My Weight Loss Journey Begins!

So, after a long time of feeling pretty upset about my body and how I looked, I have finally decided to do something about it for real.  I signed up for Weight Watchers Points Plus Online.  Yesterday was my first day on it. Tuesday was our anniversary so we went out to dinner at the Melting Pot. For those of you who don't know what the Melting Pot is - its a Fondu restaurant.  It was delicious but there was SO MUCH food and we had drinks too. I knew starting on Tuesday was a bad idea. Ha! So, this is day 2.  I'm doing well so far.  I've been making sure to get work outs in and I've been better today than I was yesterday as far as my points used.  I was just down right hungry yesterday!  Today, I did much better so far.  I still have 14 points left for the day which means I SHOULD be able to have a dessert of some kind tonight and stay within my points!  Whoo hoo!

I think this time around will be different for me.  I REALLY want this and I'm really feeling motivated.  I mostly want to get in shape and be healthy.  I don't want my boys to have an overweight and unhealthy mom.  I want to be able to run around with them outside and keep up and not feel winded right away.  I'm done making excuses because of injuries and my thyroid disease.  Yes, thyroid disease will probably make it harder for me to lose weight... hopefully not too much harder!  I'm at a point where this is a great time to do this.  It's summer vacation so I don't have to get up with the alarm and rush around to get the kids off to school.  I have time to work out, get sweaty and THEN shower.  So today, I did 10 minutes on my elliptical (I'm going to work toward more time), 10 minutes of squats and 10 minutes of crunches.  Then I took the kids to Target and was speed walking through the store while pushing the cart as it got fuller and fuller.  So, I got a decent amount of activity points for the day.  I'm feeling the burn in my legs and abs which is awesome.  I could possibly get addicted to that feeling!

I've set a small goal.  I'm working toward losing 10 pounds first and I'm probably going to go for 10 pounds, each time until I'm done.  The total weight loss goal is 65 pounds.  That number is really daunting so I'm keeping it to smaller goals to feel more attainable and I'll feel like I'm accomplishing more.  This works well for me with doing chores too.  I make a very LONG list of chores but that's because I break each chore down into steps so I can keep checking things off.  It keeps me motivated.

So, prayers would be LOVED and ADORED and APPRECIATED greatly that I can do this.  I've prayed about it hard and I believe that God is going to get me through this.  I'm puttig my will power in His hands and I believe He will pull me through!  With God, all things are possible!!!!!  I'll post with an update soon - I loved that this morning, I already felt a bit lighter. :0)

Hand Stamped Tile Coasters

So, I recently discovered that you can use rubber stamps on tiles to make really beautiful and unique coasters! I decided I would try this out to make a cool and unique gift for Daniel's preschool teachers as a thank you gift. I made 2 sets. I posted pictures of them on Facebook and got a great response. I can't take the credit for this idea at all. It's not mine at all. I saw several videos and tutorials on how to do it on YouTube. Here is one that I watched:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2SCgjr4o_4U It seems to be the easiest way to go. There's no heat setting or spray fixatives needed. Here is the set I made for Daniel's main teacher, Mrs. Sweet:

All of the stamps I used are from Stampin' Up!  Some of them are still available but some are discontinued.  I used the following stamp(s) sets:  Inspired by Nature, Medallion, Wonderful Favorites, Family Reunion, French Flair, Damask, Baroque Motifs, and Elements of Style.  I had a really good time playing around with this and I'll be honest - I had a few that came out looking TERRIBLE! 

The best thing about this is how easy this is really to do.  I bought the tiles at Lowe's but you can get them at any big home improvement store.  They are tumbled MARBLE.  If you want to make these yourself, don't get the tumbled TRAVERTINE as they are far too smooth and won't accept the ink well at all.  I made this mistake myself and it looked awful.  They are quite affordable to buy at  about $4 for a box of 9. 

The inks I used were mostly StazOn inks.  I would have used all StazOn because that was what was recommended in that video I shared above but the variety of colors available at my local Michael's store was limited and seemed like someone had been there and bought a lot of the colors out.  I supplemented with a few by Color Box that were PERMANENT inks.  I also tested the color fastness on the back of a tile before using it.  The purple color and the khaki green color are both by Color Box.  The black, red, blue, and brown are by StazOn. 

When they were all stamped and I liked my collection of coasters, I added some felt tab feet to the bottoms of them to keep them from scratching the tables they sat on.  You get several to a package and they are also available at Lowe's and Home Depot.  

I then, used some of my Stampin' Up! striped grosgrain ribbon (discontinued) to tie them up and make a gift package.  They were a hit with the teachers and the other moms at preschool. :)  They are a fun gift to make or for your own home.  I did make some for myself too.  I'll keep experimenting and I'll share more photos when I have more.  Thanks for looking!

Sympathy Cards

A few weeks ago, my dear friends' grandma passed away. She was a sweet woman was loved by many. I created a couple of sympathy cards to give to my friends. Here they are:


This card I made my friends - Mike and Leah.  I saw a card similar to this one on www.splitcoaststampers.com  made by Mary Fish - a fellow Stampin' Up! demonstrator.  Her care was more square and used different papers and few a different embellishments but I found it so striking that I had to try my hand at making my own version.  I used Crumb Cake card stock for the base, Whisper White as the main layer.  Other card stock used was Pool Party and Pumpkin Pie. I used the Everyday Enchantment designer series paper set to determine my color combinations.  For the die cut image in the back, I used the Top Note die for the Big Shot and cut the piece twice to create the new shape. The flower was made using the Build - a - Flower punch.  I also used the scallop circle punch and 1 3/8" circle punch for punching out my sentiment on the front.  The sentiment comes from the Petite Pairs stamp set.  To make this card into an easel card which is why its stands up, I cut the card stock to  4 1/4" by 11".  I then scored it using my scoring board at 5 1/2" and 8" to creat the easel.  I then cut another piece of Crumb Cake card stock at 5 1/2" by 4 1/4" to make the front of the card.  To keep it standing up, I created a stopper band with the Lace Ribbon Border Punch and to keep from showing any adhesives on the card, I folded it behind my white layer and glued it down to the back of the white card stock.   The ribbon on the card is 5/8" whisper white satin ribbon.  I also used 2 brads to decorate the card - both from the Everyday Enchantment set.  The ink I used was Soft Suede Classic Ink.  I also used my bone folder to curl the petals on the flower up.

I chose to show it to you at different angles so you can see how it's made.  Below is a straight front view.

This card above was one that I created for a gift set.  I loved it so I made another one for this occasion.  It's also not the easiest card to get made.  It caused me some grief trying to line up the dies in the right places and keeping the card stock from shifting.  I learned that I needed to use some kind of repositionable adhesive.  I ended up using post it's to keep my edgelit dies in place and the card stock when cutting the large flower.  So the main card is made of Pool Party card stock cut at 4 1/4" by 11" and scored at 5 1/2".  The patterned paper is also from the Everyday Enchantment designer series paper pack and it is cut at 4 1/8" by 5 3/8".  I then used the scalloped edgelits die to create the cut edge at the bottom and then used the adorning accents embossing folder that coordinated with it to make the embossed image directly above it.  The large flower is from the Fun Flowers Bigz die.  I cut it off the edge and then popped the whole layer up on dimensionals after stamping my greeting from the Petite Pairs stamp set and tying my Soft Suede polka dot ribbon around it.  I used the back side of the ribbon because I didn't want the polka dots for this card.  To create the center of the flower, I cut a 1 3/8" circle with the Pool Party card stock, a 1 1/4" circle in the Everyday Enchantment DSP and then I used the Blossom Bouquet Triple Layer Punch with an Everyday Enchantment designer brad in the center.  I love how this one turned out :)  Thanks for checking my projects out!

Sleep, Precious Sleep!

I know that every mom complains for their lack of sleep.  As a mom of 3 boys, I am one of them.  I have not had a full night's sleep in over 5 years now.  That's a LONG time.  I am awakened each and every night to tend to Xander.  He has not slept through the night once since he was born... until last night!  He slept in his crib until 6:30!  That's a full night!  I would love it if he'd go to 7:00am but 6:30 is great. 

I know most people will scoff at this but as a mom of a child that is going to be a year old in just a few days and FINALLY slept through the night for the first time, I'm rejoicing right now!!! He even came in bed with me and went back to sleep until after 8:00am! If I get to sleep until 8:00, it's a miracle.

This whole sleep situation with Xander has been a sore spot for us for a while.  I never intended for him to become addicted to sleeping with me.  I just brought him in bed with us so that I could get enough sleep to function and take care of all 3 kids all day.  I kept justifying it and putting off making the transition.  We are doing it and he's acclimating surprisingly well and quickly.  It's only been a week or so and each night, he seems to be doing better.  He woke up earlier twice but he only had 1 bad night ( of course the night we had to "Spring Ahead!" for Daylight Savings Time and I had to get up for church at 6:45 which was like 5:45 on my body.  Oh well.  It turned out ok.  I got a nap that day and spent some one on one quality time with Daniel which was so nice.  :)

I'm probably rambling on.  I know I'm not the best writer but I like to share and also keep a record of our lives.

My prayer for this week is that I can get it all done.   There is so much to do before Saturday, I'm a bit overwhelmed.  I have made a list and a schedule for when I'm going to do everything but that doesn't mean it will all get done.  Yesterday, I got all of our clothes washed, did dishes, made dinner, ran Daniel to and from school, addressed and put the invitations in the mailbox, took out the trash, cleaned the litter box out, and did all of the regular stuff on top of giving the boys a bath by myself and straightening the whole main floor over and over. 

Today, I'm washing the bedding for all of our beds, and towels, straightening in the basement (and upstairs), making a card for my Mother-in-Law's birthday.  The basement is a BIG job.  There are toys and mess EVERYWHERE!  Tomorrow will by my running around day and getting errands done - finishing shopping for Xander's presents, getting food ordered, the cake ordered, and getting stuff for the goody bags. The fun never ends!  Haha

Lord, I pray that you give me the energy and time I need to fit it all in and the patience I need to care for the kids on my own for 2 more days.  I pray for my friend Kari who needs comfort and support in her health crisis, my friend Leah who lost a friend this week to cancer, my friend Eileen who suffers with depression, and safe travel for Chris while he's on his business trip.  I ask that you bless my mom-in-law Jocelyn on her birthday today and that she know how loved and special she is.  Also watch over their travel this weekend as they come to see us.  Please be with Jason and Julie as they mourn the loss of Jason's dad and struggle with not knowing if he knew You and believed in You.  Also be with Diane and her family as they mourn her aunt.  I lift all of these people up and trust in You that you will be with them and carry them through.  I also ask that you continue to grow my faith and my relationship with You and help me to be an example to those that I know and love that I might inspire them to open their hearts to You and let you in.  Amen.

Daniel's Immunization Debacle

So, Tuesday, I took all 3 boys in for well-child visits to see how much they weigh, how tall they are and if they needed any shots.  Well, Xander and Daniel did need shots.  Xander got 4 and Daniel had to get 2.  Poor Xander didn't know what was coming and was crying pretty hard but was able to be comforted pretty easily.  Thank GOD my mom came with us.  I would not have able to handle all of it on my own.

Daniel knew what was coming and so he was hiding under the chair in the room.  I had to pick the chair up and move it across the room to get him out from under it.  Then he wrestled with me really hard to get his pants down so they could give him his shots.  He had the last rounds of DTaP and Polio vaccines - 1 in each leg.  The doctor had a little bit of difficulty with his shot because Daniel wiggled a bit and the needle's plunger had a problem.  After he got the shots, he, of course, cried but he was back to himself pretty quickly.  When the doctor told him he was all done with his shots till he was 11, he was really happy.  No more shots for 6 years is good news!

Fast forward to Thursday morning.  We are up and getting ready to go to open gymnastics for the kids to play with our friends.  Daniel is itching himself- down there- so I asked him if he needed to go potty.  He said no, his leg was itchy.  So, I asked him if it was where he had his shot and he said yeah.  So, I had him pull his pants down and a huge red blotch ( the size of my fist) was there.  It was swollen and hard and hot to the touch and if I pushed on it, it hurt him.  I immediately called the doctor's office to see if we needed to bring him in or if I needed to worry about it.  I took 3 1/2 hours for the doctor to call me back.  When he did, he asked me to bring him in. 

After the doctor looked at his leg, he asked some questions and said he didn't think it could be an allergic reaction because he had already had the same shots 3 or 4 times before and had no reaction.  So, we believed it was an infection.  The doctor prescribed a strong antibiotic for him and told me to give him some Benadryl too just for good measure.  So, we did.  Last night during their bath, I looked at Daniel's leg again and it really looked weird to me.  The spot looked like it had gotten larger and grown down his leg and it was changing to a purplish color.  So, I called the doctor's after hours line and waited for a call back.  That doctor told me to take Daniel to the ER and that he probably needed IV antibiotics.  "Great." I thought.  "He's going to HATE this." 

So, I called my mom and she came over to stay with the younger 2 kids ( Nathan was in bed already and Xander was about to go to sleep).  We got up to the hospital around 9:45pm.  We didn't have to wait too long - a decent wait but not terrible.  We brought the DS so Daniel could play games and our Kindles so we could read if we had to be there for a long time.  Once we got to the bed, the doctor was there within minutes and took a look and of course asked more questions.  He and another doctor he called over to look at it, determined that since Daniel was jumping around and not having trouble with it, it was probably just bruised under the surface.  He drew a line around Daniel's spot with a black permanent marker and told us that if it grows anymore to bring him back.  So, praise GOD, he didn't need an IV or anymore shots.  He was quite brave for a 5 year old having to go to the hospital and I'm very proud of how well he did. 

That was not fun but I do believe that all of the prayers he received from all of our wonderful friends and family, made a big difference.  Thanks to all of you who prayed and most of all, thank you, Lord for my son and for him being ok. 

Photos from our Disney Trip

Wow! It's Been a While!

So, I haven't written in quite a while.  I got pretty busy and honestly, a bit uninspired to keep this up.  I'm going to try to get back into it.  I'm going to be posting about various things.  Of course, my kids will be #1 on my list of things to blog about but also I'll be posting about my crafting and my new interest: COOKING! 

I never thought I'd like cooking but I'm growing quite fond of trying out new recipes on my family.  I think Chris is really enjoying it too because he doesn't have to cook most of the time - unless he wants to.  The catalyst was getting my cousin Vicki's cookbook in the mail.  She is a mom and loves to cook so she put together a book full of her favorite recipes and offered it to us to purchase for only $10.  So worth it!  I spent a couple of weeks trying out some of her recipes.  All of them were good!  Some were better received than others but Chris and I liked all of them.  The boys are harder to please.  Xander, however, LOVES to eat whatever we are eating and eats like a champ - for now.   From Vicki's cookbook I made her Chicken Rollatini, Chicken Marsala, Stuffed Eggplant, Apple and Cranberry Stuffed Pork Chops, Shepherd's Pie, Turkey Noodle Bake, Gnocchi with Zucchini & Tomatoes and others.  I'd have to ask Vicki for her permission before I could share her recipes on my blog.  I'm not sure if she'd go for that - since I think she wants to sell more books.  Who wouldn't, right?

Tonight, I made Oven Baked Fish 'n' Chips (a recipe from my Taste of Home Cookbook).  It came out great and since I got Daniel to help me cook, he WANTED to eat it (that's the biggest thing) and then LOVED it and asked if we could have it again.  He also had seconds - which he never does unless it's pizza.  He's been on an "I don't like it.  I'm not going to eat it." kick.  It has been quite frustrating.  Tonight,  I think we may have turned a small corner.  Not only did he help me cook, but when I told him I needed to take a break from cutting the potatoes into fries because my shoulder was hurting, he rubbed it for me.  How sweet is that?  I love my Daniel.  He can be so sweet when he wants to be. 

Speaking of Daniel:  We had a little bit of  a health scare with him today.  I took the boys in to have their "well child" check ups including any vaccinations they needed.  Only Nathan escaped unscathed.  Poor Daniel had to get 2 shots and Xander had to get 4!  Fortunately for Xander, he won't remember it and probably forgot already. Daniel was scared to death and hid under the chair in the exam room.  After I moved the chair off of him, he wrestled with me to get his pants down so they could do his shots.  They did them both at the same time so he'd only go through it once.  Poor guy has what seems to be an infection now where he had one of them.  His leg has a BIG red swollen spot.  It's hot to the touch, was itchy for him and hurt him if anyone touched it.  I called the doctor when I found the spot this morning.  They called me back 3 1/2 hours later and asked me to bring him up to the office.  Doctor said it's probably not a reaction to the shot itself because he'd had that shot 4 other times (this was his last dose) and never had a reaction before.  Probably got some bacteria in it and it got infected.  So, he's on an antibiotic and some Benadryl just to be on the safe side.  Hopefully, it clears up in a day or 2. 

Xander achieved a long-awaited milestone today!  He finally learned how to get down the step down into our family room!  He's been crawling for months, cruising the furniture for quite a while and when distracted can stand up on his own.  We are looking forward to his first steps... hopefully coming soon!  He's a really good baby although he's been a bit spoiled.  We have been holding him for his naps because he wouldn't let us put him down and stay asleep and has yet to have fallen asleep entirely on his own.  We are working on this.  He was sleeping in our bedroom until this past Monday.  We bit the bullet and put him in his crib at night.  He has slept in there 3 nights so far and tonight will be his 4th.  The pack'n'play came down on Monday.  We are not going back to that.  He is doing better with sleeping longer into the night before waking and wanting to nurse.  I'm hoping we are just about done with that.  He only nurses at night now and gets 1 bottle of formula in the evening before bed.  He mostly eats solid foods and is drinking whole milk now.  He also likes water.  He still needs some training with sippy cups though.  He does great with the one with a straw but we only have 1 cup like that. 

I'm ready for sleep again.  I really have not had a full night's sleep in over 5 years now.  I miss it SO MUCH!  I have come to the realization that XanderHaha. 

All in all in closing for today's post: I love being a mommy to my 3 little munchkins.  They are my heart.  They drive me crazy all the time and make my house a constant mess but I can't imagine not having them in my life anymore.  They are forever going to be a part of me - the best part.  I also need to give credit to my wonderful hubby Chris.  He's absolutely my partner and the best daddy I could ever ask for to our kids. 

Have a blessed day or night and thanks for reading!!!