Leap Day = aka Justin's Birthday!

Happy Leap Day to everyone!

But more importantly

Happy 16th Birthday to my son Justin!!!

We have already had the family birthday party for him, and we will be going to Seaside at the end of March to celebrate his birthday.  He doesn't care much for the birthday party with friends so I usually take him on a long weekend trip instead.  Usually we do it the weekend around his birthday, but thought we'd push it out a month this year in the hopes of better weather and more shops being open at the ocean since it will be spring break.  We're going to do a little mini road trip as part of the vacation so stay tuned for all our fun shenanigans!

change of plans........

Everyone already knows that I like love to plan vacations.  So this may not come as a shock to some of you, but I am thinking of changing our vacation plans for next year.  *gasp* I know, putting off Disneyland once again.  While I would love to be able to go next year, I don't know if I will be able to.  I still don't have  a job yet and while I hope to have one in the next couple months, I don't know if they would be willing to give me that week off (we have to book 13 months out to get the condo).  So........we are now looking at a road trip across Washington State.  I LOVE road trips!!!!!  We would still get to go to a theme park of sorts, Silverwood.  We are probably going to stay in a combination of hotels and camping.  This will probably be the end of June 2013.

So my question is:

• What should we do on our road trip?
• Where in Washington have you been that was fun and unique?
• We love going to see oddities, like the HUGE frying pan in long beach.

30 pound challenge

I've decided to give myself a goal/challenge of loosing 30 pounds by June 23.  Why June 23?  The answer to that is simple............I'm going on vacation, why else do girls want to loose weight!  Overall goal/challenge is 60 pounds by the end of the year.

We're still in the beginning days of this challenge, but I'll let you know how I've done so far (we won't talk about the brownie I just ate though).   Sunday was two weeks since my challenge began.  As of yesterday (2 weeks 1 day) I've lost 5 pounds, 1 inch off my chest, 2 1/4 off my waist, 1 inch off my hips.

What does 5 pound of fat look like????

(this isn't me, but it does show a lovely picture of a 5 pound lump of fat)

Only 5 more of these lumps and I've met my first challenge!!


***on a side note I just learned how to move pictures and have text next to the picture, not just on top or below the picture.  Pretty cool trick!  I figured it out by accident when I was trying to center the picture.

Back to the challenge.
How are you going to loose all that weight you ask?
Why changing the way I eat silly!  I've already cut out soda (oh how I miss you Coke) and cut by salt intake in half.  I am trying to make sure I drink at least 6 12 ounce glasses of water each day and going to the Y 3 times a week.  So far I've made it two weeks and they say after three weeks of doing something it becomes a habit.......we'll see.

Oh almost forgot!  I've decided to do a 5k in May.  This one looks like so much fun!!  I actually found it on Pinterest of all places.  It's called the Color Run.  Never heard of it?  Well let me fill you in on something that looks absolutely amazing to participate in!  You have to wear a mostly white shirt to participate.  Along the route they throw different colors at you, I know sounds a little weird but stay with me here.  After each k you get a different color thrown at you  -   5k=5 colors, with me so far?  At the end of the race everyone throws up their little packet of color and you get even more colors all over you. Watch the video below and you'll see what I mean.  And best of all the entry fee goes to help a charity.  So I get to have fun and a charity gets some help.  Win win situation!

Here's that link
color run video


If you want to check out their site
the color run

If anyone would like to join in the fun, the race in Seattle will be on May 13th.  They haven't opened up registration, but I will post on here when they do and the name of our team.  I kind of like 'paint by numbers' for a team name.  What do you guys think????

let's try a new recipe!

As part of my effort to loose weight I am trying to eat healthier.  Which is so hard for me because I am a junk food junkie (probably how I got the way I am today.....).  So tonight we are having Chicken Nacho Bake.  The recipe calls for boneless skinless chicken breast, but I like thighs better so I will be using boneless skinless thighs.  We will also be having steamed asparagus with it.  Keeping my fingers crossed it comes out as good as the picture looks!

Here's the recipe if anyone else wants to try it too!  The picture is the one from the online recipe.  Sorry camera is dead so I didn't take any pictures

Ingredients

• 4 small boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1/2 cup chunky salsa
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup crushed tortilla chips
• 1/2 cup KRAFT Tex Mex Shredded Cheese

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place chicken on foil-covered baking sheet. Slice 3 cuts on top of each chicken breast with sharp knife.
3. Top each chicken breast evenly with salsa, sour cream and tortilla chips.
4. Bake 20 minutes. Remove from oven; sprinkle with cheese. Bake 10 minutes or until chicken is done (170 degrees F).

Footnotes

• Cooking Know How: Making cuts in the chicken helps to flatten the breast so that the topping stays on.
• Serving Suggestion: Serve with hot cooked rice and a side of corn.
  
  
  Nutritional Information

  Chicken Nacho Bake

  Servings Per Recipe: 4

  Amount Per Serving

  Calories: 231

  • Total Fat: 11g
  • Cholesterol: 83mg
  • Sodium: 367mg
  • Total Carbs: 5.3g
  •     Dietary Fiber: 0.7g
  • Protein: 27.8g

Exercise.....

Now that Chuck the kidney stone is gone (sorry Chuck, I don't miss you one little bit!) and I have the ok to do "whatever you want" from my doctor, it's time to get healthy!  Growing up I had no trouble with weight.  When I graduated from basic training at 19 I was 5'2, ok 5'1 3/4, and 101 pounds with my BDU's and combat boots on.  Then I got pregnant and gained 75 pounds!  I quickly lost a lot of that and was down to 125.  Still more than pre-baby, but I could find clothes.  Back in the mid 90's there weren't size 0 clothes, and finding a size 3 was a stretch sometimes.  Fast forward to today, and 20 pounds more than when I was pregnant (ugh!), it's time for this weight to go find a new home.

 So this week I worked out at the Y, also known as the YMCA but I'm too lazy to write that each time, 3 times.  Pretty proud of myself for actually going.  Who am I kidding, I worked out so I could go sit in the sauna and hot tub and not feel guilty about it!  But hey, I put full effort into my workout, even ran two of the laps on the track today instead of just my normal fast walk.  So far I am just using the indoor track, that's so nice to have in Washington where it rains 49 weeks of the year, and water classes.  I'm still afraid of the weight machines and I don't like the treadmill or stationary bikes because I can't help but constantly adjust the settings.  I'm like the kid you put in front of the big red button and tell them not to push it!  My goal is in 4 weeks to go ask the little trainer dudes for help and have them show me the machines, once I've mastered those it's on to the really scary free weights!  Have you seen the guys that work out in there???  Scary!  I know if I walked in there they would be like 'who does she thing she is?  she can't even lift the bar let alone any weight on it!' I'm telling you, it's a very scary place!

Goals for next week:

•  no soda.  not really supposed to drink it anyway, at least not the brown soda (per the doctor), but I have been drinking ginger ale
• try not to put any extra salt on my food.  it already has enough salt in it from cooking, I don't need to add more. but it tastes so good with it!  no no I will not add any extra salt!  
• drink more water.  I already drink several glasses, but I'm going to try to drink 1 glass before each meal in addition to the 1 I drink with the meal and the bottles I sip on during the day
• more fruits and veggies.  raise your hand if you really get all the fruit and vegetable servings that the food pyramid says you should have.........yeah me either
• less chocolate.  but it screams at me to eat it!  I swear it does.  do you hear it????
• less carbs.  like a knife to the heart.  I love my carbs!
• more fiber.  did you know fruits have fiber in them?  they do.  I can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak, with eating more fruits :)  bonus!
• try to go to bed before midnight at least 5 nights next week. 

4H

4H is a BIG part of our family.  My son is more of a Bill Gates than a Peyton Manning (or whatever sports star you choose).  Since he doesn't care for sports, and he had to choose some sort of activity, we are involved in 4H.  Justin's project of choice..........Cavies (commonly known as guinea pigs).  Who knew you could take a guinea pig to fair!  You can, and we do :)

Here's Justin with his favorite guinea pig, Lily.  She is such a good pig.  She will sit on the table for fit & show and not move.  Some of the other pigs are not as well behaved, or maybe the are just social butterflies.  

For those that like specifics, Lily is an American guinea pig and her variety (ie color) is Lilac.

Justin works hard and does pretty good at our county fair.  This is from about 2 years ago.  

Going to fair is not all fun and games.  Here's Justin trying to get in a quick study session between barn cleanings, cage cleanings (he brings 5 of his guinea pigs to fair, so that's 5 cages to clean daily), herdsmanship (greeting the public and answering their questions), contests, and more contests.  The kids have fun, but at the end of the week we are all ready to go home!

Here's some of Justin's pigs waiting to be vet checked and get in their cages for a week at fair.  From left to right, starting at the top left corner we have Autumn, Huey, Isabelle, Pierre, Thing 2, Lily (the light grey one) and Violet (the little dark one).  Violet is Lily's baby, so is Huey.

Right now Justin has 10 cavies.  He can only take up to 5 to fair.  Wonder who will make the cut?????

First Big Step

I took the first big step toward selling my handmade crafts at the local Farmer's Market yesterday.  I applied for my business license!  My little side business finally has a name too, Handmade From the Heart.  Once I get my license number I can finish filling out all the paperwork or becoming a vendor at the farmer's market.  Still working on figuring out exactly what I want to sell.  As part of the application process you have to list and submit a picture of EVERYTHING you plan on selling.  If it's not on the list you can't sell it this year.  I've got a running list, with pictures, on my computer so as I remember or come across a picture of something I am going to be making I can copy and past to the list.  I've decided to only do one weekend a month at the farmer's market.  I'm afraid that if I do more than that I may not be able to keep up with demand.  I can only crochet so many hats a week before I go crazy!

I've attempted a new craft today, reusable dryer balls.  They take the place of dryer sheets.  You can add a couple drops of whatever scent of essential oil you like and then you have a environmental friendly dryer ball.  If they come out like I'm hoping they will I'll post a picture to show you.

I also need to get my big girl panties on and pull out the flannel I bought a couple weeks ago and make boo-boo bags.  I have a 50 pound bag of corn sitting in my trunk that needs to come out (yes for those that know me, I've decided to try to keep my car clean! We'll see how long that lasts).  Boo-boo bags are little bags filled with feed corn (yes the stuff for cows) and you keep them in the freezer until you need them.  Then you have a soft cold bag for your little one's boo-boo.  I'll post pictures of those too, when I finally learn how to sew.  It's pretty sad that my almost 16 year old has been able to sew for a few years and at 36 I can't even thread the sewing machine!  Maybe I can get him to make them for me..........