I Don't Check Bags

In my early 20's, I revived a deep passion of mine. A passion that was instilled when I was young, but didn't fully blossom until I was able to make my own decisions and take off...on a jet plane! I love traveling, and over the years I have become quite amazing in my packing skills.

It all started on a trip to New Zealand when I was 22. I like to say I lived there, but lets be honest, it was a trip. I was so excited to do my student teaching in a foreign country! Heck, I was just excited to have a passport! I packed and packed, and packed some more. After all, I was going to be there for three or four months. It was going to be the best trip of my life! The only problem was...one of my bags didn't show up until month three! Thankfully, I was able to live off the bag that did show up, and the amazing Target/Walmart/Pamida type store in Alexandra, my new home base.

But that was it for me. Never again have I checked a bag! I have been to several countries, including a month long Europe trip, and my trusty carryon is the only thing that comes along. When I tell people they look at me like I'm a nut, but for my life it is so much less stress.

The only pesky problem is not being able to bring a full bottle of sunscreen everywhere I go. (My mom would be so proud.)

So how do I go from this...

to this?  It is simple! As long as I follow a plan. 

It all starts with putting first things first. Every good packer must begin with a list. If you just start throwing things in your suitcase, you'll never have enough room to fit in that hair dryer you may have forgotten...because it wasn't on the list.  If you look closely on the right, you will notice Adam got ahold of my list and added a few amusing, but unnecessary items. He cracks me up.

Some people say that rolling your clothes is the best way to pack, but I completely disagree. You can get so many more outfits in there if you fold. The trick is HOW you fold. I fold clothes into long, skinny rectangles. This allows me to split my suitcase into two sections which means tons of clothes!

But, it is all about meticulous folding. For most items, I literally fold them into the case. I alternate the waistband of my pants to be on the left or right side because that is bulkiest part of the pant. If you don't alternate, you end up with one side full before the other.

Before and after of my swimsuits: even these bad boys get folded to save space! 

What is the best thing to do to survive carryon only? Bring a big purse! I put all of my liquids, Kindle, tickets, meds and anything else that just won't quite fit in the big hobo purse. It is the perfect solution. Plus, the strap is large enough to hook to the top of my suitcase, so I don't get tired from lugging it around. 

The end result may not be pretty, but it works for me. My trusty old carryon has served me well over the years. I really should write Santa a thank you note. 

Happy traveling! 

So, You're Fat: How One Doctors Appointment Can Rock You

If you know much about me, you know that I have been working on my fitness. I'm not where I want to be physically, and sometimes that gets me down.  But I also feel good about the path I'm taking to my goals. My husband's fitness focus keeps me on track, I have a new group of friends who keep me motivated, and my yogi BFF makes weekend workouts fun. Things are going well! They are going slowly, but progress is happening.

Weekend yoga on the patio with Ashlynn! 

Enter my yearly doctors appointment. If you're a woman, you know that the yearly appointment is not something you look forward to. It is like cleaning the bathroom; nobody wants to do it, but it has to be done. While at my appointment, I found out that my current medications may be having an adverse effect on my body. This translates to the super scientific method of, "Try this one, and we will see..then if it doesn't work, we will try another," until we figure out what medications will be best for my body. Gotta love process of elimination when you are the test subject!

To be honest, I trust my doctor completely in this department. I'm scared for the changes hormonally and physically, because I've had a hard time with them in the past, but I know it is a necessary part of staying healthy. Thank God for modern medicine!

Which brings me to the part of my appointment that caught me off guard. With all of the unnerving medication talk, when she told me I showed signs of obesity (yes, OBESITY), I had no idea how to react. I had no special tests done to show such a thing. I hopped on the scale, showed a number that was four pounds more than last year, had my blood pressure taken (passed with flying colors), and all of the sudden...I was fat.

I sure didn't see that ball coming in from left field!

How did those four pesky pounds take me from not a word about my weight, to a handout on body mass index, healthy eating, and regular exercise? I was told that I needed to loose 20 pounds to get to a healthy weight, when my goal has only been to loose 10.

Talk about a statement that can rock you. I had nothing to say. I just sat there with a shocked look on my face and complacently answered, "I'll work on it."

I'll work on it? Lady, I've been working on it!

I have now had 24 hours to process the information, and a decision has been made. I will not let it rock me any longer. I am not obese. I'm not perfect, but I'm not obese. I will not allow that thought to be in my head and taint my every move. I need to continue on my path, create reasonable summer goals, and love myself. In the last six months, I have worked very hard to remind myself that I am important and worthy. This will not rock my new found confidence.

Besides, I have the perfect body...it is just currently covered in a thin layer of fat :-)

#workhardbutloveyourself

May 28, 2014 - Captain America, not Captain Obese

May Date: Farmers' Market Fun

I say it every month, and I will continue to say it: the 12 dates for Christmas is the BEST! I love the tradition. I am in love with the tradition. I will be so sad when this year is over.

MAY

Beep, beep, beep. Get ready to wake up and get moving! We are on our way to the Farmer’s Market this month. Let’s people watch, drink yummy coffee, and maybe buy ourselves some treats!

* As a disclaimer, if you are still on nights (boo if you are), we can reschedule this date for some fun evening activity…

While Adam IS still on nights part of the time, it worked out that this Saturday event landed after a 2-10 shift. Winning! 

This month was planned as a simple Saturday day date. We were going to the Des Moines Farmer's Market, doing a little people watching, and drinking expensive coffee. It was going to be relaxing and just the two of us...but we switched it up a bit!

My friend, Amy, is celebrating her golden birthday this year, and her loving boyfriend wanted to surprise her with a friend day starting at the farmer's market. Even though it was supposed to be a date day, we decided to seize the chance to catch up with friends we haven't seen since our wedding.

Happy birthday, Amy! 

To add a little fun to the day, we rented bikes and rode round the East Village. We had so much fun! There is something about being on a bike with a basket that brings you immediately back to childhood! Adam was trying to pop wheelies, I was zooming along, and the sun was shining.

Adam on a basket bike mission!

Note to the reader, read the instructions on Bcycle carefully! I thought I was paying $6.00 for a 24 hour bike pass. However, that was just the charge for the day membership. It was an additional $2.50 for every hour. That adds up over a nine hour period! 

After the Village, we sat out on the porch at Hessen Haus, a great German pub downtown. A few people in our group had never done a boot before, so Das Booooot had to happen. Then we rode over to Exile Brewery and were on our way home for some comfy couch time by 10:00 pm.

Hessen Haus 

Toward the end of the evening, Adam commented on how wonderful the date had been. I loved hearing him say it, though I had a feeling he had enjoyed himself. Throughout the day, I kept catching him gazing at me with that goofy/handsome/loving grin he used to get when we first started dating. Being loved by that guy is the best feeling in the world.

Cheers from the sunny patio!

A successful May date!

Up next, our one year anniversary date! I've got something extra special up my sleeve for this...

Donuts: My Hypocrisy

While I sit here planning tonight's Insanity workout, while on day 3 of my second round of the Three Day Diet, I am dreaming about donuts. Talk about hypocrisy! I'm not dreaming about just any donuts, but the homemade donuts that remind me of my childhood and happened to magically appear in my kitchen a few weeks ago.

Hint: I made them.

Bare with me! I am still on my healthy path, but once in a while you have to have a cheat. If you don't allow yourself that, then what is the point of living your chances of success are far less. While I would love to have a super model body (who wouldn't), I also want to enjoy life...and amazing food is part of that.

So, I bring you a favorite of mine from childhood that has now made an appearance in my adult kitchen: the homemade donut!

They start off so easy. Heat the oil, cut out a hole, and try to keep the drool IN your mouth. 

Drop them in the oil and watch as they sizzle! Keep a close eye so they don't burn...but even the burnt ones are heavenly.

Add some cinnamon sugar, and you are almost there.

Wait for them to cool, wake up the husband, and be ready to work on your self control...or not.

Homemade Donuts

• 1 can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits 
• vegetable oil (for frying)
• sugar
• cinnamon (optional)

1. Start by heating a frying pan with 2 inches of oil to 300-350 degrees. This is about enough vegetable oil to keep biscuits floating. 
2. While the oil is heating, separate the biscuits and cut out a 1 inch hole in the center of each. Keep the centers for donut holes! You can use a knife or the top of a bottle to stamp them out. 
3. Once the oil is ready, drop in 1-2 biscuits at a time. Watch them carefully! It only takes 30-60 seconds before they need to be flipped. 
4. When both sides have been fried, dip the hot donut in a plate with a cinnamon sugar mix. 
5. Let cool on a rack and enjoy! These are best eaten the day of. 

I know these little beauties can't be a regular meal, but they sure do make a great treat once in a blue moon. 

YUM!  

Three Day Diet: We're Going to the Beach!

My name is Molly, and I am an addict...of travel. My addiction started at a young age because my mom was always looking for ways to keep her children "well rounded". This desire generally meant trips to Chicago to visit her family or to Florida to get away from the Iowa weather. In my early/mid twenties, my addiction was easily fed because I was young, single, and I had very few obligations to adult life. Every school break was filled with trips to Colorado, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, and beyond. The older I have become (and the financial responsibilities that come with age), the harder it has been to "get my fix," and I haven't been on a plane for almost a year.

Yes, I know saying I haven't been on a plane in almost a year sounds pretty snooty, but I have a problem.

However, thanks to my rock star husband, I've planned a trip to keep me going! Praise the Lord! For our one year anniversary (wow!), we are going to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. I haven't stopped grinning since we booked the trip through Orbitz. We got a great deal by packaging flight, hotel, and car rental, saving almost $500! I. Love. A. Good. Deal.

Hold up. Did I just say beach? Does that mean swimsuit season is upon me? Indeed it does. I have been proud of my physical progress over the last couple of months, but I'm not exactly where I want to be yet. We leave for the beach in a few short weeks, and I want to do everything I can to keep my confidence high. Nothing ruins a beach day faster than feeling self-conscious in your suit! Which is why I'm sharing "The Three Day Diet" with you.

The Three Day Diet is an app I found before my wedding last year for $1.99. It is all over the internet for free, and derives from what they call "military" eating. For three days, you have a set diet. You are to eat the food on the list, all the food on the list, and only the food on the list. Then you take four days to eat normally, within reason, and finally, repeat the cycle. The first time I tried it, I lost 8 pound in three days!

The Three Day Diet

Day 1	Day 2	Day 3
BREAKFAST Black Coffee or Tea 1/2 Grapefruit or Juice 1 Slice of Dry Toast 1 Tbsp. of Peanut Butter	BREAKFAST Black Coffee or Tea 1 Egg 1 Slice of Dry Toast 1/2 Banana	BREAKFAST Black Coffee or Tea 5 Saltine Crackers 1 Oz. of Cheddar Cheese 1 Small Apple
LUNCH Black Coffee or Tea 1/2 Cup of Tuna 1 Slice of Dry Toast	LUNCH Black Coffee or Tea 1 Cup of Cottage Cheese or 1/2 Cup of Tuna  5 Saltine Crackers	LUNCH Black Coffee or Tea 1 Hard-Boiled Egg 1 Slice of Dry Toast
DINNER 3 Oz. any Lean Meat 1 Cup String Beans 1 Cup Carrots or Beets 1 Small Apple 1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream	DINNER 2 Beef Franks 1 Cup Cabbage or Broccoli 1/2 Cup Carrots or Turnip Greens 1/2 Banana 1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream	DINNER 1 Cup Tuna 1 Cup Beans or Cauliflower 1 Cup Carrots or Beets 1 Cup Melon 1 Cup Vanilla Ice Cream

Source

I plan on doing the diet once a week until the trip. The most challenging part for me is not snacking between meals. This diet has shown me what a crutch mindless snacking is for me! The BEST part is that I get ice cream every day. Now, who can argue with a diet like that?

Goodbye snacking. Hello, Myrtle Beach body!

Stress: Relieve it Through Fitness

Life has been a glorious, stressful, jam-packed tailspin for me lately. I feel like I am barely keeping my head above water, and I'm not even a college student with finals coming up. Though sometimes, the end of an elementary school year feels about as taxing. After biome week, I felt like I would be riding high and fancy free...but those were thoughts of a crazy woman.

Other than looking at the positive (which always helps), how do you compartmentalize and digest your stress?

One thing I am trying to do when I feel this way is to relieve some of the stress with fitness, not food. I had previously been doing a boot camp here in town, but decided it wasn't working for me anymore. I was no longer having fun with it and found myself dreading going. It was one more thing on my "Ugh! Do I have to?" list, so it went to the wayside.

Instead, I have started working out with a friend here in town a few days a week and with the hubs when schedules allow.

Here is a rundown of a couple quick workouts I've done in the last few days.

Repeat each round 3-4 times, depending on time and energy!

I plan to do two leg and two arm days per week. But don't you worry, I haven't forgotten my love of yoga. Please enjoy the wonderful Erin Motz for a quick stress relief session below... it was exactly the restoration I needed.

Erin Motz is the BEST! Check out her website and the 30 day challenge! 

Only 13 days of school left...I've got this!

May Day: Please Bring Flowers

Do you ever have those weeks that seem to go on forever? Where you continue to question what day it actually is? Those weeks where you could swear it is Friday, but it is only Wednesday?

Yep, that is my week.

This morning, I have been jumping on the Friday bandwaggon. Every move I make is in the assumption that today is the last day of the work week. But it is not. When you have weeks like this, what do you do to pull yourself back to reality? In my experience, the only thing to do is to give yourself a positive kick in the pants. So prepare for another list of awesome, super cool, grandiose things!

All right, they aren't that hugely amazing, but they are things that bring a smile to my face.

source

Molly's 2nd List of Awesome

1. My inbox got a surprise today! My Yoga Pro, a website I have been dying to get my hands on, is finally launching next week! I cannot wait to check out all the videos, connect with other yogis, and hopefully learn some new things. I've been waiting for the launch since Christmas, and I can't wait!
2. My students made HUGE strides on our biome project yesterday. For a solid hour and a half, we cut, colored, researched, stapled, and glued our way to the savanna. We're not there yet, but I can finally see it coming together. 
3. My dad joined Snapchat. I don't know why this is awesome, but it made my giggle out loud when I got his "friend request". He is a retired teacher and is always proud of what I do in the classroom, so I look forward to snapping him cool school projects!
4. I went to Skyzone again, and I am feeling the burn today. Who doesn't love that sore muscle feeling, especially when you know you worked for it. 
5. Today is May Day! Do you know what that means? Goodbye April showers, and hello May flowers! There is still a ton of work to do, but my garden at home is shooting up and looking ever so pretty. 

Here is to the power of positive thinking! I feel better already. 

Happy May Day, friends!