My Life as Mrs. G.: 2013

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Falling into Fall Swap {REVEAL}

I love everything about FALL...although living in South Florida you don't really get to enjoy the seasons, I do however live vicariously through all those who do get to enjoy the cooler weather and the fall colored leaves.

This is the 2nd year I participate in the "Falling into Fall Swap" and this year I met Jessica over at Adventures in Ginger Mommyhood

After spending a few days stalking her blog I learned that she likes a lot of similar things that I do which made shopping for her a piece of cake. Be sure to head on over to her little spot and say hello and get to know her and her little prince Clay :)

Jessica totally spoiled me... Check out all my Fall Goodies

(1) Navy Blue Scarf

(2) Glade "Cashmere Wood" Candle

(3) Sleepy Time Tea

(4) Essie Nail Polish

(5) Yarn Garland made by Jessica

Jessica made me this garland and it looks great with my new Chubby Mickey & Minnie from the Hubs. :)

(6) Journal

(7) Caramel Chocolate

(8) Reusable totebag

I totally loved all my goodies! I own many scarfs but not one in navy blue... I can't wait till it cools down a little so I can wear it. I'm no longer a coffee drinker but I do love drinking teas...the Hubs and I enjoyed a cup of the "Sleepytime" tea and have now added it to our tea list. Simply delicious! Essie Mochacino nail polish, I'm totally showing my fresh mani off, the color is Perfect! I have yet to try the chocolate, caramel bar, I'm not a huge fan of chocolate, but will have a piece from time to time...saving it for a craving day. The garland is super cute very creative and I think it looks great above my Chubby Mickey & Minnie from the Hubs...and the candle is the perfect touch to make my house smell yummy.

Thanks again for all my fall goodies Jessica...It was fun getting to know you.

Can't wait till next year!

Monday, September 30, 2013

Scissor Using Hair Chopping Baby

Scissors are hand-operated shearing instruments. They consist of a pair of metal blades pivoted so that the sharpened edges slide against each other when the handles opposite to the pivot are closed. Scissors are used for cutting various thin materials, such as paper, cardboard, metal foil, thin plastic, cloth, rope, and wire. Scissors can also be used to cut HAIR and food.

I as an adult know that scissors can be used to cut many things. I just can't figure out how a 4 yr old would know that she can use scissors to cut her hair? When I was a kid, I think I touched my first pair of scissors when I was like 5 or 6 and I sure enough did not know that I could my hair with it.

Well I'd like to introduce to you, my 4 year old niece who has discovered her passion for cutting hair, her own hair that is.

She chopped up all this hair a few days ago.

My Mom found the evidence in the trash bin.
And of course when we asked her who cut her hair, she said she didn't do it.

Here she is.

I asked her if the kids at school made fun of her, she said no Auntie, the kids actually liked my hair.

Now that I think of it, I believe my sister (her mom) cut her own hair when she was a kid. Like Mother/Like Daughter.

Have any of you Mommy's had your toddlers and not so toddlers become their very own barbers and/or hair stylists?
Or is my niece the only one who's chopped off their hair?

Friday, September 20, 2013

All About Me From A-Z Challenge: Letter G

Here's this week's All About Me... Letter G

G is for:

Granda

My new last name... I still like my maiden name better ;)

Gingerbread House:

I've always wanted to attempt to build a gingerbread house.
I think I shall try it this year. Stay tuned.

Glitter:
I love anything and everything glitter!

Google:

I don't know about you, but I google everything. My last google search was: What size shoe does a 6 year old normally wear?

Do you remember what you used before google?

"I used to AskJeeves"

Great:

Check back in next week as the challenge continues and get to know more

All About Me with the "Letter "H".

Read All About Me: A-Z Challenge- "Letter A"

Read All About Me: A-Z Challenge- "Letter B"

Read All About Me: A-Z Challenge- "Letter C"

Read All About Me: A-Z Challenge- "Letter D"

Read All About Me: A-Z Challenge- "Letter E"

Read All About Me: A-Z Challenge- "Letter F"

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Getting Healthy ~ Week 4

16 pounds in 4 weeks!

I'm speechless...As I look back at my chart to see where I started it's heartbreaking to see where I was, I even got a little teary-eyed. I remember telling my husband how badly I wanted to start eating healthy and working out and for whatever reason or another we always prolonged it. I promised myself that I would not allow the scale reach a certain number and when the scale was .2 ounces from reaching that number it hit me... and HARD! It feels great to have left that number so far behind. But this journey of mine does not end here...there's still another 49 pounds to go!

I leave you with another juice recipe till next week.

"Berry Tangy"

INGREDIENTS:

Kiwi

Strawberries

Oranges (peeled)

Blueberries
Blackberries
Raspberries

DIRECTIONS:

Process all ingredients in a juicer, shake or stir and serve.
I added 2 tablespoons of Chia seeds after juice was blended.

This is where I am today:

Weight Lost: 3 pounds

Total Lost:      16 pounds

Measurements:
Hips: 51"                        L Bicep: 13"                L Calf: 16"
Waist: 40"                    R Bicep: 13"                  R Calf: 16"
Neck: 14"                       L Thigh: 25"
Bust: 45"                      R Thigh: 26"

Sunday, September 1, 2013

Getting Healthy~ Week 3

This week I'm feeling super great! My clothes are starting to fit a little better, and I can even get into some of the clothes hidden in the bottom of my drawer, they're still a little tight, but atleast I can put them on.

Since Labor Day Weekend is around the corner and I'm having family over for a BBQ, I planned to be extra good this week so I can cheat a little on Sunday.

As we go into the new week, my body actually feels like it's been through some serious detox. I'm not feeling as bloated as I usually do, and I've also noticed that my migraines are not attacking me daily. Did I mention I was suffering from severe Migraines?

Also since I started having Chai & Flax Seeds with OJ before bed I've noticed I've been pooping alot more daily, which for me is great as I usually would only go 2-4 times a week. I know I know TMI. Sorry.

Exercise: The Hubs has made a little work out plan for us to do a few nights a week. This week we tried going up and down the stairs 10 times....that's 110 steps up and 110 steps down. Sounds exhausting, but it's doable. I was really proud of myself because I completed the 10 sets without quitting.

We didn't watch any documentaries this week, but I did pick up this TIME magazine the other day.

It has some pretty amazing articles. Here's one I really liked...

"Can Posture Change Your Mind?"Source: Time Magazine
Article by: Regina Nuzzo

Surprise: Standing tall or hunching over affects more than your appearance. To soothe an anxious mood and maybe drop a few pounds, move right this way.

The MIND-BODY CONNECTION has long been thought of as a rather simple affair. Picture it: a bossy mind orders around its servant body like an aristocrat issuing sniffy requests to a household staff downstairs. "Body, get out of bed. Arm, lift coffee mug. Mouth, we're feeling jolly. Let's have a smile." Research increasingly shows, your body downstairs has a surprising amount of influence over your mind up above.

Something as simple as your posture can affect what your brain thinks, feels and believes. Psychologists call this "embodied cognition" a term that pays homage to deep-seated wisdom hidden in our bodies. Their research is showing that how you move your muscles and where you place your limbs, head and torso all help control your mood, your behavior, and the way you think.

Postures:

Leaning In:
Makes you feel more interested in whatever you're gravitating toward. A tilt toward a tempting dessert, one study showed, is enough to light up a "gonna grab it" region of the brain.

Standing Tall:
Sparks feelings of confidence. It may make you more secure in your opinions, so you're easily less crowded.

Slouching:
Makes you feel stressed and unsure of yourself, scientists say there's a reason your mother always told you to stand up straight. Even when you do well, a hangdog posture leaves you more apt to throw in the towel.

Clutching yourself:
Signals to other people and yourself that you're low on the totem pole. Hugging yourself doesn't bring comfort; it increases stress, reduces your self-confidence, and makes you less assertive.

What is your Posture like?

This is where I am today:

Weight Lost: 3 pounds
Total Lost:     13 pounds

Measurements:
Hips: 51"                     L Bicep: 14"                L Calf: 18"
Waist: 41"                    R Bicep: 13"                  R Calf: 18"
Neck: 14"                  L Thigh: 28"
Bust: 45.5"                  R Thigh: 28"

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Getting Healthy- Week 2

This week was a little easier. I'm finally feeling a little more energy and I'm feeling great about being down 6 pounds!

I've continued to substitute 1-2 meals a day with either a shake or a juice. I've continued to snack throughout the day and still having my 8-10 glasses of water and I feel great!

This week we watched "Forks Over Knives" another Netflix documentary where Lee advocates how you can combat many diseases by eating a low fat plant based diet. You can read more about it HERE Yes, I'm a Netflix Junkie...I'm not sure how I ever survived without Netflix.

Over the weekend we juiced for Breakfast and Lunch since we had plans to go out for dinner. I was surprised to see that the juices and snacks had held me up throughout the day and I didn't feel hungry at all.

I love love love red meat...the Hubs keeps it out of our diet as much possible...but Kussifay has the yummiest parillada in town. Kussifay is an Argentinian Restaurant located in Downtown Hollywood. Whenever the Hubs and I get a chance to, we go there an order a parillada for 2. But this meal can probably feed up to 4 people. I only eat the skirt steakand the salad while the hubs likes to eat all the other stuff on the platter.

This week, we exercised lightly this week 3 days nothing too crazy. I've also started parking my car farther than usual. At work I park in the last spot on the other side of the building. At the supermarket or any other place we go we also park farther just to get in a little extra walking.

This is where I am today:
Weight Lost: 4 pounds

Total Weight Loss: 10 pounds

Measurements:
Hips: 51"                     L Bicep: 14.5"                L Calf: 18"
Waist: 44"                   R Bicep: 13.5"                  R Calf: 18"
Neck: 14.5"                   L Thigh: 29"
Bust: 46.5"                  R Thigh: 27"

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

JUICING

I wanted to share with you some of the juices we've been having to substitute our meals.

First I'll share with you our groceries...

There's a little bit of everything in that pile... total costs for all you see $94.00
This should last us about 2 weeks or so.

"Fruity Punch with a Twist"

Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

Apples - 2 medium (3" dia)

Kiwifruit - 4 fruit (2" dia)

Lemon (with rind) - 1/4 fruit (2-3/8" dia)

Lime (with rind) - 1/4 fruit (2" dia)

Oranges (peeled) - 2 fruit (2-5/8" dia)

Pineapple - 1 fruit

DIRECTIONS:
Process all ingredients in a juicer, shake or stir and serve.
I added 2 tablespoons of Chai seeds after juice was blended.

"Full of Kale-Cium"

Recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

Apple - 1 medium (3" dia)

Carrots - 3 medium

Cilantro - 1 handful

Collard Greens - 1 cup, chopped

Kale - 4 leaf (8-12")

Pepper (sweet red) - 1 medium (approx 2-3/4" long, 2-1/2 dia.)

DIRECTIONS:

Process all ingredients in a juicer, shake or stir and serve.

*Kale has a very strong taste, I had to eat an apple after drinking this juice to clear the taste afterwards.

Happy Juicing!

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Getting Healthy ~ Week 1

Last week I began my path to becoming healthy. It hasn't been easy, but it hasn't been impossible to do. I've started by reducing my portion sizes and adding 2-3 snacks in-between my meals, drinking 8-10 cups of water daily and exercising a few times a week.

I wake up around 6:40am every morning, I jump out of bed and get ready, prepare breakfast, clean up, pack lunch and out the door to play in traffic. Of course there are days where I hit the snooze button, later get up in a rush leaving me with no time for breakfast. Since the first week of any diet is a little stressful, the Hubs and I tried going to bed by 10pm so we're able to get enough rest and not feel so tired in the morning.

This week I thought I should try having a protein shake for breakfast just to get in the habit of having breakfast every morning. Let me tell you this has worked perfectly, even when I'm running late, I'm able to have my breakfast while I sit in traffic.

I've also started snacking. At 10:30am I have an apple, or a banana, or a 1/4 cup of almonds, or an orange, 1 cup of grapes. Since I started snacking this week, I find that I'm not as starving when lunch time comes around making me want to eat everything in sight.

Also drinking water throughout the day has kept me feeling full. By lunch time, this 33.8 fl oz bottle of water is gone.

I figure if you're supposed to drink 8 glasses of 8 oz of water daily, this bottle equals to a little over 4 glasses, so if I have 2 bottles that makes 8. And it's not stressful to see 3 empty bottles of bottles of water and think shoot I still have another 4 bottles to drink.

At lunch I usually have salads, or chicken and vegetables, some days I'll have tuna with 2 MultiGrain CrispBreads by Wasa. The Hubs say they taste like cardboard.

I'm also substituting my dinner with another shake. What ever was prepared for dinner that evening I have for lunch the next day.

Before bed time, I have a 4 oz glass of orange juice and mix 1 tablespoons of Chia & 1 tablespoon of Flax Seeds in it. Chia seeds is a great source of healthy Omega 3-fats and Fiber. Flaxseeds are also a great source of healthy Omega 3's, Fiber and Lignans. I gotta warn you...when you wake up in the morning, you'll poop like 10 lbs. TMI I know. :)
You can pick a bag of either for a few bucks at Whole Foods.

A few weeks before I started, The Hubs and I did a lot of research on healthy eating, exercising, and all kinds of healthy stuff. We came across this documentary on Netflix called "Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead". Where this guy named Joe started a juice fast for 60 days and lost 100 pounds. You can read more about it HERE In the past, the Hubs had always talked to me about juicing but we never really took it seriously and after watching this documentary we've included juicing into our meals. We substitute one or two meals with a juice, usually at dinner time. I've found a bunch of juicing recipes HERE.

I'm sure there are people like me who are very antsy and find it hard to wait to weigh in. For me weigh ins are on Sundays. There were times where I would weigh myself every 2 days, until it back fired on me. One day the number on the scale had increased and I freaked out! Thankfully when Sunday came around the number I was looking for was there.

I haven't done any exercising this week as I didn't want to push myself since I've reduced my portions and have replaced my meals with shakes or juicing.

Here's where I am today...

Weight Lost: 6 pounds

Measurements:
Hips: 53"                      L Bicep: 14.5"              L Calf: 17"
Waist: 42"                    R Bicep: 14.5"                R Calf: 18"
Neck: 14.5"                   L Thigh: 28"
Bust: 47"                       R Thigh: 30"