I keep on fallin'...

I keep on fallin', in & out, of love.... with this diet :(  In other words, sometimes you fall off that bike a time or two when you're learning to ride? Well, I've officially *crashed* and burned.

Long story short, as you may know I've recently started on the 'points plus' diet, and was actually finding real success! After only 2 short weeks, I'd already lost five plus pounds, was starting to feel a lot better, my 'tight' britches were fitting so much better - you  know all the great things that come along!

Weeelllll.... for some reason, I hit that same old wall I always do.  Emotional eating/pure hunger/constant thinking about why I can't have five blizzards from DQ... you get the picture.  So on Monday, about 3-4 days ago, I decided I wasn't on a diet anymore, and I've eaten pretty much everything in sight for the past few days.  I'm beyond sure I've put back on every single ounce, plus some.

I have no idea why I do this, but it happens every single time I try to start 'diet and excercise' life again! Nothing to do now but dust myself off & start all over, I know. I am going to start over again tomorrow.  Risky decision with Easter coming on Sunday, and all the yummy treats that come along with it.  Hopefully THIS time I can do better!

I am a product-ista; aka my Burt's Bees love!

Something new to talk about - the fact that I am a mega-product princess.  In other words, I'm a 'lil bit of a product-ista.  I love products.  I am talking about the usual 'health and beauty' type.  It has *always* been this way with me.  I love to try new product! And, I am not close-minded or brand-loyal when it comes to my product - doesn't hafta come from Sephora (even though, I <3 LOVE Sephora!!!), it can come from Wal-mart, or even the Dollar Tree, as long as I LOVE it.  I mean, that's the whole point of a good product isn't it, love for it and how it works, and how it makes you feel?

I thought it would be a great time to spotlight one of my new must-have and favorite products - Burt's Bees.  I know, this is no newbie when it comes to products, I've seen Burt's Bees around for ages.  But, I have never been drawn to this line on my own.

I am very picky when it comes to my facial product.  I have tried almost everything, from Cetaphil to La Mer.  I look not for brand, not for price, purely for results.  I have had a few favorites over the years.  There was a time when I could not get enough of Bliss 'The Youth as We Know It'.  This cream is amazing!

This stuff was - for a very long time - my MUST have, and my must have splurge.  It is not cheap, it is usually around at least $79-ish price range.  But, my gosh the results! I used this product for a couple of years, and every week at least one person told me how 'great' my complexion looked! I still love it, but I have moved on to another facial product (as we product-ista often do!)

Burt's Bees! This is my NEW favorite skin care product line. Love love love LOVE it!! Can't say it enough :)

I know, you're probably wondering how I finally decided to give this a chance? Well, it all started the way a lot of trials do... with a free sample!! One of my favorite blogs out there, Hip2Save, had info on how to receive a free sample of the Burt's Bees new acne care wash and facial lotion.  Happily I sent in my request, and a few weeks later, my fun little sample arrived.  I had only the system a couple of days when I realized how great this stuff was! The lotion made my skin feel so great.  I am *blessed* to not have that much acne-trouble right now (must be my 30-ish skin ha ha!), but if I was, this would be my go-to without a doubt!

So, I got to thinking, if the acne lotion can do this much good for my complexion, and acne isn't even my concern, I wonder how great the 'radiance' products would be? Long story short, I decided to log onto one of my favorite product places - ULTA - and order the cleanser & cream!

Now, I am not one that has to have the 'all-natural' type of product, so this is a new experience to me, but one that I am really loving! Burt's Bees is a natural product, and it took a little while for a product princess like myself to get used to that fact.  For example, it doesn't have the 'smell' of product I'm used too, obviously because they do not want to add artificial ingredients like fragrances to the product.  But, when I realized how amazing my skin was feeling, I got used to that different smell pretty quick - I actually am growing fond of it!

If you haven't tried Burt's, give them a chance! Take it from a product princess :)

Week 2 - it's not easy, but it IS working!!

I have AMAZING news!! I am down FIVE pounds - woo hoo! Going into week 2 with some momentum, actually loosing something, yay!! It is a little tough to be on a diet right now with all the adorably cute & extra delicious Easter candy out there right now....

Oh how MUCH I love marshmallow Peeps!! And, Easter is prime-Peep-time, they are everywhere! But the good news is... I can eat a whole package, well, the tiny, 4-piece pack that is - for a very small points plus amount! So, these cute little bunnies are my current reward for days when I'm being extra good and have the points to spare :)

Besides my dieting, I'm trying to add in some exercise.  I've started walking at least every other day, even if it's for only ten minutes - that's ten more than not going at all! But, this made me realize very fast how out of shape I've become! And, I actually miss exercise, as strange as that sounds.  For some reason, I always dread doing it, but once I start, it makes me feel so much better.  I ordered some new DVD's and I've started a really fun program - I'll share more about that soon.

I've also added a *counter* to my blog! I don't know if anyone is even stopping by, but if you are - thanks! Have a great day!

Life ain't a track meet, it's a marathon...

I know, another song quote, this one's from Ice Cube - love it! It is so true though, I am really relating to this.  The diet & excercise thing is not a quick fix... it does take time.  In the same way that I didn't creep back up to this weight overnight, it's not just going to drop off in a week.  Or two.  Or four, unfortunatly.  But hopefully if I keep reminding myself of all that, it'll start to sink in :)

I had to splurge last night on 8 points plus points worth of Starburst Jelly Beans - darn that yummy Easter candy!!  This will be a weakness for me this month, wait & see! (Peeps, Chocolate Bunnies, Mini Cadbury Eggs, I loooove the candy this time of year! Uh oh!) But, I also had some frozen fruit, with an equally cool points plus value of ZERO thank goodness!

Since I'm talking a lot about my diet, I'm going to share a few of my favorite 'diet' discoveries:

1.) Kellogg's Fiber Plus Bars in Caramel Coconut Fudge

OMGoodness are these *delicious*!! If you are having trouble surviving Girl Scout cookie time, trust me, these are so good & they taste just like my personal favorite - Caramel Delights!! I can't take credit for finding these on my own, Hungry Girl first tipped me off, and I totally, 150% agree with her - amazing!

2.) MIO

I have been trying to up my water drinking since I'm on my diet, and I love the new MIO that is out for added flavor!

This stuff is soooo yummy!! I'll admit - when I first heard about it, I wasn't sure. I had tried the powder flavors for water (LOVE Hawaiin Punch ones!) but a liquid? Hmmmm.....sounded - well, different.

On my *favorite* freebie website Freebies2Deals, there was a post about how to get a free sample (now expired, sorry!)  So of course, I had to give them a chance.  And I am so glad I did! The sample I got was Berry Pomegranate, which honestly, I would have NEVER bought, to me that combo sounded 'not good.'  But it is wonderful! So good in fact I went straight to Wal-Mart and bought the Strawberry Watermelon - equally great!! Next on my list is Fruit Punch... I'm thinking of trying it on crushed ice as a zero point imitation Hawaiin Icee...

3.) Fruit

Aww, fruit.  This is not a new product, it's kinda been around since the time of the Garden of Eden.  And what's not to love?  Natural, delicious, and sweet - plus loaded with good-for-you stuff!  Well, the best news about Weight Watchers new Points Plus is even the previously dreaded banana is now, drumroll please.... ZERO points!! I'm learning to love fruit all over again!

I suppose that's enough about my diet for today!

I don't know if you are a sports fan, but I am a very dedicated NCAA Basketball Lover.  My team? The University of Kentucky Wildcats - yes, I am a proud member of the Big Blue Nation. 

Picture courtesy of: http://msn.foxsports.com/collegebasketball/gallery/2011-NCAA-basketball-tournament-best-moments-040411#photo-title=Brandon%20Knight%20beats%20Princeton&photo=29666326

You can imagine how heartbroken I was over the Final Four loss to UConn the other night :'( - but, on the flip side, what an incredible run they had this year!!

I was so hoping that Butler would pull out a win last night.  I really feel sorry for them, second year in a row to loose in the final game.  But again, what an incredible team!  Time to put away those brackets until next March, and start planning those fun fall tailgates I suppose!

Have a great Tuesday :)

Starting today, tomorrow's anew

I know, that's from a Dr. Dre song, but hey, I like that song! Plus, I thought it was perfect for my 'starting today' world.  I am starting 'THE diet' today.  I am going with the extremely popular Weight Watchers method.  I'm even going to try the *new* Points Plus method.  I have used WW in the past.  About 4 years ago, after my little girl was born, I used the old WW method to get back to an even-smaller-than-before size of around 115-ish.  Flash forward four years later, and I am at a weight seen previously only in pregnancies.  And, I ordered a bunch of new pants in what I 'thought' was my size now, and couldn't get even one of them buckled.  That's when I realized, okay, I'm going to go back on this diet, for real this time!! So, today's the very first day of my diet and exercise for summer plan.

Starting line-up stats:

Weight:  148 lbs
Size: Not an 8 - that was the size of those 'new' pants that were way too small

My first goal - to get those new pants to fit!!  So far today's not been too bad, I've not been starving like I usually am on a diet.  And, I walked 20 minutes at lunch time - hooray!!

Wish me lots and lots - and LOTS of luck! :)

Welcome to my blog!

Welcome to my blog! I've tried to blog before... without much success.  If you're a blog-reader (which you  most likely are since you are, in fact, reading this blog right now) you know that most of the time, blogs have a 'theme' about them.  There are giveaway blogs, cooking blogs, 'mommy' blogs, style blogs, coupon blogs, and about 10 million zillion others.  I am a blog reader, and I enjoy all of these!  I love giveaway blogs, I've won a few myself!  And the 'coupon' & 'freebie' blogs - those are equally fun.  Plus, I pick up great tips on all those 'mommy' blogs - I can relate girls!

I don't have a theme.  I wanted to start a blog, well, about whatever I guess.  Not that I think I'm so interesting that me alone is worth a blog.  As my title says, I'm just an average, simple gal.  I've been married for almost nine years, and we have two children - a boy & a girl.  I'm at the beginning of my 30's, (getting old or still really young, depending on how you look at it) work full-time, like country music, and love to shop.  I like to try my hand at photography - no expert, but I love to have fun with it!  I want to learn to cook someday.  And I am in grad school, working on my MBA.

What I really wanted to talk about at first is my DIET.  I am starting a diet.  Again.  I've only tried it every other day since I was eighteen.  But this time, I wanted to add some accountability.  I figured if I blog about it, I will at least be that much more accountable... if only to myself!  So tomorrow, it begins :)