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Its a new season

Larders

Its been so long. My... how I missed blogosphere! Its been the craziest few months of my life. I keep saying it that living in Joburg has been the biggest blessing in my life. On a daily basis I wake up with a grateful heart. It hasn't been easy but through the copious challenges I have grown exponentially and these have made me a better person, friend, employee and child of God.

I started a new job in April and have never looked back. Its been a tough but rewarding environment. I have had a few meltdowns but again I was being stretched for something bigger and far greater than what I could possibly imagine.

I have been so busy and on the move with working long hours, church, friends and family. I have been so exhausted over the last month that I could barely get out of bed. I decided that last weekend and this weekend I would stay at home. This weekend I have a very good excuse... I am the woman with issue of blood.

Someone once said that rest can be one of the most spiritual things you can do. I am in complete agreement. Having stayed in doors this weekend has done wonders for me. I'm even blogging! I'm going to be more selfish with my time. Check out more so I can give more.

Recently I joined the gym. I weighed myself last week and discovered that I lost 11kgs (22 pounds) since the beginning of the year. I'm happy with that loss and I'm not even thinking about how much more needs to be done. I've changed how I eat. I incorporated paleo aspects into my diet. I love discovering these new foods. I have never been more excited to eat vegetables before.

I am also currently training for my first 10km for my birthday. So its been an interesting ride.

I feel like I am being elevated into a new season. God is taking me into a season of living life and no more being in survival mode. Its uncomfortable because I am not used to this but I surrender and put my complete trust in Him alone.

Oprah wrote a beautiful piece reflecting on her 60 years of being alive and she said 'one thing I know is that God is for us'.

It really is a new season... Life is a gift... It owes you nothing... It is to be enjoyed in the good and in the bad... It is your choice to rise above and see the blessings.

Xo
ML
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Rain

Larders

Still it rains. Some people like running in the rain. Those people are not black. Black people and rain .... we drown or our hair has an allergic reaction or we melt. This means I need to find an alternative workout. I see stairs in my future or Pilates.

Here's to a great week!

Period week IS OVER. HAPPINESS RESIDES HERE NOW!!!


xo
ML

My week

Larders

Period week (end) is on. My sadistic womb is torturing me again. Today I'd like to go for a long walk but its been raining let's hope it clears up. I only ran twice this week. We are now going into autumn which means that its getting darker earlier and lighter later. This means I need to exercise caution. I cannot go for a run in the morning while its dark because I live in Johannesburg. There are people who could steal me sell me off as a slave or sell me off piece-by-piece for weird potions. *insert an appropriate African song here*

Last night I went to Newtown - a little 'suburb' in the heart of JHB CBD that is currently undergoing redevelopment. All the hipsters were there and of course I loved it! The vibe, the music, the food (might I add that I had a beef wrap). I am so grateful to be alive in JHB right now!

I have a work function coming up in two weeks and need to get my ass in gear as I intend to wear a cute number. I just need to donate my womb to science while its on this silenceofthelamb trip!

Have a great weekend!

Xo
ML
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Aint that the truth

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"Running" buddy

Larders

Some pretty young girl (did I mention how thin she is - like I need a daily reminder) asked if she could be my "running" buddy today. She will be sorely disappointed. I said yes but I'm very unfit. So we start "running" tomorrow afternoon. YOLO. No point in resisting. Apparently I have a friendly face. Those who keep insisting, clearly haven't seen my face before I have my first cup of coffee or when I'm irritated at work.

Just a question: how is it that my groin is sore from "running". I feel like a man.

Xo
ML
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Eh...

Larders

Today I was running and running and running and then some guy walked past me. That is all.

Xo
ML
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Running in the afternoon

is whack whack whack!

It took me about 45 minutes to finish running a 3km route that normally takes me 30 minutes to run in the morning.

Firstly, I had a stitch so bad I was moaning loudly as I could not breath. People that were just minding their own business looked on concerned. I saw St someone or other beckoning me towards the pearly gates of heaven. I declined.

Secondly, oxygen at 5pm is non existent thus my breathing was harder than normal.

Thirdly, traffic! EVERYWHERE!

Fourthly, men gawking at me like I'm a barrel of KFC. Ugh!

The only good thing about running late is sleeping an extra hour in the morning. And I don't know if it's worth it.

I'm glad though I went for a run. I always feel like I accomplished something. The hardest part is getting started, I promise you. Once you start, finishing is that much easier.

Now its time to clean and work.
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I heart this town!

Larders

On Saturday I went to a friend's breakfast birthday party in Pretoria. We were treated to a lovely healthy breakfast and good company. I absolutely love it when women get together and build each other up. We sat and chatted for about 4 hours and we still could not get enough of the little nuggets of wisdom we were sharing with each other.

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I heart this town! Part 2

I love that there is the hustle and bustle of the big city but I also love that there are places you can escape to and get some nature all up in you.
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Happy Valentines day!!

Larders

A salad for supper, box set of sex and the city and good girlfriends equals a happy Mother Larder!

I did the stairs again today and my thighs and calves are on FIYAH!!!

Hope you are enjoying yours!
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Double whammy

Larders

I have missed you! I'm sorry I haven't posted in a while.

Firstly, today instead of going for a run I decided to run (very very loosely translated to walking, make that crawling) up and down the stairs of my complex building 10 times. Its two flights of very steep stairs. After the second round I was already convinced I would not make it to 5 let alone 10 rounds. On the 6th round my legs started to feel like jelly. On the 8th round my whole body was shaking. Never mind my stomach that was threatening to come out of my mouth. Eventually I completed 10 rounds with my neighbours watching on thinking I'm crazy. Ah well.

Did I mention that I have a slight fear of stairs? Because of my clumsy nature I have fallen up AND down the stairs. As a result the whole stair thing is very intimidating to me. I have to take a few deep breaths before going up or down stairs. Anywho, as I was going up the stairs for the second time I tripped and saw my life flash before my eyes. After the flashing I carried on with my work out.

Then after dying, I did some weights. My weights by the way are two 750mls bottles of water (which equates to 750 grams). Now I am buggered!

Can I just mention that I got the idea of doing the whole stair thing from my favourite blogger Miss Haneefa (black girl gets fit)! I'm so glad she is back and blogging. She is such a cool inspiration.

Till later

Xo
ML
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Rain

Larders

I woke up today to go for a run and when I walked out it was precipitating. So I came back up the stairs, got into the house. Went straight back to bed. Now I'm about to snore for the next 30 mins. Yay!

I have a function on at work this evening. The canapes ordered look amazing. It won't be hard staying away from wine since it made me sick on Saturday. Since I didn't run this morn, I have to watch out for what I eat.

Have a lovely day.

XO
ML
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Its Monday!

Larders!

Happy Monday!

Period week last week so that week went to hell.

Had a couple of friends come over on Saturday to do our vision boards. Then the wine started flowing. I have made a conscious decision to limit my alcohol consumption this year. When Saturday evening came I had 3 glasses of wine and a margarita so that decision also went to hell. Then Sunday came and I SUFFERED!! (because I had been a good girl and not had a glass or two of wine every weekend) I was sick the whole day. THE. WHOLE. DAY. Today I'm still not feeling well. At church I couldn't really concentrate because my insides were trying get rid of the poison and my brain was trying to keep it in. It was crazy! And so my decision to limit alcohol has been bailed out of hell and reinstated. Just thinking about alcohol makes me want to hurl.

Anyway back to the party. My vision board is coming along nicely. I will post a picture of the completed one at the end of the week. I woke up today not really wanting to because Joburg has decided to become Seattle. Its like all the rain in the world decided to come to Joburg and just pour. I could not go for a run this morning therefore. Apparently it is going to rain like this for the whole week but I never trust weather people. Today I will resume with the Pilates 30 day challenge. Why did I think that Pilates is so interesting again?

Pics from the vision board party for your viewing pleasure.

Before I forget, on Thursday my housemate and I went to watch the Best Man Holiday preview. The movie is so good. I cried, I laughed, I perved (Taye Diggs is just perfection) and the women look good for people in their 40's HOT DANG! Do yourselves a favour and watch that movie. It'll be 2 hours well spent.

 

Birthday

Larders

My mother today would have been 63. Today wasn't the easiest of days but I got through it. I was completely thankful for the lessons she taught me directly and indirectly. Everyday I miss her. But whatever will be, will be.

Happy birthday mom.
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A quote for the week

Bleh

Larders

I will refrain from exercise this week. Its my womb. It has decided to wage war against me. So I'll be spending most of this week feeling sorry for myself and watching reruns of Girls, Suits and Gilmore Girls.

ps. I dreamt I had a third nipple. (Just random information for you)

Have a lovely pain free day.

ML
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Running

Whenever I need inspiration I like to watch a little show called the Biggest Loser (you may have heard of it). I had downloaded about 3 seasons ages ago then deleted two and am now left with season 11. SA had only ONE season. That's it. Just one and yet we are the second (apparently on the fast track to taking over the first spot) fattest nation and yet programs such as BL are not well supported. There is a disconnect.

Anyways, I digress.

I watched BL with these contestants who lost ridiculous amounts of weight and, naturally being the voyeur that I am, I googled some of these contestants and found some on twitter. I thoroughly enjoyed Hannah Curlee because not only is just so darned pretty but her sense of humour killed me! Then, my stalker tendencies kicked in and I started following her on twitter. Three years later and she has still maintained her 120 pounds-lost-loss(hurmph). How cool is that?

So today I woke up and went for a run (it's actually 2,5 kms that I run not 3 kms. Was waaaay too ambitious there). I ran 50% percent of the way. Today the run wasn't as easy physically as it was on Wednesday (adrenalin - yeah!) but it was easier mentally and that was a nice feeling. I know now what it means to say mind over matter. My chest did not feel like I dropped a bomb and crashed a plane on it. AND I improved my time by 2 minutes.

I've been reading up on habits of successful people. One habit that stuck in my mind was successful people wake up earlier than they want to. Exercising in the morning is so much easier for me. The habit of waking up early is one I am adopting.

Happy Friday!

xo
ML

Pretty?

Larders

I used to think that I was pretty and then I looked in the mirror after a 3km run, then I thought "honey, please!"

You be the judge.

Pilates Challenge = me dead bored. But I will persevere.

I've got two events next month: 6th Feb is a work function for our clients and I will have to do a video interview of the clients. The 15th is a friend's birthday party. Next Friday we are having a few friends come over for a vision board party. Firstly, I see a lot of wine in my future and secondly a lot of rubbish food. Rubbish food I can handle myself, I'm too damn old to be controlled by food. But wine on the other hand....

Happy Wednesday (further from Monday and closer to Friday)

xo
ML
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Ass

My ass is so sore!!!!!

Challenge day # 3 went off well. I was too sore to blog last night. So I made never mind about it.

I'm struggling to find something interesting for the 20 min cardio. Whyyyy must I get bored so easily?

Have a lovely day larders.

Xo
ML
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One

I've only done one workout and I'm already lazy. Here is my thought process now: ML you had such a long day at work, your feet are killing you from standing in heels. You're so tired from last night you couldn't sleep. You must finish that book you been trying to finish for a year. You need to hem your skirt. You need to clean the house. You need wash the dishes. Maybe soak your feet. What to make for supper? Need to write emails to people. Take a nap. Wine? Yes please! You need to exercise. You need to organise your diary. Oooh! Blog! Beyonce! Gorgeous dress! Challenge! GET YOUR FAT ASS OFF THE BED! *yawn. So tired.

I'm tired from all these thoughts but I'm getting up!

NOW.

Ok


NOW

REALLY


NOW
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Pilates Challenge day # 2

Larders

I worked until 10pm last night and did not get to carry on with the pilates challenge but I will make up for the workout today. It goes to show how important it is that I wake up in the morning to exercise before life gets in the way.

Is it legal to look like this? If it is I WILL look like this. Less the the blond bob. And the American accent. And the grinding of the sand. And the crushing on JAY Z.

Have a lovely day.

Xo
ML

Pilates Challenge

Larders

So today I started the challenge I posted last week and after doing the sequence and cardio just once I look like this. I'm dead. My abs are cramping. Perhaps tmro will be a better day. I'm dizzy and nauseas. Not. For. Sissies.

Xo
ML
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Larders

So, I may have mentioned that I think I suffer a little bit from short attention span. So I have decided to do challenges - short ones - over the year. I have a friend's 29th birthday coming up on the 15th Feb and that leaves me with 5 weeks(ish) to get a challenge or two going. There's a thirty day pilates challenge that I would like to do. I want to spice it up with a walking challenge. I would like to walk 5kms at least twice a week.

The link to the pilates challenge is below:

http://thinspirationaljourney.wordpress.com/funstuff/challenges/30-day-pilates-blogilates-workout-challenge/

Let's try this and see!

Much love
ML
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This year...

I will dance whole heartedly;
I will ugly laugh often;
I will challenge myself to live out of my comfort zone;
I will build and sustain relationships;
I will wake up everyday with a grateful heart;
I will worship and praise;
I will look at the world with child like innocence;
I will appreciate the sunrise;
I will fall inlove with winter;
I will dream;
I will achieve;
I will forgive;
I will love; and
I will live

Happy New Year!!!

Xo
ML
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