By the way, My Friends are Staying for the Weekend

The backstory: I bought a foreclosure almost three years ago. Picture the classic trashed out nightmare foreclosure house and you've got a pretty good picture of my house when I bought it. When I moved in I spent hours upon hours scrubbing every single surface including the showers and bathtubs. I used the typical cleaning products I had always seen my mom use growing up. I then stepped it up a level when nothing seemed to make a dent and started scrubbing with a wire brush. When the wire brush couldn't even scrub off the decade of soap scum and hard water stains I pretty much gave up.

Fast forward to this week: Last Sunday evening at about 8:00 my husband nonchalantly tells me his friend and his wife will be staying with us all weekend. I'm sorry... DO WHAT?? Isn't that something you clear with the wife first???? Didn't realize I needed to spell that rule out for the hubby (we've barely been married a year and are still learning a lot). My panic quickly swelled as I ticked off the numerous chores and projects left undone around the house. My chief horror was the state of our guest bathroom. With in-town family and a half bath downstairs, the guest bath has been one of those projects we put on the back burner.

Quickly I geared up knowing I could make at least some progress Sunday evening. I got the tape measure, drill, hammer, etc, and started hanging the towel rods I purchased a year ago. Once I got the towel rods and toilet paper roll mounted I started to feel a little better. That is until I checked out the shower and lifted the toilet lid.

Simply put: the thought of another woman being asked to actually use that bathroom was horrifying. No amount of "it was the people before me" can cover that bathroom when I've owned the house for nearly three years. But after all the scrubbing I had already done I thought it was totally hopeless. On a whim, I sprayed down some scrubbing bubbles and then some comet (this was probably a bad idea as I'm sure I made some sort of toxic fumes and am lucky I didn't die...I don't recommend the miixing...) and then just left it over night. Shockingly, the next day, the nasty brown spot in the low part of the shower was gone!! No scrubbing no nothing!!

So of course, I took the scrubbing bubbles and comet right to the toilet (this time I didn't mix). I did scrub a little this time but then left the rest overnight. Like magic, the toilet looked brand spanking new in the morning. I so wish I had a picture but just imagine a potty that wasn't cleaned for years and continually runs (people before me I swear). It had about a centimeter thick brown buildup in the very bottom, plus rings and runs coating the entire bowl. So that's my weapon now, scrubbing bubbles and comet!! And now that my bathroom is presentable, I can't wait to have people at our house!

Here's some other pictures I do have of the house when I moved in so you can get the picture of how bad the toilet really was.

The original shower, definitely been replaced! 

Soo gross!! I don't know how this is even possible!! 

30 Minute Workouts

P90X can kiss my but. So can every other workout that takes over an hour of my life and leaves me feeling like walked in dog poo.  I'm so not into that kind of workout.  I get that maybe it works in some people's lives, but for me, P90X and its counterparts are a sure way to triple my stress and make me despise working out.

I believe in sustainable workouts and P90X is the farthest thing from that for me. I also believe workouts should be tailored to the needs of our individual bodies.  For instance, some of us need more cardio while others may need more time building muscle.  Or you might have bad knees and no matter how many calories running burns, its just not the thing for you.  So based on these principles, and well a few others, I've designed my own workout plan that I really think I can stick with.

My Workouts:

A couple things you should know first: I design my workouts with a couple key principles in mind. The first very simple principle is just that moving burns calories. The second common knowledge principle is that muscle burns more than fat and the third principle is that your body begins to burn fat between 10 and 15 minutes of exercise. Based on these, each of my workouts includes running, strength training, and lasts for at least 20 minutes.

My current plan includes 4 separate workouts, each focusing on cardio and a major muscle group; arms, legs, abs, and back. I try to hit all of them each week but shuffle around the order.

Here's some interesting articles that relate to my workout philosophy:

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/8-ways-to-burn-calories-and-fight-fat

http://www.livestrong.com/article/419744-working-out-time-and-fat-burning-myths/

Born Again Christian

I got a pretty good laugh this afternoon when my mom said I was like a born again Christian... Only with cleaning and organization. We were commiserating over our husbands who think "cleaning" is pushing everything into a corner, under some furniture, or into a stack when out of of the blue my mom says "Your dad and I think you're like a born again Christian, you know they are "gung ho", all in, 100% dedicated and that's how you are with cleaning now." Somewhere in there she even said she felt sorry for my husband... This from the woman who grounded me from half my childhood (slight exaggeration) because I couldn't keep my room clean.

At first I was kinda offended by this fanatical description of my behavior and tried to downplay it but now I'm starting to face the truth...and I like it!! NEVER in my life have I been described as a clean or organized person, and while that's not exactly what my mom said, it's definitely the closest I've ever come. The "born again" implication is that eventually ill fizzle out but I'm really starting to feel like its a more permanent change.

Tonight I went to Marshall's because its where I go when I need to purchase happiness and distractions. Anyways, I came across these little kitchen containers which I love especially considering I leaked tons of flour on my floor last week when the bag ripped. These weren't totally an impulse buy as last week after the flour spillage I decided I needed some containers, but they definitely boosted my spirits! If organizing and cleaning stays this rewarding then I'm definitely going to be a lifer!!
   

Crispy Southwest Chicken Wraps/Tacos

Just made these tacos the other night. I have to admit that the prep was more lengthy than I prefer but I think they were worth it. They tasted fabulous and heat up really well for left overs.

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup cooked rice, warm or at room temperature (I used a medium grain brown rice)
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (or other leftover meat, like shredded pork or beef)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 green onion, finely sliced (white and green parts)
1/2 red or green pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
2 cups shredded cheese (I used Monterey Jack)
Sour cream (optional)
I also topped these with sliced avocados. 

6 burrito-sized flour tortillas (I opted for smaller taco size black bean wheat tortillas instead of burrito size. As a result I made more of a taco than a wrap)


DIRECTIONS:
Mix rice together with chili powder, cumin and garlic salt. Add remaining ingredients except for cheese and sour cream. Sprinkle cheese over tortillas, leaving 1/2-inch border around edges, then arrange chicken and rice mixture down the center of each tortilla. (Optional: I like to dollop little bits of sour cream over the cheese before arranging chicken and rice mixture down the center – it makes the wraps delightfully creamy.) Roll stuffed tortillas, leaving edges open and slightly flatten the wraps with the palm of your hand. Spray seam-side of the wrap lightly with cooking spray.

Heat a large non-stick skillet (or griddle) over medium heat for 1 minute. Arrange wraps, seam-side down, in pan or griddle and cook until golden brown and crisp, about 2-3 minutes per side. Cooking them seam-side down first helps seal the long edge so they don’t fall apart. Transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining wraps. Serve warm.


Original recipe posted by MelsKitchenCafe
http://www.melskitchencafe.com/2009/09/crispy-southwest-chicken-wraps.html

Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

Remember that commercial with Michael Jordan and Mia Ham, theme song Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better; I Can Do Everything Better Than You? I've been exactly that competitive since I was a little kid trying to outrun and out play my older brother (2 years my senior). My competitive nature has definitely subsided as I've gotten older but it can definitely still flare up at times.

So when my sister-in-law wowed my in-laws by explaining that she was planning to run 9 miles on the following morning (Christmas Eve) as a part of her half-marathon training, I completely ignored the fact that my longest run in the last year was 3 miles and that it nearly killed me, and  instead asked if she would mind if I ran with her. Across the room my husband was looking at me with an expression that said "since when can you run 9 miles?" I explained to my sister-in-law and the other questioning faces in the living room that since she was planning to run 3 mile loops I would probably just run the first 3 or possibly 6 miles and let her finish the rest on her own. Although I was denying the reality of the situation, my husband clearly knew I would run the full 9 miles.

At 7:00 am the following morning, in 34 degree weather, with absolutely zero stretching or warming up, we set out. I'll be honest, I knew pretty quick that I would run the full nine miles. A couple of things were helping me out that morning:

1) the Cold is vastly easier to run in than heat
2) she paced much slower than my usual pace
3) Plano is incredibly Flat

Before I knew it we were halfway through the third lap. Although my calves were very tight and my joints were all a little sore, I felt pretty good overall. My heart rate was low and my pace was still pretty easy to maintain. I was feelin pretty proud of myself when we finished that 9th mile; everything was just peachy... or so I thought.

The next morning I was, as expected, quite sore in my calves, knees, and hips. Sometime later that day I realized that while my knees and right hip had worked out some of the soreness, my left hip actually felt worse. When I told my husband he pointed out that my body was in no way prepared for the long run and I could have really injured myself. I opted for my own more optimistic diagnosis and just assumed that my left hip was more sore due to an injury to my left knee in high school. I have always compensated for my left knee a little ever since and assumed my irregular gate had possibly put more strain on my left hip. Sadly, I'm afraid he may have been right.

Two days later I thought my hip felt a little better and I decided to go on a run. I quickly realized the running wasn't going to work out and walked back home trying desperately not to visibly limp. Today it has been three days since then and my hip is still not right. It's. better, but I'm still afraid to try running again.

I've definitely taken a few things away from this run, both good and bad:

1) just because I ran a marathon once (almost 5 years ago!!), it does not mean my body is indefinitely prepared for long distance running!
2) Keeping up with my sister-in-law, while gratifying, is totally not worth an injury, or even five days of near immobility.
3) the new pair of running shoes I just so happened to buy two days before our run totally rock! I now feel 100% confident recommending these shoes. A good friend had recommended Brooks running shoes and after reading up on them I decided to pull the trigger. I'm so happy I did!
4) Long distance running may be back in the cards for me. The marathon I ran pretty much killed my passion for running. The physical wear and tear on my body was so extreme that it took nearly 6 months before I could comfortably run over a mile again. While I will probably never run another marathon, this 9 mile run reminded me of the peace and sense of accomplishment that running can bring.

So all in all, as long as my hip continues to improve, I think I'm glad I ran it! But I'm definitely not doing that again unless I have trained properly!!