Hi, I'm Lesley and it's My First Day

Starting my new job during a Global Pandemic has been interesting. 

I interviewed over video calls for each of the 4 interviews. 

I didn't step foot into the building until after I was hired. 

For an old gal like me - it feels weird. 

BUT!

My first day was Tuesday, September 8.

I went into the office to meet up with my Supervisor and pick up my laptop.

Only, my laptop wasn't ready.

I sat with my Supervisor and went through some client background. 

I have a lot of reading in my future.

I handed in my necessary HR forms.

I signed us up for Health Insurance. 

I went up and chatted with an old co-worker (from two jobs ago) and caught up.

And I'm SO EXCITED. 

I could barely contain myself and probably talked everyone's ear off. They are probably already annoyed with me, the New Girl (Lady?)

It's weird because there was no "here's your office" - I mean, I have an office. 

Technically.

But the old person's stuff is still in there. (My Supervisor).

Because he's moving down the hall to a larger office. 

But he's been working from home since March. 

And the plan for now is that we'll be back in January 2021. 

Maybe. 

So it's not like he's in a rush to move all his shit over. 

I get it. 

There's no point in me setting up my office if I'm not going to be there. 

But I think that's part of the "First Day Charm"

Getting my plant out. 

My little pebble bowl. 

My diffuser. 

You know. The essentials. 

Getting organized. 

So I will need to do that (legit) in our loft and get my ass back in "WORK FROM HOME" mode. 

ANYWAY. 

Holy tangent. 

I put on some real pants (ok, so they have an elastic waist and are probably considered leggings, but they have back pockets!), put on some make up and felt like a person again. I had somewhere to go. 

The people are SO nice and welcoming. The one side of the Biz (the Marketing side) is the traditional side of the house. Creative (print, TV, radio, OOH, etc.) and they've been back in the office since end of June, I think. The Digital side (the side I'm on) is completely remote. 

They are actually two different companies under one umbrella ownership-situation. 

I told them it felt like a college dorm hallway and that we should put White Board signs on each door and draw inappropriate pictures on them. His response? "Oh, we've already done that" LOL. These are my kinda people. 

My office! With another guy's shit in it! But I have a window! 

I'm currently doing some stuff on my home laptop and will be going back in on Thursday to pick up my new Mac Book Air :)

I can't wait to meet with clients and start planning for 2021. Let's GO! 

Working Out - 12 Weeks In!

Week 9 started out strong. 

I'm still finding it preferable to wake up early and work out before anyone wakes up.

I'm definitely getting stronger, as the workouts I'm doing are getting easier and I'm able to get through the circuits without dying. 

I'm still sticking around the 118-119 range and managing to keep up with my eating habits. I think it's because I'm not trying to diet.

When I had friends over, I got a couple of subs and didn't feel bad eating a section. With chips and dip. 

In moderation, folks. 

Still trying not to drink my calories. 

9 Weeks In (as of Wednesday, August 19)

Definitely seeing a difference in the waistline. Probably will have the "baby pooch" forever. Ugh.

I also got new headphones! Steve actually surprised me with them! 

I had mentioned the other night when we were getting ready for bed that I needed some over the ear headphones. I have ear buds that I got when we went on our honeymoon (10 years ago!) and they work ok - I mean they are great for what they are, but obviously not as nice as on ear ones. 

Steve mentioned these headphones that he heard were good for working out. 

I said great and maybe for Christmas or something I could get them.

Then he SURPRISED ME! Yes, he's still got the romance in him and went and surprised me with them.

You can read more about the headphones here.

I also got new workout clothes! Nothing feels better than pulling on fresh, tight leggings all the way up to your boobs. I'm not into fancy workout clothes. Let's be real - the budget cannot support that. Or should not support that. I've had GREAT luck at Old Navy of all places. First time trying out one of their sports bra tops and I love it! I found leggings that I absolutely 100% love more than anything and when I found out they were $15 on sale online, I bought 3 more pairs, totaling 5. 

10 Weeks In (Wednesday, August 26)

The girls spent the night at my mom's last night, so I was excited to wake up this morning and crush a workout.

I'm officially 10 weeks into this journey and I feel super motivated still. 

I KNOW I'm not supposed to really care about the number on the scale, especially since I'm not trying to lose weight. 

BUT, residual effect is great, right? Eating healthier and cleaner and being more mindful or portions. NOT drinking my calories (except for my morning coffee - I have reduced to only ONE cup of coffee and you know, half cup of creamer - lol). 

My morning weight this morning was 116.5 pounds. I haven't seen this weight since I was breastfeeding Ava 4-5 years ago. 

WUT.

And on top of that, it's not just the weight. It's the definition I'm starting to see.

"They" (whoever they are) say that in 4 weeks, you'll start to see differences in yourself. In 8 weeks, close friends and family will see a difference and in 12 weeks other people will start to see the difference.

I can see more definition in my upper body for sure. Shoulders and arms. I also am seeing more definition in my quads, so all of this is super exciting for me. 

Just a different angle of the quads. I never knew all the different muscles that are in each body part. The stuff I'm learning by going on this journey is amazing. 

This is what I wore to my first meeting with my new work people (Wed. Aug. 26 - the 10 week mark). I can easily feel the difference in the jeans and how they fit. First of all, the waist part fits with no muffin-top. Second, my thighs and butt feel different. And I'm loving it! Also, these are jeans I couldn't fit into back in March. 

Monday, August 31

Goal = capped shoulders (these pics are taken about a week apart 8/31 and 9/8)

Definitely seeing more definition in the quads (and forgive my face lol)

11 Weeks In (Wednesday, September 2)

I am hanging around in the 116 - 118lb range at the moment. I'm starting to loosen up on my eating habits - for a couple of reasons. First, I want to be able to sustain my lifestyle of lifting weights and eating cleaner and overall healthier, but I don't want to do something so drastic that I know I'll give up and go back to my old ways. The thing I'm doing is really watching how much I put on my plate. I absolutely love rich, creamy comfort foods (like my homemade biscuits and sausage gravy), but I won't gorge myself like I used to. Instead of two helpings, I literally will only eat half a helping. 

I am also getting motivated enough to work out twice a day. 

And I'm also understanding the importance of rest day. 

Of recovery day. 

Letting the muscles rebuild after microscopic tears. 

I am also now consistently able to use my 10-pound weights for most of my exercises. I'm trying to find a way to get 15-pound weights, while keeping the 10 pounders. The weights I have are the kind that you add more weights to get to the higher weight. But that would mean that I'd have to disassemble them each time I needed to go down in weights. And because of stupid COVID, dumbbells are like a million dollars right now. So stupid. 

77 Days. 

That's how many days it's been since I started this journey back in June. 

I've missed 10 days.

Mostly in the beginning when we went on vacation and then a couple days here and there. That's it.

I'm adding in recovery days now to make sure I give my muscles the chances to rebuild. 

I also took some time this week to go through my old pants and see what I could get rid of.

There was a lot. 

This is just the pile I could probably sell or donate. Some still with tags! 

And I'm also SO embarrassed to put this up, but I REALLY want to document this journey and keep myself honest. I want to be able to come back to the blog in the future and see my before and after photos.  

[I've been working my shoulders and back and am working on that taper]

I went shopping with my mom and sister the other day. My sister is considered "medically fragile" due to her severe asthma so she hasn't been OUT in forever. So we went to Marshall's and Trader Joe's. 

You Guys.

I bought some shorts. 

Fitting rooms were closed for obvious reasons. 

They didn't have my size, but they have some stretch...so I figured I'd give them a try and worst-case scenario I'd have to return them. 

YOU GUYS. 

THEY FUCKING FIT. 

They might be a tiny bit snug, but because they have some stretch, it's not too bad. 

They are a size 3, people. 

[CHECK OUT THE NON-MUFFIN TOP] Side note: I've also never (and I mean NEVER) have owned denim shorts. Like, ever. EVERRRRRRR. They just have never been flattering on my body shape. Flubby belly, flat ass. Just no. Until now. I can't even believe it. I feel like my body composition is already changing. 

This is a common meal of mine these days. Seasoned chicken breast, sweet potatoes and avocado. 

Starting to see more definition in my arms. #gainz #nofilter

12 Weeks In (September 9, 2020)

YOU GUYS.

I MADE IT THREE FUCKING MONTHS?

No way!

I'm so proud of myself I can't even take it. 

I have never committed to anything like this before. 

And I just wanna keep going. I don't have any "end goal" in mind. Other than being stronger. And you know, that vacation next year. But seriously. I don't have an end date in mind. I am loving this. 

Skipping a day, even for a rest/recovery day is hard for me. I feel sluggish; I feel like I need to do something. So there's that. 

Also, official weigh in, today, 12 weeks in. Right after waking up, after going pee, before working out. 

My weight is: 114

I can't even believe it. I got on the scale 3 times to make sure! 

You guys. 

That's 12 pounds lost in 12 weeks. 

Eating cleaner and in moderation.

Weight training almost every day. 

Here's a pic right after my workout. It was 7:30am. I can absolutely see more definition in my arms/shoulders. 

Beyond weight, I can feel my body changing, if that makes sense. Like, in the body composition way I mention above. Clothes fit...differently. Better. They just feel different. I used to have the muffin top + saggy butt/thighs. Now I have the opposite - room in the waist and butt/legs filled in. A much better ratio if you ask me! LOL. I've never had the hour-glass figure, so let's see what I can do to make it appear as though I do! 

Let's keep it going and I'll be posting a SIXTEEN week workout update. 

Insanity I tell you. 

Last Boat Ride of the Season

Welp, the end is here. 

Don't get me wrong, I"m all about getting the fuck out of 2020 and moving on. 

But I do love summer. 

Who doesn't? 

The Weather.

The Sun.

The Lake.

But it needs to come to an end. 

And we got invited for one last day on the boat. 

And even though the weather wasn't great, we had a GREAT time. It was supposed to be mid 70's and sunny.

Who's this hunk?

The girls made friends with the duck.

It was decent right when we got on the water...then...

It turned into like 64, cloudy and then rainy. 

But.

BUT, rain doesn't matter all that much when you have friends who live on the lake. 

So we parked the boat and hung out at their place instead.

He's our friend with the boat. Not the friend with the lake house though. That's his boat in the garage. The friend who owns this house is planning to make this and the garage next to it living space. Since his boat is too big to fit. 

Thankfully it cleared up enough to take some of the boys out to wake board. 

What a sweet pic of these two. Dad giving his son a thumbs up!

I'm telling you, people.

We are 100% boat people. 

I loved every second of it.

I packed efficiently and had enough snacks and drinks.

The kids had fun. 

Our friends also have a trampoline in the water in front of (or behind?) the house. The kids freaking LOVED it. 

It was a great time. We hung out for a while and I ended up leaving Steve there. He got a ride home. I got home with the girls around 9:30pm and they went straight to bed. 

I watched the last of Cobra Kai and went to bed.

Goodbye Summer. 

Til next year. 

Bring On Fall

Let's be real. 

We can MOVE ON from 2020 thankyouverymuch. 

2020 sucked more than it should have. 

So when we had our first chilly morning, I decided it was time.

Time to bring out the Fall Decorations.

I don't go too crazy with the Fall Decorations, nothing like what I do for Christmas. Maybe it's time I add to my Fall stuff...

Adding decorative pillows always adds that little extra touch.

#pumpkinshirt 

I only have a few days left before I start a full time job again. I'm trying to be present with the girls (even though I've literally been with them since March 14) and DO stuff with them. Mila LOVES crafting so Michael's is like her dream store. I have to admit, it's been a while since I've been out "just shopping" because you know, COVID, so it was fun to poke around the store for a bit. 

We LOVE looking at all the tiny things. The girls picked out a few things to use with their Barbies and LOL Dolls. 

Wearing masks is just normal now. :(

I negotiated with the girls to each get one of these foam Halloween crafts. They initially wanted the HUGE one that was double the cost. I'm super grateful because the ones they got were labeled as taking 45 minutes to complete. And I had two. 

Ava picked out the Haunted Van

Mila picked out the Haunted Tree House

[Please note Ava's #OOTD]

It was a super cute and fun craft to do with the girls. They retailed for $9.99 each so it wasn't too bad. It kept their attention for the entire time it took to complete so that's also a plus! I'd say we had them both done within an hour. 

I have a few more Fall decorations that need to get up on the walls, but I'm almost there! I'm actually glad I got it up early so I can really enjoy it. 

Anyone else just completely fucking done with 2020? Like, get me the fuck out of here. 

My Chosen Workouts and What's Next

Y'all.

I'm loving the motivation I have. 

I find myself watching girls on IG lifting. I'm saying LIFTING.

These ladies are legit pro body builders or competitors. I'm by NO MEANS trying to be that, but man, they give me so much motivation just watching them.

They are so strong.

Their bodies are unbelievable. Body builders have huge muscle mass and are just huge, but those who compete in the Bikini or Figure divisions are just lean and toned. In an amazing way. 

It's super interesting to see the differences in physique for how each person trains differently for different divisions. 

Some focus more on the glutes and hamstrings, while others focus more on the V shape and back/shoulders/chest with a tiny waist.

So interesting to me. 

ANYWAY.

My main goal is to get stronger. Feel stronger. Be able to keep up with my kids. Live long enough to meet my grand kids. 

Anything beyond that is a bonus. 

BUT, I can see how it can get so addicting. 

Now that I'm almost 12 weeks in, I can really start seeing definition.

It's working.

And it's so awesome to see. 

Not to mention the obvious other positive physical effects. 

I'm in a great mood after a good sweat. 

I feel accomplished by 8:30 in the morning. 

There are two main areas that I'm focusing on. Upper body and GLUTES.

Yes. I'm jumping on THAT bandwagon and am aiming for those booty gainz. 

[Pic taken Aug. 31, 2020)

Here's the deal. Not only is having a healthy and strong butt helpful for other exercises and keeps the hips and pelvis strong, having a nice round ass is obviously a goal too. Who doesn't want that? 

Ok, back to my favorite workouts. 

I have found that I like this girl a lot. She's from Canada and I really like her videos. I think because I was so intimidated in the beginning, I wanted something that wouldn't make me feel stupid or like I couldn't do it. I've mentioned before - I DON'T DO CARDIO and I want to make sure I don't hurt myself in the process. She walks you through each exercise, but not in a condescending way and I feel like it all makes sense to me. 

I particularly enjoy this leg and glute circuit she does and I do this (with some of my own added variations) at least 3 times a week. 

I also like this upper body circuit and this arm circuit as well. I usually pair one or both with the legs/glutes workout. I tack on a few additional arm exercises here as well for that added challenge. 

I add in this back routine about 2-3 times per week as well. 

Also, since I just got my new Booty Bands, I added in this workout and this one. 

Not only am I doing these workouts, but I'm also researching and reading and watching a lot of content regarding weight lifting in general. 

I'm going to be eating more protein than I normally would in order to build the muscles. This is what I guess people consider the "bulking" phase. More calories, more protein in order to give my muscles the appropriate nutrition for rebuilding. 

I've lost about 10 pounds (at 11 weeks into this journey) and I'm very happy with this side-effect. However, at 116 pounds, I don't want to get too skinny. 

We're headed into the right season, too. It's getting chilly at nights and in the morning and you can tell Fall is right around the corner (my house is already decorated! I LOVE FALL!) But, this "off season" is when I can eat more and build more muscle. AND since I likely won't be going into the office for work until January 2021, I have the time to do it. I've been getting up early to workout before the kids are up and it's been great. 

Then, before our vacation in July, I can starting "cutting" (losing weight) to reveal all the hard work that's been going on underneath. 

That's the plan. 

Falling Into Place

You Guys. 

It's been a fucking roller coaster to say the least. 

The most common reply I'm giving people when they ask how we're doing is "we're hanging in there" realizing we are of the lucky ones who are surviving this insane pandemic year. We really try hard to remember "it could be worse."

After losing my job I felt like my life was just starting to crumble.

Having tried to work full time, while having both girls home and Steve working...it took a toll on me. 

Mentally. 

Physically. 

Then I lost my job and my mental state suffered a bit.

Fuck. 

But after the initial shock, I scraped myself off the floor and got my ass in gear.

Whatever that meant. 

But, as you all know, I did end up getting a job and I'm BEYOND excited for it. 

The girls' school situation is still up in the air, sort of. 

As of now, they are going to go in person Thursday and Friday (because of our last name - that's how they are splitting up the kids).

Remote/virtual learning Monday - Wednesday. 

We had no idea what we were going to do.

I'm starting my new job the same week the girls start school.

They don't have transportation, so we have to drive them.

If they were able to take the bus, they'd get on at 7:50am and get off at 3:50pm. That's not terrible in terms of me being able to get work done during that time. 

BUT, since there is no transportation (and I totally get it), I will need to drop them off by 8:35am and pick them up at 3:00pm. 

Luckily my new job is flexible with this. 

But those other 3 days? That they are home? What the FUCK AM I GONNA DO?

Remember, Steve's schedule is such that he either works Mon-Wed or Thurs-Sat. So when he's working the Mon-Wed shift, we're screwed.

But, my wonderful husband figured it out with his work and he's going to work only Thursday - Saturday until January 2021 (for now). They are being amazing about it so he can be home and be the parent on duty to help with school Monday - Wednesday.

HALLELUJAH. FUCK. I feel so much better!

We're really hoping the school district got their shit together so that kids in Mila's grade can be watching their teacher teach online (like via ZOOM) instead of what they did back in March-June. That was definitely more parent-led assignment that kids (mine were in second and UPK) could NOT do without a parent's help.

I think Mila would do pretty well paying attention if her teacher was actively teaching a lesson and she could watch online. She could stay on task/topic if prompted but we don't have to "actively" watch her. 

Ava will need more help to stay on task, but girlfriend is super smart. I think a lot of her challenges last year was that her UPK assignments were really easy for her and she could do them blindfolded (I try to be very understanding as I realize there are some 3 year olds in UPK, depending on their birthdays and Ava is on the older side because of her December bday). 

Regardless of what the plans are, I took the time I have off to prep some things.

[BEFORE]

Our living room had inadvertently turned into a craft room and it was in ROUGH shape.

[BEFORE]

Just stuff everywhere.

[AFTER]

[AFTER]

Reorganized and clutter gone.

School supplies and notice on the back credenza our home school supplies. Bins on the right have crafting stuff, glue, staplers, more loose-leaf paper, etc. 

I rearranged some things on this to make it more home school-friendly. I didn't buy anything new. The "Do Good Work" and letter board were from my work office. Steve bought the "no whining" sign years ago so I brought that back out - I thought it was appropriate! I did change out the letters on the letter board to "Happy First Day of Virtual School. Sept. 11, 2020"

I got myself a new planner and I'm actually excited to use it. I'm old school and like the pen/paper kind. 

As much as this year sucked, I'm looking forward to this next season of change. I'm feeling a sense of calm, a sense of order finally and am excited to start putting pen to paper, if you will. I need to turn over a new leaf. 

I'm ready to take on the new challenges presented and kick some ass in 2021.