New Moon - New Intentions - Small Goals will Lead to Bigger Goals

Sleep-o-meter: managed to get 8 hours of sleep last night. Finally!

Friday night was the new moon and every new moon I use as my day to keep myself in check with my goals. I review my previous month goals and create new goals. Some goals are the same month to month. New goals, generally smaller goals, I create based on what's going on, what I want to accomplish.

One of my new goals is getting my daughter's birthday party set up. I still have not planned it or sent the invitations. I'm going to try and keep it small with just a few good friends which will make it much easier and then in May or June throw a beach party with all her friends.

It's not too late to create some goals for the month. Jot down some things that you want to do or have to do this month. It's better to start small because then you'll have better success. Try to be specific. Instead of saying I'm going to work out 3 days a week. Try I will take a five minute walk three days a week. It's more specific and not that hard to achieve. Try I will do five crunches every morning. Five is easy and when you form the habit of five crunches every morning, you'll probably do a few extra by the end of the month and next month you can bump it up to 10. This is manageable and will ensure success so you'll keep your goals. And accomplishing small goals is rewarding and will lead to bigger goals. Taxes are coming up so don't forget to add getting your tax papers and receipts together and call your accountant.

Good luck.
Jan

Great abs

I am looking foward to my energetic spin class tomorrow morning!  I just downloaded the new Pink song, number one on the charts.  Great song to spin to.  It will be a great start to my full day, my 3 year old will be home from pre-school and I was going to take her to Earth Place, never been there, hope we like it.  Then later in the afternoon I am subbing for an exercise class for an over 50 group.  They hate doing ab exercises on the mat so I found one they can do standing up!  It is an exercise that Marisa Miller, a Victoria Secret model does for her abs!  It couldn't hurt to try it. I don't know if  our abs will come close to looking like hers, but it will definately help!  Here is how to get her great abs:

                 Grab 2 medium size weights 2 to 5lbs. each
                 Standing with legs hip distance apart, slightly bent knees
                 twist torso to right, center, then left and repeat
                 Do 8 reps 3X's
                 Repeat this exercise at least 3X's a week.

Start to see great abs in approximately 8 weeks! Good Luck!

Steph

Have you seen last night's sleep? I can't seem to find it.

For the last week I've not had an uninterrupted night of sleep. My 2 year old was up at least once or more three nights in a row. For some reason I've been getting to sleep later than usual. And the bird is back. This pesky bird that arrives in March and stays til June flies to my window at the break of dawn and chirps repetitively like an annoying alarm clock for 20 minutes then flies away. It makes me think of that movie where the actress has the bird waking her up every morning so they shoot it but then she feels bad about it. What's the name of that movie? Anyway, the first two nights I went back to sleep but the last few nights I couldn't get back to sleep. I like my sleep and I'm a bear without it. I can go a night or two but then it starts wearing me down. And on top of no sleep, it's raining. wah. Any tips on how to get rid of the bird or how to get back to sleep quickly would be appreciated. Feel free to leave a comment below or email stephandjanblog@gmail.com. BTW, if you know the movie I'm referring to, please let me know. Now this is going to bother me. :)

I also got hit with another migraine today. I have chronic pain. Sinus pain, headache pain and neck and shoulder pain. It's generally constant but the degree of pain varies. Today I got the migraine in the late afternoon. I took two Advil and after an hour the pain got worse. I took a Migraine Excedrin and rested for an hour and the pain has gone from a 9.5 to a 7 and now I'm around a 4 on the pain scale.

I feel bad that I did not spend a lot of time today with my daughters. I spent an hour in the morning with my coffee and the Sunday Morning show, then I spent an hour on the computer, then laundry. Then I took a walk in the rain with them so my youngest could use her new umbrella which is her new favorite thing and we had lunch together. But then I let them watch an hour of Dora while I worked on the computer again. I was going to take them out to the library after that but then got the migraine attack and now the library's closed. Feeling very guilty.

I have to go make dinner. Still have to finish laundry and take a shower. I will try to play with them after that. I'm thinking something fun and quiet since my headache still hurts. Something like puzzle time. That sounds good.

Hoping tonight we'll all be early to bed and manage 8 hours of sleep. That would be heaven. :)

Jan

Don't wait for a second chance. Make the first one count.

Today we went about our day as usual but the sadness was in the air.  It is hard not to think about the loss of a family member even if you weren't that close.  My husband's brother didn't live close too us and we were all to busy to get together, but we miss him. 

He didn't want a funeral or even a service. He had only a few close friends and no wife or children. But my husband wants to have a service for him. He called a few of his close friends and they all want to come. His boss, co-workers and cousins, they all asked if they could come to the service.  It turns out that the service is now turning out to be a large amount of people!  It makes me sad that he didn't realize how many people cared about him. 

In today's world, we are all so busy and hardly make time to spend with people we know and care about.  He gave up his fight to live and partly because he felt he was all alone.  If he could see how many people are there for him now, now that he is gone forever. 

Let's try a little harder to make time for other people instead of constant texting, e-mailing or Facebooking. No more excuses or putting it off. Don't wait for a second chance. Make the first one count!

Steph

Cherish the Moments

I receive a call from Steph today. She told me her brother-in-law, who has been very sick and in the hospital, is near the end. Although I did not personally know him, it made me very sad and upset to hear the suffering he's been through. It was sad that he lost hope and rather than doing everything to fight, try surgery that may take his voice but give him life, he chose to not try. I understand how difficult it must be and I know how living with pain can be intolerable. So while I wish he tried harder I understand the choice he made. I told her to take him out. To give him one last adventure outside. To the beach or to the park. Or even just outside the hospital. Even 5 or 10 minutes to breath the fresh air and feel the sunshine on his face. Have a last good moment to enjoy life. She took my advice, and she and her husband and daughter packed into to the car but unfortunately on the way to the hospital to see him, they got the phone call. He passed on. It brings tears to my eyes and I wish they had at least been there for him during his passing. I'm sure he knows the love was there and at last he is at peace.

Just a minute after I receive Steph's call with this news. My phone rang again. This time it was my aunt. My aunt takes care of my two daughters while I'm at work. More big news. This time happy news. She called to tell me that my oldest daughter lost her first tooth today. My daughter got on the phone and told me. I could hear the excitement in her voice. I have mixed feelings. My little girl is growing up so fast but I'm happy for this big stepping stone in her life. When I got home I made a big deal about it. I would have anyway but I think a made an extra big deal because life is so precious and these little things in life are big moments that we should celebrate. We just finished watching "Despicable Me" over the weekend so with that in mind and my best impersonation I gave her several, "This is a big deal!" and she laughed. Of course we took pictures. I made a big production at bedtime and we all gathered in her bedroom to reveal the tooth one last time before wrapping it up and putting it under her pillow for the tooth fairy tonight. I know the tooth fairy will bring her something special for her very first tooth. And she already has the new tooth coming in! I can't even believe it.

Cherish every moment because every moment is special. Life is short. Life is precious. Enjoy making memories every day. And work each day to make all your dreams come true.

Jan

More on Hot Hunks at the Oscars

Mark Walberg didn't take home any oscars but he looked hot!  He gets better looking with age.  He has one smoking body and I am looking foward to seeing him in "The Fighter". He has made some great positive changes in his life and it shows, he looks great!

I loved the white tux that James Brolin and Javier Bardem wore, that was different. They looked so cute, maybe a little gay but we all know they are straight!  I thought they looked quite adorable!

 I loved the double breasted tux that quite a few of the men wore this year!  Thumbs up to the guys this year they looked handsome.  I also was impressed that none of them forgot to thank their wives for their support. Old fashioned chivalry is back!

Steph

Hot Hunks of the Oscars

OK, so James Franco has been catching a lot of flack in the media for putting out a dull performance hosting the Oscars. I say, who cares? Did you see him? In the words of Phoebe Buffet from Friends, "He's so pretty."



Who else made our Hot Hunks of the Oscars list?

Hugh Jackman


Colin Firth


Justin Timberlake