Virgin Diet update

11 pounds in 6.5 weeks! It's going so well! : )

Tuesday is last day of 7 weeks of V-Diet. I plan to continue it as I have 9 more pounds to reach my Oct. 8 goal (5 weeks) which is also what I weighed before I got pregnant with Julia. Currently I'm 2 pounds away from what I weighed before I got pregnant with Jacqueline!

It will be close, but I'll be happy regardless. My eventual goal is another 5-10 pounds after the initial 20 so that I'll be in top range of my suggested BMI. Honestly I think if I lose any more I'll look anorexic.

Even if I don't get to the exact number by 10/8, I will start again after my (used to be annual) "Sister Trip" during Fall Break (October) to see Susie in Phoenix. She is doing VD too & eats vegetarian (vegan sometimes too) so I know we'll eat healthy; hopefully play some much needed tennis. We didn't get to play tennis like usual during her summer visit to Nashville because of S's foot injury.

Counting calories is making the difference - overall I'm eating less. Exercise is important too, but food intake is my nemesis. Also being gluten free is a good part of plan. Adding the other 3 foods independently in last 4 weeks was not too revolutionary. My body doesn't react to soy, dairy, egg in major ways. Eating gluten has been telling, especially wheat. Ezekiel bread or spelt are OK for me to eat, but wheat is not!

I look forward to being at maintenance point too. : )

Additional Note:
A friend asked how Jai was doing. Good question, didn't mean to exclude his progress. : )
Jai is doing pretty well.  Strangely he hasn't lost as much weight as I expect (men usually lose faster). He's lost 9 pounds ... I think he has about 35 more.  He stays up later than me & snacks. He's doing better after he gained 2 pounds 1 week & then he started logging/counting calories the next week.

National Wear Your College Colors Day

My colleague/co-school counselor & I promoted this day in conjunction with our district's college & career readiness initiative. We communicated with our school staff to wear their college shirts; many did.

I wore 1 of my Wellesley t-shirts with pride & excitement.

Of course I have 4-5 Wellesley shirts - my favorite is one I cannot wear at work sadly.
Wellesley Wisdom is on the front.
On the back is a quote from Madeline Albright '59 at reunion (not sure which one in last 10 years).
"There is a special place in hell for women who do not help other women."

I save that one for more appropriate opportunities to display my politics & feminism. : )

Cute is as cute does

This morning I told Julia to put on her backpack so we could leave. Immediately Jacqueline pushed past me going away from the door. I followed asking where she was going but she gave me no response, walked right over to her little backpack, pulled it off the chair, went to the door and while trying to put it over her shoulder said backpack, or maybe bye bye; its hard to tell. 

Cute is as cute does when Jacqueline tries to copy Julia. 

I will not be the one teaching Julia to drive

Today's homework assignment is pretty simple ... yet I found myself getting more frustrated as Julia didn't write her name clearly & correctly on those darn lines of primary writing tablet paper. Yikes! We switched kids after Jai changed Jacqueline into PJs & I got her to sleep. As I watched Jai & Julia working together, it was a much different picture of calm & patience. Thank goodness! : )

Goodwill greatness!

AHHH! I really am mad at myself for being so tardy on posts sometimes. It's the cycle of my life. I'll get on something & obsess, catch up on posts, for example, and neglect some other area, like working on Julia's birthday party plans, which is one reason I got up early on Sunday morning!

Here goes a quick synopsis of why Goodwill is great.
1. Sundays & Wednesdays are 99 cents day - items (clothes mainly) with the assigned color tags for that week are only $1 (basically) AND there's no tax!!! Don't shop any other day
2. However, if you do, because you might need something & another day is better shopping opportunity for you, you're still going to be a winner. Occasionally I've shopped on a non SU or W. My basic rule is stick to the color tag for that week as it's 50% off so instead of paying the tag price of $2-5 (most items are not more, even shoes), it is discounted 50%. Sweet!
3. Rarely, but it has happened, I'll be honest, I have paid the tag price. Yes, don't fall out of your chair that Tara paid "full price" ... at Goodwill. : ) I don't like to do it, but I feel less guilt since it is used items & I'm not paying retail prices.

I love that it's like recycling. Clothes swaps are really my favorite since that's just FREE stuff. I don't find as much success usually, depends on who is there, what they bring & really the real truth is, what size I am.
I'm not always successful at finding items at Goodwill, but usually I find something I want or need.  I used to have a rule (that I used to follow more faithfully) when I brought something into my house, I had to get rid of something else so I donate to Goodwill too & it comes full circle.

SO come on, go to your local Goodwill & get your cheap shop on. Your wallet thanks you! : )

Reading saves money

I'm pretty much a failed handyman but it probably has more to do with my inability to finish what I start but yesterday I proved to myself, my wife, and my neighbors that reading is fundamental.

Last year the front axle on my gas mower broke. My immediate response was I'll never fix *that*. So we bought a $40 mower off craigslist. It lasted until 2 weeks ago and it became evident that repairs would cost lots more than the mower so I decided to look at the broken axle. All I needed was a diagram of the parts and ironically, ~$40. One part, some turns of a ratchet and BOOM! My mower is working again.

First Day of Kindergarten

Awesome day!