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Weigh in Wednesday 5/15

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Lisa

Weigh in Wednesday

Welcome back to Weigh in Wednesday! I’m glad to have you here as we work on reaching out goals in health, work and family.

Our short term goals need to be tangible. Feel better or be healthy are too vague. Be specific. Your short term goals should help you reach your long term goal. These can be changed and modified.

                      Short Term Mini Goal                                    Long Term Goal
Health Track all food for Weight Watchers/ gym 3 days/wk Wear a size 6 again
Work Write at least 4 posts/wk                        Grow my blog into business
Family Read with Little Man for 30 min/day    Spend more focused time w/ family

So, how are things going?:

Health: The new smaller clothes I bought a few weeks ago are fitting great! I’ve been faithfully tracking everything I eat for the last two and a half weeks! It’s really easy to not track my food but I know from past experiences that it’s the only way I’m able to loose weight. I’ve also been doing great at going to the gym or running at home. I think a lot of it has to do with my activity monitor. I want to get to my goal each day. It’s amazing what can happen just by setting a goal!

Work: This has been a great week for this blog! Now I just need to focus on getting both of my blogs going well at the same time. It can be such a balancing act.

Family: This week hasn’t been so good for book reading. More than a few times I’ve told Little Man no bed time story tonight. Okay kick in the butt we are going to become better readers. Little Man loves when we read and I don’t really know what’s keeping us from doing it more.

PS if you are on Weight Watchers online my username is MommaBranam. Hit me up and we will motivate each other!

Continue the conversation by following me on Facebook and Twitter.

How are you doing reaching your goals?

Have a post about reaching your goals? Link up with us. All I ask in return is that you put the button or link to this post on your site.

Funnel Cake Recipe

Posted on May 13, 2013 by Lisa

Funnel Cake Recipe Funnel cakes remind me of fairs and Knott’s Berry Farm. Probably because that’s the only time we ever ate them growing up. As a kid when we went to any fair or carnival my brother always wanted a funnel cake. Of course I would end up eating part of it since they are always so BIG. Now my hubby Ben wants a funnel cake any time we are at a fair. He actually scouts out the funnel cake vendor before he decides what real food he wants to eat.

Guess what? You don’t just have to eat funnel cakes at the fair! Funnel cakes are actually really easy to make at home with real ingredients. Added bonus, the whole batch will cost you less than one funnel cake at the fair and your won’t have to pay admission.

My mother in Law would make funnel cakes for Ben and his sister’s on Christmas morning when they were little. She gave me this recipe and let e just tell you it is incredibly easy. Keep in mind that the size of your pan will determine the size of your funnel cake. I wanted more individual size funnel cakes, unlike the ones you get at the fair, so I used an 8 inch pot.

Funnel Cake recipe- makes about 20 (I calculated these at 6 pts+ on Weight Watchers each)

3 cups Flour
½ cup sugar
1 tsp Baking Powder
¼ tsp Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
3 eggs
1 1/3 cup water
1 1/3 cup Milk (or more to make consistency of pancake batter)
Coconut Oil (or Crisco) for frying
1/4 cup Powdered sugar for dusting
Candy or frying thermometer
8 inch deep skillet
Funnel or funnel pitcher (I bought my funnel for funnel cakes at Garden Ridge)

What to Do:

Heat oil to 350 degrees in small 8” skillet or fryer, at least one inch deep.
Beat eggs lightly in bowl. Add all other ingredients, except powdered sugar, and mix with a whisk until smooth.
Use funnel pitcher or funnel to pour batter in a circle in hot oil. Batter will expand, so do not over fill! You have plenty of batter to mess up on the first one.
Cook each side approx 30-40 seconds, until lightly browned. Drain on plate lined with paper towels. Check the oil temperature once every few funnel cakes.
Dust with powdered sugar.

Pretend you are at the fair and enjoy!

FREE Photo Collage

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Lisa

You can score a free photo collage for Mother’s Day or just because from Walgreens.

Simply create your 8×10 photo collage and enter the code COLLAGE4YOU at checkout. If you want this deal totally free select in store pick up and save on shipping.

This would make a great mother’s day gift even if your mom is far away. Simply have your collage set for in store pick up at the store nearest to your mom.

This deal is only good through Saturday May 11th so get it while you can!

Weigh in Wednesday 5/8

Posted on May 8, 2013 by Lisa

Weigh in Wednesday

It’s Weigh in Wednesday again! That means it’s time to reach our goals in in health, work and family. Join in at any time and if you have a blog feel free to link up.

Our short term goals need to be tangible. Feel better or be healthy are too vague. Be specific. Your short term goals should help you reach your long term goal. These can be changed and modified.

              Short Term Mini Goal    Long Term Goal
Health Track all food for Weight Watchers/ gym 3 days/wk    Wear a size 6 again
Work Write at least 4 posts/wk                                  Grow my blog into business
Family Read with Little Man for 30 min/day     Spend more focused time w/ family

So, how are things going?:

Health: I lost 2 lbs this week! I can’t tell you how great it is to be back on track. I made 3 big changes that helped me out this week One, I drank I ton of water filling up my Camelbak Eddy water bottle 3 times a day. Two, I tracked ALL of the food I ate. Three, I used an It Works! body applicator (wrap) on Tuesday which helped my stretch marks fade and cause me to loose 2 inches from throughout my stomach.

Work: My homemade granola bar recipe has been blowing up Pinterest. Now I just need to make them again and take a better picture with everything I learned at my Tastography (food photography) class this weekend.

Family: Little Man and I reorganized his bookshelf this week. This has really helped us to read new books. Little Man was so excited to see some of the books he didn’t even know he had.

PS if you are on Weight Watchers online my username is MommaBranam. Hit me up and we will motivate each other!

Continue the conversation by following me on Facebook and Twitter.

How are you doing reaching your goals?

Have a post about reaching your goals? Link up with us. All I ask in return is that you put the button or link to this post on your site.

Chewy Granola Bar Recipe

Posted on May 3, 2013 by Lisa

Granola Bar recipe There is something wonderful about a chewy granola bar. Maybe its the feeling of eating something healthier than a candy bar while still eating chocolate, or maybe it’s the memory of childhood lunches. Whatever it is I love granola bars! Even if you are just starting your real food journey this granola bar recipe is super easy and completely kid friendly.

This recipe makes about 30-50 granola bars depending on how you cut them. They are super filling so I would cut them smaller and just eat two if you want more. The crumbs from the pan are great on plain yogurt or ice cream. Yum!

Granola Bar recipe: adpated from Kitchen Stewardship

Large roasting pan if you want them a little thinner and slightly crisper or a 13×9 pan if you want them more cookie like and chewy.
4 cups Rolled Oats
1 cup Butter, softened
1 cup Honey
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
3/4 Flour (whole wheat works great in this recipe)
1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1 cup Sliced Almonds (you can add some other nut but these give it a little crunch without it tasting nutty)
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup shredded unsweetened coconut (if you omit this add another 2 tablespoons of flour) I used the leftover shredded coconut from making coconut milk.
Mixer

What to do:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease the pan with a little bit of butter.
Beat the heck out of the butter until it is smooth. If you have hard butter this will take longer.
Add honey and blend on medium until mixed. You will need to scrape the sides to get it all mixed together.
Mix in vanilla
Add flour, baking soda and oats. Mix on low until blended.
Stir in Almonds, chocolate chips, sunflower seeds and coconut until mixed.
Scrape the mixture into your pan then press it evenly down throughout the pan. Pressing it together will ensure it stays together so press hard.
Bake 25 minutes until golden brown. Do not over bake! It will look really soft but that’s okay.
Let cool at lest 15 minutes before you cut them.
Enjoy!

These granola bars are a big hit around our house and make for a quick and easy snack or addition to Little Man’s lunch.

Weigh in Wednesday 5/1

Posted on May 1, 2013 by Lisa

Weigh in Wednesday

Welcome to Weigh in Wednesday! I can’t believe it’s May already! You know what that mean, summer and swimsuits! Whether you are new here or have been around for awhile feel free to join us and meet your goals in health, work and family.

Our short term goals need to be tangible. Feel better or be healthy are too vague. Be specific. Your short term goals should help you reach your long term goal. These can be changed and modified.

                         Short Term Mini Goal                                       Long Term Goal
Health Track all food for Weight Watchers/ gym 3 days/wk Wear a size 6 again
Work Write at least 4 posts/wk                                     Grow my blog into business
Family Read with Little Man for 30 min/day       Spend more focused time w/ family

So, how are things going?:

Health: I lost .4 lbs this week but somehow managed to gain .5 inches around my waist so who know what’s going on! I did run 3 miles yesterday, though I use run loosley I still did it. It took 45 minues but I am so proud of my self. Hopefully I can keep it up. I also bought ActiveLink which is the Weight Watchers brand activity monitor to help keep me active. Oh yes and I used and ITWorks wrap for the first time this morning. I can’t wait to tell you my results in a few days. Hopefully it really does work.

Work: So when my Monday appointment was cancellled I decided to go get a massage instead of working. Lets call it something I did for my health.

Family: My new plan for this week is family reading time where we both read on out own and then read together. Since Little Man has a Kindle Fire he has the option of having several book read to him as the words are highlighted.

PS if you are on Weight Watchers online my username is MommaBranam. Hit me up and we will motivate each other!

Continue the conversation by following me on Facebook and Twitter.

How are you doing reaching your goals?

Have a post about reaching your goals? Link up with us. All I ask in return is that you put the button or link to this post on your site.

Top 10 Baby Shower Gifts on a Budget

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Lisa

Photo by Samantha Janay

Buying baby shower gifts can be fun and overwhelming at the same time. Baby stuff is cute especially those sweet little newborn clothes. On the other hand it can be hard to find registry items in store. What the heck is a sun suit anyways and how on earth do you find the right rack?

After having my own baby and attending my fair share of baby showers I’ve come up with the top ten baby shower gifts on a budget.

Pain Reliever/ Fever Reducer- Though not glamorous the mom to be will thank you someday when her little one has a fever and she doesn’t need to run to the store. Buy dye free store brand.
Gas Relief Drops- Again not cute but the mom will love you one day. Store brands work just as well for a fraction of the cost.
Diapers- Opt for size 2 or 3. I can’t tell you how great it is to have the next size diaper on hand when the baby grew overnight. Remember to use coupons to get the best deal If she is cloth diapering make sure to get the right brand.
Clothes- Not newborn or 3 months. Yes the itty bitty shirt is cuter than the 9 month shirt, but everyone else will buy little clothes. Bigger sizes will be appreciated just as much, maybe even more.
Saline Drops or Spray- you can’t have too much of this.
Boudreaux’s Rash Protector- This stuff is amazing.
Certificates for free babysitting- Show your friends you care about their mental health as well as their baby. Make sure they cash in on the time off. It the new parents haven’t called you withing the first few months call them to check in and remind them about your gift.
Restaurant Gift Certificates- Making dinner can be challenging as a new parent, once friends stop delivering meals there can still be days where picking up dinner is an easier option. Find a restaurant where they can get out of the house with the baby or order to go. This would be great to give along with free babysitting.
Books- Dollar board books are just as good as $10 ones. Little Man’s favorite book as a baby was Bubbles Bubbles, a sesame beginnings book. You can often find it in the Target Dollar Spot or Dollar Tree. Buy a few books and start the learning process early. You can even inscribe a book instead of buying a card.
The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer DVD- They have it in book form too but I don’t know any new moms with the time to read a book. This DVD was out saving grace the first week with Little Man.

What are your favorite baby shower gifts on a budget?

Dear Parade Watchers,

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Lisa

I have a few things to say to those at the Battle of Flowers Parade with me.

Dear creepy man with the prison tattoos,

It’s nice that you have rejoined society. I’m sorry you had to change bars because the last one stopped serving $1 beers but you seem to be happy that the new one will serve you bourbon and coke with only a little coke. No one cares that you will be leaving the parade early to get to the bar when they open at 2. In fact, we may be a little happy. Your tirade to your friends wife about how you are allowed to smoke because it’s your right, you f*ing pay taxes and you’ll beat the cop who tries to stop you was quite entertaining but would have been better without all the children hearing your curse words. Apparently it isn’t my right to breath clean air or enjoy a parade without profanity. Oh and when the cops did catch you smoking dropping your cigarette under your foot was not very sneaky. I know you think you got away with it but the cops knew what happened. They just wanted you to stop smoking, which you did.

Dear Angry Lady,

We all realize you got to the parade early to get a good spot for your extended family. Just because someone passed by you to cross the street doesn’t mean you need to have a crazy fit. Calling her all sorts of names in both English and Spanish, cursing and yelling abut that’s why you got here early isn’t the best solution. It also doesn’t set the best example for your children who watched the situation unfold.

Dear men in the homemade tie-dyed tank tops behind me,

You aren’t hiding your alcohol by mixing it with juice. The police didn’t say anything because they don’t care. Didn’t you notice all the other people drinking? This is Fiesta after all. It was nice to hear you give such great praise to all the dancers and baton twirlers and I thank you for being so positive. Unfortunately no matter how butch, as you tell each other, you try to look in your pictures it’s just not going to work. You’re wearing tie-dyed tank tops for goodness sake!

Dear Parade Watchers,

As a whole you were a wonderful group. With a parade as epically long as the Battle of Flowers it can be hard. I have to say I have never seen a group of people cheer so loud and proud for their mayor. I think he got more cheers than anyone in the entire parade.

Dear San Antonio Police Officers,

You did a wonderful job. Thank you for stopping all the smoking without causing a scene. I realize you could have been meaner to the creepy man with prison tattoos but you chose to let it go. Thank you for have a sense of humor about all the crazy people. Oh and I love the female police officer’s pink handcuffs. Awesome.

Weigh in Wednesday 4/24

Posted on April 24, 2013 by Lisa

Weigh in Wednesday

Welcome to Weigh in Wednesday where we are working together to reach our goals in health, work, and family. Come join us and start working on your goals. You don’t have to work on all three areas, just do whatever feels right for you.

Our short term goals need to be tangible. Feel better or be healthy are too vague. Be specific. Your short term goals should help you reach your long term goal. These can be changed and modified.

                 Short Term Mini Goal                                                Long Term Goal
Health Track all food for Weight Watchers/ gym 3 days/wk      Wear a size 6 again
Work Write at least 4 posts/wk                                      Grow my blog into business
Family Read with Little Man for 30 minutes/day    Spend more focused time w/ family

So, how are things going?:

Health: I ran 2 miles twice this week! You have no idea how amazing that statement is. I have always hated running, like even if you were chasing me with a knife I probably wouldn’t run kind of hate, so this is a really big deal. It takes me about 28-30 minutes at the end of which I feel like I’m going to die but I still do it. I also started attending a different Weight Watchers meeting that I love. The people there are very talkative and supportive. Due to all my hard work I was able to wear some shorts I haven’t worn in years. Now I did have to wear a loose shirt but the fact that they even zipped and buttoned is a miracle in itself. I can’t wait for the day they are loose! Talk about motivation.

Work: I had a great weekend at NB KIDSfest this weekend letting the kids play in the sand and signing people up for weekly emails from Schertz Family Fun. Unfortunately now I have to input all that data, yuck.

Family: Reading has been going well. Thank goodness little man has decided to move on from Jump. I can only read one book so many times before I want to scream. My big plan for this week is to have a daily reading time where we both read on out own and then together. We get busy with life and tend to forget about reading until it’s time for bed.

PS if you are on Weight Watchers online my username is MommaBranam. Hit me up and we will motivate each other!

Continue the conversation by following me on Facebook and Twitter.

How are you doing reaching your goals?

Have a post about reaching your goals? Link up with us. All I ask in return is that you put the button or link to this post on your site.

FREE 8×10 Canvas or $50 off!

Posted on April 18, 2013 by Lisa

I’ve been looking at ordering a canvas print of your family for your living room (hint hint hubby) but they are so expensive and I’m so cheap.

I am an affiliate with Canvas People but I only share deals I really think are great. Canvas People is offering another amazing deal. You can score a FREE 8×10 gallery wrapped canvas. All you have to pay is shipping. If you’ve ever looked into getting a canvas print you’ll know what a steal of a deal this is. If you want a bigger print than 8×10 you will get $50 off Canvas People’s already low prices.

This your make a great Mother’s day gift or even a just because present.