Healthy Hump Day tips #6

Do you pack snacks?  Most gals don't leave home without their favorite lip gloss but I actually have heart palpitations if I don't have a snack in my purse.  Usually it's a health bar or whole wheat cheese crackers, pretzels or soy nuts (in my favorite bowls).  My blood sugar levels go all crazy and fast so sometimes I need a little pick me up to keep going.  The snack also helps me stay focused so I don't forget half of what I need to do and what is on my list!  Not that that has happened or anything.  I've gotten to the point where I really try and not let myself get too hungry.  This way I don't gorge myself when I do get to eat.

So what to do if you're out and about and don't have that snack to keep you on track?  If you are at the store or Super Target, buy a banana when you get there!  So cheap and so easy.  It's usually about 32 cents and the cashier will look at you crazy- but whatever.  Did you know that you can buy cheese sticks and hard boiled eggs at Super Target too?  Go on, walk right by the Food Avenue and straight to the deli and look for the prepacked lunches and stuff.  They're in there.  Now you're ready to shop!

You can go here to learn more about me and my journey to healthier lifestyle.

Have a great day!

9 years ago today....

We said hello to our baby boy for the first time.  

You have blessed our lives in so many ways 

and we love you so much!

{He wanted a soccer party and this was the best I could come up with last minute.}

Just a tip:  Don't plan a birthday party two weeks after school gets out and is also the weekend right after you get home from vacation.  No fancy invites, party favors, candy bar.....But you know what?  We all had a great time - including some of the dads on the water slide! 

A quick project

I had been staring at these ugly unused outlets for years.  After seeing Kimba's and Nester's creative ideas to disguise,  I decided something must be done to hide them. 

I used a $ $4 2-pack canvas from Michael's and covered them with linen I had on hand.  I was inspired by Pottery Barn's ribbon board but didn't have enough ribbon so I used my trusty rope/twine. 

Now I need to think about changing out that yellow light switch.  But that would mean changing them all out and that will come when we do a full-out kitchen update.  See the orangey oak cabinets?  Hopefully they will be gone sometime when the summer is over!

I'm going to be pinning like crazy soon.  

(And please ignore the ice chest in the pic!  We just had a birthday party for J-man.  I promise it's not that we don't want to walk the 10 feet to the fridge to get an ice cold beverage.)  

Healthy Hump Day tips #5

It's not really yellow in here.  The first pic is a better paint color pic.

Hi all!

Why in the world am I showing you a picture of my unfinished windows on healthy hump day?  To help you say "I will!"  I had a different post scheduled for today but I changed my mind when I was working on my windows yesterday.  I can't even tell you how much of a pain in the patootie these windows have been to me.  I'll get into more detail about them another day but the point of the story is that I could have kept going with them (like maybe finishing one more!) but I didn't.  I hadn't worked out yet that day and let me tell you it wasn't easy getting that sucker up there.  In my mind I kept telling myself that -whatever -my workout didn't matter as much as those windows.  But in reality my windows don't matter as much as my workout.  So after a fun TurboFire 30 workout, I felt the stress of that stinkin' project disappear.  Chalene Johnson, creator of TurboFire actually says in one of her videos, "Don't say 'I'll try and workout today', say 'I will workout today'".   You are more likely to make it a priority.  

Also, I use the WOWY supergym on TeamBeachbody to keep my daily workouts fun!  With every workout, I'm entered into the system for a chance to win $300 or some other fun prizes.  Shoot me an email or message if you want to learn more about TeamBeachbody and the WOWY Supergym.

NOTE:  Apparently Blogger isn't letting me post pics right now!  Ugh.  I think I need another workout.... I'll try and post them later today in the hopes that someone will have pity on me and tell me how to finish out those windows!            

Have a great day!  

Texas river tours Part 1

Two Sunday's ago, we left for our annual family vacation.  Every year hubby's parents spring for a sweet cabin along the Frio river in Texas.  It is such wonderfully unique place with a cool spring fed river to relax and play in.  Our family spends three days of fun together with no electronic interruptions.  I wouldn't have even unpacked my iphone but I completely forgot to put the camera battery into the camera.  So all of my pictures from the entire vacation are from my iphone!  Great blogger, huh?!  Usually the second day we are there, we load up our trucks with rented tubes, drive to a nice entry spot, plop those tubes down in the water along with our bums and let the river take us on a slow easy ride.  It usually takes a couple of hours depending on how high the river is and sometimes you have to get up and walk a bit but not for too long.  But this year, because the river is dangerously low, we didn't even rent tubes.  We were all a little disappointed but in the end we made the best of it.  

The kids hunted for cool rocks, looked at fish with their snorkels and masks, and carefully slid down the little man made chute like a slide on the rapids.  This was our regular spot but for more fun we ventured over the big swimming hole (that is not as quiet) for rock jumping fun.  

And now for the slide show for family!:

quite possibly one of my favorites!

Watermelon time!

Uno championship game

The men relaxing on our porch

nothing like a little rock throwing

I think it's time to retire my hat.  )-:

Here's a little video to give you an idea of river life!  

So fun and we had such a good time!  Enjoy the throwback "pump up the jam" tune too.

(Sorry to the lady in red that I captured falling down and you can see just how low the river is when pops stands up out of the water)

Then after the three days of fun, the kids went back with their grandparents for Camp Grandma while hubby and I visited some other Texas river towns.  Stay tuned for Part 2 and some more iphone pics of cool random places to find in the Texas hill country!

Healthy Hump Day tips #4

     Hi all.  Sorry I've been so quiet lately.  We've been on vacation touring the Texas rivers.  I'll be posting about it soon!
     Now for the tip:  Go buy these for snacks:

I'm really careful to not "take the bag with me" or let my kids have the bag of whatever they are eating.  My girl would sit there all day with the bag and continue to eat while watching tv. This way, when they're done, they're done.  It goes for my hubby and me too.  At night, when I need a little something, I just put some in my little bowl and don't go back for more.  (Just don't put ice cream in them (-:)!  It cuts down on the overeating for all of us.  They have a tight lid for travel and since they are so cheap, I'm not worried about losing them.  

Healthy Hump Day tips #3

Howdy.  Today's post is brought to you by my legs.  We are walkin' family.  For me, I think it mostly started when I was in college.  I lived far off of campus in a house and the bus didn't even come out that far.  Every day I drove to park in a lot a few miles from my main building and walked to class.  Rain or shine.  Don't feel sorry for me, I loved it (most days).  It was such a special time to collect my thoughts and get ready for class.  I didn't have much time to exercise because of working and going to school so it was a great way for me to stay in shape.

     After getting married, hubby and I have walked miles and miles around every neighborhood we have lived in.  At our first apartment, while he was in training, we went over his emergency procedures while walking and wondered where life would take us.  Then, in our first house we walked and talked about having babies. Then we walked and walked with babies in strollers.

We walked every night while hubby was in another training and we lived in an unfurnished apartment with only a futon, beds, and a card table to eat on.  We needed to get out!

We borrowed the incredibly nice neighborhood right next to us and pushed J-man up steep hills while he took a late afternoon doze.  We looked at all of those houses and dreamed about one day living in one.
We then went to another (I know, right?!) training in Alabama and I begged hubby to take the stroller.  We were strapped on space but it was my saving grace to have it.  There, we lived in a one-room (not one bedroom) apartment/scummy hotel room.  J-man and I walked almost twice a day for 6 weeks while Daddy worked and studied.  We would stop at parks and look around and explore.  That base was right on a beautiful river and had the most gorgeous old base houses.

We moved on to a double stroller and two other houses and continued to walk.  All the while giving us a chance to hash out life decisions, the easy ones and the oh so hard ones.

(This was J man's last ride in this stroller since his legs were almost touching the ground)

I don't know what has helped us more, the physical or emotional side to walking as a family.  I have to say that we haven't been walking much as a family lately because of much needed earlier bed times but I hope to make it a priority again.  I'm now off to walk to the school for end of the year parties.  I could drive but I think I'll walk and take the time to reflect on this year and be joyful.