Let's get shredding

Well.....I'm making a bold decision....I'm going to get into shape. 30 Day Shred should be coming to my mailbox tomorrow. Netflix has sent it. I haven't read anything about what I'm about to embark on as I feel it's best this way. All I know is some girl lost 8 pounds in a month off it and I like the sound of that.

Don't worry, I've been in shape before. I know what it entails. I know it sucks. I used to do some hard-core cardio kickboxing two nights a week. And I clearly remember that sucking.

My unhealthy lifestyle is really starting to catch up with me. I have eaten my fair share of McDonald's Happy Meals when I get off of work. It's time to let someone else keep McDonald's afloat. (especially the after midnight crowd). I've noticed this weight gain / change of former skinny self happening for a bit now.

I graduated to curvy girl jeans at The Gap and have pushed my pant size up way farther than I care to admit. And it's about to be Christmas shopping season and I really don't want to go up another size when I got to try on my traditional holiday blue jeans.

So now I'm going to start the process of getting my 'old' body back. I expect there will be whining and tears and complaints but I'm going to push through and really try this time.

I'll keep you posted!

 

Another year older

It's technically my birthday since it's after midnight. I'm turning 27 day. I'm trying to hold it together. Someone at work asked me the other day how old I was and I told them I was 25. Then I was like no I'm 26 (but not immediately because it didn't register) and then I had to be like 'Wait, I'll be 27 in a week. Why? Because I want to stop at 25. I know, you say 27 isn't THAT old but to me .... it's old. I'm not ready for late twenties. AT. ALL. I really enjoyed 25. I felt it signaled "Hayley is an adult." Then I turned 26 and had a breakdown. I was not working on my 'life plan' at all. Time was ticking by and I was casually lounging on the couch while it went away. So at 26 I was ready to get busy but then I work up one day and realized 'Great' now I'm practically 27. And today I turn 27 and think 'Great here we are at 27, now what?' But on a happy note, I'm still young enough for Mark to make me an awesome birthay cake!!

Potty training stinks

Our precious dog Mack came to us from the shelter. He brought with him MANY issues. One of them would be his lack of being able to tell us when he needs to go to the bathroom. If we don't take him out on a schedule he'll just go find a nice piece of carpet and turn it into his urinal. Well I guess he's been proud of himself this week because he found the ultimate urinal. Last night while Mark and I were getting ready for bed we discovered Mack found the potty and must have figured out how to use it. Most days he likes to spy on us while we are using said potty. But he must have been observing and plotting. Because last night while Mark was getting out of the shower he noticed it. Mack has been hiking his leg on our toilet!!! Yes that's right there was dried pee all over the base and the rug was definitely soaked with pee and from the looks of the mess he had done this more than once. So while I was spraying down the toilet last night it occured to me 'My gosh my dog is smart, he knows what a toilet is for!'

Likes

Likes

(These aren't necessarily in order and only a sampling of all things I life.)

1) Opening a brand new book: There is NOTHING like getting a new book and reading it for the first time. No bent pages, no crease in the spine, no food on the pages. Perfect condition. I like this condition so much that I try to keep my books as new looking as possible and even refuse to let Mark read them. I offer to go to the library and check out Harry Potter for him but there is no way I'll letting him near by beloved paperbacks. I also prefer this condition for my magazines.

2) Hippos: This actually classified as a love. They are so cute with their little wiggly ears. I refuse to believe that they are dangerous. And I also choose to believe that they are in fact purple when in the wild.

3) Knee socks: Best. Sock. Ever. I will wear my knee socks up until the last moment of cold weather. I can now not function in winter without them. If you look closely through my facebook pictures you might even notice one with me in a bathing suit and knee socks. That one wasn't supposed to make it into the public but friends are liars when it comes to posting embarrassing pictures of you on their facebooks.

4) GAP outlets: There is something about discount jeans and camis that really makes me happy. I can't leave a GAP outlet without a full bag of clothes.

5) 75 % off Christmas decorations: I love all holiday decorations but I love discount Christmasware the most. There are things that become super cute when you are only paying a quarter of the price for them. I also like to look for stuff I can use during the regular time of year. I got a great big roll of green wrapping paper that I've been wrapping all birthday gifts in this year and a bag of bows in non-Christmasy colors. Plus I shop for all my first of the year birthday gifts during this time. Seriously, my favorite shopping days of the year!

A few dislikes

I thought I would spend a few words to go over my likes and dislikes. I would just like to personally reflect for a few posts.

Dislikes

1) Holey underware: I just can't stand it. Mark seems to think that unless it's falling off of him then it's still OK to wear. I'm sorry, it's not. When I do laundry and I see holes starting to develop it's straight to the garbage can it goes. I feel that it would be a reflection upon me as a wife if he were to be in an accident and the emergency officials were to see his holey underware. I would die of embarrassment while he would be trying to fight to keep them from cutting the things off him.

2) Sledding/winter sports: I hate the cold. While I LOVE to look at the snow and LOVE to walk about in it, I HATE to sled. Sometimes I'll forget this burning hatred and think 'It would be wonderful to rid down a hill at deathsped on a small piece of plastic' Then I go and try it and remember within one pass down the hill I HATE TO SLED. This I feel boils from when as a child I was forced to sled down a hill with a 3-year-old stranger. As we were making our descent a child of around 5 stood screaming in our path. I yelled for her to move, her sibling told her to move and she continued to stand and scream. Of course there is no steering on these death mobiles so plowed into her we did. The 3-year-old had a blast and me, I was scarred for life.

3) Green peas: I hate green peas. They remind me of mush. They just melt into a mushy mess while in your mouth. I can't deal. As a child I tried to disguise them in a roll but still the mush lived on. 

4) Driving: I was the first of my friends to get my license. It was fun at first, then they finally got theirs an I gave over the driving responsibility and never looked back. I think part of my hatred stems from getting lost EVERYWHERE I go. I seriously have gotten lost coming and going from my grandmother's house on multiple occasions and she lives in the same town I do. Plus I have horrible night vision and it makes for interesting navigation. 

5) Ewan McGregor: There is just something about him I find creepy.

Hello crayola

Mark has decided that I need to start painting my nails bright colors. He even went so far as to pick the strange shade of purple that I'm wearing right now. As I try to work all I can do is look at my fingernails like a moth would look at a light. I'm strangely attracted to them and must stare. I think he's trying to make me into that girl from He's Just No into You and Big Love, Ginnifer Goodwin. He admired her purple nails in that movie. Oh well, I'll just go with it for now.

Social commentary

Recent events in my life have led me to reflect on what is acceptable. I recently posted a news link on the pregnancy of Michelle Duggar. I feel this family has put themselves in the public eye. They allow camaras into their daily life to chronicle their growing family. I'm sure they are aware that their family is strange to some. It's definitely large by today's standards. They homeschool, which is also controversial to some. She obviously is a fan of public breast feeding as I've pointed out in previous posts.

This family isn't stupid. Jim Bob was a Congressman for goodness sake. They know their lifestyle is viewed as strange by some. I really don't think that is news to them. I give them credit for putting themselves out there and broadcasting their way of life. Most 'normal' families wouldn't welcome that kind of attention.

I feel with opening you home to TLC and allowing them to film multiple seasons of your hit TV show (which aren't they against TV?) then you should expect people to be talking about you. Some good and some bad. I think that goes with the territory.

I'm sure my Facebook wall is not the only place that this debate is going on. If people are discussing it on my Facebook wall then I can guarantee that it's being discussed on a much larger stage somewhere.

So let's get to my opinion. I think it's crazy to have 19 children! There's first the obvious. You have to go into labor with 19 children. The thought of laboring with one child terrifies the crap out of me. Seriously. When I start thinking about babies and such (as I'm about to be 27 that's only natural) I block labor and delivery from my head. I think about the 'joys' of pregnancy and planning for a baby and then I immediately jump ahead to having the baby here in our house. I don't dwell on the unknowns of labor. I keep it far from my mind. And I don't want to know of it at this point! I'm on a need to know basis with labor and delivery. Now Michelle Duggar definitely knows about labor and delivery. I just really can't imagine pushing a large item out of your vagina getting any easier with 19. I just can't.

Next on my list of opinions is the Duggars do'nt make it a secret that they pair their children up, the older ones with the younger ones. So now the older ones have the responsibility of caring for the younger ones. So who's Michelle caring for? Oh yeah the baby hanging off her boob for all photo opts, even the strange ones (like being the hood ornament for breast feeding while being filmed for your TV show and going down the main street of Pigeon Forge while on a parade float) But I'm not going to even touch the breast feeding card. I"ve already covered that in a prior post. I just think fine have kids. Have as many as you want and can care for. I think each child should receive equal treatment. I just don't think she can pay equal treatment to each child every day, breast feed the baby AND also teach her children. (What teacher could bring her young children to school and care for them and teach their class at the same time?) But that's going to be my only thought on teaching at home. I'm not looking to start a fight.

Now having made all these personal observations about the Duggars I'm left wondering is that my rite? Should I keep my big mouth shut? Or as the person implied who de-friended me from Facebook, am I not representing Christ by even typing these feelings?

I think I am in the right by commenting and I think I shouldn't keep my big mouth shut and I definitely think that even by expressing my opinion about not agreeing with the Duggar lifestyle that that doesn't reflect upon my personal relationship with God.

I feel the Duggars have God in their life, and I know that I have God in my life. Because I won't choose to raise my family in the same manner can we not both believe and support God? I think we can both of very spiritual lives full of love for God. I think this 'de-friender' took issue when I interpreted scripture in a different manner than she and her family interprets it. I think this is where the 'de-friending' came into play. Am I not allowed to have my own opinion? Can I not interpret scripture in a different manner and still have God in my life? Must everyone follow the same rules when it comes to God and following Jesus?

I think if we all followed the same rules we would be drones moving toward death at the same pace. I think as long as our goal is the same. That of loving God, honoring God and reaching Heaven when it's all said and done then why should you care that when I read a passage I get something different out of it.

I'm still left pondering and wondering.