My PB + J

the meal plan

i have been asked several times, what exactly are you eating? so i figured i would share my weekly meal plan. since i am starting week three tomorrow i finally mapped out what i am eating for the entire week. yeah, it might change that day but at least i have it nailed down based on the foods i have purchased or already have on hand. this should make for an easier week and for less temptation to jump ship. if you have any questions about recipes or anything let me know and i will be happy to share them. you’re going to notice the green tea after every meal, it’s to help burn fat. on top of the tea i am drinking a minimum of eight glasses of water.

Week 3 of 17-Day Diet:
Meal  Plan
Even Days: Accelerate Plan (Cycle 1 Plan)
Odd Days: Activate Plan (Cycle 2 Plan)
Monday 1/23:
Breakfast: oatmeal / egg whites / orange / green tea
Lunch: chicken salad / ½ cup brown rice / yogurt / green tea
Dinner: ½ cup split pea soup / yogurt / green tea
Snack: veggies / homemade hummus
Tuesday 1/24:
Breakfast: egg whites w. turkey sausage / grapefruit / green tea
Lunch: super salad w. chicken & hard boiled egg / green tea
Dinner: sesame tilapia / roasted cabbage / yogurt / green tea
Snack: smoothie
Wednesday 1/25:
Breakfast: Dr. Mike’s power cookie / pear / green tea
Lunch: chicken / black bean & corn salad / green tea
Dinner: grilled steak / baked potato / roasted asparagus / green tea
Snack: 1 cup raspberries w. yogurt
Thursday 1/26:
Breakfast: Kefir smoothie w. blueberries & blackberries / green tea
Lunch:  tuna  lettuce wrap /  green tea
Dinner: baked zucchini parm / Spaghetti Squash / green tea
Snack: orange / yogurt
Friday 1/27:
Breakfast: Dr. Mikes power cookie / grapefruit / green tea
Lunch: hamburger / tomato slices / cottage cheese / green tea
Dinner: grilled pork chops / sweet potato / green tea
Snack: pear
Saturday 1/28:
Breakfast: greek omelet / orange / green tea
Lunch: salad / yogurt / green tea
Dinner: BBQ chicken / veggies / green tea
Snack: fruit & cottage cheese
Sunday 1/29:
Breakfast: oatmeal / egg whites / grapefruit / green tea
Lunch: fruit salad (cottage cheese & fruit on lettuce) / green tea
Dinner:  turkey chili / salad / green tea
Snack: smoothie

the versatile blogger

when amira from shades of gray gave me the versatile blogger award i giggled out loud. btw, have you gone over to her blog yet? i have mentioned her a few times, we grew-up in the same town, we were on yearbook together, i baked her wedding desserts. she is such a cute person. go visit her site. you’ll be checking back daily. . .promise!

i haven’t gotten one of these in a while, but this one fits me. i am a versatile blogger. i need a focus for this blog besides me rambling about the kids. do i craft? yes, do i cook? yes. am i a mommy blogger? yes. i guess that’s where my versatility comes in.

anyway- this award requires me to share 7 facts about myself, here i go:

  1. i am a bow/clippie and cupcake liner hoarder. good thing for my daughter who has an amazing collection of hair adornments and good for anyone i know that gets gorgeously lined little cakes. 
  2. i have to fill in my eyebrows. MAC “wedge” is what i have been using since i was eighteen to fill-in my blonde eyebrows. 
  3. i have an obsession with cake/dessert plates. 
  4. my grandma was in the wizard of oz. 
  5. i used to be a bowler. first two years of school were paid for thanks to bowling scholarships. just say it, you’re a dork melissa.
  6. i battled severe post partum depression after my daughter was born and still get some anxiety over certain people/events/occasions. 
  7. i could eat crusty bread with slightly melted butter everyday. 
and now, i get to see what a few other bloggers will say. problem is, who will see this and will they actually do it. 
since i am trying to get janelle some lovin’ on her blog and she’s pretty funny i choose her. click here.

danielle at simmworks family blog.

amanda at the life so sweet blog. 

walk, walk, walkedy, walk

it all started when hubby bought me new shoes for our post Christmas gift exchange. my feet grew half a size with this pregnancy so my previous shoes hurt like crazy. such a sweet hubby, in all reality he wants a skinny wife back so i see right through him. but it’s okay. i want to be a skinny wifey too. 

the shoes are super comfy so i load the kiddos up and we embark on our 3.4 mile walk to starbucks. this happens once or twice a week. 
pay gets her usual mini “dough-no” and chocolate milk. they were out of pink today so she happily settled for the fudge variety despite the missing “canies” (sprinkles). brayden looks on perplexed as to why he is stuck with formula. in time sweet boy. 

she makes sure not to miss a crumb of chocolaty goodness, thank god, otherwise i might have bit her fingers off. 
afterwards the mini-me insists on walking home. stopping to pick-up leaves, push crosswalk buttons and countdown as we race across the street. mommy needs to work on her not showing her underoo’s. 
and she has to stop and tell mommy, “woah! big truck mama, LOUD!”
we make it home safe and sound and eat our reward of a subway salad. fun, huh? aren’t you glad you stayed to read that?!?

a Letter To Brayden – 3 Months

Dear Brayden-
  Today you are three months! You are growing into a little boy and it is so fun to watch how fast it is happening. I am in awe of you on a daily basis and I continue to smother you with my kisses. I cannot help myself. You are such a happy baby, so happy to the point where I am worried once you have your surgery in two weeks that the restrictions will put a damper on my baby’s happy demeanour. You are so your daddy. Speaking of your daddy, it is funny looking at you two side-by-side. I now understand what he and everyone else see in your sister and I. You have really started cooing, and just the other day you started to giggle. It truly warms my heart. You follow objects really well, especially me. Your daddy says you only love me, I know this is not true, you’re just my little boy. You have found your hands and yesterday you discovered your legs. You love to sleep with your hands on your face or on top of your head. You are a little snuggler which I love. You started sleeping through the night last month and now you go down around 9 PM and wake-up around 5 AM. Thank you. Even though, I am holding you, I don’t mind. I sleep better with you in my arms. You were also given rice cereal because you started sticking your tongue out…a lot! We tried with a few spoonfuls and you loved it. Today you at about fifteen spoonfuls. You still act like you aren’t getting enough to eat but you’re constantly eating. You drink 4-8 ounces every few hours. We’re going through formula like crazy over here so we are hoping that the addition of cereal will help curb your appetite a little. This is your last month with your cleft. We are two weeks away from the big day and tomorrow we meet with your pediatrician to get the clearance of health so we will be on a lock down for the next few weeks. I get anxiety over what your new face will look like. You are such a handsome baby and the repaired lip is only going to make things better. I just pray that you can start sucking on the pacifier afterwards, your suction now has it days. 
three-month stats:
  • 13 pounds 3 ounces, again up just about three pounds since last month. Keep it up! 
  • Size 2 diapers
  • 3-6 month clothing 
  • sleeping 8+ hours at night, we wake-up change your diaper and get a bottle and then you are back down for another 3-4 hours, giving us just about 12 hours total. Plus you take a good 3+ hour nap in the late afternoon. 
  • you have rolled over on our bed and made it 98% of the way on your mat. 
  • still lovin’ your swing.  You sleep in there from 5 am until 9 am or whenever your sister gets up. 
  • the activity mat is getting a lot of use, too! you can now grab the toys above you and coo at yourself in the mirror. 
love you brady-boy! 

it’s a weekly thang {weigh-in wednesday}

this week was little harder for me. my cold that has lingered finally kicked my butt so there were a few days where the sound of broccoli or heaven forbid eating another spoonful of yogurt that was burning the crap out of my throat was totally out of the question. so, I ate what sounded good. i didn’t go off the plan that much but while sick it’s a pita to diet. i made it to spin only once because of a fever so i did not expect to lose major weight this week. i still have three days left of the first 17-day cycle so i need to lose a pound per day to get to my twelve pound goal. doable? let’s hope.


my starting weight: 170 
today’s weight: 161
total weight loss for week one: 6 pounds
total weight loss for week two: 3 pounds
pounds away from goal #1: 21
pounds away from goal #2: 31

how were your numbers? i’ll come back on friday and report my 17-day total.