Typing quick! Nap time is almost over!

Hitting up a few topics today...
#1 Our son turned 2!
This seems so ridiculous to me.  I sometimes can't believe he is even here, let alone that he is 2.  We had a fishy party!  It was adorable.  A few of his little friends came fishing and we opened presents and he blew out the candles on his fish cake and we ate fish shaped cookies.  I had so much fun getting everyone together and getting ready for his party, I came down off a huge emotional and sugar high when all was said and done.  I ate more sugar cookies and a weeks time span than I have all year.  Not to toot my own horn, but the cake and cookies were delicious!  My hips are not thanking me.

#2 Pumpkin Patch
This is my favorite time of year despite how bad all of our allergies are.  We went to the pumpkin patch and watched our guy run (no wobbly walk this year) though the attractions.  It was such a fun time.  Also I didn't notice till I started looking though last years pictures that I wore almost the exact same thing this year as the year before.  This is weird and makes for good comparison pics!

2009                                               2010

#3 We have baby fever!
I don't know if its because I have a 2 yr old now or what, but we have babies on the brain.  Our timeline for the next year and a half is crazy, but a baby is in there somewhere too, jut not sure when though!  I had so many issues with our first I want to make sure I am in tip top shape before we get pregnant again.  I want to reach my goal weight (thanks to the cake and cookies I am still looking at another 15 lbs.)  I went and got a physical just to make sure blood pressure, cholesterol, and whatever else they can check is all normal.  My doctor, whom I love, was great.  Said I should definitely get down to goal before getting pregnant and that will really help with any complications that I could prevent on my end.  I got a big pat on the back for losing weight in a timely and healthy manner.  Glad I am going about things right and its actually working for me!

Another 5 Pound Marker!

Yeah baby!  That's right 175!  

     And I was fully clothed when I stepped on the scale!  I heard a stand up comedian tell a joke one time about how he could never get a woman naked.  He finally figured out that all he needed to do was put a scale in his living room and every woman who stepped on it would strip down naked first.  Cracked me up, because everybody does it.  Or at least I do, or was that an over share? 

     Any who...I am now officially down 35 pounds!  AHHH!  I get butterflies in my stomach when I think about that accomplishment.  I was chatting with my dear sweet Papa Bear this evening, and I was telling him about how I am so over lying about my weight and people who lie about their weight.  But then I also revealed that it is much easier to share your numbers once you are already down by a lot as opposed to when you haven't lost anything yet.  When I was 210 lbs, I didn't go shouting it from the rooftops.  At least not until I was ready to do something about it.

***Small confession...I did put 160 lbs on my license when I recently got it renewed.  BUT! By the time I have to renew it again, I will definitely be below that number, so that's not really hurting anyone, now is it?

     Super random thought...have you ever watched Biggest Loser and when they show the weights of the contestants and they weigh more than you, but you're like, "No! They can't weight that much because I don't look that fat!"  What is up with that?!  Is it TV?  Is it our distorted self image?  But then you see that one picture of you from that awful angle that caught you totally off guard and you see it.  You see your Biggest Loser before picture.  That's what happened to me.  I saw a terrible picture (see below) of me at Christmas last year and I was horrified, but motivated!

This is a horrible "before" picture...

Ummm, I still look pregnant...after more than a year!

This is a dorky self photo of yours truly.  I was waiting in the car while dear hubby went in to pick up the most delicious pizza in the Midwest.  It is beef and cream cheese.  It is to die for and every time we go to Lincoln we treat ourselves to a big fat slice, or four.  I feel like in you can tell that I am getting my old face shape back.  More oval, less acorn.  Is acorn a face shape?  Well it was for me about 35 pounds ago!

This was last weekend and it was our first family camping trip.  Ignore my creepy red eye.  We gorged on s'mores and bacon.  It was awesome and I felt like a dough ball afterwards.  Its hard to eat healthy while you're camping, so I'm cutting myself some slack.  The 175 number came almost a full week after this adventure, so I still earned it!

Busy Busy Busy!

So many things are happening for us!!!  Our tree service came today and took down out two monstrous dying trees.  While they did that, my mom watched the babe, and I painted.  Big surprise!  I invented another project that I had to do.

Out little man is almost 2 and the changing table is a little small for such a big boy!  I really wanted a long, low dresser.  Something that until he is potty trained, we can keep the changing pad on top of the dresser and still have a spot to change him in his room.

On Saturday we went to an auction and I found the most perfect dresser for our son's room.  So I got the dresser for $20 and we are hanging back looking at what other people are bidding on and the matching nightstand comes up for bidding.  No one is interested so I got it for $2.50!  Such a deal and cute too.

Last night I sanded them all down and wiped them clean and today I painted them....wait for it...red.  Yes, red.  I was scared.  Who gets scared of paint?  I do apparently.  My dad is a woodworker at heart and I always grew up hearing that you never paint over a nice wood grain.  Well this had nice grain, but was about 30 years behind in it's stain and color.  But it had awesome lines.  I never understood what "good lines" meant, whether is was a car or boat or piece of furniture.  Saturday "good lines" finally made sense.  The dresser has such sweet little curves and painted red it looks ahhh-mazing.  I am in love!

Tomorrow we are going to get some fabric and other odds and ends for Hobby Lobby to add to his room.  Then, hopefully in the next 2 weeks, we can get some color on the walls and really finish it off.  I know I am doing things a bit backwards but I had to pick what would be the easiest to do while he was sleeping.  The walls are going to be tricky because usually I paint when he is napping or after he has gone to bed for the night, but now I've got to work with him or send him to Nana's for the day!

(I'm going to get some pictures up as soon as I can snap a few while the babe isn't sleeping!)

I am tired, my hands hurt.  My finger really hurts!  I sliced it open cutting watermelon the other night.  But I accomplished something today that in my opinion looks great!

Do you feel it?  Its coming...that huge, ugly, irritating "but"

But...

I have been an eating machine!  I literally had 2 dinners tonight.  We ate at 6 and then at 8:30 my stomach was growling again!  So I had a bowl full of grapes, then (movie butter) popcorn, and now a huge glass of chocolate milk.  Now I know this may not sound like a 2nd dinner, but the calories are all there my friends.  Plus, I begged Ryan to bring me home a Dr Pepper.  NOOOOOOoooooo!  I've been doing so great.  The other day I was stuck at the house with no car seat and called to ask my dad if he would bring me a pop.

What?  Who is this person?!  I do not drink pop anymore except on special occasions or at the movies.  So who is this crazy delusional woman calling people like a drug addict asking them to "drop off the goods"?

Hi, I'm Annie and I'm a popaholic.  This is why alcoholics don't just have one once they are sober.  This is why people are "clean" for X amount of days, weeks, months, years.  You can't go back, not for second, otherwise you think, "Well I only had the one, so that's OK and I'll just make sure I go for a walk or something."  But let me tell you my dearies, 1 turns into 2 and 2 turns into 3 and 3 turns in...ok well we can all count, you get the picture.

Plus I had some decaf coffee with my cream and sugar this morning, along with Swedish Pancakes.  Why did I have coffee?  No caffeine so there's no benefit there, just empty calories.  Shame on you Annie, not cool!  OK hopefully 3rd time is a charm, and this is the last time I'll have to renew my New Years resolution (until next New Years).

I do solemnly swear to not pollute my body with sugar, excess fat, carbonated chemicals, or anything deep fried in golden goodness.

Let's hope this sticks, but not to my arteries ;)

Down 4 Sizes!

I was going to wear my only pair of jeans to the Husker game on Saturday, but they were hanging off me!  I was excited and bummed all at once because now I was left with a fashion dilemma.  So the fam and I went shopping today!  I was a little anxious as I walked into the mall.  Pac Sun, Hollister, Charlotte Russe, Forever 21...these are the stores that cater to the "itty bitty" people.  The 00, the XXS, the teeny, tiny, little women you can fit in my (now) size 12 pocket.  I grabbed an 11L and a 13L.  Sweat beads dripped down my face as I asked for a fitting room.

The following is my inner dialogue...
"Which size do I try on first?!"  "Try on the small and be disappointed if they don't fit, or try on the big and have my hopes dashed when they fit perfectly and I can't even try the smaller size?"  "Shouldn't I just be happy I'm no longer shopping in the Plus section?"  "Or that I can even find something in the mall that fits me?!"

 Its literally been years since I could shop for jeans at the mall.  I'm usually stalking around Old Navy with my jeans that are so big, I've actually folded them and put them in my husbands basket.  Ugh.  So I decide to go big or go home.  I try on the 11L first and, although a teeny bit snug, they fit...wonderfully I might add.  No major muffin top, no breath holding, no gut roll coming out over the front.  Yay!  Well it was a sale and it was buy one get one 50% off.  I was all about that, except they didn't have 11L in any other styles I liked.  So we hopped around to a few more stores and we ended up at American Eagle.  I haven't shopping at AE in quite literally 5 years.  They also only had 1 pair of 12L in one style, but they were jean perfection.  Did you know that if they don't have it, they will order it online and ship it to your house for freeeee?!  So I bought the one pair that fit like a dream and my other fantabulous pair is on its way.  So it was still buy one get one 50% off.  I still had some issues with spending money on a pair of jeans that I hopefully won't fit into by the end of the winter, but I needed this.

Thanks to my patient hubby who waited outside 4 different dressing rooms juggling my purse, the diaper bag, and our very impatient son...and thanks for paying!

I now highly recommend American Eagle's Artist and Boyfriend style jeans.

**Side note.  I really do not like skinny jeans.  I know that people can pull them off, I'm just not one of them.**

http://www.ae.com/web/browse/category_full_fashion_guide.jsp?catId=cat90120

Favorite Boyfriend Jean

Artist Jean

Let the chaos begin!

We are gearing up to start a major renovation/addition to our under 1000 sq/ft house.  The addition is mostly garage and probably wont be fully completed for a year or so, but I still just can't wait.  Two car garage, wrap around porch, actual grass in my yard.  Is that every girl's dream?  I just made the feminist movement take two steps back, but I really don't care.  I am pumped!  I've been reading this great blog lately, Thrifty Decor Chick, and I cannot stop!  She's awesome.  Ryan is not as excited as I am because now I have projects all over the house.  I'm currently painting my bedroom furniture.  I'm taking before and afters (just like TDC does) so I'll probably post them once I have everything just so.

"How is she going to tie this into weight loss?" You might be asking yourself this question right now.  Here is how...

Apparently idle hands feed my belly!  I'm a grazer by nature, but with a task, project, or what have you, I find myself much more in control.  Loving it and loving the face lift our house is getting!  

Wish me us luck!

My Personal Pico

Every time I make Pico de Gallo, its a different variation.  This recipe is pretty close to what I do almost every time...

3-4 Large Ripe Tomatoes
1/2 Onion (or more)
2-3 Green Bell Peppers
(I sometimes put in Jalapeño, but mine didn't come up this year!)
1 Medium Cucumber
1-2 TBS Minced Garlic



1 Tsp Chili Powder
2 Tsp Salt
1 Tsp Emeril's Signature Seasoning
1 TBP Lemon Juice
1t Tsp Black Pepper
Fresh Cilantro
Fresh/Dried Parsley

Tortilla Chips for dippin'!

Chop up all the chop-ables

Add seasonings

Enjoy!

This is roughly my recipe, but do your own thing!  Its fresh, its healthy, its in season!
Sometimes I'll add popcorn shrimp...ugh so good!!!  Since my garden is literally overflowing with most of these ingredients I have been making this stuff up in a huge mixing bowl and having it for lunch and dinner some nights!  Love love love it!  The seasonings are mostly things that you should have in your cabinet anyways, so its only a little pricey when you make it for the first time and have to buy everything.

Yum yum!

Today Danny and I had lettuce wraps for lunch...
1 head of lettuce $1.89
1 pound ground turkey $2.38
1 bag of Steam in Bag rice with veggies $2.25
Splash of soy sauce

Brown turkey in a skillet and cook rice according to directions
Mix rice and turkey together and add a splash of soy sauce
Un-peel a leaf from the head of (washed) lettuce
Add Turkey/Rice mixture to lettuce and roll up to eat like a taco

Credit for this goes to two people
PF Chang's - they serve something similar as an appetizer
My little brother and his GF - They started making these a few weeks ago but with boca burger meat (which is probably even better for you)

I decided to go super healthy for lunch today, since I had some girlfriends over for lunch yesterday and we had Pizza, Bread sticks, and Chocolate cake.  I felt guilty.  Especially when one of them said, "I feel bad I was reading your blog all morning and now we're eating pizza for lunch!"  Thanks for rubbing it in Al!