Frugal Friday

 

Fridays are one of the two days each week that I watch a friend's little girl.

She is 4 months older then Little Man... but still two year's old... so Fridays means two-two year olds.

Fun right!?!??!

We do have fun, it's fun watching little man interact with someone his own age.

They play well together. Like any friends we have our scuffles. But for the most part we are able to talk it through and work it out.

One thing that both of them LOVE is arts and crafts. We color, glue, stick with stickers. But it can get expensive.

I used to browse Target and Walmart for deals on coloring books, stickers, and crayons and markers. Sometimes I would get lucky and they would have some arts and crafts items in the dollar section but not always. I got some pretty awesome deals after the back to school season passed and everything was put into clearance sections. But it was still more the I wanted to spend.

Then I happened to be in the local Dollar store. One of the one's where  "everything is really a dollar store". Not some of those fake dollar stores that have stuff for $5.00/ $10.00/ and even $15.00. Every. Single. Thing was $1.00!

And they have a whole teacher supply section. Full of Stickers, Markers, Crayons, and some great charts and posters too! I will never go back to my old ways of buying arts and crafts supplies!

Little man can't tell the difference between $3.00 crayons and $1.00 crayons. He colors, breaks a few into pieces and moves on to the next activity.Their Stickers are the teach stickers ... so they say "great job" "well done" but he loves them.And double bonus, we are using them on our potty chart every time he is successful :o) And their coloring books are all characters he knows, Sesame Street, Winnie the Pooh, and we even snagged some Dora and Diego.

So . . . that my friends, is how this girl is saving her pennies! 


Adios Mis Amigos,

Thankful Thursday

Gratitude Creates It's Own Attitude

And today a new Attitude is exactly what I needed. Call it PMS, hormonal, or just plain cranky. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. Little man was still sound asleep but I couldn't shut off my brain.

As I sat in a silent house sipping on my piping hot cup of coffee I was cranky. Toys were scattered all over the floor, the kitchen that I cleaned the night before was messy, and the floors I vacuumed had crumbs scattered all around.

It was in that moment that I felt something poke my heart. I needed to be thankful!!!

Thankful that my son is healthy and able to run around the house and make a mess.

Thankful that I am able to be home full time and have the opportunity to clean the kitchen throughout the day!!!!

Thankful that we always have food in our fridge, that our pantry is full of snacks that leave little bits and crumbs on the floor.

Clearly there are bigger problems in the world then a messy house, dirty kitchen, and crumbs on the floor.

God has blessed this family, my family, with so much. More then I could have ever asked for.

"Lord help me to never forget all that you have done. Help me to always stop and see the blessings, ignore the frustrations and most of all be Thankful in all things, for everything!"



Adios Mis Amigos,

Do over . . . .day 8

 Day 8


I have been really bad at updating my do over. . . part of that is because I'm working on spending less time online during little man's awake hours. . . really concentrating on our preschool activities. By the time he is in bed for the night, I'm exhausted and can't even muster up the energy to write.

I will say the weight loss is going great . . . 8 pounds down and we are on day 8 . . . the biggest part of all of this is getting into the habit of making healthy choices in every aspect of my life. Healthy choices with food,  time management, and every day life.

I've realized that you truly have to be conscious of every choice. How easy it is for me to jump to frustration or irritation . . . instead I'm making an conscious choice to choose patience and flexibility. Instead of spending 30 minutes on facebook browsing, I'm choosing to go gather up laundry and get a load started and listening for the end of the cycle to change it over . . . little tiny changes, that make a BIG difference in my life, my son's life, and our family.

I feel less frazzled, more organized and just generally happier. 
All in all..... a good thing

So today, dayis Amigos, All

Do Over Day 2 . . . TAKE TWO

I know what your thinking, day two take two. . . I didn't even make it past day one.
NOPE

Hubs was such a sweetie pie and made me a mother's day feast of a breakfast Saturday morning.
Cinnamon Raisin French Toast, Crispy Bacon and pineapple orange juice.
YIKES . . . .my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

So, I didn't plan my juice cleanse calendar very well.
Starting right before Mother's Day . . .not smart !
Just goes to show you the best plans are not always the best plans :o)

We had family events all weekend long to celebrate all of the mama's in my life. . .
and sticking to the "nothing but juice" was just not going to happen.

But I will say, after a full day of juicing on Friday and now Monday and Tuesday under my belt I notice a huge difference. YES I AM HUNGRY!!!!
but my hungry that I felt before,
the hungry that would make me go to the pantry and grab a salty snack
wasn't really hungry.
 I'm learning what hungry really feels like.

So far I have had 48 hours of nothing but raw homemade juices.
(and my morning coffee cause no one would survive in this house without it)
 I feel good. Yes hungry, but not chew my arm of hungry.

So far I have been sticking to the green juices
because I think they have the most bang for my buck
with what I'm trying to do. (rid my body of nasty waste and toxins)

My Favorite Recipe is The Classic Green
(also found from the documentary "Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead)
1 bunch of Kale (4-5 stalks depending on thickness)
4 Stalks Celery
1 Large Cucumber (the bigger the better)
2 Granny Smith Apples ( I used 3 cause they were smaller)
1/2 Lemon (I used 1 whole cause again, smaller)
and 1 Inch Ginger

It's fresh, loaded with good for you stuff, and pretty good.

*disclaimer, I love fruits and veggies. This is pretty "veggie" tasting, so if you want it sweeter you could use Gala or Red Delicious Apples

So far after 2 Full days of Juicing I'm down 4 pounds
(these are not normal results, I am a big girl, and have alot to loose)
But more importantly then the pounds lost.
Its the realization that I have not been listening to my body.
I have not been hearing, or maybe been choosing to ignore it.

So today, I'm listening.
 

Adios Mis Amigos,

Day 1 of 14 . . . Reality Check.

 

I'm fat. There I said it. Not just fat, but my BMI means I'm morbidly obese. 

(gonna go cry in the bathroom be right back) 

It's been a long time coming folks. Seriously. 

I have been chunky my whole life. Always been the girl that loved food. 

But I would have never said Morbidly OBESE! 

I remember the first time someone called me fat. 

I was a Freshman in high school. 

It was new student orientation and 

as if I wasn't scared enough to start a new school, new friends, a whole new life.

I walked into the crowded auditorium and sat down on the bench 

and the stupid jerk-balls at the other end of the bunch jumped up 

and threw themselves off the bench.

As if my 180pounds catapulted them. 

I was mortified. I wanted to die. 

But instead I went home after school that day 

and stuffed my face with McDonald's French Fries.

I went through College and maintained my weight, but still turned to food when things didn't go well. 

If I was sad, I ate a pizza. 

I was happy, I had cheesy fries. 

Post college was a different story. 

I left school early and so I was alone. 

All of my friends were still out a school and most of nights were me, home alone, snacking. 

The pounds went on. 

Then I met hubs. He called me beautiful. He loved me. Adored me. 

Despite my size, shape, or inward feelings. 

We ate pizza together. Ice Cream, amazing Mexican.

The pounds went on.  

We got married, but I still felt loved and adored. 

I couldn't shop at my normal stores but he told me I looked gorgeous.

Despite it all,  at the end of the day, 

no matter how bad I felt about myself. 

He loved me. 

The pounds went on. 

Then I got pregnant. Because I was overweight when I got pregnant 

I had to watch every single bite I took. 

I Managed to only gain 17 pounds my whole pregnancy. 

And when I left the hospital I had acutally lost 20 pounds. 

But anyone with children, knows how difficult those first few years were. 

I was in Texas, missing my family. So I ate. 

I would be up late with feedings, sleepless infant, I ate. 

Husband worked long hours and so . . . I ate dinner alone.... alot.... 

I managed to pack on another 30 pounds and here I am today. 

too emabarrased to share my real weight or measurements. 

I'm on a journey. 

I want to be healthy. 

I want to be the best Mama in town. 

I want to be a good example to son. 

I want another baby. (getting pregnant at this weight, Not an option)

I want to live a long and healthy life. 

I want to feel good about myself. 

I want to be able to shop in every store, not specialty ones! 

So today. Reality sits in. 

I'm sipping on my first of 12 juices. Hoping to cleanse and detox all of the crap I've put in. 

After my 5 day cleanse I start a week of fruits, veggies, and whole grains. 

And in the end . . . .

I don't have a size I want to be

I don't have a number I want to weigh. 

I simply want to feel good. 

Feel healthy. 

And like what I see when I look in the mirror. 

 

 

Adios Mis Amigos,

Thankful Thursday- Change of Plans

 Some things have been going on around the Baby Maker Casa and I have been unsettled. I am a natural worry-wort. I plan and plan and plan some more. I thrive on knowing what is happening and when it's happening. I don't like surprises or change. I can't help it. I got lucky and married a fellow planner, so our lives are pretty well mapped out until retirement. But as any normal person knows. Life doesn't always go according to plan.

First example. Little Man! We had a 5 year plan for kids, meaning we would start trying to have kids after we had been married for 5 years. We will be celebrating our 5 year anniversary this September. I can't help but think of all of the love, joy and pure happiness that would have been missed out on these past 27 months without him. Thank goodness that God knew better then we did and sent this amazing bundle of perfection our way.

The changes that are coming are just one more way that God is showing me . . . "He knows the plans for me, HE will ALWAYS make sure those plans prosper me and not  harm me, plans to give me hope and a future"

and while the planner in me would LOVE to know what is going to happen next.... it's also reassuring that the Master Planner has my life in his hands and is organizing my life far better then I ever could.


Adios Mis Amigos,