Midweek Check In

First up, no Weight Watchers Wednesday post today.  I didn't get to go yesterday because I worked at my old job.  Basically, I answered the phone and played with babies.  It was a great day!

I thought I would do a check in on our life lately:

• About my jeep:  I had mentioned on here that Chad and I were car shopping.  Well, we have decided not to do anything right now.  I could write a big long post about what all was wrong with our jeep but I will give you the CliffNotes version: Our local dealership messed up my car, we suspect.  Back in December, we noticed a leak under the hood so I took it in.  They couldn't find anything and sent me on my way.  Right after that, the sensor that controls my 4WD and cruise control stopped working.  My car sat at the dealership pretty much an entire month while they TRIED to figure out what was going on .  They ordered a new sensor and everything started working.  Then I scratched the bumper so I took it to be painted and another sensor went out.  The dealer tells me that it is the collision center's fault that the sensor doesn't work but the collision center said it was the dealer's fault because they didn't touch the sensor.  I was caught in the middle.  Oh, and our dealer also broke the grill under the hood trying to put in a new radiator (remember when I said that something was leaking- yup, the radiator).  By this point, I was DONE.  I sought out a second opinion on my car so I drove it to another dealer thirty minutes away from the house.  They took one look at the sensor that wasn't working and said,"It isn't plugged in."  They plugged it in and everything magically started working.  Keep in mind that my local dealer supposedly examined the sensor and said that I needed to get the collision center to fix it.  Why didn't they see that it was unplugged??!!  I asked the new dealer to examine my car carefully and give me an honest report....  Everything is fine.  There is one recall on it and one hose that needs to be clamped.  It got so bad, we were advised to get a lawyer and file a lawsuit under the lemon law.  Now that everything is working properly, I am satisfied with my car.  I would love to have a brand new Tahoe, but money don't grow on trees around here!
• I found this site last night and found out they were having a sale on monogram decals!!!  I bought five- three for Caylee and two for me.  I am thinking I am going to put them on water bottles.  

• I need to get busy and fill up Easter baskets.  We are going on a short trip next week for Spring Break so I need to get my rear in gear.  We don't do much for Easter.  The kids are getting Snackeez and I will throw something else in there that they need (like Under Armour shorts for Carson).
• Chad has been home all week!  PTL!  I think he will be gone several nights in April.  My SuperMom cape is in the laundry so it will need to be cleaned and ironed before he leaves again.  ;)  

That's it for today!  The weather is nice so I am going outside!!

Five Friday Favorites!!!

It's Finally Friday!!!!!  This has been the longest week EVER and we still have one more week before Spring Break.  Can I make it to Spring Break?  I hope so!

Thanks for stopping by my little blog.  Linking up to some awesome ladies!

I am shaking things up a little bit.  I am going to list five of my favorite random things right now.

O-N-E
I have been using Proactiv+ for over a year now.  I love it as much today as I did when I started using it.  I have very oily skin, which leads to acne.  Yes,  I am knocking on the door to 4-0 and I still have acne.

T-W-O
I go back and forth between shampoos.  I told myself that I was going to find a more economical shampoo but I have switched back to my tried and true friend: Redken Body Full.  I was disappointed when I saw the poor reviews on their website but it does work well for me.  I will still use Pantene volumizing shampoo just so I can finish out the bottle but this is my tried and true best shampoo for me.

T-H-R-E-E
I have thrown all of my lipsticks away except for my Merle Norman Lip Plus Pencils.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this product.  It is a liner and lip color all in one.  I currently have Sparkling wine, mocha (I am to the very end of this one), mocha honey, and spice sachet.  I can't pick a favorite color but I will say that I will wear the mocha honey more this summer because it is a light shade.

F-O-U-R
I bit the bullet and bought me some Skechers Go Walks.  Thanks for the peer pressure, Andrea!  ;)
I got the dark gray color because I have a light gray pair of TOMS and they show every spec of dirt. I really wanted a bolder color but gray is the only thing that will go with red, gray, and black (Carson's baseball team) and I fully intend to wear them to the ballpark (and I didn't want black).  I got Caylee a pair as well- they were buy one get one half.  She isn't a big tennis shoe person (she HATES socks) so this will be a great alternative for Dollywood, etc.

F-I-V-E
We went to Sam's last weekend for the usual (big bag of chicken, Skinny Pop Popcorn, wash powders, oxi clean) and walked out with this:

Oh. My. Word.  This stuff is AMAZING.  A little goes a long way though. I washed clothes the other day and hung some in the laundry room to dry and you can smell the fabric booster in the other room.  Chad thinks it is too strong so I will just have to remember not to use them in his clothes.

I hope you all have a great weekend!  This is our last weekend before baseball tournaments begin!  I saw this graphic on pinterest and it describes me perfectly!

Weight Watchers Wednesday

Is today seriously only Wednesday???  This week has crept by.  I have spent the last two days at two different Jeep dealers- I need to just bite the bullet and do a blog post about everything going on.  It is B-A-D.

I did make it to Weight Watchers yesterday morning and weighed in.  I lost

-3 pounds!!!!

Technically, I am under the line of my four pound window.  They didn't make me pay though.  If I continue to be on the lower end of my range, there is a possibility that I might lower my goal weight. I need to talk to my leader about that though.  I think it would be a good idea to lower my weight anyway with summer coming on.  I would love to maintain what I weigh now so that I can feel comfortable in my summer clothes (read: bathing suits).  I am going to think about it and track my weight for a  couple more weeks to see what happens.

This week in our meeting, we talked about chain reactions. I was suffering from a chain reaction when I went to the meeting.  Because of all the drama surrounding our jeep, I missed my weekly grocery shopping trip and meal planning time.  I normally do all of that on Monday and Tuesday but it didn't get done this week.  On top of the jeep issues, Chad is traveling, we have LONG baseball practices (forty five minute commute to and from the field on top of that), Caylee has to make up missed dance classes due to snow, and we have the regular demands of homework and housework.  An excuse?  Maybe, but it is the truth right now.  I let all of the stress of my stupid car lead me to wrong decisions as far as my eating and what my kids have eaten.  Let's put it this way, Pal Barger and Panera have fed us twice already this week!  (For those of you not local to my area, Pal Barger owns the best fast food restaurant anywhere!)  Here's a pic:

Yes, that is a big ol' hot dog sitting on the building!

Luckily, there are some things on the menu that, when altered a little, is weight watchers acceptable.  I was upset at the fact that I have allowed this incident with the jeep affect my eating plan.  My jeep needed to go back to the shop today but I told Chad this morning on the phone that I am purposefully not going back today because there are many things I need to do at home in addition to the grocery store and meal planning that never got done.

One tip I shared this week with the group:  I do much better about eating my fruits and vegetables if I cut them up and put them in clear containers.  If I spend a little bit of time prepping the food (cutting, slicing, storing, etc), I am more likely to eat them.  Just last week, I threw out some carrots because I didn't take the time to cut them up.  Not only did I not get my vegetables in, but I wasted money on them.  

Another tip shared by my leader (which I used to do but need to get back on the wagon of doing, especially with baseball season) is packing a bag of snacks for the car.  If you are out and about and feel hunger coming on, it is easier to reach in the bag and grab a snack as opposed to going through a drive thru!

Thank you all for allowing me to share my weight loss story.  If you are contemplating losing weight, I hope you would consider weight watchers.  It takes time but it WORKS!

What One Five Means to Us

I saw this on Pinterest yesterday and I have to have it in Carson's room.   I have not decided if I will try to print it or maybe see if I can get it painted onto a canvas.  I love this quote so much.  The picture is a little blurry (not sure why).

Carson certainly has a story to tell as to why he wears 15.  It has to do with this guy.

I know I have mentioned Sam before.  He is the son of a friend of mine and is currently a Senior in high school, and plays football and baseball.  Two years ago, we were at a football game and Sam caught a great pass in the end zone for a TD and Carson asked me who that was.  He was so excited about the play.  He told me he wanted to meet that kid.  "That kid" just happened to be dating our babysitter at the time.  When he realized all of this, he immediately told me he wanted to meet him.  I text Sam's mom and asked if I could bring Carson to the field after the game.  Carson was over the moon excited to meet Sam.  Since that night, Carson has met Sam after every game to congratulate him on the win, offer hugs of support, etc and they have had their picture made after every ballgame.  They became friends (well as much as a second grader and sophomore could!  HA!) and Sam even babysat/hung out with Carson on a couple of occasions for us.  He has worked with Carson on baseball too.  Heck, he even danced with me in the Nutcracker!  ;) Sam was a big part of Carson being on field crew this year.

When Carson started playing competitive baseball, the coach told the kids to be thinking about what number they wanted to wear.  That night, Carson got in the car and said, "I'm going to wear number 15 in Sam's honor."  In Sam's house, there is no other number than 15, and that rule holds true in our house as well!

Even though Carson's has played on different teams, one thing remains the same- he has always worn number 15.  When you ask Carson who his favorite players are, he always says Sam's name first- then  Peyton Maning, Derek Jeter, andDustin Pedoria.

Sam graduates this year and will most likely play baseball at the collegiate level.  We look forward to supporting him wherever he goes!  He has been such a great influence on my little One Five (that's what I call him sometimes).

What's Up?

I saw this post over at The Larson Lingo so I thought, What the hey?  I'll do it too!

What we are eating:
I could lie to you and tell you that I am making home cooked meals every night that are pinterest worthy, but I am not.

What I can tell you is that we are eating out a lot because of our crazy schedule.  Carson has baseball on Mondays and Wednesdays, pitching lessons on Tuesday, Caylee has dance on Tuesdays and Thursdays, we eat out on Saturday nights.  The crazy part is that activities fall during meal prep time so if it doesn't come out of the crock pot, it is coming from a fast food restaurant.  It does make it hard with me doing Weight Watchers but I am trying to stay on track all of the other meals and make wise decisions during those times that I can't control.   This is just a season in our life.  It will not last forever and I will enjoy it while it is here.

What I am Reading:

I borrowed this from our church library.  It is an easy read and is eye opening and gut wrenching.  I am only in the first chapter but she has challenged me to go hands free for a portion of the day.  No checking email, Facebook, Instagram- nothing.  Be totally present and in tune with my kids (and Chad).  I have chosen the times of right after school until bedtime.  We are usually so busy during that time anyway but I have found myself grabbing my phone intermittently to check something silly.  

I downloaded this book from our public library.  We have an awesome app that allows you to download books from the library to your device (and here I am saying that I am going hands free).  My biggest problem is I can't get the books read before they disappear when the loan period is over.  I really like this book.

What I am loving:

One on one time with each kiddo.  Chad and I are taking a parenting class at our church and one of the things that has weighed heavy on our hearts is that we don't do enough with our children individually.  On the nights Carson has baseball, Caylee and I have gone somewhere to have dinner together.  On the nights Caylee has dance, Carson and I will go to Starbucks or go to a local park and throw baseballs.  I love these times with each kid.

My cute Panera date.

What we've been up to:

Watching a whole lotta this:

We are practicing three days per week and at least once on the weekend.  Games start next weekend.  I think this may be one of my favorite pictures.  I love his gloves hanging out of his little pants and the way he is standing!  

What I am dreading:

Honestly, I am sort of dreading Carson's first game.  We experienced so many emotions last fall over what happened with his former team.  I don't think Carson has completely bounced back from that.  I am not sure how all of that will play out on the field.  It is highly likely that we will play his former team.  I am already praying that God will hold my tongue when it needs to be held but be a source of positive encouragement for Carson.  Would you join me as I pray that prayer? 

What I am working on:

A deep clean of my house.  Slowly but surely.  I have many little messes all over the house! Still working on Caylee's room!

What I am excited about:

SPRING BREAK!  We are hopefully going up to Washington DC.  I say hopefully because we haven't heard if we got White House Tour  passes.  If we don't go to DC, I have other plans up my sleeve!

What I am watching:

Well, since our DIRECTV hasn't been installed yet and I got rid of cable last week, I have been watching Parenthood on Netflix.  Love it!

What I am listening to:

Luke Bryan, of course!  I am channeling my inner college girl.  He is doing two concerts in PCB tonight and tomorrow.  I'd be totally lying if I said I didn't want to be there!  He has a new EP- Spring Break.... Checkin' Out.  It is pretty good- not Crash My Party good, but good.

What I am annoyed by:

You know how some fast food places have double lanes for ordering?  Why do people still line up in one line and block anyone from going to the other line??!!

What I am reminscining about:
Since I am listening to Luke, I am thinking back to the Farm Tour concert and the fact that I touched him multiple times!

What I am looking forward to:

SUMMER BREAK!!!  We have a couple of trips planned, some surprises, and many trips to Dollywood and Splash Country!

What I am thankful for:

I am thankful for so many things but today I am thankful that I actually have the TIME to sit down and write this blog post.  I am thankful for my time at home and thankful for Chad's job outside of the home so that I can BE at home.

What I am hoping for:

SUNSHINE.  Warm weather.  It is cool and dreary here.

This was fun!  I may have to do this a couple of times a year!  Feel free to participate if you want.  Send me a link to your posts!

Weight Watchers Wednesday

Greetings!!!!

First up, I have some somewhat disappointing news....

They didn't record my weight last week so I will have to weigh in before the end of March.

WOMP. WOMP. WOMP.

I didn't have a great week last week. {Hello, Steak N Shake and two birthday parties}.  The greatest thing about Weight Watchers is that it is forgiving.  You didn't have a great week- there is always tomorrow; or the next meal; the next hour.  Get refocused and get back on track.

I didn't weigh in yesterday because I was scared.  I was scared that I would have been my two pounds over and would have to pay.  Truthfully, when I came home and weighed, I was a pound under what I should be.  My scales at home and the scales at the WW center are about a pound to a pound and a half off.  I  must weigh in next Tuesday because I will not be able to attend the next two meetings.

In our class this week, we talked about mindful eating.  In a nutshell, paying attention to what you are eating- eat slowly (I have a hard time with this), get rid of distractions (TV, devices, etc), and pay attention to servings.

I did something this week that was the polar opposite of what I should have done.  We had two birthday parties this weekend- I only made an appearance at one because Carson had baseball practice (but I did get some yummy trail mix for the road).  We celebrated my dad's birthday and mom got a yellow cake with caramel icing.  I had a very small piece at the party. This isn't where it gets bad- she sent cake home with us.  After dinner last night, I finished it off and was SICK to my stomach afterward.  Why did I do that????  I regretted it. I did it because I didn't want it to go to waste.  What I should have done was cut a small slice and made Chad finish it off.

I did experience a victory this week.  I needed one more pair of bluejeans- because let's face it- my laundry isn't doing itself during baseball season!  I bought a pair of Levis in a SIZE 6.  I am going to go out on a limb and say that I am officially a SIZE 6.

A SIX.

I have purchased three different brands of pants in size 6.  I know that different brands run differently but I feel like I am victorious.  The last pair of Levis I bought were 12s.

Happy Wednesday!

Friday Brain Dump

Hello!!! It is a Friday Brain Dump!

Linking up with:

Andrea | April | Karli

FIRST:
I feel like I say all of my weeks are crazy and I am crazy- I say this all the time and I am convinced that I am.  Chad was gone this week for work- hence the crazy.  As you have probably figured out by now, something always happens when he is gone.  This week was no different.  I thought I was taking the bull by the horns when I visited the liquor store (our grocery stores don't sell wine... yet) on Monday afternoon before kid pickup.  I decided that I was going to be prepared for whatever came my way.

Things were going great until we got home from school on Monday.  I backed the Grand Cherokee in the garage as always (we have to back it in so Elmer won't chew on my wiring harness anymore- a whole other story for another day) but apparently I didn't back it in  far enough.   I went inside and got a phone call saying our propane company was coming to fill up the tank and they asked me to get the dogs in.  They were literally two minutes away so I got the dogs in the garage and put the door down. The hinge of the door put a big ole scratch on my bumper.

Chad was in Nashville so I called him and told him.  We thought we could just clean it good and put a tag over it but no.  I filed a claim with insurance and it will be fixed on Tuesday. Speaking of the GC, we THINK the 4WD and cruise control will be fixed Monday.  The part is in.  YAHOO!!!

SECOND:
I made oatmeal in the crock pot for breakfast this week.  It was SO GOOD.  Carson liked it because I put a big scoop of peanut butter in his bowl.

I got the recipe from my Arkansas friend, Jenna.

1 cup steel cut oats

3 cups water

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon butter

Toppings:

brown sugar

fruit

peanut butter

Spray crock pot with cooking spray.  Dump ingredients minus toppings.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  

Yields: 4 servings 

1/3 cup= 4 WW+ points

THIRD:

I started a deep clean/purge of Caylee's room.  I was just asking for punishment!  She is such a hoarder!  I love starting with a blank slate.  I sang me some Taylor Swift as I was cleaning out her room.  "I've got a Blank Space, baby.  And I'll write your name."

 All of her stuff had to go somewhere.
#godhelpusall
#somestuffisstillout

My problem is I can't work in there when she is home.  If I dare throw something away and she sees it, she will dig it out of the trash and put back.  UGH!

FOURTH:

The kids missed school yesterday due to a small ice storm.  I am officially sick of snow days.  I am sick of snow days when Chad is out of town.  I decided last night that we needed a change of scenery for the day.  The kids were already scheduled to be out of school today for teacher inservice so I made the executive decision to take them to Knoxville for the day.  We went to Steak n Shake for lunch.  Funny Carson story- we walk into Steak 'n Shake and he said, "this reminds me of a diner back in the old days- like the 90s." 

After lunch, we ran into an outfitters store and I bought both kids Chacos.  I love mine and Caylee had been begging for a pair.  I ended up getting Carson some too for Dollywood and Splash Country. After the shopping, we went to JumpJam, an indoor trampoline park.  My sole item on my agenda today was for them to exhaust themselves!

 Mission accomplished!

Our last two stops were to Trader Joe's and to get icees from Weigels.  A Knoxville tradition!  ;)

This is my Trader Joe's loot.  I love the white cheddar puffs!  I only had a small handful.

FIFTH:

I finally broke down and ordered a real waffle iron.  We have a Mickey Waffle iron but it basically makes Mickey pancakes.  The iron came in the mail this week so on our snow day, I made real waffles!  They were AWESOME!  

Four thumbs up for great waffles!

FINALLY:

I have slacked on my Weight Watchers post.  Heck, I have slacked in weight watchers this week.  I will do a WW post this weekend.  Someone needs to come kick my butt and get me back on track- THANK GOD I don't have to weigh in!  

Happy Weekend! 

Anniversary

Today isn't my wedding anniversary but the anniversary of a defining moment in my adult life....

Three years ago today, I took a leave of absence from my job that turned into a resignation. I didn't realize what an impact the stress of my job had on me and my family until the stress was gone.

Since quitting my job, I have enjoyed the littlest things in life.  I have enjoyed being outside playing with the kids and dogs, reading books for pleasure, going to the gym,  Netflix ;), meals at home,  and a {somewhat} flexible schedule. I enjoy being at home but I know Chad LOVES me being home.  We had a discussion not long ago and he said that it is because I stay home that he can have the job he has and do what he does.  I always thought of it the other way- it was Chad's job that provided ME the opportunity but what we have learned is the door certainly swings both ways.  Chad's job requires a lot of travel and we came to the realization that there is just no way I could work outside the home if he has a job that requires so much of him.  Furthermore, he has been able to step out of his "work area" and has been able to provide support for other districts.

I have learned many things the last three years- some the hard way!

• I am NOT a homeroom mama diva!  Been there, done that. Not again.  It just isn't me.  
• You really can set an alarm for 6AM!  When I worked, my alarm went off at 5:30.  Sleeping until 6:00AM is glorious! 
• It is nice to know that I don't have to get up, get showered, and get ready for the day right away if I don't want to.  Sometimes showers don't happen until later in the day!  
• It is nice to drink a  cup of coffee in a dark house while you check email and blogs before the rest of the house wakes up!
• I don't have to check my email 500 times after 3PM!  
• I am learning to cook.  My kids don't ask WHERE we are eating anymore.
• The grocery store and Walmart are mostly pleasant at 8AM!  
• Our kids are able to do things because I DON'T work.  One would think this is the opposite but actually, Carson can play travel ball because I have the time and availability to take him to practice.  Besides, I have Mondays after tournament weekends to get caught up on chores.
• Speaking of chores, they don't get done any quicker or more frequently than they did when I worked. ;( 
• One would think you have infinite time at home and can be a Pinterest Mom- but it doesn't happen.  I am just as busy today as I was three years ago when I worked- it is a different kind of busy, but still busy.

While I don't know what the next three years will hold, I do know that I will continue to make the most of my time at home with my people.  At some point, I will return to the workforce (can you say, college expenses?), but for now, I am enjoying my life of running kids here and there, dabbling in Thirty One, and hopefully working for Weight Watchers!  I have everything I need!