Back to WW

I have decided to re-motivate myself to lose weight. Spring is finally here and I absolutely can NOT wait to be sitting by the pool with a good book as soon as it gets warm enough. I love summer time, but I find that it is the time of year that I am most self-conscious about my looks and my weight. There's not a ton I can do about my pale, PALE skin except look like ghost, but I would like to feel a little more comfortable with my weight. I have been following the Weight Watchers program on and off for about 2 years and even though I have lost 25 pounds since starting the program, I would love to have a little more energy and lose a few more pounds. My current goal is to lose another 13 pounds. Totally doable in my opinion! Here is one of my first steps toward reaching my goal-

I've found that I do pretty well with making good choices for meals, but snack time is my biggest downfall. I saw this idea on Pinterest and it just seemed too easy not to try! I went through our pantry and gathered all of the healthy snacks. Then I made my own individual portions with one serving in each plastic bag and marked them with the amount of WW points. Now when I need a snack, I simply have to reach into my "healthy box" and choose one! I also did the same thing in our refrigerator. So easy and it will make it much easier for me to make better choices!

Things I Never Said Before We Had a Dog

I have noticed lately that I speak to our 1 year old Dachshund as if he can understand exactly what I am saying. I tend to ask a lot of ridiculous questions. I think this is just a sample of what it is going to be like when darling husband and I have kids. I wanted to share a few of my best questions and ridiculous statements from the last few days with you because frankly, I'm crazy and I think it's funny. :)

"Stop eating the toilet paper!"

"Did you steal my sock? Is it under the bed or under the couch? Or the table? Is it under the table?"(spoken while crawling around on my hands and knees in my work uniform)

"You can't have any of my banana because you already had too much cheese today, plus all that grass."

"Did you pee? DID you PEE?! YAYYYYY!!!" (this one was at the top of my lungs after we got back from a very long, annoying walk)

"No thank you! Private time!" (said while in the restroom and Archie was scratching at the door to get in)

And from my lovely husband...
"You're my favorite little poopface, you know that?" 

Lent is here again!

It's that time! Every year I have a difficult time deciding what to give up during the forty days of Lent. Usually I can't decide and end up saying something like "well, I'll just eat more vegetables". I try for about three days and then I completely forget that I am supposed to be doing anything at all.

This year I am going to try doing something different though. This year I have given up... dun dun dun... Facebook! Now, I do have to admit that there are a couple of stipulations for this sacrifice of mine. I uninstalled the Facebook app from my phone, but I kept the messenger. I am also going to allow myself access to my photography page because I have a wedding and a couple of other sessions coming up before Easter and I do not want my clients to be neglected if they need to get a hold of my via Facebook. So there- at least I'm trying!

I am also going to attempt to attend every Holy Day and every Sunday Mass that I can. I have gotten really lazy at making myself go. It's only one hour but for some reason I always come up with a million and one reasons why I should skip Mass instead. Last night I went to Ash Wednesday Mass and I have to admit that I really liked it. I missed the feeling of peace during church and the quiet time that really forces you to focus and be thankful. Plus, I now have a Catholic friend who lives very close to me and we are going to make each other stick to our resolutions. Lent is a time to think about what needs changing in your life and how you can make things better for others. I intend to do just that! :)

Cradled or Carried

Since it is getting colder outside and my photography business is going to be a little slow for the next few weeks, I thought I would take this opurtunity to promote my beautiful sister Julie's new non-profit organization, Cradled or Carried. My sister was diagnosed with brain cancer this past summer and she has started this organization to help other cancer patients find support and to raise funds for the National Cancer Society. Make sure to visit her site and read her story. While you're there, why not make a donation or buy one of her handmade bracelets to support the cause?

                                                                   Cradled or Carried

One of my favorite photos of my sister Julie and her son Zachary. This photo was taken a couple weeks after Julie had emergency surgery to remove a brain tumor last summer. I spent a morning taking photos of her and her three beautiful children and this is one of the images that will always have a special place in my heart.

Merit Clothiers

I recently got the chance to work with a couple of wonderful women who are in the midst of launching an eco-friendly clothing company named Merit Clothiers. Brittany and Brittany will be offering jackets, messenger bags, and badges which can be ironed-on to their other products to celebrate achievements  (Girl Scouts for adults!). I think they have an awesome idea and I was so excited when they asked me to do a promotional photo shoot for them! Here's one of the photos that I have been working on from our shoot last weekend- be on the lookout for more of my work to be featured on their website and Etsy page!

The One I've Been Waiting For...

Today is the day. I am so excited that I can hardly stand it. Today I FINALLY get to take photos of my sister, her husband, and their two awesome kids. For some people this may be a weird thing to be so excited about, but I have been looking forward to this for so long! We have been trying to get family photos for her done for about 6 months now- we have dealt with sickness, rain, cold, and crazy schedules but today we will get those photos taken! I can't wait! I don't normally get very nervous about doing family photos but I want so badly to make sure that these are amazing. Wish me luck and I will post some samples as soon as I can!

It's That Time Again...

Time for me to start looking up recipes and making lots of fall-themed food! Every year when the weather starts to turn cool and the days get a little bit shorter, I like to start looking forward to chilly nights wrapped in blankets and trying new foods. My favorite site to find food inspiration is definitely www.skinnytaste.com. The blogger updates every few days and almost every recipe is something original that I've never tried before. My list of things to attempt making so far:
*pumpkin spice snickerdoodles
*roasted strawberry bread
*creme brulee french toast
*slow cooker pork chops with applesauce
*homemade apple butter
*eggplant boats with spicy sausage
*crab and artichoke dip

And I'm sure the list will keep growing as autumn gets closer! Tonight thought, I'll just have some hot chocolate and listen to my husband curse at the Reds :)