Pumpkin Spice Mini-Muffins with Cinnamon Chips

This is honestly one of the easiest and tastiest recipes I have ever made!  So simple and so tasty!

My sister introduced me to this easy recipe last week when she served these mini-muffins as a breakfast option for a house full of guests.  They are so delicious and easy to make - why wouldn't  you?

Ingredients
1 box of spice cake mix
1 can of pumpkin
Cinnamon or Chocolate chips

Are you ready for the instructions?   They are so difficult (she says with great sarcasm)

Mix cake mix with pumpkin.  Add chips - as many as you desire!  That's it!   Three ingredients and you're done.

It even looked good in the mixer!  For this batch I had run out of cinnamon chips so I did half with cinnamon and half with mini chocolate chips.

What could be better than a pumpkin spice with cinnamon (or chocolate) muffin during Fall?  I mean really?   What could be better?

Enjoy!

St Maarten Vacation - highlights and lowlights

St Maarten

We have just returned from a beautiful, blissful and peaceful 10 days on the island of St Maarten in the Caribbean!   I could not have asked for a better vacation with my boyfriend and my son!   We were hoping to take my boyfriends two children as well, but unfortunately they were not allowed to come with us so it ended up being just the three of us.  We had a blast!   From zip lining to hitting the beaches, exploring the island to shopping for treasure, it was a fantastic vacation, start to finish.  Here is a very high level recap of our vacation with my tips for navigating the island, finding the hot spots and a few places to avoid.  If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below and I will gladly respond.  So let's start with the highlights!

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The must see, must do, must try section:

We stayed on Guana Bay on the Dutch side of St. Maarten.  If you don't know, the island is split with the north-side being owned by the French and the south-side being owned by the Dutch.  The French side seemed to be a little more posh with the beautiful cities of Grand Case and Marigot and the Dutch side is a little more dated with the tourist-friendly cities of Philipsburg and Simpson Bay.  Guana Bay is on the eastern coast with a great little beach of its own.  Our villa is privately owned and we used Vacation Rental By Owner to book the villa.  I would highly recommend Guana Bay if you are looking to be off the beaten path and out of a resort.  You will definitely need a rental car if staying here because there aren't any shops, restaurants or bars within a few miles (and over a large, steep hill).  

The biggest highlight of the trip for me was our hike to the secret tide pools of Devil's Cupper.  We had read about this one-hour hike from Guana Bay that would lead to secret tide pools before we left for our vacation.  Once we were out exploring our little bay, we found the access to what appeared to be the path for the hike.  After seeing a few other intrigued hikers start off down this hour hike, we decided it was a must-do and we came back two days later to tackle the hike.  

With a cooler full of cold drinks in our backpack and sunscreen liberally applied (a necessary evil in the hot St Maarten sun), we set off on our hike.  This is the abandoned house that leads to the path:

Abandoned house at the beginning of the trail

We were familiar with the first 5 minutes of the hike and knew to expect a wild goat trail with scat droppings so we were prepared with our sneakers laced up and ready to hike!   The trail is navigable for the first 40 minutes of the hike and then it becomes steep and a little rocky where you have to carefully watch your step as you ascend and descend the one mountain.  We stopped at the two bays on the path to check them out.  The first bay is Geneve Bay and it is very rocky and covered with debris that has washed ashore (as you would expect on an abandoned beach).  The second is called Back Bay and also had a small, rocky beach with debris.  You certainly would not hike in to use the beaches.  After a quick stop to have a drink and catch our breath we continued our hike down to Devil's Cupper.  As it comes into view you see this beautiful flat, unobstructed plot of land out on the peak.  Just over the other side you'll find the tide pools.

We scaled down the rocks and quickly shed our gear and extra clothing so we could swim in the tide pools.  The tide was coming in so the water was quite high but I imagine when it goes out the rocks are easier to stand on and maybe even wade through.  For our swim the water was about 6-8ft deep and so clear we could see everything including bright yellow little fish swimming with us.  Just watch out for the sea urchins that are prevalent!   We splished and splashed for about thirty minutes before drying off to hike back out.  I took a few more photos as we climbed up the rocks.

This is an amazing experience as you are completely alone on this part of the island for the better part of two-three hours!  If you able, I strongly suggest adding this to your "Must Do" list when visiting St Maarten.  It was absolutely majestic!  

Beaches, Beaches, Beaches!   We had to try a few different beaches while we were on the island after learning there are 37 beaches to explore.  Of course we knew Guana beach inside and out by the time we left but we also became familiar with a few others.  Orient Bay was fantastic for pulling up a lounge chair, laying back and enjoying a nice, frosty cocktail.  Just beware that the south side of the beach is clothing optional and lots of the older women choose to share their glory with the entire beach!  haha!  We used Waikiki beach for our rentals ($20 for two chairs and a table) and enjoyed the drinks and food.  Service was terrible the first trip but improved on our second visit.  We had tried to go to Coco Beach but "cooler's are absolutely forbidden" and the waiter was very rude so we moved over to Waikiki again!

During our visit we also tried Friar's Bay beach.  The beach chair rental was only $6 at Friar's Bay Cafe if you were eating there so we opted for that restaurant.  BIG mistake but I will get into that more below.  This bay/beach is great for snorkeling and we found an amazing reef off the north side of the beach.  It is also nice and shallow so it's a great family beach, although we did see a few topless women bearing all so just be warned.  We spent our last beach day here and other than the terrible service it was a great beach to visit!


Zip Lining at Loterie Farms

We decided to try zip lining at Loterie Farms and it was the BEST idea!   Loterie Farms is located almost dead center on the island right by Pic Paradis, the highest point on the island.  We did the medium course so that Cooper could join us.  The smaller course is for children under 7 and the extreme course is a huge zip line from Pic Paradis all the way down to Loterie Farms grounds.

After getting strapped into our harnesses, we were off on our adventure.  There were multiple zip lines with varying types of treacherous bridges and tight ropes to maneuver in order to get to the next.  By the end of the hour long workout excursion we are all very tired and very sweaty.  Thank goodness they had a pool.  We had planned to spend the day either here at the pool or at another beach but this pool was just too inviting.  You can rent the cabanas for somewhere around $200/day but we wanted to be in the sun so we just got lounge chairs.  The pool was amazing!  I want a pool just like it in my backyard some day!  We ate and drank poolside, swam and people watched the interesting French people who came to enjoy Loterie Farms for the day.  This place is definitely a MUST DO on the island!  Even if you just go for lunch to their Hidden Forest Cafe for lunch.  It is beautiful!

Where to Eat
Num num num!   We ate and ate and ate on this vacation.  It is vacation after all!  When we first arrived we weren't quite sure where to go or what to do so we just went to Philipsburg and ate at the Green House.  It was good food, great service and reasonably priced.   You can park in Bobby's Marina and the Green House will comp your parking when you check out.  We actually ended up here twice since we couldn't find anywhere else open on the Philipsburg boardwalk after 5pm on a Saturday. It turns out that they only open the stores and restaurants on Fronts Street or the Boardwalk if there is a cruise.  Little did we know!

While we were out and about one day we stopped in Marigot for an ice cream or snack.  We went to Sarafina's on the Boulevard de France since they advertised outside they served fresh crepes and ice cream.  Unfortunately they did not have any ice cream but their pastry selection was amazing.  I ordered the crepes, Cooper had a few different pastries and a bowl of fruit and Will also had a few pastries.  It was delicious and refreshing after our hot hike up to Fort Louis (more below).  Sarafina's is a great place to sit on the Boulevard and have breakfast or watch the beach crowd go by.  We really enjoyed the atmosphere.

We went out to the Sint Maarten Yacht Club Bar & Restaurant in Simpson Bay to watch the USA play in the World Cup games and had a great time with the mix of locals and tourists in the bar.  I ordered the fish and chips and it was fantastic!   I hardly ever eat fried food but this was well worth the calories.  The spicy calamari appetizer was VERY spicy and we ate a lot of bread to cool off our lips!   Everything was very reasonably priced and with good food, good atmosphere and being right on the lagoon, how could you go wrong?

Sint Maarten Yacht Club bar

We ate at a few other places that were also good.  Skip Jacks had the absolute best service we have found on the island but the food was just so-so.  We had breakfast on the boardwalk in Philipsburg a few times at Holland House restaurant.  It's right on the boardwalk and one of the only places we could find for breakfast.  They do a buffet with one item from the kitchen and it was worth the money.

The best part of our vacation was being able to go out and get good, French croissants and pain au chocolate croissants for breakfast!  So yummy!  We also cooked steaks on the grill at the Villa one night but it was just as pricey to buy food at the grocery store as it was to go out so we decided to go out other nights.

I saved the best for last.....

While I was shopping on Front Street I went into Blanc du Nil and began speaking with the owner. She was very polite and friendly and gave me the recommendation to check out her husband's restaurant in Grand Case.  She also advised me that the shopping in Grand Case would be open later which was good news to hear!   His restaurant is called L'Auberge Gourmande and it was by far my absolute favorite meal that we had on the island!  We started with a champagne cocktail thanks to my friend at Blanc du Nil recommending us.  Our appetizer was a seafood medley over lobster bisque and served in a light pastry.  Very rich and creamy!   We all were fighting over each bite.  My main course:

Sautéed Chilean sea bass filet and shrimp, served with coconut sauce on a bed of sweet potatoes

It was beautifully arranged and impossible to finish all of it, although I really wanted to!  I wish I would have taken a photo!   For dessert we chose the chocolate delight, profiteroles and Cooper had the ice cream trio.  It was all amazingly fantastic.  I would highly, strongly, whole-heartedly recommend you visiting L'Auberge during your visit!  Mmm Mmm Good!

A Day in Anguilla

One of the excursions or adventures that I really wanted to do while we were in the Caribbean was to swim with the dolphins.  I have always wanted to so when we planned this vacation I made sure to save up to be able to include this activity.  Anyone who has been knows it is not a cheap adventure!   When we arrived at our villa there was a pamphlet from CoCo discount that advertised an all day visit to the island of Anguilla that included the ferry boat to and from, the dolphin encounter and an afternoon (or morning in our case) on Shoal Bay with snorkel gear and lunch.  Shoal Bay is one of the top five beaches in the world so I was just as excited to visit this prestigious beach as I was to swim with the dolphins.

When we arrived on Anguilla I was amazed at how flat the island is in comparison to the steep mountains of St Maarten.  The island is only 16 miles long and 3 miles wide - with six stop lights as we learned on our short bus tour.  Since there was already a full schedule for the morning swim we were taken straight to Shoal Bay to snorkel and swim, have lunch and then our driver Harry would be back to pick us up at 1pm.  The beach was absolutely beautiful!   Cooper made friends with a girl who was also on our day trip and they snorkeled together for quite awhile.  The water was perfectly clear so you could see all kinds of fish and a lot of the reef.  The lunch at Tropical Sunset was very basic (burgers, ribs or chicken) but it was good nonetheless.  The rum punch definitely packed a punch so I had to hand mine off to Will to finish.

After lunch we met Harry and headed back to the dolphin area.  I was disappointed that while we waited for our 2:30 swim time there weren't any refreshments offered near the waiting area.  I can understand not serving alcohol before people go off to swim with wild animals but a nice cold lemonade would have been good!   It was finally our time to go in!  

The swim we purchased was the basic encounter so it did not include swimming on their fins or letting them push you through the water on the tip of their nose.  But it turned out to be the perfect amount of time (just over an hour) and interaction with the dolphins!   We all loved it and agreed it was well worth the money.  The pictures explain it all!

Fort Louis and Fort Armstrong

Fort Louis, Marigot

We visited two different forts on the island and had fun exploring both.  Fort Louis is a must though for the scenery.  You stand on top of this peak of a mountain looking out over Marigot Bay and toward Anguilla island.  The marina sets the perfect backdrop to the cannons that are so perfectly placed in position as if they were still loaded and ready to fire.  The view is spectacular and well worth the (hot) hike up the old stairs that lead up to the Fort.

Fort Armstrong, Philipsburg

Maho Beach - where the planes land

We went to Maho Beach on our way home from Marigot, just to say that we did it.  If you've done any Internet research on St Maarten  you have surely seen the pictures of the giant 747s landing over the crowd of people on the beach.  It seemed like something we had to do and so, we did!   There were tourists hanging on to the fence trying not to be blown away by the jet stream and other standing in the sand who ended up in the beach after the plane took off.  We watched just long enough to finish our frozen cocktails and that was enough.  I wouldn't say this was a highlight of our vacation by any means but it is one of those things you just have to do (once!) while in St Maarten.  

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The don't bother and avoid at all costs section:

There really weren't too many negatives I can list about our trip to St Maarten.  From start to finish it was absolutely fantastic.  A few minor tips for anyone visiting for the first time:  Groceries are expensive so plan accordingly.  You can find cheaper meals out than you can buy and make in your villa.  The island has a lot of low-income areas so you need to be street smart.  Don't leave anything valuable in your car and lock all your valuables in your room safe at all times!   There are a lot of solicitors out for the resorts asking you to scratch a ticket to win a prize or take this coupon for a free trip.  Be careful as these are most likely scams.  Driving on the island is a necessity but it is also very stressful.  People pull out in front of you with no warning.  Traffic seemed to back-up around 5pm in the day when everyone was headed home for the night.

One place had horrible service and for that alone I will say avoid Friar's Bay Beach Cafe.  You can read my review of the place here but I would avoid this place at all costs.  Go to Friar's Bay though, it was a lot of fun!

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Thank you for reading my review of St Maarten.  If you have any questions, please leave a comment below and I will be sure to answer any questions you may have.  I strongly recommend you visit St Maarten!  It's a beautiful island with a lot to offer.  Cheers!

Bikini season

Our vacation is only 23 days away so in order to prepare this year I agreed to join DietBet with my friend Michelle to challenge ourselves to get fit before bikini season.  The principle behind DietBet is that you pay $30 per bet and  you compete with others in your bet to lose 4% body weight.  If at the end of the bet you have lost 4%, you share the pot with the other winners.  Last month Michelle won but I missed the mark by 0.8lb!   So this month I am determined to not only win, but keep going until vacation.  

The bet ends tomorrow and I am already below my goal weight so I am confident that I can achieve this DietBet goal.  For added inspiration, I found this picture today:

I cannot wait to be laying on a beach in the Caribbean, soaking up the sunshine and enjoying time with my two loves!  Time to start shopping for a few new bikinis!  

Invisalign - 50% done

I am on Tray 12 now and over half way done with my Invisalign treatment!  Hooray!!

Here is the before and current photos to compare:

Around Tray 6 or 7 I went in and had the "buttons" installed on my teeth.  They are very hard to see in this picture but I promise they are there!  I did not realize at the beginning of treatment that I would have buttons or that they would be on my front teeth.  I probably would have discussed this with the doctor to avoid the front teeth had I known but I am stuck with them now.  Buttons are just that, little knobs or buttons on your teeth that help them move according to the trays.  The trays also have little bubbles on them to make room for the buttons.  Bubbles and buttons - how cute!   At first they were very annoying to me but as with this whole endeavor, I have become unaware of them with time.  

During that same visit they also "slenderized" my one tooth where the "Gap" arrow points to in blue above.  Since it was done, I noticed the gap was getting bigger.  I spoke to the hygienist about it today and she said that one tooth next to it is crooked so it will need room to move over.  Again today they "slenderized" another tooth so the gap is even bigger.

I am very pleased with the movement of the snaggle tooth!  As you can see in the picture above, it is coming out of it's hiding place and moving into it's correct position.  I am hoping it will be straight by the end of June as my treatment plan is suppose to finish the first week of July.

I have not been diligent enough with wearing my rubberbands at night so I need to do that.  If you look closely in the right hand corner of the bottom picture you can see a silver button way in the back.  The bands connect from that button to my front bottom teeth to align the bite better.  I need to get started with this because currently my bite feels very awkward!

I am LOVING the Acceledent and would highly recommend it to anyone with braces or Invisalign! If it weren't for the Accelendent I would only be on tray 6 of 21 with 30 weeks left to go!   It's quick and easy and it really helps with the pain when I put a new set of trays in.  I highly, highly recommend it!

Please feel free to comment below if you have any questions and I will be happy to respond.  

Invisalign - Week 2

Tray 2 was fairly uneventful - and that's good news!   The trays were tight when I first put them in, especially on my snaggle tooth.  Toward the end of the week though I could feel more pain in my molars than before.  I guess that is a good sign that things are moving around the way they should be, right?

I tried to wear the rubber bands last week but they were cutting the inside of my cheek.  I do have an overbite or cross-bite so I know I should be wearing these things but I just couldn't bring myself to have the mouth sores all week.  Then on Thursday I got a terrible sinus infection and all bets were off.  I was already unable to breathe normally and had a very sore throat.  I didn't want to add to the mess!  So I didn't do the rubber bands this week.  Oops!  

Tonight I will change to tray three.  I need to give the bottom one a good filing before I put it in!  The last two I have had to use a nail file to shave down the front of the bottom tray so my bottom lip doesn't get cut.  There are two little cut outs for the rubber bands to attach to on the bottom and for some reason they stick way out.  Dr. Kadar said to use a nail file or Emory board so that is what I have been doing.  Although it's hard to get a nail file into these little cracks.  

I have found it is getting easier to talk and my mouth is not salivating quite as much as it had been.  My lisp is most noticeable right after I change the trays. No one in the office has mentioned it or asked if I have them in yet.  I am very cautious not to leave them out for too long and sometimes I even find I have them in for more than the required 22 hours a day.  Although let's be honest, most days I wear them between 21-22 hrs.  

All in all, I am pleased with the progress so far.  I'm excited to see the teeth start moving and to see the next few weeks of trays.  I understand that when I go back to Dr Kadar next week I will get the buttons installed on my teeth.  That is a little nerve wracking but I am confident it won't be a huge issue.  So far, so good!  

Invisalign - Week 1

I am wearing them now - can you tell?   I went to Dr Kadar's office last Wednesday to get my first set of trays and get started.   The visit went very quickly as the assistant showed me how to put them in and take them out.  She then applied two little silver "buttons" on two of my back teeth that will hold the rubber bands.  She explained that wearing the rubber bands is optional but it will help with my cross bite so I may want to consider it.  The "buttons" will come off when the treatment is done.

We then went through some general instructions on how to clean them, keep them safe (from dogs and cats mostly) and when to change the trays.  After the Dr came over to check that they were in properly we discussed the timing.  Because I am going to South Africa in March for two weeks I needed to ensure that I would have enough trays for my trip.  They were giving me trays 1-3 during this initial visit and I was supposed to wear each for 10 days (expedited by the Acceledent).  Well 30 days from the 12th of February would take me to the 14th or March and I would be thousands of miles away and certainly not able to come in for an appointment.  So Dr Kadar suggested wearing tray 1 for the least amount of time and to try to get 10 days with tray 2 and tray 3 before my appointment on March 7th.  He let me in on a little secret that tray 1 actually does the least work out of all of them so it's best to lose time there.  Fine by me!

We went over the whole plan and Dr Kadar let me know that I will need 21 trays.  He figures that aside from when I should be wearing the first three trays for 10 days each, I will only need to wear the others for a week each.  In my calculation, that puts my finish line approximately July 4th!   It cannot come soon enough!
With the timing straightened out (pun intended), I was moved into the room where they scanned my teeth for the impressions for the trays.  We tried a few "mouth guard" like trays that go into the Acceledent device and settled on a size large.  I personally think it's too big but we can go over that another time.  After that I was sent on my way with trays, Acceledent and some rubber bands.

My initial impression was "how in the hell am I going to get through the next five months with these in my mouth?"   The nurse told me to sing in the car to try to get used to them but it was difficult to hear myself with a lisp.  My greatest fear was true - I was going to have a speech impedement for five months!   I went back to work for the afternoon and barely spoke.  No one noticed or asked me about them if they did notice.  Luckily I had a snow storm and a few days off for a long weekend coming up so I was happy to leave that afternoon knowing I wouldn't have to come back for 5 days!

The first night was the worst!  My whole mouth hurt and my head ached from the soreness.  I took Advil in regular intervals to get through it.  At one point I thought to myself there is no way I will be able to sleep with these in but by the time I was ready for bed it wasn't as bad.  I did drool all over my pillow though and still continue to do so!

The weekend was pretty smooth.  It was a snow day/work from home day on Thursday.  Valentine's Day was Friday so that was interested.  We had plans in the city for dinner and drinks so I just kept them out while we ate and drank and put them in again when we were done.  Being intimate with them in was uncomfortable but not physically - just emotionally.  I didn't want my boyfriend to be conscience of plastic in my mouth!  He didn't mind a bit though.  I kept him distracted I think :)

The rest of the weekend was easy.  Lots of brushing in between and I felt like I was constantly taking them in and out, in and out, brushing again and in and out!  But other than that it was fine.  I used the Acceledent every day for 20 minutes and looked like a fool doing it!  Here's the proof:

Again, my boyfriend was very understanding and joked that it was the only time I've been quiet for 20 minutes straight.

Tonight I will change to tray 2 and start to wear the rubber bands - but only at night.  I have to keep focused on the end result and stay diligent to this treatment.  I don't want to waste the $6,250 and still have a snaggle tooth!

Invisalign Me.........Part 1

I have been toying with the idea of fixing my smile for years now.  I have what I lovingly refer to as a "snaggle tooth" as my left lateral incisor (the one next to the big front tooth).  It has been moving backwards and hiding behind my other teeth for a few years.  I remember once in college a good friend of mine asking me if I was missing a tooth because at times it creates enough of a shadow or gap that it appears I am missing a tooth there!  

It probably didn't help my case either that I broke my face while I was in college.  Yes, my face!  I fell down the stairs and broke my fall with the left side of my face.  I have to admit that copious amounts of alcohol were involved but I also blame the stupid chunky heel shoes I was wearing.  Ahh to be young and so, so stupid again!  At the time my jaw was very misaligned and the orthodontist agrees that the damage has not helped my bite or my alignment at all in the years since the fall.

I have been waiting to get a cap on my right lateral incisor for three or four years.  I had the root canal done and they wanted to wait until after any ortho to put the final cap on it.  Now it has a nice little stain right dead center in the tooth that also bothers me.  (see pictures below)

After some lengthy research and consideration about how Invisalign would affect my every day life, I have decided to move forward.  I met with Dr Kadar on January 8th to discuss the process.  His office is very technologically advanced and they promote themselves well on all social media formats.  I was very pleased when I first arrived, checked in with the touch screen computer monitor in the waiting area and was immediately whisked back to take a tour and meet everyone.  The environment in this office is much different from the office I remember when I was 13 and getting my braces!  

After the tour, they took some pictures of my teeth from all angles and did an X-ray for the file.  Once the pictures were previewed to make sure they were okay, I went down the hall to discuss the options, treatment plan time frames and of course, the cost!   I was presented with three options: traditional braces, clear braces and Invisalign.  I was already set on doing Invisalign and Invisalign only so that made the conversation much easier.  

My treatment plan is estimated at 16-18 months which at first sounded extremely daunting.  After all, I am constantly traveling and presenting to customers.  I am on the phone all day and did not want to have a speech impediment that long if I could avoid it.  The whole timeframe just seemed way too long, despite my desire to get this smile fixed!   Then she told me about a fairly new tool called Acceledent.  Acceledent is a soft pulse tool that speeds the process for braces or Invisalign by providing a gentle vibration to your gums to stimulate movement.  It is said to cut the treatment time in half!   I was sold!   It costs an additional $1000 for the unit but to me that is money well spent if I can be done with this much sooner!

We discussed the costs in detail and the three different payment plans they offer at Kadar.  With the Acceledent included, my overall plan is $6,275.  The first $995 in lab fees was due as soon as I decided I was certain I wanted to proceed.  I needed time to review everything after the meeting anyway but to save another visit to the office we went ahead and did my virtual tooth scan that day anyway.  It is basically a machine that takes a picture or digital image of each and every tooth.  This process replaces the old gooey trays you had to bite into and sit with in your mouth until they hardened.  Apparently it is much more precise!  That process took about 20 minutes and then I was out of there.  

About two weeks later I called to confirm that I was ready to go ahead with the treatment.  They put the order in that day and set my first fitting for February 12th.  Tomorrow!   I am both nervous and excited to get this process started.  I am mostly nervous that I will have a noticeable lisp.  I feel like I already do since this tooth is pushed back so far that air can easily seep through the gap that it has created!  

Here are the BEFORE pictures straight from Dr Kadar's office:

I am cringing just thinking of other people (you readers) seeing these horrible teeth!  Teeth in general just gross me out!  

You can see int the top picture that the left side of my bite (on the right in the picture) is very misaligned.  In the bottom picture you can see my snaggle tooth in all of it's glory!  Eww!  By the way - the white marks on my teeth are lovely remnants from my braces.  I'll write more on my braces in another post down the road. 

So tomorrow is the big day!  I assume I will be fitted and shown how to put them in and take them out.  I have to wear them 22 hours per day so that means they basically come out to eat and that's it!   I'm curious to see if my colleagues will recognize the difference when I get back from my appointment or if it will take awhile.  Wish me luck!

Weigh In

This is so disappointing to report:

Today's Weight: 131.4

Starting Weight: 131.8

Net Loss: 0.4lbs

Goal weight: 124lbs

As I wrote my weight down this morning I noticed that it was exactly the same on the 6th of April!   So for one full month I have stayed exactly the same.  Urgh!   This is such a frustrating process!  

Seeing that number has inspired me to kick it into high gear this week with a 100% clean mentality.  

Today's menu:

B: quinoa bar & egg whites

S: pineapple & cashews

L: leftover salmon & broccoli

S: hummus & celery

D: either leftover salmon again (blah!) or shrimp ceviche in an avocado (yum!)

S: NO SNACK!  I'm not hungry after dinner and I'm not a dog that needs rewarded.  NO SNACKS!  

That scale better react quickly this week and let me see 128 again or it might get evicted from our house!  :)

A little slip but not a slide

This weekend has been a bit rough.  Saturday afternoon we were invited to a friends for drinks and dinner so I slipped off the diet for the night.  And the hangover that followed did not help today go so well either.  Oops!

Everyone is going to have a SLIP right?  The key is to get back on track and not let it become a SLIDE!

I successfully nursed my hangover with a grilled ham & cheese for breakfast and a Philly soft pretzel for lunch, followed by a nice nap with my equally tired little man!  Then it was right back on track!  This was my dinner: broccoli, grilled salmon and a tiny bit of wild rice with quinoa.

When I took this picture, it reminded me of the My Plate from www.choosemyplate.gov.  Half the plate with fruits/vegetables, some protein and some starch.  It is so important to teach our children how to eat properly and to include fruits AND vegetables into their daily meals!  Cooper's plate looked pretty similar to mine with only a few less pieces of broccoli and a bit more rice.  He needs to gain weight after all!

I am hoping my weigh in tomorrow won't reflect too much of my slip.  I was seeing 128 on the scale before the weekend so I'm still hopeful to break 130.  If it doesn't happen though, I had a fun time out Saturday and I just have to work that much harder this week to see the scale reflect my progress!

Breaking 130!

I am horrible at blogging daily!  I'm sorry!

This morning I saw a number I have been longing for now for eight years.....any number under 130!

129.0!   Woo hoo!

I hope it last for my official weigh in on Monday!  I've been doing so well this week by Eating Clean and getting in a few runs.  More about that soon!  The "diet" has been easy this week so far.  I haven't had any cravings or desires to binge.  I also haven't been hungry at all this week.  In fact I forgot to eat dinner last night because we got home from baseball so late.  I had a banana at the field but that doesn't really count.  So that has been a nice change!

Today I ran outside for the first time this year.  It was difficult!  I think it was more of a mental challenge than a physical challenge.  I was so tired during the first mile that I stopped after that and walked for about 30 seconds.  Anytime I stop while running I have a harder time afterwards.  So I finished out three miles around the park (while Coop played on the playground) with walking/running combo.  And now I'm sore!   I was hoping this hip issue was behind me but after tonight it hurts just like it used to!   I'm trying to forget about it and hope it goes away after a day or two!

I will try to update more often but no promises :)

Good luck with your journey!

Another Round of Eat-Clean: Stripped

The first 28 days of the Stripped diet have come and gone!   I was on plan about 90% of the time with awesome results.  I have to say, this is by far the easiest and most rewarding "diet" I have ever done!

Here is a rundown of my weekly weigh-ins

Starting weight:  135.8lbs (4/1/13)

Week 1 weigh in: 131.4 (net loss 4.4lbs)

Week 2 weigh in: 130.8 (net loss 0.6lbs) - TOM 

Week 3 weigh in: 129.2 (net loss 1.6lbs) - early weigh in due to travel

Week 4 Final weigh in: 131.8 

Total loss 4.0lbs

Week 2 was difficult because my TOM started and the week before I am always craving chocolate and sweets.  Then during week 3 I was traveling to Arizona for a conference so I had to be careful with what I was eating.  I did surprisingly well at the airport and the resort.  

Since it was a women's conference sponsored by the fresh produce industry there were many healthy choices at the resort.  I probably ate more than I would have on the Stripped plan because every day we had so many snack breaks!  The problem was I drank a few beers each night.  On the plane on the way home I also had a mini-binge.  It was unintentional thought so let me explain! 

I bought a chocolate chip cookie in the airport store thinking that would be my "dinner" on the plane since we didn't land back here until 10:30pm.  As I was eating this cookie (aka the yummy devil), I read the back of the package and saw 350 calories.  Ok, I thought.  That is a lot of calories for one cookie but since it's my dinner it will be ok.  Then I realized it was 350 calories per serving.  Guess how many servings there were?  2.5!   875 calories for one cookie about 5" in diameter.  Yikes!   I had already eaten about a third and went on for a little bit more so I probably had a good 500 calories worth of cookie!  Urgh!  

I was back on Wednesday but had a dinner party in Delaware that evening (and no groceries to speak of in the house) so I decided to "wing it" Wednesday and start again Thursday.  I had good intentions but I didn't exactly follow through on them.  

That brings us to today and Round (what round is it now?) THREE of the Eat-Clean: Stripped diet.  So here we go! 

Starting weight:  131.8lbs (4/29/13)

Goal weight: 124 lbs

Goal date for goal weight: May 27th

I do have two business trips during these 28 days so I know they will be difficult (and involve drinking!)  I am telling myself that if I am 100% clean for the remainder of the time, the 4 days that I am traveling will not prevent me from meeting my goal!  

June is the "Month of Islands" for me with a wedding on Nantucket on the 14th and vacation in Sanibel Island at the end of the month.  So it is absolutely necessary that I get down to my goal weight before June!  

So today is Day One!   Here is my plan for the day:

B: steel oats w/ cinnamon and 3 egg whites

S: almonds (100 calorie packs are my new best friend) and pineapple

L: spinach salad with leftover turkey breast and grape tomatoes (lemon juice for dressing)

S: 1/2 pear and mixed nuts

D: Salmon with broccolin

S: IF hungry: frozen blueberries

I plan to track daily and hopefully add pictures of my meals but don't hold me to that okay!   Let me know if you are on this journey too and leave me a comment with your progress!   I have a friend who is repeating the Stripped plan with me so maybe she will jump in for a guest blog one day!  

Now get out there and skinny-size yourself!  

Eat-Clean: Stripped (Round 2)

You may have guessed that after my fall from grace (or the Eat-Clean wagon) I did not exactly recover quickly.  St. Patrick's day turned into a busy week at the office with guests to entertain and food to indulge in and before I knew it, Easter had arrived.   I tried to start Stripped week 1 again last week but I was eating out for lunch and dinner Monday through Wednesday so that didn't work too well.

So here I am again - starting over!    This is my new motto:

Back on track - on plan - focused and ready to succeed.  

Starting weight:  135.8lbs (4/1/13)

Today's weight: 132.6 (4/4/13)

Goal weight: 124 lbs

Goal date for goal weight: May 15th

I have given myself a little more than the 28 days on Stripped to get to the goal weight since the book is all about losing the last 10lbs.  I'm hopeful that on Day 28 I will be at 124 though given the current downward trend.  

I started Week 1 on Monday and then the lure of the Easter candy took over.  So I re-started (for real this time!) on Tuesday.  I was probably up a pound or two after my little candy binge but I didn't want to know!  

My friend convinced me that I absolutely cannot for any reason have any candy, sugar or sweets!  This is hard for me because I always reward myself with one or two little chocolates when dieting.  Not anymore.  One or two leads to 10 or 20 and that quickly turns into a fat, fat mess!  So NO SUGAR ALLOWED!  

My days have been pretty similar so I will just post pictures from today's menu with some of the variations I have had this week.  

Breakfast - 7am - 1c oatmeal and 4 egg whites scrambled (some days I substitute for quinoa cinnamon bars)

8am - Green tea when I get to the office - no sugar!

AM Snack - 10am  - usually almonds and either berries or a banana

Lunch - 1pm (after the gym) - Spinach salad with grilled chicken (3oz) and cherry tomatoes with lemon juice.  This time I added egg whites and avocado but usually it's just spinach, chicken, tomatoes and lemon juice.

PM Snack - 3:30/4pm celery and egg whites, celery and hummus or celery and natural peanut butter

Dinner - 6 or 6:30pm - broiled fish with steamed broccoli or asparagus.  Tonight it was one of the recipes from the book - so good!

Evening Snack - only if hungry - fruit!  1/2c of pears, pineapple or strawberries

NO SUGAR!   NO CHOCOLATE!   NO CANDY!   NO SNACKS!

I have also started the Couch-to-5K plan (again) and I am currently on week 4.  So this week I ran on Monday, Wednesday and I will run again tomorrow.  On off days I still go to the gym at lunch and either do the Precore (aka death by sweat) machine or walk the hills on the treadmill.  My goal is to burn 350-400 calories at lunch and I will start to incorporate some weight lifting in next week as well!

Tonight I am going to make my THINspiration board - similar to this one but luckily I don't have as many numbers to cross off!  

 

Update and weigh in

I have to admit, I fell off the Eat-Clean wagon.  It all started with a box of Lucky Charms being in the house for St. Patrick's Day.  They were teasing me and taunting me and then, I fell!   I caved!  I gave in and ate a bowl dry.  And then another!  

I assure you it wasn't a pretty moment but it was a typical "binge" in my world.  Find something you like, bring it into the house under the false pretense of feeding it to Cooper, let it stare you down for a few days and then, like a lion on a hyena - ATTACK!

That was Friday night.  Saturday and Sunday I was much more in control but still craving something sweet.  After a quick visit to the grocery store to restock my fruits and veggies we came home in the company of these lovely little treats:

I had two with dinner (spinach salad with grilled chicken and lemon juice).  Then I had another two for a snack (still within my calories for the day)  And then I had another two because I couldn't resist.

Moral of the story:  I am weak!  I cannot have sweets or snacks like this in the house!  

After all of that, I still weighed in on Monday morning at 131.8

I know I said I would not do any more juice cleanses BUT I still had two days worth of the Isagenix Deep Cleanse juice and rather than waste it I thought I would do it this week.  Our office weight loss competition ends this Friday so why not.  I am close the leader and "could" win if I put in a little effort, so that is my effort.  I'll drink this cleanse for today and tomorrow and then back to Clean Eating.  

Eat Clean Diet: Stripped - Week 1 Results and Week 2 Menu

Starting weight: 135.0

Today's weight: 133.0

Net loss -2.0lbs

Ordinarilly I would be happy with a 2lb weight loss in a week. That is the amount they (who is "they"?) say you should lose in one week if you're dieting carefully.  I am a little disappointed though because on Thursday and Friday I was in the 131 range.  I didn't weigh in Saturday or Sunday only to discover this morning that I was back to 133.0.  Blech!   

I will confess:  I lost my self control and had one (ok two) cupcakes this weekend.  And maybe a handful of jelly beans.  But that was it!  The rest of the time I was on plan.  I did not exercise in the conventional sense but both days I spent between 3-4 hours outside raking and bagging and did I mention raking leaves and sticks.  Wrestling little pliable sticks into easily torn lawn waste bags is not as easy or as graceful as I made it look!  I broke a sweat both days so I count that as true exercise!   Today I will take my sorry self back to the gym.

Week 2 plan:

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I am trying to adhere to this plan more closely.  I hope with fewer substitutions and more variety I will not only be more interested by the end of the week, but shed more than 2lbs this week as well.  

Let's be honest though, another 2lbs would be GREAT but I would LOVE to break the 130 barrier that has been haunting me for years!

New recipes require new spices! Eat-Clean: Stripped

I may not be as adventuresome as I would like in the kitchen, but I do enjoy trying new recipes and experimenting with different flavors.  While I was browsing the Week 2 plan for the Eat-Clean Diet: Stripped this week, I decided to go ahead and plan on making most of their recipes rather than doing my own substitutions.  Last week was very easy for me but by Friday I was bored with the same meals.  I also found that by Thursday night I had used most of what I had purchased last week for the entire week.  That left me debating Friday whether to piece something together or just suck it up and go to the grocery store.  I decided on the latter.

But back to spices.  I was excited to read through some of these Clean recipes and go shopping.  The new additions:

Now I realize these are not unite flavors to most, but they are certainly new for me to cook with at home.  I love to try different flavors and foods when I am eating out and especially when traveling, but I rarely venture from the norm at home.  So please forgive me while I'm a little bit excited to try something new.

I tried the first new recipe tonight.  And the new spice of the day was Tumeric!

Scallops A La Plancha with sauteed asparagus and peppers

This dish was delicious!  I even put too much of the spice on my one person serving and it was still uber delicious-o!

Here is the recipe straight from the Eat-Clean Diet: Stripped book

1lb wild caught large scallops
pinch sea salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1tsp olive oil
1 red pepper seeded and thinly sliced
1 yellow or orange pepper seeded and thinly sliced
2c baby asparagus sliced into 3" long pieces
1/4tsp ground cumin
1/4tsp paprika
1/4tsp tumeric **new spice of the day
1/4tsp onion powder.

1. Heat large cast iron skillet over high heat.  Make sure scallops are dry, then season with a pinch of salt and pepper.  Add scallops to dry skillet, turn heat down to medium and cook two minutes on each side until slightly charred and tender.  Remove and set aside.
2. Return skillet to stove and add olive oil.  Add peppers, asparagus and spices.  Season with salt and pepper and saute until tender-crisp, three minutes.
3. Divide vegetables equally among four plates and top with scallops.


This was a very satisfying meal.  It is on the Week 2 menu as a lunch item but since I had the fresh scallops I wanted to try it for dinner.  I only made one serving which means I can have this tasty dish again tomorrow for dinner.

I also made some yummy protein bites (recipe found here)

As you can see, my "bites" did not turn out quite like the picture but I did not roll them into balls so that may be why.  Either way, they are delicious!

Tomorrow I will post my results from Week 1 on the Stripped plan.  As of Friday I was down 3.6lbs!  

Eat-Clean Diet Stripped - My weekly meal plan

 Eat clean.........or get fatter!    That is my new motto.  I either shut up and DO IT or stop complaining about my weight.  I've tried every fad diet, juice cleanse, quick fix out there and none of them have been sustainable or provided lasting results.  So it's time for a lifestyle change my friends.  Are you with me? 

 

 

So I revert back to good old fashioned eating clean and burning more calories.  In addition to eating clean, I am also still stracking my calories for reference more than anything. 

 

A few years ago I stumbled across Tosca Reno's Eat-Clean diets and I was able to lose some weight on the Cooler 1 plan.  It was shortlived though so as soon as I went back to eating everyday crap, the weight came back.  I've been waiting for a reason to buy her book "The Eat-Clean Diet Stripped.  The premise is that this diet in particular will help peel off those dreaded "last 10 pounds".   My reason arrived in the form of the flu and an eye-opener that all of these cleanses I was doing are not healthy for me at all.  It took this bout with the flu to make me realize I am not healthy.  My body does not know whether we are dieting or not, starving or not, working out or not.  It's very confused, understandably so! 

 

Starting Weight: (drum roll please) 135.0

 

On to Eat-Clean Stripped.  The core is to spend 28 days trying to shed the last 10lbs.  The program has two weekly menu's.  The first week is posted above.  Next week I will supply the second as well.  The principles are the same as her other books so I am familiar with the core of the program:

• Eat more!  Six small meals a day - ideally 2 1/2 to 3 hours apart
• Eat breakfast every day!  Preferably within an hour of waking up
• Last meal should be three hours before bedtime
• Each meal should be a combination of a lean protein and a complex carbohydrate
• Eat healthy fats (think nuts, avocados, healthy oils)
• Drink 2-3 litres of water per day
• Pack your cooler with "clean" foods so you are never caught off guard
• Depend on fresh fruits and veggies for fiber and other nutrients
• Adhere to portion sizes! 
• Avoid anything that has been processed. 
•  

I like to say "if it doesn't come from the ground or have a mother, don't eat it".   I'm not sure where I heard that but I think it's about as accurate as you could be! 

 

I started my journey by preparing.  My Stripped book didn't arrive until Monday  so I did some internet research and borrowed some photos from other blogs to get started.  I made a plan and a grocery list before ever hitting the store.  On Sunday I spent 3 hours prepping for my week.  (Note: it probably only took 1 hour of actual food prep but I'm a nerd so I had to over prep!)

 

Here is what my day looked like yesterday:

5:15am Wake - drink warm lemon water (#1) before hitting the gym (read: basement treadmill)

6:20am Breakfast - steel cut oats with cinnamon and almond milk.  Four egg whites scrambled.  Water #2

10am Snack #1 - plain almonds, Water #3

12pm  Gym - burned 400 calories running/walking

1pm  Lunch spinach salad with fresh beefsteak tomatoes, hard boiled egg whites, 1/2 chicken breast and lemon juice.  Water #4

4pm Snack #2 - celery sticks and 2 hard boiled egg whites,

6pm Dinner - baked tilapia with steamed asparagus, Water #5

Snack - frozen blueberries, Water #6

 

**Each water was 0.5 liter so I ended up somewhere near 3 liters of water yesterday! 

 

My plan for the week is all spelled out for me in my new little "diet" journal.  One of the steps in the book is to make a written decree of your intentions.  So in addition to tracking my calories on LoseIt just for reference, I have this journal with each meal spelled out so I can easily reference "My Plan". 

 

As for exercise, it is extremly difficult for me to get up in the morning to workout.  Yesterday was an anomoly and today was a failure.  I am going to try again tomorrow.  So if you're wondering why I am sleeping in workout clothes, now you know.   I will get to the gym at lunch every day this week and I will workout at home both Saturday and Sunday.  Any morning workouts I can squeeze in will be added bonuses. 

 

If anyone has any tricks or tips - if you've done this diet before or want to start and go along with me - please just leave a comment!! 





Cleanses make me sick - literally!

I have recently discovered, with some forceful eye-opening from my colleagues, that I tend to get sick right after I do a cleanse.  I am not talking about a little head cold either.  I have had Norovirus after my first Blueprint Cleanse and now the flu after a week of the Master Cleanse.   Also a few other colds, illnesses and stomach bugs after my other extreme diet choices.  

I didn't really believe what they kept telling me - stop fad diets.  I always have good luck (and good discipline) when I do something that is extremely strict, impossible to cheat on and provides results!  That is the hardest part.  They do work!   BUT, they are unhealthy!   As I was looking back through this blog I found the Norovirus post after the BPC.  That really made me take a hard look at this unfortunate trend.

Look, I'm not blaming the BPC for giving me the Norovirus anymore than I think I got the flu because I was on the Master Cleanse.  What I think happens is my body shuts down, weakens itself and loses the ability to fight off these viruses!  

So what's the conclusion: NO more juice cleanses!  Or crazy fad diets - trust me, I've tried them ALL.  Back to eating clean and exercising more!   It's as simple as that! 

Wish me luck!