Weighed Down...

I have been on this particular lifestyle change program for over a month. 37 days to be exact. It's a way for me to stay in touch with reality, lose weight, increase energy, and have more fun with my kids.

Todays Quote for me, from me is: "It's going to be a busy day. You have a whole life of them coming your way! Batten down the hatches and enjoy the freakin' storm. This is a great day to feel the rain on your face and hope for a rainbow to shine through."

My food for the day is written down in a journal, my commitment to my children is to do something outdoors for more than an hour and go to the water for fishing, maybe swimming too.

I am minus 24 pounds and my energy level is 7 out of 10.

I am happy, healthy, TERRIFIC!!

Come back for more LATER!!

Oh, that old thing? Yeah, that's thing is called exercise... I will run 1 mile today!!

Peanut Butter Cookies? Not Today!!

It's been a hectic few weeks since my last post. Between my client giving birth and my nanny saying she was leaving... I almost lost my mind. Things have settled down now and I am about to finish my school quarter. Finals are next week. I am excited to have an enjoyable summer break then to start my LAST quarter of my degree.

About those Peanut Butter cookies from last post. I tried them, they were really good. I can't post the recipe today because I am not at home typing this. So another day I will...

I am actually doing this Cleanse right now which is working wonders on my body and my brain. I feel great and I'm only on day 2. I never thought I could sleep eight hours and then wake up bright eyed and bushy tailed. Here I am, probably the first time in my life I woke up unassisted at 7 this morning. I haven't felt the need to rest yet but the day is not over!!

A few weeks ago I decided to plant some strawberries in my front yard garden instead of traditional flowering plants. It was my strong desire to have a fruit garden that lead me to this idea. I planted two strawberry plants, a blueberry bush and lemon herb. The sun hits my front yard most of the day and the rain from the roof that missed the gutter falls right on the soil nourishing my plants. What I am trying to say is, I never touch these little puppies and they are growing like weeds. I have already consumed more than 10 beautifully ripe strawberries and there are about 10 more waiting for me. The lemon herb plant has tripled in size in just a few weeks. The blueberry bush is in full foliage and should present some berries later this summer.

You should try it. When my friend came over she said, "I never thought about planting fruits in my flower garden."

I said, "Oh, That Old Thing? Yeah, everyone should try it..."

So, off to your fruit gardening... post some tips if you have any. I would love to hear about your gardening successes.

Just A Spoonful of Sugar...

Helps the medicine go down!

Sometimes things are just much better coated in sugar!! Do you ever feel that way? This week I have been eating a lot of salad and trying trying trying to drop some pounds. Each time I think it's working, I get on the scale and it's a little higher than it should be. I've lost 27 pounds which is great but not great enough. Anyway, to get to the point, I never put sugar on or in anything.

Yesterday I decided to make some fried chicken. (I never fry either, hate the way it smells up the house.) So, I got the batter ready, whole wheat flour, salt, pepper, baking powder. Cooked up the chicken and sat down with my sisters-in-law to enjoy it. My first bite tasted like sugar! The second, wow it was really too sweet. I still can't figure out why it was so sweet. My only conclusion is that the whole wheat has a more sweet taste than regular flour. I don't really know!! Anyway it got me to thinking, how is it that deep fried sesame chicken tastes so good with that sweet sauce all over it and my deep fried whole wheat chicken tasted so, SWEET?

What if this is the cure to all my flour/sugar indulgences? I think I am going to experiment with it. Maybe I'll try some different recipes and see if I can cut out a lot of calories without sacrificing the taste!!

Oh, That Old Thing? YEAH, here I come whole wheat peanut butter cookies!!! And you better believe I will post the recipe!!

Easter Conference...

Wasn't Conference Wonderful?

I just really feel complete.

Not to mention,  cried all weekend cause now the holidays are so much more meaningful with children to celebrate with.

I love my boys!!

Camellia and Chick-Fil-A

Two of the worlds wonders...

If you have never before seen a Camellia flower you don't know what you are missing. This is a hearty, gorgeous shrub that produces the most amazing, thick flowers.

Chick-Fil-A is the Camellia of american fast food joints.

I just took a final exam, I have stress beyond belief. I need to spend a moment with my kids and study at the same time. So, I decided to pack them up, leave the nanny at home to vacuum and head somewhere that has internet, food, and free refills. When I walked through the door, a 2 year old holding my pants pocket, a car seat and baby in one arm, laptop in the other, I was in for a real treat!! HAHAHA The truth is, I set myself up for trouble.

Well, I was pleasantly surprised to find a highchair on wheels which I could pull my son around in. I made my order and the lady said, "Don't worry hon, I will drop your food off, I know how it can be with so much to do and so few hands.

So here I am, eating my salad, typing my blog, baby is sleeping, toddler is eating and I don't even have to clear my spot when I am done.

Oh, That Old Thing? YES!! CHICK-FIL-A!!

They make outing a breeze!!

Generically Speeking...

I have heard it said many of times, "Beware of False prophets!" and I understand, "By their fruits ye shall know them..."

Well what does this have to do with generically speaking?

Publix says they have the best deals in town and the best products... Well go for one shopping excursion there and you will see, the fruits don't pay out!!

Kroger is less expensive but they still are more expensive than Wal-mart.

Wal-mart is the least expensive but the quality isn't always that amazing.

I went to Aldi the other day and found an amazing deal on milk (1.69/gl) and eggs (0.79/dz). I brought them home and was pleasantly surprised that the taste and the packaging were splendid. Usually I buy milk and eggs from Kroger or Wal-mart. Sometimes when I open the milk it has a sort of residue or milky crust around the lid. I wipe it off and consume the milk anyway. WELL... Aldi milk never has that!! So, not only did I find an amazing deal, I got a fresher, cleaner product.

As if that is not enough reason to shop at Aldi for the bulk of my groceries, I did a little test. I packed my shopping cart to the hilt. I expected that it would cost me nearly $300 because that is what it would cost me at Kroger or Wal-mart. The lady at the counter zipped through my items and gave me my grand total; $91. I asked her $191??? She said, "No, Ninety-One Dollars."

I about fell out... I pulled out my debit card and swiped with excitement. Seriously, that's a 66% savings in my book!!

So, what do you need to know in order to be a smart saver and Aldi shopper?

1. Aldi makes you put your own cart away using a quarter locking system. SO always have a quarter ready to stick in the locking mechanism to get your cart.

2. Aldi makes you use your own bags or purchase theirs. SO don't forget to bring your own bags.

3. Aldi has price differences weekly. It's usually a cycle; one week the eggs are 1.79 then for three weeks they are .69 -.79. Same with other products too. So buy them while they are cheap and hold off the week they aren't.

4. If you like amazing desserts, try the Deutsche Kuche products. My family loves them. Raspberry creme cake and flaky apple strudel.

5. The cheese is excellent.

6. Check out the clearance isle. You can find items more than 50% discounted and they have plenty of shelf life left.

7. Aldi doesn't accept Credit Cards only Debit or Cash so be prepared. Don't worry though, you won't break the bank. My Aldi also accepts WIC (though you won't need WIC because you won't spend an arm and leg on groceries anymore.)

8. Aldi has a flyer that shows the next weeks deals. Pick one up. They have seasonal items that are dirt cheap and worth the money spent. My husband and I picked up a full size, stainless steal propane grill with all the bells and whistles, brand new, in the box. It cost $130. The same grill at Home Depot was $250. The only difference was the name on the box. EVERYTHING else was exactly the same. It even has a side burner for beans or whatever.

Enjoy your shopping!!

Facelift in Five

I went to ULTA the other day and knew I wanted to try bare minerals, the makeup that is supposed to amazing for every reason! Well when I was sitting there in the chair I decided the powdery mess would never fit into my lifestyle so I chose another packed powder version called Pur Minerals. Let me just say, “WOW!”

The first day I didn’t recognize myself, the second day I felt amazing, wonderful and gorgeous. The third day EVERYBODY noticed me and as one woman asked how I got my makeup to look so fabulous I said, "Oh, that old thing? It was just a quick application on my way to school!"

Now, since we are talking about facelifts I found a way to facelift the house without spending a fortune and without a lot of hard work. It all starts in your bathroom. Take a look at your hardware, the toilet paper holder, towel bar, hand towel ring, and hooks. How do they look? Mine were horrible. They obviously came from the 80’s and were original with the house. I went to Wal-mart and picked up a set of satin chrome hardware for $18.88 I spent about 15 minutes in the bathroom and voila, it looks so good.

There is one thing that will help you that I wish I knew before I started… make sure you have a small screwdriver on hand. I am talking about the little mini kind that’s about 3mm wide. You are going to need it for the tiny little tension screws found on the wall edge of each hardware piece. TRUST ME, it is worth every penny to buy it. BUT if you are really strapped for money you might be able to get away with a kitchen knife. Best of Luck!