The (Wo)Man In The Mirror

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a post about making changes in my perspective of the way I see myself.  You can read the post here.  I really had been trying to look at myself differently, but not sure I really was.  Then, two weeks ago, I really gave myself a good shake.  I don't remember what I was wearing, but my wonderful husband told me I looked beautiful.  Then my sweet little J told me, "Mommy, you look so pretty".  How could I ignore those compliments?  So, the next morning before I got dressed, I looked at myself in the mirror.  And I mean REALLY looked at myself.  I looked at my body from the front, side, and back.  I looked at the lovely zit on my chin.  I looked at my eyebrows that are in desperate need of some wax.  I looked at the belly that is covered with stretch marks (aka battle wounds).  Then I started to notice other things.  I looked at my muscled quads.  I looked at my bright eyes.  I saw the definition that my arms have.  I looked at my self from the side and realized there is a lot less there.  I saw that my hips are not as "cushy" as they used to be.  I REALLY looked at myself.

And, in that moment, I realized something.  I really do not look bad.  I don't.  For almost 20 years, I have looked down on myself.  I have thought badly about myself.  I have compared myself to other women and always found myself coming up short.  No longer.  As I looked at myself, I came to the realization that all the stress about how I looked was just continually making me stress even more about it.  My husband thinks I'm beautiful.  My daughter thinks I am pretty.  What else do I need?  I have come to the decision that I am simply going to rock what I've got.  Sure, I would still like to lose a little more weight and tone up some areas, but I am no longer going to let this action of putting myself down rule my thoughts anymore.  I have to tell you.  For the past two weeks, I have felt like I have had a one hundred pound weight lifted off of my shoulders and my heart.  I am seeing myself differently.  I am seeing myself clearly.

I'd like to think that part of my new thinking is my re-found relationship with God.  I know that he loves me and cares about me, no matter what I look like.  I would like to think I am FINALLY seeing myself through His eyes.  Now, I know I am not perfect and that I will surely have days where I will get down on myself and start to feel negative again.  But, I vow that I will NOT let that way of thinking rule me.  I will OWN who I am.  Again, I will "ROCK WHAT I'VE GOT"!!  How about you?  Can you look at yourself honestly and see yourself for who you REALLY are and not who your negative thinking THINKS you are?

Have a great day!
With Love!

My New Challenge

It has been no secret that I am on an adventure to get fit, lose weight, and look HOT.  But, unfortunately, I have really hit a wall.  So, I knew I needed to make a change.  I love my Body Pump class, but I have decided to skip it for the next 2 months.  Instead, I have decided that I am going to complete Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred in 30 consecutive days and then follow it up with her Ripped In 30 in 30 consecutive days.  This is something I have never done.  I have completed the Shred before, but I was never able to do it in 30 days straight.  I was trying to do it while doing Body Pump too and I have come to the conclusion that my knees just won't take doing both of them.  I am really excited about this challenge and have even recruited a couple of other people to try it with me.  I started it this morning and was so glad when it was over!!!

Add to it the fact that I am still trying to complete the Couch To 5K program and to continue to train for the Bumble Run 10K in September, and I am one tired mama already today.  But, I know that this is a good thing for me.  I am making very positive changes in my life and am excited about it all.  I know it isn't all about the number on the scale and I think that after my Biggest Loser contest is over, I may only step on the scale about once a month.  I get to stressing about it and it would be nice not to do that anymore.  Bottom line is I want to be healthy and be a good example for my children.  Oh, and I want to look HOT! ;)

I hope that you are having a great Saturday.  The sun is finally out and the kids are cleaning toys.  Not a bad day!
With Love,
Theresa

Ch-Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes

I have decided that I need to make some changes in my perspective of myself. I don't think it is a secret that I am working really hard in the gym (this past week excluded, but give me a break, I have had a kidney stone). I have been trying to watch my diet. I try to be a kind person, a good mother, a great wife, and a constantly learning child of God. But I realized something about myself yesterday. I was determining my self-worth by my appearance. I can not even begin to express how much this bothers me. I have 2 daughters and I do NOT want them to determine their self-worth by the way they look. I have a baby boy that I do NOT want to him view a woman's self-worth solely based on her appearance. I know that if I am viewing myself this way, then I am just teaching them that it is appropriate. This is absolutely NOT okay.

Yesterday, I completely broke down on my mom. I started crying and told her how I was feeling and the I just was so tired of stressing about how I looked and what I weighed and I just don't understand why it had to be this difficult. She lovingly reminded me that I am a kind person, a wonderful mother, a good wife, a great daughter and granddaughter, and that everyone likes me (these are her words, not mine). My mom is a pretty blunt individual. She doesn't lie. If she feels that way, I know that that was how she felt. Well, I then had a 2 hour drive home while the kids watched movies and slept to think to myself about what I was doing. I thought about my diet, my relationships, and myself. I came to these conclusions:

My diet is just not working. I think the biggest problem is that I am working out so much and I am just NOT getting enough food following Weight Watchers. Also, to be honest, I HATE counting all the time. I have become obsessive about it. And I find ways to cheat. I don't like that because then I feel badly about myself. SO, it is just not working. I couldn't sleep last night once I got home. I broke out my South Beach Diet books and gave them a read through. I remember why I LOVED the SBD. It was easy, I didn't have to count anything, it got rid of the belly fat us moms have problem with, and I got to eat meat and eggs. Those are two of my favorite things and I miss them. I can also drink milk, which I love. The only things I really missed on it were pasta and sweets, but you just find other ways to eat them. I decided that I am going back to it. So, starting tomorrow (I have to get to the store tonight to pick up some things!), I will be back on it and I am really excited. Besides, it could be my body needs a jolt because it is just used to the Weight Watchers and the food I eat on it.

My relationships don't really need work, but I really don't think that I enjoy them as much as I should. I have an amazing husband, incredible kids, and wonderful friends. I need to revel in them, enjoy the time I spend with them more. And although my relationship with God has improved SO much, it can always improve and I am very excited to work on this. I am using the Lenten season to help me with this.

Now myself, I think my view on it could use some work. I need to give myself some slack. I am what I am (Did anyone read that as Popeye? Because I certainly said it in my head as Popeye!). I need to learn that that is OK and good enough. Not that I can't improve, but I need to be happy with what I have and what I am. I am NEVER going to be a size 2. It is just not going to happen. I am never even going to look like my mom. I am built like my dad, I just need to get over it and be happy with who I am. I am never going to be a genius, I'm just not. I am never going to be the world's best cook. I am most likely never going to be a marathon runner. I have the goals I have and those goals are OK. I might be a knitwear designer one day. I might be a published author one day. I might be a size 8 one day. I hopefully will be able to run a 10K one day. I will enjoy my friends as we transition together from mommy, to mother, to mother-in-law, to grandmother, and hopefully great-grandmother. I will hopefully watch my children graduate and then eventually walk down the aisle toward the love of their life. I will hopefully enjoy my grandchildren the way I know my parents enjoy theirs. I will hold hands with my amazing husband until the day God calls one of us home. I don't have to be perfect. I'm the best that I am. To quote my mother, "I am a kind person, a wonderful mother, a good wife, a great daughter and granddaughter, and that everyone likes me."

To anyone that reads this, I am going to pay this thinking forward. Be happy with who you are. You are wonderful! God loves you. Your family loves you. Learn to love yourself!

With love,
Theresa

Take It Off Tuesday

I haven't posted one of these in a while, but thought I would let you know. I think I have mentioned that I am running a Biggest Loser contest of Facebook. Well, so far in two weeks, I have lost 9 pounds (6 last week, 3 this week). Not bad. I feel better, and my pants are fitting good again, so that's nice. I can look in the mirror and feel like my body is reconfiguring itself if nothing else. I need to take some measurements so I can see what I am losing inch-wise. I think that will make me happy even on weeks when I don't lose much weight wise.

This contest has been really great. I am enjoying the discussions going on on our Facebook group and everyone has been super supportive of everyone else. It's a contest, but a real morale booster too! If any of you are reading this, thank you so much for participating!

Since my last post was pretty negative (although I was glad I wasn't the only one with some of these pet peeves!), I decided to do 5 things that I find super helpful in my battle against the bulge! I hope you find maybe one thing that helps you.

5. Hershey Bliss Dark Chocolates. They really help keep my sweet tooth at bay. One piece is one point and I make sure I save a point for the end of the day!

4. Brooks Tennis Shoes. They rock! I do like Mizunos too and have went back and forth. But, right now I am wearing Brooks.

3.Progresso Soups. I really like soup as it is and these are low in calorie and they taste excellent. I really like the Vegetable Barley and the Santa Fe Chicken.

2.Pandora Radio. So awesome! As much as it pains me to admit, I put it on Christina Aguilera station and workout until I am exhausted.

1. Jillian Michaels. Ok, did anyone really not know I would put her first?!?! Seriously? I LOVE her, she inspires me so! I really dig her 30 Day Shred and her Yoga Meltdown. Thanks to the wonderful generosity of a friend, I received Ripped in 30 today in the mail. I can't WAIT to give it a try!

What are some of YOUR favorite things to fight the battle with?

With Love,
Theresa

One Hot Mama

I know that I have totally discussed this subject before, but you get it again because I am frustrated at myself and it's my blog, so there (Imagine me sticking my tongue out and stomping my foot). Okay, now that I am over the 2 year old tantrum (I am surrounded by them daily!), I will explain. I know that society expects women to be a certain size, look, etc. I know this and although I am constantly comparing myself, I REALLY try not to. I really do. But it is difficult. But, I am a mommy. I have born and nursed 3 children and my hips and boobs are the evidence of that (never mind the loud little kids running around the house!). In my mind I know this, but when I look in the mirror, it is VERY difficult to remember. I don't have a personal trainer. I don't have a private chef making me perfectly nutritious meals. I don't have a nanny that can take care of the kids so that I can DO those prior things. I am just a regular mommy. Again, I KNOW this. Why can't my brain accept it? I know I have mentioned it, but I have gained some of the weight that I lost last year back. It is really difficult for me. I am doing the Biggest Loser Contest and when I stepped on that scale on Tuesday morning, I PROMISED myself that I would NOT berate myself, no matter WHAT it said. Well, I kept that promise, but I seriously about fell off the scale. I just can't believe that it went that far. I made myself make a promise to myself that I will NEVER ever weigh that again and that I WILL be happy with what I see in the mirror. When I see my hips, I will look at my beautiful children and smile. When I see that my boobs aren't exactly up as high as they used to be, I will remember those little faces buried into my chest. I have to learn to be confident. I HAVE TO!! What kind of example am I setting for my daughters when I feel badly about myself? I want L and J to be confident about themselves. I WANT that for them. So, I will learn to be confident in my appearance. I WILL. I want that for my children, for my husband, and for myself; especially for myself.

So, in that mind, this morning when I was working out, I was listening to my Blackberry and the song "One Hot Mama" by Trace Adkins came on. I've heard this song I don't know how many times. But for some reason, this morning, the lyrics REALLY actually made sense to me. I have decided that this song is going to become my mantra. I have to learn to believe this. The link to the video is here. And the link to the lyrics is here. I think that any mommy reading this should really check it out and start to live by it. Remember, we are ALL "One Hot Mama"s!!!

Sorry for the rambling that totally went on here. I just had a lot of rambling in my brain!

Humble Pie

This morning was an example how one experience can make you feel so many emotions, it is difficult to even comprehend them all. My beautifully talented daughter, L, sang at church this morning with the Little People’s Choir. They do this twice a year, at Valentine’s Day and at Thanksgiving. It is about 10 kids all under the age of about six standing in front of the altar singing their little hearts out and doing a little sign language. What they lack in music ability, they make up in pure enthusiasm and volume. It is just about the most adorable thing you could think of! L stood up there before mass and sang “Jesus In The Morning” with a huge smile on her face. Then after Communion they sang “His Banner Over Me Is Love” complete with arm motions. It is so cute! I was lucky enough to be able to cantor this morning as well. I really enjoyed it; the music selection our choir director came up with was great. The “Allelujia” was particularly fun, as it was very soulful and I was able to play with it a little bit. My cousin and L’s Godmother came to mass with her family to watch L. It was great to see them. Well, the homily this morning was fantastic. I have typed and re-typed trying to explain as Father did, but I am really unable to do it justice. Just know that it was very moving and inspiring. Well, I stopped into the Sacristy to tell Father how much I enjoyed mass and particularly his homily. He thanked me and then gave me one of the best compliments I think I have ever been given. He told me that he truly enjoys my singing during mass and finds it inspiring. WOW! For a Priest to find something I do inspiring was both humbling and flattering at the same time. Then L stuck her head in the door and Father told her what a great job she did singing too. He told me what a beautiful family I had and he was so thankful that we belonged to the church. Seriously, I did not think it was possible to feel so humble, flattered, proud, and inspired all in one morning. I truly felt God’s presence this morning and am grateful that I have found my way back to the church.

It has really been a wonderful weekend. Yesterday, we went to my niece’s 4th birthday party. It was a lot of fun. We went to a skating rink and everyone had a great time. E and I even got to skate hand in hand. Yes, it was completely corny and cheesy, but so fun. It brought back a lot of fond memories of skating parties when I was younger. We even put L and J in skates! They weren’t really sure the first time around, but started enjoying themselves once they forgot about falling and just tried to enjoy themselves. Then we went to Mass this morning and afterwards L and I went to WalMart for a couple of supplies. She asked me if I would make Banana Pudding for dessert tonight. After her wonderful performance this morning, how could I even refuse? After we got home I did some computer work and then we cleaned the house. The toys are all in their boxes and the laundry is all done. It’s been a good day!

The computer work I did today was to get a Biggest Loser Contest set up. I really didn’t expect it to be huge, but seriously, we are talking about a lot of people! I am so excited. The winner of this contest is going to win a lot of money. I am going to quite literally work my tail off to give myself the best shot possible to win. I started gaining back some of the weight I took off last year, and I just refuse to let it go any further. I want to hit my goal! I am seriously excited about this!
With Love,
Theresa

Back To Blogging

I am seriously so excited! I now have a fun new little toy that will enable me to blog much more often and should make it much more convenient to do so! I am very excited about this. In case you can't figure it out, I just got a new computer. Be patient with me though as I am still trying to figure out the new bells and whistles! :)

So, you are probably wondering what has been going on? A lot of course! The kids are crazy and we are all super tired of this weather. Last week it snowed and iced and we couldn't really get out much. Then, to top it off, L had Strep. This was our first experience with the dreaded sickness. I really felt bad because apparently she had had it for a week and I wrote all her symptoms off as the stomach flu. But, she tested positive for it and we got her on anti-biotics and she is doing MUCH better now! Back to her normal self and eating us out of house and home. I swear the kid has a hollow leg!!!

J is doing OK. Speech therapy is going very well and she is doing great! I am trying to get the paperwork in order for her to get going with GLASS where she will actually go to Pre-school anywhere from 1 to 3 days a week for therapy. She really is speaking so much better though. The other night at dinner, she said a full prayer. I was so happy, I had tears coming out of my eyes.

Our Captain Stinky-pants, aka M, is getting so big. He is just a big bulldozer. I'd call him a bully, but he's so sweet about it I just can't. He gives these huge open mouthed smooches that are just adorable. He is starting to say many words too. He is saying "mama", "bye", "cracker", "tractor", and "boo". It is very cute. If you ask him where people are he will point to them. He loves to play with his basketball goal and throw everything like it is a ball.

Things in my life are OK. I have been trying to get back onto the weight loss track, but I just have no motivation. Actually, let me clarify that. In my mind, I have the motivation, but am having trouble making actual progress with it. I have decided to start my own Biggest Loser Contest on Facebook and hope that that will help with the motivation, since it did at this time last year.

I have been doing a lot of knitting. I hope I can get some pics up of things here shortly. I have had a lot of people ask me to make things for them. I just have trouble pricing myself. There is NO WAY to actually get paid for the actual work I put into them, but I would like to make a LITTLE money. I am trying to do some research to figure out how to better price myself. Anyone have any other advice?

I have been reading a lot this year. I need to fix my list at the right of the books that I finished in 2010. I also have a list to put up for 2011. It seems like I am reading a lot of Para-normal fiction recently. I just finished Kitty Goes To Washington by Carrie Vaughn. I did enjoy it. I like how the books take a different perspective on the genre. It seems that most of the para-normal fiction genre revolves around a main character vampire with werewolves in the background. Kitty in these books is a werewolf and the books are all about how she struggles to keep her human life in balance with the Wolf inside of her. I am currently reading Kitty Takes A Holiday and am enjoying it too!

What else? Well, I am super duper tired of this weather. I want spring. I know I live in the WAY wrong state for not liking cold weather, but I can't help it. Actually, I don't mind a little of the cold, but this is getting ridiculous! At least I have pretty and fun knitwear I can use!

Finally, just in case you were wondering, my grandfather is doing okay I guess. He fell earlier this week so that set him back a little bit. He is okay, just a little sore. We are hoping that he will be out of the hospital and home by the end of the month. Thanks for all of the prayers!

I hope that you all have a wonderful day! God Bless!
With Love,
Theresa

Jinkies...It's A Clue!

Happy Tuesday everyone! It has been a very frustrating day with 3 crabby and unlistening children, but made a little better by L running around yelling "ZOINKS!!" and trying to solve a "mystery" with J's help! It is actually very cute, my little Shaggy and Scooby Doo!



As it is Take It Off Tuesday, I will fill you in on the weightloss journey. This week I worked super duper hard. I lost 3.2 pounds!! That brings my total to 64.6 pounds. My original goal was 70 pounds by my 31st birthday. I have since changed that to 80 pounds by Thanksgiving, but it is pretty cool to be so close to my original goal. I'm hoping I can really kick some arse tomorrow (and the rest of today) and maybe get another .4 pounds off to make it an even 65 pounds on my 31st birthday (which is Thursday). I would be pretty darn proud of that!

I did do the newspaper article for our local paper. It should come out on Sunday the 15th. I will share a link if I can find one when it comes out. I was pretty nervous about doing this. The article was a lot more about Obesity in America and how that effects my area. I HATE that word, Obesity. Yes, I know that it is a problem, but it is such a negative word and makes people feel ashamed when they have weight to lose. The journalist that interviewed me said they were having a difficult time getting people to interview, especially women. So, I sucked it up and decided tat if sharing MY story could help even just one person, then it was my responsibility to share it. I hope I didn't sound like a complete idiot and I hope the picture they took of me is at least remotely decent. I guess we will see come Sunday huh?

I am super tired today so I am going to go for now. I've finished 2 books since last we talked so I have a couple of things to share tomorrow! :)
Have a great one!
With love,
Theresa

What To Wear Then??

OK, I have a RANT!!! I am sick to death of the fashion industry!!!

I am a 30 year old woman (let's forget that I turn 31 next week, OK?). I am a Stay At Home Mom. I spend a lot of my time at the gym, at home, or on playdates with friends (both with my kids or without!). I know that I am not the world's most stylish person, I admit that fully. However, I like to at least look decent, even if not wearing the latest fashions to show on "Project Runway".

Now, I have lost weight, that isn't a secret (I'm down another 2.2 pounds this week, but gained 2 last week somehow, so no biggie. I'm down 61.4 pounds total). I won a MACY's Gift Card through my Biggest Loser contest and went to the mall to see what I could find. NADA. Seriously. It is SO frustrating! I am too old to shop in the Juniors section, but too young to shop in the Misses section. I don't want to look like a teenager, but come on! I don't want to look like I'm 50 either! Now, I don't normally shop too much at MACY's because it is usually out of my price range, but I figured I would see if I could find anything. I found a few cute things, but just felt they made me look too young, too old, or just too dang goofy! Or, the few things that looked decent were WAY out of my price range or I just wasn't willing to spend my free $25 on them.

So, my question is this...WHY CAN'T THE FASHION INDUSTRY DESIGN THINGS WITH THE 30 YEAR OLD MOM IN MIND?????? There was a joke among my friends that we need to have a "Forever 31" store instead of "Forever 21"!!

Bottom line, I just wish SOMEONE would design an AFFORDABLE line of clothes with Moms like me in mind!!!

OK, done. How are you today??
With Love,
Theresa

Hoping To Get Back To The Grind!!

Wow! Is it really Friday? As crazy as this week has been I have to admit that I can't believe it is Friday already! Some part of me find it a little sad that this SAHM looks forward to Fridays so much. I mean, it isn't like my life changes at all on the weekends. I still have to get up with the kids since E runs both Saturday and Sunday morning. I still do all my mommy duties on the weekends. But, I look forward to Fridays so much. Part of it is that we do our grocery shopping on Friday nights. Many people find this very odd, I know. When E and I were dating, we grocery shopped together, we continued this after we were married. When L, then J, then M came along, we just continued all going together (granted, we have had to add a second cart to our trip!). Friday nights usually aren't quite as busy so if the kids throw a fit then I don't feel like they are disturbing that many people. And it has really just become part of our routine. The kids know that Friday nights are for groceries. Now, if we have something else come up, we are flexible, but I have to admit it completely throws off my weekend if we have to go Saturday morning!



Boy, that was exciting information about my family wasn't it? :)



So, what else has been going on? I don't have a whole lot to report, we've just been busy. Last week we went to my parents' house for a couple of days and had a great time, but were ready to get home. It is always fun to visit with Grandma and Grandpa (aka Pappy). L got to ride a horse and all 3 played in the baby pool.



On the weightloss front, I lost 4 pounds last week, then this week I GAINED 2 pounds. I am giving up trying to figure it out!! Seriously, it is getting ridiculous! I am chalking it up to hormones and bigger muscles, but I really feel like I take 2 steps forward and 1 step back every other week. I know that it will all get off eventually if I keep working like I have been, I just have to keep having the faith in myself. One neat thing about this through, is I might be in the newspaper. One of the managers at my gym called me yesterday and asked if I would be interested in being in an article about working towards my weightloss goal! She said the newspaper asked for suggestions and she instantly thought of me since I have been working so hard and am having good (usually) success. I haven't heard from the writer yet, but still, pretty neat to be considered for it.



Books to be reviewed? You betcha!



I have finished 3 books since my last Book Worm review. Here is what I thought!



The Accidental Demon Slayer & The Dangerous Book For Demon Slayers both by Angie Fox were both pretty entertaining. They are about an ordinary girl who finds out on her 30th birthday that she is in fact a Demon Slayer by birth and now that she is 30, she has duties to fulfill. And if she doesn't fulfill them then all of hell is going to be gunning for her. I had been eyeing these books in the library for a while and am glad that I was finally able to get them read. I enjoyed them. They didn't take a lot of thought and were pretty easy reads. I just checked out the newest in the series of 3 so far (sorry, I can't remember its name!). I will read it soon as soon as I get some others marked off!



The other book I finished was Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke (you can find her at http://www.murdershebaked.com/- isn't that the neatest website name?). I LOVE these murder mysteries. They are all about Hannah Swendsen who has a bad habit of finding dead bodies. She is a baker and owns a Cookie Store in Minnesota. Each book has a ton of recipes in them. They all sound so yummy. I think this Christmas I may try and check some out to make some new cookies for Christmas!! This book is great, as are all of hers. They are NOT difficult to read, don't take a lot of thinking (which is what I am looking for in a fiction book!) and are enjoyable. The only bad thing about these books...they make me hungry!!



I do have some knitting done, but do not have pictures of them so next week, I will make sure I indulge you all with some fiber therapy!



So, it is Friday. I am really enjoying these meme's about Getting to know you and other varieties. Today is from "My Little Life" at http://www.fivecrookedhalos.blogspot.com/ (for some reason my link button is not working, hence giving you the addresses!). As always, read mine, go to her site to get the questions, write them on your blog and leave me a link so I can check yours out! If you don't have a blog, leave me your answers in the comments!

1. Did you have a favorite blanket or toy as a kid? If so, do you still have it? Yes, I did. I had a piggy blanket. This wasn't a blanket with pigs on it, it was a blanket in the shape of a pig. Unfortunately, I don't have it anymore, but I REALLY wish I did!
2. Do you dream in color? Yes, I think so.
3. How tall are you? Do you wish you were shorter or taller? I am 6 feet tall and I love it! I have always loved my height. To make it even better, I love to wear heels, the taller the better! My friends hate it when I do, but I married a 6'5" man for a reason!
4. If you could have anyone's (celeb or other) voice as the guide on your GPS, who would it be? I am going to say either Sean Connery or Gerard Butler. Gotta love those accents!!
5. Do you return your shopping cart to the corral or leave it wherever in the parking lot? It depends. I would love to say that I ALWAYS return them, but that would be a lie. If I am not alone or am parked near a corral, I return it. But, if I am by myself with 3 kids and the corral is not right next to me, then I put it in the "median" area of the parking lot in front of my space (if I can). I do not just leave it wherever though. It is just too difficult to try and get 3 kids in the car and then try and find the corral. I do try very hard to park next to the corral though so I can avoid leaving the cart out, even if we have to walk a little farther!

That is me...how are you doing?

Have a great one!

With love,

Theresa

Books, Movies, Like Borders Without The Music

Happy Wednesday! I LOVE Wednesdays! I do I do! My In Laws are here and they let me leave the house! It was fantastic! I only went to Walmart, but I walked all over the store, just looking at things. I had headphones in and listened to music so I didn't have to talk to anyone. It was FABULOUS!!

It has actually been a good week so far. I am only frazzled because of poor M. His teeth are HOPEFULLY coming in and the poor kid has been screaming his head off for 2 days! I wish I could just magically make them come in for him. But, I guess that is part of being a parent huh?

Monday night I was blessed to spend the evening knitting with my wonderful neighbor and 2 friends at Nine Irish Brothers (a fantastic Ireland themed bar!) It was so much fun. My neighbor and I taught my friends Melissa and Casey to knit! I think Casey is HOOKED! She actually came over the next day and the kids played together so we could knit together some more! Why else did she come over you might ask? Well, she hadn't seen Twilight: New Moon yet and she needed to see it! Because....WE ARE FINALLY GOING TONIGHT!! I am SO SO happy!!! I have been waiting sort of patiently on my friend Jaeneen get home from vacation so we could go together. They say this one is awesome! I can't wait! I've had my movie knitting ready to go for 2 days now. Yes, before you ask, I DO knit during the movies. If it is a simple pattern, it is an easy and fun thing to do.


I tried a new class at the gym today. Cardio Box. It was actually REALLY fun. I was pretty proud of myself, I never had to quit because I was out of shape. I didn't totally get all the moves and probably looked ridiculous, but who cares! I would FINALLY get the routine and the instructor would switch it up! I really felt like Tea Leoni

in "Fun With Dick & Jane" as she tries to teach at her gym. Too funny! I think I will try it again to see if it gets easier.

Just FYI, since I didn't post yesterday, I gained a pound this week. I'm not stressing about it. I think either I've hit the point where my body is trying to hold on to the fat because of nursing, or it is just yo-yoing a it. There is NO way I ate enough/didn't exercise enough to gain a pound, so it can't be a stresser. It will all work out.

So, would you like a book review? I finished Moon Spinners by Sally Goldenbaum last week, but I didn't get it reviewed, so here you go. :)

I enjoyed this book. It is the 3rd in a series about knitting mysteries, but unfortunately I have not read the second one. I apparently missed that one on the shelf. I've read enough mysteries that I usually don't have too much problem figuring out who done it. This book kept me guessing. I thought I had it figured out and then thought I didn't. I really did enjoy it. I have the 2nd one that I missed on hold at the library so I look forward to reading it and maybe figuring out a couple of the references they made in Moon Spinners to it. If you like knitting mysteries, go for it!

Now I am reading The Accidental Demon Slayer by Angie Fox. It is kind of corny, but not a bad read so far.


I am VERY excited by a find at WalMart though. I found this:

for $5! I have LOVED this movie since I was a little girl. Whenever we used to have slumber parties, we ALWAYS rented "Adventures In BabySitting" and "Can't Buy Me Love" (Hello, Dr. McDreamy!!). Now, if I can find it, I will be ecstatic!!


I'm sill working on my 101 things. Any other suggestions?

So, it has been a good day. CAN'T WAIT FOR THE MOVIES TONIGHT! Okay, I'm done.

How has your day been?
With Love,
Theresa

Day Of Success!

What a day it has been! The best news of today?? My bestie had a new little baby boy this morning!!! I can not WAIT to see him! Granted, he is in Ireland and I will have to wait until December to actually see him in person, but still, I can't WAIT to see his pictures at least! Baby C made his grand appearance at 6:45am Ireland Time this morning. He weighed in at 6 pounds 15 ounces and mommy and baby are doing great!! Assuming she gives me the go ahead, I will post some pics when I have them!


Also good news is that I lost 5.4 pounds today! Seriously! Apparently gaining a pound last week helped get me over the stupid plateau I was on. I am glad. It was nice to see a good drop this week!


I've been seeing a lot of other bloggers have been doing a "101 things to do in 1001 days". I tried to find a single link to this, but all I could find was this. I don't know if this Day Zero actually started this idea or not, but I think it sounds like a lot of fun. So, I am making my list of things to do. Once I get them done and posted, I will make sure to put up a page so you can see how I am doing. Anyone else doing this? Leave me a note in the comments so I can check your 101 things.

Not much else today. I hope you all had a safe and fun 4th of July!
With Love,
Theresa

What I Look Like On My 100th Post!

This is my 100th post for Full Time Job!! Granted, for the first 2 years, I wasn't a very good poster and have only really been a decent poster in the past couple of months, but it is still my 100th post, so GO ME! :)

So, today is Take It Off Tuesday. I promised that I would be honest in my postings, so in the attempt to be honest, I will tell you that I gained a pound this week. I was prepared for this. I was SO tired of counting POINTS and stressing about it all that I took the week off of counting. I tried not to go overboard, but did enjoy myself a little bit. I ate more than I should have, but life moves on. So, I was prepared for a pound this morning. I started counting again this morning and feel more motivated already! The only problem now is I threw my back out yesterday and haven't worked out since Sunday. :( Hopefully the back will be better tomorrow. As I type, I am sitting with the hot pad on it, so I am hoping that helps! My plan is to work really hard this week (as soon as I can!) and REALLY watch my POINTS so hopefully I will have a big loss this week!

I've had a lot of people ask to see what I looked like now that I have lost over 50 pounds. I was able to get dressed up over the weekend had got a couple of pictures taken. So, I will share.

This is me before. This pic was taken at M's baptism in December 2009 (sorry it isn't a great pic, but it is all I've got!):


This is me now:


This is me and my hot hubby!


Thank you so much to everyone for being so supportive of me throughout my weight loss journey! It means so much. I am re-motivated and ready to hit my goal!

With Love,
Theresa

Wednesday Catch Up

Does anyone have an ark we could borrow? The animals are starting to come out 2 by 2! Seriously, this rain is ridiculous! And even when it isn't raining, there is a constant threat, so it makes planning outdoor activities such a pain! Here are some pics my hubby took yesterday around our town...crazy huh? And to be honest, we haven't been hit near as hard as some others!




I didn't get a chance to blog yesterday so let me tell you how my weigh in went. I lost 1.2 pounds this week. I am struggling to remember that the smaller I get the slower the weight needs to come off so that it STAYS off. Anyone else have trouble with this. I feel like I am working so hard that it should still just be melting off like it did in the beginning. I'm also hitting that point where I don't want to count POINTS or calories or anything. I just want to eat what I want to eat. But, I know that is what got me into this situation in the first place so I need to stay strong, but it is difficult!

I do have some book reviews for you! I just finished the last of the 3 Fat City Mysteries by Kathryn Lilley. Now, I have read a lot of mysteries. I've read enough of them to know how mystery novel writers write and can usually tell you "who dun it" by about 3/4 of the way through. I have to admit that with these, I was somewhat stumped. They were very well written. I really enjoyed them. The books are Dying To Be Thin, Killer Workout, and Make-overs are Murder. For a brief summary of the books go here. With all of the weight loss and exercising that I have been doing, these book totally fit right into my life. They really were good. I enjoyed the main character Kate. She was interesting and was easy to root for. I suggest them if you are looking for something new to read!

If you have read much of my blog, you know that I enjoy the good vampire or supernatural tale. I LOVE the show True Blood on HBO and have just started reading The Southern Vampire Series by Charlaine Harris starring Sookie Stackhouse. The first one is Dead After Dark and so far I am really liking it, even though it is pretty much the first season of True Blood. But, I am enjoying it so far, I hope I will continue to do so. I'll let you know!

Have a great day!!
With Love,
Theresa

Thanks and Catching Up!

Thank you so much to everyone for all their prayers for my friends. Both are still hanging in there! Jen is actually slowly waking up as I type this! It just goes to show that God is Good and that all these people praying DOES make a difference! Thank you!!

I need to play a little catch up here if you don't mind. This week has been a little chaotic, but I am trying to get back on track!

TAKE IT OFF TUESDAY: This week was NOT so great in the weight loss department! I only lost 2 tenths of a pound! I was REALLY upset about this until I realized a few things. First, that is 2/10ths that I will NEVER see again! Secondly, this has been a MAJORLY stressful week and stress and weight loss do NOT go very well together, plus I tend to stress eat and the kids' animal crackers are KILLING ME! Next, I have started to notice some major definition in my arms which means more muscle and less fat. So, 2/10ths isn't so bad. I can deal with that!

BOOK WORM WEDNESDAY: I do have a book t0 review, but it is the first in a series and I am on the second of the series. There is one more and when I am done with it, I will fill you in on all three. They are actually pretty good!! Hopefully next week, I will be able to review all three of the Fat City Mysteries for you!

FIBER THERAPY THURSDAY: I gave my MIL her hooded scarf yesterday. She seemed to really like it! I am SO glad. I was a little worried! Here is a pic of me wearing it:


Right now I am working on a couple of things: a baby blanket for J's speech therapist a shawl for me for this wedding we are going to (I only have to weave in the ends and block i though), a scarf for mom, and I am getting ready to start her hat. I'm sure there are more things though, those are just the REALLY current ones!

So, that is it for today! I hope you all have a wonderful day and thanks again for the prayers!
With Love,
Theresa

Why Do We Do It?

OK ladies...why do we do it? Seriously, why do we do it to ourselves? What am I talking about? I'm talking about comparing ourselves to others. Every woman does it. If you sit there and say that you don't, well, you are lying to everyone, even yourself. We all do it. We can be completely happy, and in the time it takes to watch a TV commercial or even take in a breath, we are comparing ourselves to the woman next to us, or the woman on that commercial. Where is this coming from you might be asking, well let me tell you.

I lost 2 pounds this week. I am EXTREMELY happy about it. I am. I have come to terms with the fact that the more weight I lose, the slower it will come off. I know that is a good thing and it means that the weight will hopefully stay off. So, I am happy with the loss, that was until I went to the gym. I didn't even get into the door before I did the comparison game. Another mom walked in at the same time I did with 3 little ones as well. Hers were a little older than mine, but that wasn't really the point. The point in my eyes was that this mom looked phenomenal!! I mean really great: very thin and muscular, tan and really pretty. She was all of those things that every mom wants to look like after having kids. Then during class I got to talking to a mom that has 2 girls the same age as mine and a little boy that is 4 months old. She looked great too! Seriously great. It just really made me start to get down on myself. Yeah, I've lost over 50 pounds, but still have so much to go. I don't look like that. My belly is not flat and doesn't seem to be shrinking. My arms are still big and since they are WAY muscley (yes, I make up words!) always will be. It just made me sad. Isn't that ridiculous? I should be so stinking proud of the work that I have put in and the results I have gotten. I should be shouting from the roof tops because as of this morning, I am the smallest that I have been since before E and I got married. I should be VERY proud. And, in some respects I am. But it is difficult because I don't see it. Obviously I know that I am smaller, I am in smaller clothes, therefore, I MUST be a smaller person. But I don't see it. I still see that fat woman that is 50 pounds heavier if not more. I don't see that my waist is really getting smaller and my curves are "bangin'". Why don't I see that?

Because I don't look like this:


Or This:


Or This:


(Yes, this is 2 months AFTER her son was born!)

Those are what society tells us we moms should look like. Well, society, you have my apologies, but I don't look like that. Most likely, I never will. I don't have someone to cook and clean for me. I don't have someone to watch my kids for hours at a time so I can have a trainer work me out and help me get cut (before anyone comments yes, I take my kids to the gym for 90 minutes almost every day, but I think you get my meaning here, right?!?!). Society, THAT IS NOT THE NORM!!! Can we say it again? THAT IS NOT THE NORM!!!!! Every day women do NOT look like that. Should we feel bad about it? NO. We shouldn't. Do we? YES we do.

It is so frustrating to me. I WANT to be happy with what I see. I have 2 beautiful daughters that I want SO badly to grow up with a healthy body image. I have a son that I want to grow up to appreciate a REAL woman, not some plastic bimbo (I am not calling Jennifer Garner, Rebecca Romijn, or Heidi Klum plastic bimbos here. They are BEAUTIFUL women and I celebrate them for their accomplishments, I'm just saying again that they are not the norm.) that he has plastered up on his wall. I don't want my daughters thinking they have to look like Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan to get a boyfriend. I don't want M to think his woman has to look like ANY of these women. I want them all to respect themselves and the women around them. But, how do I do that when I have a difficult time doing it for myself?

I need to get over it. My body is strong. Those hips...yeah, they birthed 3 beautiful babies. Those legs...they walked many laps around the nursery and have ran after little ones running away in delight. Those arms...they have rocked 3 angels to sleep. That belly...well, it housed the 3 best things I have ever done. My body does what it is supposed to do. I should revel in the fact that it is healthy and not bring myself down for the fact that it doesn't look like any of those other women. E loves me for me, curves and all. I need to love me for me, because I AM THE NORM!!

OK, I'm done. I hope you all have a wonderful day. Celebrate yourself! You deserve it!
With love,
Theresa

Weight Loss Contest Take 2

Today is the start of my second Biggest Loser Contest a friend of mine runs. I am really excited about it! I am hoping to lose at least 20 pounds this time around. As of right now, I am over 50 pounds less than when I started this journey on January 26th. That's right, you read 50 POUNDS!!! To be honest, I feel fantastic! I am in a lot smaller clothes than when I started, I feel better, I have more energy (well, as much energy as one can have with a 7 month old that doesn't sleep!). I am stronger and more fit. I feel like I can chase the kiddos around a little easier. I just overall just feel better! So, my goal for the contest is 20 pounds, but overall I think I would like to lose a total of 30 more. That would put me at minus 80 pounds which would really be kick ass! I can't even imagine how good I would look and feel if I were to hit that!

I was able to try something new at the gym too. I have REALLY bad knees (2 knee surgeries and arthritis at 30...it sucks) so I have never been really good at Stairmasters. But, I thought, that I am 50 pounds lighter, I would give it a try on Sunday. I only did it for 15 minutes just in case my knees exploded on Monday. It felt really great! I am excited! I can add something else to my workouts. I don't want to get bored. I have to keep adding/trying new things. I tend to plateau really easily and doing different things usually helps keep those at bay! So, tomorrow, going to try for 20 minutes on the Stair climber machine. Today I went up in weight at Body Pump. Probably not the best idea seeing as I am REALLY tired, but it still felt great! There is just something very satisfying about upping the weight and feeling that good tired feeling. Plus, I LOVE doing bicep curls...instant gratification, especially now that I am getting trimmer, those biceps really pop!!

I really missed writing last week and over the weekend. I'm anxious to get back into the swing of things!

With Love,
Theresa

What A Crazy Week This Has Been!

I'm really not doing very well here with this blogging the past 2 weeks, am I? I apologize, life just has been crazy as I am sure it is for all of you!

Last week was the week of doctor appointments in this house! M had an ENT appointment, L and I had eye doctor appointments, and M had an eye appointment and had one eye probed. Then this morning, he had tubes put in his ears. Crazy huh? Good news is that L's eyes are fine and she doesn't need glasses. I am getting new specs and can't wait for them to come in!! They are extremely cool!! M is doing well now, he is resting comfortably in his room and hopefully will be feeling great when he wakes up (doubtful, but one can hope!) He still has to have the other eye probed, but that will be in June. So, after a stressful week of appointments, we can rest a bit!

It is Tuesday and I do have some weight loss to report! Technically this week I lost about 6 pounds, but not really. Remember? I had gained 3 at my mom and dad's house over last weekend, but I'm not really counting those. So, I really lost about 3.2 pounds. In total I am down 48.8 pounds!!! I have hit my 4% goal for in between Biggest Loser contests. The next one begins June 1st. I know that I most likely won't win it, but I am going to use it to help me get the next 20 pounds off! I would love to ht my goal before the end of it!!

I know I have missed the past 2 Munchy Time Mondays so you are probably really wanting a recipe huh? I know you all just crave my wonderful culinaryness (no, not a word, but one I will use anyways!). So, I have given this some thought and decided on Chili Parmesan Chicken and Cake Cookies. The chicken is SO good and moist and the cookies are a very easy recipe that always gets RAVE reviews!! I could sit down and eat them all by self! Not that I would mind you as that would be bad. Nor have I ever done that, nope not me, not ever! :) Okay, maybe once! :)

Chili Parmesan Chicken
(from www.kraftfoods.com)
1/4 c. KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese
2 rs. chili powder
6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves

Mix cheese and chili powder in pie plate. Add chicken, turn to evenly coat all sides. Place chicken in shallow baking dish (spray first!!). Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Cake Cookies
(origin unknown)

1 box cake mix (I've tried these with just about ANY kind, lemon though are my favorite!)
1 egg
2 c. cool whip
powdered sugar

Mix first 3 ingredients. The mixture will be dry...do NOT add more Cool Whip, trust me on this!! Shape into balls, roll into powdered sugar. Bake 10-12 minutes in 350 degree oven. Let cool on pan for about 2 minutes, move to wire rack to finish cooling (assuming they last that long!) Makes around 3 1/2 dozen cookies.

I hope that you enjoy these recipes as much as I do!!

Have a great day everyone!
With love,
Theresa

And The Days Go By...

I'm so sorry I've been MIA for a week! Last week got really busy and so far this week shows NO sign of slowing down! It is doctor appointment central this week, seriously!!

Today is Take It Off Tuesday and I am supposed to tell you about my weight loss. Well, huh. I weighed myself on Friday morning because I knew I was taking 3 days off from exercising and from eating as I have been eating because I was going to visit my parents and I knew it would be a glutton food fest! We went to Red Lobster on Saturday for my grandparents 60th wedding anniversary. That's right, I wrote 60! Isn't that amazing? It is just so inspiring to see 2 people still so in love after all those years. They are so cute together! Anyways, I ate WAY too much! Then my aunt made breakfast for everyone Sunday morning and it was awesome! So, I was really feeling it come yesterday morning. This morning, I got on the scale, knowing full well that I was going to have to accept the damage I did over the weekend. Well, I GAINED 3 pounds since Friday!! Yes, I know that some of that is water weight and I am feeling a little PMSy too, but still! Wow! So, I really worked my tail off in the gym today. Let's hope that I can get that off soon. I really would like to hit 50 pounds in the next 2 weeks! Wish me luck!

I am finding though that this will forever be a battle. I just love to eat. The thought of not counting points now really scares me. I only have so much self control. If the bad stuff isn't around me, I do okay, but when faced with it directly, it is very difficult for me to walk away from. I dream of ice cream and cake and pizza and steak. I just love food! I think I could have been a foodie, but when it comes down to it, I'm really not all that particular. I just really like to eat. So, once I hit my goal, I am probably going to have to work even harder just to keep it off than I did getting it off. Anyone else have experience with this? Any advice?

I hope that you all had a wonderful Mother's Day on Sunday! I did. We didn't do much, but it was really nice. I did get two beautiful pansies in pretty pots painted by my adorable girls thanks to my wonderful neighbor! They are very cute! What fun things did your family do?

I hope that you all have a wonderful day!!
With Love,
Theresa

Another One Bites The Dust!

Another pound that is! I weighed in this morning and now my total is 43.6 pounds!! YAY!! It was a little weird to see only a loss of 1 pound after all the big numbers I have been dropping, but I know that the weight loss needs to slow down if I want to keep it off. I also have been lifting so much more and muscle weighs more than fat. I MUST remember that! I went to Body Pump this morning and we did a new track (#71 if you are familiar). WHOOO! Killer! I upped my weight a little in the upper body too so that even made it more killer. But, man do I feel good about it. It is that good kinda sore, where you know the benefits will SO be worth it! I have my friend Casey going with me. It is a blast! LOVE IT!!

OK, so my complaint for the day...This old woman in Hobby Lobby! Now, let me preface this by saying that I truly respect my elders. I think older people have a lot to teach us and I have so much respect for the lives that they have lived and the knowledge and experience they have gathered in that life. That said, this woman, seriously! Here's what happened. I took the 3 kids to Hobby Lobby. Sometimes they can be good, but today was NOT one of those times. By the time we got to the check-out, I had had about all I could take. There was only one lane open and the line was long. There was another family in front of me (a woman, her hubby, and their 2 kids). This elderly lady got in line behind me with what I am going to assume was her middle age daughter. It had to be very obvious that I was barely hanging in. L kept touching everything even after repeatedly told not too, J kept TRYING to touch everything, and M was crying. I was trying to handle it, but it was quite clearly NOT going well. Another cashier FINALLY came up and opened another lane. She said quite clearly, "The next person in line please step over here." Well, the next person in line was the family in frontof me. The mother though took one look at me, and said, "You go ahead hon." I smiled and told her thank you. I started to head over to the other lane when the old lady behind me seriously cut me off and went instead. I was FLABBERGASTED!! What made her think it was her turn? I mean, had she been by herself and was having a hard time, I probably wouldn't have thought anything of it, but she wasn't. She had help. I did not. I ALWAYS try to let older people go ahead of me if I can, always. Would it have been too much to ask for her to let 3 kids and a very flustered mommy go so we could just get out of the store making EVERYONE's shopping experience better? Seriously? No? Well, I guess not! Ok, done complaining!

I voted today. I didn't really feel like I was prepared to go vote. Is it better to vote somewhat uninformed or to just not vote? Well, I firmly feel like if you don't vote, you shouldn't bitch about the government. I want my right to bitch so I went and voted. Luckily for all but like 4 positions, there was only one person running, so that made it all easier. And the 4 positions with more than one person...well, I think I voted OK. If you haven't voted yet, get out there, you still have about an hour!!

Don't forget to go vote for my friend Natalie at Mommy On Fire. Click here for the details!

Did you know that today is Star Wars Day? MAY the FOURTH be with you! :)

Have a great one!
With love,
Theresa