Marching Our Way to a Healthy Lifestyle ~ March 2016 WISH Challenge

[chasingthtdream08]

My Woohoo this week is that I worked out both Tuesday and Wednesday. I also submitted my application for graphic design school. I graduated with my BA years ago in a totally different field. So excited about the potential to combine both passions! WOOHOO



Trampoline class sounds SO FUN! Tell us more... I want to sign up for one near me!

Trampoline class sounds FUN and it is! However it is hard work. After 5 minutes, I'm already breathing hard. Every 60 seconds you switch up what your doing. Whether it be high knees, side-to-sides, frogger, etc. And then you do spend some time down on the trampoline doing push ups, squats, planks and the like. There is a 5 minute break in the middle. And a nice cool down at the end. It's an hour long and they claim you can burn up to 1000 calories in the session. Because I can't totally follow all the moves, I'd say I burn somewhere from 500-700 calories. The more times you do it, obviously the easier it gets. Even between my first and second time I could feel a huge difference. My local one is $10 per class or $60 for an unlimited month. It's a lot of fun and a great workout!

 

[chasingthtdream08]

Question of the Day – Thursday, March 17th:

The Maleficent float in the Festival of Fantasy parade has received much praise for being technologically advanced. But Maleficent is not the only fairy who makes an appearance in this part of the parade – Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather are featured too.

At the beginning of Sleeping Beauty, these three fairies grant special gifts to the infant princess Aurora.
We all have many special gifts and traits that make us unique and wonderful. Today let’s talk about what makes us special.

What are three special gifts, traits, or talents that you have that make you special and unique?
Feel free to list more than three – we all have so many things that make us special, and it’s sometimes hard to narrow down that list!

Don’t forget, today is the last day for our week 2 challenge! If you haven’t already done so, share your beautiful healthy food pictures and recipes!​

@SarahDisney this was a very brave/awesome question to ask! I feel as if people need to be able to say good things about themselves, I know we all beat ourselves up more than we should.

As for me, I'd have to say my three special qualities are that I am a very patient person, my mother has always told me that I am an old soul. I believe I am very smart/mature for my age. I had to grow up young, but I wouldn't take it back and am appreciative for all that it taught me. For my last, I've been sitting here trying to come up with something (see, we beat ourselves up) and I would have to say that I am a very loving person. I am very empathetic for others, especially the people I hold dearest to me, I would do anything for them.

Woohoo Thursday?! I got on the scale and lost a pound this morning! Also, finally ordered my new scale as the one I have is on it's way out the door!

 

[SarahDisney]

Hey guys! As I'm sure you're sick of me saying ... I'm behind schedule. Again. But since everyone is taking the time to be active and participate on the thread, I wanted to take a few minutes to read through and reply to some stuff.
Also ... my breakfast was peanut butter chip waffles with jelly. PB&J Mickey Mouse waffles. My sister is a genius.
(Plus, I entered the recipe in MFP and each waffle was a little less than 200 waffles ... way better than I thought it would be)

@SarahDisney I just wanted to sympathize with your job application frustrations! I can't tell you how many jobs I applied to in the last 6 months, and I haven't even gotten responses from them yet. Applying for jobs is such a game of having the prettiest piece of paper with juuuussstttt the right words on it, and I hate hate hate it. I'm dreading having to start that back up.

I will tell you that when I was a hiring manager, I didn't immediately reject anyone because of employment gaps, or with multiple jobs, or with short employment, depending on the reasons. Just got lazy and didn't want a job? Not a good excuse. Just didn't like it anymore? Sorry. But a valid reason, like knowing you weren't the right fit, or no growth potential, or wanting to experience different jobs to better strengthen your skills, or looking for long-term employment that allows you to utilize your skills in order to best benefit both yourself and your employer - those totally make a patchy resume not as bad. It's all in how you spin it. ;-)

Sending lots of luck and pixie dust your way!!! Try to stay as positive as possible!

Thank you for the kind words and advice!

I was looking at Pinterest and came acrossed a website with several one month exercise challenges. Tomorrow I am going to try a few of them. I'll let you know how it goes.

I hope you can find a challenge that works well for you!

Also just got a call 10 minutes ago that instead of being in a rough 3rd grade class, I am subbing GYM!! Woohoo..... I'll definitely get my steps in today! AND..... I don't have to get dressed up!! Gotta love a day I can work in my warm-up pants! Fingers crossed that today's weather allows me to take the kids outside for a bit!

Yay for gym class - much better for being active than teaching a regular class.

WOOOHOOO..... just saw today's weather forecast.... high temps up to 63° today and no real rain 15K steps, here I come!!

Sounds like awesome weather for walking outside!

I am somehow still struggling with eating and tracking and exercising. The exercising is due to still be a little under the weather from that stupid cold. It just does not want to go away... The eating is not horrible, but not as good as it should be. And the scale is giving me stupid numbers every second day (yesterday was good, today was crappy) and I can feel that it is water. Not sure what is up with me... But at least I am still lower than the start of the month, even on crappy days. So, I am moving in the right direction and hopefully everything else will fall into place, too. This weekend I am going away to visit my sister. So there will be plenty of temptations. I am definitely an "event eater", I find it very difficult to not treat myself when I am away and there are interesting foods to be had that I can't get at home.

If you continue to work hard, hopefully things will normalize a bit. Moving in the right direction is always a good thing, even if things aren't going exactly as you had hoped they would be.
Nobody's perfect, and we all have times when we struggle. Just do your best and hopefully things will fall into place!

But here it goes:
I am a very loyal person.
I have a lot of community sense and believe in putting effort into working for a common goal.
I am smart.
I am a rule follower.
I am very tolerant with regard to other people's lifestyle choices and beliefs (unless it is a choice that is dangerous for themselves or others).

It's nice to see so many things that help make you the wonderful person that you are!

It would have been so much easier to list the gifts, traits and talents that I don't have, but would love to have.

And that was exactly the point of this QOTD.
Sometimes it's a lot easier to list our "bad" qualities or the qualities we wish we had. But for today I wanted everyone to focus on the good things, even if it's hard - because everyone is special and amazing, and sometimes we need to remember that and focus on our good qualities!

Things that make me special or unique....This is a tough one for me. I would say that I am good at sewing. I made my prom and homecoming dress in high school. I haven't made anything in a very long time and would love to get back into it. I also feel like I am a very good listener. I also see the bright side of things and the good in everyone.

Those are definitely some awesome skills and qualities to have! You are awesome!

---

Okay ... it's almost noon, I gotta get back to work. I'll be back in a few hours to read through some more - I can't wait to see all of the amazing responses to today's QOTD!

 

[courtneybeth]

I'm not confident that I have anything that makes me special or unique, so I'm going to hold off on answering the question of the day for now. I am enjoying reading everyone's assessments and learning new things about each one of you!

Our office is having a bit of drama this morning - the president brought in new chairs for the management offices (including me!) and I am enjoying my new chair. The other 4 who received them? Not so much. My wing of the office is in a panic and it's filled with upset coworkers after receiving new chairs. (IDEK... I like mine and am appreciative!)

On a personal note: I checked in for tomorrow's flight - in less than 24 hours I'm Dallas bound for 16.2 miles.

 

[Dr Gunnie]

What are three special gifts, traits, or talents that you have that make you special and unique?
Feel free to list more than three – we all have so many things that make us special, and it’s sometimes hard to narrow down that list!​

Tough one! I don't know if they are special or not, but some of the things I like about myself include my patients, my love of my family, and my focus (sometimes borderline obsessiveness).

Patient because my job requires me to be. Working with the kids I do, it's a requirement to be patient and understanding. I've had years where I've taught kids who are non-verbal with major disabilities, and there is no way I could have done that without being patient.

My family is basically everything. There is nothing I would rather do than hang out with my wife and kids. Sometimes it can even be a curse because I feel guilty when I do something by myself because or when I hang out with my friends. I think that's why I love Disney so much, it's one of the best places where all 4 of us can go and enjoy the parks and hang out with each other and we all have an equally great time.

My focus or obsessiveness can be a good thing - especially now when I'm trying to lose weight. I feel like I'm thinking about what I can do or do better to help me lose pounds every minute of the day. I've really locked on this like never before and it's going to help me reach my goals. My kids in my classroom probably think I'm crazy for walking around in circles in my classroom for much of the day (I just told them I have a step competition with friends which is partly true). These boards give me a great release to talk about weight loss - and I'm sure my wife is happy because she's probably sick of hearing about it!

 

[JacknSally]

I'm not confident that I have anything that makes me special or unique, so I'm going to hold off on answering the question of the day for now. I am enjoying reading everyone's assessments and learning new things about each one of you!

Our office is having a bit of drama this morning - the president brought in new chairs for the management offices (including me!) and I am enjoying my new chair. The other 4 who received them? Not so much. My wing of the office is in a panic and it's filled with upset coworkers after receiving new chairs. (IDEK... I like mine and am appreciative!)

On a personal note: I checked in for tomorrow's flight - in less than 24 hours I'm Dallas bound for 16.2 miles.

Well I am in desperate need of a new desk chair so feel free to bring one of theirs to Tennessee next month! It'll fit in your carry-on, right?

 

[courtneybeth]

Well I am in desperate need of a new desk chair so feel free to bring one of theirs to Tennessee next month! It'll fit in your carry-on, right?

HAHA. I'm sure that'll fit great in my carry on.

Speaking of which, did you decide to do the 5K? I'm going to run that race before sprinting .8 miles to the start line for the half. It'd be fun to start the insanity with you!

 

[bigsis1970]

Thanks ladies for always giving me a boost .. still no news from the bank but I don't expect anything till Monday anyway.. Just wanted to post my Whoo Hoo for Wed.. I went to WW 1 day early so only 6 days under my belt and I'd lost 3.3 lbs.. Thanks goodness .. hoping my next WI will get me my first 5lb sticker (sat 26th) I have 10 weeks left on my program and I'd like to finish out strong. the Weather is getting nicer (altho we are watching a Nor'easter for Sunday night into Monday EEKS) so that means more outside walking time for me and the Hubs and cooking on the grill! Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend - it's our bonus day celebration after work tonight and the bonus hits our paychecks tomorrow so i'll be out shopping on my lunch break with friends and eating lunch at 5 guys!!! MM MM MM .. Hugs and Pixie Dust to those who need it and Smiles to everyone! Michelle

 

[donac]

Question of the Day – Thursday, March 17th:

The Maleficent float in the Festival of Fantasy parade has received much praise for being technologically advanced. But Maleficent is not the only fairy who makes an appearance in this part of the parade – Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather are featured too.

At the beginning of Sleeping Beauty, these three fairies grant special gifts to the infant princess Aurora.
We all have many special gifts and traits that make us unique and wonderful. Today let’s talk about what makes us special.

What are three special gifts, traits, or talents that you have that make you special and unique?
Feel free to list more than three – we all have so many things that make us special, and it’s sometimes hard to narrow down that list!

Don’t forget, today is the last day for our week 2 challenge! If you haven’t already done so, share your beautiful healthy food pictures and recipes!​

Three things can be hard for a lot of us. We never really look at our good points so this is good that you are making us do this.

1. I am loyal to my family They come first.

2. I am creative I love to sew, knit, cook, etc. I am always making something.

3. I am patient. A couple of years ago I was telling someone that I am the quiet one in the family. This person only knew me as a school teacher who could quiet a cafeteria without a microphone if I had to. When you come from 5 girls in a family one of them has to be patient and quiet to get things done.

Have a happy and healthy day.

 

[Swilcox]

I just finished my first day of the month challenges. I did arms, abs, thighs, butt, and waist trainer. I'm doing 3 sets of the suggested number of reps. Took me about 20 min

I'm going to try and take a walk with DH and DD later.

110/510 - for now

 

[SarahDisney]

Ok here goes
My first special gifts are my kids - I have 3 haha - but having them makes me a better person.
I am an awesome Mum (most days) - I sacrifice lots for my kiddos (not everyone does - but not anyone on here I'm sure from what I have read from those of you who are parents).
Whilst I think of myself as weak quite often and experience a lot of self-doubt - I have a good friend who tells me I am the strongest person she knows after watching me go through some really hard times and pulling myself up out of it and going to university when my youngest ones started school.
I am also fiercely loyal to my friends and family.
I am always willing to help someone out if they need and I can.

ok that's more than 3 - looks like I'm a better person that I thought lol

You are amazing! And I'm glad that today's QOTD gave you a chance to think about how great of a person you are!

What a good sister you are - you can add that to your list of traits

I think my brother would disagree wtih that statement, but ... thanks

Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends! I have a lot of Irish ancestry so I take a lot of pride in this holiday! Gotta represent

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I'm going to come back later to answer the question of the day. I want to give it some serious thought. @SarahDisney I just want to let you know how blown away I am with your hosting! Not that I ever doubted that it would be awesome, but I am super impressed every day by how well you tie in your QOTD with the topic and theme, and how thought provoking your questions are! Thank you for being a rockstar!

Thank you so much for your kind words! I do my best to make the questions something that will really help people out, and I definitely appreciate hearing that you appreciate the questions!

Just popping in really quickly to check in and wish everyone well! I'll check in periodically through the day but I have a LONG to-do list and am trying to ride the wave of energy & productivity that I feel evaporating very quickly. i haven't actually been to bed yet, haha. I did succeed, though, in waking DH up this morning and getting in a walk before he went to work. It's currently 7:50am and I'm at 6,380 steps so far! Woooooo! Also got in a little bit of breakfast, which never happens. The longer I sit at the computer, though, the heavier I feel my eyes getting, which is not conducive to doing all of the things I need to do! It's supposed to rain again this weekend so I would love to get the yard mowed sometime today but I just don't think I'll actually get around to it. We'll see!

That's a lot of steps that early ... but I hope you got some sleep in!!

Leaving y'all with my favorite Irish blessing...

Thank you for sharing this ... it's a beautiful blessing!

My Woohoo this week is that I worked out both Tuesday and Wednesday. I also submitted my application for graphic design school. I graduated with my BA years ago in a totally different field. So excited about the potential to combine both passions! WOOHOO

Lots of WooHoo - so awesome!!
Good luck with your application - I hope you get in!

My special gifts. Hmmmm.
1. I'm creative. I love crafting and taking on projects. I have also designed a lot of curricula for non-formal ed classes and you definitely need creativity there!
2. I'm caring. I care about a lot of issues that go on all over the world. I also sympathize easily with others - including people I have no connection with.
3. I'm a good advice-giver. Or so I've been told.

Awesome special gifts - it's great to hear more about what makes you so amazing!

Spicy california stacks. Like a deconstructed sushi roll and perfect for people who don't like seaweed (I do like it, for the record). Layer a 1 cup measuring cup with chopped cucumber, then a layer of mashed avocado, a layer of shrimp or crab, and brown rice (that's mixed with a bit of rice vinegar). Top with spicy mayo, sesame and a drizzle or two of soy sauce.

These look amazing!

I'm feeling the holidays spirit today for sure! St Pats is a big deal in my DH's family. DFIL is Irish, we got married in Ireland, and even the dog at our family shop wears green on St Pats if that tells you anything It was a lovely misty morning that fit the Irish tone so well so I am in my "super loving Ireland happy place" right now. Now.... if I can only hold back on all the beer and meat and potatoes tonight I will be in good shape. Wish me luck-- I'm going to need all the luck of the Irish to stay on track! Haha!

Happy St. Patrick's Day - I hope the luck of the Irish is with you on your healthy journey today!

QOTD: Hmm.... I would have to say I am:
1) crafty/creative -- in my next life, I want to be a children's party planner. Everyone tells me I missed my calling on that one.
2) determined -- except for when it comes to loosing weight ironically. In every other facet of my life, I am very stubborn when it comes to making sure things get accomplished and on time in the correct way.
3) adventurous -- I live for trying new things and going to new places. Sadly, some anxiety issues have been surfacing which has made some aspects of this difficult. Namely, flying anxiety. I don't know why-- I used to be a great flyer. But I'm DETERMINED so I'm coming up with ways to over come this

Awesome list! And I think you would be a great children's party planner ... you're so much fun!

Hmmm...... I'm pretty neat and organized, which makes it easier to do things like meal planning and packing lunches.

I'm a pretty hard worker.... which means I naturally get a lot of steps and "exercise" even into an average day.

I like to read...... so I really ENJOY reading what you all post here and replying!

Not sure if it is a gift or trait, but I LOOOVVEEE fruits and veggies..... which DEFINITELY makes it MUCH EASIER to keep the weight off! I truly feel badly for people who hate produce.... I cannot imagine how hard my eating would be if I only primarily ate meat, dairy, and carbs! I would STARVE!

Awesome list! You really are such an incredible person, and it's great to see you list some of the things that help make you the amazing person you are!

Three special gifts/traits:

Transformative... I can look at something and see how it can be something completely different. When I was crafting professionally (farmer markets, craft show etc) I was always re-purposing... one of my favorites was using a toast rack for my small packaging supplies. But I also do it at work, always thinking how can this be better and not getting stuck in "because we've always done it this way".

Creative... dovetails into transformative quite a bit, but also speaks to the desire to create a finish product/process.

Fluid... I shift gears quickly and easily, if Plan A isn't working out I can get to B, C, D easily and with minimal pain and suffering .

This is such a great list - all of these are amazing traits to have, and it's awesome that you realize this things about yourself!

Thank you so much for these questions, as they are so timely for me! I've been feeling very insecure about new job responsibilities and trying to grow in ot the role as quickly as possible, and it is helpful to step back and think about what I"m good at.

I'm so glad this question helped you!

www.blogilates.com

There is a link for monthly challenges

I'm going to start today. I'll let you know how it goes

I've done some of her videos on YouTube and I like them, but I haven't tried one of the challenges yet. I can't wait to hear how it works out for you!

As for me, I'd have to say my three special qualities are that I am a very patient person, my mother has always told me that I am an old soul. I believe I am very smart/mature for my age. I had to grow up young, but I wouldn't take it back and am appreciative for all that it taught me. For my last, I've been sitting here trying to come up with something (see, we beat ourselves up) and I would have to say that I am a very loving person. I am very empathetic for others, especially the people I hold dearest to me, I would do anything for them.

Awesome qualities! It's great to see you thinking about what makes you so wonderful!

Woohoo Thursday?! I got on the scale and lost a pound this morning! Also, finally ordered my new scale as the one I have is on it's way out the door!

Double WooHoo Thursday. I love it!

I'm not confident that I have anything that makes me special or unique, so I'm going to hold off on answering the question of the day for now. I am enjoying reading everyone's assessments and learning new things about each one of you!

You have a lot of things that make you special and unique. If you can't come up with anything, let us know ... I'm sure some of us can think of some awesome and special things about you!

Our office is having a bit of drama this morning - the president brought in new chairs for the management offices (including me!) and I am enjoying my new chair. The other 4 who received them? Not so much. My wing of the office is in a panic and it's filled with upset coworkers after receiving new chairs. (IDEK... I like mine and am appreciative!)

Yay for new chairs! How are people complaining about new desk chairs?

On a personal note: I checked in for tomorrow's flight - in less than 24 hours I'm Dallas bound for 16.2 miles.

Yay! Almost time for you to rock these races!!

Tough one! I don't know if they are special or not, but some of the things I like about myself include my patients, my love of my family, and my focus (sometimes borderline obsessiveness).

All very special things, and all part of what make you such a wonderful person!

My kids in my classroom probably think I'm crazy for walking around in circles in my classroom for much of the day (I just told them I have a step competition with friends which is partly true).

Reading this made me wonder what would happen if I had my father (who is an educator) wear my Fitbit for a day. From what I hear from former students, he walks around the classroom a lot. I really wonder who gets more steps in a day, him or me.

Thanks ladies for always giving me a boost .. still no news from the bank but I don't expect anything till Monday anyway.. Just wanted to post my Whoo Hoo for Wed.. I went to WW 1 day early so only 6 days under my belt and I'd lost 3.3 lbs.. Thanks goodness .. hoping my next WI will get me my first 5lb sticker (sat 26th) I have 10 weeks left on my program and I'd like to finish out strong. the Weather is getting nicer (altho we are watching a Nor'easter for Sunday night into Monday EEKS) so that means more outside walking time for me and the Hubs and cooking on the grill! Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend - it's our bonus day celebration after work tonight and the bonus hits our paychecks tomorrow so i'll be out shopping on my lunch break with friends and eating lunch at 5 guys!!! MM MM MM .. Hugs and Pixie Dust to those who need it and Smiles to everyone! Michelle

WooHoo for a great weigh in at WW! I really hope you can get that 5 lb sticker at your next WI!

1. I am loyal to my family They come first.

2. I am creative I love to sew, knit, cook, etc. I am always making something.

3. I am patient. A couple of years ago I was telling someone that I am the quiet one in the family. This person only knew me as a school teacher who could quiet a cafeteria without a microphone if I had to. When you come from 5 girls in a family one of them has to be patient and quiet to get things done.

So awesome to see this list! These are things I've seen from what you post on this thread, and I think they really do help make you such an amazing person!

---

Okay, I'm all caught up (minus the QOTD). I've really enjoyed seeing everyone's answers to the QOTD. I've really enjoyed getting to know you guys over the past few days, weeks, and months, and I know that everyone here is an amazing and special individual. It's great to have a day for us all to share what makes us so special and learn more about each other.

I know I haven't answered the QOTD yet ... and I will get to it later. This QOTD is very personal to me, and I will explain why (and how it came to be) later. But I need to put a lot of thought into my list before I can put it out there.

 

[pjlla]

Doing replies in sections here so I don't run out of time before I have to log in for work!

Good morning/afternoon/evening/night/whatever, all!
Once again, I overslept, so no time to chat. I'm off to get ready for my run, and then I'm making waffles with my sister. Not particularly healthy waffles, but she's been complaining a lot lately that she keeps sleeping in too late, and I figured that making breakfast together was a good way to get her out of bed early. (She's not big on the healthy breakfasts, minus eggs, so my breakfasts may not be the best when I do this, but it's worth it to not hear her complain about waking up at noon).

And it's after 7 now ... gotta run!

Were they yummy???

Sure! If you want to see the graphic from pinterest go here. I think it should be the first one https://www.pinterest.com/search/pins/?q=21 day arm challenge&rs=typed&0=21|typed&1=day|typed&2=arm|typed&3=challenge|typed

But this is link to the actual page. It doesn't have the nice graphic but it describes each exercise.
http://www.popsugar.com/fitness/21-...988?crlt.pid=camp.86HO0hvkKfNS#photo-37016988

Hope that help.

I'll check out the link later when I have a bit more time, but thanks for sharing!

Wow, this is always a difficult question as I don't want to sound arrogant or so...

But here it goes:
I am a very loyal person.
I have a lot of community sense and believe in putting effort into working for a common goal.
I am smart.
I am a rule follower.
I am very tolerant with regard to other people's lifestyle choices and beliefs (unless it is a choice that is dangerous for themselves or others).

Ok, those are just of the top of my head. But I think the first ones to pop in my mind are most likely the most characteristic ones. At first I was going to write about my lovely curls until I realised that this question was really more about our personalities than our appearance. So, I hope my answer makes sense. It would have been so much easier to list the gifts, traits and talents that I don't have, but would love to have.

I agree it does feel like a bit of "bragging" to talk nicely about ourselves.... but YIKES.... we need to get BETTER about that! We should all be HAPPY to talk about how we are GIFTED! We certainly do enough talking about where we come up short, don't we??!!

I always KNEW you were very smart.... I could tell! I am generally a rule follower too.... unless we are talking speed limits.

Things that make me special or unique....This is a tough one for me. I would say that I am good at sewing. I made my prom and homecoming dress in high school. I haven't made anything in a very long time and would love to get back into it. I also feel like I am a very good listener. I also see the bright side of things and the good in everyone.

As a home ec major I've done a LOT of sewing in my day and I bow down to you for making a prom dress! My talents are limited to curtains and Halloween costumes these days!!!

Wowsa that's an early start - then you go and teach all day as well - you are a superwoman!

SOOOO not Superwoman.... just a wife/Mom trying to pay for life and college and a FEW extras without having to sell a vital organ!! Plus it is fairly easy work.... it isn't like I'm a long shoreman at 4:30 am!!

Ok here goes
My first special gifts are my kids - I have 3 haha - but having them makes me a better person.
I am an awesome Mum (most days) - I sacrifice lots for my kiddos (not everyone does - but not anyone on here I'm sure from what I have read from those of you who are parents).
Whilst I think of myself as weak quite often and experience a lot of self-doubt - I have a good friend who tells me I am the strongest person she knows after watching me go through some really hard times and pulling myself up out of it and going to university when my youngest ones started school.
I am also fiercely loyal to my friends and family.
I am always willing to help someone out if they need and I can.

ok that's more than 3 - looks like I'm a better person that I thought lol

SOOOO happy that this challenge/QOTD reminded you what a GREAT person and terrific MOM you are!!!

What a good sister you are - you can add that to your list of traits

I agree when we think of ourselves we mostly tend to be hard on ourselves and look at our flaws

Expand the quote for my replies.

Top o' the mornin' to ya!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, friends! I have a lot of Irish ancestry so I take a lot of pride in this holiday! Gotta represent

I'm going to come back later to answer the question of the day. I want to give it some serious thought. @SarahDisney I just want to let you know how blown away I am with your hosting! Not that I ever doubted that it would be awesome, but I am super impressed every day by how well you tie in your QOTD with the topic and theme, and how thought provoking your questions are! Thank you for being a rockstar!

Just popping in really quickly to check in and wish everyone well! I'll check in periodically through the day but I have a LONG to-do list and am trying to ride the wave of energy & productivity that I feel evaporating very quickly. i haven't actually been to bed yet, haha. I did succeed, though, in waking DH up this morning and getting in a walk before he went to work. It's currently 7:50am and I'm at 6,380 steps so far! Woooooo! Also got in a little bit of breakfast, which never happens. The longer I sit at the computer, though, the heavier I feel my eyes getting, which is not conducive to doing all of the things I need to do! It's supposed to rain again this weekend so I would love to get the yard mowed sometime today but I just don't think I'll actually get around to it. We'll see!

Leaving y'all with my favorite Irish blessing...

View attachment 156816

LOVE that blessing..... mind if I steal the picture for my FB page??

Hope the day was productive AND restful! How are the steps going? I CHALLENGE you to hit 10K before bedtime tonight!

My Woohoo this week is that I worked out both Tuesday and Wednesday. I also submitted my application for graphic design school. I graduated with my BA years ago in a totally different field. So excited about the potential to combine both passions! WOOHOO

Congrats on starting down a NEW PATH in life!!

My special gifts. Hmmmm.
1. I'm creative. I love crafting and taking on projects. I have also designed a lot of curricula for non-formal ed classes and you definitely need creativity there!
2. I'm caring. I care about a lot of issues that go on all over the world. I also sympathize easily with others - including people I have no connection with.
3. I'm a good advice-giver. Or so I've been told.

Love all of those gifts! Not everyone can be caring or empathetic.

As for the photo challenge... I will confess I made it last week but I think they're impressive looking.

Spicy california stacks. Like a deconstructed sushi roll and perfect for people who don't like seaweed (I do like it, for the record). Layer a 1 cup measuring cup with chopped cucumber, then a layer of mashed avocado, a layer of shrimp or crab, and brown rice (that's mixed with a bit of rice vinegar). Top with spicy mayo, sesame and a drizzle or two of soy sauce.

MMMMM I have to make these again soon!
View attachment 156833

SUPER yummy looking! But I don't eat fish any more.... could I make these vegetarian? Other than that they look DELICIOUS! And btw, I like the seaweed!

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone!!!! @JacknSally LOVE the pictures!

I'm feeling the holidays spirit today for sure! St Pats is a big deal in my DH's family. DFIL is Irish, we got married in Ireland, and even the dog at our family shop wears green on St Pats if that tells you anything It was a lovely misty morning that fit the Irish tone so well so I am in my "super loving Ireland happy place" right now. Now.... if I can only hold back on all the beer and meat and potatoes tonight I will be in good shape. Wish me luck-- I'm going to need all the luck of the Irish to stay on track! Haha!

You can have some of my willpower.... we don't do much for St. Pat's day here, despite the fact that I ADORE corned beef and cabbage and beer!!

OMG that looks DELICIOUS!!!!! And I am one of those people that doesn't care for the seaweed so that looks perfect!!! Thank you for sharing that!

QOTD: Hmm.... I would have to say I am:
1) crafty/creative -- in my next life, I want to be a children's party planner. Everyone tells me I missed my calling on that one.
2) determined -- except for when it comes to loosing weight ironically. In every other facet of my life, I am very stubborn when it comes to making sure things get accomplished and on time in the correct way.
3) adventurous -- I live for trying new things and going to new places. Sadly, some anxiety issues have been surfacing which has made some aspects of this difficult. Namely, flying anxiety. I don't know why-- I used to be a great flyer. But I'm DETERMINED so I'm coming up with ways to over come this

Love all of those traits.... and that DETERMINATION will eventually kick in in regards to the weight loss.... I'm CERTAIN of it!!

Three special gifts/traits:

Transformative... I can look at something and see how it can be something completely different. When I was crafting professionally (farmer markets, craft show etc) I was always re-purposing... one of my favorites was using a toast rack for my small packaging supplies. But I also do it at work, always thinking how can this be better and not getting stuck in "because we've always done it this way".

Creative... dovetails into transformative quite a bit, but also speaks to the desire to create a finish product/process.

Fluid... I shift gears quickly and easily, if Plan A isn't working out I can get to B, C, D easily and with minimal pain and suffering .

Thank you so much for these questions, as they are so timely for me! I've been feeling very insecure about new job responsibilities and trying to grow in ot the role as quickly as possible, and it is helpful to step back and think about what I"m good at.

SOOO wishing I had your transformation trait! I look on Pinterest ALL THE TIME and see people transform trash into treasure and I look at it and say WHY COULDN'T I THINK OF THAT??!!

www.blogilates.com

There is a link for monthly challenges

I'm going to start today. I'll let you know how it goes

THANKS!!

********************

Home from work with over 16K steps done for the day!! WOOHOOO! Gotta love gym!!

Logging on to work in a little under an hour though, so I've gotta pop off for now and get some dinner ready and throw in a load of laundry!! I'll be back a little later to finish with my replies!...........P

 

[Kiren]

Well I've failed my original challenge for this month. Went to the doctors and physio yesterday and they've put me in an aircast and under strict orders to stay off my feet as much as possible. So I'm not allowed to work out right. I'll still continue ab work because I can do that lying down (literally haha!). I have a bone scan next week to confirm the diagnosis of either a heel spur or a stress fracture. Time will tell at this point.

What are three special gifts, traits, or talents that you have that make you special and unique?

Hmmm... That's a good question!

1. I'm apparently a great leader? (I get told this at work a lot but I haven't noticed until recently when I got thrust into a leadership position while my boss was getting brain surgery.)
2. I'm creative. I started sewing historical garments and am now making the prom dress for my bosses daughter! I also write.
3. I love my job. I joined the RCN for a reason and love serving my country. I'm going a little stir crazy not being able to do anything unless it's on the computer although I got offered a HUGE opportunity today that is normally reserved for about three ranks above me. Woohoo!

 

[pjlla]

Trampoline class sounds FUN and it is! However it is hard work. After 5 minutes, I'm already breathing hard. Every 60 seconds you switch up what your doing. Whether it be high knees, side-to-sides, frogger, etc. And then you do spend some time down on the trampoline doing push ups, squats, planks and the like. There is a 5 minute break in the middle. And a nice cool down at the end. It's an hour long and they claim you can burn up to 1000 calories in the session. Because I can't totally follow all the moves, I'd say I burn somewhere from 500-700 calories. The more times you do it, obviously the easier it gets. Even between my first and second time I could feel a huge difference. My local one is $10 per class or $60 for an unlimited month. It's a lot of fun and a great workout!

If my bladder would cooperate, that sounds like GREAT fun!!

@SarahDisney this was a very brave/awesome question to ask! I feel as if people need to be able to say good things about themselves, I know we all beat ourselves up more than we should.

As for me, I'd have to say my three special qualities are that I am a very patient person, my mother has always told me that I am an old soul. I believe I am very smart/mature for my age. I had to grow up young, but I wouldn't take it back and am appreciative for all that it taught me. For my last, I've been sitting here trying to come up with something (see, we beat ourselves up) and I would have to say that I am a very loving person. I am very empathetic for others, especially the people I hold dearest to me, I would do anything for them.

Woohoo Thursday?! I got on the scale and lost a pound this morning! Also, finally ordered my new scale as the one I have is on it's way out the door!

Glad you were able to list three great things.... and I cannot wait to hear about your new scale! I think I'll be in the market for a new one soon.

Hey guys! As I'm sure you're sick of me saying ... I'm behind schedule. Again. But since everyone is taking the time to be active and participate on the thread, I wanted to take a few minutes to read through and reply to some stuff.
Also ... my breakfast was peanut butter chip waffles with jelly. PB&J Mickey Mouse waffles. My sister is a genius.
(Plus, I entered the recipe in MFP and each waffle was a little less than 200 waffles ... way better than I thought it would be)


Okay ... it's almost noon, I gotta get back to work. I'll be back in a few hours to read through some more - I can't wait to see all of the amazing responses to today's QOTD!

Those waffles sound delicious!

I'm not confident that I have anything that makes me special or unique, so I'm going to hold off on answering the question of the day for now. I am enjoying reading everyone's assessments and learning new things about each one of you!

Our office is having a bit of drama this morning - the president brought in new chairs for the management offices (including me!) and I am enjoying my new chair. The other 4 who received them? Not so much. My wing of the office is in a panic and it's filled with upset coworkers after receiving new chairs. (IDEK... I like mine and am appreciative!)

On a personal note: I checked in for tomorrow's flight - in less than 24 hours I'm Dallas bound for 16.2 miles.

How's this....

Courtney is SUPER SMART... she just got her MBA!! Color me impressed!
Courtney is a FIGHTER..... she hit a goal that most people only DREAM of.... she hit her goal weight!!
Courtney is DRIVEN.... she is a long-distance runner with the fancy medals to prove it! AND she spends time with a personal trainer doing things that would make many of us CRY!!

Tough one! I don't know if they are special or not, but some of the things I like about myself include my patients, my love of my family, and my focus (sometimes borderline obsessiveness).

Patient because my job requires me to be. Working with the kids I do, it's a requirement to be patient and understanding. I've had years where I've taught kids who are non-verbal with major disabilities, and there is no way I could have done that without being patient.

My family is basically everything. There is nothing I would rather do than hang out with my wife and kids. Sometimes it can even be a curse because I feel guilty when I do something by myself because or when I hang out with my friends. I think that's why I love Disney so much, it's one of the best places where all 4 of us can go and enjoy the parks and hang out with each other and we all have an equally great time.

My focus or obsessiveness can be a good thing - especially now when I'm trying to lose weight. I feel like I'm thinking about what I can do or do better to help me lose pounds every minute of the day. I've really locked on this like never before and it's going to help me reach my goals. My kids in my classroom probably think I'm crazy for walking around in circles in my classroom for much of the day (I just told them I have a step competition with friends which is partly true). These boards give me a great release to talk about weight loss - and I'm sure my wife is happy because she's probably sick of hearing about it!

SOOO happy that you are here to chat with us. SOmetimes this journey feels lonely and NO ONE near you understands the struggles! That is why this group is so terrific!

Thanks ladies for always giving me a boost .. still no news from the bank but I don't expect anything till Monday anyway.. Just wanted to post my Whoo Hoo for Wed.. I went to WW 1 day early so only 6 days under my belt and I'd lost 3.3 lbs.. Thanks goodness .. hoping my next WI will get me my first 5lb sticker (sat 26th) I have 10 weeks left on my program and I'd like to finish out strong. the Weather is getting nicer (altho we are watching a Nor'easter for Sunday night into Monday EEKS) so that means more outside walking time for me and the Hubs and cooking on the grill! Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend - it's our bonus day celebration after work tonight and the bonus hits our paychecks tomorrow so i'll be out shopping on my lunch break with friends and eating lunch at 5 guys!!! MM MM MM .. Hugs and Pixie Dust to those who need it and Smiles to everyone! Michelle

I sad for you that you haven't gotten the good news that you wanted/needed for this housing situation to become what you want. I'll keep my fingers crossed that SOMETHING works out for you.

WOOHOO on getting close to your first 5 lb. star!! And double WOOHOO on bonus paychecks!

Three things can be hard for a lot of us. We never really look at our good points so this is good that you are making us do this.

1. I am loyal to my family They come first.

2. I am creative I love to sew, knit, cook, etc. I am always making something.

3. I am patient. A couple of years ago I was telling someone that I am the quiet one in the family. This person only knew me as a school teacher who could quiet a cafeteria without a microphone if I had to. When you come from 5 girls in a family one of them has to be patient and quiet to get things done.

Have a happy and healthy day.

Hope you are feeling a bit better these days. Hugs for Easter, as I'm sure it will be a challenging day for you.

Well I've failed my original challenge for this month. Went to the doctors and physio yesterday and they've put me in an aircast and under strict orders to stay off my feet as much as possible. So I'm not allowed to work out right. I'll still continue ab work because I can do that lying down (literally haha!). I have a bone scan next week to confirm the diagnosis of either a heel spur or a stress fracture. Time will tell at this point.



Hmmm... That's a good question!

1. I'm apparently a great leader? (I get told this at work a lot but I haven't noticed until recently when I got thrust into a leadership position while my boss was getting brain surgery.)
2. I'm creative. I started sewing historical garments and am now making the prom dress for my bosses daughter! I also write.
3. I love my job. I joined the RCN for a reason and love serving my country. I'm going a little stir crazy not being able to do anything unless it's on the computer although I got offered a HUGE opportunity today that is normally reserved for about three ranks above me. Woohoo!

I'm SO sorry you are dealing with an injury!! Prayers that it heals quickly!

But I"m so impressed that you are pushing through and doing ab workouts.... way to NEVER GIVE UP!!

****************************

Okay friends.... I'm pretty much caught up. Dinner was an odd assortment of things, but it was filling.... steamed broccoli, a quick egg white omelet with baby greens, and a kale salad.

Probably signing off for the night soon. I'll BB tomorrow!!...................P

 

[courtneybeth]

Courtney is SUPER SMART... she just got her MBA!! Color me impressed!
Courtney is a FIGHTER..... she hit a goal that most people only DREAM of.... she hit her goal weight!!
Courtney is DRIVEN.... she is a long-distance runner with the fancy medals to prove it! AND she spends time with a personal trainer doing things that would make many of us CRY!!

That was beautiful and I want to cry because those are some of the nicest things I've been told.

I am going to take these to heart and remember them. I am smart, driven, and a fighter.

It's hard for me to sometimes look into myself and see these things. I love supporting others yet I don't see the awesome inside me. Perhaps that'll change as I continue in my life journey.

 

[Dr Gunnie]

I do see that they are using lemon in the gnocchi dish though. If you got that and they have you put the whole lemon in (I'm not sure if they do-- I haven't read through the recipe yet), I recommend cutting back and tasting it after each wedge you add before adding more. Especially with pasta -- it seems to soak up the flavor fast and can go from delicious to bitter overkill so quick. I don't know why they recommend so much lemon juice after putting in lemon zest too in a lot of the recipes. Anyway, that's just our take -- You may LOVE lemons!

We owe you one! We had the gnocchi meal tonight and we only used half the lemon that they recommended. Both my wife and I agreed that if we would have used the whole thing, it would have been major overkill. I thought it was a little strong with just using half - but not to the point where it ruined the meal or anything.

Anyway thanks!

 

[tortilla24]

SUPER yummy looking! But I don't eat fish any more.... could I make these vegetarian? Other than that they look DELICIOUS! And btw, I like the seaweed!

Yes! You could put anything you eat in sushi... carrots, tamago (sweet egg), sweet potato, asparagus. Or just double up on cucumbers and avocado!

 

[JacknSally]

That was beautiful and I want to cry because those are some of the nicest things I've been told.

I am going to take these to heart and remember them. I am smart, driven, and a fighter.

It's hard for me to sometimes look into myself and see these things. I love supporting others yet I don't see the awesome inside me. Perhaps that'll change as I continue in my life journey.

@courtneybeth, you can totally sith with me.

I'm having a hard time coming up with things without qualifications.


"I am this, but."
"I have this, except."
"I can do this, only."

And I feel like, if I can qualify it, then it doesn't count. Kind of like "If part of this statement is false, then the entire statement is false."

On a 1-10 scale, my stress level is around 30 right now. I know the lack of sleep is having an impact on that, but it's not the root cause. Blah.

Haven't hit my 10,000 steps - yet. I've just had too much to do that has required sitting. I'm going to try to hop on the treadmill at some point before bed though and knock the rest of it out. My focus has been pretty much nil today, though, and I am so far behind on my to-do list. UGH! Hopefully there is a bed in my future tonight!

 

[SarahDisney]

Were they yummy???

Those waffles sound delicious!

Yes, the waffles were very yummy!

Home from work with over 16K steps done for the day!! WOOHOOO! Gotta love gym!!

Yay for 16K steps so early in the day!

Well I've failed my original challenge for this month. Went to the doctors and physio yesterday and they've put me in an aircast and under strict orders to stay off my feet as much as possible. So I'm not allowed to work out right. I'll still continue ab work because I can do that lying down (literally haha!). I have a bone scan next week to confirm the diagnosis of either a heel spur or a stress fracture. Time will tell at this point.

Oh man, I'm sorry to hear this, but I'm glad you're getting this taken care of, and hopefully your foot will heal well and you'll be back to 100% after you take some time to heal!

1. I'm apparently a great leader? (I get told this at work a lot but I haven't noticed until recently when I got thrust into a leadership position while my boss was getting brain surgery.)
2. I'm creative. I started sewing historical garments and am now making the prom dress for my bosses daughter! I also write.
3. I love my job. I joined the RCN for a reason and love serving my country. I'm going a little stir crazy not being able to do anything unless it's on the computer although I got offered a HUGE opportunity today that is normally reserved for about three ranks above me. Woohoo!

All awesome traits to have - and it's great that you love your work so much (and you're so dedicated to serving your country)!

Courtney is SUPER SMART... she just got her MBA!! Color me impressed!
Courtney is a FIGHTER..... she hit a goal that most people only DREAM of.... she hit her goal weight!!
Courtney is DRIVEN.... she is a long-distance runner with the fancy medals to prove it! AND she spends time with a personal trainer doing things that would make many of us CRY!!

I love all of these! So true!
Here's one I want to add:
Courtney is not afraid of a challenge - before even running her first half marathon, she set herself a goal to run 15 half marathons this year, and she's working hard to reach that goal!

It's hard for me to sometimes look into myself and see these things. I love supporting others yet I don't see the awesome inside me. Perhaps that'll change as I continue in my life journey.

I totally get this. Seriously.
But as hard as it is to look at yourself and see the awesome things that others see ... it's important. We are often our own worst critics, but sometimes it's important to realize that we are amazing and we can do this!

I'm having a hard time coming up with things without qualifications.


"I am this, but."
"I have this, except."
"I can do this, only."

And I feel like, if I can qualify it, then it doesn't count. Kind of like "If part of this statement is false, then the entire statement is false."

First of all ... I disagree. Just because you want to attach a "but" to something, that doesn't mean the first part of the statement isn't true. It just means you're trying to doubt yourself - and part of the purpose of today's QOTD is to help you realize that you don't have to doubt your good qualities.

Second ... here are three that I have for you:
1 - You are insanely creative (have you seen your etsy shop??)
2 - When you commit to a goal, you work hard to make it a success (again, etsy store - you're putting more work into this store than most people would because you're determined to make this business work)
3 - You are such an amazingly caring person. You're always here to support other people in the group, and I can tell that you truly care about other people!

On a 1-10 scale, my stress level is around 30 right now. I know the lack of sleep is having an impact on that, but it's not the root cause. Blah.

Get some sleep! It may not be the cause of the stress, but hopefully it will help a little.

 

[SarahDisney]

At the beginning of Sleeping Beauty, these three fairies grant special gifts to the infant princess Aurora.
We all have many special gifts and traits that make us unique and wonderful. Today let’s talk about what makes us special.

What are three special gifts, traits, or talents that you have that make you special and unique?
Feel free to list more than three – we all have so many things that make us special, and it’s sometimes hard to narrow down that list!​

Before I get to my answer, I wanted to talk about the origin of today's QOTD:
I usually write the QOTD about a week in advance - I have a week's worth of questions prepared, and a few hours after I post the QOTD in the morning, I start working on the QOTD for that same day the next week.
Last Thursday was a very rough day for me. I don't really know what triggered it, but suddenly in the middle of the day I just started to feel really crappy about myself. When I finally got around to writing the next QOTD ... I was looking at pictures of Festival of Fantasy while at the same time thinking about questions that had been used in the past. I kinda remember a previous host asking us to share something good about ourselves ... and suddenly I knew I could connect it to the fairies. Somehow, thinking about past challenges brought my out of the dark hole I was in that day and gave me a little bit of goodness on a day that was not at all great.
So thank you to everyone here for letting me be your hostess and encouraging me to think of good QOTDs by being such active participants - sometimes creating the QOTDs help me as much as answering them helps others!

Anyway ... yeah, this question is very hard for me. But with everything I've had going on, I think it's good for me to sit down and think about a few of the ways in which I don't suck.

So here's what I've got:
1 - I love helping people - I'm not the biggest people person in the world, but I do love having the opportunity to help others, whether that's helping my family around the house or supporting others on their journeys
2 - I'm very organized - I have lists and spreadsheets and to-do lists for everything, which gives me some semblance of normalcy in very chaotic situations.
3 - I can learn anything - I've always been able to learn new things quickly (both in school and life skills), and I'm fairly certain that I can learn to do pretty much anything. Right now I'm trying to learn javascript ... I'm having trouble figuring out some of the real world applications, but I'm learning the code, and I'm sure I'll get to the real world implications soon enough.

I have to admit ... as I was thinking about this, I did come up with a few things in my head. But then when I sat down to type them ... I couldn't. It just felt wrong.
I think I know now how some of you felt about a few of the other QOTDs. There are some things you just don't want to think about. But I guess it is important.
So I learned a lesson from today's QOTD.