2010 Gratitude Challenge: Day 13: Hulu~AND not the HOOP!

I'm so old I remember when the hulu-hoop came out! LOL!! Well, the hulu I'm grateful for today is actually a web movie/tv show hosting site that offers different things on varying months not the hula hoop! My hub was a beta tester a few years ago, so we've known about it for sometime, but today, did you know that they have some cool movies? I am so thankful that this morning I got to snuggle with the hub and watch a Danny Kaye film...oh it's soo cute and clean and FUNNY!! Imagine a frosty, chilled morning with no one up but us giggling to some silly, slap-stick antics of one of the most under rated talented men of the movies~Danny Kaye.  Sooo if you are looking for some wholesome entertainment that even your toddler can watch, check out these films HERE.  I am thankful for warm blankets, hub, the lap top we played it on, and our nice comfy bed...something about the comforts of HOME~

Head on over here to ck out the other grateful posts              !
btw~SisterT is not off her game...I KNOW it's a hula hoop! LOL!! But thanks for worrying...sometimes I NEED help! LOL!!

FREE: TOS Holiday Digital Supplement~soooo pretty!

Even if you don't homeschool, these are just gorgeous!

Thanks so much Paul and Gena Suarez of The Old Schoolhouse Magazine for thinking of others~woot!

Inside you will find some gorgeous ideas and inspirations to make the season bright!

Blessed Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

2010 Gratitude Challenge: Day 12: Riches Untold!

Being on a Gratitude Challenge is a challenge! Today I am thankful for my health~wealth and stable (DON'T ya'll argue with me! LOL...) MIND!  Yeah, I am not crazy, and I know, I'm not...just let me get out this padded blog...Okay, bad joke!

But seriously, I am so thankful for my health.  I am not in perfect health, but I do pretty good~I can do most things I enjoy and find that I don't run to doctors a whole lot.  This is a blessing!  My teeth are yet good and soooo far I have a head good hair...yeah, the wrinkles are coming, but kinda slow...and well, my body is strong.  I am so thankful!

Wealth is a precious subject for many of us.  Who wouldn't like wealth on their side? Well, while I'm not rich in cash, I am rich in Jesus! I am so blessed to have Him, but about the money, we just paid off after 4 1/2 yrs of consumer credit counseling a 30K credit card debt.  Our LIVES are so rich with a piece of mind! ALL this in a crashing economy~we sold our victorian home~sooo blessed to have sold it IN THIS market~woot! God is soo good~I have few needs!

My sound mind is a commodity that can't be underestimated.  I thank Him for my abilities to think and reason. He's amazing at allowing me to figure stuff on my own, too~Just like a great Father our Heavenly Father allows us to build strengths.  I AM in reality; of course there is THIS temptation to see purple elephants..ok~again, I'm kidding!  I am so thankful I can think and rationalize. WHAT a blessing!


Head on over to read the other Thankers               !

Fit Mommy Friday: Week 3 In THE Groove!

Sister T is on a roll~or so it seems! I've been five weeks tomorrow SUGAR FREE and white free! This is HUGE~I have a very long way to go to become a normal weight.  With such a challenge I am looking to keep going in a sustainable lifestyle change. This is NO diet for me.  Diets don't work long term, and I need long term.  My program this week has been generally on tap.  I haven't veered off as best I can tell. Here's the details:

Monday:  Continued to drink water and eat healthy.  Healthy is almost no processed foods. I do eat store bought whole wheat bread and this will change if I can get some good whole wheat flour to use...My energy is picking up!  I began some deep cleaning in preparation for the holidays.

Tues:  Pretty much the same as Monday.  I have several things I do throughout the day to work my program of recovery for my food addiction. I go to a meeting online every day.  I pray and read literature.  I speak with others who are in my program about progress and hope of recovery.  I eat as prescribed by my program.  I am becoming a little more active.  Drinking water is important.

Wed:  I am continuing that same routine. Did I ever say that I am eating breakfast each morning? It really jump starts my day! I am even looking forward to it each morning! Who know, I may MAY get into coffee..but for now, it's water ALL the way...except when I have milk with a meal or a caffeine free/diet soda...rarely.

Thurs:  I added a walk with our dog today. Poor thing got stuck with only me to do it, so we went 1/2 a block together...Continued my plan.

I want to report that my clothes are continuing to bag on me.  Not too badly yet. I am already a pants size down from when I began, but I am looking forward to getting BACK into my smaller clothes...and then going on down, down, down to a normal healthy weight.  I will weigh the end of this month unless I get sick and go to the MD before that date.

I am already planning on how to remain on my program during the holidays.  I have challenges where the foods best for me are overshadowed with all the goodies that I no longer can have.  I have insulin resistance which is the precursor to diabetes...I DO NOT want diabetes! NO! NO! NO!  Sooo surgar is OUT! NO CHOICE!  I am asking my family to think differently this holiday~thanksgiving~with me.  Instead of a huge meal, I want to plan a family activity that doesn't surround food.  Let's face it, food is a fuel...and WHO socializes and makes special the time we fuel our other "vehicles" at the gas pumps? I don't want to deny food its place, but I don't want it to take over the day either...HOPE it's pretty weather~how about a bike ride or a walk or a trip to the movies~wonder what's playing?  IF nothing else, I want to haul out the Monopoly or 1K piece puzzles...or Boggle..some game that's fun...

There's a bunch doing Fit Mommy Fri~head on over to join and see what's happening             !

Honoring Our Veterans 2010

When THANKS is not enough~
When somehow it's beyond us to adequately even understand the level of sacrifice~
What a blessing to have veterans in The Land of the FREE~
God Bless America!

I ran across this:

Veteran CPL Frank W. Buckles of WWI

Buckles from Sean Dunne on Vimeo.

2010 Gratitude Challenge: Day 11: ALL God's Creatures: Great and Small

I'm thankful for the beasts in my life...NO! I'm not talking about the hub...LOL OR the kiddos...but our pets~

Melody

Sweet girl~PROMISE!

Tinkerbell, also known as "Tink!"

Which ONE do you think is mean?  Uh..it's NOT the big dog...LOL!

Fireheart, AKA "Clifford" He's the sweetest kitty ever!

Shinobi which means ninja in Japanese.  He has gorgeous green eyes and is jet black. We found out he's a bombay breed. 

My friend Toni sent me this video taken in FL a few weekends ago~it's long, but really really cute! ENJOY!
Dog O Ween!
Go check out the other THANKers  HERE! It's a 30 day challenge~don't you wanna join??

Woot~We Got Us a Winner!!

Congratulations~

Tonya of the Traveling Prators!
You won the Progresso Healthier You Prize Pack!!

Whohoo!!
Thanks everyone for entering~NEW CONTEST coming later TODAY!! Yaaaaaaaaaaay!

Blessings!

FREEbie: Free Homeschooling Literary Ezine (Submissions Wanted!) Ages 8-18

I am on the lookout for freebies wherever I can spot them to give them to you~I KNOW how hard it is in this economy and on one income to get everything to make homeschooling our kiddos the best~it's pricey out there sometimes!!!~soo I have that cool little tab at the top of the header, and I invite you to ck out the FREEbie/GiveAways button!~

AND...


I am a member of Clickschooling who sends out a freebie everyday on various subjects~
Today she said,

Age Range: 8-18 (approximately)
The owner of this website contacted me and said:
"Our company, WriteGuide.com, is sponsoring a free, online literary magazine for homeschoolers, called the Homeschool Literary Quarterly. The magazine will showcase student work, and will celebrate homeschool writing.
At this point in the project, we're accepting student submissions for the Winter/Christmas edition. The deadline is November 15th. Might you be able to share this information with your readership?"
I'm always happy to share information that provides free educational content and opportunities for members of ClickSchooling. This is a new project and they need your participation to make it work.
When you get to the site, you'll see the foundation for what could be a terrific online resource with the potential to fulfill the stated purpose to:

1. Promote the literary arts within the homeschool community.
2. Provide a place where homeschool writers can showcase their work, and receive intelligent commentary from readers.
3. Assist homeschoolers who are considering a career in publishing or writing.

The will accept a variety of writing content including:

• Fiction - Short stories and excerpts from novels.
• Poetry - Free verse, blank verse, sonnets, haiku, and prose-poems.
• Non-Fiction - Memoirs, essays, book reviews, and interviews.

Again, there isn't any content yet - but your kids' work could be featured in the Christmas/Winter edition! (BRAND NEW Aug. 2010)  You'll find the guidelines for how to submit writing along with more information and details at the website.
Having an opportunity to get their work published, might be just the motivation some kids need to hone their writing skills!
Enjoy!

Here's the link:
Homeschool Literary Quarterly

To recieve a FREE homeschooling curriculum idea DAILY~Clickschooling!
Now who doesn't LOVE a freebie??? Blessings!

Happy Birthday Marines

Sister T would like to extend a respectful and honoring salute to the men and women and their families who serve our nation so well~where ever they are taken in whatever the conditions. I thank God for each of you~Please head over here to join my friends, Marine Corps Nomads andOur Village is a LIttle Different in honoring the 235th Birthday of their service. I am deeply touched by the video presented as well as their remarks.  I grew up around Paris Island, South Carolina and have a special place in my heart for our soldiers.

God Bless America~

HOME of the free BECAUSE

of the BRAVE!

Review: The Write Foundation Sentence to Paragraph Writing AND Essay Writing

The Write Foundation
Level 1~Sentence to Paragraph (Lessons 1-15)
Level 3~Essay Writing (Lessons 1-15)
The Write FoundationAges:  11-13 /  14-17
Price: $100 30 lessons OR Lessons 1-15 or 15-30 $65 each.  Student worksheets: One set are included in the curriculum, but additional sets are $25 for year or $15 per 15 lessons.
I say:  Good!

Writing IS my most challenging subject to teach for various reasons, and the subjectivity of grading and knowing just how to break the process down has been a daunting task for me.  I've really struggled in knowing HOW to take both my writers where they need to go.  When I got the information I was reviewing The Write Foundation, it's as if God smiled upon me.  I was so excited, and began researching the curriculum to decide which level to chose to best suit my writers.  I have two VARIED writers.  One who takes to it like a fish to water and the other like a fish OUT OF the water~I made a call to Rebecca Celsor who spent time hearing all about my writers and offered me encouragement as well as her personal insights and guidance over choosing the proper levels.  This is why you see two complete levels.  It was her opinion that my children would both be best served by the different levels.  I give Mrs. Celsor a HUGE thumbs up for taking her time (over an hour!) and effort to assure that we got just what we needed in the first place.  It was her sincere desire that we find what would really and truly WORK for us~she certainly didn't have to offer two sets of her curriculum for this reviewer to work through! I do believe that this is a peak into the kind of honest and caring customer service her clients will receive.  She was a wealth of information and insights~SHE KNOWS her stuff!  For me, it was invaluable! Short days our call, I got an email from her husband (This is a homeschool family who have used these materials that Mrs. Celsor created and has taught for quite a few years at home with her own children and in their local homeschool co-op setting) who gave me the shipping information with tracking information.  When my sealed nicely cardboard box arrived, my materials were beautiful having received Sentence Level 1 and Essay Level 3 levels complete with additional student worksheet sets! They also arrived in a timely manner from the receipt of that email.

In short order I began looking them over. Now, you have to realize that I am a little challenged where teaching writing is concerned.  While I've learned to write some, I certainly have no idea how to adequately teach it~AND so this blessing having arrived was mine to read and study so I could offer it up to my children.

I began studying and even made a trip to Office Depot to purchase the needed supplies.  Included is a supply list which includes:
Three ring binder (one for each student)
Highlighters (yellow, blue, orange, pink, green,...multiple colors)
Page dividers

Suggested in the curriculum: Mind Benders (Critical Thinking Co) puzzle logic building skills workbooks~I ordered this via our local curriculum store.
Notebook paper
Computer with word processing program (essential to have student type papers for MLA format)
I purchased page protectors and ring tabs to protect our pages. NOT on the list, but useful for us~who wants pages coming out?? LOL!! (I KNOW my kids and me..we definitely use these!)

I was ready to go! I felt really confident...but then as I began reading, a little anxiety hit because I was unable to totally follow the directions that I needed to share with my children and also what I needed to know as I presented the materials.  I began to research further and even went to the website where a sample lesson is available to note that it didn't help me.  I made a call and spoke at length to Mrs. Celsor's daughter this time who walked me through the processes and took notes of my input and observations.  I found this contact very helpful~so it was then that I went forward and began teaching each level.

As I've worked through the materials, on occasion I found myself researching  definitions for items like "participles" and some of the types of poetry so that I could not just have them do the exercises, but because I DIDN'T KNOW or even understand, I had to find this information first in another source.  Another area of difficulty is that this curriculum is really designed for a co-op  setting with a once a week teaching structure where children go home to do daily lessons.  Well, daily lessons works great for us, and in all actuality, we really did do it daily, it's just that I had to really figure out how to meter it out in order to meet our needs.  Maybe it's me, but I had a little trouble, but the lessons themselves are simple and very incremental. There are copies of teacher presentations sheets which are essentially what the student will need to do so you can show them by examples for a few and then let them try to master the concept. I REALLY like the simplistic incremental aspect of these materials! I needed something that would take us by each little step.  There are check sheets for the writing and a "NO LIST" which I love! These check sheets really put some easily identifiable self regulation  into my kid's own hands and will best prepare them for their university careers!

While I had some difficulty within the curriculum, first I KNOW that I can call upon the developer to help me~THIS IN INVALUABLE! AND that it's really thorough in it's sequential presentations of the process of writing.  I intend to continue The Write Foundation with my son who IS the reluctant writer and who will need this kind of curriculum to teach the basics.

Here's some insights from the website:

Many writing curricula focus on the different types of writing, such as creative writing, story writing, poetry writing, persuasive writing, argumentative writing, informative writing, descriptive writing, book writing, fiction writing, novel writing, but the basic foundation of writing is assumed. The Write Foundation begins with the writing process, how a student formulates a topic, then a thesis, then supporting points, and by incremental teaching drills in the basics. In most grammatical subjects, we have found that failure is almost totally because the basics have not been learned. 

The Write Foundation writing curriculum is a result of 8 years of successfully teaching homeschooled students in a one-day-per-week co-op setting. It has been adapted for a homeschool and used by numerous homeschooling parents to give their own children the tools of how to quickly organize and write an  essay with excellence.

Join the discussion or ask questions with the NEW yahoo group!

If you are like me and have kids who need the basics of writing whatever the level in a sequential and incremental way, you will not be disappointed, and the customer care is absolutely GREAT!

Check out what the CREW says...

LIKE to win prizes? I have a contest to win a FITNESS BALL as part of the Progresso Healthier You Prize Pack~ENDS 11:59 TONIGHT!!
I received The Write Foundation's Level 1 Sentence to Paragraph Writing (Lessons 1-15) and Level 3 Essay Writing (Lessons 1-15) as part of the Old Schoolhouse Crew for review purposes.  My opinions are my own, and I received no monetary compensation.

2010 Gratitude Challenge: Day 10: FLEE

It's getting harder and harder to hang onto this EE themed posting, so today will be the last of THIS kind~hang onto your hats for the next one...LOL...

But thinking about what I'm thankful for today has me considering that in my life I've had to FLEE some stuff~and the God given wisdom to FLEE was been such a blessing!  As a Christian I am encouraged to FLEE youthful lusts, which I interpret to mean I am to refrain from being immature and seeking the things of immaturity. This has not always been easy, nor have I always been successful, but I have been able to FLEE stuff like the drugs ALL of my JR high friends did way back when, the negativity of relationships that sought to bring me away from God, and also today I am FLEEing the ill effects of poor choices where debt (that is NOW repaid) and obesity (that is now being addressed) BY GOD'S GRACE! I AM Soooooooo thankful that He's not a God to HARM ME, but rather has plans for my benefit.  WHAT IF I got just what I deserved? Oh my!...death and hell...and being locked in the grave...but NO, God has promised a new life, a new body and soundness~peace and joy! WHAT WONDROUS gifts~
Okay,,so today I am grateful to FLEE some stuff~what about you? Are you grateful or THANK-FULL too? Why not join in the fun?? You have something I'm SURE we all need to hear~soo join up HERE!
My contest for a Fitness Ball/Progresso healthy soups and mug ENDS TONGHT 11:59PM EST... 
Thank you, too! HUGS!

FREEbie: Shutterfly Christmas Cards

Sister T loves a bargain and FREE is the absolute best.  One of my buddies on Facebook shared that Shutterfly is offering a FREE 50 Christmas cards promotion to bloggers (Did somebody call me?? :-)) to post about Shutterfly~well, oh well!! I checked it out, and here I AM~I'm ALL about FREE, right? 

Bloggers get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly, follow the arrow à  http://bit.ly/sfly2010 

Soo  I got to cruise around on the Shutterfly site~AMAZING personalized Christmas cards are available. I have found a few I just love...and HOW did they know I was planning a photo card this year? uh?? I am sooooo excited! AND you know, I have found several that are going to work for us~hub is going to be thrilled too b/c NOW he doesn't have to print all the pics for me to make our cards! whoot!! FREE IS SOO GOOD!

Here are my choices:

 

Can you tell I've loved several.  Our pic is a family pic of us at VBS this year all dressed...you can see it HERE! (Now you know why I've chosen the red themed cards!)

And you know, there are loads of cards to chose from at Shutterfly Christmas Cards!

I also love stationary so you can get some HERE!

Here are my choices:

 Can you tell I've got a brown thing going on? I love these cards!!

Head on over to check out Shutterfly's ability to take my pics and make canvas art! Whoot!! HERE!

Christmas is that time of year you will want to give a shout out to your friends and family across the miles and why not with some cool pics that you want to share? This is sooo cool~head on over to ck out Shutterfly!

2010 Gratitude Challenge: Day 9: GLEE

Happy Autumn Ya'll!!

Okay, folks! NOW, I'm getting silly!! But thinking about being thankful and grateful makes me GLEE-filled! I just love being silly~okay, silly and INsane! LOL!! Some of you KNOW this about me, too! LOL!! Sooo in my inbox today that inlaws (better than OUTlaws, lol )-had sent me some Maxine. The Maxine cartoons are a real hoot and honestly some should be PG~for the tender little kiddo eyes and hearts! But I am going to share some of what was sent to me.  Have a gratitude, GLEEful day praising God for His goodness in the simple, mundane, routine, boring and not-so-fun kinds of things~otherwise, we might be taking life a little more (YIKES!) like Maxine (ewww...LOL!)  HUGS and head on to read MO HERE and did you think about joining up yet?? Come 'on! It's fun!!  You gotta LOVE Maxine! Reminder~I have a contest for some cool goodies HERE! AND Join me for Fit Mommy Fridays HERE!

At least I get up! LOL

I think this is TMI! LOL

Thanks Sooooooo MUCH I am Touched (OKaaaaay now! LOL!) And Honored!

I've been nominated over at HSBAwards this year for BEST Variety Blog~wow, and I was just going over to vote for a dear friend~sorry friend,,,LOL, just kidding!! LOL

YOU ALL are the BEST~you really, really are! HUGS!!

I thank you soooo much to my friend(s) who nominated me~WOW!

HERE's the link to go ck it all out~wow!!

FREE: Thanksgiving Unit Study for PreSchool-K5

Check this out~pretty cool: Thanks HS Treasure Trove for sharing and Christain HS Hub!

2010 Gratitude Challenge: Day 8: BE

I am grateful today for possabilites~that today I can BE who God wants me to be~in Christ I am a new creation, made in His image and BEing renewed continually.  For He has not given us a spirit of fear (think of what those Jewish/Roman Christians faced in the days of utter persecution~My petty stuff pales!), but of a sound mind...(Okay, I can claim a sound mind today b/c He promises: "Thou wilt keep in PERFECT PEACE whose mind is stayed on THEE (Can I get an AMEN?)

This sorta sums up the whole purpose of ME and how I am to BE~BEcoming~today~

Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me(Paul) his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began... 2 Timothy 1: 7-9

 Who are you gonna BE today?

I am thankful for all He allows me to BE in HIM~it's not for sissies either~catch that "prisoner and afflictions" part?

Head on over to see who the others are BEn' today HERE!

Blog Cruise: SisterT's Talking About TRANSCRIPTS/HS Credits

This topic is one that's really important to me. I've got two teenagers rising towards graduation in a few years, SO I am supposed to be keeping track, right? Well to be quite honest, I am considering my options on this.  I have all their work and even have their grades and course works names, so it's just a matter really of typing something up...but in all reality, I am a little nervous about it.  We are truly hoping for college admission for both~while each are quite different academically.  I am going to basically duplicate a transcript format from the local public schools tailored with our school name and issue it upon their graduations plugging in all this info that I'm saving. 

One way I am hoping to validate this transcript is with good solid SAT scores.  We are going to take the PSAT next year, and daughter is beginning to study the prep book as well as the years of working on SAT vocab lists and all the upper level maths...I know some local kids have taken the GED.  I am hoping that we won't need that route. . . while it's credible, it's not what speaks of the kind of work they've done.

How are you preparing? Are ya thinking about it or doing something NOW about it? It gets here before ya know it~begin teaching with whatever goals you and your kiddos have~like my daughter KNOWING for years she was college bound! My thought is better prepared and not attend, than not prepared and trying to get IN!

Head on over to the CREW's Blog Cruise to ck out who's doing what             !

2010 Gratitude Challenge: Day 7: SEE

SEEING by heart!

Wearing glasses isn't for sissies, and I am finding myself more and more dependent upon them~but while it's the ability to physically see that is what my glasses help, my gratitude statement today is for the things I SEE with my heart~I am sooo thankful for the warmth and love of friends and family~all the people in my life who make living so worth it!

I could name names, but ya know~people know who they are...and for everyone else, they're special to me too~God has richly blessed me with seeing LOVE through my heart today!

Please head over to Garden of Learning!

2010 Gratitude Challenge: Day 6: Jubilee

Have I said I'm a preacher's wife? Yup~that's me.

I've been one a few years now, and I am so thankful for my church family.  We have the most loving and considerate bunch of folks in our church FAMILY that we get to be with~and serve God! It's amazing how sweet they are to us! I just love 'em and thank God for sending us here!

TRUST ME, even when we don't understand or see, God's got our backs!

Ck out &/or join the other THANKers HERE participating at Garden of Learning! You can join us! Come on! It's fun!!

Fit Mommy Friday: Week 2 Keeping Up With the Jones'

It's been a wild and crazy week! SisterT has been sick, but has run the roads EVERYDAY for a two hour commute for an extracurricular activity for the kiddos~aaaaaaand stayed THERE for about 6 hrs shopping til she dropped~oh yeah! But I did eat right and stayed on plan and walked a good bit.

Monday~I continued to drink water.  Had to pack our food (ALL FOUR OF US) for the entire time.  Did a bunch of running around and walking.

Tues~Continued to eat the plan...certain calories and combos of foods (no white anything and no sugar!) Continued the exercise.

Wed~Food was on target. Exercise beef'd up with yard work.  I raked and swept with the youth for a service project we did.

Thurs~Keeping up with my water and food.  I am also logging onto fitday.com to track my food.  I have a terrible sinus infection~it wasn't a tooth (X-ray showed that from dentist) soo I feel rotten, but did get around some.  Today I did get a caffeine free diet coke...but I drank water for ALL the rest!

Fir~Still at it! Breakfast eaten and now almost time for lunch! Been working this morning, but will find some activity to get me moving! I'm feeling better all but this sinus thingy~It's wonderful when our body begins to recover! It's a long haul, but ONE DayAtATime it's doable!

I am working at some extra things where my plan is concerned:

1. I am eating breakfast everyday.  This is a huge change for me b/c in the past I didn't and ended up eating way too much for lunch and dinner.  (These are healthful meals of home cooked no sugar foods.)
Menu: Two eggs over easy; 1 cu grits (instant plain); 1 cu 2% milk, 1 piece of fruit (banana or plum or peach or...)  I've substituted one egg for 2 oz of turkey sausage (homemade); 1/2 cu grits for a 100 cal whole grain bread serving; milk for 80 or 50 cal no sugar yogurt; and the fruit as been fresh and whole OR I've eaten a recipe of cranberry/applesauce/fresh pineapple (1 cup) as a switch.  As you can see I AM EATING! When I didn't eat, my body held onto and MADE fat! Right now, I am losing consuming a little bit over 2k calories a day.  I know it sounds huge, and it is, but it's about 50-75% less than the calories to maintain my current weight.  REMEMBER that I don't weigh except about once a month or longer.  Next weigh in will be the end of this month. 

2.  I am hauling water with me~this is a huge help! (I discussed drinking distilled water (home done) most of the time. Although, I will drink good tasting other water if mine is unavailable!)

3.  I am hauling my food so that there are no hiddens in it~calories/sodium/chemicals...it's all stuff I know about and trust. This is an area that means a lot on my plan.  I have glycemic restrictions for not just calories sake, but also b/c recently I was diagnosed with insulin resistance.  So if you think the hype about not exercising and being overweight IS just hype~it's not.  . . I've now successfully damaged my body.  In an attempt to avoid diabetes which my doctor assures me I don't have "yet" is my attempts at my lifestyle change! Today (Thurs) makes a total of four weeks of effort.  My clothes are hanging and well frankly, so is my flab...it's gotta hang to leave, I guess! LOL!! Sooo anyway, to focus on the food, I need healthy fresh as possible balanced food in the correct way, amount and kinds...fast foods and the like are not going to get it~but I also confess to eating most of my food from scratch.  LITERALLY.  We grow some and we buy a lot of fresh stuff~made sugar free catchup and green tomato pickles just last week!! AND my bread and butter pickles are sugar free (we made.)  We make our own spaghetti sauce, taco seasoning, sausage from ground turkey (I do eat beef, but no pork as a general rule. I've been known to refuse to eat something or pick it out.), I have made my own bread, but at this time have a lovely source for oat nut bread...

4.  I am up and going so much more.  TRUST ME, even though I'm not running or doing yoga, I've seen a huge increase in my activity~and I'm pooped now! LOL!!  To explain, when you get big, it's kinda hard to move a mountain every time you move, so it was a matter of difficulty to keep going and so gradually I have slowed down...this is changing~energy is picking up! whoot!!

5.  I am looking to God to help me eat when I supposed to and not to eat when I'm not~changing the kinds and amounts of food.  THIS IS THE BIGGEST change! Diets don't work, and so I am not dieting.  I dieted in the past~losing a significant amount to regain a bunch.  I am NOT dieting, but changing my life...for God!

When it's hard~like today when I was out, hungry and far from home (acceptable food) I remember:

"My grace is sufficient for thee.  My strength made perfect in weakness..." Jesus.

Okay, Lord..come on and FIX this! Often He does!! I was able to get home and stay on plan: OneDayAtaTime! AMEN!

Okay Fit Mommys~here's my week...too much car riding, but drama club will be over soon, and then I can resume life a little bit better!

Head on over HERE and ck out everyone's progress! whoot!!