From the category archives:

Things I Love

Sentimental Silver on Facebook

by Christi on August 26, 2010

I admit, I spend entirely too much time on Facebook – but it’s such a great way to stay up to date with friends and family, share photos and stories, reconnect with long lost friends and find out what my favorite businesses are up to.    So naturally, Sentimental Silver has a Facebook Fan Page.  If you haven’t checked it out, please do!  It’s the first place you’ll hear about specials and discounts.

{ 0 comments }

Weight Watchers

by Christi on July 25, 2010

I’m such a stress eater.  You know you are in trouble when you are an adoptive mother, and at each doctor’s appointment you take your very pregnant birth mom to, YOU have gained more weight than she has.  Awesome.    The stress of the adoption packed a good ten pounds on me (making me a good 15 more than where I prefer to be).  So now that Gracie is sleeping well at night and I can’t use the constant fatigue as an excuse, it’s time to get that baby weight off.   After we first had Grace, people would tell me how great I looked, and than I’d mention we adopted.  About a month later I said screw it, and started accepting the compliments.  Gotta take what you can get!

So good old Weight Watchers.  Time to count the points.  I do the online program, and really have no excuse not to stay on top of it, with my handy dandy WW iPhone app and all.

I started a few weeks ago, and was picking up steam, and than the stress of Bella’s surgery.   I mentioned being a stress eater, didn’t I?   But now that she’s stuck on a terribly restrictive diet, the least I can do is stick to me measly 20 point a day WW diet.

I remember doing WW in my late 20′s – I’d have my points, eat all my flex points, and go a few over, and still lose, every week.  Yay me!   Yeah, well mid (late) 30′s is a whole different ball game.  Might as well throw those flex points in the trash.   Go over those 20 little points (about 1000 calories) and there’s no losing.   Good times!

I’ve found my few low point staples, the ones that keep me from running to my nearest Dairy Queen for a caramel chocolate chip Blizzard (well, at least on a good day they do).    My fabulous one point breakfast is a Deep Chocoalte Vitalicious Vitatop.


They are so good.  No, not exactly one of those giant 4826 calorie chocolate muffins from Costco, but first thing in the morning, they do just fine, and are 100 calories, full of fiber and ONE WW POINT!    Beats my 8 point bowl of cereal that I’d probably have otherwise.

And speaking of Costco, that’s where I’ve been getting them.   They aren’t exactly cheap, but the Costco price is completely fine with me.  I will cry when and if Costco stops carrying them.   I actually really want to try some other flavors – Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip, Triple Chocolate Chunk and Double Chocolate Dream are at the top of my list (do you get the chocolate theme?).  I’m just waiting for it to cool down, as I haven’t heard the greatest things about their summer shipping (and let’s be honest, it’s 115 here, nothing should ship here).

Second item that I must have in my freezer at all times – Hostess 100 Calorie Pack Chocolate Cupcakes.

Another chocolate fix, that thanks to the high fiver, comes in at 1 WW point.   I only like them in the freezer, not sure why.   And there’s something about getting to eat THREE chocolate things that makes me happier than eating one, larger chocolate thing.    The other packs look good as well, but I think the chocolate ones are the only ones with enough fiber to make them a 1 point snack.

Western Bagel’s Alternative Bagel is another staple.   A one point bagel, that is actually chewy and bagel-ish, compared to some of the other lighter bagels.

I don’t tend to eat them alone, but instead use them for a sandwich.   I love them with some egg-beaters and lowfat cheese for a breakfast bagel, or with turkey and lowfat cheese for lunch.    I usually get them at Super Walmart, but need to check some other places because I’d love to try the country white, and thus far have only been eating the sweet wheat (though cinnamon spice is quite yummy, just not the best partner for turkey, or cheese).

I also love Hungry Girl – her emails, website and books are great resources.

I’ll certainly be looking for more great finds.  Unfortunately I don’t eat terribly healthy on WW – I’m just not good at weighing and measuring every ingredient in something I make from scratch to calculate the points, but hey, I’m not standing in line at DQ.   Baby steps.

{ 1 comment }

Blog… long time no see!

by Christi on June 26, 2010

Wow, I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve posted ~ almost two months!   We’ll think of it as blog maternity leave.   The past few months have been great – but busy busy busy!   I think we are starting to return to somewhat of a normal routine, or should I say we are getting into the groove of a new one.   Gracie is an absolute doll, and growing and changing so fast.   Bella has finished up first grade, wrapped up a fabulous dance season and just got a sassy new “big girl” hair cut.   Life is good.

We have a few more busy weeks which include gymnastics camp for Bella, more drooling and attempted thumb sucking for Gracie, a trip up to Pinetop and than Bella’s surgery.   After B’s surgery we will be laying low for a while, she’ll be on a liquid diet for 10 days, than a soft diet for another ten days, and very limited activity the entire time.  No swim.  No dance.   It will be a challenging three weeks.   I am in no way looking forward to it (can we say DREAD?) but one month from now it will be behind us (and she’ll be starting the soft food phase of her recovery – something I’m guessing she will be VERY happy about).

Lots of great photos to catch up on, let’s see if WordPress wants to play nice and let me post them.  :)

Bella’s Recital 2010 Photos  (by the uber talented Meggan Jacks)

Cute video from dress rehearsal (wondering why I didn’t take more videos, but at least I got one!)

We must have some Gracie cuteness – she is SO adorable and is getting to be so smiley.   I think it’s safe to say that even at two months of age, she knows she’s cute.

One Month Old

Two Months Old

And Bella’s new haircut (which she is VERY excited about)

That pretty much brings us up to date!   Hopefully it won’t be two months before I update again!  :)

{ 1 comment }

A Diaper Bag Is Still A Bag

by Christi on April 17, 2010

It’s no secret that I LOVE handbags.  Love love love.    I’ve been known to buy a bag in more than one color if I love the style.   I am a complete sucker for a Marc Jacobs bags.    The Stella is probably my all time favorite bag, or at least it should be since I have three of them (pink, pinker and green).  It’s so big it’s practically luggage.  LOVE IT.   Also quite taken by the Faridah.

As much as I love my Marc Jacobs bags, they are probably not the most practical diaper bags.   With Bella I had the standard issue “baby” diaper bag.  You know the one that LOOKS like a diaper bag.   The one that says, “I’m now a parent and am apparently giving up on all fashion”.   This time around I wanted a more modern less diaper-ish bag.   The selection is amazing compared to seven years ago, so the challenge was not finding one, it was picking one.   The one I ended up with is the Skip Hop Studio Bag.  I LOVE it.   Tons of pockets, it’s super roomy but not too heavy, and it doesn’t look like a diaper bag.  My husband was confused by this – “but it doesn’t look like a diaper bag”.  Exactly!

I ordered it online without seeing it in person, so quite relieved that it’s everything I had wanted.   In my search I found a lot of great bags, bags I’d probably use without a baby.   Most of them were more than I wanted to spend, especially given that we still have a lot of adoption costs to cover.  Here are some of my favorites…

This OiOi Leather Hobo Diaper bag is G-O-R-G-E-O-U-S.

Nest North South Diaper bag.  I LOVE all the different pockets and compartments.

And the most posh of the bags – the Petunia Pickle Bottom Cake Bags.  LOVE these bags.   If I win the lottery, I will be buying these bags in every color.   So pretty!   Bags and the word CAKE.  What’s not to like???

Related Posts with Thumbnails

{ 1 comment }