The 30 Day Shred Day 3 & 4

It took me a bit of time to catch my breath... 2 days to be exact but I'm still at it. Since I was "on a date" Tuesday I wasn't able to squeeze in the 20 min workout. Getting home past midnight and having to get up at 7 was bad enough and I wasn't about to take any extra time before I crawled into my cozy bed. So I did skip a day and I'm ok with that.

A birthday party and grocery shopping were on the menu last night. After getting everything put away, I was NOT in the mood  SUPER excited to pick up my weights and get to workin out. I will say that I don't really care for Jillian's mouth - I detest motivational speaking (when working out) and if someone says "just a couple more" they should practice what the preach. Hopefully after tonights workout I will know the routine enough to just listen to music until I hit up level 2 (Jan 7th). 

How do I feel? I feel great and have noticed that I have more energy. My muscles are tighter and I feel a difference when wearing a pair of my jeans. I am tempted to take my measurements and weight but I holding off until day 10.

How do I look? The same :)

I hope everyone has a safe and blessed New Year!

Surprise!!!

Yes, I am one of those gals who don't usually care for surprises. Not sure why but I have always been that way.

BUT last night...that was a nice surprise!

You see our schedule at home has been just a bit nuts lately and for some reason I haven't been writing things down on our family calendar (it would help if I could find it). Because of this I keep forgetting-remembering-forgettig about birthday parties, new years parties, etc. Move forward to yesterday - I was supposed to bring my bread machine to work for a friend to come pick it up. Usually I am making more than 1 loaf and I really like to make bread, with my hands ;) so when she mentioned that she was going to buy one to make her gluten free bread I told her to take mine to try. Needless to say I didn't remember the bread machine and when she called to meet me, I had to tell her I forgot it but could bring it to her house later on. Being the dear friend she is, she invited us to have dinner. Bread maching = diner for 3 and not cooking, yup I was in... Then on my way home I remember that Haily had been invited to stay overnight for a slumber party. The surpise was that I got to double date and play scrabble for hours without hearing {can we go yet, I'm tired, Mommmmmm let's go}.

Yea for surprises!!!

The 30 Day Shred Day 2

If you google 30 day shred and read the reviews on the program, you will most likely find most people couldn't do the 2nd day because of being so sore from day 1. I was determined to get through day 2 and I am I proud to say that I did it!!! It wasn't easy and during some of the lunges I couldn't lift my weights but I continued; during the last 1 min of bicycle crunches I had to do just crunches (no legs) but I pressed on. I can tell that this is going to be a great all around workout that can be done in 20 min. I am a busy working wife and mother and still have found time to do it. Of course I could make excuses about time and wanting to get other things done around the house but as with any task you just need a "I am gonna get this done now" attitude. If I am not a healthy homemaker than I am not going to be a productive homemaker nor will I be a good role model to my daughter. Here's to day 2, day 3 here I come...



Has anyone else tried this workout? Let me know what you thought...

The 30 Day Shred Day 1

Say it with me "I think I can, I think I can"... 


It's official - I started the 30 day shred yesterday. I knew it was going to be tough but it totally kicked my rump!!! And if that wasn't enough, it was just as hard to see my measurements down on paper. When your pants get a bit tighter you know that you have gained weight but I guess I didn't realize how much. OK, I am just gonna get down to business so I can hit up day 2 of the shred. Please understand that it takes great difficulty in putting my "body" out there so please choose to Edify  with your words as Amy puts it.


Weight 185 
Bust 40
Waist 35 1/2
Hip 47 1/2
R/L Arm 12 1/2
R/L Thigh 25 3/4 & 25 1/4
R/L Calf 15 1/2

Stay tuned to see my progress...Yep, I am planning on progression not regression :)

This moment in time...

Today we didn't have any plans to do anything and with no practices for praise team or evening service I decided to get some baking for the upcoming week done. Haily has started taking her lunch to school so I have been making healthy snacks for her to pack. Today I am going to try Honey Pumpkin Muffins and whip up some granola. These will take the place of a snack cake and chips. 


Watch for my series on the 30 Day Shred and Budgeting for the New Year. -I have been wanting to do a series on budgeting for a while but with my life being so busy for the last couple of months I haven't had time to put it together. -As far as the 30 Day Shred, that's another story. Normally when I have more time to garden and really work around the house I don't need to put much effort into exercising. Doing a days worth of housework and yard/garden work is plenty of movement. Now with my daytime desk job and trying to get the business underway I haven't been getting much exercise at all. This has added to my waistline and just being overall uncomfortable. So dear friends, I will be taking you on my journey to get back into shape. Keep in mind I want to be healthy {not just lose weight}. To me pounds don't matter as much as being able to rake my lawn without getting winded or carrying laundry baskets up and down the stairs without my legs feeling like jello. I will be updating you on all the details including my starting weight and measurements. I might even be real brave by posting before pics :)


That's all for now- gotta get baking!

Merry CHRISTmas to you!

Sorry no posts lately. My business has picked up in the last month so I have been jammin it up! We have been busy going to Christmas parties, watching Haily's program at church and practicing for choir. I hope everyone has a joyous time celebrating the birth of our Savior!!! Merry Christmas to you and your families too...

What's cookin...

Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home is hosting what I consider a "Yummy" idea. The Healthy Holiday Eats and Sweets Carnival is all about good food for the holiday time. Who said that healthy food had to be drab? So blog hop on over to Keeper of the Home and check out all the recipes. I have mention two below that will be at my Christmas table. 

Sweet Potato Maple Cups

Cook 3-4 sweet potatoes however you wish (I like to boil mine) until tender. You can peel them or leave the peel on, doesn't matter either way. Add about 1/3-1/2 cup of butter, 1/3-1/2 cup of pure maple syrup, 4 tsp orange zest or orange juice,  and 1 tsp salt - mix until creamy. You can also add in cinnamon and nuts. YUM! At this point I put mine into individual baking cups but an 8x8 baking dish also works well. 

Beat 4 egg whites and unrefined sugar (to taste, the original recipe call for 1/2 cup but that is way too much for me) until stiff peaks form. Add to the top of the sweet potatoes, this takes the place of marshmallows on the top. 

Bake at 400 for about 10min or until the egg whites are golden brown.

Cinnamon Oranges

Peel 4-5 navel oranges, core, and separate. Mix 2 table orange juice, 2 table lemon juice, 1 table unrefined sugar, and 1/4 tea cinnamon. Toss and serve chilled.

I hope you enjoy these and all the other recipes submitted. Let me know which one your family liked the best.

{It's the most wonderful time of the year}

It's been a while since I have posted all because it's been a little busy in my house. My family took off to the hills of Virginia to visit family for Thanksgiving. We had a great time with my brother at his little "cabin" and spent Thanksgiving at my Aunt and Uncles in Knoxville, TN. All the ladies were in the kitchen cooking and baking... Now, usually if there are more than 2 women in a kitchen at one time someone ends up in a huff. I am happy to say that we ended up with 4 1/2 (the 1/2 was my daughter) in the kitchen and managed to get the food on the table at the same time, with everything warm and big smiles from everyone. YES, all the "cooks" helped each other out. We made lots of memories and hope to make it a tradition each year.


The Friday after we got back I was scheduled to be at a show. This usually isn't a problem but I had no clue how much jam to bring. I went for overkill and decided I should have 150 jars. I spent the entire week making jam and getting ready. I think the total was 75-85 jars in 3 days. After working a full work week and making jam all night, I was pooped.


This week has settled down and my house is in full swing Christmas mode. The tree is up and the lights are on the house. We have our manger on display and oh...Gifts??? I like to give, my daughter likes to give and my husband likes to save ;) You see Aaron and I are geared differently. I would give everything I had away and he makes sure we still have a place to sleep at night. I am glad that God knew what he was doing when he put us together. We truly balance each other out. Since we are trying to pay off debt (only 1 year left on our car and another small loan) and are working toward me being able to stay at home with our children (1 here, more to come) we have to keep our budget in check. We spend about $10 on our close friends, $20-$30 on family, and buy something we need for each other (I already received my pots and pans this year). My husband also has employees that we do something for. We usually spend around $500. To some this might seem cheap and to some it might be generous but it works for us and our budget. I also like to give a little something to people in our lives that are special or we think might need cheering up. You don't have to spend much money to show someone you care and appreciate them.
Here are some gift ideas:


Baking:
When doing your holiday baking, just bake a little extra. Your neighbor that snow blows your driveway or the widow down the street would love receiving a home baked treat from you. Cookies and bread can be frozen, so bake in bulk then freeze. You will have it on hand when a person comes to mind.


Sewing:
If you sew, crochet, or knit make some dishcloths or towels. I love getting these each year. Not only does it keep me from buying them throughout the year, I think of the person who made the gift and say a quick prayer for them when I use it.


Friends:
I have several friends that started a business on the side. I like to use them as a source for gifts as they are local and I am helping to support their family. Beth has been a dear friend for several years. She is very artistic and that shows in the jewelry she makes. I have bought many items from her and love each one. Stop by her site to check out some of her items. Melissa has just branched out and started a photography business. I know that I can't "buy" something from her but I can put money towards someone to have pictures taken by her. She is awesome to work with and I love her photos. You can check them out here.  Patricia over at Primele can offer custom gift tags and calligraphy for you stationary needs. Personalized items are fun gifts. Maybe you have a friend that has something to offer. Call them up and see what they have to offer.


Hand written cards:
Never under estimate the power of a hand written note. Since email and texting came in the picture our lives seem a little less personal. Pick up a pack of cards from the $ store and write out a note to someone special. They will appreciate the time you took out of your busy life to think of them.


I hope this gives you some ideas for inexpensive gifts. You don't need to have a large budget to warm a heart this Christmas season.