July Cardio Playlist

I need a change of pace in my ears...  Here's my July list.

1. Pretty Boy Swag Soulja Boy Tell'em- This song cracks me the hell up.  And it's good to warm up to.

2. Hello Good Morning Diddy-Dirty Money feat. T.I.- It's only appropriate I hear Good Morning since my workouts are typically always AM workouts!


3. Round and Round Selena Gomez and The Scene-  Great beat.  Very poppy, but I eat it up.


4. Teach Me How to Dougie Cali Swag District-  Who knew my playlist would have the word "swag" on it twice?


5.  Misery Maroon 5-  I like this song a lot.  I've always enjoyed Maroon 5's distinct sound.


6.  OMG  Usher feat will.i.am- Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh Myyy Goshhh.. This one is overdue to make the cardio cut.


7.  My Own Worst Enemy  Lit-  Blast from the past.  You know you love it.


8.  Rude Boy Rihanna-  Even though the rest of the world is tired of this one,   I'm not ready to take it off yet.


9.  Uprising Muse-  Lance got me into Muse.  Their stuff is good for the gym because it's such a progression from kind of chill to intense.


10.  Great White Buffalo Ted Nugent-  Heck yes!  Guitar is OOC.


11. Graduate Third Eye Blind-  Another 90s gem!


12. Carried Away Elisa Schwartz-  Heard this for the first time on The Hills.  Like it a lot.


13.  Try Again (Mash-up)  Aaliyah, Destiny's Child, DMX-  This remix has a great beat and also throws a couple other songs in there, too.


14.  Day Tripper The Beatles- Classic. Maybe the least cardio of my cardio songs, but I like it.


15.  Crazy in Love Beyonce-  To help pick up the pace again


16.  Take Me Out Franz Ferdinand-  Love it.


17.  Bodyrock  Moby-  Very repetitive, but at the end so I can call it quits whenevs I want to.

XOXO,

"Everything's Not Lost"

I think it's only appropriate my last post detailed a hard time I was having.   What's funny this morning is how I could not feel any more opposite from those feelings today.  It's not that I'm joyous or that any of the things I worry about changed, but that counting your blessings is much more rewarding than worry.

Yesterday, I found out that two people died in separate incidents within a 24 hour period.  One was a classmate from high school who was killed in a car accident in Pennsylvania Saturday night and the other was the husband of a woman who worked at the restaurant all through my childhood and consequently, she is a close family friend.  The situations are vastly different.  One death was tragic and unexpected, while the other was more anticipated, (but still a shock), because he was sick.  Death, while sad, always manages to throw everything into perspective for me.  And while I can still be hurt/sad/worried/doubtful, it feels a lot less substantial when you think about how devastating it would be to lose the people you love.

So today, instead of letting my mind be troubled about 5000 things, I'm counting my blessings.  I have an amazing husband who adores me and I don't think I can imagine loving him any more than I do.  We have a roof over our heads, food in our fridge and water.  And AC! :)   We live in a country where you have personal freedoms and rights.  I have amazing, supportive parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles.  I have a brother who is one of my very best friends.  I have two dogs who possibly love me most when I am at my worst.  And great friends from all stages in life, who are better than I deserve...

I'm pretty sure I am generally luckier than I deserve.

XOXO,

Little Blah Moods

Occasionally, I fall into little mini-funks that last maybe one or two days.  Usually they involve me thinking too hard and worrying too much.  Usually I am sort of sad and neutral.  Sometimes these short-lived funks are triggered by an event or series of events.  Or sometimes they result from me doing too much dwelling on existing life circumstances and relationships.  Sometimes it's simply a rundown, overwhelmed explosion of emotion.  And sometimes, it's a combination of all of those things.

I am concluding day two of my latest little blah mood as we speak.  I'm done worrying about things out of my hands.  So until next time, the famous Serenity Prayer helps to pull me out of the worry well.

"God grant me the serenity to accept the things I can't change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference."

Do these little blah moods happen to anyone else or am I just your average excessive worrier?

XOXO,

June Faves!!

Aud's June Must Haves!!

1. Off Family Care Unscented Bug Spray- I used to be a Skin So Soft lover.  Well I didn't have enough time to order through Avon for my plant class.  I tried this stuff and it doesn't stink like normal bug spray.  The bugs love me and now that I'm Miss Nature Plant Identifier Queen, I have to protect myself.

2. Jack Johnson, To The Sea-  This CD has been on repeat this month for me.  It's so relaxing and personally, I think it's one of his better recent releases.  Fave tracks include: "At or With Me" "Red Wine, Mistakes,

Mythologies" "Turn Your Love" and "Upsetter".  Basically, the whole damn album rocks my summer-lovin' world.

3. Rare Minerals Purifying Facial Cleanser-  I actually got this stuff at the end of May, but haven't had adequate time to rave about it.  This is the best cleanser I have ever used.  It's affordable for a quality product ($18 on qvc.com) and foams like none other.  My skin looks a lot healthier and glowy-er since I have been using it.  Breakouts have been fewer and farther between and I feel much more comfortable with my face before I go to bed when I am bare-faced (I still try to wear foundation every day because of its SPF).  I used to use the RM Renew and Refresh cleanser, which is actually a powder until it gets wet.  While the cleanser worked, that concept didn't really jive well with me.

4.  Air Conditioning Holy Lord, it's been hot.  This week, it is forecast not to fall below 90 degrees all week.  As simple as it seems, AC has to make my list.

5. My own gym towel from home  Along the thought of getting hot, I am having to start bringing my own towel to the gym.  Normally, you can pick one up on the way in and discard it in a hamper on the way out.  The clean towels here lately have absolutely reeked.  Reeked, as in maybe they were just throw in some detergent-less, fabric softener-less water.  I know maybe some people have allergies to the good-smelling things I use in my laundry loads, but Jesus.  You have to use a good deal of detergent to cut some people's funk out of those towels.  Meanwhile if I use their towels, I'm on the verge of gagging during my workout and I end up smelling like mildew and gym.  And I typically sweat, but don't ever naturally smell like a hiker on the AT.  And the smell from the towels is not just getting on my hands!  Because I sweat gallons in the gym, I use a towel to wipe my face and arms, too.  Sick nasty.  Bringing my own from home from June forward.

6. Patience  Whether it's been sitting through math class or plant class or waiting on scores from testing, this month has largely been about being patient to start my career.  I am so close.  I just got the official letter yesterday telling me my placement for student teaching will be at East Salem in 2nd grade pending the completion of my requirements (all of which should come through).  I am so excited, but it's also easy impatient.  I have been in this program since Fall 2008.  I can't wait to meet my 2nd graders in the fall and be one step closer to a job!

XOXO,

Weighty Thoughts

Good morning!  The sun is shining and it's going to be a hot one.

Procrastinating getting dressed and heading to the gym for my morning routine, I have been sitting here thinking about weight loss.  I'm certainly not at a loss for motivation, but I just started thinking about the way people process their weight and weight loss goals.

Recently I have found all kinds of weight loss blogs that I like to read and follow.  It's nice to read about the journeys of others.  Some of them are where I am, in the middle somewhere moving towards their goal.  Some of them have lost insane amounts of weight and are already sitting pretty at their goal weights.  Reading these make me think that maybe I need to better define my goals and reward myself for reaching them.

People like to throw this statement around, but I want to be clear:  Losing weight is not an easy thing.  However, it really isn't an easy thing to have to lose more than 50 pounds.  People who only have ten or so pounds to lose have never grappled with what I grapple with.  When your goal is a lofty one, even when you are succeeding and losing weight, you wish you could do it more quickly.

So far, I have been succeeding.  Working my ass off, but succeeding.  I will be reaching the 30lb. mark sometime in the next week or two.  I just decided this morning rather than getting overwhelmed by long-term goal, I want to set up marked incentives for myself.  My blog seems like a good place to record these.  When I have lost 70 more pounds, I will be entirely happy.  So for all you mathematicians out there, 30 lost + 70 to lose = 100 total pounds lost by the time I reach my goal weight.  Holy shit!  See how it might be easy to get overwhelmed by that?!

Aud's Reasons to Lose 100 Pounds
1. Less risk of developing health issues
2. Healthier pregnancies
3. More energy
4. Cuter body for clothes
5. Be better than just "a pretty face"
6. Smaller boobs (YES!)

Here is my Rewards Plan, just devised.

30lbs= New bathing suit This is mostly out of necessity, but I will be happy to hit this mark.  Most of my current swim bottoms look like I shit my pants because the butt is too big.  This summer's suit will need to be a cheap one because I don't think it will work for next summer.
50lbs=  Mani/Pedi/Facial or Massage Pampertown!  I used to do mani/pedis for myself a lot more often, but we have been cutting back a lot this year.  A couple of spa treatments would truly be a treat.
75lbs= Expensive Handbag Enough said.
90lbs= Some personal training sessions I think I might need these as I get closer to goal to increase the effectiveness of my workouts to shed those last ten.
100lbs= New wardrobe My Dad promised me a new wardrobe on him when I hit my goal.  Buttttt, I imagine my idea of a full wardrobe and his idea of a full wardrobe might be different.  I am going to save up as I approach this marker to make sure I get a good variety of pieces in addition to my staples.

Okay.  Time to go make it happen!

XOXO,