Just Call Me Mommy

Week 12

2012-02-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

I decided to do pregnancy updates on Sunday. I had done one just three days earlier last Sunday so I skipped the 11 week check-in and here we are.

(Nothing really exciting for week 11. Just a lot of watching Gilmore Girls at an angle from the couch while my children ransacked the house.)

How far along: 12 weeks, 1 day

Weight gain: 5 pounds total. Bleh. My scale also broke a few days ago (Some advice: don't set your scale close to the bathtub where rowdy children will spill water over the edge of the tub onto said scale.), so hopefully I haven't gained any more than that. I tell you, eating carbs and laying on the couch are totally going to make my butt huge-er.

Sleep: I've been sleeping really well lately. Still having some super weird dreams though.

Stretch marks: No new ones. ;)

Do I miss anything?: Having energy. I'm really looking forward to the second trimester for that reason.

Movement?: I think I have. Nothing like kicking but just a pressure in my lower abdomen. I'm getting really excited to feel more.

Food Cravings: Still fruit, and lots of it. Especially when dipped in a cream cheese-marshmallow cream blend. (Baby like.) Burritos. Nachos. Tuna. Broccoli.

Food Aversions: Still chips and some crackers, depending on the flavor. Subway... unfortunately. I had been craving a Subway sandwich for a long time, finally got one, only to wish that Subway never existed. I think the main problem was that it had ranch on it and I wasn't aware, at that point, that ranch is a BIG no-no.

Gender: We will find out in eight weeks.

Labor Signs: None

Symptoms: Still nauseous. Still tired. Some days are better than others.

Belly Button in or out: In and will probably stay that way.

Wedding ring on or off: On

Things I'm looking forward to: Having a actual baby bump. Right now I'm in the stage where people are starting to wonder but can't tell for sure. I get a lot of strange looks. I just look chunky. With an actual baby bump the chunky-ness will be a little more understandable.

Belly Facts...

2012-02-01T21:05:00.001-07:00

I thought it would be interesting to start keeping track of things during this pregnancy by answering the same questions every time I check in. If there is anything you would like to know that I forgot on this list just let me know in the comments.

How far along: 10 weeks, 4 days

Weight gain: 2 pounds

Sleep: I'm sleeping fine but having weird-o dreams.

Stretch marks: Not yet

Do I miss anything?: Sleeping on my stomach. It's very uncomfortable.

Movement?: Nothing yet. Hopefully soon because that's the best part!

Food Cravings: Almost all fruit, but mostly strawberries and pineapple. Crab salad. Also hot dogs, which I can't eat. :(

Food Aversions: chips, ground beef, pepperoni, chocolate, water (which is horrible because I'm so thirsty but it makes me sick)...... there are more but I think I blocked them from memory.

Gender: Unknown (my girl's think it's a boy)

Labor Signs: None

Symptoms: I still feel nauseous a lot. This week has actually been really good to me. I've had two days where I felt good for the better part of the day. I'm also SUPER tired all the time. If I don't get to take a nap in the afternoon (it isn't often that I do get one) then I am ready to go to bed around 8:30 pm. Today I got a 45 minute nap and only got poked in the face twice, thanks to a bored 4 y/o.

Belly Button in or out: In

Wedding ring on or off: On

Things I'm looking forward to: Not feeling nauseous when I drink water. I'm hoping the "morning" sickness is starting to alleviate. I've been drinking more juice then I should just to get some liquids down. I'm also looking forward to being able to feel movement. I'm probably still a few weeks away but it's my favorite part.

I would do a belly shot but there isn't anything to see, except for my already puggy-ness. I'll take one when you can really tell that there is something in there. :)

Thanks, As the Forest(e) Grows for the idea!

Announcement!

2012-01-25T13:36:00.000-07:00

That's right. I have an announcement!

Instead of me telling you, I'll show you...

Baby #3 will be here in August!

We are happy/excited/joyous/thankful/walking on sunshine!

According to all the due date calculators the actual due date is August 18th.

I had an ultrasound about a month ago (I had some bleeding they were worried about) and when the baby was measured the tech put my due date at the 25th.

I had another ultrasound yesterday, at my first check up, and the (same) tech told me that the "new" due date is the 16th, because of the baby's size.

I didn't get to see my OB again after the ultrasound so I will ask her at my appointment next month what my real due date is.

For now, we will just say the 25th of August, which makes me 9 weeks and 4 days pregnant.

A few of things I wanted to share:

- Water is gross, until 8 pm.

- Uncooked pepperoni smells ucky.

-Carbs are yummy and making me fat.

-I (baby) love chocolate milk.

-Hamburgers are only good in theory.

-I want to eat french fries all day long.

That's it for now. I will be posting updates along the way.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Monthly Meal Planning

2012-01-20T12:26:00.000-07:00

Before I started working I made weekly meal plans. I would print a blank calendar from http://www.calendarsthatwork.com/ and every weekend I would plan breakfast, lunch and dinner for the week. I would make the shopping list and go shopping Monday morning while my oldest was in preschool.

Only having to take one child to the grocery store cut my shopping time in half. No joke.

The after I started working I found that it was unrealistic for me to be able to set aside that time every week to menu plan. There was so much else I needed to do that it took that back seat. My husband was doing most of the cooking (I worked 2:15pm to 12:15am and wasn't home for dinner) so he was the one that suffered.

One day, I was stressing out over dinners and cleaning the house and everything else on the planet when I thought, "Why not just do a monthly menu?"

Ding. Ding. Ding. We have a winner!!

What I do is get a half sheet of blank paper (usually, what's leftover after cutting out a Internet printable coupon) and throughout the month, when I find a recipe I like, I write down the name and where I saw it.

sorry for the messy handwriting

Take note that they are numbered.

P = Pinterest
T&T = Tried & True (a recipe book my sister put together when Hubbs and I got married.)
101R = 101 Things to Make with Ramen Noodles (Genius! There are some awesome recipes in there.)
C = Crockpot

When I have enough recipes for an entire month I will make a list of everything I need to buy at the store for each dinner. (This is where writing down were I found the recipe comes in handy since, let's face it, I have no brain and wouldn't remember.) I will then add the number of the dinner to the end of the item. This lets me easily know that I need onions for dinner #17.

After that I fill out the calendar I printed with the dinners.

Each week I go through the calendar, find the dinners we are having and the ingredients we need. Then comes list making and grocery shopping.

My next goal is to actually plan breakfast and lunch just so I don't have to think about it so much and so we don't end up eating cereal every day.

Painting Advice

2012-01-19T10:14:00.001-07:00

We've been living in our house for just over two years now. We've painted the two upstairs bedrooms and that's it.

The previous owners painted one wall in the kitchen and the living room. The one wall in the kitchen is this weird dark purpley color and the living room is a mossy green color.

I don't like either colors at this point. The green wasn't so bad when we first moved in, especially since we came from an apartment where we weren't allowed to paint. I think it could have been the most hideous shade of any color and we would have been happy that it wasn't a white wall.

I want to paint the kitchen and living room the same color. Here are the problems:

1. Everything in this house is light.

Kitchen Cabinets Kitchen Counter tops

Living Room Flooring Kitchen Flooring

2. I like blue. But, we have already painted both bedrooms upstairs with blue and the outside of the house is a colonial blue with white trim. There is already lots and lots of blue. I want something different that won't clash.

3. My husband hates all of my ideas.

So I wanted to get your advice. What colors would you suggest painting the living room and kitchen?

I like these wall colors, but I'm not sure they will work in this house.

I desperately want to paint our kitchen cabinets white but that's not going to happen. If this was the house we planned on staying if forever I would change the cabinets, but it isn't, so I'm not going to.

Just one last thought. I'm obsessed with this blog right now, IHeart Organizing. My house will be that organized someday. One closet and drawer at a time.

Goals for 2012

2012-01-03T10:51:00.000-07:00

Some things I've learned about myself over the years are:

- If I cut out any food group from my diet I start to obsess about it and end up eating it anyway.
- If given the option to sit on the couch and watch television or exercise I always opt for the couch.
- I am not patient enough with myself.
- My day revolves around when I get to eat next.
- I love exercising once I start doing it.
- Any amount of clutter in our home makes if hard for me to focus on anything else.
- And many more...

My goals for 2012 revolve around clutter and health.

I found a "2012 Declutter Calendar" on Pinterest (I'm addicted to Pinterest!), from http://www.mysimplerlife.com/, that I am really excited to use. This house is far too small for all the stuff we have in it. I'm pretty sure we have hundreds of items we never use.

I also found a woman with a blog that I am envious of, http://www.iheartorganizing.blogspot.com/. The way she organized her home is a dream of mine. Someday, little by little, I will be as organized as she is.

My other goals for 2012 are about my health. When I started working outside our home I tried really hard to make dinners easy for my husband (He cooked dinner since I worked a swing shift, 2pm-12am), which didn't always mean we were eating the healthiest. We also ate out a lot on the weekends because we were tired and it was easy. (I'm SO sick of eating out, which is a good thing.) We have both gained quite a bit of weight. So much, in fact, that I'm embarrassed to write out my stats.

Our health goals include, eating more vegetables and fruit, NOT eating out more then once or twice a month, doing some form of physical activity every day and taking our multivitamins. These may seem vague to most but we are taking baby steps for a lifestyle change, not a quick fix.

I will start writing my stats on Mondays again, even though it's embarrassing. It's a good way to keep track of my progress.

Also, my girls are having, what we call, a "tragic day" when everything seems a bazillion times worse then it actually is. Hopefully a nap will fix this. Drama, drama.

Um, so, yeah...

2011-12-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

My last post (months and months ago) detailed the struggle I was having being a working (outside the home)mom.

I'm going to be honest.

I sucked at it.

We made a family decision that I would stop working and yesterday was my last day.

I'm going to be honest again.

I am sad. I made some really great friends. I got to talk and interact with adults on a regular basis. I learned how to small-talk again. I learned a new awesome skill.

Some valuable things I learned working outside our home:
-People actually DO like me.
-I can learn a new skill and be good at it.
-I'm not as weird as I think I am. (There are some crazies out there. Just sayin'.)
-Mean people suck and aren't worth my time.
-I need sleep and lots of it.
-I missed my family. (I knew I would. I just didn't realize it would be that much. It was painful.)
-I am worth more to my family being at home then I am at work making money. (That is an awesome feeling.)

*I understand that people do have to work. Every situation is different. What works for your family is completely up to you. No one thing (that being working outside the home as oppose to being a SAHM) is best for everyone. Our family is lucky enough that we can survive on one paycheck.

I'm really excited to get back into couponing, exercising, making dinner, bread and the like, going on play dates, blogging, playing with my girls, spending time with my husband and being an overall happier person.

Juggling has never been a talent of mine

2011-09-25T12:16:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write and say that I'm still alive and haven't forgotten about this blog.

My weight loss has been nonexistent lately as I started a new job and haven't found my groove yet.

I've actually spent a lot of time crying this past week because I'm overwhelmed. Thanks to an understanding/amazing husband and getting more organized I'm feeling a lot better.

Now, hopefully, I can start focusing on making better/healthier choices and getting back on that wagon. I think I'm going to have to schedule time for exercise everyday or it's just not going to happen.

Wish me luck! And if any of you are working mom's, I am curious how you make it all work?

Weigh In Monday

2011-08-01T08:23:00.000-07:00

Here are the numbers this week.

Weight: 151.2 (- 1.8 lbs.)

Neck: 12 (same)

Chest: 35.5 (- 0.5)

Ribs: 30 (- 0.5)

Right Arm: 11.5 (same)

Left Arm: 11 (same)

Belly Button: 34 (-1)

Hips: 39 (- 0.5)

Butt: 42 (same)

Right Thigh: 22 (+ 0.5)

Left Thigh: 22 (same)

BMI: 25.2 (overweight)

I feel okay about last week. I had some rough days and some awesome days. I walked every day for at least an hour. I also did toning on Monday and Wednesday, but forgot on Friday.

Today I started the 30-Day Shred (my arms feel like jell-o). I plan on doing that, as well as walking for an hour, every day.

I am also going to work on eating better snacks. I know they aren't sufficient because I feel SO HUNGRY about an hour after eating them. If you have any good snack ideas please share them with me.

Have a great day everyone!

Resting Metabolic Rate Formula

2011-07-28T08:00:00.000-07:00

Somebody on My Fitness Pal posted a formula to calculate your Resting Metabolic Rate, or how many calories you burn just by being alive each day.
I found it super helpful so I decided to post it here for the rest of you!

Weight in kilograms=weight in lbs divided by 2.2
height in centimeters =height in inches times 2.54

Here is the formula.

(9.99 x weight in kilograms) + (6.25 x height in centimeters) -(4.92 x age in years) + 5 or -161=rmr.

At the end the formula is different depending on your gender if you are male add 5. If you are female subtract 161. Be sure when you calculate this that you do what is in the ( ) first.

Boredom Buster Jar

2011-07-27T09:53:00.001-07:00

This is our Boredom Buster Jar.

I realized, a few weeks ago, that my oldest was watching WAY too much television. I started limiting her to two shows in the morning and two after lunch. (Which is still too much, in my opinion. I'm weaning her.)

This lack of tv in her life has lead to a lot of boredom. The poor thing can't think of anything to do.

Then she started coming to me every 10 seconds to let me know she is bored.

It was driving me bananas, b-a-n-a-n-a-s.

I say was because now we have the best thing ever, the Boredom Buster Jar.

She and I made a list of everything she loves to do (playing on the grass, coloring, playing dress up, etc.) and then we made a list of some not so fun things (washing windows, sweeping the kitchen, picking up toys, etc.).

I printed them all and put them in the jar, the fun with the not so fun.

Now, if she can't think of anything to do she pulls a paper from the jar and has to do whatever is on the paper.

She loves this!

The only thing she had a hard time with was when she pulled "pick up all the toys". It took forever for her to finish.

I hope this helps anyone else who has children with the "Boredom Syndrome".

Operation: Fit into all the jeans I own because I really don't want to go shopping for larger sizes.

2011-07-25T08:55:00.000-07:00

My last post was about getting back on this weight loss wagon but the stupid thing threw me right off. I think they should install seat belts.

I updated two weeks ago and since then a lot has happened. Wednesday of that week I had a job interview. Needless to say, I was SO nervous. And when I get nervous I eat. A LOT.

Last week on Monday it was my oldest daughters birthday.We threw her a party the Saturday before (more stress) and then Monday was actually really nice. We played all day, just the four of us. But there was a lot of naughty (amazingly yummy!) food.

This last Saturday night the Mr. and I had a hot date. This included Harry Potter: Part 2 and dinner at Red Lobster. Popcorn and then a gynormous dinner. I think I'm still full.

I'm a little disappointed, but not surprised, at this mornings numbers. Two weeks of willy-nilly eating will do this:

Weight: 153 (+ 2.6 lbs.)

Neck: 12 (+ 0.5)

Chest: 36 (+ 1)

Ribs: 30.5 (+ 0.5)

Right Arm: 11.5 (+ 0.5)

Left Arm: 11 (same)

Belly Button: 35 (+1)

Hips: 39.5 ( +1.5)

Butt: 42 (same)

Right Thigh: 21.5 (- 0.5)

Left Thigh: 22 (same)

BMI: 25.5 (overweight)

My goals for the week are to (again) drink a gallon of water each day and to do one hour of cardio each day and three days of weight training. I'm still walking for cardio. For the weight training I thought I would focus on a different area each day. Monday (today) will be arms, Wednesday the core and Friday legs.

What, if any, are your favorite workouts on DVD?

Getting back on the wagon

2011-07-11T11:01:00.000-07:00

I haven't had an official weigh-in for months now.

I know I've gained weight because I weigh myself almost every day.

Here are my measurements as compared to the last time I logged in. All of these measurements are in inches.

Weight: 150.4 (+ 1.6 lbs.)

Neck: 11.5 (same)

Chest: 35 (same)

Ribs: 30 (+ 0.5)

Right Arm: 11 (same)

Left Arm: 11 (+ 0.5)

Belly Button: 34 (+2)

Hips: 38 ( +1.5)

Butt: 42 ( +1)

Right Thigh: 22 ( +2)

Left Thigh: 22 ( +2)

BMI: 25 (overweight)

I've decided to make mini goals each week to work on. These are the three I'm going with this week.

1. Drink a gallon of water each day. That sounds like a lot but it's actually only 16 cups.

2. Cut out all sugar - for real! I was doing really well before the 4th of July. We went to a family reunion and I went a little crazy. How could I resist Oreo truffles?! (Bad, Cara!)

3. Do some form of exercise every day. I have been getting up early to walk, except for this morning. I just couldn't keep my eyes open. (I blame the weird-o dreams I had last night.) When I do walk it's an average of 5 miles.
I still use MyFitnessPal to track all my food and exercise calories.

Gosh, it felt like there was something else I was going to add. Oh well. That's my brain. :)

One is the loneliest number you will ever find...

2011-07-10T16:44:00.000-07:00

(I don't like that song, btw.)

I don't know if I am just really good at isolating myself, super-weird so that nobody wants to be associated with me, never learned the "people skills", or am just selfish and rude.

I spent the first hour of church trying to keep our oldest child from having a meltdown because SOMEBODY (points to herself) forgot the crayons. (I know. Worst Mother of the Year Award, right here) And the next two hours wrestling an over-tired one

year old, that just wanted to scream and destroy everything in the diaper bag.

At least they did it in shifts. I don't think I could have stayed the whole three hours if they had both started from the beginning.

This was all on my own because my bestest friend (and husband) has come down with a stomach bug and had to stay home today.

I don't have any close friends at church. There are a lot of really nice, friendly people there. But there isn't anyone who "gets" me.

I'm a weirdo. I know that.

I also don't have any people skills. I did before I had children.

I say the weirdest things and even as the words are spewing out of my mouth my head is screaming "STOP THE INSANITY". I should be diagnosed with "word vomit syndrome".

I have made friends from church in the past...most of which have moved away. (I think I'm cursed.)

Being there alone (without my spouse) and without anyone I felt like I could really talk (or cry) to made the feeling of loneliness deepen.

All of this brought out the seventh grader in me. The one who felt so awkward and alone that she just wanted to crawl under a table and cry.

I really do want to have friends, but every time I get close to someone and they move, a little part of me gives up. I come away feeling more and more inadequate.

I know a lot of this must sound crazy. Many of you are probably thinking that I should put my big girl panties on and stop feeling sorry for myself.

You are right.

Now if I could find them.

The point is that I wish I was better at making (and keeping) friends and that I didn't feel so awkward in my own skin. If I could make peace with myself I think a lot of things I struggle with wouldn't be problems anymore.

The IUD. Not a friend.

2011-07-05T18:22:00.001-07:00

I read a blog post earlier (and of course I can't find it now) and the blogger was discussing the IUD. She wrote about some of the side effects that she has experienced while using the Mirena IUD. I was stunned (and a little sad) that we were experiencing a lot of the same problems.

Acne. I've never had that wonderfully clear skin that we all strive for. I've also never had acne problems. It's been more of a here and there problem, until I got a Mirena IUD. I've had the most embarrassing acne since having the IUD put in. This is actually my second IUD and I had acne problems with the first as well.

Depression. I was in the shower the other morning, where I get all my best ideas, and it hit me that my depression issues might just be a side effect of the hormones the Mirena secretes.

Extreme moodiness. I swear sometimes I'm pregnant, just because of my mood swings. I cry at EVERYTHING. It's ridiculous.

Weight gain/inability to loose weight. Nuff said.

I have my yearly "Happy Pappy" appointment with my OB/GYN in September and I was planning on having the IUD taken out at that appointment. After reading all that I have I'm wondering if I should make an appointment sooner than that to have this thing removed.

Have any of you had similar experiences with an IUD?

sick

2011-06-29T14:00:00.000-07:00

We are on day seven of the entire family being sick. I feel like I've fallen off the face of the planet because of everything we've missed.

Hopefully all this resting we have been doing will help us get over these bugs by the weekend, because wouldn't that be the worst to be sick for the forth of July weekend?

So the doc told us to drink a lot of water. He specifically said 2 to 3 liters every day. Well, I think in cups, not liters, so I was thinking 2 or 3 liters was like a gallon of water or something. (I know. How stupid, right?) I've been drinking at least a gallon every day. Well, come to find out (thank you Google) that 2 to 3 liters is only 8 to 12 cups of water a day. (Isn't that the normal amount of water people should be drinking daily? For the doctor to say that he wants us to drink "a lot" of water and then give us the "normal" amounts makes me wonder if people drink water at all anymore.)

Regardless, I've had to pee like a racehorse. Mix that much water with coughing and there have been a few times I almost didn't make it to the toilet. Awkward.

5 for friday - things i have been putting off

2011-06-10T22:05:00.000-07:00

I want to dedicate today's 5 for Friday to all those that great procrastinators, like myself. Today I want to acknowledge that I have been putting things off and it's running my life. I'm always obsessing about how I need to do this or should do that.

1. The dishes. Like every day. Right now, they are in a manageable state. I consider it a success if I can get them done in under 30 minutes (Do you remember the Domino's commercials with the guys from New York, "You've go towrdy minutes." SO FUNNY). So why don't I just skip my way over the the sink and wash them up. If I don't wash them tonight or first thing in the morning they will multiply. Seriously. I think they are alive.

2. Showering. I know. GROSS. But, the days go by so fast that if I do shower every day it seems like that is all I'm ever doing. And if I shower I have to do my hair or it will dry to look like the scariest, rabid animal you've ever seen. (I heart my flat iron.)

3. Grocery shopping. This is something that makes me sad to put off. I love shopping. Especially grocery shopping. I have a mighty love for food and couponing makes it fun. I just barely made my lists and gathered coupons today. Hopefully I will get up early enough that I can go shopping before everyone wakes up.

4. Exercise. I've lost the will to move and it's SAD! I can tell that all my hard work from before is gone. My muscles feel different. I'm moodier (if that's possible). My skin looks horrible. I am gasping for air by the time I get to the top of the stairs. It's kinda tragic. I think I said this before, but I am absolutely disgusted that I let all that work go to waste. You would think that noticing all these things would be enough to get my buns off the couch...right?

5. My church responsibilities. I know I'm not the best at my calling and not half as good as the woman that did it before me. I'm really trying but it just seems I can't keep up. It's not even a hard calling. It's not cake, but it isn't that hard either.

What is the funniest thing that happened to you today?
- My oldest told me when we were putting her in bed, "Mom, give me big smooches so that I know you had a good day with me." How cute is that?!

My Fitness Pal

2011-06-09T16:21:00.000-07:00

There might be some of you out there that do what I used to do. You spend countless ~~hours~~ minutes writing down everything you eat in a food journal. Then you have to go online (I used calorie king. Great website!) to find the nutritional content.

Then I found My Fitness Pal. Lemme tell you... it. is. awesome. I put in my weight loss goal, activity level, food I eat, and exercise I do and it does all the math for me. SCORE! Me no likey math. Not so good.

Any who, the best thing about logging my food and exercise online is that it is password protected. I don't have to worry about someone picking up my food journal to judge me about the handful of chocolate chips I scarfed down in a weak moment. Because that happens way more often then I like to admit. :)

POOP!

2011-06-07T12:05:00.001-07:00

For the last, oh.....seven or so days, my one year old has been kind enough to bestow diapers full of "presents" at least FIVE TIMES A DAY, each day.

We aren't talking about normal poops here. These are the nastiest, foul smelling, scourges of motherhood ever to make an appearance in a diaper.

She recently had a stomach bug and it seems that her little belly is still trying to recover. In the meantime, I get to gag, throwing up a little in my mouth, several times a day.

It's a good thing she's cute.

5 for friday, things I miss

2011-06-03T22:58:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking a lot about who I want to be when I grow up (HA!) and who I used to be (before children and marriage). So today I am dedicating this 5 for Friday to things I miss about myself. Not that I don't love my husband and children, (because I most certainly do!) just that I am a different person than I was WAY back when.

1. I used to be able to control my temper better. I've had a short fuse lately that I really REALLY dislike. I have been working on it but it seems to be my biggest problem right now.

2. The lack of bags under my eyes. Dear Sleep, I miss you. Your Biggest Fan, Cara

3. I don't remember being such a procrastinator. It's like pulling teeth to get me to do anything these days...mostly just the dishes though.

4. I miss not having stretch marks on my tummy. I joked that after my first was born (because 99% of my stretch marks are from that pregnancy) if I ran naked down the street I would be mistaken for a zebra escaped from the zoo. An albino zebra.

5. I miss what my attention span used to be. I can't seem to focus on anything for very long as of late. I blame a little of this on my oldest, who feels it's her duty to make enough noise that we won't ever miss the fact that we don't have a radio in the house. (She seriously NEVER STOPS making noise. It's cute and super annoying at the same time.) I admit, I tune her out, a lot, along with everything else.

Is there anything you miss about your younger self?

Stairs should not be so hard to climb

2011-06-01T09:02:00.001-07:00

I admit it. I've fallen off the exercise wagon.

I have had multiple chances to get myself out of bed and get my sweat on. Instead I grab my husbands Droid to play "Bubble Blasters" or "Plants vs. Zombies". (Curse you zombies!)

I keep telling myself how much better I will feel, mentally and physically, if I just went for a walk before everyone gets up. Later, when I'm carrying my one year old up the stairs, panting as I reach the top, (16 steps, I'm such a wuss.) I kick myself for letting all my hard work go to waste. It only takes a couple weeks to undo months of work.

Now I'm wondering where to start. I'm bored with my exercise DVDs and I realized I'm bored with my walk too. Should I start running? Find something new on the Kinect? Check Hulu for routines?

I just wish I would get my act together and stop sabotaging myself.

It is good that I am thinking about all this because that usually means I'm ready to make a change.

What is your favorite type of exercise?

5 for Friday Vacations

2011-05-20T21:06:00.004-07:00

Now that we are done with another semester of school and it's (suppose to be) getting warmer it gets me thinking about places I would love to go...Vacations!

1. Machu-Picchu. We (hubbs and I) have been planning a trip to the famous butterfly city in Peru since we got married. It would be a dream if we could go for our tenth wedding anniversary but we will have to see how old the children are and if I'm preggo it won't be possible. Too much hiking for a preggo. Okay, maybe just this girl.

2. Disneyland/world. I have an aunt in Florida that told me if we are going to the Magical Kingdom we should do it right and go to Disneyworld. Disneyland is closer, but I've never been to Florida so it would be fun to see it, and my aunt of course!

3. Sea World. We have seen SO MANY commercials for Sea World on television lately. My oldest is obsessed with the whales and dolphins and she thinks we need to go there, like now. I've never been there either so I wouldn't fight it.

4. Louisiana. You probably did a double-take on that one. We drove over to Louisiana last summer and had an amazing time. The hubbs has family there that have a lot of acreage (like 100 acres) basically in the middle of nowhere and it is awesome! It was nice to be "off the grid" (cell phones don't have coverage at the house) for a whole week and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

5. Local Zoo/Water park/theme park. We don't actually have any of these things locally. It's about a 2 hour drive, which makes them a perfect "minication".

If you could take a vacation anywhere, where would you go?

What's in my purse

2011-05-11T09:55:00.000-07:00

This isn't terribly entertaining but I know that I am always curious about what others choose to lug around all day. These are the things I have decided I can't live without.

Cell phone
Digital Camera
Various cards - loyalty, library, gift, etc.
Receipts
Pictures of Rashida Jones on "Parks and Rec" (got my hair did yesterday and hers was what I wanted it to look like.)
Aveda Salon business card (where I got my hair did)
Mini Calendar, AKA: My brain
Two checkbooks
Wallet - with everything from money to stamps inside
Mini Accordion Coupon holder - Feel naked without my coupons!
panty liner
Gum - Orbit Strawberry Mint (YUM!)
CVS bag tag (Hey! I was wondering where that went! Sweet!)
3 pens
4 different types of lip balm, because you never know what kind of "lip balm mood" you'll be in.
Keys

Umm...wow. That's a lot of stuff. No wonder that stupid thing is so heavy!

What are three items you can't live without?

One week and counting!

2011-05-08T09:00:00.001-07:00

After my post about sugar I made the decision to stop eating it. The processed stuff at least. I can have fruit.

I started May 1st and let me tell you something. It has not been as hard as I thought it would. Once my mind was made up it was all good. There are only two things that I have been tempted by,

Brownies. I have this amazing brownie recipe that comes out perfect every time. Last Friday I made dinner for a family that just welcomed a baby into the world. Part of the dinner was brownies. There were some leftover and I made my husband eat them all, because they were mocking me from the counter. Let me tell you, brownies are relentless mockers. Mean. Little. Morsels of goodness.

Mom's Best Mallow-Oats Cereal. This cereal is my most favorite on the planet. I have to steel myself from sneaking a few when getting it for the girls. Whoever decided it was a good idea to put marshmallows in cereal is a genius.

I'm trying to decide how far to take this "No Sugar" stance. Does it include juice? Sweet bread, like zucchini and banana? Sugar free chocolate? For now, until the urge to devour bags of chocolate chips whole, leaves for good, I just have to stay away from everything. Sugar free chocolate included.

What do you eat for dessert that doesn't have sugar in it?

5 for Friday

2011-04-29T09:53:00.005-07:00

A friend started doing "5 for Friday" on her blog and I wanted to try it.

See if you can guess what this is:

1. Most of us eat between 2 and 3 pounds of this each week.

2. It contributes to cardiovascular disease and cancer.

3. Too much of this can place stress on your body. More specifically, your pancreas.

4. It depresses your immune system.

5. It can speed up the aging process, giving you wrinkles and grey hair.

Any guesses?

If you guessed SUGAR you are correct. Holy Cow. I knew that sugar was bad for me but if I knew really how bad (click to read more) it is, I would have stopped eating it a long time ago!

I know somebody that just came off a whole year of eating no sugar.

I want to do this.

If, for nothing else, to not feel so crappy all the time.

The rush it gives the kids will not be missed either.

Crazy Dreams

2011-04-23T06:39:00.000-07:00

Two separate nights, in the last week, I have had the same dream.

It starts out with me donating some clothes to a store.

Then the phone calls start. You know, the ones with the grossies breathing into the phone and saying really nasty things.

And then they start showing up at my door. Men and boys of all ages. Again saying nasty things and leering at me.

Apparently, my clothes donation had some of my underwear in it. (And how they knew it was mine, I will never know.)

I call the police department to help get rid of these men and they laugh and tell me I should be flattered. (It's always a woman that answers my call.)

I spend the rest of the dream trying to find a police officer that will take me seriously and hiding from the men.

I wake up with that feeling that this is actually happening and that's just creepy.

Have you ever had the same dream more than once?

Things I'm thinking about today

2011-04-14T07:31:00.000-07:00

1. When we can have yet another yard sale. I think we are obsessed. We had one about two weeks ago and then found a TON of stuff, a few days later, that should have gone in the yard sale. We just stick them in a box for next time.

2. Bookman's. If you aren't familiar with this store, this is how it works. You can take stuff (magazines, books, movies, games) in to get store credit, which you can then use on anything in the store, including the cafe. I like looking through the exercise DVDs.

3. My OB/GYN. I got the letter in the mail yesterday. You know, the one saying that it's that wonderful time of year to be poked and prodded again. Now, even if I called to schedule it would be months away (I think in June) because Dr. P is seriously just that popular. My sister started calling them "Happy Pappy's". It makes me giggle.

4. Our savings account. We are dangerously close to having a six month emergency fund in our savings account. We've been following Dave Ramsey's plan and it's amazing! The reason I've been thinking about the savings account so much is because when we do get that six month supply of money in there, we are going to start applying the excess from the budget each month to the mortgage. According to our calculations, we can pay the house off 20 years early doing this. Heck yes!! That's why I've got my "mind on my money and my money on my mind."

5. Jillian Michaels. I bought her Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism DVD and it kicks my hiney. I am looking forward to the day when I can get through the entire workout without dying.

6. The Evil Wal-Mart. I swear. Every time I go into that store, they are out of everything on my list. Last night I went in for ONE THING and they were all out. I did happen to score some long-sleeved children shirts for $1, but that's besides the point. I now am going to call the store every day and ask if that item has been restocked yet. Aggravation.

7. Jeans. More specifically, maternity pants. (No. Not pregnant.) I have been wearing maternity pants for four years. I have four pairs of barely worn jeans from my pre-children days that I've been waiting to get into. I didn't want to buy any new jeans because it seems wasteful to spend money on something I already had, but just couldn't fit into. Last weekend I finally caved. I decided that if I was going to buy jeans at the size I am now, I wasn't going to spend a lot. So, I went to Savers. I found a pair (size 10!) that were super cheap and fit great. I can't wait until these are my fat pants!

dishwasher love

2011-04-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

Today I am not going to feel guilty about letting my dishwasher do its job.

I am not a big fan of dishwashers. I don't trust them. (Not like I don't trust them because they are machines and machines are going to someday take over the world. I just don't trust that they actually get my dishes clean.)

The house I grew up on didn't have a dishwasher, so using mine doesn't even cross my mind most of the time. (My dad would joke that we had five dishwashers in the house. Oh boy.)

Okay. I do use it, but not in the conventional way. I wash the dishes by hand and then put them in the dishwasher to dry. Yes, I know. ::points finger at herself:: Weird.

Today is different because I'm cutting myself some slack to save what sanity I have left.

I will utilize this extra time, from not washing the dishes by hand, to play Candyland with my three year old.

Then her face will look something like this,

making me the coolest mommy in the world.

What was your favorite board game when you were a child?
- I loved "Sorry". Nothing is sweeter then knocking your little brothers piece off the board. :)

What the Snow...

2011-04-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

Mother Nature has given me the perfect opportunity to get some at-home projects done today.

Guess who decided to leave the car in the driveway last night....this girl. Oi.

We won't be going anywhere soon.

Happy Saturday everyone!

Mess

2011-04-07T09:53:00.000-07:00

I'm going to be honest right now.

I'm a mess.

When I say mess I mean:

I'm crying all the time over nothing.
My eating habits have been horrible, to say the least. It's like I blank out and when I come too there is a whole bag of cookies gone.
I can't keep up with the house/kids.
I'm moody and impatient.
I've lost all interest in my hobbies. (Even couponing is a chore, which is sad because I LOVE it.)
I haven't planned or cooked dinner for a while.
I don't have the drive to shower. (gross...I know.)
Last Sunday was the first time I remember laughing... in weeks.
I've fluctuated between losing and gaining 2 pounds for a month now.
I've been neglecting my friends.
I can't remember the last time I slept through the night and felt refreshed when I awoke.
And I've been sick (stuffy nose, achy, etc.) for months now. Not the kind of sick where you can't function. Just that I've felt crummy.

No. I'm not pregnant. I know that's what you were thinking. ;)

I know that I have/had post-partum depression after both of my daughters were born. I remember with my first, I started feeling like myself again after I stopped breastfeeding. I've been done BF my second for a month now and obviously I'm not feeling better yet.

A friend suggested that I have my thyroid checked. This scares the pants off of me, that I might have a thyroid problem. I have a lot of friends that do and. it. sucks.

A part of me is angry at myself that I can't just snap out of it. I have a hard time admitting that I need help, medical or otherwise. The fact that either one of my problems, thyroid or depression, requires medication is frustrating. I have medication phobia.

The fact that I haven't been able to beat this on my own, thus far, makes me feel like I've failed.

Failed as a mother.

Failed as a wife.

Failed as a human being.

I finally admitted to my husband how I've been feeling. I really wasn't surprised that he hasn't noticed. He's so busy between work and school. Even when he's home he is working on homework. But since I've told him he's been really sweet and attentive. Cutting me a lot of slack. Even offering to fold the laundry (which is my most hated chore ever). I married the most amazing man on the planet.

I just hope that I can be humble enough to get the help I need, even if it means doctor/medical intervention for a while.

What is your most hated chore?

Freedom

2011-03-25T16:10:00.000-07:00

Last week we had a mechanic come look at our second car. I can't remember if I talked about this previously but it's been broken for six months.

It's been a HUGE bummer because trying to get the working car from my husband was a pain. Not that he wasn't willing to share, just that he is working full-time and going to school which constituted the greater need. If I absolutely had to be somewhere my parents would lend me their car.

Well, this awesome mechanic, that makes house calls, came over and diagnosed the problem. The replacement part cost a whooping $40.00. I'm totally not complaining, but six-months mocking me from the garage for a $40 part. Sheesh.

This week we've been able to go to my parents house, story time at the library, help a friend, and run errands without having to work around my husbands crazy schedule. AmAzInG!

I've had to stop myself from cruzin' around, just because I can. (All I have to do it remember how much a gallon of gasoline costs and cruzin' doesn't sound so fun anymore.) Just knowing I can leave has alleviated a lot of my "cabin fever".

Where is your favorite place to go that is within walking distance?

Goals

2011-03-21T07:54:00.000-07:00

I have been a super slacker.

It was Spring Break last week which meant the Hubbs didn't have to go to school (woo-hoo!). He also took Wednesday, Thursday, Friday off from work, which meant a lot of time with him! The only problem is time with Hubby = less time doing other things, like blogging. (Not that I'm complaining.)

I usually start the week off with my weigh in and measurements but I am being a chicken. (Hubby home = less exercise = a sad scale on Monday morning.)

Instead I wanted to make a list of things I want to accomplish this week and I will start back up with weight and measurements next Monday.

Finish touch up painting in the upstairs bedrooms
Go through boxes for yard sale
Stick to the cleaning schedule
Organize my coupons (this could take days...)
Track all exercise and food on My Fitness Pal

I hope you all enjoy the first full day of spring! (I guess it started at 7:21pm EDT yesterday. weird.) We will be playing indoors while watching the snow fall... and you all know how I feel about snow.

What is your favorite season of the year?

Renaissance Festival and Where's Waldo?

2011-03-14T16:59:00.000-07:00

This weekend we indulged our nerdy side by attending the Renaissance Festival.

Some reasons we keep going back.

Turkey Legs

The Elephants

Fairy Wings

Sweet people

At the end of the day we had a couple of tired girls.

No weekend in the sun would be complete without a sunburn on yours truly. It's normal when you are UltraWhite like I am. I'm so glad my little ones tan like their daddy.

Who of you remember searching the Where's Waldo books for hours and hours? To the point that you had all his hiding spots memorized. No? Okay, maybe that was just me. :) Here is a little treat for those that remember those books.

Find Waldo.

He's so much easier to find when he's life size!

Sore

2011-03-10T16:12:00.000-07:00

This week I started doing an actual exercise schedule. I found that if I have a routine then I actually get my exercise done.

This is how it goes.
Monday, Wednesday, Friday: Cardio, and light muscle work like pilates or yoga.
Tuesday, Thursday: Strength Training and Cardio. (I found a video called "Trainers Edge" on Netflix. I did the routine on Tuesday Morning and I am still sore. It's so bad that if I sit for too long I freeze that way. I can't even imagine how funny I look walking up the stairs.)
Saturday, Sunday: Rest

Once I'm not getting sore anymore from my strength training days I will switch to three days of and two without.

For cardio I have done some kickboxing, running (inside, with my Wii), Kinect Your Shape routines and walking outside with the girls. (Can you say 65 degrees?!? It's beautiful out there!)

I actually felt like running yesterday with the girls in the stroller but when I started to the stroller started vibrating. It totally felt like it was going to fall apart. I realized a pin is loose. The hubbs is going to have to fix it before I get to run.

If you workout to videos, who is your favorite trainer/system?

almost wordless wednesday

2011-03-09T08:27:00.001-07:00

Happy Wednesday!

Wat'cha Eatin'?

2011-03-08T09:54:00.000-07:00

This week I am reusing a couple dinners that we didn't get to last week.

Monday: Chili Spaghetti
Tuesday: Cream of Fresh Asparagus Soup
Wednesday: Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Thursday: Sweet and Sour Broccoli Salad
Friday: Crunchy Potato Salad
Saturday: Turkey Legs
Sunday: Leftovers

We don't usually have leftovers because the hubbs takes them for lunch the next day. This week I think we will have enough for another dinner because when I make chicken noodle soup we could feed an army. I would gladly eat that stuff for breakfast, lunch and dinner. so. good.

What is your favorite quick dinner?

Weigh In

2011-03-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

Last week was another sucky exercise/food week. I've been really distracted lately and it's my body that suffers. I was tempted to not post numbers this week because I'm embarrassed that I did so poorly...again. But the only way to change is to make myself uncomfortable, which I will be doing now.

Weight: 148.8 (+1.4 lbs.) (Stupid donuts. Yes. I might have eaten that many.)
Chest: 35 in. (-0.5)
Ribs: 29.5 in. (same)
Right Arm: 11 in. (same)
Left Arm: 10.5 in. (-0.5)
Belly Button: 32 in. (+0.5)
Hips: 36.5 in. (-1.5)
Butt: 41 in. (same)
Right Thigh: 20 in. (-0.5)
Left Thigh: 20 in. (-0.5)
BMI: 24.8 (+0.3) (Still within the healthy range.)

I am not longer BF. Hence the chest getting smaller and smaller (Bye, bye *sniff*). Now I will be eating
1500 calories a day. I'm trying to do cardio every day and strength training on Monday, Wednesday, Friday.

When it's cold outside and you can't get to the gym what do you like to do for cardio?

Ah ah ah ah, Stayin' Alive. Stayin' Alive.

2011-03-07T16:14:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let you all know that I'm still alive over here.

We went out of town for a family thing this weekend and ended up with sick girls. We took them to the doctor this morning and both are now on antibiotics and one has breathing treatments four times a day.

Boo.

Poor little things.

Today is turning out to be a recover from the weekend/catch up day. I will have to post my measurements and dinners for this week tomorrow.

I hope you all had an amazing weekend!

Interesting fact: A "Mischief" is a mouse family.

Friday Confessional

2011-03-04T05:27:00.000-07:00

I Confess. I would rather be asleep right now. It's 4:30 AM. My cute 3-year-old has a bad habit of coming into our room 3 and 4 times a night. Once I am awake, I'm AWAKE. No going back to sleep...unfortunately.

I Confess. I have only exercised twice this week. oops.

I Confess. Who else is sick of hearing about Charlie Sheen?

I Confess. I need to take a "chill pill". I'm way too uptight and worried/paranoid all of the time. Maybe I should stop watching the news...

I Confess. I can't dance. at. all. I tried dancing routines for the times I did exercise this week. Two words: Spastic Chicken. Try to get that image out of your brain. SCARY.

I Confess. Frozen cookies are the best. Especially sugar cookies. yum.....

I Confess. I miss my car. Five people and five months = no idea what's broken. Poor thing.

I Confess. I am itching to go coupon shopping. It's a sickness.

Join Friday Confessional with Mamarazzi!

Happy 1st Birthday!

2011-03-03T18:11:00.000-07:00

Is is weird that I have been holding back tears all day?

Let me explain. Today is my sweet youngest daughters' first birthday.

Part of me is refusing to accept that she is a year old already.

Another part of me is jumping for joy that I breastfed her for a year and now I can be done. (I'm a huge fan of BF for the benefits it gives the infants but I, personally, am not a fan. My milk never really regulates, which means a lot of leaking and that just makes me feel gross. Like I haven't showered for a year. Eww.)

One day

3 weeks

11 months

(I can't get over those little teeth!)

Oh. my. cuteness.

Happy Birthday my sweet little angel. I love you more then you will ever know.

(They say time goes faster as you get older but if I knew it was going to feel this fast I would have requested a seat belt and a crash pad.)

Monday Weigh In

2011-02-28T21:17:00.000-07:00

Sorry this is going up so late. It's been one of "those" days.

Weight: 147.4 lbs. same
Chest: 35.5 in. -0.5
Ribs: 29.5 same
Right Arm: 11 in. same
Left Arm: 11 in. same
Belly Button: 31.5 in. -0.5
Hips: 38 in. same
Butt: 41 in. same
Right Thigh: 20.5 in. -0.5
Left Thigh: 20.5 in. -0.5
BMI: 24.5 same

Pounds lost: ZERO
Inches lost: 2

So I didn't do well last week. My brain and body weren't communicating and that led to a whole lot of nothing happening. Biggest Loser Bob said something to the effect of: First get your brain the the game, then focus on your diet, last comes exercise. I have been doing that backwards and maybe that's my problem.

The positive side of this is that I didn't gain any weight. Just call me the master of maintenance. Weight maintenance, that is.

Weekly Dinner Menu

2011-02-27T12:00:00.000-07:00

Last week the menu didn't go so well. We ate out a couple times which always throws off the dinner menu groove. Oh, and I was lazy last week. Yeah. I'm not going to be so lazy with this menu.

Monday - Spinach Rice Salad
Tuesday - Copper Penny (No. Not a real penny. Eww. That's just the name of the recipe.)
Wednesday - Asparagus and Vegetable Potato Topper
Thursday - Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
Friday - Sweet and Sour Broccoli Salad
Saturday - Grilled Hamburgers and Hot Dogs
Sunday - ? (We are going to be at a family thing where dinner will be provided.)

Happy Sunday!

Fat Head

2011-02-24T17:06:00.000-07:00

A friend recommended I watch a movie called "Fat Head" and it was really informational. I'm kinda a sucker for food documentaries and this just happens to be one.

If you are interested you can watch it from this link http://www.hulu.com/watch/196879/fat-head on Hulu or it is available to watch instantly on Netflix.

I'm not saying you can't ever eat carbs again (Perish the thought! I love me some bread.) or need to eat pounds and pounds of meat every week. I just thought it was interesting and wanted to share. Not promoting, just sharing something I found interesting.

Excuse My Rant

2011-02-22T10:58:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, the Hubbs took the afternoon off so we could all go sledding before the snow melts. We invited is brother and nephew to come along.

After sledding we were sitting around talking, and got on the subject of SAHMs. Specifically, me being one. A couple of my husbands' brothers have made it clear that they think I'm not contributing because I don't bring income to the household. (The brother that was over yesterday is not one of the "haters".)

Just last week one of the "SAHM haters" started giving me the "you need to go back to school" speech and basically told me I am wasting my life away.

EXCUSE ME?!?

Raising happy, productive members of society is NOT a waste of my life! And if that is all that I am ever remembered for then, GO ME! Being a mother has been the most important, rewarding thing I have ever done. I'm not about to let a selfish, rude (because he critiques my housecleaning every time he comes over), commitment coward make me feel bad about my choice to be a mother as a career. (Harsh? Yes. True? YES!)

I do understand that there are women that have to work. I am not putting that down. I am seriously impressed that you can handle so much. To the single mothers: You are my heroes. I just don't know how you do it.

Never let anyone feel bad about what you do. Whether you have to work, because that's what your family needs, or you stay home. You do what you feel is right and good and ignore all the nay-sayers. That is exactly what I plan on doing from now on.

Monday Weigh In

2011-02-21T08:22:00.000-07:00

Alrighty. It's Monday! Time for me to check in. Here are my latest numbers.

Weight: 147.4 -1 lb.
Neck: 11.5 in. same
Chest: 36 in. -1 in.
Ribs: 29.5 in. -0.5 in.
Right Arm: 11 in. -0.5 in.
Left Arm: 11 in. same
Belly Button: 32 in. -2 in.
Hips: 38 in. -0.5 in.
Butt: 41 in. -0.5 in.
Right Thigh: 21 in. -0.5 in.
Left Thigh: 21 in. same
BMI: 24.5 down 0.2

That's 1 pound and 5.5 inches lost.

I'm kinda disappointed that I only lost a pound but that's better than gaining. I wasn't as good with my eating and exercising as I should have been last week.

My goals this week are to lose 2 pounds and wake up at 6 am to exercise. I like to exercise without interruption and that just doesn't happen after the girls wake up. As cute as they are, they throw off my "exercise groove".

What's for Dinner

2011-02-20T13:52:00.000-07:00

Last weeks menu was fairly successful. We only had one change. My parents had us over for dinner and a movie on Friday. (Navajo Tacos and "The Burbs" ... awesome.)

Here is the plan for this week:

Monday - Pigs in a Blanket
Tuesday - Sesame Tilapia
Wednesday - Day Before Pay Day Fried Rice
Thursday - Veggie Fajitas
Friday - Cajun Chicken Pasta
Saturday - Creamy Tuscan Bean Soup
Sunday - Gumbo

Happy Sunday Everyone!

The positive side of Snow

2011-02-19T15:05:00.000-07:00

So... my last post sounded really negative. In an effort to be content with my surroundings I am dedicating this post to some of the great things about snow.

1. The fact that it's cold gives me the perfect excuse to drink hot cocoa and snuggle with the hubbs and/or girls.
2. Snow makes everything look so pretty.
3. Snow lowers the chances of having forest fires in the summer.
4. I have a good excuse to wear cute scarves and hats.
5. The look on Tawni's face when she wakes up to snow... priceless.
6. It gives us a good excuse to stay in.
7. Snowplow drivers have work.
8. Snow Angels.
9. Being able to sled off the roof. (See picture below.)
10. (When I was younger) SNOW DAYS!

(The Hubbs, getting some "air")

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

2011-02-19T14:20:00.000-07:00

This morning we woke up to snow.

I'm not a big fan of snow. It is pretty but that's as far as the love goes. I really dislike how everything you wear gets wet and it is cold.

Just a few minutes ago I attempted to shovel the driveway. The hubbs is on campus doing a project for school and I thought how nice it would be for him to come home to a shoveled driveway.

My plan would have been a success if this wasn't the most evil snow on the planet. One shovel-full weighs more then my 3 year old. It's also coming down so fast that, within minutes, the place you just cleared is covered again. I got about 1/3 of the way through the driveway before my arms gave out.

At least a got a stellar arm workout in today. I am going to be wicked sore tomorrow. (Woot!)

That cute little groundhog is a big fat liar. What a tease.

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-02-17T16:35:00.000-07:00

Thank you Brea at Becoming Brea! She gave me the Stylish Blogger Award! How sweet is she?! This is my very first blog award. Ah! I don't even know what to say. Brea, you just made my day!!

As with every award there are rules that must be followed:

1. Link back to the person who gave you the award.

2. Share seven things about yourself.

3. Choose ten other bloggers you're currently following.

4. Let them know that you have passed this award on to them.

Let's see, seven things...

1. I am terrified of spiders. Like to the point that my heart starts racing and I get all sweaty when I see one, no matter the size. (It almost sounds like I'm in love. HA!)

2. I wanted to be a nurse when I grew up. Those plans were foiled when I watched a knee surgery ON TAPE and fainted. Guess who got juice and cookies. Oh yeah.

3. I had braces when I was 15 years old, but only for 18 months.

4. I love old movies. (Cary Grant!!)

5. I can sing but I am afraid of doing so in public...or anywhere people would be able to hear me. This is something I really need to get over.

6. I'm a terrible speller. (Thank you spellcheck!)

7. I really like vacuuming and mopping. I know, I know....weirdo. I just love the way a house looks and feels with clean floors. It's instant gratification cleaning.

Here are the amazing bloggers I choose to share this award with:

1. Mom Weighs In

2. TRYING to be a Domestic Goddess

3. Surviving Motherhood

4. Gardner Family

5. The Pie Hole Project

6. Beautifully Bella Faith

7. Because I Said So

8. Craftionary

9. Honesty, Sarcasm, and Humor, but it's only my Opinion

10. Our Little Bubble

Have a great day everyone!

Operation Army Crawl

2011-02-16T09:21:00.000-07:00

My 11 month old is what we call a late bloomer. She has had no interest in crawling... until a week ago.

Let's rewind 4 months. She had an ear infection so of we went to the pediatrician to get it checked out. At this point she didn't sit up on her own. I was starting to get worried so I mentioned it to the doctor. As much as I love her doctor, she is a drama queen.

"Oh my goodness! How old is she again? SEVEN MONTHS! We need to send her to a physical therapist. If that doesn't help we have to give her an MRI. Oh and then if we can't find out anything from there we will have to run a bunch of tests...."

Her freaking out made me freak out! I was already worried and then she starts talking about MRIs and tests. Ugh. We agreed to see the physical therapist and I'm so glad we did.

The physical therapist is amazing! Before going to her I realized how little I really understand about Madison. I'm sad to say that I never really bonded with that cute little girl before all this. (I blame a lot of that on having PPD) The PT has really opened my eyes to a lot of things and, more importantly, she has helped Madison in so many ways.

Thanks to her awesomeness, Madison is now army crawling. It is great to watch her crawl around the house. It makes her so happy to be able to follow us around.

I have to change my thought process. I am used to her staying in one spot. Now I could very easily step on her or (like yesterday) open a door and smack her in the face. (It was very sad.)

I am slowly starting to realize that with crawling comes an end to an era. The happy times when the diapers stayed in a neat pile, when books would stay on the shelf, and when I wasn't so obsessed with floor cleanliness.

At least I'll get a great workout trying to keep up with her!

Weigh In and Fitness Goals

2011-02-14T10:21:00.000-07:00

Today I am going to do something that, in the past, would have embarrassed me to no end. I'm going to tell you how much I weigh.

*gasp*

The logic behind writing this down for all to see is that it will keep me accountable. Every Monday I will be giving you a weight/fitness update, complete with measurements. Wow...this is scary. Here goes.

Weight: 148.4
Height: 5 feet, 5 inches
Neck: 11.5 in.
Chest: 37 in.
Ribs: 30 in.
Right Arm: 11.5 in.
Left Arm: 11 in.
Belly Button: 34 in.
Hips: 38.5 in.
Butt: 41.5 in. (BAM!)
Right Thigh: 21.5 in.
Left Thigh: 21 in.
BMI: 24.7 (Finally in the normal range!)

My weight goal is 125 pounds. I want to be this weight by my "Happy Pappy" (AKA: yearly woman appointment.) in May. Which means we are looking at 2 pounds of weight loss per week.

My calorie goal each day is 1700. If I have exercised a lot and feel hungry I will up that a little, but only because I'm still breastfeeding. Once I'm done BF, daily caloric intake will be changed to 1500.

I measure and write down all my food. This is the only way I know for sure how much I am eating. I also eat something every 2 hours, keeping it under 200 calories, unless it's meal time. Eating this often has made it biggest difference. I never feel very hungry, which has kept me from overindulging.

I am allowed one "crazy day" each week. I choose Sunday. I get to eat whatever I want and as much as I want. We don't shop or eat out on Sunday so this keeps me from buying unhealthy food, but I still bake. :) I have noticed that having a crazy day has improved my weight loss and my mood. I don't feel deprived.

I started doing this as a New Year's resolution. My weight on January 4th -157.8 pounds. Nine pounds in 6 weeks. Not to shabby for a slacker.

Eatin' Time!

2011-02-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned before, I have been in a major recipe rut for a while now. To get out of the funk I have dedicated Sunday afternoon to making a dinner menu for the week. I hope by posting it that it will inspire all of us to try new things and keep me accountable!

As a family we allow one, what we call, "fatty meal" a week. This is so we don't feel deprived. Our budget doesn't allow for much eating out, so I'm trying to keep things interesting.

This is what I have planned for the week.

Monday - Papa Murphys Heart Pizza (This is the "fatty meal" for the week. If you haven't ever tried Papa Murphys Pizza then I feel sad for you. It's the best! They are take-n-bake. The store puts it together and you take it home to bake it.)
Tuesday - Lettuce Wraps
Wednesday - Broccoli Soup
Thursday - Macaroni Garden Salad
Friday - Chicken Bake
Saturday - Baby Spinach Omelets
Sunday - Mushroom Barley Soup

If anything I post sounds good enough to try just leave a comment and I can get you the recipe.

An Eyeful

2011-02-11T18:42:00.002-07:00

I am still breastfeeding my 11 month old. (Two weeks and 5 days left....but who's counting.) Four times a day we hunker down on the couch for 10 minutes of "us" time. (If it's just me and the girls at home I don't cover up.) My favorite nursing spot has only recently become a problem. You see, the couch faces a window and the window looks out at our neighbors house.

Last month the temperature dropped to -30 degrees Fahrenheit one night. Our neighbors' pipes busted inside their house. (The owners moved five months ago and the house has been unoccupied.) The handyman stopped by to find a foot of water throughout the bottom floor of the house. The last two weeks there have been a countless number of people coming and going next door. Which leads me to the problem.

The windows and my favorite nursing spot.

Any one of those people could look in my living room windows, while I am nursing, and see my breastage. Gross.

I do close the blinds before I start feeding her just to be safe. But I know there is going to be a day that I forget to close them and some man is going to walk by and see us. My husband will then have to beat the man up to defend my honor. Which will lead to the police being called and reports being filed. Maybe even some jail time. You see? It could get ugly really fast.

Or I can just cover up. Gosh.

Pass the Sugar, Please!

2011-02-11T13:22:00.001-07:00

Yesterday I was in the mood to cook. Normally, this isn't such a weird thing but I have been in a "recipe rut" for about a month now. Even with all the food I'm surrounded by I can't think of anything to make for dinner.

As I was checking my facebook account yesterday, there was a recipe posted by AllYou.com for Butternut Squash Ravioli. I was so stoked! I've had butternut squash in the refrigerator for about two weeks that I didn't know what to do with. I took their filling recipe and used a dough recipe from here to make the ravioli.

It was harder then I thought but it tasted amazing!

After the ravioli was taken care of I decided I wanted to make dessert. Weird. Not that I am a dessert hater or anything. Just the opposite actually. I have a major sweet tooth. I eat a little sugar and... BAM. It is over. All I can think about are chocolate/peanut butter cookies and cupcakes and sour patch kids. My way of taming the sugar beast is to never go there.

Last night I broke that rule for this:

Cheesecake with chocolate sauce drizzled over the top. I got this from Allrecipes.com.

Now if I only knew what to make for dinner tonight.

A Clean House is a Happy House

2011-02-10T10:10:00.003-07:00

I am a clean freak. No joke. When my house isn't clean I feel like I can't focus, I'm grumpy and the world is coming to an end! (Drama Queen) Even now, writing this post, I am surrounded by piles of papers that need sorting, breakfast leftovers, toys on the floor and a dirty oven. (I know. I can't even see the dirty part but the fact that it is dirty inside is driving me bonkers.)

I love being organized. I am addicted to those shows (Clean House) that go into messy homes and clean them up. I practically drool over the closets they have organized. Sometimes I think about letting the house get really gross just so I can have a show come organize it for me. (But the thought of letting a camera crew and America into my dirty house makes me a little sick inside.)

Having two really active children doesn't help the untidiness of my home. I've had a hard time keeping up, so I made myself a chore chart. Laugh all you want, but it works!

My cleaning duties every week are split up as follows:

Monday: Dishes, Make Beds, Dust, Vacuum

Tuesday: Dishes, Make Beds, Upstairs Bathroom, Sweep/Mop

Wednesday: Dishes, Make Beds, Laundry, Vacuum

Thursday: Dishes, Make Beds, Downstairs Bathroom, Shred Documents

Friday: Dishes, Make Beds, Windows, Vacuum

Saturday: Dishes, Make Beds, Clean Out Fridge, Sweep/Mop

Sunday: Dishes, Make Beds (This is my day "off")

Some things like sweeping, vacuuming and bathrooms, are usually done more often than listed. This way everything gets done one way or another.

I'm looking forward to the day when the girls are old enough to help out more. Then mommy can take a much needed book break.

What's in a name?

2011-02-09T14:21:00.001-07:00

Not so long ago an acquaintance ask me if Madison is a really "hard" baby. I was confused by the word "hard" at first. Hard, like a rock? Hard headed? Has a hard body (like muscles)? I realized she was asking if she has a "hard" personality. If I have struggled raising her thus far.

She has definitely been harder to raise then my first, but In my mind I was reluctant to label her as a "hard" baby.

She then explained her reason for asking. Madison was a very popular name last year. (I think it was number 8 on the top 10... and we thought we were being unique. Boo.) All these "Madison Mom's" had mentioned that their "Madison" was a really rough baby, when compared to their other children.

My questions are, what's in a name and does the meaning of your name really determine what kind of personality you have?

Madison means, "Son of Maud or Matthew". (What the heck were we thinking?!)
Cara means, "Friend" or "Beloved". (Unless you are a really sweet Mexican woman trying to make an awkward 12-year-old girl feel better about herself by telling her that Cara means "beautiful face" in Spanish. I totally believed her until I got into high school and took Spanish. Nice try lady.)

I personally believe that we all come hard-wired with our personalities and that your name really doesn't have much to do with how you act.

The one exception being if your parents named you Squidgy Beckinhym. In your case, you have the right to be a little weird.

Day 1

2011-02-08T10:13:00.002-07:00

So many things are running through my mind. Things I want to write about. Things I need to do. Things I want to do.

Right now, I am going to take a step back and just fill you in on some tidbits about myself and why I started this blog.

Hi! I'm Cara. I have been a wife for seven years and a mom for 3.5 years. I have an amazing husband who is my best friend. He works full-time and goes to school part-time. I have two beautiful daughters, ages 3 and 11 months.

I am a SAHM (stay at home mom), coupon clipper, and exercise enthusiast, even though you wouldn't know by looking at me. I have high standards of cleanliness. I love food.

The reason I started this blog is that I need something that is just for me. Somewhere to voice my opinions, thoughts and feelings.

My hope is to learn more about myself. I lost my identity after our first daughter was born. I got so caught up in the baby and her needs that I forgot who I am. Well, no more! Today I start learning about me.

Just Call Me Mommy

Week 12

Belly Facts...

Announcement!

Monthly Meal Planning

Painting Advice

Goals for 2012

Um, so, yeah...

Juggling has never been a talent of mine

Weigh In Monday

Resting Metabolic Rate Formula

Boredom Buster Jar

Operation: Fit into all the jeans I own because I really don't want to go shopping for larger sizes.

Getting back on the wagon

One is the loneliest number you will ever find...

The IUD. Not a friend.

sick

5 for friday - things i have been putting off

My Fitness Pal

POOP!

5 for friday, things I miss

Stairs should not be so hard to climb

5 for Friday Vacations

What's in my purse

One week and counting!

5 for Friday

Crazy Dreams

Things I'm thinking about today

dishwasher love

What the Snow...

Mess

Freedom

Goals

Renaissance Festival and Where's Waldo?

Sore

*almost* wordless wednesday

Wat'cha Eatin'?

Weigh In

Ah ah ah ah, Stayin' Alive. Stayin' Alive.

Friday Confessional

Happy 1st Birthday!

Monday Weigh In

Weekly Dinner Menu

Fat Head

Excuse My Rant

Monday Weigh In

What's for Dinner

The positive side of Snow

Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire

Stylish Blogger Award

Operation Army Crawl

Weigh In and Fitness Goals

Eatin' Time!

An Eyeful

Pass the Sugar, Please!

A Clean House is a Happy House

What's in a name?

Day 1

almost wordless wednesday