Really Real Housewife of Madison County - Episode 1

I have joked before about being a "Really Real Housewife of Madison County," when referring to real life domestic issues (cleaning, laundry, baby stuff, etc). I think the "Real Housewives" show series are grossly distant from true reality, lol. Anyway, I think I will start these posts as a place to put my ramblings of domestic life; the adventures of a stay at home wife and mommy.

My Really Real Housewife thought for today: Why are cloudy, dreary, rainy days perfect for doing a whole lot of nothing productive?? Today it is cool, about 60 degrees and sort of dreary. Therefore, the babies and I are spending the day inside, in our jammies, doing a lot of snuggling, playing, and laying around, LOL. Oh sure, there's plenty of things I *should* be doing (read: laundry, dishes, vacuuming, etc). But I guess the babies and I are taking a day off today.

I've really been in the mood to craft, and I think its been brought on by the changing seasons. Unfortunately my craft desk looks like Michaels puked all over it. O__o I really do have to get in there and straighten it up though, because I need to get started on some cute things for my bff's baby shower coming up.

Its getting close to naptime around here. I'm praying I can get both babies to take nice long naps at the same time today (please refrain from laughing...aw who am I kidding, go ahead!) so that I can go tend to my craft desk! ;)

Reconnecting!

Clearly it has been a very long time since I have touched this blog, ha! But I am finding now that I am a stay-at-home mom taking care of 2 babies under the age of 2 (WOWZERS), I enjoy reading blogs and using them as sort of my adult connection to the "outside world," ha! There also times that I have things in my life that I like to share, whether it be a thought, a creation, a bargain, etc. Anyway, I hope that I can use this little blog to be a blessing to others! :)

New Motivation

Well, I wasn't a die-hard Biggest Loser follower this season, but I did enjoy checking in on it once in a while, especially toward the end.  Watching tonight's finale was amazing!  Especially seeing all of these heavy-set woman develop these gorgeous, fit yet feminine bodies gave me a little boost in my own weight loss journey.  

My whole life I have felt like a fat person.  While I have never been one of those naturally skinny people, up until I was about 18 I was not what I would now consider "fat."  However, I always felt like this huge, disgusting person.  Remembering how I felt while looking back at pictures of what I really looked like kind of makes me sad.  Maybe if I had felt a little better about myself back then, I wouldn't have let myself turn into the overweight woman I am now.  I literally now look the way I felt back then.  I guess since I always just felt that I was fat anyway, I let myself believe that it didn't really matter what I ate or how lazy I was, I was already fat, right?  Then the pounds just kept coming over the last 6 years.  But now I realize the damage I have been doing to my body, my emotions, my confidence.  I am determined to undo all this!

So while it may not come as fast or as obvious as I would like, I figure as long as I am working out 5-6 days a week and making smart eating choices throughout the day, then I am improving my health.  

So here's to getting back on, and staying on track!

New Motivation

Well, I wasn't a die-hard Biggest Loser follower this season, but I did enjoy checking in on it once in a while, especially toward the end.  Watching tonight's finale was amazing!  Especially seeing all of these heavy-set woman develop these gorgeous, fit yet feminine bodies gave me a little boost in my own weight loss journey.  

My whole life I have felt like a fat person.  While I have never been one of those naturally skinny people, up until I was about 18 I was not what I would now consider "fat."  However, I always felt like this huge, disgusting person.  Remembering how I felt while looking back at pictures of what I really looked like kind of makes me sad.  Maybe if I had felt a little better about myself back then, I wouldn't have let myself turn into the overweight woman I am now.  I literally now look the way I felt back then.  I guess since I always just felt that I was fat anyway, I let myself believe that it didn't really matter what I ate or how lazy I was, I was already fat, right?  Then the pounds just kept coming over the last 6 years.  But now I realize the damage I have been doing to my body, my emotions, my confidence.  I am determined to undo all this!

So while it may not come as fast or as obvious as I would like, I figure as long as I am working out 5-6 days a week and making smart eating choices throughout the day, then I am improving my health.  

So here's to getting back on, and staying on track!

A Bargain Scrapper's TFTD (tip for the day)

For anyone out there who may not know this about me (although it would be hard not to, LOL), I am completely obsessed with scrapbooking/cardmaking/papercrafting.  I call it my creative outlet of choice.  Unfortunately, the deeper the obsession grows, the deeper it can reach into your wallet!  There is such a myriad of brands, products, design lines, and tools available that you could spend hundreds of dollars a day and never have enough!  

As for me personally, I simply can't afford to just buy up all the pretties that I want!  Sad fact, I know.  So I am developing myself into a Bargain Scrapper.  I have to be on the lookout for the most cost-effective way to grow my hobby!  So I have decided to use my little blog here as a way to offer some the money-saving ideas I have found for other papercrafting addicts out there.  

Thus is born the Bargain Scrapper's TFTD, or Tip For The Day.  Anytime I find a useful tip for saving green while crafting away, I will post it here and share it with others!

TFTD 5-11-09:     If I've said it once, I've said it a hundred times...do not buy products at full retail price if you can absolutely help it.  Large chain craft stores just offer too many sales, discounts and coupons for us to be spending precious $$  on regular priced items!  For example, this week Hobby Lobby has an online coupon for 40% off one regularly priced item that you can print and use in store.  I LOVE these coupons.  Even if you just need some new scissors or a new pad of plain cardstock, you can save yourself 40%!  Michael's usually has coupons in their weekly ads to be on the lookout for, also.  

So to my fellow bargain scrappers out there, this week, go buy yourself a scrap goodie, no matter how big or small, at LESS than regular price!  I'll post later whatever I find!  :D  

Happy  Scrapping!

The Dreaded Plateau

UGH.  I have officially plateaued.  I knew it was coming, as it does to anyone starting a weight loss journey, but why oh why did it have to come three weeks before we go to the beach?!?!  I have been stuck for a little over a week now at 12 pounds weight loss.  I don't think I'm going to reach my goal of losing 25 total by the time we go to the beach.  *sigh*  Oh well.  Just gotta stay on topside, I guess.  

I think Keith has lost a total of about 17 pounds now, if I'm correct.  And the proof is in the pictures!  I must say that I laughed at him for taking pre-dieting pictures, you know, posing with no shirt on, LOL.  I refused to take any pictures when I started because for one thing I was pretty sure that the camera would break, and second I did not want a single more "fat picture" of me floating around out there.  But now I kinda wish I had.  The difference between Keith's Day 1 pics and Day 30 pics was pretty amazing.  So much so, that he even showed my  mom!  LOL.  Now I wish I had taken some sort of pictures to kind of be able to step back and look at my progress.  

In other Jones Household news, I have recently developed a new obsession with Rhett and Link, a couple of vloggers and internetainers as they call themselves.  http://www.rhettandlink.com  These guys, to me, are pure comedic genius.  I could watch these videos over and over and just laugh my head off!  And they are so dang adorable too!!  I'm going to add them to the "blogs I follow" list.

Blogging would be so much more fun if...

I knew that more than one person actually read it, LOL.  Oh well, I guess I could think of it as a journal for myself.

Well I guess the biggest thing in the Jones household is our healthy lifestyle changes!  The husband and I have started eating much healthier and exercising nearly everyday.  We're both trying to lose weight and just improve ourselves.  I got on the scale when I first started so I knew where I was starting at, and that was the last thing I remember before I apparently experienced cardiac arrest from the mere shock and had to be rushed to a trauma center.

Kidding, lol.

Seriously though, I had never seen that number before and I never want to see it again!  I guess since my whole life I have just thought of myself as fat no matter what size I've been, I didn't really notice all that much when I started steadily packing on pounds and inches.  Well no more!  I am determined to reclaim the hottie that is smothering underneath all of this cushiony layer of fat, haha!

So right now, I am down 9 pounds after about 4 weeks, and Keith is down 11 pounds after 5 weeks.  We leave for Myrtle Beach on May 26, so my goal is to lose about 15-16 more pounds by then.  It might be a lofty goal, but at least its a goal!