Day 1 - Begin!

Easter Egging at the Dinosaur Park.

33 days! My last post was on March 10 and today is April 13, so I think that means I went 33 days without blogging. I have to say our $25 contest has gotten in the way of my blogging. I used to blog after my kids went to school - now I exercise. I would also blog after the kids went to bed - now I go to bed earlier so I can get my 7 hours in. But, excuses no more! I have figured out a good system of getting my exercise before my kids go to school - I am going to put it to the test. So, after my 33 day absence, I now declare this as day 1 of 33 Blogging Days in a Row! It's going to be like a game for me, I think. I have loved our contest forcing me to do things that are healthy even when they are not convenient. I have been astonished at the will power I have when I set my mind to it. So, on a totally different note (non health/fitness related) I am going to challenge myself to blog 33 days in a row. Don't expect anything fancy, but I think it will be fun.

Update on the $25 contest (in case you're interested): Today marked the end of week 9. Yes, ladies and gentlemen, I have gone 9 weeks without a single treat! Holy smokes! We have 19 participants and 3 ladies are tied for first place. Remember, you could earn 4 points a day (eat, sleep, exercise, and personal goal) with one bonus point for posting on our contest blog. So we have 257 points possible right now. The three tied for first place have perfect scores! Congratulations Jill, Heather, and Kim! You ladies rock!!! I am down two points - one for missing my exercise/leisurely walk on a Sunday and one for inadvertently not eating at least 5 fruits and/or veggies one day. This contest has been so much fun. We post on our blog every Monday and it has become this unbelievable support group. So many of the ladies have lost around 10 pounds, myself included (a pound a week - not bad!!!). Everyone has commented on how great they feel and how happy they are to be treating their bodies right. I love it! Eating right has really become part of my habits, I don't have to think about it so much anymore. I have loved my food journal. I am soooo much more aware of how my food choices affect me. I enter in my food on thedailyplate.com - it calculates your calories, fiber, sodium, all that stuff. I love being so aware of what I eat. I am smarter about my food choices and I know that after the contest I will be able to fit in treats now and then (not habitually like I was) and work them into my calories. Speaking of after the contest, there will be a maintenance contest! We haven't worked out all the details, but it will be along the same lines as our contest now with some free points worked in there each week. Stay tuned for that.


One more thing - is this not the cutest fabric ever!? I am hosting an open house baby shower tomorrow for my neighbor Rachel. We are going to tie a baby quilt during the shower and I am drooling over the cuteness of this snuggly flannel. The white will be the top, the purple underneath, and the green will be the binding.

I'll let you know how it turns out! See you tomorrow...