Another day spent at the hospital...

Well there isn't much to write today, I spent the day at the hospital again with mom, she's not good.  The did an endoscopy (camera into stomach etc) on the afternoon and drained 2 litres of fluid off, the camera confirmed her stomachs a bit of a mess, the hiatus hernia has more than doubled in size, its huge, she needs further treatment but I won't know where that will take place until today, I also don't know if we'll be able to take her home this side of the new year or not.

I've never been a fan of New Years Eve if I'm honest, I always go to bed early so I sleep through it, my granddad (moms dad) died on New Years Eve many years ago and I remember us going into the pub to tell my dad and the pub being full of all these happy people and I couldn't understand how everyone could be happy when my granddad had just died!  I'm hoping mom doesn't remember this because I think it will stress her out even more so than she already is, she's been very confused because of the infection the last few days, she seemed a little better in herself when I left her last night.

Anyways I don't want to bring you down as you start your day, so go an Eat Gorgeous & BeYOUtiful.  I'm going to start my day with a decent breakfast.

Happy New Year, spend some time thinking about what would make YOU truly happy this year?

Also I posted on Facebook yesterday this; forget "Selfies" start posting "Healthies" yep photographic proof of anything you're eating / doing / planning that's good for you and helping you achieve to the "ME" you want to be.

Let's lead by example ay?

Yesterday was horrid...

30^th December 2013

Develop success from failures. Discouragement and failure are two of the surest stepping stones to success. Dale Carnegie

I didn’t blog yesterday because at the time I would usually be blogging I was Sat in A&E at Withybush hospital with my mom, she'd had stomach pains for over 24 hours now and had been throwing up all night and although I was waiting for a doctor to see her, I was almost certain it was being caused by her hiatus hernia and existing stomach problems she already has.  Of course because it has been Christmas we've all indulged more than usual and unfortunately she's paying the price!

Eating healthy isn't just about weight loss, it's about taking care of the only body you've got so that you can live a comfortable, pain free life! 

I haven't talked much about 'Simple Start' yet, it's being launched by Weight Watchers for January and hopefully will get both new and existing members realising that the simple start list of foods really are the best of the best, the foods that if you focus mostly on them in your day to day diet, you are more likely to be healthy and happy long term.

When I get back home, I shall be stocking up my kitchen using my Simple Start shopping list and we will be eating good, healthy, nutritious food.  Taking care of ourselves the best we can, that is my plan for 2014....

A little of what you fancy does you good but too much will make you I'll and begin a witness to the pain my mom suffers day in day out, not just today has me convinced nothing tastes as good as being healthy feels. 

----

I wrote the above yesterday morning about 9ish, the rest of the day then seemed to go on forever, we’re still not 100% sure what’s wrong with mom, they’ve kept her in to do more tests, she had to be transferred from that hospital to Aberystwyth which was a two hour journey in a hospital, she had a pretty crappy day, being poked and prodded, examined, needles, all sorts.  The doctor has said it could be a couple of things and hopefully the tests they run today will figure that out, but when I left her last night at 8ish she was still being sick, poor love, and I don’t think I will ever be able to drink black coffee ever again because that’s what it looked like, gallons of it over the day (sorry if you’re tickled stomach, but I am two and after yesterday, I think I’m a little bit less so!)

There’s nothing harder than seeing a loved one in pain and poorly and not to be able to do anything about it, I do hope that she’s improved today and they’ll let her out of hospital, it’s difficult enough for her having to be there at all but in one in Wales where she’s starting to get confused about where she is really isn’t helping.  I think we’ll be going home earlier than planned as soon as they get her sorted.

And regardless of what has caused it, when we get home the junk and treats will be disappearing from our house, we’re getting really healthy and moms not going to have a stash hidden away!

I hope you’re all well and happy, remember BeYOUtiful always. xx

Ready for the healthy again...

28^th December 2013

Forget perfection, everything has cracks; it’s the only way to let the light in.

Well that’s more or less it for another year isn’t it, Christmas is officially gone and I’ve indulged, I don’t think I’ve gone ridiculously mad and yet I’m ready to get healthy again.  I’m hoping the 80mph winds we had yesterday have dropped so I can take Alfie for a decent walk and get some good fresh air into these lungs.  I’m ready for a meal that has lots of green stuff on the plate but without all the stodgy stuff by the side of it and I’m more than ready to cut out the bread again.  Yes my healthy and happy lifestyle choice isn’t about being able to fit in a particular size clothes, for me it’s about feeling well and energetic rather than sluggish and yak and I’ve had enough of the Christmas stodge.  Weirdly enough though the ‘treats’ I bought thinking I’d fancy them, I haven’t even bothered, the bread and butter pudding is still in the fridge, the Christmas cake is still untouched and the Christmas pudding uncooked because I just don’t have the room for it all.  I did enjoy a few of the kids sweets yesterday, a huge tub of them they have, I sat there thinking if we’d got our hands on that many sweets as kids we’d have thought we were rich beyond belief!

Moms in pain too, her hiatus hernia is causing her severe chest pains which feels like a heart attack for those that don’t know, unfortunately there’s not much we can do to ease the pain, it just has to settle – no joy this getting old lark!

A trip to the supermarket today to top up on bread and basics, I’m fancying something healthy and light that’s for sure, maybe some fish.

I’m guessing most of you have already heard about the Simple Start Weight Watchers have launched, I can’t wait to give that a go in January, to give my body a healthy start to 2014, who knows I may even cut out the wine for a few weeks, give myself a real detox.

Yep I like the idea of ditching those resolutions this year and making just one positive change – and choosing to follow our new Simple Start plan.  No weighing, no measuring, just Filling & Healthy foods and successful weight loss sounds good to me!  I’m really looking forward to sharing it with my members and doing it together with them.

Not yet though as I still have a week of my holidays left, I’m going to enjoy the break and read today, maybe watch some more of Mrs Browns Boys with my mom and generally chill and recharge those batteries.

Have a great day all, Eat Gorgeous & BeYOUtiful. xx

Winds blowing away the cobwebs here...

27^th December 2013

Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom. Marcel Proust

Had a lie in this morning, it’s blowing a gale out there so I lay there and listened to the noises, playing candy crush (how annoying is that game and how sad am I for carrying on playing it!)  Got up from I heard mom moving about to sort her tablets and toast out, after ten yesterday morning when she arose, I had to go check on her to see if she was ok!

The boys are still asleep, and the girls are sitting round the kitchen table I’ve just asked Jen what happened Christmas day, here is her account of our day;

“Woke up, went into the front room and the adults were already up except for dad.  Then we had to go get dad up, then we opened all our presents.  Then we played with most of our presents.  Then you bought in some more presents and we opened those and it turned out to be cameras, so we took some pictures and played with the toys we already had as well.   We all sat down and watched tv for a bit and then we watched tv for a long while until eventually you bought in a big box full of presents and then we opened the presents inside the box, Will got an Xbox one and I got a Furby and a 2ds with some games.  We watched some more tv and we played with the toys from the box and then we went to bed.”

The first thing I noticed about Jens version of events is there is absolutely NO mention of food!  When I asked Lynne to sum up the day she said “all I can remember is Champagne and giggles”

Isn’t it wonderful that food just isn’t important to young Jen, it’s just something she does when she’s hungry, the amount of food she leaves on her plate is proof that one we overfeed people (just in case they need more!) and two she’s just not fussed.  There are sweets, biscuits, cakes and all sorts all over this house and neither her nor her brother are remotely bothered by them.  I got up this morning to find a tube of Pringles ¾ full with the lid off that Will had started, I’ve never left Pringles in a tube and I don’t even like them!

Yesterday was a lovely chilled out day, we took the dogs for a walk, the kids played with their cameras, I’ve given them a scavenger hunt of things they have to find to get points and they also have to take photos of things beginning with C, apparently there are some weird and wonderful things beginning with C to photograph ;)

Television is absolutely rubbish, there’s no Sky and nothing on the regular channels worth watching, mom and I watched a couple of episodes of Mrs Browns Boys whilst the Wyatt’s went to beach, moms had the boxset for Christmas, I’ve not seen it before and have to say I did proper giggle, didn’t think a man in a dress would be my kind of comedy but seriously it’s funny as...

Lynne’s sat here trying to converse with the Furby – REALLY!

So two days of overindulging is more than plenty for me, although I do still have cheese and biscuits to enjoy, haven’t done that yesterday, breakfast yesterday was an amazing piece of stilton on a big crust of toast with a glass of very posh wine, it was around 11ish, so almost a respectable time to start drinking on boxing day ;)

Lunch was yet another cooked dinner using up the leftovers from Christmas day, then tea was at fish finger, peas and chips at the request of the kids, I could only manage 2 fish fingers and half a dozen chips – what’s happening to me, I no longer seem to have the appetite of an elephant!

Today apparently is now going to be games day, I can see drunken Twister and embarrassing photos in my head all of a sudden!  I can handle it today, yesterday I couldn’t have, I was exhausted after 5 lousy nights of sleep because of the weather and also just being in a strange bed, Lynne actually said to me yesterday, “if you were a toddler, I’d put you down for a nap now because you’re overtired and fractious,“ not having been a parent, I had to look up ‘fractious’ and this is what it said ]

Meaning “typically of children irritable and quarrelsome.”

Synonyms; grumpy, grouchy, crotchety, in a (bad) mood, cantankerous, bad tempered, ill-tempered , ill-natured, ill-humoured, peevish, having got of bed the wrong side, cross, disagreeable, pettish.

As much as I’d have liked to have disagreed with her, I have to admit she was right, I was!  Now I’m all rested and recovered and ready to start again – bring on the day!

I know normal life has resumed for a lot of people, but for us we have the rest of our holiday.

Eat Gorgeous & BeYOUtiful.

Had ourselves a merry little Christmas....

26^th December 2013

Gifts of time and love are surely the basic ingredients of a truly merry Christmas.  Peg Bracken.

Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas day, we most certainly did, the Wyatts arrived Christmas Eve about 5pm, I’d just got back from walking Alfie, he does seem to enjoy walking around this place more so than anywhere else we’ve stayed in Wales so that’s a bonus.  He also kept looking, longingly at the sheep as if to tell me that was what he’d quite like as his Christmas present.

As there wasn’t much on the tele, Jen played a music cd to us of tunes she has to learn for a concert she’s taking part in at the LG arena in January, Will made me smile when “something inside so strong” came one, he asked, “Is this Bob Marley?” I told him no it was Labi Siffre and as if he knew who Bob Marley was, his reply, “Yeah – every little thing”, and that was it, explanation complete ;)

Christmas Eve was a quiet affair, everyone tired, mom and I had been up since about 3am thanks to the storm and the Wyatts had been stuck in a car for a good five hours thanks to the traffic and the weather whilst we’d not been able to settle waiting for them to arrive because we were aware of how bad that weather was and had been.

Of course it took forever to get the kids to go to sleep, so poor Lynne was left up waiting on her own to let Santa in on her own because we don’t have a chimney and the rest of the grownups wanted to sleep but the kids didn’t!

I woke early Christmas morning, no one else did!  I was a bit more contained than last year – I must be growing up; it was a good hour before anyone else woke up and even longer before the kids surfaced, they’d stayed awake so late the night before we decided it best to leave them – cranky kids by Christmas lunch because they’re tired isn’t a good thing.

I decided to start thinking about getting the dinner prepared, we needed to improve on our turkey this year as last year it looked like a crab according to Will and Jen as they’d done impressions of the turkey the night before!   Lynne and I don’t take cooking Christmas dinner seriously at all, it’s just a roast dinner at the end of the day and we both agree it has two chances, it’ll taste great or it won’t.  Cooking a turkey, joint of beef, roasters, parsnips, Yorkshires in an oven with one shelf only was going to be fun anyway so stressing over it wouldn’t have helped. 

Eventually the kids woke up, apparently they’d been awake half hour in their bedrooms not realising we were up, so they went to wake Ian up and the fun part began.  Presents were ripped open in a hurry as always and lots of smiles of their faces which was lovely, mom bless her got to enjoy her Christmas gifts more than once because of her memory, “who’s it this, it’s nice isn’t it and my favourite colour!”, priceless moments like that are ;).  Will attempted to wear every item of clothing he’d been bought all at the same time. 

When Jen opened one of her presents to discover it was a set of hair crimpers, she said, “great a present that I can burn myself with”, that kids far too quick witted for her own good.

Once all the presents were open, Jen and her dad took over the dinner table with her lego and Will disappeared with his new phone, good job we weren’t planning on making a fuss of laying the table as we’d never have shifted Jen and her Moshi Monsters and Lego Friends!

Lynne and I decided it was time to open the Champagne, we’d bought a bottle because she’d actually never tried it before, she also got a present as a gift so we were going to have plenty.  Apparently she likes it, I’m not a fan so opened myself a bottle of cava which was a gift from a friend and I mixed mine with orange juice whilst Lynne worked her way through almost 2 bottles, it would’ve been two bottles had we both not knocked our glasses over playing Tetris Jenga, at which I am rubbish I have to say, and Lynne is rather competitive!

Yes we’d sort of left Christmas dinner to fend for itself, whilst we played games with the kids, it still worked out just fine and actually tasted delicious, we managed with one shelf, cooked the beef first, then the turkey, then the roasters last, they couldn’t go in with the turkey as the shelf was only just about big enough to get the turkey in, luckily I’d bought a foil tray that could be squashed to fit it in!   I did cook in all in my new apron made for me by a lovely member, it’s has “Eat Gorgeous & BeYOUtiful” stitched on the front – how lovely is that!

Had to stack the yorkies at the end!

Turkey survived this year tho!  Compared to last years which looked like this;

 I don't think it looked like a crab last year! More like something out of Alien! ;-)

 As you can see Jen approved, she always wears her Christmas hat like that!

This was the lovely card I received from the lovely Jen, if you can't read it, it says, "Your the bestest grown up friend I'll ever have (well your not that grown up but you get what I mean) from Jen.

The plates in the cottage may have been small but it didn’t stop us feeling super stuffed after we’d eaten, we couldn’t manage pudding so that’ll be a treat to eat maybe today as it’s a home made one by the same amazing lady who gave me the Cava, and her cranberry sauces went down well too.

I did smile at facebook posts sharing their Christmas’s with each other, and the best Christmas facebook message I received came from one of my BeYOUtiful members who obviously knows me well, it said, “Happy Christmas Bev and don’t forget to eat in between your drinks xx”  Proper made me giggle that did.

Christmas afternoon and the main event is complete, presents have been opened, dinner has been eaten and everyone’s sitting chilling.  It’s a bit of an anti-climax don’t you think and the kids have been that hyper for the last 24 hours, they suddenly get deflated.  It was then that Lynne and I disappeared to get the last of their presents which we had been hiding (stretches out the fun even longer).  Little Jen finally got her Furby which she told us once she had it that she thought Santa hadn’t been able to get her one but she didn’t like to say because she would seem ungrateful and could wait until her birthday.  Will was just over the moon and the rest of the day went by in a whirl. 

Another successful Christmas day in the bag, now for Boxing Day....

It’s silent in the cottage except for the sound of me tapping the computer keys, at last the weather has calmed down a little, I even managed an afternoon stroll with the dogs yesterday without being blown away; we didn’t go far though as I thought my stomach was going to burst!

There’s enough leftovers to make another dinner, or maybe bubble and squeak mmm, today will be involving Cheese and Biscuits at some point, Lynne and I have planned to have that for a meal and I shall be eating mine with a very fine wine that my bestie treated me too and also a 10 year old bottle of port that little Jen bought me, she chose this particular bottle because it was a “Tawny Port” and she knows how much I like owls – clever girl.

95% of my gifts came in a bottle for some reason ;-) luckily for me, there is absolutely nothing I want – I can honestly say seeing how happy the kids were with their gifts was the best present I could receive.  It was a lovely day and I hope yours was too.

ProPoints consumed?  Who cares!  It’s not what you eat at Christmas that matters it’s what you eat the rest of the year.

Eat Gorgeous & BeYOUtiful and have a brilliant Boxing Day.

 

 

 

Christmas Eve ay it!

24^th December 2013

For it is in giving that we receive.  Francis of Assisi

Another smashing day yesterday despite the weather, 70mph winds apparently, we didn’t leave the house other than to walk round the garden with Alfie when he needed to do his business.

Mom started early in the morning with her random comments, sat in the kitchen looking at the cupboards, she asked "are them cupboards plastic?" me, "yeah the doors are", mom, "that's a really good idea ain't it!" Me confused, "what plastic cupboards, oh yeah I wonder who invented them!"

A little later, I was singing, "it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas".
Mom joined in with "nicky nocky nooo"
Me "that's not the words"
Mom "is it not - it is now"

And finally when we were trying to shut the blinds she said, "there's a bag of Doritos on our car park" I informed her there wasn’t it was merely a reflection of the packet on the kitchen work top!

I have to share with you the videos I took of mom trying to close the blinds in the kitchen, I can’t work blinds either so I would absolutely have looked exactly the same trying to do this (each video is about 25 seconds and there is strong language involved)

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10152058585930862&set=vb.595730861&type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10152058591515862&set=vb.595730861&type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10152058598680862&set=vb.595730861&type=2&theater

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10152058604895862&set=vb.595730861&type=2&theater

Every family should giggle, it’s good for the soul.

Of course I’m on holiday and away from work but my work is never far from my mind as it’s something I enjoy and yesterday I received yet another email about losing weight.  In it was this;

• It WAS you that chose to eat the cake

• It WAS you that chose to ply yourself with alcohol when not needed

• It WAS you that chose to watch late night TV rather than go to bed

• It WAS you that stayed in bed rather than get up and go to the gym

• And yes, it WAS you that chose to buy the bigger size clothes rather than do something about it.

I’m sure no one gets out of bed in the morning and thinks to themselves, “okay so today I’m going to overeat, make myself feel sick and gain weight because that’s just how I roll!”  No one intentionally CHOOSES to be fat or unhealthy, we just have emotions and personalities that lead us that way and some people just aren't as strong as others. I find statements like this one about a little harsh and unhelpful for a large majority of people.

Different approaches work for different people I guess but I’ve never found the blame game rarely works, when someone already feels bad in themselves because they’ve gained weight and are struggling to lose it, the last thing they need to hear is “it’s your own fault, get a grip – it’s not rocket science, just don’t put it in your mouth!”, that’s a bit like telling someone with depression to cheer up!

Everyone who has a weight problem has their own reasons for it, different reasons, some might be more emotional, some could be lack of nutritional education whereas others just that they’re so busy they don’t make the time to take care of their nutritional needs.  There isn’t a one size fits all solution, if weight loss was as simple as realising “It was our choice” then I think we’d all be slim!

So according to that thought pattern, yesterday it was me who chose to buy twiglets, it was me who chose to buy the 3 for 2 offer and it was me who chose not to put the lid back on until I’d eaten more than the recommended 25g portion.  Yep guilty on all charges and I’m happy to take full responsibility, however just a little food for thought, it was the supermarket that choice to do the 3 for 2 offer instead of just reducing the single items, it was the manufacturer who chose to pack them in huge tubs instead of small packets, and it was the marketing people who make the nutritional info label as small as possible but write how they’re 80% wholegrain and high in fibre on the label to make me think they might actually be good for me!  We can all play the blame game but it doesn’t help the situation and it sure doesn’t encourage me to want to lose weight, ten years ago it would have just made me feel useless and weak and sent me crawling to the kitchen cupboard to eat something else.

On that note, I’ll get off my soapbox because WOO HOO it’s only Christmas Eve and my bestie and her family are arriving this afternoon, one more sleep till Santa.

If you do leave put Santa our a mince pie and a glass of milk tonight, don’t bother with a diet version, he’ll burn those calories off dashing round the world tonight ;)

Eat Gorgeous BeYOUtiful xx

Loved yesterday I did ;)

23^rd December 2013

As soon as you get over caring what people think, you can have a nice time. Lara Flynn Boyle

I had a near perfect day yesterday, not having to rush anywhere or get anything particular done at any specific time meant I could just sit and listen to mom without being distracted, that's the curse of this busy world, we’re rarely ‘in the moment’ because we all have so much to do. 

And she really is worth listening to, we did giggle yesterday afternoon, she says the funniest things, such as;

Me; "name a famous Rudolph mom other than the reindeer"
Mom; "Rudolph Nureyev"
Me; "how'd you spell that"
Mom; "R U D O L P H"
Me; “really!”

This classic line from mom made me really titter, she’s reading the tv guide and her comment on Christmas TV was "they bring the same shit out every Christmas, they think we've got shit memories!" Erm yeah you have mom!

I’m no better though, I sat moaning about how rubbish the TV guide I’d bought was as all the programmes were wrong - I wasn’t impressed as I’d especially bought a Welsh one! I then realised I was reading the wrong day! doh!

She sat telling me about all her ailments because she was after me making her a cuppa tea, I said, "oh moms playing the poorly card", she replied "no I ay poorly - I'm just dying”, gotta love her bluntness!

Watching a film on the afternoon, we had this conversation;

Mom; "Who's he again, not the young one"
Me; "The young one ain't a he!"
Mom; "Are you sure? Ain't he ever been a boy?!"
Me; "No mom, that's Natalie Portman!"

She’s  just a star, isn’t she!

Anyways at 10am I entered the Tesco Cardigan store to do the “CHRISTMAS FOOD SHOP”, if you haven’t received a Christmas card from me or mom, just in case you were wondering, we’re not sending them this year instead we’ve spent the money on wine and chocolate ;-).  Three hours I was in that shop, doing what I do best – food shopping, I sang along to the Christmas music being played, one shelf stacker said to me “I can feel a duet coming on”, I replied, “no problem, but you’ll have to wait – I’ve got to go back for peanut butter!”   Most people were walking round pulling their faces and moaning about the crowds, I on the other hand was in my element having a great time.  3 large trolley’s and 1 small trolley I filled, no one got in the queue behind me for some reason ;), bless the old lady in the queue next to me, she helped load the conveyor belt for me, whilst an army cadet lad helped me pack the stuff the other end into cardboard boxes.  I treated the old dear to a bottle of wine, took it off her shopping and put it through with mine (that proper confused the lady on the other till!)  Then I had two cadet lads help me take it all to my car and they even loaded it up for me, they were collecting for the Welsh Cadets, so I gave them something too.  It's what Christmas is all about isn’t it, being nice to people, making time to pass the time of day and smile more is something people should slow down and do, there’s too much misery going on out there.   

 

I didn’t think I was going to fit it all in the fridge, its one of those double door American jobby’s but it’s actually not got much shelf space, however I’ve found another fridge in the utility room so we managed.  The oven however is another issue altogether, cooking Christmas dinner in this is going to be fun – NOT!

 

One shelf only and that’s not even very big, good job I didn’t buy a huge turkey as it wouldn’t have fit it.  We’ll have a giggle cooking I’m sure, we could serve the main course is sittings, turkey first, roasters second lol.

So moms just writing a list of the things she forgot so I can go get them, piriton, germaline, talc, all the important things you have to have at Christmas for a complete fun time ;) 

On that note I’ll wish you happy Christmas Eve, Eve ;)

Remember Eat Gorgeous, BeYOUtiful and give everyone a big smile and a hello today. xx

 

And now to relax...

22^nd December 2013

Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. Leo Buscaglia

We’re officially on holiday ;-) and it’s a cracking bungalow, the only thing that was making it ‘not perfect’ was a noise in my bedroom that sounded like a helicopter!  Okay so that’s a bit dramatic but it was a motor and it was doing my head in, I thought it was the heating system and I was going to ask the owners if they could change the timers if it was but at 2am this morning when the winds woke us up, I went to the bathroom and turned off the light mom has left on and low and behind twenty minutes later the noise stopped!  It was the bathroom extractor fan, so now the cottage is perfect – all that’s missing is my bestie and the rest of her rabble!

Alfie even prefers it because he prefers roads and pavement to coastal paths and sand and we’ve got plenty of that for him to tootle about, so everyone’s happy = result.

Moms settled too which is just fab, she’s had a stressful week what with us having new doors fitted, getting old sucks you know, she gets so frustrated when she can’t do something or remember things.  Not easy having spent your life as the strength in the family to suddenly NEED others to help you, she finds it extremely difficult to have to ask for help and she gets annoyed with herself.

I then get frustrated because I can’t make her ‘better’, I can live with the repetition, that’s just part of our life now, I’ll answer the same question no matter how many times she asks me, I’ll listen to the same tale as many times as she remembers it and tells me again.  My brother Mark has been a star every time I’ve told her he paid for her front door, of course he was a tight wad moments before because there was only £20 in her Christmas card, then I remind her he paid for the door and once again he’s awesome ;0).  My other brother Terry sent a card which arrived just as we were leaving so he was in her words “a knob” because it was only a small card and one day later we wouldn’t have got it, then I remind her that he came and stayed and did all our jobs, the front drive etc and he’s not quite the knob he was five minutes earlier!  I know she talks about me when I’m out the room too because Mark grassed her up the other day when I went to get the washing in, she was all, “look at her, she ain’t got a clue what’s she’s doing” love my mom I do, cantankerous old bird she is.

If you have an old relative or someone who lives close, if you can give them some time, we’ll all be that ‘old lady’ or ‘old man’ one day wanting company or help but being too proud to ask.

I have to say I was glad to leave my house yesterday morning, a kitchen door fell off a cupboard, then the toilet broke, then finally my tom tom wouldn’t turn on, yes I’ll leave all those issues to someone else or it can wait till I get back, I intend to have two weeks stress free.

When I’ve finished this blog and my cuppa, I’m off to do our Christmas food shop, we stopped at Aldi on the way here and I picked up a loaf and the turkey as they’d just had a delivery and the lady on the till advised me they’d be gone by morning, so I have a 3.5kg free range turkey - toast for breakfast then!

Once my shopping is done, I shall mostly be chilling and reading until Christmas Eve when I’ll prepare the veggies ready for Christmas day and get a buffet ready for the other half of our party to arrive.

3 more sleeps – me excited, hell yeah I am ;-) Eat Gorgeous, BeYOUtiful and enjoy and love your family and loved ones because they’re the most precious things you have. xx

 

4 more sleeps, but Christmas starts today for me...

21^st December 2013

I really should pack, I drive to Wales this morning, my housesitters going to arrive and we won’t even have packed!   Was meant to get it done yesterday but we had one visitor after another and by the time they’d all gone, I was exhausted and decided to chill instead.

I’m so looking forward to my Christmas holiday and a good rest, I’ve got my kindle full of books and I’m also taking my scrapbook / photo stuff to make an album of last year’s holiday which I know I’ll enjoy doing.   Other than those two things, it’ll be walks with the dogs and lots of chilling out.

Tomorrow I shall do our Christmas food shop, I have a list, I’ve decided not to go ridiculous but we shall be indulging for sure.  Christmas Eve is going to be a tea party/buffet, as myself nor Lynne every really do that kind of food because of the ProPoints values and our work I’ve declared Christmas Eve – Boxing Day a zero ProPoint break, we shall not even think about how many ProPoints are in anything we shall just enjoy it.  I’m going to buy all the goodies that are typical buffet food, again I’m not going to be ridiculous but will have a bit of everything, I have the choice of Co-op or Tesco for my shop, there’s an Aldi too, oh I love to shop, can’t wait for tomorrow!

Today is MacDonalds day, mom and I stop halfway on our drive and have our maccy lunch, even Alfie gets a burger – it’s a holiday tradition.  Tea tonight will be something I take with us just until I can get to a shop tomorrow.

I’ll never be able to NOT think ProPoints for long as it’s in my blood, loving this vegetarian dish, idea for Christmas if you have any visitors or for something different for yourself; 

Leek and stilton butternut squash

(24pp total, 12 pp each)

Serves: 2
Prep time: 25 mins
Cook time: 1 hour

Ingredients

• 1 medium butternut squash
• 1 leek
• 50g walnuts (10p)
• 80g Stilton(9pp)
• 2 tsp maple syrup (1pp)
• 1 tbsp olive oil (4pp)

Recipe method

Preheat the oven to 200ºC/fan 180ºC/Gas 6.

Cut the butternut squash in half, scoop out the seeds and put into a roasting dish, cut-side upwards. Drizzle over 2 tsp of the oil and roast for 45 minutes or until tender.

Meanwhile, cut the leek into quarters lengthways and thinly slice. Heat the remaining oil in a pan and soften the leek for a few minutes, then add the walnuts. Transfer to a bowl.

Taking care to keep the skins intact, scoop the cooked squash flesh into the leek mixture and stir together.

Spoon back into the skins, sprinkle over the cheese and drizzle over the maple syrup.

Roast for 15 minutes until golden.

Right I’m off to sort myself out, pack my clothes and drive to Wales ;-)

Just in case I don’t get to blog over the next few weeks I’ll say Happy Christmas now, but I should be able to.

Xx Eat Gorgeous & BeYOUtiful xx  

Caught out by the boss!

20^th December 2013

Be bold, if you’re going to make an error, make a doozey, and don’t be afraid to hit the ball. Billie Jean King.

Have you ever had one of those days?  Yesterday was one for me, last day at work for the year, not feeling 100%, get to work just after 8 for an 8.30 meeting start to set up the room on my own because my lovely Sharon is with her daughter who’s just giving birth to a 7lb+ baby boy, which also means I’m clerking as well as weighing - so as you can imagine, I’m a little rushed, I thought to myself, I won’t put cloths on the tables this morning, it’ll save time and I can get them washed and dried ready for the new year!  I couldn’t put my banners out so that was one less thing to have to do, my shop wasn’t as spectacular a display as usual because I hadn’t got time to sort it and I also forgot to put my backboard up in the rush, then as I start weighing my lovely members I realise I’ve forgot my badge.  I think to myself again, it’s fine, I’ll not have any new members today, it’s my last day of the year, my boss is on holiday – it’ll all be okay.  Then at around 9.30 at my meetings starting to get busy, a tall gentleman in a suit walked into my meeting, I looked across, thought to myself, “he looks familiar, is he that members husband who’s coming to treat her to a set of scales?”, BANG realisation, it’s only my bosses boss, the regional manager dropped by!   Just my luck, my room layout looks worse than it’s ever looked, my only saving grace is my rooms full and buzzing with all my fabulous members.  He introduces himself, we have a little chat and then he goes and sits with my mom and starts chatting, whilst I pray to myself that she behaves ;-) when I ask her later what they were saying, her reply was, “I can’t remember”.  Hopefully he won’t hold my lack of professionalism against me after his visit yesterday, my meeting talk I pray won him over and he went away impressed – I’m sure I’ll find out soon enough if he didn’t!

Anyways, this is the stuff that really matters, this is what my members have achieved this year, here is my year in numbers;

Pounds lost by my members = 22,516lb

Stones lost by my members = 1,608st

My Members achieving their Gold membership = 83

Happy members & smiles on faces = unable to count but priceless!

Knowing that the majority of my members are confident that they can survive Christmas without doing too much damage is very important to me, having them realise it’s not what you do over Christmas that causes the weight problem, it’s your behaviour the rest of the year is what I have tried to instil over the last few weeks. Any weight gain that happens over the next few weeks will be taken off soon enough in January; we even have a nice simple start to help us with that.  Until them we can focus on what’s important at this time of year, family and friends and spending time with loved ones – that’s my plan anyway.  I’m looking forward to a well earned break; I won’t be standing on a set of scales until January 7^th!  Bring on Santa I say!

Let’s end today’s blog with a little more success, this is my lovely Kelly, she’s lost 85lb in the last two year and is merely 3lb from her goal, she intends to be my first gold member in January, I don’t doubt she will for a moment. 

 Kelly says she has so much energy and more confidence and enjoys doing exercise now.  She also has the most amazing laugh and smile, her eyes just glisten when she giggles, we see a lot more of that laughter since she lost her weight funnily enough.   Kelly hasn’t put her life on hold, she’s continued to have a good time and enjoy food, even enjoying a trip to Disneyland this summer with the family, see you can lose weight, feel great and lead an enjoyable life.

Happy Friday All!  Eat Gorgeous & BeYOUtiful. xx