A Word About Regular Posts

So, you guys...

LIFE!

Working 30 hrs a week, tax season, teaching two yoga classes and considering picking up a 3rd, regular housework on top of caring for this marvelous 3 month old little man. Laundry takes over a week to get folded. Dishes go out and right back into the dishwasher.

I would love to post regularly, but for real though, that ish aint gonna happen.

Before I went back to work, weekly workout posts could happen during naps and nightly dad/dude time, but seriously... two weeks ago I tried to swing a "day in the life" post... couldn't even make that happen. The logistics were too much - getting stuff done while keeping track of what I was doing and when I was doing it is so much easier then you spend half the day sitting on you're butt nursing.

ANYWAYSSSSS,

This is not goodbye. I'm going to continue to do my best to post every now and then, but the reality is that I will not be posting very often. I miss the blog life. Hopefully I'll be able to fill y'all in on the state of things soon. :)

A Day In The Life... with a newborn

Ok. This post is a little ambitious for me right now. I'm living a whole different life than I was just over a month ago. Every day is different and in some ways exactly the same...

This was my Friday, January 16th...

3:35 AM - I get up to feed the dude. I usually change him before he eats, but this morning I toy with leaving his diaper until we get up for the day.

4:05 AM - He's asleep, so I put him back down.

4:15 AM - He fooled me. He's grunting up a storm, which usually means he's waking up instead of falling back to sleep. I get up to check him and he's more awake than ever. I unswaddle him, change him, and reswaddle him. For a minute, before I nurse him again, we just smile big smiles at each other and he coos.

5:15 AM - I go back to bed

8:30 AM - We're up. I wash my face and brush my teeth as quickly as possible while he slowly gets fussy. He leaked pee up his back. I still don't understand the physics there. I take him downstairs. Hubs is on the couch, sick and working from home. We need to be as quiet as I can manage while change him. We do okay, and head back upstairs for baby's breakfast. 

9:15 AM - I put Joe down while I get dressed and take my thousands of vitamins, then go back downstairs and one-arm some yogurt with granola and honey for breakfast while sick hubby asks if I can turn Joe to face him because he misses his face.

9:45 AM - Joe and I play on the bed. I find a rash on his neck and upper chest. It looks like an allergic reaction, but I call the pediatrician's office anyway. The nurse says it sounds like his skin was irritated by something, to watch it, keep him clean, and make sure he doesn't start acting lethargic, extra fussy, or develop a fever.

11:10 AM - I feed Joe while updating blog, texting friends and family, and checking social media.

12:00 PM - Change full but fussy baby's diaper, put on the Solly wrap and wear Joe around the house for a while. I eat a cinnamon roll hubby made and call it lunch. Then we (me and Joe) take Panda out to get the mail. Exciting mail day. Lots of fun stuff to open; two wedding invitations, the photo book I ordered, (more) vitamins, and a pumping bra.

1:00 PM - Joe's 2nd lunch.

2:00 PM - I get my yoga mat out of my car and put Joe down in his crib. The first 15-20 minutes he was half sleeping but gassy, which keeps him from totally falling asleep. I kept stopping to give him a pacifier so he didn't fuss. Once he felt better he kept himself pretty well entertained. I moved to floor stretching and brought him down to do it with me. I'm practicing for when I *hopefully* start baby & me yoga up next month.

3:45 PM  - Joe eats. I watch Friday Night Lights on Netflix

4:15 PM - I put Joe in his stroller and we go on a quick one mile walk around the neighborhood.

4:45 PM - I am a human pacifier

5:15 PM - I manage a shower. Joe is in his pack n play in the bedroom. I can hear him but not see him. He is not happy, but hasn't totally lost it. I have a few minutes. No time for lotion. I put him on the bed, talk to him, and keep his pacifier in his mouth while I take care of my skin.

5:45 PM - Diaper change for the dude. Then I wrap him up and wear him around for a while. I eat an Asian chop salad trying not to drop bits of salad on his head, and sterilize the parts for my new pump. (I had to send back my hospital grade rental that day) Hubby and I dance around each other, trying to maintain a 10-foot minimum distance between us so baby doesn't catch his sickness.

Little dude falls asleep in the wrap. I let him stay wrapped up until he starts rooting around looking for food. Its been a while since he's eaten anyway.

7:25 PM - I take him out of the wrap and he starts wailing (even though he was just trying to eat my sternum). He falls asleep in my arms on the way up the stairs and gets right back to wailing the second I put him down to go to the bathroom. I get myself situated, turn on the PS3 and try to watch more Friday Night Lights while he eats, but no luck. The playstation needs updates so I let it run while I update my blog from my phone and send text messages. 

8:00 PM - I draw a bath for the guy. We still wash him in the sink. I think he's outgrown it and it's time to move to the baby tub. This was my first time bathing him by myself since hubs was sick. I decided to dry him off with a full size towel instead of a baby towel. It worked so much better in my opinion. For starters, he didn't soak through the towel when I wrapped him up in it. Once he's dry, I get him in a clean diaper and some pjs and head on upstairs.

9:00 PM - I get washed up and we begin what will hopefully be the last feeding of the day... And it is! I'm trying to get both of us to bed earlier - instead of starting the going to bed process at 10 and hoping he's asleep by 11 (usually closer to 1130 or 12). 

9:50 PM - I rock him a little to make sure he's asleep and put him down. I crawl into bed before 10 for the first time in over a month.

Into 2015...

So, this is weird. I spent the better part of 2014 growing a human in my body, so as I sit down to recap the important moments of 2014, I'm realizing that most of them are going to involve pregnancy... but here goes, eh?

In January, I participated in the January Cure. I was feeling majorly burnt out from the 2013 holidays, but I managed to make a decent dent in my 30x30 goals.

February was pretty mellow. I participated in the #inversionsmakeyouhot instagram challenge. I managed to get a post up every day - even when I got sick at the end of the month.

March was a pretty cool month. Though it was the middle of tax season and I was pretty whelmed, I taught a really fun class at our local Lululemon, showed off a friend of mine's amazing new clothing line, and shared some of my favorite leg workouts you can do at home.

In April I took a staycation.

In May we flew up to Livermore for their Wine Country Festival, and later hubs and I ventured up to the Strawberry Festival in Oxnard.

In June I told you our big news, and not related to that at all, we became an internet television household.

July I got some friends together and we all did yoga at the beach. It was a blast. At the end of the month, I turned 30. That was real. We spent the weekend touristing around San Francisco. I loved every second of it and hubby laughed at me the whole time.

August was pretty mellow. I did manage to replicate a wrap I fell in love with at a local restaurant. So much yum.

In September we celebrated our 3rd anniversary! I can't believe how quickly 3 years went by!

October was when I wrote about changing my yoga practice. At the end of the month, I was lucky enough to be thrown the most adorable baby shower.

In November I put the finishing touches on little dude's room, and started really looking forward to meeting our baby.

This month, we ended the year with the most amazing and exhausting gift of all.

I am so looking forward to everything that 2015 has to offer. I know it is going to be filled with all new challenges. I hope I will have time for you to follow along as I learn how to be a parent and get my butt back into shape!

Happy New Year!

And then I turned 30...

Here's where I stand with my 30 goals to accomplish by the time I turned 30. I fell short on a couple, but I think I did really great overall. The thing I didn't get to will just become life goals - who needs a timeline anyway, right?

1.    Clean out and reorganize the garage (5/26-5/27/2013)

2.    Redo the master bedroom & bath (Repainted 11/9-11/10/13), Bathroom scheduled to be done before yoga baby arrives in December. 

3.    Run a 1/2 marathon (registered 3/27/13, run on 9/8/13)

4.    Get paid to teach yoga (completed 2/21/13) 

5.    Meditate (at least once if I can't make it a regular thing) (Began 3/11/13)

6.    Buy a new car (completed 12/29/12)

7.    Try (at least) one new recipe every month (October 2012, November 2012 , December 2012, January 2013, February 2013, March 2013, April 2013, May 2013, June 2013, July 2013, August 2013, September 2013, October 2013, November 2013, December 2013, January 2014, February 2014, March 2014, April 2014, May 2014, June 2014, July 2014) You can probably see I ended up missing a few months, but I like this goal in general. I've loved trying new things in the kitchen at least once a month. Even when I'm busy, I can usually get in at least one new recipe. :)

Yoga Baby; 18 Weeks

Week 18

Happy 4th of July! Growing up 4th of July was always my favorite holiday because a) fireworks are awesome, and b) I loved having a holiday in my birth month. It meant my birthday was right around the corner.
Today I am 18 weeks pregnant, and...

Here's what's happening with me and the tiny one...

Cravings: Just the boring impulse kind. Still loving me some lemonade. I sorta craved ravioli last week - baby hadn't had it yet, but now they have and we've met our ravioli quota. I also wouldn't really call my "cravings" much more than being mildly in the mood for something.

Aversions: So far so good.

Energy: Getting better, but I'm really into mid-afternoon naps and going to bed early. My workouts are lame. I met a fellow pregnant lady last week after yoga and we were lamenting our dwindling workout regimes. We both used to workout for an hour PLUS every day and now we consider ourselves lucky if we manage to make it to yoga.

We're Cancelling TV

Today is the day! I will be calling up our television provider and saying "Thanks, but no thanks. We don't need your services any longer".

Before you run off thinking we're all hippy dippy and won't be watching TV anymore, let me clarify; We're cancelling our satellite, but we will still have internet and some fancy TV-show-watching apps, so... we're not exactly giving it up.
... and we waited a week after our contract was up so we could watch the season finale of Game of Thrones. ;)

Currently; June 2014

First of all, Happy Birthday to my baby sister! She turns 27 today! Though to me, she will be 22 forever.

Since I let out some pretty big news last week, this month's currently post is gonna be a little different than usual. Just a smidge.

Currently, I'm...

Reading...
I finished A Long Way Down a little while back. My friend also lent me her copy of Belly Laughs by Jenny McCarthy. Though I'm definitely not a fan of Jenny McCarthy, I enjoyed the book and read it in a single afternoon while I was on my staycation.
I've also been slowly working my way through the Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy. I love reading about this stuff. I loved reading about pregnancy before I was pregnant. Now I have the best excuse.
I downloaded Divergent onto my kindle. Don't judge me. I started and finished it in about a week. I enjoyed it. It was fun, but I don't see what the big deal is. I had a bit of a tough time getting into it. Even though it was an easy read, I felt like I wasn't connecting to the character and I didn't really care what happened to her. By the middle, I was more into it though. I'm hoping to start the next one in a day or two.

Currently; May 2014

Happy Monday and Happy May!

Currently, I'm...

Reading...
A Long Way Down. I am really enjoying it. I found I just really enjoy Nick Hornby's writing style. I don't always like his message, but while I'm reading it, I find the characters and the plot pretty entertaining. I'm excited to see the movie. As I'm writing this, there have been a lot of Toni Collette movies playing on TV, which is a little weird since she'll be one of the leads in the movie version of A Long Way Down.

Solo Staycation

I planned it for months. As the weather warmed up through February and March, and I got out of my car every morning in Malibu, I longed for beach house lunches and late afternoons on the sand.

This was the first year in a long time that I didn't have something planned for the foreseeable future. No parent sponsored trip across the Atlantic, no long weekend in Portland with my sister, no talk of Hawaii in September. 

Tax season loomed and I struggled through the burn out of longer work days, teaching more yoga classes, fitting in my own exercise schedule, and not blowing off everyone I love. Thinking about the day to day sent me searching for my zen place - slow methodical breathing and a little mantra repetition. 

So, I planned some time off. 

A week, if you want to get all picky about it. The week after Easter... because it was the week after April 15th.

My Freedom From Tax Returns Fix

I'm on staycation this week. Have I mentioned that? I'm in town - living it up in luxury, spending time with people I love, doing things that make me happy... all. week. long.

I scheduled myself a Stitch Fix specifically to arrive the Monday after tax season - before I'd even planned this week. It would be my gift to myself -  a surprise box of joy to arrive on my doorstep the morning after we got back from spending Easter with my inlaws.

It actually ended up arriving on the Friday before Easter, which was lucky because I'd already checked the website and seen the written descriptions of what was coming. I was dying to see it and try it all on.

Currently; April 2014

It's Saturday, I know. Most of you won't see this until Monday, but it's the 12th, and the 12th is when I post these currently thingys.

3 more days until I can breathe. As tax season comes to a close, I am more and more tired every day. I am so very much looking forward to my week off. Words fail me.
Teaching 4 classes a week on top of my 9-5 on to of P90X = one tired Alyssa

Currently, I'm...

Reading...
I gave up on Lost at Sea. Since it's a book of short stories, I just couldn't get myself to get involved in the book as a whole. I finally picked up A Long Way Down, which is on my reading list for this year. I haven't gotten very far yet, but I'm enjoying it thus far.

In Crazy Times

Howdy friends!

I just wanted to pop my head in and kind of sort of apologize. I know my posts have been a little sparse and lackluster lately and my excuse is this;

it's tax season, yo. 

On top of trying to teach more, I am stuck at the office late and taking work home with me a lot of days. Times have been crazy. New recipes have been few and far between, but since I'm sticking with old standards, I thought I would take a second and share some of my go-to busy times recipes with you all.

January Cure; Week 5

January came to a close on Friday. This past weekend was Super Bowl partying and Super Bowl prep.

I'm really not sure if any of the items left in the living room or spare bedroom will get finished any time soon. For example, instead of fixing the coffee table, we may just buy a new one. The current table is looking rough and it gets moved around so much - though I really couldn't tell you why - that the legs are just going to get wobbly again. We have talked about tightening the legs and refinishing it though, so who knows what will happen (or when).
And I tend to just get lost in the spare room. There's a light at the end of the tunnel in there, but I really couldn't put a timeline on when I think I'll actually be done going through that stuff. One thing at a time though. One thing at a time.

January Cure; Week 4

January is almost over, but the cure will go on into February. As long as there are projects to do around the house, I will be "project"ing.
Here's how things are going...

Living Room
Replace the front door knob/handle (in progress, the wood is filled, but now we need to sand and paint)
Replace the garage door knob (relies on the completion of the front door since we're just moving the knob)
Fix wobbly coffee table legs
Tile around the fireplace

January Cure; Week 3

Another week of glorious home organizing and repair projects for you to read about! I'm really having so much fun with this. While I'm working I blast my favorite songs, have the robots clean the floors, and dance around the house.
Then that feeling of satisfaction when I cross an item off my list is so much more fulfilling.

I did some list tweaking, actually added a few things that should have been on it from the beginning, but didn't write down.

Living Room
Replace the front door knob/handle (in progress, the wood is filled, but now we need to sand and paint)
Replace the garage door knob (relies on the completion of the front door since we're just moving the knob)
Fix wobbly coffee table legs
Tile around the fireplace

30 x 30; Tackle the "Pants to be Fixed" Pile

It's a little ridiculous that I had to put this on my 30 x 30 list in order to get it done. All these pants needed new buttons or repaired seems or something.

The pile just kept getting taller and taller.

These jeans need a new button. This waistband got torn up by an old washing machine. These shorts have a split seam...

January Cure; Week 2

We're wrapping up the second week of the January Cure!

This is what's left on my list and where I stand with them:

Living Room
Replace the front door knob/handle (in progress)
Replace the garage door knob (relies on the completion of the front door since we're just moving the knob)
Fix wobbly coffee table legs
Tile around the fireplace

30 x 30; Reupholster the Kitchen Chairs

Did you see my post on instagram over the weekend? If you did then you know that updating the fabric on these chairs has been on my to-do list for over 3 years. *cough cough* closer to 4...

...when my parents nabbed this table and chairs at Salvation Army and gave them to me as a Christmas gift in 2009. (TWO THOUSAND NINE!!!)

When they gave them to me, my mom said something about how they thought I could reupholster the seat cushions. I hadn't done anything like that since I was 14 or 15, but I thought it was a great idea - a way to make this used dining set a little more my own.

Guest Post - Mrs. ShuGar; It's Friendship

Hey folks, I'm on a relaxing Hawaiian vacation with my family this week, so I've asked some beautiful, talented and inspiring ladies to guest post for me while I'm away. 

Yet another lady I met through the Be Happy Link Up, Carmen (Mrs. ShuGar) inspires me every week to love life and live passionately. I relate so much to the lessons in love and life she writes about on her blog. I was so happy when Carmen threw her hand up in the air to volunteer to guest post while I'm away. It's easy to be confident about someone when you know what they say is from the heart. 

Photo Credit

One of my favorite I Love Lucy episodes is the one where Lucy & Ethel fight over wearing the same dress while performing the song, “Friendship.” I adore that crazy red head.  Lucy & Ethel are the best of friends and it’s evident in the unconditional love they have for each other, despite their occasional hiccups.

Something happens when you get older; You inevitably lose friends.  It’s a symptom of life and its many transitions, but it’s bound to happen to all of us at some point.  The more I age, the smaller my inner circle gets and I am 100% ok with it. It’s not high school anymore where you want to be friends with every single person in the room.  Lately, I’ve lost dear friends who I would have considered my “Ethels.”  As painful as this transition has been, I am slowly coming to terms with the loss.

In this process, I have learned what the definition of friendship is.  It’s really very simple, but, apparently, hard to find and sustain.  If you do have someone in your life who you would consider a true friend, you are very lucky.  Friendship can enhance your happiness ten-fold.

In my experience, a true friend…

Never Leaves

Despite our busy schedules or distance, a real friend will always stick around no matter what.  Especially in today’s world, any person is just a click or phone call away.  There is no reason to ever break contact over long periods of time, if you value the friendship.  A phone call every six months, an email every month, really anything to show you care and are thinking about the person.

Is By Your Side During the Dark Times

It’s so easy to be around someone when things are peachy.  How about when you are drowning in tears and you don’t want to see the light of day?  Who will help you get up? Who will make sure you eat three meals a day? Those very special friends who remain near you during difficult times will.  I believe this is the time when a friendship is truly tested.  Oh, and the friend also withholds judgment during this time.

Looks Out for Your Interests, Even When it’s Not the Popular Opinion

This can cause contention in friendships, but it demonstrates the love between friends.  A true friend will support you, but challenge you if s/he thinks you are making wrong choices.  This friend will not keep quiet if you are dating someone unworthy of your heart.  This same friend would also speak up if s/he knows your partner is being unfaithful.  It’s not an easy thing to do, but it’s characteristic of someone who truly loves you.

Celebrates Your Happiness

Ugh. I have lost many of friends because of this one.  A real friend will honor your joy by vicariously experiencing happiness for you.  This is not challenging when the friend is already happy.  It’s a testament of a real friendship when your friend is not in the best of places emotionally, but still manages to have a genuine happy feeling for you.  Jealousy & envy do not factor into a true friendship.

If you have an “Ethel” in your life, make sure you cherish this person and never take him/her for granted.  It’s such a gift to have a true friend in your life.  I am not the type of person to need many friends at my age.  One “Ethel” would suffice.  If you already have one, smile. Even better, give this friend a call and tell your friend you are my “Ethel” and the reason I smile.

Lots of Love,
Mrs. ShuGar

My name is Carmen, but I’m playfully known as Mrs. ShuGar. "ShuGar" is a nickname my hubs and I use which combines the first three letters of our last names. It's pronounced "sugar" but spelled S-H-U-G-A-R.  I blog about the heart & all there is to Love. Turquoise rocks my world.  Art is my passion.  In another life, I was born as Lizzy Bennet and Mr. ShuGar was my Mr. Darcy. I’m an indie film nerd. Fashion & writing feed my soul.   I heart LA.  My entire love story can be told through Beatles songs. Mr. ShuGar is my sunshine. Love is all. Love is you.

Blog: shugarlove.com

Email: mrs.shugar@gmail.com

Twitter: @ShuGarLuv

Instagram: mrs_shugar

Facebook: ShuGarLoveBlog

Pinterest: mrsshugar

Recap Summer 2013

I don't know if you caught it, but I totally didn't do a Spring recap. Spring kind of melted into winter and summer and wasn't really it's own thing. I've decided to include some March and April in here for that reason. Just a little bit.

Above: I ran my second 10K. It was harder than the first.

I also did some fun arm balance stuff while I was at work.

A friend and I took the dogs out to Malibu and hike/walked. Then we went to the Country Mart and got them whipped cream.