We went on vacation to Indian Beach...

We went on vacation to Indian Beach, North Carolina as a family so let's begin the recap, shall we? 

We were so blessed to be able to return to one of my most favorite places in the world the week of July 10-17. We spent the week on the coast of North Carolina in a town called Indian Beach. I feel the stress melt away as we are driving over the causeway bridge and entering Emerald Isle and the island. It is one of my most favorite places in the world and where I feel like home. 

We started out our vacation leaving our house in Ohio with our 3 kids and my sister Mary in the van that we rented for the week (so we could have air conditioning) at around 12:45am on Sunday July 10. We figured it would take about 13-14 hours to get there since we would have to stop many times for the kids and to get food, etc. 

Well... we arrived in North Carolina right around 7am or so and we stopped at the rest area right across the border to have breakfast. I packed yogurt, cereal bars and cereal for the kids and Bill. I packed a smoothie for me and my sister brought her own. The kids had fun running around and my sister was also spending her time playing the Pokemon Go game that everyone is playing. 

After that, we got back in the van to continue on. We only made a couple of stops for gas. We arrived at the island right around noon! We made it in record time-- about 11 hours!  I don't know if it was because we came in on a Sunday or what, but I will take it. 

The only downside was that we couldn't check in and get the keys to our condo until 3pm. So we decided to get lunch at the Emerald Plantation shopping center and then we could go to the grocery store before heading to get our keys. 

We went and looked at the turtles in the river behind the plantation and fed them first. The sea gulls also got some of the food as they stole it from the turtles. The kids LOVED seeing the turtles and it was a fun kickoff to our time on the island. 

We had lunch at RuckerJohn's restaurant. I had their Deb's chicken salad for lunch and it came with a croissant that was too die for! So good! 

After lunch, we headed over to Food Lion to get some groceries. We still had about half an hour until check in, so we drove around to see what was new or gone since the last time we were there. Then we finally were able to check in and get the keys to our condo. We rented from Bluewater Vacation Rentals and stayed at a condo at SummerWinds in Indian Beach, NC. 

We were on the third floor in an end condo. Our ocean front views were fantastic! 

After taking everything up to condo, putting our food away and getting swimsuits on we all headed out to the beach to say hello to the ocean. 

The kids ALL loved the ocean this year. Ben spent much of his time running in the shallow waves and holding his ears, as the constant roar hurt his ears. Jacob never wanted to leave the water and Rebecca loved the waves and the sand! 

That night, we ordered Circle Pizza for dinner which Bill went to pick up. I had a turkey sub as I didn't really want pizza. It was really good and Bill, Mary and the kids all said that the pizza was fantastic! 

After dinner, Mother Nature gave us a lovely evening sky to welcome us to our week on the Crystal Coast in North Carolina. We all went to bed exhausted from our long time in the car but happy that we were here and ready to see what adventures the week would bring! 

Carb Cycling Menu Plan for this week

Earlier today I mentioned the new diet plan that I am following... CARB CYCLING.

SOURCE

After 1 week on the diet I am down 6.2 pounds, so I will be sticking with it. After 1 week, I have also learned that I need to make out a menu plan so that I am not going to store every day for fresh veggies and that I am not scrambling to come up with something to eat. 

So I am have made a menu plan for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the week. And acceptable snacks as well. 

So to remind everyone, I am following a diet that consists of cycling low carb and high carb days and Sunday is a free day.

So here is my menu plan for this week: 

MONDAY (LOW CARB):

BREAKFAST:: Low sugar protein bar and banana
LUNCH:: Leftover steak and veggies
DINNER:: Whole chicken in the crockpot, green beans and cherry tomatoes (kids will also have carrots)

TUESDAY (HIGH CARB):

BREAKFAST:: scrambled eggs with peppers and onions, turkey bacon, banana
LUNCH:: 1/2 leftover baked potato with cheese and turkey bacon, sliced fruit (apple) 
DINNER:: Spaghetti with meat sauce and salad

WEDNESDAY (LOW CARB):

BREAKFAST:: scrambled eggs with peppers and onions, turkey bacon, banana
LUNCH:: Salad with boiled egg and ham, ranch dressing
DINNER:: Turkey smoked sausage, salad, veggies (Macaroni and cheese as a side for the kids) 

THURSDAY (HIGH CARB):

BREAKFAST:: Protein bar and banana
LUNCH:: Pita sandwich with low carb pita, turkey, spinach and cabbage, cucumber and a pickle
DINNER:: Grilled chicken, corn on the cob, steamed green beans, sliced tomato and cucumbers

FRIDAY (LOW CARB):

BREAKFAST:: fried eggs, sliced tomato, turkey bacon
LUNCH:: Leftover grilled chicken and veggies
DINNER:: Pizza for kids, italian style salad for Dear Hubby and I. 

SATURDAY (HIGH CARB):

BREAKFAST:: eggs, bacon, fruit
LUNCH:: Tuna salad sandwich with lettuce, pickle, carrots
DINNER:: Fish from freezer, veggies 

SUNDAY (FREE DAY):

BREAKFAST:: ???
LUNCH:: ???
DINNER:: ???

SNACKS:: string cheese, cheese sticks, walnuts, unsalted peanuts, raw veggies



So there you have it. Our menu plan for this week! I feel we can follow this and enjoy our eating and not get too monotonous in our food choices. I will be making a trip to the farm market mid week to replenish our fresh veggies. The obstacles I see this week are we are supposed to go to our county fair one afternoon and our state fair one day. But last year we did that and I ate like crap and I felt like crap so I don't see us eating really anything at the fairs.

So wish me luck! 

Any ideas for future meals that I can 

incorporate into our menu plan? 

 

My new diet is working!

Hi everyone! Sorry for the blog silence the last week or so... it was the week we got back from vacation (will be recapping that soon!) AND I started a new diet without really planning things out and just flying by the seat of my pants to figure it out and I had to get right back into tutoring, and it was HOT (like everywhere else it seems) and I just didn't have the energy or time to write like I wanted to. But I have time now, so let's get on it.....


THE NEW DIET 

So after basically eating anything and everything I wanted on vacation, Hubby and I decided to start a new diet on Monday that we returned. I did this because I am tired of having no energy and being overweight. I came to the realization that I was surviving on diet pop and sugar to get me through the day. I picked up a couple of books at our local library that caught my attention....



And these books really spoke to me and made me realize that I think it is the heavily processed carbs that I have been over indulging in that has led me to my weight of 239.0! That is ridiculous. So I decided to give carb cycling a try. 

In his books Jorge Cruise suggests a very low amount of carbs 2 days in a row, followed by 5 high carb days. His food guidelines seem very real and doable and I have copied a few of his recipes that I want to try in the future. However, he is into really keeping track of all the numbers and I don't want to have to keep track of specific numbers. I want to focus more on eating less processed and more real foods. I have 3 kids, a husband, a house to take care of and a tutoring business to run. I don't have time to obsess about numbers. 

In his book, Chris Powell suggests you do a cycle of low carb, high carb, low carb, high carb, low carb, high carb, free day. I am loosely following Chris Powell's guidelines, but with my own food as if I followed his plan for food, I would be spending 3 times what I currently spend on groceries. 

So I decided to use the books as loose guidelines and make a program that works for me! 

So last week was week 1. My thoughts on the week, were that I bought a ton more fresh vegetables and I ate pretty good most days. I really didn't miss pop or most sugar most days. I did have to really think about what I was eating and plan ahead. The week wasn't without its ups and downs but overall I think it went pretty well. 

Saturday was the first real test as we went to my parents' house after dinner. EVERY time I go to their house, I tend to graze and snack and I will admit that I had a couple of cookies and some popcorn, but not anywhere near the amount I would typically eat. 

Sunday was weigh in day....the moment of truth to see if this way of eating was really working.... AND THE SCALE SAID::: 232.8!  SAY WHAT?!!?? I am DOWN 6.2 pounds this week! I would say that means this diet is working! My husband is also following this diet and he is down 4.2 pounds!

I am so excited! I am eating better (even if it means a lot more work on my part) and I do feel better. Sunday was free day and I really didn't eat all that great... we had McDonald's for lunch and hot dogs for dinner and I noticed by 9pm I wanted to eat sugar and drink pop and do all the things I know are not working for me and I didn't feel all that great. 

So I am going to keep on this route and see what continues to happen. I hope to regularly check in and (hopefully) continue to see my weight go down. Later today, I will share my meal plan for this week....

HAVE YOU EVER TRIED CARB CYCLING?

ANYONE HAVE ANY GOOD LOW CARB RECIPES THAT YOU WANT TO SHARE? 

  

I am here...

I am still here... just struggling to get caught up. We were gone on vacation all last week to the gorgeous Indian Beach, North Carolina area and then back on Monday with a TON to do between work and laundry, etc. Oh did I mention that I also started a new diet on Monday-- carb cycling. I think I am insane!

Different experiences at the BMV

Source

This year both my husband and I have to get our drivers licenses renewed. Hubby's was due for renewal back in May, and mine is due for renewal in July.

Well hubby went to the local BMV a week before his license expired to get it renewed and he was there for 2 hours and came home with no license. Apparently there was a block on his license from the state of Pennsylvania. My husband has never lived in Pennsylvania. Of note is that there was a block 8 years ago when he was trying to get his license renewed and all the BMV had to do was call Pennsylvania and they compared his birthday and said it wasn't him and lifted the block. 4 years ago there was no problem getting his license renewed. Now there is. 

To make a long story short, he ended up at the BMV 3 different times for probably a total of 5+ hours, had to call Pennsylvania BMV himself, had to send a certified and notarized letter to Pennsylvania with his birth certificate, social security card, and 2 forms of id, had to wait for them to mail him a letter saying it was not him, then take that letter back to BMV where they had to fax it to Columbus and get a reference number, before he was FINALLY able to get his license renewed. It was a HUGE hassle. 

Well this morning found me at the local BMV to get things taken care of for me. I needed to get a title put into my name for a van that my parents gifted to me. I needed to transfer the title for our old car that we sold my brother into his name AND I needed to get my license renewed. I figured I would be gone most of the morning...Oh, did I mention I also had all 3 kids with me? 

Well....my experience was COMPLETELY DIFFERENT than my husbands. I got everything done in 23 minutes! I think that that is an all time record. LOL  My hubby said it was because I was pretty and that those who worked at the BMV were uglist and just didn't like him. LOL 

I don't know what it was, I am just glad that it got taken care of and that is one less thing on my to-do list. 

Jacob attended Reader's Theater Quest!

Jacob also had the opportunity to attend a quest at our local college. I was able to sign him up for a "Reader's Theater" quest. 

(Again the quests are week-long camps, running from 9-noon Monday through Friday at our local college campus. They only accept 20 kids into each camp and they fill up within minutes of registration going live.)

Jacob enjoyed his quest. He learned about play blocking, running through scripts, creating sets and props and using acting voices. 

At the end of the week, the kids put on 3 short skits to show what they had learned. Jacob was a narrator in "Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes." 

It was really cute and Jacob did a great job reading his part loudly and with inflection. 

Jacob had a blast at his quests and he hopes I can sign him up for another one next year!

Rebecca attended art quest!

A couple of weeks ago, Rebecca attended camp at a local university. Each summer, they offer week long quests covering a variety of different subjects, including art, theater, survivor's camp, safari, etc. (Rebecca attended her first quest last year!). They only accept 20 kids per quest and they are filled up within 5 minutes of registration opening. 

Thankfully, I was able to get Rebecca registered for a quest again this summer. She attended Art Quest for grades 3-5! She learned a lot and she LOVED it! 

They did silk paintings, silly string paintings, funky wire sculptures, "Chihuly" inspired sculpture chandeliers, and many other art projects. 

Rebecca had an absolute blast and is hoping I get her into another quest next summer! 

On your mark, get set,...Read!

My kids just finished up the summer reading program put forth by my town's public library. This year the theme was "On your mark, get set....READ!" It had to do with being physically active as well as reading and exercising your mind! 

This is the first year that we have been able to make our schedules work and attend most of the activities that the library puts on. 

The first week, they had a singer Tom Sieling who performed a program called " Take a Tromp through the Swamp." He was entertaining and the kids enjoyed his performance. (I found a youtube video so you can see who he is.)
 


The following week they had our local Children's museum- SPI Spot- there, with stations of different science activities for the kids to do that were focused on kinetic science. The kids had a blast doing all the different activities.

On June 16, they hosted the Newport Aquarium Wave on Wheels Shark Encounter, where the kids learned about epaulette sharks. (I blogged about it here.)  

The last 2 weeks they have had library day at the movies, where they teamed with our local theater and showed "The Croods." and they had a local magician. We did not attend either activities. The week of the movie we had other plans already in place and the week of the magician, the kids did not get to attend as they were being punished for their behavior the night before. 

We had their end of the program party recently. The library had some stations of exercise set up for the kids to go through including a burpee station, jump rope station, basketball and soccer stations, and a plank station. The kids had fun going through the different stations. 

The kids got to take their completed reading records and they received several coupons (for a free taco from Taco Bell, 50% off camping costs, and $4 off our state fair admission), a sticker and they got to pick out a brand new book for them to keep. Jacob chose a "Paw Patrol" coloring book. Rebecca chose a "Big Nate" book and Benjamin of course chose a "Thomas the Train" book.

Overall, it was a good way to get them reading more (not that I have to force them to read as they all love to read!) and getting out in our community doing free activities. 

Fun and fireworks

I hope everyone had a lovely 4th of July. We were supposed to have heavy rain all day, but other than a few very light sprinkles we didn't get any rain. 

We went to a friend's house for a cookout and so the kids could play together. We had some yummy food and great conversation. The kids were crazy and got really dirty but it was fun to see them running around just having fun. 

The original plan was to come back to our town for the fireworks display around 10, but before I knew it, it was close to 9:15 and our friends invited us to head to the town closest to them to see the fireworks.

We were incredibly lucky in that there was parking right outside the park where the fireworks were being let off. The boys LOVED the fireworks. Benjamin was startled when the first one went off, but then he realized that they weren't going to hurt him and he enjoyed them. Benjamin only put his hands over his ears during the first part of the grand finale. Jacob sat snuggled next to my friend for the most part. 

It was a really nice way to celebrate being free in our country and enjoying the friendships that make life that much more special.