Day 2 & 3

Day 2 of my goal:

10 min Elliptical
45 min Dance Mix Cardio class with some weights.

Food: Ahh...Pretty much the same as the day 1

Day 3:

Forget the gym! I can barely walk! I can hardly go from standing to sitting to use the toilet without almost crying out in pain! I feel like I need handrails in the bathroom.

I did however manage to chase the dog around our street because he thinks he needs to spread his scent around lately. So that got my heart rate up!

Also I have this sinus head cold thingy starting today and PMS! Not a good day for dieting or working out.
Tomorrow will be a better day.... I hope!

A little less me in 2010!

Well that is the plan anyway. I need to lose some where in the range of 20-30lbs.

GOALS:

• Short Term Goal: Lose 5lbs by Feb 1st (1 month)
• Long term goal: 20-30lbs or whatever feels comfortable in my clothes ( would like to lost a pant size or two)
• Exercise 3-4x's a week at the gym
• Eat sensible meals and healthy choices.
• Don't over indulge in sweets, just a nibble here or there.
• Drink pletny of water.
• Weigh in and measurements once a week.

Day 1 Jan 4th
Went to the gym for a  45 min cycling/scuplting class....bought kicked my butt! I didn't think I would be able to walk today but so far so good. I am a little sore but tolerable.

Breakfast: Oatmeal and whole wheat toast with a glass of Skim Milk
Lunch: Salad (from home) and a Plain McChicken sandwhich from McD's--I know not the healthiest but closest thing to work.
Snack: Apple and peanut butter
Dinner: Spaghetti and garlic bread
Sweet: Had a little bite of my super brownies that I made. I was tempted to eat a whole one but I did one bite!

Mondays Weigh in: 145.8
Measurements:
Neck: 13"
Upper Arms: Both 11"
Bust: 35"
Waist at belly button: 30.5"
Hips: 43.5"

Death by Chocolate...aka Super Brownies

My husband and children calls these 'Super Brownies' but they are actually 'Double Chocolate-Carmel-Fudge Brownies.'
I made these last night and I got the recipe from a friend. They are DELICIOUS!!! It is hard to eat just one.

Here is the recipe:

Filling:

1--(14 oz) pkg caramels, unwrapped

½ cup evaporated milk

Brownies (or just use a mix): (We use a mix)

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 ¼ cups Gold Medal All-Purpose Flour

¾ cup unsweetened cocoa

¼ teaspoon salt

1--(11.5 or 12 oz) pkg (2 cups) semisweet chocolate chunks

1 ½ cups chopped pecans

1 teaspoon oil


1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 13x9 –inch pan. In small saucepan, combine caramels and milk; cook over low heat until caramels are melted and smooth, stirring frequently.

2. Melt butter in medium saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat. Add sugar, vanilla and eggs; blend well. Stir in flour, cocoa and salt; mix well. Stir in 1 ½ cups of the chocolate chunks and 1 cup of the pecans. Spoon and spread batter in greased pan.

3. Gently and evenly drizzle caramel filling over batter to prevent large pockets of caramel and to prevent caramel from reaching bottom of bars. Caramel can cover entire surface of batter.

4. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 or 40 minutes or until set.

5. In small saucepan, melt remaining ½ cup chocolate chunks with oil over low heat, stirring until smooth. Drizzle over warm brownies. Sprinkle with remaining ½ cup pecans; press in lightly. Cool 20 minutes. Refrigerate 1 hour 30 minutes or until chocolate is set. Cut into squares. If refrigerated longer, let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes before serving.

We can never let the cool completely before diving in!

76.55% saved at Walgreens

My first coupon trip of the year and Walgreens had some good sales and in store coupons that matched up with Manufacturer coupons.

Here is my bounty from my trip minus a hairbrush set my daughter had to have.

So to break it all down.

4 packs of Stayfree pads. 6.29 each minus B1G1 Free Manufacturer Coupon and then minus $3 each store coupon = $0.58 total

5 packages of Finish Electrosol Gel Packs. 3.49 each minus $2.50 Manufacturer coupon and gained $1 Register Reward for each box (done is separate transactions) = $4.95 got back $5 in RR

2 Reach Floss 3.79 each minus B1G1 Free MQ and minus $2 each store coupon = 0.21 overage

2 Reach Total Care toothbrushes 3.99 each minus B1G1 free MQ and minus $2 each store coupon = 0.01 overage

1 Box of Always Infinite (daughter had to have) 4.99 no coupons = $4.99

1 Bottle of L'Oreal Paris Face Cleanser $6.99 minus $2.00 MQ = $4.99

1 tube of Sensodyne Pronamel toothpaste $4.99 minus $1 MQ and $2 store coupon = $1.99

1 Goody Hair brush set (not pictured) $5.99

4 8oz jars of hunts tomato sauce 0.99 each minus 0.60 each store coupon = 1.56

Total before coupons: $85.09 and after coupons and Register Rewards and pre tax: $19.96 and still have $1RR left to use again.

I plan on going to get a few more deals later this week. I was thrilled for the savings and if my daughter hadn't been with me I would have less OOP (out of pocket). Gotta love kids though!

All coupons were from this Sundays news paper.

Oh and Happy New Year everyone!

My keychain coin purse...

So once I got home from work I had to make one of those coin purses! Here is how it turned out.

I thought it was super adorable! Here is the back.

Not too bad for a first try. Not perfect but definitely cute!

I will be making more of these.

Oh so Cute!

I found this tutorial on dollarstorecrafts.com for a coin purse keychain made from dish towels. They are adorable!

So while I was out and about yesterday, I stopped at Deals to see if they had anything cute that I could use to make my own. I did find one cloth placemat that I think will work and 2 dish towels that are good for an every day coin purse. I may get started on them tonight. I would like to make one for my gift exchange at work as a filler and that is tomorrow!
Ahh...so much to do, so little time.

The Holidays are Upon us...

I am not prepared at all! I have shopping to do and decorating and baking and my daughters birthday party...Oh my where am I going to find time for all that and to clean my house. LOL!!

We went this past weekend to pick out the perfect tree from the tree farm. It has rained the night before and therefore was muddy!!!

After 3hrs and two farms we found THE tree. Ok so I thought it was the tree and my husband was just tired of walking so I basically said whatever and walked away. I come back and it is cut down, thanks to my son.

We get it home and yep it takes up a 1/4th of my living room and is 10ft tall! I think it looks great! It still needs all the trimmings put on and we are doing a blue and white theme this year.

Christmas is at my house on Christmas eve and I have to work that day...SOOOOO I need to get super duper busy. Between now and next Thursday I have soccer practice, choir concert, birthday party, bowling leagues, soccer game and orthodontist appts. Does it ever stop! NO. My husband will be in charge of the soccer and bowling stuff so I can go to choir and prepare for a house full of teenagers.

My lovely wonderful beautiful daughter has invited about 25 of her friends to come over. I am not sure where they will be going besides the basement. So I am thinking of cheap and fun decorations for her 14th bday party to liven up the unfinished basement. Martha Stewart has a tutorial on how to make tissue paper pom poms on her website. So I am going to do those and string some christmas lights and get out the disco ball and get some ballons and let them have at it.

Here is my first tissue paper pom pom, hung from the entry way light.

Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts: An A-to-Z Guide with Detailed Instructions and Endless Inspiration