Titles are Lame.

Yeah, sitting here trying to figure out a title for this entry was like going to the dentist. Not even sure I want to open the can of worms that has been my week but you know, I can't keep things bottled up for too long....

SO.

Since moving back to Denton it has been no secret that I have gained a little weight. What with Evan working nights, I no longer cook like I did in Fort Worth. Add that I babysit in the afternoons, it's just so easy for me to pick something up for Avery and I for dinner.

Add that, my lack in running the past month (thanks ridiculous heat) and some health issues and you get.....15lbs. I'm aware that may not seem like a lot but when you consider that I've had a child and am no longer 18-21 or that I've been overweight by about 10 pounds since I was 16 the weight is very much noticeable in areas I've never had to worry about before. Add a few things said to me by people in a very hurtful way and well....I can't avoid it with t-shirts and running shorts anymore.

Time for a change.


SO....I'm considering a new blog all about my weight-loss/ Healthy living process and perhaps, if I can figure out how to add a tab on my blog, I may just put it all there. Still in debate.

After Mondays horrible revelation on a number of levels. I cried it out over 48hrs, had a fit of denial, texted a few VIP ladies, went into a pity party, got mad and finally took a good, long and honest look at myself then made up my mind. GOODBYE YOU, HELLO ME! I'm making a change for me. I'm doing it for my confidence, my self-worth, my health and ultimately for my family. Start a chain reaction so to speak.


So here's a few things I've decided on and have already written out for my big over-haul this weekend.

• Join a Gym (Done today)
• Meet with a personal trainer for an assessment (Tomorrow at 11am)
• Start a calorie counter app (Myfitnesspal on the iPhone, LOVE!)
• Say goodbye to Sodas except 1 on Saturdays
• Cut out red-meat
• Run at least 4 days a week
• Cook dinner and lunch, no more eating out unless on special occassions or with family on Sundays.
• Set a goal weight (but a realistic, healthy one)
• DO NOT GET SUCKED IN THE AMOUNT YOU LOSE OR GAIN ON THIS JOURNEY.
• Get a friend to join in Zumba or some other class. (have one)
• Go through closet and get rid of articles with over 4 years of wear.
• Buy more organic.
• Buy more health concsious snacks and food rather than junk.
• Enforce good eating habits, hardcore. (My toddler is super picky!)

Seems like a good start so far, right?

I'll be starting my new tab or new blog this saturday. And I warn you, it'll be REAL honest. I'm not going to hold back at all about anything in regard to myself and my journey. I may throw in some healthy tips and recepies along the way.

Thoughts?

-Brittnye

Just a thought...

I'm beginning to wonder what it would take to make my Blog more mainstream.

Not that I do not Love my 23 faithful followers mind you, I just want to give more from my blog as well as get more from it. I think of it more than just an online journal.

What would I call it or use it for? I tried the Foodie thing and that was a bust....and I highly doubt hundreds of people would be impressed with tales from a Domesticated Goddess whose main feature is a adorable 2 year old and 2 very spoiled cats.

I can see it now...

Entry #73- Laundry day, or Thursday for you normal folks,

"Today was laundry day, I swear we did this just last week. I love how meticulouss I must be when folding our towels, whoever built our duplex skimped big on storage space in our little bathroom. Thus, I must fold all towels in a weird oblong way to insure they all fit smoothly which gets sighs and eye rolls from the husband and daughter when I go and correct their failed attempts. I also found a good coupon on fabric softner!........"

Yeah, see....that's not interesting at all.

I guess it's just a nice day dream I have. To one day have a amazing looking Blog that is unique and updated often with epic photos and so many followers and comments I feel like a VIP in my little part of the world.


-Brittnye & Co.

It's the little things that tell me I'm BLESSED.

I am so in love with this latest candid shot.

Just says so much without saying anything at all.

Life is GOOD.

-Britt

101 Things to do with a Toddler

One of my goals for this year is to do everything on this list at least once with Avery. I've started this awhile ago and so the things crossed out are already done, but how fun!


Color

Blow Bubbles

Play Hide-and-Seek

Peek-a-Boo

Play Chase

Do Finger-plays

Sing a song

Collect rocks in a basket

Make an obstacle course out of cushions and/or furniture

Make a fort out of cushions and sheets

Go for a Walk

Make a Car out of a Box

Read a book


Go to the park

Finger-paint

Play with Play-Dough

Toss Bean bags into a Bucket

Play the shell and pea game

Dance to music

Download games for toddlers from the Internet

Practice putting things in and taking things out of boxes and bags

Make a temporary slide out of a table leaf and your couch

Roll a ball back and forth on the floor

Scoop dirt or sand into a child's bucket (or use a serving spoon and bowl)

Practice climbing by stacking boxes on top of each other (only with adult supervision)

Put on a puppet show

Go fishing with a yard stick and yarn

Make a Horseshoe game

Make a Shape Puzzle

Play paper basketball

Run through a Sprinkler

Play with a bucket of water and a sponge (PLEASE WATCH CHILD AT ALL TIMES!)

Make a Drum out of an oatmeal box

Play with a kazoo

Wash windows together

Bang on Pots and Pans with a spoon

Brush each other's teeth

Play dress-up with stuffed animals and your child's clothes

Stack canned or boxed food on top of each other

Let child stack mixing bowls inside each other

Make a playhouse out of a large box

Let child play with a sticker sheet (make sure your child doesn't eat them!)

Put stickers on fingers for finger puppets

Play a musical instrument together- i.e.recorder, piano, etc.

Go on a Smelling Hunt

Frost Cookies

Plant a flower or vegetable plant together

Roll a tennis ball into an empty trash can or bucket

Draw on a mirror with dry-erase markers

Play hide and seek together- trying to find a stuffed animal or other object

Have a splash party together in the bathtub (we did this in the pool)

Put a leash on a stuffed animal and walk around the house

Record each other on a tape recorder (great for scrapbooks or journals!)

Make and try on paper hats

Give a piggy-back ride


Play "Horsey"

Talk into an electric fan (it distorts your voice)

Play tug-of-war with a blanket

Collect flowers (felt, artificial, real...)

Make a camera and go on a Safari

Play games with frozen juice lids

Disconnect your phone and pretend to make phone calls to relatives


Leave your phone connected and really make phone calls to relatives- let your child talk too

String large beads onto or along a shoelace

Squirt each other with squirt bottles

Glue shapes onto paper

Make sock puppets

Make paper puppets

Fill an old purse with toys

Use a paper towel tube as a megaphone

Make binoculars and go "Bird Watching" or "Stuffed Animal Watching"


Put snacks in different fun containers (paper sacks, empty canisters, etc.)

Act out a story from a book

Walk on a balance beam- use a 2x4 placed on the ground

Draw with chalk on the sidewalk


Sketch an outline of your child on the sidewalk or paper with chalk


Paint child's palms with tempura paint and blot on paper. Makes a great card for loved ones!


Put lipstick on child and kiss a mirror


Make a puddle on cement and splash barefoot in it

Let child decorate and eat an open peanut butter sandwich

Make a toilet paper barricade for child to go under, over, or through

Do the Hokey Pokey

Make a super-hero costume out of household items

Do Knee-Bouncing Rhymes

Play "Red Light, Green Light" saying "Go" and "Stop"

Make a shoe-box train for stuffed animals

Make a pillow pile to jump on (keep it clear from any hard surfaces, including walls!)

Make an easy puzzle with felt and Velcro

Make bracelets or collars for stuffed animals out of pipe cleaners and jingle bells

Learn numbers from a deck of cards


Play the matching game with a deck of cards


Make a domino chain

Have a picnic in the park, backyard, or living room!

Play dress up in Mommy or Daddy's clothes

Make a tin cup telephone and talk to each other in it

Make a nature collage

Mirror each other

Make a "Mummy Mommy" with toilet paper

Make a tape recording of short music selections and instructions to move in different ways

Make and walk along a toilet paper trail

TAKE A NAP!

Just Sayin'....

He Gives & Takes Away...

Evans surgery on Friday went far smoother than we had anticipated. He certainly had it easier than I did when I had my wisdom teeth removed, then again, he only had 2 out not all 4. He also got way better drugs for the pain. Lucky duck. :) I'm relieved he isn't hurting though, who likes to see their spouses hurting?!


This past week was by far an emotional roller coaster for me. Seems like God has just been so busy with everyone around us with so much life being given and taken away in the past 2 weeks and it's truly so hard to see friends grieve and falter and then to turn around and celebrate and rejoice with others.

 I know in the past I have referred to how August 8th effects me and this year was no different. Different yes, as in the hurt wasn't as bad and the guilt didn't slap at me like last year or the year before but still....I had my own personal day to reflect and cry and just give Thanks to God for allowing me such a precious treasure in Heaven awaiting me some day and for the blessing that is and always will be my sweet Avery. It comes as a double edged sword for me I guess....on one hand, we lost our first baby before we could really truly know the Love they had to offer us. Then again...if we hadn't of lost that precious one....we wouldn't have had Avery. I can not fathom my life without her in it. It hurts to even try. I'm dealing with this better though and Monday was tough for me but it was also a sweet blessing to hold my child and hug her and laugh as she wiped away my tears while I was in bed in the middle of a pity party and told me in that perfect toddler way "No cry mommy, I'm here kay?!"...followed with "Chocolate milk? You get it, I wait here."

If she only knew what that sweet moment meant to me.....

Just like the lyrics to a wonderful Christian song...

Blessed be the name of the Lord

Blessed be Your name
Blessed be the name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious name

You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, blessed be Your name.

I have other issues going on with myself lately and I know Gods hand is as always in control of everything and I know it's for a far more greater purpose than I can think of for myself. He loves me that much.

I'll end this entry with that. Nothing much to report on without going into further details of other peoples celebrations and sadness lately and that's not my place. Just know that for me at least, Prayer can do more than you think and although some of my friends right now are hurting and feeling alone in their feelings...I hope you know you are NOT alone. And it hurts now and it's hard right now....but it gets better with each day. No matter where the source of pain or hardships lie...


-Brittnye

Ready to RUN!

I'm running on E for a blog entry.

......I got nothing.

This week seems to have been a big blur. I doubt I have ever spent so much time at home this entire Summer. Keep in mind though with 106* being the average temp this week, I had little desire to leave home to do anything while my home is nice and cool.

I am slowly getting more determined to clear out all the lingering boxes in our bedroom and dining room. They just annoy me to no end, then again I have no room to put anything up so I'm in a pickle. I have also come to the conclusion that I hate Averys room as far as the painting. I want to re-paint it so bad and do something fun and free-styled over a Avery-free weekend. I'm also planning on doing something with our mantle, the oh so traditional display of Family photos is charming and all but.....I want something not so common. (Must find a DIY project to do for this)

I also seem to use the word Planning and planned too much. I'm ready to bust out some projects. Here's my "Project To-Do List" that I have decided will be done before September 1st.

• Paint a quad piece for baby Gabriel's nursery.
• Empty all boxes from bedroom.
• Mantle Project.
• Go through Averys closet and get rid of all items no longer fitable.
• Re-Paint Averys Room.
• Get back windshield replaced in Truck.
• Find living room rug.

Yeah, that should do it.......

I also managed to do something utterly stupid this week. I managed to set our microwave on fire! Yep, the one appliance I use daily and have loved since we got it as a wedding present and I killed it. Murdered it as Evan jokes. I was reheating a baked potato for Evans lunch and rather than 3minutes, I set it for 30minutes and only realized it after the smell and smoke came into the living room where the 3 of us were playing with puzzles. *sigh* My house still has that lingering smoke smell to it. Thankfully my Mother-in love has an extra one in the storage unit we already have to go through this weekend when we hunt down a missing Avery, dining room and linen box that were left behind somehow.

Nothing much to report other than that. I plan on doing something productive the next few days, tired of sitting around.

What's that you say? Where's pictures of Avery? Have no fear, I'll share a few of the cuppycake since I know she's the only reason I have readers to begin with. Be safe and keep cool sweet friends.

-Brittnye

Oh, Hello!

Just being cute.

Oh Noooooo

My Pretty Girl.

Isn't my dress from Portland Amazing?!

How To Make August Awesome

My sweet friend, Therese posted this as her blog entry earlier today and I fell in love with it. So with her permission of course, I'm stealing it and sharing it with you lovolies.

This summer has seemed to fly by and although we haven't done too much we have still been very busy. Thanks to Augusts arrival though, I am suddenly aware that we're running out of time to enjoy Summer.  Then again it's between 105*-108* this week so how anyone can "enjoy" that is beyond me!

10 Ways To Make August Awesome
(In no order and made up as I please)

1. Have something to look forward to:  For me, I think I will have August speeding past be the thing I look forward to most, haha. Seriously though, not much is planned for August and yet Sept-January is full of fun events we've been planning for 6 months! I will just throw out a last minute something..... I'm looking forward to Avery starting her new school and fitting in well. I've been getting some negative feedback for putting her in a Pre-preschool type program when she can be home with me and honestly I understand where these people are coming from but at the same time....it's not like she has to go everyday and I can have her home whenever I feel like it. I just think she needs the socialization in a bad way and this school has a wonderful regime I like rather than sending her somewhere and paying lots of money for her to finger paint and watch TV. I'm aware she's not even 3 and this is in no way enforced, if she doesn't like it, she will not have to keep going.  We just feel she will get more out of this rather than being home with mommy 24/7. Sorry, that turned into a rant...moving along....

2. Create A Goal For The Month: I have 2 goals for this month. One is to lose 10lbs. Seriously, since we've moved back to Denton and Evan is now working nights, I hardly cook at all, we eat out way too much and it's starting to show on me. Thanks to Evans job, he is in the best shape he's been in. EVER. So yeah....I'm on a mission. My second goal, is to go from running 2x's a week to 4-5x's a week. I seriously am enjoying my morning runs but I need to do more and I need to start legitimately pushing myself more to get geared up to doing a 5k or even a 10k (which the thought of that alone sends me in a panic and laughing at myself).

3. Plan A Dinner Party: I've been wanting to do this since we moved into our new home. We have had a few people over to BBQ outside on the deck but I'd REALLY like to have a few people over to enjoy some wine, board games and an all out feast made by myself. However, for this to happen I have to have a number of other couples free on a Saturday night (the only night Evan is home besides Sunday) and we also need to finish up a few house projects and buy a dining room table and chairs (on my to-buy list since April).

4. Buy New Clothes For Fall: Evan and I have a closet full of clothes but we can not wear over half of it. Evan has lost 40lbs in the last 8 months!! He needs new duds. I am still stuck in Maternity clothes and HS t-shirts. Yeah can we say upgrade needed? I'd like to own more than one pair of jeans for once in my life. (Sad, I know) Good thing is though, Evan and I have had this conversation twice in the last week and I'm pretty sure the end of the month is looking good for us to go shopping just the 2 of us for a new wardrobe.

5. Get Crafty: Thanks to my obsession known as PINTEREST, I have fallen in love with so many DIY crafty ideas for a home. I'd love to get into it and start making things for the Fall/Winter season to make my home "Pop". Like a Wreath for my front door, a new color of paint in the entryway, Antique hunting for a nice Old lamp to bring the living room together or even dare I say, busting out the Sewing machine and making Curtains for Averys bedroom, my bedroom and the living room.

6: Sign Up For A Fitness Class: The Rec center is literally a 4 minute walk from my home and SUPER cheap. I think I will sign up for a Zumba class or something along those lines so I can have some alone time while also meeting other ladies. I truly do not get out hardly ever.

7. Have a Ladies Night: I think my last paragraph hit on something. I need a good Ladies night. A few friends, some margaritas, a movie or some dancing....and perhaps not in the same town we live in. Any reason to put make-up on and heels works for me. Whose in?

8. Buy a Random Cookbook & Try Every Recipe: Or maybe start an email Recipe swap with friends and get s little book going. I also have several recipes I want to try thanks to Pinterest, so maybe that can be a nice treat to help with some other mentioned items on the list. Try something new and share it.

9. Invest In Some Travel Books: I'm a huge reader, I read all the time, but I think it may be a good idea to buy some travel books on the places we have planned to visit in the next 3 months to a year (Colorado, Oregon, England, Louisiana, etc) to make the best out of these trips no matter how short they may be. It would also help me with the budgeting for them and getting the most out of the money we get saved up. Ideas?....

10. Look Into Spring Programs For COLLEGE: Um...yeah. It's time I seriously got my rear in gear. I have 2 test to take this month (another reason Avery is going to school and I'm getting more free time (AKA-study time) and I need to start looking at the 4 area places I can go to school in the spring and sort out what it is I actually want to pursue for a career and start my PLAN. I need to start making calls, setting appointments and getting to know a few people who can help me with this. Not to mention figuring out financial aid, I seriously doubt it's ever to early to start planning for that!

Wow.... and now August suddenly looks BUSY for me.

I don't mind. How about YOU what is in store for your August and what are some ways you can make it Awesome?

-Britt