Thursday, January 30, 2014

Do It For YOU

As with anything in life, you have to START somewhere. Right?
Whether it be school, a job, working out, a new hobby; whatever the case may be.

We all do them for various reasons..
To make a living.
To be occupied.
To become smarter.
Because we have to.
Because we want to.
Etc, etc.

But then, for many people, there is also that want to make someone else happy.
"To make so and so proud."

Which, to an extent, is completely fine.
We all want to be able to make someone proud.

But, there are some people that lose sight of who matters most.
YOU.

Let everything you feel, everything you want, everything you've heard act as fuel. As motivation.
But in the end.
Do it for you.

Don't let the fear cripple you.
Don't the feeling of dread stop you.
Don't let nay-sayers kill your drive.

Work through it.



So go ahead. Start something new. Or re-start something that you may have stopped doing for one reason or another. You don't have to wait until Monday. You have to wait until the beginning of a new month, or year. Start TODAY. Start while you're motivated. And when you feel like stopping, do as everyone always says, remember why you started.

Just don't lose sight of what matters the most, of what should be the end result of whatever it is that you're doing.
You're happiness.

So what do you want to start?!


Brandy

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

Is it time for bed yet?

Is it bad that I want to be done with today already?
Not that it's necessarily bad.
I'm just in the mood to be warm and cozy in my room.
And let's be honest, if I'm in my room, I'll more than likely be in my bed.

I'm also trying not to worry about myself with these stupid ass headaches.
I hate talking about what's wrong with me because I feel like here lately there is always something.
I'm more so annoyed that I'll probably end up having to go to the Dr because I'm not down with random headache/neckaches reoccurring.

I have been a terrible blogger lately. No doubt about it.
I honestly haven't had much to talk about, or so I feel.
So,...ya know...
I've just been reading others and commenting here and there.

I asked 3 times last week for song suggestions for a workout playlist.
I got a few people who answered, to them, Thank You.
So, I also decided to go through my 1200+ songs on my mp3 player to pick some.
I'm going to break them up into multiple lists.

Today's is rock. More of a "harder" rock selection, so if this isn't up your alley, it's okay. Feel free to still throw out suggestions.

So, in no specific order...

1. Trapt- Headstrong
2. Three Days Grace- Pain
3. Chevelle- The Red
4. Bullet for My Valentine- Your Betrayal
5. In This Moment- Adrenalize
6. Avenged Sevenfold- Nightmare
7. Marilyn Manson- The Nobodies
8. Linkin Park- Papercut
9. Breaking Benjamin- I Will Not Bow
10. Limp Bizkit- Break Stuff
11. Staind- Mudshovel
12. The Used- Take It Away
13. My Chemical Romance- I'm Not Okay
14. Taproot- Poem
15. Korn- Coming Undone

Thanks to Jordan for her suggestions.

Now, I need to motivate myself to get back on the treadmill tonight. I have made excuse after excuse the last couple of days and I can tell the consequences. That & I had a tiny gain this week instead of a loss or a repeat weight. No good for me. But, no ones fault but my own.
Once I get that treadmill time in THEN I can call it a day. Right?
;-)

Happy Humpday everyone.

♥♥♥
Brandy

http://www.prettystrongmedicine.com/2014/01/weigh-in-wednesday-jan-29.html

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

WIW. What's on your playlist?!

Cranking out realllly quick a post while I have the time before finishing up supper.
Shredded chicken tacos, YUM!
It smells sooo good, by the way.

So, it's WIW.

I'm really just posting to ask the same question I asked at the end of my post on Monday, & on IG.

What do you listen to when working out? What song or songs motivate you?
I'm wanting to make a playlist (if I get enough people to answer), so please feel free to give me as many songs as you love! Country, rock, rap, I don't care,...it's ALL welcomed!

I'll post on here once I get it. I'm gonna wait til either tomorrow or Friday to see how many, if any, more songs I can get.

If you answer I'll also include a link to you blog in my post, or if you go to my IG and answer I'll leave your IG handle! :-)
I've had a few people answer, so I owe a thank you to them.
And thanks to any of you in advance.
:-)

Working out is going okay.
I almost ended up with shin splints last night, but didn't. Thank God.
Jordan posted the other day about being fitted for a proper shoe and I'm now convinced I need to do this.
I just have to ask where to do it around here.

I'm down a little. Less than a pound, but I'll freakin take it!
I want to be out of the 150's...but more importantly I want to feel like I'm out of the 150's.
Know what I'm sayin'?
:-)

Sorry so short today.
And sorry it's only a WIW.

Talk to ya laterrr!
♥♥♥
Brandy

Pretty Strong Medicine

Monday, January 20, 2014

I hung out with Peter & Ariel this weekend, nbd. Edited: I have a question!

Peek-a-boo.
I feel like I'm the Queen on MIA lately...
Boo to me.
Anywho, hows about a wee update?

First off, I hope everyone has had a great first couple of weeks of 2014! :)
Mine have been pretty good.

-We're still trying this no-spend thing, although, it's still only going "okay". I still feel like I'll be happy about come February, so that's all that matters to me. Post about that to come.

-I'm happy to say that I am not sick anymore, those antibiotic did their job for sure & I have felt relatively normal for the past week or so. I say relatively cause I still get a good headache every so often, but I think I may chalk that up to my hair...It's long (and thick, making it heavy) and I keep it I a bun--a lot, that shit causes headaches. I need to take about 3 or 4 inches off. So I'm looking into maybe doing that in February.

-I'm since me relative normal-ness has come back I'm trying to throw myself back onto the treadmill. Which I fell off of last night! LMAO. There's a first time for everything, right? I did 45 minutes last night and it felt pretty damn good. I haven't had a mountain dew since Jan 4th. My face is about to melt off, I want one SO bad. And I know I will drink them so this isn't a "I'm giving up cokes" thing, but since -for whatever reason- I've gone without them this long, I might just see if I can go a whole month...actually I know I can. But I might do that. Also squats are the devil and I fuggin' hate them....unless they cooperate with me and there is no knee pain, then they're good.

-I need to clean. That's the most overused statement, I swear. I always need to clean! lol. Am I the only one still putting stuff up from Christmas? And by stuff I mean the gifts I got. I have a box with gifts in it that just haven't made their way to their designated spots. I need to get on that.

-I'm still planning to do a 2014 post. It'll be up soon...ish. As will my baby situation update. I'm such a broken record, I swear.

-My to-do list is already stretching and stretching, or so I feel.

-I get to go to Nashville sometime in the coming months...I just don't know when or for how long yet. lol

...um..I think that's about it...nothing much to really update on. Been kind of laying low.

Let's talk about this weekend....

-This weekend I partied hard Saturday night at a hotel for Carla's birthday! lol Who rents a hotel room, one county away, just for her and on of her friends to sit and WATCH DISNEY MOVIES?! This girl, that's who! Since my living room is non-functional, and she has no privacy either. We decided to rent a room & I took my DVD player, I brought a movie and she brought a movie and after we left Applebee's for her birthday dinner, we went to the room got in our onsie/footie jammies got our beer [that we drank out of Disney cups] and sat in bed and watched Peter Pan & The Little Mermaid & talked. It was perfection. A quiet night for us to talk about whatever the hell we wanted with no one to eavesdrop, butt it or judge. lol Went to sleep late, woke up an hour before check out & felt great.
Disney Night♥

-Which leads into Sunday...oh Sunday, sweet, sweet Sunday. How's about MY BRONCOS ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL! I was SOOO happy & now I get to really gat pumped up for the Super Bowl! Time to hit up Party City for Bronco supplies. Which is really conflicting. It's hard being a broncos fan when we are typically a very strong anti-orange&blue household. (Gators, Auburn) So, to like the broncos, whos colors are the same as Auburns,..yea...tough. lolo Mom was really hoping the 49ers would win, that's always been her team kinda, and so she was hoping for 49ers VS Broncos, but they just didn't pull off. Too bad. Would have made for an interesting Super Bowl Sunday at my house. lol So it's Bronco vs Seahawks. I'm hoping we take it all the way & shut that loud mouth Sherman up! Uhh, can we say JERK? I feel like Erin Andrews handled that 100 x's better than I would have. I'd be all, "don't be yelling in my face."
Anyway, that made me so happy. The rest of Sunday was spent going through stuff, working a little on a puzzle and then I got in a good little workout.

Source
One more huge thing before I leave ya today.
My girl Karla has taken on a new adventure & has opened an Etsy shop!! A little backstory, just in case you don't follow her (um, you should, she's the greatest), she was given some paints and cavases by her husband's grandmother & started to explore more into painting. Upon doing so she realized she had an amazing knack for it. She so talented and loves to paint & so she decided an Etsy shop would be a great thing to try out. Her shop is called "Three Winks Originals" and her paintings are so good. Definitely go check them out. I'm so excited for her!! Spread the word! ♥

Karla's info: Blog | Etsy | Three Winks Originals FacebookTwitter | Instagram: kay_em_ess
 
 
That's it for today lovelies.
It's already well past lunch and I have yet to eat.
So...later, loves!
♥♥♥
Brandy

EDIT:
One more things...I have a question to ask, and I'm going to ask on Twitter and IG too...
I'm gonna make compile the answers and playlist of the answers I get, if I get enough for a playlist, and of course I will post it.
So, my question is...

What are some of you favorite songs to listen to when you are working out? If you used to work out, but don't anymore, you can still answer. Any and all songs/genres welcomed!

If you don't workout, you can still answer, it'd just be more along the lines of what are some songs that motivate/push you?

I just think it's interesting to see what motivates everyone!
So leave me one or as many as you would like!!
I'll also ask on Twitter and IG to see what some folks who may not have a blog say.
I'll give it a couple of days before I make the list!
Thanks everyone! :-)


Tuesday, January 14, 2014

2013

So, everyone has already reflected on 2013, except me, leave it to me to be behind on doing so.
So...as I am figuring out what I hope for in 2014.
Here's my look back at last year. It's not as put together as I'd like, but it's been sitting long enough.

I can't complain too much about last year. I think I still have quite a bit of soul searching to do.
I did my best to be as happy as I could. With a few exceptions, I feel like I did that pretty well. Of course, this is me we're talking about so I always think I could have done better at it.
I didn't have very much drama, or at least none that really, really sticks out.
My cousin and I quit talking for a bit, but that's been over.
I did get to take one weekender earlier in the year and was able to see my best friend which is always much needed.
We lost my Great Aunt in August and that was devastating. I hadn't seen her in a while, and that's my fault but she has always held a special place in my heart. Growing up, she was our neighbor so for the first 10 years of my life, I saw her almost every day.
We also lost my mother in law's dog, Rufus. I'm still not ever that either. She has two new dogs now who are as cute as can be, but I miss Rufus. I miss his presence.
Oh Gah, and then there's the tornado that wailed through my neighborhood and then some. Freaked my ass out because I opened my door right at it was touching down. Me & bad storms are a no-go. Scary shit.
I took my first solo trip, or I should say I traveled solo for the first time! Still proud of myself for that one. It was about 5 hours away.
I was able to squeeze in a handful of concerts, always fun stuff.
I know I mentioned that we met Aaron Murray, we they finally posted the pictures. It'll be below. I'm still so happy to have met him. He's awesome. Truly. As a player and a person. He was just so damn nice.
So, yea,..there were some good, bad, happy and sad times. So, instead of dragging it out too much more, I'll just hit you with the highlights.

*Doug & I celebrated 10 years together (2 years married). I'm so happy about that.
*I got to take a solo trip to Savannah to meet up and spend the weekend with my bestest.
*I turned 25 and made a 30 before 30. (That I really hope I can make some progress on in 2014.)
*Went to see The Harlem Globetrotters for the first time. So fun.
*Got to go to the first ever concert at Sanford Stadium to see some of the hottest men in country music.
*Doug took me to the Zoo! [See also: I'm still a huge kid]
*My Daddy got a Gator and a 10 pointer. I'm always excited for him. :)
*That being said. Hubs also got his first deer this year, a doe. And thennn, he even got his first buck and wall hanger. A 7 pointer with a unique set of antlers. lol
*FH got signed to a new label!
*I was a runner up in a pumpkin carving contest for Fall Out Boy. I won a free poster. :-D
*I got to meet Aaron Murray!
*And of course all the concerts I went to
  -Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, Jake Owen and Thomas Rhett. (That was the concert at UGA) Uhh-mazing.
  -Framing Hanley! :-) Always makes my heart smile to see my boys.
  -One Direction. Kiss my ass, I LOVED IT! :-p
  -Justin Bieber for the 2nd time.
  -Fall Out Boy, Panic! At the Disco & Twenty One Pilots. Ahhmazingggg.
  - Radford Windham & Step Back Cadillac & Coal Mountain Band (hometown bands)
  -Colbie Caillat, Avril Lavinge, The Fray, The Goo Goo Dolls & The Backstreet Boy. (!!!)

All photos are mine except for the FOB one. Credit.

As the year came to a close I was able to look back on all the up and even the downs and see how blessed I am to be able to do the things I do, have all that I have, and be able to love as much as I do and be loved as much as I am. And that's a great thing.♥

I could have put together a much better post, but I'm still not 100% in the swing of things as far as blogging, but I'll get there! :-) Thanks for bearing with me!

♥♥♥
Brandy

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

WIW 1-8-14

Hey hey. I don't even know if there is still a WIW link up. It seems so inconsistent, but I've gotten used to doing it, so I'm going to keep posting...link up or not.
Time to talk about weight and fitness and stuff.

Being sick for the last 2.5 weeks (I'm getting better, I finally have antibiotics) had me pretty well down and out.
The last 2 times I got on the treadmill were 12/18 & 1/2. And did great both times.
I'm finally getting my energy back so I'm looking forward to getting back into it.
I need ink to print some more workouts that I've found on Pinterest that I'd like to try.
So there's that....
I don't even remember the last time I've posted a WIW.
But I've held a steady weight for the last 3 or 4 weeks..til today.
I just KNEW I was going to have a gain since I was getting an appetite again and all that.
But, I was surprisingly wrong.

Last couple of weigh-ins: 156.1
Today: 155.6
Down 0.5

so yay to that. I had a small plateau with that 156.1...but I'm going to attribute that to the past 3.5 weeks and my lack of working out, the holidays, and these infections I have goin on (sinus & ear). But at the same time, I'm thankful that I didn't gain. So, I think I'm good.
I can live with that.
Hoping now that I'm finally a little below it, that I can keep going dowwwn.
:-)
Would love to be out of the 150's sooner then later.
But where I am now...in the last like 2 months I have lost 4.9 lbs.
I'd like it to be more, but I'm pretty damn proud if that!

:-)

Hope everyone else is doing well!
Happy Humpday
♥♥♥
Brandy

Monday, January 6, 2014

Christmas and NYE

It's okay to recap these days/weeks later, yes? No? Oh well, I am.

Nothing major to say.
I procrastinated way too much and really did end up doing a bulk amount of shopping the day before Christmas Eve. Remind me not to do that again.
And I had to force myself to do that because I had already been in bed sick for a couple of days and ughh.

But, as always, Christmas was great.
We have about 4-5 places we have to go for Holidays.
We made it to all except one. And I am still feeling bad about that. Maybe after I'm completely better we can go see his Grandma.
Christmas Eve was spent stopping by my Granny & PawPaws then heading to Dougs Nana and Pops for the rest of the evening for White Elephant. It's always a good time when that family gets together. We spent the night at my mother-in-laws on Christmas Eve and woke up and did Christmas there as we have done pretty much since we've been together. And then it was back home to do Christmas with my family.
The kids both had a good mound of gift and I would say everyone else was pretty spoiled as well.
By that I mean, pretty much everyone got what they wanted.

I got some crafty stuff, some movies, a CD, some camis, some combat boots and a few other things. :-)
My big ticket item was a new bed set from Doug.
We've never had a full bed set, ever.
It's always been sheets sets and a top blanket.
So to have new everything, that all goes together, is lovely.
And it's camo. He did good.
I was looking at and had actually written down just some sheets,
but he took it a step further and got an entire set.
And I love it. It's so nice sleeping on it.
It's so nice to feel lost in a sea of covers.

www.instagram.com/bnba
It's not every lady's cup of tea, but it's mine. And it's the right kind of camo.
Mossy Oak girl, right here.
Boomer & Cody's first Christmas
(or I think it's Cody's first..it's his first in a home at least). Kids opening gifts, playing Dr. & My honey & Me
And that's the short and sweet version.
Haha.

NYE was great but could have been better. I was hit with round two of being sick and it hit me hard.
But let me play out December 31st for you.
Wake up, get ready to take mom to the dr (because she has also gotten sick--thanks to me I'm sure.), then from the dr. to get her meds & pay house payment (aka drive from one county to the other.)
Then get home, have to BACK to town to get Carla & her son. Then we have to go to another county to return a gift or two for her and for me to go to the store I got my ring from for it's inspection/cleaning that has to be done every 6 mos... Get to jewelry store & they have to send it off for repair, one of the prongs is bent. I'm a very paranoid person, I hate doing stuff like that, I don't trust people. But, of course, I have to do it or they can't sign off & then my warranty will void. I mean I get it & I'd rather not just let it go and end up losing a diamond. I have a great warranty so I might as well let them take care of me/my ring. Thanks, Zales. I'm just always paranoid of getting my ring back with fake diamonds. lol
So, by now I've been in a car since about 8:30 or 9, have been to 3 different counties and have only gotten out about 4 times. And am now ringless.
Onto our next stop to exchange gifts and pick up some food.
Stop, let me back up for a second. My second time going to town to pick Carla up, as we were leaving town there was a bag of trash on the edge of the road & you could see like a plastic cup and some paper in the road from where it had tore open. Instead of getting in the other lane, I decide I'll just straddle it and go on. Last minute, I mean right as I was going over it I saw glistens...from light reflecting, and of course you can hear the same sound you would hear when you run over a little gravel. I said that, "better not have been glass." Fast forward and we get in walmart and I have to get everything on moms list + everything that Carla & I need/want...in other words we had a buggy full and about 80% of it was food. Get outside, flat tire, and you could see the chuck in glass lodged in it. Luckily I carry a portable pump, so I pumped it up and just prayed it would get us to my house, which is about a 15-20 minute drive away. It did. Thank God. So, get home and it's about 4 or 5, I don't remember. So we have to start making jello shots. Then making food. By this time I have a headache starting. Ugh. SO...about 9 we finally get to let loose and try enjoying the night. She bought a game for us to play and so me, her, Doug & our other friend sat around and tried playing it. Instead of taking something for my headache earlier I decided to just hope it would go away. I'm not one for mixing meds with booze. So, by about 10 or so I'm miserable but trying to not show it. Seriously the whole night I had like a beer and 1/2 and like 2 jello shots, I just was not feeling it. We played the game and only got through a round and a half before it was almost time for the peach (& ball) to drop. I was so ready. What a cruddy last say of 2013. Ugh! We got her son and my nephew down to the living room and everyone was rowdy ringing in the New Year, we hollered inside & then went outside and yelled and screamed & listen to gunshots & fireworks. THEN, we ended up with 2 strays on our front porch, a gorgeous blue tick & a pitbull/dalmation mix. They were sooo cute & so scared, they had ran off from all the loud noises. Poor babies. We found the owner to one they lived in our neighborhood & they stopped by on their way home and got it. The other, the blue tick, was still at the house. I went to bed around four and she was curled up on the porch sleeping and shaking. My mom & brother covered her up with some old sheets we had & she stayed a while longer and then a couple hours later she was gone. So I'm really hoping she calmed down enough to be able to find her way back home. Both had collar, but neither had tags. It was annoying. :-/ We
But yea, woke up the next day still filling miserable, of course by now I'm full blown sick-again. But ready for New Year Days grub. And it was scrumptious. Collards, black eyed peas, chicken, and cornbread. (and hot wing and sauerkraut-but I don't eat those). We spent ALL.DAY in pjs and didn't move from our spots on the couch except for eating and peeing. lol We also got to ring in 2014 by watching my Bulldogs play. Unfortunately they lost, but I still love them regardless. Once a Dawg, always a Dawg.
Even though the last day of 2013 was a bit of a doozy, NYE was still pretty enjoyable and nice and low-key. I only took a few pics, so total picture fail for me. But that's okay.
Let me paint a picture, it was a pajama party. Everyone wore PJs and Carla and I, and Shaneu, sported onsies. You can see mine & C's on my InstaG here.

Now I just need a new tire (it's plugged and doing good for now, but again, I'm paranoid-lol), and I can't wait to get my rings back, I feel so naked without them.

Even though we are 6 days in already, I wanna say Happy New Year to everyone!
Sorry I talked you ear off, but would expect anything less from me. ;-)
Now I have to work out my 2013 recap. O.O

Lovins & stuff.
♥♥♥
Brandy

Thursday, January 2, 2014

Hey there...

Gosh I haven't posted since last year. That's crazy.
Ha. Yea, so corny, I know.
But really, I have been a bad blogger lately, especially once the holidays kicked in full force. I hope that can improve now that all of the holidays are completely over.
I did squeeze in my Jingle Jam recap before the new year, I'm happy I at least got that one in. lol
 
The good thing is, I already have about 3 or 4 post ideas.
The bad thing is that I haven't typed them yet...
This is just gonna be a ramble post to help get my mind on order.
 
-I still haven't recapped 2013, or Christmas.
I'll honestly probably just combine Christmas and NYE posts.
-Post about 2014 and what I hope for with it.
-Also, I went to the lady doctor the other day, I might update on that also.
(for anyone that newer around here that may be confused by why I wanna talk about the lady dr., I've been trying to figure out why I'm not getting pregnant.)
-Did anyone do the 52 weeks saving plan last year? I did. It's exciting to come out of the Holidays, when you're spending all of this money on gifts and food and everything else that comes along with it, and have an extra $1378 ready to be deposited (or rat holed- whatever you prefer.). So, I'll probably do a money post, complete with a bit of a rant.
-I've been thinking a lot about my 101 in 1001, and how I haven't really completed much (or any) of it. There are a few things on it that have been on my mind a lot lately, so I think I may put more steam behind them. Maybe them being on my mind so much is a sign that it's a good time to start really putting the effort in?
 
I look forward to reading everyone posts about New Years & resolutions and such.
Aside from catching up with posting, I also need to catch up with my blog reading.
I miss talking to all of you ladies!
 
So, TTFN.
I'll try getting my posts in order and ready to be posted.
 
Lovins!
♥♥♥
Brandy

My girl Helene is doing a vote of the best Blogger of 2013. Head on over to her post and vote for all of your favorite blogs! :-)