Monday, March 28, 2016

Ponderize Scripture 3/28 - 4/3

Week: March 28 - April 3, 2016

PONDERIZE. (Ponder and Memorize) Feast upon his words. 

Don't forget to save a little money each week too!! 

These 2 principles will lead to a better life.
Doctrine and Covenants 136:28
28 If thou art merry, praise the Lord with singing, with music, with dancing, and with a prayer of praise and thanksgiving.

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Primary 4 Lesson 13

Primary 4 Manual
Lesson 13 
The People of King Limhi and the People of Alma

Suggested Home Reading
Suggest that the children study Mosiah 21:6–16 and Mosiah 24:10–15 at home as a review of this lesson.

This was a hard lesson to find activities for this subject. I went with choose the right ideas when our patience and faith are being tested:




I also found this really cute obedience wheel from The Friend March 1997 here. It teaches them a commandment and the scripture reference for that commandment.




Weight Loss Journey Week 2

Week 2 on my weight loss journey! I'm feeling great!

I've lost 3 pounds this week totaling 8 pounds.

I discovered some new features on SparkPeople that we didn't have in 2008 when I joined SparkPeople. One is having a Spark Coach. For 10 minutes each day you watch a motivational video from a Spark Coach and complete some goals. It's a nice feature. They also offer individual on-line coaching with a Spark Coach but it cost money. For now, I'll stay with the free Coaching sessions which do motivating me.

I am on a 14 day streak on my weight loss journey by logging into Spark People each day and logging my nutrition and exercise. 

I continued with 30 minutes riding my stationary bike each day. Sometimes I split it into two 15 minute segments due to my daily schedule and finding the time and energy to do it. 

Wednesday was a beautiful spring day and I decided to go for a brisk walk. I walked 1.26 miles in 24 minutes. It felt great being outside - then I pulled my exercise bike out on the patio and did my 30 minutes on the bike. It was a great work out day. I mapped my walk on mapmyrun.com here. I can't wait until the day are warmer and I can feel like walking. I hate walking in the cold breezy weather - that is one of the reasons I purchased an exercise bike. 

I started another new feature "The 30-Day Jumpstart Your Workout Challenge". I'm on day 6 of the challenge. They give you a series of workout excercises to do. Some of them are really hard and I can't do them - so I modify them and do it to the best of my ability. The exercises I struggle with are like a back bend when you are lifting your weight backwards with your arms. I have a tough time doing backward arm lifts. I don't know if it's my age or my weight. I am really strong from lifting vacuums and cleaning caddies all day long, but for some reason my body doesn't like lifting from a backwards angle. Maybe with time and consistency I'll be able to do that. Going through different exercise routines let me know how out of shape I really am - shaking head. 

I find new things every day on Spark People and love it.

 This is not a starvation diet which I will fail at. This is a life style change. To lose 2 pounds per week my nutrition goal is 1200 - 1500 calories. Here is the overall nutrition from this week:
Here is what I ate each day this week. You can click on the photo to get a better look. 
I purchased low calorie bread (Sara Lee Delightful Wheat bread 45 calories per slice) to eat instead of homemade. I also purchased lots of fruits and vegetables. 
 I tried a new SparkRecipe soup dish and absolutely loved it! 
Five-Ingredient Soup
Nutritional Info: Fat: 0.6g Carbohydrates: 24.9g Calories:128.0 Protein: 7.3g

Ingredients
1 (14.4-ounce) can fat-free chicken broth
1 (14.4-ounce) can corn, drained and rinsed
1 (14.4-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (14.4-ounce) can fat-free refried beans
1 (14.4-ounce) can no-salt added diced tomatoes 

Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan, whisking to integrate the refried beans. Simmer, then serve. 
 On Wednesday I was starving all day. I don't know why but I just never felt full. I made a huge stir fry and used lime juice over it instead of Soy Sauce to save on sodium. I didn't like the lime juice on the stir fry. In the future I purchased low sodium Soy Sauce because I need that bit of flavor on my stir fry. 
I also purchased fresh angel hair pasta to mix with the stir fry instead of rice. I like it either way, it was just a change and I used the pasta for spaghetti the rest of the week. The reason I purchased fresh pasta was to help me know the right amount to eat per serving to stay in my calorie range. I didn't know the measurement with dry pasta because I don't have a food scale. Now that I know a healthy meal of pasta is 1 1/4 cup, I'll cook regular dry pasta. 

(I'm going to purchase a food scale because it's the best way to really know I'm eating the correct amounts - which will help me be successful)

I used my own recipe for spaghetti - which I put in SparkRecipes to get the calorie and nutritional information. This helps me eat real food in the right quantity. Spaghetti beef sauce measurement was 1/3 cup. 
 Friday I ate leftover soup and spaghetti. 
 I had time Friday morning to whip up some French Toast with my low calorie bread and my sugar free syrup (15 calories for 1/4 cup). I fried one egg and split it between the 2 slices of French Toast. 
A yummy breakfast for 353 calories. 
 Today will be another leftover day.
Tomorrow for Easter dinner I am still preparing an Easter ham. I'll add a baked potato and asparagus with a salad - and deviled eggs. In order for me to succeed, I have to feel like it's not a diet and a healthy life style. 

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that I was invited to join a team that competes on challenges against other teams. I accepted the invitation and have joined. I figure this challenge to compete with other teams will keep me more motivated each day to help my team along. The next challenge hasn't started yet - probably on April 1st. I'm excited to join in all the fun and encouragement. 

Overall it was a great week and I'll take the additional 3 pounds I lost and continue my journey to a healthier me!

Also a note: I ordered a yoga mat and a pedometer from Amazon for free (yea swagbucks). I'll receive them on Monday to help me with my exercises and also to know how many steps I step each day - which should be interesting to know while I clean houses all day long.

Did you join SparkPeople? Are you joining me on my journey?

Easter Basket/Box Mailed

This year I didn't do anything Pinterest cute for Brady and Jason's Easter basket like I did last year.


I just mailed Brady a St. Patrick's Day box 2 weeks ago. Eater arrived very quickly this year and my boys get goodies two times this month. They are so very spoiled.
 No frills or thrills this year, just basic Easter basket goodies. 
 I've decided just to send bags of candy instead of dividing it up. Plus I purchased a bunch of smaller items too. 
 It's nice to add the Easter grass to the box and bag for a true Easter Basket feeling. I added just a 12 x 12 Easter scrap book paper and the image of Happy Easter to the box and bag. 
 Last year I started just doing a paper bag for Jason since he lives in town - it's much easier and I like this much better then storing the baskets to use once a year. 
A peek inside Jason's Easter bag.

Happy Easter to my spoiled adult boys. I love you! 

Monday, March 21, 2016

Ponderize Scripture March 21 - 27, 2016

Week: March 21-27, 2016

PONDERIZE. (Ponder and Memorize) Feast upon his words. 

Don't forget to save a little money each week too!! 

These 2 principles will lead to a better life.
Luke 24: 5 - 6
5 And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead?

 6 He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee,

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Primary 4 Lesson 12

Primary 4 Manual
Lesson 12
Lesson 12: Alma Baptizes at the Waters of Mormon

Suggested Home Reading
Suggest that the children study Mosiah 18:1–11, 30–35 at home as a review of this lesson.




Weight Loss Journey Started

Yes, I've started a weight loss journey again. It's embarrassing to admit that I am doing this again and again. I lost 50 pounds in 2008 and thought I had conquered my body issues then. But, over the years I gained it back and a little bit more as it goes. 

I get tired of having to do this over and over again, but I must. I hate that I can't have a body that is naturally skinny. It's not like I sit around and eat bonbons all day long watching TV. I am very active cleaning houses 5 days a week and try to eat nutritionally. 

My body weight has been an issue my whole life. It gets tiring - especially when people who are naturally thin just think overweight people are lazy.

I've been on my weight loss journey for 7 days now and have lost 5 pounds. 

I use a free program called Spark People here. It's what I used 8 years ago and am using again because I hate spending money to lose weight. Free is always better. 

One of the things that Spark People encourages is doing "streaks". How many days in a row can you log on to the site, how many days in a row can you log your food, how many days in a row can you exercise and more. You also can earn points - which have no value and can't purchase any, but fun to earn and keep you motivated. 

There are also free recipes on Spark Recipes here to browse and make - so your diet doesn't become boring and you lose interest.  That is what I was doing yesterday making a list of groceries before I go to the store today. I found some great recipes I'm going to try this next week.

One of the things that helps me is to track my food and exercise everyday.

I love Spark People nutrition tracker which breaks down nutrients your body needs. Here is my over all nutrition for my first week on my journey: 
I love that I can see the nutrition I get from the food I eat. I always have a terrible time getting enough protein in my diet - isn't that strange? I also struggle to keep my sodium low and have to play around with my food diary to make sure I keep it in range. I never am able to meet the Potassium and Magnesium requirements and I take a supplement daily.

I'm not much of a milk drinker and Calcium is also low. I started drinking diet hot chocolate again to increase that number - but I'm still below what I should be taking. I don't have calcium supplements, but need to start taking them so my bones don't get weak as I age. 


 Here is what I ate and log this week: You can click on the photo to enlarge it so you can see it better.
I love the recipe I found for Low Calorie Chocolate Mug Cake. It hit the spot when I'm having cravings for 58 calories: Here is the recipe:
Ingredients
2 tsp self raising flour (I use all purpose flour and add a pinch of baking soda to make it self rising)
1 and a quarter tsp cocoa powder
2 tsp brown sugar
Pinch of baking powder (not essential but it helps!) 
A few drops of vanilla essence 
Enough water to make a smooth mix
Directions
Add all the dry ingredients in a cup. Add vanilla essence and enough water to make the mix smooth. Microwave (my microwave is 100watts) for 1 minute. Allow to cool and enjoy without feeling guilty!
Serving Size: 1 cup  Number of Servings: 1




 Wednesday I decided to add the vitamins I take to see if it would boost my Magnesium and Potassium levels - which I am always low on. Unfortunately it didn't increase those totals - but I've left them on. 

Also on Wednesday I was starting to get hungry and weak and so I added more protein by barbecuing 2 hamburger patties. (I had 3 left in my freezer and BBQ them all and saved 1 for Thursday).

After eating 2 hamburger patties, I did feel much better and not so hungry. 

 Friday I needed flavor and some carbs. I decided to have a tuna sandwich for lunch. I don't purchase bread and use my homemade white bread recipe. I've added the recipe into Spark People so I can add it to my plan. 

That is a huge bonus with Spark People is you can add your own recipes to get the nutrition value. It's a huge thing to understand and know what you are eating. Plus not having to change to diet food but a regular lifestyle eating plan. No frozen dinners or paid food diets. It's real food you normally eat, but in a healthy diet you are aware of how many calories and nutrition you get from the food you eat. 

I made a chicken stir fry to get some flavor from onions, garlic, ginger, celery, carrots, broccoli, zucchini with a little drizzle of soy sauce. It was over white rice because brown rice doesn't store well and I'm a food storage girl and will use my food storage. But that is me and my life style. The stir fry was delicious and hit the flavor spot I needed. 
 I am eating left over tuna sandwich and stir fry today.

I also added a normal breakfast today with bacon, 2 eggs, 1 slice of toast with grape jelly on it. My sodium is high because I added the bacon. I've been good all week and don't feel bad about having a real life on this journey.
Exercise:
I started out on my exercise bike at 15 minutes. Later in the week I did 15 minutes two times. Today I was able to do 30 minutes in a row - the back of my thighs start to really ache and that is what makes me stop. I have to stretch them out when I'm done. But I'm super excited that I was able to it.

I do crunches on my exercise ball. 3 sets of 20 crunches.

I've also did a couple of exercise videos on Spark People. They are usually 10 minutes long and there are a lot to choose from. I put it on my laptop and try to follow along at my own rate. I found out that I can barely do a jumping jack. That is one of my goals is to be able to do a jumping jack again. 
It's sad getting older. 

I plan to update my weight loss journey every Saturday. It will take me a year to lose as much weight as I want to. I hope this will keep me motivated and on track. 

Your welcome to join me on my weight loss journey, join Spark People for free here, and comment your success in the comments below. 

I should also mention there are spark teams you can join to encourage each other. I'm on these teams:
Boise/Treasure Valley
Spark Idaho - the official team
Latter-Day Saint Ladies over 40
LDS Ladies

When I was successful before I was very active in the team goals and challenges. It makes it fun and keeps you motivated. 

I hope you will join me on this journey! 

Monday, March 14, 2016

Ponderize Scripture March 14 - 20, 2016

Week: March 14-20, 2016

PONDERIZE. (Ponder and Memorize) Feast upon his words. 

Don't forget to save a little money each week too!! 

These 2 principles will lead to a better life.
Moroni 7: 41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of your faith in him according to the promise.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

St. Patrick's Goodie Box

I'll be the first one to say I got carried away with Brady's St. Patrick's Day Goodie Box.

 I found so many fun green things, that I just kept adding them to the cart. 

But, it's all in good fun making memorable goodie boxes for my son away at college. I think it's more enjoyable for me because I have such fun putting them together. 

Here is what I sent to Brady for St. Patrick's Day. 
 The box decorations:
I'm so lucky to have you as my son!!
I Love You.
 This is everything I put in the box - lots of green things!
 Irish spring soap
Mint flossers
Green toothbrush
Hello - breath freshener
Puff Tissues
Krazy Glue
Scotch tape
Scissors
Green ruler
Green packaged pencils
 M and M's.
Mike and Ikes
Mug full of chocolate gold coins (his favorite thing in the package was the mug)
M and M's minis
Chewy Spree
Green Ring Pop
Sour Green Skittles
Fruit Roll ups in a green box
Parmesan Goldfish in a green box
Sour Punch ropes
Sour Neon Worms
Air Head Xtreme Bites
 For his kitchen:
Green towels and green (and white) dish clothes
Green utensils
The dollar shamrock was my favorite thing in the St. Patrick's Day goodie box. 
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
March 17th
Don't forget to wear GREEN and don't get pinched!

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