Contest: Super Cute Bag with Monogramming!

Would you like to win a really super cute monogramed bag? A Resting Place is giving away one as a launch for their new website. I love the bags! So, if you want a chance to win one go on over and leave a comment. Good Luck!

Bad News in the Dental Department

I lost my filling!! Not only my filling but the one that was in my Wisdom tooth. I called the dentist and the soonest they can get me in is Wednesday, July 9th!! What am I going to do?!?! Get hooked on Anbesol? Probably! I'm scared to eat anything on that side of my mouth. I don't know why my old dentist chose to fill it rather than pulled it. He pulled two of my other ones. We'll see what the new dentist decides to do - I say hook up the nitrous oxide, shoot in some novacaine and pull it!

Food and Exercise Log - 6/30/2008

I haven’t been keeping up with my food and exercises posts again. Better yet, I haven’t been keeping a food journal at all! That’s bad on my part. I haven’t really been doing too much snacking but I’ve ate whatever I wanted no matter how many calories or fat. I stopped for coffee Saturday morning at Speedway and was going to pick up a muffin since I knew that I wouldn’t be having lunch and it would be a late dinner. I passed on the muffin – it had over 1000 calories!! It has 560 calories, I believe, per serving and there were 2 servings. I dropped it on the floor when I read the package…good thing it was in a package.

I’m going to attempt to start the food and exercise logs today. I will keep my daily points since I would assume my weekly allowance points are gone!!

Daily Point Allowance: 27
Weekly Point Allowance: 0

Breakfast:
Iced Coffee (3 points)
**A little background on my iced coffee. I no longer waste $2.69 a day on an Iced Cappucino from Tim Horton’s. I haven’t had one in 2 weeks! I stop at Speedway now. They have a VERY good Mocha Iced Coffee that’s only $.79 (tastes like Chocolate milk)!! If you haven't tried them and live close to a Speedway, you should stop in and try them.

Lunch:
Turkey Sandwich (4 points)
Progesso Light Southwestern Style Vegetable Soup - ended up only eating a few bites (0 points)
Jell-o Sugar Free Fat Free Banana Pudding (1 point)
Strawberries (1 point)

Dinner:
Chicken Parmigiana (11 points)

Dessert:
S'Mores (7 points)

Daily Points Used: 27
Weekly Points Used: 35

No exercise. With my fiance out of town on business, I have been trying to get some extra stuff done around the house. I cleaned the house (yeah, wiped the walls and baseboards too). I finished laying my last bag of mulch. I was too tired to go through my two BIG bags of clothes that I am going to sell on Craigslist. I will do that tomorrow evening.

Overall thought: Today was a pretty good day compared to the last couple of weeks. Part of that might be my lost filling. It kind of hurts and I haven't been chewing on that side of my mouth.

Menu Plan Monday 6/30/2008

I’ve been away from the menu planning for about a month now and it’s hasn’t been pleasant. Now that things have calmed down and pretty much back to normal, I’ll be joining Menu Plan Mondays again.

This week my fiancé is out of town on business. I’ll only have to cook for myself and the kids. It will be a simple week especially since we have two cookouts this weekend (bad part – they’re both at our house!).

Monday – Leftover Buffet (Chicken Tenders, Chicken Parmigana, pizza, and French fries)

Tuesday – Kids: Corn dogs, macaroni & cheese, fruit Me: Smart One Calzone

Wednesday – Eggs, Sausage, Biscuits

Thursday – Spaghetti, meatballs and garlic bread

Friday – Cookout

Saturday – Cookout with extended family

Sunday – Tacos

The kids, with my help, will be making treats/desserts this week. It’s something we have done for the past couple years during the week of the 4th of July. I’m usually on vacation the week of the 4th of July but we took our vacation earlier in June.

S’mores
We take Original flavored graham crackers break them in half (you want a square). Place 2 big marshmallow or a couple small ones on the graham cracker then three Hershey kisses (we can make more by using these versus Hershey bars) then top with a graham cracker. We use the oven if the grill or fire pit aren’t lit. Put them on a baking sheet at 350 degrees until melted.
We make a few this way but we also like them with peanut butter (holds the "guts" in place). We spread peanut butter on the bottom graham cracker then place the marshmallow, Hershey kisses, and other graham cracker piece on it.

Pudding Pops
Make Jell-o Sugar Free Fat Free Instant Pudding, pour it into small paper/plastic disposable cups and freeze. You can layer the flavors and even put mini-marshmallows, crushed Oreos or mini chocolate chips in between the layers of pudding.

Popsicles
Take paper cups, juice and popsicle sticks. No fancy molds. We put the first juice in and freeze it for about an hour and a half. Then poured another flavor of juice in and put the stick in. Put it back in the freezer for 2 hours. Then took them out of the freezer and added the third juice. We freeze them overnight.

Dirt Treat
Fill 9 ounce plastic cups about 3/4 of the way full with softened chocolate ice cream. Top with about 1/4 inch of chocolate cookie crumbs (we use Oreos). Place gummy worms in the "dirt" and eat!

To check out other meal plans, visit Menu Plan Monday!

KMart General Mills Deal

I don't normally shop at KMart but there was an ad in this week's paper so I took a look. They have General Mills selected cereals, fruit snacks, and breakfast bars on sale for $1.49 when you purchase 4. There are coupons out there for $1.00 two boxes of General Mills cereal. You pay $3.96 for 4 boxes of cereal. Comes out to be $.99 a box! Then a catalina will print - $2 off 5 boxes. The $4 is automatically deducted at checkout...no coupon required. Limit one $4 savings per transaction.

Here's what I purchased:
2 - boxes Cookie Crisp
2 - boxes Cinnamon Toast Crunch

Used 2 - $1.oo off two boxes of General Mills Cereal

Total OOP: $3.96

Super Savings Saturday - 6/28/2008

I haven't posted on Super Savings Saturday in a while...been too busy. So, I thought I would share what I call a super savings this week. I guess it would be day since I did all my shopping today (with the exception of CVS). CVS was earlier in the week but it wasn’t as exciting as today’s trips.

We started off my attending the Lowe’s Build and Grow workshop at our local Lowe’s store. My oldest son was with his grandparents this weekend but they gave me a kit for him (the lady’s gotten to know us). We built a mini baseball stadium game. This workshop was FREE!!

She also let us in on the next couple workshops: Dune Buggy, Teatherball, Mini School Locker and GMC Truck.

Then it was off to Meijer and Kroger for me (without kids)!!!

Here’s my picture of my Meijer goodies. I only picked up items that were on sale and/or I had a coupon for the item. If there’s one thing I don’t like about Meijer, it’s their coupon policy. I didn’t use more than two of the same coupon so this was all done in one transaction. The guy behind me was enjoying every bit of it…even though the cashier was having some problems with my coupons. Come to find out, on BOGO items at Meijer – you can’t use two coupons. I did this time but that’s why the coupons were giving her problems and the register was beeping.

I spent $31.65 and saved $61.55!

Here’s my Kroger goodies. I think I had coupons for just about everything I purchased even the eggs! Kroger had sent me a page of coupons and a couple booklets that were full of coupons so many of them got used today. I also did the Daytona deal twice.

I spent $76.54 and saved $92.43!

The only problem I ran into was the overweighted bag! It had a package of Oreos, Fruit Snacks, 2-Lawry's Marinades, BBQ Sauce, 2 cans of corn, and 4 jars of Ragu! Good thing I noticed it before I lifted it to load it into the car or carry it into the house.

I thank Mommy Snacks and Thrify in the Cincy for posting the Kroger and Meijer deals...not only does it save me time, it saves me money.

Don't forget about the Bath & Body Works coupon. I've been twice already. I love their lip stuff so I'll be going a lot between now and July 6th.

Fitness on Friday - 6/27/2008

It’s Fitness on Friday already? On Wednesday, I had posted my weigh in (read about it here). I didn’t lose anything but I didn’t gain anything either. I’m ok with that too. What I’m not ok with is having lost my exercise routine. I am complete out of it. Other than my little walk that I took at lunch time the other day, I haven’t done anything since May – no fitness class, no A.M. workouts, and no trip to the YMCA after work. What’s up with that? I’m thinking it’s the weather. With the warmer temperatures, I have no motivation. I will get it back though…hopefully sooner than later.

My workout tip this week is not to be discouraged from your walking regimen just because you don’t have a treadmill or you don’t like walking in your neighborhood. Look for other places – high school tracks, paths in parks, shopping malls, golf courses, playing field or any nearby open area.

Visit Bye Bye Fat Mom to see what others have to say.

Bath & Body Works - Free Product Coupon!

With any purchase, Bath and Body Works stores offer a free Lip Favorite or Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel via this printable coupon. Lip Favorite or Anti-Bacterial hand gel is up to a $7.50 value. Coupon expires July 6. The huge semi-annual sale is going on right now and they have items at 75% off. You can find items for just a couple dollars or pick up a gift bag, if you don't see anything else you need.

I'll be printing a few coupons and heading there myself. I love their lip stuff! It's time to stock up and they will make great stocking stuffers!

New Coupons!!!

I was so happy when I opened my Inbox this morning and saw two coupons - 1 for CVS and 1 for Walgreens. I need to make a stop by CVS this evening on my way home so I'll be sure to print it and save $3 off my trip.

Walgreen's coupons is only good tomorrow - Friday, July 27th. You can get your Walgreen's coupon by clicking here.

Weighing In #18

It’s time to weigh in… I must say that I was SHOCKED when I saw that my weight had stayed the same. I honestly thought that I was going to have a 5-10 pound weight gain (I feel like I’ve gained 100 pounds). That TOM moved in on me last week and I headed for chocolate heaven. If only I would have kept my food and exercise logs last week, you would have seen that I was having an affair with Meijer brand Peanut Butter Fudge ice cream (either on a cone or with chocolate syrup) and Snicker bars! I turned things around on Sunday and have been focused since then, with the exception of my workouts.

What did I do as far as workout this past week? Well, we went canoeing with the kids on Sunday. It was fun but the river was pretty calm. We only went thru two rapids and didn’t have to row a whole lot. Other than that, I walked on my lunch hour Monday and have been walking on my breaks (when time allows). I have been so tired lately. I have been working on clearing out clutter around the house and doing a few small improvements. Work has been busy as well. I was only off a week but there’s so much that I need to get done that it seems like I was off for a month or two.

What’s my plan?!? Get my bottom in gear! I have goals to hit!! I want to go clothes shopping!! I’ve once again printed the class schedules for the YMCA and a local center. I really am going to try to get to at least one class this week. I need to get back to my Couch to 5K program. I need to get up in the morning to walk on the treadmill (no matter how tired I am). Then I need to workout after work. I did register for my Fitworks trial so I could get a FREE $25. I need to stop by there today or tomorrow to get that.

Hopefully everyone else is on the right track towards their weight loss goals. Don’t give up like I did last week. Trust me – it won’t make you feel better.

$10 in Free Gas

I saw this yesterday and passed it on to a few people at work but didn't have time to post it here. My fiance takes care of all our vehicle repairs and maintenance but I know there are a lot of people that aren't "do-it yourselfers".

Purchase a Jiffy Lube Signature Service® Oil Change at participating locations between June 18 and July 31, 2008, and ask for a mail-in form good for a free $10 value American Express® prepaid gas card. Click here to find a participating location near you.

Hold on - that's not it! Save $5 on your Jiffy Lube Signature Service® Oil Change by registering here. They will send you an email with your $5 coupon.

Update 6/26/2008: Those of you that live in the Dayton, OH area - there is a coupon for $10 off your Jiffy Lube Signature Service® Oil Change in the Reach magazine!

Fitness on Friday - 6/20/2008

It’s Fitness on Friday over at Bye Bye Fat Mom! I don’t have much to report this week. I did have a 2 lb weight gain. You can read about it here. I will admit that I am still not back in the swing things. During vacation, we ate every meal later than normal. It has really thrown things off. We finished up our spring soccer season this week so that’s cut into my workouts. I really am psyched about getting back into my workout and dropping this weight – I have my fiancé’s 30th class reunion in August…I want to look good!

My tip: You should change and experiment with your workouts and diet. Some people stick to the same routine, nutrition, even when they are getting little or no results. Learn and try new things. Experiment with workouts, exercises, techniques, and sets/reps. You may come up with something that uniquely benefits you. You may even come up with something new and creative that could help someone else with a problem area. Working out should be a challenge, but it definitely shouldn’t be painful.
Just remember that everybody is different – what works for one person, doesn’t always work for another.

Hope everyone is on track and working towards their fitness and weight loss goals…I’m getting back there!

Free Fruit 7 Tea drink @ Caribou Coffee

Cool Fest 2008 @ Caribou Coffee

Christina over at Northern Cheapskate had posted this freebie and I thought I would pass it on to my readers as well.

Tomorrow (June 21st), you can get a FREE Fruit & Tea drink to celebrate the first day of summer. Stop by a partipating location near you between 3pm -4 pm to get yours. Choose from White Tea & Peach, Green Tea & Mango, or Red Tea & Raspberry.

Note: This deal is also not available at the Duluth, MN, Canal Park location or through the drive-thru locations.

Fitworks - Free $25 Gas Card & 14 Day Membership

For those of you that live in the KY/SW OH area, Fitworks has an excellent offer! Click here to sign up for your free 14 day Fitworks membership. Once you are done with the survey, you will be able to print your coupon. You must take it to your nearest Fitworks and complete your first free supervised 30 minute workout to get your gift certificate that is redeemable for $25 in FREE gas!

With gas at $4.09 in my area, I signed up. I drive right past a location on my way home from work. I need the 30 minute workout so why not give it a try and get $25 in FREE gas!

Crockpot Chicken & Dumplings

4 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
1 can Fat Free Cream of Chicken Soup
2 cups of water
6 biscuits (Ones that are low in points, of course)

-Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.

-Add all of the ingredients into the crockpot except for the biscuits. You can add salt, pepper and other spices/seasonings to taste. I usually add some pepper and a little bit of salt.

-Cook on low for 5-6 hours.

-About a half an hour before serving, cut the biscuits into fours and them into the crockpot – turn the heat setting to high.

5 WW pts (per serving)

Free Iced Coffee @ Tim Hortons - Today only

I wanted to pass this along to you this morning...I saw it on a commercial last night during the news. Tim Horton's will be giving away free small iced coffees today - June 19, 2008. I love Tim Horton's! Click here to find a store near you.

Hungry Girl Cookbook

As I had mentioned in my last Fitness on Friday post before heading out on vacation, I took along three books with me. The only one that I really read or opened more than the first couple pages of was the Hungry Girl’s Cookbook. I had borrowed it from our county library. I really wanted to purchase it but didn’t know if it would be worth it.

After taking it along and looking at the recipes, I only found interest in 8 recipes most of which were dessert ones. Why only 8? I’m a picky eater – I don’t like soy crisps/chips, seafood and numerous veggies.

I think the book is put together great. Each meal/snack is broken down into sections – i.e. Rise & Dine and Chocolate 911 (my favorite chapter). They provide you a list of Hungry Girl recommended products, tips, and how-to’s (for preparing meats).

A tip that I took away from the book and put to use last week was splitting my lunch into two mini meals. We weren’t eating dinner until almost 8 and I was starved by the time dinner was served. It definitely helped.

The recipes that I found interest in were:
Cinnamonlicious French Toast
Ooey-Gooey Chili Cheese Nachos
Phenomenal Philly Cheesesteak
Chilly Chocolate Cheesecake Nuggets
Dreamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge (This one was so easy that I made it on vacation. It was pretty good…it went over well too.)
PB ‘n Chocolate Bread Pudding Bonanza
Chocolate Pudding Crunch Explosion
Upside-down Chocolate Cream Pie

You can go online and check out pictures and WW point values for the recipes here. (nope, the actual recipes are not listed) If you haven’t purchased the book, I would at least borrow it, if possible. If nothing else, it will get you thinking of new ideas for your everyday meals.

The Low Down on My Vacation

My vacation:

When did we go? Friday, June 6 until Saturday, June 14.

Where did we go? A beach house in North Myrtle Beach, SC.

Who went? Family and friends – 8 adults and 18 kids!

Overall, we had a great vacation! The weather was extremely nice! It was sometimes a little too hot but that’s what the ocean, pool and air conditioner is for right? The beach house was awesome!! There were 8 bedrooms (they say 7 because one of the rooms only had a curtain not a door), 9 bathrooms, card room with arcade, pool table, a lounge area with a small kitchen (mini fridge, microwave, coffee pot and sink) on the two top levels, a private pool, and balconies on the front and back of the house. The kitchen had a big stove, 2 microwaves, 2 full size refrigerators, and lots of little appliances (3 coffee pots, 3 blenders, 2 toasters). There were 4 families that went and most families brought along a few extra kids. The beach house is set up to sleep 32 people. We had 26 so it worked out pretty good.

We did have one little probably with a leak in the lower level ceiling on Monday morning. The floor was soaked. We thought maybe someone had left water running in the sink or tub above. Nothing was on. The other thought was condensation build up since we were running the air and there were a few sliding doors that didn’t get closed all the way. Maintenance came out…couldn’t find what the problem was (they would have to cut into the ceiling). They brought fans to dry it up and we made sure sliding doors were not left open – no problems after that.

How do you go about feeding 26 hungry mouths? Bulk shopping!! We hit Sam’s on Sunday. We had everyone in the staring at us as we pushed our 4 loaded shopping carts around the store. We spent roughly $800. Not bad when you think about it – roughly $31 to feed a person 3 meals a day, snacks and drinks for a week. Oh, that included cleaning supplies, trash bags and toilet paper.

What did we do with our time? Most of our time was either spent at the beach or the private pool that we had. Within 2 days of being there, almost everyone had gotten sunburned except for me! We had cannonball and belly smacker contests in the pool…it was fun! We took a walk down to the fishing pier. We saw quite a bit of sting rays out in the water. We also walked past a number of fishermen that had caught sand and baby sharks (not sure if they are the same thing). I was a little freaked out by this. My thought was – where there is a baby, there are parents! We spent many nights playing Rock Band on PS3 or Wii. It was so much fun….Rock Band was a little hard at first but you eventually get the hang of it. If you can play Guitar Hero, you can do Rock Band.

How did the kids do on the ride? Since we split our drive down, it went really well. On the way back was another story! They fought the whole time! Someone was always hungry or had to go to the bathroom.

Am I ready for another vacation? Where will we go next? I am definitely ready for another vacation. I wish I would have taken this week off just to recoup. Our next trip will be either Jamaica (without kids) or Destin, FL (with kids)…but not until next summer. It was discussed while in Myrtle Beach that we would go on a boat house trip before school starts but I can’t take 2 trips in less than 3 months with that many kids!!! I like my sanity too much!

Weighing In #18

It’s weigh-in day. I haven’t weighed in for 2 weeks and most of the 2 weeks was spent on vacation. Want to know how it went? Not as bad as expected. I only gained 2 pounds! I’m not usually thrilled about weigh-ins but this one – I am! For the things I ate, I should have gained at least 10 pounds! I am really going to get focused to drop these two pounds this week.

Why the gain? Let’s just say that I didn’t count points and really watch what I ate. I did start e morning with my Fiber One Strawberry yogurt and Kashi Granola but no Tim Horton’s Iced Cappucino. There were two mornings that I COMPLETELY failed!! One morning I had a Starbuck’s Grande Mint Mocha Chip Frappuccino (with chocolate whipped cream) and the other morning I had Krispy Kreme Cinnamon Apple Filled donut and an Chocolate Iced Coffee (thanks to my fiancé). But I didn’t let either of these destroy my day…I ate sensibly the rest of the day. There were many nights that portion control was probably the only thing that saved me. I had many “bad” things like - tacos, pizza, baked ziti, taco dip, and a Philly Cheese steak sandwich. I skipped on desserts and treats except for the Chips Ahoy Dessert that I made on Monday night. It went over VERY well. Everyone in the house had some and there were a few that were able to have seconds. It was gone in no time! Eating while traveling wasn’t as good as I had planned. We couldn’t get to our food cooler on the trip home so we stopped for McDonald’s and Wendy’s. We normally do not eat fast food…

I did find a new treat while I was on vacation – Fiber One Oats & Apple Streusel bars. Unlike the Oats & Peanut Butter ones that I eat, these are only 2 points! They are YUMMY! I picked up another box yesterday.

Did I exercise? Not really but kind of… I took walks on the beach every morning. I was up before most of the people in the house (I never slept past 6:30 am). So, I would clean the lower level then head out for a walk down the beach and back. We also picked a bedroom on the top level of the house. I climbed lots of stairs over the past week. You couldn’t get into the place without climbing them so it was constant climbing of stairs. It was good though…I was drained the first couple days from going up and down them. I did take my resistance bands that I used one day. I also did floor exercises, like crunches, one day. Other than that, I didn’t do much.

What’s my game plan? I need to hit the gym hard! I need to work on strength training (weights) and cardio. I’ve picked up new schedules for the fitness classes in the area. I’m hoping to attend a few of those as well. I also need to get back to my A.M. treadmill routine and Couch to 5K program. I am also going to get back to counting points (for now…I’m thinking I’m going to ditch the whole point counting).

I hope everyone else had a good week and are moving closer to their weight loss/fitness goals!

I'm back!

I’m slowly getting back to reality here so bear with me. I will start up the Food and Exercise logs tomorrow and the official after vacation weigh in. What does coming off your diet for two weeks do to you? Find out tomorrow…it’s probably not going to be pretty.

I'm trying to play catch up at home and work but I'm also working on a few posts about my vacation and recipes. Keep an eye out for those today or tomorrow.

Fitness on Friday - 6/6/2008

It’s Fitness on Friday at Bye Bye Fat Mom! Well, I didn’t report a weight loss this week but it wasn’t a gain either so things are good. I haven’t been working out much lately. I’ve been trying to get things ready for vacation over the past week. It’s not easy getting 4 kids and yourself ready plus making sure everything is covered while you are gone.

I do have a semi-plan for vacation. I plan to walk the beach every morning that I can. With following the Couch to 5K program, I want to keep up with that at the same time so I might do some walking and jogging on the beach. I have also packed my resistance bands and a workout video that I rented from the library last night – Jillian Michael’s Shape Up –Backside. I don’t know if I will be able to do it or not but I figure I will take it and try. Other than that, I plan to really focus on my meals and limit my alcohol intake. I want to be able to report a weight loss after I return…not a weight gain.

I’m also taking along a few books to help me keep my focus. They are:

“Making the cut : the 30-day diet and fitness plan for the strongest, sexiest you” / Jillian Michaels

“Are you ready! : take charge, lose weight, get in shape, and change your life forever” / Bob Harper

“Hungry Girl : recipes and survival strategies for guilt-free eating in the real world” / Lisa Lillien

I might find a few recipes that I can make while I’m down there. I don’t eat seafood and can’t stand the smell of it so I’ll be staying home that night (eating something healthy, of course)!

I hope everyone else had a great weight loss week. If not, don’t let it get you down. Get up and get moving, drop the fries, dumb the soda…whatever it is that has you off track – change it now! It’s not too late! Don’t wait until tomorrow, if you’ve already blown today!

Day 116, Food and Exercise Log

Daily Allowance Points: 24
Weekly Allowance Points: 35

Breakfast:
Fiber One Strawberry Yogurt (1 point)
Kashi Mountain Medley Granola (1/2 cup) (4 points)

Lunch:
Skillet Sensations - Ter. Chicken (6 points)

Exercise:
1.5 miles/225 calories walking on my treadmill

Daily Points Used: 11
Weekly Points Used: 0

I'll update as I can...

Free Donut - Krispy Kreme - June 6th

On Friday, June 6th, Krispy Kreme will celebrate National Doughnut Day by offering customers a FREE doughnut of their choice in participating stores throughout the U.S. So, stop by and celebrate National Doughnut Day with Krispy Kreme and have a doughnut on them! Check with you local Krispy Kreme store to find out if they are participating.

For those in the Dayton, OH area, the Kettering location will be participating.

Also, you can sign up for Friends of Krispy Kreme and receive a coupon for a free donut. They will on occasion send you coupons for free donuts too.

Weighing In #17

I’m here to report that I did not have a weight loss this week. I’m very surprised that I didn’t have a gain this week so I am ok with not having a weight loss. It goes to show that I can maintain a weight which will be great when I get down to my goal weight.

I’ve really slacked on my workouts. I've been tanning during my workout time and spending the evening hours getting things ready for vacation. This is an area that I will be working on over the next 2 weeks. Yes, two weeks. I will be on vacation next week so I will not be able to weigh in. I’m not going to let vacation get the best of me. I’ve got my tennis shoes, hand weights, jump rope, and resistance bands packed.

Here’s what little bit of working out I did do this week…

3.25 miles/622 calories walking on treadmill
3.0 miles/475 calories jogging/walking on treadmill (Couch to 5K)
1.5 miles/215 calories on elliptical
25 crunches

Hand weights

My plan for the next two weeks: get at least 30 minutes of exercise in a day and stay within points. Seems pretty easy, right? We’ll see. The good part is that we won’t be eating dinner out too much. With the price of food and having to feed 4 growing kids, I think I’ll shop Sam’s and Bi-LO while I am down there. I’ll be writing down my food, points, and exercise while I am on vacation (Friday afternoon through Sunday 15th). I’ll post points and exercises when I return – probably on Monday. I’ve got a bunch of healthy snacks (even for the kids) to take with us to get me on the right track.

Hopefully everyone is still on track and really pushing towards their weight loss goals.

Day 115, Food and Exercise Log

Daily Allowance Points: 24
Weekly Allowance Points: 35

Breakfast:
Fiber One Strawberry Yogurt (1 point)
Kashi Mountain Medley Granola (1/2 cup) (4 points)

Snack:
Reese's Crispy Crunch (6 points) - I was feeling kind of light headed and shaky...needed some sugar so I grabbed the closest thing to the checkout.

Lunch:
Turkey Sandwich (4 points)
Jell-o Sugar Free, Fat Free 60 Calorie Chocolate pudding (1 point)
Strawberries (1 point)

Dinner:
Skillet Sensations - Ter. Chicken (6 points)

Daily Points Used: 23
Weekly Points Used: 0

Overall thought: My activity level is awful! I need to catch up on sleep so I can get up and at 'em.

Day 114, Food and Exercise Log

Daily Allowance Points: 24
Weekly Allowance Points: 15

Breakfast:
Fiber One Strawberry Yogurt (1 point)
Kashi Mountain Medley Granola (1/2 cup) (4 points)
Fuze Drink - Strawberry Guava (1 serving) (2 points)

Lunch:
Turkey Sandwich (4 points)
Jell-o Fat free, Sugar Free 60 Calorie Dark Chocolate Pudding (1 point)
Strawberries (1 point)

Dinner:
Meatball Sandwich (9 points)

Snack:
Jell-o Fat Free, Sugar Free 60 Calorie Dark Chocolate Pudding (1 point)

Exercise:
1.5 miles/250 calories jogging/walking on treadmill (Couch to 5K)

Daily Points Used: 23
Weekly Points Used: 0

Overall thought: Really not a bad day. What has happened with my exercising?!?!?

Crafts for Kids

As the school year winds down (3 more days left), I am looking for new ideas for teacher gifts. My son prefers to make something for his teacher rather than buying her a gift. Works for me! On another blog, I had read a post from a teacher that says she has more candles than she will ever use. She even mentioned preferring handmade gifts even if it's a drawing and she's able to save them and share them down the road.

There are two websites that I would like to share with you.

Family Fun - no matter what the holiday or season, you can always find ideas on this website. We are also looking for Father's Day ideas too.
Note: They also have a magazine that has lots of ideas in it. I'm not sure if everything is online or not. The one item that I made over the weekend out of the magazine - I couldn't find online to send to a friend.

Ramblings of a Crazy Woman - She has many, many crafts that she has made with her kids. They are very cute!

Menu Plan Monday 6/2/2008

Well, this week will hopefully go as planned. It’s a short week since we will be heading out on Friday for vacation. My fiancé is on vacation this week too and he likes to do his own thing, even when the menu is stuck to the refrigerator door.

Monday - Tacos

Tuesday – Chicken Parmigana, Angel hair pasta, garlic bread

Wednesday – Crockpot Pizza

Thursday – Pork (either pork chops or Slow Cooked Pork, mashed potatoes, green beans

Friday – Sunday (15th) = Vacation! There will be lots of meals being cooked in the beach house. With 4 families, I hope to walk away with some new recipes. We took the easy road out and will be cooking hamburgers and hot dogs on our night.

Visit Menu Plan Monday at Organized Junkie for more menu ideas.

Day 113, Food and Exercise Log

Daily Allowance Points: 24
Weekly Allowance Points: 15

Breakfast:
Tim Horton's Iced Cappucino (made with white milk) (4 points)
Banana bread (4 points)

Lunch:
Turkey Sandwich (4 points)
Peaches (1 points)

Dinner:
4 taquitos (8 points)

Daily Points Used: 21
Weekly Points Used: 0

Overall thought: Awful day! No exercise again. That was the least of my concerns. I didn't have any bottle water...or ice! I can't drink water right from the faucet (gross!). I would have at least needed ice. By the time I got to the store to get it, it was 10:00 PM (my bedtime). Needless to say, I didn't get the water that I needed.

Day 112, Food and Exercise Log

Daily Allowance Points: 24
Weekly Allowance Points: 22

Lunch:
Cheeseburger (9 points)

Snack:
Banana Bread (4 points)

Dinner:
1/3 steak, baked potato, salad (18 points)

Daily Points Used: 24
Weekly Points Used: 7