Deals at Kohl’s today and tomorrow!

Shop online at Kohl’s today and tomorrow and spend at least $25 and get free shipping! Also, I found a coupon code to get an extra 15% off as well! GREETING15 You can use that code with the free shipping!!

The end!

A little bit of this and a little bit of that!

Welcome to the last day of NaBloPoMo!  Wow, I can’t believe that November is complete!!  Bring on the snow!!!    OK, not really, but it is inevitable living where I do…so, ya know!!

I finally got back to the gym this morning.  I went to bed waaaaaaaaaaay to late last night, but I did manage to get up at 4:15 to get my butt there.  It helped that Alex stayed asleep ALL night long.    I love those nights!!  You’d think, at his age, he could make it through the whole night without needing mommy, but he can’t!  I guess I will enjoy it while it lasts, him needing mommy and all!! 

My friend Liz gave me this website for slow cooker recipes and I thought it looked great, so I wanted to share it with you!    http://www.justslowcooking.com/index.html

This is a busy weekend for us.  Franz has a men’s breakfast tomorrow morning, then I am baking cookies all day, and THEN we have a Christmas party that night!    Sunday isn’t too busy, other than church and a dinner afterwards!

Well, I am going to go and hop in the shower and get ready for the day.  Maybe after I am done, I will take a little nap!  LOL

Have a great Friday and thanks for sticking out this month with me and my posting!  The good, the bad and the utterly boring!!! 

Um….is it really December in two days???

WHAT??  Where did November go?

I am really glad that I have gotten almost all of our shopping done before Christmas!  We only have one gift to order and two more to buy!  Makes me feel great!  I think I’d be in a crunch right now if I hadn’t started yet!

NaBloPoMo is almost over too.  When I started I didn’t think I’d make it the whole month, posting each day, but I did.  Some days weren’t too exciting and other days I posted numerous times! LOL  It was a lot of fun though!!

Well, I better get going for the day.  I looked at my calendar last night and realized how fast my December is filling up already!! EEEK!!!!

Until tomorrow!!

Amber

Try it Thursday!

Now, mom, I know you have tried this already, but I apologize! It is the only new recipe I’ve tried lately!! LOL Thanks Laura for this one! It is really good and easy! I will post the original recipe, then the changes I am going to make next time I make it, to reduce some of the fat/calories!!

Taco Bake

1 lb. hamburger browned and drained

Add 1 pkg. taco seasoning

½ cup water

Lightly spray bottom and sides of 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Place 1 package of crescent rolls in bottom of pan to form a crust. Pressing seams together. Crush tortilla chips and spread a thin layer over crescent rolls. Layer meat mixture, 1 8oz carton sour cream, chopped black olives and 8 oz. shredded cheddar cheese. Top with 1 ½ cups crushed tortilla chips. Bake 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with lettuce, tomatoes and taco sauce.

 

The next time I make it, I will use reduced fat crescent rolls and chicken instead of beef. I did use reduced fat sour cream in place of regular sour cream! We also had to have onions with it. I thought about putting them in the bake, but I decdied to just have them on top! (Since *I* don’t like them!!)

Try it and enjoy!!

Wishlist

My friend Erica’s husband has designed a website for families/friends to use to create wishlists to share with each other.  You create your profile and your wishlist and then create groups to share it with.    It is a neat idea, and Franz’s family is using it this year for our name drawing!   Check it out at www.makeawishlist.net

Weigh in-Week 10

Wow, I can’t believe it has been 10 weeks.  When I started this, I’d hoped that I’d lose a lot more than I have, but it is going slow.  At least it is going off, not coming back on!    Thanksgiving wasn’t too bad to me.  I weighed in on Thanksgiving morning before we left and I had gained 2 lbs since my weigh in 2 days prior!  I thought, GREAT!  Now, I have to lose that, PLUS all the thanksgiving weight!    Well, when we got back and I weighed myself, I was back down to what I was before Thanksgiving!   I was pleased.

The last 2 days have been quite emotional for me, but I made it through.  I did sleep in the last 2 days instead of going to the gym, but I think sleep is an important part of weight loss as well, so I did it!!  I will go the rest of the week!  I did go Monday, so I haven’t totally slacked off this week!!!

So, without further ado!!  Today I weighed in at 189.4!  Down another .2 from last week’s weight of 189.6! LOL  Not a big number, but after a holiday with TWO big dinners, I am pleased!!

Things I am working on:

• Started using sparkpeople again.  I need to be more accountable for what I put in my mouth!!  I think that is one of my major flaws this time around.  I “think” I am eating right, but there are days I consume too much sodium or eat too many calories, etc.  This will help me with that!!  I want it to become second nature to keep track of it all!
• Focus on drinking 100% of the water I need to each day!  I am *pretty* good at that, but there are some bad days!  Mostly on weekends.
• Continue to incorporate more veggies/fruits into my diet.
• Eat less processed foods.  We don’t eat a lot right now, but something I still need to work on!
• Keep up working out.  Go at least 5 days a week, and each day do at least 30 minutes of cardio.  I plan to do weights 3 days a week.
• Not let the *little* losses bum me out…they are still a loss!

I am hoping if I can do all these things, that next week I can get to the 20lbs lost mark overall and a ten lb. loss for this challenge.  To hit 20 lbs lost, I need to lose 3+ lbs and to hit my 10 lbs for this challenge I need to lose at least 2 lbs!!!  If not next week, the week after!! I want to have a few weeks of losing 1-2 lbs at least, none of this .2 anymore!  LOL

God is working in me!

I started living for the Lord almost 7 years ago now. Sad to say that I have not had as much growth with Him in that time as I should have. My prayer life wasn’t where it should be, my bible reading wasn’t where it should be…as much as I would try, I would fail! I always felt like I couldn’t do it. As soon as I would get closer to God, everything would be great, then I’d screw up. I wouldn’t pray, wouldn’t study the word, and so on. I still would go to church, but I just felt like I was being a fake.

Within the last 6 months or so, I have begun to pray more and get into my bible. I have noticed that God is working on some things in my life that just have to go.

But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you look for him with all your heart and with all your soul. Deuteronomy 4:29

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jer. 29:13

He has shown me a lot of things in my life that he does not like. Things I need to change. People *I* need to forgive. Issues that I have hidden that I need to bring into the light and make them right. He is teaching me humility. Let me tell you, that is NOT an easy thing to learn, and it isn’t any fun either. Sometimes I like it better if I can just talk things out with God instead of talking to the person that I need to. But, he doesn’t let me do it that way. He wants me to be free, and not carry those burdens anymore.

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. Galatians 5:1

Jesus died for me and for you so we don’t have to live under those things. We can be free!!!! God is so good, and can take those burdens off our shoulders, we just need to ask and obey!! It isn’t always easy, but ya know, living against what God wants is a lot worse!! I want to be in heaven for eternity with my Heavenly Father, and I want everyone else to be there with me. Are you walking with God? Is he in control of your life? Do you forgive others? Are YOU forgiven?? Ask yourself those questions and more. This is not something to take lightly. Eternity is a LONG time…the choice is yours, how you want to spend it!! I challenge you today to think about that. Number 1, if you have never asked to be forgiven and let the Lord in your life and Number 2, if you have, but you are not where you should be!! I want to encourage you that God is waiting for you to come to Him, with OPEN arms!! He is knocking at the door. Will you answer??

Be blessed today!!!

 

 

Good news and a blah Monday!

Well, first, the good news!!! I weighed myself this morning and I weighed the same as I did on Thanksgiving morning! That is a feat for me!! Although I was up a little bit from my “official” weigh in last week, that is ok! It means that I gained that “before” Thanksgiving, not during or after! Hehehe… I did work out everyday last week, except for Friday! I also skipped Sunday, but plan on going everyday this week!

Today I have SO much to do to get caught up from being gone, etc. Laundry as far as the eye can see…groceries to buy…and on and on and on! I seem to be in a funk. Normally, I am not a SUPER organized person by any means, but lately I just feel like everything is getting out of control. One example is my Christmas Cards. I am usually on the ball, they are out shortly after Thanksgiving. This year, I am not even close. I am a SAHM, I always thought I’d have SO much more time. But I don’t seem to. It can be chalked up to poor time management. If you have any great tips on how to manage my time better, or get more organized, or even have a great website you refer to, please HELP!!! This feeling of chaos is just overwhelming. I just try to ignore it and move on, but I just can’t shake it!!!

Well, I need to get into the Word this morning, so this post is done now! Happy Monday to you all!!! Only 29 shopping days left until Christmas!!!!!

Sunday update and a recipe!

I am sorry to have been boring you with mundane posts lately! Life has just been crazy with sickness, company and holidays! I am sure you all are in the same boat! Hopefully not the sick part though!

Franz’s sister was here yesterday with her kids, and they just left this afternoon. We are now just lounging, watching some Monk and watching Alex run around in his diaper! For fun, I thought I’d share a recipe! It is for Monster Cookies. Tammy first shared it with me when I was looking for a recipe. It is a Paula Dean recipe! They are delish!!!!

Monster Cookies 

3 eggs
1 1/4 cups packed light brown sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 12-ounce jar creamy peanut butter
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup multi-colored chocolate candies
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/4 cup raisins, optional
2 teaspoons baking soda
4 1/2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal (not instant)Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or nonstick baking mats.In a very large mixing bowl, combine the eggs and sugars. Mix well. Add the salt, vanilla, peanut butter, and butter. Mix well. Stir in the chocolate candies, chocolate chips, raisins, if using, baking soda, and oatmeal. Drop by tablespoons 2 inches apart onto the prepared cookie sheets.Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Let stand for about 3 minutes before transferring to wire racks to cool. When cool, store in large resealable plastic bags.