Wednesday, April 28, 2010

You Capture/Spring


Spring is finally here. At least I thought it was here until I woke up this morning and it was 33 degrees. It was 60 by the time I left work, so maybe it is here. If you look at these pictures, I think you'll think spring is here. All the pictures were taken this past week at either my house, my place of work or on the March for Babies. I'm really proud of some of them. Hope you like them too. Spring has sprung at Beth's so head over and drink it in





















The 21 Day Challenge

Today starts a new challenge at the Sisterhood. It's all about forming new habits. Did you know that they say if you do something for 21 days it becomes a habit? We are going to be testing that theory. We are supposed to pick one to three new habits to try. I've picked mine. Would you like to hear what they are?

First, I am going to get more sleep. I am the worst at going to bed at a decent hour. It's not uncommon at all for me to go to bed at 1:00 and then get up for work at 5:45 or 6:00 at the latest. I know that isn't enough sleep, but it doesn't stop me from doing it. My plan is to do this in increments. The first week, I'm shooting for midnight, 11:30 the second week and 11:00 the third. Sounds logical, right?

Second, I am going to exercise no less than 30 minutes a day, six days a week. I've been slacking in that lately. I'm thinking that if I go to bed earlier, I can get up a little earlier and exercise before work. I have no excuses for not doing it later in the day then.

Third, I have to get back to drinking more water. When I gave up diet coke for lent, I drank a ton of water. I also drank a lot of ice tea. I still drink the ice tea, but the diet coke is creeping back in. When the diet coke creeps back in, the water gets put by the wayside. No more! I will drink more water starting tomorrow (she says as she takes a drink of diet coke).

Lastly, this is a weigh in day. I'm sorry to say that I gained this week. Not much, just .4 pounds. Without the Weight Loss Warriors to keep me honest, I slacked off a little. I have to get back my enthusiasm. I'll find it, I promise. I'm going to post this now and then go see what everyone else is doing. Talk to you all next week.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Freschetta Giveaway

Do you like pizza? Me, myself and I, we love pizza and so does my family. I was contacted by Bolin Marketing and asked if I would try the new Freschetta FlatBread Pizza and give them my honest opinion of the product. Well, this is right up my alley, I thought. I said yes, of course. One of my smarter decisions ever. First off, the new FlatBread pizza is delicious. Our favorite was the Zesty Italian. It has pepperoni, Genoa salami, Italian sausage and a blend of asiago and mozzerella cheeses. So yummy, I will be buying it over and over again.

I also received a big surprise. I thought I was getting some free pizza coupons, which I did, but I also received a pizza kit. It is so nice. It included a pizza stone, pizza cutter, oven mit and free pizza coupons. Now here comes the good news. They also sent coupons for me to giveaway to you and a pizza kit to give to one of you too. Are you happy now?
Here's how it will work. I will draw four winners. The first three will receive a coupon to try the new pizza and the fourth will win the pizza kit.
Here are the ways to enter...
1. Leave a comment telling me why you like pizza. (mandatory)
2. Follow the Freschetta people on Twitter and let them know if you like their products.
3. Follow the Freschetta people on Facebook and tell them if you like their products.
Please leave a seperate comment for each entry.
I will draw the winners on May 4, 2010.
Good luck everyone.
Isn't this kit great? Hope you win one too!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Walking for Some Very Special Angels

Yesterday, I had the honor and privilege of walking in the March of Dimes March for Babies. I was a member of Team James and Jake. James and Jake became angel babies in January of 2008 at 19 weeks gestation. This is the third year that their mommy and daddy, Brian and Beth Fletcher have led their team. This is their mommy Beth. She is one of the most inspiring and loving women I have ever had the pleasure to know. To know Beth is to know what true love is all about. She is so very special.

This is James and Jake's new little brother Eli. I don't doubt that he was guided here by his big brothers.
This is Anna and Noah. They are James and Jake's big sister and brother. They are wise beyond their young ages. I had a lovely conversation with Anna during the walk and she talked about how she had four brothers. She was so sweet, it just melted my heart.


This is Rhonda, Mary and me. I met Rhonda and Mary through blogging. Rhonda is one of Beth's best friends mom and Mary is Beth's mom. We had a wonderful time together. Being the elder statesemen of the team, we had to suck it up and finish the walk. It was a little tough that last mile. We all decided that five miles would have been perfect. We also decided that when I get done with school in June, we are going to start meeting once a week to walk together. I am really looking forward to that.

These are the members of Team James and Jake. Last year, I had very little idea who most of these people were and now, I call most of them my friends. There are still a few that I don't know. I'll remedy that next year. I exceeded my goal in fundraising and so did the team. It was a very special day and I am proud to have taken part in it.

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Spring Fling/The Final Weigh In


The Spring Fling challenge at the Shrinking Jeans has come to an end. I finished my last week of the challenge with a one pound loss. I'm happy with that. It's been a crazy week over here with the birth of our first grandson. I was a little worried about how much I'd lose. One pound is good.
This has been my best challenge ever with the Shrinking Jeans. I lost something every week. I never once had a gain. My total loss for the challenge is 7.6 pounds. I can finally get my 15 pound button.
My team, the Weight Loss Warriors are fantastic. I love the team challenges and this time I totally lucked out. My team was so supportive. We laughed and cried together. We encouraged each other. I love these ladies. They are truly the best. If we can pull off first place this week, we'll win the whole thing. That would be so awesome. If we don't, it's okay too. I can live with that. We are winners no matter what. Melissa, Brooke, Amber, Lisa and Misty, thank you so much. I'm going to miss this!
So, that's it. Check back and I'll let you know if we took first place and won the challenge.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Spring Organizing Giveaway

Update
Using random.org, the winner is number five which is Lissa. Congratulations hooker. Please email me your information. Thanks to everyone for entering. A new giveaway will be starting in a few days.
I don't know about you, but when I think of spring, I think of cleaning and organizing and decluttering. That's what I've been trying to do around here lately.

I started in my family room. I am considering a new entertainment center. Ours is pretty old and we just got a new tv. I was looking at corner tv stands at the CSN Stores website. Have you ever checked out this website? I was amazed at the number of things they have. They have furniture, home decor, housewares, things for home improvement, outdoor things , exercise things and so many more. I was very impressed.

I was contacted by a representative from CSN Stores and she offered me a giveaway for my readers. The giveaway goes along the same lines as what I have been doing at home. You will have your choice of one of three things from http://www.racksandstands.com/ . All three are for organizing and storing dvd's and cd's. I'll put the link to each item under the pictures so you can go check them out.
http://www.racksandstands.com/Atlantic-63712035-AL0354.html You would get two of these.

http://www.racksandstands.com/OIA-29692-IAB1131.html


http://www.racksandstands.com/Atlantic-1316-AL0010.html


This giveaway is open to residents of the United States and Canada and the prize will be shipped directly to you from CSN. Be sure to leave your email address in your comment if your comment doesn't link back to a blog that has that information.


Here's how to enter...

1. Leave a comment telling me which item you would pick if you win.

Extra entries...

2. Become a follower of my blog.

3. Spread the news about the giveaway on your blog or on Twitter or Facebook.

Please leave a seperate comment for each entry.


I will pick a winner on April 26th using random.org.

Friday, April 16, 2010

My Loves

Words would fail me if I tried to describe how I feel about these three adorable angels.
Let's just say that I love them with all my heart and leave it at that.
Can you blame me?

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

You Capture/Fresh

Fresh cut flowers

I confess that I almost didn't do this week. I didn't have much time to do it and I really didn't want my post from yesterday to be second in line. But then I had a thought.
How about fresh out of the hospital?
It works, right?
I bet there is a lot of freshness over here.

As Promised, My Little Jack

Jack William
9lbs 15ozs
23 inches
April 13
2:34 a.m.
Check out the hair on this little man.
Not a lick of sleep all night, but boy were they happy.
With not much more than a lick of sleep, grammy and papa were pretty excited too.
Last night, I took biggest sister Natalie up to meet her little brother and see her mommy. Big sister Lizzy stayed home with papa. I don't think she would have liked seeing mommy and then having to leave her at the hospital with that new kid.
This isn't a great picture except for the radiance and pride on Sarah's face.
Natalie seems to like her new brother. She was a little concerned about the weird thing on Jack's belly button and she insisted on seeing his feet.
Yea, he just gets cuter by the picture, doesn't he?
I think he's starting to wonder who the crazy woman with the camera is.
And maybe he's getting a little bored with her. Enough with the camera already grandma. I could use some sleep. I had a rough night last night.
This is my sweet angel Lizzy. She looks pretty happy with the balloons her cousins sent her. Poor baby has no idea how her little world is going to be rocked this evening. That's okay. Grammy has all the time in the world to be sure this little one is spoiled rotten too.
So, that was my day yesterday. Having a grandson is quite the novelty. I told you before that it has been 25 years since we had a boy in the family. He's pretty special. Not just for that though. He's special because he is a wonderful gift from God. He's special because he is perfect and beautiful. He's special because he is my grandson. He's special because he has a family who loves him very much. But mostly he's special because he has two equally special big sisters who are the best around. They are going to take such good care of him. And lets be realistic here. They are girly girls, but they are pretty rough and tumble too. They are going to drive him crazy, but he's going to learn to love it, I think.
_________________________________________
So, I just went back and reread this before posting and I am in tears. Maybe it's lack of sleep, but I think it's pride. The great love and pride I have for this family. This family of two that has grown to a perfect family of five. Tonight, they will begin that journey. A family of five. I'll be there with camera in hand to capture the moments. It's going to be a lovely ride.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

HE'S HERE!!!!!!!

Jack William was born at 2:34 this morning. He weighs 9lbs 15ozs. No length yet. He has a head full of dark hair and dark eyes. Jack and his mommy are both perfect. I'll be heading up there later this morning to take at least a million pictures to share with you. Needless to say, I am very happy. How am I going to go to sleep now? It's 3:57 a.m. and I'm far too excited!

Sunday, April 11, 2010

I'm Walking with Team James and Jake

It's only two weeks until the March for Babies six mile walk and I'm still $130.00 from my goal. I'm walking with the Fletcher family. You can read Beth's post from the two year anniversary of the day they lost their sweet twin boys, James and Jake at 19 weeks gestation. This is the third year that Team James and Jake is walking. They did their first walk just two months after the boys died. I can't even imagine the courage that took for them to do the walk. Imagine how raw the feelings had to be then. But they did it. It was a way to honor their precious sons and help other babies in the process. I did my first walk with them last year and it was pure inspiration. This years walk is going to be amazing. The Fletcher family welcomed a beautiful, healthy son named Elijah Harrison to their family on March 29th and he is going to be at the walk with his mommy Beth, daddy Brian, big sister Anna and big brother Noah. I can't wait to meet Eli in person because his pictures are adorable. I also have no doubt that Eli was guided on his journey here by his big brothers James and Jake. They knew how important he was to his family and they made sure Eli was safe and perfect.
This is a picture of our Team James and Jake last year. We were a great team. I hope you will see fit to help me meet my goal for this year. Any size donation will be greatly appreciated by me, Team James and Jake and the March of Dimes. Just click on the March of Dimes widget in my sidebar to donate. Thank you so much.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

The Monday Project Book Club


This Monday Project was to read a book about anything that had to do with healthy living, healthy body, healthy mind, fitness, cooking, whatever we wanted, as long as it had something to do with being healthy. The book I chose was Fit for Life by Harvey and Marilyn Diamond.

Fit for Life is the natural body cycle, permanent weight loss plan that proves it's not what you eat, but when you eat it and how. At least that is what it tells you on the cover. After reading the book and trying it out for a few days so far, I think they are right.

Here is how they break up your 24 hour day.

Cycle 1 Elimination (4a.m. to Noon) During this time period, the only thing you eat is fruit and/or real fruit juice. Having fruit or fruit juice exclusively before noon is the single most important facet of this program.

Cycle 2 Appropriation (Noon to 8 p.m.) Noon is the time of day when you enter the daily eating period. When you read the book, you learn the tools of proper food combining. Basicly, you never eat a starch with a meat or vegetable. You can have the burger, but you can't have the bun. You can have the mashed potato, but you can't have the roast beef. You can eat anything you want. It's what you eat with it that counts.

Cycle 3 Assimilation (8 p.m. to 4a.m.) You have taken in the food. Now it is time to give your body a chance to extract, absorb and utilize the nutrients in that food. No absorption can take place until the food has entered the intestines. A properly combined meal will be out of the stomach in approximately three hours and ready to be absorbed and assimilated. An improperly combined meal can remain in the stomach for eight to twelve hours or longer.

If what they say about fruit in this book is true, you never want to eat fruit with anything but fruit. What they say happens if you eat fruit with anything else is totaly gross. I won't go into detail, but rotting and decay are involved. Like I said, gross.

Bottom line is that I liked this book a lot. It made perfect sense to me. I'm giving it a try. I'm starting whole hog on Monday. I guess that is why I had pizza for dinner tonight at 9:30. It was a long day, don't judge.

p.s. I was also reading Master Your Metabolism by Jillian Michaels, but I haven't finished it. I wasn't in the mood for Jillian to be yelling at me in print. I'll get back to that eventually.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Welcome to My Party


Hi! Come on in and grab a cocktail and some snackies. Welcome to my blog party. This my second blog party. I had so much fun last year, I had to throw another party this year. I'm so glad you could stop by.

My name is Nancy and I am a 55 year old wife and mother. I'm also a daughter, aunt, sister, mother-in-law, friend and employee. But, the very best thing I am is a grandma! I have two granddaughters who are the lights of my life and any day now, they will be welcoming a little brother to their family. My grandson will be the first boy in our family in 25 years. Nothing but girls for 25 years. Is that crazy or what? The oldest girl is a month shy of being four and the youngest is 18 months. My daughter is going to have her hands full.

I've been married for 37 years to a wonderful man. He retired at age 55 and loves it. We have four daughters. Our oldest is 35 and is a school teacher. She has been married for four years and is a marathon runner. She is also a fellow blogger. Next, we have twin daughters who will be 27 in a few weeks. One is a nanny and married for a year and a half. Two grand dogs with that daughter. The other twin is a stay at home mom to my two granddaughters and my soon to be grandson. She has been married for five and a half years. My youngest is a senior at Purdue majoring in elementary education. She has a very steady boyfriend. They have been together for five years.
I work full time at a preschool and love every minute of it. I don't think there is a better job for me. I've been blogging for just over a year now. I had no idea when I started how much I would grow to love it. I have made some wonderful friends. I am losing weight because of my girls at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans and I've become a much better photographer because of You Capture. I also enjoy reading, walking, sewing and playing with my grandkids. The grandkids take up a lot of my time and I wouldn't have it any other way. Feel free to look around. I have a giveaway going on that ends on Monday and new one starting next week.
So....I'm anxious to go and meet all of you. I'm guessing that I already know some of you. Thank you to Five Minutes for Mom for hosting this event.

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

You Capture/Comfort

There were a lot of ways to go with the theme this week.

I thought about it for awhile.

I am a lucky woman. I have many comforts in my life, but one of the most important comforts to me is this man, my husband.

I am so blessed to have the comfort of his love.

The comfort of knowing he will always be by my side.

The comfort of knowing that he gets me.

The comfort of knowing that no matter how stupid I can get, he'll still be here.

He'll be laughing at me, but he'll be there.

And the real blessing of this particular comfort is that he's been here for 39 years and shows no signs of ever wanting to leave.

Who wouldn't find comfort in that?

I love this man with all my heart.

He is comfort to me.

Now, it's time to go to Keli's and see what other comforts are there.

Monday, April 5, 2010

A Yummy Giveaway

UPDATE......The winners of the Edwards Dessert coupons are Mary and Diana aka MeMe. Please email me your address so I can mail you your coupons. Congratulations!!
Do you love dessert? If you do, I have something to tell you about. I was asked to do a review and giveaway for Edwards Singles A La Mode desserts. Oh my gosh!!! If you have one minute, literally one minute, you can have a warm, sweet and yummy treat.
They’re single serve treats that you’ll find in the frozen pie section of the grocery store. They pair hot baked goodness (think brownies, lava cake, apple cake, apple crisp) with cool creamy ice cream. Consider them the little indulgence you deserve –a delicious dessert that is quick and convenient.
We tried the Apple Crisp, the Hot Fudge Brownie and the Turtle Brownie. We loved them all. They were warm and gooey and oh so yummy. The best thing was that it only took a minute to make. Only 45 seconds in the microwave and then you put the ice cream cup on top.
Edwards Desserts is sponsoring their first-ever contest on Facebook geared toward giving moms the recognition they deserve. Until April 23, 2010, visitors to the Edwards Desserts Facebook Fan Page (http://www.facebook.com/EdwardsDesserts) can nominate a mom (their mom, wife, friend, mother figure, etc.) who is deserving of the spotlight for a once-in-a-lifetime red-carpet experience. To nominate a mom, visitors simply pick a mom from their Friends List and write a short essay (250-1,000 characters). To help their nominee stand out, they also have the option to upload a photo or video in support of their nomination. All eligible entries will be judged by a panel based on the following criteria:
1. Creativity (20%)
2. Poignancy (potential for the story to move/inspire people) (20%)
3. Originality/authenticity of content (20%)
4. Persuasiveness as to why the nominee deserves thanks and recognition for her efforts and dedication to others (40%)
Up to 10 finalists will be announced just after Mother’s Day on May 10th, 2010 and Edwards Desserts will open the voting to Facebook users. People can keep up with the contest when they become a fan of the Edwards Desserts Facebook page. One lucky mom will win a first-class trip for two to Hollywood, Calif., including five-star hotel accommodations and tickets to an exclusive red-carpet event. They’ll also win a supply of Edwards Singles desserts to enjoy all year long.

Now, the good people at Edwards Desserts want you to have the chance to try the new Edwards Singles. I have coupons for you to try them for free. Here are the ways you can enter.
1. Leave a comment.
Earn extra entries by...
2. Becoming a fan of Edwards Desserts on FaceBook.
3. Follow my blog.
4. Post about this giveaway on your blog.
Please leave a seperate comment for each entry.
Also, be sure and leave me your email if your comment doesn't link back to your blog.
I'll draw two winners using random.org on Monday evening, April 12.
Good luck everyone. Thanks for entering.

Friday, April 2, 2010

The Circle of Life

We had a death in the family. My husband's cousin died very unexpectedly. He had pneumonia that somehow went into sepsis. He went through a horrible six weeks and then lost his battle. He was only 51 years old. He leaves a wife and one child. A daughter who graduates from high school in a few short months without her daddy. Tonight was the wake and tomorrow is the funeral. It was hard tonight, but it will be harder tomorrow.

Tonight, I want to remember that we've had some good days too. Last Sunday, we had a baby shower for my daughter. She is due soon with our first grandson. I can't even explain how excited we are about this. I'm sure I told you before that it's been 25 years since we had a baby boy born in our family. Needless to say, we have no boy clothes to pass down, so we had a small shower to get him started.

This is my beautiful daughter and me. Isn't she adorable?
These are my four pride and joys. All beautiful and all mine.


This my daughter and my mom. Mom is so excited about this baby, her first great grandson.


These are some daughters, nieces and great nieces.


Who might possibly have bought this present?


I know this is going to seem random, but ever since Beth's shower, I can't get enough of this stuff. It's cucumber water and it is so refreshing.

This is a time for my family to learn about the circle of life. We've lost a family member, but we are also going to have a new one. It's a time to hold my loved ones a little closer and make sure they know how much I love them. They are my heart and soul and the lights of my life. They mean everything to me.
On this blessed Easter weekend, hold your family close and tell them that you love them.