Splurging…

Just back from a week long vacation. We spent our time at our family’s lake house, while it would typically be relaxing and peaceful it was also work time.

Our goal was to stay on track with our diet changes, but since we had done so well over the past few weeks, we felt it was OK to splurge a little knowing that it could result in a little increase on the scale. I was a bit more “splurgey” than Joe – he tends to get seriously serious when he sets his mind to it! He did enjoy pizza night though. We stayed pretty focused ordering a thin crust and tried not to over do that. A couple pieces and a trip to the salad bar, avoiding things we knew had those sneaky sugars and carbs!

I feel as if it wasn’t a set back at all. In my opinion, if you have a little set back or splurge it doesn’t mean all is lost!
 

Just continue on with the plan and it’s OK! It seems so often it’s easy to think that since you already cheated or splurged that you have to “start all over” – I feel that if you do have a “treat” then you shouldn’t say…oh, I’ll just start over tomorrow…it’s much easier to get back on task right away than to put it off, I’ve always heard tomorrow never comes. Try not to focus on what you just ate…that is done, you can’t change it…it’s already passed. Go right back to the plan you set and forget about it!

Depriving yourself isn’t helpful either…if you really want some ice cream you are not going to be satisfied with a celery stick! I am by NO means saying have an ice cream whenever you feel the want, I think it would be better to have a small amount of ice cream than to feel the feeling of frustration and focus on NOT having it. Do not over indulge though, have a small portion or look for a healthy (low carb) option. Read the labels. Look for hidden sugars and carbs. I personally haven’t tried any of the low carb alternatives. I haven’t found one that really appealed to me enough. Our options are quite limited considering where we live and I am still learning. Please share with me if you have tried any and perhaps how you felt about it.

We have been back for about 4 days now and are back in the swing of things. I have lost the couple lbs I gained back and even another to boot! It’s been kinda fun finding new ways to eat old favorites too! I’ve always enjoyed bread but last night we tried lettuce wraps… Chicken salad (chopped up rotisserie chicken, celery, onions, salt & pepper, and a little mayo) with some clementine tomatoes wrapped nicely in a leafy lettuce… MMMMMMMM MMMM it was very tasty and I really liked the crunch of the lettuce. For our special dessert/sweets we had strawberry mousse(ish).

Working on the proper balance of fats and proteins I would say is the biggest challenge but I think we may be doing alright…it’s all a work in progress and even at that it’s working!!! So don’t be afraid to at least try!

 

More Going Keto

A ketogenic diet (keto) is a very low-carb diet, which turns the body into a fat-burning machine. It has many potential benefits for weight loss, health and performance, but also some potential initial side effects.

I am excited that so many have wanted to know more and am thrilled to share with you what I know or am learning. I am a novice with the “keto diet”, most of my information comes from researching and Joe telling me what he has found. 

In my last blog I mentioned one of the guys that works for Joe was telling him how great it was and bragging about how much he had lost. He took the extreme route by doing nothing but eggs for 2 weeks, something similar to this:
https://www.diet-blog.com/16/egg-diet.php

Who should NOT do a ketogenic diet?
from:           https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto

Most people can safely do a ketogenic diet.
But in these three situations you may need extra preparation or adaptation:
Are you on medication for diabetes, e.g. insulin? Learn more
Are you on medication for high blood pressure? Learn more
Are you breastfeeding? Learn more

Joe and I weren’t too keen about just eggs so we did a little research found information on ketogenic diets. Here are a few of the sites we referred to:
https://authoritynutrition.com/ketogenic-diet-101/
https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/keto

Alleviate Keto Flu = Replenish Electrolytes!

BE SURE TO PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR BODY IF YOU START. And read  about Keto Flu and how to avoid or minimize it. There is a period you will feel fatigued, headache, irritability to name a few. Your body is mad because you aren’t giving it those nasty carbs… I don’t feel we suffered it too bad.  Electrolyte drinks are very helpful…just watch for those sneaky carbs…

Our choice has been very, very low carb – in fact mostly none. In the past four weeks we have only eaten out once, but it can be done if you are committed. We chose to stick with getting familiarized with what our diet was going to consist of. When we went out the other day it was actually easier than I thought it would be. We didn’t go fast food though. We went to a full service restaurant. I feel it was actually pretty easy to make choices because for us at this point we didn’t really crave the carbs. Our waitress came over with some of their delicious bread and we just let her know we would prefer not to have it … no problem. We both ordered a steak with steamed broccoli and side salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing hold the croutons. I am not sure about the actual carb count in the dressing but considering we had no other carbs I am sure it was ok, and it was just a tiny portion on the side. Our dinner was delicious and filling and we certainly left feeling satisfied not deprived! So that’s a big fat win!

You may be wondering what our meals are like so I’ll give ya just a little overview.
There are always boiled eggs on hand.
Cheese is a quick snack – love string cheese.
BACON – we get to eat bacon. I am not a huge bacon lover but…. I do enjoy that we can have it.
Sour cream and cream cheese!
Heavy whipping creams????
Nuts, nuts, and more nuts – these are perfect for a little hunger buster. It’s surprising how a handful of almonds can curb the hunger.
Typical dinners are meat and vegi and/or big salad…and we get full on the first plate…. haven’t gone back for seconds so we don’t over do it!
Actually this a pretty good guide to what you can and can’t have
https://ketodietapp.com/Blog/post/2015/01/03/Keto-Diet-Food-List-What-to-Eat-and-

also, there’s a difference between carbohydrates and net carb –

“What’s a net carb?” It’s simple really! The net carbs are your total dietary carbohydrates, minus the total fiber. I recommend keeping total carbs below 35g and net carbs below 25g (ideally, below 20g).

I feel like there’s so much more I want to share…. but don’t want to be overwhelming.

Please ask any questions or feel free to comment. This is still relatively new and I love to get input from those who want to learn or already have a great grasp on it!

DISCLAIMER –The content of this blog not intended for the treatment or prevention of disease, nor as a substitute for medical treatment, nor as an alternative to medical advice. Use of recommendations is at the choice and risk of the reader.

 

Going Keto

Recently we have embarked on a journey of trying a “ketogenic diet”.

My husband came home one day and was telling me about one of the guys who works for him was doing a extreme egg diet where he was eating nothing but eggs for 2 weeks and had lost like 20 lbs.

I thought he was crazy!!! I am not a huge fan of eggs but do enjoy them from time to time.

I am always skeptical of quick weight loss and anything that touts easy weight loss….but… and there’s plenty to get rid of …. I thought we would look into this since we have both been complaining about how we needed to do something!

Hubby and I started looking into the Ketogenic Diet. We looked into diets and weight loss but never too seriously. After doing a little bit of research we thought we would give it a try.
Mostly cutting carbs or eliminating completely in our case….and there seemed to be some good recipes/ideas.

Our new adventure was not too bad at first. We ate eggs – boiled, scrambled, and fried…. and then there was BACON! What!? a diet that included bacon? OK!!!!

We are now in about week 4 of this goal – each of us have lost nearly 20lbs and feeling great! I’m not gonna lie… there were challenges to overcome. Keto diets can contribute to dehydration – if you decide to try this be sure to get an electrolyte supplement to avoid KETO FLU. There are many options out there and to me the biggest key is making sure they don’t have hidden sugars/carbs. There are powdered options and homemade recipes available. Our choice at the time was Sqwincher Zero, which come in a variety of flavors. I do recommend doing research to find what works best for you!

I’ve been experimenting with recipes and ideas on pinterest and am still trying to balance it. My favorite so far is Keto Mousse, it’s almost like cheating!

I am so excited about the results and finally feel as if there is something that doesn’t require going to extremes (mostly). I miss bread but am currently working on trying recipes for that too. Today I tried making “keto tortillas”, the recipe I used seemed like a fail and will not try that again but we found a “low carb” alternative so even when we want taco night we can splurge!

Please feel free to like, follow, comment or whatever…. I want to continue to share this journey…. I am excited about the results so far and plan to share actual pics of how we are doing.

 

 

How To Date Your Spouse On A Budget

Source: How To Date Your Spouse On A Budget

I love this….

Brent and Cailey have always been an inspiration to me and this confirms even more why! They are so creative, funny, loving, and really have some good things to say.

 

Take a look at their first vlog – be sure to give it a like or subscribe if ya liked it and want more!

 

Thanks Brent and Cailey! keep em coming

 

Printers…..what a rip off!

Printers…am I right?

I have a canon printer that I purchase a couple years ago…

I have had it boxed up because I had been using the HP printer that was already installed on my computer and the canon was something I bought because it worked with my cake decorating stuff –

Well, I decided to make it a main printer because my kids were wanting to print and thought it would be easier if they could do it wirelessly and the HP printer I had was “pre wireless”. I knew I had a wireless one and thought it would be an easy swap out…

IT COULD HAVE BEEN….

but I needed new ink cartridges!

So…off to the store to gather the ones I needed, this model takes FIVE!!!!!!!!!! I CAN BUY A BRAND NEW PRINTER FOR THAT PRICE!!!!

I am so frustrated. A printer that I am still unable to use because it sat too long and the print head is clogged – OHHH another $90 if I want to replace that!

So, $90 plus each replacement of ink if needed is at least $15 (x5 right!?) and BAM…i can have a super awesome new printer….

check this out…only $44.99 right now at Best Buy

 

 

TILL THE NEXT TIME I NEED INK!

goal met

Today I achieved the goal of 100 likes on my facebook crochet page. Even though it was only 100 it’s an achievement I am proud of.

Now to set a new goal! I know generating some sales or orders is high on the list! I am excited to see this progress, I really enjoy crocheting and love to see reactions when I am able to present the item to those who request them!  It’s really great to create something, I am typically creative and have been learning so much!

This is going to be a fun adventure and I am so thrilled to have you that are here in the beginning! Thanks for following me and inspiring me!

Great feeling!

 

 

Stitched it

I LOVE TO CROCHET!

My sweet new grandson modeling a shark cocoon for me! He was completely willing! 😉

Crocheting is so relaxing for me and I love learning new stitches and patterns. I’ve created some pretty awesome things (said with all modesty).

The inspiration of so many pattern writers,  Articles Of A Domestic Goddess in particular, has really helped me to expand on my skills! Thank you Donna!

Recently I have worked on putting together more of a Facebook page dedicated to my creations and have begun the task of creating an etsy page.
UH, I have a bit more to go on that – some more research and photos, pricing, and detailed descriptions are in the works! Fortunately I may be able to enlist my son and daughter-in-law who happen to be some pretty great writers!
My awesome son’s gaming review blog
Daughter-in-law of a lifetime’s blog!

Oh, and in case you haven’t noticed by the shark up above, I have a new grandson!
Yes, I am a grandma…but certainly not in my actions! And some say I don’t look old enough for that! lol

Anyway, now that I have plugged some of my faves,
I think I will share what I have been working on!

fall is coming – pumpkin stuff everywhere!  

Mermaid Tail

Toddler sweater

hi-top sneaker slippers

 

 

Please stop by my facebook page and give a like Stitched it.

 

 

And the Liebster Award goes to…

ME????  YES, I WAS NOMINATED! 

therefore, I accept!

I want to thank Shelby for nominating me! He’s a big part of the reason i have a blog anyway. Shelby is my son…but more. He’s an avid gamer and writes reviews ~ Falcon Reviews. I could go on about how great he is but then you would think I was just bragging cuz he’s my son. So, be sure to go over and check out his reviews and opinions! You may or may not agree with all he has to say…but he’s pretty cool about listening to others opinions too!

Oh, and he would love it if you would visit his wife’s blog too. Jennifer the nerd (that’s not really the name of the blog, you’ll have to go there to find out) and Talisa’s Adventures. Swing over there and give her some likes! 

 

I have not really explored too many other blogs yet. Have only recently discovered how to find other blogs besides ones through “Discover”. I do enjoy following Coastal Crochet. I love the crochet, but there is so much more! The beautiful pictures she shares are incredible. It seems so peaceful and relaxing and like a place I would love to crochet!!! I mean check these out Crocheting at Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove.

 

What is the Liebster Award?     

The Liebster Award 2016 is an award that exists only on the internet, and is given to bloggers by other bloggers. The earliest case of the award goes as far back as 2011. Liebster in German means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing, and welcome.

 

Here are the questions Shelby asked to be answered~

 Why did you start writing?
I was encouraged by my son (Shelby) and his wife to blog…I said, what on earth do I have to blog about that would be of any interest to readers?
They told me I do – all the things I am working on around the house and my crocheting. 

If you had a month off to do whatever you wanted and a budget for it, what would you do?
I would totally travel Europe! By ship, by train, by plane. Going to the countryside as well as the big cities! I found England fascinating when we visited there!! Visiting places I have only seen in pictures or heard others talk about….except France ~ for some reason that holds no appeal to me. (sorry Frenchies)

Do you have a hobby? What do you do?
(No, gaming folks… I know you game already. Pick something else)

Hobby??? why yes, I guess you could say I have a few!
A few years ago I took up crochet. I think it became a fast
love and obsession. My yarn collection, while not the biggest
I’ve seen by far, is quite HUGE. I love the texture and colors of
the different fibers!
I love crafty things and cake decorating too!

If you could live in any fictional world, where would you live?
I don’t know. I supposed if I had to pick one I would say the Merry Old Land of Oz!

Ha-ha-ha! Ho-ho-ho and a couple of tra-la-las,
That’s how we laugh the day away,
In The Merry Old Land Of Oz.

What inspires you?
The love of Jesus, my children, and my husband! They are what keeps me going and keep me striving every day! 

What is your favorite show/movie/video game/play/mime?
I loved Breaking Bad! But now Better Call Saul is the big fave. I have some guilty pleasures too…Newest one ~ Real Housewives of Dallas.
But of course one of my favorite shows is BONES. It’s witty, gross, sad, happy, so many emotions rolled in one. Most of all though, I get to watch it with Jennifer!!!!

What type of sense of humor do you have? Dark? Dry? Saucy?
Yes

Do you prefer iPhones, Android phones, or the vastly superior Windows Phone?
Ha! I have had each…just recently thinking I wanted the Samsung S7 because I dumped my iPad for a Samsung tablet. Well, I was wrong! I love the phone, but one of the things I rely on most from my Nokia IS NOT an option on my Samsung! So, now what do I do!? I have a really nice phone but wish I had gotten the windows phone! UGH!!!! 

What is something you collect?
                                                       HAHAHAHAHA – PINEAPPLES!!!!

If you could change something in your past at the cost of your current life, would you?No. I love my kids and if my life hadn’t gone the way it did, I don’t believe they would have been the ones I have today…I can’t live in regret of those things I didn’t do. I wish I had attended college, but it’s never too late…RIGHT?

The Official Rules of the Liebster Award 2016

Back in 2011 the rules were a simple case of acknowledgement of the nominator and to nominate 5 more. Now in 2016 it is a little more involved!

If you have been nominated for The Liebster Award AND YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT, write a blog post about the Liebster award in which you:

1. Thank the person who nominated you, and post a link to their blog on your blog. Try to include a little promotion for the person who nominated you. They will thank you for it and those who you nominate will also help you out as well.

2. Display the award on your blog — by including it in your post and/or displaying it using a “widget” or a “gadget”. (Note that the best way to do this is to save the image to your own computer and then upload it to your blog post.) At the bottom of this post I’ve included a whole lot of images you can use for your 2016 Liebster Award.

3. For the 2016 Liebster Award I will be shaking things up! Write a 150-300 word post about your favourite blog that is not your own. Explain why you like the blog, provide links.

4. Provide 10 random facts about yourself. (This year I’m making this optional. If you wish to engage with your readers it’s a great idea to include random facts about you.)

6. Nominate 5 – 11 blogs that you feel deserve the award, who have a less than 200 followers. (Note that you can always ask the blog owner this since not all blogs display a widget that lets the readers know this information!)

7. List these rules in your post (You can copy and paste from here.) Once you have written and published it, you then have to:

8. Inform the people/blogs that you nominated that they have been nominated for the Liebster award and provide a link for them to your post or mine if you don’t have all the information so that they can learn about it (they might not have ever heard of it!)

And my nominees are…
Jilska! She’s just awesome! 😉
Articles of a Domestic Goddess
My favorite Pastor friend
hookabee ~ cutie crochet amigurumi
Crochet Crowd
Coastal Crochet

Now you must wonder what I am going to ask ~ so the final part of this! 

1. If you could wake up tomorrow in the body of someone else, who would you pick and what would you do? 
2. What cheers you up?
3. What is your favorite and least favorite word? 
4. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which would you pick, and why?
5. What is a skill you would like to learn?
6. Where is Elvis Presley?
7. Are you superstitious? If so, what are you most superstitious about?
8. Are you more of a night owl or a morning person?
9. Fruit or Vegetables?
10. Three things in nature you find most beautiful? 

 

Busy Day

Work around the house never ends…But when you are trying to restore, remodel, improve, enhance or bring back the beauty to the home it’s even more daunting.
Daily I have to decide whether to do the projects around the house or work on the cleaning… I try to achieve both, but as with anything in multi-tasking, there is going to be something that suffers!

Today was a day I decided to continue on the front doors. I’ve been stripping the old paint to try and get the cleanest new finish I can! There are two doors at the entry and they have been a deep green, red, orange, white and possibly an off white color! The bottoms of each door has been damaged so some repair work will need to be done… or perhaps those kick panels will do the trick!

So, that being my biggest task for the day, tomorrow will be interrupted by returning to have a 3rd windshield (in just one week) replaced! First because of a crack, possibly from a rock chip, second because they put the wrong one in, and now the third because the “right” one cracked again….after just sitting in the driveway, un-driven (except to get home that day)…I guess we will see how a new one goes!

Bugs

photo courtesy: http://greenjeane.blogspot.com/2015_02_01_archive.html

 

It’s funny to me how we have no issue with wanting a ladybug to crawl on us, in fact, we often invite it or really try to make it happen.

However, we often are bothered or afraid any time any other type bug comes near us. I am aware this isn’t the case for everyone… but i know for myself I do not “allow” other bugs, spiders or other creepy crawlies just to invade my space!

What is it about ladybugs that we feel so comfortable with?

I remember as a child singing a little song about ladybugs –

Ladybug ladybug fly away home,
Your house in on fire and your children all gone,
All except one and that’s little Ann,
And she crept under the warming pan.

Of course the song is a bit dark….but what nursery rhyme isn’t?