food, crafts, and pranks

This last week was a success!! Meal planning went really well which, in turn, made weight loss go really well!! I was down a little over a pound which is a great success in my book!! I made sure to track my points and I also made sure to photograph all the yummy food =)

This was a broccoli and chicken creation that got covered in panko bread crumbs mixed with fresh parmisian cheese and then baked to perfection. Delicioso!!

 We also had penne pasta with spinach, broccoli, mushrooms and bacon. I added a little sweet and spicy sauce and it was scrumptious =)

 Although this didn't photograph very appetizing... it was rather tasty. Baked chicken breast can be pretty boring but the crunchy coating did a nice job of livening up the dish =)

I also got pretty crafty this past week. I worked on a hooter hider and burp cloth combo for a friend who wanted to give the set away at a baby shower next week. I just love this fabric!!

And for (my bff) Lauren's bridal shower... I made this wooden plaque with her and Ziad's initials on it (in their wedding colors, of course!) <3

Then, for (my sister in law) Lauren's birthday over the weekend, I made this 3 layered chocolate cake and finished it off with a new technique that I tried out for the very first time!! I outlined the cake with a swirly collar of milk and white chocolate.

And just in case there wasn't enough cake for the party... Dawn and I made mini cake pops and dipped in spring colored sugar to match the party theme!! So much fun!!

Of course, since it was April 1st, we just had to play a little joke on the kids!! Here they are getting attacked by silly string (with dad in his pajamas carrying baby Kenna!)

Don't worry... we got Dad back by placing open sugar packets in his driver side visor. When he pulled the visor down, he was showered with sugar!! The kids got a big kick out of the "snow" falling in the car and landing all over Daddy's legs!! Joke was on me though... he was driving my car!!! I had sugar all over my dashboard and odometer. We even found more later in the nooks and crannies!! Yes, it was definitely car wash time after that joke backfired... yikes  =/  Better luck next year!!!

stalemate

I'm just back from my weigh in. Not so good this week... but in keeping with holding myself accountable, I have to post my successes AND my failures. Well, it wasn't so much a failure this week as it was a kick in the pants. I stayed exactly the same... no change. The one difference between this week and last is that I didn't put as much effort into tracking. That will be my main goal this week. If I bite it, I'm going to write it (or rather, punch it in to my smart phone tracking app)! Having dinner planned out for myself at the beginning of the week seems to be helping a lot. It's breakfast and lunch that are setting me back. Had I not been being smart about dinner, I may have gained some pounds. It's actually a surprise that I stayed the same!! I don't have a scale at home so each weigh in is a mystery. I did make sure to photograph some of my favorite meals this week so here they are...

 This is 3 cheese tortellini with chicken breast and veggies. It was delicious!!!

 We also had broiled tilapia with a little bit of rice and mini corn on the cob. Hubby said he hated fish and then went back for seconds!! We told the kids it was chicken and they inhaled it ;) Might have been my favorite meal this week. Yum!!

 Got a little help from big sister on this one! She made the chicken and veggie creation and I added parsley potatoes and green beans. It was super yummy!! The only complaint I had was from the green beans... and it wasn't from the kids...

 Take a look at my 29 year old husband trying to eat his veggies!! Good thing the kids loved them or hubby would have gone to his room for a time out for being such a bad influence!! Don't worry, he couldn't ride his bike until he cleaned his entire plate =)

So here's hoping this upcoming week is a success. I've been doing my 30 day challenge exercises so I'm sure if I start taking breakfast and lunch seriously I can really nail this weight loss thing down. Well, I'm off to my 6 week postpartum check up at the doctor's office where I'll have to be weighed again. Maybe it will put this week into perspective since I'll be about 25 pounds under what I was the last time I was in the office!! Here's to a great week for all of us!!

wordless wednesday

i love you too hubby ♥

Progress

So far so good here. I weighed in on Friday and I was down 4 whole pounds!! With the new plan it seems like I'm using a lot of points and I was sure that I hadn't lost anything, but this was one time I was happy to be wrong! I'll share a few pictures of the recipes that I've been using this week.


This is a chicken and potato bake. It was kind of like a casserole and I added some shredded cheese at the end of the baking process to add more points for myself. Since I'm breastfeeding, I have 14 extra points that I am really trying to use wisely. Instead of adding a cookie or potato chips to my day, I'll add cheese or a glass of milk. It's an easy way to really rack up some good points! This dish was good because I was able to use leftover chicken breast from the night before. We had a salad and some steamed veggies to go along with it. The kids enjoyed the dish because it was covered in cheese!

This is my new favorite lunch! It's a ham and cheese panini that starts with grilled sweet onions!! Mmmm, my mouth is watering already! Served with fresh strawberries, this lunch was a hit with everyone!

In other news, Kenna and Shae hit a few milestones that were worthy of a visit to the Dr.'s office. Kenna had her 6 weeks appointment and Shaedon tagged along to have his 3 year check up! Both are doing great and are at the 50th percentile exactly for both height and weight! Awesome =)
My big Kaia is staying as busy as ever. With softball practice on Mondays and Fridays plus games on the weekends, we are almost wiped out! She also has hula and Tahitian lessons on Tuesdays and Thursdays with her first performance this Friday... very exciting! Add to that Girl Scout Daisy meetings every first and fourth Thursday of the month and you have one busy little 5 year old! I know it might sound crazy to have her involved in so many things, but the idea is that she can get a feel for what she likes and doesn't like so much (ahem, soccer!) and within the next couple of years she can start to filter those things out. That way, she'll still be young enough to really focus on her sport or activity of choice and begin to hone her craft. Full ride scholarship, here we come!!

Weight Watcher

It's week 1 of my Weight Watchers diet plan. So far so good! I'm staying on track and feeling satisfied. Now that fruits and veggies are 0 points, it's a lot easier to choose healthy snacks and side dishes. Yesterday we had to attend a family party at the in-laws and with pizza and croissant sandwiches (my absolute FAVE) on the menu, it was definitely hard to stay focused! But I kept my eye on the prize.. I looked to my trusty smart phone and looked up the value of one slice of pizza (5). I put one slice of cheese pizza on my plate and filled the rest with edamame salad (delicious) and strawberries! I felt so good about my will power that I was able to have half a slice of birthday cake!!
I've also started the 30 day challenge on the Wii system. I figured out how to divide the TV screen in half so I can work out in one window and watch my favorite Bravo reality shows in the other window! Awesome!! Those laps on the virtual track have never been so easy to run!!
To make this weight loss challenge even easier on me, I've also subscribed to an e-mealz menu plan. This way my meals, recipes, and even my grocery list are set before I even have time to think about eating bad!! We've already tried a couple of the recipes and they have gone above and beyond my expectations of "diet food" recipes! I'll try to remember to post pictures of my next meal.
Baby is almost 6 weeks old and I'm down half of my baby weight. I know the pounds are going to start coming off a lot slower. Hopefully documenting my progress in this blog will help keep me accountable! Here's to more shedding of baby fat!! I have a bridesmaid dress fitting in less than a month!!!

Love Day 2011

Happy Valentine's Day from my 3 love bugs... Kaia, Shae & Kenna ♥

fox hat

I just started entering giveaways on a few blogs that I've been reading and also on Facebook shops that I "like." I've already won TWO... so why not enter another. This cute fox hat would look super cute on Kaia and Shae both!! Hope I win again!!!