it?!
Lent and accountability
Posted on: February 27, 2009
- In: Life
- 3 Comments
I’ve never practiced Lent. In fact, I’m not even sure “practice” is the right term. Having grown up in the South, the only people I ever knew who observed Lent were Catholics. And I shamefully admit, I didn’t meet a Catholic till I was 15. I was surrounded only by Southern Baptist, Assembly of God, Latter Day Saints and a very few Methodists – all of whom, to my knowledge, never observed Lent.
However, since moving to Iowa I’ve heard more and more about Lent. Part of me is intrigued, seeing it as a way to honor God. Another part of me wonders why we need a set time to fast, pray and draw closer to our Lord.
In 2006, I gave up chocolate for an entire year. I allowed myself 5 days during that time to “enjoy” something chocolatey (all the dates were pre-set). I did it for two reasons; 1) I wanted to prove that I could and 2) I knew it was a stronghold in my life – something that I allowed to rule over me. The following year I started eating chocolate again, because I knew that we’d be trying to get pregnant and the last thing I wanted to deprive myself of was chocolate.
But, I think I need to give it up for this pregnancy. I’ve caught myself numerous times overindulging and blaming it on being pregnant, when really it’s a lack of self-control.
Yesterday was my first “no chocolate” day. I did great, I had no chocolate. But I treated myself to an overabundance of cheese cake bars (graciously given to us by Travis and Shari). Hmm… not good (the overeating, not the bars – the bars were amazing…). So last night I decided that for the rest of my pregnancy (YIKES!) I will give up sweets. There are some predefined rules:
1. I am allowed sweets (in any form) on my birthday in March.
2. I am allowed all natural sweets (honey, agave, etc) so long as they are not in traditional “sweeties” form (i.e. cakes, cookies, etc). In other words, I can still put honey in my yogurt or with my peanut butter and crackers.
3. When feeling tempted beyond control (which honestly seems to happen a lot) to get something sweet, especially chocolate, I will turn to God. I will ask Him for self-control and patience.
I’m announcing my new goal so that everyone will feel free to hold me to my word. I am totally serious about this. Please, ask me at anytime over the next 16+ weeks if I am actually keeping my “fast”. I need people to call me out and hold me accountable, otherwise I will fail miserably.
So mark your calendars! If Dubya Dos arrives on time, then I have 109 days left of no sweets. Call me up, email me, or ask me in person how it’s coming and if you see me tripping up, feel free to call me out!!
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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