Frugal WA Mommy

I am being sponsored by Creative Bio-science to do a 90 day Weightloss Challenge. Even though I am being sponsored by a company I will be totally and 100% honest about how their products work for me. And the good part? The company wants me to tell you EXACTLY how it works and if it works for me! I love that! When I have a company that really really does want me to be honest! (You have no idea how many companies think that by sending me a product that they are guaranteed a positive review.. Sorry! That doesn’t happen on my blog! Anyway! On to the products I am going to be trying! I have been trying for almost 2 years to lose the 60lbs I gained while pregnant with my daughter. With the most weight loss I have seen being about 10lbs. I need to lose more! Alot more! So I did some research on the products they offer for the 90 day challenge and decided on the hCG drops. I chose them because from what I have read they are the most aggressive form of the weight-loss program that I could find. I am hoping that by following a fairly strict diet and by using the drops I will be able to lose at least 50lbs! My goal for the 90 days is 30lbs. If I can lose that I would be one happy girl!

My Goals and Reason why I am doing this:

1. To feel better about myself

2. To be healthier for myself and my daughter

3. To get my prebaby body back so I feel sexy again!

4. Goal #1 lose 15lbs in the first month. Eat healthier, exercise more and get into better habits.

5. Goal #2 Tone Up! Get rid of the flabby tummy and thighs!

6. Goal #3 To feel better about myself when I look in the mirror.

7. Goal #4 To fit into my size 7 wedding gown. (size 12-14 now..)

Anyway! Check out the challenge here if you are a blogger and interested in joining me on my journey! Or if you are interested in more information or to purchase the drops for yourself you can go here!

As a thank you from the company for me following my end of the bargain they are giving away 3 of the same products I get to try to my fans! So go check them out and tell me what you think!

I have been waiting… Impatiently to see this movie. I wanted to see if in the theaters but trying to take a 2 year old to a movie just doesn’t work. So I was waiting for it to come out on DVD, and then I found out that I was getting a copy for review! And I wanted to have an unbiased opinion of the movie for the review so I had to wait till it came in. Of course as soon as I got it I had to go to work so I had to wait until I got off work to watch it.

I got home and FINALLY was able to watch it. And Watch it I did. I must admit I was crying by the end and disappointed in the ending. I think this one will be on my list of AMAZING movies.. But ones I probably won’t watch again because of the end. It kind of reminds me of the movie Children of Men.. Where they finally get out, are in the boat to be saved and he dies… Pretty much the same thing happens in this movie.

It starts off with a couple who are happy, in love and perfect in every way except they can’t seem to get pregnant. And that is the one thing they both want.. A child. So they in a fit of sadness and a way of saying goodbye to their dreams of having a child of their own end up writing down what would make the perfect child for them. He’d be funny, good at sports, unique etc. They pack it up in a box at the end and bury it in the garden that she spends so much time and love in and go to bed.

THEN miracle of all miracles! This huge storm pops up! And lightening strikes! They wake up and hear a noise downstairs! They find a muddy child! Of course he is theirs, but he is unique and has leaves growing out of his ankles. They of course take him right to a gardener to have the leaves taken off. (after a bath and a jumble of weird clothes, and a family reunion)

He starts school, meets a girl, makes some friends, gets in a fight, joins the football team, does and meets a ton of people in this small town. Slowly and one by one his leaves start falling off. (They couldn’t get them off with the gardener) and he starts writing letters to the people he has met and to his “parents”  At this point I start to get the feeling that when the last leaf falls off he is going to die or disappear. I even told Ian that I didn’t want to finish it cause I didn’t want to know. I wanted him to have a happily ever after with his parents, these amazing people who wanted a child so bad.

Then comes the storm again, his last leaf is about to fall. and I know what is coming, his mom starts to understand what is happening and she is crying and freaking out begging him to stay. This is when I start to cry. I know what its like to watch a woman fall apart like that.. I have seen it happen with my own mother. My mother was never able to have children. She begged, cried, raged, and finally gave up. Just when she gave up a miracle happened and a drug addict mother called her and asked her to take her son.. To please raise him because she couldn’t. You should have seen her face. She was the happiest woman I have ever seen. For 3 months. Until that woman came back and tried to say that my mother stole her child. But that is another story for another time.. At this point in the movie I am transported back to those memories, and I watch in horror as the lights go out and Timothy disappears.

They end the movie with the parents adopting another child, a shy little girl. But I have to say it is still for me a bad ending. I wish it had a different ending. This ending is bittersweet, and it makes me wonder what could have been and still breaks my heart and makes me sad. What did you guys think of this movie? Did you like it? Maybe it is just me with my memories that makes it such a sad ending.

 

Mom Are We There Yet is hosting this awesome
giveaway for a Nesco Pressure Cooker.

One lucky person will win. These pressure cookers are great for
planning ahead on meals when used as a slow cooker, you can steam rice
or vegetables, make soup and more.

You can check out my review or click to see other Nesco
products.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure:Mom Are We There Yet received one or more products for
review purposes only. Despite the free item, my opinions remain 100%
Honest and my own.This post may contain affiliate links, if clicked I
may receive compensation. If a giveaway is being held: No purchase is
necessary to enter. Void where prohibited by law. Odds of winning are
based on number of entries received. Giveaways on this blog are in no
way affiliated with Facebook or any other social media networks. Mom
Are We There Yet and Frugal Washington Mommy is not responsible for
shipping or items lost during shipping.

So for those that have been following me for awhile know that I have been struggling with my weight for about 2 years.. Ever since I got pregnant with my daughter. I have always been one of those girls who never bothered much with my weight because it never changed.. I never really thought it would. But since my daughter I have had nothing but problems. I am now approximately 50lbs overweight, and I miss my body. I miss feeling sexy. I know that my self esteem and self worth shouldn’t be tied to my weight, especially since I have never bothered with it before. But to me.. It matters. I don’t want to be stick thin, I love my body, always have. Recently however my weight has literally taken over my mind. I have actually been thinking about calories, over eating, healthy foods, and taking weight supplements in the hope that anything would help. Some things have worked, one of which being the ACE program. But they are expensive, and I am forgetful and don’t take it regularly like I am supposed to. Because of this I have actually gained back everything that I had lost.. And I am pretty sure I have gained more. I have been stressed more lately and I have been using it as a crutch… I blame the stress, and lack of time on why I don’t eat healthier. Why I am slowly ballooning out. I hate it… But can’t seem to get a hold on it. So I have decided. I have decided that my gift to myself is going to be the gift of feeling better about myself. I am going to find out how much it is for a gym membership and I am going to gift it to myself with my tax money. My birthday is January 17th and it is about when I usually get my tax information. I will be putting the money to good use this year instead of blowing it on something stupid.

I also plan on making menu’s for each week, eating better, and snacking on fruit or veggies instead of Swiss Miss. (I am bad and sometimes can eat an entire box without realizing it.) So my New Years resolution is going to be to cut out soda, and cut out processed snacks. I also plan on going to the gym at least 2 times a week for at least an hour. I am giving myself a year to lose the 50lbs I have gained, and to get toned so I don’t end up flabby. I plan on writing once a week to give updates on my progress and if I end up losing all 50lbs before Christmas of next year I will do something to celebrate with you guys.  Anyone up for my Challange? Lets do this the old fashioned way! Lots of good eating and exercise. If you would like to join me on my journey, feel free to join the group I have created to keep myself motivated. Motivate yourself to do something you never thought you could! Lets do this together!

This is a picture of me now…

This is what I would like to get back to, and is my goal for the year.

And if one of the things you are looking to do in the New Year is SAVE more money! (I am!) Then check out coupons.answers.com and find coupons on all of your favorite items! They have thousands of coupons for different stores!

Love you all!

~Crystal

So I have been super sick the last couple of weeks, plus with the extended hours at work, working overtime and just generally not having the time to get better my days have been blending together. So I am not sure if I am on week 2 or week 3. I think I am on week 3 and I took a few days off because of Thanksgiving. However, I have been taking my ACE faithfully every morning and doing at least a 30 minute walk on the tread-climber every day. I can say I have had more energy, I don’t feel as tired during the day, and I am enjoying the benefits of not feeling hungry most of the day while I am at work. I still eat, I just eat smaller portions, and I feel fuller faster. So far I have lost about 10lbs, I probably would have lost more… But with the week of Thanksgiving, I can only say.. I ate more then I should and probably gained 5lbs from all the good food! MMMM Pie! I do have to keep telling myself no on all the bad foods I’m not supposed to be eating, like pie… LOL But otherwise I have been extremely pleased with my results from the ACE weightloss program!! I plan on continuing with it even after my review is done, and that is saying alot from me since I have not found a program that worked for me that I was willing to continue with after the review was finished on anything else! So if you are interested in getting results like mine, then go talk to Carla over at A.C.E. Weightloss, she’s super nice and helpful and will get you set up with the program that will work best for you!

Spontuneous the game where lyrics come to life! , Mom of One and Having Fun and a group of bloggers teamed up to bring you this awesome giveaway just in time for the holidays! Spontuneous is being generous and offering one lucky reader $200.A Little about the Game:“Players take turns trying to think of a word that will stump the other players from being able to sing a 5-word portion of lyrics (from any song) that contains the given Trigger-word. If the 15-second timer expires and you have stumped everyone, then you must prove you know a song containing your own Trigger-Word or else your penalized. It will test your knowledge of lyrics and will forever change the way you listen to music. Once you play Spontuneous®, you’ll be hooked, so let the party begin!” – Spontuneous

Spontuneous recently was awarded the Parent Tested, Parent Approved (PTPA) Winner’s Seal of Approval and The National Parenting Center (TNPC) Holiday 2012 Seal of Approval. Along with these, they were awarded Creative Child Magazine’s 2011 Game of Year and was Dr. Toy’s Best Vacation Products Winner.

Why are we giving away a $200 Visa Gift Card and NOT the game?

Well here’s the thing, Spontuneous could give you the game and you would be very happy with that. However, they wanted to be REALLY generous and help a family afford a little bit of their holiday shopping this year. (Although, I do believe you will be seeing a LOT of Spontuneous Games for giveaways soon.) Some bloggers participating in this promotion will be reviewing the game very shortly and hopefully having a giveaway with it for you all. But in case you are not one of the lucky winners, keep Spontuneous in mind as a gift for your loved ones! You can order them from their website www.spontuneous.com.

Another great thing?

Spontuneous is holding a Contest on their Facebook… Every week until they decide to stop. Prize? No one knows! But it is valued at $100! You might just want to enter. Make sure you remember to get your friends to vote up your entry and vote for yourself daily. It’s fun trying to win! They also regularly post Trigger-Words on their FB page for you to post lyrics for FUN! Try it out, it’s a great time! After all, who doesn’t like music and the memories associated with our favorite songs from the past!?

Ready to Enter for the $200 Visa? Here’s the Rules!

STARTS 11/27/2012 8PM EST ENDS 11/30/2012 11:59PM EST.

ALL ENTRIES WILL BE VERIFIED. VALID IN USA/CAN, 18+ ONLY.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

DISCLAIMER: NO COMPENSATION WAS RECEIVED FOR THIS POST. NO PURCHASE IS NECESSARY TO ENTER. ODDS OF WINNING ARE BASED ON NUMBER OF ENTRIES RECEIVED. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. SWEEPSTAKES ARE IN NO WAY SPONSORED, ENDORSED OR ADMINISTERED BY, OR ASSOCIATED WITH FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST OR ANY OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORK. BY PARTICIPATING YOU HEREBY RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS PARTICIPATING BLOGS, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, PINTEREST AND OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA NETWORKS FROM ANY AND ALL LIABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH THIS PROMOTION. SPONTUNEOUS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PRIZE FULFILLMENT.

So I was given the amazing opportunity to try the ACE weight-loss program and I will be writing a weekly journal describing how it works, how much weight I lose (if any) and what I am doing to help it along. I got my package a few days ago, but today will be the first day I get to try it out! So here goes nothing guys! I hope you will follow my weight-loss journey and if it works will continue doing it with me until we all hit our goals! I was given a 30 day supply (2 pills daily for 30 days) for the best chance to show you guys how well it works for me. I have been trying to eat healthier, and exercise for at least a half hour to an hour a day and have actually gained about 5 lbs… So I have been very discouraged with my weight-loss journey so far! I am hoping this helps! So here is to day one! Wish me luck everyone! (I will post pictures and measurements later tonight!)

If anyone would like to get their own supply so we can do this together then you can click here and order them from Carla who is just an amazing to work with!

~~Crystal

I am a very very SPOILED girl. I must say right off the bat, I was raised in the south and raised to expect nothing less then to be a princess and spoiled. As I grew up and moved north I found out the hard way that the world wasn’t going to hand me everything like my daddy did growing up. Its still hard not to be able to call my daddy when I want something and I have been on my own for 10 years. Here is a little background on this spoiled little girl…

At 16 I decided that I knew what was what in the world, and thought my parents were the most horrible people in the world.. Mainly because I wanted to date and wear clothes like the other girls and was highly upset that my parents said no.. Hell my daddy wouldn’t even let me wear a bikini! (they are very conservative and daddy couldn’t stand seeing men, yes men… Looking at his princess.) So me knowing the world decided to run away from home and do it on my own! Lets just say that I had a hellish 3 years before things started to level out.. It was the hardest 3 years of my life… but I thought I came out of it fairly well… I was married, pregnant and had a job by the time I was 19. Divorced and childless by 20… My life crashed. It was a scary couple of years where I honestly didn’t care what happened to me. I felt cheated, disillusioned, and depressed..I was with a man who yes.. Loved me.. But I didn’t feel like I could love him back. I stayed out of loyalty, friendship, and hopelessness. Now fast forward 3 years to the recent years..

I finally found the love of my life.. and he has taught me to love again.. What it is like to be happy. To feel like someone cares.. Like if I do fall.. there is someone there to catch me, but he does everything he can to make sure I don’t. He makes me feel like daddy did when I was a child.. Cherished. Loved. and yes.. A princess. And its the little things that tell me these things.. Him doing the dishes when I am exhausted and don’t want to. Changing diapers without being asked.. little surprises like he surprised me with yesterday. And mostly when he comes up behind me, kisses my ear and whispers “I love you”.  It just melts me.

Yesterday he surprised me.. Its not my birthday, or any holiday… It was a gift to cheer me up because I have been feeling down lately. He surprised me with an Ipod Nano (music is my other love and mine broke!)  and a beautiful silver and Black Sapphire with diamonds ring. I cried.. Yes I did! It touched me that he thought of me and that he was trying to think of ways to cheer me up. He thought I was upset with him so offered to take it back if I wanted something different. I threw myself in his arms and kissed the living hell out of him. I love that man to death.. And we have a beautiful daughter who he is raising like my daddy raised me.. To believe the world revolves around her. It scares me… but at the same time..I cherish memories of my childhood.. I hope she does too.

<~~Ipod and the ring

Me and Ian~~>

So you guys don’t know me as well as the people in my life, but when I see someone I haven’t seen in 2 years and they barely recognize me.. There is a problem. With me. With my weight gain. With the way I see myself and the way others see me. I have changed a lot since High School.. I think everyone has. But for me the most noticeable change is in my weight.. I have had 2 children and frankly just gotten lazy. I don’t exercise as much, I eat way worse then I used to, and i don’t have the teen metabolism that I used to, to keep me skinny.  I have always been a pretty, outgoing, SKINNY girl who was always the center of attention. My outlook on life has changed, and I no longer see myself that way anymore. Now I am a mom, Arianna is the center of my world. I am still pretty, and outgoing. But not like I was before. I sometimes miss the way I was.. I miss the attention, I miss the friends, the parties, the SEX.. But in the end.. I wouldn’t trade this life for that one.. Not in a heartbeat. I love her to much, I love my fiance to much. But I do think I can get back at least one part of my old life. My weight… I was 115lbs in High-school. I now weight about 170-175lbs depending on the day. I have about 50lbs to loose to be healthy again. I have given myself 11 weeks to do it. My favorite holiday of the year is Yule. Christians and most Americans know this holiday as Christmas. I want to be back to the weight I was before I had my baby which is 125lbs. I know I can do this.. My plan is to combine a few healthy eating habits, with daily exercise and sleeping properly. Right now I eat what ever is cheapest, fastest and easiest to make.. Which of course is not healthy at all. Every meal is anywhere from 700-1200 calories and that’s just the food.. I plan on cutting bread and white flour, sugar and sweets, and eating more complex carbs, proteins, and veggies. I started trying to eat healthier about 3 weeks ago.. But I got lazy and didn’t get very far with it. On top of that I plan on being in bed before 11pm, awake before 9am and starting out my morning with a fruit/veggie smoothie or breakfast shake and an hour of exercise before 11am. And staying active throughout the day with maybe another hour of exercise at night before bed. I am open to having others join me in my journey of weight loss! Come give me your success stories, your failures, your goals and motivations..

I am doing this for me.. No one else but me. I am doing this so I feel better about myself. First photo is of me in high-school Second photo is of me now. 10 year difference.

I am exhausted! Tonight will be the first night in almost 2 months that I have gotten to bed before 3am. I finally got a job! Not a job I love.. But its a job. That pays fairly well. It means I will be able to start socking savings away again and hopefully try again on getting a house in a month or so. I miss having a buffer pad financially… Its been way to long since I have been able to have any kind of savings and it scares me that we don’t have any kind of savings anymore. Especially with a baby! So getting this job has been a lifesaver.

We have been trying to buy a house recently and have run into more problems then answers! Who knew it was so hard to buy a house! We have funding, we have the down payment secured.. But we have a moron for a realtor.. So we had to find a new one.. I will be posting more about him tomorrow.

So on to the second day of training! Its super boring.. I hate Kiosk work. But its a job.. and thats what I have to keep telling myself! Its a job. I need this job! Wish me luck guys.. I’m going to need it.. 40hrs a week of boring!