Nerdy Weekly Baby Size: Week 23

So one of my favorite things about being pregnant is finding out what is happening with the baby each week (how they are growing, what they are developing, etc). But what I don't care for is how they measure the size of the baby, which tends to be the size of fruit and vegetables.

So based on thebump.com, this week she is the size of a grapefruit. I don't know about you, but when I'm at the grocery store, vegetables and fruits tend to come in lots of different sizes. My favorite was last week's, which said she was the size of a papaya! I don't know if you've ever bought one, but they tend to come in lots of various sizes. Why can't they just pick something that does not vary in size like a ping pong ball and such? I know every baby isn't the same size, but this is rather ridiculous...

So I've decided to figure out my baby's length in nerdy items and determine her size every week based on that. So without further ado:

Nerdy Weekly Baby size!

Week 23:

Length: Height of Green Lantern lantern (11.5 inches)

Weight: 1136 1x1 legos (1.10 pound)

Me at 23 weeks going to Mary Poppins!

Steps challenge and keeping myself motivated!

So as I explained a couple weeks ago, I'm continuing to try to keep myself motivated to walk each week. Though it's not as hard now that I've lowered my daily goal to 8000 steps (pretty simple to make with my normal walking around the office and my 40 minute walk during lunch) and I really look forward to walking each day too!

I was inspired by images of jars like this, very visual ways to see your goal and to keep up motivation!

Mine is only one jar because I decided to use semisweet chocolate chips as additional motivation!

61 chips left!

My final goal is to work towards a prenatal massage, which tends to average at about $85. I started with 85 chocolate chips in the jar and and slowly eating them until they are all gone based on my steps each week. I am already starting to feel some back strain so I'm sure it will be useful in several weeks. So how I earn money is this:

• If I walk 56,000 or more steps in a week, I get $10 towards the massage/10 chocolate chips.
• If I walk 49,000 to 55,999 steps in a week, I get $7 towards the massage/7 chocolate chips.
• If I walk 42,000 to 48,999 steps in a week, I get $5 towards the massage/5 chocolate chips.
• Anything below that means no money towards the massage.

I've been doing this for 3 weeks now and continuing to track it on Google Docs. As you can see, I only made $7 the first and third week, but made $10 the second week. So already $24 down! If I make $10 each week, I'll be able to get a massage in 7 weeks. If only $7 each week, I'll be able to get a massage in 9 weeks. 

Hopefully this will keep me motivated! Checking my progress on Mondays has been fun too and I get chocolate (not that I'm depriving myself, it's just bonus chocolate!) Since I'm currently 22 weeks pregnant, I really am looking forward to a massage when it's warm and I'm bigger and probably in more need of the relief.

Anyone else have some interesting way of keeping themselves motivated?

I really don't care about brand names

So as most normal 27 year old women, I tend to care about my appearance. I like wearing clothes that looks flattering and fit well and show off a bit of my personality. What I don't care about is brand names...

While at the Dollar Tree buying cards, the cashier mentioned how much she loved my watch and asked if it was Michael Kors. I must have looked at her like she was crazy (because in my mind, who recognizes a specific watch by a specific designer?) and said no it was Target and it was $15 (I assumed his watches were expensive and they are...). 

My awesome $15 watch

The $276 Michael Kors Watch

Mind you, my watch is awesome. Purchased after our 30 days of Pinspiration, I had decided I need to accessorize more and that I had been considering watches and that I should just buy one. And $15 felt worth trying whether I would like watches or not. I loved the rose gold because it was pretty and different and didn't match any of my current daily jewelry (2 white gold rings and 1 yellow gold, plus lots of varying necklace and earring metals, what could I match anyway?) I have worn it nearly every day since, except when wearing the watch Isaac gave me for Christmas (also awesome, just more casual).

So while I will happily respond when asked that my watch is Target and most of my clothes are from Goodwill/Consignment/Target/Sam's Club (they have 3 packs of long tank tops, great for big bellies), I know I'm not normal. So when you tell me that you got the cute dress/top/pants you are wearing from some store and I don't seem impressed, understand that it's not you, it really is me. I'm just not normal :)

Target watch, Sam's Tank, Goodwill Skirt
Also I know I wear my watch on the wrong hand

On being too cheap...

I had these thoughts on my mind last night and decided I need to get them out into the world and see what others thought and express myself better.

I would definitely call myself frugal. I know that my friends and most of my family know I'm an avid Goodwill/Consignment shopper. I love DIY projects and finding the cheapest way to get anything done. But sometimes I'm so cheap that I don't even consider how my actions can affect others.

For example, the beginning of February was my best friend's birthday. She now lives out of town and we don't get calls in as often as I want and I know that I'm generally bad at keeping in touch. For her birthday, I messaged her on Facebook. The person I trusted to get me through everything in my wedding (as maid of honor), the person who made sure that my problems were fixed with chocolate and/or alcohol in college, someone I know I could call at anytime, and all I did was message her on Facebook. And she has always been so thoughtful about sending me gifts and things she think I would love for my Birthday (I am still using the amazing Candy Corn bath soap she gave me). So why was saving $$ to not even send a card ok??

The reason I thought of this was because of two cards I sent yesterday and the many wonderful cards I've received to congratulate Isaac and I.  A friend from church kindly let us use/gave us a stroller, baby bath, and lounger for our little girl. Such a blessing! I was determined to get a Thank you card out to her before the week was out. Also, my great-uncle's 90th birthday is on Friday and my mom had suggested that the family send him cards or call him as his wife recently passed away and he would probably enjoy getting some birthday wishes. I went to the Dollar Store (still being cheap, and just recently reading a blog that you should always buy your cards there) and picked out two cards. $1 per card wasn't that bad and better than the $4 cards at most places. But when I checked out, I found out they were 50¢ a piece!! So plus the price of a stamp, I was spending about $1 to show someone how much I appreciated them and how much I cared.

I know that for my wedding, I was horrible about getting my thank you's out. It took me almost 8 months! I really did appreciate all the presents, I just didn't realize how much waiting seemed to show otherwise. I was really embarrassed too when my cousin-in-law got her thank you's out before I did and was married 3 months after me!

So here are my plans for change:

1. Be sure to send thank yous, and quickly!
2. If can't send a thank you, give them a call at least (I don't like talking on the phone much, but it is worth it for the amazing support I've been receiving)
3. At least send a birthday card! (I know how much I love getting them, why don't I send them?)
4. Remember that even small gifts/messages can mean a lot

So sorry to all those with late or no thank yous, missed birthday cards/presents, unmentioned thank yous for birthday cards and congrats cards. I'm so glad to be surrounded by wonderful people in my life and I love you all!!

So while I may still try to be frugal (don't expect the $4 cards very often), I know that I need to do better at expressing my appreciation and love.

Anyone else have epiphanies on a random Wednesday night?

Final day of the Million Step Challenge!

Its the last day and I'm on track to make my million (only 8000 steps left)! There were definitely ups and downs, weekends were harder than I thought to get steps in, being pregnant made me more exhausted in the evenings, and the weather did not always cooperate!

All that said, I'm so proud of myself. I have been so lucky to have a very easy pregnancy so far and no morning sickness which worked for me toward the challenge! I even think that the exercise has really helped in making me more alert and less exhausted so far.

17 weeks

So does this mean I'll stop exercising? No way! Not after realizing how great I feel and how lucky I am to be so active during my pregnancy. My plan is to start creating weekly goals to earn money to pamper myself as the pregnancy goes along. For example:

My goal will be to make 56,000 steps a week (8,000 a day) starting next Monday. If I make that goal I'll put $10 towards my pampering fund. If I only get 49,000 steps in, I'll put $7 towards the fun. If 42,000, then $5. Any less than that will earn nothing.

I'm hoping to work towards a prenatal massage and some pedicures :) Especially as I get bigger, I think those will really help!

I hope that everyone enjoyed participating, thanks so much for keeping me motivated! Especially Mommy and Mom, I know you both worried for a time that I wouldn't make it and you'd have to go to Mary Poppins without me. And thanks to Isaac, who went on countless walks with me although I know he would rather be playing video games or relaxing or really anything else in the world sometimes.

Keep walking everyone!

My stash at work - Day 5 of the Million Step Challenge!

Yesterday was the first day I haven't made my goal of 10,000 steps for the day. I was able to get in my lunch walk like normal, but ran out of time in the evening for to make up for the 2000 steps I was lacking because I decided to watch tv, then the project I worked on took longer than I expected. But I still am ahead for the goal, 40178 steps in 4 days! Its always good to do extra steps some days to make up for other days.

Today I figured I'd mention how I make sure to get enough steps by keeping shoes and clothing at work. With the short amount of time I seem to spend at home and not wanting to spend all evening walking instead of spending time with Isaac, I decided I needed to make an effort to walk at work during my lunch hour. The challenge is that my work attire is not always good for walking.

So I have a stash in my desk drawer when I need to change. It includes:

• Tennis Shoes
• Yoga pants
• A waterproof jacket
• Fleece Jacket
• 2 Sweaters 

Today when my mom came to walk with me during lunch, I changed into yoga pants and tennis shoes so that I wouldn't look silly with the capris and midcalf socks.

Yoga Pants and tennis shoes

Jeans and boots for Casual friday

So that is how I make sure I walk at work, and get enough steps everyday.

 How do you do it?

Day 3 of Million Step Challenge!

And today, in my rush to get out the door to meet my mom for walking, I forgot my pedometer!!! How could I? I feel so awkward without it after wearing it constantly for more than a month (from previous challenge).

Luckily I have an Android smartphone and found a pedometer app that seems to work pretty well! It seems to be over-counting a bit since it says I took 5000 steps this morning and my mom only counted 4500 on her pedometer on our walk. Our strides are so close, I'm assuming its rounding up.

I'm feeling great and still ahead! Great job to everyone who is checking in: Lois, Theresa, Allison! K & Martha, I've gotta figure out how to get you on Google Docs, hopefully you are tracking on your own. Christina, I hope you feel better!

Let me know if you are interested in joining, the more the merrier, its great to have walking buddies!!

Day 1 of the Million Step Challenge!

It's Day 1 and I'm so ready to go! After all of the food I ate for Thanksgiving (with 2 meals), I am ready to get moving again! I have my Google Doc all set up (let me know if you wanna join), my tennis shoes at work, and 2000 steps already from doing some cleaning around the house before leaving this morning!

Anyone else wanna join?

And because Marie asked nicely, here is my outfit for the day with what will be the ubiquitous pedometer on my right hip :)

The Million Step Challenge!

It's time for the MILLION STEP CHALLENGE! Grab your shoes and pedometer and get walking!

What is the challenge you ask? 

Well its something I made up to get me up and exercising more than I normally do. I bought a pedometer in October and realized that I only get in about 2500 steps per day because of my job. Apparently according to research, under 5,000 steps is considered a sedentary lifestyle! I knew I wasn't moving around enough and I've always heard that 10,000 is considered active, so why not try for that!

I decided on October 19th to give myself a challenge, get 300,000 steps in by today (day before Thanksgiving, about 34 days). I even found some motivation in the form of a LEGO Star Wars Advent Calendar that I would have to give away if I didn't reach my goal. Isaac put in our dining room so I would see it every time I walked into the house. Great motivation and I made it (reached my goal Monday)! 

I've enjoyed walking so much that I've decided to reach for a higher goal 1,000,000 steps in 100 days! And why wait til the beginning of the year, now is great because we'll have lots of holiday party foods to walk off!!

When?

Starting November 26th and finishing before March 6th (100 days). I didn't give myself extra days because then I might get lazy. 

Who can join?

Anyone! Having buddies always makes me have more motivation.

What you need

-A pedometer
-A way to keep track of your steps
   (Join my Google Docs tracking!)
-Walking shoes
How difficult is that? 

If you don't have a pedometer, I have two I can suggest. I have Pedusa 3D Sensor Tri-Axis Pocket Pedometer w/ Data Management Software(the blue one) and Christina has the Striiv Smart Pedometer. Her's seems super cool, it even has challenges, but mine works great for me! I even got one for my mom in pink!

What do I get if I complete the challenge?
Well that is for you to decide! What would motivate you? Is it a special trip? Is it a piece of clothing or jewelry? Is it going out somewhere special? Is it LEGOs :)? A donation to a special cause?

Edit: So my goal is Orchestra tickets for Mary Poppins which will be at the Fox Theater in April!! I'm super excited, I really wanted to see it on Broadway, but I "settled" for seeing Wicked instead.

So who is in?

Pinspiration Day 31 - Christina

Well its a week late but I am finally getting around to posting my last outfit of our challenge.  I forgot to take pictures so I had to wait for the Halloween hostess-with-the-mostess, Rebecca, to post the pictures she took.

The past few years I have not had occasion to dress up for Halloween, so knowing that I was going to be in Atlanta with friends around, I called Rebecca and told her she had to host a party.  She and her husband are awesome and they immediately agreed.  Check out the awesome party snacks they put out.  And they gave out beer for the parents who were trick or treating!  Brilliant idea!!

For my costume, I wanted Elizabeth Swann as a pirate.  I found a coat/dress thing online for a steal and then trimmed the lace sleeves, added some petticoats for extra length/ruffles, and went big and bold with the hair pouf and heavy eyeliner, a la Jack Sparrow.  It was perfect for visiting my nephews and then a fun party with friends.  My husband isn't too into dressing up, but we put on his old Sea Scout uniform and went as the Royal Navy.

Drink up me hearties, yo ho!

Christina