25 July 2012

Bargain Hunter: $20 Finds on Floral

I get pretty lucky sometimes.

The new house will require a lot of things. There are the big items like materials to finish the basement such as carpet, doors and millwork. That's the big stuff and I will leave that to Jud's department. and he's pretty good at finding bargains.

It's the little things for me. The ones that make the house a home. But I will have to be pretty frugal and that's where I will have to use my knack at finding the bargains will come in.

Today, I spent a little over $20 at the thrift store to find some nice decor for the house. I specifically, if not patiently, waited for today to visit my favorite thrift store. It's "knick-knacks" day and all decorative items and baskets would be on sale.

It paid off because I scored some nice silk florals and greens along with a wood vase and red ceramic urn I have been coveting for some time. Thank goodness they were still there. The wood vase was pretty. It was 4-sided and laid with 1"x1" bark in a checkerboard pattern. Not bad for about $4 in materials.

The red urn was in awesome condition and I wanted ivy trailing down the opening. I found some gold foiled floral pieces for accent and landed a nice 6' ivy swag with clear little crystal berries.

Not a bad day's work. Slowly but surely, I'll decorate our house and I'd like to do it with as much bargains as I can find.

13 May 2012

Feeling the Pinch

The reality of the weight loss process is that I am not perfect. The best I can do is to be as mindful as I can be for the most part.

I fell off the wagon in my diet journal for a number of days. Ditto on the videos. Still, I was mindful of my food intake and that has to be worth something. In retrospect, this still has been a good week and I am not going to beat myself up on my lapse.

I do feel like I had so much to do that "triage" was how I dealt with everything. I would have loved to feel a little bit of calm but that was apparently not in the cards.

Between the stress and anxiety of having to do my first Zumba class at Curves, keeping up with my modest design work for which I am close to burning bridges, a crazy parent who apparently has delusions of grandeur, tight finances, and plantar fasciitis pain, I feel like I am mentally stretched thin which, of course, transfers to physical fatigue. I am tired.

Did I say that I am also a mom? Happy Mother's Day!


Week 7 Day 3 on Curves Complete

AM Weigh In @ 179.8

Today was an all-out Zumba day. I choreo'd and practiced my 30 minute mix for Curves and went to a one-hour zumba class with the girls in Sugar City. On top of the circuit, I put in a whole lot of steps and burned a ton of calories.

Fuel Your Muscles Video: "We need energy in order to function. A balanced intake of carbs, fats and proteins are needed to fuel muscle. Consume protein before or after a workout. It is the building block for new muscle."

Week 7 Day 7 on Curves Complete

AM Weigh In @ 178

So...it's Mother's Day and I sure hope to make it a good productive one!

Celebrations Video: "Don't derail your goals and diet. Choose a special treat in small measures and enjoy it."

Week 7 Day 6 on Curves Complete

AM Weigh In @ ... haven't a clue!

I did not get a chance to get my weigh-in done this morning in my rush to get ready for the craft fair. On the plus side,  I didn't pig out and actually had a rather healthy flounder on greens for a very modest $5.

No workout either but we did go for a nice long walk tonight after dinner.

Another Cue: Portion Sizes Video: "You don't need more."

11 May 2012

Week 7 Day 5 on Curves Complete

AM Weigh In @ 177.6

Walked to the club with Phyllis, did a circuit, and walked back home. It was an awesome sunny day and it felt good to get a good workout in.

Sizing Up Your Portions Video: "Restaurant portions have really distorted our view of what true portions are."

10 May 2012

Week 7 Day 4 on Curves Complete

AM Weigh In @ 177.6

I actually weighed in at 178.8 but when I got to the club and did my CC coaching after MY first Zumba class. I loved it and I am SO glad the ladies enjoyed it as well.

Vitamin intake is a bit of challenge in the morning. Between the amount of pills I take and the big glass of water I gulp down, it always seem to feel like I am going to drown in water. It also tends to make me less hungry for breakfast which isn't such a great side-effect if I want to eat breakfast.

Using Exchanges Video: "Don't forget free veggies."