Back to school to do's......

1. Hair Cuts for kids. Check
2. Back to school clothes shopping. Check
3. New planner for mom purchased. Check (didn't go with the momagenda this year, needed something smaller for my purse and something a lot more affordable, found something cute and pink at Target).
4. Calender filling up with important back to school meetings/dates/etc. Check
5. Figuring out work schedule with taking oldest daughter to school most mornings... half check
6. Calming down regarding youngest starting preschool. No check, I actually called the head of the school today in a panic, and she talked me down and is probably still telling her coworkers about the crazy mom who called her today.
7. School supply shopping. Half check. Have the preschool stuff done, but Laura is required to have a school tote that will be purchased Thursday.
8.Signing up the oldest for fall t-ball- to be done friday! Rachel is stocked to be able to play, and Laura asked to do this rather then try soccer. (woohoo)

It's just the time of year that I get myself all worked up with the back to school drama, and this year I will have three in school, two at the same school, and one at a new school. Junior League is about to start back up, already had a committee meeting, and I am excited to see some friends again.

I just have to add on Laura's list for school supplies she is to bring in 24 glue sticks. Yes 24 that is not a typo, and every kid in her class is to bring that amount in. That's a whole lot of glue!!!

Luke 6:37 "Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.
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John 8:7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."
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Romans 2:1 You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things.

It's that time....

Back to school shopping time is upon us... Well, school isn't starting tomorrow, but it's around the corner. Laura will wear uniforms this year, and she's about set. I did pick up some tops as Gymboree had their uniform line crazy cheap, like Walmart cheap, and I had a coupon. I do need to get started on Rachel and Emily, and well just fall clothes in general for Laura too. The Virginia tax free shopping event will be starting soon on back to school items as well, and I plan on taking advantage of that since most stores also run specials.

Above is a pictures from Gymborree on some items I am loving!

Umm hi, remember me...

Yes I have become the worst blogger ever... I have been busy, distracted, on vacation, self absorbed, wrapped up in life, etc etc etc. It is what it is.
So what has been happening with me? Well I am maintaining the weight loss, which I hate to dwell on, but it really has to just be a life style change or I know it will creep back on. My total weight loss from the time I started is a little over 40 lbs. I know that is freaking nuts. I still can't believe I was able to do it...I still find it interesting that it took about 25 lbs before anyone could even notice, and even more interesting that the last 10 lbs or so is when I was finally feeling thin. I rejoined the gym and I love love love going. It helps to have a good work out partner and awesome music. The Lady Gaga channel on Pandora rocks my socks. I don't want to lose any more weight, I just want to tone up more, and maintain. It's been life changing to get down to my ideal weight, and it's been weird too. I still am weirded out when I go clothes shopping. I still want to grab a size Large, and when I put on a small or the size I am now I still think the item is marked the wrong size. It's also amazing and sad at the same time how much nicer people are to skinny people. You may roll your eyes at that comment, but it's freaking true.

Most recently someone I was friends with- both the wife and daughter lost their husband/father in a motorcycle crash. I used to scrapbook a lot with the mom and hang out, and their daughter babysat for us, and honestly she was more then just a babysitter she was a good friend before she went off to college. My heart aches for them so bad. This man was such an amazing husband and father. Seriously, I don't think I have seen a man love his family more. His motto was, to go through life happy, you need to know two simple words "Yes Dear." They were treated like queens. It just makes you really stop and think. Now that the funeral is over, the real grief is setting in, and I just am heart broken for them.

We just got back from vacation, while gone I turned 31 (WTF). It was a lot of fun, lots of time at the beach with family, being silly, etc. I read two books on vacation. One was Sarah's Key (book club pick), and then a Nicholas Sparks book. Both were depressing reads. Good books, but definitely not uplifting.

In one month Laura will start her first day of Kindergarten. I am excited and sad. Emily starts preschool this year, this makes me sadder.

...and with that I leave you with a bunch of vacation pictures.....

Victory shopping...and weight loss adventures

After a rather bad TJMAXX last time when Grandma tried to say I was a fatty and needed a ugly dress, I worked up the courage to go back. I need work pants- BAD. Heck I need a freaking new wardrobe, but can't afford it, but the pants I have been wearing make me look mega sloppy. I went back one day during lunch, and they didn't have many pants to choose from cause I guess it's summer, but low and behold a size 6and it fit, and wasn't tight...They were ugly though, but I was happy enough to fit in them and just left them there....

Today I ventured in Ann Taylor Loft as they are having a 40% off already marked down items, so I figured I would see if I could find anything there. In the dressing room I got even braver and took in some size 6's and 4's. You wont believe this but their size 4 fits me, and fits well...A bit shocking for me. Seriously I wanted to make an announcement over their PA system. I knew my old crap was baggy, but wow. I found a pair of nice black work pants for $11 (thank you mega sale), a pair of white shorts, and I found a cute top. It's beyond weird to buy a size small in a shirt as well. I had some food issues in highschool and especially my freshman year of college,so even when I was tiny then I felt large and hid behind baggy clothes for the most part, so I can't even remember wearing small sizes. I always picked a size large in shirts , or even xl, and I also raided my dad's closet for some of his shirts, and my dad has never been a small man.

This week I also had went to my doctor for a physical. My labs were perfect, and I got congratulated on my weight loss. Every time when you see the doctors at my office they record your weight and blood pressure. I have been going there since summer 1999, and it was amazing to see I am 5 lbs away from where I was in 1999 before heading back to college to play field hockey. It was depressing to see my weight get wacko years later. But I developed bad eat ting habits, I wasn't active, and ate like it was my job. I should have expected it, but it came on slowly or at least it seemed that way to me, and one day I woke up and I was just fat.

So even though I have done good with the weight loss, I am scared to death I will screw up and the weight will come back on. I know if I eat right, and stay active it wont, and I have to commit to this, but it's still kinda scary as I really for the first time in a VERY long time actually like what I see in the mirror. It's been probably at least 12 years since I felt that way.

Another frustrating part is some coworkers where I work feel I am too skinny. It's makes me paranoid because of my past food issues, but I know I am at a healthy BMI level, and I am at a normal weight for my height, and not underweight. I also am not starving myself, I am eating healthy, I am just not downing french fries, and baked goods that the patients bring in anymore. The dietitian at my work thinks I am doing awesome, and explained to me that our culture is so used to seeing fat Americans, that when we see someone in a healthy weight we think they are underweight. I also think that maybe the whole too skinny thing is because they are not used to seeing me at this weight ever, and the baggy clothes I have worn until I can afford new ones don't help either. I seriously want to bust out the BMI chart and be like, see- this is what I am supposed to weigh, this is what is healthy, and will keep me from developing medical problems. All that matter is that I am finally content, and not disappointed in myself, and can actually see people from my past and not be embarrassed that I am over weight, and wonder if that's all what they are thinking.

Recent adventures in Tjmaxxing....

I know my posts have been sporadic at best, and this may be repetitive, but life is just crazy. I've been stressed out, busy, tired, sad, cranky, happy, and just plain lazy. I went through just about every emotion that's possible last week. My saving grace = the pool. So glad that sucker is open.

So I had a bit of a traumatic experience at TJMAXX last week. On Thursday during my lunch break, I figured it was time to get some new clothes. 30lbs down, and I don't exactly have a lot I can wear. This is a good problem, but still a problem. To be honest, even thought I still was stuffing myself in a size 10 prior to operation get skinny, I probably was a solid size 12. The 10's are now way too big. I have maybe two pairs of size 8's in pants, and those are getting big. I was trying to pump myself up to go in the dressing room and put on a size 6 which might still be too tight, when this evil old lady decided she was going to pounce on my ego. I was minding my own business going through the racks, when grandma pulls out the worlds ugliest dress, and turns to me and asks if I am a size 12. My reaction "NO!" Her reply "Well you look like a size 12, and this is such a pretty dress and only $19.99." I quickly run out of the store as fast as I can. Didn't get to try on the smaller size, and so this week I find myself wearing the same freaking 2 pants. Thanks grandma.

Sunday brain dump....

Just wanted to share a sweet photo of my youngest at her sister's T-ball game. My mom made the girls shirts like this for them to wear this summer for Memorial Day/4th of July. Emily usually wont stand to wear a head bow, so I was excited to see her last with it a few hours. She's a mess!

So I got the shellac manicure, and I really like it, however, with going to the pool it caused it to lift on both of my thumb nails. And yes, I look all janky with two unpainted thumbs, but at least it's a neautral color. When it came off my nails were not at all messed up, but I have heard if you pick it, it will mess up your nail. I think I am going to get another one, and see if it truley was the pool, or just a bad application job. It may just be something I do after pool season, as my guess it's the chemicals in the pool.

I think God knew I needed to get some housework done, as since it's a stormy day I am forced to get housework done, instead of going to the pool all day. I just hope the kids don't go crazy staying inside all day.

Does anyone else do pinterest.com? It's a really cool website that allows you to save pictures of ideas, and organize them into catergories. It's cooler then it sounds, and there are amazing ideas! You have to make an account, but it's free, and you have to get an invite, or go on a waiting list which I have no idea why. But if anyone wants an invite let me know! Here are my pinterst boards- http://pinterest.com/robyn_giles/ I don't have many, but it's so addicting to look at others.