No.....I didn't fall off the face of the Earth.

I have been super busy with school....writing a crap ton of papers, reading novel after novel and chapter after chapter, taking quizzes, finals and giving presentations.

 

This has probably been one of the most grueling things I have ever put myself through, but when I get that piece of paper at the end that said I did it....It will all be worth it.

 

I am grateful to my family for putting up with me through all this....let's just say all this stress hasn't made me the *ahem* nicest person to live with - and leave it at that.

 

Baseball season has begun and the little boys are having a blast.  You know I'll be sharing pics soon :)

 

And Zach was inducted into the Jr High National Honor Society....Sarah is already in it.  Zach would have been too, but he didn't turn his paper in on time last year, so he had to wait until they did it again.

 

Also, I'm getting back on track with my dieting....we all know that my "sponsored" time with Nutrisystem ended, it hasn't been super easy, I was really used to the convenience factor of having my meals all portioned and planned out and really just opening the cupboard and grabbing something and tossing it in the microwave...it took a lot of the guess work out of measuring and portion and all that, but I did learn a lot and it did help me when I went off, but it was a stressful time when I went off of it and well......

 

here's the story,

 

 

It's been a few weeks since I went off Nutrisystem.  I can't say it's been all roses and sunshine, I did gain a wee bit of weight back....Nothing Major.  less than 5 pounds

 

I think I psyched myself out about stopping and I've been under a great deal of stress with the semester coming to an end, so with that and hormonal issues....5 pounds isn't much - however,

if you have ever dieted before, you know how scary it is to see the scale start moving in the other direction....which only adds to the stress.

 

UGH!

 

So, Last week, I pretty much begged Rich to let me go back on Nutrisystem and get some more of the weight off.....YES, I know that I will have to learn to do this on my own, eventually...which I am.

(Please don't send me a bunch of emails saying that I need to learn to do this on my own - I'm not stupid, I know that.  Negative comments right now will only make the stress worse).

 

BUT,

 

I also know that with all the stress I was under - I was only making things worse....so why put myself through all that???

It's just a temporary thing anyway.

 

 

The good thing is though after a week...I'm down 3 pounds.  And I'm slowly getting back into a routine of sorts with exercising.  And school is almost over, which will take a HUGE amount of stress off me...so, it's all good.

 

I know it take a while to get myself in check and all balanced out, but I'll get there.

 

 

So this is Part Two of my weight loss journey.

 

It will include Nutrisystem (for a little while) and of course exercise (trying strength training and other new things).  If you have been following my journey, I'm back to sharing my weekly posts, if for nothing else, but to keep myself in check.

 

You can read more of my journey on my weight loss journey page

 

 

 

My Stats

 

 

05/01/13 - 149 (new starting weight)

05/08/13 - 146 (week two)

 

 



Nathan's Earth Day....

We celebrated Earth Day a bit early by making a super adorable craft

 

 

and by reading a new book called What A Wonderful World.

 

 

For the craft, we used various paints, a paper plate and brown butcher paper.

 

We had Nathan lay on the paper with his arms outstretched and Zachary traced him

 

 

Then, Nathan painted himself....

 

 

 

 

He also painted a paper plate blue and added green splotches to make the Earth.

 

 next we cut the painting out and folded over the arms

 

 

Nathan painted the other side of his arms and hands

 

and we glued the plate (Earth) to his hands.

 

Super cool, Don't you think?

 

Our book is a new book by Tiger Tales called What a Wonderful World by Suzanne Chiew.

 

The story is set to rhyme and is about a mama bear and her cub and how they travel the world and see so many beautiful things...the sunrises, the oceans, forests and new friends.  The book is about the beautiful wonders of our world and the perfect book to read and celebrate Earth Day.

 

 

*Disclosure: I received a copy of this book for review purposes.  The opinions (and crafts) herein are my own and were not influenced by Tiger Tales.

 

 



Looking for some Ideas for Earth Day?

What is Earth Day?

 

 

Earth Day is a special day that celebrates the Earth, just as we celebrate our birthdays every year.  On April 22nd, America and over 100 different countries join together in the celebration of Earth Day.

 

Earth Day is the largest, most celebrated environmental event worldwide.  It is a day where we remember to appreciate nature and learn ways to protect our environment.

 

Let's teach our children to show some pride by cleaning up their environment.

Let's teach them to love their planet by recycling and reusing what they can

and respecting where they live.

 

Here are some great books to teach children about Earth Day and what they can do to help.

 

(by Laura Bergen)

 

 

(by Renee Jablow)

 

(by Nuria Roca)

 

(by Stuart Murphy)

 

(by Dr. Seuss)

 

(by Anna Ross)

 

 

What are some ways you can celebrate our planet?

 

plant a tree

pick up litter

recycle

reduce water waste and turn off lights

plant flowers

start a garden

reuse trash for crafts 

empty toilet paper, paper towel holders, aluminum cans, tissue boxes, newspapers, egg cartons, magazines, old bits of crayons and such can be used to make all sorts of fun craft projects.

 

 

let's keep our planet beautiful.

 

 

(Nathan's earth day crafts)

 

(Nathan's train made from empty toilet paper rolls)

 

 

(use leftover materials for fun projects)

 

(give the birds a place to call home)

 

 

You can make a difference....Together we can change the world.

 

 

 



Soo's Boo Boos

 

Soo has ten boo boos and she counts them with sweet sing-songy rhythm.

 

"8 is a mosquito bite. I got in the yard last night. 

I pinched my finger in the door,

that's number 9 and here's one more!

10 - a scratch about to bleed. 

Some boo-boo help is what I need."

 

As Soo counts and shows off her boo boos, which includes scratched arms, scabby knees, itchy bites, and pinched fingers...

 

 

 

...her mother problem solves ways to make Soo's boo boos all better - such as kisses, ice, band aids and popsicles.

 

"Mom smiled at Soo. 'Just count on me.

Your boo-boos are my specialty.

This will fix that scratch, I think,

what color do you want-hot pink?

Does 10 feel better? It looks nice!

For 9, your finger, we'll rub ice.'"

 

 

 

 

 

We completely adore this book, written by Tilda Balsley.  The beautiful illustrations by Shelagh McNicholas only adds to the story.  And Soo is so cute, you'll want to kiss those sweet cheeks too.

 

Soo's Boo Boos is sure to be a family favorite!

 

*******

 

Want a chance to win your own copy of Soo's Boo Boos?

Visit Tiger Tales on facebook or their blog

 

Also be sure to check out Tilda's blog on Tiger Tales for her story behind the book.

 

All you have to do is leave a comment either on their blog or facebook page sharing how you "cure" your children's boo boos/

 

Contest ends May 1 and the winner will be announced on May 2! Good luck!

 

 

*Disclosure: I received a copy of Soo's Boo Boos to review.  All opinions herein are my own and were not influenced in any way.

 

 



Hey Mom, Look What I Did (#69)

Welcome to the 69th edition of

 

Hey Mom, Look What I Did!!

 

We took a sort of unofficial break there for a few weeks.

 

But we are now getting back into the swing of things, so please join us...hope we didn't lose anyone along the way.  If you don't mind, if you link, please give us a shout out so we can get more links and get back in the game (share on your blog, facebook, twitter and whatever other social media you use - It will be greatly appreciated...thanks!

 

 

here's a look at a few of my favorite spring crafts of the past...

 

Ducky Footprints

 

 

 

Paper Flower Bouquet

 

 

 

Salt Dough Magnets

 

 

 

Snake Toilet Paper Holder

 

(I've seen several different versions of this since we made this one 3 years ago).

 

 

Now, it's your turn to show off all your super cute crafts, goodies and activities. 

 

 

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, pinterest and twitter, where I feature and share some your fabulous projects during the week. 

You can also follow along with BlogLovin, the link is on the sidebar.

 

 

Thanks for joining us....Hope to see you again soon!! 



<center> <a href="http://adventures-in-mommy-land.blogspot.com/"><img border="0" src="http://i1217.photobucket.com/albums/dd385/jfamilyofeight/art_supplies-3.gif"/></a></center>

Nutrisystem Winner....

Winner of the Nutrisystem Food Giveaway is....

 

 

 

Kristin B said...

I have two kids, and would love to get off the rest of the baby weight from my last tot so that I don't have to buy a new summer wardrobe! :-) Thanks for the giveaway! I have a friend that did NutriSystem with great success and I'd LOVE to try it!

 

 

Congratulations Kristin, here's to that new summer wardrobe...and a new healthy lifestyle!

 



It's Party Time.....

I love joining the ladies at 5 Minutes for Moms for their annual Ultimate Blog Party. 

It's a great way to meet other bloggers, follow and read new blogs, reconnect with bloggers that you haven't seen for awhile and a chance to win some super cool prizes.

 

If you are stopping by for the first time, let me share a bit about myself....

 

I'm Charlene

 

 

wife and mother of 6...yep, that says 6 (and they are all mine and my husband's). 

 

 

My husband and I have been married for 20 years.

 

 

I love to cook and bake and sew and play with my kids and just have fun.  You can find some of our family's favorite recipes here, along with some fun kid friendly recipes too.

 

If you love wearing aprons, I have some fun, cute ones in my etsy store, Sew Charlene

 

I am a student...majoring in elementary education (with an emphasis on prek - 4th grade).  I love doing arts and crafts with my kids...you can find some super fun crafty ideas here and here. 

 

I also have a weekly (or somewhat weekly, lately) kid's link party, where bloggers can share all the fun stuff and projects they do with their kids.

 

And, I like to try my hand at diy projects and crafts as well, you can check out some of my stuff here.

 

I recently lost 34 pounds....you can read all about my weight loss journey here.

 

Check out this awesome before and after (although, I'm still working on losing more) pic...

I actually have a pretty cool giveaway going on right now sponsored by Nutrisystem, if you're looking to lose some weight, come and enter for a chance to win.

 

 

 

I am somewhat obsessed with the tv shows...The Walking Dead, Project Runway, Fashion Star and The Following.  I often start discussions of these shows on my facebook page.  If you would like to join us or just like to check out my blog's facebook page, you can do so here.  I really enjoy hanging out with my readers and this is a great way to do it.

 

If you'd like to read more about me you can do so here

 

We'll that's enough about me...Can't wait to hear more about you.

 

  



 

Let's Party!!!

 

 

~~Nutrisystem Giveaway~~ CLOSED!!!

As promised....

 

 

Here is the Giveaway sponsored by Nutrisystem.

 

 

 

Nutrisystem is giving me the opportunity to do this amazing giveaway for my readers.

 

a seven day trial offer

 

that's right Nutrisystem is giving away one trial offer (7 days worth of food) to one very lucky winner!!!

 

 

RULES: (a.) Must be at least 18 years old to enter (b.) Nutrisystem employees and their family members are ineligible (c.) Must meet eligibility requirements to be on Nutrisystem (d.) Applicable only to continental US )(e.) No Cash Value (f.) Prizes are provided by Nutrisystem based on program eligibility.

 

****************

 

 

TO ENTER:

*You must leave a comment here on my blog, telling me why you want to lose weight or share a weight loss or exercise tip.

*Follow Nutrisystem on Facebook

*Follow Nutrisystem on Twitter

*Follow Adventures In Mommy Land on Blog Lovin'

*Follow Adventures In Mommy Land on Facebook

*Follow Adventures In Mommy Land via Google Friend Connect

 

You must leave a comment for each entry that you do.

 

 

 

Contest ends on April 13, 2013 at midnight est.  Winner will be chosen through random number generator and must be a continental U.S. resident (as stated by Nutrisytem's rules).

 

 

Good Luck!!

 

As a side note, I lost 34 pounds using Nutrisystem, this could be the spring board that you need to help get you started to a whole new healthy lifestyle!

 

I will be back to posting my own weight loss story/journey next week....stay tuned.

 

This Giveaway is now CLOSED!!

 

 

*Disclosure, I was given the opportunity to review Nutrisystem for 48 weeks.  My opinions were my own and were not influenced by Nutrisystem.

 

 

 

 



Matchstick Cross

Remember these?

 

 

I remember making one at Vacation Bible School when I was a kid.

 

Nathan has been buggin' for crafts a lot lately, so I thought this would make a nice Easter craft.

 

I didn't burn the ends of the matches....thinking it looks just as pretty this way.

I couldn't remember how to make it, so I found this tute on dltk.

 

I wanted to be able to frame Nathan's cross when he was done with it, so we chose this pretty print from my scrapbook paper and glued the cross to it.

 

 

 

Once you get it started it's pretty simple to make...just messy from the glue.

 

 

  

 

It took all I had not to straighten it, lol.....but then I realized one day, I will look back and think to myself how wonderful it is and he was only 7 when he did it.

 

 

.....off to find the perfect frame for it.

 

 



Nutrisystem #48

Not only does today wrap up my 48th week on Nutrisystem, but my last sponsored post for Nutrisystem.  I'm sad to see it come to an end.  But I'm also excited to start this journey on my own.

 

I will say that I will be eternally grateful to Nutrisystem for giving me the chance to participate in their blogger program...when I say it literally saved my life...I mean it.

 

Nutrisysytem gave me the tools and the motivation to jump start my weight loss/healthy life journey.  With their support, I have lost a total of 34 pounds.  Sure, I would have liked to have lost more, but I'm pretty darn proud of myself that I got as far as I did.  I have gone from a size 18/20 to a size 6/8 in pants and from a size 2X to a small/medium in shirts.  The jacket that I'm wearing below is one that I couldn't even button when I got it, now I can wrap it around myself.

 

 

I used to have to use elevators all the time, now I can run up stairs and not feel winded or have to use my asthma inhaler.  There's a super cute video I did for Nutrisystem on their YouTube channel of me racing Nathan up these very stairs.

 

 

I used to eat bags of chips and candy bars for breakfast, Now I realize just how horrible that is...and the damage that I was causing my body.  I crave carrots and salad and fruit now.  I haven't eaten a French fry in almost a year and I don't even miss it.

 

I think the best part of this whole thing is that now I can play with my children.  I used to think that playing and spending time with them meant making treats with them and sitting on the floor and rolling match box cars across it.  Now I can play kickball and foursquare and run and jump around and do all sorts of fun things.  We have dance parties and wii "just dance" competitions, we walk and run together, we actually do more active things.  I no longer sit on the bench at playgrounds watching them play...I either walk the track or play right along with them.  And sometimes they tire out before I do.

 

 

If you've been reading my blog for any amount of time, you know that my family is my everything.  Knowing that I am healthy and have more energy makes me so happy.  I said this from the very beginning, I wasn't doing this to get skinny or be sexy, or anything like that...I was doing this for my health.  I want to stick around and watch my children grow old, I want to see them have children of their own and still be able to play and have fun with my future grandchildren, without having to drag around an oxygen tank.  I want to fall asleep at night knowing that I don't need a machine to help me breath.  I want to spend the rest of my life happy and healthy, full of life and energy. 

 

And Now I Can.

 

 Nutrisystem has this really awesome contest going on right now called "Now I Can", if you have lost weight on Nutrisystem you can enter to win.

 

 

 

Please note, that I am not done losing weight or living this healthy lifestyle...I feel like I just started.  I am going to continue on my own and using Nutrisystem through what most of their members call a "flex plan".  I will still be eating some of the foods and following along for the most part, but incorporating my own food choices as well.  While I am still using the program, I am no longer being sponsored by Nutrisystem as of today.

 

 

Also, I have a really cool, totally awesome {yes, this deserves my best valley girl impression} giveaway coming up....starting next week.  So please keep reading and following along on my adventure.  One door is closing but a whole new life is waiting for me out there and I'm sharing it all with you!

 

 

If you would like to learn more about how to get healthy and lose weight on Nutrisystem - Join today by calling 1-888-853-4689 or by visiting http://www.nutrisystem.com/nsblog

 

 

 

 

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)

11/02/12 - 152 (week twenty seven)

11/09/12 - 152 (week twenty eight)

11/16/12 - 151 (week twenty nine)

11/23/12 - 150 (week thirty)

11/30/12 - 150 (week thirty one)

12/07/12 - 150 (week thirty two)

12/14/12 - 149 (week thirty three)

12/21/12 - 148 (week thirty four)

12/28/12 - 148 (week thirty five)

01/04/13 - 147 (week thirty six)

01/11/13 - 147 (week thirty seven)

01/18/13 - 145 (week thirty eight)

01/25/13 - 145 (week thirty nine)

02/01/13 - 144 (week forty)

02/08/13 - 144 (week forty one)

02/15/13 - 144 (week forty two)

02/22/13 - 144 (week forty three)

03/01/13 - 146 (week forty four)

03/08/13 - 146 (week forty five)

03/15/13 - 147 (week forty six)

03/22/13 - 147 (week forty seven)

03/29/13 - 146 (week forty eight)

 

 

 

*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