Monday, January 23, 2012

Monday Morning Weigh-in

Good news from the scale this week--and given that I had a hard time with cravings it is a huge surprise--down 2.6 pounds!  That is almost 7 pounds in three weeks.  Emily gained back what she lost last week and then some, Bonnie dropped a bit.  So we are HAPPY, HAPPY in the Turbot household this week.  I have used Joy Bauer's Today show graphic because I am participating in her 25,000 pound challenge.

I think the kicker this week was some heavy gardening in the front and back yard.  I have a blister to prove it.  That and only having good, whole foods to cheat on must have made the difference.  We even did a little "tailgating" for the football game last night that included oven baked fries and chicken wings.


I have a couple projects this week in addition to getting ready for my show down in Deerfield Beach.  I need to replace the fabric on my pool chairs so I am heading over to JoAnn Fabrics to see what they have available in outdoor/UV block fabric.  Then I need to do my floors...I have been holding off until my parents know when they are coming from IL.  They STILL aren't sure, so, I think I better just do it in case they show up at my door tomorrow!  LOL

Friday, January 20, 2012

Not a Bumper Crop


We have ORANGES...oh...make that an orange!  The cold snap of the last few years has devastated our orange production.  I looked out a couple weeks ago and didn't even see one orange.  My friend Patti sent over a couple grapefruit--that were delicious--off their tree.  I decided to walk out and take a closer look at my tree and found this.  There are about 6 other oranges on there too!  Not a banner year, but, I am happy to see just one.  Maybe next year?!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Thanksgiving 2011


Roger came to visit us this year for Thanksgiving.  I can't remember all of what we did, but, there was some Christmas shopping (in store and online) done, baking, some awesome pulled pork ala Roger, a trip out to Disney to see the Osbourne Light Display, a camera bought, a trip to North Florida for da Turkey and probably tons of stuff I am not able to pull out of the memory banks.  



My famous Mile High Apple Pie...forgot the eggwash...dang it!


It was cold that night out at Disney...we are bundled up.  Roger is in shorts!  LOL



If you haven't ever been to the Disney Studio to see this...GO!!!




Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Saint Simon's Island Mistletoe Market



Back in November I took these pictures before the Mistletoe Market that was held at the Glynn Art Association's building across from Pier Park.  The park has undergone a fantastic renovation the last few years.  It went from a sandy lot full of scrub bushes with some fantastic live oaks to a showcase of the island's beauty.  I could spend all day here!  So, just wander aimlessly for a while...and enjoy it.  It was cold and windy the day I set up for the market.


The view from near Brogan's Restaurant



The view from the Middle of the Library building (near the restrooms).  This would have been approximately where I was set up at the last December show I did there in 2009 or so.



And from the lighthouse side of the park.  


Isn't it nice?!


Finally, a photo of the show after dark on the preview night.  My booth is the one on the far left.  Wish you could see my colorful garlands hanging around the tabletops.  It was vibrant!



Tuesday, January 17, 2012

What is it????


Lots of customers have been asking for Rose soap the last couple of years.  So much so, I decided to bring it back.  What you see above is a small batch of "American Beauty"-- if I keep the same name.  I haven't decided on that yet, but, before the Deerfield Beach show at the end of the month, I will make a decision.

Today I also made a big batch of Oatmeal Milk and Honey, unscented Goatmilk, Patchouli (used up the last of my oil--and the price is going up on it again), Lemongrass, Sweet Earth and Flapping in the Breeze.  Those will all get cut tomorrow.  And the molds will get refilled with more soap.  On the calender for tomorrow:  big batches of Lavender and Citrus Splash with small batches of Coconut Orange, Blueberry, Cucumber Tea Tree and Peppermint.

I placed two big orders this week, one for essential oils and one for fragrance oils.  I decided to add a few varieties of Frankincense fragrance to the latter to test out.  I can see it as both a soap scent and for incense.  Not sure what I will replace it with yet.  Stay tuned!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Week Two Results: YEA ME!



I was down 2.4 pounds on my Wii weigh in this morning.  (Bonnie was up .2 pounds and Emily lost .4.  I am worried about Emily.  She just doesn't seem to like her food right now.  I just got back from the market with a half dozen non-seafood ones that may spark her interest.  Bonnie needs to quit eating Emily's food!!!)

So, I did my exercise pretty good last week.  Rod and I didn't make our bike ride Friday morning, so, he is going to help me do better this week.  I am doing Wii exercises two days a week.  I want to get that up to five eventually.  Just having a bit of motivation trouble.  Today was easy...once I saw the weight loss.

I am listening to Jillian Micheal's book, Mastering Your Metabolism.  It sounds as if I basically need to eat organic and free range whenever possible to get my metabolism and hormones back in balance.  There are 10 items she says you must remove from your diet including things like hydrogenated fat, high fructose corn syrup, sweetners and processed grains.  We already keep most of that out, but, I am sure if I look close at some of my weekly store purchases  I will be surprised.  I will post more about this later when I have a better grasp of the program.  I may sign up for her online diet plan.

Right now I am going to enjoy this week's loss--and not by eating!!  :)

Saturday, January 14, 2012

The Move: What is the Housing Market Doing?





One of the most asked questions at both craft shows and by our family members is:  are you still moving North?  Back in the Fall, we heard a news report on TV that showed the Orlando real estate market would be depressed for at least 10-15 years MORE!  I immediately called my sister with the news.  She said flatly, "You are never coming home!".  Based on that report, it wasn't looking good unless we won the lottery.    


Well, another friend recently sent me this article from Yahoo Real Estate on January 10th:  
Has the Housing Market Finally Hit Rock Bottom?


We, of course, are taking special note of this line:   As for the areas where prices may actually appreciate the most this year, the firm expects Orlando, Fla. home prices to rise 11.7%!!!  (Emphasis by me, naturally)


So, here's hoping things are getting better all over, but, maybe especially down here in Florida!  



Friday, January 13, 2012

I did it! Surviving the real test...



It is Day 12 of 28 here in Orlando.  We had a really nice time out with our friends Tim and Patti.  The movie Warhorse was great--definitely worthy of  Spielberg.  Being a horse lover, it was an easy sell for me.  But I think even the guys liked the movie.  (Rod even seems interested in going next week to see Marilyn and Me.)  Tim commented that it was an anti-war commentary from Spielberg and I couldn't agree more.  It certainly will hit a different audience than Schindler's List and that may be a reason he did it.  I don't know how much of it was filmed in England or France, but, it was achingly beautiful.  The young actors who played roles were exceptional.  The actors who played Mom, Dad and the Grandfather were equally compelling. The scenes of the horse "horsing around" as a young stud, the tenderness of the two main horse leads interacting and the fierceness of the "Warhorse" were exquisite.

How I first became aware of "Warhorse"--a piece that was done on the making of the Broadway show


But, how did I do with movie popcorn, nachos and chocolate dessert staring me in the face?  I was victorious!  LOL   Honestly I don't remember even smelling the popcorn.  We were at the early show so maybe it wasn't as strong as usual.  Plus, it was easy for the four of us to skip it as we knew we were eating right after.   I had the tuna tacos at Adobe Gilas, and I didn't eat the rice.  An appetizer was mentioned only once, and since we had just ordered, luckily no one caught on.  I ordered iced tea and didn't miss the margaritas--and Patti bless her heart didn't even mention getting a pitcher...maybe that is something we only do when the hubbies are around!



The hardest part was when getting coffee and dessert were mentioned.  After dropping off my leftovers, we drove to a nice restaurant in our neck of the woods.  The dessert menu was passed around and honestly I could have eaten anything on it except for two things.  I wasn't hungry.  And, I didn't want to lose control!  So I stuck with hot tea and was quite satisfied.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Real Simple's Be Nice on the Internet Week


One of the few magazines I scan cover to cover is Real Simple.  My sister-in-law, Deb, turned me onto to it several years ago.  (She also turned me onto reality TV like Deadliest Catch and the Kardashians  LOL)  It is easy to read, mainly consisting of little blurbs and not lengthy articles, so you can get interrupted by the phone or a customer without losing your momentum.  The pictures are great, too.  I got my home network secured finally thanks to one of their how-to's.  


They are sponsoring a much needed thing this week--Be nice on the Internet Week.  If you go to their website or Facebook page you can sign up and show your support.  I honestly don't go to forums that get "flamers" any more.  You know what a flamer is, right?  Here's Wikipedia's take:   Flaming, also known as bashing, is hostile and insulting interaction between internet users. Flaming usually occurs in the social context of an internet forum ... It is frequently the result of the discussion of heated real-world issues such as  politics, religion and philosophy, or of issues that polarize subpopulations, but can also be provoked by seemingly trivial differences.

{On one of my soap groups, we did recently have a gentleman who took exception with everything in handmade soap from fragrance to specialty oils.  We listened for a couple posts, gave him a warning and then just removed him from the group when he continued to try to inflame us.} 

Anyway, Real Simple has sent a couple email reminders so far this week.  The first was to encourage you to take a breather before you hit the "send" button.  They say it will give you time to form a more thoughtful response and possibly consider the implications of what you are saying.  Great advice!  The next email was to read your message out loud.  I do this (probably not often enough) to catch typos.  But, they say it can help you imagine how your audience will hear your message.  



The local talk radio station I listen to in the car, was talking about the Tim Tebow/Denver football issue on Monday.  Tim is the one who is a devout Christian and a pretty good quarterback.  We are fans because he played for the Gators.  Anyway, they were theorizing that Tim is such a divisive character because people nowadays expect their heros to have gotten dirty.  That we like to see someone who has "fallen" work their way back up.  I am just confused.  When did it become a bad thing to be a good person with strong morals?   

So, perhaps my only suggestions is that we take this movement into our personal lives off the web too.  Especially with the primary season in full swing it is time to regain a little civility.  Can we all just be a little nicer?  A little more tolerant even??  Call me Pollyanna, but, I want my world to be peaceful and pleasant where people are more like Tim--than say, Simon Cowell.




Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Day 8--It's not a Diet

Oink!  Oink!  Oh that's not me by the way...mine is worse!  :)

Weight Lost -1.5 pounds (yippee)
That's 6 sticks of butter--roughly the equivalent of the butter in the Christmas cookies I ate this year.  :)

There have been some ups and downs the last few days, but, I must say the trend is mainly positive.  I am not going to win any contests here, but, all in all I am exercising daily and my nighttime eating habits are much improved.  I did eat more of a snack then I wanted to one night, but, honestly there is not too much in the house right now that is going to set me back too much.  My Wii times are getting better, but, my balance is still really out of whack.  I think that is my big belly throwing me off!

Patti, Dad and I a couple years back enjoying Ritas at Margaritaville.

Tomorrow will be a huge challenge.  I am going to an afternoon movie (Warhorse) followed by dinner out at a local Tex/Mex restaurant.  Rod and I are going with our friends Tim and Patti.  Patti and I are movie buddies.  Oh, and drinking buddies.  She turned me onto mojitos and we have shared many a blender of margaritas.  She is in good shape and she tends to eat pretty healthy.  She doesn't understand how difficult it is for me to go out and eat bad for one meal and then get right back into diet mode.  That is something I have not learned how to do...yet.  It will be hard to get her to take no for an answer when it comes to drinks and appetizers.   It will be even  harder not to lose contol tomorrow night.  Wish me luck.

I watched the Biggest Loser last night.  My favorite take away from the contestants going out to the grocery store with a dietitian was the line to treat your shopping cart like your stomach.  Only put in what you really want to put in your stomach.  I think I can remember that!




I discovered that the Free Run on my Wii Fit routine can be used while watching other programs.  I can only do 10 minutes at a time right now (at a mile and a half clip supposedly), but, it is nice to be able to watch a TV show while running in place.  And someone on a forum suggested instead of running in place, do side-to-side type tennis drills.  I love the internet--I never would have thought of that!

Oh, and big thanks to those of you who emailed privately!  I really appreciate the support.


Wednesday, January 4, 2012

Day 2: Just 26 more to go!



Really.  Should it be this hard to go for 28 days being on a diet?  I am fine now.  (I think)  But, I am having major night time cravings right now.  I want to throw open the frig and pig out.  But, I am trying to stay strong.  Blog about it...maybe the feeling will pass!

I started off pretty good.  I think the alarm was set for 6:10.  I made it out of my warm, cozy bed--I actually had to dig out past two warm, furry animals--only to be confronted with an inside temperature of 58 and an outdoor temp of 35.  Brrrr.  There goes an hour of walking.  

So I pulled out my Wii.  I started my body test.  Then the dreaded question came up.  "How heavy are your clothes"  and dang it but I chose the 4# option.  That of course made me gain weight, which just isn't fair.  But, I stuck with it and did a variety of yoga, strength and balance games for the next half hour.  Success!

The rest of the day was fine.  I work from home so there is always something to do.  I had to run out to the mall, swing by to pick up those nice reusable paper bags and then came home to cut the soap I made the day before.  It all goes smoothly until dinner time.  I made another new recipe, a lentil and veggie concoction.  It went well with the acorn squash and swai fish I microwaved.  It was pretty good.  I thought so until I saw Rod sneaking a PB&J after dinner.  That's  a sure sign of not having had enough to eat, even though there were leftovers in every dinner course.  LOL

So, here I sit.  Rod is sleeping.  Glee is over.  And I am just fine.  Maybe a cup of fat free/sugar free hot chocolate?  

Day 1: Working on the Diet


Yesterday I made soap for eight hours, and still found time to make THREE new recipes from an issue of Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking (Aug/Sept 08).   Why do I tell you this?  I am proud of myself!  I am trying for little steps that will translate into long lasting changes for my health.  Sounds doable, right?  I think so.  I am shooting for 28 days/4 weeks of good results.  I want perfect, but, I will shoot for o.k. for now.  As long as I pay attention to what I eat and how I move.  The moving was mainly centered on my right arm and stirring all that soap.  In the future,  the plan is to get out of bed early and do some walking, Wii exercising and games. 

So, what is that weird looking concoction above?  That recipe is called, "So-Good Pilaf" and it was a blend of brown rice, bulgur and pearl barley sauteed in fat-free chicken broth, some veggies and spices.  I used instant barley and instant brown rice, so it came out kind of goopey because I cooked it too long--but with great flavor.  If I could get the texture down, I am sure it is something I could add to our meals every week.  


I have never been able to make a good brussels sprout!  Back when I worked at Disney, I had some of the best sprouts I have ever eaten in my life.  They were served with prime rib and grilled potatoes, if I remember correctly--what's not to like about a meal like that!  LOL  It was a meal I had about once a month, when we could take time out for a nice leisurely lunch with some other supervisors.  I have tried to make the brussels sprouts ever since, but, they never measured up.  Until last night.  The recipe was "Spruced-Up Sprouts".  It was boiled and then steamed in a broth made with low-sodium chicken bouillon and then finished off with some sliced water chestnuts, butter, spices and lemon juice.  Butter?  Actually I used Smart Balance Olive Oil Blend for part of my day's fat allotment.  I liked them!

Shoot me a comment if you need the recipe!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Not Made in China: Cloth Shopping Bags


OK, first road block to accomplishing Resolution #3.  I look in all of my cloth shopping bags--all 15 of them--and I find bad news.  They are nearly all Made in China.  Oh, there is one made in Vietnam (my favorite little blue IKEA food bag), and one "produced" in Virginia,  one unmarked and then the paper bag made by Weyerhaeuser that apparently has it own set of issues.  See the article here:  http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/sc/0501/sc0501-paperplastic.html  

 I am going to take all those Made in China ones to my in-laws up in North Florida to see if they want to use them for toting books to the Library.  Or maybe Rod will have a use for them.  For now I will use just the Virginia bag.  I am not sure about the IKEA/Vietnam bag yet?  I need to check on the status of their workers.  :)  Oh, and the nice lady at the Albertson's grocery store is going to save the remaining EIGHT paper bags with handles for me.  For now the debate of Weyerhaeuser and old growth tree cutting will have to wait--I have shopping to do after all!!!

So, it is kind of neat that implementation of my Resolution #3 will not come at the expense of Resolution #2.  Remember, that is the one about not buying "Made in China".   It's a Win - Win.   It's all about WINNING, to paraphrase Charlie Sheen.  ROFLOL! 

Happy New Year 2012



Well, we made it through 2011.  In fact, if you blinked anytime during the month of December, you have probably just realized the Holidays are all over.  The last I can remember, it was a couple days before Christmas--we were sitting outside enjoying some drinks toasting to my BIL, Jan's birthday.  It was in the 80's.   Then...BLINK!  And here it is January 3 and it is 40 degrees out and I am enjoying a nice fire flaming away in the fireplace.  When did that happen???

So, the big question all around is--what is your New Years Resolution?  I totally get that some people don't want to fail (again) so they opt out of this tradition.  On the other hand, I like a challenge.  I even may need a challenge to succeed.



It will come as no surprise that losing weight is my number one resolution for the year.  It won't surprise you either that it has been on my list every New Year's for the last 30 years!  LOL  But, this year I have no excuses.  My last physical showed my cholesterol has tripped into the bottom of the high range (205) and the good one is still in the thirties when it should be over 40.  The last straw was my bad cholesterol, which has always been great is now starting to get worse.  So, diet anyone?  How about exercise??  I am sure this is a topic I will be talking about a lot this year.



This one is my most exciting challenge for the year.  I really believe that the number one problem in our economy is that we do not make anything in the States any more.  We buy cheap things from countries that support child labor and/or don't pay living wages to their workers.  I can't control what the morons in Washington are doing, but, I can control my purse strings.  And I can SHOUT it out online and see who listens.  So, my pledge is to buy only American made products or go without.  Even if it impacts my checkbook.  


Finally, I have been trying without success to make a habit of using cloth shopping bags.  Every week, I get in line at the grocery store and then realize that my bags are in the car.  This year, before I get in line I will make sure I have my bags.  If I don't, I will park my shopping cart while I run out to the car to get them.  See, I can add a little exercise to my shopping trip.  That is a Win-Win situation.  I think I can make this one a permanent one!   I know I have said this before, but, the only resolution I have kept in the last two decades is to return shopping carts to the corral--not to just leave them at the parking space.  Woohoo!  You can only imagine how happy that makes me to have kept ONE resolution.  Let's see if I can do it again this year!