Feel the Burn Thursday!

It's getting so crisp and chilly in the mornings already and I can hardly believe that fall is just around the corner (well, except for sunny Jessie's neck of the woods)! I have felt the urgency lately to get out and enjoy the last of the beautiful weather this next month before the midwest 6 month winter sets in...brrr...:) But I love autumn; it's my favorite season! So what are your favorite outdoor workouts? Get out and have fun! Be active! Feel the calorie burn! I love this list of ideas:
Ten Ideas for Outdoor Workouts
I think my dog might actually be taken to the dog park this weekend for the first time in over a month :) Relaxed romping around sounds like such a great weekend treat. What do this week's workouts look like for you?

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday?

Wow, so let me first of all get it out of the way- The Biggest Loser premier last night was GREAT! They push it and work it so hard and see such huge losses. They challenge their past & their bad habits and they make it work. It really inspires me to push it harder. I didn't lose my husband and two kids in a tragic car accident, my mom wasn't a heroine addict, etc. The fact that these contestants can have so much strength despite their obstacles and histories, it means that I have NO EXCUSE! NO EXCUSE AT ALL! What about you? I am going to push the workouts harder and longer this week because of it! Have you ever checked out Kristin's Blog? Just came across it. She has a good and simple smoothie idea that she uses a lot: frozen strawberries, half a banana, skim milk, and a packet of truvia sweetener.



Share with us what your favorite workout foods have been! Our favorites this week have been 6 Week Bran Muffins, a family recipe of my sister-in-law Erianne. It makes a HUGE batch, but the batter keeps for 6 weeks in the fridge, so you just bake a fresh dozen when you need more. It's chock full of fiber and energy. I haven't done a recipe analysis yet b/c I'm waiting to see exactly how many muffins the batch made (I'm thinking 5 dozen- we've baked 2 dozen so far) but someone on MFP with probably a similar recipe has estimated it at about 230 cal each, which seems about right. One muffin in the morning for breakfast and it stays with us and keeps us full all morning.



6 Week Bran Muffins

2 cups boiling water
5 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup applesauce
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 quart low-fat buttermilk
4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup ground flax seed meal
1 tablespoon salt
4 cups All-Bran cereal
2 cups bran flakes (40% bran)
2 cups chopped dates
1 cup chopped almonds

Add soda to boiling water and let cool (I set it in fridge). Cream butter, applesauce, and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Stir in buttermilk, then flour, flax, and salt. Add water and soda mixture. Mix All-Bran, bran flakes, dates, and nuts in a large separate bowl. Add buttermilk mixture. Spoon into well-greased muffin tins (I don't use papers/wrappers) without stirring much. Bake at 375 for 20 mins. Store the remaining batter in a covered container in refridgerator- will keep 5-6 weeks.

Share a yummy good-for-working-out recipe or snack idea!

Motivational Tuesday

So from last week, from the post that listed 20 motivational weight loss tips, it said that reading success stories will help you stay motivated and realize how accomplish-able (like how I made that word up? :P ) your goals really are. If they can do it, you can do it, right? Check out these success stories:
You Lose, You Win
This one was one of my favorite before & after pics- check out those guns! Wow!

What I gather from reading a bunch of these is that they sometimes took a REALLY LONG TIME but the women did NOT give up. Hitting our goals probably won't be on our ideal time frame, determination and hard work can get you there. Slow results add up. These stories are great. Love them! Did you find anything helpful or motivational in them? Kristin, share your success story with us! I can post pics if you have them ;)

Monday Morning Check-in

Good morning, ladies! So...what's the verdict? How did you do this past week? Share your progress with us :) If not weight being down, share with us changes you've noticed in physique, energy, clothes fitting, strength, etc.



So Meghan, Nicki, and I all watched the Ironman yesterday. INCREDIBLE! Did any of the rest of you see it? Just think of this amazing feat that these athletes from all over the world come to do: Swim 2.4 miles, then bike 100 miles, then run 26.2 miles. Whoa! I'm still astonished. My muscles are fatigued just thinking about it :) It is so amazing what the body can do with discipline and courage. It really humbled me about this upcoming race that's freaking me out- to these athletes who have mastered their bodies and their habits, a small race like mine is a walk in the park. Our bodies are amazing things that can do incredible things! So I've been thinking about what these athletes did mentally to be ready for this incredible feat. They first of all had to DECIDE to do it. Then they had to BELIEVE they could do it and IMAGINE themselves successfully accomplishing it. Then they had to EAT and TRAIN in such a way that they were willing to challenge their excuses and do ANYTHING it takes to hit their goal. So your goal is to lose 10 lbs or a few inches around the midsection, maybe just develop good habits. Do you see how the same principles would apply and how small and easy that sounds in comparision to these ironmen? We can hit our goals!!!!! You ladies are doing so well- you can accomplish whatever your mind decides to do. Decide every morning. It's not something you decide once and then forget about and lose weight anyhow. It's an every morning kind of thing. Decide to be the best you!

Calvin Klein aint got nothin' on these T's!

End of 2nd Side Challenge! Here we go :) There are 3 submissions and I've posted the artists' own comments below. If you click on each image, you should be able to get it to come up on your computer screen really big.

First is Linds' shirt: "'Never Eat More Than You Can Lift'" I think it's hilarious. I chose Miss Piggy because 1) her advice is true you shouldn't eat more then you can lift and 2) she ALWAYS had confidence even if she was a pig, she still thought she was beautiful."


Second is Nicki's shirt: "'Action expresses priorities'" -Gandhi I chose that one because it reminds me that if I claim my priorities are to get healthier and lose weight then I have to be doing something to prove that to myself that entails something more than just saying it. Actually eating differently, taking time to exercise, setting goals, etc. The little cartoon guys were just cute. You can't see them very well but they're doing all kinds of exercise. One the back it says, 'It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.' -Edmund Hillary. That one speaks for itself a little more."


Finally is my shirt: "'Excuses abound but I decide each morning to challenge them...and eat them for breakfast'" This isn't a cool quote or anything, just something I think about a lot. There's always a negative excuse, things I used for years, like I'm too tired, too busy, too stressed, too slow to see results that it's not worth the effort, too exhausted, too hungry, etc. I didn't lose weight until I DECIDED to lose weight. Making the decision to challenge all of those negative excuses that are inevitable to pop up- that's what takes guts- every day- it doesn't get easy or go away- it's a decision every day that I have to make- the decision to not stop and to not give in to the easy."


Ok, and this isn't part of the official side challenge, but it's too cute to not share- Nicki's kids decorated their own shirts to wear for when Nicki does her first half-marathon!


Thanks for playing along in the side challenge, Nicki & Linds! Since there were only two of you playing, I am not going to bother with the poll, but just send you each a treat :) Yay! Have a splendid weekend, everyone. Get out and be active!

Feel Good Friday

Good morning, girls! Horray for Friday! :) Thanks, Meghan, for posting yesterday for us to keep our chins up and remember each day is a new chance! From that, I want to post something that will make you all excited and pumped up throughout the weekend, re-dedicated to kicking trash and keeping morale high. I came across this list of 20 motivational tips for weight loss. I know some of you aren't trying to lose weight, so just edit these tips to your specific situation and goals. Skim them and let us know which one would help you the most or which one is your favorite. I loved reading through these!



(T-shirt pics & poll will be posted really late tonight or sometime tomorrow. Geesh, was I tired and extra-loopy when I made mine last night ;) Hope you had fun, too!)

Feel the Burn Thursday

What workouts have you done this week and what do you have planned for the weekend? How are you going to break a sweat and feel the burn? :)



I thought this article was awesome. It's right along the lines of what we're doing! Losing weight slowly, making sure it's a lifestyle change not a fad, and having an awesome support group of fellow 10-in-6-ers :) I am so grateful for all of you.
Lose Pounds Slowly
What do you guys think of the article? Keep on trucking, ladies! The slow, steady weight loss and lifestyle changes are paying off and they'll continue to do so as you better yourself :)

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, Ladies! What healthy meals do you have planned for the week? Meal planning (particularly with little ones and busy family schedules) can be tricky. One can only eat so many chicken nuggets, mac & cheese, & drive-thru kids meals, right? Meal planning ahead of time is something that can help us avoid binges, avoid fast food, and avoid headaches and poor decisions when trying to decide what's for dinner. How do you do your meal planning? Here are some ideas:

Healthy Meal Planning Made Simple: this one even has sack lunch ideas, tons of meal ideas, and lots of grocery list/meal planning tips & tricks. Jackpot!

Healthy Meal Planning: this one has good tricks for planning what to cook when, re-using leftovers, & using odds n ends in your fridge as components to future meals.

Healthy Meal Planning/Fruits & Veggies: this one's about incorporating more fruits & veggies into everyday meals.



Let's all comment with a good, healthy, kid-friendly meal idea!

Check-in :)

Hey, ladies! How did the last weeek go? Let us know your ups or downs. This marks the halfway point in the challenge. Re-commit yourself today to making the second half of the challenge just as successful or more successful than the first half :) If you're behind on your goal, it's not too late to push it and hit it! Come up with a gameplan for this week. What meals will you prepare? When and what will you do for workouts? What daily chores or activities can you do to bring on the sweat? What will you do to maintain a mood that enables you to believe in yourself?


Also today is the start of the second side challenge that will run until Friday. Here we go: Come up a personal workout or success mantra. It can be an inspirational quote you really like, a funny saying that lightens your day, or anything that you would consider your theme for this challenge. Put this on a workout T-shirt for yourself. Take a picture of it and email it to me by end of the day Friday. You can pick up a blank bright-colored tee at Michael's, JoAnn's, or Wal-mart for $2 and you can write on your saying w/ fabric paint, Sharpie marker, or iron on letters. Really just do whatever you want. You'll be on your honor to not re-use a T-shirt you had made previously for something else. This idea comes from Valerie and Jamie, who always make such fun running shirts :) Everyone's shirt will be so different, but it will be fun to see them all on here when I post the pictures. After Friday, I'll put a poll on the blog here and everyone will vote anonymously for their favorite, and that person will win a prize. You'll be inspired and laugh looking at all the T-shirts, you'll have your own mantra on your T-shirt to motivate you when you work out, and you'll read through a lot of motivational and inspiration material as you find the right mantra for you and your goals, which in and of itself should be uplifting. I am excited for this challenge :) Have fun with it! Make T-shirts with your kids as a fun craft project :)

Labor Day Weekend Hurrah :)

Do you ladies have fun plans for this weekend? We're headed out of town for a 6.5 hour car trip each direction to Ohio & so my mind is whirling with all the "to-do" list things. One of them is packing a little soft-sided cooler w/ plenty of water and healthy snacks for the trip so I'm not a gas station monger. I will probably over-pack the cooler so that I will always have healthy options on hand while we're visiting family all weekend. I am also going to be doing my longest run ever (gulp!)this Saturday on a neat railroad-to-trail trail I found that's right by their town. Here are my goodies I'll be packing: Water, Powerade Zero, Clif Mini Bars (100 cal each), kosher dill pickles (5-10 cal each), whole wheat pita chips (130 cal for 13 chips), Laughing Cow babybel bonbel cheese rounds (60 cal each), Orbitz Bubblemint Sugarfree gum, & Emerald cocoa roast almonds (100 cal per ounce divided up in little snack-size Ziploc bags), & fresh cut pineapple (74 cal per 1 cup).

I found this neat, particularly the recommendation to pack your workout gear and what fast food meals are decent: How to Take Your Diet on Vacation

What are your tricks & tips for keeping up your diet and workout routine while out of your element and on vacation? What about even if that trip is just an hour away to visit your parents in Milwaukee? (SPOTLIGHT! hehehe....)

Feel the Burn Thursday!

Only 4 more days until the half-way point of our challenge! Are you where you want to be? You beautiful ladies are doing such a great job keeping up the energy and positivity. I appreciate it and you've helped me so much :)

So, Feel the Burn Thursday! What workouts have you done this week? What workouts do you have planned for the rest of the week?

I want to hear what your "internal dialogue" is when you're about to work out or while you're working out. Is there something that you tell yourself to get you motivated to exercises? To get your booty out the door? Is there something you tell yourself or think about while you're exercising to push it to just a little bit harder or just a little bit further?



I was talking to a friend about this last night, someone who's a treadmill newswatcher at 5 am:) When she's running and feels like she's ready to call it quits, she looks at the timer on the treadmill and tells herself, "ok, just two more minutes, you can do it." Then when two more minutes hit, she knows that because she just hit two minutes when she didn't feel like it, she knows that she can push it for two more minutes. Then bit by bit she gets through the end of her workout and is proud. Horray :)

For me, I'm so OCD about organization in life that I workout regularly and best when I schedule it in. I know....da da da da da....looney....but it helps me and my routine development. I'm training for my first ever marathon (Oct 10th Whistlestop Marathon) and I have this marathon training schedule on my fridge. I get a joy out of checking off a day's run. I am so proud that in the last 6 weeks or so, I've only missed one workout! I do a short run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, a medium run on Thursdays, rest on Fridays, a long run on Saturdays, casually walk on Sundays w/ the fam to recover, and rest on Mondays. When I'm not feeling like getting my run in, I tell myself, "Look, you can't break the rhythm you've got going on!" Ha, and I have to say, seeing calories blasted away on My Fitness Pal is pretty sweet feeling! When I'm running, I let my mind wander and I relax. I think about my day, things going on in my life, meditate a little about whatever. Then I glance down at my GPS and am shocked b/c it didn't feel like I had been running that long or that far. By thinking about other things, the time flies I can thus go further and push myself more than I could if I was laser-focused on the timer on a treadmill. So I guess being OCD & a space cadet is working for me :)

What's working for you? What do you tell yourself to get your sweat on? Or are you a git-er-done-no-questions-asked kinda person?

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

What have you ladies been eating the last week? Have you discovered anything new & fun? I'm really interested today in hearing about your healthy snacks. We've all heard it's better on your metabolism and weight-loss plan to have mini meals or snack lightly all day instead of huge meals.

Snacks: How they fit into your weight-loss plan

The Healthy Snacks Blog

List of One Point Snacks

Snacks to Eat for Weight Loss

Weight Loss Snacks

Best Snacks for Weight Loss

When I'm at work, I usually don't sit down to a big lunch, but I just snack a few times throughout the day and it keeps the hunger beast at bay :) My favorite snack this week has been whole kosher dill pickles I picked up at the Farmer's Market. Yum! And only 5 calories for a whole one :) For you local madison folks, I got them from the Land of Oos Farm tent downtown- check 'em out :)



What are your favorite snacks?

Tuesday Motivation

Today the concept for thought and discussion is more mental than physical, but I think it can have a big impact on your physical goals. Play along with me here. Here's an excerpt from The Energy Bus by Jon Gordon all about surrounding yourself with positive people. This development book is written in story format instead of lecture format, which makes it an easy read. As you read the excerpt below, imagine the "success" the author is talking about is your success in losing weight and/or living a healthier lifestyle.



"It's not easy to deal with the negativity in the world but it's something that's got to be done. Your success and life are so important that you must surround yourself with a positive support team. No one creates success in a vacuum and the people we surround ourselves with have a big influence on the life and success we create. If you want to be successful you have to be very careful about who is on your bus. After all there are people who can increase your energy and there are people who can drain your energy. I call the people who drain your energy Energy Vampires and they will suck the life out of you and your goals and vision if you let them. They will cause an engine leak, make your ride miserable, or even worse slash your tires. But remember, George, don't take it personal. They are just part of the negativity that exists in the world. Your job is to do your best to eliminate any negativity on your bus and this includes negative people, no matter who they are. You got to be strong enough to tell people that you will not allow any negativity on your bus. You got to say this is where we are going and to get there we need a positive and supportive team and whoever is negative will be kicked off the bus or left at the station...Your positive energy and vision must be greater than anyone's and everyone's negativity. Your certainty must be greater than everyone's doubt. After all, George, there will always be people who don't share your vision. There will always be the doubters who doubt, doubt, doubt, and doubt and tell you you can't do this and you won't be able to accomplish that. They think that dreams were meant for others but not for people like you and them. And there will even be people who don't want you to succeed because it makes them see their own weaknesses and failures. Rather than driving their own bus they are trying to ruin everyone else's ride...It's got to be a habit. Positive energy is like a muscle. The more you use it the stronger it gets. The stronger it gets the more powerful you become. Repetition is the key and the more you focus on positive energy the more it becomes your natural state. So when someone comes at you with negativity you will be able to respond with strength and positive energy. The more you do it the more natural it becomes."

"A man goes to the village to visit the wise man and says to the wise man, 'I feel like there are two dogs inside me. One dog is this positive, loving, kind, and gentle dog and then I have this angry, mean-spiriited, and negative dog and they fight all the time. I don't know which is going to win.' The wise man thinks for a moment and he says, 'I know which is going to win. The one you feed the most, so feed the positive dog.'"

Ok, so here comes the challenge: Grab a piece of paper and write out the 20 people you interact with the most, including family. Then decide if they are people who build you up with positive energy or if they are Energy Vampires. Then resolve to limit the time you spend in the presence of the Energy Vampires. We can't get rid of them or ignore them indefinitely, especially if they're in our families, but we can consiously choose to be around those friends the most who are positive and help us to believe in our dreams. I think every one of you on this blog falls in the positive people category for me! Doesn't it feel great?!?!?!

Bonus challenge, if you're feeling extra introspective today: Write out the 20 activities you do the most, ie. watch tv, read books, go for walk, exercise, browse online, shop, play with the kids, clean, etc. Decide which things really just seem to suck the positivity and energy out of you like an Energy Vampire. Is there a way that you can turn that activity into something more positive? Enlist the help of a friend or loved one to turn it into a fun thing? Or limit your time doing it?

There are just some things and some people that suck the energy out of us, or fill us with self-doubt. Become aware of which things those are and focus your energy today on those things which build you up and make you feel like you can accomplish your goals! Remember, you drive your own bus in life and you can say who's on it and who's not.

Monday Morning Check-In

How did the second week go? Let us know how much you're up or down, what changes you've noticed, etc. We'll check-in with how our measurements have changed at our halfway point next Monday :) Are you ladies loving My Fitness Pal or not big fans? Are you revved up and excited to start this third week? What plans do you have for avoiding previous pitfalls?

End of First Mini Challenge!

Congratulations to Michele, Meghan, and Sarah F. who all played along w/ the mini place setting experiment and won a prize! They each will be given/mailed a package of 6 Under Armor Headbands :) Email me your addresses, Meghan & Sarah F. I'll give Michele's to her on Monday at work. I love wearing a similar set of headbands when I run or workout b/c it keeps my hair out of my face, but can get tossed in the laundry to wash w/ my clothes.



Here are Michele's meals:




And Meghan's Meals:




And Sarah F.'s Meals:





Yum! Thanks for playing along, ladies! What good cooks you all are! Doesn't this make you all want to eat healthy all weekend long?! At Sarah F.'s suggestion, which sounds like a really fun idea, let's have you all guess the calories in these foods! Take a guess at how many calories Michele's 3 meals total up to in one big number, then Meghan's grand total, and then Sarah F.'s grand total. Whichever one challenger is closest to any of three grand total actual calories by Monday morning when I post will win a Clif Blox sent to them. :) (This means Michele, Meghan, & Sarah F., please total up your own foods & email the total calorie count to me)

Feel Good Friday

(The "End of the 1st Mini Challenge" post will be later on this evening, so email me your 3 pics if you haven't yet! Remember you get a prize for playing along!)

Heading into this beautiful weekend, with generally more leisure and relaxation time than during the week (unless you've got big projects or travels planned), what are you going to do to stay motivated? Are you going to find the time to get in a longer-than-usual but relaxing workout? It's not just what we put in our bodies food-wise that matters in changing ourselves for the better; it's also what we put into our minds! Fill your buckets with positive things, surround yourself with positive people, and give yourself positive encouragement. I challenge you to swing by the movie store & rent an inspirational flick or documentary (or hulu.com), or to swing by the library or bookstore and get an inspirational book or healthy cookbook, or browse online and read some articles or blogs that are going to uplift you and motivate you to be energized, healthier, and more active. What are your recommendations for us all? Share them!

I love all of these:

Hilarious movie! British humor. (Maybe not kid-friendly, since its about a chain-smoking but hilarious guy who's never done an active thing in his life trying to train for & run a marathon to show-up his ex-girlfriend's boyfriend who's a marathoner) One of my fav's that my hubby bought me this week :) PG-13



Valerie shared this beauty with me before my half marathon. Really motivational if you want to run! You can watch it online here.



One Crazy Guy! All about pushing yourself to the max.



Pretty opposite the UltraMarathon Man book, this one's about relaxing while running the listening to our bodies.



Some stuff is scrumptious! Good for sugar fixes. A lot of it is admittedly not "real food" or high on the wholesome/organic charts...



I haven't read this one but plan on it- it's a funny book Jamie (on the blog here) is reading.

Feel the Burn Thursday!

This idea came from Valerie- who completely rocks my running world :) She says on her blog "intense exercise can release the same amount of dopamine as a prozac, though the 2 are not completely interchangeable, so consult your doctor before starting this or any self medicating/exercise activity."

Nice even through its sarcasm! Intense working out really does generate a high through the release of endorphins straight into the brain, specifically the parts of the brain associated with emotions. Could lead to "chills" and "euphoria." :) I LOVE this article- doesn't it make you pumped up to work out?!?

Yes, Running Can Make You High



My favorite part is this, referring to the results of the studies: "They even offer hope for those who do not enjoy exercise but do it anyway. These exercisers might learn techniques to elicit a feeling that makes working out positively addictive."

Whoa! Get on the "euphoria" band wagon today! I love how our bodies were designed to make such a great feeling when we take care of it.

What do you have planned for this week for workouts? What have you done this week for workouts?

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

What yummy goodness have you all been eating this past week? Any fun new recipes you tried? Share some ideas with us!

I haven't been too fancy this past week- simple is the name of the game- particularly when my hubby isn't home. For breakfasts I've been having oatmeals, cereals, and shakes. For lunches I've been having sandwiches, salads, and the last of that summer salsa from last week. For dinnners, I have been craving and eating LOTS of vegetables. Sunday night and Monday night each I had a whole huge homegrown zucchini to myself, sliced, sauteed with a tablespoon of butter and several tablespoons of grated parmesean cheese. Yum! Last night I had two ears of fresh corn on the cob. For snacks I've been having 2 cups of chocolate milk after runs, fresh heirloom cherry tomatoes from the farmer's market, whole wheat rolls (frozen, pop in the oven for 7 mins kind), Terra Mediterranean Vegetable Chips, and Babybel cheese rounds.



Being in tune with your body is difficult, but if you listen to what it's craving and satisfy it, I think you'll feel more statisfied overall with your food. So what is your healthy or lo-cal fix for a salty craving? For a sugary craving? For a comfort food craving? For a chocolate craving?

For salty fixes, I like a few olives from a jar, a big dill pickle, pita chips, salted & steamed edamame, or Snack Factory's Buffalo Wing Pretzel Crisps. For sugary cravings, I like chocolate milk, but I really don't get sugary cravings much. For comfort food cravings, I like lean cuisine mac & cheese or lean cuisine lasagne. For a chocolate craving, I like the chocolate milk again, or Emerald Dark Chocolate dusted Almonds.

Tuesday Sleep Check

Review your sleeping habits this past week. Are you getting enough sleep? Did you know sleep can help you lose weight? It balances two hormones which affect appetite. It also improves our mood which makes us more likely to work out. It also makes us snack less. Wow, the list just goes on and on. Check this out- it was news to me! =)

The Dream Diet: Losing Weight While You Sleep

Breaking Down Weight-Loss Barriers

Of course I wouldn't suggest napping instead of working out in most instances, but if your body is exhausted and trashed beyond belief, maybe that nap would do you more good than forcing a pathetic workout. We need to be careful to get in both workouts and sleep in adequate doses each day. A lot of studies out there tout that a good exercise routine will help you sleep better at night. So what do you ladies think? How has your sleeping been this past week? Don't want to be your nagging mom telling you when to go to bed, but just tossing it out there as a suggestion....if you want your allowance that is....jk

Monday Check-In

How did the end of the first week of the 10 in 6 Challenge go for you beautiful ladies??? Let us know the results of the check-in, how much you're up or down, and how you feel about it. Push it this week and keep your momentum going strong! Only you can change you. Challenge your excuses. I know you can reach your goals. We're all here to cheer you on and support you, celebrate in your successes and boost in your lulls. Here are some thoughts for you to start off your week determined and focused:

"You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be." -David Viscott

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do." Eleanor Roosevelt

"You see things; and you say "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say "Why not?" -George Bernard Shaw

"Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality." -Ralph Marston

"You're never beaten until you admit it." -George S. Patton

And that brings me to our first side challenge :) Yay! So this side challenge is optional to participate in, but if you do participate in it, I'll send you a prize :) Check out this article from Women's Health and do this experiment with me:


Serve dinner 3 nights (between now and Friday) on miniature place settings- salad/dessert plates, salad forks, smaller glasses, etc. Take a picture of each dinner table (or counter :P) all set up miniaturized with food on the plates. Email me the pictures sometime during the week and I'll post them this Friday. Then share with us all at the end of the challenge if you tricked your brain into being more "satisfied" or if you think the article is totally bunk. I'm curious to see if this works and I think it'll be really fun. Your kids will think it's fun, too!