The Family That Loses Together....

If you are a regular reader, you know I have been on this Weight Loss Journey for 18 months.  I have lost 110 lbs as of this morning's weigh in.  My family and friends have been incredibly supportive and motivating, especially my sister, Kari, and her husband, Josh.  Josh called me last weekend and had a great idea for us all to do this together.  By all, I mean him, my sister, my husband Roger and I.  Saturday we met at their house, I shared my knowledge, took measurements and got them all started on My Fitness Pal to begin tracking their calories.

I will let them introduce themselves:

My name is Joshua Bryant. I am 33 years old with three very active boys all under the age of 5. With a very busy and hectic lifestyle I've never put a big emphasis on my own health. I've always tried to put the health of my kids and my wife before me. As I now look at myself, I am starting to realize that I can't keep up with my children, I am always tired, and my body feels like it is falling part.  I decided to start this journey down the path of a healthier lifestyle.  Not to deprive myself of food, but to be more conscious of the food that I put in my body.  My goal for this journey is to lose about 50 pound. To get down to a healthy weight of 150.  I want to be able to run with out being out of breath within 2 minutes. To be able to enjoy my children as they grow up and to enjoy my grandchildren as they come along and to overall become a healthy and vibrant person once again.

Hello!  I am Kari (Josh's wife and Kristy's sister).  I stay at home with our 3 crazy young boys.  I also have a craft business I run from our home...oh and an accounting job I do one day a week.  To say my days are busy and hectic is a complete understatement!  Out of the four of us, I am probably the most apprehensive about this journey.  I understand the importance to get and stay healthy but struggle with finding the time and energy to make it a success.  This is why doing this as a family is so important. My goal is to be comfortable in my body, whatever weight that may be.

Hi.  My name is Roger.  Kristy and I have been married just over 11 years.  I've always been a big guy but fairly active.  My wife is a great cook and after we married, we just stopped paying attention to how much we were eating.  I have a physically demanding job, keeping me on my feet for 8 to 10 hours a day.  My goal is to be able to do my job the best I can, curb my sugar addiction and catch up with my wife.

Quiet Book for Nephew #2

 If you have been reading this blog since the beginning, you may remember the Quiet Book (or sometimes called Busy Book) I made for Logan, Nephew #1.  I gave it to him for his 2nd Birthday so I knew I had to do the same for Nephew #2, Landon.  I have roughly 16 months until I have to have my final one done for Nephew #3, Leo.

Here is the cover of Landon's book.  I used denim, felt, bias tape a button and an elastic hair tie.  You can see a snarl on the bottom.  I was having problems with the tension in my machine and actually broke the bobbin.  Next, the screw broke that holds the presser foot.  It was a hot mess, to say the least.  His name is made of felt that I fabric glued.  I sewed a hair tie to the back and then used a button to secure it shut.

Page #1 is a clock page.  The hands can move and are made of plastic that i colored with a black sharpie.  The face is felt with fabric paint.  The background is meant to represent night and day.  It was the first page I put together and one of my favorites.

This is the first of 3 two-page spreads.When Landon was younger, he used to throw socks everywhere.  So, when I saw this idea online I knew I had to try.  I redid this page a few times.  I screwed up the door and it was trial and error with the socks.  I needed a strong enough magnet but thin enough to not make the page bulky.  There are three sock cut outs in each pattern.  One to glue to the page with a strip magnet underneath and the other two get sewn together with a small strong magnet I got at Harbor Freight.  He can put them in the dryer or the basket or keep them on the magnetic page.

Nest is a puzzle kite.  Nothing too extreme.  However, I learned from Logan's book that all parts should be attached to the book somehow.  Each piece has a string of rik rak sewn to it then they are sewn to the page under the bow.  The puzzle pieces are felt and there is a small piece of velcro on the back of each.  There is a full kite shape underneath that the velcro sticks to.

I am not overly thrilled with this page but I do love the kid in the puddle.  He is made from felt, hand stitched and so cute.  This should help him learn his colors and how to spell them.

This is the counting page.  I used the same fabric as Logan's counting page in his book.  It was fabric my mom gave me that she had for years.  I simply strung beads and buttons on ribbon, glued felt numbers and sewed the ribbon to the page.

This is the girliest page in the book.  It should help him learn how to use buttons.  Each flower has a slit in it with rik rak glued to it.

This pizza page should also help him with counting.  Plus, who doesn't love pizza?  I made sure the pieces were attached to the book but they have since been ripped out by him so I will have to figure something better out.  The pizza is made of felt and glued together.

The shapes and textures on this page are really cute.  I got the textured felt on clearance at Wal-Mart for 10 cents a sheet.

I call this final page the Puppy Page.  It will help him learn to use a slide closure.  It's so cute and was really easy.  The dog is made of felt and the spots are glued on.  I got the dog collar at the dollar store.  

All in all I love the book.  It took many hours and a lot of supplies but my nephews are worth every pin prick.

Weight Loss Journey: Coffee Epiphany, New Family Member and Meal Prep

When I started this journey, I immediately cut out every beverage but water and the occasional alcoholic drink.  This means I gave up my beloved coffee.  I gave up coffee because I can't drink it without cream and sugar and those can add a lot of calories.  Well, it dawned on me this week that I could add Vanilla Almond Milk.  I always have it on hand and it's only 20 calories for 1/4 of a cup.  So, I headed to Starbucks, my guiltiest of pleasures, and ordered a Venti Cold Brew Iced Coffee, black.  I had to sip a bit out, which was pretty bitter but gave me a jolt and then added in my Almond Milk.  I'm pretty sure I heard angels singing, but Miranda Lambert was also on the radio so I can't be sure.  It was glorious, delicious and my new favorite thing.  And it's only 45 calories.  Score!

My first day at the gym I decided the treadmill would be my safest bet.  I got on, situated myself and started the machine.  I started slow, at a 1 and then got it up to a 1.5.  I lasted 5 minutes.  And I was huffing after that five minutes.  Since then, I hadn't touched one.  That was almost 3 months ago, so last Tuesday I decided to give it another go.  I set my pace at 2 and was doing well, so I upped it to 2.5.  I ended up doing a total of 20 minutes, or 3/4 of a mile.  It was a real triumph for me.  After my treadmill, I got on the stationary bike and did 10 minutes, 4 of them at 90 rpms.  That 30 minute workout helped me burn 439 calories.  I did skip the gym Thursday and Friday though.  I had a really rough period this month.  I read a few places that exercising helps ease cramps and bleeding.  LIES I tell you....ALL LIES.

While perusing the inter webs, I came across an advertisement for the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce Color Dash.  It's a 5K event around the Three Rivers Mall that includes 4 color stations.  In no way am I ready for this kind of event but it got me thinking.  If I was going to do something like that, why not be a fun one like a color run?  Now, a 5K is just over 3 miles.  At my current pace, it would take me about 90 minutes.  My goal would be under 45 minutes.  That still is a pretty slow pace but I have about a year to work up to it.  Have any of you done a 5K or more?  How did you prepare?

We have a new addition to our Pink Elephant family.  My sister Kari had her third son on July 7th.  Leo Christopher weighed in at 10 lbs. 6 ozs. and was 22" long.  He is gorgeous, as were her other two.  I am especially excited about his birth date though.   My birthday is 5/5, Kari's is 9/9 so he fits right in the middle with 7/7.  Our friend Hollie and I threw her a Sip n' See on Saturday so family and friends could come over to the house and meet Leo without overwhelming them in the hospital.  As per usual, I made way too much food, but it was a nice relaxing afternoon with my favorite people.

After having intense period cravings, eating more than I should have and being in so much pain that I was barely able to function, I did manage to lose another 3 lbs.  I am down a total of 78, with 22 to go until my next major goal.  I have had a few people ask me how I am doing it and again I will say it is all in the mind and preparation.  I spend about an hour on Sundays prepping for the week.  This prep includes making a menu, making my shopping list and cooking anything that is needed.  This week, I didn't go shopping so I am eating out of my freezer.  I cooked up some turkey breakfast sausage for burritos and some chicken breast for salads.  Trust me, the time you spend prepping will save you three-fold during the week.  There is no, "I don't know what to make, what do you want?"  It's all laid out.  You know your schedule, if you are going to be home later one night, put something in the crock pot.  There are no excuses.  Dinner can take less than 15 minutes on most nights.

Weight Loss Journey: More Zaycon, Father's Day and Eating Mistakes

BACON

Yes, I just opened my weight loss blog with bacon.  I'm evil like that!  You've heard me talk numerous times about Zaycon and their products.  We recently split a box of bacon and a box of boneless skinless chicken breast with my Mom.  The bacon came in 12 - 3 lb packs and we paid $3.49/lb.  It is really fantastic bacon.  Our first package I thought was a little salty but the second package didn't seem that way.  The Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast we got for $1.69/lb, which is a phenomenal price.  If you'd like to order, here is our referral link: zayconfresh.com/refer/zf361074 .  You can go there and check out what they have in your area.  I promise, you won't be disappointed.

The chicken comes in a large box, separated into 4 -10 lb bags.  The breasts are connected.  I quickly trim them and put 2 breasts per bag.  Each breast half weighs, on average, about a lb.

I want to warn you about reading labels.  I had bought some ground turkey, thinking, it must be better for me than ground beef.  After reading the labels, I found that the turkey have more calories and fat per serving than the 93/7 Zaycon Ground Beef.  I did find some 99% fat free ground turkey.  It's a bit expensive, $5.99/lb, but it works really well on salads.  I put about 4 ounces on a salad so it lasts 4 days.

For Father's Day, we went and hung out with my Dad at the river.  It was such a gorgeous day.  We had a BBQ and I brought this really yummy dessert.  I had frozen a bunch of strawberries after we got a flat earlier in the month.  I took 4 cups of those and put them in a greased 10x13 cake pan.  Then I sprinkled a box of yellow cake mix over the top of them.  After that, I shredded a frozen stick of butter over the entire thing.  I put it in the oven for 15 minutes at 350, then took it out and made sure all the cake mix was moist.  I baked it for another 30 minutes and it came out golden brown and delicious.  For 8 servings, its 428 calories each.

A few Fridays back, I woke up with a killer headache so I decided to stay home from work.  I got up early anyway and cleaned the house up.  Around 11, Roger texted me and suggested I take my Suburban in to Les Schwab to have it checked out.  After 2 hours, and a walk over to Fred Meyer, The conclusion was that I needed a new front hub and my tires were separating.  The tires are under warranty at Wal-Mart so my next trip was to them.  I dropped off my vehicle and walked around the store for an hour before I went back to the Tire Lube Express.  The guy came out and told me he couldn't find any leak in my tires.  Well, that wasn't why I brought it in so I sent him back to check out the real problem I brought it in for.  Turns out my tires were out of balance.  They fixed it, at no cost but I was there for 2 hours.  So my final stop for the day was to our friend Al's Auto.  He quickly changed my hub and did an oil change.  I was so grateful not to have to sit around much longer.  He had it all done in an hour.

Now that the long part of the story is over, I can tell you what I did wrong.  My first mistake was that I hadn't ate breakfast.  So I had a bag of popcorn at Les Schwab.  While at Fred Meyer, I grabbed 2 bags of chips.  I was tempted by the candy bars at the check out but I restrained.  If I had been smart, I would have just walked over to the Grocery section and grabbed something healthy, but I wasn't.  I ate one bag at Les Schwab and then didn't touch the other until I was at Al's, 3 hours later.  I also had a Diet Coke and a Diet Pepsi.  Again, I should have made smarter choices, but these things happen.  I guess my point is, don't let slip ups get you down.

I have been doing really well though.  I am eating good, sleeping better and feeling better.  I am able to do things at the gym that I wasn't able to do before.  My FitBit is awesome.  I find myself trying to beat my previous days or set a new record.  My cousin called me a few days ago to ask me how I had changed things and what I had done.  She needs to lower her blood sugars.  I explained what I had done but I told her, in the end, it's all a mind game.  And I am serious about that.  It's all in your head.  I have a constant inner dialogue about not eating a certain way, pushing 2 more minutes on the stationary bike, 3 more reps, or get off your butt and clean up from dinner.  Anyone who has tried to lose weight can tell you that once it clicked, it was easy.  You can think you are ready a million times but when you are truly ready, you will know it and feel it.

Baking Bonanza

Every year around Christmas, my Mom, sisters Kari and Brenda and I like to get together and have a Girl's Baking day.  This last Sunday we did just that and invited our friend Shamara over to help.  My Grandma even stopped by for a bit.  It was a such a fun day and we got through 10 recipes in just a few hours.  It took some planning but it all worked out.

We made two flavors of Fudge.  The first is a traditional chocolate and the second is a peppermint.  We followed this recipe from Nestle for both except in the peppermint one, we substituted mint chips and peppermint extract.

We also made Magic Bars using the recipe on the back of the Eagle Brand Sweetened Condensed Milk.

My favorites were these Holly Crackles.

These are my husband's favorite.  Peanut Butter Cup Cookies.

These Oreo Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies sound strange but they are so delicious.

We had to make another batch of these awesome Rolo Turtles.

These Haystack cookies were requested by my sister Brenda.  The recipe is super simple.  Just melt 3/4 cup peanut butter and one bag of chocolate or butterscotch chips in a saucepan.  When melted, add a 10 oz bag of chow mein noodles.  Stir until full coated and then drop by spoonfuls onto parchment paper.  Let set up for at least an hour and then enjoy the crunchy goodness.

Finally, a family favorite, Cowboy Cookies.  I will share the recipe for these at a later time.  They come from a cookbook my Mom helped put together when I was in 3rd or 4th grade at my Elementary school.  Lots of great memorable recipes in there.

The 12 dates of Christmas

I don't know about you but around the holidays, our schedule gets so busy and hectic that we kinda forget to enjoy it.  I was cruising Pinterest, as I do daily, and came across a post for "The 12 Dates of Christmas".  I thought it was a great idea and came up with my own list.  We will start right after Thanksgiving.

When I introduced this to my husband, he wasn't too keen on the idea but he agreed to give it a try.  We shall see how many dates we actually get through.  Most of the "dates" are things that need to be done anyway, but I usually do them alone.  I am just hoping to get some quality time together, which is what is important anyway right?

Halloween Wrap Up

Each year we have an adult Halloween party.  When we started, none of us had kids, so it made sense.  I just wanted to share with you some of the projects my sister and I did for the party.  Thanks to my Aunt Stormy for taking the pictures as my camera is out of commission for good.

My sister, Kari, carved these the very first year.  They are fake, obviously but they look really cute all lit up.

Remember the stuff I posted here and here?  This is how I put them together.  Cute bowls, foam and moss form the Dollar Tree.  They looked nice on black table covering.

 

We made these from cardboard (thanks to Uncle Sean).  Kari cut the shapes, I painted the basic color and she added the pizazz, as she always does.

 

This giant spider is one of my favorite decorations.  The pennant, I just printed from here onto yellow card stock and hung with orange yarn. I got the bloody background at Walgreens for 99 cents.

 

Kari really wanted to make her own pinata but after 2 attempts, she had to go buy one.  We were trying to do things on the cheap so she bought a yellow happy face pinata at the discount grocer, spray painted it orange and added a jack-o-lantern face.  It was a hit, literally!

 

Here are the trophies.  I got the idea here and then we ran with it.  We used chunks of wood, Dollar Tree skeletons, gold spray paint and vinyl letters.  It was actually quite hard to get them to stay how we wanted but I think they turned out great.  Here is a closer look at all the trophies.

 

This is Molly and her amazing Peacock costume that won Best Overall.

I also flexed my sewing skills a bit and made my husband, Roger's and my costumes.  Here they are:

This is Roger with my cousin Chelsey.  He was Fat Bastard from Austin Powers.  I sewed the kilt and hat.  I also made the dangle balls on his hat and socks.

And finally, here I am as Honey Boo Boo.  I took a t-shirt and bedazzled it, made the sash and the tutu.  It was a really fun costume to wear.

Quiet Book

For my nephew's 2nd Birthday, I made him a quiet book.  Basically it is a fabric activity book for kids.  My Grandma Palmer made one for me when I was a kid and I really wanted to try my hand at it.  I have just started sewing so this project was a lot of trial and error.  It was also took a lot of time.

Here is the cover.  I made 4 different covers before I just settled for this one.  It just was not working how I had envisioned it.  It's made of felt and fabric paint.

This is the first page.  An apple tree.  The background is fabric with the tree, basket and apples being felt.  I sewed the tree onto the fabric and then hand-sewed the apples, using cotton balls as stuffing.  I attached Velcro to the apples and the tree.

Page 2 is my favorite.  The barn!  The barn is made of felt with bias tape as the white part.  The animals are also made of felt.

Page 3 is the color page.  The balloons are made of felt and I hand-stitched the lettering.

Page 4 is to show him how to tie a shoe.  The shoe is made of felt, with grommets put in and a regular shoelace.

Page 5 I just drew numbers and then stitched on the number of buttons per number.  I did this on a road trip!

The last page is a road page made of felt.  There is a garage where 2 cars fit and a large stop sign.