Fall Weekend

It's is Barnfest weekend in my neck of the woods. We look forward to this old fashioned street craft fair each year in the Fall. It's kind of a tradition. It means you survived back to school and can embrace everything that is fall, Autumn, my favorite season. Autumn is stunning up here in the north country, I always feel sorry for people that don't live where the colors change. ADK girl through and through here.
In addition to Barnfest, we have the typical 100 things going on. Anna has a soccer game, Miranda has both ballet and Nutcracker rehearsal, and Ava turns three this weekend. Go three. Three is not two. That has to be good. Need to make gluten free "Backyardigans" cake, and frosting, and of course do the usual weekend chores ( Saturday AM and I already have done 3 loads of laundry and got my groceries. I marvel at myself). Need to plan Girl Scout meeting this weekend, and an ice cream social for 200 kids ( school club that I advise is having a social for Freshmen, again, marveling at myself. How do I do all this?) Also need to clean the house for the family that is coming over. Just a typical fall weekend in my life.

Recently, in My World

Wow, you can tell school started up, as my posts have screeched to a halt. Well, I am home today with a sick kid. Ava was the first to succomb to the rampent germs of school. Poor thing. Fever, cough like a seal barking, stuffed up nose, the works. She was all wheezy in the middle of the night, so I wrapped her up and took her outside to get some cool, moist night air. She was able to get a few hours sleep after I did that and propped her up on the couch. It figures, though. Today I took half day off, and was leaving work at 11 to go have my mammogram done ( we get 1/2 day per school year to use for cancer screenings, isn't that awesome?). That would have given me some alone time at home before my appointment. Now, I am hoping Brian can get home early so I can still go.
I did follow up on all my doctor appoints, and so far, everything checked out fine. My BP is 109/60 ( go me), my cholesterol is 146 ( sexy, ha?), and all my labs were normal. I had my yearly girly screen ( way overdue, a relief that that checked out), and since my monthly visitor is only about 2-3 times a year now, I had an ultrasound just to make sure it's due to peri-meno and not anything else. It's not, so I guess I am going out of business. I'm ok with that. I am 37, I am done birthing babies, so hasta la vista baby! ( I work with a woman who is 50 and still not, I think she's jealous). I have decided against any kind of hormone replacament, opted for a natural supplement, and will just ride it out naturally. Not a fan of pharmaceuticals, especially HRT's.
In other health updates, day 43 of no flour and no sugar, and man oh man do I feel awesome! I am energized, my skin and hair are fabulous, and I really did need fabulous. I have lost 10 pounds rahter painlessly. All cravings have stopped and I am able to stick with my healthy eating plan. It's great not to be distracted by food. Incredible. I have stuck with my daily laps at school during the day and that goes a long way towards mental health and well being. I come home feeling like I have actually had a break, and am ready to hit my second shift of being a mom in a good mood. Which is the way it should be. My kids should get the best of me, not the worst. They deserve me to be strong and happy for them.

All in all, busy as everything is, we are off to a great start to the school year. This weekend, the "Farenheit Biomass Furnace" is up for installation! Our plans to be greener and get off oil as a heating fuel are on track!!!!!

My Kind of Weekend!

I had one of those magic weekends where I accomplished everything on my list, plus had some fun! We went out to dinner Friday night, as is our tradition, first Friday after back to school. Kind of a sign we all survived! Friendly's is out as a restaurant choice, what a gluter nightmare that is, so it was off to our new fav, Piggy Pats

Saturday, we had a cord of wood deliverd for our fireplace, so we made an assembly line and moved it into the backroom. Love that smell of it! I also did all my housework, scrap booked with the girls ( 3 pages), made spaghetti sauce, granola, and blondies.

Sunday, I finished 2 loads of laundry, put it away, went on a hike with the girls on the greenbelt trails, finished painting the pantry, helped close the pool, made lasagna, and even had time to polish my nails.

This week, however, activities start for the girls, soccer and ballet, so it's my last weekend of freedom. I did enjoy it!

28 Days

If you are addicted to substances isn't it 28 days that you get in treatment? Well, my addiction isn't drugs or alcohol, and it probally won't kill me, but I am addicted to carbs. Sweets, starches, breads, cereals, good ol carbs. Only lately, with 2 members of my house having to go gluten free, it's got me reasearching and thinking. There really isn't one single thing good about most carbs, especiall wheat, and even in it's 100%true state, it's hard for our bodies to break down. Most are empty calories, viod of nutrition and hard for our bodies to digest, and do lead to many health complications. The more I read, the more I am aware, the less I want things like that in my body. So, I grabbed a book at the library, mostly looking for gluten free recipies, "No Flour No Sugar", and 30 days ago, I went cold turkey. No flour no sugar. I do eat some carbs, but only whole grain oats, corn, and rice. I eat only sugar in the form of fruit and an occasional dose of splenda to sweeten things. I have had sugar free ice cream a couple times, and sugar free pudding as a treat, but that's it. And like every time I go off the carbs, my cravings stop, and I feel amazing. My skin is amazing, my energy is amazing, and I have lost some weight. 30 days means I am past the 28 days, so I should be able to stick with this. My first big goal is 100 days off flour and sugar. My FINAL goal is to see if I can stick with my changes for a year, because if I can do that, then maybe I have changed my lifestyle. I have done this before, for 6 months. Lost weight, health was great, but I missed my carbs. This time, there are very few temptations in my house, as all of our dinners are gluten free for Ava and Brian. Combine that with all I have read about wheat and wheat gluten and I don't even want it anymore.

30 days down. Here's to feeling amazing.