Busy Sunday

Well, we had a busy day today.  The kids were with their dad, but I still go to my daughters soccer games when he has them.  So, we had 2 soccer game today.  The first was at 8:00 and the 2nd at 12:30.  They won the first but lost the 2nd so will not be moving on to the state final 4. 

Brought the kids home after the 2nd game and my son is sick.  Gave him vitamins and cold medicine and he went to bed at 2:30...very unlike him.  He must really be sick.  He is hoping to get better so he can play in his baseball game tomorrow.

Now to finish laundry and do some weeding before I spend time with the family.  John is outside on the riding mower, mowing the weeds.  Oh joy, what fun trying to get a lawn back in shape.  Hope you are having a good Sunday.

Job Interview on Friday

I have a job interview tomorrow.  I am excited but trying not to get my hopes up too much since all my other interviews have not amounted to anything.  I really hope that the job I am interviewing for is a good fit.  I hate going into interviews and not knowing exactly what the job will entail.  Wish me luck.

On another note, John's family will be coming over tonight for dinner, so I will be cleaning today.  I will not be able to visit very long with them tonight because I have to run Mom Taxi since one of my kids has soccer practice and the other has baseball practice tonight.  Did I mention that they are not in the same city and are about 15 miles apart.  Good thing my little car gets good gas milage (since gas is rising quickly). 

Also, I have been couponing lately.  I have already saved a lot.  Thank you guys that have blogs about couponing and saving, they have really helped me.  So, I have to go through all my coupons and figure out what I am going to use this weekend since a lot of them expire on the 28th.  It is amazing how I am not working outside of the home right now and still wish I had more time in the day. 

Trying to Stay Motivated

I am having trouble staying motivated lately.  I am 4 months into unemployment and am not sure when something will come up.  I had some interviews that seemed hopeful and then you never hear from the company again.  I find it frustrating.  I am still searching for a way to make an income from home so that I don't have to worry about not having a "job". 

Also, every time I watch the news all I see is doom and gloom.  God help those in New Zealand that just had a major earthquake, my prayers go out to them.  Also, I am praying for the people protesting in the middle east that are being met with resistance.  Libya seems to be the only country that is making the news, but there are others too. 

The situations in WI and OH where the labor unions are battling with the state governments has me a little scared.  I really hope that we do not end up in a major union strike nationwide.  Our country is already in enough turmoil.  Oh, and did I mention inflation.  Every time I look at food prices, they seem to be up and gas is soon to follow. 

I guess maybe I need a news fast to get out of this funk. 

Finished the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up

I finished the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up and lost a total of 5.7 pounds.  Woohoo!  I am happy that it is over though because I really do miss eating regular food with my family.  I think that the Two Week Tune Up is a good plan though and pretty easy to stick with.  I think that now that I am finished I will still eat the same breakfast and lunch that is on the plan. In fact, with the breakfast and lunch on the plan, I may still lose weight since it is so filling. Only time will tell. 

Overall I think that the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up is a great way to lose weight quickly for an event or just to get a kickstart for healthy eating.  I lost over the 5 pounds that the plan touted and feel pretty great.

*All opinions for the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up are my own.  I was not compensated to complete the plan. Yoplait and MyBlogSpark did provide me with the yogurt to complete the plan however. 

How Dare They Woo My Tween!

So, there I am sitting with my daughter before she goes to school watching VH1 Jumpstart.  Yes, we are actually watching music videos, they are still around and kids still watch them.  Then, before my eyes appears my high school heartthrobs, Duran Duran!  I nearly snorted my coffee.  And they are singing to my daughter! No, they are not interested in me, though I had their pictures on my bedroom wall for years, they are after my daughter.  These MEN know that my daughter still has money on her iTunes card from Christmas so they are looking longingly into her eyes and singing to her.  How dare they!  They are mine!  Besides they are in their 50's or something now, how could they be interested in my daughter?  Shouldn't they be making music for the older set?  But no, here they are competing with Bieber Fever for our tweens and teens.  Oh, I will never look at them the same.......

Duran Duran then:

And their latest video where they are wooing my daughter:

Let's Make A Difference

I have created a new blog!  Yes, I am crazy.  As you know, sometimes I seem to be all over the place in this blog.  I blog about my personal life and most of that is about parenting my kids and daily life.  But, every once in a while, I like to pull out my soapbox, stand up and shout to the world about how things should be different, or how we should at least take notice.  My new blog, Let's Make A Difference, is a platform just for that.  I guess you could say that it is a permanent place for my soapbox so I don't have to keep dragging it out here. 

I hope you visit Let's Make A Difference and maybe even become a follower over there.  Meanwhile I intend to keep this blog more of a parenting, couponing, review, giveaway, funny, I'm still trying to figure out life blog.  I hope to see you in both places. 

Need Some Advice

Okay, I am needing some advice.  I know some of you have gone through this before, so let me know how I should handle this situation:


Background:
* I have a 14 year old son (oldest kid) who goes to a day military school.  He makes good grades, is playing varsity baseball, and seems motivated to succeed this year.  In the past we have had problems with motivation.  He is also a people magnet.  Somehow kids (teens) flock to him and at a former school this was a problem because teachers wanted to use him as "an example" since he was popular. 

* Lets just say that calling my ex egotistical is an understatement.  He is the father of both my kids. 

* My boyfriend, John,  and I have been together for almost 9 years (not getting married).  My daughter has him wrapped around her finger.  John has two boys (men ages 20 & 25), therefore he has already raised boys and takes a been there done that attitude with my son. 

Okay, here is what I am facing.   John is driving me crazy.  Every little thing that my son does, or doesn't do is put under a microscope by John and critisized.  Also, my son is developing an ego (not severe) and John wants to crush it saying that he does not want my son to become like his father (my ex).  I think that a certain amount of ego is acceptable.  If I tell my son to do anything and my son just says "okay" or does not do it immediately, John jumps in and starts threatening punishiment.  John wants my son to reply to me with a "yes, mam", though I do not demand that or even want that.  Let me mention that when my daughter commits the same kind of so called infractions, John does nothing about it.

I think that John for whatever reason is trying to establish his alpha male role here.  I think he is going way overboard.  Anyway, I am curious, do biological fathers do this with their sons too?  And how should I handle this.  Let me mention that John is overly sensitive to anything I critisize.  I hate having to handle things with kid gloves, but I need to put a stop to this, but I am not sure how.  Any advice? 

Oh the joy of step-like relationships, the fun never ends.....

Showing Success on the Yoplait Two Week Tune UP

I completed a week already on the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up and I am doing great.  The Yoplait site says you can lose up to 5 pounds in two weeks, but I have already lost 4.4 pounds and I have another week to go.  Woohooo!!!  I am doing my Snoopy dance! 

Let me tell you that I have not even been walking as much as the plan calls for (even though doing housework every day probably gets me enough exercise) and I have not been using the meal plans on the diet.  I made a spiral ham last week and had ham for 3 nights for dinner.  Granted I cut off every little sliver of fat, but it did have a brown sugar glaze to it.  Also, yesterday, I had pot roast, which is not made with the leanest of meats.  Oh yeah, I went back to using half and half in my coffee too (I only drink a couple of cups a day), so I haven't been exactly perfect on this plan.   And I am still losing weight!!! 

This is by far the easiest plan I have ever followed.  The only thing that I have been craving is something crunchy, so I have been eating some type of crunchy cracker for my starch at lunch.  But other than that, I have been great.  The volume of food is so much and filling that I am very rarely hungry.  I am amazed that I don't even crave sweets on this plan.  When my two weeks are up, I think I will have to abide by some of the rules of this plan as my new lifestyle.  In fact, I will probably keep my breakfast and lunch the same, which is a yogurt, a fruit and a serving a starch/grain.  For breakfast I usually have cereal for my grain (you can have up to 3 servings of dairy a day, not including the yogurt).  For lunch I have the yogurt, fruit and usually crackers.  By then I am so stuffed, I am not really all that hungry for dinner.  For dinner, I will probably just continue eating the meat and veggies unless there is something really spectacular for the starch/grain or if it cannot be avoided (like pizza). 

If you are trying to lose a few pounds (or more), you may want to consider this plan, it is working really well for me.  I can't wait to see if I lose any more weight! 

*Disclosure:  I have not been compensated for a review of this plan my Yoplait or MyBlogSpark.  The opinion in this post is my own.  I did receive coupons for free yogurt to complete the Two Week Tune Up.

Day 6 of the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up

I am going into day six of the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up.  I have been weighing myself every morning before I eat or drink anything and I have now lost a total of 3 pounds on this tune up so far.  Woohoo!  I must say that this is easier than any diet I have ever been on.  I am finding that I have trouble eating all the food allowed because I am never hungry. 

One thing that I really like about this tune up is that my stomach really feels less bloated.  I did not even realize how bloated I felt before the tune up, but not I can tell a difference.  I am learning which yogurts I like as well.  I definitely lean towards the thicker more pudding like yogurts (thick and creamy). The one good thing is that there are so many flavors that it keeps things interesting. 

If you are trying to lose some weight, this plan is definitely worth a try.  In fact, I think that even when I am finished with my two weeks, I will probably keep my breakfast the same and still eat yogurt at lunch too.  The full feeling I get really keeps me from eating a big dinner and snacking. 

*  The opinions regarding the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up are my own. I have not been influenced or compensated by Yoplait or MyBlogSpark to give a good review.  I was however given coupons for free yogurt to complete the two weeks.

Life Is Good Award

Special thanks to Debbie at No Filter Mom for sharing this award with me. This is my first blogger award and I am very thankful.   In receiving this award I have to:

1.) Thank and put a link back to the person who so kindly gave this award.

2.) Share a few things about yourself.

3.) Pass the award onto some other bloggers you deem deserving.

4.) Inform these said bloggers that they have received the award.

Well, I guess I should share a few things about myself then:

*  I laugh all the time, sometimes so hard that the kids come out of their rooms to make sure I am okay.

*  I believe in karma, what comes around goes around, so I try to be nice so the nice comes back

*  I have always been lucky, I am one of those people that everything always works out for them. 

*  I grew up with a bunch of people from Thailand and they were a big part of my live for about 10 + years

*  I think that Americans are generally spoiled and that every person needs to visit a developing country to appreciate what we have here. 

*  I think that being a good parent is the most important job that anyone can have.

*  I have trouble tying shoes and really should double knot mine, but I don't because all the bending over to re-tie them has got to be burning calories


Now, for the bloggers that I am passing this award on to:


Bag Lady



Beta Dad



Diary of a Return-to-work Mom

Make sure to visit all their blogs, they are all fabulous.  (I tried to import their headers but being the professional bloggers they are, they are protected, so I can't steal them!)

There is a Silver Lining After All: Allergies are Good

When I was about 6 years old, I was diagnosed with severe allergies.  I was allergic to cats, dogs, feathers, wool, mold, grass, pollens and dust.  As an adult I picked up allergies to wasps and horses and more pollens.  When people would ask me what I am allergic to, I pretty much summed it up as anything that ever lived.  I was on allergy shots from the time I was 6 years old to 19 years old and then again for 4 more years as an adult.  I have been on numerous antihistamines and Benedryl (or the generic version) is my friend. 

Within the last 4 months I have been breaking out in severe hives and have been seeing an allergist for them.  It turns out that now my hives are also induced by stress.   So now I am regularly on Allegra and Zyrtec (the generic is super cheap at Sam's Club)  for my hives.  I must mention that I am very happy that Allegra is going over the counter in March (woohoo!) because the prescription version (even generic) is more expensive than I can afford out of pocket.  Anyway, I digress.

As it turns out as I was reading health news yesterday, I discovered that studies have shown that people with allergies are less likely to get cancerous brain tumors (woohoo!).  And, they are doing further studies to find out if people with allergies are less prone to cancer overall.  Don't believe me, read the article here.  Needless to say, I am thrilled.  I guess my over responsive immune system might be good for something overall (yay).  Aren't you jealous now? 

Relieved

I have been worried lately about a friend of mine from college. He was a really good friend, but we lost track of each other over the years. He is from Egypt, so I have been really concerned about his safety every since the whole Egyptian "crisis".

Well, this morning I finally found him on facebook. Yay!!!! He is alive and well. I would just like to say, thank you Lord for letting me ease my fears.

Day 2 of the Tune Up

Okay, yesterday was my first day on the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up.  I did pretty well.  I am breaking down and using non-dairy creamer in my coffee this morning because skim milk just does not cut it for me.  Yes, my little cheat.  Yesterday I stuck to the skim milk and decided I either have to add creamer or quit drinking coffee.  I decided to use some creamer.  I usually only drink 2 cups of coffee a day, so it is not that big of a cheat.

I got on the scale first thing and I lost .4 pounds.  I am staring off heavy, so I expect I will lose quite a bit initially, but I am happy the scale is moving already.  I must say that all day yesterday I was not hungry.  I think my theory of having that much protein really keeps you full.  For dinner I made the family chicken broccoli stir-fry (homemade, yes, I cook Chinese/Thai quite often).  I just had the stir-fry without any rice.  It was really good by itself. 

One thing that I was thrilled about going on this diet is that of all the yogurts out there, I have always bought Yoplait.  I am a little of a yogurt snob and I personally like the thick and creamy yogurts that have more of a pudding mouth feel.  Yoplait even has these in the "Light" line.  Vanilla has always been my favorite.  For this tune up however, I am trying different kinds.  Yesterday I has the banana strawberry and I really liked it.  I am looking forward to trying additional flavors too. 

And We Have a Winner!!!!

The winner of the Yoplait Gift Pack is Mom24 from 4everMom!!!!  Everyone give her a round of applause!!! 

Start My Yoplait Two Week Tune Up Today!

Well, it is Monday and time to get back into the grind.  I went to Jacksonville over the weekend for a soccer tournament my daughter was in.  We had a good time, though it was a little rainy.  The good news is that my daughter's team won 2 or their 3 games...wooohooo!!!!  So they will be moving on in the regional tournament. 

I am excited, because today is the day I am starting the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up!  I really need it because I definitely have been off track for both exercise and eating lately.  I got on the scale this morning and about had  heart attack (no, I will not be revealing the number here).  Needless to say, I need to lose a lot more than the 5 pounds that the Two Week Tune Up touts.  At least it will be a start.  I am hoping that I will actually lose more than 5 pounds on the Tune Up.  We will see....

Also stay tuned for the results for the Yoplait Gift Pack Giveaway.  I will be using a random generator to determine a winner this afternoon, so if you have not entered, you need to do it right now here.  The coupon for Yoplait Light is still up on that page too if you need it. 

Yoplait Two Week Tune Up...and Giveaway

I am gearing up to start the Yoplait Two Week Tune Up on Monday!  I am looking forward to it.  Yoplait (through MyBlogSpark) sent me enough free yogurt to complete the whole 2 weeks of the tune up. Yay!!!  I overlooked the plan before I signed up for this and agreed to do it because I think it is a plan that will work. 

The basis of the plan is that for breakfast and lunch everyday, you eat a Yoplait Light cup, a fruit and a grain.  For dinner you have a 6 oz portion of lean meat and vegetable (no starchy ones).  You are allowed to have veggie snacks and up to 3 servings of additional lowfat dairy per day.  For the plan you are also supposed to walk for 30 to 40 minutes a day.  For breakfast and lunch they are suggesting Cheerios, Rice Chex, and Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars with skim milk.  If you look further, you can substitute any grain that is 110 cal per serving as a substitute.  There are recipes and meal plans on the Yoplait site, you need to check the plan out  here.

The reason I think this plan will work is that when you consume protein at every meal, you stay full longer, and this plan allows for that.  Just checking the Yoplait light yogurts that I have in my refrigerator right now, they run about 5 grams of protein per serving.  Add your meat for dinner and 3 servings of other dairy products then this diet will definitely be a protein boost for most people.  Also, fruits and vegetables are required and eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables is a known way to keep in shape and this diet satisfies that requirement as well. 

I am really looking forward to starting this diet, so who is on board with me?  I am starting Monday and will update my progress through this blog as well as possibly providing recipes that I will be using since I will be veering from those that are provided by Yoplait (don't want to shock the family too badly). 

Also, if you have not signed up for my Yoplait Giveaway, please go here to check it out and enter.  That giveaway will be closing on Monday, so get in on it now. 

Productive Day Yesterday...Hoping Today will be the Same

I had a productive day yesterday.  My son was home from school sick so I had to go out and buy him some cold meds.  I also had to buy a new vaporizer/humidifier since ours went kaput (it lasted 15 years, so it served its time).  The funny thing is that I bought the same brand I had before (Vicks) and it was about the same price as it was 15 years ago...weird huh?  I also picked up some printer (multipurpose) paper at Staples that is only $2 after the rebate (limit 2 I think). 

When I came home, I medicated my son and then defrosted my upright freezer in the garage.  I must say that is one of those chores I really don't like, but it had to be done.  The good news is that I got to see all the inventory in the freezer and I had more beef in it than I was aware of.  Later, I also did my taxes and my boyfriend's taxes (TurboTax).  It feels so good to get that done.  And on the bright side, since I was not working at the end of 2010, my taxes went down....woohoo.  So, I have a decent size refund check coming, too bad it all has to go towards my son's private school tuition (only 3 more years of that!). 

Today, I have a busy day planned too.  Of course, I have to drop my son off at school (my daughter walks to hers) and then I have to go across town to another school to pick up an application for the International Bachelorette Program so my daughter can apply (due tomorrow).  We had gotten the application last week and my daughter wrote an essay for it.  Well, she filled out the application while I was at a Parents Association meeting and filled the front portion of the application out in red ink (12 year olds!).  I explained to her that red ink is not acceptable on any official forms, so now I have to go get another one so we can get it done and turned in tomorrow. 

Also, I have to pick up canned air and 9volt batteries for our fire alarm system in the house.  I guess one of the interwired units has a low battery or is clogged with dust, so they all beep (chirp) intermittently .  I looked up the brand that we are using (Firex) and there are whole forums about what a nightmare these alarms are, so wish me luck.  So, I will also be cleaning the alarms and replacing all the batteries and hope that solves the problem.  Did I mention that we have 7 units in the house and 3 are in the area with 10 foot ceilings?  What a PITA! 

In the midst of all this fun, I will also be cleaning because John's family is coming over for dinner tonight.  I will not get to participate however because I have the Mom's Taxi running tonight and I will be dropping off at soccer practice, driving across town (15 miles approx.)  and picking up from baseball practice, dropping that kid off at home (its on the way) and then going back to soccer to pick that kid up.  Oh the joys of motherhood, when will they ever cease?  Do you note the sarcasm?

Did I mention that I am going out of town for the weekend to a soccer tournament?  So, I will be trying to get all my laundry, etc...caught up too.  Luckily John's 20 year old son is coming over for the weekend to house and dog sit for us, so at least I don't have to put the dog in a kennel or stop the mail or anything.  There are definite advantages to having older kids around. 

Well, I think that is it, so hopefully I can get it all done.  What do you have planned for today? 

Look on the Bright Side

To everyone that is snowed in,

I am someone who tries to look at the bright side of every situation, so here are some positives about being snowed in:

1) You get to spend time with your family
2) Shoveling snow is a killer workout, better than any bootcamp
3) You get to brag that you survived the winter 2010/2011
4) You can figure out what the weak points are in your emergency preparedness at home
5) You can see how political figures (local/state & national) respond in emergencies to determine whether they should serve another term come election time.
6) Sledding
7) The peace and serenity of seeing a snow covered yard, field, tree...it is quite beautiful
8) The snow can be an excuse not to get anything important done.
9) You get to find out who your true friends and good neighbors are since they will be checking up on whether you are doing okay
10) Who doesn't like a snow day?

Of course, I can write this from toasty Florida where it will hit the 80's today.  Please keep the hate mail to a minimum please.  I hope everybody stays warm and safe. 

It could be worse, at least you are not in Egypt with their uncertain future, or in Australia where they are preparing to get hit by a major cyclone (hurricane). 

Get Free Yoplait Cup!

Yoplait Gives Away One Million Free Cups to Celebrate Calcium News
Go to Facebook.com/Yoplait to Like our Page and get your Free Cup

The newly reformulated Yoplait Original yogurt now has two times the calcium of the leading yogurt with 50 percent of the Daily Value in every cup. To celebrate its commitment to calcium, Yoplait is giving away one million free cups of Yoplait Original!

Visit Yoplait's Facebook page to sign up to receive a free cup of Yoplait Original yogurt and make a personal commitment to meeting recommended calcium requirements, each day.

Watch how Nancy O'Dell stays healthy with Yoplait Original! Click here to watch.

*Disclaimer:  Any reviews or promotions that are on my blog are at my discretion.  I am not being compensated by Yoplait or MyBlogSpark for reviews, promotions or advertising.