Howdy Strangers!

Posted on December 7, 2013 by the2beths

Wow. Over a month since the last entry.
It’s hard for me to write a blog entry just for the sake of writing a journal entry. I have to have something to say. And, this morning, I had some things I wanted to share.

I love egg nog. Loooovvvee it.
So, every holiday season I order Egg Nog flavored coffee online. And I just have to say, if you like egg nog, you will love this. I ESPECIALLY love it mixed with a bit of frothed Italian Sweet Cream by Coffeemate. Yummmmo.
Here is a picture of the box.

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Speaking of the holidays, I have to say, it is my favorite time of year. I love Christmas lights, Christmas trees, and decorations. I love seeing peoples’ houses all decorated for this joyous time of year. Here is our Christmas tree this year. I love it because it is filled with ornaments full of memories of Christmas’ past. I know some people like fancy trees with all matching ornaments, or some type of theme. But, that is not for me. I am a nostalgic person, and I like to have ornaments that are attached to a memory.

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And lastly, this past Thanksgiving was one of my best ever. It was so relaxing, and so full of family bonding. I also did a 5K (Walk) the morning of Thanksgiving which was a nice way to start the day. My inlaws were on vacation, so we also only ate one Thanksgiving meal this year, and it really made me appreciate the food that much more, and I felt less like I was going to explode. However, we did miss my inlaws, so we are celebrating tomorrow!
The best part of Thanksgiving was that my brother and his family came into town for a whole week! I got to spend time with Ava, and that was awesome.
The day after Thanksgiving, my brother, Ava, and my cousin’s daughter, Maya, went to a children’s museum near our house. They are so hilarious together because they are both so expressive and life experiencers. They get into everything, and just have fun together despite their age differences.
Here is a picture of the two of them dressed like the Wright Brothers. HA HA.

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I could look at this picture a million times. And I die laughing each time.

And lastly, I checked my messages on my iPad last night and there were 10 videos from Ava. I was so excited, especially when I realized what they were. It was a Christmas concert. She sang 10 Christmas carols. It was hilarious. I will share the first one, only because she doesn’t read my blog. I am sure she will kill me when she is a teenager. Ha HA.

CRAP! I don’t know how to add videos. I have to figure it out then insert it. But, for now, I have to go shower and get stuff done!

I hope you all have a glorious Friday!!!

xoxoxo
Beth WA

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Day 2 of Feeling Good

Posted on November 3, 2013 by the2beths

So, it is Sunday, and it is the day we set our clock backs one hour, here in Ohio. And tomorrow, I don’t have to be any where until 10 AM. This is called looking at the bright side of tomorrow, because I have a conference for work in Cincinnati (about an hour and a half from where I live), and I was going to sleep at my bff, Liz’s house tonight and then go to the conference. Liz lives in Cincinnati close to where the conference is located. But, I have to go to my doctor tomorrow, so I am missing the sleepover and half of the conference.
So, as I said in the beginning of this paragraph, looking on the bright side – I don’t have to be any where until 10 AM tomorrow.

Today will be full of reading magazines.

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Catching up on my Feedly feed.

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Doing laundry.
Grading (so much grading!).
Working out (First time in weeks!)
Cleaning.
Paperwork.
Watch DVR. (if I put this on my to do list, it makes it seems like I accomplished something by sitting on my arse watching tv)

This morning my husband made me breakfast. He is so good at making scrambled eggs. They are so fluffy. This picture isn’t pretty, but trust me, it was delicious. They were topped with Monterey Jack cheese, freshly shredded (so much better than pre-shredded).
And the toast has Trader Joe’s Apricot Preserves. I probably should have only had one piece of toast…but I tracked it all on Fitness Pal.

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My mother, brother and I are all using the site now, so that has been cool. And my dad is using another app, Lose it. It is nice when we are all trying to lose weight because we eat together often.

Well, I am off to read feedly and watch DVR for a bit…
I hope everybody is having a great Sunday!!

xoxoox,
beth wa

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Unbearable heaviness of life

Posted on November 2, 2013 by the2beths

Life is weird for me. I will go through a stage where everything in life feels hard – house work, school, sleeping, and just everything. The best way I can describe it is just feels like every thing is heavy.

Then, one day, I just wake up and I don’t feel it any more. Suddenly, life is more manageable sounding. I have motivation to accomplish things, and I actually feel like counting my calories and exercising. It’s weird.

Today was the day I woke up with that light feeling. Actually, it started yesterday.

Last night my niece facetimed me from Texas to share her amazing report card and an award she received.

Here are some snippets of that conversation.

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When she showed me her award, she was sure say, “Bethie, not everybody got these!” Ha ha. I was glad she was showing pride in her grades and school performance because up until recently, I don’t think she understood that she is a really good student.

Also, I didn’t quite catch the picture when she mooned me!!! I was her first mooning recipient. Her parents and I died laughing. She is so damn funny.

Well, my husband is off this weekend for the first time in 4 weekends – so we are going to hang out – do some yard work, etc.

I hope you all have a wonderful Saturday.

xoxoxo,
Beth WA

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Udi’s, walking, and Pretzel buns

Posted on October 10, 2013 by the2beths

So, I finally found Udi’s bread that wasn’t frozen at Trader Joe’s this week. The nearest Trader Joe’s to me is about 45 minutes away. However, it is only about 5 minutes from my fertility specialist’s office. So, on the days I have appointments, and I don’t have to go back to school, I go to Trader Joe’s. I like to stock up on my dark chocolate covered almonds with turbinado sugar and sea salt. Divine.

Anyway, the Udi’s bread is … meh. It kind of tastes like stale bread. It might be better as toast, but I have been using it for my lunch sandwiches. I have delicious lunchmeat, cheese, and mustard, so the bread is just a supporting character, and is tolerable. I especially like that it is 130 calories for two pieces!!! My other bread was 110 calories PER SLICE! This makes it easier to stock up my sandwich with goodies.
So, today, my breakfast and lunch were gluten free, and I felt great. I ate light today because I was saving myself to try something not good for me….Wendy’s new Pretzel Bun Chicken Pub Sandwich.

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This new sandwich has a grilled chicken breast, cheese SAUCE, and a slice of pepper jack cheese, as well as a few pieces of spinach, tomatoes, and honey mustard. AND THE BEST PART – IT WAS ON A PRETZEL BUN!!! It was delicious. And it was worth the 650 calories, because I truly enjoyed it because I saved the calories.

Then, later on in the evening, I did my favorite activity as of late…walked with one of my bff’s – Beth FS. Walking with friends makes the time go fast, the miles even faster, and before you know it you’ve burned 430 calories, and you feel better about life! So, I am actually finishing today with almost 400 extra calories!! That means I have to go to bed before I get hungry.

One more day and then it is the weekend!! WOO HOO.
xoxoxo,
Beth WA

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The stars at night….

Posted on October 7, 2013 by the2beths

….are big and bright… (clap clap clap) deep in the heart of Texas.

I just had a whirlwind weekend surprising my girl, Ava, in Texas for her birthday. My brother and dad split the cost of a ticket for me to come see her as a surprise for her birthday. She was SOOO excited. She screamed and hugged me over and over. She just couldn’t believe I was there.

I got to go to a birthday party of a classmate’s with her, I got to go to *her* birthday party with classmates, I got to see her score her team’s first soccer goal of the season!, and got to smooch her whenever I wanted!

Here are some pictures of my darling girl from this weekend.

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It was so good to see her, but I was sad to say goodbye. And I was pooped from a busy weekend.
Luckily I had to day off because of a doctor’s appointment, but I spent most of the day on the couch recuperating.

Oh, here is one delicious food find I found at the H E B grocery store in Houston that I am sad I can not find here in Ohio.

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It was creamy, full fat greek yoghurt. And I had it for breakfast and it filled me up for several hours.

Well, I am off. I can’t wait to go to sleep for the night! I am exhausted.
xoxox,,
Beth WA

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Gluten Free

Posted on September 28, 2013 by the2beths

It is Saturday morning – my favorite time of the whole week. I am catching up with my Feedly (replacement of Google Reader), drinking coffee, and watching my DVR. I am getting all caught up on Kanye West’s “feud” with Jimmy Kimmel. L’awd, that Kanye is such a tool.

Anyway. I have been tossing the idea around of going Gluten Free. As I’ve mentioned, my acupuncturist has recommended this to me several times. I was just going to go cold turkey. And I reflected for a few weeks about it, and decided that I was going to gradually go gluten free. I have decided that as I go to the grocery I am going to buy less things with gluten, and some substitutes for things with gluten.

One of the teachers I work with is gluten free and I had talked to her about this last week. I have known her since I was a kid, and she is a sweet lady. On Thursday, at a faculty meeting, she brought me two of her favorite gluten free substitutes, which was so thoughtful!
Here are the items she brought me. I can’t wait to try them.

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And here is the first thing I bought for myself while I was waiting for a prescription yesterday at Walgreens (my favorite store).

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Well, I am off to walk with one of my bff’s. She is 32 weeks pregnant, and I still have to work my arse off to keep up with her. HA HA.
Walking is just what the doctor ordered, seeing as I just filled in my fitness pal from last night’s dinner at Max and Erma’s with my bff, Liz, and I was 2000 calories over for the day!!!! OOPS!!!! I have been doing pretty well, so I am not beating myself up about it. Actually, I kind of laughed about it. I had such a lovely time chatting with Liz. I always feel so good about life when we get together and talk about things.

Have a great day!
xoxoxo,
Beth WA

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Operator Error

Posted on September 25, 2013 by the2beths

So, hello. It is Wednesday. Let’s congratulate ourselves on getting over half through the week.

I have a story about our dishwasher. We bought it in 2011, and because my dad always buys extended warranties, we always buy extended warranties.
So, last night when there was a malfunction (the little door that holds the soap inside will not flip open during the cycle. So, the stuff isn’t getting soap on it.)
I thought to myself, I am actually going to call Lowe’s and get this fixed. (If you knew me, you would know that I am really bad at that sort of thing.) When I got home from school, I spent about 40 minutes on the phone with Lowe’s. They were really nice, and the time was mostly due to some confusion because our account is hooked to my husband’s parents. I set up the service appointment for Friday, thinking that two days without a dishwasher wouldn’t be too bad.
So, that’s when the very kind man that I was working with said,

Lowe’s Guy: “Just a few trouble shooting questions before we hang up…First, is the water definitely running in the dishwasher, and is the cycle going? ”

Me: “Oh yes, definitely.’

Lowe’s Guy: “And, of course there isn’t anything in it’s way?”

Me: “ummm….oh, crap.”
(checks dishwasher, sees pan in way, blushes because I am so embarrassed even though I am on the phone)

So, yeah. The dishwasher wasn’t broken.

There was a pan in the way.

In other news, I am eating this banana bread recipe for breakfast every single day, and it is delicious. Except, I substituted the banana with half banana and half pumpkin, and instead of walnuts I used pecans, and instead of cinnamon I used pumpkin pie spice. I also added chia seeds and flax seed. It is amazing. Here is a picture of my breakfast. I know, I use too much butter. But, it is SOOO good.

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I’ve also been walking regularly with Beth FS and my friend Schwaig. It feels good to burn extra calories, and also socialize with friends.

Enjoy your evenings!!!
Sorry this is a boring post.

xoxo,
Beth WA

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Just keep walking..just keep walking…

Posted on September 23, 2013 by the2beths

So, my good friend, Jennifer, whom I affectionately call Schwaig (nickname from her maiden name), is 30+ weeks pregnant. She is normally a runner (and I am not), but while she is pregnant she is an avid walker. She is the type of the person who always stays in shape, so I have been reaping the benefits of this, as I am her friend who walks not runs!! There have been so many times I would not have walked had I not gotten her text. Now, Beth FS is walking with us, too. I will be happy when Schwaig has her baby, but I will miss our walks and chats/rants.
So, not only is the act of walking helping with stress but talking with friends is such a good outlet.
And not to mention, a great calorie burner. This is my readout from today’s walk…

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(We didn’t actually walk that entire time (1 hour and 20 minutes) , we stopped a few times to talk to people we know.)

Monday was pretty kind compared to most Mondays!!

Hope you have a great start to the week. I go back to the doctor tomorrow. Ugh.

xoxo,
Beth WA

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Taco Salad

Posted on September 22, 2013 by the2beths

So, tonight for dinner I had planned to make my mom’s Taco Salad.
It is delicious. It is a salad that has Dorito’s on it. Enough said, right?
Well, what if I told you that wasn’t even the best part?

Recipe for the Best Taco Salad Ever.

Lettuce
Tomatoes
Shredded cheese
Corn (Roasted in a skillet)
Kidney Beans
Diced Onion
Ground beef, browned (no seasoning necessary, but sometimes I add taco seasoning)
Dorito’s crumpled on top –I usually use the traditional Dorito’s but today I used the Spicy Sweet Chili flavor

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And the best part? It’s the dressing.
It is one part Taco Sauce to one part Catalina dressing. I use classic Catalina because fat free is gross.

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Trust me, it is delicious.

Have a good week!
xoxoxox
Beth WA

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Elimination Diets and September 11th

Posted on September 11, 2013 by the2beths

In my life, I have tried to lose weight every single day for as long as I can remember. Whether it was an effort that lasted the five minutes or maybe to lunch time, or sometimes it lasted the whole day, and in even better times, more than one day or week in a row.
My relationship with food is complicated and cyclical. (I say as I sit here with a giant serving of ice cream from Cold Stone Creamery)

I know a lot about nutrition and a lot of diets. It is the topic I have read the most about. I’ve tried to take a little from a lot that I have read and make it work for me.

But, the truth is – it is not working.

I’ve shied away from diets that eliminate groups of food, or certain foods, but I am thinking I am going to try something like that. My acupuncturist is really after me to give up gluten and dairy. She says I have a lot of heat in my body, and have auto immune issues (such as psoriasis and joint pain). And she said those two things tend to cause inflammation, and would probably help me, and may even help my fertility.
I am currently reading a book called “The Plan,” by Lyn-Genet Recitas. It was highly recommended by Tiffany at Elastamom Excerpts.
It is a way to eliminate foods that are bad for your body. Recitas’ idea is that foods that are bad for some people are not bad for others and that it is a chemical reaction. So, she feels that is why certain diets work for some people and not others. In The Plan you do a 3 day cleanse with the least reactive foods that there are, and then you go on to test foods in a 20 day challenge. I am only about half way through the book, so when I finish, I will let you know what I decide.

I had a slumber party with my girlfriends this weekend and there was a lot of talk about the Paleo diet, and that is what prompted me to read The Plan, as I have had it for a long time. I also have a book about the Paleo diet to read when I am finished.

So much to think about. But, I figure, I can try it, and that won’t hurt.

On another note…
September 11th has been a bad day for me since 1994. It is the day when of my dear friends from grade school and high school was killed in a car accident at college. It was devastating for our community, and her loss is still deeply felt by our community.

Then, in 2001, it became exponentially more devastating to not only my community, but to our whole country. I think about it often, and how lucky we are that bombings are not common place for us.
And I pray.
I pray for peace.

As my principal said at mass this morning, “Peace starts in each of you.”

xoxoxo,
Beth WA

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