Wednesday Hodgepodge

I am joining in with Joyce for this week's Wednesday Hodgepodge.

Answer on your own blog, then hop back here to add your link to the party. See you there!  I always love meeting new people and reading everyone's answers!!

1. I feel most energized when I _______________________.   I have to say I definitely feel more energized when I get out of barre class. After I get home from work, I put on jammies for an hour or two and veg out watching Ellen. I am always so tired and sluggish after sitting at that desk all day but I always then MAKE myself head out to barre (exercise) at night. After barre, I am so peppy and feel great! I truly believe exercise is good for EVERYTHING that ails you!

2. Where were you ten years ago?  I was still at the same company as far as a job and I was living with a man that I thought would be my husband, Turns out, he was an addict so I have to kick him out of my home about a year later - UGH! Other than that - not much has changed!

3. July 17th is World Emoji Day. Do you use emojis? Which one's your favorite? Your most used?  I love the smiley emoji that kissing with the puckered lips! That is definitely my most used emoji! Spread love always!

4. What song would you put on a wedding DO NOT PLAY list? This is much too hard for mid-week thoughts...ummm..maybe So Hott by Kidrock! LOL! Yes, definitely So Hott would not be appropriate! HA HA! You will have to google those lyrics yourself...it is really not even publishable! HA!

5. What deserves less of your attention? More of your attention?  Less of my attention needs to go to what people think of me- I am starting to worry less and less about this and it feels so good to not care! More of my attention needs to (AND WILL) go to me and getting and staying healthy! I want to lose this weight and very healthy and mobile and be able to live long and be active until the end!

6. Insert your own random thought here. If I ever need a part time job I can be a cable installer! If anyone saw the end of my post yesterday HERE on getting a new cable box since the old one quit working - I had to install it last night when I got home from work. It was do it myself or wait a week!  It was easy peasy and up and running within 15 minutes!!! Yeah!!! Also, the new has the voice remote so I can now ask my TV to do things for me! LOVE THIS FEATURE!

Also, this post caught my eye! LOL! So very true! HA HA HA HA

I hope everyone has an amazing hump day!  I am now off to read everyone else's answers! I am sure there are going to be some good ones for 4!!!  HUGS ALL!

Anyone else like to home projects and installs? 
Anyone else obsessed with their home electronics? lights you work wit your phone? cameras? etc? 

October 2017 - My time in Toronto/Mississauga

I was blessed to travel for work for the past two years.

I spent time in Michigan/Indiana, then Toronto (Mississauga)  and then Kansas City, Missouri.

I was way too busy with work to be able to blog then but I experienced so much!!! Now that the travel is over; I have decided I need to go back and document all of the cool things that I was able to see and do while traveling.

So this is post #1 - This is from October 2017 - It took about a month of being in Mississauga, Ontario to find these really interesting things!

A real phone booth!!!

A float! This is a real thing there...you float in water with earplugs and in complete darkness...naked!!! I tried it once but all I could think about is the fact that they don't change the salt water with each person - ick, right?!?!

My very very favorite restaurant in Mississauga called Pho Tai Loi!!! The most amazing food you will ever eat!!! It was hidden in a little strip mall that was full of authentic Thai - truly amazing!

The one time I drove home instead of flying, I stopped by Niagara Falls on the way home (Canadian side)! It was awesome however I was surprised by how truly commercial it all is now! I was there really early and there were already tons of tour buses and lines of people!! I just parked and ran to the falls for a few pictures and back to my car within an hour-too many people for my taste!!  Here are a few pictures of that!

This is one of THOSE people that fall over the falls...even though there are a million signs that say don't stand on wall or railing...there is always one or two - LOL!!!

 A view over the side....amazing!

Loved it there!!! (Excuse my thumb)

Zoomed in over the falls...

I promise I will recap all the exciting places I went and give some kind of time frame around them if possible!!!

Anyone else even been to the Falls? American or Canadian side? Anyone get photos on rail? LOL!!! What was the most commercialized place you have ever visited?

Trim Down Tuesday #2

Hi everyone!!! I hope you will all join me today for this week's Trim Down Tuesday! I really need to get my weight under control and I hope this will help me stay accountable and lose this weight once and for all!! Just add your post to the link below!! Please?!?

Just a reminder why I am doing this...I have a couple pictures from this past weekend that I swore I was not going to post but I am on this post! I want to keep accountable and real so here we go...UGH!

This picture is me on the front of the paddle board and my Mom on the back with the hat on! Look how big I am?!?!?

 And this is from my 50th party last weekend! I am on the right and largest of all four of us! UGH!!!

I know this is all from traveling and expense accounts and living a life not caring about how I look but now I care! UGH!!

So - I will keep it real here and hopefully start heading in the right direction!

This is my second week!!! My starting weight last Tuesday was 226.6 - UGH!! This mornings weight as I write this post is 225.2!! yippee! I am down 1.4 and I will happily take it! I did great all week wit watching what I ate but after twisting my knee last weekend I was unable to workout at all this week (I just iced the knee and rested it). Also, we celebrated my 50th birthday party this past weekend (shown above) with relatives and while I did really good watching what I ate I did indulge in a piece of birthday cake and maybe a few too many caprese sticks! HA! So YEA ME!!! Happily headed the right way!!

Please join me and maybe we can be stronger together?!?!?! How did you do this week? What were you strong in and what could you tweak for next week?

 

Whirlwind weekend!!

Hi guys - Happy Monday to everyone out there! I hope you all had an amazing weekend!!

Mine was quite a whirlwind of a weekend! I had such a great time I do not know where to start!

On Friday night, my sister came in to town from the Harrisburg area and we both went up to my parents house at their lake. We got up early Saturday and it was already 80 degrees so we went directly out to the lake to swim and play! The new paddle board got a workout! We also inherited a flamingo we found floating in the middle of the lake - it had escaped from someone and we were very happy to give it a home with us! LOL!

Me paddling...

My sis flamingoing...

Mommy paddling...

 A little collision...LOL!

 Sis paddling...

 On Saturday afternoon, my little sister and her kids came up to the lake and we all went to the town my parents were born (Uhrichsville, OH) and raised for a big 50th birthday bash for myself and three of my cousins. We all turn 50 this summer (my birthday was May and the others are in June, July and August)!

My cousin Pat who is still from that area organized a huge birthday bash/family reunion for everyone!!! How nice, right? We all brought food, he ordered a pig to be roasted for the main dish and he even got a local band to play at night on the stage in the Uhrichsville Park! It was a great night!!

We had tons of food and fun and family and then went back to my parents house for some shut-eye. Me and Aly were all tucked in bed when our bed was crashed by a few others...LOL!

On Sunday we all went to church and then spent the rest of the day playing in the lake!
 

My niece,big sis and nephew floating!

 My Dad and Aly floating...you know it is HOT when my Dad get in the lake! LOL!

When I got home last night I was SO EXCITED to watch Big Brother and guess what??!? There were storms while I was away and my cable box was blown! UGH!!! I did not have any TV at all!!!

Oh well, it happens! I went to Xfinity today at lunch to get a replacement box and will plug it in  when I get home from work. I hope it is as simple as plugging it in and calling to have it activated - fingers crossed!!

I hope everyone has a great evening!

I also hope that at least a few of you will join me tomorrow for Trim down Tuesday! I also hope that scale is at least down something tomorrow!!! See you soon-HUGS!

Anyone else in the 50 club? Anyone else feel younger with every birthday? Anyone joining me tomorrow???...pretty pretty please???

Thankful Thursday

Today I'm linking up with Rebecca Jo @ Knit By God's Hand for Thankful Thursday.

Today I am thankful for really good friends! I have quite a few awesome ladies in my life that I am privileged to call some of my very best friends! I met Kathy at work about ten years ago and then met Carol through Kathy! We have volunteered for many CF events together and enjoyed each others company for many years! (From left to right below - me, Carol, Kathy)

Last night the three of us went to dinner at the Walnut Grill in Robinson Twp and it was fantastic! I got pictures of the food but not us!!! Ha! (That is why I used the picture above from when we went to Pirates game last year!)  Our waitress could have been better but the food and atmosphere was great! We had awesome weather last night in Pittsburgh so we sat on the outdoor patio. We had not been out for over a year due to my traveling for work so it was great to catch up with each other! LOVE these ladies!

 

You are supposed to use this little button to call your waitress if you need her - she did not always come right away - LOL

I got the fish tacos - YUMMY!...

Kathy and Carol both got Meatball Bucatini...

 

 I am thankful to be once again focusing on getting my weight under control! Especially after seeing the picture above - LOL! That was about 30 pounds lighter and I remember feeling so much better about myself then!!! BACK ON TRACK!

I am also thankful that I found these great food eats!!! And no, this is not any kind of paid endorsement - they are just delish!!! The Gordon's grilled fillets are amazing and only 90 calories for a "deck of card" size fillet! They are so moist and full of flavor! They have three or four flavors to pick from and they are all good! I cook them in my air fryer in just 8 minutes and they come out perfectly!

I have to have tarter on fish so I use Greek yogurt mixed with relish and it is a perfect low calorie tarter sauce! You can use it in abundance and not have to worry at all about calories or fat! SCORE! I think I learned the tarter tip at Weight Watchers last year!?!?

 Close up of the tartar after it is mixed - YUM!

And last but not least - I am thankful for God's presence in my life daily to allow me to see all of the amazing and beautiful things he has created! His artwork is so beautiful and I am so happy that I pay attention to it AND HIM today! Look at this beauty that was on my siding glass door! AMAZING!

Even better view...look at those cute fuzzy legs!!! Not sure if the orange is his coloring or if moths collect pollen?!?! Anyone else know?!?! He sure was pretty!

I hope everyone has an amazing rest of their week!!! Thanks for stopping by and I am now off to go read what everyone else is Thankful For Today!!!! HUGS!


Do you know if moths gather pollen? Do you know what kind of moth is above? What are you thankful for today?

Wednesday Hodgepodge

Hi all!  It's Wednesday!!! You know what that means?!?!?  

It is time to join in with Joyce from This Side of the Pond for Wednesday Hodgepodge.  If you want to join in; just answer on your own blog, then hop back to Joyce's blog tomorrow to add your link to the party. I always love meeting new people and reading everyone's answers!!

1. What's something in your house you'd like to get rid of but can't?  Oh UGH! Don't remind me!! LOL! My carpet! I own a condo and I would love to replace my carpet!. My parents had their whole house done for around 5 thousand so I thought it would be reasonable for my little itty bitty condo but guess what???It was ridiculous!! My lowest quote was $3600!! WHAT?!?!? So disappointing! Then - my dishwasher broke so that sealed the deal for no new carpet!!  What I am going to do I start watching YOUTUBE videos and learn how to do hardwood or laminate myself!! Stay tuned!!! 
 
2. When is the last time you experienced a sense of nostalgia? Elaborate.  This one is easy! I wear my Great Grandmothers ring she left to me in her will every day and I swear every time I happen to glance at it on my finger or start to twirl it out of habit; I am immediately taken back to my childhood! I spent so many hours sitting and talking with my Great Grandmother. Her name Margaret Eileen Jumps and she was an amazing woman! After my fathers mother died when he was 14, she took over as the mother figure in the family. She was an accomplished organist in her church and was such a lovely, classy and talented woman. I will never forget everything she taught me! It did not hurt that I was her favorite also! :-)

3. You're only allowed three apps on your smart phone or tablet...which three do you keep?  
First - I use my bank app everyday-I have to have it! I love that I can transfer from accounts and also deposit from my phone now!!! No more trips to the bank AT ALL!!   Second - Facebook!  I am almost sad to say this but I still LOVE Facebook! It keeps me connected to friends and all my nieces and nephews and family and I love to see how much fun everyone is having this summer!!  Third - I would have to keep My Fitness Pal. Now that I am back on track with my eating and exercise; it is a must to keep me in line!
 
4. July 11th is National Blueberry Muffin Day. Who knew? Not I!  Do you like blueberry muffins? They are just okay.  If you were going to have a muffin would blueberry be your choice? No, I would chose banana nut!!  What's the last thing you baked?  Sadly I do not even remember! As you can tell from my answer, I do not bake. HA HA
 
5. What's the biggest way you've changed since you were a child? I was horrible! I do not remember a lot but I know I was a bully and not very nice to others. I recently found out from someone I grew up with that I was the one that told him he was adopted! Apparently when I was around 8 years old I overheard my parents talking about it and ran and told him! His parents had not told him yet! I apologized to him when he told me that story last year. See?? I was awful!!  In what way are you still the same?  I am still very fun-loving and spontaneous! I pride myself in being the "fun aunt" and I hope I never grown up so much that I can not laugh at myself and have fun!

6. Insert your own random thought here.

Please consider stopping by my blog on Tuesdays!!! You can follow me and visit me HERE!! I am starting Trim Down Tuesdays link up to help anyone that wants a supportive place to hang out as we share our weight loss and healthy eating journeys!!  

I can not wait to go visit the others that are linking up today with Joyce!! 

Happy Wednesday yinz!!

First EVER Trim Down Tuesday

Welcome to my humble little blog!!

After my weekend experience of my niece, very correctly, telling me I was fat; I have decided to start keeping myself accountable for this dang weigh loss journey.

So, with that said, I will be posting my weight each week for Trim Down Tuesday!! Hopefully it will keep moving downward!!

I also invite every one of you that is trying to be more healthy in ANY way to join me!! You can link any post you feel is related to keep yourself accountable also!!

I will start this first week by letting you know that I officially started Monday and so far so good!! My starting weight is 226.6 - UGH!! Oh well, hopefully I can start moving in the right direction!

Please join in if you are trying to get to a healthy weight or just link up if you have great tips and tricks for those of us that need them!!

 I look forward to reading your posts each week also!!