Crocheting, Knitting and Sewing, OH MY!

I love to crochet. I love to sit down, turn on some jazz music, a podcast or dramatic theatre and listen while I create fun yarny stuff. I love to give it away. I finally sat down last week and made a scarf, for me. I have made probably 50 scarves in the last 3 years and I have given every single one away, which I love and was glad to do, but I decided that I needed one. I would never make it if I had to sell them to survive because I don't have as much fun crocheting for money, it's my hobby, and I love to bless others with it. I recently went shopping on the Lion Brand Yarn (my fav!!) website and got some new ideas and yarn and I also bought a specific yarn and knitting needles because I am finally going to get lessons from a fabulous knitter!! My Pastor's wife is amazing with the knitting needles and since teaching myself didn't go so well, she is going to teach me. I can't wait! My excitement overflows!! I have found no less than 50 things I want to knit and I have a sincere desire to make my own socks. I know I just confirmed your suspicions that I am a little off, but what can I say?!? I am who I am. But knitting my own socks in all the wild and loud colors I love just sounds divine! Not to mention if knitting is as relaxing as crocheting is for me then I should be one chilled out lady, which I need.

Sewing. I haven't been using my sewing machine as much lately because of all the crocheting and I do still have a family to take care of, but I have some new flannel for flannel wipes and a couple of projects for Makiah. I have tons of projects in mind, but I still need to get my skills back in shape, like I said before its been awhile since I have used a machine. The wipes are giving me the opportunity to practice my seams and lines and make all the wipes I need for cleaning and such around here. Hopefully soon I'll get brave and make Makiah a skirt and then we'll go from there! Gotta keep it simple until I get fully back into the swing of sewing.

I have so many projects floating around in my head that I want to do!! Now if I could just find the time!!!

Heart Tip~~One of the funniest questions I think doctors ask is, "Do you have any stress in your life?" I so desparately want to turn around and ask if they do, but I don't. Usually. Anyway, stress is a huge contributor to a lot of health issues including heart disease and unfortunately we don't always deal with our stress properly or at all. We all need to find ways to de-stress. If its exercise or crocheting or scrapebooking or reading or playing a board game with your kids, whatever helps you de-stress after a long day, do it. Keeping stress bottled up isn't helping anyone or anything and it's silently hurting your body. Give your heart a break and let it go, everyday.

Have a healthy Wednesday!!

Stir and Crazy, Yes We Are!

Well we here in the midwest welcomed February by having a blizzard. I am intensifying my prayers for an early spring. I have had enough snow to last me two years. Two years!! Needless to say the kids and I are going a little mad. We were stuck in the house ALL LAST WEEK with the plague and we got well just to be stuck again. Just call us stir crazy. As soon as we can safely go out we will, I don't care if it's just to the grocery store!

Anyhoo, onto less depressing topics. Kinda. It is February, so you all know what that means?? It's Heart Health Awareness Month! New stats for this year say that 41 million women have heart disease and that more women will die from it than men. Its the leading cause of death in women in USA, not cancer. See what I mean about it only being kinda less depressing. There is good news in this post, promise!! The good news here is that we can reverse these numbers. We can stop the death toll from going up so rapidly. We can get healthy, eat healthy and take care of us. That's right I said us! While I'm all for being a giving person, there are things I have to do for me because it makes me a better wife, mom, pastor's wife, saint, daughter~~fill in the blank with whatever you want. Doing for me makes me better for them.

So this month I am challenging all 10 of you to do things just a little healthier. I am still going to post my heart health tips but this month I am also going to commit to losing 10 pounds during heart health month (this should not be hard considering I am already losing weight)! I challenge us all to make healthier choices, cook healthier options, exercise and if you need to shed some unwanted pounds do that too. If you are going to commit to doing something healthier this February, blog about and let me know!! Maybe I will even get technical enough to get a linky going. Who knows??

Heart Tip: So most of the country is still in a deep freeze and I know my favorite hot drink in the winter is tea. Conveniently my favorite cold drink in the summer is iced tea. Green tea is an amazing little drink. It can be served cold or hot and tastes great either way. It is packed with powerful antioxidants that lower cholesterol and possibly lower blood pressure. It is a heart healthy drink that tastes great!! Organic green tea is good for you. It warms you up in the deep cold and is a refreshing drink if you are lucky enough to be in warm weather now. If you enjoy a nice cuppa joe for the caffeine, a better more healthy source of caffeine is green tea! My favorite is pomegranate green tea!! Give your heart a boost and have some green tea!!

Friday is Wear Red for Women day!! I hope that I actually get to go out of the house on Friday and if I do, I'll be in red!! I will also do what I have never done on this blog, I will post a picture of me, in red. Throw on a red t-shirt or sweater (again whatever your temps may be) and Go Red!!

Don't Call Her That

The other day I asked Makiah to pick up something and she jumped up and saluted me saying "Yes, ma'am". No we don't require saluting in our home. Don't ask me why she did that I have no idea.

Sam heard her say this and he became quit defensive. He rather loudly told Makiah, "Don't you call her that Kiah, she's no MAN, she's a girl". I laughed out loud and explained that she called me "ma'am", not MAN and that ma'am is what you say to women out of respect. I think he finally believed me, but it took some convincing. Kids are hilarious.

The iPod touch is a big deal around this house. There is only one. Its former owner was Hubs, but when Hubs and I got iPhones a couple of weeks ago, he passed the precious iPod touch to Makiah. Well, Sam wants to play the games on it too. So we force her into occasionally sharing with him. Well the other day Makiah was playing and I hear my sweet baby boy say:

"Gimme dat iPod", "I wanna pay games too on dat iPod, gimme". Daniel was demanding the iPod. I laughed because he knew what it was and what you could do with, but I was also slightly disturbed. Would you be disturbed that your 22 month old knows about an iPod touch?

As for me, I am still sick and so therefore could not start my C25K today. Hmpf! I really wanted to start today, but the pleurisy and bronchitis are still hanging out with me. Maybe Wednesday? I did do some Yoga on the Wii this morning. I am so tired of not exercising, but I also enjoy breathing, so I took it easy.

Heart Tip of the Day: Put the salt shaker down and step away. We all know that taking in too much salt isn't good for us, but who knew that decreasing our intake by such a small amount would be so beneficial. Here is a quote from an article in the New York Times, "If everyone consumed half a teaspoon less salt per day, there would be between 54,000 and 99,000 fewer heart attacks each year and between 44,000 and 92,000 fewer deaths, according to the study which was conducted by scientists at the University of California San Francisco, Stanford University Medical Center and Columbia University Medical Center." Staggering numbers!! If you want to read the whole article, which is interesting, click here. When you are cooking at home use a variety of other spices and herbs in your food. It is tastier and healthier than using all that salt.

Get Up Offa That Thang

I am not a runner. I can honestly say that I am not sure that I was ever a runner. I mean I made do in P.E. but it wasn't something I enjoyed. Volleyball and tennis, yes. Running, no. I have been known to say such things as, "why run when you can walk" or "the only reason to run is if someone is chasing me". Yeah, you could definitely say that running isn't my thing. But in the last few weeks I have decided that I want to run. Maybe it's temporary insanity, probably is, and maybe it will last, no one knows, but for now I have decided to run. Maybe I should say that I want to run. Yes, that's better. It's more of a desire or goal right now than an actual thing I do.

Some of you or maybe all of you have probably heard of the Couch to 5K program. It's a training program for beginners {you could definitely call me a beginner} put out by Cool Running. Have you ever heard of a running festival? I hadn't. For some reason putting running and festival together as an event just seems, well not very festivalish in my opinion. Festivals usually involve bad for you but it tastes good food, jugglers and other such frivolity. It's amazing the things you learn reading a running website. Anyway, I am looking for some crazy, uh, I mean, brave people to join me in this endeavor. You all know that misery loves company. I'm just kidding. Lets just say that I am challenging others around me to get fit and be more active. It's a nine week program and you can print it off from the link above. Once a week I'll post about how I'm coping, hum I mean doing. I would love for some of my bloggity friends to join with me in getting off that couch and get moving. If any of you are interested I will add a Mr. Linky to my update posts and we will all groan, I meant, blog together.

My goal is of course to run a 5K and for me that 5K is in May, on the 15th. It's the annual Start! Heart Walk. It will be a momentous occasion. I will be celebrating my own healthy journey success, honoring my son by doing something for awareness and getting his mama healthy and raising funds for research and education. So for those of you who read this blog and will be participating in the Heart Walk with me, I suggest you get you running shoes out too. ~Smile~

In three short months, I will lace up my tennis shoes and run. {Insert Rocky Theme Song here}



I actually wrote this post two weeks ago, just been tweaking it. Hubs and I got new iPhones last week and guess what app I found. That's right a C25K app that actually talks you through each workout. YAY!! No stopwatches needed or running while trying to look at my watch (that would not be good). I've got my armband, I'm ready to go.

Well That Was a Wake Up Call

My racing heart woke me up. I laid very still for a few minutes and felt my heart rate return to normal. I couldn't get a deep breathe so I sat up on the side of the bed. Heart racing again. I walked to the living room and planted myself in the recliner feeling exhausted, out of breath and a heart beat well over 1oo bpm (beats per minute). This little scene unfolded last Wednesday night. All day Thursday I just felt blah. I couldn't say I was sick, I just felt off. I was having a hard time getting a deep breath. I couldn't walk from one room to another without getting short of breath. Exercising was out of the question. Bending over picking up toys made me completely light headed. I felt like I was carrying around weights and I was so tired. I did a lot of sitting. My symptoms continued. Friday was the same, Saturday too. I noticed Saturday night that my wedding ring was no longer swinging around on my finger. I could hardly get if off. Sausages I had for fingers people. My left arm and my neck was hurting. By late Saturday night and Sunday morning I was totally scared. I really thought that I was experiencing a heart episode of some sort. Congestive heart failure was on the top of my list.

Sunday morning I got ready for church. It took me forever. I had to keep stopping and sitting down. I could barely get my hair fixed because I couldn't hold my arms up for very long. I decided that after church I would take myself to the urgent care clinic. After much deliberation we decided my mom would take me (didn't want the kids exposed to the germy waiting room). Diagnosis: Bronchitis, Pleurisy, Sinuitis and Double Ear Infection. I was relieved that I wasn't dying (even though I felt like it) and decided DEFINITELY that dying from heart issues is not how I want to go. Seriously, as if I needed a wake call. I got one anyway. Waking up with a racing heart and not being able to breathe is scary. What if the next time I don't wake up or it doesn't return to normal? Not questions I fancy asking myself or even thinking about.

Then in my inbox Monday morning I got a little email from Webmd. Yes, now my fears are justified, but somehow I am not comforted by that. I believe one of the greatest weapons or tools we have in our healthcare is knowledge. I google health issues way too much, but hey, I know my stuff. I know, without doubt, that knowing the warning signs of heart attacks and strokes saves lives. Its proven. So I thought I would do you all a favor and share part of this article with you all.

Twelve Possible Heart Symptoms to NEVER Ignore:
1. Anxiety-a sense of impending doom
2. Chest discomfort
3. Cough
4. Dizziness
5. Fatigue-especially among women
6. Nausea or lack of appetite
7. Pain in other parts of the body-pain begins in the chest and spreads to the shoulders, arms, elbows, back, neck, jaw, or abdomen. But sometimes there is no chest pain -- just pain in these other body areas. The pain might come and go.
8. Rapid or irregular pulse
9. Shortness of breath
10. Sweating
11. Swelling
12. Weakness

Now do you see why I was more that a little concerned that I was having a heart issue. I was having 8 of those symptoms. If it had been heart related, I probably wouldn't be sitting here typing this post today. I waited too long. I shouldn't have. I won't again.

Please go and read the entire article. It's not long but it's worth the read to you or your sister or your parents or your spouse. Its true that people who are overweight are at a greater risk for heart attack, but thin and seemingly healthy people have also fallen victim to heart attack and/or heart disease. Know the symptoms and never take them lightly.

Sweet Little Cora

I am honored to be have Kristine as my guest blogger today. I met this mama on twitter, in the midst of her tragedy. I was drawn to her because we share a story and because of her desire to help other families never experience a similar tragedy. Kristine has inspired myself and countless others to speak up (more) about Congenital Heart Defects (Disease) and spread awareness. Even though our stories aren't the same and we have never met, we share a loss. Meet Cora and her amazing mama.




I don’t want congenital heart disease awareness week to end. Cora’s Story.

The official Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week ended yesterday. But, for me, every week is congenital heart disease awareness week.

My daughter Cora died of an undiagnosed and as of right now, unspecified, CHD at five days old.

Every day is Cora’s Day.

I work for her constantly.

Every week is a time to spread awareness.

Every month, I want to tell as many people as possible.

I didn’t know about congenital heart disease until after Cora was already dead. Since, I learned it’s the most common birth affect. Kills the most babies. Kills more babies than all forms of childhood cancer combined. So, I keep working for Cora and for all the little ones who lost their fight with congenital heart disease.

Cora and I hope to educate all mothers and fathers so less of these little one’s lose their fight. Valerie here at MamaLovelock has been working so hard for much longer than us to spread CHD awareness. We’re new to this battle, but lucky to have connected to so many mothers and fathers just as passionate as we are.

My biggest hope is one day there won’t be a need for a CHD Awareness week. But, for now the need is great.

No cure for congenital heart diseases currently exists. All that can be done are fixes to help as much as possible.

As Cora’s Story proves, not all congenital heart diseases are detected until it’s too late. More research is needed to find a way to pick up most, or all of these defects. Awareness helps fund research by gathering public support.

Until a sure fire test or screening method comes into place, arm new moms and dads should read the warning signs that their baby might be one of the one in 100 with a CHD and ask for a pulse oximetry test to pick up serious defects at between 24 to 48 hours. And, above all else, spend time reading about these heartbreaking conditions.

Kristine Brite McCormick writes about Cora (almost) daily on her blog, http://www.corasstory.org. If not on her blog, she can be found on Twitter, @kristinebrite or Cora’s Facebook Fan page telling Cora’s Story. Follow Kristine for more information about congenital heart disease or to learn more about the acts of compassion and kindness Cora has inspired.

{Today's post is in pink, for Cora}

Bit O Sweetness

Innocent you think?

Oh no! He is a wrecking ball on feet!!
This cute face is hiding the mess he made behind him.
But he is SO cute!

You're wondering where my posts are that I have been working on? Still unfinished. Yes, today I am leaving you with lil sweetie and nothing more. I'll try harder tomorrow. Really.

Heart Tip of the Day: Whittling away your middle!! Measure your waist, if it's bigger around than 35 inches for women and 40 for men, then you are at an increased risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Time to get serious about making a dent in that extra flab--get active and get rid of simple sugars and white floured foods. These are the foods that like to cling to your middle. Even reducing those foods is better than nothing. Being more active seems to be a running theme in the prevention of heart disease. You can be thin and be unhealthy. Everyone should be active, eating whole grains and limiting simple sugars and white floured food. We in the Lovelock house are doing our best to limit these things (especially the mama), it's hard, but it can be done. By no means have we accomplished it yet.

The Great Battle

I love my husband and I love being married. But for those who don't know marriage is hard. It takes work to make a marriage work. That puppy love feeling when you are first dating/engaged/married, doesn't keep you for very long and then you have to find what is that real and that even-thought-I-am-mad-at-you-right-now-and-don't-agree-with-you-right-now love needs to, has to kick in. Marriage has ups and downs, turns and curves just like that big scary (to me anyway) roller coaster. We've laughed, cried, yelled and sat in silence. We are constantly learning how to make our marriage work. It's a process. We change, grow and our marriage has to too, that's why this is a process. I called it the great battle, because we are battling to keep our marriage alive, fresh, happy and loving. Every married couple I know should read this book. Every engaged person I know should read this book. Every person who wants to be married should read this book.



I absolutely loved this book!! The Eldredge's are so real, open and transparent. They use their marriage as example to the rest of us. I love to read books that make us think and challenge us to be better people. The authors did that for me in this book. They candidly discuss challenges their marriage faced and how they overcame those challenges. In a day and time when marriages are ending in droves, knowing how to fight for your marriage is important. It's a book that reveals and encourages. It reveals what you're doing wrong and encourages you that just because this, this and this are wrong doesn't mean you have to call the nearest divorce lawyer. Here is what the publisher has to say:

What the Eldredge bestsellers Wild at Heart did for men, and Captivating did for women, LOVE & WAR will do for married couples everywhere. John and Stasi Eldredge have contributed the quintessential works on Christian spirituality through the experience of men and the experience of women and now they turn their focus to the incredible dynamic between those two forces.

With refreshing openness that will grab readers from the first page, the Eldredges candidly discuss their own marriage and the insights they’ve gained from the challenges they faced. Each talks independently to the reader about what they’ve learned, giving their guidance personal immediacy and a balance between the male and female perspectives that has been absent from all previous books on this topic. They begin LOVE & WAR with an obvious but necessary acknowledgement: Marriage is fabulously hard. They advise that the sooner we get the shame and confusion off our backs, the sooner we'll find our way through.

LOVE & WAR shows couples how to fight for their love and happiness, calling men and women to step into the great adventure God has waiting for them together.

Let's face it, none of us have our marriages completely perfect. Mostly due to the fact that marriages are made up of people, imperfect people. So anyone or any book that can give us hints and helps along this marriage journey can only benefit us.

To purchase this book and other great books visit WaterBrook Multnomah.

This book was provided to me by WaterBrook Multnomah for review.

Heart Tip of the Day: Drink Green Tea. "This potent beverage contains several powerful antioxidants that reduce cholesterol and may even lower blood pressure. To make a day's supply, bring 20 ounces of water to a boil, drop in three decaffeinated green tea bags, cover, and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the tea bags, and refrigerate the tea. When cool, pour the tea into a container, add ice if you like, and sip throughout the day."~~Info used from Prevention.

Randomness, It Becomes Me

Snowed in. Again.

Well, it's not really that bad outside (its bad enough), but I won't be leaving this house today. Mostly because today is the day Hubs is gone for. EVER. He left early this morning for work and then at one this afternoon he goes to class and he is there for nine hours straight. I would feel sorry for him, but I am here everyday, all day with three kiddos. He will survive the nine hours of class. We could switch, I could go to class and he could stay home. ~Smile~ I get the feeling from him that he would prefer to go to class.

I packed four boxes yesterday. I packed. I am so sick of packing and unpacking. I told Hubs the other night that after all the moving we have done in the last two years he better like where we are moving in St. Louis, because I don't want to even consider moving for at least three years. On the upside, every time we move I get rid of more stuff. Eventually there will be nothing left but our clothes and shoes and even they are getting sparse. ~Smile~

We are going to save most of our tax refund and when we move we are buying new living room furniture. I am so excited! We have been blessed and up until now we have never bought new living room furniture. So I am having fun window shopping in my pj's looking at all the options. I have quite the living room laid out in my head! Now hopefully our tax refund will match up with my desires! ~Smile~

I have four started posts that I am working on editing and finishing and now I just need to decide when they should go up. I obviously have a lot to say, I just don't know when. Makes perfect sense.

Unfortunately my cleaning is about as random as this post. I start in one place, go put something away and start cleaning there and then get sidetracked putting something else away and so nothing is getting done. Off to focus my attentions on the kids bathroom. I'm afraid of what might be growing in there. From there I don't know where this day will take me.

Heart Tip of the Day: Stay hydrated. It is so important that we keep ourselves hydrated. The recommended amount we need everyday is 64 ounces of water. Staying hydrated keeps our electrolytes in balance, in effect keeping the electricity, that keeps our hearts pumping, charging effectively. Dehydration causes muscle cramps and can cause a heart attack if severe enough. This is especially important if you are very physically active (work or exercise) and if it is extremely hot outside. Fluid of any kind can keep you hydrated, but water is calorie free and is really good for your metabolism.

"Chicken and Mac-e Cheese"

I am not sure of what to write today, so you all are getting a post off the cuff. This is it, as it rolls out of my brain.

This week is Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week. Statistics say that 81 babies everyday in the United States are born with CHD. Some parents, like my Hubs and I, know in advance at least some of the problems before the baby is born and other parents are not as fortunate and are completely caught off guard. CHD, if undiagnosed can cause heart failure suddenly and is one of the leading causes in juvenile sporting event deaths. My precious Nathaniel is a CHD statistic. He is the reason I walk in the Heart Walk. He is the reason I spend all of February focusing on heart month. He is the reason I take candy up to the nurses on the heart floor at Children's Hospital once a year. This year I made broaches for myself, my mom and a twitter friend. I am also making pins for the people that will be walking with me in the heart walk. Awareness of CHD WILL save lives.

I guess, because I have been doing a lot of talking about Nathaniel in the last few days my emotions are just a little exposed, more so than usual. Yesterday in church they sang a beautiful song. I love the song, but it was one of the songs they sang at Nathaniel's funeral. I bawled and bawled. It took me straight back to his funeral, it was as if I was there, all over again. Don't get me wrong I have relived his death and funeral many times, but last night as I sat there listening and crying I did what I normally do~I recall the last thing he ever said to me. Remembering, hearing his little voice in my head always brought me comfort. His voice is fading. It's getting harder to remember what he sounded like. It was hard for me to recall last night, it took longer to remember (which probably accounted for a lot of those tears). I don't like that. I don't want to forget what he sounded like. In the first few weeks after his death I would wake up startled because I thought I heard him calling for me and now I am having a hard time remembering his voice. Last night was the first time in awhile I tried to recall his voice and it upset me when I had a hard time remembering.

So when I went to bed last night I prayed. I prayed for peace. I was really struggling. I told God that I didn't want to forget. I went to sleep and I dreamed of Nathaniel. Sweet happy dreams. I could hear him singing, playing, laughing and saying mama. I needed that.

I miss my baby boy. I will always miss him. I will have a few days now and again where my grief is raw and real. But the days that I think of him and smile now far outnumber painful days. Though grief is real and hard and overwhelming at times, eventually it gets better and you find yourself surviving, just surviving, your loss. Then over time you realize that you aren't just surviving, you are thriving despite the loss and moving forward.

Today's heart tip is simply to hug someone, an extra long I am so glad you are in my life and what would I do without you, hug. Its amazing what a hug will do for you and the one you are hugging.


*Chicken and Mac-e cheese was the last thing Nathaniel ever said to me, besides calling for mama.

I'm Seeing RED

Today is National Wear Red Day to support the Go RED for women program. I made broaches for my mom and I this year, red and silver with a heart on them. Every year hundreds of thousands of women die due to heart disease and 90 percent of those deaths were preventable. Scary! I don't want to be a statistic, that's why I am losing weight and making healthier choices. Thirty minutes a day of activity (a walk, dancing with your kids, etc) will improve your heart health. Not smoking and limiting fried foods will also reduce your risk factors.

A couple of months ago I got a recipe from a great blog, Owlhaven. I love, love, love her blog. She has no idea how much I admire her and envy her kitchen. But anyway, she posted a recipe called Thai Beef Chard Wraps. It sounded good and so I tried it out on my family. Course, I changed it up a bit, but the basics were from her. So I gave the link to the original recipe above and below is my own version of it. It is so easy and so YUMMY! It is also very very healthy.

Thai Turkey Wraps

1 lb. of ground turkey breast
1/4 c. of soy sauce
1.5 c of shredded carrots
Olive oil (just enough to keep the turkey from sticking)
Onion flakes (my kids won't eat it if they can see the onion)
Pepper to taste
Crushed red pepper to taste
1 clove of garlic
1 head of red romaine lettuce

Heat oil, onion and garlic in skillet. Add and brown the turkey. Once the turkey is cooked through remove it from the skillet (leave as much of the juice in there as possible). If you don't have a lot of juices then I usually add a little more olive oil and then throw those carrots in. You won't need to cook them for long, you want them to stay a little crunchy. After you get the carrots to your desired cookedness then add the turkey back in. Then add your soy sauce and get everything tumbled together.

I use red romaine instead of chard but really you can use whatever lettuce wrappings you like. I was off the whole head of lettuce and pull all leaves off. I pat them dry and we're ready to wrap.

My kids like this because they get to wrap up their food and they eat so much lettuce, it's shocking really. Usually there is just enough left me the next day for lunch. If I am in a hurry and don't want to wrap them up, I tear up the remaining lettuce leaves, warm up the turkey mix and have a warm "salad" and eat it with a fork.

My version is a little different than Owlhaven's but both are good. I have used different veggies too. The first time I put carrots, cauliflower and red bell pepper in it. That was good too. Be creative and pack those veggies in. My kids love it!

The recipe as it is above the whole pan is only 615 calories, 5 fat grams, 21 carbs, 5 grams of fiber and 116 grams of protein!!! Fabulously good and healthy. The more veggies the higher the fiber without adding tons of calories.

We have enough to deal with everyday with laundry, cleaning, child rearing and blogging to have to worry about heart health or remember to take a hand full of pills. Making some simple changes everyday can add years to your life.

Heart Tip of the Day: Eat chocolate! I love this one, its my favorite heart healthy tip! Dark chocolate has heart healthy "stuff" (I know I am so technical and you are so impressed) and has shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. Milk chocolate doesn't have the same effect, so look for the 60-70% dark chocolate. Satisfy that sweet tooth and don't feel guilty! Remember the old saying "everything in moderation"~~that holds true to this. Over eating anything isn't good for you, so keep that in mind~~even with our beloved chocolate.

When the Bathroom Door is Locked

Nothing good can be happening when your four year old is locked in the bathroom and all he was supposed to be doing was washing his hands.

Saturday was a long, long day. Sam was really on a roll of seeing how many things he could do that he is not supposed to do. Most of them were the little things, but after awhile, all those little things make for one big mountain of "I TOLD YOU TO STOP THAT SON" and lots of naughty spot time. Needless to say by dinner time my patience was gone and my nerves were frayed. All of my sanity clung to the one nerve that was holding on with gritted teeth.

I was getting plates of food ready and I gave Makiah and Sam very clear and simple instructions: "Go wash your hands, with soap, dry them and come to the table and sit down." Makiah did that, no problem at all. About two minutes went by and I realized that only one darling child was in her seat. I came down the hall to check on Sam and I hear the sink running. The bathroom door is shut. Not good. I reach for the door knob and it's locked. {That last nerve is about to give up} I tell him, a little louder than I needed to probably, to "OPEN THIS DOOR NOW". He does and just as he opens the door the sink begins spilling over the counter and onto the floor. I dash in and turn it off. About an inch and a half of water is headed for the hallway carpet. My last nerve then let go, realizing all was lost in sanity for that day. I sent Sam across the hall to his room and I threw towels on the floor to stop the flood. I felt it best not to say any thing to Sam at that particular moment, just to sit in his room. Wisdom, people, it was wisdom. Once all the water was soaked up, I then went and spoke with Sam. We had a long talk about why we first, do not lock the bathroom door~~EVER, second, why it is no good to run so long that the water over the sink and third, why we need to go eat all of our dinner or he would be going to bed right then. He said sorry, I said I love you and all was well. After that he even ate all his dinner. {I think he knew that it would not be a good time to say you don't like dinner}

Oh and remember the mural Sam drew on the wall when we first moved in here, well Daniel calls it by name. Yes, apparently to Daniel it resembles Bob the Tomato and so every time Daniel walks down the hall, he says "hi Bob".

Heart Tip for the Day

Fiber--you aren't eating enough. I can safely say that unless you are eating Fiber One products or adding a supplement to your diet. Most of us don't come even close to getting all the fiber we need. The powers that decide how much of what we should have, states that we need 35 grams of fiber a day. Soluble fiber is found in oats, rice, bran, dried beans and apples, it's also found in broccoli--which is good to help prevent colon cancer. Fiber helps lower cholesterol, which boosts heart health. I have tried the Fiber One products and I actually, must to my surprise, liked them! The yogurt is good and the Strawberry Almond Oat Bars are really good. Have some fiber today, you just never know how it might be helping you.

Heart Month is Coming!!!

I am really excited about the things going on in my life right now. Faith riding (much like wave riding in my mind), losing weight and getting healthy, cleaning out my house and packing to move (AGAIN!) and getting organized in general! Things around here are getting in tip top shape and I'm lovin' it! Don't get me wrong we still have the normal kid adventures and laundry, it just never ends, and all the other stuff too. But things around here are all coming together so well and for this I am thankful.

Anyway, on to the point of this post: Heart month is right around the corner. February is the chosen month, chosen by whomever decides those things, for raising awareness and funds for the American Heart Association for Heart Disease and Stroke education, research, prevention and cure. If you have been reading my blog for at least a year you know that last year I did a focus blurb everyday, or close to it, about heart disease and healthy things for heart and body. {If you go to the bottom of the page under my labels and click on the heart label, you will see those posts.} I plan on doing that again this year, but I also hope to have a couple of guest bloggers, a book review, a challenge and some other really cool stuff!! I am very excited about it!! I am also really enjoying the exclamation point today!! I've changed my bloggity theme a couple days early and I am already working on the first couple of posts.

February 5th is Go Red Day. Grab your favorite red shirt or buy a new one and support Go Red!! February 7-14th is Congenital Heart Disease Awareness Week. I'll tell you all more about this in the coming days.

Bloggity hugs to all my bloggity pals. Have a happy Friday!!

Sum It Up and Break

Well, February is quickly coming to a close and I thought I'd just do a Heart Health final post.

Basically, by changing your diet to included fruit and veggies, lean protein, fiber and lots-o-greenery, you can not only change your waist line but also your numbers. Being more active gives your heart a good workout, making it a stronger muscle. Who doesn't want their heart to be stronger?? That's what I thought--everyone. I recently read in a WebMd magazine, on one of our many recent trips to the pediatrician, that 90% of the heart disease that is looming over us women, is preventable. A staggering number, I'd say. That means that women dying everyday from heart disease, most of them could have prevented it. We have to stand up for our hearts and refuse to let a disease that's preventable from taking us out. There is host of health problems that we can't prevent, but this is one of the ones that we can, and at the very least we can lower our risks.

Thanks for putting up with all this heart talk this month, but like I said it is a thing of passion for me. We are getting ready to leave (in about 8 hours) for a much needed mini vacation, so I am just going to take a bloggy break until next Tuesday. I was going to schedule some posts and well, I just ran out of time. Instead of obsess about it, I'll just hope you come by next week for tales of fun and adventure in St. Louis. And those awesome pics I mentioned earlier.

Have a fabulous weekend dear bloggy friends.

Busy, So I Leave You With This

Here's a little sweetness since I don't have time to really post a real post.

Daniel was really cheesin' it up at the restaurant on Sunday.


Big smile everyone!!


I like being silly!!

Heart Tip: Snooze and snore. Get some sleep. The average adult needs 7.5 hours of sleep per night. Now if you are a mom and you are getting that amount of sleep, please clue me in to your secret. I realize that getting enough sleep is difficult at best, well it is for me, but it's important that our bodies get rest. Sleeping gives the body a chance to recover while we aren't up abusing it. So get some zzzzz's. If you get the chance sleep in or hit the hay early. It could mean you live a little longer.

Whittle

Today has been a day of exercise, cleaning, laundry, dishes and now heading out the door to Connect Group (church function).

A productive, good Saturday, ending it out with some food, fun and fellowship. Next week I'll be here with some fabulous new pictures from our fabulous new camera. You probably won't recognize us!!

On a side note, the first new batch of new cloth diapers arrived today. I am so excited. I should be getting the big lot on Monday. Just in time for our trip to St. Louis!!

Heart Tip: Whittling away your middle!! Measure your waist, if it's bigger around than 35 inches for women and 40 for men, then you are at an increased risk for heart disease and Type 2 diabetes. Time to get serious about making a dent in that extra flab--get active and get rid of simple sugars and white floured foods. These are the foods that like to cling to your middle. Even reducing those foods is better than nothing. Being more active seems to be a running theme in the prevention of heart disease. You can be thin and be unhealthy. Everyone should be active, eating whole grains and limiting simple sugars and white floured food. We in the Lovelock house are doing our best to limit these things (especially the mama), it's hard, but it can be done. By no means have we accomplished it yet.

I hope you all are having a super Saturday.

Slim Down '09 Just Got A Whole Lot More Fun!!

I have to admit that though I know exercise is the way to truly lose weight, that sometimes it's just not FUN. So I had slacked off just slightly and I needed a pick me up. Well, I got it this week. We have a new addition to the family.

Welcome cute, little, FUN Wii Fit. . . . where have you been all my life??

I have to say that I absolutely love it. I was more than a little curious as to whether or not it would actually be a workout. I got my answer and yes it is. I don't know that I would use it as my sole source of activity, but it definitely gives you a workout. It also tracks weight and BMI, which is helpful. There are many exercises and I like that, because it keeps it from being boring.

Anyway, as for my progress. . .like I said, I had slacked off a little, but I am back full force now. I have been soda free for 51 days and still crave it occasionally, but I haven't caved. I have had a little more sweet tea than I had been, but my water intake is still good. Exercising has been what I slacked off. I didn't stop, I just wasn't doing as much. Since the beginning of the year I have lost 11 pounds and over 12 inches. I plan on being down 5 more pounds by the end of February and as many inches as choose to leave.

I am still doing strength training and aerobics daily. I have added balance training (apparently I am off balance and I should be tripping when I walk), and also some Yoga poses. I am not into the meditation portion of yoga, but the poses do give you quite a workout and help with balance, strength and flexibility.

My first mini goal is to lose 25 pounds by the end of March. My second mini goal is have to lose another 15 pounds before the heart walk in St. Louis. Lofty goal that second one, because I'll only have a month, but ya gotta shoot for something!

Heart Tip: Know your numbers!! There are certain numbers that everyone should know to make sure they are healthy. These numbers tell you a great deal about how your body is doing. You can't reduce your risks if you don't even know you are at risk. These numbers are: HDL--good cholesterol, LDL--bad cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, weight and BMI (body mass index). Knowing all these numbers will give you a good idea of your risks for heart disease. I suggest you also know your blood sugar. Most people who develop diabetes don't even realize they are feeling different until their sugar is way too high. Once you know your base line numbers, your doctor can better monitor any changes.

Here are the links again to my Heart Walk page and my team's page. I haven't done a whole lot of recruiting or fund raising yet, but all in good time.

Hope hope you all are having a fabulous Friday.

Apparently Blogging Two Days in a Row Is Not Possible Right Now

I had a different post for today, but yesterday was so interesting, I wouldn't want you all to miss out on that.

The morning began with Daniel's physical therapy. Now, it is no secret that I am not a morning person. I love being a SAHM so that I can hang out and do "stuff" in my pj's if I so choose. Which I normally choose. On Wednesday, Daniel's physical therapy is at 8:30, 8:30 A.M. people. Now I am always up at that time, but because someone is coming I have to be up and dressed. Not what I would prefer, but Daniel is worth the sacrifice. So from 8:30 to 9:30 we were wrapped up with Daniel and helping him soar. ~~Now let me say, I would get up at 4 a.m. if my son needed it, so don't mistake me for complaining, just explaining my day.~~

Once the therapist was gone, I got breakfast for those late eaters and worked on math with Makiah. Sam had a dentist appointment, first one ever, at 11 and so I only had a limited amount of time. I got Sam ready and off we went. Sam loved the dentist. He was totally cooperative and good. I wondered when they were telling me about him if they were talking about my Sam. ~Smile~ He asked if we could go again today. We were there until 12:30.

We came back home and I got lunch on the table. We then headed to the recliner for story time and naps. Yeah, okay, I use that term naps loosely, since Sam never actually went to sleep. Daniel did, but everytime I moved him he woke up crying. See I forgot to mention that Daniel is cutting teeth again and so he is just slightly clingy. I rocked the boys, but only Daniel actually went to sleep. I worked on the cleaning and school and at 3:00 we headed to Makiah's doctor appointment.

Two weeks ago, Makiah stepped on a clear plastic hanger upstairs. Why it wasn't in her closet is still unclear, but nonetheless she stepped on it and it cut her foot. I cleaned it and bandaged it. I looked after it until I was sure it was healing up okay. Monday, while playing with my mom, mom tickled her foot. Makiah said "ouch" and mom said why ouch?!?! Makiah told her that the bump on her foot was hurting. Mom asked her if she told me and she said no, because she didn't want to go to the doctor. The evening I looked at it and I knew that she needed to be seen. I called the doctor the next morning and scheduled her to see the doc yesterday. She was scared and I was a little anxious as to what they were going to do. I could tell something wasn't right and I just knew something was in there. I was right. There was a small piece of the plastic hanger imbedded in her foot and she didn't tell me it was hurting. Needless to say, after 2 and a half hours, 2 lidocaine injections and having her skin cut a little bit, the plastic was out. Needless to say, it was a wild afternoon. We dashed home, picked up the boys and dashed off to church.

I came home and collapsed in the chair. I was sitting there thinking about how I should go to bed and the next thing I know, I am startling awake remembering that Daniel had on THE. LAST. CLOTH. diaper and we had NO disposables. I got up, went and started the load of diapers at 1:38 a.m. I put them in the dryer at 4:38 and went to bed.

As I closed my eyes at 4:40 a.m. and I remembered that I hadn't scheduled that post for yesterday because I wanted to add one more thing. Then I fell asleep.

I decided that I would put my Great Slim Down '09 updates on Friday's, so you'll have to wait until then. ~~Smile~~

Heart Tip for today: Fiber--you aren't eating enough. I can safely say that unless you are eating Fiber One products or adding a supplement to your diet. Most of us don't come even close to getting all the fiber we need. The powers that decide how much of what we should have, states that we need 35 grams of fiber a day. Soluble fiber is found in oats, rice, bran, dried beans and apples, it's also found in broccoli--which is good to prevent colon cancer. Fiber helps lower cholesterol, which boosts heart health. I have tried the Fiber One products and I actually, must to my surprise, liked them! The yogurt is good and the Strawberry Almond Oat Bars are really good. Have some fiber today, you just never know how it might be helping you.

Feeling Swamped!

We have so much going on this week and I just haven't had time to sit down and get a post done. I have several started, but none ready for publishing. I am also kind of under the weather, I think the stomach flu is trying to come back for a repent performance.

So for today I am going to just offer up a heart tip and finish another post for tomorrow. I am also trying to get caught up on reading blogs.

Heart Tip: Eat chocolate! I love this one. Dark chocolate has heart healthy "stuff" (I know I am so technical and you are so impressed) and has shown to reduce the risk of heart disease. Milk chocolate doesn't have the same effect, so look for the 60-70% dark chocolate. Satisfy that sweet tooth and don't feel guilty! Remember the old saying "everything in moderation"~~that holds true to this. Over eating anything isn't good for you, so keep that in mind~~even with our beloved chocolate.

I also want to tell you all about this giveaway going on right now!! It looks like a great new cloth diaper.

Be back tomorrow with a Great Slim Down '09 update. Have a happy Tuesday!!

Valentine's Day Kitchen Adventure

Linton and I went out last night because he is working today. So today the kids and I put on our aprons and went to work in the kitchen. I needed to make a few dozen heart shaped sugar cookies for the kids to decorate on Sunday. So I enlisted some help, and I am using that term very loosely, and got it done.

They had a lot of fun rolling and cutting. A little too much fun I think. They had more flour on them in the end than we used on the table and rolling pin. I took pics of the process and forgot to take pics of the end result.



We had finished the cookies and I was getting ready to clean up and I turned around and beheld my son putting his face down into the flour. At that point I was just relieved he had waited until the end!


Makiah was "drawing in the flour" and then rubbed her face. Needless to say that they washed their hands more than rolling and cutting.


Our mess!

It was a very fun day and afterwards we went to the church because I needed to get the decorating done. So it was a very full day!

Heart tip: Forgive someone and love them anyway. When we harbor hurt feelings we become bitter. Bitterness has very physical effects. Be kind to your hurt and forgive someone today.