non-sensical ramblings

2 nights ago my 3yr old, Belle cried and wanted to come in my bed. sigh...fine. BUT what you don't realize is it was 3am and i stayed up with Bewtcut til about midnight.
when she comes in our bed, she wants to lay right up next to me. and flex her toes back and forth on my leg, back, bum, you name it! so being the loving mother i am, i usually try and stuff covers between us so i don't feel her moving her foot on me every 5 sec.

so then she is picking her lips...
"Go to sleep Belley" i mutter as Mr. Snores- a lot is oblivious to all of this. I kindly kick Bewtcut and tell him to "turn over" so that he doesn't sound like someone who can't breathe and yet can find the air to make horrible sounds. I start to think..."i should just get up, this is useless". but i'm lazy and try and go back to sleep.
 after 2 hours of tossing and turning and kicking and swiping and pushing and muttering, Belle says, "I want to get in mine bed." woohoo! GREAT! so i take her back to her bed. oh, did i mention she was being "Bolt" the dog from the movie before she went to bed?  So then i lay her down and she says, "Bolt wants his water in him's cup". mhhhm, so i go get some water in her sippy cup. i mean "him's."
then I lay back down...ahhhhhhhhhhhhh
then i hear snoring, so i kindly push Bewtcut, and say dude, TURN OVER in my sweetest most non-irritated voice ever!
he mumbles something, probably rude and i say "i heard sumthin"..like off of Seinfeld.
i quickly snuggle down into my covers, let out a deep breathe and before i could take my next breath IN, i hear Belle again.
...crying.
so I go in there and she's crying and says she wants to go downstairs, what the..it's 5am?!! but she wouldn't be quiet and i didn't want everyone else to wake up so i took her downstairs. i turned on her shows, turned the volume down, put her blankie on and went back upstairs. i don't even remember sleeping, cuz it sure didn't feel like it, by 7am Presley was awake and when i take her downstairs, Piper is in the recliner!
"Piper, why are you awake?? it's early!"
" i dunno".
wow, so i am on NO sleep on Sunday and it's a very busy day, packing and helping Bewtcut get ready to deploy.  BUT, i did still manage to get my running in, and some squats and lunges.  somehow i managed the energy to workout, that is soooo not like me. ;)
you know when you're tired though everything is that much more emotional so i was pretty down in the dumps when we had to take him to the plane, BUT when I dropped him off i didn't go straight to the drive-thru to get a reeses peanut butter cup shake, although i totally could have/would have, i went home and had a yogurt.
then of course it's the first night alone again, so i hear all the sounds and wonder if my jimmy-rigged chairs against the locked doors could really save us, or the pliers i found on the bathroom counter tucked under my bed could probably do more harm to me than good. so it was another tossing and turning night, with a few quick interruptions from the kids, but basically everyone slept well.
except for me.
BUT i did go to Zumba by 9am and rocked it.

where is this going? 

it's going nowhere really, just ramblings of an exhausted weirdo.

thanks for listening. goodbye.

actually, i'm just hoping i can replace anxiety, sadness, lonliness feelings that may creep up, with positive things like exercise, cuz i usually go towards the "comfort food" route.  I'm trying to be a better me this year. Plain and simple. and i want for ONCE to actually be cuter when he returns. I always have delusions of grandeur and presume i will look amazing by stuffing my face and watching tv til 1am while he's gone, strangely that's never worked. shocking, for you and me BOTH! ;p

hopefully not this time...

now, 

don't get it twisted, fast food is not out of the question...cuz who wants to cook constantly during these times?

BUT just be better. that's all.

and up my exercise game.

alas, 

the laundry is calling.

and the shower...

Zumba was 6 hours ago...

time to change my clothes. ;p

I'll leave you with this gem from last night.

Bewtcut, totally photo bombed me.

crazy stalker...;p

let's hope a good night's sleep tonight can make for a better day tomorrow.

physically AND mentally. ;D

now...if i could just get a nap in somehow...
what? what did you say?
i heard sumthin...

sunday treat: chocolate chip cookie dough truffles

i've posted these before, but

i'm a busy bee today

and these are BEYOND worthy of a repeat!!

these are delicioso! i haven't made them in forever, but i will... and probably eat them all.

it's gonna be a hard month for me, haha.

....these have NO egg, so these are great for whatever eating lifestyle you go by, even Vegan!!...

Recipe:

-1 C butter, room temp

-3/4 C granulated sugar

-3/4 C packed brown sugar

-1/3 C milk

-1 tsp vanilla

-2`1/2 C flour

-1/4 tsp baking soda

-1 tsp salt

-1 C Mini semi-sweet choc chips

-1 pkg Baking Chocolate (usually a box of bakers choc is 8 oz, i ended up using 2 boxes)

Beat butter and sugars in large bowl on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add milk and vanilla. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt and mix on low speed until incorporated. Stir in chocolate chips.

Cover and chill for about 30 min.

When dough is firm enough to handle, form dough into 1 in balls and arrange on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Place sheet/sheets in freezer & let chill for 30 min. Melt baking chocolate in a double broiler or microwave according to pkg directions. (You can also use a glass bowl that fits over one of your pots and boil water in the pot below with the bowl on top to melt the chocolate..cheap double broiler version)

Using a fork (or I use a toothpick as well), dip the cookie balls into the melted chocolate, covering completely with the chocolate. Tap fork or toothpick on side of bowl to remove excess, and return ball to waxed paper. (u can use another toothpick to help slide ball off). Let the cookie balls harden at room temp or in the fridge.

Decorate with colored chocolate by putting other types of melted chocolate in a ziploc bag & cutting corner to the size of "drizzle" you'd like. Have fun!

embrace the camera: feb 24th

i haven't done this forever, if you'd like the rules go here

basically we are always behind the camera taking tons of pics of our kids

let's get out from behind the lens so our children have pictures of us WITH them.

this week it's me and my littles...

they're both sickies right now, booooo.

miss belle and her sassy self.

my "baby" is a ginormica 15mo old and growing way tooooooooo fast.

go take some pictures with your chitlins today and link up!!

close call

you see this thing?

it's no bigger than a goldfish cracker.

and yet it almost changed my life for good.

I was sitting at the kitchen table doing paperwork for my in-law's Storage Unit business. My kitchen opens up into our family room, and Belle (3 yrs old) was on the recliner watching her shows. 

She suddenly jumps up and is trying to cough something out.  I rush over to her thinking it's probably a goldfish cracker she inhaled too quickly, so i patted her on the back. nothing...still choking.

so i patted her again. nothing.

she tried to cry or talk but she couldn't, which i KNEW meant she was in big trouble cuz her airway was truly blocked.

so i reached down into her throat and felt a TOY!! i couldn't believe it, why did she have a toy in her mouth in the first place?

i almost pushed it down further, but managed to grab it out.

she finally started breathing and everything was OK.

now...

it's amazing what your mind thinks in all those split seconds. i guarantee it wasn't more than a few seconds all together, but it felt like 2 minutes and i remember having a lot of thoughts run through my head in less than miliseconds!

"i may need to call 911"

"they won't make it in time"

"is my sis-in-law home next door?"

"will she pass out?"

"i don't have a bra on"

"will i get it out?"

like seriously, how did i think so many things in the 2 seconds it took to grab that toy out of her throat??

it was sheer panic, but controlled panic nonetheless.

at least I didn't pass out and was able to do well under pressure.

our kids don't choke too often, seriously i think 1 or 2 other times Bewtcut has had to do that when they were little, but we've been pretty lucky so far.

It was all very odd because she's 3yr old and doesn't normally put things in her mouth, but she for sure knows now to not ever do that again.

when i sat back at the table i started shaking and my heart was racing.

is that what shock is?

you do what you have to do in the emergency and then as soon as you settle down your body just shakes?

that's what happened, it took a minute to calm down and lower my heart rate after that.

it totally scared me, i can't imagine losing one of my children, especially right in front of me.

i know that seems a little over-dramatic but seriously it could've gone another way and i don't even want to go there in my mind...

anywho, love your babies, pick up tiny toys even thought they normally wouldn't put them in their mouths.

i was just soooooooooo glad that Heavenly Father had me RIGHT there in the kitchen and not upstairs doing laundry or in the shower or something. completely grateful!!

have you guys ever had a close call like that???

waz on my Dam phone

guess what time it is?

guess who missed it last week?

but i'm here now, and that's all that matters...;)

make sure you link up to lady hotness with YOUR phone pics. 

this is how we do homework around here. 

periodic self-portraits help ease the stress of multiplication tables...

or perhaps the stress has already gotten to her,

let us pray

look, we like to wear Daddy's flightsuits.

and pretend we're in a dungeon being interrogated.

repeat name and rank only...name and rank. ;p

 Bewtcut spotted a falcon catching a mouse out in the field

so the girls had to see it with his binoculars.

Belle went and found HER binoculars, i'm pretty sure they worked the bestest...

 i forgot to post this pic of Belle on her birthday.

she had me put a flower bow on "meemoo" so that he/she could be festive as well.

best friends forever, aaaaaand ever.

 i love chubby, non-wrists trying to feed themselves.

(and yes i feed my baby nutritious, organic meals...like cocoa puffs.)

 this is an exclusive club right here.

no, it's not the jammies club...

 ...it's the SISTERS club.

you have to trace your hand and attach your name to the club sign

it's very high-tec security. 

i hear they're amping up security measures and installing a voice recognition system.

i wonder if mommy's yelling voice will be recognized. hmmmm

 k, i'm over it.

me needeth sunshine to grow...

i was super cute and romantical and wrote

"Happy Birthday, I Love You"

to Bewtcut

on our bathroom mirror.

girls thought that was pretty cool

and decided to draw a heart and smiley face

except they demolished my lipstick...sigh.

it was my ONLY red lipstick and a special Cyndi Lauper edition for MAC.

girls just wanna have fun, i suppose.

or to be beaten. 

sunday treat: edible. no. treat? yes.

today's Sunday treat is a little different

I'm not going to be telling you a recipe for a delectable dessert

BUT

what I am going to show you is so cute you may just want to eat it.

Have you ever looked on etsy?

it's so full of handmade sweetness it will give you a toothache!

I happen to know 2 girlies who have shops on etsy and they make tons of adorable things!!!

Plus, 

I'm not sure if they're are two sweeter girls on the planet earth

like for realzzzzzz.

and they're both stinkin' young and adorable, we should slap them. ;p

Meet Ashley from

Little Miss Momma 

look at all her handmade goodness?

these rings and hair pins are such fun spring colors

or definite ways to jazz up during the winter!

 i don't own a lot of girlie, dainty accessories but i'm pretty sure i would buy sweaters to match these hair pins...just sayin'. 

I'm thinking of buying this mustache necklace to cover up my real mustache.

there is tons more to look at so hurry and

head over to her shop!

Meet Brittany from

Lovestitched 

she likes to make things by hand that make you feel sweet and feminine

i love the baby blue color of this floral necklace and matching earrings to boot!

 this headband would go with...well, EVERYTHING

 you like the delicate rosette in the headband?

why not in a ring too, aaaaand you can choose the color!

go look and see more beautiful items at Love Stitched etsy shop !

seriously, food is not the ONLY way we can treat ourselves.

the prices are awesome and the cuteness is over the top!!!

once the budget nazi lifts the "no spending whatsoever" ban, 

i'm gonna buy me some sweet accessories, believe you me!!

Have a an awesome Sunday lovelies!!

it's ON...

it's back ON.

and i'm happy.

it's been a tough week

but I learned a lot about myself 

and those around me.

so hey, if you'd like go check out my style blog

go right ahead...

seriously though

do NOT go over there if you wanna see someone happily being themselves.

do NOT peek over there if you want to get outfit ideas

do NOT even go there if you want to see someone dressed modestly.

oh, 

and do NOT click that picture if you want to be inspired to do something you love.

seriously. don't. do. it. ;)

i'll always keep a tab up on my pages if you'd ever like to take a gander.

you guys rock.

seriously.

i have the best readers, friends and immediate family anyone could ask for!!

i do thank you from the bottom of my heart.

let your light shine people!!!

Happy Saturday and Weekend!!

Milspouse Weekly Roundup

hello friends!

Welcome one and all to the MilSpouse Weekly Roundup!!

first...

a lil' about me

hello beauties.

I'm Hillary and this blog is about my me and my Whole FamDamily.

I'm a native Californian transplanted to Utah. but i'll always consider myself a California girl.

I'm a little quirky, a lot silly, pretty sassy and a ton sarcastic.

i love good food and great company.

i love photography.

i love fashion, but i'm an amateur.
(check me out @ help a mutha out)

i love laughing

i love making OTHER people laugh.

i love to be creative, even though i don't do it very often.

i sadly love reality television

and i love my UsWeekly subscription.

oh

and i love my children. hehe.

i especially love this guy. even when he drives me nutzo. ;)

we shall call him "Bewtcut".

He's in the Air National Guard, but we're considered Active Duty Air Force because of his FULL-time orders. the military IS his job.

He's in a special squadron. and that is all I can say about that (w/o killing u. ;p)

He is gone at least 3x a year on deployments, 

so that's when i have to single-mom it.

we were married June 2001

and then had 500 kids.

Okay 4... all girlies.

and we're lovin it.

i do NOT take myself too seriously

and try to be optimistic about most things.

but i'm a realist too

so this blog is my good, my bad, my happy and my sad.

we deal with everyday moments

as well as Bewtcut deploying several times a year...every year.

we're crazy and silly but we love each other deeply.

Thanks for becoming part of our WholeFamDamily!

I have never lived on base so blogging has become an excellent way for me to meet other milspouses and i cherish my friendships and support systems made through this wonderful world of blogging!  

So link up your favorite posts and help us connect with one another!

Make sure you stop by as many milspouse links as you can today and spread the love!!

as always, if you or anyone you know is dealing with PTSD in a family situation, 

you can get a wonderful family/children's PTSD book to help.

you can get it HERE  

 *new illustrations coming soon*

***Don't forget to check out the beautiful, sweet and talented Nicole Wallace for next weeks Milspouse Weekly Roundup.

You can go to her blog here at Consider the Lilies  ***

on a side note, check out her photo blog too, she's awesome! go to Chesnut Tree Photography!

fear itself.

"Only thing we have to fear, is fear itself."

-FDR

I couldn't have said it better myself.

As events have transpired over the last few days, I realize that a lot of the backlash from my style blog was out of fear...fear of the UNKNOWN.

what is she doing?

what is her intent?

where is she going with this?

why did this suddenly start?

who else does this?

what IS a fashion/style blog?

does she want attention?

WHOM does she want attention from?

what's next?

It boggled my mind, since I happen to know there are TONS of fashion blogs out there in the internet atmosphere.

I know people make their living off such style and fashion blogs.

soo...are there people out there who really don't know about all of this on the internet?
apparently so.

i googled "fashion blogs" 

do you know how many sites came up?

508,000,000

not one. by crazy, Hillary.

508 MILLION

there are sites where fashion bloggers can join together and register their blogs so that other people in the same categories can find their fashion blogs and they can all gain inspiration from each other,

such as:

Independent Fashion Bloggers 

or

Bloglovin

i chose the category "fashion"

each page shows 20 blog links.

there are 537 pages of "fashion blogs"

that's 10,740 blogs of everyday, regular people like you and me...posting their love of fashion, clothes, accessories on their own personal blog websites.

and these are just people that are registered with this particular website!!

don't forget how many google found. ahem.

this phenomenon is HUGE!!! 

way bigger than little ol' me.

bigger than those NOT in the know seem to understand.

this is everywhere

you may not have heard of it before

but you've heard of it now

and now there is no excuse.

so lay your pitchforks and crosses down.

this is a GOOD thing.

so please. next time you are afraid of the unknown

or

scared of what in the world one of your friends is doing.

or something new comes a long and you happen to not be "in the know" cuz technology is moving at such a rapid pace. stop and investigate.

educate yourself.

knowledge is power my friends.

and it can save you from making a mountain out of an innocent molehill

and taking something fun, creative, interesting, and enjoyable out from under someone.

NYtimes

Wallstreet journal

talk shows

news broadcasts

are ALL taking notice of these blogs.

these women are just that.

regular everyday, women.

they are not heathens.

they are not whoremongers or hobags.

they are not starved for attention.

they are not in a mid-life crisis.

they're not out to snag your husbands.

they're not hoping to gain the attention of old high school flames.

they are not doing unGodly, or unRighteous acts.

they love fashion. plain and simple.

they range from early college-age women to grandmothers!!

to single, married, divorced, you name it!

they are spreading inspiration for a lot of mothers and women in general to take care of yourself, 

to love yourself and get out of your sweats and spit-up stained clothing and create outfits that make you feel good about yourself again.

please, check these websites out.

this is just a crumb, a tidbit of what is out there. 

seriously. like the tiniest tip of the hugest iceberg ever.

click these links and get educated.

The Daybook

What I Wore

(oh ya, she has an article in the Wall Street Journal and coming out with her very own book of outfits.)

Kendi Everyday

November Grey

Love Maegan

Much Love Illy

Sterling Style

Atlantic-Pacific

A Thrifty LA Life

(she's a grandmother with an incredible knack to find couture clothing at the GOODWILL for insanely cheap prices)

Misfits Vintage

(does she not want to make you go back in time and live in vintage clothing always and forever?)

the Pleated Poppy-What I Wore Wednesday

she has a link up party every wednesday

and everyday moms, women, daughters link up their blog and show the world what they've worn for the week or on that particular wednesday.

guess how many regular, everyday ladies linked up their blog?

scroll down to the bottom of the page.

all those picture thumbnails are links back to someone's blog.

there are 

141

that's just on one day.

No Model Lady- All Dressed Up

are kids get to get dressed up and play pretend, why not us?

life is too short to be so stuffy and serious.

this is an all dressed up party

play around, enjoy life, lighten UP!!

Momma Go Round- Real Momma/Real Style

look, everyday momma's

trying a little harder to care about ourselves and love our wardrobes.

I hope this helps any of you who may have been out of the "loop"

on what a fashion blog was

or why someone would be doing it.

seriously, if you're fearful of something. look it up. educate yourself.

a lot of heartache and trouble could be avoided if we all did this before casting judgement and worry onto others.

thank you.

amazing.

hi.

i need to vent, and this blog is for me, first and foremost so i can say what i want on here.

let me preface this post by saying that this is NOT my hubby's views. Bewtcut, loves me for who I am...the silly, the fun, the sarcastic, the crude, the creative, the over the top person i can be.

so let's just be real clear on that.

i haven't been advertising my style blog on this blog for awhile now.

but i guess it still is causing great concern in my reality circle.

little does this circle know that if they googled or searched for other "style" or "fashion" blogs that literally 100's of THOUSANDS would show up, if not millions.

so i'm NOT weird.

I'm NOT crazy.

I'm NOT insane.

I'm NOT screaming for attention.

I'm NOT "out there".

i'm pretty sure i live in America the last time i checked and I'm damn sure that means we have the freedom to be OURSELVES.

with that being said. i deleted it... for good this time. i don't need the headache. i don't need the drama or the hurt or having to explain myself or who I am because of it.

also, if i accidentally text you saying "hello" and then say "it's not meant for you" that doesn't mean i'm having an affair or that i'm "suspicious".

it means my friend Demerry, who lives in BFE Montana has horrible cellphone service and has not answered my text for 3 HOURS and i was wondering if she was there.

or if i say silly things on FB and  girl OR guy friends comment or i comment on theirs it does not mean i'm acting weird, crazy, suspicious in any way shape or form.

don't ask my friends and husband what is wrong with me.

don't put seeds of doubt into their minds as to my character or sanity.

I'm friendly.

I've always been friendly.

I always WILL be friendly.

I love my husband.

I love my family

I love the Lord and my Heavenly Father

and I know who I am and that I have great integrity.

I don't ever need that to be questioned.

thank you very much.

I love blogging. I love expressing myself.  I love reaching out to others and I love the communities I've been accepted into.  

I do this for me. and for me a lone.

if you don't understand it...don't read it.

and I have 100's of family and friends that I grew up with my entire life, 

that love me for just the way I am, and for who I am

and have never questioned my personality

and I'm not going to be questioned now.

I know this post won't make sense to a lot of you, 

but I just had to get that off my chest.

Thanks for listening. 

:)

sunday treat: chocolate cream cheese icing

hello beauties.

time for Sunday treat!

this is super easy and oh so very delectable!!

if you can recall HERE, i made cupcakes with cream cheese icing for  Miss Belle's birthday last week.

i lovest cream cheese icing.

and this time i upped the ante, and added some choc-0-LOT!

mmmmmmmmmmmmm.

it's now my favoritest thing evah...

i'm pretty sure it tastes good on tacos, lasagna, salad and soups.

but seriously.

i DARE you to try and NOT squirt some in your mouth whilst decorating (that's what she said)...triple dog dare you.

First off, 

i used a box cupcake mix.

use your favorite, whatever brand and flavor you like.

i can't remember, i think i used betty crocker or duncan hines-devils' food cake mix.

can you hear the angels singing??? ahhhhhhhhhhh!

Cream Cheese Icing +chocolate

1 8oz cream cheese softened

1/2 C butter softened

2 C+ powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1/4 C-1/2 C unsweetened chocolate powder (i used Hershey's)

Cream the cheese and butter together in mixer til fluffy and creamy. Then add sugar and vanilla. You can add more or less powdered sugar depending on sweetness factor you prefer.  Now THIS as is, is a DELICIOUS cream cheese frosting. you can spread it on right now.

if you'd like to make it chocolate though, ADD the choco powder!

i added about 1/3 C maybe, mixed it...then tasted it, and decided i wanted a little more chocolate flavor so added a little more.  This is all about preference!! So start out with a little, mix thoroughly and add more powder until you are pleased with the chocolate flavor.

 That's it!!

i used it on cupcakes, but i'm sure it would cover a 9x13 cake easily or even a 2-layer cake just fine.

i used the ol' "put the frosting in a baggie and snip the corner off to act like it's a pastry bag" trick.

you could just put it in a bowl and eat it for breakfast, whatevs...;)

i'm sorry i tell you guys these things.

but ALL things in moderation!! no guilt, no off-limits, just self-control-sorta. ;D

happy Sunday!

a bitty birthday

hi beautifuls.

i'm linking up to this today.

you can too if you'd like! Go link up at the Hussy's blog, The Lowe Family News. do it!

on February 9th was little Scarlett "Belle"'s 3rd birthday. but we celebrated last night on Thursday and she was READY, lemme tell ya...

she received a package of gifts from her Grammi and Grandude (MY parents) from California on her actual birthday night and she deemed her new dress her "birday dress"

and so it was...

she sat at the table for an hour before people got there, for her "par-ee" (party)

and once everyone started singing she got shy, but secretly loved it and smiled the whole time

she kept saying the candle was HOT, so she wouldn't blow it out...

 finally, Daddy had to step in. 

he has a lot of "hot air" so the flame went out real quick-like. ;p

she wanted a Dora birthday and green cupcakes. 

her wish was my command.

but i also made chocolate ones w/chocolate cream cheese icing, which may very well be my new favoritest thing in the world. don't worry, i'll be sharing that lil' tidbit on Sunday Treat!

I can't believe she's 3 yr old now.

where did the time go?

I want this lil' lambie back...

(yes, i just make clones of my children, i realize she and Presley look eerily sim-U-lar.) 

anywho, enough cryin', she had a VERY happy Birthday and spent the rest of the night looking like this as she dove into all her fun gifts.

we love that Scarlett Belle.

she sure lives up to her southern name.

she's as sweet as pie and can be as stubborn as a mule. ;D

love that lil' Bitty.

workin "it" out.

and by "it" i mean "fat".

ahahaha, sniff, ahahaha, sniff. cry. bawl. laugh.

yes, worrying about your weight can make you a little bit crazy. but that's why i'm not focusing on weight anymore. honestly i haven't weighed myself for quite some time. i decided i'm going to just focus on being FIT and HEALTHY.
now, i grew up fairly healthy and i tend to still eat rather healthfully.
we always eat whole wheat pasta, tortillas, bread, etc.
we tend to use ground turkey instead of beef, 90% of the time.
my kids like most veggies and we have them or fruit with every meal.
whenever we go out to eat i usually order some sort of grilled chicken or light pasta w/veggies or sumthin.
so it's not like i don't eat healthy at all, i love veggies and fruit!!
but i guess i like everything else too.
candy.
chips.
crackers.
chocolate.
popcorn.
pizza. (omg don't get me started i could eat it all day long, everyday.)

geez, maybe i should just stay away from anything starting with "c"or "p".
and i guess i snack more often then i think. Bewtcut calls me a "grazer"...in no way inferring I'm a COW, pssh...but i just like to EAT!
i've always had a HUGE appetite and i'm not too picky so i like most foods.  But my body going through so many pregnancies and just age factoring in, i realize i can't eat just whatever the hell-o i want.
and at all times.
but i can stick to eating healthy and indulge once in a while or have a smaller portion of the things i love.
and anything made from scratch is better for you and OK on my list than store bought goodies.
back in the '50's they had dessert with like every meal and they weren't obese! I think cuz they homemade pies and cookies and cakes and there weren't all the preservatives and hormones and crazy business that's in store bought food.
so eat healthy. make more homemade meals/treats. and all things in portion control and moderation.

i started a fruit cleanse this week, to restart my body and metabolism.

a lot of fresh fruit all day and then a raw-veggie filled salad at night.

this is not a normal eating habit to keep up forever, this is just a jumpstart to bettering my health.

if anything, it's making me realize that while i DO want certain food items (chips, cookies, crackers)

I can abstain. I DO have control. so now i can work on my portion control and realize i don't HAVE to have a second helping, i don't HAVE to have a half a bag bowl of chips.

i can have a 'few' and fill up on the good stuff like fruits and veggies which really do keep you full.

also, my goal this month is to just be consistent with my exercise. consistency is key.

i love zumba and i've been doing it for about 4 weeks, 2x a week. i love it, it's my outlet and i never feel bored or look at the clock.

but that's just twice a week.  So i need to continue my running, or er..start up again, ahem. and also do a lot of strength exercises. I want to be STRONG. not just slim...STRONG.

i've mentioned this before but i stumbled across this blog by Kris

and she is awesome.

she's witty, beautiful, and sassy, and she will kick your butt into shape.

she is putting up great nutrition tips and even step by step exercise routines, 

seriously

i'm doing the circuit she posted today, like right after i post this.

her blog is called 

Go Big or Go Home (holla!)

seriously go over there. right now! check out her post today called Sneaker and a Smile

you can do ALL of these exercises in the comfort of your own home. and it's only for 2min a time people, we can do anything for 2 minutes!

anyway, just feeling super inspired today.

the sun is shining, but my kids are on the mend. i think i've lost a tad bit of weight with my fruity cleanse this week so far and that's always motivating.

now i'm gonna do some fun strength training moves from the awesome Kris

and Zumba tonight!

Happy Wednesday ya'all!

*post edit*

ok, here is what I'm doing. i read up on the internet about a 3 day fruit flush and also on raw food diets, but i'm kind of combining what i've heard about both and i'm just doing this Mon-Fri.
it is NOT a lifestyle eating plan. at least not for ME.

first let me say i am drinking a lot of water during the day.
big glasses full and i add a big slice of lemon to it every time.
it seems to help curb the sugar cravings.
i have fruit 8am-4pm.
i consider frozen fruit -"raw" cuz they are not cooked just frozen.
so i make myself a smoothie for breakfast and lunch.
ONLY fruit and juice (100%, not from concentrate berry/veggie juice and OJ) with frozen berries/pineapple/mango/peaches. whatever u prefer.
so it's more "blended fruit" than an actual smoothie cuz there is no dairy or powders, BUT it is quite filling.
so i have that for breakfast and lunch.
and everywhere in between about every 2 hours or so, i have some more fruit!
grapes, a banana, a pear, an apple, whatever!

then 4pm is my last fruit of the day.

then at 6pm I have a BIG salad filled with veggies!
lettuce (any/every kind), carrots, broccoli, zucchini, cucumber, tomatoes, avocado, celery.
any veggie you love and prefer...
chop it up, don't shred!
chop it all up, so it's pieces you have to chew and chew. it's so filling!!
you can choose to add a small amount of tuna or something for protein which i did the first night, but with the avocado i put in it last night made me feel fuller.
and i found an amazing, amazing salad dressing that is SO simple and it lasts almost a whole week!
i love it more than any store bought salad dressing, for realzzzzz!!
I found it on THIS website.
then this weekend and next week it's back to regular eating, BUT i will watch my portions and if i'm hungry i'll try to fill up on more natural, raw fruits and veggies and not tortilla chips, hahaha!
everything in moderation though, nothing is off limits anymore, just eat healthy!!

red wine vinaigrette

(I mix this up and keep it in my fridge so I can put together quick salads throughout the week--this is enough for several)

1/4 c red wine vinegar

2/3 c olive oil

2 TBS dijon mustard

coarse salt and cracked pepper

add all ingredients to a small jar and shake it!

waz on my Dam phone

go link up to this fine chica HERE

this was one of my word verifications for blogger.

in my mind it sounds like you're about to say bad words...twice.

i like how they combined them and didn't finish the whole word out, 

i understand laziness like this.

i'm pretty sure this "word" is how i will be speaking of unpleasant things from now on...

 it's only common courtesy to let someone you love, know their future romantic possibilities for 2011.

it's what GOOD sisters do...

ur welcome, arian. ;)

 in case you didn't know the plague strep hit our house

hard and fast.

every other day i was taking the next one into the doctor's office.

look how sick these last 2 are!

 she's not asleep.

but she couldn't take it anymore

so she laid down right there.

i cannot confirm or deny if my children have seen me in a similar position on bad days...;p

 look how happy she is that she spread the virus to all her sisters!

hooray! terd.

 popsicles make it all better though...

and sausage fingers.

she rocks the messy bun better than all the fashionistas out there

and blue,slushy lips will be ALL the rage for summer 2011.

 on Sunday I got to see little Oliver blessed in our church.

my best friend Abbey's son is too precious for words!

Her husband blessed him with the sweetest blessing ever!

and look how handsome he looks in his outfit!

oh yeah, here is the beautiful mama, Abbey and her Ollie.

and her dorky friend. ;p

forget about the TV to watch football!

look in ur bath

you may catch a quaterback-sack goin' down...

waz on ur phone this week ya crazies??