Snack size M & Ms may not be the best snack

Dieting around Halloween time can be difficult. I shouldn't have bought the candy until the night of Halloween so I could have gotten rid of it quickly. But I'm a sucker for a good deal...especially a CVS or Walgreens deal. I love those stores. So, when CVS put M & Ms on sale the same week the paper had a $1 off coupon...I prepared for Halloween early. 2 bags of snack size M & Ms for two bucks? That's a deal.

We've had a crazy busy week that started off on Sunday with the baptism of my 15 month old. I haven't even posted the pics of that yet, so you know how busy I've been. We celebrated that event with a nice dinner out at Pappadeaux's Seafood Kitchen. I was determined to "be good", so I ordered blackened catfish with a side of grilled zucchini.

But then the devil himself appeared at our table. He was in the form of a bread basket of course. With a side of real whipped butter. We had 17 guests and I swear the waiter brought out a bread tray for each and every one of us. I couldn't let it go to waste. It went to my waist instead.

Warm crusty bread with whipped butter.

Not a huge problem. Except for my mindset. When I've had a "cheat" like that, the day is blown for me. I hadn't eaten that much food in one setting in a couple of months. So dinner was no problem. Jerry and I even had a date that night and I could barely eat. I was still full.

But then about 10:00 PM I swung by the Halloween candy bowl. I thought to myself...hmm...I've already blown the diet for the day...a little snack wouldn't hurt. I opened a snack size peanut M & M's and quickly ate them. All six of them. Seriously. Six M & M's...that is hardly a snack.

You know that when you find yourself irritated and wanting to call the candy makers late at night to complain about the size of their snack bags, you are clearly mad at yourself for your lack of self control.

Anyway, I survived, decided not to weigh myself for a few days, and the week continued.

So did my "snacking".

I have a part-time job that I do from home. For a long time it has been easy to manage and I rarely go into the office. Recently though my hours have increased from 15 to closer to 25 weekly. With little childcare, it has become more stressful.

This week one of the other girls was on vacation and I was asked to help even more due to her absence. Quickly my little at home job turned into more of a monster. And to top things off I got called into the office two times this week for meetings. I usually go in twice in a month...so twice in one week was a stretch. The second of the meetings delivered some important news. I am needed full time. Not full time from home though. They want my presence at the office full time. They gave me 30 days to decide.

It took Jerry about 30 seconds to decide for me. Our desire is for me to be able to focus on the kids during these early formative years. Putting them in someone else's care 10-12 hours a day so I could do a long commute to work and make almost nothing after taxes, gas money, and the $390 a week daycare bill...just isn't worth it.

I get paid well, but to pay over $20,000 annually in childcare? Is it just me, or is that outlandish?

I'm in angst about communicating our decision to my employer. We can tighten the purse strings and make it. It just feels wrong not taking an opportunity when you know so many people are without work. I guess I'm just going to look at it like we're allowing someone else the shot at a new job...someone who may need it more than we do.

So the stress has continued...and along the way I needed some "snacks". Although somehow in the madness I convinced myself that two snack size M & Ms were clearly necessary due to the obvious packaging size error.

I realize this is a totally pathetic Fit Friday/Hot for the Holidays post.

My report:
Work outs---NONE.
Eating---healthy except for downing an entire loaf of bread with butter and enjoying multiple "snack" size M & M packages.
Weight---STEADY! Yay! I didn't lose, but I am actually just relieved that i didn't gain.

There is hope in sight. Jade woke up before 6AM with a stomach virus. So I'm thinking by the time it ravages the family, I will have a weight loss to report next week.

Hey, you've got to take it...in no matter what form it comes.

It's not too late to get Hot for the Holidays...join the fun at It's Almost Naptime!

And don't forget to check back here for my blogoversary giveaway. Starbucks makes great "skinny" drinks. I should have it up late Sunday or early Monday.

Pick a size! Any size!

My closet could be its own little retail outlet. Not because it is full of cute and fashionable clothes though. It really isn't. However, it is chocked full of a plentitude of sizes.

Really. Pick a size, any size...and odds are you will find an outfit to work for you.

My fav? Size 4. I am completely certain that I will never get these hips into a size 4 again. Ever. But I have chosen to keep 3 outfits that are special to me that also happen to be the wonderful size of 4. I'm really not sentimental about clothes usually, so let me tell you what outfits they are. One is boxed...my wedding dress, so I guess that isn't too weird...everyone keeps their wedding dress, right? As for the other two? I still have the outfit I was wearing when Jerry proposed to me...for the second time. Not that that I said no the first time...it is just a really long story...another time, friends. And I still have the outfit that I wore to our rehearsal dinner. So they are all related to marriage. That makes me feel not quite so weird.

That pretty much represents size 4. Remember MetaboLife? Yeah. That is totally how I got skinny back in the day. Not the new kind, but the old kind that had some funky herb in it. I stopped taking it shortly after our wedding when the FDA banned the funky herb due to young people falling dead on their treadmills while taking it. What a way to go. I think spending my last minutes on earth on a treadmill could just be the worst thing ever. I'd rather keel over while enjoying a plate of Snuffer's cheese fries myself.

Anyway, back to my closet. On the other side of the size spectrum is 4 squared. 16. Sixteen. Nothing like being honest on the ol' blog. Size 16 isn't represented very well. Pretty much just a pair of "mom jeans" that got worn for a few weeks post Lily because I had sworn off any form of maternity clothes. Sadly though, that same pair got much more use post Jade.

Then there are lots of choices in between, mainly 8s and 10s, most of which I don't fit into very comfortably. Not without the muffin top syndrome at least. Keep the muffins in the pan...not over the top of the jeans, mama! Unless there is a muffin in the oven of course.

Why am I talking about all of this?

Well, my blog buddy Missy has put up a little weight loss accountability thingy over at her blog. Hot for the Holidays...how cute is that?

We're supposed to give our stats, a before picture, and list out our goals.

I'm cringing at this moment. I've learned recently that some of my old high school buddies are readers of the blog...isn't facebook fun? I'm positive they all still weigh 105 and wear their prom dresses on the weekends. Rock on Class of '94.

Here I go. Starting weight: 160. It really isn't my fault that Oreos were perpetually on sale when Jade was a newbie. And they beckoned me all through the night while I was up nursing her. And although it is frito lays old motto, I truly couldn't eat just one. Or is that pringles' jingle? I can't remember now. Maybe frito lay makes pringles too? Geez. I work for a snack food distributor, I should know this stuff. Hey, another excuse! Working for a snack food company isn't good for the waistline either.

Before pic: I usually show weight in my face, so here is a chubby face pic (with Lily on July 4th).

I actually started dieting on August 31st. So I am joining Hot for the Holidays with a bit of a head start. I've currently lost 13 pounds and am down to 147. Here is a current picture (with Jerry and Lily on her 4th b'day):

My goals:
I'm 5'7" and think I'd feel best around 135. I'm happily married and honestly don't feel pressured to look a certain way. At this point, I just want to get to a healthy weight and stay there. Eat well...lean meats and good veggies...and be a good example to my daughters. I want to teach them to cook in healthy ways and enjoy food for the right reasons. I'm also interested in staying away from high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated fats.

The real place that I need accountability though is when it comes to exercise. We belong to a wonderful gym...way too wonderful actually. Our little mom and pop gym just got bought out by LifeTime Fitness and we are enjoying all of its benefits until they up our rates to God only knows how much.

Great gym. Great childcare. I've just got to get my hiney there. And regularly at that. And not just to sit in the steam room. I actually did that a few weeks back when my sinuses were about to explode. The eucalyptus steam room at LifeTime...I highly recommend it...thanks for the tip Melissa.

My goal is to work out 3-4 times weekly. I'm not up to classes yet, but I want to do cardio and even hit the weights. Yikes.

But hey? I've got up to 2 hours of free childcare daily...you'd think I'd be all over that. So. Lacking. Motivation.

And what size am I picking? I'm hoping for a size 8...maybe a 6. I just want to fit in it...not squeeze into it...with no baked goods hanging over. Is that too much for a girl to ask?

Want to join in? Head over to Missy's at It's Almost Naptime for more Hot for the Holidays fun.

Reclaiming Our Bedroom Part Two

Before our second was born, I thought I was so organized.

Actually I got organized quickly after a doctor's appointment at 35 weeks revealed that I was "ready to go" at any time. So we went through 3 years worth of clothes from our older daughter, rewashed them all, and put them in neatly marked rubbermaids.

0-3 mo
3-6 mo
6-9 mo
9-12 mo
12-18 mo Spring/Summer
12-18 mo Fall/Winter
etc.

You get the idea.

We have a decent sized master closet, so the neatly marked rubbermaids, were neatly stacked, in our neat closet.

Until one day I was downstairs and heard the largest thud above me. It scared enough that I actually gathered the girls and my cell phone and ran outside to call my hubby. I had to ask him who in the world he thought might have been in our attic and fallen through to our bedroom.

He immediately knew that our neat rubbermaids were no longer quite so neat. I made him stay on the phone with me while I crept upstairs to check out the situation. Sure enough, the stack had fallen and I had a good bit of resorting to do.

Pair that with the fact that just when I would get out whatever new size of clothes for Jade to wear, she'd only be in it for a few weeks and then already be ready for the next bigger size.

When I put Lily's clothes from last summer away (mainly 2T), I really didn't think that I'd already be digging into them this summer for Jade who is only 11 months.

Then we are also on a couple of people's hand-me-down lists, which I love...until I have yet another bag of various sized clothes to work into the mix.

There are also those fun moments when I find a random outfit in the back of the car, in an old diaper bag, left at the grandparent's house, or even Lily's MDO backpack when the season changes and she needs a new set of extra clothes. It never fails, never ever fails, that whatever little outfit I come across not only needs a good washing, but also needs to be put away in the rubbermaid on the very bottom of the stack.

So, the rubbermaids that once occupied our closet have somehow taken over our bedroom. I think I decided that as often as I was getting in and out of them, it was just easier to have them out in the open. The problem is that my two little helpers don't really read tags. The sizes/seasons are all mixed up.

Basically you have just read through my long list of excuses for why our master bedroom has been taken over clothes ranging from NB to 3T in various shades of pink.

Looks like there are 11 rubbermaids to sort through item by item by item.

I tell you...we really want a boy if we end up trying for a third, but with all of the effort that has gone into organizing girl clothes around here...I guess he'll just be wearing a lot of pink.

I have been putting off tackling this task for months. Then I read on BooMama today about her Before and After Bloggy Extravaganza. It was just the push I needed.


I'm embarrassed to post these pictures, but it is just the kick in the butt I need. Plus I needed another reason for my hubby to consider turning off my blog. The look on his face as he saw me taking these pics. Priceless.

So, here are my goals for reclaiming our bedroom:

1. Sort and reorganize 11 rubbermaids full of girl's clothing.

2. Find a place to stack them that won't endanger any of our lives.


Even if that just means a heart attack because of a loud inexplicable noise in the house.


3. Get this bassinet, and baby changing area out of our room. Seeing that we haven't used it in 9 months...I think it might be time.

There is even a basket of strange breast pump pieces that really need to go. Somewhere. Anywhere. Just not in my room for one moment longer.

4. Rearrange furniture to reclaim this space that our treadmill occupied until a few days ago. The only exercise it gave me was when I crawled onto it to give it a dusting every month or so.

While I'm busy making goals, let me wander downstairs too. Again, my husband is really suspicious about the fact that I'm taking pictures of weird things at 11PM.

5. I'd like to get my pantry drawers in better order.

I think the gestation period of plastic sacks is even less than that of rabbits.

6. Jerry recently reorganized these laundry room shelves. They sort of serve as an overflow pantry when I get too excited at Costco. He made a few comments that led me to believe he wants me to keep them organized. Labels. Labels are the only way that will happen. I bet I can find a good deal on labels at Costco.

I have until July 25th to accomplish all of this according to BooMama. However my goal is to have it all done by July 6th when we have Jade's 1st birthday party.

Because I know that all of our guests will march right past my precious baby to first check out my closet, pantry and laundry room shelves.

I just know it.

Well, BooMama went ahead and extended our little deadline by nearly two months. With all that extra time, you'd think that I would have put a few extra things on my list.

You'd also be thinking wrong.

But I am happy to report that I did accomplish all of my tasks.

The clothes. Oh, the clothes.

I designated the girls' playroom as the sorting area. First I went through each bin and pulled out what didn't belong in there.

That made quite a pile. Then I got everything folded and back into the right place.

These are the newly organized bins.

This is their new home. May they swelter in the Texas heat. I don't care.

Since the attic isn't easily accessible. I am keeping the bin for their current size/season downstairs and also the next size/season accessible (which really only applies to Jade) so when a cold front blows in, I know where I can find an appropriate outfit.

I was annoyed after all of this reorganizing to find a pile of different sized socks...some even without mates. Gasp. Socks annoy me in general. Seeing that it was summer, they got tossed in a bag in the garage, to be dealt with later.

I think an invention of disposable socks is in order.

After putting my Sharpie to work on all those bins, I sat down at the computer to make labels for all of the pantry drawers and shelves. While I was at it, I labeled all the bins and shelves in the playroom too. And then just to prove my OCD a little further, I labeled all the shelves in our master closet as well. Would you believe my hubby as 3 separate shelves for logo tees...he likes them separated by sizes...M, L, and XL. As if getting the laundry folded isn't hard enough...he can figure out what shelf it needs to go on. Jerry is great though, he loves all of this new order. And he is the resident laundry-putter-awayer.

Next on the agenda was to tackle the side of our master bedroom which in one corner previously housed our treadmill and in the other corner a bassinet/changing area for Jade when she was an itty-bitty.

Getting this project completed felt even better than tackling the mountains of clothes. It is now just a sitting area (ahem, dirty clothes gathering area). We moved a pair of bookshelves out of the playroom, where they should have never been anyway, into the other corner.

Do you dig all of our Cliff's Notes? How about my hubby's elementary Indiana Jones lunchbox?

Looking at all these bare walls makes me think I should have put "hang artwork/decor" on my task list.

We've lived here two years and our bedroom is the one room we really haven't decorated yet. Oh well, at least it is a little less cluttered now.

Thanks, BooMama. Be sure to head over to her site for more Before & After fun.