Let's talk weight

     This has always been a struggle for me in adulthood. Up until high school, I didn't have very many issues since I played sports and my parents made healthy meals. Fast forward to college and beyond, and the weight has slowly crept on. I totally get how people say "I have no idea how this happened". I mean, you see it slowly creep, so it's not like you woke up one day and said "WOW, I'm overweight!". Sadly, it's more like a gradual change that is easy to write off.

     In my head I have been referring to my weight loss in decades. Each 10 lbs = 1 decade :)  I have already lost one decade, and I'm quickly approaching a second.... though technically it's cheating because I started off at a low end of one decade. I would like to shave 5-6 decades off which makes for a long journey ahead of me!
     I've been doing this weight loss challenge with a few friends, and it has helped immensely! It was a $15 initiation fee, and $2 for every lb gained or $2/week if no weight is lost. So far I have overall lost 13lbs since trying to watch what I eat, and it's coming off at a steady 1 to 2 lbs a week. Perfect! (Though I secretly wish I could shave off 50 lbs and call it a day).

So this is me.

     Granted I was 8 months pregnant, but you get the idea. Not only had I started off overweight before getting pregnant, I gained more while pregnant. Not to displace blame, but my troubles trying to get pregnant, and all the medications I took did not help. I had become pretty depressed and drank more often than I should have.

     So, fast forward to today... I am happier and slowly losing decades. While it may take me quite some time, I'm determined to do it for myself and my family. I thought if I publicly talk about it, it may give me more motivation. I'll try and post pictures along the way
I think my next step is to research healthy recipes that helps out a working mom :) Time is not something I have much of nowadays!!

Indigo Night

Possibly one of the coolest things I've come across in a long time. Indigo Night is a site that takes the night sky on the date you request, and puts it into picture form for you. While there is just about any backdrop you want (beach, city, country, mountains, lakes etc) I chose to do one over Mt. Hood, the night Amelia was born. They give you a photo, a star map so you can locate each star, and state the longitude and latitude of where the picture was taken. Pretty neat if you ask me!

While somewhat pricey, it's totally worth it! I bought one for Eric for Father's Day, and had it framed. It looks fantastic and I can't wait for us to hang it up :)

 *Updated with a picture*

 Sorry about the quality. I didn't have the good camera, and was getting all glare (this was the best angle believe it or not). It is MUCH more beautiful in person!

Time to start budgeting!

So, I had a minor meltdown today when I realized our $500+ car insurance renewal was due this month. It got me thinking about how much I spend on crap. Literally crap- things I don't need. I am what one might call a shopaholic, but please don't confuse this with a hoarder- I tend to clean house often, I just like to try new things in my home (a new comforter, pillows, rugs, kitchen supplies, baby stuff... you name it.)
So then the dreaded cost of food came to me. Ugh, now that's a doozy. Here's a visual of how I feel it looks.

Ok, maybe it's not really that bad, but I do need to buckle down and stop spending so much for lunches, and randomly picking up things for dinner/eating out. Being that I am the main breadwinner (my husband stays home with our daughter), I need to make sure my finances are in order, so I can lead the life we desire.
Currently, I can seriously spend a good $50 each time I go to the grocery store, and it usually will be for two dinners and some snacks. Ooopsies!
Soooooo, I have decided to tackle one thing at a time. Food first!

The plan:
Monday - Friday: Bring lunches to work, allowing an eat out once a week
Saturday - Sunday: Allow one nights dinner for eating/take out, otherwise all meals will be cooked at home.

Go to the store (preferably Winco if I can stomach it) once every 2 weeks to gather up any canned/box foods we might need.
Go to Whole Foods/New Seasons and get meats & veggies weekly for dinners and lunches for that week.

I found a few websites I loved, that I thought I would share. I hope they can add some assistance in my weaker moments!
I'm an organizing junkie, Meal planning mommies, and  What's cookin Chicago

Wish me luck! :o)

I Will Be

There are women that become mothers without effort, without thought, without patience or loss and though they are good mothers and love their children, I know that I will be better.

I will be better not because of genetics, or money or that I have read more books but because I have struggled and toiled for this child. I have longed and waited. I have cried and prayed. I have endured and planned over and over again.

Like most things in life, the people who truly have appreciation are those who have struggled to attain their dreams.
I will notice everything about my child.
I will take time to watch my child sleep, explore and discover.
I will marvel at this miracle every day for the rest of my life.
I will be happy when I wake in the middle of the night to the sound of my child, knowing that I can comfort, hold and feed him and that I am not waking to take another temperature, pop another pill, take another shot or cry tears of a broken dream. My dream will be crying for me.

I count myself lucky in this sense; that I have been given me this insight,
this special vision with which I will look upon my child that my friends will not see.

Whether I parent a child I actually give birth to or a child that I am led to, I will not be careless with my love.

I will be a better mother for all that I have endured.
I am a better wife, a better aunt, a better daughter, neighbor, friend and sister because I have known pain.I know disillusionment as I have been betrayed by my own body. I have been tried by fire and hell many never face, yet given time, I stood tall.

I have prevailed. I have succeeded. I have won.

So now, when others hurt around me, I do not run from their pain in order to save myself discomfort. I see it, mourn it, and join them in theirs.
I listen.

And even though I cannot make it better, I can make it less lonely. I have learned the immense power of another hand holding tight to mine, of other eyes that moisten as they learn to accept the harsh truth and when life is beyond hard. I have learned a compassion that only comes with walking in those shoes.

I have learned to appreciate life. Yes I will be a wonderful mother.

-Anonymous