Weekly Goals May 27 to June 2

It's time for a recap of last week's goals.  I want to do these on Sunday, but I was up at my mom's and am a little behind.  Well, to sum it up I failed on most all of the goals I set for myself.  The only one I actually accomplished was organize the papers.  I did go above and beyond that organizational goal and organized my junk drawer.  That is an amazing feat, honestly.  I wish I had pictures to prove how amazing it is.  Ah well.

So, to round out the rest of the list that I didn't get done: I didn't read even close enough to reach one of the milestones in one book and there are a couple of reasons this didn't get done.  One is I didn't get to bed early (which was one of my goals) and two I started watching One Piece again and did that while I was feeding Grant, my usual book reading time.  So, how many pages does reading subtitles count for?

I also didn't walk G1 to school.  When he is out of school, though, I will schedule, as in write it on the calendar a day that we will walk to work.  More specifically I will walk and G1 will ride his bike.  It is a 6 mile round trip and I am almost certain that he will have no problem doing it.  

Nor did I get the crib sheets finished.  I did work on them and they are close but I gave my mom her machine back and have to wait until my machine gets here (I'm getting a new one!!) to finish them.  I have been working on a cross stitching project and hopefully that will get done soon.  I can't wait to share it (the x-stich project and the sewing machine)

Ok, now to my goals for this week:

1) Eat really clean this week.  I have my dinner menus planned and I'm very consistent on breakfast so my only hangup is lunch (and Nutella, but we're out of it).  I need to think about lunch early and eat when I get hungry, not an hour later.  If I stick to it I am going to...

2) Make homemade oreos.

3) Finish Mariel of Redwall.  I can do it this time!

4) Finish the crib sheets, providing my machine comes and I can get it working.  Alternatively, (though I will be working on it until I get my machine) get through 2 colors on the cross stitch.

5)  Organize my flower craft supplies.  I have a drawer that I WANT them to go in, but I think it has fabric in there for projects I planned on working on before G2 got here.  That means I may just put it in a bag for now, but at least they will be contained in one place.

Possible road bumps in my brilliant plans: 

Thursday:  end of the year picnic.  I will be bringing chicken wings and broccoli salad so I can stick to my clean eating.  There is bound to be a fruit and veggie plate to nosh on as well.  

Friday:  I may work in the morning.  It may only change a possible workout for that morning.  That evening is Summerfest at G1's school.  It's an end of the year fundraising carnival.  I will be there possibly for a couple of hours and do not plan on eating there...actually I will state it here: I will not be eating there.  I will bring some snacks and possibly revise dinner plans that night and change it to a crockpot dish.

Oh, an G2 is teething...so who knows what kind of wrench that is going to throw into my week...

Hello Kitty Stocking

Here's last week's craft.  It's (obviously) a Hello Kitty stocking.  I know it's early even for Christmas in July but it was sitting in a stack of fabric I wanted to get through before Grant came.  Well, almost 5 months later I did it.  I have to say, that's pretty quick.  We'll just look over the fact I've had this for years.  It is a panel and was meant to make one stocking with the inside and outside looking the same.  Why do that that when you can line it with something else and have two?

I also took the extra time and made it look more authentically quilted.  After I attached the fleece it I used invisible thread and stitched along the lines.  I'm actually surprised at how well it turned out.  Now for the wait until I can use it.  But believe me I can wait for December, it will be here soon enough.

Happiness List

I started setting little goals for myself to accomplish every week.  This week's goals were:

1) finish Pilgrim of the Sky

2) organize instruction manuals and cards

3) make Hello Kitty stockings

4) craft with G1

5) Walk G1to school 3 times

6) Lemon cupcakes

I came up with an idea a month or two ago about making a happiness list.  it's like a chore list but listing things that would make me happier if I did them.  I was spending too much time on the regular cleaning chores and not getting the fun stuff done and accumulating a pile of crafts I wanted to do and books I wanted to read. It was a great idea and worked well, but I quickly forgot about it.  How can you forget about being happy?  Sad how things in life go that way.

So, how did I do on this week's goals?  Surprisingly well!  I feel I kept them fairly realistic and cut down on my hours of mindless internet browsing.  The things that didn't get checked off the list were crafting with G1 and walking G1 to school.  I opted to have a picnic dinner at the park so we could see the eclipse in exchange for the crafting.  But I guess I could count the pinhole camera we made for the eclipse as a craft, so, yay!.  As far as walking no one, including G1 and G2 woke up early enough to walk this whole week.  I got a good kettlebell workout in and ate really well, though.  I also got some things done that weren't on the list that made me feel good such as signing G1 up for soccer, planting stuff and visiting the farmer's market!

G1 using the pinhole camera

Looking forward to next week my goals are:
1) Read half of Primal Blueprint (7% a day (kindle edition))and half of what I have left of Mariel of Redwall (109 pages or 16 pages a day)
2) get to bed by 10:30
3) make the rest of the crib sheets (I think I have 3 to do)
4) Walk G1 to school 2 times
5) organize the papers in my desk and bookshelf

I feel this is a light list but it will take me a while to complete the sheets (at least the first one and the others will probably go faster) and I'm going to my mom's for Memorial Day weekend and I usually don't get much done up there.  Hopefully some reading and possibly some cross stitching.

Dirty 30

Disclaimer: I am getting over being sick so I may be having trouble with the words and getting them into sentences.

Today begins my trial version of the Whole 30. It's supposed to be 30 days but with my wedding coming up I know I can't go the whole month without straying. I will be strict about it, though, until my bridal shower which is in less than two weeks. I plan to be back on after that until my wedding dinner on May 4th. I say plan because we will be in Las Vegas and I don't know how much Whole 30 food I can find.

I am eating close to the W30 plan as it is (when I am eating right). I've already taken out dairy, grains, and most sugars and processed foods. The foods I am giving up now are coffee and the almond milk and splenda that go in it, and bacon...sweet delicious bacon... It's funny how I'm more upset about cutting out bacon than I am about chocolate. Guess it's just evidence that I traded one food addiction for another.

In addition to changing my eating habits I am going to start working out regularly. I had started to walk Glenn to school in the morning several days a week; a round trip of just under 4.5 miles. I am also going to start kettlebell training this week. I miss swinging the bells so much. I'm even contemplating training for competitions, but I'm getting ahead of myself. And a boot camp/fit club once a week. Yay, variety!

So, in summary:

Whole 30 until my bridal shower

Whole 30 for 30 days after my wedding

Walk Glenn to school at least 2 days a week

KB training 2 days a week

Boot camp Sundays

Kick ASS!

I'd say wish me luck, but I am confident I can do it this time.

Back On Track

At the end of 2010 and the beginning of 2011 I lost quite a bit of weight before finding out I was pregnant. Along with working out 6 days a week I loosely followed a paleo diet. I won't get into many details here but it is based on the notion that we as humans have not evolved enough to eat much differently than our ancient ancestors ate; which means no dairy, grain or processed foods. Now that Grant is here I am ready to get into shape so I'm back to paleo.

There are several things I have noticed since switching back.

First: I am more mindful at how I will feel after eating certain foods. I had done Weight Watchers in the past and lost some weight and felt good, but I was always prone to overeating and cheating and always regretting it after. I would try to reason with myself that I would feel like crap after, but the instant satisfaction of eating the cupcake was too powerful.

Second: My meals are so much more colorful and fun just to look at! When I have made some SAD meals they just look so bland. Chicken breast, rice, noodles, corn, potatoes, bread and even pears or apples when put on a plate together just look gray and blah. Not like this plate of amazingness:

It just looks amazing visually and tastes just as good. So that is how I have been planning my meals, by color and when they are so pleasing to the eye and the taste buds, you cannot go wrong.

Here's to many more tasty, colorful and healthy meals!

New Year's Baby

Well things have been a bit busy with me, going to school, working, being a mom, a girlfriend. Then the holidays hit and of course I over extend myself a little bit making gifts. I was actually not as bad this year as years past. I also became much more efficient in the kitchen (who would have guessed?) and did a bunch of baking and was able to use that as gifts to family and friends. Oh and there's the little matter of giving birth. Oh boy was my pregnancy full of twists and turns. But in the end I was rewarded with this little miracle:
That's Grant Shawn, born January 1st, 3:01 pm. Little bugger didn't want to share a birthday with Daddy or to be the first one born on New Year's. A little explanation on the name: Grant was what Brian and I agreed on, basically. I wanted Malcolm but Brian wouldn't have it, but after Grant was born, I was too tired to argue my point, plus he didn't look like a Mal anyway. And Shawn; for my good friend that passed away 2-and-a-half years ago due to complications from muscular dystrophy. I always regretted not spending more time with him or that Glenn didn't get to know him. But having Shawn as a middle name will be a reminder of what a great person Shawn was and to not take things for granted.

Well, as I alluded to I did lots of crafting and baking so I will be getting those posted in the near future! So happy new year and happy Valentine's day!

School Daze

I so have not been motivated to stitch after that whole fiasco with the Ranma pattern and I am STILL taking stitches out. I guess it's alright for now since school started and I'm super motivated this semester. The days are long, longer than work days actually but they don't feel like it. It's probably because am having so much fun in the lab! On Tuesday I got to prepare pizza crusts for the cafeteria, made a California quiche for our lunch and prepared about 20 pie crusts. Plus, I get to watch guys cook, bake and clean in the kitchen...*swoon*

Oh yeah, we get fed on lab days!! Some of what we are working on in lab that morning gets served as lunch. Monday was tri-tip, roasted potatoes, biscuits, mushroom pizza, steamed vegetables, minestrone soup and red velvet cupcakes. Tuesday was slow cooked pork ribs, California quiche, dinner rolls, mac and cheese and steamed vegetables.

Oh, and one more thing, tomorrow I get my knives!! This is the style I went with: San Mortiz Elite. I'm glad I don't take after my mom and cut myself easily (I burn myself, lol) because I am told that these knives are so sharp when I get them they will cut me by looking at them *gulp*

So far everyone is so nice and supportive and patient. I can't wait to learn lots more and master all the kitchen tools. I am an ace in the kitchen!