LADDventure

WAIST Management 1.17

Current Weight: 179.6 (Broke the 180s again finally)

Weight Lost This Week:  1.4 pounds

Total Weight Lost: 6.4 pounds 

Last week I didn't even go near a scale.  I was sick of being disappointed with my own inaction indicated by the number on the scale.  This morning, curiosity got the best of me, so I hopped on.  I was very excited to see 1.4 pounds since the last time I weighed in.  I know it's pretty much accidental, and probably a normal weight fluctuation but I'm going to go with it and use it as motivation.  

My first mini goal I had set for myself way back when was to lose 10 pounds. I have gotten way off track on that goal and only been hovering around a 5 pound weight loss since then. But I've got some new motivation, a bachelorette weekend for a friend in California, October 19th.  I would love to have met that little goal by then as a boost to my biggest-girl-there confidence.   That's only 3.6 pounds in the next 3 weeks, totally doable and then I can set my next mini goal.  Speaking of baby steps here are some more things I will do this week to keep things moving in the right direction.

1.  Fruit and vegetables - more of them, more often.  October approaching on the calendar leaves me wanting baked goods, cheesy casseroles, and soups with crusty bread.  I need to balance that with 0 point fruit and veggies throughout the week.

2.  Track food choices.  For example, I have had a 48 hour craving for potato chips and french onion dip.  I bought some yesterday and I'm going to eat it all eventually, but I will track it and own it in my Weight Watchers points.  I have found that when a craving is this strong, I better just listen to it or I will spend countless other calories trying to fulfill it with other foods that just aren't cutting it.  

3.  I am going to try not to die a spin class with my neighbor.  She goes all the time, and has promised to ride with me in the ambulance should one be necessary.  It's worth a shot.

Fast Food Friday - Slow Cooker Chicken & Dumpling Soup

Lately I have more time on my hands, but I completely understand having no time or energy to cook anything by the time you get home from work.  We would end up eating sandwiches, cereal, or questionable leftovers from the fridge many a night.  Even with the time and energy, sometimes there are just better uses of that time than slaving over a meal, like playing with your kids or zoning out in front of the T.V. working out.

Either way, it feels good to sit down to an actual meal that you've actually prepared.  As the weather gets cooler (which in my case means 90 degrees instead of 100) there's nothing like coming home to a nice cozy dinner. So, occasionally on Fridays, I will be sharing one of my favorite homemade-ish recipes with easy ingredients and very little prep time for quick weeknight dinners that feel much fancier.  Most of them are basically just thrown in the slow cooker.  If you don't have a slow cooker, go get one now, that's an order.  They are very inexpensive, and a busy schedule's best friend.

Ingredients:
4 frozen boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 C vegetable broth
2 C chicken broth
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 C carrots chopped
1 C celery chopped
1 C onion chopped
1 T dried sage
1 T dried thyme
1 T garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
1 1/2 C baking mix (Bisquick)
1/2 C milk

Directions:  

1. For the very least amount of prep work, put the still frozen chicken breasts with 1/2 C water in the  slow cooker the night before on low for 8 hours .  (Bonus = no handling raw meat)
2.  In the morning, shred up the chicken and return to the juices in the crockpot.  
3. Add all other ingredients except baking mix and milk and simmer on low in the crockpot for 8 hours.
4. To make dumpling dough:  30 minutes before serving, mix the baking mix and milk in a separate bowl just until well combined.  Don't overmix.
5. Plop spoonfuls of the dumpling dough into the slow cooker and let cook for about 30 minutes or until fluffy and a toothpick inserted into the center of one comes out clean.  
6. Serve immediately and enjoy!

• You could also use leftover chicken, shredded store-bought rotisserie chicken, or cut up fresh chicken breasts and add to the rest of it in the morning.   
• I wouldn't recommend using low sodium broth.  I did the first time, and found it needed more salt for my tastes.  
• The dumplings will get mushy the longer it sits, so serve right away for best taste and texture.

The Front Room

Growing up, my Grandma always referred to the living room (usually at the front of the house) as the front room.  Only she said it quickly so it sounded more like "fronchroom."  Well in our house now we actually have a fronchroom, and that's what I've taken to calling it, smiling and thinking of Grandma every time.

It really does best describe it, because we have a sunken living room at the back of the house where we do our t.v. watching, lounging, etc., but then at the front of the house when you first walk in, we have this huge semi-problematic room , which we had been calling the dining room. It's actually the loveliest room in the house with towering vaulted ceilings and archways, but we've discovered it's really too big to be just a dining room.  Plus we aren't the kind of people to have a huge formal dining room that never gets used.

This front room has been troubling me since we moved in.  I've been quite stuck about what exactly to do with it.  There's a light in a strange spot, big windows, and wood laminate floors that add to the echo of the high ceilings.  Up until recently it just contained a big 8-seater dining room table and an oversized armchair in an opposite corner.  There has been no rugs, no curtains, and no good use of space, so it was really just a huge hallway to the rest of the house that we never used and only liked at Christmastime when the giant tree filled up the space.

It really seemed like it should contain two seperate areas, one for dining, and one for conversation, so that's what we finally did. The inspiration for the room really came 2 summers ago when my brother and now sister-in-law came to visit.  She is an interior designer and helped me pick out some art work and accessories to lend a color scheme and some general direction.  The blank walls were making me crazy, and it felt better to get started, but it's been a slow work in progress until now.

So, since it's been a while since I've done a house update, here are some before and after pics of the now lovely and usable front room, including fall decorations of course.

Our front room when we bought the house.  Note the very high ceilings and light very close to the wall.  I think they must've had a small, round table there at some point

That same spot now!

The light is still in an awkward spot, so it's on our short list of things we still need to do to get a better light fixture, something more dramatic, and have it moved so it's centered above the table.  It's a much better use of that space though, and I think we'll get a floor lamp for the corner by the window so that end of the table is not too dark in the meantime.

Entryway into rest of the house before

Same spot now!

Front window area before

The same area now, complete with a Buddy photo bomb!

We really liked the ottoman, but then it made a coffee table difficult in the space so we centered it under the window, and we actually really like it.  It is a great place to set snacks or put down a drink if you're sitting in the chair or the chaise.  I still want to add straw baskets underneath the table for storage and to bring in a natural element.  This is such a cozy spot now, and we actually just sat and talked and played a game on the floor the other night.  It's so nice to be using the room finally.

Now these guys are probably my favorite part.  The upholstered chairs help bridge the gap between the dining and the sitting areas, but also help to define the two separate spots along with 2 rugs.  The best part is they can be added to the ends of the table to seat eight.  They were on sale at World Market, and I just adore them and the little $24.99 table I got at Home Goods for a drink perch between them.

They even have nailhead trim on the back to match the nailhead trim on the ottoman.

Buddy was clearly not going to be left out of this reveal.

So here's the whole room from the stairs to give you an idea of the two separate areas.  A few other things left on the to do list are a bookcase or buffet on that empty wall between the two areas with photographs and accessories, a floor lamp for the corner by the chaise. an aqua pillow for the chaise for a pop of coordinating color, and photographs for added personality (confession: the frame on the coffee table still has the generic Pier1 photo that came with it - ridiculous).

As you know I am Christmas crazy, and one of the first things I loved about this house was the fact that I could put up a gigantic Christmas tree in this room.  So don't you worry, I've thought it all out.  The 12 foot tree, or as my husband refers to it, overkill, usually goes in the corner where the chaise is. When that time comes, the upholstered chairs will be at the table, and the chaise will be moved where they are now, angled to face the tree.  You better believe I plan many a design decision in my house around the holidays. I got it from my mama.

Since I have also inherited my mother's need to tell you what major deals I scored, here's a rundown:

• Wool chevron rug, jute rug, and chaise from Overstock.com at seriously 70% off original prices and delivery is $2.95 no matter what you order. What?!?
• Upholstered dining chairs at World Market that just happened to be 30% off the day I walked in.  Meant to be.
• All for good prices at various times along the way at Home Goods:  Ottoman, both side tables, art work, vases, acorns, and table runner on dining table - If I could marry Home Goods, I would.
• Aqua chevron lamp - $30 at Steinmart
• Aqua curtains - $15 a panel at World Market
• Blue/Gray curtains - $12 a panel at Target!
• Curtain rods - $50 total at Garden Ridge - a recent addition to our town, in which I could wander for hours.  
• The dining table and 6 chairs are from Potato Barn a while back, a local place full of eclectic furniture. I don't remember how much exactly, but I know it was reasonable.
• The big chair in the corner I've had since we lived in WI.  As you can see, it is one of the dogs' favorite places, so it was looking a little sad.  I restuffed the back cushion and cleaned it really well using this pinterest tip.  Voila!  We were going to get rid of it, but I'm so glad I tried this first cause it's like a whole new chair.
• The coffee table used to be in the living room, but I spilled nail polish remover all over the top.  So for now a cute stack of books covers that spot, but soon I would like to paint just the top a bright aqua.

Any projects going on at your house or great finds you'd like to share?  

Mystery Poo

Look how he's avoiding eye contact.  You'll know why in a second.

Given my post yesterday, I decided to start out today with some goals:

1.  Write for 3 hours (from 9:00-12:00).  Butt in chair.  Cell phone turned to silent. No Facebook.
2.  Go grocery shopping, menu plan in hand.
3.  Finish fall decorating. 

Wouldn't you know it, at exactly 9:00 on the dot, I stood up to put away my breakfast dishes and get started and it happened.  I stepped in something.  It was a little sticky, so thinking it was honey or jam dropped on the floor from my husband who I swear is part bear, I wiped it on the throw rug.  Yeah, not honey or jam, and Buddy was nowhere to be found.  Now, if there is one thing worse than poo on your bare foot, it is poo on your foot from a mystery source.  I could not figure out where the original scene of the crime was.  I retraced my steps (not hard to do when you've stepped in poo), but could find no bigger pile.  Must've been a cling-on, and if you've had dogs you know what I'm talking about.  If you haven't, use your imagination, and you'll probably never want one after this post.

So my 9:00 start time was pushed back to 9:20 as I cleaned my foot and the floor, threw the rug in the washing machine, and tried to find Buddy before anymore boobie traps were left around the house.  He had the sneaking suspicion he had done something wrong and was cowering in his usual apologetic cowtow when I found him.  He was embarrassed and uncomfortable and not quite sure what to do about this (ahem) "baggage" he had brought in with him.  I knew I couldn't really be mad at him, because he hadn't meant to.  It wasn't intentional.

There has got to be some sort of "when life gives you lemons..." or "shit happens" sort of metaphor here, but I think it's a little more complex.  You see, you can have great intentions, like Buddy's intention of keeping his poo outside where it belongs.  But sometimes you do everything you think you're supposed to, and still you accidentally drag some of your poo into the house.  Inevitably, your poo ends up affecting someone else.  Say you're sorry when someone else has stepped in your poo, and be the one to forgive if your foot is currently covered in poo.  In addition to forgiveness and restoration, you may get a blog post and a few life lessons out of the ordeal.   You didn't really have a topic you were excited to write about today anyway, and now your metaphor-loving heart is full of ideas.  So here are the morals of today's post:

• You can have the best of intentions but sometimes your crap ends up accidentally hurting someone else.  When it does, apologize.

• Forgive someone who affected you with their baggage.  When you retrace your steps, you may realize they didn't mean to, and they are probably ashamed and not quite sure of what to do with it.

• You can have timely, organized plans, but shit happens, and you just need to clean it up and carry on.  Don't let it distract you from your goals.

• When life hands you poo on your foot, turn it into a blog post (well that one may not be so universal, but you get the idea).

Pumpkin Therapy

This past week or so, I have been in a major husband-is-in-San-Fransisco-for-work, hate-that-it's-still-105-degrees-here, can't-get-motivated-to-do-anything kind of funk.  It stuck around Friday night even after my husband was home, with its short answers and general crankiness.  It reared its head Saturday morning as the first words out of my mouth were my expressed displeasure at the fact that Mr. Ladd had the windows open when I woke up, declaring, "It is NOT nice out!  It will be 105 degrees today,  that's NOT nice!" before road raging my way to the farmer's market.  It was still lingering yesterday while the plastic bins of fall decorations sat waiting to deck the halls with all kinds of orange merriment.  I didn't want to.  I didn't feel like it.  I was blah.

So, yesterday I did what any self respecting Midwesterner would do to make the most of a doesn't feel like September afternoon.  I got up off my ass and baked something pumpkiny!  I made a big batch of this pumpkin bread recipe into 2 loaves to freeze for later and cranberry, pecan pumpkin muffins for now, and it helped.  Sometimes you just need to get moving, take a step, and do something, and it will get the juices flowing again.

Since I stopped teaching, I think the wonder of all this free time to myself is wearing off a smidge, and I'm faced with the reality that I'm not quite sure where to start sometimes to make the most of each day. I feel like they're being wasted as of late. My routine the last couple weeks has been filled with a lot more blank stares, Nutella right out of the jar, and Real Housewives of New York than I care to admit.  There has been very little makeup, or for that matter pants without elastic in my daily look, and it's definitely contributing to the blah-ness of my attitude.

Don't get me wrong.  I love every second of being home, sleeping a little later, and setting my own schedule.  But, I am reminded again that I am not a very self-disciplined person and am going to need to do some regimenting of myself to keep me in my chair writing for significant chunks of the day, and then getting some other things accomplished the rest of the day. 
Getting up early-ish, maybe trying to go for a run (gasp) on these cooler mornings, and then coming home and actually getting ready for the day might set the tone for productivity.  I'll let you know how that goes this week.

Hope you're having a productive, fulfilling Monday.

Here are a few more pumpkin goodies because I'm obsessed:

A recipe for pumpkin cookies that I have not tried yet, but cannot wait.  My friend Lisa pointed me in the direction of these delicious beauties, and I am both grateful to her and missing her lots while I covet her east coast weather.





To change it up from the ever popular pumpkin spice latte, try this next time you're at Starbucks.  It's just an iced chai latte with 3 pumps of pumpkin spice (for a grande, I would actually recommend 4) and a shot of espresso.  You're welcome.

Wordless Wednesday

On Being Happy

I read this post on A Cup of Jo this morning, which got me thinking about what would be on my list of things that make me happy.  Then I felt I had a dilemma.  Should I focus on the big things that make me happy, like my family, health, freedom? Or is it really appreciation for the little things, like the return of the pumpkin spice latte?

Then I came to the realization that it doesn't have to be one or the other and in fact, it is a mix of both- the combination of Sunday afternoon football and spending time with my husband that leads to happiness. I am happiest when I take time to notice and be thankful for the little things in my everyday life that I take for granted, while keeping perspective about the bigger picture.

So at this moment, here is my list of the top 10 things that make me happy, from the miniscule to the universal:

1.  Fall and Christmas decorating - creating magic
2.  My dogs following me around the house because they just want to be where I am
3.  Comments on my blog - I am addicted to the feedback at this stage in the game.  Comment away!
4.  My husband and our imperfect, ever-growing love story
5.  Mountains in a Jeep
6.  Entertaining - I love my house full of a party, a small gathering, or weekend guests
7.  Pajamas - preferably until noon
8.  Laughing 'til I pee with my siblings
9.  Arizona weather from October - June
10.  My faith in a God who is concerned with the big and the small

So what makes you happy?

Barcelo

It is through watery eyes that I write about a precious doggy soul who is now resting in peace.  Barcelo was our friend Eric and Laura's beautiful boxer.  They had to put him down today way earlier in his life than they wanted to, but he was sick and weak, and needed to be laid to rest.  I have been crying about it for the last 2 days and am trying to get my head around what's so hard about it for me.

I think it's emotional because my heart breaks for Eric and Laura, and because besides being such a sweet, fun dog, Barcelo represents a lot.  He was their first 'baby,' and I will never forget going to see him for the first time at 7 weeks old the chilly night they brought him home in his little mini fleece.  They had just gotten married, and named him after their honeymoon resort in Mexico.  He officially made them a family. That night was also one of the first times we were ever over at Eric and Laura's house. We had been acquaintances.  I went to high school with Eric, and we had some mutual friends, but Jeremiah had just started working out with him at the gym, and we were starting to get to know Laura.  We were engaged to be married the following spring.  I feel like we needed couple friends at that point in time, and meeting Barcelo that night marked the beginning of a friendship that we cherish.

When Barcelo was just about a year old, Eric and Laura also picked up a sassy little Italian greyhound/rat terrier mix at the pet store.  He was on clearance, and they couldn't resist.  We ended up with him the next night because Barcelo was still a big puppy and would scoop him up and slide him across the floor with his big paws or pin him down to play and the little guy just kept coming back for more.  This was clearly not going to work out so well, given their size difference at the time.  Jeremiah had just told me we could start looking for a little dog for our little apartment, so we went to Eric and Laura's armed with a checkbook and brought him home that night.  Now we were a family too.

I like to think there would be no Mico without Barcelo, and as Mico got bigger they were able to play and become fast friends. We named him Mico because he is part Italian and the Italian word for friend is 'amico.'  Fitting.

I firmly believe that God created dogs to be our companions, and help us understand how to live more fully and love more deeply.  The kind of love that just shows up and is always present;  at the door when you walk in, curled up behind your knees on the couch, and alongside you on a walk.  Quietly, steadily, just there. Barcelo was just that - gentle, sturdy love in the form of a wagging nubbin tale, a wrinkly concerned forehead, and velvety ears. We all learned a lot from Barcelo - that you should run with abandon through fields sometimes, not caring that your big cheeks are flapping in the wind and drool is flying everywhere. He taught us that anybody can be a friend no matter how different from you they might be, playing with Mico who was 1/4 of his size and treating him as an equal.  Most importantly, he taught us that no matter how big and strong you are, sometimes you just need to lean your heavy head into someone you love, or let them carry you for a while.

Goodbye for now, Big B!  I have no doubt you will greet us at the door of Heaven just like you did at home, with a wiggling butt and lots of slobber.

WAIST Management 1.15

 

Current Weight: 181

Weight Lost This Week:  Gained .6 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 5 lbs

This face says it all.  It is exactly how I am feeling this morning.  I am sad for some friends going through a tough time, I am disappointed in my weight loss and what feels like lots of wasted time lately, and I'm a little perplexed as to how to get it all back on track. I almost didn't write a WAIST Management post again today, thinking I had nothing to say about it, but I think it's important to share the WHOLE story of losing weight; the ups, the downs, and the stalls.  The fact that I keep losing and gaining the same 1-2 pounds every week means that my weight loss is officially stalled.  I would say that I need motivation, but I heard someone say once that motivation is what gets you started, habit is what keeps you going.  I had lots of motivation at first to lose weight, but didn't stick with it long enough for it to become habit.  Now old habits are creeping back in like fast food, mindless eating, and general laziness.  

I am always amazed at how connected everything is. Eating crap food leaves me feeling low on energy, which means I don't want to do other things like go for a walk or plan and cook dinner.  This leaves me dissatisfied with whatever random thing we had for dinner, so I eat more later...a bowl of cereal here, a popsicle or 3 there, and it all adds up.  

I have just been undisciplined in general, and I am discovering that self-discipline is a very difficult thing for me.  I need to give myself a schedule and goals every day or very little (from writing to cleaning to making healthy meals) gets done.  So, this week I am going to focus on my schedule and making sure I prioritize the things that are important for developing healthy and productive habits. 

Papa and Packers

My dad's birthday was Saturday, and between him coaching soccer, a wedding that day, and travel, his birthday flew by.  But I still wanted to take a minute to celebrate my daddy!  We are very close, and as you can see, I have inherited his eyes, his nose, and his love of football. 

It only seems appropriate that his birthday is always around the start of football season.  The NFL season officially started this week, and I couldn't be happier.  My dad is a Packer fanatic, so growing up to Green Bay games on T.V. every Sunday after church, the Packers eventually became a mutual passion.  We try to make it to at least one game a year and watch games together when possible.  A condition when moving to Arizona, was that we would be purchasing Sunday Ticket every season so I wouldn't miss a Packer game.  Even though I have moved across the country, I text my dad while watching every game with frequent messages of "That was crap!" or "Woot Woot" and we still watch every game together in spirit.  Technology is a beautiful thing.  I don't think I could live this far away from family without it.

My dad is the reason I have such an incredible family to miss.  He takes his role as father very seriously.  He didn't grow up with his own father, and has made it his mission to define what family looks like in his own.  His definition of family is loving God, spending time together, respecting your parents, loving and showing up for your siblings.  He intentionalized family.  He knew that family bonds do not happen by accident but by working at it, just like in any loving relationship.  We had dinner together and went to each other's soccer games and piano recitals, whether we liked it or not.   The whole family came for open house and school plays, and holiday traditions and family vacations were sacred.  We sat in the 2nd row of church together every Sunday, and although there were times that rules and expectations were rigid, and he was fiercely protective, the intent was always clear.  He taught me that family is a priority, and that you have to love each other on purpose.

That started with loving my mom and creating an example of a strong marriage.  There was never a question growing up that my mom came first to my dad.  They put their marriage at the top of the list.  They had weekend getaways, and their own Christmas Eve celebration late at night before the early morning tradition with us kids.  He brought her chocolate from the grocery store, and flowers just because.  They kissed and said sorry in front of us.  Their marriage was not and is not perfect, but that's the beauty of it.  It's still important to them, and now that all of us are grown and married ourselves, they get to keep working on it and decide what it looks like in this next chapter. 

My dad taught me important ways of life, like not sweating the small stuff but fighting ferociously for the big stuff.  While we don't always necessarily agree on what is small stuff and what is big stuff, I definitely have internalized that approach.  My dad is an extremely laid back person until he believes intensely about something, and then watch out.  He has a stubborn tenacity that will outlast anyone.  My husband would argue I have also inherited that, and he'd probably be right.  I sharpened those debate skills at an early age.

So again, Happy Birthday Dad.  Thank you for teaching me how to be a Packer fan, how to argue, and how to love like it's my job.