Not to be confused with a vacation, traveling with kids is a necessary evil when you live far away from the people you love. Here are some tips to make it less painful. Read more...
LET’S JUST POP DOWN FOR LUNCH!
Famous last words. For months we’ve been seeing foodie/traveler shows head south to explore Tijuana’s blossoming gourmet scene. People as famous as Anthony Bourdain and as unknown as the fat Mexican-American guy from on our local PBS channel head south of the border to eat and drink some of the best food this side of the Mississippi. Since I am no longer tracking every single calorie that touches my tongue and generally enjoying life again, we decide to check it out for ourselves. Read more...
POST SHOW THOUGHTS
Well, I got last place. Yep, 10th out of 10 competitors. Am I bummed out? Yes, sort of, but not as much as I thought I would be. I just can’t get over the fact that I did it, I competed!!! The professional photos from show day were posted on the NPC website and I still can’t believe that’s actually me! I’m so tan and sparkly and glam! My overall score beat out other scores, so if I had competed in multiple divisions I could’ve placed higher, but unfortunately, not in my group of just 10 girls. Not to mention competing in additional divisions means spending significantly more money as you have to pay to play. Since I didn’t win, my sponsor (aka my cheap mom) said she wants her money back so I’m going to try to sell my suit and shoes and send in my stats to Bodybuilding.com in attempts of winning their “Transformation of the Week” contest. Here’s my bio I’m sending in, let’s hope they pick me! read more...
SHOW DAY!!!!!
Phew… well it’s over. How did I do? I don’t quite know. I didn’t place in the top 5 in my division of ten girls but I wont know until they post results if I got dead last or maybe 8th out of 10? I’m hoping for not last, but these girls put my booty game to shame. There wasn’t one chick in my division who was soft or flabby or unprepared, they had trained and they were there to win. Here’s a recap of how it all went down. read more...
3 DAYS TO GO
It’s been a busy last week to say the least. I had to work all weekend, off Monday, and then back to work Tuesday. Exhausting to say the least, but I crammed all those work days together so I’d be off the rest of the week to prep and hang with my mom and visiting friend pre-show. Everyone keeps asking if I feel ready… and to that, I say I’m as ready as I’ll ever be. I must admit I did something stupid, something that really shook my confidence… I Instagram stalked some of the other bikini competitors and about lost my nerve. These girls look GOOD, like rock-solid good. They were giving props to their trainers, and nutrition plans, and posing coaches, and workshops, just hashtags galore. Meanwhile I’m here at home looking in the mirror saying to myself, “You’re good enough, you’re buff enough, and doggone it people will like you.” In all seriousness though, I’ve got to just be proud of my own accomplishments and own methods and goals I’ve reached and stop comparing myself to any other competitor. Could I do better? Could I have lost more fat and gained more muscle? Sure, but this is what I’m workin’ with and it’s just about show time and I intend to fake it till I make it. read more...
11 DAYS TO GO
The struggle with gas is real y’all. No, really, I looked it up. Turns out humans do not have the proper enzymes to break down cruciferous veggies like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. Hello!!! Broccoli and cauliflower are my main jam right now, paired with chicken and sweet potatoes- it’s basically what I eat for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. According to the articles I’ve read you need to cook the veggies pretty well to diminish their gas causing properties, blend them in a food processor (broccoli fart purée anyone?) or start taking probiotics (already do) and some digestive enzymes to assist in the breakdown of these nutrients in your lower gut. 
So I headed out to the drugstore for some Beano! I always thought it was a drug like Gas-X which contains simethicone, a drug that breaks down gas bubbles trapped in the gut reducing bloat and discomfort, but Beano is actually the missing enzyme, alpha-galactosidase (α-GAL), that will break down the complex carbs I’ve been inhaling better than my own digestive track can. So bring on the Beano and maybe there will be no stank in my house tonight? I’m skeptical but we’ll see. read more...
19 DAY TO GO
Just three weeks out now and I keep chugging along almost on autopilot at this point. I’m starting to fantasize about post competition meals and while at BevMo this weekend I picked up some bottles of both Rosé AND Sauvignon Blanc, because it was the 5 cent wine sale
which simple cannot be beat, and in three weeks, I can DRINK AGAIN! It’s funny how irritable a low carb day and two kids under three can make a mom but there’s just so few days left and I just know I can do it without murdering anyone! A friend posted this meme this week, and I’ve been living every day since by it. Trying my hardest to be kind, work hard, dream big, and...DON’T BE AN ASSHOLE. read more...
25 DAYS TO GO
This weekend my girls and I headed out early for the hour and a half drive north to Riverside County to run our first Warrior Dash race. This particular course was 3.3 miles through dense brush and trees with just 12 obstacles and while we had fun and got suuuuuper muddy, it was the general consensus that the more obstacles there are- the more fun it is. Less obstacles means more running in between each one. We could’ve just signed up for a fucking 5K for Epilepsy (Autism, Muscular Dystrophy, whatever, name your cause) because we were running so much. The obstacles were very doable too, if you are looking to get a beginner's taste of what an obstacle course race looks like, the Warrior Dash might be a good bet. read more...
29 DAYS TO GO
I was feeling pretty discouraged this morning considering the fact that nothing has changed with my derriere, so when my girlfriend asked if I wanted to meet her at the butterfly exhibit at the zoo I gladly skipped my workout and joined her. We had a great time watching with the kids in the humid butterfly aviary, checking out the animals, and enjoyed a little picnic and splash pad time. On the upside, my kids were super careful and didn't murder any butterflies which is more than some other parents can say. read more...
32 DAYS TO GO
Happy Monday to you all!!!! Guess who’s 5 weeks into this 10 week contest prep and still 125 pounds? This gal!!! Oh well, no backing out now, I’ve got stripper heels en route to my house as we speak. And as they say, the show must go on. I couldn’t take a poop today without an audience, so why would I be able to take a few pics solo? Silly mommy, privacy is for the childless. read more...
