Survival of the Fittest...Literally

So I lived to tell about it....and even have enough energy to blog about it! My first Crossfit session was everything I heard about it and just as scary as I thought it was going to be. Thankfully though, that fell away once the clock started and I focused on the task at hand. I'm still kinda in awe of myself that I was able to pull it off and with a good 16 minutes to spare. In case you're wondering....yes, I am dusting my shoulders off right now :} I do have to show some additional love for Hov, the gym was blasting it and my boi JayZ definitely helped me to bring it home. Illuminati or not, I'm throwing up the Roc! lol

The workout itself wasn't complicated, just not one the average person would choose on their own. And the majority believe you can't get a good workout in less than an hour. Tomorrow morning when I can't get out of bed, I will be a living testament to that myth! It was the quickest, longest 13.39 minutes of my life....I'm sure that will make sense to any Crossfitters reading this.

As a whole, it was a great class. The music definitely helped, so as long as they keep it crunk, I will be a happy camper....I think. On the way home the adrenaline had me feeling like a superhero and that was cool. It's been a long time since a workout made me feel that way and that is exciting. Can I see it being as addictive as they say? Maybe...it is only my first session and I have yet to meet Fran. Apparantly she is a bitch and I will not enjoy her :{   So I guess we'll see  :} 

P.S.  To my dance class tomorrow morning....we will NOT be doing an arm drill tomorrow. Now everybody tell Crossfit thank you :}

Crossfit or Die

Sooooooo....in a few hours I will be participating in my first Crossfit session. I have to say, from the internet trolling I've done, I am more than mildly nervous...lol. My intentions were to start yesterday, but my favorite Zumba teacher subbed a class and I opted out for that instead, since I was going to miss it today. If only everything were as fun as Zumba :} Or bellydance :} The last 6 weeks of bootcamp has really shown me how much bellydance has babied my body over the last few years. All that jumping and running on concrete has not made my joints happy :{  But flipping the big monster truck tire did make me feel like a superhero!

All of this in preparation, as Thursday marks the 1 month countdown to the Marine Mud Challenge.  I'm hoping the next 3 weeks of Crossfit will crank my fitness up another notch and hopefully drop this last 8.2 lbs off! Or at least replace the leftover baby fat with some much needed muscle. Running has made my legs skinny :{ 

They say there is strength in numbers, but unfortunately I couldn't seem to recruit any friends to torture myself with, so I'm going in solo and will hopefully find some new friends :} To those of you unrecruited "friends" who are reading this...you suck and you're all a bunch of pansies, but I still love you :}

So, wish me luck. I am desperately grasping to the far away memories of when I used to live for throw up leg days. That seems like a longgggggg time ago....wait, it was a long time ago. Dang, if I could go back, I would definitely appreciate my 25 year old body wayyyyyyy more! So here goes nothing. I will post later about my first session....if I can still lift my arms to type :}

While They Sleep

Well, I figured the above title was appropriate because that is the only reason I am able to write this now. I probably should be doing something money making, but I felt the need to bare my soul instead...so here we are :}

I'm not gonna lie...this week has been rough. I feel guilty saying that cuz most of what had me down was other people's heartaches, but it beat me up none the less. And sleep deprivation isn't helping! I'm just ready for a new week, with new frustrations I'm sure, but at least they will be different ones.

In spite of the general yuckiness of the week, I did manage to accomplish a few things and now just need to follow up on making them profitable, and not just cuz I felt like it  :}  On the real tho, I sometimes think mendhi (henna) keeps me sane! It's my version of yoga breathing :} Very soul cleansing! 

Any way....Aalyric is happy I finally finished her other shoe and she could wear them today. It made me smile that she was excited about putting them on this morning. And made me forgive her a little more for dumping the whole container of white paint down the side of the red couch...that doesn't belong to us! It did come out...and I probably would have just spent that hour on Pinterest any way, but it was annoying none the less.

They turned out pretty cute, but I think the next pair, I will only do one coat. I kinda liked them better when they were a little faded looking....still cute though :}

I also managed to get a few pair of tie earrings cranked out. They may make it to the store or Etsy, if Dajha's friends don't claim them first. Apparantly the ones I made for her are being coveted at her high school....so maybe that's how I will make my millions??

The demand will be so great, all my friends can quit their jobs and we can hang out all day making them, playing with our kids and doing yoga....that would be nice :} I could single handedly redefine the meaning of sweatshop...hehehehe...I can dream :}

Soooooo.....coming soon to somewhere!!???

Upcycled Vintage Tie Earrings

And last, but not least.....HENNA POT RAFFLE!! To benefit Diabetic Alert Dog 4 Jax :}  I seriously will not stop bombarding the world until Jax gets his dog! A litter of puppies was born last week, who could potentially be his life saving friend.....now we just have to do our part, and a small part that is.

So if you think these are cool and you would like one of your very own, it's pretty simple. Visit my page, Livingbliss on Facebook and Like me :}  Read and share the associated raffle post and donate at least $1 to www.gofundme.com/DAD4JAX  Every dollar you donate gets you another chance to win one of these lovelies, handpainted by me :}

February 2nd is the last day to enter!!

So that's what I've been up to. Rolling with the punches and trying to make sense of this crazy world. This week has been 2 steps back on that...but there's always next week....or so I hope!

Intention

With these 2 hearts in my arms, mine is full

As peaceful sleep warms, they melt into me....intentionally

Their tiny hands smoothing away the rough edges of my day

Today....Right Now....I am thankful for Aalyric falling asleep in my lap as I post :}

Last night I went to sleep with my heart heavy, after reading on Facebook that a friend of a friend lost their 2 year old son. I don't know if selfish is the word I would use for how I felt as I held my own two girls last night, cherishing their little breaths as they fell asleep. Maybe unworthy is a better description....I don't know....I just felt so blessed to have them another day, and then so sad at the same time for this family. None of us knows why these terrible accidents happen, they just do. Bad things happen to good people, and innocent children.... and it's not fair. What I do know though, is that if there was any way I could have done something to help save this child's life, I would have.

There is nothing I could have done to prevent this accident, but there are things I can do to help prevent a future heartache for another parent. If you don't know anything about diabetes, then educate yourself, it is a scary disease and even more so for a child that can't recognize yet when their body is shutting down. Having a DAD, could save Jax's life. Not to mention the peace of mind it would give to his family.

So today has just disappointed me a little.....don't get me wrong, I am spectacularly excited to be alive, and have had a great day so far, and am fully expecting it to continue it that fashion...or grander :}

I don't know about you...it might just be me, but when I invest in something, I fully expect to get the desired results. When I buy a lottery ticket...I fully expect to walk out of the store a millionaire, even if it's only a scratch off ticket. Maybe it's the Scorpio in me that makes me feel like the universe is required to listen when I give something my full attention....and intention! So I fully EXPECTED for yesterday's post to go viral and 3000 people to have donated a buck to help Jax get his DAD....mission accomplished! That has yet to happen, but I will continue to expect that every day.... until it does happen! That's just how I roll with most things in life :}  

Some things have just got me wondering though....Why do we wait for the bad things to happen, to come together? If you knew that you could be a hero, that you could help save someone's life...wouldn't you choose to? The way that I heard about this tragedy, was through a call for prayer for this family, from a friend of a friend. Right there in that moment, myself and I'm sure others that saw the post, opened their hearts and said a prayer for this family that they didn't even know. People took the time out to invest in someone else, without receiving anything in return but their own peace of mind that they had helped in some small way. What a magical and moving thing....and I hope that it helps to strengthen this family through their heartache.

We all have the chance to be a hero right now. Please visit Jax's page...Diabetic Alert Dog for Jax on Facebook. Like it, share it, go directly to www.gofundme.com to donate your buck and get the ball rolling. This is our chance to come together now and put our hands on a situation that can be changed for the better and help protect a young man's life.

My hopes are that this has inspired you...if not for my cause, then for whatever you are passionate about, that can make the world a better place. Go hug your babies! No matter how grown they think they are :} Cherish the day, no matter how much it has rained on you, because God chose to give it to YOU....and he didn't have to.

 

Returning Life's Favors



Wow...I can't believe September was the last time I blogged! Jeesh, further proof that I am in fact...a procrastinator :{  Dang the truth hurts sometimes! Any way....I am back with renewed spirit, and the freshness of the new year and this new cycle, has inspired deep contemplation in me and what it is I am supposed to be doing in this crazy world.

2012 started off with a BANG!!...or I guess more like a POOF!! And it's been a ride ever since. Seriously though, if you can consider any house fire being a blessing....that one was, and I know it was Grano watching over us here, that allowed Davynn to arrive safely. That being said, I do really miss my house and my dance studio and my extra, extra, extra large bedroom.....and central heating and air! So it's time to grab this new year by the horns and change the scenery once again, only this time on purpose and way less emergently!

So a few things recently and in the last few years, is inspiring me beyond my usual random acts of kindness...to do more and on a much larger scale. For Christmas my sister gave me the TOM's story book by Blake Mycoskie "Start Something That Matters," and I have been reading a little bit of it each day. I have to say that until now, I wasn't much of a TOM's fan. I like them on other people, but just didn't consider them fashion for myself. After reading Blake's story though, I really want to get a pair just to help support the cause and say thank you for the great work he is doing. That's the kind of person I want to be when I grow up!

More than anything else, I think I have been most inspired by Aalyric's recovery due to someone's random act of kindness, donating their blood. 90% of the blood in her body once belonged to someone else, who probably has no idea how much they changed someone else's life. I will always wish for the chance to be able to thank them for saving my baby girl's life and I often wonder at random times passing someone in the grocery or at the coffee machine at work, if the person next to me could be that person. And I think it will always make my eyes tear up, when I hear of someone close to us donating blood in honor of my girls :}

These random acts we perform in every day life, is what I feel is needed to make a change in the world. I hope to take one small step myself and I hope to inspire you to do the same, in even the smallest of ways. If we all walk the path, we will BEAT it down to a road!! Hehehe...if you are one of my dance students reading this right now, you are groaning at that reference! lol

Unfortunately, it is a more recent heartache for me, that connected me to this particular cause and inspired this post. On Thanksgiving Day I lost my sweet pup Swayze :{ He was a great friend and I know that if he ever had the chance to, he would have saved my life. So in honor of Sway and in the spirit of paying life forward, supporting other great people and causes, and making the world a little better by being the best person I can be today, I am donating 10% of my eBay profits this month to help provide a Diabetic Alert Dog for Jax. I am in high hopes that through writing this post and helping someone else, it will help to ease my sadness a bit for the loss of my furry friend. He was a cool dog...and the only one I ever let sleep in the bed!

I am so excited to help out with this cause that will hopefully provide a lifesaving friend for Jax. They have already raised 1/3 of the money needed, but still need about $3000. I just keep thinking that if the fake lottery winner guy can go viral and get a million votes on facebook....then why not us? If 3000 people shared and donated a buck we would be there...if 6000 people shared and donated 50 cents we would be there...I could go on but you get the idea! So please like and share Diabetic Alert Dog for Jax on Facebook, go directly to www.gofundme.com and search Jax Youngblood to directly donate, or shop with me on eBay @ goodfootadventures!

Our children are our most precious gifts and with the events of the last few weeks, I am feeling more and more blessed for the days that I get to enjoy mine. So go hug your babies and tell the ones you love how special they are. We are all blessed to have this day! Take the time to enjoy it and remember to pay life forward, any way you can...you never know when you will need it to return the favor! 

I am the Pied Piper.....Follow Me

Getting pretty good at this blogging thing....well, getting good at googling HOW TO things. So my newest addition is this cool little FOLLOW ME button I slapped on there last night. It was way less complicated than I anticipated and I was kinda disappointed I didn't have to write any html code for it....just google and follow directions, which was probably safer any way :} So they suggested I write a blog about it to let everyone know it's there and where to find it....that would be the top left hand where it says....yeah, you got it.....FOLLOW, well actually it says "Join This Site" but you get the idea :} Not real sure what happens when you do, maybe I should google THAT when I get finished writing THIS. Maybe you get me in your inbox?? Hehehehe....that could be kinky...but don't get your hopes up....lol. I do know that if you decide to take the plunge, it will put a teeny tiny profile pic of you on my lil spot in the world, and I will feel loved :}  So......I am the Pied Piper.....FOLLOW ME!!!!

Getting Good @ 2 under 2 :}

So, pretty excited for myself :}  Those close to me know that I am habitually at least 5 minutes late to everything....even my own party or parties as the case may be. I try, really I do....it just doesn't happen. Well, let me take responsibility for that...I just don't MAKE it happen...I guess. 

So I don't know if it's just that now that I have 2 under 2, I have learned that however much time I think it will take for me to get ready to leave the house....I should times by 3 and then add 10 more minutes. My hope....is that it's my newly adopted death to procrastination mentality, that's responsible. Either way, I managed to cook all the food and bake 48 cupcakes for the Toaster Strudel's Debut Party....get this....THE NIGHT BEFORE!! You really don't know how proud you all should be of me :} I am still pretty proud of myself....hehehehe :}

I do confess however, that I still ended up down to the wire, decorating these super cute owl cupcakes. But I was still on time to the party and actually beat all the guests there :} And they were well worth the effort....tasty too!  Cupcakes and guests that is....lol.

 

Unfortunately, out of the hundreds of things I have pinned on Pinterest....this is the only one I have actually cooked or crafted....shame on me. I promise to do better...pinkie swear! 

On a roll from yesterday, I actually managed to photograph and list some things on eBay, which is a daily goal I really need to make a priority. The house is just too small for all this stuff and it's really disgusting every month when I pay the $65 to store things that I can't even remember I own! The fire really prioritized things....literally....just things. And plus, if I'm going to swing this staying at home with the kids thing, I have got to make it happen. So today I feel like I nailed a few more boards onto this house I have in my head...the one my kids will one day call home. Until then....it's one board at a time :}  Wish me luck!!