Suprise, Suprise, Suprise!!!!

Hey everyone, it is Tuesday (already???) and I am having Fit Club tonight!   

I thought about canceling, but decided that we need to have some sort of normal routine and it is always good to see our friends and exercise is a GREAT way to burn off some stress.  Lord knows, everyone in our area is under a LOT of stress these days.

So, it is going to be Clubbers Choice Workout tonight!  You get to decide what workout we do.  We'll take a vote right before we get started, so SURPRISE workout tonight!

I'm getting back on my workout schedule today.  Workouts have been slacking, eating has been all over the place, eating whatever I could get my hands on.  I have been limiting my water intake (bathrooms are scarce around here) and today all that is changing!

I'm packing my lunch and packing my water!  Getting my workout groove on in about 5 minutes.  I'll be in WOWY, since I'm short, I'm usually on the front row :)  Don't have a coach or a WOWY account?  Get one here and I'll be your coach and help you reach your fitness/health goals! Oh yeah, it doesn't cost a thing and every time you log your workout, you have a chance to win cash or other cool prizes - ipod touch, cameras.....  WIN-WIN!

Discussion:  What is your workout today?

Eating on the run!

My eating has been off lately since we have been so busy, running around and working so much.  I am going to plan better this week and make better choices.

source

The problem I had was that I didn't take my food with me every day.  The first couple of days, I had a big bag with me - oranges, protein bars, shakeology, and almonds.  I could stop for a snack if I was hungry.  Most of the time that didn't happen, but I did have food that I could eat.

Then I got tired, didn't feel like packing any food up and just ran out the door thinking I could wing it - WRONG!  I ended up having a small bag of chips and peanut butter crackers most of the time for lunch.  First of all, that is not enough food and it is empty calories. 

So, I thought I could put a post together about eating on the run and the best choices to pack.

Fruit - easy and very portable, full of nutrition. Oranges, bananas, apples - whatever you like!

Almonds/Nuts - great protein pick me up - put them in the snack sized baggies for the correct portion sizes.

PB&J sammys - doesn't necessarily have to be refrigerated, easy to fix and transport.

Shakeology - just toss a packet in your bag and mix with water - super easy on-the-go meal with all the nutrition you need.

Protein bars/granola bars - Just make sure you don't take the chocolate ones if it is hot.  They get quite messy!!!

Water - toss in several bottles of water (now that the boil order has been lifted, you can use your re-fillable bottle!)  A cute water bottle always makes me smile!!

If you plan in advance, you CAN eat healthy on the run.  It may not be the same as eating at home, but healthy choices are available and it's so much better than a bag of chips!

not many words

This has just been a week.  There is so much to tell, yet I have no words.  I'll try.

Photo by Julia Buchholz 

I found out yesterday that a friend died at the Home Depot.  I am so saddened and pray for his family.  RIP Sam.

They still haven't found Will Norton.  Please keep praying for him and the family. I went to school with Tracey, Will's aunt.   Tracey is doing an amazing job and is the strongest person I know.  For those of you that are not familiar with his story, Will is an 18 year old that had just graduated from high school.  He and his dad, Mark were on their way home when the tornado struck.  The car flipped several times and Will was sucked out of the sunroof and hasn't been found.  Mark has injuries and is in the hospital, but will be ok.  Tracey has been spreading the word  and the photo of Will so that possibly someone will recogonize him and he can be found.

The insurance adjustor met with Brian yesterday and as we suspected,  we had 3 total losses and 1 house that will be able to be repaired.  I have to say that Columbia Insurance has stepped up to the plate and taken VERY good care of us - AGAIN!  (The tornado that struck Carl Junction in 2003 caused a lot of damage to our rental properties as well)

Several of my friends that have lost their homes or have damaged homes are now having to deal with looters.  Nothing like kicking a person when they are down.  I heard one story of a family being held at gunpoint while the looters took their things. 

Evidently, Obama is coming to town on Sunday.  This is going to be a mess.  I understand the need for him to come here, but talk about a nightmare in shutting things down.  We just need to find our people and clean up.  Sorry, just my opinion, it will be a 3 ring circus here on Sunday, we don't need that!

Joplin (and the surrounding communities) are STRONG, the people are wonderful, there is so much compassion and help and just lvoe.  There isn't one person that hasn't been affected by this in some way.

I'll try to find good stories to tell tomorrow, Lord only knows that we need some!

tornado damages

After my last post about the path to happiness, it has been hard to find the happiness in our area.  We were hit with an E F-5 tornado in our town. 

We are fine, our house is fine.

So many people have been lost, so many properties have been destroyed (about 1/3 of our town is gone). 

We own rental property in the disaster area, 3 houses are completely gone, 2 more have damage.  The happiness in this instance is that all the tenants are ok.  When you see what is left of some of these houses, you know that it was a miracle.

I took these first 2 photos of our rental properties the day after the tornado, it was storming yet again, so I apologize for the quality of them.  I am hoping to get by these properties today and get more photos and see what can be done there.

Jake's girlfriend, Morgan lost her aparment and most of her belongings.  We were able to recover some of her clothes, her hope chest and some memorablia. 

My niece, Stephanie lost her house as well.

It is sad, there are not a lot of smiles, but we are coping and trying to deal with it all.

We have been cleaning and searching for beloved items and have found many of them!  Our friend Judy's grandmother's ring, our friend Don's dad's ashes, things that are so special and basically can't be replaced.

That is what I am choosing to focus on - the good things that are happening - a baby found alive yesterday in a car on Main St.  Finding my friend that was missing.  Houses and things can be replaced, but people can't.

I'm sure you've seen the coverage on TV, so I won't go into all the details, but it is just so hard to describe, when we are driving around, it's hard to figure out where you are. The landmarks are gone, there are no street signs.  People are wandering around and it is absolutely crazy.  The photos just do not do it justice.

We are still missing some friends, so please keep our area in your prayers.

The path to happiness?

I have a VERY blessed life.  I have a wonderful husband, an amazing family, great friends and support system and a job I love.  I am so happy!

So, what is it that makes YOU happy?  Are you happy?

Here's what works for me.

Surround yourself with positive people.  No negative Nellies for me.  When you choose, yes it is a choice, to be positive, then positive things start to happen for you as well.  Life is too short to be around negative, unhappy people.  Find the people that you enjoy being around. 

Work on your personal developement.  I read personal developement books EVERY day.  Read 10 pages everyday.  Choose books that interest you.  But, you must work on yourself daily!    If you would like a suggestion of books to get you started, let me know.  I have a lot of great ones that I have read.

Do something fun everyday.  It can be as easy as putting on some music and dancing around the house, or playing a game with your kids, but do something fun every single day! 

Exercise and eat right.  You feel better, look better, sleep better and yes, you are happier!  Break a sweat for 10 minutes a day.  Do an exercise that you love, if you don't like to exercise, you just haven't found the right one for you yet.  Keep looking, it is out there.  I'd be happy to help you find one that is just right for you.  Eat healthy food.  Avoid processed foods and drive-thrus.  It's hard to be happy when you feel crappy. 

Smile.  Just smiling can make a HUGE difference, share your smile with others, spread the happiness with people you see.  Happiness is contagious.



Laugh.  Be with people that laugh and make you laugh.  It adds years to your life, and you will have some great memories to share and remember.

Keep a gratitude journal.  Seriously, write down the things you are grateful for and BE GRATEFUL.  Everyone has something in their lives to be appreicative about.  Write it down!  Get a cute notebook, it just makes it even better :)

Love yourself.  There are many great things about YOU!  You are one of a kind, know this and find the things you love about yourself.  If you are struggling with it, then change the things you don't love.  We are all a work in progress.  Nobody is perfect.  Don't compare yourself to others, just be the best YOU can be!

Pray.  Have a relationship with God.  Talk to him daily! 

I don't guarantee that if you do all these things you will be happy, but you will be more fulfilled and if you remember that happiness is a choice, all you have to do is choose to be happy!

Discussion:  What makes you happy?

More proud moments!

Another great day of being proud - more graduations!

My nephew Devin graduated valedictorian of his high school class.  What a tremendous accomplishment.  We are so proud of him and looking forward to watching his achievements at Oklahoma State University!!! 

Good job Devin!

Today was Lauren's graduation!  College is almost done, two more classes over the summer and she is DONE!  Degree in Accounting!!  She looked beautiful and we are so proud of her as well! 

Tonight we have Miss Madelyn so Chase and Meredith could go to Meredith's nephew, Cody's graduation.  I think it's been a long weekend!  I'm wiped out!

Having cake at Lauren's reception

 

The aftermath of dinner and cupcakes with Grumpy makes for one very messy girl!  Salsa on shirt - check, cupcake on face - check, baby doll in hand - check!

Gosh, wonder what tomorrow will bring!

Proud Momma Moment

Yesterday Nick graduated from the police academy.  We are just so proud of him. 

Nick had to go through a lot of hard training, including getting maced which he says is the most pain he's ever felt.  I certainly wouldn't want to do it!

NOT FUN!

We are so proud of him!  Thank you Nick for protecting us!!  Now, we are praying for the perfect job!

Stranger Tides?

Wow, yesterday was a GREAT day! 

Shopping with the girls and I got some amazing deals and fun stuff!

Here's a photo of my loot:

Random much?  Can't decide which color nail polish to try first....  any suggestions?   I love the names of them. 

Skull and Glossbones - kind of a silver/gray
Planks a Lot - a fun purple
Sparrow Me the Drama - PINK
Stranger Tides - a sagey green

I was looking for the Katy Perry collection, but haven't been able to find it, so I ordered it last night from amazon.  I'm an amazon junkie - be sure to check out my store if you haven't for some of my favorite things!

One of the larabars  -  carrot cake, didn't make it home.  It was delish!

Here's a better shot of my new purse, I kinda have a purse addiction.... jus' sayin'

Love it!

This is the dress I bought.  I'm debating about wearing it to Summit or to the wedding. 

Love the color!

After our shopping excursion, I ran in the door, grabbed a quick bite to eat and got ready for FIT CLUB!

We killed it (or ourselves) with Insanity Plyo Cardio and were a sweaty mess.  It pushed us to our limits for sure, but we had a good time.  Not as much laughter, we were all trying to just breathe.

After workout we sampled the P90X Results and Recovery drink.  This stuff is GOLDEN!  It tastes good and really does help after a hard workout!

Refuel, re-energize, and reduce muscle soreness with this after-workout shake. Four parts carbs to one part protein ensures speedy muscle repair after intense workouts!* Now all-natural, with no artificial flavors or sweeteners.

I'm a little sore today, but not too bad.  I can't wait to hear how the fit club girls are doing today.  I hope they can walk.  Insanity will shred your calves the first time!

After workout, recovery drink and drying off as best as possible, I headed into our office for my Success Club call.  It was one of the best so far.  Everyone is doing great, pushing each other and getting results!  I talked with my new success partner for several minutes and it is going to be another good week!

Then it was reading (Failing forward by John Maxwell).  I am loving this book!

The stories are all about people that didn't give up until they reached success!  It's good to know that others have failed at many things, but very nice to know that they have reached amazing successes!

I know I can do it too!








Madelyn is here today and she is wanting to lounge in her pajamas.  With the overcast weather, I am thinking she has the right idea.....

I know we'll be playing with the new Zoku ice pop maker!  Can't wait!

Dig Deep!

It's Tuesday and we are going to dig deep at tonight's Fit Club!

FIT CLUB WORKOUT:

INSANITY - this is the first time I have offered Insanity at fit club, this workout is hard, but the group is up for it!  We are doing the best of Shaun T, and you can't have that month without Insanity!

I love the workout, but it is HARD!  If you are up for a truly challenging workout, Insanity is for you!  The first time I tried it, I couldn't get through the warm-up. I KNOW!

FIT CLUB RECIPE:

Shakeology Ice Cream by Tami French ( a fellow beachbody coach)

 Here is the recipe of the shakeology ice cream that I can't get enough of:

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup almond milk

1/4 cup coconut milk

1 tsp natural peanut butter

2 scoops of  Protein Powder (Vanilla)

1 scoop chocolate shakeology

mixed for a few seconds and then add a lot of ice to make it thick like soft serve ice cream.

Once it's the thickness you like scoop it into a bowl and top with a crunched Protein bar and shredded coconut! It's the best ever! Enjoy...


I'm heading out for a girls shopping day, I'm shopping for my dresses for Summit (the Beachbody Coaches convention).  Gonna be a good day!  I'll post tomorrow what I find!

Happy Birthday Daddy!

Today is my daddy's birthday!  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!

So glad that I'll get to see Dad this week!

Love you bunches!

Brian put up new ceiling fans at the lake house yesterday.  I think they look great!

We had a GREAT time at the Vision Vodka Oklahoma Launch Party!  Good food, good drinks and great people to chat with!

Bionic Tonic

Vision Vodka, Chambord with a splash of cranberry juice and tonic. 

Shaken and served over ice with a lime.

YUM!

Beautiful bottle!

Why is it that when Brian takes a photo I'm always eating or have my mouth open?

Todd and Lisa

Lisa and Bill

Bill and Judy

here we are at the Vision Vodka party!

I have a super busy week - GRADUATION (4 of them!)  Can you say whew?  Lots to talk about this week for sure!

the sun is shining!!!

The sun is shining!!  YAY!  I so need the sun to re-charge my batteries.  It's amazing how much better I feel on sunny days!  This is the view from the deck today - beautiful!

We are planning on working in the yard today and then tonight we have the Vision Vodka Oklahoma launch party.  Vision Vodka is the creation of Brian's cousin.  I'll be sure to take a lot of photos tonight at the party!

Today is my rest day and the end of week 1 on Insanity:  The Asylum.  All I can say is WOW!  I have been so stinkin' sore and need this rest day.  Stretch (Relief) and walking are on the workout agenda today.

Congratulations to Morgan McDaniel for graduating high school today!  Big party tomorrow to celebrate!!

 I have started a secret accountability group on facebook for my customers.  If you would like to be part of it and already are my customer, please let me know.  If you aren't my customer and want to be a part of it, get your free account here and then friend me on facebook, http://facebook.com/danalmoritz  send me a message and I'll get you added.  We share recipes, tips, encouragement and motivation to make healthier choices.  We'd love to have you join in the fun!