Crafting and Cooking. The story of my week.

Last week I had a blast, I got to try some things in the kitchen I've been wanting to try, I was able to craft some new crochet projects and I also got some great quality time with my niece, nephew and sister in law. Here is a look at my week, my latest projects (the successes and the failures as well), enjoy and maybe you can take something from this and enjoy some new ideas with your family. Oh, and I'll be sharing the recipe that worked soon so keep an eye out!

Well, here goes, I want to start with my favorite, I think, I can't really decide this week was so much fun. This was my daughters favorite too though by a long shot, HEALTHY cheese crackers, she helped make them and was so excited as they came out of the oven. Cheese crackers are most definitely a favorite with most kids, especially mine. These have very few ingredients including grated carrots that create a great filler and integrate vegi's into a wonderful kids snack. The recipe will be up soon so check it out, they are GREAT!

The first thing I tried was homemade gummy candies for my daughter since she loves them so, I was so excited about this, it is healthier and cheaper. Juice, gelatin, just some simple ingredients. Well, this I will say was in fact the project that FAILED this week. Not that I'm giving up, I'll be finding a recipe that works and hope to soon but they were gooey and sticky, my daughter is quite the prissy little thing so anything that makes her hands dirty she doesn't like to touch. Also tried with my son, since he doesn't care if he gets messy and he didn't like it. I don't know why but it just didn't work, hopefully the next attempt will!

 

The next thing I want to share is homemade Velveeta, (this recipe will also be up on the blog soon) my husband LOVES Velveeta cheese dip, but have you bought that stuff lately? It is HIGH, seems like the prices keep going up and up! Well, this was something extremely fun for me, not only does it give my husband something he really likes for a little cheaper and to us an even better flavor but, it is much healthier too, no preservatives all real ingredients! 

Apparently I didn't take a picture of the finished product, sorry!

Next, I crocheted a really cute bow holder for my niece for her birthday to go with some bows I had crocheted for her. See, I have been doing so many different projects, including a hello kitty hair bow I made for my daughter who is slowly becoming a great fan of all hello kitty products. My grandmother taught me how to crochet when I was younger and I regret not taking more of an interest until lately, see, I have gotten pretty good at this and enjoy making things without patterns and with them. This bow holder that I didn't have a pattern for turned out really well and I hope to get it pinned down to stitch numbers and all so I can post the pattern soon as well as the bows that are on it.

 

And, last but not least, although I enjoyed all my new experiments with crafting and cooking, this picture below sums up the greatness of my week last week. My daughter, niece and nephew were all so tired from playing together that they actually decided to tell us "night night" and go pretend to sleep in my daughters room. They weren't actually sleeping but they were so sweet together and such a joy to be able to watch them together, if only my son was in this picture too! 

Left daughter Annabelle, Middle Luke, Right Julia

My weight loss journey... and INSANITY

Wanted to share something for those who may be considering a work out plan, routine or however you would like to call it. After having 2 babies 12months apart (yes I know some of you are thinking I'm crazy and that's fine but I count myself VERY blessed) I needed to lose weight. When I say I needed to lose weight I don't mean 10 or 15 pounds I needed to lose like 55 to be where I was happy. Doctors didn't tell me to but there was no better time to get rid of the weight I had gained both following a miscarriage, the small period of depression afterwards and 2 following pregnancies. My body had left, and when I say that I mean I let it go, after the miscarriage I didn't really care about my body and my first pregnancy I ate ALL the time. Now, with my second pregnancy, my son, I didn't gain but about 15lbs which was right at the edge of not enough, they were telling me to try to gain which was a whole new territory for me lol. Both pregnancies ended in bed rest, my second was 12 LONG weeks of it and I was going crazy wanting to just go for a walk, something, not to mention I was so heartbroken that I couldn't be the "mom" my still baby girl (under 1) needed me to be. Long story short, my son was delivered via emergency c-section at 33 weeks so this was a time of worry and concern and I must say such a hard time watching him and leaving him in the NICU for a month straight hooked up to machines helping him breath and so on (this is a long story and so I'll skip the details and get back to the weight loss part). This threw another excuse up there for me to gain weight. At this point though, I was stressed passed the "don't know what to do" stage and so this time I took a little more control, for some reason I tend to do better under pressure in stead of the usual opposite. I started dieting the normal 6 weeks after delivery and following the release from my surgery I started workouts slowly. Starting with doing allot of the elliptical because that's something I enjoy (and I had one at home) to doing some home work out videos and things along those lines... A stay at home mom with 2 kids ages 2 and infant doesn't really leave time for gym's or what not so this was all on me, I had to figure out a way to do it from my living room.

I did several workout videos until they became easy (and I don't mean easy as in they didn't work just felt like I wasn't pushing myself anymore). Then there came INSANITY, my lovely husband saw a commercial and told me about some people at work he heard talking about it so I looked it up, and some times I wish he never mentioned it but other times (after I'm done lol) I LOVE IT! It is hard, and most definitely not for beginners as it says several times too but it is worth it! Never thought I would be able to even hang in there with it but I did, even had to get a rag to wipe sweat while I was doing it and I drank SO much water. Even purchased a heart rate monitor. But, again, it is WORTH IT! This was not the end of my weight loss but I can guarantee you I wouldn't be anywhere close without it. Within about 6 months (including the Insanity time period) I lost over 30lbs. I was so incredibly proud of myself, my determination, motivation, everything that helped me reach that point. Then, seemingly like one thing after another we had some life changes and I let myself get side tracked... blah blah blah, nothing that I couldn't have pushed thru had I worked even harder, but I didn't. 

Now, if you remember from the beginning, I needed to lose 55lbs and I had only completed 30... So, I am now feeling as if I'm starting over, which I'm not but it feels like that because I stopped for several months. Just a few days ago I started back with Insanity, not without my doubts creeping back up but I started. I am not a quitter and I WILL finish this goal. I have to lose this weight and FINALLY be able to say I am where I want to be not where anyone else thinks I'm good at but where I can look at myself in the mirror and feel confident about what I see. Never had a perfect body, but it was mine and I want it back! :)

I write all this now to hopefully encourage some of you who are considering a weight loss journey beginning or trying to find the motivation to NOT quit! DON'T, if your thinking about quitting before you reach your goal, just don't, I can tell you from experience you will not be satisfied until you reach your goal. However, never set an unreasonable or unhealthy goal for yourself, evaluate it, make it something that makes sense both for your health and for your confidence in appearance. And if reaching your goal compromises your health, then yes, stop and reevaluate! Health should always be first, do not compromise your health to reach a goal that is not right for you or to be skinnier. Being skinny isn't the goal, being healthy and confident is. Make sure you do that, I cannot stress enough that your health needs to come first, don't compromise that and as insanity suggests, seek medical advice before starting a routine as vigorous as it is.

My story, my life.

This being my first post, first time blogging, I believe the time is appropriate to tell my story. Without my story there is no " me" today because I'm a firm believer that each day, each moment ( the good AND the bad) make and mold you to whomever you are. That being said, above ALL, my God, my salvation is the true reason I'm alive in every sense of the word. My life has been blessed, and that, well that is a true understatement. However, I believe that's the best way to put it because a blessing is a gift from God, and there is no other explanation for all the good in my life.
    Being blessed in life doesn't mean a life without heartache. ( And a note to those hurting for whatever reason, be patient with those around you, they may not know how to handle your problem but chances are you don't know how to handle theirs, heartache, hurt and trials are all unique and even more so in everyones individual lives. We all have them in some sort even if they aren't well known). Ok, back on track here, I've not been thru everything but I believe I've been thru enough to have earned my " grown- up" title even when I think I don't want it. Truth is, even when we don't understand, and may never, God has a plan. Hardest times in my life for me to accept that would have to be my pacemaker at age 14, our miscarriage ( and the brief period I couldn't conceive afterwards), and most recently, last year when we got the call my mom was being air lifted to the hospital with a head injury. Those are several main events, and like all of us there are other times when, even when we know better, we doubt the plan in store for us. Looking back I still don't understand it all but I've accepted it and I'm working each day to learn to accept it sooner rather than later.
   Onto a more positive note, which is what I plan for most of this blog, I have 2 amazingly beautiful children who are in every way our miracle babies and a husband who is always by my side.
    This is me, in a nutshell that is! And this blog, well we will see where it goes. I invite you to follow me, a mom and a wife as I plunder through life's journey learning as I go. This is meant to be a fun outlet, a log for my crafts ( I'm big on trying new things), recipes as I love to cook and a little bit of everything in a woman's way of life. It may take a little time to get acquainted with it all but I hope to share my explorations and life with you all!

Enjoy!
Elizabeth "ellie" Brewer