Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Wednesday Picture Post

HAPPY WEDNESDAY!
circus purple & lime lunchbox 
camo lunchbox 
tray puzzle 
tray puzzle 
doormat
personalized blanket 
personalized blanket 
personalized blanket
 

© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

28 to Great! Barre3 Challenge: Day 10

This is day 10 of my 28 to Great Challenge.  Here are a few deep thoughts...
  • Barre workouts are awesome.  I love the online workouts and I love my real life workouts at my gym.  Before I had tried a barre class and knew nothing about it, I thought it sounded pretty easy.  Just watching the videos, you'll probably think it looks easy.  It's not easy.  It's tough.  It works. I Love it.  I Hate it.  I love to hate it.
  • Eating healthy is way more expensive than my old ways.  That makes no sense to me.
  • Sugar is in EVERYTHING.  It's very hard to cut out sugar.  My body misses sugar.
  • Sometimes I want to cry a little when I've gone 10 days without sugar.
  • Theory is that if you are eating healthy foods you will feel better and have more energy.  I think that it must take a while for your body to get use to the shock of all the fruits and vegetables because for the first week, I was running on LOW.  I'm starting to feel better but I'm really hoping to see a difference in my energy (and attitude about eating healthy) this week.
  • It feels really good to accept a challenge and stick to it.  Even if it makes me want to cry a little.
  • I think I've had more water in the past 10 days then I've had in my entire life.  Drinking water is a very hard habit for me to adapt.  I'm just not a fan.  I don't like to drink it without a slice of lemon.  I've gone through a lot of lemons in 10 days.
  • I wonder if Top That Pizza is wondering where I am?
  • My new favorite snack is a handful of almonds.  My old go to snack was gummy worms. 
  • I never realized how often my kids stick their candy/popsicle/ice cream/cheezits in my face and say "Want a bite?"  This happens several times a day.  I had not noticed what food sharers they were until this challenge.
  • My main reasons for doing 28 to Great were to cold turkey change my eating habits, to prove that I can stick to a challenge and to get rid of a little thigh jiggle. Yes, I said thigh jiggle.  Big weight loss was not my goal but I have lost several pounds and I'm not complaining. 
  • Eating healthy takes a lot of prep work and is SO not convenient. 
  • I am not sure that I would have stuck to this if I were doing it on my own.  It's nice to have a friend that's suffering through sugar detox at the same time.
  • I still love Diet Dr. Pepper and I think we will forever be in a seriously committed relationship.  There is no breaking us up. True Love Always.
If you have healthy snack and meal ideas, I'd LOVE to hear them!!

© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

Monday, July 29, 2013

Monday Picture Post

HAPPY MONDAY!
phone case 
personalized pens 
sip top water bottle 
sip top water bottle 
chevron stripe note cards 
clipboard with bow 
fill in thank you notes 
doormat
 

© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

Sunday, July 28, 2013

What's for Dinner?

We did it!  We stuck to the plan last week.  I actually ate at home every night (gold star) and the rest of the family ate pizza out once.  We are at it again this week...trying to eat healthier and trying NOT to eat out as much.  Here's the plan:
 *I use my PaperDoll Designs Dry Erase Menu Board that is very similar to the above pic to keep my family "in the know" about what's for dinner each week.
 
SUNDAY: Chicken Lettuce Wraps
I'm getting a little creative this week.  I'm trying to prepare meals that work with my 28 day whole foods challenge so I can eat the same thing as the family.  We've never done lettuce wraps before so I'm not sure how this one will go over.  Not sure it will be kid approved but we'll see.
 
MONDAY:  Scramblers
Scramblers have pretty much become a Monday night regular. Everyone chooses their own "add-ins" so no one complains.  I'm thinking broccoli and tomato for mine.

TUESDAY:  Mexican Sweet Potato Skins
I'll have to omit some ingredients from this recipe and I'm pretty sure that the kids will eat theirs in tortillas instead but I'm excited to try this.  I have a new found love for sweet potatoes.
 
WEDNESDAY:  Lemon Caper Tilapia
I'm putting Nathan in charge on this night.  We love to do fish and veggies on the grill.  Really, I love to do any meal on the grill because it gets me out of cooking.
 
THURSDAY:  Spaghetti Squash
I am determined to get the consistency right this time.  There must be some sort of secret trick to spaghetti squash.  Either I cook it too long or I don't cook it long enough.  This week, I'm going to get it right.  This little vegetable still fascinates me.  It's amazing how it turns into "noodles" when you cook it. 
 
FRIDAY:  Grilled Lemon Chicken
I never cook on Friday nights but I'm going to try not to eat out during my whole foods challenge because I really want to stick to it and I'm afraid I'd cave at a restaurant. 
 
SATURDAY:  Stir Fry
It's back on the menu this week because everyone loves it.  The kids like their chicken and veggies over skinny noodles.  Nathan and I have ours over brown rice.
 
That's what I'm making this week!  I'd love to hear what you are having!!  I'm always looking for new dinner ideas!
 
© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

Friday, July 26, 2013

InstaFriday


Happy Friday!
Here's where I dump my phone photos for our week in review.
 
Sunday morning before church
I am in LOVE with these plastic mason jars!  I use one everyday so it only made sense to have one of every color!!  Thanks Terra for starting my collection and getting me hooked!!
Nora just had to have these glasses from the $ section at Target this week.
She's so funny...she's been wearing them everyday.
Here's proof that there's some reading going on this summer!
Graham started XCountry training this week.  These kids AMAZE me!  They run every day in this crazy Oklahoma humidity and heat and they have the best attitudes.  The coaches are amazing and the kids are rock stars.
Nora and her baby.

We did a major clean in Graham's closet this week.  He's had a major growth spurt recently and I got so tired of him coming downstairs in clothes that were too small.  I had to get them out of his closet.  By the time we were done the poor kid had maybe10 things hanging in his closet.  It's seriously empty.  That's what happens when you grow 2 inches in just a few months.  While we were at it he found a box of Webkinz and gave them all to Olive and Pippa.  Olive was super excited.
 
Well, there you have it.  That's our week in pictures. 
I'm mypaperdolldesigns on instagram if you want to follow along next week.

Happy Friday!

Have a great weekend!!
life rearranged 

Thursday, July 25, 2013

That makes me happy Thursday!

Here are a few things that are making me happy lately...
 
I don't know why I hadn't tried the French Lavender Method scent before!  LOVE.  Smells like I'm at a spa instead of cleaning my kitchen.  Unfortunately, it hasn't made me WANT to clean my kitchen more often but at least it smells fabulous when I have to.
 
 
For the past few months, Nathan has really been focusing on teaching the kids how to pray out loud.  He's talked to them a lot about really expressing their gratefulness to God in prayer and he's been such a great example when he prays out loud with them.  I'm amazed now when I hear them pray at night before bed.  As one who has always struggled with praying out loud (or talking or reading or really doing anything at all...S.H.Y.) in front of people, I am so thankful that my kids have such a great prayer leader.  It makes me happy.
 
 
 
I've been a little desperate this week trying to figure out what falls in the "whole foods" category while I'm doing this 28 day challenge.   I'm learning quickly that eating this way takes a lot of work.  I'm sure I'll get the hang of it but there is a learning curve.  While the family was eating baked potatoes loaded with butter, sour cream and cheese, I decided to slice up a sweet potato, drizzle it with olive oil and add some sea salt and cracked pepper and throw it on the grill.   It made me so happy!  It was delicious.  We've never grilled sweet potatoes before but we'll definitely be doing it again.  YUM
 
All my awesome customers have also been making me happy lately!!
Use discount code HAPPY for 10% off your PaperDoll Designs web order of $10 or more from now until July, 31 2013!  (web orders only, does not apply to custom orders)
 
© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Wednesday Picture Post

Happy Wednesday!
Here are some spirals and stickers for your viewing pleasure...
 
 






The round stickers are not listed on the website yet but you can email me if you are interested in purchasing them.  I can do them in just about any design.
 
Have a happy day!

© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

Tuesday, July 23, 2013

28 to Great! Barre3 Challenge: Update #1

I've never met Will Power and Self Control is NOT my middle name so signing up for a challenge of any kind is so unlike me.  I'm a quitter.  I've tried to stop drinking Diet Dr. Pepper a million times and I've never made it past morning.   I've failed at reading the Bible in a year for the past 30 something years.  My New Year's resolution to clean my house from top to bottom every year is usually abandoned mid January.   My promise to stay organized and volunteer more at school is long forgotten before the new backpacks have even been worn in.  I'm just not good at "sticking to it." 
I'm determined that this time will be different.  Hold me to it, please!   I'll be posting here every so often with hopes that it will hold me accountable.  I want to be able to say "I did it!" in 28 days!!

As I've mentioned a million times before because I'm so excited about it, I signed up for the Barre 3 28 to Great Challenge.  For 28 days, I will be doing Barre classes 6 days a week (either at my gym or by watching online) and I will be eating only whole foods.  The workouts are what drew me to the challenge but when I read about the food part,  I felt like it was just what I needed.  I have been trying to eat healthier for a few years now but I always seem to go back to my candy bar ways.  Nathan and I both have some health concerns in our genes that I really believe can be warded off by our diet.  Nathan and the kids are not doing the challenge but they will be affected because I'm the meal planner. 

Of course, I've made some moderations to their plan and I've added "Diet Dr. Pepper" to the bottom of their list of approved foods.  I'm not crazy!!   I know this is cheating BUT I also know my limitations.  I think the fact that I'm going from a diet of Ego waffles, sour gummy worms and Frosted Flakes to a diet of whole foods is miracle enough!!  I am drinking less diet dp because I've added LOTS of water...but only in a cute mason jar with lemon...and this is HUGE for me because I NEVER drink water.

While their guide does have a grocery list of foods that you can eat during the challenge, it's not very specific so I am going to follow the rule that if it's a packaged food and I can't pronounce what's on the ingredients list or it has more than 5 ingredients, I will not eat it.  I'm going to go with the rules that 100 Days of Real Food lays out because I need specifics. 

I will also be cheating on the weekend of our 16th anniversary but it's not really cheating if I plan it out in advance, right?  I know that we will be eating out at some of our favorite places that weekend and 16 years of marriage is a pretty fabulous reason to cheat on a food challenge!  To make up for the fact that I'll most likely be eating food like alfredo sauce and cupcakes for two days, I'm going to add 2 days onto the end of the challenge. 

So the challenge officially started on Sunday, July 21st and my last day will be Tuesday, August 19th.  I've only made it through 2 days so far and I'm not going to lie...I would kill for a Cheezit right now.  All the fruits and vegetables haven't been as bad as I thought it would be but while I thought I was a sugar addict and that I would be craving candy bars all day, it turns out that I'm really a carb lover and I've spent a lot of time wishing I could eat a bag of potato chips.  I'm LOVING the workouts and Nora has been (sort of kind of) doing them with me so that's been fun.  It's super cute to look over and see her striking the exact same pose as me. 

So that's my first update.  I'll be reporting back next week with a new update.  If I never mention 28 days again, you'll know I gave up.  Don't let me do that!!  If any of you are doing this challenge or if you have done this challenge, I would love to hear from you!!

© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

Monday, July 22, 2013

Sunday, July 21, 2013

What's for Dinner?

We pretty much stuck to the plan last week.  We are at it again this week...trying to eat healthier and trying NOT to eat out as much.  Here's the plan:
 *I use my PaperDoll Designs Dry Erase Menu Board that is very similar to the above pic to keep my family "in the know" about what's for dinner each week.
 
SUNDAY: Lemon Chicken
I'm officially starting my 28 day challenge today.  For the next 28 days I am going to do my best to eat (mostly) whole foods and exercise 6 days a week.  I'm starting out with lemon chicken (got the recipe from the 28 day challenge book) and hopefully we will have some left over for lunches this week.
 
MONDAY:  Scramblers
Always a favorite at our house!  I won't be able to add the cheese and the side of hash browns but I'm still looking forward to my egg, avocado and tomato scrambler.

TUESDAY:  Hamburgers
I love grillin' nights.  Nathan's in charge of dinner!
 
WEDNESDAY:  Halibut
I'm trying a new recipe...ginger halibut.  I'm sure all 3 kids will be thrilled! Not really...we're still working on our love of fish over here.
 
THURSDAY:  Pasta Night
Since I'm going all whole foods on the fam, I'm going to use a brown rice pasta.  I'm sure the kids will be thrilled about this too.
 
FRIDAY:  Eat Out
I'm not cooking EVERY night!  I am worried about eating out during my 28 days though so I might just declare this a FIFI night.  At our house we have FIFI nights on the nights that mom's too tired to cook.  Find It, Fix It...eat it.
 
SATURDAY:  Stir Fry
I'm making lots of chicken on Sunday so we can freeze some and then use it for veggie stir fry on Saturday.  I think I'll even get out the wok for this one.
 
That's what I'm making this week!  I'd love to hear what you are having!!  Maybe in the future I will get all blog savvy and do one of those "What's for Dinner" linky thingy majigs. 
In the meantime, don't be shy and leave me a comment.   I'm always looking for new dinner ideas!
 
© 2013 paperdoll designs Please don't be shy!! I'd love to hear your comments!

Friday, July 19, 2013

And the winners are...

Stephanee Glass and Candace McGinnis!!  Ladies, please choose any small or large spiral design and email me at paperdolldesigns@cox.net with your choice and shipping address. Thanks for entering!!

InstaFriday

Happy Friday!
Here's where I dump my phone photos for our week in review.

It's been a while since I've done an InstaFriday and this one is a little lacking and a lot out of order.  I was trying out the phone app to do this post and couldn't figure out how to rearrange the pictures.  Oh well...
I had two big bags of sour gummy worms this week.  Once I start eating them, I can't stop.  I'm done.  It had been a while and I've had my little fling and now I am breaking up with gummy worms.
I decided at the beginning of the week that I needed to clean out my recipe/cookbook cabinet.  I drug all of this out with big plans of color coded binders and lots of recipe purging....and then put it all back in.  Maybe next week...
The big and the middle were at camp this week so it was just me and this guy.  We had some movie dates and lunch dates and I think he enjoyed all the attention but then he REALLY started missing his brother and sister.  Nora came home yesterday and he was happy at first but they are already fighting like crazy.  Graham will be home tomorrow and he can't wait.
You know you've picked the right book when you want to toss it in the pool after reading the introduction.  This is going to be a good one but I'm not sure I want to hear it.  STUBBORN.
I'm nerdy, over the top, can't stop thinking about it, excited for this Barre 3 28 to Great Challenge.  It comes with checklists!!!  I've been on an off and on healthy eating kick for a while now but maybe this will really help me stick with it.  Plus, I'm in love with Barre workouts.  I got my kit in the mail and will officially start next week.  Blog post coming soon...
This picture is blurry but it CRACKS ME UP!!  They told the adults NOT to get on the bus to take pictures.  Nathan is a rule breaker and jumped on really fast to get a pic.  Nora is HORRIFIED but her friend Macy is all smiles.  So funny.
 
Well, there you have it.  That's our week in pictures. 
I'm mypaperdolldesigns on instagram if you want to follow along next week.

Happy Friday!

Have a great weekend!!
life rearranged 
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...