Net Let

The picture above lets you know that someone verrrry fashionable is staying at my house. And THIS picture shows the surprise waiting on my bed when I got home tonight! Natalie rings true yet again, departing her fashionista wisdom and magical touch.

I am loving having my little sis stay with me. She taught me about Flickr, we've talked lots, snuck some of our Chili's special (chips & salsa, chicken enchilada soup, and bottomless drinks), and even stayed up way too late last night to watch Dan in Real Life.

Who'd've guess mom was right? We would be best friends one day.

The things we do...

Oh my Adrie. At my last photo shoot I had some 'helpers' jumping around behind me, trying to get her to smile. This is the best we could get!

Glass

Today's song is Glass by Ingrid Michaelson.

Beyond that, there's not much more to say.

Whew, little life update!

I have been internet-less since Thursday, amazing how it messes up your life, yet simultaneously is a nice little break. But I'm back.


Four photo shoots (five if you count the mini-Adrie-session I snapped after one of the shoots) in Three Days! Busy busy. Look how well-behaved Adrie has been, as I drag her along on most of them!





I'm spreading out the processing to a) give me something to do each night, and b) keep myself from getting burnt out on photoshop.



On an exciting note (for me!) - I bought the coolest antique wooden doors for dirt cheap. They actually have shown up in a few photos in the past, since they've been hanging out in a spot I like to frequent. Who'd've guessed they'd be mine one day? It was a great use of birthday money. You can see one of them behind the little girl in the tutu I'll post tomorrow night.


After three years in the same office, I had to move. Not liking change, I wasn't looking forward to it, but now I'm actually quite happy with my new, larger office that's closer to the center of campus. But for history's sake, I'll document the old one: *sniff*


Adrie and I spent Saturday afternoon and evening with Isaac and his boys out near Tooele. We got some of the greatest pictures EVER! Nevermind the 40 mph winds that kept my camera lens (and our teeth) coated in grit, it was a blast and I'm so happy with the pictures.
And finally, my check-in on being "Back in the Saddle" again:

• I exercised once on the treadmill, but I have made a more conscious effort to walk more, even doing some therapy sessions while walking that leave my heart pumping for a good while.
• I have tried to eat more fruits and vegetables, though I'm still not up to my recommended servings.
• I have eaten a little less overall by trying to focus on what I eat and not making eating a multi-tasking thing.
• I only made a half recipe of no-bake cookies once, and I only ate half of it by myself. That's improvement!
• I lost one pound, and one percent body fat.
• I have not been hydrated so that's my next focus.

Starting tomorrow it's spring break at work so I have only 60% of my usual workload = spring break for me, too! Life's pretty good. Keep up on my Digital Darkroom blog for more pictures in the next few days! I'm pretty dang excited about those, too.

Surgery #4

So we made our trek to the hospital. AGAIN.

At Six Months, at Ten Months, at Eighteen Months. (Surgery #3 was ear tubes. No pics).

This time she got an IV in her arm instead of her foot.
Our before & after pics:

Here's the lollipop that kept her happy on the car ride home. Sugar is miraculous.

And here we are, out playing with the cat the day after surgery. No tylenol even given day 2 - she is a miraculous recoverer!

She has been happy as a clam at home, and is LOVING sleeping in her baby car seat (so she's propped up.) In the mornings - after being in one spot for twelve hours! - she doesn't want to leave and insists on climbing right back in and drinking her morning bottle right in that seat. She then spends 20 minutes putting her dolls/bears in, then getting mad they're taking her seat and pushing them out so she can crawl back in. Rinse, repeat.

Keep in your prayers that this surgery does it, and we can avoid that hospital for awhile!!!

The Bicentennial

Happy 200 blogs! (well actually it's 201 but I couldn't resist my photoshop nerd blog on that night.)

My Dad facetiously asked if you win an award for achieving 200. He is of the opinion that blogs perpetuate the "me" generation. Thus, I am now somewhat self-conscious re: posting another hundred things about myself. So if you're up to it, read away!

Warning: I decided I'm sort of boring after writing this list.

100. I make my bed EVERY day just because I love looking at how pretty it is.
101. I take great pride in braking/coming to a stop in the car gently
102. I feel great peer pressure to wash my hands after using the bathroom when I know people will notice.
103. Cold feet in bed is the worst ever.
104. I'm squeamish about eating food items someone else made, especially if I don't readily recognize what it is.
105. Butter at a restaurant tastes 6302 times better than butter at home.
106. I carry tension in my shoulder muscles big time. OUCH.
107. I drive like it's a game you have to win. Find the best route, most efficient, which car ahead of me should I get behind because it will accelerate faster, etc.
108. I plan decisions as simple as "Where should we park" very carefully, calculating the most efficient walk time combined with ease of exit, etc. Then I get accused of being bossy when I'm determined where my decision should take us!
109. I hate the sound of feet thudding on a hollow floor, like upstairs or above a basement.
110. I frequently open my front door just to see if anyone has left something on my doorstep. This has occurred since college, where we frequently received gifts/food/etc. randomly.
111. I love reading books in a hot bath.
112. I don't like drying off after getting wet.
113. My fingertips dry out, split, bleed, and hurt like a mother during the wintertime.
114. When I was younger (like, until age 19) I could not STAND to have my middle finger separated from the others. It could not sit resting on its own where it might appear to be flipping someone off.
115. I used to eat an apple a day during college. Best snack ever.
116. I almost went to BYU Jerusalem, but then backed out because it cost too much money and I wanted a car. Luckily they closed BYU Jerusalem that fall due to unrest in the Middle East, so my family still brags about how I almost went but "couldn't." I don't correct them. :)
117. I sometimes latch my fingertips on my collarbone. It's a comfortable place to rest my hand.
118. New socks are the greatest feeling.
119. I check my front doorstep almost daily to see if anything was left there for me. Habit from college I think - getting cookies from neighbors, etc.
120. My mouth literally salivates when I think of dill pickles.
121. Pickles and cheese are something I crave more than anything else in the world. Zesty dill, sharp cheddar. Mmmmm.
122. I love the smell of laundry detergent.
123. And the smell of the dryer vent outside.
124. There is NOTHING more calming to me than my home in a clean, orderly fashion.
125. I burp a lot. I do pretty well at keeping it out of the public eye.
126. I can burp really loud.
127. I think I hate doing the dishes more than any household chore.
128. I actually quite enjoy doing laundry.
129. I love a hot bath at the end of the day - so hot I'm sweating to get out.
130. I can't sleep through the whole night without going to the bathroom at least once. (Post-baby, of course.)
131. I can't stand my sheets or blankets bunched up or disorderly.
132. Clean, tight sheets are heavenly.
133. I dislike having cold feet.
134. I keep 3 pair of fluffy slipper scattered throughout my house so a pair is never very far away. AND for my guests to use on my cold tile floors.
135. I prefer sitting on the ground.
136. The older I get, the less capable I am of functioning (including having serious thoughts or conversations) late at night.
137. I need 8 hours of sleep.
138. Can you tell it's late at night as I write all of these comments about sheets, bed, sleep, etc? One-track mind.
139. My tolerance for questionable tv/movies/books has gone way down, which is good news for spirituality but bad news for entertainment.
140. I have come to love reading the Ensign.
141. For nearly five years I have paid for an Ensign subscription but not paid any attention to it. What was I missing!?
142. Sometimes I don't like to think nostalgically because it can be almost painful, like getting homesick for somewhere you can never visit again.
143. I really love to vacuum
144. I love to see the vacuum brush the carpet back to fluffiness and leave cool patterns
145. I love to empty the vacuum bucket and see how much junk I collected in my vacuuming.
146. If you don't have a cool vacuum, I highly recommend going to buy one. Vacuuming becomes exciting and your floors will thank you.
147. I really don't enjoy running on elliptical machines.
148. I am such a minimalist that I don't even want to collect holiday decorations because it's so much "stuff".
149. When somebody says they're going to do something, I just assume they mean it and it's as good as a commitment.
150. Assuming somebody committed to something gets me in trouble a lot.
151. Adrie likes to lay on her stomach and lick the bath water.
152. Watching an old VHS Disney movie makes it look like it was created in 1847 compared to the new DVD versions.
153. I have tried harder to be sensitive spiritually to my job - helping specific girls - and am amazed at some of the therapy routes that are paying off.
154. I make a half recipe of no-bake cookies at least 2-3 times a month.
155. I eat this entire batch of no-bake cookies by myself in a matter of days.
156. I love love love love Photoshop and the things you can do with it. It's seriously like magic.
157. I can only write one more blog before this list has to have 43 more items so I can post it for my 200th blog.
158. Having deep talks with friends and/or family is one of my all-time favorite things to do in the whole world.
159. I'm eating a no-bake cookie right now.
160. I would take my entire extended family on the Disney Cruise if I had the money.
161. I really enjoy blog surfing and seeing what friends, old friends, and people who don't know I consider them friends are up to.
162. I don't like drinking anything ice cold. Well, maybe soda.
163. I say soda instead of "pop".
164. Even when I had a pool in my back yard I wasn't much for swimming.
165. Since looking through the HUNDREDS of pages of journals for my G&G, I have done less of my own journaling. It feels sort of pointless :(
166. Being spiritually sensitive is the GREATEST feeling in the WORLD. Every church lesson, every talk is exciting and profound.
167. Getting actual, tangible photographs printed is a little bit like Christmas morning every time.
168. I would rather feel hungry than overly full.
169. I can't go more than 2 days without plucking my eyebrows or it's embarrassing.
170. I get more excited about savings in the bank than having "things."
171. Long naps are a little bit of heaven.
172. Adrie taking long naps is even more like heaven.
173. I can't stand being lied to.
174. I only take ibuprofen or painkillers of any kind on one day of the month.
175. When I do take painkillers, I take at least twice the recommended amount.
176. I have to sand down my heels daily to a) keep them from becoming hard and disgusting and b) keep them from drying, cracking, splitting, and hurting like #&%*.
177. I floss my teeth in the shower.
178. If I hold anything with my mouth (like use my teeth as an extra hand) for longer than 3 seconds it triggers my gag reflex.
179. I still surf blogs the old-fashioned way.
180. Some of these items might be repeated on my 1-99 list, if so, I am sorry. It's unlike me to let details like that slide.
181. I look at the world like a photograph now - colors, angles, montages.
182. I have low blood pressure and use that as an excuse to eat all the salt I want.
183. I have wrinkles on my face.
184. I have age spots on my face.
185. I would really love a brow lift.
186. My G&G's hot tub is one of those relaxing, heavenly places that provides timeless comfort. Plus it's like 108 degrees. Not kidding.
187. Every morning about 5 or 6 o'clock I wake up and have the inner debate - "Do I get up and go to the bathroom so I can enjoy my last hour of sleep? Or do I lay here and ignore it so I don't have to wake up enough to go?"
188. I secretly sort of like working and feel a little guilty for not being all gung-ho "Please let me be home full-time."
189. That being said, working PART-time would be ideal. Hopefully I can swing that in the near future.
190. I have this neurotic fear of calling someone by the wrong name, even when I KNOW I know their name.
191. I can't stand my feet being sweaty.
192. Combine #191 with #133 and you get the worst of all - cold sweaty feet.
193. I can't stand eating any fruit smoothies or jams with seeds. Are you supposed to chew them or what?
194. I wear a shade-type long tank top or shell shirt 98% of days.
195. I own 18 of these undershirts, not counting a few long sleeved ones. So probably more like 23.
196. My back and neck now hurts in the morning from sleeping wrong.
197. Due to #170 I can't stand the thought of spending money on a new mattress when mine isn't falling apart yet.
198. I wish I could tell a lot of people my honest opinion/advice for them without the emotional ramifications it brings. Why can't we all just communicate honestly?
199. I am LOVING keeping in touch via blog with old friends, new friends, ward people, etc. that I NEVER would otherwise communicate with.
200. Typing this list has made me feel not very exciting. Blessings to those of you who actually read this far!

Photoshop Nerd

I just made a Power Point Presentation entirely composed of importing jpg's from Photoshop.


Why learn another program when I've got one that works just fine!?

I have been laughing at myself all night. What a loyal nerd I am.

Back in the Saddle Again

Once upon a time I was 18 and I lost 30+ pounds in about six months. I had slowly gained that weight, beginning in my Senior year of high school with too many Fry's-cookie-and-Sprite-runs and then landing me at BYU with the freshman 15? 30? Who knows. I will post a 'fat' picture here - just to show what I think was the heaviest time of my life.

I am writing this today because I've decided it's time to get serious again. Except this time it's not about the # of pounds on the scale - it's because my body is falling apart! Since I quit being pregnant and nursing I've been rebelling nutrition-wise. Orange Fanta, no-bake cookies, breakfast rice, cheese, Coke, cookie dough, and all-in-all JUNK have been my staples for almost 12 months now. And I'm paying for it in energy level, joint problems, muscle problems, and on and on. You get the picture. So I'm writing out for myself what worked so well back then in an attempt to psych myself up. So in case any of you want what I think are great tips, read on.

Alaina's Sensible Approach to Being Healthy:

1. Focus on What You Are Eating, and nothing else for that moment. Sit down and really look at, smell, taste, inhale, and overall enjoy the experience of your food. No TV, No movies, No computer, No conversation or distracting music. Focus on the entire experience of your food. Get the picture? You will eat far less and feel far more satisfied. Notice texture, flavor, etc.

2. That being said, Eat What You Want - carefully. If you are absolutely craving something, have a little bit. Sitting and dwelling on what you can't have only makes it worse. Eat 1/4 piece of cake, or 5 perfect bites of ice cream, or one heavenly piece of cheese. Whatever you want in the smallest portion you can be satisfied with.

3. Plan Ahead. If you know you'll be eating unhealthy that night, eat like a health-nut to prepare. I once ate an apple and a banana for breakfast, and 2 cups of steamed broccoli & cauliflower for lunch, so I could go to Grandma's that night and eat all the roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy I wanted without feeling oober guilty. Get in your fruits & veggies in the healthiest way possible to prepare ahead for eating what you want (restaurant? family party? date?) later that night.

4. Exercise as Long as Possible. My magical combination that year was 20 minutes of cardio (jogging, in my case) followed by as long as plausible of keeping my heart rate up after that. For example, I'd go for a 20-minute jog (and I do mean "jog" - it was like a 12-min/mile pace) followed by Weights Class, which lasted 50 minutes of my heart rate staying moderate while I did reps, situps, etc. My other secret trick was to jog for 20 and then walk the track while I studied notes. No joke, there I was on the indoor track with my spiral notebook, walking at a good pace in the outer lanes while I memorized and studied for tests - sometimes for an hour or more. In my 2008 plan after a good treadmill run I plan to read my novel or watch movies from walking on the treadmill or riding the stationary bike. And finish my workouts with 10 min or so of situps & other muscle work.

5. That being said, Any Exercise is better than No Exercise. If I got to the gym and hated it, I'd put in my ten minutes and vow to try the next day. No sense in making yourself hate it. Avoid all-or-nothing thinking.

6. Pay attention to Portion Sizes. It's amazing how 1/2 cup of cereal can really fill you up - that 1.5 cups you're used to pouring out is actually 3 whole servings sometimes! You can survive on FAR LESS FOOD than you're used to. This is not some anorexic attempt to get you to starve yourself - just realize what portion sizes are and start training your body to thrive on that.

7. FIBER, FIBER, FIBER. Don't even worry about counting calories or fat grams (so long as you're sensible) - if you try to get 20 or 25 grams of fiber a day, you're good to go. This should be #1 on my list, actually - healthy foods usually have fiber, and for some reason when you eat 20 grams of fiber a day your body works SO WELL and helps you digest (and eliminate) so much more food and fat. If I was craving a candy bar, I would choose one with fiber (Mounds). If I was craving dessert, I'd make something with oatmeal (cookie dough, no-bakes) for more fiber. Seriously, little tricks like this help!

8. Drink, Drink, Drink. Drink all you can stand of low-calorie/no-calories drinks like watered-down Gatorade, Crystal Light. This not only helps your body function/digest well, but helps my energy level more than almost anything else. When I am well hydrated I don't get those middle-of-the-day nap attacks.

9. Fruits and Vegetables. I feel like a hypocrite writing this one because I have been so rotten lately, BUT eat 5-6+ servings of fruits and vegetables. Especially non-starchy ones (so potatoes don't count). And the more raw, the better. Since I am not a big fan of these, remember that portion sizes are actually pretty small - so it's easier than you think to fit them all in. AND, they help that fiber count for the day go up!

10. Slim Fast. Most mornings for me would start with a slim fast. Chocolate Royale or Milk Chocolate flavor. I do this as a quick and filling breakfast even when I'm not trying to be especially healthy. Stir up a cup of milk with a scoop of Slim Fast, put it in a plastic cup and it's a great breakfast on the run. Plus, it starts you out with 5 grams of fiber for minimal calories - 25% of the way there!

This about finishes the list. I could go on, but these are the major helpers. If you're really trying to lose weight, what I did at that time was write down everything I ate and roughly count calories, shooting for 1200-1500/day. I'm not worrying about that this time around, just the overall feel of being healthy.

Good luck to any of you who have been motivated to be healthier and might be joining me in this endeavor!

*pRocRaSTinaTiOn*

Once I go about 5 days without a blog then the pressure starts building for what the next post should be - A catch up? Something witty? And I begin composing several ideas in my head, none of which I can commit to, so the procrastination goes on.

So: Catch Up.

• We spent a great birthday evening at the Texas Roadhouse for dinner. If you haven't been there, ask me about it.
• Birthday-day I skipped work and had a beauty school salon marathon. Thank you Holly!
• Mallory lived with me for two days. I wish she lived here full time.
• Adrie hit the terrible twos in full force. Strong Opinions + Minimal Vocabulary = Monster.
• I survived Parent Weekend at work and actually enjoyed it.
• I grew weary - really weary - of keeping up on my housework and gave up.

Happy blogging!