Everything in Moderation

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Freschetta. All opinions are 100% mine.

Since I've been on a journey to healthy living and lost 45 pounds people immediately assume that I deprive myself of good food. That is not true. I am a true proponent of everything in moderation. I certainly indulge and when I do, I go all the way. If I want to eat chocolate, I'll eat Godiva. If I want ice cream, I'll go to a specialty shop or eat a premium brand. I am a native New Yorker and New York is known for its pizza. Here in the South, it has been difficult to find good pizza and I generally don't eat it unless it is a brand found in the frozen food section or I make it myself. Before yesterday, I'd only had pizza once in the last six months and I crossed my fingers hoping that the Ferschetta roasted portabella, mushrooms and spinach pizza I was trying would be worth the indulgence.

I'd been sent a pizza kit from Freschetta and was excited to try it out. Unfortunately my pizza stone arrived broken but I decided to channel Tim Gunn and "make it work".

The pizza crust turned out nice and crispy and the taste of the pizza was truly delicious. To put it in context, because my husband is both lactose intolerant and doesn't like tomato sauce he rarely (if ever) eats pizza. He saw that the Freschetta pizza did not have a red sauce and he just couldn't resist the urge to try it. He absolutely loved it and believe me when I tell you that an endorsement from him is huge, he is an extremely picky eater.

So, my verdict is Freschetta knocked it out the box. I do not regret indulging in this pizza that rivals good New York pizza and the calories were totally worth it. At 310 calories a serving, 12 grams of protein and 11 grams of fat it actually is a great choice. I rounded out the meal with a nice salad and some fruit. This is certainly a meal that I will be repeating soon, probably tonight!

If you want to try Freschetta FlatBread you can visit the website for a $1.00 off coupon. I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as my family did!

Rest in Peace, Boss

I am very sad to say, we lost this boy.  He was dumped at a shelter because he was acting sick, and then he tested positive for parvo.  The shelter and LBR acted quickly to start his care, but it was too late.  We are so sorry we couldn't save you, Boss.

Please don't forget the importance of vaccinating your pets.  A cheap vaccination would have prevented this handsome boy's pain and his death.

Fashion Hauling at TJ Maxx

So far on my journey to healthy living I've lost 45 pounds. After carrying those extra pounds for a couple of years, my wardrobe is clearly in need of an overhaul. Lucky for me, the good folks at TJ Maxx/Marshall's decided to provide me with a giftcard to add some items to my wardrobe. The catch?

I had to choose an outfit inspired by the movie Sex and The City 2. Everyone that is a fan of SATC knows that the fashions make the movie. However, most of us with children don't have the budget to splurge on Manolos and Louboutins frequently, nor can we shop at Dior or Chanel. Like most moms, I do bargain shop and TJ Maxx is one of my favorite places to buy designer clothing at discounted prices. Armed with a $50.00 gift card, I went to TJ Maxx to find a SATC inspired outfit.

As usual, I blew my budget by finding a dress that was spectacular, reminiscent of Samantha and looked fabulous on me. At $59.00 the Calvin Klein dress was a bargain and just goes to show you don't need SATC money to look SATC fabulous!

The Incredible Shrinking Woman takes the Summer Shrink Challenge!

This week I've been on a hiatus of sorts. I've been reading books on my new iPad like it is going out of style, I've celebrated my son's birthday and enjoyed my family visiting from out of state. I've been relaxing my mind and my eating habits too. Having cake and ice cream in the house has triggered the "I love ice cream" area of my brain and I've had copious amounts of ice cream and cake over the past few days. Today that all ends. I have to get back on track with eating, the summer is just around the corner and I am running the Race and Relax 5k in about ten days. Plus, today marks the beginning of another challenge at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans - the shrink into summer challenge.

This morning I weighed in at 158.6 pounds. I am less than 10 pounds away from my goal and I think if I focus over the next few weeks, I will make it to 150. Sadly I've had a little glitch in my exercise this week, I have soreness in my left hip when I walk and it started on Monday evening after my run. I rested yesterday and iced my leg, I am hopeful that I'll be able to run this evening. If not, I'll just walk because I don't want to be idle. I am going to play it by ear because if walking is too much I may just resort to yoga (if I am able). I don't want to injure myself and be unable to exercise at all for the long term. I know rest is the best thing for me so if necessary, I will rest for the duration of this week and pick up my training next week before the race. I think if you'd told me last year at this time I'd be forcing myself not to exercise I would have thought you were crazy but here we are, I am saddened that I'm injured but know that healing will come quicker if I rest.

I keep reminding myself that this is a lifetime of health and fitness, a few days will not stop me from continuing the good habits that I've developed. I will just use this time to reflect and think about what new and lofty goals I can set for myself- like losing this last 8 and a half pounds!

Design Chameleon

Are you a design chameleon? I am. Just as a chameleon changes color to adapt to a new environment, I can change my style, or design aesthetic at the drop of a hat, or at a glimpse of a decorating magazine or a film set.

My personal design career began at age five, in an attic garret of the family home at 109 Maxwell Ave in Geneva New York. As kids, my younger brother and I were each given a room to decorate, and full reign of an attic loaded with miraculous clutter from many generations: tattered overstuffed chairs, framed prints, damasked curtains and other treasures.

Breaking early with tradition, (all the women in my family were partial to Williamsburg green interiors), my first one-room studio apartment was considered very Boho, with its white walls, purple and orange accents, and a Rya shag rug. Early on, I experimented with fashioning curtains from paisley Madras bedspreads and linen bed sheets. In one house I exposed all the brick of the walls, and in another I enthusiastically papered everything in sight.

Our ugly duckling wreck of a house in Massachusetts, became a sweet country farmhouse with the help of many gallons of Laura Ashley sage green paint. A more difficult decorating challenge presented itself in the form of a fifties retro ranch house in Geneva Switzerland. It was beautifully situated on “Chemin des Muguets”, in the shadow of the Salève Mountain, and with a magnificent Magnolia tree out front. But a few quirky bits made this the house that no one wanted. We instantly fell in love with it, especially wall-to-wall French doors throughout, which gave way to the gardens. Eventually, we also made peace with the dreaded shiny black ceramic tiles in the master bath by hanging some colorful framed fish posters from the Monterey Aquarium.

Over the five years that we lived in Europe, we enjoyed filling our homes with brocante finds. When we returned back to the States, these souvenirs gave a French twist to our 1800 New England clapboard home.

Later, while living on the 18th floor of a modern high rise in Beijing, we created a little corner of Old China: a Chinese wedding bed doubled as a sofa in the living room, and the kitchen was entered through an ornate antique lattice door.

From Shabby Chic, to French Country, to China Retro I’ve dabbled in it all. My most recent decorating incarnation might be described as Rough Luxe.

Our tiny cottage in Carmel-by-the-Sea sheltered a hodge podge of family pieces and flea market treasure.

Here is a section of the living room. I may have pushed the decorating envelope a tad too far, when I broke one of the main rules of "Decorating 101", and centered a framed picture above the fireplace. Another decorating violation was buying the faux seascape oil painting in the first place.

Next to the fireplace is a Scandinavian style chair. It was purchased at my favorite Australian op shop (charity resale shop). This was the same day that I met my soon-to-be good mate Linley, who was minding the store. As she helped me load the chair in the boot of my car, I asked her what she thought of my purchase. “Not much!” she quickly replied. It reminded her too much of family holidays at the beach. “But that’s exactly why I love it!” I remarked, trying not to act too disappointed. In spite of our aesthetic differences, we have remained dear friends. I love my chair with its squishy cushions covered in a faded retro patterned fabric. When I settle in it, and rub its bleached worn arms, I am transported back to happy times in our Flinders "bach".

On the move again, we’re leaving behind the tranquility of Carmel-by-the-Sea for the rugged landscape between the dunes and mountains on the other side of Monterey California.

Channeling the design chameleon within,
Marjorie

Happy Birthday to my Sweet Boy!

Three years ago today I gave birth to this adorable little boy. We are celebrating this momentous occasion today with a visit to the movies, the aquarium and of course the requisite birthday cake.


We are also celebrating the changes that my family has made to ensure that we all have more birthdays. As a member of the blogger advisory council for the American Cancer Society I have joined the movement for More Birthdays and my journey to healthy living, changing my diet and including exercise is helping me to be around for more of my son's birthdays. Tomorrow ACS celebrates its 97th birthday and I hope that you join the campaign too- make a difference in your life, today! Visit More Birthdays.com for more information. You can also create a birthday dance video at Birthday Dance.com

My mom is creating a world with more birthdays!

My aunt is creating a world with more birthdays!

Won't you join us and create a world with more birthdays too?

Polar FT60 Review - A Heart Rate Monitor and so much more

My first introduction to heart rate monitors (HRM) was in January when I attended the EA SPORTS Active retreat. During our hiking trip Gerard (the EA trainer) and my friend Christy both had heart rate monitors. The most impressive thing for me about these devices was the fact that they were able to accurately report the number of calories burned on the hike and Gerard's also told him the distance. Up until this point, I was only familiar with machines at the gym that calculate this information and EA SPORTS Active also does it - but it is an estimate because there is nothing that actually monitors the individual and levels of exertion are different.

I knew that at some point in the future a heart rate monitor was on my list of things to get. This tool would enable me to see how hard I am training, if I am training too hard or not hard enough, providing me with the information I need to train more effectively. Call it Kismet or fate but the stars aligned and I have been given the opportunity to try out a Polar Training Computer - FT60. Although this is my first foray into the world of HRM, I have to say that I love this little device. It is available in designs for men and women and in two colors, black and purple/lavender. I have the purple/lavender version and it is cute. So cute in fact, I can wear it around town without people wondering why I am wearing a clunky fitness watch! It isn't a small watch by any stretch of the imagination but the color and design make it very fashionable.

Cuteness factor aside, this training computer is functional too. It is paired with a chest strap that monitors your heart rate during workouts and provides the info to the wrist piece. To use the chest strap you must wet it and then put it on. I have found it to be extremely comfortable and I tend to forget I am wearing it. Before training with the FT-60 I took a fitness test which basically determined my level of fitness. Don't worry, it isn't an extensive test, you simply relax for five minutes while it does the calculations. I was happy to find that I am in very good shape, not elite yet but I'm on the way.

After taking the fitness test I had the option to choose three different types of goals - improve fitness, maximize fitness or lose weight. I've chosen the lose weight option and the computer provides me with weekly targets for calories burned, training time and intensity in each of the three training zones. At the end of the week I can check in and see if I've met or exceeded my goals. Although I haven't purchased a polar link - if I had one I could also upload this information to the free Polar website to keep a history of my efforts. As it stands, my wrist computer will keep up to 1000 workouts on file, I think that suits my purposes and I can always manually put the information on the site.

In addition to training zones, for each workout I am able to see my average and maximum heart rate, the number of calories burned and what area of my fitness I am improving. It also tracks the length of time of my workouts. There is a feature called Own Zone that I haven't utilized yet, but basically you do a fitness test and it makes an assessment on your best training range. This provides useful information to check in with during a training session. I honestly just forget to try this out but will do so later this week.

As I mentioned, the computer keeps tally of all my workouts and at the end of the week will give me information about my performance. My first full week ends on Sunday so I have yet to see this in action but I know that it will give me guidance on how hard to train the upcoming week, if I need to do a recovery week, if I need to train more or less, etc.



In addition to the basic features of the F60, I also am utilizing the optional S1 foot pod. This is a great tool because it helps me keep track of my training outdoors during my runs and walks. At the end of my workout I am told the average pace of my run (walk) and the maximum pace I achieved



as well as distanced traveled.



I LOVE this option. Although the pod itself looks large, it really doesn't weigh anything. I don't feel it at all and I wore it during my 5K run last weekend(in my excitement I forgot to turn it on but that is another story). The pod used triple A batteries so I can change it myself but I admit I had my husband help me because I had a little difficulty understanding the pictures for the battery installation. It also took a minute for me to get the food pod to work - to initiate the device you have to hold the on button for a few seconds until the light flashes green, somehow I missed that tidbit of information.

Overall, for my purposes the Polar FT60 coupled with the S1 foot pod is great. I love having feedback on both my daily workouts and my weekly workouts. I also like knowing that I will receive guidance on how to improve my training and at any point I can change my training goals. If you are in the market for a Heart Rate Monitor - plus some great features, I highly recommend the Polar FT60.

Disclosure: I received the Polar FT60 and the S1 Pod for this review but all of the opinions are 100% my own.

Every Day Fitness!

People always ask me how I find time to fit exercise in my daily schedule. If we are truly honest with ourselves, we have the time -it really is about finding the motivation to exercise. Remember, exercise does not require the latest greatest DVD or Wii fitness product. Find exercise in your regular daily routine.

For instance, today I planted a garden. This is major, I am far from a dirt person, I have no plants in my home and oh yes, I mean soil person. But. My mother had the brilliant idea to plant a garden with my son and has been talking about it with him for months. She is visiting for his birthday and today was planting day.

My mother is unable to be in the sun so I gave her the job of supervising our work. I decided to strap on my Polar training computer because I know that gardening is hard work and sure to burn off some calories. Clearing out the area where the "garden" (I use this term loosely because we have a tomato plant and added some snap peas, marigolds and a couple of carrots to the mix) is located took some work. I had to fight with weeds, rocks and of course Georgia red clay.

Mekhi had the time of his life - dirt, water and a trowel? Heaven for a three year old! Here are the fruits of our effort. For a first attempt I think that we did pretty well and this was more of an exercise to teach Mekhi about the cycle of life, hopefully something grows!

As far as the workout is concerned, after an hour of gardening I burned a formidable 122 calories. I will likely do a formal workout later today but even if I didn't, I'd be happy knowing I burned calories doing a household chore. Think about it, moving that vacuum, going up and down the staircase to do laundry and even chasing kids burns calories. If you have a HRM strap it on when you have a specific task and see how you do or put on your pedometer and see how many steps you take in a given day. You may surprise yourself and challenge yourself for the next time!

You can fit exercise in - every day chores count too!

What a difference a year makes!

Looking back to go forward.

All too often we criticise ourselves. We overlook our accomplishments and focus on what we have not done. Like most people, I too am guilty of this. I look at my jiggly thighs, arms and stomach and focus on how much further I have to go to get the body I know I deserve. I may celebrate my achievements but just for a brief moment before moving on to the next. As I sat in my bed reflecting on the past year, I decided to look at the photos on my facebook page. I do this sometimes when I need a reminder of just how far I've come on this journey to healthy living.

Although I became truly committed to losing weight and getting healthy in November 2009, I started thinking about it and doing things long before then. Perhaps the most public thing I did was be one of 12 challengers with EA SPORTS Active last April prior to the official release of the game. During that 30 day challenge I successfully lost 10 pounds. The picture above was taken before I started the challenge and honestly, I am not sure how much I weighed, I think I was about 200 pounds.

Today I am weighing in at 157.4 pounds. Over the last five months I've worked really hard at making this my way of life - I know I say this repeatedly but this is something I want everyone to understand. Unless living a healthy, active lifestyle becomes a way of life, you won't be successful. Losing weight for an event, for someone else, or because you are in the public eye never works over the long term.

I exercise and eat healthy now because I know the health benefits, I know that I am extending my life, I want to be the best me I can be. I am choosing me and refuse to revert to my old ways. I refuse to look like that woman in the picture on the left. I challenge myself to be as fit as the woman in the photo on the right for now and for always.

Quite a bit has changed over the last year for me - both on the outside and on the inside. After finally dealing with the emotional issues tied to my weight I've been able to overcome it, not for the short term but for the long haul. It is my hope that my journey can inspire others to take baby steps and make forward movement to reach their goals. If I can do it, anyone can do it.

My journey is just beginning and I have to ask if you haven't already done so, are you ready to begin yours?

Motivation

Apparently I sometimes make this healthy living thing look easy. It isn't easy. Making this commitment to healthy living has been a long journey that has now become a way of life for me. Like everyone, I struggle to find motivation to workout, as I type I am thinking about how I am going to fit in an hour cardio workout in my day. This is not something I "have" to do but I want to improve my health, run a faster 5K next time and even though I am not focusing on it - I'd like to lose the final few pounds to get to my goal weight.

In order for me to stay motivated I surround myself with like-minded people. Some I know in real life and others have no clue I exist. The participants on The Biggest Loser fall into that category. I have never met any of the individuals on The Biggest Loser but for this entire season I have watched them battle to save their lives. Every Tuesday I cheer for them in my family room and sometimes shed a tear. As I watch the scale move for them on a weekly basis, I keep my own expectations in check. These folks are making exercise and healthy living a full time job and their results are far from typical.

When I workout - especially with Jillian Michaels dvds I keep the challengers on The Biggest Loser in mind and think - if a 400 pound person can exercise and push their bodies to the limits, so can I! A couple of weeks ago they ran a 5k and that motivated me to push my race date up. I keep thinking of Darius and the fact that he ran the 5k in 17 minutes! 4 months of intense training, over 100 pounds lost and this young man has truly become an athlete!

Next Tuesday, May 25th is the season finale. The at home winner and the overall winner will be revealed. Although the competition is for money, I personally believe everyone on the show is a winner. Tonight, as usual, I will be live tweeting the show, but next week I am on a panel with Mamavation during the finale. If you plan on watching the season finale, join the party by signing up here.

I am sure I will shed more tears and be inspired. Shay, a competitor from last season will return for a weigh-in and will be rewarded by Subway for all of her hard work. They pledged to give her $1000 for every pound shed, I can't wait to see how she well she has done. Her story and the stories of all the people on The Biggest Loser motivate me on a daily basis. I also carry the memory of what I used to look like and use that as motivation too. What is your motivation? What will get you off of that couch and truly invested in you?

Mission Accomplished!

On Saturday I ran my first 5k in years. Unfamiliar with kilometers? Well, 5k is equal to 3.1 miles. This is a great distance for beginning runners, training for 6-9 weeks you should be able to do this distance, it is just long enough to run but you can get away with walking the entire distance too. I trained for the race for about 3 weeks BUT I have been exercising consistently for five or six months now and many years ago I was a runner. My body has felt good and when I did a long run on Wednesday I felt great. When I woke up Saturday morning I had tons of energy so I cleaned my room (actually I thought the a/c repair man was going to have to come into my room so I wanted it to be presentable- ahem). I later tried on different running outfits and no it was not a fashion show but we were running in skirts and I wanted to look cute and have a functional outfit.

I settled on my skirt with leggings and a tank top it had to be at least 86 degrees and I wanted to be unrestricted and cool as possible on my run. I arrived at the park about an hour and a half before the race began to pick up my microchip that records race time. That took no time at all so my husband and I walked around the park and chatted about the other runners. We saw some folks that looked ready to win the race and were gearing up with sprints beforehand. I watched as folks trotted by while I found a comfortable spot beneath trees to relax in. Race time came quickly and at the start line a childhood survivor of cancer spoke to us and thanked us for our participation in the race. A portion of the proceeds were going to the Rally foundation which conducts childhood cancer research. The young woman gave a very moving testimony and it definitely helped put everything in perspective.

About five minutes later the race began and we were off. I'd like to say it was easy but that would be a lie. It was hot as Hades out there and I felt the difference in my run immediately. I completed the first mile at a 9 minute pace but quickly slowed down as the heat overtook me. Although I hadn't planned on stopping at the water station, I had to because by mile 1.4 I was hot and thirsty. I changed my running plan from running the entire distance to running and walking up hills - I guess I could have pushed it but when it seemed like I could walk faster than I could run it made sense to just walk.

In this race the women had a 3 minute lead and men started catching up to me at about mile 1. Many of them were just racing by but this one guy was clearing having trouble. As he trotted beside me he grunted the entire way. I heard all of this because my iPhone app malfunctioned and I didn't have my music to motivate me. Next race I am just going to make a playlist on my iPod and keep it moving. Running in silence I kept my pace by listening to my breathing and the other folks huffing and puffing around me. By the time I reached the last hill of the race I decided to run for it, I knew the race was almost over because I was familiar with the course.

Church bells were ringing so I knew it was 6 o'clock and I hadn't finished the race in 30 minutes but I was so close I pushed it. As I viewed the finish line and clock in the distance I ran downhill in perfect form (I know this because my husband made fun of me and said watching me run he could hear Chariots of Fire playing in the background!) and crossed the finish line before the two men that were running by my side.


I immediately walked to the refreshment stand to get something to drink, it was funny because all during the race my bladder was protesting but when the race was over I no longer had the urge to pee. Perhaps it was nerves but next time no drinking for me during the last hour before a race!

After my husband found me I got a icy cold beer and a chipoltle veggie sandwich.

I drank the beer and ate the sandwich- happy but a little disappointed that I didn't run the entire race. I changed my tune and decided to just be happy that I finished the race and now have a goal to run the entire time for the next one. My official time - 32.08 and I ran at a 10:21 pace.

Overall I am excited that I finished the race, I was far from exhausted and I will continue to train for the next one. 6 months ago I doubt I could have run five minutes - the weight was just too much for my body to bare and now, I am running races and looking forward to it. Sometimes I forget how far I have truly come and have to remind myself to celebrate the victories. And this 5k was indeed a victory!

Running - In a Skirt!

photo credit: skirt sports website

I am known for my spontenaity. When I was single I used to plan impromptu trips when the mood hit me and travel to interesting places on a whim. As a wife and a parent I don't have the flexibility to just go when I want to but that impetuousness still lives in me. Remember when I mentioned I was going to run a 5K in June? And it is May? Well, tomorrow I am running a 5K. I tried on a running skirt at the running store where I was fitted for my shoes on Monday and although I loved the skirt, I didn't love the pricetag.

When I got home I did some research and found out about this race on Saturday, which includes a running skirt with the price of the registration - part of the proceeds from the race are going to research for childhood cancer so of course that is another big selling point for me!

At the moment I am feeling nervous anticipation. This is my first 5K in years and although I ran for 35 minutes on Wednesday, I am still nervous. Of course I want to do something with this energy. I feel compelled to exercise, running is not an option but I feel like moving! I know I should rest so I am just going to count down the minutes until I pick up my race packet this afternoon. In the meantime, I will tell you about the race - it is called the Skirt Chaser 5K.

The Skirt Chaser is a 5k race series that was founded by Nicole DeBroom, a well-known triathlete and creator of Skirt Sports, a fitness apparel company for women. The biggest seller is the fitness skirt - yes, running in a skirt! Tomorrow I will join thousands of other women running in skirts. This is the one that I am going to wear.
Isn't it cute? I don't like to wear shorts when I run so this is a great alternative for me. I purchased this one(kinda defeats the purpose of running the race for the skirt, right?) because I wasn't sure how short the registration skirt was going to be. Since I'm a bit shy about my legs, I decided to get the capri skirt for my personal comfort.

In this race all of the women get a 3 minute head start on the men and the first person to cross the finish line wins $500. I am not delusional enough to believe I have a chance in hell of winning, a win for me means running the entire 3.1 miles, but I do hope with a three minute lead a woman does win the race. Once we cross the finish line we will be treated to a block party with food, drinks and entertainment. I cannot wait!

This race is a series and may be coming to a town near you - you can check the website for more information. After the race I will let you know how I did and how I liked running in a skirt. Wish me luck!

Puppy Naming Auction

Yes, we have puppies, and they need names!  You can bid for the right to name a puppy on ebay.  Click here to join the fun!

I have some ideas for naming the puppies...  This boy should be Saffron, I think.

Hmmm....this guy is cute.  Maybe he will be Hericot Vert.

Look at this boy!  He should be Wedgwood.

This one I think should be named Clifford.

Oh, she is pretty.  I think Fuchsia would be a good name for her.

I will think on it a little more.  Meanwhile, you can go and bid to name one of the babies!  Click here to join the game! 

Flower Girls

The showers of April have not only brought May flowers, but some hip new flower girls to town.

Tricia Perault & Lauren Orman have just opened Rose Hip Floral Design at The Crossroads in Carmel, CA.

The fresh eye of the owners is reflected in the succulent green of the shop’s exterior and business card, and the seductive hues of the floral inventory. Vintage McCoy vases, stacks of tatty books, and brightly labeled food tins (as holders), are just a few of their visual styling tricks. The shop is a breath of fresh air.

When, I asked the girls to create something quirky for my artistic Aussie friend, Linley, (in town for the weekend), they came up with this double bouquet of purple sweet peas in an Italian tomato tin. Bellissimo!

This must be the week for floral inspiration. Arlette Bossaert, my Belgian florist friend, just sent me some images of her latest work. She specializes in flower arrangements for weddings at castles in the Flemish countryside.

Meg from Pigtown Design writes that she will be devoting Sundays to flower posts.

Just scattering a few petals,
Marjorie