Catching Up....and the Truth about Sugar, Fats and Carbs

Been awhile since I posted but I have been busy as a bee the past couple of weeks.  I spent a week in NYC for work and managed to add some fun time to the trip with two buds from work.  We learned a lot at the Conference Board's Talent Management conference and then spent Friday and Saturday sightseeing and eating ourselves to death.  We also took in Mary Poppins while there.  A definite MUST SEE. 

 

Last week I was playing catch up at home and at work to get things back in order after being away so I feel like I fell off of the face of the Earth for the week.  However, my first day back I did get my annual physicals crossed off of my to do list.  Yep, both docs in one day.  Lots of fun. 

So, want to know the truth about Sugar, Fats, and Carbs.....

Too much of them = High Triglycerides

So, that is the category I fall into.  Mine were 250 and need to be under 200.  The doc told me to start a regime of fish oil 4 times a day and come back in for a check up in 3 months. 

I am going to make some other changes as well since now I have a good challenge in front of me.  Back on the wagon for exercising 6 days a week with a mix of cardio on the treadmill and Jillian's 30 day shred.  I am also paying attention to what is in my food.  It is really amazing how much sugar is in almost everything. 

I am excited to see how low I can get my numbers over the next 3 months. Wish me luck.

Book Review: The 100 Thing Challenge by Dave Bruno

I was absentmindedly surfing the web over the Christmas holiday and came across the book entitled "The 100 Thing Challenge by Dave Bruno"  What a gem of a book.  I struggle constantly with questioning do I have too much stuff, and how much is "enough".  My family and friends know I like to purge, A LOT.  My husband likes to joke with me about how he gave me a UGA felt thing framed and a few years later it shows up for sale at our yard sale and how he was so hurt.  Nothing is sacred when it comes time to purge. 

In his book, Dave talks about why he chose a 100 Thing Challenge and what he hoped to accomplish.  It really is more about only having things that truly make you happy or that you truly need to survive versus filling your home with baubles and stuff that you have to take care of or that make you feel guilty because though you have the materials to be a [insert hobby of choice], you are not a [insert hobby of choice]. 

I highly recommend Dave's book as an entertaining yet thought provocating read.  I plan to pick it up every now and again to remind myself why I have my stuff.  And, when I go on my next purge, it will help me clarify what I need to keep in my life and what I can get rid of to make room for something more amazing in my life (not a physical object).

Good reads!

Say What?

Out of the mouths of babes!  As any parent will tell you, their kids say just the cutest things.  Things that you are certain are so cute, you will never forget.  But then, you do.  So, Michael and I decided (after realizing that you really do forget), to come up with a quick and easy way to document funny or memorable things Parker says (and Chase too, once he can talk).  

I ran across some really cute digital journaling cards by Cathy Zielske  at Designer Digitals and my idea was born. 

 

I took the "Remember This" card from the  Monthly Journal Card Value Pack, recolored it in Photoshop Elements 8 to fit with my color scheme and there you go, an easy little book to keep handy for adding quotes from our first born.

 
  Easy peasy!

Finish it Friday Check In

What a whirlwind of a weekend without much down time.  Here's how we did on the to do list:

Fun Stuff:

Date night with hubby (kids at Grammy's)-Check, went to PF Changs for dinner.  However, I was so exhausted when we got home I was in bed and asleep by 9.

Bare Escentuals make-over with Kelley- Tons of fun...helped make my wallet much lighter too.

Attend PINK (local fundraiser for Mary Ellen Locher foundation)- Great time getting all dressed up for an evening with friends. 

Christmas at Mom's (finally, it better not snow again)- Check.  Good food and great gifts.  Thanks Mom!

Have to Do:

Laundry- It's all clean but some sheets....just not all put away yet.  Plan to finish up tonight.

Meal plan/grocery store-m Check.  Found new site called e-Mealz. Love it.

Hang picture in the office- Not done...looks like it will be on the list again this weekend.

Start gathering tax return documents and fill out info from accountant- Not done either...however, on to do list for this week and hoping to have wrapped up before the weekend.

 How'd you do?

Finish it Friday

Following Aby Garvey's lead, here is my weekend to do list:

Fun Stuff:

Date night with hubby (kids at Grammy's)

Bare Escentuals make-over with Kelley

Attend PINK (local fundraiser for Mary Ellen Locher foundation)

Christmas at Mom's (finally, it better not snow again)

Have to Do:

Laundry

Meal plan/grocery store

Hang picture in the office

Start gathering tax return documents and fill out info from accountant

 

So what about you, what's on your "to-do" list this weekend?

Move More, Eat Less-Weekly Check In

Thursday was Weigh in day!

First off, to back up a bit, I joined weight watchers again the first week of January.  My weigh in was terrible.  I was up 6 pounds from my last weigh in from December.  I did have on a suit and had to use the restroom and it was after the holidays, but still.  I missed the second weigh in thanks to the blizzard of the century causing me to miss work for the week so this was my first weigh in since re-joining. 

158 (down .4)

It is a loss so I will take it but it was evident to me I am going to have to renew my committment to the program.  If I am honest, I probably really gained a little bit but due to the reasons mentioned above, it is showing as a loss due to cicumstances with my first weigh in. 

I have exercised 30 minutes a day (or more) since December 31st so that is a great thing.  However, counting those pesky little points has eluded me. 

Time to commit, NOW! 

Here is to another week...just take it a day at a time. 

Any good motivation out there?

One Little Word: 2011 Edition

RENEW

Re·new: to make like new, restore to freshness, to make new spiritually, to restore to existence, to begin again, to do again, Regenerate, to make extensive changes in.

(defined by Merriam-Webster.com)

Ali Edwards (whom I just adore, though I do not know her personally) has a yearly ritual of picking “one little word” to focus on for the year.  I love this concept.  It is so simple, yet can be a powerful reminder of our intention for the year. 

I thought long and hard about my word for this year as I think about where I am.  I am just coming out of the first year of my second child.  This means we are now falling into a rhythm as a family of four, we are finding our place, and I am finding my “zone” again.  I am starting to feel “normal” again.  However, along with this, comes my normal feelings of striving to find balance and wondering if I can work outside the home in a demanding career and balance  it ALL.   I also start to realize that the time has come to get rid of the baby fat (and then some).  Time to make some changes.  Oh  yeah, and I want to get to running again.  I miss it. 

Renew

It just sounds right.

 I am excited to see where this year goes.  It has already started off crazy with the biggest snow in 70 years causing me to miss a week at work and the kids to miss school.  And some interesting goings on in the office.  We will see where the journey takes us.

I signed up for Ali’s One Little Word on-line workshop via Big Picture Classes to keep me focused for the year and have some creative fun.  Here is a sneak peek at my album:

 

 

Memory Keeping, the easy way

Kudos to Becky Higgins!  She is the mastermind behind Project Life, the easiest way to scrapbook I have seen in awhile.  This ultra cute kit comes with everything you need to easily get your pictures and journaling into an album for an entire year.  I am loving it so far.  Here are some pictures of my album in progress:

Title page:

 

First week spread..

 

Close ups:

 
 

Out with the Scale-Really?

So, I am contemplating not replacing the batteries right now in my scale.  How can that be you ask as I embark on Moving More, Eating Less of which the goal is to lose weight?  I have now seen the advice given twice that you should turn off the scale, throw it out even.  So, I started thinking, perhaps there is some validity to these recommendations.  If I am honest with myself, I know about what the scale will indicate once I get on it.  I know when I have had a good week or a bad one.  And, what do I do when I see that number on there?  I justify it.  If it is a good number, I do a happy dance and celebrate—with food.  If it is a bad number, I get peeved and turn to—you guessed it, food.  So, there is a cycle in weighing myself and both options put me at the same conclusion.   I think I read somewhere recently that insanity is doing the same thing twice and expecting a different result.  Do I expect to behave differently with the scale this year just because I am refreshing my good habits?  No. 

Perhaps it is time to try a different approach. 

I am going scale less each day.  However, I do plan to tune in to my body daily.  How do I feel?  Does my body feel good?  Do I feel healthy?  And, what are my clothes telling me?  Really, the point of losing weight is not about the number on the scale…it is about how I feel when I get there and how I choose to approach and live my life. 

Given that I joined weight watchers at the first of the year, I am going to weigh in weekly and be intentional about my reaction to the scale.  It is just a number not a definition of who I am.

So, here is to a different version of measuring success.  I am eager to see how this goes.

Move More, Eat Less-Tools and Resources

As I "refresh" my motivation to Move More, Eat Less, I have found some tools and resources that are proving very helpful.  Here is a run down:

Fit from Within (Victoria Moran)-  This is a great little book with all kinds of nuggetts, specifically, 101 of them.  Victoria challenges some of what many of us are used to in terms of "dieting" like don't weigh yourself everyday or only eat 3 meals a day to name a couple of items she introduces.  I read this within a couple of days over the Christmas holiday and am now re-reading it, more intentionally.  I am trying to journal about the concepts she introduces and how they can work for me.  Revolutionary, really.

100 Day Challenge-  John Bingham and his wife, Coach Jenny came up with this approach to move intentionally for 30 mins for 100 days straight.  What a concept...just MOVE, intentionally for 30 mins to see what impact it can have.  I am on Day 12 and have not missed a workout yet.  Love it.

Weight Watchers Points Plus-  Loving the new program.  Have really eaten a lot more fruit than I would have in the past since it is all 0 points.  Found some good new slow cooker recipes and have been trying them this week.   I have to admit that I have not been tracking each day but I am being more intentional with what I put into my body.  Going back to the advice from "Fit from Within", I am not sure if I will follow through with the whole concept of the new WW program in terms of a "diet" but I suspect if I follow the 101 concepts Victoria discusses that I will be for the most part "on track" with the WW plan. 

My treadmill- I have a great treadmill that is proving useful to me in these cold and snowy days of winter. I have been performing my 100 day challenge on it so far.  I have plans to start running on it too but for now, keeping it simple.

I have not weighed myself here at home due to Victoria's advice (and the battery died) so not sure of how I am tracking weight wise but I will weigh in this week for the first week of WW so we will see how I am doing.  However, in terms of how I feel, I feel better.  Better about my intentions and progress.  This is a journey, not a destination and I am liking the stops along the way so far.

Move More, Eat Less-Ready, Set, Go

OK, time to get back on track and get serious.  WW just unveiled a new program last week that looks awesome and is just the refresher I need.  So here goes.  This won't be easy, it never is.  As I type this, i am proud of myself for going out this morning and running.  I was not able to run my whole route but just getting out there made me feel great.  Oh yeah, and it was snowing while I was running....exhilirating.  And, I am reflecting that I ate too many cookies after dinner tonight...we decorated the house for Christmas and trimmed the tree so I celebrated with cookies.  Oh well, I will dust off and do better tomorrow. 

So, here is the before picture...let's see what I can do...

 

A little bit of happiness...

Becoming addicted to this stuff....and I love my new enviro friendly cup.....

 

Happy Thanksgiving from our Family to Yours

Just a few scenes from our awesome day of celebrating Thanksgiving as a little family of 4:

 

 

 

 

Gratitude

I read this today and thought you all might enjoy it too..

Why Gratitude Makes You Happy & Wealthy

by Christine Kane

Gratitude is more than being thankful one day a year. Gratitude is a practice. For some, it's a way of life.

Why do some people swear by the practice of gratitude? Why do these people have joy-filled and abundant lives?

In other words, why does gratitude make you happy and wealthy?

• Because gratitude is about presence.

It's about waking up in this moment and being here - really being here - and noticing what's around you. Most people are so busy thinking about the next thing, or about their horrid past, that they don't wake up and look around at their present moment - the only moment there is.

• Because gratitude is about honoring YOUR precious life.

Do you ever compare your life with someone else's? Do you ever wish your life were better and more like [insert famous person's name here]? Sometimes we can lose ourselves in wondering how we "measure up" to some standard set by our families or by the media. Comparison is the mind killer. The antidote is gratitude.

Gratitude requires that you validate your own life. (And you really don't have any other life, do you?) It forces you to say YES to the gift that is you. The choices you've made and the changes you've gone through -- they have brought you here. Even if here is a place that needs a little adjustment, that's okay. There are always gifts in any present moment.

• Because gratitude is about attracting.

It's difficult to attract abundance and joy if you are constantly saying "no" to what IS. You say "no" each time you focus on the future or past, or when you criticize something that is in your present moment.

Attraction is about saying Yes. When you say Yes, you shift.

Gratitude says, "Yes, I love this!" And then more of this is attracted, because the this is what you're focusing on.

• Because gratitude is about choice.

How you translate any situation is the situation. What you choose to see is the truth (for you).

This isn't proposing that you live in denial or phoniness. It's reminding you that your translation of any life situation is your choice. We've all heard stories of people who have ignored others' translations of their talent, their projects, their art, their looks, their lives. These people chose their own translations and succeeded. You always have a choice when it comes to how you look at things. Choose to choose gratitude.

• Because gratitude is about wisdom.

I think people believe they're being smart if they criticize, complain, and focus on the problems of the world around them.

Smart? Maybe.

Clever? Sure.

But not wise.

It is wise to look for and find the knowing place in your heart. It is wise to choose joy. It is wise to honor your riches. It is wise to focus on and grow the blessings of your life.

• Because gratitude is about recognition.

Use your power of focus to hone in on beauty and on what makes your heart sing. Recognize the spirit in your life. It's all around you waiting to be noticed. In the words of Franz Kafka, "It will roll in ecstasy at your feet."

• Because gratitude is about receptivity.

Gratitude makes you receptive. It makes you a vessel, waiting to be filled.

I carry a tiny notebook with me everywhere I go. In it, I write down song ideas. I write down quotes I hear. I write down ideas for stage stories. As I do that, I become more receptive, and more ideas and songs come to me. It's a tool that says to my subconscious, "Send more my way!" And the subconscious always responds.

Gratitude is the same way. It says, "I am receptive! Send more!" And more arrives.

• Because gratitude is about creativity.

Creativity is really all about attention. (So is genius.)

When I write a song, I build a relationship with that song. I spend time with it. I get to know it. I pay attention to it. Artists do the same thing with drawings. They spend time in rapt attention, and the drawing is born.

Gratitude is how we Live Creative. It is a creative act to notice and pay attention to the moments of your life. Some days it's an enormous act of creativity to find things for which to be thankful.

Start today.

And have a Thanksgiving of presence, creativity, and gratitude!

 

Christine Kane is the Mentor to Women Who are Changing the World. She helps women uplevel their lives, their businesses and their success. Her weekly LiveCreative eZine goes out to over 12,000 subscribers. If you are ready to take your life and your world to the next level, you can sign up for a F.R.E.E. subscription at http://christinekane.com.

Blog Re-Haul

So, it has been awhile since I posted here.  I see a direct correlation to the timing of the creation of my Facebook page to the decline in my posts here.  Guess a quick update pic would be in order to calm the masses otherwise known as family who want pics of the kiddos in every form of social media that they can get them...

 

Yeah, so Chase has grown a bit...he is talking even, and trying to walk.  And Parker, well she is a little girl now.  Really, where does the time go.   

Ok, back to the topic of this old blog.....I am remodeling it and plan to give it a go again.  However, with a new twist.  I'll still post about the kids and family as I know how the grandparents (and great grandparents--Hi Papa Diffenbaugh) love to hear about the latest adventures/tantrums/every day acts of the kiddos but I am also broadening out to use this as a creative outlet.  I plan to include my ramblings on things such as creative pursuits (because seriously, there has to be more to life than picking up Cheerios off of my floor at every meal), moving more, eating less ('cause I need an accountability avenue as these pounds aren't dissolving on their own), motherhood (again, back to the cheerio thing) and living life (as I try everday to pursue a more meaningful and wholehearted life to be a better example to my kids).

OK, I hope you all enjoy being updated on the happenings at the Stewart household and find something useful from my ramblings. 

Have a Happy Thanksgiving and check back soon....really, like next week or sooner....not next November :)

P.S.--Like the banner?  Photo from my first 5K...that I ran!

Chase at 24 weeks and other updates...

Here is a pic of Chase at 24 weeks next to his owl.  He is getting bigger than the owl and is growing every day.  He almost weighs 17 pounds now.  He is almost able to stay sitting up by himself and loves to play with his toys. 

He also had his first taste of cereal this past Tuesday.  He seemed to enjoy it and really wanted to use the spoon himself.  I figured I needed to go ahead and give him solids as he grabbed a french fry out of my hand the other day and tried to go to town on it before I took it away. 

And, today I had Chase in the office on his play mat a few feet from where I was sitting and a few minutes later I looked down and saw this....he is starting to be mobile!  He was so proud of himself.

Other than Chase growing like a weed, Parker has been busy with school.  She had strep throat this past week but she did not let it get her down. She made the best use of her day off from school with Mom by making our annual Easter centerpiece and running around the front yard in the sunshine.  She is getting excited for the weather to be warmer so she can play outside.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoys the Spring weather and Easter.
 

 
 

Chase at 20 weeks

Here he is at 16 weeks...

 

Rolling Over...and snow

Chase is now 20 weeks old and has officially mastered rolling over from his back to his belly.  Friday morning he rolled over and I thought it was just because he was rather motivated to get off his back since he had a major blow out.  Well, he has done it every day since, including when he is on the floor, versus the crib.  So, its official, he can roll over.  And now we have two worried parents at home since he refuses to now stay on his back to sleep.  Luckily it is apparently OK for him to sleep on his tummy now that he has mastered the whole rolling over thing (well, according "What to Expect the First Year...").  He is having a blast rolling over to get to his toys and playing with them.  What fun to watch him grow. 

In other news, we are home again today due to another round of SNOW.  Starting to feel like we live above the Mason Dixon line.  Snow is becoming the norm around here.  Parker went outside for a few minutes to make a snow angel and then came back in, she proclaimed it was too cold out.  Then she decided she wanted to play beauty shop with me (I now have four clips in my hair and two ponytails, Nice).  As we were playing she exclaimed she would be right back and she proceeded to get ready to go downstairs to get her...scissors.  Luckily for me I asked her where she was going and quickly put a stop to that.  Imagine what my hair would look like if she had accomplished her mission :)

Hope everyone is staying warm and here's to Spring coming soon (we hope).  Stay tuned for the monthly update picture of Chase with his owl...

Parker in a big girl bed

We finally made the big switch last weekend.  Parker moved into her toddler bed.  She seems to love it, especially the freedom to climb right in.  Lucky for us, she has not tried to get out in the middle of the night (yet).

Chase at 16 weeks

He is getting so BIG...