Julie's Edible Bouquets freshness test

      Recently I was asked if I would be interested in helping out Julie over at Julie's Edible Bouquets ( https://www.facebook.com/#!/juliesediblebouquets ) in a freshness taste test! I ,of course, said YES.
      Today Julie dropped off 7 individually wrapped cake pops. My test began with eating one of these awesome chocolate cake pops and then practising some serious self restraint by not eating another one !LOL.
      On day one the taste is perfection. Moist cake on the inside and great quality chocolate coating it. You can truly taste the good quality.

       Day two tastes just as good as day one ! Delicious 

      Day 3 still scrumdidlyumptios ! 

So today is day 7! And I would say it was still the best cake pop I have ever eaten. I left them on my counter the whole 7 days ! I am grateful to have had this opportunity. I have learned that my self control is really much better then I thought! Thank you Julie ! 

The Lush Bodies Boudoir experience!

    I just have to tell you about the amazing experience I had yesterday! I travelled down to Williams Lake BC to do a boudoir shoot with Lush Bodies Boudoir Jana Roller Photography! She is Fantastic!Find her facebook page here... https://www.facebook.com/LushBodiesBoudoir
   
    Let me start at the beginning. I arrived at 10 Am at her studio and was greeted warmly by both the photographer and the hair/makeup stylist and we got straight to it after she offered water! I am always doing my own hair and makeup when  I get shoots done so it was a bit nerve racking to have someone else do me over but she was fast and confident and soon I looked like a super model! I could not have been happier with how it turned out! check out her web site here... http://www.toviseventessentials.com/ . She is also a party/wedding planner and from the conversations  we had she is amazing at her job!
   
    Now with my perfect hair and makeup done the hair stylist left and Jana started checking out outfits and she let me know how things would go down and she really has her setup perfect! A small space became many different backgrounds and we even went outside! I was completely comfortable in seconds and really loved how she has ideas and wants to try things and makes things perfect. I left a very very satisfied customer!!
    
   To make this even better today she posted not one but two photos of me and they are both AMAZING!Follow the link to her facebook page if you wanna take a peek and like her page her work is all stunning. I hope to work with both Jana and Tovi again soon!

Trying the IT WORKS bodywrap

         I tried an IT WORKS body wrap last night ! My measurements were 51-47-40. I used the wrap for the suggested 45 minutes. It felt tingly like peppermint.I drank 2 bottles of water with it on. After the 45 minutes. I removed the wrap and rubbed in the leftover lotion. Then  I remeasured myself. New measurements are 47-43-39. That is a pretty good amount  of loss right there . I have  one  more wrap left and will try it  out  on Monday and add to this post  the results.

Digified Photography

          So today's post  is going to be about  one of my favourite photographers! DRUM ROLL.............. Digified Photography ran by Kyliane! She is a baby/family photographer first but has done a few of my boudoir sessions as well and always excels at whatever she is doing! She makes you feel comfortable and I am always secure  in the knowledge that I am getting great quality photos for reasonable prices! Here is a link to her facebook page! ( https://www.facebook.com/#!/DigifiedPhotography?fref=ts )

         Here are a few pics from my most recent shoot with her! Enjoy!

Karters 5TH Harry Potter Birthday Party

   

 This birthday party was so much fun to plan! I think I did pretty good all by myself! It all started with picking the venue.
      We decided that bowling was a great idea and rented 2 lanes for 2 hours for 86$ which I think is not bad at all! I know now that maybe this wasn't the greatest idea as most of the time was spent just trying to get through the game with the young kids. that's not to say it didn't end up great it did and our bowling alley was very nice and helpful.

   
 So with that part done I went online to find harry potter themed party supplies. This was so hard! Harry potter is not very popular and  lots of the stuff  I found either couldn't be shipped to Canada or wouldn't make it  in time . When I was just bout to give up I found wish upon a party!( https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Wish-Upon-a-Party/133275648524?fref=ts ) They had what I needed and  it got here really fast! even had some extra glow sticks thrown in! I will for sure be using them again for future parties! here is a picture of the plates cups and table cloth!

      While online I also researched to see what everyone else was doing for this party theme. thank you pinterest! I saw many cool ideas and spent the 2 weeks before the party  in super craft mode! I knew  I had to have magic wands and found a super simple way to make some really real looking ones! I used chopsticks , hot glue ,paint and beads/wire stuff to make these amazing wands!

 

I also knew I had to have a sorting hat!! I found a tutorial online using google! I then needed a witch hat which a nice person in my community gave me fore free! With the hat  in hand I began with crumpling up brown paper bags  in pieces and then I hot glued them onto the hat. at first it seemed like it wasn't going so well but  it came together  in the end and I made one heck of an amazing sorting hat!

 

I also made all the goodies bags myself! I made them to look like broomsticks! These were one of the funnest things I made also from pinterest! I filled them with glow sticks, candy,  harry potter stickers and bubbles. I bought a bunch of twigs from the dollar store for the handles and printed of the tags!

 

 

The rest was printed off and /or painted by me! So many fun ideas! I made some signs,  house badges and ties. used cheap tshirts for robes!

The food was amazing! I ordered all my party food from Julies Edible Bouquets! ( https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10152560142275433.967371.663800432&type=3#!/juliesediblebouquets?fref=ts ) For only 150$ including delivery right to the bowling alley I got a fruit bouquet, a veggie bouquet, and a cookie/cakepop/chocolate strawberries bouquet all made to my theme! They were a huge hit and I use her services whenever possible! the cakepop one is pictured below!

I would say this was my sons greatest birthday yet and  I have no idea how  I will top it next year! But i will sure try! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



The wagon

    What to say about the wagon..hmmm....I fell off it! LOL. I know its not normally a laughing matter, but I am just so happy to be off!

          I am still working out and watching what I eat and I haven't gained back any weight yet! I am so much happier and healthier feeling when I'm not starving myself of carbs! I do think the diet is a great way to get quick results but not really a forever thing (at least not for me). I will probably follow cycle one for 1 week out of the month and see what kind of results I can get that way!

     I had a photo shoot today with Empowering pix photography and had so much fun! I love any time I get to rock one of my many awesome accessories from Vintagebox 1947! I love me just the way I am now!
   

Trying posting from my iPhone

Random picture of my blanket enjoy !

Hello again!

     I haven't been posting lately because  I have been sick :( and then  yesterday I had a tooth pulled so now I'm sore and sick! I have been staying  on the diet though and  am now down to 188.5 lbs!!  That's a pretty decent weight loss especially since  I haven't been working out. I really hope this cold goes away soon though I feel all groggy and I just don't have the energy to do anything. I will be better soon though and then I will try some more recipes and get some pics posted up here for all you people who are following me.( I don't really think anyone is but oh well.lol)

Weigh in (Day 5)

     Weigh in day had me shaking in my boots! I am not one of those people who weigh themselves constantly, in fact I don't even own a scale. So the fear of not knowing had me stepping on my Wii fit board which is not a very good judge of weight when its on carpet! It told me I gained 5 pounds!! I could have cried. I have to admit to eating a bunch of chocolate the night before after getting my stupid period.

     I arrived with my bff for weigh in and we were both convinced we had gained. She weighed in first and  lost 1 pound! I thought that meant I would have lost too but no such luck:( I went from 193.7 to 194. I almost did cry. seems silly now and I am looking forward to seeing better results next Friday!

     Lastnight I went to a naughty nightie party! I had such a nice time and didn't over eat or really eat anything bad! Bought lots of candles and a few naughty toys. I even won the honour of hostess and got 35$ off my purchase. I also got an awesome coffee mug with a super yummy smelling candle in it!

    One more thing !!! I am restarting my food journal which i gave up on for a few days! I can do this and it will get easier! Here's to Health!

Days 3 and 4

    You already know  I had  bad day and it didn't really get much better until I got my purse! I love it it's awesome. I didn't stick 100% to my diet today. I am not going to waste time feeling super bad about it. I know why my day was bad now too...That dreaded time of the month! And with weigh in tomorrow I may be paying out 2$ per pound gained:( really sucks! How embarrassing to gain the first week instead of loose. NOTE: First time I've been happy about getting my period because it means  I get to add some foods to my diet!

    So lastnight  I made salmon,green beans, and mock mashed potatoes. The salmon and green beans were yummy! This was not true of the mocked mash potatoes. I must have gone wrong somewhere with those because none of us ate them.

    Tonights delicious dinner ( was a cheat cause of all the cheese) Cauliflower pizza!! This is seriously better then delivery pizza. My whole family ate this up in seconds and thirds! Next time  I would not cook this on parchment paper so it would crisp up a bit more.

    Here is to hoping That tomorrow is a better day!

Not feeling it

       I am really not feeling this diet AT ALL today! I am  in a terrible miserable mood and  I cannot seem to figure out how to shake it. Is this just the change in foods making me so miserable or maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?ARRGGHH

      So even though my mood sucks I am planning on making cauliflower pizza tonight. I am going to use this recipe here ( http://yourlighterside.com/recipe-the-original-cauliflower-pizza-dough-2/ ) substituting low fat cheese of course. I wanna say I am excited but  my bad  mood is not letting me be!

      I am waiting for a parcel to arrive from my mom so maybe that will be what I need to get happy!

17 Day Diet Gal: Mock Cinnamon Rolls (C1)

17 Day Diet Gal: Mock Cinnamon Rolls (C1): Mock Cinnamon Rolls (C1) Recipe Author: Becky Yokeley Love 3 ounces cream cheese (cold) 3 large eggs 1/4 tsp cream of tartar ...

Day 2

     Toady was a very productive day. Meaning I cooked a lot today! I didn't exercise today and I feel kinda bad about it. Today was an easier day then yesterday and that's all I can ask!

      For breakfast I made some yummy protein pancakes! You can find the recipe here ( http://17ddgal.blogspot.ca/2012/02/protein-pancakes-c1.html ) This needs a bit of a tweak next time but was still eaten by the whole family happily enough!

     For lunch we had some yummy scrambled eggs and baked mushrooms. No recipe was needed!

     Then we have my amazing dinner! Tex Mex crockpot chicken! This is from the 1st cookbook you can buy here ( http://tksinclair.com/?page_id=1096 ) I really love this recipe! Was just perfect, not too spicy. I even have lots leftover to make up into easy lettuce tacos or anything else  I feel like!

    I have to go to the dentist tomorrow. Not fun! I will workout tomorrow too and I will be making a pizza!!!!( A completely guilt free pizza!) I'm also thinking a shake for breakfast! Night xoxox

Day 1

      It's coming to the end of the first day! I made it through with only a few temptations and I didn't act on those temptations! GO ME. This was not the perfect start day though. I called the doctors to get an appointment and they got me in  30 minutes later, which meant calling a cab asap and only 10 minutes to get ready to go. I still left the house looking pretty good! I made the appointment and then had to do a breath test that took an hour and I didn't  get to eat till about eleven thirty. Makes me even more proud of myself for not failing!

     I made an awesome dinner tonight using a recipe I bought here. ( http://tksinclair.com/?page_id=1096 ) The recipe I used  is in cookbook 1 and  is called "Dolly Parton" cabbage soup. I added in some ground turkey too and it was super yummy! Even my husband went back for seconds. Looking forward to making up some more super yummy recipes tomorrow.

The day before Day 1

     Tomorrow is the day! I have only foods  I am allowed to eat in the house and I am ready to rock this!My man is so super supportive of this and is gonna eat what I eat. My workout buddy is out of town for the week and so i won't be making it to my aquasizes or BL workout classes :( I am going to make sure to workout on my Wii fit everyday!

     A new beginning in my life and I am starting it with a new haircolor! I am dyeing my hair red as I type this.I also just took a quick run across the living room to play a round of Black Ops 2. Now  I only have 2 minutes before I have to rinse out my hair. Ttyl <3

Weigh in

        Yes today was the day! We went in and got all our measurements including a few I never expected like my neck , and shoulder to elbow. I didn't look at the measurements but  I do know my weight. I am going to post it here even though I feel a little uncomfortable sharing it. "DRUMROLL"......193.7 LBS.

        It is such a scary thought that I let myself get to this point. I am so glad though that I am getting the needed help to loose all these extra pounds.

        I gotta share that there was the cutest puppy at the weigh in! It sure made me smile seeing the sweet little "pippi" in her tiny jacket! Anouther thing that put a big smile  on my face was my husband coming home!! I hate winter because his planes are always not flying due to weather or late! I look forward to him being my support on this journey. He may not be thrilled that he will have to eat chicken but the fact that he is willing to do this with me is why I love him so much!

Almost time to begin my weight loss journey

    Well tomorrow is our first weigh in! I am pretty nervous about it! Not a big fan of people knowing what I weigh cause I sure don't look as heavy as I am! I can't believe I let myself get this bad ! I am 100% ready for this positive change!

     Today I am officially a spokesmodel for Empowering Pix Photography! I absolutely love this photographer and am lucky to also call her my friend. We have done 11 shoots together! see some pics here at her facebook page.... https://www.facebook.com/#!/EmpoweringPix?fref=ts .

      This is fast turning into a blog about everything  in my life , not  just my weight loss story! I didn't realise I would enjoy this so much! So Re welcome to my blog about all my thought about my life! Keep an eye out for some more in depth posts in regards to my favourite things and experiences!

More of my favorite things!

       I LOVE Hello Gorgeous Scrumptious bath and body products! Her soaps are amazing! I adore her perfume ( my favourite is pink sugar). And  I can't get enough of her eyeshadows ! Check her out here... https://www.facebook.com/#!/hellogorgeousregina?fref=ts

      While you are there you will notice the beautiful woman that is the face of Hello Gorgeous...Bianca Bombshell! She is my favourite pin up model and has been my inspiration in all my personal photo shoots! Check out more of her work here.... https://www.facebook.com/#!/OfficialBiancaBombshell?fref=ts

       Lets not forget the amazing Tess Munster!!(  https://www.facebook.com/#!/TessMunster?fref=ts )She is my inspiration to be OK with who I am now! I am not losing weight because  I hate myself. I am perfectly happy the way I am I just wanna be healthier. It was her page that led me to a fabulous clothing company called Domino Dollhouse! There clothing is so unique and is plus sized. They make it so bigger woman can rock what they got! I know many people who are jealous of a few of my pieces from them! Take a look here ... https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Domino-Dollhouse/153696141311426

A few of my favorite things :)

     I love to get mail and am an avid online shopper.I'm pretty lucky my husband hasn't cracked down on this very expensive habit. I love ebay and etsy. One of my most favourite places to shop is at vintagebox 1947! She makes the most beautiful and high quality vintage hair pieces and  I am  guilty of spending hundreds of dollars on stuff from her site. Her pieces really make me feel beautiful and sophisticated and cute and ..well you get the point.lol.http://www.vintagebox1947.com/index.php?route=common/home Don't take my word for it just head on over and buy up some new hair pretties and you will see for yourself the awesomeness that is vintagebox 1947!!!!!

     Today I bought a Gone with the Wind calender and I can't wait to get it! I seriously love that movie, as anyone who knows me could tell you! I really love old musicals too! Bye Bye Birdie and Funny Girl are just wonderful movies and  I always sing along. I love to sing and  I don't suck (too bad lol). My hubby doesn't mind me belting out musicals all the time. oh and I can"t forget to mention Across The Universe. I could watch that everyday and love it so much I bought all the ringtones for my phone.

     I also play World of Warcraft!! I really really enjoy playing with my guildies and am pretty decent at my character. I play a Tauren Druid named Boomboomstic. We haven't been raiding much since the Christmas holiday but we are supposed to be starting back up on Tuesday.yay! That's really my favourite part is running raids.
    
     Well I have to go to aquasizes in the morning and so I should get to bed! Nighty Night :)

very new!

I haven't really blogged before so I'll start with a little bit about myself. I am a curvy brunette with brown eyes, I have been married for 5 years and we have a perfect son.We live in an apartment and its just me and my son for half the month while my hubby is up working in the Yukon.We sure do miss him when he is away.
      I am starting this blog to write about my Biggest Loser Quesnel challenge experiences.We will be following the 17 day diet and  I am pretty excited about it! I tried it once before and it is doable! I can't wait to begin this journey to a healthy lifestyle not only for myself but for my family as well.I'm also pretty nervous as I am always sitting around doing nothing on facebook or watching netflix or playing wow and I am never very active.
      I had a son 5 years ago and my life changed so drastically and so fast that I lost myself and became a shadow hiding away in the darkness.I have not really been living so much as existing for so long I forgot how to be around people and how to have fun, how to have friends and how to be a good friend back. I cannot continue to let my life pass by while I feel sorry for myself! I want a career! I want to own a home.I want to be healthy and I want to lose weight! This is the year I stop wallowing and start living!!!!!