Tuesday, November 29, 2011

it's a journey...

... not a sprint. At least that's my attitude this time around. So that means I enjoyed the pies, the turkey, the stuffing, the gravy, the dinner rolls, the sweet breads... I took it all in and loved every bite. As I said I would, I exercised many times throughout the week. Not exactly as I had mapped out, but planning for it definitely made me stay on track more than when I just tackle the week willy-nilly.




But to stay accountable, I'll also post my stats. I ate like a pig and gained .4#'s this week. Still manageable. And considering I haven't gained since I started 14 weeks ago, I've cut myself a little slack.

Here's to hoping you enjoyed time with family over this past week, and here's to getting back on track and healthy choices!

Sunday, November 27, 2011

and the WINNER is....

... Alyson! You will have a funky wonky purple ring custom made for you!

CONGRATULATIONS!

More giveaways in the future, for SURE!

Woot Woot!

Wednesday, November 23, 2011

waste not want not




{I wish I could say this was my Thanksgiving table, but alas, it is not.}
So whether you're hosting Thanksgiving tomorrow or you just picked up a turkey since they're stinkin' cheap these days, I wanted to share some tips so that none of that bird {no matter how inexpensive} goes to waste!

First, cook it up and enjoy it the traditional way! Yummy. I have been dreaming of that juicy browned bird for weeks now.

If there's a LOT of meat left on your bird, eat it as turkey bacon subs, pulled turkey and gravy sandwiches {just let some big hunks of meat and the leftover gravy simmer in your crockpot all day and it'll just fall apart}, or make a turkey pot pie {using leftover pie crust dough, the leftover veggies, leftover gravy, and instead of topping it with another crust, top it with those leftover mashed potatoes}.

By now your once plump turkey is meerly a skeleton with a some bits of meat here or there. It LOOKS like it's time to throw it away... or is it? You can do one of two things. 1} freeze that frame of the turkey in a large freezer bag, or 2} take the time and make up some soup! It's a process, but well worth the effort and NOTHING goes to waste.



The recipe I love comes from my Better Homes & Gardens cookbook. So simple. It takes a while, but it's something you can leave simmering on the stove while you get other stuff done. Or, save it for one of those snowy, go nowhere days.

TIP: Instead of the pasta, I love a hearty dumpling. So I choose to use an old family recipe for something called "glace". Nom Nom Nom. The recipe is simple.

1 cup flour
1 egg
dash of salt

Add cold water by Tablespoons until you get a somewhat stiff dough that is smooth and elastic.

Cut off chunks the size you want your dumplings and drop into the soup at the end of the simmering time. When they float to the top, they're ready!

This recipe can be increased if you desire more dumplings in your soup.

Monday, November 21, 2011

prepared for a gain...


I mentioned last week that Thanksgiving doesn't necesarily bring about fears when it comes to overdoing with pies and potatoes. Maybe I should be more worried.... At any rate, I've set up a plan for success that looks like this:

Wednesday - Just Dance with the kids for at least 1 hour
Thursday - {turkey day} - Wii at Dad's plus a walk in the morning {min 2 miles}
Friday - lazy day, but I'll still do Wii fit for 1 hour
Saturday - walk after lunch at Mom's
Sunday - Walk 3 miles in conjunction with my sister doing an event run
Monday - Just Dance with Zoey in the morning
Tuesday - Take the day off!

With a plan of action in place, I will succeed. Do I plan to loose the following weigh in. Nope. But I do hope to stay the same. I'm even giving myself the freedom to show a .5 # gain if it happens. I already manage my weekly weight loss on my scale at home so I stay on track and there are no surprises on Tuesday nights. Being the planner that I am, it's a need I have to fulfill.

Now onto this weeks results... As the title states, I fully expected to see some sort of gain this week when I got on that scale. Most days I tapered off with my tracking. Not to mention I learned the hard way that a McDonald's breakfast would "eat up" almost my entire points allowance for the day, and that a peanut butter rice krispie treat from Kwik Trip {total indulgence} calculates to a whopping 18 points plus values! At any rate, despite my poorer than normal choices {and lack of exercise}, I was still blessed with a smaller number on the scale. I lost .6 #'s for a total loss of 20.2 #'s. Still plugging away. In fact this morning the scale showed a number I haven't seen in quite some time. Years in fact. But I have to say that the encouragement I've gotten from my followers {you know who you are} has been spectacular. I feel like this blog is actually serving a purpose, rather than just occupying web space. So, keep the encouragements coming. Continue letting me know that this is helping you achieve your goals. I love it. You guys are amazing and I look forward to reading your successes as well as your trials.

Taking it one day at a time... and today, this is what I look like:




The bulky sweater doesn't really do much to hide the tummy I'm trying to loose, but it's so comfy!

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

I know my weight loss blog posts are normally encouraging and upbeat, but I have to admit, that today I just feel blah. I think part of it is the fact that since I've lost nearly 20# over the last 2 1/2 months I'm now feeling thinner and my clothes are fitting better than they ever have. I even whipped out a pair of jeans from the "skinny bin" and they fit! I sort of knew this hurdle would come. But I don't want to get comfortable here. Where I'm currently at. At this weight. I still have approx. 20-25 more that I'd like to loose to get to goal. So getting comfortable where I'm at is not an option.

This week I lost 1# for a total loss of 19.6#'s. I even got my 10% goal key chain from Weight Watchers. *grin*

What I'm trying to figure out now, is how to tackle the 2 Thanksgiving meals in my near future. I'll have one more weigh-in prior to the temptations beginning, but I've already been trying to figure out what choices I'll make. I love all the fixin's so I'll definitely be indulging more than normal. So how do I enjoy the feast and still see a loss {or at least stay the same}? EXERCISE! I've got the ability to earn extra points plus points to use during the week by just getting in some activity. So I'm going to kick it into high gear, rather than fore go the stuffing and taters. Lots of walking, dancing, cleaning, you name it. Hopefully this will counteract those "pointless" days of eating enjoyment. Because, c'mon. This is life. Thanksgiving is once a year. Everything in moderation.

So no. I won't be tracking points on Thursday or Saturday. {NOT WEIGHT WATCHERS APPROVED} Will I be stuffing myself silly? Nope. I'll eat just enough to be satisfied and taste a bit of everything. And yes I'll have dessert. I'd rather walk a few miles and still have pie!

Here's what I look like this week. {In my new smaller jeans too!}

It's GIVEAWAY time!


Remember back when I told you I'd be doing a give-away this month?? Well, it's time! I've been crafting my little heart out and this is one of my absolute fav's. A funky fabric flower ring just in time to wear to all those fun holiday parties!



Keep it for yourself, or box it up as a gift for someone else. And do you know what's even better?? You get to pick the color! This one is a pale pink vintage pattern, but if you'd rather have a different color, simply tell me what colors are your fav's and I'll custom make one for you in a color of your choice. How cool is that?

So, what's the fine print to be entered in the giveaway? 2 simple things:

1} Follow my blog via Blogger.
2} Leave a comment on this blog post telling me what color you'd pick if you win.

Spread the word. Share my blog. Win.

A winner will be chosen randomly on November 27th.

Thursday, November 10, 2011

inspiration board

I've talked before about how much I love love love pinterest. Well, it came in super handy when I was asked to give a design consult for some friends of ours. They were re-doing their daughters room and were stuck with a new bedroom set and comforter and weren't sure where to go from there. They live a decent distance - enough so that frequent meet-ups at paint and fabric stores is tough, so I used pinterest to create an inspiration board of sorts for her room makeover. And boy oh boy did I have a blast! I'm not used to working with someone {other than myself} when it comes to design, so I really had to conciously take myself {and my tastes} out of the equation and focus on what sort of a space they invisioned with things that would make them smile when they entered the room.

My starting point was the comforter. "Matching" is a swear word in design, however "Monochromatic" color schemes are all the rage. Her comforter was a gorgeous shade of deep purple. This is Disney's Prince Charming paint from Home Depot. From there I chose varying shades of purple to incorporate into the room. The bottom portion of the walls will be Veranda Iris from Behr {620D-4} and the upper quarter of the wall will be Lily Lavendar from Behr {620E-1} paired with a white ceiling. Her dad is taking on the task of painting polka dots on the upper part of the wall in various sizes and shades.





So the monochromatic thing is going great, but this room needs a punch of color to surprise you when you walk in. So, I chose a bright turquoise and celery green to mesh in. {Rhythmic blue & Feldspar from Behr were my inspirations.} Then I went browsing for some accent pillows for her bed. I suggested crisp white sheets and pillow cases, with accent pillows to pop!




I found the best deals and selection at Gordmans and Home Goods. {I could seriously do some damage in either one of these stores!}

I don't have completed photos of the project yet because it's still in the works. And it'll sort of be a surprise to me to see the end result since I was simply a consultant, not an actual designer for them. I merely helped steer them in the right direction. And did I mention I had fun???



{The fabric swatches came from JoAnn Fabrics.}

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

fashion clutz



I love fashion. I just don't love trying to figure out how it works with me and my body shape. I'd love to be one of those ladies that always looks fantastic and can pull off any look, but honestly, I feel like a style loser when it comes to picking things to fill my closet that will represent me, be in style AND be affordable. Oh, and did I mention go the long haul? I don't have the funds to be able to shop each season and restock my wardrobe. If that were the case, I could probably afford a personal stylist. {wouldn't that be a treat} If any of you readers out there are a fashionista {and looking for a project} I would love some direction.

Today I was reading Mary Janes and Galoshes and their topic was a new website StyleMint. So I checked it out to see what they would suggest, based on a quiz I took. I wasn't too wowed by the choices I was given... but it was interesting to see what I picked from the choices presented to me.

It got me surfing. What other style quizzes could I take to help me feel more on trend? I took several - all the while feeling like I was 15 again.


Ok, now we're getting somewhere. Being told you need to follow the trends of Jennifer Anniston is up my alley. And these styles they suggested put a grin on my face {and also showed me I wasn't as off base as I originally thought}. This particular quiz I found by going to The Chic Fashionista. {but really, what qualifies these people to know style? it could be someone like me on the other end of cyberworld just making up crap.} So what did I learn? I guess I need to trust my own judgement a bit more and not be too scared to step outside the box. And also not be so pressured to try the latest trends. If my style is "sporty"... and that's what I'm comfortable in, then why go crazy trying to wear things I don't feel confident in?

Ok, so moving south... shoes. I feel even more inadequate when it comes to picking the right shoe to go with what I've put on my body. So, onto more quizzes! My goal is to find a shoe {or shoes} that would go with multiple outfits. Earlier today I found these boots and I just love them. I need to save up, but they're in my shopping cart online for sure! Boots I don't have an issue with. It's more the every day shoe that I'm just stumped on? Flats? What's in style? Heels just aren't practical for my day to day, but I love how they look with jeans. And speaking of jeans... are the skinny ones still in? Now that I've lost some weight, I've been contemplating buying a pair. {with these boots for sure!}

So I guess what it boils down to is I need to save up some cash and go on a bit of a shopping spree of sorts to fill my closet with things that will flatter me and fit my style. And that means chucking all those things hanging in there that I thought I'd like, but never wear. Out with the old and in with the new!

Monday, November 7, 2011

I'll be brief... well, sort of

I honestly have nothing new to report on my weight loss journey, but in an effort to stay accountable, I'm posting that I lost 1.6 #'s this week, and now I'm onto a new week! I'm still plugging away at getting to my goal and I'm down a total of 18.6 #'s since I started in August. I'm a mere .4#'s away from my 10% goal! It's the next big milestone in Weight Watchers and it means I'll be meeting with my leader to set a goal weight that's right for me. Thanks to everyone who's been supporting and encouraging me!

Here's what I look like this week:


What else has been going on with me other than shedding pounds? We've been frantically getting our home and yard winterized, and none too soon. The forecast this morning stated that flurries were in our forecast. Seems like just as soon as I get some items checked off our fall list, we remember 3 more! This weekend we got the lawn mowed one last time {and when you mow 2 acres, it takes a while!} and mulched the leaves, caged all the plants that the deer find tantalizing, emptied the hot tub, put the flower pots away, tilled the garden, and trimmed up dead plants. That was Saturday. We still had enough time enjoy dinner with some friends that evening.

Sunday afternoon, my Dad came over to help hook up the electrical in our bedroom remodeling project that has taken way longer than I ever thought it would. We're talking almost 2 years now to do 2 bedrooms and a bathroom. If it's not the money, it's the time. The two never seem to mesh. But, we have working fixtures in the girls bedroom - including their fancy-schmancy chandelier, and Jason began grouting the tub {we ran out of grout though because the girls used a bag as pretend "flour" and it busted open on the floor - off to pick up some more!} We're so anxious to finish up this project and move onto the 2nd phase of our remodel. I've already been pinning ideas on pinterest.com for our master bedroom. ooh la la Anyway, while the boys were busy upstairs, the ladies were downstairs making sure the Packer's did their job... and they did :)

Seems like the next few weekends we'll continue to tackle the last few items on our list. {mending the snow blower, putting hoses away, wiring in the generator... just in case} Then we'll spend the rest of the time finishing the bedrooms and bathroom and start planning the next project. I actually enjoy itemizing all the steps and figuring how much it's gonna cost. I'm just anxious to see it all come to fruition.

Oh, and I Zumba-ed for almost 2 full hours last Friday night with my sisters. Too fun!

Wednesday, November 2, 2011

giveaway!

The first ever giveaway will be coming up this month! Be watching for a blog post about what it will be and how you can win! I'll give you a hint though... you'll have to be a blog follower on blogger to be entered! So, if you're not currently following my blog via blogger, it's easy! Just click the link to start following my blog.

I'm so excited!