Friday, May 28, 2010

Thursday Fitness Update - Week #3

Yes, I know it is Friday and not Thursday, but humor me...it has been a hectic week.  Alden and Connor spent the weekend and week with us while their parents enjoyed an Anniversary Cruise.  The boys were great and really on their best behavior for most of their stay and we really enjoyed them.  Let me tell you, there is a differance in having young children in the home on a daily basis now vs. when we were younger.  Between meals, bathtime, playtime and clean up, Jammi is ready for a rest. 

Mike camped out with the boys on Saturday night and they really enjoyed it.  We roasted hotdogs and marshmallows and sat around the campfire...when it came time for sleep, I removed myself and headed for my comfortable bed.  


Week 3 Update:
  • Weight Loss - 4 pounds - Total Weight loss = 8 pounds
  • Exercise
    • Goal - 30 minutes daily
    • Acutal - Exercised 3 days at 15-20 mins each
  • Nutrition - Water intake is consistently up to 48 ounces daily
All in all a really good week...would love a 4 pound weight loss each week, but running around after two  energetic little boys might not be doable on a long term basis.  Love you guys!!!

All The Best,
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Friday, May 21, 2010

Lexi's Room Tour

Lexi is my second Grandbabe and is three years old.  She is witty, beautiful and has more intelligence than I will ever know.  She is a wonderful Interior Designer and would like you to visit with her as she takes you on a tour of her room.


She spent most of the day cleaning everything until it sparkled.   She even dressed in a coordinating outfit for her photo shoot.  Her bedding is from Pottery Barn, one of her favorite places to shop. 


One of two Dollhouse bookcases flanking the double window and holding some of her favorite toys and books.   Her Mom assisted with the decorating, although she of course wanted to make sure that her personality was stamped on the room. 


Chest holding her Princess TV.  Her furniture has the cutest glass drawer knobs. 

Lexi hopes you enjoyed your visit and invites you to come back soon.

All The Best,

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Thursday, May 20, 2010

Thursday Fitness Update - Week # 2

I have not only fallen off the wagon this past week, but it has plumb run over me. 


The heck you say !!!!!


My problem this week and hence the wagon analogy, concerns my exercise - I have only exercised one time this week. Horror of horrors, someone needs to beat me with a stick. Obviously, my main goal going into Week 3 is to get back on the horse and get my exercise routine back on track.


There is no despair here...just one of the ups and downs of changing my lifestyle.  I know that it will be a bumpy road and I won't worry unless I mess up on all points involved with these changes.  I'm still doing very well with being more aware of what I eat and cutting back on high fat and starchy foods, sweet drinks etc.  I've had one sweet tea and no fast food this week. 
 
Week 2 Update:
Weight  - Lost 1 pound  (Total 4 pounds)
Exercise Goal - 30 mins daily
           Exercise Actual - In the shame category
Nutrition - Sticking to my guns but still working on the daily water intake

Anyone want to join me in this journey, feel free to join in with your thoughts and successes.  Encouragement is the key to victory.

All The Best,
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Monday, May 17, 2010

Weekend Warrior

Each weekend I struggle with how to best use my time....as some of you may be aware, any days that are spelled Saturday or Sunday, pass at 10x the speed of light.  I usually start on Monday of each week thinking that when Saturday rolls around, I am going to paint more of my kitchen cabinets (I'm working on the Guiness Book of World Records category of smallest kitchen redo with longest time to complete. No, really I am.  It's not just that I am slow and lazy...Really.)   The reality is that I would much rather go shopping or hang out with the Grandbabes or go on early morning yard sales or antiquing junkets, than do the hard work it takes to do anything that remotely looks like, sounds like or acts like remodeling.  Ahhhh, poor me.

I made a sketch of the changes I want to make to my unfinished wall of cabinets.  The first thing is to remove all the upper cabinets, and then building a counter to ceiling shelf unit where I will house a breakfast station with coffee implements and toaster, along with other shelves for cookbooks, etc.  A wall pot rack would be a good choice over the range area and the current range top will be replaced with a drop in unit which frees up the current wall oven space on the other side of my tee-niny kitchen to place the microwave, which is currently over the range.  The window would be dressed with plantation shutters and some type curtain or scarf and cafe shelves would finish out the wall to the right of the sink.  This sketch is not to scale and I am no artist, so please allow me some artistic license as you follow along with my idea.  The shelving units would be painted the cream with glaze that I have already finished the other side of the galley kitchen with.  Not sure about the color of the subway tiles, but I think a light play on several tones would be nice. 


Have I mentioned that I have some really great ideas on remodeling my home and building some furniture items... I really do.  I've come to the conclusion that I can think it up and all I need is someone to execute the ideas that I dream up (because, again I find myself otherwise occupied also known as just plain too lazy to tackle and finish).  I would rely on my wonderful husband for the execution, but the man is not a Carpenter.....at all....not even a smidge.  He does try but when things don't go as expected (and they never do)...well, I've just learned that it is better to not get him involved when at all possible.  I married the man, not his hammer and saw and besides he has other talents that I find very attractive.  So what if he can't build a box.

I did get some of my loose recipes sorted and filed in a binder this weekend and that is going to be helpful, as I have a heck of a time finding a recipe with the mess they were in.  I'm still working on the whole pile, but they are already looking better.

I also finished the latest True Blood series book - Dead In The Family.  Now, I'll have to wait another year before the next installment.  And...I washed my white Rocking Chairs and removed all the winter smudge from them.  They are now bright and glistening.  Our patio umbrella has been on it's last legs for awhile now and last week during one of the high winds that sailed through, the umbrella took a flight and landed in a less than acceptable position...so found a really good buy on market umbrellas this weekend at a new sports store opened in the area. 

As I'm writing this update, it feels like I got more accomplished this weekend than I originally thought...but, no kitchen updating (again, because of the world record) and there is always next weekend, when I plan to do..........well, you know. 

All The Best,
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Friday, May 14, 2010

Winning with Paula Deen

Ms Paula is offering a chance to win a $100 gift certificate for Paula Deen Store merchandise.  Five winners will be chosen and the last chance for entry is May 27.  Click here to enter.


One suggestion I would have, if you are a lucky winner, would be Paula's new book - Savannah Style, filled from cover to cover with beautiful photos and inspiration. 

I bought mine and lost it to my daughter, Tiffany, on the same day....she is a big Paula fan too.  Enjoy it ya'll. 

All The Best,
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Thursday, May 13, 2010

Thursday - Fitness Update - Week #1

It has been a good week and I'm staying on course with the previous actions I have outlined for my lifestyle changes.   I feel good about exercising, although I still have not fully gotten into the 7 am daily routine of walking.  I have began supplementing my walking with Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort this week, so that I am ensured of getting some exercise in daily. 

Tonight,  I am pulling out the Wii Fitness Plus and will be checking out what I can do.  According to what I have been reading, I will be able to set a pre-programmed routine and keep up with some statistical info and progress through the game disc program. 


As I mentioned last week, I plan to list my progress each Thursday. 

Week One Progress Status

Weight Loss - 3 pounds
Exercise - Goal (30 minutes daily)
                Actual (Every other day walking 20 minutes)
Nutrition - Goal (Need to increase water intake daily)

All The Best,
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Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Traveling Burber - Lynchburg Tennessee and Jack Daniels Distillery


Lynchburg Tennessee is a small, quaint town that just happens to be the home to the Jack Daniel's Distillery.   As with most historic small towns, there is a central Courthouse with a square of buildings surrounding.  As you stroll the square, you'll find opportunities for shopping, browsing and eating in cafe style. 

The Courthouse is over 100 years old.


The Welcome Center displays two Vintage gas pumps and a Model T Delivery truck for Jack Daniels Whiskey, of course. 




The Jack Daniel's Distillery is located right in the downtown area and offers free tours for those interested but you cannot sample the drink because the distillery is located in a county that has been a dry county since Prohibition.   The Distillery, registered in 1866  is the oldest registered distillery in the United States. All Jack Daniels whiskey is produced here from local pure, iron free cave spring water.  


As the story goes, Jack was raised by a family friend who was also a local minister and just happened to own a whiskey still and taught Jack how to run the still and make the whiskey. 

You can take a virtual tour of theJack Daniel's Distillery by clicking here. 


On the town square, the Barrel Shop features all kinds of Jack Daniels themed merchandise as well as vintage displays. 


You can purchase whole aged barrels, finished or unfinished.  The barrels are made from white oak and are used to age the whiskey.  Each barrel is only used once and retains the trace of aroma from the spirits it contained.


Love this storage display and could see many uses in a rustic room , from toy storage to climbing wall.



Table made from one of the barrels.


I am coveting this old nail and screw hardware display.  Note the size of the screws written on the outside of each drawer. 


I'm joining Susan at Southern Daydreamer for her weekly Outdoor Wednesday Meme.  Please click on the link to visit Susan and then link to other great Wednesday posts. 

That's all for our adventures today...time to head back home .  Hope you enjoyed our tour. 


All The Best,
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Thursday, May 6, 2010

Chicken Coop...or Should I Say Gallus Domesticus Mansion

When is a chicken coop not a chicken coop?  When it looks like this:


Having grown up with farming, I have never been one of the many folks in Blogland who dream of owning my own chickens and coop...but if it was a Chicken Mansion, even I might have a change of heart.  This Chicken 'Coop' was made by Heather Bullard and her husband and is just the cutest thing I have ever seen.  It is very well thought out and extremely functional.  The nest area is placed in an area to ease in daily egg gathering and all supplies can be stored close at hand and out of sight. 


Her chickens have the cutest names..how would you like to enjoy a fresh egg from Marshmallow, Butter, Lola, Ruby or Souffle? 

Although there are no blueprints or step by step directions, there are some really good tidbits of info and enough photos from differant angles to figure out the basic construction.  You can read her entire post by clicking here


All The Best,
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Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Healthy Challenge and a Project

Some things that I have adjusted over the past couple of weeks in order to support a healthy lifestyle:
  • Cut back on bread.  Because I love bread and don't do well if I cut it out completely, I now buy wheat and whole grain, for those times when I have to indulge
  • Changed to whole wheat pasta
  • Adding more vegetables and fruits to daily diet
  • Have gotten in the routine of eating 3 meals daily, rather than skipping meals
  • Still working on exercising daily....right now, I am exercising at least 4 days weekly.....I'm getting there
  • Drinking water rather than my beloved sweet tea (admittedly, I must indulge occassionally) and even though I rarely drink sodas, I have cut them out completely
I have not started regular weigh ins yet, but plan to do that next week and begin charting progress weekly...I am going to air my laundry here so I can't keep a dirty little secret if I am not progressing.  In addition to weigh ins, I am going to begin incorporating the Wii into my exercise routine...I have the Wii Fit disc but need to purchase a balance board.  I'm on the lookout for the UPS man as I should be receiving the Wii Sports Resort game any day now. 

From a project perspective, I'm continuing to work on my kitchen slowly, very, very slowly.  I have some new curtains ordered and will be painting the walls soon...have some cabinet reconfiguring and a doorway that I want to move first and I still have not decided on a color as I'm debating between a couple differant ones.  Hubby is not too big on making any changes anywhere in the house other than painting etc...he goes into denial when I start talking about remodeling, moving doorways etc. so it always takes me longer to get things done than it should.

I set up this vignette in a picnic basket that I found at the Antique store for $4 this weekend. 



The metal sign came from Hobby Lobby at 50% off.


I'm joining the Whoo Hoo Wednesday party over at Always Nesting....please click the link to visit with Marla and while you are there, check out all the links for other great posts and ideas. 
All The Best,
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