I guess I should be disappointed but I am trying my best to have a positive attitude. Weigh in this morning was not what I wanted. Results +1.5. I am keeping a positive attitude though because I am pretty sure this weight gain is not because of anything I did. I think it has more to do with what I didn't do and what I can't control.
The what I didn't do is exercise. When I started blogging my weight loss, I was gung ho about working out. I made sure that I found time to do it. These past few weeks, have been crazy busy and I have done nothing but crave a minute to sit down for awhile. So, that is what I didn't do.
The what I can't control happens once a month in the wonderful world of us women. You all know what I'm talking about. Excess weight gain once a month due to bloating, water retention, and various cravings of foods that are no-nos. Of course, men don't have to worry about that. They can just keep on losing and losing without a bump in the road unless they put that speed bump there themselves. Thankfully it is just one week a month. Next time I step on that scale, I am hoping it is back to negative numbers.
I already did my 30 minute workout this morning. Had a nice healthy breakfast. An apple for a snack and anticipating a salad with chicken pieces for lunch. My goal this week is to try my best to incorporate the 10 minute Big Weight Loss workouts into each day.
Here's to a new week and the anticipation of negative numbers next Wednesday.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday Treats
Every Wednesday, my girls get out of school a half an hour earlier than normal. I think it has something to do with school improvement. Anyway, last year I started a new tradition that is looked forward to with much anticipation each week. I made Wednesday a "Special Treat" Day. Each Wednesday, I make the girls a special treat for when they come home from school.
Some of the treats that have been devoured have been Rice Krispie squares, cookies, muffins, cupcakes, trail mix, hot chocolate. I will admit there are times that I have gotten busy and forgotten. I can usually make up for it with a trip to the gas station for a slushie or a trip to the ice cream shoppe for a sundae. The wrath of three girls that have been cheated out of their Wednesday treat is not something I want to mess with.
This year has been fun so far. For the first Wednesday after they go back to school, I always make them the Pillsbury already made cookies that just have to go in the oven. I get the one's with the school buses on them. I just think they are so cute!
The other Wednesdays in August, I made them Rice Krispie treats (because mommy was craving them), mini cinnamon muffins, and then Grandma B. gave them each a dollar to go up to the gas station to get a slushie.
In September, I decided to try something different. I decided to find a snack that pertains to the month we are in. Thanks to the September edition of Family Fun Magazine, my September treats rocked!!! The first treat I made were these Candy Apple Cookie Pops. They were not the easiest things to make (and I probably won't make them again) but they turned out cute and the girls loved them. I had my friends two girls over that afternoon and they were crazy for them as well.
The next week I made these cute little Back to School cupcakes. Wendy had just had an expander put in her mouth and I needed to make something soft she could eat. These cupcakes were just the thing. Of course, they was a little bit of arguing over who was going to eat which one.
This past Wednesday, I made acorns for their snack. I told the girls when I walked over to pick them up from school, that they were having acorns for a snack. I think they were kind of worried that it might be true because Ellie has been picking up acorns from the backyard and bringing them in to use as a table decoration in the kitchen. They laughed when they saw them and then there were none.
I know these aren't the healthiest snacks around, but it's the memories I am making that makes up for it. They only got two cookies pops each, one cupcake, and three little acorns. I try to make them eat healthy for breakfast, lunch, and dinner all week, a once a week sugar buzz should be fine. Besides, this also gives mommy a time to be creative and to do something I enjoy. I love to cook and bake things but the clock and I are always in a race. The clock usually beats me everytime. This way, I know it's Wednesday. I need to have the ingredients handy and my creative juices flowing.
Thanks to my new obsession, Pinterest, I have found the cutest Wednesday snack ideas for fall, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I should be set to go until 2012. My problem is going to be picking out which snack to make the girls!
I am glad my girls look forward to this every week. I love being able to do something for my girls that makes them happy. After all, isn't that one of the great perks about being a mommy?
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Wednesday Weigh In Weeks 9-12
I am still here! I haven't blogged a Wednesday weigh in for 4 weeks. Life kind of got in my way this month. Have been doing alot of homework with the girls, Girl Scout stuff, Church stuff, and family maintenance. By the time I thought of blogging, it was so late and I was just too tired. The next couple weeks were just the same. But I am happy to say that even though I haven't been blogging about it, I have still been weighing in every Wednesday.
Let's review. Last time I blogged, I had hit my 1st goal of 10 lbs lost. As a "way to go" gift for me, I ordered two Gooseberry Patch cookbooks (which I collect and absolutely love). I ordered Comfort Foods and An Old-Fashioned Country Christmas. I love getting goodies in the mail. I then set my second goal for 30 lbs gone. From Sept. 7 through today Sept. 28. I have lost another 5 lbs. I am now at 224. Down 15 lbs since I started.
I have been so busy that I don't have time to snack. I haven't even been snacking on the healthy foods. I need to get back into my eating routine so that I can keep my metabolism up. I am also sorry to say that I have only done a couple of workouts in these past few weeks. It is just so hard to find time for myself. I am so busy doing for everyone else, that I don't have time to take care of myself.
Overall, I am pleased that the progress is still going forward and not backward. I am hoping that I can get in some kind of groove to get my workouts in. Maybe then I will be able to see some bigger numbers on the scale gone. Thanks for all the prayers and motivation. I am getting there. It may be slow but it is going.
Let's review. Last time I blogged, I had hit my 1st goal of 10 lbs lost. As a "way to go" gift for me, I ordered two Gooseberry Patch cookbooks (which I collect and absolutely love). I ordered Comfort Foods and An Old-Fashioned Country Christmas. I love getting goodies in the mail. I then set my second goal for 30 lbs gone. From Sept. 7 through today Sept. 28. I have lost another 5 lbs. I am now at 224. Down 15 lbs since I started.
I have been so busy that I don't have time to snack. I haven't even been snacking on the healthy foods. I need to get back into my eating routine so that I can keep my metabolism up. I am also sorry to say that I have only done a couple of workouts in these past few weeks. It is just so hard to find time for myself. I am so busy doing for everyone else, that I don't have time to take care of myself.
Overall, I am pleased that the progress is still going forward and not backward. I am hoping that I can get in some kind of groove to get my workouts in. Maybe then I will be able to see some bigger numbers on the scale gone. Thanks for all the prayers and motivation. I am getting there. It may be slow but it is going.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
A Surprise For My Friends
I look forward to a certain time each day. Some days it's early, some days it's late. This certain time of day comes during rain, sleet, snow, and hail. This certain time of day does not show up on Sundays or holidays. Can you guess what certain time of day it is? It's mail time! Sometimes I wish I had Mailbox from Blue's Clues so that he could announce my mail delivery with some pomp and circumstance.
Christmas season is an awesome mail getting time! I love going to the mailbox and finding it stuffed with Christmas cards. But, the rest of the year can be kind of sad when nothing pours in except bills, junk mail, bills, advertisements, and more bills. Sometimes "occupant" gets more mail than I do. Of course, there is the occasional magazine subscription once a month that is a happy surprise when you open the mailbox.
Today at church, a friend of mine (Emily) reminded me of a ministry we had at a different church we both attended in Collinsville about 10 years ago. Emily told me that she was recently going through a box and inside she found a "care card" from me that I had sent to her when she was getting ready to leave for basic training. Along with mine were several other cards that she had kept all these years. A "care card" was just a plain postcard stuck in the pouch of the church chairs that you could just take and write a word of encouragement, a happy thought, or to let someone know that you were praying for them. You could drop them in a certain spot and the church would put on the postage and mail them out to the recepients. Every once in a while you had a nice surprise waiting for you in your mailbox. I remember getting "care cards" from people praying for Harry and I when we were trying to have a baby, cards just to say hi and thanks for being a friend, and cards with nothing on it but a verse from the Bible.
With e-mail, facebook, twitter and texting, sending "snail mail" has almost gone to the wayside. People don't even pay their bills through the mail anymore. Everything is paid through the computer. People complain about the continuing rise of the cost of stamps as a reason they don't write or send cards anymore. Really, your family and friends aren't worth 46 cents? Even less if you send a postcard!
As I have contemplated Emily's words from this morning, I am going to make a new goal for myself and try to send my friends a little bit of "happiness" to their mailboxes a couple of times each month. Who doesn't like to find a nice surprise waiting for them to brighten their day? Even my four year old asks me almost everyday, "Did I get any mail, mommy?". So be on the lookout! If I have your mailing address you may find a nice little surprise in your mailbox someday soon.
Christmas season is an awesome mail getting time! I love going to the mailbox and finding it stuffed with Christmas cards. But, the rest of the year can be kind of sad when nothing pours in except bills, junk mail, bills, advertisements, and more bills. Sometimes "occupant" gets more mail than I do. Of course, there is the occasional magazine subscription once a month that is a happy surprise when you open the mailbox.
Today at church, a friend of mine (Emily) reminded me of a ministry we had at a different church we both attended in Collinsville about 10 years ago. Emily told me that she was recently going through a box and inside she found a "care card" from me that I had sent to her when she was getting ready to leave for basic training. Along with mine were several other cards that she had kept all these years. A "care card" was just a plain postcard stuck in the pouch of the church chairs that you could just take and write a word of encouragement, a happy thought, or to let someone know that you were praying for them. You could drop them in a certain spot and the church would put on the postage and mail them out to the recepients. Every once in a while you had a nice surprise waiting for you in your mailbox. I remember getting "care cards" from people praying for Harry and I when we were trying to have a baby, cards just to say hi and thanks for being a friend, and cards with nothing on it but a verse from the Bible.
With e-mail, facebook, twitter and texting, sending "snail mail" has almost gone to the wayside. People don't even pay their bills through the mail anymore. Everything is paid through the computer. People complain about the continuing rise of the cost of stamps as a reason they don't write or send cards anymore. Really, your family and friends aren't worth 46 cents? Even less if you send a postcard!
As I have contemplated Emily's words from this morning, I am going to make a new goal for myself and try to send my friends a little bit of "happiness" to their mailboxes a couple of times each month. Who doesn't like to find a nice surprise waiting for them to brighten their day? Even my four year old asks me almost everyday, "Did I get any mail, mommy?". So be on the lookout! If I have your mailing address you may find a nice little surprise in your mailbox someday soon.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Wednesday Weigh In - Week 8
It is an exciting day for me on weigh in Wednesday! I was bummed last week because I missed the first goal I set for myself by .5 lb. This week, I am excited to say that I have made my first goal of 10 lbs lost. -1 lb this week. To congratulate myself, I am buying 2 Gooseberry Patch Cookbooks for my collection. Yay me!!
Last week, I also set a goal to add some weights into my workout. I did get a couple of workouts in this past week. I can't believe how sore my arm muscles were from doing 2 sets of lifts with a measly 2 lb weight. That just goes to show how out of shape I'm in. I used to lift weights all the time in college, now I'm lucky to lift 2 lbs over my head 15 times. Sad, but...it's a start with the weights and I am pleased that I followed through. I even had a little personal trainer helping me along the way. The book that I am reading said that when you hit your 30's because of hormones and lifestyle changes, you start losing 1/2 to 1 lb of muscle a year. Because of this, your metabolism slows down 1% for every lb of muscle lost. Then, your percentage of body fat increases. That doesn't sound very promising for me as I push very close to 40. The book goes on to say that if you work every major muscle group just twice a week, you can replace 2 lbs of lost muscle in 8 weeks, therefore increasing your metabolism and dropping more wieght.
I am really pleased with my eating habits. They have changed tremendously in the last 8 weeks definitely for the better. I don't feel full all the time because I'm not snacking all the time and the snacks that I am eating are low fat, low cal. My focus this week, is to increase the strength training to 5 days a week.
My new overall goal to achieve is to lose 31 lbs. 31 lbs will take me into the 100's which I haven't seen in a very long time. I know it's a long and tougher goal but I am hoping that will make me work harder. As a side goal there is a pair of jeans that I have that I would like to get into before the cold weather hits. Here's hoping for a good week.
Last week, I also set a goal to add some weights into my workout. I did get a couple of workouts in this past week. I can't believe how sore my arm muscles were from doing 2 sets of lifts with a measly 2 lb weight. That just goes to show how out of shape I'm in. I used to lift weights all the time in college, now I'm lucky to lift 2 lbs over my head 15 times. Sad, but...it's a start with the weights and I am pleased that I followed through. I even had a little personal trainer helping me along the way. The book that I am reading said that when you hit your 30's because of hormones and lifestyle changes, you start losing 1/2 to 1 lb of muscle a year. Because of this, your metabolism slows down 1% for every lb of muscle lost. Then, your percentage of body fat increases. That doesn't sound very promising for me as I push very close to 40. The book goes on to say that if you work every major muscle group just twice a week, you can replace 2 lbs of lost muscle in 8 weeks, therefore increasing your metabolism and dropping more wieght.
I am really pleased with my eating habits. They have changed tremendously in the last 8 weeks definitely for the better. I don't feel full all the time because I'm not snacking all the time and the snacks that I am eating are low fat, low cal. My focus this week, is to increase the strength training to 5 days a week.
My new overall goal to achieve is to lose 31 lbs. 31 lbs will take me into the 100's which I haven't seen in a very long time. I know it's a long and tougher goal but I am hoping that will make me work harder. As a side goal there is a pair of jeans that I have that I would like to get into before the cold weather hits. Here's hoping for a good week.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Wednesday Weigh In - Week 7
Good morning! A week has come and gone and it's time to weigh in again! Those weeks sure do seems to fly by. Hoping to meet my first goal this week. Here we go....-2.5lbs. Missed my goal by half a lb!!! Well that's a bummer. But the good news is that I will have it next week so I better start thinking of a reward for myself.
Once again, exercise has been an important part in my weight loss. I have gone for a walk every day this week. Sometimes it was very early morning before the girls went to school, sometimes after dinner when Harry got home from work. I am really enjoying it!!! One of the books I am reading says that "walking just 1 hour a week slices your risk of having a heart attack in half". I think my heart might love me for all the walking that I am doing. I did fail in one aspect. I was going to start some weight training this week and I didn't. So, that is my goal for the week. My cousin Becky let me borrow a book that has easy 10 minute workouts using weights. Stayed tuned to see how it turns out.
Making sure I ate healthy lunches was helpful in my weight loss this week, too. Lean ham sandwiches on one slice of bread, turkey bacon sandwich, a salad with oven roasted chicken pieces (Schwann's has oven roasted chicken bites that are fully cooked and only 90 calories for 6 pieces), and tuna fish salad with Miracle Whip light on toasted English muffin. Pretzels, pickles, and fruit have been used in the place of chips. Need to pick up some celery and carrots the next time I'm at the store to add to my lunches.
Thanks to my husband for watching the kids so I can go for my walks this week and thanks for saying we're broke so that I have to stay home and cook instead of going out to eat. :) A big thank you to all of you for giving me postive reinforcement to keep going. It helps tremendously to know that you are being supported by friends and family. Looking forward to next week when I reach my first goal and making plans for my second goal in weight loss.
Once again, exercise has been an important part in my weight loss. I have gone for a walk every day this week. Sometimes it was very early morning before the girls went to school, sometimes after dinner when Harry got home from work. I am really enjoying it!!! One of the books I am reading says that "walking just 1 hour a week slices your risk of having a heart attack in half". I think my heart might love me for all the walking that I am doing. I did fail in one aspect. I was going to start some weight training this week and I didn't. So, that is my goal for the week. My cousin Becky let me borrow a book that has easy 10 minute workouts using weights. Stayed tuned to see how it turns out.
Making sure I ate healthy lunches was helpful in my weight loss this week, too. Lean ham sandwiches on one slice of bread, turkey bacon sandwich, a salad with oven roasted chicken pieces (Schwann's has oven roasted chicken bites that are fully cooked and only 90 calories for 6 pieces), and tuna fish salad with Miracle Whip light on toasted English muffin. Pretzels, pickles, and fruit have been used in the place of chips. Need to pick up some celery and carrots the next time I'm at the store to add to my lunches.
Thanks to my husband for watching the kids so I can go for my walks this week and thanks for saying we're broke so that I have to stay home and cook instead of going out to eat. :) A big thank you to all of you for giving me postive reinforcement to keep going. It helps tremendously to know that you are being supported by friends and family. Looking forward to next week when I reach my first goal and making plans for my second goal in weight loss.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Back to School Time
It's that time of year again! Bedtimes are once again 8 p.m., Hello Kitty alarm clock blasting out Radio Disney at 7:00 a.m., lunches being packed, one crying because she doesn't like what I made her for lunch, the other one crying because she doesn't want to wear those clothes, the third one crying because the other two don't want her to walk to school with them. Yes, it's back to school time!
I love back to school time! Of course, I kid the girls and tell them it is mommy's most favorite holiday in the whole year. I start the first day of school count down with weeks to go. Every time we pass by the school, I wave and say "see you soon". They think it's because mommy needs a 10 month vacation (which I do) but the real reason is I am so excited to be starting the year right there with them.
When I was a kid, I enjoyed going to Wal-mart to purchase my back to school supplies. I would put my own name on them and have them just so. I'm still going to Wal-mart to purchase back to school supplies and putting names on them and having them just so, except this time I have to pay for them with my own money. The girls love it too. They have fun picking out the color/design of a folder or notebook they want, putting crayons, markers, pencils, and glue sticks, and glue sticks, and glue sticks in the cart. Then you have to go clothes shopping. Deciding what to wear on that first day of school can wear you out alone. My girls are still young enough that I can say "Hey, how about this cute outfit?" in an upbeat sing songing tone and they are like "Yeah!". At this point it doesn't matter if it came from Target rather than Abercrombie & Fitch just as long as it's new. I'm sure that won't last too much longer, since the pre-teen years loom very close in my future.
Another thing I loved about the first day of school was seeing who your teacher was and who was in your homeroom class that year. Especially the boys. I won't put the boys names on here since many of them are my facebook friends. I wouldn't want to embarrass myself by making known my 5th grade crush from some 30 years ago. It was great seeing all your friends that you didn't get to see over the summer. Everyone talking at once, jumping up and down, admiring clothes, shoes, and boys together.
I love when the girls come home from school and are excited about what they did or the happenings that took place at school that day. I love seeing the art projects they made and their ecstatic faces when I oohh and aahh over it and then hang it up on our special wall in the kitchen for all to admire. I love spelling words!!!!! I love listening to them read their homework to me while I'm cooking dinner. Not too fond of the math, but I survive it by putting on a fake happy smile that says "Math is cool" and then pass it off quickly to daddy. (Sorry Mr. Derwort, Mrs. Danford, and Mr. Lewis, I still don't get it). I love when they get excited about incentives they can earn from the treasure box, or parties they are having, or family reading nights, fall festival nights, grandparents day, parents day, and book fairs. Ah, the book fairs.
From starting out in the little kindergarten building in Marissa with a half day of class and Mrs. Kuhnert as my first teacher, all the way through college to my senior year at Blackburn with my favorite college professor Dr. Singh right there along side of me, I always loved the first day of school. I see the excitement in the girl's eyes as they start their 2nd and 3rd grade years and I just hope and pray that excitement carries them all the way through their senior year in whatever college they choose (as long as it's close to home, sniff, sniff, tear, tear).
I love back to school time! Of course, I kid the girls and tell them it is mommy's most favorite holiday in the whole year. I start the first day of school count down with weeks to go. Every time we pass by the school, I wave and say "see you soon". They think it's because mommy needs a 10 month vacation (which I do) but the real reason is I am so excited to be starting the year right there with them.
When I was a kid, I enjoyed going to Wal-mart to purchase my back to school supplies. I would put my own name on them and have them just so. I'm still going to Wal-mart to purchase back to school supplies and putting names on them and having them just so, except this time I have to pay for them with my own money. The girls love it too. They have fun picking out the color/design of a folder or notebook they want, putting crayons, markers, pencils, and glue sticks, and glue sticks, and glue sticks in the cart. Then you have to go clothes shopping. Deciding what to wear on that first day of school can wear you out alone. My girls are still young enough that I can say "Hey, how about this cute outfit?" in an upbeat sing songing tone and they are like "Yeah!". At this point it doesn't matter if it came from Target rather than Abercrombie & Fitch just as long as it's new. I'm sure that won't last too much longer, since the pre-teen years loom very close in my future.
Another thing I loved about the first day of school was seeing who your teacher was and who was in your homeroom class that year. Especially the boys. I won't put the boys names on here since many of them are my facebook friends. I wouldn't want to embarrass myself by making known my 5th grade crush from some 30 years ago. It was great seeing all your friends that you didn't get to see over the summer. Everyone talking at once, jumping up and down, admiring clothes, shoes, and boys together.
I love when the girls come home from school and are excited about what they did or the happenings that took place at school that day. I love seeing the art projects they made and their ecstatic faces when I oohh and aahh over it and then hang it up on our special wall in the kitchen for all to admire. I love spelling words!!!!! I love listening to them read their homework to me while I'm cooking dinner. Not too fond of the math, but I survive it by putting on a fake happy smile that says "Math is cool" and then pass it off quickly to daddy. (Sorry Mr. Derwort, Mrs. Danford, and Mr. Lewis, I still don't get it). I love when they get excited about incentives they can earn from the treasure box, or parties they are having, or family reading nights, fall festival nights, grandparents day, parents day, and book fairs. Ah, the book fairs.
From starting out in the little kindergarten building in Marissa with a half day of class and Mrs. Kuhnert as my first teacher, all the way through college to my senior year at Blackburn with my favorite college professor Dr. Singh right there along side of me, I always loved the first day of school. I see the excitement in the girl's eyes as they start their 2nd and 3rd grade years and I just hope and pray that excitement carries them all the way through their senior year in whatever college they choose (as long as it's close to home, sniff, sniff, tear, tear).
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Wednesday Weigh In - Week 6
Good morning! Wednesday weigh-in is here again. Was a little worried about this week. We went up to the state fair this past weekend and you know there is really not anything good to eat at a fair. I didn't do too bad though. I had a grilled pork chop sandwich, a few bites of the girls funnel cake, and a slushie. Today the results showed that all is good. Down 2 lbs this week! Proud to say that I am 3 lbs away from my first goal.
I am feeling better than I have been in awhile. The last couple of days Harry has had to work late so I actually got up in the morning to walk before he left for work. The most I have hit the snooze is twice, which is really good for me. I can go a half hour or more just hitting that snooze button.
I am still soda free. Been drinking alot of tea and water. I am actually craving water probably because I am trying to be more active. I have exercised everyday this week! Walking around 2 days of the state fair was definitely considered exercise! I have gone out to eat at restaurants a couple of times this week and made good choices even though those onion rings smelled so good! Can't give into temptation now.
Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat. My favorite things to eat for breakfast are: Kelloggs Nutra-grain waffles, chocolate Cheerios, Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Toast, and I have made my own egg and cheese biscuits by using 100 cal English muffins, fat free cheese, and a scrambled egg. I also have a great recipe for French toast using hot dog buns. They are delicious and really low in calories and fat. Of course, fruit has continued to be present as much as possible. Throw in some turkey bacon that we occasionally have and I could eat breakfast for lunch and dinner too. I know some people usually skip a meal to try to lose weight but that is not helpful at all. Especially breakfast. Breakfast should be the biggest meal you eat while dinner should be the smallest. What do you have for a low-cal breakfast? Would love to get some new ideas to change it up.
This week, I will be pushing on to reach my first goal. I will continue to exercise everyday and watch what I am eating. I also may try to add in some weights this week. I leave you with this quote that I found in a book I was reading. Albert Einstein once said, "nothing happens until something moves". He was probably talking about science but it works just as well with shedding lbs. and exercising.
I am feeling better than I have been in awhile. The last couple of days Harry has had to work late so I actually got up in the morning to walk before he left for work. The most I have hit the snooze is twice, which is really good for me. I can go a half hour or more just hitting that snooze button.
I am still soda free. Been drinking alot of tea and water. I am actually craving water probably because I am trying to be more active. I have exercised everyday this week! Walking around 2 days of the state fair was definitely considered exercise! I have gone out to eat at restaurants a couple of times this week and made good choices even though those onion rings smelled so good! Can't give into temptation now.
Breakfast is my favorite meal to eat. My favorite things to eat for breakfast are: Kelloggs Nutra-grain waffles, chocolate Cheerios, Pepperidge Farm Cinnamon Toast, and I have made my own egg and cheese biscuits by using 100 cal English muffins, fat free cheese, and a scrambled egg. I also have a great recipe for French toast using hot dog buns. They are delicious and really low in calories and fat. Of course, fruit has continued to be present as much as possible. Throw in some turkey bacon that we occasionally have and I could eat breakfast for lunch and dinner too. I know some people usually skip a meal to try to lose weight but that is not helpful at all. Especially breakfast. Breakfast should be the biggest meal you eat while dinner should be the smallest. What do you have for a low-cal breakfast? Would love to get some new ideas to change it up.
This week, I will be pushing on to reach my first goal. I will continue to exercise everyday and watch what I am eating. I also may try to add in some weights this week. I leave you with this quote that I found in a book I was reading. Albert Einstein once said, "nothing happens until something moves". He was probably talking about science but it works just as well with shedding lbs. and exercising.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
My Granny's Birthday
Today would have been my Granny's 86th birthday. This is the first time in 38 years that I'm not sharing her special day with her. Instead, she is celebrating her birthday with my Gramps and Jesus. I guess I shouldn't be too jealous. She hasn't celebrated a birthday with my Gramps in 26 years. I hope he has been saving up those presents for her all of those years or he is sure to hear about it. And to be celebrating with Jesus! I can't even imagine what kind of a bash that would be!
Granny never really did make a big deal out of her birthday. We usually got together to celebrate her birthday, mom and Jayme's birthday, and the Coal Fest (hometown picnic) all in August. She loved getting cards. She read every single one of them word for word. She loved sending them as much as receiving them. I've already missed several special moments this year where I was expecting a card to show up from her. I still remember the present I gave her last year for her birthday. It was pictures of the girls, some hair gel she ordered from Avon, and three wooden birds to hang on her Christmas tree. Those three birds now hang in my girls bedrooms to remind them of Granny.
I finally got up enough nerve to go out to the cemetary for the first time since she passed away. My problem with going out there may seem silly to some. For years, I had taken Granny out to the cemetary to put flowers on my Gramps grave. Her name was already on the tombstone but not the date of death. I just didn't want to go out there and see those four numbers next to her name...2011. But...I knew I had to go out there because I had vowed to make sure that Granny had pretty flowers on her grave. She always had flowers on my Gramps grave for every birthday/holiday since he passed away in 1985. Mom, my girls, my nephews, and I went out there yesterday to put flowers on her grave. Mom got some pretty pink and purple flowers to put on there and my sister and I got 2 balloons to put on there from the kids. The kids sang Happy Birthday to her and that's when I proceeded to lose it.
I still miss her very much every day. There are times when I want to just pick up the phone and call her to see if she wants to come over for dinner or if she needs to go to the store. Somedays I am lost without her but I am coping. I have wonderful memories that I look back on that always make me smile or laugh. I have something in every room of my house that reminds me of Granny. There is not a restaurant or store in the three city area that I don't have some kind of memory with Granny over the years. We had a wonderful relationship. Of course, there were times when she got on my nerves but they were few and far between. She was my rock to lean on, my sounding board when I needed to vent, and my helper whenever I needed it.
Granny was a wonderful person and a perfect grandma. I can only hope that when it is my turn to become a grandma that I will be as wonderful as she was. Happy Birthday, Granny! I love you and miss you so very much!!
Granny never really did make a big deal out of her birthday. We usually got together to celebrate her birthday, mom and Jayme's birthday, and the Coal Fest (hometown picnic) all in August. She loved getting cards. She read every single one of them word for word. She loved sending them as much as receiving them. I've already missed several special moments this year where I was expecting a card to show up from her. I still remember the present I gave her last year for her birthday. It was pictures of the girls, some hair gel she ordered from Avon, and three wooden birds to hang on her Christmas tree. Those three birds now hang in my girls bedrooms to remind them of Granny.
I finally got up enough nerve to go out to the cemetary for the first time since she passed away. My problem with going out there may seem silly to some. For years, I had taken Granny out to the cemetary to put flowers on my Gramps grave. Her name was already on the tombstone but not the date of death. I just didn't want to go out there and see those four numbers next to her name...2011. But...I knew I had to go out there because I had vowed to make sure that Granny had pretty flowers on her grave. She always had flowers on my Gramps grave for every birthday/holiday since he passed away in 1985. Mom, my girls, my nephews, and I went out there yesterday to put flowers on her grave. Mom got some pretty pink and purple flowers to put on there and my sister and I got 2 balloons to put on there from the kids. The kids sang Happy Birthday to her and that's when I proceeded to lose it.
I still miss her very much every day. There are times when I want to just pick up the phone and call her to see if she wants to come over for dinner or if she needs to go to the store. Somedays I am lost without her but I am coping. I have wonderful memories that I look back on that always make me smile or laugh. I have something in every room of my house that reminds me of Granny. There is not a restaurant or store in the three city area that I don't have some kind of memory with Granny over the years. We had a wonderful relationship. Of course, there were times when she got on my nerves but they were few and far between. She was my rock to lean on, my sounding board when I needed to vent, and my helper whenever I needed it.
Granny was a wonderful person and a perfect grandma. I can only hope that when it is my turn to become a grandma that I will be as wonderful as she was. Happy Birthday, Granny! I love you and miss you so very much!!
Wednesday, August 10, 2011
Wednesday Weigh In - Week 5
Ok, it is Wednesday again and time for the weekly weigh in. Whose with me????
This week I really worked at watching what I ate and exercising. I was completely without soda this week. Nothing but water and tea. I walked outside 4 days, did the elliptical 2 days, and 1 day nothing. So that scale better be kind to me today or out the window it goes. OK, here we go!! This week I am -5 lbs!!! Yay, Me!!!
That makes me feel so much better. Vacation weight is gone plus the 1 lb I lost when I started 5 weeks ago. Now only, well a lot more to go. But I'm not going to focus on that. I am still shooting for my first goal of 10 lbs lost. Halfway there!!! I went to the doctor last Friday just for a yearly check up. She did bloodwork to find out how my cholesterol and glucose were due to my obesity. Everything came back normal. Which I was thrilled. I'm not ready to start popping pills for this and that yet. Just need to shed these lbs.
As I said in an earlier post, the walking outside has actually got me more motivated to exercise. It is a change of pace and scenery. I have something to look at when I walk and fresh air to breathe. I think I will keep it up as long as I can. I have been walking for a half an hour a night at a pretty brisk pace. Still can only do about 20 minutes on the elliptical. I really push myself to hard on that thing. I can't seem to keep it at a slow and steady pace.
Here are some of the fun things I have found to eat that have helped me lose this week. I have to have a snack. If I don't have a snack, I will crave it and then just relapse. My favorite by far is the Kellogg Fruit Crisps. You get 2 crisps for 100 cal. They have strawberry and blueberry flavored. It's like your cheating and eating a pop tart. Of course, I need my chocolate so I get that fix from chocolate animal crackers (13 crackers for 100 cal) or a fat free chocolate pudding which is only 80 calories. I also made myself some sugar free jello that is only 10 calories a serving. I have substitued chips with pickles and kept fruit clean and available at all times. Snacking has always been my downfall. Being a stay at home mom and almost constantly in the kitchen, food is staring at you and calling your name at all hours of the day and night. If the girls want a snack, I usually get them one and then pop a few of the snack in my mouth as I close the bag. That begins to add up when you have 3 kids asking for different snacks at different times.
Well, I have to say that was a pretty good week. Looking forward to next week and some more negative numbers. My goal for this week is to continue exercising every day. Next week, I'll also let you in on some of my favorite breakfasts.
This week I really worked at watching what I ate and exercising. I was completely without soda this week. Nothing but water and tea. I walked outside 4 days, did the elliptical 2 days, and 1 day nothing. So that scale better be kind to me today or out the window it goes. OK, here we go!! This week I am -5 lbs!!! Yay, Me!!!
That makes me feel so much better. Vacation weight is gone plus the 1 lb I lost when I started 5 weeks ago. Now only, well a lot more to go. But I'm not going to focus on that. I am still shooting for my first goal of 10 lbs lost. Halfway there!!! I went to the doctor last Friday just for a yearly check up. She did bloodwork to find out how my cholesterol and glucose were due to my obesity. Everything came back normal. Which I was thrilled. I'm not ready to start popping pills for this and that yet. Just need to shed these lbs.
As I said in an earlier post, the walking outside has actually got me more motivated to exercise. It is a change of pace and scenery. I have something to look at when I walk and fresh air to breathe. I think I will keep it up as long as I can. I have been walking for a half an hour a night at a pretty brisk pace. Still can only do about 20 minutes on the elliptical. I really push myself to hard on that thing. I can't seem to keep it at a slow and steady pace.
Here are some of the fun things I have found to eat that have helped me lose this week. I have to have a snack. If I don't have a snack, I will crave it and then just relapse. My favorite by far is the Kellogg Fruit Crisps. You get 2 crisps for 100 cal. They have strawberry and blueberry flavored. It's like your cheating and eating a pop tart. Of course, I need my chocolate so I get that fix from chocolate animal crackers (13 crackers for 100 cal) or a fat free chocolate pudding which is only 80 calories. I also made myself some sugar free jello that is only 10 calories a serving. I have substitued chips with pickles and kept fruit clean and available at all times. Snacking has always been my downfall. Being a stay at home mom and almost constantly in the kitchen, food is staring at you and calling your name at all hours of the day and night. If the girls want a snack, I usually get them one and then pop a few of the snack in my mouth as I close the bag. That begins to add up when you have 3 kids asking for different snacks at different times.
Well, I have to say that was a pretty good week. Looking forward to next week and some more negative numbers. My goal for this week is to continue exercising every day. Next week, I'll also let you in on some of my favorite breakfasts.
Monday, August 8, 2011
A Summer Evening Walk
For the last three nights I have decided to take a walk around my neighborhood. I need the exercise and I read somewhere that walking outside does more for your body because the terrain you are walking on is so irregular that it works various muscle groups at one time. Not to mention it was 30 minutes each day of ME time. No phone ringing, no kids fighting, no t.v. blaring, and no household chores staring me in my face.
The first night I took a walk, I remembered my mom, my siblings, and I going for walks in the summer when I was younger. We would just take a walk around a couple of blocks just to get out of the house for awhile. Of course, we would never really get very far. There was always someone you knew outside of their homes and we would stop and chat and play. We usually only made it a block away. Mom's friend Diane Loyd lived in the next block and mom would stop to talk. Sometimes we would stay there for hours. I loved going to Diane's house because she had a daughter, Peri, who was older than me and she would let me come into her teenage room. I remember playing with her dolls. She had a Darcy doll that I just loved. She also had a group of dolls that were teenagers by day and rock stars at night. I can't remember their title but I know one of the girls was named Starr. Eventually, she gave me those dolls to have as my own when she got too old for them. She used to play cool rock and roll music on her record player. That was the first time I heard Billy Joel. My sister and brothers would play with Diane's younger son Jory. Eventually the playtime would slip across the street to include Stacy and Shea Acton. Or it may have spilled down another block to visit Grandma Teet and her black train engine that we could play in. It even had a working bell that you could ring. It was nice to have friends to play with in the neighborhood. After mom got done visiting we would head back home from our "walk". I guess you should really call it "talk" since there wasn't much walking going on. After awhile people moved away and we got older. Walks at night weren't as prevalent anymore unless Granny was visiting. She always loved to go on a walk. But I'm glad we did that as a family because it is a wonderful memory to me.
The second night of my walk I realized that going for a walk is not only exercise for your body but exercise for your senses as well. Hearing: I was listening to the wind move the leaves of the trees, neighborhood dogs saying hello as I walked by, children playing outside in their backyards, but my favorite sound was that of the cicadas. I LOVE the sound of the cicadas singing in the summer evenings. I don't know why but it always has been a comforting sound to me. I also loved to collect the cicada shells that you would find hanging on the trees. It was neat to hang them on your shirt. Although one time, I was at the bus stop one morning with my friend Paula Decker. It was probably about 1978ish. We found a cicada shell hanging on the tree at our bus stop. I went to pick it up and the cicada was still in it. I was really scared and kind of nervous about picking up another shell after that. Smelling: some of the scents that tickled my nose on my walk were freshly mown grass, rain in the air, spruce and cedar trees, BBQ grilling, but my favorite was the smell of the mimosa tree. That smell will always remind me of my granny and gramps house. They used to have a big mimosa tree out on the side of their house. I loved in the spring/summer when the windows were open and the scent of the mimosa tree blew into the house. Seeing: I hadn't realized how beautiful some of the houses are in my neighborhood. Some of them are really huge. I love to just imagine what they looked like when they were first built, what they had in their homes, and what kind of people lived there. There are some really pretty lawns and landscaping (especially the guy down the road who has a beautiful garden that I have been envious of for years), but the thing that caught my eye the most was butterflies. I saw various colored butterflies on my walk but the prettiest was a yellow and black butterfly that flew next to me for quite awhile. My granny used to love butterflies. I can just imagine her sending the butterfly to walk beside me like we used to do together so many times. I didn't taste anything on the walk (although I would have loved to taste that BBQ grilling) and I didn't touch anything but I did get a good workout of the other senses.
I am looking forward to more walks to come. It is much nicer to exercise outside than being down in the basement with only the t.v. to look at. Soon will be the sights and smells of my favorite season of the year to enjoy....Fall. Crushed leaves under your feet, pretty trees turning various colors, cooler air on your face. Can't wait!!!
The first night I took a walk, I remembered my mom, my siblings, and I going for walks in the summer when I was younger. We would just take a walk around a couple of blocks just to get out of the house for awhile. Of course, we would never really get very far. There was always someone you knew outside of their homes and we would stop and chat and play. We usually only made it a block away. Mom's friend Diane Loyd lived in the next block and mom would stop to talk. Sometimes we would stay there for hours. I loved going to Diane's house because she had a daughter, Peri, who was older than me and she would let me come into her teenage room. I remember playing with her dolls. She had a Darcy doll that I just loved. She also had a group of dolls that were teenagers by day and rock stars at night. I can't remember their title but I know one of the girls was named Starr. Eventually, she gave me those dolls to have as my own when she got too old for them. She used to play cool rock and roll music on her record player. That was the first time I heard Billy Joel. My sister and brothers would play with Diane's younger son Jory. Eventually the playtime would slip across the street to include Stacy and Shea Acton. Or it may have spilled down another block to visit Grandma Teet and her black train engine that we could play in. It even had a working bell that you could ring. It was nice to have friends to play with in the neighborhood. After mom got done visiting we would head back home from our "walk". I guess you should really call it "talk" since there wasn't much walking going on. After awhile people moved away and we got older. Walks at night weren't as prevalent anymore unless Granny was visiting. She always loved to go on a walk. But I'm glad we did that as a family because it is a wonderful memory to me.
The second night of my walk I realized that going for a walk is not only exercise for your body but exercise for your senses as well. Hearing: I was listening to the wind move the leaves of the trees, neighborhood dogs saying hello as I walked by, children playing outside in their backyards, but my favorite sound was that of the cicadas. I LOVE the sound of the cicadas singing in the summer evenings. I don't know why but it always has been a comforting sound to me. I also loved to collect the cicada shells that you would find hanging on the trees. It was neat to hang them on your shirt. Although one time, I was at the bus stop one morning with my friend Paula Decker. It was probably about 1978ish. We found a cicada shell hanging on the tree at our bus stop. I went to pick it up and the cicada was still in it. I was really scared and kind of nervous about picking up another shell after that. Smelling: some of the scents that tickled my nose on my walk were freshly mown grass, rain in the air, spruce and cedar trees, BBQ grilling, but my favorite was the smell of the mimosa tree. That smell will always remind me of my granny and gramps house. They used to have a big mimosa tree out on the side of their house. I loved in the spring/summer when the windows were open and the scent of the mimosa tree blew into the house. Seeing: I hadn't realized how beautiful some of the houses are in my neighborhood. Some of them are really huge. I love to just imagine what they looked like when they were first built, what they had in their homes, and what kind of people lived there. There are some really pretty lawns and landscaping (especially the guy down the road who has a beautiful garden that I have been envious of for years), but the thing that caught my eye the most was butterflies. I saw various colored butterflies on my walk but the prettiest was a yellow and black butterfly that flew next to me for quite awhile. My granny used to love butterflies. I can just imagine her sending the butterfly to walk beside me like we used to do together so many times. I didn't taste anything on the walk (although I would have loved to taste that BBQ grilling) and I didn't touch anything but I did get a good workout of the other senses.
I am looking forward to more walks to come. It is much nicer to exercise outside than being down in the basement with only the t.v. to look at. Soon will be the sights and smells of my favorite season of the year to enjoy....Fall. Crushed leaves under your feet, pretty trees turning various colors, cooler air on your face. Can't wait!!!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Wednesday Weigh in Week 3 and 4
It is nice to be back to blogging. We took our family vacation this past week and I'm finally getting back into the swing of things. I didn't put a post on the week 3 log in, due to the fact, that I didn't have access to a scale while on vacation. It's a good thing I didn't because week 4 is not looking so good.
Week 4 weigh in. Thanks to our wonderful vacation I am now the owner of 4 extra lbs. Just makes me sick. That means I weigh more now than when I started this blog spot a month ago. I truly am tired of the whole thing. While on vacation, I made sure that I wasn't in our vacation pictures. Which will be sad for the girls when they are older and looking back at the memories.
So this morning I decided to get up and get on the elliptical. I fought myself for a couple of hours and then I finally just went downstairs and did it. I made it through 25 minutes. I had trouble breathing and was getting dizzy so I stopped before the 30 minutes was up. I am glad that I got through the 25 minutes. It is a restart again, which I am hoping will be the last restart. I am keeping track of what I eat and I am back to no soda.
My goals for this week are to continue to lay off the soda (which I failed miserably at over vacation), and try to get a workout in everyday this week. Hoping to see some negative numbers when I weigh in again next week.
Week 4 weigh in. Thanks to our wonderful vacation I am now the owner of 4 extra lbs. Just makes me sick. That means I weigh more now than when I started this blog spot a month ago. I truly am tired of the whole thing. While on vacation, I made sure that I wasn't in our vacation pictures. Which will be sad for the girls when they are older and looking back at the memories.
So this morning I decided to get up and get on the elliptical. I fought myself for a couple of hours and then I finally just went downstairs and did it. I made it through 25 minutes. I had trouble breathing and was getting dizzy so I stopped before the 30 minutes was up. I am glad that I got through the 25 minutes. It is a restart again, which I am hoping will be the last restart. I am keeping track of what I eat and I am back to no soda.
My goals for this week are to continue to lay off the soda (which I failed miserably at over vacation), and try to get a workout in everyday this week. Hoping to see some negative numbers when I weigh in again next week.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Weigh in Wednesday - Week 2
Woke up this morning and realized it was Weigh in Wednesday. I ventured downstairs to the scale and proceeded to step on it............Really??? Down 1 lb. One little lb. Not exactly what I was hoping for since I have laid off soda for the enitre week but I guess it is still considered good news since it is minus 1 and plus 0.
I remember the first time I was told I was "fat". I was sitting in choir class in the 6th grade and the girl sitting next to me put her hands around her thigh and was able to touch her thumb to thumb and forefinger to forefinger in a circle around her very skinny thigh. She said, "I bet you can't do that". I, of course, could not. So starts the self conscious feelings of being overweight. Through out junior high, high school, and college, I maintained a pretty good weight. It wasn't near what the medical field would consider "normal" but I was comfortable. I exercised some. Volleyball in the fall, softball in the spring, church softball and walks in the summer.
The problem started when I got married and went to the store and could buy whatever I wanted without mom standing behind me telling me no. It was doughnuts, pop tarts, and chocolate milk for breakfast. Then comes the realization that I can drive to McDonald's by myself for lunch, and dinner, and midnight snack, and breakfast the next morning. When I became pregnant, I was eating for TWO now. Therefore, I needed doughnuts, pop tarts, and chocolate milk times two. After three pregrancies that would mean that I was eating alot of food. The only exercise I ever did after college was restling dogs and mean cats for their vaccinations and carrying around 10 lb babies.
The thing that bothers me the most is that I am heavier now than I was when I was pregnant with my last child. It has been 4 years since I had that last child. Technically, I don't think I can keep saying "I just had a baby and this is still my pregnancy weight".
Since my day didn't start off with the numbers I had been wanting why don't we just keep that trend going throughout the rest of the day. So I go to KMart......to buy a swimsuit.......where the numbers were also not what I was wanting. I took three suits, in three different sizes into the dressing room. I started out with the smaller size, and then went to the next size, and finally had to settle on the third size I had selected which was a high number. Thus went my mood straight into the toilet. I decided just now that there are a couple of bright sides to this excursion to KMart: 1. I have a swim suit for an upcoming vacation. 2. I am even more motivated now than ever to lose this weight. Bad news is that I just spent $30 on a swimsuit that I am hoping I will not be able to wear next summer.
I know that I won't wake up the next morning and poof the weight has disappeared. Although that would be really cool. I know that I have to work on it to get rid of it. It took me years to put on and it may take me years to take off but; I need to start somewhere. I know that I can't do it just by eating better, that I need to exercise as well. So, here's to using what I do know and making a better try of it this next week.
I remember the first time I was told I was "fat". I was sitting in choir class in the 6th grade and the girl sitting next to me put her hands around her thigh and was able to touch her thumb to thumb and forefinger to forefinger in a circle around her very skinny thigh. She said, "I bet you can't do that". I, of course, could not. So starts the self conscious feelings of being overweight. Through out junior high, high school, and college, I maintained a pretty good weight. It wasn't near what the medical field would consider "normal" but I was comfortable. I exercised some. Volleyball in the fall, softball in the spring, church softball and walks in the summer.
The problem started when I got married and went to the store and could buy whatever I wanted without mom standing behind me telling me no. It was doughnuts, pop tarts, and chocolate milk for breakfast. Then comes the realization that I can drive to McDonald's by myself for lunch, and dinner, and midnight snack, and breakfast the next morning. When I became pregnant, I was eating for TWO now. Therefore, I needed doughnuts, pop tarts, and chocolate milk times two. After three pregrancies that would mean that I was eating alot of food. The only exercise I ever did after college was restling dogs and mean cats for their vaccinations and carrying around 10 lb babies.
The thing that bothers me the most is that I am heavier now than I was when I was pregnant with my last child. It has been 4 years since I had that last child. Technically, I don't think I can keep saying "I just had a baby and this is still my pregnancy weight".
Since my day didn't start off with the numbers I had been wanting why don't we just keep that trend going throughout the rest of the day. So I go to KMart......to buy a swimsuit.......where the numbers were also not what I was wanting. I took three suits, in three different sizes into the dressing room. I started out with the smaller size, and then went to the next size, and finally had to settle on the third size I had selected which was a high number. Thus went my mood straight into the toilet. I decided just now that there are a couple of bright sides to this excursion to KMart: 1. I have a swim suit for an upcoming vacation. 2. I am even more motivated now than ever to lose this weight. Bad news is that I just spent $30 on a swimsuit that I am hoping I will not be able to wear next summer.
I know that I won't wake up the next morning and poof the weight has disappeared. Although that would be really cool. I know that I have to work on it to get rid of it. It took me years to put on and it may take me years to take off but; I need to start somewhere. I know that I can't do it just by eating better, that I need to exercise as well. So, here's to using what I do know and making a better try of it this next week.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
A Perfect Summer Day
Today was a day I had been longing for, for a very long time. A peaceful Sunday with nothing to do. No softball games that needed to be played, no birthday parties to go to, no meetings to attend, no errands that desparately needed to be done, and no house that needed to be cleaned. After we came home from church and I made the girls their lunch (Harry had to work today) I decided that with a heat index of 100 degrees or more, I was just going to relax in the recliner with a good book, probably ICarly on the tube, and the wonderful, wonderful sound of the air conditioner blowing in the background. All of the sudden, I had 3 pairs of hopeful looking eyes staring at me and asking "Can we go swimming?". It's too hot out there to sit with them for hours on hours watching them swim. I can't get in the pool due to the fact that I don't have a swimsuit that fits me. More and more negative thoughts kept flowing through my head until I finally realized: IT'S NOT ABOUT YOU! It's about them having a wonderful summer and memories to cherish when they are older. When we were kids, there were four of us siblings, we used to swim from the time we got up until the time we went to bed. The above ground pools started out small and eventually kept getting bigger as we got older. We laid on rafts, we tried to see who could hold their breath the longest, who could swim the fastest under water, how many coins can we find on the bottom of the pool, and volleyball with the beach ball. Dad used to sit outside watching us while listening to the Cardinals on the radio. Everytime the beach ball went out of the pool, he would get up to get it. I don't remember him ever complaining about the million times he had to go after the ball. I even remember us constantly going around the pool in a circle until there was a whirlpool effect and we could just glide along with it in our tube. I wish I had a scanner to put old pictures on here. I recently found one of the four of us in the pool all trying to sit on a blowup alligator at the same time. We are all laughing and smiling, not a care in the world except having fun. I preceded to tell the girls "yes" and they ran to get their suits on as happy as could be. I still got to read my book while swinging on the swing. I still heard the air conditioner running in the background (wasn't feeling it though). But I also heard another sound that was sweeter than all the cool air on a hot summer day: the sound of my girls laughing and playing, being happy, and making memories that will last a lifetime.
After Harry came home from work, he finished off the perfect summer day by doing some grilling for supper. He made BBQ chicken breasts that were cooked to perfection. Nothing says summer like some BBQ on the grill.
Add to that some almond rice pilaf, sweet corn on the cob, and homemade strawberry lemonade and you have a delicious summer supper.
After Harry came home from work, he finished off the perfect summer day by doing some grilling for supper. He made BBQ chicken breasts that were cooked to perfection. Nothing says summer like some BBQ on the grill.
Add to that some almond rice pilaf, sweet corn on the cob, and homemade strawberry lemonade and you have a delicious summer supper.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Weigh in Wednesdays
I already know what some of you are thinking. Here she goes again, trying to lose weight. Yes, I'm trying it again. Maybe one of these tries it will actually work. I am hoping this time does the trick. After being in the high humidity these last couple of days, I realized that I need to lose this weight or it is going to be major health issues for me. Let's face it, I'm not getting any younger and 40 is quickly approaching. My body is already starting to ache, I have trouble breathing when walking, my clothes look sloppy on me, and quite frankly I just don't like what I see when it comes to my weight.
So, today I start again. I have no soda in the house, which is a very good start. I have had a reasonable breakfast and lunch. Patiently waiting for 3:00 so I can have my afternoon snack. Who am I kidding, I'm not patient! I'm about ready to go change all the clocks in the house to 3:00 just so I can eat! Breathe in, breathe out.
I will now do something that I have never done before. I am putting my actual weight on here. I am hoping by putting myself out there completely, I will be more determined to get the results I need and want. So here goes: my weight today is 236.5 lbs. My long term goal is to lose 100 lbs. I realize that I need to shoot for shorter goals at a time, so the 1st goal I am setting for myself is to lose 10 lbs. Wish me luck!!
Each Wednesday I will update on my progress. Here's to the new and improved me!
So, today I start again. I have no soda in the house, which is a very good start. I have had a reasonable breakfast and lunch. Patiently waiting for 3:00 so I can have my afternoon snack. Who am I kidding, I'm not patient! I'm about ready to go change all the clocks in the house to 3:00 just so I can eat! Breathe in, breathe out.
I will now do something that I have never done before. I am putting my actual weight on here. I am hoping by putting myself out there completely, I will be more determined to get the results I need and want. So here goes: my weight today is 236.5 lbs. My long term goal is to lose 100 lbs. I realize that I need to shoot for shorter goals at a time, so the 1st goal I am setting for myself is to lose 10 lbs. Wish me luck!!
Each Wednesday I will update on my progress. Here's to the new and improved me!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
A Trip to the Grocery Store
"Mommy, can I have some orange juice"? We don't have any, I have to go to the store. "Mommy, can I have some yogurt?" We don't have any, I have to go to the store. "Mommy, can I have some toast?" We don't have any, I have to go to the store. It wasn't so much the repetitive phrases that kept bouncing back and forth but the look on my middle daughters face when I kept telling her we were out of things. Especially her favorite things. She just looked so sad. Finally, I decided it was time to make a trip to the grocery store. As I looked back in the checkbook, I realized I had not been to the store to do stock up shopping since the end of May. I went to the store for milk, bananas, and bread here or there, but I didn't realize how much stuff we were actually out of.
I always loved grocery shopping! When I was a kid it was fun to go with mom and help put things in the cart. It was even extra special when you asked for that certain box of cereal with the cool toy in it and mom finally said she would buy it. As I got older, mom would ask that I do the shopping. One of my favorite places to go was Aldi's. I knew that we would need 2 carts (shopping for 6 immediate family members, 2 boyfriends, a girlfriend, and a Granny adds up to 2 carts) . I knew exactly where everything was located. I could whip through that store, buy $100 worth of food and be out of there in record time. Back in the day, a $100 worth of food from Aldi's was like finding a gold mine. Fast forward a few years, now I'm married and I'm shopping for only 2 rather than the above mentioned 10. The first time my husband and I went shopping we took my Granny along. As we walk into the store I ask him if he has money. He says he has about $15.00. Granny and I just look at each other and start laughing. We just moved into our apartment and the refrigerator and pantry (which I miss terribly) were bare. Thanks to the help of Granny paying the difference we did purchase some things to get us by until pay day.
Fast forward 10 more years and I'm back to buying for 5 (plus a cat). The difference between shopping now compared to shopping back then makes me not really like going to the grocery store anymore. The prices of things are outrageous! It amazes me how expensive it is to make sure our family has something to eat. The other problem that infuriates me is the fact that the prices keep going up but the products keeps getting smaller and smaller. Potato chips used to be a pretty good size, I opened a bag the other day and they are now about the size of a quarter. I bought the girls a treat, Chips Ahoy Cookies, when I opened the bag the cookies were so small they dropped right into my cup of milk. I remember when I used to have to take a bite out of the cookie so I could make it smaller to dip in my milk. And yes, I was using the same cup both times. I have a hard time getting rid of things. The same is true for peanut butter, ice cream, salad dressing, and more. It is even more frustrating if you are trying to eat healthy. It is all over the news, in magazines, and books that this is the fattest our nation has ever been. In some states, it is considered child abuse if your child is labeled as obese. Yet, the prices of good healthy food (fruits, veggies, multi-grain breads/noodles, meat/dairy without preservatives or antibiotics) are even more expensive than the not so healthy food. I know it all comes down to big corporations and the government (which I really don't want to get into) causing most of the price increases. It's just very disappointing that this mommy of 3 has to decide whether to spend the extra money on healthy food and not pay something else or give them the unhealthy food because it's cheaper and we can have electricity.
Maybe someday soon, something will change. Either the prices will start falling or maybe we will all get gigantic raises. Until then, I will do the best I can for my family with what I have. I guess I can say that grocery shopping still gets me a wee bit excited. It's one of the only times I have to myself.
I always loved grocery shopping! When I was a kid it was fun to go with mom and help put things in the cart. It was even extra special when you asked for that certain box of cereal with the cool toy in it and mom finally said she would buy it. As I got older, mom would ask that I do the shopping. One of my favorite places to go was Aldi's. I knew that we would need 2 carts (shopping for 6 immediate family members, 2 boyfriends, a girlfriend, and a Granny adds up to 2 carts) . I knew exactly where everything was located. I could whip through that store, buy $100 worth of food and be out of there in record time. Back in the day, a $100 worth of food from Aldi's was like finding a gold mine. Fast forward a few years, now I'm married and I'm shopping for only 2 rather than the above mentioned 10. The first time my husband and I went shopping we took my Granny along. As we walk into the store I ask him if he has money. He says he has about $15.00. Granny and I just look at each other and start laughing. We just moved into our apartment and the refrigerator and pantry (which I miss terribly) were bare. Thanks to the help of Granny paying the difference we did purchase some things to get us by until pay day.
Fast forward 10 more years and I'm back to buying for 5 (plus a cat). The difference between shopping now compared to shopping back then makes me not really like going to the grocery store anymore. The prices of things are outrageous! It amazes me how expensive it is to make sure our family has something to eat. The other problem that infuriates me is the fact that the prices keep going up but the products keeps getting smaller and smaller. Potato chips used to be a pretty good size, I opened a bag the other day and they are now about the size of a quarter. I bought the girls a treat, Chips Ahoy Cookies, when I opened the bag the cookies were so small they dropped right into my cup of milk. I remember when I used to have to take a bite out of the cookie so I could make it smaller to dip in my milk. And yes, I was using the same cup both times. I have a hard time getting rid of things. The same is true for peanut butter, ice cream, salad dressing, and more. It is even more frustrating if you are trying to eat healthy. It is all over the news, in magazines, and books that this is the fattest our nation has ever been. In some states, it is considered child abuse if your child is labeled as obese. Yet, the prices of good healthy food (fruits, veggies, multi-grain breads/noodles, meat/dairy without preservatives or antibiotics) are even more expensive than the not so healthy food. I know it all comes down to big corporations and the government (which I really don't want to get into) causing most of the price increases. It's just very disappointing that this mommy of 3 has to decide whether to spend the extra money on healthy food and not pay something else or give them the unhealthy food because it's cheaper and we can have electricity.
Maybe someday soon, something will change. Either the prices will start falling or maybe we will all get gigantic raises. Until then, I will do the best I can for my family with what I have. I guess I can say that grocery shopping still gets me a wee bit excited. It's one of the only times I have to myself.
Sunday, July 10, 2011
My Summer Friend
When I was growing up we had the best neighbors. Two of my favorites were Bill and Myrtle Calvert. On nice days, Bill would sit outside on his favorite chair and sing praises to the Lord and hymns as loud as he wanted. It was Bill that taught me the words to Jesus Loves Me. He always hollered across the road, "You know Jesus loves you!" with a big smile on his face and a wave of his hand. They were wonderful Christian people. There is no doubt in my mind that when these two people entered the pearly gates of Heaven, they were met with "well done, my good and faithful servants".
As soon as school would let out for the summer, I would venture out onto the front porch everyday waiting to hear these words from Bill: "Dena is coming!" Dena was their granddaughter and my best summer friend. She was a couple years older than me but I so looked forward to her coming down every year. I thought that trip from Decatur to Marissa was about the same distance it took to get from the United States to Australia. I would sit out on the front porch in my terry cloth shorts, tie on tank top, and my pink and white tube socks pulled up to my knees, just waiting, and waiting, and waiting for her to show up. Finally, that classic red car (for the life of me I can't remember the make or model) would pull into their driveway. I would wave and then wait some more so she could visit with her grandparents.
Finally, she would come across the street and the summer could begin. We would swim, and swim, and swim some more. We also liked to take walks together. I was so excited when mom thought I was old enough to walk up to main street with Dena all by myself. We walked up to the Shaw Pharmacy and got a milk shake. It was there with her that I bought my first item of makeup. There were trips in the evening to the CreeMee for ice cream and jaunts on the tire swing that hung in the Calvert's front yard. The best part though, was when Dena got her driver's license and her grandpa let us drive the classic red car down to the Sparta Walmart. That was the first time I rode in a car without an "adult" and it was the coolest feeling in the world. All was not good though. Mom let me stay at the Calvert's one day while she went to the IGA. She told me to stay in their yard. Well, when the cats away the mice will play, so Dena and I decided to go for a bike ride. She was riding her bike while I was on the back (which is also a big no no according to my mom). While riding a block away, we saw my station wagon (yes, I'm really dating myself in this blog) going down main street heading for home. We turned around and tried to race mom home. We just crossed the intersection of the road right when mom turned to come towards the house. Needless to say, she didn't even take the groceries in or get the kids out of the car and she was across the street dragging my behind home. Then there was the grounding. After enduring the few days apart, we were back together again.
Of course, we eventually got older. Dena stopped coming to visit. We both went our separate ways. I was busy with my boyfriend and sports. She had become a mommy. I saw her twice whenever her grandparents passed away but we didn't get to visit much during that time. Quite awhile after I had been on facebook, she requested me as a friend. I was so happy to hear from her. She still looks the same as when we were young. She is now the mother of three and the grandma of one adorable little granddaughter.
Dena made my summers fun and exciting. It was she that taught me how to put on eyeliner. It was she that gave me a tape (dating myself again) of the first rap music I ever heard, even though I couldn't understand a word that they were saying. It was she that introduced me to Seventeen magazine. It was she that gave me my first training bras. I don't think she realized how important those summers were to me. For a brief period in my life, I was not only a big sister but I too had that "big sister" that I always wanted.
As soon as school would let out for the summer, I would venture out onto the front porch everyday waiting to hear these words from Bill: "Dena is coming!" Dena was their granddaughter and my best summer friend. She was a couple years older than me but I so looked forward to her coming down every year. I thought that trip from Decatur to Marissa was about the same distance it took to get from the United States to Australia. I would sit out on the front porch in my terry cloth shorts, tie on tank top, and my pink and white tube socks pulled up to my knees, just waiting, and waiting, and waiting for her to show up. Finally, that classic red car (for the life of me I can't remember the make or model) would pull into their driveway. I would wave and then wait some more so she could visit with her grandparents.
Finally, she would come across the street and the summer could begin. We would swim, and swim, and swim some more. We also liked to take walks together. I was so excited when mom thought I was old enough to walk up to main street with Dena all by myself. We walked up to the Shaw Pharmacy and got a milk shake. It was there with her that I bought my first item of makeup. There were trips in the evening to the CreeMee for ice cream and jaunts on the tire swing that hung in the Calvert's front yard. The best part though, was when Dena got her driver's license and her grandpa let us drive the classic red car down to the Sparta Walmart. That was the first time I rode in a car without an "adult" and it was the coolest feeling in the world. All was not good though. Mom let me stay at the Calvert's one day while she went to the IGA. She told me to stay in their yard. Well, when the cats away the mice will play, so Dena and I decided to go for a bike ride. She was riding her bike while I was on the back (which is also a big no no according to my mom). While riding a block away, we saw my station wagon (yes, I'm really dating myself in this blog) going down main street heading for home. We turned around and tried to race mom home. We just crossed the intersection of the road right when mom turned to come towards the house. Needless to say, she didn't even take the groceries in or get the kids out of the car and she was across the street dragging my behind home. Then there was the grounding. After enduring the few days apart, we were back together again.
Of course, we eventually got older. Dena stopped coming to visit. We both went our separate ways. I was busy with my boyfriend and sports. She had become a mommy. I saw her twice whenever her grandparents passed away but we didn't get to visit much during that time. Quite awhile after I had been on facebook, she requested me as a friend. I was so happy to hear from her. She still looks the same as when we were young. She is now the mother of three and the grandma of one adorable little granddaughter.
Dena made my summers fun and exciting. It was she that taught me how to put on eyeliner. It was she that gave me a tape (dating myself again) of the first rap music I ever heard, even though I couldn't understand a word that they were saying. It was she that introduced me to Seventeen magazine. It was she that gave me my first training bras. I don't think she realized how important those summers were to me. For a brief period in my life, I was not only a big sister but I too had that "big sister" that I always wanted.
Friday, July 8, 2011
The Meaning Behind my Title
I thought I would enlighten you as to the meaning behind the title I chose for my blog. No, I did not grow up on a farm but I did grow up in a small town that might as well be considered the country. My love for the country came from visiting my Uncle, Aunt, and cousins that lived on a farm and from camping with my Granny and Gramps.
When I was younger I loved to go to my Aunt and Uncles house. They live down a really long lane with fields on each side. The unfortunate part is that they did have 3 other neighbors so they weren't alone out where they lived but it was still peaceful. They had sheep, goats, horses, cats, dogs, rabbits, chickens and the dreaded geese. (I think it is because of these geese that I have an aversion to fowl of any kind unless it's cooked). I enjoyed playing outside there. Just running, and bike riding, and swinging from the tree swing. They even had a pond way out yonder that we swam in a couple of times. (Not that I would want to do that now, thanks to the movie Jaws, but it was cool back then). I was so amazed that you could get eggs right out from under the chickens instead of buying them from the IGA. I loved picking vegetables out of the garden. I loved the sounds of the animals, the birds, the blowing of the corn stalks in the wind, but the best sounds came at night. The bugs. The tree frogs. The owls. Natures very own lullabies.
That is why I want to live in the country. I want to hear the corn stalks blowing in the breeze, not the big eighteen wheelers that fly down my road shaking the whole house. I want to open my windows and let in the fresh country air (side note: no pigs will be allowed so it won't be stinky). I want to sit outside in a swing with a glass of sun tea and a good book with nothing but the sounds of the birds, crickets, ok and the sound of children playing in the background. I want to stand at my kitchen sink, look out the window and see nothing but fields of gold. I want to watch the storm clouds roll in, not watch how close it's getting on the computer thanks to weather underground. I want to make dinner with the vegetables grown in my garden, not bought from Schnucks or Shop N Save. I want to go to sleep with nature's nighttime lullably playing in the background, not some nature CD I bought from Best Buy because I can't open my windows. I want to walk down a long lane to get my mail in rain, sleet, snow, and hail. (OK maybe not hail because that usually means high winds and for that I will be in my basement).
Until that day, I will continue to decorate my home with country decor, read my country magazines and books, cook my country dinners with produce from Schnucks, and I will keep my hopes alive that someday my dream will finally be my reality.
When I was younger I loved to go to my Aunt and Uncles house. They live down a really long lane with fields on each side. The unfortunate part is that they did have 3 other neighbors so they weren't alone out where they lived but it was still peaceful. They had sheep, goats, horses, cats, dogs, rabbits, chickens and the dreaded geese. (I think it is because of these geese that I have an aversion to fowl of any kind unless it's cooked). I enjoyed playing outside there. Just running, and bike riding, and swinging from the tree swing. They even had a pond way out yonder that we swam in a couple of times. (Not that I would want to do that now, thanks to the movie Jaws, but it was cool back then). I was so amazed that you could get eggs right out from under the chickens instead of buying them from the IGA. I loved picking vegetables out of the garden. I loved the sounds of the animals, the birds, the blowing of the corn stalks in the wind, but the best sounds came at night. The bugs. The tree frogs. The owls. Natures very own lullabies.
That is why I want to live in the country. I want to hear the corn stalks blowing in the breeze, not the big eighteen wheelers that fly down my road shaking the whole house. I want to open my windows and let in the fresh country air (side note: no pigs will be allowed so it won't be stinky). I want to sit outside in a swing with a glass of sun tea and a good book with nothing but the sounds of the birds, crickets, ok and the sound of children playing in the background. I want to stand at my kitchen sink, look out the window and see nothing but fields of gold. I want to watch the storm clouds roll in, not watch how close it's getting on the computer thanks to weather underground. I want to make dinner with the vegetables grown in my garden, not bought from Schnucks or Shop N Save. I want to go to sleep with nature's nighttime lullably playing in the background, not some nature CD I bought from Best Buy because I can't open my windows. I want to walk down a long lane to get my mail in rain, sleet, snow, and hail. (OK maybe not hail because that usually means high winds and for that I will be in my basement).
Until that day, I will continue to decorate my home with country decor, read my country magazines and books, cook my country dinners with produce from Schnucks, and I will keep my hopes alive that someday my dream will finally be my reality.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Let's Give This a Try
I have always wanted to do a blog. I enjoy reading my other friends blogs, as well as complete strangers, but it seems like their lives are more interesting than mine, and therefore no one will want to read mine. Then it hit me that there are people out there that will be interested in what I write, my family and my friends. So here goes a new adventure in my life! I'm not computer savvy, unless it comes to playing Farmville, so I may not do anything fancy to look at on the screen but I hope my words, memories, ideas and reflections will be worth pondering as well as pretty to look at.
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