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Saturday, August 31, 2013

Sunday Social: Summer Fun!

I'm linking up with Ashley and Neely today for Sunday Social!

Sunday Social

1) What was your favorite trip/vacation/activity this summer? My regular readers already know the answer to this one...the cruise I took with my sister to Jamaica, Grand Cayman, and Cozumel. We had the best time!


2) What was your favorite outfit look/clothing item of the summer? I've started wearing lots of dresses, and I love all the ones I own. My favorite dress I have would be my maxi dress. I love the colors and the print. I love how it has a shape and doesn't just make me look like I'm wearing a muumuu. I love everything about it!

3) What is one thing you wish you'd gotten to do this summer? Spend more time at the lake. My sister and I have been twice, and we didn't go until late in the summer season. Although, we're in Texas, so we could probably go all the way through October and not have to worry about the water being too cold.

4) What was your favorite song of the summer? Cups by Anna Kendrick


5) What was your favorite movie/TV show of the summer? Okay, I am so late to this craze, but until this summer, I had not watched Duck Dynasty. Now, I'm hooked. Phil is my favorite, and I admire his relationship with Miss Kay. They remind me a lot of my grandparents.

Have a happy, happy, happy week y'all!

Friday, August 30, 2013

Weekly Weigh-In #27

This Week: -2.4 lbs
Total Loss: -27.6 lbs
Starting Weight: 251.2 lbs
Current Weight: 223.6 lbs
Starting BMI: 36.0
Current BMI: 32.1

Workouts for the Week
Tuesday - 3.00 miles on treadmill (50 min)
Thursday -3.00 miles on treadmill (45 min)

Total Mileage: 6.00 miles
Total Time: 1 hour, 35 minutes

I have to say I'm really happy with this week's weight loss since I was in Miami for the first part of the week. I tried to make healthy choices while I was there, and it paid off.

You may have noticed that I added my BMI to the stats for my weekly weigh-ins. Well, about 20 minutes into the presentation at Carnival, the supervisor told us that in order to pass our medical, we need to have a BMI of 30 or lower. Whomp whomp! My heart sank when I heard her say that. I had read that some cruise lines had that rule, but there were others that wanted it to be 35 or lower. I was hoping Carnival was part of the latter group, but unfortunately, they're not.

Before even going to the interview, I knew there was a possibility that my BMI would need to be below 30. So, what had I already gone to the Internet to calculate? That's right...my current BMI and what I needed to weigh for it to be 30. FYI, that would be 209 pounds.

So, in knowing this, I didn't let myself be discouraged for too long. In fact, I'm using this as a new goal to help push me the next few weeks. I'm less than 15 pounds away. I want to be on a ship by no later than October. I CAN do this. I WILL do this.

LAST WEEK'S GOALS (Actually 2 weeks ago since I didn't post last week)

1) Log at least 20 miles

2)  Keep a food journal of EVERYTHING I eat this week
It lasted a day and a half...

3) Try a new healthy recipe

4) Lose 2 pounds

THIS WEEK'S GOALS

1) Try a new healthy recipe
My mom and I went to the grocery store today, so I am prepared for this one!

2) Lose at least 2 pounds
I really, really, really wanna get out of the 220s, which would mean I need to lose 3.7 pounds.

3) Log at least 20 miles
Walking for sure. Maybe bike riding as well?

4) Do this workout on Saturday, Monday, and Wednesday.


My sister is coming to town this weekend, which is always fun. Tomorrow we're going to the casino, and on Sunday, we're going out to eat with our dad and his girlfriend.

Since I didn't have a lot of pictures for this post, I will leave you with a pic of my sister, a gorilla, and three scantily clad women on a beach. If that's not random, I don't know what is!

Welcome to Miami!

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Home from Miami & an Interview Update!

I've been so bad about blogging for the past week and a half! Last week, I was so focused on getting ready for my final interview in Miami that I just didn't find the time to write. I even forgot to weigh in on Friday before we left! I blame that on excitement and having to wake up at 3:30 AM! Now, on to a recap of my weekend in Miami and the results of my interview with Carnival!

Before I start, I have to say that I thought of this as more of a business trip and not a vacation trip, so I didn't take many pictures.

Like I said, Friday morning (3:30 AM!) we woke up to get ready for our drive to DFW Airport where we would board a plane for Fort Lauderdale at 7:30 AM. Everything went smoothly from the drive there to going through security to loading the plane. We arrived in Fort Lauderdale around 11:30 AM, headed to pick up our car rental, and then were able to check into our hotel early. :-)

My interview wasn't until Saturday, but we had already decided that we would drive to the Carnival offices in Miami on Friday to make sure we knew where it was and how to get there. Well, what should have taken us an hour round-trip took us two and a half hours! We exited off the freeway before we should have, the GPS on our phones was totally confused, and we ended up in one of the worst neighborhoods in Miami (which we didn't know at the time, but my mom Googled later when we were back in the hotel room).

So, after that craziness, we made it back to our hotel room and got ready to go out to eat at The Cheesecake Factory for my sister's birthday. Huge portions of food and awesome cheesecake...no surprises there.

We were so tired from our long day; we decided to go back to the hotel to get ready for the next morning. The day of my interview!

I woke up early the next day to prepare for my interview. I knew it was going to be a long day because the email said to plan on staying from 9-5. Thankfully, I was able to leave around 3.

Interview Outfit (before I bought shoes and a bag)
The drive there on Saturday morning was so much better than the day before! On our way there, I saw three different rainbows, so I snapped a picture of one of them. When I got to the Carnival office, I signed in and waited with a few other candidates that were there to interview. After a few minutes of waiting, we were led back to the room where we would fill out paperwork and listen to a presentation.

If I knew how to Photoshop the power lines out, I would.
Before they began the presentation, we played a 'getting to know you' game where we had to stand in a large circle and throw a small soccer ball to each other. The ball had lots of different topics on it, and whatever two topics your thumbs land on, you pick one of those and answer it. I can't remember one of my topics, but the one I answered was 'Ideal Car.' If you know me at all, then you know I don't really care too much about 'cool' cars. My answer was, "I know this isn't the coolest car to most people, but ever since they came out, I have wanted a Toyota FJ Cruiser." The first part of my answer got some laughs, so I was happy. :-D

My Ideal Car
After the game, we listened to Carnival's Supervisor of Youth Programming, Kristi Ainsworth, talk about ship life, the different youth programs on the ships, and what we would need to do if we were hired. The presentation took about 2 hours and was very informative! All the things I'd been trying to find on the Internet were discussed in detail during the presentation, so the time really flew by because everything was so interesting to me!

Once the presentation was finished, we had a short break and then one-on-one interviews would begin. There were 18 of us that came on Saturday, so it was going to take some time for each of us to be interviewed. I was one of the last 4 to be called back. My interview was with two of the youth directors that are currently on Carnival ships. They asked me to tell them a little bit about myself, my experience with children and the fun things I did with them, how I liked the presentation, why I want to work on a ship, and then it was over. I talked to them maybe 5 minutes. My recruiter told me not to feel discouraged if I only talked to them for 5 minutes, but when I left, I was thinking, 'Well, I tried my best, but I'm not as confident coming out of the interview as I was going in.'

My mom and sister came to pick me up, and while we drove back to Fort Lauderdale, I told them all about the day. They also had quite the experience at the beach, which I might write about later this week or next week.

Saturday night, we ate at a local seafood restaurant in Fort Lauderdale called Coconuts. I thought it was good, but my mom didn't really care for it. We had a neat view of the boats in the water though.


My mom and me (What am I looking at?!!?!)
We were all going to go back to the beach after we ate, so I could go swimming too. Sadly, it started raining and didn't stop until it was too dark to go to the beach. There aren't any lights turned on at the beach during the night because of the turtles that come up to lay their eggs. Maybe next time!

Sunday morning, we woke up and headed to the Fort Lauderdale airport to make our way back to Texas. Even though I knew we wouldn't hear anything one way or the other for a week, I kept checking my email. Well, on Monday (a week early!), I got the news...


I am thrilled! Out of the 18 of us that were there, 10 of us were offered a position with the youth staff. Now comes lots of paperwork I need to complete, and once all of it clears, I will find out when and where I will ship out! Exciting things are headed my way!

Friday, August 16, 2013

Weekly Weigh-In #26

This Week: +1.8 lbs
Total Loss: -25.2 lbs
Starting Weight: 251.2
Current Weight: 226.0

Workouts for the Week
Saturday - 1.25 miles at track (23 min) & 1.40 miles on treadmill (21 min)
Sunday - Swimming at the lake (2 hours) <--- not counted towards total time
Monday - 5.00 miles on treadmill (76 min)
Wednesday - 3.00 miles on treadmill (45 min)
Thursday - 5.35 miles on treadmill (81 min)

Total Mileage: 16.00 miles
Total Time: 4 hours, 6 minutes

Ick, I hate feeling like a failure when I gain weight. I know it's only a couple of pounds, and the time to worry would be if this happened week after week after week, which would put me back at where I used to be. I'm going to brush it off and just work harder this week to get a loss!
 
It's no surprise to me that I gained. I snacked like crazy this week, which never helps anything. I also got new tennis shoes, and I started wearing them on Wednesday. Well, I now have annoying blisters on my heels, which hindered the long workout I wanted to do yesterday. SO, I'm returning the shoes, which means I'm still trying to find the perfect pair. I need shoes that have a wide toe box and don't create blisters (obviously). Anyone have a recommendation?

I haven't completely decided, but I might do my weigh-in on Thursday next week. I will be waking up SUPER EARLY on Friday to drive to the airport to leave for Miami! Can't believe it's only a week away! So, weighing in on Thursday would help because I'm sure I will be so busy early Friday morning getting ready for my trip that I might not have enough time to post it.

LAST WEEK'S GOALS

1) Work out at least 6 days of the week for at least 30 minutes each day
I didn't work out on Friday or Tuesday at all, and I'm not counting my swimming at the lake, which means I only worked out 4 days this week.

2) Log at least 20 miles
16 < 20...FAIL!

3) Try a new healthy recipe
I looked at a lot of different recipes, but I never went to the store to get what I would need to make them. I am planning on making Fiesta Tamale Pie this week, and each serving has less than 300 calories!

4) Lose 2 pounds

THIS WEEK'S GOALS

1) Log at least 20 miles
I want need to look like this more often!

2)  Keep a food journal of EVERYTHING I eat this week
It may not be perfect with measurements, brands, calories, and such, but I think it will help me to see how much I really eat in one day. Plus, I think having to write it down will help with mindless snacking.

3) Try a new healthy recipe
I'm keeping this goal, and we'll see if that tamale pie gets made.

4) Lose 2 pounds
Self-explanatory...will probably always be one of my weekly goals

My mom is off today, so we're going shopping! She is searching for clothes for an upcoming vacation to Cozumel, and I'm on the hunt for the perfect interview outfit (and tennis shoes)!

Y'all have a wonderful weekend! Got any fun plans?

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Sunday Currently 8.11

 {This 'Currently' format is borrowed from Julie!}

Current Book: Under the Dome by Stephen King...There are so many differences between the book and the TV show!


Current Music: I listen to a variety of stations on Songza. My favorite song at the moment is "Cups" by Anna Kendrick!

Current Guilty Pleasure: "Reality" shows...There's usually not much on during the summer, so I've been watching a lot of Honey Boo Boo, Real Housewives, and Kardashians.

Current Nail Color: Peach Daiquiri by Essie


Current Drink: Low Acid Orange Juice

Current Food: Cranberry Almond Cereal w/ Skim Milk

Current Favorite Show: I've started watching Awkward while I walk on the treadmill, and I really like it!


Current Wish List: I saw this shirt on Pinterest this morning, and I want it! I say this all the time! *Anyone know what movie it is from?*

Etsy: ActivateApparel

Current Needs: A new interview outfit

Current Indulgence: Ice cream cones

Current Blessing: I am incredibly blessed with a family that is so supportive of my decision to try and get a job on a cruise ship. I don't think God could have provided me with a better support system! Especially my mom, Mallory, and Emily!

Current Outfit: Black workout pants and my Moore, OK t-shirt from ATX Mafia

Shirts for sale HERE

Current Excitement: I'm going to the lake with Mallory today! :-D



{This link-up is brought to y'all from Lauren!}


Friday, August 9, 2013

Weekly Weigh-In #25

This Week: -2.2 lbs
Total Loss: -27.0 lbs
Starting Weight: 251.2
Current Weight: 224.2

Workouts for the Week
Monday - 5.00 miles on treadmill (1 hr, 17 min)
Wednesday - 5.00 miles on treadmill (1 hr, 16 min)
Thursday - 10.00 miles!!! on treadmill (2 hrs, 33 min)

Total Mileage: 20.00 miles
Total Time: 5 hours, 6 minutes

Early on in the week I had already not met two of the goals I set, so I knew I had to get that one goal of walking 20 miles. I never would have thought in a million years that my body could withstand walking for 10 miles at one time. I did take short breaks every 2.5 miles, but that was time for stretching and grabbing some water. Yesterday I learned that my body is a lot stronger than I ever thought possible!

I might try to do this at least once a week from now on. I need to get some better shoes though. And, I'm not gonna lie, I totally felt like this when I was finished...


LAST WEEK'S GOALS

1) Only drink water or unsweet tea
Nope. I drank coffee a couple of times and Sprite Zero a couple of times.

2) Log 20 miles of walking
Woohoo!
Sweat Like a Pig to Look Like a Fox
 3) Take Eva on a walk every day
It has been hot as heck here in Texas. I'm not too worried about myself, but I worry that little Eva might get way too hot walking out there!

Crazy hot temps!!
4) Lose 2 pounds
Finally!

THIS WEEK'S GOALS

1) Work out at least 6 days of the week for at least 30 minutes each day

2) Log at least 20 miles

3) Try a new healthy recipe

4) Lose 2 pounds

That's it for today! No plans yet for the weekend.

Y'all have a blessed weekend!

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

I Wanna Work on a Cruise Ship!

"I wanna work on a ship!"

Those were the first words I said to my mom when I got back home from the cruise.

After telling my mom all about my vacation, I set to work on researching how to go about getting a job on a cruise ship.

First thing I did was head to Carnival's website and locate the information for the recruiting office for US and Canadian applicants. I knew that going through Carnival would give me a reputable recruitment agency instead of trying to find one myself. Enter Cast-A-Way Cruise and Resort Hiring Agency!


Timeline of Events
June 30 - Got home from vacation
July 1 - Filled out online application on Cast-A-Way's website
July 2 - Posted a follow-up question about resumes on Cast-A-Way's Facebook page


July 18 - (1) Posting on Facebook about final interviews in Miami, (2) Ask about how we know if we're chosen for interview


July 19 - (1) Receive email to send resume ASAP, (2) Send resume right away!
July 20 - (1) Receive email stating that I have been selected for a preliminary phone interview with the recruiter, (2) Set up an interview with Stacia, the recruiter, for first available interview time
July 22 - (1) Phone interview with Stacia, (2) Receive email from Stacia saying I've been chosen for a final interview in Miami with Carnival!
August 23 - Will leave for Miami with my mom and sister
August 24 - Final Interview at Carnival's headquarters in Miami!

So, what position am I interviewing for? I will be interviewing for the opportunity to work on board one of the Carnival ships as a member of the youth staff. Basically, I would be working with the kiddos that come aboard for vacation! I am beyond thrilled about this whole experience!


Stacia runs the Facebook page and told me she pulled my application based on what I had posted on Facebook showing my eagerness to work on a ship. During our phone interview, she said they have a 98% hire rate, and Carnival contacted them and said, "Send us 40 candidates in August. We want them all."

I'm hoping these are all good signs that I will be working on a ship in the near future! On August 24th, pray, think good thoughts, whatever it is you do, do it for me! I appreciate it very much!

I will keep y'all updated on everything!

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Sunday Currently 8.4


CURRENTLY

READING - I've put the book I was reading last week on hold for a while, so today I started Under the Dome by Stephen King. It's the biggest book I've ever seen! I've been watching the TV show it's based on, so I wanted to read the book as well. I think it's the first Stephen King book I've ever read!

WRITING -A list of possible ideas for Emily's bridal shower!

LISTENING - To Duck Dynasty on the TV...love the Robertsons!

THINKING - That I ate too much junk this weekend!

SMELLING - The scent from the shampoo in my hair

WISHING - For a good week of workouts

HOPING - For a 2-lb. weight loss this week!

WEARING - Denim shorts and a pink t-shirt

LOVING - That Emily found her wedding dress yesterday! So fun to be included in the process!

WANTING - A big, healthy salad sometime this week

NEEDING - Prayers for my papa as he undergoes a minor surgery on Tuesday

FEELING - Relieved...Because of an error on my part, Jack (my dog that has diabetes) got two doses of insulin last night instead of the one that he needed. I gave it to him without writing it down, and then my stepdad gave him another one. We knew he would need some sugar to counteract the insulin, so we gave him some and monitored him throughout the night. Everything turned out fine, but I was so worried about him all night! I hated that it was my fault that it happened. 

CLICKING -Through Amazon Instant Video trying to find some movies to watch while I walk on the treadmill...Any suggestions?

I went over to my grandparents' house today to show them some pictures of Emily in the dresses she tried on. While I was there, I introduced them to the fun that is iPad Photo Booth. I'll leave you with a couple of those pictures. Have a great week everybody!

Stretchy Papa
Me Squeezed

{Linking up with Lauren for Sunday Currently}

Friday, August 2, 2013

Weekly Weigh-In #24

This Week: -1.8 lbs
Total Loss: -24.8 lbs
Starting Weight: 251.2
Current Weight: 226.4

Workouts for the Week
Friday - 2.14 miles on treadmill (30 min) & 0.68 mile evening dog walk (15 min)
Saturday - 0.68 mile morning dog walk (15 min), 2.00 miles on treadmill (30 min), & 0.68 mile evening dog walk (15 min)
Sunday - 2.20 miles on treadmill (30 min) & 0.68 mile evening dog walk (15 min)
Monday - 3.00 miles on treadmill (45 min) & 0.68 mile evening dog walk (15 min)
Tuesday - 0.68 mile afternoon dog walk (15 min) & 1.00 mile on treadmill (15 min)
Wednesday - 2.00 miles on treadmill (30 min)
Thursday - 2.33 miles on treadmill (40 min)

Total Mileage: 18.07 miles
Total Time: 5 hours, 10 minutes

I have to say that I think setting four goals for this past week REALLY helped me! Here's how I did with my goals that I set. It's probably self-explanatory, but green means I achieved my goal and red means I didn't.

1) No chocolate all week!
My mom bought a bag of assorted chocolates one day at the grocery store, so this one was so hard! I didn't eat a single piece though, but I may have gone and smelled the jar they were in once or twice. :-)

2) Lose 2 pounds
I am annoyed that I didn't meet this goal. I was SO CLOSE...only two-tenths of a pound away!

3) Work out at least 30 minutes every day
I'm not gonna lie. There were a couple of days I did not want to work out at all, but I did it anyway and felt so good afterwards!

4) Eat my last meal by 7 PM every night
This one actually wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. I guess since most of what I ate after 7 was chocolate, this goal went hand-in-hand with goal 1.

I always really liked sticker charts when I was in school. What's the next best thing to a sticker chart? iPad Notes with Emojis, of course! :-D That's how I kept track of my goals this week.


Now, my list of goals for this week!

1) Only drink water or unsweet tea
I've been drinking too much coffee. If I drank it black, it wouldn't be too bad, but I use sugar and whipped cream or half and half. I need to be drinking more water.

2) Log 20 miles of walking
I came really close to 20 miles this past week, so if I push myself just a little bit harder this week, I can hit 20 miles.

3) Take Eva on a walk every day
She loves going on walks, and I know that not only is it good for me, it's good for her.

4) Lose 2 pounds
I'm keeping this one on there until I can do it!

Okay, those are my goals for this week! I'm excited about turning all these goals green next Friday!

Mallory and I are going wedding dress shopping with Emily tomorrow! Can't wait!!

Hope y'all have a great weekend!