All About Me in 30 Days - Day 2

Yesterday I started All About Me in 30 Days. The second day topic is my favorite movie.

I love to watch movies. My husband and I used to have "movie night" every Friday, but now that we have expanded from just a couple to a whole houseful we don't get to watch movies together much anymore.

With that said, if I'm picking a favorite movie I've got to go all the way back to a couple of 80's classics. Well, I can't choose one but I'll narrow it down to two great movies: Dead Poet's Society and Field of Dreams.

I can watch both of these movies over and over again. They both are fun and entertaining to watch but they also inspire me to think outside the box about life.

All About Me in 30 Days

Thirty days, thirty facts -- all about yours truly. 

I follow a cute blog called Simply Stacie and she is doing this 30 day meme. I thought, what the heck? It'll give me something to write about for the next month anyway, right? Each day has a different topic. 

• Day 1 – your favorite song
• Day 2 – your favorite movie
• Day 3 – your favorite television program
• Day 4 – your favorite book
• Day 5 – your favorite quote
• Day 6 – 20 of my favorite things
• Day 7 – a photo that makes you happy
• Day 8 – a photo that makes you angry/sad
• Day 9 – a photo you took
• Day 10 – a photo taken over 10 years ago of you
• Day 11 – a photo of you recently
• Day 12 – something you are OCD about
• Day 13 – a fictional book
• Day 14 – a non-fictional book
• Day 15 – your dream house
• Day 16 – a song that makes you cry (or nearly)
• Day 17 – an art piece (drawing, sculpture, painting, etc)
• Day 18 – your wedding/future wedding/past wedding
• Day 19 – a talent of yours
• Day 20 – a hobby of yours
• Day 21 – a recipe
• Day 22 – a website
• Day 23 – a youtube video
• Day 24 – where I live
• Day 25 – your day, in great detail
• Day 26 – your week, in great detail
• Day 27 – my worst habit
• Day 28 – what’s in my handbag/purse
• Day 29 – hopes,dreams, plans for the next 365 days
• Day 30 – a dream for the future beyond the next year

Let's see if I can keep it up. Here goes Day 1!

My favorite song: Make Me Whole, by Amel Larrieux. Here's a link to the lyrics. 

My husband and I danced to this song at our wedding and it brings back warm fuzzy memories. 

It's hard to pick a truly favorite song; it depends on my mood but this one is a song that I love. 

Pumpkin Patch

Pumpkins, doughnuts, pony rides! Oh my!

We made our annual trip to Fir Pointe Farms pumpkin patch. I've got to say that this year was our best pumpkin patch trip yet -- nice weather, no tantrums, good friends, family, yummy food, and lots of
fun.

The pumpkin patch is always a great photo opportunity. It's not easy to get three kids to look at the camera and smile. In fact, it was pretty much impossible this day, as you can see.

A little better...

Not quite...

Almost got it...

This is as close as I'm gonna get.  I still have to teach Ryan to
look at the camera and smile. 

The Biggest Loser Challenge - Week 4

Now that I'm a few weeks into my Biggest Loser Challenge I'm really starting to enjoy this new, healthy perspective that I've adopted. I lost two more pounds this week.

I have always thought it is important to eat healthy and be active, but once I became a mother I let my own health drop down on my priority list. There are always at least ten other things on my "to do" list before exercise. Also, healthiness is sometimes usurped by quickness, ease, and cheapness when it comes to meals and snacks.

For week four of The Biggest Loser Challenge I'm going to move exercise and eating healthy up on my "to do" list. I am going to focus on my weight loss goal and avoid slipping back into my old habits. (Ah, how I love those old habits.)

One of the eliminated contestants from the show, Burgundy, is a mother of five who seems to havefigured out how to make exercise a fun family activity and incorporate it into her daily life. As of the last episode, Burgundy had lost over 50 pounds at home. If she can do that with five kids, then I (a mother of three) can certainly lose 25 pounds.
                                                                                              
Burgundy working out with Jillian.





It's Alphabe-Thursday on Jenny Matlock's blog and I think D stands for dropping pounds this week.

First Bike Ride

Only seven months old and already riding a bike! Well, getting a ride on a bike that is. Ryan went on his first bike ride just the other day. He loved looking over the side of his bike seat at the world zooming by. His big sister and brother joined us as we cruised around the neighborhood. They were even more excited than Ryan was!

The Biggest Loser Challenge - Week 3

As I completed my second week of my weight loss challenge, inspired by the show The Biggest Loser, I was not very happy with my progress.

This week's report: 1 lb. lost, only two days of exercise.

My goal is that when I report for the next week of my challenge I will have lost at least 3 pounds. I can do it! I can do it! (That's my new mantra.)

I watched my daughter participate in the jog-a-thon for her school yesterday and she happily and easily ran 6 laps (1.5 miles) in under 20 minutes. She is my inspiration this week. I want to be able to go out and run with ease like she does.

I'm going to finish this post quickly so I can go workout right now since I have a few minutes of free time.

The Biggest Loser Challenge - Week 2

It has been one week since I declared my commitment to my own Biggest Loser Challenge.

Here's my report:
I have lost two pounds and met my goal of exercising every day. Yippee!

I had hoped for more than two pounds lost, but it's better than nothing. My goals for this upcoming week are to continue exercising every day and to be more diligent with eating healthy. I'm going to focus on eating more fruits and vegetables (and therefore less junk). That should be simple, right? Well, we'll see how it goes when those potato chips are calling my name.

My inspiration.

Since this is a B for Biggest Loser post I thought I'd connect up with the always fun Alphabe-Thursday hosted by Jenny Matlock. 

Mailbox Monday

 Happy Monday!

Mailbox Monday is a fun way to find other blogs and to gain more readers.

Check out the blog hop at the Mailbox Monday host's blog: A Little of This A Little of That

The Biggest Loser Challenge

I have been a fan of the Biggest Loser for several years. It is an entertaining show and inspiring for anyone who has ever had weight issues.

During the last season I was pregnant and happily sat on the couch eating my snacks cheering on the contestants. Now, jump ahead several months - watching the new season premier Tuesday night I realized that I can no longer sit on the couch veggin' out watching other people become fit and healthy.

It's my turn to be a Big Loser!

I am going to take my own Biggest Loser challenge during the 11th season of the show. My goal is to lose these last 30 pounds of baby weight that I've been carrying around. I will report back here every Tuesday, just like the Biggest Loser contestants do on the show each week.

I don't have time for hours in the gym every day and I don't have the trainers, Bob and Jillian, yelling at me but I do have my own determination to get healthy and finally get back down to my pre-pregnancy weight. (That is pre-pregnancy from my daughter who is now 6 years old. These pounds have hung on through my other two pregnancies but now it's time to say good bye.)

I'm not as brave as the Biggest Loser contestants: I would never want to be weighed on national television in just spandex and a sports bra, but I will use their bravery as my inspiration.

If anyone else is interested in joining me I would love to have the support and comradery.  It won't be easy but we can do it!

My first steps are:
1. Exercise everyday (as much as I can, even just for a few minutes).
2. Cut out late night snacks.

Next Tuesday I'll report back on my progress. Wish me luck!

How do I get my baby to sleep through the night?

This is a tough question for parents. Here I am on my third child and I still don't really have it figured out. I thought I would, by the way. Ha.

I am at a crossroads. Do I let him "cry it out" or should I bring him to bed with Daddy and I?

I've tried rocking Ryan back to sleep or comforting him while he's in his crib, hoping he would just fall back asleep, as you would expect at 3:00am, but that's not working. In fact, all he wants is to breastfeed when he wakes up.

Here's the advice my pediatrician gave us about getting him to sleep.

1. Put him down to sleep at night still awake. Feed him, change his diaper, rock him briefly, then lay him down while he is sleepy but not asleep yet. (This will teach him to go to sleep on his own.)

2. Do not feed him at night. (Ryan is 6 months old and at a good weight so he doesn't need the extra feedings.)

3. Have Daddy check on him when he wakes up at night. (Removing the option for breastfeeding.)

4. Let the baby cry it out (cry himself to sleep), checking on him every 10 minutes or so.

I know that the doctor's advice will work. The question is whether I want to put myself, my husband, and my baby through the nighttime crying.

I already follow step 1 with no problem. I've tried all the other steps and it has not been going too well. Last night, (technically this morning) Ryan woke up at 1:00am, 3:00am, and 5:00am. Arrghhh!

It sure is a good thing babies are so darn cute and lovable because this not sleeping stuff is the pits.