Speaking words of wisdom...

A Mother's Love

29.  Get a tattoo for Sophia.

 

No Regrets has done their magic again! 

I love this tattoo shop so much!

I love how my newest ink came out.

Simple. Elegant.

Located on the inside of my arm. :) 

And the quickest tattoo I ever got.
It literally took 10 minutes. LOL.

My friend Lindsey and I won a costume contest for Halloween and we both received a $50 gift certificate to the shop. So naturally, it was a great opportunity for me to get my tattoo dedicated to my daughter, my little lady bug, Sophia. 

Cheesecake!

44. Have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.    

Evan and I had dinner together at the Cheesecake Factory in NY. I have been wanting to eat there for a long time because I have heard good things about it and unfortunately there isn't one in Huntsville. However, I think there are plans to bring one to the area, so that would be really neat!

I really liked the ambiance of the place and the prices were pretty reasonable. Delicious food. I would definitely go back! I like their "Skinnylicious" menu.

 Look at all the yummy cheescake!!

 I did not eat that piece by myself. Evan and I split it. But, boy, was it oh so good! :)

My Birthday!!!

November 13th.

My Birthday!

I am so thankful to be alive and I made it to 25. 

But we celebrated early!  And we will continue to celebrate until the 13th is over! 

Evan bought me a pair of Juicy Couture earrings for my birthday! I love them. :)

On Saturday, we finally hired a babysitter for the night and the hubs and I went out with friends!

It was much needed. 

 Stefon, Me, Chris.

I love these boys! :)

 Me and the hubby! 

 I was a little tipsy...

 I hit him in his schnutz by accident. LOL.

 He was going to lick my face!! 

 Besties!

 Lindsey and Randall. :) 

On Sunday,

We went for a nature walk since it was so beautiful outside!

I didn't take  many pictures because the camera died. :( 

I really feel every birthday should be special and cherished. It's another year you're alive and another year to enjoy life. :)

Modeling Pictures (Unedited)

Modeling!

22. Pose as a pinup girl.

About a month ago, I was "scouted" on the internet to do some amateur modeling. Today was my first session in Birmingham. It was pretty interesting! I got to do some poses as a pin up girl, but they are not as easy as they look! I actually found myself cramping a little bit. I didn't realize how awkward some poses are until today. My pictures will be edited and submitted to  Badazz Chix modeling, and who knows maybe I'll get discovered, if anything I can do this as a hobby! I am learning new things about myself in the process. Like what kind of clothes look best on me, what is my "appeal" and so forth.  I am really glad I got to experience this and I had my husband's support. :) I will post the pictures on here when they are available.

This is Halloween!

57. Have a Halloween Party!

I gave Sophia and her little friends a 

Halloween party this year to celebrate!!

Definitely a big help to pinterest!

 "BOO-WLING"

This game was such a hit! The kids loved it!

 Wrap Mommy like a Mummy!

That was also a fun game that the kids enjoyed. 

I did, too!

 

I also bought little pumpkins for the kids to color and take home.

On the road again...

56. Get my Driver's License.

 I am so happy that I finally got my license back! 

It took me two tries to pass.

But I did it!

Glad to be on the road again.........legally.

Now maybe I'll get my motorcycle license, because I eventually want to learn how to drive a sports bike! :)

Words to live by.

"Don't ever let someone tell you, you can't do something. Not even me. You got a dream, you gotta protect it. People can't do something themselves, they wanna tell you that you can't do it. You want something? Go get it. Period. "

125.

17. Weigh 125lbs or less.

I am very happy to announce that I reached my ideal weight: 125.

I lost a total of 52 pounds. 42 of those pounds were lost from June 2012.
I went from a size 12/13 to a size 5! 

And boy, does it show. I feel like a completely new person! I am still having a hard time processing the number on the scale. It feels so surreal, simply because I have been battling with weight since as long as I can remember. I am so used to feeling fat. 

Me, at 177 pounds, roughly. July 2011.

The Progress....

(First 10 pounds lost!)

(34 pounds lighter)
See the difference!

Final Goal Reached: 125!
(This picture was taken 10/11/12)

"The Secret"

I have been getting a lot of emails asking what I am doing that is making me lose weight. I am glad that I have become somewhat of an inspiration to some of you. I've been there. Losing weight doesn't have to be hard. Honestly, if I can do it, you can, too! It just really takes the right mind set.
Even though I was on the "Bouari Diet," and I know that there aren't many clinics (YET) across the country. I will share what I eat pretty much on a daily basis.  I can tell you that I do NOT eat any dairy, carbs, processed foods,  cookies and cake.



Breakfast:
I have two whole eggs cooked with olive oil cooking spray, topped with salsa and a piece of fruit like a plum, apple, grapefruit or an orange.

I keep certain fruits limited like bananas, grapes, watermelon, kiwi, pineapple because these fruits have high sugar and glycemic indexes.

A healthier option would be to use egg whites instead of whole eggs. But honestly, I do not like them. LOL.

OR
I will have a cup of almond milk, organic and unsweetened, with a piece of fruit.

Snacks (2-3 snacks per day):
A serving of a fruit: Apple, Apricot, Blackberries, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Mango, Orange, Peach, Pear, Plums, Pommelo, Raspberries, Strawberries or Tangerine.

OR

A serving of vegetable (salad): Very limited on carrots and starchy vegetables like potatoes, corn and peas. Broccoli, Green Beans, any kind of lettuce and herb, cucumbers, onions, bell peppers (all colors), asparagus, okra, tomatoes.

Lunch/ Dinner: 

For lunch and dinner, I usually either have chicken, shrimp or top sirloin with green veggies like broccoli or green beans. However, the portion size of your meat should be no more than a deck of cards. With chicken breast, I just season the heck out of it and bake it. Since we don't have a grill, I pan cook my top sirloin with olive oil and I add onions and mushrooms seasoned with Italian seasoning and red pepper. Delicious.

Oh, and I only drink WATER. WATER. WATER. Lots of it.  Sometimes, since I am OFF the diet, I will indulge in a diet coke if we go out to eat. I do like that "carbonation" every now and then. But I only have 1 glass. I do not refill the cup with soda,  I refill it with water instead. You can have BLACK coffee with stevia....but luckily I am not a coffee fan. You can also have Vitamin Water Zero and Crystal Light Pure.

And that's it! LOL. That's my big secret. The Bouari diet includes products that makes it much easier to wean off carbs and other sugary products. If you can slowly wean yourself off of carbs, the pounds will drop! And you really don't need dairy in your diet. You get plenty of nutrition from lean meats, fruits and veggies.

Now I can understand that what worked for ME, may not work for YOU. But I can tell you that this DOES work. I have tried pretty much everything and this one was the only one that produced any kind of result. I lost weight on weight watchers, but I gained it back plus more.

If you have any other questions, comment away! :)

The Alchemy of Love and Lust

34. Read a book from cover to cover.

I generally read books that are informative. I really don't like to read fiction novels. I usually find myself bored once I am in the first few chapters. I don't feel like my mind is stimulated enough. I will read books on topics that interest me, like Economics, Politics, Sex and so forth.

I have read from cover to cover:

"The Alchemy of Love and Lust" by Theresa L. Crenshaw, M.D.

This book talks about how our sex hormones influence our relationships. It may be too "sciency" for some people but I actually found this book quite interesting. Some may not realize how much our hormones dictate our daily lives.

This book also answers the question: Why do men have nipples?

Apparently, a man's nipple is quite sensitive and can be compared to the sensitivity of a woman's clitoris. It is not for decoration, but for sexual stimulation!

Have you ever wondered why you feel so safe and wonderful when someone you love holds you close? It's like nothing can harm you. It's the best feeling in the world, really. You want to get away from reality? This is a good way to do it!

Oxytocin is a very interesting hormone and perhaps is that one hormone that will make you step over the line of love and lust. Touch is a very powerful resource that we have as humans and we should take advantage. Touching is good for our well being. We can't live without it.
When we touch, our endorphins rise. So does our level of oxytocin--the bonding hormone. Oxytocin bonds and attaches us to those we love and causes us to love those it bonds to.It is also deeply involved with parenting behaviors, and causes contractions of the uterus during labor and childbirth! On the negative side, it makes us forgetful and diminishes our capacity to think clear.

 The more we touch someone, the more likely we will be bonded and attached to them. It creates a bonding pattern that if persisted, will get stronger and stronger over time. And suddenly, that guy that was supposed to be a one night stand, you suddenly find yourself falling in love with him. (True story!)
If you are fighting with your loved one, it may be hard, but just hug them for a few moments. And you may notice that the anger between you two will dissolve.

Did you know that Prozac is prescribed to prevent premature ejaculation?

And that's just a general glimpse of what this book has to offer! It may answer even answer some questions that you have when it comes to relationships. It sure did with me! 

It's my life!

Cupcakes and Halloween.

21. Get a cupcake tattoo. 

I absolutely love my new tattoo.

Other than my family, there are two things in life that make me geniunely happy:

Cupcakes and Halloween.

My husband, Evan, suggested that I combine the two. And I like the way he thinks! :)

Located on my left thigh. And I am proud to say that this was the least painful tattoo I ever got! 

Love it!!!!!!

Thank you so much, Amber!!

http://www.noregretstattoostudio.com

Bowling!!

23. Join a bowling league.

49. Meet someone new.

Today I joined a bowling league with one of my best friends, Lindsey at a local bowling alley. I had a lot of fun tonight and I have met some really nice people. The league is running for 34 weeks, so till May, every Thursday, I will be at Madison Bowling alley. Right now my bowling average is 92.3. That's pretty shitty, I hope to get better as the weeks go on!

Life is beautiful...

You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough.
- Mae West

if you are going to dream, dream big.

I always say I wanna do something but never do it.

So, I am tired of sitting on my ass all day and I want to make the best out of my time here on Earth.
This is my bucket list (I will add more as I go.) My life's ambitions. 

I will write the story once I have achieved them! 

I know I am a stay at home mom and I am busy with the little one all day and every day.

But this is for me. 

To keep my dreams alive. To keep me going.

Some may come true, some may not. 

And that's okay. 

I can always find a new dream.

 

****

1. Witness a meteor shower.

2. Learn to ride a sports bike.

3. Go hiking.

4. Kayak in a river.

5. Try a cupcake from Gigi's.

6. Visit Italy.

7. Visit Finland.

8. Drive on the Autobon. 

9. Drive on the Dragon's Tail in North Carolina. 

10. Go parasailing.

11. Touch a dolphin.

12. Go on a cruise.

13. Run a 5k.

14. Work as a makeup artist.

15.  Sleep all day.

16. Have breakfast in bed.

17. Weigh 125lbs or less.

18. Ride Kingda Ka.

19. Go on a cross country road trip.

20. Visit Mentone, AL.

21. Get a cupcake tattoo.

22. Pose as a pinup girl.

23. Join a bowling league.

24. Ride a horse.

25. Go snowboarding.

26. Spend a day at a nude beach.

27. Work in a haunted house.

28. Own a BMW or Audi

29.  Get a tattoo for Sophia.

30. Receive my cosmetology license.

31. Run a business.

32. Plant a garden.

33. Pay off debt.

34. Read a book from cover to cover.

35. Buy a house.

36. Find our dollar bill at McGuires's in Destin.

37. Visit Destin, FL. Again.

38. Go to the shooting range and shoot my husband's 3030.

39.  Take Sophia to Disney World.

40. Write and publish a novel.

41. Go to a NY Giants game.

42. Actually SEE  a tornado and then run like hell.

43. Get involved in sports again.

44. Have dinner at the Cheesecake Factory.

45. Pay for someone's groceries. 

46. See Nightwish live.

47. Have a wedding reception.

48. Have a Chicago deep dish pizza from Chicago.
49. Meet someone new.
50. Win something at a casino.
51. Go rock climbing

52. Go to a winery.

53. To always be creative. (Check out my DIY crafts!)
54. To eat an entire Jim Dandy sundae from Friendly's.
55. Host a baby shower.
56. Get my Driver's License. 
57. Have a Halloween Party!

This is all I can think of right now. I will write more as the days go on.