Win, Lose, or Blog!

I have applied to be a contestant on the healthy weight loss competition,  Win, Lose, or Blog! They are now accepting applications (here) for Season eight contestants.

 Last season their 7 contestants lost over 100 pounds in 7 weeks! Win, Lose, or Blog is a Big Loser inspired weight loss challenge for the blogging world. Health & Fitness are my passions in life and I hope this competition will inspire others to lead healthier lifes too! 

What does Win, Lose, or Blog have to offer you?

Want to be a contestant? Apply here.

Each season of the challenge (lasting 7 weeks) we will choose eight contestants. This is your chance to win some MAJOR prizes! Each contestnat that follows through to the end will win awesome prizes and the "big loser" (based on percentage of body weight lost) will win even more!

Want to Play along?
Want to lose weight right along with the contestants? Post your weekly loss each week on their Tuesday Update post and you're in the running for some fantastic prizes! Last season TWO mini-contestants won fabulous prizes and lost a TON of weight in the process.

Just want to follow along?
They have multiple health and fitness gurus on their team who are going to be posting information, recipes, tips, inspiration and more. So come follow and get a little help living a healthier lifestyle. Also, at the end of each season followers will win awesome prizes just for leaving comments throughout the season. And you know it will be fun to watch the competition play out and cheer on the contestants :)

Go check it out!!! And spread the word!

Weekly to do list (a day late)

Last week's list of goals was kind of a catch up week. This week's goals will be more in preparation for school and work to be starting back up full time in 2 weeks time. (Where oh where did summer go?)

Here is how I did last week:

• cut up peppers from the farmer's market (2 weekends ago) for the freezer (Yep...did this yesterday but it got done! :)
• figure out what is needed for Rebecca for school and start looking for the best prices DONE--got all her school supplies yesterday
• date night with Bill--DONE--Bill took me to a restaurant about 45 minutes away just because I was wanting a piece of their coconut cream pie! I love my hubby!
• Read a chapter of "Every Day a Friday" each night ---KIND OF--- I have read about 5 chapters in it.
• Clean out, sort and organize arts and crafts cart ---DONE
• Call and schedule Benjamin's Baptism ---DONE
• Count calories of everything I eat and record in food journal ---KIND OF--- I did good on most days, I think I recorded everything 4/7 days
• clean and organize desk area ---UMM....NOPE unless you count finding the missing shelf piece and putting it on the desk
• Take 3 boxes of stuff that is sitting in the hallway to Goodwill to donate ---DONE 
• Mow grass (or get Bill to) and apply weed stuff on driveway ----FAIL--- This is the only one I didn't even do. Bill did mow the grass but the weeds are the priority right now and every time I think of it it is raining or there is a threat of storms.

So last week wasn't too bad. This week I am focusing on trying to get some systems into place to allow for a smooth transition to back to work and school. I hope they work.

• go to bed before 11:30 each night (truth be told, I would like to be in bed by 11pm)
• get Jacob in bed by 8:45, Rebecca in bed by 9pm.
• menu plan for the week
• clean and organize desk area
• apply weed stuff on driveway and steps
• trim the bushes in front of our house
• list bakers rack on craigslist
• list baby clothes on eBay
• do all laundry in house and get caught up with it
• find and make a low calorie, low sugar zucchini bread
• read at least 1 chapter of Every Day a Friday each night
• research preschool activities I can do with Jacob while Rebecca is in school
• exercise at least 3x this week, either with a dvd or by walking to/from work

I think that is enough for now. I hope I can have another successful week in fulfilling my to dos. Hope everyone has a great week!

A Bull's Head Roast

This past weekend my parents hosted a Mexican barbacoa de cabeza in honor of a couple of their friends from Mexico. Basically this translates to a barbecue of a cow's head-- aka. a bull's head roast. (if you want to read more about it's origins, adaptations, etc. wikipedia has a nice article on it!). My parents' hosted as they have land needed to dig a hole to roast the bull's head in.

There was many different sections of the bull's head to choose from...tongue, eyeball, brain, cheek meat, and palette meat. The meat was served  on top of warm tortillas, with traditional mole style sauce made by my Mom's Mexican friend, guacamole, salsa, onions, diced cilantro and a squirt of lime juice.

Here was the bull's head after being cooked and before it was carved.
You can see it was wrapped in banana leaves and tinfoil during the roasting part of it.

There was also other food for those of us who did not eat the bull's head...including grilled chicken, hamburgers, hot dogs, macaroni salad, veggies, chips, fruit, etc. It was a fun yummy time!

Now, I will say this. I personally did NOT eat any of the bull's head. I was just not brave enough. Actually, it was kind of funny...NONE of the women there tried it. The men were all for it. My dad was the last hold out on the men's side, but after he had a couple few beers he was brave enough and he even went back for seconds! LOL

My mom made it fun for the kiddos there by having a cow shaped pinata filled with candy for the kids.

Rebecca was the first to get a swing at the pinata...she actually knocked it's head off during her first swing!

Roberto (my parent's friend from Mexico) dumped the rest of the candy out of the pinata for the kiddos

Another bull's head-- this one much cuter than the real one :)

It was a fun filled evening...full of adventurous men eating new things, women sticking to the traditional BBQ food, kids having fun and lots of laughs and fun!

Sunday Night Chit Chat

Time once again for Sunday Night Chit-Chat...hosted by our friend Carla!
To play along simply start your post with a photo or quote... Copy and paste the starters and link up to Carla so she and others can visit you and see what you've been up to!

SO HERE GOES:

This is a photo from a "Bulls Head Roast" that my parents hosted this weekend. A "Bulls Head Roast" is a Mexican tradition that my parents thought would be fun to co-host with good friends of theirs who are from Mexico. They roasted the bull's head all night Friday night into Saturday afternoon and then had a fiesta Saturday night. This was taken from the hill behind their house. (I will have more pics and fun from the festivities later this week, including a pic of the actual bulls head!)

What are you.....

Reading?

I am still reading Every Day a Friday  by Joel Osteen. My problem is I have been staying up WAY too late watching the Olympics and not scheduling in reading time. Now that it is mostly track and field on I will probably have more time at night after the kids go to bed.

  Watching?

I have been watching the Olympics.  :)

Listening to?

Right now the kiddos are watching "Special Agent Oso" on TV. and the hum of the air conditioner. 

Cooking/Baking?

Sadly not much cooking or baking has been going on. We have been eating out WAY too much. That is going to stop now. I am hoping to make some zucchini bread this week. I am trying to find a recipe that does not have so much sugar in it.

Happy you accomplished this week?

I finished all school supply shopping for Rebecca, including uniforms.
I got to get some work hours in and felt like I actually accomplished something.

Looking forward to next week?

Cleaning house. My plan is to get each room deep cleaned before school starts in 2 weeks. May be a tall order but I need to get it done.  

Thankful for today?

That I have parents who do crazy things...like host a "Bull's Head Roast" (more to come about that later in the week!)
That we were able to get all of Rebecca's supplies and not spend a fortune. 

Bonus question:

What hobby have you always wanted to learn? Do you plan on trying to learn? Why or why not?

I would love to learn how to sew. I can sew on a button. I can fix a rip in a toy. But I saw this cute idea online about lengthening one shirt by using another shirt added to it and I would LOVE to be able to do that  (due to the fact that MOST of my shirts have shrunk and are too short for my liking)but it requires a sewing machine. I borrowed my mom's. I read the instructions. I followed an online tutorial about using it. It got jammed and I couldn't get it to work right. My mom came over and showed me how to use it. The moment she left it got jammed again and I just cannot get it to work. I give up. I will probably just continue to admire others' sewing talents and go buy myself new shirts! LOL :)

So there you have it. A little glimpse into my world on this Sunday night! Hope everyone has a wonderful week and remember to link up to our wonderful chat host Carla! :)

School uniforms

Rebecca is starting Kindergarten this year! I am excited. I am sad. I have a lot of mixed emotions about this. We are sending her to the same school where she attended Pre-K. In Kindergarten through 8th grade the kids MUST wear uniforms. So off to buy uniforms I go...

I looked on the websites that the school recommended and I almost choked at the prices....$40 for a uniform jumper, and that doesn't include shipping. EEK!

Went on ebay. The uniforms are going for close to retail. EEK!

Then my mom told me about a uniform store in a town about 45 minutes away that sells used school uniforms. So off we went today....and this is what I got for a total of $51.00.

2 jumpers, a pair of uniform shorts and a sweater for winter! Now all I need to get her are socks and shoes and I am set for her clothes! :) (We already have her polos with the logo on the collar that her school requires!)

Do your kids' wear uniforms to school? How do you keep the costs down?

Benjamin is 4 months old today!

Benjamin has grown in leaps and bounds since my last monthly update. I somehow forgot to do a 3 month update (oops!) but that is life. So here is his 4 month update! I can't believe he is 4 months old already!

At 4 months old he is:

• eating 8 ounces of formula at each feeding (every 3-4 hours)
• he got his first feeding of rice cereal today.
• he has outgrown all of his 3-6 months clothes and is currently in 9-12 month clothes
• he sleeps through the night completely
• he has been moved from the bassinet in our bedroom, to the crib in the boys' bedroom
• he smiles ALL the time
• he has learned to roll over from his back to his belly
• he loves to be held and talked to
• he likes to sleep on his side

We are truly blessed with a wonderful little boy! He continues to be a delight to all who know him and he is a perfect little brother to Rebecca and Jacob. I am looking forward to seeing what the next month brings!

Benjamin turned over and my to-do's

Over the past couple days, whenever I have had Benjamin laying in the floor on his play mat, he has been trying to turn over onto his belly from his back. He will roll on his side and then get mad that he can't make it all the way over. Well he was doing this again last night. I had to do something real quick on the computer, so I focused on that for a second and then turned back to watch him and this is what I saw....

He was so proud of himself. When I got down next to him and asked him what he did, he just started smiling! I am one proud Mommy! He turned over again later when Bill was home. He fell asleep on his side and when he woke up he turned over onto his belly and then went right back to sleep :)

In other news, I have some accomplishments I would like to get done this week as well. They are:

• cut up peppers from the farmer's market (2 weekends ago) for the freezer
• figure out what is needed for Rebecca for school and start looking for the best prices
• date night with Bill
• Read a chapter of "Every Day a Friday" each night
• Clean out, sort and organize arts and crafts cart
• Call and schedule Benjamin's Baptism
• Count calories of everything I eat and record in food journal
• clean and organize desk area
• Take 3 boxes of stuff that is sitting in the hallway to Goodwill to donate
• Mow grass (or get Bill to) and apply weed stuff on driveway

I hope to get all most of this done this week. Work starts back this week as well, so I am going to try to get some hours in, although that is completely up to me. For the next 2 weeks it is not mandatory for me to have any hours, but the money would definitely help.

Hope everyone has a great week! :)

Sunday Night Chit Chat

Time once again for Sunday Night Chit-Chat...hosted by our friend Carla!
To play along simply start your post with a photo or quote... Copy and paste the starters and link up to Carla so she and others can visit you and see what you've been up to!

SO HERE GOES:

Rebecca rode the carousel at the fair for the first time by herself! She was scared at first, but then she was smiling by the end of the ride.

What are you.....

Reading?

  Watching?

I am watching the Olympics. I am a HUGE sports fan so I am in Heaven right now. Today I have watched women's gymnastics, water polo, swimming, men's beach volleyball and rowing. And Rebecca is really getting into them too, so that is pretty cool! :)

Listening to?

The kids playing and the T.V..  

Cooking/Baking?

I experimented in the kitchen today and made some zucchini brownies. They are pretty good although I think I put too much cinnamon in them.

Happy you accomplished this week?

We took the kids to the fair. We celebrated my birthday. I got the baby bassinet out of our bedroom and moved Benjamin into the crib in the boys' bedroom. Bittersweet for me, but good for him. Another step to him growing up.
    

Looking forward to next week?

Getting some decluttering and organizing done.
Getting things organized for back to school.
Date night with hubby.

Thankful for today?

My husband and kiddos who made my birthday very special.

Bonus question:

What are 3 RAK's (Random Acts of Kindness) you witnessed this week?

I can only think of 2...

I was the recipient of one...I shop at Aldi, where you have to have a quarter to get the cart. I was given a cart by a gentleman who would not take my quarter in trade. He said he didn't need it.

Just tonight as I was making the kids' dinner, I looked out to see a mom and young girl trying to fix a flat tire on our road (which is very busy). A man stopped and pulled off and helped them change the tire.

So there you have it. A little glimpse into my world on this Sunday night! Hope everyone has a wonderful week and remember to link up to our wonderful chat host Carla! :)

Happy birthday to me!

Today is my 33rd birthday.

I am a mom, a wife, a daughter, a friend, a woman. I am a lot of things, but 1 thing I am not is happy with myself. I am not where I want to be, or where I thought I would be at the age of 33.

Don't get me wrong. I have 3 beautiful, wonderful children that are God's blessing. I have a supportive, amazing husband who puts up with me and my moods. I know that there are things in my life that are great.

But there are also areas of my life that I want need to change.

So my birthday gift to me is a list of things I want to accomplish in this my 33rd year here on Earth.

So here goes:

- Lose 45 pounds.
I believe that I can do this this year. I currently weigh roughly 242. I would love to weigh less than 200 when I turn 34. The last time I weighed less than 200 was when Bill and I got married. I weighed 199 then. I want to do this to become healthier, have more energy and just be happy with how I look.
You should not lose more than .5-2 pounds a week, so I think KNOW I can do this!

-Run in a 5K.
This goes in line with my weight loss goal. I want to compete in one and just see if I can do it. I want to know that I can start something and finish it.

- Plant a garden.
I have a black thumb. I kill all plants. I have killed cacti and bamboo--both plants that are almost impossible to kill. I would love to plant some flowers and some veggies, just to know that I can do it. (And it would be something I could do with Rebecca as well....)

-Take a vacation to either Tennessee or North Carolina with my family
We took Rebecca to Tennessee when she was just a baby. I would love to be able to take the family to the beaches of North Carolina, which I love. The last time Bill and I were there, I was pregnant with Rebecca. I would love to go back again, but I also don't want to go into debt to do it.

- Work on my mental health
I have been dealing with depression over the years. I have been on medication 3 different times. I recently weaned myself off my medicine because I don't want to be on it. I want to do this without meds. I want to be happy and not dependent on medication for that.

In many ways, my goals all lend themselves to one another. I am looking to a year of eating better, exercising more and just being happier.

So that is my birthday wish for me!

Sunday Night Chit Chat

Time once again for Sunday Night Chit-Chat...hosted by our friend Carla!
To play along simply start your post with a photo or quote... Copy and paste the starters and link up to Carla so she and others can visit you and see what you've been up to!

SO HERE GOES:



My kiddos--- Man they are all growing up way too fast!

What are you.....

Reading?

 

Watching?

I have the Texas Rangers vs Anaheim Angels baseball game on.

Listening to?

The T.V. and to Benjamin kicking in his seat trying to get his frog stuffed toy.  

Cooking/Baking?

I made chicken enchiladas for dinner tonight. They were yummy! Can't bake anything because I have let myself run out of flour and sugar... :(

Happy you accomplished this week?

We took a short family trip to Newport Kentucky (hope to get that blog post and pics up Monday or Tuesday) and had a blast. Made it to the farmer's market on Saturday and got lots of yummy produce.    

Looking forward to next week?

Trying to get some things set up for a new lifestyle--weight loss challenge.

Thankful for today?

My family and friends.

Bonus question:

What is your favourite summer food and/or drink treat?

My favorite summer food treat is probably ice cream and funnel cakes at the summer fairs and festivals! :) My favorite summer drink treat is frozen daiquiris (alcohol) and fruit smoothies. 

So there you have it. A little glimpse into my world on this Sunday night! Hope everyone has a wonderful week and remember to link up to our wonderful chat host Carla! :)

MOMumental Book Winner!

I am a day late...but here is the winner of the MOMumental book!

mommy2luke2008!

CONGRATULATIONS! I have emailed you!

My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade (Review)

Some people have what seems to be incredible faith in God’s plans for them and they are unwavering on their path as if they are being led by God himself, even if there are areas of discontent in their life or they don’t understand. They follow because of their faith.

In My Stubborn Heart by Becky Wade, this describes Kate Donovan. Kate is a 31-year old, never married, youth social worker from Dallas, Texas who has accompanied her grandmother to Redbud, Pennsylvania to help oversee renovation of the family’s ancestral home. While in Redbud, Kate meets Matt Jarreau, a former NHL player who has suffered a heartbreaking loss in his life which has made him shut out everyone from his life and leave his NHL career behind. Hired as a contractor to renovate the ancestral home of Kate, Matt becomes entwined in the lives of Kate and her Grandmother, as if it were all in God’s plan. The question is will the stubborn hearts of both Kate and Matt follow the direction that God has paved for them?

I enjoyed this story immensely. I liked how Wade wrote from both Kate and Matt’s perspectives as I feel it allows you to better understand and love both characters. There was humor (especially while Kate was helping to transform Morty), heartache, love, caring and fear. There was doubt and hope. There were questions and answers. The characters were well-developed and likeable and there was just enough suspense to keep you reading. Overall this was a very good work of fiction.

Disclaimer: I received this book free from the publishers, Bethany House Publishers, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

7th Anniversary

Happy 7th Wedding Anniversary to My Dear Hubby and I.

7 years ago, I married my best friend. It has been a wild and crazy ride so far and I am so blessed that I get to spend this ride we call life with him.

July 16, 2005

June 2012

Bill, I love you so much! Here is looking forward to another 7 years together and more!