Messy Mondays: Ten Ways to Get the Right Guy to Like You

Ten Ways to Get the Right Guy to Like You

I couldn't have said it better myself.  For all of you teen girls - you have VALUE!  For all of you parents of teens -watch this, and then get your teen daughters to watch this too!  

Happy Monday!

 

My Nephew Ryder . . .

I was blessed yesterday because I was able to spend the whole day with my 14 year old nephew, Ryder.  Every year, I take him and his two siblings out  for the day to do a little birthday shopping and whatever else we might want to do, or are able to fit into our "day out" time frame.  I look forward to it so much because we get one-on-one time, which is a precious and rare commodity.  I know  because I have the same  challenges with my own three kids.  The bad part about yesterday is that his birthday was in August so quite a lot of time had elapsed.  Fortunately, kids are forgiving in that regard.

This blond haired cutie just brings so much joy to my heart.  Not only is he blond and handsome, but he has a heart that is golden.  It is tender, sweet, and kind.  He loves God and loves little children. In fact, he plans on having quite a few when he is an adult - some adopted.  The highlight of yesteday was when I asked him what kind of music he likes and he said he liked oldies music.  I asked, "like in the 80's?"  He said, "yes".  Lol.  He did add that I  am  NOT old, but he just wasn't born in the 80's, so it was old to him.  Gotta love him, I sure do!

Great New Paleo Recipe - Smoked Paprika Chicken Thighs

I  find myself looking for new recipes since going Paleo.  I still have my favorites,  but I needed something new, easy and different.  I fell in love with the Smoked Paprika Chicken Thighs. Make sure you use the smoked paprika, and not the regular paprika because that smoky flavor just can't be beat!  The recipe calls for chicken thighs with the skin-on, but I had already purchased skinless organic chicken thighs at Costco so I used those instead, and they were still delicious.  I also used grapeseed oil in this recipe and drizzled the thighs with a grapeseed oil before cooking since these were skinless.  I served this dish with a side of steamed veggies and had a very filling and satisfying dinner. 

Did you know spices are good for you?  They were used  for medicinal purposes.  So stock your pantry with some new ones and give them a try.   Not only are they healthy, but they add so much flavor to even the simplest of meals.  I actually enjoy searching through the spices at Homegoods and Marshalls.  You would be surprised at what you can find  for half the price!

 

My Jewelry . . . on Etsy . . . all of it!

Yep, it's all on Etsy . . . all 201 pieces of jewelry left over from my Emmie-Lou Designs website.  (And did I mention that most everything is 50% off?)  I am clearing out my older inventory, making room for the new stuff.  I took a hiatus as I was dealing with some "stuff" in my life,  but now I am ready to get back to it in a small and different way.

I still have my website up, because my main email address goes through my web-hosting and is connected to my website.  I need to remedy that but changing emails can be such a pain and I am not quite ready to make all of the change-overs just yet.

Below are a few of the goodies I have on Etsy - go take a peek!  It's all there, in my ETSY shop!

Have a wonderful weekend!

Nobody said it was easy . . .

For those of you who don't know, Landon has been gluten-free for a little over a year and a half.  To make a long story short, we found out that he had many allergies; gluten and dairy being two of them.  Since taking the gluten and dairy out of his diet, things  have been much improved for him.  However, living this way as a little boy is not always easy.  I can understand. 

About a week ago, I found a folded up flour tortilla in his room, on the  floor.  I thought it odd, but just picked it up and threw it in the trash.  A few days ago, his sister came to me with 2 folded up tortillas that she had found under his bed.  I asked him about it and all he could say was, "it's hard!"  And you know what, it is!  Making important life changes to ones diet is not easy. For him, it is gluten, and dairy.  For me, it is going full-tilt Paleo . . . most of the time.  I can't say that I will NEVER eat mexican food  again, or tart frozen yogurt with fruit on top, or pizza . . . because I can't imagine it. But  I know it will  be the exception and not the rule.

Kevin and I get up at 4:30 three times a week to go to boot camp at 5:00 in the morning.    I am not a morning person, and it is hard.  In fact, we have a new trainer now, and  the routine is different.  I find myself struggling through it, and not liking it much of the time.  I get frustrated thinking that I should be a lot further along, but I then have to remind myself that most of the population wouldn't even be able to do what I have been doing . . . and a year ago, I wouldn't have been able to do it either.  I remind myself to have perspective.

For me it is about the quest for optimum health throughout the rest of my life.  I want my family to be healthy too.  Kevin has a lot of health issues on his side of the family.  He lost both of his parents so I know he can't take his health lightly. 

I urge you to begin somewhere  - anywhere.  Just get started.  One step at a time, one day at a time.  Don't expect perfection, but just do something.  You  can do it - just like we're doing it.

 I am going to help my son by no longer buying flour tortillas for his sisters.  We have brown rice tortillas, and corn tortillas and everyone can eat those.  My hope is that the kids will one day be more Paleo too, but just because I dove in, I need to give them grace on their journey.  And yes I am the parent, but still . . . it is their journey and they have to want to do it.  Small steps equal great big steps in the long run, so take those small steps, won't you?

Happy Wednesday!

Monday . . .

It's Monday . . . Happy Martin Luther King Day! For most of us, that means the banks are closed, the post office is closed, and our kids are home from school today.

I also decided to NOT go to the gym bright and early this morning. I have no guilt and am glad I made that decision. Sleeping in has become a luxury for me and sometimes we need to allow ourselves those little luxuries. I did get a facial this morning and it was so yummy! I highly recommend them once in awhile.

I am in my third week of Paleo and feeling good. I have learned that if I don't prepare, I will possibly run into trouble. Saturday night I went to see a movie with Kevin. The problem is that I was hungry because we didn't have time to eat beforehand and the popcorn smell was definitely calling my name. I didn't answer  the call, but I was feeling kinda grumpy. It is a good idea to have some trail mix, plain nuts or jerky in the car . . . for those "just in case" moments that will inevitably pop up.

I am not yet down on my weight, but I feel lighter. Body composition is supposed to be one of those things that changes pretty quickly. Mainly I keep thinking about the health benefits. As a society, something has "got to give". Right now it is our health - but more on that later.

I am off to have a little fun with the kids. I hope you are doing the same. Back to the grind tomorrow. Enjoy the day!

Happy Birthday Ladybug!

It's that time again . . . Ladybug is 5 years old today! Yes, she is our very loved (albeit a pain in the backside) Greyhound/Whippet/Saluki dog. Happy Birthday Ladybug!

We didn't quite make it out to Petsmart today (shame on us!) We will have to get over there tomorrow instead. (Fortunately she is a dog so she doesn't know the difference!)

Have a great night - and a great day for those of you who have Monday off. I am debating whether I am going to go to bootcamp at 5:00 a.m. tomorrow, or sleep in. It's not often that luxury happens!

More Jewelry Goodies Listed in My Etsy Store - 50% Off!

I just finished listing more of my older inventory in my Etsy store. Take a look if you want some great deals. I have never had a sale where I offered a discount of 50% off. Please know that I use the best beading supplies available, including lots of sterling silver (which is quite costly these days!) Below are a few photo's of some of my favorite pieces just listed. Enjoy!

Blue Bird on Nest Bracelet

Greyhound Bracelet

Chunky Rustic Pearls Bracelet


Have a wonderful evening and Happy Monday! Make this week a good one!

Why I Chose Paleo . . .

I hope my Paleo journey will inspire those of you who need it. We all need a little inspiration now and again, don't we? Part of the reason I will be blogging about my Paleo journey is for myself. It gives me focus, and something to look back on as I progress. It also keeps me accountable. I need that accountability in my life. So here goes . . .

About a year and a half ago, I was at my highest weight, I felt gassy, I was bloated, my cholesterol was slightly elevated, and I just didn't feel like myself mentally. I soon found out that my son Landon (who has many allergies to certain nuts, salmon, dogs, cats, dander, grass, feathers, etcetera) had a dairy and gluten allergy - and since it is hereditary, this meant that I most likely did too. (Ahhh, that would explain the stomach issues!) Well, for the most part, I dropped the dairy and all wheat products and just ate corn, rice and potatoes along with a mostly healthy diet. I also began working out on January 3, 2011. I got to the point during this past summer where I was attending boot camp, taking spin classes, and doing kickboxing classes 5 to 6 days a week and sometimes 2x per day. I shed just a small amount of weight but I did lose 8-10 percent body fat. This is all great, and I feel much, much better but I still could not shed those extra pounds that I know I needed to lose. It was frustrating and I am still not comfortable in my own skin.

I heard about the Paleo diet several months ago. My friend talked about it and I read briefly about it. I knew I wanted to try it. This past December the holidays set in and I ate things I shouldn't have, which of course made me feel bloated and fat. This prompted me to start reading about the Paleo way of life. I started with "The Paleo Solution" by Robb Wolff. I then bought and read "Everyday Paleo" by Sarah Fragoso. (This is where I am getting a lot of my great recipes!) Currently I am reading, "The Primal Blueprint" by Mark Sisson. All are great books and it just makes sense! Basically you eat just like your ancestors ate, which would include mostly lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables including yams and sweet potatoes, nuts, seeds, and a little dark chocolate. In my case, I don't necessarily believe that we have been on this planet for millions of years, but I can go as far back as Adam and Eve, and base my diet on what they ate. It makes a lot of sense, and if you decide to read about Paleo, you will see why. It explained a lot as to why I am not losing weight.

So, today has been my 7th "official" day doing Paleo. I feel good and I have lost several pounds, which is a huge deal for me. I even decided to take Mark Sisson's 6 month challenge, which meant that I had to actually take and send him pictures today. I gotta say, I have come a long way, but that was still hard to do. (I am not quite brave enough to post them here right now.)

So that is the kind-of short version about why I decided to go Paleo. A year ago, I set a goal of 2 years to get myself in the kind of shape that I wanted to be in. I now have a year left, and I feel completely good about the workout part of my plan. I know I am getting stronger, and building muscle - I can see it, but now it is time to do the rest of it, so that is what I plan on doing. Feel free to join me, and let me know how you are doing. I would love to hear about it!

Take care,

Emmie-Lou Designs 50% Off Sale on Etsy!

For those of you who know I design jewelry (and even if you don't), I am in the process of closing my Emmie-Lou Designs website. I have moved most of my inventory over to my Etsy store. At the same time, I have decided to have a 50% off sale on most everything in my inventory. I have never had a sale like this before, so please take a look if you are interested in some handcrafted jewelry for a steal.

I plan on moving in a different direction this year. I will be headed towards working on more stamped sterling pieces . . . as time allows. Due to "life" circumstances; this past year and a half or so has left me with little time to indulge in my creative side and I really miss it!



Also, some of my sister's amazing handmade greeting cards are also in my store. Yes I know, Robin is my sister - which automatically makes me biased, but truly, these cards are gorgeous, with amazing attention to detail. My sis is one talented gal.

Well it is getting late on a Friday night. Let the weekend begin!

Reconstructing . . .

Don't mind the mess right now. I am trying to update pictures and change some things around. It has been awhile and I am having a difficult time so bare with me as I try to make these changes!

Paleo - What I had for dinner . . .

Butter Chicken for Dinner - Yum!

Day two of Paleo and things are going well. I have not been overly hungry at all. Tonight for dinner we had Butter Chicken served over red chard. Red chard was a new one for our family. Steamed, I thought it tasted a lot like spinach. I would eat it again. The kids however, would prefer not to!

Here is the recipe in case you would like to try it: http://everydaypaleo.com/2010/08/11/better-butter-chicken/

Have a great night. I will be writing my "why" later. Too tired to do it tonight.

Happy New Year 2012 and a Paleo Beginning!

Happy New Year everyone! I still cannot believe that we are all the way through 2011. I guess the older you get, the quicker times flies. However, my teenage daughter has even been talking about how fast this past year went.

Our family already eats mostly gluten and dairy free and I would say that our diet is much better than the average diet of an American family but still, I know that there is more I need to do so I started really looking into the Paelo Diet - not as a "diet" per se, but as a lifestyle, which is how it is meant to be. I am one of those people who has been trying for the past year to lose weight through an improved diet and lots of exercise. The more I have been reading, the more I KNOW that embracing the Paleo lifestyle is what I need to do. So today is my "official" day 1 of eating Paleo. I will talk more about my "why" this week. Feel free to follow my journey because I look forward to seeing major results. Blogging about this is as much for me as it is for anybody who needs/wants to make some dietary changes. I am looking forward to the ride - feel free to join me!

Sincerely,

Happy New Year . . . a little late!

Happy (late) New Year from the Moran Family

I am behind on everything right now. Life got a hold of me at the latter half of last year and I just didn't keep up. So I am late. I am still planning on sending New Years cards (since I didn't get Christmas cards out.) I better hurry on those too, hadn't I?

I have decided to de-clutter my life this year, as much as possible. I am closing my Emmie-Lou Designs website after a lot of thought. I just need to get a new email address first because my current email address is tied to my website. (That is on my list of "things to do".) As I sit here, I am looking at Christmas presents that I have had wrapped and ready to mail since before Christmas but my boxes were thrown out and so I need to find new ones. Another thing on my "to do" list. Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you de-clutter, you make more clutter first? I need to take a week and go through my whole house, cleaning and organizing as I go. Maybe next week?

I have some great plans for 2011 but I was careful to not make any promises to myself that I can't keep. Big changes are coming . . . I just have to be consistent.

I hope this is the year where you can make some important changes too . . . one day, and one step at a time!

Happy Tuesday - have a fabulous week!

Love,

Kitty needs a good home . . . anyone?

A few days ago Savannah found a sweet little kitten, by looking at her, and knowing where she was found, I would say she was abandoned. She was quite hungry, and a little thin. We can't have cats for several reasons, one being that Landon (and Savannah too we found out) are highly allergic. I have been calling no-kill shelters but they are busting at the seams. People are leaving their animals tied up outside, abandoning their own pets at these shelters.

It makes my heart so sad. These are God's creatures and they need to be cared for too. Today I am taking fliers and putting them out in the hopes that someone will want to give her a loving home. The next option is the kill-shelters, of which I can barely stand to think about.

This kitty is the mildest-mannered, most gentle kitty around. If you are looking for a kitten, please leave me a comment with your email and I will get back to you. (You will have to live close by Palm Springs, California though.) She would make a very amazing and wonderful pet for someone. All she desires to do is to sit in someones lap and purr. Currently she is outside, which is not a very safe place for her where we live.

Day at the Pumpkin Patch!

Kids at the Pumpkin Patch

Landon found a pumpkin!

Emma found one too!

The bees were everywhere! (We didn't like that part!)

We went to the Pumpkin Patch this past weekend. It has been so hot that I wasn't sure it was going to be cool enough to go, but the weather ended up being perfect. We shopped for little pumpkins, I took many photo's (much to the kids dismay), and I shopped in the gift shop (which was awesome!) I bought some cute Fall decorations. Our friends (Linda and the kids) met us there. It was a very lovely day!

I have lots more pictures I wanted to add but I can't seem to get them to load today for some reason. Weird. Anyway, I added a few. I think Fall pictures at "the Patch" are some of my favorite to take during the year.

How is your Fall going? It is my very favorite time of year!

Have a fabulous week!

Eating Gluten-Free

Tonight Landon said that eating gluten-free is kinda hard, but kind of easy too. Sometimes it is challenging for me not to feel bad for my little boy. At times there are foods such as pizza or cupcakes that are brought into school and he has to turn them down. The teacher has special gluten-free treats in her desk that he can have during those times, but my mommy heart just wants to cry for him sometimes.

Tonight we had homemade tostadas (fried in expeller-pressed canola oil), smashed pinto beans, organic ground beef, shredded romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, avocado (for me), sliced black olives, and yummy chipotle salsa from Fresh & Easy. I thoroughly enjoyed watching my family eat those tostadas in record time - especially Landon, because he enjoyed them SO much, and that is such an important thing.

Tonight before bed, Landon whispered his request for tomorrow night, "Mommy, can we have chili with cornbread?" (I noticed that he didn't ask for the salad that I make him eat along with said meal. :) I am glad he is finding things that he likes. It warms my heart and makes my efforts all worthwhile.

Happy Friday - I am so glad it is here!

My Boy . . .

My boy . . . isn't he cute?

He is as sweet as he is adorable. He is a bright light when life sometimes feels as if it is closing in. He is a love. He feels for others and wants to make them happy. He is a gift that I am so glad God saw fit to give me.

Isn't he great? I think so!

xo,