FMM: Inside Your Home

If you’ve taken part in FMM then you know the rules. If you’re new, please take a moment to answer this week’s question on your own blog then add your link in the comments section here at: www.alltheweigh.com so we can all see your FMM questions and answers. Please invite your blog readers to add their links here too so everyone has to opportunity to be seen. The idea is to connect with other awesome bloggers so take a moment to post your own FMM post and comment on a couple of other posts. Now it’s time for this week’s topic!

Inside Your Home

1. Do you live in an apartment/condo, townhouse or house?  1/2 Duplex - I just moved in here on Sept 6!  

2. What is your home’s coolest feature? Love the good sized eat in kitchen and the french door that goes out onto my deck from my livingroom.

3.  Do you enjoy DIY projects?  If so, what are you working on now?  Love DIY stuff! I have a coffee table that was my grandfathers that I have slowly been refinishing.  Also working on some homey decor for my new place!

4. When using the dishwasher do you use powder detergent or liquid? I use the powder tablets!  

5. Do you have a TV in your bedroom?  Yes I do!! Its hooked up to my cable and a dvd player.

6.  Is your range gas or electric?  Electric. I have the option to have gas, but I'm used to cooking on electric.

7.  How often do you sweep/mop/vacuum?  Sweep every couple of days (I have 3 cats) and mop/vacuum as needed.

8.  What is your favorite place to shop for home furniture and accents? Honestly, I love to shop at good will!  :)  It fits in my budget and allows me to have some fun doing DIY projects.

9.  Do you decorate for holidays?  Yep! Got almost all my Halloween goodies up!

10.  If you could have HGTV come in and redo one room in your home which room would you choose?  Probably either my livingroom or my bedroom.

Now it’s your turn to answer this week’s questions!  Don’t forget to come back and link up in the comments.  Happy Monday, friends!

Current Weight: 8/10/12

157.8 (-1.0)

YES!!!!!!!!!! Slow and steady!  2lbs down total!! YEE HAW!!!! Loving this new program!

Words to Remember!

 

MIA... well DUH!

I have taken a small break on this journey due to many things going on in life and just needing the plain ol' break. During my time away someone left a very nasty, rude comment on my blog (you know who you are) and its times like that, that I am thankful for not having comments automatically published. I wrestled with publishing it or not to show this person she has no control over my life or choices, just as I have no control over hers (no matter how much I loath them), but decided that she's just not worth it. I even considered starting both of my blogs over or making my blogs private so that she could no longer see what was going on in my life, but again no one should have that kind of power over me.  I have too many wonderful things in my life to let one little, insignificant person rain on my parade.

Now that I've gotten that off my chest, I am ready to get back with my journey.  Its been a VERY long journey, but I keep plugging away and hoping that I will get there.  I've got some great support in both family and friends so I know eventually it will happen.  I have had to make some changes money wise to prepare for an upcoming move so I have decided to forgo my WW membership and use a fancy little online program called MyFitnessPal.  I've been using it for just over a week and so far I really like it!  I have access to it on both my computer and an app on my phone.  I've lost 1lb using it so far and I hope this is a trend I can keep up!  So back in the saddle again for the ... oh, I've lost count by now! :)

Current Weight: 4/29/12

150.6 (+2lbs)

I haven't weighed in since April 1 so I am pleased that I am up only 2lbs!!! No complaints here!! Back at it! :)

Current Weight: 3/25/12

148.2 (-0.6lbs)

Yep slow and steady, but steady none the less! :)

Current Weight: 3/18/2012

149 (-0.4lbs)

Not bad considering all that has gone on in the past week!  A loss is a loss! :)

10 Day You Challenge: nine loves

Ok, so obviously these are not going to be posted consecutively!  Here are nine of my loves!

1. My beautiful daughter!  She is 4 1/2 going on 22 and is simply amazing. I love the time I get to spend with her and cherish each precious moment as I watch her grow up right before my eyes.  She's independent, outgoing, and compassionate; she reminds me so much of myself!

2. Cheese, cheese, and more cheese!  Hehe... Yep I love cheese!

3. Running! I love the rhythmic quality of it and the fact that I truly have to focus on myself as I do it.  Just wish I was able to do it more.

4. My incredible friends and family. The last year and 1/2 has been a real struggle for me to stay here in reality and keep functioning.  My divorce has really done a number on me mentally and physically; I am so glad its almost over.

5. Blue Moon Belgian White.  Don't think that I drink all the time, but this is certainly a new favorite of mine! Love the fact that its unfiltered and has an orange taste to it!! So yummy!  What's your favorite beer?

6. Reading.  Reading is so calming and soothing for me.  I love getting lost in a good book! Right now I am reading the Dexter series!  What are you reading?

7. The Walking Dead.  I am so addicted to this show. A friend's son told me about it a while back and then another friend more recently told me about it. I gave it a try a few weeks ago and I am hard core addicted!!! It has taken over my Sunday nights!!!!  

8. Photography.  I am not very good at it, but I like to shoot a ton of pics!  I have a Nikon D-40 and a few different lenses to play with. Maybe one day I'll get serious about it and really learn how to use it.

9. Music.  Of any kind.  I love getting into the beat as well as the lyrics.  I often equate times of my life and memories with songs; kind of like having my own personal sound track to my life!

Current Weight: 3/11/12

149.4 (-2.0lbs)

Yep, I am back in the saddle for sure!  So thrilled!  I know I will still have bumps along the way, but I am back! I even went for a run on Sunday, which I haven't done since last April!!!

10 Day You Challenge: ten secrets

I found this fun little challenge over at Cigar Heiress and like her I have been slack in my blogging lately so I thought this might get me up and going again.  This seems like it might be fun!

The first thing I have to post is ten secrets.

1. The movie Signs freaks me out! I LOVE horror, suspense, and gory films, but for some reason that movie gives me the creeps. I've only watched it once and have NO desire to ever again.

2. I am a sucker for cheese.  Any kind!

3. I tend to get nervous being the one to make the "first move" in relationships.  It makes me so nervous it almost paralyzes me.  I have to do a lot of self talking to get myself beyond that!

4. I tend to eat and eat and eat when I am stressed.  I do it when no one is around and no one can see me.  Nothing satisfies me when I am in one of those moods.

5. If my house is a mess and I have company coming over, I tend to throw all the clutter in a box to get it out of the way and deal with it another day.

6. I think Justin Bieber is a cutie pie and when I was running I had a few of his songs on my playlist!

7. I had such a HUGE crush on Christian Slater when I was younger! WHOA!  Pump up the Volume is one of my favorite movies to this very day!

8. I secretly wish I had a slamming body like Jillian Michaels or someone like that.  Never going to happen!

9. I wish I had not given up playing the guitar as a kid. It was something I really enjoyed and still have my guitar from then!

10. I sometimes wished I lived in a warmer climate!

Phew, that was hard to think of 10!! Okay, who is with me??? C'mon peoples!!! PLAY ALONG!

Current Weight: 3/4/2012

151.4

Yes, folks, that is a loss of 3.4lbs!  I have had some great things going in my life lately and it has been awesome to feel confident in myself once again! I WILL DO THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Current Weight: 02/19/2012

154.6

Changed my WI day from Monday nights to Sunday mornings and I am loving it!! It makes all the difference to WI on a morning!

New Recipes for the Week: Week 2

(On an aside note: These weeks may not be consecutive! It may take me more then one weeks time to try them!)


Here are my newbies for Week 2:
1. Healthy Momma Barbecue Chicken
I prepared this one last week, but cooked it this week to have for my lunches for this week at work.  It smelled super yummy and I look forward to eating it this week.

2. Slow Cooker Spaghetti Sauce
This is cooking in my slow cooker as I type! I've sampled it a couple of times and its sooo good! I added a few things - pureed summer squash and zucchini and a portobello mushroom chopped really small.

3. Almost No Sugar Ice Cream Grahamwiches
I made these today as well and they are in the freezer setting right now.  I let the pudding mixture set for about 5 minutes in the fridge before putting them together because it was really runny otherwise.   I used an entire box of graham crackers and still have a ton of the pudding mixture leftover so I put it in a container and froze it!

4. Deceptively Delicious Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
I finally got around to making these today and they are super moist and yummy! I do NOT taste the carrot at all! Hoping my kiddo likes them too!

Sunday Surf

I'm joining Authentic Parenting and Hobo Mama for Sunday Surf. Share your best reading of the week, and link up your post at either blog!
For more great reading, visit Hobo Mama or Authentic Parenting for the latest Sunday Surf and linky.
Happy Surfing!


Since I started doing the single mom thing, often times my daughter has a difficult time going to bed.  There have been MANY nights that I hear from her through tears, "Mommy don't go!  Stay with me!"  Of course I reassure her that I am never going to leave her and am right across the hall.   Then I had a light bulb moment and figured what would it hurt to have her co-sleep with me on the weekends!?  Since I have done that we have had a lot less of those moments of her begging and pleading me not to leave her room.  I did some searching for information about co-sleeping with preschool aged children to see if it would warp her in some odd way or something and to my relief that is not so!

Here is one of the good articles I read about it: Five Benefits to Cosleeping Past Infancy

NRW: Week 1 UPDATE

In this post, I mentioned some new recipes that I wanted to try.  Here is an update:

1. Sweet and Tangy Chicken

This was super easy to make and REALLY yummy! I made the full recipe and used the left overs for lunches this week for work.  This one is a keeper that I need to add to my recipe book!

2. Deceptively Delicious Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins

Have not made these yet.  Maybe today! Its a snowy day here and the kiddo and I will need something fun to do!

3. Deceptively Delicious Couscous
This is REALLY good! BUT it did NOT cook at all like the recipe says.  Its says to take it off the heat and let it all stand until the liquid is absorbed and the couscous is tender, which I did using the time frame suggested and the couscous was still VERY crunchy!!! I had to add more chicken broth and put it on the stove again.  Once it cooked it was very good; it was spicy though so next time I think I may omit the pepper.  And the best part was that Sunshine ate it willingly!

4.  Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Pudding
This was good, but not as smooth as I would have liked it.

Day 1, AGAIN!

So here is Day 1 (x50 or so - LOL!). So far so good. I had a very sensible breakfast and lunch so far and am looking forward to the rest of the day being GREAT! It feels good to start being back in control of my eating.  In a bit I am going to take some time to prep my lunches for the rest of the week and plan out my dinners as well.  I need to take it meal by meal because looking at the day as a whole overwhelms me right now.  Hoping I can keep up the momentum and see a good loss at the scale next Monday.

Current Weight: 01/16/12

153.2

Yep, that sux.  I I have put weight back on, but it stops NOW.  I need to figure out how to get back on track.  I have been struggling lately as I get closer and closer to being officially divorced.  I know the divorce is the best thing for me and best for my daughter in the long run, but its stressful none the less.  Unfortunately I am feeding the stress with food rather then exercising or doing other things to work it out.  This week I am really going to focus on not snacking after my daughter goes to bed.  I feel like once she is in bed there is no one to see what I am eating so if no one knows it doesn't count.  Wish me luck!

Resolution, Part 2

A second part of my resolution is that I am going to continue working on organizing my home.  To start this off and to go along with Resolution, Part 1, I began organizing my kitchen cabinets; top ones today and still have the bottom ones to do next.  I am not only organizing, but dealing with taking out the old and bringing in the "new".  I am in the process of getting divorced and so I am packing away all of the stuff that was "ours" and bringing in new stuff that is MINE!


This is the before picture of some of my food cabinets... what a mess, HUH?  So embarrassing.

Here is an after picture of the cabinets I keep my plates, cups, and mugs in.  (I did not get a before of this one.)

Here is the after pictures of my food cabinets!  Notice how I was able to put most all of my small appliances up on the tops shelves! YAY!! They have been living on top of my fridge forever collecting dust; what a pain it was to have to wash them before using them!

This small cabinet is where I keep all my spices and baking stuff; its great to be able to reach in this cabinet and grab what I need for cooking!

I still need to add labels to the buckets so I can remember what is in each one.  Later this week, I plan on tackling the cabinets under my counter.  Those are the ones I am dreading the most!

Resolution, Part 1

I know I'm a little late writing a post about resolutions, but better late then never right?  Instead of a list I am going to write a few different posts about mine and how I plan on accomplishing and sticking with them!

My first one is to cook more meals at home and try new recipes.  I started this off with a bang yesterday when I cleaned out my fridge and both freezers (one is a chest freezer in my basement).  I was startled and embarrassed by the amount of food that was expired that I tossed out!  After accomplishing that I went to the grocery store and spent only $65 to restock our fridge and freezer!  Once I put it all away I started working on those new recipes and can't wait to complete them today!

New Recipes for the Week: Week 1

Its been ages since I've blogged, but I am trying to get back at it now!  Lots going on in my little world, but more about that later! I have decided I need to try and cook more at home and eat out less so I am going to start posting about some new recipes I am going to try on for size!  Here are this weeks newbies:

1. Sweet and Tangy Chicken
2. Deceptively Delicious Peanut Butter and Jelly Muffins
3. Deceptively Delicious Couscous
4.  Deceptively Delicious Chocolate Pudding

(My daughter HATES all vegetables so I am going to try and add a few into her diet through DD recipes!!)