Today: 169.4 I've been fluctuating up and down a few pounds, basically maintaining. No big surprise there. I've lost faith in my "Birthday Goal" but I am proud of myself for walking 5 days a week which I maintained. I still haven't started at the YMCA, but I am still thinking about it. I really want to be going there once the weather turns and I can't walk anymore. Hopefully the life changes I am making will pay off in the long run and eventually I will reach my goal weight. I am also going to talk to my gynecologist in November about switching my birth control to help manage my PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome [that's another post all together]). I lost weight when I was on Yasmin before, and I hope it will happen again. Keep your fingers crossed!
I've been making quite a bit of money re-selling LEGOs and have posted several new items on Etsy since my last post. Hurrah! I have also worked on making instructions for my sets... need to work more on that. I'd like to sell my items as "kits" instead of completed. It should be more fun for the person purchasing the item, and I won't have to worry about it falling apart in shipping.
Speaking of Etsy..... I've been making weekly goals for myself and putting them on the calendar and it's working pretty well.
Babble babble.... Happy Halloween!
October 20, 2010
September 29, 2010
Weigh-In Wednesday
Yeah yeah, I know, it was supposed to be on Tuesday! Hulu just posted the show today so I postponed my post.
Today's scale reading was a big surprise to me. A month or so ago I snuck into the 170's and was staying there. Seeing those numbers was quite a blow, I hadn't been that heavy since Middle & Highschool (my peak being 180). This morning I broke back into the 60's and had a weigh-in of 169.2 pounds! That is a 3 pound loss from last Tuesday! Wow! I am (almost) speechless! I've never had much success with planned weight loss, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep this trend going. By the time it really gets cold again, all of last years jeans should be a little too big :)
There's a contestant on the show this year that's from Kent, Ohio which is exciting. I'll be routing for Aaron (I think that's his name). He was talking about the Terminator Sub today, which I am quite familiar with. It was pretty disheartening to watch Jillian and Bob gaging at the thought of one of my beloved sandwiches! I know it is a horrendous meal, but I will get it again in the future... definitely not a lifestyle.
While I've been diligent with my exercise, my crafting has fallen by the wayside. My weekly goals are non-existent. I have a few projects I need to finish up for family members, and lots of ideas for new items, but nothing is getting done. Time to reboot! One thing I've stopped doing in the past year is beating myself up over 'failures'. Each day is a fresh start, and I can pick up and start again. So I ate a few cupcakes yesterday, no need to beat myself up for it, just make today better! I'm trying really hard to not let self-imposed guilt get me down. After this post I am going to clean the kitchen and then work on some sewing projects.
Today's scale reading was a big surprise to me. A month or so ago I snuck into the 170's and was staying there. Seeing those numbers was quite a blow, I hadn't been that heavy since Middle & Highschool (my peak being 180). This morning I broke back into the 60's and had a weigh-in of 169.2 pounds! That is a 3 pound loss from last Tuesday! Wow! I am (almost) speechless! I've never had much success with planned weight loss, and I am keeping my fingers crossed that I can keep this trend going. By the time it really gets cold again, all of last years jeans should be a little too big :)
There's a contestant on the show this year that's from Kent, Ohio which is exciting. I'll be routing for Aaron (I think that's his name). He was talking about the Terminator Sub today, which I am quite familiar with. It was pretty disheartening to watch Jillian and Bob gaging at the thought of one of my beloved sandwiches! I know it is a horrendous meal, but I will get it again in the future... definitely not a lifestyle.
While I've been diligent with my exercise, my crafting has fallen by the wayside. My weekly goals are non-existent. I have a few projects I need to finish up for family members, and lots of ideas for new items, but nothing is getting done. Time to reboot! One thing I've stopped doing in the past year is beating myself up over 'failures'. Each day is a fresh start, and I can pick up and start again. So I ate a few cupcakes yesterday, no need to beat myself up for it, just make today better! I'm trying really hard to not let self-imposed guilt get me down. After this post I am going to clean the kitchen and then work on some sewing projects.
September 22, 2010
Biggest Loser Tuesdays
It's that time of year again--fall shows return! I find The Biggest Loser incredibly motivating and inspirational. While I'm in no way going to try to compete with the contestants in regards to the speed of their weight loss, I am going to push myself to maintain healthy habits and lose some weight. By my birthday, November 30th, I would like to be back to my pre-marital weight of 155. That amounts to a little less than 20 pounds, or two pounds per week. Eek! That's a lot! I've been walking 5 days a week for 2-3 weeks now, and lost 2 pounds or so, so it looks like I will have to step up my game a little.
Week One Weigh in: 172.2
Who's with me?
Week One Weigh in: 172.2
Who's with me?
September 1, 2010
Come on ride the train hey ride it woo woo
There's a bit of a theme going on in my house, and that theme is TRAINS! EJ and I have fallen in love with the game Ticket to Ride. It's really easy to learn and fun for serious and casual gamers alike. We have the U.S. version (there are a few different maps using the same game structure) along with the 1910 expansion. I can't recommend the expansion enough--if you are going to purchase the game, you must buy the expansion. Essentially players draw colored train cars and build track across the country trying to complete destination missions. You earn points throughout the games based on the length of your train tracks, and again at the end of the game for missions completed. I have only played with adults, but I think kids would enjoy it just as much. If you're in the market for a new game, try Ticket to Ride!
After playing with tiny plastic trains fir a few weeks, you could say I had trains on the brain. Can you ride a train cross country? Are there still passenger cars? dinning cars? sleeping cars? The answer to these questions are yes! yes! yes! Although it's not cost effective compared to flying, I think a train ride would be an amazing experience. I wouldn't go so far as to say I would travel from Cleveland to Sacremento (which would cost you roughly $350 one way, compared to $175 to fly) but I would like to ride from Cleveland to New York, New York. The ride to the big apple takes you right in to Grand Central Station! In previous trips to NYC I always found the bus system from the airport to the city daunting, so being dropped off at Grand Central is a big plus to me. Mark my words, one day I will play Ticket to Ride on a train. Gosh, I'm a nerd.
Added to The Bucket List: 13. Ride a Train
If you thought I was done with this topic, you were wrong. I've got one more train adventure up my sleeve. While looking for events in my area on visitcrawford.com I stumbled across a murder mystery dinner theater, you guessed it, on a train! How cool is that? Although I didn't care for Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express" I think the dinner theater would be a great time. Maybe EJ and I will get tickets this fall when the leaves are at their peak.
August 19, 2010
Better than nothing
The music festival / craft show wasn't a total bust... I made $20. I had to be there anyway, it was free, and there was good music, so all in all no regrets. I sold 1 pumpkin candle, 1 walking stick, 1 ducktape wallet, and 1 set of magnets. Had all the boyscouts brought money with them, I would have sold at least 3 more wallets and probably some lego items (they really liked my stuff and hung around my table all day). Somehow I need to make parents realize that their kids won't have enough Lego at home to recreate what I have... any ideas? It's true, most of them won't have the bricks to make what I have but all the moms' say "you could make that, you've already got Legos". Oiy! Maybe if it were in a box with a picture on it parents would be more receptive.
Weight loss goals? What are those? I seem to be GAINING. I did finally get some workout shorts & capris with pockets and looked into classes at the YWCA (now the FCCA) in Meadville. Classes start in September and I think I'll sign up for them. Maybe Strength training twice a week and Yoga once a week. I hope their Yoga is as good as the Yoga classes I used to take in Kent.
I'm proud to say that I've been productive lately. I've posted new items on Etsy, I've sold quite a few things on Ebay, and I've completed some commission work for family (one more to do today). I also wrote and complained to Etsy about not being syndicated and they actually did something about it! Now my items should come up in Google product/shopping searches! They haven't yet, but I don't think google updates their databases every day. As soon as I see my products in the Google Shopping search engine, I will start making accessories for bass players. Bass Bibs for everyone!
I'm bringing a friend from PA to my hometown, Kent, Ohio, this weekend and I'm pretty pumped. I'm excited to share my old stomping grounds with someone who hasn't been there before. I really miss all the wonderful Hike and Bike Trails, and long paths in parks that Northeast Ohio has to offer. Other than my family, that is what I miss most about living in Kent. I'm thinking we will walk on the trail that starts downtown at the old dam and ends at Fred Fuller Park, Virginia Kendall, and maybe Brandywine Falls.
Weight loss goals? What are those? I seem to be GAINING. I did finally get some workout shorts & capris with pockets and looked into classes at the YWCA (now the FCCA) in Meadville. Classes start in September and I think I'll sign up for them. Maybe Strength training twice a week and Yoga once a week. I hope their Yoga is as good as the Yoga classes I used to take in Kent.
I'm proud to say that I've been productive lately. I've posted new items on Etsy, I've sold quite a few things on Ebay, and I've completed some commission work for family (one more to do today). I also wrote and complained to Etsy about not being syndicated and they actually did something about it! Now my items should come up in Google product/shopping searches! They haven't yet, but I don't think google updates their databases every day. As soon as I see my products in the Google Shopping search engine, I will start making accessories for bass players. Bass Bibs for everyone!
I'm bringing a friend from PA to my hometown, Kent, Ohio, this weekend and I'm pretty pumped. I'm excited to share my old stomping grounds with someone who hasn't been there before. I really miss all the wonderful Hike and Bike Trails, and long paths in parks that Northeast Ohio has to offer. Other than my family, that is what I miss most about living in Kent. I'm thinking we will walk on the trail that starts downtown at the old dam and ends at Fred Fuller Park, Virginia Kendall, and maybe Brandywine Falls.
July 30, 2010
Duck Tape Tip
As I mentioned in my previous post, I have designed a duck tape wallet which I plan on selling:
If you ever want to make one yourself the easiest way to make it is to cover a piece of paper with duct tape front and back. Build your wallet out of that piece of paper. Tape-to-tape is just a sticky mess and you'll never get it smooth. Start to finish this wallet probably took me a little less than an hour, and each roll of duct tape costs $4-$5 (the colored tape is sold at a premium). If you buy from me, than you won't have to spend all that hard earned money and time :)
If you ever want to make one yourself the easiest way to make it is to cover a piece of paper with duct tape front and back. Build your wallet out of that piece of paper. Tape-to-tape is just a sticky mess and you'll never get it smooth. Start to finish this wallet probably took me a little less than an hour, and each roll of duct tape costs $4-$5 (the colored tape is sold at a premium). If you buy from me, than you won't have to spend all that hard earned money and time :)
Making Friends & finishing what you start
Making friends as an adult is no easy task. As far as I know you can't do a blanket search on Facebook by location, and everyone's kind of gotten away from MySpace (what crappy local band wants to be my friend today?!). My best advice, is to find one person you really like and then steal their friends. If this doesn't work you'd better hope luck is on your side! I can find a four-leaf clover while riding my bike so things have worked out pretty well. Tonight EJ and I are throwing a bonfire and I'm pretty stoked.
Bucket-List progress has been steady this week. I've been going on a 30 minute walk most days, and I actually did some new crafting. I'm starting a line of duck tape wallets, which I plan to sell for $5. In two weeks I will have a craft table at the Canal Park in Conneautville at their annual music festival. I think the wallets will be a hit with all the boyscouts that help out with the event. If I don't sell anything it won't be a total loss since the tables are free and I would've had to be there to help anyway.
Next week will be a challenge. I need to get a lot of crafting done before the music festival. My husband has class, so supposedly I will be distraction-free--yeah right! Purses and wallets are the focus.
Bucket-List progress has been steady this week. I've been going on a 30 minute walk most days, and I actually did some new crafting. I'm starting a line of duck tape wallets, which I plan to sell for $5. In two weeks I will have a craft table at the Canal Park in Conneautville at their annual music festival. I think the wallets will be a hit with all the boyscouts that help out with the event. If I don't sell anything it won't be a total loss since the tables are free and I would've had to be there to help anyway.
Next week will be a challenge. I need to get a lot of crafting done before the music festival. My husband has class, so supposedly I will be distraction-free--yeah right! Purses and wallets are the focus.
July 27, 2010
Fat Camp
I just started watching the show Huge that's about a "fat camp". I really like the show, it's kind of hokey but I like all the characters. Willamina, a loud & proud tom-boy character, wrote a mock letter to her parents, and it really effected me:
I can't forget that you sent me here. That I'm not good enough for you. You tell me all the time when you comment on how my shirts don't fit, or exchange little looks when I reach for dessert. I try not to care, but it hurts. It Hurts!
My parents never sent me to fat camp, but that excerpt really got to me. It's like Will's parents live in my head. I'm so hard on myself, and it doesn't help me in anyway. When I was living at home with my parents and siblings my brother used to pick on me. I forgive him now, he was a chubby kid growing up and he only had the best intentions. Looking back I hold little resentment for my brother, but it's still hard to accept that my parents didn't stand up for me when he would say "pass the rolls" in my direction.
Growing up I was a pretty oblivious kid. I could care less about boys, and had no idea others in my elementary school were dating. I'd say to this day I am pretty care free, and honestly still love doing the same things I did at ten years old. Weight, clothes and make-up weren't even in my periphery. My brother's comments were an eye opener, and my parents silence was confirmation. From that time on, I saw myself as fat.
These days it's a toss-up. Some days I see all the beauty in myself and am on top of the world. Other days I feel fat and lazy, and I just want to eat more and do less. It'd be nice if I didn't always think about how I'm going to 'get healthy' or 'lose weight'. I already am pretty healthy, and I don't have all that much weight to lose.
I had been planning on only doing updates on Thursdays, but this just happened :) I try not to fight inspiration.
***Added to The Bucket List: Learn how to make Batik
I can't forget that you sent me here. That I'm not good enough for you. You tell me all the time when you comment on how my shirts don't fit, or exchange little looks when I reach for dessert. I try not to care, but it hurts. It Hurts!
My parents never sent me to fat camp, but that excerpt really got to me. It's like Will's parents live in my head. I'm so hard on myself, and it doesn't help me in anyway. When I was living at home with my parents and siblings my brother used to pick on me. I forgive him now, he was a chubby kid growing up and he only had the best intentions. Looking back I hold little resentment for my brother, but it's still hard to accept that my parents didn't stand up for me when he would say "pass the rolls" in my direction.
Growing up I was a pretty oblivious kid. I could care less about boys, and had no idea others in my elementary school were dating. I'd say to this day I am pretty care free, and honestly still love doing the same things I did at ten years old. Weight, clothes and make-up weren't even in my periphery. My brother's comments were an eye opener, and my parents silence was confirmation. From that time on, I saw myself as fat.
These days it's a toss-up. Some days I see all the beauty in myself and am on top of the world. Other days I feel fat and lazy, and I just want to eat more and do less. It'd be nice if I didn't always think about how I'm going to 'get healthy' or 'lose weight'. I already am pretty healthy, and I don't have all that much weight to lose.
I had been planning on only doing updates on Thursdays, but this just happened :) I try not to fight inspiration.
***Added to The Bucket List: Learn how to make Batik
July 22, 2010
Moving Forward
A year of marriage and living outside of my parents home has flown by. It's hard to believe that only a year ago EJ, my husband, and I were limited to seeing one another only on weekends. While I have accomplished a lot in one year and have many things to be proud of, there is an equal number of things I hope to improve upon.
I am shocked at my lack of motivation and apparent laziness. In making a bucket list I hope to realize more of my potential. Accomplishing numbers two, seven and eight are at the top of my priority list:
Before getting marries my husband and I agreed that I had three years to try and make it as an "at home crafter". This might have been a lofty goal for me to take on, given that this has also been my first year living away from home. As far as the first of the three years go, in terms of crafting, I would consider it a waste (though not a complete waste). I'm lacking in motivation and time management skills. There is a market for the items I create and I enjoy the process of actually making them. If I had actually crafted more, and posted more items for sale, I'm confident I would have already reached my 100 sales goal.
In conclusion, I would like to state that the quest for bikini wearing and 100 sales starts now! Hopefully today's statement isn't another empty-promise to myself.
I am shocked at my lack of motivation and apparent laziness. In making a bucket list I hope to realize more of my potential. Accomplishing numbers two, seven and eight are at the top of my priority list:
- 2. Wear a bikini
- 7. Reach 100 Etsy sales
- 8. Earn $10,000 a year through crafts
Before getting marries my husband and I agreed that I had three years to try and make it as an "at home crafter". This might have been a lofty goal for me to take on, given that this has also been my first year living away from home. As far as the first of the three years go, in terms of crafting, I would consider it a waste (though not a complete waste). I'm lacking in motivation and time management skills. There is a market for the items I create and I enjoy the process of actually making them. If I had actually crafted more, and posted more items for sale, I'm confident I would have already reached my 100 sales goal.
In conclusion, I would like to state that the quest for bikini wearing and 100 sales starts now! Hopefully today's statement isn't another empty-promise to myself.
THE LIST... to be continued
1. Learn how to make stained glass
2. Wear a bikini, comfortably
3. Travel to Australia
4. See the Redwood Forest
5. Go to the Grand Canyon
6. Visit the 100 Aker Wood
7. Reach 100 Etsy Sales
8. Earn at least $10,000 a year from my craft business
9. Relax in a hot spring
10. Own all 4, 1st edition Winnie the Pooh books, in dustjackets
11. Successfully waterski
12. Learn how to make Batik
13. Ride in a passenger train
2. Wear a bikini, comfortably
3. Travel to Australia
4. See the Redwood Forest
5. Go to the Grand Canyon
6. Visit the 100 Aker Wood
7. Reach 100 Etsy Sales
8. Earn at least $10,000 a year from my craft business
9. Relax in a hot spring
10. Own all 4, 1st edition Winnie the Pooh books, in dustjackets
11. Successfully waterski
12. Learn how to make Batik
13. Ride in a passenger train
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