My River Overfloweth

When your river overflows, here are a few fun things you can do.

1. Seize the day, go take pictures, this doesn't happen everyday.
2. Take a break from your normally scheduled routine and go throw or skip rocks on the water.
3. Play a game of Poohsticks with your children, when was the last time you did that?
4. Put on your Wellies and puddle jump.
5. Take a walk down the road, and be amazed at the field, that is now a lake.
6. Enjoy the day, no matter what you do. Rejoice and be glad!

How To Do 10 Things At Once

Do you ever feel like a juggler in a 3 Ring Circus? The crowd around you is screaming, throw in a watermelon, she can handle it,as the chainsaw whizzes by your head.
Somehow, my normal every day routine, has shifted into a question of, can I really be in 5 places at once? While putting together my to-do list today, I suddenly realized, I have more on my plate than I could possibly chew or swallow for that matter.
How to teach an art lesson, go feed friends animals/chores, go clean the church (my twice a week job), get the boys to youth group, make dinner and possibly take my vehicle to the mechanic? Mind you, all of these are in separate towns. Somebody get my cape?
It's days like these that cause me to skip the ever so important breakfast meal, darn! I was doing so well, too.
Calgon take me away, and don't bring me back! :O

My Apologies!!

Ever have one of those frustrating, I want to throw my computer out the window, kind of days? Yesterday was that day. I didn't post, simply because my computer decided I shouldn't. We have a love/hate relationship, that tends to lean a bit more towards the hate. I like technology, it's great, but somedays more frustrating than it's worth. We live in a rural area, so technologically speaking, we're a bit behind the times. We've recently gone to satellite, dial-up was too slow. But let me just say, although satellite is faster, it's also temperamental. Sometimes it's fast and sometimes I might as well go back to dial-up. So, my apologies for the lack of post yesterday, I did try. I also hope to read everybody's blogs, but it doesn't always happen. :(
Have a splendid day, and may all of your computers cooperate.

P.S. I tried posting a Before picture in the sidelines, and apparently it didn't really shrink it to fit, like it said it would, so it was huge. I will try it again, maybe with a picture from my phone, I don't know. I'll figure something out. Good grief!! :)

Happy As A Lark

On Saturday, I got outside and push mowed my little heart out. It was nice to look around and see that I'd accomplished something. Whew, it is work though, our push mower is a little choppy, so it doesn't do the greatest job and the lack of height makes pushing it around a bit tricky. (you know, leverage and all that)
My husband had gone to town, in search of a riding mower to purchase. About 4 hours later he showed up with the most awesome mower. It's like the Porsche of riding mowers. I was beyond ecstatic!! It has gizmo's and gadgets all over the place, lots of buttons, it might take me a few tries to figure out what they all do. Cruise control, can you believe it, a mower with cruise control and a cup holder. How fancy is that? I immediately shoved aside the push mower, hopped on that baby and gave it a whirl. It purrs like a kitten and mows like a dream. I mowed our large field in no time, with a constant smile plastered on my face. Ahhh, heaven. It's a beautiful thing!! If you've never taken a plush riding mower for a spin, I highly recommend it. You'll be hooked (okay maybe it's just me) but it is somewhat satisfying, to look back at your nicely mowed lawn and know that it will stay that way, for at least a few days.
It has rained almost constantly since that exhilarating ride, so I am anxiously anticipating the moment when girl and mower can reunite. Happy, happy!

Carrots on Wheels

Smoke and a Pancake?

My challenge to you dearies and this goes for me too, is to eat a good breakfast, everyday! This may not be a challenge for some of you, but for me, breakfast is something I seem to skip, forget about or just plain get in too much of a hurry to bother with. As I am paying better attention to my daily eating habits, I am noticing some key things and skipping breakfast seems to be one of them. This week I plan to change that and get in a better routine of making something healthy to eat each morning, even if it's just a fruit smoothie.

Don't forget to eat your Wheaties this week! :)

Carrots

Better Late Than Never

I apologize for posting so late in the day! I am taking care of my friend's goats, chickens, bunnies, dogs and cats, while they're out of town. A chore that requires me to be there early in the morning. I had hoped to get up early and post before heading out the door, but unfortunately sleep won the battle. Not to mention I have tried posting about 4 times so far, and due to the weather, I am having technical difficulties....cross your fingers.

Today is Monday and once again weigh in day. Woohoo! As you might recall, last week I was at

159.6 and today I am at 158.6. One whole pound! yippee! I still would like to see 4 or 5 drop off at a time, but I'm happy that I managed to lose something, especially considering I didn't feel like the week went all that tremendously well. Now for my waist....Okay, so apparently I AM doing something right, my waist is now 34 inches, compare that to last week's 36 inches. Did you hear the overhead "HALLELUJAH" reign down on me? Most excellent!

I'll be honest. Yesterday I was feeling like a bloated cow and was quite worried about my weigh-in today, I thought for sure I'd gained 12 lbs., so I'm quite astounded and happy about the results. It could've been those extra couple of miles we walked. My vehicle decided to die about 4 miles from my house and so the kids and I thought it would be rather adventurous to walk home. Hahaha, after a couple of hilly miles we called for back up. It was quite enjoyable though, as the countryside has turned an Irish green, storm clouds were brewing overhead and we played a lovely game of PoohSticks when we crossed the river. I guess it's been a better week than I realized.

How have you been Dearest Reader?

No Bikini's Allowed

Today is the T.G.I.F. and it's Marie's turn, but sadly she was called away on an emergency trip. I don't think she'll have time to post, so I thought I'd fill in. Because I am not totally prepared for this....should have thought ahead, I am going to tell you a story, that will hopefully be a good TIP for you or at least make you smile!!

A couple of years ago, I decided to take a very part-time job at the library, as a Page. I was the one who put away all of the returned books...I loved this job, mostly because I love books and I got to see everything available. Anyway! When putting away books, it's a lot of squatting up and down, bottom shelf, top shelf and so on. I had very recently (before starting this job) purchased a few sassy pairs of bikini underwear. Cute underwear makes me happy, I don't know why! So, I'm putting away books, la-ti-da and going along, no big deal right? I get to the front of the library and I have a large stack of paperbacks to put away, up and down, up and down. Finally, I reach the end of my stack, stand up straight, and holy moly...my fabulous bikini underwear is in a nice roll, no longer on my hiney, but now directly under it, resting at the bottom of my cheeks. Recall, if you will, I was at the very front of the library, the bathrooms were all the way in the back....people in between. There is nothing sexy about a wad of bikini underwear resting snugly under your bum. I decided then and there, that this would be a good time to sidle. Feeling like a Secret Agent on a mission, I kept the wall at my back and looked cautiously around, til I finally made it to the bathroom. No one was the wiser. (I think, I hope!)

Tip for the day:

Squatting and bikini underwear, don't mix. Maybe when I'm thinner this won't be the case, I may give it a whirl, but for now I am back to Industrial Sized Underwear.

Have a truly pleasant weekend. Enjoy a lovely stroll, if weather permits!

That's where I'm headed!

Carrots in Big Underwear :D

Mow Like The Wind

Somedays, exercise has to be done in another fashion. If you can make it happen and accomplish some large forboding task, then hallelujah. Two birds with one stone, so to speak.

I have a very large mowing area. We tend to mow about 2-3 acres, so we have plenty of walking/playing area. I absolutely love to mow, it's definitely my favorite of all chores. And with a riding mower, it's quite a pleasant task. (I can't hear anyone, I'm way out in the field looking at God's beauty, and the results of it actually last more than 5 minutes..unlike doing the dishes)Although I have 4 teenagers, they rarely get to mow, because quite frankly, given the choice between mowing and doing the dishes, I'd rather mow and let them do the dishes.

Our riding mower has bit the dust. We've used it to death and the poor thing has given all it's got. Time for a new one! Until that can happen, I'll be out mowing with the push mower. Talk about exercise, wooh! It's been awhile since I've pushed a mower around the yard, and

boy-howdy, it will definitely work your arms, legs and cardio. This is a good workout and with most of the yard not yet mowed, I will definitely be getting my exercise. I better go eat my Wheaties, I've got work to do!

What are you going to do today?

Carrots

40's and Frogs

With my 40th birthday right around the corner, I was thinking about my first post.

I realized I don't need to quickly accomplish everything before I turn 40. I will be 40 for an entire year. Plenty of time to accomplish many things, right?

I have decided I will begin making a list of all of the things I have hoped, dreamed and maybe just wanted to do. It will be a list of 40 things for the year I am 40. Anything from taking a long desired trip to finishing a 10 year quilt. (real desires) I am going to post this list on my birthday and keep a copy of it on my fridge, so I can see it everyday. I'm excited about this, I think it will be a lot of fun to see what I can do in a year. Including, lose 40 lbs. :) yay!!

Frogging! I was searching for a picture I could post of me and my entire body for the "before picture". Apparently, I make it very clear to only take photos of me from the neck up. No such entire body shots were found. But, I did find this picture. (above) To finish my Square Granny bag, I needed more yarn for a handle and I found this unfinished sweater that has been in my knitting basket for who knows how long. I am thinking, I really need to stop making things only half way. I really should set out to finish what I start, and quit starting new projects while I'm in the midst of other lovely projects. I really liked this sweater, but somehow got sidetracked and forgot all about it. I think I may put this in my 40 list....finish what you start and that includes all UFO's!

Today Is a New Day!

Brand spankin' new, with no mistakes in it, yet!! :)

Well, yesterday I fell off the wagon, and it was only Tuesday, what the hoobydoo? I ate chocolate eggs, that I put in a dish on the table, thinking they'd get eaten faster if they were out in the open...well that worked, they got eaten alright...by me!!!! :O How is it, every chocolate thing, knows my name? This really is a weakness for me....can you tell?

I also had two cups of coffee, which I guess is not terrible, although it goes against my Weekly Challenge.

Today is a new day, I will do better, no chocolate, one cup of coffee (already behind me) and lots of water and healthy foods. I am beginning to work on a menu of healthy meals for picky eaters. It's coming along slowly and I think I need to browse the internet a bit more and see if I can find some good recipes. Even if I have to change them a bit more to my liking. I really need to eat healthier, but it's hard when there isn't much in the way of fruits and veggies that I love.

If you have any suggestions, I am wide open!

Thanks!

Hope today is a success for you, too!

My Square Granny: Done

I finished it at last, and now I'm wishing I hadn't given myself a deadline and wished I had taken more time to do a nicer job on it...oh well! Maybe I'll pull out parts and redo it, but surely this won't happen, especially with a million or so UFO's in various places, waiting for me to finish them. Next time, I won't stress myself by trying to be crafty in a limited amount of time. I tend to make things up as I go, and it would've been okay, if it had all worked the way I saw it in my head, but things rarely seem to work that way. Anyway, I did go ahead and take a picture of my

sad, finished product. Fortunately, I had not planned it to be a gift or anything.... Maybe I should've stuck with a simple afghan! :0

Have a splendid day!

Hope your projects are going well!

Carrots, Cupcakes and Exercise

Today's post is going to be short, sweet and to the point. Like me...hahaha!

No seriously! My hub is downloading some sort of something and it's causing our computer to run at a snail's pace. OOBER SLOW!! I'm sure you'll forgive the quickie, I hope. :D


Yesterday I posted a couple of pictures, one of super carrots, made in a seriously cute fabric and another of fabric cupcakes. So sweet! I wanted to let you know where you can find the ladies that made these stinkin' lovely goodies. I want to give credit, where credit is due.
I love the crafty, creativeness of the internet artists. I have found some amazing blogs (now that I have faster internet..hahaha) and it is so awesome to see the beauty that so many create.

Anyway, back on track. The carrots were made by mama anna, the link is:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81808599@N00/ mama_anna

She is obviously quite busy. Holy cow, lots of cute, fun, crafty items, and not limited to fabric. She has an entire woolly album, too. I didn't take time to do the slide show, although when I can surf a bit faster, I definitely intend to go back.

The sweet cupcakes are from Little Cotton Rabbits blog. She has the cutest, most amazing knitted goodness. I absolutely love looking at those sweet rabbits. (I have a bit of a rabbit fetish)I encourage you to take a look at her site, as well. Here is the link:http://littlecottonrabbits.typepad.co.uk/my_weblog/

I'm done gushing over the cuteness that people are creating all over the world.

Onto exercise, hooray!
For those of us who feel we don't really have time for exercise, there are awesome workout videos/dvd's, called, 10 Minute Solutions. Holy moly, there is something for everyone. I have only tried out the Target Toning for Beginners, but it's fantastic and I'm ready to move on to the next level. I love that it's in 10 minute chunks. If I have more time, energy and motivation then I can do two workouts, in 20 minutes. such as: buns and thighs, or arms and abs. Which is generally what I try to do. If your like me and you get bored fairly quickly and want something different, then these are a great source. I found an awesome website full of these workouts and they're not too pricey either. Here is a link:
http://www.fitnessfly.com/10_Minute_Solutions_DVDs_s/75.htm
Check it out! There's info. about every one of the workouts. Awesome.
I think I'll go for the Fat Blasting Dance dvd, next. I'm not sure how it works, but I'm hoping that while I'm shaking my booty, fat will be blasting off of me. It may take some extra effort to clean up the room afterwards, but it'll be worth it. :)
I'm off to work those abs and arms.

Have a splendid day!

Hope the weather is good in your neighborhood, so you can get out for a bit of a walk.

Carrots

Waist Not, Want Not!

I, for sure, want not.

Last week, I read that a woman's waist should be 30 inches or smaller, for good health.

I decided I would go ahead and check out my waist size, surely it's not too bad.... right?

Ummm...I did it, here it is: 36 inches. Okay, so I have a few inches to go. I tend to naturally run a bit smaller in the waist area, I have an hourglass figure or should I say, at this point,

a 24 hourglass figure. So much to work on.

Today is also weigh-in day. I'm happy to say that I've lost 1 pound. It's better than nothing right. I'd hoped for a whopping 2-4 pounds, but with the 3 day Easter chocolate episode, what can I expect? My weight: 159.6 lbs.

I will keep tabs on my waistline too. I know there are times when you may not lose pounds, but you may lose inches. I think it's important to keep track of both, don't want to get discouraged. I'm excited to say that, yesterday I put on my chocolate brown pants and they were a bit baggy on me, that's encouraging.

I plan to post a picture of myself too, I need a before picture to compare to later on. Don't worry, I won't be in a bikini, I'm not that brave!

Hope you have a wonderful day.

Carrots

Hey There Sugar!

I am starting a weekly challenge. I know for me, I like a good challenge and tend to do better knowing I have some short term goals that seem fairly achievable. I will post this every Monday, so you will have the whole week to work on it. These will not be limited to foods, or exercise, some will be for your mind and soul. Nothing too heavy (haha) just something different to add to your daily life and hopefully inspire you to try something new or give you new perspective.

This week's challenge is: Give up one food habit that you feel is unhealthy for you.
Examples: Munching at midnight, eating while reading, having meals in front of the T.V., etc.
These are all things I have a tendency to do.

I will be giving up coffee, not entirely, but no more than once a day. I tend to go for it while I am reading, knitting, quilting...pretty much anything I am doing while sitting on my tush! It wouldn't be so bad, except that I put in a lot of sugar and creamer...kind of like a dessert in a cup. I feel this added dose of sugar at various times of the day is probably not helping me much. I will replace that desire for coffee, with a glass of water...maybe with a twist of lemon.


I'd love to hear what you are hoping to give up or change this week. You can do it! :)

P.S. I still haven't had any chocolate...can you believe it? Amazing what you can achieve when you put your mind to it. yippee!!

Super Carrots

As I picked up my latest catalog of Victoria Secrets, I happened to be getting dressed at the same time. I glanced in the mirror at my reflection, in all it's underwear glory, and all my hopes and dreams of being a Supermodel were dashed. As I sat there stunned by this sad revelation, I looked down at my legs, noticing that they're about 12 inches too short. (have I mentioned I'm only 4'11 and 3/4 "s, sigh) I've been trying to convince them to grow these past many years, but they won't budge. Not to mention, they're a bit chunky around the thigh, knee, calf and ankle area. Oh, woe is me! (sigh) I've realized that looking at supermodels at the same time I am looking at myself, pretty much makes me want to hang myself with my underwear!!

I don't recommend it.

Supermodel, Superhero, can't I just be a Super something. To have the word Super in my title somehow, tis a life long dream/fantasy. I guess I need to come up with an alternative that I can live up to.

Oh dash it all!! I think Supergirl is taken, how about Superchick or maybe....Supercarrots. ;D

Something to think about!

End of the Week, How am I doing?

Wow, this week has blown by. I will give you a quick update on how I'm doing on the goals I set.


Drink more water: I've done fairly well in this area, although I'm not sure I ever achieved the 4 tall glasses. I should probably drink less coffee, I've tried to keep it to one cup per day, but it's good stuff. I'll work harder on that.

Exercise/Walk everyday: I have actually done this. Hooray!!! I would like to get more of a variety of work outs to do, too. I saw an ad for the Hip Hop Abs, I'm thinking it looks like fun, I might give that one a shot. I'll check at the library first, maybe they'll have a copy I can borrow. I've found that the library or Netflix is a good source for trying out new workout videos, then if you're in love, you can take the plunge and buy it.

Add Fruits and Veggies: Hmmm...I don't think I've eaten one piece of fruit, I claimed I would make a smoothie and didn't, I have had some veggies though. Green beans last night and .......um, did I mention green beans last night? :D Okay, so this is obviously an area that needs greater work. I will strive to eat more fruits and veggies, this is a journey not a destination. One step at a time.

Be Patient: So far so good, of course it's only been a week. I have fallen off the wagon and gotten a little chocolate on me, oops! But, you'll be happy to hear, I've been chocolate free for 24 hours and I intend to stay that way for an unspecified amount of time. Really! Weigh In is on Monday, so I've got to be good, gaining would be far too humiliating.

Tights in Public: Oh yea, just a fantasy.

So, there you have it, my week in a nutshell.



Have a smashing weekend,

Toodles, Fairwell and all that goodbye stuff.

Til Monday,



Carrots <<<3~

My Square Granny: Day 5

Oh Poop!!! I am a failure, I have failed you, dear readers. :( I said I would finish this project this week, the reason (because I already have U.F.O.'s all over my house). And yet, here it is...Friday and I'm not finished. "Sigh" I am working on it, although I must say the week did not go as planned and time did not allow for me to work on it as much as I'd hoped. (This is the story of my life, how about you?) If you'll bear with me, I will work furiously over the weekend and have a finished project come Monday. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.....

Again, Thanks for your patience and I will try not to disappoint.

Note to self: Don't make pie crust promises: easily made, easily broken.

T.G.I.F.

It's Friday, whoa, what the heck, how did it get here this quick? In my first post, I wrote that on Friday's Marie and I would be trading off with our Tips, Goodies, Inspirations and Frugalness ideas. T.G.I.F. Today is my day.

A few weeks ago I was rearranging my living room and noticed that after moving furniture around, the wainscoating was in huge need of a new paint job. A friend of mine had given me a can of paint about a year ago, that she'd picked up on the sales rack for $5.00. On the lid, the color looked to be a sweet Sage Green. Thinking this would be fantastic with my wallpaper, I grabbed it and started stirring and stirring. Hmmm....not green. More like a washed out yellow.

Being on a budget and knowing I could make this happen, I was not about to make a 40 minute trip to the store and spend money, when I had a perfectly good can of paint in front of me. I dug through my trunk of acrylic paints and found a few that I thought would help me achieve the color I wanted. Black, Royal Blue, Bright Yellow. I squirted a little in and kept stirring. It resulted in a fantastic Sage-ish Green color, that matches perfectly to my wallpaper. I love it so much, I am planning to use the rest of it to paint my dining room.

So, my Tip of Frugalness for this week is, before you run to the Hardware store and spend $20.00 or so dollars on a gallon of paint, look around see what you have and improvise. It's like being a kid again, fingerpainting and swirling all your colors together. It's fun to see what you can come up with, then give it a "flashy" name and when people ask what color your wall is, you can say, oh it's Sage and Celery. Pretty flashy, huh? :)

P.S. An extra tip, if you want the color to be a bit muted, add black. Do it slowly, while you stir, this will help to tone it down a notch.

Two Things

One more thing, I promise! Okay, I meant two more.

Yesterday, as I started out on my journey down the road, I noticed two things.

One: When going for a walk, feed the animals first. As I was walking away from my house, I looked back and realized that not only were my two dogs with me, but so were about 5 cats. We live in the country where outdoor cats are a must. It's either cats or rats and I prefer cats, they're cuter and you can smooch them on the nose. I don't mind that our pets wanted to walk with me, but my concern was for their safety. That, and I realized I must look like Dr. Doolittle.

Note to self: feed the animals before you walk, even if it's not your chore that day.

Two: The faster you walk the more you can feel your blood circulating, which got me thinking about my thighs and friction. I suppose if I walked fast enough, my pants would catch on fire. At that point, I guess I would just Stop, Drop and Roll and then get up and keep going. Wouldn't want to spoil such an effective workout.

Note to self: wear flame retardant pants when walking.

Public Display of Shoes

I mentioned my cruddy shoes the other day. Here they are...actually they don't look nearly as shabby as I imagined. But I do still plan to get a new pair. Besides, it's good to have a cruddy pair, I need them for painting, working outside and my muddy, backroad walks.
I did get out and walk yesterday, and not just for a half an hour. I managed to get in a good two hours of walking. Out in public, in these shoes. And nobody seemed to notice or care. Honestly, I don't mind either, but I need a good, inspiring goal and a bit more support for my tootsies would be nice.
Speaking of my tootsies, did you happen to notice how small they are? While visiting my friend the other day, she happened to look at them and in wonder asked, "How they can hold me up?" I've often wondered the same thing. They're tiny. My daughter says I have "fairy feet". They're a whopping size 4. I don't get hand me downs, I get hand me ups, from my friends children!! Come to think of it, my poor little feet are having to work pretty darn hard.
Small feet + Chunky chick = Overworked Tootsies
I think I know what my next 5 pound goal will be (after the shoes, of course). I will pamper my feet. Foot massage, lotions, a new groovy toe ring, fresh paint on the toes (possibly with cute little flowers) ahhhh, maybe I'll swap my goals. It's sounding pretty good right now. My feet are a little sore from all that walking yesterday.

My Square Granny: day 4

Okay, I realize I skipped day 3. It was truly unintentional, but my camera would not load the pictures and out of frustration, I gave up. Turns out, my daughter had the actual cord that plugs into the camera, while I was using....I don't know what cord.
Success, I have successfully loaded a picture of my Square Granny....don't get too excited I'm not finished, but you can see what I'm doing. I made 18 squares and I'm putting them together in to two, 9 square blocks, like the picture. You can make all of your squares the same, or alternate them (like I did) or make a bunch of groovy, random ones, using up every scrap of yarn you may have. Today's goal, start on the next step....
Btw, these 3 balls of yarn were sitting atop my yarn stash, and I immediately thought of summer and 4th of July, the colors truly look better in person, but you get the idea.

Thanks for your patience! :)

To Eat or Not to Eat

Do you ever think, I did my exercises and walked, so I really deserve this slice of cake? If so, STOP!!! Step away from the cake, or brownies, or ice-cream. This is something I do, too. It's so easy to want to reward myself for doing well all day, now it's time for something yummy and oh so fattening. I read an article yesterday, that basically said, when you go for about a 30 min. walk, you will burn about 200 calories, which is great, but unfortunately eating that cake is going to put all those calories back on my tush. And it won't take me 30 minutes to eat it, and I'll probably get up and go back for another one. My solution: walk more, don't make fattening goodies that know my name. :) I also have found that night time is my munchie time, so I aim to find healthier, less calorie snacks that I can munch on, so I don't undo all that I did that day.

My Square Granny: day 2

My square granny project is coming along. I manage to get quite a few together yesterday afternoon. If you'd like to join me and you have faith that it'll turn out, you will need 18 granny squares, about the size of the palm of your hand. I will take a picture today for tomorrow's post. I need to weave in the loose ends and stitch them together. I am winging it, so hopefully the project will turn out the way I'm seeing it in my head! :) If so, I may attempt to write a pattern for it.
What projects are you working on?

Carrots <3

Instant Gratification

I think it's very important to set short term goals, as well as long term goals. If you're anything like me, you probably need to see some sort of light at the end of the tunnel, to get you through the day. I find that it's much easier to be excited about my journey, if there are going to be nuggets of goodness throughout. I failed to mention yesterday, my overall weight goal. I hope to be at 120 lbs., although less than that would suit me just fine. And I am truly hoping that once I get to that point, a few more pounds won't seem so overwhelming and daunting. I have decided to break up this journey into 5 pound chunks. For every 5 pounds I drop I would like to reward

myself. I am really in need of a good pair of walking shoes. I will take a picture today of the ones I have and you'll see what I mean. They're not fit for public display. I only wear them on the back roads of my life.

Today is a beautiful day, the rain has paused for the moment and it's a bit foggy/misty out. I love it! My goal is to put on my cruddy shoes and walk at least a mile, although I may bust out and walk two....pennance for all the chocolate I ate yesterday! Back on track, my first 5 pound goal, is a new pair of walking shoes. Something to look forward to and hopefully fairly soon!

I did manage to drink more water yesterday, and I did a 10 minute workout and even got off the couch to snag my own chocolate. Aren't you proud? :)

It's a new day, a beautiful day and I know it's going to be a better day!

I hope it will be fantastic for you, too.

p.s.

I will try to remember to add some fruit to my day...I think I may have some frozen fruits and bananas that I can pop in the blender for an, after my long walk, smoothie. So many new, good habits to remember. :D

Once You Pop, You Can't Stop

Stay away from the chocolate!!! I made the mistake of thinking, oh I will just have a few pieces, that will be okay....hahaha, funny. One day into my healthy, new way of life journey and I've already fallen off the wagon. Chocolate, the love of my life, is also my worst enemy and unfortunately, it knows my name. It calls to me, I can hear it no matter where I am or what I'm doing. It has a sweet, enticing voice. And let me just say, once you pop one of those little suckers in your mouth, there's no stopping, until all of it is either gone or you're finally too sick to eat anymore. Curse you, Easter Bunny. Today will be a better day, I promise.

A Square Granny

My Daily Groove:

This past weekend I visited one of my most favorite people in the world. We mostly sat around and knit, but she also taught me a new skill...crocheting granny squares. I am really excited about this, because the only thing I've ever known how to crochet is a chain. I'm looking forward to all of the new craft possibilities, although I really don't need a new hobby or for that matter, more unfinished projects all over my house. So, I am going to make and finish this new project this week. I started some squares last night and while looking at them, came up with a fun idea for them, considering I don't think I have enough of that yarn for an entire afghan. I will keep you posted and put some pics up of my project. Like I said, I hope to complete it and use it this week. Now I'm committed! Yikes!! :P

If You Continue To Do What You've Always Done

This saying, "If you continue to do what you've always done, you'll continue to get what you've always got", is my new motto for this journey. Makes sense doesn't it? So, I guess this means I am not going on a diet, they never work for me anyway, instead I'm going to change the things that I've been doing continuously for the past, well... a lot of years. I spent time this weekend really thinking about my eating/exercise habits and let's just say, it's no wonder I am at this point. I'd love to blame it all on the Easter Bunny, but let's be honest, it's not like he shoved the chocolate in my mouth, that was me. With that in mind, I am going to make a short list (I don't want to overwhelm myself) and I will simply add to this list as I go.

Goals/New Habits:

1. Drink more water (I'll start with at least 4 tall glasses per day, I don't want to slosh when I walk)

2. Exercise Daily (I hope to walk every day, although weather is unpredictable, so I need alternatives, like getting off the couch and getting that brownie myself, instead of asking my kids to get it for me)

3. Add fruits and veggies to my day (I know I should be doing this already, but did I mention I am extremely picky...if it's not fattening, I don't like it)

4. Be Patient (I tend to give up quickly when I don't see immediate results, it took me years to get this way, I won't change overnight...darn!)

5. Look good in tights (when I put on my superhero costume, I don't want to frighten anyone...oh wait, that's a fantasy, not a goal)

Okay, I think this should be a good start. I will add to my list as I go, and I will let you know when these habits have taken. I do plan to work on these every day. Go me!!! I need to learn a better cheer.

Time to put on my walking shoes, I've got a long road ahead of me. :)

Day 1:

Good morning! Well this is the day. I am going to expose myself in a way I can honestly say I've never done before and I must say, it's a bit embarrassing. But I feel, in order to make progress I need to be honest and open about this journey.

I will begin with a weigh in, I will do this every Monday morning to show my progress....yikes!!

This morning's weight is....a whopping 160.6 lbs. There, I said it out loud, no going back. It may have been a bit less if it weren't for the darn Easter Bunny. He obviously knows that chocolate is a huge weakness for me. No more!!! I am on the road to changing habits and becoming a healthy, fit, new woman. Hooray!

On the Road to 40

So, this is my first post, on my first ever blog.... go me!

Recently, I've been a bit distressed about the upcoming big 4 - 0. Not because I have an issue with turning 40, but because I feel somehow, that I've not arrived, the way I thought I should have by this point. And the biggest area of concern is my lack of being a bit thinner. At the beginning of this year, I set a fantastic of goal of losing 40 lbs. by my birthday....um, yea...I am pretty sure I haven't even lost 40 ounces. I had quite hoped to be 40 and Fabulous, not 40 and Fatty. Darn!!
So, my goal now is to blog this journey of changing habits to become a better, more fit and hopefully fabulous me. In doing this, I truly desire to inspire others along the way.

My dearest friend Marie, is going to be my cheerleader/recipe helper. Now here's the challenging, fun, tricky part. I am truly one of the pickiest people she knows. (Note from Marie: True dat.) And because Marie loves a good challenge, she's going to come up with healthy, tasty and low-fat meals, that yes, even I would eat. Even if it means she has to stick the veggies in a blender and add ice-cream. (Not kidding, it's like trying to feed a finicky toddler)

On a bit of a side note, I will also add in My Daily Groove, which will consist of whatever creative, thrifty, artistic, interesting or otherwise mentionable topic that strikes my fancy.
Marie and I will be adding a weekly post, trading off every other Friday, called T.G.I.F. (Tips, Goodies, Inspiration and Frugalness) Watch for these weekly nuggets of goodness.

I hope to blog daily... Mon-Fri. with weekends off, (unless I get a wild hair) for a bit of time to re-think my life. ;) Thank you so much for taking time out of your life to spend a moment with me.
~Carrots :D