Selfies!

 

1. These are pictures from the past 6 months or so.  I can see the weight loss from when I took the first picture until this most recent one.  When you are losing weight, you can't always see what others see.  Never mind my foundation garments stay having me looked nipped and tucked! LOL

2.  Many of these outfits are now too big!!

3. Doesn't everybody take bathroom selfies? No? Oh...carry on!

Have a great weekend!

What's For Dinner?

I started posting our weekly menu on the fridge so the family would always know what to expect come dinner time.  It also aids in giving me an idea of what to actually cook!  I freeze everything so once I have decided on a menu I place all of the meat that I will be using on a tray at the top of the fridge to defrost.  If there is some prep involved I tend to do that over the weekend like cutting up chicken, making pizza dough or even cooking rice. 

Here's what our menu looks like this week:

Kung Pao Chicken – Tender chicken tossed in a delicious vinegar brown sugar sauce, honey roasted peanuts and green onions; served over stir fried rice and fried okra

Ginger and Orange Sticky Wings – Spicy roasted wings tossed in a ginger and orange peel marmalade sauce; served with House Potatoes and a fresh green salad and a homemade Asian style dressing

Barbeque Ranch Chicken Salad – Grilled chicken, avocado, tomato, fresh roasted corn and black beans over fresh greens, served with a semi-homemade BBQ ranch dressing and topped with crispy onion strings

Homemade Cheeseburger Pizza – Sharp cheddar cheese, bacon, tomatoes, romaine and seasoned ground beef piled on a homemade pizza crust and served with a fresh green salad and homemade creamy Italian dressing

This week's ice cream will be: Peanut Butter Cup! Rich peanut butter ice cream with chunks of honey roasted peanuts and semi-sweet chocolate

 Yes. Yes, I do put the meal descriptions on the menu.  I'm a tad bit extra! LOL

What's on your menu this week?

Currently...

Enjoying – Summer weather.  Weather in the city has been rather mild this year! We've gotten decent rain and, as of this writing, have not gotten above 95 degrees!

Loving – Lane Bryant’s buy two bras get two free sale.  A new, well-fitting bra will change your life perspective OK!! LOLOL

Feeling – Tired. I have not been sleeping well…Boo insomnia Boo!

Reading - Maid to Love by Marie Force

Thinking about – Thrifting for the shelf décor. I want eclectic family funk on those shelves!

Listening to – Old School Prince, i.e. Controversy, 1999, Dirty Mind…classics!

Watching – House of Cards.  I started watching earlier this year but it didn’t pull me in. So I am going to give it another try since I am a Kevin Spacey and Robin Wright fan.  Haven't started The West Wing yet...

Making me happy – Doing more of the things that I love!

Currently...

Enjoying – Not using the oven for all of July. That is what E and I are attempting.  If it can’t be grilled, smoked or prepared stove top…it does not need to get cooked!  Even our pizzas will be cooked over the grill!

Loving – the smell of our freshly cut grass.  This has always been a favorite smell of mine since I was little. It was a sure sign of summer and that the weather was warming up and that school was almost over!

Feeling – Thankful for a successful surgery. All went well with the pacemaker battery replacement.

Reading – One Small Thing by Jessica Barksdale Inclan . I am trying to get through a chunk of my free e-books this summer.  I started out feeling sympathetic towards the wife and her unfulfilled desires but then she turns into whiny woman which is annoying.  There is an "outside child" thrown into the mix so we will see what happens.

Thinking about – posting every day in July. Seriously, it is only a thought right now! I have enough drafts…we’ll see.

Listening to – Classic Gorillaz. I introduced B to this band a while ago and she is a total Stan now! Listening to Gorillaz was her first intro to Bobby Womack (RIP); I mean you gotta be real grown to listen to old school Bobby! LOL

Watching – Nothing really.  Think I am going to start binge watching The West Wing.  I’ve never seen it but I constantly hear great things about the show. My sister has always raved about it.

Making me happy – Transforming our house to home…even if it is about eight years overdue! All of the sanding and painting and repairing…I love doing that stuff!

 

Currently...

Enjoying – All of the positive feedback I received from my Heart Health post.  Thank you all so much for reading and sharing your stories with me; for sending encouraging words and thoughts and prayers.  I appreciate and receive all of that goodness!

Loving – This orange skirt and belt I can’t wait to rock!  You know how you have an outfit idea in your head and search for the pieces to make it right? I’m doing that now!  I’m thinking hot pink and orange  or orange and leopard (I consider leopard a neutral) with some fire baubles from my sister.  I give her an idea of what I want and she runs with it! I have never been disappointed!

Feeling – Anxious. E gets his pacemaker replaced soon. He’s had it for about 5 years now and the battery is on the fritz.  Any time he has to go under, even for minor stuff, I get nervous…

Reading – Still trying to make it through Lime…I haven’t been inclined to pick it again since I last mentioned it!

Thinking about – how much fun I am going to have at a friend’s birthday cocktail party.  She and her husband ALWAYS pick the BEST places for us to hang out!

Listening to – Disclosure by Latch featuring Sam Smith. 

Watching – Nothing really, just catching up on some of my DVR’ed shows from the fall.

Making me happy – Cuddling with my best girl! She LOVES loving on us and being loved on!

Currently...

Enjoying – Making homemade ice creams! I churned a family favorite, Banana Pudding Ice Cream, this week.  Think I’m going to churn Coffee Toffee next week!

Loving – My new boring wall paint color that we are slowly adding to our walls! The entire house was painted in, what we call “puke yellow”, when we purchased. We have been putting off painting the main areas of the house for years.  However, Thanksgiving will be in our house this year so we gotta get rid of the wall color stat!

Feeling – Thankful. I have had a piss poor attitude about some things…a lot of things.  I was driving home one day, doing the whole self-loathing thing when I thought “what’s the lesson”. While I don’t think I have extracted the full lesson because the situation isn't resolved, I am thankful for my blessings nonetheless.  I am focusing on what’s going right and what’s good, doing that has brought me a measure of peace.

Reading – I am trying to read the free e-book called Lime.  I don’t think I’m going to make it through to the end though.  I will give it a couple of more chapters before I decide.

Thinking about – Visiting my hometown so I can visit my grandmother and other family and friends.  I haven’t seen my grandmother in several years so this visit is long overdue.  Plus, It would be a nice little road trip for me and B. I’m thinking during the 4^th of July…we will see!

Listening to – Old School John P Kee…I’ve needed the encouragement.  Sometimes you've got to encourage yourself!

Watching – Grey’s Anatomy Season Finale.

Making me happy – Actively doing more of what I LOVE!