Movin it Monday {5}

Its Movin it Monday! How was the beginning to your week?! I'm so sorry this post is going up so late, but mommy hood was calling today. Busy busy.

But none the less, its is going up!

So what were your accomplishments last week? Were you able to utilize last weeks healthy tip? I myself did really well. My husband and I didn't have any fast food all week, and I even managed to make it through the weekend while sticking to my weight watchers diet. Yeah! I finaaaaaally came around. And I have to say, it was because of my husband. I was whining to him about how I needed to lose weight, and how hard it was, blah blah blah. He looked at me and said ' Honey, if you really wanted to lose weight, you would. Every time you decide you want to do something, you find a way to do it. And this is no different.'

At first I was like, psssshhh-aahhh. Of course I want to lose weight. But when I really thought about it, he was right. I did want to lose weight and get healthy and feel good, but I didn't want to do the work. And lets face it, if you don't want to do the work, then you aren't going to get anywhere. Duh. So I finally stopped lying to myself, and got with the program. And ta-dah! I had a GREAT week.

This week I will be back to doing a total body workout since we went through all the categories. That's the workout plan here. Every week I change up the workout and focus on a different area: Total body, Arms, Legs and Butt, and Abs. That's a whole month of different workouts each week. Now we've done four weeks of all the categories, and we're back to Total Body.

Go here for this total body workout. This will be performed as a circuit. Do these six moves back to back, and repeat the entire workout three times in a row with no more than a minute or two of rest in between.

You will love it!

Healthy Tip: Listen to those that you love. It may be hard to hear, but its probably what you need to hear. You will thank them later.

Well, hope you enjoy the workout this week!

Savory Sunday {7}

"MA! I need MEATLOAF! MA!... What is she doing? I never know what shes doing in there?"

I love me some Will Ferrel. Who knows what movie that's from?

Hope you all are having a great end to your weekend. My little man has been a tad fussy today... But that's all right. I still got plenty of crafting done during his *short* naps today. I'm pretty excited about all the things I have coming up to show you!

But today, its meatloaf. Sassy Meatloaf to be exact.

I had this meatloaf at my Aunts house one time, and I loved it. And its only 3 points a serving (serving size: 1/2 cup)! Perfect. I don't have a meatloaf pan, so I make this in my muffin tin. I actually like that better because it helps me stick to the portion size. I use my 1/4 cup to spoon it into the muffin cups so I know exactly how much I'm having.

What you'll need:
1 lb. ground turkey breast
1 1/4 cup salsa
3/4 cup quick cooking oatmeal ( I use Quaker 1-Minute Oats)
1 carrot shredded
2 plum tomatoes, diced
1/2 cup coarsely chopped mushrooms

I leave the tomatoes and carrots out, but I wanted to show you the original recipe. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Put the ground turkey breast into a large mixing bowl. Add the oats, chopped mushrooms, and salsa (and the rest of the ingredients if you're going to use them). Stir until mixed well.

 Spray the muffin tin with non stick cooking spray. Use a 1/4 cup or 1/2 cup to spoon the mixture into the muffin cups.

 Now pop those suckers into the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife inserted into the middle of the cups, comes out clean.

I serve these with mashed potatoes and green beans, and the whole meal is 6 points per serving ( on the points plus program)! And its very satisfying and filling.

There you have it! A quick, easy, and delicious meal for the family. Enjoy!

Have a great rest of your Savory Sunday!

Crafty Pants Friday {6}

Hello and happy Friday! What have you been up to this week? Anything crafty and fun? Yesterday I went to my local antique mall and picked up an awesome little (not little) basket for my Easter/Spring table centerpiece. I cant wait to show it to you next week!

Lately Ive been feeling extremely unorganized. It all starts in the home. If my home is unorganized it affects the rest of my life too. So I finally decided to get on top of things, get organized, and get myself together. So first things first? A cleaning list. I decided to try something new after I saw this at one of my favorite blogs.

In the past I always just had my list of chores in my head and just did what needed to be done around the house once a week or so. I always felt like I spent all day doing the house work, and I was so tired half way through, that some of the stuff wouldn't get done. It always bothered me because everything always felt perpetually dirty. I couldn't stay on top of it.

I knew I needed to try something else, and after I read Kierste's post about how she handled her cleaning, I decided to implement something similar to that as well. I liked the idea of having a list and of having daily, weekly, and monthly chores. So I split my list up accordingly and posted it on my fridge.

What you need to Make your Own:
1 8x10 photo frame
Scrap book paper
Printed list
Paper Cutter
Double sided tape
Hot glue gun and glue sticks
magnets

Type up your list and then print it out. I used a cute font from Kevin and Amanda. They have tons of great fonts and they are all* FREE*! Use the paper cutter to cut your list up, then put the double sided tape on the back of each piece. Mount the lists on the scrap book paper and insert the paper into the frame. Now take your hot glue gun and glue the magnets to the back. I used four. That's it!

I have been doing this all week, and I gotta say, my house has never looked better. And I feel great. Having a clean house and not feeling like its running me instead of me running it is a great feeling. It makes me feel more together, and everything else is going better as well, like my diet. I am more inclined to cook now that my dishes aren't piled up in the sink and on the counter.

I keep a dry erase marker next to it and cross off the chores as I go. I also do one weekly chore a day, and for the monthly ones I just put a little date next to it so I know when I need to do it again.

This is a small thing that has a BIG impact. I have lots of plans and projects for getting more organized and I cant wait to show you guys when its all done!

Have a great rest of your Crafty Pants Friday!

Dont Let Your Blog Get Deleted!

Holy Cow, I didn't even know this could happen. So apparently there are a few bloggers who have lost their blog. As in, it no longer exists. One day it was there and the next it was gone. And Google is doing nothing to restore it.

Wow.

Unfortunately this has happened to some other bloggers, but dont let it happen to you.

Go HERE to see how you can back up your blog so that if your blog gets 'lost', you wont lose everything. It's super easy and only took me about 5 seconds to do it.

I will be doing this every night now, just incase. So do it.

NOW.

:)

Movin it Monday {4}

So last week was one of 'those' weeks. Ever have 'those'? I just wasn't cutting it. Total slacker. I just felt like this allllll week:

Bahahaha! That picture gets me every time. But yeah. That's what I was like. But ok. Its over. Last week is behind me, and on to the new week it is. Must. Do this.

I will be focusing on abs during this week. Isn't that just about everyones trouble area? Well its for sure one of mine.

Go here to see the 7 ab moves. They are killer, and you will definitely be feeling them the next day!
Also combine those moves with these below:

Perform these all together with no more than 5 minutes resting in between each circuit. You will love hate these moves!

Healthy Tip: Make sure you eat breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day. If you skip it, your metabolism will slow down and not to mention that you will be ravenous by the time lunch rolls around, and most likely wont make the best decision. It doesn't have to be a lot. A piece of fruit, some yogurt, some toast... Something to get your body going for the day, and to keep you satisfied until lunch.

So if you had one of 'those' weeks last week, its ok. It happens. Its a new day and a new week. Start it out right!

Linking up Here:

Gues Post and {Give Away} at Raising Miss Mommy!

Happy Savory Sunday!

How has your weekend been? Fantabulous or just so so? Either way, it is about to get a whole lot better! The craft I did this week is over on Raising Miss Mommy. I am her featured reader of the week, and she is also kind enough to host a giveaway for me!

Wanna see what you can win?

Arent they cute?! To enter you need to go to Raising Miss Mommy's blog and follow the directions.

Have fun!






Linking up Here:

Savory Sunday {6}

Sooo, how was your week? Mine went pretty good. I did a little bargain shopping yesterday and found some great stuff on sale at Target and Marshalls. After I finish my Spring/Easter crafts my next big undertaking is getting organized. We'll see how that goes!

So on Friday night the Hubster and I were jonesin for something sweet and there was a simple little recipe that I had been wanting to try, so I ran to the store real quick to grab the TWO ingredients I needed. Yes, you read that correctly.

What other word is there to describe two classics coming together other than, GLORIOUS. Yes, these  were glorious. My husband even had them with some milk for a little midnight snack. I originally found these here, and they have a recipe for chocolate chip cookie dough that they used. I, however, was feeling a little lazy so I turned to one of my favorite quickies. Pillsbury's premade refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough. Yum-my.

Oreo Stuffed Chocolate Chip Cookies:
Premade Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Oreos

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take an Oreo, and two pieces of the cookie dough, and flatten and mold it around the Oreo.

Once you've done as many as you want to do, place them on a cookie sheet lined with foil, and pop them in the oven for 9-13 minutes. I baked mine for 11.

Yuuuuummmmmyyy.... Once they're done, let them cool (if you can hold out that long!) and then move them to a plate to enjoy. These were incredible while they were still warm because the cream in the middle was extra gooey.

I know your mouth is watering, so run to the store and get the ingredients now!

I hope you have a great rest of your Savory Sunday!

Linking up Here:

 

Crafty Pants Friday {5}

Hello fellow crafty panters! Having a good week? Glad its almost over? Me too. Espescially because I have some fun things planned for this weekend. A pedicure with my sister tomorrow, and then a little thrifting and project planning. Shibby!

So I have a little project preview for you, but no tutorial this time. I have something else Im going to be doing with these, so youll have to stop by and check out my Savory Sunday post to see!

Arent they cute?! The weather has been so nice and spring like here in Fort Worth that I was inspired to do some spring porjects. The next few crafty pants posts will be getting ready for Easter/Spring. Super excited about some of the things I have coming up!

So what are yalls plans for this weekend? Anyone have anything fun and fabulous going on?!

Getting on Board with New Linky Follower

Its almost Friday! Yessss.

So has everyone heard the news? GFC is going to the wayside... Its supposed to be gone for WordPress bloggers by the end of Feruary, and its supposed to be completely phased out for everyone some time later, I think by the end of March. Not totally sure, but nonetheless, its going bye bye.

But not to fret, there is a new follower tool. Linky Tools has created a forum for following blogs, and you just have to sign up for it. Its totally free.

You might have noticed that I have it added to my side bar under the GFC followers. So go over there and click follow. It will prompt you to sign up if you dont already have an account. Super easy.

I dont want to lose any of you, so go check it out!

See you guys tomorrow! I've got something special for tomorrow so don't forget to come by and check it out!

Happy Valentines Day!

February 14. The day of loooove. And CANDY! Yeah! So I saw this idea on Pinterest (duh), and I decided I haaad to make them for the Valentine Party we are having at my preschool.

The girls over at G Rated used the white chocolate kisses with the stripes... But I couldn't find any for some reason, so I used these cookies and cream kisses.

What you need:
Hershey Kisses of your choice
M&M's (I used the holiday specific ones for this, but you could obviously tailor this for any occasion)
Square Pretzels
Parchment Paper

Now, preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with the parchment paper and place the pretzels on the paper. Now comes the super tedious part: Unwrapping all the kisses. This is what takes the majority of the time for this little recipe.

Once the kisses are on all of the pretzels, pop them in the oven. Keep your eye on them the whole time, because it will only take 2 or 3 minutes to get them 'waxy'. Once they start looking "shiny" or "sweaty", if you will, they're just about ready. I gave them another 30 seconds to a minute, and then pulled them out right before they got melty.

Now place an M&M, with the logo facing down, in the middle of the kiss and gently press it down.

Boom. You're done. Now you just gotta let them dry, and then they're off into the tupperware or cute candy dish for display.

A super cute little treat for a party or to put around your house!

I hope you all have a GREAT Valentines Day, and eat LOTS of candy!!!

One of the places I'm linking up to: http://theivycottageblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/cowgirl-up-week-2.html

Movin It Monday {3}

Alright folks, this week I'm kickin it into high gear! This will be the third week of these workouts and eating healthier. And I wont lie to you... I haven't exactly been sticking to my points or doing my workout every day... But after two weeks of *sort of* doing what I'm supposed to be doing, I'm feeling invigorated. I *know* this week is going to be good. Its the start of something better than just hopping on a diet and exercise train. Its the fact that I want to live a different life style.

I want to be a healthier person not just for myself, but for my son and my husband. They deserve it, and so do I. So that's where I'm at this week. Feeling inspired.

This week it will be arms that we're working on.

Perform each of these moves as the directions say, and make sure you're doing the number of reps and sets that are recommended. Now to also add some cardio to this, we will make this into a circuit workout... My favorite kind!

You will perform all of the moves listed above, one after the other without stopping. That will be one circuit. Once the first circuit is complete, rest for a few minutes (no more than 5) and get some water.
Then perform the circuit again. After two complete circuits, you're done!

Looking for a healthy snack? Grab some hummus and use carrots or celery to dip. Hummus has lots of protein and is a very filling snack. And on WW, fruits and veggies are 0 points!

Now get some water, grab some fruit, and smile about all the work you've just done! You'll be thankful come summer time!

All right friends, are you feeling inspired?! Can you make it through another week of a grueling circuit?

*GOOD*

Now get out there and move it!

One of the parties I'm linking up to: http://theivycottageblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/cowgirl-up-week-2.html

Savory Sunday {5}

Another day another meatball... Isn't that the saying?

Sooo its Sunday. How do you guys spend your Sundays? I discovered a trade days flea market a few weeks ago, and Ive been wanting to go so bad, but its been too cold so no one goes out there. Bummer. Probably just as well though. I don't exactly have the room or the resources for a lot of things right now. We're still recovering from the holidays, plus work always slows down in January. Something about people not having any money left after the holidays... But it always picks back up in February because of good ol V-Day. Plus our tax return comes at the end of this month. Woot!

I love lazy Sundays. My husband works so its just me and the kiddo and two four legged creatures. They all provide me with lots of entertainment. The best is when I'm feeding Grayson some carrots or pears, and the dogs are standing around the table licking up everything that Grayson dribbles out. *Classic*

Annnyyywaaaayyss...

I made spaghetti and meatballs! Its the first time I ever made meatballs, and to my delight, they turned out great. I found this meatball recipe here, and I adapted it a little because I made way less than she did.

Here is what you will need:

2 pounds of ground sirloin
1 tsp of Italian seasoning
1 tbl spn of garlic powder
1 tbl spn of onion powder
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan
1 cup of bread crumbs
2 eggs
1 1/2 jars of your favorite marinara sauce

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, and then in a large bowl, put the ground beef, eggs, all seasonings, parmesan and bread crumbs together.

Now stir it up right and nice. Of course, you could always use your hands... I used a spoon. Once its all mixed up together, its time to form the meat balls. Now I did have to get my hands dirty for this because I don't own an ice cream scooper unfortunately. I will be investing in one immediately.

Grease up a baking dish, and place the meatballs in it.

They look pretty good for free handin it right?! I know. Now pop them in the oven for 30 minutes. While they're cookin up in there, get your crock pot out and put a handy dandy liner in it. If you don't have crock pot liners... Shame on you. Go get some. You will thank me later.

When they come out of the oven they will look something like this:

Kinda greasy and gross right? But that's ok.

Now you're going to pour some of that spaghetti sauce into the bottom of the crock pot. About half a jar.

Now use a slotted spoon to dip the meatballs out of the pan and into the crock pot. It will help drain all that fat off the meat balls.

Cover the the meatballs with the rest of the sauce.

See that liner? When its all done cooking, I get to throw the mess away. You don't have a liner? You'll be cleaning that mess up. Ha.

I let the meatballs finish cooking in the sauce on high for four hours. The best part is that while they're cooking, a couple of the meatballs will be break down, adding some meat to the sauce. Once the meatballs are almost done cooking, cook up your pasta, and I also made some garlic cheesy bread...

That's a post for another day...

Once its all done... Its time to enjoy!

Easy and quick recipe. Cant go wrong there. I hope that you try this and like it!!

One of the parties I'm linking up to: http://theivycottageblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/cowgirl-up-week-2.html

Now go and enjoy the rest of your lazy Sunday!