"Never Say Diet", by Chantel Hobbs: Great Guidelines For Healthy Weight Loss

I just finished reading "Never Say Diet", by Chantel Hobbs. I think this book has a great guideline to follow for a healthy way of living. It focuses on working out first and then gradually changing your eating habits. As a person that has struggled with weight issues since a young age, I felt at times as if I was reading my own words. Chantel weighed over 300 pounds and with lots of determination and discipline, lost 200 pounds. She shows us how she did it and how anyone can have great results as long as they follow the guidelines that she outlines for us throughout the book. There are some great exercises shown throughout the book as well with options that are more challenging as you get stronger. The whole plan takes 16 weeks and comes in 4 phases. If you have some downfalls, then you will be in the phases longer and it will take more than the 16 weeks. In the beginning phases, you have to be more disciplined and you will slowly wean off certain things. During the later phases, you will be able to reintroduce certain things that will help you stick to your weight loss for the long term. I think it's a great book to help people that have issues with food. I think it is also a wonderful way for people to learn that they don't have to be afraid of exercise or of the gym.

Book Review: "The Final Summit: The Quest to Find the One Principle that Will Save Humanity", by Andy Andrews

I just finished reading an interesting story called, "The Final Summit: The Quest to Find the One Principle that Will Save Humanity", by Andy Andrews. I wasn't sure about this book when I had to pick it out of a group of books, but I was pleasantly surprised. The book is about a group of travelers from all different time periods that meet up for a final summit to try to save humanity from being wiped out. They have to figure out what the single most important principle is to put them on the right pathway to what God intended it to be. The catch is they only have 5 chances and they are on a time limit. I didn't want to put the book down because I wanted to know if they would figure it out in time and I really was curious to know what this principle would be. If you are anything like me, then you will try to solve it all throughout the book. The story started off a bit slow at the beginning, but then I really got into it. I learned a bit of history on the way, that I didn't know about and that most people actually will find interesting as well. I won't give it away though, because you might not read the book then. Most of the travelers are well known people throughout history such as Winston Churchill, Benjamin Franklin, etc.. Again, don't want to give the story or all the characters away. I received this book free from the publisher through BookSneeze®.com. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Making Childhood Dream Reality

I have always had a dream to become a writer. I used to write short stories as a child and had a passion for reading. This is one of the reasons that I started to write a blog. I wanted to see if I can write. I can talk for hours, but can I put my mumbo jumbo together on paper and make something spectacular fly out to the readers. I am still not sure if I can, but I am going to try. My first book will be fiction and I am also currently trying to collaborate on a cookbook with a friend of mine. I have no clue when I will have the time to write this book, but I am going to try to do it when I actually get some quiet moments. I wish I had a muse, so if one wants to come and help me out, "I am here"! It must be nice to have a muse. I don't fully understand that really. Is a muse an imaginary friend or some entity, who knows? I don't have one. I'll check in from time to time and might even give a sneak peak into what I am writing about. You will have to wait at the edge's of your seat's or not. It's good to be back on here. Hope some of you are still here, checking in on my silly nonsense. Tata for now!

"Love Food and Live Well" By Chantel Hobbs

This Book Will Set You Free and Learn to Have a Healthy Relationship with Food!
I just finished reading "Love Food and Live Well", by Chantel Hobbs, regarding how to have a healthy relationship with food. It's funny how this book came upon me. I have been having major issues with binge eating and had decided to try to help myself with self-help books. I had found a few books that I had brought home, started to read and then put aside. Then I had a choice of a few books to review and this book caught my eye. I seriously feel like it was a message from God to read this book. I was looking for help and this was one of my few choices to read that looked the most interesting to me. I am so glad that I read this book. It really talks about people's relations with food and how to eat the right way. I am a certified personal trainer and she has some great exercises in this book and knows what she is talking about. The author of this book, Chantel was 350 pounds and lost over 200 pounds, so she knows what it feels like to be overweight and to struggle with dieting. She also knows how it feels to lose it and struggle to keep it off. In this book she helps show people how to learn not to struggle. There are some great recipes in here and also a way to calculate how much protein, carbs and fat you should be taking in for your body. If you have issues with food, or struggle with weight, then this is a great book to read. Also a quick note, I liked this book so much, that I just ordered her book, "Never Say Diet: Make Five Decisions and Break the Fat Habit for Good". “I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review”

"Here Burns My Candle" by Liz Curtis Higgs (The Tests of Love During War: Love, Secrets, Betrayal, Faith) A Must Read

I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Here Burns My Candle", written by Liz Curtis Higgs. This is the first time I have ever read a book by this author. I have a deep interest in history, especially regarding the Jacobite uprising in Scotland during 1745, which this story is based on. It portrays a high society family with many secrets that start to come undone, presenting some twists and turns down the path of righteousnous. Many of the characters evolve immensely by the end.

I was unaccustomed to reading such stories with passages from the Bible included throughout the book. I was pleased by the way the bible was intertwined into the story and how faith in God would help you through even the hardest of times.

My favorite character is the ever so faithful Lady Elisabeth Kerr. She is the kind of woman, people want to strive to be like. She is caring, faithful, smart, beautiful and not afraid of work. She doesn't forget about where she comes from even with her title. I have to also include that Marjory comes in a close second. She is a strong woman that loves her sons with all she has. The relationship between the love of a mother for her sons was so well portrayed in this book. As a mother, I felt every ounce of love that a mother feels for her children. She is overly protective, like a lioness with her cubs. She will do anything  and give everything to keep her sons safe. She does not let anyone find fault in her sons and if they do, they will be set in their place. The farther along the story goes, the more I like her. My heart goes out for Elisabeth and Marjory. I felt such a strong feeling of love for family and how bonds don't always have to be based on blood.

I relished the little quotes from different authors, such as William Shakespeare, that were written in beginning of each new chapter. These clever passages would foreshadow what was to come in the chapter. One other quick note is at the end of the book there is a Scottish Glossary, in case you don't understand one of the words, but most are pretty easy to pick up. “I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. ”

Awesome Deal Woot.com - Kitrics Digital Nutrition Label Scale - Today Only!

Here is a great deal from Woot.com, today only: It's a kitrics digital nutrition label scale. Great for those who are trying to lose weight or be more health conscious!

http://www.woot.com/

It's Fat Tuesday! Celebrate Mardi Gras Style!

Fat Tuesday is always the day before Ash Wednesday! It is marked as the last day to eat rich fatty foods before fasting for Lent. New Orleans aka "The Big Easy" is known for their Mardi Gras celebrations! People come down to the French Quarters and to Bourbon street to party during Mardis Gras! The carnivale parades run through St. Charles Avenue and Canal Street! If you can't make it to New Orlean's, then why don't you throw your own Mardis Gras party at home!  "Laissez les bons temps rouler" ("Let the Good Times Roll")

What you will need for a Mardi Gras party:

• Have friends come over, dressed in costume
• Get bead necklaces
• Serve cajun food
• Serve a king cake (allrecipes.com has some great recipe ideas for king cake)
• Decorate your place purple, gold, and green

The king cake is a fun game as well! Whomever ends of with the slice of cake with the baby in it, will have to host the next year's mardi gras party!

Booty Appreciation Day

Don't forget to make sure to appreciate those booties out there today! It is Booty Appreciation Day! I would like to thank all those beautiful bootylicous bombshells such as Marilyn Monroe, Jane Russell, Jayne Mansfield, J Lo, Beyonce, Anna Nicole Smith, etc... Oh yeah, and me!

How to Get Back on Track When You Fall Off the Diet Wagon...

I would like a how to guide on getting back on track everytime I fall off my diet wagon. I have such trouble getting back on. Yesterday, I did well, today I did the opposite. Maybe it's hormones, but either way, something has to work. I worked too hard to drop weight over the past few years and it is working, but I always creep back up a little and then I get motivated for a bit and drop some more. I just hate when I can't seem to tell my head no. My stomach wins all the time, or is it my head? Many experts say alot of bad eating habits are mental. I can definitely agree with that. If I am happy, sad or angry, I run for the cabinets or fridge. I think television is also a definite evil to losing weight. Everytime I watch a show, which is barely, the commercials are filled with some sort of food ad. Next thing I know, I am running to the fridge looking for that item or something comparable to it. I have been having these troubles since 5th grade. I don't know where I went wrong. I don't know why I ended up with such a big issue with food, but I want to break the cycle. Maybe my next step is counseling. I'll keep you posted! Oh, by the way, don't forget to check my cooking blog out that created with my friend Theresa:  http://www.cookingdivas.blogspot.com/

Out of Order

I am sorry if I haven't been blogging much of late, but I have been sort of "Out of Order". Yes, that's right, "Out of Order". I am not functioning at full capacity these days and need to be adjusted. I can't seem to get my health or my mind on track. Thank goodness for doctors and lots of books. I have been resting alot lately and reading in my quiet time. Don't worry though, no bad news here. Just need to figure out what's been out of whack. I promise that I will tell, once I know. I am so hard to figure out, just ask the doctors, my husband or my parents. I will say that I have been extremely worn down, stressed out to the maximum capacity and pretty much at my limit. I have low blood pressure, imagine that, but I swear it must spike. I feel like my head will pop off from all the stress. I guess it's normal for mothers, but I think my kids think they are in charge, even though I try to explain that they aren't. It's not just them, it's everything. I have ADD /ADHD and have major anxiety issues and that all mixed up with trying to be a SAHM. Just trying to make everything run smoothly is such hard work, because it never seems to go that way and it drives me insane. My friend said something very important in her recent blog about Facebook and how she almost quit it. I feel that Facebook has taken over too much of my time and that if I would just not use it that I would open up alot more space in my life to organize things better. But do understand this, I don't sit on Facebook all day. I just check it several times a day and still carry out everyday things. It just seems that it's gotten out of control and has begun to creep into my life way too much. I think I will be keeping it to a bare minimum. I think I need FA - Facebook Anonymous... This is an ode to my friend's blog prisca's voice: http://www.priscasvoice.com/....

Positive Thinking

I am trying to learn to be a more positive person than I have been before. This was my New Year's resolution, to be more positive, peaceful and to try to pay it forward wherever I can. I need to stop and take a breathe when something upsets me and just let it out with that breathe so it doesn't wreck my soul. I want to feel good again, the way I did when I was a child. I want my innocence back. I came on this earth to be a good person and I plan to leave that way. I have a lot to learn in this life and I need to make efforts to better myself so that I can be better to others and my family. I have constantly worked on my physical self sometimes to no avail, but many times I have forgotten that I have to work on my inner self. This is my year to do good onto others. Please join me in this and try to make an effort to do some good. Even if it's just letting the person out on the side of the road that has been waiting forever to be let out of a road. Pay it forward! I bet you will feel a lot better about yourself at the end of the day.....

A Clean House Makes Me Feel Better

I love a clean house. It makes me feel good. This is a very hard thing to do with 2 boys under the age of 7 and a husband that sometimes gets busy and just leaves things there. I decided on New Year's Eve to put away the Christmas tree and all the decorations to clean the house thoroughly. It seemed like a tornado had struck the interior of my home. I just didn't know how I was going to get through it all. But I just started by picking something up and putting it away and then repeated the process hundreds of times, it seemed. I cleaned and wiped and ran up and down the stairs doing laundry. It seemed like I would never get done, but by the end of the afternoon the house looked in order and I was a wee bit tired, but I felt great. I accomplished what I wanted and my mental and spiritual state seemed to be uplifted. Yes, a clean house does that for me. I guess there is something to the saying, "Cleanliness is godliness"......

Vegetarian Diet - Almost 3 Weeks Into it

I have been on my vegetarian lifestyle for almost 3 weeks as of Sunday. I am missing meat less and less. I tried gardein crispy tenders that I thought were delicious. I have been trying to watch what I eat as well. I am trying to stick to a 1200 calorie diet and it seems to be working. I was sick as well during some of this time which helped the weight loss situation. I am down about 9 lbs, since the beginning of my vegetarian lifestyle change. I figure I have saved a few more animals lives and that makes me feel pretty good about my decision. I am still not totally 100% on the vegetarian boat yet (which means if there is a special event that is serving meat, then I might eat it), but I am choosing to stick to it for now and for the long term with possible slip ups. So I will not say I am a vegetarian, because I am not, but I am not eating meat, not even fish at the time. I know my hubby likes this since he is one, but I am not doing this for him. I am doing this for me and all those cute fuzzy little animals. Some people told me I would not lose weight going vegetarian, but so far I have, so I am happy! I would have posted about this last week, but my whole family was sick. Til' next week!

Dear Santa, All I Want For Christmas is : The Follow-up List

Dear Santa,
I just wanted to let you know that I had to revise my list, since I ended up getting a couple of the items on my list or I just changed my mine. Here is my new and improved list. I have been a very good girl!
1. Karaoke for Xbox or Wii with microphone

2. Pretty warm fleece pajamas

3. GPS for my car

4. Silpat for baking

5. Snow suit (or you can add to the TJ Maxx card and I can get it myself)
6. Skis

7. Wii Just Dance

8. LL Bean Wildcat Boots
9. Gift Certificates (QVC or eBay for my Bare Escentuals Makeup, iTunes, TJ Maxx (for workout clothes)

10. Zumba Wii Game
11. Flip Camcorder

12. Accessories for my Canon Rebel XS DSLR (such as a better flash)

And don't worry Santa, I will add to the list in the next couple of weeks!

First Week of a Vegetarian Diet or Lifestyle Accomplished

Well, I did it. I made it through one week on a vegetarian diet. It wasn't too hard. Did I crave meat at all? I did, I won't lie. I was walking into my house and someone must have been grilling hamburgers or steak and I wanted it so badly. I decided to go inside and get over it. I have had lots of energy and feel better. I lost 0.8 pounds which isn't much but it's better than nothing. That includes alcohol and sweet treats, so not too shabby! I am guessing I saved at least 1 or 2 animals lives this week by not eating meat, if not more. I was told that I would gain weight because of the carbs. I ate carbs, but I ate whole grain carbs that are good for me and that provide me good energy. Also my digestion issues were better as well. I also want to say, this is not a vegan diet. I can still eat dairy and eggs, but I will be doing that as little as possible. I bought almond milk and am incorporating that into certain things such as my cereal in the morning and my hot cocoa. I also had fake chicken patties and chicken nuggets made by Quorn. They taste better than the real thing and I can do alot of fun stuff with it when I am cooking. If you are interested in what to do with Quorn's line of food, then stay tuned on http://www.cookingdivas.blogspot.com/. I will start to post more vegetarian recipes on there as I try them. I was able to buy the Quorn packages for $3.99 a pop at Super Stop & Shop on sale. I will definitely need to buy alot more and stock up at that price. I am feeling good about my decision, but am still fighting my meat eating urges. Stay tuned for more on my diet as I progress.

Going Crazy the Night Before Thanksgiving

I am totally running around like a maniac tonight. I have so much to do and so little time. I have been cooking all day, cleaning, taking care of children, shopping, you name it, I've done it. It's past 10 pm and I don't know when I'll get to bed. And even when I do get some sleep, I will have to be up in so little time to start preparing the rest of the food, table and decorations. Maybe I will be lucky this year and be able to get a shower in and get dressed up. We will have to see about that one. The other nerve wracking thing is that I have to do everything, then serve the dinner, clean everything up and then get out at midnight to start my Black Friday shopping. I will have to get in line a little before 4 am for Target's Black Friday shopping. I don't know how I will do this and hope that I won't fall asleep in my shopping cart or in an aisle somewhere. I am glad I have a friend that will be with me to slap me in the face if I start to pass out...Should be a very crazy 2 days for me. There is always time for sleep on Friday afternoon if my family will allow it! Happy Thanksgiving to you all! Safe travels!

My Thanksgiving Dinner is Planned

Turkey (brined and then roasted)
Veggie Chx Cutlets seasoned and roasted
My Best Ever Vegetarian Stuffing
Mashed Potatoes
Gravy with sauteed mushrooms
Candied Sweet Potatoes
Orange Cranberry Sauce
Green Bean Casserole (made from scratch except will cheat with the onions)
Buttered Herbed Corn
Rolls
2 Double Layer Pumpkin Cheesecakes
Chocolate Bourbon Pecan Pie

Finally Got My Kitchenaid Food Chopper

I am so excited about my new kitchen gadget. I finally purchased my Kitchenaid Food Chopper. I have wanted this for a long time, but when the time came for presents, there were other Kitchenaid items that I wanted that were more expensive and bigger. This item was more needed in many ways though and I wish I had purchased this first. I can keep this on my countertop because it doesn't take up too much space and it takes a minute to clean it up. I can now quickly chop up my onions without crying my eyes out. I can make a salsa in a minute, chop nuts, mince garlic, chop herbs and clean up, is as easy as 1, 2, 3. I love it. Plus this great gadget is putting me in a festive mood. Maybe it's that beautiful empire red color that reminds me of Christmas. Kitchenaid has been very good to me and they have great customer service. Love, love, love this company!

My Issues with Materialism: Separation Anxiety with Materialistic Items

I don't know what's wrong with me, but I guess I am overly materialistic. I just sold my Tassimo coffee machine on Amazon and I feel like my heart strings are being majorly tugged on. I feel as if someone just broke up with me. I don't understand why this happens to me. I have always been like this. I have always felt like items had feelings. Maybe it has something to do with being an only child and living on a main road with no neighbors to play with. I didn't have anyone to play with, just my toys. I made them alive in my own way. Maybe that is why people become hoarders. They can't separate from the item they purchased because they feel like they would be hurting the item's feelings. I know this is crazy, but I think that might be one of the big issues. I also feel like I might use certain things again and it's best to keep it, just in case. I have some wonderful friends that have helped me quite a few times, by coming over to my house and helping me let go in a way. We would make a junk, tag sale and keep pile. It really helps to have someone hold your hand through this, especially a good friend that understands you. They will tell you the honest truth and let you know that you really don't need that mini dress from 1988. That it will never fit you again and more than likely, will not be passed on to my boys. Yes, friends are important in helping to fight this "pack rat" battle. It is hard to do alone, especially if you have trouble getting organized. I am organized in certain ways, but falter in other ways. I also wonder if it has something to do with genes. My father is a major hoarder and my mom always says that I am just like him. She is more like Martha Stewart/Mommy Dearest, when it comes to cleanliness and organization. I can clean, but I can really pack things away... haha, even pounds. Okay, back to the subject. Yes, genetics must have something to do with it. I know I am just like my father in many ways and being a pack rat is one of them. We have the same mentality, that you might need it one day. We try to save things and hold on to them, because you never know. I have to say that I am trying to control my issue, by having friends become part of my rescue. Thank God for them, and you know who you are! I know when it's getting out of hand and I decide to take control of it before it can control me. And that's where I will end this. I will say goodbye to my Tassimo tomorrow and send it on it's way to it's new owner. Then list a couple of more items that have been sitting around doing nothing. Time to break away from my materialism....

Going to Try this Vegan/Vegetarian Diet a Bit More....

I am not perfect, especially when it comes to food. I can cook great food, but that's not the problem...If you have read any of my posts, then you will know that obviously it's my weird relationship with food that's is the true issue.... I like to eat it way too much. I have tried every diet in the book and nothing seems to last long. Now, my husband and children are vegetarians, so this should be easier for me then for someone that wants to go vegan/vegetarian and has an omivorous family. I started to look at the "Skinny Bitch" books by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin and think this might actually be a good thing for me. I have seen many vegans and they always look lean and healthy. Their skin seems to be clear and their hair, shiny. I am going to make myself a guinea pig. Maybe not a perfect one, because I won't totally give up meat yet. I will try to only eat it if I crave it or for the holiday feast. But I am going to try to stop eating meat, eggs and dairy because I really do love animals and I want to help out our environment. I also have an eye out on the new cookbook by Kim Barnouin, called "Skinny Bitch: Ultimate Everyday Cookbook: Crazy Delicious Recipes that Are Good to the Earth and Great for your Bod". It talks about how terrible high fructose corn syrup, certain non-organic foods with heavy amounts of pesticides on them, certain food dyes that are bad for you, etc. are for you. I think many people are really unaware of how bad certain foods really are to their bodies. Many of these foods are so over processed that they barely provide any nutrition to the person, but does provide them with terrible ailments. With the number of people falling victim to cancer, people should start to look at what they are eating and drinking. Food can make you sick, if you aren't eating the right kinds. I am not trying to badger anyone about this though, because I eat these foods as well. I sometimes don't check the label and say, "Oh well, just this once, I don't care"...I know better, but sometimes I just want to eat the food with the MSG in it, because they just taste so good... And that's where I am wrong also. I also drink diet soda, once in a blue moon, just because I don't want those extra calories, but I don't feel well afterwards. Hmmm....Could it be, because I just drank a can of poison? I will write more on this subject as I try to start eating healthier and try to cut the meat, eggs and dairy out. It will be a slow process, because honestly, I love meat, eggs and dairy. To start, I am running out to the store and picking up some almond milk, more Quorn products (fake meat products), veggies, and who knows what else. Wish me luck and I promise to let you all know how I am doing with this process....