Diet Update

Wow, it's been a long time since I've updated my blog! I guess I'm just not as bloggy as some! Well, just thought I'd update you on my diet progress. I'm still doing it! Yeah! That's a huge feat for me! I usually give up after 2 or 3 days. And here it is, one more week to go, then I start the next phase! And I CAN NOT WAIT!!!!!! I'll get to have cheese! Yes, CHEESE!!!

So, the first week, I lost ten pounds. I was excited by that. However, then the second week came, & I didn't do so well with weight loss. I stuck to the diet faithfully though. I have not cheated, not even a crumb. I have to ask Jamie or the girls to taste-test their foods to see if they are done or not. Nothing "foreign" or unapproved has entered my mouth or gone on my skin since I started this. And it hasn't been easy. Week two was by far THE HARDEST. I had three really bad days. One of them, I had no weight loss at all. And the other two--I had small weight gains. How is that possible when I'm only eating 500 calories?? All I know is it depressed me more than you can imagine.

Here I am on week three, & I have the hang of it now. I have some weight loss this week, although it's not super high. But, I'm just glad to see the scale go down & not up. As of 6:20 this morning, I am officially down 15.9 pounds since January 18th! I'm quite proud of that!

The thing is, noone notices. Yet. And I'm okay with that. The reason is that the HCG drops actually don't pinpoint one area of fat. They liquify the fat everywhere. So I'm losing a little bit of fat from all over. Isn't that great?! My arms, stomach, legs, feet, ankles, & even my chest are all smaller. Not much, but I notice a big difference in the way my clothes (& shoes/boots) fit me now.

In exactly two weeks from today, we will be getting ready to head to Disney!!!!!! I can't wait! We'll spend a few days with Jamie's brother(s), then on Sunday, we'll hit the park. I really wanted to be 30 pounds lighter by then, but I don't think I'll get there. I guess I just have to be happy with the progress I have made. I do think that after Easter, I am going to do a second round of the drops--try to add more to my weight loss. Heck, I'd need to do about four rounds of the drops in order to lose all the weight I have to lose!

If you happen to read this, please leave me a little comment. I'd love to know who's reading my blog! Thanks to Whitney from SSS for asking about this diet after she read about it on my blog! I'm so glad you visited!

Diet Day 1 (sort of)

Here I go. Another diet. I know. you're rolling your eyes, aren't you? Well, I feel good about this one. I really do. I feel that it's doable. The reason?? Beacause people that I know in the community (from the school) have done it with MUCH success. And when I say MUCH, I'm talking, like, losing 3 or 4 clothing sizes. Yeah. That's what I'm talking about. What've I got to lose? Weight. That's what. And lots of it.

So, here's the deal. I have to take these HCG drops under the tongue twice a day. They taste sort of like Ambisol for the gums, without the numbing effect. It's not too bad. Now, here's the fun part: the first two days of the diet with the HCG drops are called "gorge days". Yep, you read that right. Gorge. Eat as much as you can. No limits. Seriously, I sat with a tub of Ben & Jerry's & enjoyed every last drop. That was a great way to get rid of chips, candy, & cookies in the house too. Just gorge. My jaw was killing me though, from chewing so much food.

The next phase of the diet started today. It's only 500 calories + the HCG drops. Not much at all. It's very, very strict. But, the good news is that it's only for 21 days. See? Very doable. This is also a detox, so I had to change alot of stuff--like what I use for shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, toothpaste, & soap. Who knew that your body absorbs that stuff?

No, I'm not turning into some freakish crazy health person. Trust me. That'll never happen. I love junk wayyyy too much for that. But, this is sort of to reset my metabolism & get all the toxins out. I mean, it's supposed to reset the body as if I am 20 again. Okay, when I was 20, I was a size 8, almost a size 6. Yeah. I would love that again.

So bear with me as I take this journey. I have no idea how it will work for me. As I said, I'm seeing moms from the school who have lost between 30 & 40 pounds in a matter of 3 or 4 weeks following this. I am so excited at the thoughts that I could be next! I am doing this for better health. Yeah, I want to fit in "skinny" jeans again. (Heck, I'd settle for "skinnier jeans, at this point). And yeah, I want people to do a double take when they look at me. But I want more than that. I want to look in the mirror & LOVE what I see. I don't have that right now. And I want to be healthy, for the sake of my kids. I watch Biggest Loser. I know the side effects of big people. I just don't want to put my kids through that.

So. Stick with me. Encourage me. Support me. I know I can do this.

Oh glorious SNOW!!!

It came! It came!!!!!!!!

They said it might & I was doubtful. I mean, they've been wrong before. But this time, by golly! They got it right!! We got OVER a foot of snow!!! Yippeeeeeee!!! I say it was THE PERFECT day to do NOTHING at all! Totally!

Okay, so I did do something--I baked. I had to make my nut & poppyseed rolls for Christmas Eve & Christmas dinners. And today was the best day to do them, while snow bound! I made two of each, & they are scrumptious! However, if I don't put them away now, my little Brittany just might have the nut rolls polished off before Christmas Eve on Thursday!

In the midst of baking, though, our kitchen sink decided that it would be a wonderful time to spring a leak. Ugh. I hate working around a mess in the kitchen. I need to clean as I go. So I stopped a while & waited while Jamie went to Lowes to get a new pipe & fix it. Not a big deal, really. Just a little kink in my plans.

One final thing... You have GOT to check out my friend Angie's new scrap space! It is to-die-for!!! Look at how Vintage/Victorian it looks! sigh... So cozy & warm & fully of prettiness!
http://thefeathersinmynest-mommiextwo.blogspot.com/
Angie is having an amazing prize giveaway on her blog, so check it out & leave her some luv, cause she deserves it after all the hard work that went into her new space!


Have a wonderful rest of the weekend!

Let it SNOW!

Been a while, huh?! Just thought I'd upload our Christmas card picture. I tried to take alot, but ya know, sometimes even 20 or so don't turn out. This one was the best of them all, but it looks blurry to me up close. Oh well. I had 35 copies made. No sense in wasting them.

So guess what happened today!!!! It started to SNOW!!!!! Oh, how I love the snow before Christmas. Now if I see it on December 26 or after, I'll cry. I hate the time after Christmas. I get so depressed & sad. I'm hoping the anxiety/depression pills will be work & I won't feel so sad. But I have a confession--I'm already starting to feel sad that it's going to be over in a few weeks. And Christmas isn't even here yet. Pathetic, right?

Speaking of feeling sad, have you heard this song, A Candy Cane Christmas, by Darius Rucker
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi3fBIk1PVk
I like it. But at the same time, it makes me feel sad. Sort of nostalgic or something like that. I don't know. Just reminds me of the magic of Christmas when I was little. And the magic my own kids feel this time of year. Or used to, I should say, for Sarah. Just sad. (sigh) It's tough, ya know. I love this time of year, because of the giving, the sharing, & caring. It somehow brings out the best in {most} people. And it's so magical. To see the twinkle in people's eyes, especially Brittany's. And it's sad that this might be the last year for that magic. Sarah lost that twinkle a few years ago, & let me tell ya, I took it hard. Cried for days.

Anyway, I'm very sentimental, so that's why I take things like that so hard. Silly of me, huh?

Ahem.. On to other things... We got our tree up a week before Thanksgiving. It looks so sparkly & colorful! Jamie had to buy new lights for it. Maybe it's because the lights are new that it looks so pretty. I don't know, but I love it!

Mama Bear fight back

The one thing I often tell people is that I am a super nice person to work with & I can get along with pretty much everyone. HOWEVER. If someone messes with my kids, I become a different person. I get confrontational, verbal, & angry. I don't have a very high self-esteem. But when something happens with my kids, I'll stand up & fight for them with everything I have. The point is: Don't mess with a mama bear. I will fight, bite, claw, kick, & scream if I have to. This past week, I was in mama bear mode.

I won't get into deep details due to confidential issues that I have been privvy to. But I will say that, I feel very sad for kids that come from broken homes &/or family issues at home. Two bullies who targeted Sarah admitted everything they did to her this past week. They were confronted by the guidance counselor & the vice principal. The fact that they have tough home lives is no excuse for everything that happened. But it makes me sad. It breaks my heart to know that so many kids don't have happy lives or loving homes.

I'm not one to toot my own horn, but I will say that I AM a wonderful mom. My kids have GREAT parents. We work hard to provide for them. Our house is full of love, compassion, & laughter. We get along with each & respect each other (except when it comes to cleaning the house--haha!). Jamie & I love our kids with all our hearts, & I know that Sarah & Brittany feel the same way.

I wish that all kids had that. I really do.

I can't even imagine if Sarah had to deal with this alone, the way other kids have to. Or the way some kids act out & bully in order to get some sort of attention.

Anyway, it was a long & stressful week dealing with these bullying incidents. Things should be better now, atleast that's what I'm told. So for those reading this--take the time to hug your kids & let them know that you are there for them, no questions asked. Don't ever give up on your kids. Fight for them. Fight hard. They are worth it.

This won't hurt a bit.

I had to go to the dentist this morning to get a cavity filled. Yep. I had a (gasp) cavity. For anyone who knows me, I am very particular about my teeth. I have recurring nightmares that my teeth are falling out, so anything bad that happens with my teeth sort of freaks me out. You can only imagine the utter fear & shame I felt when the good dentist confirmed that my "sticky spot" on my tooth since 2004 is now a cavity that needs a filling. (Yes, you read that right--I had this for five years until it finally became an actual cavity--an extremely tiny cavity, I might add).

So, I walked in to have Crystal, the receptionist greet me with a smile. I sat down & waited. Everyone in the room was called except me, even the people that came in after me. Weird, huh? I was hoping they had forgotten me sitting there in the corner of the waiting room. But they didn't. Wishful thinking on my part.

As I got situated, I heard the doctor's voice behind me: "Good morning, Michelle. How are you today?" I was brutally honest. "I'm not happy to be here, & I'll be much happier when I'm leaving here, but other than that, I'm just great, " I said sarcastically. He gave a small chuckle & proceeded to tell me a big fat lie: "This won't hurt a bit!"

Okay. (sigh). What exactly does that mean?? "This won't hurt a bit". Here's the truth of it: When someone sticks a drill inside of your mouth & presses it HARD against a tooth, IT HURTS. Teeth aren't meant to be drilled. Wood is. Maybe good ol' George Washington wouldn't have minded having his wooden teeth drilled. But I'm not very fond of it.

And let's talk about the sound of the above mentioned drill. It's worse that fingernails down the chalkboard. Horr-i-fying. And you can't see what's going on. You just hear this drilling, for like 10 minutes. And you feel pressure. Ugh. It's insane. By the time he was done, I was convinced that he just drilled every tooth for the fun of it, just to see me squirm in the chair.

Okay, so let's fast forward to the filling part, which should have been pretty simple. No, it's no picnic either. In fact, I think I handled that part even worse. What do you expect when you're laying with your feet higher than your head, & you have two giant cottonballs on the inside of your cheek, a giant tube of cotton pushed under your tongue, a suction hose hanging off your lip, ten gloved fingers, & multiple dental tools ALL shoved in your mouth?? I don't have a very big mouth at all (seriously, I'm quite quiet & my mouth size is kinda small, despite what some people think--insert eye roll).

And this is why I went into panic mode. Claustrophobia set in, & I started gagging & choking. I felt trapped & was soffocating. It's a terrible feeling.

So I was so worked up, they had to leave the room for a few minutes while I caught my breath. Geez, how many grown adults have that reaction? They were super nice about it though. They came back in & kept the chair pretty upright for the most part. So I was able to breathe. Got the filling, polished it down, & then he turned off the dental overhead light, & said, "That's it! You're done! Now was that so bad?!"

Seriously, he may need to read this blog post to get his answer!

It's raining, it's pouring...

Brrr.. It sure did get chilly out! Within the past 20 minutes, it started really raining hard. I don't think the temps will get out of the 40's for the next week or so. After my morning walk, I came home & cleaned up the yard a bit. I don't understand how sand toys end up on the opposite side of the yard. Guess they grow little legs & walk there when noone is looking. Anyway, I'm glad I got that done. I also put the swing cushion away.

I was hoping to maybe do a scrapbook layout today. But I have a few things to do. First of all, I have a stack of bills that need to be paid. Okay, I would rather scrub the toilets that work on bills. Worst chore ever. Speaking of scrubbing toilets, I actually do have to do that because we are getting company tomorrow evening. So I have to clean the house a bit. And I just picked up three new books at the library that I really want to read. Oh, & two scrappy magazines that I haven't started yet. The thing with reading though is I always fall asleep. And sleep is one thing I feel like I could do constantly. Especially now, listening to the rain pitter-patter on the roof. I'd love to crawl under my warm comforter with a good book & fall fast asleep!

What else is good on a cold, rainy day? Homemade chicken noodle soup! Yum!!! I always try to make extra, but my little Brittany loves homemade soup & eats all the leftovers. That's good! Now I'm going to go take a loaf of frozen bread dough from the freezer & bake some bread to go with our soup. Yummmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Have a good day! Stay warm!

To buy or not to buy??

That is the question..

I have some AC Moore coupons. 50% off, in fact! Now, I have to say, these coupons are fairly common for AC Moore. They have them pretty much every week or so. But the problem is... Do I WANT anything?? I don't need anything. I don't even need adhesive right now, although, I can always use it at some point.

There will be an online crop this weekend at the All Moments Remembered message board. So I should WANT to buy something new for it, right? But I just can't think of anything. Pathetic of me, huh? Sorry excuse for a scrapbooker.

Anyway, on the subject of the crop... I'm hoping (fingers crossed here!) that I can get a few layouts done. Maybe I'll find Mr. Mojo hiding somewhere & be inspired to add to my scrapbooks. I have an idea for making a set of all-occasion cards for a few gifts this Christmas, so I can start on those too. I don't know. I've just been in a scrapping slump lately.

In other news, I was just reading over the requirements for Sarah's confirmation in 8th grade (she's only in 7th right now). All I can say is WOW. Overwhelming. Complicated. Time-consuming. Wow. I don't remember having to do all this stuff myself: Retreats, pilgrimages, 40 hours of service, introductions to the church staff, interviews, & a written letter of reflection. It's crazy. And she'll have to do this all again next year in 8th grade. I'm just shaking my head right now. Things just seem to get more & more complicated each year.

Honest Scrap Award

What an honor it is for me to receive my first ever Blog Award!!!! My BFF Chris sent me this, & I am quite excited! Please see Chris' own blog, http://workforscraps.blogspot.com/ for a little more about her. Thanks, Chris!!

In the meantime, here is how the blog award works...

* Say thank you and give a link to the presenter of the award
* Share “10 Honest Things” about myself
* Present the award to 9 other bloggers whose blogs I find brilliant in content and/or design or to those who have encouraged me
* Be sure to tell the 9 bloggers chosen that you are giving them the Honest Scrap award and provide the guidelines for them

And here are the ten honest things about me....

1. I am a very emotional person. I cry quite often. Thank goodness a cousin of mine once reassured me that "crying cleanses the soul". I must have the cleanest soul on the planet for as often as I cry! I even have a really bad picture of me crying because I want to do a scrap page of it. Oh, & I have to say, I am NOT a pretty crier. Red face. Puffy cheeks. Swollen eyes. Rudolph's nose. Not pretty. At all.

2. I pray every day. Atleast twice. I should do it more often though. Praying keeps me grounded & connected. It makes me remember what matters most. I never forget to thank God for the many blessings He has given me. I am so grateful. Beyond words.

3. My kids are MY LIFE. They mean the world to me. I am one of the select few that hates the first day of school because it means that my kids won't be with me during the day. I love them so much. They are the best, & I hope & pray they will always know that.

4. I have many pet peeves. I hate hearing people complain about their kids. I hate when people drive through the parking lot instead of up & down the rows of parking spaces. I hate when the grocery bagger makes my bags too heavy. I hate having crumbs on the kitchen floor. Wow, I could go on & on!

5. I miss my grandma terribly. Not that she is replaceable (because she's not), but if God gave me the opportunity to pick a "replacement", I'd pick Paula Deen. And I would enjoy every dessert she ever made!

6. I know that sometimes my dear husband Jamie drives me crazy, but he's the greatest husband a person could ask for. He works full-time so that I don't have to work (for money, that is!). He commutes atleast two hours or more every day & sacrifices so much for the girls & me. I'm so proud of his accomplishments. I don't know that I tell him that enough. But I did this weekend for our 11th anniversary.

7. This one is tough: I have no idea what I want to be when I grow up. I love my life the way it is right now. I don't feel passionately about any kind of job or career. The only two things I always knew I wanted to do was be a wife & a mom. I just have no desire or passion for any other career. Is that pathetic of me??

8. I love Christmas. I officially started listening to my Christmas playlist on September 27th! I love the warm, fuzzy feeling & the heart-warming stories of the season. Christmas seems to bring out the best in {most} people. It would be lovely if everyone was like that everyday of the year.

9. I wear my heart on my sleeve. I get hurt easily. I take things personally. Every year, I vow that I won't let things bother me so much. That lasts for about an hour.

10. And finally, I will say that I enjoy doing things for others. I am a volunteer by nature. I do things for other people without expected anything in return. HOWEVER... A little bit of appreciation goes a long way. I don't ask for anyone to bow down & kiss the ground, nor do I ask for thank you cards or gifts or anything like that. Just a simple gesture of gratitude. That's all. And it really ticks me off to bend over backward & sacrifice things for myself, my husband, & my kids, all for someone to take advantage & expect more. It's just selfish.

Okay, there ya go! Ten honest things about me. And now, I am awarding this to 9 of my friends:

Erika at http://scrapbookobsession.wordpress.com/

Jennifer at http://www.justjingle.blogspot.com/

Angie at http://thefeathersinmynest-mommiextwo.blogspot.com/

Julie at http://www.scrappinjewlz.blogspot.com/

Abby at http://scrapbookfrenzy.blogspot.com/

Misty at http://misty-snowlady.blogspot.com/

Whitney at http://www.whitneyshandwork.blogspot.com/

Marilyn at http://www.melonscraps.blogspot.com/

Kelli at http://www.kelliannie.blogspot.com/

Thanks again, Chris! What an honor!

4 ever

Here's my latest layout! It took me all weekend to do it, & that's not normally the case. But I had to be the adult here & share the computer with my kids! LOL! Anyway, could these pictures be any cuter?! The one of Casey & Tucker "kissing noses" was the very first time they actually got close like that. How convenient that I had the camera in my hand! The other two pictures were all posed & planned. Ya know, I just figured, if they liked each other enough to sniff noses, they could sit on a chair together for a few minutes! And, well, the one with those two adorable kids in it--yeah, they are just the cutest & sweetest kiddos on the planet! (& I'm not just saying that cause they are mine; they really are!)

The paper, tree, & apple basket were all scrap stuff I got from the Target dollar spot. I also used some flower brads, round brads, a piece of ribbon, some epoxy stickers, some rub ons, & a few drops of stickles. I'm very pleased with the look of it! And it's really getting me in the spirit of fall!

Merry Christmas.. Early!

I'm sitting here listening to my playlist of Christmas music! Yep! On September 27! I just love it! It's not even a freezing cold day out to get me in the mood. it's actually 69 degrees right now.

But, as an FYI, Christmas IS less than three months away! Why not start now with the music?!

Anyway, we rushed around last night getting ready for Sarah's game, & we got there, only to find they weren't cheering due to the rain. Noone called & there was no message on the football/cheer hotline. So guess what we did instead? We went to Eat 'n Park for dessert. The girls got sundaes, & Jamie & I got grilled stickies a la mode.

One final thought.. Today at church, our priest talked about how so many people devote so many hours a week to certain things, & how so many people are "too busy" for church. he said that Jesus gives us 24/7 & only asks for one hour a week at church. How can we deny that when we have so much? Something to think about!

Have a great week!

Not much going on...

The title of this post just about covers it! It's been a {thankfully} slow & quiet week. Total opposite of last week. Next week, I have some stuff going on. I'll be happy when it's all over. I'm very happy it's Friday! The girls have cheer games tomorrow evening. Of course, it's supposed to be cold & rainy, so they might not cheer afterall.

I think I'll sit here & try to put together a scrap page. I just picked up a batch of newly printed pictures yesterday, so I have some inspiration to work with!

Give me a C-U-T-E!!!

Here they are, the long-awaited pictures of Sarah & Brittany. I have a better picture of Sarah on my camera, & the camera is right now in my purse. And I'm too lazy to go down & get it out! Cause if I do, I'll find a million things to do first, & the picture will never get off the camera card. So this is what I have for now!

Don't they look cute! Just adorable! Last night was week 3 of their games. Both of their teams won the first week. We don't know about last weekend because of the rain--they didn't have to cheer (although the games were played). And this week, Brittany's team won, while Sarah's didn't. It was close though! We were on the two-yard line... One minute left in the game... Down by a touchdown... & threw an interception. Ugh! Lost the game! Oh well, there's always next week!

On Hold... in AMERICA.

I love my phone. Okay, so it's a cheap-o little TracFone. But I just got a new one last week, & I love it! It's got a camera; I can play soccer (which I don't), Tetris (which I do & like), & Sudoku (which I do & love!). It has a built-in calculator & alarm. It also has a great calendar feature which is really wonderful--I haven't missed an appointment all week!!

The ringtones leave little to be desired though.

So by a stroke of luck, I got an email today from TracFone saying they had some new ringtones. Bits of actual songs, not the ringing bell-type tones. Actual songs! I love that! So off I went to their website & found two songs that I love: You Belong With Me by Taylor Swift & All Summer Long by Kid Rock. (I know--two totally different genres!). I used my credit card & purchased both. But only one came through (the Taylor Swift one).

So I called TracFone to either see if they could get the download to work for me or just issue a credit on my account.

That was, ohhh, about fifty minutes ago. And I'm still on hold. Now, to be fair, they have been trying to help. But it's frustrating. First of all, my main complaint is that this is the second person I've been connected to, & neither person speaks English very well. I think I'm spending more time saying "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." or "I don't understand what you said." Frustrating. At this point, I just credit issued to my account. But geez, it's like the third degree. "Well did you do this?" "Did you do that?" UGH!!

I'm this close to just hanging up. thisclose.

~~5 minutes later~~

OMG. I'm going to scream!

Welcome, Fall!

I love the fall. The only thing I honestly hate about it is back to school time. I love everything else about it--the cooler temps, the bundling up in sweaters, the colors, smells, fooods, holidays... Everything.

Except back to school. Why must that ruin the season for me?

Anyway, Friday was one of those perfect fall days. Well, it poured here. I mean, poured & poured. We're talking a football game that was cancelled because they had 3 1/2 inches of rain on their field. That's how much rain we got. But I love it. I made a big pot of homemade chicken noodle soup yesterday for supper. There was a small bowl leftover, which Brittany had for breakfast today. (yes, I said soup for breakfast!)

So this morning, we had a community yard sale. Okay. I am so NOT a seller. An hour into the sale, my poor kids only had 35 cents in their little money dish--to share. Things picked up eventually. Jamie sold a table saw, which was one of the two big-ticket items we had. So all together, we made about $60 or $70. Not bad. But I much rather would have stayed in bed sleeping.

Speaking of sleeping, the girls & I were so exhausted, we laid in the living room with Tucker & Casey, & fell asleep. It was nice. Their cheer games were cancelled, so we didn't have to rush around for that. As much as I love their games, it was nice to just spend a Saturday relaxing & doing nothing but lay around. We all need that once in a while.