Friday Favorites

I am so happy that we made it to Friday. It wasn't a terribly busy week, but who doesn't love a Friday? Let's get to my favorites of the week though!

1. Yesterday I was reminded just how special friendship can be. I went to lunch with my one of my oldest friends. We have been best friends since we were in preschool. So 21 years. Practically all of our lives. Life has gotten busy for us, and we are lucky to see each other once a week, if not every other week. And we live in the same damn town. We do our best though. Yesterday during lunch we got to talking about a little bakery here in town and how the owner had just posted pictures of these delicious cookies and then I got on a roll about how I L.O.V.E. her cake pops. Lunch ends, I go back to work, and about an hour after I get to work, in waltz's my pregnant BFF with a bag of cookies and a cake pop for me. A few months ago I went through a "lonely" period. I think all mom's go through that. I was spending most of my time with a tiny human who couldn't talk, work was slow so Drew and the other guy were barely here, and I was just by myself a lot feeling like I didn't have anyone. Danny reminded me of that last night when I told him was Rachael did for me and said, "I want you to remember this" and he is right. I need to remember that I DO in fact have some of my own people.

 

2. Another favorite this week would be my leg making progress. It doesn't hurt all of the time right now, so it's getting better!

 

3. I've made some delicious food in the last couple of weeks. The last couple of weeks I've been trying to make Whole30 compliant recipes to get Danny geared up for it so that he doesn't think its going to be 30 days of pure hell. This week I made this slow cooker spinach and chicken and it was a HUGE hit. Tucker loved it. Danny doesn't even like spinach and he loved it. I plan on eating the leftovers over a baked potato today, but it would also go great with some zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash! I'll just need to find a compliant sauce next time, but this will be a perfect meal for when I have to make multiple dinners to keep Danny on the right track while at work.

 

4. Ever since Danny and I decided to give the mudroom the green light, I've been thinking hardcore about the decor. Especially the color scheme. Right now, these are my favorites.

 

 

I think I like the first one best, but with a lighter green. It's not as girly as the last one, which I think is just great, I know a certain man that would prefer one of the other 2. Our bathroom is the color scheme of the top one (minus the yellow) so I'm kind of over it. The middle resembles our wedding colors so that might be fun. A nice reminder of that beautiful day every time I walk into our home. I may have just solved the dilemma.

 

5. As of next Monday, another part of Goal #3 should be achieved! We found out yesterday that we are closing on one of our commercial buildings and my brother and I could not be more excited! We'll have one house and one other building to get rid of!

 

6. My other favorite moment of this week was going to look at our camper! When we ordered it, they said they would call us when it came in so we could look at it and decide then if we still wanted it or not. Well duh, we still want it! We go back on April 7th to sign the papers, do the final walk through and learn all about how to work the thing. We just booked our Labor Day weekend spot the other night. I had no idea you had to book so far in advance. Luckily the group we go with is nice about communicating booking details of when, where, what sites, etc. I cannot wait for this summer!

 

That is it for today! Have a good weekend! 



Weigh-In Wednesday: 3/25/15

Weighing in on Wednesdays takes a bit more effort now than it did last week. I gotta  hobble or crutch to the bathroom, take my boot off, step on the scale, then put my boot back on. Despite all the extra work for a 20 second event, I did it anyways! And I'm glad I did because it gave me motivation to set some goals for the next couple of months while I recover.

Last Week: 157.8 lbs

This Week: 159.0 lbs

Change: +1.2 lbs

That's my first gain in a month, and I'm still in the 150s so I'll take it. I was a little lax with my eating this weekend. Mentally, I think I automatically go to "I'm doing a Whole30 in a couple weeks, so its okay to eat 6 Oreos right now" and I need to cut that out. I've worked hard to get back to the 150s and I don't want to see all of that go to waste because of my food choices. I can't control that I can't exercise right now. But I can control what food I put in my body. Oreos, French fries, breaded tenderloins (seriously, come to Indiana and get one), and Tucker's leftover French toast every morning isn't going to keep me where I'm at or help me get to where I want to be.

Let's talk about these goals. I'm trying to keep them realistic since the only form of exercise I get now is using crutches. Seriously though. My arms and shoulders have been on fire since Saturday.
1. Complete the Whole30 - This is going to be crucial. And I'm pretty pumped for it. Since I have more spare time now, I have been planning hardcore. I have a color-coded calendar made up for what days I have to have meals prepped in advance since Danny is doing this too and will need to take food to work. Plus he is taking a class on Monday and Wednesday nights during this, so that's another 2 days that food has to be prepped in advance. I've got a Word document with meals and links to the recipes started and its broken down by breakfast, lunch, dinner and sides. Plus, I ordered some Whole30 approved sauces from Tessemaes and of the 2 we tried last night, I enjoy them both. I might have to hide the Chesapeake Mayo from Danny until the Whole30 starts. I've also been prepping my taste buds. I can now tolerate coffee with a splash of coconut milk. That's it. I knew coffee would be the toughest change (peanut butter being a close second. Almond butter sucks so I'm just going to have to go the whole 30 days without) so I wanted to get a head start.
2. Stay in my 8s - Other than when I was pregnant and the months following Tucker's birth (so from August 2013-July 2014), I've worn a size 10 jeans since I was in like 7th grade. I briefly wore 12s in college, but that was for like a year then I got my shit together. I am now comfortably wearing 8's and it feels pretty damn good.
3. Love Handles Challenge - I was scrolling through my Motivation board on Pinterest the other day looking for SOMETHING I can do while I'm in this boot. Not exercising is getting to me I think. I'm kind of cranky and I'm tired. And having worked so hard the last 5 months, it's kind of terrifying to completely stop the physical part of it. So, I found this.

I believe I can safely do each move while recovering.  I'm going to wait until April to start, maybe a week or so into my Whole30. 

Those are my 3 goals for the duration of my boot time. I think they are doable.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Wednesday. Today SHOULD be our camper day. We shall see though!

The Weekend

 This weekend proved that this month of rest and recovering from my injury is going to be nothing short of difficult.

Friday I took a half day for the 3rd day in a row to get my hair done. It was very much needed. After that, I hung out at home with my 3 favorite men (Diesel is included) while Danny made dinner. I also ran out to my brothers to see if the Community Crutches would work for me so I didn't have to buy a new set. Drew used them when he had foot surgery, then Danny used them, but I won't be using them. I'm a little bit shorter than 5'10". After I got home, I ate my dinner then lounged as much as Tucker would let me, which wasn't much. After he went to bed, I indulged in some wine. Danny refilled my glass for me, which resulted in my falling asleep. I've become somewhat of a lightweight...

Saturday was a long day. It started with lunch for my grandma's birthday, then a trip to Target to find some cute, but cheap shoes that I could wear with my boot for the next month. Before I was limited to my tennis shoes since they were the only ones with a thick sole, and those aren't very fashionable. I'm going to miss my Toms. After Target, we hung out at home with my mom, went to the park and had Dortees for dinner. Fortunately, Dortees didn't meet our expectations and we probably won't be back very much this year. My jeans are going to thank me for the lack of ice cream.

After dinner we had a few visitors. Once everyone left, we played and then began the 2 hour bedtime battle. It was another night where Tucker and I were both left in tears. At around 3am, we ended up in the recliner. I think we're in the middle of another round of teething because he was a hot mess all day on Sunday. Danny took him to church and breakfast so I could actually sit. I got our meals planned for the week and got to lay in bed for an hour. It. Was. Glorious! When they got home, we went to the grocery. That was probably my first and last trip to the grocery on crutches. Danny will be going by himself with a very detailed list next time. Yesterday afternoon we went to visit Danny's dad and then stopped by the hospital to have a nurse friend look in Tucker's ear. He had been pulling and hitting his ear, so we wondered if he was getting an ear infection. She said it looked pretty normal, so that just confirmed that teething is once again upon us. I will cry so many happy tears when teething is over. He's lucky he's so cute!

When we got home, we hung out outside while Danny made dinner, even though it was about 45 degrees out. This kid is obsessed with being outside. After dinner it was time for a bath, running around like a maniac, and then by the grace of God, a 30 minute bedtime! I enjoyed a glass of wine in celebration then went to bed pretty early. 

 

Now we're at another Monday. We were told this is the real camper week. We should be getting it on Wednesday! And hopefully Drew and I will be scheduling a closing for another property!

An Update

Even though this work week has been pretty easy, I am so happy to see Friday arrive! I left work early Wednesday for a doctor's appointment, was gone most of yesterday for my leg appointment and a meeting, and will be gone a lot of today.  The weeks after sales season are always like this for me. Taking care of things that were put off until after March 15th.

My second opinion went about like I expected it to yesterday. If you follow me on Instagram(erinshell10), then you saw this yesterday...

I'm in this very fashionable boot for at least a month and on crutches whenever I am not responsible for the care of Tucker. So, while I'm at work and when Danny is not at work. My appointment went rather quickly, because the doctor didn't need to take any x-rays or schedule an MRI. He looked at the images that were done by the first doctor IN JANUARY and clearly saw a stress fracture in my lower leg. No strenuous exercise for at least 3-6 months. Eventually I will be able to resume walking at the park. Hopefully in time to go on our cruise in June since that will involve a lot of walking. It could be worse. I could be like my husband and require surgery and 3 months of recovery time. No thanks!

Yesterday wasn't all terrible though. After my appointment I visited my mom at work so we could trash talk the orthopedic center where I went first, had lunch with my BFF Shelby who I haven't seen since January, then my brother and I closed on one of our houses! One of my 2015 goals is achieved! Getting rid of that loan payment, insurance premium, the property taxes and still having enough left to pay another loan off and walk away with some for ourselves(Hellooooo, mudroom!) is such a huge relief! We should be closing on one of our commercial buildings next week too. Next up, is another rental house and then another commercial building. I. Can't. Wait!

Although the day started out pretty sour yesterday, I am thankful that I can recover pretty easily and that things are looking up for my brother and me. We've been through a lot since our dad passed away in 2010. We are finally getting things cleaned up so we can live less stressful lives. I won't know what to do with myself!

Weigh-In Wednesday: 3/18/15

It feels good to be checking back in with Weigh-In Wednesday. I was on the road all day last Wednesday and just did not have time to get a post up. But, I am back today and I have good news!

Two weeks ago: 159.2 lbs

This week: 157.8 lbs

Change: -1.4 lbs

This loss is was achieved by my eating alone! That is huge! I don't think I can ever recall a time where I have lost weight without having to kick my own ass physically. February 27th was the last time that I actually worked out. Since then, I've went on one run and walked at the park twice, both times being less than 2 miles.  So, this loss is huge!

I've had some motivation to eat right.
1. The book It Starts with Food. Erin @ She's a Big Star highly recommended this book and I am so glad she did! I want everyone to read this book. Everything is just making sense.  Danny and I will be doing a Whole30 starting April 6th, the day after Easter. I am chomping at the bit to get started, but until then, I am using it as a guide for my meals.  Since I have already cut dairy out for the month and gave up pop for Lent, it hasn't been too difficult. I have felt great the last few weeks by eating "right" despite the fact that my sleep has been less than stellar. Ah, life with a 1 year old! I can't imagine what I would be feeling like if I were still "treating" myself to Taco Bell and pizza every week on top of not getting enough sleep.
2. Rest.  Like I said, I haven't actually worked out since the end of February. My leg was in a lot of pain the few days following the workout, so I decided to give it a rest for at least a week. After a week, my leg was worse and showed no signs of improving. I made an appointment to get a second opinion with a doctor down in Indy, who I actually go see tomorrow. Since making the appointment, my leg stayed the same.... until Monday where the pain went from sharp to a dull ache. This may seem silly, but I went to the park yesterday because it was nice out and I wanted to make sure it was still hurting. It was. Not as bad, but still there.  My mom agreed, that as soon as I would cancel the appointment, it would start hurting again. So tomorrow morning I'm getting a start on that second opinion and probably setting up an appointment to shell out another $500 for another MRI I'm sure.

Anyways, so that's where I'm at right now. I've officially reached the 150s! I'm 7 lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. Pre-pre-pregnancy weight as been achieved!

Weekend Recap

So, last week was crazy busy for work. I was gone all day Wednesday, which meant Thursday was stupid busy from the time I walked in the door until I left, then Friday morning Tuck had his 15 month check up and then I went straight to crazy work. Today ends the craziness, but I'm actually able to post today. And should be able to as I normally do this week!

Like I mentioned already, Tucker had his 15 month check up Friday morning. I was anxious for this appointment given what happened last Sunday and then Monday night he had was Danny and I believed were night terrors. He has also been sick off and on pretty much since Christmas. Ear infection, croup and then a stomach bug. The good news: He's growing like a weed still and the pediatrician thinks Sunday's episode was nothing more than typical toddler behavior. The bad news: the 40 minutes of throwing himself on the floor while screaming and not wanting touched at all was normal toddler behavior. Pray for me as we reach the real toddlerhood of the Terrible Two's and the Threenager year. I've heard 4 is a dream. Tucker is also part of the 2% of children that experience night terrors. Fortunately, he doesn't remember them like Danny and I will. They are more traumatic for the parents than they are the children.

Danny worked overtime Friday night so it was just Tucker and me. We ate dinner, played and he went to bed pretty easily. I caught up on Grey's Anatomy and Scandal while I grocery and meal planned for our shopping trip on Sunday. Before bedtime, it was determined that Tucker needs new pj's. Not because they have Santa on them, but because his little belly hangs out no matter how far down you pull the shirt.

Saturday I treated Tucker to some French toast. He recently discovered the beauty of French toast and eats it nearly every morning. He also loved on his puppy brother some too.

He also discovered sandwiches. 3 of Tucker's favorite foods are any kind of meat, cheese and bread so when Danny handed him a 3" turkey and American cheese sub on Saturday within minutes after happily waking up from a nap, you would have thought it was Christmas morning. After lunch and getting ready, we all 3 headed out for some Target shopping and dinner with my mom, brother and his girlfriend. My mom treated us all to a highly anticipated dinner at Tucanos Brazilian Grill. It did not disappoint and was worth every penny. I would say that even if we had paid for our own meal. If you've never been to a Brazilian steakhouse/grill, it's pretty much an all you can eat meat buffet that comes to your table. Waiters walk around with skewers of different beef, chicken, seafood and pork, and then at this particular restaurant there was a salad bar and buffet with sides and other treats. We pretty much can't wait to go back. We're also pretty sure Tucker was dreaming about it last night because he was talking pretty happily in his sleep.

Yesterday was another day spent out and about. Church, grocery, some more Target, and Toys R Us. We scored a pretty sweet play kitchen for Tucker. Originally $170 and we paid $65. When we got home we all hung out outside. Tucker isn't too sure about walking on the gravel, so he'll just crawl. 

After some play time, I took Diesel to the park for a short walk then came home, made dinner, did bath time, then put Tucker to bed. I was beat! I tried reading when I got into bed, but made it through 3 pages. And on the Kindle, that's like 1 real page.

Now its time for what should be a fun, but busy week! Drew and I should be 2 properties short by the time the week is over, and Danny and I should have our house on wheels. They told us 8 weeks and today is 8 weeks since it was ordered!

Weekend Recap

I'm not happy to see this weekend fly by as fast as it did. This is my last full week of sales season, which I like to call Hell Week, and its shaping up to be a busy one, so I need to make this quick!

Friday after work Danny, Tucker and I took off to Muncie to upgrade cell phones and switch internet providers. 3 hours later, Danny and I walked out with new phones, but we didn't take the time to get cases, screen savers or Danny's contacts even transferred. Tucker was DONE! He kept grabbing my bag and heading towards the door. So, he and I waited in the car for a while. We all went straight to bed after we got home.

Saturday we all had a productive morning. Danny took Tuck to go visit his dad while I cleaned the kitchen, started some laundry and paid bills. After they got home, Tuck took an hour and a half nap on me in the chair. It was needed. He's moved on from having a stomach bug to having green snot and just being downright fussy. Once he woke up, I got ready for Danny and I's evening out. We had a gender reveal party and a birthday party to go too. My BFF Rachael and her husband are having a BOY!

I can't wait to hear all of her stories about her rotten little boy and for Tuck to have a friend to play with! I also cheated on my No Dairy challenge. Can't pass up a cake pop.

After the reveal party, we headed to one of the bars in town for Danny's BFF's 30th birthday. We ate dinner, drank some beer and had a good time. We left early because Danny had to work and we wanted to relieve Danny's mom of babysitting at a decent time. Once Tucker finally got to bed, we did too. We were beat!

Sunday was an interesting day for Tuck and me. It started off like this.

After some breakfast, he perked up and we were able to go grocery shopping. After that, we headed to meet my mom for lunch and finish up the phone accessory shopping that got put on hold Friday night. I'm so glad we were with my mom because once it was time to leave the shopping center, Tucker began a 40 minute scream-cry fest. It has yet to be determined if it was a tantrum or something else. He didn't held or even touched, but at the same time he did. Nothing could snap him out of it. Popsicle, cell phones, his favorite song Somethin' Bad, "driving" my car which is what started the fiasco, cartoons, taking his clothes off, an offer to call Daddy or his mamaw. Nothing. 40 minutes of pure screaming and him rolling around on the floor. My mom and I were legitimately worried and were about 3 minutes away from taking him to the ER. (Naturally all of this happens when his paramedic father is at work) He finally snapped out of it and ate a Reese egg and acted like nothing ever happened. We finally left my mom's to go visit Danny and when we got there, Tucker was drenched in sweat. His carseat and jacket were soaked. Which also makes me think something was bothering him at my mom's. If it was a tantrum, it was a pretty impressive one for someone who just learned the art of throwing fits. After all that, we went home, took a bath and snuggled. Like I said, it was an interesting day.

Now, it's time for a busy week at work. Not sure how much I'll be around this week.

Weigh-In Wednesday: 3/4/15... Except its Thursday 3/5/15

So, I started a Weigh-In Wednesday post yesterday afternoon when I felt like I finally had the energy to type. Half way into it I found out I was wrong. Tucker and I were up most of Tuesday night taking turns throwing up. Danny was up with us to help us cope and clean ourselves up. For a guy who "doesn't do puke" he handled the situation very well. I was impressed. 

Anyways.. onto my late weigh-in.


Last Week: 161 lbs
This Week: 159.2 lbs
Change: -1.8 lbs

I'm not going to get too excited about the  loss given the activities from last night. I think some of its very possible because my eating was pretty on point for most of the week, but that was just most of the week.

Here is where I'm at on a few things:
Last week I talked about how I was going to cut sugar out in April and follow the 21 day sugar detox. Then Erin @ She's A Big Star convinced me to read It Starts With Food. I am so glad I did! My plan now is to do the Whole30 after Easter instead of the 21 day sugar detox. Both have the same end goal: eat better and reset your body. Plus, Whole30 allows for more than lemons, limes, andone green apple or one banana per day. I don't love green apples and bananas make me feel hungry after I eat them.

Second thing. My damn leg. It still hurts. It hurts more than just after I work out. It hurts while I'm driving. It hurts while I'm walking. I'm starting to limp. The MRI bill hurts too, especially since it "didn't show anything." So, I'm taking this week, and possibly next week, off from exercise. If it still hurts at that point, then I'm getting a second opinion. We're getting to the point in the year where any boot and recovery time will have to be done when the weather is nice. I don't want to be in a boot or doing exercises when I could be walking or running at the park. And I certainly don't want to be in a boot on my Alaskan cruise. So, no working out for me. Which stinks because I feel like I've really made progress in my attitude towards it. Like I said, work ended real shitty on Friday, and I went home and put in a hard workout, which made me feel better.

That's all I've got for this week on the weigh-in. Hopefully I don't gain 8 pounds in my break from physical activity.

Four Things

Excuse my absence yesterday. Work ended on a very sour note last week, which left me in  a funk for the weekend. Plus, the weekend was pretty routine: tv and lounging Friday night, errands and dinner with my mom, brother and his girlfriend Saturday (where Tucker discovered he likes salad when he grabbed a handful of mine), Sunday we woke up to more snow and I ventured to the grocery in the snow. See... pretty routine.

In an effort to get me out of my sour mood and move past it, I'm stealing this fun post idea from the beautiful mama-to-be Julie @ Just the Joys, who stole it from Ericka @ This Crazy Thing Called Life.

Here we go!


Four names that people call me other than my real name:

1. Erin Shell

2. EO

3. Sis

4. Polly... only about 2 people call me this. I told them how my Grammy's middle name was Esther and she really wanted a granddaughter to share that name with her. She thought the name Polly would be a good first name. I'll wait while you put it together...

 

Four jobs I've had:

1. babysitting

2. the best damn milkshake maker Dortees has ever seen

3. I straightened panties at Victoria's Secret for a few months

4. June 2008-June 2010, I was basically my dad's assistant. Then when he passed away I took over the insurance agency.

 

Four movies I've watched more than once:

1. Hangover

2. Sweet Home Alabama

3. Elf

4. Superbad

 

 

Four books I recommend:

1. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

2. The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks

3. It Starts with Food. I'm only 5 chapters in and its been so eye opening

4. That's all I can think of so far. I know that I do not recommend The Going to Bed Book.

 

Four places that I have lived:

1. Anderson, IN

2. Muncie, IN

3. our current small town

 

Four places I have visited:

1. Ft. Myers Beach, FL

2. Orange Beach, AL

3. Cancun

4. California. We took a big family trip and went to San Fran and Huntington Beach. Loved both of them!

 

Four places I'd rather be right now:

1. Anywhere

2. in the sand

3. with a bottomless cocktail

4. on a comfy lounge chair.

 

 

Four things I don't eat:

1. Baked beans, peas 

2. Liver

3. Oysters

4. Raw onions. Really though, if they aren't covered in batter and then fried, I'm not going to eat them. I wanted to do this on Saturday, but our waitress was really nice so I didn't.

 

Four of my favorite foods:

1. Mexican.

2. Pizza

3. I honestly love a good salad

4. Shrimp

 

Four TV shows I watch:

1. Grey's Anatomy

2. Scandal

3. Modern Family

4. Mysteries of Laura

 

Four things I'm looking forward to this year:

1. our Alaskan cruise in June with Danny's family

2. camping trips

3.  adding on a mudroom so I can move my dirt out of the kitchen. Seriously though.

4. getting rid of a few properties that my brother and me own.

 

And for fun, 4 more completely useless facts about me:

1. I tend to choose what color of plates/bowls we eat off of based on the food we're eating so it looks pretty. I'm all about presentation.

2. 4th of July is my favorite holiday.

3. I have an extra bone in my left foot and it looks like I have 2 ankle bones on the inside of my foot.

4. The flat sheet and blanket on our bed HAS to be a certain way before I get in bed. If the tags aren't at the bottom, I cannot deal.