After almost 4 years, I’ve decided to end my blog.

It’s been through multiple incarnations, from pinkvanillacupcakes.com to redefiningsuzi.com, and I’ve moved from Blogger to SquareSpace to WordPress within those years. I loved having a place to write, to share my life, to grow, and to find a voice within the crowd.

But, all good things must come to an end. I knew an end was coming. I haven’t had time to devote, inspiration to draw from, and frankly, desire to talk about anything on here. It’s not a dry spell, it’s not something I thought about lightly, it’s just time.

I’ll be forever grateful for the experiences, the friendships (which will CONTINUE!!!), the revenue and the fun perks that being a blogger afforded me. I LOVED it all.

I’ll still post photos and mini updates on my Tumblr page–which is totally NOT a blog. And, of course, TWITTER. I still love posting to Instagram and link up to great articles and even share updates on my running journey! I am in the progress of printing out my blog and turning it into a book.

Thanks for all the support and love.

Suzi

THIS. RIGHT. HERE. (via Pinterest)

Truth: I almost shut my blog down.

I felt like I lost my voice. I didn’t think I had anything more to say other than whining about my weight loss struggles, my non-existent half marathon training, my job issues, etc. Whine whine whine. 24/7. It permeated everything I did. My status updates on Facebook were whiney. My Tweets were whiney. I couldn’t imagine writing another blog post and for it to be whiney.

So, no more whine. Truth is, I don’t have much to whine about. In the big universe-sized picture of it all, I am pretty damn happy. I love my family. We have a great house that we want to grow old in, our kids are awesome, and we both have jobs that we love (I LOVE MY NEW JOB), and we are healthy and our family is healthy. I am good.

I am back at work and am really enjoying my new position. The office is very casual and very fun to work in. It’s fun to be in downtown St. Paul and to be able to explore the city. The commute is pretty easy, too. I miss my carpool time with Jason and the girls, but we’re adjusting.

I also have started to actually train for the half marathon. I am now working out in the mornings and have started to really up my running. Meaning: I now try to run. I have a LONG way to go, but I’ll get there. I also rejoined WW. It takes me a few weeks to get back into the groove, but I am doing ok. I am definitely drinking more water which is good.

I found some really great running blogs that have been inspiring to me. Runs for Cookies and From Fat to Finish Line are the two that I am loving right now. Both writers are very inspiring. I get so inspired by reading other people’s stories of how they learned to run and lost weight. I am also digging all the running magazines and running stuff including iPhone apps, clothing, shoes, etc. I am working on a blog post about all of my finds. It’s so fun shopping for running stuff!

Thanks for putting up with my whinyness lately, glad it didn’t drive you away.

Here’s to less whine in 2012!

Without further adieu, here are my 2012 Goals:

1. Drink more water every day.
2. Exercise consistently.
3. Train for the 10k in April and the half marathon in August.
4. Be kinder and have more patience.
5. Follow through on my commitments and projects.
6. Be a better wife.
7. Cook more meals.
8. Save more money.
9. Read more books.
10. Figure out my DSLR camera.

That’s it. What are your goals?

Suzi.

So, I accepted a new position with my company last week. I had several interviews for positions all over my company and accepted a position that I know will be very exciting and challenging. I will be working at a different location, this time in downtown St. Paul. I am excited for the change of scenery and for meeting new people. I will miss working in my current location and the people I work with, but I have a feeling that we may run into each other again sometime down the road.

So, with the stress of the job situation mostly going away, I am turning my focus on getting back in control of my health and my diet. I haven’t been working out like I should be. My half marathon training is non-existent at this point and my diet is well… not good. I am feeling pretty awful and I hate how I look. During this month or so of job turmoil, I barely worked out. Ate whatever I wanted, and slept poorly. I feel like I aged a bit and I gained a few pounds. Not cool, dude.

So, first things first, I am heading back to Weight Watchers. I am not waiting until January to start. I am starting on Wednesday, dammit. I don’t really care about the “holidays” or missing my favorite foods, etc. I want to start now. In fact, I might go before Wednesday just to get started. Trying to find a meeting that fits the crazy schedule of hockey, work, etc is hard. And, my favorite leader only runs a few meetings so I have to work around when she is there, too. So complex!

I am excited to get back into the right mindset. I am excited to resume my half marathon training and to settle into a new job. It’s been a very crazy, stressful, amazing, and eye-opening month or so. I am glad it’s over, but more than that, I am glad it happened.

Thanks friends for all of your support and words of encouragement during this crazy time. I really appreciated it more than you can know.

Suzi

It’s hard to gear up for the holidays right now. Our house is decorated and it’s lovely. We are going to the Mall of America tonight to see Santa and that is always a great time. Did you know the REAL Santa is at the Mall of America? He sure is.

I have bought just a few presents so far. It’s so hard to buy when things are so uncertain. Yet, it’s not fair to the kids either. It’ll work out, it’s just hard to not think about it all the time. I know when I look back at this experience I will be grateful for  it. Whatever happens next will be a new chapter and I am looking forward to it.

I just wish I knew already.

Disney on Ice is returning with a great new show— Treasure Trove! We LOVE going to see Disney on Ice, its so fun and its always a good time.

Here’s a little blurb from Disney about the show: 

Discover endless riches when Disney On Ice presents Treasure Trove comes to your hometown! Disney On Ice sets the gold standard with its newest skating spectacular. Get tangled up in Disney’s50th animated feature with Rapunzel and Flynn and enter the worlds of your other favorite Disney princesses –Tiana, Cinderella, Jasmine, Ariel, Sleeping Beauty, Belle, Mulan and of course, the one who
started it all, Snow White. Ahoy, Mateys! Set sail with Peter Pan, the always sassy Tinker Bell and the cantankerous Captain Hook and his pirate pals on an adventure beyond Never Land! Trek the wilds of Africa with Simba, Nala, Pumbaa and Timon as they discover the true meaning of the ‘Circle of Life.’ Tick-Tock! Tick-Tock! Don’t be late to a very important date with Alice and the Mad Hatter as they march with the Queen of Hearts’ Army Of Cards. Be sure to see this show full of memories guaranteed to last a lifetime.

SHOW SAVINGS OPPORTUNITIES

4 tickets for $44 on select show!  A total savings of $20!

Discount valid on all weekend evening performances (Friday 7 p.m. / Saturday 7 p.m. / Sunday 5 p.m.)   Offer in effect Monday, November 28 @ 10 a.m. through Wednesday, November 7 at 10 p.m.

Offer Valid toward regularly-priced $16 tickets only, excludes VIP and Front Row Seats. Offer subject to ticket availability.  For best seats redeem as soon as possible. Valid on up to 12 discounted tickets. Not to be used in conjunction with any other discounts, premiums or rebates.

To Redeem:

Call 1-800-745-3000 Use code: MOM or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com/venueartist/49594/1606655 with code: MOM.  (Offer subject to service and handling charges)

Hope to see you there!

Disclaimer: I received complimentary tickets for a performance. I do think its an amazing show, so definitely go!

Park in Upper Dublin, PA

I missed the normal “Thanksgiving Blog Post about Being Thankful” window by a few days. Sorry about that. It’s been hectic here to say the least and I took some time off from my blog to focus on well, being focused.

Turns out that finding a new job requires every. ounce. of energy you have. It’s hard to NOT think about it. Every minute. Every day. I am not one of those people that like to be without purpose, without a project, without a job. So, I’ve been doing two jobs lately–finishing up my current job before the end of the year and finding a new job before the end of the year. So much fun!

I’ve had several different interviews for positions and all of them went well and all of them are for interesting positions. I hope to hear something soon. In the mean time, my family traveled to Philadelphia last weekend for a much needed break with our family. Specifically, Jason’s family. The weather was amazing and we had a very nice time. Jason even gave me his first class upgrade seat on the way there so I traveled in luxury! All of those work trips finally paid off!

I spent a day looking for and applying to jobs that interested me. Jason and I had heart to heart talks about the stress and anxiety we felt, we took a big family walk before Thankgiving dinner, and relaxed. We played WAY TOO MUCH on our iPads all weekend. If you are looking for a good game, download UNBLOCK ME. It’s addicting.

I am thankful for having such wonderful in-laws. They love us and are so fun to be with. The girls had a blast and we all enjoyed the weekend. I am thankful that we had a safe trip and that we had time to relax before the week started again. I am thankful for the possibility of snow, the possibility of a new job, the friendships I have with my co-workers, and love and optimism I have from my family.

This whole experience has been more rewarding than not. I am actually very thankful for this experience.

It took losing my job to see how much I actually had.

Happy Thanksgiving.

Suzi

It is almost a week since Black Tuesday, or the day I found out my job was being eliminated at the end of the year. This week has been a whirlwind of emotions—both good and bad.

I am very sad about having to leave my group and these wonderful people that I’ve worked with. I am really sad to leave the projects I was working on and leading. I am sad that the ideas I was working on will now float away and won’t see the light of day. I am also mystified as to why ANY company tries to solve short term problems with long-term and very costly solutions. But, that’s a whole other topic!

I am resolved to turn this unfortunate turn of events into a killer opportunity to do something that challenges me. I am looking for positions that are exciting, challenging, daunting even. My next job is out there and it will be awesome.

I feel like I need to prove my worth. {Mostly to myself} My self-esteem took a direct hit last week, that’s for sure.  I know I would kick butt in whatever position I accept. I am a killer strategic thinker and can identify problems and find and implement the right solutions.  I know I didn’t lose my job because of my performance or lack thereof. I know it’s a numbers game. I get it. I do. So, I am staying positive, reaching out to my network for support and advice, and will land a new position soon.

You have to stay positive, right?

That’s my goal.

suzi

I found out today that my job will be eliminated at the end of the year. I am sad beyond belief. I love what I do, who I work with, and most of all, the company I work for. I get that the economy is still in the toilet and our business is still trying to rebound, etc. I just didn’t think I would be affected so directly.

I left this morning after hearing the news, and went home. Not going to sugar coat it, I was really really upset. Humiliated. Embarrassed. Angry.

The worst part was the thought of having to tell my girls. I couldn’t not tell them, even if they didn’t understand. Chloe asked if I would miss my “work friends”. Of course, I said, but I was hoping to find a new job but just in a different group. Chloe thought that was a good idea. . Kaitlyn suggested I become a police officer or work at the Water Park of America. Awesome.

Aside from not being able to sleep, I am ok. I am determined to make the most of this and hopefully find a new position within the company. I love my company and do not want to leave. So, hopefully that is what will happen.

I’ve said before that I’ve dodged the layoff bullet many times before in my career and my number had to come up soon. Well, it did and I am glad it’s over and I can deal with it.

I am going to go back to work this morning like normal, continue to work on all of my projects like normal, and stay positive. Things happen for a reason, right?

Let’s hope so and this is just the beginning of an awesome new experience.
Suzi

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE WINNERS: Suzy, @LutherLiz, Rosie, Janet, and Erin. I will contact you today for your information!

I am all about making small choices that make big differences. Not just food-wise, but in other areas. For example, I’ve switched to natural peanut butter and almond butter instead of processed peanut butter. I don’t buy water bottles and reuse the BPA free water bottles that we have. I HATE to buy water bottles. We use recycled bags for our grocery bags now.

I am working on making small healthy choices in my diet too. Like drinking more water, eating more fruits and vegetables and cutting out the crap. One of the healthy choices I am making is to consciously add more fiber to my diet, including taking FiberChoice supplements. They taste good and I know it helps.

So, what small choices have you made to create a healthier life? 

Post a comment on Redefining Suzi about the small choices you make for better health and how winning would help you reach your goal of recharging your health routine.

5 winners will be selected at random to win a $50 Visa Gift Card! 

I will announce the winners on Friday, November 11th.

Good Luck!

Rules/Disclaimer:

I have partnered with GlaxoSmithKline to help promote the FiberChoice “Choices for Better Health” campaign.  I have been compensated for my time commitment to the program, which includes writing about my choices for a healthier lifestyle, and hosting a giveaway where the prize has been provided by FiberChoice.  However, my opinions are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF
WINNING. LEGAL RESIDENTS OF THE 50 UNITED STATES (D.C.) 18 YEARS AND OLDER. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED. Sweepstakes ends August 31, 2011. For Official Rules, prize descriptions and odds disclosure, visit www.redefiningsuzi.com.

Sponsor: GlaxoSmithKline,
1500 Littleton Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054

Your post will be disqualified if it is indecent, obscene, hateful, tortious, defamatory, or libelous or contains material that violates or infringes another’s rights, or disparages Sponsor or any other person or party affiliated with the Sweepstakes, or contains material that is unlawful in any way or violates the terms and conditions of the blog.