Mile Marker 4

This morning's breakfast + a glass water. I really can't believe how filling this is. I love those frozen limeades! So, today I worked my way up to 4 Miles. I found out it's only 7 more minutes than doing the 3 mile dvd. But boy...those 7 minutes...well, actually the workout itself has 90 seconds intervals, those are, uh... interesting. I think there are 5 in the whole workout.

They are so short though that when you feel you might have to stop...they are winding down already. I can't believe how fun it is to walk. I've lost six pounds but to be truthful, DH and I splurged a little last week going out to the Olive Garden (YUM~!) one day for our date and then driving through Wendy's one day when we were running errands and found ourselves starving.

In my defense, not that I need one...just because I am going to brag...lol, I only had the baconator, no fries or soda and that was all for the whole day because it was so filling I wasn't hungry until bed time and I decided just to go to bed. Boy was that baconator good though.

Anyway, short story long, I am happy with my results so far and being able to really eat what I want. I've noticed even though the weight loss is minimal, I am toning big time and I can feel my muscles pretty strong in my legs, back and tummy now when I walk around anywhere. I'm not talking like sore. But more like strong, tight and working.

Who would have known walking was just as good as tae bo but a lot easier and still just as fun!

At times, I can't believe it lasted that long...

Thirteen long years... I so carefully researched it back then and was so proud because it was purchased by me with scholarship money I had earned myself.

I have to admit I was shocked, I had put a cup of DH's tea in to reheat and when I came back I thought it was done. But, when I pulled out the cup it was only half warm. I assumed that I had put it in for too short of time but then I realized when the light didn't turn on when I opened the door something was wrong. I tried the plug...nada.

I have to admit this happened last week and I was in a state of denial. I mean I knew it was 13 years old but... I still have it in the kitchen. I have been putting off throwing it out. It was part of my first "major" purchase for the rest of my life. (Major because I was a teen buying appliances, Ohmygosh! )

Believe it or not this microwave helped me find my voice. I stood up to my suite mate (yep, not even my roommate but a girl who stayed across the bathroom) over it. It was the beginning of the end up people stepping all over me and I remember purchasing it at Montgomery Wards and I remember everything the day I used my voice for that first time.

Of course, I had my complaints about it too. The popcorn button was always not quite right with the time (but which ones are?) after the kids came it was waaaaay to small. I couldn't even fit a small sized mixing bowl in it.

So, I finally broke down and bought a new one. Meet the new one:

It's HUGE!, shiny, beautiful, and has all these cool settings. (That's what happens when you get something from the latest decade, I guess.) I was hesitant to make the purchase because it wasn't in my plans or budget. But... I heat up DH's tea everyday. I make TV dinners on Wednesday's for the kids because they have catechism. I wanted to make a hot ham and cheese sandwich on the last croissant and I couldn't. We started to realize just how much we counted on my dear old microwave.

I just set it up this morning and have yet to use it. I've been staring at it and I am in awe of its size. I could fit an entire turkey in there! I'm sure the novelty of it will wear off and the size won't be such a big deal, but for now...please excuse me while I go force myself to throw out the old one and reminiscence over my single days where dinners were Popcorn, Success Rice, Cup o' Noodles or Budget Gourmet .

A kitchen conversation...

Recently I discovered a radio station that plays oldies and songs from the 80s. Cool thing, I'm like a genius... I know every song they play. Sad thing, I'm pathetic, I know every song they play. These are songs from my middle school days and I'm shocked that I even remember them!



I had the kitchen radio on while I was cleaning up and I was dazzling everyone with my knowledge of Pebbles, Jody Watley, Boys 2 Men, Bobby Brown, etc... When DH pipes in that he hated music from back then.



DH: It's all just keyboards set to repeat the same mix.

Me: (for some reason slightly defensive and annoyed (maybe because I can't stand his music)) Oh, yeah you like the guys with the big hair and tights.

DH: They are not tights

Me: *muttering* they look like tights. All gross and sweaty.

Eleven year old daughter: Did you know they don't wear underwear?



*Stunned silence--crickets chirping*



*my hand slamming down on the counter*



Me: THAT'S RIGHT!! I have NEVER seen any of those guys with a pantyline! I've never really looked but I've never seen it!



DH: *just sitting there*

ME: That's what you like big haired guys in tights with no panties?

DH: silence.



The next song starts and I smugly announce "Thin Line Between Love and Hate" and then we are off again to try to figure out if it's the Isley Brothers, which sends us on a tangent about the Isley Brothers.



We are sad old farts. lol

Back to School Night and P-Touch

Thursday was back to school night. 5 classrooms in an hour. I'm barely recovering.

I thought it started at 6:30 but I was wrong it started at 6pm. With the "extra" time we had I broke out our brand new p-touch. I've been wanting one of these for ages... Seriously, since like '97 or something. I loved the one at my old job. Anyway, I digress.

Of course, after I got the machine up and going I could not remember much less think of one thing that I had wanted to label. So I decided to label my hubby. After much ohhhing and ahhing and securing the label to my hubby. We now realized that we were going to be late (still not knowing that we were already late.)

So we scramble out the door and finally get to the school. Where I realize we are, indeed, late. We go from classroom to classroom by location. In each classroom, DH is greeted heartily by his name. Now, I know one teacher knows him, but the others is a mystery because although he was with me at registration, he stayed behind with the kids while I ran like a wild woman from room to room.

Finally, we are in the last classroom. Which happened to be the teacher we are very familiar with. We are talking to the teacher and the boy (who I might add had just gone to the bathroom less than 20 minutes earlier) is standing there. Not a peep, nothing. That would be because he is standing there peeing on himself.

I freak out because I'm like "Stop all ready!, Why are you standing there still going!?!" So here comes the lesson...

Did you know? Boys and men can't stop peeing once they start. I had no clue. At least that's what DH told me.

I was like, "Ok, time to go!" As we are heading out the door, I see it. I see the label with DH's name on it. I pull it off. DOH!

We head out only to be stopped in the cafeteria. See back to school night was also ice cream social night. When we came through the first time it was jam packed and I told the kids we had ice cream at home. But with their long faces on the way back... I had to weigh the situation... pee'd brother or ice cream. As gross as it was, I gave into the girls. Because another little known fact (to me only I guess) the boy was dry as dry in the back, just wet on the one side in the front and we rinsed him down.

So, there sat our row of kids, munching on ice cream quietly. *sigh* And THEN we were off.

What a mess we are! But from what the teachers told me the kids are doing in great so far.

Tidy Desk Competition

Marcia over at Organising Queen has challenged us to a Tidy Desk Competition. I've checked my competition and I fear that I just might've been the messiest of the bunch. *blush*

Here are the befores:
Close up of the mess. I 'm not even going to pretend like I knew where everything was.

After:

But in the end, I bought that wonderful bill organizer at Target and I just love it. I can see at a glance if something is due and the calendar is new. I have to figure out a way to hang it up. But having it right next to the bill sorter and right in front of my face is perfect.

Thanks Marcia for the tips to get this done. I love it!

Works For Me Wednesday: Brand Loyalty

Wow, I didn't realize that I was a brand junkie until I uploaded these pictures and saw the brands.

Apparently, I love Clorox. I know I LOVE this spray. It takes anything off of almost anywhere. I've bought generic bleaches but I still keep coming back to Clorox. It's just the best. I don't really eat mayo. But when I am making macaroni or potato salad it's Best Foods only. I tried generic before...blah..it separated and was soooo gross.

I've tried other oils but I really prefer Wesson oil for liquid oils. Just checked the rest of my oils and they are Wesson. Funny thing is I use Crisco in the solid form for my deep fryer and such.

What can I say about Tide? It's the best. I love the smell of my laundry room. Mmmm. I was given Tide in a going off to college basket that my coworkers gave me back in '94 and I've never used anything else.

Oh and I love Snuggle. I have to admit it was the bear that pulled me in. I forgot to take pictures of the matching dryer sheets. Actually, I've tried other fabric softners but they just weren't the same as my cuddle soft.
This is the only green enchilada sauce I will use. period. It's not watery and it has a lot of flavor and chunks of green chili in it. Yum!
Coke! How do I love you! Let me count the ways. When it comes to a cola, I only drink Coke... Just Coke, none of the diet, cherry, vanilla, zero, vitamin crap...just straight Coke.

Heinz Mustard...not French's, just Heinz...Same goes for Ketchup (or catsup) Heinz only...Hunts...bleh.
This multi surface cleaner is great for my wood table that I don't want the kids to polish. Just clean. A little goes a long way. Good stuff here.

Oh and although I am oh so loyal to Tide. I have to use Dreft on my hubby's clothes. Being that he's a quadriplegic and sits all day. There is something like walnut shells or something like that in Tide that just doesn't agree with him. Dreft is the only thing that doesn't irritate his skin...HOWEVER...if you noticed in the picture above...I had liquid Tide coldwater. I've used that on his clothes and he had no reaction...sooooooo....





Oh..two words. Pine Sol...LOVE the smell. A bathroom isn't clean unless it smells like Pine Sol. My mom used this stuff and now I use it. I don't love it as much as she did (She used to want to drink it when she was pregnant.) But I still have a soft spot for it in my home.

Do you think I like Electrosol much? LOL I didn't realize I had this loyalty until I was poking around and noticed I have three of the canisters and another box of the powder on the otherside. We have two places for soap in my dishwasher. We put powder in the first cycle space and a tab in the second space with the door.
Spray and Wash. Another product my mother used. Works for me. I just spray the areas and wash and it's all gone.





When I first started gathering stuff for this post, I was thinking "I'm not loyal to anything." Guess I was wrong. lol At any rate, they all WORK FOR ME!

For more tips and great ideas go visit Shannon over at Rocks In My Dryer.

New family member...

Here is betta #10, he's still an itty bitty.

Introducing-- Orange Crush Betta, or Crush for short.

Isn't he adorable? He's my latest Wal-Mart Rescue. Poor things.

They are so fun, smart and easy to care for. Welcome to the family Lil Crush!