More than halfway there!!

I was just reorganizing some of my "pins" on Pinterest, and realized I have 75 desserts I need to try. Hmmmm. . . not a good predicament when I'm on such a strict diet!

I figured I should take a break from looking at pictures of chocolaty heaven and update everyone on my weight loss. I have now been on the HCG diet for 14 days. For me, that's the halfway point. It is recommended that you should stay on for at least 23 days, but I am hoping to last for 28 days. I think that many days will help me reach my goal, and still be done before our anniversary.

So far, I am down 14 pounds. That sounds like a lot for 14 days, doesn't it?!? I expect the weight loss to slow down, so I'm hoping to lose at least 8 more pounds in the next 14 days. I will see how I'm feeling at that weight, but may do the whole thing again at the end of August if I think it's needed.

I was telling someone that I would need to lose 20 more lbs. to reach my "before having any babies" weight, and I would need to lose 35 more lbs to weigh what I did on my wedding day. They found that hard to believe. Do I hide my weight that well?!? I doubt it!

I do not believe I will ever weigh the same as I did on my wedding day, and I am perfectly fine with that! After all, I'm not going to need to wear the dress again, right? ;)

The diet itself is going fine. . .and so is nursing the baby. The limited calories have not affected my supply at all. I have been eating fish, chicken, and quinoa as my proteins and spinach, onions, and tomatoes as my vegetables. I have to admit though, I can't wait to eat some cheese. . . and peanut butter. . . and chocolate. . .Well, must be time to drink some tea. That seems to help rid me of temptation! :)

Diet Update

So, I started the HCG diet last Thursday, and have found it quite simple. I wanted to document it on my blog, because I am still nursing my baby - and I know that is a "touchy subject" with most HCGers.

Most people in HCG forums will say NOT to do this diet if you are still nursing a baby. I found every person who had that opinion was just voicing their opinion. None of them had done the diet while nursing. I, myself, have told people not to do the diet while nursing, because I, too, was not well informed. Then I found a lady who DID do the diet while nursing TWINS! After reading her entry, it led me to 3-4 other women who also encountered no problems.

Some fear that too many toxins will be released into the breast milk and "poison" the baby. Well, I went "sugar free" in January for 30 days, so I believe most of my toxins were released then. Also, I have been eating healthy foods, so I think my body is "cleaner" now than it was when the baby was born.

Others insist that eating 500 calories a day will not allow my body to keep up with my baby's needs. Well, it's been 3 days, and no problems yet. I drink LOTS of water and some herbal tea, and I allow myself to eat a few extra calories each day to compensate for the nursing (an extra melba toast or a few extra strawberries). I decided, especially since my baby is now eating PLENTY of solid foods, that I would give this diet a try. Believe me, if I feel it is harming my baby in any way I WILL stop!

The first 2 days you "load" yourself with high fat foods. This was a bit of a problem since I had removed most high fat "junk food" from the house. I decided to make some homemade brownies and buy a half gallon of ice cream (between my family and my brother-in-law, we finished this off in 2 days). Then I made some salmon, since that would be off limits. I ate lots of natural peanut butter - which is not junk food, but is high fat. And I gorged on one of our favorite night time snacks: chips and salsa with sour cream. I ate lots of whole milk yogurt and even had some potato chips. I think the first 2 days would have been more "fun" if I had the chance to go out and by some "real" junk food (Dove ice cream bars, fries from Five Guys, a burger from Max & Erma's, etc.) Oh well, I'll do that next time ;)

Anyway, I did go out and stock up on chicken, strawberries, spinach, onions, and Melba toast. . . mmmm ;) The 3rd day I weighed in before starting my new diet. I was 3 lbs HEAVIER from my "load" days. A bit discouraging, but I discovered this was normal. I also realized that I was still hungry after taking the drops, so I had to "up" my dosage. I've been fine since then. 

So, it is true that you are not hungry while doing this diet, but that does not mean it takes away the desire to want food. Night is the worst, because I am used to having a bowl of yogurt or some peanut butter and carrots before going to bed. Now I just drink a cup of tea.

I am trying to do this for at least 25 days (hopefully 30) before taking a break. Losing 7 lbs in the first 3 days is a good motivator, but I'm sure the weight loss will slow down. Until next time. . . :)

Another day, another diet. . .

Just kidding! I'm not really a "diet buff." I am not one of those people who will say, "I've been overweight my whole life and nothing has helped. I lose weight, but then can't seem to keep it off." Nope, that's not me. I was always in fair shape. Most anything I wore, fit me well. When I got married, I was a mere 100 lbs, and not watching calories at all!

After marriage, my food intake increased, as my hubby liked to watch TV and eat snacks in the evening. This wasn't a big deal. I gained a few pounds, but only went from a size 2 to a size 6. Looking back, I think this:

I mean, isn't that so true?!? I remember complaining how overweight I was, when, in reality, I was probably the right weight for my size and bone structure. By the way, I am "big boned" even though I am short. I don't think it would be reasonable for me to try to weigh 100 lbs again. I'll be happy to fit into a size 6!

Most of the times I have gone on a diet, they have worked wonders. After my first child, I did Weight Watchers and lost 15 lbs in a month (then ended up getting pregnant again). After my second child, I just watched what I ate, and lost most the baby weight (of course, I got pregnant again). After losing a baby, I couldn't get the weight off, so I did the lemonade diet. I lost 20 lbs in 30 days (and you know. . . I got pregnant again). I'm now afraid to diet!!! HA!

Well, I honestly need to lose weight, and this has been the hardest for me. I'm not sure if it's because I had a c-section, or because I'm "older," but my belly just won't go back to "normal!" It's very annoying! Even though I've lost 30 lbs, my gut still protrudes and it drives me crazy!!!

It's time to take some serious action. I am starting the HCG diet in the hopes that it will help "banish the belly." I've been doing a regimen of drinking a smoothie for breakfast and lunch and I try to walk 1-2 mi every morning, but that still has not made a dent in my belly. I do sit ups, crunches, squats, and other "belly busters" - but no luck.

After hearing the success stories of many of my friends, I decided I will give this diet a try. I'm hoping I can lose the weight by our anniversary (July 18th). I will try to continue exercising and walking because I don't want to just be smaller - I want to be healthier. We'll see how it goes!

Kyle's LEGO Birthday Party!

My boys love birthday parties. . . and so do I! They often plan what theme they would like just days after the current party. Which is good - because it gives me time to plan ;) I have a bookmark on my computer for "birthdays" so I can save ideas all in the same place. 

When my boys turn "5," they have their first "big boy" party with their friends (instead of just a family get-together). For Kyle's 5th birthday, he chose a LEGO theme. I have to say, it was my favorite so far! It was fun to plan and hopefully, fun for the boys too! Here are some pictures:

 We started off with a game called "stack the blocks." Two boys at a time raced each other to stack all the blocks from their basket (I put 16 identical pieces in each basket - to make it fair).

Next, we played, "I Spy the LEGO Guy." I printed off and cut out a small LEGO man, and the boys took turns hiding him around the living room. Whoever found him first had a chance to hide him the next time.

pulling a string

collecting loot

After those two games, it was time for the "pull string" pinata. I have to say, this was fairly easy to make, and I really preferred it over giving 4-6 yr olds a large stick to swing about! Each boy takes a turn pulling a ribbon until one pulls the "correct" ribbon that opens the trap door.

our "pull string" pinata

Once they were done collecting all the loot from the pinata, we headed to the play room to collect more candy! You see, I had 50 candy-filled Easter eggs to get rid of! In April, our homes chool group's Easter egg hunt was cancelled due to rain. Instead of keeping all that candy in the house, the party was a perfect way to find homes for all that sugar - lol!

Finally, it was time for cake! After singing to the birthday boy, everyone went out on the porch to eat the goodies. We had cake, marshmallow pops, pretzels, popcorn, and punch. The boys enjoyed their sugar-filled snack and the frosting colored their tongues in lovely shades of red, yellow, and blue!                YUMMY!!!!!

Of course, present time is the highlight of the party for the birthday boy! He was very excited about his gifts - and his helpful brother even helped put together his new LEGO toys :)

Enjoying the fun!

Here are some pictures of the rest of our "party gear:"

LEGO cupcakes formed the shape of a "5" for the birthday cake.

 I made our own invitations for the party. I cut foam pieces into a LEGO shape and used sticky letters for each boy's name. On the back side, I put all the information for the party.

Kyle liked these a lot, so I made one for him to keep as a memento :)

LEGO men plates 

Marshmallow pops

These were really simple and fun to make

I always feel badly for Kyle and Evan because their birthdays are always on holiday weekends. We ended up waiting until 3 days after Kyle's birthday to have his party, but I think he realized it was well worth the wait :)

Coordinating Clothing

OK, so I brought the children to the dentist last week. . . all four of them. BUT, my husband was with me, so it went rather smoothly. I stayed in the waiting room with Jessica, while hubby went with each boy as they took their turn getting their teeth cleaned.

As I sat in the waiting room, the receptionist kept chatting with me (amazingly, there were no other patients around). I heard the usual, "Wow, you have your hands full" and "Awww, you finally got your girl, huh?" 

When it was time to check out, she looked at the whole gang and was surprised that all the kiddos were wearing some form of orange. Like others before her, she asked, "Do you match them all the time?" The answer is NO, but I do tend to coordinate them more often than not. Part of it is a bit "OCD," but the other reason is purely logical.

Here are the kiddos in orange

Picture this: you are at the park with 3 boys - ages 4, 3, and 2. All are "mobile" and climbing and jumping everywhere. The park is crowded and you hear a blood-curdling scream. You rush over to find your youngest has tripped on his own two feet and whacked his head into the wooden frame. Blood is pouring out - as happens with any good head wound - and you realize you must head to the ER. But where are your other two children? Ahhh, there they are, with the bright orange shirts. You yell to the oldest the get the middle child and head to the car. Everyone is buckled in a matter of minutes, and off you drive. 

Has this particular circumstance happened to me? NO. But, I have often "lost track" of one while watching the other and I'd like to be prepared for the worst. THIS is why my children wear bright colored, coordinating shirts when we go to the park, mall, children's museum, fireworks display, etc.

Two words: semblance and sanity. The children looking similar gives me some sort of "peace."

Anyway, back to the dentist's office.

The receptionist also asked (in relation to the coordinating clothes), "What. . . did you read some sort of parenting book?" LOLOLOLOL! No, I did not. I was not trying to copy the Duggars as I did not even know who they were when I started this. I was just learning from experience, as we all do when we are parenting. 

Another reason for coordinating my children when they are in public, is so they don't look like this:

This is my middle son and a sample of his clothing choices. As you can tell from his facial expression, he is pretty goofy sometimes :) My oldest and youngest boys like things to match, but my middle son just doesn't care.

When we are at home, I don't really care what they wear, as long as they're dressed - lol! But when we are out in public, they are representing our family, so they need to look presentable!

We may not be able (or willing) to buy all name brands or the latest fashions, but I do want my children to look nice when we're out and about. So, if we have an appointment in the morning or even just plan on doing some errands, I lay out their "nice" clothes. I don't let them wear jeans with holes in the knees or shoes that are scuffed and torn. I want them to learn to be proud of how they look without becoming cocky about how they look.

As an adult, doesn't it bother you when other adults are shopping in their pj's and slippers or waltzing around without any undergarments?!? It sure bothers me! I'm not saying that I always wear make-up or that my hair is always done, but I surely don't want people to think I just crawled out of bed!

And speaking of "crawling out of bed". . . if you look closely, you can see Kyle's hair sticking up quite dramatically. It is past the point of needing a haircut, so I would definitely have combed it. . . if we had gone out today!

Thanks a lot, Pinterest! ;)

So, most of my friends know how "addictive" Pinterest can be! I, personally, don't have time to sit at the computer and peruse for hours on end, so I just browse on my phone while I'm feeding the baby.

Apparently, I browse often enough. I have enough ideas for cooking, decorating, and even exercising to last me for the next 10 years! Unfortunately, the time to carry out these ideas, seems impossible to find.

I have done a few things, so I thought I'd share :)

These are photos of my kids mounted on cereal boxes. I covered the boxes with black fabric, then used spray adhesive to add the photos I had printed. Very inexpensive, and pretty easy too!

I saw this idea on Pinterest, except the lady had the letters for "Mr. & Mrs." For some reason, Hobby Lobby is the only place I could find large letters. . . and they were all out of M's! Anyway, I still think it's cute ;)

Our bed, obviously, could use a headboard. When we upgraded to a California King, we did not upgrade our headboard. I'm sure I can find an idea to make my own on Pinterest somewhere!

Jack of All Trades. . .Master of None

My father is truly a "jack of all trades."

I don't remember my parent's ever calling an electrician or plumber. They didn't hire a chimney sweep or a carpet installer. I honestly don't remember my dad ever taking our vehicles to a mechanic! My parents remodeled our kitchen themselves (including staining all the cabinets!). And my dad also built his own garage/barn himself and re-sided our house on his own. He could plant and maintain a garden and also bake a great, wholesome loaf of bread. He laid his own concrete sidewalk and tore down and rebuilt the back porch too!

I think part of the reason he did everything himself is because he did not want to pay someone else to do something he could do on his own, but another reason is because he likes to stay busy with his hands. My dad is definitely a "doer!" And I don't mean that he is NOT a "thinker," but he just likes to stay busy.

Apparently, I have inherited the same behavior. The problem with being a "jane of all trades," is that I truly am a "master of none!"

I can hem or patch some pants, but I couldn't sew a dress. I can bake cookies or brownies, but can't "properly" decorate a cake. I can entertain children, but not throw an elaborate birthday party. And the list goes on. . .

It is nice that I don't need to call anyone when I want to make chicken noodle soup, but it would be nice to excel at something! I see people post pics on Facebook of beautiful hair bows they made or a 5 course meal they created. Sometimes it makes me a bit jealous, but fortunately, my family does not care.

The truth is, I like to stay busy. This means I want to accomplish as much as possible in as little time as possible. So, if that means that nothing I do is absolutely perfect, then I'm okay with that. After all, it is more important that my children are fed 3 times a day than have 1 meal with bunny shaped pancakes with fruit and yogurt on the side ;)

So. . . to all the "jane of all trades" out there - be glad you can do so much! I mean, our goal in life is to raise happy, healthy children. . . not win an award for the prettiest floral arrangement, right?!?