The Plateau....

With every diet comes the dreaded plateau, the part of your diet where your weight doesn't budge at all.  I have lost 12 pounds since the start of my diet, but it seems as though the past two weeks I have been stuck at 252/253 lbs.  This is the moment where I have to chose what comes next....stick with the same routine, or kick my butt into overdrive and switch some things up.  12 pounds is a big deal, but it's only a small part of my big goal.  Starting tomorrow, I must keep it in my head that I can do anything, and I will.  

Here are some photos I found via Facebook that are meant to help motivate me:

(Exact sources of photos unknown)

My Summer Bucket List

Ok, I'll admit it, I am addicted to Pinterest!  The problem is I keep pinning all of these awesome craft ideas, but have yet to do any!  I told my husband that this summer, I was going to create a bucket list of DIY crafts and projects.  I am still building my list, and I hope to include lots of crafts that my kids can help with.  But for now, I have a select few I would like to start with:

1. Treat stands 
2. Blinged out birthday candles 
3. New flooring in my stairwell

My list is continuing to grow, but these are the three I have chosen to start with.  And you know I'm gonna have to share them with you as I do them!  But for now, you can watch my list grow on my Summer Bucket List board on Pinterest. 

Happy crafting!

12 Down and Never Going Back!

So, today marks the 5th week of doing Weight Watchers Online.  In that time, I have joined a gym, as you probably know already.  I work out two days a week right now.  So far I have dropped 12 pounds and one pant size.  I have lost 1 inch in every part of my body.  I have more energy and feel better than ever.  I got to thinking, after my first kid, I took Stacker 2 to try to lose weight.  While I didn't lose any weight, I didn't gain any (which is always a good thing).  However, I wasn't dieting or exercising.  So I got to thinking.....what if I added some sort of supplement to my routine?  I have heard a lot of success (when done right) with Hydroxycut.  My package should arrive next week, so we shall see if this will indeed give me the edge I need.  I am currently 3 pounds away from being under 250!  That means only 53 more pounds until I'm finally under 200 for the first time in 8 years!
Starting Weight: 264
Current Weight: 252

I am motivated, I am confident, I will do this.

Product Review: Tweeten's Greetins

I was recently sent a pack of greeting cards from Tweeten's Greetins - Handmade Greeting Cards as a thank you gift for spreading the word about this vendor.  And naturally, when I receive a product (especially on I love) I have to do a review on it!  Jennifer, the owner, has a collection of pre-made designs to choose from.  But as most vendors do, she will also let you customize any design you like!  You can change colors, images, and even add any sentiment to the inside!  You can buy individual cards, or buy them in bulk. 


Here are the cards I received:

The cards were well made.  In fact, I have order handmade cards elsewhere before, and they did not meet the same quality standards that Jennifer has set for herself.  All three cards were stamped with Tweeten's logo on the back and also included an envelope.  When I say these cards were well made, I mean just that.  You can tell Jennifer took her time on each card to ensure that I would be satisfied and that none of her work would be early damaged.  All designs are very much secure to the card.  I can honestly say, that next time I am looking to purchase a handmade card, I will turn to Tweeten's Greetins!




Owner: Jennifer Tveten
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tweetens.greetins
URL: http://tweetgreet.storenvy.com/
Email: Tweetgreet@yahoo.com 

One Month Check In

I have now been on Weight Watchers for one month.  My starting weight was 264 lbs.  One month later, I am down to 253 lbs!  11 lbs. lost!  Since my last update, I have joined a gym.  My first day was an hour long, super-charged work out with my personal trainer.  I have been going two days a week, and hour each day.  Since the start of my diet, I have almost cut out soda completely.  I"ll admit, I'll have one or two when we go out.  But at home, water for me!  I have so much more energy now!  I have also noticed a change in my skin.  I'm not breaking out all over my face anymore.  This week though, my work outs have been limited, I got stitches in my finger on Mother's Day and now have a toddler with a fever from teething.  I'll update you again next month, I just hope this keeps on working!

May 13, 2012

May 17, 2012: One Month Mark ~ 253 lbs.
Down 11 lbs. from my start date,
down 4 lbs. from my last update. 

Starting Point:
http://motherhoodandmoney.blogspot.com/2012/05/this-better-work.html

Cooking Once a Month?

A while back I had expressed my interest in freezer cooking.  It saves time and money, so it just makes sense to try out.  As you also know, I recently started dieting (again).  So as I was searching for recipes, I came across a page called Once a Month Mom.  I can not tell you how happy I was to find this site!  They have menus for diets, toddlers/babies, traditional menus, vegetarian menus, and even  dairy/gluten free menus!  This site is designed to teach you how to shop and prepare an entire months worth of meals in one day.  I don't have a giant freezer (cough, cough...Mr. T....if you're reading this...Mother's Day is Sunday!), so I don't think a months worth of meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner) will fit in there.  So I'm starting smaller.

To start, I have combined some of my recipes with some of the recipes I found on Once a Month Mom (with a few adjustments to fit my families needs).  Here are the meals I chose:

Lasagna (I'm doing two versions, traditional and a white sauce)
Chicken Enchiladas
Stuffed Shells
Honey Orange Chicken
Chicken Burritos
Chicken Spring Rolls
Stuffed Buffalo Chicken
Chicken Kiev
Buffalo Chicken Wraps
Caesar Chicken (shredded chicken for sandwiches)
Pita Pizzas
Mexican Chicken Casserole
Cheesy Hash Brown Casserole
Egg Casserole

I chose these dishes since most of the ingredients are the same for different dishes.  I will post my shopping list as I finish it (watch for Cooking Once a Month Part 2).  I will also post each recipe as I make each dish.  Recipes that are not my own have been linked accordingly.  Happy cooking!

Published and Proud!

Over the past two months, I have written six articles for Yahoo, four of which were published!  Now, I'm not one to toot my own horn, toot-toot, but I am pretty proud of myself!  It is my hope, that one person who reads my articles, will be able to learn something from them.  With that said, here are my four articles that are currently published!

Living on One Income

From One Woman to Another: Advice on Men

How to Make a Natural Stick Candle Holder

Recipe: Crock Pot Tacos

Recipe: Caribbean Pork Sandwich

I have recently become a fan of the Hungry Girl series on Food Network.  This past Saturday was a show all about sandwiches!  YUM!  So anyways, this morning I was prepping my pork chops for dinner and I noticed I had an extra.  Now, a lot of times, leftovers don't get eaten, and I can't stand to watch a perfectly good chop get cooked and not eaten!  I decided to eat it for lunch!  And am I sure happy I did!

The result.....my Caribbean Pork Sandwich!

Here's how I made it:

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork chop

1 tbsp. Caribbean jerk marinade

1/4 yellow (or red) onion

1/4 of a yellow (or red!) bell pepper

5 chunks of pineapple (or one ring), in juice

Two slices of bread (I used white)

1/2 tbsp. of butter

1/2 tbsp. of mayo

1/2 tbsp. of steak sauce

1 tsp. of honey

1 slice of American cheese

1 tomato

Directions:

1. Marinate your pork for about an hour.  Before you grill your pork, pound it flat.

2. In a non-stick skillet or grill, grill your flattened pork chop with your pepper, onion, and pineapple.

3. In a small bowl, mix together the mayo, steak sauce, and honey to create your sauce.

4. Flip your pork chop. 

5. Butter one side of each slice of bread.  Toast your bread in a separate skillet as it you were making grilled cheese.

6. Spread sauce onto untoasted side of bread and add cheese on top of it allowing it to melt slightly.

7. Once your meat is cooked, place veggies, pineapple, and pork onto your bread. 

8. Slice tomato, top sandwich, and viola!  You are finished!

With the ingredients I used, the Weight Watchers point value is 11 points per serving.  Please keep in mind, I used ingredients I had on hand, most of which are not fat free.  I am sure if you would like to make this a bit healthier, you can use lower fat mayo, butter, and cheese as well as use wheat bread.

Also, I used my skillet, but I'm sure this would taste even better if I grilled the onion, pepper, and pineapple!

ENJOY!