I have decided that it is time for me to blog about my latest goal. I have not blogged about this in the past because I feel like if I don't put anything out there, it won't matter if it happens or not. But it is time. I have a goal, my goal is to lose twenty-five pounds in the next 10 weeks. I feel in some ways like it is impossible, but I also feel that if I don't try, I will never know! Also, if it ends up being 20 pounds, I will be happy with that, but I thought I would aim high. It will be hard, especially with Christmas around the corner, but I won't know if I don't try, right? :)
So why am I doing this? Well there are several reasons:
1. I want to feel good and be in good shape.
2. I am going to Jamaica in February which I think it's good incentive.
3. I want to wear the summer clothes I wore a couple of years ago, and I would like to get some new clothes for next summer.
4. I am going back to work in February.
5. It will be about 9 months since I had my baby when 10 weeks are up.
How am I going to do this?
1. I am in the process of doing the "Bikini Body Mommy Challenge", and plan to continue for the next 2 months as it is a 90 challenge, and I'm about 3 weeks in. http://bikinibodymommy.com/2013/09/02/bikini-body-mommy-challenge-fittest-workout-day-1/
2. I am going to set weekly goals. I have some people out there keeping me accountable, and couldn't do it without them. I will blog at least once each week, possibly more depending on the day. I hope I can brag about how great things are going, but I might just talk about the challenges I'm having.
One thing I have learned is that losing weight is hard work. All the claims out there about easy and quick weight loss seem pretty far-fetched, and I have learned that even if they do work, they are temporary, at least for me anyway. So here is to hard work and much success in the next 10 weeks....
Goals for this week:
1. 5-7 fruits and veggies each day
2. No post-supper snacking
3. 8 glasses of water each day
4. Exercise each day (Challenge workouts)
Sunday, November 24, 2013
Monday, November 4, 2013
Butterscotch Banana Muffins
Today I made Butterscotch Banana Muffins. I found the recipe for these at:
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/10/butterscotch-banana-bread-recipe.html
I made it as muffins, and I'm sure it be great as bread too!
They smelled wonderful as they baked, they looked wonderful when I took them out of the oven, and they tasted wonderful when I ate them!
Thank you Six Sisters!
http://www.sixsistersstuff.com/2013/10/butterscotch-banana-bread-recipe.html
I made it as muffins, and I'm sure it be great as bread too!
They smelled wonderful as they baked, they looked wonderful when I took them out of the oven, and they tasted wonderful when I ate them!
Thank you Six Sisters!
Phases
There are so many phases in life, some short, some long, some fun, some hard, some crazy, you get the idea. At this point in my life, I'm working on being content where I'm at, no matter what the phase. I find that when I get into a good groove, something changes and we're on to a new phase with new adjustments. My oldest son has taught me a lot about phases, parenting, teaching, kids, life, and patience. I have heard that about every six months, kids go through a change, and parents can expect things to be a little rocky for a period of time. I think there is some truth to that. I feel like the changes happen a lot and really quickly when they're babies, and then they spread out to this six month to a year mark as they get older, at least, that's how it is with my older kids at this point anyway.
This morning my oldest boy had a rough morning. He had a great night's sleep last night, but when he woke up, he was grouchy, and he did NOT want to go to school. Other days he has felt this way, he usually shakes it off after a bit. This morning, I had to fight to get his clothes on, fight to get him to eat his breakfast (and then he was mad because I was going to "win" at eating our cereal!), fight to get his coat and hat on to get to the bus, and then fight to get him on the bus.
I walked down the driveway with the two of them to make sure things would be okay. Next thing I know, he was walking out into the field, and the bus was approaching. It was about 1-2 km away still, but I could see it was coming. So I pulled out the big guns: "I'm going to get daddy." I asked my daughter to take the boy's backpack on the bus, and I hoped and believed that he would get on the bus without too much trouble. I then started the walk back to the house. I kept looking back, and told him that he would be in big trouble if he did not get on the bus. By the time I got to the house, the bus had arrived at our driveway, and I gave one last yell, "You get on that bus!" I'm pretty sure every hunter in the neighbourhood heard that one.... Then I stood and watched, as he took slow steps, and... got on the bus! Phew! I shook my head, looked up at the sky, and thanked God for our crazy boy who keeps us on our toes! I came inside and told my husband that I had just witnessed the definition of reluctance.
It's all about the little things in the middle of this beautiful mess! Blessings to you today!
This morning my oldest boy had a rough morning. He had a great night's sleep last night, but when he woke up, he was grouchy, and he did NOT want to go to school. Other days he has felt this way, he usually shakes it off after a bit. This morning, I had to fight to get his clothes on, fight to get him to eat his breakfast (and then he was mad because I was going to "win" at eating our cereal!), fight to get his coat and hat on to get to the bus, and then fight to get him on the bus.
I walked down the driveway with the two of them to make sure things would be okay. Next thing I know, he was walking out into the field, and the bus was approaching. It was about 1-2 km away still, but I could see it was coming. So I pulled out the big guns: "I'm going to get daddy." I asked my daughter to take the boy's backpack on the bus, and I hoped and believed that he would get on the bus without too much trouble. I then started the walk back to the house. I kept looking back, and told him that he would be in big trouble if he did not get on the bus. By the time I got to the house, the bus had arrived at our driveway, and I gave one last yell, "You get on that bus!" I'm pretty sure every hunter in the neighbourhood heard that one.... Then I stood and watched, as he took slow steps, and... got on the bus! Phew! I shook my head, looked up at the sky, and thanked God for our crazy boy who keeps us on our toes! I came inside and told my husband that I had just witnessed the definition of reluctance.
It's all about the little things in the middle of this beautiful mess! Blessings to you today!
Sunday, November 3, 2013
Time change musings
This weekend we had to change our clocks for daylight savings. For some reason, I can't figure out the difference between when it begins or when it ends, so suffice it to say that this weekend we gained an hour. For some, this means that they get an extra hour of sleep. For others, it means that their kids are going to wake up an at even more in-humane hour than they already do. For me, I generally just try to get through both time changes knowing that life with little kids means that I lose an hour of sleep on a regular basis anyway, so gaining an hour is not even an option.
Last night, I asked my husband what he was going to do about the time change. His response, "Nothing. I'm just going to do everything the same in the morning. Then, I'll just get an extra hour at some point in my morning. Genius!" I have to admit that it made sense. The first part for sure, and maybe the genius part a little bit. Actually, I do think my husband is very smart! Anyway, I thought that I would go with him on that. Besides, I could use that extra hour to fold some laundry in the morning.
So that's what I did. I got up on the "old" time, my kids mostly did the same, except for the middle boy who slept in, oddly enough. Then a bit later in the morning, I changed the clocks, and I had an extra hour to get ready for church. Brilliant really! So instead of being bummed that I didn't actually get an extra hour of sleep, I'm kind of pumped that I got an extra hour in my day! Also great was that my three older kids were all asleep by 7:30pm, and baby was not far behind.
Am I super-tired right now, and it's not even 9:30pm? Yes! Will we all have an adjustment getting up in the morning this week? Probably, but that's normal enough on a good week...
That's my little thing for today! Good night!
Last night, I asked my husband what he was going to do about the time change. His response, "Nothing. I'm just going to do everything the same in the morning. Then, I'll just get an extra hour at some point in my morning. Genius!" I have to admit that it made sense. The first part for sure, and maybe the genius part a little bit. Actually, I do think my husband is very smart! Anyway, I thought that I would go with him on that. Besides, I could use that extra hour to fold some laundry in the morning.
So that's what I did. I got up on the "old" time, my kids mostly did the same, except for the middle boy who slept in, oddly enough. Then a bit later in the morning, I changed the clocks, and I had an extra hour to get ready for church. Brilliant really! So instead of being bummed that I didn't actually get an extra hour of sleep, I'm kind of pumped that I got an extra hour in my day! Also great was that my three older kids were all asleep by 7:30pm, and baby was not far behind.
Am I super-tired right now, and it's not even 9:30pm? Yes! Will we all have an adjustment getting up in the morning this week? Probably, but that's normal enough on a good week...
That's my little thing for today! Good night!
Thursday, October 31, 2013
Halloween and a bunch of little things
Well, here it is, the my last post for the October blogging challenge, #31. I did it! I've enjoyed reflecting on so many things over the past month, and coming up with different things to blog about. I've also enjoyed connecting with other bloggers and seeing what people write about from one day to the next. I've worked on some other challenges. I was successful with some for the whole month, some for about half the month, and some not so well. However, I am proud of those that I completed, and will work on some others in the next month.
For today's little things, I had a lovely day. It was Halloween. I carved pumpkins with my oldest boy, and we laid out the seeds to attempt to grow our own next year. He and I also created his ninja costume, which was a last minute switch this morning from his cow costume. We went trick or treating with my sister's family, and had lots of fun, even with all the rain we got tonight. My Tinkerbell, ninja, elephant and duck (who ended up being a sleeping candy cane in his red & white striped sleeper, as described by my niece) were cute and lots of fun. When I got home, they all fell into bed, and I enjoyed checking out the costumes of friends and family on Facebook for a bit.
I have enjoyed this challenge! I will be posting again soon, just not daily for awhile. :)
For today's little things, I had a lovely day. It was Halloween. I carved pumpkins with my oldest boy, and we laid out the seeds to attempt to grow our own next year. He and I also created his ninja costume, which was a last minute switch this morning from his cow costume. We went trick or treating with my sister's family, and had lots of fun, even with all the rain we got tonight. My Tinkerbell, ninja, elephant and duck (who ended up being a sleeping candy cane in his red & white striped sleeper, as described by my niece) were cute and lots of fun. When I got home, they all fell into bed, and I enjoyed checking out the costumes of friends and family on Facebook for a bit.
I have enjoyed this challenge! I will be posting again soon, just not daily for awhile. :)
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
ABCs all about me
A is for Airplane - I have flown to Europe three times, to California twice, to Cuba, and to Mexico.
B is for Babies - I have four!
C is for Christian - I believe in the Bible and that Jesus died for my sins.
D is for Dad - My dad is 6'5", and has encouraged me so much throughout my life. My father-in-law has a calm, strong nature, and has been a blessing in many ways.
E is for Earth - I love the earth and it's beauty, nature is so much a part of my life and what keeps me grounded.
F is for Family - I have 4 siblings, and my husband has 7. Between us, we have over 40 aunts and uncles and many many cousins and great-cousins! We are blessed with wonderful families!
G is for Gifts - I have lots of different gifts, but sometimes forget that that is what they are. I love to lead things and organize things and network with people.
H is for Husband - We have been married for almost 13 years. When we said, "I do", we meant through everything and forever. We have been blessed in so many ways, through hard times and good times.
I is for Ice cream - I love ice cream, what can I say!
J is for Joy - There are many things in life that bring me joy, right now it's hearing my kids giggle and laugh, especially together and with my husband and I.
K is for Kettle - I love my kettle because I love to have tea! Nothing like sitting down with a cup of tea and a sweet treat, and chillaxing for a bit.
L is for Leaves - I love that we live in a climate where the leaves start out as tiny buds in the spring, then become full and green and lush in the summer, then become beautiful colours in the autumn and fall off the trees, leaving brown barren branches that cover beautifully with snow or ice or frost in the winter.
M is for Mom - My mom is wonderful and crazy, and I love her for her willingness to be there in a heartbeat when we need her. My mother-in-law is an amazing woman who raised 8 wonderful children. They are both so different, and both very good to their grandchildren.
N is for Novels - I love reading, and have always loved it!
O is for October - A great month! My birthday, completing challenges this month, and doing a blog a day for this whole month this year.
P is for Princess - That's the meaning of my name, and I have always been proud of it!
Q is for Questions - I enjoy asking people questions, and learning more about them, some might call it nosey, but I think of it as being interested.
R is for Redhead - I have been a redhead since I was born. I really didn't like it as a kid, but have come to appreciate it an embrace it.
S is for Southpaw - I am a lefty and proud of it! God made a few perfect people, and the rest are right-handed. ;)
T is for Teacher - I wanted to be a teacher already as a little girl, often playing teacher with my younger siblings. I love what I do, and have been blessed to work great colleagues at all the schools where I have worked.
U is for University - I completed 5 years of University, finished with a major in French, a minor in English, and a Teaching Degree.
V is for Van - I was one of those people who never wanted to drive a minivan, but as my mom often says, "Never say never!" I now drive a minivan, and I do love it, especially with 4 kids.
W is for Water - I love the water, and I love swimming. It's one of my favourite active activities, and so far all my kids love it too!
X is for X-ray - I have once in my life had an x-ray, and it was the summer before I started high school when I broke my arm.
Y is for Yard - I have the ultimate backyard because we live on a farm. I grew up on a farm, and loved it, and I am thankful that our kids have the opportunity to live on a farm as well. They love it too!
Z is for Zumba - I have actually only done it a few times, and I have loved it. I love dancing, and Zumba is something I hope to do more of in the future!
B is for Babies - I have four!
C is for Christian - I believe in the Bible and that Jesus died for my sins.
D is for Dad - My dad is 6'5", and has encouraged me so much throughout my life. My father-in-law has a calm, strong nature, and has been a blessing in many ways.
E is for Earth - I love the earth and it's beauty, nature is so much a part of my life and what keeps me grounded.
F is for Family - I have 4 siblings, and my husband has 7. Between us, we have over 40 aunts and uncles and many many cousins and great-cousins! We are blessed with wonderful families!
G is for Gifts - I have lots of different gifts, but sometimes forget that that is what they are. I love to lead things and organize things and network with people.
H is for Husband - We have been married for almost 13 years. When we said, "I do", we meant through everything and forever. We have been blessed in so many ways, through hard times and good times.
I is for Ice cream - I love ice cream, what can I say!
J is for Joy - There are many things in life that bring me joy, right now it's hearing my kids giggle and laugh, especially together and with my husband and I.
K is for Kettle - I love my kettle because I love to have tea! Nothing like sitting down with a cup of tea and a sweet treat, and chillaxing for a bit.
L is for Leaves - I love that we live in a climate where the leaves start out as tiny buds in the spring, then become full and green and lush in the summer, then become beautiful colours in the autumn and fall off the trees, leaving brown barren branches that cover beautifully with snow or ice or frost in the winter.
M is for Mom - My mom is wonderful and crazy, and I love her for her willingness to be there in a heartbeat when we need her. My mother-in-law is an amazing woman who raised 8 wonderful children. They are both so different, and both very good to their grandchildren.
N is for Novels - I love reading, and have always loved it!
O is for October - A great month! My birthday, completing challenges this month, and doing a blog a day for this whole month this year.
P is for Princess - That's the meaning of my name, and I have always been proud of it!
Q is for Questions - I enjoy asking people questions, and learning more about them, some might call it nosey, but I think of it as being interested.
R is for Redhead - I have been a redhead since I was born. I really didn't like it as a kid, but have come to appreciate it an embrace it.
S is for Southpaw - I am a lefty and proud of it! God made a few perfect people, and the rest are right-handed. ;)
T is for Teacher - I wanted to be a teacher already as a little girl, often playing teacher with my younger siblings. I love what I do, and have been blessed to work great colleagues at all the schools where I have worked.
U is for University - I completed 5 years of University, finished with a major in French, a minor in English, and a Teaching Degree.
V is for Van - I was one of those people who never wanted to drive a minivan, but as my mom often says, "Never say never!" I now drive a minivan, and I do love it, especially with 4 kids.
W is for Water - I love the water, and I love swimming. It's one of my favourite active activities, and so far all my kids love it too!
X is for X-ray - I have once in my life had an x-ray, and it was the summer before I started high school when I broke my arm.
Y is for Yard - I have the ultimate backyard because we live on a farm. I grew up on a farm, and loved it, and I am thankful that our kids have the opportunity to live on a farm as well. They love it too!
Z is for Zumba - I have actually only done it a few times, and I have loved it. I love dancing, and Zumba is something I hope to do more of in the future!
My Birthday
Yesterday, I turned 35. I decided to invite people over to share the day with me, and it was wonderful! In the morning, I had lots of friends and cousins come over, with some of their kids who weren't in school for the day. It was lovely. We chatted, drank coffee, had yummy treats and even had some healthy treats. My idea of a great time! I am thankful that they could come out, and share my day with me. Their presence was my present! Although, my 5 year old thought that was pretty lousy! ;) Some shared lunch with us, and I fed them some leftover squash soup which I thought tasted great, along with some sandwiches and buns.
In the afternoon, my in-laws came over, and my sister-in-law and her boyfriend, and they all stayed for a "fancy" meal of hot dogs. I thought I'd keep it simple since it was my birthday. We enjoyed yummy ice cream cake from our local ice cream restaurant with everyone throughout the day.
The day ended with a glass of wine and good conversation with my sister and another cousin. A lovely day all in all!
I was blessed by everyone who came!
Of course, this morning, I felt a bit sad because it was all over, and today was a "normal" day. Nevertheless, I think I will be making more of an effort to spend quality time with people who are near and dear to me. Today was also Coffee Break, and as I got in the van to head out for the morning, it wouldn't start. Go figure! I got there, late, but enjoyed the company of some great women, and some more great conversation.
In the afternoon, my in-laws came over, and my sister-in-law and her boyfriend, and they all stayed for a "fancy" meal of hot dogs. I thought I'd keep it simple since it was my birthday. We enjoyed yummy ice cream cake from our local ice cream restaurant with everyone throughout the day.
The day ended with a glass of wine and good conversation with my sister and another cousin. A lovely day all in all!
I was blessed by everyone who came!
Of course, this morning, I felt a bit sad because it was all over, and today was a "normal" day. Nevertheless, I think I will be making more of an effort to spend quality time with people who are near and dear to me. Today was also Coffee Break, and as I got in the van to head out for the morning, it wouldn't start. Go figure! I got there, late, but enjoyed the company of some great women, and some more great conversation.
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