Thursday, November 29, 2007

Do your body good!


I love this stuff!

I don't have high cholesterol but I am very health conscience when it comes to the foods that I put into my body.

In June of 2007 I discovered that Kroger, a local grocery store chain launched a new milk product called Active Lifestyle Fat Free Milk. It contains plant sterols (all natural plant sources) which help reduce "bad" cholesterol and the risk of coronary heart disease.

It's a win-win product in my opinion and the taste is unbelieveable! Currently, it is only sold in 1/2 gallons, but I'm sure with more awareness and demand it won't be long before it is available in whole gallons.

So, if you shop at ...

Kroger
Kroger Marketplace
Ralphs
Fred Meyer
Food 4 Less
King Soopers
Smith's
Smith's Marketplace
Fry's
Fry's Marketplace
Dillons
QFC
City Market


...do your body good and pick up a 1/2 gallon of Active Lifestyle Fat Free Milk today and give it a try!



Tuesday, November 27, 2007

Losing it and Loving it!!!


I am so happy and proud to be a "Loser" ...my official weigh in this week was 162 lbs. I am excited to have now lost 20 lbs. and 22.5" over-all.

I made a little Sig Tag to celebrate, ...if you would like to order one for yourself or a friend, please visit
www.growlibear.com and click on Sig Tags.

The tag costs $3.00, and is personalized with your name, hair color, and weight. You can display it in your emails or on your website!

To support your weight-loss efforts, when you complete the order form, mention that you saw this Sig Tag advertised on my weight-loss blog and you will recieve it at 50% off!

Thursday, November 15, 2007

Do you have clutter bugs living at your house?

Yes, it's true, clutter seems to find me where-ever I go. I just don't understand it sometimes, because, ...honestly, there is an orgainzed person living inside of me! LoL

It's just crazy how quickly things seem to pile up?

I think some people have the misconception that people who have clutter are lazy, don't feel like putting things away, or just plain don't care about their surroundings. Well, I can only speak for myself but I can tell you for sure that none of these things describe me.

I think it comes down to "time" ...and for me that is something that I always seem to be lacking. I think it's because I choose to tackle too many things and it's hard to balance them on a daily basis.

I work 10 1/2 hours a day running my daycare. I have two online business's that I own and operate in the evenings/week-ends. I am enrolled in college working towards my degree. I am a wife and mother to a family of 5 with 4 pets. I home-school my 14 year old son. I do all the shopping, cooking, cleaning, laundry, bill paying, ...and the list goes on.

So, when you look at my life from this angle it's easy to see how clutter can begin to hang out, ...when I'm busy with one task, the clutter sits patiently and waits for me to come and send it away. And, when clutter sees that your not looking at it, it invites it's friends and before you know it you have an entire neighborhood of clutter bugs living in your house.

Okay, my house really isn't as bad as what you see featured on "Clean House" ...which by the way I just love that show! It's so inspiring and I think all of us can relate to some degree and it always makes us feel better to know someone else out there is worse off than us. Sounds cruel to say but you know it's true!

So, with loosing weight, I feel that I need to find a way to loose some of the clutter weight too!

I am a very organized, multi-tasking person who strives on balance and structure. It's important to me to be consistant when it comes to establishing a routine and then sticking to it. Now, I just need to find a "clean house" routine and get it established so that I can get rid of those clutter bugs once and for all! Well, okay, ...maybe, I'll let them come for a visit once in a while? On second thought, ...Nah!!! LoL

Wednesday, November 14, 2007

Pasting Post-its!

Can you believe it's already Wednesday?

I have been so incredible busy, seems sometimes there's just never enough time. I've always said to "find yourself" you have to "loose yourself in something bigger" and I've definately been doing that this week.

I have had so much going on that I have been relying on my trusty post-it notes to keep me from forgetting things. I am beginning to look like the post-it queen! LoL

I bought Kenny a new car for his birthday, ...it's a 2007 Ford Focus. Red or course! LoL I know how much he loves his camaro but he had been talking for a long time about wanting to get a smaller car and keeping the camaro and putting it in storage. So, that is now a reality, ...and so is having car payments again! LoL

Whenever we "shake" things up financially, it causes me to re-evaluate our budget and find ways to "save" money and to "earn" more money. So, the first was sorta easy, instead of continuing with monthly payments, I just went ahead and paid off several loans/credit card bills so that the new car payment would have a place in our existing budget. Next, I began looking for ways to earn more money.

It made more sense for me to try and supplement my income, so I came up with a few ideas. Since, I love to write, I thought there must be a way for me to do what I love and get paid for it too, right? Yep, that's right! I did a search and found some online opportunities that will allow me to do just that. The first one is called payperpost and you get paid for writing posts!

Sounds simple, eh? Well, I decided to give it a try and we will see what happens!

Looks Aren't Everything is about eating healthy and feeling fit, ...I look forward to working with payperpost to provide you with posts that offer you support through products and/or services that are related to just that!



Friday, November 9, 2007

T.G.I.F.

Yep, it's Friday!

Today, Kenny has another treatment, ...he's always anxious and a bit nervous about getting them. I'm just glad that these treatments are able to control his condition. He's come a long way and I hope that the future will bring even more options as new and improved medicines and treatments become available.

My biggest hope is that he may be able to administer treatments on his own and no longer have to go to the hospital for infusions.

Okay, were heading out the door, so just wanted to leave you with a "word of the day," ...plan, plan, plan! Yes, I know I said it three times, but hey it's still just one word! LoL

Planning is key when it comes to weight-loss success. So, be sure and "plan ahead" and you will be better able to avoid those temptations that don't fit into your weight-loss plan.

YOU CAN DO IT! (((hugs)))

Enjoy your day!

Thursday, November 8, 2007

From the Spice Barn

Okay, just had to share, ...I am officially addicted to Spice Barn's seasonings!

I absolutley love the Salt & Vinegar, ...although they recommend using it on popcorn, I prefer to sprinkle it on pork rinds. I like having a little flavorful protein snack in the afternoon and this really hits the spot and I don't even miss those high calorie salt/vinegar pototato chips!

Oh, I almost forgot I ordered the Ranch and the Sour Cream & Onion and they are both yummy. I tend to get creative and use these for all kinds of other recipes, ...I'll post them under my Recipe Box as soon as they have been tried and tested by me and my family.

Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Autumn Splender

With November upon us, ...it's easy to get caught up in the Holiday spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas. Both of these holidays are a time of giving and receiving, ...so be sure and put yourself at the top of your list.

You deserve to have the best gift ever, ...so give yourself the gift of health and happiness!

Having the Write Stuff ...

I was interested in finding some suppoprt with my writing, ...something that would allow me to write about things that are related to my life and also would support my "Looks Aren't Everything" site. During my research, I found http://www.blogsvertise.com/ , it doesn't cost you anything to register with them, ...and they offer topics for you to choose to write about on your blog.

Writing has always been a passion of mine. I started out writing poems, all of which were based on real life experiences. I was chosen to write and recite one of my poems for my High School graduation ceremony. The years following graduation, I continued writing poetry and was proud to have my work chosen to be published as part of a collection of Poetry.

Having my childcare background, it wasn't long before I discovered that I was interested in writing books and short stories for children. I wrote several children's books and submitted them to The Institute for Children's Literature for consideration. So far, my work has not been selected for publication, but I'm not discouraged. I really enjoy the process of writing and find it very satisfying and rewarding.

I'm excited and looking forward to writing blog entries on a regular basis. It allows me to "write from my heart" and to provide products and services that offer support to my readers on eating healthy and being fit!

Monday, November 5, 2007

25 Years at Zumbiel

In recognition of 25 years of service, Kenny and I were invited to attend The CW Zumbiel Over 25 Year Club Dinner.

The event was held at the Sheraton Hotel in Sharonville.

The evening began with cocktails served at two open bars and hors d'oeuvres which included ...jumbo shrimp cocktail, fresh lemons, remoulade & cocktail sauce, fruit & cheese with assorted crackers and yogurt dip. Baked brie wrapped in puff pastry, apricot chutney and sliced french bread. Steamed King Crab Legs in butter. Chicken livers & Scallops wrapped in bacon, roasted garlic & lemon aioli. BBQ & Buffalo chicken tenders, celery sticks, bleu cheese & ranch dressings. Open faced philly cheese steaks with horseradish cream.


Following the cocktails was a 4 course dinner.

1st Course
Fresh mixed greens with tomato, smoked turkey, ham, scallions, smoked gouda, cucumbers, hard boiled eggs, presented in a red corn tortilla cup with roasted garlic ranch salad dressing.

Assorted dinner rolls with butter & honey butter.

2nd Course
Raspberry Sorbet on lighted ice sculptures


3rd Course
Crab crusted filet mignon topped with a lemon-caper cognac cream sauce. Roasted chicken stuffed with spinach, onion, tomato and proscuitto ham, topped with roasted pepper coulis. Roasted garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus tips with peppers.

Frances Ford Coppola Black Label Claret, Cabernet & Sauvignon Blanc.


4th Course
Mango Lemon Tart, Chocolate dipped Strawberries with raspberry and kiwi sauce.


After dinner was served, the awards ceremony began. Those being recognized included 25 years, 30 years, and 35 years of service. The president of the company spoke about each of the recipients in a very warm and heart-felt manner and expressed such sincere gratitude towards them for dedicating their lives to his company.

As he spoke, you could feel a sense of pride fill the room, ...and you just knew that you were a part of something really special.

Kenny was the second person to recieve an award, he was presented with a gold watch that included an emblem with the company logo, diamonds and emeralds on the side.

At the conclusion of the event, all of the women were presented with long stem red roses and the men were given cigars. And, the center of each table was adorned with a beautiful bouquet of white roses. One person from each table was selected to recieve the centerpiece ...and I happened to be the one at our table! Karen was so thrilled when I brought it home. She immediately put her fancy dress on and paraded around like she was in a wedding! LoL

It was a very lovely evening and we really enjoyed ourselves. We look forward to attending next year and for many years to come.

Weighing in on my Progress 11/05/2007

Woke up this morning, ...feeling refreshed and ready to start my day. Ahhh, ...funny how one more hour of sleep can make such a difference.

We had a blast at our Gala on Saturday night, ...I'll post about that in just a moment, but for now I am happy to report that, ...drumroll please, ............. I lost 3 lbs. and 2" this week!

I'm so excited, only 1 more pound to go and I will have reached a milestone of 20 lbs. lost!

Betsy's Weight Loss Progress






























































































































































































































































































































































































Date Weight +/- Lbs. Lost Lbs. to Goal Comments:
03/05/2001 160 lbs. 0 lbs. 0 lbs. 30 lbs.

Start Somersizing

06/10/2001130 lbs.30 lbs.30 lbs.0 lbs.Reached my Goal!!!
01/01/2002149 lbs.+ 19 lbs.0 lbs.19 lbs.Bad, bad, bad :(
02/14/2002136 lbs.-13 lbs.13 lbs.6 lbs.Yay, on my weigh!
03/05/2002130 lbs.- 6 lbs.6 lbs.0 lbs.Back at Goal Weight
06/05/2002130 lbs.- 0 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.Holding Steady
08/07/2002128 lbs.- 2 lbs.2 lbs.- 2 lbs. below goaldown 2 lbs.
09/26/2002124 lbs.- 4 lbs.4 lbs.- 6 lbs. below goaldown 4 lbs.
11/05/2002122 lbs.- 2 lbs.2 lbs.- 8 lbs. below goaldown 2 lbs.
12/23/2002121 lb.- 1 lb.1 lbs.- 9 lbs. below goaldown 1 lb.
03/05/2003126 lbs.+ 5 lbs.0 lbs.- 4 lbs. below goalup 5 lbs.
09/23/2003130 lbs.+ 4 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.Back at Goal Weight
01/05/2004132 lbs.+ 2 lbs.0 lbs.2 lbs.up 2 lbs.
08/16/2004130 lbs.- 2 lbs.2 lbs.0 lbs.Back at Goal Weight
02/14/2005130 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.Holding Steady
10/31/2005130 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.Holding Steady
01/17/2007183 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.53 lbs.Start Somersizing
05/05/2007173 lb.s- 10 lbs.10 lbs.43 lbs.Slow but Steady
07/14/2007 182 lbs. 0 lbs. 0 lbs. 52 lbs. Start Somersizing
08/06/2007 180 lbs. -2 lbs. 2 lbs. 50 lbs. down 2 lbs. (TOM)
08/13/2007 177 lbs. -3 lbs. 5 lbs. 47 lbs. down 3 lbs.
08/20/2007177 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.47 lbs.Holding Steady
08/27/2007174 lbs.- 3 lbs.8 lbs.44 lbs.down 3 lbs.
09/03/2007174 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.44 lbs.Holding Steady (TOM)
09/10/2007171 lbs.- 3 lbs.11 lbs.41 lbs.down 3 lbs.
09/17/2007171 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.41 lbs.Holding Steady
09/24/2007171 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.41 lbs.Holding Steady
10/01/2007171 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.41 lbs.Holding Steady (TOM)
10/08/2007171 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.41 lbs.Holding Steady
10/15/2007169 lbs.-2 lbs.13 lbs.39 lbs.down 2 lbs.
10/22/2007168 lbs.-1 lb.14 lbs.38 lbs.down 1 lb.
10/29/2007166 lbs.-2 lbs.16 lbs.36 lbs.down 2 lbs. (TOM)
11/05/2007163 lbs.-3 lbs.19 lbs.33 lbs.down 3 lbs.
11/12/2007163 lbs.0 lbs.19 lbs.33 lbs.Holding Steady
11/19/2007163 lbs.0 lbs.19 lbs.33 lbs.Holding Steady
11/26/2007162 lbs.-1 lbs.20 lbs.32 lbs.down 1 lbs.
12/03/2007162 lbs.0 lbs.20 lbs.32 lbs.Holding Steady
12/10/2007162 lbs.0 lbs.20 lbs.32 lbs.Holding Steady
12/17/2007160 lbs.-2 lbs.22 lbs.30 lbs.down 2 lbs.
12/24/2007157 lbs.-3 lbs.25 lbs.27 lbs.down 3 lbs.
12/31/2007157 lbs.0 lbs.25 lbs.27 lbs.Holding Steady
DATEWEIGHT+/-Lbs. LostLbs. to GoalComments:
01/07/2008157 lbs.0 lbs.25 lbs.27 lbs.Holding Steady
01/14/2008159 lbs.+ 2 lbs.23 lbs.29 lbs.up 2 lbs.
01/21/2008157 lbs.-2 lbs.25 lbs.27 lbs.down 2 lbs.
01/28/2008157 lbs.0 lbs.25 lbs.27 lbs.Holding Steady
02/04/2008158 lbs.+ 1 lbs.24 lbs.28 lbs.up 1 lbs.
02/11/2008155 lbs.- 3 lbs.27 lbs.25 lbs.down 3 lbs.
02/18/2008155 lbs.0 lbs.27 lbs.25 lbs.Holding Steady
02/25/2008155 lbs.0 lbs.27 lbs.25 lbs.Holding Steady
03/03/2008154 lbs.-1 lbs.28 lbs.24 lbs.down 1 lbs. (TOM)
03/10/2008152 lbs.-2 lbs.30 lbs.22 lbs.down 2 lbs.
05/17/2009167 lbs.0 lbs.0 lbs.27 lbs.Back on Track!!!
07/04/2009161 lbs.- 6 lbs.6 lbs.21 lbs.down 6 lbs.

Measurement Progress

DATEARMSCHESTWAISTTHIGHSHIPSTOTAL " LOST
07/14/200714"41"44"27"45"0.0"
07/21/200714"40"42"26"44.5"4.5"
07/28/200713"40"41.5"25.5"44"7.0"
08/06/200713"40"40"25.5"43.5"9.0" (TOM)
08/13/200713"40"40"25.5"43.5"9.0"
08/20/200713"40"39"24.5"43"11.5"
08/27/200713"40"39"24.5"43"11.5"
09/03/200712.5"40"39"22.5"42.5"14.5" (TOM)
09/10/200712.5"39"39"22.5"42.5"15.5"
09/17/200712.5"39"39"22.5"42.5"15.5"
09/24/200712.5"39"39"22.5"42.5"15.5"
10/01/200712.5"39"39"22.5"42.5"15.5" (TOM)
10/08/200712.5"39"38"22.5"41.5"17.5"
10/15/200712.5"39"38"22.5"41.5"17.5"
10/22/200712.5"39"38"21.5"41.0"19"
10/29/200712.5"39"38"21.5"41.0"19" (TOM)
11/05/200712.5"38"37"21.5"41"21"

Friday, November 2, 2007

New "Weight Loss" Support Group!

Okay, ...still need to paint the outside and do a little decorating of the inside, ...so pardon all of my dust.

If you would like to join me in a Support Group for weight loss, please come by and join my new email group. It's called "On my Weigh" ...and really the name says it all.

So, if you are working towards a weight loss goal and are looking for some support, this is the place for you!

Here is the link ...

http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/onmyweigh/