Catch my Breath

Music always speaks to me. Always has. Loving this song right now. Funny how music becomes much more relevant depending on the phase and stage we are in life. Hope you enjoy this as much as I do. (Love you Jbird). XO

I don't wanna be left behind
Distance was a friend of mine
Catching breath in a web of lies
I've spent most of my life
Riding waves, playing acrobat
Shadowboxing the other half
Learning how to react
I've spent most of my time

Catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of the show
Now that you know, this is my life, I won't be told it's supposed to be right

Catch my breath, no one can hold me back, I ain't got time for that
Catch my breath, won't let them get me down, it's all so simple now

Addicted to the love I found
Heavy heart, now a weightless cloud
Making time for the ones that count
I'll spend the rest of my time
Laughing hard with the windows down
Leaving footprints all over town
Keeping faith kinda comes around
I'll spent the rest of my life

Catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of the show
Now that you know, this is my life, I won't be told it's supposed to be right

Catch my breath, no one can hold me back, I ain't got time for that
Catch my breath, won't let them get me down, it's all so simple now

You helped me see
The beauty in everything

Catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of the show
Now that you know, this is my life, I won't be told it's supposed to be right

Catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of this show
Now that you know, this is my life, I won't be told what's supposed to be right

Catch my breath!

Catch my breath, no one can hold me back, I ain't got time for that
Catch my breath, won't let them get me down, it's all so simple now (it's all so simple now!)

Catching my breath, letting it go, turning my cheek for the sake of the show
Now that you know, this is my life, I won't be told it's supposed to be right

Catch my breath, no one can hold me back, I ain't got time for that
Catch my breath, won't let them get me down, it's all so simple now

Co-written by Clarkson, and Jason Halbert and produced by Eric Olson

One of the best books I ever bought

LOVE this book. It has every exercise you can imagine in it. I use it in conjunction with Tosca Reno's Workout Journal. I write up my circuits using exercises from this book. These exercises work because they are designed to be in a circuit (that's the layout of each routine). Their routines are my basic guideline and then I build my own circuit, making sure I include each body part and have a good mix of push/pull. Can't go wrong. Sweating like a piglet the other day. Felt good. :)

So if you're looking for a little guidance and something to help you switch it up, I highly recommend!

Love the one you're with.  XO

Everything's better with tuna...and cheese

I know my last couple of posts have been a little bleak. Maybe it's my mood lately. Who knows. Back on the happy wagon. Life is what you make it after all.

SO!

FOOD! That makes me happy. Makes many people happy. HAHA

My latest creation. Super yummy!!

Tuna Noodle Bake

4 tbsp margarine
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp sweet rice flour
1 1/2 cups milk(soy or dairy)
1 tsp Italian seasoning (this makes it super good)
1/2 tsp salt, pepper, dried mustard, thyme (I didn't use dried mustard)
4 cups cooked macaroni (I used brown rice pasta)
2 cans tuna, drained and flaked
2 cups peas (I used finely chopped celery)
1/2 cup crushed potato chips

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt 2 tbsp of margarine in small skillet. Add onion and garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until softened.

Melt remaining 2 tbsp margarine in medium saucepan over low heat. Whisk in rice flour. Cook for 2 minutes (stirring constantly and without browning). Stir in milk. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 2-3 minutes or until thickened. Stir in Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, mustard and thyme.

Combine pasta, onion mixture, tuna and peas in large bowl. Add sauce and combine. Transfer to shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with potato chips. Cover. Bake 15 minutes. Uncover. Bake for 10 minutes or until hot and bubbly.

Of course, I added a little low fat mixed cheddar. Cheese makes everything better.

Love the one you're with. XO

Costa Rica

I was not made for this cold weather. Well I was. I think maybe I wasn't made for "this" life. That's a weird statement to make, I know. I think I'm a woman stuck in a modern, materialistic, pretentious, self-absorbed, entitled world. I'm surrounded by stuff I really don't care about anymore. Harsh. Maybe.

I want a simple life. Live off the land. Relaxed job, preferably helping others. Everyday being an enlightening experience. I want to be close to nature. I don't want to worry about having the right clothes or my hair being just so. I don't care about the house you live in or the car you drive. I just care about if you're nice to people. I don't want to have to rush. I want every moment to be a chance to learn and share. There's no other word to describe it other than SIMPLICITY. I know, I sound like a hippie. Maybe that's me in another life, minus the dope smoking.

Who wouldn't like this...

Moving to Costa Rica is an excellent choice for those who fancy packing it all in and relocating to their own piece of paradise. Many people choose to retire there in order to enjoy the superb climate, breathtaking vistas and warmth of the Costa Rican people. Unlike many Central and South American countries, Costa Rica enjoys a stable government and peaceful lifestyle. The country does not have an army and Costa Ricans are extremely friendly and full of joie de vivre.

www.costa-rica-life.com

So I'll keep dreaming. I mean a girl has to dream right....

Love the one you're with. XO

Random thoughts...

I watched this VIDEO again last night. I cried again. What a beautiful person. Stunningly beautiful on the outside and you can feel her soul...her light. She's someone's angel here on earth. She is touching lives. She touched mine. So, my random thoughts as I'm watching this video again.

Life is precious.

Dream.

Live to be an example.

Fall in love.

Have no regrets.

Be good and true to people.

The beauty on the inside will come out on the outside when you are kind and caring and loving.

Love unconditionally.

Be vulnerable.

Do what makes you happy.

Be yourself.

LIVE.

Laugh.

Be magnificent.

Be the light.

Love the one you're with. XO

Love yourself today

What an incredible story....

Click here to view video.

Whole

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Pondering the question of what makes us whole. What fills us up. What makes us feel happy, and healthy (on the inside) and complete. As I know full well, it is not what others bring to us that fills us up. It's what we do for ourselves.

We are our own worst enemies. We get in situations...relationships...where the person we are with is not good for us. They are so unhappy with themselves they can't wait to say or do something to make us unhappy. They're poison. Yet, for a myriad of reasons we feel that we have to stay with them. We feel like we can't do it on our own. We can't do better than what we have and we should just suck it up and be happy. SO NOT TRUE!

After ten years in a relationship. World by the ass. I walked away. I was so the opposite of whole I don't even know what you would call it. I went from Ma & Pa's house to buying a house with this guy. My world revolved around this person. And it was supposed to right? He made me "happy". Snowmobiling every weekend. Trips. Nice new car. New Truck. New house. Never wanting for anything. But I was totally and completely...empty.

When you see that commercial on TV about depression and how it physically hurts, that was me. I was physically becoming ill. The relationship was poison. I don't think he ever meant to make it that way intentionally but he was a very unhappy person. All the good we had and he still complained. The world was still a terrible place in his eyes. He sucked the life out of me.

So on a Wednesday. The only day it rained that week, I moved out. I called in sick. My brother came with the rented van, my best friend with her van and I left. One of the hardest days of my life. I left the only life I had ever known and I was scared. I knew my income would be considerably less. I knew I needed to find a place to live. It was tough for a while. Lived at home for a bit. Couch surfed for a while. Kind of lived out of the trunk of my car...until I had to sell it. Got an old shit box to take me from A to B. Roomed with an idiot for a couple months. Wallowed in my "poor me" self. Then the light came on.

I am worth so much more than this and I can do it!!!

Got myself a little place in the basement of the kindest people I have ever met. Fixed up my shit box. Got some food on the table. Got active. Went to see a life coach. Got my crap together. So I thought...

Fast forward to 7 September 2008. Husband left. I had a baby girl at home. Had to find a place to live. Repeat of the past shit storm.

Fast, fast forward to today, 3 February 2013. I am the happiest I have ever been. I know...vomit! HAHAHA But really, I am. It's not because of my family (even my girl) or my BF, or my family, or my friends, or my job, or the lifestyle I am blessed to have...it's because for once in my life, I am damn near 100% whole. With that comes happiness. With that comes rejoicing in my blessings. It allows me to love deeply. Appreciate. Truly care with my whole heart. Be compassionate. Be kind. Forgive.

How did I get here? I thought of me for once in my life. I focused on making myself happy. For each person, happy is different. At the end of the day, so long as you have that feeling, you are there. :)

Now I'll be realistic. Not everyday is unicorns and cotton candy. That's a meth high, not life. But the matter in which I deal with the shit is completely different. I have a completely different mindset. I am accepting of the things I can't change and I move on. Move on. Move on. Move on. Did you get that?! LOL There is nothing so bad that you can't forgive. That sounds whacked but trust me, please just trust me, when you forgive and file those bad experiences/words in the back of your brain, you will be lighter. It's quite something really. I have the world FORGIVE tattooed on my wrist and I look at it everyday, to remind me of where I've been and what I have worked through with the help of people who truly love me and I know I am blessed. I am ready for the new day because each morning I get up and I'm sucking air, I need to make the most of it because it is the first day of the rest of my life. 

Do all you can do to contribute to making yourself whole. You and the entire world around you will benefit.

Love yourself. XO

What's your poison?

This is from Tosca Rino's book Stripped. Her resources, in my opinion are excellent.

Love the one you're with. XO

No more wheat belly here

I'm one of "those girls" today; taking a pic of myself in the gym locker room. HAHA Had to do it though. Not a soul in there and I had just finished an awesome circuit.

With determination comes progress. With progress comes self satisfaction. With self satisfaction comes happiness.

Love the one you're with. XO

I'm in love

My new best friend. Can make sooooooo many yummy shakes in no time. Breakfast in a cup. I make my concoction up at night, put the cover on the cup and throw it in the fridge. The next morning....breakfast. No excuses.

THE BULLET