tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13569892038795521452024-03-13T16:53:58.583-07:00WigenOut Isn't All That BadEven when life is crazyAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-8520320277005368682015-02-01T05:08:00.001-08:002015-02-01T05:09:46.582-08:00The Man In The High Castle<p dir="ltr">Do you have Amazon Instant Video? If so, you need to watch the new Amazon series, <i>The </i><i>Man </i><i>In </i>The <i>H</i><i>igh </i><i>Castle</i>. Only the pilot is available now, but it was thought provoking. What if The Allies hadn't won WWII? What would The United States of America have looked like in 1962? What if Hitler was still alive? Watch this show! Amazon needs to continue making this series. The acting was good, but the background was what got me. See Time Square and San Fransico in ways you didn't imagine. </p>
<p dir="ltr">I am going to have to read the book now. </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNr0KUVq3MLoEp2_mmpTx6MveSAvQHenymQCvQacFhu3RvKQ6Pbp-DaCfJNorKfr0wIkiHgG8D124F1fW0OmXmqfqhCMO-q0KblBfqWq8yExfPskMHrZe0qtad60xuTpvWzQ_kQABOBlDg/s1600/MV5BMTUxODUxOTY5NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMzIyMjk5MzE%252540._V1_SX214_AL_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNr0KUVq3MLoEp2_mmpTx6MveSAvQHenymQCvQacFhu3RvKQ6Pbp-DaCfJNorKfr0wIkiHgG8D124F1fW0OmXmqfqhCMO-q0KblBfqWq8yExfPskMHrZe0qtad60xuTpvWzQ_kQABOBlDg/s640/MV5BMTUxODUxOTY5NV5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTgwMzIyMjk5MzE%252540._V1_SX214_AL_.jpg"> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-31362090387367546692015-01-06T17:10:00.000-08:002015-01-06T17:12:12.507-08:002015....The Year of 40<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is the year I turn 40. I'm working on to make this the best year yet. I became a Beachbody Coach in 2014 after starting to workout and eat better once I recovered from neck surgery. I have completed 2 rounds of PiYo and now I've started the 21 Day Fix. Now if you look at the MyFitnessPal widget, it looks bad today, but that's because I reset it for 2015. I want to track exactly how much weight I lose this year. I'm enjoying working out. I feel better. Eating clean is also helping me. I want to share my progress and help others reach their goals. Learning portion control has been the biggest thing for me. I know what I should eat and keeping as much processed foods as possible out of the house will help us all be healthier.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have also joined my husband and daughter in biking. I'm just getting started. My hubby bought me a Trek for Christmas and I feel confident riding it. I hope to be out riding the trails once the weather warms up.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This year is all about getting healthy, fit, and staying motivated. What are you focusing on in 2015? </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-62454874223585290582013-07-09T17:17:00.000-07:002013-07-09T17:17:04.968-07:00No Dough Pizza Review<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Tonight from my Pinterest recipes I made <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/47780446019605513/" target="_blank">No Dough Pizza</a>. It was easy to make and everyone enjoyed it. For toppings I browned Italian ground sausage and added pepperoni. It would be really good with fresh mushrooms, but I was cooking for my daughter who doesn't like veggies on pizza. I will definitely make this recipe again.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeft_U2jCZORLJI1Ez3xsURXWChzHQfCJWk8BRyLlof8TSvqNfJnoSJ3uKFNzc49zqU5ph7cN-jWfWjQmO9Dc7alNQzSm9yeKneWwXv6dSgFat_YZV_UqQSI4wUOzqMzVa-oh66J-OFNPs/s1600/PhotoGrid_1373414656190.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> <img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeft_U2jCZORLJI1Ez3xsURXWChzHQfCJWk8BRyLlof8TSvqNfJnoSJ3uKFNzc49zqU5ph7cN-jWfWjQmO9Dc7alNQzSm9yeKneWwXv6dSgFat_YZV_UqQSI4wUOzqMzVa-oh66J-OFNPs/s640/PhotoGrid_1373414656190.jpg" /> </a> </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-50061823635982466182013-07-08T18:49:00.002-07:002013-07-08T18:50:29.623-07:00Meal Review<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I wanted to do a quick review of the recipes I made on Sunday from my<a href="http://wigenout.blogspot.com/2013/07/pinterest-and-meal-planning-for-week.html" target="_blank"> Weekly Meal Plan</a>.</span><br />
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Last night we had<a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/47780446019621044/" target="_blank"> Chicken Tacos</a> and <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/47780446019616019/" target="_blank">Texas Trash Warm Bean Dip</a></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Both recipes called for <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/47780446019605486/" target="_blank">taco seasoning</a></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> so I made that as well.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I don't think I'll ever brown chicken for tacos again. Making it in the slow cooker was so easy. The taco seasoning was great. The Texas Trash Dip was simple and delicious. There wasn't any left. We had 8 people eat dinner here last night and everyone enjoyed the meal.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">These recipes will be added to the meals that I made on a regular basis. I'm also going to make the taco seasoning from now on as well. It was simple and better than the packets.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I pinned a bunch of recipes tonight so I'll have some more new things to try next week. I'll review another dish soon.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Happy pinning and cooking!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-35848777248289132682013-07-07T07:36:00.003-07:002013-07-07T07:36:57.826-07:00Pinterest and Meal Planning for the Week<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'm 3 weeks post op and doing well. I'm getting better at walking and my toes aren't as numb. I hope I can start working out soon. I go back to the doctor at the end of the month.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I've been pinning a lot of different things to <a href="http://www.pinterest.com/" target="_blank">Pinterest</a> lately. I love the idea of one place for all the recipes I want to try, craft ideas, and other things I find online that interest me. I decided to go through recipes this morning so we can try some this week. My dinner plans for the week and links are below:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZYPS7KVJNX7pux7ZE3mEpYQ2S9M_iJCtaEfZ07ddbIqtwbL85f4UHdv4Det1R8KYyKQtIhm30JZvejbBu5myDSHhHGigI99iTFK-2kpHaqqiCy6Oor3-941Axiuh9qvMLcUdH7FWxqSk/s1600/weekly-meal-plan-frugal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZYPS7KVJNX7pux7ZE3mEpYQ2S9M_iJCtaEfZ07ddbIqtwbL85f4UHdv4Det1R8KYyKQtIhm30JZvejbBu5myDSHhHGigI99iTFK-2kpHaqqiCy6Oor3-941Axiuh9qvMLcUdH7FWxqSk/s320/weekly-meal-plan-frugal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Sunday</span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/47780446019621044/" target="_blank">Chicken Tacos</a> and <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/47780446019616019/" target="_blank">Texas Trash Warm Bean Dip</a></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">For the <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/47780446019605486/" target="_blank">taco seasoning</a> I'm going to try making my own as well.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Monday</span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Spaghetti and salad</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Tuesday</span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/47780446019595105/" target="_blank">Ribs</a> and Beans</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Wednesday</span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/47780446019605513/" target="_blank">Crustless pizza</a> and salad</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Thursday</span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/47780446019605503/" target="_blank">Citrus roasted chicken</a> and <a href="http://pinterest.com/pin/47780446018748777/" target="_blank">smashed cauliflower</a></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Friday</span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Mom's Night Out</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<u><b><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Saturday</span></b></u></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Leftovers </span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I'll review the recipes as I make them.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">I did make <a href="http://ladywiththeredrocker.com/2011/09/02/diy-dishwasher-detergent/" target="_blank">dish washer powder</a> and <a href="http://ladywiththeredrocker.com/2011/08/01/no-im-not-a-crunchy-granola-kind-of-mom/" target="_blank">laundry detergent</a> that I found on Pintrest a few months ago. The dish washer powder didn't do a good job. The laundry detergent is okay, but I want to try making liquid instead. The powder just doesn't get stains out the first time.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">Now that I have my plan for the week it's time to head to the store. I'm going to start making at least one new recipe a week that I've pinned. </span><br /><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"> </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-16513403741690128452013-06-10T17:19:00.001-07:002013-06-10T17:19:55.099-07:00Going Under The Knife.....Again<p dir=ltr>I've been a bad blogger, but will try to improve. </p>
<p dir=ltr>Once again I am having surgery. About 4 weeks ago I was diagnosed with Morton's Neuroma in my left foot. I have a tumor on the main nerve between my third and forth toes. We tried a cortisone injection and a post-op shoe with no relief. The pain is actually getting worse. On Thursday morning I will have outpatient surgery to remove it. I have complete faith in my orthopedic since he did both of my daughter's ankle surgeries. I was doing so good walking and exercising before this. I can't wait to get back to it.</p>
<p dir=ltr>As surgery approaches I'm feeling that pre-surgery funk hit. I've done what I can around the house. Gabe and Liberty have been a huge help. I've planned easy meals and even froze leftover chicken casserole and spaghetti last week to help them. I just feel blah. There's things I would love to get done, but by the end of the day it really hurts to walk.</p>
<p dir=ltr>When I planned surgery I didn't even think about it being Father's Day or our friends' baby shower this weekend. All I wanted was to end the pain and be in better shape by the end of the month for Gabe's college graduation.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Hopefully all will go well and maybe I can still attend the baby shower, I'll just have to have my foot up.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Surgery #8, please be good to me.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-6551103890865883752013-03-28T20:11:00.001-07:002013-03-28T20:11:43.570-07:00Where Did March Go?<p dir=ltr>Is it just me or did this month fly by? We were so busy I rarely sat in front of the computer or picked up my tablet. Social media happened from the phone. </p>
<p dir=ltr>The 2nd week of the military diet was our last. It kick started our metabolisms like I hoped, but we were both irritable. Not a good thing to be.</p>
<p dir=ltr>We've had a few weeks of not eating right and minimal exercise. All of that changes Monday. I'd love an excuse to get a new swim sit this year.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Our amazing Miss Liberty turned 11 this month. We had a fantastic family day filled with great food, Oz, the Great and Powerful, cupcakes, and Build-A-Bear. She had a sleep over with 6 friends and there was no drama.</p>
<p dir=ltr>The tenant is due to move Saturday. I'm excited to change the locks on that house and get someone new in it. I swear if they don't move this weekend I am not responsible for my actions.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-58334923349673633562013-03-03T19:47:00.001-08:002013-03-03T19:47:34.867-08:00Week in Review and Meal Plan<p>This is going to be our 2nd round of <a href="http://www.themilitarydiet.com">The Military Diet</a> or 3 Day Diet Monday-Wednesday. Last week Gabe lost 4 pounds and I lost 2 pounds. We ate fairly well Thursday though today plus I worked out. I managed to lose 1 more pound. It's making meal planning easy.</p>
<p>Breakfast: toast, grapefruit, egg, cheese, banana, apple, peanut butter, smoothies</p>
<p>Lunch: tuna, eggs, crackers, cheese, peanuts, rice cakes, chicken, toast, veggies, soup</p>
<p>Dinner:<br>
Sunday-we went to Picklefish for pizza</p>
<p>Monday-chicken, green beans, apple, banana, vanilla ice cream</p>
<p>Tuesday-turkey dogs, spinach, carrots, banana, vanilla ice cream</p>
<p>Wednesday-tuna or chicken, banana, vanilla ice cream</p>
<p>Thursday-whole wheat pasta and vodka sauce</p>
<p>Friday-red beans and rice</p>
<p>Saturday-Papa Murphy's for Liberty's slumber party</p>
<p>We're going to exercise while on the plan this week since it's not our first go around. </p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-57139295049814285512013-02-24T17:23:00.001-08:002013-02-24T17:23:55.932-08:00Weekly Meal Planning<p>This is going to be an interesting food week for us. We're going to try <a href="http://www.themilitarydiet.com">The Military Diet</a> or 3 Day Diet Monday-Wednesday to help jump start Gabe's weight loss and kick start my metabolism since I'm at a plateau. It's making meal planning easy this week.</p>
<p>Breakfast: toast, grapefruit, egg, cheese, banana, apple, peanut butter, smoothies</p>
<p>Lunch: tuna, eggs, crackers, cheese, peanuts, rice cakes, chicken, toast, veggies, mushrooms, soup</p>
<p>Dinner:<br>
Sunday-free Papa John's thin crust</p>
<p>Monday-chicken, green beans, apple, banana, vanilla ice cream</p>
<p>Tuesday-turkey dogs, spinach, carrots, banana, vanilla ice cream</p>
<p>Wednesday-tuna or portabella mushrooms, banana, vanilla ice cream</p>
<p>Thursday-lasagna rolls and salad</p>
<p>Friday-red beans and rice</p>
<p>Saturday-plans with friends</p>
<p>I'll let you know the results of the 3 day diet at the end of the week. Some people report losing up to 10 pounds.</p>
<p>We'll wait till Thursday to add exercise back as well.</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZYPS7KVJNX7pux7ZE3mEpYQ2S9M_iJCtaEfZ07ddbIqtwbL85f4UHdv4Det1R8KYyKQtIhm30JZvejbBu5myDSHhHGigI99iTFK-2kpHaqqiCy6Oor3-941Axiuh9qvMLcUdH7FWxqSk/s1600/weekly-meal-plan-frugal.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYZYPS7KVJNX7pux7ZE3mEpYQ2S9M_iJCtaEfZ07ddbIqtwbL85f4UHdv4Det1R8KYyKQtIhm30JZvejbBu5myDSHhHGigI99iTFK-2kpHaqqiCy6Oor3-941Axiuh9qvMLcUdH7FWxqSk/s640/weekly-meal-plan-frugal.jpg' /> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-62932180947214718942013-02-23T18:48:00.001-08:002013-02-23T18:49:33.186-08:00What a Week<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This was a crazy week all the way around. Work was hectic just about every day. It was go, go, go all day long. I like it when I'm busy all day, but not when I feel stressed about it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I've had moments this week where I've just wanted to scream and I actually did once which kinda freaked out Libby. I keep getting political ad calls on my phone and I finally had it and screamed when once again the call was for the stupid state senate race.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The "Tenant from Hell" is still in our rental house. She's waiting on her tax return so she can pay us off and move out. Three months without rent is KILLING ME!!!!!!!! I need her out. If she doesn't have any good news on Monday I think I'm going to have to go to the courthouse to get her out. I'm tired of always being nice and taken advantage of. We don't own that house so others can live there and not pay. It's a business that's slowly killing us. My supply of Valium is dwindling. I may have to see the doctor soon to get more.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I did just check <a href="http://www.irs.gov/Refunds/Where%27s-My-Refund-It%27s-Quick,-Easy,-and-Secure." target="_blank">Where's My Refund</a> and it shows our tax return is scheduled to be deposited on Monday. Please let that be true. We need to get going with our <i>Total Money Makeover</i> and that will get us the $1000 emergency fund and we'll be able to pay off a credit card.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Some good news....Gabe's dad is giving us a truck that we can sell to make some money. That will pay off a second credit card. See the snowball effect plan??? He is currently picking up the truck and next week we'll get it all cleaned up to sell. There's a plan in place and I'm ready to see things work out.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Today is one year since my surgery to remove my appendix and gall bladder. Health wise I feel better than I have in a long time. Eating healthier and exercising are really helping. I'm still having headaches, but what else is new? I've had them since I was a teen so I'm kinda used to it. If I really think about it I have one every day ever since the issues started with my neck. It's when it turns into a killer migraine that they disturb me now. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I think I'll go get lost in a book or movie and forget about reality for a while.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-17840209298659775112013-02-17T18:00:00.001-08:002013-02-17T18:02:21.189-08:00Weekly Meal Plan<p>Here's my meal plan for the week. I may try to blog some of my meals this week.</p>
<p><b>Breakfast</b>: chocolate peanut butter smoothie, chocolate protein shake, protein bar, eggs</p>
<p><b>Lunch</b>: salad, sandwich, soup, leftovers</p>
<p><b>Dinner</b><br>
Sunday-Mirko for Gabe's birthday with my parents<br>
Monday-beef stroganoff (Gabe's pick got his birthday dinner)<br>
Tuesday-taco bake<br>
Wednesday-baked chicken<br>
Thursday-rice and beans<br>
Friday-Flatout pizza<br>
Saturday-leftovers or go out</p>
<p>Are you making anything interesting this week?</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoqQTka7gss5xVkl3-0fDnn4L1Zgja6pYUjoTiIVsCXYrM-qGh6ITvmrrtwvGjVjVPRv4jm9KXq782Z_m5SmOuYudi7gW5VhBdXvUdxrKhcGPCUO-t72l8K1KzfLccm1wm6elIPjdtckS/s1600/weekly-meal-plan-frugal.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPoqQTka7gss5xVkl3-0fDnn4L1Zgja6pYUjoTiIVsCXYrM-qGh6ITvmrrtwvGjVjVPRv4jm9KXq782Z_m5SmOuYudi7gW5VhBdXvUdxrKhcGPCUO-t72l8K1KzfLccm1wm6elIPjdtckS/s640/weekly-meal-plan-frugal.jpg' /> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0Terrace Hills, Mobile30.63584 -88.16329tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-34370573540011865702013-02-17T17:45:00.001-08:002013-02-17T17:47:05.117-08:00Warm Bodies Review<p>Ever since I saw the trailer for the movie <i>Warm </i><i>Bodies</i> I wanted to see it which is odd because I'm not a zombie fan. I didn't realize it was based on a book so now I have to add that to my wish list. </p>
<p>Anyway, I've seen the movie twice. The premise is a post apocalyptic world from the view of R, a zombie. His inner dialogue is great. His taste in music is awesome. He lives at an airport with other zombies.</p>
<p>The humans who are still alive have built a wall around the city to keep the zombies out. They have volunteers who venture beyond the wall for supplies.</p>
<p>I don't want to give away the story, so I won't spoil it for you. I enjoyed the movie. It's a zombie love story. I know most of my friends will enjoy it so go see this movie.</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0Ol-xs5_EDrKnliK_X6wOCNuj-zix9vVmVHFnyNs3Gt3L1ofyJBQg1hVmRAIspHzhC_KLUuTizNWt_pdfgxl8pAAyFhGwfIR2pM0-X4l2IgiLoCPQPq18i-KJswhMRx8l7JSl0c6SF1g/s1600/tbn_2f23f2fedae501e6.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp0Ol-xs5_EDrKnliK_X6wOCNuj-zix9vVmVHFnyNs3Gt3L1ofyJBQg1hVmRAIspHzhC_KLUuTizNWt_pdfgxl8pAAyFhGwfIR2pM0-X4l2IgiLoCPQPq18i-KJswhMRx8l7JSl0c6SF1g/s640/tbn_2f23f2fedae501e6.jpg' /> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-63906959425309807302013-02-15T20:24:00.001-08:002013-02-15T20:27:05.077-08:00Valentine's Day<p dir=ltr>Yesterday was the holiday of love. We decided to celebrate this past Sunday when Liberty was witha friend. We went out to dinner and a movie, <i>Warm </i><i>Bodies</i>. I'll write a review of the movie later.</p>
<p dir=ltr>Yesterday we had a special dinner. We grilled steaks, sauteed mushrooms, and mashed cauliflower. It was so good. We enjoyed the evening as a family. Valentine's Day is different when you have a child. It is now longer about just the two of us. We celebrate the love of our family. We celebrate the fact that we love each other and are always here for each other. Our love is every day, not just on Valentine's Day.</p>
<p dir=ltr>How did you celebrate?</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW0Q4ul0cvcsgIy-NaQt6k-FonqQ4frbFQlm8l_pypBWKRCsFQ_M53DbTh1QskhAsgEtbJ7oODFB04eMSvEU0M-o-2GBX7BVTHhylBAQ7MJ8jUPsa0serkTxQpoAtIfdfap4a6bl1zRb3/s1600/.facebook_893119172.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnW0Q4ul0cvcsgIy-NaQt6k-FonqQ4frbFQlm8l_pypBWKRCsFQ_M53DbTh1QskhAsgEtbJ7oODFB04eMSvEU0M-o-2GBX7BVTHhylBAQ7MJ8jUPsa0serkTxQpoAtIfdfap4a6bl1zRb3/s640/.facebook_893119172.jpg' /> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-27376965260995449722013-02-06T17:38:00.001-08:002013-02-06T17:38:45.277-08:00I Love My Job<p>....and I'm not being sarcastic. I do enjoy my job. It's the main reason I returned to this company after my experience at ITT Tech. Most of my co-workers are great. I enjoy helping other reps and our clients. I enjoy being more knowledgeable about technology and I see the value in what we do as a company. </p>
<p>Since I returned last year I have worked hard to learn more and move up. It finally paid off. Today it was announced I've been promoted to CS Rep 2. I triage support tickets as they come in, give guidance to other reps, and help other reps work their calls as well.</p>
<p>I'm excited about my new position and I'm glad to have some good news for a change.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-3880942513467150582013-02-03T08:23:00.001-08:002013-02-03T08:23:48.457-08:00Meal Plan for the Week<p>Last week I found some cute meal plan templates using Google. I decided to get a cheap document frame at Wal-Mart so it fits a sheet of paper without requiring cutting and made my own wipe off board with the template. </p>
<p>This week's plan:<br>
<b>Breakfast</b> - eggs, protein shake, smoothie, cereal, Flat Out toast, waffles</p>
<p><b>Lunch</b> - sandwiches, soup, salad, leftovers</p>
<p><b>Snacks</b> - cheese, hard boiled eggs, nuts, fruits, veggies, yogurt</p>
<p><b>Dinner</b><br>
<b>Sunday</b> - we'll be at a Super Bowl party<br>
<b>Monday</b> - Liberty has an awards program. If they don't serve food I'll make ravioli <br>
<b>Tuesday</b> - red beans, rice, and turkey sausage<br>
<b>Wednesday</b> - Lasagna Rolls that I froze from last week<br>
<b>Thursday</b> - Leftover night<br>
<b>Friday</b> - soup and sandwiches<br>
<b>Saturday</b> - homemade pizzas using Flat Out pizza bread</p>
<p>Once again it's just a plan. I may mix up days like we did last week. Having a plan in writing helped me know what "meals" I had in the house at dinner time. I didn't come home having to think about what to cook. This is going to be a huge time saver. </p>
<p>Now to get Liberty to plan her lunches that she takes to school.</p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lEfDZDAXznsDxGZrrrtYS8Idgner3N1JaXwW8o6UXOg3UN7Th4hhb2XRBCmQR5Ot6m5oMqIMLlKIMt4Gs3LFI8PJ1MeRN0-8po5foXEzlbTPRZSk3zH3JX2mDrF2SWRgX57Fg0xuold6/s1600/IMG_20130203_101007_218.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7lEfDZDAXznsDxGZrrrtYS8Idgner3N1JaXwW8o6UXOg3UN7Th4hhb2XRBCmQR5Ot6m5oMqIMLlKIMt4Gs3LFI8PJ1MeRN0-8po5foXEzlbTPRZSk3zH3JX2mDrF2SWRgX57Fg0xuold6/s640/IMG_20130203_101007_218.jpg' /> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-41920635444386847162013-02-02T15:35:00.001-08:002013-02-03T11:39:21.184-08:00January in Review<p>January was a trying month.  Our tenant hasn't paid rent since November.  She said she would be out this weekend,  but she is waiting for her tax return to have the money to pay us and move out.  I'm ready for the house to pay for itself again.  I'm tired of the money struggle. I want a good tenant who doesn't take advantage of us. </p>
<p>We did a pretty good job with the budget.  We're learning where our money goes and what we can cut.  It's a slow process,  but soon we'll be able to start paying down our debt. I read <i>The </i>Total <i>M</i>oney Makeo<i>ver </i>and we're ready to start our emergency fund then the snowball of paying off our consumer debt. </p>
<p>Liberty and I were sick in the middle of the month when Gabe was out of town.  We were glad when he got home. </p>
<p>We've been eating better.  I lost 9.5 pounds this month.  I took 3 weeks off from working out.  Now that I'm feeling better I started back this morning.  </p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-9719537436315785312013-01-27T12:45:00.001-08:002013-01-27T12:45:26.567-08:00Planning for the Week Ahead<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm starting to see the light at the end of the sickness tunnel. Thanks to <a class="g-profile" href="http://plus.google.com/106334932721178845127" target="_blank">+Mark Holmes</a> I can breathe again. He was a great friend and brought by a bottle of essential oils and some Zombie Shuffle Packs. The oils have really helped. Now if my asthma would quit being wonky and this cough would leave.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm in a planning phase. I'm planning the budget for the next month. I'm looking at what we spent in January to see where we can be still cut spending or what needs to be increased. I'm planning how we're going to start Dave Ramsey's <i>Total Money Makeover</i>. The first step is to create an emergency fund of $1000. Hopefully I can do this with our tax return. I filed our taxes on Friday. I think this is the earliest I've ever had them done. I'm planning meals ahead of time. I spent this morning making a meal plan for the week before I went grocery shopping. This will become part of my weekend from here on out. It helped me with couponing and shopping. I was able to see what we had, what we needed, and work with it to keep the grocery store spending under $200 today. I knew today would be a big trip as we needed meat and other staples that have run low. I'm still looking for couponing advise so if anyone has any, please leave a comment below.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAfZsphTGyZxNB2MTwuSMcA-jUAoONKxil27U_jhMCg0V9tPo1nIgIPAtL4asjDAxdSMzmZ7mEvsmRLgBpMwrZp-s5IU2MLRtkYQmhZZfHBq7rhwR4t0oET2A2pMtWhtisbIUIfkk0GMV/s1600/weekly-meal-plan-frugal.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmAfZsphTGyZxNB2MTwuSMcA-jUAoONKxil27U_jhMCg0V9tPo1nIgIPAtL4asjDAxdSMzmZ7mEvsmRLgBpMwrZp-s5IU2MLRtkYQmhZZfHBq7rhwR4t0oET2A2pMtWhtisbIUIfkk0GMV/s320/weekly-meal-plan-frugal.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Breakfast for the week</b>: choice of - eggs, protein shake, smoothie, waffle, sausage biscuit, cereal</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Lunch for the week</b>: choice of - sandwich, salad, soup, leftovers</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Dinner for the week</b>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Sunday</b> - baked chicken, whole wheat pasta, fresh snap peas</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Monday</b> - </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">spaghetti and meatballs</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Tuesday</b> - ground turkey soft tacos and vegetarian refried beans</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Wednesday</b> - </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span>red beans, turkey sausage, and brown rice</span> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Thursday</b> - <a href="http://www.justaddasliceoflove.blogspot.com/2012/04/spinach-and-cheese-lasagna-rolls.html" target="_blank">lasagna rolls</a> and salad </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Friday</b> - white chicken chili</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Saturday</b> - leftovers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Notice there is no eating out planned. We are really trying to be better with our food budget and only allow eating out once a week. I would imagine that Friday or Saturday night we will end up going out, but we will see what happens. The good thing about having a plan is that it can change. I'm allowing flexibility with this. I found some cute meal planning templates that I can use to write out the menu and put it on the fridge. I plan to get a 8x10 frame and make a wipe off board with the menu plan in the frame and write on the glass with the thin markers.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm almost done reading <i>Total Money Makeover</i> and I've learned a lot. I'm trying to be open with Liberty about what I'm learning so she doesn't fall into the bad financial habits we have. I know it's going to be a long process, just like working out. We didn't go in debt over night so we can't become debt free over night. It's going to take a lot of sacrifice and change for the 3 of us. One way I hope to cut the food budget is having some "meatless" meals. We may be eating a lot of rice and beans soon, but in 5 years we'll be able to live how we want to live.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I'm still competing in the <a href="http://wigenout.blogspot.com/2013/01/52-week-money-challege.html" target="_blank">52 Week Money Challenge</a> that I blogged about earlier in the month. Instead of following each week, I've decided to use the sheet like a BINGO card and mark out amounts as I add them to the envelope. This way I can get some larger amounts knocked out now instead of waiting until the end of the year. The envelope is hidden and I'm acting like I don't know there's cash in the house.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now that I'm able to breathe again, I'm hoping to start working out this week. Two weeks off has been hard. I'll start slow with just yoga and strength a few days. I've still managed to drop a few pounds by watching what I eat. I am really enjoying <a href="http://www.myfitnesspal.com/" target="_blank">MyFitnessPal</a> to help me track food and exercise. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-75685588674368349972013-01-25T20:12:00.001-08:002013-01-26T06:05:23.382-08:00Sinus infection from hell<p>So I've been suffering from a sinus infection since last week. I'm so stuffed up that I can't breathe through my nose so I haven't been able to work out. :( I've been good about what I eat and portion control so I haven't really gained in the last two weeks. Anyway, today I started coughing and tonight I had a bad asthma attack. Now I'm jittery from the nebulizer treatment I did. I'm just ready to be well again. I'm tired of being sick and tired. I think tomorrow I'll buy an onion and try putting it by my bed. Tonight I just want to sleep.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-43931268689972039012013-01-18T20:45:00.001-08:002013-01-18T21:40:10.796-08:00My Two Weeks as a Single Parent<p>The last two weeks were not easy. Gabe was out of town for work so I learned what it would be like to be a single parent.  Let me just say, I have a new respect for all the single parents I know and a new appreciation for the wonderful man who is my husband. I wouldn't want to live my life without him.  This was the longest we've been apart in 12 years.</p>
<p>The first week Liberty spent each afternoon after school with her 1st grade teacher so she wasn't home alone too long in the afternoon. On that Tuesday the school went on lock down around 4pm thanks to an armed standoff in our neighborhood. They were able to evacuate the school around 6pm and the situation ended peacefully by 8pm. The rest of the week was uneventful. That Saturday Libby had a friend sleep over and they had a blast.</p>
<p>On Monday while we were getting ready for our day, Lib got sick. We hoped it was just a stomach bug, but by that night she was achy and coughing so Tuesday we headed to the pediatrician. She said she just had a virus and should be fine in a few days. By Tuesday night she had a low grade fever. Wednesday I started feeling bad too. This was not a good week. I definitely didn't plan on missing a week of work, but when you're a parent you have to do what's right for your child. Thursday night was the worst. Liberty's fever went up and she couldn't stop coughing. I called the doctor's office today and they prescribed her a cough suppressant that seems to be helping. We spent a lot of time watching Myth Busters and Alias on Netflix as well as playing Life and Fluxx.</p>
<p>Gabe made it home around lunch time today. It's so nice to have our family back. He was exhausted from traveling and with the two of us sick, we had a quiet day and night watching TV. This weekend will be low key so Liberty and I are well next week. The last two weeks were an adventure to say the least.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-49178639708903370002013-01-13T08:29:00.000-08:002013-01-13T08:29:23.396-08:0052 Week Money Challege<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6cn5dVY1tkl479RE_tqgaMceN6P6TWlY3oQmwpunxi0Yndvc1C319Rh9Yeelfq6CebcXsSiIqRAkpOqsldvvGnCL5V8RPFXq-O8YC4uK0hHU9QQyccaT1rFNmRNQADaNDKOvtEKQcHNq/s1600/moneychallege.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So I've noticed a few of my friends online taking part in the 52 Week Money Challenge. I decided this seems completely reasonable so this morning I printed off the <a href="http://www.allthingsmw.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/181349_461151583932671_623138689_n.jpeg" target="_blank">form</a> and started my envelope. I'm only a week late so this will be a great way to save some cash. Since we're working hard to save money this year, the thought of having $1378 in an envelope by the end of the year sounds great to me. I think we'll save the money towards a vacation in 2014.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Are any of you taking part in the challenge? If you're not, did this post inspire you to?</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I also read that you could start backwards and start with the $52 then deduct each week so that you're not having to come up with the large sum of money ($50+) around the holidays. I'm going to move up and maybe next year I'll try it in reverse.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Since we're cutting our budget and trying ways to save, I'm really looking forward to seeing this work out at the end of the year.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Good luck everyone! </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6cn5dVY1tkl479RE_tqgaMceN6P6TWlY3oQmwpunxi0Yndvc1C319Rh9Yeelfq6CebcXsSiIqRAkpOqsldvvGnCL5V8RPFXq-O8YC4uK0hHU9QQyccaT1rFNmRNQADaNDKOvtEKQcHNq/s1600/moneychallege.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy6cn5dVY1tkl479RE_tqgaMceN6P6TWlY3oQmwpunxi0Yndvc1C319Rh9Yeelfq6CebcXsSiIqRAkpOqsldvvGnCL5V8RPFXq-O8YC4uK0hHU9QQyccaT1rFNmRNQADaNDKOvtEKQcHNq/s320/moneychallege.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6535997.1382;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802464048;pid=23305905;usg=AFHzDLvRDmHLPbMM40UCAi5QPDAG1vTsYg;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.officemax.com%252Ftechnology%252Fdigital-cameras-camcorders-accessories%252Fdigital-cameras%252Fproduct-prod3940304%253Fcm_mmc%253DPerformics-_-Technology-_-Digital%252520Cameras%252C%252520Camcorders%252520and%252520Accessories-_-Digital%252520Cameras%2526ci_src%253D14110944%2526ci_sku%253D23305905;pubid=610110;price=%24229.99;title=Nikon+Coolpix+L810+16M...;merc=OfficeMax;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.officemax.com%2Fcatalog%2Fimages%2F397x353%2F23305905i_01.jpg;width=95;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe> <iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6535997.1384;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802464048;pid=23312988;usg=AFHzDLtWwBY-NXe-kV0JW0m-71ceQyuyHA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.officemax.com%252Ftechnology%252Fdigital-cameras-camcorders-accessories%252Fdigital-slrs%252Fproduct-prod3940290%253Fcm_mmc%253DPerformics-_-Technology-_-Digital%252520Cameras%252C%252520Camcorders%252520and%252520Accessories-_-Digital%252520SLRs%2526ci_src%253D14110944%2526ci_sku%253D23312988;pubid=610110;price=%24649.98;title=Nikon+J1+10.1+Megapixe...;merc=OfficeMax;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.officemax.com%2Fcatalog%2Fimages%2F397x353%2F23312988i_01.jpg;width=95;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe><iframe bordercolor="#000000" frameborder="0" height="150" hspace="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://ad.doubleclick.net/adi/N7433.148119.BLOGGEREN/B6533663.983;sz=180x150;ord=[timestamp]?;lid=41000613802463918;pid=48889;usg=AFHzDLt9yEn5aRRPCJ0tIsxvG1I5kZf2YA;adurl=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.abt.com%252Fproduct%252F48889%252FNikon-25468.html;pubid=610110;price=%24896.95;title=Nikon+D7000+Digital+SL...;merc=Abt+Electronics+%26+Appliances;imgsrc=http%3A%2F%2Fcontent.abt.com%2Fmedia%2Fimages%2Fproducts%2FBDP_Images%2Fbig_d7000body.jpg;width=107;height=85" vspace="0" width="180"></iframe></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-87651475874467144122013-01-11T18:07:00.001-08:002013-01-11T18:07:40.126-08:00Eating Better Pays Off<p>In my quest to east healthy, I am going to start trying new recipes. Last night I made lemon parmesan fish. I got the recipe from <a href="http://bodiesbycindy.blogspot.com">Bodies By Cindy</a>. I'm going to try more of Cindy's recipes. </p>
<p>I've done well exercising this week. I'm hoping to continue on the downward slope. I've been eating healthy and haven't had any sodas. I really don't miss them. I thought I would crave them, but I don't. I haven't had much caffeine at all. I had some sweet tea the other night and could only drink about half a serving. I'm finding I am naturally waking early to work out. I'm becoming addicted. </p>
<div class='separator' style='clear: both; text-align: center;'> <a href='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Gr_Ut_4LndHu9i92njjGWmw1-jjYcnrtxH1Uuft9VfTYYIedOrwnNrkQmkJDFLyYJj3EF0FfCVyBqwBhgmlUtoVreYZ9fLyG4KqwJ7uv6YuvCuNhOG4XKbDkrZtAQnGdSB4ekpH3dHdZ/s1600/IMG_20130110_185116_817.jpg' imageanchor='1' style='margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;'> <img border='0' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0Gr_Ut_4LndHu9i92njjGWmw1-jjYcnrtxH1Uuft9VfTYYIedOrwnNrkQmkJDFLyYJj3EF0FfCVyBqwBhgmlUtoVreYZ9fLyG4KqwJ7uv6YuvCuNhOG4XKbDkrZtAQnGdSB4ekpH3dHdZ/s640/IMG_20130110_185116_817.jpg' /> </a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-22352855455247069872013-01-07T19:37:00.001-08:002013-01-07T19:37:06.452-08:00First Goal Reached<p>This morning I was too tired to exercise, but I did get on the Wii Fit to weigh in. For the first time since I started working out at the end of November my BMI was below 30 which finally put me out of the obese range and down to overweight. I'm so excited. It's very motivating and let's me know there are great things ahead and that I can reach these goals I set and become a healthier person. I definitely feel better since I started this journey. I'm enjoying trying new things and finding I don't miss Coke and junk food like I thought I would. Thank you to everyone who has shown their support on FB today. It makes me feel good to have a strong support system behind me.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-15212104261139571912013-01-06T17:42:00.004-08:002013-01-06T17:43:50.686-08:00It's All Your Perspective<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today started off rough. I woke up around 8am with a horrible migraine, the kind that overtakes my entire head. Ever since the neck issues started, I have a slight headache in the back and top of my head at all times. I've become accustomed to this and find it lessening as I exercise more. This morning, my forehead was pounding as well. The nausea was horrible and of course I had no prescription migraine meds in the house. I got up and took some Excedrin then went back to sleep.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Around 10am I woke up and started drinking some water. By 11am I was ready to attempt food. I went for a scrambled egg with cheese figuring I needed the protein.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It was amazing how much better I felt in a few hours. It was a good thing because I had things to get done today and staying in bed all day with a headache was not one of them.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I took our oldest cat, Figaro to the vet for a follow up on her thyroid. She was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism about 2 years ago. We tried medication and it didn't help much. She's constantly losing weight. The vet had us try the<a href="http://www.hillspet.com/products/pd-feline-yd-can-canned.htmll" target="_blank"> Y/D Prescription Diet</a>. We tried the wet food about a year ago, with little success. She'd eat it for a few days, then refuse it. She likes variety. When she was at the vet last month the Hills representative came that day so I was given a sample of the dry food and more wet food. She ate the wet food for a few days, then once again refused. She will eat the dry food every so often. With the thyroid issue and the weight loss, she has developed a heart murmur. Last month it was a 2 out of 7. Today it was down to a 1 out of 7. She gained .8 lbs in a month. We're seeing improvement. The plan is to get her to eat more hard food and less soft food to see if we can get the thyroid under control. This should help everything else fall into place. Figaro will be 14 on April 1st so I know she's getting up there, but my childhood cat lived to be 21. We hope Fig still has some good years left. She looks good and acts fine except for her defiant behavior of using the bathroom on furniture when we're not around. Sometimes I think she's pissed at us for having other pets and that's how she gets back at us.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When I got home from the vet, Liberty and I went to Wal Mart for a few groceries. We stayed to the outside of the store as much as possible. I've been having a <a href="http://eas.com/product/myoplex-lite-ready-to-drink" target="_blank">Myoplex Lite Protein Shake</a> in the mornings after working out so I needed to get those. They're really good. I plan on buying the powder to make my own shakes, but today they only had vanilla and not in the size for the $2 off coupon I had. Anyway, we stuck to fruits, veggies, and high protein snacks like cheese sticks and nuts. I also bought two types of <a href="http://www.flatoutbread.com/" target="_blank">Flatouts</a> instead of bread. We've decided we're not going back to bread. Any of the snacks we bought had a coupon. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">When we returned from our shopping adventure I made myself a peanut butter on the <a href="http://www.flatoutbread.com/products/hungry-girl-foldit/" target="_blank">Hungry Girl flatout</a>. I toasted it before adding the peanut butter and it was very good. We then decided to take a walk to get some activity in since I didn't work out this morning. Gabe came with. We walked to Liberty's school then back so it was a little over a mile round trip. It was nice to talk about plans and be outside together.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So what started out as a really bad day, turned out to be a pretty good day. We found out the cat is getting better, we stuck to our healthy shopping and couponing plan, and exercised together as a family. I can't think of a better way to spend a Sunday. </span><br />
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-22354608341774580932013-01-05T13:19:00.001-08:002013-01-05T13:19:10.208-08:00Week in Review<p dir=ltr>I had two busy days at work. I didn't work out on Thursday and Friday, but I made up for it this morning. I worked out for an hour and it felt good after my little break. I have more energy today. I can feel my shoulders and back getting stronger. I've almost lost enough weight for the Wii Fit to stop calling me obese. That's my first goal - to just be classified as overweight. Cutting portions is really helping.</p>
<p dir=ltr>We've stuck to our budget this week and we've mainly eaten at home. We're trying to stop eating out except for special occasions. </p>
<p dir=ltr>So far we're starting the year off right.</p>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1356989203879552145.post-8252852966657550892013-01-02T17:35:00.003-08:002013-01-02T17:50:30.108-08:00Recap<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So I found my post from the first of 2012 and here were my goals and the progress made on each:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span">Things to accomplish in 2012</span></b></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Get the house organized and keep it that way <span style="color: purple;">- we're still working on this, but it's getting easier to maintain the house. Everyone is pitching in and I feel like we finally have a handle on the things everyone sees when they are over. Now to work on the closets, drawers, etc.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Become active, as the doctors allow, to feel better about myself <span style="color: purple;">- I was not able to start this until November. </span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Drink more water <span style="color: purple;">- this I have accomplished and I'm continuing to do better with. I have cut out sodas completely.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Eat healthier <span style="color: purple;">- I started on this in November and am continuing this. I'm making lifestyle changes.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Find non-medical ways to deal with the pain (meditation,etc.) <span style="color: purple;">- I am on no pain medications at this time. I went through physical therapy and I continue to use those exercises. I have not tried meditation yet. My college adviser and mentor Diane was going to teach me some more techniques, but she died suddenly in June. I really miss her.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Read at least 2 books a month <span style="color: purple;">- I read a lot this past year, but I did not keep track of how many books. I have signed up for <a href="http://goodreads.com/">goodreads.com</a> to help keep track this year.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Start sewing again and teach Liberty how to sew<span style="color: purple;"> - I only sewed two baby blankets in 2012, but each time Liberty assisted. I am slowly teaching her how to sew.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Get the pool in order so we can enjoy the backyard this summer <span style="color: purple;">- we were able to use the pool this summer, but we still have issues with algae and it now appears there is a leak somewhere. It's a money pit.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Have a monthly dinner party at the house since New Year's Eve was so much fun <span style="color: purple;">- we did not do this. We did have a dinner party on New Year's Eve again and it was a lot of fun. This may be something to consider.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span">Blog more often <span style="color: purple;">- it didn't happen. Oh well, on to 2013.</span></span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="color: black;">I didn't do so well last year, but that's okay. It was just a plan. Who knew life was going to kick me so hard this past year.</span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">Today we took off work to have some family time. Liberty and I went to Target this morning then we came home and finally took down the Christmas decorations. We completed our 2013 budget plan today and I set up our<a href="http://www.mint.com/" target="_blank"> mint.com</a> account. We're ready for some fiscal responsibility around here. </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;">In our quest to save money, we ate lunch at home. I've replaced our bread with <a href="http://www.flatoutbread.com/" target="_blank">Flatouts</a> since they are high in fiber and protein. Today I made pizza out of them and it was delicious. I used Classico sauce that I had and Kraft Italian cheese. I had 1 piece of each pizza and my lunch was only 189 calories. </span></span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GAgwDueTWZj-4mdHXXoZH3VhMdrTpfhftp1oJjXAAYLR0RXrWQ4UhNbE26nXKp7VvOXKtRN_ErCoYFoVVLd6T3-6MFvCKHifu5Z_kZ2kOYcpSZ7h6tuQGdTOFxhqO73SW_MRUWNbLpxN/s1600/lunch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3GAgwDueTWZj-4mdHXXoZH3VhMdrTpfhftp1oJjXAAYLR0RXrWQ4UhNbE26nXKp7VvOXKtRN_ErCoYFoVVLd6T3-6MFvCKHifu5Z_kZ2kOYcpSZ7h6tuQGdTOFxhqO73SW_MRUWNbLpxN/s320/lunch.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheese pizza and pepperoni pizza made with Flatout</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"></span></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Tonight we had dinner with our friends, <a href="http://justanothergeeksite.com/" target="_blank">Alli</a> and Harley. It was so good to see Alli out and about. I can tell she's feeling a lot better than she was when I last saw her on her birthday. I also love the fact that the back of her car says: "I'm kickin' cancer's ass!" She has remained so positive through her battle and she is truly an inspiration to me. I am thankful that Twitter brought us together and we have become friends in real life as well.</span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span"><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></span> </span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08287478972857122901noreply@blogger.com1