Frugal, Fabulous and Fun Blog

My good friend Elizabeth Hammond and I have started a blogging endeavor called Frugal, Fabulous and Fun. She is AMAZING at finding deals like 50-cent Jimmy John's bread, IHOP, 711 and other restaurants, not to mention deals on all things (movies, the nacho cheese trick ... stay tuned to the blog for that one ... and so much more!).

She finds the deals and steals and I write them up. It's a work in progress ... we need some great graphics and some other things but would love your support and if you click FOLLOW on the site you can get all our latest posts via email!

Thanks! Here's how to get there!

My Friends' Etsy Stores: #CountryCatholic #PegAndBird

I am hoping that someday the Craft Bug will bite me. I would love to have something to do with my hands in social situations, like crochet blankets for NICU babies and grandbabies and all babies all over the world. I just like to be productive and do cool stuff but sewing is out of my realm and stringing beads would make me want to turn into the Hulk. So I leave that to my friends. Check out these two shops!

My friend Suzanne's Etsy store, Peg and Bird, where she makes a number of things, including Magnificat covers, but my favorites are her totes!

My friend Erika's Etsy store (I used to work with her husband back in the day before I had kids!), The Country Catholic, is the place for all things rosary and cool saint magnets!

Runs/Walks in Kansas City: Sock it to Cancer August 8, 2015 #GreatBallsofFire

Looks like 2015 was the last year for this race :-(

"Help raise awareness of testicular cancer and raise money for the Testicular Cancer Society while enjoying 5K run/walk along a tree-lined course in downtown Lee's Summit! Join us on August 8 for this new event for all ages and all fitness levels! All participants receive a new pair of running socks and compete for age group and overall awards!"

Proceeds from the Sock it to Cancer 5K benefit the Testicular Cancer Society and KU Cancer Centers. The Testicular Cancer Society is a non-profit organization to raise awareness for the most common form of cancer in men ages 15-35. We are dedicated to increasing awareness and education about the disease and providing support for fighters, survivors and caregivers. This will be the third year for the event, previously called the Great Balls of Fire Run.

Before I was the homeschooling writer mom of 5, I used to love to walk all the time as a stress reliever and to stay in shape. Walking is something you can do as a parent anytime, but now that my youngest is 5 and my oldest is 14, it's a lot easier for me to fit in time for my own fitness. Over the winter I walked some at the gym on the treadmill and track. Now I can walk the neighborhood or the field at the school by my house. I'm not a jogger or a runner yet ... special equipment needed for my upper lady parts ... but might be someday! For now I walk in my OOFOS sandals because they are the most comfy thing I have ever worn and work perfectly for summertime.

Because I love walking so much, I'll be posting upcoming walk/runs in Kansas City as I find them. This does not mean I'll be participating in all of them, so don't show up expecting me to sign autographs or anything. I MIGHT or MIGHT NOT be there, depending on household funds at the time, Mr. Kerrie's travel situation, my sanity level, etc. Enjoy the race info, and go out and find some in your town!

What: Sock it to Cancer 5K (previously the Great Balls of Fire Run ... dang, why did they change the name?)

When: Saturday, August 8, 2015 at 7:30 a.m.

Where: Lee's Summit City Hall

Fun facts: my uncle used to coach track at a high school in Lee's Summit for many years and my dad has taken up jogging ... it's in my blood!

Check the link (above after WHAT) for more info!

P.S. I get my info from the fabulous KC Running Company website.

On a personal note, here's my walking story for National Walking Day a couple of years ago with an update.

When you're all done, you'll be hungry! Grab a copy of my Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook and whip up a batch of happiness for dinner!

Stop Saying You Can't Eat That

I'm so tired of listening to people have conversations about food.

"I can't have that."

"If I have that I won't be able to eat for a week."

"I'm starting my diet tomorrow."

"I'll have to work out every day after I eat that piece of cake."

Of course I have been guilty of this over the years. I don't know how many times I have been through Weight Watchers in the last 10 years only to finally recently UNDERSTAND it.

These women who think deprivation and laxatives and exercising to the point of injury and bingeing and purging are the way to go roll their eyes when I say Weight Watchers. It's just another diet to them.

They are so clueless ... and so was I.

photo courtesy of pixabay.com

Here are some things I've learned:

• Eating cabbage soup all day and tossing in cranberry juice is a diet. Gave me a headache.

• Breastfeeding only works for losing weight if you don't sit on the couch also eating entire bags of Hershey kisses.

• The scale is just a number, like age. I am 44 on the outside but much younger on the inside. I choose to act NOT my age and want to keep active and fun for my husband, kids, friends and family. The scale's number does not define whether I am a worthy person or not. Sometimes I feel like I walked a lot in a week and ate well and my number goes up. I get disappointed for a minute, sure, but then I keep going. After all, quitting only means definite failure.

• You can have anything you like to eat on the Weight Watchers plan. You have so much freedom. You have a set number of "points" you should eat in a day. EAT ALL OF THEM or you will fail the plan. You also have 49 extra points for the entire week. Save them all up for that dessert you know you want badly on a holiday or for your birthday meal. Use them or don't. Then you also have activity points you can use on food or not. I call that a lot of cool choices, a lot of freedom, a lot of independence.

So, people, my message to you today is stop saying you are not able to eat something. Make smart choices. Do you enjoy having your knees hurt when you walk down the stairs or your back hurt all the time? I didn't enjoy those things and knew I wanted to be more active for my kids. I also know that when I eat better and care for myself my moods are more stable and my brain function is more focused. With the kind of chaotic life I choose to live, I have to be in top form.

I am telling you Weight Watchers is not a diet. It is a lifestyle. It is not something you do for a few months and get to goal weight and abandon. If you have food issues, you need to stay on this plan for life .... don't worry, once you hit Lifetime goal and hit your goal weight you can start weighing in and going to meetings for FREE! 

That's where I am hoping to find myself in my later years of life ... hitting the Weight Watchers meetings with my old fogey friends and then going out for a walk or a smoothie after the meeting before going home to fool around with my husband and then pick up the grandkids for a fun day out at the pool or the zoo. So many more life possibilities when you are fit and taking care of yourself!

You might also like to read: 

Losing weight when traveling (just had to deal with that this past weekend during Fourth of July) and your weight loss environment/where to hide your food.

Runs/Walks in Kansas City: Longview Half Marathon November 14, 2015

Before I was the homeschooling writer mom of 5, I used to love to walk all the time as a stress reliever and to stay in shape. Walking is something you can do as a parent anytime, but now that my youngest is 5 and my oldest is 14, it's a lot easier for me to fit in time for my own fitness. Over the winter I walked some at the gym on the treadmill and track. Now I can walk the neighborhood or the field at the school by my house. I'm not a jogger or a runner yet . ... but might be someday! For now I walk in my OOFOS sandals because they are the most comfy thing I have ever worn and work perfectly for summertime.

What: The Longview Half Marathon

When: Saturday, November 14, 2015 at 8 a.m.

Where: Longview Lake, Grandview, Missouri

Fun facts: my uncle used to coach track at a high school in Lee's Summit for many years and my dad has taken up jogging ... it's in my blood!

Check the link (above after WHAT) for more info!

P.S. I get my info from the fabulous KC Running Company website.

On a personal note, here's my walking story for National Walking Day a couple of years ago with an update.

When you're all done, you'll be hungry! Grab a copy of my Tater Tot Casserole Cookbook and whip up a batch of happiness for dinner!