Recipe for Disaster

Kate is teething, Wyatt is two, Tyler is about to leave for a whole month, and my patience is wearing thin.

Enough said.

-10

Well, I am three weeks into my 10-week weight loss challenge, and, as promised, here is an update... I'VE LOST 10 POUNDS!! I could not be happier. It feels great to eat better and to be working out more, but it's always most encouraging to see that number change on the scale! I attribute the loss to obsessively counting calories on the My Fitness Pal app on my iPhone and to working out at least 4 times a week, preferably more if time allows (and I may have gotten a little boost after a bout with a stomach virus last week, but whatever.) Bottom line is that I'm seeing progress, I'm very happy with the progress and I can't wait to see what happens from here. My personal goal is to have lost a total of 25 pounds by the end of June, but the 10 week challenge will end in March, so we'll see where I am by then. 15 to go, let's do this!

Things I'm Making, Books I'm Reading

I mentioned last week that I've discovered that taking care of two small children leaves little time for blogging. Well, I also rarely find time for two other things that I love to do - crafting and reading. It's been months - probably nearly 4 (notice Kate is nearly 4 months old) since I've finished a book. And I am not okay with this!

I love that I am able to stay home with my babies and that we are able to play and read and build things, and I love that I am able to have dinner ready at night and keep a moderately clean house. But I've noticed that since Kate was born, the only "free" time I have is naptime and as soon as I get the kids down, the race is on. I'm straightening up the house, running down to the basement to do laundry, getting things ready for dinner, taking a shower, etc. Then when the kids go to bed it's clean up from dinner, fold more clothes, wash dishes, and then I'm exhausted and just want to go to sleep!

But I miss my crafts and I REALLY miss my books. So, I've decided that some days, the house will just have to wait. No one is going to come through at the end of the day and check my work. Tyler will not get home from work and ask why I didn't get that load of towels washed or scrub the bathtub. So in addition to blogging more, I hope to make a few things and read a few books. And so far, so good!

I participated in the "Pay it Forward" challenge on Facebook in which you hand make something for the first five people who respond to your post and mail it to them sometime during the year. These are the gifts I've made and sent so far...



I also made this recipe card holder for my friend's birthday...


Nothing fancy, but it sure felt good to just take a little time to be creative.

I've also started reading Harvesting the Heart by Jodi Piccoult and, of course, Black Heels to Tractor Wheels by my favorite, the Pioneer Woman.

I plan to finish these books within the month and have others on deck to begin. I also have three more people on my "Pay it Forward" list as well a couple of birthdays and several weddings coming up in the next few months that I plan to make gifts for.

Ideally, I will be able to manage these projects while maintaining some kind of order in my house, but if the laundry piles up a little and the floor goes a little longer without being vacuumed, I'm going to be ok with that. Stay tuned to see how this all pans out!

P Dubs, In the Flesh!

If you have the extreme pleasure of being my friend on Facebook (har har) then you already know this, but I couldn't help but dedicate a blog post to it also... I MET THE PIONEER WOMAN!

If you follow her blog, you know she is amazing. If you don't, you should.

If you've bought her cookbook, you know her food is amazing. If you haven't, you should.

If you've read her new autobiographical love story, you know her writing is amazing (and that her hunk of a husband whom she calls the "Marlboro Man" isn't so bad either). If you haven't, you should.

Anyway, with all of that said, she was just as pleasant in person as I always thought she would be, and now I just wish more that she was my BFF. I could totally see us hanging out (at her house, not mine, cause she lives on a sweet ranch) drinking a couple beers and (her) cooking delicious food for us to share while having witty conversation. Have I thought about this too much? Probably. But I just love her.

Aaaand... she lives in Oklahoma. And I live in Oklahoma. Anyone want to join me on a road trip to the ranch?! Nah, we better not - she probably doesn't care for stalkers. In the meantime, though, I'm going to keep stalking her blog and sharing her awesomeness with all my friends. Hope you all get the pleasure of meeting her one day, too! You won't be disappointed.