HAPPY DANCE!

Okay, I know it is not a huge accomplishment, but I am so doing the happy dance.  Did my weekly weigh in, total of 12 pounds lost this month.  I feel like I may have finally broke through this plateau I have been stuck on for several months.  I had hoped to loose ten pounds total when I started the 12 week program.  Still have three more weeks and have reached that goal.  FOR ME, that is a equivalent to major break through accomplishment.  I knew my jeans were getting pretty loose, but figured it was because they needed washed. LOL  However, I pulled out my favorite pair of jeans, which I have been able to wear for a few months, and slipped them on and zipped them up.  I zipped them up standing up!  Yes that is correct, no laying on the bed, sucking the gut in while I strained to close the zipper.  AND...I actually still have a little slack in the waist.

I got to change my ticker and am so motivated to keep choosing better food choices and more determined to make the time to get in to the gym.  Have not even been this week because of taking care of my mom, but today is the last doctor visit and will now be able to get back to my own routine now that she is back at her home and doing well.

My menu plans have not gone as planned this week, but I just skipped a day, family ate left overs of which there were plenty.  I should be able to get back on track this evening.  I still have to buy groceries, but will probably do that tomorrow.  I was waiting for the sales to change out.  WOW, am so disappointed that no one has any good meat sales, cannot find any beef for less than $2.50 a pound.  The cheapest I can find ground beef (at least that isn't full of fillers) is $2.48 a pound.  I was hoping to catch some roast on sale cheap and just cut them up, but will have to keep watching.  I really figured that with Memorial Day coming up this week end there would be some sales.  Only sales are on wieners, guess I will be buying those up. I was surprised that there aren't even any great sales on chickens at the major stores.  Some of the store chains that cater to the Hispanic population have some legs and thighs on for a pretty good price, will see if I can take the sale circular in and get a price match, if not then I will just wait.  The store is in a really bad part of town and as bad as this sounds, I am very uncomfortable there.  Thankfully though, I have a pretty good stockpile of chicken though and it really is about time for Albertson's to have their chicken sale.  Another great thing, I just about have a whole month of menus planned and have all the meat, fish, pork and chicken I need for those menus in the freezer.

This week ends plan is to do a big cooking and prep session.  I really think we may go camping, so am not really planning to hard.  However, it being Memorial Day weekend, hubby won't want to fight the crowds in the camp grounds so we might just get a little work done around here.  Still have some plants to re-pot and and want to work on planting some shrubs and flowers in the front.

Well, I need to run so I can take mom to doctor.  Thanks for stopping in and feel free to look over the past postings and to leave a comment.  It is always fun to know who has been visiting.

What a week.

Another week gone. Where oh where did go? It feels like it just disappeared in to thin air. Two more weeks and the school year will be over, of course dear daughter Miss J will then start summer school right away. That means I will be driving her to school first thing in the morning, picking her up at noon, then take her back to school for volleyball, back to pick her up. If you lost count, that will be four trips to the school each day.

OH dear gas please drop your price just a little?

I spent time working on menu plans last night. Have decided to try a huge number of new recipes. I have been working really hard to organize my pages of recipes. Came up with a very detailed system. Will post more details about that later in the week. The bad thing about last week's menu plan is that it was not followed much. I got so busy with cleaning and purging that I just didn't stick to it much at all. Mid week we had a birthday dinner for oldest son, he picked the menu, and I just didn't even try to get back on track. Good thing about last week's menu plan is that I can just use it as a plan for this week, changing the days that were actually used. In other words, mostly a repeat of last week.

I had to take my mom to the ER today, while she has to stay at least over night, it is so very tiring to sit and wait. I took a couple of cook books and made to look over while I did wait. Pulled out my handy little notepad and made a list of all the recipes I want to try. Since this is a neat little OAMC cookbook, the plan is to prepare a few of these dishes during the week to put straight in to the freezer. Not to eat now, but later on. A lot of them are chicken recipes and I know my daughter in law likes chicken so will probably put some of them up to give her for when the baby comes. Hopefully it will make life a little easier for them. I know that when I had my babies I would have loved to have had meals already made just waiting to be popped in the oven. When my youngest, Miss J, was born, a dear friend from church brought over a whole meal for me. The church ladies also did that when my hubby had pneumonia. What a blessing.

Our church we go to now is so large that it would be impossible to do something like that for the members. We have a whole little club of ladies that cook for funerals though. Maybe it would be nice to see about being a part of that group. I think I need to find some way to connect myself to the church in more ways. Yes, I think I will make that my goal for the fall. Most every group is shutting down for the summer, but when it all starts back up in the fall I am going to try and join in a bit more.

I am ashamed of myself for spending money on a weight program that I just did not utilize to the fullest. I won't say that it was a waste, have lost about 8 pounds and have learned some valuable exercises to do on my own when I go back to the regular gym. It is kind of a long story, but I have this gym membership, love going to that gym, but had absolutely no idea what do, much less how to do any work outs. It is a great deal on the price that cannot be found any where else. Also, I am quite determined to throw some energy that way. Timing has been my problem with this additional program. I did the program to get access to trainers, but just could not get a good time which made it hard to get in to a routine. I am a person that needs routine. The time with a trainer has been scheduled, but the time I will spend at the gym is pretty much when ever. That will be helpful for me I am sure. I am actually planning that I can take Miss J to summer class then head straight for the gym and work out, head home to do a few chores then go get her. It just might work.

Well, thanks for dropping in for a visit. Guess I should get back to going through all the email, read a few blogs, then tackle another few feet of my desk top.

Where Has The Year Gone?

Okay, so I am on Pacific time, so technically it is still 2010 here. It kind of blows the mind to think about the time zone thing because here on the west coast it is New Year's Eve and across the globe it is already half way in to New Year's Day. Of coarse on the east coast it is barely New Year's Day. Then again when you sit back and look at the "Great Big Picture" time is only relevant in the way you look at it. I suppose there are some that are glad the year is finally over, then there are some, like me, that can't believe the year is over.

I wanted to post one last time in 2010 as I have sat here this evening and debated in my head the directions I will and will not allow my emotions to lead me. Now everyone makes resolutions for the new year with the greatest of intentions, some are successful, most are not. But we all mean well, so it is kind of a cosmic joke about making those resolutions, and I have a list for myself as well. So, to keep myself accountable, here are a few of mine. Like I said, I am looking at things a bit differently presently so it just might be all accomplished.

I WILL NOT think about the 95 pounds I need to loose. I WILL work to loose 10 pounds in January. I will not think about how much I did not get the gym and will strive to go to the gym once a week in January.

Okay, when from this point forward, when I say this month, I refer to January.

I WILL NO LONGER have a pity party for myself. I WILL find time once a week to work on some type of project that makes me feel happy again.

I WILL NOT look at how dirty and chaotic this house is. I WILL clean, de-clutter and purge through each room of this house, completely ceiling to floor, one room a week.

I WILL NOT feel bad because I failed to post to my blog for months. I WILL make an effort to blog more often. The goal is once a week.

I WILL NOT start a new project. May write down the plan and a few notes about it, but not start it. I WILL finish one of the many projects I have left in various states of progress each month. It would literally take about 5 years at that rate, but when I finish one, will start the next until each one is finished. Maybe I can hit on some projects that are already nearer to completion from time to time so that I can possibly get more than one a month, but I will get at least one a month completed.

I WILL NOT overwhelm myself with planning months of menus. I WILL plan a month of menus for January.

I WILL NOT purchase any food (excluding essentials of milk and bread) until I know what I have in the house. I WILL clean out and reorganize the pantry, fridge and freezer.

I WILL NOT purchase any fabric or scrapbook supplies until I just have to have it. I WILL use what I have first.

You get the idea.

The recommended amount of weight loss is 2 to 2.5 pounds a week. I figure that 2.5 a week, four weeks a month, I should be able to manage 10 pounds a month. With a change in eating habits and exercise that is. There fore, actually going to the gym that I am paying for each month, menu planning for different way of cooking and eating will be essential.

In the interest of time, since I want to actually post this before midnight, I will close with a wrap up and go in to more details in the days to come. Now that I have literally I been worked on top to bottom, I want to get back to my hobbies, that of sewing, quilting, crochet, scrapbooking, and such. I am making myself a vow to work as much as I possibly can with all the supplies that I already have on hand. My oldest daughter visited for the week and one day worked on some scrapbook pages for her grandmother's (my mom) book. I showed her the supply closet, she told her hubby about it and he called me a paper hoarder. I told her I am just well stocked. May need a few little interest do dads, but will get the pages or cards done and then see if I really need anything else.

Same with my pantry. I read on one of the blogs I follow about an organized pantry challenge and I am all up for that. After doing the holiday cooking I realized I have spices from when I first married in my cabinet. I found the jar of pimentos, I spent 20 minutes looking for before deciding to leave it out of the recipe, after the dish was half way cooked. My cabinets need to be cleaned and organized so I know what I have and what I need in order to cook meals around here. I can honestly say that I could probably cook for two months off of what is in my cabinets, wouldn't be the family favorites, but they wouldn't starve either.

I also enjoy writing and want to get back to that as well. I realized this past week that I won't die, nor will anyone else, if I don't get on Facebook and Farm Town. While I enjoy the game, and reading what my friends and family post, I also came to realize that while I was mentally complaining that I didn't have time to work out at the gym, I some how found hours a day to play the game. Hence, I am writing down schedules of my time for what and throwing in a checklist to get the house cleaned and kept clean as well.

Enough blubbering about for one night. I am off to a warm bath and then plan to see the New Year in with a goodnight prayer and falling fast asleep.

Yes I know, I lead such an exciting life. Seriously, here's to a God filled and blessed year to come. Taking it one day at a time, one task at a time.

Pop on back over from time to time and see what I am working on and how I am doing on keeping my resolutions. In the mean time, thanks for stopping in and fill free to leave a comment.