Just 3MD

Just 3MD

Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Trying new things

So as you know, I'm a major fan of Pinterest and love to stay up late and pin stuff I would love to craft if I ever had the time and money and talent to do so. Well, there are a few things from the beauty section I have given a try.

First was the coconut milk for your hair as a conditioner. That was actually kinda fun. I was able to sit and watch TV with my hair in this white stuff for an hour. When it washed out and finally was dry, it was soft and shiny. In my book, that's a plus. I will be doing that one again. Esp. since one can gives me about 3 applications. The can cost less than $3 so just figure $1 for a deep conditioning treatment. Heck yeah!! That's thrifty!

Second was the pore strip recipe. 1 tbsp powdered gelatin and 1.5-2 tbsp milk. Mix and apply as it drys fast. Well no poop! That stuff sets up faster than a black Friday line outside Best Buy! I put the stuff on and sat for 15 to let it "cure" and then spent, oh, I don't know, 30 trying to feel it off!!! Talk about a mess. It stunk and in my haste to apply it my layer wasn't even so I had globs here and there. When you do get a piece you can peel off it hurts! Like, ripping my face off hurts. It not only cleans your pores but it removes any hair you  may have on your face. OMG I must have had a mustache and sideburns not to mention a beard! I had hair pulling off alll over my face. Can you imagine if you're from Checz decent? Good gracious! I washed my face with warm water and my face soap and then applied my favorite moisturizer.



I dig this stuff. Anyway, my face is on fire. It's bright red and burns but hey, the pinner was right. Your face is smooth. Can you see how red my face is? The globs of gunk I couldn't remove are on there too. This was a mess. Will I do this one again? Umm, let me think for a sec. NO! I'll spend the $8 for the grocery store brand and keep my hair face thank you!





Next up is the hair ideas I have done.

First was the sock bun and the sock bun curls. This works! It was easy and non damaging to my hair and made me look like I had full, luscious hair. Who doesn't want that? The curls were awesome too the next morning. I found it super simple to execute and sleeping in the bun was easy peasy as it was on the top of my head and didn't get in the way. A definite PLUS and one I have done a few times since the first try.

I learned how to do a fishtail braid (which I love and find romantic) and I have also done a few styles for Little Miss such as the Topsy turvy and waterfall braid.

So all in all I find that Pinterst is teaching me new tricks and I can't wait to try a few more. What have you pinned and tried? Did it work or was it a fail?

Wow. 2 days.

Thanksgiving is in 2 days. My part of the menu has been decided and I'm anxious to get to it. We have a new tradition this year. Well, it actually started last year. We will get up and go to Auntie's for breakfast. IN OUR PJ'S! It was fun. All in all there is about 13-15 of us. It's a great way to start a day of food and reflexion. After breakfast is over and we have had fellowship, we all go back home to sleep (as in my 2 Little's and the Hubs) while Mom (umm, that be me) cooks her share of the menu. Then it's off to the In-laws for the turkey feast.

I love the Holiday season and I loathe it too. You know, that whole love/hate thing. I love the movies, the food, warm blankets and fires. But I hate that I miss my family back in NC and CO. That every year is another year we can't spend the season together and my Little's don't know their Southern roots. Yes, they have met my family and they love them. I think they like their accents too. But it's not the same. It's funny how you can spend years and years (I'm talking 15) away from your family and hometown and then all of a sudden miss it like crazy. Well, that's it. I'm going home next year. All of us. Me, the Hubs and both Little's. I'm making an executive decision and will start planning right away. Hmm, I wonder if I should wait o tell my man AFTER the holidays when he's not looking at the bills and freaking out over the $30 spent on craft supplies or the $200 grocery bill this month. Ugh. Yea, I'll wait til January to let him in on the master plan.

Monday, November 14, 2011

A few rules

Have you ever noticed that when you look at a wed site showing you Thanksgiving recipes that right beside it on the right is a weight loss site? Why do they do that? What's the point in saying "Here, check out this delicious pecan pie recipe" and then "But don't eat your weight in food so you don't blow up 5 dress sizes". Talk about frustrating! So for curiosity sake, I clicked one. Oh boy. Wanna hear some tips they gave for helping you not overeat this holiday season?

Tip #1: Smell peppermint extract. It helps to make you feel less hungry.

Umm, OK if I did that all it would do is make me want a peppermint mocha latte from Starbucks. I don't think that's what they had in mind.

Tip #2: Put a mirror in front of you while you eat.

Are they serious? First of all, if I had a small mirror to put on the table to watch myself eat that would be a miracle in itself. And second, it would only show me that I'm probably more of a messy eater than my children!

Tip #3: Use blue plates. The color blue helps people FEEL full.

hahahahaha OK, if I had a piece of pumpkin pie on a small blue plate all I would think is "cute plate" and eat the pie before anyone could say "whip cream for the top?"

I had to laugh at the "tips". I mean, really? Who are they kidding? I appreciate the fact they are giving advice but in all honesty I don't think they would help much. Wanna hear my 3 tips for staying on track and not over eating this holiday season?

Tip #1: Make smart choices. Stay away from the appetizers and anything wrapped in bacon!

Tip #2: Try to drink water with your meal and not alcohol. Trust me. The food tastes better since it's not competing with the booze and it helps keep you flushed too!

and last but not least, Tip #3: Have fun. Enjoy your family and friends and IF you play games, take them outside. Tag football, soccer or even Red Rover can be thrilling and help with getting you off the couch and on your feet!

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Back in the day

When you were little did you ever see those cool Halloween cereals in late September/early October and think "Man I wish my Mom would get those"? Well, I did and most of the time we kept right on walking and Boo Berry, Count Chocula and Franken Berry never made it into the buggy. I was a deprived child. I missed out on all of the sugar infested cereal and gummy snacks. I had to eat Chex and apples. BOO!

So imagine my surprise when I saw these at my local grocery!


You can bet your bottom dollar those bad boys were greeted with a squeal and then a toss in my cart! OH YEA! I'm an adult. I buy my own groceries now so yes. They will be coming with me.


They even have their own adventure on the back now!?!?! How awesome!

I was so excited I got these that as soon as I got home and put all my groceries away I had to have a bowl. Hmm, which one would be first? I chose Boo Berry. He was good. I ate all the blue bits first and savored the marshmallows for last. Yum-o!

I was ecstatic to share in my delight with my kiddos. They, however, didn't get all my joy and didn't really love the cereal. Sigh. Oh well, some memories are best savored alone. At night. In the kitchen when everyone else is in bed asleep.


* please note this has been hanging out in my list of posts for over a month. I saw it today when I paid enough attention. So since it's a true story I wanted to go ahead and post it today. Get it out there so you know in a week when I still hope to be on my healthy kick I didn't fall off the wagon thanks to the temptatious manners of those guys!

No WHEY!

OK I'll admit it, I have let myself go and I have gained some weight. About 5 pounds to be exact and I take full blame. No one held a gun to my head while I devoured Halloween candy or chocolate cake. No one said I was being a horrible person if I didn't finish all the food on my plate includeing the collard greens made in bacon grease and the soda's (yes sodas) I had too while my Mom was here. I did those things. Me. All alone while no one said "Put that down" or "a minute on the lips is a lifetime on the hips". Ugh, so, here I go. Get back on my diet. TRY and I mean REALLY TRY to work out somehow. So I made a plan.

1. Check out inspiration pics on Pinterest and get motivated.

Pinned Image

CHECK!



2. Find recipies that are healthy.

Pinned Image


CHECK!

3. Work out

Pinned Image

CHECK!


OK that's not really me running but I did do that today. Around my block and then almost passed out! We can pretend I look that cool/good when I run. I probably look more like this.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSkXnyuYNJQ

OK, getting back to my morning.......

SO when I got up today I had my cup of joe. Black to save on the calories. I love creamer and they have all fall flavors out now!! Well, I did black. Then I had a bowl of Rasin Bran in fat free milk. Good but would have been better with some sugar added. I didn't though. I kept thinking "Do it right Aleigh" so I did. When I dropped Little Miss off at school, the litttle man in my life and I headed to the grocery! I got a few things to make dinners for the week as well as stuff to make some smoothies. I plan on doing the smoothies as a meal replacement type thing. Thanks to Pinterest and the link to Lacey in love I got a wild hair and did my own version.
I got a bunch of banana's (5 in the bunch), 4 kiwi, a tub of lite Lucerin vanilla yogurt and 3 bags of frozen mixed berries. When I got home, I cut up 3 of the bananas and 2 of the kiwi into bite sized pieces and then popped it in the freezer on a lined cookie sheet. I also took the yogurt and filled up a cupcake tin and popped THAT in the freezer as well. After about an hour, I took about a cup to a cup and a half of the fruit (both the ones I cut up and the frozen bag of mixed berries) and 2 yogurt cubes and put it into a bag. I was able to make 5 baggies of the fruit and yogurt. Now all I have to do on busy mornings is take out a baggie, add a scoop of whey protien and a cup of fat free milk. Blend all together and viola! A fruit smootie! When I took all my ingredients and broke down the prices of it all it came out uber cheap. Here's the breakdown:


$2.39 for the yogurt
$3.00 for the frozen berries (I say 3 since I got 3 packs and only used one)

$0.70 for the bananas since I only used 3
$1.00 for the kiwi since I only used 2


Now, I already had this. I had bought it for my eldest child but he didn't use it. It's banana and I thought I had gotten vanilla so that's why he didn't use it. I figure I will so...it cost me $20.00. Now, the tub says 1 scoop is a serving and there are 23 servings in this tub. SOOOOO, each scoop is $0.87. 5 scoops will be used for the 5 smoothies so that makes this total of whey $4.35.

Breaking it down more, a smoothie with no protien costs me $1.40. A smoothie WITH protein is $2.30!

BEAT THAT ORANGE JULIUS!!!!


*I rounded off just in case you were wondering.


I have to be honest, I feel awesome! I worked out, ate good thus far today and now have a smoothie fix for 5 days. I'll let ya know how it tastes. I may try it with OJ one day too just to see if I like it better but in the meantime, as it is right now, a smoothie will be around 200 calories. Not too shabby!

I just hope all in all I don't do great and then hit that spot where this happens.

Pinned Image

Monday, November 7, 2011

I always try to be

thankful for my days. I mean, where in the world does the time go? I try and reflect. Try to take deep breaths and breath in the day but when I blink, it's dinner and bedtime stories. Kisses to the Hubs goodnight and me on the other side of the bed reading a book or watching a show I DVR'ed two weeks ago.

Friday October the 28Th was the fall festival and literary parade at Little Miss' school. She went as Raggedy Ann and took her book of stories too!



Yea, she was the cutest one there. I gotta be honest! hehehe I stayed a few hours and helped volunteer and did games and prizes and set ups. Man, after 3 hours I was spent. I just wanted lunch and a nap. Whew!

Halloween was great. My Mom flew in from NC and she was here to craft and trick-or-treat with me and the Littles. Little Miss was a "Pirate Princess" and Mr Little was Evel Kenevil. I even made a helmet for him and he rocked it! Well, I thought he did anyway.


How adorable are these two?


 The Littles in action!



Mom and I even had some fun. I was a 1950's housewife complete with white gloves and kitten heels.


 
Mama was a good witch with a purple poof witch hat and black velvet dress!


GOOD TIMES!!! Next thing I know 10 days have raced by and I had to take Mama to the airport. Not a good day for me and the Little's. Although, the silver lining on this cloud is she was here. We made memories, cakes, wreaths and cider.

Thanks mamaw Barbara. We love and miss you!


I hope to be able to post my newest cider recipe with y'all and some pics of the crafts Mom and I did. She helped me with a wreath for my front door and picked out a birdie for my scarecrow's hat. Till then...count to 10, pause and soak in the sceanery. It all passes and changes too quick. Blink, and you've missed it.