2012
weigh-in
It’s been a hell of a week, but more importantly – the scale told me that I lost 3.6 pounds, making my grand total 8.8 pounds… That doesn’t seem like a lot, especially after my big gain last week, but since starting WW – I’m averaging around 2 pounds a week… Not too shabby, if I do say so myself! I’ve added the elliptical into my workout mix, and will soon add weights again which I think will really help things move along… Onwards and upwards, my friends…
The annual meeting went really well, at least according to our president, and I was told that the overall design (stage, signs, program, etc) received a lot of positive comments… I was able to see one of my big designs on the large screen in the ballroom, which was pretty cool… Since I had to hold down the fort, I didn’t get to see as many things as I would’ve liked too, but did make a point to see the session with George Lucas… He’s quite short and most people didn’t recognize him as he walked through the hallway (he’s dating the Chair of the conference planning committee)… I skipped the big dinner since we didn’t have a babysitter and was happy to see things finally come to a close after working on it since September! There are a few random things that still need to be done, but nothing compared to my workload from before… Yay!
Mother’s Day was nice – I made a point to get all the usual weekend chores done on Saturday so I could relax… Mom came down and we had lunch at our favorite Mexican place – Deck has found a new love, fried ice cream… Eric changed the oil on my mom’s car and we spent a lot of time outside, looking at the garden and going for a walk with the little guy…
I’m off tomorrow and Thursday – have a dentist appt, a foot doctor appt, and my big plan is to paint the basement bedroom… I worked on some of it tonight, but will try to get a coat on tomorrow and then finish up on Friday… Eric has been at a conference this week so I’ve been on my own since Monday night (he gets back late tomorrow night)… I think I’ve done pretty good, though I appreciate having Eric around especially when it comes time to make dinner and give the guy a bath…
We are headed to Pittsburgh this weekend, though I wish we were staying here to get more stuff done around the house… After this, there are only 2 weeks until our French guests arrive! Yikes! The new LR window is getting installed Monday so there’s a lot of prep work that we’ll have to do beforehand…
Well, I better go, but will check-in with some progress pics (hopefully)…
Happy Hump Day…
afternoon siesta
I.am.so.tired… Our middle cat has begun this horribly annoying habit of waking us up between 4:00-6:00 a.m. for no good reason… He scratches at closed doors, tears apart our toilet paper, meows, jumps on the bed, and scratches at my pillow… He desperately wants to be out an ‘outside’ cat, but it’s just not going to happen right now (if at all) and we’re suffering for it… It also didn’t help that we went to bed closer to 11:00 than 10:00 so I’m feeling it today for sure…
Weekend recap: on Saturday, we did our weekly trip to Home Depot and bought a new storm door, new fixtures and a gallon of paint for the downstairs bedroom… Eric spent the morning working on the yard and then tackled the new door which took quite a while… It looks great and it’s so nice having a breeze between the front and back of the house – the built-in screen is the best invention ever (though not very claw-friendly)… Since it was Cnco de Mayo – we headed to our local Mexican place for dinner where I proceeded to use up more than half 0f my weekly WW points (well-worth it!)… Yesterday, it was my turn to do work around the house – grocery store, clean, laundry, sort Deck’s winter/summer clothes, and prep meals for this week… Deck took a 3-hour nap in the a.m. ,which led to a very short nap in the afternoon, and then Mr. Crankipants showed-up around dinner… I was happy when he finally went to bed, though in hindsight – should’ve went to bed too…
This week may be crazy with the annual meeting and all, but I promise to be here Wednesday at least for my weigh-in…
Happy Monday…
I’m gonna help daddy mow…
Check-out our new storm door…
Eric bought these for Deck (though I’m not buying it)…
TGIF
I could not be happier that today is Friday… I’m enjoying the quiet before the storm of next week’s annual meeting and since all my printed projects are done – it’s just a matter of updating the website next week as the events occur (two website actually)… I would LOVE to go see a few sessions, including George Lucas, but we’ll have to see if that’s feasible since I’ll be the only one from my department in the office… Either way, in less than 2 weeks – I’ll be done, done, done with this meeting for another 2 years… Hot damn!
I apologize if I talk about greek yogurt too much, but it’s become such a staple in my lunch that I feel like I still have much to learn… I was emailing with a a friend of mine and she raised a question about how to flavor plain yogurt… I did a quick google search this morning and came across a list that shows 100 ways to flavor plain yogurt… Some of them sound really good so I may try a few next week – stay tuned! 
I’m also happy to report a NSV (non-scale victory)… When I unpacked my winter clothes – the pile of “too small” was much larger than the pile of “kinda fits”… A pair of capris that I wore all last summer were super tight and when I got them out this morning, I put them on, and voila – they fit! Maybe after a solid month on WW, I’ll have to go back to my “too small” pile and see what else fits… So happy!
Any exciting weekend plans? Eric and I are slowing crossing things off our list of things to do before June, and we might tackle installing a new, storm door since ours is old, rather heavy, and doesn’t lock… I’m really liking the kind that have a built-in screen, so I think that’s we’re going to get… The more cross-thru ventilation the better and since our LR window isn’t being installed until the 21st, this will help in the meantime… Plus, I think Deck will enjoy having another window to look out of since he’s so into the outdoors…
Speaking of outdoors – we were in the kitchen last night and I saw a hummingbird come to the front window, looking for the feeder… We had been holding-off on putting them out until it was a bit warmer, so I think it’s time… We get quite a few hummingbirds in both the front and the back, so I’m excited to see them again…We’re also getting a nice batch of lettuce so I think it’s time for our first salad of the season…
Hope you have a fabulous weekend! Happy Friday!
calgon take me away
Hello Monday! It’s sad to say that I used to feel refreshed after the weekend, but with Deck getting more and more active – I look forward to having a break instead… Is that bad? He is just into E V E R Y T H I N G right now – climbing, chewing, not listening… It’s all part of the age, I know, plus he has more teeth coming-in so he’s constantly walking around with a finger in his mouth and drooling… He is still a joy and the love of my life, don’t get me wrong, but it just makes me wonder what it will be like if/when we have another one… He has his 18-mos checkup tomorrow where he’ll get measured, weighed, and vaccinated… I hate that part and if Eric can’t make it, I will have to deal with it myself and it won’t be pretty…
We went to another huge yard sale on Saturday – found more summer tshirts and shorts, and a pair of Stride Rite sneakers for only $3 (they’re $40 brand-new)… I wasn’t really looking for anything else since it was rather cold and cloudy, but Eric found a collapsible tool bench for $2 and I scored a kid’s canvas papasan chair for $3… The rest of our Saturday was spent swapping out light switches, outlets, and I’ve actually started to hang items since the painting is done… We also moved the oak hutch from the kitchen to the dining room, which has given us a lot more room to move around… This required taking everything out, which was a pain, but we couldn’t move it full – I took advantage of the empty cabinet and gave it a good polish before putting all the dishes back in… Deck enjoyed playing in it, when he wasn’t trying to help me move dishes (photo below)…
Yesterday, Deck was up bright & early so when he went down for nap – I scooted off to the store… It took me a bit longer this time since I was trying to find the WW points for a few items, as well as buy a lot of ingredients so I could make some dishes for this week… I made quiche cupcakes, black bean soup, and a turkey penne casserole… I’m all for making things ahead of time, but when doing more than 1 dish – it requires a lot of time in the kitchen which I don’t like esp. when Deck is antsy or if it’s nice out and I don’t want to be stuck inside… BUT I did it and hope to make it a routine, at least for 1-2 dishes a week… We took an afternoon stroll so Deck could play on the playground for a while – he tried to make a friend with a little boy, but the poor kid would have nothing to do with it… I think Deck is going to be a social butterfly, like his dad…
New product—if you’re a fan of greek yogurt, you must this new frozen, greek yogurt by Ben & Jerry’s… Though for WW it’s a pretty hefty 5-points (per half-cup), it’s well worth it if you have some extra to spare… The blueberry vanilla graham was awesome – very creamy and tart – and I can’t wait to try the other flavors… Yummy!
Time to get back to work, hope you’re having a great Monday!
2012
love’em and leave’em
We had quite the productive weekend, starting with a huge kids sale on Saturday that consisted of at least 100 vendors… Since Deck needed some clothes/shoes for the summer, this was the way to go considering most of the items I bought were $1… I may need to consider being a seller someday, but only after we have another kid… The rest of the day was spent doing yard work – mulching, planting flowers, and planting the rest of our veggies… Everything is in, so now we wait…
Yesterday was Deck’s baptism and he did great! Not that I expected him to cry or anything – he loves water and barely flinched… My mom did pronounce his name wrong, when saying a prayer, which was funny since she was incredibly nervous… For the rest of the service, however, Deck did not want to be contained so we took turns keeping him occupied elsewhere… Eric’s brother and sister-in-law are his godparents so it was nice sharing this event with them… All of us headed to breakfast afterwards and then Deck crashed for about 2 hours… Since it was raining for most of the day – I was able to finish packing-up my winter clothes and reorganized some closets… We still have much to do before our French guests arrive in June, so next month is going to super busy…
I cancelled Nustrisystem this morning and since I signed-up for their automated ordering, I had to pay the difference between that rate and the one-month plan (still cheaper than the regular fee)… I was waiting for the speech and guilt trip, but the guy was nice and didn’t ask too many questions (I know they probably have too)… I still feel like this was the right decision for me so it’s onward and upwards to something else…
Happy Monday…
2012
i made it
SO glad it’s Friday – this has been one, crazy, busy, long week… I went for a nice walk this afternoon since it’s supposed to rain Sat/Sun, and have finished all my important stuff for the day… Go me! Eric is having some of the guys over tonight and I’ll probably escape for a while and head to TJMaxx and Homegoods to window shop (though I do have a $100 giftcard that’s burning a whole in my pocket)… Tomorrow, Deck and I are heading to a kids nearly new sale (to stock-up on summer stuff) and then Sunday, Deck is getting baptized… I haven’t made a big deal about it because it’s at my old church and we should’ve done this after he was born, BUT we’re doing it now and that’s what matters… Eric’s brother and SIL are going to be his godparents, so I’m pretty excited… I bought him an outfit a while back so we had to make sure it fit last night – he is going to look so handsome, I can’t stand it! Pictures to come…
Here’s a funny pic that I took today on my walk – notice the White House in the background… Have a great weekend!
defeated
Weekends go by WAY to fast, in my opinion – especially when your “to-do” list is longer than it should be… I’m not going to complain though, we did a lot around the yard this weekend – Eric worked his butt-off getting the half-barrels ready for our tomato and pepper plants, and I also planted herbs, and we did more mulching… Yesterday, Eric worked on getting the vehicles washed and detailed, and I spent time unpacking my summer bins, washing my winter stuff, and creating a giveaway pile… I’m still not done, so that will be my project this week (plus I haven’t even gotten to my shoes yet)…
Swapping my summer/winter clothes used to be more enjoyable because I always forgot that I had something cute, or decided that I wore something for long-enough and decided to give it away… This year, however, because I’ve gained weight – I spent a good 10-minutes crying my eyes out all because a cute dress, that I wore when I was 4-months pregnant, was too small… And out of 10+ pairs of pants & capris – I can almost fit into 2 pair… I was/am SO disgusted with myself and there’s no one to blame but myself… One-year ago, I weighed 15-pounds less than I do now… 15 POUNDS! Granted – I had foot surgery in February, broke my toe in May, and we moved in June, but still – how did I let this happen? Because I stopped caring, plain and simple…
It would be easy for me to think that I’m the only working-mother out there, but I’m not… I know there are thousands of women that work full-time, have a husband/partner, raise children, take care of a home, and have hobbies, etc., AND who make time for themselves… They do it before work, during work, or after the kids go to bed… There’s a gym in my building and it’s FREE – meaning, no membership, no crowds, and no creepy trainers… Deck goes to bed around 7:30 so that gives me around 3-hours until bedtime, which is plenty of time to workout if I can’t do it during the day… So what’s my problem? Choosing to put myself first is probably on top of my list right now… I’ve always had a guilt complex (i.e. calling in sick, asking for time-off, spending time away from Eric or Deck, etc.) so it’s hard for me to (1) step away from things and (2) feel that the world isn’t going to fall apart when I do… I realize this is all in my head and complete nonsense, but it’s my reality and I really need to face it or I’ll never reach my goals…
Tomorrow I will have second weigh-in on Nutrisystem and I’m not expecting a loss since I haven’t been following it 100%… As much as I wanted to do this program and thought about it for months, I’m really not enjoying it and am over it… I can’t see myself doing it for months and months because it’s hard having to think about and make 2 meals for everyone (breakfast, lunch, and dinner)… Yes, it’s convenient and yes, most of the food has been pretty good, but it’s expensive and I really think going back to my standby, Weight Watchers, will work better for me… I will still learn portion control and what foods will give me more bang for the buck, but at least I’ll be able to eat the same thing as everyone else… Truth be told – I’m a bit disappointed that it’s not as great as I thought it would be and feel that if my heart isn’t in the program, why keep paying for it… I’ll finish out the month, since I still have food, but will be canceling shortly…./sigh/
Hate being a debbie downer, so I’ll end the post with some recent pics of Deck… Such a ham, this kid… Today is his 18-mos bday and I love him more every, single day… Enjoy…
2012
NS weigh-in #1
I had high hopes that I would lose more weight during my 1st on the system, but the scale only showed a 1.2 pound loss… A loss, is a loss – yes, I know, but when you read/see so many others losing more – it’s very discouraging… I followed the plan (minus Easter dinner) and exercised, so perhaps my body will take more time to lose this stubborn weight… I have to be honest – when i saw the number on the scale, I felt like I didn’t need NS and could lose that much on my own, but that’s not what I signed up for… I need to learn portion sizes, what foods will keep me fuller, longer, and how important exercise is – not just physically, but emotionally as well… I haven’t been on this journey for a long time, so it’s going to take me a while to adjust and get comfortable… Here’s to week #2…
Easter came and went – it only took Deck a few times before he got the “let’s find some eggs and put them in a bucket”… We had dinner at my mom’s, along with my brother and his girlfriend, and then Deck hunted for more eggs… I didn’t buy him any toys or candy, but have a feeling he’ll be more into it next year…
Work is really picking up since the meeting is less than a month away… My to-do list gets longer everyday, and now the new designer is going to Australia the week of the meeting – leaving me solo in the office… Though I’d like to see some of my designs in person, being stuck in a hotel for 3 days is not my idea of fun so I’ll be holding down the fort… Good thing I’m good at doing that…
Weekend plans – getting my haircut and highlighted… And we need to wash/clean the cars… Our lettuce is coming up nicely, so I will need to move ahead with getting the herbs, tomatoes, and peppers planted… Can’t wait to make our first salad!
Happy hump day…
2012
back on track
Tomorrow is Good Friday and my office is closed, so I’m taking advantage of the free day and plan to paint (with help from my brother)… I chose a neutral color – expedition khaki – and that will coat the playroom, the office, the entryway, and the hallway… It’s sort of like a warm latte, but not yellow and not brown – pics will follow when I’m done… As for the rest of the weekend – the boys need haircuts on Saturday and we have plenty of mulching to do, so that’s the big project… My mom is having dinner on Sunday so we’ll go up there for a while and see if Deck feels like hunting for more eggs… I bought a bunch of plastic ones and plan on hiding some inside and outside of our house – that’s the extent of our Easter plans…
I’m on day 4 of Nutrisystem and so far, so good… I haven’t eaten anything bad yet, though the vanilla and strawberry shakes aren’t as good as the chocolate or coffee ones… I’m really learning how to eat the proper portions again, which was my downfall, and having to add lots of veggies has really helped fill me up… I have to eat 1 breakfast, protein shake, lunch, dinner, and snack per day, plus add in a few good carbs and protein… Here is just a sample of what I’ve had…
Breakfast: blueberry muffin, banana nut muffin, chocolate chip scone, and sweetened o’s cereal…
Protein shake: vanilla, strawberry, chocolate, and coffee…
Lunch: pasta and beef, tuna salad, fettuccini alfredo, and chicken cacciatore…
Dinner: cajun chicken and rice, thick crust pizza, pasta fagioli, and rotini and meatballs…
Dessert: fudge brownie, carrot cake, oatmeal raisin cookie, and chocolate nougat bar…
NS recommends 30-minutes of exercise a day, which I’ve been doing anyway, plus lots of water (which has always been hard for me)… I need to take my measurements this weekend so I can check after a month… I’m going to stick with cardio for now and them start back with weight training when work has calmed down…
I hope you have a wonderful Easter and weekend…
Happy Friday!
new blog, new sneakers – what’s next?
sorry for all the blog-design changes as of late – i wasn’t happy with the one i had before and think i’ve settled on one (for now anyway)… i’m feeling some big changes coming so that’s why i gave the blog a new look… more details to come!
our weekend was semi-busy with 3 window companies coming over to give us estimates for replacing our living room window… i thought i had an idea of what i wanted, but now we’re leaning towards a slider which (1) is less expensive and (2) will give us more air-flow since that’s my main concern… it would be great to have this done before our french guests arrive in june, but we’ll see how the timing works out…
eric, on the otherhand, has been seriously under the weather since last week – he’s developed a bad rash and though it appears to be poison ivy, his hands are swollen and hurt… the doctor was pretty perplexed today and took blood to rule-out lymes disease, so hopefully he just had a bad reaction to something and the antibiotics will help… i tried my best to give him space and rest this weekend, but it’s hard with a 17-mos old that just wants to go and go and go… add weekend chores and bad weather, and you get a good idea of my sat/sun…
i did manage to get away for a bit yesterday so i could buy new workout sneakers and put my 30% off kohls coupon to good use… funny how you spend $$ and then get coupons to spend even more $$ later…
well, i need to keep this short and take advantage of this beautiful weather we’re having… perfect day for a walk!
happy monday…
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