Happy Birthday, Halli Rae!!

Ten years ago....
... in Indiana, a dark haired, dark eyed little girl was born.

Was her mom and dad excited with this new life they held?
Did she squint, wiggle and squirm and have all those new baby sounds?
Was she a good sleeper?
Did she have colic?
Did she nurse well?

These things, as her gramma, I don't know.

I wasn't there.

In fact, I didn't get to know this angel until she was 7 turning 8.

Due to some choices her parents made, and decisions made by those in authority to protect children, she became a participant in our county foster care,  Just a few weeks after we loved her into our family she had her 8th birthday.

I was there for that.

I pondered what her little life of 7 years had withstood.

I watched as she tentatively watched us.

She smiled a lot. She was kind. She knew how to love and receive love.

I prayed then that her 8th year {and beyond} would be kinder to her than her first 7 had been.
I thanked God for allowing us to love her...even just a short while, until her home situation could improve and she could be in a better, safer place.

We were new to foster care at that time, and it's all I knew how to do. Love those that we came in contact with and pray for them.

Prayers get answered. {always}

Her 8th year was kinder to her. Her 9th year she was adopted into our family. Her home situation did improve and she is in a better, safer place.

Tomorrow we celebrate our grand daughter's 10 birthday!
We're having her favorite breakfast of sausage gravy and biscuits.
I'll listen to her stories, her giggles and laughter and all the sounds excited 10 year old girls make.

I'll be there for that.

I'll thank God for allowing us to love on her, and I'll pray that her 10th year will be all that God wants it to be....

and I'll be there...

watching, cheering and loving on this beautiful young lady as we continue to celebrate birthdays with her.

Happy Birthday Halli Rae!!

Tuesdays with Gramma!

About a year ago I started pinning things to my "Gramma Time" board in anticipation of fun things to do with my grand kids  I enjoy coming across something and thinking that I'd be the "bomb" of a gramma if I did that with my grand kids  You can follow my "Gramma Time" Pinterest board right here

Well, that day came today. Not that I've not had time to do fun things with my grand kids  but this is kind of the start of a new weekly "event" at my house...I'm gonna call it:

TUESDAYS with GRAMMA!!  {and sometimes Papa!!}

Each Tuesday, I'll get to play with the kids while their mom and dad teach piano. 

It'll be something fun for all of us to look forward to!

So, today, I picked them up a little before lunch and we headed to "Ole McDonald's"...I love it when they call it that. They won't do that forever...soon enough, they'll call if for what it really is, but until then, we had a right proper lunch at Ole McDonald's today!

As we were leaving, Micah noticed a big truck moving dirt. What fun for a 5 year old boy to see his small play trucks, big and in real life, working. He asked me what they were doing, so seizing the opportunity in front of us, we walked over to the area and watched and learned as we saw this, giant in their eyes, truck move big rocks and dirt.

 I'm sure it was the highlight of the operators day to look up and see three precious little ones watching and waving. After they caught the drivers attention and waved goodbye, we headed to make a quick trip to Walmart to pick up some need supplies to do a craft at grammas!

Today, I decided to make "Flubber" with them. I've made it before with my own kids, and always found it a fun alternative to play dough.

I used the recipe I had pinned on my "Gramma Board"...you can find that HERE.
Since I was going to let them each have their own color, I got enough ingredients to do 3 batches.

Here's what you'll need for each individual batch:
Elmer's Glue {I used the "almost" 8 oz bottle}
Food coloring
3/4 cup cold Water
1 tsp. of Borax {find this in the laundry soap aisle}
1/2 tsp. hot water

First thing I did was get each of the kids their own bowl and one 8 oz bottle of glue. They dumped that into their bowls

I then added 3/4 cup of cold water and the color of their choice to the glue:

They then stirred it all together.
While they stirred and stirred, giggled and checked each other's bowls out:

 I mixed 1 tsp. of Borax into 1/2 cup of hot water, stirring until the Borax was dissolved.

It's when you add this Borax mixture to their colored glue mixture that the magic happens and this flubbery, rubbery substance just kind of makes itself happen in the bowl. 

....and the wonderment in the eyes of a child gets to be experienced....

I love watching kids when they are fascinated...learning...living life...

I could watch that all day....

Do you ever just do that?? Just watch a child watch "life" around them?

It's a magical place to be...

I didn't do that much when my kids were little...I think I was just so busy and distracted by life that I just didn't stop long enough to see "life" through their eyes....

But, now that I'm a gramma....

I get to do that...and I could do that ALL day EVERY day...

That's just one of those things you get to experience when you have a grand child...something just kind of clicks inside and you see "life" just differently somehow.. you get to see a glimpse of "life" through their eyes and not just your own... 

I was privileged to teach my kids at home so it's not like I didn't have the opportunity to see that in my kids, it's just different somehow. 

I don't know, I think maybe God just saves that for grandparents...just one more thing we can't explain.

Ok, so then, the Flubber was ready and the the kids got to enjoy the fruit of their labor...

And me....well, I got to sit and enjoy them doing just that...

My Tuesdays just got a whole lot more fun!!!

...and I can't wait to live each one!!

Being a "Foster" Gramma...

It was not a shock to me when our daughter and her husband approached us to tell us they were seriously considering Foster Care.

They have MUCH love. They LOVE their God and He was directing them to get involved with the Foster Care Program in our area.

I won't go into all the specifics that led them to their decision to become foster parents...but I'll tell you this...

the minute they became foster parents....

my husband and I became foster Grandparents...

You see, this decision affected all of our family. We looked at it as a privilege to come alongside our kids and support them in whatever way we could. We didn't know what that looked like...

until she came...

A little blonde haired, blued eyed 2 year old bundle of energy...

And we fell in love....

we fell very hard in love...

Many emotions raced through our minds as we became very much a part of her world and her ours.

She fit in so well.... she loved her newest siblings....she was adapting beautifully.

For the past two months it became natural to set one more place setting at the table, to make 1 more ice cream cone, to find one more baby doll...

She became family.

But, then it happened. Her case worker had found a willing family member to take care of her. They passed all the tests and the day is here for her to move in with her new family. She'll transition well as there are two little girls waiting to play with her....at her age, she won't skip a beat...and I'm grateful for that....

I gave her one last hug today.

My daughter, son in law and their children have their goodbyes tomorrow....

That's tough...really tough...

But, this goes with the Foster Care territory. The days are numbered that you have these little ones in your care...it can change in a moments notice.

Our kids knew this pain was inevitable when they signed up for Foster Care....
We knew as their parents it was inevitable...
And now the day is here...the inevitable is happening...and it hurts.

But, the pain isn't pain that will keep us from loving the next child, or children, whomever they'll be.

We'll wait patiently, knowing our God will bring those children into our lives through our daughter and her husband as long as they are in the Foster Care program.

Make no mistake, God is in control and He knows exactly who needs us...and who we need!

I'm humbled to be able to stand by our kids and support them in this heartbreaking, but heart-giving endeavor. Very humbled to serve as a Foster Care gramma...

It's the life I'm living TODAY...and it'll never look the same again...

Christmas Gifts {May's "Treat of the Month"}

Ok, I must admit, I was just squealing when I put this gift together for Kim!

I had seen a cookies made by a cookie friend that I've mentioned before, Tami, from here or you can check out her facebook page  right here. She does AWESOME work!

Well, in February, she had posted some awesome chocolate covered strawberry cookies and some cookies that looked like chocolates...you know the kind you get in a box...different shapes and sizes. They were so cute!!

But, when I saw the strawberries, I knew that is what I was going to make for Kim for her May treat.
I had a blast making them!! I did some in my favorite vanilla sugar cookie recipe, and some in a favorite chocolate sugar cookie cut out recipe. You can find the chocolate cookie recipe over here. I just LOVE it! She's another cookier that I admire...she does great work and her recipes ROCK!

I had saved a Driscoll's Strawberry box and, like I mentioned before, I squealed when I put this gift together!

Now, it gets sad....

The USPS lost the box....

Ok,  they didn't really "lose" the box...it just got misplaced...for about 2 weeks!!!

I was sooooooo excited for Kim to open this treat that month and to hear back from her...and I heard nothing....I waited, and nothing...waited some more....nothing....

Knowing this wasn't like her at all, I jumped online to see when they got delivered and to my horror saw that they were "out for delivery" like 3 days earlier....so I contacted her to see if she got them, and she had not. We traced them to a sorting facility 30 minutes from her home...and there they sat for the next 10 days all the time saying "out for delivery"

The clerks at my local post office were in contact with the clerks there and "no one" knew what happened!

Well, Kim did receive these and she thought I had sent out another box because they were still ok to eat!!

....and she did love them...just like I knew she would!

I know, accidents happen, things get lost, people make mistakes....I have found that the best way to "live life today" is to forgive others quickly, forget other's mistakes and realize we are all human...

...it really is a good way to live....

Until next time....forgive someone today, forget someone's mistake that caused you stress...and hug a human!! You'll feel so good....

Christmas Gifts {April's "Treat of the Month"}

Wow, it's just been a blast sharing with you my "Treats of the Month" gifts for a very special friend of mine in Virginia this past year.

The last few Monday's I've shared with you what I sent her in January, February and March.

Kim, my bestie in Virginia, who is the recipient of these treats, loves coffee....loves, loves, loves coffee...

Actually, it's a wonderful past time for her and I to meet up for coffee times together. I moved from Ohio to Indiana back in 1998 and we were about 2 hours away from each other. We'd meet up half way for coffee and we cherished these times....

In May of last year, Kim had her first grandbaby...not only that, she had 2 sons get married and a third son engaged...she was propelled into empty nest season almost overnight...

and.....she moved....all the way to Virginia....to be near this dear one...

Isn't it cute how her mom held up the cookie I sent her for this picture...she's so clever!

Anyhow, back to my April treat....so, we were talking about coffee...and how much Kim loves coffee...so much that she told me once that if she doesn't have time to have a cup of coffee before work she has been known to grab a handful of coffee beans and eat them on the way to work....that's a coffee lover right there...

So, for April, like every other month, I wanted to do something special, and since we hadn't had many opportunities to get together for coffee since her move to Virginia, I had coffee on the brain to send her....

I came across this recipe, right here and knew in a minute this was her treat.

I followed the recipe exactly except I baked it in a pan and cut them into bars so they would fit in the cute little boxes I had found at Hobby Lobby.

They tasted as good as they looked....it was a buttery, soft chewy bar, with bits of chocolate and an occasional crispy crunch from the espresso beans...kind of like a coffee party in your mouth!

When I ate these bars {since I didn't send them ALL to her}, I'd think about our special times together over coffee....

Talking about life, and how we were living it, seizing the moments to be together...little did we know when we started these coffee times together how limited they'd be in our future...

Miss you dear friend!!

Until next time, enjoy those moments you have with your besties....



Christmas Gifts {March's "Treat of the Month}

The last two Monday's I've shared with you my gifts for my bestie in Virginia this year. I gave her a "Treat of the Month" from "Tracie's Sweet Boutique" aka, my kitchen.

Today, I'm sharing with you what I sent her in March:

Easter happened to be in March this year, so Easter cookies were on the menu.  I found the cute little box at Walmart and it was all the inspiration I needed. Are those carrots cute or what??

I am part of a cookie group on Facebook and one of the cookie artist that I hang out with "virtually" is Tami from Tami Rena's Cookies. Check out her facebook page right here and her blog over here. She is a great cookie artist and I am inspired often by her works of art!

You'll see more cookies in a couple of weeks that were also inspired by Tami.

Oh, since we're sharing pages here, feel free to check out my other cookie creations over on "Tracie's Sweet Boutique's" facebook page....right over here

Until then, life is happening all around you...seize it and live it fully!

Christmas Gifts {February's "Treat of the Month"}

Well, last Monday, I shared with you my Christmas gift I did for a bestie of mine this past year.
My gift to her was a "Treat of the Month" from "Tracie's Sweet Boutique" aka, my kitchen...

For February I put together this package:

Isn't that jar cutter just the cutest thing ever?? I just love it. It was actually a gift from a friend for doing some cookies for her daughter's bridal shower. Here is a picture of the same cutter used as a different cookie:

I had a blast making these for her daughter's bridal shower...
This cutter was purchased here
I've seen them offered by other vendors too, so you could google "jar cutter" for more options.

I want to make a "bug" jar for my grandson Micah...fill up this jar w/little fireflies....

Up next Monday is March's gift...

Until then, live your life as if today is all you have....oh, wait...it is....

Christmas in July: {Christmas Potpourri Jars}

It's July.

Way back many many years ago when I was teaching in the school system, I would spend my July getting ready for Christmas.

I loved my summers off as a teacher and took advantage of the extra time I had to organize my home, do fun things with my kids....and knock out my Christmas list.

I took "Christmas in July" literally and took it upon myself to organize my Christmas gift list.

One of the reasons I did this is because I loved making Christmas gifts to give away.

Another reason I did this was because we lived on a tight budget and this was one way I could give gifts to many without it costing me a fortune. I love to give gifts....family, friends, neighbors, postman, Sunday School teachers, co-workers, the gal who cut my hair, my doctor, my dentist....you get the picture.

You can imagine my excitement when I discovered Pinterest! Oh my...the glorious-ness of pinning all these awesome gift giving ideas! Pinterest is a great tool for just that. And I must say, I do actually try quite a few of the things I pin....That is where much inspiration comes from today for most of my projects.

One gift I made for a friend {or two} last year were some potpourri jars. I started out with a clean spaghetti sauce jar. The lid on this brand was actually already black and had no writing on it, so it was good to go as is. You can always spray paint the lids to cover up writing. 
I actually love to look at the different jars when I'm shopping to see what ones I can re-purpose into these.

I put the following in my jars. I don't measure or anything, just kind of fill them up w/ a mixture of:
**sliced oranges
**sliced limes
**sliced lemons
** bay leaves
**cinnamon sticks
**whole cloves {use at least 2T}

After you have placed the above things in the jars, you just fill with water.
Put the lid on and they are ready to give away as is, or you can add ribbons, labels etc...


Which is what I did:

I had found this red bowl and napkin at a local goodwill store and knew it would be perfect for this gift. I added a ribbon to match and then a sticker that had the instructions for use. {which is basically : simmer on stove}

I added a ribbon to match and then sticker that had the instructions for use: {which was basically: "simmer on stove" adding water when necessary} 

I then finished it off with cellophane wrap and a big bow in a coordinating color....ready to give....ready to enjoy!


Using re-purposed jars, goodwill finds, and not so expensive ingredients, these are great gifts that you can make a lot of for a small amount of money.




Here is another one I made. I just packaged it differently.

This one is the same recipe in a smaller jar that I nestled into an antique bowl I found. My friend collects them and this was a perfect find for her.
These jars are just perfect to tuck into things or to just give by themselves.

If you look close enough, you'll see I did another technique on the lid. I used this tutorial right here to mod podge a cupcake liner onto this lid. Can you imagine the possibilities??

So, if you, like me, take Christmas in July literally, why not make up a few of these jars to tuck into gift baskets or give as a stand alone gift this year. Recipients love to use these to bring the holiday smells into their homes.

....and making them this summer will allow you to enjoy your holidays completely this December....

Christmas Gifts {January's "Treat of the Month"}

I gave a bestie of mine a special gift for Christmas this year.

You know those fruit of the month clubs? Well, I did something like that, but not fruit...I made up a gift card that told my friend that she was going to get a "Treat of the Month" from "Tracie's Sweet Boutique"....aka, my kitchen!

Well, it's July and it's been a blast coming up with a new treat of the month...so I thought I'd share them with you through out this year....Perhaps you will want to bless a friend with a "Treat a Month" from your home this year...

So, for January, I put together this little package:

I made up some homemade hot cocoa and put them in those tall bags made for chocolate covered pretzels.
I included some chocolate dipped marshmallows. I just poked a sucker stick in a large marshmallow and then dipped one end of that in melted chocolate and then rolled them in crushed candy canes.
Kim also got some of my hand decorated snowflake sugar cookies.
I just loved making these for her...she loves snowflakes so I knew these would make her smile.

Finding the blue mug just rounded out the gift and finished it off.

Stay tuned...I'll share with you next what she got in February!

Until then, live your life on purpose today....it's all you have....

Like mother, like daughter...

Today in my newsfeed on Facebook was a link to a letter written by a gal to her mom.

I read that letter and it resonated within me in such a way I was just speechless.

I could have written that letter to my mom.

To read it was healing for me. I only wish my mom could've read it. It would have been healing for her too.

Grab a Kleenex....you can read the letter right here

My mom struggled the entire 65 years of her life with her weight. She never felt pretty, she never liked how she looked. She hated shopping for clothes.

My mom had wonderful willpower when it came to a diet. She was able to deny, deny, deny....just long enough to get to a weight she wanted to be. I remember her doing that for my wedding. She dieted for months to lose weight for my special day...

Isn't she beautiful??

 

My mom was beautiful. She was the life of the party and lit up rooms when she entered it. She had an energy that was contagious. People liked being with my mom.

 

But, she lived in a silent pain. She didn't love herself. She believed the lie that her significance, worth and beauty was based on her size. Believing that, she believed she had no significance, no worth and no beauty.

 

That is so far from truth. My mom was a wonderful mom. She loved her 5 children. She loved us a lot. Mom wasn't perfect...no mom is, but she loved us.

 

My mom died in 2001 from a resurgence of breast cancer that she had battled 10 years earlier.

I remember standing at her memorial, nodding my head in agreement to all those who would fondly tell me what mom meant to them. There was a recurring theme throughout that day....

 

....my mom was remembered for her love, her joy, her "lighting up the room" she was in.

 

Not. one. person. mentioned my mom's size.... not. one. Nor has anyone EVER in the 12 years she's been gone...

 

Now, I realize, no one in their right mind is going to talk about someone's size at their funeral...but what occurred to me that day was just what my mom was remembered for...what was right there blaring at me....her personality won....her personality was what people talked about, what people still talk about when I see her friends.

 

Fast forward to today....

 

I lived with that silent pain myself. My mom always told me I was going to be fat..."just like her"....and like my mom, I also believed to be fat meant to be worthless, ugly...horrible.

 

Mom wasn't being mean, in fact, just the opposite, my mom was trying to protect me from the pain she lived with all her life.

 

I've counted calories, denied myself, tried new fad diets....all in the attempts to reconciling how I felt with how I looked. I wanted to "feel" good about myself, and I too, believed the lie that I would "feel" good about myself when I was "thinner"...

 

 

But, I know better, now.

 

God taught me much in and through the death of my mom. I'm sad for my mom that she struggled so much with her weight. I am sad that so much of her time was spent worrying about her body size and how she could shrink it...time that would have been better spent seizing the life she had.

 

...and God showed me that much of my time, I was doing the same...

 

It was a wake up call...a wake up call for me to seize the precious moments I have. To live them fully and completely. To make the changes I wanted to make in the midst of living life to the fullest.

 

I still struggle, I still stumble and some days I just feel like giving in to the lies, believing that my worth, significance and beauty is bound up in the size of my waist....but God desires so much more than that for me, and I trust Him...and most of all, I know He loves me..

just. as. I. am...

I am His daughter and He loves me. I am His creation, and in me is His perfection.

What on earth could be more significant than that?

 

I am often told that I am "just like my mom"

 

I absolutely used to shutter when I heard that...

 

Now....I smile....

 

....and continue to "light up" the rooms I enter, bringing my mom's joy, love and laughter to those around me.

 

Thanks, mom!

Checking in...

It's been so long since I posted on my blog...so much "life" has been "lived" since my last post...uhm, back in February...

At first I thought, gosh, give it up already....it's been MONTHS since you've taken time to sit and blog...but then I thought, I may not blog much, but when I do, I love it...so, "no", I'm not going to give it up...I'm going to just jump back in and start where I feel led to go...and once I thought that, well my mind just went nuts....so very much I want to blog about:

such as:

.....my status with weight watchers...on again, off again, on again, off again...on...yes, I'm back on and yes, I will start blogging again....

....being a "foster" grandparent...my daughter and her husband just became licensed for foster care and have their first "placement"....wow, talk about a new "life" style change...for all of us...and I want to blog about it...

....empty nesting....or almost empty nesting...parenting adult children in your home...not sure how to do that...learn along with me as I blog about it...

.....T-Tapp.....new, exciting neuro-kenetic workout routine...not your typical "let's get physical" workout...but a new way of building lean tone muscle while shedding inches....getting our hormones in balance...and working the brain...no, I'm not even close to being "there" yet, but I'm learning about it, I'm trying it and so far really liking how it makes me feel...

.....my decorated sugar cookie hobby.... I've been enjoying learning new techniques for decorating them and I plan to share some of my favorite tricks.

As you can read, I have much I want to blog about. Life isn't slowing down for me, but I love to blog about how I'm living it....

so stay tuned....

My blog is back on my list of things "to do" ..... as I live life today...

Thanks for stopping by...

Cookies, Valentine's and my Mother-in-Law....

Valentine's Day is this Thursday...
Thinking about this upcoming Valentine's Day made me think of cut out cookies...

My mother-in-law {Shirley} and I used to make cut out sugar cookies and decorate them together every February for Valentine's Day plates. We'd get together the weekend before the holiday and roll and cut and talk and chat and learn more about each other in the process.

As a young gal I  had little experience at making cut out cookies. I always wrestled with sticky dough that rolled out terribly..usually cut them way to thin which resulted in a hard crunchy cookie.

I didn't like making {or eating} cut out sugar cookies...definitely not worth the mess.

And then as a new bride,  I learned his mom LOVED to make cut out sugar cookies....one year she asked me to make them with her...and a yearly tradition was born...

Making cut out cookies with her immediately started out different...she had an awesome, soft, nutmeggy {is that even a word?} cookie recipe that rolled out like play dough...oh was it fun to play with the dough. These cookies baked up nice and soft and had a wonderful delicious flavor and smell.

After they cooled, we'd whip up this soft, fluffy frosting. Now, I have to be honest with you here, after all that work rolling, cutting and baking up these beautiful heart cookies, I always felt a bit disappointed with the final product after frosting them with this wonderful, fluffy frosting.

They were ugly.  {in my humble opinion}

They tasted heavenly and most people LOVED the cookie platters they received from us, but, the "presentation" of these cookies was  lacking. Those of you that have frosted cookies with a fluffy frosting know what I'm talking about....it's just kind of messy and they don't look real pretty and they don't stack nice on a plate, and you can't package them up pretty.....

Fast forward to today, and Shirley has been gone for the last 12 Valentine's Days. Along with her went our traditional Valentine's Day cut out cookies...

but since then, along came Pinterest....and pictures of beautiful cut out sugar cookies...works of art really...using a Royal Icing so they could be detailed...stacked....presented oh so beautifully!

and then, I thought...

                                I should try this....

                                                                so I did...

and...
I liked the final product....so much that I kept trying and perfecting and playing in dough.

My new hobby developed into a love for cut out cookies...time invested in rolling, cutting and baking is oh...so...worth it... in the smiles it brings to those who recieve them.

I'm no expert, and I don't have any cookies on Pinterest {yet} but I've found a wonderful new hobby that brings back precious memories of my mother in law and the time we spent together every February....rolling, cutting, chatting and getting to know each other better!

I'm so glad I lived in those moments yesterday...they are precious memories today.

Enjoy your Valentine's Day this Thursday. Live in the moment and make a memory!

You can see my gallery of sweet things on my Facebook page HERE

Though I don't use this recipe in my creations today, I thought I'd share the memory with you! Enjoy!!

Mom Smith's Sugar Cookies

4 cups flour

1 1/2 cups suga

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. soda

1 tsp. nutmet

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. vanilla

1 cup shortening

2 eggs

3/4 cup milk {approx}

 

Sift together all the dry ingredients.

Mix in the shortening w/a pastry cutter.

Break the 2 eggs into a one cup measuring cup. Fill to the one cup measure with milk. Mix this with the dry ingredients. Knead on a heavily floured surface until you can roll it out and cut. Cut with floured cookie cutters. Bake at 325* for 8 minutes. Cool and frost.

Fluffy Decorator's Frosting

4 cups powdered sugar

1 1/4 cup shortening

3 t. vanilla

2 egg whites

3 T. cold wather

1 t. lemon juice

Dump in a large mixer and whip until light and fluffy. Add color and frost cookies.

Weighing in: -.2

Well, today was my morning to weigh in. I'm happy {no, shocked, elated} to post a teeny tiny .2 loss. Why would that excite me?? To begin with, it was a loss..no matter how small, they will add up. But secondly, I'm more shocked than elated or happy...I didn't expect any loss....in fact, I was hoping, {fingers crossed, actually} that I wouldn't have to get on here, my first week's post, with a gain...

I didn't quite follow the plan this week....

As good as my intentions were last Tuesday to start anew, to begin fresh, to get going, so to speak, I wasn't ready! I hadn't set myself up for success. I didn't have good eating options in our home. My fridge wasn't full of fresh fruit and vegetables and my cupboards held little whole grain anything. I came off a very busy two weeks and just hadn't had time to replenish our groceries so I was making meals, snacks etc from a low stock {what in the world am I fixing for dinner??} kind of cupboards.

But, the good news is....it's a new week....and I have watermelon, apples, bananas, grapes and super red raspberries waiting for me...carrots, celery and all kinds of yummy veggies for salads, stir fry's and sides. My menu's are planned and I know what I'm fixing for dinner each night...this week should go way better!!

So, what didn't I do last week that I should have done?

• I didn't have my fridge/cupboards stocked with good options {see above}
• I didn't "track" my points {key to Weight Watchers, in my opinion}
• I didn't make most of my meals at home {aka...ate out too much}
• I didn't make the "best" choices at graduation parties, or Father's Day celebrations this past weekend {put the chips down already!! and that cake...what are you doing with that cake??}

But, let's not end on a bad note, what did I do this past week?...

• I ate more fruit than I did chocolate {Hey, that's big for me}
• I thought about drinking more water and actually drank more than usual
• I thought about this blog, and posting my progress {that stopped me from many seconds}
• I didn't give up....I came, I blogged and I'm moving on into this week...a new week!

Each week, I'd like to highlight a recipe/meal or awesome find of the week:

This week I'm sharing one of my favorite breakfasts. It's fast, transportable and keeps me full throughout the morning. It's a GREAT value at only 3 WWP+ {Weight Watchers points plus}

I call it simply "Banana Peanut Butter Roll-up" because that is simply just what it is...

It starts with a Mission Carb Balance Tortilla: {2 WWP+ per tortilla}

I love these Tortilla's. I use them for everything...wraps, burritoes, taco's...anything you'd want a tortilla for. With only 120 calories per tortilla and a whopping 13g. of fiber they pack a nutritional punch. I find these at Walmart {about the only thing that makes me walk through those doors}

Next, I mix up some Peanut Butter...wait you say..."mix up?"...no, I'm not talking about grinding up peanuts...uck, tried that...didn't go so well...no, I buy a product called PB2 which is peanut powder:

This stuff is great!! I love, love, love peanut butter, so for me, this was a wonderful find. Now, this is NOT your fat laden, high fructose, Jif kind of peanut butter {too bad, cuz I love that stuff}. But, it is a great alternative. Best part is it is only 1WWP+ per 2T...compared to 5WWP+ for regular peanut butter....and it makes the best roll-ups...trust me on this, I really really like peanut butter and I like this stuff...now, I wouldn't necessary eat it off the spoon {like I do Jif} but put on apples, celery and used in these roll-ups...it's awesome. I also use this in my favorite Chocolate Peanut Banana Smoothie (4WWP+) I'll post that recipe another day...
Anyhow, this is a powder form of peanuts...{basically they remove the oils, grind into a powder} You reconstitute it with water, to the consistency of your liking.
I buy my PB2 here, but I've seen it at local health food stores and on Amazon. This product also comes in a chocolate flavor, that I didn't care for...{shocking, I know}

Now, spread this on your tortilla:

Some may want to add a splash of honey here, but with the riper banana I had, it was sweet enough with out it.

Put your banana on top and roll up like a tortilla...grab a napkin and you are good to go...

Breakdown:

• Mission Carb Balance Tortilla : 2 WWP+
• PB2 powder (2T.)  1 WWP+
• Banana 0 WWP+

Grand total  3 WWP+

I had this for breakfast this morning and it kept me full all the way through to lunch. I didn't have mid morning drowsies, and I didn't snack...didn't even think about it...give it a try!

It is 5:00 here in Indiana and my dinner is in the oven {awesome Taco Chicken Burritoes @ 7 WWP+ each} and I've tracked anything and everything that has passed my lips. I've reached for watermelon instead of chocolate and added more water to my day. So, for today, my first day of my new week, I feel good about my choices....tune in next Tuesday and I'll share with you how the rest of my week went...

Until then,
~Point me to my goal~

                   

Weight Watchers: "point" me to my goal

It's a relatively easy concept to grasp...and it works.

I'm talking about the Weight Watcher's Points Plus program.

I've been off and on Weight Watchers a number of times...enough to remember the old exchanges system, again when they first launched the point system, to now the Points Plus system.

I've tried many diets, I said many, not all...and not everything. I'd be lying if I said, "I've tried everything and nothing worked until...{fill in the blank the newest diet out there}

Truth is, I have tried many, and I did have success on most of them, as long as I followed them...that in lies the problem...you see, I get tired of diets. I get tired of saying "no" to that piece of cake, or that second dinner roll, or that afternoon chocolate...or...to all those bad eating habits I've picked up in my 50 birthdays. {I know, I know..this is a dicipline problem...will get to that another day}

Most diets, or now, so-called "lifestyle changes" work if you really do them. Yes, you can lose weight eating nothing but grapefruits, yes, you can lose weight eating nothing but meat and yes you can most certainly lose weight eating little or no breads...but can you do that long term? No...I can't. Now, I didn't say YOU can't, because, I don't know what YOU can do. I just know my limitations. {and I have many when it comes to food}

This is where Weight Watchers wins it for me. It has variety {which I like}, nothing is off-limits {which I love} and it also works {ta da...winning combo here, folks}

When I've lived the Weight Watchers program, it worked.....everytime....every single time.

So, today starts a new journey for me. Yep, I'm going to start back up on Weight Watcher's Points plus program....today...and I'm going to blog about it every Tuesday, which is my weigh in day.

There....I already feel like I'll have more accountability...and that is just what I need. If I share with you my journey in this area of my life, well, then I'm going to feel a bit less inclined to eat that afternoon chocolate...{usually} since I'll have to tell you about it...you read that right...you'll get to read all about what choices I make and how that affects my end result...good and bad. {pretty and ugly}

My motivation??.....

Yep...that's right. These three lil' darlings are one reason why I want to develop better "lifestyle changes" {not to mention so many others that want me to stick around awhile}

Skinny jeans??...not me....tank tops?...so not me....bikini?....oh please...{remember 50 birthdays?}

But these precious little ones {and hopefully more!!} that call me "gramma"  make all the discipline of saying "no" {to the above forementioned} so well worth it...

So, come along with me. Allow me to be vulnerable, sharing my journey to weight loss and healthier lifestyle with you, using the Weight Watcher's Point Plus program.

I have today...and some choices I make today, will affect my tomorrow...and I want to not only see tomorrow...but LIVE in it.

I look forward to "weighing in" on Tuesdays with you!

Just "google" it...

I haven't forgotten about my blog...and I haven't learned everything there is about blogging either. I did read through what I considered the most important parts of the "Blogging for Dummies" book that I bought last weekend...only to find the answer to what I was really asking by just "google-ing" it. Gosh, who would have thought we'd have so much information right at our fingertips?

At some point this week, I felt like I was wasting time as I tried to find the answers to my questions in my newest blogging book. Don't get me wrong it did have some good information in it, just not the precise information I was looking for.

I wanted to be able to link my posts to certain "pages" that would pertain to that post. For example, if I shared a favorite recipe I wanted it to post to a "recipe" page. Or if I shared some insight on parenting, or homeschooling, it would also post on that "page"...that doesn't seem like that should be difficult to do....until you read most of an entire "blogging" book and realize you're not going to find the answer there...

So, what do I typically do when I need to find an answer...yep, I "google" it. {Why'd I even buy that book anyhow??}

What exactly was I looking for? I wasn't sure what it was called that I was wanting to do. After a few attempts at wording it right I was able to find a decent answer here.

I tried what it suggested and will work through the kinks this week.

I think I learned that I wasn't really wanting "pages", but possibly "labels" that will link to a pretend page?...I'll give this idea a go and see what happens! {this is a bit too techy for me, but if I want to have a blog, I best get used to the idea of needing to be a bit techy} techy? is that even a word??

If any of you readers out there know an easier way to do what I think I want to do, I'd be most grateful to hear from you!

Until next post....live life today, it's all you have right now!

~Tracie

Blogging for this "dummy"

I love the "For Dummies" books that are out there. I've used a few of them before. I like the simple way they guide me through new hobbies or interests.

They are a simple concept really...if you can get beyond being called a "dummie" you may just find some great information out there to help you navigate a new hobby, software or interest.

Well, I tell you this because I bought a "For Dummies" book last night!

I don't know the last time I bought a book at a store. I usually do my book buying on Amazon or Ebay. Have to admit the sticker price was shocking compared to my old standby's.
You can find a link of this book here.

But, I didn't want to wait......you see, when I start a new hobby or interest, it becomes like a disease for me...I have to learn all I can learn, as fast as I can learn so I can do what I have learned...Now, I have prime on Amazon, and they are super fast shipping books out..many times beating thier expected deliveries, but yesterday I knew I'd have this afternoon to read/play while my husband was out golfing...actually, one of the reason I'm blogging now instead of laying in my hammock reading, is to put to use one of the new things I've already learned and that is how to hyperlink something to a word....like I did up above. I hyperlinked the word "here" to take you to Amazon...I thought that was really awesome to be able to do that. I actually squealed when it worked. {those of you that know me, aren't surprised to read that}

That concept alone will come in really handy for me as I blog.

I'm not a super creative person. {on my own} I'd call myself more of a "creative copier". I can see a concept, picture or idea and run with it, but to come up with that concept, picture, idea.....nah, that's not me. So, to be able to hyperlink my readers to a blog, website, business that I get my ideas from will be an awesome way to give credit where credit is due!

So, now that I've tried something out that actually works, I'm sooooooo excited to get into this book and learn it ALL!! {ok, not ALL, but enough to put some more neat cool things on my blog}

Stay tuned and be amazed!! {there are some really creative things out there I can't wait to copy!!}

Letting go of my baby...or so trying...

Well, today was yet another day of letting go of my little boy...well, ok, he's not so little, he's never really been little...coming into the world at a whopping 10 pounds makes him a big boy...but, in my heart, he's always been and most likely always will be my little one.

He turned 18 this past February....

He graduated this past weekend....

He sent in his application for a passport today for his year in Korea...starting in September...of this year....in just a few more months...

Yes, today was another day of letting go.

We as moms will all face this day...or in my case weeks..actually make that year...I've had opportunities all year to "let go" of this little {ok, big} guy. It started when I ordered his senior year textbooks for homeschool. It screeched "LET GO!!" when he turned 18, I cried when he left to get his senior pictures taken and I secretly listened to the pomp and circumstance so I didn't cry like a bumbling idiot at his graduation...well, that worked, but I didn't practice seeing him in his cap and gown...swallow hard, hold back the tears...you can cry later...which I did.

He's the baby of the family...I don't have to do this again.

I graduated 3 children before him. This one has been different...perhaps because I knew I had others yet at home to busy myself with, to absorb that fact that my nest was getting empty. I don't have that now.

I took all the advice of the many older moms as they told me to enjoy my days, to savor the moments because time is fleeting, time goes fast...yes, they spoke truth, and yes, I did enjoy my days and I did savor the moments, but I still have to let go...walk into a new "season" of my life.

But, I'm living in TODAY, and this is where I am TODAY! God has given me a wonderful journey with raising these children given to me 26 years ago...it's been an awesome journey that will continue. I will be on a different path so to speak, but on a journey still the same. God is already shaping my days and activities in a different way because of where I am. I'm a mom, I will always be a mom...and that... I don't ever have to let go of...ever.

I don't fight today. I live in it...

Whew!! Well, I've finally made it to this point...I'm not talking about having a "blog" of my own now, but just basically getting to this point of writing my very first post! Who would have thought that creating a simple blog {because everyone can do that} would cause as much utter frustration as it did me these past few days? Well, I'm telling you, I didn't think that. Jeepers with blogs popping up all over the place, and everyone seeming to have not just one, but several, I asked myself, "how hard could it be?" I'm fairly proficient with the computer, {I said fairly, and I realize that is pretty broad}, but this whole blog thing was a bit more than a "fairly proficient with the computer" project for me to to tackle! What have I learned as my "take away" today?

1. my boys have no idea why I'm not fixing them dinner tonight {sorry!}
2. that I'm eating any chocolate I can find...because I want a "cute" blog {how I deal with stress}
3. that I'm not the admin of 1 blog but 3 blogs!!! Ok, I have to admit, I have no idea how that happened and when I went to try to delete those other two blogs...well, it added another layer of frustration {wish I had more chocolate!!}
4. pinterest is so much more fun...{not to mention all those awesome chocolate recipes!}
5. I'm determinted though, to make this work for me {cuz, I'm all out of chocolate at this point}

So, that said, I'm glad I'm to this point. It will be nice to click "publish" and jump over to my blog page and see this post....my very first!

Then, I must get some dinner around...I guess it's still early enough in the evening that I can throw something together...but, I'm not that hungry {wonder why....} and I don't like to cook when I'm not hungry. ...or I could learn a bit more about this whole blogging world...try to find a cute banner, or buttons or whatever else I may need to make this blog cute-er...cuz, it needs to be cute-er than it is.

I hope you come back and see all my new additions as I learn about everything in this blogging world there is to learn...then I can get onto why I wanted to blog in the first place and that is to be an encouragment to you to live your life TODAY! That has become a mantra, so to speak, of mine this past year as I've been ushered into a new a season of change in my life {50 birthdays has a way of doing that} I look forward to sharing that with you in later posts...

I'd tell you to sign up for email threads or something like that, or to follow me, or whatever bloggers do, but I'm fairly {there's that broad word again} sure that my page isn't set up for you to do that...I don't think...

Thanks for stopping by....