Random 5 Friday

I've been sick this week!  

However, I have a wonderful husband who has taken good care of me.

I'm on the mend! 

I've decided to look for a job outside of our home business.

Wish me luck!

Do you ever wonder what you'll look like when you turn 120 years old?

I often look in the mirror and imagine myself really old, is that weird?

My husband and I picked up a horrible habit to eat when we're hungry and just run out and grab something, rather than cook something healthy at home.  We're beginning the new year with health on our minds and starting a new diet.  I'm excited and shocked that I actually crave salads now!

I've made a goal to be more social this year.  

My husband and I moved to Texas last Summer to start our business and I've become introverted bordering agoraphobic I think.  I just stay home, my husband drives me everywhere, we go to church, but I don't reach out to the people there, I keep to myself.  It's not like me to be so closed off; moving away from my family and friends has affected me more than I thought. 

Raz and River sleeping next to me.  They look so cozy!

I hope everyone has had a great week!

XOXO

Linking with A Rural Journal's Random 5 Friday HERE!
And linking with Casey Leigh HERE!

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Calling in Sick

I've been sick for the past three days:  Snotty nose, coughing, watering eyes, fever, and my body aches all over.  My sweet husband has been taking good care of me of course; I'm lucky Joe loves me so much, even when I'm sick and gross!  My sweet animals have been taking care of me too!  Raz, as most dogs, has to be wherever we are; he prefers to be cuddled up with us on our bed.  Our cats are the same way, they love to be where we are, and they prefer to be cuddled up with us on our bed too.

This morning I woke up covered in animals!  

I was completely uncomfortable, but I didn't want to move and wake them up, they're so cute and warm!

However, the bladder will win every time:  When one has to use the restroom, the animals must move.

I hope you're all having a great week!

XOXO

Week Three - The Fast Diet

Joseph and I are still continuing our fast diet, even though we took a three week vacation for the holiday season.  During week three we didn't lose weight, but we still felt pretty good about our dieting.  We're changing  things up a bit though; after only a few weeks of preparing low calorie meals you learn what kinds of foods are high in calories and what foods are not.  We're adding an extra day of fasting, but I'm not going to keep track of every single calorie in my notebook in the kitchen; on our fast days we're not going to eat carbs or sweets of any kind.

Our schedule will go like this:  Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are our "fast days" or no carbs and sweets days.  The other days of the week we'll eat as normal.  We've only done the fast diet for three weeks and we already noticed a difference in our proportion sizes and we're not as hungry as we used to be.  It's been fun to notice these kinds of differences in just a short time.

A Fast Day Meal

This is one of our fast day meals, and it's quite filling.  I bake one boneless, skinless, chicken breast with just salt and pepper with one chicken bullion cube dissolved in 1/2 cup of water.  Adding the water and bullion gives you a juicy chicken breast with great flavor (one bullion cube is only 10 calories).  Our salad is made up of romaine lettuce, spinach, cucumber, shredded carrot, celery, a few cherry tomatoes, and 1 tablespoon of salad dressing.  I make my ranch dressing using milk and low fat plain Greek yogurt.  Using Greek yogurt rather than mayonnaise cuts out about 50 calories per tablespoon.

On our fast days we'll eat two huge green salads - one with a baked chicken breast - and we drink a lot of water and herbal tea; warm drinks help us feel full.  We don't feel like we're suffering most of the time; I do crave sweets, but when I'm having a bad craving for chocolate, I tell myself I can eat whatever I want tomorrow, and within a few minutes the cravings are gone.

Find out more information about The Fast Diet HERE!

 Read about our week two of The Fast Diet HERE!

I hope your healthy endeavors are successful!

XOXO

  

High/Low - A Sunday Ritual

High of the week

Joseph and I have had a fantastic week actually:  We finished fun projects in the bindery, spent practically all of Friday at IKEA (we were just running in for a quick look at their lamps, and stayed a while), rearranged and cleaned the studio, and discussed plans for the business.   

Low of the week
Friday night a freak thing happened to our heater in our home; it malfunctioned and wouldn't turn off!  After several different attempts of resetting it, we finally just flipped the fuse and cut off all power so the stupid thing would turn off.  Joseph left a message to our maintenance help at our apartment complex early Saturday morning, but we hadn't heard from them by 2pm.  Joseph called them again and after explaining a few times to the people in the front office about our problem, they finally sent someone to fix our heater.  Get this, the maintenance man told us the women who took our message originally told him that our heater was too hot, so we've had to open our windows.  They all had a good laugh and wondered why we didn't just turn down the thermostat!  I think something was lost in translation on that one.  Our heater is fixed now and we have the thermostat set at a cool 63 degrees
. 

This thought seems fitting for the beginning of a new year.
I can honestly say I'm living a life I'm proud of, and that feels good to say.

How was your week?

XOXO


Find out what High/Low is all about HERE!

Happy Birthday Millee!

Six years ago today my life changed in the most abrupt and not-according-to-plan way:  We lost our sweet daughter.  If Millee were here she would be the most spoiled, sweet, and pretty little thing running around Texas, I know it.  Joseph and I were just talking about how she and Diego would be good friends, D needs a sister buddy.

I became a better person because of Millee.  

I hope I can always make her proud to be my daughter.

  

Happy birthday Millee!

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Read Millee's birth story HERE.

Random 5 Friday

I really want to start hand writing letters, but I need a pen pal!  

Any one interested in becoming my pen pal?

This is the first new year that I'm feeling more tired rather than totally motivated and ready to start a new year in-a-big-way. . . 

I enjoy writing poems:  

See one HERE!

I've been thinking of taking a photography class from a local college.  

I would love to be able to take beautiful pictures!  

Two words:  Taxes and yuck!  Need I say more. . .  

Time to put this little guy away!

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend!

XOXO

Linking with Random 5 Friday HERE!

Aspire to in 2014

I think 2014 could use a bit more meekness, kindness, patience, peace, and quiet; don't you?  With so many hot issues going on in the world these days, it seems everyone has gotten more heated and even rude, and quite frankly I think it's sad.  When did freedom of speech mean freedom to be argumentative, sarcastic, and ill-mannered?  What happened to compromise and productive conversation?  It seems many are quick to be offended, believe sound bites of inaccurate information, and are slow to listen and even empathize for others. 

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It's easy to say that someone else needs to change, isn't it?  But what about changing ourselves, now that is a true challenge I think; and may be the one challenge that can truly make all the difference in our worlds.  What would our world be like if we all tried to be just a little sweeter each day?  I'm talking about our own individual worlds and the actual lives we're involved with on a day to day basis.

In 2012 my New Year goal was to stay passionate (HERE), and last year my New Year goal was to be productive (HERE).  This year my New Year goal is to be more meek.  Meekness covers a great many characteristics I would love to possess:  Righteousness, humility, teach-ability, and patience.  My hope in becoming more meek means I may become more understanding, compassionate, empathetic, and kind to my family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers.  How can I expect the world to change if I don't change myself?

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"Blessed are the meek:  for they shall inherit the earth."

Matthew 5:5

Here's to a fantastic 2014!

XOXO

    

Linking with Casey Leigh HERE!