Bootcamp

I decided to sign up for a bootcamp exercise class in hopes of it helping me lose some weight. I really don't like getting sweaty or pushing myself physically so I figured this class would make me do both things! My first class was on Memorial Day. I will go on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 5:30-6:30am for 4 weeks. I am really excited to see what comes of this adventure!

The first day wasn't so bad although, I must admit, I was quite nervous. Athletic and in shape are not words used to describe me at all! The instructor first measured our body fat then had us do a baseline of sit ups and push ups and timed us on an obstacle course and a plank. We also had to run 1.5 miles. It confirmed the fact that I am out of shape! I did run the entire 1.5 miles (it took me 19 minutes) so I am very proud of myself for that!

I also made a friend. I am trying really hard to make new friends and I never thought a bootcamp class would serve as an outlet to make new friends, but it did! All of the women in the class are very encouraging of one another so it really makes the work out fun.

Day 2 was this morning. I was looking forward to going to see what torture the instructor might have for us. He made us do lots of weights and bands but made all the exercise fun. We also did relay races and abs. I already feel it so I am thinking tomorrow morning I will be quite sore!

Looking forward to good results over the next 4 weeks!

Weight Watchers: Week 2

I followed the Weight Watchers plan perfectly again this week so I have that to be proud of. I walked 4 mornings which is also an accomplishment considering I was not exercising at all before starting this diet. I also managed to control my urge to cheat and eat appetizers and brownies at the Crawfish Boil. I even ordered a single EggBeater and a bowl of fruit when we went out to breakfast with John and Abby even though I really wanted a huge plate of pancakes covered in cinnamon and syrup. All things to be happy about but unfortunately, the scale was not receptive to these little accomplishments....I lost zero pounds. I didn't gain anything either but didn't lose a darn thing. VERY frustrating!!!

There were two parts of this week that were particularly hard for me. First, it was my Mom's birthday. We went out to dinner to a French restaurant where everything is covered in creamy, delicious sauces. I was very careful to eat low point foods all day since I didn't know what to expect from the menu. I ended up creating my own dish of grilled, dry tilapia with a side of steamed, dry green beans. While everyone else ate key lime pie with yummy graham cracker crust, I had a Skinny Cow ice cream cup. Jealous? Yep, I was, I admit it. The second tough time was when we were out to breakfast at a hole-in-the-wall place where grease comes with everything. Thank goodness they had fruit and EggBeaters available. The waitress mocked me as we were eating and honestly, it really hurt my feelings. I even got a little teary-eyed. I wanted to say, "really, you think I want to eat this instead of pancakes, biscuits, or French Toast?" It was really rude of her. I left both occasions though knowing that I had done what I needed to do in order to lose weight. And, for that, I am very proud of myself. Like I said last week, this is all my choice. No one is forcing me to do this.

I am well aware of the fact that occurrences like this will continue to happen and that a zero weight loss will surely happen again, but it doesn't make the journey any easier. I think losing 2.8 pounds last week was a lot so my body is just regulating itself. Regardless, I would have loved to see one measly pound pop up on the scale! Maybe next week will show some better results. It would be easy to give up right now and eat a huge, delicious meal, but nope, I will keep trying!

Deals for the Week

I found some amazing deals this week!

I went to Kohls and found this necklace for $4.35. It was originally priced at $23! I have wanted one like it for months but was not willing to splurge on such a trendy necklace that I knew would be out of date by next spring. I also got this picture for our bedroom. It matches the bedding I bought (but haven't put out yet) perfectly! It was originally $69 and I got it for $21.Mark and I wanted to buy some Zero Gravity Chairs after enjoying them at our friend's house last weekend. I started hunting for a good deal and found one....also at Kohls (love it there!!). These chairs are regularly $119 each but I got them for $48 each along with $20 Kohls cash. Can't beat that price! Plus, they are amazingly comfortable. I know we will enjoy these all summer long!
Abby and I decided to do a little shopping before the Crawfish Boil. We headed up to Allen and went to Watter's Crossing. I love shopping there because it is cute and has all my favorite stores. How can you beat a Vera Bradley, Ann Taylor Loft, and White House Black Market all within a few feet from one another?!?!?!

We went to Swoozie's closing sale and found some amazing deals. Everything in the store was marked to 80% off. Abby got some great deals on bows and stationary. I came out with 4 boxes (for my baby gifts), 3 rolls of wrapping paper, 4 bows, 4 boxes of invitations, a baby gift, and 2 sets of funny napkins all for $39. She and I were in heaven though our husbands thought we were nuts!Mark and I ran to CVS while we were out and about this weekend and came home with all of this for $4.38. My total was $32.85 before I began to hand over my CVS bucks from previous purchases, a $15 voucher I received from filling out a survey for CVS, and my regular coupons.

Crawfish Boil

Mark LOVES crawfish so we decided to have a crawfish boil/grill out party on Saturday night. We did this partly because our friends, John and Abby (and their adorable dog Ellie), came to visit us this weekend from Houston and partly because we have wanted to have one all spring. It was a blast! We even got a picture together which so rarely happens.Mark ordered 70lbs of crawfish which was more than enough for everyone to eat. It even allowed us to have left overs! We also had grilled chicken, duck brats (from Mark's hunting), cole slaw (healthy kind), grilled corn, baked beans, appetizer munchies, watermelon, beer, and brownies. I think everyone left satisfied! I ate very low calorie food all day so I could enjoy in the food and drinks while still staying on my Weight Watchers plan. It was hard to pass up the appetizers and brownies (even harder not to lick the bowl and spoon after making the brownies!), but I managed.
It was great to have the little kids around. It served as constant entertainment. Charlotte loved the watermelon and corn on the cob! She kept going to different people to get more watermelon, that little sneak!









Elliette thought she found her own stage on the Washer Board. She climbed up and down for most of the evening. Charlotte discovered the fun and joined in too!
Michael and Charlotte had a blast with the bubbles. As soon as Becky would blow them, they would both say, "bubbles!" and laugh.Michael also played a few rounds of golf with Anthony. He came prepared with his clubs and golf balls! Pretty darn cute.Here is a picture of Ellie. I love her. She is a great dog and I was so happy John and Abby brought her with them for the weekend. It satisfied my dog need for 2 days!
Overall, the party was a success!

Marvin, The Tomato Plant

This may be weird or difficult for some to understand, especially those who are not pet lovers, but I really, really, really miss our dogs. I honestly think I am going through Doggie Withdrawal/Depression. Dixie is away at hunting school for another 7 weeks (probably having a blast fetching birds and playing in the water) and Bandera is keeping Mark's parents company (she is a really good furry friend, plus appreciates not being in her kennel all day while we are at work). Where does this leave me? I am feeling like I have nothing to care for. Pitiful, I know.

When I told Mark this, he said I still had him to take care of, but quite honestly, he is easy. I think I miss the drama and chaos that our two dogs bring to our daily lives. The hair, the barking, the mud, the mess...I miss it all! Plus, there is nothing better than coming home after a day at work and being greeted like you are the best thing that has happened to either of them all day.

After Mark fulfilled my need to be around a dog by taking me to the pet store by our house and asking if we could play with the Lab puppy there (he is a really good husband), I decided to be proactive this week and get something else to care for. Since we can't get another puppy, I decided on a tomato plant! I was inspired after my trip to the berry farm this weekend to grow something of my own. Mark bought me a tomato plant at Home Depot this weekend (it was even on sale!!!). I planted, fertilized, and watered it and think it is ready to grow! Mark asked me what I was going to name it and at first I didn't know. The name Marvin came to me as I was driving home from work yesterday so Marvin the Tomato Plant it is!

Weight Watchers: Week 1

I officially completed week 1 of Weight Watchers. I am not going to lie, it was hard, but I did it. Like I said in a previous post, I know this program and know it well but always forget about the not so fun parts. I experienced some of those this week.

It is really hard to go out and be social with friends on this program. I don't care that Weight Watchers says it is easy, it isn't. Friday night Mark and I joined some friends for dinner and then went to see Rodney Carrington (who is hysterical!!!!) at Winstar Casino. We went to Babe's Fried Chicken where of course, there is nothing I can eat there. I almost started crying when the waitress said they were out of smoked chicken and fried chicken was the only thing left for me to order. I made due and peeled off every bit of fried deliciousness and just ate the meat. As for the creamed corn, salad drenched in dressing, biscuits, and green beans, well, I ate a tablespoon of each. Not the most fun, but what was I to do? Can't be a party pooper and tell them we couldn't eat there! While everyone else enjoyed beer and drinks at the show, I sipped on Diet Coke. It was really hard! I was starving when we got home but decided to just wait to eat Saturday morning.

Saturday night we were invited to a crawfish boil. I had done so well all week at keeping within my points range, I was scared to eat or drink anything there so I left early to go home and eat a salad. According to the other guests, Mark did a wonderful job cooking up some crawfish and veggies!

I know and understand that this is my choice, but what some don't understand is that I can't cheat on this program. I have tried it and you don't lose weight. So, I am either all in or all out and this time around, I am ALL in.

I lost 2.8 pounds this week so all the sacrifice paid off in the end!

Meeting My Outdoor Quota

As many know, I am not the biggest fan of the outdoors. I don't camp, I don't like getting dirty, I don't like the extreme hot or cold, and I rarely even sit on grass, but this weekend, I got hot, sweaty, and dirty. And, much to my surprise, I really liked it!

Saturday morning, Becky (my friend/neighbor), Charlotte (Becky's daughter), her mom and sister (both visiting from out of town), and I all went to Gnismer Farms for berry picking. I learned about this idea from a woman I work with who always does fun things with her step-children and husband (her blog). What fun it was!

It is just a small plot of land in Arlington. The farmer has strawberries and blackberries for people to pick but he also sells other fresh vegetables. Here is a picture of what the strawberry patch looks like.
The farmer gave us each our own picking basket and we were off! It was the last weekend for strawberry picking so those were few and far between but we had lots of success with the blackberries. Charlotte LOVED picking berries. She figured out the difference between the ripe ones and was so gentle with each berry. It was fun to watch her have so much fun!

I found my inner-nature lover (for just a brief moment, that is). I saw this beautiful butterfly enjoying a perfect spot along with this caterpillar. When I saw the caterpillar, I couldn't help but think of one of my very favorite children's books, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. I imagined him happily munching away of these delicious berries!These two nature moments actually made me feel very calm inside.


I left the farm with beautiful blackberries which tasted like candy along with some strawberries, sweet chard, an onion, and some beautiful new potatoes. Meals at our house will be yummy and organic this week!

Round 2 of Outdoor Meghan came on Sunday when Mark decided we were going to rip out every bush in our front lawn. He decided to yank them out by attaching a rope to the base of the plant and pulling them out with his truck. Needless to say, we got a few "why is your truck in your front lawn" looks from people passing by. Yes, we do have tire tracks on our grass, but that is what happens when you pull 20 bushes out. Classy, that's us! It got the job done so I think Mark had a pretty great idea!My job was to knock the excess dirt off the roots and drag the bushes to the back yard where they are now waiting to be buried (in the dumpster). I also picked up extra plant remains and did some weeding. It was an excellent work out. We were both hot and sweaty but our yard looks much better. It is now ready for some new plants!



Before
After

A Deal-Filled Week

I thought last week was good but this week proved to be an even better week for free and/or good deal items! I arrived home on two different days to big boxes in the mailbox filled with goodies, samples and coupons. Some of the coupons were even for totally free items! I gave the Pampers to my neighbor since we have no use for those!
One of my favorite coupon blogs led me to this deal on a really cute, really nice bib. Since I know 7 people who are having babies, I figured I would jump on this deal and get this. It will make a perfect part of a gift for someone special! It retails for $12.50 (plus shipping) and I got it for $2.15 total!I also went to the Scholastic Book Fair Warehouse sale. I love these sales. They usually mark down books significantly after having all the book fairs across the state. I went to the one in Richardson. Everything was marked down 50% so I decided to stock up on a few Christmas gifts (yes, I realize it is only May) for our nephews along with a few sibling gifts for those kids who are about to become big brothers or big sisters. I love giving books as gifts! I got all of these books for $35 rather than $70. I was thrilled! I may keep Ping Pong Pig for my own children's book collection. I loved the story and even made Mark read it!

Yesterday after work I hit the mall looking for a few good deals. I left with this shirt which was marked down from $18 to $7, a sample of very expensive face wash that will last me 7 days from Sephora, and 3 pairs of underwear from Victoria Secret (I figured I would keep those wrapped up in the pink tissue paper for the picture!) which I managed to get for $2.13 (a $25 value!). Overall, a pretty lucrative hour spent at the mall.

Getting Honest with Myself

I have to get honest with myself and admit that eating whatever I want and not exercising has not been beneficial to me. Fun and delicious, yes, but not beneficial. Imagine that! I am officially in need of a diet. My clothes don't fit well, I don't feel attractive or confident, I can't wear some of my favorite summer items, and I really don't want to feel fat in a bathing suit. Plus, I saw a picture of myself and thought, "really, I look like that???" Needless to say, not good.

What to do about it? Although I wish I could wave a magic wand and lose 10lbs or not eat candy for a week and lose all the weight (like my husband can do), that just isn't realistic. Reality is Weight Watchers. This is not my first rodeo when it comes to losing weight. I have battled this since college. I go through stages of skinny to fat to somewhere in between. Weight Watchers has worked every time I commit to it so here I am again. It is me and my dear friend the points calculator.

I tried losing weight a few months ago and failed miserably. As a matter of fact, I gained weight! I know Weight Watchers works if you really do it and do it right so I figured I would try it again. I am a lifetime member (sadly) but wanted to try their online method. I officially signed up today and am already tracking my points and documenting my exercise. Gotta say, it is motivating! I also enrolled myself in a bootcamp exercise class that starts May 31. Doesn't burning calories at 5:30am sound like fun???

I will be tracking my progress on the blog for I know there will be both high and low moments. The hardest times are celebrations and weekends with friends, especially when there are drinks or desserts involved.

So, if you see me looking hungry in the next month or two, I probably am!

Free Things This Week

I am always getting free samples of things in the mail each day, but this week seemed to be heavy on free full sized items.

I got this coconut oil worth $30 off one of my favorite couponing blogs. Not sure what I will do with it so I am giving it to my Mom. She likes weird, healthy things like this!

When I went grocery shopping, I came home with these items for free, not because I was a good shopper, but because I actually had a coupon that said the item was free.









And lastly, this was $1.38 so practically free considering it would have cost me nearly $12 to get it to my house after shipping. This will be a little stocking stuffer for my mom (don't worry, she doesn't read my blog, not spoiling anything!).

As my brother has said since he was little, "free is good!"

Becky and Mandy's Birthday Party

We decided to have an early birthday for my friends, Becky and Mandy. It was at Becky's house down the street. We had a blast! Maybe even a little too much fun depending on who you ask. Here are Mandy and Becky holding their special birthday glasses!

Some other friend's of Doug's came too. It was a nice way to meet some new people. Becky and Doug set up Bags (or Corn Hole if you ask Doug and Becky) in their backyard. There were quite of few competitions, some even involving $1 bets. Charlotte liked climbing in and out of the holes.
Doug grilled burgers, sausages, and brats, Becky made a yummy broccoli slaw, Mandy brought appetizers, and I made cupcakes for the birthday girls (not the best recipe - won't be duplicating these again). At first Becky didn't want us singing "Happy Birthday" but then she told people to "sing louder!" so I am pretty sure she enjoyed the singing and the candles.
Mark and Derek (Mandy's husband) spent plenty of time discussing duck hunting and Becky even decided to chest pump Derek though not really sure why.








Charlotte sported her new sunglasses and couldn't have been cuter.
Happy Birthday to my two friends!

Pantry Paradise

Mark worked on his new boat for most of the day Saturday so I got a lot of things accomplished around the house, especially now that both Dixie and Bandera are gone. Side note: Dixie left for a second round of hunting school (I so miss my Miss Dixie and her sweet face) and Bandera went to stay with Mark's Dad while his mom is out of town visiting his sister (I really miss my nightly cuddle time with Bandera). One more picture of Dixie won't hurt since there won't be any for awhile (can't help myself).
I made homemade cupcakes and frosting for Becky's birthday, cleaned all the floors, got the laundry done, knit, and....cleaned out my pantry! I literally took every item out of the pantry, wiped the shelves off, and re-organized the items.

It started out looking like this:
And ended up looking like pantry paradise!

Deals/Coupons

I tend to buy cleaning supplies every few months. I use up the stockpile then go back for more. This month was a,"I need cleaning supplies NOW!" type of month so I needed to find some deals ASAP. Lucky for me, I needed a break from work one day, so ran to Target during lunch. I really lucked out when I found all these Scrubbing Bubbles products on sale. I had high value coupons plus an extra coupon that got me a $5 Target card. That same afternoon, I found a rebate page for these same products. All of these things combined let me pay just $4 for what would have been almost $45 in cleaning supplies!

Kroger also sent me (along with everyone else in the world who has a Kroger card) a special envelope with some great coupons. Look at all these future deals just waiting for me to find them! They even gave me a $5 off a $50 purchase. I rarely spend $50 but when I do, I will be sure to use this little nugget!