Sewing Retreat 2014

I just got back from my annual weekend sewing retreat in the mountains and we had such a good time!  It is really a blessing to me to get away from home and just focus on something I enjoy doing.  I love, love, love to 'create' but I'm generally just too tired to think clearly enough to do that at night when all the cares of the day have been taken care of so it is really a treat each year when my sweet husband takes over for 3 days and lets me go to the retreat.

This year I honestly did not prepare very well in advance.  We moved only two months ago and I am still trying to get my craft stuff organized so I just had not had the time to plan out my projects.  Last year I had a plan and all my patterns ready and fabric cut out.  This year I had hardly anything planned so I was not as productive as I would have liked to have been but I still got quite a bit done.

I made a set of 6 fall themed cloth napkins, a twirl skirt in Abby Cadabby material for Olivia, 3 mug rugs, 2 coasters and a kitchen towel.

How I Saved Today

The Money Saving Mom has been posting lately on a specific way she has saved money. I really love the simplicity of these posts like this one, for example, about baking homemade cookies. When I read a post like this it helps me see that saving money can be in the simple things and does not have to be some huge undertaking. So, I present how I saved today......zest and juice from a bag of limes purchased at Aldi for 99 cents going into my freezer for future use!




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It's A Wrap!

For the last couple months I've been periodically answering questions, providing clarifications and sending various pictures of myself to a number of writers and editors with HEALTH and All You magazines.  I previously mentioned the possibility of being included in a prediabetes magazine article here.   It got a little crazy trying to answer questions and provide pictures in the midst of moving especially since our nice camera still has not surfaced in the unpacking process.  Fortunately, I was able to stay in good communication with them and I am thrilled to report that I have been told "it's a wrap"!  I believe it is slated for the November edition of All You but if I hear differently I will let you know!

To be completely honest, I feel kind of weird about the whole thing because I have been way off my usual eating plan throughout the whole packing, moving and unpacking process which is still ongoing.  I try to remind myself though that the article is completely true in regards to my diagnosis, my reactions and the 30 lbs I have lost so far.  Once I am really settled I will be getting back to my plan as usual and in fact I have already been doing some reading and research and have plans for tweaking it.

Everyone has bumps in the road of life and those bumps do affect lifestyle changes we have made or are making.  I suppose there are folks who stay on their eating and/or exercise plan, whatever it may be, 100% of the time throughout any life changes but realistically I can't fathom that is a high percentage.

We Moved!

I've been absent again but this time it has been with good reason!  Since early June every minute of my spare time has been consumed with finding a new house, dealing with the contract on the new house and now moving into the new house.  We are still very much in the midst of the chaos that is unpacking in a new home while trying to get our old home ready for market but we have officially moved!  At some point I will be blogging about the move - the why - and of course, hoping to post pictures as we settle in and eventually decorate/redecorate but for now I'm continuing to unpack, organize and well, pass out from exhaustion every night.  On top of our own move we are also overseeing the renovation of my mother-in-law's home which is located in the area we now live.  She has been away from her home, living with my sister-in-law, for the last two years and there has been no success with selling her home.  So, it is now being gutted and completely updated with hopes of a quick sell by end of year.  We are on week 2 of the renovation and while we are not doing the work, we are making frequent visits to the house to see the progress, answering questions, making decisions and relaying the progress to my sister-in-law so it is rather time consuming as well.  We have finally moved everything out of our own old home and hope to get it on the market within a week.  We need lots of prayers for a quick sell there as well.  Our new mortgage will begin in October and well, no one really wants to pay two mortgages for long!  So, stay tuned for more updates on our new home as it evolves!!

Progress Pics and Super Cool Opportunity

One of my favorite food bloggers, Carolyn Ketchum, posted on Facebook that HEALTH magazine was looking for female prediabetics to interview. I submitted my contact information and was surprised to immediately hear from them. I completed an interview and was then asked for before and after pictures. I have taken all my progress pictures myself with my iPad so they are mostly faceless shots. The magazine needed pictures with my face so I had to dig around for before pics and have Mark take afters for me with no time to fix myself up. If my story is included I will be yet another statistic of women featured in magazines with awful pictures! At any rate I thought I'd share the first collage I put together for them without my face. Personally, I think these are better than what I ended up submitting at the end.




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Finally!

It took losing 30 pounds but I can finally get my engagement ring back on my finger!  I have not worn it since I was around 8 months pregnant, which was over 4 years ago!


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Good Morning!

Just thought I'd share a picture of my breakfast since it is so very lovely!


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