ODE TO LOUIS

(This post is sponsored in part by Kerri Russel, who is currently occupying my dream body)

As many of you know from previous posts, I was pretty diligent to my Insanity class from about November to February. But the last two months I fell off the bandwagon. It was part laziness, part getting a new dog and wanting to come home from work and play with her, and part stress from figuring out where to move and then moving. But yesterday I finally went back and man was it hard! Clearly my 2 month hiatus really took a tole on my body. But there is one thing in particular that I wanted to talk about regarding my Insanity class. There are quite a few regulars that I see religiously ever week, and one person in particular that made an impression on me. His name is Louis. Louis is an overweight Hispanic teenager that is there at class every single Tuesday and Thursday in the very back. When I first noticed him I was so inspired. I can only imagine how hard it is for a 16 year old boy to be super motivated when it come to losing a ton of weight. I don't know if kids make fun of him, or if he is self conscious around girls, but no matter the reason, it bring him to the gym diligently. On top of all that, Insanity is NOT an easy class folks. It's hard. And to be as overweight has he is and to come to such a high level class and rock it makes me want to give him a high five every time. Seriously I always think to myself if Louis can motivate himself enough to go to class, I can to! 

Yesterday as I said was the first time I have been back to class in 2 months and about 10 minutes into class Louis walked in late and claimed his spot in the back left corner. My eyes did not deceive me! Louis looked awesome! Yes he still has a ways to go but I could not believe how much weight he had lost since I had seen him last... and there I was... still the same weight and shape. Touche Louis, touche. Today is day 5 of Whole30, and it honestly hasn't been bad. I think I'm going to struggle more than most since I don't like beef or turkey or eggs, and I don't like Cauliflower (which is used in a ton of recipes including a faux rice and making Whole30 type rolls, bagels, and pizza crust). But on the bright side, because I'm so picky, my body has grown accustom to eating the same things everyday so it really will be nothing new to me! 

I'm actually really pumped about finishing Whole30, as I have never stuck with any cleanse or "diet" I have done in the past. One thing I enjoy is the feeling of not feeling super full. I always hated the feeling of wanting to explode or unbutton my pants. Now I walk away from dinner satisfied and my body knows now it's ok to not be stuffed full. I'm doing Whole30 for a couple reasons. One is that since I fell off the gym train for a while and swimsuit season is around the corner, I needed something to kick-start me back into my health routine. Second, it gives me the opportunity to stretch my brain and find new meal options besides my usual potatoes, salad, or pasta. And three, it really helps me reflect about what I'm putting in my body and how it makes me look and feel. When I get off Whole30 will I have a Dr. Pepper the next day? Hell ya... because I don't believe in depriving yourself of what you wants. BUT I know that when I'm done, my body wont always want horrible things. I know that I will try to incorporate Whole30 in a lot of my meals but also add more nutritional options in conjunction with the things I couldn't have; like choosing gluten free or whole wheat pastas... mmmmmm pasta (drool). 

Anyway I'm excited to be on this journey (which was actually Spencer's idea believe it or not) and I am always happy to hear words of encouragement. If any of you want to join I'd love to hear from you and you can look at my Whole30 Pinterest board for inspiration. There are also a ton of blogs and Instagram accounts dedicated to Whole30 as well. Thank you for listening to my rambling and please everyone... have a Dr. Pepper in my honor today.   

HOLY CRAP = WHOLE30

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So as many of you remember back in January Spencer and I did a week and a half raw food cleanse. Let me just give you a recap: it was pure hell. I don't know how someone can just survive off of uncooked fruits, nuts, and vegetables. It's not right! But now we are starting a new type of hell... that should be less hell-y. Have any of you heard of Whole30? Because if you haven't, go to their website right now! Basically it's a 30 day program to get your body off processed foods, sugars, added preservatives, grains, legumes, soy, starches, dairy, etc... So what can you eat? Basically meats, eggs, vegetables, fruits, nuts (except peanuts), and all the seasonings/vinegars/oils you want to flavor them. Not nearly as cray cray as the raw cleanse, but for someone who doesn't really like meat or eggs, my protein is very limited. 

While I was doing my shopping for Whole30 (mostly at Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Costco) I realized how many foods actually have preservatives and sugar dumped in them. Although finding things without them can be a little tricky, there are things out there! I even found one brand of ketchup and a couple brands of salad dressing. My sister was shocked to learn that you couldn't have ANY form of sweeteners; no honey, no agave, no stevia, no coconut sugar... nothing!  Now for some of you who may follow the (very similar) Paleo diet, you may wonder why Whole30 is so strict about satisfying your sweet tooth. The whole point of the program is to show your body that you don't need it and not to trick your body with "healthy junk" and make some crazy Paleo Chocolate cake using things like cacao powder, garbanzo bean flour, and coconut palm sugar. It's about cutting out the junk completely and not trying to fulfill this need by junka-fying healthy things. 

Spencer and I have been wanting to get in better shape and I've learned that a huge part of that starts in the kitchen. Unfortunately we love to eat out and indulge in the more "less calorie-friendly" meals. And who can forget my love for Dr. Pepper! Oh the travesty. Another month without my best friend. But I know that in the end it will all be worth it. Honestly I'm really pumped about it and have a lot of meals already planned, although I hear it gets tough around day 15. That's when you start seeing your friends heads turn into pizzas and donuts. 

One person who has really convinced me to do this is Jenna Rammell, who is one of the creators of the blog Smallfry. She has now done Whole30 twice back to back (Whole60?) and her results are amazing! She posted this photo below on her Whole30/health Instagram account @jennaskitchen. Go follower her even if you aren't doing Whole30 for just some all over inspiration, and no she is not a fitness workout freak. This is mainly just changing her diet! 

Crazy right? Anyway, pray for me this month! I'll need it. Well I guess I better go get my last Dr. Pepper. Happy Friday, and let me leave you with some inspirational skinny quotes from Babe Walker of White Girl Problems: 

I'D GO TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH FOR YOU... BUT I'LL PROBABLY COMPLAIN MOST OF THE WAY THERE

Guys! I've found my new marriage mantra! "I'd go the ends of the earth for you... but I'll probably complain most of the way there." Ok ok, this isn't really a mantra that anyone wants to have, but yesterday I had a wakeup call. Cue the long back story: 

After work Spencer, myself, and the Zero monster, went on a nice walk in a gated community full of million dollar homes (my favorite past time). During the walk Spencer had informed me that all he had to eat that day was a Mtn. Dew. When I got home I made some potatoes and asparagus but he said he wasn't very hungry so he just ate a little asparagus and went and laid down. Normally when Spencer takes 8 o'clock naps, he doesn't wake up until the morning... even though EVERY time he says he isn't going to sleep all night. While he was asleep, I got one small corner of our house totally done; the entryway:

You may recognize those frames from my gallery wall. I decided I didn't want to put them back on the wall because they were a little too cutesy for my style but I didn't want them to go to waste. The lanterns are from Ikea and use to be on our balcony, and no, they don't have an actual candle in them. Just some cheap-o LED tea lights. And although we have more than enough space for our shoes in our closet, I decided it just looked stupid if the built-in shoe cubby didn't have anything in it so now shoes double as decor. Anywaaaaayyy... way off base here, but once I got done I was getting ready to hop into bed, when Spencer got severe chills to the point where he couldn't get warm no matter how many blankets he had. He's had something like this before when he has gotten sick from not eating. I was so tired, and didn't have a sympathetic attitude. Especially since he had been sleeping all night and I knew it was his own fault he was feeling this way. I begrudgingly got him another blanket, got him water, eventually drew him a bath, and the kicker... he wanted me to go to the store to get him some Gatorade! Me! In my pajamas and ready for bed and no make-up and alarm set for 7am!! So off I go to Smith and wouldn't you know, I got there right at 12am, and they close at 12am (what? there are some Smith's that aren't open 27/7?). Literally the woman who pulled in in front of me got in before they locked the doors but the clerk couldn't even wait for me to get to the door! Let the sh**-rockets red glare (literally my eyes glared red); the f-bombs bursting in air; Gave proof through the night... that I was a begrudging wife! So off I go to 7Eleven to pay $19 for Spencer's demands, when it should have only cost me $10, PLUS I couldn't treat myself to those delicious Smith's cupcakes for being such a good wife. Oh the travesty! Once I got home and got Spencer out of the bath, he puke up all my delicious parmesan-lemon asparagus, and I got him into bed. 

As I lay in bed I began to realize what a complete (sorry mom) bitch I had been. Was me getting 30 minutes of sleep really that important to me that I had to complain the whole time? I mean I woke up just fine, and my breakfast Dr. Pepper sure did make things go a lot easier. The lesson I took away from this incident is that sometimes words are actually the thing that speaks louder than actions. I love Spencer and would literally take a bullet for him, but it doesn't help if while the bullet is hurdling towards me I'm screaming "This should have been you standing here and now you totally owe me."  Because after I'm dead from that bullet it will certainly leave a bad taste in Spencer's mouth... especially after he remarries someone much nicer and with a better rack. Hopefully you all can learn from my mistake, and next time someone asks you to go get Gatorade at midnight in your sweats, you say "I would love to!" 

I WILL NO LONGER BE IN THE "DOCTOR'S WIFE" CLUB... AKA "YOU CAN'T SIT WITH US"

So many of you have been asking me when I'm going to post about Spencer's career change so I guess today is the day. For those of you who know Spencer, you probably know that he has been on the med school/doctor path since high school. At the end of this semester he was scheduled to take the MCAT and had already taken an MCAT prep course. Although I don't really know his whole thought process, I know that he was beginning to have doubts if it's what he really wanted to do, and med school is a BIG commitment so you always want to be sure. He knew he would make a good doctor, but he just didn't feel passionate about it. His older brother Greg has gone to law school, partly because it's what their father and older brother did, and he ended up not liking it after graduating and working as a lawyer, and changed career paths. I think Spencer partly wanted to avoid that; especially since med school is an even longer commitment. He began to realize how much he loves talking and meeting new people, teaching, being in front of crowds, customer service, etc... He also is huge into technology. Computers, xbox, TV, phone; you name it! We once went to Best Buy and he literally spent 15 minutes telling this couple what TV to buy and not buy, and using science-y words that I didn't even know existed. His dream job would be to work for Microsoft one day (Xbox headquarters for those of you unaware). So basically now he has decided to go the business route and untimely get an MBA. At first this was a little hard for me. Partly because he was so stressed about the MCAT and school, I thought that maybe he was just changing his career path because he thought it would be easier, but in the end he said he felt good about it and it made him happy. Man, I've thought I would be a doctor's wife for so long... now who knows where the world will take us but either way I know he will be good at whatever her does.

Since Spencer has now changed his path in life, it was time to change his job. He has been a medical assistant and phlebotomist which now don't fit into his new career path. One of his good friend's dad is one of the head honchos at Franklin Covey. Yes they made planners that were a big hit in the 80's or something, but now they mostly do consulting for big companies that hire them to tell them how to run their business better. Spencer is in the last rounds of interviewing but I'm pretty positive that he will get it since he has a glowing recommendation from one of the big wigs. Now, my next anxiety attack will be due to that fact that Spencer seems to think he needs a motorcycle once he gets the job because he will be working 40hrs a week all summer and he has to commute from Provo to Salt Lake City everyday and it will save him on gas. HA! We shall see. So there you have it. Now my profile thing on the right hand side is a lie and I'm not married to the "hottest future doctor you've ever seen." Womp womp... but possible the hottest future business man?!

From all of this I would like to just share a little moral to my story: If you want to do something different then what you are currently doing, or if you want to do something that has nothing to do with your degree... go for it! Even if the world thinks you're crazy for doing it! You only have one life, you might as well enjoy what you are doing while you are here!

ZERO THE SEXUAL DETECTIVE

People tend to get squeamish when you talk about sex around here, but sometimes you just have to. And sometimes you get a good laugh from it. Today I'd like to take the time to talk about... Zero of course! Let me tell you, if you ever need to find someone, and they happen to be "in the act" or about to be... Zero will find them. You know how they have those drug sniffing dogs and body sniffing dogs? Well I don't know if this will come in handy to the police, but I'm pretty sure Zero is a sex sniffing dog. Literally Spencer and I cannot get a moment alone with out her suddenly standing next to us on the bed; and this is Pre-clothes on the floor. I think she thinks our foreplay is some kind of wrestling because the minute we are on the bed, she jumps up and wants in on the action. And if we move the stool away from the bed so that she can't get up, she just sits and whines the whole time. And NOBODY wants a dog looking you in the eyes and jumping on your back when your trying to be in the moment (because of course I can't keep a serious face in this scenario). Honestly if we are just kissing on the couch, she jumps up and starts trying to lick our faces. Maybe its the pheromones she is smelling... I'm not sure... but dang is this dog cramping our style. How can anyone spring some spontaneous love making on their other half when they have to make sure they crate their dog in the next room first? Maybe it's just her way of annoying us since we took out her ovaries and this is our karma. She is also weidly obsessed with underwear. She loves smelling it, chewing it, and especially hiding it. Maybe we need to start thinking of doggy therapy for her?

And to top off the hilarity, last night as I was minded my own business doing my laundry... well let me backtrack real quick. We recently moved into a cute basement apartment in Orem. Our "landlord" upstairs is leaving for the summer to sell for Vivant with his brother, so while they are gone, he is having a friend live there. Our basement apartment is the only thing downstairs except for a theater room, which we have access to through the theater rooms utilities/electronics closet that is attached to our laundry room. We are allowed to use the theater if we let the landlord know, but this summer, it's going to be used as his friends bedroom (which they have moved a bed into). The friend just moved in this week, and I have yet to meet him but... (back to the story) as I was doing laundry I began to hear... lets call them "zoo noises" coming from the theater. I think it's human nature to want to listen in and giggle when such things occur, but in my defense I still had to transfer the stuff from the washer to the dryer. By that time I wasn't sure if they had heard me barge in to the laundry room so then I started daintily putting my stuff in the dryer (one thing at a time) so they wouldn't know that I had been their silent partner for about 3 minutes. In the mean time... Zero (the sexual detective) had a hunch what was going on and stood at the door and started growling. So I was hurrying as fast as a could to throw the cloths in the dryer while hopping on one leg and using the other to nudge Zero to be quiet so we wouldn't be discovered. Can't wait until I can put a face with those... noises. I feel like I already know out neighbor so well. I hope you all have started your weekend with as much excitement as I (and my nieghbor) have!    

CH-CH-CHANGES

Change... that's all my life has been lately. And with someone who's anxiety says "poo-poo" to change, it's been a roller coaster. But as of yesterday, I can finally relax about one thing on my long list... we have found a place to live! Oh, you didn't know we were moving... well neither did anyone else. We've decided to move somewhere pet friendly so that we don't have to sneak around with Zero for another year. Last night we found this gorgeous basement apartment in a newly built house. These pictures were taken at night so it doesn't do it justice:

^^Kitchen. Door to the left is a pantry. Door to the right goes to the washer and dryer and a storage area.

^^Living room. The carpet really isn't that brown. It's just the bad lighting, and I think it's wet from being steam cleaned.

^^View from the outside door when you walk in. To the left is the kitchen and straight in front is the living room. 

^^View from living room. Straight ahead (with windows) is the door to the outside. As you walk out of the living room, on your right and left side are two storage closets. 

^^ Straight ahead is the bathroom. If you turn right there is one bedroom and to your left is the 2nd bedroom. Before you hit the bedrooms, on the right is the door to the outside with a cute coat rack and shoe storage.

^^ Double sinks with storage in the middle.  

^^One of the bedrooms. They are identical with ceiling fans and double doored closets.

I had to leave the pictures micro because they were taken with a phone and were way too pixelated. The only other thing in the basement (besides us) is a theater room which they said we can use anytime! Party at our house anyone? The other plus is it's just some 20 something year old that owns it and he lives there with his brother (their dad is a contractor and is working on the brother's house while they live together). I wish my dad was a contractor and would build me a sweet house! Well there you have it. And Zero gets a nice little fenced in yard to run around in. I can't wait to move, but hate the moving process itself. Next up I'll tell you all about Spencer's career change... yikes! Sing us out David Bowie.