I hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving! I can't say that I'm happy to be back at work after sucha long break. I am however grateful I have a job.  It's so easy to take for granted everyday things like our jobs, homes, and the food we eat.  Sometimes it's easier to complain and feel bad about the things in life that aren't perfect, but in all reality, we have it so good!

Recommended food item week #8:  2 Cans of Veggies

I asked Dave if he'd let me take a picture of him for this weeks PFM photo. I thought it was fitting for him to be in the picture since canned green beans are the ONLY vegetable he can eat with out dry heaving.  He was so sweet to pose for the picture this morning, even when I could tell her really didn't want to!  Like most of us, Dave hated veggies when he was a little boy. Problem is, he never grew out of hating them. The taste of ALL veggies makes him quiver. He always looks at the veggies I'm eating and thinks they look pretty, but any time he gives them a try his taste buds tell him other wise.

The reason I chose green beans for my PFM donation,is just in case someone who hates veggies as much as Dave is given my cans of veggies.  Dave says that canned green beans are the mildest of all veggies and that most people who hate veggies can tolerate them. Feel free to chose any canned veggie you would like.  Since these veggies were so cheap, we picked up quite a few! Do what ever you feel comfortable doing!

I can't believe we are nearing the end of PFM. I am so excited to deliver my food to the food bank! ALSO…please don't forget to take a picture of your PFM stash before you deliver it, I'm dying to see them!!  Thank you so much for all your efforts!!  Have a wonderful week!!

ps…We STILL don't have Internet. Comcast is 10 days out on installation. WTFREAK!  We might go through another company and get it today, but I'm not for sure.  So if you have contacted me with no response, please don't think i'm ignoring you! Feel free to contact me at natalie.k.shaw@l-3com.com for a quick response.

It's fun being a house wife when you have your own house.  I don't so much mind cooking and cleaning.  I'm sure the cleaning will get old and I'll start to mind doing it, but for now I'm enjoying enjoying it. ha!  Yesterday Dave and I headed to the gym to sweat it out. And that we did. I was sweating like crazy and loved it! I did 30 minutes on the stair master (that baby is freaking hard) and then 10 minutes of abs.  Here I am doing my

Whittle

My

Middle

My arms get so tired and fatiuged by the end of this routine. I really have to focus on my abs so my arms don't do all the work!  hey…check out my sweat pits! YES! I just noticed them…those are SEXY!!

I had a dinner creation in mind, nothing special, but none the less I was excited about it. I got to work as soon as we got home.  Dave started working on the guest bedroom while I created a masterpiece very simple meal in the kitchen.  What was on the menu?

Cilantro Turkey burgers with hummus, sprouts, tomatos and lettuce with a side of sweet potato fries (MY FAV)

Not too shabby a picture considering I used the IPHONE.

I wish I had a really good picture, because they looked really pretty. I was proud of myself for cooking dinner and making it look pretty at the same time. I'm notorious for burning/ruining meals, so this was a success. I'm more proud of Dave though because guess what? I didn't modify his sandwich one bit!  He ate the hummus, tomato, sprouts, lettuce, sweet potato fries…all of it!  It was not his favorite, but he ate it anyhow. If you understood how HUGE this is you'd be jumping up and down with joy.  Dave HATES all veggies, every single one. He hates all beans, every single kind, along with quite a few other foods.  He flat out HATES them, as in they make him gag and feel sick.  The past month, he has been very open to try new things and make himself eat the foods he does not like. He is trying to get himself used to their tastes in hope that one day they won't bother him.  He is super interested in eating healthy and fueling his body properly, and realizes that he has not been fueling with the foods he needs.  I'm so happy he is SO willing to make changes and try to improve his diet.  Even Monday when he ordered rumbi he didn't ask them to hold the veggies. NEVER HAPPENDED BEFORE!  There was a point where he had to spit out a few bites into the napkin because "it tasted DISGUSTING" but for the most park, he choked the veggies down! WAY TO GO HONEY! 

Isn't it interesting/exciting how our food choices and knowledge of nutrition can help improve those around us? I never thought I'd see the day where Dave told me to make his dinner the EXACT same way as mine. ( I always make two seperate meals, or make his completely different than mine). I never thought I'd see him order a meal from a restaurant without asking them to hold the veggies. He has always tried to eat healthy and moderate the things that he knows are not good from him, but his problem is that he dose not get enough of the foods that are so incredibly important.  I am so thankful that through my journey to a healthy lifestyle, he has also been making healthy changes.  His willingness to make these changes makes me a happy, happy wife! Another thing that makes me super happy was talking to my sissy yesterday. First of all, she is pregnant..yay! And she is having cravings and all sorts of other stuff happen that is cracking me up. Anyhow, she told me that her and her husband tried Cous Cous the other night and loved it. She also proceeded to tell me about some other healthy food choices she has been making and the different types of foods she has tried in the past month! Way to go Jac! You rock sister! It is so exciting to see/hear about people making positive changes or improvements!!

Guess what?? I am only working for a few more hours today! YIPPEE!! I plan on going to they gym, working on the house, and possibly putting up our Christmas tree!  My parents bought us the most beautiful pre-decorated tree last year for Christmas, but since we didn't have a home last year, we haven't been able to use it yet. I can't wait to put it up!!

We still don't have internet (what is wrong with us) because we can't decide which provider to use, so I don't know that I'll get to blogging this weekend GASP! Hope you all have a wonderful safe holiday!  Eat lots of good food, play lots of fun games, watch lots of good movies and take lots of good pictures!!  xoxo
Love, Happy Housewife-

 QA:
Have your healthy choices produced positive outcome on those around you??

I've never had hummus before. Strike that, one time back in February after reading KATH EATS, I tried to make her Lemon hummus, but I didn't have all the ingredients…and it did not turn out very good. (not to say the recipe isn't good….it was the person and the lack of proper ingredients that botched it!). Besides my one failed attempt to make hummus i'd never tried it before.

Last week after reading one of my posts, my sister in-law called me (she calls instead of comments…which always makes me laugh, she doesn't have time to type it out, but I like the calls better, we talk much longer than any comment). She asked me if I had bought any hummus. I obviously hadn't, so she told me where to find it and what kinds she likes. I headed to the store that night to pick some up. We tried it right when we got home, both Dave and I were very curious (Dave has never had it either). OMGOSH!!! I loved it! Absolutely loved it. We got spicy three peppers or something like that. I could not believe how much I loved this stuff. I immediately added it to our lunch for the next day. We bought a pretty big container, and by yesterday night it was gone! We LOVE it! I've been putting it on everything! I know I am the last person in the world to try and love hummus, but oh well….FYI…I AM IN LOVE WITH IT!

I have been putting it on my sandwiches, pitas, dipping my crackers, veggies and fingers in it. I'm sure i'll come up with a million other ways to use it too!

In case I didn't mention it…I heart hummus

New Moon
Dave and I saw New Moon last night. It was good. I liked it, but I did not LOVE it. I didn't read the books, so I don't consider myself a true Twilight fan, but I did really like the first one. I realize the second one had better effects and acting, but I think I liked the story of the first one better than the second one?  Also, I didn't feel the chemistry between Bella and Edward like I did on the first one….I was excited for that part but didn't ever feel it.  I wanted to get butterflies like I did last time, but instead I wondered why they seemed so awkward and unhappy when they were together, she seemed happier and more in love with Jacob than Edward?? Don't get me wrong, "I chose him (Edward), it has always been him".  I just didn't feel their magical passion/chemistry this time. I still really enjoyed watching it and am glad we went to see it!

Oh, oh…also, Dave and I couldn't help laughing every time we saw Jacob and his long hair. He looked like a lion and it cracked us up. The girls next to us kept giving us dirty looks every time we would laugh…I think we were offending them!! lol! He just looked too funny to keep it in!

QA: What are your thoughts on New Moon? Loved it, Liked it, hated it? Do tell. Also..did you read the book?
Do you have yummy hummus recipe you'll share with me??

Holy moly! I can't believe it's been seven weeks since we started..can you?  By now we should all have at least 14 cans of food! How awesome is that.  That means between all of us we have a minimum of  2296 cans of food. Are you kidding me!!?? How awesome is that!!?? 

Recommended food item week #7: 2 Cans of Fruit

I choose pineapple and Pears, because they are my favorite. You can pick any fruits you would like.  Feel free to purchase a many as your budget will allow 1,2,10! Stop and think about that soda, coffee, candy or whatever it may be that you spend an extra $1-5 dollars on in a week…can you go without it this week and instead give something better to someone in need? I know I can.

Thank you all for your participation! I am so proud of everyone for taking the time and money to be a part of Project Feed Me.  I am so glad we could all do this together!!

Since it is thanksgiving I thought it would be fun to share our favorite thanksgiving food and where we will be having thanksgiving this Thursday.  I asked Dave his favorite thanksgiving food and he said CRAB. What? He is not a big fan of thanksgiving food. Its not his thing. My favorite thanksgiving food is candied yams.  My uncle makes this recipe that will make you gain 5lbs just looking at it, but oh my it is the best thing you have ever tasted. 

Where will you be having thanksgiving this year and what is your favorite thanksgiving food??

If you haven't already, read my Granola Bar post before continuing.

I called my mom today to get some motherly advice on food prices and quantity. She was conveniently at the grocery store and ran around looking up all the exact prices and quantities on all the foods I was looking for. She is the best!  I was able to create a spreadsheet in excel with the exact items/ingredients, their price and quantities, and the quantities used per 16 bars.  Here are my results:

_____________________________________________

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Each bar comes out to about 30 cents a piece! Isn't this terrific?! One 8 count box of Nutri-Grain bars are around $4.00 per box, making the bars them self cost almost 50 cents a bar (20 cents more than home made bars). Not only are the home made bars a million times healthier than store bought preservative ones, but they taste  a million times better and they are cheaper! BOO YAH! Awesome! I am so happy to see these numbers. I am going to make these along with other recipes regularly!!

Fun Fact:
Dave eats one nutri-grain bar six times a week. That means we buy three (8 ct) boxes per month, and thirty-six per year. If we replace his once a day nutri-grain bar with home made bars, we will save $57.60 a year and in turn stop poisoning our bodies with unhealthy additives! Sounds like a plan to me!

QA:
What things do you make at home to save on price and unhealthy preservatives? FILL ME IN!!

FYI: I added a Whittle My Middle (WMM) page to the top of the blog. Logging my WMM and fitness on the same page was getting messy looking, so I separated them. I know you could care less are dying to check it out, so here ya go: Whittle My Middle

I have some good new and bad news. Good news first! I made my very first granola bars yesterday! They were very very good! I was SUPER surprised how good they turned out.  Bad news… my camera batter died, and I don't know where the charger is….so, NO PICTURES. boo hoo! The entire time I was making the bars I thought about how great of a story I could tell with some pictures, but there was no camera available.  Here is a picture I took this morning with my crapy cell phone camera…this is the bar I am going to eat in just a minute!

I had such a blast making them…(yes I just said the word blast in the same sentance as cooking/baking). Cindy my go to gal, gave me some great tips and I put them to use. I changed the recipe up a bit (something I would usually be too AFRAID to do) I added raisins, chia seeds, more coconut, dark chocolate chips, whole almonds, a little agave, and some a hand full of other dried fruit I had on hand. If your interested in the recipe, you can check it out here.

Dave and I sampled the mixture before putting it in the oven and we LOVED it. I couldn't wait for it to come out. I kept checking on them every few minutes and finally when they looked golden brown I pulled them out.  You should have smelled our house….it smell AMAZING!  Dave immediately came in the kitchen and started to pick at it…I slapped is handasked him politely to wait until they cooled.  With anticipation we waited for them to cool and once they were ready, I cut them into 8 bars (I halved the recipe) and then wrapped them in saran wrap, minus the two bars Dave and I ate on the SPOT! THEY WERE SO GOOD! Seriously, I couldn't believe it. We both scarfed them down and loved every bite! I can't believe that I have been missing out on SO MANY amazing foods! Geeze. While eating a  million ideas of what I could do with this stuff ran through my head. SO exciting!!  Here is a pic of the bar all wrapped up and ready to go, doesn't it look cute? Or am I just proud of myself? lol

Yesterday we picked up some Nutri Grain bars for Dave (he usually has one for breakfast) and they were almost $4 a box. I couldn't believe they were so expensive. I believe they come with 8 bars, SO today, Dave and I are going to add up all the ingredients it takes to make the bars I made last night, and do a price comparison against the Nutri Grain Bars. Dave is a math wiz and can do all the measurements and conversions in a jiffy, so I'm going to send him the info he'll need and then presto, he'll send back the numbers and I can then do a price analysis.  Fun right?

I know there are THOUSANDS of recipes out there, which is exciting because I can just keep trying new ones!  I picked this recipe because I had all the ingredients, and it sounded super easy (which it was).  The only complaint I have is that they don't stick together as well as I'd like. Maybe I needed to add more honey or more of something? I don't really know, I'll have to mess with it. If you have any suggestions let me know.

Oh, I am SO happy its Friday! We have TONS to do this weekend, but when you don't have to add work into the mix of things, it's always better! Our goal it to get a couch for the bonus room, find some decorations to fill a bunch of the dead space, finish the laundry room, hang up the pictures/clocks…etc, oh and much much more! (Any design/decoration ideas for the side walls where our tv hangs? The sides are so bare. I have a giant picture I might hang to the left of the tv…take a look at the space  and if you have any ideas…please share!)

Exercise Note: We went to the gym again yesterday. It was wonderful. You can check out what I did here. I would have liked to stay at the gym longer, but Dave never wants to be there for longer than 30 minutes, so 45 was pushing it.  I got to thinking yesterday and now that the gym is 10-15 minutes from our house, I think I'd rather workout at home. Since I am no longer working out in the mornings, It kinda sucks to get home from work, change, go to the gym, and then have it be dark and late by the time we get home. I don't like that. If we worked out at home, we would save ourselves at least 30 minutes. I talked to Dave last night about starting/buying PX90 (I want him to do it with me), he said he'd think about it. He doesn't know ANYTHING about it and is worried that it might be more of a girl thing "like the shred" (his words, not mine) not that the shred isn't hard he said…but he wants something that will build muscle, not just tone. He is already toned, he wants to get bigger and stronger.  I JUST KNOW that PX90 would be enough, I just have to convince him of it. I plan on sending him a few testimonial/videos today. I think they will do the trick…..the first time I saw the infomercial I was a believer!! I think he'll come around.

Fridays are SLOW around here so I'm going to get to reading this baby!
(I talked to the nutrionist yestserday, and she recommended I read this book, what do you know!!)

Have a wonderful weekend!! 

PS..it's not too late to get people involved in PFM.  Have you asked anyone at work to get involved? If not…why not? Go over there right now and tell them all about it, ok? Ok, great…good job!
-loves to all-

QA:
Are you a Twilight fan?
Do you plan on seeing the movie this weekend?
Did you squirm/get butterflies/feel like an idiot teen girl on the first movie right before they kissed…or was that just me?

I went shopping yesterday and about 1/2 or more of the food I bought I have never bought or tried before in my life! It was exciting. I was a bit overwhelmed at the grocery store trying to find the right things and not pick the wrong things. I took deep breaths and realized I didn't have to get it perfect and that any changes I make are in the right direction. I was also really worried I was going to spend WAY too much money, I had a number in my head that I thought it would add up to and as I kept throwing things in the cart I began to get worried. When I finished checking out I was INCREDIBLY surprised to find that it was 1/2 as much as I thought it would be! I was thrilled!!
Here are some of the new foods I picked up!

Here is a list of all the foods I've never tried or purchased before:
Sprouted Bread
Cous Cous
White Beans
Black Eyed Peas
Long Grin Brown Rice
Basmati Rice
Coconut
Barley
Avocado
Almond Milk
Raw Almonds
Whole Wheat Pitas
Red Pears
Rolled Oats
Whole Wheat Pasta
Greek Yogurt ( holy crap this stuff is AMAZING)

There may be much more, but that is all I can think of right now. I wasn't able to find ALOT of the things I was looking for at the local grocery store. I was a little bummed because I didn't want to make a special trip down town (30 min away). 

After shopping Dave and I both went to the gym and got in a sweaty workout. I can't tell you HOW GOOD I FELT. SO SO GOOD!  I took my Little Booky with me and read as I chugged away on the elliptical. I was pushing so hard and it felt SO great!  Here are my stats:

Elliptical: 35 Minutes (Dave didn't want to stay an an entire hour)
Abs (Whiddle Middle) :10 minutes
Arms: 2 sets of 12 triceps dips

My arms were burning by the end! The ab workout totally works your arms too, which is great…I love two in ones!!

After the gym we walked to the grocery store that is connected to the gym and we passed by a store that intrigued me. On the way out of the grocery store we decided to stop in the store.  It was a health store, with ALL THE FOODS I EVER NEEDED IN IT! It had every single thing on my list! I was SO SO SO HAPPY! I went to town. We spent a lot of money, but i got a lot of things that will last me a very long time.  I have never tried all most all of these things.
Take a look…

I asked so many questions while I was at the health food store. The lady really helped me a lot. Before I left I asked her if they ever do any informational classes. She told me the did not do any classes, but the owner of the store does free nutritional counseling! WHAT!! FREE? Yes that is right. I gave the lady my name and number and with in 30 minutes of leaving the sore, she called! I wasn't able to pick up the phone..(cus It was lost at the time), but I am going to give her a call this morning! HOW EXCITING!!

As soon as I got home, I opened all of my new products and gave each one a taste. I have been reading for months about all of these products, so you can imagine my excitement to try them!

Want a review? You're getting one!

Agave: This is so yummy. I love this stuff. I can't believe I never knew it existed! It is so much better than honey or any other sweetener for that matter!!

Brown Rice Syrup: This had an odd taste by itself. It was sweet but kinda weird. I can see this tasting really good when cooking or mixing it with something else.

Flax Seed: I had to get quite a few in my mouth to really taste them. Have you ever picked a piece of grass and bitten on the white at the bottom? That is what flax seeds taste like to me…I Like them!

Chia Seed: I don't think these really have a taste (which is great because you can add them to anything!)

Chunky Almond Butter: I never liked chunky peanut butter, but this rocks! I had a slice of bread with a bit of almond butter and a drizzle of agave…oh my it was so good!

Coconut Oil: I think this might be my favorite. It smells and even tastes so good! I rubbed in on my arms and dave rubbed it on his elbows (He has irritation on his elbows) we want to see if it helps! I can't wait to use this stuff!

Sunflower Seeds: I have had these before, and I love them. I am going to use them in my granola bars and many other things!

Rice Chips: Long ago when Dave and I first started dating he used to eat these. I remember how much I LOVED them, but have not had them since then. We tore these open as soon as we got home. Yum these are goooouuud!

Almond Milk: I didn't get to use the almond milk yet, but I'll let ya know what I think

Peppermint Oil: Dave picked up some peppermint oil. Someone at his works rubs a bit of this on their fan and it fills the room with peppermint smells.  He went to town on my car air vents and different places throughout the house. I LOVE the smell of peppermint…(but I do not like the taste!)

I was seriously so happy and excited last night. I LOVED all of my new purchases and I can't wait to use them all! I felt so great about what I had found and the HUGE change I had made to our grocery items!  I was also so excited because last night I made my first Cous Cous! It was tasty tasty! I even took a picture of it cus I was so proud of myself (not that its hard at all) but I was just super excited!!

Since I had never made it before I didn't really know what it would taste like or what to do with it. I grilled up some mushrooms and red peppers and then stuffed the pitas with the veggies, cous cous and then topped it off with some sauce.  It was great! I was seriously glowing because I was so proud of myself, just all together for trying. ha! Dave was laughing at me because I was basically skipping around the house because I was so excited!

Ok so now its time that I call on you for help.  I need YOUR recipes. You kinda have an idea of what I have on hand (I have a bunch of other stuff I didn't take pictures of too, so don't worry) I'll also be getting more this weekend. So from the bottom of my heart, I'm asking you to leave me a comment with your favorite (Easy…i'm just a beginner) recipe? I'd love to get your best of best recipe/s and give them a whirl! I am trying to get Dave on board with everything and he is being SO WONDERFUL, but I know if I keep giving him yummy food, he will start to enjoy foods that are better for him and as we change certain things, it will be easier for him. I need your help! I am going to look around today and try and find some recipes, but I think the best ones will come from you!  So, think about your favorite recipe, then leave me a comment with it! Thank you thank you! I can't wait to get them!!

Look what I got in the mail yesterday!  Prescription for Dietary Wellness. Yippe! This was my first piece of mail at our new house…only fitting that it was a book I am super excited to read.  Cindy told me I HAD to get this book, so like a good little girl, I obeyed and ordered it right away!  I can't wait to get started. When I finish this post its scriptures and then dietary wellness time! I'm sure this book with be referenced in many posts to come!!

I STILL have not gone shopping, but am planning a run to the store this afternoon! I also have a few other thing up my sleeve for later today. Last night I declared to Dave that I WAS SICK OF NOT WORKING OUT…and I needed to get exercise, busy or not!  My plan is to head to the gym after work each day.  Since my foot is still bothering me I will do the ellipticalor the bike and then add on 15-20 minutes of strength.  I'm feeling super out of shape. I'm even noticing a difference in the way I look….boo hoo! I must admit my exercise has been MIA since my foot and getting ready to move. That combined with eating out WAY TOO MUCH is making me feel blah!!.  I may just be feeling this way because I've been less active (exercise wise), but whatever it is, I don't like the way I feel…so I'm going to change it. Simple as that.

When I used to feel like this in the past, I would make myself feel even worse by dwelling on the negative and all of my mistakes. I would end up eatting worse and avoid exercise all together. Makes no sense right? I know..but its just how I did it.

I CAN NOT TELL YOU how thankful I am that that has changed. Yesterday when I had a moment to breath and stop and think about how I have been feeling the past few days, it made me motivated to make myself feel better and get back on track. I want to feel stronger, healthier and in better shape, which also motivates me to eat better (no more fast food) and MAKE TIME for exercise. Now that we are moved in the BIG STRESS is behind us, so making time to exercise seems a lot more feasible and desirable!

So, today I brought my gym clothes with me and plan on hitting up the gym before I head home. 

Here is my plan:
45 min Elliptical
15 min upper body
6-10 min Widdle my middle

Yay!  I can't wait to sweat it out! I have totally missed sweating.  Of course moving was a lot of work and caused me to have sweat pits (ha), but that is not the kind of sweating I'm talking about. I'm talking about full on sweat dripping all over, wipe it off your face with your arm kind of sweat. The gross kind! I'm craving it big time! At 9:00pm last night I almost popped in a workout DVD because I was wanting to do something so bad. I realized that it was not the best time since we were getting ready for bed. I practiced "MODERATION" by realizing that it would be ok if I waited until tomorrow. FLASHBACK: (I remember times where I layed in my bed anticipating the next days workout and feeling guilty about something I did or didn't do that day. I would actually get out of bed and go down stairs and workout…at crazy hours)….I look back on that and think…oh you poor little thing. I also think… YOU WERE CRAZY! lol. But really MODERATION is important. I had already done my Whiddle My Middle exercises and since it was time for bed I declined my urge to workout at such a late hour!
(9pm…yes that is late for us who get up in the 4am hour)

Speaking of Moderation…dave said something to me a while back when we were doing Crossfit that I have to keep reminding myself of.  We had decided to take a day off and I was stressed about it because I had committed to 30 days and was planning on blogging about it that day and was also planning on the exercise.  He looked and me and said Nat, this is our life, this is not a fitness competition, nor your blog, it is ok if we take a day off.  Geeze Louise, I thought to myself!! He was so right. How silly it was that I was worried about taking the day off! It is not a competition, no one is judging, no one actually really cares what I do or don't do! I was so glad he reminded me that this is my life and living it in moderation is KEY to my happiness! I refer back to that statement often!

This post is pretty random. I'm just letting out some thoughts. Thanks for listening! Here is to moderation and a really sweaty workout!!

(Check out my fitness page…I am going to TRY and log my daily fitness!!)

Widdle My Middle Workout
Nov 17
Plank: 1:30
Side Plank: 1 min each side
Ball Roll Out: 20 Reps
Jack Knife Roll Out: 20 Reps
Side to Side Plank: 1:30
Total Min: 6 Min 30 Sec

Yesterday after work Dave and I did nothing but this…..all day/night long.  (it was heaven)

No joke! I got home from work around 4:00 and we layed on the couch watching TV and movies all night long.  We did do a little work maybe 30 minutes worth, but we were so tired we couldn't move (literally).  Dave's back was killing him and my foot and back were killing me. We still have SO MUCH work to do, but we HAD to take a day to rest..it was necessary.

We both feel much better today! I actually slept through my alarm and Dave's and didn't make it to work until nearly 9am! I feel like a new woman! Rested, relaxed, pain free (minus my stupid foot) and ready to go!  We are going to be closing on the house today! FINALLY!  Then we will go home to a house that is actually ours! We plan on hacking a bunch of stuff off our list tonight!

At your request, here are some pictures of the inside of the house.
I really don't have very many "clean moved in pics" of the house. It's still a mess, but here are some for now…..(excuse the disaster zones!)

We don't have a kitchen table yet, which will go in the area between the kitchen and Great room (obviously)…we can't find one we like….any suggestions?

Both the chair and the couch are going to go upstairs in the bonus room, we still have to find some furniture for the front room, Dave does not like that leather couch. But for now they will have to stay there until we get someone really strong without back problems to move them. That huge open book shelf was something we bought at an auction six months ago. It retailed for $10k and we got it for $400! We LOVE IT!

Dave in the process of hurting his back… (Master Bedroom)…No pics of the bathroom yet, oops.

Guest Bedroom

Computer/Office

I'm posting this pic of our closet to show the hard work my cute PREGNANT sister did! Yup, my sister is PREGO! I wasn't able to tell anyone until NOW! I am so excited for her!  She is my little sister and always beats me to the chase at everything! Married 6 months before me and now a baby! ha ha!! I seriously couldn't be happier for her. I'm not ready to have a baby quite yet, so this is PERFECT! I feel like it is happening to me! It almost feels like I am pregnant, it is seriously that exciting for me!  She is so awesome and is going to be the best mom ever!! I can't wait for everything that is to come! I am SO HAPPY FOR HER! She is due around the first of June! I can't wait to have another baby in the family!! So SO HAPPY! Yay Jac!! Here is just a taste of what she did for us this weekend…pregnant and all!!

Great Room/Living Room (my favorite place in the house)

Ok, I'm sure that is enough pictures for now. I'll post more once we get everything up, decorated and in place.

Thanks for all of your excitement and encouragement throughout this entire process!  We have had so much fun moving in and making it our own. We have a long way to go, but are just happy to be there!! 

Little turtle had a rough night her first night there. She was really scared. She is used to being in a 500 sqft area and I think all the space and openness scared her. She sat outside our door and meowed constantly for 4 hours. At 3am I finally brought her in the room and let her sleep with us. She got under the covers and went right to sleep. We were trying to be strong and teach her that she can't sleep in our room, but after 4 hours, no sleep and constant meowing we gave in. I actually feel bad for her because I think she is scared. She didn't leave our room the entire day until we got home from work. She was asleep under the covers in the exact same place we left her! haha! Poor little kitty! I'm sure she will get used it it, but for now, it is just a bit overwhelming!

We don't have internet yet, so I can't check my personal email.  If you have a question or need to email me in the next few days email me at natalie.k.shaw@l-3com.com. This is my work email, I will respond quicker that way!

Tonight I am starting day 3 of Widdle My Middle. I'm sure I could have worked in a 10 minute workout over the weekend while we were moving, but I just didn't have it in me.  Who cares if i'm a few days behind….Its doing it that matters!!

We STILL have not gone shopping, NO TIME. But lucky for us my parents brought us over groceries on Saturday! Enough to last us until I make it to the store. I read through all of your comments again and added so many new items to my grocery list I am pumped!! I know a few of you pointed me in the direction of some great granola and granola bar recipes…I can't find them. Will you send me the link or leave a comment with your favorite? I want to start making some bars asap. Dave eats a nutri grain bar everyday and I want to replace them with something healthy and natural!! Thanks for ALL OF YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT! YOU=THE BEST!

I am writing this post from my new home! (Last night).  It feels awesome! Thank you all for your excitement and sweet comments about our move.  Everything went great, actually everything went better than great! We were so lucky to have family who were so wonderful to help all day Saturday. They saved us!! It still doesn't seem like we actually live in our new house, it's more like we are house sitting or vacationing!
(pics and post to come).

I meant to take a picture of me in my kitchen with my two cans of my favorite beans….but I just didn't get to it.  We were SLAMMED all weekend long. I hope you can forgive the stock photo!!

Project Feed Me Week 6

Recommended food item week #6: 2 cans of Beans

I chose black beans because they are my very favorite. Until 2 years ago I had never even tried black beans. I thought they would taste disgusting. I can't believe what I had been missing out on my entire life! You can chose any type of beans, any size, any brand…go crazy!

FACT:
Beans are an excellent source of protein and fiber and will be very beneficial for families in need of food and good nutrition.  It makes me so happy to think about an entire family getting to enjoying my favorite beans.

Thank you all for your efforts!  I am so pleased with every one's willingness to help!  For those have sent me pictures..thank you, thank you, thank you! Your pictures bring to life the fact that there are 164 other people out there doing the exact same thing as me. I love all 164 of you!!

Project Feed Me Fun

Last week I told you about a GIVE AWAY for a chance to win a Sweet Time Watch and some Elf Make up!  The contest ended yesterday afternoon! I used a random selector to chose our lucky gal.

The Winner Is: Kelly from La Vida Vegga

Congratulations Kelly!  Please send me an email (nono2yoyo@gmail.com) letting me know your favorite watch band and face. Don't forget to include your address too! I'll get your watch and make up shipped right away!! YAY

Thanks again for all your efforts! Hope you all have a WONDERFUL DAY!!