Today I Went For a Walk

The weather was super nice out, so I put the kids in the stroller and walked down to the Post Office. But I also HAD to do it because the husband's car battery died and he had to take mine (with the carseats in it) so I was left car-less today.

I forget what a nice little walk it is, and I really need to do it more often. The only problem is that the sun gets in the kids eyes as the 'shade' on the stroller doesn't come down very far. I think I should get a 'Bob'. Just kidding. But kinda not. I LOVE strollers, but I seriously can't get another one or the husband will kill me. 

Breakfast today consistent of yogurt and multi-grain cheerios, Lunch was Subway, and Dinner we went to Cheesecake Factory (we had a gift card that was burning a hole in the husband's wallet) and I got the Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps and I didn't use any of the sauces. That was SO GOOD. I think that needs to become my 'go to' meal the next time I visit there. 

Anyway, I hope this sun sticks around... a girl could get used to that type of thing.

Accomplishments Anyone?

Okay, so photographing my food is WAY HARDER than I thought. And that's because I've come to realize that I don't eat food all at once. I get the kids something, make part of my meal, feed the kids, eat part of my meal, tend to the kids, fix something else for myself, tend to the kids, eat another portion, and then everyone else is done so we go into the other room. (and again, just wanted to remind everyone that I have to do separate things for my kids because of their dietary needs... and one of them still needs help eating - LOL)

Also, my trainer texted me the other day. Wow. That was out of the blue. It's been months since I've spent any time with him, and I still have a bunch of sessions left... so I'm thinking about going back. It's just hard because my only available time is in the mornings, but our mornings start late, and child care at my gym is only open until noon. Then it doesn't re-open until 4pm... but my son usually naps till almost 5, and then it's dinner... and then... well... it's almost bedtime... so I still gotta figure that part out. 

but enough about that. 

I lost

NOTHING

this week. 

which I actually find kind of surprising considering how my week went.

but at least I didn't gain, right?

So share what accomplishments you've had this week so we can all cheer each other on. Oh - and I'm calling out the lurkers this week. I know there are more of you who read than comment. So come out of hiding and introduce yourself! I'd love to be able to 'meet' you. Even if you make up a new name. I'll never know. For reals.

Let's Go Shopping

it's time to fill the Virtual Closet again.

I found this site and it's like the 'wedding' shop of Anthropology

it's called

BHLDN

and they have THE MOST amazing items.

so if I had the 'body' and the 'pocket book'

this is what I'd get:

 

LOVE the retro feel of this dress!

 

can't think of ANY reason why I could wear this.

but if I could. I would.

 

Seriously - I'm so in love with this.

Even the hair piece.

Not.Even.Kidding.

and for reals - I would SO be all over this 'hat'!

I love everything about it. It's just fabulous.

well, that's my shopping for tonight.

And it's before midnight.

Awesome.

I'm going to bed.

Food Friday (on Saturday)

Sorry for slacking last night. Sometimes life throws you a wrench and it hits you in the head and you're left with a dull headache that won't go away. And yes. That's exactly how I feel right now. 

but let's talk about our CHICKEN recipes!

here's mine - and it comes from my Mom's cook book she gave all the kids.

CHARCOAL BROILED CHICKEN

2-3lbs of chicken parts

1/4 Cup soy sauce

2T water

1/4 Cup oil

1T instant minced dry onion

1T sesame seed

1t sugar

1/2 t ground ginger

1/4 t salt

1/4 t instant minced garlic

1/8t ground red pepper

Combine all ingredients (except chicken) as a marinade. Pour over chicken and let stand overnight in refrigerator. Turn occasionally. To cook, remove chicken from marinade. Place skin side up on charcoal grill. Grill over low heat for 1 hour, basting and turning about every 15 minutes. Cook until meat is tender and skin is crisp. Makes 4 servings.

NOTE: This marinade and chicken can be placed in ziplock bags and frozen to be used when needed. 

*** also - we tried this recipe where we used skinless chicken breast and baked it in the over. Turned out great!

next week's ingredient will be:

SNACKS

this isn't going to be specific.

I think it would just be fun to get some good snack ideas!

but before you start on your snack recipes

SHARE YOUR CHICKEN ONES!!!

Another Delay

Sorry guys - some stuff came up that is taking up all my time this evening and I'm just annoyed. I'm also super tired and still have some things I need to finish, so this post is just so I can say I actually posted for the day. 

I'll pick up Food Friday tomorrow.

I'm out.

Darn Challenge

Seriously - my arms were hurting me today. I take it that I'm lacking in upper body strength more than I thought. I gave in and indulged in yet another non-Jillian day. I know, bad. Totally going back on my word. But instead, I had some cuddle time with my daughter. Which I think was really needed. I think I need to start doing that 'one-on-one' time with her. Like having us go do just Mom & Daughter activities. Just something that has been going through my mind lately.

Food.

I didn't take photos because today was kinda messed up. I had yogurt for breakfast and then for lunch I ended up having the rest of the pot stickers. For dinner I was going to have some Butternut Squash raviolis that I got from Trader Joes, but after I cooked them and tasted them - I changed my mind. They were nasty, to say the least. So I had some yogurt, and then some hummus and baby carrots... but then I made a bad choice and had two crunchy tacos from Taco Bell that I had the husband pick up for me on his way home. Was it the most horrible thing in the world? No. But I shouldn't have done it. But what can you do.  And don't be fooled, I did have some snacks along the way... but tomorrow is a new day. And I still have a can of tuna.

Were You Up For The Challenge?

Let's get this meal stuff out of the way. I ate the same breakfast/lunch that I did yesterday, but for dinner I had this:

 

Don't be fooled - I didn't have half a pizza - I had a whole one. But wait - it's a 'pita bread pizza'! I LOVE these pita breads from Trader Joe's. They're 130 calories and they crisp up super well. The cheese is 90 calories for 1/4 a cup - which is pretty much all you need. The gyozas (or potstickers) were from Trader Joe's as well. Some Thai version. They were alright... but not super great. I probably won't get them again. 

Oh - and of course loser me didn't do the DVD again. I had to take the kids to the Social Security Office since we never got my daughter's SS card after the adoption was finalized... well, I was there for an hour and forty-five minutes - and I had to hold my son (who is 17 months) ON MY LAP, as there was NO room for him to walk around. There were some big signs that not only said 'no cell phones' but no FOOD as well (which is my normal form of entertainment). And there was an ever BIGGER sign that said that if you were too loud or a disruption that you would be asked to leave. So let's just sum it up with me being totally stressed out, and then by the time it was all over we were all ravenously hungry so we were all grumpy until we got home for lunch. 

So I really needed some time to decompress. Seriously.

But back to the Challenge ...

Did you do it? I have to say, by around 18 I was getting pret-ty tired. Good stuff. And I like that you can basically do it anywhere - with no equipment needed. 

Next Week's Challenge:

HOW LONG CAN YOU BALANCE

ON ONE FOOT 

WITH YOUR EYES OPEN

Since we all thought the eyes closed was going to be easy but it turned out to be hard - I figure we should see what we can do with our eyes open. I'd like to think that I could go for minutes on end, but I have a sneaking suspicion that I'll last for maybe 40 seconds (if I'm lucky). 

So this should an easy one. No pressure. Just fun. So do it!

Short & Sweet

Super tired tonight. And it's FREEZING right now in my house. Or maybe I'm just cold because I'm sitting still. I had some orders I had to get done this evening and I also went to the fabric store to get some goods for an upcoming promotion I'm having.

Today wasn't all that bad... I had 3 decent meals, but I also did some snacking.. but not as bad as I normally do... so that has to count for something. I didn't get the video in, but I got all my paperwork done that I needed too... so that kind of evens out - right?

Here are my food photos. And yes - the color is all wonky.

 

BREAKFAST:

yogurt & multi-grain cheerios

(no milk)

 

LUNCH:

tuna w/pickles, celery & apple

10 crackers

DINNER:

roasted brussel sprouts, roasted bell peppers

salad with oil & vinegar

3 small rice cake thingys

I ended up not eating all my dinner as I got really full. I put a ton on my plate because I was afraid that I'd get super hungry with no protein on there... but I was super full. And it was good. But there was too much olive oil used. 

Anyway - I'm super tired. So I'm out. But don't forget to do the Challenge! Just do 25 'push off' things from your counter (like a push up, but you're pushing yourself off harder... does that make sense? eh. oh well, I'm sure you can figure it out...)

Accomplishments Anyone?

Before I start trying to get you all to tell me about your accomplishments for the week, I just want to take a moment to really thank you all for encouraging me today. I'm serious. Normally I would respond to every comment, but I quickly realized that I would be saying the same thing over and over, so I figured I might as well make one BIG thank you :)

Seriously, I guess in my mind I thought that once I made the decision to really 'do it' this time, that it would just fall into place. That magically I would become this 'new' person that quickly embraced a new, healthier lifestyle and loved every minute of it. And maybe, just maybe, I would discover that I have a love for running. 

But instead, I found that I still have the same struggles. The same temptations. And the same disdain for running. 

And that's okay. 

I think I've realized that I don't need to be the perfect example of totally changing my lifestyle. But I DO need to continue trying to reach the realistic goals I have set for myself. Even if they're small. And that would probably be key - to set small, attainable goals that can encourage me, vs trying to reach unattainable goals that only discourage me. 

But enough about that... tell me about YOU! How was your week? What did you accomplish? Fill me in. I'd love to hear. Really, I would!

as for me

I GAINED

1 lb

(not bad considering how my week went)

so spill it!

how'd  you do?

Why?

Okay, so here's what's been on my mind lately. 

I'm just frustrated. Or maybe more sad. Or defeated. 

I know my weight will go up tomorrow because while I have made some good choices this week, I have definitely made some bad as well. Could it be bloat? Sure. Why not. But I'm just back to being in this oh-so-frustrating point in my life. 

I feel like I'm losing motivation. My focus is dwindling and I while I have such  good  great intentions, I'm finding myself in the same spot week and after week.

Why can't I be one of those people who have a really fast metabolism?

Why can't I be one of those people who 'naturally' loves to exercise?

Why can't I be one of those people who loves to run?

Why can't I be one of those people who has an aversion sweet? 

Why can't I be one of those people who can practice self-control?

I hate that I'm sitting here... admitting my shortcomings... but I don't know what else to do. I started this blog so I'd have a form of accountability... so again, I'm hoping that this can continue to be one for me. And with that, I have a new plan. 

I decided that every day I'm going to post photos of what I ate for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I know, sounds weird, but I need the accountability. And if I don't post them, well... that will be a bit embarrassing, as it'll obviously mean I ate something bad - haha!

Tonight we went to Trader Joe's and stocked up on a bunch of stuff, and tomorrow we'll hit the 'regular' grocery store too. My plan is to PLAN out the week so I'll have everything on hand that I need. I think that's a HUGe problem for me as I tend to get busy and then I don't have things on hand, so its easier (and faster) to hit a drive-thru. 

And just in case you're wondering, my kids do eat healthy. I have two kids that have 'food issues'. My daughter's percentage on the 'weight scale' is .08 (yes - that's LESS than 1%). She's adopted and her genetic make up contains Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese and a dash of French. She is 'built' like the women in her biological maternal family as they were SUPER petite (I felt like a monster next to them). She drinks 'chocolate milk' every day (and sometimes twice if we're lucky) that consists of Pediasure and Carnation Instant Breakfast... a whoppin' 350 calories - YES! She hates bread , loves hard boiled egg whites and cucumbers. I don't know what I'd do without yogurt and cheese. 

My son? He's allergic to Dairy and Soy. Lovely. It would be the exact opposite of his sister. But he loves rice (well, he IS Asian...), green beans, avocado, noodles... he'll eat just about anything. The kids go to a Pediatric GI Specialist for weight checks every 8 weeks and she thinks they're doing great. And of course they're allowed to have some 'fattening' foods as well. It's all about balance for them. 

So I think that's partly where I run into trouble. I have all these random foods for the kids and some of them are high calorie - and of course I eat them too. The worst one? The Nutritionist that we were seeing for the kids told me to take Cheerios, toss them in Oil, and then re-bake them to make them crispy and give them to my daughter. I thought that sounded gross but I did it anyway... um... yeah. They are like the BEST THING EVER. So I had to put the kabosh on those as I couldn't stop eating them. 

Anyway, I'm totally rambling now, so I'll stop. 

But I'll leave it at this:

Each day I'll post photos of what I eat

Each day I'll do my Jillian DVD 

Each day before I get out of bed, I'll pray that God will give me the strength to accomplish those two things. 

But all that will start on Monday. 

Oh - and feel free to leave comments, but don't be mean to me. I'm still feeling a bit sensitive.

Last Time... I Promise!

Pretend I wrote some super witty blog post that was super entertaining. Again, I'm so tired, but I promise that tomorrow will be a real post... and I'll fill you in on what's been on my mind. 

Hope you have a great Saturday!

Good-night :)

I Survived!

Yeah... so today consisted of me gluing for 6 hours, and then I took a shower, left, and then did a 'bow party' at a girlfriend's house. I got home about an hour ago and I'm exhausted. But I ended up making more $$$ than I thought I would ... so that was a fabulous way to end the day. 

But before I forget....

it's Food Friday!!!

so do you have your favorite TUNA recipe?

mine? well...

I actually had this when I went up to my parent's house.

My Mom took tuna, and added all the 'normal' stuff:

celery

relish

onion

mayo

but the secret weapon...

APPLE.

Yeah, it sounds totally weird, right?

but it's simply FABULOUS.

Take some apple, and finely dice it. 

add it to your tuna - and I'm telling you - you'll be a believer. 

NEXT WEEK'S INGREDIENT:

Chicken

I mean, why not. You knew it was just a matter of time.

so think of your best recipes. 

oh - and this week - let's see if we can ditch the recipes sites.

but family recipes are more than welcome :)

P.S...

please share your tuna recipes

so sorry

Another crazy day/night.  I'm super behind on everything. Today just did NOT go how I needed it to. Found out an order got delivered to the wrong address and it took a bit to figure out, nap time got totally screwed up, and to top it all off, I totally forgot about some adoption stuff that I needed to get done, and now I'm HOURS behind where I need to be... and it's almost midnight.

Frustrating. 

So I gotta go. Sorry this is lame.

Were You Up For The Challenge?

I'll admit - I forgot to remind you guys yesterday to do the Challenge. So to refresh your memory you're supposed to stand on one foot with your eyes closed... and time yourself. 

sounds easy ...

... but it's SOOOOOOO hard, right?!

my score?

26 seconds

and that was like best out of 5.

I had the husband try it since he was snickering while timing me ... and he only got to 6 seconds. Yes, I will bask in the glory of beating him. For sure.

Next Week's Challenge:

Push Ups off of the Counter

Okay, so let me explain this one. 

Remember my Aunt who is the Personal Trainer? 

I saw her over the weekend and asked her for some ideas.

She suggested this one. 

Basically, you stand a couple of feet away from a counter

and go into the push-up position. 

But when you push-up, push-OFF instead.

You literally want your hands to come off of the counter

while you go into the standing position.

Then in a controlled manner, go back into the push-up position...

and then repeat. 

Does that make sense?

Anyway, she does 50. 

So I'm saying that we should do 25. 

If you find that it's easy, then bump it up. 

no timing, just do it. 

(oooh, that sounds like something Nike would say)

And don't forget to list your times for standing on one foot!
(eyes closed!)

If you haven't done it, go do it.

it doesn't take long.
I promise.

Well... I did it

Do you know what this is:

that's my view from the ground after I was finished.

I'm kidding. But I really did do it.

So right before nap time approached I started getting whiny with myself. It was like all of the sudden I had all these really important new flower concepts that I had to figure out how to make. And I felt really tired and I was SO MAD at myself for saying that I would try this stupid DVD.

But I put the boy down for his nap, and I looked for the DVD. For a moment I thought I was going to get out of it because I couldn't find it, but wouldn't you know it - it was in a bag in the pantry. Aw phooey.

I moaned and groaned to myself while taking off the packaging and then popped the DVD in. And thanks to all of you who mentioned that the 5lb weights were a bit much at first, I decided to take that note to heart. And instead of weights (since I actually don't have any) I grabbed two cans of Tuna. They weigh approximately 5 oz each, so there was NO WAY I could over do it. 

The DVD started, and off I went. Now... I need to make another confessions. I modified the modified exercises (meaning: I did an even easier version of the lowest impact exercises). The reason is simple. I need to be able to walk tomorrow. The first time my trainer had me do walking lunges, I couldn't walk or sit for 3 days without screaming. I'm now a Mom of two - that can't happen. But I did get my heart rate up and I did break a sweat. Nice! Oh - and when it was time for me to grab my  weights  tuna cans, I looked over and my dear little daughter was holding her brother's cars as she tried to do the exercises too. Yep - she had a hot wheel in each of her little fists. Super cute. 

So here's what I think. It's doable. Granted, how much effort you put into it, will vary your results. I actually feel pretty tired and I have a feeling that I will 'feel' it tomorrow (even with my lowest of low impact modifications). I plan on doing it again tomorrow, and just doing what I can - without stopping. So I guess I have another self imposed challenge. I plan on doing Level 1 every day for 10 days. Then I'll switch to Level 2 for 10 days, and then Level 3 for 10 days. So who's in it with me?! Anyone? Anyone?

Accomplishments Anyone?

It's that time - yet again - to share your accomplishments for the week! Big, small - it doesn't matter - let us know what you did this past week!

as for me?

I GAINED

1 lb

but I expected it.

But here's the plan. True to my word, I went to Target today and picked up Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. I am going to do it for 30 days. I kind of think I'm lying, but I right now I'm committing to the 30 days. If I don't do it, PLEASE CALL ME OUT ON IT.  I'm serious. I know that I'm going to be really angry after wards, but I still want to try. (and for those of you who don't know, I don't shoot out endorphins when I work out - I get angry. Like super mad. My BFF once told me it was all the toxins in my body that were trying to get out... but I get mad almost every single time... so maybe I can work through that? We shall see... we shall see.)

Oh - and I bought non-fat yogurt to eat for breakfast.. and asparagus to roast for lunch. I really wanted to get some brussel sprouts but I had to limit the grocery shopping to that which was at Target as the kiddos were just not having it. 

So here's to a new tomorrow! BRING IT JILLIAN! (... and I ready regret saying that ...)

Sorry about this...

... but this is going to be an 'off topic' post.

My son is having a super rough night right now. I think he's having a little bout of grieving. It seems like whenever he has been over stimulated, he'll have a little 'set back'. It made me super sad tonight as his cries where so incredibly sad. He was looking around his room like he didn't know where he was and then would lean back to look at my face. He'd go back to looking around, and then again, lean back to look at me. After a moment he'd get this really sad expression, and just start to cry. But this time he did seek me for comfort. He would lay his head on my shoulder and 'hug' me with his arms while he cried. 

I finally got him to go back to sleep, but that was the second time he woke up tonight, so I'm hoping that he's so exhausted that he'll stay asleep this time.

As for me, I'm super tired as well. My Dad's 70th birthday party was super fun, I ate a ton, and now I'm thoroughly exhausted as well. So I'm going to head to bed... although I'll probably sleep with one 'ear' open so I can hear my son if he wakes up again. 

Good night, and I'll see you again soon.

TOTALLY forgot 'Food Friday' ... and no-one called me out on it

Seriously - I totally forgot about it. I can't believe it! So I'll just be posting it a day late. Did you think about at all? Did you play around with your favorite green vegetable? 

As for me, I had this at one of my girlfriend's house when we had gone over there for dinner. And what was the veggie of choice? 

BRUSSEL SPROUTS

I have actually never had them before that night. I was nervous about it because I wasn't sure what I would think of them - but I LOVED it! She basically just tossed in olive oil, salt & pepper and roasted on high in the oven. AWESOME. (but I actually love almost all vegetables roasted in the oven) Anyway, that's my pick and just talking about it made me want some. So I guess I'll have to go pick some of those up as well. Too bad Target doesn't carry them (since I'm going to pick the DVD...)

oh - and next week's main ingredient is:

TUNA

I know not everyone likes the stuff, but I do. 

so get creative, or 'google' a good recipe

and get ready for next week!

(but don't forget to share this week's recipe!!!)

Okay... I think I'm going to do it

So I was talking to one of my girlfriends tonight about Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred. And I've seen you guys mention it on a couple of different occasions. So my girlfriend - yeah, she basically lost 8lbs in like 2 weeks after hitting a plateau for a bit. Inspiring? TOTALLY.

Am I scared out of my mind? YOU BET!

In case you haven't figured it out yet, I'm not one for being in discomfort. So doing something super hard doesn't really get me excited, but as it was pointed out - it's only 20 minutes. I can do 20 minutes. Nap time in my house is around 2 hours. So 20 minutes? I should be able to hack that. (although I might end up on the couch for 40 minutes trying to recover after wards)

Anyway, I'll try and pick up the video this weekend. And maybe I'll start it on Monday. I think I'm going to have to get mentally prepared... and to those of you who have already tried it... share your thoughts. I'd really like to know!

REALLY?!

No one did the Challenge except for Leanne and me? Wow... I'm actually kind of surprised. 

But moving on. 

So the week is almost over. Insane. Time goes by so fast lately... crazy how that happens. OH - and as a heads up - my Dad's 70th bday party is on Saturday and we're eating DINNER. I know the menu, and it's not low fat, and I am going to be indulging - just so you know. My Dad only turns 70 once, and I want to celebrate without feeling guilty or thinking about if I bloat up and screw up my weigh in. So I'm just going to go for it. It's one meal. And I know what you all are going to say... but my mind is made up :)

Alright. Its time for me to finish filling out some paperwork that desperately needs to be finished.

Were You Up For The Challenge?

bleck. I hated that challenge... and I actually ran into some challenges of my own. I started off okay, and kinda felt like I got into a groove... my breathing was regulated and I thought 'fabulous! I'm almost finished!' and then the husband called out '15 seconds completed'... DARN!

And then my shoes started coming off (I wasn't wearing tennis shoes... or sneakers... or whatever you call them, but some casual shoes that kind of look athletic) so I thought I would just kick them off really quick... which I did... but my socks turned out to be super slippery, so I couldn't get any traction, and by that point it was all too frustrating and my chest and heart were burning, so I quit. But I did get 63 in before that happened. So that has to count for something, right? 

so let's move on.

Next Week's Challenge:

how long can you stand on one foot

WITH YOUR EYES CLOSED?!

So this sounds like it's a lame challenge, but it's actually kind of hard. It's amazing how 'off balance' you can get just by closing your eyes. My trainer had me do this a few times and I always found it to be harder than I thought. So the only rules is to really make sure you're on ONE foot (no cheating!) and then make sure you close your eyes.

Easy peasy.

So let me know how many mountain climbers you did! I really want to know!!!

Biggest Loser

So I'm a fan of the show... but this season... I don't know... but I'm just not feeling it. There's no-one that I'm super attached to, or super rooting for... how about you? Is anyone else watching it? I just finally got around to watching last week's episode. Good thing as it's on tomorrow (or later today depending on when you're reading this)

I used to want to be on that show. But honestly, there is NO possible way I would last a half hour on that show. I'm so not into the 'tough love' approach. I need gentle encouragement :)

Alright - so this post is super laaaaaaaaaaame. But I really don't have much to talk about. I'm about ready to head to bed, as the kids are starting to wake up a bit earlier now since the cloudy skies have left us and the sun in shining into their rooms more. So I gotta get my sleep in while I can!

Oh - and don't forget to try your mountain climbers for Wednesday! I still need to do it. I'm totally not looking forward to it and pretty much hate myself for even thinking of suggesting it. But hey - it's only a minute... so in theory I should be able to survive it.

Accomplishments Anyone?

Let's cut to the chase:

I LOST

2 lbs!!!

So technically speaking - I think this is the same two pounds that I've been fluctuating around for the past two weeks... but I'll TAKE IT! So now I REALLY have to try if I'm going to break through this number. The husband and I decided that we're going to try and have 'salads' every night for dinner. So for the accountability factor I decided to post it here. But right now we have zero lettuce in the house... guess I have to go grocery shopping tomorrow. 

Oh - and the husband is also finished with Jury Duty so he's now back to his regularly scheduled program. BOO! He did get a nifty little diploma/certificate. I told him we should frame it and put it on the wall. 

But enough about me - let's get back to you!!! Tell me your accomplishments! It doesn't matter how big or small - let's celebrate it all!!!!! (wow... I'm so much more encouraging when I'm in a good mood)

Time to Shop

It's my weekly shopping for the Virtual Closet! Today was actually a bit fun. I wasn't exhausted when I started looking for items, and I actually had time to think about what I wanted to shop for. 

And this week, I decided to shop for tops... at The Gap. 

a modern take on the Peter Pan collar.

I have to say - I'm a fan.

I actually love this top 

but BOY do you have to have slim shoulders to pull this look off.

it's not so much the tank, as it is the body type

I'd LOVE to be able to pull off this look

(but then I saw this is actually a cami)

one shoulder tanks = good times

I used to sport one kinda like this back in the day

but rest assured - it was not early as cute

again - another 'body type' shot I love

I think jeans and a super comfy tee is hard to beat. 

but then I saw this dress at Anthropology. 

aaaaaaaaand I think it won.

Seriously... I'm EXHAUSTED!

So I've been moving stuff, lifting stuff, cleaning stuff ALL.DAY.LONG. And boy... am I TIRED! I forgot to put my arm band thingy on so I have no idea how many calories I burned. But I'm thinking it was a lot. Not only am I super tired, but my lower back kinda hurts too.

But do you want to see my fabric shelf? That was the first thing I moved. And I love it.

This is a waaaaaaaaay bigger project that I thought it would be. I also realized that I'm going to have to get rid of a TON of stuff.... and now I'm just trying to figure out the best way to do that. Part of me wants to just dump everything but the essentials (and kinda just start over) but it kills me to get rid of so much stuff (I'm kind of a pack rat... okay, so I'm totally a pack rat). 

Anyway, I have some time to continue working tomorrow, but then we're meeting up with some people for dinner. Which of course means that I'll be sportin' some sort of bloat before the weigh in. But what can you do. This dinner has been planned for a couple of weeks and it's something that I'm really looking forward to, so I guess I'll take the hit on the weigh in. 

Okay, my eyes are burning because I'm so tired. I gotta hit the hay. See you tomorrow.

Food Friday!

Hey, hey, HAY! Look who's in a super great mood because she finished ALL.OF.HER.ORDERS so now she has a life again! Yes, it's ME!

Seriously - I'm super happy about being done. A huge weight has been lifted and now I can move on to bigger and better things. Which is organizing my house. I'm switching the current play room with my office so my office can be downstairs. And while the new office location is actually much smaller than the old location, it's waaaaaaaay more convenient, it also has a phone jack for my fax machine. So that's kind of sealed the deal for me. 

So once I boxed up the last order, I started organizing everything that is all over and started the 'switch'. And let me tell you - it's a work out. We're moving furniture, lifting books, bins, bolts... you name it. And I'm not even close to being done. But once it's finished, my work will run SO much smoother (at least that's what I'm hoping) and I'm totally burning calories at the same time. Kinda sounds like a win-win to me!

But enough about that - let's start sharing those Ground Turkey Recipes!

Here's mine:

Grandma Hurst's Fast Chili & Noodles

1lb Ground Turkey 

(normally it's ground beef, but I switched it)

1 medium chopped onion

2 cans tomato soup

chili powder (to taste)

1 large can of red kidney beans

Brown ground turkey and onion, add salt and pepper to taste. Add two cans of tomato soup and 1/2 can of water. Add kidney beans and chili powder (as hot as you  like it - about 1-2 T). Simmer for 10 minutes and serve over cooked egg noodles. 

*******************************************************

Honestly - this is a really quick meal to make and for some reason - I LOVE IT. I'm not a chili fan, but I'll eat this by the bucket full - okay, so maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but I really do like it. We always try and keep the ingredients on hand so we can make it on a whim. And when I say 'we', I really mean 'the husband' as he's the one that actually cooks this. It's one of his favorite meals too. 

I'm not sure when we actually made the switch to ground turkey, but we did - and honestly - we don't miss the ground beef at all! So I really hope you guys like this too. If you end up making it - let me know what you think! Oh - and my Grandma really did come up with recipe herself. She was an amazing cook. She was known as being able to make a full blown, delicious meal from nothing. She was just cool like that. 

Next Week's Main Ingredient is:

ANY GREEN VEGETABLE

I know this sounds really vague, but I did it on purpose.

I figure there are a ton of different green vegetables so I'm hoping

that everyone will pick a different one. 

But even if there's 'repeats', it'll be alright.

So share your Ground Turkey recipes!!!

I can't wait to see what they are!

Not an Excuse... but an Explanation

It's just after 1am and I am so tired. Just finished up some shipping and I will FOR SURE be done tomorrow. WHOO-HOO!

And I just want to say that I'm super glad that I have you guys to keep me in check. For reals. Normally I'm not this busy when it comes to orders, etc, but I advertised with a new place and I had no idea what kind of response I would get. And the great thing for me, is that it exceeded my expectations. But the bad thing, is that it requires a bunch of time. My work time is limited to naps and after dinner (which runs into late evening). Anyway, I'm not having any new promotions this month, and I'm planning on just taking this time to PLAN everything out: meals, exercise, and of course business stuff as well. 

So that's kind of the low-down on me. After tomorrow, I'll be back. Really. I promise. Seriously.

Oh - and don't forget to get your Ground Turkey recipes together. Don't post it TODAY, but save it for TOMORROW (one of the things I'll be doing when I'm done working is collecting all of the recipes so I can have one master list... if anyone is interested).

Okay. Well - good night!

Oh man... you guys are going to hate me...

I didn't do the challenge. Again. 

Sorry guys! I've been boxing up shipments for the past 5 hours. I'm not even kidding. I have to get everything done for the postal carrier... WHICH I JUST REALIZED THAT I FORGOT TO SCHEDULE THE PICK-UP!!! UGHHHHHHH!!!!!

This is super frustrating. I have 3 bins of packages/boxes that are ready to go out. Hopefully she remembers that I said I'd have a pick-up tomorrow even though it won't be noted on her route. Guess I'll have to go put a sticky on the mailbox in the morning. 

I also made my last 'tally sheet' of orders and I'm thinking that I can possibly bust it all out tomorrow... including packaging it up for shipping... which if that could be possible, then I'd be DONE! Oh that would be so grand. 

But back to the challenge - did anyone do it? I'm assuming you did since you're all better than me. I'll promise that I WILL DO IT as soon as I'm done with my orders (unfortunately my only work time is either during naps, or when the husband is home to help watch the kiddos). 

Next Week's Challenge:

MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS

You remember those things, right?

You're in the 'push up' position but you have one knee forward

with your weight on your toes. 

Then you quickly 'switch' so the other knee is forward. 

I'm thinking your legs should look like your climbing a ladder

while your upper body stays still. 

I'm too tired to look for a photo.

Maybe someone can volunteer to send video? 

I think the last time I did these I wanted to scream

I was in so much pain, 

so let's see how many we can do in 

1 minute

totally doable. 

For Reals.

... again, I totally apologize for being a slacker ...

but technically I wasn't slacking, 

I was just super busy doing other things.

(it's after 1am - I gotta get to bed!)