Motivate Me!

I can't say what my motivation was behind starting the South Beach Diet. I guess there was a lot of reasons but something inside me felt different this time, I felt like I could do it. I wasn't doing this for an occasion or for someone else, I was doing it for me. I decided to make a change before I was put into a situation where I had to for medical, health, or any other reason. What was my motivation? I guess it was me!

It's my life, my body, my health, so why shouldn't I be the one to motivate myself. I have stumbled across something else that's been a good motivator when I have a moment or temptation where I'm struggling. The current issue of Good Housekeeping has an article called Food Critic. Bottom line, there are lots of food critics in your life. People who want to weigh in, comment and judge what you eat or do and how you do it. They may say cruel, hurtful things and claim to do it in love but there are better ways to support people. The author of the article is Geneen Roth. She has a good site that I've been reading through and several books that I haven't read but if you need some motivation for a change, check it out!

South Beach Success

I'm writing about a topic that is really DANGEROUS...dieting.

Not just any diet since I'm not an expert, a doctor, a nutritionist, you get the idea. I am a person who needed to make some big improvements in my lifestyle and eating habits so for two weeks now I've been on the South Beach Diet.

It all started about three weeks ago when I went to the Trash to Treasure party that I posted about and an aunt mentioned to me that she was trying it and she's been doing great! The week that followed I read the book, went to the grocery (reading labels takes awhile!) and made a commitment to myself. Two weeks later I am through Phase 1 and down 10+ lbs! More than the scale I feel better and no longer have those CRAZY carb cravings. I used to have a bagel or instant oatmeal for breakfast, crackers for a snack, a sandwich for lunch, feel like I needed something sweet in the afternoon then a well rounded dinner...that had more carbs. I won't lie that the first two days of NO CARBS was not easy but I did it and knew that if I could make it through the first week I could do it and I have. It doesn't even feel like a diet, more like a lifestyle change.

If you are doing, or have done, South Beach I'd love to hear from you. For at least the next month I'll be posting daily comments, tips, helpful hints and things I've discovered so far. I'm not trying to fit into a bikini, run a marathon or fit into "skinny jeans", I just want to feel better about myself and be a living example to the kind of eating habits I want my daughter to have.

Tip - Sometimes you've got to cheat!
If I am craving a piece of that Easter candy that's been hanging around, I drink a glass of water, wait at least 30 minutes and if I'm still craving it, I eat it! Chances are one piece will cure the craving, I'll get over it and instead of eating hundreds of calories trying to suppress it and still eating the candy, doing it and moving on will make me feel like I splurged and satisfy craving!

Playin' in the Rain

Here in Kentucky we have had more than our fair share of rain lately and my daughter is getting good use out of the cute ladybug raincoat she got for Easter.

Earlier this week the rain let up enough to put her in her jacket, her Croc-like shoes and let her enjoy the wet weather. She loved jumping in the puddles, smacking her hands on the water that had pooled on the tables outside and sticking her feet under the downspouts and letting the water fill up her shoes.

I realized that I am so blessed to be a mom with a working situation where I can see her everyday and watch her experience firsts like that one. It's one of those moments that I'll remember forever.

Favorite Side Dish- Mine takes less than 10 minutes!

Seems like every few months I reach a "rut" in my meal prep where I feel like I make the same things over and over again. I can mix up the the meat options a little, especially now that the weather is good for grilling but I need some new, quick sides. Do you have a favorite?

I'd have to say that my favorite QUICK side dish is to take a can of Campbell's condensed cream soup (Cream of Chicken, Cream of Mushroom, etc.) add that to a pot, refill the can with water and add that, stir it up and bring it to a boil. Fill the can with rice and once the liquid boils, add the rice, put the lid on the pot and give it 5-6 minutes. It will still be a little "soupy" so it needs to sit for a couple minutes then add a little salt and pepper and it's done! A quick side in less than 10 minutes and I almost always have rice and some variety of that soup on hand.

Hopefully this comes in handy for you, do you have any side dish ideas you can share?

Trash to Treasure Party a Success!

Hopefully you caught my first Trash to Treasure post back on April 2nd, if not click here.

We had our party on Saturday and not only was it a lot of fun, there were some great finds too! For example, a friend of mine brought a single size electric skillet that she had never used but was given to her as a housewarming party gift several years ago. When my grandmother saw it she decided that was the perfect size for her!

I got a couple of Disney movies on VHS from someone that had upgraded to DVDs, while most of what we have is DVD at home, we have a TV downstairs with a VHS player and those will be perfect when my daughter needs to be distracted downstairs for a few minutes.

There were also lots of people that picked up hair products and other beauty products there were either used a couple times or not at all- a great way to try new products! Same with bags, purses, and shoes, we all know that you get tired of those things long before they wear out, so many people got new items for their spring wardrobe.

As you can see we had lots of fun and got some great items too! We kept our food simple with some fruit, a couple dips, shrimp cocktail and some delicious desserts. Each person brought a beverage to share (wine or soft drinks) and we spent several hours on Saturday relaxing and having fun.

Whether it's yard sales, consignment shops or parties like this one I hope you think of creative ways to turn your trash into treasure!

Talk Derby To Me!

I love our city this time of year! This is when we make the national news for great reasons and this weekend marks the halfway point of the Kentucky Derby Festival. If you live near Louisville, KY and haven't been to any of the events (there are plenty of free ones) then you are really missing out! Sure there are crowds and at many of the free events they do ask that you purchase a Derby Festival pin but from the Thunder fireworks to balloon glows, glimmers and races there is a lot to do for the whole family including parades, parties and fun all over the city! (They have a website that lists all of the events and details.)

I've had the privilege of attending some the ticketed events including being on the Belle of Louisville during the Steamboat Race (it's not as exciting as it sounds), sitting front and center for the They're Off Luncheon, being on Millionaires Row for the Celebrity Luncheon before Oaks Day and seeing Thunder from a riverfront suite, 18 floors up!

Regardless of your seat though, witnessing some of these events in a crowd of people can be breathtaking. When you are surrounded by hundreds of people, the sun finally sets and a field suddenly fills with dozens of rising hot air balloons, it's amazing! Or to watch those horses coming around the back stretch at Churchill Downs, even on a non-Derby day race, you feel their energy, power and you understand the passion that some people have with horse racing.

Like I said, this is definitely my favorite time of year here, the streets are clean, everything is in bloom and there is this "feeling" that everyone is putting their best foot forward to show the nation what we're all about. I hope your city has a celebration or event that makes you proud and want to be a part of it, we're all part of something much bigger and I think those events that put in into perspective are fun, exciting, and magical.

Earth Day

I hope everyone has a great Earth Day! We are having great weather here in KY after several days of cold temps and rainy weather.

Whether you are pulling weeds, planting trees or teaching a child about the benefits of recycling I hope you have a wonderful day today!

If you are looking for something do to today, check out my post from two days ago about the Kroger contest where you can send them your idea for a bag and get a reusable free bag!