A little me time ...

So I haven't been around in quite a while.  I started back to work/teaching in September and there were so many "lovely" changes that I really haven't been able to think of much else.  Soooo, I'm trying to re-prioritize what's important to me and what makes me happy and one of those things is blogging and posting pictures that make me happy.  So here is a picture/self-portrait that I just recently took and I must say, I quite like it.  It makes me happy and I've come to a place in my life where no one is going to make me happy but myself.  IF I'm not happy with myself, then how can others make me happy?  Right?

 

I'll have more to come in the near future including new recipes and other fun things so stayed tuned!

I know, I know ...

I know it's been forever since my last post.  Summer has been crazy!  I have been so busy working 5 part-time jobs and just having fun.  I will get back into the swing of thing once the school years begins, but until then here is are some pictures of my favorite little man enjoying the beach!

Eyes

They say your eyes are the window to your soul ...

... I hope you like what you see!



Reaching my goal ...

Hi everyone.  I know it's been quite a while since I last posted and a lot has happened.  In June we had a really bad storm and lost electric for about 40 hours and we were some of the lucky ones.  I had friends who were without electric, running water and well, everything for a week or more.  It was bad.  It was like a tornado hit the area. 

That was one of the reasons I haven't posted.  The other reason was that I have really been focusing on myself.  I teach so, I was finishing up that, and I was also focusing on a goal I just recently reached. 

I may have mentioned that I am on Weight Watchers, but I don't know if you knew how dedicated and focused I was about it.  See, I've been of WW in the past and for different reasons stopped going.  Well, I knew that this time when I signed up it was going to be different for a few reasons.  The first was that I was told that if I don't go on a low fat and cholesterol diet I was headed for some rough  times ahead with my health, like heart disease or even worse.  That was truly an eye opener.  The second reason was that I was in a better place in my life.  I go to counseling and have really been working on weeding out the negative and difficult people in my life, I have a better relationship with God and my husband and I was doing it for myself and not anyone else. 

Here is a picture taken of me in March of 2011.  When I look at that picture, I can't believe I let myself go that far.  I was pushing 200 pounds.  When I started WW I weighed 195.6 pounds. 

Crazy, right?  I cringe when I look at this picture, but remind myself that I don't ever want to get back to this. 

Anyway, the day after Memorial Day, this year, I reached my goal weight of 157 pounds.  Actually I exceeded that weight goal and weighed in at 155.6.  I was soooooooooo excited and proud!  It was an amazing feeling.  See, I don't usually follow through on many goals that I've set so to see this one through to goal was truly an amazing feeling. 

This is a picture that I took the day after I reached my goal weight.  What a difference.

After I reached goal, I then had to go on maintenance for six weeks.  This is where you find the right points balance to stay as close to your goal weight as possible.  This was by far the hardest time and the reason being was that your so in the zone to lose weight and to then be told to stop was a bit of a struggle.  My weight was like a yo-yo, but it wasn't that bad, just something new to train my brain to accept.  Here are my weights during that time.  157.2, 153.4, 159, 155 and 156.4. 

Well, I've reached "Lifetime" with WW and also applied and interviewed to be a part time employee for the company.  I was told last night that I got the job so that is a great bonus to my success story.

This has been a crazy, yet wonderful and amazing journey.  I have made some great friends on this journey and have even been told that I've inspired some people to start on WW.  I love what WW has done for me and love to share my knowledge and story.  If I can help just one person become healthy by sharing my story, then I have truly reached my goal. 

Stool Re-do

I was looking for something to put in my closet to use to reach things on my top shelf.  I'm 5'10", but still, I can't even reach the top shelf!  Well I found this stool at a yard sale and bought it for $5.00. 

All it took was a little elbow grease (sand paper) and a $3.00 can of spray paint and now I have a pretty little stool that I can leave in my bedroom and use when I need it. 

Cute!