Most of you know that I recently had an unexpected appendectomy...good times!  As much as I would love to write about my experience with that, I have so many other things saved in "drafts" that I need to get out..plus, my experience isn't quite over yet!  So...if you really want to know about appendectomies, stay tuned!

In the meantime, I promised you a tutorial on how I did my recent chalkboard wall...Like months ago!  Yes, I suffer from self-diagnosed ADD and have a really hard time NOT getting distracted.  That's why this project is something I am proud of because it was soooooo easy and soooooo fast.  Fast enough for me to start and finish in one day-minus shipping time!



First... I ordered this "Blackboard Wall Decal" from plumdistrict.com (they have some great deals)! It was only $9 and is 6 feet long x 1.5 feet wide!  I only needed about 2.5 feet and the width was perfect!

Second...Once I received the decal, I measured my space and simply cut the 6 foot roll in one straight line to give me what I needed.  You can get fancy and create a shape, but for me, a straight line was simple and what I wanted.

Third...Very carefully and with the help of a ruler to keep the air bubbles out, I stuck the Blackboard Decal to my wall!  It took all of 3 minutes!

Fourth... I wanted a border to frame out the decal.  I felt it looked unfinished.  As I was running errands that afternoon, I stopped by Lowe's to check out their wood framework.  I didn't see anything that I loved but what I did see inspired me to do what I did.  They had a "rope" design piece of wood frame that I would have had to cut, prime and paint.  But a light bulb went on...I actually have some real rope leftover from an old project that I thought would be perfect!

Fifth..As soon as I got home, I found that extra rope!  And what do you know...it was the EXACT length I needed.  It couldn't have worked out more perfectly!  I grabbed our staple gun and stapled the rope to the wall...and felt so accomplished as I did!

Sixth...I needed something to cover the ends where the rope ended.  I looked around my house and found some shells in a candle holder and waa-laa!  Hot glued that little sucker right in the middle!

Seventh...Chalk!  The wall decal came with chalk, but I needed to have it in a place where I wouldn't lose it!  So, I nailed a tiny nail into the wall, hidden in the rope.  I then tied a piece of string around a piece of chalk...and attached the other end of the string to the nail!

Eighth... I sat back and literally patted myself on the back because not only was I proud to have started and finished a project in one day, but the only money I spent specifically on this project was less than $13 including shipping fees!  Now I just need to figure out how to use the rest of the decal!  More projects!!!

Ninth... Last but not least...write, draw, do whatever you want to decorate, leave messages, etc.  I chose to use it as a message/behavior chart/chores board for my boys!  I use clothes pin to mark where they are on the behavior chart...we've had fun with it and best part is....IT WORKS!!

You do not have to do this exactly how I did it...but hopefully you will see that you can do it as easily as I did.  Just think out of the box...use items that you already have...and put them to good use!  It's all about recycle, reduce , reuse!  Good luck and as always, HAVE FUN with it!!

Well Hello Mama's!!  It's been a while!  I woke up and it's suddenly 2014...HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I have been a bit MIA just dealing with, well, Life.  I'm sure you all know how that goes.  It's now time to get back at it!  I'm so far behind that not only have you probably set your new year resolutions, but some may have already been broken!  Yikes!
I decided not to have any specific resolutions this year, rather just spend a bit more time focusing on the positives in my life.  2013 was probably one of the hardest years to date...for me.  While I had some really great HIGHS, I had some pretty low lows!  Hopefully I have gotten a handle on the lows and will turn those into my 2014 highs!  When I look around, I realize I have a lot going on.  I am a mother (in other words a doctor, a chef, a chauffeur, a cheerleader, a personal shopper, a tutor, etc....), a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a CrossFit Kids Coach, a CrossFitter, a runner and of course a Hot Green Mama!  How in the heck can I be perfect in all areas?  It's simple...I can't!  But, I can set goals and priorities and do my best!

Enter my weekend at the CrossFit Kids Trainer Course....AMAZING!  UPLIFTING!  INSPIRING! MOTIVATING! HUMBLING!  The effect that we, as parents, teachers, coaches have on our children is so much deeper than I really ever thought about.  I think I get so involved in my every day nuances that I haven't really stopped to think how every choice, every word, every situation, every moment, every meal is essentially setting the groundwork for our children.  WE are our children's future., to a degree, and it's a bit overwhelming when you think about it.  That's why it is our job to teach, lead and inspire every child, in every moment, every day!  While yes, I learned how to Coach CrossFit Kids, I more so re-learned the effect that my being has on not only my own children, but every child that steps foot in my class!  Whoa!

Something one of the trainers said really spoke to me...I took it as a general life lesson.  
He said, "Do Less Better."  Of course.  Do less better, duh!  Seems simple.  Focus on being in the moment.  Don't think about the future while you're living in the present.  How many times are you playing with your child(ren) while thinking about all of the other things you can and/or should be doing? GUILTY!  How many times are you on a date night with your husband talking about what needs to be taken care of at home. How many times do you say "yes" when in reality you KNOW you should be saying NO?  My goals are to do better at the things I am SUPPOSE to be doing rather than what I feel like I SHOULD be doing or WANT to be doing.   Keep in mind, this is relative to YOUR situation and YOUR goals...no one else's!  

Focus...Focus....Focus!  

I have a challenge for you...and this goes for me too!  Pick one thing at a time that you want to change for the better.  Whether it's focusing more on your children, your relationship, your health, your job etc.  Pick just ONE.  Once you feel you have improved in that...move on to the second.  And so on...  Put dates and deadlines to your goals.  Seriously, if you need help, Google search "goal setting worksheets" and I guarantee you will find one what suites you!  Try to be realistic, we all know setting shorter goals provides greater achievements.  "DO LESS BETTER!"

CHEERS to a fantastic 2014...may it be healthy, happy, fulfilling, challenging and balanced!

ANOTHER SUBMISSION BY GUEST BLOGGER, MR. HGM!

So I just got back to exercising after taking a week and a half off to visit with family and to reacquaint myself with Captain Morgan. The time with family was great (helped in part by the Captain) but needless to say I was hurting a good bit during yesterday’s workout. In fact I was doggin’ it so much so that I had to walk during an 800 meter run. 
However, as I was walking and trying to catch my breath I feel a tug on my arm followed by a woman saying, “let’s go, you can do this”! So to save face in front of this woman whom I had never met before, I picked up the pace and started to jog along side of her. As we were jogging we started to chat; she told me that this was her first day back, to which I replied, “yeah I took the holiday off as well”. She politely responded, “No this is my first day back after having surgery 7 weeks ago”! As she explained the surgery, I couldn’t help but to pick up my own pace and complete the workout in a more respectable manner than that in which I had started. 
So with all that being said, I’d like to give a special shout out to this woman for her encouragement and for the gentle reminder that my challenges aren’t always as big as I sometimes make them. If fact it’s pretty safe to say that there is always someone out there who has a bigger mountain to climb… nice to know she’s attacking her own head on and helping others along the way!
FITNESS TIP OF THE DAY: Vodka mixed with Gatorade is not considered a sports drink. Who knew…?

Hi.  My name is Jennifer and I took the CrossFit Level 1 Trainer course and......FAILED!  Yup, that's right my friends, I failed!  As in, I did not pass.  As in, I need to take it again!  Why am I sharing this with you?  Why not?  I share positive situations and experiences, why not share this not so positive one.  

So many thoughts went through my head after receiving my results...I have an amazing opportunity once I pass this course...did I just blow it?  Will people judge me because I may think I know what I'm doing but because I failed this test, I don't?  Am I even good enough to be coaching other people?  This can't be possible...there must be a flaw in the system!  Did I really just see FAIL under my name?  Are you freaking kidding me?? How did this happen?  Did I time it wrong? Should I have waited until the boys were back in school and my mind wasn't so flustered? and so on and so on....


After throwing a minor temper tantrum like a toddler,  I realized that part of my being upset is not necessarily because I failed a silly test, but because I was embarrassed to tell anyone that I failed a silly little test.   Don't let me fool you, I am devastated that I didn't pass this written test.  I have been doing CrossFit for a year and a half, and I know this stuff. Ha!  I may know how to show up to class, lift heavy stuff, do way too many burpees, hang upside down, do a double-under and feel like I've had my butt kicked after an hour but this 55 question test is telling me I don't!  And THAT, is discouraging and quite frankly a confidence buzz kill to say the least. 


If you follow my personal facebook account, you may remember a post from last week that said I have learned "the ability to accept humility."  This quote has been put to the test!  After spending the afternoon with my supportive family...husband, kids, mom, dad, brother, sister-in-law....the people who KNOW me and LOVE me unconditionally, I tried, stubbornly tried, to see the light in all of this.   We are all our own worst critics so that was (is) hard.  Well, I woke up and decided it was a new day and instead of hiding behind my "FAIL," I'm going to announce it to whoever reads this!   I am not a failure!  I am not stupid. I am not less of a person/crossfitter because I failed a silly, tricky little test.  I am a better person because I tried.  I am a better person because I am learning the "ability to accept humility" and that is harder than any test.  AND I am a better person because I already signed up for my re-test and I KNOW exactly where I need to focus my studies!  I do need to find clarity in the difference of "best" vs. "most important.'  They seem pretty lateral and interchanging to me?! But what do I know?! Haha!

Failing is one of life's biggest lessons and tests.  It's a lesson that knocks you down but forces you to move on and do better.  It's also a test to see HOW you pick yourself up and move on.  HOW you take that negative and turn it into a positive.  And THAT my friends, is exactly what I am going to do...pick myself up, move on, study harder and focus on my daily blessings that I know give me a passing grade!  And dang it, if I have to wait a few more weeks to get my 25% off new CrossFit shoes, well, I guess I'll have to wait!

So here I am...on a 2 week vacation in Lake George, NY, with Mr. HGM's side of the family...1st, 2nd & 3rd cousins, etc.  Our boys couldn't be happier as they not only have other boys to play with but access to fishing, swimming, boating, paddle-boarding, ping pong, tag, go-carting, acorn throwing... (with an adult's consent of course.)  Mr. HGM is working, and he really is, so while the boys are in camp for 4.5 hours, what is a mama to do?  Everything, nothing, a little of this, a little of that..how about WHATEVER I WANT?!  Today, being the first day I have this time to myself, I chose to take a little run home along the lake after dropping the boys off.  
I want to remind you we are up in the Adirondack Mountains and for this Florida girl who doesn't get a whole lot of running in, this was going to be a little challenging!  I have run up here before when I actually used to consider myself a runner, but this time around the only exercise that I have been doing consistently is CrossFit.  So this run was much anticipated.  Could I do it without stopping?  Could I do it at all?  This may sound silly but running in the mountains is not like running in Florida..especially the last 400 meter HILL leading up to our house!  I should mention, this run I'm about to embark on is only 1.2 miles. hahaha

So, I put on my headphones (yes P!NK) and just started running!  Quick story quicker...I ran the entire 1.2 miles along the beautiful lake, around corners and bends and finally up my nemesis of a hill WITHOUT STOPPING!  WooHoo!  I think I can say in the 17 years that I have been here, this run was easier than ever.  It may seem like a small defeat to some but for me it was a measure of not only my athletic ability but also my mental!  Everyone knows I'm a big advocate of CrossFit but today just proved to me that CrossFit does what it is meant to do and that is to "prepare you for any physical contingency."  So, not only could I do the run (as short as it was) I did with with excitement, I finished with the feeling of wanting to do more and mentally I overcame a portion of the road because my strengthened mentality has become forever changed with the "I CAN do this" attitude!  

Once my quick little spurt of running was over, I was able to complete a quick little 21-15-9 workout including wall-balls, sit-ups and push-ups!  Then I filled the rest of my time eating breakfast and visiting with more cTomorrow is a new day and with a new day comes new challenges...maybe a 2.1 mile run? Maybe this one will end with a quick jump in the lake?!  

Special Blog Submission by none other than MR. HGM!  I didn't even ask him to do this....enjoy!

So this past Friday I decided to take the family out to our favorite burger spot.  Now before you go patting me on the back for a terrific act of kindness, keep in mind that this is the place that offers up free burgers during your birthday month; and seeing that both my wife and youngest son have birthdays in July, I figured this was a great deal for all involved…  so off we went.  Plus we did have to hand our oldest son’s friend back to his parents.

                                                In any case, when we arrived I immediately went inside to secure a table while my wife handled the exchange AND our two boys (7 and 5 respectively).  Again my motive wasn’t that altruistic because I did have a thirst for a cold beer and standing outside in the humidity didn’t quite fit the mood.  So in I went where I was politely greeted and escorted to a comfortable booth in the back.  Very shortly after I was seated by the hostess, the waitress came and introduced herself.  She proceeded to lay out the menus and take my drink order (4 waters for the table plus 2 beers, 1 for the wife and one for me).  And YES, we earned those beers!  After all, it was a long week and at last count the boys’ hand all fingers and toes intact and the lady and I were still sleeping in the same bed together (counting even the smallest of victories is important sometimes).

                                                So while sipping my frosty beverage and enjoying a moment of solitude while the rest of the crew was still outside, I came to the conclusion that I was going to order a salad!  I know, I know… you don’t order the steak at a seafood restaurant and you probably don’t order a salad at a burger joint.  Crap, if you’re a man at all you probably don’t order the salad.  HOWEVER, I just recently re-introduced myself to the fitness world and I feel like I’ve been making some decent progress.  Of course if you’ve been reading any of the HotGreenMama posts you likely know that my wife has been doing an admirable job of keeping herself healthy despite the demands that a young family can put on even the strongest of wills; so I guess her choices are rubbing off on me too.  And while I made my decision, I still needed a strategy to ensure I didn’t change my mind.  My strategy to make certain I would follow through with the salad concept was to never again look at the menu.  Nope, never again prior to ordering, because I knew that even one tiny peek at the double stacked burger loaded with bacon and cheese would mean immediate re-consideration.  Although, if you’ve been following me at all, you know I have another Ace in the Hole when it comes to the food…

                                                So the family finally comes to the table and my wife gifts me a delicate smile for the adult beverage that greets her arrival.  At this point everyone is hungry and after the boys’ and my wife quickly scan the menu they are ready to order.  The attractive woman across from me orders a bun-less avocado burger (no surprise there), while my 7 year old goes with the adult cheese burger complete with lettuce, tomato, onion and a side of broccoli (not too surprising here either because he typically goes with the healthier side choice – rarely will he even drink a soda), but her comes my Ace in the Hole!  Yup, that would be my 5 year old who could consume the entire contents inside Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory and then ask, “What’s for dessert”?  He is a slam dunk and part of the reason I am ordering a salad.  Why is he part of the reason for the salad concept you ask?  Because my boy is going to order fries, and the fries at this place are endless, so who do you think is going to help him eat all that tasty fried goodness?  ME… of course!  So now the waitress comes to him and asks, “would you like fries with that…”, but to my astonishment he replies, “No thank you, can I get the broccoli please”?  WHAT?!?!?!?!  Immediately the questions mount in my head like, where is my son, what just happened, am I losing my hearing, etc…?  Now instead of doing what my heart wanted, which was to scream out “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO”, I quickly collected myself, mustered up my indoor voice and re-engaged back into the wonderful goofiness that this particular table provides.

Until now, I have never spoken about this horrible and personal injustice.

                                                After dinner and as we drive home I glance over at the attractive girl from dinner that ordered the bun-less avocado burger and conclude that she is the one to blame.  Of course, why didn’t this come to me sooner, like at the dinner table-booth thingy?  After all she has very subtly been teaching our boys about healthy food, and why healthy food is important for their bodies.  I have also watched as she takes the boys out to our very small garden; talking to them about what vegetables we are growing and fielding questions as to how big they might get or what they might taste like.  I swear at one point our 5 year old would have been more terrified of eating a tomato then being eaten by a shark, until he helped Mom grow them (not sharks, the tomatoes… stay focused).  Now he won’t just eat them but he’ll actually ask for them.

                                                So as I selfishly kept trying to figure out exactly why I didn’t end up with fries that night, I inadvertently came to the conclusion that our boys have one hell of a coach.  After all, every successful team needs a good coach/front office manager/owner; someone who takes time to study the game, to understand that each player is their own individual with different dreams, someone who will do their best to equip their players with the right tools to be successful, but also a person who will call them out when they aren’t performing, while having the presence of mind to understand when they’ve had enough for one day.  But most interesting was to witness that when 1 leads by example, you’ll get at least 3 people to follow.  HEY, I did end up getting the salad didn’t I!

                                                As a final note and so that you don’t walk away thinking we’ve turned all sugar-free vegan on you, I will let you know that this Saturday night our boys will still put together a full blown campaign demanding that “Doughnut Sunday” be a weekly tradition and not monthly.  But hey, Doughnuts or not, I’ll sleep well knowing their Mama has already instilled in them some sound qualities that will prove valuable down the road.



-MR. HGM