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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Looking for Guest Bloggers.....

With the busy holiday season approaching, I am looking for some fabulous guest bloggers.
 
Some ideas for guest posts are festive dinner ideas, side dish recipes, crafts (for kids and adults), dessert recipes, hosting holiday parties, cookies, pies and more recipes, sewing or craft tutorials, etc.
 
I love reading other blogs and this is a great way to share your blog with others.

I still get lots of visitors from past guest blogger tutorials and recipes, just sayin'

*********
 
I'm also looking for some sweet swag to giveaway during the holiday season as well...so if you would like to sponsor a giveaway, please let me know. 
 
If you do sponsor a giveaway, you don't necessarily need a blog to do so, you can have an etsy shop....this is a great way to expose your shop to more viewers and shoppers.


Some things to remember when guest blogging...
~always introduce yourself and your blog (include pics of yourself and your blog button if you have one)
~take great pictures (especially if you are sharing a craft, tutorial or recipe)
~remember this is a family friendly blog, so all submissions (for giveaways and guest posts) should be family friendly as well.

sounds easy, right?
just fill out the form below, so I can book your date on the calendar.  you can also contact me through email as well.
 
 

 
 
 

Hey Mom, Look What I Did....

In lieu of recent weather events on the east coast, I decided to hold off on the link party this week.
Not to mention we went to Georgia this past weekend too and I'm still unpacking and all that too.
 
So, there will be no Hey Mom, Look What I Did this week
 
sorry
 
But please come back and check us out next week
and in the meantime, if you haven't already entered for a chance to win one of my drawstring bags, then get to it.
 
Stay safe everyone!
 
God Bless!

Friday, October 26, 2012

Nutrisystem (#26)

This week wraps up my 26th week on Nutrisystem.
 
this has been such a busy week, my head is still spinning...started out with me having a cold.
 
(this little guy kept me company when I wasn't feeling well)
 
homework and exam overload (me and the kids)
the workers finished up their part of our bathroom remodel, now we just have to finish it off.
at least we've had some awesome weather the last few days...I'm dreading winter already.
 
since this week has been such a busy one, I have been really happy to depend on Nutrisystem for my meals....while Rich fed of the rest of the house.
the best thing I discovered while reading the discussion boards on Nutrisystem's website is someone suggested adding the chocolate powder from the protein shake to a cup of coffee...instant mocha.
I had long given up on having a mocha again (since they are so sugary), I still love my coffee, so adding that powder to make my own mocha....ahhh heaven!
 
here's a few of my favorites this week...
 
(I'll be the first to admit, this burger looked really weird when I took it out of the packaging that I almost didn't want to eat it....but when I took a bite - Wow was it yummy!)
 
("comfort food")
 
(soup....when sick, of course that's a must)
 
(fudge brownie....the ultimate comfy food)
 
 
I've been out of sorts lately with exercise and water drinking, I think the weather change and getting sick had something to do with it....but the good news is, I'm starting to feel better (yay antibiotics), so hopefully I will get back on track soon.  No weight loss this week, but no gain either...maintenance is a marvelous thing.
 
 
My Stats
 
  • 04/27/12 - 180 (starting weight)
  • 05/04/12 - 175 (week one)
  • 05/11/12 - 174 (week two)
  • 05/18/12 - 172 (week three)
  • 05/25/12 - 170 (week four)
  • 06/01/12 - 169 (week five)
  • 06/08/12 - 169 (week six)
  • 06/15/12 - 168 (week seven)
  • 06/22/12 - 166 (week eight)
  • 06/29/12 - 166 (week nine)
  • 07/06/12 - 166 (week ten)
  • 07/13/12 - 164 (week eleven)
  • 07/20/12 - 164 (week twelve)
  • 07/27/12 - 165 (week thirteen)
  • 08/03/12 - 163 (week fourteen)
  • 08/10/12 - 160 (week fifteen)
  • 08/17/12 - 160 (week sixteen)
  • 08/24/12 - 160 (week seventeen)
  • 08/31/12 - 159 (week eighteen)
  • 09/07/12 - 159 (week nineteen)
  • 09/14/12 - 157 (week twenty)
  • 09/21/12 - 155 (week twenty one)
  • 09/28/12 - 155 (week twenty two)
  • 10/03/12 - 155 (week twenty three)
  • 10/12/12 - 154 (week twenty four)
  • 10/19/12 - 153 (week twenty five)
  • 10/26/12 - 153 (week twenty six)

    Do you want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog


    *Disclosure ~ I am receiving access to the website and food in exchange for reviewing the diet plan. All opinions herein are my own and were not influenced by Nutrisystem.
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    Wednesday, October 24, 2012

    Sew Charlene Children's Drawstring Bag - CLOSED!

    We are still celebrating our first year anniversary of
     
    Hey Mom, Look What I Did!!
     
     In celebration, we are giving away lots of fun stuff (there's still time if you would like to sponsor a prize, just shoot me an email for more info).
     
    This week's prize is a children's drawstring bag made by moi....Sew Charlene
     
    Winner's choice!
     
     
    There are a bunch of cute patterns to choose from...superheroes, geometric shapes, stripes, etc.
     





     
    Be sure to check out all my bags to find one you like best.
     
     
    Please be patient while the Rafflecopter uploads!
      
    a Rafflecopter giveaway


    Good Luck!!!

    THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED!

    Be sure to check out all the fun crafts, kids in the kitchen and other activities from our past Hey Mom, Look What I Did link ups.  If you haven't already done so, please share your most recent kid friendly activities on this week's linky as well.

     
    *Winner must be a U.S. resident. Winner will have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced here on the blog and on facebook and notified via email (please make sure you leave a valid email address in order to be contacted).

     
    

    Monday, October 22, 2012

    Hey Mom, Look What I Did (#54)

    Welcome to the 54th edition of
     
    Hey Mom Look What I Did!!
     
    We are still celebrating our first year anniversary with more giveaways, so please keep checking back with us and enter to win for some fun kid friendly prizes.
     
    Please, take a look at some of my faves from this week...
     
     
     
     
    
    (this makes me laugh every time I look at it....)
     
     
     
    (cool science experiment)
     
     
     
    (I love painting pumpkins more than carving them)
     
     
     
    (great idea!)
     
     
    For more awesome projects that have been shared with us throughout the year, click here
     
    Now, it's your turn to show us what you've been working on this week and I can't wait to see it!!

     
     
    Please share your craft projects, baking activities and other fun kid friendly adventures. Grab the link button and put it on your blog, if you like, so that others can find us and share in the fun too.
     
     
    There are no requirements, but I would love if you would follow this blog via GFC.
     
     
    I also would like to invite you to come hang out with me on facebook and twitter, where I feature and share some your fabulous projects during the week.
     
     
    Thanks for joining us....Hope to see you again soon!!
     
     
    Adventures In Mommy Land

    Friday, October 19, 2012

    slowly, but surely

    Today wraps up my 25th week on Nutrisystem.
     
     
     
    I feel like my life is turning into the little engine that could, or perhaps the story of the tortoise and the hare.  I have always, always, always given up on hard things in life.  Every time I hit a road block or stumbled along the way, I would flat out quit.
     
    There I admit it...I used to be a quitter!
     
    but, everyone can change, including me.
     
    I don't quit anything anymore...I just keep plowing through it.
     
    with this weight loss (and with my school work), there have been plenty of times that I wanted to throw in the towel and just give up.
     
    I think, to be honest, there are a few things that are keeping me motivated.
     
    first and foremost is the health benefits.  Despite having a cold due to the recent weather change, I feel great.  In fact, I haven't felt this great in years.  It's such an awesome feeling.
     
    secondly, I feel fantastic - inside and out....this weight loss (and college) has done wonders to boost my self-esteem.
     
    thirdly, my family keeps me going...when I want to give up because I'm having a bad day and all I want to do is crawl into bed with a bunch of crappy junk food and watch tv, my family says let's go for a walk Mom and that little bit of exercise and family time helps push me through all the negative forces that surround me.
     
    and finally, Nutrisystem keeps me motivated.  Seriously, if I wasn't working with them by writing this weekly blog, I would have given up long ago.  But, because I'm working with them to lose weight and I'm sharing all the details with you, I want to do a great job....and that keeps me going. 
     
     I don't like it when I have to write that I didn't lose weight this or that week.   Even though I know it's perfectly acceptable to not lose weight or even gain a pound here or there, I still don't like it.  I want to promote great things and to keep motivating people to not give up and to lose weight.  So I feel bad when I don't lose.  Although, I know it's natural, it doesn't mean I have to like it.
     
    That's what keeps me going.
     
    I know there are many bloggers working with Nutrisytem (men, women, married couples, etc.), we all have different writing styles, different experiences...some of us work out every day and lose weight faster, some of us have more weight to lose than others, or have health problems that they are overcoming, some of us like to share our favorite foods, some of us share our experiences, some of us do both.  All of us are working on making our lives healthier for ourselves and for our families...and I'm sure all of us will be eternally grateful for this opportunity.
     
    I think knowing that I'm not doing this alone has been awesome.
     
    Sure, I could look at the situation and read everyone's experiences and get upset because there are others that are losing it faster or what not.  But for me, just knowing that I'm not alone in this journey, that there are others out there (bloggers or otherwise) that keeps me going.  I love reading the discussion boards on Nutrisystem's website.  I love reading their facebook comments and seeing others interacting and sharing recipes, exercise tips, etc.  I love when I have a question that I can just toss out there in cyber space and someone will answer me.  I love when I'm feeling down, how someone will come along and pick me up.
     
    Support is an awesome thing! So please remember when someone you love and care about is trying to lose weight....lift them up.  Don't put them down.  If they fall or fail and need a hand, extend that hand.  Offer to go for a walk, offer to lend an ear for them to talk, a shoulder to cry on.  Everyone in life needs someone or something to motivate them...maybe that someone is you.
     
     
     
     
    My Stats
  • 04/27/12 - 180 (starting weight)
  • 05/04/12 - 175 (week one)
  • 05/11/12 - 174 (week two)
  • 05/18/12 - 172 (week three)
  • 05/25/12 - 170 (week four)
  • 06/01/12 - 169 (week five)
  • 06/08/12 - 169 (week six)
  • 06/15/12 - 168 (week seven)
  • 06/22/12 - 166 (week eight)
  • 06/29/12 - 166 (week nine)
  • 07/06/12 - 166 (week ten)
  • 07/13/12 - 164 (week eleven)
  • 07/20/12 - 164 (week twelve)
  • 07/27/12 - 165 (week thirteen)
  • 08/03/12 - 163 (week fourteen)
  • 08/10/12 - 160 (week fifteen)
  • 08/17/12 - 160 (week sixteen)
  • 08/24/12 - 160 (week seventeen)
  • 08/31/12 - 159 (week eighteen)
  • 09/07/12 - 159 (week nineteen)
  • 09/14/12 - 157 (week twenty)
  • 09/21/12 - 155 (week twenty one)
  • 09/28/12 - 155 (week twenty two)
  • 10/03/12 - 155 (week twenty three)
  • 10/12/12 - 154 (week twenty four)
  • 10/19/12 - 153 (week twenty five)

    Do you want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog


    *Disclosure ~ I am receiving access to the website and food in exchange for reviewing the diet plan. All opinions herein are my own and were not influenced by Nutrisystem.
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    Tuesday, October 16, 2012

    Princess Prize Pack - CLOSED!


    In celebration of our One Year Anniversary of
    Hey Mom, Look What I Did!!
     
    We are having giveaways all month long.
     
    This next giveaway is sponsored by Stephanie of Princess AV Creations.
    Stephanie has a fun and super cute etsy shop full of hairbands and clips.
     
    Want to hear all about the prize?
     
    Well, here are the details...
     
     
    A sweet little princess prize pack filled with goodies
     
    The winner will receive a fun color your own tote bag
     
     
    a velvet poster
     
     
    a 6 pack of notebooks 

     
    tattoos
     
     
    spin tops
     
     
    hair styling set

     
    and a chalkboard


    What a fun little set perfect for that little princess in your life

     
     
    Please be patient while the Rafflecopter uploads!
     


    Good Luck!

    this giveaway is now CLOSED!

    The best part of this giveaway is that Stephanie is graciously giving our readers a 15% promo code to her shop....the promo code is MOMMYLANDGIVEAWAY
     
    *Winner can be U.S. or Canadian residents. Winner will have 24 hours to respond or another winner will be chosen. The winner will be announced here on the blog and on facebook and notified via email (please make sure you leave a valid email address in order to be contacted).
     
     

    Monday, October 15, 2012

    That time of year...

    When do you order your Christmas Cards?
    Do you wait until Thanksgiving?
     
    Do you plan outlandish photo shoots, perfect snowy shots of your family?
    Or, do you just choose from random pics of photos you had taken through out the year?
     
    Even after all these years, I still have no plan in order to tackle those holiday cards.
    Some times, I wait until the last minute.
    Other times, I feel like I'm ahead of my game.
     
    One year, I take pics and send with the cards.
    The next I just send store bought box cards.
    I am of the theory of whatever works best at the time.
     
    Although, this year I am determined to plan ahead.
    I know now that I am in school that I will be busy studying for finals when December rolls around and the last thing on my mind will be choosing which card and what picture to use.

    That's why I'm shopping at Tiny Prints.

    Tiny Prints has such a huge selection.
    The only problem with using Tiny Prints is deciding which card to choose.





    Just pick a card, personalize what you want it to say, upload a pic and they do the rest...
    except mail it of course.

    and hopefully you won't do what I did a few years ago, which was address them all and put them in a place I just knew I would remember and then forgot to mail them anyway.

    So, do yourself a favor this year and go to Tiny Prints for all your holiday card needs, be sure to check out their special offers page for coupon codes and promotions.


    And as always you can see more great deals by following Tiny Prints on facebook, twitter, pinterest and/or google+

    Now, I have at least one less thing to do on my holiday list.





    If only everything in life could be this easy!


    *Disclosure, I will be receiving holiday cards from Tiny Prints in exchange for promoting their site.  My opinions here in are my own and not influenced by Tiny Prints.

     

    Hey Mom, Look What I Did (#53)

    Welcome to the 53rd edition of
     
    Hey Mom, Look What I Did!!!
     
    here's a look at some of my faves from this week....
     
     
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    For more awesome projects that have been shared with us throughout the year, click here

    Also, don't forget we are celebrating our One Year Anniversary all month long and
    we still have alot of fabulous, fun prizes coming up, so be sure to check back with us and enter for a chance to win!!

    Now, it's your turn to show us what you've been working on this week and I can't wait to see it!!

    Please share your craft projects, baking activities and other fun kid friendly adventures. Grab the link button and put it on your blog, if you like, so that others can find us and share in the fun too.

    There are no requirements, but I would love if you would follow this blog via GFC.

    I also would like to invite you to come hang out with me on facebook and twitter, where I feature and share some your fabulous projects during the week.

     
    Thanks for joining us....Hope to see you again soon!!
     
     
    Adventures In Mommy Land

     
     

    Saturday, October 13, 2012

    Fall Sugar Cookies

    I have been making these for years, they are the perfect treat to celebrate the fall season. Simple to make, but a little time consuming and totally worth repeating the post....



    Fall Sugar Cookies

      Mix up your favorite sugar cookie dough.  Divide into 3 - 4 sections (depending on how many colors you use).  Add food gel colors to the dough (I like the food gel colors, rather than plain food coloring, because the colors come out more vibrant and brighter).


    I made yellow, orange, red and brown

    Take a few handfuls of each dough color and roll them out together on a lightly floured surface.  Use leaf shaped or acorn shaped cookie cutters. 

     
     Then sprinkle with a little sugar. I used brownish gold glittery sugar crystals that I found at the candy/cake store. 


    Don't they almost look too pretty to eat?

     
    I did say almost, right?
     
     
     

    Friday, October 12, 2012

    6 months and 26 pounds ago....

     

    Six months ago, I saved my life.
     
     
     
    Yes, I honestly feel that I was on a downward path of destruction...
    Maybe that sounds dramatic to some people, but to me, it doesn't.
    At 180 pounds and 5'2" I was obese.
     
    I had major breathing problems, that went deeper than just having asthma.
    I was addicted to junk food and I ate nothing but crappy food.
    I'm pretty sure that if I continued down the same path that I would have gotten type II diabetes.
     

     
    Now, at 154, I'm not obese anymore...I'm still considered overweight for my height, but
    I feel so much healthier.
    I make much better food choices.
     
    I ride bikes with my kids, I play foursquare and kickball with my kids
     I'm living a life that I could only have dreamed of at 180.
     
     
    A year ago, when I dropped Amanda off at college, I had to use the elevator when we moved her into her dorm, because I couldn't walk up stairs without stopping to catch my breath.
    Now, I'm walking up stairs all the time, all day long at my own college and I never feel winded.
     
    I have come a long way, my family tells me that they are proud of me.
    And to tell you the truth, I'm proud of me too.
    I have so much more confidence in myself.
     
     
     
    April 27, 2012
    the day my life changed for the better.
    the day I started Nutrisystem.
     
    I don't think I could have done this without their program.
    Having everything already prepared and ready to eat, makes it possible for me to not have to think, or count calories or points or anything like that.
     
     
     
    I am learning how to eat properly
    yes, at 40 years old, I had no idea how to eat the right foods.
    I was one of those that considered the four food groups as
     
    pizza
    chocolate
    sweets
    chips
     
    No joke.
     
     
    Exercise was something that I always tried to keep up with, but I had nothing to hold me accountable
    with Nutrisystem, I write everything down and while no one is coming along and making sure that I'm doing everything that I said I am, I still tell the truth when I write it all down.
     
    Seriously
     if I can do this....you can too.
    Let's do it together.
     
     
     
    to hear more about my journey watch my clip...

     
     
     
     
    My Stats
     
  • 4/27/12 - 180 (starting weight)
  • 5/04/12 - 175 (week one)
  • 5/11/12 - 174 (week two)
  • 5/18/12 - 172 (week three)
  • 5/25/12 - 170 (week four)
  • 6/01/12 - 169 (week five)
  • 6/08/12 - 169 (week six)
  • 6/15/12 - 168 (week seven)
  • 6/22/12 - 166 (week eight)
  • 6/29/12 - 166 (week nine)
  • 7/06/12 - 166 (week ten)
  • 7/13/12 - 164 (week eleven)
  • 7/20/12 - 164 (week twelve)
  • 7/27/12 - 165 (week thirteen)
  • 8/03/12 - 163 (week fourteen)
  • 8/10/12 - 160 (week fifteen)
  • 8/17/12 - 160 (week sixteen)
  • 8/24/12 - 160 (week seventeen)
  • 8/31/12 - 159 (week eighteen)
  • 9/07/12 - 159 (week nineteen)
  • 9/14/12 - 157 (week twenty)
  • 9/21/12 - 155 (week twenty one)
  • 9/28/12 - 155 (week twenty two)
  • 10/3/12 - 155 (week twenty three)
  • 10/12/12 - 154 (week twenty four)

  • Do you want to lose weight and get healthy on Nutrisystem? Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog


     
    *Disclosure ~ I am receiving access to the website and food in exchange for reviewing the diet plan. All opinions herein are my own and were not influenced by Nutrisystem.