June 30, 2011

Commit to the Challenge

Are you ready for the challenge?

I'm ready.
I can't wait until tomorrow morning.
Stress management is calling me.
I'm ready to shed the anxiety.

Here's what I'm thinking. If you're willing to take the 30 Day [home practice] Yoga Challenge with me, then take the step and put it out there.
It's what will help keep you accountable.

So do this:

June 28, 2011

A thought for Tuesday

No. I'm not starting a daily theme. Although, Monday Morning Meditations are here to stay.

It's just. A while back, I mentioned how all my TV show seasons were over so I had nothing to worry about. No reason to sit in front of the TV all night. Well... that was before Tuesdays happened.

"Combat Hospital"  started last week and so far, I like it. It's definitely no "Grey's Anatomy," but I might be able to stick with this one.

Then there's "Pretty Little Liars" (very Gossip Girl-esq) and "The Nine Lives of Chloe King."

Yes, yes I know... I've fallen into the trap of ABC Family.  I really don't know why I find myself watching these shows except that they're based off of young adult novel series.

We all know I'm a nut over children's/YA lit and that some day I'll write a novel for the genres. So I guess I'm considering it research. What's out there, right now, on the market? And what is it about these series that market them for television?

No definite answers yet.
Except that sometimes I think I haven't outgrown being a teen.

All I know is that I can't change the channel.

The guidelines are set

Hopefully, over the next coming month you will see constant posting. It's part of my yoga challenge. Not only do I want to push my body, but I also want to push my writing.
I've brought the guidelines forth on the Yoga Challenge tab, and you'll notice they are very general.

It's for a purpose.

Sometimes I get bored easily, so I want to keep the idea of yoga fresh everyday. I want there to be change. I want different sequences and different purposes attached to each daily practice.

I want to stretch out my IT bands one day, and then sweat a little the next with a bunch of chaturangas.
I want to do a relaxation sequence right before bed, and then wake up the next morning to stretch my lower back out.
I want to stay calm while I'm learning to practice again and not worry about what is coming next.

But on that note, it doesn't mean I won't help guide you if you've chosen to do the challenge.

Cake Creation 101 [Full Post]

Here's the full post from my sister-in-law's blog, Bake Lore. Make sure to check her out!

Tonight's guestblog brought to you by Caitlin--another baker, another writer, and another Lore. Not as adept in her cake decorating or baking as her sister-in-law, Amy, Caitlin is working on it, one delicious product at a time. She even took a real baking class to see if she has what it takes. However, when she isn't baking, Caitlin can often be found writing at her blog Enduring. Soon she may post recipes.

I grew up with a mother who made birthday cakes. And not just any birthday cakes but decorated cakes. Wilton Startip #17 decorated cakes. I remember Cookie Monster and Birt and Ernie. Carousel horses, teddy bears, cars, and trucks. The Little Mermaid, Barbie, dinosaurs, and cupcakes. Lots of star tipped cupcakes.

Then there were the buttercream colors. Yellows and blues. Reds and purples. Greens and oranges. In all shades mind you. I loved watching her decorate, mostly because I loved sticking my fingers in that real buttercream. I never picked up a piping bag, though, until last fall.

June 27, 2011

Monday Morning Meditation: Strength

I have a long term goal with reintegrating yoga into my life.

Someday, I want to do this:

Right now, it looks impossible. My physical strength is gone because 1: I haven't practiced yoga in over six months, and 2: I also haven't been pumping iron for about the same amount of time.

But I'm a goal setter. Sometimes a procrastinator, but definitely a goal setter.

And I believe in strength.

June 26, 2011

Time for a Yoga challenge

I haven't been totally truthful with you lately.
So I'm going to let it out.

I'm slacking on my training.
Ok... I'm burn out with my training.

Actually... I'm not training at all.
There, I said it.

June 21, 2011

Guest post on Bake Lore

Tonight I had the opportunity to be a guest blogger on my sister-in-law's blog, Bake Lore. She is a wonderful baker and very talented cake decorator. In fact, she is the baker who made my wedding cake (check out her blog banner... my cake is the featured cake!)

Since I'm an aspiring baker myself, Bake Lore asked for a story. I took a fundamentals of baking class last fall and attempted my very first decorated cake. I'm honored to be a guest blogger on her blog.
Here's a tease of my post:

I grew up with a mother who made birthday cakes. And not just any birthday cakes but decorated cakes. Wilton Startip #17 decorated cakes. I remember Cookie Monster and Birt and Ernie. Carousel horses, teddy bears, cars, and trucks. The Little Mermaid, Barbie, dinosaurs, and cupcakes. Lots of star tipped cupcakes.

Then there were the buttercream colors. Yellows and blues. Reds and purples. Greens and oranges. In all shades mind you. I loved watching her decorate, mostly because I loved sticking my fingers in that real buttercream. I never picked up a piping bag, though, until last fall.

Head over to Bake Lore to read the rest!

June 20, 2011

Monday Morning Meditation: The Art of Relaxing.

My husband forced me to relax twice this weekend.
It was hard.

But it was good.

See, I'm not a relaxer. I'm a do-er. Meaning, I work full-time all week and then I manage to turn my weekend into full-time work at home. (Although, I believe most women often do that.) Music Man, however,  sees how it stresses me out and wears me down before I even attempt to let my heavy lashes pull me under.

June 13, 2011

Monday Morning Meditation: What the old people teach us

Leave it to the Army to ruin my weekend, and yet, give me the best weekend I've had in a long time. I cannot tell you how much I was longing for the weekend during work this week because I knew Music Man would be home, albeit it Saturday night. I was looking forward to a movie night and then a lazy Sunday--I knew he'd be exhausted and just want to relax. Which is something I know not how to do, and so he teaches me.

I arrived home Friday night after a long week of work, made some dinner, and perused the free movie channels we had this weekend. (You can bet I dvr'd just about every single one we haven't seen yet!) My husband texted me to see how my day was, and within ten minutes I found out I hadn't received a text from him the day before.
Their coming home date had been changed.
They weren't leaving until Sunday morning.

June 8, 2011

A haiku

Irony: (v.)
Praying for financial peace while
Working in a bank

June 6, 2011

Another deployment, another day

-For L and V

So it begins.  I am an Army Wife once again this week as Music Man left just a little bit ago for a week's worth of missions somewhere. In the grand scheme, this deployment is nothing, and I consider myself lucky. A dear friend of mine in Texas, L,  is going through her first deployment and is about four months into a year. Another good friend of mine, V,  is preparing for a move with two little boys as her husband just left for his twelve month deployment. Both soldiers are in Afghanistan. Mine is staying within the continental US.

I never thought I would be an Army Wife. I never had the desire to marry a military man though I have always been patriotic and supportive of our soldiers. And yet, as I got older, it seemed that just about everyone I met was either in the military or had family in the military. It's very common in my generation. And it's very humbling to think the new generation of veterans returning from war is my generation, my husband among them.