Calling All Blogger Buddies

As I was checking a couple of blogs that I follow I got thinking about a lot of other blogs that I used to peek in on.  Where did everyone go?

I know that I've even slacked off,  I blame Facebook & Pinterest, but I'm trying to get back into it.  It is how I connect with lots of people that live too far away and a place that I can put down our comings and goings so I don't forget. 

If you haven't posted in a long while drop us a post.  What have you been up to?

Sometimes I Need Distracted

My two friends, Deb & Steph, have lost 117 & 131 pounds.  I kind-a, sort-a, most definitely want to join their party, and with those numbers, they have to know something.  Right? 

What is their secret?  Watching their calorie intake and exercising.  I know.  BORING.  They are the ones that introduced me to My Fitness Pal www.myfitnesspal.com as a place to journal my food/calories and have a support system.  I've enjoyed it, writing it down is a must for me, but the one tool that I fell in love with that Steph and my other friend Carol introduced me to is this.

Fit Bit

I have the blue one.

I used my birthday money (At Target it is $99.00, but I got mine off of eBay for $85.00 w/shipping.) and got myself one.

What does this little guy do for me? 

*Counts my steps.  My daily goal is 10,000.  You can make your goal what you want it to be.

*Tells me how many calories I've burned.

*Tells me how many flights of stairs I've climbed.

*If I want it to, it will tell me how long I stayed in bed and how many hours I actually slept.  I don't do this very often because I wake up a lot at night and I get all crazy in the head when I realize I'm not sleeping.  It doesn't bother me as much when I'm not monitoring myself.  Don't ask. I don't know how my mind works.

*It tells me how many sedentary hours, lightly active, fairly active, and very active minutes/hours I have in my day.  Talk about a wake up call!

*It gives little reward badges when I accomplish different goals and milestones.

*I am linked up with my friends so we can have little competitions, if we like.  We can also check on each other.  You can also keep everything private if you'd rather.  Deb is a big time walker and she got one about the time I did.  I think she has already surpassed Steph who has had one for a long time.  I don't base my happiness on if I catch up with these two and their steps (Deb averages 17,000/day) but it does motivate me to see how great they are doing and knowing that they can see how I'm doing gets me moving too. 

*On their website you can track all of your food, weight, etc but like I said, I use myfitnesspal.  The greatest thing...this syncs up with myfitnesspal and several other online weight loss websites. 

*You can use apps if you'd rather use your wireless toys.

*No one knows I have it on.  I clip it right in the middle of my bra and no one knows the difference.  You can also put it in your pocket or clip it on your pocket.  Whatever you feel comfortable with. I just don't like everyone seeing it.  If I have on something that you can see where it is I'll move it to one side of my bra strap or a pocket.

*It syncs up when I'm in range of the little charger dock that it comes with.  You can also see your numbers right on the device.  So if I'm ever digging around in my shirt it is because I'm checking to see where I am on my numbers.

I have worn it everyday since I got it.  I find that this little 'tattle tale' I have has changed the way I do a lot of things.  When I'm sitting at a youth dance I'll go outside and walk the parking lot.  When I'm waiting for the kids at baseball I'll walk the parking lot or walking track.  If I am only three more flights of stairs away from getting to my goal of 10/day it makes it easier to run downstairs for something. 

I've probably left out a bunch of stuff but these are things on the top of my head about my fun little toy.  Have you seen one?  Do you have one?  Do tell.  If you get one or if you have one make sure we hook up as friends.

Tis the Season...

...Baseball season that is.

As you know, as soon as the end of March rolls around it is go, go, go around our house.  It is mostly all fun stuff, but it gets busy. 

Here are a few things we did this past week.

Last night we got to go to Fifth Third Field (Dayton Dragons single A ).  I love that they let high school teams from around Ohio come play a game at their park on Friday nights.  Our school (with Tippecanoe) was invited last night, and Todd was invited to dress down with the Varsity team.  He was pretty darn excited.  He loved being out on that field. 

There is something about being at the ballpark.  The whole atmosphere is just fun.  The smells, noises, relaxed feeling.  It is just plain fun. Can't wait to do that again next year.

We didn't win, but it was fun.

Judd loves running after foul balls.

Mitch enjoying the game.

#21

I also went on Justin's field trip yesterday.  We went to a community play and then the park for lunch.  Lets just say that by the time I got off the bus I had a pounding headache and might have gotten a little bit bus sick.  There were about 130 (+ or -) little kids and boy, did we have fun. 

Justin and I kind of ended up on our own today.  Josie (whom we haven't seen since she got back from Florida last week.) left to take her ACT test bright and early this morning and then she came home and changed her clothes to go Huber Heights for the Seminary Bowl/Dance.  Todd had double header that we missed because it is pouring rain and who thinks that's fun?  Well, he does, but I've never been one to enjoy being wet & cold.  And he didn't say it out loud, but having a reason to miss the dance was pretty high on his list too.  Just like his dad in that respect.   Mitch went to his friend's house after lunch and Layne took some allergy meds and passed out on the couch.  So we decided to make peanut butter no-bake cookies, brownies, and homemade pizza (I think we are almost done with the Easter ham!).

Now I'm pretending that the mess will clean itself up, eating some of these yummy treats we made, and finishing up this post.  But, we all know who is really going to clean the kitchen, so I'd better sign off.



Thinking about Easter Traditions

I've been thinking about our family's Easter traditions for a couple of days.

I haven't come up with too many.  We do the usual egg decorating and maybe the not-so-usual with the Easter Bunny coming on Saturday morning so that we can focus on the Savior on the Sabbath day. 

So this year I've decided to try a couple new things.  I've ran into two articles about the origins of Hot Cross Buns this week.  They piqued my interest, so they are now on my list to make on Friday.  (Good Friday) 

I had to borrow a pic from The Frugal Girl

Josie has my camera this week (She is in FL.  It is spring break this week and our school's marching band is marching at Walt Disney World.  So they went for a whole week of fun.) but this is pretty much what my trial run looks like.  I had dried cherries in the freezer so I added them instead of raisins.  Yum.

I also like the idea of these Resurrection rolls that give little ones (and us big ones) a visual about the Resurrection.  I'm guessing I might be the last to give these a try, but I love the idea. 


Do you have some great Easter traditions that you'd like to share?

p.s.
I was just wondering, what happened to the 5"x3" Giant Peep Bunnies?  I can't find them anywhere anymore.  I may be one of the three people in this world that LOVES Peep Bunnies but I'm not embarrassed to admit it. 

Happy Easter

I Once Heard....

...at age 37 I'd notice some changes.

AND that has proven to be true.



-Depending on the light, my arm now has to move anything with fine print to an appropriate distance for me to read it.

-Staying up till 1:00 a.m. isn't as easy as it used to be.

-Getting up from the floor is no longer a graceful act.

BUT Something happened today that I didn't expect.

-I met my new anti-itch doctor (yes, it is as bad as ever!) and he is MY age.  Same month and year, even.  I never really thought about the day that the doctor(s) were no longer "older". 

Good thing I don't mind getting older.  It just took me by surprise.

Finding JOY

Once in a while I learn something new that brings me great joy.  This is one of them.  http://www.daciaray.com/?p=38  If you are short like me then this might bring you joy too.

I found it on a blog I like called Dicia Ray.  She has lots of fun ideas to try.  One thing that made me really like her was when she said she likes, "reminding girls how to be girls".  I like being a girl.

Then that made me think of a great talk, given several years ago, by Margaret D. Nadauld. (“The Joy of Womanhood,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 15).  The whole talk is a good read, but here is the part that bubbled up to my memory.

“The world has enough women who are tough; we need women who are tender. There are enough women who are coarse; we need women who are kind. There are enough women who are rude; we need women who are refined. We have enough women of fame and fortune; we need more women of faith. We have enough greed; we need more goodness. We have enough vanity; we need more virtue. We have enough popularity; we need more purity”

Then that made me think of the great women that I've looked up to through the years. 

*My own mother.  Whom I don't tell thanks often enough.
*My dear grandmothers.  Who taught me a world of things; from baking bread to making dolls out of hollyhocks.
*My mother-in-law.  Who treats me as her own.
*My beautiful sisters and sister-in-laws.  What a lucky duck I was to get all of these amazing women as sisters.  I admire them more than they know and wish I could be more like each of them every single day of my life.
*My Aunts.  Each one has put a special stamp in my life. They are all very talented women.
*My girl cousins.  These ladies are awesome!  Some of my deepest friendships have been with my cousins.
*My sweet daughter.  Her commitment to the gospel and cheerful disposition brings me great joy.
*My fantastic friends.  There are some people that you just know that you were meant to be attached with.  We women need the type of friend that will drop anything to help you.

As you can see, my list could go on and on.  There are too many women that have touched my life to count.  Church teachers, school teachers, people I've worked with...they are everywhere, these wonderful women.

Then that made me want to be better.



(I think I wish I had this darling sewing machine, or a little girl to buy it for.  Do you think Josie would want to take it to college with her?)