Day 4 - Or as I like to call it CRASH & BURN DAY! Yes, we failed.
Now, can I explain?
So, for breakfast we had our fruit and it was the first day we were disappointed. The mango I cut up wasn't ripe (I have no idea how to tell if it's ripe or not!) and it was so tough and hard to eat. So, I had a banana for a snack mid-morning. I was excited. I was motivated. We were going to do this! So, for lunch I had the leftover chicken soup (STILL GOOD!) and Jeff went to eat at Sakura. He swore that he stayed away from the soy sauce and everything else that is on the "do not eat" list. He said he got 1 roll that only had raw fish in it. So, we're on track. Jeff survived his first trip to a restaurant and we were going to make it! YESSSSSS!!
Then it was time for dinner. Well...shit. (Pardon) So, I'm taking off work tomorrow and I had to stay late to get some things set up tomorrow. I ended having to stay WAY late for a closing that had complications. I didn't get home until after 6:00. I know to most people this may be normal or even good but for us to cook these healthy meals we need every minute we've got after work. So, the only thing we had left to eat this week was fish. I finally got home and we got the fish out...and it STUNK!! FUNKY! We decided that even if we did cook it neither of us wanted to eat anything that smelled like that. So, chicken. Yeah, I froze the chicken last night because we'd used all the chicken recipes I had for the week. WOOPS! So, what were we going to do? It's now 6:30. The fish was in the trash and the chicken was frozen. We ordered salads from Cracker Barrel. Not terrible, right? We keep trying to tell ourselves that. There was A LOT on that salad that is on the "do not eat" list this week and we ATE IT ALL! YUM!! We ate the eggs, cheese, and fat free ranch dressing (which has dairy!).
I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to have 4 whole days of doing great (which I think we could have pushed to the rest of the week). Salads are better than burgers and fries, right? We are still motivated to keep doing well. We both feel better and we can both tell a difference in how we feel!
Oh, I forgot to tell you Jeff actually got up today and did yoga with me. So, we're going to keep getting up to exercise. We're going to keep eating our fruit for breakfast and leftovers for lunch. Tomorrow night we'll have a chicken meal for dinner. We did fall off for dinner but not WAY far off. Not as far off as I would have liked (hamburger & fries).
NOW! For our wonderful news! We're having the yard re-landscaped!! WHOO-HOO! So, after a motivating meal with croutons, cheese, eggs & fat free ranch dressing we were motivated to get out in the yard and do a little work ourselves! Jeff says we worked off all the bad stuff we ate. Whatever, that salad was SO good!
Wish us luck tomorrow and the rest of the week!
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Day 3 - 28 Day Challenge
Ding! Ding! Ding! We finally have a winner!
So, we've survived three whole days of eating healthy and not cheating. I won't lie. Today was SO hard. Both of us were having withdrawl symptoms today. I swear to you I craved EVERYTHING that is bad but tastes so good!! Today I honestly considered going to The Baker's Rack today. Probably the only thing that saved me was the fact that I didn't have any cash and would have had to use my debit card and Jeff would have seen that! I almost ate some popcorn, too. Popcorn doesn't sound too bad, right? Yeah. It was movie theater butter flavored popcorn. BUT I RESISTED!! Honestly, I just hope to make it through tomorrow. If I can make it for 4 days then I can make it 7, right? So, I'm almost to my first goal!
Okay, today we had the bowl of fruit again (still good). For lunch we had the shredded chicken over the cucumber, green pepper & basil salad. I had the oil & viniger dressing that I made. JEFF had poppy seed dressing (NOT ON THE LIST). Then he had two crackers. Yes, they were whole wheat crackers but that wasn't on the list either. I had a banana for dessert and Jeff had an apple.
For dinner we finally had a winner! Jeff gave it an A! I was so excited. I must say that out of everything we cooked this smelled the best. This recipe will definitely get put into our regular lineup once we're done. It was fast, easy and healthy. It doesn't get much better than that! So, we made chicken soup with onions, garlic, sweet potato, collard greens and chicken. If you're like me then you probably think the collard greens sound funky but it was SO good! Oh, I forgot there was Almond Butter in it. That's what gave it isn't great flavor. We were both so happy to have finally found a recipe that was a hit!
So, today's suggestion was to start a stress log. It sayes to make a note every time something or someone causes stress. I guess this isn't too foreign to me. If something upsets me I usually write an e-mail or text to one of my friends. So, I either need to also write it down in a journal or only write it in the journal and leave the fun happy stuff to talk to my friends about. So, I'll start now: I was stressed today because I couldn't eat a cheeseburger! I was stressed because I hated that I'd started this stupid challenge and I so desperately wanted to give up today and go eat some bad stuff. I have a gift card to Cracker Barrel and I tried to get Jeff to go eat it. He told me no. He said we had to eat at home because we'd spent so much on groceries. His family called and asked us to go eat at Logan's with them tonight. I was PUMPED! I was envisioning ordering the meatloaf with mashed potatoes...and some other AWESOME unhealthy side! But he told them no so we ate at home. I'm glad we stayed home and finished another day of healthy eating.
And...we still haven't given up TV. The ESPY's are this week. Yeah, sorry. Not happening Martha. The ESPY's are my favorite awards show. FAVORITE. So, if I'm going to watch that tomorrow night then I might as well enjoy tonight, too, right? And besides, if I have to give up awesome food then can't I at least have the pleasure of watching TV? So, maybe next week!
Three days down! 25 to go. YIKES!
So, we've survived three whole days of eating healthy and not cheating. I won't lie. Today was SO hard. Both of us were having withdrawl symptoms today. I swear to you I craved EVERYTHING that is bad but tastes so good!! Today I honestly considered going to The Baker's Rack today. Probably the only thing that saved me was the fact that I didn't have any cash and would have had to use my debit card and Jeff would have seen that! I almost ate some popcorn, too. Popcorn doesn't sound too bad, right? Yeah. It was movie theater butter flavored popcorn. BUT I RESISTED!! Honestly, I just hope to make it through tomorrow. If I can make it for 4 days then I can make it 7, right? So, I'm almost to my first goal!
Okay, today we had the bowl of fruit again (still good). For lunch we had the shredded chicken over the cucumber, green pepper & basil salad. I had the oil & viniger dressing that I made. JEFF had poppy seed dressing (NOT ON THE LIST). Then he had two crackers. Yes, they were whole wheat crackers but that wasn't on the list either. I had a banana for dessert and Jeff had an apple.
For dinner we finally had a winner! Jeff gave it an A! I was so excited. I must say that out of everything we cooked this smelled the best. This recipe will definitely get put into our regular lineup once we're done. It was fast, easy and healthy. It doesn't get much better than that! So, we made chicken soup with onions, garlic, sweet potato, collard greens and chicken. If you're like me then you probably think the collard greens sound funky but it was SO good! Oh, I forgot there was Almond Butter in it. That's what gave it isn't great flavor. We were both so happy to have finally found a recipe that was a hit!
So, today's suggestion was to start a stress log. It sayes to make a note every time something or someone causes stress. I guess this isn't too foreign to me. If something upsets me I usually write an e-mail or text to one of my friends. So, I either need to also write it down in a journal or only write it in the journal and leave the fun happy stuff to talk to my friends about. So, I'll start now: I was stressed today because I couldn't eat a cheeseburger! I was stressed because I hated that I'd started this stupid challenge and I so desperately wanted to give up today and go eat some bad stuff. I have a gift card to Cracker Barrel and I tried to get Jeff to go eat it. He told me no. He said we had to eat at home because we'd spent so much on groceries. His family called and asked us to go eat at Logan's with them tonight. I was PUMPED! I was envisioning ordering the meatloaf with mashed potatoes...and some other AWESOME unhealthy side! But he told them no so we ate at home. I'm glad we stayed home and finished another day of healthy eating.
And...we still haven't given up TV. The ESPY's are this week. Yeah, sorry. Not happening Martha. The ESPY's are my favorite awards show. FAVORITE. So, if I'm going to watch that tomorrow night then I might as well enjoy tonight, too, right? And besides, if I have to give up awesome food then can't I at least have the pleasure of watching TV? So, maybe next week!
Three days down! 25 to go. YIKES!
Monday, July 11, 2011
Day 2 - 28 Day Challenge
Hello world. We're here. We're staying on track begrudgingly!
This morning I set my alarm early and...actually got up! I had intended to walk the neighborhood with Hank but it was so hot and humid that we only walked our street (just long enough for Hank to do is business in someone elses yard - hehe). I went back in and did yoga instead. I'll be doing yoga every morning until this heat breaks. Jeff didn't get up with me. He came in the den about the time I was finishing my yoga.
Today after work we did yoga again. I wanted to do more but Jeff said he was too hungry so that's all we did before I fixed dinner and cut up fruit for tomorrow's breakfast.
For breakfast we had our fruit again. For lunch we had the leftover vegetarian chili. That chili was SPICY yesterday and I expected it to get worse overnight but it wasn't bad today at lunch. For dessert after lunch I had a banana. I took an apple to work with every intention of eating it during my typical snack time but I never got the chance. I was slammed at work today since my boss was gone. There is a certain "person" that I feel like can't do her job without Alan holding her hand and since he wasn't there today I had to help her along. *eye roll* For dinner we had shredded chicken on a salad...but not just any salad. It was cucumbers, green peppers and basil with an oil, vinegar & lime juice dressing. It was the first meal (besides the fruit for breakfast) that I thought, OH YEAH! But Jeff gave it an "Eeehh" rating. So, I was a little bummed that he didn't like it like I did. I will admit that I got a bite of basil one time and it made my eyes pop. Except for that one bite I thought the flavors mixed well. Jeff had an apple for dessert tonight.
Um, we just saw a preview for Denny's and it looked HEAVENLY! I think we'll probably go to Waffle House after this is done and gorge ourselves on all the things we're not going to eat over the next month. Then we'll probably go to Wendy's to get a Frosty...and who knows where else we'll go but we're both salivating for nasty, greasy, heavenly food!
So, today's task was to give up TV and reduce on-line time. Yeah, that's not happening. At least not today. Tonight is the MLB home run derby. It is the only time I watch any type of baseball with Jeff and we always love watching the home run derby. I LOVE the home run derby. I don't think I can say that enough. We've watched it every year since we've been together. So, usually I pick a favorite to watch. I'm a BIG Boston Red Sox fan. My reasons are totally silly and female but I don't care. So, I'm pumped that my boys have two guys in the derby: Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz a/k/a Big Papi! I should be pumped that right now Gonzalez is in the lead with 9 but I'm not going to lie...Robbie Cano was a BEAST!! His hits were incredible! A-MAZING! But nothing...and I mean NOTHING will ever beat the year Josh Hamilton hit 28 home runs in the first round and 35 total. He didn't win but he stole the show. I was cheering for him that night! What a great story, he got his little league coach to pitch to him and I just loved it all. You're a cold hearted person if you didn't love it, too!
And finally, have you seen the Arizona Diamondbacks stadium? I've never seen anything like it! It's called Chase Field and it's in Phoenix. It has a retractable roof that many football and baseball stadiums have now but do you know what it has that I've never seen before? A SWIMMING POOL! You know how the Redbirds have a patio that you can rent out for parties? The Jackson Generals have one, too. Well, so do the Diamondbacks but it has a POOL! HOW COOL IS THAT? If I win the lottery then I'm renting that party deck and we're going to swim and watch baseball! Someone just hit a home run in the pool! I'm shocked and impressed!
Good night folks...2 days down & 26 to go. Whew!
This morning I set my alarm early and...actually got up! I had intended to walk the neighborhood with Hank but it was so hot and humid that we only walked our street (just long enough for Hank to do is business in someone elses yard - hehe). I went back in and did yoga instead. I'll be doing yoga every morning until this heat breaks. Jeff didn't get up with me. He came in the den about the time I was finishing my yoga.
Today after work we did yoga again. I wanted to do more but Jeff said he was too hungry so that's all we did before I fixed dinner and cut up fruit for tomorrow's breakfast.
For breakfast we had our fruit again. For lunch we had the leftover vegetarian chili. That chili was SPICY yesterday and I expected it to get worse overnight but it wasn't bad today at lunch. For dessert after lunch I had a banana. I took an apple to work with every intention of eating it during my typical snack time but I never got the chance. I was slammed at work today since my boss was gone. There is a certain "person" that I feel like can't do her job without Alan holding her hand and since he wasn't there today I had to help her along. *eye roll* For dinner we had shredded chicken on a salad...but not just any salad. It was cucumbers, green peppers and basil with an oil, vinegar & lime juice dressing. It was the first meal (besides the fruit for breakfast) that I thought, OH YEAH! But Jeff gave it an "Eeehh" rating. So, I was a little bummed that he didn't like it like I did. I will admit that I got a bite of basil one time and it made my eyes pop. Except for that one bite I thought the flavors mixed well. Jeff had an apple for dessert tonight.
Um, we just saw a preview for Denny's and it looked HEAVENLY! I think we'll probably go to Waffle House after this is done and gorge ourselves on all the things we're not going to eat over the next month. Then we'll probably go to Wendy's to get a Frosty...and who knows where else we'll go but we're both salivating for nasty, greasy, heavenly food!
So, today's task was to give up TV and reduce on-line time. Yeah, that's not happening. At least not today. Tonight is the MLB home run derby. It is the only time I watch any type of baseball with Jeff and we always love watching the home run derby. I LOVE the home run derby. I don't think I can say that enough. We've watched it every year since we've been together. So, usually I pick a favorite to watch. I'm a BIG Boston Red Sox fan. My reasons are totally silly and female but I don't care. So, I'm pumped that my boys have two guys in the derby: Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz a/k/a Big Papi! I should be pumped that right now Gonzalez is in the lead with 9 but I'm not going to lie...Robbie Cano was a BEAST!! His hits were incredible! A-MAZING! But nothing...and I mean NOTHING will ever beat the year Josh Hamilton hit 28 home runs in the first round and 35 total. He didn't win but he stole the show. I was cheering for him that night! What a great story, he got his little league coach to pitch to him and I just loved it all. You're a cold hearted person if you didn't love it, too!
And finally, have you seen the Arizona Diamondbacks stadium? I've never seen anything like it! It's called Chase Field and it's in Phoenix. It has a retractable roof that many football and baseball stadiums have now but do you know what it has that I've never seen before? A SWIMMING POOL! You know how the Redbirds have a patio that you can rent out for parties? The Jackson Generals have one, too. Well, so do the Diamondbacks but it has a POOL! HOW COOL IS THAT? If I win the lottery then I'm renting that party deck and we're going to swim and watch baseball! Someone just hit a home run in the pool! I'm shocked and impressed!
Good night folks...2 days down & 26 to go. Whew!
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Day 1 - 28 Day Challenge
The dawn arrived bright and hot and I woke up motivated! Today is the day that Jeff and I get healthy! Did you watch the movie Julie & Julia? It's the duel story about Julie Powell and Julia Child. It is a fun and funny movie. Well, this is the TOTAL opposite of that movie! Julie Powell took a year to cook her way through Julia Child's cook book. I just want to take 28 days to try to develop some healthy eating and lifestyle habits.
Okay, so Hank woke us up at 7:00 this morning. I decided to make our first breakfast: Fruit. Black grapes, mango, kiwi, peaches, and plums. Along with the fruit is a sauce to top it. Applesauce, honey, water and...tahini. Ever heard of tahini? Yeah, me neither. It is sesame paste. Jeff didn't try the sauce on his bowl of fruit. I did. I'm indifferent. It definitely didn't enhance the bowl of fruit. I don't know what the nutritional value is of the sauce so I figure we'll leave that off the rest of the week. Yes, that is our breakfast for the rest of the week.
After breakfast Jeff and I sat down to watch The Fighter (great movie!). After watching the movie it was time for lunch which was two bean vegetarian chili. It was decent. It probably won't be on the menu after this week but it was good. AND it was easy to make! I always worry that Martha's recipes will be too in depth for me. So, two meals down and things are looking good. Except for the mess I made! While fixing lunch I opened a can of black beans to pour in my pan and I spilled the bean juice down the side of my cabinet. Well, that got me going. I cleaned the whole kitchen. I cleaned out the fridge, pantry, spice cabinet and EVERY cabinet and drawer in the kitchen and then I cleaned them all as well! I am TIRED! I think I threw out 4 bags of garbage and got a great yard sale pile started. I swear I don't think our kitchen looked this clean even when we first moved in. I didn't think I had 4 bags of trash in the kitchen but I was wrong.
So, then after a quick trip to Lowe's it was time to start dinner. Dinner was a super easy recipe, too. Although it too will not be added to our regular menu. For dinner we had fresh salmon baked in the over with olive oil and salt and pepper on a bed of lentils, carrots, onion, spinach (was supposed to arugula but I couldn't find any). Neither of us were impressed but we both ate our dinner! All the meals have been hearty and filling but trying to be good is not easy!
As we were leaving Lowe's Jeff asked if I wanted to go to Wendy's to get a Frosty. OF COURSE! Yes, I want a frosty but I really want to succeed in this challenge. Maybe we'll go directly back to our old ways but I'd at least like to try. Jeff was disappointed (and I was too secretly) but we survived the drive down Vann Drive and all the unhealthy and appealing restaurants!
In addition to eating healthy the challenge gives a daily task for us to try. Today's task was to begin a week long media fast: no TV and cut back on online time. We did NOT give up TV today. Mainly because I wasn't ready. What else were we going to do on this scorchingly hot day? We'll give up TV tomorrow. Tomorrow's task is to go to bed 10 minutes early and every day go to bed 10 minutes earlier until you've added a whole hour of sleep to your cycle. Not a problem! I'll swap the suggested tasks for today and tomorrow.
So, Week 1 is all about detox. Foods to avoid this week are: added sugar, processed foods or beverages, alcohol, caffeine, wheat/gluten, eggs, dairy, peanut products, fruit juices, soy and corn. When I read that in the magazine it doesn't seem too bad. Talk to me tomorrow when I'm at work and I'm itching to go to The Baker's Rack at 2:30 for my afternoon snack! I can pack a banana and an apple but neither of those sounds nearly as appetizing as an oatmeal raisin cookie or a mud cookie or anything over there!
Ah, well! As Day 1 draws in a close I'm still determined to stick to this and finish without cheating (too much!). Wish me luck! And Jeff, too!
Okay, so Hank woke us up at 7:00 this morning. I decided to make our first breakfast: Fruit. Black grapes, mango, kiwi, peaches, and plums. Along with the fruit is a sauce to top it. Applesauce, honey, water and...tahini. Ever heard of tahini? Yeah, me neither. It is sesame paste. Jeff didn't try the sauce on his bowl of fruit. I did. I'm indifferent. It definitely didn't enhance the bowl of fruit. I don't know what the nutritional value is of the sauce so I figure we'll leave that off the rest of the week. Yes, that is our breakfast for the rest of the week.
After breakfast Jeff and I sat down to watch The Fighter (great movie!). After watching the movie it was time for lunch which was two bean vegetarian chili. It was decent. It probably won't be on the menu after this week but it was good. AND it was easy to make! I always worry that Martha's recipes will be too in depth for me. So, two meals down and things are looking good. Except for the mess I made! While fixing lunch I opened a can of black beans to pour in my pan and I spilled the bean juice down the side of my cabinet. Well, that got me going. I cleaned the whole kitchen. I cleaned out the fridge, pantry, spice cabinet and EVERY cabinet and drawer in the kitchen and then I cleaned them all as well! I am TIRED! I think I threw out 4 bags of garbage and got a great yard sale pile started. I swear I don't think our kitchen looked this clean even when we first moved in. I didn't think I had 4 bags of trash in the kitchen but I was wrong.
So, then after a quick trip to Lowe's it was time to start dinner. Dinner was a super easy recipe, too. Although it too will not be added to our regular menu. For dinner we had fresh salmon baked in the over with olive oil and salt and pepper on a bed of lentils, carrots, onion, spinach (was supposed to arugula but I couldn't find any). Neither of us were impressed but we both ate our dinner! All the meals have been hearty and filling but trying to be good is not easy!
As we were leaving Lowe's Jeff asked if I wanted to go to Wendy's to get a Frosty. OF COURSE! Yes, I want a frosty but I really want to succeed in this challenge. Maybe we'll go directly back to our old ways but I'd at least like to try. Jeff was disappointed (and I was too secretly) but we survived the drive down Vann Drive and all the unhealthy and appealing restaurants!
In addition to eating healthy the challenge gives a daily task for us to try. Today's task was to begin a week long media fast: no TV and cut back on online time. We did NOT give up TV today. Mainly because I wasn't ready. What else were we going to do on this scorchingly hot day? We'll give up TV tomorrow. Tomorrow's task is to go to bed 10 minutes early and every day go to bed 10 minutes earlier until you've added a whole hour of sleep to your cycle. Not a problem! I'll swap the suggested tasks for today and tomorrow.
So, Week 1 is all about detox. Foods to avoid this week are: added sugar, processed foods or beverages, alcohol, caffeine, wheat/gluten, eggs, dairy, peanut products, fruit juices, soy and corn. When I read that in the magazine it doesn't seem too bad. Talk to me tomorrow when I'm at work and I'm itching to go to The Baker's Rack at 2:30 for my afternoon snack! I can pack a banana and an apple but neither of those sounds nearly as appetizing as an oatmeal raisin cookie or a mud cookie or anything over there!
Ah, well! As Day 1 draws in a close I'm still determined to stick to this and finish without cheating (too much!). Wish me luck! And Jeff, too!
28 Day Mind & Body Challenge
Martha Stewart and Dave Ramsey don't mix!
So, Jeff and I have been fans of Dave Ramsey since our second Christmas as a married couple. Jeff was surfing through the channels as most guys do when he stumbled across a Dave Ramsey special on PBS. We were rivited! We couldn't move, talk or change the channel. We loved him. He was funny, relatable and he motivated us! We decided to try some of his methods. It worked okay for us. Then last year something clicked in me and I decided to get even more motivated financially so we participated in the Financial Peace University and while Jeff has always been responsible monitarily I was a "wild child" so there was a yin/yang thing going on at our house. Well, after FPU I'm more in tune with what we spend, when we spend and how we spend. I LOVE having a budget. Do you know why I love having a budget? Because when I go buy a new outfit a Talbots and Jeff sees the bag and questions me about it I can look at him and say, "It's in the budget!" I LOVE THAT!
So, enter Martha Stewart. I love Martha Stewart. I've loved her for a while. I don't know when or why I started watching and reading her but I did. No, I don't do anything I see in her magazines or on her show. I just enjoy watching her and reading her magazine. Well, if you're at all familiar with Martha then you know she has a multiple shows and multiple magazines. I subscribed to two of her magazines. Well, on one of her shows she was talking about an article that was running in another magazine (that I don't subscribe to - Whole Living) and that it was a 28 Day Mind & Body Challenge. It actually interested me and I really wanted to try this challenge for a while. Well, the time has finally come. The stars have aligned and moons are shining on me. I"m ready to start this challenge.
So, what is this 28 Day Mind & Body Challenge? Well, it is a challenge to eat better and live a healthier, fuller life. So, what do we do for this challenge? Would you believe too much? I have decided this was the week to start for a while now. Jeff's finally done with WestStar and no longer traveling, we're both healthy, we're no longer care givers. It is time to do all the things that we've been putting off! Jeff has been saying for a while that he wanted to eat healthier and so I gave him the deadline of today.
Yesterday was the prep day. I went to the farmer's market in Jackson to try to buy local, fresh produce. It was a fun experience. I only spent $22.00 and got a TON of produce. Then...I went to Kroger to buy the rest of the ingredients. Umm...CRAP! Dave Ramsey would have FLIPPED if he'd seen how far over budget I went on groceries this week! I'm flipping...and you KNOW Jeff's flipping. It's all I've heard about for the last two days. Ugh! Eating healthy is EXPENSIVE!
So, what did Jeff and I eat yesteday before we started this 28 Day Challenge?
Breakfast - McDonald's
Lunch - Chick-fil-A
Dinner - Chicken and cheese enchiladas
NOT HEALTHY! But needless to say, it wasn't time to start eating healthy yet so we took advantage to eat lots of processed and unhealthy food (that tastes SO dang good!). Please follow me on this journey as we try new and crazy recipes and try to live a healthier and fuller life...at least for the next 28 days!
So, Jeff and I have been fans of Dave Ramsey since our second Christmas as a married couple. Jeff was surfing through the channels as most guys do when he stumbled across a Dave Ramsey special on PBS. We were rivited! We couldn't move, talk or change the channel. We loved him. He was funny, relatable and he motivated us! We decided to try some of his methods. It worked okay for us. Then last year something clicked in me and I decided to get even more motivated financially so we participated in the Financial Peace University and while Jeff has always been responsible monitarily I was a "wild child" so there was a yin/yang thing going on at our house. Well, after FPU I'm more in tune with what we spend, when we spend and how we spend. I LOVE having a budget. Do you know why I love having a budget? Because when I go buy a new outfit a Talbots and Jeff sees the bag and questions me about it I can look at him and say, "It's in the budget!" I LOVE THAT!
So, enter Martha Stewart. I love Martha Stewart. I've loved her for a while. I don't know when or why I started watching and reading her but I did. No, I don't do anything I see in her magazines or on her show. I just enjoy watching her and reading her magazine. Well, if you're at all familiar with Martha then you know she has a multiple shows and multiple magazines. I subscribed to two of her magazines. Well, on one of her shows she was talking about an article that was running in another magazine (that I don't subscribe to - Whole Living) and that it was a 28 Day Mind & Body Challenge. It actually interested me and I really wanted to try this challenge for a while. Well, the time has finally come. The stars have aligned and moons are shining on me. I"m ready to start this challenge.
So, what is this 28 Day Mind & Body Challenge? Well, it is a challenge to eat better and live a healthier, fuller life. So, what do we do for this challenge? Would you believe too much? I have decided this was the week to start for a while now. Jeff's finally done with WestStar and no longer traveling, we're both healthy, we're no longer care givers. It is time to do all the things that we've been putting off! Jeff has been saying for a while that he wanted to eat healthier and so I gave him the deadline of today.
Yesterday was the prep day. I went to the farmer's market in Jackson to try to buy local, fresh produce. It was a fun experience. I only spent $22.00 and got a TON of produce. Then...I went to Kroger to buy the rest of the ingredients. Umm...CRAP! Dave Ramsey would have FLIPPED if he'd seen how far over budget I went on groceries this week! I'm flipping...and you KNOW Jeff's flipping. It's all I've heard about for the last two days. Ugh! Eating healthy is EXPENSIVE!
So, what did Jeff and I eat yesteday before we started this 28 Day Challenge?
Breakfast - McDonald's
Lunch - Chick-fil-A
Dinner - Chicken and cheese enchiladas
NOT HEALTHY! But needless to say, it wasn't time to start eating healthy yet so we took advantage to eat lots of processed and unhealthy food (that tastes SO dang good!). Please follow me on this journey as we try new and crazy recipes and try to live a healthier and fuller life...at least for the next 28 days!
Friday, July 8, 2011
Larry Crowne - With An E!
Last night our "ladies group" went to see Larry Crowne. Tom Hanks wrote and starred in the movie along with Julia Roberts. I loved it! If you want to watch an inspiring an uplifting movie then this is for you! Don't worry, it's not sad. You know I am Patti's daughter and if she can cry everytime someone says "Amen" then you know I'm not far behind and I didn't even tear up once.
I loved both Tom Hanks character and Julia Roberts character! I'm more keenly aware of actors now and I always wonder if I'll see them as their previous characters. No worries, Forrest Gump and Erin Brokovich were not in evidence in this movie. I will be SHOCKED if this movie is nominated for any awards but that doesn't mean that I'm not in awe of this movie. Tom Hanks wrote it. He WROTE the movie. Yes, I know, someone writes every movie but even as I watched it I wondered to myself "Did he write that or was that improv?" I am in awe that someone created such a good, fun movie. I don't know why this movie is sticking out in my head so much because he wrote it. I loved That Thing You Do (which was a critical flop but cult classic). I know he wrote and starred in it but this movie was so warm and funny. I'm in love with Larry Crowne - Crowne with an E!
I hope you'll check this out sometime soon. It makes me feel like I can do anything! I know I need to do something and stop floating along. Maybe this movie will be a motivating factor and help me get my nose out of a book, my butt off the couch and get me moving. If not, I really enjoyed it for the entertainment value! Two thumbs up! Loved it!!
I loved both Tom Hanks character and Julia Roberts character! I'm more keenly aware of actors now and I always wonder if I'll see them as their previous characters. No worries, Forrest Gump and Erin Brokovich were not in evidence in this movie. I will be SHOCKED if this movie is nominated for any awards but that doesn't mean that I'm not in awe of this movie. Tom Hanks wrote it. He WROTE the movie. Yes, I know, someone writes every movie but even as I watched it I wondered to myself "Did he write that or was that improv?" I am in awe that someone created such a good, fun movie. I don't know why this movie is sticking out in my head so much because he wrote it. I loved That Thing You Do (which was a critical flop but cult classic). I know he wrote and starred in it but this movie was so warm and funny. I'm in love with Larry Crowne - Crowne with an E!
I hope you'll check this out sometime soon. It makes me feel like I can do anything! I know I need to do something and stop floating along. Maybe this movie will be a motivating factor and help me get my nose out of a book, my butt off the couch and get me moving. If not, I really enjoyed it for the entertainment value! Two thumbs up! Loved it!!
Friday, July 1, 2011
Flattery will get you...EVERYWHERE!
I think that's a quote from Samantha Jones on Sex and The City but...it's true for most women. I just had the funniest e-mail from a friend and it made my day. I just had to share. And for me...if you make me laugh and make me feel good, then you're going to get moved a few notches higher in my book!
I'll try to give a quick back story: The Lester family is good friends with the Aylor family. Adam, the oldest Aylor is a year younger than Jeff & Jeremy. The whole time Jeff and I dated, got married and all that Adam was in Iraq (he was a Marine). He came home for Danny's funeral which is the first time we met. Margie doesn't allow shoes in the house. So, we're all sitting in the living room and there are so many people around that the "kids" are sitting in the floor. Adam and I were sitting next to each other and quitely getting to know each other while all the adults are doing their "mourning" thing. All of a sudden Adam says quite loudly (practically yelled). "Oh! My! God! Look at your toes! They're like fingers!" And thus began Adam's obsession of my toes.
I've received many texts, Facebook posts and e-mails from Adam throughout the years and they always have an opening like similar to: "Hello my finger toed beauty". Yes, it's silly but I swear to you it makes my day. I will get a cheek ache from laughing and smiling at Adam's silly messages.
Today was the mother of all messages! He sent me a youtube video! It doesn't get any more funny than this! It is The Cleverlys - Podophiliac.
I'm not smart enough to put the video in this post. Maybe someone will teach me this weekend...
I'll try to give a quick back story: The Lester family is good friends with the Aylor family. Adam, the oldest Aylor is a year younger than Jeff & Jeremy. The whole time Jeff and I dated, got married and all that Adam was in Iraq (he was a Marine). He came home for Danny's funeral which is the first time we met. Margie doesn't allow shoes in the house. So, we're all sitting in the living room and there are so many people around that the "kids" are sitting in the floor. Adam and I were sitting next to each other and quitely getting to know each other while all the adults are doing their "mourning" thing. All of a sudden Adam says quite loudly (practically yelled). "Oh! My! God! Look at your toes! They're like fingers!" And thus began Adam's obsession of my toes.
I've received many texts, Facebook posts and e-mails from Adam throughout the years and they always have an opening like similar to: "Hello my finger toed beauty". Yes, it's silly but I swear to you it makes my day. I will get a cheek ache from laughing and smiling at Adam's silly messages.
Today was the mother of all messages! He sent me a youtube video! It doesn't get any more funny than this! It is The Cleverlys - Podophiliac.
I'm not smart enough to put the video in this post. Maybe someone will teach me this weekend...
Gone Baby Gone is Great Baby Great
I'm in love. I've got a new celebrity crush. Casey Affleck, Ben's little brother. I have never thought anything about Casey except the fact that I thought he was riding his beautiful brother's coat tails and I thought he needed to go away. He proved me wrong. He is the lead character in Gone Baby Gone and I'm in Love Baby Love! I can honestly tell you that I forgot he was Ben's little brother or the guy from the Ocean's movies...I was so engrossed in the story. He made me believe he was Patrick Kinzie.
Now, this movie is wonderful. It's been running through my mind all last night and all this morning. To tell you Jeff's Lester's thoughts on the movie: "It is a mind freak." If this situation were to ever happen to me in real life I don't know if MY moral compass would point north. I might have to side with Michelle Monaghan's character. I really might. I don't want to give away the movie to any of those that haven't seen it that want to watch it. But I do think there is a big difference between men and women and the choices we make and my heart leads towards what Michelle Monaghan's character said and did.
Something I loved about this movie was the deep faith that Casey's character had. Anyone that's been to Boston or watched any movie about Boston knows about the large Catholic community in the area and Casey's character frequently quoted his priest and his moral compas always pointed north no matter how difficult the decision was. I honestly loved that.
If you liked the movie The Departed then you will love Gone Baby Gone. It was a very gripping movie about the choices people make and how the ripple effects are felt in the others around you. It gets two thumbs WAY up! Loved it baby loved it!
I do want to leave you with the opening lines of the movie. The really spoke to me: "I always believed it was the things you don't choose that makes you who you are. Your city, your neighborhood, your family. People here take pride in these things, like it was something they'd accomplished. The bodies around the souls, the cities wrapped around those." I know my home town, my home church, my family and all that is "Dyer" shaped me and for that, I thank you!
Now, this movie is wonderful. It's been running through my mind all last night and all this morning. To tell you Jeff's Lester's thoughts on the movie: "It is a mind freak." If this situation were to ever happen to me in real life I don't know if MY moral compass would point north. I might have to side with Michelle Monaghan's character. I really might. I don't want to give away the movie to any of those that haven't seen it that want to watch it. But I do think there is a big difference between men and women and the choices we make and my heart leads towards what Michelle Monaghan's character said and did.
Something I loved about this movie was the deep faith that Casey's character had. Anyone that's been to Boston or watched any movie about Boston knows about the large Catholic community in the area and Casey's character frequently quoted his priest and his moral compas always pointed north no matter how difficult the decision was. I honestly loved that.
If you liked the movie The Departed then you will love Gone Baby Gone. It was a very gripping movie about the choices people make and how the ripple effects are felt in the others around you. It gets two thumbs WAY up! Loved it baby loved it!
I do want to leave you with the opening lines of the movie. The really spoke to me: "I always believed it was the things you don't choose that makes you who you are. Your city, your neighborhood, your family. People here take pride in these things, like it was something they'd accomplished. The bodies around the souls, the cities wrapped around those." I know my home town, my home church, my family and all that is "Dyer" shaped me and for that, I thank you!
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