Twas the Day After Christmas

and all through the house....

Okay so that's all I've got. I'm not much for writing quirky pose, though once and a while I can get a line or two that seem kind of funny.

I'm sitting here contemplating plans and goals for 2014 and praying that I can finance my last semester for my undergrad. It'll work out, I'm just hoping I don't have to push my graduation date back again.

Improving my health and fitness is always a goal for me. I've been working on it on my own and I'm going to try using Beachbody's Supergym more often to log my workouts. They have both a pay version and a free version. I'm currently doing the pay version, but I have previously used the free version and they're both great. If you want to try it go ahead and click HERE  and sign up. List me as your coach and I can encourage you on your journey, my coach name is JackieLee78.  I love the time tracker while your doing workouts. IF you do sign up for the pay version you get discounts should you decide to order Beachbody products. However, neither owning a Beachbody workout video nor signing up for the pay version is necessary to use the Supergym.

Another goal of mine is looking for ways to cut costs and save money. I'm quitting my part-time job in January so that I'll have time for all that's going on during my last semester (Senior internship, project, bioorganic chemistry) and the kiddies. So I need to figure out a budget just using the hubby's income. It's doable, just going to be tight for a while.

Thirdly and finally, I plan on trying to study my bible more during 2014. I've got several devotionals downloaded on my kindle and a couple versions of the bible on there as well. As well as having a couple hard copies. Though I am ashamed to say I rarely open any of them up more then a couple times a month. I'm going to change that and grow my faith this coming year.

The main way to keep resolutions/goals is to keep them SMART. Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Timely. So what I just did in writing out what I'm contemplating doesn't quite meet that criteria. So for the next week I'll try and write a post on each goal separately and correctly.

Have a great day dear readers.

Still Around

I'm here, I've just been trying to get some ideas/plans worked out before I post them.  I trying to work on a exercise plan that will work for me time-wise and I'll post that as soon as I get all the details sorted out.  I'm also working on a no or little sugar plan.  I would like to have no white sugar for me and little sugar for the Hubby and kiddies.  I know getting them to go no sugar is like trying to get milk from a bull.  Just not going to happen.  Maybe when the kids are grown and make their own decisions about what they eat they'll see how unhealthy it is. Unfortunately that is not taught in elementary, middle and high schools.  What is taught is moderation so my kids learn, from school, that a little sugar is okay.  So as not to confuse them, much, I'll let them have a little sugar.  I'll incorporate non-sugar, natural sweeteners in my baked goods that they eat and know that I'm doing my best to get them to eat healthy.
For myself, I'm going to have to stop drinking soda. Yes I've been drinking it again. How much depends solely on what kind of day I'm having.  The more stress I feel the better that can of Dr. Pepper or Mountain Dew sounds. Well one can was pretty good, how about another.  I usually don't drink more then 3 (4?) cans a day and not every day.  On a good day I may drink none to one.  A bad day and I've drank four and am forcing myself to not drink another one.  Do I feel less stressed after drinking a can (or four) of soda? No, not really. I usually end up feeling guilty on top of being stressed. So I need to stop and use other, healthier resources for dealing with stress. I live on a quite street, I can go for a walk.  I may have to ignore some looks, heckling from some obnoxious children that live two doors down, but still doable.  I have some hand weights/dumbbells. I can workout.  I have access to internet(obviously) I can look up some yoga videos/exercises.
So goals for nutrition this week are:

•  Ask myself if I really need that soda or just want it. If I'm frustrated with kids, homework, or whatever maybe I should look to do something else.  If afterwards I still want that soda then I can have one, in a glass over ice. 
• To try no-sugar for me and less sugar for the rest of my family.

I do have some fitness goals, though I didn't mention them in what I wrote above. They are:

• To do 30 minutes of weight exercises and 30 minutes of cardio for 6 days this coming week with Saturday being a rest day.
• Cardio will be 3 of the days working on the Couch to 5k program so that I can be ready for the 5k I signed up to run in August. The other 3 days will be 30 minutes on the Gazelle Freestyle I bought at a yard sale last weekend.  I really like this, it's low impact but I'm still able to work up a sweat and get my heartrate up to 130-160 bpm, which is my target rate for weight-loss/fitness.

I'll try to post a couple times this week to update on how it is all going. It's sometimes difficult to post with classes and life, but I'll try. 

Here is the Gazelle freestyle I have and love.

Looking for Ideas

Okay since I had my teeth removed and got the immediate denture I've not had much of an appetite.  It's hard to think of clever, yummy, healthy foods when it hurts to chew.  The pain is getting better and hopefully the dentist will fix the looseness of the denture so it irritates my gum less when I go in on Monday.
However, I'm needing ideas of recipes to re-create or modify to make them softer and delicious while being clean and healthy.  If anyone reading this blog has an idea or would like to see something done to a recipe just leave a comment.  One idea I'm tossing around is a clean version of a family favorite called Chicken Rotel.  It has chicken, Doritos, Velvetta cheese and Rotel(canned diced tomatoes with green chilis) all layered in a casserole dish and baked.  Making a clean version of this will be very difficult.  Especially since Velvetta isn't really cheese but a processed cheese product.  Nope not clean, and cheddar doesn't melt the same. As for the Doritos, I can make homemade tortillas or take store bought tortillas(making sure to read labels) and bake them to a crisp.   I have ideas and I may be able to come close without spending a bundle on a dish.  I think that'll be a good project for the next week or two.  I'll fit it in around my classwork and post here once I come up with a good recipe.