So friends, I haven't announced my latest project because I'm famous for only lasting 14 days with this particular endeavor. Seriously...14 days. But now that I have finally surpassed my 14 day stumbling block I feel like I can officially announce that...
I've lost 10 pounds.
Yep...10 pounds. While this might not be huge by most standards this is a pretty big deal for me. When was the last time I lost 10 pounds rather than gain 10 pounds? Oh...well, let's see. Never would be the answer to that question.
I'm not sure what the tipping point was for me to finally dive head first into this weight loss thing, but one day I just decided I was going to do it. I've been tracking how many carbs I eat (thank you iPhone!) trying to work out when I can (trying to at least 2-3 times a week) and it's been going really well. Gracious, I never realized how much food I was consuming throughout the day! I can't believe how much tracking what you eat helps!
So yes...my goal is to shed at least another 10-15 pounds and then I will be in the "healthy weight category" for my height. Being a 5'11 hip-o-licious Norwegian I know I will never be stick thin (nor would I want to be) but not having my Wii Fit character frown every time weigh in would be fantastic.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Schedules
I've become quite a fan of Gwyneth Paltrow's newsletter/blog GOOP. Not only do I love The Gwen but I think she has a good head on her shoulder and is hilarious. And she's married to Chris Martin...hello.
Anyway, a few weeks ago the topic of her newsletter was schedules. Now, for some stupid reason I LOOOVVE reading about how people organize their lives, how they do things, how they decorate their house, etc. And right now I'm really interested in how people schedule their days because I feel so all over the place with my own. Between work, being a wife, raising Isaac, keeping our house semi-clean so we don't drown in dog hair, and everything else going on, it just feels stupid around here 90% of the time. I know that every mother/father feels this way, but dang, after reading the GOOP post about schedules, I felt like I needed to get a grip and get a bit more organized.
So I wanted to pose the question: What is your schedule like? Are you very structured or do you just go with the flow? I'd love to hear!!
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to chase my son down who just took his pants off and is dipping them in the dog's water bowl.
Anyway, a few weeks ago the topic of her newsletter was schedules. Now, for some stupid reason I LOOOVVE reading about how people organize their lives, how they do things, how they decorate their house, etc. And right now I'm really interested in how people schedule their days because I feel so all over the place with my own. Between work, being a wife, raising Isaac, keeping our house semi-clean so we don't drown in dog hair, and everything else going on, it just feels stupid around here 90% of the time. I know that every mother/father feels this way, but dang, after reading the GOOP post about schedules, I felt like I needed to get a grip and get a bit more organized.
So I wanted to pose the question: What is your schedule like? Are you very structured or do you just go with the flow? I'd love to hear!!
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to chase my son down who just took his pants off and is dipping them in the dog's water bowl.
Friday, January 7, 2011
How to spend $1,000
Ahh! So it appears to be time for Jenn's "every two month" blog posting. Oh yeah, we are THAT on top of it, people. Geesh!
So, what have we been up to, you ask? Let me tell you! We've been contributing to our mechanic's bank account quite steadily over the past month. He's grinning ear to ear (honestly, he's a sweet, sweet guy that we highly recommend) but us...not so much.
The weekend of December 19th was not a fun one for Marcus. He worked two 14+ hour long days in a row getting ready for our church Christmas program. The night before the program he was up until 2AM working on slides for said program, had to get up at 5:45AM to get to the church and was there until almost 11:00PM. It was a tough day. And nothing caps off a tough day than walking out to your car and finding it dead as dead can be. Praise God a friend of ours was still at the church and gave him a ride home.
That was Sunday, December 19th. We were supposed to head to Iowa the next day for Christmas, but that didn't happen until Tuesday. Monday was spent getting the Jeep towed to our mechanic and waiting to see what the deal was. Turns out the Jeep is dying a slow death. I won't go into details (basically because I don't speak 'car' and have no clue what it all means) but in a nutshell we will have to get a new car sooner rather than later. Thankfully they were able to put a band-aid on the problem and it was safe to drive for the time being.
We head to Iowa that Tuesday and enjoy 11 glorious days with my family and have a fantastic Christmas. We head back to Nashville on Saturday, which happens to be New Years Day. Thankfully the roads were dead and traffic wasn't an issue.
We were tootleing along in our Mazda 5 (great car, btw) and got through Peoria, IL when all of a sudden BBBAAAAAAMMMM!!! It felt like we ran into something. If you've ever driven on Illinois roads you know they are total crap. And boy did we find the crap load here. We hit a MASSIVE pothole and our car instantly started vibrating. Not a good sign.
I don't know if any of you have experienced major car issues on a long trip, but it is amplified by 100 when you have your two year old kid with you...who's not happy to be strapped down to begin with, and you're running out of ways to keep him entertained, and...gulp...his safety is compromised.
Thankfully we were next to an exit so we pulled off to see what was wrong. BTW, it is FREAKING COLD out and the wind is between 20-30 mph. These conditions create ample pissed off Brazilian grounds.
Said Brazilian (that would be Marcus) looks under the car and can't see anything hanging down or leaking out of the wheel or wheel area, but the wheel is vibrating and we know something is wrong. It was New Years Day, a Saturday, and nothing was open. He called around to see if we could find someone to take a look at the car, but alas, nothing was found. I'm sitting there praying my little heart out, trying to look calm, but geesh...
After 10 or 15 minutes trying to figure something out, we just decided to go for it and try to make it home. And we did, praise God.
Turns out the wheel was bent from the impact and now the tire itself is all jacked up. We got the wheel fixed but still need to get a new tire. It seriously could have been a lot worse and we are so thankful that we made it home safely. But dang, if you're driving in Illinois, watch out for some massive craters in the road.
So, what have we been up to, you ask? Let me tell you! We've been contributing to our mechanic's bank account quite steadily over the past month. He's grinning ear to ear (honestly, he's a sweet, sweet guy that we highly recommend) but us...not so much.
The weekend of December 19th was not a fun one for Marcus. He worked two 14+ hour long days in a row getting ready for our church Christmas program. The night before the program he was up until 2AM working on slides for said program, had to get up at 5:45AM to get to the church and was there until almost 11:00PM. It was a tough day. And nothing caps off a tough day than walking out to your car and finding it dead as dead can be. Praise God a friend of ours was still at the church and gave him a ride home.
That was Sunday, December 19th. We were supposed to head to Iowa the next day for Christmas, but that didn't happen until Tuesday. Monday was spent getting the Jeep towed to our mechanic and waiting to see what the deal was. Turns out the Jeep is dying a slow death. I won't go into details (basically because I don't speak 'car' and have no clue what it all means) but in a nutshell we will have to get a new car sooner rather than later. Thankfully they were able to put a band-aid on the problem and it was safe to drive for the time being.
We head to Iowa that Tuesday and enjoy 11 glorious days with my family and have a fantastic Christmas. We head back to Nashville on Saturday, which happens to be New Years Day. Thankfully the roads were dead and traffic wasn't an issue.
We were tootleing along in our Mazda 5 (great car, btw) and got through Peoria, IL when all of a sudden BBBAAAAAAMMMM!!! It felt like we ran into something. If you've ever driven on Illinois roads you know they are total crap. And boy did we find the crap load here. We hit a MASSIVE pothole and our car instantly started vibrating. Not a good sign.
I don't know if any of you have experienced major car issues on a long trip, but it is amplified by 100 when you have your two year old kid with you...who's not happy to be strapped down to begin with, and you're running out of ways to keep him entertained, and...gulp...his safety is compromised.
Thankfully we were next to an exit so we pulled off to see what was wrong. BTW, it is FREAKING COLD out and the wind is between 20-30 mph. These conditions create ample pissed off Brazilian grounds.
Said Brazilian (that would be Marcus) looks under the car and can't see anything hanging down or leaking out of the wheel or wheel area, but the wheel is vibrating and we know something is wrong. It was New Years Day, a Saturday, and nothing was open. He called around to see if we could find someone to take a look at the car, but alas, nothing was found. I'm sitting there praying my little heart out, trying to look calm, but geesh...
After 10 or 15 minutes trying to figure something out, we just decided to go for it and try to make it home. And we did, praise God.
Turns out the wheel was bent from the impact and now the tire itself is all jacked up. We got the wheel fixed but still need to get a new tire. It seriously could have been a lot worse and we are so thankful that we made it home safely. But dang, if you're driving in Illinois, watch out for some massive craters in the road.
Monday, November 8, 2010
LOL...ROTFL...and other junk
If a blog was in need of dusting, it would be this one. Yikes!
Here's a question for ya...have you ever physically rolled on the floor laughing? Marcus and I had a hilarious conversation the other night regarding how we can't stand the LOL, ROTFL, etc., that so many people use. Granted, it adds some 'umph' to a statement when you think something is funny. I kind of look at it as nervous laughing. You know those conversations where you just laugh because there is nothing else to do? Yeah, oh my...LOL.
As our conversation went on, I asked Marcus, "Seriously, how often in life have you physically rolled on the floor laughing? I can count on one hand how many times I have literally fallen to one knee, have to hold myself up from falling down from laughing so hard. Apparently the internet is full of people who are constantly on the floor, rolling around in laughter."
Marcus then said, "Yeah, and what happens if I find something funny and I'm laughing on the inside? Is that LI (laughing inside)??"
Or if you snort when you laugh...what would that be? Just SNORT!!
When you are at casa dePaula and something is funny, don't be shocked if you just hear us say "LOL!" instead of laughing or if you see us rolling on the floor you'll know why.
Me: LI :)
Here's a question for ya...have you ever physically rolled on the floor laughing? Marcus and I had a hilarious conversation the other night regarding how we can't stand the LOL, ROTFL, etc., that so many people use. Granted, it adds some 'umph' to a statement when you think something is funny. I kind of look at it as nervous laughing. You know those conversations where you just laugh because there is nothing else to do? Yeah, oh my...LOL.
As our conversation went on, I asked Marcus, "Seriously, how often in life have you physically rolled on the floor laughing? I can count on one hand how many times I have literally fallen to one knee, have to hold myself up from falling down from laughing so hard. Apparently the internet is full of people who are constantly on the floor, rolling around in laughter."
Marcus then said, "Yeah, and what happens if I find something funny and I'm laughing on the inside? Is that LI (laughing inside)??"
Or if you snort when you laugh...what would that be? Just SNORT!!
When you are at casa dePaula and something is funny, don't be shocked if you just hear us say "LOL!" instead of laughing or if you see us rolling on the floor you'll know why.
Me: LI :)
Thursday, July 15, 2010
The iPhone...
Last week we went over to my dear friend Stacie's house. Stacie and her husband, Ray, are some of our favorite people and their daughter, Olivia, is just as sweet as can be. We mixed a little business with pleasure by having dinner over there while Marcus worked on Stacie's computer. Perfect!
After dinner Olivia kindly asked if she could play with my iPhone. No problem! I hand it to her and the minute Isaac sees the phone he beelines to wherever Olivia is going to get in on the iPhone action. We have developed a bit of a monster when it comes to Isaac playing with our phones. He LOVES it...a little too much. And the scary thing is...he can work the phone really well. Who says iPhones are complicated?!?
Olivia plops down on the couch and plays quietly while Isaac tries to hoist his deliciously chunky leg up on the couch. He gets up and instantly tries to crawl on top of Olivia to get to the phone. She patiently lets Isaac reach over her and try to get to the phone and...well...I'll let the pictures talk for themselves.
After dinner Olivia kindly asked if she could play with my iPhone. No problem! I hand it to her and the minute Isaac sees the phone he beelines to wherever Olivia is going to get in on the iPhone action. We have developed a bit of a monster when it comes to Isaac playing with our phones. He LOVES it...a little too much. And the scary thing is...he can work the phone really well. Who says iPhones are complicated?!?
Olivia plops down on the couch and plays quietly while Isaac tries to hoist his deliciously chunky leg up on the couch. He gets up and instantly tries to crawl on top of Olivia to get to the phone. She patiently lets Isaac reach over her and try to get to the phone and...well...I'll let the pictures talk for themselves.
Thursday, July 1, 2010
Errr...what?
Last night my sweet friend Rebecca Moody reminded me that I haven't blogged in a loooong time. Eerrkk...yes, it has been a long time. I could come up with a great excuse but I'm not going to. Someone once said that it's not that we don't have the time, it's that we don't MAKE the time. So friends, I didn't make the time. It's that simple. Sorry for being lame. LAME-O!
A few weeks ago we were up in Iowa visiting my parents, brother, sister-in-law, and my aunt Inge who was up visiting from Texas. Boy oh boy, it was soooo good to see them! My parents have a huge backyard full of trees and lots of fun grubby things for a 17 month old to get into. We had a blast & I know Isaac loved every single minute of it. Especially when he could play in little baby pool they got him.
One afternoon Mom and I were sitting out back watching Isaac run around and explore when I asked her, "What do you think about Isaac being an only child?" I think this kind of threw her for a loop. I went on to say how I have no clue how we could add another child to our already crazy lives. With us starting this new business, both of us working like crazy, trying to keep up with the house, and getting into a comfortable rhythm with working and raising Isaac, the thought of having another baby right now is kind of...to be perfectly honest...not really there quite yet.
She smiled (which made me think, "Ooo, she has a doozy coming up.") and said, "OK...what I'm going to say isn't meant to be hurtful because every first time mother does this and it's not just you."
Ooohhh boy...here it comes.
"Kids are work but you're making MORE work out of it than what you need to be."
I have to be honest when I say, yes, I was slightly offended for the first 30 seconds after that comment. But then it sunk in. She is totally right! I WAS making more work out of it!
She used an example from that very day. When Isaac was roaming around their backyard I followed him around the entire time. She said, "Let him roam! We are sitting less than 20-30 feet from him...he's fine! He needs some independence." And then she delivered the absolute truth..."You don't have to entertain him all the time!"
THAT was it! She was so completely right! I must say, Isaac is REALLY good about playing by himself. I'll plop him down with a stack of books, his blocks and an apple and he's good to go. I'll close the gate in the kitchen to keep him contained while I do dishes and he has a great time. For the longest time I felt like I needed to be a cruise director...keeping him happy, entertained and learning something during all waking hours. It doesn't need to be that way...at all.
Granted, Isaac's at that age where he is VERY active (running, running, running!) so I keep a close eye on him so he doesn't chop off one of his arms, but I'm giving him a bit more freedom, not chasing him around every second, helping him to learn when I say "NO!" I mean no, you aren't going to play in the dog's water bowl any more.
Kids are going to cry, hurt themselves from time to time, fall down and get back up...it's just a part of life. Can I protect him from every little thing? Nope. Should I try to? Of course, but it doesn't mean we are going to always catch it. I just pray over Isaac every morning that God will protect him and give me the grace to unclench a little bit more :)
Am I warming up to having another child? Of course. I go through phases where I have to slap myself on the back of the head and say, "Stop being selfish!" Because it totally is a selfish thing...we are very comfortable right now how things are going. But it's not about me or my plan or my controlling the situation. It's about God's timing and plan.
So I'm letting go bit by bit and letting Isaac be Isaac, which is a wonderful and freeing thing but also a joy to witness. He has a wonderful time playing, I can get a ton of stuff done AND still have time to play with him and enjoy him fully. Ahhh....
And when he comes running up to me with one of his books, you better believe I drop everything and we read it together. That's a non-negotiable one :)
A few weeks ago we were up in Iowa visiting my parents, brother, sister-in-law, and my aunt Inge who was up visiting from Texas. Boy oh boy, it was soooo good to see them! My parents have a huge backyard full of trees and lots of fun grubby things for a 17 month old to get into. We had a blast & I know Isaac loved every single minute of it. Especially when he could play in little baby pool they got him.
One afternoon Mom and I were sitting out back watching Isaac run around and explore when I asked her, "What do you think about Isaac being an only child?" I think this kind of threw her for a loop. I went on to say how I have no clue how we could add another child to our already crazy lives. With us starting this new business, both of us working like crazy, trying to keep up with the house, and getting into a comfortable rhythm with working and raising Isaac, the thought of having another baby right now is kind of...to be perfectly honest...not really there quite yet.
She smiled (which made me think, "Ooo, she has a doozy coming up.") and said, "OK...what I'm going to say isn't meant to be hurtful because every first time mother does this and it's not just you."
Ooohhh boy...here it comes.
"Kids are work but you're making MORE work out of it than what you need to be."
I have to be honest when I say, yes, I was slightly offended for the first 30 seconds after that comment. But then it sunk in. She is totally right! I WAS making more work out of it!
She used an example from that very day. When Isaac was roaming around their backyard I followed him around the entire time. She said, "Let him roam! We are sitting less than 20-30 feet from him...he's fine! He needs some independence." And then she delivered the absolute truth..."You don't have to entertain him all the time!"
THAT was it! She was so completely right! I must say, Isaac is REALLY good about playing by himself. I'll plop him down with a stack of books, his blocks and an apple and he's good to go. I'll close the gate in the kitchen to keep him contained while I do dishes and he has a great time. For the longest time I felt like I needed to be a cruise director...keeping him happy, entertained and learning something during all waking hours. It doesn't need to be that way...at all.
Granted, Isaac's at that age where he is VERY active (running, running, running!) so I keep a close eye on him so he doesn't chop off one of his arms, but I'm giving him a bit more freedom, not chasing him around every second, helping him to learn when I say "NO!" I mean no, you aren't going to play in the dog's water bowl any more.
Kids are going to cry, hurt themselves from time to time, fall down and get back up...it's just a part of life. Can I protect him from every little thing? Nope. Should I try to? Of course, but it doesn't mean we are going to always catch it. I just pray over Isaac every morning that God will protect him and give me the grace to unclench a little bit more :)
Am I warming up to having another child? Of course. I go through phases where I have to slap myself on the back of the head and say, "Stop being selfish!" Because it totally is a selfish thing...we are very comfortable right now how things are going. But it's not about me or my plan or my controlling the situation. It's about God's timing and plan.
So I'm letting go bit by bit and letting Isaac be Isaac, which is a wonderful and freeing thing but also a joy to witness. He has a wonderful time playing, I can get a ton of stuff done AND still have time to play with him and enjoy him fully. Ahhh....
And when he comes running up to me with one of his books, you better believe I drop everything and we read it together. That's a non-negotiable one :)
Friday, April 2, 2010
A big announcement that doesn't include a baby...
The world's worst blogger is...this girl...right here. Sitting right here behind my dining room table desk trying to wrap my brain around my never ending to-do list. Tis the life of a mother, a wife, professional, a semi-sane person. That is my dumb way of saying "sorry for being lame and only posting one blog in the month of March!" LAME-O!!
I think March, which somehow turned into April overnight, snuck up on everyone. Seriously...what happened to March?? It's kind of nice that it went by so quickly due to the fact that the weather was FREAKING COLD and now we are in glorious Spring. Ahhh, thank you Lord for the warmer weather :)
Now on to a little announcement! Nope...no new babies are being added to the casa dePaula clan quite yet. BUT we are bringing about something new and exciting to our lives and hopefully to the lives of others very soon. I originally wanted to announce this once we had the new website up, but that won't be for another few weeks.
We are...how do you put it...re-working our business. Five years ago I started BookEnd Media, which is a publicity/PR firm that focuses on independent artists/bands, authors, and small businesses. Due to the changing landscape of the media (print media, radio, TV, etc.) it has gotten increasingly difficult to get coverage for indie artists, which was incredibly frustrating because these artists deserve so much more media attention than what they were getting. They are amazing!! This in turn made me very frustrated and not enjoy my job...at all.
About a month or so ago I had a meeting with a client/friend regarding a new project they have coming up. I'm really excited about what they are doing to change things up, stir the pot a bit, and get out of the traditional mold of things within the music industry. Walking away from that meeting I challenged myself to change things up within my company...try something new and turn things around not only for the company but, more importantly, for our clients.
Marcus and I are thrilled to announce that we are starting a new digital PR/Marketing firm called Mixtus Media Solutions. We are going completely digital (focusing on blogs, podcasts, internet radio, webzines, etc.) and adding to the mix website design/development (thanks to my braziliant husband) as well as social network management/development. We are SO excited about it and already have several projects underway. Anyone who knows Marcus knows that he is a freaking amazing website designer (check out www.amycourts.com or www.thevillagechapel.com) so I'm really excited that we are making that a major part of the new company.
I won't go into all of the details right now, but all that to say, we will let everyone know once the website, Facebook, blog, Twitter, etc., is up for Mixtus Media Solutions. More details to come!
So...THAT is what is keeping us busy these days. Not to mention the amazing journey of raising our Isaac Henry...but he's the good & fun kind of busy :) Uff, can't get enough of that kid!!
I'll do better with the blogging...promise! Love to you all!!
I think March, which somehow turned into April overnight, snuck up on everyone. Seriously...what happened to March?? It's kind of nice that it went by so quickly due to the fact that the weather was FREAKING COLD and now we are in glorious Spring. Ahhh, thank you Lord for the warmer weather :)
Now on to a little announcement! Nope...no new babies are being added to the casa dePaula clan quite yet. BUT we are bringing about something new and exciting to our lives and hopefully to the lives of others very soon. I originally wanted to announce this once we had the new website up, but that won't be for another few weeks.
We are...how do you put it...re-working our business. Five years ago I started BookEnd Media, which is a publicity/PR firm that focuses on independent artists/bands, authors, and small businesses. Due to the changing landscape of the media (print media, radio, TV, etc.) it has gotten increasingly difficult to get coverage for indie artists, which was incredibly frustrating because these artists deserve so much more media attention than what they were getting. They are amazing!! This in turn made me very frustrated and not enjoy my job...at all.
About a month or so ago I had a meeting with a client/friend regarding a new project they have coming up. I'm really excited about what they are doing to change things up, stir the pot a bit, and get out of the traditional mold of things within the music industry. Walking away from that meeting I challenged myself to change things up within my company...try something new and turn things around not only for the company but, more importantly, for our clients.
Marcus and I are thrilled to announce that we are starting a new digital PR/Marketing firm called Mixtus Media Solutions. We are going completely digital (focusing on blogs, podcasts, internet radio, webzines, etc.) and adding to the mix website design/development (thanks to my braziliant husband) as well as social network management/development. We are SO excited about it and already have several projects underway. Anyone who knows Marcus knows that he is a freaking amazing website designer (check out www.amycourts.com or www.thevillagechapel.com) so I'm really excited that we are making that a major part of the new company.
I won't go into all of the details right now, but all that to say, we will let everyone know once the website, Facebook, blog, Twitter, etc., is up for Mixtus Media Solutions. More details to come!
So...THAT is what is keeping us busy these days. Not to mention the amazing journey of raising our Isaac Henry...but he's the good & fun kind of busy :) Uff, can't get enough of that kid!!
I'll do better with the blogging...promise! Love to you all!!
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