This is our sweet Maggie. I just adore her. And so does Sophie. Sophie is so incredibly sweet and gentle with her. I love watching her "play" with her.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Life Otherwise
There is more to my life than just following Weight Watchers, but not much more than spending my time with this sweet girl. She is in the throes of the terrible twos. She can be the sweetest, most loving child and then turns into a little monster out of nowhere! Tonight, she had to go to time-out because she keeps trying to lick me and was spitting. Last night, she sat at the dinner table for about an hour until she decided to take ONE BITE of chicken. I don't want to force food on her if she's not hungry, but when she's devouring goldfish and not touching her chicken, something's gotta give! I'm leaving her for the longest period of time ever this weekend. I'm packing up and heading to Brown County on Friday with three of my best girls and won't be back until Sunday afternoon. I'll miss her (and her daddy) like crazy, but goodness, I need a break!
Tuesday tracking
Another solid day on plan.
Breakfast:
2 Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Singles - 6 pts.
Snack:
Special K Strawberry Cereal bar - 2 pts.
Lunch:
Spicy Sausage Pasta - 9 pts.
Strawberries - Free!
Oikos Strawberry Greek Yogurt - 3 pts.
Dinner:
Chips and Salsa (just can't help myself!) - 4 pts.
Spicy Sausage Pasta (trying to finish it off!) - 9 pts.
A grand total of 33 points for the day. I still have a few left, so I might still help myself to a snack or glass of wine after the little one goes to bed.
Breakfast:
2 Banana Chocolate Chip Baked Oatmeal Singles - 6 pts.
Snack:
Special K Strawberry Cereal bar - 2 pts.
Lunch:
Spicy Sausage Pasta - 9 pts.
Strawberries - Free!
Oikos Strawberry Greek Yogurt - 3 pts.
Dinner:
Chips and Salsa (just can't help myself!) - 4 pts.
Spicy Sausage Pasta (trying to finish it off!) - 9 pts.
A grand total of 33 points for the day. I still have a few left, so I might still help myself to a snack or glass of wine after the little one goes to bed.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Weekly Weigh-In
I have decided to change my weigh-in day to Friday (used to be Monday - yuck!). I weighed myself this morning and have lost 3 pounds since Monday! It will be a good day!
Monday, May 6, 2013
Starting over, again
I have been on and off WW for more than a year now. When I first joined, I was enthusiastic. I counted every last point, tracked everything and met my initial short-term goals very quickly! All together, I've lost about 50 pounds with WW. The past several months have been stagnant. I haven't gained much weight, but I haven't lost it either. I've stayed in the same 8 pound range for a while. I'm frustrated with myself and I KNOW that I deserve better and that I can do better.
So, where does this leave me? Well, I am looking for a greater sense of accountability. My plan is to post what I eat every weekday for the month (I'll try for the weekends, too but I'm trying to be realistic). Not many people read this little blog of mine, but someone might and that someone might give me the accountability and encouragement I need to stay focused.
I have set a goal to lose 40 pounds by my birthday in August. That's 3 full months of tracking and exercising. We will see if I can stick to it this time.
My current daily Points Plus allowance is 38 points. Here's how today went for me.
Breakfast:
1 c. Special K Fruit & Yogurt Cereal (4 pts)
1/2 c. Skim Milk (1 pt)
1 serving Smart Ones Egg and Sausage Wrap (6 pts)
(I decided to eat more for breakfast than usual today so I wouldn't feel hungry early in the day. If I get hungry when I'm alone in my office, I'll snack on anything around without thinking about it. This was a good idea today.)
Lunch:
Trader Joe's No Guilt Mac and Cheese (7 pts)
Banana
Water
Dinner (my splurge for the week):
I met two of my girlfriend's at Chuy's for dinner. It's incredibly difficult to find nutritional info for Chuy's on-line. I'm not sure that what I found was accurate, but here goes.
Chicken Combo (Chicken Chalupa and Chicken Fajita Soft Taco) - 14 pts
Texas Martini - I have no idea how many points this is.
Chips, salsa, queso, etc. - here's my downfall. I had my meal planned before I even got to the restaurant. But, that didn't stop me from indulging in a ridiculous amount of chips and dips (darn you nacho bar!). All that to say, that was definitely my splurge for the week.
My food total for the day was 32 (plus the Texas Martini and chips/dips). WW allows you to have 49 Weekly Points that you can either use at once or spread throughout the week. When I've been serious about tracking in the past, I would have a splurge meal, and just not use any of the weekly points. This worked for me and I lost weight. So, since I'm not really sure how much I went over my daily points allowance, my plan for the week is to not use any of the weekly points. If I go over my points allowance for any day, I will have to earn activity points in its place. I know this isn't the technical way that WW teaches, but it does work for me.
So there you have it. Day 1 of tracking and being accountable down.
So, where does this leave me? Well, I am looking for a greater sense of accountability. My plan is to post what I eat every weekday for the month (I'll try for the weekends, too but I'm trying to be realistic). Not many people read this little blog of mine, but someone might and that someone might give me the accountability and encouragement I need to stay focused.
I have set a goal to lose 40 pounds by my birthday in August. That's 3 full months of tracking and exercising. We will see if I can stick to it this time.
My current daily Points Plus allowance is 38 points. Here's how today went for me.
Breakfast:
1 c. Special K Fruit & Yogurt Cereal (4 pts)
1/2 c. Skim Milk (1 pt)
1 serving Smart Ones Egg and Sausage Wrap (6 pts)
(I decided to eat more for breakfast than usual today so I wouldn't feel hungry early in the day. If I get hungry when I'm alone in my office, I'll snack on anything around without thinking about it. This was a good idea today.)
Lunch:
Trader Joe's No Guilt Mac and Cheese (7 pts)
Banana
Water
Dinner (my splurge for the week):
I met two of my girlfriend's at Chuy's for dinner. It's incredibly difficult to find nutritional info for Chuy's on-line. I'm not sure that what I found was accurate, but here goes.
Chicken Combo (Chicken Chalupa and Chicken Fajita Soft Taco) - 14 pts
Texas Martini - I have no idea how many points this is.
Chips, salsa, queso, etc. - here's my downfall. I had my meal planned before I even got to the restaurant. But, that didn't stop me from indulging in a ridiculous amount of chips and dips (darn you nacho bar!). All that to say, that was definitely my splurge for the week.
My food total for the day was 32 (plus the Texas Martini and chips/dips). WW allows you to have 49 Weekly Points that you can either use at once or spread throughout the week. When I've been serious about tracking in the past, I would have a splurge meal, and just not use any of the weekly points. This worked for me and I lost weight. So, since I'm not really sure how much I went over my daily points allowance, my plan for the week is to not use any of the weekly points. If I go over my points allowance for any day, I will have to earn activity points in its place. I know this isn't the technical way that WW teaches, but it does work for me.
So there you have it. Day 1 of tracking and being accountable down.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Maggie's Arrival
Maggie decided to make her grand entrance on Saturday. It was a long day to say the least. I was amazed at my sister's strength and perseverance during the birthing process. At the last minute, she decided she wanted me in the room when Maggie was born. That had to be one of the coolest things I have ever been a part of. I was honored to be there and it was truly something I will never forget.
Maggie was born at 5:09 p.m. on April 6th. She weighed 7 lbs., 13.8 oz and is 20.5 inches long. Here are a few pictures of my sweet niece.
Maggie was born at 5:09 p.m. on April 6th. She weighed 7 lbs., 13.8 oz and is 20.5 inches long. Here are a few pictures of my sweet niece.
Monday, April 1, 2013
An Unforgettable Easter
Let's just say that the Easter Vigil did not go as planned. I woke up Saturday morning with the stomach bug from hell. I was devastated...literally, sitting in the bathroom, crying my eyes out because all I wanted was to be able to go to my First Communion. I didn't go to the rehearsal, thinking that if I could just rest up, I would be fine for the service that night. Or so I thought. I rested all day. It took just about everything I had to shower and get ready, but I powered through and (in my stubbornness) decided to go to the service. Looking back, I should have thrown in the towel, but I didn't. The service started outside and we all processed in to our seats. As we were standing at the beginning of the service, I started to feel a little light-headed and woozy. So, I spent the first half of the service in the bathroom. Once I made it back, I tried to watch my friends be baptized, but got too light-headed and hot standing up that I had to again walk out of the church. Finally, it was time to be confirmed. As the priest started down the line, I started to feel light-headed again and had to take a seat until he was a little closer to me. Following the confirmation, I immediately returned to my seat. We went forward a second time to receive our First Communion. I was so excited for that moment. Even though it was NOT the night I had imagined or hoped for, the goal was accomplished and I am glad I was able to experience that with my friends.
We left immediately following the service. I couldn't stand for another minute and was not about to eat cake. Danny and I came home that night and he slept in the bed and I passed out on the couch. Easter morning, he sent me a text saying "This is so bad." Yep, the bug got him, too. We both spent Easter Sunday sleeping and watching TV. Thank God for our parents. Danny's parents brought us ginger ale, gatorade and crackers. My mom kept Sophie for most of the day. I'm glad that Sophie was still able to have some fun. I took the day off today to recover, do laundry, and be sure that I could eat before heading back to work.
Here are a few pictures from the ceremony. As my RCIA leader said, it was a night I'll never forget! We will continue to celebrate over the next few weeks and wrap up with a potluck at the end of the month. That will be fun!
Happy Easter!
Friday, March 29, 2013
Almost there.
I realize that it has been more than two months since I last updated on my RCIA process. So much has happened and life has been so busy (really, though, when is it not?). In February, I celebrated two more rites - the Rite of Sending at my church and then the Rite of Continuing Conversion at St. Patrick's Church. That was a special day, spent with the other members of my RCIA group and my family. In March, I celebrated the Rite of Reconciliation. Yep, confession. I attended a Lenten Communal Reconciliation service at St. Margaret Mary. I was terrified - I didn't know what to say or do. The priest that I spoke with was wonderful. After confessing to him, he said "Your sins are forgiven. Leave them here and go in peace."
This past week has been full of RCIA related activities. Last Saturday, I attended an RCIA Retreat Day. It was really great to spend the day with the friends I have made in this process and to just focus on this conversion process. The first activity we did was to make a timeline of this process. We were instructed not to make a straight/traditional timeline, but to actually draw the highs and lows of the past several months. It was difficult to remember all that has occurred over the past 6 months. After we completed our timelines individually, we shared them with another person in the group. I enjoyed this process. It's interesting that it has become so easy to share such personal, spiritual experiences with people I barely know, but have come to know in such a deep and meaningful way. Following the timeline activity, we read the passage from John about the woman at the well. Our leader related our Thursday nights to the well of Living Water - that we continue to come back each week so our thirst will be quenched. I couldn't have agreed more with the analogy. I will miss this process. I will miss the time to devote to spiritual growth and formation. I hope to find something else to become involved in in order to continue this journey. We then watched a video about the life of Jesus, from the perspective of a childhood friend. I've searched for a link to the video, but can't find it anywhere. It was a moving portrayal - a monologue written and performed by a priest. We then had a long break for lunch. After lunch, we read another passage ("The Sending of the Seventy Two") and then spent some individual time in thought. We reflected on a few questions regarding this journey. It was a nice, cool day so I spent some time sitting outside and thinking about this journey. At the end of the day, we gathered in the church and participated in a sort of closing ceremony. There were a few readings and prayers. Sal, who lead the retreat, then walked around the semi-circle, pausing at each of us, saying "Lizzie, you have been called by name. You shall be called God's delight, because your God rejoices in you!" It was a special time, celebrating this journey and sending us forth to celebrate Holy Week.
And what a week it's been! We attended Mass on Sunday - Palm Sunday. Something strange happened during Mass and I had to leave - I wasn't feeling well. I was very hot and there were a lot of people there. I had a couple of girlfriends over for dinner this week and shared with them that I was feeling very emotional about this whole process. And I was right. I went to my first Holy Thursday service. Danny's parents also attended, but Danny stayed home with Sophie. I really, really enjoyed the ceremony. The reverence, the incense, the tradition. It was really very touching. During the homily, the priest shared the following thought: "We come here for nourishment so we can go wash feet." That quote really stayed with me through the remainder of the Mass. The priest then washed the feet of several parishioners, including one of the women who has been in the RCIA group. A very touching, humbling moment.
Today, I attended the Good Friday service. It was quite different than any other service I've attended. It was a very solemn service (of course). A lot of silence, a lot of kneeling and praying, a lot of genuflecting. I told Danny this evening that I didn't know that they were going to bring in a large wooden cross AND that everyone would come forward to offer the adoration for the cross. What a touching moment! Seeing young children and the elderly (and everyone in between) going forward and kneeling before, hugging, and kissing the cross was quite powerful for me. We also read the Passion again, as we did on Palm Sunday (thankfully, I didn't feel like I was going to faint or get sick this time). Following Mass last night and the service this afternoon, we all left the service in silence.
I cannot express how excited I am about tomorrow night - the Easter Vigil. This has been my focus for the past 6 months and it's hard to believe that it's actually here.
This past week has been full of RCIA related activities. Last Saturday, I attended an RCIA Retreat Day. It was really great to spend the day with the friends I have made in this process and to just focus on this conversion process. The first activity we did was to make a timeline of this process. We were instructed not to make a straight/traditional timeline, but to actually draw the highs and lows of the past several months. It was difficult to remember all that has occurred over the past 6 months. After we completed our timelines individually, we shared them with another person in the group. I enjoyed this process. It's interesting that it has become so easy to share such personal, spiritual experiences with people I barely know, but have come to know in such a deep and meaningful way. Following the timeline activity, we read the passage from John about the woman at the well. Our leader related our Thursday nights to the well of Living Water - that we continue to come back each week so our thirst will be quenched. I couldn't have agreed more with the analogy. I will miss this process. I will miss the time to devote to spiritual growth and formation. I hope to find something else to become involved in in order to continue this journey. We then watched a video about the life of Jesus, from the perspective of a childhood friend. I've searched for a link to the video, but can't find it anywhere. It was a moving portrayal - a monologue written and performed by a priest. We then had a long break for lunch. After lunch, we read another passage ("The Sending of the Seventy Two") and then spent some individual time in thought. We reflected on a few questions regarding this journey. It was a nice, cool day so I spent some time sitting outside and thinking about this journey. At the end of the day, we gathered in the church and participated in a sort of closing ceremony. There were a few readings and prayers. Sal, who lead the retreat, then walked around the semi-circle, pausing at each of us, saying "Lizzie, you have been called by name. You shall be called God's delight, because your God rejoices in you!" It was a special time, celebrating this journey and sending us forth to celebrate Holy Week.
And what a week it's been! We attended Mass on Sunday - Palm Sunday. Something strange happened during Mass and I had to leave - I wasn't feeling well. I was very hot and there were a lot of people there. I had a couple of girlfriends over for dinner this week and shared with them that I was feeling very emotional about this whole process. And I was right. I went to my first Holy Thursday service. Danny's parents also attended, but Danny stayed home with Sophie. I really, really enjoyed the ceremony. The reverence, the incense, the tradition. It was really very touching. During the homily, the priest shared the following thought: "We come here for nourishment so we can go wash feet." That quote really stayed with me through the remainder of the Mass. The priest then washed the feet of several parishioners, including one of the women who has been in the RCIA group. A very touching, humbling moment.
Today, I attended the Good Friday service. It was quite different than any other service I've attended. It was a very solemn service (of course). A lot of silence, a lot of kneeling and praying, a lot of genuflecting. I told Danny this evening that I didn't know that they were going to bring in a large wooden cross AND that everyone would come forward to offer the adoration for the cross. What a touching moment! Seeing young children and the elderly (and everyone in between) going forward and kneeling before, hugging, and kissing the cross was quite powerful for me. We also read the Passion again, as we did on Palm Sunday (thankfully, I didn't feel like I was going to faint or get sick this time). Following Mass last night and the service this afternoon, we all left the service in silence.
I cannot express how excited I am about tomorrow night - the Easter Vigil. This has been my focus for the past 6 months and it's hard to believe that it's actually here.
Monday, March 4, 2013
Baby Shower
I hosted a baby shower for Ashley a few weekends ago. It was a lot of work, but absolutely worth it! It was a fun day, but I spent a lot of time preparing for it over the past few weeks.
I made this tissue paper "poofs" to help with the decorations. The "theme" was really just pinks/purples, so I made 2 pink and 2 purple poofs to hang in the kitchen. I also bought a pack of paper lanterns from the party supply store, and I think they all went together well.
I made pink and purple cupcakes for the baby shower. They were a hit!
The cousins - anxiously awaiting the arrival of baby Maggie!
My beautiful sister!
Let me just say...thank goodness for Pinterest! It has really inspired me to become a better hostess and more thoughtful gift give! I found this idea on Pinterest and thought it would be perfect for the shower. This was the "guest book" for the shower. Each guest signed one of the circles/balloons and I glued them on to the page. At the end of the shower, I placed it in a frame so Ashley could remember that day.
I didn't have any games for people to play - I wanted people to eat, visit, and not feel forced to play a game that they didn't want to play. I did ask the guests to participate in one activity. I made 21 note cards and numbered 21 envelopes 1 - 21. At the shower, I asked each person to take a card and an envelope and write a note to Maggie to open on the corresponding birthday. (The person who got the envelope with an 8 on it, wrote Maggie a note to open on her 8th birthday.) Again, I can't take credit for this idea. Several years ago, I attended a baby shower at work and the hostess introduced this idea.
And here I am with my beautiful sister! I still cannot believe she will be a Mommy in just a few short weeks!
Sophie's 2!
It's official...
This little girl is 2 years old! We celebrated her birthday this past Saturday with our families and a few close friends. Sophie loved the decorations and really enjoyed herself throughout the whole day.
These are the cupcakes I made! White cupcakes with blue and red(ish) buttercream.
A close-up of the cupcakes
Such a little diva! Unfortunately, she was so excited for her party that she completely bypassed her nap!
Relishing in everyone singing "Happy Birthday!"
Blowing out the candles
Sophie's cousins and our friend Lucy enjoying the cupcakes
Sophie had a lot of helpers while opening her presents!
Sophie and me after the party - what a happy girl!
Danny surprised both of us by bringing home this trampoline. Sophie loves it!
And this is the birthday girl around 7:30 that evening...absolutely worn out!
We are working on making her room more of a big girl room and less of a nursery (tear). I have no intentions of painting the walls. I figure that by the time we decide to have #2, Sophie will move into the other bedroom and this will go back to the nursery. Sophie's other present was her bedding- Minnie Mouse sheets, comforter, and pillow case. We went out yesterday and bought Sophie the shelves in her room. We still need to get a new window valance and lamp so we can retire the nursery theme....for now anyways.
The party turned out pretty well. We decided to have a hot dog bar in honor of "The Hot Dog Dance" from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I found a few websites on Pinterest where people suggested cooking hot dogs in a crock pot. I needed a way to be sure that all of the hot dogs were hot and ready for everyone and this seemed like the perfect answer! I was pleasantly surprised with how they turned out. They weren't over cooked or dry at all. Each of the websites I found said to just put the hot dogs in the crock pot, put the lid on, and cook. No added water or anything. I set out onions, mustard, ketchup, pickles, relish and cheese for the hot dogs. I also tried to make a copycat Skyline chili recipe. It was okay - I think the recipe called for a little too much cocoa (yes, cocoa in chili), but I also think I let it cook for too long. Typically, we think that chili gets better the longer it sits, but I don't think that applied to this recipe. It was edible, but not my favorite recipe.
The party turned out pretty well. We decided to have a hot dog bar in honor of "The Hot Dog Dance" from Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I found a few websites on Pinterest where people suggested cooking hot dogs in a crock pot. I needed a way to be sure that all of the hot dogs were hot and ready for everyone and this seemed like the perfect answer! I was pleasantly surprised with how they turned out. They weren't over cooked or dry at all. Each of the websites I found said to just put the hot dogs in the crock pot, put the lid on, and cook. No added water or anything. I set out onions, mustard, ketchup, pickles, relish and cheese for the hot dogs. I also tried to make a copycat Skyline chili recipe. It was okay - I think the recipe called for a little too much cocoa (yes, cocoa in chili), but I also think I let it cook for too long. Typically, we think that chili gets better the longer it sits, but I don't think that applied to this recipe. It was edible, but not my favorite recipe.
After all the planning and preparation for the party, I'm pretty sure these balloons were the biggest hit!
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