The Key to Happiness.....

They say communication is the most important ting to a healthy relationship.  But what happens when communicating is the most difficult thing you could do?  Many of us let things bottle up inside, never releasing the built up tension, pain, anger, or emotion.  This can't be healthy!  My husband is my best friend, my lover, my rock, and the one person I can trust with anything.  So why is it that sometimes I find it hard to tell him exactly what's on my mind?  So many emotions and thoughts going through my mind everyday.  But how to share them?  So many emotions....envy, love, confusion....oh the human mind!  How do you tell the man you love that you long for romantic gestures, a relationship with your father, a dream wedding.  I hold my feelings in sometimes thinking that if I complained about what I don't have, what I do have could end.  Communication isn't the key to a healthy relationship, it's vital for a healthy heart and soul.  Even if it is between you and your keyboard......communication is the key to happiness.

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday we celebrated my son's 1st birthday!  It seems just like yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital.  Now he's a little terror!  The past year has brought so much joy and excitement!  I can't wait to see what next year will bring!  I'm hoping we skip the terrible 2's!

Here is my little man Austin at 2 days old!  

Now my big man destroying whatever you put in his path!

Easy Strawberry Cupcake Recipe:

1 package yellow cake mix

1 package (3-oz.) strawberry gelatin

1 cup thawed frozen strawberries (with juice) 

3/4 cup milk

3/4 cup vegetable oil

4 large eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees fareheit.  Line your cupcake pan with liners.

Combine the cake mix, gelatin, strawberries and juice, milk, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl.  Blend with a mixer at low speed.  Make sure to scrap any excess batter of the sides of the bowl.  Beat for 3 minutes until batter is mixed well.

Bake until cupcakes are lightly golden and spring back when pressed gently with a finger, 20 to 25 minutes.

Make sure to cool your cupcaks properly before decorating!

Makes 24 cupcakes.

That Old Chair

My grandmother has this old dining room chair (it is the last survivor of the set).  My sister uses it in her room for her desk (which also belonged to my great grandmother "The Gerken").  She just had her room painted purple.  The desk looks great in the room....but the chair....not so much.  It had been reupholstered twice and still had the original red faux leather on it!  This has to be circa 1960-1970.  It was gross!  My sister wanted to throw it out and buy a new one.  But why?  The chair is solid....it could last many more years!  So....I painted it for her....sanded it.....painted it some more....sanded it....rubbed some stain on it....and then a black wash.  We reupholstered it with a fabric that matched her room and added some extra color.  Here is what we got out of it:

Before

After

Now we have a new chair! 

6 Weeks to a New Body!

I was up late one night watching infomercials with the hubby.  We sat and watched an ad for Michael Thurmond's 6 Week Body Makeover kit.  For those of you who don't know what it does, you can read more about it at http://www.mybodymakeover.com/.  I started my kit yesterday.  What it did was tell me what foods to stay away from, and which ones to enjoy.  Because of my body type, sugars, dairy, breads, salt, and red meats are out of the picture!  For the duration of this diet, I have to get creative with my food!  I also have to eat 6 small meals a day.  Before, I was barely eating.  I always thought the less food I ate the more weight I could lose.  I was way wrong!  The less I ate, the slower my metabolism became.  My body thought I was starving and started storing more, and more fat.  I am on day 2.  It's hard to not to eat whatever I want, but I think it will get easier! 

I will share recipes as I come up with them and keep you updated on my progress!

August 23, 2011:

268 lbs.

Size 20

Product Review: Sexy, Skinny, Healthy You

If you are an avid reader of my blog, you may know that I have been battling my weight since after baby #1.  I thought after my many, many visits to the chiropractor to fix my hips, losing weight would become easier.  When I began my diet, my waist measured at 54 inches.  While I commend any person who can drop pounds without any help or plan.....I have learned that I may not be one of those people.  I was asked by an It Works consultant, Jen Anderton of Sexy, Skinny, Healthy You, to sample one her her body wraps.  The wrap is infused with a botanically-based formula that continues to work even after you remove the wrap (up to 72 hours!). 

Before

After

I am in a size 22, after using this wrap, I lost 1 inch from my waist, and was able to fit into a size 20!

What is great about this product is that you can enroll in the Customer Loyalty Program which entitles you to a major discount on price!  Also, if you become a fan of Jen on Facebook, she is constantly having deals and sales on her products!  Allowing you to try them out for an even lower price!  For someone like me who is trying to lose 100+ lbs, this may not be the path that best suites me.  However, for fast results, I would recommend this product for those of you who need to drop a few inches quickly!

Contact info for Sexy, Skinny, Healthy You:

Jen Anderton

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sexy-Skinny-Healthy-You/199216576790726?sk=wall

http://sexyskinnyhealthyyou.itworks.net/Default.aspx



Product Review: Sugar Mama's Sweet Bowtique

I think that this by far, is one of my favorite vendors!  Sugar Mama's Sweet Bowtique specializes in crocheted goods such as hats, shoes/slippers, and clothing!  If you follow my blog, you may remember that she was one of the vendors that donated a hat to the St. John's Mercy Pediatric Cancer Unit.  This is the hat she made!  She designed it after Captain America so one little boy could feel like a superhero!  Sugar Mama was also the reason I started my Facebook Page The Mommy Exchange!

(Captain America Hat ~ Donated to St. John's Mercy on 6/17/2011)

For my birthday, Sugar Mama sent me a pair of her super comfy Posh House Slippers!  I loved them so much, I had to order a pair for my daughter!  My little girl loves them!  I had to tear them off of her feet for this photo!  Since my daughter is in the in between sizes Sugar Mama offers, she took the time to edit her pattern to fit my daughters feet!  She has baby shoes starting at $6.99 all the way up to her adult slippers which run about $12.99.  You can customize your slippers with any of her yummy yarn color options!  For little feet, she also offer a skid resistant initial on the bottom of the shoes/slippers!

The owner, Amanda, has a heart of gold.  Her customer service is very personal, one on one.  She makes you feel as though her entire focus is on you (which it is when she starts on your items!)  Her products are very detailed and well made.  She has a constant flow of new orders coming in everyday!  This just means that there is a wait.  I ordered mine the beginning of June and received them the beginning of July!

When I say her products are very detailed, I mean she takes extra time to ensure that her products will last.  You won't be disappointed!

(My slippers were done in the Earth & Sky yarn options.  My daughter's slippers were done in Pretty 'n Pink & Spring Green with Lavender/Spring Green Soles to match her Tinkerbell Room!)

Make sure to check out her new website!  It is still under construction, but it's super fabulous!

How To Contact Sugar Mama:

WEBSITE: www.SugarMamasSweetBowtique.com

FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/SugarMamasSweetBowtique

EMAIL: SugarMamaShop@gmail.com
BLOG: http://SugarMamasSweetBowtique.blogspot.com/
YOUTUBE: http://www.youtube.com/user/SugarMamasReviews
PINTEREST: http://pinterest.com/SugarMamaShop



Here comes the bride......

My husband and I will be celebrating our 4 year anniversary this October!  One thing I have always been with my husband is honest.  He knows everything that has ever happened to me, every thought I have, and every feeling.......except for one.  Certain life and family situations didn't allow for my husband and I to have "wedding".  So my husband and I, and our families, went down to the courthouse.  No dress, no flowers, no reception....not even a single picture.  At the time...none of this mattered.  I was marrying my best friend and the love of my life.  Now, it seems as though anytime I see a bride, look at a bouquet of flowers, or think about weddings, I just want to cry!  As a little girl, you dream of a big wedding, being walked down the aisle by your daddy, and going off to a romantic honeymoon.  So for me, it just seems like a big chunk of my life that was supposed to happen, was taken away.  Now the question...should this bother me as much as it does?