South Peachy Beach Weekly (More or Less) Update

Four years ago I successfully lost 40 lbs on the South Beach Diet. That was 4 years ago and unfortunately I did not stay on a plan to keep the weight off. I've "successfully" gained back 10 pounds a year.

Diets work when you stick to them...

So...

The good news is that I began the South Beach diet once again. The first 2 weeks (Phase 1) is the hardest and tomorrow I can begin Phase 2. Phase 3 (Maintenance) will begin when I reach my goal weight.

I wasn't sure I'd get through the first week. Day 3 I was still really craving carbohydrates. But from day 4 on it got easier. I reread the book (blue), which I think is key to being successful. I relearned that:

You'll eat 3 well balanced meals a day.

You'll eat lots of vegetables (& salads).

You'll eat normal-sized helpings of meat, chicken, and fish.

The restrictions are bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, and baked goods.

As a result you'll lose between 8 and 13 pounds the first 2 weeks.

I get alot of support from people at LowCarber. Here is the South Beach break down if you are interesed. :)

Old Apocathary Cabinet

I've had a rusty apocathary cabinet sitting in my garage for some 9 years now. Shame on me. My intent was to get it restored by having it sand blasted or dipped, primed and painted. This was outside my budget, and so the cabinet sat.
Two weeks ago it was gorgeous outside and while I was looking around in the garage I pulled it out along with a wire brush and a few cans of white spay paint. I was pleased with the outcome. It is quite Shabby Chic :)
I have it in our downstairs bathroom.

Maple Syrup Farm

When I was a kid and found out what pancake syrup (maple syrup) was made of I was so a surprised that it came from a tree and that it's made right here in the north east.
Today we went on a field trip to Lock's Maple Farm for an Open House. My daughter blogged about it here and added her pretty photos. I think it was one of the most interesting experiences we've ever had as a family. It was cold, but it was educational and fun. We got to see the whole process of making syrup. You can see it here. Below is where they boil and filter the sap.


There were 3 other attractions at the farm. There was a husband wife team. The wife was making soap and the husband was demonstrating blacksmith skills with tools and a vintage looking fire stoker. A craft table was full of things for children to do a long with a lady spinning wool on a wheel and selling her treasures.




Also on the farm we got to see how the farmers wife creates spools of wool yarn for customers. She has a mini wool mill in one of her barns. You can take a virtual tour here. Having worked in a factory that used natural fibers, I have to say, I am impressed with how well she runs her little mill, it is very clean and efficient. Below, is the machine that first twists the product into single ply yarn.

Today I was thinking. How amazing is creation? There are so many things we can do with a maple tree and that is just one single type of tree. Our world is filled with so much more than maple trees.
I just finished reading Little House on the Prairie to my youngest (and my oldest was always with in earshot because she enjoyed it as well). The Ingall's had to be extremely resourceful people in order to survive and they survived well. Some nights, I had read the book in my youngest bedroom. After closing the book, saying prayers, and giving good night kissed I've looked around to see more in my daughter's bedroom than the Ingalls probably had with them as a family when they moved across the states from Wisconsin to Kansas, (besides food).
On another note :) I've started on a diet. I am 5 days in so far and doing well. It was tempting not to have something sweet today, but I made it :)

Curtain Rod Deal

Two weeks ago I ordered a new curtain rod for our front window. After almost 10 years of working with those silly $10 curtain rods, I decided to get something attractive. This window is a headache because it is big (105") and on the right side there is a pipe for the steam heat that leads upstairs. I found a heavy duty curtain rod (pole) at JC Penney. Originally it was $105 and it's now marked down to $35. I wanted to keep the total cost down, but was having trouble finding the special rings or clips that are heavy enough for drapes. Seven rings for $22 is not a bargan when you need 30 rings. ($110 yikes!) So what do I do?

As you can see I came up with something that didn't cost me a cent. From the back each pleat I took my heavy duty upholstery needle and added 7" or 8" of navy blue 1/8" grosgrain ribbon that is tied in back. When it's time to wash the drapes, the attached ribbon should do well, but I may add fray check to the ends of the ribbon to be sure.

Easy Blown Easter Eggs

Klazane explains how she hung these little treasures here. The Adventures of Mub posted about an adorable project she is working on for Easter. This has inspired me to begin working on gifts for Easter this year. Last year was our first year to make blown eggs. I have not ever tried it before because it looked too hard.
With a little coaxing begging from my kids we gave it a try. We were all thrilled that it worked and we had made alot of them.
This is how easy it is:
1. Wash all eggs with cool or warm water. You will have your mouth on the egg shell.
2. Dry
3. Poke both ends of an egg several times with a sharp sewing needle. One hole needs to be larger than the other. The smaller hole size only needs to be big enough to blow in. The bottom hole should be about 1/8" to 3/16" big because it needs to be big enough to allow the yolk out without cracking your egg. (Hint: It worked easier if we poked a circle of holes less than 1/8" apart). If you break the yolk it should come out easier :)
4. Blow your eggs into containers (like Gladware) so that you can use them. If they sit for a while egg shell pieces usually will settle to the bottom of the container.
5. Now you can wash your eggs with a little soapy water, but I think we just rinsed them off and let them air dry.
6. Decorate as usual. You may have to shake out dye that gets into your eggs.
7. When your creations are finished add ribbon for hanging.

Well, I'll be making everyone eggs for breakfast for a few weeks so that we have enough to make plenty of gifts.

Note:If you search tutorials for this you may see that they recommend you blow out the eggs after you decorate them. I think they recommend this because an empty egg does not sit in the dyed water, it floats. I didn't want to risk blowing out a masterpiece only to have it break in the process, so we blew out our eggs before hand. Hollow eggs are alot more fragile than hard boiled.


We used a white crayon and dye you get from the store to create most of these.

Respectable Sins

I finished reading Respectable Sins, by Jerry Bridges... and wow. This book addresses sins that many Christians tolerate, including me. The book begins with an important foundation and then it goes through the list chapter by chapter.

Here is the list:
* Ungodliness
*Anxiety and Frustration
* Discontentment
* Unthankfulness
* Pride
* Selfishness
* Lack of Self-Control
* Impatience and Irritability
* Anger
* The Weeds of Anger
* Judgmentalism
* Envy, Jealousy, and Related Sins
* Sins of the Tongue
* Worldliness

A friend of mine read this book with his Sunday School class. His wife told me on the last day they talked about the book, he asked the class, "How can you keep mindful of these lessons/chapters? What would your guide be?" After people mentioned different things he had everyone look at 1 Cor 13:4-8.When she told me I was really struck at how those verses beautifully wrapped up the whole book.

4Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant,
5does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered,
6does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth;
7bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away.

If I were to recommend a good book to a Christian wanting to grow in sanctification, this would be it.

Red Tail Hawk and Babies

I thought I'd share this exciting find. There is a red tailed hawk that has nested in a window at the Franklin Institute. We've been watching it for about a week and then Monday (9th) the female laid an egg. The hawk can lay an egg every day or every other day for a few weeks.

Here is the link. I had a neat video box on here, but for some it may take forever to load because it is live :)

http://www2.fi.edu/hawknest.php

Diary

This diary entry is too funny not to post. Lizzy who is 7, writes from time to in a locked electronic journal/diary. If she doesn't say the password correctly the cat on the cover will hiss at her.
Under her name she wrote her name with Viking Runes because that what what she learned in history today. :)

Snow Day! Yay!

The birds seem happy to have full bellies. Their coats are fluffed up from it being so cold:)

We only have about 2 inches right now but it is still snowing. I love it, it is so quiet outside :)

Even though I look forward to spring, I love it when it snows and today is my husbands first night off of work, and so no one has to drive in the snow. Those shovels will be put to work soon after we finish up with school.