Put your hands up! H54F {week 6}

It's Friday...it's time for my High Fives!  But.....are you ready for this?  Put up BOTH hands, because I'm giving you a high TEN!  Seriously.  This week has r.o.c.k.e.d. 

{one}

Saw this in my Real Simple magazine.  Kids were polled and asked to finish some well-known sayings.  This one made me laugh. 

{two}

Saturday was Cecilia Days.  During the "Almost Talent Show," my dad had to go on stage for a marshmallow stuffing contest.  The first one to stuff 20 jumbo marshmallows in their mouth won.  I always knew he had a big mouth. :)

{three}

 Marty and I went to the grocery for the first time in over a month.  I won't even talk about the total cost of our trip, but I will say that I got a TON of healthy lunches and snacks to help me on my "Hot Mess" journey. 

{four}

Found this on Pinterest and I'm OBSESSED.  I will be making a version for myself soon.  I miss Lexington/college/UK.

{five}

My kid is seriously obsessed with Mickey and Minnie.  This makes the "Disney-lover" side of me very, very happy.  I'm afraid we have an addiction on our hands.  Our current Minnie/Mickey related items are: 5 Minnie dolls, 2 Mickey dolls, one Minnie pillow, one Minnie cell phone, one Mickey cell phone and numerous clothing items. 

{six}

This has been my view for the week.  Our office flooded and my boss (aka dad) took it as an opportunity to rip out our carpets and let us remodel.  We've been painting...and yesterday, they were putting brand new desks together when I left!  The before and afters are gonna amaze you.

{seven}

As a blogger, I try to support other bloggers as much as possible.  If I like your blog, I'm going to become a follower.  I know how depressing it is to blog your little heart out, dream about blog posts, join link parties and still only have 26 followers. *sigh*  Anyways.  I've found a new blog/Tumblr account that I'm in LOVE with.  Check out http://undressedskeleton.tumblr.com.  She's a girl that has a passion for baking and eating healthy.  I've gotten a ton of ideas for lunches, snacks and healthier living.  Not to mention this fabulous recipe for homemade and healthier PopTarts that I WILL be trying soon!

{eight}

Since starting my weight loss journey, I try not to obsess about my weight.  It's just a number, right?  But this morning, I was feeling so good, I wanted to weigh myself and see if I'd made a difference this week.  Down another .4 pounds!  Overall loss:  6.7 lbs!  Woot woot!

{nine}

Avery rode with us in the Cecilia Days parade.  She was waving with both hands, blowing kisses to the crowd and yelling "hi!"  Apparently, Marty and I have a future politician on our hands. 

{ten}

Avery's one year pictures are done!!  I can't wait to see the entire slideshow, but here's a little sneak peek. :)  Hard to believe our petite little girl is ONE!

High TEN for Friday everyone!!

OOTW tackles the bathroom...

It's been a craaaaaaazy Wednesday (I feel like I'm saying that a lot!) but there's still organizing to be done! 
Last week, I took a break from organizing and promised to return with a project that would knock your socks off.  Well, it hasn't happened yet.  You know when you have an idea in your head but you can't find exactly what you're looking for?  That's my life right now.  I have this brilliant idea.  But no one else seems to support my idea because I have a particular item in mind that I cannot find.  Anywhere. 
So in the meantime, I'll show you a little organizing tip from my very own bathroom.  I love this idea because it's not only organized and functional, but it's pretty too.  We live in a pretty little house...ideal for a starter home...but it lacks MAJORLY in space.  Little cabinet space, little storage space, little counterspace.  Our master bathroom is no exception.  When we moved in, I literally had all of my crap strewn all over our countertop.  But with such little space, I couldn't figure out how to organize everything.  Until one day when I was at my parent's house.  And my mom was talking about having my Peepaw's old toolbox that he made in Ag Shop in high school.  It was like a light bulb going off.  And this idea was born:

No, my toolbox isn't my Peepaw's, unfortunately...but when I told my mom of my idea, she was on the hunt for me.  This beauty was found in my dad's shop.  I swiped it borrowed it and brought it straight home.  With a few old Mason jars, I have my very own, unique bathroom countertop storage.

The jars are perfect for holding our cotton balls, q-tips and toothbrushes.  There's another slot for my hand soap. 



I love organizing!  And finding a new home for old things!  Hope your Wednesdays are getting a little more organized! 

Feeling a little less "Hot Messy"

This Hot Mess Monday is so special, it's happening on a Tuesday!  I fully intended to post yesterday, but my wonderful husband surprised me with tickets to see Easton Corbin.  God bless that man.  So, here's my Hot Mess post, one day delayed.

Original weight: 142.5
Last week:  136.6
This week:

Weight lost:  .4 lbs. 
Not ideal, but as my co-worker put it....I lost!  I didn't gain, I didn't maintain, I lost!  Who cares if it wasn't a whole pound.  I LOST.  No flab picture because it looks the same in that shirt.  But I. Feel.  Awesome.  Seriously guys.  My flab picture looks the same, but I feel skinner.  I've been eating healthier and been making a conscious effort to be more active and I feel great.  I have more energy and I actually look forward to sweating.  Amazing what a few lost pounds will do to you.

Biggest challenges this week:  Snacking.  I have got to figure out a way to have smart and healthy snacks for myself.  If I'm not careful, I could sit in front of the TV, watch an episode of  Bunheads and finish off a half a bag of chips.  I've pinned a couple of snack ideas on Pinterest that I'm going to have to try.  I just don't love "healthy" food....hummus, granola, nuts, that kind of stuff.  But I DO love these:

Only 100 calories and it fills me up for breakfast.  Also, it makes 5 year old me very, VERY happy.

What I think worked:
{1}  Last week, I talked about the My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone.  I seriously love it.  It's great to be able to see how many calories are being consumed and burned every day.  But this week, I discovered something new, thanks to my friend Hope.  She asked what my "username" on the app was and she added me as a friend.  I can see every day that she lost "x" amount of weight or that, on Tuesday, she came in under her calorie goal.  Knowing that she can see the same for me has been incredible motivation.  I think "Put that bag of chips down because Hope can see that you went over your calorie goal today."  It's so much better when you have a friend along on this journey.
{2}  Because of this app, I have been able to learn what I can and can't have.  I know my expected calories and what kinds of foods I should stay away from.  I can check an entree before going out with my family and know what I can have for dinner and what amount.  Seriously y'all.  If you're dieting, download this app (I sound like a commercial, don't I?). 
{3}  Trying not to be so hard on myself.  If I give into temptation and get myself a Sausage McMuffin, I don't obsess about it all day.  I realize that I've made a mistake and make up for it by eating healthier for lunch or dinner.  When I think about how much I still have to lose, I think about how far I've come so far.  "You can only eat an elephant one bite at a time."  Baby steps.  I'm not going to lose 20 pounds overnight.  It takes work and it takes patience.

If you're not feeling good about yourself and you're looking for a change, start today.  I'll be your friend and support you every step of the way.  We can do this together!! 
Till next Hot Messy Monday!

High Fives, it's finally Friday!! {week 5}

Virtual high fives.....it's Friday y'all!  Let's get to it:

{one}  Avery's Minnie Mouse Birthday Bash was this past weekend!  I will be sharing a post later this week complete with decorations and tutorials on how to make your very own Minnie Mouse party.  I can't believe I'm the mother of a one year old. 

{two}  We're getting an office remodel at work!!!  I cannot even begin to describe how excited I am about this.  Probably because our current set up is no desks at all....picture a kitchen countertop bolted into the wall and held up by file cabinets.  So you can see why I'm excited about getting a physical desk of my very own. 

{three}  This week, Dominos is offering a 50% off special when you order online.  Since they actually have a really good gluten free pizza, I was pumped when I saw this offer.  It's so nice to finally find a gluten free pizza that doesn't taste like a stale cardboard cracker.

{four}  Like almost everyone I know, I've been addicted to the Olympics.  I've cried watching gymnastics, drooled over Ryan Lochte and been terrified of synchronized swimming.  Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself when they're over on Sunday.  *sigh*

{five}  Today and tomorrow are Cecilia Days--one of my most favorite days of the year.  Now, for you out-of-towners, Cecilia is my hometown.  And every year in August, they have a two day community festival with food, craft booths and the parade.  My favorite part is the "Almost Talent Show."  It's a skit that the locals put on and it's hilarious.  Last year, the theme was Hee Haw.  And yes, that's my daddy in overalls in the above picture.  This year's theme is a tribute to Andy Griffith.  I cannot wait. 

Enjoy your weekend!

Organize One Thing...Interrupted.

I interrupt this regularly scheduled "Organize One Thing Wednesday" to bring you.......my kitchen. 

Holy party throw-up Batman.  Avery's 1st birthday party was this weekend and, as you can see, I'm still recovering.  Am I the only one that gets an after-huge-event hangover?  Not the alcohol kind, but the "I planned my rear off for months and spent the week of hot-gluing and decorating and obsessing over every single detail so now I feel like doing absolutely nothing but sit on my couch and watch the Olympics" kind.  I literally have done nothing domestically related since Saturday.  Well, that's a lie--I unloaded and reloaded my dishwasher....once.  And that was only because Avery needed clean bottles.  After her party, I told Marty to just dump everything in the kitchen one night and I would pick it up the next day.  Well, here it is, Wednesday already, and I've done nothing.  But my kitchen is starting to smell and Avery wants to rip up every bag that's laying in the floor.  Not to mention the fact that I want to have a panic attack every time I come into my home.  So, as much as I would love to share my organizing tip for the week, I've got to do a little personal home organizing of my own.  I promise though, next week's project is going to rock your socks off. :)

Hot Mess {week 4}

Hot Mess Monday!  And I've felt every bit of the "hot mess" part this weekend....but that story is to come later....

Starting weight:  142.5
Last week:  136.6
What I saw on the scale this morning:

I edited out my feet this time.  You're welcome.

Well pooh. 

I didn't take a picture of myself this week because my flab is the same.  Exactly the same.  Grrr.

Biggest challenges this week:  Being away from home and eating healthy.  Thanks to a new app (more on that in a second), I've been tracking my calories and I know what's good for me when I'm eating dinner at home and when I'm packing my lunch for work.  Eating at a restaurant is a little more challenging.  For example, what do you eat at a Mexican restaurant when you always order a beef chimichanga and you have NO idea what the calorie count is?  Working on that.

What I think worked: 

{1}  Well, I didn't lose anything this week, obviously, but I do feel like I'm eating healthier thanks to a new app that I downloaded.  It's called "My Fitness Pal."  When I first added it to my apps, it asked me my current weight, goal weight, my job activity level (sedentary, dang it) and how much I wanted to lose (a pound a week) and then set a daily calorie consumption.  I'm allowed 1,500 calories a day.  It sounds easy, but I'm here to tell you people, it isn't.  AT. ALL.  When you're used to grabbing the occasional breakfast at McDonald's or a bag of frosted animal crackers when that 3 pm hunger pain hits, you don't realize how many calories you're actually eating during the day.  This app has made me aware of everything I'm putting in my mouth, how many calories it contains and how many I'm leaving myself for the rest of the day.  Also helpful when I know I'm going out for dinner that night because I can allot myself more calories for dinner by eating a smaller and healthier breakfast.  It's been ridiculously helpful and I feel like more weight is going to fall off because of it.

{2}  Remember my goal to "break-up" with the McDonald's drive-thru?  Currently, our relationship is very much on the rocks.  I've been there once this week and that was to get a Dr. Pepper this morning.  He can cry all he wants to, but I'm definitely not missing that jerk.

Goals this week:

-->Start exercising.  I've set a exercise schedule for the week.  It goes a little something like this:

Monday--Walk the neighborhood with Avery....possibly join a local yoga class

Tuesday--Just Dance or Wii Fit and Couch to 5K workout at the parentals

Wednesday--Arm flab workout

Thursday--Repeat of Tuesday

Friday--Cardio DVD

Saturday--Couch to 5K workout

Sunday--Rest

-->Research healthy breakfasts.  Make ahead options are always a winner in my book.



Til next week my hot messes!

Mommy Knows Best

I haven't made it any secret that Avery doesn't sleep.  And, at 12 months old, this hasn't changed.  We've tried it all...to the point of not trying anything anymore.  Whatever happens, happens--whether that means getting up once during the night at 5:30 or if that means waking up at 2, 3:30, 4:15 and 6.  It's random in our house.  We've tried keeping bedtime routines strict, then no routine, cereal and bath before bed, bottle to fall asleep, sound machine, sleep training....you name it, we've tried it.  Our kid just isn't responding.  I was pretty much okay with it.  I accepted that she'll do whatever she needs to do and prayed to God every night that she'll eventually grow out it.  But recently, Avery has been visited by the teething fairy (boy, I'd love to punch that woman) and has made sleep pretty much non-existent in my home.  Instead of waking up at 3 and whining for a little while, Avery would wake and a full-on, scream-her-head-off crying jag would begin.  No pacifier would quiet her, no bottle would soothe.  She didn't want to be in her bed, held, rocked, laid on the couch with daddy, NOTHING.  We basically gave her Advil and fought her until she finally passed out again.  Completely, utterly, physically and mentally draining.  I've been in a fog....it's hard to get up in the morning, it's hard to find motivation to do anything throughout the day, it's hard to stay awake on the drive to and from work.  This stage is so exhausting.  Then, on Saturday night, we went to my cousin's wedding and stayed the night in a hotel.  Avery was worn out by the time the wedding was over, so my mom and sister took her back to the hotel room so she could turn in for the night.  When Marty and I got in, we left her in my parent's room and I worried all night long what kind of sleep they were getting.  Was Avery screaming her head off and they were cursing me for a terrible night?  When morning came, I went to their room....and putting on my most sympathetic and "I-totally-understand-because-I'm-living-it-everyday" face, I asked "How did she sleep??"  All night, y'all.  She tossed and turned around 5:30, but never woke up and slept until 8:30.  WHAT.THE.HELL.  What does my kid have against her daddy and I that she is hell-bent and determined not to sleep for us??  Better yet, determined that WE don't get any sleep either.  Frustrated is only the beginning of what I was feeling.  Yesterday, when I got home, there was a card addressed to Marty and I in the mailbox.  I opened it:

And I know it's going to be okay.  Because sometimes you just need your mommy to tell you so.