You can't see a lot of difference on these pics, but the Rembrandt stuff really did work...and my teeth still feel clean

The Master Plan

The Plan...instead of trying for two weeks or a month of goals; I'm going to try for four days at a time! Then, if I'm good, I'll add four more days on to tally eight, and so forth! And, I'm going to write down a list of daily goals fresh every time because they will change a little.  And, I know this sounds bizarre, but I need an inspirational picture and there's this pin-up on Dave's calendar for January that has the body I want.  It's not perfect but it's slim and feminine and there's something about it that I admire...so, I'm cutting it out and keeping it with me.  Hopefully no one sees it though because it would looks strange without the explanation! And, I'm doing my nails now.  I put a coat of VitaSurge Growth on the bare nails, then I'm just going with the Diamond Strength nude nail polish (two coats) followed by my Acrylic gel.  In two days, I will reapply the Acrylic (Tuesday).
Tomorrows goals will look something like this:

1. Eat healthy 1500 cal diet
2. Drink 8 glasses of water
3. Scar zone (baby stretchmarks)
4. Wash face and  moisturize everything (face, hands, legs, arms, feet)
5. Write Marge a letter
6. Write one page in my novel
7. Don't spend frivoulrously
8. Work out for one hour

And that's that, I think.  Today, I'll do my pamper day...get myself ready for the week with a bath and a facial.  And, I'm trying out body butter for my moisturizing needs.  Plus, Dave and I will come up with nightly activities to keep us away from the t.v. and the snacks!

Fabulousness is Tough...Consistancy is Key

I am a frustrated mess! I hate not keeping to my goals....I can't stick to anything I set my mind to; probably because it's not set that hard! Dave and I are way behind on finances, and nowhere near our thin selves! What happens, is we have not much else to do around here but treat ourselves to pizza night or spend any dough we have on something stupid.  Maybe we need to come up with things for every night of the week that are fun and get us distracted so we don't eat out or overeat! Plus, my hands are a disaster still! The acrylic gel works awesome but when it comes off, I forget to put it on right away and then in a day or two, I do dishes and my nails get soft from the water and strip right off! I need to keep applying it all the time! It takes only two seconds.
On the upside, it's tattoo-mania in our part of the world! Dad's old friend Billy Lee (a.k.a. Hop-Sing) is down here and is a tattoo artist who works for awesome rates.   Both Wendy and my Aunt Pam have already had me design something for them and Billy agreed to do Dave and I this week or next week! So we're both getting Landon's name and birthdate on our backs! Pics to follow, of course.  And, the teeth whitening went well! The gel makes your teeth a tad sensitive but it's easy to use and does prove effective.  It's Rembrandt whitening and I'll update pics as soon as I can.
My new thing today is leg care! I got a Schick Intuition razor with my tampons the other day (you know, the one with all the aloe around it) and so I've not shaved my legs for a few days and am giving it a whirl tonight in a much-needed bath.  Then, it's my exploration of moisturization.  Exciting, I know.

More Ramblings...

Why is it so hard to form a habit(s)? They say it takes 21 days...which I could see being true; if you could make it that long.  I can't count how many times I've gone five days or so and then, out of mere laziness, ordered in and boom; that was the end of that for about a week until I tried again.  And, it's not just the weight-loss thing...I have the bad habit of falling into a drudgery type state.  It's hard as a mom to be always on top of your personal needs and wants but darn it, I want to try! I want to dress nice every day and work out and write and take care of my other stuff (like facials and nails and such).  The list goes on...being cool Mom is actually quite difficult; I mean from the outside.  Inwardly, I'm the best, of course (insert obvious joke here). 
So, this weekend, Landon went to Grandma's all weekend and I went to a Frame Show for work in Winnipeg on Friday, did a bit of shopping on Saturday and am using Sunday as my pre-fabulous day.
So, this morning, I applied Salon Effects to my nails; they are awesome (thus far, I don't know how long they'll last).  I picked the snake skin and they are so easy to apply and look amazing.  And I also did a base coat of acrylic gel which I got at Walmart to keep my nails hard so hopefully they'll grow! I finished off the morning with a chocolate/strawberry clay mask facial and a good dose of face cream and later, Dave and I are going to teeth whiten! An update on that later.

It's Here...

Okay...the time has come to reveal some nail styles that I've been playing around with over the last two months:

 This is one of my favourites.  I used Avon's Mosaic Effects.  It came only in black (but the white just came available-I can't wait to try it!) and it's fairly easy to use.  Just paint on your base colour; something bright is best and then when the first coat is dry, apply a thin layer of Mosaic and it crackles right away! It does tend to get goopy in the bottle if you don't tighten the cap really tight.

 As you can tell, this was right before Christmas.  The colours you can choose can be less intense, but remember to put the darker colour on second.  I applied a full base coat in green and then when it was completely dry, I applied some Scotch tape diagonally across the nail and applied a generous coat of red.  Once that was dry enough for handling, I peeled the tape and applied a top coat.

Firstly, I have to say that I love this pink.  But the jewels are just as fun.  I got them from Avon and they are slightly sticky on the back.  You have to have everything prepared and ready for this one because you have to apply the jewels to wet nail enamel.  Choose your colour and the nails you wish to apply the glitter to.  Paint on your coat (if using two coats, apply jewels to second one) and, using tweezers, place on diamonds while still wet.  Then, apply colour to other nails.  Once everything is thoroughly dry, apply a top coat.  These jewels stay on pretty good but I only use them when I'm going out as wear and tear of the day can wear them off.  I found some great stickers for nails at the Dollar Store (go figure) that don't come off until you remove them and look awesome.

Back in the Saddle Again

Wow! I fell of the wagon in every respect....I've done diddly squat since the last post and have been feeling way less than fabulous for the last month.   A little post-Christmas doldrums, maybe.  But, I'm starting to feel like I may be back on track in the next couple of days...just have to kick this stupid cold!
But, I've officially scared myself back into eating healthy and working out....I just realized that I was being relaxed in that regard because I've entered the 'I already weigh x amount, who cares about more pie?' phase.  It's bad.  So, back to the beginning.  A fresh new start!
I promise a post when I kick-start my new weight-loss regime (which isn't new, really, just hopefully followed!) and I will be updating some nail and feet info in a few days! 

Woah....let me firstly say that I'm pretty sure I didn't stop eating during the entire month of December! I don't even want to look at the scale or do a waist measurement but I'll hop on anyways....wait right here:

Just as I thought...Gained about ten pounds! Yikes! So, here's the new deal, starting tomorrow; six days a week of exercise for sixty minutes a day and no fried foods, salts or refined sugars! I will go back down to five days of exercise for forty minutes a day when I lose the pounds and just want to maintain my weight.  I'm excited and nervous....I want to see changes sooner than I will but I know I have to be patient; but I'm scared I won't at all, which I know also won't happen.

I'm also pumped for the entire year to come! Dave and I have already started talking about Christmas plans for this year as well as summer plans and the joy of seeing what each new day brings us.  We're both off tomorrow so we'll do a few things around the house but mostly we'll just relax with our son.  Then, off to work on Tuesday for two days for me and Landon and Dave will more than likely have a sleepover with Great Grandma on Tuesday night (keeping her company because she just lost her best friend in a car accident before Christmas).

And not to worry, I did not forget my fabulous hand and feet makeover! I've been experimenting with a few new looks and techniques and will post on that in the next week or two! I promise.  I will tell you that I picked up a new nail-growing gel from Sally Hanson because my nails just are too soft and keep ripping! Hopefully we'll have success.

Also, two weeks ago, I finished my 52nd book! I compiled the full list for you.  

Allison's 2011 Reading List 

1. Mistress of Nothing-Kate Pullinger

2. Water For Elephants-Sarah Gruen

3. Olive Kittredge -Elizabeth Strout

4. The Cider House Rules-John Irving

5. The Divide-Nicholas Evans

6. The Concise Chinese-English Dictionary For Lovers -Xiaolu Guo

7. Twilight-Stephanie Meyer

8. New Moon-Stephanie Meyer

9. Eclipse-Stephanie Meyer

10. Breaking Dawn-Stephanie Meyer

11. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner-Stephanie Meyer

12. Riding Lessons-Sarah Gruen

13. Ya-Ya's in Bloom-Rebecca Wells

14. Scarlet Thread-Francine Rivers

15. The Memory Keepers Daughter- Kim Edwards

16. Speaks the Nightbird -Robert McCammon

17. Queen of Bedlam-Robert McCammon

18. Mr. Slaughter-Robert McCammon

19. A Widow for One Year-John Irving

20. Crank-Ellen Hopkins

21. Glass-Ellen Hopkins

22. Fallen-Ellen Hopkins

23. Traveling With Pomegranates-Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Monk Taylor

24. Ape House-Sarah Gruen

25. For One More Day-Mitch Albom

26. The Forth Hand-John Irving

27. Rebel Women of the Gold Rush-Rich Mole

28. 10 Things Jesus Taught About Women-Susan Hyatt

29. A Prayer For Owen Meany-John Irving

30. The Lake of Dreams-Kim Edwards

31. The Smoke Jumper-Nicholas Evans

32. So Brave, Young and Handsome-Leif Enger

33. When God Was a Rabbit-Sarah Winman

34. Just Another Indian- Warren Goulding

35. The Tommyknockers -Stephen King

36. Extreme Vinyl Cafe-Stuart McLean

37. They Thirst-Robert McCammon

38. The Help-Kathryn Stockett

39. Dolores Claibourne-Stephen King

40. Baal - Robert McCammon

41. Band of Brothers-Stephen E. Ambrose

42. The Hour of Bad Decisions-Russell Wangersly

43. A Secret Kept-Tatiana de Rosnay

44. The Russian Concubine-Kate Furnivall

45. The Night Circus-Ellen Morgenstern

46. The Night Boat-John McCammon

47. Setting Free the Bears-John Irving

48. Perfect-Ellen Hopkins

49. Flying Changes-Sarah Gruen

50. The World According To Garp -John Irving

51. Chocolat -Joanne Harris

52. The Christmas Clock-Kat Martin

Well, that's it for now, folks! Cheers and hats off to a grand new year!

The Last of the Great Cookie Recipes!

'Cinnamon Coffee Cookies'

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp instant coffee crystals

2 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cloves

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups flour

1/2 cup chopped chocolate-covered coffee beans (or chocolate chips)

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325F.  Lightly grease cookie sheets; set aside.  In a large bowl, combine butter and shortening.  Beat with an electric mixer for thirty seconds.  Add brown sugar, sugar, coffee crystals, cinnamon, baking powder, nutmeg, baking soda, salt, and cloves.  Beat until combined, scraping bowl occasionally.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Beat in flour until combined.  Stir in coffee beans.  Cover; chill for one hour or until dough is firm enough to shape.  In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup sugar and 1 tsp cinnamon.  For each cookie, roll 1 tbsp of dough into a ball.  Roll balls in sugar mixture to coat and place two inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.  Bake for twelve minutes until edges are set.

'Brown Sugar Cookies' as promised...

'Brown Sugar Cookies'

3/4 cup sugar, at room temp.

1 1/4 cups dark brown sugar

1 large egg, room temp.

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ginger

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375F.  Place the butter and sugar in bowl and beat until creamy.  Add the egg and beat well.  Scrape down sides of bowl.  Place the flour, baking soda, salt, and other spices in separate bowl and mix well.  Add to butter mixture and beat until incorporated.  Drop teaspoonfuls of dough onto un-buttered cookie sheet two inches apart and bake for eight to ten minutes.

Another day towards Christmas! And what an awesome week it's going to be...I can tell! I'm gonna put on some pounds and I'm going to try not to think too much about it! Speaking of which, today is 'Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread' day (recipe to follow!)

Yesterday, we went to church and witnessed an adorable pageant called 'Operation Baby King' which was followed by a Christmas lunch and fellowship and then Dave, Landon and I went over to our friends Kandace and Cam's for a visit so we could all go together to the Live Nativity.  The Live Nativity is pretty cool! It was held at a farm and as you drive in, Roman soldiers direct you to your parking space and then a horse-drawn sleigh takes you to Bethlehem.  From there, shepherds lead you to the Baby Jesus (with real donkeys and cows!).  A flute is playing softly and as verses are read, the wisemen and shepherds lay gifts for the baby and angels sing! Next, you go through a door and you're in the marketplace at Bethlehem where you are given shekels (pennies) that you can spend on homemade Christmas ornaments, hot cider, buns, etc.  From there, you leave Bethlehem and go to a nice heated garage for coffee and food and fellowship....so much fun! And, the best part of the week thus far is that Mom will be here tomorrow! So much to do but having a blast!

'Chocolate Dipped Orange Shortbread'

1 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp orange rind

1/4 tsp salt

2 cups flour

3 tbsp corn starch

Coating:

2 bars bittersweet chocolate, chopped

In large bowl, beat together butter, sugar, orange rind and salt until fluffy; stir in flour and cornstarch to make a smooth dough.  Divide dough in half.  Form each into 10" log; wrap and refrigerate for one hour.  Slice logs into 1/4 inch rounds and place one inch apart on greased cookie sheets.  Bake at 325F for 15 minutes and let cool completely.  In heatproof bowl over hot water, melt chocolate and let melt to room temperature.  Dip half of cookie into chocolate, shaking off excess.  Refrigerate on waxed paper for thirty minutes.

Seven Days...

Well, yesterday didn't go as planned but it was still good and Christmas-y! Crystal phoned really early and asked if I wanted to go to Yorkton with her for some last minute Christmas shopping so of course I agreed! I didn't have time in the morning to make my 'Lemon Stars' but I did make my 'Brown Sugar Cookies' in the morning before I left! They smell pretty good.  And a-Christmas-shopping we went....I didn't need anything, but Cole tipped me off on a thirty dollar espresso machine for sale in Walmart and Dave has always wanted one (plus, he just used his door prize $200 dollars to buy me a very awesome bread machine) so I picked one up and gave it to him last night.  Part of me wanted to surprise him but part of me also wanted a cafe mocha before Christmas! This will give him time to figure out how to use it.  And, we didn't make it back for the Christmas Concert, but Cole and Eric treated us to supper at BP's which was pretty cool.  All in all, a wonderful kick-off day!  Today I have not much planned but I am making some Puppy Chow for the holidays...here's the recipe:

'Puppy Chow'

1 Box Crispix

1 cup Peanut Butter

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cup chocolate chips

Icing sugar

Melt peanut butter, butter and chocolate chips and pour over cereal in large mixing bowl.  Mix lightly but well.  Continually add icing sugar until well-coated and spread on cookie sheet to dry. 

Let The Countdown Begin!

Alright all....eight more days until Santa comes down the chimney! Or something like that....And it's my Christmas countdown.  All of my Christmas festivities start tomorrow with Christmas baking and wrapping, reading Christmas books, crafts and church activities.  

I have chosen Friday, the sixteenth as baking day for 'Lemon Stars' and is also the night I go out with the girls to see the Mennonite Christmas Concert.  I'm very excited!  

On a side note....21 days to start a healthy lifestyle is definitely doable...but not this close to the holidays! I've already had brunches, Christmas parties and a birthday party! The best I can do until January is keep off the pounds! But, I'm not going to let it bother me...I'm going to enjoy the season! 

Lemon Stars

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugasr

1 1/2 tsp lemon extract

1/2 cp sour cream

1 tsp lemon peel

2 3/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

Frosting:

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

6 tbsp butter

3/4 tsp lemon extract

3 drops yellow food colouring

3 to 4 tbsp milk

In large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and extract.  Stir in sour cream and lemon peel.  Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well.  Chill for three hours.  Remove a portion of dough from fridge, roll out to 1/4 inch thickness.  Place 1" apart on cookie sheet.  Bake at 375 for 6-8 minutes until edges are lightly browned.  Mix icing and spread on cooled cookies.

Put Your Best Finger Forward

The first thing I'm tackling this month in the pursuit of fabulousness (that's a word now, don't worry) is the weekly mani/pedi and finding a nice colour for those delightful digits.  I don't meant that we should go down to a salon every Thursday afternoon and spend a hundred bucks (although do treat yourself sometime, it's fantastic) I mean something simple...choose a day out of the week where you can give yourself an hour; mine is Sunday.  Then, soak your toes and fingers in warm water (if you have massage tubs for them, use those-I have one for both and I love them!) and pat dry.  Do some upkeep to the nails and cuticles (mine are always hazardous and hard to keep up) and then paint on your fave colour.  Right now, I've become a huge fan of both bright, bright colours or plain neutral.  This week, I'm going neutral in attempt to strengthen my nails.  I've gone with gel for years because my nails are super soft and as soon as they grow, they strip.  But now, with such a tight budget, I'm fending for myself.  So, I picked up Sally Hansen's Major Growth which is supposed to harden nails as it is worn.  I'm pretty sure that it just means that it creates a protective layer but since I know there's no miracle cure...I'm going with it.  It's in a beige colour which I'm going to coat with a clear Diamond Finish top coat.  And that's all for this week...nothing too fancy (that's for the Christmas Party and my son's birthday party next weekend).  If your like me, and wear and tear your hands from house cleaning and changing diapers (or whatever), touch-ups are needed and lots and lots of hand cream!  I'm always running and forgetting so my hands, especially in the winter, start to feel dry.  My goal is to apply lotion after every long-submersion and any time they're feeling a little thirsty.  That's why I've got lotion in my purse, my car, my nightstand and my bathroom.  I really should put some in my kitchen, as well!  I realize that wear and tear may not be as bad as in the summer when we're outside and if your like me, gardening! But, that is where the fabulous gloves come in...which hopefully, if I ever remember, can be discussed during planting season.  Instead, just pick a fabulous pair of gloves for your winter wear and flaunt those fingers!

Check it out:  http://www.canadianliving.com/style/beauty/6_healthy_nail_habits.php

21 Days To Form A Habit

At least, that's what I've read.  And so, being December 1st, the epic journey begins.  Unfortunately today, I'm just going to be talking about kicking off my new weight-loss goals (I promise, it'll be quick) but the first step to fabulous is coming soon!  

So, hopefully, in twenty one days, I'll be strong enough to make it through the Christmas season! I realize you're all probably laughing at me now so I'll wait a moment for you to get it out....

Okay, so Christmas Day, will be a total freebie, I admit it right now.  But, my plan is to indulge over the holidays but only within my calorie range which I'm putting at around 1300/1500 (along with 40 minutes of cardio Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and 20 minutes of strength and 20 minutes of cardio on Tuesdays and Thursdays.)  And the way to keep track? Journal.  Apparently, one of the best things you can do is to write down everything that goes in the mouth (even four sneaked fries) because then, when you see it in black and white, it makes everything clear (that is one weird colour analogy).  It's also a huge kick to your self-esteem, I'm thinking but I've learned to take things with a grain of salt.  It's gonna be hard, I know, but in a weird way, I'm looking forward to the challenge.  I should note as well, that water plays a huge part in a diet...it helps shed built up water weight, gives you needed hydration, etc, keeps you feeling full and gives you a boost.  So, my goal is to be drinking 10 cups a day (that being half my body weight in ounces).

Also, on a side note; Dave and I are Christmas paupers, so that adds two elements to being fabulous.  Firstly, it makes it darn hard to spend money on junk food or eating out (which is great) but secondly, it also makes it hard to spend money on anything else so our challenge isn't just being fabulous, but doing so on a very strict budget.  It could be fun.  Or depressing: like window-shopping.

So, here goes...I won't bore you with any details of food I'm eating, etc.  I'm just going to give you some stats and a picture (I shake my head at my own audacity) and call it a day.

Weight: 165 lbs

Bust: 41 "

Waist: 39"

Hips: 38"

Okay, I promise, no new diet info until January, 2012.

It's A New Day (Or Something Like That)

Hey, hey, hey!
Okay, so you might have noticed that I changed my address from mymyselfandi.blogspot.com to 100waystofabulous.blogspot.com.
The reason for this is simple...it's time for an Allison re-invention.  Do you ever hit that point where you feel like your life needs some changes due to monotony or overwork? Well, I think I'm experiencing a little of both plus, a little like a stay-at-home-mom-housewife; which I realize I am, but I don't need to feel that way!  Plus, (and here's the quick inhale), I've gained some weight in the past two months and am really needing to lose like, thirty pounds!  I promise I won't post a ton of stats, but I am going to be starting a food journal at home and I will do the occasional update.  I also found some cool sites to keep me going on my journey.  Please note; this is for me only.  Not for anyone else.  I want to be happy looking in the mirror and while I love everything about my body, except for my stomach, I want it all! I want my cake and eat it too.  So, words of encouragement every once in awhile would be awesome.  This entire project will be starting on December 1st so that I not only have time to prepare, but I will also be starting on a 'beginning' day.
Also, I'm going to be doing some research into things that make me feel fabulous.  I know it's a state of mind, but it doesn't hurt to have some visual aids, etc, does it? So, I'm going to make up a list of aspects to look into and take the plunge day after tomorrow.
Looking forward to starting a brand new journey!

Very Quick Update

Hey guys!
Okay, quick update on the book list...which is almost finished, by the way!

37. They Thirst-Robert McCammon
38. The Help-Kathryn Stockett
39. Dolores Claiborne-Stephen King
40. Baal-Robert McCammon
41. Band of Brothers-Stephen E. Ambrose
42. The Hour of BAd Decisions-Russell Wangersly
43. A Secret Kept-Tatiana de Rosnay
44. The Russian Concubine-Kate Furnivall
45. The Night Circus-Erin Morgenstern
46. The Night Boat-Robert McCammon
47. Setting Free The Bears-John Irving
48. Perfect-Ellen Hopkins
49. Flying Changes-Sarah Gruen

So, only three more to go...right now, I'm reading 'The World According To Garp' by John Irving and it's turning into a real good read.  Also, occupying my time planning Landon's birthday party and looking after the little tyke! He's a handful and nearly walking! I'm also getting ready to go back to work part time in December and of course, there's Christmas on the way! Just a little more shopping left and wrapping! Yay!

Christmas is Coming!

Sorry, this will be quick but I thought it was time for a quick update!

Firstly, a toast to the first snow....the driving is crappy but it's so beautiful and Christmas-y out there!
Secondly, my son is crawling and walking along furniture and in one month, will be a year old!!! How insane is that?
Thirdly, I'm on my forty eighth book so I'm still ahead of the game.  I've read some good ones and am planning on posting a complete list on Facebook for the end of the year.
Fourthly, I'm going back to work in December part time and looking forward.
Fifthly, Dave has moved up a position at the bank and is training for teller today.
Sixthly, the inlaws will be here tomorrow for a quick visit!
What a busy time.

Book Count Update

26. The Fourth Hand-John Irving
27. Rebel Women of the Gold Rush-Rich Mole
28. 10 Things Jesus Taught About Women-Susan Hyatt
29. A Prayer For Owen Meany-John Irving
30. The Lake of Dreams-Kim Edwards
31. The Smoke Jumper-Nicholas Evans
32. So Brave, Young and Handsome-Leif Enger
33. When God Was a Rabbit-Sarah Winman
34. Just Another Indian-Warran Goulding
35. The Tommyknockers-Stephen King
36. Extreme Vinyl Cafe-Stuart McLean

Finally...a Post!

My Awesome New Pants!