Weekly Weigh In - Week 5

I DID IT!!!

I finally hit the 10 pound marker!!

239.5!! WOOHOO!!

I did pretty good this week on the road. Monday I had sushi. Nothing fancy, just plain Cali roll and Shrimp Tempura roll. They're a little less in points than all the fun stuff. But it's kind of nice to do something plain for a change. Then the rest of the week I either did low calorie snacks (about 2-3 points each depending on what it was) or ventured into a grocery store for salad/fruit stuff. All in all, it was a good week, even with the Super Bowl party yesterday.

I accomplished one of my two goals for last week:
Good decisions on the road - check!
Activity points - no check. 

So that is the goal for this week - ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY, ACTIVITY!!

But I feel a renewed motivation. I don't know what it was about the 10 pound mark, but it just seemed so elusive. Now that I've reached it, I feel like I have a renewed purpose.

If I maintain at the rate I'm at, I will be my initial goal weight by the summer! That makes me very happy! (I realize at some point I will plateau, but for now I'm not focusing on that. I'll deal with it when it gets here.)

Happy Monday, y'all!

The Nail Files - Week 57

I have had my eye on a particular look (this link). And I've kind of been a little obsessed with getting the right polishes to make it happen.

I have two of the Essie Luxeffects already - As Gold as it Gets and Shine of the Times. I have had my eye on Set in Stones for the look above, but it's been hard to find lately.

Yesterday, on my lunch break, I ventured into Ulta (my new supplier of my nail polish addiction) and they had a bottle! So I snagged it up and proceeded to wander around looking for the perfect color to go with it. Now my inspiration picture is pink, but I really wasn't feeling that (and I have about 10 varying shades to choose from already). I wanted something...different.

Here is what I decided on:

Sally Hansen's Xtreme Wear in Mint Sorbet with Essie Luxeffects in Set in Stones on the accent nail.

LOVE IT!!! Couldn't be happier with my choice!

And, the gal who checked me out at Ulta said she used it (the shiny one) on white polish and it was spectacular. "It's all sparkly like a unicorn" were her (not fully exact) words (unicorn and sparkly were in there, though). That, and "anyone who doesn't like shiny is morally bankrupt."

Side note:  I may do more layers of the shiny next time. But I do really like the sparkle I get with what I've done.

As always, I'm linking with the lovely hostess Tara and Vicki for

Come show off your nails with the rest of us!

Happy Friday!

Weekly Weigh In - Week 4

That 10 pound mark is being elusive!

240.4 this morning. It's 1.9 less than last week and 9.3 pounds total.

I thought for sure I'd hit the 10 pound mark this past week. I was sooooo good with my points!

I honestly think it's the lack of activity. I only got 3 activity points last week.

Today starts a week on the road, again. Thankfully, I'm local (sort of) so I can do breakfast and dinner at home.

I know healthy weight loss is no more than 2 pounds a week, but I still feel like I should be plowing off the weight. But that's just the mindset I have about my weight. It was so easy to put on, why can't it be easy to take off? I think we all feel that way...we work almost 3-4 times more to take off the 5 pounds we put on so easily.

I'm keeping this short as I need to finish getting ready and head out soon. But here are my goals for the week:
1.  ACTIVITY POINTS!!!
2.  Good decisions for food while on the road!

Thanks for keeping up with me.

Happy Monday, all!

Nail Files - Week 56

I may have gone a little picture crazy with this week's nails. Just wanted to get that out there. If you don't want to deal with all of them, that's ok...I take no offense! Just skip on down to the bottom of this post to see the final product.

I found this about a month ago about DIY Nail Stickers (my words) and wanted to give it a try. I did some more research and discovered you could do the lovely marble look with it too. So that is what I went for using these:

Here's the finished product on the ziploc baggie:

The arrow is pointing to the tiny little dot of Riviting that I added for a bit of sparkle

I did this about two weeks ago just to see how it would work on the plastic bag. I liked what I saw so I kept it around for later use.

Sunday (or Monday) I decided to see if I could make it all work. After the polish dries (normally about 2-4 hours, from what I read, or a little longer. A day is recommended if you have time time), it should peel off easily. Mine did. Mine is also a little thicker than it should be as it was my first attempt and I kept having issues with the swirl so I kept adding colors. I don't recommend that!

Once you peel it off, cut it down to the shape of your nail. Since I was only using this as an accent, I only needed two. Obviously if you want more you have to do more. Another recommendation from me on that is do multiple swirls.

Then, paint your nails the color you want to be your base or whatever. I, for some reason, decided to use the white in the above picture. While the nail you want to use is still a little wet, apply your cut form like you would a nail sticker. The slightly wet nail allows it to attach better. I have no pictures for this part, sorry! Then, carefully, trip the edges. I then used some polish remover on an angled eyeliner brush to clean the edges more (as I didn't have anything to cut that close and I wasn't about to lob off a finger tip in the name of fashion). Top with a top coat and TAA-DAAA!!

Here's the finished look for the accent nail (again, the arrow is pointing to the little shimmer of Riviting at the end):

Here's the full look with Pure Ice Super Star on the other nails (not a fan).

Since I wasn't digging the shocking contrast of four white nails and one red/pink nail, I changed it up yesterday:

Much better, to me, with the Sinful Colors Gogo Girl on the other nails.

FYI...I did the white and marble on Sunday or Monday (I can't remember) and the marble "sticker" has kept longer than regular polish on my nail. With the new red on for the weekend, this will be great for family pictures on Sunday.

As always, linking up with:

 

Happy Friday, y'all!!

Birchbox Brag - January 2013

I tend to be a bit of a bandwagon-er. I jumped on the Julep Maven bandwagon last year and have been pleasantly surprised.

I thought I'd give another one a try for 2013. Birchbox! I've seen so many people talk about what they get every month for just $10! So I figured I'd give it a shot. I'm always looking for new beauty products, and I hate spending $$$ only to find out what I got doesn't work for me. This way, I get a trial version of some really cool stuff. And if I like it, I have a place to go to buy it.

FYI - I have not tried any of the products below as I just dug my box out of the mail box today (I really think our postman hates us for the lack of frequency with which we check our mail).

And, I'll be linking up each month to show you what I got:

Here's what I got: 

(all descriptions taken from card insert in box)

 Just a little note from the newbie...I was a little surprised at how small the box actually is. I mean, I know they're samples and all, but for some reason I was picturing a larger box!

 A little feature letter talking about 2013 is going to be the best year ever! It also has product descriptions and prices for full size items on the back.

 All my pretty products lined up in a row!

theBalm® cosmetics Hot Mama Shadow & Blush All-in-One: The universally flattering pigment is laced with gold shimmer to warm up your complexion.

*personally - looks a little too peachy/pale orange for me...but I have yet to try it*

Harvey Prince Skinny Chic - 50ml:  Get a glass-half-full disposition with the optimistic blend of jicy Meyer lemon, white grapefruit, and pink plumeria

*personally - smells pretty fresh and springy. Also, the card it comes on has a "slightly" different description:  "Sexy, zesty, and burstin with energy. Skinny Chic is your daily cure fot he common bore. A sprtiz a day keeps you feeling young, slim, and beautiful. Crisp Green Apple, Sweet Mint, and Warm Amber." I am no connoisseur of perfume, but those are two different style smells...and I can't really place which one this is. But so far, I like it. Once it's actually on my skin, that will be the true test for this.

 

My™ Multi-Purpose Mattifying Moisturizer:  Rich with pili and morninga oils, this healthy moisturizer gives skin a velvety matte finish that lasts all day

*personally - I've never heard of a matte moistuizer. I'm kind of looking forward to trying this. Downside - no SPF*

 

 

amika Color pHerfection Shampoo:  This gentle shampoo contains fortifying omega acids and healing sea buckthorn berry oil to keep your hair color bright and shiny.

*personally - this is another product I'm looking forward to trying as someone without natural hair color*

 

Deborah Lippmann the Stripper to go:  These sweetly scented nail polish remover mitts make changing lacquer a breeze

*personally - these will be coming in handy in a couple days when I decide to switch things up!*

 

This was just a cute little extra. Unfold it for list of 25 things to do to make 2013 better (or awesome, as the poster implies). Just some fun, and some serious, things to do to help make a bit of a difference in your life. For example: 1 - Don't swear off carbs; 5 - Eat breakfast; 11 - Get social (aka, twitter and/or FaceBook); 15 - leave your desk; 25 - Smile.

There you have it...my first, ever, Birchbox!

If you'd like to look around, and maybe sign up, use this link. Just a quick note, if you decide to do Birchbox, your email will be put on a wait list. I did my request in December and got my approval in time for this months box. The website says wait time is 3-4 weeks, which was right on for me. It is also like Julep in I can cancel any time with no penalties. That is what made me most happy about trying this out!

Once you're "in", you'll fill out a survey about who you are style wise and what you're looking for. I'm already looking forward to next month! 

Wednesday just got a little brighter. 

So What Wednesday

I'm just going to get right into this! 

So What If:

* I woke up annoyed at the world today. I was wide awake at 6:37 AM...I usually don't have to get up til 7:30 AM.

* The morning training session from work, the reason I was up so early, was 47 minutes of my life I will never get back! Seriously, why are you telling us things that are in the new-hire packet of information? We all know this stuff! Not to mention the audio issues so those of us logging in remotely could hardly hear a word said the entire time.

* My name was left of the powerpoint list of employees in my department for said meeting this morning. I've only been there a year and 4 months. Not to mention the 9 years 9 months I've been with the company overall.

* I seek "acceptance" by recognition of how long I've been at my job. Lame, I know. But it's the mindset I'm in today. Besides, I hate when people who have been here less time than me treat me like I'm the new kid.

* I get SUPER annoyed when I've worked so hard and no one seems to care.

* I think I worked more muscles last night playing Disneyland Adventures on the Xbox Kinect than, well, it's been a while since those muscles were worked. Who knew sledding and snowball fights against Abominable Snowmen would be such a workout?

* I had to Google how to spell Abominable.

What are you saying so what to this week? Come share/vent with the rest of us!

Happy Hump Day! I'm going for more coffee....

Buffalo Chicken Cupcakes

First, I am so very sorry that three weeks after saying I'd post this I am finally posting.

Second, I cannot take credit for this recipe. It is the work of this site. (see the button at the end of the blog)

Third, the pictures here ARE mine as this is my attempt/version of the recipe.

Here we go!!

What you need:
2 C boneless, skinless chicken breast - cooked and chopped small
3 T Buffalo Wing Sauce (I used Franks brand)
1/2 a celery stalk - chopped small (I used my Ninja Prep Master)
1 C reduced fat 2% shredded cheddar cheese
16 Wonton Wrappers (varies where you'll find them at the store, but try the produce section or where the cold "ethnic" foods are)

Here's what you do:

Cook your chicken. I boiled mine as there were no specific instructions given for cooking it and this was the fastest way I could think of.

(When it's done, remove it from the water and let it cool down some before chopping.)

Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly mist 8 cups of a muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside.

Chop your celery stick (again, I used my Ninja Prep Master...because IT. IS. THE. BOMB!)
Put Buffalo Sauce and celery in a bowl and mix.

Chop up the cooked chicken small and add it to the celery and buffalo sauce. Mix well so that chicken pieces are coated nicely.

Layer the eight muffin cups with a single wanton wrapper.

Add a spoonful of the chicken mix.

Add a layer of the cheddar cheese (use your judgement on how much as you only have a cup to work with).

Layer another wonton wrapper.

Repeat the chicken and cheese layers.
Bake in oven for 18-20 minutes.

*I increased the recipe to use the last of the chicken I had on hand...not quite double, but more than the regular size. That is why there are more than 8 cupcakes here*

**the original recipe calls for four Laughing Cow Blue Cheese Wedges to be in the celery sauce mix. But Blue Cheese isn't a favorite in this house, and I couldn't find it, so I did without**

The original recipe has a serving as one cupcake with 4 points each. Without the blue cheese, however, the points value for my recipe is only 3.

These have husbands approval, which is a wonderful thing when you're trying to cook healthy! They are also great snack foods and would be perfect for game day, or something similar.

 Here's another link to the original website:

Enjoy!