Getting Real With Myself….

A list of things I have to do for MYSELF:

THIS IS NOT A LIST OF NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS. Let’s just get that straight first and foremost!!!! I never make them because I never keep them. This is a list of things I have to do for myself to feel better, look better and be better.

I know what to do and I have done it, I lost 30 lbs before I got married and was in shape, looked great and was happy and healthy. I have to take time for myself and be a little more selfish. Yes I am a Mom and I give Camden my all, anyone will tell you that. But to stay sane and really love myself I need to do things for MYSELF! That’s the problem with resolutions people do them for others, where as changing your life is for you.

1. RUN

Keep running, and running and running. Get it!?!?! I used to be in such great shape for running and was doing very well, then I got pregnant and after my half marathon last February I let it fall off. Why? Because lets face it being pregnant is HARD and running while doing so is even harder!

The good news is running after pregnancy isnt as hard as I would have thought. It still sucks to basically start over but it isnt truly starting over. 4 miles is still relatively easy which is awesome! But I do have races coming up every month until a full marathon in May and I WILL do the full, then I can take another break and possibly try and have another baby, but for now running is my main priority (aside from my family and working obvi!)

You know its on when:

I finally got my REAL running shoes to fit my fat feet (they got huge after pregnancy and are just starting to come down). If you’re wondering why my socks don’t match, then Welcome to the blog first time reader!!!

Also the treadmill which I have a love affair with, and the Damn FOAM ROLLER which I have a hatred for, even though I know it helps. If you have foam rolled you know what I am talking about.

2. Strength Training….

This will help me tone up my loose muscle from the baby and with a c-section there is plenty! My legs and arms have returned to their regular size so thats awesome, but my stomach def has not and has a long way to go. Lets just say its interesting to find jeans that look alright and are not maternity! I look like a meatball on a toothpick, and If you think I don’t I can cleverly disguise this with my clothing, I am like a magician!

 This one I have covered since I go to Jeff twice a week and he let’s me bring Camden to our appointments. I am pretty lucky for that!!!

3. Things that make me feel good about myself. 

-Moisturizing my skin (especially my face). I love arbonne’s products because I have really really dry skin!

-Taking care of and doing my hair and makeup! This just makes me feel good when I think I look good!

-PEDICURES I have pretty much the driest skin ever. (mostly doing them myself, unless I hit a weightloss goal)

-Save money and get out of debt (I AM SO CLOSE, thank you Scentsy)

-Reward myself for hitting goals with small gifts (not food related)

-DON’T SET A NUMBER FOR WEIGHTLOSS, just keep going until I feel good.

The scale is just a number my happiness is the key!

4. Eat correctly. 

Will I still eat cheese? Yep

Red Meat? Yep

Everything in moderation because for me it isnt feasible to do it any other way. If I have to cut anything out then I will cheat and be done, but I know how to find ways to fill up on healthy stuff and eat minimal bad things. So I have to get after that.

5. Do good for others.

This started by donating 5 bags of old clothes yesterday because I am not going to wear them and someone could always use them! It will continue with Scentsy fundraisers, and getting involved in our charities more at my full time job!

So why is 2014 the year of doing things for ALEX over doing things for others (in my personal life)? Because I do a lot for others and am a nurturer, this doesn’t leave too much time to do things for me. I don’t want to feel bad about myself anymore. The happier I am the happier those around me will be. So if I am doing things for me this year it isn’t selfish its helpful to everyone around me. Especially when I have Dan, Finny and this guy to be happy and healthy for!!!!

 CAMDEN LOVES BOTTLES!!!!

Back by Popular Demand….

Well really my Aunt Kim who is my number one blogging fan, but I figured it was time for a post!!!

I am now almost 26 weeks pregnant (on Sunday) which means 7 months and the third trimester are quickly approaching! I cannot believe how fast this pregnancy has gone by. Honestly it feels like just yesterday when I found out I would be having a baby! It was December 3rd when I found out by the way. Also the best way to see pregnancy as it is 40 weeks which would= 10 months in by taking the amount of weeks you are and dividing by 4….that is how I figure out how many months I am as pregnancy is not actually 10 months. Some months are 5 weeks and some are 3.5 so yea you try and wrap your head around it….I did the best I could!

Here are some fun things I have experienced/shared since my last post about the baby!

– Pedicures are AWESOME!!! I got one on Wednesday because I was sick of my feet looking gross for Yoga every week. There is no picture of this because my feet are swollen and I have an unattractive cut on my big toe so you can just imagine that situation.

-I have gotten Stretch Marks on my Tummy and have Kankles when I stand too long. But hey it is all worth it in the name of having my baby! I have since been rubbing lotion on my belly in an attempt to keep them as light as they are and keep my feet elevated when not at work. Any remedies for either will be appreciated!!

-We have finished the baby registry and are registered at Babies R Us. (giving any man the scanner is a bad idea as Dan really enjoyed scanning gender specific items) I was trying to keep it a secret. But the cat is out of the bag so…

-We announced this on Facebook!.

He is arriving around 8-18-13…anytime from 8-11-13 to 8-18-13 or beyond I guess as this IS our first and they can go late….the magic of babies!!!!

-Here is a belly front and side shot from yesterday…..PRETTY BIG compared to my last one posted on here.

I dont know that I even realized there would be a time my stomach would stick out farther than my chest. But that little ball of a bump is CUTE! Also my shirt, phone and nail polish match…..that was the best part of that day for me!

– I have been working a lot between TSI and Scentsy events and think it is time to pull back a bit on Scentsy. I start my maternity leave on August 1st and will stop working late nights until 8 in July. I worked until 8pm yesterday and when I got home I could not keep my eyes open! This growing a human thing is EXHAUSTING!!!!!

These are pictures from my event on Saturday. As you can see I had Scentsy on one side and TSI on the other. It was nice to spend the day working with my Dad (he is in the grey polo and jeans), it is made even better when he buys you some Ritas Water Ice. Pregnant ladies getting free food= VICTORY!

– I remember to make time for my first baby as well….Also I am totally wearing a shirt here….I realize it looks like I am naked but I promise I am not.

I hope everyone has a good weekend and all the Mommies enjoy their Mother’s Days. I will be trying to post more if I actually do anything interesting….or anything at all :).

Slacking with my Blogging….

But for good reason! I have not blogged in so long because I have been really sick. I have been on bed rest with Baby K since Saturday! I wasn’t sure if I would share this on the blog or not as I am a pretty shy person if I don’t know you in real life. But then I thought I share everything with my readers because they are my friends. So thank you for continuing to read the blog even though I have not been blogging. I have also had an extremely bad cold and stomach bug in the past 3 days so not much interesting has happened.

Though I did leave the house once to get someone a very important haircut!

He is pretty cute and I am a crazy Momma so I had to make this and post it onto my Twitter….you know you want to follow me ;).

Yea he is wearing sun glasses, he is one bad ass man! Plus the Bandana made the look. Basically I love my little Man!

In other news what do you do when you are on bed rest?!?! Well you apparently make a Youtube video of yourself talking about Scentsy! I will be uploading a new video talking about something different each week to market my business and get more people interested. You can find my channel HERE.

Basically you can listen to my sweet New England accent made better by my cold. In reality though you can see the warmer of the month for May 2013 and check out the sweet motorcycle warmer, and the other choices.

Finally I have the sweetest husband possibly ever. When the bad stuff went down on Saturday and we both got really scared I did not want to leave bed. We were both really hungry though and so Dan got me dinner in bed!

I was craving chicken alfredo and this one was SO good!! Plus a baking sheet is the answer to your prayers when you don’t want to spill on your sheets!

Finally in the bad news world NO MORE RUNNING UNTIL BABY K IS HERE!!!!!

I would rather not chance it and I knew it was coming after my last Doctor’s appointment. I can still go on walks so I am looking forward to starting those tomorrow! Does anyone want to walk with me, I find walking SUPER boring because its slow. I love running speed intervals because you change pace, but I doubt I am allowed to do pace changes. Unless I go slower…..so yea looking for a walking buddy!

That is what the Karnolt’s have been up to! What have you been up to in my absence?!?!?!

Wednesday recap on Sunday!

Dan and I had a pretty busy week. This week is looking to be the same, what with my parents being gone on a trip they won from performing well for Harley-Davidson and this week starting my numerous Scentsy Events for the month.

Here is a recap of what went down on Wednesday and I will finish the rest of the week later!

Dan got a new dirt bike which as you can see he loves, I dont really know what that face or pose is about but okay. This led to a very long trip somewhere awful on Friday, but we will get to that.

Wednesday was Family dinner day but it was also time to celebrate 2 very special birthdays!!!

Harry: here he is blowing out the candles on his birthday carrot cake….EW

Im not a fan but thats what the bday boy asked for!

Also it was Mr. Finny’s birthday….Harry loves that Finny was born 2 days before him and they share parties now!

Yes my Grandma’s card spelled Finny wrong and she also called him a piss ant, but that is their relationship…..he actually loves her the most out of anyone and annoys her to no end because of it. For example when she is around he only wants her to take him outside for walks.

Finally I have a Velata event coming up soon and got this…

New warmers, cheese and mixables!!! Velata is a chocolate and cheese fondue line of scentsy, but they have realized its potential and now it is so much more and is a very versatile kitchen tool!!

I am excited for all the events I have coming up to get my name out there and get my business moving!

You can check out Velata here: https://alexandrak.velata.us 

It is super great for kids, parties or anytime. We have it for dessert all the time at family dinner!

Okay off to work!!!

Happy Birthday to…..

I started my morning with a pre-work workout and am typing this before I head in for the day.

The littlest member (for now) of the Karnolt family began his day with snuggles, a long walk and some cookies. That’s right today is my baby boy Finny Mcmonkers’ 6th Birthday! I cannot believe I have had Finny for 6 years.

Here is a photomontage of my little boy!

Finny when I first got him! 3lbs of love :).

A shaggy Finny from this year snuggling and relaxing.

Finny  loves his Daddy!

And finally a pretty groomed Finny.

Now as I head off to work Finny is enjoying a nap on our bed since Dan is off today. We love you little man and we cannot wait for you to meet your new brother or sister and be best friends with them. You already love to lay against my tummy because I swear you know the baby is there, and you growl at Dan when he comes into the bedroom and try to protect me.

I have loved the 6 years I have had with you and hope for at least 6 more!!! Happy Birthday to my first baby and my number 1 snuggle buddy!

An exciting day!!!

Well the end of it was, the beginning was awful. I felt terrible and exhausted this morning and thus had to drag myself out of bed and to work today.  As the day went on and I got more busy I noticed it less and less. By the time I got home I had got a second wind.

It probably also helped that I wore a very summery dress and that put me in a happier mood.

After work when I went to the mailbox I was so happy to see this!!!

Yes I did cover my address with my very pretty finger/nail polish. What was in the box?!?!

I received this item from Klout.com and their perks program. I was so excited that I qualified for this perk and cannot wait to use and review it. Has anyone tried the wireless MP3 walkman before? It is much different than the one I had back in the day (1996). I cannot wait to run (mostly walk with Baby K that is.) and then review this item. If you want some cool freebies check out their site and add me as an influencer I will add you back (Alexandra Karnolt) incase you didnt already know that. I qualified for this due to my scores in health and running! The real perk is if these things made you as fast as Meb is ;).

After that is it was time for some family dinner action at Grandmas.

Lasagna and salad PERFECTION!!!!

After that we all watched some TV and then it was 9pm so I was of course exhausted!!

Dan and I headed home and since we had cleaned out the Nursery last night he decided it was time to paint. We also got Finny in there to hang out, we are pretty sure it was his first time going in there, and we will eventually get him a bed just for that room as he will certainly have a new best friend to snuggle and watch out for!

I had to get a before shot, this picture doesnt do this awful color justice but it is like an electric navy blue and AWFUL! After pictures will go up when the crib and dresser are in.

Im not sure what is in that tote and the dresser is some of Dans things but that will be going into the hall. The white spots are spackle these walls were BEAT UP! Baby K is pretty lucky to have a house with central air AND a ceiling fan, I did not have that as a baby/young child!!!!

So that was my day. Not too interesting but give me a break I have felt terrible but I made the best of it because in the end it is all worth it for our little baby!!!!

A day with my first baby:

So Wednesday I spent the day doing things with little Finny man!! Today will be much of the same as yesterday I came down with a pretty bad cold and will be relaxing and laying in bed snuggling with Finny and watching the Criminal Minds Marathon Currently on A&E.

But on Wednesday we did many things. We needed to get some bonding time in before I return to work tomorrow and the weather was gorgeous so up first…

A walk with my favorite walking buddy! This was one of the rare times that he walked next to me and not in front of me pulling like come on Jeez!

Finny loves to walk, run and be active.

He was pretty dirty and was rolling in the grass on the walk so next up was his least favorite activity ever.

Finny really dislikes Bathtime…you can tell by his look of sheer terror!

Also probably because he looks like this.

After that he got a good blow dry and toweling, but still seemed traumatized so this naturally happened.

Snuggling Mommy as hard as possible and not moving. I was okay with it as I have been having bad insomnia so naps are a daily occurrence for me now.

And finally to end the day Dan and I came upstairs to head to bed and this little guy was waiting happily for us.

All Clean! But he needs a trim since he looks like a surfer dog!!

I think it is important to have this time with Finny now so when the baby comes he doesn’t feel ignored. Currently he gets all our attention, so it will be an adjustment but he will still be super loved!

So now back to tissues, fluids and snuggling my Finny! And back to work tomorrow!!!!

Happy 13 Weeks Baby K!

Today Baby K hits 13 weeks….we made it to the second trimester people! A new part of the blog will be an update every Sunday on the week before! I plan to include a bump picture, but we are in the middle of renovations and I have a really cute setup that I want to get just right first. With 26 weeks left to go I think we have more than enough time!

In the 12th week I:

• Regained some ability to eat sugar when I was craving this for breakfast and it was acceptable to the baby! 

That is Trader Joe’s Strawberry Yogurt O’s mixed with Malt O Meals Marshmallow Mateys….BETTER THAN LUCKY CHARMS! Served with Vanilla Silk Almond Milk….Perfection!

• Heard Baby K’s heartbeat for the second time! I had my 12 week check up on Thursday so the Dr. used the doppler to listen! 
• Had cravings for foods small children love: Honestly one of my best pregnancy dinner choices! 

Tater tots (which Dan is stealing), and Dinosaur Chicken Nuggets are great. Especially when dipped in Fat Free Ranch and BBQ and hot sauce mixed together!

• Got this really weird rash on my elbow. This thing flares up every time I eat….weird! 

• Spent most of my weekend in bed. Waking up Friday with a flu that really knocked me on my behind all weekend was not fun! I barely left the house and when I did it was to let Mr. Finn Mann outside! He didn’t like it too much out there!

Yes that is him peeing. Sorry, I saw him stand still next to the snow bank and knew it was my chance to get a shot of him compared to all the snow!

Overall it was a great week! I got SOOOO much energy back (until the bug set in) and am feeling great for my race. My long run was supposed to be today, but tomorrow is just as good! Hope you all enjoyed your weekends and weeks. I am looking forward to the week ahead Tuesday we have an Ultra Sound and I am pretty excited to SEE Baby K for the second time :).

The Blizzard….our snow day!

Now the Blizzard of 2013 is over! Dan and Ricky are outside right now cleaning up. I shoveled a little bit this morning just so Finny could use the potty and was so happy I didn’t have to do any more.

Here are some pictures of the aftermath.

Both pictures of our front yard, the first however is a picture of where our front steps and sidewalk are. Now it all looks like one even place…I will not be going out that door until you can clearly see everything! Then I know I will not fall down!!!

Here is our back deck, with Finny looking at me like you are crazy if you think I am doing my business out there!

We opened the garage, I shoveled a little bit and then Finny went outside. When I came back in the TV announced this.

The travel ban was lifted at 4pm, so I think Dan will be on his way to plow out our job soon!

Finny and I have had a nice day! I am still not feeling 100% today so I am taking the day to rest as I have my last long run tomorrow before the half marathon!

This is what Finny has been doing all Blizzard!

Looking at me like, I really dont like this, getting his belly rubbed and sleeping…..tough life for him!

Everyone enjoy your Saturday night!

How I feel about Finny and a big thanks to the readers!

Today I downloaded an app that lets me write on my pictures. Why? So I can write hilarious things on some photos and so i can tag my own photos with FOOD RUN FUN that I post onto here and other websites (Pintrest). My baby announcement pin is blowing up over there. You can see that post here.

But not today. Today I used the app to tell all of you how I feel abut Finny at all times, through the lyrics of an 80’s classic. 😉

Finny loves me, as you an tell here he is at 8:30 am wondering why I am not getting up to hang out with him/ or this is his way of telling me he is super comfortable and NOT to move or disturb him. Either way if I am in sight of him through the course of the day his eyes never leave me!

I am really looking forward to the great uses this app will bring MUHAHAHAHAHA. Evil laughing!!!

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In other news I really want to thank everyone who reads the blog. January 2013 has become my best month ever blogging with 1,800 something hits so far and one day to go. I have beat my previous January by over 400 hits and my best month which was March 2012 when I had 1727 hits. So thanks for being interested in my journey to be healthier and fitter! Dan says its  because their are more posts that include him, and hes the interesting one. Whatever it is I am thankful, because if people stop reading I will stop blogging!

Finally Dan and I spent the whole day together today because it was my day off and he is laid off. It was really nice we ran a bunch of errands and went to Trader Joe’s for the first time ever. I have never been there but I am assuming ones in other areas are much bigger than the one we have here in West Hartford, CT. It is in a strip mall, but I still found it amazing!!!

Here is a teaser picture as our day must be its own post, too many photos! But hopefully this will do it until tomorrow!

Is this a weird photo taken badly, maybe! Or was I trying to include winking watermelon Hello Kitty in there to say hey Trader Joe’s glad to meet you!?!?! You decide.

If you guessed the latter that is honestly what I was doing…NERD!

Well Finny and I are off to Family Dinner now. Todays workout and our day will be coming at you tomorrow. Enjoy your night!