Disposable Hand Towels? Seriously?

Every once in a while I watch a little bit of HGTV. I try not to watch it that much because I always catch something like House Hunters International or Property Virgins. It reminds me of how non-financially blessed we are. People dropping more money on a ONE room renovation than our house is worth ... it depresses me.

I hate watching people tearing up vintage bathrooms and kitchens... Taking a sledge hammer to beautiful tiles and sinks. I remember one show where they stopped someone from demolishing a sink since the designer thought she could sell it because it was vintage. I was so happy with that!

What bothered me this time is that they are advertising their "Green Home Giveaway". I don't have anything against someone winning a green home, but you might not want to run a commercial for disposable hand towels immediately after you tout the greatness and importance of being green.

From the Kleenex Website:

People in the U.S. dry their hands on cloth bathroom towels approximately 200 billion times a year. The CDC guidelines for hand washing recommends hand drying with a single-use towel. Families have not had a practical alternative to traditional cloth hand towels in their home bathrooms… until now.

And now from their FAQ page:

Does Kimberly-Clark have sustainability standards?

Kimberly-Clark has long recognized the importance of corporate responsibility and integrated the concept of sustainability in our business practices. We published our first annual sustainability report in 2004, and the reports can be reviewed at www.kimberly-clark.com. From raw materials, our manufacturing processes, even our supply chain, we're building sustainability into every facet of how we work. This includes selecting suppliers that operate in a sustainable manner. To that end, we work hard to assure that the wood fiber we purchase comes only from well-managed forestlands or from recycled sources.

Why is this product necessary? Aren't my cloth towels acceptable?

KLEENEX^® Brand Hand Towels offer a hygienic option for our consumers by providing an alternative to traditional cloth bathroom hand towels. KLEENEX^® Hand Towels-- a clean, fresh towel every time^™.

So, they assume that we leave the same grimey, germ laden hand towel out all the time?
Are we too stupid to know we're supposed to wash our hand towels?
I see the benefit of disposable hand towels or even the blowers in public restrooms... but in our own house?

Wait, what am I talking about?
Why did I expect anything different from a company who capitalizes on disposable products?
What next? Disposable bath towels.

I'll be sticking to my cloth hand towels, diapers, pads and my trusty Diva Cup.

Happy Birthday Freedom!

A Few "Dead Like Me" Quesions

Lately, we've been watching "Dead Like Me". It aired in 2003 and is about a girl who is hit by a falling space station toilet seat and dies. She becomes a grim reaper and must take people's souls before they die.







Whenever I watch something, I always seem to come up with the most random questions.

So what questions could I have about "Dead Like Me"?

• Do people ever wonder why they're always in Der Waffle Hause? 
• What do the other Reapers look like to the living?
• Do the living see the Reapers talking to the soul after they die?
• How old is Rube?
• What does Kiffany, the waitress, do with the food they order and walk out on?
• Does anyone notice they take over dead people's houses?
• Since they are undead, do they have to eat? What happens if they don't?
• Why didn't anyone freak out when the Gravelings made a sculpture out of utensils and dishes?
• Why do we see more of the Gravelings in Season 2?
• Why don't the Reapers get noticed more? They seem to be out of place at times.
• Do Reapers have to sleep?
• Who is the cute Reaper from the opening credits? The one whose face we see.

I do realize that this is just a television series.  I imagine the writers and producers don't sit back and think of all the nit-picky details. Maybe some of it is worked into the story line? As many questions as I have, it doesn't take away from the story or the show. I wish I would have known about this show when it first aired. It has a pleasant mix of sarcasm, humor and life lessons.

Something New and Different From Me!

Ignore the crayon on the door behind me. I'm still trying to find something to get the rest of it off.
I am still a bit nervous to actually be on camera, so if you have any advice to offer me that would be great!
Or if you have advice on how to remove crayons while still leaving paint, that would be awesome too.

1 lb at a time: Week 4

pfff.
I thought I was doing so well. Weighed in last Monday morning at 178 lbs ... then came the weekend.
We had promised Brye a trip to Chuck E Cheese's for learning to write his name. We also went to Build A Bear so that Brye could make Freedom a monkey for her birthday. She turns two this Thursday.

We thought it would be cheaper to got o Ci Ci's Pizza and then just play the games at Chuck E Cheese's. I had planned on hitting the salad bar. FAIL! Pizza is my down fall -- and the cinnamon rolls.
We walked around the mall for hours.
Then went to McDonald's. Could have made a better choice here, but I didn't. I had a McChicken, and 1/2 an order of small fires. Then an M&M McFlurry before we left.

I don't think I've ever felt so horrible in my whole life.

This morning, I weighed 180.8 lbs. I had been bouncing between 178.0 and 178.8 all week long.
You would have thought I've done better tonight. I just hit the cookies. sigh.

I think this is what happens when you restrict yourself for so long. I usually don't eat sweets, or that much fried food. I do know that I can change it! Tomorrow is a new day!

Some good new though -- I've been exercising!
I tried P90X. Then I went back to Jillian Michaels and her evil 30 Day Shred. I can fit 20 minutes into my day better than the hour of P90X. I also feel like I accomplish more because I can DO the work outs.

The water consumption?
I started on Monday, so through today I have 96 points. Doesn't seem like that much to me

The original goals that I posted?
I've given up on the C2K5. I've been having a lot of knee and ankle pain lately.
I can't seem to get my mind focused on fitness lately.

Freedom's Potential Birthday Cake

Freedom will be turning two the 27th of this month.
I really enjoy making cakes. Not saying I should be on Food Network or anything, but they usually get a few compliments.

Which brings up the question ... What kind of cake do I make?

What does she like?

• Elmo
• Spongebob
• Farm Animals
• Care Bears
• Monkeys
• Tin Whistles
• Yo GabbaGabba
• Barney *shudder* 
• The list goes on ... depends on the day really

I think I'm going to try and make her a "Playful Heart" cake.
Who is that?
Remember Care Bears? The Care Bear Cousins?
Playful Heart is the monkey.




My thinking is that since she likes Care Bears and Monkeys, this is sure to catch one of her likes of the day. My favorite Care Bear Cousin was Cozy Heart, the Penguin. I also liked Good Luck Bear.
Playful Heart is a mischievous little monkey, and the whole world is his playground.  That's Freedom!

Now, I just have to find a semi-decent easy to copy picture.
I plan on making a simple line drawing, enlarging it and cutting cake pieces to make the monkey.
What I wouldn't give for an old colouring book!

1 lb at a time: Week 3

Good news!
This morning I weighed 178 lbs. 86 lbs down!
I also tried on a pair of Silver Jeans -- Size 31! At $70 a pop, I'm not readt
I also bought a size 10 skirt at a thrift store that fits.
I changed up my diet a bit and added more fibre. No changes in my exercise though.
I did acquire a copy of P90X. However, I have not worked up the courage to start.

Your challenge for the week…

How many ounces of water can you drink this week?

Simple answer? A LOT!
I love water. In fact, I just drank a 16 ounces from the first line of this entry to this one.
According to a neat calculator at nutrition.com, I should drink 105 ounces today.

While I am not a nutritionist, I wholeheartedly believe that water is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

Your body is estimated to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Blood is mostly water, and your muscles, lungs, and brain all contain a lot of water. Your body needs water to regulate body temperature and to provide the means for nutrients to travel to all your organs. Water also transports oxygen to your cells, removes waste, and protects your joints and organs.

I remember my uncle had a book a few years ago that really advocated water for weight loss. I used to think that if you drank too much water you would become bloated and weigh more. Turns out that the more water you drink, the less water you keep retaining. From my personal experience, you go to the bathroom a bit more when you increase your water intake.  Your body will get used to the increased water intake and your potty trips will start getting back to normal.

We're supposed to set a goal for ourselves, and we get a point for every 8 ounces.
Sounds like a plan... Up four points and counting.

Letters From WWII

Brandon found a whole pile of letters this weekend at the Flea Market.
They're dated from 1944 through 1946. Some are from France, and some mention being with the 7th Army in Germany. There are descriptions of the foxholes in France, and comparisons of several European countries.

We love history, so it was exciting for us to hold a piece of history like this.
While we were touring The USS North Carolina in Wilmington, we saw V-Mail correspondence and stationary that was provided by the USO and Red Cross. Call me nerdy, but it was amazing to actually be holding this.






From the few letters that I read they seemed like a couple who were very much in love.
I almost feel bad for reading their personal letters. At the same time, I don't see how a family member could get rid of something like this. Not only is a history, but I am sure it holds sentimental value.

Facebook leads to Homesickness...

I have to admit, I sometimes hate technology.
Especially when your family lives 900-ish miles away and you're all "friends" on Facebook.

It's great that we're able to talk to each other and check in on each other's families. The downside -- I see all the stuff that I am missing. Family birthdays, dinners, holidays, graduations, showers, births, weddings...

They're all having a great time, and it kills me to know that I am missing out on all these family memories.
Then I think about my kids missing out on knowing their family.
My Mom has seen Brye once when he was about a month old. She's only seen pictures of Freedom. My little sister has spent some time with Freedom when she was a newborn.

On a positive note, it has brought me back in touch with them too.

Wordless Wednesday!

Losing 1 lb at a time: Week 2

So, ladies, please tell me what you have tried or what you are planning to try to change it up a little.

Since I started losing weight, I've mostly concentrated on my diet. I wish I would have started exercising more when I first started losing. I used Wii Fit, then EA Sports Active. I lost motivation, so a few months later bought a gym membership. That finally "got old" so I bought a jogging stroller and started C25K. Did it two weeks, and once again lost interest and motivation. I've tried several work out DVDs. Jillian Michaels and I don't have a great relationship.

Excuses?
Yeah, I got 'em.
The "usual" ones like work, housework, the kids, my period, lack of energy, crazy knee pain, the insane heat ...

So what am I going to do to change things up and achieve any of my goals?
I think we're going to start taking more walks and the super curvy and hilly walking trail by my house. To change it up, instead of a "stroll" I plan to walk briskly and maybe add a jog or two in.
I really want to take a local women's MMA class. I think that would keep it interesting, provide a challenge and people to be around.  Brandon used to do it. I don't think he would go for it though, so maybe I can get him to spar with me.  Maybe I can at least get him to push me to do the crunches and push ups.
I really want to try P90X, but I know it's way out of my league. 
In reality, I think I'm going to track down enough batteries for the Wii Balance Board and start back with Wii Fit Plus. It's fun, it's what I need to get me moving.

I'm also re-evaluating my diet, which I feel like is causing my lack of energy.  I used to take some great multivitamins. Lately I've been gagging on most of the supplements that I was taking (and most foods too). The multis have also been making me feel so sick.


The weight? 182.8 lbs. That's up .2 from last week.  I know it's more than likely due to my diet soda binge yesterday and my lack of ... going. (Sorry for the potential information overload there) I am considering a cleanse, but not sure if I want to try a burn and cleanse a la Jillian Michaels or just an old fashioned colon cleanse.

Looking at the big picture, I think I'm doing okay.

Happy Mother's Day!

There's one of my gifts!
My Woodstock tattoo.





I went yesterday and got my Woodstock tattoo! It's on my left shoulder blade.
I wanted it bigger, but decided that it was probably big enough. I have to say, it hurt worse on the left side of the tattoo than both the tattoos on the top of my feet.
Didn't realize I was that freckled.

I also got a ceramic mushroom and shovel with a bird sitting on it to put in my flower bed.


I got a few pictures of me and the kids.
It was the first picture of both kids and myself since Freedom was born.





The bottom two pictures on the left were taken by Brye. I think he's interested in photography, he's always asking to take pictures. It wasn't my idea to hold the car, but it's how he wanted me posed.





Happy Mother's Day to all the Mommies out there!

My husband's been a bit lax on mowing the yard.
On a semi-positive side, my clovers are getting big.

We also have a bunch of Johnny Jump Ups and "wild" Strawberries.

Mini Mother's Day Wish List

Mother's Day is around the corner.
Here are a few things, in no particular order that I would like getting.

• Handmade card from the kids
• A new tattoo (now that I decided on a design -- no, not the the one above)
• New Vaccuum
• Professional carpet cleaning
• Summer clothes
• Swimming Suit
• Photoshop
• A nice hair cut
• New Dodge steering wheel cover ( mine is 7 years old... gasp!)
• Peanut Butter Fudge Power Crunch Bars

Oh, and I wold also love if the house were painted. It's been three years.

Wordless Wednesday!

Weight Loss & 1 lb at a Time Challenge

It's the first week of the "Losing One Pound at a Time" Challenge.

What is the one thing that you find makes you feel beautiful/good about yourself? 

And why?

That's the question being asked this week.
If I have to narrow it down to one thing, it would have to be compliments.
Why? Because it means that someone has noticed that I've been working ... hard.
It gives me the encouragement to keep doing what I'm doing.
Yes, I am losing weight and getting fit to be healthier, but come on -- I am a woman.
I like to look and feel pretty. Which is sometimes hard when all you see are "prefect" women. Got to love the media!

This week, I'm going to start back with the Couch to 5K running program. I found my resistance bands so I'm going to try and find some little routines or something. I wish I could get Brandon interested in doing something with me. It would make it so much easier to find the time and motivation that way.

I thought I would also take the time to update on my weight loss since it's the beginning of the month.
This morning, I weighed in at 182.6 lbs.
I have now lost 82 lbs. Probably more since I never knew how high I had really got.
Inches wise, I've not changed much. Lost an inch from my waist, and some from my calves, thighs and arms. It all adds up! I just wish my hips would go down some.

I also started tracking my body fat online.
At the start of last month, I was at 30.67% body fat. Today, it was 29.96%. Apparently, an acceptable body fat percentage is 25-31% for women. Still sounds like a lot to me, but according to my measurements from last August, I was at 50% body fat.