Catching up...

The Curtis Crew has been quite busy, thus the lack of blogging for a while. Hopefully, this post will serve as a quick catch up! These are in no particular order of importance, just as they pop into my brain, which is usually in random fashion!

We enjoyed a trip to Blossom Time over

Memorial Day Weekend in Chagrin Falls.

Benjamin is reading...so amazing and so sweet!

Abby is completely potty-trained!

Benjamin is registered for Kindergarten...please pass the tissues!

Emily took a trip to NYC with her Grandma to celebrate her upcoming 9th birthday!

We have FINALLY found a church home!

We have these growing in our flower beds...

gotta bring a little TX into the area!

Jason and I have lost a total of 23 pounds together!

Thanks to these folks...

Emily bought herself a new bicycle with her own money.

She saved and saved...so proud!

Ben bought himself a new scooter with his own money.

Congrats, buddy!

We attempted to grow a garden in our too shady backyard...

However, we have 10 very healthy radish plants!

I'm the only one that likes them...

I started this challenge this week...bring it on!

All is not quiet, but very well on the Curtis home front!

Catching up...

Yesterday was a fabulous day! We spent most of the day outdoors, actually we spent most of the weekend outdoors. Yesterday, we took a trip to Squire's Castle, which is in one of the Cleveland Metroparks. We had a great time hiking through the woods. We ventured off on what looked like a shortcut and ended up being quite a steep climb down a hill. Never fear, we conquered it with ease! The kids gave me a slew of handmade things, which I love, love, love! Jason gave me two adirondack chairs for my front yard, handmade by a guy close by. We're going to paint them red. They'll look great against my blue house and my red and white impatiens I planted this weekend (keep away you waskally wabbit!). Here are some fun pics from our day...

I am a blessed Mom, indeed!

So, just wanted to update on our new quest for a healthy lifestyle. Today marks two weeks since we started our program. I am LOVING this! I cannot tell you how much better I feel, how much more energy I have. I no longer feel like a stuffed toad after I eat. It's great! We had a free day on Sunday to not worry about what we eat and indulged a bit. However, I was looking forward to getting back to the regime today. Jillian Michaels keeps us on track every morning at 6:00 am. The kids have noticed as well and wonder why we're eating so many "fancy" dinners! Hee hee... Here's one of our favorite recipes:

Caribbean Chicken Salad

1 lb chicken breasts

2 tsp McCormick Montreal Chicken seasoning

1 bag of baby romaine salad

1 bag romaine salad blend

1 cucumber, sliced

1 red onion, sliced

1 cup radishes, sliced

1 red bell pepper, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, drained

1 can (8 oz) pineapple tidbits, drained

1/2 cup reduced-fat cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup lite honey-Dijon salad dressing

Preheat grill to high. Season the chicken breasts on both sides with the Montreal seasoning. Then place chicken on hot grill and cook for approximately 6 minutes; turn and grill for approximately 6 more minutes, until no longer pink in the center.

While the chicken is cooking, combine the baby romaine salad, romaine salad blend, cucumber, red onion, radishes, red bell pepper and tomatoes in a large mixing bowl and toss.

Divide the salad between four plates. top each with one-fourth of the mandarin orange slices, pineapple tidbits and shredded cheese.

Place the cooked chicken on a cutting board, let it cool slightly, then slice into 1/2-inch strips.

Top each salad with a portion of chicken. Pour honey-Dijon dressing over salads.

Serve and enjoy!

I picked my little boy up from preschool today and learned that he had written a love note to one of the little girls in his class. It seems that he has his very first true crush. It's been building for a while and he is now free in talking about his friend. Evidently, today, he wrote a note to her that said, "I love you". Oh my! I'm sure Ben's name has come up at her dinner table and her dad is buffing his baseball bat! At least this note seems to be a little more chivalrous than his last attempt to impress her. He took a lollipop to school to give her. He had Emily make a card that said, "Love, Ben" and tied it on the stick. He put the lollipop in a baggie and headed off to school. When the big moment arrived and he handed over the prize, he said, "Here, this is for you. I peed on it." She was NOT impressed! But, look at this face... there's hope, right?

Have a fabulous week!

I am going to enjoy the sunshine!

Have you tried this?

Apple Turnover...

You must! It's beyond yummy!

Happy Friday!

Pamper Yourself!

I just had to share this website with you. These products are designed and created by a great friend of mine from high school. I have personally ordered and enjoyed many of her soaps, which are natural, old fashioned, cold processed soaps. I just received two pillar candles and they smell so good!

Besem is Hebrew for pure, worthy, a sweet smell. All Wendy's products are handmade in Brenham, Texas. In addition, 10% of her profits are donated to orphan relief.

So, if any of these scents sound appealing to you... cinnamon spice, lavender harvest, lemon tea, orange blossom, pink grapefruit, rosemary mint and much more... order some today for yourself or to give as a gift. Mother's Day is just around the corner!

Pamper yourself...you deserve it!

Day 4...Full Speed Ahead!

Today is Day 4 on our journey. We have been very good and have not cheated once (big deal for me!). We've also done our 30-day-shred video every morning this week. In just 4 days, I can already do more pushups and ab crunches than I could do just 3 days ago.

This has really not been as difficult as I thought it would be. Now, I will admit, on day 2, I wanted some french fries! No joke... Day 3, yesterday, I didn't have any silly cravings. The recipes we've been using having been delicious and very filling. Last night's dinner was grilled salmon on a bed of wilted spinach and sauteed mushrooms with a side of green beans and one slice of wheat bread. It was excellent! The rest of the day included a Myoplex shake for breakfast, a Myoplex bar for mid-morning meal, turkey sandwich (wheat bread, mustard, lettuce tomato, roasted turkey) for lunch and an apple and two hard-boiled eggs for mid-afternoon meal. The great thing about this diet seems to be that we eat all day long. I've only found myself hungry one time in between our meals and I just grabbed a fat-free yogurt.

It helps me so much that Jason is doing this with me. It's much easier to have a partner! And, great news...I've lost 4 pounds! Woohoo! In the meantime, my arms, legs and abs are quite sore!

Oh, I think I've failed to mention that on this new plan, we get one "free" day a week to indulge or eat whatever we want and not worry about calories, low-fat, etc. Don't think we haven't already made the list of what we'll eat on Sunday!

Have a great day!

No pain no gain, right?

I am in pain today, thanks to Miss Jillian Michaels! It's a good kind of pain, I guess. Abby wants me to hold her and I compromise by sitting on the floor and her sitting in my lap. My arms are screaming today!

Day 1 of our new journey to be healthy went by rather quickly. I didn't feel hungry other than at the times it was time to eat. Today, I am craving me some sweets, though. But, I will stand strong and not give in! I really like that this plan allows us to eat 6 times a day. The trick is the right foods at the right times in the right amounts.

The morning started off today with 16 oz of water and a torture session with the previously mentioned Miss Michaels. This was followed by a pina colada protein shake, and now, snack time is quickly approaching. Snack this morning will be fat-free Yoplait and this afternoon will be an apple and string cheese. Lunch will be a Chicken Caesar Wrap and Dinner will be Asian Beef Stir-Fry. The recipes in Eating for Life actually seem to be really good. (I do have to admit the cheesecake last night was just so-so. I'm not sure I will repeat that one.)

For me, this is a mind transformation, seriously. After the past 30 years of using food (or sleep...that's another posting altogether) as an escape or comfort or reward, I am having to literally change how I live life. I have never been one to exercise and, honestly, pretty much hate it, but that can no longer be an excuse. I want to set a good example for my three kids so that their life is naturally this way. I want to be healthy so that I am around to play on the floor with my grandkids. I want to be healthy to have the energy it takes to run my household of 5! I want to go shopping for clothes and have a hard time choosing because everything looks good instead of having a hard time choosing because there's not much that looks good. (I'm just trying to be as honest as I can here!)

I am the little engine that will! I know I can, I know I can, I know I can... And how do I know? When I am weak, He is strong!

I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Philippians 4:13

Late Blooming...

I have just not had the time to blog lately or felt motivated to do so. I love blogging and it's something I do for fun. So, on the days that it feels like a chore, I just don't do it. Life has been very busy lately with several projects, so blogging has been on the back burner. Hopefully, I'll be able to blog on a more regular basis. I'm going to take a break from the normal Monday and Wednesday posts and just blog as I feel inspired to do so! Of course, I will share any cool websites I find, like this one (if you like gardening) and share any good books I'm reading, like this one...

Jason and I have decided that it's time to be real grown-ups! Have you read the book Leo the Late Bloomer? Well, we identify with Leo! We are being more proactive in reading the Bible, budgeting our money (using this method), spending time outdoors with the kids (now that we can!) and today, we start being proactive with our health.

I will be the first to admit that I am addicted to food. I love food! I eat when I am bored, I eat when I'm happy, I eat when I'm depressed, I eat in social settings, I snack, I love sweets, I love salty, I love food. Well, years and years of loving food and allowing food to be my reward or my comfort has lead to a lifetime of unhealthy eating. Of course, I don't go to a cucumber when I'm feeling depressed; I go to the chocolate, baby! I will admit here as well that I suffer with anxiety and depression. I have come to terms with it and am on medication. There will be times that I think I'm fine and try to get off my medication and it's just not a good thing, you know? So, throughout the years, suffering with this challenge, I've used food to try and cheer me up.

Today, things will be different! Jason and I are both going to follow the Eating for Life plan. Basically, we will eat 6 times a day, but of course, our choices will be healthy choices and the right portions (no more seconds...or thirds...). So, today is good so far. It's only 9:42 a.m., and I struggle a little bit mentally that I now am "forbidden" to eat things I've been so used to eating. I don't do so well when something is forbidden to me...it makes me want it more!

The day started off with 16 oz of water, a 25 minute workout (this one...it's hard!), and a protein shake for breakfast. I get to eat an apple and cheese at 10:30 and drink 16 more oz of water. I actually like apples and cheese! Lunch will be a turkey sandwich with lettuce and tomato on whole wheat bread. At 3:30, we will eat 2 hard-boiled eggs and an orange. Dinner will be grilled chicken on a bead of spinach leaves and mushrooms. Dessert will be a strawberry cheesecake (made with low-fat ingredients, of course!)

I have never been one that felt comfortable talking about eating, dieting, weight, etc. However, I think maybe this will bring me some accountability as well as some journaling opportunities to help when it gets tough.

It's never too late to bloom, right Leo?