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Empty Nesting, Decorating Our New Home, Design Tips, Special Recipes, Shared Interests, D-Y-I Projects,Favorite Products, Light Bulb Moments, Scripture Thoughts for the Day.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Are You Weight Conscious?

Most of America is not a size 2 and is somewhat weight conscious.
Especially, us girls.  Most of my adult life I have not
had problems with my weight.  However, after
moving into my middle 40's, the problem that
plagued me as a child came rushing back to take over.
Over the last few years, I have bounced from
one diet to another. Making great strides with
the product Metabolife until it was taken off the market.
When on this diet, I ate as I liked with a few exceptions:
NO CAFFEINE
NO SOFT DRINKS
NO TEA
NO COFFEE 
NO CHOCOLATE!
Yikes! you might say.  I cannot do without ....
Honestly, I had no great addictions.
Although, I love my chocolate and Dr. Pepper!
So taking a tablet before each meal, the
weight began to slip away and so did my appetite.
After a certain amount of time, I decided
to go it on my own.  That worked for a
while, then my appetite increased
and I still ate what I wanted but the
appetite depressant was gone:(
A short fling with Slim Fast began, but
due to becoming lactose intolerant, 
drinking the shakes for meals created
problems.  Therefore, old habits began
again and so did middle age.  During
this time, women often gain weight
as easily as they breathe.


ENTER ---  ADVOCARE 24 DAY CHALLENGE!

Thank you to my daughter who introduced this
product to me after she began eating healthier,
gaining more energy, and a bonus of losing weight.
DAY 1 for me was Sunday, September 20.
The first ten days is the Cleanse Phase.
Days 11-24 are to help you reach your
desired goal.  On day 3, I weighed and measured
myself and had lost 4 pounds and 3 inches!
This definitely was an encouragement to me to
keep on keeping on!
This is not the kind of cleanse where you 
drastically reduce calories or only consume
liquids. This is the beginning of a healthier
lifestyle.  You can do Phase 1 every 90 days
if desired, but you can  continue on Phase 2
as long as you wish.  What makes this so 
simple is that you can download the Advocare
app to your iphone and it will walk you through
the plan, set up reminders for you throughout 
the day of when to take a supplement, 
when to snack or eat your meal, it has
food options, recipes, portion sizes, and
you log each day when you take your
supplements, what you eat, and how
much water you drank.  
Now that I am trying to eat healthier,
I can continue to use the great products
to maintain energy, control my appetite, and
overall wellness.  Are you interested?
You can contact Amber Lounsberry Martin
on Facebook who is an Advocare
Independent Distributor and  begin your 
journey to weight management, obtain more
energy or overall healthier lifestyle. 

Sunday, September 13, 2015

Vacation Memories

So many people plan exciting get-a-ways every year. Some travel abroad, some to far countries, some to different vacation spots in the USA, and some to visit family.

Most of my 37 years of marital bliss we have lived away from one of our families and we traveled back and forth to visit family and friends each chance we could. Most years this meant a few days for holidays and a week in the summer.  For the last 17 years, we have lived several hundred miles from both of our families.  Vacations have always meant one night in a coveted motel, one day at a theme park, and throw in a visit to Branson, a night at the stock car races, a visit to the fair, or maybe a rodeo.  No glorious, exciting plans or venues.

Three years ago my husband and I and one of our daughters and our son by marriage made real vacations plans.  My daughter asked me where would I like to go. I did not say my all time coveted vacation dream spot -- Hawaii. Oh, how I'd love to go there and see the beauty of this island dream land, but that bucket list item, I fear, is not going to be met. So, I thought and a southern city instantly came to mind. Some where I'd only heard of and never really put much thought into going. Now was my chance. I said ....
Can you guess this lovely old southern town?  Here's another clue...
Our tour guide on a horse drawn carriage showing us so many of the gorgeous historical homes, churches, stores...

One last clue ... this city has the BEST local food eateries.  So authentic.  Loved them all...

You guessed it!  Charleston.  Unlike any other vacation, we made flight reservations, rented a car, and experienced different tourist sites each day and ate at one of a kind restaurants each day. We had a marvelous time drinking in the sites of the city, experienced a different tourist site each day, and ate at  delicious one of a kind local  eateries.  Not to mention fun time with our family making lasting memories.

This vacation, for us at least, was exactly what we've always wanted to do. Not bad for a first time at a real vacation.

Page 2 will be the plans for our second real vacation.  This is so  exciting and this time it will be just my hubby and myself.  How will we ever make all these plans and arrive where we are suppose to be:)!!  See you soon with the reveal of our new destination.

Thursday, September 10, 2015

4th Journal Entry of our Move

The "first impression" to your home is the first room people see when they initially walk in.  That would be our living room.  Your personality can really show up here. That could be a good thing or a bad thing.  Accent walls were painted Sherwin Williams Terminal Taupe.  Not such exciting name but it really complimented our furnishings.  However, Terminal Taupe is not in this photo.  This shot of the living room is the first impression wall:


We rearranged furniture for a while and this is what we came up with.  The clock on the left side of the picture is one of my all time fav purchases.  A modest expenditure from Cato.  Love good deals. Then we took the drapes and swagged it to one side to tie in the wall and seating grouping.  Apple green is yet again a constant color theme in this room as well as most of our other rooms.  An idea taken from Joanna Gaines is my newly purchased mirror and a floral wreathe placed in the middle . Don't you just love her ideas.  Hobby Lobby and many of the flea markets in our area are carrying so many of the items she uses or similar.  This makes my life a lot easier.  An area rug sits in front of the couch and love seat.  Next entry will show you the face-on view to the right of the picture where the love seat is and sofa table.

Every time we walk into this room we love the way it turned out.  Many decorators place a coffee table in front of the couch.  This is something I considered but wanted to keep the traffic flow open and not have to walk around something each time we go to sit down.  Just an idea but it works for us.