It's Vacation Time!

It's that time!! Whoot! I'm leaving on vacation tonight, y'all!

Me and my honey are Las Vegas bound and I couldn't be more excited!  With all that has been going on... and work... and stress... and kids... and diet... and ball... Yup, I need a break!

At this time tomorrow, I'll be waking up to the sights and sounds of Sin City and I won't have a care in the world! We've got the room booked, most meals already purchased or vouchers for free (thank you MyVegas) and the concert tickets are bought! I am so looking forward to this laid back trip.

We've done most things in Vegas since this will be our third trip together (my fourth), but don't get me wrong! Vegas is always changing and there is ALWAYS something new to do or see... For instance...

The Worlds Largest Ferris Wheel

It opened in March, and it's supposed to have some amazing views.  I'm NOT a fan of Ferris wheels, but I MAY attempt this one.  You see, my fear is falling, not heights. These "pods" are supposed to be fully enclosed and able to house 40 people at a time... SURELY I can't fall out of it.  However, at $30ish dollars a pop... It may or may not happen.

There is also the above referenced sign... all these years of going and I still haven't seen that damned thing! We're hoping that this is the year for it! Did you know that there is a WEB CAM you can view of the sign all day? It can get pretty interesting sometimes! lol

And speaking of web cams... Here's one where you can watch the exact view that I'll have from my room! It's not LIVE, but it refreshes every so often to a new view. Seriously. The camera is right above the room we stay in and you CAN NOT beat that view.  I can go to bed watching those every night this week and I will NOT get tired of it!

Fitness/Health wise this week... I'm kinda on vacation. But, I'll be doing ten times as much walking as I would EVER do at home.  I'm really hoping that offsets all the yummy goodness that I will be consuming! I plan on logging as much as I can, I plan on continuing my protein shakes and vitamins in the mornings, and I plan on keeping track of just how many miles I will walk in one short day. I also plan on weighing in when I get back, just to see how damaging a week of vacation can be to your diet, kinda like I did at Christmas, here and here.

If you'd like to read more about what we're planning for this trip, you can check out this post that I did back in March.  If you've got questions, I've probably got answers! I'm a Vegas fanatic and would love to go back time and time again... all in the same year.

Also! Don't forget about the AMAZING giveaway that Alicia over at BrewMama is doing right now! 18 wonderful women (myself included) have pitched in some awesome fitness gear to win and you seriously do not want to miss out on this. you can enter HERE on my original post, or HERE on Alicia's page! GOOD LUCK! She's featuring all of the bloggers that went in on this giveaway the past couple of days and my day happens to be today... Hop on over there and read all about it! 

AND- I've started a Facebook page for anyone that's interested... like me up! And a new Twitter account too... so you don't have to read all my personal complaints or gripes! LOL Still on MyFitnessPal as well- NickoleM123 and IG as NickoleM123- I haven't made an account for the blog as of yet... Check me out, subscribe, like, whatever ya wanna do... I appreciate each one of you!  You inspire me to keep going and to keep blogging!

I guess that's all I've got for now folks... I've got lots to do before we leave tonight, so I need to get my butt in gear!

Have a great week ya'll! I'll be landing back in good ol Oklahoma on next Monday night, so there may be a re-cap on Tuesday! :)

A Wednesday off course.... Vegas Baby!

I promised a post about Vegas, and a post about Vegas you will get! I know it's Wednesday, and it's normally weigh in Wednesday, but I'm taking this week off. I've got a lot going on, not to mention, the new challenge with Adie, so I'm holding off until Sunday for my weight and new measurements. Now, back to one of my favorite things on earth...

Darrell and I go to Las Vegas yearly.  Usually around the last two weeks of April, and for a week each time.  Most people don't like to spend a whole week in one certain destination, but I'm the type that would rather spend a long time in one place, than to spend a short time hopping around.  I don't want to miss anything, and if I'm hopping around from town to town, I'll for sure miss something.

We usually stay at the Jockey Club located on the strip, just between the Bellagio and the Cosmopolitan, and across from Planet Hollywood.

This place is perfect for us since it's located where it is, doesn't sit directly on the strip and is a non-gaming casino.  While it would be nice to be able to sneak down and play some slots while my honey sleeps in, in the mornings, it's nice to not have to fight your way through smokey crowds to go to bed when I want to.

The Jockey Club is a Condo/Suite/Resort type location, so it's a little more family-friendly than some casinos, plus it's so much quieter. But, don't think for one moment that you'll get gypped on hospitality! I book directly with one person EVERY year.  Johnny Hul is an amazing asset to the Jockey Club and always is so wonderful to work with when it comes to our stay.  He makes note of our preferences, is always quick to answer any email or question I may have, and is always accommodating.  Also, I've noticed that over the past 3 stays, Tess has always checked me in.  She's also just as accommodating and is always a friendly face after a long flight.

The Jockey Club has 1 & 2 bedroom suites, as well as studio suites.  They all have a kitchen, a bed and usually a pull out sofa as well.  They still do daily cleaning, making the bed, straightening up sort of stuff, and request that you only place necessary towels to be laundered in the baskets. We can usually use the same towels for a couple of days, but we always get new rags. And they still change the sheets once a week. Seriously y'all. If you're looking for a great place to stay, I definitely recommend the Jockey Club.

And seriously... Who doesn't want THIS to be your view in Vegas? I was lucky enough to wake up to this and go to sleep to this.  Every day. Literally.  This was taken from my window. The fountains are my absolute favorite thing about Vegas to be honest. I could just pop-a-squat in front of the Bellagio and be perfectly happy. Alas, I still have to work, and while I'm actually there, Darrell likes to do stuff. (so do I, I suppose) Good news? The Jockey Club has a webcam so you can watch them from home. Or the office... or wherever! When it gets really close to our trip, I find myself watching it more and more. :)

Last year, Darrell and I went to the Tournament of Kings at Excalibur.


Basically, if you're familiar with the Dixie Stampede in Branson, MO, then this is the same thing, but with knights and horses.  You're sat in a "country" you cheer your country on, and you eat with your fingers. :) My honey is in to knights and armour and all, so it was a fun thing for him.  I enjoyed to too, food and all! I suggest doing this you've got an open night while there, or if you're going with kids. Tickets aren't too terrible, and if you're like us, you can get it for FREE! That's right, I said free.

Facebook has a game called MyVegas Slots. It's basically a slot machine that you can collect coins to play with (for free) and you rack up Loyalty Points. When you're ready, you cash in the LP's for free stuff within the MLife properties and their affiliates! things range anywhere from free desert at certain restaurants, to free stays and free meals. They have also brought on a couple of really nice affilates as well.  This year, we'll be getting our 5 day Monorail tickets for FREE! ($38.75 value/ea) Anyway, I'm not here to sell you on playing those damned Facebook games that everyone sends all those pesky invites for (I promise I only send them to people I know that play), but if you're looking to save some dough on your next trip there, I'd suggest at least looking it over.

This year, we've decided to see Elton John at Cesar's! WHOO-HOO!

I can't wait! Every time I've been in Vegas, it's been an off week for Elton.  This time... it works! I'm very excited to finally see Sir Elton, and I expect it to be so much better than I ever imagined! LOL.  We're about 8 rows back from the stage... Can't get any better!

I also hoped to see Britney (Bitch) while we were there too...

She's across the street from our hotel at Planet Hollywood this year and while I'd love a meet and greet too... it seems she's sold out directly from Ticketmaster. While I know this girl has gone off the deep end lately, once a fan, always a fan.  I'd love to see her. I'm not going to break my back to see her, but I think it'd be fun. Maybe next year if she's still in her residency.  Fun Fact: Britney is the youngest artist to take up residency in Las Vegas. (according to Jordan Miller with http://www.breatheheavy.com/)

I'm also excited about going to Tiffany's. (as always) We make it a point to visit a Tiffany's whenever we're around one since they don't have them in dear old Oklahoma. A couple of years ago I purchased a cupcake pendant for my current Tiffany's necklace I already had,

and then my necklace broke. :-/ I've sent it off to be repaired, and I expect it back in a week or so. Plenty of time to be able to wear it in Vegas again.  This year, I'm going for a poker chip pendant, I think.

 Darrell has challenged me with an incentive to lose weight. He's offered to pay me $10 per pound lost, by the time we leave for Las Vegas, to spend at Tiffany's.  Now, I know our trip is only 5 1/2 weeks away, so I probably won't lose that much, but, I'll add it to my budget so that I can buy my poker chip. :)

That's my post on Vegas for now, I hope you've enjoyed it, as well as the Weigh in Wednesday break. I'll be back with more info on the challenge with Adie as well as the starting weights and measurements later this week.  Wish me luck and Happy Hump Day!

Weigh in Wednesday

It's that time of the week again, and because it's also a new month, I've got measurements for you too.

This weeks weigh in?

Yup.  All four of those were taken within a couple minutes of each other. WTF? So, I'm going with 216.4 I suppose. Just average it out, right? It's a small loss, and small is better than nothing, right?

And here are this months measurements compared to last months.

 

that's bust, under bust, waist, tummy (at belly button), hips, thighs, biceps.

And this months photos? I can't tell a difference in, but here they are, I'll put January and March up:

I really have no idea what I'm doing, I just hope that something works... and soon! lol I think that the stair climbing I've added has done some good. I lost well over an inch in one thigh... although a little weird that its only in one. My arms have gotten bigger, even though I'm not doing anything to do that to them... so that's a little confusing. My hips dropped an inch... so much that I re-measured three times, just to be sure. Bu apparently my boobs got bigger? Ugh, I need those puppies to get just a tad smaller. Please.  And thank you.  Amen.

In Monday's post, I mentioned breaking down my gaols into monthly smaller goals. I need to lose about 8 pounds this month to get back on track for my 30 by 30 campaign. And in order to reach my 18# goal by the time we leave for Vegas.  Momma needs money to spend at Tiffany's. I also need to figure out how to get rid of that Shar Pei on my back... blech... 

I also set a goal to workout 30 mins a day, for at least 4 days a week. I've started back on my yoga videos (again, I know) and also am doing a couple of IG challenges. These are my photos from #MarchYogaWithJoJo up until today... 

Anywho- Congrats to one of my favorite bloggers and IGer's Valarie at Fab Chick Gets Fit... She hit 10K followers on IG overnight! WHOOT! Check her out and give her a follow!

I also wanted to say thank you to everyone that posted kind words on last weeks post.  I'll be able to elaborate soon, but each thought was felt and appreciated. THANK YOU!

Since it's Wednesday, it's linkup day... Heather and Ashlee here...

And hopefully Nina this afternoon.
Have a great week y'all and make it count... It's almost tank top season!

Weigh in Wednesday

Well here it is folks... 

The same as last week. :-/ this number is a little frustrating since I did so well this week food wise, and also started my yoga back. My goal was to keep on losing about 1-2# a week, so that I can drop another 18# by vacation. But I don't really see that happening. Oh well. 

I did manage to get my exercise in this morning for the #stopandgivemethirty IG challenge this month.

As you can see, I've planned my month out already.  I'm doing flights of stairs M-F (cause I only have stairs at work) and increasing my one flight a day, until I hit 10. We're going to Vegas in April, and there are LOTS OF STAIRS.  I want to be in much better shape than years past, so that I don't get worn out and have to stop for breath.  

I'm also doing yoga daily.  As you can see, I'm alternating between the two DVD's I have every day, just so I don't get too relaxed in the one.  The Target video I have has 5 different videos on it, and while I only do one of the five, the others require blocks or straps and I don't have any of those... yet. 

The goal for the challenge is to get in at least 30 minutes of activity a day, for 30 days.  There are two additional days built in to the challenge for those of us that just can't get to it one day, or quite frankly, just don't want to. Wish me luck! 

I also want to wish my little sister a Very Happy Sweet 16th Birthday today! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DES!!

And this is my face today... I've ran off and forgot to put contacts in or grab my glasses... So while I can see the computer screen, I can't see very far from my face... DANGGIT

Anyway, linking up with Ashley and Heather once again this week... 

Everyone have a great week and try to make it count!