7 Reasons Why I'm Going Insane

They say it takes 21 days to make or break a habit. As of this past Tuesday, two major things happened in my life.

1. I broke the habit of smoking cigarettes.

2. I started making the habit of working out 6 days a week, Insanity style. 

Extra Sweaty after Insanity with a friend

Yes. I said it. Insanity. Needless to say, it's pretty...insane. Ever heard of the 2-month Insanity program? Yes, it's the one where the guy screams, "Dig DEEEEP" right when you want to drop to your knees. And, yes, it's the one where you have to earn the Insanity t-shirt by being cuckoo enough to do the whole dang thing. Oh, and just in case you were wondering, yes I am crazy to start one of the most regimented (the workout schedule and diet) programs during the holiday season. No more homemade pumpkin pies during Christmas for me. Sad. Bye bye stuffing. Even sadder.

6 days a week. 40 minutes each session. High (an understated word) intensity cardio workouts. Five 300-calorie meals a day. No processed foods. No junk. No screwing around. 

7 Reasons Why I decided to go "Insane":

1. What better way to break a habit than to make a new habit?

2. I want to get into the best shape in my life.

3. I'm curious to see what my "best shape" actually looks like in real life.

4. Results are motivating. I hear this program gives you immediate results at a healthy pace.

5. I've always had a "before" picture when starting a workout but never an actual "after" picture to be super proud of.

6. Getting a head start for getting that beach bod.

7. I’m ready to feel great, look great, and gain more confidence. 

 The bottom line is, if I can do the full two months, no cheating, all business, boot camp style - - I feel like I can accomplish anything. What do you think? Am I crazy to take on something like this?

Have you ever accomplished a full workout program from start to finish? If so, what were some things that helped you to be successful? If not, what happened? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Wish me luck! I'm going all out! Don't forget to enter my giveaway before it ends next week!

10 Things From My Thanksgiving

My first Instagram picture. Ever. Relaxing and sipping on some tea after cooking all the sides for Thanksgiving.The taste of success.

How was everyone's day of giving thanks? I hope everyone had a fun, safe, and memorable holiday weekend. Are you ready for the week? Yeah, I'm not either. I'm still in weekend mode - - but that's all right because it means we're getting that much closer to Christmas!

My Thanksgiving started this past Wednesday on my work lunch:

That's how I roll during my lunches. Multi-task and get all non-refrigerated Thanksgiving items. Boom.

This year's Thanksgiving was amazing. We actually got a head start and celebrated Wednesday night with friends:

Delightful...full of lively conversations about Breaking Dawn part 2, Jersey Shore, and other randomness that is expected during Thanksgiving dinner.

For Thursday, I went over to my parent's house and made all the traditional side dishes: mashed potatoes (have you ever tried it with evaporated milk? Super creamy!), green bean casserole (please make sure you boil fresh green beans BEFORE throwing it in the oven lol!), and you know the rest.

We decided to give ourselves a break this year and buy a Honey Baked Ham from...Honey Baked Ham. I have got to figure out how they do their brown sugar crust!

To die for. Totally worth the 30 bucks for just 3 lbs. I love my father. He always brings the most peculiar foods for dessert.

If I knew what this was called in Vietnamese..or in English, I would. Please tell me if you find out what it is. I'd like to know as well. Did you do your Black Friday shopping on Thanksgiving night? If so, I hope you were able to beat the crowds and get what your heart desired. I'm proud to say that I got more than half of my list this year. I'm glad I wore my running shoes. And had my sweet little brother to keep me company. I still couldn't believe my brother and I endured the crazy lines at Target. The lines wrapped in and out of each aisle! Waiting in the freezer section was the worst. Brr! Not good if you're an impulse shopper, right?

There's so much to be thankful for. Honestly, I'm not just saying that because it was just recently Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for each day I am alive and the opportunity to be surrounded by such good people in my life. The fresh air in my lungs, delicious foods in my belly, and the love I receive from my loved ones is more than enough for me. The fact that I even have a bed to crawl into every night, a fridge full of food, a job with fun/great people makes me feel so rich; a luxurious life indeed.

What are you thankful for in your life?

What kind of Thanksgiving traditions do you and your family have? My parents always like to add a food item that is a part of our Vietnamese/Chinese culture.

Did I workout on Thanksgiving day or during this past weekend after all the amazing food that was ingested? Err, no...not at all. However, I do plan to hit it hard now that Thanksgiving weekend is over!

Did you workout during the holiday? If so, a huge kudos to you! Let's have a good week. friends!

Before I go to bed...a few things.

The three of us at the local park, waiting for the choo choo train

Oh, yes. It's STILL the weekend because it's only Saturday which means Thanksgiving leftovers (which is a good and bad thing...nah, I'm just going to say it's a good thing), going to the movie theaters, making Cake Pops, the nail salon, and Minnie Mouse pancakes.

How was everybody's Thanksgiving? If you didn't celebrate it, how was your Thursday?!? I'll be sure to post more about that later. For now, I'm still recovering from participating in the late night Black Friday extravaganza and need to catch up on some zzz's.

Quick updates before I head out: I'm thinking about getting a new car soon, do you like this or that better? Remember I told you I was going to do the Insanity workout on Thanksgiving morning? I didn't do it (I promise I will get into it next week!).

Good night, sleep tight and something cute to look at:

Pinterest via Cute

Counting down on Thanksgiving Eve

One more day before feasting on all sorts of yummyness. I'm starting to feel the holiday craze from doing my half of my Thanksgiving grocery shopping on my work lunch to making detailed Christmas lists (Black Friday and non-Black Friday items). While I'm running around like crazy, I want to take the time to remind myself and everyone reading this - - to SLOW down, and appreciate this wonderful craze going on. I love it. Are you busy busy busy too?

Oh, this is so cute. Sweet pilgrim girl!

What a happy girl with her beautiful bouquet of roses!

Slightly burnt pumpkin pie. Underestimated the power of my oven. I'm bringing this scrumptious pie over to our friend's pre-Turkey day tonight.
I may just deem today the one day off I have from the Insanity workout this week and then get back into it hard first thing tomorrow morning (so that my body can burn off those calories faster throughout the day!)

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Some fun links to get ready for Thanksgiving:

Would you deem this Vain or Efficient? Oy, the things some people do for looks..

I'm going to make this delightful tea for Thanksgiving.

I need marscapone for my Tiramisu but never thought of adding it in Pumpkin pie!!

Feeling unsure of what to make for Turkey day still? Fitnessista is here to save the day.

Quote of the week:

The way you treat yourself sets the standard for others. - Sonya Friedman

Are you working today? If so, who's out there counting down every minute? Where are all the crazies thinking about working out on Thanksgiving day? I hope I'm not alone on that... ;)

Video of the Day: A Journey to Remember.

This video served as a reminder of the simple joys of traveling and having a good friend.

Source for video: Wichita Woman Reunites with Bassets

Photo Collage: 9 Things I'm Loving.

1. Beautiful arizona skies. 2. Haircuts 3. Splitting 3 different dishes with a good friend. 4. Tricep workouts. 5. Green Smoothies. 6. Cute ornaments. 7. Apples covered in caramel and peanuts. Genius. 8. Goofing around with my family. 9. Bronze nail polish and Just Bitten Lipsticks (giveaway details soon!.

Makeover Monday 24.0, let's have fun.

I hope I'm not letting anyone down by not doing the usual Makeover Monday. Although similar, definitely not the usual. Quite honestly, this is going to be a sweet and short post, and that's okay because I'm getting ready to do a fun giveaway mid-week so definitely stay tuned.

I tried the Insanity workout for the first time over the weekend. 40 minutes of non-stop high intensity training. I felt like a warrior afterwards. Once I get my hands on the full program, I'm doing the diet + workout combined for maximum results. When will I do it? I haven't set a date but once I do, I'll be sure to let you all know! I'm thrilled for the challenge because I've been needing a change in my workout routine...it's so necessary if you want to keep motivated! Who's done the Insanity workout? Did it give you results and what are some tips that you can share with the rest of us?

Who's ready to do what you love, jump in, and persist? I love this saying. Isn't it so true? Time will pass whether you want it to or not - - go for it!! Has there been anything you've been wanting to pursue but have been hesitant on taking that first step? Ask yourself if you'll regret NOT doing it some years from now..that usually helps me make that decision. :)

Pinterest

Even though I might just freak out if I saw a unicorn looking back at me in the mirror...you gotta admit, it's super cool and super adorable. I'm going to use this picture below as my "Makeover Monday" tool - - to remind myself to keep it fun, have some (or lots) of laughs, and be yourself.

Pinterest

Have a fun Monday, everyone! I think today will be a good day for Scrabble at work and maybe catch up on some of my favorite blogs 1, 2, and 3 during my lunch. How is your Monday going to be?

'Tis the Season for 10+ Weekend Links

Give yourself a pat on the back, hug, and a high-five because we've made it to Friday again! It was one of those weeks that flew by because of how productive it was. I'm so ready to unwind this weekend.

I feel good. Really good. Now that I'm reflecting back on this past 7 days, I've gotten a head start on Christmas shopping for quite a few peeps already (gotta love the convenience of online shopping), checked off some proactive doctor's appointments, caught up on my emails (work and personal), adjusted to my first ever Smartphone (not sure if there should be a space between Smart and phone..?), we put up the Christmas tree last night...and strung the lights...AND put the ornaments up. You know it's officially the holiday season when that tree is up.

I still can't believe I have over 200 followers now. I remember when I only had maybe 20 readers (18 of them were my loyal friends that let me pressure them into signing up). Giveaway coming up this week. Promise. Anyway, I hope you find my posts at least somewhat entertaining and if not, maybe check out Buzz Feed .

How was your week, friends? I hope it went well and hope your weekend is even better. Here are some fun links that involve a little bit inspiration, fashion, home, design, and randomness.

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I want to do this someday. Warms my heart!

An excellent interview regarding the pursuit of happiness. Get ready to be inspired!

Fashion no-no #1 and #2. 

Although not together anymore, this fashionable duo was my favorite couple of all time. 

Are you following the 10 Commandments of L------?

Once you get through all the photos, tell me you DON'T want to visit this glorious place.

Winner of my blog template giveaway - - check out her new lovely updated look!

I hope my boyfriend will let me decorate our future house like this.

If there is such as a power winter coat, this is it.

Photography, food, and pretty things. A new favorite blog of mine!

Some new things

Let's start with the most dramatic, shall we?

This has been my hairstyle for the past 5+ years. Of course, I've had highlights in there on and off throughout the years but this is pretty much the gist of it. So, what was my deciding factor to FINALLY go short? For those of you with long hair, you know how the stray long hairs get EVERYWHERE - - I mean, somehow it will end up on the back of my skirt and it makes me wonder how long I've been walking around in public with a random hair plastered to my butt. Yeah, that's all it took for me to text my friend Hugh and booked an appointment over the weekend.. The action shot: Ta-da! My new haircut, shoulder-length, slightly asymetrical in the front, and much more low-maintenance. I just love how much healthier it looks. What do you guys think?

After seeing Wreck-it Ralph on Saturday, and after a lovely dinner (breaded cod, mashed potatoes, and cauliflower) made by my sweet Daniel, I taught Baby Girl how to make her first dessert, all by herself!

Need an extremely easy kid-friendly no-bake dessert recipe? Guess how many ingredients it took. Six? Nope!
Five? Guess again.
FOUR! Here's the recipe:

Easiest Chocolate Pie Ever:

Ingredients: 1 graham cracker crust, 1 container Cool Whip, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, Hershey's chocolate syrup (as desired).  Take first three ingredients, mix it together and when chocolate flavor is desired, pour all contents into the pie crust. Refrigerate for minimum 4 hours for it to set.

That's it! So little ingredients, so many smiles! It warms my heart to see her feel so proud of herself. Did you see that huge grin on the picture with the whipped cream on our noses? To die for.

Who else is working overtime to make that extra holiday cash? I've been staying at my work extra late and it helps to have a laid back boss. I couldn't imagine working more than necessary for a dingbat. Here's a picture of my current boss being serious:

I used to have a different boss not too long ago (1-2 months ago), and let's just say I would HATE to do any overtime with her still in the picture.

A Smartphone. Yup, that's right. I can finally experience the magic of 2012. It's only been three days since I've started using it and I still cannot believe I can connect to Pinterest anywhere. Texting is going to take getting used to. The picture on the left side below is on my wallpaper now:

He looks so serious, right? A picture of us two when we saw Judge Dredd in 3D. On the right? A fun family picture inside of Red Robin on Halloween Night. Yes, that's the Statue of Liberty behind us. Yes, it's a fake one.

What's going on with everyone else out there? Can you believe Thanksgiving is next week? I better start doing some early food shopping before it starts to get too crazy (I say that now but it seems like I still end up at the grocery store a few days to one day before). Who's down with the Black Friday deals? Have you been checking out Black Friday and seeing the insane discounts? I'm going all out this year with my running shoes, comfy sweats, and a detailed list of what to buy. It's just scary to hear about people getting shot, stabbed, and trampled on at the stores...gives me the chills!

Have you started Christmas shopping? Are you ordering online or buying it at the stores as you go? Are you a fan of Black Friday? I can't wait to read your comments! 

Makeover Monday 23.0: A good day in Six ways

Dear Monday,

Good morning and good day to you. I was honestly hoping our appointment wouldn't come so soon but here we are, and that's quite all right. Why? The weekend was filled with fun memories:

Eating popcorn & drinking a mixed up Icee during the Wreck-it Ralph movie with Baby Girl >> Chopped off my long hair >> Helped Baby Girl bake her first chocolate pie >> Installed a new modem/router for the internet (all by myself!) >> Received an early Christmas present which was my first (my very first!) Smart phone >> Coloring in Brave pictures >> Mastered making delicious crepes Euro-style for breakfast >> Started Christmas shopping early...and much, much more!

The sweet memories will keep me going on this first day back at work from the ultra relaxing weekend. As much as we hear it every single Monday, it's tough to bounce back from having fun, huh? Work hard, play hard. It's a balance. Because each Monday comes with unique challenges, here are some pins I found that can help make the start of your week...extra special.

Source: Pinterest via Wisdom

10 Weekend Links & State Fair Photos

Some photos from the time we all went to the State Fair with Batgirl (aka Baby Girl) and Daniel. It's a good thing Funnel Cakes aren't made year round because I'd be eating that up for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. We did it all - - fun rides, strawberry funnel cake, and shooting water in a clown's mouth. However, there was one thing we missed out at the fair...deep fried butter sticks. Yes, this is real. And, yes they actually take sticks of butter and drop it into a fryer. Yum, right? Not so much.

I sure am going to miss my long hair. Oh yes, you heard right. After x amount of years of sporting long hair, I'm finally ready for the change. Appointment is booked and there's no going back. Pictures coming soon! I'm so excited for the weekend.

We have Baby Girl this weekend! And that means checking out that Wreck it Ralph movie, home-cooked breakfasts (strawberry filled crepes with chocolate drizzles), picking out flower seeds to plant, aaaaaand getting ready for the next giveaway. Stay tuned!

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A fashion no-no in my eyes.

 

Simple and true.

25 ultra fashion tips to follow.

An extra sweaty workout.

Simple tips on how to look smart.

No excuses. Burn fat in 20 different ways.

New blogger? No problem. Great tips by Dani.

Food porn 1 and 2.

23  must-see caves before you die.

Did you enjoy the Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin? Check out her blog, it’s even more addicting.

What are your plans for the weekend? Are you seeing Wreck-it Ralph too? Does anybody have any kid-friendly dessert recipes? I'd like to have the Baby Girl bake something on her own so she can feel proud about it. Because I never had much experience baking or cooking as a little girl, I want to provide her with that feeling of accomplishment in the kitchen and feel proud of it. I'm thinking, no-bake pie with cool whip and chopped up strawberries, yes? 

And please. Please don't start your weekend without watching this video: