-4.8 is a glorious number

Who would have thought I was brave enough to go weigh in at Weight Watchers on Christmas Eve? Last week I had my first gain and I tried to be good this week and track points as best as I could. Well I was expecting another gain, but low and behold I lost 4.8 pounds. So I lost what I gained last week and then some. I'm still working towards my first 10% but so far i've lost 14.8 pounds.

I'm finding that with extra support at work, 4 of us do weight watchers, and Don trying not to buy junk, that I'm doing pretty well. I like that I can eat what I want but have to make choices. I'm finding I love spinach salad and I'm trying to be creative with chicken breasts.

I also realize that this really isn't a diet but a lifestyle change. I am going to try to hit the Y more these next two weeks and make the boys come with me.

I know I still have a long way to go but I heard this quote at my first or second meeting. Loosing 100 pounds 1 time is hard but loosing 1 pound 100 times is easier.

That is what keeps me going. I'll go weigh in on New Year's Eve too and let's hope for another negative number!

Kept Resolution

Do you make New Year's resolutions? Are you good about keeping them or are you one of those people who start but then stop within a few weeks? Well I always was one who was sort of stopped after a few weeks so I'm really proud of myself. I've actually kept my 2007 resolution. On December 31, I had my last can of soda. My resolution was to give up pop; all forms of it. I wouldn't switch from regular to diet, I was just stopping. Now realize I didn't say give up caffine but since I've never been a coffee drinker I've given up a lot of caffine. I do splurge and have a chai tea frappachino from Starbucks and that's just enough caffine to keep me going.

So now that I've kept this resolution I'm going to try to make another one and keep it up. I haven't quite yet decided what I'm going to pick this year but I just hope it is a rewarding experience with another positive result.

Trying to be a better person

I know for those of you who know me pretty well, I'm a pretty good person. I try my best to accommodate everyone, I want all people to be successful, I want to instill solid morals and values into my kids and those I teach. I just try to be my best. Somehow when I reflect upon what I do and what I've done in the past I see there are still areas in which I still need to get better. I call stupid drivers idiots, I drive too fast, I have a habit of using my dining room table as my desk and dumping ground. I can't be bothered to put things away that are on the top of my dresser. I have a table at school that seriously needs cleaned off so when we come back from vacation we can get down to some serious reading. My desk is a mess. But to my own defense I read somewhere that a messy desk is a sign of a creative and imaginiative person. That I do feel is true.

But where this post is headed is in a rather new direction. I have been trying to cut down on my internet time and trying to figure out who I am and what do I want to do with my life. No I'm not talking about drastic changes. Well maybe I am. I think it has some to do with losing weight. I think that as I work to lighten up I want things around me to be less cluttered and more organized too. If I do this the right way then I may just become a bit more of a simple person. I have been trying to work on being more happy and appreciative of what I have and not to focus on what I used to think I want; I mean in a materialistic way. God has given me so much, I'm so blessed and now I have to make my life work within the bounderaries of what I already have.

So I know the changes must come from inside, but I can't help to also give a little bit of credit to an amazing person. I've been reading her blog off and on and as I've been digging into some of her archives I find that she not only inspires me want to be a little more creative in a more simplistic sort of way, but she has posted some incredible links to some organization and zen sites. I need to find a zen in which I can live in a more harmoniously with what I have, who I have in my life, and more in a way that God directs me.

If you haven't figured out just who has inspired me to just try to be a better person, I'll tell you, it is. It is Ali Edwards.

You can find some daily inspiration here at her blog. I can't believe all this lady does. She write, she creates, she travels, she's a mom, she's an advocate for autism, she teaches, she inspires, and she even has her ups and downs just like all the rest of us. She finds pleasure in simple things. I loved how she blogged about setting up a block castle where they bowl it over with a big green ball. There is something about her that is so creative, so inspiring, yet so down to earth. I don't want to be just like her, that's not the point of all of this. I am not her stalker, I just read her blog and her newsletter just as thousands of others do. I just find her style and her way with words speaks to my heart with a bit of optimism and passion. I find that she makes me want to be a bit more of a better person. Not to impress anyone, or to say look I do what Ali Edwards does; but for me to say look I'm just a bit more of a better person because I've been inspired to be.

I know this is a long, rambling blog post. Who knows, maybe it has to do with the fact that today's my graduation day, the day I'm recognized in public for being someone who's earned a master's degree. For someone in the field of education to be recognized as a life-long learner. For someone who has been given a gift from God to be able to teach others. For someone who has the potential to help students be better readers by being a reading specialist. For someone that has set goals and achieved them. For someone that I hope my own boys are proud to call mom.

With my winter holiday only 5 school days away, I am going to take that time to finish preparing for Christmas, to spend time with and enjoy my boys, to exercise, and to find a way to start to organize my dining room table and take back my space. It is my way to start to be a better person. So I close by saying a quick thank you to Ali Edwards for posting some amazing pearls of wisdom and zen links that have made me look inward to become a little better for everyone else who sees me from the outside.

Some Merry Decorating

Just a little bloggity banner update for the winter season!

I've got to get some new photos out of my camera and onto the computer. I've also got to get up-to-date with Val's photo a day blog challenge.


If you can't read the credits on the banner, the paper, journal box, stitched snowflake & pin are by Ashley Olson's Like Winter kit. The tree templates are by Valerie Fowler and are a blog freebie at her blog When Val sits Down. The glitter bracket is by Brenda Kempf, and the pink ribbon is by Christine Smith's Ribbon Lover's set in pink.

I'm hoping this blog update will last a bit longer than the Christmas season. I tried to go a little wintery.

My FAVORITE Christmas video

Last year I couldn't tell you how much I watched this video. I confess I sing along to it too! The original website is gone this year but through the miracle of youtube it reappeared!

Bahhhh Humbug

Bahhhhhhhhhhh Humbug

It's an Elfed Christmas

Merry Christmas!

Here is our animated Christmas card!


Click here to see it!

A little December fun

Here on Valerie Fowler's blog is a really interesting Photo A Day challenge. I really like that she's making it so laid back and easy. The concept is to take a photo a day. Wow, hard right?

I think this is a cool idea and I can envision a really great scrapbook layout, mini album or a photo collage in a cool frame that could turn into a really wonderful holiday decoration.

I'm really going to try to do this each day in December and then post the photo in my blog. Today I'll have to hunt for something to take a picture of. I might do two tomorrow when I try to get my Christmas decorations out.

I hope that you are having a lovely weekend and try this daily photo challenge.

Now I've got to get back to a little advent calendar project I need to finish. Yes, I'll post a photo of that too.