5 Ways to Keep up with the Housework

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Today's post was going to be something fun for training, but as life would have it I'm not in a fun mood today. As we all know sometimes the best paid plans can get thrown out the window and stomped on by a passing elephant. Wow...apparently I'm creative when I'm tired...or maybe I just sound like a complete whack-job.

Last night was date night with my husband. We went out to dinner and had a wonderful evening. When we got home the kids were already asleep, how wonderful was that?! Well, about 11 pm Riley woke up because she was scared - I'm not sure what she was afraid of. I calmed her down and put her back to bed. I went to bed shortly after that.

This morning I had zero energy. I could barely make the kids breakfast, let alone workout or clean the house. This got me thinking of how I can make life easier on myself. I came up with some common pitfalls and solutions to keep the house somewhat organized and clean.

1. Dishes 

I don't have a dishwasher...I AM the dishwasher. I find when the mess from supper is cleaned up, the next morning I'm able to keep up with the kitchen. The nights I "leave it until tomorrow" I end up with a disaster that grows beyond chaotic to monstrous.

2. Laundry...laundry...laundry...laundry...laundry...

We're a family of five and I...HATE...laundry! It's NEVER done! Realistically, if I did one load a day I could keep up with it, but who wants to do laundry every day? Instead it piles up until I can't find my laundry room. Or worse, the laundry is clean but needs to be folded and put away! That's when I cant find MY room.

3. Bathrooms

I admit it...another one I'm not good at keeping clean. Clothes all over the floor, a layer of dust on the back of the toilet and a black ring around the tub. (Comon...I have 3 kids, it gets a black ring after one day of bathing them.) This is another one that seems so hard to do, but can be very simple. Keep a laundry hamper either in the bathroom or near it. Keep a cloth in the bathroom under the sink to wipe the sink, counter and any other spots that need wiping.

4. Main Room (Living Room or Family Room)

I think if it was just my husband and I we'd be okay with keeping this room clean. Unfortunately, with kids, comes all of their stuff. Oh and it doesn't help that I've "lost" my office so the living room has become my surrogate office. The room starts off clean

5. The Kids Rooms

I can only stand their version of clean for so long. This is the bane of my existence. How many times a day do you ask (tell) your kids to clean their room? If you're anything like me, you ask them too many times.  To be honest...I don't have any real answer for you here. I've asked nicely, bribed, threatened. They've all worked and they've all failed. Please feel free to send me your suggestions!

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Date Night...

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Are you married or in a serious relationship? Do you have kids? Remember the good ole days when you could just go out whenever you wanted? Now that my kids are a little older and thanks to a wonderful friend my husband and I finally get to go out together. 

At first, we'd go out and be home after about an hour. Other times we didn't plan for the evening and ended just driving around. 

Well, I think we're finally getting used to date night. Tonight, we had money, we went out for dinner and went shopping. We stayed out for about 3 hours! We got home and the kids were asleep! It was so nice to NOT have to put them to bed. 

It's surprising how difficult it can be to get back that part of your relationship. The part where you go out together without the kids and you have to have a conversation that isn't interrupted by the kids. That's not to say my husband and I never talk. It's just different! 

I highly recommend date night and it doesn't have to end up a disaster like in the movie Date Night. 

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Balancing Commitment & Trust

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Welcome to another Faith Friday! 

I've bee trying to make a habit of reading the bible every morning. I managed 4 out of 5 mornings, so overall not too bad. I'm currently trying to get through Proverbs. It doesn't read like a story and I think that's why I'm having trouble getting through it. Having said that I have come across some gems through my reading. One such verse that stood out was this one: 

Commit to the Lord whatever you do and your plans will succeed.

                                                                                    Proverbs 16:3

I have a Tyndale Application Study Bible so I looked up the notes for this verse and here is what I found. (I sort of paraphrased what they said.)

There are different ways of failing to commit to the Lord. Some people commit their work only superficially. They say they are working for the Lord but they're really doing it for themselves. Others give God temporary control and when things start to go wrong they take back that control. Still others commit a task fully to God but they put no effort in and wonder why they weren't successful. The key is to find a balance: trusting God as if everything depended on him while working as though everything depended on us. 

I don't know about you, but I TRY to hand over the reigns of control, but always end up taking over. My husband says I'm like a bull in a china shop. (I admit, it's taken me years to try to take that the wrong way... I usually only hear the bull part and rant on how I'm not a bull.) The point is, I get a idea in my head and I run with it and I don't really take the time to think it through. I do the same thing with God. Life gets overwhelming and instead of taking all that stress to God, I try to make my life work without Him. 

While gathering info for this post I came across another verse that goes hand in hand with committing to the Lord:

Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to Him, for God is our refuge.                                                                                Psalm 62:8

But it's hard to trust God sometimes...isn't it? There's the one side of me that knows God can do anything. God loves me. God has a plan. But there's that doubtful side, the one that thinks I'm not good enough for God, why should he care about me? How can God love me? Sure, he has a plan, but I just want to know what it is or WHY something is the way it is. 


I've posted before about my challenges when I try to get closer to God...there's always something that gets in the way. Have you ever noticed when you are on track that life feels easier? Not that the challenges you face are gone, but they seem easier to handle. 

I don't know about you, but I'm trying harder to trust God. I KNOW He is faithful and I want to be faithful too! 


I'm trusting in God. He has a plan for my life and He has a plan for your life too! Join me in trying to have a little more faith this week. I have no doubt we'll all be surprised. 

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Training Log

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Happy Thursday! Yay for working out twice this week! I decided to go heavy with today's workout. BTW I'm still feeling Tuesday's workout. 

Deadlift: 

5 sets of 85 lbs x 6 reps

NOTE: I LOVE LIFTING HEAVY!

Bench Press: 

1 set of 85 lbs x 6 

5 sets of 75 lbs x 6 reps 

NOTE: Okay, so 85 lbs was too much...75 lbs was almost too much but I managed! 

Bent-over Barbell Row:

5 sets of 75 lbs x 6 reps

NOTE: This was challenging but I did it. 

Overall, I worked really hard and had an awesome workout! It feels good to be back on track! 

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It's a hair salon not the Ritz

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Do you know what annoys me? Hair salons that make you feel like you're not good enough for their salon. This afternoon I decided I'm going to grow out my hair. I've had short hair for a number of years now, so it's time to grow it out. I wanted a style that works with longer hair. So, I had supper and then went out to get my hair cut. 

I went to 3 salons before I found one that had an appointment available for walk-in tonight. The first three looked nice and seemed friendly enough, but they were all booked up for the evening. They all made me feel like I shouldn't be in their shop. I can't say there was anything specific in how they treated me...it's more of a feeling you get when you walk in. It's a hair salon not the Ritz. 

I am a mom. 

I am a woman.

I do not have time to make an appointment.

I do not FEEL like dressing up to get my hair cut.

I repeat...I am a mom.

So, the last place I went should have been the first. My girlfriend recommended Le Look a while ago, but for whatever reason I drove all over the place before I ended up there. I was welcomed right away with a genuine smile and only had to wait 20 minutes. I grabbed an iced mocha from Starbucks and got back just in time. I had the best shampoo of my life! She massaged my head and I could just feel the stress lift right off my shoulders. The woman who cut my hair was super friendly and really funny! The best part of course was that it only cost me $31. 


I feel 100 times better. It's amazing that a little thing like getting your hair cut can really make you feel beautiful. I'll post a picture tomorrow. 

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Try the Little Steps Pre-School Dance Program for just $39!

Good News for parents with toddlers! If you've been thinking about putting your little one in dance, you can try out the Little Steps pre-school dance program at KaliAndrews Dance Company for just $39! 

Sessions last for 6 weeks and take place throughout the year. This deal expires in 8 days! Check it out now!

This class explores different types of dance and develops both large and fine motor skills. With a focus on basic dance technique, your child will have an energetic introduction to a variety of dance styles such as Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Creative Movement. In the Little Steps program, musicality, team building skills, cooperation and dexterity will be covered within each lesson.

Try out the Little Steps pre-school dance program this fall for only $39!

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Tap Dance at KADC

Check out The Supervisor, a wicked funky tap number from the girls at KaliAndrews Dance Company!

Classes at KADC start September 12th, for ages 3 to adult! Visit www.kaliandrews.com for your registration package. 

Want to receive regular updates on videos, events, discounts and more? Become a fan on Facebook! 

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Training Log

 As you may have noticed...I haven't been very consistent with the weight lifting this past month. I'm hoping to change all that as I've been trying to get my life organized and on track. I gave it all I had which was a lot more than I thought!! 

Reverse Lunges: 5 sets x 65 lbs x 6 reps (per leg)

NOTE: This is the heaviest I've lifted for this exercise...have I told you how much I dislike this one? Although it is very effective! Between sets I did 2 sets of stairs (up 12 steps and back down). In total I did 10 sets of stair climbs.

Push-ups: 5 sets of 6 reps

NOTE: I was about to do knee push-ups and thought to myself how am I going to get stronger if I don't just suck it up and do the regular ones? So, I did! All 5 sets were regular push-ups. Okay, I admit I don't go all the way down, but doing anything that closely resembles the actual exercise is a win!

Inverted Rows: 5 sets of 6 reps

NOTE: I still really find this exercise challenging, but I'll get there. 

I have a feeling that when I try to go to bed I won't be able to move. Of course, I do NOT recommend over doing it which is what I did with the stair climbing, but I feel like I've accomplished something. Sometimes that's what we need to get us going.  

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In Need of a Nutrition Makeover?

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As I sat alone at the table I started to feel really uncomfortable. I felt as though there was something else I should be doing instead of just eating. Does anyone else have that problem? Or are you like me and prefer eating in front of the tv, computer or while reading something? 

Although, I have to admit, I have a hard time with silence. Is it because as a mom there isn't a whole lot of stillness in my day? Or, is it because tv, computers, radios, are all so prevalent in the world today? I'm inclined to think, for me, it's being a parent and having three kids. My house is never quiet. 

How does one get comfortable sitting at the table to eat? I know that may sound strange, but I know a lot of people that mostly eat in front of the tv. Yes, I'm one of them. While I'm asking questions...how do you give your eating habits a makeover? I'm so used to grabbing food when I'm stressed out that I default to it. I won't even realize it at first, or worse I'll realize what I'm doing and do it anyway...sigh. 

This week my goal is to eat every meal at the table and to try and find a way to feel comfortable doing it.  Although, my biggest goal for the week is to get my life organized. That includes the house, my eating habits and weight training as well as whatever projects I need to finish. 

Have you ever noticed when your head is cluttered so is your house? I've found when I declutter and clean the house it's easier to focus on the things I really need to get done. 

Here's to taking life by the gonads and getting things done! 

Yes...I said gonads!  =)

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Things I Wish I'd Known 2 Months Ago

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Birthday Parties....I have come to dread them - or at least the ones I have to plan for my kids! (I still LOVE planning my own ;) which is coming up in a few months!!)

I have three wonderful children and of course I love doing things that make them happy, but their birthdays are all fairly close together. My middle child, Joey, turned 6 this year. His party was first because he's in June. I think I did a decent job of planning his party. I planned ahead, made some of my own decorations and enlisted a few helpers. The party was a success, although very chaotic since we had more kids than anticipated. You see we're really close with our neighbors. So close, in fact, we ended up with a bunch of the neighborhood kids at the party. I think we had 13 or 14 kids at one point...in...my...house. I barbecued for all the kids and the adults. By the time the party was over I was exhausted.  

Thankfully Dale, my oldest, has his birthday at the beginning of August, so I figured there was lots of time. Unfortunately, I was not as prepared for Dale's birthday. Due to scheduling issues we had to have his party on July 30th. I decided, hey let's do the same thing as Joey's party - let's have a barbecue...you know because it was such a hit and not exhausting at ALL... Well, I managed to do the invitations and order the cake (last minute) and set the party time an hour less than Joey's. Well, again...we're really close with our neighbors...and I could see it was going to be another huge party. So, I opted for finding as many lawn chairs as possible and we "mostly" stayed out of my house. Unfortunately, I do not have a patio table - I'm sure you can imagine the issue with having the food/drink stuff inside while all the kids are outside. At least they weren't all piled into my house at the same time. I did have help which I'm so thankful for. I think the party was successful, but I was left exhausted and with a disastrous kitchen.

Fast forward a couple of weeks to this past weekend...my youngest, Riley, turned 4 on Friday. (I can't believe my baby is 4!) I started off with the best intentions (don't we all) but in the end I didn't even get around to invitations. Since, one of my daughter's friends wasn't going to be at the party we decided to have a picnic on her actual birthday. I have to say the picnic was more enjoyable than the party, but I think I put more effort into the picnic. I didn't really mean to, but that's just the way it happened. Her party was Saturday and two of her friends came over. It was small and inside the house, but I think she still had a good birthday.

So, here's the thing...I want to do better next year. Throwing three birthdays so close together is exhausting. I'm thinking the thing to do is plan them all when I plan Joey's. Obviously, I'm not going to purchase everything at that time. I think the planning will need to be done at the same time while I still have energy and motivation to plan. Of course, after all the parties are done I come across a Martha Stewart Party Planner 101! Really? Why couldn't I have found that 2 months ago?

Next year I'm going to look into the cost of having the parties somewhere that's not my house. The party is exhausting on it's own, let alone the cleanup after. Or maybe I'll hire someone to clean my kitchen....sigh...a girl can dream. 

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Cat Woman by KaliAndrews Dance Company

Watch this incredible Competitive Acrobatic Dance!



For more information about KaliAndrews Dance Company, "Like" our page on Facebook!

Little Steps Pre-School Dance Classes

Thinking of putting your little one into dance? Think about the Little Steps program at KaliAndrews Dance Company! Open to ages 3-5, classes run in 6 week sessions, with each session focusing on a different style of dance.

The Little Steps program explores different types of dance and develops both large and fine motor skills. With a focus on basic dance technique, your child will have an energetic introduction to a variety of dance styles such as Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, and Creative Movement. In the Little Steps class, musicality, team building skills, cooperation and dexterity will be covered within each lesson.

The video above shows the little ones at the year end recital, where they perform on stage, a choreographed piece demonstrating what they have learned so far. Additionally, students have an opportunity to perform in a professional atmosphere in front of family and friends.

The Little Steps courses at KADC are under the direction of Mackenzie Anderson whose background includes a wide variety of dance training in Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap, Modern, with an intensive study in Ballet.

To register your child, call 613-601-5254 or visit www.kaliandrews.com!

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When Motivation Fails You

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Happy Training Tuesday! Today I thought we could all use some motivation. Motivation is the reason a person engages in a particular activity. Motivation only gets us so far and then at some point fails us. It could be tomorrow, next week or next month but at some point we lose our motivation and it's a battle to get it back. There are millions of tips, tricks, hints and advice on how to regain your motivation, which is why I decided not to make this blog a list. I thought I'd just share my personal experiences. 

A couple of months ago I started a new weight training regime. It was fantastic. I loved it and I managed to follow through for an entire month. This was HUGE for me. However, I made a mistake. I decided to change my routine. Not the days, not the location, just the specific exercises. I don't know about you, but if I'm honest with you (and more importantly with myself), I do not deal with change gracefully. In fact, I get downright miserable. It doesn't matter if the change is good or bad it affects me. I've known myself for almost 32 years....you'd think I would remember I don't cope very well with change. 

For the past month I've been struggling to get into this new routine. I managed 2 days per week for 2 weeks and lost 2 weeks. Tonight I forced myself to work out. I've been feeling crappy because when I stop working out any healthy eating also goes out the window. I realized what it was about the "new routine" that had me avoiding working out. I don't like changing the weights by doing a heavy set and a light set. That's why I didn't last long with Body4Life either. I admit it...I really enjoy lifting heavy! 

This is what I don't get about myself...I KNOW that I will feel better if I weight lift 3 times per week. I KNOW that I have more energy and have more confidence. I KNOW eating better makes me FEEL better. So, if I know all this then why can't I seem to do it? 

The one thing that does seem to work is FORCING myself mentally to work out. I convince myself that I cannot miss today's workout. I usually still drag my feet and end up lifting weights at 9 pm (because working out before bed seems like a good idea...sigh).

What do you do when motivation fails you? I'd love to hear from you!

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5 ways to cope with PMDD

Premenstrual dysphoric  disorder (PMDD) is an intense form of PMS or as I like to put it PMS to the extreme! They say it only affects 3 - 8 per cent of women. Honestly I don't believe the numbers. The more I talk to women about PMDD the more I find with the same symptoms.  Symptoms include persistent irritability, anger, tension, depression, fatigue, food cravings, headaches and some major mood swings. There are other symptoms, but I think you get the idea. Women living with PMDD really struggle with their daily lives.

Speaking from personal experience, this affects all of my relationships. I WANT to stop being angry and irritable but just can't do it. (And no it's not because I haven't tried hard enough.) Having said that there are way to try and make it through without pulling out all of your hair.

1. Medication: This could be birth control, antidepressants,  Nutritional supplements, or herbal remedies. I've tried both antidepressants and birth control. The antidepressants worked fine but I had benefits at the time and only had to pay a fraction of the cost. I've been taking Yaz for a little more than a year. I still have some really rough months but I'm not feeling the symptoms for 3 out of 4 weeks every month. Now it's really a few days before my period and I often forget that's why I'm so cranky.

2. Diet: No I don't mean you need to go on a diet, but from the many articles and blogs I've come across, eating healthier can really help. Some people go into great detail to avoid very specific foods. I find when I completely avoid certain foods I end up bingeing. So, while I can see the benefits to limiting caffeine and sugar I personally won't give it all up….I'd totally lose my mind… Try eating balanced meals and I'm sure you'll notice a decline in your  symptoms.

3. Exercise: What can I say? Exercise can help a great many ailments. Check out the benefits of weight lifting. You don't have to go all out and purchase a gym membership a simple walk around the neighborhood can be really effective. I say this, but I know it can be very hard to workout when you just want to curl into a ball on the floor. Try whatever works for you. For me, I have to force myself to workout and then I always feel 100 times better. 

4. Support: This is a big one. We as women need to open up more, the more we talk about problems like PMS, PMDD, Depression the easier it gets for others to open up too. There's such a stigma with mood disorders - it's frustrating. Be open with your family, let them know when you're starting to feel your mood change.  Last but not least seek medical attention. Find what works best for you. If you come across anyone that doesn't believe PMDD exists, seek another opinion! I had one doctor roll his eyes at me. I did eventually find a doctor that took me seriously. Life isn't perfect, I still struggle, but as I mentioned before it's more manageable. 

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KADC's Most Popular Video

KaliAndrews Dance Company has tons of new videos coming soon! Everything from acrobatics to lyrical to jazz to ballet! In the meantime, I hope you enjoy one of KADC's most popular videos!

Fall registration is coming up soon. For more information on classes we offer or where we're located, visit www.kaliandrews.com.

Happy Wednesday!

Cheers,

Dre

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