We adopted an elf

On November 30th, we became the proud parents of an...elf. Emily the Elf...to be exact.

 

She showed up on our doorstop in a brown kraft paper bag with purple ribbon and festive red and green tissue paper that cloaked a magical gift from Santa.

 

You see...Emily is on a very special assignment. Santa sent her especially to our family so that she could report back to him every night on Lucas and Ellie's behavior that day. Each night she flies back to the North Pole to relay our family's information to the "big guy". I mean...how else is he going to know whether to put the kiddos on the Nice List or the Naughty List.

 

She even came with a book that we loved reading together.

 

We learned lots of things about Emily. For starters, you can't touch her - she might lose her magic if you do. And let me be clear when I say that in no way shape or form should you touch her. Ellie almost had a cow just at the thought of me having to move Emily off of the syrup bottle with my hands. That's right...all out panic mode - full of crying and irrational bouts of how Emily won't be able to return to the North Pole, how Santa will never know that she's awesomesauce, blah....blah....blah.

 

Secondly, Emily thinks that she is hilarious.

 

You see, every morning, she hides in a new location than the previous night. She does this to make sure that you know that she's watching...always watching.

 

Nothing spectacular happened the first night that we got her. She sat perched on our mantle in the living room.

 

When Saturday morning rolled around and she was still in the same spot - Ellie started asking questions. Dammit! Why didn't that crazy elf move????!!!!!

 

Fortunately, she decided to get off her ass Saturday night and fly back to the North Pole. Sunday morning arrived and the kiddos flew down the stairs to see if she was still sitting above the fireplace.

 

Thank God that she wasn't there. lol

 

Lucas was too tired to look for her and Ellie decided that she wanted pancakes for breakfast.

 

So...like any amazing mom, I asked Ellie to pull the syrup out of the fridge. This is what she found when she opened the door:

 

 

What came next were full belly laughs and excited chatter about how Emily was drinking maple syrup and in the fridge. Magic I tell you...it's amazing.

Unfortunately, the kiddo's jovial spirit didn't last. They became grumpy, lost their listening skills and were generally...little terrors.

So...this morning, Emily left them a little message

Now seriously...I would totally be good if my elf spelled it out for me - in M&M's!!!!

The babes got a kick out of her message and the fact that she spilled an entire bag of M's on the counter.

Silly kiddos. And elf. Can't forget the elf. lol

So...now we're on to day three. I wonder what will be in store for us tomorrow? Something fun, creative and clever - no doubt.
   

Getting my groove back

Holy cow! Where has this month gone?!?! I feel like November completely flew by and the holidays (meaning Christmas and my birthday) are already upon us.

Sometime in November, I decided to recommit to myself. In my mind, that meant getting in the running groove again, paying attention to what I'm putting in my pie hole and generally just getting back into a healthy groove.

I did really well for my recommittment week and then the week leading up to Thanksgiving. Then all hell broke loose.

I started out counting my points on Wednesday - the day before we celebrated everything that we were thankful for during the year.

At 1:00 in the am, Lucas ran into our room screaming, "I B-A-R-F-E-D!!!!!!!" Like any sick and pathetic six year old would do. That one small event was the game changer.

By the time that 10:00 am rolled around on Thanksgiving day, Justin and I had been up for 24 hours, washed roughly 12 blankets, gave Lucas a shower and was just plain cranky.

Thank goodness that we cleaned the majority of our house the week prior.

Anway. Lucas was sick and miserable until Friday. Which is no good, because that just means that Ellie is going to get it at some point.

And that my friends is exactly what happened.

At 2:00 am on Saturday morning, Ellie started with the incessant puking.

Again, another sleepless night, laundry at all hours of the morning and two cranky parents.

I'll spare you the details, but the bug ran rampant through our house. *sigh*

Fortunately, it helped tame my temptation to over induldge at Thanksgiving and the days after. Although I'm not going to lie...I did put away almost an entire cherry pie. Mmmmm.......pie.

Needless to say, I was a little nervous about checking in at the Fat Farm today. I mean, I didn't count points for a week, I ate a cherry pie and woofed down a 3 Musketeers yesterday. And might I add that it was the best 3 Musketeers....ever!

Anyway.

I went to the meeting today and weighed in. To my surprise, I lost 1 pound! I can't even describe how excited I am to be back on the losing streak.

Normally, I would be all sorts of bent out of shape about losing only one pound, but this picture totally puts it into perspective.

With today's weigh-in, I've lost a total of 21.7 pounds.

Not only am I ridiculously proud of myself, but I feel so much healthier. Plus...I have a race to train for in April.

................gotta run!

   

Iced Pumpkin Cookies

Okay...so as you know, I signed up for a cookie exchange on the SITS Girls forum of bloggers.

I decided that I wanted to try something different this time instead of making traditional chocolate chip cookies. According to Lucas, I should have stuck with Grandma Gert's chocolate chip cookie recipe.

Anyway.

I decided to make Iced Pumpkin cookies. These cookies remind me of fall. Our house smelled of spicy scents yesterday while I whipped up pumpkin, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg.

Lucas helped me mix the incredients and decided that mid-way through mixing the "dough" that he didn't want to try one. "Pumpkin just isn't his thing." Um.................it's a cookie. Who cares what it tastes like!

The dough was a little more like thickend cake batter and I for sure thought that I messed something up. I dolluped dough on my cookie sheets and baked for 20 minutes like instructed.

While I waited, Ellie helped me make the glaze. She actually tried eating it out of the bowl once it was finished. lol. And I would too. I mean...who doesn't love confectioner's sugar, milk, and vanilla all mixed together?

So...we pulled the cookies out when the timer went "ding" and we placed them on our cooling rack. After 15 minutes, the cookies were cool enough to drizzle with the glaze. This is how they turned out:

They ended up being more cake-like than cookie-like. These little buggars were super moist and soft with just the right hint of fall spices and sweetness.

I'm not going to lie...out of 36 cookies, Ellie ate four, Justin ate one, I ate one and Lucas smelled one and said, "I'm not eating this!"

I packaged them up so that I could get them shipped off to OR today, but when I checked on them before putting them in the box, they were soggy. :( The moisture from these bad boys was trapped in its container. So...I'll be taking my original box home and swapping them out for the cookies at home that I was going to save for Thanksgiving.

Oh well. Lesson learned - do not put these cookies in an air tight container. They will get soggy! Let them sit out on a plate for a day or two. I promise...they will still be moist and melt in your mouth.

______________________________
Servings: 36

Serving Size: 1 cookie 

Calories: 89

Fat: 3.2 g

Carbs: 14.1 g

Fiber: 0.5 g

Protein: 1.2 g

Points+: 2 pts

_________________________________________

Here are your ingredients:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp. ground cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup light butter, softened

1 1/2 tsp. Stevia (or 1 1/2 cups sugar)

1 cup canned pumpkin puree

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Glaze

2 cups confectioners' sugar

3 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp melted light butter

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves and salt; set aside.  In a medium bowl, cream together the 1/2 cup of butter and Stevia (or sugar).  Add pumpkin, egg, and 1 tsp. vanilla to butter mixture, and beat until creamy.  Mix in dry ingredients.  Drop on cookie sheet by tablespoonfuls; flatten slightly.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven.  Cool cookies, then drizzle glaze with fork. 

To make the glaze, combine confectioners' sugar, milk, melted butter and 1 tsp. vanilla.  Add milk as needed to achieve drizzling consistency.  Enjoy!   

   

The cookie exchange is here! The cookie exchange is here!

Okay...so here's the deal. I decided a while ago that I should start a blog. I would chronicle my weight loss challenge and be completely transparent in my road to gaining my health back.

 

For a while, I was a consistant blogger. I wrote something every week and wondered how in the world people blogged every day! I have a lot to talk about, but come on.

 

Then...I started to slack off. I'd write when I felt like it - which was almost never. lol. Then I found a little inspirtation on the SITS Girls website.

 

 

I find myself blogging more, getting involved and even participating in random conversations! I know...who am I?

Anyway...I noticed that the SITS Girls were having a huge upcoming event and I wanted to be a part of it - a Cookie Extravaganza! I mean really...who doesn't LOVE cookies???!!!!!

So...I took a chance and signed up.

Today, I received my email with my cookie exchange partner - the ever fabulous Sara Llyod from The Undomestic Goddess!! And yes folks...because I gave you her URL...you should totally check out her page! I'm sure that you can relate to what she's dishin' out - I know that I can. lol. I mean really...she had me at "Burning Water".

Anyway...we are participating in a cookie exchange together! I'm super excited to be exchanging cookies and recipes with a new friend from Oregon. Although...I'm pretty sure that poor Sara should be scared. We all know how well I cook and bake.

Fortunately for her, I'm not going to spoil the cookie fun here, but I promise to make something delicious (hopefully). I'll probably send nutrition facts too - and WW points values. Just in case.

Let's just hope that Grandma Gert's recipe comes through for me. It would be unfortunate to make my new friend sick - hmmmmm.

What are you thankful for today?

It's Wednesday, hump-day and day 14 of my "30 Days of Thanksgiving" project.

 

I decided to take a break today from all the serious posts and be thankful for something totally trivial - shopping. And not just any shopping my friends...Christmas shopping.

 

Recently, I've been on this kick about getting all of the kid's Christmas shopping finished and out of the way relatively early. And by early, I mean anytime before December 23rd. I mean...there's nothing like waiting until the last minute to shop, stressing out, missing shipping deadlines, finding yourself actually in a store fighting with people and then having to find solace in a bottle somewhere. Which in most instances, it's in the bathroom of the store that I'm in. Listen...don't knock airplane vodka until you try it. They make it pint sized for a reason.

 

Anyway. I accumulated $20 in Kohl's cash and decided to get Ellie's last present with it. I mean...I was going to Kohl's at lunch to purchase one item. It should have been a safe decision, right?

 

Fair Warning.......the holiday madness has already begun.

 

Thank goodness that I wasn't there to shop. I was there for one item and one item only: Gymnast Dora.

 

 

Ellie is all into gymnastics at the moment. And Dora. So...combine the two and you have a win-win Christmas present. Plus...I figured that if she doesn't like it, we'll just blame it on Santa.

Now...here's the best part of my trip. Originally, Gymnast Dora was $32.99. Ridiculous - I know. She was on sale for $23.09 - lucky me. I had $20 in Kohls cash, so Dora only cost $3 plus change!!!

I heart Kohls!

Anyway.

Like I said earlier, I'm thankful that I was able to finish up my Christmas shopping for the kiddos. I mean...if I waited any longer, it would have been a disaster. lol.

What are you thankful for today?
     

Day 13: Finally caught up

It is with this post that I am finally caught up! Woo hoo!

 

Today's thankful post is about friends.

 

Friends come into our lives for reasons beyond our understanding. They may stay for a life time or only for a short time. It totally depends on the purpose of the relationship.

 

Throughout the years, I have made and lost a lot of friends for reason both within and out of my control.

However long the stay, my life has been touched in numerous ways by all of my friends that have come, gone and stayed in my life.

 

Thank you for sharing your life with me - no matter how long the duration. ♥

     

What day are we on anyway?

I know...I know. I've missed a few days. To be honest, I'm not really sure where I left off, so...I'll just pick up here.

Day 12: Today and everyday, I am thankful for my Ellie Bean!

Ellie is my three year old, independent, strong-willed child. She is a complete mini-me: fiercely independent, wild, absolutely hilarious, very opinionated, doesn't know a stranger, full of sass and doesn't really mind putting you in your place when need be.

My mom just laughs and says that she is me through and through. I didn't know if I really believed her until I saw her give me a look that I know that I give. Then it hit me, "Shit! I'm in for a world of trouble!"

And then there are those moments, like this morning, where she comes bouncing into our bedroom at 7:04 am singing, "Mommy! Mommy! Mommmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!" With one swift scoop of my arms, I picked her up, swung her around, and listend to her full belly laugh. A laugh that I hope that I will remember forever.

She is my sunshine, my Ellie Bean and everything in between. I love you Bean and I am so thankful that you chose me to be your mommy.

P.S.  She totally laughs just like me. Can't you almost hear her?

 

Okay...so I skipped a day

I know...I know. I skipped a day. I was thankful for something - promise! I even wrote it on my FB page. Unfortunately, I just didn't feel like blogging about it. So...in case you were wondering, on day eight, I was thankful for the ability to ask for strength. Lucas' parent/teacher conferences were last night and I needed all of the strength that I could summon.

 

ANYWAY...on to Day Nine!!!

 

Today, I am thankful for the ability to own my own business - Persnickety's Resale Fashion Boutique. There is something magical about owning your own brick and mortar store.

 

I'm completely enchanted with the color scheme. I fall in love with our window display every time that I look at it. Over the past year, we've come to know and love our customers like our own family. And of course...I heart that adorable "boutique boy" that knows everything there is to know about our business.

 

I am uterly thankful and blessed that we are able to live the American dream and show our children what owning a business is like - the good, the bad, and the ugly that comes with it. It's so important for Lucas and Ellie to know and understand that with hard work and persistance, owning a local community establishment is totally feasible.

 

I feel blessed that we able able to connect with our community by offering the trendiest and funkiest children's clothing and accessories at affordable prices. What I find humbling and truly amazing, is that in turn, we have been bleesed by the members of our community. We have been welcomed with open arms and have become a "family" of sorts.

 

And for that...I am truly thankful.

 

 

Day Seven: A re-commitment to myself

I can't believe it...I've made it seven whole days of giving thanks for lots of different people and things in my life.

Today, I'm taking a moment to be thankful for fresh starts.

It's not really a secret - I've been quite the slacker the past few months in regards to my eating habits and my exercise activity. There's no excuse really, although I'm sure that I could blame it on my vacation in September.

Instead of continuing down the road of unheathy heating, oversized portions and a sedintary lifestyle, I decided to re-commit to myself today. I deserve to be healthy and fit...dammit!

So...I checked in at FF Anonymous, have logged everything that I have put into my pie hole, and have committed to going out for a run this evening.

While searching Google today for a little inspiration, I ran across this:

Every time that I run, I always feel like I can't breathe and that I'm going to die. lol. This just proves that running is as much of a mental sport as it is physical.

So...I've psyched myself up and I'm going to "keep going". As a matter of fact, I've decided that the only way that I would really push myself was to sign up for a race. On April 7, 2013, I am running my first half marathon.

Duh, duh, duh......dunnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

I want to do it. I know that I can do it. I just need a little motivation.

Well...lucky for me, my motivation comes in the shape of a little oval sticker that says 13.1. That's right folks...I want the fucking sticker for my car. I don't care what my time is or if I have to crawl across the finish line. I am going to finish and I am going to put that stupid sticker on my car!

So...here's to training for the next four months. Let's hope that I don't croak in the process!
 

Day Six: The March of Dimes

It's November 6th and most people are captivated by the election and exercising their right to vote. While my constitutional right is important to me, I decided to be thankful for an organization near and dear to my heart: The March of Dimes.

 

As you may or may not know, premature birth runs rampant in our family. Lucas was born eight weeks early and Ellie was born six weeks early.

 

I remember those days incredibly clear. My water broke while I was at work - January 10, 2006. I remember calling the hospital and the woman asked me if I was positive that my water broke. She then asked me if I "peed" on myself. Um.......................pretty sure I wasn't sure what to say to that one.

 

My hospital stay was horrible. I received antibiotics because my water broke early and Lucas needed to stay put for as long as possible, I was allergic to the antibiotics, I received an amniocentesis to check his lung function (which wasn't good), and to top it all off...Just wasn't allowed to spend the night with me because I had a roommate.

 

On Friday the 13th, I remember crawling to the bathroom so that I could get sick. I was also bleeding and 5 cm dialated. Thank goodness my mom decided to come early for breakfast. She found me on the floor and called the nurses. Thus began the delivery from HELL.

 

I'll spare you the gory details of his birth. lol. You can go ahead and thank me now...or later. Which ever is convenient for you.

 

Anyway. When Lucas was born, he was blue. Or so I was told. I didn't see him. All I know is that he was wisked off to the NICU and I received some much needed pain meds.

 

I remember the nurses telling me that he was the fatest baby in the NICU - he weighted 6 pounds 1 ounce when he was born.

 

When I saw him for the first time, I didn't even recognize him - he was attached to a vent, had all sorts of tubes connected to him, was under the bili lights and was being extensively monitored. I couldn't even touch him - his body was too sensitive.

 

I remember feeling hopeless and helpless. Why was this happening to my baby? When I look back...he was the healthiest baby in the NICU - I just didn't see it at the time.

 

Fortunately for us, we had a great support system with the NICU staff and the local March of Dimes chapter. As a matter of fact, Lucas only spent eight days in the NICU and was finally able to come home on January 21, 2006. One of the happiest days of my life.

 

Then three years later, our sweetie girl decided to make an early entrance to the world.

 

I went for a massage on March 21, 2009 and was told that they didn't have my appointment on the books. I remember feeling completely heartbroken because the girl that I was talking to booked the appointment the week prior.

 

I got in my car and cried the whole way home. Stupid hormones.

 

I called my mom in the afternoon and told her that I thought that I was having contractions, but that I wasn't positive. Like any amazing mom, she told me to call the doctor. And like any stubborn daughter that didn't want to have a baby in March, I didn't.

 

Justin was working that evening and I decided that I wasn't going into labor. She wasn't due for six more weeks.

 

I watched the same Discovery Channel special about Abraham Lincoln six times. I paced, and paced, and paced some more.

 

Finally, Justin called the doctor at 5:00 am and we were told to get to the hospital! Naturally, that meant that I should take my time. lol.

 

When we arrived, I was 7 cm dialated and the nurse asked me if I was having the baby naturally! Um...HELL NO!!!!

 

Again...I'll spare you the details of her birth. I know...I know. You're welcome.

 

When Ellie was born, she was so red that she was almost purple. Her bilirubin was through the roof and her sugar was low.

 

Despite those facts, she was sent to the regular floor and I was able to take her home two days later.

 

Unfortunately, that didn't last. She was re-admitted to the hospital and placed in the NICU.

 

Her liver wasn't expelling blood platelets, her bilirubin was still through the roof and she had a broken clavicle.

 

Again...I felt helpless. I couldn't fight this battle for her. And yet we had a support system that helped us through her hospital stay.

 

Her dedicated nursing staff was amazing. They always took my calls, answered questions, and took the best care of her when I couldn't be there.

 

And for a second time, we were re-acquainted with the local March of Dimes chapter. It's amazing to feel the support of others that have a passion for helping babies and their familes fight the fight.

 

With a little help from our friends and family, we made it through five days of what seemed like an eternity. Ellie was released from the hospital on March 30, 2009.

 

 

Lucas, age 6 and Ellie, age 3

 

 

Everybody's story is different. Yet we all share one common denominator - our children didn't get their full nine months.

 

With the help of the March of Dimes, babies are getting their full nine months, families are receiving much needed education, and support is being offered to all of those who want and need it.

 

The March of Dimes helped my family through those dark days of uncertainty in the beginning. I encourage you to check out this article and learn more about how they are helping those who need it most. http://newsmomsneed.marchofdimes.com/?p=12353

 

 

Day Five: You had me at...rubber bands/

Holy hell...I've made it to day five without missing a day or a beat. That's a small win in my book!

 

I decided to write about rubber bands today. I know...why write about rubber bands when I can write about the love for my children, husband or the like? Well...I'll tell you why.

 

My hair is out of control.

 

Justin asked me to try some new shampoo. Instead of getting my shampoo and conditioner separately, he got the all-in-one kind. Unfortunately, his attempt to be frugal backfired. Instead of saving time and money, it left my hair staticky and stuck to my face every single day.

 

Now granted...the all-in-one shampoo and conditioner might have worked if my hair were shorter. You see, I haven't gotten a haircut in almost six months. To be totally transparent, it's driving me bat shit crazy!

 

Anyway...I digress. Back to rubber bands.

 

As life would have it, my hair was sticking to my face - due to the static. I couldn't handle it one more second.

 

So...I rummaged through my desk drawer and found an oversized rubber band. I pulled my hair back into a ponytail and secured it with said rubber band.

 

 

  And there you have it folks...a ponytail  

I guess I did learn something from the Girl Scouts afterall...use your resources wisely! Pulling my hair back out of my face was most definitely a resouceful decision.

 

So, here's to rubber bands for saving the day and my hair crisis!!!

   

Day Four

Day four was yesterday - Sunday:Funday.

 

Justin, the babes and I headed down to the Lucky Dog yesterday afternoon to have lunch, watch the Browns and Bengals games, and see my Bets.

 

The kiddos were super excited to see "Aunt Betsy". I'm pretty sure that they didn't care about what the Browns or Bengals were doing on screen. To be honest, it was probably a good thing that they weren't watching. Instead, they were running around, making new friends and trying to win stuffed animals with the "claw" game.

 

I mean...I totally know that the "claw" game is a money trap - nobody ever wins! Yet, I stood there with the kiddos feeding it dollar bills. Finally, the kids got bored and decided to walk away - empty handed.

 

Fortunately for Ellie, one of the Browns Backers was sitting by us and decided to give her the white "bengal" tiger that he won. You would have thought that it was Christmas! She beemed and carried that tiger around with her all afternoon, evening, and at bedtime too. "Tigie" has found a great home.

 

As day four came to an end, I found myself thankful for football Sundays with my family and bestie.

   

Day Three of Thankfulness

Well...the weekend hit and that is the reason why I didn't blog my days three and four of thankfulness. So...I guess I'll go ahead and take care of that now.

 

On Saturday, I was getting ready to head to the shop. You see, Saturdays are my only days that I get to work my shop and be hands-on with the everyday happenings.

 

Anyway...before I left, I was sitting on the chaise in our bedroom - talking to Justin. As I was getting ready to stand up and head out, he grabbed my hand.

 

Now...I'm not going to get all sappy. He wasn't holding my hand, but rather challenging me to a thumb wrestling match! And like any over confident person...I took him on!

 

I will have it be known that I WON the thumb war wrestling match!!! I even beat him with my left hand...and no, I didn't play dirty either and entrap him with my index finger.

 

I beat him fair and square.

 

And with that in mind, here is day three: Today I am thankful for thumb wresting on Saturday mornings with the best husband ever. Btw...I won!

 

Day 2 of Giving Thanks

Well...we've made it to day two of giving thanks. Not going to lie...most years I don't even make it this far. lol

 

However, today's day is dedicated to my favorite little boy...

 

Lucas is my six year old, my baby and a complete Momma's boy. He has my Type A personality, talks non-stop, is completely hilarious and could pick-up your spirit in five seconds with only a few words and a hug. He is definitely a lover, people pleaser and wildly sensitive.

While he is all of those things that make my heart (and anyone else that is near him) melt, today....he was my alarm clock. And for that...I am truly thankful and grateful.

At 7:48 this morning, his boundful energy popped into our bedroom and yelled..."I MISSED THE BUS!!!!!!!" lol

Not sure what happened, but apparently I didn't set the alarm.

Despite the chaotic morning of quickly getting dressed and sprinting out the door like an Olympic athlete, I still find it easy to be thankful for those treasured moments with my sweetie boy.

Lucas...thank you, for choosing me to be your mommy. Love you to the moon and back.

     

30 Days of Thanks Starts Today!

It's November 1st and I am starting my "30 Days of Thanks". Far too often I take for granted all of the things that I am thankful and grateful for - it's part of the busy lifestyle that we have all grown accustomed too.

 

I find myself getting in the car and driving with the babes without checking my sugar first - just because I have faith that my sugars are fine. I complain that I have nothing to wear when I search for an outfit in my walk-in closet. I never worry about how I am going to put food on the table so that we can nourish our bodies with healthy food.

 

While I am thankful and grateful that I make it safe and sound to my destination, that I "have" clothes to wear and that my family doesn't know what "going hungry" means, I have a tendency to just "gloss" over it. So, instead of "glossing" over the months where candy and the bird run together, I wanted to take the time to share what I am truly thankful for.

 

Here's to Day One: I am thankful for insulin.

 

When I was five, I was blessed with Type I Diabetes. I remeber going to Diabetes Camp when I was six and receiving an oversized "Pigs are Precious" t-shirt. You see, back then, my insulin came from those precious little oinkers.

 

At the age of six, I took a small stand and decided that since pigs were keeping me alive, then I wouldn't eat them. lol. I'm sure that Wilbur and all of his piggie friends were relieved.

 

Fortunately, modern medicine has made enormous growth and I no longer use insulin derived from pigs, but rather insulin developed in a lab.

 

No matter where my insulin came from, it has always kept me alive and for that...I am truly thankful.

 

 

 

If I had my own cooking show...

...we would be in the poor house...continuously!

It's not really a secret - I hate to cook and bake! I think that the tables might be turned if what I was attempting turned out to be gorgeous AND taste delicious. Unfortunately, I have a tendency to f**k things up when I'm in the kitchen.

However, I have been getting a little adventerous and trying new recipes. For instance, check out these "Blue Cheese Chicken Burgers" that have become a staple in our household.

And just in case your mouth is watering and you have to have the recipe, here it is:

Blue Cheese Chicken Burgers

2 sprays cooking spray

1/4 cup(s) barbeque sauce

1 1/2 tsp Red Hot

1 pound(s) extra lean ground chicken breast

1/2 cup(s) uncooked scallion

1/4 cup(s) dried plain breadcrumbs

2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp salt

4 items mixed grain hamburger buns

2 cup(s) romaine lettuce

1 large tomato (cut into 8 slices)

2 Tbsp blue cheese, crumbled

Instructions

·   Off heat, coat a grill or grill pan with cooking spray; preheat to medium-high.

·    In a small bowl, combine barbecue sauce and hot pepper sauce. In a medium bowl, combine chicken, 1 tablespoon of barbecue sauce mixture, scallion, celery, breadcrumbs, garlic and salt. Using wet hands (to prevent mixture from sticking), form chicken mixture into four 1/2-inch-thick patties; brush top of burgers with some remaining barbecue sauce mixture.

·    Place burgers on grill, sauce side down; brush tops of burgers with remaining sauce. Grill, turning once, until cooked through, about 10 minutes. Lightly toast open-faced buns on grill during last minute of cooking.

·    To serve, place 4 bun bottoms on each of 4 plates. Top each with 1/2 cup of shredded lettuce, 2 tomato slices, a burger, 1/2 tablespoon of cheese and a bun top (cheese will melt a little from hot burger). Yields 1 burger per serving.

Prep Time: 15 Minutes

Cook Time: 10 Minutes

Serves: 4

Weight Watcher Points: 8

I hope that you love them as much as we do. I look to serve them with corn on the cob and fresh watermelon and strawberries. For a burger, one ear of corn (I half mine - so really, you can have two pieces), two cups of watermelon and one cup strawberries...dinner will only set you back 10 WW Points Plus! To me...that's a lot of food AND it won't break your points bank. :)

So...until next time...

   

A week in review

This week has probably been one of the toughest weeks since starting my health kick. I mean...why did I think that it was going to be easy? I took a five week hiatus where I ate anything that didn't eat me first! I also kicked running, or working out in general, to the curb!! Needless to say...those were some fabulous weeks - full of chocolate chip cookies, binging and sitting on my ass!

 

So, when I started the plan again, I found myself starving by 3:00 in the afternoon. Even though I had eaten breakfast, a snack, lunch and possibly another snack. I mean...Seymour was out of control! I couldn't keep up with the feeding schedule...stupid stomach.

 

Fortunately, I stuck with it and ate what I wanted...when I wanted. I mean...I ate TWO, that's right, TWO, giant chocolate fudge bars last night while I was watching The Voice. Then...I ate a pack of pb crackers because I could.

 

Here's the difference - I logged everything that I put into my pie hole.

 

So where did it get me? Here - I lost 2.9 pounds this week and am closer to inching myself back down towards my goal.

 

And there we have it folks...my goal. For the past eight months it has been completely unattainable. I mean...137.8 should be totally doable! Unfortunately, my body doesn't tend to agree.

 

I just can't seem to break out of the 140's. I get to around 141 - 142 pounds and hit a complete brick wall. I cannot, for the life of me, shed those extra 3 - 5 pounds. It's so frustrating!

 

My leader at FF Anonymous (Fat Farm - just in case you didn't know) told me that I will fight tooth and nail to lose those extra pounds and that my body is trying to tell me that I should be happy at the weight.

 

Here's my response: Fuck that. I'm not happy at that weight! I want to reach my goal! Why should I have to settle?

 

So...here's to round two of hopefully being able to reach my goal.

 

I also started back on the exercise kick.

 

Zumba every Wednesday and I'm thinking about throwing some running in there too! I mean...I have to start training at some point - the Turkey Trot is in nine weeks!!!!!!!

 

Here's to a new approach and getting my groove back.

 

Off the wagon

Holy Hell! It's been almost four weeks since I've last written. I'm so not going to lie...I fell off the wagon...big time.

 

To be honest, it wasn't just my blogging wagon. It was more like...my life wagon. lol

 

In January of 2012, I decided that I was going on a major health overhaul. I started Weight Watchers, joined the YMCA, and decided to pick up a Zumba class. Over the course of eight months, I lost almost 30 pounds, ran my first 5k and generally felt better - physically and emotionally.

 

Then...I got sick.

 

It wasn't anything major, but I just didn't feel good for almost three weeks. While I was down and out, I decided that I wasn't exercising, I definitely wasn't blogging and I sure as hell was going to count points! I needed a break!

 

After my three-week hiatus, I hopped back on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, my efforts were thwarted my a stupid procedure that I had to have done while on vacation. That meant...no eating for an entire day...having the procedure done (which also meant not eating for another day)...and then being in an anesthesia fog for another day.

 

All in all...it equated to me not eating for three days and then totally binging on everything that I could get my hands on.

 

It also didn't help that all that Ellie wanted to do on vacation was bake cookies. And really...who am I to deny chocolate chip cookies to the most adorable little girl EVER?! lol

 

 

This is what happens when you let a three year old mix the dry ingredients together and put it in the mixing bowl

 

 

And come on...do you think that you would be able to exert enough willpower to NOT eat those amazingly delicious chocolate chip cookies? Yeah...me neither. My willpower was gone at the first sight of the cookie dough in the mixing bowl.

 

We ended up making roughly five or six dozen cookies. I ate three dozen of those delicious bastards by myself.

 

So...needless to say...I hopped back on the wagon yesterday in an effort to shed the nine pounds that I have gained over the course of a few weeks.

 

So there you have it. My wagon, my fall, and my attempt to hop back on. God...I feel like I just played a round of Oregon Trail. I hope that I don't end up with Cholera.

 

Oh...and p.s. In case you want to get your hands on the recipe for my Grandma Gert's Chocolate Chip Cookies, check out the recipes link. You'll be glad that you did.

   

Taking a break

 

I can't believe that it's been almost three weeks since I've written. Time sure does fly when you aren't worried about what your next blog post is going to look like.

 

In all honesty...I needed a break.

 

It seemed like I was hit with all sorts of things at once and just couldn't find the time to write about any of it.

 

First...I've completely hit a plateau in my weight loss. Not a happy camper. I have been fighting to lose these last 8 pounds and am seriously struggling. I talked with my leader about my struggles and she suggested that I add more protein to my diet - after all - I am running about 10 miles a week.

 

So...I tried that and ended up gaining four pounds! I'm pretty sure it was at that point when I just gave up and said forget it. I ate two bowls of un-meaured cereal and ate Triscuts out of the box! I know...living on the edge!

 

I also haven't ran in over a week. I don't know if it is the stress of not being able to lose those extra pounds or what...but I'm just not motivated. I know that I would feel better if I got out there and pounded the pavement, but I just can't bring myself to do it at the moment.

 

While all of this is happening, I've been sick this week and Lucas started First Grade! Seriously...where does the time go? It feels like yesterday that I was visiting him in the NICU.

 

So...all in all...it's been a lousy week for my mood. As if this post wasn't a blatant example of my non-chipperness.

 

I am definitely getting back on the wagon, but I might take it slow and end up walking the neighborhood with the babes instead of running a couple of miles at the gym.

 

Here's to a new outlook as we head into the weeks ahead.

     

I'm RAD

No really...I am. Or at least that's what my "not-so-temporary tattoo" has been telling me since Saturday.

So let me back track for just a second.

On Friday, July 20, I picked my girlfriend Lauren up from the Dayton airport. You see, Lauren is one of my sorority sisters and dearest friends. She's also a source of strength for me - in more ways than I could even describe. So it was fitting that she would fly out from Maryland to run my first 5K with me. Our team name: Off Like A Prom Dress. Fitting...right?

I was so excited and nervous about the race on Saturday that I couldn't sleep Friday night. I was up at 4:25 am ready to barf. Thank God that I didn't.

Anyway. We got ready and to the race wearing white, our RAD "not-so-temporary" tattoos and our 1980's ever-so-stylish sunglasses. I mean really, does it get any better than this?

Here are a few "before the race" pics:

This is my first race bib. Pretty sure that I'm going to have to frame it. Or maybe I'll just start collecting them. Hmmmm...............

Pre-run - it's amazing how clean I look

This is our pre-race look. Complete with 1980's sunglasses, RAD tattoos and clean clothes

This was our MC before the race. He was absolutely hysterical and really got the crowd pumped up!

Now...because this was my first race that I was actually running, I didn't really know what to expect. As we start our "wave", I felt like corralled cattle. Fortunately, the energy in our group was fantastic and it made me comfortable as Lauren and I began the journey.

The course was mapped out around the Cincinnati Mills mall. Who knew that the mall encompassed so much space?

Anyway. We were sprayed with liquid fluorescent cornstarch and pelted with the dry stuff by color bombers mapped out along the course. I got sprayed in the face with the green stuff. Um...yuck! It was even more disgusting when I spit green. lol

By the time that we reached the finish line, Lauren and I were a hot mess! And I mean that in a GREAT way!

The excitement at the end was incredible. I achieved a major accomplishment, I did it with one of my adored girlfriends, and Justin was there cheering me on and taking lots of pics. I'm pretty sure that the memories of that moment don't get any better.

So...in case you are wonder what we ended up looking like, here are a few pics after we were color bombed.

This is our after shot - a happy, hot mess!

And just so that you know...we are the Color Bombs

After the race, Lauren and I went to my parent's house to visit and have lunch. Of all of the pics that we have, I'm pretty sure that this is my favorite. Oh...and in case you were wondering, I made Lauren go out to lunch looking like this. Ha, ha. We even took beach towels to sit on at the restaurant.



Another shot of just me

So now that you've checked out all of these awesome pics...don't you want to run The Color Run with Justin and me in October? You too can look like this!

P.S. My armpit and ankles are still blue. Buahahahaha! 

 

Change

...I got a little change in my pocket going jingle, lingle, ling.

Just kidding...I'm not talking about that kind of change!


This week is chock-full of awesome changes! First and foremost, the blog has been completely re-vamped! Doesn't it look amazing? Now...you'll be able to access all of the information that you are looking for in a few easy locations.

Just don't go snooping around too much...the new format was just uploaded yesterday evening and I haven't gotten around to setting everything up yet. lol.

On a completely different topic, another awesome change that is happening this week is the fact that Justin is re-painting a few rooms in our house! Pics will def follow once everything is painted and put back together.

Now...on to the drum roll............................................................... (and no...I'm not going to say that I'm pregnant or anything life altering like that)

I checked in at the FF today and was pleasantly surprised when grumpy gus behind the counter told me that I lost 2.2 pounds this week! In total, I've lost 27.4 pounds - bringing my new weight down to 140.4 pounds.

I can't believe that I carried around that extra weight for so long. I truly feel like my inside matches my outside now. I mean...I've always been hot - in my head. lol.

The day after MILF Monday

What do you call the day AFTER MILF Monday? Yeah...I got nothing.

I'm just going to be honest. I was not in the mood to write yesterday. Actually, yesterday was an incredibly "blah" day.

I did manage to psych myself up around lunch time though and hit the gym. I logged 2.22 mi in 25 minutes yesterday. I'm pretty sure that's a new world record for me...or something.

The race is in 11 days and I am determined to run the whole thing. It won't be pretty, but it will happen. Hell...if I don't pass out in the end, it will be a sheer win in my book!

Anyway. Back to my run.

I managed to run (I use that term loosely) for a full 25 minutes. I'm also not going to lie...I thought that I was dying. I'm pretty sure that I will never fully understand why people are so in love with this sport. It's going to be the death of me!

While it may not be my favorite form of activity (actually...I HATE it!), I have noticed a few things:

• My form is definintely improving
• ...and so is my endurance
• I have crazy cute gear
• I look good in my crazy cute gear
• Move Bitch! totally gets me going
• I have muscles that I never knew exhisted
• I sweat like a man

HOT....right?

Speaking of hot...check this out!

I know...I know. The outfit isn't spectacular and I haven't lost any weight the week. However, yesterday was the first time in God knows how long that I was able to actually wear that shirt! Up until yesterday, it hadn't buttoned in a while and the cap sleeves were really tight. Like...push your arm fat up around your sleeve tight.

This MILF would call that a victory!!

Until next time!

What's on your playlist?

Has this week been a little nutty for you too? Oy! A day off during the middle of the work week is fabulous, but it makes returning to work on Thursday a friggin' nightmare!

Speaking of a day off...the fat farm was closed on Wednesday. Don't worry though, I received 22 emails stating that they were open the rest of the week and that I could check-in at a time convenient my schedule. Um...the day most convenient for my schedule is on Wednesday - my weigh-in day.

Apparently, they don't follow my calendar. Bummer.

Anyway, I checked-in at the farm on Monday. Super glad that I did because I lost 3.2 pounds! Can't imagine how much I would have lost if I would have waited the extra two days to check-in. lol. So my total loss thus far is 26.6 pounds.

Not sure what I did differently this week. Maybe I ate a little healthier, drank more water or got in an extra run. Whatever it was, it totally paid off on the scale.

Speaking of running...Color me Rad is in 16 days. I'm starting to freak out a bit. Actually...my freaking out began two weeks ago when I decided that I had to have a new pair of running shoes for the race. Then I needed to update my playlist. I mean seriously...those two items are incredibly important for a good run.

Unfortunately, both of my important items lead to sheer disaster. While running and listening to my awesome playlist (courtesy of my fabulous husband), I completely bit it on the track at the Y. What's even more embarrassing is the fact that there were about 15 guys playing on the basketball court below me when I went down. Can you believe that not ONE of them asked if I was okay? Assholes. So much for the Y trying to build courteous and caring members of society.

With that being said, I crawled off the track and rested for a bit. Then I got back up and finished my run - on the treadmill this time. My pride was too embarrassed to continue on the track. lol.

And don't worry...I took pics of the whole thing. Here they are:

                                    It all started with a new pair of Nike Free 4.0 running shoes

                                                                          Knee injury

                                                         This is what it looks like today


Needless to say, it still effing hurts and it's been a week since my knee met the track. I also had to get a new playlist. Can't keep running to stuff that makes me fall.

Here's my new list (just in case you need something new to download off iTunes):

Lori Running 2

• Been Caught Stealing - Jane's Addiction
• Big and Chunky - will.i.am
• Bodhisattva Vow - Beastie Boys
• Breathe - Fabulous
• Bulletproof - La Roux
• Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
• Fall to Pieces - Velvet Revolver
• Girls, Girls, Girls - Motley Crue
• Good Feeling - Flo Rida
• Ice Ice Baby - Vanilla Ice
• Jump - Van Halen
• Move Bitch - Ludacris
• Mr. Saxobeat - Alexandra Stan
• Payphone - Maroon 5 ft. Whiz Khalifa
• Breathe - Prodigy
• Firestarter - Prodigy
• Smack My Bitch Up - Prodigy
• Red Alert - Basement Jaxx
• Sabotage - Beastie Boys
• Slither - Velvet Revolver
• That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings
• TiK ToK - Ke$ha
• Where's Your Head At - Basement Jaxx
• Sexy Bitch - David Guetta
• Memories - Kid Cudi
• Imma Be - Black Eyed Peas
• Sugar We're Going Down - Fall Out Boy

So now that you know what's on my playlist to get me motivated, what's on yours? Feel free to share - I'm always looking for a little motivation.

And on that note, I'm outta here!

MILF Monday!

I'm just going to let it be known that I am completely unoriginal this week. That's right folks...my MILF Monday pic is of me in the EXACT same dress that I wore last week for my post. lol.

In my defense, the pic that I posted last Monday was from a few weeks prior - like, at least three or four. While I'm wearing the same dress, belt and shoes, the occasion was totally different - Justin and I had a three-day date! I know...who are we?!

We shipped the babes off to Grandma and Grandpa's house for the weekend so that we could spend a little bit of time re-connecting. So on Saturday, we got all dolled-up. We went out for sushi, listened to a few live bands at the City Folk Festival at Riverscape in Downtown Dayton, and ended up drinking a few beers (Michelob Ultra don't ya know...gotta stay on track) at Little York Tavern.

So here are a few pics from our night out:

This is my before we went out shot. lol. The dress looks totally different without the jacket - too hot for that! I will say that it totally shows off my running legs and some ah-mazing collar bones that I never knew exhisted!!

Here's us being adorable on date night! This was taken outide of 5/3 Field - Home of the Dayton Dragons!

Not sure if you can really see it, but there is a giant tower in the distance of this photo. There are actually five giant towers that shoot off water at seven minutes til the hour. We strolled along the river and picked a spot out to watch the water. It was turned off for the day due to the festival. Such is our luck. lol

So...until next Monday...this MILF is outta here!