Brat stew…just make it

I doubled this recipe, skipped the red pepper and it rocked ! so easy and my whole family loved it

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/cheesy-brat-stew-for-the-slow-cooker/

13 + years

I hate dieting. I hate that i have let myself go and gained so much weight in the last 13 + years. My whole life i was active and weight was never an issue until my mid 30's. I don't think i will ever be the weight i was in high school, you know when i thought i was fat, but i want to be able to wear the clothes i have and FEEL comfortable in them.

I want to be healthy and eat healthy with the occasional splurge meal, not splurge weekend. As i age, it takes longer for the weight to come off. I have to not be so hard on myself, after all it took 13 years to gain all this, it is not going to come off in a month.

I bought this book (& the cookbook) on a suggestion from a friend and read the whole thing. I have bought the south beach diet book and never read it, it's just not realistic to cut a food group out. This book is not rocket science but it has made me stop and think about what i shove in my trap. I feel like it has reset my mind to things i already knew about, drink lots of water, don't eat carbs before you go to bed, etc, etc.

 

Since i have read this book i am down 7 pounds, mind you i have already lost these 7 pounds at least twice in the last five years. I have a goal weight i want to get to and i am being patient about getting there. I wanted to lose a few pounds for Sheena's wedding but the real reason behind this is I want to feel good about myself. I am tired of seeing this shape in the mirror, actually i haven't looked in a full length mirror in years. I am not saying this is the "cure" for weightloss but it is what works for ME at this moment.

I am responsible for how i look and feel, if I don't like it then I HAVE to CHANGE it. I can't keep laying the blame on my family, lack of time/ energy or any of the other 100 excuses I make up. I am important and this is what I want...the year of cindi is coming up & I plan on rocking that scheiss

Life.is.good

Friday started off with….

• Put together a hash brown, eggs, turkey sausage & cheese bake in the crockpot for my family to wake up to Saturday morning since i will be gone most of the day
• Margaritas & Root beer floats (root beer and rumchata) 
• Border salsa, chips, guac and chip dip for dinner
• fan on the deck and then heater on the deck
• ended in the hot tub

Saturday started off with…

• Vinnies & rummage sales in the jeep without the top
• lunch at Midtown
• nap
• back to Kathy's deck
• margaritas and dirty monkeys in the blender
• shower
• Venice to the watch the Louisiana bajou boys
• Eagles
• Jackson's Pit for dinner

See that picture, that is was relaxed & happy looks like :)

Sunday…

• filled my clotheslines
• vacummed
• made a great chicken pasta salad for my family for dinner
• back to the deck to lay in the sun, slathered in oil
• dips in the hot tub to cool off
• twisted teas and ice coffee with Kahlua
• shower
• fold laundry and relax

I haven't had such a great, relaxing weekend in I don't know how long. I owe it all to Kathy, we had an amazing weekend and the weather also cooperated. I hope we can do it again this summer, I'm lucky to have her in my life

Aubri's grad party, May 17, 2014

Here's the run down of the cost for Aubri's grad party. I started shopping early & used coupons

• Oriental trading (black & white floral decorations)  $66.50 (free shipping)
• GFS (tortilla chips, nacho cheese, varied flavors of potato chips, 3 pans of mac & cheese, large soft pretzels, candy for table tops, foam cups, coffee & sugar packets) $127.16
• Walmart (mini carrot cake ingredients & her horribly decorated cake) $49.89
• Target (mini tins for silverware & basket for napkins )  $9.00
• GFS (silverware, plates & napkins)   $75.81
• Union Station/Depot rental for the day $175 ($300 really but her dad paid 1/2)
• 12 twelve packs of pop $14.40 (i only had to pay the deposit because i had 12 free coupons from my coke rewards)
• Walmart (thank you cards), $36.88 (4 packs of 50)
• Nacho fountain, $100, Amazon.com
• picture dvd, .00, i made it

This girl was a great student and deserved this party, i tried to save where i could but i let her pick out everything she wanted. She had a great time and everyone raved about the food :)

The Sound of Music....final

I just found this post in "drafts", i can't believe i didn't post this, well here it is from March 2013

So where do I begin, to say I am proud is an understatement. The play just wrapped up last night and what a whirlwind it has been. From the time she received this part it has been a very exciting journey. She has been a part of the last two plays (Guys & Dolls and Oklahoma) but this time she has the lead. Last year after Oklahoma rumors were going around about the next years play and The Sound of Music had been thrown out. My mind was already spinning because I knew Aubri would be the perfect Maria. Fast forward nine months, try outs for The Sound of Music began. She didn't even tell me that she was going to tryouts until she got home and told me "i sang the shit out of that song!". OK well I wasn't expecting that but I knew she could sing that song, we've watched the movie quite a few times and always end up singing along. Then I received the voicemail "mom, i got the part as Maria!". Well that was the first time I had tears in my eyes about this play.

Basketball season was upon us, I was a little nervous about how she could handle it all. She is a great student, a memeber of the National Honor Society, but with play practice right after school followed right after that with basketball practice. Now lets top this all of with her making changes to her diet and losing weight. Then she got sick January 21st and didn't get her voice back completely until the middle of February. That was a very nerve wracking time, we went to the ER the first night, we tried all kinds of cough drops & cough medicine, a second trip to see her Doctor, sinus medication, tea with honey and lemon we were trying everything we could! Basketball season ended February 21st and now she could just focus on the play, I was relieved because I was worried about her.

End of February, she is practicing more and more for the play. Singing around the house is at an all time high, but really the hills have been alive since December in our house! I signed up for a few things to help out with the play: costuming, ticket selling, painting/building, t-shirt order & I even volunteered my husband for programs. I wasn't needed for costuming, t-shirt order or progams but they needed me set building and painting. I have never done this before but it was a lot of fun. The kids were eager and waiting for directions! I am a very organized person so kind of perfect to choral the kids and get them working.

So many people came up to me and told me what a great job she did! She was amazing and I was in awe. When the curtain came up and they came on stage and introduced everyone, i felt like i was in an ejector chair. They said "Maria" and i sprang to my feet clapping so hard with tears running down my checks, tears of pride, joy and happiness for my girl

great quote !

Laughed fricken out loud

Sheena graduates from NMU, May 3, 2014

 

Oasis art show

Aubri's final art show, this hung in the Oasis Gallery in Marquette. It brought me to tears...