Thirty for Thirty {days 11-15}

Holy busy schedule Batman.  Life has completely been turned upside down these last few weeks.  Marty and I have been an incredible opportunity to buy a house in our hometown of Elizabethtown.  In order to get this house, we have to sell ours....in 4 months.  Not an impossible task, but now is not the ideal time to sell a house (or so we've been told) and my worrying nature and anxiety has kicked into overdrive.  I have a TON of work to do to get our house ready to show and a new post on my Thirty for Thirty challenge has been the last thing on my mind.  But, in case you're interested, here's days 11-15. 

I kind of hit my stride after day 11.  It was much easier to mix and match my pieces with accessories.  I wish I could be like some of the people that I got my inspiration from and really go all out with my accessorizing and fashion choices.  But I'm not there.....yet.  This challenge has made me more fashion conscious and what I'm putting on my body every morning.  I kind of feel like an outfit isn't complete without some bracelets and a belt now.  Who knows if it'll continue after I'm allowed to explore the rest of my closet again.  By the way, who else is excited that it's FINALLY Fall?!??  Hello boots, scarves and goodbye ridiculously hot weather and summer clothes :)

Because who doesn't love FREE stuff?!?!

Alright.  The gloves are coming off.  I'm declaring war on my Followers number.  I know numbers aren't a great reflection of how many people read your blog, but 37 is just plain sad y'all!  I'm tired of looking at that number every time I log onto my blogger account.  Plus, I hate odd numbers and that's two of them in a row (3-7 *gag*)!  I'm doing something about it.  And hopefully you are too!!  If I can get 50 total followers on my blog and 100 followers on my Facebook page by October 15, I'm going to do a GIVEAWAY!  You heard that right----free stuff!!  The winner will receive one of my hand-painted personalized signs. 

These signs are completely customizable.  I can paint on canvas or wood.  You can pick your favorite quote, Bible verse, saying, family's name...whatever!  You can also pick the colors of your sign to match your personal decor. 

BUT WAIT!  Here's how this is going to work.  If I get the 50 followers and 100 Facebook fans by October 15th, I'll do another blog post telling you guys that you're amazing, that I have my followers and we'll do the giveaway.  You'll have to comment on the post saying that you follow my blog and/or my Facebook page and a random winner will be drawn on midnight of the 16th.  Clear as mud?  I'll provide more details when the actual drawing happens. 

Think we can do it?  Who's going to win their very own hand-painted sign??

Hot Mess {week 11}

Hot Mess time.  You may remember last week when I went super downhill and ate like crap.  Was I better this week?

Original weight:  142.5
Last week's weight:  134.0
This week's weight:

Loss from last week:  0
Overall weight loss:  8.5 lbs

Biggest challenges this week:  I didn't lose, obviously.  Strangely though, I'm okay with it.  I've had a TON of people tell me that they can notice a difference and that I look good.  They say it takes 4 weeks for YOU to notice a difference, 8 weeks for those CLOSEST to you to notice and 12 weeks for people OUTSIDE your circle to notice.  Well, we're on week 11 and I'm getting comments from others, not just my family.  Am I where I want to be?  Not yet.  I still have 14 lbs to lose before getting to my goal weight.  That's not really what's important to me though.  Would I LOVE to be 120 pounds again?  Abso-freaking-lutely.  But what's more important to me is continuing to eat healthier and set up a healthier lifestyle for myself.  To zip up my size 6 jeans and feel good in them every single day...not just on my skinny days.  To feel proud when I take a picture with my daughter or my husband and be able to share it willingly on Facebook and not worry whether or not I have a double chin.  These things are more important.  The scale is just a number--it doesn't define me.  Do you think someone is going to look at me and say "Oh girl, she is obviously not 120 pounds.  She's gotta be at least 125!" Or do you think they're going to notice when my clothes are fitting better and look healthier?  I'm voting for option two.

What worked this week:
My journey is still continuing.  I hope to lose weight this week (although we leave for Florida on Friday and I will probably consume my weight's worth of crab legs while we're down there).  I'm still proud of myself, no matter what the scale said this morning.  I don't have to think really hard to make healthier options when I make dinner or go out to eat.  I just know what's better for me and what I should stay far, far away from.  And that's a huge step in itself.  Before, I would guess at calorie counts and think "Surely a chicken sandwich at McDonald's is better than a hamburger."  Not always the case, my friend.  I'm already on my way to living a much healthier and fulfilling lifestyle than I was before.  And that's more of a reward for me than a half a pound loss this week anyway.

Minnie Mouse Highchair

I'm sad.  This is the last of the "Avery's Minnie Mouse Birthday Bash" tutorials I'll be posting.  I hope if you're having a Minnie themed party of your own, you've gotten some ideas for your party too!  So, here it is, the last tutorial:  *drumroll*  a Minnie Mouse highchair (as seen here as my little girl chows down on her birthday cake)!

 I lucked out on this chair.  I had been wanting a cheap highchair for pictures to paint a bright color, like yellow or turquoise, until we decided that Avery would be having a gigantic Minnie Mouse party and this idea was born. 
Wanna know how to make one for yourself?  Here's what you'll need:

• Highchair (obviously)
• Black spraypaint
• Minnie Mouse polkadot fabric
• Foam circles
• Polka dot ribbon
• Hot glue gun
• Sandpaper

I found my highchair at Goodwill for.....get ready.....$5.  The legs wobbled a bit and it didn't have a tray to go with it, but it was FIVE DOLLARS.  I could deal.  It was also a little bit dirty.  So, step one was to sand the highchair down to remove all the stickers and junk that littered the arms and seat of this bad boy. 

After sanding, I began to spray paint. It took two coats of black spray paint (I bought the cheap Walmart brand) to cover the whole thing.



When the chair was spray painted and dry, I brought it into my house to add the Minnie skirt along the bottom.  Finding the fabric that perfectly matched Minnie's skirt ended up being the hardest part of this project.  I went to FOUR different fabric stores before I found the perfect print (Thank you JoAnn's Fabric).  I got two yards and it ended up being JUST enough, so get 2 1/2 or 3 to be safe.  I was sweating as I was coming to the end because I really thought I was going to run out.  Here's how to attach the skirt (and if my instructions don't make sense, hopefully the pictures will....I'm a visual person, not a descriptive one). 

Take your hot glue gun and put about an inch worth of glue along the chair and attach the fabric.

Now, put about a quarter of an inch of glue along the end of the fabric that you've just glued to the chair.  Fold the fabric back and glue it down. 

Repeat the above two steps.  You'll be creating a sort of ruffle effect along the entire chair. 

Once you've done a few "ruffles," you'll get the hang of how to do it.  Continue along the entire chair. 

When I first started working, I wanted a floor length "skirt" on my highchair.  Because I didn't get enough fabric, I had to cut it in half to have enough to finish the entire chair.  I like the finished look better, I think.  It's appropriate because Minnie doesn't wear a floor length skirt!

After you've finished the skirt, spray paint the two foam circles black (this will take MULTIPLE coats with a heavy hand because the foam soaks up the paint like crazy).  Then attach with a hot glue gun to the sides or top of your chair.  Glue a matching red and white polka dot bow to one of the ears and you have your very own Minnie Mouse highchair!!

I hope you all have enjoyed the entire Minnie Mouse series!  If you're interested, check out Avery's Minnie birthday invitations and envelopes, canvas bag party favors, personalized Minnie Mouse wreath and Minnie Mouse birthday bash recap (including a Minnie Mouse Cozy Coupe)!  Now, what to do for the 2nd birthday......



Organize One Thing meets Penny Pinching

This post is going to be pulling double duty today!  It's a "Organize One Thing Wednesday" meets "Penny Pinching Summer" kind of post (yes, I know summer is almost over, but you can learn financial tips any time of the year). 

I am a FREAK when it comes to organizing my checkbook.  I don't see how people balance their checkbooks only once a month when their bank statement comes in the mail.  I'm signed up for online banking and I check my account and balance my checkbook EVERY.SINGLE.DAY.  I need to know how much is in my account every day...down to the penny.  To further cement my OCD status when it comes to my checkbook, I color code everything that's written down.  Yep.  Color coded.

Breakdown:

Green is bills.  Medical, credit cards, house payments, utilities, etc.  This is the stuff that has to be paid, before anything else.  On payday, I sit down and make sure all the greens are taken care of first.

Orange is gas purchases.  Since we live in Bardstown and I'm driving to Etown, I like to easily see how much I'm spending per month in gas.  Makes budgeting so much easier.

Pink is deposits.  Paychecks, cash deposits, etc.  Helps me be able to add up what's coming in.

Blue is necessities.  Grocery trips, medicines, clothes for Avery, clothes for me or Marty (that are needed, not just a splurge), etc. 

Yellow is my least favorite.  It's unnecessary purchases.  Trips through the drive through, that cute pair of shoes I wanted, but didn't need.  Those kinds of things.  It's more of a motivator when I look in my checkbook and see 5 yellow highlighted purchases.  I feel guilty for throwing that much money away and vow to do better. 

I know, I know.  I'm OCD.  At least I'm admitting it, right?  It sure makes me feel better and makes balancing the checkbook and making my budget so much easier.....and more colorful. :)

Hot Mess {week 10}

Hot Mess Monday.  I knew this day was coming and I wasn't looking forward to it.  Here's why:

Original weight: 142.5
Last week's weight: 133.2
This week's weight:

Difference from last week: +0.8 lbs
Overall loss:  8.5 lbs

*sigh*
Biggest challenges: I could make a million excuses for this week.  I haven't been sleeping.  I've had a sickness that's lingered in my body for a month in a half and I haven't felt like doing anything except sit around and eat comfort foods (i.e. french fries, mac and cheese).  I've barely been home to make dinner and attempt to be healthy.  Reality is, those are all excuses.  The reality is, I've eaten like crap.  Reality is, I've been exhausted and had zero energy to cook or work out or anything.  No excuses.  I take full responsibility for this one.

What worked this week:
Nothing.  I was bad and I paid for it this week. 
I'm getting back on my diet horse today.  No more eating like crap.  No more feeling like crap.  No more being lazy.  I want to be a hot mama.  I want to be the wife and mother that Marty and Avery are proud of.  I want to feel good about myself again.  Yes, I realize that I don't have to be some size 2 skinny to have my husband and child proud of me, but I want to say that I did this the healthy way.  To say that I lost my baby weight over time and did it right.  I didn't starve myself, I didn't become a gym rat that ate nothing but hummus and water.  I did it a realistic way....by being a wife and mother and living my everyday life while making healthy choices.  I CAN do this.  I CAN be a Hot Mama.  Scratch that.  I WILL be a Hot Mama.  Until next week....

Pray for me. Seriously.

Fellow moms reading this blog, please keep me and Avery in your thoughts and prayers tonight. If you're a faithful reader of this blog, you know Avery's sleep issues. She is 13 1/2 months old and doesn't sleep through the night yet. In her 410 days on this earth, she's maybe slept through the night 30 times or less. In the past, I have tried different sleep techniques to try to help Avery sleep through the night. I tried the tactics in the "No Cry Sleep Solution" for weeks. Avery wasn't having any of it. We've tried weaning her off nighttime bottles (successful), tried sleep machines, strict bedtime routines. You name it, we've tried it. We even tried crying it out. When Avery was probably 4 months old, I suffered through the crying it out drama. It worked. Until Avery got an ear infection and all my hard work went out the window. Since then, I haven't had the heart to make her cry it out again. I hated every single second of those 3 nights when she was little.  So I had pretty much accepted that Avery would be up every night until her toddler years and I would just have to suck it up.  Lately, Avery has been getting up during the night, just for the sake of being up and wanting to whine just so I'll come into her bedroom. As soon as I give her a pacifier and lay her down, she goes right to sleep. At first, she would wake up around 5 am every morning. That, I could handle. That is almost a full night's sleep before I have to get up and tend to her. But slowly, Avery is waking up earlier and earlier every night. Last night, she was up at 1, 2:30 and 5. And I've had a sickness for a month and a half that I can't get over because I'm not getting any sleep at all. So, basically, last night was the last straw. Tonight, I'm letting her cry it out. Im not looking forward to this at all. I love my husband dearly and he helps me with every single thing I've ever asked in regards to Avery--dirty diapers, snot wiping, spit up, everything--but I'm on my own with this one. God love him, Marty just can't listen to her cry (not that it's my favorite thing in the world either ).  This means I'm committing to multiple sleepless nights. Isn't that better than multiple sleepless years?  And I'm not willing to do that. So, fellow moms and faithful readers, pray for me. This is not something I'm looking forward to.  At. All. Keep us in your thoughts and pray Avery is receptive to this sleep training and that I'm not up for weeks letting my kid cry it out. *deep breath*

Minnie Mouse Initial Wreath

I promised you tutorials on how to make a few of the personalized items that I had included at Avery's birthday party.  I'm just not a "cookie-cutter" kind of party planner.  I'm not all for going to Wal-Mart and buying the package of coordinating plates, cups, napkins, table runners, candles, etc.  I'd rather have a handmade and from the heart kind of party.  I'm not knocking you if that's the kind of party you like to throw.  Lord knows, it's wayyyyy easier than the route I took.  But if you're like me, here's a tutorial on how to make your very own Minnie Mouse Initial Wreath.  It hung on the front door to welcome guests into the party and now is hanging proudly in Avery's room.  Ready to make one for the Minnie fan in your life?  Grab your hot glue gun and let's get started!

Materials needed:

• Styrofoam wreath
• 2 small Styrofoam circles
• Black cardstock paper
• Initial of your choice
• Small circle sponge brush
• Red and white acrylic paint
• Ribbon
• Hot glue gun

{step 1}
I started with my Styrofoam wreath and wrapped all the way around with a silk black ribbon to create the base for my wreath.

{step 2} 
After the wreath was wrapped, I took the two smaller Styrofoam circles (that had already been spray painted black) and hot glued them to the top of the wreath as Minnie's ears. 

{step 3} 
Taking the black cardstock paper (I picked glitter paper--thought it looked more "girly"), I cut out two circles that were the same size as the Styrofoam circles and hot glued them onto the front.

{step 4}
I painted my wooden letter A in cherry red to match Minnie's dress.  Of course, Minnie wouldn't be complete without her signature polka dots!  So I took a small circle sponge brush and white acrylic paint and added polka dots all over the letter.

{step 5}
I attached the letter to the wreath and made a bow out of red and white polka dotted ribbon.  It's not in the picture, but I added some leftover ribbon at the top for the wreath to hang from. 

And voila!  Avery now has her own personalized Minnie Mouse wreath.  I'm thinking about making a family sized one to go on the front door now......

High Five for Friday...digging deep.

High Five time again....it comes around every Friday!  It almost didn't happen this week because I've felt like death warmed over and when I first thought about 5 good things from the week, I couldn't come up with anything.  When I stopped and really thought about it though, I knew there were at least five good things in my life that happened this week.  Sometimes you just have to look past the bad and realize that there's still really great things in your life.

{one}
Finding Nemo in 3D came out today!  I'm not really sure when I'm going to have a chance to see it, but it will happen.  I will be "seaing" it. 
{two}
This week, I tried to paint Avery's fingernails.  She was GREAT while I was painting them.  In completely and utter awe of what I was doing.  She sat still for the whole thing.  It was the sitting still for the drying part that we had trouble with.  Evidenced by nail polish all over my comforter, hands and her pacifier.  Maybe we'll try again in a few months.
{three}
This week was the Kentucky Kid's Consignment Sale.  I got to shop early (2 days before the public) and got some pretty great things...like a Minnie Mouse dress for $5 and Avery's Halloween costume for $7.50 (it's a surprise).  I also decided to sell this year.  There's 1 1/2 days left and I've made $42.  Hopefully the rest of my stuff sells!
{four}
Last weekend was my mom's *cough*-th birthday and I wanted to get her something special.  I shopped around for weeks for the perfect gift for her and came up empty handed everywhere I looked.  So I decided to go the homemade route and made her this canvas.  Hopefully I can get my schedule under control and start painting and selling again soon!
{five}
The Frazier History Museum in Louisville is debuting an exhibit on Princess Diana, opening this weekend.  I'm obsessed with Duchess Kate, just like my mom was obsessed with Princess Diana in her day.  The exhibit has some of her outfits she wore on dignitary trips and family heirlooms and jewels.  And......her wedding dress!  I already have my tickets for Sunday.  Can't wait!

Hope you guys don't have to dig deep to find some really great things from your week.  :)

Linking up with:  Lauren at From My Grey Desk

Thirty for Thirty {days 6-10}

I know I'm a little behind, seeing that today has been the 13th day of my "30 for 30" challenge, but here's an update on days 6 through 10. 

Yikes.  Looks like I need to retire that white shirt for this next week.  It got A LOT of wear this week!!  It also looks like I need to start taking pictures with my real camera...iPhone pictures just aren't cutting the mustard anymore. 
Day 10 has probably been my favorite outfit so far.  I love yellow and black together.  On the flip side, day 9 was probably my least favorite.  That skirt just accentuated the pooch I'm trying so hard to get rid of and made me feel self-conscious the whole day.  Looks like it's time to retire it and put it with the other clothes I want to wear when I'm skinnier. 
I've done a MUCH better job this week of accessorizing and dressing up outfits with belts and jewelry.  Skinny belts are my favorite (if you couldn't tell).  I also think I've developed an addiction to costume jewelry.  Anytime I go shopping, it's the first thing I check (since I'm not allowed to buy new clothes, it's the next best thing!).  My favorite places to buy cheap jewelry have been Wal-Mart, Target, Claire's (when things don't look too teenage-y) and a new discovery--Body Central.  When I shopped there the other day, all their jewelry was $3.90 (yes, you read that right).  I loaded up on bracelets and necklaces.  It's amazing to me how quickly a piece of jewelry can change an outfit completely. 
This week has been a lot easier than the first....see you again on days 11-15!

Organize One Thing Wednesdays Gets Chilly!

There is nowhere in my house that disorganization drives me more crazy than in my kitchen.  I'm constantly looking for new ways to organize my pantry, under the kitchen sink, cabinets....and the fridge.  I was wasting so much food because my refrigerator was so ridiculously unorganized.  I had no idea what food I had in there on a day-to-day basis.  A fridge organizational overall commenced!  Afters:

"The Dairy Shelf" is where I keep all my dairy products (except a gallon of milk).  The cream cheeses, shredded cheeses, ricotta cheese, cottage cheese (geez, cheese overload!!), butter and buttermilk all reside here.  A cheap dollar store basket helps me corral all those shredded cheese bags that are too wimpy to stand or stack on their own.

I don't even want to think about all of the money that I've wasted on produce that rotted or went bad before we had a chance to eat it.  I would make the effort to buy healthy fruits and veggies and throw them in the crisper drawer, still in their little produce bags, to be forgotten about forever.   Problem was, when they were still in the bags, it was hard to see what was in there..."Is that a green pepper or a granny smith apple??"  So I bought some more dollar store baskets and started putting the veggies in the bottom drawer and fruits in the top so I could easily identify what we had on hand.

If I buy veggies for the purpose of adding them as toppings on salads or sandwiches, I slice them up as soon as I get home.  I slice my green peppers into strips.  I cut one tomato into slices for sandwiches and dice the other for tacos and salads.  I cut celery sticks into hand-held pieces for snacking and lunch sides.  After I'm done cutting, I put the veggies into Tupperware containers.  This makes it SO easy in the morning when I'm making lunch.  If I want a ham sandwich with green peppers and tomatoes, I open the Tupperware container and throw 'em on.  Before, I would have to get the tomato out, find a knife, cut it up, add it to the sandwich, wrap the tomato back up, add the tomato to the sandwich, put it back in the fridge.  Time-waster in the morning--and I need every free second I can get during my morning routine.  Time wasters are NOT allowed. 
I've also started putting my bagged lettuce into a sealed container that can easily be taken out and made into a fresh salad or be added as a topping.  I know it's no different than grabbing the bag out of the fridge, but this way, I have the container on a shelf at eye level and it helps me remember that I have lettuce in the fridge that can be used.  I've cut down on some MAJOR lettuce wasting by doing this. 
All of the lunch meats are on a shelf together for easy grabbage.  Tortillas in the "meat" drawer because they're a funky shape and I just wanted them out of the way :)

And voila.  You have yourself an organized, but not obsessively so, fridge.  It makes things so much easier when lunch and dinner prepping and has actually helped me eat healthier.  I still have some ideas out there, like place mats or Press and Seal paper to help prevent spills and make an easier clean-up if one were to happen.  What's your fridge look like?  Organized bliss or crazy chaos??

Avery's Birthday Party Recap

You know when you get on Pinterest and you browse other people's blog posts about their child's perfect birthday party and how everything was completely awesome?  Yeah, my kid's party wasn't like that.  I had spent MONTHS agonizing over and planning this party.  I thought of every single tiny, minute little detail.  I wanted everything to go perfectly.  The reality was much, MUCH different.  It seemed like everything that could go wrong, did.  It rained.  The moisture in the air made it almost impossible for my dad to fire up the grill and make the food.  The air conditioner in my parent's house was thinking about going out.  Because the food wasn't ready, we opened presents first so people could leave if they needed to.....but Avery wouldn't have any of it.  She was cranky.  And overwhelmed.  And hungry.  Finally, the food was ready and people started eating.  Marty and I left the party to go take some professional pictures with the photographer that we'd invited.  Avery wanted none of it.  She didn't want to sit still, she didn't want to smile and she DID NOT want her picture taken.  It was the perfect storm.  Standing on the sidelines, I felt like the party was a huge disaster.  Until I started talking to some of the guests after the party.  No one noticed all the little mistakes and flaws that I was noticing.  Not a single one of them noticed that the food wasn't ready on time or that Avery wasn't in a good mood.  They loved the decorations, the cake and the presents.  I realized that I was expecting everything to be completely perfect and, when it wasn't, I ruined the party for myself.  I couldn't enjoy my daughter's first birthday party because I was worried about what our pictures would turn out like.  Lesson learned:  it's not so much about everything going perfectly.  It's more about enjoying the day and making memories with my daughter.  When I stop and think about that day, I don't want to remember everything that went wrong.  I want to remember the little touches I worked on to make her day as Minnie-fied as possible.  I want to remember her face whenever we gave her a personalized Minnie Mouse Cozy Coupe.  I want to remember all the people that came that loved Avery and Marty and I enough to want to celebrate the day with us.  That's what matters. 



I was really happy with how all of the decorations and little touches turned out.  Each little girl at the party got their very own Minnie Mouse canvas bag...complete with Minnie Mouse bubbles, Mickey ears, Puffs (for the babies) and sunglasses inside.  The drink container came from I Have a Favor.  Cake was made by a family friend, but inspired by a photo I found on Pinterest.  I made the decorations, Minnie Mouse highchair and wreath myself (tutorials to follow!).  But, out of everything, this was my favorite part:

An old Cozy Coupe, transformed into Avery's very own Minnie-mobile!  Have I ever mentioned how thankful I am to have a husband that, not only loves me unconditionally, but puts up with my crazy self and ridiculous requests??  I found this idea from a blog I was browsing and immediately knew that Avery had to have one.  I posted on Facebook and asked if anyone wanted to sell their old Cozy Coupe.  Twenty minutes later, I was the proud owner of one (isn't social media amazing??).  I confronted my husband with the picture and my plan and he got to work.  I couldn't be happier with the way it turned out and Avery LOVES IT.  She wants to climb in and out and honk the horn as much as possible.  Here's a better picture of it the next day:

Then, I got our pictures back.  My photographer works MAGIC.  I didn't think Avery smiled the entire time we were taking pictures, yet somehow she managed to capture some amazing pictures.  I'm still not sure how she did it. 

Looking back, Avery's birthday party was pretty amazing.  I'm the mother of a one year old.  How the heck did this happen??



Hot Mess=Me

If you were to look up the word "Hot Mess" in the dictionary, a picture of me from this week would be right beside it.  I've been hot messing it up all over the place.  Let's get to the weight loss.

Original weight:  142.5
Last week's weight:  133.6
This week:

Loss from last week:  0.4 lbs
Overall loss:  9.3 lbs

Biggest challenges this week:  I'm going to be completely honest with you guys.  I'm surprised I lost this week.  I had to mentally prepare myself to step on the scale this morning because I was expecting a number that was quite a bit higher than my 133.6 from last week.  I ate like crap.  And, as a result, I felt like crap.  For some unknown reason, I cannot sleep.  I wake up in the middle of the night (or my child wakes me) and I cannot. go. back. to. sleep.  I lay there.  I think about all the things I need to be doing.  The checkbook balance.  What I'm going to wear tomorrow out of my 30 items.  What I'm going to get people for Christmas.  Before I know it, I'm getting like 4-ish hours of sleep every night (I'm a 9 hour a night kind of person).  It's exhausting.  It also makes it extremely hard to function as a normal human being during the day.  Enter caffeine--and lots of it.  I have probably been drinking 2-3 "Cokes" a day.  So not healthy.  Also enter drive-thrus.  I'm exhausted, so I don't have the energy or the want to make my lunch in the morning.  So, I've been a regular customer at the McDonald's drive-thru.  I can tell that my body has gotten used to less fast food because yesterday, I felt horrible.  Stomach pains, bloating feelings, the works.  My body was completely telling me "STOP FEEDING ME CRAP!"  So, this morning, I woke up on time and made myself some lunch.  And I've only had one Coke.  Hopefully steps back to being the healthy me that I've been working so hard on.

What worked this week:
{1}  I've started exercising.  I'm working on strengthening my ab muscles again.  After Avery was born, they were pretty much non-existent.  Every night, while I wait for my sleep-aversioned princess to drift off, I lay in her floor with my legs up on her ottoman and I do 100 crunches.  I'm hopefully going to increase the number of crunches and introduce some cardiovascular exercises, because that's where the calories are burned!
{2}  Finding better snacking options.  At work, we have a popcorn machine.  I've been adding dried cranberries to my bag of popcorn.  Healthy, sweet, salty..perfect combination!!  I've also started portioning off my snacks.  Instead of taking a big bag of chips with me to lunch, or to sit on the couch and snack on, I put the portion size in a Ziploc bag and only allow myself that amount of food. 
{3}  Making dinner again.  I had been sadly slacking on my domestic responsibility of making dinner for my family every night night.  I can't remember the last time I'd made dinner for the two of us.  I sat down and made out a grocery list for 2 weeks from healthy recipes I'd collected.  Better than raiding the fridge for junk to eat because Mama didn't make dinner.

I'm not perfect.  I had a crappy week and I will probably pay for it when I step on the scale next Monday.  I can't dwell on it.  Time to shake it off, forget the past week and start fresh.  Back on my journey to being a HOT MAMA!

Thirty for thirty {days 1-5}

It's my first "30 for 30" update post and let me tell you people.....this is hard.  It may not be hard for a girl with major fashion sense that can accessorize anything from an evening gown to a paper bag.....but I am not her.  Far from it, in fact.  I never realized how hard it would be to mix up shirts and pants without making it look like I'm wearing the same thing every single day.  Plus, it doesn't help that it's been in the mid-90s here all week and layering to change the looks of my outfits is not an option.  Hopefully, I'll get to wear some of the blazers and cardigans I picked out before the end of this month.  Otherwise, you're going to be seeing the same outfits every single week.  *sigh*  Well, here goes.  My first five days on my 30 for 30 challenge.  Take a look.  Critique.  Tell me what would look good with that green shirt so it doesn't look like I have nothing else to wear.  Really.  I need feedback.

Suggestions?  Ideas?  Accessories you wanna give away to help me jazz these outfits up? 

High Fives {week 9}

Friday High Fives!

{one} 
I live in Kentucky.  Here, we have a gigantic rivalry between the Kentucky Wildcats and the Louisville Cardinals.  Like "I can't be friends with you if you root for the opposing team" kind of rivalry.  I am a die-hard, bleed blue alumni of the University of Kentucky.  The sun rises and sets on Kentucky basketball.  Somehow, I married a Louisville fan.  Our child is going to be so confused.
{two} 
After much convincing, my cousin is starting a new blog!  She's still under construction, but it's been fun helping her design her blog and give her some of the tips I wish someone had told me when I first started.  Check her out in a few weeks when she gets up and running!
{three}
Remember a few weeks ago when I told you we were getting a major office remodel at work??  Here's a before and after.  Goodbye hideous 1970s wood paneling and dingy carpet!

{four}
Matchbox 20 came out with a new cd on Tuesday.  Their first in a decade.  It's pretty darn good.

{five}
This pretty lady is my momma.  She's been there for me for every major moment in my life.  She's listened to me complain, let me whine about my problems and gave me a reality check when I needed one.  I honestly don't know what I'd do without her.  Her birthday is tomorrow and she's planned a super secret trip for her, my sisters and one of her sisters.  I can't wait.  Happy birthday Mom!  I love you!

Planning to Organize

Wednesday--it's time to organize just one thing in my life to make it a little less cluttered.  Today, I'm focusing on my planner.  Every year, I buy the same kind of planner from Wal-Mart.  Same brand, just a different pattern every year:

Studio C, by Carolina Pad.  It's the size of a standard school notebook with spaces big enough to write all your things in day-by-day.  I hate monthly calendars.  I can't fit all my stuff into a tiny box! 
My day job is working as a legislative assistant for my dad, who serves as a Kentucky State Senator.  When I took the job, one of the requirements is to keep up with his schedule.  Which can get hectic, especially this time of year.  Parades every weekend, fundraisers, picnics, etc.  Needless to say, "my" calendar has filled up with my dad's appointments.  In the beginning, I tried keeping our things separate by highlighting things in a different color.  Dad's stuff was green, my stuff was pink, blogging stuff was blue.  And it worked.....for a little while.  Until the green began to take over the days. 

See the green?  That's dad's stuff.  Just dad's stuff.  And it always grows.  It starts as one or two things and ends up being several things a day.  It just gets confusing for me.  I'm the type that writes EVERYTHING down.  If I need to put chicken in the fridge to thaw out for tomorrow's dinner, it needs to be written down on a to-do list, or I'll forget it.  Make fun of me, if you will, but dad's calendar wasn't leaving enough room for my obsessive step-by-step calendar for everyday.  Enter the Dollar General store.  Enter a "student" planner for $2.

I can have all of my things in here....and color-coded.  Red is that night's dinner menu.  Dark blue is to-do things (laundry, put ground beef out to thaw, take Minnie Mouse doll back for return).  Green is appointments and events.  Light blue is blogging ideas.  This works.  I can have all of my stuff in one place and all dad's in another.  I'm not searching through the green highlights to see what I need to do that day.  I've organized one thing in my life today and it feels pretty darn good (and looks pretty good too). 

Unfriendable.

Does becoming a mom automatically make you un-friendable?  It seems like when I had my sweet Avery, I gained a daughter, but lost all of my really good friends.  If someone were to ask me right now who my best friend was, I would have trouble coming up with an answer.  Actually, before I go any farther, let me clarify.  My husband is, without a doubt, my best friend.  I know that I can tell him anything and he's always the first person I turn to whenever I have something on my mind or have news to share.  Sometimes though, you just need a girl-best friend.  Someone that understands that you HAD to buy that cute pair of shoes or your need to go into an Anthropologie store even though you can't afford anything in there.  Someone to call when you need to complain about your husband (just kidding Marty! sort of....).  Someone who will meet you for lunch once a month just so you have an excuse to put nice clothes on.  I need that person in my life.  And I don't have them. 
I had my college friends.  People that would hang out on a Wednesday night at the drop of a hat and didn't care if I called at 1 am on a Thursday to just talk or make a Taco Bell run.   As college friends tend to do though, they graduated.  I graduated.  We got jobs.  We moved.  We got married.  And, even though I share some of my fondest memories with those people, I can't remember the last time I talked to them.  Other than the occasional "Facebook hello,"  I can't remember the last real conversation I had with them.  I feel like that's part of life though.  You share the college experience and then you grow up. 
Once upon a time, I would have considered my sister my best friend.  I would tell her everything.  And I think she did the same.  We knew that we shared an unspoken sisterly bond.  Until I had a baby.  A baby that would become her niece.  Suddenly, seeing me was less important, unless I was bringing my kid along.  The bond is still there, but it's more my kid's aunt---her niece's mom kind of bond.  The ability to share secrets and stay on the phone spilling my guts isn't really there anymore.  I guess we're at different points in life now.  I used to love hanging out with my cousins.  We're all close in age and we would spend a lot of time hanging out, giggling and bonding.  Now, I feel like the old maid that's left out of the loop.  Browse any of their tweets on a weekend and you'll see inside jokes and plans for parties and get-togethers.  It just makes me feel.....old.  Outdated.  Friend-less.  I understand that I'm not the same person I was pre-baby.  I can't take off on a Wednesday night to hang out or go watch a movie on a weekend with all of them without making plans for a babysitter and trying to get home in time for the bath-bottle-bedtime routine...but sometimes it's nice to pretend that I'm still that person. 
I have my mommy friends.  The girls whose daughters are around Avery's age and we have the occasional play date.  I love spending time with these girls.  I know that I can show up with baby food in my hair or be late because I had a poop explosion situation on my hands and they just get it.  We can talk about epidurals for hours or the things we're going to do differently on our next babies.  But we haven't gotten past that "mommy friend" point.  We have a great time at the play date, but that's really where the friendships end, with the exception of one or two of the girls.
Right now, I would probably consider my mom my best friend.  We have more things in common than we ever have before and I know that I can talk to her for hours about whatever was on my mind.  She understands my need to have a good cry about Avery's sleep issues and gives me advice on how she would start to wean Avery off her bottles.  But (and if you're reading this mom, PLEASE don't take this the wrong way) there are things you can't talk to your mom about.  Sometimes, you just need a best friend.  I realize that it's not an easy thing to do.  It's not like I can just take an ad out in the paper:  Wanted.  Best friend for a 20-something mommy.  Must understand if lunch dates are cancelled due to teething, but also must be prepared for a 3 am ranting phone call when her daughter is up for the fourth time.  Needs to be a frequent window shopping buddy that supports her shoe habit.  Unpaid position. 
Is it something I've done?  Have I put myself in this mommy zone and made myself unfriendable?  Have I subconsciously distanced myself from everyone I was close to and only have myself to blame?  Or is it just part of life?  Meet the guy, get married, have the baby, lose all friends?  Am I the only one??

A Labor Day Hot Mess Update

It's Labor Day and I have the day off from work, but that doesn't mean I'm taking a break from a Hot Mess Monday update! 

Original weight:  142.5
Last week's weight:  134.2
This week's weight:

Loss from last week: 0.6 lbs
Overall loss:  8.9 lbs

Biggest challenge this week:  Exercising.  I've been eating really healthy, budgeting my calories and being a really good kid when it comes to passing up fast food and french fries.  But I don't exercise.  Probably because I've never been an exercise person.  I don't really know how to do it.  I pinned a few ideas for simple, mommy-fied exercises that I think are possible.  I know that the weight is going to stop falling off at some point because there's only so far a healthy diet can take me.  I've got to WORK to get the fat to come off.

What worked this week:
1.  Better lunches.  Instead of throwing a ham sandwich with mustard in a bag and calling it lunch, I've found better, more exciting options.  Whenever I go to the grocery, I cut my vegetables up as soon as I get home and put them in tupperware containers in the fridge.  That way, when I'm making my sandwiches or salads or sides, I can easily throw them in.  Normally, I'd be in a hurry in the morning, want some green peppers on my salad, but decide it would take too long to get it out of the fridge, cut it up, put it back in the fridge, so I'd just leave it out.  I highly recommend doing this extra step when you get home from the grocery.  It's easier to eat healthy when veggies and fruit are within easy reach. 

2.  Better snacks.  I struggled with snacking when I was at work.  My go-to snack was always chips.  Greasy, not filling, but fulfilled a salty craving I would have.  I've found something better.
I'm OBSESSED with these things.  I've only tried the crackers and cheese together, but I'm thinking of all the possibilities.....like sundried tomatoes!  Best part?  Only 105 calories for 9 crackers and one wedge of cheese. 

Not much else to report.  I'm just taking it day by day, eating healthier....and hopefully beginning to exercise soon.  Till next Monday.....