Project 10 {Weeks 2 & 3}

A couple of weeks ago, I introduced you all to Project 10. Real women looking to get serious about our health and wellness over 10 weeks (and, of course, continue that journey beyond the 10 weeks).

I missed posting last week for a variety of excuses reasons. None of them really matter other than to say life got in the way and it was important that I focus on some things. The good thing is that even though I didn't stay 100% on track with my goals I have lost 5.2 lbs since June 6th!!!!! This is without diet and, honestly, without exercise. 

For me following a diet would surely lead to some short-term wins, but I worry about long-term. I'm looking for a lifestyle change, not a quick fix. Diets work wonders for so many people, I just know I'm not one of them. I've chosen to incorporate more healthy habits into my daily living and hope that equates to both looking and feeling better. 

So what did I do over the past three weeks to lose those 5 lbs?

• I've increased my water intake drastically by drinking 99% only water
• Still
• Sparkling
• Flavored
• No eating after 9 PM 
• Exception 1: It was the weekend and I have no idea what I was doing eating so late, but I remember looking at the clock and feeling guilty
• Exception 2: I didn't get home from work until after 8PM last night so by the time I made my dinner it was already 9 PM 
• Juiced for dinner
• I haven't done it every night, but 2-3 times a week has worked out well
• Incorporated more vegetables into my meals, like with this ridiculously good vegetable soup
• Watched (not weighed, measured or tracked) my portion sizes 
• Allowed myself to snack a little bit, but not after dinner

Honestly that's it. It's been enough to get me started. I will say I know a lot of the beginning weight loss may just be water weight, but that is OK! The important thing is the numbers on the scale are moving in the right direction and I'm eating healthier. 

I haven't really noticed a change in the way my clothes fit yet, and I'd be lying if I didn't say I was a wee bit disappointed. See, the weight I'm at now is where I was 3 1/2 months ago and I really wanted to lose back then, I just didn't have the motivation. The fact I gained 5 lbs on top of that bothers me. It's also behind me. I feel like I'm at a new starting point. If I were to lose 10 lbs from where I'm at now, I'd be at my first really "goal" weight for a long time. I know it's not all about the number on the scale, but that number has been stuck in my head for WAYYYY too long and I want to get there. 

I'm hoping once the weekend hits I can come up with a meal plan for the following week. Having a meal plan really makes eating healthier (and at a reasonable hour) so much easier. Stephanie at Stephanie's Mommy Brain has some great suggestions and templates for meal plans.

With me changing up my eating habits the past few weeks SH has suffered a bit. I understand he doesn't love all the vegetables and juices I do, but I need to find a way to make sure he stays healthy as well. Do you have any healthy recipes to share that I can perhaps get SH to try? Please let me know! 

Come join us and Link up your posts on health and wellness to Project 10!

Previous Project 10 Posts: 

• Project 10 Overview and Participants 
• Project 10 {Week 1}

Garden Vegetable Soup

My friend Megan at Baby Makes Four posted a recipe a couple of weeks ago for a garden vegetable soup. Ever since I read her post I have been wanting to try it on my own. The thing is, it's summer and hot and I don't love eating soup when I feel like I'm melting. Today, while not cold, was rainy and I had this soup on the brain so I stopped at Whole Foods on my way home.

I didn't follow Megan's or the Original Recipe (Dr. Oz's Weight Watchers Garden Vegetable Soup) exactly. That's one thing I love about cooking as opposed to baking, you can make it up as you go! Please click on the links above if you want to see their versions.

Soxy's Diamond Vegetable Soup
The Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup {organic} carrots, chopped/sliced
• 1/2 cup {organic} onion, diced
• 1 cup {organic} cabbage {red or green}, chopped
• 4-6 cups {organic} kale or spinach, chopped
• 1 cup {organic} zucchini, diced
• 2 cloves of {organic} garlic, minced
• 1 TBSP {organic} tomato paste
• 32 oz {about 4 cups} {organic} low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning 
• 1/2 cup pasta
• 1 TBSP olive oil

The Instructions: 

• Heat olive oil in Dutch Oven over medium-low heat
• Add carrots, onion and garlic and sauté over medium-low heat for 5 minutes (on my electric stove I set it to about a 4)
• Add tomato paste, kale, cabbage, salt and seasonings and mix
• Immediately add vegetable broth and bring to a boil
• Reduce heat (to about a 2) and cover
• Simmer for 15 minutes
• Add zucchini and simmer for an additional 3-4 minutes

• While your soup is simmering, cook your pasta {hints: undercook it by a minute or two, as it will still cook once you add it to your soup. Also, store your leftover pasta separate from your soup and add right before you heat it up. This way the pasta won't turn mushy!}

• Once soup and pasta is done, mix together and serve

I will note that I added a bit of salt to the soup while eating it. I normally don't put salt on anything, but adding a little bit more provided a ton of extra flavor.

To make the soup heartier try adding some {organic} ground turkey/chicken. You can also use chicken or beef broth for flavor. Mix up your veggies, try another pasta, sprinkle with parmesan cheese - this soup is meant to be customized!

I got 4 healthy servings out of this soup. My bill at the grocery store came in a little more than $13, add in $2 for the previously purchased Kale and $1 for the previously purchased pasta and this soup cost a total of $16 or $4.00 a serving. This is using all organic ingredients {except for the pasta}. The olive oil, spices and salt are not counted in the cost but those are staples found in most every home. Plus, I have left overs of just about every vegetable that will make it's way into a salad or juice!

$4 for a bowl of healthy, almost entirely organic soup. And people say eating organic is too expensive. Pfft.

Brand New Look

Soxy's Diamond got a facelift - what do you think?

Krystyn from Krizzy Designs did a great job combining a few of my favorite things into this new design: Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens...ok maybe not those favorite things, but these:

• Boston Terriers
• Crafting 
• Patterns (Chevron and Polka dots)
• Colors (Turquoise and Coral)

I wanted something brighter, cleaner than what I had before. What do you think?!

Becoming a Harley Woman

Prior to meeting SH, I pretty much refused to ride on a motorcycle. They absolutely terrified me.

To me motorcyclists were dangerous in the way they were always weaving in and out of cars, riding much too fast and ignoring any and all traffic laws. I had friends who had been in serious motorcycle accidents and a friends step-father who died in a bike accident.

Mudercycles. Donorcylcles. Two-wheeled coffins. Crotch Rockets. Not for me. No way, no how.

Shortly before we met, SH sold his Harley so he'd have money to move into the city. Three months into our relationship I was on vacation in Hawaii and got an email saying he bought a sport bike, and my heart sank. I really liked this guy and here he goes and buys a bike. And not any bike but this Japanese speed bike. BAH!

I like to say we are the perfect example of how 'opposites attract' - we couldn't have more diverse interests. I like to cook different meals; he would be happy eating the same few things ever night. I like to stay up late; he likes to get up early. I'm a big sister; he's a little brother. I love sports and live music; He loves anything with a motor - like cars and motorcycles.

The things we do have in common are our core values and willingness to do things the other enjoys. Enter riding motorcycles. So I knew once he bought this bike I would likely have to get on it and I was not happy.

I trust SH and his riding abilities, he's been riding since he was 16 and motorcycles were a big part of his upbringing. I just don't trust other people driving around the motorcycle.

I clearly remember my first ride, he didn't take it easy on me bringing me on the very narrow and windy Storrow Drive in Boston. I was scared out of my mind, but there was this little part of me that got excited. I ended up buying my own helmet and fully-armored jacket so I could ride with him. It was fun  but the seat on that thing, well it was basically non-existant. And I hated how sharp he had to take corners, I felt like my leg was going to scrape along the road even though I was nowhere near it. If I was uncomfortable, any little movement I made would throw the weight of the bike. I found myself wishing he had his Harley back.

Fast-forward almost seven years. We're married, living in our first house and SH has a big garage with his bike just sitting in the corner collecting dust. He hadn't ridden in a couple of years. The bike wasn't want wanted anymore. He wanted a Harley.

We were able to sell his Ninja to a friend of his and I was surprised by the pang of sadness and guilt I felt when it pulled out of the driveway for the last time. I felt like he was giving up part of himself for me, even though he never uttered those words out loud. I was worried that life would get in the way and he'd never get another bike and I'd feel guilty for the rest of my life. We made it a priority to save so he could get the bike he wanted.

He decided he wanted a Sportster. It's a small and light Harley. It's also affoardable. He wanted to make sure I would enjoy riding enough with him before diving in and getting a Dyna (maybe a Wide Glide?) or a bigger bike.

We found the perfect one in January of this year. Buying a bike in the winter is smart when you live in the North East. There isn't a lot of demand and you can often get a better deal. We got an amazing deal. 

We bought his bike from a private seller. It's a 2004 Harley Davidson Sportster with a 1200cc motor. It's a touring-style bike so it has a forward-mounted shifter and brake controls as well as a larger gas tank and more chrome than some other Sportster models.

The 2004 Sportster was the first year of that model having rubber-mounted motors which makes the bike very comfortable.

The previous owner of this particular bike added even more chrome as well as a removable windshield and rigid leather saddlebags and luggage rack. He also added a touring-style seat which was huge for me. Why? Well it has a larger passenger seat with a sissy bar (back rest). He also made some engine modifications which include a Screamin' Eagle air cleaner, Sampson exhaust pipes and the carbs were re-jetted to handle all of the extra air flow. This bike is LOUD. In fact, my house shakes when SH starts it up. 

Spike isn't as sold on the bike as we are. 

Please note: We would NEVER ride with the dog in the saddle bags. I do, however, have this vision of getting a side car so he can ride along in that. How freaking cute would that be? He already rocks the flamed-doggles in the 'Vette (where he is harnessed in - safety first!) he could totally rock the sidecar. Am I right??? SH doesn't buy it.

Here I am prior to my first ride on the Harley. 

Let's clear something up.

I KNOW it is not cool for Harley riders to wear a full-faced helmet or an armored jacket. These things go with Sport bikes and while this is a Sportster, it is not the same. I get that. I also feel that in order for me to enjoy myself on the bike, I have to feel as safe as possible. That means riding with someone I trust with my life, wearing a full-faced helmet and armored jacket. 

I've lightened up on SH every so slightly. He has a 3/4 helmet, but still wears the jacket and he's ok with that. Mark that off as reason 1,000,001 why I love him. 

So here I am, on my way to becoming a Harley woman. I love this bike. It's comfortable for me, and fun for SH. 

I've overcome a lot of my fears and mis-conceptions of motorcycles and their riders. While there are irresponsible bike riders, there are also irresponsible car drivers. I've found that many accidents aren't due to mistakes made by bikers, but by other drivers. This post isn't to debate the safety of motorcycles, but please, when you're driving make sure to take extra caution and notice any bikes around you. 

Image Source

I'm not going to lie and say I'm 100% comfortable on the bike. I still won't ride on the highway, and worry so much that it sometimes takes away from enjoying the ride but I'm getting there. 

Who knows, by the time SH is ready to upgrade maybe I'll want to ride on my own and the Sportster can become mine? I look forward to going on our first cruise with other bikers, including many members of our family. 

Have you tried new things because they were an interest of your significant other? Has it become a part of your lifestyle? 

Win an Alex and Ani Charity By Design Bracelet!

Alex and Ani Charity By Design

Bracelet Giveaway

~Choose the Bracelet, Choose the Charity~

I wrote last night about buying my very first Alex and Ani bracelet. and now you can win one of your own!. 

This giveaway is fabulous because not only do you get a beautiful bracelet to wear, you are also choosing a charity where 20% of the proceeds will go to support. Alex and Ani opened in 2004 by designer Carolyn Rafaelian of Rhode Island. She named the company after her first two daughters, and she created a line of jewelry meant to empower and express one's inner beauty. She has many bracelets, necklaces, rings, etc. Many of the charms have meaning, and people buy them based on what the bracelet symbolizes. Some popular ones are: The Path of Life, the Four Leaf Clover, and the Star of Venus.

A special line that Rafaelian created is called the Charity By Design line. In this line she creates single charm bracelets that help to raise money for a certain cause, and designs charms that in some way represent this cause. For this giveaway you will choose one from this line. Your choices are the following:

Piece of the Puzzle:

20% of all sales, with a minimum donation of $10,000, from the Piece of the Puzzle Charm will go directly to the National Autism Association that educates and empowers families within the autism community.

Living Water:

20% of all sales, with a minimum donation of $5,000, will go directly to Living Water International to support their work of demonstrating divine love by helping communities acquire desperately needed clean water.

Cupcake:

20% of all sales, with a minimum donation of $10,000, will go directly to the Nancy Davis Foundation that is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of Multiple Sclerosis.   

Ribbon of Strength: 

20% of sales from the Ribbon of Strength Bangle will support the Gloria Gemma Breast Cancer Resource Foundation, a Rhode Island non-profit that works to spread awareness, education, resources, and hope in the fight against breast cancer. 

Lotus Blossom: 

20% off all sales from the Lotus Blossom Expandable Wire Bangle, with a minimum of $5,000, will go directly to Women & Infants Hospital, one of the nation’s leading specialty hospitals for women and newborns. 

The Elephant:

20% of all sales from The Elephant Charm, with a minimum donation of $5,000, will go directly to Friends of Jaclyn, an organization in which athletic programs adopt children with pediatric brain tumors to provide them with love, support and lasting friendships.  

Paw Prints:

20% of sales will go directly to the Mayor’s Alliance for NYC’s Animals that focuses on supporting, healing, and finding caring homes for dogs and cats.

Shark Finn:

20% of all sales, with a minimum donation of $5,000, will go directly to Finnz Fundz, an organization that seeks to provide direct assistance to children and families coping with long-term hospitalization in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis. 

Tree Hugger: 

20% of all sales, with a minimum donation of $5,000, will go directly to the African Rainforest Conservancy that works to restore African rainforests through grassroots conservation and community development. 

Phoenix:
20% of all sales, with a minimum donation of $10,000, will go to support the work of Home & Hospice Care of Rhode Island whose mission is to care for people who are living with a serious illness when time matters most.

The winner can choose which bracelet and charity they would like to support. All bracelets come in either Russian Silver or Russian Gold. All bracelets are eco-friendly, made of recycled materials, and made entirely in the United States. To learn more about Alex and Ani, please visit them HERE. They are rapidly expanding this year with stores in New York and Washington, DC. 

To WIN one of these inspiring bracelets, just enter on the Rafflecopter below. There will be TWO winners chosen (which increases your chances)!

This Giveaway is Hosted by:

Mama Luvs Books

And Sponsored By:

Learning to Juggle, Buy-Her, Colleen's Book Nook, Mom Does Reviews, Miki's Hope, Mommy Does..., Soxy's Diamond, Documama, EmptyNester, Keekoin, Baby Gators Den, The Beauty of it All, Mommyland, Give Oh Giveaway, Blush Mamas

 GOOD LUCK!

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My First Alex and Ani Bracelet

Have you guys heard of Alex and Ani? I know my lovely Rhode Island blogger friends have, but the rest of you? I had seen their name in local jewelry stores, but never paid much attention to it. Boy was that a mistake on my part. I really learned about them when my friend Melissa wrote about them on her blog.

Alex and Ani is a Rhode Island-based company that makes and sells eco-friendly, positive energy jewelry all right here in the USA. In fact, they purchase recycled scrap metal from local mills to make their inspiring jewelry. I believe the company is named after the founders two daughters.

In addition to all of this goodness, Alex and Ani has a line of expandable (read: it will fit you, I promise!) bangle bracelets called Charity by Design. The owner works closely with organizations to create a design to embody the message of their charity and donates a portion of all proceeds to said organization. There are about 20 different wire bracelets to chose from in this collection right now.

Seriously, a company that supports local economy, is eco-friendly, believes in the beauty and empowerment of women and donates to charity?! I pretty much think they are my favorite company, ever.

So, today I worked out of my company's Rhode Island Office and as I was driving in I saw a beautiful stone building with the words 'Alex and Ani World Headquarters' on the side. I was pretty sure that meant that I would own my own bracelet before the day was over. I headed straight over as soon as I got out of work!

The store was a madhouse, but it was organized chaos. I felt excited and energized as I walked through the doors.

I knew my struggle was going to be finding one bracelet to start my collection. I had already scoped out the Charity by Design collection quite a bit and there are multiple bracelets I want to have but hoped to narrow it down to the Cupcake or Paw Prints.

The Cupcake is special to me. According to the website:

A rush of sugar can provide bliss and harmony on the most challenging of days. Cupcakes symbolize the importance of celebrating life's little moments and the joys of all things decadent. Adorn yourself with the Cupcake Charm to embrace an optimistic outlook that leads to a peaceful existence.  

20% of all sales, with a minimum donation of $10,000, will go directly to the Nancy Davis Foundation that is dedicated to the treatment and ultimate cure of Multiple Sclerosis.

In April of 2011 my Aunt passed away after a long and courageous battle with Multiple Sclerosis. I've also had a very close friend of mine who had MS pass away at a very young age, and know countless others whose lives have been affected by this devastating disease. They had it in stock and the Paw Print wasn't out in the store while I was there so it was an easier decision than I thought. They key was NOT walking around the store until after I made my purchase, because let me tell you I wanted to buy just about every single thing I saw.

So here it is! My very first Alex and Ani Bracelet that signifies sweetness, divinity and optimism. I am helping to find a cure through my purchase and honoring the memory of loved ones by wearing it. What do you think?

And some good news for you! I've teamed up with a group of bloggers and we are going to be giving away TWO Alex and Ani bracelets from the Charity by Design collection - winners can choose from the selection of bracelets! How awesome is that? Enter here through June 22nd!

I can't write about the company as eloquently as they do on their site, so please click on over and check it out. Read their messages and become inspired.

I am in no way affiliated with Alex and Ani. I was not provided compensation in the form of money or product in exchange for this review. All opinions written are entirely my own.

Project 10 {Week 1}

Last week I introduced you all to Project 10. Real women looking to get serious about our health and wellness over the next 10 weeks (and, of course, continue that journey beyond the 10 weeks).

Here's a list of my goals, and my progress to date. I hope to update the progress every (or every other week). It's not entirely riveting reading material for you all, but it helps show where I'm doing well and where I'm lacking. Maybe you all even have some ideas on how to help me achieve my goals? 

• Get back to juicing more - Tonight SH made me a lovely juice of spinach, carrots, apple and peach for dinner. I had it three hours ago and am still full (never mind I took three bites of his macaroni and cheese)

  

• Drink more water, drink less everything else - I did really well on this for the most part. The first two days were great. On the 3rd day SH gave me a Sprite for dinner and I couldn't drink it! It was much too sweet for me!! Unfortunately at some point over the next couple of days I gave in and had a sweet tea. I also had a small iced coffee, but it was a small! Not a medium like I'd usually get. Annnnnddddd.. I had some orange juice at breakfast two days this week. Otherwise it was all water. Mostly seltzer. I have realized I'm still not drinking enough fluids and need to step this up. 
• Plan meals better, so I eat out less (especially at lunch!) - Week one was a success! We ordered pizza on Thursday night, but it was our anniversary and we were too tired to go out and didn't want to cook! Otherwise we cooked every night and I brought lunch with me to work every day. One great recipe from this week was for Shredded Buffalo Chicken.  
• Incorporate more organic foods into our diet - This is also going well. All the chicken we bought was organic, as well as 90% of the vegetables we ate during the week. 
• Get more sleep - Yes again! Go me! I haven't been getting a full 8 hours, but have been in bed prior to midnight every night (except Saturday night, but that was right at midnight). To be honest, I've been taking some Tylenol PM a few nights, but my mind will.not.stop.racing. I've had insomnia troubles in the past and have been prescribed some pretty heavy sleep medication. I don't feel I'm at that point yet, so a few Tylenol PM's here and there have been helping me get some much needed sleep. Don't worry, it's not a long-term solution. 
• Stretch more - especially my back and legs - I stretched my back using a foam roller, and used a band to stretch my legs at least three times this week. 
• Come up with some sort of core exercise that works for me - Not yet, however Samantha has been providing some great ideas to our group and Megan posted an ab workout from a magazine article I want to try. 
• Walk more, maybe follow a 'Couch to 5k' program (if my asthma allows) - Meh. Not really. I did take the dog for a walk one day. 
• Focus on mental, as well as physical health. That means less stress - I'm trying. Sleeping more was a big part of this. I also didn't bring my laptop home from work until Friday night (which I needed for a work trip on Monday am). 
• Lose 10 or more pounds - I need to do my official stats and such, but I am down 1.4 lbs this week! That puts me on track for the 10 lbs I hope to lose. 

My biggest struggle this week has been work. Let me first say that I have an amazing job and I love what I do. For some reason it's just causing a lot of unnecessary stress right now (from the commute that has doubled in time from 30 min to an hour or more for seemingly no reason, to the back-to-back-to-back meetings that barely allow me to breathe, never mind go to the bathroom or refill my water, to having an 18.5 hour work-day followed by a 10 hour work-day, to interactions with some really stressed out people, to the really nice colleague appreciate week they are having for us...no really. They are throwing us parties every day this week. While that's nice, I did not have willpower to resist the pizza, Cheetos and ice cream provided as their appreciation today!)

In my head I know there is NO reason to stress as much as I am about work. My job does not save lives. Unfortunately it's not that easy for me to just turn off the stress, so getting home and leaving my laptop at work last week was HUGE for me. I cannot control many of the hours when it comes to things like having to travel for early-morning-all-day meetings and I have a hard time leaving things unfinished for the day (because they just pile up and make my next day more stressful). But I can control working from home. Sometimes it's necessary. Most of the time, it can wait.

All of this has had me thinking about a post Melissa wrote about our workaholic culture. And it's true. Perhaps this is something I'll want to talk about more in the future. For now, I know it's something I need to work on and fix. Thankfully I have an amazing boss who realizes work is important, but so is living your life! I know I'll get there, it will just take time.

However it hasn't all been a struggle. My biggest win this week was seeing my friend Heather link up to Project 10. She has been on an incredible weight-loss journey over the past year. She has lost an amazing 47 lbs and is still going strong! I'm so excited she's joining us on this journey. I know her posts will inspire me and I hope they inspire others as well. I also hope that she can find inspiration from posts from everyone else taking part in Project 10 because, really, that was Stephanie's goal for setting this all up!

Speaking of - interested in joining us? Make sure to link up to Stephanie's blog. I'd love to hear what you did this week for healthy living!

Previous Project 10 Posts: 

• Project 10 Overview and Participants 

Shredded Buffalo Chicken

When SH and I met, one thing we absolutely did NOT have in common was the types of food we ate.
I can sum up his previous eating habits to this: Pop Tarts, buffalo chicken, Ellios pizza and Mountain Dew. That's about it. Did your stomach just churn like mine did? Thought so.

We, eventually, found a handful recipes we both enjoy *enough* to create some sort of meal plan (not going to lie, it's an ongoing battle. I will say that he has gotten so much better about trying and eating new foods, we've both come a long way).

One thing I absolutely loathed, but now kind of love is buffalo chicken. The problem with good buffalo chicken is that it's so bad for you. Fried chicken, slathered in a spicy sauce full of butter is a heart attack waiting to happen.

I've recently been experimenting with making shredded pork and chicken in my crock pot. Inspired by a recipe I saw on Pinterest I decided to make shredded buffalo chicken.

Shredded Buffalo Chicken
The Ingredients

• 4 4oz skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• 15-20 oz low-sodium chicken broth 
• Celery stalk, onion, garlic
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup hot sauce (I like Frank's)

The Instructions

• Add the chicken breasts, broth and vegetables in a crock pot on low heat
• Cook 2 1/2 - 3 hours until chicken shreds easily with two forks (time will vary depending on your crock pot and the thickness of your chicken. Just make sure you don't overcook the chicken or it will become too dry!) 
• Remove chicken and shred
• Keep 1/2 cup of the chicken stock and run it through a sieve (not necessary, but I'm anal like that so I do it)
• Put chicken, stock and hot sauce back into the crock pot and heat on low for an additional 10-15 minutes

That's it! This chicken is so versatile. There are many things you can do: 

• Eat it straight
• Make a Sandwich
• Put inside crescent rolls and bake
• Use in tacos, burritos or quesadillas
• Make a salad
• Freeze it and save it for later

Since I'm on a journey to healthier living, I chose to make salads the last two times I cooked the chicken. They were simple and delicious. 

For this first salad I used lettuce, jasmine rice, celery and a dollop of sour cream (many buffalo chicken lovers would prefer blue cheese).

The second salad I used baby spinach, cucumbers and fresh mozzarella. They were both simple, filling and delicious meals that both SH and I enjoyed!
Do you like buffalo chicken? What would you include in your salad?

Diamond Candle 24-Hour FLASH Giveaway!!!

  Diamond Candle 24-Hour FLASH Giveaway!!!

A few AWESOME Bloggers have teamed up to give you this wonderful Diamond Candle ($30 value)! We are repeating the giveaway from last week because so many fans have been asking for another chance to WIN! Here's Your Chance!!!

Have your heard of these candles? They are soy candles with a ring inside that you get once they burn down. The ring will be valued anywhere between $10 - $5,000! It's a surprise!!! Sounds fun, right? And the candles are made here in the USA and are Earth-friendly!

We believe in quick, small, and easy giveaways! Our giveaways only have a FEW entries to fill out and you will know if you WIN in just a couple of hours! WHAT FUN! Good luck on tonight's giveaway! See you back on Wednesday for another great FLASH giveaway!

Here are our WONDERFUL participating sites for this evening's 24-Hour FLASH Giveaway!! Check out these awesome sites when you have time! 

*NOTE: As always you can choose an Amazon GC or PayPal CASH in substitution of the Diamond Candle ($30 Value).

Mama Luvs Books

Emptynester Reviews

Powered By Mom 

Buy-Her

Mom Does Reviews

Enchanted Savings

Building Carpenters 

Couponing 4 You 

Coupon Hauls

The Coupon Cluster

Snip Shop Save

Soxy's Diamond

Give Oh Giveaway 

Deal Doll

Linda's Angels

Africa's Blog
Baby Gators Den 
Acadiana's Thrifty Mom 



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Four Years Ago I Married My Best Friend

He's my prince charming and my happily ever after. I often have to pinch myself to make sure he's real, and that he's really mine.

Happy anniversary to the man who has made me believe that true love can last forever.

In a dream I had last night
I was walking towards you, shining light
If I fall for you before I wake
Then bless your soul this love I’ll take it

I could have been an eagle flying faster than a car
I could have been a minister or maybe a movie star
But I don’t want to be anything if I can't be where you are
So, baby, I chose you, I chose you, I chose you ~Grace Potter

Project 10: Real Women, Real Fitness Goals

I've found myself complaining a lot more about how I need to lose weight, but not actually doing anything about it. I've had many rackets along my road to try and live a healthier life, but not much motivation.

You'd think starting a new job, with a lot of new people to impress would be motivation. Nope. 
You'd think summer coming would be motivation. Nope. 
You'd think my clothes not fitting would be motivation. Nope.
You'd think wanting to physically and mentally feel better would be motivation. Nope.
You'd think a lot of things should be motivators, but for some reason nothing has really driven me.

Over the past several months my weight has become more than an issue of vanity, it's really started to impact my health as well.

My asthma is worse than ever and my Dr said it's not only exercise or cold air induced, but also being triggered by heartburn. We believe the cause of my of heartburn is primarily stress, however my weight has been brought up as a possible reason as well. In fact, one of my specialists even suggested having a breast reduction to try and reduce the pressure. Yikes. No thank you. You'd think the day I heard that I'd be on my way to a healthier me. Nope.

My back has been acting up again lately. While there are some structural issues going on there, I also have horrible posture, spend a lot of time sitting (at work, in the car), and am carrying around a lot of unnecessary weight.  You'd think wanting to be in less pain (by both strengthening my core and losing weight) would make me jump (or do some form of exercise!), but nothing.

The one that actually scared a little bit of sense in me was at my last physical. For the first time, in my life, my blood pressure was borderline "high" - I have ALWAYS had low blood pressure. For years it wasn't uncommon for me to be 80/60 - maybe a bit too low. It's something my Dr. wants to watch, especially since heart disease runs rampant in my family. While he also feels this is stress-related, losing some weight certainly won't hurt. 

I've realized I'm not the type of person who is going to lose weight for a specific event, or because someone says I should, or even because the bottom line is I NEED to. I've realized I also need to to be in the right frame of mind mentally and ready to want to do it on my own.

Enter Project 10

Project 10 is a group of real women bloggers from the Rhode Island area, with real fitness goals. We all want to lose (at least) 10 pounds over the next 10 weeks and have committed to help each other with motivation, support, tips, recipes, being work-out buddies, you name it! Our path's aren't going to be cookie cutter - our lives are all different. Some of us work full time out of the home, some work full time at home as stay at home mothers. Some of us have a lot to lose, others have a little. Some of us don't want to follow a "diet", while others do because that is what works for them.

The group was put together by my friend Stephanie from Stephanie's Mommy Brain. She's even enlisted the help of a certified personal trainer, Samantha from Running and Cupcakes, to help us with motivation, advice and some personal training sessions! How awesome is that?

I've picked 10 things to focus on over the next 10 weeks

• Get back to juicing more
• Drink more water, drink less everything else
• Plan meals better, so I eat out less (especially at lunch!)
• Incorporate more organic foods into our diet
• Get more sleep
• Stretch more - especially my back and legs
• Come up with some sort of core exercise that works for me
• Walk more, maybe follow a 'Couch to 5k' program (if my asthma allows)
• Focus on mental, as well as physical health. That means less stress
• Lose 10 or more pounds

While they don't seem like much, if I am able to accomplish even a handful of these things I know I will be on my way to a healthier lifestyle. I plan to track my progress each week. 

Our journey starts today and I'm excited to document it here and follow the successes of each woman who has decided to participate. Take some time to check them out, you won't be sorry! I can promise you that while we all have a common goal, we're all attacking this challenge in our own way. Maybe one of us will be able to help motivate you to a healthier way of living.

• Stephanie from Stephanie's Mommy Brain (Host of Project 10)
• Megan from A Baby Makes Four
• Jodi from Blush Mamas 
• Melissa from Filling Our Bucket
• Liz from Learning to Juggle 
• Kristin from Mama Luvs Books 
• Kameron from My Wrinkle in Time
• Sarah from Sweet Lil' You 
• Candice from The New Modern Mama 

If you want to join us for Project 10, grab the button, leave a comment so I can follow you and be sure to link up here.

Mother's Intuition

I had been having a bad day.

I stepped outside to grab some lunch and on my way back in the receptionist said she had been trying to call me. I noticed some beautiful flowers on the front desk and said I didn't want her to call unless those flowers were for me.

They were...

A little bit of sunshine to add light to my dreary day.

They were from my mom, what a huge surprise!

She wanted me to know she was proud of me for all of my accomplishments, and how she admires that I always try and turn lemons into lemonade (what can I say, I love lemonade!!)

It was an incredibly sweet gesture and one I won't forget for a very long time. I'm actually looking forward to sitting at my desk tomorrow.

Sometimes moms just know what you need, it's a mother's intuition.

Menu Plan Monday {6/4/2012}

One of the things I need to do is get back to being serious about my health. That theme is sure to come up around here on a regular basis (fair warning!!!)

Something SH and I have been severely neglecting is having proper dinners planned out. That means we usually get stuck in a rut and have the same meals over, and over, and over again. He has been amazing. For the past six months or so he's taken on the sole responsibility of cooking our dinner. It's time I get back to helping out, and that starts with planning out what we're going to eat.

Here is our menu plan for this week:
Monday - Grilled marinated chicken with french fries and asparagus
Tuesday - Ground beef cooked in worcestershire sauce mixed with peas, pine nuts and rice
Wednesday - Happy 4th Year anniversary to us! We will (hopefully) be heading out to dinner
Thursday - Honey balsamic basil chicken with broccoli and some starch (my absolute favorite healthy chicken dish - recipe to follow)
Friday - Paninis
Saturday - Wild Card
Sunday - Buffalo Chicken Salad (inspired by a Pinterest recipe - more info to follow)

I have greek yogurt for breakfast and am going to make a fruit salsa of strawberries, mango and mint.

For lunch I have Boar's Head turkey breast and spinach for sandwiches.

This will be my first week linking up to Organizing Junkie's Menu Plan Monday! I can't promise that we'll plan our meals every week, but we'll do it when it makes sense and really see where we can start incorporate healthier meals.

What do you have planned to eat this week?

Fifty Shades Trilogy and $10 Amazon Gift Card {Giveaway}

Fifty Shades Trilogy....

 Boxed Set Giveaway

&

$10 Amazon Gift Card

(Pic from Amazon)

The Fifty Shades Trilogy by E.L. James is one of the

HOTTEST Series out now!!! This complete set is not even available for purchase until June 12th. The WINNER will have the set pre-ordered for them so they will be one of the FIRST to receive them! Winner will also receive a $10 Amazon GC! 

If you have not read these books you will want to read them! 

The trilogy contains:

Fifty Shades of Grey

Fifty Shades Darker

Fifty Shades Freed

This Giveaway Is Hosted By......

Mama Luvs Books

And Sponsored By These Great Site:

Couponing 4 You

Freetail Therapy

Building Carpenters

Nap Time Is My Time 

Chesco On the Cheap 

Miki's Hope 

Baby Gators Den

Soxy's Diamond

Another Cent Saved 

Teach Me 2 Save 

Deal Doll 

Africa's Blog 

Check Out These GREAT Sites When You Have a Chance!

To WIN this giveaway,  just ENTER on the Rafflecopter below! The more you ENTER the MORE chances to WIN! Good Luck!

  

a Rafflecopter giveaway