Goodbye for Now

This blog started out as a way to share my thoughts and connect with other bloggers and writers. Over time, it has been a great way to connect (I've met some great people from blogging), I've gotten in trouble with friends for writing too much or accidentally offending someone and felt creatively stifled, wrote a lot and then took many breaks and shared my love of writing.

I've been debating for a while taking a blogging break. Life has been busy and I don't have the time or passion for blogging at the moment. You may have already noticed that I haven't posted much and I just don't feel that creative or know what to post at the moment. I may post sporadically, but this is goodbye for now! Thanks to my loyal readers who have read this over the years!

An update before I go...

I'm moving out! I just got an apartment with a friend and we will be moving soon. New job, new apartment... things are going well! I'm very excited for a change.

If you still want to keep track of my workouts, check out Fitocracy.

Feel free to say hi on Twitter!

Weekly Workouts 5/6-5/12

Monday 5/6: Ran about 2 miles at the park with my friend then we did some exercises using a park bench including tricep dips, push ups and bicycle ab workout.

Tuesday 5/7: Took a walk for about an hour.

Wednesday 5/8: Ran for 1.5 miles then did some arm exercises with my 7 lb. Kettlebell and some ab exercises.

Thursday 5/9: Rest day.

Friday 5/10: Played Just Dance 4 for about 30 minutes.

Saturday 5/11: Rest day. 

Sunday 5/12: Busy with Mother's Day festivities so rest day. Need to get back into working out next week. 

How did you do this week? Share your workouts with me!

Join me on Fitocracy! On Fitocracy you can see my full workouts - I'd love to see yours too!

Weekly Workouts 4/29-5/5

Monday 4/29: Rode bikes with a friend to a nearby park and played tennis for an hour.

Tuesday 4/30: I ran about 1.8 miles outside during my lunch break.

Wednesday 5/1: Ran/walked at a local park with my boy for about 2.2 miles. Made my day when a little girl said "Wow they're running fast!" when we went by. :)

Thursday 5/2: Took my dog for a walk for a little over a half a mile.

Friday 5/3: Played tennis with a friend for about an hour.

Saturday 5/4: Rest day.

Sunday 5/5: Ran/walked for 2 miles then did 15 minutes of yoga to cool down.

How did you do this week? Share your workouts with me!

Join me on Fitocracy! On Fitocracy you can see my full workouts - I'd love to see yours too!

Weekly Workouts 4/22-4/28

Monday 4/22: Rollerbladed with a friend for 6 miles.

Tuesday 4/23: Rest day.

Wednesday 4/24: Today I call it "Random Pinterest Workout Day"! I did some workouts that I have pinned on Pinterest. I tried to focus on abs or arms because my legs/ankles were still very sore from rollerblading. Here are a few examples of workouts I did: some Zumba, Abs and Hips, Kettlebell moves. I didn't track on Fitocracy because I just did so many random exercises for about 45 minutes.

Thursday 4/25: I played Just Dance Just Sweat for 30 minutes and did some arm exercises with 3 lb. weights.

Friday 4/26: Played tennis with a friend for about an hour. Felt good!

Saturday 4/27: Walked outside but didn't keep track of how far.

Sunday 4/28: Rest day.

How did you do this week? Share your workouts with me!

Join me on Fitocracy! On Fitocracy you can see my full workouts - I'd love to see yours too!

Weekly Workouts 4/15-4/21

Monday 4/15: Ran about 2 miles with a friend then we did arm and ab workouts with 3 lb. weights and 7 lb. Kettlebell.

Tuesday 4/16: I ran outside 1.4 miles then did about 15 minutes of yoga to stretch afterwards.

Wednesday 4/17: Rode my bike outside for about 1 mile then did the "Skinny Bitch" Ab Workout for about 15 minutes.

Thursday 4/18: Rest day - long work day.

Friday 4/19: Rest day - 12 hour day travelling for a work event.

Saturday 4/20: I ran on the treadmill for a mile and did some arm/ab/leg exercises. I did the exercises shown in the picture plus a few more. I also danced at night!

Sunday 4/21: Rest day.

How did you do this week? Share your workouts with me!

Join me on Fitocracy! On Fitocracy you can see my full workouts - I'd love to see yours too!

Don't Let Them Go

Often in my life I've had friends who walk away at the first sign of an argument. So now I cherish the friends who forgive, talk things out and love me for me. When you find a friend like that, don't let them go. Most people in life, if you have a real relationship with them, will hurt you at some point or you may hurt them. The strongest and deepest relationships and in my opinion, the most meaningful are the ones that go through all that hurt and come out stronger on the other side. :)

I especially love these quotes, even though they relate mostly to a romantic relationship:

Can You Pass This Pop Quiz?

What causes rape?

A.  Being flirtatious
B.  Wearing a short skirt
C.  Drinking too much
D.  RAPISTS

As the leader of an organization that provides education and treatment for rape I think it’s important to remind everyone whom the guilty party is when it comes to this horrific crime.  Time and time again, individuals, including news reporters and even judges, do not focus on the one who has committed the crime in the first place but rather turn their sights on the survivor.

They want to know what she was wearing?  Was she drinking?  Did she leave with him? Why was she out so late?  What is her reputation?  And the list goes on….

This damaging mentality, called victim blaming, occurs all-too-often and has been very obvious most recently in the high-profile Steubenville case.  Why does it happen?  A victim-blaming mindset allows individuals to distance themselves from the realization that they too are vulnerable to such a crime.  By holding the person that has been violated as partially responsible they reassure themself that since they are “not like” the rape survivor rape could not happen to them.

Rape is already a violation of someone’s body and spirit.  Why must we follow up with an assault on the survivor’s dignity by questioning what she was wearing or why she chose to stay out late?  For our own self-assurance?  Imagine if the types of questions that are asked of rape survivors were asked of a robbery victim.  Click here for an interesting exercise depicting this idea.  Absurd isn’t it?

Many times rape survivors, who may be already facing a myriad of feelings, including shame and guilt, don’t come forward, for fear of the reaction from others, making it one of the most unreported crimes.  HAVEN’s Safe Therapeutic Assault Response Team (START), made up of forensic nurses, physician’s assistants, and HAVEN advocates has also seen an increase in survivors choosing not to file a police report.

In 2012, START served approximately 200 victims of sexual assault with about 25% of them in their early to mid-teens.  The patients received both emotional support by the advocate and therapeutic medical care in a safe environment.  Even with emotional support and medical care, some survivors still find it too difficult to press charges for fear of social rejection and the stigma associated with rape.

During this Sexual Assault Awareness Month, I urge you to review your own actions and words when it comes to rape.  When you hear of one of these life-altering, horrific crimes do you question what the rape victim did or didn’t do that could have caused the rape?

Instead of contributing to this problem, be part of the change and challenge victim-blaming statements when you hear them.  Don’t revictimize a survivor for a traumatic event that was out of their control.  Your show of support and respect to survivors is what will lift them up on their road to recovery.

If you or someone you know needs help or would like more information about START, call our Crisis and Support Line at 1-877-922-1274.

Don’t forget!  Help raise awareness of sexual assault by donning your favorite blues on Denim Day held April 26, 2013.  For more information about participating in Denim Day or making a donation to support victims of sexual assault and domestic violence, contact HAVEN at 248-334-1284, ext. 346.

Courtesy of HAVEN.

Weekly Workouts 4/8-4/14

Monday 4/8: I ran outside for a mile then it started raining so I ran 2 more miles on the treadmill (about 3 miles total). Then I did some arm exercises with my Kettlebell and did my 15 minute ab workout!

Tuesday 4/9: Busy day at work so rest day. I think the majority of my Tuesdays and Thursdays working will be rest days because it is hard to fit in a good workout.

Wednesday 4/10: Ran on the treadmill for about 1.5 miles then did some arm and ab exercises.

Thursday 4/11: Rest day - I hate calling this a rest day because I had about a 12 hour work day mostly on my feet. So... no workout day?

Friday 4/12: Ran/walked 2 miles on the treadmill and did some arm exercises and stretching.

Saturday 4/13: Did Zumba toning with 3 lb. weights for 30 minutes and did some crunches.

Sunday 4/14: Rest day.

How did you do this week? Share your workouts with me!

Join me on Fitocracy! On Fitocracy you can see my full workouts - I'd love to see yours too!

Weekly Workouts 4/1-4/7

Monday 4/1: Went running outside with a friend for about 1.8 miles then did 30 minutes of yoga.

Tuesday 4/2: Played Just Dance Just Sweat for 30 minutes then did some arm exercises with my 7 lb. Kettlebell.

Wednesday 4/3: Rest day.

Thursday 4/4: Ran with a friend for 3.5 miles! She is definitely a good motivator! We did some good stretching afterwards too.

Friday 4/5: Ran for a mile with a friend then we did the "Skinny Bitch" Ab Workout and 20 minutes of yoga!

Saturday 4/6: Rest day. I did dance that night though! :)

Sunday 4/7: Rest day.

How did you do this week? Share your workouts with me!

Join me on Fitocracy! On Fitocracy you can see my full workouts - I'd love to see yours too!

We're Eating Crap and Feeling Like It Too

I would say in the past few years or so I've been more interested in health, wellness and healthy living. In my spare time, I love looking up information on clean eating and living a healthy life.

Growing up, I never really thought about or realized all the nasty chemicals that go into the foods we eat or how it correlates to our health. Obviously we learn that junk food can make you fat, but we don't really learn about how it can make you so sick. We never learn about all the chemicals, additives and generally nasty things they put into food. It may be good for your pantry and your wallet to buy foods that last forever (I specifically recall my mom saying certain foods never go bad) how can that be good for your gut? If a food never decomposes on its own, how am I supposed to digest it?

Recently I was reading an article from 100 Days of Real Food and Food Babe on food laws in the UK vs here in the US. Did you know overseas they ban certain chemicals added to foods that are still allowed here? I also always thought that the FDA is on our side, keeping us safe from things in foods that would make us sick. Definitely not true. The FDA helps big food corporations more than it helps us. 100 Days of Real Food also periodically posts food labels. For example, recently she posted a Lunchable PB&J sandwich. A regular PB&J sandwich contains bread, peanut butter and jelly. And that's it. Look at the label:

Over 85 ingredients? Really?

I will be the first to admit I am lazy when it comes to cooking and often choose a pre-packaged meal over one I'd have to put together. I have to stop this! Is the extra 2 minutes worth filling my body with all these chemicals over spending a little time to make a healthy version?

I've also been looking at my sugar intake. I also admit I LOVE sugar. Don't we all? Don't most of us search high and low for dessert after every meal? I sure do. It is sickening to realize how much added sugar is put in foods that you wouldn't even think had sugar. I was doing some research yesterday as I had a Starbucks Peppermint Green Tea Frappucino and a Pumpkin Scone. I realized that I was eating/drinking over 16 teaspoons of sugar just in one meal. Guess what the American Heart Association recommends for women per day? 5 teaspoons! Yuck! A few weeks ago I was eating a sucker I won from Dave & Busters. I happened to look at the ingredients. It had such weird and unrecognizable ingredients I actually threw it out.

It is tough when most people around you think you are kind of nuts when you talk about eating healthier and cutting out sugar and processed foods. But I want to do my best to start eating better and eating cleaner. That means more vegetables, more fruit, more organic and lean meats, only whole wheat breads and snacks, no junk food, no processed foods or sugary foods, no dairy (it upsets my stomach anyways), etc.

Any advice or tips for me? I just need to stop being lazy and eat better!