Bathroom Remodel

I feel like our house is always under construction. The first room we did a few years ago was the kitchen, now it was time for the bathroom. We wanted new flooring, vanity, and paint. So after debating about what we wanted we finally decided on dark flooring and a white vanity. We pained the two opposite walls the color of the floor, and left the other two the same color. The flooring has colors of the already tan wall, and looks nice against the floor. We got all of our supplies from Home Depot. I'll list everything after the pictures

This remodel took 2 weeks. The floor was done one week, and paint was done the following week. We still need a shower curtain a window curtain, and the baseboard needs to be put back down. But the hard part is over

Operation Weight Loss Week 5

No weigh in, no pictures this week. My body is seriously out of whack because I'm on my period. Maybe TMI but hey it is what it is. In other news. I stopped taking the Oxy Elite Pro Pills on Sunday. When I stopped taking them I had a migraine for 2 full days. What you should know about these pills, is that they have a ton of caffeine in them. So when I stopped taking them my body went through withdrawals. I took a migraine pill and it went away in 30 minutes, and I was back to my regular workouts.

My food intake didn't change without the pills. No cravings, and my portions stayed the same, which is a good thing. My body is now used to eating a certain amount, and now I can just keep up the hard work and get results the old fashion way.

Even though this wasn't a great week, weight wise, I feel great. Clothes are fitting better, i'm liking what I see in the mirror. But I still need to get to LOVING what I see in the mirror. Im getting there, slowly but surely. I'm taking today and tomorrow off and will get back to working out on Sunday-Thursday. Speaking of working out. I have mixed my workout with the kettle bell and it's a intense work out, so I will do that all next week and see how my week goes. So until next time.

April Cross Body Bag Review from ShopSueyBoutique

Besides makeup I love a good, cute, affordable purse! That's where ShopSueyBoutique comes in. I came across ShopSueyBoutique years ago looking for a designer inspired bag, and have been coming back ever since. I love their site because

1. You can get nice, quality bags for affordable prices
2. Customer service is always helpful
3. I get shipments fast, because they are in California, and so am I
4. Bags always look better in person, which I didn't think was possible!

I originally bought April Shopper Tote which is a lot bigger but was sent this by accident last Friday (I got it yesterday, went out Tuesday!) After looking at it I decided I love the size and ShopSueyBoutique was very helpful in refunding the difference. If you're not familiar with designer bags it's inspired by the Celine Nano Luggage Tote. I love the design of all the Celine Luggage bags, but can't afford the price. So when ShopSueyBoutique got these in I was excited. 

The April Cross Body Bag is a small bag but it's a great bag none the less, that can be carried 4 different ways

1. By hand
2. Crook of the arm
3. Over the shoulder (with the strap
4. Cross body

This bag is great for traveling and shopping and fits quite a bit for it to be so small. The dimensions 8x8x4 but don't let those numbers deceive you, this is a good size. Here are pics of it and what can fit

With all of this theres still some room on the sides, for my phone and a couple of other things! The bag is made very well, the hardware on all of ShopSueyBoutique bags are superb and as long as I've been buying from them, I've never had a bag come apart on me (some bags I've had for 6 years!)

I do want the April Shopper Tote eventually (the bigger version) but I really do love this little bag.

*I paid for this bag myself. I am not sponsored by ShopSueyBoutique all opinions are my own

Glossybox August 2012

Another month, another Glossybox. Someone on twitter told me "you're going to love this box!" and they were right. I can't wait to try everything. Here's a picture and a list of everything and the price.

Ellis Fass Ellis Lips - Full Size Price (this is full size) $35.00

• This lightweight and long lasting lip products come in three fabulous textures; creamy lips for a matte finish, milky lips for a gloss finish, and glazed lips for a touch of color. They are paraben free, loaded with vitamin E and blend into the lips leaving them soft and conditioned

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum - Full Size Price $48.00

• This high powered vitamin C complex helps smooth out lines and wrinkles, fights environmental aggressors and keeps your skin moisturized, nourished and protected. Apply mornings

Biolage ExquisteOil Replenishing Treatment - Full Size price $22.00

• This treatment is a versatile serum infused with moringa oil blend. This ultimate potion gives instant shine and weightless replenishment to all hair types.

Touch In Sol Feel Like Honey Moon Skin Base - Full Size Price $20.00

• Apply this fantastic primer after your skincare routine and before your makeup. Its honey texture firms and revitalizes the skin and allows for a better makeup application

Illamasqua Nail Varnish - Full Size Price (this is full size) $14.00

• Award winning, extremely hardwearing and chip resistant, theres an illamasqua nail varnish for every shade of humanity. Apply two coats for extra intensity. Make the statement and talk with your hands

Operation Weight Loss Week 4

Week 4 was probably one of my best weeks yet! I worked hard, and it paid off. I had to have a little pep talk from my husband because I had higher expectations. He told me "one pound a week is great!" so that stuck with me. This week was different because I worked out 5 days a week, and I've dropped the kettle bell...for now. As much as I love it it wasn't giving me the workout I wanted. So I've been doing the workout I mentioned in week 3. and I love it! it kicks my entire ass, but the results are worth it. So how has my food intake and cravings been?

Food Intake

• I have been on a eggs and polish sausage kick. I don't know what it is, but I'm craving the hell out of this stuff. I eat it for lunch and dinner. Plus they're so filling, so I'm not hungry afterward. 
• Ive been putting spinach in my smoothies. I used to think you could taste the veggies in smoothies, but little did I know that fruit overpowers the tastes, so I get the nutrients without the taste. Win win!

Cravings

• No sugar cravings this week. I did however crave some french toast BADLY yesterday, now not so much. Maybe for a cheat day?

Overall this week was a good one. Click more to see pictures and what I lost

New Blender

My blender that I had for about 4 years went out on me 2 weeks ago. Well since I drink smoothies almost everyday, I had been using my food processor, and that thing is a pain in the ass to clean! So I decided to get a new blender, but this time I wanted something more convenient. Ive seen some that you can blend stuff up in, and use the same cup, thats what I wanted. Since I'm the only one who drinks smoothies, I didn't need anything bigger. So at walmart the other day I came across a GE one

(pictures courtesy of google)

This is what GE says about their blender

Make a single serving of your favorite blended drink with the GE 17-Piece Single Serve Rocket Blender. This powerful little blender comes with both a tall cup and a small cup to let you easily blend your own delicious smoothies and milkshakes. Its sharp, cross blades help for quick chopping or mixing, while the powerful flat blade helps to blend the contents to a smooth consistency. This single-serve blender has three non-skid, non-marking feet to keep it firmly in place and prevent scratches on your countertop. The cups, lids and blades of this GE rocket blender are dishwasher safe for easy maintenance.

GE 17-Piece Single Serve Rocket Blender:

Power base

Tall cup

Small cup

Cross blade for chopping or mixing

Flat blade for grinding

4 drinking cups

4 comfort lip rings

2 shaker lids

2 resealable lids

3 non-skid, non-marking feet

3-prong plug

Cups, lids and blades are dishwasher safe

240W

I love all the stuff it comes with, even a smaller cup for when I dont want to drink an entire cup of a smoothie. The only problem I have is that it doesnt make a full cup because there is a max line. So I have to blend the first batch then add a little more. Other then that, it saves me time and water from washing dishes

Operation Weight Loss Week 3

Week 3 was similar to week 1. I had no sugar cravings, still eating the same, but incorporated salads into my diet. I usually had a smoothie for breakfast, a salad for lunch, and dinner (if I didn't cook anything) I'm still taking the Oxy Elite Pro pills, but they have been spaced out more which is a good thing. Because it means I stay full longer.

As far as snack food I picked up some Nature Valley bars. They're only 90 calories a bar and theres 2 bars in the pack. The first bar fills me up just enough so I can be good until dinner time. Another thing I picked up was Minute Maid drinks that only have 15 calories per serving (8 oz is a serving) so I've been doing pretty well at my calorie intake and will continue to do so. Read more for pics from last week and today

Re-Evalutating Life and People In My Life

Now that I am on this path to working out getting healthy, staying healthy. I have to get rid of the un-healthy stuff in my life, even if that means the stuff is people. Im pretty sure you all have done it, gotten rid of people who bring nothing to your life. No positivity, always judging, just basically bringing you down, and stressing you out. Well I'm basically tired of the bull shit, and need to cut it.

I would rather be alone, then have people around me who don't love me, for me. It's not healthy and while Im working on a healthy body, I need a healthy mind. So gone is the stress. I don't like being stressed, it gives me a headache, seriously. It makes my heart race, if it gets to be too much I get emotional, and will go on a crying spree. See how this isn't good?

I'm not a person that judges you. If I like you as a person, then I like you, until you piss me off,  it's simple. I don't care what your political, religious, self righteous, views are. As long as I'm respected, I will respect you. But there are people who don't feel that way towards me, therefore I don't need them.

I don't WANT to do this, but I NEED to do this, for me, for my kids, for my sanity.

Operation Weight Loss Week 2

Week 2 was completely different from week 1, and it's because I had cravings for sugar. I swear I was like a drug addict that needed their fix! But I did good, I didn't give in, I didn't have sweets, so proud of myself!

As far as food intake, I've still been doing portion control and taking the OEP's. Week 1 I was taking 2 pills a day. This week for 2 days I only took 1 pill a day and still did good with my food intake, so I'm happy about that.

For breakfast, I've been having a smoothie and that fills me up for a good part of the day. I've been trying to keep myself busy also so food isn't on my mind and it's working for the most part.

Other then that nothing has really changed. Read more to see pictures from last week, and this week.

Pico De Gallo Recipe

I don't know about you but one of my favorite things to snack on is chips and salsa. Im talking about home made salsa, not that store junk that has sugar (seriously who puts sugar in salsa?) I learned how to make my own a few years ago and didn't really perfect it (to my liking) until maybe a year and a half ago. I like home made salsa, because it's healthier, tastes better, and you know whats in it (the best part) My recipe is pretty easy and anyone can make it. Here is what you need

•  4 Roma tomatos (this will make a nice size batch)
• 2 jalapeno peppers (I only used one, but if you like your stuff spicy add 2)
• 1/2 a lemon (use a fresh lemon instead of that plastic bottle stuff
• 1/2 Onion (I used red, you can use white if you wish)
• Cilantro (I add a little then more if need be)

Optional

• Seasoning salt
• Garlic powder
• Black pepper

These items just give it a extra kick!

Now these next steps is what works for ME you can cut up your veggies how YOU like, mix how YOU like. After all the best thing about making food is experimenting. I use a food processor to chop up all my veggies. it saves me time. If you don't have one (even though I highly recommend getting one) just chop up veggies finely

1. Cut up the roma tomatoes into halves and stick into food processor, chop up, put into container.
2. Cut stems off jalapeño peppers (take out seeds if you don't want real spicy salsa) put in food processor
3. Put onion into food processor with peppers, chop up
4. Put cilantro in food processor, chop up
5. Now that everything is in the container add 1/2 lemon juice
6. Add seasoning (optional)
7. Stir and enjoy!

Thats it! Pretty simple huh? Sure you can add even more veggies if you like i.e corn see what works for you!

Happy Birthday Haley

My oldest daughter Haley is 10 today, TEN!!!! Where has the time gone?? This little lady was born 2 weeks early at 11:45 am. Weighed 6lbs even, was 19 inches long, all legs, and she still is!

She's always been shy, until she warms up to you. She's stubborn (like her mama) loves to laugh, loves to read, loves the color pink, but best of all she's a mamas girl. She always gives me hugs, and is very protective of me and her sister.

I dont exactly know where the past ten years went. But in that time this beautiful girl has managed to teach herself to swim, do flips, become almost taller then me, master a computer better then most adults, hate almost every food, except mac and cheese, hot dogs, eggs, and top ramen. As difficult as times may be, I wouldn't change one thing.

She's a mini version of me and my husband, we love her, and wish her a very Happy Birthday. We love you Haley!!

Operation Weight Loss Week 1

Week 1 of Operation Weight Loss is over and Im going to tell you about my week, show you pictures and tell you how much weight I've lost so far. My first week was pretty good. I started my kettle bell workout you can see the video here. It's a good workout for me, since Im basically starting from scratch as far as working out goes.

My first day working out

• It was hard I only did about 5 minutes of the workout, and felt like I was going to pass out, so I stopped. the next day my body was SORE! but it was supposed to be sore.

My second day working out

• I finished the entire 10 minute workout! I wanted to do more, but simply couldn't. The next day I was sore not as much as before though

My third day working out

• I finished the workout but couldn't do more. I want to try and do more tomorrow. Today I'm not sore but when I press down on my legs I can feel that the muscles are tighter.

As far as eating and drinking.

• I've been drinking smoothies every morning. Strawberries, banana and low fat vanilla yogurt. This usually fills me up for a while then I may have something small to eat and then eat dinner. If I do have breakfast its something light, mostly its 45 calorie wheat bread used to make a egg in a basket. This is very filling.
• For drinking Ive been drinking flavored water and sparkling limeade/lemonade. These only have 5 calories per can, gives me my soda fix. I also have the little packs of juice you mix with water that have no sugar or calories. They taste like kool aid, also gives me the sugar fix without the sugar
• For snacking. ive eaten some sugar free jello and low calorie vanilla ice cream. The jello has 3 or 4 calories per serving and the ice cream has 90 per half a cup. Ive only eaten the ice cream once this week because of the calorie intake

I havent really craved the junk food, which is surprising seeing as how much I craved it before. But who knows what next week will bring. Now onto the picture. The left is before the right is after. Just one week. After the pictures I will say how much I've lost

Farmers Market

Today was my very first time going to the farmers market. I've always heard that its cheaper then the grocery store for veggies and fruits so I decided to see how big of a price difference it was. But first let me tell you about my experience.

Our farmers market is in a parking lot. It used to be downtown but they moved it, for reasons I don't know of. Theres not a lot of booths but enough space for groups of people to walk down the isle and see what they want. There all kinds of fruits and veggies just looked like a rainbow of healthy foods.

What I didn't like was that there weren't any scales for you to weigh your food so you could know how much you were going to spend. You know how at the grocery store you can weigh your food, and add more, or take some of the food out? Yeah I wish the farmers market had these so you could know before paying.

I also didn't see a huge price difference in the food. I took $10 and got some Organic Gala Apples, 4 Corn on the Cobs, 2 Broccoli Trees, and 2 vines of purple and green grapes. Now I know the corn is the same as the grocery stores but when I look at what I have I dont see a reason to go out of my way to go here every weekend as opposed to my local grocery store. The one thing that threw me off was the price of strawberries, it was more then my grocery store!

Overall it was an experience, and Im glad I experienced it. But I doubt I will be going back.

Easy Guacamole Recipe

This is a easy and healthy guacamole recipe. I posted a recipe before, but changed a couple of things and it's much better. Here is what you need and the steps.

Note that everything listed is for a big batch. if you want a smaller batch use half and/or less

8 avocados 
2 Limes
1 red onion
2 jalapeno pepper 
3 Roma tomato
Cilantro (add as little or as many leaves as you want)

Optional - Seasoning Salt, Garlic Powder, and Black Pepper

1. Mash avocados in a bowl, but leave a little chunky
2. Add lime juice
3. Add everything else and mix together.