TGI....W?

Ah, short work week. Who doesn't like one of those? Especially when you get 4 full days off right in a row. I know I'm excited about it. I'm ready to spend some time with family, spend time with my puppy and just enjoy being lazy.
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WeightWatchers & Food:
Yesterday wasn't all that spectacular. I ended up snacking way too much and had horrible heartburn most of the day. Lunch was OK. I ate my soup and that was about it. Then the afternoon was full of snacking and bad behavior. Dinner was a heaping pile of noodles with RF parmesan cheese. I didn't eat what I planned but I suppose it could have been worse.

Today is weigh in day and I haven't been yet. I'm debating which meeting to go to. If I go to the 12:30 meeting then I can head straight home after work. If I go to the 5:15 meeting then I'll have more time to enjoy the meeting and the people. However, Andrew works from 12:00 - 8:00 today and Walter is going to be locked up in his crate longer than usual. Now, I know he'll be fine... but I want to try and avoid any messes in the cage and a bath for Walter if I can.

I always change my weigh-in day to a weekday but then I never want to go. I do go on weekends but then when I am out of town I don't go. I just really can't seem to commit to a specific day. Maybe I'll start going on Monday's after my appointment with my therapist. I will start seeing her every Monday from 3:30 - 4:30 and I believe there is a 4:45 meeting and it would be on my way home... hmmm.... I might just look into that!

Menu for today:
B: Special K Cereal, FF milk, coffee
S: Banana, 2 Cheese Sticks
L: Chicken Pot Pie Soup with extra peas added in, 1/2 c. garlic mashed potatoes, Yogurt covered pretzels
S: Apple or carrot sticks with hummus (or both I guess)
D: Brown rice, black beans, salsa
Activity: Nada

Again, I'm trying to focus more on food than anything else right now. I am going to try and talk Andrew into going to the fitness center early tomorrow morning. There's just something about exercising before you go and stuff yourself full of food that makes you feel a little less guilty. LOL. I don't normally go crazy on Thanksgiving - but I do eat more of the fatty, high calorie good stuff than usual.
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Beauty Product of the Day:

Philosophy Peppermint Stick Body Wash & Lip Gloss

I love the Philosophy brand. I also have their body wash in Mimosa scent. (yummmmm) Around this time of year I love everything peppermint. Soaps, lotions, glosses, candles, everything. I love candy canes too. I don't know where this obsession came from because nobody else in my family loves peppermint as much as I do. In fact, my mom HATES it. Needless to say, she wasn't impressed with this purchase. Haha. It smells so good though. I look forward to showering just because of the body wash alone. The gloss is just sheer but smells (and tastes) just like a candy cane.

I got this little set from Ulta for $20.00. 

I really like everything about Philosophy. I have a bunch of their products on my Amazon Wish List and I know for sure the next thing I want is the Purity Face Wash. The gal at Ulta gave me some free samples of it and I used it all up the other day. It is amazing. I love how it makes my face feel and it gets all of the make up and dirt off of my face very easily. If I had a Clarisonic I would definitely want to use the Purity face wash with it. 

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That is all for today folks! I hope you all have a WONDERFUL Thanksgiving and spend it with friends, family and loved ones! 

Gobble Gobble!!

A Bit Depressed

I don't know if it is hormones. I don't know if it is the cold, crappy weather. I haven't quite zoned in on why I am so depressed right now but I am. All I want to do is cry. I cried myself to sleep last night. I've had to stop myself from crying numerous times already this morning. In fact, I am trying to avoid it right now. I don't want to cry right now. My make up is pretty today AND I'm at work. Haha. Maybe tonight if the mood is still there I will have myself a nice, big, blubbering, sobbing, cry-fest.
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WeightWatchers & Food:

My week restarts tomorrow but this is where I have gotten myself. Also, I didn't track at all last night after I got home from work. In fact, I only tracked my breakfast yesterday so that -16 is probably a lot bigger. I did finally go to the grocery store. We didn't buy a ton of food but we got enough stuff to get us through this week and most of next. (I hope). Mom & Dad always send us home with turkey, potatoes and stuffing (if there is any left) and I can use up turkey for a lot of different things. 

I am going to go to the 5:15 meeting at WW tomorrow and I am still deciding if I am going to drive to Taylorville tomorrow night or just wait until Thursday morning to do it. When I'm in this kind of a mood I am even more indecisive than usual. 

Today's Menu:

B: 1 c Special K Vanilla Almond Cereal, 1 c FF milk, coffee

S: 2 WW Cheese Sticks

L: Progresso Soup with some peas added in, yogurt covered pretzels and an apple

S: Carrot sticks and hummus

D: Brown rice, black beans, salsa and leftover veggies

Activity: None

I am trying to use up all of my leftovers from last week. I still have quite a bit of rice and some veggies and I have no problem eating up rice and bean mixtures. They are yummy and filling. 

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Review of BirchBox products:

I have used the perfume, the shampoo and conditioner, the Raspberry Indulgence tea and the highlighter pencil. 

Perfume - nice, elegant, crisp smell. Very strong. A little bit of this goes a long way. I sprayed on my pulse points (wrists and under my ears). Every time I move around or twist my head I smell it. Definitely like it. Would I pay $98 for a bottle? Probably not. I would ask for it as a gift though. 

Shampoo & Conditioner - It smells wonderful and my hair feels really amazing wet and dry. Especially after the conditioner. My only complaint with the shampoo is I had to use A LOT of it. I have very long and thick hair and most of the time I can get away with not having too much shampoo in my hands to lather up. It seemed like I couldn't get enough of this shampoo. For as much as it is per bottle I don't think I could justify buying it... unless I chopped all of my hair off. Good stuff though.

Raspberry Black Tea - YUM. I ended up having more than one cup of this tea last night. I used the tea bag as much as I could before it was getting too weak. If I could buy a box of that flavor, I would. 

Highlighter Pencil - Love it. Absolutely LOVE IT. Might be my favorite thing from the November Box. I used it this morning underneath my foundation to cover up/conceal the dark circles under my eyes and any blemishes. It blends out so nicely, matches my skin tone pretty well and has a nice creamy texture. I then took it and highlighted my brow bone and put a little on my water line to brighten up my eyes a little. It is wonderful. I would buy this pencil in the full size. I probably will once the sample is gone and sharpened down to a nub. 

I am very happy with my first BirchBox and cannot wait until I get a new one in December! 

Stuff, stuff & more stuff

My motivation to blog today doesn't exist. So, you're getting a very short blog post.

Weekend recap: 
I drove to Davenport on Friday night to spend the weekend with my best friend, Sydney, and to pick up my grandma and bring her back here for Thanksgiving. The weekend was wonderful. Friday night Sydney and I both got to town around 6:15 or so. We went to dinner at Olive Garden and then we just hung out and talked. Saturday we stopped by Augustana (Sydney's college) and then met her mom for lunch at Granite City. I love that place and wish that Springfield had one. YUM. After that we went to Ulta, stopped by Leclaire, IA to meet with her dad for a bit, hit up some small shops and then went to the mall. Once all of that was done we went back to her grandma's, played with some of the new stuff we bought and then played our violins together. Something we haven't done since we were in Jr. High School.

My violin is on the left and Sydney's is on the right. Mine is a Stradivarius copy violin made in Germany in the 1930's that I had restored. Sydney's violin is SUPER old and SUPER expensive and I could never in my life afford something like that. Sydney plays in the Des Moines symphony and is also an orchestra teacher. Hence the very nice violin. It was fun playing together again. 

We were both asleep before11:00..... I should say Sydney was asleep at like 8:00. Haha. Sunday we got up really early (like before 7:00) and lounged around before having breakfast and getting ready to hit the road. We went our separate ways and I picked up grandma and brought her back home with me. It was such an amazing weekend and I am sad that it went by so quickly. Sydney and I live 6 hours away from each other and it sucks. She has been my best friend since I was 12 and if I ever got to live in the same city as her again I would be so happy.
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Beauty Things:

I received my very first BirchBox today.

I cannot even explain how excited I am about this! I made myself wait a little bit to open it up. I had something for work come through so I finished that up and then I opened up my box to see what was inside. 

Assorted teas, shampoo, conditioner, highlighter pencil and perfume. Here are the brands and descriptions of each: 

Beauty Protector: Protect & Shampoo: New from the best-selling haircare line, this sulfate-free formula adds shine and volume. (and it smells amazing)

Beauty Protector: Protect & Condition:  This nourishing conditioner hydrates with the help of shea butter and pearl powder. (also smells amazing)

Chella: Ivory Lace Highlighter Pencil: This face illuminator brightens and contours - it can be applied 10 different ways! Brow bones, cheekbones or along lip line! 

Joie: Folle de Joie eau de parfum: A Birchbox customer fave, this fresh scent blends mandarin, rose, and sandalwood.(smells very nice, strong so you wouldn't need much. Almost an elegant smell... no wonder it is almost $100 per bottle!) 

Ahmad Tea London: Assorted Teas: A best-selling blend of premium teas from Assam, Sri Lanka, and Kenya. (Flavors are Green Tea, Black Tea English No. 1, Raspberry Indulgence Black Tea)

Once I fully try everything I will let you know what I like the best! 

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WeightWatchers & Stuff:

We're not going to talk about food. 

We're not going to talk about WW. 

I just need a day to even out and not think about it. 

I tracked my food from the weekend and am only -9. Not too shabby. If I wouldn't have done the wine tasting at the winery I probably wouldn't have gone over. It was fun though and I don't regret it. 

I WILL GO TO THE GROCERY STORE TONIGHT. 

End.of.Discussion.

It's Friday, Friday.... ♫♪♫♪

Good morning! There are many reasons I am happy this morning:

1. It's Friday!
2. I get Jimmy John's for lunch today. That always makes it a good day. 
3. I leave for Iowa after work and get to see my best friend! 
4. I had my husband kidnap my violin from my in-laws so I could take it to Iowa with me.*
5. I meet my new therapist today and I am really looking forward to seeing what she can do for me.
6. Did I mention it is Friday?
7. I get to bring grandma back home to celebrate Thanksgiving. Fun!
8. I put up all of my Christmas decorations yesterday and the entire apartment smells like Pine. 
9. IT'S THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR!!
10. It's Friday!
11. SYDNEY! 
12. Ok, now I'm being obnoxious. 

*Back story:

Sydney and I met in orchestra in Jr. High School. We have both been playing for a very long time and she is now an amazingly talented player and orchestra teacher in West Des Moines, IA. I had purchased a violin off of ShopGoodwill.com that was a Stradivarius Copy made in Germany in the 1930's. It was beat to hell and I had it restored by an amazing violin maker in Macomb, IL. He did a fantastic job and the violin has the most beautiful, rich sound. I am so happy I purchased the violin and put the money into it to have it taken care of. Sydney and I will get a chance to play together this weekend which is something we haven't done since we were 13 or 14 years old! 

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WeightWatchers & Stuff:

Yesterday went VERY well. No binge eating and the only thing I went over my points on was a vodka tonic (made with diet tonic) that I had while watching American Horror Story from Wednesday night. I spent majority of my evening putting up the Christmas stuff and cleaning the apartment and it kept me out of the kitchen and out of binge mode. That is basically all I have to do at night is keep super busy doing something. However, we all know there are some nights where you just plop down and don't want to do ANYTHING. Those are the nights that get me into the most trouble. 

Oh! And I earned 4 APs yesterday from all the decorating I did! 

Menu for today:

B: 3 pancakes, coffee, milk (7P+)

S: String Cheese (3P+)

L: Jimmy John's #6 Vegetarian with no mayo, thinny chips (19P+) <-- totally worth it.

S: Carrot Sticks (0P+)

D: TBD - I'll be on the road so it'll have to be something clever... I'll have 11P+ to use and IF I need them I have my WPs.

Activity: None - driving! Iowa! SYDNEY! 

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Beauty Products of the Day:

I bought these little gems at CVS the other night. It was in this little gift package for $4.99. It came with another cream that I keep on my nightstand. I LOVE the chapstick. (I know, I'm obsessed with chaptstick. Get off me) The lotion has a really nice consistency and doesn't make my hands feel slick or greasy. Just makes them super soft and I love the smell. It is not overwhelming at all. For $4.99 I think it was a nice little treat.

I got my Avon delivery yesterday and got these lip crayons. They were $3.95 each (on sale) and I have never used lip crayons before so I thought I would give them a try. The top one is Mauve Model and the Bottom one is Nude. I really like them. The nude one shows up a little darker than what you see on the bottom of the packaging but I still like it a lot. The Mauve color is really pretty with a sheer gloss over the top. It is what I used this morning. 

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Random Things:

You know how when you're on Facebook and you just start clicking and browsing? Well, that happens to me and my cousin's wife just uploaded a ton of pictures she has taken throughout 2013 and I was looking at them. Apparently my cousin Mat is in a Toyota commercial and I have been trying to find it on YouTube or somewhere on the internet all morning! My cousin and his wife live in LA and he has been in acting school the past 3 years. He has been in a few independent films and I wish him all the luck in the world! 

If you have seen this commercial or know where it is on line then send me the link! 

I leave you with Hobbs. His life is hard. Like. Ridiculously hard. Don't judge him.

A Fresh Start

We all need a fresh start sometimes. Wipe the slate clean and start all over.
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Wednesday Weigh In:
Weigh In: +/- 0
Total Lost: 0
Left to Lose: 101

Technically if you were going from my previous weigh ins I did lose 1.6 last night. I was happy about that. When I walked into the meeting Irene said "Hi Becky!" because I have been a part of her meetings on and off since 2007. If she didn't know me I would be worried. Haha! Anyway, it always feels nice to walk in there and feel so welcome and I know she is always happy that I'm back. At least she acts like she is. :)
Anyway, I told the receptionist that weighed me to wipe my slate clean and pretend like they didn't know who I was. Irene heard me and said "Nope, don't know you. Never seen you before in my life." They are such fun women at that meeting center and it always makes me wonder why I stop going. I am going to go back to doing the lunch meetings at 12:30 on Wednesday because I like that group and that meeting.

So, slate is wiped clean and I'm starting fresh.

Yesterday I stuck to my plan 100% and still had 3P+ leftover. Andrew and I were going to watch South Park so I made us up some air popped popcorn. I went over my DP allowance but I had my 49 WP to fall back on. I was so proud of myself. I did not binge eat anything and actually felt good when I went to sleep. That is an amazing feeling.

Today's Menu:
B: 2 Pancakes, 2 HB eggs, coffee (8P+)
S: (2) String Cheese (3P+)
L: 3.5 oz Chicken Thighs, 1/2 c. brown rice, spinach, Skinny Cow Candy Bar (11P+)
S: Carrot sticks with 2 T Peanut Butter (5P+)
D: 1 c. spaghetti with 1/4 c. pasta sauce, 1 c. peas, WW candies (12P+)
Activity: TBD

I really need to focus on tackling one thing at a time. Right now, focusing on getting my food intake under control has taken the more important role in my life right now. When I joined WW back in 2007 I lost over 20 pounds without ever exercising. I focused on food, measuring and tracking. I might do that for a bit, especially since the Holidays are very difficult. I might throw in some walks/runs here and there when I feel like it but I'm not going to beat myself up if I don't workout EVERY day. I still have that challenge going on with Anna starting on Thanksgiving that I do at least a mile a day. That could be walking briskly, leisurely walking or running. Doesn't matter. Just 1 mile a day.
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Beauty Product of the Day:
Yes, this is new and totally necessary. Haha. The other day I signed up for a Birch Box subscription. It is pretty much amazing. You pay $10 a month and they send you a box that has all sorts of samples of beauty products, foods, creams, nail polish, etc. Since I am so interested in that kind of stuff I figured that this was a no-brainer. It comes out of my pocket money budget and I think it is totally worth it. Well, my first box doesn't mail out until 11/27/13 so I was shopping on the store looking for a fun little thing to get and I got this:

This cute little bag (taken next to a pen so you could see the comparison and see how small it really is) holds 17 emergency things. SEVENTEEN. I thought to myself, "No way."

Opened up a bit.....

From left to right (and center): Lip balm, breath freshener, hair spray, clear nail polish, tampon

Dental Floss, band-aid, nail file, sewing kit with a safety pin, buttons, backs to earrings and rubber bands for your hair.

Advil, deodorant towelette, double sided tape, stain remover cloth, nail polish remover

Is that not the coolest thing EVER?! The lip balm smells AMAZING. (of course I opened that first.) and I love having the rest of that in my purse if I ever need it. I am that person that likes to have everything. Just yesterday my boss wanted to know if anyone had a sewing kit because he lost a button on his pants. Guess who had one (before this bag)? ME! 

This little bag is so cute. It was $15 but I had a promo code for 10% off since I signed up for a subscription and I also got free S&H. 

Worth it.