Welcome to the Jiggle

You Can't Build on Broken

2012-01-17T10:05:00.002-06:00

One of the best experiences of my life was volunteering with TEDxHouston last year. Some of my best friends - the Culture Pilots! - are the curators of this independently organized TED event and boy do they do a bang up job.

This was my favorite talk from 2011. Neighborhood Center's Angela Blanchard talks about bringing communities up by building on what they have, not on what's broken. I dare you not to tear up.

Check in Monday - 1/16/12

2012-01-16T13:28:00.002-06:00

Last week was a whirlwind, but I still managed to get some of my goals on track - how'd you do this week?

Walking/Working Out: walking was on like Donkey Kong this week; I walked 4 of 5 days! I made it to one yoga class, which was a bummer, but my goal this week is 2!
Eating at Home: We ate a home a decent amount this week, but ate out more then we wanted to because of some craziness. This week the awesomest friends ever made it possible to eat at home almost every meal, thanks to the fact that they cooked Ryan and I a week's worth of dinners! Thank you Erin and Christina!!*
Meditating: Just like last week, I whiffed it. Not one session on the cushion. I have signed up for a meditation class at the Houston Zen Center on Thursday evenings. I took this class in 2010 and really enjoyed it, now it's time for a refresher to get me back in the habit of sitting!

*Note: Does not constitute a legit thank you. Real thank you coming soon!

Life as a Practice

2012-01-14T13:11:00.002-06:00

I have been running into the concept of life as a practice a lot lately and something about that really resonates with me. The more you do certain behaviors, the more they become habit - who you are is drawn each day by the things you do over and over. It's so simple and so powerful - we all have a chance to remake ourselves every day!

Great post on this topic at Zen Habits!

Baby Sloth Bathtime

2012-01-13T08:53:00.000-06:00

Just because. You're welcome.

Now is Now

2012-01-12T10:08:00.000-06:00

If you have yet to read the Happiness Project blog, hop on over and check it out. She has such a wonderful way of summing up big, epic truths in life with a casual, humorous voice.

One of my favorite things about this site (and the book!) are her simple truths in life - things she has learned in her life that seem to apply universally. In this post, she talks about staying in the present using a scene from one of my favorite movies, Before Sunrise (don't judge! I grew up in the 90s - Ethan Hawk was dreamy then!).

Recipe: Brussels Sprouts a la Amelie

2012-01-10T17:48:00.000-06:00

On a recent trip to New Orleans, we dined at an AWESOME place off Royal St. called Cafe Amelie. There we had an appetizer - made with Brussels sprouts - that I have craved daily ever since; here's my attempt at recreating it! Not as jaw droppingly amazing as their version, but it's close enough to tide me over until our next trip. Enjoy!

Clearing Out Clutter

2012-01-10T08:33:00.000-06:00

Found this awesome guy here. Great post on mental clutter!

"A comfortable home is a great source of happiness. It ranks immediately after health and a good conscience." — Sydney Smith (Thanks Happiness Project!)

Clutter is a big part of my life. I seem to have tons of it - a cluttered craft room, a cluttered coffee table (much to Ryan's chagrin) and a mid full of racing, cluttery thoughts. Clutter, clutter, clutter. Say it enough and your skin starts to crawl. Clutter. *shiver* Yuck.

My cluttered life isn't for lack of trying to be non-cluttered. I recycle, clear out spaces, purge my messes, donate items and toss stuff regularly, but like a tsunami it creeps back in one yard of fabric or one cookbook at a time. I try to focus on not buying new things in X category or for Y area, but it keeps coming like a wave of zombies.

I don't know what happened this January, but I had enough. "Clutter - GET OUTTA HERE!" My brain said. I cleared out my fridge, my pantry, my closet and my office. I took clothing donations to the Salvation Army and all my extra craft supplies to an awesome after school program that needed them. I uncluttered my schedule and decided to have some time for myself to exercise. Goodbye clutter!

With so many surfaces in my home and in my life clear, I feel good about what's starting. My mind is opening up and my chest is less tight from stress. I can find things I'm looking for and not have that "Awww damn!" moment when you pour expired spaghetti sauce into your freshly made pasta. Now my shelves are stocked with fresh stuff and for once you can clearly see what's in the fridge. Victory!

When my home is clear, I'm clear. What about you? Do you need to clean your kitchen before you start a project or scrub the bathtub before doing your taxes? How do you clear your messy surfaces, physical or otherwise?

Need help getting there in 2012? Zen Habits has you clear and uncluttered!

Check in Monday - 1/9/12

2012-01-09T10:55:00.005-06:00

I'm not a prize fighter and it stresses me out to focus on numbers instead of goals, so

is now

Instead of spouting off how much I lost - or didn't lose - the last week, I'm going to do a status check on my goals for month!

How things are going so far:

Walking/Working Out: decent progress! I walked twice last week and hit up yoga once. This week, I hope to get 3 walks in and 1 - 2 yoga classes!
Eating at Home: I whiffed it on the goal setting - I should focus on how many meals I can eat out rather than how many I eat at home so it's easier to keep track. New goal - eat out 3 times (or less) this week. Last week I ate most meals at home, so yay for that!
Meditating: Whiffed it. Not one session on the cushion. Goal for this week - hit the mat 4 times, working up to 7!

Conclusion: Progress has been made in many areas; room for improvement in others!

How are your goals going so far?

Saturdays - AMIRITE?

2012-01-07T10:24:00.001-06:00

Vinnie Jones and Stayin' Alive!

2012-01-06T10:12:00.000-06:00

Recent research has shown that the chances of surviving a heart attack double if the person helping you does continuous compression CPR. Vinnie Jones, the badass from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, shows us how it's done.

Pumpkin Oatmeal!

2012-01-05T14:27:00.001-06:00

Lots of lovely oatmeals - thanks A Beautiful Mess!

I'm a breakfast gal. I just don't do well without something in my tummy first thing in the morning. While I LOVE donuts, scrambled eggs and bacon, I know that having something more balanced will set a better tone for my day. Enter oatmeal!

Oatmeal is magical! It's good for you (most types have more than 3 grams of soluble fiber - the cholesterol lowering kind! - per serving) and the complex carbs digest slowly so that you don't want to cut someone for a Snickers bar by 11 a.m. Most importantly (to me) it's diverse: you can get super crazy flavors at your local grocery store or add delicious things to plain varieties (My favorites are Irish Oatmeal and Quaker Rolled Oats). Plus, what other breakfast food has a hilarious comic site named after it? Not so fast Raisin Bran.

Today after my walk (HOLLA!) I whipped up a bowl of Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal after seeing the recipe on A Beautiful Mess.

I tweaked the recipe a bit with what I had on hand - here's what I did:

"How long did that take, Sarah? I don't have all day!" This entire process took about 5 minutes - so no longer than making a bagel or something (definitely less time than frying bacon!) So BOOM - better breakfast in less time!

Saying the Right Thing

2012-01-04T18:31:00.000-06:00

We all have trouble finding the right words sometimes. Some of us even seem to NEVER be able to choose the right words at all or stay silent, as to not cement the fact that we are fools. Regardless of our particular issues, the ability to open your mouth and insert your foot seems to be the great human unifier, while the ability to be cool about someone else's traumas, foibles or faux pas is divine.

I remember reading a good story about Cary Grant. He was filming a movie with Audrey Hepburn (maybe Charade?!? That was a good one!) and they decided to take a break at a local cafe to enjoy some wine. Audrey, gesturing wildly, knocked the bottle all over him, ruining his jacket. Not missing a beat, he continued the conversation while removing his jacket and putting it on the back of his chair. He didn't say a word, but his message was perfect.

Check out this post on the Happiness Project about some other simple ways to say the right thing.

Raging Pinterest Addiction

2012-01-03T12:21:00.000-06:00

Holy bananas y'all - I'm addicted to Pinterest like crazy. It's a rabbit hole of lovely things to discover and the perfect place to bookmark things visually so that you can reference them later. Haven't checked out this awesome site and are wondering what the heck I'm talking about? Pinterest allows people to create "boards" on a variety of topics and "pin" items to those boards for their followers to see. It's both a bookmarking site and a social tool, which makes it super fun because you can discover new things through your friends and help other people find neat stuff too!

What's this? Why it's something I found (and subsequently found the awesome blog it's on) on Pinteres

One way I have really enjoyed using my boards to archive recipes I find on the web. My old way of doing it left much to be desired - I either bookmarked it in my browser (all you see is a link name!) or printed it out and promptly lost it in the kitchen (wastes so many trees!). With Pinterest, I can see the items and select based on picture and name what I'll make tonight. It makes keeping up with healthy recipes so easy!

Do you have any favorite recipes from around the web to share? Leave one in the comments or pin it and link back here so I can stalk you via Pinterest!

Weigh in Monday - 1/2/12

2012-01-02T15:52:00.001-06:00

My first Weigh in Monday of the year is kind of a cheat - the last time I weighed in seriously was in October and thanks to the stress of having a critically ill dad, I lost a decent bit of weight since then. So instead of being like "I lost 8lbs MOFOS!" (see what I did there? BAM) I'm just going to start over with my goals at this new weight.

Goals:

Lose 5lbs by my birthday in March
Walk 4 days a week
Start workouts again (slowly! I pulled my back in November and have to watch it!)
Eat at home for 10 meals a week
Meditate 7 times a week

What are your "get healthy" goals for this year?

Hello 2012

2012-01-01T16:57:00.002-06:00

While I am a firm believer in the "any-day-above-ground-is-a-good-one!" philosophy, I have to say I was so very ready to say goodbye to 2011 and welcome a new year with open arms. Hello 2012.

To start the year off right, I'm going to take a break from Facebook (my biggest time suck!) and Twitter (less so, but still something I tend to log in to way too much) for the month of January. Instead of sharing my craziness via status updates and tweeting about what I ate for lunch, I will focus on getting healthy again, cooking at home, and blogging here.

Please bear with me while I get back to posting this month - it will take a while to get back into the groove!

Weigh in Monday - 10/24/11

2011-10-24T10:57:00.002-05:00

After a crazy week thanks to a family emergency, I'm surprised to be down any weight at all! I lost .2 this week and a 1/2" in both my waist and hip area - huzzah!

I tracked every single meal, but failed on the walking and waking up early. I did, however, make it to both of my bootcamps and walked the dog almost every day.

Goal check!

Walking - not so much this week
Tracking - *swish*
Weight loss - 2.8 lbs to go before 10/31 to make my 5 lbs monthly goal

What's in a Pound?

2011-10-19T10:08:00.000-05:00

I found this here.

Weigh In Monday - 10/17/11

2011-10-17T08:03:00.000-05:00

Huzzah! I lost a little more this week - down 2.6 total since I started tracking two weeks ago! It's a bit slow going, but sustainable - I am not feeling "OH MY GOSH I EAT YOU NOW!" hungry and not exercising myself into oblivion. Moderation feels good!

I have completely forgotten to share October goals, so here they are:

Walking - 30 minutes, two times a week
Tracking - every day, every meal (so far, I've tracked 20 days consecutively! Woot!)
Weight loss - 3 lbs by October 31 (5 lbs total - I've lost 2 so far, so just adding to that streak!)

What are you goals for the month? More importantly, what are you going to be for Halloween?!?

The Key to Motivation

2011-10-11T08:53:00.000-05:00

Found via Pinterest

Weigh in Monday - 10/10/11

2011-10-10T10:53:00.000-05:00

After 10 whole days of tracking, I'm feeling great! While I haven't lost weight this week, I have lost an inch in my waist, 1/2 inch in my hips and have pants that aren't so tight anymore!

Tracking has made me much more aware of what I'm eating, how much and how high in calories that food is. Instead of just kinda eating whatever and think it was healthy I know for sure how many calories are going in and how many are going out.

This makes it much easier to course correct when I have an unhealthy eating episode (such as the 5 Guys burger I had for lunch last weekend or the visit to my parent's house - aka Shangri-La of bad foods). Once I see that one meal will be high in calories and fat, I can make better choice for my other meals or get some more exercise to bridge the gap!

On to the goals!

Weight: up two ounces, so essentially the same weight as last week
Walking: twice this week! And both days of bootcamp and my Aerial Silk exercise class (totally have to post about this later!)
Waking up early? I have backslid to waking up at 8-ish or later, getting back on track this week for my 7 a.m. wake up!
Bonus: clothing is fitting much better - looser pants and tops, more definition in my arms, legs and stomach!

What did you get up to this weekend?

Kryptonite - what's yours?

2011-10-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

The lovely Ruthie posted a great comment on a recent post about superpowers and expectation that made me think:

"... you should figure our your kryptonite and avoid it like the plague! :)"

YES! Kryptonite - we all have something in our lives that makes us powerless against it. Maybe it's a trigger food or the lure of party platters. Maybe it's waiting too late to eat a meal and then chowing down like a hungry gorilla or drinking too much and throwing caution to the wind when you decide you're hungry (I'm convinced this is why McDonald's still exists!)

Mine is the latter. If I have more than one glass of wine, my willpower goes the way of the Dodo. Any greasy, fatty foods in site are suddenly on my radar and I have to consumer them. NOW! Sober Sarah can let the craving pass, but slightly above the legal limit Sarah is ready to party - with cake.

My strategy of dealing with this is two fold: 1) Don't drink so much! and 2) Go into the situation full. If I eat a healthy meal beforehand, I can usually pass on the tater tots at the bar later on, but if I had alcohol on an emptyish stomach before ordering food, it's a guaranteed disaster.

What's your Kryptonite? What's your strategy to avoid it?

Beware the "Licensing Effect"

2011-10-05T07:23:00.000-05:00

Oh Grechen Rubin - you've got me on this one. Big time!

One of my absolute favorite things to do is give myself license to do whatever I want after doing something good. If I don't spend any money for a few days, I let myself buy a pair of shoes. If I eat well, I take this as permission to eat all the donuts in the world.

As she explains here, this is a behavior that you should be weary of. The Licensing Effect can hamper your weight loss efforts, blow your budget and just plain old get you in trouble. Beware!

Weigh in Monday - 10/3/11

2011-10-03T10:12:00.001-05:00

Oh snap y'all! After 6 days of tracking like a mad woman, I have lost 2 lbs! TWO!

My Fitness Pal makes it pretty easy - I was shocked that the barcode scanner on the iPhone app has worked for literally everything I have scanned, save for a tin of Danish cookies bought at a fundraiser. I am sort of amazed with how counting actual calories is such a motivator - seeing calories go in and calories go out through exercise on my tracker make me a lot more aware of what I'm eating and how much. Way more than the points system has for a long while.

October Goal check:

Weight lost: 2.2lbs so far
Left to lose: 2.8lbs
Still getting up at 7? Today it was 7:40, but was up at 7 both Thursday and Friday, 8 on Saturday and 8:30 on Sunday - so much earlier than before! Focusing on hitting 7 every other day this week!
Walking? YES! Ryan and I have been taking family walks in the evenings and I will be walking on Wednesday and Friday morning this week before work. Tuesday and Thursday are bootcamp days!

Hope you are all having the best Monday ever - how are you doing on your October goals so far?

Friday Check in

2011-09-30T12:56:00.001-05:00

Remember how I mentioned I had gained in the last post? Yeah - that happened. I gained back my loss for the month in one weekend y'all. Hence the "1st place in a pie eating contest!" ribbon below. I was trying to eat my way through all the donuts, pizzas and sandwiches in Houston last weekend!

Weight loss is difficult sometimes - I see so many success stories out there for people who live moderate lifestyles and have occasional indulgences, but not a whole lot about the times when they gain and are somewhat demoralized. It would be awesome if each week was a loss and cupcakes were a diet food, but the reality is that any life change is difficult and weight loss programs take time, effort and faith.

Thankfully, I'm not knocked down easily (study legs - heh!) and I took this setback as a challenge to up my game - a lot. It's important to both strategize your weigh loss program and also commit to making actual changes. This month, October, will be a new start and a chance to change my behaviors by making some important changes.

I mentioned them yesterday, but here are my goals for October:

Lose 5lbs by Halloween

Track every meal and every exercise event

Walk in the mornings

Wake up at 7

These changes are somewhat small, but they have a lot of impact. Waking up at 7 helps me take time to walk in the morning or cook a healthy breakfast and get centered for the day. Tracking makes me aware of my food choices and exercies in a concrete way - calories in vs. calories out. Losing 5lbs is manageable for a month of conscientiousness! See? Simple things add up and I'm excited for what this month holds!

Photo via Flickr user Tedly Films!

New NEW newness that's new!

2011-09-29T17:14:00.000-05:00

There's a lotta new brewing in my life and in this blog this week! First and foremost, I cut off all my hair! Boom - gone. I have had short hair for most of my life and decided to grow it back out for a bit. That experiment ended at 1:30 p.m. today when I decided to chop my coiffe into a crop. Change #1!

Change two has to do with this blog - I redesigned with a super cool template from Pugly Pixel called Lemon Meringue. The cool part is that you can customize the title headers with anything you make in Photoshop and load in to blogger - I made some little washi tape looking headers and love them! You can subscribe to Pugly Pixel for $5 a month to get access to her super awesome extras, which are perfect for making your blog pretty or digital scrapbooking. Check the nifty award ribbon on the left scrollbar - that will be updated weekly as my weight goes up (arrow up <= do not want.) or down (arrow down <= want this!)

Change three is a biggie - I quit WW. I have loved the program for years, but needed a change. I have been slipping a lot lately (gained back my weight lost this month in one bad weekend - ugh!) and need a kick start with a new program.

I considered signing up with another service - like the Quick Weight Loss Center, which I know a person close to me saw amazing results that were totally livable (despite the terrible reviews online) - but decided to try straight up calorie tracking. My Fitness Pal, a free service and (FREE) iPhone app, makes this super easy - it has a simple interface and it even has an easy barcode scanner on the app so you can scan in your coffee creamer and cereal for easy tracking. Ryan the Gabbart is doing it with me - Gabbarts unite! If you join, friend me - we can do this together!

New Goals for new newness!

Lose 5lbs a month
Track every meal and every exercise event
Walk in the mornings
Wake up at 7

Simple changes, but effective for me - if I can do these 4 things, I'll be in skinny jeans by Christmas!

My new Sew Weekly post is up!

2011-09-21T11:34:00.004-05:00

This week I tackle gold fabric for my fall palette project!

Weigh in Monday - 9/19/11

2011-09-19T16:54:00.002-05:00

Hello friends! I hope your summer is coming to a lovely end - here in Texas, we have had two glorious days of rain, so yay September!

It's about midway through the month and I'm surprised to be on track for my goals - huzzah!

Goal: 5 lbs by end of September
Weight loss: 1
Left to lose before deadline (Sept 30): 1.2
Habit swap (veggies for fried foods) - still on track, but barely - I have had some run ins with french fries...
Walking: still once a week, but have added in another fitness class (details to come!)

Weigh in Monday - 9/12/11

2011-09-12T11:49:00.000-05:00

Hello hello peoples! I'm feeling pretty good after today's weigh in - especially after the week of stuffing-tha-face known as Ranchcation on Labor Day weekend. I weighed in last week to get a baseline - up about 2 pounds - and then this week to see what small diet tweaks could do. They make a difference yo!

Goal: 5 lbs by end of September
Weight loss: 2.8
Left to lose before deadline (Sept 30): 2.2
Habit swap (veggies for fried foods) - on track!
Walking: once a week currently

Ba de ya - dancing in September!

2011-09-01T12:37:00.001-05:00

Ba de ya - say do you remember
Ba de ya - dancing in September
Ba de ya - never was a cloudy day

-Earth, Wind and Fire

September is here! This month marks not only my six year wedding anniversary (WOO HOO!), but also my mother's birthday (HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEST MOM EVER!), my grandfather's birthday (PAPA - HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!) and a new monthly goal!

In September, I will be replacing fried food (yes I try to eat too much of it) in my dietary pyramid with more veggies. Anytime the opportunity to eat something fried shows up, veggie time!

Also, I will be adding walks 2 days a week to my fitness plan - now I will have bootcamp twice, walking for 30 - 45 minutes twice and, hopefully, grab a yoga class now and then.

Weight loss goals - I'm dialing it down to 3lbs. If I hit 5, woo hoo! If I make 3, still woo hoo!

September
Weight loss goal: 3lbs
Deadline: September 30, 2011
Habit swap: veggies for fried foods
New Habit: walking twice a week - 30 minutes or more

My New Sew Weekly Post is up!

2011-08-30T10:51:00.000-05:00

In this one, I channel school photos and wear plaid!

Cool post: Meg The Grand: I'm Bringing Zesty Back

2011-08-30T08:06:00.000-05:00

Meg The Grand: I'm Bringing Zesty Back

Weigh in Monday - 8/29/11

2011-08-29T11:09:00.000-05:00

You should have eaten more veggies Sarah.

After two weeks of pretty good eating and two weekends of end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it-and-i'll-eat-lots behavior, I am right back where I started. Right back at square one.

I thought about lying like a liar and saying "Stayed the same!" but I have to be honest with you and with myself - bad eating blowouts have a real impact on your health, your weight and the elasticity of your pants.

My problems with weight tend to be an issue with rewards, emotions and boredom. That is the chunkiness trifecta right there folks! Knowing your triggers is half the battle - you have to work to retrain your default behaviors - that's another blog post though.

Let's get down to Weigh in Monday brass tacks!

Weigh in Monday Stats

Pounds lost this week: 0

Left to lose: 5 pounds

Goal deadline countdown: 3 days (Sept 1)

Appropriate expectations

2011-08-25T13:55:00.000-05:00

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."
— Albert Einstein

This giraffe can climb a tree, but that's one of his talents. Fish - not so much.

Becoming a healthy adult means setting appropriate expectations.

It's true - think about it! For every goal you set, the outcome in closely linked to how realistic your expectations of yourself are. It's the same for weight loss as it is for career aspirations or karaoke song choices (if you can't normally sing like Adele, then you should probably stick to something in your wheelhouse. Wisdom for the ages, folks).

We are designed for failure.

We are also designed to learn, grow and try again. Wretched are those who give up too easily or set goals too high to reach. They are both doomed to an unfulfilled life.

Think about what you're good at. What's your superpower? The better you know yourself, the more likely you are to set goals that challenge you and compel you to grow.

How do you get to know yourself better? Ask your friends - they'll tell you.

Or take it to the mat - meditate, sit quietly or just lay in a hammock. Through the silence - away from regular distractions - who you are tends to bubble up to the surface and become a lot more clear.

So you can't climb a ladder - you're a fish dude. Swim, swim, swim!

Mammogram Monday!

2011-08-22T13:48:00.000-05:00

Where was I last Monday - instead of weighing in and writing a blog post I was having my boob squished in a vice. Yep.

Things are A OK, but it was the result of a lump found in a routine breast exam. Ladies - check yourself before you wreck yourself - do self exams and keep up with yearly well-woman checkups with your doctor. It might save your life!

I was super lucky, but many women find out they have breast cancer thanks to this important (albeit uncomfortable) exam. Give a woman in need a free mammogram by clickty clicking on The Breast Cancer site. Yes it's legit!

On a weight loss note: I am about the same as last weigh in - I gained a few ounces but nothing major. Full Weigh in Monday - the last of August - next week!

My New Sew Weekly Post is Up!

2011-08-12T09:42:00.015-05:00

This week I make sailor pants and eat a popcicle. It's hot y'all!

What is the Sew Weekly? It's a community of seamstresses who blog about making one garment per week. I am lucky enough to be a contributor for 2011, along with 4 other awesome ladies!

Weigh in Monday - 8/8/11

2011-08-08T09:21:00.000-05:00

Wisdom for our times.

Huzzah! After a whirlwind 72 hour trip to Portland, Oregon and a bunch of plane food yesterday, I still lost! The focus for last week was portion control and better choices - this week, I am going to keep that focus and add exercise back to the mix. Bootcamp - here I come!

Weigh in Monday Stats

Pounds lost this week: 1.4

Left to lose: 2.40

Goal deadline countdown: 25 days (Sept 1)

My new Sew Weekly post is up!

2011-08-04T06:09:00.001-05:00

This week I take on a western theme and make a dress for my parent's Christmas party, the Ho Ho Hoedown. Yes that's really what it's called.

What is the Sew Weekly? It's a community of seamstresses who blog about making one garment per week. I am lucky enough to be a contributor for 2011, along with 4 other awesome ladies!

Check out my pretty new header!

2011-08-02T21:24:00.000-05:00

Awww yeah - my super deluxe bike Gertie as been illustrated by the wonderful Rebekka Seale! She created a custom header image using the bike's likeness - I love it!

Matt Cutts on trying something for 30 days!

2011-08-01T18:04:00.000-05:00

Google's own Matt Cutts talks about setting and achieving goals (via TED)!

Weigh in Monday and lots of changes!

2011-08-01T08:09:00.002-05:00

A whole week back on track and I feel good! Not great, I have bronchitis for some reason which suckety-suck-suck-sucks, but I am feeling the effects of limiting caffeine, eating less meat and sleeping well.

If you are visiting this blog on the actual site, you may notice that it looks a lot different and that there are crazy things everywhere - I'm in the process of updating this blog to be more awesome! Please excuse the mess, the broken links and weird stock photos.

Another thing that's changing - I'm adjusting my goals based on my, well, adjusted goals. I want to be healthy. What started as a quest for looser pants and less thigh dimples has turned into a journey to complete health - physically, mentally and spiritually (stay with my folks, we're only at "Hippie Alert" level 2 - no bongos will be played or Birkenstocks worn!)

So here's the deal:

Goals will be monthly - example, I would like to lose 5 pounds in August.
Each month I will focus on a new habit to bust
I will be adding some craft tutorials, recipes and other cool stuff!

Annnnndddd now to the accountability part of this exercise:

Weigh in Monday Stats

Pounds lost this week: 1.2

Left to lose: 3.8

Goal deadline countdown: 31 days (Sept 1)

I need a jump start.

2011-07-25T07:18:00.001-05:00

So sassy.

As a result of all this adjusting to being a full time working person, I have been eating everything in sight. Sourdough Jack? Yes. Macarons? Let's do this. Hot dog at the corner bar? Yeah - that's happening! And I feel yuck.

Not yuck in the "I'm ashamed of myself!" way, yuck in the physically don't feel great. My energy is suffering, my pants are tight and I am not liking the rear view, ifyaknowwhatimsayn'.

This week is going to be a transition week followed by a detox. I am going to start eating more vegeterian meals, cut down on the drinking (we have two events this week that are drinking-centric) and get down to one caffeinated beverage a day. In addition, I'm going to add a walk two days this week in the morning before work.

Sunday will be a detox day - I will cut out sugar, caffeine and focus on whole foods. Juice, whole grains and fruit will be happening. So sorry Sunday night crew, I will be cranky and staring at your pizza/cupcakes in longing!

After that I will continue the detox through Tuesday and slowly reintroduce meat and dairy. I know that a jump start like this is what I need to get back on track - I need to reset my palate, eat clean/healthy foods and get back to focusing on my health.

Weigh in Monday will return next week!

Happiness and the Little Things

2011-07-24T14:40:00.003-05:00

I get to work with these ~~sweaters~~ people every day!

I have been conspicuously absent from this blog for almost a month now - a month! I say conspicuously because I'm the only one who writes for it, not because a lot of folks read it! Hello mom plus 4 other people who are most likely directly related to me!

Where have I been you may ask? I have been working full time, eating awesomely bad things and hanging with with my husband, dog and best friends. Life is good friends - life is good!

First, the job - I am now working full time at my "get well" job and I couldn't be happier! What started as a "come in and help with random stuff a few days a week" has turned into "hey why don't you come on in everyday!" And I love it. I get to do so many different things - some regular office manager tasks like billing and grocery shopping, but some writing, project management and client management as well. It's like a Frankenstein job where all the parts are awesome and I can walk there. And bring Tex!

I struggled a lot with what to do after Sew Crafty. Like many times in my life before, I beat myself up over not being able to decide the right path. Then I just started to let go a bit. Ruthie, a good friend who is one of the wisest people I know, said "Can you just work part time for a while?" When I said yes, she replied "Then why don't you just enjoy it and coast a bit."

So I coasted. I worked part time, worked out, walked, shopped at Target, visited my parents, and hung out with Ryan and Tex. It was a transitional time - some good times, lots of stress on choosing the "right" thing to do with my life, and lots of crying jags. I did this for about two months and had lots of "What will I DOOO!?!?" moments. On day I realized that I needed to find a full time job - it was time to make a choice. I needed to become a financially productive member of my family again.

At a work event called Tuna Infinity and Beyond
with a bunch of neuroscientists
reppin' Charlie the Tuna! You read that right.

In June, I came in to work and talked to my boss/friend (Brind? Fross?) about the situation. It didn't occur to me he would counter with "Well why don't you just work here full time?" Mind blown. That can happen?!? Apparently so. A month later, I'm a full timer!

Since then I have been adjusting to a full time schedule again. After working for yourself on your own time for 3 years, it's a bit of a challenge to get back into the groove of being somewhere every weekday for 8 hours at a time.

When it's the right place it make life much easier (examples: I love the people I work with; I like going to work in the morning - waking up is much easier when you look forward to being somewhere; one of my duties is keeping the office kitchen stocked, so I get to grab a few things for home while I'm at the grocery - multitasking win; they are flexible with stuff like dentist appointments and haircuts). Also, I know I mentioned bringing Tex, but it is just so cool to have your dog with you at work. He snoozes next to my desk and it's nice to take a break to play a bit!

It's all about the little things friends. Through the past 6 months I have learned that the simple things are the best things - which I totally know is a cliche. But as one of my favorite college professors said, it's a cliche because it's true. Happiness is contingent on being grateful for where you are, content with what you have and a dog sleeping at your feet.

I am happy because, right now, I have all three - I hope you are all having the best time ever too.

Weigh in Monday - 6/20/11

2011-06-20T08:12:00.000-05:00

Yay! I lost some weight again! After a couple of weeks back to my normal diet, I seem to be getting back to where I was before.

This week I will focus on tracking every day, adding in more healthy recipes and limiting eating out to 2 - 3 meals instead of, you know, every freakin' meal!

Lost this week: 1.8 lbs
Pounds lost so far: 3.6 lbs

Pounds left to lose: 24.6 lbs

Weigh in Monday - 6/6/11

2011-06-06T11:00:00.001-05:00

All abord the gain train! This week, thanks to the weekend of awesome that I had on Memorial Day weekend, was all about gaining like 5 pounds. I knew I would have a gain this week, but I just didn't expect it to be that big - I tracked all week, ate healthy meals and home and did all my scheduled workouts. Thank goodness I didn't step on the scale last week or I would have fainted!

This makes me think of the weight-loss Bermuda Triangle that is vacation gain. Every time I go on a vacation - no matter how long or short - I gain. Sometimes it makes perfect sense - "Why yes I did have bacon with each meal" or "I was on the 12 cupcake a day tour of the East Coast!" Other times, like when I eat well, walk a ton and even hit the hotel gym, it's a mystery! This time was not a surprise - I'm told by many of my co-vacationers on this trip they gained too. I'm officially changing the name of this trip from Ranchcation to Weightgaincation 2011!

So I'm almost back to square one as far as weight loss is concerned - I say almost because I feel great, have more muscles and better habits in general, but numbers wise I would have been kicked off the Biggest Loser this week for sure. One thing that's certain - you can't out train a bad diet people. Remember this next time you go on a food bender and think "I'll hit the gym later and be fine!"

~~Lost~~ gained this week: 4.8 lbs <=== daaayyymmmn!
Pounds lost so far: 1.8

Pounds left to lose: 28.20

Conspicuously Missing Weigh-In Monday!

2011-06-02T12:16:00.002-05:00

I just spent the best weekend ever with my best friends ever - and missed doing my regular Weigh-In Monday because of it! It's probably a good thing, as I ate everything in sight and drank a ton of wine - no regrets though, it was 100% awesome.

WIM returns next week! Until then, enjoy the best motivational speech ever.

Weigh in Monday - 5/23/11

2011-05-23T13:01:00.000-05:00

I gained a bit this week, but it wasn't anything crazy bad - just 2 ounces! I figured that it would happen - I have started working out again and gaining muscles (yeaaahh!) makes you plateau or gain for a while before you start losing again. It's a worthwhile trade off though - I would much rather be healthy overall and able to lift 10 bags of groceries in one trip (totally did this recently - huzzah!) than make it to my goal without the lifestyle change.

Speaking of my goal, I don't know if 30 pounds is realistic. I am going to keep it as something to shoot for, but my WW goals are closer to 15 - 20 pounds, so if I make it there by December I'll be a super happy gal anyway!

~~Lost~~ gained this week: 0.2 lbs
Pounds lost so far: 6.6

Pounds left to lose: 23.4

Weigh in Monday - 5/16/11

2011-05-16T10:19:00.000-05:00

Oh my gosh y'all - I can't count! Or at least, I can't take all information into consideration when making platitudes about my weight loss, etc. I screwed up on my metrics - again!

Total weight loss so far - from August 2010, is 6.8 pounds. Not too shabby, but not the original 8.8 pounds I thought it was. I was down that far during March and early April, while having some stress issues, but now I'm back up a little bit. That's cool though - I'll bring it down one week at a time in a healthy way, instead of a "too stressed to eat" way!

Lost this week: 0.3lbs
Pounds lost so far: 6.8

Pounds left to lose: 23.2

Weigh in Monday - 5/9/11

2011-05-09T09:09:00.000-05:00

I gots a new scale. Didn't like it.

Ok! I got a new scale and realized that it weighs me quite a few pounds heavier than my previous one - so I'm sticking with the old scale!

This week I'm going to focus on tracking and continue to walk 30 minutes a day. My ankle is feeling a lot better, so I will also try to go to bootcamp on Tuesday and Thursday this week!

**UPDATED METRICS**

I'm adjusting my numbers based on my realization that I lost 9 pounds since August 2011, which is when I made my "lose 30lbs!" goal.

Pounds lost so far: 8.8

Pounds left to lose: 21.2

Updated: 5/9/11

Weigh in Monday - 5/2/11

2011-05-02T08:59:00.000-05:00

I'm back y'all!

It's been a rough two weeks - my dad has been sick, my sister and I were caring for him while my mom was out of town, he got worse, ended up in the hospital (for fluids and rest - he's a bit better now, thank goodness), I sprained my ankle (while visiting dad in the hospital!) and scraped up the same leg on a metal spike at the circus. Thank goodness for my mom, sister, Ryan, Alla and Erin or I would be a crazy person by now. I'm holding out hope that May will be much better than April. Come on MAY!

In April, I missed all the meetings I intended to go to and all my fitness bootcamps. It's a bummer - especially about the bootcamps. I LOVED every workout with Mandy and hope to get back in soon - you know, after my sprained ankle heals. Seriously, WTF sprained ankle?

Because of all this craziness, my #1 goal got pushed to the back burner and my health/fitness took a backseat. I chose to think of this month as a period of personal reflection instead of a month long cheeseburger/slack fest!

I have used this time to look back at my weight loss journey and have found out something exciting - I have lost almost 10 pounds since this time last year. Before I joined WW in November, I lost 4 pounds and have since lost another 5 (somehow, I was good this past month even though I wasn't tracking!) YESS!

After having a month to reflect and thinking about what I want in my life, I decided that some changes need to happen to my plan. In order to reach your goals, you have to make them attainable.

Sometimes this means backing off the "I'm going to look like Brooklyn Decker in a bikini!" goal when you're 5'3 and pear shaped, but sometimes this means simply removing obstacles that hinder your success. My obstacle is physically getting to the meetings. I will now be doing my WW online and weighing in at home.

I will still track and follow my program, but in order to make myself accountable again I will take that part of my life and make it much, much easier. Gone are the days of "Couldn't get to a meeting - no weigh in!" Now I just have to walk in to my bathroom and step up!

I have ordered a WW scale to make it more "official" and will be posting the first week of results next Monday - stay tuned!

PS: Longest. Blog post. Ever. I am verbose today!

Weigh in Whatday?

2011-04-20T21:23:00.000-05:00

You may have noticed the lack of the promised Weigh in Monday this week - I haven't been able to make it to Weight Watchers. My mom is out of the country and my dad is sick, so I'm barely even able to get to my house this week, much less a WW meeting. I miss my house y'all.

Hopefully I can get to a meeting next week, but I highly doubt it. So I'm just going to call April a wash on Weigh in Monday and WW. I'm going to keep eating well, keep walking and hopefully get in for a freaking workout this week (I have not been in to see Mandy since mid-March which hurts - I loved my bootcamp and wish I could be back in it).

I can't wait until this God-forsaken month is over!

Looking Past Limits

2011-04-16T18:37:00.001-05:00

How do you get your groove back when your faith is shaken and you don't know who to be or how to be. (Hat tip to Ed Schipul for sharing this awesome video)

Learning to sail my ship

2011-04-14T09:59:00.000-05:00

I recently came across a great quote from Louisa May Alcott and it hit me like a freight train.

"I'm not afraid of storms, for I am learning to sail my ship."

Mind. Blown.

Right now in my life, I'm lost at sea. I realize that sounds a bit ridiculous, but it's true. I'm panicked about what to do next and unsure of what my past experience means. We're in strange times my friends.

In the first few months of 2011, I have closed a small business, taken a month "off"; and taken/then quit an amazing opportunity. I've started a new "get well" job as a part-time office manager for an awesome company run by some of my favorite people in the world/located on my street. I can bring my dog to work and wear flip flops.

But the planner in me wants to know what's next. What's the plot? Where does this story lead?

The pragmatist in me says slow the hell down and take stock before leaping off into anything new. On the one hand, I want to jump into a full time, "holy cow you're a productive member of society again!" type of job with benefits and a salary. On the other, I don't want to blow another great opportunity because I'm not ready or it's not the right fit.

"The fastest way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others." Gandhi

The solution is to incubate for a bit and just stay busy being helpful to other people. I can help this company I'm working for by keeping their business running smoothly and taking those peripheral items (you know, all the little things you don't have time to do; the ones that drove me NUTS as a business owner) off their plate. I can help people through AniMeals and through the Friendly Visitor program. I can be useful right now to other people, instead of focusing solely on myself and my career and my, my, my.

I've swung up on the trapeze and let go, unsure of where my hands will find the next bar. But that's ok. I'm learning to sail my ship in uncharted territories. My first stop is the island of "shut the hell up Sarah and stop whining!" The second is to a place where I'm useful to others.

Storms be damned!

My New Sew Weekly Post is Up!

2011-04-13T11:58:00.000-05:00

My new Sew Weekly post is up! Check out what I looked like as a kid and judge my mom for dressing me and Devon in drapes!

Weigh in Monday - 4/11/11

2011-04-11T09:19:00.000-05:00

This is a less legit Weigh in Monday than normal because I haven't set foot in a Weight Watchers meeting in a month. One whole month guys! I need to get it together!

I have been weighing myself at home each week and found that I have lost 4 pounds the week of the Great 2-Day Internship Disaster of 2011. Stress is a helluva thing.

So I'm going to count this as a reset from all my hedonism in March and go back to WW next weekend to get my real stats back! Tune in next Monday for a "for real" Weigh in Monday!

Quitter.

2011-04-01T09:26:00.000-05:00

I'm a quitter. I quit my awesome internship at Schipul. I lasted two days.

The work was really interesting and the people were incredible, but at this point in my life I know myself very well and know when something isn't the right fit for me.

After running Sew Crafty for 3 years and internalizing a ton of stress at the cost of my relationships, body and general well being, I know now that I need to find something where stress isn't a big factor. Recovering addicts call this a "get well" job - something that doesn't involve a ton of stress/responsibility, but does give you the opportunity to feel good about a hard day's work. These are things I wish I would have found out before I committed to the job.

I will absolutely continue to be a HUGE fan of Schipul. After a peek behind the curtain, I can tell you three things:

Schipul clients are incredibly lucky. Those people work very, very hard for their clients. They care - and they care a lot. Every client - from small to large - gets the love and attention they deserve. I'm not surprised that this company is so successful.
The people are total bad asses. Every person I met or worked with was incredibly smart, talented and warm - Schipul has the best people on their team. And those MOFOs work hard. On top of being hard workers, they're also funny, weird and help the heck out of anyone who has a question.
Ed Schipul is a genius. I'm not throwing this term out lightly - the man knows his stuff backwards and forwards. Being in a meeting or a training with him is like getting hit by a freight train (in a good way). I only spent two days there and he managed to knock the BS out of my brain/give me a web marketing superpower. In two days folks.

Time will tell if I will regret this decision, but I feel lucky to have a strong enough sense of myself to know when to fold 'em and walk away. I'm richer for the experience, no matter how short.

We only get one life and after spending three difficult years putting myself through the ringer, I need a break.

The 30-Year-Old Intern

2011-03-29T15:57:00.000-05:00

That's right - Sarah's an intern again! I am lucky enough to have the opportunity to work for an AMAZING company and learn a ton about web marketing as I help their Interactive Client Team.

I'm nervous and excited - what's will it be like to be a 30-year-old intern? I have no clue.

At least I know, as much more of a grown up than when I started my last internship, that comfortable shoes are very important on the first day and to put your name on your Lean Cuisine ('cause someone will be eating it otherwise!) It's knowledge for the ages y'all - I'm like a modern day Yoda with this kind of insight...

So stay tuned for tales of internships, web marketing and fun!

No Weigh In Monday!

2011-03-28T09:16:00.000-05:00

Oh noes!

Someone's little dog is not feeling well so she is taking him in to the vet before a meeting today and didn't make it to WW as a result. So no official weigh in Monday :O(

I did weigh myself at home and was somehow the same weight as my last weigh in Monday (using the 2lb difference between my scale and the WW one), so yay to that!

Detox and Weight Loss

2011-03-21T07:35:00.004-05:00

I've always wanted to try a detox diet. Knowing several people who have tried the apple cider vingar and cayenne pepper cleanse diet, I knew that crabbiness/turning into a space cadet could definitely be side effects and that fact has kept me from ever attempting it.

After 3 days of horrible eating thanks to a hill country camping trip with my granparents (gramping!), I was ready to get back to eating healthy again. Now that I'm a lady of leisure, a detox diet seemed more doable and I was less scared about feeling stabby. Also, it occurred to me that I'm detoxing from bad food and coffee, not crystal meth, so I need to be less of a Nancy about it.

We (yes I dragged Ryan into this too) based our detox diet on this one from Vegetarian Times (yep - I spelled it wrong again and had to spell check), but made some modifications. Actually, we pretty much ignored all the dandelion salads and other stuff completely.

Here's what we did for our 2 day weekend detox:

Eat mostly vegan. I say mostly because I didn't have soy milk for our smoothies on Saturday morning, so I had to use milk and Greek yogurt.
Not add stuff to food. We didn't use salt or sugar in our foods. If they needed more flavor, we added some Bragg or some maple syrup (for sweet potatoes - MMM!)
Cut out the coffee. The Gabbarts are mighty coffee drinkers - we have like 4 cups a day usually, so this was the toughest part of the experiment. This and not being able to have a taco. I want a taco.
Drink a ton of water. We drank regular water, water with lemon, water with lemon and ginger, water with lemon and cayenne pepper, water with lemon, cayenne pepper and ginger - you get the idea.
Took naps. I have a black belt in sleeping, so this was a cakewalk - NAILED IT! *swish*

Things I learned from the detox:

After about a day, all your food tastes the way it's supposed to. Seriously - you can really taste your food. Apples were explosions of sweetness, carrots were sweet, broccoli was earthy and tart - I really enjoyed that part.
Headaches come on quickly and make you yell at your husband for whistling in the car.
Green tea is a Godsend.
It's not that hard to do for a short amount of time.
The genius of a detox isn't some crazy amount of weight loss, it's that it resets your tolerance for salt, fat and sugar. It also helps strengthen resolve and willpower, two things that had been seriously weakened in the food-stravaganza of weeks prior.

I have heard about 21-day cleanses that folks swear by, but eff that - I'm not going to be successful for 21-days on a plan like this. Life needs flexibility and variety. That said, we're definitely incorporating what we have learned into our regular life - eating mostly vegan at home, great ways to throw meals together with minimal ingredients and drinking a ton of water all the time.

But dang y'all, I need my coffee. No coffee is a dealbreaker for me (sexually transmitted crazy mouth - bwhahaha!)

Is there anything that you couldn't give up in diet?

PS: Weigh in Monday will be back next week - huzzah!

Digital sabbatical - over! Yes I realize it never really started...

2011-03-19T09:40:00.000-05:00

Ok, so things that I have learned while away from the internet:

1. I am not good at being away from the internet
2. Two weeks = 3 days
3. I love the internet

Internet, I just couldn't quit you. At first I thought being off the internet would be a relaxing and rejuvenating experience - that it would get me in touch with some part of myself that I lost touch with back before I became a constant Facebook and Twitter updater. Before you shed a tear for my sad, sad life, please know that I do go outside occasionally and don't Tweet when I eat a PBJ! Well not every time...

What I learned was that I really enjoy connecting with people on the internet and it has become a big part of my life in a very positive way. I've made new friends, grown in my relationships with people I already know in real life and I have learned a TON. Granted, some of this knowledge is in the LOLCat and Lamebook region, but I have also enriched my education in crafts, marketing and community building though my time spent online. Conclusion: my life is better with the internet in it. If Erin would have never convinced me to be on Facebook, my life would have been poorer in experience.

Also there's this, which is the best gift anyone has ever given me (or anyone else) ever. Ever in the history of time. So grateful for all the people in my life - I love you guys.

So fail on the digital sabbatical. A wise woman named Ruthie told me recently that when you have time off it's ok to jump ship on your well laid plans and I'm taking that to heart. March so far has been about exactly what it should be about - doing what I feel like doing when I feel like doing it. I'm usually such a planner and this month has helped me give up that control to gain something better: peace.

I'm going to use the rest of this month to enjoy the peace that random lunches at a food truck/bar with a friend, camping with my grandparents (gramping, as I call it), girl's night, rodeo-ing and crafting brings.

In April, it's on the the job hunt!

Reverb10: I'm 30 and unemployed - huzzah!

2011-03-03T10:31:00.001-06:00

Today I opened my inbox and received this prompt from the Reverb10 crew: If March 2011 was your last month to live, how would you live it?
I have an answer for this!

I am almost officially 30 years old now and completely unemployed. This is the first time since 1998 that I haven't had a part-time job, internship, heavy class load, full-time job or business to run.

It's slightly terrifying and totally awesome! Don't get me wrong, I'm not a total bum and will be looking for work in the near future, but I am going to enjoy my time as an unattached woman for the month of March.

Mythical March, as I'm calling, is the only month out of the year that I might actually see a unicorn (hat tip to my hubby for the phrase, usually reserved for the week between Christmas and New Year's Eve).

I'm going to use the time to reflect, relax, meditate, ride my bike, sleep in and generally live like a River Oaks socialite sans the Neiman Marcus habit and propensity for wearing workout clothes all the time. If you see me in gym clothes, rest assured I'm headed to or coming home from the gym.

Things that will be happening in March:

I'm going to unplug from Facebook, Twitter and this blog for 2 weeks (starting today!)
Email checking is going down to once every 2 - 3 days (starting today!)
I'm giving Meatless Mondays a go!
I'm scheduling time every morning to meditate
Bootcamp and WW are still on as scheduled!

Don't miss me too much, all 4 people reading this! I'll be back in a few weeks with Weigh in Monday and March reflections!

My new Sew Weekly post is up!

2011-03-01T10:16:00.000-06:00

In this week's challenge I made a dress that will blind you with bright flowers!

Weigh in Monday - 2/28/11

2011-02-28T11:02:00.002-06:00

Weigh in Monday will be back next week - I have to work all day and will be missing my meeting :o(

The good news is that I tracked almost every day this week, ate well and stuck to my goals pretty closely - hoping next week is the same!

Weigh in Monday - 2/21/11

2011-02-21T08:13:00.001-06:00

Sha-na-na - lost a pound! I didn't make all my goals this week (I tracked 4 out of 7 and wanted 7 of 7; ate out a bit much), but I did manage to keep it under control in other ways - limited adult beverages to two evenings with a three drink max and stuck to this - even on Valentine's Day! Those calories add up folks.

Next week: more eating at home - my goal is eating dinner in 4 days this week; more exercise (want to ride to work on Saturday) and getting that 7/7 tracking goal!

Today's weight loss: 1 lb
Total weight loss: 4.2
Pounds left to lose: 25.8

Nightclub Cardio - AKA shake it like you'r sellin' it!

2011-02-18T14:28:00.001-06:00

I love dancing. I'm not good at it, I'm not coordinated and I can't always *bring it* but I still really, really enjoy it. A few years back, Erin found out about a new thing in town called Nightclub Cardio and we all decided to give it a whirl. Man am I glad I did!

Not knowing what to expect, we all arrived at a literal nightclub and registered. There were all types of people there - big, small, uber fit, not-so-fit and everyone in between.

The class turned out to be less of a dance class and more of an aerobics class, which was actually much better. I can do aerobics, but in a dance class I tend to spaz out (see: Alla and Sarah's adventure at a hip hop class and the resulting spin into a super hip hop gentleman who was super nice about it). It's like dancing for the coordinationally challenged!

I have no idea why I love it so much, but every class there is a time when I'm smiling so hard I start to giggle. It's not an easy class and sometimes I'm dying whilst doing some sort of squat thrust, hip jiggle thing, but it's so so much fun. I do recall the male instructor once tell us to "Shake it like you're sellin' it!" and bursting into laughter while shaking it. Like I was sellin' it. So much fun.

So now Nightclub Cardio has become one of my favorite ways to vary my workouts - it's always different, always fun and gives me a whole hour of intense cardio for the week. It's the perfect bridge between bootcamp on Tuesdays and Thursday!

What ways do you like to mix it up when it comes to exercise?

On Nerdiness

2011-02-18T09:08:00.000-06:00

Are you a nerd? I am - I have always been a nerd and will remain a nerd for life. A nerd is not a dork (mega socially inept), a dweeb (intelligent and socially inept) or a geek (intelligent and obsessed with some niche; Probably also socially inept). A nerd is more of a generalist, mixing equal parts of awkwardness, strange hobbies and a decent knowledge base.

My nerdiness falls more on the awkward end of the spectrum: I'm enthusiastic, sort of ADD and talk SUPER LOUD sometimes. I also talk a lot. A LOT a lot. Lots of talking coming out of my face.

As a young person, this proved more of a liability than an endearing quality when it came to fitting in and, as you can imagine (and as you may have experienced personally), a fair amount of teasing came my way as a result. Now that I'm an adult, it's usually better but not always - there is always going to be someone that doesn't get it. And that's ok.

It took me well into my 20s to get cool with the fact that I was, well, not cool - and to realize that this was the greatest thing ever. Some of the most awesome people I know are nerds. Nerds tend to be much easier to talk to at cocktail parties, much more fun to enjoy lunch with and probably the best people to know if you end up on a game show or something (seriously - phone a friend that knows a variety of things about a variety of things? Awesome.)

Nerds usually don't take themselves too seriously and, to me, that's where the awesomeness lies - they're willing to be nerdy because that's just how they are. Being around someone who is cool with who they are is liberating - it gives you space to be yourself too.

That's why I love nerds and why I'm proud to be one. (This is now feeling like an essay from elementary school - "And in conclusion, nerds are great. The End.")

My new Sew Weekly post is up!

2011-02-15T10:50:00.002-06:00

In this one, Ryan the Gabbart joins us for a photo shoot, Erin takes 5,000 photos out in the cold (THANKS ERIN!) and we get a peek at some special socks.

Get out there and finish the run.

2011-02-15T09:23:00.000-06:00

I'm a quitter by nature. Sometimes it's a liberating experience - like knowing when something isn't working and being willing to move on (Good!) but it can also be just an easy way out of a hard situation (Bad).

Losing weight is tough. It's tough to rein in your diet or get your butt into a gym or out to walk. It's equally tough to not see hard results week after week.

Maybe you gained, maybe you plateaued or maybe you just lost a little. Even if you are a positive person, it's easy to beat yourself up for not putting up the "big numbers" like they do on weight loss shows. It's also very easy to start backsliding - "What's a burger for lunch going to hurt? Why shouldn't I drink another margarita?" and so on in this fashion until BAM: you're back to where you started or worse.

Don't punk out. Take it from this lady*. When some as*hole jumped out of the bushes and attacked her, she not only fought back, but she was also instrumental to putting him away for good. He also happened to be the same person that killed Chandra Levy.

If that wasn't enough, she returned to the scene of her attack 9 years later to finish her run. Because she wanted to finish what she started. While she ran, she thought of her kids, saying "If I had a family crest, I would make this the motto: We get back up, we finish the run!"

Finish what you start, keep going and don't get discouraged. We all have burdens to carry - whether they're light or heavy, like this brave woman - but we have the power in us to overcome them.

*hat tip to Christina who shared this on Facebook!

Weigh in Monday - 2/14/11

2011-02-14T11:29:00.000-06:00

Whoops! Apparently they wrote down my stats wrong for last week, so the loss was .4 and not .6 as previously posted. However, this week WAS a .6 loss - so BAM!

What worked: tracking in a new 3 month journal (instead of sporadically online)
What didn't work: limiting eating out; will refocus this week!

Today's weight loss: .6 lbs
Total weight loss: 3.2
Pounds left to lose: 26.8

My new Sew Weekly post is up!

2011-02-10T17:36:00.000-06:00

Posting fail! I meant to share this yesterday, but was distracted by an epic party. Here's the project that might keep me off next season of Hoarders, plus a sneak peek into my sewing room!

Weigh in Monday - 2/7/11

2011-02-07T16:52:00.001-06:00

BAM - 1/2lb loss! I know that's not a huge, "holy shit how did they lose so much weight" kind of loss like on the Biggest Loser, but honestly, that's so much better. 1/2 a pound means that the things I have changed this week are working in a realistic way and it's showing on the scale.

This week, eating mostly at home was the name of the game except for Saturday night's GIRL'S NIIIGGHHTT with Erin and Sunday night's Super Bowl of Friendship at the Novos. Also, I made it to both of my bootcamps and shook my butt at Nightclub Cardio (post coming up this week about NCC and it's awesomeness!).

On most days, I had balanced, healthy meals and an appropriate amount of food. Other days I had a few "bad food" items, but enjoyed them and moved on - case in point: I ate the heck out of bacon wrapped dates on Sunday, as they are the official friendship food of our group, and didn't regret it one bit. That's what I like about Weight Watchers - flexibility. Even though the progress can be slow at times, I'm learning to live - and eat - in the world and that's something I can sustain long term.

This week's goal: eat 4 days out of 7 at home for all meals and make it to both bootcamps, NCC and add one 30 minute walk to the mix (weather permitting: otherwise, it will be a date with the elliptical at the gym).

Today's weight loss: .6 lbs
Total weight loss: 2.6
Pounds left to lose: 27.4

UPDATED:

Today's weight loss: .4 lbs
Total weight loss: 2.4
Pounds left to lose: 27.6

My new Sew Weekly post is up!

2011-02-03T09:53:00.000-06:00

My new Sew Weekly post takes us into the world of Chambray, which is so hot right now. Like Hansel.

January Resolution Recap!

2011-02-02T15:46:00.000-06:00

I'm a huge fan of measuring success in touchy feely terms (i.e. no hard facts to back up anything I say). I would love to say that I'm a serious, quantifiable result type gal, but alas - I'm not!

There is definitely a place in the world for metrics (how could you know how far you've gone without knowing how many feet there all in a mile?), but when you're dealing with resolutions it's personal.

Here's my "touchy feely" January Resolution Recap:

Fitness was a win - all month I have missed only 1 workout and really felt it. I think my body is loving the exercise and I'm really enjoying bootcamp!
Pants - they're noticeably looser! Even a tight fitness shirt that has not fit in a year, fits.
Sewing - I have 4 brand new outfits that I have sewn myself, thanks to the Sew Weekly Challenge!
Meditating - nope. Didn't do it yet. March will be meditation month!
Vegetarian - still can't spell it. Did eat a few great vegetarian meals this month and will get some more in there next month!

So there it is - January in a nutshell; On to February!

Weigh in Monday - 1/31/11

2011-01-31T12:45:00.001-06:00

I'm not even going to post a photo of my tracker because I didn't track for even a single day last week. Not one doggone day.

I fell off the wagon this past week. HARD. I didn't eat a single meal at home, only went to one session of bootcamp and drank like an Irishman on more than one night. In summation: last week = mega fail. The only thing I could have done worse last week was to start smoking again (I quit at 21)!

Since I announced my business was closing, I have been indulging in all of my less-than-stellar coping mechanisms. And I feel terrible.

Not in the "I'm going to beat myself up about this" way, I feel physically bad. I'm tired, dehydrated and mentally drained.

Alanna, the super-trooper, total bad ass chick that has kept me sane for the past two years, and I were put through the ringer Friday and Saturday, working from open to close during Sew Crafty's mega sale. Friday night I was struck down with either mild food poisoning or stress pukes (lovely right? :o) and Saturday's lunch was a McDonald's hamburger eaten while standing at the desk and checking someone out. Except for a best friend's 30th birthday party (which was Mad Men themed, so damn cute and everyone was adorably dressed up!), I didn't see or talk to friends, and even that wonderful time was cut short by the reemergence of my upset stomach on Saturday night. In a word: this weekend sucked.

Why is it that when we need to be taking care of ourselves physically to meet the world's demands, we start punishing our body with bad food and other poisons? Yeah I went there - I never realized how much my body hates fast food, fatty, greasy food and excess alcohol until this week. It's poison people!

Down to brass tacks: All of this led to a decently big gain, but I'm not surprised at all. This week I'm back on the wagon and ready to feel good again.

Today I went to my meeting and heard something that I won't forget: the leader had an egg in a baggie and was walking to the podium when she dropped it. "Whoops! I broke an egg!" she said, while pulling out a whole carton of eggs. "I guess I better break the whole carton, right?" and flung all the eggs in the air (they were Easter eggs at this point)*.

Just because you break an egg, doesn't mean you have to break the whole carton. Don't let a weight loss or life setback stop you from living the life you want. I'm not. This week it's back to eating right, working on my fitness and relaxing in healthy ways!

Today's weight ~~loss~~ gain: 1.2 lbs
Total weight loss: 2.0
Pounds left to lose: 28

*I said eggs like 10,000 times in that paragraph - neat!

My new Sew Weekly post is up!

2011-01-27T18:01:00.001-06:00

This week I tackled something vintage and made a burgundy skirt to boot!

Sad news - I'm closing my business.

2011-01-24T17:03:00.001-06:00

Dear friends who read this blog (all 4 of you),

I'm closing my small business - it's sad and a relief at the same time. Has that ever happened to you? Like you want to cry and take a deep breath at once? I know it's the right decision, but it's still tough - 3 of the best years of my life were spent doing this.

More info is here - I just wanted to say something personal about it for a minute. Business Sarah and Sarah Sarah overlap quite a bit, but I wouldn't tell all our students that I just hopped off my husband's lap after quite literally crying on his shoulder.

I'm excited about the future, but today is about the past - here's my favorite memories from the past 3 years:

Painting pizza party with Alla, Scott, Erin, Chris and Ryan at the first location
Meeting with Culture Pilot for the first time - and every time since!
Maker Faire - full of fuzzy hats and friendship
Getting to go to the UK for a whole month each year - just because I could!
Meeting Amanda, Ruthie, Renee, Alexandra, Alanna, Melissa Woods, Jill, Patty, Shawn, Abby, Gretchen, Tobiah and all the folks who came through the doors.
Getting to talk fros and domo hand warmers with Melissa P on a weekly basis.
Getting Domo handwarmers and a crocheted Bender B Rodriguez doll from people I love (Mo and Patty respectively)
Having a kid call me a grumpy old lady.
Meeting Boden, Riley and tons of other babies that I knew before they were born, thanks to their moms coming in to the shop!
Making tons of new friends - people I would have never met otherwise.

That's not a definitive list - I could go on for days about what was great about Sew Crafty, but the two big things that made me close it were the stress and the cash. It was simply too stressful and too expensive to keep doing long term and I want a more balanced life.

Thank you to everyone who made this place possible - I love you all.

Sarah

PS:Have you ever had to make a decision like this? If so, how did you cope?

Weigh in Monday - 1/24/11

2011-01-24T11:16:00.000-06:00

Weigh in Monday will be back next week - I have to miss my meeting today because of general craziness (dog to the vet, work, meetings!)! I did manage to track all week and exercise a lot, so I'm pretty happy with my progress - some days were high point days and others were low point days, which I what I expected. Next week's focus: track every day and more low point days!

*note I also ate 3 pieces of pie for national pie day yesterday, so maybe this is a good thing.

One-word resolution: what's yours this year?

2011-01-21T17:32:00.000-06:00

Gretchen Rubin from the Happiness Project just shared a great video about creating a one-word theme for the year. By setting your attention to one word as a guide for 2011, you can easily measure up what you are doing currently against how it fits this word. It can also be a great motivator - using your word is a mantra can help you smack yourself out of complacency and bad behavior.

My word for 2011: consistency. Each one of my goals boils down to this one concept - being consistent - and I know that when I'd rather get eat my way through a box of donuts or skip sewing to watch TV it will help keep me focused.

What's your one-word resolution?

My new Sew Weekly post is up!

2011-01-21T09:46:00.000-06:00

This skirt and top pants broke my heart, like Summer in 500 Days of Summer, but we're friends now and I think we're both richer for the experience.

Weigh in Monday - 1/17/11

2011-01-17T14:04:00.001-06:00

Wah wah waaaaahhhh - I gained a bit this week. Not so bad though - only 2 ounces - which is, according my my Leader, maintenance gain (i.e. when you're less than 3 ounces it's just a body fluctuation). I'm cool with that explanation, but I know it could totally be the fact that I had quite a bit of wine and cupcakes on Saturday night.

Another issue: tracking! As you can see, I didn't track all week or track all my meals, so that's happening this week. Call me out in the comments next week if I don't!

Today's weight ~~loss~~ gain: .2 lbs
Total weight loss: 3.2
Pounds left to lose: 26.8

Bootcamp Week 2: Electric Boogaloo

2011-01-15T16:30:00.001-06:00

Today I started going "Grrarg" when going up the stairs at work. Each step made my thighs think twice about the next one and every time my foot would hit the wood, my abs braced themselves for impact. Welcome to week 2: bootcamp fatigue.

During week 1, your motivation to be fit in the new year is at an all-time high. You're ready for battle - the battle of the bulge (sorry - I couldn't resist) - and each session is like "Thank you ma'am! Can I have another!?!?" You're a workout machine! Or at least I was. My warrior spirit was ready to kick some circuit training ass and take names.

Then it's week 2. Your body is a little tired. You had a hamburger this weekend. You think you know the routine. Day 1 is ok - you make it though and aren't too sore the next day. Then day 2 rolls around - BAM! You're having trouble doing the easiest parts of week 1's workouts.

Normally, this would be the time that disillusion sets in. "Oh!" your mind says "This is why I stopped doing this before." And you would start to slack off.

It's a highway to the danger zone people. If you let your mind wander and start to phone it in, your motivation is going to start to suffer and before you know it, calling in sick to exercise is happening.

No dice mind. I'm not falling for your tricks anymore. And you shouldn't either. Let's push through it and keep going - we'll all thank ourselves later. Let's go out there next week and kick some butt!

My first Sew Weekly post is up!

2011-01-11T11:08:00.000-06:00

Check it out here and let me know what you think - it was so much fun making this first dress! I can't wait to see what the other ladies have made - viva Sew Weekly!

Weigh in Monday - 1/10/11

2011-01-10T16:23:00.000-06:00

Success! This week I had another loss of 1.8lbs, bringing total loss to 3.4lbs - well on my way to my goal!

Working out with the Mandy (bootcamp!) and being more mindful of what I'm eating, yet not obsessing over every calorie (this is important! It's easy to burn out if you're constantly stressed about food), seems to be doing the trick. Next week's focus: keeping up the good work!

Today's weight loss: 1.8
Total weight loss: 3.4
Pounds left to lose: 26.6

Irish up that coffee!

2011-01-09T15:56:00.001-06:00

When we visited the town of Foynes in Ireland last summer, I was surprised to learn that this was the birthplace of the world-famous Irish Coffee. Apparently, what is now the Foynes Flying Boat Museum used to be a hotel, which was also a terminal of sorts for planes flying into Shannon. Literally. The civillian planes flew into the River Shannon from America during WWII.

The chef at the hotel felt for the cold, wet and terrified passengers who had just made the harrowing flight across the pond and wanted to give them something warm to calm their nerves. If you have ever tried an Irish Coffee, I don't have to tell you how this turned out. After a few sips here I fell asleep in the van on the way to the next town and apparently snored really loud. I'm claiming jet lag, but you all know the truth.

Here's me and the delightful manager of the museum making Irish Coffees - it was so much fun and honestly one of the coolest parts of our trip. If you are ever in Ireland, don't miss Foynes!

PS: Hat tip to Max D. for the video!

Week 1 of Bootcamp - Fun Times Accomplished!

2011-01-08T11:19:00.000-06:00

After a week of bootcamp (2 sessions plus the regular personal training session) I can say that's it's working. Something about the consistency of working out is helping me keep my eating in check and making me feel trim (looser pants? Yes please.) I'm sore, but not "OH MAH GAWD" sore.

Each day of bootcamp was varied and split into several circuits you never knew what was coming next. We were constantly moving around and honestly the time passed faster than I thought it would. I need this kind of thing - I get way bored with doing the same thing every session and this variety helps keep me motivated.

After I get this schedule down I'm going to start back at Nightclub Cardio and might try Zumba - on eof my best friends, Alla, does it and really enjoys it and JessB commented on the last post that her sister, who had recently lost weight, did Zumba. Perhaps it will help me dance like this baby, who is totally killin it.

What do you do to exercise and how do you make it part of your life?

Bootcamping it up!

2011-01-04T17:37:00.000-06:00

I was worried today that Mandy was going to kill me. Up until today, I have done one 30-minute session each week (excluding Christmas and New Years, etc.). Today was the start of the one hour bootcamp.

One. Whole. Hour. I have to come in for a whole hour and work out for one whole hour?! I mean - come on!

I'm not saying that it was easy - Mandy, don't read this as it was easy and make me do intense stuff on Thursday - but it was a whole lot of fun. I feel good and my body wanted the exercise so bad after all that holiday resting.

Being my first real bootcamp, I have no idea what to expect! Have you ever taken a bootcamp before? If so, what did you learn that will help you with your fitness goals?

The Sew Weekly - I'm a contributor!

2011-01-03T21:06:00.001-06:00

In 2011 I'll be contributing to one of my favorite blogs, the Sew Weekly, and trying to make one garment a week for a whole year. EEEP! Me, Mena, Adey, Debi and Veronica will all be showing off what we make each week while giving folks a peek inside our creative process when sewing garments.

I'm so excited and super nervous - can I do this? Can I really keep up with that pace and sew adorable things consistently? I'm so ready to see and I can't wait to share all the things I make with you all!

Weigh in Monday - 1/3/2011

2011-01-03T13:53:00.003-06:00

YES! I lost 1.2. BAM! I didn't track at all during the holidays, which is bad, but apparently I kept it together enough to not post a significant weight gain. Back to tracking this week and back to getting my butt kicked by Mandy - eeep!

Today's weight loss: 1.2
Total weight loss: 1.6
Pounds left to lose: 28.4

New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-01T09:02:00.004-06:00

After reading The Happiness Project last year, I was inspired to better my life and improve my health through making (and actually sticking to) resolutions. Things I accomplished, like taking a meditation class and joining Weight Watchers again were successful, but my goals for spending less, making more and working less didn't work out so well. In 2011, I'm going to pick up where I left off and add some new stuff to the mix!

Here's the 10 resolutions I would like to do this year (I'm saving 3 at the bottom as TBD so I can add more later)!

1. Lose 30lbs - I'm turning 30 on March 7th and I want to be close to my goal by then, but I'm cool with it taking longer. Thirty pounds is a lot of weight and it's going to take time to shed it plus it's going to take some adjustment to keep it off for good.

Ways I'm going to make it happen: stick with WW and track every day, work out with Mandy ~~once~~ three times a week, walk once a week, go to Nightclub Cardio and ride my bike with Ryan once a week!

2. Make my own wardrobe - I want a stylish, mix and match wardrobe that works for my lifestyle and fits me perfectly. In 2011, I would like to design this dream wardrobe - including things I already have and things I want to make. After I figure out what I need, I'm going to start making my own clothes!

Ways I'm going to make this happen: sketch out my dream wardrobe, clean out my closet - pull pieces from my current wardrobe and donate/sell the rest, source patterns and fabric for stuff to make, make sewing schedule and get going!

3. Become a (most of the time) vegetarian - I love animals and have read that a vegetarian diet can reduce your risk of heart disease, cancer and diabetes. While it might be hard to give up meat eating in all situations, I can at least have most of my meals be meat free while I'm at home. I'm no good with an all or nothing approach, so striving for 70% to 80% vegetarian will be flexible enough to keep me going!

Ways I'm going to make this happen: study up on good vegetarian foods, stock my pantry and fridge with foods that are filling, delicious and healthy, and hit up my veggie/vegan friends for tips!

3a. Learn to spell vegetarian - spell check was like "Dude - you spelled this differently 3 times in the same paragraph. Get your sh*t together!"

4. Go back to Marfa - that little town way out west has something special about it that I can't put my finger on. Every time I think about our trip there in 2009, I keep wanting to go back!

Ways I'm going to make this happen: Make Ryan take me back to Marfa!

5. Create and stick to a monthly budget - saving money is a virtue and I would like to be better at squirreling money away for a rainy day.

Ways I'm going to make this happen: write a budget by identifying things I want to splurge on/save for/not spend on, and track it like Weight Watchers.

6. Volunteer - I'm already committed to Interfaith Ministries for both the AniMeals on Wheels program and the Friendly Visitor program, so that's something I would like to remain consistent with.

I also want to raise money for PugHearts )because, as you may know the love of my life is a handsome, chubby curmudgeon named Tex, and these people so damn much for his type!) and start a new coat drive in the fall to help those in need.

Ways I'm going to make this happen: continue with Interfaith volunteering, contact PugHearts about how to help and start organizing coat drive by contacting local businesses who can help, putting the word out and getting some coats!

7. Meditate every day - just like flossing, sometimes you need to do something every day to make it stick and I am going to do this every day just to have some quiet time in the morning. I think it sets a nice pace for the rest of the day and helps you be less harried.

Ways I'm going to make this happen: butt on the cushion every morning for 15 minutes.

8. TBD

9. TBD

10. TBD

Reverb 10 - December 29 - 31!

2010-12-31T20:35:00.000-06:00

December 29 – Defining Moment Describe a defining moment or series of events that has affected your life this year. (Author: Kathryn Fitzmaurice)

I'm sending you a blizzard, messin' your vacation up!

I'm not sure I had a defining moment this year - I had a whole lot of damn fun this year and I'm excited for 2011. If I had to pick something that happened this year that changed my life it was this week, when Ryan and I had our vacation cancelled because of the Snowmagedden.

We we're all set to fly to New York on Monday morning and have a few days in the city to take in the sights. A mega blizzard had other ideas. Instead of crying about it, we decided to move our vacation to our hometown, which is also where we currently live. It was a blast - we saw a burlesque show and ate at tons of restaurants we wanted to try, but have never made the time. The zoo was visited, we took naps - it was a perfect vacation and it cost about 1/3 of what NYC would have cost.

This week, to me, defined us as a couple - we're always game to make the best of something, which is super important to make a marriage work*.

(*we've been together for 9 years, married for 5, so I'm pretty sure I don't know everything about marriage - I just know this works for us).

December 30 – Gift Prompt: Gift. This month, gifts and gift-giving can seem inescapable. What’s the most memorable gift, tangible or emotional, you received this year? (Author: Holly Root)

That's easy: surprise 5 year anniversary shower. It was unbelievable!

December 31 – Core Story What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world? (Bonus: Consider your reflections from this month. Look through them to discover a thread you may not have noticed until today.) (Author: Molly O’Neill)

Holy crap - this is deep. How do you know what you're core story is? Isn't part of personhood being contradictory? Also, isn't saying "I'm this kind of person" akin to telling the world "Ok - I'm really wanting to come off as this kind of person, but I'm not quite there yet. Maybe declaring it will make it so!"?

Looking back over this month of posting, one thing is clear to me: I'm happy. Not always, not all the time cheering "WOO HOOO!!", but honestly, most of the time I am like that. I'm loud, semi-obnoxious and always laughing or making a joke. I'm a happy person and I'm lucky to be here - my life hasn't always been this enjoyable (mostly because of my own damn doing). It makes me just want to be nice. To everyone. Even the ones who thing I'm A) stupid or B) disingenuous*.

Another thing that struck me this year was that I need to be better about letting stuff go. I simply can't cling to anger, resentment or negativity as I have done in the past. This year I've made a real effort to improve this and guess what: my life has become so much better because of it. Duh Sarah. Duh.

So how can you share being happy with the world and not act like a jackass who's lording their happiness over everyone else? Help them be happy too. Make them laugh, share good times and make sure they know you like them - everyone likes to be liked, especially when it's sincere. You would be surprised how little some people hear compliments - try handing a few out now and again. Just be nice**.

*I don't care what you think, I'm going to be nice to you so hard you won't know what hit you!
**Also, don't drive like a jerk or cut in lines. That makes people super mad - I get downright muderous when people do either of those things, and I'm a pretty nice person.

Reverb 10 - December 27 and 28

2010-12-31T20:08:00.001-06:00

Don't let his adorableness fool you - he can
clear the room with a toot.

December 27 – Ordinary Joy. Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year? (Author: Brené Brown)

My most joyful experience is laying down in bed with Ryan and Tex. They're my little family and it makes me nearly giddy to hear them offering up the dueling banjos of snoring. It's cute and it makes me feel so safe - like my life is all curled up in that bed resting. It's a wonderful feeling to be next to the ones you love and to feel like everything is ok at the moment.

The coolest thing is that I get to do it every night, even if one of them occasionally farts up the bed.

December 28 – Achieve. What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Free? Happy? Complete? Blissful? Write that feeling down. Then, brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today. (Author: Tara Sophia Mohr)

Next year I want to be content. That's it - I don't have to have a mid-blowing personal revelation or some crazy adventure, I just want to be happy and to enjoy life.

I remember hearing this young girl (not young, young - just a bit younger than me in college) lament that some people are doomed to live an ordinary life. I was kind of drunk at the time, so my reply probably sounded like "You're stupid" when what I meant to say is "We should all learn to be happy where we are." There are so many people in the world - in our own community - who wish and pray that they could have an ordinary life. Whether they have been hit by tragedy, crippled by poverty or just miserable in general, they would most likely be completely fine with just having a family, having a decent job and sleeping in a warm bed.

My life is ordinary, but the fact that I get to wake up and live it everyday is awesome. That's all we can ask for, right? All the rest is just details.

Reverb 10 - December 26

2010-12-26T20:35:00.001-06:00

December 26 – Soul Food What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins)

Man do I love food - LOVE IT! This year I don't remember a particular meal, but I will never forget Dexter night.

On Sundays our friends would get together to eat a potluck-style meal and watch Dexter, the show about America's favorite serial-killer who also happens to be a blood spatter analyst for the Miami Metro Homicide Department. Yes I agree that's oddly specific, but it's a damn good show.

Communal meals like that really bring people together - you get to share your favorite recipe, tons of jokes and some time with your friends that you might not otherwise get. Between all the commitments of life - work, school and just getting things done (groceries are needed, the dog needs to be walked) - it's easy to let friendship slide, but if you build in time each week, it's something to look forward to!

Reverb 10 - December 20 - 25

2010-12-26T15:58:00.004-06:00

I hope everyone had a safe and happy Christmas - we were blessed with two great families to split our time with: Ryan's and mine. I love both of my families so much and I'm so glad we get to spend time together and that we didn't lose anyone along the way this year.

One thing struck me this year and that's exactly how blessed I am. There should come a time in every person's life when they are humbled by love and it's happened to me twice this year - when our best friends threw us a surprise 5 year wedding anniversary (it was one of the very best days of my life - possibly the best) and this Christmas when I unwrapped a new coat.

The coat was beautiful - olive green and made of soft wool. It was warm too - I tested it in the harsh Texas winter (LOL). But it occurred to me in a very tangible way that I'm a lucky person - I get to wear a new coat! Not an old coat, not a used one, not a donated coat - a brand new coat. Some people never have that day and it hurts my heart. Next year, I'm going to buy 3 new coats and donate them somewhere so others have that same experience.

OK - on to the prompts! Make a cup of coffee and settle in, because I'm obviously wordy today!

December 20 – Beyond Avoidance. What should you have done this year but didn’t because you were too scared, worried, unsure, busy or otherwise deterred from doing? (Bonus: Will you do it?) (Author: Jake Nickell)

This year was a real turning point for me in my life. I have really enjoyed most everything and have done my best to experience it all. One thing I regret is not meditating more - I am going to sit more in 2011!

December 21 – Future Self. Imagine yourself five years from now. What advice would you give your current self for the year ahead? (Bonus: Write a note to yourself 10 years ago. What would you tell your younger self?) (Author: Jenny Blake)

Dear Future Self - don't worry so much! As the great Van Wilder said "Worry is like a rocking chair. It gives you something to do, but doesn't take you anywhere." Just enjoy life - it's going to be over sooner than you think and worrying is going to make you miss it. Sarah

CC: past self, present self.

December 22 – Travel How did you travel in 2010? How and/or where would you like to travel next year? (Author: Tara Hunt)

Herding sheep in Ireland!

Travel is awesome. You learn so much about other people, the way they live and more about yourself. I love telling the stories of trekking through Ireland and eating through Italy or, more importantly, getting engaged in Venice (Hi five Gabbo - engagement? Nailed it!)

This year we have gone a few cool places: Mexico, Ireland, England - and I would love to visit a few more in 2011. One place I would love to visit would be the west - I would love to see parts of California and the Pacific northwest that I have never visited before. I love globetrotting, but it's time for the Gabbarts to see a bit more of the good ole' USA.

December 23 – New Name Let’s meet again, for the first time. If you could introduce yourself to strangers by another name for just one day, what would it be and why? (Author: Becca Wilcott)

Gertrude. Not only is my favorite sewing blog by a lady named Gertie, but my grandfather used to call me Gertrude and my sister Josephine. I have no idea why he did this, but it's funny to me and strikes me as a damn cool name. How many people have you met named Gertrude that aren't 80 years old?

December 24 Prompt – Everything’s OK What was the best moment that could serve as proof that everything is going to be alright? And how will you incorporate that discovery into the year ahead? (Author: Kate Inglis)

Ryan and I made a garden this year - it has been a life long dream of mine to have a garden in the backyard and it finally happened! Thanks to the help of Ruthie, gardening expert and best birthday gift giver ever (she gave me a year of garden consultation) and Ryan's dad (he lent us a truck), the Gabbarts now have a veggie patch in the back and were able to grow cucumbers, salad and tomatoes.

Sitting in the back yard watching the garden and relaxing brings me to that "everything is going to be ok" spot every time. It's the stillness and the quasi-natural setting that eases my mind - both are powerful tools to use in coping with anxiety (which I have a touch of) and becoming a more balanced person.

December 25 – Photo – a present to yourself. Sift through all the photos of you from the past year. Choose one that best captures you; either who you are, or who you strive to be. Find the shot of you that is worth a thousand words. Share the image, who shot it, where, and what it best reveals about you. (Author: Tracey Clark)

Max, my sister's boyfriend and awesome photographer dude, took this of Ryan and I getting surprised with a 5 year anniversary party.

We were both so blown away by this incredible kindness, that I started crying shortly after this shot was taken. Can you imagine how much people have to love you to plan a party, make all the food, drag your parent's away from their compound in the country and keep it a secret? It's no small task and we felt no small amount of gratitude for friends like ours!

This photo makes me want to be a better person and a better friend - to give others that amazing feeling that day gave me.

Weigh in Monday - 12/20/10

2010-12-20T10:10:00.002-06:00

I'm skipping WW today because I slept a bit too late :o( Next weigh in Monday will be on January 3 because they're closed for the holidays!

Reverb 10 - December 19

2010-12-19T22:04:00.000-06:00

December 19 – Healing. What healed you this year? Was it sudden, or a drip-by-drip evolution? How would you like to be healed in 2011? (Author: Leoni Allan)

Falling down is a constant in my life. I have many, many scars from skinned knees, banged elbows and ill-conceived climbs up brittle tree limbs. It hurts when you fall and it seems to take F O R E V E R to heal. I once took a dive off the front porch thanks to a pair of too tall heels and it took a year for the ache in my knee to go away, not to mention the gigant bruise and scraped-to-hell knee. Everything eventually returned to normal, but it took some time.

It's the same with all the teasing, bullying and general meanness that we have all had to deal with at some point in our youth. It stings, it leaves scars and it gives us hang ups about being ourself. Its easy to trace our adult issues to the awful things that someone said to us way back when. The biggest victory is to be ok with who you are - to heal those old hurts through loving yourself for who you are.

Time does heal all wounds. Each day we learn to live better in our own skin and, to me, that's healing. Being comfortable with who you are is a way of stitching up all of the hurt you have suffered from those who didn't understand you; and it happens day by day, piece by piece, drip by drip.

Reverb 10 - December 13 - 18 (AKA the "Sarah Sucks at Keeping Up!" edition)

2010-12-18T22:36:00.000-06:00

Oh lawd people. I'm terrible at keeping up this week - between work, holiday shopping, holiday making, sleeping and seeing the hubster, I took a blogging hiatus.

December 13 – Action When it comes to aspirations, it’s not about ideas. It’s about making ideas happen. What’s your next step? (Author: Scott Belsky)
I don't know yet. There are so many things one can do in life and it can be daunting to choose your next path. I'm interested in trying something I have never done before - something that challenges and scares me!

December 14 – Appreciate What’s the one thing you have come to appreciate most in the past year? How do you express gratitude for it? (Author: Victoria Klein)

I really appreciate the people in my life. I love my husband, my dog (he's a person to me!), my family and my friends - and I hope that I can somehow show them how much they mean to me.

Another thing I am grateful for is the small comfort that I have in my life - I'm very lucky to have a warm home, new shoes and clean clothing. There are so many people in the world - even people in our own communities - who don't have these luxuries. After volunteering this year with Interfaith Ministries delivering dog food to low-income seniors, I have a lot more appreciation for all the blessings I have had in my life.

December 15 – 5 Minutes Imagine you will completely lose your memory of 2010 in five minutes. Set an alarm for five minutes and capture the things you most want to remember about 2010. (Author: Patti Digh)

Oh noes! I want to take it all with me! Two experience that stick out most have to do with both my husband and animals. For my birthday, I met a giraffe! Well, like 3 giraffes, and we were able to feed them. It was the coolest birthday present ever and in every photo I look like I'm going to pee my pants with excitement!

The second experience was one I have previously blogged about: flying a f%^&*ng hawk! It was so very awesome and I will never forget what it was like to have that big ass bird on my arm.

December 16 – Friendship How has a friend changed you or your perspective on the world this year? Was this change gradual, or a sudden burst? (Author: Martha Mihalick)
Friendship should always change you. I heard in college that friendship is a a school of virtue (not sure who said it and Google is not telling me) and it's true: you should learn to be a better person thanks to the lessons your friends teach you.

Through Alla I have learned to be more thoughtful (she always remembers special occasions and pulls out all the stops to make people feel loved), Erin taught me fierce loyalty, which she no doubt learned from her awesome family, and the importance of knowledge (whether it be knowledge of politics, economics or the significance of Twilight), and Ruthie taught me that you only get one life - use it well.

But for all the things I learned from friends, I learned the most this year from a friendship that ended. Like everything in life, nothing lasts forever and sometimes its better to have things that don't work end, instead of dragging on. To burn up hard and bright, rather than go forever.

December 17 – Lesson Learned. What was the best thing you learned about yourself this past year? And how will you apply that lesson going forward? (Author: Tara Weaver)
I learn hard. I'm a thick, stubborn person and I need to get slapped in the face by something to have the lesson stick. Nearly 30 years into my life, I have finally (sorta) learned that I can't please everybody and that no matter how nice or accommodating I am, someone is going to be pissed off or disappointed. I can't take it personally - I can only do my best, be myself and let the cards fall as they may.

December 18 – Try What do you want to try next year? Is there something you wanted to try in 2010? What happened when you did / didn’t go for it? (Author: Kaileen Elise)

2010 was the year of going for it - I took a meditation class, a class on printmaking, and one on burlesque dancing (so much fun, so much fail on my part - I'm not meant for gyrating the jiggle! HAHAHA). We traveled, we met giraffes and we celebrated 5 years of marriageness/happy time. 2010 rocked my socks off.

In 2011, I'm going to keep it up - I'm planning on making my own wardrobe and only buying what I can't make (still figuring out what the limit to that is!), I want to take some trips and give some other projects a whirl. I can't wait to get started!

Weigh in Monday - 12/13/10

2010-12-13T13:02:00.001-06:00

Beep beep! All aboard the gain train! This week I gained again - a whole 1.2 lbs. I don't wonder why either - between holiday parties and several big eating days this week, it's a wonder I didn't gain more.

The holidays are a rough time to be on any weight loss program - between the treats people give out to the lavish buffets at many holiday shindigs, there is always an opportunity to stuff your face and gain some weight!

That said, I'm bummed about this, but not too much. I feel much better than I have in a long time, I feel stronger that I ever had (thanks Mandy!) and my clothes fit so much better right now. I KNOW I'm on the right track, I just need to button up my eating habits and I'll be able to start losing again.

Today's weight ~~loss~~ gain: 1.2 lbs

Total weight loss: .6 lbs

Pounds left to lose: 29.4

Reverb 10 - December 9 - 12

2010-12-12T15:10:00.000-06:00

December 9: Party. What social gathering rocked your socks off in 2010? Describe the people, music, food, drink, clothes, shenanigans.

That's easy: the Etsy Party that Sew Crafty co-hosted with Etsy Houston - it was awesome! We had over 200 Houstonians show up and craft with us while enjoying food, wine and the company of other crafty people!

December 10: Wisdom. What was the wisest decision you made this year, and how did it play out?

I read the Happiness Project early last year and it was one of the wisest books I have read in a long time. The thing that stuck with me the most is the idea of doing one resolution at a time.

Working on only one resolution at a time is genius. Pure genius! Most people I know, myself included, jump into a laundry list of actions to take on in the new year and quickly burn out by February 2nd.

It's overwhelming to try and tackle everything you want to improve at once - it's like trying to remodel every room of your house on the same weekend. If you tear down all the walls, rip out the plumbing and start messing with the foundation, you're not leaving yourself any space to live.

Doing one resolution at a time gives you the space you need to live in the change and make it part of your life.
*Buy the book - it's awesome!

December 11: 11 Things. What are 11 things your life doesn't need in 2011? How will you go about eliminating them? How will getting rid of these 11 things change your life?

I'm a bit torn about this prompt. On one hand I think it's awesome to look back at things you need to change for the upcoming year, but on the other, I love what Happy Katie had to say about moving forward positively by listing 11 things she wants to do in 2011.

My natural state is compromise, so I'm going to do 6 things I'm going to do more of in 2011 and 5 that I'm going to eliminate!

More of this in 2011
1. Walking - it's the best way to get in shape and clear your head. As my friend Ruthie said, it's cool to think you can still be doing it at Angela Landsbury's age! Fitness she wrote...

2. Eating right - I love veggies and fruits. I also love pork cracklings (Stella Sola you vile temptress!) and ice cream. Lately, I have felt like a happy medium has been reached between the two and I would love to keep that going!
3. Loving my husband - loving someone is a choice you make every day. Each year I'm married to Ryan, I love him even more and we get along even better.
4. Volunteering - it feels good to help other people. I used to think that was a bit selfish - helping others so that you feel better, but then I heard something Gil Fronsdal said on Zencast about extending lovingkindness to yourself and remembering that doing good isn't about a stoic morality but instead a connection to others. Connection to other people should feel good or you're not doing it right. (That's what she said. BAM.)
5. Sitting quietly - I took a meditation class in January and haven't meditated since January last year. It's for no other reason than I'm lazy and "Don't have time!" It's a BS excuse and I am going to sit more next year.
6. Bring back the positive - I have swung wildly in both directions all my life: nice, but subservient doormat person to "Oh no you didn't!" yelling at line cutter at Target person. I want to be more balanced in 2011.

Less of this in 2011
1. Negativity - I want to be less negative. This is usually on people's list, so I am totally with you on it being a cliche. One of my favorite quotes was from a college professor who said "Original ideas are overrated. Things become cliche because they are true - I'm not interested in original, I'm looking for truth."
2. Alcohol - I enjoy drinking, but lately I've noticed how bad it feels on my body. Even after one glass on wine, I notice that it's harder to sleep and I feel groggy the next day. Occasionally, I'll have some wine or a cocktail, but during the week or every week, no thanks.

3. Sleeping so late - I sleep way to much and way to late most days. Getting a jump on the day by getting up early will give me time to meditate and time to walk!
4. Being on the internet so much - I check my email like 20 times a day and constantly monitor Facebook/Twitter for my business, which is good for times of responsiveness, but bad for getting things done and bad for having a peaceful day. I need to set more boundries and limit my internet time.
5. TV time - my default is staring at a screen and it's robbing me of valuable time I can spend doing what I love to do like sewing, hanging with my family or walking!

December 12: Body integration. This year, when did you feel the most integrated with your body? Did you have a moment where there wasn't mind and body, but simply a cohesive YOU, alive and present?

Riding my bike always makes me feel alive. I used to be really scared of it - scared of falling off, getting hit by a car, by popping the chain and having to drag the bike back home. I'm a major chicken and biking was just sooooo dangerous to me!

When I started riding again, something changed after the second time and I started to feel like a kid again. I noticed butterflies fluttering in my neighbors gardens, the sound of kids kicking a ball in a vacant lot and the "whooosh!" of the wind against my helmet. When I'm on that bike, I feel like one connected being.

December 7 and 8 - Reverb 10

2010-12-08T20:39:00.001-06:00

December 7: Community. Where have you discovered community, online or otherwise, in 2010? What community would you like to join, create or more deeply connect with in 2011?

The internet. I am so glad that my friend Erin convinced me to get connected to other people through social networks because I would not have otherwise been able to grow friendships with so many different people so easily. Houston is full of fun, cool, interesting, funny and crazy people that I have met in person and got to know better online.

Also, I found this, which has made my life better in so many ways...

December 8: Beautifully different. Think about what makes you different and what you do that lights people up. Reflect on all the things that make you different - you'll find they're what make you beautiful.

I remember being 10 years old and talking to my dad about how I was ugly. I loved fashion books and magazines, but I didn't look at all like the beautiful women I saw gracing the pages of those books. They were so tall and lithe, two things I was (and still am) definitely not!

He said something to me that I won't ever forget. Instead of just saying that I was a pretty little girl and not to worry about it, he said "Look at you. You have green eyes and beautiful auburn hair. I bet those women have to dye their hair to make it look like yours - it's so shiny and pretty!"

For some reason, that made me understand different. Something about those words have given me license to feel beautiful even though I don't look like everybody else and it helps me see the things that make others beautiful too.

UPDATE: I just realized that I totally whiffed it on answering this question so I'm going to expand my answer.

I've always been a bit different. Not in the quirky, movie heroine (Zooey Dechanel I'm looking at you.) different - weird. I'm a bit weird. I have a perpetually derailed train of thought, think poop jokes are funny and sing to my dog all the time (I realized I was doing it just this morning while walking him. My neighbors think I'm crazy.)

As a result, I have a lot of compassion for people who are weird, embarrassed or are having a hard time. I can't stand to see people uncomfortable or hurting, so I do my best to lay my pride on the altar of shared human connection and try to make them laugh. At me, at something silly, at a fart joke - anything.

Yes that might make me juvenile or make them think I'm an idiot (this happens a lot! It's hard to be nice and have people take you seriously), but I'm always reminded Gretchen Rubin said in the Happiness Project: "It's easy to be heavy, hard to be light." It's very true - it's so much easier to be cynical than it is to be fun, kind and easy.

Cynicism needs only to tear apart other's ideas and beliefs, but doesn't require a person to put themselves out there. It's like a suit of rude armor, deflecting people's insecurity back on themselves and protecting the cynic from any connection with other people. If you can't tell already, I'm not a fan of cynics and I think that this quote sums up why:

The cynic is one who never sees a good quality in a man and never fails to see a bad one. He is the human owl, vigilant in darkness and blind to light, mousing for vermin, and never seeing noble game. The cynic puts all human actions into two classes — openly bad and secretly bad. Henry Ward Beecher

Ok - enough hating on cynics. All of this small rant boils down to one main point: vulnerability makes people beautiful and it helps us love each other for who we are. We're all different, all a little sensitive about our quirks, but the people who love us do so because of, not in spite of, these quirks (ex: I talk too much and so loudly, it bothers me, but my husband thinks it's cute).

I love being different. It makes me, me :o)

Weigh in Monday - 12/06/10

2010-12-06T16:54:00.000-06:00

Well I sucked at tracking this week and gained .2 lb as a result. That's ok though, I was a little thrown off by the new PointsPlus plan and I'm back on track this week!

Next week I'm losing dammit!

Today's weight ~~loss~~ gain was: .2lbs

Total weight loss: 1.6

Weight left to lose: 28.4

December 5 and December 6 - Reverb 10

2010-12-06T16:28:00.002-06:00

Let Go. What (or whom) did you let go of this year? Why?

At the Gravity Bar in the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin

Letting go is not an easy thing for most people. We hold grudges, gossip, tear apart situations and mull over what went right or wrong. I'm no different and this year I have struggled with letting go of the urge to be perfect.

For the past 3 years, I have felt the constant pressure of being a perfect business owner, a perfect wife, a perfect friend all while staying slim, calm, peaceful and well dressed. It's hard to realize that you will never have it all together. Never. There will always be open loops in your life and you will always be failing at something, even if you are straight up winning at everything else.

I'm not perfect, but people love me anyway so I have to let perfection go.

Make. What was the last thing you made? What materials did you use? Is there something you want to make, but you need to clear some time for it?

This is the top, but this is not my mom!

I just finished making my mom a shirt for her birthday. Confession time - her birthday was in September and I gave her a card with the pattern image on it, then proceeded to take super long to make it. However, it looks pretty good and I thought of how much I love my mother the whole time, so I consider it a win!

The top is made of a deep-purple - almost plum - silk shantung and it wraps around the front and ties. It came out a lot better than I expected and I hope that she loves it as much as I loved making it.

Truth be told, I deal in making. And I love that. There is something almost holy about making things with your hands. It's meditative, creative and methodical. It gives you time to think and makes you connect your hands to what your brain is doing - all at the same time. Each time I sew something, I feel calm and free.

Sewing is like my church and I try to go to church everyday.