Weight Loss: Day 6

Well I had an alright day.  All in all I am still doing well.  Today I am having various issues emotionally that are making eating well difficult.  The first issue is that I have bad for you food in the house for the first time.  It is hard for me not to eat it all.  I did well though and stayed away from it all.

The other issue is that I am having a stressful time with my daughter in school.  I have a meeting in the morning that I am stressed out about.  It is so hard to remain strong but I beat the overeating urge and came out of it on the other side.

Emotional eating has to be the biggest issue I face.  When I am stressed, pissed or upset about something I want to EAT!  It does’t even matter most days what I eat.  Just as long as there is something in my mouth.  Today I did none of that.  Rather then eat I kept myself busy.  I was able to clean the house, do some research and still have a good day.

I did have a meeting at my house tonight which meant I did not eat perfect.  I did control the amount that I ate.  This is HUGE for me.  I usually do not pay any attention.  Tonight I tried a little bit of everything.  I made sure that most of the things on the plate were healthy.  I used reduced fat sour cream and light mayo.  I think for the situation I did very well.

How do you all handle the emotional eating thing?

Becca

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Free Concert In The Park With The Kids

Last night we went to the Concert in the park with the kids.  We packed up a picnic and chairs and were off for the evening.  The kids were able to run all around and be kids and we were able to enjoy the music.  This is a 100% free event which is something that I always love.  The band was actually really good and played tunes from the beetles to John Lennon.  It is nice that there are still free things to do out there in the world.  With the economy in shambles and people struggling to put food into their mouths it is nice that there was something out there that could be enjoyed.  I think that sitting back, relaxing with the family while listening to some great music is what summer is all about.

Becca

Pirate Cake

No pirate party is complete without a pirate hat cake.  This cake was so simple and so fun.  It is a must for any pirate party!

Here’s how I did it:

1. Bake 2 round cakes
2. Let the cakes cool
3. Ice the top of one cake
4. Place the second cake on top of the first
5. Cut about 1/4 of the circle off
6. Cut the smaller piece in half
7. Place cake up vertically
8. Ice and decorate

Please visit family fun for more detailed directions to this cake.  This cake is sure to please.  Let me know how yours comes out!  To check out a tea pot cake for your little princess please click here.

Becca

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59 Days Until Christmas

Christmas Gift Baskets:

Gift baskets can be a great way to show people how much you appreciate them.  They can be a great gift for distant relatives, teachers, bosses and just about anyone else you can think of.  The great thing about gift baskets is that they can either be bought or made at home.  I personally think that if you have the time and it will be easy to ship you should give it a try on your own.  It is like the homemade ornament that the kids make in school.  It may look like less then a Lenox ornament but it is so much better because someone made it for you.  There are many places that you can buy gift baskets if you do not have the time and energy to make your own gift basket.  They include Harry & David, GiftBaskets.com, and even 1-800 Flowers.  These companies and many others offer a greta option to the person with no time and some extra money.

If you are like I am you are not one of those people and you will be making your own gift baskets.  There are many themes that you can follow while making your Christmas gift basket.  Here are some that I have done in the past.  I think that the possibilities are endless.

1. A wine and cheese basket.  This is a great thing to bring to a holiday get together.  Once you find a nice basket, box, or ice bucket you will add 2 bottles of wine, a few different types of cheese and some crackers.  I think that crackers such as Carrs crackers look better in the basket.  I have even added in a half a dozen chocolate covered strawberries from time to time.  People love it when you walk in with this great gift
2. A movie night Basket.  This type of basket could include someone’s favorite DVD, a year of Netflix or two tickets to get out and go to the movies.  I have used a red and white stripped popcorn box for this one.  In it I add candy, popcorn a gift certificate to buy a drink before the movie and even some movie related memoribelia.
3. Christmas Ornament Basket:  This is a nice idea for a young couple who is spending their first Christmas together.  In a basket or box type Christmas decoration put a bunch of Christmas Ornaments.  Do not forget to include the “First Christmas Together” ornament.  This will be a memory  that they will cherish for years to come.
4. It’s A Wonderful Life Gift Basket:  In the movie George and Mary give a gift basket to the Martini family.  This would be a nice gift for someone who is spending their first Christmas in their new home.  Include a loaf of bread with a tag attached saying “so that you might never know hunger”, a bottle of wine with a tag reading, “so that prosperity may reign in your home forever” and a box of salt with a tag attached saying, “So life will always have flavor”.  You may also want to add a copy of the movie to be enjoyed again and again.

As you can see there are many things that you can do with a little gift basket idea.  These are just a few of the many many ideas running through my head.  A gift basket could be remembered for years to come.

Becca

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61 Days Until Christmas

Christmas Cookie Baking Tips

As time gets closer I think that it is important to examine some tips to assure that your Christmas cookies will be the best that they can be.  My mother-in-law, Linda, is the cookie queen.  She has taught me most of what I know about baking cookies.  Some tips are from her and some are things that I have learned over time.  It is important to me that my cookies come out right for various reasons.  As I posted earlier I would like to use cookies as gifts for various people on my list.  I also love to watch the kids get all excited about a plate of cookies.  We also can not let Santa down.  He really likes his cookies and I want them to turn out just right. So here are the tips that I have.  If they are followed you should have nothing but perfect cookies this Christmas.

1. Test your oven.  A few days or weeks before you plan on baking it is important to test your oven to assure that your oven is holding the proper temperature.  This can be done by buying a thermometer in the grocery store for a few dollars.  This will help you to see if your oven is truly at the proper temperature.
2. Preheat your oven to the desired temperature.  This is a vital step.  I honestly used to ignore this one.  There is actually a reason that they say to preheat the oven.   Preheating assures that your cookies will cook evenly in the
   amount of time indicated on the recipe.
3. Measuring matters:  While baking it is important to remember not to eye your ingredients.  While this is an acceptable method while cooking it can be a tragic mistake while baking.  Make sure that you measure with measuring cups.
4. Use shiny aluminum cookie sheets.  This is important to remember.  Dark pans tend to hold heat longer and will burn your cookies.  A Linda hint is top buy new pans each Christmas.
5. Make sure that your pans are cooled after each batch.  Linda also says that it is important to rinse the tray and dry it well between each batch.
6. Do NOT grease your cookie sheets.  Unless the recipe says that you need a greased pan do NOT grease your pan.  This will burn the bottoms of your cookies.
7. Leave about 2 inches between each cookie.  If the cookies are large you may want to leave some more room.
8. Cookie Racks.  I bought these last year and have decided that they are a must have while baking cookies.  Without a wire cookie rack your cookies will be soggy nd who wants a soggy, wet cookie?  I know that I do not.

So there you have it.  Some simple and easy ways to assure that your cookies come out just right.  I will post some pictures closer to the time of our cookie baking days with the kids.  It should be a great time and the cookies should come out perfect.  If you have a tip I would love to hear it!

Becca

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69 Days of Christmas

So here we are with only 69 days left until Christmas. At this point I want to get an idea of what the kids want this year. I think that accessing what they want and what are priorities is an important thing to do! Abigail has said that she is going to ask Santa for a Wii. Because I know that they will be getting harder and harder to find as we get closer to the season I think this should be near the top of my list.

Emma has not asked for anything. She is a challenge at Christmas. Her birthday is at the end of November so it is had to choose what she wants for what! I think that for her birthday she will like the new Barbie movie. Perhaps the doll for Christmas. She also may want some American Girl Doll stuff. I know this would be a fine hit for either of them.

The crime of it is that none of my Children NEED anything. Year after year we get more and more toys in this house. We live in a VERY small house! We can not handle one more doll, Barbie, play food, dress-up or anything. I am sure that we are not alone. This year because I have some time to plan we are going to have a Thanksgiving Give Away.

Rules of the Thanksgiving Give Away:

1. Each child must choose at least 10 toys that are in good shape that they do not play with anymore.

2. These toys have to be in good shape. If I find one that is not I will throw it out and they will have to try again.

3. The kids will come with me to bring their chosen toys to the GoodWill. This will show them that we should give back!

All of this will then make room for new toys and treasures. I think that cleaning out the old and making room for the new is not only a good lesson but it will teach them that it is ok to let things go. I think that this is an important lesson. So many people have trouble getting rid of this. I am included in that which is why I want to teach my children that it is ok. It is reusing as part of reduce, recycle and reuse. I think all in all we will leave with a great lesson and give another child a toy which they may not be able to afford otherwise.

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