whatever

that was a very long blog break.
i didn’t mean to take any break at all.
but no matter what day there was just no more time to write.
i LOVE to write!  so you can imagine my crankiness getting to a higher level everyday without having my outlet.
oh well….

let’s see…. Scott’s team WON the STATE 3A Boys Basketball Tournament.
his team was undefeated the entire season.
that is so fantastic.  i am still just so proud of them all.
i will write a whole post about that because it deserves it and i have loads of photos.

i am still on the 21Day Fix… 45 days later.
i am loving it.
STILL.
the meal plan – lifestyle change is so great!
i sound like a dork i am sure but i am SO happy with the way i feel and what i am eating.
🙂
the workouts are challenging but not impossible.
i was thinking about how i have tried many dvd workout and seriously dislike them.
Jillian?  no thank you.
Tony – P90X?   nope.
this one though is just hard enough and then just short enough.
and very little jumping.
i dislike jumping very much.  (or i should say my bladder dislikes me jumping)
and i am loving the Shakeology.
it has been such a nice option to have when i just don’t want to eat any more meat or veggies.

and let’s talk about the new house.
oh my goodness.
we are SO EXCITED about it.

the kids have been great helpers (at least for awhile… they are still kids of course)
annie painted the inside of the cabinets and i think she is a better painter than i am.

i ended up getting 8 different paint samples of grays.
i ended up choosing the third one on the top.
i surprised myself!  it was the most gray that was light with less green or brown.
Seashell Gray by Valspar.
it’s a teensy bit blue on the wall but i like it.

talby and sean removed wallpaper and loaded carpet to the garage.
for real!  talby was really good at peeling off wallpaper!
we put the carpet on craigslist and someone bought it.
i love craigslist (except for any weirdos and gross stuff).
i sat here several hours and painted that banister.
then we took out the kitchen.
yep.
we sold our existing kitchen and are getting a white one.
they carefully took it all apart piece by piece and will be a perfect kitchen for the new owners.
that makes me really happy.

we took out a wall to open it up a little more and allow more light in the house.
and by WE took it out i mean our contractor took it out.
we are doing the work like painting or demo… not the other stuff.
and by WE i mean mostly craig and then sometimes i stop by and drop off things like lights or tile or toilet paper.
ha ha ha

poor scott was gone on a ski trip during all this work.
i bet he is really disappointed he missed it.
he did get to pull staples out of the floor for quite awhile one afternoon.
KIDS ROCK!
that is the now empty kitchen.  i taped where the island will be going.
isn’t it fancy?  😉
the tile backsplash is gone now too and the floors have been sanded and stained darker as of this afternoon.

SO… yeah… we have been busy.
all good things!
all FUN things!

im sleepy.
gotta get up to get my workout in before the three ball tournaments begin.
yes.. 3 different kids… 3 different towns… 3 different tournaments.
should make for a high coffee intake kind of day.

UPDATE on Scott… THEY WON!
they won the first round so they will play friday night and saturday too.
it was so exciting.
i made my family take a selfie with me to distract me when they were not ahead and i was super anxious.

my nieces, my daughters, my mom, my sister and my sister-in-law.  🙂

let’s talk about the 21 Day FIX… again.

in the 21 days… i lost 6 pounds and 9.5 inches.
no joke.
i think that is SO awesome.
i was smiling so big about it on monday.
i am THRILLED!
you may be thinking… “ummm 6 pounds? that is not much at all.”
well…. my friend…. you are way wrong!  six pounds is over half of my goal!
six pounds is a very BIG deal to me.
even if someone lost 100 pounds… they have to lose the first 6 pounds first right?!
🙂

let me answer some of the questions in the comments from the previous post.

did you always like salad?  i love salad that other people make for me but when i make it i rarely enjoy it.  and honestly… that salad in the photo was the first salad i had prepared the entire 21 days! i ate a few restaurant salads but the other four times a day for 21 days i was eating broccoli, cauliflower, celery, carrots, etc.

what dressing do you use?  at restaurants i try to remember to ask for dressing on the side.  i use basalmic vinegarette.

how do you resist treats at Craft Weekend or baking at home?  ummmm…. i am not verygood at this.  but i did have less than i usually would have at CW. if you are baking at home for your family… maybe it a good time to try some healthier treats?  my problem there is that all my kids can bake now so THEY are making cookies and cupcakes all the time and it is hard to resist.  it is easy for me to not bake because it takes time i don’t have.  but it is so hard to walk by cookie dough or brownies for sure.  my kids love baking treats!  the main point of this answer is that everyone has temptations, mistakes or set backs but that doesn’t mean you quit.  you just say “i will do better tomorrow.” or “i am doing great and that is not going to stop me.”  just pick yourself back up and keep going.  it’s not ALL OR NOTHING.  it’s baby steps to getting where you want to be.

how are the kids adjusting to no junk food at home?  i got rid of the things that tempt me most… but they are still doing their own thing.  i don’t buy the things i would grab and eat all day long (my favorite cereal, m&ms, cookies, ice cream, whipped cream) but there is still junk food here.  BUT when there is so much fruit and veggies and protein here too it is not as hard to choose wisely.  with the 21 day plan you have certain categories to fill each day and it makes choosing healthy way easier! i want to not go over in a certain area and make sure i get enough in all the groups.  it changes your mid set to picking the right thing over just eating something because i am cranky and bored.  my kids are having to try veggies at every meal though.

how can i get exercise in my already PACKED days?  hmmm…. i think working directly with Marta would help you a lot.  she is really good at helping you be your best YOU.  she can get you thinking about where you can make little changes and tweeks to change things up.  what my answer would be is to focus on your foods.  REALLY focus on eating clean and healthy.  the walks you take on your “smoke breaks” are great… can you walk faster?  you can add in short 10-15 minute strength training in the morning.  if you are getting up at 5:30… i wonder… could you squeeze in a quick 15 minute exercise by doing something the night before to make the morning quicker?  setting out your kids’ clothes the night before?  give baths at night? breakfast on the table when you go to bed?  BUT SERIOUSLY… let marta change your life.  🙂  she is so good at it.

how can i incorporate eating out with this plan? with the 21 day FiX you can eat (healthy stuff) from a restaurant, you just need to make sure you don’t over do it.  the containers are to show you portion size.  you could bring your containers with you… or after a few times of measuring your food with the containers, you have an idea of how much one serving looks like.  at a restaurant… most likely you are going to be WAY over a healthy portion size, even in veggies.

the 21 Day FiX workouts? do i have to have a treadmill or any equipment? can i do this in my basement??  all you need with the 21 Day FIX is light and heavy hand weights and a floor mat. (i currently use 5, 8 and occasionally 10 pounds.  in the beginning i wished i had lighter than five but now i can use the five.  some of those tricepand shoulder moves are hard with even 5 pounds! but you get stronger everyday and it is so cool to see your own improvement.  i do the workouts in my living room so i would think your basement would be fine.  🙂

where you found that snack container that you have your apples and pb in?  it is rubbermaid and i think i found that at walmart.  i know target does not have them.  it also possibly could have been at our Kroger grocery stores.  they are really good!  the blue container is a ziploc brand.  🙂

where did you find your cute water cup?  that cup i found at walmart also.  the brand is Bubba.  it is a 24 oz. cup.  i love the squishy straw and that the lid pops off… no screwing it on just right or breaking the lid.  i have two.  they are $10 at walmart and i think $12 at target.  they are also washable!

ANY more questions?  i am happy to just keep answering to help you ladies out!

🙂