July's Cara Box- REVEALED!!

The first month of Cara box has gone by.. and that exciting day arrived on Friday! Came home to box waiting to be opened.. and of course, I couldn't right away because life as mom commenced and had to do too many things.  Once I did get it open though, it was awesome!  First off, let me say that my two partners were wonderful women who I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know.  Lisa, from Ohio, was my box sender.  She's going to be graduating with her early childhood education degree this year, and currently works as assistant manager at a movie theater. Sounds pretty dang good to me! Thank you for the opportunity to learn about you Heather!! A beautiful picture frame that I can't wait to add a family picture to from this summer!  A journal, which I believe I shall use to keep track of my weight loss goals in more detail, a fashion scarf that is absolutely beautiful when fully open,  a coordinating necklace with an anchor,  a sea scrub (which I seriously want, no NEED, to use ASAP!), a bag of what turns out to be quite delicious pita chips, and a bag of swedish fish.  Yes, the bag of fish has indeed already been attacked and consumed by my darling little angels because I didnt hide them fast enough... but I did manage to get a couple!!  Thank you so much Lisa, I loved it all!!

My other Carabox partner, Heather from NC, should be receiving her box today, so I dont want to spoil her surprise, should she happen to stumble on my blog today :-)   I'll post about that tomorrow.

All in all, I really enjoyed participating in the Cara box this month.  The Nautical theme threw me off a bit, but it turns out, there's a LOT out there if you know where to look, or if you just think about it for a bit!  I'm not sure if I will financially be able to participate in August, but I shall think about it and choose depending on the theme!

Week 1 Results- YAY!

Week 1 has officially ended.  While not exactly "DIETING", and more of a reduction in consumption and cutting out (almost completely) of soda..  I've pulled off a 4 lb loss!  Might have been more had I not given in and eaten fried dough, burger, loaded curly fries, a few twisted teas, then birthday cake and pizza with a glass of soda... but hey, you don't get Countryfest and Natalie's birthday every day of the year!  So I'm happy with losing 4 lbs with just decreasing food and walking 30 minutes on my lunch during the week.  I'm hoping to start a slower version of C25K this week.  I haven't run since highschool, 13 YEARS AGO.  This will be interesting.

Starting Weight:  389lbs
Current Weight: 385 lbs

Day 2

Walked a mile in 24 minutes today!  Discovered that walking to the faster paced Trace Adkins is much more stimulating than Taylor Swift.  I really need to figure out how to get a new playlist downloaded.. carrying this CD player is very cumbersome :-)  
Breakfast consisted of Honey Nut Cheerios Medley, Yoplait light cherry yogurt, a peach and 24oz water. 
Lunch was a homemade bean and cheese burrito made with my homemade refried beans and yet more water (I know.. not the healthiest thing in the world, but hey: its only day 2!)

Its My Party! Well, Not Really..

Over this incredibly hot hot hot hot spell, I've finally been able to take advantage of the pool at my parents house for the first time this season!  Naturally, the first time I went in was an oh so beautiful day.. sun was shining, not a cloud in the sky, kids were in a wonderful mood.. until we stepped our little toes into the water.  The clouds billowed in, the sun went into hiding, kids got cranky.  Typical day :-) 
We had lubed up the kids with enough sunscreen to allow Dracula on a nude beach.. so they were beyond protected.  John and I, wanting just "a little bit of color", avoided the sunscreen and wallowed around the pool for a mere 3 1/2 hours.  We succeeded in achieving our color! However, instead of the sweet light tan we'd wanted.. we managed to get LOBSTER RED. 
Fast forward 2 days.. John has bulging blisters on his shoulders, I can barely lift my arms over my head without wincing. 
Fast forward 2 more days:  blisters have (sorry for the visual) popped and are gross looking.. but hey! the redness on both of us is finally fading!!

The birthday party was fairly successful.  Everyone was able to make it, which was awesome! I love seeing everyone, especially those I dont get to see often during the year.  Naturally, it rained. Again.  The kids were right out in the pool right after the last drop fell though!  We didn't get around to playing any games or doing any of the activities, but they seemed happy just to swim, jump on the trampoline and run next to the roosters. (yes. roosters lol)
Note to self for future parties though:
1)  2 6-ft subs is enough to feed a small army.  For a kids birthday, just 1 little six-footer is sufficient!
2) When the forecast calls for rain, allow for extra room indoors.  30+ people in one small house: rather crowded.  Its just a good thing we all like each other!
3)  Present opening needs to require a fenced in area with just the birthday child(ren), one gift at a time being handed to them OVER the fence, and a spectator's area.  Lots of gifts + 15 kids in an enclosed area= PURE CHAOS.  I'm still not sure who got them what.  Also, having an awesome sister and sister-in-law as wrapping-paper-collectors is a GREAT idea.

Pictures will follow at some point.  All in all.. my little bubble guppies had a great day!  Now I just have to get over the fact that my baby girl is not a baby any more at 2 yrs old, and I now have a school-aged baby.
:-(