Killing Time on Pinterest

If you're the type of person who doesn't want to waste hours and hours browsing through photos, finding outfits you'd kill to put together and amazing ideas for your home DO NOT join Pinterest. However, if you're like me and are always looking for creative ideas and inspirations on the web then I recommend you request an invitation to join this community. It's incredible.

According to Pinterest, their mission is to "connect everyone in the world through the 'things' they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on their shared tastes and interests."


This site isn't exactly "new," but it's certainly new to me. So how does it work? Pretty simply! It's a virtual pinboard, so when you see something online that you want to remember for later you "pin it." The "pin it" option is added to your web browser after you sign up and is easily done in just a few steps. Pinners create different pin boards to help categorize. For example, I have "For the Home" to pin ideas regarding decorating my house, "For the Foodie" for recipes and food ideas, "Tone it Up" for workout inspirations and more. AND on top of "pinning" items you find online yourself, you can follow other pinners and see what they've added recently. You can like items, comment, or choose to re-pin.

Check out my Pin Boards Here

After being an avid pinner for the last 2 or 3 weeks I'm totally in love. I just wish I knew about this when I was planning my wedding. Pinterest would have been a great way to organize all my ideas! Because I wish someone would have shared this with me sooner, I've decided to share it with you. Find it, join it and pin away! For those already pinning, what do you like most about the site?

Friendship 101: Ladies

Recently I've been feeling quite disconnected from the female world. I'm a manager in a male-dominated industry, most of my closest friends are men and I'm into a lot of man hobbies. I'm not a tom-boy, though I'll admit I was when I was a kid. But just because I was a tom-boy doesn't mean I was good at sports (usually the two go hand-in-hand)...cause I'm not. I'm okay.  As a matter if fact I wanted to play football when I was a kid and they told me I couldn't because I was a girl. They recommended cheerleading for football since I liked the sport. So I put on the skirt and picked up the pom-poms and loved it. I found it physically demanding, challenging and fun. I can go on and on about it but I'll save that for another post. This post is dedicated to my relationships with women, and where they began to crumble.

So back to my story:

Even though my regular attire in elementary school was a t-shirt and Umbro shorts with sneakers and my hair in a pony tail, I still loved the rare occasions to get dressed up. I liked looking pretty and I loved the extra attention I got when I did.

I guess my childhood low-maintenance tendencies have stayed with me all of my life. I don't like taking longer than 30 minutes to get ready. If I try on more than 2 outfits I get stressed and will most likely end up sitting on my closet floor overwhelmed (or curled up on my closet floor in the fetal position). If my make-up takes me more than 5 minutes I better be getting ready for a photo shoot and I honestly do not own a brush. I have 1 comb which I usually only need when my hair is wet.  Still, I do love those rare occasions to slip on a tight dress with some nice heels (nice meaning they cost more than $20), curl my hair and spend 10 minutes doing my make up. Just like I did when I was little, I like looking pretty. I just don't like all the work that has to go into it. I never know how to put outfits together and am completely intimidated by trying to figure out accessories. On the rare occasion I do find a complete outfit that works for me, I'll wear it over and over until something gets a stain or a hole and my husband is threatening to burn it. I'm fashionably inept.

So why am I explaining to you my fashion woes? Because it's one of the few things I can come up with for why I don't have many girlfriends.

I have my older sister, who is my closest friend in the world, and about 5 or 6 girlfriends I've had for years that will always be my friends. I met all of these women during different times in my life- they are in no way a "circle." Most women I know have a circle of friends, whether from high school or college, that has remained loyal and intact. I was in one of those once. Several times actually. But somehow I always end up outside of that circle, learning about marriages and babies on Facebook and leaving a comment here or there. We're Facebook friends, not girlfriends.

Currently there are several women in my life that I do consider a group, bunch or circle of friends. They live in the area and we see each other a lot. The weird thing is that we (for the most part) don't call each other with problems, make plans to do things just the 2 of us, make plans to do things as a group....we're just not that "close." Sometimes I feel like I'd never see them if their husband didn't call my husband to make plans. Is it my fault that we don't have that tight girly bond that seems to be so normal and common? I've even read that their are biological and psychological reasons why women hang in groups (like going back to our caveman days to better care for our offspring).  Why am I so different?

Perhaps it's that I never feel completely accepted and therefore to them I don't seem completely available. Or maybe it's because I don't have any interesting drama to bring into the mix. I mean, I have my own personal issues that I would certainly share with a close girlfriend, but I don't have any gossip and I don't talk about people behind their backs. I'm not suggesting that this is all that women do but let's be real- it happens. If anything I like to give my friends the benefit of the doubt and be the rational one. Maybe people don't like rational. Is it that I'm fashionably retarded and always wear the same 6 pairs of shoes?

Regardless of what it is it's there and has been there all my life. I don't really need a solution to it. However,  I would like to know if there's something I can change to better show the women I care about that I value them in my life. I would like to know if there's something that's classifying me as not friend-worthy that I can change.  Why is it I can pal around with the boys and not the girls? Is there some kind of class I can take that'll teach me how to be a more desirable girlfriend? Friendship 101?

One Week Down- Not Feelin' the Love

I have to say, the first week of my "wellness challenge" has been difficult. I've replaced my evening glass of wine with evening chocolate, which I'm already seeing the effects from. This week I'm going to focus on making healthy substitutions. A hot cup of tea or a walk with my dogs is a much better alternative. I figure if I force myself to do this each night it will become my new routine to replace my old bad habits. This week is dedicated to habit breaking.

I went out on Saturday night and stayed strong while friends had drinks. We talked and laughed and I found it surprisingly easy to keep sipping on water all night long. I almost caved and ordered a glass of wine after dinner while my friends all enjoyed an after dinner drink, but I reminded myself that I wasn't ready to face the challenge of drinking without smoking. The fear of smoking kept me with a full glass of water. We were home and in bed my midnight which was awesome. Doug and I are not strangers to late nights. I hate staying up super late because we inevitably waste the next morning sleeping in. Instead we were up by 8:30, making coffee and taking the dogs for a nice long golf course walk. The day started off wonderfully!

After walking I putzed around the house and then headed into work for a few hours. I actually enjoy working on Sundays because I am able to get a lot done with very few interruptions. I left by 3pm and made it to my friends by 4 to watch football with  the gang. We ate some delicious crab legs, salad, bean dip and wings. I think I noshed for 3 hours straight.

Kyle, Evie and Rhys during the game

As the night went on it became increasingly difficult to be the sober one. A few of my friends got drunk and felt the need to tell me that I've been acting "different." With little more explanation than that I tried to suck back my hurt feelings and exit gracefully. Yes, I've been busy. I haven't been coming around as much b/c we've had out-of-town plans on the weekends or I've had other commitments. I also spent a weekend on the sofa/in bed with a rotten cold. I've refused 2 or 3 nights out with friends because I needed to get up early the next morning for marathon training. Dragging Doug away after only 2 beers is a difficult task, and he usually ends up upset with me and telling me I'm no fun. So rather than dealing with disappointing him and being dubbed the "party pooper" I've opted not to go. I still made it out for Mexican with friends 2 weeks ago and hung out both Saturday and Sunday this weekend. So I'm not sure why all the criticism. I'm still me, It's just been a little busy for me lately.

I felt hurt last night and came home and cried. Instead of feeling like I had the support of my friends for doing something healthy I felt the opposite: I'm no fun. I'd like to make it clear that up until the last 20 minutes of the night, when these conversations happened, I was having fun. I was laughing with friends, playing with the kids, yelling at the TV... What I really find odd is that my friend Emily hasn't been drinking either (she's 8 months pregnant) and neither does her mother-in-law who was also hanging out with us. Why is it so interesting that I'm not drinking? Why does it even matter? And it's not like I was broadcasting this fact. I had a beverage in hand all night long to prevent from having to turn an alcoholic one down.

Needless to say I'm feeling discouraged with this challenge. On the ride home my mother-in-law gave me a few words of encouragement. it helped but I still feel like I need the support of my husband and friends. I'm going to keep going because I want to kick my social smoking habit, despite the hurt feeling. Truth is I may be a bit overly emotional right now because in addition to not smoking I'm also PMS-ing. Is that do much info??

 Any advice on how to get my friends and family on my team?

Four Hours and Three Matches Made in Heaven

At this point, anyone reading this understands my deep respect and empathy for animals. Sometimes I think my feelings towards non humans are stronger than for humans. They're more instinctive and never act maliciously. Dogs especially are the ideal companion animal. The dog has been named "man's best friend" for good reason.  A dog is loyal, his love unwavering. He can help you feel loved when no one else will. He can even unknowingly help boost your immune system and keep you healthy. You are his world and he wants nothing more than to please you. Likewise, it's your responsibility to care for him. His diet, exercise, health, behavior and overall well being is in your hands and yours alone. He is yours and you are his. So naturally I have 2 dogs. If I had a bigger house, a fenced in yard and no husband to keep me in check I'd probably have 4 or 5 more. But let's be realistic... I can't make taking care of animals my life (though one day I hope I can), so all I can do at this point is be their advocate. I can also be a good parent to my own pups.

With my desire to help in any small way I can, I decided to volunteer for the Palmetto Animal League (PAL). This small private rescue organization is volunteer based. With only about a dozen actual employees, this no kill shelter is able to operate with lots of love and care from community members volunteering their time. PAL has around 300 volunteers, some working 3 hours a month and others working 3 hours a day. Each volunteer is important and appreciated. Additionally PAL has some very generous local donors who help the shelter keep it's doors open. It's a tough business to be in and caring for sick, injured and abused animals is wearing on the heart, soul and the bank account. But they get by each month because of the strength and commitment of the community. Their facility was paid for by a generous benefactor and the staff/volunteers keep it clean and safe, never taking it for granted. It is by far he nicest facility I have seen (as far as animal shelters go). As a matter of fact, PAL didn't even have a facility until October of 2010. Before that PAL consisted of a strong network of foster homes for the growing number of animals in need.

Now the organization is doing better than ever. With a strong presence in the community PAL is saving hundreds of lives by taking animals from the streets and other kill shelters and finding them loving forever homes. No case is too big for PAL: from Norton, the bait dog who came to them looking like he only had moments left to live to Melvin, the dog who's owner attacked him, his litter mates and his mother with a machete and was the sole survivor.

Read More About Norton Here

Read More About Melvin Here

Of course not all cases are this extreme. There are abandoned cats, surrendered dogs...the thing you're used to seeing but it never stops breaking your heart. Their waiting list is long and it never stops filling up. Naturally, we all feel very passionately about promoting spay and neuter to prevent this perpetual problem of over-breeding, over-producing, and over-abandoning.

So I spent a few hours yesterday volunteering. I transported a puppy to the local PetSmart (as did several other volunteers) and spent the day talking to passersby about adoption, the stories of the puppies, our mutual love of animals, and how they can help.

Apollo was not adopted yesterday. This handsome grey lab mix is still looking for his forever home. 

Apollo was not adopted yesterday. This handsome grey lab mix is still looking for his forever home. 

At the end of the day 3 of our 4 pups got adopted. I had a hunch we'd have a successful day. All of the above pictured dogs are only 5 months old. The puppies usually get adopted fairly quickly. What saddens me is there are still so many adult dogs back at the shelter who need loving homes. Some have never known what it's like to have a family, some had a family once only to be abandoned...but each has a story of their own and deserves the love and adoration of a human of their own. Though it may not be much, spending 4 hours on a Saturday afternoon is a great way to help. I enjoyed spending the day with PAL and look forward to my next time there.

12 Week Wellness Challenge

We've all had those weekends when we've partied a little too hard and swear off drinking and smoking for a while. Well, I did not have one of those weekends, as a matter of fact I've been sick all weekend and haven't done too much of anything (which explains my frequent blogging). This challenge, on the other hand, was suggested my some of my friends/running buddies. We spend a lot of time together doing the right things for our bodies, so why not commit to a 12-week challenge together?

The next 12 weeks will be alcohol and cigarette free, with a focus on working out and eating healthy. I'm in the mindset of clean, clean, clean! Not only will I flush out all the chemicals and toxins I've built up during the holiday season, I'll also be avoiding empty calories, dehydration, and missed morning workouts. There's no doubt it will be amazing for my body, but another driving force behind this challenge is that it will be healthy for my mind and my relationship.

My workouts will be more productive, my runs will be better, my mind will be clearer, and I'll be prepared for my upcoming races! Challenges motivate me and I'm already feeling pumped!

I'm sure I'll blog/journal a bit more over the next 12 weeks. I've found that documenting my progress works well for me and keeps me on track. Tomorrow is day #1. Wish me luck!

Couponing for Dummies

As I laid in bed this morning, deciding on an exact plan of attack for my long overdue Target trip, I realized I've never blogged about couponing. No, I thought. Surely I've mentioned it at some point. When I logged into Blogger I was amazed. I've never even touched on the subject which I love so much. I'm writing today to confess to all my readers (yes, all 10 of you) that I like to save money. I like to save money in the grocery store, when shopping online, when buying a coffee. I'm frugal and not ashamed to admit it. It's my frugality that warrants me the freedom to make impromptu purchases like the motorcycle I bought on Thursday...Wait, I didn't tell you about that either??? I'm a terrible blogger.

Anyway, I save money everywhere and take advantage of every offer I can. For example, when you buy a bag of Starbucks coffee you get a coupon for a free tall coffee in the bag. I've received at least 5 free coffees in the last 2 years. I don't care if it only saved me maybe $15. That's $15 I can spend elsewhere!

Another example of my effortless frugality is that I have a dining card for my favorite restaurants in the area. We often go to the same restaurants (if you're ever in Hilton Head check out the Serge Group restaurants) and with their card (which I received free as a gift from work) we always get an entree for free. That card saves us anywhere from $8-$30 every time we use it!

You might be wondering why I'm so obsessed with saving $1 here and $1 there. First of all, those dollars add up. And secondly, most of us "normal" human beings have been at a place in our lives where we need to decide how to spend our last $10. Gas in the car or dinner??? It's having so many of those types of experiences that brought me here today.

I began couponing at a young age. I was 20 and living with my first live-in boyfriend (yes we lived in sin but it's cool b/c we're married now). My technique was a mess and I had no idea. I'd spend hours clipping coupons I thought I might use, only to use a small fraction and let the others expire. It was time consuming and inefficient. It wasn't until my sister-in-law showed me her method that I learned how to be a more savvy couponer. I even went to a local class (it cost $15 to get in) where I learned all the rules, how to stay organized, where to get the best coupons, etc. Since then I've saved probably $1500-$2000 on groceries alone. I'm not exaggerating. Wouldn't you like an extra $2000 in your pocket??

But couponing is complicated and there's no way I can explain it in just this blog post. There are a few things I can explain that I'm sure you're thinking.

First, you don't have to shop like those crazy people on TV that come home with 30 tubes of Colgate. I buy normal stuff. I will, however, take advantage of a good deal and stock up on products that we use and like. For example, yesterday I bought 1 Old Spice body wash and 2 Old Spice deodorants. My husband prefers these brands (he's very picky). We weren't out, but we'll need them in the future so I wanted to buy them when I can for the lowest price. The 18oz body wash was on sale for $3.50. I also had a coupon for $1 off any Old Spice product. The $4.50 body wash cost me $2.50. His deodorant was also on sale for $3.50. I had a coupon for $1 off of 2 Old Spice Anti-Perspirants. So what normally would have cost me $8 (they are $4 a piece) cost me $6. This is a small example but it perfectly illustrates how there is NO REASON to pay full price.

Secondly, I eat incredibly healthy! I shop mostly on the perimeter of the store, buying up fresh produce, fish and poultry, some dairy and organic (not everything I buy is organic, however). We don't eat much processed food and make a lot from scratch. I am still able to save money on everything from frozen vegetables to blueberries to almond milk to Luna bars. The coupons are out there an all items go on sale at some point during a 6 week cycle. I saved $85 at Publix yesterday (spent $200) and came home with TONS of healthy food. We do not live on Pop Tarts and Totinos Pizza Rolls (though I do love me some pizza rolls!)

I use a website called Southern Savers to find out what's on sale and what coupons to couple with that sale. It's made my couponing life infinitely better! Also, if there's an item I need now that's not on sale I can simply look in her database for what store has it cheaper and search her coupon database for a possible coupon. The woman is a genius. And she is not unique. Websites like this exist for every region. Find yours.

So today I'm heading to Target for some grocery items as well as other household items. Not only am I shopping from a list with coupons coupled with sales (sticking to a list is very important for saving money because you ALWAYS pay top dollar for impulse buys),  I am also using a gift card that Doug and I got from his Dad for Christmas (Thanks Big Doug!)!! So today will be a very exciting day of shopping for free. I sure can't beat that!

If any of you think this couponing stuff is interesting, I'll be happy to share more on the topic. Just comment with your questions below. Have a happy Saturday!

Welcome to Our Community, Now Follow the Rules

Gym Etiquette for the Newbies

It often takes the start of a new year for people to decide to make some life changes. I get it. I respect it. And I hope you follow through. Chances are, however, that in three months you'll have abandoned these new life changing habits. Whether it's to quit smoking, eat better, or start working out many of you will give up, back out and walk (maybe even run) away.

There are a couple of reasons for the 99% New Year's Resolution failure rate. First, your goals are to big and to vague. If you want to lose 30 lbs. and haven't really decided exactly how or set mini goals along the way, you're setting yourself up for failure. We as humans get discouraged when our plans don't come to fruition. It's okay. It happens to all of us. Which is why it's essential to set attainable goals. So instead of saying "I want to lose 30 lbs," make a real plan!

Set mini-goals. For example, plan to loose at least 5 lbs. before Valentines Day. If you reach that goal, treat yourself to a piece of chocolate and a good pat on the back. Set your next goal for another 4 weeks out.

Set a goal to change your body measurements. Measure yourself each week to see how your weight is redistributing. This will keep your focus off the scale and on your health. Muscle weighs more than fat. We've heard it over and over and over again. The scale will only deceive you. I don't even own a scale. I keep track of the changes in my body by how my clothes fit and measurements. People are consistently surprised when I tell them how much I weigh (I am not ashamed to say that at 5'9" I weight 137 lbs). They usually guess I'm about 15 lbs lighter than I am. I'm certainly not complaining, but let's get real. I'm toned, I have shape (for the first time ever I have a nice round butt!!), and I'm strong.

Set fitness goals, not just body goals. Plan to run a 5k by March, be able to complete a kickboxing class and keep up with the instructor by April, hold a plank for a full minute by the end of January, etc. "Losing weight" isn't necessarily about making yourself lighter. It may be for people who are seriously overweight, but typically when people are trying to "lose weight" they are actually trying to get into shape. Getting into shape requires burning fat, building lean muscle and increasing energy and stamina.

But all this talk about working out brings me to my real point for this post: GYM ETIQUETTE.

With all the resolutioners making our gym more crowded, us lifestyle gym-goers (meaning we go regularly, always have and always will) are becoming a bit frustrated. Please don't get me wrong. I'm happy so many people have committed to making themselves healthier and encourage them to keep coming. I do, however, want to offer a list of rules that the newbies need to be aware of:

1) Be considerate of who and what is around you. Don't take up more space than you need to and don't leave your crap laying around in spaces that people can be using productively.

2) Wipe down whatever you use. This goes for cardio equipment, stability balls, yoga mats, and everything else your sweaty body is touching. Not only do I not want to sit in a puddle of your sweat, I also don't want to catch whatever creepy crawly funk may be crawling around on your skin.

3) If people are waiting to get on the treadmill, limit your time to 30 minutes. I've gone to gyms that have actually made a 30 minute rule on all their cardio equipment. Ours isn't a rule, there aren't signs posted to remind you, but it is a courtesy that us regulars are aware of. Don't be a treadmill hog when others are waiting.

4) It's not a fashion show. I'm glad you love the way your ass looks in your yoga pants, but pairing those pants with a bare midriff, a full face of makeup and wearing your hair down just looks ridiculous. No one seriously working out wears their hair down. A full face of makeup will clog your pores and do terrible things to your skin. It's actually recommended to remove all makeup before working out for this very reason. We know what you're doing and you look like an idiot. Stop it.

5) Don't hang around the water fountain. You may be here to socialize, but I'm not. Chances are I am in the middle of an intense workout that requires I keep my heart rate up. If I'm running to the water fountain to get a drink, please move out of my way and take your gossip club to another area. Preferably one outside or in the locker room so as to not inconvenience anyone else whose way you might get in.

6) Don't interrupt class. A big part of working out efficiently has to do with your heart rate. Do not interrupt the instructor and deviate from his/her plan. You're not cute, not funny...you're just being annoying and ruining the workout for the rest of us.

7) It's not a competition. Don't look at what I'm doing and one-up me. I have a plan I'm following, a circuit to complete (and probably repeat 2 more times). I know how to get in a full body workout. You, on the other hand, look like you're copying what I'm doing with bad form and too much weight.

8) We're not checking you out. One of my favorite things about my gym is watching some of my fellow regulars. I learn ALOT from just watching people. My workouts are always full body, with weird movements, using mostly just my body weight, some free weights and resistance bands, plyo moves, etc. There are so many workouts out there to try so I'm always observing. I'm not checking people out, I'm checking out their moves. I'm also looking at people's form and critiquing my own. If you're not using good form you might as well quit. You're doing more harm than good. Which brings me to my next point.

9) The mirrors are there to observe form and movement, not because we're all egotistical pricks (though I admit, some of us are).

10) And finally, be friendly. We're all here for the same reason, aren't we? Say excuse me, smile when we make eye contact, ask if I'm through with my medicine ball before snatching it up. The gym is a happy place where we are doing healthy and productive things. Please don't make my happy place a negative one.


I guarantee you that once you start feeling like one of us (regulars) that you'll enjoy the gym more and want to keep coming back. We hope you do! We support one another, offer tips, spot each other and become friends. Welcome to our community. Now follow the rules.