TGIFriday... I am so ready

Well, things just keep getting crazier and crazier in the Halvorsen household. I am waiting for details on when we are going to move but in the meantime I am working on getting things going with Pampered Chef, my workout sessions, and life in general. I feel so much better about myself these days and am so ready to move on to bigger and better things.

Aspen will be finished with Kindergarten next week and I am so ready for it to be over with. She is suffering from Summer Fever and just doesn't want to cooperate in the mornings. Granted I don't blame her. I am just ready to have a bit of a break from getting her to school. It is just not worth the struggle anymore. We will miss her school next year though. Bluff Ridge has been amazing and I have loved Mrs. Henderson. I, however, cannot wait to move into our new house, get organized at last, and just move on to our new life. I am really liking the positive changes I am making but just want to be settled in not in the state of utter caous that I feel like I am living in with moving boxes surrounding me and the endless stacks of stuff.... My goodness where did it all come from.

I better go get my workout in before more boxes come my way so that I can get more packed. Eek. Will the stuff ever disappear. Have an amazing weekend.

Happy Wednesday

Good Morning. I decided that I would take the time to get on and type a message today since it has been much too long. With move approaching me at the speed of light and everything else involved with being a mom I just haven't had the me time I would like to do things like this. Plus, I have started selling Pampered Chef again because well, I love the stuff and it was a great outlet for me. My adorable lil' Sis Heidi is hosting a party for me tomorrow and I am sooo excited. It is going to be so much fun. We are doing a Power Cooking party which allows the hose to have two freezer meals at the end of the night and possibly three depending on if there are leftovers after the guests leave. It is going to be a blast and I can't wait to get together with her and enjoy a day of catching up.

I have been working out hard again and have lost 4 1/2 pounds this week. It feels great and I am determined to not slack off again. I need to put my needs at the top of the priority list again. Here we are finishing up the school year and everything else so it is a great time to make the changes I need to make.

A Beautiful Day for Walking

Today I met my awesome friend Donna at the Legacy Parkway Trail and we walked 4 miles without kids. This was a lot of fun and a great break. I have been so extremely busy getting ready for my move that I just forget to get on here and don't have time for enjoying things like this very often these days.

Donna has started using TAIslim and loves how it makes her feel. It is crazy how much better something so simple can make you feel. She looks awesome already but all of us see the flaws in ourselves so if she can make the positive changes that make her feel the way she wants then what more can you ask for.

Well, I had better get back to work. I can't wait to be in my new house and have my life back. Hope everyone is well.

Hello Again... One day I will be back for real

Life in the Halvorsen home has been insane. Our move has changed which gives me more time to get ready but it is sad to think that I still have to wait another 8 weeks. I just can't wait to get into my new pretty house up on the mountain side. I might just have to sing "The Hills are Alive...."

I have been working on getting ready for a yard sale and today was the big day.... the big day for rain that is. I got up at 3, got everything ready to go on my lawn and driveway and just as I thought I was ontop of it.... the rains came tumbling down in full force. It didn't end so at 8:30 shivering as I was I decided to pack it up and postpone until next weekend.

Now I look outside and it has finally stopped raining but you know what it is just not worth the trouble, besides the serious shoppers would be done by now anyway.

I think that my cute little Dylan is finally healthy again. Man, it has been a tough month. She just couldn't get over the crummy stuff that had attacked her at full force. She has put her weight back on and is starting to be her little independent self again.

I ran a couple of times this week, but really need to get on the ball if I am going to do the race in August. I need to make the time for myself but with Boyd working so many hours it is hard to get that time in there. I guess if I wanted to go running at 9:30 at night it would work out just fine but after a full day of dealing with my great little troublemakers I just don't always want to leave the house that late at night.

I am trying to think of what recipe to offer tonight..... hmmm. I got it let me see if I can find it and if so you are in for a pleasant taste of the South.

Darn, I will have to look some more and if I can get back on here today I will add it. It is a favorite of mine. It makes my lips water just thinking about it.... No, I will not give away the secret.

Gotta run, literally, I am going to go get my workout in now before I get too tired after my lack of sleep from last night. Have a great one and I will come back to you soon. Hopefully tomorrow but no later than Monday. I will do my best to find my recipe for Yum Yum Ribs (ok, so I can't remember the real name, but as long as you use ribs without much fat, these are not very high in calories.)

Adios, Amigos and Amigas.....

I Really Am Back

Everytime I think my adorable little Dylan is better something else happens. She ended up with a horrible cough and then hives covering her little body. She has not been healthy one day in the last month and it has been tough on my sanity and ability to do what I want, but she is my baby and she definitely comes before other things.

I lost 1 1/2 pounds since yesterday and am feeling great again. I really do love how much better I feel when I drink TAIslim and will not forget this matter again. Like Boyd says it only takes a couple of minutes but when your mind is focused on sick kids you don't think straight.

My mom has lost another 3 1/2 pounds and my bff Haylee is looking amazing. She is a rockstar. She is my inspiration. She looks better than well... I have ever seen her. WOW, Hay, you are amazing.

Today is a rainy cold day, and I am going to figure out a fun exercise routine to make the house a little more lively. I am also going to go to my parents to get my running in. I have been slacking with that but I do truely want to run the half marathon with Haylee so I need to get my bum in gear.

Yesterday I rollerbladed for the first time in .... lets not say since it will really age me ;) I still don't know how to stop (I grew up in the rollerskating era where the stoppers are on the toes not on the back of one foot) so I would try and hit a grassy spot whenever I came to a hill. Let's just say my accomplishment of the day was that I did not fall. It actually was a lot of fun so next time I am going to go to a flat track that I can just go around in circles. It is a great workout and it goes a lot faster than walking as far as distance goes and I would imagine it burns about the same number of calories.

Well, I am off to wash laundry, get a workout in, and start getting ready for the move. Hope everyone has a great day.... Keep smiling it makes people wonder.

Sunny Sunday

Good Morning. It is such an amazing day and I am so excited to get a start on the new week. It has been so crazy here and I know I need to get on here more often, but I just don't seem to have enough time in the day these days.

For those of you that don't know we are moving next month and I forget how much work is involved in this every time. This is it.... I do not want to move again and the new house is perfect so we shouldn't have to again. I can't wait to get cooking in my new kitchen. It is huge, the cooks dream kitchen. I am ready to throw some amazing dinner parties.

Well, I am on track to start losing weight again now that I have taken a break from exercising and eatting well... not by choice but with Dylan being sick for so long it just throw my good habits that I had begun to build go down the drain. I do still feel amazing and have been off of my meds for a month without it affecting me in the negative. This is great because I didn't want to feel like I depended on something like that to be a good mom.

My bff Haylee is reaching her goals quickly since she started taking TAIslim and I am ready to catch up to her. She looks amazing and is just a little away from her goal. I am ready to look amazing and be just shy of my goals so here it goes. I am taking a pledge and writing it down for all to see that starting today I am back to making the best habits possible. Once we move I will just have to walk up and down my stairs several times a day and I will get a good workout ;) I will also have to start mowing our half acre and that will help with making good changes also. Crazy to think that we will have such a huge yard after having nothing for so long. I guess there are advantages to moving up on the hills in Bountiful. We will also be super close to Mueller Park and my girls love to hike so we will be doing hiking trips once to twice a week.

Until the move, however, I will start taking advantages of the area around me. I will start walking the dog daily with the girls, I will start eatting healthy, I will start drinking my water. Watch out here I come I can't wait to update you on my weight loss next week.

Have a great day and see you soon.

It's Been A While and I Apologize....

Well, things have been super crazy with Dylan not getting better. She is still not doing so well, but I am ready to start putting on recipes again and updating on a daily basis.

Things are going well. My mom has lost 5 pounds on TAIslim and is feeling a lot better as well.

I am excited today Boyd and I get to go on our first date in .... well, let's just say I don't remember the last time we went on a date. We go on family dates regularly but not just the two of us together. It is amazing to find time to devote to one another.

Well, I will put a recipe this morning and for an added bonus I will add one tonight after my date. It is time to start having some fun with getting my day off of my chest.

Chinese Five-spice Steak with Rice Noodles

· 4 ounces uncooked wide rice stick noodles (banh pho)
· 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
· 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
· 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
· 1 (1-pound) flank steak, trimmed and cut into 1/4-inch strips
· 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
· 2 tablespoons minced green onions
· 2 teaspoons bottled minced garlic
· 2 medium tomatoes, each cut into 6 wedges
· 2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
· 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
Preparation
Cook noodles according to package directions.
While noodles cook, combine hoisin sauce, soy sauce, five-spice powder, and steak in a large bowl. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add minced green onions and garlic; saute 30 seconds. Add beef mixture; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir in tomato wedges, green onion pieces, and chopped basil; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally.