Mommy freebie *Sponsored post*
I lovvvve a good scrapbook — although don’t ask me how many months I’m behind! — and I also love a good photobook.
I know some people who are strictly scrapbook-y or strictly photobook-y, but I’m in both camps. I have a system where I scrapbook each month (“for me”) and create hardcover photo book as a birthday gift for D each year — and I’ll do the same for C, of course.
The idea is that the photobooks are “theirs” to eventually take with them when they move out, but I love the things so much, I think I’m going to have to start ordering copies for myself, as well. Although the idea of them moving out is IMPOSSIBLE to think about right now, isn’t it? Oh God. I will be a sobby mess.
Anyway, back to the important business of FREE STUFF! The good people at Shutterfly have asked me to tell my U.S. mamas* about their new Long Live Summer Photo Contest. They have a new theme each week, and you just need to upload your fave photo — and a witty caption — to their Facebook page.
Prizes include $500 Shutterfly giftcards (or, as I like to call it, Christmas presents for the whole family DONE LIKE DINNER) and even a trip for four to the Bahamas.
What are you waiting for? Upload that adorable shot of your toddler drinking out of their new watergun. Or is that just D?
*This particular contest is only for you lucky Americans, but I’ll keep you posted on if Shutterfly runs a similar promotion for us Northern girls!
It’s the little things
Five little things that are bugging me on this Monday morning:
- My frizzy hair. This heat wave has not been kind to my ‘do. That, and the fact that I haven’t been taking the time to blow-dry or straighten it.
- House flies. We have had an insane amount of them in the house lately. I think I have to blame my beloved Magic Mesh screen door for letting them inside.
- My itchy arms. I’ve been a scratchy mess since I had an allergic reaction to sunscreen on Canada Day (go eff yourself, Banana Boat!). But the rash went away, and I’m still insanely itchy on my forearms/neck/chest. Am I allergic to the sun? (Probably)
- Sticky hardwood floors. When will D stop dripping and spilling countless cups of milk and juice? Don’t say “Give him a cup with a top,” because I do, and he just removes it. Or the cup leaks. I don’t even know what happens.
- Storage problems. I have this elaborate amazingly-organized hall closet sketch all drawn up, but we are waiting to shell out for the shelves and baskets we need for it. In a fit of insanity yesterday, I yanked a bunch of stuff out of the closet and decided to do a temporary solution. Then the kids needed me, so the stuff is still on the floor of our entry. *twitch, twitch*
Five little things that are making me happy on this Monday morning:
- Darling Husband is home today until 3 p.m.!
- He made me tea!
- I look kind of thin today in this shirt!
- The heat wave might be over!
- My face also looks kind of thin today!
What’s wrong with this picture?
Looks like a reasonable meal, right? Chicken sandwich on a whole-grain bun, bit of pasta, side of vegetables. Harmless! Or so it would seem, until you do the Weight Watchers analysis …
Chicken breast: 5 points
Mayonaise: 3 points
Whole-grain roll: 2 points
Side of veggies: 0 points
Tiny portion of fettucini alfredo-like pasta sidedish?
17 POINTS!
I used to eat this stuff all the time!
Now I feel like I belong in this book …
Five weight loss snacks that actually taste amazing
How’s the weight loss going, you ask? Darling Husband and I are still loving Weight Watchers Online, and are on track to reach our goals (his is going skydiving, mine is looking smokin’ hot). In the first three weeks on the program, I’ve lost 6.2 lbs and he’s lost close to 9 lbs. Saweeeeeet.
As someone who has spent her entire life being super picky and not trying a lot of new things, it’s been enlightening to try new recipes every single week. It’s like I’m growing up! Or something!
But snacks are a huge part of succeeding with your weight loss. Before joining Weight Watchers, some of my afternoon snack options would include …
- Peanut butter on saltines with OJ
- Snickers bar from SSSS (Super Secret Snickers Stash)
- Triscuits with cheese
All of them are approximately ONE GAZILLION POINTS, right? And you would think a mommy who has a SSSS (Super Secret Snickers Stash) would be hopeless at changing her ways, and would not be able to find any not-fat-person snacks she enjoyed, right?
Well, here some of my new fave snacks that are much, MUCH healthier:
Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges. This things are life-changing! They are adorable little individually-wrapped wedges of “healthy cheese” (I have no idea what kind, what it’s made out of, and I don’t plan on asking any questions in case it’s something gross). They taste how I imagine cream cheese tastes? Which is creamy and delicious. I’m eating it as I type this post! Weight Watchers Point value: 1
Melba toast. This seems like it would taste crappy, but I really like it. We buy the whole-grain kind, and surprisingly it’s just as tasty as a Triscuit (well, once you slather it with Laughing Cow cheese, of course). Weight Watchers Point value: 1 (for three pieces!)
Salsa. I’ve always loved salsa, but I only ever ate it on tacos and nachos. Now we go through multiple jars a week, because I’m eating it on EVERYTHING. If I’m not crazy about a recipe, or want to hide the ingredients from myself? Dump salsa on it. Don’t like my salad? Add some salsa. Put a bird on it? Nah, put some SALSA on it! Weight Watchers Point value: 0
Hummus. This is another new food for me. I was iffy on the texture at first, because I hate beans and bean-ish textures. But now I really like it! Just don’t talk about what it’s made of, OK? I like to tell myself it’s a special “spread” without thinking of the ingredients. Weight Watchers Point value: 3 points for 1/4 cup
Pita chips. Never had these before, either! HUGELY life-changing. When people talked about pita chips before, I had always figured they were nasty thick wedges of nasty gross flour-y pita. I wish someone had told me that WOW, THEY ARE ACTUALLY CHIPS. They are crunchy and salty and pretty freaking delicious with some salsa or hummus on them.We now buy a couple of packages every week at the grocery store, and I dutifully cut them into wedges with a pizza cutter, separate them, spray them with cooking spray, sprinkle on some salt, and bake them in the oven for a few minutes. Then I keep them in a big tupperware container or ziplock bag. Amazing! Weight Watchers Point value: 2 points for 1 pita’s worth of chips
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| This is me, making pita chips. Aren’t I domestic? |
What I Ate Wednesday: Toddler edition
Some readers have been curious how little D is faring with the Weight Watchers revolution in our house, so this post is for them!
At first, he hated it. He probably missed the fatting creamy pasta sidedish thingys I used to make, and wondered where the hell the frozen french fries and chicken fingers went.
I (selfishly) try to serve him foods he likes at lunchtime, so his afternoon nap isn’t jeopardized by hunger. I serve him the new healthy recipes at suppertime, and if he doesn’t want to eat it, too bad — he doesn’t get other options (except extra veggies, if he wants them). I feel OK doing this at suppertime because I know he still has a bedtime snack coming, and the cereal/toast/cheese and crackers he’ll eat then will keep him going until the morning.
But I’ve noticed a big improvement in D’s willingness to eat the healthier meals. He still doesn’t like some of them — like the ones with beans — but he’s getting used to the fact that this is what we eat now.
So for today’s What I Ate Wednesday, here are a few photos I’ve snapped on my phone of D’s meals over the last couple of weeks:
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| Peanut butter toast, hardboiled egg, apple slices |
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| Whole-grain homemade veggie pizza with Spicy Baked Tacos |
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| Peanut butter on ricecake, strips of chicken, cheese sticks, and raspberries |
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| Peas, cheese sticks, hummus on melba toast, Turkey Joes filling |
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| Veggie pizza on a whole-wheat wrap |
As featured on …
Heather's Handmade Life 