A New Challenge

Body After Baby Challenge Week 1

About a month ago I became really aggressive on trying to loose weight for the first time since having three kids in a row. Within 4 weeks I lost 10lbs and 3.5" overall which is pretty good progress. However, part of that time I was sick which helped with weight loss but halted my exercising. I was doing great too!

I was very glad to come across the Body After Baby Challenge that Mama Notes has started to help spark things back up. So for the next eight weeks I am going to do my best to pick up where I left off!

Starting Stats-

Height 5'4"
Weight 152lbs

Goals this week-

Drink a minimum 40oz of water a day
No more than 1 Dr. Pepper
Exercise 3 times

Sounds simple but it's not!

BAB (Body After Baby) Goals

To loose 12-17lbs which would bring me to 135 lbs.

My long-term goal is to get down to 120 lbs. I was 115 lbs and tiny before babies.

Well, here goes nothing!

Birthdays

Well, January is coming to a close and that means several events are around the corner. My mom's b-day is the 2nd of Feb, one of my aunt's is the 5th and mine is the 9th, plus Valentine's Day. My husband isn't the romantic type and I like picking out my gift anyways (though it would be nice for a surprise every once in a while!) He doesn't read this though lol. Last year I bought a yarn swift. This year I want some nice yarn and some dyes. I'm tired of Wiltons and Patons and KP. They're all great and cheap but I would really for once like to feel KPPPM, Purewool, BFL or something! I'm afraid if I ever do I'll become a total yarn snob. I have tons of acrylic from when I first started out, Red Heart Super Saver, I hate working with the stuff now! I don't mind Caron Simply Soft.. I mean it's soft right? how can you hate that and the price? But it is not good for ribbing.. which I found out with the one sock (test sock) I made once.
I REALLY need to make something for me for once! I don't think I ever have unless you count washcloths to clean the kids faces with lol. Maybe a tank (that actually covers the girls) would be nice :) I'm having a hard time trying to figure out which dyes to go with.. Jacquard seem the easiest and I already have red, yellow, and blue in them but I wouldn't mind using something different if it was better.
For Christmas I bought the book "the yarn lover's guide to hand dyeing" but was dissapointed. I was looking for something to show me how to make consistent results, methods of storing dyes, and which dyes are good for what. Almost all of the book could be found online and I only found one technique I hadn't seen before. Any suggestions to look at for my b-day present? I never know what to get my mom, she always says she doesn't want anything.....

I frogged that skirt yet again lol. I guess I am not scared of frogging like some poeple.
I checked my ice cube trays this last time I made babyfood and they are NOT 1oz each, the whole tray made a little ocer 10oz with those 18 cubes.. but still the price savings is great.

Pics!

Ok so here are the pics I said I would get together... baby food first


My collection so far... left to right starting from the top, butternut squash, bananas, peas, sweet potatoes, green beans, and carrots.


Now for the McWayne Center

snack time is pout time



and lastly is this giant pegboard kind of thing that they had tons of fun playing in. This one is of daddy Ben


Finished Ty's pants and here are the babylegs too.



Now about baby food making. If you would like to look in to it then I suggest you visit here that will take you to the cost page and let you see a comparison but that site has tons of info regarding nutrients and how to make your own! Have fun!

I love to learn!

Ok, so I was the teacher's pet growing up you know the one that always tattled on you right? I can't help it if I like to follow rules and you didn't! Lol. I love to be creative but since I have that 'must have rules' mentality it's hard to think outside the box sometimes and be free to make mistakes (I hate mistakes, they go against my frugalness! is.. that a new word?).

I made some more baby food for Kailey today but I couldn't take pics because hubby went with my FIL to the McWayne Center with Alyssa and Tyler. (YAY!) I have tons of things to get done though.. one of which is a mountain of clean clothes to fold.. really a mountain. No one tells you before you have kids how much laundry you are going to have to keep up with!
I almost have all the 'first foods' made for Kailey. I have green beans, peas, bananas (I don't like how they turn brown if you freeze them so I didn't make much), pear, apple, and today I made carrots and butternut squash. I have never had butternut squash or avocado (which is in the fridge) but I tried the squash and actually liked it.. even though I *think* I remember not likeing yellow squash... It's bad being a picky eater when you want your kids to eat well.

I have been really suprised at how easy this has been. I mean, for me to say it's easy when I have never cooked anything.. other than grilled chicken, tacos, spaghetti, and my specialties chocolate oatmeal candy, and sausage balls... that's something. So I KNOW you can do it too.
I used my double boiler/steamer today since the squash was huge.. it made 3 full trays of baby food cubes :D Wait let's see how much that cost *mad dash to receipt* 2.3lbs @ $.98 lb = $2.25
Did you see that? each cube is about an ounce and there is 16 cubes in a tray times 3 trays =48oz. Think about how much 48oz of baby food would cost at the store! I wish I had known about this the first two times around, well cloth diapers too lol. The peaches and avocados will have to wait until tomorrow :)