A Banner Day

Remember last fall when I posted the pictures of the mess of cleaning out the school closet? Wow, I did a thorough cleaning that weekend and boy did it pay off. The closet had gotten some clutter and there were random items shoved into the closet to get them out of the way but I just did a reorganization of the school closet and one of our school bookshelves in just one evening, as in today. I still have a few items to clear up and I started another bag for the annual used homeschool sale that happens in May.
My three oldest sell used curriculum as a fundraiser for their leadership team so I am going to get a table a see if I can make a few dollars to order our history curriculum for next year. I often rarely take much money home with me because I usually spend it at the sale purchasing used items, so we shall see how I fare. Mystery of History Volume IV will be the history for the girls next year and I cannot wait to learn alongside of the girls.

Trim Healthy Mama Freezer Food Prep, Friday Update and a Mosquito

Thursday evening three of us from our little THM accountability group got together to make freezer meals. We used the Once A Month Meals website and did our shopping and met up to begin. We made about eighty-five meals for three families in about five hours. Six if you include dinner and time waiting out an electrical outage and clean up. Each family had three people helping, many hands make light work 

My cooler of meals part way through the evening. The cooler could not hold it all by the end of prep time. 

My Friday update picture, today marks twenty-eight pounds gone. 

Good thing we made all those meals because I was too exhausted to make dinner tonight so a bag was placed in the crockpot this morning

and we had a yummy meal tonight. 

Talk about ending on a bad note, I saw my first mosquito today. 

Encounters

Yesterday was eye appointment day for my three oldest. The girls went to the waiting area and Benjamin and Levi and I were at the optical side getting their glasses adjusted, because a six year old could use an adjustment every day. A Man, I am sure a very nice man because he struck up conversation with a thirteen year old, asked Judith about school and she told him we home educate. She had to let him know that we had done our school work in the morning before coming to the eye doctor's office. He then asked her if she had friends. Really? Is going to school all about having friends? Just because children are educated at home can it seem impossible to know people? I am kind of glad I missed this dialogue because sometimes I do not have great patience for such things. Anyway, I was busy with a six year old who has to keep sending the lady back for more adjustments until they get his glasses just right and in between he was busy modeling glasses for his next pair. He  had the receptionist laughing. He is a very animated little guy. He looked particularly adorable in the Ray Ban sunglasses.
Back to this man, good thing he does not go to our orthodonist office because he would be shocked at the number of kids there at any given time. I wonder when those kids do their school work? I wonder if they have friends? Better reel it in because the scarcasm is a little heavy.

Sunday Snapshot

Since I failed to take any photographs last week we actually got ready early this week. Happy Sunday!

Spring Cleaning

Good thing we spring cleaned a room yesterday. Springtime in Alaska.

No Update, Well a Non Picture Update

There were no daytime events scheduled so I decided to spring clean the family room. I showered, dressed in comfy, cleaning clothes and got started cleaning. Cleaning lasted a while and a photo of me was not taken. 

I have officially reached the twenty-five pounds lost mark so that is exciting, even though I only lost a few ounces this week

Instead I have photographic proof that I spent some time cleaning. 

Lots of vacuuming and mopping and dusting and so forth from my girls and I. I feel better even though I do not think anyone would notice the work we did, I know we cleaned. Now to work through the rest of the house. 

Suffering over here

I joke, I kid.

 I am not suffering over here at all.

 I am enjoying Trim Healthy Pancakes from the Trim Healthy Mama book topped with my homemade triple berry blend sauce. 

To save time I poured the batter into baking dishes and baked them instead of cooking on a griddle. 

As soon as the protein powder I ordered this morning arrives we are going to try waffles. Yum!

NSV

On the Trim Healthy Mama facebook group there is something called Non Scale Victories (NSVs), which are just as important as the number on the scale, maybe more so.

My NSV for Resurrection Sunday was manuvering a gathering meal at someone else's home. Thankfully the offerings were such that my meal was not that off plan even though I still splurged. The main course was Cornish hens stuffed with wild rice, potato salad (off plan but I only had about two bites), asparagus and buttery garlic green beans and deviled eggs. I did finish off Benjamin's dinner roll and I had a slice of lemon blueberry cake. Even an off plan meal can be a victory because I did not stuff myself, I enjoyed a feast day with friends and family and I did not stess or beat myself up over eating off plan, I had a thm snack at the end of the day because getting back on plan is easy and also satisfying. 

And, just for grins I weighed this morning and my weight was down a few ounces from my Friday weight. Gotta love THM, I highly recommend it. 

Chicken Alfredo for dinner anyone? 

It's Friday Again

Greetings from Alaska where we are taking a little break from breakup with some cooler temperatures. That is okay because I sometimes enjoy these breaks from slushy roads and puddles. 

Today I am down twenty-four pounds.

My husband brought this shirt back from his trip to Anchorage. I would have never worn this shirt before weightloss because of the longer length and the way I would have looked. 

The girls and I went dress shopping since dresses are abundant right now and on sale and Fred's had an extra 15% off clothing coupon and I had an extra 30% off one item coupon. Win win. Oh, and I took a selfie in the three way mirror in the dressing room area. 

For the first time in I do not know how many years I am actually enjoying wearing jeans. As in I do not run to my room and change as soon as I get home. 

 

Matthew 20:28