The Middle East for Dummies

A new goal has been realized...it's probably going to make me sound like an airhead, though.  This week in my class, students are reading articles from Junior Scholastic about world leaders.  I had to explain things I thought I knew about the Middle East but then wasn't so sure about.  It reminded me that a few years ago--come to think about it, this was another sister-self-improvement idea--right around New Years, Renee and I went to Barnes and Noble to spend our Christmas gift cards.  Renee bought a book on American history, and I bought The Middle East for Dummies.  It has been sitting on my desk since it made its way out of the bag...enter, perfect goal! 

Goal #34:  read and (hopefully) understand the Middle East.  It's sitting here on the couch next to me...still haven't cracked it open, but I have 10 1/2 months!

Well, I need to go perfect my Halloween costume for tomorrow.  I've never been a huge fan of dressing up, but tomorrow's costume will be comfortable and requires no face paint--that's where I draw the line!  I'm dressing up like a seventh grader...my students advised me on outfit ideas, so now I have to make my final selection:  skinny jeans or yoga pants?  flip flops or fake Ugg boots?  high bun or fish-tail braid?  So many options...I may be able to use this costume again next year!

Happy Soon-to-be Friday!

Gluten-Free Banana, Walnut, Dark Chocolate Chip Pancakes...YUM!

Tonight I had a few extra minutes, so I decided to try and make something for a quick and easy breakfast.  Gluten-free crackers and peanut butter are starting to get a little old.  It's been hard enough packing a lunch for myself; making breakfast causes me to run a bit later than I want to in the morning. 

In the interest of continuing to limit my gluten since I've been feeling so good, I bought some gluten-free pancake mix to try.  I'm sure my mother would find this ironic because on the few occasions that I actually make pancakes from scratch, I usually buy the kind that only needs water (more conveniently, Pillsbury has made pancakes that you can keep in the freezer and whip up in 30-45 seconds!).  As it was, I actually had to get an egg, some milk, and a little bit of oil...here comes the good part!  I had made banana nut muffins this weekend, substituting almond meal flour for half of the white flour.  They were YUMMY!  With that as my inspiration, I added some chopped up bananas, walnuts, and just a few dark chocolate chips (those are good for you, too!)  The mix was a bit bland when I got a bite that didn't have enough of the good stuff, so syrup is a must.  Instead of Aunt Jemima, I bought some 100% pure maple sugar, and I also have some turkey sausage in the freezer.  I actually can't wait to go to bed so I can get up and eat breakfast tomorrow morning!

I'm still growing my hair out and loving the length, but I'm struggling with the bangs.  Every Tuesday when I watch New Girl and see Zooey Daschenelle's beautiful hair, I decide I need short bangs.  I've made it through the beginning of the fall season so far, but season one just arrived from Netlix, so I have a feeling I may cave this weekend! 

Well, Brian just started New Girl on DVR, so I'm going to have to sign off for the night and spend the next half hour with hair envy!

Spinach??? What???

(The following post is from yesterday, for those of you wondering how in the world I did all of this on a Monday!)

What an incredibly busy and productive day!  I started the morning with a run--about 2 1/2 miles--with my friend, Colleen.  Running and talking always gives me ideas for doing things I don't have time to do...and yet, I do!  Today it was to organize all of my recipes in a binder, according to type.  Over the past several weeks (and months and years), I have printed a gazillion recipes off the Internet.  My Better Homes and Garden cookbook is crammed with loose sheets of paper and my recipe box is overflowing with magazine clippings.  I never know where anything is when I need it, so I end up searching on-line again until I find it or something close.  I am still searching for the perfect binder because the tabs actually stick out about an inch too far and that will bug me.  In the meantime, though, I have a neatly organized system to help me perfect my culinary skills...for now!  Tonight I tackle the stacks of magazines I have piled next to the couch.  I'm ripping out what I want and pitching the remains!

Recipes before:                              Recipes after:

I

Motivated by my new binder, I decided on veggie lasagna for this week's recipe.  I started out with some chopped onion, red pepper, garlic, and baby spinach (stems removed).  The lasagna noodles are made from brown rice and are gluten free.  From what I understand, gluten-free noodles tend to get mushy and slimy.  These had the same consistency of regular noodles that I make for Brian's lasagna, and I didn't really notice a difference at all!  I used this pasta sauce, not because it was organic, but because the spices were already added in and was sugar free.

I sauteed the veggies together and added the sauce after the spinach had wilted...amazing how such a huge bunch of spinach reduces to so little.  As I prepared this, I was amazed that I was even considering eating it...Old Cher, again!

Then I did the typical layering of noodles, cheeses, and sauce, baking at 350 degrees for a half hour.  (Aren't you getting hungry just looking at these pictures???)  The final result was a very tasty and nutritious meal that I will now be able to pack for lunch the rest of this week!  I even brought some for my good friend who initiated this dramatic change in me. 

I whipped up a chopped salad and indulged in my half a can of Caffeine-Free Coke.  I look forward to trying this again with some additional veggies.

As it stands, I have lost a couple of pounds but haven't noticed anything really dramatic, other than my wedding rings all fit better, so something must be going on!

Hope you had a great weekend and here's to a fabulous week!

The New Me!

I'm two days free and haven't really indulged as much as I thought I would. Ok, the Biagio's donut this morning doesn't count! My sweet son got me a jelly donut because he knew it was my favorite--I couldn't just turn away from such generosity! I compensated by lunching on some fruits and veggies (still no pop yet!).

The boys spent the day with Grandma, so I went to Whole Foods with my friend, Cindy,  and got the makings for some veggie lasagna. After searching the Internet, I found two versions that I'm going to try to blend...one has red peppers and mushrooms and the other spinach (Speaking of the Internet, I talked to an adorable elderly man who was asking me what no-stir almond butter was...he said he read on the Internet that it was better for you than peanut better...so cute!). I also got brown rice to try; I thought maybe if I mixed it with my jasmine rice it would be more palatable...we shall see.  Fifty dollars later, I have some new food options this week to try and make the 21-Day Challenge more of a life-style challenge.

Next door to Whole Foods is the most amazing place I've ever been (that may be an exaggeration, but I'm really not sure!): a massive TJ Maxx and Target. The Target had two stories and an escalator for your cart! It was like I had come home to the mother ship! I restrained myself and only bought some wind pants for my son, but I will return! At this point, you should take notice that I STILL had not had a pop!

For lunch we headed towards home to a new place called Zoup! It's on the corner of 306 and 20 between Old Navy and Marshalls...could there be a better place???  There were so many varieties of soups, and they let you try samples! It was like the adult version of Baskin Robbins. I had to try the chicken pot pie soup which was absolutely amazing--it had little chunks of pie crust! It was a very heavy soup, though, so I opted for the lighter homestyle chicken noodle and half a chicken sandwich. And here is where I had to have a pop. Zoup! is one of the few restaurants I have found that actually serves fountain Coke instead of Pepsi. The old Cher would have ordered a medium and refilled before leaving...the new Cher opted for a small and tossed it on the way out.

Since Old Navy was right next door, we had to stop there as well.  I found a really comfy hoody for jammies on clearance for $12...imagine my delight when I found out the clearance rack was 30% off and that if I used my Old Navy card, I got an additional 30% off of that!  Glad I didn't cancel it yet!  There is nothing better than finding a good deal and getting an even better deal out of it. 

It was a great day spent with a great friend.  I even missed the drama of the end of the Buckeyes game.  I didn't need to be in the house to know that Brian had some choice words for the last four minutes of the game. 

Last weekend, since I was feeling so good, I decided to tackle goal #26 - quit biting my nails.  I dug out the Nail Biter nail polish, and I'm excited to say that tonight I was able to polish the teeny bit of nail that I've been able to grow in a week.  They aren't picture-worthy yet, so you'll have to trust me on this.

I'll try to remember to take some pictures of my lasagna tomorrow.  I'm also going to try to make a healthy version of banana nut muffins for myself.  I got organic cane sugar and some almond meal flour...should be interesting!

I survived!

Tonight was the last meeting for the 21-Day Challenge.  We talked about how to gradually add foods back into our diet, gluten being first.  I've been thinking about this all week, and I'm going to see how long I can extend my healthy eating. 

• I really don't have much desire to eat a piece of bread right now, so I think I'm going to try to hold off on the gluten. 
• Pop...sugar...caffeine...not so easy.  I have missed my Coke with my dinner, but maybe instead of drinking an entire can, I'll just drink half.  I'm going to stick with 100% juice for breakfast, keep an ice-filled water bottle with me at all times, and
  try to acquire the taste for tea.  In the spirit of venturing into the tea world, I conducted a little experiment tonight.  The one on the left was pomegranate with acai berry...the smell and taste reminded me of cough medicine--FAIL!  On the right was black tea with orange and spice.  It was rather bland and I was a little put-off when I read the ingredients and saw clove--not a fan.  In the middle was a decaf green tea...little taste on its own, so I juiced an orange and added it.  Not bad...not bad at all!  Definitely tolerable and something I think will grow on me!  

• As I've mentioned before, I'm pretty good at making justifications for things I really want.  I know it's unrealistic to cut out sugar, but I certainly can limit it!  I'm going to be more aware of product labels and try to look for evaporated cane juice or cane sugar or pure sugar.  My biggest sugar-gluten fix is a bowl of Frosted Flakes...and what about the box of Count Chocula I finally found after years of searching.  We'll have to call it a rare treat.
• Alcohol was not a big sacrifice for me and is definitely not one I'll be indulging in until I go on my first wine tasting.

I'm headed to Columbus on December 8 for a Power of the Pen meeting.  As if I didn't have enough going on selling Thirty-One, managing the PTA pie fund-raiser at the boys' school, and learning how to eat healthy, I've agreed to have my school host the District Power of the Pen tournament in February...oh lordy!  It's going to be a busy, busy year but one that I think will be very self-satisfying.  Anyways, I told my sister that we had to have our 40 goals hammered out by then!

Happy Friday in 40 minutes and Happy Jeans Day for me!  G'night!

2 Days Left!

My lettuce wraps were AMAZING!  It is very rare to hear me say that about something I cooked myself, but they were filled with flavor and healthy eating.  I will admit they were not so filling, though...I was hungry an hour later.

sautee red pepper, onion, minced garlic, browned ground turkey (I think water chestnuts would be good, too), a splash of Braggs natural soy sauce, hot sauce, and rice vinegar

julienned cucumber (and if you like bean sprouts, I bet they would add some more crunch)

put some of the hot mixture in a leaf of lettuce with the cucumber, and wrap it up

SUPER HEALTHY, right?

 

I have now gone 18 days without pop.  I'm undecided on what I want to eat first on Friday.  We are supposed to introduce the gluten back into our diets very slowly...a piece of toast or something, then gradually add in the others.  I'm going to see how long I can hold off, though.  I haven't really missed bread, but it will be nice to have a bowl of cereal again! 

Those close to me will be surpised to hear that a pop is not number one on my list!  I've actually been staring at those Kashi chocolate almond butter cookies in my pantry, mouth watering, counting down the days until I can indulge in one with a nice big glass of iced skim milk. That said, I really really hope I can maintain some of these improved eating habits; it will definitely be a challenge!

I also thought of a new goal!  It's something I've wanted to do for several years but never followed through on. 

#33: do some type of service project with the boys this summer - I have wanted to do this for a couple of years and was thinking along the lines of delivering Meals on Wheels or finding a place to volunteer to pick up trash (Jason really wants to do that!).  I would also like to have the boys participate in my school's Relay for Life team.  Every year on that weekend, we end up going somewhere and can't help out.  I'm keeping the calendar clear this year!

I'm off to read a new Susan Donovan book.  I'm taking a little break from The Fountainhead.  If I don't finish it soon, that may become goal #34!

I can cross off goal #32!  I took the kids on the haunted hayride tonight at Lake Farmpark, and it was definitely not "haunted" scary.  The rain refused to hold off one more hour, so we ended up a bit soaked which may have taken away some of the haunted effect.  I'm definitely not complaining about that!  The kids had fun, so that's all that matters.

I have to say that it is a true testament to my determination and will-power to stick to the 21-Day Challenge (Hear that, Cindy?  Major sacrifice going on here!)  We ate at the mall since Olive Garden had a one-hour wait.  I had already determined that I was not going to totally deprive myself on a fun night out; I was really looking forward to Olive Garden's salad, skip the breadsticks, and maybe some grilled vegetables.  The Food Court proved a bit more challenging, so I got rice and Bourbon chicken at the Chinese place.  I know it was loaded with sugar but no gluten.  I even ordered the veggie mix of cabbage, broccoli, and carrots...the stuff that I'm always wondering who actually orders!  Jacob ordered the thin crust pizza, the only kind I like, and he just had to sit by me.  I also let the kids get Auntie Annie's cinnamon-sugar pretzels with glaze dip for dessert...oh the humanity!  The ultimate test came when we walked through the farm park--past the funnel cakes and fresh-cut french fries and caramel apples.  I was never so happy to get back to the car and my emergency stash of Skinny Pop popcorn.

Tomorrow's recipe is going to be my own version of lettuce wraps.  I saw a recipe on, where else, Pinterest.  It has considerably more ingredients than I have available and that I'm allowed right now, so I'm going to modify it a bit.  I love spring rolls (which my mom is making on Tuesday...can't wait!).  Everyone else in my family likes to dip egg rolls and spring rolls in my mom's homemade fish sauce which has a bit too much kick for me.  I'm a soy sauce girl.  Unfortunately, soy sauce is on my no-no list.  Fortunately, I discovered Braggs which tastes exactly like soy sauce but is way healthier--even Jacob will eat it--so I'm planning on trying that with my lettuce wraps.

It's been a wonderfully relaxing, but not totally productive, weekend. We are headed to Grandma's tomorrow for lunch and the Browns game then back home to grade.  At this point in the weekend, I always wonder why I procrastinated, but it doesn't seem to motivate me to start right now.  Instead, I'm going to go read a bit! 

Have a good one!

Still Going Strong!

Week two is under my belt; I'm more than one third of the way through! I just got back from the third cleanse meeting, which I prefer calling my support group. I got some fresh ideas to help pull me through the final week. One is a new dressing to add a little more flavor to my salad and the other is a sugar free chocolate milk which will hopefully cure my evening craving. It uses almond milk, cacao, and agave.

It's confession time, though--I had a bite of chocolate cake today. I was at Marketday pickup, and the woman who helps me brought samples for the upcoming fundraiser. The boys each had a piece and told me we had to buy this cake next month. I couldn't very well spend money on a cake I had never tried! What if it tasted horrible??? I can't afford to waste money like that! Let's just say it's a good thing my sugar fast will be over soon.

One of the best discoveries of this challenge has been deep stretch yoga. I've attended two of the Wednesday evening classes, and both times, I spent the rest of those nights luxuriating in a semi-comatosed state of relaxation. I'm definitely going to make this class a part of my weekly routine!

Now, to finish off our third week, as if I haven't deprived myself enough, our teacher threw out a final challenge to end the last two days with a fruit cleanse. I've never tried anything like that, so why not? Although I haven't sounded all that positive about my eating restrictions, I have to admit that I feel great. My energy level is up and I'm motivated to continue some of these as life changes.

I'm off to enjoy the start of my long weekend. I WILL FINISH THE FOUNTAINHEAD! Season one of New Girl arrived from Netflix tonight, too, so I'm envisioning a laughter-filled afternoon with my girl, Zooey!

Happy Thursday!

Must...eat...food

You never realize how much food is a part of your daily life until you can't eat what you really want.  I don't think I've thought so much about food in my entire life as I have in the past 10 days.  When I'm not eating, I'm thinking about when I'm going to eat.  When I'm eating, I'm thinking about what I'm eating (and what I'm not eating).  It has made me realize how horribly I usually eat...OK, I guess I always knew but didn't want to inconvenience my life-style enough to make the change.

So, check out what I found in my gluten-free crackers today!  I was sitting at my desk, minding my own business, taking what pleasure I could from a dry, saltless wafer of cardboard (OK, they aren't really that bad), and I noticed this crazy thing!  I wanted to take it as a sign that I should just chuck the bag and go grab a box of Ritz crackers, but I realized that was completely unreasonable--my hunger speaking.  I thought about writing a letter and sending this to the company hoping they'd send me a free box...then I though about it...do I really want to eat these again???

I'm ashamed to admit that I backed out of the challenging yoga class tonight, but I'm getting ready for my 8:30 walk.  Anything is better than nothing, right?   You would think that after an entire weekend, I'd be all caught up on my grading, but that is not the case!  I made a pretty good dent, though, so I think it's time for some me time! 

Laters!

Renewed Motivation

I'm sitting in a blessedly quiet house.  I miss the boys, who are spending the night at Grandma's tonight.  I'm so thankful they haven't gotten to "cool" to spend the weekend there!  Although, what's not to love?  I hear they made home-made donuts tonight which I will not be able to enjoy when they come home tomorrow! 

Anyways, the blessed part of my quiet house is that Brian is GONE!  He's been so hyped up all day about the OSU game that he was driving me crazy!  He was walking around the house shouting like he was actually in the locker room getting psyched up for the game and kept smacking me on the butt saying, "Good game!"  I was so happy when it was time to drop him at his brother's for the game.  I'm finally able to get caught up on my DVR'ed shows--the ones I never get to watch because it's never my turn to watch TV and I'm usually too busy to watch anyways.

I finally had time to actually cook today.  I wanted something that I could use for a quick dinner and pack for lunch, too, so I made chicken vegetable noodle soup.

vegetable stock
1 small can of tomato sauce (Hunt's is SUGAR FREE!)
carrots, baby white potatoes, peas
chicken (I baked a couple of Market Day chicken steaks with garlic salt)
gluten free spaghetti noodles

With a cucumber-tomato salad and some gluten-free crackers, it was pretty decent!

My only problem now is the sugar cravings I get at right about this time every night.  My substitute treat is tortilla chips with a bean dip I made.  It's very tasty, but it's definitely no cookie!  When the 21-Day Challenge is over, I do plan on making sure I limit my gluten and sugar, and I already have a cookie in mind.   It uses evaporated cane sugar and honey as sweeteners...from what I've read, evaporated cane sugar contains the same amount of sucrose but goes through less refining than regular sugar.  So as far as sugar goes, it's still in there, but if you're good at making justifications like I am, it's better for you.

How about an update on my goals?

• running 2-3 times a week (in training for my 1/2 marathon?  still not sure about that!)
• haven't cut my hair yet
• made a new recipe this week
• blogging = journaling
• reading...well, grading seems to be getting in the way of that, but as soon as I'm done with tonight's post, I'll be curling up with my Nook to wade further through The Fountainhead
• shoes NOT in the closet - FAIL
• I have been entering foods into My Fitness Pal, which has helped a lot.
• I have been drinking PLENTY of water
• haunted hayride on schedule for next weekend
• still biting nails - FAIL
• Words with Friends - a little inconsistent there, but I'm trying to play my words when I'm blow-drying my hair in the morning 

I really want to go enjoy some of my solitude and read, but Channing Tatum is on TV right now--reading may have to wait! 

Oh!  I almost forgot!  I lost a couple pounds when I stepped on the scale this morning, hence the renewed motivation (I've noticed that the hardest part of blogging is coming up with a creative/catchy/relevant title each time!).

Have a great weekend--I know I will!

7 Days Coke-Free

I just got home from my second 21-Day Challenge meeting feeling refreshed and ready to conquer the next 14 days.  I'm seven days Coke-free and feelin' fine!  My only frustration at this point is that I haven't lost a single pound.  Weight-loss was definitely not my goal when I started this, but seriously...I've given up all sugar and gluten.  No pop, no Wonder white bread, no Frosted Flakes.  One pound is all it would take to give me that little bit of motivation I need when Brian is sitting next to me drinking a Coke and eating cookies.

I have to say how wonderfully supportive all of my friends have been in encouraging me and providing me with healthy alternatives to all of the foods I crave.  Suzanne made these wonderful corn muffins and is bringing me my first home-made smoothie tomorrow.  Christy introduced me to these all-natural carrot cookies which have just enough natural sweetness in them to satisfy my between-classes cravings.

I know, or at least I think I know, it is not realistic to believe that after this is over I'm going to be able to maintain this sugar and gluten-free life-style.  Caffeine--no problem. Alcohol--never been a problem.  So as I reflect on this experience, I don't want it to be for nothing.  I feel good which must be a result of having a healthier body and mind, so there are definitely changes that I see being able to make.  (Oh my...could I have a less supportive husband???  He just opened a Coke right in my face and loudly gulped about half of it down.  What a pig!)

Anyways...

1.  eating smaller portions -- nothing new, I know, but I've actually been putting it into practice and noticing that I'm just as satisfied after lunch and dinner.

2.  wait 15 minutes after eating to decide if I'm still hungry -- sometimes I eat just because food tastes so darned good!  Fifteen minutes later, I'm regretting taking seconds, so I'm going to make a concerted effort to eat only what I put on my plate.

3.  Caffeine-free Coke at meals -- one of my biggest struggles is drinking only water.  I need something with a little bit of taste for when I'm eating.  That being said, I know I'll be back on pop on day #22.  Instead of buying a 16-ounce Pepsi at school, though, I'm going to bring my pop from home to ensure I'm off the caffeine and maxing out at 12 ounces. (Not sure how to curb the Starbucks green tea-lemonade addiction, but I had already cut my sugar down to half with it.  Since Starbucks refuses to open in Madison or Concord, it will remain a guilty pleasure when I venture to Mentor and not a daily necessity.)

That's all I've got tonight, but now that I'm caught up on my grading, I hope to be back on-line more consistently.  G'Night!

I'm free!

I only have time for a quick post tonight, but it's been so long that I wanted to make sure I checked in!  I've been inundated with grading, and I was DETERMINED to get everything finished tonight.  It has been difficult to fit everything in around the challenges of the 21-Day Challenge.  Things I wasn't prepared for:

1.  Deep Stretch Yoga = 91 degree room holding poses for so long you can't even feel your body.  We did a pose called "broken toes"...I'll leave it at that!  That was Monday, though.  Tonight, we had a different instructor, and I left feeling much more relaxed and refreshed--not quite as challenged, but I like the balance.  (Brian is having fun with the whole yoga thing...he talks to me in his Yoda voice whenever I'm leaving or coming home from a class.)

2.  To find something that is both gluten and sugar-free is virtually impossible.  Just about everything I want to eat has to be made...in the kitchen.  I've spent more time in there this week than ever before. 

3.  HEADACHES!  The withdrawal from the caffeine, and maybe the sugar, was pretty rough this weekend.  I had a headache from Friday night that didn't completely clear up until Monday.  Since then, it's been smoother sailing, other than the limbo I'm living in of perpetual hunger. 

I know I'm making this experience sound like a bad thing, but it really has made me  so much more self-aware of what I'm eating and how it makes me feel.  Overall, I'd have to say that I feel great!  Much better than I thought I would at this point; it's hard but certainly not impossible.  Thank goodness for my good friend, Christy, who has provided me with so much advice and food alternatives. 

I promise to discuss more specifics tomorrow, but Brian is bellowing!  It's time for sleep. 

Challenge Accepted!

It has been so long...I've missed you! What an incredibly long and busy week.  I finally made it to my sister's house, ready for a jam-packed weekend of zip-lining, mud-running, and a slow-paced (hopefully) finale at the juvenile diabetes walk at the Ohio State University on Sunday to support our great friend, Riley!  

Pretty psyched about the mud run tomorrow.  It sounds a lot like the Warrior Dash, but hoping, hoping, hoping it won't be quite as hard.  At this point, running a 5-K presents enough of a challenge...I'm not sure how many obstacles I can handle!

I have to share what I learned at my first meeting last night for the Twenty-One Day Challenge.  First of all, I knew so little about what I was getting into that I had no clue as to why it was 21 days...why not 28 or 30???  Well, that's how long it takes your body to rid itself of the addiction.  I am determined to give up just about everything...alcohol (no major challenge there), caffeine (am I INSANE???), sugar, and gluten. Cutting out all animal products does not seem realistic for me, though.  My goal is to leave this with some healthier eating habits, so I've decided to cut out all dark meats and animal fats.  What would I do without MarketDay chicken steaks???  The sugar is going to be the worst from me, but I'm one day pop-free and fairly lucid right now.  The biggest challenge today was making it to the bathroom between classes and a three-hour drive after consuming 48 ounces of water and 30 ounces of green tea.  Think I'm over-doing it? 

Sooooo....this weekend I'm going to work on compiling some recipes and planning out my week-one meals.  I already found a recipe for peanut butter buckwheat-hemp cookies; it substitutes with coconut palm sugar. Quiche sounds good, too, but I'm worried about how that will warm up. 

I feel a cold creeping up on me...bad timing.  I sure hope it holds off until after tomorrow's run!  Hopefully I'll have a pretty muddy picture to post for all of you tomorrow!  Until then...

Motivational Monday (I love alliteration!)

This is going to be a great week!  It's finally time for the season premiers of my favorite shows:  How I Met Your Mother, New Girl, and Modern Family.  Watching Brian play Madden Football for the last two weeks is really starting to get on my nerves, so I'm happy my reprieve is finally here!  Unfortunately, all these fabulous television shows are going to make it really hard to focus on my schoolwork and 40 goals.   

My week has started off well...I set up my menu for the week (goal #31) and actually cooked dinner tonight.  Before cleaning up the kitchen, I got tomorrow's dinner ready so that I just have to pop it in the oven to get us to soccer on time.  Finally, I drank my 30-plus ounces of water like a good girl (goal #29) and packed a healthy breakfast and lunch for myself. 

Best part of my day:  my box of perfumes arrived from Demeter Fragrance, just in time since my students start presenting their Greek god projects tomorrow.  The best best part was that I got a free gift (must have ordered enough!), a free ounce of perfume for one of the scents I ordered!  Glad I didn't get Earthworm or Dirt just for kicks! 

Oh, how I wish my camera phone was quicker!  Brian just looked over at me with two pieces of candy corn in his mouth like fangs.  When people ask me why I never tried for that little girl, I'd have that picture for my answer!

No new goals today, but I'm going to see my sister this weekend.  She and I will hammer out our final goals together...after we go zip-lining and mud-run it!  The weekend can't get her quick enough for me. 

Wrinkle-Free Weekend

I am so excited about some new wrinkle-combatting products I got this weekend at Target.  (This does not violate my goal about using my make-up before I could buy any more, in case you were wondering.)  I had run out of my night-time wrinkle-free moisturizer, so I needed more!  I love the L'oreal night cream I had been using and was planning on getting it again, but Target had a "buy two get a $5 gift card" incentive going, and we all know how I can't resist a sale.  I found this L'oreal Youth Code which is a day and night cream and also got this eye cream that said it would get rid of dark circles under your eyes. Since school and allergy season started, I've had really tired-looking eyes, so I was hoping this would take care of it.  Well, I am so pleased with the results after only two days!  My skin already looks smooth and glowy (is that a word?). 

I know you might think I'm crazy for worrying about wrinkles already, but it is my belief that if you wait for the wrinkles to appear, it's too late!  I've been using a variety of different products since I was 30, but L'oreal is my favorite without spending a boat-load of cash.

I've been meaning to add a disclaimer to any of my goals that say "every day."  What that means in my world is "ever school day."  The weekend is my time to reward myself for all the hard work I do throughout the week.

So...revealing #31 & #32...

Goal #31: plan out weekly dinners on Sunday for the entire week (which, you now know, means "Monday through Friday") - I've been much better about cooking and packing lunches; I think we've only done fast food once since school started.  Hopefully, it will be easier if I actually plan out the meals instead of grabbing something out of the freezer each night.

Goal #32: go on a haunted hayride - this is going to be my most disliked goal.  Anyone who knows me is aware of how very easily frightened I am.  For as long as I can remember, I have avoided haunted houses at all costs.  I remember in elementary school, the art room was a long, narrow room with a creaky wooden floor that had a ramp leading in and out of it; on Halloween, they put up a maze of walls and strobe lights to transform it into a haunted house.  I always dreaded it, and I believe that is the last time I ever went in one.  Every year, the boys' school always goes to the Lake Farm Parks for a haunted hayride, and every year, I hide the flyers when they are brought home.  This year, my friend has asked us to join her, and the boys want to go.  I guess it's time to put aside my fears and woman up!  If little kids can do it, so can I...right?

I love the weekend!!!

Is there anything better than a glass of iced milk and a cookie? I found a better version of a cookie by Kashi that satisfies my sweet tooth. It's chocolate almond butter and has 4 grams of fiber and 3 grams of protein.  I wish I could get past the 8 o'clock hump when I'm really craving something sweet, but I've finally found something relatively healthy to take away the guilt.
Really excited to settle in for a weekend of reading. My grading is done, and I'm planned up for next week and a little beyond. And thanks to my bawesome (that's not a typo...it's one of Jacob's new words from "boss"  and "awesome") new front-loading washer, my laundry is all caught up!  I'm determined to finish The Fountainhead...only 650 pages to go! The boys are going to Grandma's tomorrow, Brian's going to work, so I have an open day ahead of me. I'm envisioning a massage chair with my Nook and a pedicure :)  That would be called multi-tasking.  I also haven't had much time for Pinterest since school started, so I may have to squeeze that in somewhere.

As far as my goals...next weekend we are heading to Columbus to participate in the Walk for Juvenile Diabetes to support my good friend Alison's daughter.  The walk starts out Sunday morning at the Ohio State University, so I know the boys are going to be psyched.  My sister set up a morning of ZIP LINING for Saturday morning, so I am psyched! It doesn't look like a high-in-the-treetops kind of place like when Brian went at Mohican, but that might be a good thing.  Later in the afternoon, we found a 5-K run called Pretty Muddy, a run that sounds a lot like the Warrior Dash but not quite as daunting!  This will be a tiny stepping stone on my way to the possibility of a half-marathon.

Well, off to bed!  See you tomorrow!

Happy Thursday!

Thursday is quickly becoming my favorite day of the week...no meetings, no practice, no RUSHING!  I fit a short run in after school and have been lounging around in my jammies since I got home.  Papers have been graded, the family has been fed, and I even got one load of laundry done--which in my old life would have been two--and it's not even seven o'clock yet!  I may actually be able to read my book for a half hour tonight before I can't fight to keep my eyes open anymore.  The best part is that tomorrow is Friday which used to be my favorite day of the week, and I can wear jeans to school :)

Last night was a missed night of blogging--sorry to those of you who checked in.  I got caught up on my grading and was searching the Internet for some products referencing the Greek gods that I could get to show my class.  A student had shown me a perfume line called Demeter Fragrances, so I wanted to get one to wear when I'm teaching mythology.  Well, that turned into a very entertaining venture!  Who would have thought that someone would create (and someone else would actually buy!) scents like dirt, earthworm, rubber, and funeral home.  I settled on pomegranate and dragonfruit, as I'm a fruity kind of girl, and was so excited to find that they had already shipped by the time I got out of school today!  Christmas in September. 

I've been racking my brain for more challenges, as I'm beginning to think they are.  I'm realizing that there just aren't enough hours in the day to make the changes I want to make, so this weekend I'm creating a little daily checklist of my priorities.  When I finally collapse in my bed at night, I always remember something I meant to do, so hopefully a little checklist to review my day will help.  My friends have been very helpful in getting the next couple of goals set, so here they are:

#29 drink at least 30 ounces of water each day - if I'm going to be running a half-marathon, which is still a big "if" as far as my body seems to be telling me, I need to keep myself better hydrated.  When I drink a lot of water, it's almost like my body craves it, so that should make it easier to stay off the pop!

#30 get my Christmas calendars done before Thanksgiving - I was getting so excited about starting my 2011 scrapbook, now that I set it as a goal, and realized that I haven't even started my Christmas calendars for the grandmas!  I usually have a pretty good start on them by now.  What is wrong with me???  

Still taking requests for 31-40!



  

12 to go...

I'm not much closer to my 40 goals yet, but I think I'm maintaining what I have fairly well.  As a mother, wife, PTA mom, and teacher, I'm pretty good at multi-tasking (my friends will probably say that is an understatement), so today while the boys were at soccer, I cleaned out the back of my car.  My Thirty-One order had arrived, and I couldn't wait to reorganize with my new goodies.

Before...
I try to keep bags in the car for grocery shopping, towels and blankets for cold and rainy soccer games, and extra clothes for anything from a last-minute running date to muddy mishaps with the boys.  It was getting a little out of hand, though.

After!!!
I love the large utility tote so much that I have two :)  Today's new additions were organizers that fit inside the totes so that when I pull out one thing, the rest won't fall out.





When I grow up, I want to find a job organizing other people's lives.  How great would that be?  It's such a great feeling to see the end result of a disorderly stack of papers sorted into neat files or a pile of miscellaneous junk you don't know what to do with organized into labeled boxes and bins.  Just put me in a cluttered room with a label-maker!

Today was an especially happy day because my new washer and dryer arrived!  I was able to complete three loads of laundry in the time that it used to take me to do six...and contrary to what the lady at Best Buy told me, I think these cycle a lot quicker than my old ones.  My favorite feature, besides the obviously spacious drum, is the count-down timer. 

Well, I've only thought of one more...

#28 weed my garden at least once a week - this summer, after five years of neglect, Brian finally gave me the go-ahead to hire a real landscaper to help minimize the front garden.  This house has way too much for me to handle, and I'm way too dependent on my mother.  Now that it's done, I need to make sure I keep up with it.

See you tomorrow!

Donation Day!

Well, today was blood donation day, and I think the fates were working against me--but I prevailed! Dinner ran late, and I raced out the door to make it to the church by 6:30. The lady asked me three times if I was a female, had I always been a female, so I had to wonder how bad I looked or how many people actually have come in posing as a female that they have to ask that question!!!

After taking my temperature, she said I had a slight fever so I had to wait ten minutes for someone else to retake it...and I was fine. Then they pricked my finger and said my iron was too low so I had to wait ten minutes for someone else to try on my other hand...and I was fine. At this point I was starting to believe that if I did give blood, I was going to faint or something. Good intentions won out and I saved my three lives...finally.

I recalled why I quit reading every night with Jason...it's exhausting! He jumps and rolls and squirms and fidgets...it's no wonder he has trouble remembering what he reads. We are slowly making our way through Flushed, though, and he's starting to really get into it.

It is amazing how motivating this list of goals is...I feel good about myself and my days are so productive! It forces me to follow through on the run I really didn't want to take today but felt so great when it was done...the foods I didn't want to log into My Fitness Pal but did and used it to adjust my meals for tomorrow...the games of words with friends that I'm stuck on but know I will feel so victorious when I hit that triple word play!

No new goals for me today...I'm getting a little stumped, so I'm open to suggestions! I'm off to play some words and read The Fountainhead until I can't keep my eyes open a second longer :)

Where does the weekend go?

I had such high hopes that I would be as productive today as I was yesterday, but I look at the clock now and realize my day is almost over. Time to read with Jason and quiz Jacob on his vocabulary. Looks like my grading will have to wait!

On a sad note, my washer died today and I need to figure out how to empty the drum of water. On a happy note, my washer died today and I finally got to buy my front-loading washer!!! I can't wait until Tuesday delivery day:) 

No running for me today, but I did walk two miles with my friend Kim, whom I haven't seen for ages!  This week's recipe will be lettuce wraps, something I'm hoping I can use as a healthy lunch alternative.  I found the recipe...where else?  PINTEREST!  I had planned on making them today, but it didn't quite work out.  I did make a tasty pasta salad, though.  I found a pasta that contains a serving of vegetable...add some red pepper, cucumber, onion, left-over grilled chicken, and Italian dressing.  YUM!  The only thing missing was some garden fresh tomato.

Slowly ticking away at my list...

# 26 quit biting my nails - this is probably going to be the most challenging one on the list and one I won't be attempting until at least after the 21-day yoga challenge.  My mother will be thrilled if I can pull this one off!  I try at least twice a year and make it maybe a month, then some major stresstastrophe (I'm taking a page out of my son, Jacob's book...he loves making up new words like bawesome and sympacasm) hits and I lose it!

#27 go wine tasting - this is #29 on my sister's list and I'm stealing it!  I always think it's time for me to become a grown-up and start liking wine!  I know I have many friends will help me reach this goal, several times.

What an awesome day!

I am sitting here with coconut oil slathered in my hair, patiently waiting for the next half hour to pass, hoping I will emerge with beautiful, revitalized hair.  I hate to say it, but I'm already second-guessing the idea of growing out my hair.  I found this cure on Pinterest, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed.  Of course, I had to buy the two gallon jugs of it I found on sale at Amazon, so if this doesn't work, I'll be searching out some new uses for coconut oil.

This has been such a pleasant and productive Saturday!  I started out with my boys' soccer game this morning at 8:30 (and yes, Facebook friends, I know I was complaining about it then, but it was a gorgeous day and we didn't lose!!!).  Then I went shopping at the mall and found some really cute new clothes and these awesome blinged out jeans...they fit great, but I'm not sure how the bling will go over when I actually wear them! 

I lunched at Panera and got some grading done, then hit Starbucks on the way home for my favorite Green Tea Lemonade.  The sun was shining and a beautiful breeze beckoned me outside for a run, so I put on some Linkin Park and hit the road--for 4.2 miles!  That's the most I've ever run alone, so I'm feeling good!  The great thing about running is that when I'm done, I have no interest in putting junk food into my body because it would negate the calories I just burned.  So I'm sitting here, enjoying some ice cold water, waiting for my hair to finish cooking, and I came up with a few more goals.

#23 log my food and exercise on My Fitness Pal - I got the app last year, and it really helped me hold myself accountable for what I ate and did throughout the week.  When the evil temptation of a donut threatens to crash my healthy eating, a visual reminder of how bad they are keeps me on my path.  That certainly does not mean I will deprive myself on Friday Jean & Donut Day at school, though! 

#24 attempt some of the sewing projects I pinned on Pinterest - I bought a sewing machine at a garage sale this summer to make these wonderful crafts and gifts...and haven't touched it since.  I used to sew in 4-H; it's like riding a bicycle, right?

#25 be more punctual with my plays on Words with Friends - In my determination to find the best word, I know that I hold up the game and annoy my friends. 

Well, my half hour is up.  Hopefully when I see you all next, my hair will have a healthy glow! 

Must be nice to be a man!

I've been sharing my goals with Brian, my very tolerant husband, who thinks I'm going through a mid-life crisis. I think how lucky he is to be able to eat a cheesecake in two days and not gain a pound. The last time I saw him complete any exercise was when it started sprinkling and he ran to save his new cornhole bags! He has no concept of what has happened to my body in the last ten years, and that is so not fair!

After hearing my first twenty goals, he said they weren't hard enough!!! "You don't have anything on there like eat a bug or touch a spider. You need to hold a spider," says the man who has to rescue me from the eight-legged beasts.  We're not playing fear factor, here! This is serious!

Only two more goals tonight, but they go together...

#21  read every night with my younger son - unfortunately, he did not inherit my love for the written word, so reading at night is like pulling teeth. After dinner and homework and soccer and the other million activities we juggle, it has been easier to send him off to do it on his own as he has gotten older...but I want him to love reading like I do, so I challenge myself to make the time.

#22  help my older son achieve his goal of improving his vocabulary - for some unknown reason, my soon-to-be 12-year-old son decided this summer that he wanted to read Moby Dick, and the abridged version wouldn't cut it! After struggling through two chapters, he finally conceded that it may be a bit out of his reach for now. I thought he had moved on until he came home from the first day of school and announced that his goal for this year was to improve his vocabulary enough to read it by the end of the year. Wow. I got him a vocabulary book, but he's frustrated at how the words just "drop out of his brain," so I make it my goal to help him reach his goal! And this may be my favorite one so far!

On a side note tonight, I discovered a new clothing line called Garnet Hill that I am IN LOVE with...I only wish I could afford it :)  I'll be keeping an eye on their clearance! 

20 down...20 to go!

I'm really excited about some of my next few!  Part of the motivation for doing this is to HAVE FUN!  I really want to enjoy this year, so I worked in a few "goals" to keep me motivated...

#16 finish my 2011 scrapbook - that means I will have to actually start it, but with the beauty of digital scrapbooking, I have faith that I can accomplish this in less than a year.  The added bonus is a girls' weekend...or two!

#17 have my students (and myself) write letters to our troops at least twice this year - I always mean to do this, but the crunch of testing always over-shadows my good intentions.  This needs to be a priority, though!  I started that quest today when one of my students asked me to buy popcorn from his boyscout troop.  They have an option to buy popcorn and have it sent directly to our troops.  What a great idea!

#18 get a pedicure every two months -

a girl's got to take care of her feet!  Especially during the winter months, I feel that I can't justify a pedicure since I'm not wearing flip-flops, but my feet will be doing a lot of work on my path of self-improvement.  They deserve a treat, too--I may even have to go freshen up my polish with some purple Pure Ice tonight! 

#19 clean out my closet and get rid of those clothes I keep hoping will fit someday - let's be honest...my oldest son is almost 12.  If the pants don't fit at this point, they aren't going to!  Plus, there's the incentive to go shopping if I do drop a pants size (not that I've ever had a problem finding a reason to go clothes shopping!).

#20 learn to knit - my favorite accessory on a cold day is a scarf, but I can never seem to find the exact color (or price) that I want when I'm out shopping.  I hear there are some great Pinterest tutorials for knitting, so it's worth a try. 

Well, the first 20 were relatively easy...I can't wait to see what the next 20 will look like!  Thanks, friends, for the encouragement!  I'm anxiously awaiting my sister's list of 40 so I can post them, as well. 

363 and counting!

Day two went well!  I skipped the morning pop, substituting my own version of a Starbucks green-tea lemonade.  Unfortunately, I have to confess that I did not put my shoes away until right before I sat down to write this post...and that's pretty late!  Finally, I scheduled a blood donation for Saturday, so I feel well on my way to a fabulous forty!

Soooo....revealing goals 10-15:  

#11 make a profit selling Thirty-One - actually, that goal needs to be met before tax season, or I may be in big trouble with the hubby!  The key to achieving this goal is to stop buying from myself.  I love organizing, though, and Thirty-One makes it so very easy!

 

#12 go zip-lining - I soooooo wanted to do this when we went camping, but my boys didn't weigh enough.  We ended up going horse-back riding which was just as fun, but I'm definitely going zip-lining this year!

#13 be able to do a pull-up - I stole this one from my sister because I thought it was funny yet challenging.  It may be a little out of my reach since I don't think I could even do one in high school, but how cool would this be???

#14 complete the 21-Day Self-Awareness Challenge at Harmony Yoga Studios - My friend Cindy and I are doing this one together.  The challenge involves giving up at least three of the following:  caffeine, sugar, alcohol, gluten, and animal products.  The alcohol is easy seeing as how I don't really drink, but I don't think it would be fair to make that a sacrifice.  This will definitely be a challenge, but I hope to emerge from this a healthier person!

#15 - get a bicycle (on sale, preferably!) - and complete the Lighthouse Triathalon next year shaving at least eight minutes off my time so that I come in under two hours (special thanks to Carol for letting me use hers this year!)  How is it that I hadn't ridden a bicycle since college???

Well, 25 goals to be determined.  If I don't come up with my 40 goals soon, I may have to make that a goal!  See you tomorrow! 

364 days to go

Today, I begin my 40 before 40 challenge...although I haven't quite finalized my 40 tasks.  Number 8 on my list was to start a blog, so here it is!  Thanks to may favorite twin sister for giving me the nudge to do something I've wanted to do for a year. 

#1:  start a blog!  I've been inspired by the blogs I find on Pinterest.  One of my favorites is Kate at The Small Things Blog...http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/.  She always has fun new hairstyles for me to try and includes videos for the hair-impaired like me.

#2:  run a 1/2 marathon - my friend, Julie, planted this seed at the beginning of this school year.  At the time, it seemed like an impossibility, as I can barely run a 5-K now, but what is life without a big goal???

#3:  donate blood every 2 months - as my son told me when I donated for his school, it saves three lives!  I always mean to do this, but I'm not always punctual about it, so I've set this high on the goal list.

#4:  not cut my hair until my next birthday...the big 4-0!  Now, I don't mean to let it get all scraggly--that woul defeat the purpose!  I'll do the 6-8 week trims, but I've always wanted to see how long I could grow it.  Usually, I get annoyed after two bad-hair days and chop it off.  This way, I won't be able to, and I might finally get it long enough to donate for Locks of Love.

#5:  make a new recipe every week - I am the ultimate fast food junkie.  When someone asks me for directions, my landmarks usually include Taco Bell and McDonalds.  I've pinned about 50 recipes on my Pinterest board, so it's about time I tried cooking some of them.  Challenge accepted!

#6:  start journaling - practice what I preach.  I'm always encouraging my students to write daily, so it's time I tried it.  This bloomed from the goal, "Write down one positive thing about every day."  Hmmm...does blogging count as journaling?  Am I cheating by counting this as two separate goals?  I'll have to ponder that...

#7:  read 10 books on the 100 best books list - there are many, but I settled on this one for no reason other than there were many that I wanted to read.  http://www.modernlibrary.com/top-100/100-best-novels/  I'm reading The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand right now.

#8:  use up all of my random make-up and miscellaneous beauty supplies so I can FINALLY join Birchbox - they send a boxful of beauty goodies right to your house for a $10/month subscription.  It looks like a fun way to try out some new products, but I've been trying to restrain myself since my closet is already over-flowing.  Check it out at http://www.birchbox.com/

#9: drink pop only with meals (modified from "stop drinking pop") - that was truly a recipe for disaster, and it would only be punishing my children, husband, students, and anyone else who might unfortunately come in contact with me on a bad day.  This way, I have the flexibility of having a Pepsi with breakfast if I really need one but stops me from carrying one around at school all day! 

#10:  put my shoes in the closet and out of the hallways - this one is for my husband who is constantly grumbling about the shoes when he walks in the door.  It seems relatively easy and will make him VERY happy.

Look for #11 tomorrow...I want to make these meaningful (and fun) so I'm going to take my time with the rest.