Oh, Andrea I meant to tell you about a new tea that I tried! When we did the grocery shopping this past Sunday we went to a different Wal-Mart and they actually had some different varieties of teas there. Jacob really likes to drink hot herbal teas also. Anyway right now our favorite is Spiced Chai which is just so yummy with some sweetner and a little cream. We were really excited when we saw all of the choices this Wal-Mart had. We bought two new kinds that we had not tried before, blueberry and chocolate-caramel chai!!! They are both good but the chocolate caramel chai is AWESOME! Definitely good at night to help those sweet snacking urges!! Just wanted to share that with a fellow tea drinker.

HI,
Wow thanks for all the nice words of incouragement and advice. I blew it again last night it gets me down too cause I do so well all day to blow it at night is a bummer. I even exercised yesterday. Well today is a new day and I am gona try so hard not to eat tonight. I will try the tea thing sounds good. I love hearing peoples tricks.
Okay I need some advice on my son he keeps coughing he doesnt have a cold dr gave him cough surrpressant but he is still coughing..I give him cough drops they seem to help a little but I am a bit worried. Any suggestions would be great.
Karyn>>>I will try the carrots. Thanks glad you are doing good with it. I need to try something LOL. I know I could lose if I didnt do the eating at night. Nice to meet you and hope to get to know everyone on here more.
Serafyn>>>Yes my kids go to bed and I snack or sometimes if im real hungry eat something real bad. Blew the hole day in just a few mins. So I will try the tea plus carrots ect.Thanks and nice to meet you.
Well better get going and I look forward to getting to know everyone here.
Hugs

Oooh! Val! Thanks for the tip. I will look for that tea. What is the brand? Sounds D-Lish!

Lately, I've really been enjoying my Mango/Passionfruit Herbal tea by Stash Teas. Yummy! And I don't have to add milk or cream--just a tee-ninesy bit of sugar (half a teaspoon!) It is wonderful!

Jessica, I want to encourage you also to maybe take up some sort of craft that you can do in the evenings. Right now I'm too busy with an online course to do this, but before I would knit in the evenings while watching a movie or something. Keeps your hands too busy to eat! And it's fun and productive!

If you don't already have some craft, like knitting, that you do, you could take a knitting class--surely there is one somewhere near you. Knitting is all the craze these days. Check at the local yarn stores to find a beginner's class. If you can afford to take a class and your husband wouldn't mind keeping the kids for you once a week, they're great fun, because you are learning something new, and you get to visit with other people. As a mom with young children, I know how much I'd love to get out a night a week and visit with other women without kids around! Just an idea!

Talking about knitting in my previous post, I started wondering what kind of hobbies and crafts you all do. That led me to wonder other things about you, too. I know Val is way into sports and she reads. What do you like to read, Val? What do you do for fun when you have the time? Karyn, I know your husband bowls, but what do you do for fun (besides drink hurricanes! haha...just kidding!)? Kim, what's your bag? Everyone, I'm curious. Tell me about yourselves, outside of kids and weight loss.

I like to read. Mostly self-help and other non-fiction lately, but I also love good historical fiction and other types of novels. I majored in English Literatuure in college, just because. I'm currently reading The Miracle of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hahn, because I'm striving to find a more peaceful way of living.

Like I said, I enjoy knitting, though lately I've not done much. The last thing I knitted was a poncho for my daughter, Stella. I actually still need to put the fringe on it!

I love to hike, and am looking forward to being able to do more with the kids as they get older. I miss going as often and as far as I used to before I had more children. Recently we've taken up letterboxing, which is really fun with the kids and keeps me hiking. I like overnight backpacking and camping as well. It will be awhile before I can do that again. For now, camping at a campground with the family is a fun substitute.

I'm interested in learning more about sailing, since I've only done a little and fell in love with it. Plus, Ron and I dream of getting a 32-36 foot sailboat and cruising the world with our family for a year or two--maybe longer!

I used to act in my local community theater up in Homer, Alaska, and I really, really enjoyed that, but haven't done that in years. I think about getting involved with local theater again when the kids are older. Could be a fun thing to do together. Dunno.

Other things I'm interested in (in no particular order): midwifery; alternative building methods, like straw-bale and cob construction; music of all types, but especially Flamenco, Spanish Classical Guitar, and bluegrass; yoga, and unschooling.

Anyway, that's a bit about me. Please, tell me more about yourselves when you get a chance.

Hi ladies!!! I actually have a few minutes to post before we take DS out to eat for his graduation celebration. I think the anticipation of graduation wore him out. He didn't want to stick around too long afterwards but wanted to go home. Now he isn't sure he even wants to go out and eat. Tired!!! I came home and posted pictures to the blog I have for the kids and e-mailed family and friends to check out the new pics. I am trying to post a picture and we will see when I post if it turns up or not.

The kids and I were suppose to go to Phoenix the last week of June and first week of July with my hubby coming out that second week. Well my dad just e-mailed me the itenerary and he got the tickets for June 17th instead of June 24th. Opps!!So now it looks like we will be there for 3 weeks instead of 2!! I just talked to him on the phone so I think we will take the kids to see the Grand Canyon since my son has bugged me all year about wanting to go because one of his best buddies went last summer. Then we might even go to California and take the kids to Disney Land/World...I can never remember which is which!!! So it looks like my 6 week summer vacation is filling up fast!!!

Andrea as far as hobbies go I don't really don't know what to say... I don't have alot of time but I do enjoy doing stuff on the computer, love to scrap book when I have time, would love to take a photography class and a yoga class, I love to travel..but don't have the money to do it, love to decorate...but don't have the money for that either, I use to counter cross stitch but I haven't done that in along time. It seems like between work and then being a mommy when I'm not at work I just don't have alot of time to enjoy a hobby. I guess maybe I should find the time. I know that "finding time for me" is something I have tried to work on but not very successfully!!! Any way we off to go eat, I have been saving my bonus points for this but I will do my best to make good choices.

Wow - lots of reading today! Andrea - I actually made it to the end. Enjoyed reading every bit of it! As far as telling more about me...hmm....
I love to sing, read Christian fiction, shop, do "girl stuff", watch movies, hang out w/my kids. I have 2 boys that are soo different and like to do different things w/each of them. Do a lot of things at church where my hubby is a youth pastor. Head up the Youth Girl's ministry, teach preschool, sing, and right now, am heading up our team for the Cancer Relay for Life. Church life really keeps me busy! I also like to cook - when I have the time....

Paige - enjoyed your picture. What a cutie!

Kim-hope you're catching up on your sleep. How is your dad?????

Well - I've gained a pound.... yuck!!! Have been more on track today than in a while. Think I'm a "little" bloated - but no excuses. Just have to really start tracking my points again. Not be obsessive about it but def need to be more aware of what I'm putting in my mouth (which is no fun at all! )

Need to get some laundry folded and go veg on the couch. Have a great night!

Hi all! Just happenned to check in and would like to join in. I too am a mom who has neglected herself for tooooooo long. I have two kids: boy 10 and girl 8. I'm looking to lose about 70 pounds. So lets get it started!!!

I gotta say I got on the scale today (only 3 days of oprah), I am down but won't annouce it until modays weigh in. I did have some of the nos yesterday but it hasn't affected me. She does say you are allowed 1 snack 4 times during the 4 weeks. I had more then that yesteday but I am trying to use her concept most of the time. I know i could never live by that all the time i would go nuts. but if i can do it 90% of the time it will help. I gotta say it has made me not want snacks. So its working..

Andrea thanks for the advice. I will try to lengthen his bedtime routine. right now its a few warmings, brush teeth, drink of water and go to the bathroom and off to bed. I useed to read but he would want more and more so I stoped it. Last night I gave him a bath 15 minutes before and it only took an hour for him to fall asleep. I am also thinking about waking him up at 8 and not 9. my fear is waking him up earlier means i am tied to the house more cause then he will really fall asleep around 4pm. .yuk ... bad time to nap and its hard to keep him awake.

Andrea Good Question. What hobbies do we like to do? WEll I used to bowl (like my hubby, we even did local tournaments together) I stopped that when I was pregnant but recently have been rethinking going back. I think maybe I will try a summer league one day during the week and hubby will have to come home. I really haven't had the money or even hubby so I can do it. He went back last year. I recently wanted to take nicky open bowling and see how he likes it but i got conflicting reactions that he might be too young. Anyway I think I will call the lanes and see if there is any summer leagues looking for someone. usually the summer is cheaper.

I also like to do ceramics (you can by the plaster ones at AC More, Michaels) and those don't need to be fired. I buy a high gloss spray to make them shiny. They are great christmas gifts. I use acrylic paint from Rag shop (craft stores). I used to crochet but nothing ever came of that, I used to use the plastic with the holes and the yarn. I like to organize my photos on my computer. I am currently trying to get them into a slide show (with a program I bought) and eventually will put them on DVD and give them to our parents. Of course I am adding music and all to it. After that project is done I am going to do my camcorder but I think it will be a long time for that cause I haven't touched this project since before my tirp.

I also love laying on the beach and in the sand or by the pool (but i don't have a pool right now). I like boating. My father and brother in law have a boats that I go out on. Fishing is lots of fun, just waiting for nicky to get old enough. Someday hopefully we will get a boat. I like to go crabbing over fishing. Soon nicky will be old enough to fish right off the bridge. should be fun. I also love to travel but as you all know you need money for that. The only traveling we do is the local shore or with the bowling tournament which we just starting doing again this year. Lately I have been gardening trying to make my house look presentable. I love hanging out with my friends and entertaining at my house.

I like Andreas idea about doing something with your hands, this way you don;'t snack or much. But my take on that is if you are truly hungry try a glass of water and sit down for 15 minutes. If that doesn't work then get yourself somehting small. I too am a snacker and when my son goes to bed i was snacking on sugar but I am trying not to do that now. its very hard but WE CAN DO IT!

Paige your son is beauiful. Congrats.

Welcome Busy Busy, What is your name? My name is Karyn and I have a son 3 years old. I am currently looking to go back to work and put him in a learning center. I am married for 8 years and live in NJ.

Karyn, I'm so glad you are feeling so confident on Oprah's plan! I hope that continues to work for you! That's great!

Thanks for answering some of my questions about what you like to do and such. It's interesting to hear more about you outside of the weight-loss stuff. I also like organizing my photos on the computer, but I want to learn how to create a website, so I can just link to that when I want to share photos. It's fun using my photo-editing software, though lately something isn't working right with it and I'm waiting for a computer savvy freind to get back from the Grand Canyon, so he can help me determine what's wrong.

I'm feeling a little disorganized, but am generally in a good mood today. I did feel a little freaked out when I discovered a lump in my right breast this morning, that I don't remember being there before. I've scheduled to have an exam and a sonagram next week. Probably nothing, but I want to have it checked out anyway. It's near my armpit and lymph nodes, where I usually get lumpy when I'm pregnant or just started nursing. Maybe this is just what it feels like when it's not completely swollen up and hurting like it does at those other times, and I just didn't notice it was even there until I lost some weight. We'll see. Doesn't hurt or anything. I don't know what to think, actually, but I'm not getting too worked up about it at this point, for sure.

The weather is really windy and changeable here today, like it was yesterday. I kind of like it. I don't feel so guilty about not getting my housework done and getting outside. haha. I am just a bit out of it organizationally today.

I am doing well on my eating plan so far today. For breakfast I had half a whole wheat bagel with a tablespoon of natural peanut butter on it and a half cup of applesauce. For lunch I had 1/2 cup of brown rice and 1/2 a cup of black beans with 1/3 cup of salsa on it. I also ate a medium sized apple and about 5 baby carrots. Now I'm having some Mango/Passionfruit tea with 1/2 a teaspoon of sugar. Yummy!

If the wind would just mellow out some, I'd take the kids for a walk on the beach. But as long as it's this windy here at my house, it will be literally howling at the actual beach, so I keep resisting. Maybe we should go somewhere away from the beach for a little hike. That would be fun, except I won't have Ron's help if Annie gets tired of walking. Hmmm...what to do, what to do...?

Well, I just wanted to check in and see if anyone had posted. I'll check in again later. OH! And Paige, I also wanted to say I love that picture of your little guy. He's just too cute! He looks proud, but a little embarrased. Adorable!

Hope everyone is having a super day!

Busy Busy, I missed your post somehow, and I just want to say WELCOME! This is a good group of women all striving to take better care of ourselves and help each other along. I think you'll do well here with us. What's your name and where are you located? Are you trying a particular program? Fill us in!

WEll today my parents came here so i could go to an inteview. I hope I get this one. It sounds really great and is part time and my hours are all over the place. It would be perfect. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

Because my parents came, we went to the buffet that my dad loves to go too. I was a bit nervous because its mostly fish and chinese buffet. But I startted with a salad (which I don't usually do), then had 1 plate of the chinese stuff (where I usually have 2) not filled to the top then a few pieces of shrimp and crab after that (which i am not suppose to have too much of cause i am allergic) and my ice cream for dessert was not filled all the way with my peanut brittle which i love. I got to say I was proud of myself that I did go overboard like usual. The oprah plan is very hard to stick with cause no white stuff is very hard but I think i will try it on the days I can and on the days I can't just limit myself. I hope i didn't screw up my weight loss...

Sorry I didn't get to post yesterday, the last couple of days have been kind of rough. The ex is at it again only now he has turned the game up a notch. Other than that though everything is going fine, I've been staying on track food wise and with exercise too. Wednesday when we walked I decided to try to jog some of the way and I think I probably ended up jogging about 3/4 mile! My legs have been a little sore since then but not bad at all. I jogged/walked 3 miles wednesday, and 2.5 on Thursday. I missed walking today because of the crap that ex is pulling but I will get right back on it.

Karyn, I've got my fingers crossed for you to get that job!! Hang in there!

Andrea, as far as hobbies go, I like to do lots of stuff and there is even more that I am interested in and just don't have the time to pursue, so ones that I semi actively participate in are counted cross stitch, crochet, sewing (just a little), camping, canoeing, baseball, basketball, rollerblading, gardening, and crafting.
Oh, I almost forgot my new one, letterboxing!! So much fun!!

Well, I need to do a livejournal entry and get some work done, check in later.

Happy Weekend!!!! I hope everyone is having great weather and is enjoying the day!

I had WI this morning and I am down 4 lbs.!!! I lost the 2lb gain from last week and another 2. Considering TOM is here I think that is pretty good!!!! I had to go to Target and return some clothes for DS this morning and got some new sunglasses since I lost my good ones last night at DD's family cookout at school. Then I was off to Walmart for my weekly trip...they love to see me coming!!!!! I am suppose to go to a bridal shower and then a farewell party today but I am going to skip the shower and just go to the goodbye party!!!! Too much to do in one day.

VAl- That @#&*%$# little man!!!!

Karyn - Good luck with the interview!

Andrea- You can do a blog like I do at blogger.com. It's free and that is how I share the photos of the kids with family and friends. It's pretty easy! I got my template from another site but they have some to chose from also.

Well have to fix the kids lunch, I'll check back in sometime this weekend.

Hi Ladies. Today I had my sisterin law and brother in law and their 3 year old for dinner. We did the BBQ. I hope I don't see a gain on monday. I am drinking my water now and will do tons tomorrow just so I still see a loss.

Andrea you can use shutterfly.com which is also free and you can create an album and send them to everyone in your address book that you can create on their site. Download the shutterfly express from the site and that puts in on your puter. after you select the photos you want you click download to site and its so easy. check it out.

I hope everyone had a great weekend. today was so nice until around 7:30 when the downpours and lighting hit for about an hour now its nice again. this weather is crazy.

Val sorry about hubby but i am so glad that your exercising and sticking with your program. he is not worth it.. just keep telling yourself that...