Finding An Oldie But Goodie

Since the start of June, I have been making an extra effort to get more fit and in better shape.  I was a bit active prior to that, but I decided that it was time to take it up a level, and get myself on more of a schedule.  Between my work schedule (2 days a week) and The Tim's (3 days a week), we made a deal that on the days he works but I don't, he would take Hamlet for a walk in the mornings.  This meant that I had three early mornings that did not have to be "scheduled," and I decided that the best way to take advantage of that was to make sure that at a minimum, I did some serious exercise on those mornings.  

I did OK with this during June and July, but didn't commit as diligently as I should have.  At the end of July, I decided to make myself more accountable.  So I started a list for each week of August and it looks kinda like this:

Week of August ___

xxx pounds ; arms * body workout * pilates

We have a weight scale, and I know it isn't that accurate, but for the purposes of accountability, I decided to include my weight for that week, done on Sunday mornings before I eat breakfast.  

This has been really working for me, as knowing it is "written down" somewhere has made me much more disciplined to exercise.  And not always killer exercise - but something that moves me around/stretches/builds strength on my three free mornings.  

Besides just exercises that I already know, I have found TONS of YouTube videos that have been helpful.  So another reason I think it's working, is because I have some variety.  

But I gotta tell you, the other day I found that someone had put an oldie but goodie on YouTube, and yesterday, I did that workout.  Remember this woman?

It's Susan Powter - you know, STOP THE INSANITY!!

Back in the day, I had one of her strength building exercise videos, and though I always thought she was kinda weird, that workout was a killer, and really good.  Plus, there were things that I found amusing even back then (spoiler alert: they still amused me yesterday!), and that's always a bonus.  So I decided to give it a try again yesterday.  I gotta tell you, it kicked my butt, and I'm feeling it today, but it also felt good to find something that I already knew had worked for me in the past.

Of course, once we are back to work regularly in the building, I don't know how dedicated I'll be to my exercise schedule.  I already get up really really early on work days (4:45 a.m.), and getting up even earlier to exercise makes me feel like it might not even be worth going to bed ... 

In the meantime, I'm doing what I can to be more healthy and more fit.  My weight (at least according to our inaccurate scale) hasn't really changed, but I can detect things about my body that make me know my fitness level has improved.  That was my goal, and I have to say, now that I'm more regular about it, I don't have to do as much talking-myself-into-exercising work.

Oh, and Susan Powter?  Here is what she looks like today, according to several different sources, including ABCNews:

Hm.

Keeping My Head Happy

I have fine, thin, very straight hair - but a lot of it!  Seriously, when I get my hair cut, I'm always shocked at how much is on the floor for them to sweep away.  I wear my hair short, and even elaborate products (when I use them) don't seem to last very long.

Even though my hair is short, in the summer I do a LOT of sweating - not glowing, or perspiring, but straight up sweating!  And so when I wash my hair, I always want to use something that makes *me* feel like it got clean.  A few years back, I tried some of the Paul Mitchell Tea Tree shampoo and really liked it.  The minty-ness of it made me feel like my hair and my head were clean and refreshed.  However, being that it is a "designer" shampoo, it's pretty expensive, even though I don't have to replenish things that often.  So after buying it a couple of times, I just went back to normal, everyday shampoo.  Though I'm somewhat picky, it's not really for any consistent reason, so as long as I could find something I liked, it was all good.

Moving right along, one day last fall, I was at Trader Joe's for something specific we like that is only found there, and I decided to take a look-see and check out the personal care aisle.  Guess what I found???

Ta-da!!!!

I was so surprised (I know, maybe you all already know about this, but I didn't), and pleased because it was maybe more expensive than some of the drugstore shampoos, but not a lot more, and it was much less expensive than any of the 'fancy' ones.  So I bought a bottle to try it out. (It was maybe $7.99? - sorry I forget, as it's been a while since I purchased it.)

And now that I have been using it - yes, the same original bottle - for nearly a year, I have to say, it's a keeper.  You don't need to use much to get a good lather going, and the tea tree and other botanicals feel so very good on your scalp.  It's just plain old refreshing, even if it's not during the heat of summer.  

So if you are looking for a shampoo that is a step above the plain, everyday ones that are pretty much everywhere, and you are near a Trader Joe's, I recommend that you try this one.  I can guarantee that your head will be happy too.  😊