Jules Lives Out Loud

JULie eats TABOULie

2010-04-27T16:17:00.002-04:00

Today I saw Jordan’s Queen Rania being interviewed about her new children’s book “The Sandwich Swap”. She has always intrigued me mainly because of her beauty but I must say I’m interested in her country’s culture as well as what role she plays….. especially as it relates to the education of women and their rights within their culture.

The book is about two friends at lunch - - one eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, and the other, pita bread and hummus. It serves as a metaphor for the differences between the two friends. The illustrations look really cute and it seems like a great gift for my little niece who is turning four next month.

I would choose pita and hummus on most days over peanut butter and jelly. Today for lunch, I loaded half a pita pocket with a tablespoon of spicy hummus and three heaping tablespoons of Taboule. Come to think of it, I had this last night for dinner as well!.....along with a side salad. I was introduced to real Mediterranean food about 20 years ago by a vegan friend/co-worker. This past weekend I took a chick-pea Lebanese salad to Steeplechase to share with friends. I did not make it myself, it came from Whole Foods and was scrumptious! It was simply chick-peas, sun-dried tomatoes and scallions tossed lightly in olive oil with some exotic spices and lots of cumin.

I just finished a small container of a new greek yogurt that I also found at Whole Foods. It’s called Atlanta Fresh and the flavor was Tropical Sweet Heat. The ingredients were mango, pineapple and get this….HABANERO! It was MUY CALIENTE! I was a little miffed as the grams of sugar were not listed and the data was also not available on their website. It was a little pricey….I think around $2.50 a cup.

CLICK ON THIS LINK FOR MORE INFO: http://atlantafresh.com/YogurtProducts.html

Hope it revs up my metabolism and fuels my run!

Have you joined the REVOLUTION??

2010-04-21T17:52:00.001-04:00

Have you caught Jamie Oliver’s new show Food Revolution? I happened upon it a few weeks ago while home on a Friday evening. It was mesmerizing and sad all at the same time. I was riveted as I hit the rewind button to show the episode to my husband and youngest son.

Jamie was with a classroom of kids who could not name certain vegetables when he held them up…..and I’m talking a POTATO…..but they knew what a French fry was. Most shocking was a concoction of grossness that they watched him make in a food processor. Raw chicken skin, and what he called nasty bits of carcass mixed with salt, oil, fillers etc. You see, he thought he was totally grossing these kids out but when he went to fry up the nasty in the pan, the children were like “ooohhh, chicken nuggets, yum!” I think Jamie started crying he was so shocked and saddened.

What ensued for the rest of the episode was Jamie totally taking over a school lunch program in Virginia and trying to educate the kids and their parents as well as the school board on what changes need to be made in America’s school cafeterias. He was given the chance on a very tight budget to cook up and offer the kids healthy lunches.

One family that they interviewed had children that were close to being diabetic as they were all obese and the show was seeking treatment for the kids and education for the parents. What are we feeding our children? What has our society become?

Check out Jamie Oliver’s FOOD REVOLUTION on Friday night at 9PM on ABC. You can also go to ABC.com and watch past episodes.

DON’T FORGET TO SIGN JAMIE’S PETITION which he will present to President OBAMA!

http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution

Trader Joes's, Oh how I LOVE thee!

2010-03-15T10:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday while out running errands I made it over to the other side of town where my Trader Joe's is located. I don't get there every week but when I do, I stock up on my favorites. Every member of my family has items from TJ's that they love.

I absolutely love that everything in the store is virtually preservative free, tastes fabulous and the best part....cheap!! I can't think of anything I have ever bought from there that I was dissatisfied with except maybe fruit or veggies that maybe were not sweet/in their prime or something.

I only had 15 minutes so I dashed in to pick up these staples:

Peanut Butter filled pretzels
Olive Oil popped Popcorn
Chocolate covered Edemame
Greek Yogurt
Frozen Organic Brown Rice (cooked)
Frozen Pasta (cooked)
Frozen Steel Cut Oatmeal
Frozen Orange Chicken
Frozen Baked Ravioli
Frozen Turkey Spaghetti Sauce
Choc Chip Cookies
Joe Joe's Choc Sand Cookies
Organic Peanut Butter
Organic Raw Almond Butter
Canned Chili
Luna Bars
English Breakfast Tea Bags
Irish Morning Tea bags
Pommegranite
Dog Treats
Bagged Salad
Wine
Frozen Mac & Cheese (very famous and yummy!)

The precooked frozen food is delicious as well as their pizzas. Before you say "This is diet food?", remember, I don't deprive myself.......everything in moderation! I also feed three other mouths, all guys, two of them growing boys! :)

Tj's helps me put a healthy, no preservative food on the table fast. Most of the frozen selections are gourmet and precooked. The frozen veggies are just as good as fresh.

If you have not discovered your local Trader Joe's, I highly recommend it!

STEP AWAY FROM THE SCALES!!

2010-02-26T14:30:00.001-05:00

So, a few weeks ago I was getting so annoyed. Maybe the better word would be MAD, at the scales. Mr. Scales and I have this love/hate.....well mostly hate relationship.

You see, I had been stepping on the scales every other day or so and my weight would go up two pounds, down a pound, up three pounds and stay stuck.....no matter how much I exercised or how little I ate, that darn needle was not moving......down.

That's when I decided to take Mr. Scales and hurl him into the vast abyss that I call my walk-in closet. Jeff and I share said closet but it is so cluttered with old clothes ranging anywhere from a size 14/16 all the way down to a 6 that you can't budge in there. "Walk-in" is a strong word!

Anyhoo, as you may remember, I swore off the scales and decided not to weigh myself at home anymore. I get weighed and measured about once a month at my local CURVES. The obsession was driving me insane. I have also stopped counting/writing down everything that I eat. It was making me crazy, even more hungry I think.

I have been REALLY good the last two weeks.......NO, I MEAN REEEAAALLLY GOOD!!! Especially in the exercise department. So today as I pondered my naked body before getting dressed, I thought to myself: "I wonder what Mr. Scales would say"? I started digging (really) around for Mr. Scales. Under dirty clothes, under clean clothes, behind walls of hanging clothes. Where the hell is that demon? Okay, now I am going crazy and I'm still naked and the dog is staring at me. Hmmmm, stumped.

But while I was swimming around in there I started looking through a row of pants I had hanging. You know what I'm talking about......the ones that when you take them off the hanger they have a giant dust line mark from hanging untouched forevvvvva! " Awww, I remember these....cute fitted GAP khakis......SIZE 8." Well I decided to try these babies on for motivation since Mr. Scales was nowhere "in the house" for encouragement.

WHHHAAAAAATTTTTTTT??????? They are sliding past my knees, WAIT......I can pull them up on my hips????? SHHHUUUTTTT UPPP!!! I AM BUTTONING THESE WITHOUT GASPING FOR AIR AND SUCKING IN?????

I CAN NOW FIT IN TO A SIZE 8!!!!!!!!!HA HA HA HA (...happy dance...Pippa barking)

So TAKE THAT, Mr. Scales. I still don't know where you are but I really don't care.

What have you been working on this new year? Have you had weight loss success or an Ahh Hahh moment? How do you feel about the scales? Please "weigh in" on this subject in the comment section :)

Ready-to-Wear

2010-02-21T10:28:00.001-05:00

I am looking forward to Spring not only because of the promise of warmer weather but for a new assortment of workout clothes to choose from. My old faithfuls, (think uniform) consists of several variations of black yoga style, long, cotton/spandex workout pants and a few favorite under armour and Nike tops. And because I exercise most days of the week, well, you get the picture....uniform!!

In a related story, I was at Sally's house for dinner recently when her 16yo son Paul walked in to the kitchen and exclaimed: "Mom, why do you have to wear those booty pants everyday?" While whacking him we had a good laugh over our glasses of wine. It's true, workout wear, aka our daily pajamas have unfortunately become our signature style.

I don't know about you but I feel more impowered to conquer my workout routine for the day if I am channeling say.... Sporty Spice.....really?.......okay, how about just a fit 40 something mom ready to kick some elliptical booty. Even in these cooler, okay frigid last months I like to still go sleeveless while at the gym. It makes me more aware of my body and I get full range of motion while on the circuit machines.
What are your favorite workout items/brands? Where do like shop for workout wear?

Just What I Needed

2010-02-19T20:47:00.001-05:00

To many cold, wet and dreary days makes for a grumpy Jules.........until I stepped in to my local Target for the first time in weeks. Of course I was just popping in to pick up a few things that I needed but got totally side-tracked by all the fun SPRING LOOT that was on display!

Here are a couple of cute basics that I left with:

Cute flip flops = Happy Feet.....I'm pretending the snow was sand!

I got this blouse to wear with jeans and khakis......it's a funky shade of purple.

http://www.target.com/Mossimo-Black-Classic-Shirt-Pink/dp/B002Q77QHU/ref=br_1_5?ie=UTF8&frombrowse=1&searchView=grid5&searchNodeID=343755011&node=343755011&searchRank=salesrank&searchPage=2&searchSize=30&id=Mossimo%20Black%20C

I also picked up some basic tees for layering. They were only $8!

http://www.target.com/Merona-Ultimate-V-Neck-Tee-Plumbago/dp/B0031S7GOQ/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1

A little retail therapy is good for the soul. How do you beat the winter blues?

What's Love got to do with it?

2010-02-14T22:14:00.000-05:00

My boys, hubby and I had a lazy Valentine's Day of napping and watching the Olympics. We could not get our bums up to go to the gym but we did manage to burn calories lifting Whoppers and Sweet Tarts in to our mouths (;

Friday and Saturday was a winter wonderland in Atlanta and we are expecting a few more inches by morning.

Here are some pics from the weekend:

Pippa is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi and this was her first real snow to play in and she absolutely LOVED it.

We have not had powdery snow like this for several years!

John Marc, Pippa and I had a blast sledding

The white stuff didn't stick around long once the sun came out but it was beautiful while it lasted. :)

<3 Jules <3

WHY NATTE??

2010-02-06T09:02:00.001-05:00

Good Saturday morning!!
Yes, I am up, wide awake, and by 8:30 had my hubby and sons out the door for their Saturday excursions. They were on their way to watch a commercial being filmed at The Varsity. John Marc has an improv class at 11:00 that Jeff will drop him at and Gavin will go to work at The V for the day with his dad. His teenage a** needs to be put to work....keeps him out of trouble. Once again we have bagged doing a horse show this weekend because of the dreadful weather.

"Why so chatty Jules?" you say..........

This may well be the culprit!!
I received one of these babies as I was walking out of the BLACK EYED PEAS concert on Thursday night.
I saved it and hid it in the back of the fridge from my teenager so I could try it this morning. The Verdict: YUMMilicious. It totally beats out other canned coffee beverages I've tried. The best part is that it only has 9g of sugar and there is no chemical/artificial taste. I love iced coffee so I will be hunting these down to enjoy on occasion instead of tea.

Check out their website:http://whynatte.com/

Anyhoo, the PEAS concert was fabulous. I know I burned off my sushi and cucumber salad from THRIVE dancing the whole night. The concert was mega high-energy. Sally and I said we now know how to break through ~~our~~ my weight plateau.....jump around for a couple of hours like FERGIE!!......several times daily.....rinse and repeat.
She was a-m-a-z-i-n-g. I swear her her butt and legs look like they have been injected with botox. She was shaking her boo-tay and I'm here to tell ya NOTHING moved...no jiggle....nada. She is solid muscle.

So even though it was cold and rainy, and the evening started on a "sour note"..... Thank you, Thank you, Thank you, to my BFF Sally for a fun and memorable evening!!
I'm off to the gym to attempt to be Fergalicious,
Jules

BOOM BOOM POW

2010-02-04T09:05:00.001-05:00

Why are we women so obsessed with a stupid number on the scale? Just when I'm feeling good, being good, and everything is going gooo-ooood......I step on that damn thing and it LAUGHS at me. I know, I know, it's all about how your clothes feel. But I've been having a love/hate relationship with my scale for the last couple of months. Down three, up two, down one, up four, same, same, same, same. I can't seem to unlock the hold that this weight plateau has on me. My metabolism at 43 is not what it was even five years ago. So, I'm banishing my scale to the closet and I will no longer weigh in every other day. I get weighed and measured at my gym every 4-6 weeks so that will be my focus and accountability from now on.

How often do you weigh yourself? Any ideas for blasting through your body's happy plateau weight?

In other news, I am committed to running a 5k this spring. I am trying to recruit my 22yo niece to do it with me. With the weather we have been experiencing I have been training on the treadmill but I am looking forward to hitting the pavement/trails when the weather warms up...or it stops raining.

I'm off to get my workout in early today, busy day. My BFF Sally has invited me to go see the Black Eyed Peas in concert tonight with her daughter and friend! I can't wait!!

"I GOT A FEELIN", tonight's gonna be a good nite,
Jules

FAB FINDS!

2010-01-27T16:33:00.001-05:00

Good Afternoon.....where has the day gone?

At least I got dinner started (a beef stew of sorts) but I have not worked out today. I may just take the day off, my back is a little achey today and I don't want to over-do it and end up where I was in December!

Our house was devoid of all food groups yesterday......even TP so I headed to my local Publix to restock everything after working out hard at the gym. And yes I was starving and no that did not help my $275 grocery bill. :o Well, I got a lot more groceries for my moolaah than if I had gone to Whole Foods!

Here are a few of my FAB FINDS:

These Kangaroo Sandwich Pockets are delish. They are much grainier/heartier than regular pita pockets because they have oatbran fiber, whole wheat flour and flax. Upon arriving home I could not wait to stuff one with goat cheese, turkey, arugula and a few sprays of balsamic dressing. Each pocket is 80 calories, 1g fat, 4g fiber, 4g protein and ONLY 1g sugar. What's not to like right?? Can't wait to stuff one of these babies with scrambled eggbeaters for breakfast!

I use Crystal Light singles in my giant water bottle that I take to the gym. I have cut out ALL artificial sweeteners from my diet except for the CL packs. I was delighted to score the last box of these Pure Fitness packs which have cut most of the hormone wreaking chemicals. Now the first ingredients are evaporated cane juice and stevia. They still added maltodextrin but the color comes from, get this, dried purple carrot extract and hibiscus flower extract. At least they are trying, right? The new packs do contain more calories. 15 calories per half a pack compared to 5 calories per half a pack. So, for 30 calories I enjoyed a giant glass of the grape flavor with my lunch. I was surprised at how sweet it was.....must have been the stevia. I use a lot more water than most with my mixture and really just like a hint of flavor. I really need to up my H2O during the day, these will definately help. (FYI, cutting the aspartame from my diet immediately made my migraines go away!)

Looks like CHOBANI, one of my favorite greek yogurt companies has come out with some new flavors. I found Pomegranate and Pineapple. I even found a lone container of Stonyfield Pumpkin Pie which I really like for dessert......this is a flavor I wish they would make year-round......can't believe I didn't have to fight some other shopper for this one! :)

These RICEWORKS Gourmet Brown Rice Crisps sample was given to me at my local CURVES in a gift bag. They were very tasty as I snarffed them down but I did not have any guilt because they are all nat-u-ral and gluten free. That means no artificial flavors, preservatives or trans fats. I'm ALL about that! I will look for them next time at the grocery store. I may just have to bring these with me to weekly Mexican. Much better for you than the greasy chips they serve with salsa.

Healthy noshing,
Jules

The Last Waffle Standing

2010-01-25T12:05:00.001-05:00

Good Morning,

What a great week exercise wise. I managed to workout six days this past week with one day off. I changed up my routine a bit and have been using some different machines so my muscles do not know what to expect. Muscle Confusion is a good thing and I am hoping to jump start my metabolism so I can get these last 20 or so pounds off. Have you been working your butt off only to see the scale stay at the same number? Well thats where I'm at. I have even tweeked my calorie intake a bit and have dropped my midmorning protein snack. Thats what Jillian told me to do, ha ha.

I bought a box of Natures Path Organic Maple Cinnamon w/Oatbran Waffles. To my surprise and delight my 10yo son thought they were delicious. He even used agave nectar for syrup because we were out of regular maple syrup! :) He had them last night for dinner and again this morning for breakfast!!

There was just one waffle left for me and this was my yummy idea:

After toasting, I topped the last waffle with about two teaspoons of Trader Joe's Organic Creamy Peanut Butter, half a banana and a drizzle of Madhava Agave Nectar = DELISH!!

If you have not switched out your regular store bought icky peanut butter for the real stuff you don't know what you're missing and it won't be the added sugars, chemicals and oils. Check the labels next time you are shopping and try to find a peanut butter or nut butter (I love almond butter too) without all the additives. There should only be one, no more than two ingredients! My family likes the TJ's brand. My ultimate favorite is the fresh ground almond butter at Whole Foods. I have yet to be able to find the elusive Barney Butter that everyone is raving about. I may just have to order it online.

I recommend trying agave nectar too!

I have switched from processed white sugar to agave nectar in my tea. It still provides plenty of sweetness but it does not have the same effect on your blood sugar. It is also great in plain greek yogurt and on pancakes and waffles. It comes in dark(amber) or light. I'm not sure if there is a caloric difference in the two......it might just be in the intensity of the flavor.

I'm off to the gym. Hope today is a marvelous start to your week,
Jules

Souper Bowl

2010-01-21T18:02:00.001-05:00

Check out these great bowls that I found at my local Walmart. I got the last four so I will be headed back to get four more when they restock. They have the dinner plates and other stuff to match but I was just interested in some funky bowls for serving soup. I have been ~~throwing stuff out~~ reorganizing some of my kitchen cabinets. Most of the stuff is 20 plus years old and needs to be replaced. It's funny how my taste has changed over the years. I like having a couple of options for dinerware and I am on the hunt for new placesettings as well.

So I made some of my yummy Rustica Soup again today. Thank you to my friend Catherine for giving me the idea to use winter squash and fennel. I have been tweeking the recipe and it came out great again. First I sautee a couple of cloves of garlic, 1 onion, 1 fennel bulb and a package of sliced mushrooms in about a tablespoon of olive oil, in a large stock pot. To this I add 1 container of Trader Joe's Free Range chicken broth, and a can of crushed tomatoes (I like the roasted tomatoes by Muir Glenn).

I then dump in the rest of my chopped veggies. This is what I used this time: 1 small acorn or butternut squash diced, 2 yukon gold potatoes with skin diced (this time I used a handful of fingerling potatoes), 2 carrots chopped, couple of handfuls of petite green beans chopped, 1 ear of corn scraped fron the cob, 1 small can of garbanzo beans, 1 fresh bunch kale or other greens.

Bring all of this to a boil and add 2 tablespoons of herbs de provence, 2 teaspoons yellow/mild curry, 2 teaspoons of cumin, and sea salt/pepper to taste. Let the soup boil on med/high for a few minutes then turn it down to simmer for a couple of hours. Adjust seasonings as desired. You can use more chicken broth, I just like the consistency more stew like.

Add some crusty bread and you have a great meal.

HOLY COW, I mean CHICKEN!

2010-01-13T11:05:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I was out and about running errands when my growling stomach reminded me that it was lunch time. I decided to head to Chick Fil-A so I would not be shopping at Trader Joe's on an empty stomach (I'm sure this saved me thousands :0). After all it's never a good idea to grocery shop when you are starving right? I noshed on a chargrilled chicken club sandwich, a side salad instead of fries and an unsweet tea. I don't eat fast food that often so I don't feel guilty when I find myself in the drive-thru. My ultimate favorite at CFA is their fried sandwich. It's a staple in the lives of us folks that live here in Georgia. Hell, CFA runs through our veins! In the past year however, I have switched to the grilled version in the name of heatlh but can't seem to enjoy it with out slapping on the swiss cheese, bacon, lettuce and tomato...hence the chargrilled club. Sooo, when I got home yesterday I decided to take a look at their website to get the calorie counts for my food journal and was ASTONISHED to see that the little tiny pack of Chick Fil-A Sauce (just hook me up to an IV of the stuff) is 140 calories and 13 grams of fat. OMG!, I mean the whole friggin sandwich only has 12 grams of fat. Perhaps the better option if you must have any sauce, would be the Honey Barbecue which is 60 calories and 5grams of fat and tastes similar.

This just confirms what a great idea it is to keep a food journal. Last April, I changed my eating habits and started tracking what I put in my mouth on Fitday. As I started getting the weightloss results that I wanted combined with the lazy days of summer I stopped journaling. Currently, I am keeping a written journal instead of an online version and I hope to see some weightloss results by the end of the month.

Are you keeping track of what you put in your mouth? It was one of my resolutions for 2010 and it's not to late to start now.
Happy Hump Day,
Jules

Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii, are we having Fun yet?

2010-01-11T16:59:00.000-05:00

Wow, it has been about a week since my last post. I have been busy getting in to the swing of 2010 getting my kids back to school and of course last weeks highlight was the snow and freezing temps! We did not get above 30 for most of the week here in Atlanta and everything came to a screeching halt with the layer of ice/snow covering the roads. On Saturday I had major cabin fever and thought I would die if I had to hear one more episode of Spongebob. I could not get my SUV down our long driveway which was a solid sheet of ice. Since I could not even go for a walk or run, I waited for Jeff to get home from work (his car has 4WD) and he took me to the gym where I logged three miles on the elliptical and did some weights on the circuit. What a stress reliever and I felt better about going out for Mexican with friends later that night. I was a good girl at dinner! I ordered an entree that came with grilled chicken, rice and steamed veggies. I had the chipoltle sauce with mushrooms served on the side. It was yummy and I even left half of my rice. I maybe had 5 chips with no more than three tablespoons of guacamole. I love margaritas but I have an awesome way of avoiding the 500+ calories when I do mexican. I order a shot of Patron tequila on the rocks and then I add about three tablespoons of my hubbys frozen margarita to that and stir. I call this a Skinny Margarita and it is simply fabulous! I prefer using premium alcohol instead of the house stuff so I don't feel yucky the next day. :) I also try to up my water intake when I am imbibing.

I managed to make it back to my local Curves. I try to work out three days a week there and two to three days a week at another gym where Jeff has a golf membership. I had not been back to Curves since injuring my back in November so they were glad to see me. The first thing that the Curves associate wanted to do was weigh and measure me. Ughhhh seriously? At least let me pee first okay?! So before I got started on my circuit, I let Mary weigh and measure me hoping I would be shocked in to reality. To my disbelief, I had stayed the same weight for the months of November and December. I pretty much ate whatever I wanted all through the holidays and did not exercise much because of my back. I think my body really needed the downtime. Even though my weight was down from my last weigh-in from back in October, a few of my measurements (WAIST) were up (THINK PUMPKIN PIE).

Have I mentioned that my hubby gave me the Wii Fit with balance board for Christmas? Well, I tried it today for the first time. The good news: my BMI is no longer in the obese/elevated catagory and shows for my height and weight that I am in the normal range (25). Whoo Hooo!! The bad news: It says I am very unbalanced and after all the games/activities I tried the little weeble-like version of myself looked sad and hung her head in shame. Oh well, just makes me mad enough to try harder the next time. I really liked the yoga portion and would like to have Jenny McCarthy's latest Wii release. Anybody try it yet? Would love to hear any reviews.

Protein Power

2010-01-05T09:29:00.001-05:00

Good Morning, it's in the teens again here in Atlanta this morning. The wind chill, even with the sun up is 4 degrees!!  For breakfast I was in the mood for a heartier meal instead of something like cereal. I decided on a toasted multi grain english muffin, laughing cow cheese wedge and a garden egg beater patty. It was delish and this is how it stacks up:

                                                    Calories            Protein
Multi Grain Eng. Muffin                   100                    5g
Egg Beaters                                      60                    10g
LC cheese wedge                             35                   2.5g
___________________________________________________________________

This combo packs a punch of 17.5 grams of protein and comes in around 195 calories and only 3grams of fat. This should keep me fueled through my workout until I get to Whole Foods to snack and shop for some of my favorite staples!
Give It A Try
While toasting the muffin, spray a small bowl lightly with nonstick spray. Pour half a cup of Egg Beaters (I used Garden Veggie) in the bowl. I added fresh ground pepper and some Mrs. Dash. Now microwave for about 90 seconds. Spread 1 wedge of Laughing Cow cheese on the muffin. The eggs when cooked form a little patty from the shape of the bowl. The eggs should slide right out into your muffin sammy (Neat huh?). For a little extra zing, I added about two tsp. of Heinz Chili Sauce. You could also try salsa.

Today I plan to drink more water. I like to keep the individual Crystal Light packages handy for my water bottle. It's an easy and tasty way to get my water in.......what a nobrainer.

Have you cleaned out your fridge and pantry and restocked with healthy, ready to grab alternatives? I am more inclined to eat well when I have the right tools. What are some healthy foods that you like to nosh on during the week? I will share some of mine in an upcoming post.

Have a great day,
Jules

Brrrrr It's Coooldd!

2010-01-03T10:29:00.003-05:00

There is a reason why I enjoy living in the South.........mild winters. Lately though, not so much. The month of December has been unseasonably cold. This morning it was 17 degrees! I can't remember the last time we had temperatures in the the 50's. Did I mention I HATE wearing a coat? Looks like we may get a "wintery mix" in a few days.

How is the new year going for you? Have you made a commitment to do something differently this year or set some attainable goals?

My husband Jeff ordered a dumpster the day after xmas. I mean a ginormous dumpster. He has been diligently cleaning out our basement that has 20+ years of crap and memories. 95% of all the stuff is our personal junk that we have no need for. There are some items that I will take to Goodwill or our local charity. I am on a mission to declutter and clean out our entire house by spring. Wish me luck :)

Happy Sunday,
Jules

Don't Look Back

2010-01-02T13:26:00.000-05:00

Top of the year to ya,

Can I just say how excited I am that 2009 is over! December was and always is the month from hell for me. You see not even throwing Christmas in the mix, both of my sons birthdays are in December. For the last 16 years, the month of December has been stressful and somewhat unenjoyable at times. But enough of that.........

This morning marked the first day of getting back on track to healthy eating. Last year, I lost around 30 pounds by making an effort to eat clean (cutting out processed foods), track my food consumption and good old exercise. Last November I injured my back from lifting a heavy tack trunk and loading/unloading our horse from a trailer. I totally backed off of my six day a week workout schedule, dropped the weightlifting and stuck with cardio workouts three days a week. The holidays have come and gone and I have allowed myself to eat what ever I wanted. I now feel like a SLOTH!

Yesterday, my family along with friends and their children got out on the trail for some much needed fresh air and hiking. I then had what I will call The Last Supper. Fried Chicken, greens, black eyed peas, rice, cornbread.....you know, all the stuff you need on January 1, to bring you good luck in the coming year.

I feel like I am already on the right track today. I had a southwestern eggbeater with salsa for breakfast along with blueberry Chobani Yogurt. My Lady Grey tea is calling me......and then I'm off to the gym to reclaim my health!

Don't look back - Happy 2010,

Jules

In To the Great Wide Open

2009-12-31T07:44:00.000-05:00

My title post is really how I feel...naked and exposed as I sit here on New Years Eve. I have contemplated a blog for a long time and decided to jump feet first. Come hang with me as I make some resolutions for the new year in regard to health, diet, fitness and home. Looking forward to what we can achieve together in 2010!

Now go get your party on, after all it is almost 5pm on New Years Eve!!
Hope to see ya around,

Jules