H is for ....Hello

Two of my all time favorite country songs both begin with H...as in Hello....

The first is an oldie but a goodie....Conway Twitty's "Hello Darlin". I grew up listening to Conway and Loretta Lynn and George Jones. At the time I hated it, but now I love listening to this pure country!



The other song is a newer song..."Hello World" by Lady Antebellum is a powerful song. I tear up everytime I hear it. I LOVE IT!!!

G is for.... GOALS

I know I am a little late posting this...8 days late to be exact....but life has been crazy busy around here. I do have goals for myself that I have set for April, but before I go into those,  here's a recap of March's goals:

• Menu Plan each week dinner, lunches, breakfasts and snacks.--this went okay. I menu planned 90-95% of the time.
• Calorie Count each day...keep calories between 1400-1800 a day.---I fell of the wagon the last week of March. I need to get back on the wagon on this one.
• Exercise at least 20 minutes EVERY day-- I ended up exercising 19 days in March so that wasn't bad. I still haven't found a great time each day to exercise but I am trying.
• Monday through Friday get up BEFORE the kids (6:30) and do 20-30 minutes of exercise
• Saturday and Sunday, exercise in the afternoon during Jacob's naptime.
• For Lent, we as a family are giving up fast food (more info coming) and I am personally giving up all snack foods (chips, cookies, chocolate, etc.). Stick to this! ---We have done GREAT on the fast food. However I have fallen off the wagon with the no sweets. I think I swung too far to one side and my body is rebelling. I just need to follow moderation.

So not too bad. I did a pretty good job with exercise, but did poorly on diet. Since it was an up and down month, I am going to have similar goals for April.

My goals for April:

1. Exercise at least 20 days in the month. This allows for 2 days off each week.

2. Get back on track with eating veggies and fruits with each meal.

3. Drink at least 3 water bottles full of water a day.

That's it. Until I get a real handle on this diet and exercise thing, I need to stay focused on it.

What are your goals for April?



Letters of Intent

Foursons has a great weekly feature that she runs, called Letters of Intent. In it, she invites readers to write their own letters of intent and to link them up to her post. This week I have decided to join in....

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Motivation,

Why have you forsaken me? Where have you gone? I have had no motivation to do anything this week. You see the thing is we will be moving in less than 8 weeks. We will be having a yard sale in 5 or 6 weeks. I need to declutter our house. I need to get things done and not take a 3 hour nap like I did this afternoon. Please Motivation come back! PLEASE!!!!!!!!!

Desperate to have her motivation back

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To read more letters of Intent please visit Foursons.

F is for....Friends

I literally have friends that live all around the world. Two of my best friends from college live in San Francisco and Singapore, respectively. I have a very good friend who lives in Busselton, Australia. I have family and friends who live in Ireland and Germany.



Me and one of my Dearest Friends Carolyn

It is a nice feeling to know that I have these friends who, although they may not live near, are never more than an e-mail or facebook message away. With the advent of email, facebook, skype, etc. it is so much easier to maintain these friendships and to stay in constant connections with each others' lives.

My good friend Teresa and I.

It is hard not to live close to my closest friends. There are some limitations that I wish were not there. I could not attend the wedding of my dearest friend in Singapore due to financial limitations. I have not been able to meet friends that I have made online in Australia. I don't get to travel and see these friends.

However distance does not mean we are not the closest of friends. These women have laughed with me over email, instant messages, over the phone and through posts on facebook. They have cried with me and given me a "virtual" shoulder to cry on. We have helped each other through pregnancy losses, job issues, husband issues, kid issues, home cleaning and decluttering issues. You name it, we have been through it.

I am so grateful to have these close friends, even if they live all across the world. They mean the world to me! And they help me to live better one day at a time!

E is for.... exercise

As I said yesterday I have been really trying to eat better and exercise more. In the past I have tried exercise classes, exercise videos, walking outside, etc. and have NOT been able to stick with any of it. (That is something that I need to work on!) Since I have started to exercise more, I have found 2 programs that I like (I don't think I will ever LOVE exercise)....

First, I have been using Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD once or twice a week when I need a quick, HARD workout. I tried doing this continuously for 30 days last year and I failed miserably. I gave up on it. I can do it 1-2 times a week and stick to it.  It is a HARD workout and I definitely feel it the next day. She takes you through strength, cardio and abdominal work with no rests.

My primary excercise workout has been my Wii Fit Plus. I like this program as it offers a variety of exercise games ranging from aerobic walking, running and stepping to balance games (which I am not good at! LOL) and strenghth and yoga moves. Personally, I enjoy the biking game, the adding mushroom game, and the step game that I can do while I catch up on my tv watching. I like that it calculates your calories (although I am not sure how accurate it is...). I have been trying to exercise on this at least 4 days a week...aiming for 25-45 minutes averaging between 150-250 calories each time.

Last week while I was on Spring Break, I slacked off on exercising. I NEED to get back into the habit of it (along with my diet).  I need to exercise in order to live each day better.

D is for....DIET

D is for diet...

I am on a diet.

I have been on a diet for the last couple months.

Quite honestly, I have diet fatigue.

I am really trying to eat better and exercise and lose weight. The last time I was at the doctors before the new year, I weighed in at 218 lbs. (YIKES). He asked me what I thought a healthy weight was for me? I replied that I wanted to get down below 200. I weighed 199 when Bill and I got married and I would LOVE to be back in the 190s at the highest. He told me that was a good starting point for me. And I have been trying. I have been trying to eat better and exercising at least 5 days a week for 20-40 minutes.

However, over the last couple weeks I have started to experience diet fatigue. I am TIRED of calorie counting. I am TIRED of prepping fresh fruits and veggies for eating. I am TIRED of not having chocolate or snacks. I think I swung too far to one side and I need to find a balance. The last week has been really hard because I WANTED chocolate and sweets. I will admit that I overeaten chocolate and sweets and am not sure how to reign it in again.  I am not sure what to do or how to go about this change. I just have had NO motivation.

I need to change things up and I need to get back on the diet and exercise program so that I can live better one day at a time.

C is for.... Couponing MY way

I love using coupons when I am buying things for our family....Cents off coupons for grocery and household items, % off coupons for clothes and other items, $ off coupons for when we go out to eat, coupon codes for getting more online. You name it, I love to use it!

That being said, I would like to clarify that I am NOT one of those people who use coupons for everything just because I have a coupon. I read a story recently where a woman bought 30  bags of cat litter just because it was $0.47 with her coupons....the thing is the woman DOES NOT have a cat. Personally, I find that ridiculous. If she was going to donate it to a local animal shelter that is one thing, but the story did not say that. (I hope that is what she did!)

Personally, I like to save money, but I like my sanity better. I will use coupons if I come across one that goes with what is on my grocery list or that allows me to try a product for free. This past weekend when I went grocery shopping, I used a total of 3 coupons at Kroger. There just weren't any coupons for the things that I was buying.

That being said there are times that I will use coupons and coupon codes. When I shop online I will look for a coupon code for free or reduced shipping, etc. I shop through Ebates to get cash back. I check out Coupon Chief and the stores websites. If we go out to eat, then I check out that restaraunt's website to see if they have coupons available. Just this past weekend, I took my husband to Rooster's for wings. Before we went, I checked online and for signing up for their newsletter, I got a coupon for $2 off my next dine-in purchase. While it was NOT a lot off, it did pay for my son's grilled cheese lunch!

So Couponing MY way means that if I come across a coupon that I will use then I will use it. I will not buy 10-20 newspapers just to have tons of coupons for items that I don't need or want.  That may be the philosophy of some people but that is NOT me. I will do what I feel is right for my family and couponing my way is one way that I live better one day at a time!

Menu Plan and Grocery Shopping

This weekend I went grocery shopping with the plan to just stock up on some stuff at a great price, get milk and produce and hopefully spend less than $75. Well I went over budget, again! Prices are just rising all over the place, Kroger's new coupon policy is ANNOYING, and I just need to reevaluate how I shop. I think starting next week I will be starting primary shopping at Aldi and the Dollar Tree, and if there is a great sale on something go to Kroger. I am so SO SO SICK of Kroger's rising prices it is not even funny.

Anyway, here is what I bought this week....(Yay I remembered to take pictures!)....



Aldi trip #1-- Spent $21.57



Dollar Tree---Spent $6.00




Kroger trip--Spent $42.54




Aldi trip #2--Spent $13.32

So that is a grand total of : (DRUM ROLL PLEASE).......$83.43... Over budget by  $8.48....
I guess I can count my blessings that it was less than $100 this week. Our freezers are pretty full and the food above made our cabinets pretty full so I think we should be able to reach $60 or less next week....Fingers crossed!

Now on to this weeks menu:

Last week was a BIG success with planning lunches out and dinners so I think that I will continue to do that even though I am not babysitting again until summer....

So this week we will be eating:

Breakfasts: cereal or waffles, fruit, milk

Lunches and Dinners:

Monday:  Lunch- peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, strawberries and grapes, juice
               Dinner- Manwich sandwiches, green beans, corn

Tuesday:  Lunch- grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, carrots, fruit, juice
               Dinner- baked chicken, chicken quesedillas, broccoli

Wednesday- Lunch- chicken nuggets, mixed vegetables, applesauce, juice
                    Dinner- Pizza, veggies from the fridge

Thursday- Lunch- hot dogs, baked beans
                Dinner- Spaghetti, garlic bread

Friday- Lunch- macaroni and cheese, fruit, juice
            Dinner- Beer battered fish sandwiches, fruit

Saturday- Lunch- Maybe Lunch out (depends on Bill's work schedule)
                Dinner- Leftovers/ whatever you can find

Sunday- Lunch- leftovers/ sandwiches
              Dinner- Ribs in the crockpot, mixed veggies, julienne potatoes


For more great menu ideas visit http://orgjunkie.com/

B is for......Bill

I really don't know how I would live each day better than before if it wasn't for a VERY SPECIAL someone in my life. He is the reason that I get up in the morning. He is the reason I try to live each day better than the one before. He is the reason that I try to be the best mom, the best wife, and the best person that I can be. He is the love of my life. He is....

BILL!

Bill is an amazing man who works hard to provide for our family. He is finally in a job that he loves as a newspaper sports editor. He is a geek in the best sense of the word. He loves sports, statistics, random facts, science fiction, comic books (notice his t-shirt in the picture), Harry Potter, and many other things. He has an amazing memory and a wonderful sense of humor. He is my partner, lover, and friend.

One of the attributes that really makes him the best is how he is with our children. He is the world's best father to our kids. He is always doing things with them...

playing in the park,

playing in the snow,

 playing in the house.

You name it, he does it with our kids. He is AMAZING! Rebecca and Jacob love him to pieces and so do I!

He is definitely the best thing that has ever happened to me and I am looking forward to growing old with him!

(P.S. Bill, if you are reading this blog, which I know you do from time to time, I just wanted to let you know I love you!)

 

It's Fun to Stay at the Hil-ton Ho-tel in Bran-son Miss-ouri!

This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.

I have been trying to come up with a getaway for Bill and I to celebrate Bill's 39th birthday. I want it to be affordable. memorable as well as fun! Well I think I may have found the perfect place to go....BRANSON, MISSOURI!  

The Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing offers a great hotel to unwind, relax and reconnect to my husband. They offer the Hilton Serenity collection beds which feature pillow topped mattresses, down comforters and triple sheets! (That would be luxury for me!) They also offer many amenities that would appeal to Bill including high speed internet, a fitness room and a pool!

Hilton Promenade at Branson Landing is your premier destination for a great stay in Branson!

As I was searching their site, I noticed they had many specials that you could reserve. The one that caught my eye though is a special they are running starting at $219 for two people, called the Hilton Promenade Village People package. This package includes 2 tickets to the 70s Super Show and a one night stay at the gorgeous Hilton Promenade in Branson.

The 70's Super Show, May 13th, 2011,  at the 2500 seat Branson Tri-Lakes Center, will feature 3 great disco groups---The Village People, Maxine Nightingale, and A Taste of Honey featuring original lead singer Janice-Marie. This is sure to be a GREAT night of GREAT Dancing music! There are two added bonuses to this concert. First, these artists are encouraging fans to bring cameras as pictures will be allowed during the show.  AND second, after the show, the groups will remain to sign autographs and take pictures with their fans! Sounds like a GREAT night!

I wouldn't stop there either. I would make it a getaway to remember by taking my husband to Silver Dollar City, a great amusement park, for a day of fun and being a kid again. We would then take in the light show at the Branson Landing Fountains before enjoying a great meal at one of the many great restaurants at Branson Landing.

Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel and convention center run by the Hilton Worldwide, is a great place to start with ideas and information for all the great stuff to do in Branson.

There is so much to do in Branson that I am sure if I take Bill there it would definitely be the first trip and first time since our wedding for dancing to "Y-M-C-A" but it definitely wouldn't be the last!

 Have you ever been to Branson? What tips would you give me? Are you a Village People fan? If were to go to the show, what Village People song  would you look forward to hearing?

A is for....Art

As I have gotten older and am trying to live better each day, one thing that I have always returned to are hobbies that I enjoy. Hobbies help people stress less. They help to allow us to relax. One hobby that I love and seem to gravitate toward is.....

ART!

When I am stressed, or depressed I can take out my art pad, and my crayons and colored pencils and draw to my hearts content and feel better. Creating something that to me is beautiful is soothing. I am not the greatest artist, but I do feel that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I enjoy the act of creating art, and that is what matters.

I enjoy coloring books, coloring with markers, crayons and colored pencils. I enjoy drawing my own designs. Some of my favorite pictures that I have drawn include a baseball player, Santa, a lighthouse scene, and a cartoon character.

Art is something that helps me to live better one day at a time, especially if that day is very stressful! What is something creative that you like to do?

Challenge for April---Blogging from A to Z

As I was catching up on some blog reading tonight I came across an interesting concept....the A to Z Blogging Challenge for April!





Basically the challenge is that every day of April (minus Sundays) you post something that goes with each letter of the alphabet for each day. For example today would be A, tomorrow B, Monday C, etc. The possibilities are endless.

I see this challenge as a great way to improve my blogging, to find and read new blogs, to hopefully gain new followers, and to start and finish something!  I have decided that I am going to do the A to Z challenge as a way of identifying 26 things that help me live better one day at a time!

I think this will be really fun! Won't you join me in this challenge?

(As a note, I am still planning on doing my Menu plan Monday, Friendly Wednesday and Letters of Intent posts as well. :) )

Cleveland Indians

Yesterday I was so excited because it was the first day of regular season MLB. Today I am even MORE EXCITED because it is the first regular season game for my FAVORITE team...the CLEVELAND INDIANS!!!!

I love the Indians. My grandmother was from Cleveland and I have several relatives who have worked for the Indians over the years before they moved to Jacobs Field. (It is actually Progressive Field now, but I will ALWAYS know it as Jacobs Field). I remember going to a sold out game when I was in high school and it was so much fun! Bill and I share a love of the Indians and that is one of the many things that attracted us to one another. He actually proposed to me during a trip to an Indians game in Cleveland. So the Indians hold a special place in my heart.

So today, during their first regular season game, I say:

GO TRIBE!!!!!