Pedis and Extreme Makeover!

I'm being lazy {I like to call it pressed for time}. I'm going to combine a little pedicure talk {and some photos} with a very quick Extreme Makeover: Me Edition update.

Amber hosts EM:Me. Her blog was one of the very first I came across in blogland. She's so super adorable, and is newly pregnant with a very long awaited baby to add to her already sweet family. I'm so happy for her!

She has no question for us this week, which means just a quick update will do.

I wish there was something exciting to update, but sadly, there is not. I still cannot get into an exercise groove. But I have lost a few more pounds which puts me down around the weight I was at when I was competing in pageants. Though I look at this body and wonder how that can be. It certainly doesn't look like the same body! I am happy with my weight, now if my body would just magically tone itself, that would be great. I am drinking a LOT of water. I love water, and I've been craving it more and more lately. That's about all there is to tell.

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As for our morning at the salon . . . it was great! The girls really enjoyed their pedis. It was so cute to see them seated together in the big chair while their little tootsies got pampered and polished. Makenna was adamant that she wanted no polish, but at the last minute changed her mind. They were so grateful and excited to be there. It just warmed my heart. I love these girl moments spent together. I hope they've enjoyed our girl-week as much as I have.

{Please excuse the poor photos. The lighting wasn't great and I haven't had time to edit}

I tell ya, I was feeling relaxed just watching them!

In the end, they both thought that alternating black and orange would be appropriate for an October pedicure. What can ya do?

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition

Another Wednesday is upon us, and you know what that means . . .

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition!

Amber hosts this lovely gathering. So, head on over and join in!

Thank goodness we're focusing on the positive this week, because if I have to yell at myself one more time for not exercising, I may just give up altogether!

This week's question:

What are your successes this week?Instead of focusing on the things I did not do right this week, I want to focus on the positive. So here's to accentuating the positive:

I am drinking more water again.

I found myself drinking a little too much diet coke, juice, and lemonade the last few weeks during birthday celebrations, and family gatherings. Not only did I feel badly for doing it, but physically it was making me sick, triggering headaches, AND I think my skin was/is even suffering from it. Anyway, enough was enough. I am now drinking ONLY water. No lemonade, no juice in the morning {or anytime, for that matter}, NO SODA. Zip. Just water.

I'm not eating just to eat. If I'm not hungry, I'm not putting food in my mouth.

I've naturally been getting more exercise lately because we've been on the go.

All day shopping trips and trips to the amusement park, lend themselves to getting the bum movin'!

There's always room for improvement, but I'm slowly implementing new changes that are definitely for the better.

How about y'all?

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition ~ Back to School!

So, it's been awhile {again}, but since I haven't exactly been great

at working toward my goals, I haven't had too much to report.

New to Extreme Makeover: Me Edition?

Hurry on over to Amber's to read all about it and join in!

This week it's all about heading back to school.

Amber asks:

How is sending the kiddos back to school going to affect you?

Is it going to be easier/harder?

Are there any benefits/downfalls?

Not just back to school time,

but basically, summer is coming to an end.

Is summer harder or easier for you to stick to your weight loss goals?

For me, the start of school means less time for everything else,

as we are a homeschooling family.

Once we go back to school, our days will be filled with studies

PLUS all of the other chores and activities we have on a daily basis.

Add to that swimming and dance lessons,

and we have a pretty full schedule.

On the other hand, I do much better when I'm on a schedule,

so even though I have less time, it may work in my favor.

I've learned that no matter how much you have going on

you can still make time for the things {and people}

most important to you.

Exercise needs to become more important to me!

On the weight-loss front,

I stepped on the scale and saw the smallest number

I've seen in awhile.

I'm down a pound or two from pre-pregnancy weight, even.

It's pretty ridiculous how happy that made me ;)

{Like, standing in the bathroom doin' the happy dance, happy!}

Weight Loss isn't the problem, I NEED to exercise.

No excuses, this body has got to get in shape!

So . . . some goals:

Drink more and more water {I'm pretty good about doing this anyway}

Cut out more sugar {getting better}

Eat smaller portions

~EXERCISE~

walk, run, aerobics, weight training, whatever!

I just need to get movin'!

How about you? What kind of goals do you have?

Head on over to Amber's and link up. We'd love to have ya :)

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition

I am totally slackin', y'all! Another week of EM:ME is upon us! My how the time flies.

Lovely Amber hosts, and is askin' us:

How are you doing???

Great, thanks for askin' Amber! :)

Actually, I'm at a stand still. With, two, 10-day rounds of antibiotics under my belt in the last two months, I've been feeling drained, and haven't been too motivated in the exercise department. {Oh, who am I kidding, I haven't been motivated in that department for a long time!} However, now that summer is upon us, and there are all sorts of fresh fruits and veggies around every corner, we have been enjoying eating FRESH! And with the 100+ degree days, you can't help but guzzle the water.

So . . . same ol', same ol', I guess. I know I need to add more exercise to my routine, and I wouldn't mind losing just a couple more pounds, but other than that, I'm pretty happy :)

Head on over to Amber's to read about other great gals' journeys!

*And, oh yeah, I may have another reason for feeling totally drained and left with no time for exercise these days . . . I'll post more about that soon ;)

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, Week ???

Wow, it's been awhile! I've been slacking in blog-world, but for good reason{s}, people, I can assure you. First, the normal hustle and bustle of Summer. We don't get months on end of beautiful sunshine here in Oregon, so we gotta take advantage of it while we can.

Second, I have {stupid} mastitis again {waaaahhh, Idon'twannabeonantibioticsagain, } and I'm wiped out! Alright, fit over.

And, do I need to remind y'all of the 14 loads of laundry, trailer clean-out, and week-long camping trip I'm still recovering from? Okay, then.

So, the lovely Amber, host of this beautiful weekly gathering of ladies who are in pursuit of bettering themselves, poses this question:

What's been inspiring you???

I am inspired by other people's health and fitness. Last week, while at my family reunion camp-out, I got to spend some time with my younger sister and her precious family. Her daughter, Sonoma, is 11 months old and soooo super adorable {as is her son}. Anyway, Annie {sister} looks FAN-tastic! She is the thinnest I've ever seen her. Ever. And not just skinny, but toned as well. Of course, she IS superwoman. Chasing after two little ones, working part-time at Starbucks, AND coaching high school dance team, just to name a few.

Anyway, what an inspiration! After days of snacking on Golden Oreos and Snickerdoodles, I wanted to just toss the rest of the snacks in the garbage! Of course, I didn't. I am a snacker, and I won't give it up totally, but it was a reminder that if I want to change my body, I'm going to actually have to do something about it. Crazy, huh? Now, don't get me wrong, I am pretty happy with how far I've come. I can happily say that I am down to pre-pregnancy weight. A weight that I've been within a few pounds of all my adult life. About 112, if you need a number, people. BUT, I need exercise. I need to tone. I know this, but somehow it seems so difficult to fit it in. Something to work on, I guess.

So, that's that. How are you doing with your fitness goals? What inspires you? Head on over to Amber's to join in, and link up. You'll be so happy you did!

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition

***Don't forget to check out

my current giveaway!!!***

So, it is Week 13 of Extreme Makeover, but it's not too late to join! Head on over to Amber's to join in and link up, and to read other gals EM:ME journeys. We could all use a little love and support.

Speaking of support {smooth, huh?} This week's question comes from Shortmama, who asks:

"Who is your biggest supporter/motivator in your weight loss? Do you have anyone around you that tries to sabotage you by "talking" you in to eating the not so good stuff?"


Well, my husband likes to tease a little bit . . . okay a lot. And sometimes it's the teasing that gets me motivated to kick the exercise up a notch, or re-think what I'm about to eat. And my oldest daughter {6} is always asking if we can turn on the iPod and exercise. She's a huge support. No one talks me into eating the sweets . . . I do that all on my own.

So, same ol', same ol' around here. I need to exercise more, eat less ;) I just love food so much! I do have my laptop back, and it doesn't seem to be giving me trouble, so I guess I should post pictures of my fridge from last week's EM:ME task. I was kinda hoping to get out of it, but here we go:

When these pictures were taken, I desperately needed to grocery shop, hence the bare fridge. I know, I know, it doesn't look too promising, but I do stay away from the Cool Whip {I did not stay away from that pizza, however. Oops}, my husband is the Coke drinker {I like naked water, remember?}, and I don't happen to love vanilla ice cream. That ice cream has very possibly been in our freezer for some time. I should probably throw it out, now that I think about it. So, that is shrimp, chicken breasts, and some sturgeon fish that hubby caught. Mmmm is it yummy! Oh, and before I get loaded down with emails notifying me that our eggs are way past expired . . . we have chickens, so we get fresh eggs daily. We collect these old egg cartons to put them in ;)

Until next week,

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, Week 12

Can it be? Is it really Week 12 of Extreme Makeover? Yep, it looks like last week was 11, it must be so. First off, head on over to Amber's. She's the super cool, gorgeous gal who started this. Check out her blog to see what the fuss is all about, join in, link up, you get the idea :)

Alrighty, if you've been here recently you know I'm having computer troubles. {Do I have time for a quick computer update? No? Well, too bad this is my blog, sister!} So, we got our desktop back. We need to hook it back up and I'll be back in business . . . sort of. Our laptop is another story. The good news is that I'm not CRAZY after all, there really is something seriously wrong with the laptop. The bad news . . . there's something seriously wrong with my laptop. Anyway, I still have my mom's laptop, which brings me to . . . I am unable at the moment to post pictures. Until we get the desktop set up, this little blog of mine will be pictureless . . . SOOOOO {get to the point, lady. Okay, okay} I cannot complete this week's EM:ME task. Dang, I soooooo wanted to post pics of my fridge ;) However, I did snap some photos that I will post a little later.

Not much new around here, fitness-wise. I am staying about the same weight. Within 1-2 pounds of pre-pregnancy weight. I fluctuate a little, and I'm okay with that. Overall I am far busier these days, which equates to more movement, so that's good!

That's it! Until next week ladies :)

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition Week 11

First things first, if you are new to Extreme Makeover, Me Edition, go straight to the girl who started it all ~ Amber! She dreamed up this journey for women who want to get healthy and feel better about themselves. Go check out her blog, catch up with others, and link up yourself!

Sooo, I didn't even know it was Wednesday until I was catching up on my blog reading and saw Lisa's EM:ME update. I have been a little out of sorts lately. I can't shake this exhaustion, and I cannot seem to remember anything. I'm just not feeling like myself. However, I have been exercising lately. YAY! Not every day, but every other day I seem to be able to get in at least 30 minutes of aerobics, and some plain ol' walkin'! This is a step in the right direction.

Amber's Question of the Week:

What's your favorite thing to drink while you're losing weight? We all know how important it is to get that water intake up, especially with summer almost here. What's your favorite way to spice it up?

I actually enjoy naked water. I've always been a water girl. If I'm really thirsty, water is all that will do. But, I have recently found water's long lost friend, Crystal Light. I have to admit, I do love it. It works great for those times that plain ol' water isn't enough. It's like a little party for your mouth, and I enjoy it. However, I do not enjoy the flavors that are highly dyed. I tried Target's brand of CL and I can't remember what flavor it was, but it was RED. Red-red. And it dyed everything. No thank you, I don't want to look like I've gotten into the food coloring!

Oh! Almost forgot, the results! I'm down another pound! Yippee :)

Until next week ladies!

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, Week 10

Welcome to Week 10 of my journey through EM:ME. I say it every week, but I truly don't know where the time has gone. If you're new to Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, shimmy your way over to Amber's for the details, and to check on everyone else's progress. And sign up, why don'tcha? You'll be happy you did!

Soooooo, I'm happy to report that I'm in a better mood than I was last week ;) Not sure what was going on there except that I had been battling an infection and was on some heavy duty meds. I just wasn't feeling myself, I guess. This week I'm feeling much better, am working on getting a little more sleep {though that hasn't really happened yet, it is a goal of mine}, and am overall much cheerier.

I am at the point now where I'm feeling pretty good weight-wise. If I didn't lose another pound, I think I'd be okay with that. I'm within 2-3 pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight, all of my clothes fit, and I'm happy. However, something needs to be done about the lack of tone. This is a hard one for me, because motivation for exercise hasn't been very strong since I started my journey. When I get into a habit of exercise, I almost need it every day. But when I've gotten out of that habit . . . oh, it's so hard for me to get back in the groove again. And let's face it, it's easier to find the time to squeeze in 30-60 minutes of exercise each day when you have one little one. When you have two, it can be a bit harder to juggle. Now with three (and all of our other resonsibilities ~ homeschooling, dance lessons, swim lessons, church and family activities), if I find an extra few minutes to myself, I'd rather be doing something, anything, but exercising ;) I need to change my mind-set. Once I figure out how to do that, I'll let ya know!

Progress: I'm down a pound since last week. I'm ecstatic about that simply because I know that it's harder to take it off now that I'm practically at goal weight. I added it up, and I've lost about 10 pounds in the ten weeks.

Now, for Amber's Question of the Week:

What's your favorite beauty secret?

1. Mascara. I hadn't realized how important mascara was until I was interrupted in the middle of the makeup routine last week. I completely spaced my final step of mascara. I went about my business, and every time I'd catch a glimpse of myself I thought "what in the world is wrong with me? I look tired or something". I finally remembered my mascara, and voila! All better.

2. Self-tanner. Have to agree with Amber on this one. I've used self-tanner for many years {and boy, has it come a long way!}. It gives you that extra glow, and does wonders for your self-esteem, say, in mid-January when you're feeling all paste-y. It also slims you!

3. Toe polish. I always keep my toes painted. It's no beauty secret, but I feel like my feet look a little prettier when I keep them up. And let's face it, feet just aren't that pretty.

4. Baby Powder. Don't have time to wash your hair? Is it gettin' a little greasy? I sprinkle a little baby powder in my hair brush and dab at the roots.

The next couple are from my pageant days . . .

4. Visine. Have an unsightly red blemish? Didn't get much sleep and now your eyes are the color of tomatoes? Visine to the rescue! Visine seriously gets the red out, whether in your eyes or on your face, so put it to good use!

5. Preparation H. I know you've all heard it before, but it really does the trick to shrink ;) I used to rub it all over the bum and thigh area and then wrap with saran wrap before bed the night before a pageant. It's an instant tone. But that gets expensive, and I'd never use it for that now. Who has the time??? What I would use it for {and need to use it for} is these unsightly bags under my eyes. Try it!

Until next week!

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, Week 9

It's hard to believe I'm starting my ninth week of this journey. For those of you who are new here, and have never heard of EM:ME, skip on over to Amber's for details, and to sign up. It's great fun!

I'm all about honesty. I always want people to be honest with me, so I will give y'all that same courtesy. This has been a hard week. I wasn't feeling well, I'm tired, Kameryn has been more than a little cranky {could this be the antibiotics I'm on????} and, truthfully, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with the next few weeks to come. We just started swimming lessons last night, Makenna has one more dance lesson before rehersal and recital (which happens to be the same night as Sierra's swimming lesson), Sierra will continue to have dance lessons throughout June, along with her swimming lessons, and there are more events coming up {Graduation, BBQs, Birthday parties, Recitals, Performances, etc.} than I can count. Now, don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to all of it. Every single bit. And I do love keeping busy. It's just that sometimes, {when I'm already feeling a little rundown}, I take a look at the calendar and I think "whoa". Sooooo, what does this have to do with EM:ME? I'm just not feeling motivated. I guess I'm too busy thinking about everything else that's going on to really want to make a plan and goals for exercise. Annnnnnd, I think I've hit a bit of a plateau. The weight doesn't want to come off as easily as it had, and I don't want to work harder. That's not a good combo. In fact, I'm finding that not only is the scale not moving to the left . . . it's actually fluctuating to the right a little {gasp!}.

Of course, if I were to try to look for the positives, I could certainly find a few. I think the main reason that the weight isn't continuing to come of is because I'm pretty dang close to my pre-pregnancy weight. Within about 3-5 pounds. That's a plus. And, yes, I'm still nursing, so I know that that can keep an extra few on. I guess it was just so exciting to see the scale moving, that it's a let-down when it doesn't.

I'm not sure the results are worth posting {Look at me, Negative Nancy, sheesh!}. There really isn't much change since last Wednesday. I lost about a half pound, and then I put it right back on, now I'm down a half pound again. Can you say, yo-yo?

That's that. I just got through reading Amber's post. She's had quite the week with having her wisdom teeth out. She's battled the yo-yo weight this week too, and was feeling miserable, and guess what, she's staying super-duper positive {not to mention walking 1.5 hours each night!}. Guess I could learn a thing or two from her, huh?

Until next week ladies ~ at which time I promise to put on a smile :)

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, Week 8

Here we are, it's Wednesday once again! You know what that means . . . the walk of {weigh-in} shame. No, really, are you wanting to feel better about yourself? Get healthy? Tone that unsightly flabbity flab flab? If you answered, YES, you're going to want to skip on over to Amber's {skipping is known to burn more calories than plain ol' walking don'tcha know}, and read all about other inspiring ladies who are making over themselves. Then, join our lovely group, write a post of your own, and link up! It's easy as pie {er, celery sticks!}

I'm feeling okay about last week. I dusted off the ol' Pilates DVD. In all honesty, it's not my favorite form of exercise, but I did feel good about doing it. I also tried to get myself back on track after a lot of indulging on our Sunriver trip {not to mention all the Mother's Day chocolate, etc.}. So . . . I'm slowly getting there. Back on track, I mean. It's a process, people. I cannot eat 4200 pieces of chocolate one day and deprive myself of any, the next. That's not how I roll. Slowly, but surely, I am saying no to the chocolate and yes to healthier options.

This Week's Question:

Name your guilty pleasure. Think of a healthier choice you could use as a substitute.

Hmmm... I don't like to substitute (just kidding. But, actually, I'm not). I guess, if anything, I try to eat a little less of my guilty pleasure. I'm finding that I'm not actually an ice cream gal. I mean, I'll take it, but it's not my favorite sweet. So, I'll try to remind myself that if I don't LOOOOVE it anyway, why spend the extra calories on it. If I'm eating a salad, maybe I'll try to put less dressing on it. As for the chocolates that I've been inundated with. They are good. Really good. Well, it seems my daughters (and husband!) think so too. So instead of eating them all myself, I go the "Of course you can have a chocolate" route. That way I'm being a good, sharing, mom, AND I'm not consuming all of those calories on my own. Win-win :)

Results: I lost allllllmost a pound. .8 lb., I guess. And I'll take it. Now that I'm getting much closer to my pre-pregnancy weight, my goal weight, the weight is a little slower in coming off. I'm still nursing (and will continue for a long time, I imagine), so that will probably keep an extra pound or two on. For me, it's not all about pounds lost. I'm eating better, making wiser choices, and exercising more. That is far more important, to me, than 1/2 pound here and there.

Go on over to Amber's (skipping is optional), and join in on the fun!

Until next week . . .

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, Week Seven

Is it Wednesday already? My how the weeks are flying by! I guess it's time for Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, once again! The fabulous, Amber, has gotten us gals together for support and encouragement while we try to better ourselves and get healthy! Join us, post about it, and link up, why don'tcha?


So . . . I knew this week would bring set-backs. I spent three days on vacation with my family, throwing caution to the wind, and not watching what I ate. At all. I had a big serving of my mom's lasagne (with super yummy garlic bread, thankyouverymuch) the first night, delicious fajitas (courtesy of my brother and brother-in-law) the second, and, oh yeah, many slices of pizza on the third. No, in case you're wondering, this wasn't followed by lots of exercise. I'm not gonna lie to ya, I didn't even think about exercise once. And if that wasn't enough, my beautiful, sweet, thoughtful daughters know exactly what I love . . . chocolate. And they got me plenty of it for Mother's Day. Like, two gigantic bars and three bags, to be exact. And it was the good kind {as if there's a bad kind of chocolate}. And yes, I had a lot of it. Okay, there, confession over. It wasn't a great week for weight loss, but it was a great week for family and fun. I think that should win out every once in awhile, anyway.


Before I jump to the results (I'm not really looking forward to posting them, so I'll stall as long as I can), it's time for the question of the week:

Show us your inspiration picture. Of yourself skinny, of yourself fat, of a celebrity that inspires you to keep going.

I don't really have an inspiration picture. I did recently come across some pictures taken in 2003. That was a year after I had Sierra. I was in really good shape at that point in my life, probably my thinnest at about 103 pounds, but also pretty toned as I exercised to Denise Austin every.single.day. This picture was taken in August of 2003. My mom, Sierra, and I had taken a trip to Michigan to visit my roommate from Miss USA. We spent a week back there just visiting, and it was so much fun. I look at the picture now and aspire to get my body back in that kind of shape. I felt good.

August 2003

And also the fall of 2006. We went to Hawaii in October, so I had been pretty good about exercising, and I just felt good about my body.

Okay, the results:
I stayed exactly the same. No gain, no loss. To the ounce, the same. I'm actually not altogether disappointed since I did not make the best choices health-wise last week. I'm going to get my bum in gear for next week, though. I still have a few pounds to go, and LOTS to tone!

Until next week, ladies!

Extreme Makeover: Me Edition, Week Six

It's about that time again! Time to get your bum in gear, exercise like mad, and eat healthy. What's that? I should take my own advice? Yeah, you're right. But that's another story. Go visit Amber, she's the fabulous gal who dreamed up this great idea to get us ladies together to help motivate one another for a complete makeover! Join us, post about it, and link up. It's lots-o-fun!

It's more of the same around here. My new music is still motivating me to move more. Sometimes (Do.Not.Laugh.) I will throw on the iPod and shake my groove thing while making myself beautamous in the morning or while making dinner in the evening. Overall more movement, and less eating. Though I'm finding that as I'm losing weight, I am more hungry due to nursing Kam. A few weeks ago I was thinking back to when I nursed my older daughters, and I was ravenous all.the.time. I was wondering why that wasn't necessarily the case this time around, and I think I've found my answer. The closer I get to my pre-pregnancy weight (now only 4-5 pounds away) the less fat stores I obviously have, and therefore I am getting hungrier again. So . . . this means I will probably need to step up the exercise routine, as I'm going to be eating more again.

And now, for the question of the week, courtesy of Amber and Xazmin from This is the Year:

We're all here at EM:ME because we're unhappy with our bodies, or our health; there are things that we are trying to change.But today you must share one thing with everybody that you absolutely love about yourself

I'm not sure I can think of anything that I "absolutely LOVE" about myself. But I will say that I almost always give 100% (though I've found the exception to be exercise!) I try to be the very best I can be, especially at the two things that are most important to me, being a good wife and a good mama.

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for (what? You're not on the edge of your seat? Oh.)

I have lost 1.6 pounds this week, for a grand total of exactly 8 pounds altogether. (And, in case you are wondering, yes, I had lost a total of 2 pounds on Monday, but, in grand tradition, the darn .4 pounds crept back in. What is that all about?!) Plus, (I just have to share!) we went shopping last week and I bought a pair of size 4 capris hoping that I'd be able to fit into them by the time we get some sunshine. And guess what, they totally fit. And I'm not even having to squeeze into them. Yay!

Until next week, ladies! Oh, and I'm planning already for a gain next week. We're leaving Friday for the Sunriver Resort for 4 days with my whole family (except not Jeremy, {sad face}). My mom has lasagna planned for Friday night (um, yum), and I'm sure we'll have big breakfasts every morning and quite a bit of eating out. Just thought I should warn ya'all! :)