My Journey Week 8

Not much to report this week.  I did not go weigh in on Wednesday because I had a killer headache and needed to sleep instead of drive to the meeting.  Based on my weight on the scales, I had not lost anything.  Very frustrating but I must keep moving forward.

Still need to get into the groove of working out again.  Last weekend I went back to the running store where I got my original running shoes and come to find out they had fitted me for the wrong shoes.  I was sad and happy all at the same time.  The first time my feet went into the Brooks Glycerin, I had a foot orgasm and instantly fell in love.  I wore those shoes all the time.  BUT I as my training for the 5K started increasing, so did the issues with my feet.  My feet started going numb and my left ankle started hurting really bad.

The new shoes are helping alot.  Even though there were no fireworks, moaning, and just pure enjoyment when my feet went into the Brooks Aerial, I can tell a difference with my running.  My pace has gotten so much better and I can jog over 8 minutes without stopping.  I contribute the better pace to shoes, good music, and a great running trail.

Today I'm going to run again and then start back up with the 30 Day Shred program.  I miss my work out buddies and really need to get back into it for my mental stability.  I haven't been feeling great this week and have really let those Mind Monsters (that's for you Christina) get the best of me.

Hope everyone has a great week and please keep your fingers crossed that I have a good weight loss week.

My Journey Week 6 and 7

Wow a lot has happened in the last 2 weeks.  I was on vacation for a week and had a blast catching up with friends and family.

Week 6 weigh in was .6 pound lost.  I was a little frustrated with the results but kept telling myself a loss is a loss.

Week 7 weign in was 0 pounds lost but 0 pounds gained.  I was ESTATIC about this.  While on vaction I did not track one single point and I did not eat exactly healthy.  I did watch my portion sizes and I did work out HARD three of the 6 days I was gone.

The theme for the last 2 weeks has been RECONNECTING.  I was able to reconnect with 4 friends from high school.  3 of those friends I hadn't seen in almost 21 years and my other bestie I hadn't seen in 5 years.  What was so cool is even though we hadn't seen each other in 20 years, we acted and talked like it had just been days since we last had last seen each other.

I also got to reconnect with my 3 nieces who I hadn't seen in 5 years.  2 of my nieces were 2 years old last time I saw them and really don't remember how cool their Auntie Diva is.  I got to spend the day with them on Monday and it was so much fun.  They had me laughing so hard and I miss them so much.

I LOVED running outside while I was in Washington.  I have to find some running trails in Texas.  Nothing in Texas will compare to the scenery that I experienced in Washington.

We signed up for our 1st 5K run in March and now it's time to really get serious about this running and make it happen.

Hope everyone has a great week!!!

My Journey Week 5

I know I'm a day late in posting this blog.  Little Drama Queen had a gymnastics meet this weekend and her gym was hosting so I worked the whole weekend at the gym.

Weighed on Wednesday and was very pleasantly surprised that I lost 1.2 pounds.  I was still trying to get back into my groove of eating healthier and there was still some leftover stress from Older Drama Queen's knee injury.

The theme for last week was BLESSED!!!  I have really reconnected with friends that I went to high school with 20+ years ago and we have really inspired each other and held each other accountable.  In addition to reconnecting with friends, I have met some great ladies over the last 6 months or so.  I've even started a mini workout group and Little Drama Queen's gym.  We keep each other going and lift each other up when one of us just isn't feeling it.

I was a little nervous going into the weekend due to being at the gym 12+ hours each day.  I had 2 friends hold me accountable and make sure I didn't drink a Coke or run out and grab fast food.  They were even thoughful enough to not eat fast food around me.  I packed my food for the day and snacked when I got hungry.  Not one time did I crave a Coke or fast food.  I did have a few slivers of dessert and nachos on Sunday but I'm human and did not over do it.  I even earned activity points for walking around the gym like a chicken with its head cut off.

Well it's time to wrap up my day and prepare for tomorrow.  Got to start packing and getting ready for my mommy vacation.  Looking forward to seeing my friends and family in less than 48 hours!!!

My Journey Week 4

This week's weight loss was 1 pound.  I've lost a total of 5.4 pounds in 4 weeks.  My goal is to be at my target weight by the end of the year so if I keep losing a pound a week, I'll make it.

The theme for this week was CHAOTIC.  Older Drama Queen got hurt at a basketball game a little over a week ago.  We were at some type of doctor visit every day this week.  Juggling work, school, working out, and trying to stay on track with my eating proved to be very difficult.

While I stayed away from junk food and Cokes, I did not eat very well this week.  On top of taking care of Older Drama Queen, Little Drama Queen had the flu, and I was dealing with some sort of flu like illness myself.  I had no appetite all week and struggled with eating.

I did manage to work out but my 5K training was horrible.  I couldn't focus while running.  Mainly because I was battling a low grade fever, while sneezing and having a runny nose.  I will probably try week 4 again since it really will not do me any good to try week 5.

Friday night my body shut down completely.  I went to sleep around 9 pm on Friday and did not FULLY wake up until 12 am Sunday.  I did get up long enough on Saturday to eat some lunch, but that was about it.  And I'm not talking about laying in bed watching TV rest.  I'm talking about fully asleep, could not keep my eyes open.

So today is a new day and next week is a new week.  I'm going to try and run today and get back on track with my eating.  Wish me luck...

Hope everyone has a great week.

One More for the Road

I have some spare time this morning while Older Drama Queen sleeps in and Little Drama Queen is at a sleepover.

When I did WW before and now again this time around, I have heard a lot of excuses from people as to why they can't lose weight and I'm here to call bull**** on those excuses.  Believe me, I was one of those people who used the excuses and I hope I will not slip up and use the excuses again.

Excuse #1 when I tell people I joined WW:
I can't afford the monthly fee for WW.

My thoughts:
It costs about $40 a month to be on WW if you attend the meetings.  It's a little less if you do it online.  Find out what you spend most of your weekly money on and cut that activity in half.  For me, I would spend about $20 a week on books.  Reading is good, but it also became an addiction and money pit for me.  I would lay in bed all weekend long and read.  No excercise.  No healthy eating. No interaction with my family.

Stop spending money on fast food.  It may seem convenient but I have found that the amount of time I wasted on getting dressed and driving to the fast food place, I could've made my own meal in half the time and half the money.

If you truly are serious about losing weight and need help from people who have been in your shoes, I strongly believe WW is the way to go.  And if it's important to you, then you will find the money to do so.

Excuse  #2 when I tell people I joined WW:
I don't want to take the time to count points.

My thoughts:
Seriously???  How freaking lazy are you really?  I'm one busy mom and wife who works a full time job, shuffles kids around town every night until 8:00 pm and I can find the time to track my points.  Hell a lot of the foods already have the point value on the front of the box.  Most of us have smart phones and WW has made it so easy to track points.  It has a scanner app so you can just scan food at the grocery store and most of the time the point value will pop up.  But if it doesn't then just plug a few numbers into the calculator and you find the point value.  I spend about 2 minutes each day tracking my food intake.

So you don't want to join WW?  That's fine...find an app or program that will help you count your calories.  I have some friends who have been very succesful using the Lose It app.  The key is that you HAVE to track your food!!!!  It will hold you accountable for what you eat and you will make better decisions.

Excuse #3 when I tell people I joined WW:
I never had any success with it and was sick when I tried WW.

My thoughts:
You weren't following the plan then.  The plan has changed a lot since I was on it over 4 years ago.  You can still eat and drink whatever you want on WW, you just can't have it 7 days a week.  And that is really true for any calorie counting plan.  WW has you incorporate lots of fruits, veggies, dairy, and water into their plan.  They give you 49 extra points each week so you can splurge and the program gives you activity points to use if you get your butt off the couch and get active.  I know several drs that endorse this plan.  It's not a quick plan.  You don't drink shakes to flush out your system.  There are no miracle pills.  The plan is to teach you how to live a healthy lifestyle without being deprived.  I still go out to fast food places.  I just chose to get smaller portions and if I'm still hungry, I grab a fruit to fill me up.

Excuse #4
I don't like to excercise because I don't have the time.

My thoughts:
You have the time to drive thru and get Whataburger for dinner and watch Biggest Loser don't  you?  Get off your ass and go for a walk around the block.  You will feel so much better.  But if you're going to start exercising don't ruin it by going to Whataburger or Braum's to reward your self.

Excuse #5
I don't like fruits and/or veggies

My thoughts:
Too bad sister!!!  You have to eat fruits and veggies.  I am not a big veggie person but I LOVE fruit.  When I know I need veggies, I'll go to Subway and get a sandwich and load up on veggies.  To be perfectly honest, I have no clue what to look for at the grocery store when purchasing veggies.  I just stick with the bagged baby spinach, carrots, and cucumbers.  You are an adult.  Grow up and try a vegetable or two.  You may like it.

You wanna know something?  All of these excuses I listed above are excuses I have made over the years.  If I can do it, you can do it.  I remember a friend of mine texting me and inviting me to go run with her.  My reply back was, "If I'm going to run anywhere, it's going to be to the refrigerator to get my ice cream."  I'm glad that I got back in the zone and am really focusing.  It's not all that bad and I feel so much better.

If you would like some encouragement and need help getting started, you know how to get in touch with me.  But if you're not seriously ready and are going to keep making excuses, don't waste my time.  I don't have the energy for it.

One last note...My friend, Jenn, would randomly send me texts or FB posts telling me I need to start running.  She would get on to me about all the Cokes and sugar I was consuming.  I knew she was right, but I wasn't ready to give all that up.  I did not waste her time in helping get over my pity party.  Now that I'm serious, I yearn for her help.  Even though she is 2,000 miles away, we text everyday and she checks up on me.  I never once doubted her knowledge of nutrition or exercising and so far she has been spot on with everything she has suggested to me.  And I love passing that knowledge on to others.

My Journey Week 3

Wednesday was my weigh in and I kept telling people that I felt lighter and was hoping for a great weigh in.  Well, I was right as I lost 2.8 pounds week 3.  My grand total is 4.4 pounds in 3 weeks, which averages out to 1.5 pounds a week.  Very doable and a healthy way to lose weight.

I have to contribute week's 3 success to maintaing and tracking what I ate, keeping up with my 5K training, and all of my supporters.  You know who  you are and I love you!!!!

This week's theme was all about discoveries.  Meaning, I discovered new healthy yet enjoyable foods to eat.  The first couple of week consisted of Lean Cuisine meals, fruit, and Subway breakfast sandwiches.  While I still love all of those, I was getting burned out on eating the same stuff.

My favorite discovery this week was Veggie Straws.  OH MY GAWD!!!  My Weight Watcher leader kept going on and on about these things so I finally found them at the store and HOLY COW they are yummy.

They are 1 point for per serving (38 straws) or 130 calories per serving.  This is the perfect alternative to eating chips with a sandwich.  So far I have only been able to find them at Walmart and they are located near the rice cakes at the very top of the shelf.  38 straws is a lot and these will fill you up.

My next favorite food discovery was Laughing Cow cheese.  1 point for each wedge or 35 calories.  1 wedge is plenty to to spread across a sandwich.

I was tired of eating plain dry sandwiches.  I DO NOT like reduced fat mayo and am not a big fan of mustard.  Again, my Weight Watcher leader went on and on about these cheeses.  This week for breakfast I would get a whole wheat english muffin, spread the Chiptole Queso cheese flavor on it, cut up a boiled egg, put some baby spinach leaves on top of that, and slap on a few slices of turkey and that was my breakfast.  Saved me $3.25 from going to Subway each morning and it was so very good.  I was able to get a protein, carb, dairy, and veggie out of that one sandwich.  I also ate banana or apple with the sandwich.

As y ou can probably tell, I love sandwiches but I didn't want to use 4-6 points on just 2 pieces of bread.  A friend told me about the Sara Lee 45 calorie bread and I really like it.  I'm a bit of a bread snob and will only eat Mrs. Bairds bread.

This is 2 points or 45 calories for 2 slices of bread.

And my last discovery (actually I used to use these a lot when I was on WW 4 years ago) are the Crystal Light packets that you put in your water. 

Actually, I was cheap this week and bought the generic form of the packets.  Let's face it, water gets boring.  I have not had anything to drink except for water and milk since December 31st.  Mainly because I want to use my points for FOOD and not drinks.  And I'm weird in the fact that I HAVE to have a glass of milk with my dinner if I'm eating at home.  So the water was getting a little boring day in and day out.  Picked up a few flavors of these and drinking water isn't half bad.  These are 0 points or 5 calories.

That about wraps up this week's blog.  I'm gearing up for another busy week and getting ready for my trip to Washington.  Hope everyone has a great week.

My Journey Week 2

Week 2 presented itself with several different challengs and I'm happy to report that I handled those challenges with success.

I had my weigh in on Wednesday and I only lost .2 pounds but I am not discouraged.  Again, it was a loss.  There was nothing I could've done differently during the week.  I stuck with my plan and excercised 3 times during the week.  Stayed away from Cokes and candy.  Ate all my alloted fruits and veggies and probably drank up whole Lake Michigan in water.  The point is is that I feel better and if it takes me 3 years to get this weight off then so be it.

The theme for this week was CHOICES.  I was faced with several different challenges this week and instead of going back to my old ways of eating and have the f*** it attitude, I made good choices.

I learned that I can eat out and still enjoy good food with good people.  I may not have eaten that 1500 calorie meal, but I ate 500 calorie meal and did not feel like I was losing out on anything.  The food was still great and the company was fantastic.

Last Monday was a tough training day for me.  I started feeling sick about 2/3 of the way into training.  Instead of stopping and just making Geek Boy get the car and drive me home, I walked briskly through the rest of my training.  Got back up a 5:15 am on Wednesday and trained.  Did the same thing on Friday at 5:15 am and felt great after the training.  I even threw my hands up in triumph like runners do when they cross the finish line.

Well Jillian Michaels is calling me on my treadmill so I better go get started on my day.

Hope everyone has a great week!!!

My Journey Week 1

Last Wedneday was my weigh in and I lost 1.4 pounds.  I have to admit, I was hoping for at least a 2 pound loss. but hey a loss is a loss.  As long as that scale keeps going down and STAYS down.

In the past week I have been very proud of my accomplishments and have noticed a significant difference in the way I feel.

My accomplishments were:

Sticking to my points plus value with Weight Watchers
No Cokes or candy during the week
Started actually training for a 5K and enjoying training

During this week I noticed a lot of things (things that so many people have tried to tell me and I wouldn't listen) like: 

Now that I'm eating lots of fruits and veggies, I feel so much better.  I'm not as lethargic as I was.  Just two weeks ago I would literally fall into bed as soon as I got home from work.  If it was a night my girls had an activity then I would take a quick nap, go to their activity, and go to bed.

I don't miss drinking Cokes.  All of you know I'm a Coke (or recovering Coke) junkie.  I had one bad headache right after I stopped and that was it.  I know I'm the exception to the rule.  I'm the one who smoked for 3 years and just one day quit with do withdrawals.

I really do enjoy walking/running.  Now when I'm doing it, I want it to be over, but once I'm done and I see that I have accomplishment a longer distance in the same amount of time, I feel proud of myself and want to go at it again.  I've tried running in the past and hated every minute of it (and this was when I was in great shape), but I think the key for me is the Run 5K app that I use on my phone.

I have a great support system.  Geek Boy has gone with me on every run and walk this week (except the 5:45 am one) and he has been a great motivator.  That first run was tough and thank God he was there because I would've had to have been picked up off the side of the road.  We are looking at schedules to run our first 5K together and I'm excited.

In addition to Geek Boy, I have 4 WONDERFUL motivators who I check in with daily.  Jenn has been wonderful.  I call her my Out of State trainer.  When I need great advice on running and what to do next, she's the one I text.  So far she has been spot on.  Most important thing when running-good running shoes.  Joyce, Christina, and Keri---you guys ROCK.  Thank you so much for all your support this last week.  I can't wait to see what the 4 of us accomplish this year.

Well, the family just got up so my blogging time has come to an end.

Have a great day everyone.

Goodbye 2012...Hello 2013...

So it's been about 8 months since I've blogged.  A lot has happened over those 8 months but I won't bore you with all the details because frankly I don't want to relive the last 8 months.

Last year was a rough year for me emotionally.  Lots of changes at work.  Changes with my daughter's extracurriculer activities.  Changes financially.  I was in a deep depression most of the year.  During one week last year I was going to file for divorce, I tried quit my job, I was going to move to Florida, and when non of that happened I was going to go buy a new house.  Sounds pretty funny now, but it wasn't funny at the time.  I was not in a good place and it was scary. Only those close to me knew how bad I really was and I thank them now for saving me.  Took a lot of tears and tough love to make me open my eyes.  I went to my wonderful doctor  who I cried to for about 30 minutes and he changed my medication.  He told me to call him if the new medicine didn't work and said he would work with me and help me get through this.  He assured me I wasn't crazy (which is still debatable) but that I was just like every working mom with 2 teenage daughters. The medicine has seemed to help a lot, but I'm still not 100% there.

This year I'm taking control of myself and getting myself back on track. 4 years and 9 months ago, I joined Weight Watchers and lost about 20 pounds.  I worked out some but it was mainly watching my portion controls and choosing healthier foods to eat.  I was looking GOOD!!!  I could go into anystore and wear the cute little clothes and people noticed my weight loss.  Well I got cocky and stopped  Weight Watchrs, thinking I could do it on my own.  Well 4 years and 9 months later I have gained all that weight back plus 30 pounds.

Last Wednesday I joined Weight Watchers again and I am determined to make this lifestyle change.  Most of you know that my youngest is a gymnast.  She trains 4 days a week 3 hours a night.  Plus is at school and has gym time there.  During competition season she is working out 5 days a week (that's including competition days).  I watch her diet very closely and make sure she gets all of her fruits and veggies in for the day.  As well as LOTS of protein during work out days.  It hit me the other day while I was making her lunch, "Why am I not doing this for myself?  Why can't I just make the same lunch for me as I'm making for her?  DUH!!!"  She has been a great motivator and helping me stay on track when it comes to food.  It really hasn't been that hard.  First few days I was pretty hungry and had a caffeine headache, but I don't miss the Cokes and I still get my chocolate in every day.

I also started walking.  My daughter wants to do a 5k with me and I'm thinking about registering us for the Cowtown 5k at the end of February.  I did this 5k a few years ago and walked it most of the time but loved it.  Long term goal is to do a half maration in December in Dallas with 3 GREAT friends who are coming down from Washington State and one of my best friends from South Carolina.

Short term goal is to lose some pounds by the time I go to Washington in February and be able to walk/run enough to go running with some of by besties in Washington. 

I'm hoping to spend more time blogging this year.  Please come back and visit every so often.

Yummy Chicken and Wild Rice Recipe

Wanted to share this recipe with all my friends and family who read my blogs.  This recipe was given to me by a friend and it has been a HIT in our house.

Chicken and Wild Rice
1 box Uncle Ben's Wild & Long Grain Rice (prepared as directed)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can water or milk (I use milk)
2 cups chicken cooked and chopped
1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese grated

Mix cooked rice, soup chicken, milk and one up cheese and place in 13x9 dish.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Sprinkle remaining cheese on top and bake for 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted.

My kids beg me to make this dish all the time.  ENJOY!!!

Basket of Love

I put together this Valentine's Day basket for my daughter's elementary school.  They are having a silent auction this weekend and I thought it would be neat to donate some of my product (and perhaps drum up some new business).

This is the first basket I've done and I thought it turned out quite nice (once I discovered glue dots).  Look forward to doing some other baskets in the future for various events.

Rut

I'm in a rut and not sure how to get out.  A friend of mine summed it up best when she told me she feels like she is failing at everything.  That's kind of how I feel right now.  I go through the motions of work, go pick up the kids, take them to their activities and fall into bed.  The only pure enjoyment I have is working my Scentsy business and snuggling in bed with my Kindle.  I feel like a total failure as a mother probably because my oldest is constantly making me feel like a shitty mother.  I feel like I am constantly trying to make her happy and no matter what I do, she is never satisfied and always wanting more.

I feel overworked and underappreciated.  Yes, I am 99% of the population and that's why I feel so silly even posting this.  But the fact is that I just don't give a rat's ass about anything anymore.  That is not like me.  My mom always told me that if something is worth doing, it's worth doing 100%.  I try to live with that motto but man am I failing at it lately.

Don't care what happens at work.  Don't really care what happens at home.  Don't really care about how the girls are doing in school.  Don't care if we have food in the house (there's always Jack in the Box down the street).  I am just going through the motions.  I sat at a recent PTA meeting and just stared off into space.  Didn't have anything of value to add and I just sat there because a seat needed to be filled.

The last few days I keep telling myself something is missing in my life, but I can't figure out what it is.  I feel unsettled.  Would a new job help?  Probably not because that just adds more stress and I don't want to learn another job.  Would a new car help?  Probably not because then I would be pissed off about a new car payment.  Would new children help?  Probably not because I don't want to go through the infant stage again.  Even though my children drive me crazy to no end, we're halfway to getting them out of the house so why would I want to start over?  Would a new house help?  I have been really giving this a lot of thought lately.  But then just thinking of the daunting task of getting our house ready to sell and trying to find that dream home just sends me back to bed and into my reading hole.  Would me staying at home trying to expand my Scentsy business help?  I think I would be happier if I could stay home and do this, but I was a stay at home mom several years ago and it financially ruined us.  I would hope that if I decided to stay home, that I learned a lesson and at least worked part time to supplement my income.  But then that just adds stress to me and some guilt on my part because I don't want Geek Boy to feel like he has to take on the financial burden.

So there you have it....If you are texting me, emailing me, Facebooking me and I'm not responding it's probably because I don't feel like socializing.  The only time I feel like doing any of the above is when I'm working on Scentsy.  So unless you're wanting to place an order, host a party, or join my team I probably won't get back with you...LOL

I Did It!!!!!!!

I set several goals for 2011-  Lose weight, adopt a boy, become a Stay at Home Diva, become debt free, get my children under control, read 52 books.

I was debt free for two months until Geek Boy's car decided to catch on fire.  So technically the only goal  I accomplished was reading 52 books in 2011!!!!  Perhaps if I wouldn't have been reading so much, I could've lost weight, and I could've gotten my children under control.  The adoption goal didn't work out simply because we were not willing to change our lifestyle according to the state's mandates.  Still working on the Stay at Home Diva thing, but I've been working on that for 6 years so who knows when or if it will happen.

It was a lot harder than I thought it would be.  In September I was on a roll and was ahead by 8 books.  But then I just stopped reading.  I couldn't figure out a genre to read.  My reading drought came to an end at the beginning of December.  I was determined to reach this goal.

Here's a list of books that I read:

1.  Lineage of Grace
2.  Blood Orange
3.  After
4.  Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World
5.  Into the Wild
6.  I'd Know You Anywhere
7.  Room
8.  Water for Elephants
9.  Mudshark
10.All Stations Distress
11.Redeeming Love
12.The Weight of Silence
13.Calvin Coconut
14.The Condition
15.Medical Error
16.Crossing Oceans
17.Sing You Home
18.The Atonement Child
19.I Know This Much is True
20.Night Road
21.Heart of the Matter
22.The Murderer's Daughter
23.The Virgin Suicides
24.Saving Max
25.Inconceivable
26.Her Last Letter
27.Look Again
28.These Things Hidden
29.Messanger: The Legacy of Mattie J.T. Stepanek and Heartsongs
30.Indian Killer
31.Story of Beautiful Girl
32.The Notebook
33.The Rose Killer
34.Red Tent
35.Hunger Games
36.Catching Fire
37.Mockingjay
38.Stuck in the Middle
39.Shiver
40.Linger
41.Forever
42.Turtle in Paradise
43.Still Missing
44.Daniel's Gift
45.The Case of the Mistaken Identity
46.Never Knowing
47.Wild Times at the Bed and Biscuit
48.Silent Run
49.Sarah's Key
50.The Midwife's Confession
51.Pearl in the Sand
52.The Boy Who Came Back from Heaven

The book that had the most impact for me was Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers.  I read it early in the year and I still have not found a book that tops this story.  IT IS A MUST READ!! I have yet to find anyone who did not like this book.

The most emotional book that I read was Crossing Oceans by Gina Holmes.  I cried so much while reading.  My kids thought I had absolutely lost my mind.  I warned several friends to not read the book at work during their lunch hour, but they didn't listen to me and I got a lot of "I should've listened to you" comments on my Facebook.

The best series I read was the Hunger Games Trilogy.  Really didn't think I could get into the series but for whatever reason, the timing must've been just right because I was sucked into the books instantly.  Can't wait for the movie to come out in March.

The weirdest book I read was Room.  It was very different but well worth the read.

The longest book I read was I Know This Much is True.  I tried reading this about 13 years ago, when Oprah originally told me to, but I was busy taking care of a newborn and just didn't have the time to read.  I think the size of the actual book was intimidating to me, but this time around I read it on my Kindle.

My favorite non fiction book was Inconceivable.  This family has incredible strength and faith.  Not sure that I could've done what they did.  Actually I know I could've but I know it would've been an emotional nightmare.

Not sure what my 2012 goal will be but I'm sure it will be over 52 books.  Reading truly relaxes me and it something I must do to unwind from a busy day.  To follow what I'm reading go to www.goodreads.com and search my name.  We can be friends on this website.  I get a lot of book ideas from this website.  Books that I normally wouldn't read, I have found on this website and for the most part have enjoyed all of them.  I love to see what others are reading.

155 of 365...An Apple A Day

An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but a Coke a day keeps the bitch away...

154 of 365...We're Out...

Geek Boy and I have decided we are not going to do fostering and will not adopt through CPS.  I'm okay with it and I'm glad I finally saw his view point and realized this would be a lot of work and frankly, I'm not willing to change my whole lifestyle for the State of Texas.  The rules are crazy and I understand why so many kids end up in foster care and age out of the system.  It's sad and it breaks my heart, but this is not for our family right now. 

We have not told our Family Specialist yet and at this point I could care less if she contacts us.  It's ridiculous that our Home Study was done on August 10 and it is now October 20 and we are still not licensed.  I know...I know...this is par for the course when you deal with the state.  All the more reason why this is not for us.

We would still like to adopt but not through CPS.  And since we don't have $30,000 to spend on a private agency, I'm not totally sure how we will adopt. 

In the meantime, I'm going to really focus and have fun on the Scentsy business.  Geek Boy and I are officially debt free and we are going to enjoy the financial freedom.  Although, I'm really itching for a new car.  Nothing is wrong with my current car but I think I would look smokin' cool in a brand new white Ford Explorer...LOL 

That's all I've got for now...

153 of 365...Taco Soup

Today I had my Scentsy Launch Party.  Several of my friends and family came over for lunch and dessert and listened to me give a sales presentation.  We all had a great time getting to know each other and visit.  A couple of people I hadn't seen in like 3 years and it really meant a lot to  me for everyone to take time out of their busy day to help me with this new business adventure.  So again, A BIG THANK YOU!!!

I served Taco Soup and have had several requests for the recipe.  So here it is:

2 lbs ground beef
1 small onion
1 can ranch style beans
1 can pinto beans
1 can lima beans
2 cans corn (drained)
2 cans diced tomatoes
1 can Rotel with green chilis
1 package taco seasoning
1 package ranch dressing seasoning
1 1/2 cups water

Brown meat and onion.

Mix the meat mixture with all of the other ingrediants and put in crock pot.  High 4 hours or low 8 hours.  You can also do this on the stove but I've never cooked it on the stove so have no idea how long it would need to cook.

Garnish with cheese and/or tortilla chips. Service 10-15 people.  Freeze leftovers.

152 of 365...Dear No-Sense-of-Humor Family Specialist

Dear No-Sense-of-Humor Family Specialist,

I really appreciate you working so hard on our home study.  We appreciate your honesty when you told us it would take 6 weeks to get it completely typed up.  We understand you're underpaid and overworked.  Thank you for all you do and without a doubt, Geek Boy and I could not do your job in a million years.

We have tried to answer all of your questions with great thought and honesty.  Questions like: How was your childhood?  Why do you want to foster and/or adopt?  What is your happiest memory as a child?  What was the most traumatic experience in your childhood?  How do you deal with grief?

Even the toughest questions you asked like What is meal time like in your family?  You didn't even cringe when I said Older Drama Queens are pretty much fed Pop Tarts and cereal for dinner.  You seemed very unsurpised when we showed you the pantry during the home study and there were 20 boxes of cereal and 5 boxes of Pop Tarts.

When you asked about the frequency and satisfaction level of mine and Geek Boy's sex life, I was taken back a little by the directness of the question, but I answered it.  By the way, I hope you didn't honestly believe when I told you 7 days a week, morning noon and night, and it's earth shattering.  That was MY sense of humor coming out but I'm really not so sure you caught on to that because you just sat there stoned face and typed away.

On Friday afternoon you asked the toughest and most personal question so far.  What is my hair color?????  Seriously????  You need to know this why?????  Perhaps when a child is placed into CPS care and you're looking to place him, you need to make sure we are a good fit based on hair color?  Isn't that kind of like profiling?

Not only is this a very personal question to answer but it's a very HARD question to answer.  If you would've asked me 5 months ago what my hair color was, you would've gotten one color.  If you would've asked me 6 weeks ago when you spent 6 grueling hours at my home, you would've gotten a whole different color.  Hell, if you would've emailed me on Thursday afternoon, the color would've been different yet again.

So after consulting with my wonderful hairstylist, the answer to your question is: 6/77 with 6/4 and highlights.

Please let me know if I can be of further assistance to you.  If the color changes at anytime between now and the time we can finally adopt, I will certainly keep you informed.

Sincerely,
Diva Finch

151 of 365...Something Fishy About This...

I hate this fish yet somehow how it has managed to linger in my life for 11 years!!! Geek Boy's sister and her husband bought this fish for Older Drama Queen when she was 2 or 3. I was appalled when I saw this fish and conveniently left it at my mother in law's house, where the gift was opened. When my in law's moved 6 years ago, I am pretty sure I threw this in the trash pile and I'm pretty sure someone took it out of the trash pile. I have just pretty much ignored the fish when visiting my in law's.

On Friday, we picked up our 4 year old niece at my in law's house to spend the night with us. She was able to bring a few toys over to our house and of all the toys, she picked that damn fish.

I had nightmares. Older Drama Queen told me it was her fish and she wanted it to stay at our house. I told her she could go find someplace else to live!!!

The fish did make it back to my in law's house.

150 of 365...Hard Drive Whisperer

My hard drive in my laptop died today. Geek Boy tried to recover all of my information but it's no use.

I watched him whisper to the hard drive, encouraging it to start spinning. He knelt down real close to the hard drive and tried to encourage it to come back to life. He gently caressed it, but to no avail. He blew it kisses, with the hopes it would just come alive. Nope. Nada. Dead!!!!!

- Posted by Diva Finch using

Blogpress

149 of 365...A Conversation Between A Mother And Daughter

Oh the emotions a teenager goes through.  I really do try to be sympathetic and listen but at times one can only handle so much.  So in a heated argument last night between myself and Older Drama Queen, here's how the conversation ended...

Me:  Are you about to start your period?

Older Drama Queen:  No.  Are you still taking your Prozac?

We went to our own rooms after that and slept soundly hoping for a better day today.