#23

Five people living in 950 square feet means some creative organizing.  All of this stuff used to be in two bins and stuffed in my desk.  I bought some new bins and pulled the ribbon out by itself and voila!  It's so nice having all the stuff organized and pretty much knowing what I have.

Doesn't it look nice?

#14

Applesauce!  I am pretty, or rather very, picky about my applesauce.  I love the stuff when it's to my liking and it doesn't sit well if I don't.  So I tried a no sugar method (well, I ended up adding 1/2 cup to each 5 quart batch) by using three different kinds of sweet apples: honeycrisps, mutsu, and newton pippins.  It turned out great!  I got 10 quarts from 1 bushel. 

No Sugar

Still trying to jump-start my diet plan and I think I'm the kind of person who needs a good smack around sometimes.  So, from now until Thanksgiving, I'm giving the sweet stuff up.  I really want to get serious about losing this belly.  Diet is supposed to be 80% of weight loss, so here I come.  Out with the sugar, in with the veggies! 

Oh, and I'm taking one day off on Halloween!

Wish me luck!

#48 Potty Train Emma

Though I don't know if I can take credit for this one, since Emma was really the one who made the decision.  Every morning she'd take her diaper off and want to go potty.  So finally I gave in and let her.  It was pretty easy.  A few accidents, but she was very ready.  She even stays dry at night!  Way to go Emma!  Thanks for knocking another one out for me.  

#42 Make 101 Goals

This was the cost.

Two-and-a-half weeks in

So far, I've lost about 3 pounds.  I've upped my exercising a little bit, but I'd really like to be doing it every day.  To do that though, I need to wake up at 5:30 and to do that, I've got to be in bed and going to sleep by 10:30 at the very latest. 

So, in other news, I'm going to try and watch my calories/consumption more closely.  I just calculated my caloric needs per day and it comes to 2344. 

So now, I need to keep track of what I eat for a week and see how close I'm coming to that mark.

Friday--
Breakfast: 2 1/2 whole grain waffles w/Nutella = 700 Calories (Oh MY!)
                8 oz V8 fusion= 120 calories
Snack: 1 pear = 96 calories
Lunch: fresh tomato sauce with hamburger and penne pasta
Snack: Chocolate Chip cookies
Dinner: Green Salad w/chicken, tomatoes, cheese

90 Days

Okay, I have a hard time sticking to any kind of diet/exercise plan.  However, as of September 4, I have 90 days to kick it into gear and get in shape.  Why 90 days from September 4th you ask?  Because in 90 days, my baby will be one year old.  I gained upwards of 50 lbs in that pregnancy after only losing 40 from the previous 50 lbs. gain.  I've managed to lose about 30 lbs since Jake's birth, but I need to lose about another 30 to be where I want to be. 

So...90 days.  That's 12.9 weeks.  Being realistic, I should be able to lose 2 lbs a week while still nursing and being healthy.  So that's about 26 lbs which would put me very near my ultimate goal.  There are a few hurdles between now and then, Halloween, Thanksgiving, etc.  but mainly my goal is to learn new, healthier eating and exercising habits. 

The Plan
Eat smaller portions of everything!
Focus more on fruits/vegetables, protein. 
Exercise daily.  

I might need to re-arrange or re-examine The Plan but for now that's it.  Wish me luck!

New Plan

I'm going to try and simplify again.

Fitness Goal:  Work out for at least 20 minutes a day (except Sundays).

Mother Goal:  Read to the kids once a day.

Spiritual Goal:  Read Scriptures in the morning

Personal Goal:  Organize the house.

Wife Goal:  Plan a fun date w/derek

Friend Goal:  Email Jen & Renae

February

That's funny.  I don't think I wrote down what I ate once.  A little bit sad.  However, this week will be a good one to do that for.  I've officially lost 10 pounds from where I started after Jake was born.  That's great, but I still don't have many clothes that fit well or look good.  Jake's blessing is in two weeks and I think that if I am careful about what I eat and exercise daily until then that I can be in a much better condition.  So, the plan is to write down what I eat and not eat treats except for Wednesdays and Sundays.  I will probably bake a fair amount on those days.  Ha ha!

On to my other goals.   I've still not missed a day reading my scriptures!  One month down and eleven to go!  It feels really good to have done it.  Sadly, I can't say the same for my prayer habits.  I want to do better there.  I know that when I say my morning prayers I am a better mom and a better person in general. 
This week:  I will say my prayers every morning as soon as I get up.  They might be a little bit sleepy, but it will establish a routine. 

Physical:  It's been rough.  I've been making a conscious effort to try.  This week I did squats as I sorted laundry (and was sore for a few days), jogged to the park on Tuesday and did some walking on Wednesday.  That's about it. 
This week:  I will do Pilates 3x's a week from my book, and cardio 3x's.  I want to also do some kind of metabolism jump-start during the kids naps, even if it's only for 10-15 minutes. 

Personal:  I did pretty well about blogging and picture taking.  I only missed on Saturdays.  I need to keep looking for opportunities and situations to take them.  I did pretty well getting ready for the day though. 
This week:  Take pictures and get ready.  That's a pretty big goal considering I'm teaching preschool.

Mother:  Keep listening.  I'm trying and I do notice a difference when I do.  I do need to make a lot more time for reading with the girls though.

Insight

Today in Sunday School, we briefly discussed Christ's temptations in the wilderness after his 40 day/night fast.  The first thing that Satan tempted Jesus with was food.  I realized that having self control over the things that I put into my body will help me to become more like Jesus.  That is a motivator for me.  I've known for a while that I have bad eating habits, in that I just eat whenever I don't know what else to do.  I want to learn mastry over myself in this way.  So, for this week, I am going to write down what I've eaten which will give me some accountability to do this. 
I didn't have time last Sunday to review my goals and as a result week three didn't go as well as it could have.  It wasn't bad, but as I read through my goals, I realized I'd forgotten a lot of them.  So...here it goes again. 

Spiritual:  the only one I haven't messed up on yet is reading scriptures.  I'm still going strong.  22 days and counting!  Also, not all of them were quick, right before bed readings.  Hooray!  Progress. 
Unfortunately, I didn't read my Sunday School assignment or the R.S. lesson (though I did for week 2).
          Week 4:  Keep reading.  Read in the am.  Read the Sunday School Assignment--John 3-4

Physical:  NOT good.  I did next to nothing as far as physical activity goes.  I tried Yoga one morning, and went for a couple of short walks.  I need to make time for this one.
          Week 4:  Wake up at 6:00 am.  Do Aerobics MWF, weights/pilates TTH am, start running during preschool.  Take charge of my eating habits.  Remember that the temptations of Christ included food.  Mastering that temptation myself will help me become more like Christ. 

Mother:  I'm still learning to listen, but the effort is helping me to better understand my daughter.
          Week 4:  Spend one on one time with Emma (reading books) and Brooklyn (workbook).

Wife: Didn't do it. 
          Week 4: Write a note that he can find.

Friend: Called Jenny.
          Week 4:  Email Crimson, Call Heidi.

Week One Results

Here I am becoming accountable for my goals last week. 

Spiritual:
    I did read my scriptures every day.  Sadly, most of those were last minute readings before bed, but I   did    read.  It feels good!  On to week 2.
    I didn't read the Sunday School assignment, I need to look up what that is for this week. 

Physical:
   Yikes!  I didn't do well at all here.  I can always plead newborn, but...
   We did go out for walks two or three times.  Then I realized my stroller was breaking.  Nice. 
Week 2-Do postpardum pilates exercises in the mornings.  Lift weights for arms MWF evenings. 
   Don't eat while cooking or at the computer.

Personal:
   Blogged.  Took photos, but skipped a few days.  Got ready most days. 
Week 2--Get up early to exercise and shower early.  6:00 am.

Mother:
  Listening makes a big difference, especially with Brooklyn.  I find that I am quick to cut her off if I think she's going to differ from what I want her to do.  Try to listen to what she wants and not jump the gun when she is asking/talking. 
  Find a time to read with the girls each day. 

Wife:
  Write a note and leave it where he'll find it.

Friend: 
  Call Jenny say thanks for the whirly popper.  Email Crimson.

Goals--It is a New Year after all

To begin with, here is a re-cap of last year's goals.
          "Plan a Menu each week, with one new recipe each week.  Check here for the fifty new recipes as
              they come.
              Run a 5k in July (Run to train for it obviously)
              Read the Old Testament  
              Finish one project a month.  I'll update with pictures as I finish."

Well, the menu planning was great when I did it.  I am going to try and keep it up because it will help me to keep to my budget and also give me a heads up as far as what I want to make for dinner. 

I ran a 5k in April and finished just over 30 minutes.  Check!

I read 1/2 of the Old Testament.  My plan this year is to finish it as well as keeping up on my Sunday School Reading in the New Testament and reading in the Book of Mormon. 

As far as the projects per month went...it wasn't great.  Oh well. 

This year I decided to set Long Term Goals in 6 categories of myself.

Spiritual--Come to better know Jesus Christ as my Savior
            Finish the OT
            Read Sunday School Assignments
            Read Book of Mormon
            Read Jesus the Christ
            **Have scripture study EVERY day this year.  Take it one day at a time.

Physical--Get my body back into good, healthy shape.  Lose baby weight.
            Exercise 5x a week at least.
            MWF-pilates or indoor exercise
            TThS-cardio (running, walking, etc.)
            Eat one sweet per day, with no eating during naptime or at the computer.

Personal--Spend some time enriching myself culturally.
            Read 1 classic per quarter (list to follow)
            Writing: blog at least once per week, write 1 poem per quarter
            Photography: get to know my camera by taking one photo per day, follow a photography course
            Baking: Make croissants

Mother--Be the Mother that I would like to be.
           Spend one on one time with each child each day.
           Focus on really listening to my children.  Involve my mind in the things they are saying, even when
           it's not immediately important to me.  Realize that it is important to them.

Wife--Love and Support my husband in all his endeavors. 
           Make him feel loved daily.
           Take him on a surprise getaway once this year.

Friend--Be a better friend
          Keep in contact with old friends by sending emails a few times a year.
          Get to know my sisters-in-law better.  Initiate contact with them by phone.
          When speaking with friends, talk less and listen more.
         
So there it is.  I plan to keep checking back to this post to help me keep track of my progress.  Also, I'll do a weekly update here.