Dear Tom Felton...

Yesterday, my son and I attended the Wizard World Comic Con in Tulsa. We had only been walking around for about fifteen minutes when a familiar face approached us unexpectedly... It was you, Tom Felton, Draco Malfoy, the person we were so anxious to see.

You asked my son what brought him to comic con, and he paused, unsure how to answer, and like all overbearing mothers, I stepped in and responded for him. 

"You. We saw that you were going to be here and knew we had to make it happen."

Instantly, this 31 year old married mother of two was reduced to the same 15 year old girl that first opened the cover of her first copy of Harry Potter & the Sorcerer's Stone. We didn't exchange many more words with you, my son told you that he was obsessed with Harry Potter... The books, the movies, and that his mom had introduced him to them. I was filled with pride, and so much was weighted in those simple words that didn't come across to you. 

My mom was a teacher, and there was talk of Harry Potter being banned from her school library.  She was against book censorship, so, of course, we decided to read them together. We were instantly enthralled with Harry's world... The magic, the wonder, the passion with which the story was written. We read through them together, and made it through The Goblet of Fire as a team. 

Unfortunately, she passed away before the release of Order of the Phoenix, so I finished the series on my own, with the bittersweet longing for her to get to know how the story ended. 

When my son was old enough to have his passion for reading ignited, it blazed with a fire stronger than I could have hoped for, and the second those books were in his hands, they became as beloved to him as they ever were to my mother and I, and we shared them over and over again, having movie marathons that brought our imaginations to life in our living room together, over popcorn and hot cocoa, reading to each other, even visiting the Wizarding World in Orlando this past summer.

So when you asked what brought us to Tulsa to see you, this is the long-winded answer that was behind our response...

Our family has been brought together through these stories and movies... Your portrayal of Draco Malfoy has affected our lives in ways that seem trivial but are only the surface of a deeper relationship that started when I was a teen and carried through my life into my own children, and allowed me to share my own mother's legacy with them even after she was gone, and when I'm gone, I'm positive my son will share the same passions for them with his children.

It's so much more than just a book or movie when it becomes part of your life.

And that is what brings "people like us" to Comic Con. Your interest in the subject of fandom and passion in your fans created a five minute memory that will last a lifetime and bring true a dream for my son, and myself, that neither of us will ever forget. Thank you for letting him know that it matters on the other side of the screen too.

Sincerely,

A true fan.

Dining Out

So yesterday was one of those days you wish you could just erase altogether and redo a different way. Which is fine, because it's already over and today is a fantastic day.

However, I bring up yesterday because my family decided to go to Olive Garden for lunch after a serious failure at the doctor's office that resulted in my son not receiving the procedure he'd initially gone in for and some heated words from yours truly to the doctor, an embarrassed husband and son, and an all around negative connotation to the morning. My son needed Olive Garden. He needed his grandma and papa that met us there, and he needed to do this on a day when my daughter was still in school so that the attention was focused on him.

I needed it about as much as I need a kick to the face with steel toe boots.

The menu called out to me, the creamy goodness of the never-ending pasta drenched in rich Alfredo sauce, the salty-satisfying pull of a soft and warm breadstick (or 5) that just begged to be dipped into the tart perfection that is Olive Garden house salad dressing, the rich smoothness of a piece of pumpkin cheesecake... I should work for their ad campaign. I'm a walking billboard.

In the past, I've obviously gone straight for the fettucine alfredo, and have indulged in however many breadsticks my body could physically contain in one sitting.

Yesterday, I texted my challenge coach, Julie, for backup on the way there and went prepared to order from the Lighter Fare menu, sans breadsticks, plus a small crouton-less plate of salad. 

I ended up with a steaming plate of ravioli di portobello in front of me, and my only lunchtime fail was that I did indeed succumb to the breadstick. One. Which was still 140 calories! (sorry, Julie...)

So here is a breakdown of how dining at Olive Garden can build up to be your one weekly "happy" meal, even when you order from the Lighter Fare menu:

The ravioli was amazing, although of course I could have happily eaten three plates of it and still licked the plate clean... which totally goes against the purpose of ordering Lighter Fare.

One plate of Ravioli di Portobello:   570 calories
One Olive Garden breadstick:          140 calories
One cup House salad:                       150 calories
Total:                                                 860 calories

Even faring lightly but enjoyably, this was still a huge blow to my daily intake, considering the cup of Southwest Chicken Soup I could have had instead at home was only 134 calories! However, here's a breakdown of how I *usually* eat at Olive Garden...

One plate of Fettucine Alfredo:        1090 calories
Three breadsticks:                             420 calories
Two cups House salad:                     300 calories
One glass Moscato d'asti:                 200 calories
Total:                                               2010 calories

Honestly, that's a massive difference. And I also adjusted the rest of my day around that meal and still I think my daily intake was between 1300-1400 calories.

Also... make sure when you eat out, you check the nutrition info straight from the restaurant website. I added my meal to My Fitness Pal and was pleased to see that my lunch was only 450 calories, only to discover upon researching this blog post that it wasn't the correct number. Now I'll be able to go back and change my numbers, but when you're using an app or website to track and journal your food and water intake, it's important to be as accurate as possible.

So the moral of the story, folks, is do your best to eat at home. It's so hard to control what goes into your body when you have no control over what goes into your food. Once in a while is fine but honestly... I'm glad that today everything I take in will be coming from my own kitchen.

I might also add that self control is easier at home. I nearly cried turning down the Andes mints the waiter carelessly dropped right in front of me at the end of the meal, and I lost complete control over my inhibitions when that bread basket was within arm's reach.  If you do have an occasion to go out to eat, research the establishment first and try to stick with local restaurants that have working relationships with local food sources and natural, fresh vegetables instead of the previously frozen and shipped meals that are so common in chain restaurants.  Happy eating!

The Importance of Hydration

I don't know about you, but I have a ridiculously hard time drinking the amount of water my body needs a day. So in an effort to motivate myself into healthier aqua-ingestion habits, I did a little research. I learned not too long ago that the 8x8 rule (8 glasses, 8 ounces each, per day) isn't necessarily going to cut it. Instead, people who know way more than me recommend drinking half your body weight in ounces a day. So if you weigh, say, 200 pounds... that's 5 20oz bottles a day.

Honestly, that shouldn't be that hard. But without adding chemical embellishments like Crystal Light to fool me into thinking I'm drinking Kool-Aid, somehow I just can't manage it.

I thought perhaps I wasn't the only one with this issue... so here I've produced a list of a few ideas to keep water on the brain.

Keep a HUGE MUG OR GLASS of water handy at all times, within arm's reach... if it's there all the time, you're more likely to drink that. I've learned that this is much more effective if it isn't sitting directly behind a 20 ounce bottle of cherry Coke. Just saying... learn from my mistakes.

Not gonna lie... I seriously wish this was *actually* a little girl drinking water in a giant cup.

Consider making a huge straw, as seen below, and fill a baby pool with refreshing H2O, then stick the straw in the pool and just keep the straw between your lips all day. Seriously, you'll get hydrated.

You may look like this elephant doing so but I bet it's effective.

 If that's not practical for your lifestyle, maybe just refer back to the huge mug idea. I guess. Although seriously... if your life doesn't at some point include drinking a beverage through a giant straw straight from a baby pool, maybe you should reconsider just what it is you're living for.

Another idea is to make it fancy schmancy... Add pretty flowers (not poinsettas or anything poisonous... obvi.) and fill a pitcher with ice and fresh water, along with slices of oranges and mint leaves, or strawberries and cucumbers, or chocolate syrup... you know, whatever you like. Disclaimer: chocolate syrup not effective if you're drinking water to improve your health in any way.

I find that when making my water fancy-schmancy, my body best absorbs it when drinking it from a glass goblet with my pinky raised, and speak in a pretentious English accent about the travesty that is Western culture.

My point here is, there's no excuse if you just put a little effort in... and the benefits to your body are ridiculous. It's amazing what a cheap source of hydration can do for you physically if you just take the time to let it happen.  So embrace the wet life... drink it in, bath in it if you will. Actually... seriously, please do. For my sake if not for your own.

Here is a water PSA, so that all my ridiculousness can have a final, mature point.

A Craving for Mexican

Today I wanted Mexican food.

Typically that isn't a big deal, but I was ravenous for Mexican food. I wanted the works, gooey enchiladas covered in cheese and sour cream sauce, Mexican rice, hot flour tortillas, fresh salsa, tortilla chips... It was all I thought about all day.

So I decided to make a healthy Mexican dish for dinner. No enchiladas unfortunately. Not even any rice. But it was delicious just the same.

Don't worry, Mexican calorie-fest... I haven't forgotten you. One day, we'll have a love affair with a candle-lit dinner. Maybe we'll even spend the night together.

In the meantime, this Southwest Chicken Stew hit the spot in a big way, and warmed me through and through (which was good, considering it was rainy, dreary, and November-y all day.) I added a little dollop of sour cream on top, and a pinch of shredded cheddar. It felt like a cheat without *being* one. See what I did there? Smooth.

Seriously. I want another bowl just typing this. Maybe even two.

Southwest Chicken Stew

(You could add a can of rinsed black beans to this and it would seriously be amazing. I happened to not have any so I didn't do that. Lazy.)

10 cups water
4 cubes beef bouillon 
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1 can fire roasted diced green chilies
2 diced celery stalks
2 tomatoes, diced
1/2 a white onion, chopped
1 c chopped carrots
1 potato, cubed
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/8 c chopped cilantro (dried) or 1/2 c fresh chopped cilantro
1/4 c chili powder
1/8 c cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
4 tsp sea salt
1/4 c cornstarch
1/2 c lime juice (less or more depending on how tart you like it)

Boil the chicken in 10 c of water on high. When done, remove chicken. Add can of diced chilies and all the seasonings to the water and let simmer. Meanwhile, saute the celery, onion, carrots, and bell pepper in a tablespoon or so of oil on medium high until its tender, about 5 minutes. Add to boiling broth, along with bouillon, and let simmer. Add in potato and tomatoes. Shred chicken and add it to the stew. Stir in lime juice and let cook 20 minutes at a simmer, until potato cubes are tender. In a separate bowl, stir cornstarch with 1/8 cup or so of cold water. Stir mixture into the stew and let boil another 5 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and a pinch of shredded cheese.

Serves 10 at 134 calories/serving, not including calories from sour cream and cheese.

Just a little random info...

Today I start two new weight loss challenges... One is a challenge I do regularly, for three weeks then take a week off. Sometimes I have success with this challenge, sometimes.... well... let's just say every time my start weight is essentially the same. The other is through work, and is mostly just for fun because I figure if I'm doing the other challenge anyway, maybe two will actually keep me accountable enough to keep my hand out of the literal cookie jar.

Coffee to the left, Greenberry to the right. Great way to start the day!

I started my day today with a cup of coffee, because mornings blow, and a greenberry Shakeology. This has so far proven to be my least favorite shakeo flavor, but today I blended in a banana and a few drops of stevia and honestly, I thought it was awesome! I like trying out new recipes with the shakes, changing it up and finding new ways to make it taste different. But honestly, it's delicious just blended with water and ice.

So I wanted to talk a little bit about my three week challenge (the one that apparently I'm not winning at although I'm about to express to you all the ways it kicks ass.) The first one of these I did, I lost 22 pounds in 21 days. It was amazing, felt amazing, was rewarding in so many ways. I love how not only do I feel accountable for my actions, I can go post and vent and get ideas and motivation from other women just like me that have similar goals to my own and appreciate the struggles and trials that go along with trying to lose a significant amount of weight. There are meal plans every week too, and it's nice to have someone tell you exactly what you need to eat to feel your best in case you feel lost or confused on what's right.

Now if only I can keep my end of the bargain, I'll kick this challenge's ass the way I did the first challenge!

A Not-So-Small Intro

So here I am, the owner of yet another blog.

Oh yes, I've traveled this well beaten path many a time, sometimes for the purpose of writing, sharing stories about my kids and my husband... but primarily with recipes and DIY projects to inspire the masses to get in touch with their inner Martha Stewarts (pre-jail, younger, intimidatingly talented Martha, of course.)

The last time I took a stab at blogging, it was with a page called The Soul Barer... and I LOVED it, every post. I posted often, and I loved not only making new friends through blogging, but having a reason to make a plethora of delicious and creative new recipes and projects that constantly kept me on my toes. However, as I blogged, I ate my way to a solid 350 (or maybe more) pounds of loving, comedic, motherly flab.

This is me on the far right... and no. I didn't get stung by a bee that day. That was all me.

This was taken shortly before I realized everything hurt because I was fat, not because I was getting old.

In September of 2012, I decided one day I was done being that person. It was instantaneous... Like that quote from Life as a House...George Monroe tells his son, "You know the great thing, though, is that change can be so constant you don't even feel the difference until there is one. It can be so slow that you don't even notice that your life is better or worse, until it is. Or it can just blow you away, make you something different in an instant. It happened to me."  Well, George... it happened to me too.

By Christmas I was at 305. By Valentine's Day I was at 275. By Easter, 256. That's almost 100 pounds, folks. I worked hard, but the strength was so much more mental than physical. I'm still not sure what it was that drove me, but nothing phased me during that period. When I had unhealthy meals, I remained in control of my moderation, and I worked out constantly.

I loved myself, despite still having another 75 pounds to lose (I'm 6'0 and happy with a little booty to shake so my goals aren't waifish by any means.) I loved my hair, wearing makeup, dressing up, shopping for clothes, cooking healthy meals, the whole thing. Loved.

Somewhere along the way, I think around July or August of 2013, I lost that motivation piece by piece. By November I was back up to 280, and after starting a completely sedentary new job in January of 2014, I skyrocketed up to 310 in no time. I band wagoned it for a while, back and forth between 280 and 300... and I'm tired of doing that.

My husband and I. He also lost 90 pounds during that period. I was so proud of us.

I was an annoying selfie taker, because I liked noticing that I only had one chin even when I didn't take the picture from an intense upward angle.

One of my best moments, the first time I completed an obstacle run. I felt like I could do anything that day. It was also two days after getting the cast taken off my broken arm.

The stereotypical before and after. On the left, 350 or more. The right, 256. Plus 90 pounds of awesome photobombing to the right.

I miss writing. I miss blogging. And I also miss having a waist. So I'm going to take a stab at combining the two. I'll post updates... what works, what doesn't, shitty days when nothing happens, successful days when I feel like Heidi Klum (as opposed to looking like I just ATE Heidi Klum... massive difference, I've learned.) and hopefully I'll find it again... my waist, my peace, my comfort with who I am, and best of all, the strength that comes from feeling powerful inside yourself.

Wish me luck!