My Favorite Town Store---Closed

Today is a sad day for me. The scrapbooking store in town, Memory Manor, closed their doors today. I visited them today and tears were flowing. They shut their doors around 5pm, and then we began boxing things up. In only 2 hours, we were able to get all of the scrapbooking items on 2 tables. To make some extra money, the store also had some garage sale items for sale. I will help them box stuff up again tomorrow.

So, I did not organize anything in my house, but I helped the ladies organize the scrapbooking supplies.

I will miss going there. The 2 ladies that ran the store were very nice and friendly. I would help them out from time to time by organizing some of their supplies or rearranging some of their displays. I always like going into scrapbooking stores because you can see some neat and original stuff. They usually have items on display, and sometimes they will feature pages or items that you can decorate (like a purse). I would go in there regularly, and I would usually stay for a while. The one sister was always working on something--usually her dog album (it was beautiful).

A stray dog was found near their store. They took him in, and he became an instant fit. She would bring him to the store a lot because she lived far away, and he had dog classes that she enrolled him in. He is now a therapy dog, but her husband doesn't want the dog. (I found that out today). So, she has to find him a new home. He is great with kids, he is potty trained, and he is a certified therapy dog. He is a great dog. If anyone knows of someone who could give this dog a good home, please let me know. I know that this is hard on her, but it would be equally hard if she could not find a good home for him.

I hope you had a good day, and I will talk to you tomorrow. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

Workout (1/31)

Well, it's Sunday. I know that most of you do not workout on the weekend, but I am posting none-the-less. I hope to make it to the Y today to swim. My husband brought home donuts today--I may just eat 1 or 2 instead of 3 or 4. I love donuts. Anyway, stay motivated. Remember--our one follower -Roxanne-- lost 3 lbs just by watching what she ate. We can do it.
I'll talk to you tomorrow. Remember--if you are interested it is Monday weigh in. See ya.

Frozen SUV? - SMART Husband-Nah

So, I told my husband about my plan to get the vehicle washed and to clean the inside. He said that he didn't think that the car wash place that I wanted to go to would be open. I said the one down the street is open. He said that he thought it was too cold. I said Nah--and waved my arm like you don't even know what you are talking about. So, I leave--it's about 4:45 and I drive to the car wash on the outside of town. Anyway, they are open, so I drive up. The guy put the wand of water to the vehicle, and as soon as he started going down the side of the vehicle--ice crystals were forming on my passenger side window. I thought to myself---as I nodded my head--men sometimes know things--especially "vehicle" things. He was pretty smart to know that it was cold--cold enough for water to form ice crystals on my vehicle.---But (as I am smiling)--they were open. And really that says it all for me. If they are open--it is not too cold. So, my car starts to go through the wash -and --POP POP POP --My windows are cracking everywhere. I can't believe it. The warm water----the frigid temperatures---POP POP POP----Just kidding. That was a good one huh? Anyway, the wash is done, and the people are towel drying my vehicle. They were not fast enough for the ice though. They were chipping ice and soap off my rear view mirrors. Funny. They couldn't even get it all--they just wiped away the ice in a circular motion in the middle of the mirrors--so that I could see. I had this smirk on my face as I tipped the workers I thought---my husband is a "SMART" man. Now, I don't say that often. And I'm sure he is going to print this post and show it to his co-workers, his friends, his supervisors, etc.

So, I cleaned the inside of my vehicle (front and back), and I put some sort of vinyl/leather coating on it to make it shiny. The cover on the wheel is one that my sister just got for me.

So, I did my vehicle today. I am now going to retire to my craft room for the night. I hope all of you had a good day. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

My Vehicle

I've decided to do my vehicle today. The sun is out, but it is cold. Since I am in my vehicle so often, and usually going to appointments, it has a tendency to get cluttered with junk from fast food places, water bottles, and misc. stuff.






I received a great post from a reader who told me to pack a picnic for when I go to my appts. This is such a great idea because it will keep me away from the fast food places. So, I am going to try it--even if I take an "Anytime Bar" from Jenny Craig---it will hold my cravings until I have a chance to get home--and hopefully make better choices.
As for organizing my vehicle, I have bought many products to help me keep my vehicle organized, they are just not in my vehicle right now.
So off I go into the wild blue yonder---to get my vehicle washed, change the steering wheel cover, and to clean and organize the vehicle. I'll keep you updated. Until then...
This is me. This is my blog.

The Weekend

I will probably work on something in my craftroom---that's what I like to do on the weekends. I don't know what yet, but I will keep you informed. Right now I have to rush to the Y because the pool will be closing in 40 minutes.
So, I'll talk more later. Hope you are having a good day.

Workout (1/30)

Hello everyone. Are you ready to workout or eat a little less. I started my day on the wrong foot--I ate 4 chocolate chip cookies. Yikes. So, now I will do a little extra at the pool. Going to Jenny Craig has taught me that losing 2 lbs a week is a good gage.
It is also good to make small goals. I used to count down daily, now I do it weekly. That's why I have the Monday weigh in. You don't have to participate, but if you want to post that you lost .5 lbs or that your jeans feel better--post it. I have broken the year into little goals.This "term" is 15 weeks, the next is 5 weeks, then 10 weeks, then 7 weeks, and the last "term" is 5 weeks. I went through my calendar and saw when I had something going on like a vacation, Black Friday--anything that would give me something to put my eyes on. This makes it easier for me to have a goal not to lose weight (because that haunts me everyday), but to lose weight for something that I am going to do. So, maybe if you look at your year ahead and say, I would like to be a little thinner or I would like my pants to be more loose by St. Patrick's Day---that will work for you. You can keep small goals in your calendar-- The way I have it set up ---for example---on this Monday weigh in and then under that 14 weeks. Because whenever I wrote down the days, in the back of my mind I thought--98 days--that's a long time---I can skip today. But when I see the number 14-- I think everyday is important and I need to workout today.
Well, that is just how I do it. And it has been a process for me. Like I said--I had written in my planner to workout for 3 weeks before I made it to the gym. It is hard to get motivated--but maybe this blog will help.
So, good luck to you. And let me know what works for you. I have already had some great comments about what time of the day works best for some of the readers. And some readers have included their workout routine---which I find very motivating and helpful.
I'll talk to you tomorrow and I will post my workout. Thanks for being a reader of the blog and have a nice day.

The Evil Twin-PG13

Rated PG13
This is something that I wrote a few days ago, but I didn't post. I didn't want to cross some personal line again. This is something that really happened to me, and my sister thought it might be a good way for any mom trying to teach/tell her daughter about tampons. ha ha (Don't do what I did.) I don't know how you are with your monthly visitor, but mine is like an evil twin. I mean-- I want to eat ice cream, chocolate, anything sweet or anything chocolaty or anything salty. And I certainly don't want to do anything when she is around---I become somewhat lazy. And what about swimming? If your not a tampon girl, you go without swimming.

This brings me to today's story--I am not a tampon girl. Some are---I'm not. With this in mind---let me take you back to the year 2000. I needed to wear one of these tampons because I needed to swim. I tried and I tried. Then something tragic happened. It got stuck--half way in and half way out. (I now know that this is something common, but at the time-I thought I was the only one it happened to). So, then comes the year 2006. I am on the first family vacation with my husband and his 3 kids---We went to Disney World. My evil twin came lurking around. No big deal, when the kids would swim in the pool, I would conveniently take a nap. Until one day. The day that everyone was sunburned except Rachel. And she REALLY wanted to swim. She was 10 and she already had "the class" in school. I told her that I wasn't able use tampons, and she said --why not mom does. Yikes. She said, "Please try". What could I do? I had to try. So, I go into the bathroom. I am praying and I am assuring myself that everything would be ok. And --low and behold--it worked. I was so happy and proud of myself. So, we went to the pool and we swam.

After swimming, we go right back out to the parks. It was about dinner time, so we went to a restaurant, and I went to the bathroom ---I was bleeding. I called my sister immediately. And my sister said that she would have to call back. Now we are all (3 girls) outside the restroom. Jan calls. I tell her what has happened. She said--don't worry--sometimes you have to change them out. SO, I go back in. This should be easy --just take it out--right?----I burst out laughing. The girls want to know what I am laughing about---I said--I'll tell you outside. I had to call Jan--she was never going to believe this. So, I call her and I tell her---well you know how my other experience was bad---she said yes. Well, I guess I didn't want another bad experience to happen again, so I shoved the "whole thing" up there. She said, "You did what?" I said--- I shoved the "whole thing" up there (plastic & all) -I was nervous - I didn't want it to get stuck again. We were cracking up. She said --did you notice--couldn't you feel something up there. I said that I didn't know what to compare it to, so it felt normal. We continued laughing. Sometimes I wonder --how do I get myself into these types of situations. The girls wanted to know what happened. I said --It's moments like these that I am so glad that I have a sister --- And if you girls ever get in trouble-- remember you can always call on your sister. And as far as tampons go, have your mom explain them to you. I did tell them the story--and they laughed, but I think they only laughed because I was laughing so hard.

(I'm talking to my sister right now as I am posting )My sister is telling me to get off the tampon stories and get back to organizing. If this was too much --again I'm sorry. I ran it by my sister, my 2 step-girls, and my friend.Too much---maybe? Funny--Absolutely!
I will go for now. I'll talk to you later. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

Clean Again

Before....................


Here is the before and after of the computer room table. I received some great comments on how some of the readers clean-up after their task is complete. I am really thankful that I have this blog and the people who are a part of it to help me out and to keep me motivated.

After...............
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I want to say Hello! to Lynette (our newest follower). How are you? I hope you are doing great. Like I tell all of my new followers, if you start from the "Beginning" and you leave comments, I will get them. I read over a spreadsheet everyday about the comments, so I know if any new ones have come in. I hope you enjoy the blog. I have also started a workout post everyday to motivate people like me who are on the quest to lose weight. We just post if we did any exercise or if we avoided any foods. It has been a real encouragement to some. And if you ever want to encourage someone, that is the perfect place to do it. Everyone on that post wants/needs encouragement. On Mondays, I have set up a post for weigh in's--again it is for encouragement purposes. So far this week I lost 1.5 lbs--hopefully I can keep it off until Monday. So, thanks for joining and I am looking forward to your comments.

Well, I had lunch with my best friend from high school (Kim) today. We talked for like 4 hours--it was great. We talked about being step-moms and we reminisced about old times. I laughed so much I had a headache when we were through. Now, that's when you know you've had a good time.

I hope your day was as good as mine. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

Workout (1/29)

How is everybody today? Did you workout--or did you eat less? Remember every little bit counts. And it is Friday!!!! The end of a long work week. Those of you that got all of your workouts in Congrats! I am taking the day off-my schedule is too full, but I will go tomorrow. So, I'll go for now, but I will be checking the comments. I'll talk to you tomorrow. See ya.

Put Away?

I had a hard day today. And now I can see how I contribute to my clutter problem.

This is a photo of my computer room. It is the desk that I just cleared a couple days ago. And look at it. It's all my stuff. Stuff that I did not put away from yesterday. So, I get it---I just have to allot time to put my stuff away. Because now I have to do it tomorrow--instead of doing something else. Moral of the story: I need to put my stuff away after I work on it--even if I am working on it late at night.

I hope all of you had a good day. Oh and my "family" therapy appt. didn't go that great. But, I can't tell you about it because there is a "gag order" in place. Oh well.

I'll talk to you tomorrow. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

Life

So, I have had a toothache for a while, but then it spread to my gums. I had a root canal done back in November of 2009, but I never went back for him to finish it (I don't like going to the dentist). So, it got infected --that is why I have been in soooo much pain. I am on antibiotics, and I did visit the dentist today. He worked on me for about an hour. He drained it and then he put something in there to help it heal. Then, he closed it back up. Moral of the story: don't wait so long to get the 2nd part of the root canal done.
Whenever I was going through some rough times, I had panicked at the dentist. He eventually gave me the "gas", so that I could get through the work that he needed to do. After awhile, he felt that I could handle things again on my own--so he didn't give me the "gas" anymore. I liked getting the "gas" because it would calm me down and I wasn't afraid/anxious to go to the dentist anymore. Now, that isn't the case. I handle it on my own, which I guess is a good thing--it means I'm getting better/stronger--but I am left feeling stressed and anxious.
With that stress, I went to Burger King. I ordered a hamburger and onion rings (usually I would have a Whopper Jr., fries/onion rings, pop, and a Hershey pie). So, even though I broke down, I did ok.
I have to go to therapy today, I have a feeling that it may be stressful--the whole family is going. So, I don't know if I will get a task in today. I am going to try to go to the Y around 7pm and I will try to get a task done -- even if it is small.
I will keep you updated. Until then...
This is me. This is my blog.

Workout (1/28)

Well, here it is another day. But, it is Thursday, so the week is almost done. I stepped on the scale today and I had lost 1.5 lbs. I was so excited. Hopefully, I can keep it off until weigh-in on Monday. I want to encourage all of you to take another small step today. We all have set backs. I know I had one today. I stopped at Burger King and I got a hamburger and onion rings. But, I did pass on the Whopper Jr. (which I usually get) and the pop. So, even though I had a set back, I did do a good job. So, I encourage you to look at things in this manner. You may slip up, but you probably did something good.
So, post your workout, or something you did good today ( maybe you ate 1 less donut). Due to "life", I will not be able to workout until 7pm tonight. But, I will talk to you in the comments and I will talk to you tomorrow.

From This to That

Well, I did it. I cleaned the hallway.

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And this task is done before 2pm, so now I can go swimming. I hope all of you are having a good day. And if you feel like encouraging someone, go to today's workout blog--it will be much appreciated.

I'll talk to you more tomorrow, unless I do a project tonight. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

Hallway Continued

Today, I am going to continue on my task of the hallway. I am also going to empty the boxes that I put in my craft room.
I want to say Hello! to my newest follower, Tricia. How are you? I don't know if you are going to read the blogs from here or from the beginning, but if you go from the beginning, and if you leave comments, I will read them. Everyday I check the comments on a so-called "spreadsheet" to see if I have any new ones. I'm glad that you have joined. My therapist says that I have started quite a little cult for myself. I said that is crazy. But --I am asking all of my followers to meet me at a church---in the woods. I will be serving Kool-Aid and cookies. Just kidding. That would be a little weird--I'll probably make brownies. That being said, she wanted the web address. Sweet. I've roped her in.
So, I'll keep you up dated, but for now I am going to watch some Boston Legal with my husband ---snuggled on the couch---with a big comfy blanket---and some hot coco. That will surely get me motivated to do something today. Right? Right! Until then...
This is me.This is my blog.

Workout (1/27)

Up and Adam or At Um however you are supposed to say it. Let's get going and workout. Just take a small step. I will leave a comment on how my workout went for the day. But for right now, I am going to take small steps to the couch to watch an episode of Boston Legal with my husband. But don't you worry, I am thinking about exercise, and I hope you are to. I'll talk to you tomorrow. And remember, post your comment on what you did today. Even if you did not have enough motivation to do anything, post it. You will eventually feel the need to be acccountable like I did. Good luck.

3 Boxes Down

Here is our hallway with the boxes.

Here is the hallway without the boxes. All 3 of the boxes went to the craft room. Two of the boxes were full of books and magazines. And the other box is full of misc. items. I still need to put all of those items away.

I also sorted another box full of die cuts that were in plastic bags.

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I also watched the Biggest Loser today. I really liked it. I just wish it was only an hour long. I hope you had a good day. I'll talk to you tomorrow. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

The Answer

The Answer is 22, but 2 of the items could have been hard to see, so 20 will do.

The table in this picture and the blue trash can.(2)

The chest full of toys...the 2 plants/vases...&the greenery on the mantle (6-total)

The table, the make-up/pill case, my purse, the trash can (hard to see), the stool for the drums, the 2 metal holders for our games and movies (13-total)

The wooden piece holding all of our movies, the 3 plants/vases, the lamp, the wooden basket-hard to see-bottom shelf. (19-total)

The lamp, the item holding the blankets, and the camera (hard to see- it's by the laptop) (22 total, but 2 were hard to see--so if you guessed 20 you did great.

And while I was doing that I got rid of 2 boxes and I'm working on a third.

It's a Mystery

While I am taking care of some of the stuff in the hallway, I will post a few photos of my living room, and I want you to guess how many items either came from a garage sale or the Salvation Army/Goodwill. Ok? OK!

You will need to click on the photo to see all of the items. If you see greenery or flowers in a pot, that counts as 1.Good luck. The answer will be posted in the next blog.

Workout (1/26)

Well, here is the workout blog. If you are looking for motivation, look no further. You can use this blog as your accountability board. I will encourage you, and just maybe checking in on a daily basis is just what you need.
I haven't worked out yet, so I will have to post what I did in the comments. Good luck today--And have a great day.
I'll talk to you tomorrow.

Clearing and Separating

This is the pile in the hallway that I am going to tackle today. I may not finish, but I will start. It is mostly craft stuff or stuff that needs to go down to the basement.

As I was driving to my therapy appt., it dawned on me that some people may not want to read about other people working out. So, I have come up with a system. Everyday I will post an additional blog about working out. It will be called: Workout (date). I will also post an additional weekly blog for weight loss on Mondays. It will be called: Weight? No-Physical Clutter (date). That is the day that I have chosen to weigh in or to be accountable for what I have done all week. My weight may not drop, but maybe my pants are loose. Every little bit counts. With these separate blogs, everyone interested in working out or losing weight can post their comments in one blog. And who knows--you might receive encouraging comments from other people who are doing the same thing. We will see if it works. So, there will be my daily post, a workout post:Workout (date), and on Mondays: Weight? No-Physical Clutter (date). I hope these additional posts help to motivate anyone looking for motivation.

I am separating them because I do not want to take away from the original idea of the blog: Clearing Clutter. Yet, I have had a lot of people comment on how they need to get motivated.I look forward to your comments.

I will talk more later. Until then...

This is me.This is my blog.

I've Been Thinking

Today, I noticed that I had another follower. Hello! Angela. I was happy to read all of your comments--even from one of the earliest of blogs (Nighttime). I'm glad you and your husband had a good laugh.
I receive a lot of comments about people who want to workout, people who wish that I was closer, people who just need some motivation, etc. So, I was thinking... I have been posting whenever I workout for a couple reasons 1)I enjoy the encouraging words that all of you have given me and 2) it keeps me accountable to you. If all of a sudden I didn't mention the pool, you would wonder if I was still going to the Y. Anyway, if you are in one of the above situations, why don't you be accountable to me. I read the blog everyday, and I check to see if I have any comments --everyday. Whenever I post a blog about working out, you can post a comment about working out. You can even post a comment about working out on one of my regular posts. I would be happy to help anyone who need some motivation. All of you are helping me out DAILY with my motivation to reduce the clutter in my house. So, think about it. We can help each other. Remember weight is just physical clutter--so let's organize it and get rid of it.
I have not picked a task to do for today yet. I am going to another therapy appointment. I also have to fill my pill container ---blah. I also have to get my pool time in --- that will probably be around 7:30. I will ask my husband to tape the Biggest Loser for me. I am excited to watch it. I wish I could just watch it and not tape it, but the pool does swim lessons until 7:30, so I can't do my laps. And by the way, I'm afraid of the water too. I do the breast stroke with my head above the water the whole time. I change my legs--- sometimes freestyle or sometimes breast stroke. But, my arms are always doing the breast stroke. See I just modified the swimming strokes to accommodate me. Brilliant! huh.
Well I have to go or I will be late. I'll talk to you more later. Until then...
This is me. This is my blog.

The Table is Clear

Here it is---our computer room table(s)---clean. The tote/basket system really works. I had this project done in under an hour.

This is what it looked like.

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I did make it to the Y (pool) again today. I also got an orientation on the workout equipment. My calorie intake --I believe- was low today, so hopefully I burned more calories than I ate.

While I was watching some TV tonight, I sorted these QuicKutz dies. I am trying to put them in the teal holder you see in the picture above.

I not only wanted to sort them I want them to be in alphabetical order, but I did not get that accomplished.

I am going to go for now. I have a really bad toothache. Anyway, I'll talk to you tomorrow. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

The Computer Room Desk

I'm getting back to organizing the downstairs -- for today. I have chosen to clear off the table in the computer room. It will make that room look better, and the family will like it because they are always going in there.

I want to say Hello! to my newest follower - Roxanne. Hey Roxanne, how are you? Have you been enjoying the topics? I try to put some stories into some of my blogs--to make it fun. Some people have left some great comments, so I encourage you to look at the comments as well. And everyday I view the comments on a "spreadsheet", so I can tell if anyone has left any comments- even as far back as the beginning. So, if you have a good idea--please post it--I will see it.

Well, I'm off to do some work. I will be using the "Epicenter" and all my totes for sorting. Hopefully this task won't take long. I'll keep you posted. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

Diet? --- Jenny Craig

Well, I went to the Y today to get rid of some of my excess physical clutter. I was happy I did that. Tomorrow starts the real "diet" you know watching what you eat and making an extra effort to workout. It reminds me of a time back in high school, when my brother and I decided that we were going to go on a diet. We figured that we should eat all that we could because the next day we would be starving. So, we went to Giant Eagle. We bought Ding Dongs, Ho Ho's, ice cream, candy bars. You name it --- we bought it. And we ate it. That diet lasted 3 days I think. We couldn't take it anymore. I don't even think we lost the weight that we put on. Anyway, I feared that would happen again --- you know -- me starve and all-- so I drank a can of Coke---'cause you know that I'm not going to be allowed to drink that. I finished off the Oreo's--yum --those were good. And you know I'm not going to be allowed those (7 grams of fat for 2 cookies). 2 COOKIES---can you believe that---well, they were the Double Stuf. Did you know they spell stuff--stuf --on their packaging? I wonder why. Those are the things that I ponder when I am chowing down a package of those things. And that cream filling---sinful. That's probably where all the fat comes from. But who cares--boy is that "stuf" tasty. Yep--pop and Oreo's...oh yea I also had some M&M's. Right now--I'm actually thirsty for some water. Some ice cold water. The other day I made a parfait out of crushed ice and water- I just kept layering them. I thought it might be a little different ---you know I just wanted to shake things up a bit. But, in the end it was just cold water with ice in it. Tomorrow --those are the only parfaits that I will be allowed.

I have a funny Jenny Craig story to tell you. Now I've been on Jenny Craig off and on about 4 years. I know what you are probably saying to yourself ---4 years--that's a long time. Well, I have to be honest, in those 4 years I didn't just eat Jenny Craig. I know --I know --shocker huh? So, let's get back to the story. Whenever I had just started on the Jenny Craig program, I was working. For lunch, I brought in the Broccoli and Cheese Potato. It is a good meal, but I was stressed that day, so I grabbed a handful of butter (you know those little pats of butter). Anyway, one of my co-workers saw me and told me to put the butter down. I said--No. They said that they were going to call Jenny Craig. I said --Go right ahead. They did. Can you believe it? They told my lady (Trish) that they had a Food Emergency and that I was going to eat some butter. Believe me---I know---I worked with a bunch of clowns. Anyway, the phone call got transferred to me in the break room---it was Trish. She said," Deb put the butter down --just walk away". This was the craziest thing I had ever heard of. I just wanted butter for my potato--so I negotiated. ha ha I was allowed to keep 2 pats of butter. She still laughs about it. She said that she keeps telling everyone if they need help --call in --that's what they are there for. And then she tells them my story---The Food Emergency. Well, the potato is better with butter. Heck isn't everything better with butter.

Here is where I worked today. I sorted embellishments. I know --fun--right? I do find it very relaxing, and I did not want to tackle my closet again today. I did step in my closet --moved some stuff around--then I got the heck out of there. I moved on to something pretty and shiny.

Well, that's about it for today. I hope you had a good day and a good weekend. Oh yea--I just remembered --I stopped at DQ to get their med. Chocolate Cherry Love Blizzard. That was lunch. I have a smile on my face just thinking of it. Anyway, take care, and I'll keep you updated. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

Today is a Dud

First off, I went to the pool, only to find swim lessons going on so, I could not do my laps. Then, I came home and took down almost all of the outside Christmas decorations. Then, I laid down. Then, I rearranged stuff in my craft room. I want to do something in there today, but my husband is taking a nap---so I can't (I would probably make too much noise).
It has just been a bummer of a day. Things I want to do---I'm not able to do. And that's the bummer. This would have been a great day to take a lazy day, but I didn't. I still want to accomplish something. But, when my husband wakes up, he will probably want to do something. Oh well. Everybody has these types of days---where things just don't go as you planned. I just don't like them. Maybe today's accomplishment will be taking a shower.
So no pictures, no stories, nothing. Today is a Dud.
I'll keep you updated. Until then...
This is me. This is my blog.

Weight Loss?

So, I decided to count up the amount of fat and calories that I eat a day with my Jenny Craig food. I average : meals-17g of fat and 760 calories. This does not take into account snacks, fruit, dairy, or anytime bars. Those numbers are just for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I have to admit ---I really like their food, and it is easy to prepare (I mostly buy frozen meals). Whenever I researched how much fat should one consume a day here were the numbers that I got.





For a woman with little activity:


Calories...1600..........Max fat grams...44-62


Max cal. from fat...400-560.....Max cal. from sat. fat...less than 112


Max grams of sat. fat...less than 12grams


They noted that if a person wanted to lose weight, the numbers would be less and they would have to consult their doctor.


So, my meals definitely fall in the range, and once you add everything else that I have been eating --well that would bring me up or take me over the recommendations. And that is why I am not losing weight. I need to stick to the plan, and delay my gratification of chocolate and ice cream. It is very hard for me. And that is why I...


Bought a bottle of Leptorexin (weight loss pills) today. I am going to try this product, and I will let you know how it is working. I am pretty excited about it. I have to admit, when people tell me that it will be difficult for me to lose weight because of all of the medications that I am on---well, it's discouraging. This pill has been featured on ABC, CBS News, CNN, and WSJ.com. and comes with a 100% guarantee. I don't know if it will make a difference, but I can tell you this. For over 1 month (last year), I followed the Jenny Craig plan and I swam between 1hour and 1 1/2 hours a day. I lost very little (maybe 2 lbs). And that was for a month. I became very discouraged and I stopped swimming and eating right. Well, I ended up here (I gained 5 lbs since I stopped working out and eating right). I don't want to keep gaining, but I don't want to work as hard as I was and see little results. So, I will give this pill a try. Hopefully, I see a difference as quickly as their ad suggests. They mention that a person's weight may not change, but their appearance (weight loss in belly area) will change. The reason that a person's weight may not change is because their muscle weight will be increasing. Hey, if I see a difference---that is good enough for me.


Well, I'm off to eat my breakfast and then go to the Y. The pool will be closing early today (11:30am) for a swim meet. I'll talk to you soon. Until then...


This is me. This is my blog.

Laps and T-shirts

Well, today has been a day for all days. I made it to the Y twice. TWICE. Can you believe it? I know-me neither. The second time I went- I did pray for a lane to do my laps (nighttime is family time at the Y). Anyway, all the lanes were full, but one lady was just doing exercises. So, I asked if I could share her lane. I no sooner get 2 laps done and the lane next to her opened up. Fantastic. Now I got there at 7:15 and the pool closes early on Fridays (7:30), so I'm thinking I'm only getting 15 minutes in. But I'm happy with that. You combine that with my earlier session--and I completed 30 minutes. Awesome. But --no--wait a minute--nobody was getting out of the pool. The lifeguard decided to keep the pool open to 8:30pm--was it my day or what. I have to admit --I was getting sore, so I only swam for 45 min. 45 MINUTES. So, I did 1 hour today. Yea for me. I did far more than I had ever expected.


So, I get home and I try on my T-shirts. Not the best of moments --the XXL is fitting the best. So, I tried on, folded, and put my T-shirts back into my closet. When I was in my closet, I found more T-shirts--but that did not surprise me. I thought I had more T-shirts than what I had tried on. So, tomorrow--more shirts.
I also still have to do the floor and on top of the bench. I am uncertain if I will finish it this weekend or do a project just for the weekend.

14's and L (top)

16'S and XL (middle)

18's and XXL (bottom)

My Achilles heel has really been bothering me lately. That is one of the reasons that I am swimming. You know---I am really quite afraid of the water. If I can stand in it--- I'm OK. If I know that I can get to safety (a side of a pool) then --I'm OK. But if you leave me in the open water of the ocean -- let's just say-- Hermosa Beach, CA-- I may freak out if a tide comes and removes the bottom from my feet. I may start choking --yelling---and I may even get saved by the lifeguard. This is a true story. What I am leaving out is how my actions got my sister and I kicked out of the ocean. I admit -- it wasn't fair to her. She was an innocent by-standard. But when you are around me---sometimes---just sometimes---trouble ensues.


Whenever I was young, I was on a swim team. At one of our meets, I was part of a relay team and I was doing my flip to go to the finish line. For some reason, I swam down instead of up. Trouble--you bet. One of the coaches jumped in to save me.--How embarrassing. That was the beginning of the end. I did not get back in the water to restore my confidence, nor did I swim for the swim team again.


Anyway, I do love the water of a swimming pool. And I really enjoyed swimming today. I really hope all of you had a good day, and I will talk to you tomorrow. Until then...


This is me. This is my blog.

Let's Swim

I did it. I made it to the Y. I swam for 15 minutes, and like my sister said-- I wish I could have swam longer. But, I DID IT. I got out of my house in time to drive there and swim for 15 minutes. Hopefully, this is just 1 step among many on my quest to lose weight. I am really excited about making it to the gym today. And I can't wait until I can get back into that pool. Look at that water--doesn't it look so inviting?

It's like Monica said, the people on The Biggest Loser workout a lot during their day. If I want to lose weight, not only do I have to be on a healthy eating plan (Jenny Craig), I have to workout a lot. I am planning to go back to the Y again at 7 pm, so that I can swim some more.

I will try on my shirts today, as painful as that may be. So, off I go, but I will keep you informed. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

I'm Calling It A Day

You know there is something very different about trying on pants and trying on shirts. With pants, you can not pay attention about how much weight you've gained. But when you try on a shirt, and the shirt hugs your belly--you know. So, I tried on long sleeve shirts and jackets today. I made outfits (a shirt with a jacket), and then I arranged them by color in my closet. I found a red jacket -- that fits---and -- is super cute. Since I tried everything on, I really had a chance to see what fit and what didn't. It was a real eye opener. But, I did manage to find items that I did like--that fit.

So, tomorrow I will do the T-shirts. It's 9:15 and I am getting tired. I will talk to you tomorrow. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

Pill Container * Work Table in Craft Room

So, here is my pill container. Crazy huh. Well, I need to keep everything organized and this container works the best, since I take my pills 4 times a day.

I ended up getting a headache and feeling nausea, so I went to my craft room. I took medication for my headache, and I cooked something so that I wouldn't get nausea, but I forgot to eat it.

So, here is my work table. I cleared it off. I also added some clear plastic containers for small stuff that I don't want to put right away.

I love being in here. The material looks so nice. In fact, I am doing this blog from my craft room and not the computer room. It's so quiet and peaceful up here--it's like I'm the only one in the house.

Well, maybe after I eat dinner I will feel better. Then, the choice is shirts or gym. Well, I have to go --- it's time to eat.

I'll keep you updated. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

Horray!

This is just a little note that I am again back up to 8 followers. My husband asked if I called somebody at home. Now I will admit-when this started, I called my sister and my step-sister, I put a message on Facebook, and I went to each individual table at our scrapbook night to talk to them about my blog. But, I have not called anyone recently. I have, however asked my husband to be a follower, he has yet to reply.
A big thank you to all of my readers because without you I am nothing. Just Kidding. I'm still Deborah-heavily medicated-Deborah. Without you --there would be no comments for me to learn from. No words for me to lean on. No messages for me to reply to. It would just be me typing into a computer---into a vast world where nobody was listening.
So thank you and tell people you know, people you don't know, your mailman, your paper girl...anyone who you think would enjoy this blog. Remember, we may be just 1 person, but we can do extraordinary things. I blog about me being on medication and clearing clutter may not be extraordinary to you, but it is making a huge impact on my life. My husband is even complimenting me to his friends. So, even though I am making little steps, it is changing our life in big ways. Just one example is our mail--I used to fear getting our mail, not anymore. I go out and get the mail with all the confidence in the world because I know what to do with it now. You see this is just a small step, yet it has had a profound impact on me getting the mail.
I hope all of you are having a good day and I hope the sun is shining where you are.
Deborah

My Closet--My Shirts

As I was sorting my shirts today, I decided to reconfigure my closet. On the left side is a smaller area to hang clothes, and the back wall holds the largest area to hold clothes. I am going to incorporate the readers' comments which stated--group your pants, shirts, jackets, sweatshirts- separately, and then organize by color or organize by outfits. I have a lot of shirts to try on today--as you can see. I don't know if I have enough hangers, but if I don't --I'll just buy some. ha ha I plan to put the shirts that do not fit me on the corresponding shelf with the pant/jeans size. Or I guess I could get rid of more clothes. I have to admit, I really haven't gotten rid of much, I have just organized what I had.

Has anyone out there lost weight? And I mean a considerable amount like 100lbs. Do you go back to the same shape that you were in. I mean once I lose the weight, will I fit the clothes as nicely as I did when I wore them back then? That's the real question. Because I am holding on to these name brand clothes 1) because I liked how they looked on me and 2) some of the fashions that are coming out -just are not for me. I am a simple person. I like my plain collared shirts and my simple jeans/pants. And I must say, it is very difficult for me to find jeans/pants that I really like. Pants that I could spend all day in. Pants that could be dressed up or dressed down. And I have these "said pants" in my possession. Why would I want to discard them, and do the whole process all over again. It's really the same thing for shirts and shoes. You spend hours and hours looking for these items, and then you gain weight. Some things you wore once. So, why can't you hold on to these items--while you are trying to lose weight--in hopes of someday wearing them again. I must admit, I have held on to some of these items for a long time. But now I am doing something about it (or at least trying).

I will give myself a time limit. I am going to try to fit into my size 14's by May, however if I do not make my deadline, I will give myself until December 31, 2010 to fit into my size 14's and my Large tops. That sounds reasonable, Right? I weigh 219lbs right now. If I lost 2 lbs a week,--this year (Starting January 25, 2010-to make it easy for weigh ins-Monday)-- I would have lost 98 lbs. And if I lost 98 lbs, that means I would weigh 121lbs. And 121lbs is a heck of a lot smaller than a size 14. So, that is my quest--2lbs a week ( which is a healthy #to lose). I am on Jenny Craig, and the goal with their plan is 2lbs a week.

Can you imagine all of the clothes that I would be getting rid of? Wow. I know---I know a year is a long time, and losing weight is hard. But I will be getting rid of all of this physical clutter. And this blog is all about me clearing out my clutter while on 20 medications. Now the medications and the low thyroid may slow my process, but I am looking forward to this task. If I get rid of this physical clutter--I would also be getting rid of the emotional clutter that haunts me everyday that I am at this weight.

So, lets get to it. Shirts today -- the world tomorrow. Just kidding. I don't even know if I can finish my shirts today. I am going to give it a big go of it. I'll talk to you later. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

Wicker Baskets ...for My Pants

In the baskets, are my jeans, pants, cropped pants, and skirts for the various sizes. From the bottom, it's 18, then 16, then 14. I did get rid of any items that I did not like. Some of the 18's don't fit, so I moved them to the 16's. It looks like I have a lot of 18's, but the photo was taken before I moved the items.

I am going to call it a day. It is 9pm, and I didn't make it to the YMCA. But I did tackle the pants in my closet.

These are the only pants that fit. Trying on the pants was not as difficult as I thought. If you had a chance to read the last post and comments, I organized my weight in a way that I didn't feel like an 18. Maybe a wide 17 1/2, but certainly not an 18. This organizing weight theory is unprecedented. Revolutionary even. And it all stems from my therapist having me realize that weight can be considered physical clutter. And where there is clutter--there can be organization. Genius! I tell you --- GENIUS.

I am going to keep trying to make it to the Y. Someday I will make it and it will be a victory. For now --- my victory is my organized pants. I also organized my underwear/bras. The size that is not mine -for the moment- is in a bottom drawer, while my size is in one of the top drawers.

Hope all is good with you. And I will talk to you tomorrow. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

Sizes 14-18

So, I was talking to my friend today. Since, I am going on my trip in May (and I did like the clothes that I grew out of), I will be keeping sizes 14-18. I am in size 18 right now, but some 18's don't fit. I really want to be able to fit my XL collared shirts comfortably.

I went to the Salvation Army to drop off stuff, and to buy stuff for the Humane Society. They have a list of items that they need on a regular basis, so I plan to go to the Salvation Army to meet some of their needs. Today, I got cloth towels, blankets, pens, and a dog bowel. I did try to drop it off, but the Humane Society is closed on Wednesdays.

I had a therapy appointment today, it went OK. She needed to cancel my appointment for tomorrow-bummer. My therapist asked how my blog was going. I said fine and I told her about what happened this weekend. I also told her about my latest project--my closet. She called me trying to lose weight- getting rid of my physical clutter. Funny huh. She said that losing weight is also a part of getting rid of clutter. So, I will try to get rid of my physical clutter by going to the YMCA. I am really going to try to make it there today.

I will keep you updated. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

The Bare Essentials

So, I went through my closet and collected this basket full of bras, underwear, and socks. I sorted everything, then I matched the socks. I was wondering where all of my socks had gone. Well, I have found them--in fact, I now have 2 drawers full of socks. I fear I may need to down size. I kept thinking that all of my socks had some how made it to the bag of unmatched socks. But when I looked in there, I couldn't find a match. Hence -- my dilemma. Since I couldn't find my socks, I kept buying new ones. Oh --those darn socks.

I did go to my appointment today, I left at 9:15 and I didn't return until around 5pm. What a day. My husband was proud of me for driving myself to my appointment. He had mentioned that a year ago I would not have been able to do it.

I feel good about my task for today, since I did not have much time. I did not make it to the gym. My dog ran out of food, so I am making her some rice.

A friend called a couple weeks ago and we are going to go on vacation. Me and "the 3 sisters". It is always a riot going on vacation with them. And it will give me a goal. I am going to try to go down 1 pant size by our trip in May. I can do it. I just need to keep telling myself that. Laying off the pop and donuts would help too.

As I was going through my closet (looking for the essentials), I came across so many clothes. So many clothes that I felt weighed down. It will feel good to get rid of some of these clothes, but I know that it will be a struggle. I received a great comment: I need to try on the clothes and ask myself--1)Do they fit? and 2)Do they look nice? That was a great comment because I tend to buy the cotton shirts that feel nice, but they hug every roll. I hate those shirts. I mean --I love them and I hate them. Whenever I can't stand looking at myself anymore (in those shirts), I usually end up using them for sleeping.

And that's another struggle. Sleepwear. I live in a household with step-kids (full-time), and I don't feel comfortable roaming around in just those shirts (I don't mean just those shirts--I also have pajama bottoms on--silly). I usually end up putting a sweatshirt on --- then I start sweating. The youngest once commented on why I wear sweatshirts all the time. --What could I say? I'm sure they can see me sweating. So, I say --what I always say when faced with a difficult question--I like them. That satisfied the little one, so I patted her on her bottom, and she went up to bed. ha ha

I would like to believe that I live in a fairy tale, and someone with a giant lollipop will ask me if I want Mary Poppins to come over and get my place Spit-Spot. I would say --yes--yes. But, that is not my world. I have to make my own place Spit-Spot. The bubble has burst.

Tomorrow, I will continue on my closet. What will I chose to do --- probably try on some clothes--yuck. But, it has to be done. Does anyone else have a suggestion? I could just take everything out and donate it to the Salvation Army. And then go buy all new clothes that fit my "X" figure. Really it is an 18, but I have been unfortunate to see the likes of 1x and 2x. That is not fun-- NOT FUN FOR ANYONE. Anyway, that looks like the way it's going to breakdown. Me trying on clothes---I better have extra med on hand. ha ha

I will talk to you tomorrow. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

The End of the Material (for now)

These are the last of the material boxes/totes.

Everything is cleaned up. The material has been put downstairs. I, also, placed all of the boxes that go to charity or to the Salvation Army in my vehicle.

These boxes are either going to charity or going to the Salvation Army.

*****Closet*****

I received a few good comments about my closet issue. I will work on that tomorrow. I do have an appointment in the morning that is an hour away and it will take a long time. My hope is to work on the closet and make it to the pool, since I did not make it to the pool today.

I will talk to you again tomorrow. Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.

My Closet

Here it is---my closet.

It is filled with clothes from size 8 to 18. I love purses too. Since winter is still in, my summer purses go (are supposed to go) on the bottom rack of my closet. My winter purses are downstairs on a coat rack. Oh how I do love my purses. I do get rid of some from time to time. In fact, I am getting rid of 10-20 this week--to the Salvation Army and a second hand shop. My "named" purses, I take them to the second had shop. They sell them and then I get credit in my account to buy things. Cool huh? This second hand shop was rated #1 in Akron (by an Internet poll).

So, I know I have to get rid of some of these clothes, but I don't know the rule. I had heard that if you haven't worn it in 6 months then get rid of it---that would be a lot of clothes. Does anyone have any ideas? And how about shoes? Any time limit on shoes?

And don't worry about that material I've been working on ...let me do all of the worrying. I am still boxing it up. I will not leave it in the computer room --- like I usually would. I really wanted to start a new task.

Let me know about any ideas for my clothes.Until then...

This is me. This is my blog.