Happy Thursday friends. <3
Well I’m happy to say that I’m not feeling quite as tired and run down as I was when I wrote my last post. I’ve been focusing on getting my sleep and, lo and behold, I feel much better when I do! Ha!
Kev and I also went on a quick trip to Las Vegas last weekend and it was so nice! It felt good to just get away for a bit, to feel the sun (60-ish degrees) and to hang out with our dear friends, Steve and Paula.
We became friends with Steve and Paula years ago (18 to be exact!) when we all lived in Rhode Island. We made so many unforgettable memories back then, all of our friends were more like family, Kev and Steve both got their MBAs at Boston College, our little kids all grew up together and we all kind of grew up together too!
I cherish those years!
I gotta tell you guys something funny, Paula and I used to go to the gym (Fitness Plus in North Attleboro, MA) together all the time. We went to so many great classes and had some many wonderful instructors that we loved. We also made a lot of friends there, but people always thought it was so strange that Paula and I were both so young and we both happened to be pregnant with our 3rd babies (due a month apart!)
Most people in New England seemed to only have one or two kids. They considered three kids to be a large family. A lot of people couldn’t understand why I wanted to have a third! I also got a few questions about how old I was (I was 27 at the time) and how old I was when I got married. Ha ha. I knew we stuck out like sore thumbs!
I think they would die if they knew I ended up having three MORE babies after that! Ha ha! It really is interesting how different the cultures are all over the United States.
I also just gotta mention that regardless of what “culture” or “social norm” I’m used to, I just love babies! I love kids, I love people and I think that’s what life is all about! I’ve always wanted to have a big family. It’s definitely been a challenge and I’ve about killed myself off in the process, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Anyway, I digress.
We had a fun time in Vegas! We went to see Dear Evan Hansen at The Smith Center (a beautiful theater!)
Here’s a pic from the beginning, waiting for the play to start,
And here are some pics at the end!
You guys! This is such a beautiful, moving, heart wrenching, inspirational play! The music is so incredible and the message is so important and relevant today. I pretty much had to hold back the tears throughout the entire thing.
I saw the play in NYC a few months back and I loved it so much I wanted to see it again! I think I liked the “Evan” in Vegas (Ben Levi Ross) a little bit more! Every single cast member was phenomenal in both casts though. So good!
Sadly, there is quite a bit of language throughout the first half of the play. 🙁 #parentalwarning It’s actually a shame because I felt that most of the language was completely unnecessary and almost felt forced at times. Just thought I’d mention that!
Anyway, I was so glad we got to see it! Definitely one of the highlights of our trip!
We also enjoyed meeting up for breakfast with our other dear friends from Rhode Island (who happen to be living in Vegas right now), Jeff and Amy.
Oh how I love these guys! <3 It was so fun to get together and catch up! We hadn’t seen each other in years, but it really felt like we just picked up right where we left off!
After breakfast, we went hiking around Red Rock Canyon, which is just outside of Las Vegas. I’ve been to Vegas many times in my life, but I’d never been to Red Rock Canyon! It was beautiful and it was so nice to get out of the crazy city for a bit.
We were going to go on the Calico Tanks hike, but when we got closer, we saw a HUGE line of cars heading into the canyon. We decided to park just outside of the “official entrance” and ended up hiking around the Red Spring/Calico Basin area.
It was a bit of a boring hike at first, but then it was beautiful! The rocks were so cool and I understand why it’s called “Calico.” You can see a little bit of the beautiful coloring on the rock we’re standing on in those bottom pics.
It just felt so nice to get some fresh air. I guess we hiked around four miles.
That night we went to the best buffet I’d ever had! It was at the the Aria hotel and MAN, it was sooooo good! It was quite spendy (~$40 each), but they had every type of food you could ever imagine and everything was amazing!
I definitely overate (and enjoyed every bite) so I’m grateful we ended up walking and walking and walking all over the Vegas strip the rest of the night!
It was such a fun, quick trip and I loved walking around in sweater weather!
I’m ready for spring now!
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Well, since this post is already long enough I won’t go on and on and on, BUT I thought I’d share some thoughts with y’all.
I talked a lot last year about how I felt quite chubby most of the year! I tried to lose weight off and on, but really didn’t see any results. It was so frustrating!
Well, several months ago I did some soul searching, researching, learning and I’m happy to say I’m finally seeing some results! Yeehaw! The results are sloooooooow, but I dare say they will be lasting. I think this will be “my year.”
I started to get really serious about losing some weight (just focusing on eating well, eating less and being consistent!) around Thanksgiving time. I was able to lose about 5 pounds between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
That doesn’t sound like a lot, but I could feel it and see it. It was subtle, but encouraging.
Quick note: I’m just trying to “up” my healthy living game overall! My plan is to lose 10-15 pounds, feel good, fit in my clothes well, rock any blood test I may have (cholesterol, triglycerides, diabetes crap, etc.) and then hopefully STAY there!
So, with that being said, I’m fine if the results are slow. I’m committed for the long haul. For example, I lost that 5 pounds in December, but then I enjoyed some crappy food for about a week around Christmas and I have *mostly* been back “on” in January.
I haven’t really lost any more weight, but I haven’t gained any back either! I still consider that a win! I’m trying to slowly, but surely reach my goal and I’m also trying to protect my progress along the way!
BUT, I gotta say that I went to the gym yesterday and as I was getting ready to go I was feeling just a wee bit chubbier (I think it’s hormonal.) Strangely enough, when I got to my class and started to work out I noticed that my arms looked so much stronger and leaner!??
It was so weird, yet so rewarding! I reminded myself that although I hadn’t lost any more weight this month, I think results are still happenin’! Woot! I really try to celebrate any win I see. The scale only tells one part of the story and sometimes it’s an inaccurate part of the story!
Sadly, I didn’t take any pictures or anything. Boo. I had to rush home and had a busy night all night, so I didn’t even think of it!
I’ll take some next time!
I also want to mention that several years ago I struggled to see any muscle in my upper body! I would work so hard on my upper body, but when I’d flex I could barely even see any muscle at all! I can’t even believe the results I’ve been able to see these past few years!
I’m hoping that as I continue to lose a little more weight, I’ll be able to see the muscle I’ve been working so hard for even more!
I will of course keep you guys posted and I’ll share actual pictures. Ha ha!
Oooooo, before I end this post I want to remind y’all to sign up for my giveaway! I reviewed a beautiful JORD watch on my blog a couple weeks ago and I’m hosting a giveaway for $100 off one of their beautiful watches!
You will LOVE these watches, I promise! I’m blown away by the beauty and quality! Oh, and everyone who signs up for the giveaway gets a 10% off code for any watch on their site…just for signing up. It takes about 2 seconds to sign up, you can click here if you want to…
$100 off JORD watch giveaway!
Well I think I’m going to end this random post! I’m happy that it’s Friday tomorrow. I hope y’all enjoy your weekend!
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