Just found the cutest preppy wedding invites!!!

No, I am not getting married nor do I know anyone planning a wedding soon ...but... I was looking up all thnigs preppy tonight and came across these gorgeously fabulous Secret Garden Wedding Invites . They are fun and flirty and the perfect colors!!! I found them in a fun little Etsy shop called Tualoo. Check it out for some other great stationary items. I saw some Holiday photo cards and some save the date cards and the cutest little Flat notes you ever saw!!

Anyway, just had to mention this little find. :) I put a picture of the "Secret Garden Wedding invites" so that you could see how wonderful they are!

Lilly gave me an idea!

I love this! I bid on this on Ebay but lost the bid :(

(One of the dresses on Ebay that I bid on. Isn't it sooo cute!?)


I was browsing Ebay tonight for some good Lilly Pulitzer deals and I came across a couple really cute sheaths. I saw that they were size 10's. I was an 8/10 when I got married and for 6 ft tall that is pretty thin. Well, I am not a 10 or an 8 anymore but I hope to be back there someday. I am not far from it. I watch the show "Last 10 Pounds" and I see that if you exercise and eat right then after losing 10 pounds you can be down 2 dress sizes. The people exercise intensely and it takes 4-6 weeks usually. Now i will probably take a little longer and I don't plan on eating like a bird. I will eat wisely and still go to the gym as much as possible during the week.

but....... I had an idea that I got while looking at Lilly dresses. Right now I will not wear a Lilly dress because I do not think I would look good in it and do it justice but if I find a cute one in a size 10 then I am going to bid/buy it and that will be a goal outfit. I sooo want to wear a Lilly dress and so if I actually get one and have it staring at me waiting for me to wear it I can be more motivated to eat right. Exercise is not my problem it is the eating.

I can not really afford Lilly right now and that is why I was browsing Ebay. I was outbid on 2 of them. I think I will go to TJMaxx and Marshall's and see if they have anything in a 10 that I could buy. I need this dress very soon so that I can hang it on my door and look at it everyday and motivate me. No other dress will do it. It has to be a Lilly dress.

I did try the Bodybugg recently. I rented it for $50 at my gym for 3 days and they use the website (it costs a lot to buy a bodybugg yourself and then you have to subscribe to the site every 6 months which costs a ton) and get me my info. I found out exactly how many calories I was using in a 24 hour period for 3 days. On a day I did nothing but sleep cuz I was not feeling well I used 2100 calories all day. My goal is 2300! Wow. Another day I did nothing but take care of the baby and then went to church and helped my husband in the youth group and I used 2300 calories that day. Wow! Then I went to the gym and worked out like mad the next day and I used 2900 calories that day. Crazy! I found out my metabolic rate (BMI) is 1690! That is high! I always thought I had a low one because I am not losing weight fast. Then we went through my eating habits with the trainer and we realized I am a junk food junkie and I eat it when I am not thinking and that is sabotaging me. I was told that using the data from the bodybugg we can determine that I can eat 2000 calories a day and lose a pound a week as long as I exercise like I did the day I burned 2900 calories. As long as my food is the right food I should have no problem losing weight.

WOW, that put things into perspective. My new years resolution is to lose weight and fit into a Lilly dress size 10!! I need to do this for myself. I need to keep this goal but to keep it I need to get the dress. If/when I find a dress I will take a picture of it and post it here so you all can see it. then when I can fit into it I will take a picture of me wearing it so you all can see. :)

Ciao for now.

Merry Christmas!!

I have been so vacant from my blog and I am so sorry. I had been busy, busy, busy.

First... My older son got a severe concussion during an activity at church. I saw my husband walk into the nursery where I was with little bear and he said we had to leave older bear was badly hurt and we need to take him to the ER. I went to the gym where he was and the adults who saw it told me what happened. One kept saying to me "He left us, he left us for a moment." .... I guess they were on small square scooter and one kid would sit on it while another would push him across the gym trying to get a ball from one side to the other. Well, the boys decided it was an opportune time to push the person on the scooter as fast as possible and watch the kid on the scooter go flying. Well, kids were flying and no one was getting hurt...yet... Then when it was my sons turn to sit on the scooter the kid pushing him push so hard and fast that the scooter flipped up from under my son and came back down and landed on the bridge on my sons nose. that knocked him silly and he went flying backwards and hit the back of his head on the concrete/wood gym floor very hard. they said he instantly was knocked out and his whole body went stiff and he started seizing. They said when he was done seizing they could not tell if he was breathing at all. Then he started to come to and he opened his eyes, smiled, his eyes rolled back into his head and he was out again. They said he was in and out of consciousness a lot. then he came to and my daughter went up to him and asked if he was alright and said his name and he kept telling her that was not his name and he gave a different name. He did not know who he was or who anyone was for that matter. he did know where he was. Someone carried him out to my husbands truck and we raced to the hospital. He has some short term memory loss and still does not remember that night at all. Not even events that happened an hour before the incident. That was very scary for us.

Then we had a cold going around the family and little bear got it along with an ear infection. I did not realize he was sick and just thought he was fussy at church. We did see the pedi and he put little bear on antibiotics and said to give him Tylenol for the fever. Even with the Tylenol he was running a 101.3 fever. That scared me. He is still recovering and has a cough but he seems to be getting better.

So... that was my drama for the rest of the year and years to come. No more, OK!!

I wanted to post something that my grandmother sent to me in an email. I thought it was really neat. It was titled "Christmas In Prospective"



Letter from Jesus about Christmas --

It has come to my attention that many of you are upset that folks are taking My name out of the season.

How I personally feel about this celebration can probably be most easily understood by those of you who have been blessed with children of your own. I don't care what you call the day. If you want to celebrate My birth, just GET ALONG AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Now, having said that let Me go on. If it bothers you that the town in which you live doesn't allow a scene depicting My birth, then just get rid of a couple of Santas and snowmen and put in a small Nativity scene on your own front lawn If all My followers did that there wouldn't be any need for such a scene on the town square because there would be many of them all around town.

Stop worrying about the fact that people are calling the tree a holiday tree, instead of a Christmas tree. It was I who made all trees. You can remember Me anytime you see any tree. Decorate a grape vine if you wish: I actually spoke of that one in a teaching, explaining who I am in relation to you and what each of our tasks were. If you have forgotten that one, look up John 15: 1 - 8.

If you want to give Me a present in remembrance of My birth here is my wish list. Choose something from it:

1. Instead of writing protest letters objecting to the way My birthday is being celebrated, write letters of love and hope to soldiers away from home. They are terribly afraid and lonely this time of year. I know, they tell Me all the time.

2. Visit someone in a nursing home. You don't have to know them personally. They just need to know that someone cares about them.

3. Instead of writing the President complaining about the wording on the cards his staff sent out this year, why don't you write and tell him that you'll be praying for him and his family this year. Then follow up... It will be nice hearing from you again.

4. Instead of giving your children a lot of gifts you can't afford and they don't need, spend time with them. Tell them the story of My birth, and why I came to live with you down here. Hold them in your arms and remind them that I love them.

5 Pick someone that has hurt you in the past and forgive him or her.

6. Did you know that someone in your town will attempt to take their own life this season because they feel so alone and hopeless? Since you don't know who that person is, try giving everyone you meet a warm smile; it could make the difference.

7. Instead of nit picking about what the retailer in your town calls the holiday, be patient with the people who work there. Give them a warm smile and a kind word. Even if they aren't allowed to wish you a "Merry Christmas" that doesn't keep you from wishing them one. Then stop shopping there on Sunday. If the store didn't make so much money on that day they'd close and let their employees spend the day at home with their families

8. If you really want to make a difference, support a missionary-- especially one who takes My love and Good News to those who have never heard My name.

9. Here's a good one. There are individuals and whole families in your town who not only will have no "Christmas" tree, but neither will they have any presents to give or receive. If you don't know them, buy some food and a few gifts and give them to the Salvation Army or some other charity which believes in Me and they will make the delivery for you.

10. Finally, if you want to make a statement about your belief in and loyalty to Me, then behave like a Christian. Don't do things in secret that you wouldn't do in My presence. Let people know by your actions that you are one of mine.

Don't forget; I am God and can take care of Myself. Just love Me and do what I have told you to do. I'll take care of all the rest. Check out the list above and get to work; time is short. I'll help you, but the ball is now in your court. And do have a most blessed Christmas with all those whom you love and remember :

I LOVE YOU,
JESUS

““Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32).

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For Math concepts they have Geometry, Number Theory, Algebra, Discrete Math, Trig, Calculus, statistics and probability, and Boolean Algebra. SO much that I am sure you will be able to find whatever you need!

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There is a sidebar to the right of the screen where you can see tons of “related Concepts” that you can click on and explore. For example…conclusion of binomial theorem math subject math subjects conclusion sequence and series the product of any two binomials is a binomial? PROBLEMS OF PERMUTATIONS AND COMBINATIONS… these are just a few!!!
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Gained weight but on track again..

I had a horrible gain. I went nuts, I will admit it. I had these cravings for candy and Halloween was in sight and candy was everywhere. I could smell the candy as I walked into the store and walked the isles. I was eating candy bards (3-4 ) a day and buying M&M's and eating huge bags of them. My kids were looking at me like I had an addiction. I went to my weigh-in at Weight Watchers and I had a gain and it was bad. I was now 4 pounds over what I started with. Yuck!

Last week I saw an article in a prevention magazine extra. It was called the 2-week turnaround. I read the article after buying the magazine. After reading it I decided it was something I could do. It was only 30 minutes of cardio a day (6 days a week) and then a little strength training exercises (with simple equipment like dumbbells that I have). I really have been having a hard time trying to get on the treadmill with little bear crying all the time when I do. He sleeps until it is time for me to exercise and then, boom, he is awake and crying. I figure 30 minutes is not bad. they mix it up too. you do a different routine every other day with both the cardio and the strength training. Also, they have an eating plan where you only have 1600 cals a day. For some funny reason I find it easier to count calories than points. I decided to do this.

I have been doing this for 4 days now. I have stayed on plan and it is actually kinda fun! I eat approximately 1585 a day. I come as close to 1600 as can. I have been getting the 30 minutes on the treadmill in too. Sometimes little bear wakes up part way through but it is not too bad as long as it is only a few minutes of crying. The strength training is fun with routine A I hate routine B but I do it anyway. :) I have to say I am soooo sore! I can hardly walk but it feels good because I know I am doing something that is working. I have also lost 4 pounds in a few days!! I needed this jumpstart! The article says you will lose up to 14 inches and 12 pounds in 14 days. We will see.

I still go to the Weight Watchers meetings to weigh-in. I need the accountability of the weigh-in. I also like to think I am on the Biggest Loser and I have to weigh-in every week and it is all recorded. I also like that you are recognised when you lose every five pounds. That will help to keep me motivated. I just won't tell anyone at the meeting that I am not following the points system. ;)

Tuesday weigh-in..

I was a little anxious about yesterdays weigh-in. Partly because I thought I gained weight and partly because my leader wanted to see my food journal.

I had not been doing the food journal as I had been doing it online with the e-tools and not on the paper journal. I am not home a lot so I forgot a lot to record things online. Well, on Sunday when the leader said in an email that she wanted to see my journal I decided to start doing it on paper that day. I did it Sunday through Tuesday. I found it to be better too. I can carry ti with me all day and I keep much better track of my food when I am out all day. I really think I like it better than logging in on the computer. I like the other e-tools and the recipe builder and activity points calculator and such but i think I will track points on paper from now on.

OK, I stayed on point for those 3 days afraid I would get scolded by my leader. I was about 3 pounds above last weeks weigh-in on Saturday. Well, exercising and staying on point (no weeklies) and I lost weight at Tues weigh-in!! I was only down 1.2 pounds but hey I was down! Now I am below what I started again. It says that in 5 weeks I have only lost .8 but hey I am on my way again and I am going to try much harder this week. I have been tracking everything I put in my mouth on my paper tracker. I was also told by my leader to make sure to get ALL the HG's in too. They are the oils, liquids, protein, grains...etc. I was told by my leader that my journal was all junk food. She said that I am not eating fruits and veggies and that all my points I use are junk. That is why even though I stayed on points I only lost a tiny bit. She said to try eating fruits and veggies for my points and not cheese-its and Starbucks. (even thought the cheese-its were 3 points (25 crackers) and the Starbucks was only 2 for the non-fat capp with pumpkin spice, she said that I could have had a huge amount of fat free popcorn with those powdered flavorings for only 2 points or 1/2 a cantaloupe for 2 points. That would fare me much better. I think I will try it this week and also try to get in more exercise. I did 5 days but only 30 minutes a day. The baby screams when I am on the treadmill or doing any other form of exercise. It seems he knows. No matter when I try to do it he knows and is no longer napping and just creams. it is very difficult to exercise when you have a baby screaming for you. he is so precious to me it breaks my heart. I even had my daughter babysit him in his room (right next to mine and I had the door open) and he still screamed. My daughter was at a loss. Poor girl. She tried. :)

anyway, My week was hectic and I ate poorly but I did lose. I think if I stay on track with my eating this week. (the whole week) and exercise consistently I think I should do OK. I really want that bookmark and my 5 pound sticker!! I saw a girl get her 10% key chain yesterday and it is a cute gold keyring. I can't wait to reach my 10%. I have not been there for a few years now.

I will keep y'all posted!!

I did it again!

I got on the treadmill! That makes 2 days in a row! I know, I know. You might be thinking that 2 days in a row is not a lot but like I said in a previous post, Mini goals.., I am trying to accomplish things in mini goals. I am happy that I did it 2 days in a row. Usually I would say, "Well, I did it yesterday so skipping just one day will not hurt. After all, I can do it every other day and still get 4 days a week in." Then I would never get it in the third day and so on. I have to stop making excuses for my laziness sometimes.

There was a time I worked out at the Gym 2 hours a day 5 days a week. I felt great. There were days when I think I worked out too much. I gave myself headaches but at least I was consistent and I did it. I need to make a new mini goal now. I have accomplished getting on the treadmill 2 days in a row so now my new goal is to finish up the week. I need to get on the treadmill everyday for the rest of the week. (Wed, Thur, Fri).

My little bear got upset while I was on the treadmill and that made my heart rate a bit high but I will try to figure out how I can workout without little bear getting upset. He seems to know. That is the one time he will not nap. No matter what time I choose. He just knows. :) He loves his mum and I think the treadmill scares him. He is only 2 months old after all. :)

OK I have a weigh in tonight so I will post about that later. Now, I am off to prepare 4 chicken pot pies for the freezer. (Not WW friendly but my husband loves them)I feel that if I eat a small portion then I can enjoy it without the guilt. Plus as long as I am exercising then I will have those activity points to count. :)

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Update. I weighed in and had a slight disappointment but next week will be better. I gained but only 1.2 pounds. I was told it could be water weight or even muscle mass since I started to exercise again. I am betting on the water weight. (water retention) I should have a better week next week. I will not give up because of something like this. :) I will keep pushing forward. :)