Updates

Just wanted to remind everyone that I continue to update my Journal, scroll to the bottom for the most recent stuff. ~I will figure out a way to make it easier to read, I promise, but in the mean time just scroll down~. I add five days of entries to it each day until we get up to date.

I also have added new tips to my Medifast Recipes page. As I try new products or end up modifying them I add this information to my recipes page. So check back for updates.

Lastly I added a couple of projects I have completed to my Sewing page as well. Please feel free to check back on that page as I go through my projects and picture I will be adding those.

Shellac Nail Polish Review

Just a quick post to say that I adore the Shellac nail polish!! I have had it on for two weeks now and it looks as pretty as it did when it got done. I have been fighting the urge to pick at it with all my might, at the corners and edges. But I have to say, it made my nails stronger so they all grew out together. I usually have longer nails, but not usually together unless I make a point of not doing ANYTHING or at least one will break right before an important event. :0) Always.. Anyways I don't have any pictures of when I first got them done but here is what they look like now.

There is serious grow out on the nails, of course, but they are so strong right now I really am hesitant to take off the polish.
I have done a little bit of research and Shellac is a mixture of gel nail technology and old school nail polish. So it goes on like a regular nail polish but has the resilience of gels as well as the strength benefit for your nails.
I will remove these, eventually, with acetone polish remover. I refuse to pay $10 for a salon to do what I can do at home. But like I said, I am procrastinating! I know the moment I remove them I will break a nail.
I am seriously considering getting the starter kit to do these at home. My girls would love it AND I could then do my toes. It cost me (or rather my bestest as a bday present) $30 to get these done. I cant see me affording doing this every two weeks, and honestly after about 4 applications the kit would pay for itself. But we shall see.

Become a Follower

If you like what you are reading here please become part of my family and click the "follow" link on the right hand side. Its fun, really!! Im always adding new stuff. Not only about my path, but new recipes, tips, and sewing projects! So, join the club!!

Review of the Medifast Blender

I purchased the blender with my last order. I bought it because I felt that I was waisting my day away washing up my normal sized blender and its pieces. It also is an old machine and so I hoped that a newer one would crush ice and make smoother ice cream and milkshakes.
I personally think that its a good investment, its essentially the Magic Bullet set up, minus the extra cost. It comes with 17 pieces, half of which I have used. The basic, most used pieces for me are the cups, the double blade assembly and the sipping rings.
The first time I used it I think I added too much ice and not enough water because that bad boy tried to vibrate right off my counter! And is it loud??? oooooh yeah, don't do it early in the morning or after you have put your kids to bed (unless they can sleep through a jackhammer running in the room next door).
It works pretty quickly though. I made ice cream with it the first use and it was the perfect consistency right away. I was really impressed. I made a milkshake next. Honestly I am still getting that ratio of ice to water right, but it makes quick work of whatever ice I do put in it.
Oh, side note, I purchased these cute little ice trays from Target in their $1 bins. It makes ice cubes at about half the normal size. I was worried that the big ice cubes would ruin the motor. I don't know if its really needed but I want this thing to last as long as possible. *I couldn't find a picture for these, but any mini ice cube tray will get you the same result I'm sure.*
If I have any new information, as I use it more, I will update this post with it. Like most things, I'm sure I will come up with new fun things and ways to use this fun new kitchen tool!

Take Shape For Life

So here is a run down of where I am, and how I came to be at this position in my life. I have always been the "chubby" friend. All of my friends, from elementary school on up through college were skinny. They might not think so, but we aren't dealing with their issues.
I have always been active in sports and family outings so never worried about my weight, I knew I was bigger than my friends. But honestly, I was too busy with life to care enough to do much about it. After I moved out on my own I, for the first time, I really accessed where I was physically and started to work out. I loved all things about the gym. Weird, I know.
Fast forward to being married, then having my first child. I was more than happy to follow the old saying, "eating for two" , and I did. I gained 60 pounds with her. Much more than I needed. I didn't loose much of it (only about 30 of it) as I knew I was only going to get pregnant again. My husband and I always wanted two kids. So what was the point of loosing if I was just going to gain again? Yes, I know, I was living in my own world. Anyways I got pregnant a second time and had a second healthy little girl. At this point I decided I needed to get serious about loosing all that fun baby weight.
I did a meal replacement program that worked well for me but at the end of it (I lost 45 pounds) I realised didn't teach me what to do when I had lost all the weight,and was on my own. The portion sizing helped, but over the next few years I managed to gain about 20 of that back.
When my brother asked me to be a part of his wedding, and I was truly touched he wanted his older sister in it, I was determined to diet off this weight once and for all. My best friend was doing TSFL already with great success, but I couldn't swing the money at the time. So I did the "I'm gonna eat just enough to get by" method. It worked for about 15 pounds but wasn't healthy and not something I could keep up for the rest of my life.
This New Years I decided that I have to be realistic and be healthy for myself as well as for my young family. So my husband and I sat down and figured out our finances (another post I will explain in more detail) and realised that we could swing my doing TSFL. January 2nd was my first day on the diet. You can check my progress, rantings, and celebrations on my Journal tab. Little preview: I'm doing great and cant wait to continue on it!

Welcome to my Adventure

Welcome, thanks for joining me on my adventure through life. I am always saying "Life is an adventure" and mine has had many up's and down's along the way. The title for the blog just seemed to fit my story. I hope to share some of that with you.
Here I hope to post about my journey through weight loss and keeping it off, FOR GOOD!! I will blog about my process and how its going for me.
I will be adding recipes that are diet friendly as well as some family tradition style recipes.
I am an avid crafter so I hope to post my projects, tips and tricks that I find along the way.
I am also a freelance childrens writer so I am sure that some of that will leak into my blog, so be prepared. :0)
I wont be posting about my family, but if your interested in catching up on them I have a family blog (that I promise to try to update too, lol) at www.thelawsonlink.blogspot.com.
All in all it should be interesting, so sit back, grab a cup of coffee and Join me for the Adventure of Life!