Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Taking care of myself

I think that I get so caught up in the busyness of life that I forget that taking care of myself is most important. Yesterday, for instance, I didn't cook breakfast (but i did have 2 cinnamon rolls my mother-in-law made, YUM!) and didn't really eat a good lunch. I had nothing in my fridge I really wanted to eat, but made myself eat something. I did, however, make a delicious steak salad for supper. Oh, my goodness it was wonderful. I was reading a friend's blog (Maggie Sears) yesterday and she was talking about how she had been learning more about nutrition, finding fun healthy recipes, planning her meals, ect... This got me thinking about my habits and I had a little reality check about how I'm treating my body. So, I have made some goals to a better me!

Goal One: Plan my meals (even lunch) and stick to it. I always have good intentions, but my plan may not always sound good or I'm too tired to make that... so I'll just do something easier. Well, here is my conscious effort to being better in the kitchen. In the past 2 years of marriage I have learned so much about cooking, preparing meals and using different recipes, but I still have a ways to go.

I was skimming through pinterest today and found this workout on how to lose belly fat. I started reading through the "42  ways to lose stomach fat" list and there was a reoccurring theme... HEALTHY!!! I went through the list and put it in my own words. I renamed it, too, because I think that being healthy will get your bod where you want.

42 ways to be a healthier me:
1. Make a plan
2. Water, Water, Water
3. Color your plate (eat more then just yellow foods like I do)
4. NO fast food
5. NO sodas
6. Do weight bearing exercises. (Running, Dancing, Weights...)
7. Do non-weight bearing exercises (rowing,
8. Don't be complacent - Now, I looked up the definition on this one (not that I don't know what complacent means, but just to put it in context). 

com·pla·cent

adjective
1.
pleased, especially with oneself or one's merits, advantages, situation, etc., often without awareness of some potential danger or defect; self-satisfied
2.
pleasant; complaisant.

Now this is interesting. So, with this one, don't be satisfied with an unhealthy state. Be aware.

9.  Don't starve yourself 
10. Don't deprive yourself, either
11. Don't give up on your goal (or skip number 1)
12. Don't try to isolate one part of your body - work out the entire body
13. Drink a glass of water before you eat (i definitely don't do this, yet)
14. Eat 5 SMALL meals a day
15. Give your tummy 20 minutes to feel full
16. Get the right fit!- if you're like me and like What? but this helps you feel better and no muffin tops.
17. Cardio 20 minutes a day, 5 days a week
18. Have a specific goal in mind (mine is my butt)
19. Ignore the hype
20. Ignore the scale
21. Know YOUR portion (i.e. Bobby and I cannot eat the same amount)
22. Maintain good posture- biggie for me
23. Swim
24. Read the labels
25. See a pro (i'd say use common sense)
26. Strengthen your core!! So important for your posture, too!
27. Substitute the sweets! - Fruit
28. Push-ups (done correctly)
29. Reverse sit-ups
30. Work together! I think that have a group or even on person to keep you motivated is great!
31. More meals, more often
32. Never Skip breakfast (guilty)
33. Monitor the food you're eating
34. Eat slowly
35. Cardiovascular exercises
36. Hydrate
37. Sleep. It is important to get the 7-8 hours recommended sleep per night
38. No alcohol - it slows down the natural fat burning process
39. Take the long way- (i.e. park at back of the parking lot)
40. Reduce your salt intake
41. Avoid stress
42. STAY MOTIVATED!!


Leading into my 2nd Goal: Get Healthy.
I'm on the road for sure. Last week I started boot camp again. It kicked my butt, but I'm feeling better already. And I try to do Zumba if I have nothing else to do after work. That gets me working out 4 times a week. I'd also like to take the dogs for a walk on the other day! That leaves my weekends (since they're so unpredictable) to rest! 


I'll leave you with my recipe.. even though it might not be super healthy. 
Steak Salad:
Steak (I use whatever I have in the freezer. Last night it was sirloin)
Lettuce
Boiled Eggs
Dressing
(anything you want to put on your salad)
- I cut up my steak into bite size pieces and marinade with zesty Italian dressing and season with salt and pepper, fajita seasoning, or whatever you like.
-boil eggs and cut up in a bowl.
-I cook my meat in a little oil. You can use olive oil or whatever you have. Get the oil hot and then cook meat until desired readiness. I have poured a little wine over the steak while cooking, but it depends on what you like. 
-Serve on top of lettuce with fixin's! 
Yummy Yummy!
Now I'm off to plan my meals and make a grocery list.


Eat right, be healthy and Be Blessed!


Mandie

Our round trip!

This goes alone with the simple, but not boring. We had a very fast paced few days this past weekend. Bobby and I loaded up and headed east. We got to stop in at my parents for about an hour. Since we will be moving here in a couple of months, I've been going through my house getting rid of everything that I won't need in the new house. My dad had lent Bobby a desk when he was doing all that paper work for the state. It was such a blessing for him to get to use and store all the forms and slips he had to fill out and mail every week. Since he is no longer with the state it was just a catch all. If you do not know me real well, I'm a the opposite of a hoarder. I guess they call that a neat freak or a little OCD. Whatever it may be I like to throw things away and keep things clean and simple in my house. I do have stuff I store that I'll use in a project one of these days, but there is a ton of stuff I'm throwing away. All this to explain why we stopped in to see my parents. To take my dad's desk back to him and pick up a present that wouldn't fit in the car at Christmas!
Then we headed to Adamsville (Bobby's parents) and stayed the night. Of course we have to catch up and didn't get to bed till probably 12 or 1. Then we got up Saturday morning to go pick out a wood burning stove for the house. It was a fun little outing. We stopped by Myer's cedar yard in Lampasas to pick up the post for our front porch. We then dropped the trailer at Bobby's sisters (Misty) house and headed to Georgetown. Nothing like a 6 hour trip to pick up a stove. We got exactly what we wanted and it was on sale!! What a deal. It is fun going shopping, even though my wallet hates it!
This is pretty much what it will look like.
 


I even got Bobby to try on pants for Rygh and Lyn's wedding. Yay! That's out of the way! On the way home we stopped to see a guy Bobby used to work for. We sat and talked to them for 2 hours and they end up giving up a wood stove that her mom didn't want anymore. I guess when it rains it pours. God is definitely wonderful!! That night we went out to the field where his dad was burning brush. I missed the riding, but got to hang out with my niece and nephew. We had such a good time and a yummy hot dog party. While waiting in the truck for hot dogs to arrive (since it was super chilly out) Misty and I were visiting and Ace was with us, in the truck, since the guys were shooting he needed some comfort. Misty had her window partly down and Jaxson climbed through the window to hang out with us. He hugged ace and rubbed on him and just loved him. Ace was in heaven! He loves being petted and he actually pets back. Ace started rubbing Jaxson back and the were having the greatest time.
After the weenie roast Jaxson wanted to be chased and he wanted to chase me. (Probably cause I'm the only one who will run from him). I would go around the front of the truck (its dark dark out) and wait for him to come around. I'd jump up and scare him and he'd scream and then he'd chase me and I'd go hide again... for like an hour! I really did scare him a couple or times cause he needed someone to go with him to find me. It was too "tary" for him. Love that little kid.
The next morning we went to Church with his parents and then (as per tradition) went to go eat breakfast. It was such a good time to get to spend with the Granny Granddad and Pam and Robert! Got home and loaded up the truck and fought the wind back home. Not much of a restful weekend, but it was a productive one.

Have a Blessed Day!
Mandie

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Quilt

Here is my day 12 quilt block and the quilt top sewn together.
I will add more borders, but its a start though!
Hope you have a great week!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Do You Know?

Life has been so crazy around here lately. My husband, Bobby, and I have put in some hours (mostly him) and it seems that we get so caught up in our day to day to stop and do what is most important, delving into the word! I might read a proverb or a psalm or pray as I'm running out the door, but I'm not giving my Abba the time he needs. So, I guess here is where my new years resolution kicks in. I hate to call it that cause everyone knows that NO ONE keeps their resolutions,but here it goes! (Other then getting my priorities straight, I'm going to start working out, plus I have a few other goals that I'll get into later). So, I start my day with a cup of coffe and my Bible! A few things that Bobby and I have been faced with here lately has mainly to do with his work and all that brings with it (long story)! I know that God challenges us in our everyday lives to fit us and mold us! The tough part is succeeding in this process. The Lord and his wonderfulness always leads me to the right scripture to read right after a heart to heart. So, I opened my bible this morning and read exactly what I needed to hear! It might not make sense to everyone, but here it is anyways! Oh, and I hate taking things out of context, but I think that scripture applies today just as much as it did 2000 years ago. Even though people here don't really sacrifice to idols, they still have so-called idols in their life, things that get between them and the real God!
1 Corinthians 8:1-3. "We know that we all possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up. The man who thinks he know something does not yet know as he aught to know. But the man who loves God is known by God."
I think that in today's society we focus heavily on what we know. Like I'm smarter then you and I'll just show you how smart I am and how stupid you are. I get that feeling in about every situation in life (I'm guilty of it as well). It's like we have to prove ourself and showing off what we know is the only way to do that. Humbling yourself is about the only way to handle this situation. Not reacting with the, "Oh yea, I'll show you I know." Ive been so proud of Bobby for swallowing his pride and just learning, whether he feels stupid or not. And I can personally say that I've learned loads this past year. When we put ourselves in a position where we think that we know everything, that's where you know the least. Like it says in verse 2, " ...he does not yet know as he ought to know." In the cliff notes it says, "Even the wisest and most knowledgeable among Christians have only limited knowledge. God is the only one who knows all." That is so true. We think that we have all these smarts and are know everything about this or that, but just think about all the things we don't know. Compared to God, we now a very small fraction of what we'll know in heaven. I know the more that I realize that I don't know, the closer I am to where I need to be! Praise God for loving us even when we are dimwits! I'll end with this.
Romans 11:33-36 "Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?
Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen."

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

12 days of Christmas Quilt

The week plus before Christmas I did "My 12 days of Christmas" and my mom found a blog lady that was doing a 12 days of Christmas Quilt. It was a one block a day for the actual 12 days of Christmas. (I guess its ok if I make up my own 12 days?!) Her blog is Temecula Quilt Co. - Diary of a Quilt Store and she had the cutest blocks! Y'all need to check out her stuff! So, I thought that would be a great thing to work on. I did not do a block a day, more like I worked on them a couple days and did multiple blocks a day. She had 3 inch blocks, but I made mine 12 inches... just so I'd have a bigger quilt. Now I'm thinking, "That's way more sewing and quilting, dumb idea." But I think that I am up for it! Here are my blocks...
Day 1

Day 2

Day 3
Day4

Day 5

Day 6
Day7

Day 8
Day 9

Day 10

Day 11
I guess I lost my 12th day picture. I will get it posted plus the quilt top when I get it done.

Thursday, January 5, 2012

My House!

So, here is the progress up until now.





Coming along step by step!