not to get down on the holidays, BUT...

Thanks to all of the cookies, candies, and my weakness for sugar, I've gained about 4-5lbs in the last month or so. It's better than 9-10lbs, but worse than gaining none at all. I expected to gain holiday weight this year, but I've been keeping up with my cardio outside of my teaching so I figured I would only gain a couple of extra pounds.
The biggest thing is to not get down on myself too badly. I don't have a deadline for myself for my goal weight/size and I'm healthier than most people, so gaining a few extra holiday pounds isn't a huge deal unless an extra few turns into an extra 10 or 15 :-/

Blog about my 2013 resolutions/goals soon to come :-D

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Hair Bow

I've tried this hairstyle before, but didn't have as good success as I did this time! I felt like "Cindy Lou Who" the entire time my hair was up! Let me know if a video tutorial is necessary, or if u just want me to do another un-scripted Vlog!

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new hairstyle tutorial

Here is the tutorial some of you asked for !! Enjoy!

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first video...

I decided to make my first video blog...its unscripted (obviously) so feel free to laugh at my babbling!

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Goal: Be more consistent

I've been really hit & miss with this blog!! I was really on when I was in the process of auditioning for the Sea Gals, but have since fallen off with my "blog consistency". I know a lot of people really enjoyed keeping up with me during that time, because I had a realistic goal I was moving towards.

I don't have a new defined goal right now, but I'm working towards having one :)

I won't be auditioning for the Sea Gals again this year. The only reason I would want to audition again is to prove the coach wrong & say, "HA! I MADE IT!!" When really, I don't care about the Seahawks as a football team...sorry :-/ I just want to be a part of a professional dance team.
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Chase & I just got back from visiting our family/friends in the mid west :-D We flew into the Des Moines International Airport on Friday Dec. 7th and flew back to Seattle Thursday Dec. 13th. We got to see most of our families at the Open House's both of our mom's hosted for us, and some friends too!! We had people visit all the way from Omaha-NE, Minneapolis-MN, & even Chicago-IL just to see us! To those people, I am so thankful you were able to come for even a short amount of time :) It made our trip that much more enjoyable and made me so happy to see Chase reunited with his best guy friends!

True, we didn't advertise it on Facebook, or tell many people that we were coming back and here's why: We didn't want to be the target of flakey people (but we were anyways.) There were people we invited to our Open House's who said through Facebook they would be in attendance, & didn't show. There were people who claimed they wanted to hang out while we were in town that never called. That's just the nature of the game. People want to see you, but on their own terms. Now, I'm not speaking for all people who didn't show or call. I understand life gets in the way. Kids throw up. Work says "NO". People fall asleep on accident. Schedules don't sync. I however, have a problem with people who claim up one wall & down the other that they will make time to see you, & then make no actual effort, or tell you why for that matter.

Having to borrow a vehicle, & only having a certain amount of available time to see people makes it harder on our part. I hate to sound so flat, but Chase & I decided if people couldn't meet us where we were, we just wouldn't make time to see them.

I'm going to now step-down from my soap box with this: Next time I'm in town (with Chase, or without) I will not get my hopes up in the chances of possibly seeing someone. At all.
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In being more consistent with this blog, I will say this: Every Sunday, I will re-count the events of my week. Whether it be something that happened with Apollo, Chase, or myself. A beauty product review, a sale I found, a workout I like, a new recipe I've tried, or a new goal I've defined for myself. Every Sunday, I will write a blog! Maybe I'll do a few V-logs too :)

photo evidence

The photo on the left is of me prior to my training/cardio routine came into play. The photo on the right is after 4 1/2 weeks. No real weight loss, but you can see a difference.

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Champagne Taste on a Beer Budget

Alright, I'm a girl- and most girls love clothes & shopping. The only time I hate shopping is when I have ZERO DOLLARS to spend! I can't window shop. It only makes me more depressed about not having $$. When I do have extra money, I try to make it last as long as possible when I do spend it shopping. I had the chance to buy a pair of boots at Cathy Jean *On Sale* from $129.99 to $39.00. The normal person would be impulsive & take advantage of the sale...I tried them on & they didn't look that great. I walked around with the boots in mind, but still looking for a better look/deal. In the Northgate Mall there is a store called Papaya with REALLY cute clothes at SUPER affordable prices for girls like me with Champagne Taste yet on a Beer Budget. I walked around looking for boots & happened across two pairs of really great boots for the price of the 1 pair of Cathy Jean boots! I was ecstatic to find my size (8.5) & even more excited to see how they looked on me!! I bought the two pairs of boots & then the next day went to a few consignment stores & found two pairs of tennis shoes for a more than reasonable price. I've been wanting some new shoes to wear for teaching my dance/fitness classes, and these two pairs were perfect for my beer budget :-) Some people don't like shopping at second hand stores, but I really love it because having experienced trying to sell my clothing in these stores, I know they don't take just ANYTHING. They make sure what they buy is in season, & in near PERFECT condition. I've taken entire bags of clothes into these stores to sell & have only gotten them to buy 2 or 3 things out of the entire bag. Needless to say, I feel like I've won the lottery when I find great deals, not just *sales*.

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In need of some help

Okay, here's the deal: I've never been a skinny girl. I've never been obese, but I have been overweight in the past. I've not always been interested in fitness, but I have always been interested in FOOD :-) I CAN help it, but sometimes I honestly don't want to. I'm a typical female- put food in front of me, & I'm gonna eat it!

Get ready, a woman is about to be honest about how much she WEIGHS!!

I know that I fluctuate normally between 150-155 lbs. The smallest I've been (for a SHORT amount of time) is 147 lbs when I auditioned for Sea Gals in the last 2 years. It's a normal weight for my height of 5 ft 8 & 1/2 inches, but I don't currently feel like I LOOK the part a "fitness instructor". I don't look at myself and think that other women could view me as a fit female role model.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO...

I've enlisted the help of a PERSONAL TRAINER!! :-)

Her name is Lainee, and she takes my Hip Hop fitness class at C-Fit. We had our first session today and have established that I A) Do not drink enough water (I was cramping a lot during my workout) & B) Have been telling myself for too long that because I teach fitness, that must mean that I (myself) don't need to workout otherwise.

WRONG!!

Yes, I teach upwards of 10-12 fitness classes per week, but this does NOT mean that I have 10-12 full workouts per week.

I will be working with Lainee once per week doing different workouts every time. She's very excited to help me with my journey towards feeling like a fit female role model, and I have to say, I'm excited to see what we can accomplish together!!

Lets be honest

Alright, so I started the "3 Day Military Diet" on Sunday with hopes of kick-starting my holiday fitness goals. I liked the idea of it only being only 3 days long, & it didn't seem that difficult to follow. 

WRONG!

As stated in my last blog, I got massive headaches the first day, & the second day was even worse!! Not only did I have headaches, but my energy levels were incredibly low. I completed Days 1 & 2 to the letter, but after only having lost 1.2 lbs, I decided that it wasn't in my best interest to continue the diet. Other people who tried the diet said they lost around 4 or 5 lbs their first day. Maybe I didn't lose that much weight because my body fat percentage isn't as high as those who tried the diet before me. Either way, the diet didn't work for me. It's not to say it won't work for someone else in the future, or has worked for someone in the past, but being completely honest, it just wasn't for me. 

In other news, I got a JOB OFFER to work as a Massage Therapist at the Urban Yoga Spa in downtown Seattle! It's a little over 7 miles from where we live in Northgate. I walked into my interview yesterday and was taken aback at how gorgeous the space was! Downstairs was devoted to reception, locker rooms, and 2 large Yoga studios, while the upstairs was where they kept their spa. The massage room was gorgeous, & the table was hydraulic! I had used hydraulic massage tables when I worked at The Red Door Spa, & I've got to tell you, they're so much more convenient than tables you have to manually adjust! I spoke candidly during my interview & found out the massage lead (who was conducting the interview) is from the midwest as well and is a group fitness instructor like me :) I gave him my availability and after I performed a practical, he told me I was the last of his interviews and he wanted to offer ME the position!! I was a little apprehensive about working downtown because parking is a NIGHTMARE and I would end up spending more than a decent amount of $$ on parking than I wanted to, but he said, "Oh, that's no problem. We have EMPLOYEE PARKING." !!!! WHAT?? Who has parking for their employees DOWNTOWN?! URBAN YOGA SPA! That's who!! 

I have another interview later this afternoon at a spa that is only 2 miles from our apartment, but I have a feeling since it's owned by Aveda, I won't have the "yes" feeling that I had yesterday. Something about working for a corporation doesn't sit well with me. Having have experience with both, I prefer working for a personally owned spa rather than a corporately owned spa. The woman who owns Urban Yoga Spa worked at Nordstrom's for 30 years and decided to open her own yoga studio/spa after exhausting herself in the corporate world. We'll see how I feel after this next interview though. I already got an email from Urban Yoga Spa practically begging me to officially say "yes, I will work here" & set up a time to come in & fill out new hire paperwork. Bonus: If I work there, I get free yoga classes :)

Oh, & my personal hairstylist (& friend!) Bethany came over last night to cut/color my hair, so now I have full bangs :-) I've had side-swept bangs for YEARS and decided to take the plunge. I LOVE them, but I can tell they're going to be hard to get used to!!

I might be crazy after all...

I seriously think I may have developed an issue with anxiety. I first noticed when Chase & I went to COMICON earlier this year. The aisles were packed like sardine cans. Not just people, but strollers too. They would stop to look at something or talk to someone holding the rest of us up to form a claustrophobic pile-up. My heart was racing & it felt like I was going to implode. We had to leave the crowd several times so I could catch my breath & calm down.

I'm a mess.

Also, a few weeks ago, Chase & I were merely DISCUSSING the possibility of a trip home to IA & my heart started racing, my breathing was off, & I sweat right through my shirt all because I started thinking about how many people we have to see in a short amount of time when we go back.

Again, I'm a mess.

In other news, thanks to Pinterest, I've started the 3 day "Military Diet". It really has NOTHING to do with the military, I just think that's the name b/c its strict. Like "Bootcamp" classes being NOTHING like actual military bootcamps, just difficult (as pointed out to me by my sister who is IN the military). I've wanted to try this diet before, & know of a few people who want my feedback after I try it, so here's my Day 1:

I ate breakfast (1/2 grapefruit, 1 pc toast, 2tbsp peanut butter) -while I skyped with my older sister who is stationed in Germany- around 10:30am. Then, lunch (1 can tuna, 1pc toast & coffee) after I taught at 1:30pm.
BIG headache. Right around 2 or 3pm as I was in the middle of my Urban Striptease Instructor training.
I practically ignored Chase & his cuteness altogether when I got home so I could finally eat dinner at 7pm (4 oz meat, 1 cup green beans, 1sm Apple, 1/2 a banana & 1 cup vanilla ice cream). By the time I finished, I was in HEAVEN.

I don't know what the scale will say tomorrow, but my last meal definitely made up for the entire day. I'm not looking for criticism, or negativity of any kind. So please, keep your thoughts about my diet choices to yourself unless you have a legitimate question.

Thanks :-)

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I need a new computer

This-is-sad. I would be able to do so much more if I didn't spend an hour waiting for my computer to send a simple email. Yes, my computer is old. It's a DELL 600m from 2005. It's served me well & hasn't quite crapped out yet, so I'm gonna use it until it's DEAD, but holy moley...this is getting ANNOYING!!

What's also annoying, is the fact that I bought a birthday card from my little brother's birthday (which is next week) on Sunday-wrote & put the $$ he asked for (that he's saving for a trip with his 8th grade class to Washington DC) in it, addressed it, put a stamp on it, & put it in my day planner so I would remember to send it. When I looked in my planner yesterday morning- it was GONE. I don't remember sending it, nor do I remember a time where my bag wasn't with me when someone could've gone through my purse & taken it! I called my family to let them know what happened, & if I somehow sent it without knowing, to have them keep an eye out for it this week. If it doesn't get to him by the end of the week, I'll have to buy another card & put in that card MORE MONEY :-( I turned my house upside down & my car inside out looking for this card. I only hope that if someone DID take it, that they needed the cash that was on there more than he needs it for his trip. UGH!!! It still makes me sooo frustrated.

On another note, today I got Chase & I tickets to the Uproar Festival which is on Sept. 22nd by donating 2 bags of non-perishable food items to the ROCK OUT HUNGER food drive. I spent $19.10 on canned food items...not a bad price for concert tickets!!

Chase & I try to live as frugally as possible...we shop at a great store that I'm OBSESSED with called Grocery Outlet. It's a store that sells overstocked items & closeouts of name brand & private label groceries. They offer fresh & ground meat, chicken, produce, frozen items, boxed items, milk, eggs, bread, etc. I made us a steak dinner with baby red potatoes & asparagus for around $8 per serving!! Which is around the same as going through the drive through, & MUCH LESS than going out to an actual restaurant :)

The CB's update :-)

If you've been keeping up with me on Facebook, you know that CHASE GOT A NEW JOB!! He was really unhappy at his job with PNTA & it was taking a toll on our everyday lives. We weren't doing bad relationship-wise, there was just a gloom over our household :-( Chase didn't expect to hate his job when he moved to Seattle, & he didn't expect finding another one to be so difficult. It made me SO sad to see him come home everyday & not be excited about anything. 

A few MONTHS ago, I was approached by one of my Barre Fitness students that manages a luxury apartment complex about a half mile from our house. She was looking for someone interested in sales, marketing, & leasing. AKA- a Leasing Consultant ;) I told her that Chase used to be a Baseball Sales Associate at Scheels in Iowa City & I thought would be GREAT when it comes to anything sales oriented (but then again, I'm biased!). She gave me her business card & told me to give it to him so he could email her his resume. An interview was set up within a few days, but wasn't a normal interview. Apparently it was just an "informative interview" which was so they both could get a feel for if he was right for a PROSPECTIVE position that wasn't open yet. We got pretty disheartened, but the manager kept in touch with him via email & called Chase out of the blue on Monday to tell him that one of her leasing agents' boyfriend got into a bad accident & she needed to leave the company to take care of him. Pretty sh*tty circumstances, but what great  opportunity for Chase!! I was jumping up & down on the bed when Chase told me- & Apollo got a little bit upset with me doing that, LOL, he doesn't like when anyone's feet leave the ground to jump or if they're being picked up by someone else, anyone doing headstands, summer-saults, skateboarders, or runners...he's quirky like that! I've seen AND experienced his "tackles" to get someone to stop running or to get you back down on the ground...

ANYWAYS...

Chase went in to get his letter of hire from the company in downtown Seattle & I made him a sign & put it up over our sliding glass door that said "CONGRATULATIONS!!!" He laughed at it, but he deserved it, I'm so proud of him :-) He's been training for the past few days & we found out that he doesn't have weekends off anymore (BOOOOOO!) so I'm going to be trying to find some more classes to teach on the weekends to keep myself a bit busier & try to get rid of the class I teach on his day(s) off. 

Granted, we don't get a discount on living at the apartment complex he works at (b/c it's LUXURY LIVING) but some other perks we've found out so far about his job are: 

*We get to go to the preview of "The Dark Knight Rises" next week!! The company he works for bought out the IMAX movie theater (which is right by where he works) for their resident's to go to the movie & reserved two rows for employees & their friend's :-D 

*Any furniture that residents leave behind can be taken by the leasing consultants...now, any other apartment complex I would be skeptical about, but this is a LUXURY complex so the stuff left behind is a lot nicer than what the average person would leave behind. One of Chase's co-workers said she once got a set of matching Lay-Z-Boys! Yesterday Chase brought home a white mirror that hangs over a door since I've been wanting one for a while :)

So far, the job is already more rewarding for him & our entire outlook on living here has changed for the better :-)

What's new with ME?!

I'm still teaching my Dance & Fitness classes, but July is pretty slow since I'm not teaching any kids classes this month. August will pick up since along with my regular teaching schedule I'll be teaching a Kids Hip Hop series as well as a Cheer Camp. I'm going to try to find another part-time job though because I find myself sitting around quite a bit when I'm not teaching or walking Apollo. 

On Monday, I applied at Living Social to be a a Part Time Experience Coordinator. I haven't heard anything back yet but lets all keep our fingers crossed because a job that let's you play for $$ is the best kind of job!! (Which is why I've stuck to teaching for so long!! I love it!!) 

That was a little long winded & took over a half hour to type. The sun has come out a little bit, so I'm gonna go walk Apollo :) Hope you enjoyed the CB's update !!

Unique Sweets: BROOKSTER

Hello everyone!!
Today on a whim, Chase turned our TV channel to a show called "Unique Sweets". It's a show about places around the United States that have unique ideas for sweet foods :) I got this particular sweet idea from a place called BAKED in Brooklyn, NY. It's called the BROOKSTER!! It's a scoop of brownie batter into a muffin tin & then cookie dough on top of the brownie batter. I chose to make my own low-fat brownie batter (see recipe & nutrition details below) and store-bought cookie dough.

LOW-FAT BROWNIE BATTER
7 tbsp flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1/4 tsp salt
2 egg whites
1 large egg
3/4 cup white sugar
8 tbsp applesauce
1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees
Combine flour, cocoa, & salt (mix well)
Whisk together egg whites, egg, sugar, applesauce, & vanilla
Add egg mixture to flour mixture & mix until blended
Pour 1 tablespoon brownie batter into greased (I use olive oil PAM) individual muffin tins

Roll & flatten out cookie dough, place on top of brownie batter in muffin tins

Place in oven for 18 minutes

Makes 24 Brooksters

128 Calories (each)
4.5g Fat
2g Saturated Fat
7.5mg Cholesterol
108.5g Sodium
20.5g Carbohydrates
13g Sugar
2g Protein

Dance Fitness with ME!!

I know my last blog was about how I'm trying not to check Facebook as much anymore...but that only lasted so long because I decided to pursue a Facebook page to help advertise my Dance Fitness classes in Seattle. So far, a lot of people I invited to LIKE the page have LIKED it (thank you!!) Not all though...which is okay! There are plenty of people not on my friends list that have LIKED my page as well. Some who have taken my class, & some who haven't. I added a LOT of photos & am hoping to add videos soon of me explaining the choreography & performing it so people who want to "practice" before coming to class or after, can :-)

If you haven't already, go ahead & visit my Facebook page & click LIKE!! Yes...I've become one of THOSE people!!

http://m.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.249080155193768.40424.115126335255818&type=1&__user=507058095#!/profile.php?id=115126335255818&__user=507058095

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Interesting Television

Mrs. Eastwood & Company is a very interesting show...I just started watching it today. I really like Clint Eastwood, & I like his wife, Dina Eastwood.

The daughters...not so much.

Their show makes them come across as whiny little brats who think they're entitled to any & everything. In the current episode his daughter Francesca has a $100,000 bag that her photographer boyfriend gave her to DESTROY for a photoshoot. She wanted to keep it so he's letting her carry it around until they destroy it at the photoshoot.

Excuse me, BUT WHAT THE FUCK?!

Dina seems to understand. She keeps telling her how much that bag is worth could feed all of Monteray county, build 4 schools in Africa, how it's double the salary that her father makes as a school teacher in a year, it's like a "F-U" to society, etc. She tries taking them shopping at ROSS to show them all the different bags there that cost 1/100 of what the mildly cute bag she's been carrying around costs.

People like me, love ROSS...good call Dina!

I sometimes envy people who can afford things like that...sometimes.

Chase & I live pretty frugally for the most part. The things we spend our extra money on are things that we've wanted for a while, or on dates we take each other on like a nice dinner, the movies, Sounders games, drinks downtown... If I had that kind of money, I would make sure I had enough money to pay my bills & my family's. Pay off my parents debt, make sure I don't get into any debt, take one nice vacation per year & start a college fund for my 15, 13, & 12 year old siblings. That kind of stuff.

Oh great. Now they're destroying the $100,000 bag with a chainsaw...AND LIGHTING IT ON FIRE!! WOW, it's actually a good photo :-/ Take that, society. Americans would rather destroy $$ than sell that bag & give the money to someone who needs it. Rockin.

Now "Kendra" is on...I LOVE HER!!! Now there's a frugal, fun gal :-)

Admitted Facebook Junkie

Hello, my name is Christine & I am an admitted Facebook junkie. 

On my Android phone, I have a direct link to Facebook, notifications set to pop up when someone sends me a message/writes on my wall/or friend requests me, & it is also my home page on my personal laptop.

This is so sad.

What's even more pathetic is how often I check my Facebook account when I haven't even gotten any notifications that anyone has written me a message/on my wall. I spy on other "friends" status', their posted photos, & who is commenting on what. I click "Like" on pretty much everything.

Why do I care? Why do I have to know?

Facebook used to be such a huge deal for me to check because it's part of how I communicated with Chase back when we were long-distance. Now, it's just a way of me keeping family/friends updated on what's going on in our lives. Showing off pictures of Apollo, funny status' of what happened during the day, cute pictures of Chase & I, etc.


I quite honestly do NOT know why I've continued to let it be such a HUGE part of what I do throughout the day. I could be spending more time getting stuff done that I've been putting off for too long, trying new recipes, reading, or paying attention to Chase/Apollo rather than sitting on my laptop/phone scrolling through other people's (excuse me) Facebook shit.


This is not a jab at Facebook or any other Facebook junkies. I actually appreciate how it brings people together socially online, helps out small business', & re-creates long lost or new friendships. I will actually be posting this blog to my Facebook account once it is finished, but not checking Facebook again until later this evening.


Here is my mid-year-resolution: 
Only check Facebook 2-3x per day...possibly 1-2x if that. It doesn't need to be a part of an hourly routine for me anymore!!! SO, I have already turned off my Android notifications, & removed it from my direct link on my phone's home page so if I want to check my Facebook via phone, I have to push several buttons to get to the link. What's pathetic is, I already haven't checked Facebook at ALL through my phone today since doing that. After I post this blog, my new homepage will be GOOGLE's home page (not Facebook) & I will log out every time making myself have to manually login.

*sigh of relief here*

Public Announcement

I've decided that when I audition for anything, I will never announce it publicly EVER AGAIN. 

I'm very aware that most of you enjoyed following my posts throughout the past few months about my preparation for NFL cheer auditions...but having to say that I didn't make the squad over-& over-& over-& over-& over-& OVER again really takes a toll on me. People want to know why, they want to tell me how wrong the coach was to not choose me, they want to tell me I'll make it next year, and even though it's been a few weeks since I found out the road to Seahawks Cheer-leading was over for me, I will still have people over the next month asking me how auditions went.

I'm not blaming anyone or trying to make them feel bad, but having to admit defeat isn't something that I take ANY pride or pleasure in. 

The next time I audition for anything, readers will only know about it if I make the cut. THAT'S something that I will happily be posting in my Blog/Facebook/Twitter accounts :-) 

Everyone's life goes on, whether you want it to or not

I don't think I'm meant to be a cheerleader...I say this because for the past two years, I have auditioned to be an NFL Cheerleader for the Seattle Seahawks & haven't made it yet. Forget that I've been dancing for the past 20 years, or that I've been instructing dance for the past 13 years. I'm just not the cookie-cutter-type of girl that the Sea Gals coach wants. She wants the type of girl that she can mold into what she wants, & someone who won't stand out next to the other girls during performances.

Last year, I had little to no prep work & made it all the way to the Final round. This year, I started preparing for auditions in late January & didn't even make it to Finals. They will never tell you WHY you don't make it, they always say to NOT ask them & just re-audition next year. When I performed my semi-finals routine, I didn't mess up, I smiled, had a lot of energy throughout the dance, high kicks, & still wasn't chosen.

I'm not gonna lie, when my number wasn't called, I thought there had been a mistake & maybe they were saving my number for last or had misplaced it. When this didn't seem to be the case, I didn't clap. I didn't smile. I just knew I needed to get out of there. The tears had started by the time I stood up whether I wanted them to or not. I grabbed all of my belongings, & started out for the parking lot. Before I could get to the door, one of my friends who also didn't make stepped in to give me a hug & yes- I started to "ugly cry" on her shoulder (literally). She told me it was going to be okay, & though I knew what she was saying was true, I was too confused, & angry to comprehend anything other than what I was feeling. I had spent SO MUCH TIME & MONEY in preparation this year to look & feel my best once auditions rolled around.

I tried calling Chase a few times on my way home, but he was at Greenlake with some friends & his phone hadn't rung out-loud so he didn't know I had called. So instead, I called one of my best friends on my way home, crying hysterically, fake eyelashes falling off from all my tears. Chase called me back as soon as I got home. He sounded really surprised to hear the news that I hadn't advanced to the Final Round. He then asked if I wanted to meet him at the lake or wanted him to come home to be with me. I honestly just wanted to stay at home & cry for the rest of the day. Then, Chase said if I came to the lake, he would buy me some Ben Jerry's ice cream...decision made. I hadn't had Ben & Jerry's in who knows how long. Lake & ice cream it was!!! I cleaned my face off, changed my clothes, put Apollo in the car, & headed to the lake. Once we arrived, Chase gave me a huge hug & we ended up having a great day at the lake with Apollo & his friends. I ended up getting the COOKIE-COOKIE-SUNDAE at Ben & Jerry's...it was GLORIOUS!!! Yes...like I said on Facebook, I ate the WHOLE THING.

 That night, I started thinking more about not making it because I was getting tons of texts & facebook messages from people wondering about how auditions turned out. I tried to answer them as best I could without getting too depressed but was feeling pretty awful by the time I woke up the next morning. (Life goes on whether everything goes your way or not!) I then get on Facebook & see that I have a message from a fellow dancer whose performances, & team I admire greatly. She basically re-confirmed what everyone had been telling me & told me not to let not being chosen get to me. I was really happy she thought enough of me write me a message.

Plan for now? Eat the foods I've been avoiding, watch & get drunk during the Sea Gal Finals with good friends, enjoy my summer, & get back on the audition-horse this fall & audition for the Stealth Bombshells Dance (not cheer) Team. They're all fabulous performers who can actually DANCE!

Keep an eye out for updates. Down, but never out. I am determined to be a part of a dance team again!!

Preliminaries

SOOOOOOO, as many of you know, the preliminary round for the Seattle Sea Gals was yesterday! I arrived 45 minutes early to Century Link Field, & quite a few girls were already there stretching/warming up, so I joined them. I recognized a handful of girls from last year- a little less than 200 auditioned at preliminaries last year, & this year was around 150. 

We didn't get started with registration until around 11:15am when we were supposed to start at 11am. Oh well, not a big deal. Registration took until right before 12pm. To get your audition number, there are small pieces of paper flipped upside down with numbers on the other side. Last year, I was #170-something. HOWEVER, THIS YEAR, I drew #8!!! I was SO EXCITED to be going in one of the first groups rather than having to wait forever, watching everyone & psyching myself out. 

My audition went off without a hitch & I was proud of the routine that I performed for the judges. I watched the other girls audition & was impressed by a few, but not many. Some girls were so bad, I thought, "Is this a joke?" One woman looked to be in her 40s-she wore a coin skirt-& looked like she was doing Zumba (badly). Kudos to her for having the courage to audition, but REALLY?!

2 hours (and a back-ache from sitting on the hard ground) later, those invited back to semi-finals were announced. All of my friends & I advanced to semi-finals!! We were so excited :) About 10 minutes after semi-finals were announced, we started learning the routine we will be performing next Sunday. It's 8-8 counts that repeats to the song "Starships" by Nicki Minaj. If you haven't heard that song, it's pretty awesome! I love dancing to music that I know and pumps me up, so luckily our routine this year is to a song that fits that description :) Last year it was to a song called "Hot Mess" that I had never heard before-NOT the one by Cobra Starship. 


The choreography isn't complex, it just seems difficult when done to the quick beat. I had one of my friends video me doing the choreography after we were done learning it so it was fresh in my mind & I would have something to go back & reference if I got stuck. After finishing the video, about 4 girls whipped out there phones & asked me to do it again. I know it's a competition and all, but I believe in Karma, so I repeated the routine for the ones that asked. I practiced the semi-finals routine a few times when I got home last night after I had gotten the correct cut of the music from the Sea Gals coach drop-box. 

Semi-Finals aren't until next Sunday (April 29th) at 1pm, but I'm already feeling confident about making it into Finals again this year :-)

100%

I want to make it VERY clear to everyone that I am going to be 100% OKAY if I don't make the team again this year. BUT- I will also be 100% OKAY if I DO make the team :-)


I was convinced I was going to make it last year, as were a lot of you. When my number wasn't called at Finals, I didn't allow myself to cry until I got into the car & even then, it was only for about 5-10 seconds, then I got over it- texted everyone on my list that I didn't make the team (whether they were watching the LIVE stream or not) & went straight to McDonald's for a double cheeseburger AND FRIES. 

I appreciated everyone's support and words of encouragement last year, but I do have a request for this year:

PLEASE-PLEASE-PLEEEEEEASE, don't tell me "it's their loss" or "you should've made it".

Tell me, "you did great" (if I did) or "you worked so hard" (because I did).

There is a reason for everything that happens in our lives whether we realize what it is in the moment, or later in the year. I didn't make the team last year for a reason. I doubt they recognize not having me on the team as a loss. There's a lot of FABULOUS girls that made the team last year, & a lot of FABULOUS girls that didn't. (Something to remember, is there are about 50 other girls that look JUST LIKE ME at the audition.)


Preliminaries are this Sunday the 22nd at 11am. Wish me luck if you like, I will be posting on Facebook and Twitter if/as I advance to each round.

As if I didn't want it enough before...

This past Saturday, I attended a 3 hour long NFL Cheer Intensive Workshop lead by Sea Gals coach Sherri Thompson. As the title says, "as if I didn't want it enough before", I want to be a professional NFL Cheerleader even MORE now!! 


We started out with a basic warm up/stretch & then went into some technique work (turns, kicks, leaps). In doing so, I was reminded of how much I LOVE & have missed doing leaps across the floor. We also worked on choreography learning 3 routines, & also on public speaking, ie-introducing ourselves to the judges. 


We went in groups of 2, saying our full name, where we were from, & what we do for a living. If any girl was too quiet or didn't sound confident enough, Sherri would make them repeat what they had said until they were both loud & confident. After I said, "Hello, my name is Christine Burgett. I live in Seattle-Washington & am a Group Fitness Instructor," she pointed at me and said, "She has the kind of confidence that comes through her voice making me WANT to listen to what she has to say." Which made me very excited that she had thought I had done a great job. She also pointed at me & another girl later on, recognizing us from making it to Finals last year.

Towards the end while we were waiting for the Sea Gals makeup artist to get there, I approached Sherri to ask if she had noticed anything I could improve on for the auditions starting in 2 weeks. She replied, "Honestly, no. You looked great today." 

I REALLY WISHED SHE HAD NOTICED SOMETHING THOUGH!!!!

I'm ecstatic that she said I looked great, but since I made it so far last year-& not onto the actual squad, I was hoping she would give me some constructive criticism. Siiiiiiiiiiiiiince she didn't, I suppose I will keep doing what I'm doing & hope that this year it's enough to make it all the way.

She said making it onto the squad will -really change your life-. I'm ready. 

BRING IT ON. 

Did you know me in High School?

I've been getting quite a few comments about how much I've changed (in the looks dept) since High School & even college. Chase says it's because I'm so close to achieving my goal to becoming an NFL Cheerleader & posting pictures of me in my Cheer-leading outfits rather than the regular shirts & jeans I used to wear all throughout HS. 


Below on the left is one of my Senior pictures taken back in (I believe) September of 2004. The one below that (on the right) was taken in 2006 as I was trying on my College Dance Team uniform (sans makeup, LOL, SORRY!). The one on the very bottom is a photo of me from this past Saturday (3/24/2012) right before an NFL Cheer Workshop.

When Chase met me, I looked very similar to the photo on the top left. (I was also about 20-25 lbs heavier than I am today.) He loved the way I looked back then, & he loves the way I look now, which is probably one of the reasons why I feel so comfortable around him. Forget the fact that we've known one another for nearly 7 years, it's probably because he's been attracted to me whether I was a size 11 or a size 5. Love that man :-)

I definitely think I'm getting better with age, I just didn't realize how much other people noticed until recently. 

Did you know me in 

High School?

the face that wakes me

This is the face that I see at my side of the bed after he's nudged or kissed me awake, LOL

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

Don't accuse witnesses of ANYTHING.

I happened to witness a small car collision yesterday while I was driving to the Kirkland Dance Center. I will not go into accident details, but basically a Honda Odessy pulled out into oncoming traffic, & surprise-surprise, got hit by a BMW. I happened to be the only "Good Samaritan" who stopped to see if everyone was alright. The BMW driver was shaken up, but okay. The Honda Odessy driver didn't get out of her van, so the BMW driver approached her vehicle to see if she was okay. The BMW driver came back & said the woman was on the phone with the police (which I reminded her is what you're supposed to do when you get into a car accident) but still, the woman didn't even come out of HER van to make sure the other girl was okay. RUDE! I kept re-assuring the BMW driver everything was going to be okay, because she did what any of us girls with nice cars would do when you get into an accident: CRY! 


A few minutes later, the Honda driver got out of her van in a huff, & approached me with the phone to her ear, bluntly asking if I was the one who hit her. I looked at her puzzled and replied, "Noooooooo...." while pointing to fully in-tact my car which I was leaning against. Then she asked if I was a friend of the girl who hit her. Again, I replied "Nooooooooooo...I just saw the accident & stopped to see if everyone was alright." Her attitude then changed to that of a whimpering puppy, "I think she bruised my ribs from the impact-she was driving too fast-I bet she was on her phone-I think I have whiplash..." Needless to say, I probably rolled my eyes in front of her. Oops.


I didn't want to wait at the scene since they both seemed to be fine, so I gave them both my information in case the police or insurance companies wanted to contact me as a witness, then I was on my way to rehearsal. I received no calls from anyone last night, so I figured they had written me off as a witness.


Upon checking my email this morning, I received a LONG-WINDED email from the Honda driver explaining what I already knew about the accident, but from her point of view. She was basically trying to get me to believe her side, & tell me that the police officer was wrong for giving her a ticket for pulling into oncoming traffic & the BMW driver was the one at fault because she was driving too fast up the hill. Then in the same breath, she accused me of telling the police inaccurate information to confuse the situation, "buddy-ing up" with the BMW driver having made up my mind who was at fault, & then exclaimed more about her pain from the accident, telling me I should have been more been more concerned about her well being, the fact that she's a single mother, etc.


Pardon me, but WHAT THE FUCK, LADY ?!?


I sent her an email back saying she is the ONLY one to contact me thus far, & if the police officer gave her a ticket, it was for her negligent driving, not because of anything I said, because no one even tried to contact me. I then went on to say that she need not accuse witnesses of anything, especially since I was the ONLY one who stopped to make sure they were alright- not knowing EITHER of them.


GrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Peanut Butter Cool Whip Treat+Nutrition Information

I got this recipe idea from Pinterest ...it pretty much tastes like a white chocolate peanut butter cup, without the calories or fat!! I'm in heaven...

Ingredients
1 small tub Fat Free Cool Whip, 3-4 tbsp of your choice creamy peanut butter
Directions

-Note: You might have to put the cool whip in the microwave for a few seconds to soften it-
Mix the Cool Whip and Peanut Butter together, spoon into 12 lined cupcake tins, freeze overnight or all day & enjoy!

Nutrition Facts (per individual serving) are as follows:

Calories- 63

Fat- 2.7g

Carbs- 7.6g

Sugar-2.6g

Protein- 1.2g


For those of you using Weight Watchers, this is 1 point

Sea Gals Mock Audition II

We had our second Mock Audition today at 10am. I remembered to apply my false lashes this morning before leaving the house (whew!) and actually wore the correct color MAC lipstick (Girl About Town)
This time, we performed for two former Sea Gals (both with great feedback for us all.).


Here is the feedback given to me that was written on both forms. I tried to punctuate just as they did:


Judge #1's feedback 
Solo- Don't lose your smile, good energy
Dance 1- Good energy, make sure not to get out of control on some of the moves
Dance 2- Smile all the time!! :)
Dance 3- Looks good, watch not doing "too much" on booty pops
Dance 4- Good fan, much Better about smiling!


Judge #2's feedback
Amazing! Keep your big smile all the time! -so pretty- Less "sex"...my eyes immediately go to you when you start dancing! Such great energy with every move! Your stage presence is incredible-you do leave it all on the dance floor-calm, collected, controlled, but with HUGE energy & electricify, hard to ave all that, but you DO! Way to finish strong always!


I asked if I smiled enough, they both said a resounding- NO, but when I did- they really enjoyed watching me :) Smiling throughout the entire performance has always been a downfall of mine, but having it brought to my attention really helps me become more aware of it. Someone said something that made a lot of sense to help with my smiling: Always pretend that you are being photographed during a performance, because being a Sea Gal, you probably will be!!

Videos to come...!

Blog-slacker...sorry. Here's the update:

Wow...my last blog was February 5th!! I'm slacking...I apologize.


First things first: I had a mock-audition this past Sunday with the group I have been rehearsing with for Seattle Sea Gal auditions this coming April (eeeeek!!!). It went really well, the judges were as follows: Miss Q's husband, his friend, a photographer friend, and 2 former Sea Gals (one of whom said I reminded her of herself, which is what Miss Q mentioned earlier as well.) 
We were put into groups of 2 & 3 (because of the odd number of girls) and performed for the judges at the Kirkland Dance Center. We were being judged on technique, stage/field appearance, attitude, and overall like-ability/is-she-fun-to-watch-ness.
I only messed up ONCE & when Chase watched the YouTube link, he couldn't even tell what I did/didn't do to cause me to mess up and told me not to worry about it. I'll be sharing the link with you at the end as well as start times for when I'm actually on-screen in case you don't want to watch the whole thing!
I felt good all-in-all about my performance. I remembered to smile, I hit all of my turns and my kicks, and only forgot one part :)
Since each judge gave feedback for us, Miss Q said she would talk to us individually-that way we could discuss how we could improve. She did (however) send us all a text with the comments across the board so we didn't have to wait for our individual meeting with her. 
Mine said:
GOOD ENERGY
NICE TECHNIQUE
NEEDS MORE SMILING & LESS ATTITUDE
GREAT KICKS.


I THOUGHT I SMILED A LOT!!! Apparently when you grow up doing mainly hip hop or angry style competitive dancing, when you think you're smiling enough, YOU'RE NOT!! grrrrrrrrrrr.........


Here's the link to watch my mock-audition performance. I can be seen in 1st Mock Audition at 00:30, 03:00, 06:32. Mock Audition Part 2 at 01:21 & 04:00 :)
http://www.youtube.com/user/Flawlesstan?feature=guide

I also met with a Fitness Model/Personal Trainer/Nutrition Coach this week to talk about my goals and how to improve my eating habits. (I've fallen off of my food-for-fuel kick a bit!) She said based on my activity level, I need to increase my calorie intake (with healthy foods) as well as my hydration. I have 122 lbs of lean muscle mass, which is apparently a very good thing. My body fat percentage is on the higher side of the "Athletic" category, so I'm hoping to get it down a few %'s before auditions. My daily calorie intake should be 1800-2000 calories per day to to lose weight because I'm so active. My body has put itself into a constant starvation-mode because I burn over 1500 calories if I were to just sit around all day...WHICH I DO NOT! So, in eating less than 1500 calories, my body has been storing everything it gets instead of using it as fuel. Kinda the opposite of what I'm going for! She advised me to try to eat 5-6 small meals per day to get to my calorie goal of 1800-2000/day. I'm only on Day 2, but I've done just that and I'm feeling good :) 
I'm using MyFitnessPal to track everything as well as my heart rate monitor that Chase got me for Valentine's Day (thanks honey!). I found out I don't burn very many calories teaching certain classes, meaning I need to focus on working out outside of teaching too. My resting heart rate is between 54-55 bpm, & because I'm so active, getting my heart rate up is a bit of a challenge. During the mock-audition process, my heart rate stayed around 122-140 bpm, & only got up to 169 bpm after the kick-line routine while everyone else's was up around 190 bpm. Maybe it's because I wasn't nervous...maybe it's because my body is used to being active, maybe it's because I'm a freak of nature. Who knows?

$250 (plus tax) for a CAR KEY.

It all started yesterday afternoon with me suggesting that Chase & I take the dog to Golden Gardens Park to enjoy the sunny weather that we (as Seattle-ites) rarely ever see this time of year. We loaded Apollo up into my car & we were on our way. (Golden Gardens is roughly 6 miles from our apartment) 
We parked on the opposite side of the train tracks that separate the road from the main parking lot & walked down to the beach. Apollo was SO EXCITED to be outside & despite his good manners, was hard to hold onto as we walked by crowds of people & their dogs.
We walked all the way down to where there seemed to be a crowd gathering, looking out at the water. We looked out and saw about 6 WALES breaching!! It was a really cool sight :) We started walking back to where we started & Apollo found a large pile of sand & proceeded to lay down, obviously to tell us he was tired from all the walking. We took this opportunity to take some pictures with him, while he was being still.

After resting, Apollo got up & I rolled my jeans up so I could go into the water with him. We ran around in the water & a little ways down the beach, then when I put my hands in my zip-up VS PINK hoodie, I realized that my keys to my car were GONE!! We spent the next hour combing the beach & the water for them, even getting some other beach walkers to help us look. I called my insurance company to ask if I had road-side assistance on my policy...NOPE. I was beginning to lose hope when my phone rang & Chase had found them at the concession stand!! Some honest soul had the decency to turn them in! I was jumping up & down, hugging/kissing Chase upon the return of my keys by the volleyball nets. 
We decided to head back to the car & go get ready for my friend Sarah's Great Gatsby themed birthday party. We arrived at the car & the button to unlock the car wouldn't work. I thought this was a bit odd, but what was even weirder, was when we got INTO the car & went to start it, it would turn over, but then die immediately. Chase tried to start the car a few times & then we realized that the key had gotten WET!! We tried our best to dry it out without being able to open it, but nothing was working. I called a Chrysler dealer & the guy I spoke to said that if the key was wet, we shouldn't have pressed any of the buttons or tried to start the car until the key was dry. In doing all of those things we weren't supposed to, we had fried the microchip inside the key! :(
He said the parts department was closed, but if I could have the car towed to the dealership, they could make me a new key on Monday. This (however) was unacceptable for me. A) The tow was going to cost over $100, B) The new key was going to cost over $150, & C) I need my car!! I couldn't go without it until Monday because Chase's car is broken...we'd be car-less!! Upon hanging up with the dealership, I had to start crying from all of the stress that had been building since first loosing my keys. Chase assured me that everything would be okay, & we were lucky that we had even found the keys and were inside the car instead of being stuck outside of it with Apollo (who was sleeping in the backseat). I wiped my face off as Chase called a company that would drive out to our location & make a new key on-site. They said it would be $180 at minimum. I said "okay" gave them our location & my phone number. They said about 25-30 minutes & they would arrive. 
That was at 5:45pm. 
6:25pm rolled around & I called the company back asking why no one had showed up yet. The woman on the other line said she would call the lock-tech & have him call me. 
15 minutes rolls by & I get a call from the lock-tech telling me he would be about 25-30 minutes. I told him that's what the company had originally said to which he had no reply. Needless to say, my irritation was growing.
Another half an hour goes by & he texts my phone saying he is 10 minutes away. It is now after 7pm. He ends up arriving around 7:30pm & informs me that the key is going to cost $250, plus tax!! I wanted to throw-up on the spot, but quickly did the math & rationalizing in my head & I give him the go-ahead to get to work making me a new key. He finds the right cut, then had to buy the microchip code from somewhere which takes over another half an hour. He finally gets the code & plugs a machine into my car, pushes a few buttons then turns the key which starts my car!!! I was VERY happy until he took my credit card & wrote me my receipt for a total of $287.


What's the moral of this story?
1) Make sure you have roadside assistance or AAA. You really never know when you're going to need it.
2) Always have a spare key that will actually START your car.
3) NEVER GET YOUR KEY WET IF IT HAS A MICROCHIP!!! (& if you DO get it wet, wait until it is dried out before pushing any buttons or attempting to start the car)

I am taking donations for my "new key" fund...aka-paying it off my credit card!

Food for FUEL, not entertainment

For the past two days, I have been eating as food-for-fuel, rather than entertainment. Using the "LOSE IT!" app on my Verizon Wireless Android phone, I've been given a daily calorie budget of 1,420 calories. I also take pictures of my meals and upload them to the NFL Cheerleader Audition Training Facebook Group Page to stay accountable & focused.with the other girls. 

So, what exactly does 1400 calories look like? I'm going to show you! 

Breakfast: CARBmaster yogurt (60 cal) Better Oats Oatmeal with flax-seed (160 cal) & Green Tea with Pomegranate (0 cal) 

TOTAL=220 calories

Lunch: 1 cup spinach salad (5 cal) 1/2 cut up red bell pepper (23 cal) extra small cut up apple (53 cal) 2 tbsp Trader Joe's slivered almonds (78 cal) 1/2 oz goat cheese (40 cal) 2 tbsp Honey Dijon dressing (70 cal) 2 oz Chicken Breast (62 cal) 

TOTAL=331 calories

Mid Afternoon Snack: White Chocolate Think Thin protein bar (230 calories)

ZERO SUGAR & GLUTEN FREE! (Yes, it still tastes good)

Dinner: 1 cup chicken chili (220 cal) with 1/2 oz goat cheese (40 cal)

TOTAL=260 calories

I made sure I consumed 2 liters of water (0 cal) 

I also had a tablespoon of Justin's Creamy Natural Almond Butter after dinner (95 calories) as well as a cup of nonfat milk before bed (90 cal) 

TOTAL=185 calories

Bringing my total calories of the day to 1,226!! Not only did I not feel hungry or tired throughout the day, but I was also 194 calories under my daily budget.

I did a lot of working out the past few days as well as keeping up with my teaching schedule: (highlighted are workouts -outside of teaching-)

THURSDAY- Walked around with Apollo for 30 minutes running errands on foot, walked 2.5 miles to the studio, taught Kids Hip Hop ages 9-12 for an hour, & then walked another 1/2 mile to another studio to TAKE a Barre Fitness class.

FRIDAY- Taught a Barre Fitness class, caught the last 40 minutes of a Zumba class (I was late from the time it took to drive from one studio to another...) took a Body Pump (strength training with weights) class, then am going to teach another Barre Fitness class this evening.

So far, I'm feeling really great! I was afraid that monitoring my calorie intake would make me sluggish & irritable. Luckily, this is not the case :) Monitoring my water intake is probably the most difficult thus far...I'm not much of a water drinker unless I work out.

NOTE: Having to go to the bathroom so much is a total hassle >:-(

I hope you enjoyed my informative blog on what my daily calorie budget looks like as well as my workouts outside of my teaching schedule! :)

WEEK 1: NFL Cheerleader audition training

I am so blessed to have started rehearsing with such great women that all have common goals! 

*Get Fit

*Eat healthy, nutritious food for fuel (not entertainment)

*Dance daily

...AAAAAANNNNNNDDDDDDD...

*Make the 2012-2013 Seattle Sea Gals team!

My first meeting was this past Saturday with a former Sea Gal (we'll call her "Miss Q") to talk about my look and play around with makeup. She wanted to highlight my green eyes, so she used purple/plum shadows on my eyes. She also used an airbrush system for my foundation. SUCH a cool experience to have your makeup airbrushed on! She also used false lashes to help accentuate my eyes...I've been wearing those for dance competitions since I was 10 years old!

For my first practice, I met with Miss Q and the other girls at the Kirkland Dance Center on Sunday at 11:00am and we worked on a kick-line routine, reminding me of how exhausting kicking is!! Feedback from the other girls was that my kicks were really strong. This came as sort of a surprise to me seeing as how I haven't "high-kicked" in a routine since last year's auditions. I was only able to stay for half of the rehearsal time since I had to instruct a Barre Fitness class at 12:00pm. 

For Monday's rehearsal, we worked on the kick-line routine as well as across-the-floor routines including turns, kicks, and looking sexy-sassy ;) We also did a routine to "Drop It Low" by Kat DeLuna which was more in my comfort zone :)

 I'm meeting with Miss Q next week to come up with a fitness/nutrition plan for me as well as getting my first personalized spray-tan of the season! 

It's really difficult to get out of a normal, comfort-zone routine, but I'm looking forward to the challenge!!