Pudding Chocolate Chip Cookies

What the?? Who?? 

Yep, It's been another 4 months and I've decided to show you something yummy.

Where have I been you might ask?? Take a look at my last post and you can read my sincere (and entertaining) response to that question!!

At about 11:30 p.m. on Saturday night I remembered that Greg and I had promised our Sunday School class goodies...and 16 & 17-year-olds don't forget promises that involve sugar. So....I did a quick brainstorm, in my brain, and realized that I could easily get up like 2 hours early and just make some cookies before class to take - No big deal.

Well, fast forward to 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning and I'm putting the ingredients in the mixer and start looking all over the kitchen for a box of Vanilla Instant Pudding mix that I SWEAR I had (I still swear I have an extra one somewhere but it was never found). So, I was faced with a slight problem...I had already started mixing ingredients, so I couldn't really change the recipe and go for another cookie. I was left with a decision - I had a box of chocolate pudding and Oreo pudding mix, I chose the chocolate pudding with a quick prayer that it would somehow be just as amazing as the vanilla version.

They were AMAZING!!! Now I want to try this recipe with every type of pudding mix there is (except maybe pistachio and tapioca....). These were moist and yummy and delicious and each of the kids in our class had at least 5. They got passed around again, and again, and again...until the container was empty!!

So, I now give you this amazingly tasty (and SUPER simple) recipe for some amazing little cookies that you can make for someone special!!

PUDDING CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 cup butter (2 sticks - DON'T substitute margarine, or Crisco or anything other than good old fashioned butter!!!)

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

5.4 oz. box instant pudding mix

(It's the large box which I believe is now 5.6 oz....original recipe was for vanilla, but chocolate is amazing too...maybe butterscotch??)

2-1/4 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

12 oz. bag chocolate chips (about 2 cups)

**Mix in order and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.

I used my stand mixer and I kid you not, these are some of the easiest cookies I have ever made! I also used my Pampered Chef cookie scoop, but I used the smallest one because it makes LOTS of cookies which was perfect for a large crowd. If you use a larger cookie scoop (larger than a tablespoon) make sure they are cooked all the way at the 10 minute mark. 

I hope you get a chance to try these, and if you do please leave a comment below to let me know how they turned out!!! Thank you for stopping by and hopefully I'll start posting more recipes. I've been doing LOTS of new baking, but with everything going on I just haven't had time for blogging!!

I'm back...with Mint Frosted Brownies!!

Are you there?? I'll be impressed if you are...it's been a while, 4 months to be precise (give or take a few days). I'm not going to make a bunch of excuses for you as to why I took a blogging hiatus, I'm going to be brutally honest - I just didn't have enough time to fit everything I wanted to do into every day and lets face it, blogging is fun, but since it doesn't pay the bills it falls into a lower priority than lots of other things. In case you're new, or it's been so long you've forgotten, here's a list of what I have to squeeze into my days:

* Working - I work 40 hours a week from home as a Medical Transcriptionist.
* Being a mom - I have 3 kids ranging in age from practically 6 (in 4 days) to 16 months...things are a little hectic all the time.
* Being a wife - yes, this takes time out of my day...there is more to being a wife than hanging up your husband's shirts and makin' the babies. I try to do little things throughout the weeks to make his life easier when he gets home so he can spend the maximum amount of time with the kids possible. I try to get things like dishes and laundry and meals all in order so he doesn't have to stress. Sound a little too "Brady Bunch" for you?? Well, that's how it works around here...I enjoy the responsibility and let's face it, my salary isn't enough to pay the mortgage, so if I want to keep living in this house I have to keep the man who brings home the money happy!!
* Homeschooling - Karyl is in first grade this year and while I love that things are more structured and we have more direction in our schooling, there is definitely more one on one time needed...and to be honest, I love it!! I can't wait for the day when I don't have to work anymore and I can focus lots more time on homeschooling...it sounds crazy, but it's so much fun!!
* "Me time" - No, I don't mean playdates, "girls nights" or anything like that. I mean meaningful time for me to take a breath and remember why I'm working so hard for the kids and hubby. I haven't been able to do as many little things for me as I used to, but I still try to find ways to de-stress and do something for me...sometimes it's reading a book for 10 minutes while pretending to be in the bathroom (come one, every mom has done it...), sometimes it's using laundry folding time as an excuse to watch that episode of New Girl I DVR'd last week that I haven't had a chance to watch yet.

I used to think I was SuperMom and could do anything...then I had 3 kids and realized that I might be awesomeness personified, but I can't do it all. So I've reorganized and realized what my priorities really are...and for the past few months they didn't involve blogging. I come to you now as a new woman...literally! I've really dug my heels into this weight loss attempt and have been really successful! The Moms View Makeover was the start of that journey and it has just gained momentum. I have started "running" (mostly walking but slowly being able to run more and more) and I've made exercising a priority instead of feeling guilty about taking the time to do it. Some days I go to classes at a local fitness studio called 4 Everybody Fitness...some days I go out running after Greg gets home. It just depends on what my mood is for that day and what options I have as far as babysitting. Recently my mom moved about a mile away so she's close and has been spending lots of time with the kids. It's been a real blessing because before to take the kids to my exercise class I had to take almost 2.5 hours from work because I had to get them up, get them ready and fed and haul them down to the studio (they have free babysitting and I know most of the women who babysit there). Not to mention, I had to wake them up earlier than normal! Now, my mom comes over and I can get breakfast all set up and get our youngest up and changed...then she just hangs around while the older ones stagger out when they are ready to get up. I miss less time from work (my work is based on production, so the more I miss, the worse it is) and the kids don't have to get up early!! And I can enjoy my hour there and just focus on sweating off some serious calories!!

Now...enough about me, on to those mint frosted brownies I mentioned in the title!! Every Sunday around here we have movie night and we take turns choosing the movie....the person who chooses the movie also gets to work with me and decide what special treat we are going to make. This past Sunday I decided to make these brownies and they were not only DELICIOUS, but super easy!!

I made the brownies from a cheap boxed mix (they were fudgy and amazing!!) in a 9 x 13 glass pan and I added like 2 handfuls of chocolate chips to the mix for some extra yumminess!

Then, when they were cooked and cooled I spread this frosting on top...
2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 Tbsp water (or milk)
1/2 to 3/4 tsp mint extract
3 drops green food coloring

Beat all that goodness until it's smooth and fluffy (a few minutes) then spread it on!!

I stored them covered in foil (not that they lasted that long...) and I swear that mint frosting is the best thing I have ever tasted. That might be because it has s stick of butter in it, but whatever it is, it is delicious!! I would imagine you could use the same recipe for other flavors with extracts (orange, peppermint, lemon...) just be conservative with the amount of extract you start with and taste test constantly.

So, that's what been going on here and there's a quick recipe for a quick treat for you!!

I am going to try and come back into blogging, but you can also see what's going on by going to our YouTube channel...if you want to, you know!!

Baun Family YouTube Channel

Have a great week!!!

Homemade Cookie Dough Ice Cream

Yep, you read that right...homemade cookie dough ice cream!!  We recently acquired an ice cream maker and I swear it has changed our lives.  We will never again need to (or want to) buy that cardboard carton of frozen preservatives they sell at the supermarket!! We have a pretty decent vanilla recipe that we can add anything to, and since Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough is Greg's favorite flavor, I thought I'd throw some together for him.

I remembered a while back finding an eggless recipe for "cookie dough" that was meant for truffles, but could be used in ice cream - so I did some Google-ing and found it!! The recipe is below!! It makes quite a bit, so if you use it for ice cream you'll have plenty left over to just eat...and that's the best part, you can eat the cookie dough without worrying about getting salmonella!!!

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened.
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

*In a large bowl beat butter and sugars with electric mixer until light and fluffy (about 3 minutes).
*Mix in milk and vanilla.
*Add flour and salt and mix on low until combined.
*Stir in chocolate chips.

Chill the dough in the fridge for about 30 minutes to get it firmer before adding it to ice cream...and eat what's left!! Store it in an airtight container and it will last up to a week in the fridge.

Note: I cut it up into little squares to add to the ice cream maker, and add it when the ice cream is almost done (mostly solid but still kinda soft).

You could also roll them into balls and cover with chocolate for cookie dough truffles!!

Or, you could just grab a spoon and indulge...go ahead, I won't judge you!!

EASE OF PREPARATION:  5!!!!
OVERALL TASTE:  5!!!

This one is a winner all the way!! I will edit this post later and add a picture of our ice cream when I have a chance!!

My Moms View Makeover

I am officially the luckiest woman alive at this moment...this past Monday and Tuesday I got to spend all day hanging out with the makeover trio from the YouTube Channel The Moms View (click on the hyperlink to check out their channel, you won't be sorry!!)

I spent those two long but glorious days filming and shopping and learning to do my hair and makeup - all while getting to know those 3 amazing women. I have to say, I was seriously sad to have to leave Tuesday night because we had so much fun with CarlieStylez, HeyKayli and BellaMishella.  

We started out the first day at the old Makers Studios and had a crash course in filming for YouTube...It was just like filming for TV with the bright lights and cameras and even on of those slate things you clap really hard for each scene!! Everyone on the crew was amazing - we spent 2 long days with them and they never failed to make us laugh or help put our nerves at ease! Everyone at Makers Studios was so laid back but professional, it made the whole experience 20 million times better being around people who were real and genuine. So...the first day we started by filming the intro and all the "before" stuff...that included lots of pictures and standing still for videos of me before the makeover.

Then, after that was done we all went SHOPPING!! We went to the Westfield Shopping Center in Culver City and it was so much fun!! I am never one for shopping, but when you have someone as amazing as BellaMishella picking out your clothes it makes things a lot easier. We ended up getting my outfit from H&M - that's right, H and freakin' M!!! I NEVER thought I'd ever be able to shop in that store, but they had they cutest stuff and I LOVED the outfit and shoes we ended up getting there. She had the most amazing sense of style, and I was honestly in awe of the fact that she was able to find clothes (and modest clothes at that) that actually made me feel pretty...and I swear I looked like I had lost 15 pounds just with the new clothes! What a disservice I have been doing to myself by wearing over sized clothing, getting clothes with the right shape can make a world of difference!

Despite the fact that we spent hours in the stores (there was another mom shopping with us who was getting a makeover too) it was the most fun I've had shopping in a long time thanks to the crew. Those poor guys had to follow us around from rack to rack and just wait around while we tried outfit after outfit on. We laughed and just had a great time hanging around and getting what we needed.

After all the shopping we were able to finally get something to eat. We headed over to BJs and had a great time there finally relaxing and just talking and telling all kinds of stories. It was great to finally sit down and relax, but it was even more fun to just enjoy the company and hear more about Makers Studios and what goes on there.

After Day 1 going longer than expected, we figured we were in for another long day. Day 2 was supposed to be hair, makeup and the reveal...the most exciting part!! We left about 4 hours before our call time so we could take Greg's grandma home since she lives about 35 miles North of where we had to be. We got her dropped off and headed back towards the studio and I couldn't wait, I was so excited to see what was going to happen to my hair and the makeup and see the whole look together...then, as we got about 30 miles from the studio, we ran into a small problem. Greg tried to accelerate and the van just revved and the RPMs flew up into the red. We both looked at each other and simultaneously said "you've got to be kidding me." Yep, we had to let gravity take us off the freeway and into the ARCO parking lot...the transmission blew...for the THIRD time. The first time we were both pretty shaken up, the second time I was more irritated that it was 100 degrees outside and I had no AC while I waited for the tow truck with the kids sweating in the car.  This time, we both just laughed. At that point we knew the drill...we called the Auto Club to get that started and the transmission shop that has apparently decided to doom us to a lifetime of dead transmissions. The guy wasn't happy to hear that the wackos with the Odyssey minivan were calling again. We told him what was going on and that he'd be seeing the van in a few hours since they had to tow it all the way down there. We then got a rental car and continued our journey. We surprisingly made it to the new Makers Studios with 5 minutes to spare before our call time.  That's right, 5 minutes!!! That was no thanks to the little piece of junk rental car we had...a Nissan Cube (AKA the Dr. Seuss car according to the rental place). We pulled in and luckily they were just starting to eat lunch so we got some food and sat down to relax a little.  We then got started on what ended up being a super late, but completely rewarding day!

The other mom and her niece were still finishing up their stuff so we got to sit around for a while and just relax and talk, which was nice. Then they took Greg in to do his stuff and I was left wondering what I was in for when it was my turn. 

All of the details will be in the video when it's posted on YouTube in the next month, but I was a good kind of nervous. I have never dyed my hair, and anyone who knows me knows I have had no good experiences with makeup. I was nervous about whether or not I'd be able to handle the makeup when I went home, or if I'd feel like I didn't look like myself...or if Greg would even like it!

Well, the ladies did an AMAZING job. I love my new color in my hair...I loved the makeup and it was easy to do and totally something I could do at home. I loved the way HeyKayli did my hair and she was so sweet to stop and show me lots of different ways to make the most of my naturally curly hair. When all the hair and makeup was done I was allowed to put the whole look together - the weird thing was, there were no full length mirrors, so I had no way of seeing what the whole look was like...and we were in such a hurry to wrap the shoot that I didn't even think about just taking a picture and looking. I didn't see the whole thing until we stopped by our house later that night to grab a few things and I was amazed.  For the first time in my life I actually stood in front of the mirror and actually thought I looked good...no, not good, AMAZING!!! The makeup was perfect, the hair was perfect and the clothes made me look so great. Not only did they take 15 pounds off, but they made me look like I cared about myself, that I had a confidence about me. 

Despite the long day we kept giggling until the end and I was almost in tears that we had to leave when our portion was done, but Greg had to be at work at 4:00 am and it was already 9:00 pm. I truly enjoyed my time there. Yes, I loved the clothes and the hair and makeup, but I will never forget how genuinely sweet they were to me and Greg. I had so much fun talking with them and I swear I didn't stop smiling all day. These really are women that I would want to be friends with in my everyday life. I feel like this "makeover" had two purposes in my life. The first was to give me a boost of confidence and to show me how I can make small changes to create a better "me," and two, I truly felt accepted by these women. That was huge considering the fact that I don't always fit in with the "in crowds." Up until a few years back I spent my life trying to get people to like me, and honestly it was tiring! I was constantly trying to be someone I wasn't and I got tired of it. Thankfully, Greg saw past that and loved the real me, the goofy me, the me that I finally feel comfortable with now and the me that everyone at the makeover show saw. It was so refreshing to get to just be myself and feel like that was enough.

This was a once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget!! I wish I could share pictures, but that would ruin the surprise of the whole thing! I will make sure and post a link when the episode gets uploaded and I can't wait to hear what everyone thinks. I will probably spend way too much time reading all the comments below the video, but I really do want to hear other people's opinions...it won't change the fact that I loved it and felt amazing, but it's always interesting to hear what others say!

Please click on the links above for the Moms View channel and check out their videos, I watch them every time they are uploaded and I feel like I always learn something new when I watch them. Please also check out their individual channels, there are some great things going on there too. Lastly, check back here or watch my Facebook page or follow me on Twitter to see updates and find out when the episode airs!!

I'm back!!!

Well, I have lots of recipes and fun things that I've been wanting to post, but apparently Google has decided to strong arm everyone into using Google Chrome. They made it virtually (and literally) impossible for me to post anything because I use Internet Explorer...and I refused to change just because they said so.

But, I love this blog and sharing my experiences more than my browser pride, so I sucked it up and downloaded Google Chrome - however, I will ONLY be using it for blogging....nothing else!!

So...I have lots of stuff to blog about!!! We made Maple Bars from Make Lemonade and More!, I made some Lofthouse Style Sugar Cookie Cars from Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake, and some Double Chocolate Banana Bread from The Sisters Cafe.  All three of the recipes were hits around here and I would recommend you giving them a try!!

First up we'll cover the Maple Bars from Make Lemonade and More!

Oh yes, that is one FINE looking donut!! The best part?? That puppy is BAKED, not fried!!

THE RECIPE

Since this post is going to have lots of stuff I'm just going to post links to the original blog posts and you can go there to get the recipes and see how it was originally done!!

Side note for these donuts - only frost them all if you are eating them that day, otherwise just frost what you plan to eat and store the frosting until you are going to use it. After a day, the frosting started to separate and slide off the bars...not a pretty sight!!

EASE OF PREPARATION: 4 out of 5 (I have limited dough rolling space so it was a nuisance)

OVERALL TASTE: 4 out of 5

Next is Double Chocolate Banana Bread from The Sisters Cafe

I apparently didn't take a picture of this, or the cookie bars below so you'll have to trust me that they turned out just like the pictures from their respective blog homes and give them a try!!

THE RECIPE

My only suggestion with this one is to WATCH THE BAKING TIME.  Our oven always takes longer than most to cook, and I had set mine for the minimum suggested time of 60 minutes and my bread was overcooked. I would check it after 50 minutes and see if a knife or toothpick comes out clean....let's face it, no one likes burned banana bread - and NO ONE wants to waste perfectly good chocolate bread!!

EASE OF PREPARATION: 5 out of 5 - it's quick bread, 'nuff said

OVERALL TASTE: 4 out of 5 - Maybe I wasn't in a banana bread mood when I tried it, but others would have given it a 5 out of 5!!

Last, but certainly not least are the Lofthouse Style Cookie Bars

These were DELICIOUS!!! So much better than I had thought they were going to be!! A perfect treat to take to friends and anyone else who might need a sugary boost!

THE RECIPE

On this one I have nothing to add, they were perfect in every way...but I swear that everything from Just Get Off Your Butt and Bake always is.  If you ever want a recipe that you KNOW will turn out amazing, get one from this website. I have yet to make one recipe from her that doesn't turn out as awesome as hers did!!

EASE OF PREPARATION: 5 out of 5

OVERALL TASTE: 5 out of 5 - these were super yummy, the kids even loved them!!

I'm sorry this post is short and sweet (really, really sweet) but I finally am able to post and wanted to do it while Nicole was napping and Freddie and Karyl were entertained by Dora...finding free time with 3 kids is proving to be more and more difficult!!

Give these recipes a try and then let me know in the comments how they turned out for you!!

Promises, promises...and more donuts!!!

I know, it's been a while...but in the past few weeks I have made more cakes and cookies than I can possibly count!! I have lots of pictures and recipes that I need to get up here. I finally updated our family blog, so this is next on my list...

But for those who want something now, later on today I am planning to bust out my donut pan and make the round version of these Maple Bars I found...they look delicious, right?!?!

I will take pictures and let you know what I thought about them hopefully tomorrow!! I am going to get everyone ready for karate now...there's a lot more involved in that than you would imagine!!

Time to make the donuts!!!

Do you like donuts???

Yeah, so do the kids...

I like them too, but can't stand how greasy they are when you get them from a donut shop...it doesn't bother the kids, but when you get old and don't have a gallbladder anymore greasy isn't your friend!

So, another wonderful mom shared this cake mix donut recipe with me from a blog she watches and we tried it tonight. They may not look as pretty as they could, but they are DELICIOUS - and WAAAAYYYY better than any donut shop donut.

Seriously, after eating these I don't think I can ever eat another donut shop donut again.

These are cake-like and BAKED, not fried, so they are light and yummy and delicious and scrumptious and amazing!

Here's the link to the blog with the original recipe. Here are my changes....

*We used a strawberry cake mix...still delicious!

*I used an equal amount of sour cream instead of buttermilk (Yeah, I'm cheap like that)

Give them a try...and let me know what you think!!

EASE OF PREPARATION: 5

OVERALL TASTE: 5!!!!!!!!!

Go...now...they are calling you....

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

This past weekend I bought a little cookbook from the checkstand at Stater Brothers from Taste of Home called Cake Mix Treats...all of the recipes start from boxed mixes and that sounded yummy and fun to try!!

So I decided to try my first recipe from it on Saturday and picked an easy one that Karyl could help with...here's what we chose:

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CAKE

The best part about it other than how yummy and easy it was?? It looked EXACTLY like the picture in the book, which is the picture above!!

Here is the recipe....the kids LOVED this one but a word of warning - because it is so moist it crumbles easily and doesn't lend itself to eating with little hands, so utensils are required and crumbs will need to be swept up afterwards!!

Ingredients

•2 cups miniature marshmallows

•1 package (18-1/4 ounces) chocolate cake mix

•1-1/4 cups water

•3/4 cup peanut butter

•1/3 cup canola oil

•3 eggs

•1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

•Sprinkle marshmallows into a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking pan. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, peanut butter, oil and eggs; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes or until smooth. Pour over marshmallows; sprinkle with chocolate chips.

•Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack. Yield: 12-15 servings.

See - super easy and ready in no time.

EASE OF PREPARATION: 5!!!

OVERALL TASTE: 4

     I loved that I could taste the subtle peanut butter flavor and that the marshmallows made it super moist, but it was almost too stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth moist - so make sure you have a glass of milk nearby because this dessert will leave you asking the age old question "Got Milk??"

Give it a try and let me know what you think of it!! I am going to try and get back to at least one recipe a week on here...Pinterest has given me some amazing inspiration and I am finally at a place where I feel like I have a few extra minutes a day where I can get on here and post. Working full time from home with 3 kids is definitely much more time consuming that with just 2 kids - but just as worth it!!

A great Dr. Suess FREE printable workbook!!

I know, I haven't been posting on here in a while but the winter season hit us hard with colds and car troubles and just about everything you could imagine. We are all finally healthy, two of our three cars are running again, and I am once again scrounging around the Internet for great and amazing FREE things to print out and/or save for homeschooling!

Recently the world celebrated Dr. Seuss' birthday, so there has been lots and lots of Seuss buzz around the homeschooling crowd and today I found an AWESOME free printable Dr. Seuss workbook that is geared towards Kindergarten and First Graders (and it is true to its grade recommendation - I looked it over and Karyl could do the whole thing on her own!).

A huge thanks to Education.com for all their amazing and FREE worksheets and fun books! I am constantly using things from their website for Karyl and if you haven't checked them out before go take a look!!

Here is your link for the Seuss Magic - My Very Own Dr. Seuss Activity Book

That link will take you directly to the PDF file for the 20-page activity book. You can print it from there or save it to your computer for later. A tip - We got a huge external hard drive years ago before we had a mortgage, 3 kids and a minivan and I love that every time I find something amazing like this in a PDF file I can save it and just transfer it to the external drive to use later. I am all for all the free curriculum I can find!!

Hope you enjoy the Dr. Seuss workbook and please come back - hopefully I will be back to sharing things more regularly on here now that things have calmed down!!

What a big girl

We got to the Learning Center early this morning so Karyl got to play on a swing...such a big girl!

Oh the deliciousness...

I love decorating cupcakes....can I do this for a living?

Preschool Activity Bags

One of the reasons I created this blog was to have a central place that I could keep track of all the amazing websites I find with activities and lessons for the kids and crafts for me. Lately I have found SO many amazing resources, but haven't had lots of time to link them on here...well, that stops today!! To make things simple for me and to make sure I don't miss saving an important resource, if I find a great blog or website I am going to make sure and put it on here, even if it is just a quick note with a link. I can always go back and elaborate, but at least I will have a reference point for it!!

So, for today, here is a link for some great preschool activity bags on a blog that I love for MANY reasons.

The blog is Walking by the Way and you can click HERE to go directly to the page with the preschool activity bags.

Almost good-bye

Wow, I can't believe it's almost over!! I apologize for the lack of posts...When I signed up for this contest I totally forgot that we were heading out on the open road the last weekend of the contest!! We went on an RV trip to Joshua Tree National Forest and of course, there was no internet access. We had a great time climbing at Jumbo Rocks and playing baseball with the kids and just enjoying the family time. I tried to watch what I ate but of course indulged in a few S'mores and other campfire goodies!!

This contest has really been an eye opener and has given me the motivation I needed to get started losing all this weight. I may have only lost an average of 1 pound a week, but that's still more than I was losing before, and that's all that matters!! I now have good exercise equipment that I really like, a healthy relationship with food and an exercise routine that will keep the pounds dropping long after this competition is over.

I want to thank everyone who has stayed with us through this journey and supported us - we needed your motivation to really get through this and feel like it was worth it!! Please make sure to check up with us on our personal blogs and please feel free to leave me your blog address or email it to me so I can follow your blogs and keep in contact!! I love that I've made so many new friends!!

I will be here for the mini-contest next season and can't wait to see how everyone's final weigh-in goes...I was pleasantly surprised with mine and sad that I couldn't have gotten into this groove 6 weeks ago!!

Way to go everyone!!!

My email: socalcutie82@hotmail.com
http://lifeafterdiapers.blogspot.com/

The dreaded weight loss plateau

So, I thought people only hit that dreaded plateau after they've lost lots of weight and were more in a normal range, but apparently that isn't so!! I've been exercising every day and watching what I eat - and before, this would have resulted in at least a 3 pound weight loss for the week. But, not this week...the most frustrating part?? I am losing SIZE - yep, that's an easy one to see - but barely any weight!! Normally this would be great because size is all I really care about, but when you're in a WEIGHT LOSS competition it really doesn't help unless it shows up on the scale.

So, for those wondering "Gee, she has barely lost any weight" it's not from lack of trying...This last week was amazing, exercising every day for at least 45 minutes...and I LOVED it!! I was eating great and have visibly lost weight, but barely anything on the scale. The only thing I can think of is that it has to do with the fact that I'm gaining muscle from the weights and cycling, so that's tripping up the weight issue?!?!

It's just so irritating because you work so hard and then you barely get anything on the scale to make you feel like it was all worth it. I'm not going to stop exercising every day with my new equipment, and I'm still going to keep up my new healthy eating habits, but I just had to share this because when everybody sees the weigh-ins they are going to see that I have barely lost anything, and I want to at least give you a reason why! I seem to remember that this happened the first week I did Zumba too, I was burning TONS of calories but nothing showed up on the scale, but then the next week it started showing...since this is the first week I have exercised every day, and it was way more than I ever did before, I'm hoping that this is the same thing...

So, hopefully next week it will all come together and the fruits of my hard labor will be known!!

Hope you all had a great week!!

On a roll

This is just a quick update and short brag session... I have exercised for anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes every day since Sunday!! I love it... And each day I go a few minutes longer!  My daughter comes out in the garage with me and  does her school work and I can watch some of the YouTube videos that I would never have enough time to watch! I love having this elliptical and bike all in one - seriously the best investment we ever made!!

On a roll

Alrighty, I FINALLY have some good news!! Over the weekend my amazing hubby got me a new elliptical/stationary bike!! It's nothing amazing, or expensive - but it works, and that's all that matters!! I have 3 days now of exercising behind me and this week I'm going for at least 45 minutes a day, every day. I have almost half the week done so things are looking good. I have also been weighing myself every morning, first thing in the morning to get a consistent reading on where my weight is. I know, it seems silly, but when you weight yourself later in the day you weigh more, and I need the constant visual reminder that I need to lose and that I am at least not gaining weight.

How many times a week do you weigh yourself? Do you do it once a week to be surprised, or do you do it every other day, or every day to have a constant reminder??

It's a new day...

It's a new week, a new day - a new chance to start over!!

Saturday, after my rant on Friday night, my husband hit Craig's List and found me a new elliptical. Better yet, it's a bike and an elliptical!! It's nothing fancy, but it works...and as a result, I got to exercise again yesterday - FINALLY!!!

I really enjoyed being able to exercise again, and now I can read a book while I exercise!

I also decided that since it's a new week I'm going to break out our camcorder and start making some memories on film with the kids.  Just another angle for weight loss motivation because no one wants to be the fat mom in the home videos.  I am excited that I will be able to document my weight loss through film too and then keep those videos as motivation in the future!! After meeting up with some of my favorite YouTubers on Saturday morning I really got the inspiration I needed to just start filming. I still have to work out how to get the HD quality from my camera to the computer, but I'm sure with time I will get the hang of it.

So...if you want to see our first video and my slightly less chubby face, check us out!!

Rain, Rain, go away - Ep. #1

Hope you all had a good weekend...my weigh-in wasn't super satisfying, but it wasn't disappointing either.  This week I am finally armed with all the tools I need, a good scale, great motivation and new exercise equipment...IT'S ON!!!!!

Peanut Butter Blondies and YouTube

Today is a new day....I decided to break out the camcorder and start recording the craziness that is our life...I also made a new recipe that we showed in the video, Peanut Butter Blondies...and they were DELICIOUS!!! I left for choir practice this morning and came home to quite a few pieces missing - Greg loved them, and if he loved them I KNOW they are good!!

So, here is the recipe...you can check out the video on YouTube to see what they look like and hear Karyl testify of their delicious awesomeness!!

This recipe is a large one, it makes two 9x13 pans. I halved everything and made only one and it worked just fine...You can either just make the 2 pans (which isn't a bad idea, they disappear fast!!) or half the recipe and make just one (and no, I didn't use 1-1/2 eggs - I just used 2 and it was fine!).  I will put the original recipe first for two pans, then my scaled down version below...the instructions are the same for both.  Enjoy and let me know what you think!

PEANUT BUTTER BLONDIES:

Two 9 x 13 pans:

2 cups flour
1-1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1 cup shortening
1 cup peanut butter
1 pound (about 2-1/2 cups) packed brown sugar
3 eggs
1 Tblsp. vanilla

Frosting:
1 pound (about 3-3/4 cups) powdered sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup hot water

ONE 9x13 PAN

1 cups flour

3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/2 pound (about 1-1/4 cups) packed brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 Tblsp. vanilla (I didn't measure - just guessed)

Frosting:
1/2 pound (a little less than 2 cups) powdered sugar
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/6 cup hot water (just filled a small cup with hot tap water and drizzled in a little at a time)

DIRECTIONS:

-Heat oven to 350 degrees. Coat your pan(s) with cooking spray.

-In a large bowl (I used my stand mixer) beat shortening, peanut butter and brown sugar on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. Add eggs; beat 3 minutes more. Add vanilla.
-On low speed, beat in the flour mixture.
-If doing the double recipe, divide the batter - then pour batter into pan(s). Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes until lightly browned (my single pan needed all 30 of those minutes). Let cool slightly.
-FROSTING - Beat powdered sugar, peanut butter, shortening, salt and vanilla. Add hot water a little at a time. Beat until smooth. Spread over blondies while still warm.
ENJOY!!!

Finally!!!

I did it...I finally bought a digital scale!!

I have a gift card to Target that I have been saving for something that I wanted - something that I wanted to buy, but didn't want to feel guilty about spending money on.

I have been using my sister-in-laws' scale for weigh-ins...it's a great scale, but it's a 50 mile drive to use it. Not a huge deal since we visit them a lot, but the few weekends that we weren't planning on going down there created a problem since I needed to weigh-in, so at least once I had to weigh-in earlier than I wanted.

Now, I have a scale right here in my own house.  I love this scale!! While I don't entirely understand all the bells and whistles yet (I can use them, just don't know what a lot of those numbers mean) I love the ease of use (despite some reviews from people online who said it was just impossible to use) and I love the design of it.

So, I weighed myself last night to see what I was dealing with...then I weighed myself first thing this morning and it's true - there is a difference between weighing yourself in the morning and at night, it was a 1 pound difference!! That made me feel better because it means that I haven't gone as far off course as I had thought last night. This is good - because after seeing the weight on the scale last night my poor husband got the bad end of a frustration induced rant from me about how I haven't been able to exercise and how I just don't want to be fat anymore, that I know I can lose the weight if I just find time to exercise. He then offered to clean the garage out right then and there if it calmed me down...such a sweetheart!! I eventually came down from my rant and realized that it was probably just the monthly hormones wreaking havoc on my already tightly wound emotions and insisted he didn't need to clear what is supposed to be my exercise space at 11:00pm.

I know he'll get his stuff moved and organized this week so I can have my exercise space in the garage back...and I know that I'm not going to gain 20 pounds in a week because I haven't been able to exercise as much as I would like...and I know that part of the weight gain this past week is because of that time of the month...but sometimes you just forgot to be rational when you're exhausted and your jeans are a little tight and your oldest kid keeps coming into your room every 2 minutes at 11:00 pm using every excuse in the book to NOT go to bed....yeah, I was a little high strung last night, and I kinda lost it.

On the bright side, on my way into our room before losing it I had grabbed a full-size Crunch bar from one of the Trick or Treat bags with that ever-wonderful attitude of "heck, my jeans are already tight and I'm feeling fat anyways, what's another 250 calories" - and after I had calmed down I looked at the Crunch bar and decided that really, I didn't want that - that I might have been upset, but eating that would only be temporary relief, AND it would just add to the "growing" problem.  So, I threw it on the dresser and got into bed.  So, the whole situation did help me to realize one thing - that all this healthy eating and really trying to watch what I eat has paid off because let's face it, if a chubby girl can walk away from a Crunch bar in the heat of the moment, something has clicked in her brain for the better.

Today is a new day....I'm headed to Downtown Disney with just the baby to a meet-up with 2 of my favorite YouTube families and I am excited about it.  Not just because I get to meet Our Little Planet and EZE and Coco Bean, but because I have already planned to park in the structure and walk to the meeting spot...then afterwards I plan on walking the ENTIRE length of Downtown Disney, then walking back to the park entrances before going back to the car. I should cover almost 2 miles this afternoon!!! I can't wait!!! I have to remind myself that every day is a new day, and that a few days of screwing up doesn't mess up everything else you've worked hard for. I'm going to start over today and go from there...I even think that I might try and get my new YouTube channel up and running - I'm hoping that this meetup will inspire me to start vlogging about our family more and recording more memories on film!!

Hope you all have a great Saturday - and if you're anywhere near Disneyland this morning around 11am, I'll be at the fountain in front of the entrances, right where you get off the trams (in front of the La Brea Bakery)!!

Newly motivated

After a week of rationing bite-size Snickers and trying to find ways to get some extra exercising in (it's pouring this morning so no walking today!) I received some new motivation to get moving and hide the bite-size badness my kids brought home on Monday night...

I saw a video of myself a few months before I got pregnant with our third baby, in mid 2010.  Yesterday I decided to go through all our camcorder footage from the past 5 years and organize and move it to an external hard drive so I could edit and organize it all (I finally found the disk that came with the camera to put movies together and burn DVDs).  I found a clip where I had been videoing our daughter dancing around at Disney's California Adventure Park and had asked my husband to video my son and I (I wanted to get him dancing on camera - I try to avoid the moving pictures...) and as I was watching the clip I almost cried...I looked so large. Now, I am 20 pounds lighter right now than I was then, and I have to admit, looking at that video made me feel REALLY good about where I am now - but it also made me realize how much I REALLY don't ever want to be that woman again.  I never want someone to look at me and see that ever again.

So...even though it's pouring outside and my plans for a walk have been derailed, I have the motivation I needed to get out an exercise DVD.  When my son takes a nap I will be putting the baby down for a nap as well, pulling the van out of the garage and exercising out there.  I will have my daughter bring out her school work and she can work on it in the garage with me while I exercise. This is it, I think seeing that video really made me feel like I'd hit rock bottom. I even felt bad for my husband...he's never once made comments to me about losing weight, or telling me I shouldn't be eating junk food when I did. I actually felt guilty that he had to claim that chunky monkey when we were out in public. 

On the plus side, I can definitely see the difference 20 pounds makes - and for the first time in many years I felt good about the way I looked - I might still be chunky, but at least I'm not THAT chunky anymore!! So, today is a new day. I am going to head to Target and get my own scale so I can weight myself every few days instead of having to wait to drive to my husband's family's home on the weekends. One thing I have discovered is absolutely essential to weight management is a good scale.  If you are constantly weighing yourself you will know when you are starting to creep up and can nip it in the bud before it gets bad - unlike the way I was doing it before, which was when clothes starting getting too tight it was time to start thinking about doing something.

I guess sometimes it takes seeing that old video, or feeling like you've hit rock bottom to really get that kick in the pants you needed. I still have a goal of reaching One-derland before this competition is over, and if I can get serious and do this I think it's still possible!!! I am just having such a hard time motivating myself with so much other stuff going on....kids, cleaning, homeschooling, working from home, a new baby - I need to focus and remember that I am just as important and that losing weight isn't a selfish goal. If I lose weight everyone wins because I'll be healthier and have more energy and I'll be a much better representation of our family.

I would love to hear any motivational comments you guys might have - did you have a rock-bottom moment that made you stop and say "enough is enough?"