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Tired!

April 8, 2012 Leave a Comment

I’ve decided I’m gonna try writing about something and nothing at least once a day.  I’ve been neglecting this blog and putting it on the back burner, when in reality I want to journal about my life every day.  So here’s to day one in starting a habit.

Nothing really important to write other than I’m tired.  Andy has started a part time job in the evenings and lets just say I wait up for him most nights only tonight I’ll be going to sleep right after this post.  Staying up till midnight to one in the morning and getting up when my Munchie gets up is rapidly starting to catch up.

We had a busy day today.  We were out the door at 8am to head over to an Easter Egg hunt.  It was great to see my Munchie picking up eggs and putting them in his Easter basket.  Andy tried to bowl while I ran around trying to keep track of an energetic one year old!  We saw the bunny and after the hunt we headed home.

Once we got home it was time to get some stuff ready for a Baptism at church. (which was great by the way).  Then we came home with the Missionaries, Andy had some stuff he needed to help them with and I ran over to Sams Club to get dog food and diapers since we were completely out.

Got home sat down for about 30 minutes and then my Munchie got up and well I was tired an wanted to stay home, but I managed to get him dressed to head to the park, which seemed to be the right thing to do.  We had tons of fun!  Great little park.  Then it was back home to eat dinner, clean the kitchen, bathed my Munch, read a story, gave him a bottle, sang a little and put him to bed.  There is more my day but like I said I’m tired and my bed is calling my name.

I have no energy what so ever!  I honestly can’t believe how tired I am.  As I sit here and think on the day I ask myself, could we have done anything differently than we did today.  It seemed to be a good day but a crazy hectic day.  I want my life to be simplified.  Not easy, because there is no growth with easy, but simple.  I don’t like all the running around we’ve been doing.  Seems like it’s always a game of catch up with the cleaning, car maintenance, washing the dogs….you know all those things that NEED to get done, but aren’t necessarily on the top of the priority list.

Any time I feel like this I ask myself, what could we change, what are we doing wrong and how could we improve?  We normally have a planning session on Sunday nights together so we are on the same page, but I think we’re gonna have to add to the planning session and be a little more detailed.  I think there needs to be a day not just Sunday, where we just stay home read books, relax and hang out.  Even if it’s just watching a movie or taking a nap!

So here’s to an upcoming planning session to simplify our life again!!

Do you have any suggestions or things you do to keep it simple?  If you do, I’d love to hear them!

P.S.  Due to being tired I am just gonna post this and review it later….I hope it all makes sense!

Have a good night!

 

thepolkadottedzebra!

Filed Under: My Two Cents... Tagged With: ,

Weight Loss Tips Part 1

March 15, 2012 Leave a Comment

Some of these tips may sound weird or pointless, but I’m sharing them because they’ve made an impact on how I lose weight and maintaining the weight loss.  Slow and Steady wins the race!

1.  The most important tip, is to Eat a healthy carbohydrate and protein together for every meal!  You’ll learn about this in the Eating for Life Cookbook.  I’ve found eating  a healthy carbohydrate and protein together for every meal helps to curb any and all cravings.

For example, have you ever eaten some potato chips and then wanted something sweet or the other way around, you have a huge piece of chocolate cake and now you want some Doritos?  For me that’s an imbalance, and the easiest way to fix it, is to again, eat a healthy carbohydrate and protein together.

I say healthy carbohydrate because I’ve noticed when I eat white pasta or white rice, I do not lose weight.  I lose weight when I eat whole wheat pasta or brown rice.  So just make sure it’s the “Healthy” carbs you’re eating.

2.  Eat what you like!!  What I mean by this, is when you eat healthy you need to incorporate more fruits and vegetables in your diet.  A lot of people feel eating healthy means they can’t eat the stuff they like, or they eat fruits and vegetables they don’t like.  The key  is to find the fruits and vegetables YOU LOVE!  This will make a big difference!

For example, I  hate pea’s so I never eat peas, BUT, I love green beans and cucumbers.  Lately, I’ve been eating a cucumber a day with my lunch with a fat free dressing for dip, I don’t get tired of cucumbers.  I also love green beans from a can or raw, this gives me some flexibility to carry them with me raw, or warmed up on the stove as a side for dinner.

Over the years I’ve grown to dislike apples, I’ll eat one if I have to or if there’s no other choice, but nowadays I buy bananas, and oranges.  Oranges are a little more expensive, but they never go to waste because we love to eat them.  And in the summer, I eat lots and lots of watermelon.  I also eat a  bowl of Cream of Wheat every morning, I’ve done this for the past 2 months.  Some people would puke at that the thought of it, but I love cream of wheat and when it starts to get boring for me, I’ll switch it up but for now it works for me.

3.  The Mind Game.  Don’t tell your self, “I can’t have any (Fill In The Blank).”  This may sound strange, but I’m gonna share it any way.  If I tell myself, I’m not gonna eat any sugar for the next month, I can bet you, I will fail starting day one.  Why, well for some reason when we tell ourselves we can’t have something, we end up wanting it more and more.

For me I  end up wanting it more and more, and then I think of the sweet taste of chocolate and then I see it in my mind and next thing you know I’m chomping on a candy bar!  And I kid you not, I WILL NOT make it past the first day of when I set my goal. SOOOOO, here is what I do now, here’s the weird part, it may work for you, it may not, my sister thinks I’m crazy but hey what ever works right!

I tell myself, “I want something sweet, but I don’t need it now, I’ll have some tomorrow.”  I just repeat it over and over until the craving goes away and then I quickly try to focus on something other than food.  I don’t know why but for me this works, I do it every day and see how long I can go without eating any sugar.

Next thing you know a week has gone by.  As a back up and some people may not like to do this but it helps me, I keep some Snack Packs in the fridge, and when I do get a craving during the day that I just can’t resist, I eat ONE Snack Pack, only ONE a day, so if I get a craving I normally try to hold out until after dinner, this way I eat it, go to bed and start over the next day.  I would rather slowly indulge in a little snack pack than a candy bar.

Find your back up, and just make sure it’s something you know you wont over eat.  

In Short:

1.  Eat a protein and a carbohydrate at every meal!!

2.  Find the Fruits and Vegetables YOU LOVE!!

3.  Play the mind game and tell yourself you’ll have some tomorrow.

Let me know if any of this helps!

Till tomorrow!

Sweet Dreams!

thepolkadottedzebra

Filed Under: Ditching Chunky Tagged With: , , ,

From 0 to 12 Months!

March 14, 2012 Leave a Comment

I took Eli, to his one year check up today!  He weighted 21.6 pounds.  When I first had him he was 8 pounds 10 ounces. I was asked by the nurse if I felt time had gone by quickly.  That’s an understatement!  It seriously feels like I just had him yesterday, where has the time gone?  He walks and babbles, and crawls, he tries to run, he eats finger food, drinks from a sippy cup, climbs up the stairs, pulls my pots and pans out of the kitchen cabinets, giggles and squeals, and smiles a lot!  Where has my little baby gone?

Now that I’m a Mom, I understand so much more, or should I say I see things in a different light than I did before we had Eli.  It’s almost as a veil has been lifted from my eyes.  I no longer see little children in the same light.  In the past when I would hear about bad things happening to little children or babies, I would feel sad for them and bad, but now that I have Elijah, any time I hear something bad happening to a child or baby, even in movies, it makes my heart sink, there is a physical reaction that goes through my body, that I didn’t feel or have before.

Sometimes I think of Eli growing up, moving out, getting married, and starting a family of his own.  I makes my heart hurt, not just a little, but a lot.  I then think of having another baby and wonder to myself, who would want to put themselves through that more than once?  Thinking of my babies moving out and going into the great big world, terrifies me, ( because all I want to do for Eli, is protect him) and then I think I just gotta have faith that I can teach them what they need to know, and be there for them when they fall.

That thought alone….I just gotta have faith, opens up a whole other chapter in being a Mom.  Having faith.  Faith that you have taught your children well, so they will be good people and know how to choose the right.  Faith that when you put them on the bus, they will make it to school and home okay.  Faith that when a friend of theirs tries to get them to do something they shouldn’t, they will know how to make the right decision.  Faith, that when they make mistakes, that they will come to you and ask for help.  Faith that they will learn and hold onto your testimony of Jesus Christ and develop a testimony of their own.

Being a Mom, has helped me realize, that I have a lot to learn about faith!

There is nothing sweeter than the love my son gives me.  There is nothing sweeter than a little boy coming and hugging my legs or smiling at me.

‎”Time is never for sale; time is a commodity that cannot, try as you may, be bought at any store for any price.” -Ian S. Ardern

So very, very true!  I have loved every minute of being a Mom.  I can say it’s hardest when you’re tired but I love it.  I’d have to say other than seeing Eli, smile and hearing him giggle, my favorite times are in the middle of the night when he’d wake up crying.  Although tired, I loved giving him a bottle, and just cuddling and holding him in my arms, hearing him take little breaths in and out, in such a quiet, soft smooth rhythm.

I can’t imagine my life without him.  He brings us so much joy!  Andy loves it when Eli comes running up to him with his hands stretched out, a huge smile on his face and hugs Andy’s legs.  I love it when I run after him and he squeals and laughs and when I tickle him.  It just makes you feel good inside.

There is no greater gift than being a Mom…..Thank You Eli, for being such a BIG and IMPORTANT part of our Family!

I look forward to all you have to teach me!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!  Mama LOVES YOU!!!

What’s your fondest memory of your baby or being a Mom?

Filed Under: M&M's, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , ,

Eating For Life, by Bill Phillips

March 14, 2012 3 Comments

I’ve decided to share a little bit about what I’m doing these days to lose a little more weight and also trying to motivate myself and others to keep exercising daily and just being a little more health conscious.

I’m on my second month of exercising and I’ve lost a few pounds and some inches, but now I want to get rid of the extra fat in my arms and stomach.  Like most people, I hate my midsection!  So maybe by writing about what I’m doing and what my goals are, I’ll be able to keep up what I’ve already started and refine it.  I also want to share little tidbits of information that I’ve learned throughout the years.

I have done just about every weight loss program out there such as, LA weight Loss (In college), Atkins Diet (In College) it didn’t work at all because my body needs carbohydrates, Susan Summers, and Weight Watchers (which I am currently on).  And even though I am on Weight Watchers and I’ve seen success, all of my dinner meals and snacks come from the Eating For Life book.

Eating for Life is by far my favorite and most used cookbook that I have ever owned.  I found this book several years ago, I’d say I’ve been cooking from it’s pages for over 6 years now.  I love the recipes!  Great taste, easy to find ingredients, pictures and best of all they are quick and easy to make.

For anyone looking to see results quickly, I’d say cook from this book and you’ll see results in ONE WEEK!!  I’m not kidding!  Now when I say results, I don’t mean you’ll lose 10 pounds, or drop 10 inches from your waistline, but I do mean you’ll have more energy and you’ll just feel better.  I would even say if you cook from this book and don’t exercise, by the end of one month you will probably have lost some weight!!

Reading the intro and the first few chapters will teach you how Bill Phillips suggests you eat and exercise, it’s a very easy read!  The book is then divided into the following chapters:  Dinner, Desserts, Breakfast, Lunches, Midmeals, Nutrition Shakes, Meal Plans, and a Grocery Guide.

So I challenge you to buy it, read it, and follow it for at a minimum of one month and tell me if you don’t see results.

As for me, here are my goals:

1.  Lose 2 inches from my upper arms.  (I’m tired of the jiggle)

2.  Lose 6 inches from my waist line.  (This seems nearly impossible but I’m gonna do it!)

3. Workout at least 3 to 5 times a week.

So there are my goals.  I have already taken measurements of my arms and waist, so in two weeks I’ll post my results and see where I’m at.  I hope to achieve my goals in one month!  So lets get going!!!

Filed Under: Ditching Chunky Tagged With: , , , , ,

Cleaning Schedule

January 15, 2012 Leave a Comment

Update on my cleaning schedule.

Time = life; therefore, waste your time and waste of your life, or master your time and master your life.
Alan Lakein

I have to say I wish I would have thought of this cleaning schedule idea SOONER!!  It has only been in effect for a week, but already I have seen a difference in how my days and week went.

So I followed my schedule this week, the only day I missed was Wednesdays…I completely forgot to clean the bathrooms.  It has been liberating….if that’s the right word to use.  Before the cleaning schedule it seemed as though my mind was always on the things that needed to get done.  I am normally really good about scheduling and having order in the things I do.  For example, when I was going to college I would schedule everything by the hour, my classes, my workouts, work, church stuff, it kept me organized.  When I was working, the same thing.  I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to do the same thing for my home, our one and only true safe haven from the world.  It’s even more important now that  I have a family!!

Anyways, Andy and I were running errands and while in the car I could really focus on what he was saying and talking about, I felt I could really participate in the conversation instead of thinking of all the things I needed to get done (when I started the cleaning schedule I also managed to put to order other things that need to get done around the house).

You can’t change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future.
Unknown

My mind was free and clear of clutter.  The best part was when I was able to just let certain things go, for example, I didn’t get the bathrooms cleaned on Wednesday, I had to have the attitude of “Oh Well”, it will get done next week, this enabled me to continue to get the things done that were “planned” instead of piling up and stressing me out,…I was able to let it go.  In turn, I was able to spend my evening FINALLY scrapbooking and doing something I wanted instead of trying to play catch up.

I need to make a few little changes to my scheduling some days I have more to do than others, so I need to lighten the load on those days, it’s also more important to me that Eli gets good quality time with Mom or Dad, and although he’s little, finding new things to do with him is important!

This is the beginning of a new day.
God has given me this day to use as I will.
I can waste it or use it for good.
What I do today is important, because
I am exchanging a day of my life for it.
When tomorrow comes,
this day will be gone forever,
leaving in its place something
that I have traded for it.
I want it to be gain, not loss;
good not evil; success not failure;
in order that I shall not regret
the price I paid for it.
Author Unknown

See you soon!

thepolkadottedzebra

Filed Under: Home Made, My Two Cents... Tagged With:

Huston….we have a problem!!

January 10, 2012 2 Comments

I have a problem!  My problem is this.

I love to scrapbook, I love to sew, I love to run, I love to be creative and make things.  So let me give you an example of my problem, lets say I get up in the morning and I say to myself, today I’m gonna scrapbook.  I get all excited inside, I’m feeling warm and fuzzy, I get to scrapbook!!!

Then….THEN!!!! I go downstairs to make myself breakfast and what do I see???….a mess!

There are dishes in the sink, toys scattered around, and piles of papers and bills on the dining room table.  Without really thinking and just out of habit, I get a little annoyed and start cleaning the kitchen, then toys, then going through the papers on the table, and bills, then I take the jackets that have piled up on the banister and go upstairs to hang them up and put them in the closet, and then I see laundry that needs to be washed, and bathrooms that need to be cleaned.

Soooooooo one thing leads to another, and I start to straighten up the bedroom, I need to dust so I go to the downstairs bathroom to get the dust rag (because that’s where we keep all our cleaning supplies) and I see that, that bathroom should get a quick cleaning too.  Finally I head back up to the bedroom and get the pile of laundry and bring it to the basement, stuff what I can in the wash, turn around and see that….hmmmm, the basement needs to be cleaned really quick.  So I pull out the vacuum and off I go.

Not to mention I have little Eli to take care of while I’m doing all of this, so in between the cleaning, I am playing with him, feeding him and putting him down for a nap.  Next thing you know the day is over and I’m too pooped to scrapbook!

Am I the only person out there that does this?……PLEASE tell me there is at least one other person in this world that knows what this is like!  The best way to describe the feeling is like looking at a picture on a wall that is just a little crooked, you walk by and stop in your tracks to fix it…you straighten it.  That’s what I do every time I see a little mess or a pile of papers or something on our clutter free end tables.

They say the first step to fixing a problem is admitting you have one, well I admit it, and here’s how I’ve decided to work it.

Last week I sat down and made a cleaning schedule.

Monday – Groceries

Every other Tuesday – Laundry

Every other Wednesday – Bathrooms

Thursday – Floors

And lastly we made a new rule in the house that no matter what the kitchen needs to be cleaned before we head to bed.  Out of all the rooms in the house, I consider my kitchen my work space, no one wants to go to their office first thing in the morning and see a mess, it’s not the best way to start the day.  My kitchen is the same way, so thankfully I have a loving husband who is on board and is helping me make sure the kitchen gets cleaned before bed.

So today’s experience. I went down to the basement to work out….I had to take all the laundry that wasn’t folded or washed and clear it out of the hallway and close the door, I then proceeded to enjoy my workout.  I give myself a gold star!!

My husband says I LOOOOOOVE to clean…ummmmm, not many people LOOOOOOOVe to clean toilets, or fold laundry, or wash dishes, I lovingly try to correct him and tell him what I LOOOOOOOve is the feeling of clean, NOT cleaning!

I’m learning that as nice as it is to have a clean and orderly home, it’s more important to develop our talents, and spend time with family and friends.

Balance, balance, balance, life is about finding balance, and balance includes working, cleaning AND taking a break…… going for a run, scrapbooking, and playing with Eli.

Filed Under: Home Made, My Two Cents...

On the Right Track!!!

January 9, 2012 Leave a Comment

So as I mentioned in my last post, I had been wanting to start a blog, but at the time question if what I think about and write about is even worth sharing.  The day after my first post I received my journal in the mail from my Oprah’s Lifeclass.  ( I still haven’t attended) Opened up to the very first page and this was the quote I found inside.

“We want all to make the most of our lives…to become the highest expression of ourselves.  It begins with your own awakening.  There’s no better way to find that aha! than by keeping a diary.”  Oprah

I’d have to say I think I’m on the right track.  I just have to keep reminding myself that I’m doing this for me…this is my journal, my journey… to learn more about me, about others, to maybe help someone else who is feeling the same way or questioning the same things.

I created the tab Mommy Moments to write about the things I think about and learn as a New Mom.  I created my TwoCents to write about the everyday things I do, goals, dreams, frustrations, ups and downs.  I also have HomeMade for projects or things around the house, and Ditching Chunky, to help me stay motivated to exercise, live healthy and take it one day at a time.

Week one blogging is about to begin!….and I’m very excited!!!

 

 

Filed Under: My Two Cents...

Waiting for my blog to start!!

January 4, 2012 Leave a Comment

It’s a new year and I’ve put this off long enough, so here I go!!!

I named/ tried to start this blog back in August 2011.  At that time our baby boy was about 5 months old and I thought I could do it…something that I’ve been putting off for a while.  However, August was when my husband (Andy) was officially out of the military.

We were trying to start a new business together, but I couldn’t help out as much as I thought with little Eli around, (being a Mom is time consuming and lots of work!…lol!!) so, Andy was pretty much on his own.

We had money saved and were ready to just bite the bullet and do the new business, but then our minds kept worrying about losing everything we had worked so hard to obtain, savings, homes, we were out of debt.  So we decided Andy was going to start applying for jobs.

He managed to get in touch with an old friend who told him about a job opportunity that would be good for us, but we would have to leave North Carolina and move back to Virginia.  So within 3 weeks we were packing a U-haul and our car, putting our home in North Carolina up for rent, and heading back to live in our home in Virginia not knowing 100% if the job was going to pull through.  On December 22, we finally had an official start date for Andy to start work.

So just a quick time line.  September we made the decision to move, spent 3 weeks packing, we arrived at our home in Virginia, October 4th spent most of October painting the main floor, unpacking, organizing, having a yard sale, and trying to make ends meet with the money we had.  November, was much like October with getting settled into the house, and then of course December was crazy spending time with family and friends.  And of course with a new baby, and being a first time Mom, all this took ten times longer because we had a little Curious George on our hands, getting into everything and wanting to be a part of everything we were doing.

So here we are, it’s now January 3rd and I am just now getting to work on my blog.

Why start a blog?

I decided to start a blog because I’ve needed an outlet for sometime now.  I have always loved to write, but have never done much with it, and then seeing that sooooo many people are blogging these days about anything and everything, I thought well, why not me.

At times I think I’ll bore people to tears with my thoughts and writing, but I guess it really doesn’t matter right, if it’s boring and people don’t like it, they don’t have to read it…at least that’s what I’m telling myself.

So I’m not sure what all I will put on here, but I’m excited to see where my thoughts and ideas go…..

It’s a great way to start the new year!!

Peace out and I hope to see you around!!

Sincerely,

thepolkadottedzebra

Filed Under: Uncategorized
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