December: 5 Things I'm Loving

Hey everyone! I hope your Christmas was spectacular and that you're having a little bit of time to rest in between all the holiday craziness. And...most importantly,  enjoying time with friends and family. Before December comes to a close, I wanted to do my monthly round-up of the five things I'm really loving lately. So without further ado...here we go!

1. Christmas Decor!

Starting with the obvious here. John and I really don't go too crazy decorating for the season, but I do have a few cherished things that I absolutely love, and look forward to seeing every year. We don't put up a tree, because a certain non-human member of our household likes to consider it his own personal jungle gym. I would love to have a tree. I have a fabulous vintage silver aluminum one from the 40's (color wheel and everything!), but we can't put it in a room were Furry Lewis will be. We've put it in another part of the house before, but then we don't end up seeing it very much either.  Here's just a sampling of how we decorate. The nutcrackers are a new addition. I got two of them and they are pretty tall. You'll never believe where I found them. Walgreens! Even better, they were on sale for $14. Score!

Glitter Deer! I have 2 of these and I just think they are so sweet. Purchased at Home Goods.

Sparkly Trees! Made these myself! 

 

It isn't Christmas without Snoopy.

 

The Tree Assassin's personal stocking.

 

Lazy girl tip: just throw a whole bunch of ornaments into a giant glass urn!

 

Walgreen's, I heart you.

 

Our mini tree...high up on a shelf. ;) Planet of the Apes lunchbox....not so Christmassy. :)

 

 

2. Starbucks Venti Iced Coffee.

 

I'm just going to admit it. I'm a complete Starbucks addict. There is a Starbucks very near my gym, and I've gotten into the habit lately every rewarding myself with a coffee after an especially hard work out. But what's cool is I've gotten my Starbucks drink down to about 20 calories. I get a Venti iced coffee with no classic syrup. Completely unsweetened. You have to be especially careful when you order this, because they automatically put classic syrup and all iced coffee drinks. I take it home and doctor it up with a little bit of fat-free half-and-half and about four packets of equal. Delicious.

3. Sandwich Bros. Pita Cheeseburgers and Chicken Melts

These are really the food find of the month. I've mentioned that I've been really enjoying being in what I think is the Green Zone. These little sandwiches are absolutely perfect for lunch. You just have to pop it in the microwave for about 45 seconds. I got them at my local Walmart, but I'm sure they can be found other places. The nutrition stats are pretty good. The chicken version has 160 calories and 11 g of protein. The cheeseburger has 160 calories and 10 g of protein. They make a really great light lunch.

4. Bath and Body Works Three Wick Candle: Marshmallow Fireside

Another thing that I've been really loving this month is this candle from Bath and Body Works. The scent is kind of hard to explain, but I think it is simply out of this world. It has an outdoor campfire smell, but also the delicious scent of something baking. It might not appeal to everyone, but I can't get enough of it. B&B Works is one of those places where I never buy anything without a coupon. There's always one available. I went a little crazy and stocked up on these during the 2 for $22 sale. If I'm home for any length of time, this is burning. I love the way it makes my house smell.

5. The Body Shop Body Butter in Vineyard Peach

 

 

And one last thing I wanted to mention is this fabulous body butter from The Body Shop. It's getting to be the time of the year when I notice my skin becoming drier by the day. I love to put this on after I shower and the scent is just amazing. I want to put my whole face in the jar and just inhale it. It's super hydrating, and it would probably be a little bit rich for warmer weather, but in the winter time it's just perfect.

John and I are leaving for our Treehouse Get-away soon, so I won't be back until next week. I hope you have enjoyed 2013 as much as I have. I have a feeling that 2014 is going to be even better. Thanks so much for reading and I will see you all soon!

Weigh-In Saturday

Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 230
Today's weight: 227
Total loss: 74 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013

Hello there and Happy Saturday! You know what time it is. Weigh-in time. I'm soooooooo incredibly happy to tell you that this week was a 3 pound loss week. Yay!

Although I did everything pretty much to the letter this week....food, workouts, water...something else is really helping me out. Want to hear? Come closer… I'm pretty sure I'm in the Green Zone! If being in the GZ means that I can go for long periods of time without even thinking about food, and be satisfied with a very small protein-packed meal when I do get hungry....I think that's where I must be. I want this to last and last and last. I'm especially grateful that I'm feeling this way with Christmas less than 3 days away.

Tomorrow is going to be my baking day. Strawberry cake balls, iced sugar cookies...you name it. It's all going down in my kitchen mañana. I'm hoping to maintain some semblance of self-control and not have too many bites, licks, or tastes. But what the hell. I've got to do a little quality control, right? And besides all that... I no longer live with the fear that I won't get back on track.

We have Christmas at my mom and dad's on the 23rd, and then John and I always go out to dinner by ourselves on Christmas Eve. That's pretty much the extent of our celebrating. I can definitely give myself a couple of days to eat a little bit of exactly what I want.

Our Christmas gift to each other this year is that we are going away for a couple of days to a luxury treehouse in Northern Arkansas. Luxury. Treehouse. I am so beyond excited I cannot even tell you. I'll definitely be posting some pics of that when we get back.

I hope everyone is having a restful, relaxing weekend. See how I'm funny??? I know you're probably doing exactly what I'm doing...running around buying last minute gifts, grocery shopping, cooking, and cleaning. Oh well...it'll all be over way too soon and then we'll just wish it was Christmas again.

Thanks for reading. :)

Weigh-In Saturday

Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 232
Today's weight: 230
Total loss: 71 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013

Happy Saturday everyone! Another 2 pounds down and I am thrilled about it! My fill is still hanging around and it has made all the difference in my hunger levels this week. If this is the Green Zone, I really, REALLY like it.

This week was kind of a blur. Even though we only went to school 4 days instead of 5, it sure didn't feel like it. The kids are ready to be out for Christmas and so are we.

I hope everyone is having a relaxing weekend and not being bogged down by the massive To Do List we all seem to have at this time of year. :) I'm crossin' em off one by one!

Thanks for reading!

Weigh-In Saturday

Starting weight: 301
Last week's weight: 235
Today's weight: 232
Total loss: 69 pounds
Banded: 6/7/2013

Hey everyone! I'm thrilled to report that I'm blogging to you from a warm house with electricity! :) It seems Cleon decided to be nice and not unleash his full fury. At least in central Arkansas, anyway. What saved us the most is that the temperature didn't fall as fast as they expected going from Thursday night at midnight into early Friday morning. And what did fall all day Friday fell in the form of sleet and not freezing rain...which is way worse for trees and power lines.

So I've had a nice little three day weekend here. I've gotten all my Christmas decor put up and I've also had time to do all those little chores I never seem to find the time to do. The roads are still very icy, and it's 25 degrees out right now, so John and I are getting ready to have dinner and watch some TV...the perfect, cozy night.

Not to bury the lead here, but I have some very exciting news! Today is my 6 Month Bandiversary! I'm completely JAZZED about the 3 pound loss this week, bringing my overall total to 69 pounds.

I had a fill this past Tuesday, my 6th, and I now have 6.7cc in my 10cc band. I really hope this one sticks around. Tradtionally, I am in the Green Zone for about 2 or 3 weeks before it seems to just vanish. But now...I'm feeling just like I want to feel...satisfied with a small, protein-dense meal, not hungry except when I should be, etc. I am also claiming a NSV of sorts. For me, a Snow Day used to mean one thing: baking. Lots and lots of baking. Bread, Cinnamon Rolls, Cookies...you name it. Not only have I managed to avoid this, I'm not really missing it. That much. ;) There will be a Skinny Cow Salted Caramel Pretzel Bar later on tonight, and that will hold me just fine.

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. And staying warm! Thanks for reading.

The Race is On, Cleon!!!

So you've probably all heard about Winter Storm Cleon. Well...guess where Mr. Cleon will be depositing a half inch of solid ice? That's right....Central Arkansas. Not the fun, fluffy snow. The ice. The downed trees. And worst of all....the power outages. :( We have been through that a time or two and it is NO FUN. So imagine my delight when I saw this lovely image on The Weather Channel today.

 

The forecast is so bad that they actually called off school for Friday at 2:45 this afternoon. Never in my 20 years of teaching has that happened. Much less in December. It's all just crazy. AND...the highs won't be above freezing until the first part of next week.

 

So today has basically felt like a race against the clock. The ice is supposed to start later on tonight, and I wanted to get in one last gym workout if I'm going to be cooped up in the house for a few days. So I got there as fast as I could after school and banged it out. Now I'm at home and I'm doing every load of laundry we have, and cleaning the house like a madwoman.

 

Every cliche you've ever heard about Southerners and ice/snow is true. There is not a gallon of milk or a loaf of bread to be had in this entire town. Or a gas powered generator! John and I are well-stocked on groceries. I've got the necessities for all of our favorites....Poppyseed Chicken, Chili, Sloppy Joe Casserole, you name it. BUT if we don't have any power to cook, it won't matter anyway.

 

I hope I can post a weigh-in on Saturday, but just in case I cannot...the news is positive. I am down a pound and a half since last Saturday morning.

 

I hope everyone is safe and warm! Thanks for reading!