SNOW DAY!

"Snow provokes responses that reach right back to childhood." - Andy Goldsworthy

We received a good amount of snow last Wednesday (2-3") so instead of taking the big girls to preschool, we all stayed home. I wasn't sure how much snow was going to fall and it was coming down heavy that morning, so I didn't want to risk getting all three girls out. Good thing I listened to my instinct because the roads were completely driveable by the time school would have been out. We got a lot of snow, but yes, I could have easily driven to pick them up. So, I guess the motherly instinct that I was really listening to was the excitement of having all three of my girls at home for the day. I sure do love them! Here are some pics of our day. Please excuse the fact that all of these pictures were taken with my phone, but when you have a day this fun there's no time to grab the camera!

This is how Bailey eats her bagel. Silly girl!

 Bailey and Lou playing on the couch. We don't normally allow them to do this, but the excitement of snow can cloud a parents better judgement. And, they were having a blast!

After about 20 minutes, the girls came in for hot chocolate with marshmallows to warm them up

Then we made Chocolate Pumpkin muffins. Yum!

Pay no attention to the girl in the back. Goober.

The finished product

The cutest little snow boots ever. Totally unpractical, yet still adorable!

Round two, back in the snow

Snow Angel

Parker enjoyed being tucked in my coat, and I didn't mind that she was keeping me warm as well

Two rounds of Disney Princess Candy Land before naps

Sweet Parker refusing to nap

Oh wait, no one napped, so we moved on to art time

And that was our day. So much fun packed into one day one half of a day!

Reality Check: Did I mention that no one napped? The first half of the day was wonderful, but the second half was a little rough considering everyone was tired and fussy. And then Lou finished off the day throwing up three times. Alas, all good things must come to an end ... but it was fun while it lasted!

And, word on the street is that more snow is coming tonight ... we shall see!

What Do You Fear?

"Fear only exists in the mind. Fear is nothing more than an emotional response to our natural desire to avoid discomfort. It is ONLY a response to an IMAGINED outcome. Many people get used to letting fear lead them through life. They avoid anything they do not want to face, they cower away from conflict. But then fear becomes something else. Fear becomes walls that block us in and block alternatives. Fear gets us stuck on one path. Then we stop recognizing fear and it becomes a reason as to why we can't. 'I can't, it's to hard.' Fear gives an indication that you are venturing into the realm of the unfamiliar. It gives you an indication that you are on the edge of your ASSUMED limits. You need to bust through these so called 'limits.' Remember that everyone feels fear. The only difference is how it affects you and the way you handle it. Let fear push you forward instead of holding you back." - Dare To Be Different

When I started Boot Camp in October, I was nervous ... dare I say afraid, fearful? Boot Camp. Those can be two pretty scary words. However, once I joined the class, I realized that I am capable of doing far more than I ever imagined. And, I enjoy it!

Guess what else? I also enjoy running. I used to fear running. I hated it. I could come up with every excuse in the book not to run. Then the boot camp girls started getting together to run. Really?! Don't they know that I hate running? No, but you know what they did know? They knew I could do it. They were right. So far this year, I'm signed up to run a Marathon Relay in Fayetteville in April, the Warrior Dash 5k in May, the Tulsa Run 15K in October, and the Rt 66 Half Marathon in November. Yes, I said half marathon! The thought of it still makes me a little nervous, but I no longer fear the 13.1 miles that I will run because I will be prepared when the time comes. I know what I'm capable of and that leaves no room for fear.

I've also taken this new found freedom to other areas of my life. Until this past week, I feared our school loans. The thought of trying to pay them off beyond the normal monthly payment seemed out of reach. Pointless even. But, two recent conversations with friends made me remember that I'm in control, not the school loans. My husband and I have now come up with a plan of action to get those loans paid off. We know that this won't happen in a few months, it won't even happen in a few years, but it will happen because we're not afraid of that debt anymore. We can do this!

I'm not writing this to convince you to join Boot Camp or to start running. I'm writing this blog to share some milestones that I've overcome in the past 4 months. I'm stronger physically and mentally than I used to be. Don't get me wrong, there will still be events in my life that I may fear, but now I will notice that fear and take control. I hope that you can apply this message to some part of your life. Is there something that is holding you back? Do you have an addiction that you need to overcome? Whatever it may be, I hope that you can look fear in the face and let it know that you're not afraid and that you're in control. I believe in you!


1 John 4:18 - "There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love."

I LOVE COUPONS!

This is my 100th post! Who knew I could type (aka talk) so much? Wink, wink. I want to personally thank you for taking time out of your busy day to read my blog. Sometimes it's informative and sometimes it's just plain non sense, so thanks for putting up with me. Now, onto the good stuff ...


I'm honored to be teaching another coupon class next week with my best friend. We are blessed by every opportunity that we have to share our knowledge with others. Using coupons is so easy once you get the hang of it, but sometimes the information just doesn't click unless you are able to ask questions as you learn. So, if you're in the Tulsa/BA area then sign up to come to the class by clicking here. The class will be held at Destiny Church in BA next Monday, Feb 25th, from 7:00-8:30pm.

The above picture shows some deals that I got at Target over the weekend. Here is the breakdown:

• The two Barbie dolls retail for $18.99 each. They were marked down to $9.98 each. They rang up (by the grace of God) at $5.68 each. I had a coupon for $3.00 off if I bought two Barbie brand items. Retail for both Barbies = $39.78. My price for both = $8.36.
• The Nivea Men's Face Cream retails for $1.97 each in the travel section. They were marked down to $1.77 each. I had two $2 off coupons. Retail for both Nivea creams = $3.94. My price for both = ($0.46). Yes, that's a negative!
• By the way, my husband won't use this cream so I'm going to give it to Broken Arrow Neighbors along with other items I have gotten for free.
• The Velveeta cheese and Rotel go together. I had a coupon for Buy One Velveeta cheese and get Two cans of Rotel for free! I also had two $1.00 off coupons for the Velveeta and one $0.40 off coupon for the purchase of two cans of Rotel. I had enough coupons to do this deal twice.
• Basically the two Velveeta cheeses retail for $5.89 each. They were marked down to $5.30 each. I had two $1.00 off coupons. Retail for both Velveeta cheeses = $11.78. My price for both = $8.60.
• The four cans of Rotel retail for $0.89 each. I had one coupon for $0.40 off the purchase of two cans plus they were all free because I bought the two Velveeta cheeses. Retail for four cans of Rotel = $3.56. My price for four cans = ($0.40). Another negative!
• The two Pampers diapers retail for $9.99 each. They were marked down to $8.99 each. I had two $1.50 off coupons plus one $1.00 off coupon for buying two packages plus one $1.00 off Target coupon. I also got back a $5 Target gift card for buying two packages. Retail for both diapers = $19.98. My price for both (including the $5 gift card) = $7.98. That breaks down to $0.12 per diaper!

The key to all of this is learning how to make your money work for you!

Ecclesiastes 7:22 - "Wisdom is a shelter as money is a shelter, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves those who have it."

The New Me - Month Four

"Even when they have made strides towards eating healthier and increasing their exercise programs, most people gauge their real success by the numbers reflected on the scale. Yes, we've all heard that muscle weighs more than fat and that water retention can skew the numbers. Yet, the scale holds the most weight (yes, pun intended) when determining our dieting loss success or failure. Our entire mood can be dramatically affected by the daily weigh-in. We can be on top of the world one minute because we have completed our 45-minute aerobic session, yet one step on the scale reduces us to tears. How can I work out that hard and NOT lose weight? You may believe that the session was pointless, because of what the scale says! The beastly apparatus on the floor has become the expert in weight loss feedback. If the scale does not show a shift in weight (lower numbers) every day, then somehow we think we have failed.
The truth is, the scale can work as a motivating force behind our weight loss efforts, but remember that as much as that scale can build us up, it can tear us down. So, what to do? How can we reconcile ourselves to the fact that the scale is NOT always our best friend, and it often doesn’t give us the straight story?
Here are some ways to measure your weight loss success rather than using the scale. By the way, when it comes to weigh-ins, weekly weigh-ins are sufficient. If you’re doing the 3 times a day weigh-in, you’re doing yourself (and any attempts to change your lifestyle) a serious disservice. Here’s the scoop:
1) Clothing: You know how it feels to put on a skirt or dress you've been unable to wear for a year? Nothing is better than being able to comfortably fit into that article of clothing that you considered giving away because you never thought you'd be able to wear it again!
2) Attitude: When you begin to eat better and exercise more regularly, you will find yourself feeling more positive about the changes you re making. Having a positive attitude plays a large role in keeping you motivated and moving forward. Feeling positive allows you to make more decisions that are positive!
3) Friendly Comments: The best part of changing your lifestyle to healthy eating and daily activity are the comments you'll begin receiving from others. Being told, You look great! goes a long way in reminding us that our efforts are well worth it."

                                                                                            -Howtobefit.com

 

 

Four months ago, on Oct 13th, I decided to make a change. You can click on the 'Health' link in the Labels section to the left of my blog to read my progress in months one, two, and three.

 

I put the above information from howtobefit.com in this post because I realized during month four that I was giving my scale too much credit. I didn't have a scale in month one so when my parents gave us an extra scale (where the needle moves to the correct number) they had laying around, I noticed that I was starting to weigh myself every day. Over time, a few doctor weigh ins for myself and my husband, had me questioning the accuracy of our scale so I bought a new one with a digital display. The new scale verified my suspicions. I had not lost as much weight as I had originally thought. What a huge blow. I was confused for a few days. The self doubt started to creep in and I tried to convince myself that all my hard work was worthless because the scale didn't reflect my efforts.

 

After my pity party, I had to regroup. I had to look in the mirror to remind myself of the changes I had made. I had to remember that my pants are now too big (#1 above). I had to remember that I feel better about my body than I did four months ago (#2 above). I had to listen ... really listen ... when my friends would tell me how great I looked (#3 above). I had to be proud of myself again. I had to embrace the weight I truly was. I had to keep going.

 

So, all that being said, here is how I kept going in month four.

 

Workout Routine / Accountability: In month four, I committed to Boot Camp M, W, and F. I ran on T, Th, and Sat. I played soccer on Sunday.

 

Day 94: Push ups 30, Crunches 60

 

Day 95: Boot camp. Push ups 30, Crunches 70

 

Day 96: Ran two miles with Dawn

 

Day 97: Boot camp. Push ups 30, Crunches 60

 

Day 98: Ran two miles

 

Day 100: Boot camp. Push ups 30, Crunches 75

 

Day 101: Ran two miles with Dawn. Push ups 30, Crunches 60

 

Day 102: Boot camp. Push ups 30, Crunches 75

 

Day 103: Went out to run two miles, but ran 3.1 miles (5k) instead!

 

Day 104: Boot camp. Push ups 30, Crunches 50

 

Day 105: Ran/Walked 3 miles with Jen and Michelle. Push ups 30, Crunches 75. Got new running shoes at Fleet Feet.

 

Day 106: Soccer. Push ups 30, Crunches 40, Leg throw downs 20

 

Day 107: Boot camp. Push ups 30, Crunches 40, Leg throw downs 20

 

Day 108: Ran 3.5 miles with Dawn and Jen. Unfortunately, my new shoes hurt my right foot. Push ups 30, Crunches 50

 

Day 109: Boot camp. Push ups 30, Leg throw downs 50

 

Day 110: Ran 1.5 miles with Dawn. Push ups 30, Crunches 60

 

Day 111: Boot camp. I'm going to hold off on push ups for a while to rest my left shoulder. I injured it sometime last week. Crunches 60

 

Day 112: First rest day in 13 days!

 

Day 113: Played a full 40 minute soccer game because we had no girl subs. Also, our boot camp instructor challenged us to do Burpee's each day this month. So, on the 1st we do 1 burpee. On the 2nd, we do two burpee's and so on.

 

Day 114: Boot camp. Burpee's 4

 

Day 115: Ran/Walked 2.63 miles with Jen and Michelle. Crunches 75. Burpee's 5

 

Day 116: Boot camp. Crunches 30, Leg throw downs 25. Burpee's 6

 

Day 117: Crunches 50. Burpee's 7

 

Day 118: Boot camp. Burpee's 8. Returned my shoes to Fleet Feet to try a new pair.

 

Day 119: Broke in my new shoes with a 2 mile run in 20 minutes 6 seconds. That's my best two mile run. Crunches 75. Burpee's 9

 

Day 120: Soccer. Crunches 80. Burpee's 10

 

Day 121: Boot camp. Burpee's 11

 

Day 122: Ran 3.5 miles in the snow. It was beautiful! Burpee's 12

 

Day 123: Boot camp. Burpee's 13. Four months down!

 

 

Month Four Results:

• I now weigh myself once a week.
• I've lost a total of 6 1/2" in four months with 4 1/2 of those inches being in my problem areas (aka hips and waist).
• My arms, legs, and abs are starting to look like they did pre baby(s). I still have a way to go, but I'm getting there.
• I'm starting to enjoy running more than dreading it. It's a daily process!
• In month five I've committed to keep my current schedule. I will attend Boot camp on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I will run on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. I will keep playing soccer on Sunday.

Like I said before, I've given myself 6 months as long as it takes to get back in the shape that I want to be in so I'll update you again at the end of month five.

 



One Year: Proof That Time Flies

Parker Eva is one year old today! Our last, sweet, precious, adorable child is no longer a baby. She's a toddler. Lets take a trip down memory lane...

 Oh the things you do with kid #3 that you never would have done with kid #1!

Parker and her BFF Emma - Born 15 days apart!

Santa with the Chesser's

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS P!

WE LOVE YOU MORE!