6/16 Run for gold- The Curvettes first 5k

Oh boy was the adrenaline pumping that hot and steamy morning as we woke up early, prepared at home and met the rest of the team at the JCJC football field. We were, in true Abercrombie fashion, incredibly late and that made the stress level sky high. I was worried we wouldn't get there in time and that the curves ladies would be worried and nervous about their first 5k. I  think when it came right down to it at the bottom of it all I was worried I wouldn't be able to do it. I don't wanna ever look weak but especially not infront of the Curves ladies.

 We had a team of  seven that day. We were on week 8 of a ten week "Couch to 5k" plan. We were not completely prepared but we were excited and ready to try.

 We all got registered just in the nick of time. 

We stretched, pumped each other up and ran our little hearts out.

 And Ran

 And Ran

and ran and ran and ran

 And just when we thought we couldn't anymore... 

we ran some more

Our little  Curves family accomplished more that day than just completing a 5k. We trained through the hottest part of the summer day in and day out. We pushed ourselves far past what we thought our physical limits were. we faced our fear of failure and proved to ourselves that we could do it.

As always there was a large Callen/Abercrombie show. Its a great thing to have both my families at one event. The two biggest parts of my life cheering towards one goal.

The other woman

So, There is another woman in my husbands life...

He is completely smitten with her...

And her with him...

He is happiest when she is in his arms...

And she feels safe whenever he is near..

And watching him love

her makes me love him more

Slow to speak

"This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the anger of man does achieve the righteousness of God"

 James 1:19-20

 

We've heard it a million times but a very important part of this verse gets overlooked more often than not. I have heard a hundred sermons on being quick to hear and slow to anger but what about slow to speak. I am currently doing a bible study on anger and controlling the tongue.

 

 Hi, my name is Katie

 and I have problems controlling the tongue!

 

It occurs to me that if this is my weakness, I know this is my weakness, and I want to fix it then I need to go straight to the Word and find out what God says about it.

 

What I found was God doesn't just want us to check the quality of our words

but also the QUANTITY.

 

This was a foreign thought from everything I had ever heard on the subject. And that's really saying something considering I was assigned a paper on controlling the tongue almost weekly growing up, as a punishment for....well not!

 

" If any man (or woman) thinks himself religious

 and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless"

 James 1:26

 

How often do we let our tongues take control instead of controlling it. I know I am guilty of this.

 

"He who restrains his words has knowledge"

 Proverbs 17:27

 

Why do we feel the need to constantly talk?

 Do we have that much to say or does it just make us feel important?

 

"When there are many words,

 transgression is unavoidable.

 But he who restrains his lips is wise"

 Proverbs 10:19

 

Unavoidable is a pretty strong word.

 Looks like I have my work cut out for me. I want to avoid transgressing and according to God's perfect and holy word one tip towards that goal is to be slow to speak. To limit my speech and ensure that the words leaving my lips are God glorifying.

 

 

 

Hurricane party for your muscles:)

So, we're having a hurricane (hurricane Isaac to be exact) and it looks like we're going to be stuck inside for a day or so. Don't ya just hate that? Well, you're in luck not only is the below post a great one time workout to help pass the time while its raining cats and dogs, but it is a quick and easy addition to any gals daily routine that will tone those core muscles and strengthen your upper body in no time. 

You really have no good excuse not to do it (unless your pregnant... Shout out! you know who you are.) It takes less than an hour, you don't need any equipment, and you'll feel so great once your done.

Lets get started...

Almost every woman wishes she had better upper body strength so we're going to focus on both biceps (that bulge on the top of our arm we love to see)
 and triceps (the muscle on the bottom of the arm.. remember the toner the triceps are the less flab and sag you'll have)

 Tricep dips: 2 sets of 30 

Sit in a spider position with your feet, glut, and palms all touching the ground. Then left one leg straight in the air

 (for beginners you can rest one knee on top of the other)

 and lift your glut off the ground.

 One Tri-dip rep consist of you keeping your body in that position with the exception of bending your elbows to lower your shoulders towards the ground and then coming back up again.

 This really works the back of your arms and if you're doing it correctly you can tell within just a few reps because you will start to feel the burn. Remember to really focus on bending at the elbows so that your triceps are doing all the work bringing your body back up. Once you do one set of 30 take about a minute break ,long enough to breath but you don't want to lose the burn, then do the next set of 30.

Push ups: 2 sets of 10

The important thing to remember about push ups is that form is everything. You want your body to stay in a straight line. Make sure you tuck your hips and drop your shoulders. Go down until your chin almost touches the floor, looking straight ahead, and then push yourself back up. Do all ten and fast as you can while keeping every movement controlled. For beginners start on your knees but still make sure your body is aligned from your knee to your shoulders and then work your way up to doing it on your toes.

If most women want to stronger upper body I think its safe to say ALL women want a flatter stomach. I have two great workout  towards that end that are relativity easy to do, easy to build up to higher reps and have noticeable results in a relatively short amount of time.

Air crunches: 3 sets of 30

 Lie on your back with your legs straight out. Keep your legs straight and about 6 inches off the ground then bring them up, bending at the knee but keeping ankles together, while bringing your upper body forward at the same time. Both upper and lower body should meet in the middle ( knees to chest) with the only point touching the ground being the tip of your glut, then go back to your starting position and repeat. The slower you go the more it works those muscles and you can tell by the burn. The only ones that burn count:) the others are just warming up. So, once your abs start feeling like they are on fire just give yourself a mental high five YOU'RE CHANGING THOSE MUSCLES!

Planks: 3 sets of 25 seconds with 10 second between.

To do a correct plank you're holding muscles throughout your entire body as tight as you can while keeping your body in a straight line. The only two points touching the ground are your tip toes and your forearms. Look straight ahead and breath deeply. 

This might not sound hard but believe me by the time you get to 15 seconds your going to be rethinking that and at that point you'll have 10 more seconds.

Its important not to take long breaks between b/c once again once they start burning you're getting your best workout.

Hip dip planks: 2 sets of 15

In plank position dip your hips from almost touching the floor on the right to almost touching on the left. Remember to keep your body straight even as you dip. This works your obliques (outer abdominals better than anything) Your toes will slid but just keep pulling them back to position:)

What woman doesn't want to tone up that fanny? I don't believe I have ever met that lady. 

Bonus workout!

Kneeling lunges: 2 sets of 30

 On hands and knees bring knee up to chest then kick the same leg back as far up towards the sky as you come and then come back down. After 30 controlled reps change legs.

If you want to really pump up your workout

 add 30 minutes of high energy cardio

 (running, swimming, jax, jumping rope, ect.)

Best results if done at least once a day!

Leave me a comment with questions and/or 
let me know how your went. 

Happy Hurricane workout ya'll!

This Calls For A Hurricane Party For sure!

This afternoon as the dark Hurricane Isaac skies began to roll our way and Reagan and I locked Curves up tight and head to our personal safe haven , Mom and Dad's house, I had a very eerie deja-vu feeling. Seven years ago to the day , oddly enough, people were doing the exact same thing in preparation for Katrina (The category 5 hurricane that devastated our world in just a few hours).

Whether Isaac is all bark and no bite or if it knocks our socks off there are a few things we learned from Katrina that will never be forgotten and from the looks of things around Hattiesburg/Seminary/Ellisville/Laurel everyone is putting their hard earned hurricane preparation knowledge to good use. 

The shelves are empty of all the essentials and non-perishables, There are no generators left to buy for miles in all directions, public parking lots are full of vehicles left there to ride the storm out  safe from falling trees,some cars are parked so closely together to insure no one can syphon the gas out it actual looks like a wreck.(You should see how close my mom parked our van to my car in order to protect her gas tank. I wish I had taken a picture.) I have noticed most business around are closed, schools are out, and the streets are pretty empty. considering we're still about 6 hours out from the really nasty weather I feel proud to know my fellow Land-massians can learn, have learned, and are going into this hurricane much more prepared.

Then I started thinking about the steps I have taken to insure my family is protected and how differently it is than how I prepared for Katrina. I had to chuckle. Not only did I not prepare for Katrina but once its seriousness was brought to our ,my friends and my, attention via sign on the JCJC BSU door about school being out the next day due to dangerous weather conditions, we did the only thing you can expect from college freshmen. We planned a hurricane party. We didn't have work or school the next day and that was as far as we thought that decision through. As it turned out we were not the only students with the same idea and it was a happening night. 

What a luxury it was at that time in my life to live so fearlessly.

Seven years fast forward and the only thing I'm thinking is how I can keep my house and baby safe. Brad is at work so I got all the dishes and laundry done in case we lost power. Then filled a few jugs of drinking water in the fridge, and a few Tupperware containers for the freezer to help keep everything cool if the power went out. I filled the tube with water for flushing the toilet, turned the air way up, packed my car with anything and everything Reagan and I could possibly need for a few days and hit the road.

I actually feel like we will get little more then a bad thunderstorm but I would rather be prepared than not. As we draw closer to Isaacs grand appearance I hope everyone continues to keep their Katrina knowledge at the for front of their minds and be as safe as possible.

Mississippi takes the gold!!!!

Mississippi takes gold in obesity AGAIN!!!!

meaning 34% of Mississippians are

20% or more over their ideal weight.

 If you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem.

Make a decision to make yours and your families health a priority.

 

Eat Breakfast

 So many people mistakenly think that if they skip breakfast they will be healthier and lose more weight, when in fact the opposite is true. When you don't eat after hours of sleeping your body goes into starvation mode and your metabolism significantly slows down. This actually CAUSES you to store food as fat instead of turning it into fuel. Any breakfast ( even something unhealthy) is better for you than skipping. However, of course a healthy well balanced hearty breakfast is the best way to start your day out right.

 

Pack a lunch instead of grabbing fast food

 Fast food is one of the largest contributors to obesity. The food is high in calories and fats. And not the good kind either but the kind that make the saying " a moment on your lips, forever on your hips" seem very true. Even fast food salads are not a good choice. Normally made with iceberg lettuce that has practically no nutritional value it wont keep you full more than about 30 minutes. By that time your back at work or back on the road and your only option is a snack or a soda to keep your hunger at bay. And you do not wanna get me started on fast food salad dressings...

 

Slow down when you eat

 We do everything so fast these days its no wonder people have so many digestive issues do to speed eating. Slow down, enjoy your food, chew it, taste it, swallow before taking another bite. Our bodies have a really hard time keeping up when we're shoveling food in. Sometimes it doesn't have time to process all the food and ends up storing it as.... you guessed it.. FAT. Another perk to eating slower is avoiding that overly stuffed " I wanna die" feeling. Its takes about 20 minutes for a bite to register with your body. If you slow down your body can tell you when its full before you have stuffed it beyond what you need.

 

Trade your sodas for water

 Most sodas are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup. Our bodies have a very hard time processing this and we usually end up storing it as stomach fat. That's not good. Did you know you should be drinking 64oz of water a day in order to keep your body functioning properly? not liquid but water. Its so important to make sure your getting enough water. A quick and easy test to see if your dehydrated is check the color of your urine, if its not basically clear with a slight yellow tent then you're dehydrated. If its dark yellow, orange, or even brownish you may be causing your body serious damage by starving it of the water it needs.

 

Walk with your spouse and/or children today

30 minutes of cardio 3X a week or more will make a huge difference in your overall health. And what a good healthy way to unwind after a long workday. Sure beats sitting on the sofa watching TV and snacking on junk food. If you're as busy as my husband and I, walking in the evening may be the only time all day you get to connect and talk about the day.

 

you will be surprised what a difference a few small changes can make :)

Olympic games cancelled.....and rightly so!

The only thing to ever stop the Olympic games

 ( and rightly so) was WAR.

 The games have been cancelled three times through the years.

 In 1916 the games were cancelled due to WWI

and then again in 1940 and 1944 due to WWII.

 I would say our most fierce and fit were a little too busy at that time.

Did I mention he was an American?

Out of the hundreds of thousands of athletes who compete in the Olympic games there has been

only one athlete ,to date, that had won gold medals in

both summer and winter Olympics.

Eddie Eagan

 earned this distinction for his gold in boxing in the 1920 games and gold in bobsledding 12 years later in 1932.

Did I mention he was an AMERICAN? Or does that go without saying?

USA! USA! USA!

 

Wordless Weekends

My Pleasure!

I recently read an article by a homeschool father in Ga. that is now a chair on the Public Service Comission for Georgia matter what your stand is on concerning the whole Chic-Fil-A situation. The article covered a few facts that, no Gay rights, are impressive but have been completely over looked throughout this whole battle.

The article reads...

" The mayors of Chicago and Boston have said they'll do all they can, to keep Chick-fil-A franchises from opening in their cities. Besides making a bad culinary decision, this knee-jerk political reaction will have the unintended consequence of hurting local charities, teens and orphans.

Let me explain.

First, let's talk about what working at Chick-Fil-A does for teenagers. Of their 60,000-employee workforce, 80 percent are less then 21 years old. This is a company that gets these young people to say " It's my pleasure" on cue whenever a customer says any version of " Thank You"

This is no small feat. I know, because I have seven kids, and four of them have worked for the company.

This respect, an accompanying work ethic, and career opportunities are desperately needed in every city, but especially cities like Chicago, with one of the largest gang populations in the country."



The full length article can be found here

From " Shades of Grey" to "Shades of Blue." (Adult content)

The simple equation is this: 

literary erotica is to women

 as visual pornography is to men.

That's how God made us.

Just as a  sexy body can stay in a mans mind after one glance a steamy scene from a romantic rendezvous in a book can stay in ours. 

Both are dangerous to a person and both can be very damaging to a marriage. 

Its not any difference just because its words and not pictures. The horrible nick name this time of reading has received.... mommy porn is very accurate! 

You wouldn't want your husband to watch pornography full of the perfectly airbrushed, gym trained, toned and tanned bodies in completely flattering light. Wouldn't you feel inferior? Wouldn't you always think that he was comparing you to them knowing in the back of your head you could never measure up because what he saw

WAS NOT REAL. 

When you read " Mommy Porn" you're doing the exact same thing to him. Your imagination is soaring with thoughts of this perfectly romantic and hunky hero of the book who ,of course, always has time for you and knows just what to say to make you light on your feet. How can your husband not feel inferior when he has a real job and real responsibilities that keep him from being able to dote on your 24/7? How can he possible always have the right words when he doesn't have an editor or three or four rough drafts? Wouldn't you always be comparing him to them and how could he measure up when what you're reading 

IS ALSO NOT REAL.

I read a few reviews on this book "50 Shades of Grey" that's sweeping the nation. What I found was interesting. Many review mention, along with how awful the writing, that scenes from the book (even the poorly written ones) have a way of staying with you.  One head line read "This book will Obsess you, possess you and stay with you forever."( SCARY!!) 

With such dangerous affects and ones that may stick with you forever why even pick this book up in the first place?!?

I suggest to you instead read a book I was given recently called, Ironically enough,

 Shades of Blue.

Its a christian novel about forgiveness that is written so well I could not put it down for two weeks until I had read it in its entirety. The characters are people we all know (or are) and the story is so gripping its a must own for my collection. I HATE "book spoilers" so all will say is that if you don't read this book you're missing out:)

The Mouse Diaries!

I am of the opinion that dealing with any kinda rodent is a man's job. My husband agrees with this however, whats to be done when ....shall we say... the mans away and mice decided to play?

Mom has to man up!

This whole week has been a battle. 

I'm not going to freak you out with the details and don't worry I have no pictures to share. I only want to say this... 

Ladies, give the mouse hunter in your life a hug today!

My sweet husband comes home tomorrow night and not anywhere near the top of the list of reasons why I'm glad to have him home, but on the list is..... Takes care of the rodents in our lives!!