Operation Healthy Mom - Week 2

This week I'm down 1.7 lbs.  I'm doing well with writing down my food and the water intake is going ok.  This week with Easter coming up and all of this candy I have  floating, currently in hiding, my goal is to limit myself on eating any of it.  

Easy Peasey - Vegetable Side Dish

This past weekend my parents threw a big party and Mom asked me to bring a triple batch of Baked Corn Pudding.  I got the recipe from my Pappy (who got it out of Taste of Home).  It's so yummy, one of the #1 requested things when we go somewhere, only takes 10 minutes to prep it for baking, so thought I'd share it.

Ingredients:
- 1 cup of milk
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 3 eggs
- 3 Tbsp of Flour
- Dash of salt & pepper
- 1/4 cup of melted butter
- Can of kernel corn (drained)
- Can of cream-style corn

Directions: Stir sugar and flour together.  Whisk in eggs, milk, butter and salt & pepper.  Stir in cans of corn.  Preheat oven 350 degrees - bake 45-50 mins.  Serve and enjoy!

* I always stir it before serving.

I'm linking to: 

How quickly time flies by...

Today, Baby Girl is 2 months old!  Jeeze, where did that time go?  In the past 2 weeks, her personality has really started to come through.  And I've noticed this week she gets excited when she sees me & she's starting to smile back with this little giggle.  It's absolutely the ca-utest thing!  Even Little One has been really cute and sweet this week.  I think the sweetest thing she's said this week that melted my heart was at dinner last night she thanked her Daddy for playing with her outside.  Melt my heart.

We got the girls Easter pics done this week and I wanted to share their cute-ness and a couple other ones.

DIY - Kitchen Remodel

We've lived in our house for 4 years this April.  Since January we've been re-vamping our 1st floor, remember when we tore up the carpets and re-finished the hardwood floors in the living room, here, and then in the past month we decided to repaint the bathroom, dining room, and semi-remodel and paint the kitchen. 

Here's the kitchen in all her glory when we bought the house, I had forgotten about the baby poop color they used for trim in the house.  And those hideous cabinets!!! And you can't forget the mismatched and uneven height counters. 

So, before we moved in we sanded them down, gave them a coat of white and new hardware.  And for some reason I was in this phase of light wall colors and super dark trim.  Yeah - now I'm like what was I thinking?! 

Last Tuesday we headed to Lowe's with some of our return money and were excited to revamp our kitchen.  New counters, beadboard for the backsplash, new sink, faucet, lighting, and I was getting a dishwasher - YAY for no more handwashing!!! 

Here's Hubby lifting out the tiled counter, man was this sucker heavy!  I helped Hubs carry it outside and  the previous owners had 4 layers of countertops and tiles on it.  So glad to see it gone! 

Reconfiguring the sink side took the longest.  For some reason there were two sets of hot and cold water pipes.  So he closed off one set of each and then had to move them over to the right, so the dishwasher could fit.

Finally on Sunday, Hubby finished all of the cosmetic stuff and it took us 3 days to finish painting.  Still need to get some fabric for the windows and some decor, but SO HAPPY with the finished outcome. 

I'm linking to Transformation Thursday @ The Shabby Chic Cottage & Show and Share Day @ Just a Girl &  &

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Starting Wed Edition - Operation Healthy Mom

Yesterday marked 8 weeks from having baby girl.  Wow - can't believe time has flown by that fast!!!  I've been thinking the past few days about getting serious about my weight loss.  Thankfully, I'm down to pre-pregnancy weight.  But I definitely have my fair share of weight to drop.  And needless to say, my eating the past 2 weeks has been crazy and I need to stop it now.

Every Wednesday I'm going to add in an exercise or lifestyle change and will share my progress from the previous week.  I don't have a specific # in my head of what I'd like to weigh, I just want to have a healthy BMI and where I feel good about myself.

This week I'm adopting the saying "Bite it, Write it" and also increasing my water intake.  I've gotten better with this since having baby girl because of nursing, but could def. drink some more.  I look forward to sharing my progress with you all.

Friend Makin Monday

1. Favorite things about Spring: Warmer weather so we are able to open the windows, blooming trees, getting the kids outside to burn off some of their energy, flip flops, planting flowers & bulbs, a mowed lawn.

2. What I'm doing for Spring Break: No kids in school - so doesn't apply.

3. Favorite Spring flower: Cherry blossoms.

4. Do you have a garden? No, but would love to, hopefully in the next house.

5. If so, what do you grow. Would love to grow potatoes, pumpkins, zucchini's, cucumbers.

6. Do you do Spring cleaning?  Yes - Love de-cluttering, re-organizing, deep cleaning - it's like a brand new house!

7. What is your weather *really* like right now? {Just b/c it's "officially" spring, doesn't mean that it feels like it for some of you} Well, last week we reached the 70's, now we're down to the 50's/60's. 

8. Snapped any weather related photos lately? Share one with us!  Nope, I need to though.

9. What's your favorite thing to do on a sunny afternoon? Lounge outside with a good book - oh how good that sounds, to just read a book! 

10. Favorite TV show right now? Chuck - love this show so much!!! 

Easter/Spring Wreath Inspiration

This week I've gotten sucked into all of the great linking parties around and came across many adorable DIY inexpensive wreaths.  I can't wait to try some of them!!! 

Heather & Lianna did two different takes on this one. 

Love this paper wreath from Shannon.

Julie made this lovely ribbon wreath. 

Loved Jess's two different flowered wreaths. 

Thank you ladies for the great ideas, now to go get some supplies and try some of these out.

Nursery Art on the CHEAP

In baby girls room there is a wide horizontal stripe, I knew that I wanted to fill it with some art.  Michael's was having BOGO canvas, 2 came in a pack.  So, I got 4 canvases for $5.99, spool of ribbon $1.99, 4 sheets of scrapbooking paper $4.  Already had on hand foam brushes and mod podge.  Unfortunately - I forgot to take pics but it's super simple!  Total Cost = $12!

Directions:

• Cut scrapbook paper to size of canvas.  
• Coat the canvas and back of paper with mod podge, smooth it onto the canvas. 
• Measure ribbon to length to wrap around the edge with a little excess. 
• Hot glue the ribbon around the edge, overlapping at the end. 
• Hang & Enjoy! 

Here's the space I wanted the canvas to go. 

Here's close-ups before they were hung. 

Hung up on the wall. 

Clutter Schmutter...

With these warm temps the spring cleaning bug has hit and I was ready to get rid of some of the clutter in our house.  Unfortunately since having baby girl, our basement/my craft studio had turned into the catch all place when cleaning everything up.  Piles of stuff just kept forming down there and I got fed up and determined to attack it. 

Here's some after-before shots, this was after some de-cluttering and re-arranging had occurred - Eeks! 

Just looking at this makes me want to shudder.

This side doesn't look so bad.

This area I had already started to do before I remembered to take some "before" shots.

Now for some After shots: 

Hubby was cleaning his clubs and balls, but you can see the transformation.

This side looks MUCH better now!

I have a looooooong list of DIY ideas & projects that I've been accumulating during the nighttime feedings in the past two months and now I can't wait to go down there and dig in.  I love walking down there and find excuses to go down there. 

I'm linking up to The Shabby Chic Cottage Transformation Thursday Party.  Go on over and check some amazing other transformations! 

Friend Makin Monday

I am.... so thankful for all we have in our lives.

I think.... it needs to stop raining and move on to the nicer sunny 60 degree days they are calling for later this week.

I should... be cleaning the kitchen.

I dream.... of no more layoffs.

I want.... the hubby to get a call that there's work.

I know... I'm ready for spring!

I don't like.... how little one has been acting the past couple days, I'm tired of the talking/yelling back and not listening.

I smell... baby girl, sleeping on my chest.

I hear.... her making noises in her sleep and the Hubs playing a video game.

I fear.... something bad happening to either of the girls' or the Hubs.

I usually... check fb, bbc, and my emails everyday.  

I search... for oldests' other slipper, we've lost it and no clue where it got to.

I miss.... some of the friends we've lost over the years.

I always... get up with the girls' in the mornings.

I regret.... nothing b/c I wouldn't be where I am today without those decisions.

I wonder....what career I want to have once the kids are in school.

I crave....chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream!

I remember...the important things.

I need.....a vacation.

I forget....the small stuff. 

I feel....content and comfortable.

I can....do anything with the Hubs by my side.

I can't....stand whining. 

I am happy....to have our home.

I lose.....a lot of sleep right now.

I sing....whenever music is playing and usually alone.

I listen...to little one when she's talking.

I shop.....in the clearance sections first!

I eat....decently, more healthy then previous years, but room for improvement.

I love.....my life!

Happy Monday!!!

Feeling Refreshed...

Anyone else loving the spring temps lately?  It's like the world is getting ready to bloom soon and new beginnings.  The spring cleaning bug has set in and we've been busy giving some rooms an uplift, de-cluttering and cleaning the house in the past couple weeks.  Here's some fresh flowers we picked up this weekend - they make me smile every time I walk by them.

I'll be sharing our full bath makeover, dining room makeover, bathroom closet, wall art for baby girls' room.  Our next project will be the kitchen and basement plus some DIY projects that I've been wanting to do.  Plus measuring my life in l-o-v-e is getting a facelift in the next couple weeks.  It's being worked on this week, can't wait!!!

And a couple 3 weeks ago our couch came in so wanted to share the finished look of our living room.  Remember here - when I showed how the Hubs tore up the carpeting and refinished our floors?  Now the transformation is complete!

And I have new pictures of Little One and Baby Girl, who is 6 weeks already.  Time is flying by even faster with her it seems!  

Both girls lounging on the couch one morning.

Baby Girl relaxing showing off one of her new cloth diapers.

Love her smile! 

Little One enjoying the beautiful weather we've been having!