Were back...

After a year+ off due to a family emergency, we are back. The store is up and we are spending our time restocking our inventory.  Our newest item are decorative badge holders.  Here is a peek at one of my favorites.

Ten in 2010: Fourth Week

Well I gained a pound this week, I am not inching anywhere near my goal.

so far I have lost .8 in four weeks. Granted one week I was sick but come on. What is to blame....me. I am frustrated. Here are my observations.

Successes:

*Planning menus, still staying on task with this

* I have been taking longer finishing a meal, which normally I scarf down.

*I weighed in.

What I've Learned:

*I flourish when I have structure, tracking my meals, a plan

*I need to focus on recipes that provide filling foods like fiber, protein, etc. I end up being full for a longer period of time and am not hungry

*The only fruit I really like is bananas

*I have reintroduced a new trigger in my life and I need to not give in.

What I still need to work on:

*Tracking consistently

*Exercise, I have an excuse for anytime of the day. I am making a goal for this week to just do it.

*Need to add more fruits to my plan for the day

Other Stuff:

*I have reintroduced the Jar of Punishment into my weekly plan. This is a jar I made for me and my mom. We need to have 25 - 28 points a week and they are pretty simple to get.

1-Tracking

1-Exercise (20 minutes)

1-Staying on Program

1-Challenge for the week: This week it is 5 servings of fruits and vegis-have to list them.

You can earn extra points for each additional 1/2 hour of exercise.

If you do not checkin daily via email or phone with total points -1

The punishment we have added three things we don't like to do for our homes to the jar. If you don't make your points you have to draw from the jar and do the chore within the week at their house.

*I have been craving Cesar and cobb salad. Just ravenously.

The Quilt is finished...

Finally I have finished my first quilt. I took a class at Joanne's Fabric to learn to quilt and I have completed it three months later. I am really pleased with how it turned out.

The class took a bit longer because it was once a week and we had the holidays, but I hunkered down this last week and finished.

For the first quilt there were a few observations I made. I did not realize you had to iron everything. I also noticed as I proceeded my sewing became increasingly better, so very happy with my progress. I did have a ton of trouble with binding and seams straight on the edge. I am going to review some more videos and see if I can make some more progress on this part of the sewing.

I love this chandelier fabric, my favorite. I was happy with the color choices and although I promised this to one of my kids I have yet to let it go.

I really enjoyed making a quilt, it is kind of like a puzzle that you nurture throughout until it is a completed piece of art. I am all ready on my second quilt that I am making for a birthday present, so far so good.

Sunday-Old Fashioned Chicken Pot Pie w/Garlic Mushrooms

Monday-Chicken Tortilla Soup w/diced papaya

Tuesday-Ceasar Salad with Chicken

Wednesday-Pad Thai w/cucumber salad

Thursday-Halibut w/Steamed Potatoes and Asparagus

Friday-Chicken Chipolte Tacos/w Guacomole

Saturday-Double Dutch Chard Bake-Recipe Exchange

Ten in 2010: Third Week

This was my third week of the 2010 challenge, and a hard week it was. I was sick all week and it was like a thorn in my side.

Successes:

*Did not gain, but did not lose

*Continued with menu planning

*Not giving up

What I've Learned

*I hate bieng sick, my energy was drained and just not motivated to do anything at all.

*I don't drink a lot of water when I am not feeling well.

*I can go to a movie and not have popcorn

*When I don't exercise consistently it immediatly comes back to haunt me.

What I still need to work on

*Staying the course, with not feeling well I did not eat as well as I should have. However, I did not eat that much either. I call this my bandaid approach -the I don't feel well, will have something that will make me feel better and I will feel better. A vicious circle that just does not work.

*Fruits, still a big problem. I just can't seem to draw myself into wanting to eat it.

Other Stuff

*Stress is a killer. Sometimes I feel as if I have the weight of the world on my shoulders. I created this, by bieng the go to person for everything. Now I am not sure I want it.

*Back in the saddle again...

*Indian Food, we are going to an Indian restaurant this evening. Planning to look at the menu and make my choices before arriving.

Week in Review

Week in Review...

This last week I made a lot of headway on finishing my quilt. This is the first quilt I have done and actually about 75% of my sewing experience. I had problems with the binding so, I am redoing that today and will finish the quilting in the center and be done.

My niece whose birthday is in March wants a quilt for her birthday. Her favorite color is orange and she loves owls. I bought some of this adorable owl fabric at Fat Quarter Shop. I have the pattern ready to go to create this one for her.

I finished three more books yesterday, one of which was Rules of Conduct by Maggie Anderson. I posted the review on Single Titles. This story of an amnesic girl and Duke of Vale, has become one of my favorites for this year.

I have cleaned the house, let it go and be a disaster, cleaned and disaster. I seem to be cleaning everyday and the girls were home for finals and the house just fell apart. I clean sweep every morning but don't want to be cleaning 24/7. Any suggestions?

Menu Plan Monday

Sunday-Moussaka w/ salad (from last week)

Monday-Tuna Noodle Casserole w/steamed vegi (from last week)

Tuesday-Cauliflower and Mushroom Gougere w/salad

Wednesday-Pasta w/Savoy Cabbage w/salad

Thursday-Buttery Halibut w/smashed potatos and asparagus

Friday-Black Bean Chili w/cornbread -recipe exchange

Saturday-Chipolte Chicken Salad w/melon

Dessert-Stilton Baked Pears