Thursday, March 31, 2011

Bye Bye March!

Yesterday turned out to be a pretty good day. I didn't go to see my mom. I am going tonight instead. I went on a bike ride by myself since Dave had games all night and I expanded my route by a 1/2 mile or so. It was beautiful and still 70 degrees when I went. I put on my iPod and cruised. It felt great! I made some pasta with spinach and garlic and it came out good.

Hard to believe it is the end of March already!!! It has not been a very productive month for me on the weight loss front. I even saw the scale back in the 260s which really bummed me out. It showed me what a slippery slope this is and how being lax can have detrimental results. I will weigh in tomorrow regardless though and I am hopeful. Moving forward, I  plan on wearing my bugg every day in April. Weekends will not be a free-for-all. Like the saying says: Losing Weight is hard and being Fat is hard. Choose your hard. Until next time...

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

Calories and Court

Had another good day yesterday. As planned, we had Asian Chicken Salads from Togo's. Tasty and filling for sure. I had to laugh because when I went to look up the nutrition info they have it listed with the salad separate from the dressing. I don't usually eat salad without dressing!?! Do you? So salad was 200 cals. and dressing was 380 cals. Did some crunches but that was it for activity.

Some of my long time readers may remember the nightmare living situation we were in last summer.  If not, I will summarize it for my newer readers. We lived in an apt. complex that is run by a slumlord and we had to deal with bedbugs and frequent police visits in addition to a commode that did not work properly. I moved in on Nov. 2009 and we moved out the end of June 2010. It was a chaotic time in my little world as I had also just found out about my biological family.

Well, I have decided to finally sue him to help recoup some of our costs and also to get our deposit back. I found this great website called Turbo Court that has all the forms you need to file a case. In our case it is Small Claims but they have forms for all types of legal situations such as Family, Divorce, Custody, Domestic Violence etc. It is geographically specific for your state/county. It was easy to navigate and you can save your form if you need to stop at any time.  Hopefully none of you need this kind of site anytime soon but it is good to know it is available.

Tonight I most likely will get getting together with my mom. It has been two weeks since our last visit. She gets very antsy if I don't see her weekly but I just haven't had the gumption or energy to go there lately.  We will more then likely go to the Fish Market. I have been having their sushi and sashimi as my entree and it works out well so I will most likely do that. Until next time...

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Spring has Sprung!

Boy was yesterday a funky day! Glad that is over with!!! Since I was still belly aching from the cookie dough I did not eat much and hence the big deficit. Dinner was Tilapia with spinach and red potatoes. Tilapia is not one of my favorites but it was on sale and it can be "doctored" up to taste okay. I used some Poppyseed dressing and spices and it turned out good.

Dave and I discussed that we can no longer have "treats" in the evenings. If we would like to have something then it will be fresh fruits, smoothies or something else that has some nutritive value and is within my caloric budget. I need to get over the fact that there are just some foods that "trigger" me and that I need to avoid having them available in the house.

After dinner we decided to go on a ride/walk. Dave walks and I ride my bike.  I ride ahead and then circle back and forth again. It works for us and it was SO NICE to get out in the fresh air. It has been raining non-stop here so I want to get out when I can. We ended up doing just about a mile. I am so glad that it is lighter later and that it is warming up.  In fact, it supposed to be 80 degrees on Thursday! I think Spring has finally arrived!


Tonight's plan is to walk/ride a mile or so after dinner. We are going to have Asian Chicken Salad for dinner from Togo's since we have a 1/2 off coupon. I happened to look at the scale and the bloat is going down so I am hopeful that it will go down some more before "weigh day." Until next time...

Monday, March 28, 2011

Winner and Weekend

Good morning! Hope you all had a good weekend. First things first... the winner of the Onesta Hair Products giveaway is Katie at Finding the Thin Within. Congratulations Katie!

I had an okay weekend. Since it was raining so much I stayed home on Saturday and didn't go anywhere or do any activity. The sun came out yesterday so I got in a bike ride to the Library. It is a little over a mile round trip. It felt soooo good to be out there! After that we decided to go see Rango since I had some free passes. It was entertaining but Dave liked it more then I did. I told him the next move is MY choice. I want to see HOP which comes out this Friday.

After the movies, I made dinner and Dave requested that I make cookies for dessert. BIG mistake. I just can't control myself around cookie dough apparently. They were Snicker doodles so it was sugar cookie dough dipped in cinnamon sugar. They tasted good but boy oh boy do I feel yucky this morning. Blech... needless to say I told Dave this morning that I can't bake cookies anytime soon. I do plan on baking some cupcakes for his birthday in two weeks but otherwise I am banning baking from my repertoire for a loonggg time.

Weekends are not a holiday or free for all. I do well during the week and then it all goes to hell in a hand basket on the weekends. I am not going to win this fight if I continue the same patterns over and over.  This is my life and I can't keep screwing around.  Until next time...


Friday, March 25, 2011

Friday Fandango


Happy Friday! Oh man, am I glad we made it! It was questionable but here we are...whew! Had a decent night last night. We had Mexican food from La Paloma. We brought it home instead of of eating there. We had a 1/2 off coupon from our coupon book. That thing is SO handy. We have already made our money back on it so it is all good.


Have you guys heard of Living Social? I had heard about it recently and get daily emails from them about deals in my area and I got one this morning for Three Massages, Three Facials, Three Hydro-Derma Fusion Treatments, and Three Red-Light Therapy Sessions. How much do you think I paid? $300-$400? Actually the retail value is $420 and I got it for $49! I am so excited! I have been wanting to get a massage and I get all that plus the massage so I am thrilled.

I finally figured out part of the reason why I have been struggling so much lately. I feel rather lame for not realizing it sooner actually.  I neglected to refill one of my regular prescriptions and it made my system get all out of whack. I contacted my doctor and worked out a plan of action so I will get it refilled today and be back in business in a few days or so. Sheesh!

As far as the weekend goes, we are planning on going to the gym because they are having an All Access Weekend so Dave can come with me and we want to go to the movies. Dave wants to see Rango and we have free coupons for it so I am game. Other then that it is supposed to rain all weekend - grrrrr - so I want to keep busy with things so I won't sit and stuff my face. Until next time...

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Marching On

Had a decent night last night. We had chicken for dinner and I tried roasting some asparagus and it came out really well. I put garlic, olive oil and balsamic vinegar in the skillet with it and they came out dynamite! Will definitely try that again and with other veggies. No activity to speak of.


Have you tried the new Cinnamon Burst Cheerios?? Dave mentioned he saw an ad so I had my eyes peeled every time I went shopping and I finally found them at Safeway. I have ALWAYS been a Cherrios fan but in my opinion these are the best ones next to the plain. They are not too sweet or fake tasting. These taste like you actually sprinkled cinnamon on your cereal. I highly recommend them! They are 110 per serving (w/o milk) Here is a link to some coupons on Cheerios and other General Mills products.

I have been struggling on the emotional front lately. I think that all of the life occurrences that have transpired over the last 6-9 months has finally caught up to me. I am the type of person who tries to put on the appearance that I am "okay" but inside I am really shaky.  One thing that came to mind while processing all this emotional stuff is that I am feeling and healing instead of stuffing my face and numbing the pain in destructive ways. I am trying to build on my personal resilience. Personal resilience is described as the ability to handle life's obstacles and hardships. Definitely a work in progress! Until next time...



P.S. Have you entered the my giveaway? If not click here to enter

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Onesta Giveaway!!!

I recently went to a beauty supply store, Peninsula Beauty, looking for a new shampoo and conditioner to try. I like switching them up now and again but wasn't sure which brand to try. Cost was a consideration too. I don't relish the idea of spending over $25 on shampoo. So, the lovely gal that worked there directed me to a product called Onesta. The first thing that appealed to me was the fact their products do not contain any parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, propylene glycol, DEA, TEA, colors, dyes, animal testing, and animal ingredients. It was also reasonably priced. So, I took it home and tried it out. I love it! It smells fresh and citrusy and really made my hair soft and shiny but not overly conditioned. The other thing that impressed me about their company is Onesta donates 10% of their net income to Cancer research every year.

What I did was write to them and tell them how much I love their products and wondered if they would provide some samples for me to Giveaway to you lovely readers and they responded promptly and sent some of their top selling products. So here are the items for the giveaway:
 

Pictured from left to right: Create Finishing Spray, Volumizing Foam, Volumizing Shampoo and Volumizing Conditioner. You will also receive sample packs of the shampoo and conditioner.

All you have to do to enter is tell me what your favorite hair product is. The giveaway is open to everyone, including International readers. I will announce the winner next Monday, March 28th. If you would like to get an additional entry, you can Twitter or Facebook the giveaway and comment accordingly. Good luck! Until next time...

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Ups and Downs


I did not get my bugg uploaded this morning (Activity) but I did track calories. Not in goal range for sure (1400-1600) I am ready for an on plan day and have planned accordingly. I did about 20 mins of Wii Cycling and Table Tennis and some squats and crunches.

We had homemade hamburgers for dinner. They were yummy! I sauteed some mushrooms and onions to put on top. I have only had 2 fast food hamburgers in the last 2 years so sometimes I do actually crave a burger but they are so much better at home. I did happen to get on the scale and it is moving in the down direction so that was good to see.

Yesterday was an up and down on the emotional scale. First the positive. My "new" niece Olivia got married

She and her boyfriend Jeremy got married at the courthouse in Eureka yesterday. They are in the process of moving to Oklahoma (next week) as Jeremy will be attending Aviation school there.

I got my original birth certificate in the mail yesterday. My sister Tess, has all the paperwork from our mother and that was one of the missing pieces. The only thing missing now is a letter that Sandy (bio mother) wrote. Tess assures me that she wrote one but it was not on file with the county and she has not come across it but is still looking. 

Late yesterday, I popped on Facebook and had a message from a friend who lives out of state. She was on her way home from visiting her sister who used to be a good friend of mine. The sister and I had drifted apart over the last few years with distance and life.  Bren told me that Deb is dying, they don't know how long she has and that I should reach out to her and let her know I am praying for her and thinking about her and her daughter. I don't think I could call - I don't know if she can talk on the phone but I will write her a letter. She and her daughter were a very important part of my life and I do think about her all the time. Needless to say, it will not be an easy letter to write but a very important one. Just thinking about writing it makes me cry but I need to just buck up and do it.  Until next time...


Monday, March 21, 2011

Weekend Woes

How are you guys this morning? I am hanging in there. Just trying to shake my gloomy mood. My weekend had its ups and downs.  I had a good day Saturday. I went over to Danielle's and helped her do some Spring Cleaning. It was great hanging out with her and she made an awesome dinner. We did have quite a bit of wine while we were cleaning though. It is a delicious wine out of Washington State called 14 Hands.

Yesterday, I basically hung out all day at home. Mostly doing little projects and then napping.  I did okay with calories on Sunday until I decided to make Oatmeal cookies. I ended up eating at least 1/2 dozen balls of dough. Ughhhh.... I am still feeling sick from eating all that dough this morning. Blech... I even had a dream that I gained all my weight back :-( I did get on the scale this morning to add insult to injury and I am up a few lbs. I am sure it is not all "real" weight but it was enough to freak me out.

It really opened my eyes to how easily I could slip back into my old behaviors with food. I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK THERE! Weekends are not a food free for all. I have to be just as mindful of what is going down my Dorito chute in my mouth.  I have all the tools and resources to win this battle. I need to get in the right mindset again. It is worth it.  I AM WORTH IT! I am armed with my "normal" foods and my bugg this morning. Even if I have to take it minute by minute, I will get through this bump in the road and back on track and reach my goals. QUITTING IS NOT AN OPTION! Until next time...

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Are You Ready?

In light of the recent disasters in Japan it reminds me that we too should be prepared for an Emergency. Here is a link to all of the publications for Ready.gov for you and your families to put a List and a Plan together.


Saturday, March 19, 2011

Essential Kitchen Tools - Cooking Light

Essential Kitchen Tools - Cooking Light
  
Chef’s Knife
The chef’s knife (along with a cutting board) is the workhorse of the Cooking Light Test Kitchens. It’s ideal for chopping herbs, onions, garlic, fruits, and vegetables and for cutting boneless meats (it even cuts through small bones, such as those of chicken and fish), slicing and dicing, and general cutting tasks.

Colanders/Strainers

We use both metal and plastic colanders in varying sizes. A large colander works well for draining pasta and salad greens and rinsing vegetables. A small strainer is great for separating fruit juice or pulp from seeds. Mesh strainers are the most versatile because nothing can get through the holes except liquid.

Cutting Boards

We use both wood and plastic cutting boards. Whichever you choose, wash the board thoroughly to avoid food contamination. Wipe wooden boards with diluted bleach, and wash thoroughly; sanitize plastic ones in the dishwasher

Food Scales

To measure the correct amount of cheese or to make sure that pieces of meat, poultry, and fish are the specified size, use a scale. The Salter digital scale is small, lightweight, and accurate. The food service balance scales by Pelouze also work well.

Instant-Read Thermometer

Use an instant-read thermometer to check meringues, meat, and poultry to be sure they’re cooked to the correct temperature. Don’t leave the thermometer in the oven while the food is cooking; remove it from the food after you read the temperature.

Kitchen Shears

Keep kitchen shears handy to mince small amounts of herbs, chop canned tomatoes, trim fat from meat and skin from poultry, and make slits in bread dough.

Measuring Cups

Dry measuring cups, available in metal or plastic, are flat across the rim and are used for ingredients like flour, grains, and cereals. We use a 1, 1⁄2, 1⁄3, and 1⁄4 nest of cups. Liquid measuring cups, sized from 1 cup to 4 cups, are available in clear glass or plastic so that you can see the level of liquid through the cup.


Measuring Spoons

Sometimes a “pinch of this” and a “dash of that” results in less-than-desired flavor. Measuring spoons ensure that your recipes come out just right.

Peeler

A peeler removes the skin from both vegetables and fruits. Select one with a comfortable grip and an eyer to remove potato eyes and other blemishes on vegetables and fruits. It’s also handy for making Parmesan cheese shavings or chocolate curls.

Stainless-Steel Box Grater

A box-style grater gives you a choice of hole sizes. Use the smaller holes for grating hard cheese or chocolate and the largest holes for shredding foods like Cheddar cheese or carrots.

** I thought this was a helpful list. Cooking Light has a great site with lots of useful information and yummy recipes.

Friday, March 18, 2011

Feeling a Little Green


I had great intentions yesterday. I had a plan to not imbibe in too much alcohol or eat too much. Well as you can see above I did not follow my plan. I ended up having 4 Pacificos and a Washington Apple. I ate mostly corned beef and rye bread. I did avoid the potatoes which was probably a good thing. I also had a Root beer float on the way home (friend drove) so needless to say I am a little green today. That is like 2 days worth of calories - eeeekk. The sad part is that this used to be a fairly regular occurrence. The good news is today is a new day. I did get on the scale this morning and I am at 257 which means I am up 2 lbs. I have been weighing daily and that is actually down from the beginning of the week so I am okay with that but I need to stop screwing around!

It is going to rain all weekend here. Saturday I am having lunch with my mom and Danielle and I may possibly attend a Spa party Saturday evening. I also want to go check out the new 24hr Fitness that opened near our place. They are actually closing my original club that I signed up at back in the day. It was getting pretty run down so I am actually not surprised. I may get some ceramic painting done too. We shall see... Until next time...

Thursday, March 17, 2011

St. Patrick's Day!

Had a decent day yesterday. Dave had three games (he is an umpire) so I was on my own again. I ended up having a veggie burger with some leftover salad from the other night. Speaking of salads, I have been throwing nuts and either raisins or craisins in to add a little oomph to my salads and I'm really liking it. An easy way of adding protein and fruit to our meals. Did some Wii Resort and some resistance bands.


I've got my green on :-)
Tonight I am planning on going to Blinky's to have some corned beef and cabbage. I only have it once a year but it is always tastes good. I have actually never cooked corned beef myself. Have you? Do you even like it?  There is a gentlemen who prepares the food for the bar and his name is Heinzie. He is a wonderful chef and he's quite the gardener too! You should see the tomatoes he grows!! I will do my best not to imbibe (no green beer!) but I may have one or two cocktails. I will be sure to account for the calories either way. Until next time...



P.S. Pam over at Plump Nonfiction just got to Onederland! Go say hello when you have a chance!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Wednesday Words


Had a pretty good day yesterday on the eating front. I had breakfast for dinner because Dave was doing a game and I was lazy. I also tried the Yoplait Smoothies that I bought recently. The verdict: We liked them. They were a nice treat and for 110 calories it is reasonable. They are in the frozen section of the grocery store. Here is a link to get some coupons on your favorite Yoplait product. I did my daily dancing on the Wii which is getting even more fun now that I am getting used to some of the dances.

So, A Daunting Tale of ScaleWarfare recently held a Giveaway and I won! (I have been VERY lucky lately!) I got my loot in the mail yesterday! What I got was:


SW swears by this bottle and has a "stash" of them but I got a brand new one and it is pretty blue like the one above. I am hoping it helps with my water consumption cuz I could use all the help I can get to get water down my gullet.


SW also swears by this Omron Pedomter. It tracks calories burned, steps, moderate activity level and distance. VERY similar to my bodybugg except you can't upload the data. I have both of them on me now (doing a little comparison experiment) but this will also be great to wear when I don't want to sport my bugg. Sometimes shorter sleeve blouses or more translucent tops just show too much of the bugg and I would rather forgo it, so this will really come in handy.

Last but not least, I got:
A $15 gift card to Amazon. I spent it in all of about 30 seconds after I opened the box! I ordered a book called PostSecret: Confessions of Life, Death and God. Have you ever heard of PostSecret? PostSecret is an ongoing community art project where people mail in their secrets anonymously on one side of a postcard. They have a blog that they update on Sundays. It is very interesting reading and it makes me want to send my own. Would you ever send one? They also have travelling shows. If there is ever one in my neck of the woods, I would want to attend for sure. Until next time...


Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Versatile Sharing

Nice day yesterday on the calorie front. I did some Wii Dance before dinner and went on a short walk with Dave after dinner. We had chicken, salad and sweet potato fries. I forgot they were in the freezer and I like them for variety so it worked out well.


My gal pal, Patty, awarded me with the Versatile Blogger award last week. (Thanks Patty!) Here is my list of things you may or may not know about me. Let me tell you, as time goes by, these lists are harder to come up with!

1. I’m Irish! Until about 9 months ago, I did not know what nationality I was. I learned that I am Irish, French and Indian on my maternal side and 100% Scottish on my paternal side. Still blows my mind.

2. Regarding number #1. Since I never knew what my background was, people that I encountered would speculate on what nationality I might be. When they said I looked Irish because of my freckles and reddish hair, I laughed and said “No way!” Well… they were right!

3. I don’t like my foods to touch. I have tried to be more open minded about this but it doesn’t always work. Recent example of this was the chicken soup I made here

4. I haven’t worn a dress or skirt in at least 5 years. I have a skin disease on my legs called NLD and I am afraid that someone will ask me “What are those gross spots on your legs?”

5. Relating to #4. I showed a coworker my legs last week and she thought that with a tinted hose, I could get away with sporting a dress. Now I need to know what skirt length is in style. Still scares me but I am more hopeful.

6. I like being festive for all the holidays. I decorate for just about any holiday, including St Patty’s Day, Easter, Valentine’s Day, Christmas, etc. I have decorations for each one in my storage labeled accordingly.

7. Relating to #6. There was about a 10 year span after my dad died, that I did not decorate at all for any of the holidays. It has just been the last 2-3 years that I resumed my festiveness.

**I am supposed to pass this on but I will have to do that in another post.

I wanted to give a shout out to Tanya at the Right to Bare Arms. She just hit 100 lbs. lost through Weight Watchers! Yay Tanya! Go on over and say hello if you have a chance!

Until next time...

Monday, March 14, 2011

Monday Mix

Good morning! Hope you all are doing well! I am doing pretty good so far for a Monday. Had a lazy weekend and not much activity. I did get out for a bit with my mom and we did a little shopping and grabbed a bite to eat. I needed some new gray pants for work. Sometimes pants shopping can be very frustrating! Depending on the style/cut of the pants, I can vary 2-3 sizes! Speaking of... of all the benefits and oddities that come with weight loss... I used to have a 28" inseam and now that I have lost weight it is now 27". Very strange...

Did you know that Starbuck's just turned 40 years old!?! Starbuck's started in 1971 in Seattle but did not venture into other markets until the early 1990s. Hard for me to remember life without Starbuck's LOL! I am sipping on a cup of their Tribute blend and it is tasty stuff and only available for a limited time. I also got an Anniversary canister with the new logo. I like the new logo, personally. Back in college, I actually did a speech on the Sirens of the Sea.
Speaking of new, there is a new 24hr Super Sport near my apartment. It just opened on Saturday so I am hoping to check it out after work tonight. Until next time...

Friday, March 11, 2011

See You Real Soon...


I decided to take a few days off from blogging. Hope you all have a fabulous weekend whatever you do! Until next time...


Thursday, March 10, 2011

Guess What I Did?

Had a decent day yesterday. I did get snacky and lazy in the evening so my deficit was below the target 750 mark. Nothing notable about the evening except for American Idol. I am an Idol fan so don't be a hater lol! I love Lauren Elena and our "local" boy James Durbin! Casey is pretty damn good too! It will be interesting to see how it pans out.

So you will never guess what I did? I am even shocked myself!!!




I registered for a Race! This sounds like the perfect starter race for me. It is a 5K.10K.Half and you can walk or run it. I have chosen to walk the 5K. All proceeds from this event will benefit the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I am going to be doing this with a fellow blogger and one of my coworkers is considering running the 10K. I know it is 6 months away but I am excited about it. It has been one of my long time goals and I am taking the steps to make it happen and it feels good! Until next time...


Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Wassup Wednesday

I had a good day on Tuesday. Went to Fish Market with my mom for dinner. It is always healthy and good. The staff there make us feel "special" with the attention they give us which is a bonus in my book. I had sushi and sashimi for my entree. I used to get the dinners but have been ordering the sushi the last few times we went there.

Still trying to get in a groove with uploading my bodybugg data. I need to be more adaptable when it comes to changing routines! Sheesh!!! What I need to do is keep the food logging going throughout the day and then either before I go to bed or when I get up in the morning, I need to upload the activity so I can post my totals. Should be easy enough...

So I had this weird thing happen on Facebook yesterday and wanted to share  About 3:00 p.m. I got a DM from a gal with the initials D.S. (Don't want to reveal her real name) . She said and I quote "What type of person throws eggs on someone they don't even know?" I did not recognize her name so I asked if the message was directed at me or did she make a mistake. She then responded by telling me that 2 other girls and I had thrown eggs at her over a sweater of another friend and that she did not deserve eggs being thrown at her. I was flabbergasted! According to her the timeline was when we were in middle school. My response to her was that albeit the fact that I did not remember the incident, I don't deny that it happened and that I was sincerely sorry for my poor behavior, but I was not the most angelic teenager.  She then messaged back saying I was forgiven and that she just wanted to get it off her chest. I told her again I was sorry and glad that she could let it go now.  First off, it was over 30 years ago! I was in middle school (13 years old!!) Those were my first reactions but after I thought about it some more, I say good for you D.S. I am sorry that it took her THAT long to let it go.

It reminded me of another classmate from elementary school, P.C., who came up with the name "Katie Cow" We have at least 40 mutual friends on FB and his name pops up now and again but I would never message him and tell him that his nickname haunted me for years and that even as a grown woman, I still harbor some resentment. Not that I wouldn't want to tell him but I just think it is better left alone. I do feel better that I was able to get it out on here though ;-) I also considered writing a letter to him and then not sending it. Have you ever done that?  Until next time...


Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Fat Tuesday Tidbits

Yesterday as a pretty darn good day for a Monday! Whoulda thunk it?  The first thing that made it good was a got a present package in the mail. I recently won a giveaway from Jo over at The Tortoise (formerly 282.5) I was SO excited to win! I got to pick out what I wanted from Cathe.com and I chose a pink yoga mat and 2 lb. hand weights.

I had a yoga mat that I got with my Wii accessories but Dave took that one over so now I have my "own" mat. I don't think he will be inclined to use my pink mat ;-) It also matches my pink gym bag so it will be good for taking to the gym for Yoga/Pilates classes if I ever went.  The hand weights will come in handy for walking. Once the weather improves a little, I want to resume our morning walks. I wanted to try out my new mat so I did some stretching on it. I can only do Yoga in the morning (empty tummy) I ended up doing some dancing to the Just Dance DVD. 

We had a nice dinner too. Steak, oven roasted red potatoes and green beans. I don't eat red meat much anymore, maybe twice a month, so Dave looks forward to our beef meals. It isn't that I don't like it but I have basically weaned it from my meal selections.  While I was preparing dinner, I discovered my little green peppers had sprouted! Hard to tell from the picture but there are 8 sprouts! Speaking of pictures, what size do you think works the best on posts? Should I vary it with the subject or should I just do a standard size. I do know that I need to make my progress pictures standard AND larger. 


The icing on the proverbial cake was that my SIL finished my taxes and I am getting a good refund back! Woohoo!! No plans for spending the funds except for my Smilestone treats like a new Vera Bradley purse and a Spa day but I better get my butt in gear if I plan on getting to any of those goals! Until next time...