Weigh-In Results 9/26/08

So, the past few days I have been a bit um....slack. I will even use the word bit very, very lightly. It's been a rough few days and there really is no excuse for it. So, I went off my diet and ate like a crazy person that has been dieting for a while. I'm talking double cheeseburgers, mac and cheese, cake, taco dip, yeah...I could go on and on. Well, that is all in the past...I hit a new low today for this cycle of my diet. I have now dropped a total of 17.4 pounds and lost 16.25 inches!!! Yes, inches! I lost a freaking inch in one arm.....wow. That was exactly what I needed to see to remind me of why I am doing this. Afterall, it is the inches that I am most concerned with anyways. So, here is to a fresh start and a new low!!! It is just going to get better from here.......cause CRUISE FOOD TASTES BETTER AND BEING SKINNY WILL FEEL SO MUCH BETTER THAN ANY KIND OF FOOD WILL EVER TASTE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CIW Completion!

I have made my way through the CIW program! It all began April 15th, 2008 and we just finished last night, September 18, 2008. I do have another exam to pass, but can consider myself CIW certified! Although I learned massive amounts of information and obtained design and technical skills through the class, there is still so much more for me to learn. I will be enrolling for more classes very soon. Thanks to everyone that supported me throughout the program.

Kaleb's 2nd Birthday Party Is Coming Up!

This year has flown by so quickly. I can not believe that it's time to start planning birthday parties...again! Kaleb's invitation is finished and here it is for you all to see! We are doing a clown party for him and Yippee Spoon's Clown Service is going to provide entertainment with face painting and balloon animals. This is sure to be a great party! Click on the image to the left to go to see it larger.

Natural Air Freshener!

I just found an amazing way to make your house smell fabulous...easily and cheap! Take a pot of water and add ground cinnamon or cinnamon sticks if you have them. Do NOT boil--just let it simmer. The entire house will smell so good in no time at all. I can only imagine if we did this everyday. It's a perfect scent--just in time for the fall season. Just don't forget about it, or it will smell worse than it did when you started and you'll be purchasing a new pot!! Let me know how you like the results!!

Weigh In Results 9/12/08

Even after a week at the beach, I am pleased to announce that I have now lost a total of 16.3 pounds! Yippee! Although I often feel like it is coming off so slowly...I remind myself of what one pound of fat looks like. Here, have a peak.

Yes, this is what ONE pound of human fat looks like inside of our body. Knowing that I have lost 16 of these reminds me how grateful I am to even be losing the pounds. I can't wait to report again next week. Maybe soon I will make my first goal of 20 pounds!

Myrtle Beach September 8, 2008

Today is the day that Brendan and I have been waiting all summer for! We are taking a helicopter tour of North Myrtle Beach! To start the day off right, we went our for breakfast at a place called Friendly's. With so many choices, I vote them for the best menu around. After breakfast we drove to the helicopter terminal and prepared for our flight. At first, I was a little scared. However, it was so beautiful and the best thing I have ever done at the beach. Brendan was allowed to sit in the front seat next to the pilot and had the best seat in the helicopter. He was so darn cute and enjoyed every minute of the ride. Kaleb was a little skittish and was unsure of what we were doing.

After the helicopter tour, we went to Barefoot Landing and shopped for a bit. Of course, Donald had to visit The Christmas Mouse and found several things that he liked. I am glad Christmas makes him so happy! After a good nap, we went out for an early dinner to a local seafood buffet. The boys got to try new foods and since I was on lean and green, I ate peel & eat shrimp until I could pop! After asking Brendan and Kaleb what they wanted to do after dinner, it was agreed upon that we would go back to the hotel and swim some more---surprise, right? . More sand, swimming, waves and kite flying!

Myrtle Beach September 7, 2008

Good morning, beautiful! We were once again greeted with beautiful skies, warm water and happy children. The boys were up at 6:30 am and ready to play. We had a fast breakfast in the room, per Brendan's request, and headed down to the beach/pool.

Today we decided to have lunch in the room so that the boys could get a good nap in. Donald and I took advantage of some alone time and enjoyed a nice conversation on the balcony. Somewhere in that conversation, we discussed moving to the coast. We will see what the future holds for us.

It's wake up time and the boys are in full stride. After a quick snack, shower and fresh clothes and we were out the door. We went to Broadway @ The Beach to the Build-A-Dino Workshop. The idea is the same as Build-A-Bear, we just made dinosaur friends instead. This was so much fun and the boys had a great time making their dino friends come to life.

After Build-A-Dino, we did a bit of shopping and found a huge candy store called It's Sugar. Wow. My first thought was "The boys look like kids in a candy store" and then I realized that was exactly what was going on. I have never seen so much candy in my life and could feel myself gaining weight and getting cavities by looking at all the sweet treats! I held true to my diet and did not get anything! Donald is the biggest kid of all and wound up with $20 of candy! My favorite part was a huge sandcastle made out of jellybeans!

For dinner we enjoyed Jimmy Bufett's Margaritaville. The food was great and the environment was even better. They did a hurricane show and had the crowd very involved. The boys were given balloon swords and hats by a cool guy on stilts.

We had a blast tonight at Broadway, but the boys were still so excited to get back to the room and go.......you guessed it.....swimming. I think they are part fish! While the boys played outside in the oceanfront kiddie pool, Donald and I engaged in conversation while watching the breaking waves, palm trees and beautiful sunset. Did I mention that we want to move to the coast?

Myrtle Beach September 6, 2008

After a long night of howling winds and power outages that made the hotel room hot as fudge, Saturday morning greeted us with beautiful skies and warm temperatures. Storm damage was minimal and it was time to play! After a quick breakfast and shower for mommy, we got our bathing suits on and headed down to the beach. Atlast.....paradise. It is so amazing to me how the sound of the waves and the sight of the kids playing so contently on the beach can be so relaxing. The boys had fun making sandcastles and Brendan liked jumping in the waves. Kaleb is a bit more reserved and was not impressed with the ocean.

After a fun morning at the beach, we headed in to take showers. We went to Tony Roma's for lunch and then we went to Ripley's Aquarium, per Daddy's request. He loves it there. Brendan was intrigued by the sharks and Kaleb liked the sting rays. As always, the animals were amazing to watch and we had a great time.

We stopped by the park at Broadway @ The Beach and let the boys play for a while. Then, it was off to Ben & Jerry's for some much deserved ice cream--for the boys anyways. Ice cream doesn't seem to like dieters for some reason. :-)

For dinner, we went to Planet Hollywood. We go there every year and just can't get enough of it. It's not even the food that makes it so attractive, it's the environment. Brendan's favorite part was seeing the Power Rangers and Super Girl! How awesome!

By the end of the night, I was definitely looking forward to sitting out on the balcony for a bit and then drifting off to sleep in the cozy bed. With two excited kids ready to play, morning will probably come to early!