Almost a week wearing a bugg!

This month I spent a little of my Uppercase money on a Bodybugg.  What is a bodybugg???  A bodybugg is a high tech calorie/step/activity monitor that you wear on your left arm.  It has been used on The Biggest Loser and uses a process to count these different things.

The process is based on:

Motion: The armband contains an accelerometer that measures motion from multiple perspectives.

Steps: The accelerometer counts steps by measuring the distinct patterns created by running or walking.

Galvanic skin response: When you sweat, your skin becomes more electrically conductive. This measurement helps the device understand how active you are.

Skin temperature: There’s an electronic thermometer inside your armband that monitors how hot you are.

Heat flux: When you move, your muscles produce heat. Your armband measures the heat that’s flowing from your body into the environment.

I have been thinking of buying one of these bugg's for over a year now.  I have thought of it, forgot it, lost weight, gained weight, worked out, sat on my booty and overall...the yo-yo'ing that I am doing is taking a toll on my self esteem and health. 

So, here I am...week 1.  And I know...it could be that it is a "new" thing, but at the moment...I don't feel like I am on a diet at all.

 I wear the bugg, enter my food for the day as I go(or at the end of the day...depending on the day).  My target burn according to bodybugg is 2400.  And my target calorie consumption is 1400.  Neither of those have been hard at all.  HOWEVER...the goal is to put 1000 calories between the consumption and burn.  I have noticed that I am burning alot more on some days than others.  On days that I hit the gym AND go to work, I have seen burns around 3400.  On these days I could "technically" eat 1000 more calories without going off my program.  The goal is to have a defecit of 7000 calories per week which is equal to 2 pounds.  Make sense? 

The bottom line for me is that I am not feeling "food guilt" which can de-rail all of my progress.  If I want a snickers bar...I eat it and enter it into the program!  I know that my goal is a 1000 calorie defecit for the day and as long as I get there I am "on program!"

Growing on the mind...

I am SO excited to get started with my garden this year...so excited in fact that we have
-seeds
-growing system(for seedling)
-three new plants growing in the house(money tree, sunflower, and paperwhites)
-and...a few new books and magazines!

(photo from last year..grill is now g.o.n.e!!!!)

If you remember last year, Sean built me two 3' x 12' raised planter beds(measurements are approximate...as measured while looking out the window).  Well as you can tell from the photo, I had a plan that I thought was going to work out well.  I am glad that I walked blindly into last years planting...I learned alot about what grows well here and what I want to plant more of because I didn't have enough of a harvest.

So...enter the next great idea...Square Foot Gardening!!  It is a book dedicated to helping you grow more vegetables and flowers in less space all the while saving you money(on wasted seeds) and time weeding.  I am thrilled to try this method and will take pictures along the way to document the process.  I think with any luck, and some educated guidance...I will be happier with this years garden!

Now to pray for the warm weather to come quicker :)

What a gift!

2 years ago today...

I had no idea what Uppercase Living was.  I was and still am a stay at home mom who was up to her armpits with a 10 month old and 2 year old at home.  I had no idea what getting out of the house to share a passion that I didn't know I had, would do for my self esteem.  I didn't know whether I could succeed or not at anything outside of being a mom.  Really...I am dead serious.  I didn't know that there was a life for me outside of breastfeeding and diapering.

So on February 11th, 2008 I took a leap of faith.  I didn't have any Uppercase in my home, I hadn't applied a piece of vinyl to anything, and I had no idea if people were going to "get" what Uppercase was.

The day that my starter kit came, I signed up my first recruit.  A woman called me out of the blue and wanted to know all about Uppercase and how she could sell it...I literally had to go outside to get my starter kit off my porch to talk to this woman.  I STILL hadn't applied any vinyl...

The rest is history.  God has moved me from one place to another with this company that I have been nothing but impressed with.  Since I started I have had over 160 parties, been promoted twice, made the 35K sales circle last year, earned the FREE eastern caribbean cruise with the upgrade, earned more prizes,  been to Anaheim for convention and had the priveledge of working with an amazing team of people.  My goals have all been met, and I am pushing towards some new ones!

Above all, I love helping women create the atmosphere that they are looking for in their spaces.  Paint can change a mood in a room but the words can make it yours.  Don't ever underestimate the power of words!

As I write this I can glance up and remind myself that God has been faithful to us!  It is written on my wall.

Our birthday traditions!

At 6 we take them away by themselves overnight to a hotel for swimming or theatre.
At 7 we take them to American Girl for the day.
At 8 we get them pets(seriously...reconsidering this one!)
At 9...LEGOLAND!

Yesterday I took K1 and K2 to Legoland Discovery Center in Schaumburg.  They had alot of fun and although it wasn't as big of a place as I expected(I went to Legoland in Canada when I was little), there was still alot to do!  If you haven't been there I would go!  I definatly suggest going during the week if you don't like crowds.  I can only imagine that it gets pretty busy on the weekends.

Here are a few pictures of the experience!

And just in case your wondering what we are going to do for 10.....MEXICO!!!!!!  Thanks to Uppercase, Sean and I are going to take the twins with us to Mexico next March(I am still working on earning this trip but am over 70%).  Our hope is that each year we can take a different kid with us on our FREE Uppercase trips.  K3 is waiting until July to find out where her trip will be!