40 Days and 39 Nights of Abstinence!

Nooo not quite a movie title but it IS, only 40 days n 39 nights until I am on stage in my… itsy bitsy teenie weenie purple spark-ly bikini! Yep yep people, it’s less than a movie title away now! I am not gonna lie, maintaining motivation is not the easiest thing in the world right now because I JUST WANNA GO! I wanna be there… buuuut I’m one to rush things, so I’m trying to cool my jets and enjoy the ride.
A few posts ago I asked if anyone wanted to see my progress photos and such. That was your warning. This post is going to be all about progress and then some photos of my first few posing practice shots in my new bikini and heels!!! So here’s your last chance to redirect your browser to something more amusing like grumpy cat or ecards or.. facebook.. whatever…
***I really don’t want to post these for the sake of maintaining some sort of mystery with those who I read this and who I see around town… BUUUUUT if I had had to endured endlessly ranting and rambling posts for a few months like you all have, I’d want some dirt on the bag who made me suffer.. so here you all go.. without further adieu.. my 3 month progress photos***
 

Both the before and after are taken at the same time of day, in the same exact spot with the same swimsuit, from the same location & angle and I’m standing relaxed and soft in both.
Now, some may argue that I could be “cheating” these photos, like by wearing heels in the Sept photos but ask yourself this: 1. if I have NO financial (or any other type) of gain from this, what would be the point? 2. would I REALLY post that unflattering, unmakeup’d, bedhead hair, and to be quite frank, AWFUL before? 3. bear in mind who had to take these photos and with what… my 4 year old… with a cell phone.. yeah, no trick photography happening there.
Unless of course you’re on the other side of the fence thinking “That’s IT?!?!?” To which I might respond, “I SAY, GOOD DAY!” (I hope at least one of you gets that, That 70’s Show reference).
I do need to add that I have NEVER been 100% ‘on plan’ for more than 8 consecutive days (that was recently). I have endured some serious struggles, mentally, some physical and many many MANY with food and otherwise food related temptations. Who knows where I could’ve been had I been a perfect pupil! BUT that’s just not life, and that’s DEFINITELY not me. I am an imperfect, stubborn, rebellious, hormonal creature with a husband, 2 children, a home to maintain and about a zillion other factors. We all have our challenges but I’m super proud to say I have exceeded my own expectations and even as I wrote my very first blog entry, I was mentally contemplating my exit plan for this whole competition thing. It was a subconscious, public image preservation strategy. I expected to get injured (which happened, but I kept going… it may very well still happen but I will adapt), a family emergency to give me an out, I’d even go so far as to say I expected Armageddon to happen before I could admit that I believed in myself enough to see this thing through! Now, less than 6 weeks out, my mind is actually allowing me to believe that not only will I make it to the stage but I think I’m going to do a-ok, not necessarily because I’ll win, or place or even make 2nd call outs but because I’ve been working my ass off everyday, successfully overcoming struggles more frequently and actually seeing self improvement in so many areas of my life, besides the physical. Big shout out THANK YOU to my coach and trainer Caitlyn Bellamy, without the fear of YOU and our stinkin’ biweekly check ins I definitely would’ve strayed from my path.

As was the going fashion in my first few posts (until I became comfortable and openly sarcastic) I think an inspirational quote is in order…

“You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, ‘I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along.’ You must do the thing you think you cannot do.”
― Eleanor Roosevelt, You Learn by Living: Eleven Keys for a More Fulfilling Life

I almost forgot!! Good for you for reading past the quote, yay! Means I’ve got some good followers.. and for that I reward you with some awkwardly posed photos of me in my show suit!!! Yaaaaaaaaaay….

Forgive me Followers for I have sinned, it has been 2 weeks since my last confession

Oh haayyyyy everyone. Yes it’s been awhile since I posted but in my defense I was BUSY!!! Frolicking about, plane hopping, wedding crashing.. diet blasting.. haha.
Man weddings are a killer on the ol’ sweet tooth!! Caitlyn: eye muffs… poor woman was traumatized by what I considered a ‘good’ cheat day LOL would hate to give her a heart attack with the 4-6 people’s worth of desserts that I devoured.. at the ONE wedding.. ugh.. fiiiine.. both.. weddings..

Now, although this isn’t actually MEEEE in the photo.. it may as well have been…I had a similar ‘drunk on cake’ look (or in her case alcohol and roofies it looks like) as she does.. not sure about copyrights on this puppy, so just in case… HERE‘s the link.

So our first weekend of craziness we schlepped along the children to Nanaimo from up north, that was fun.. what with the luggage and my extra suitcase of prepped food of chicken, mustard, snap peas (the only veggie I like that stands up to being packed around at room temp and doesn’t turn nasty.. that’s right Spinach.. I’m lookin’ at choo! WHY do you wilt and bruise so darn easy??? Ugh.. and not even the nice sauteed wilt but full on gross, slimy wilt). Plus some delish Quest bars and other stuff, the rest I bought down there.
We stayed a few days with the Best Man (groom’s twin brother) and his familia. They just moved into a new house a month ago so it was neat to see their new space.
Then off to Parksville and the Tigh Na Mara resort for the rehearsal and then ultimately the wedding. Friday night post-rehearsal dinner, I get a text that for lack of better options, Shay is going to drop her little doll off with a Craig’s List babysitter. UMMM NOOOO you’re not! Skip to 5am the next morning… I get a text “We’re outside”, so up I get and out I go to open my door to this adorable little monkey, Brooklyn. It’s just so weird that we both happened to be on the island on the same dates when we only met once before (if you read my post about Nationals, you know the background there) and we live 9 hours apart usually! Since that fateful (and slightly romantical) weekend our lives have just fallen together and we talk pretty much daily.

Brooklyn fit into our little family, like a glove. What a doll ❤ Here’s the 3 monsters watching Saturday morning cartoons and the girls watching Davey play the iPad. Notice how my kids just act weird now when I take photos… lil shits.
 
This was Saturday off our balcony with the tide out. It was amazing how far the beach went when the tide was out. We went for a stroll and checked out the snails and shells. I had photos.. I don’t know where I put them now. Sooo just imagine us down there.. in the sand… yep, there ya go.
Saturday at the reception Shay and Brooklyn came as my ‘plus one’ since Tim was in the bridal party. We sat, we laughed, we drank (water), we ate (non diet food) and we danced 🙂

We were home for 2 days, I did laundry, edited the remainder of the shots from a wedding that Lauren and I shot in July and then repacked it all. Next, Tim and I were off again but this time sans kids and from PG to Van to Kelowna and then we rented an “adult” car, black soft top Camaro to drive to Osoyoos with!! Woohoo!!

Tim and I sitting WestJet Plus.. woooo fancy free upgrade? Yes please!!! Except not really much better then “regular” seats. Just up near the front of the plane.
Tim and I just got the Camaro at the car rental place and didn’t know how to put the top down and looked stupid messing with it so Tim got all man gruff and was like “GET IN! We’ll just go park somewhere and muck with it in private!” Men and their ego in front of complete strangers.

Drawbacks of a convertible when you’re a girl!!! My poor bangs ended up SOOOOO knotty and there wasn’t a bobby pin to be seen anywhere all of a sudden.. figures.

Waiting on Tim while he gets fitted for his suit in Penticton. I’m exceptionally talented at looking unattractive.
Coming out of Kelowna and looking towards Summerland!!! On route to Osoyoos!

This majestical gem was found in a convenience store in Kelowna of all places!!!! Talk about a frickin AMAZING sounding idea.. lol probably one of those that SOUNDS better than it is though… seeing as it’s in a convenience store and not any reputable restaurant lol. NOOOO I didn’t eat it, Caitlyn.. sheesh! No faith.

Me getting my HURR did by a girl named Tamara. Just came from makeup, which turned out AH-MAZINGLY! Thank you to SJB Makeup Artist for the beautiful number you did on mah face! Not to gloat buuuuuut she also asked me to come model for her runway show in Vancouver October 25th!!!! ERMERGERD YESSSSSS!!! Sooo flattered and EXCITED!!!! Check out the link to her fb page, she does some super cool elaborate makeup.. did I mention she’s an AWARD winning makeup artist??? She just got back from New York, where she accepted an award for Best Makeup in the 24 Hour Film Race. (That’s no small feat, there’s films from all over Canada & the US submitted) Congrats Sheleah!!! You are incredible at what you do! ❤

Tim and I in the limo, starrrrrrving!!! It was weird to go from consistently eating 6 meals a day to eating 2. Wanna see a hungry bikini competitor with low blood sugar try and walk in heels in some gravel? So I had a Palm Bay. What! I needed sustenance!!! Don’t judge me.

My beautiful and favourite ginger, the Bride, looking just soooooo excited for the day.. PS that’s not the groom beside her.. not that anyone was asking.. or wondering probably.. but for the purposes of full disclosure.. it’s not. So there. PS Her name is Katie. She’s goddamn hilarious. She has red hair.

The ravishing Deni and me, with my Palm Bay influenced face… ya right, that’s all me.

It’s easier to look ridiculous on purpose than try to look pretty and thereby create an “elephant in the room” situation for everyone where no one wants to point out the obvious, you STILL look like a tool.

Looking awfully poised considering there’s like 6+ beads of sweat running down my back and inner thighs.. ooooh ya, SEX-ayyyyy… you know you waaaant it.
On a side note, if a bee is crawling on your friend’s face, you should politely swat at it.. if, however, it’s headed for the bottom hole where the lace up end at the back of her dress, just stare stupidly until it crawls in there and begins to panic.. then GASP! as though you JUST noticed.. that’s what I did. It’s the cool thing to do. Trust me.
***Sorry Randa, that’s how it played out, I didn’t mean to just gawk but I was stunned! At least you didn’t get stung***

PS Randa has a super fun blog with actual contests and prizes that you can win!!! Check her out at The Bewitchin’ Kitchen, she’s a great blogger with lots of super indepth reviews, healthy recipes and great posts in general.

Well. I think that’s long enough for this one. I’d apologize for being so absent in between posts but if you’ve learned anything from my blog it’s that 1. I am a perpetual apologize’r 2. I’m sporadic at best and 3. I’m not gonna change any time soon.

To keep up with my traditional parting thought…
Claire recently learned where money comes from…

Piggy Banks’ Butt!

RIP Piggy.. your demise was definitely in vain… there was only like $0.78 in there!

September, it’s the New January

I seriously miss that “Back to School” feeling I got when we went school supply shopping, and got to get all geared up for a new year at school.. I am in SERIOUS withdrawals!!! I wish I could go back to school. It was such a great time! The first day of school is seriously MORE exciting than Christmas morning for me!!! (Maybe it has something to do with because we didn’t do opening the pressies that morning but rather did them Christmas Eve night, as is German tradition)

I say that September is the new January.
September always symbolized a fresh start for the school year and the start of fall, even though technically it’s still ‘summer’. With fall always came walks to the school bus in the fresh, crisp morning air (despite my insistence that it was below -15C and that I needed a ride), comfy sweaters, clean new notebooks, summer time adventure stories, the possibility of new friends if someone moved to town, and the start of a new school year. Hands down, my favorite time of year. To the school aged population it’s their “January”, their new year. I can’t get over how hard this September has been for me! Ya, boo hoo, no school, I can only imagine what 14 year old me would say to 26 year old me right now. Oh but the stories 26 year old me could tell 14 year old me would boggle that little teen brain!!!
I can’t wait to send Davey off to Kindergarten next year, Mommy will have the time of her life; buying school supplies, going to the first day, doing his work with him… oh man… HEAVEN.
My “EEEEEEEEEE” face!

Yes I know, not a fitness related post..