Competitions and freebies for February

Instagram - one for keto baking goods
                    One for a set of art supplies

Coles

This was okay, hubs drank it but we won't buy it again

Woolworths "the bunch"

 

Delicious, I tried it the kids loved it. Both boys enjoyed it.

Actually forgotten we had these so will go try them today!

Social soup campaigns - 2 bags of "Off The Eaten Path" veggie chips

                                          Yet to be opened

Weekend plans

I don't have any work booked for next week yet. I do prefer it when I know in advance... I'm hoping I get a message tomorrow.

My eldest is away on school camp towards the end of the week. So today I shall use the spare room to layout some of his kit list.

There is chicken in the fridge that I need to cook for a few meals that can be defrosted of an evening. Both hubs and I are struggling with dinners at the moment. We are not both hungry on the same night so it often transpires that one of us is fasting and cooking for one just isn't very enjoyable. So today I'm going to batch cook some meals that if we are hungry we can easily defrost and eat. I out some of
the PeteEvans stir in sauce meals a while back, some coconut cream curry, etc I would like 1 drawer of the freezer with things that are ready to microwave and one with things prepped for cooking...it's a plan anyway.

Since I ended up working most of last week I didn't get my housework list done so I also need to rack on with that andcross things off. I did manage the ironing and about 5 loads of laundry which are just decorating the lounge room on drying racks. It's one thing less to do today and means if the weather looks good I might strip the kids beds and give them a good wash and hopefully get the sheets back on before bed.

Home list this week

Today I'm working a half day. I'm dropping my friends kids in in the morning and she is bringing my kids home. This is great as it means once I finish work I can dash home and get some home jobs done with having to dash back to school for pick up, on my list are the following jobs for the week. I'm going to see how many I can get done before we leave for school in the morning, I'm hoping at least 3 things.


Washing on line / airer
Change kids bedsheets
Change adults bedsheets
Clothes away in kids rooms
Clothes to adult rooms
Clean toilets
Restock toilet rolls
Vac living areas
Vac bedroom / corridor
Mop kitchen / toilets/ laundry
Tidy eldest room (5min max)
Tidy youngest room (20 min max)
Sort sports bags for rest of week
General tidy up and basket up bits and bobs around house tha needs to go away
Choose 1 box from wardrobe to sort
Clean runners in corridor doorway

Self care
Moisturise and remove rough skin on feet


Yard work
Mow the grass


Other jobs

This week

I have work booked for This week
Monday:
Tuesday: all day
Wednesday: half day
Thursday:
Friday: part day

That's great for me, I'm keen to add a $100 to Gold Coast savings. My Current target is $500 I've just been emptying my purse of change every so often and paying it into the account. I think it's currently sitting around $130

My eldest goes for an interview at our preferred high school for him. I think I'm more nervous than him. Time will tell though, his friends will mostly be going in the days before him so it will be interesting to see what they all say about the experience during the week and how he takes it.

Meals this week for the kids
Monday : weekend leftovers - microwave
Tuesday: bolognese and pasta
Wednesday: bolognese and pasta - microwave
Thursday: home cooked meal
Friday: Subway

Weigh in #6

I i feel like it's been a good week. Nothing too naughty but a few bits and bobs to keep it working in real life. I've noticed my clothes seem to bit baggier, more room inside has been fabulous. My stomach is getting smaller, pants are doing  up better. I am telling myself I don't care if there is not loss on the scales this week because the loss is becoming visible to me in other ways (but mentally I sell want a lower number)

So that's down another 500g

Bringing my total weight loss so far to...9.6kg

Day in the life eating keto

Breakfast I had a coffee with cream, this usually keeps me going until 11/12ish. Cream is lower in carbs than milk and because of the high fatcontent keeps me fuller for longer

I'm working today

Lunch:

Some crust less quiche made with eggs from the chooks, a thinly sliced onion and chopped gammon left over from Christmas and a splattering of mixed herbs and cheese.


Dinner:
Steak, cauliflower cheese (no flour) and a low carb beer



Snacks:
Wasn't hungry by evening but I'd bought myself some low are pork scratching X and they re calling me from the pantry. They were delicious!

Mobile phones for kids

I'm looking at a low cost mobile phone plan for my eldest. 

What do I want?

Free unlimited calls and texts

Good data coverage

Either a low cost monthly payment OR a comparable 6month / year plan

Ideally with the 6month or year plan I'd like the data rolled out over the period

I'd love some suggestions or other plans to look at for now I'm just starting the search.

NSV - non scale victory

A pair of black pants which didn't actually do up over my stomach now can be fastened and are comfy to wear.

They are a little tight in my thighs but my other black work pants feel like I'm in a circus tent so I definitely prefer the small size right now as I don't need to keep pulling them up as they have slipped down off my hips. I'm going to wear them with a size 20 top that was snug but now sits loosely over my hips and tummy. I'm excited to wear them for work tomorrow!

Weigh in #5

Still going down and closer to my first goal. 

All is well and I'm enjoying doing keto.

This weeks loss 1.3kg

Total loss 9.1kg

My Frugal Week

How did I save money this week?

1. I got called in for work on Thursday and Friday so will get paid but also avoided a return trip in my car from home to my kids school
2. Went to NQR and bought some snacks for lunch boxes that were down to 50c each 
3. I didn't buy takeaway for myself (although the kids had it twice due to not being able to go home before sports and them going to bed as soon as we get home.
4. Using up lots of leftovers from the fridge and freezer
5. No coffees out
6. No unplanned spending 

Hubs and I have $50 a fortnight for personal spending. Here is how mine was spent 

$20 towards youngest soccer fees

$5 swimming pool entry for me (real price is $6.40 but they didn't have the right change so only charged $5)

So I still have $25 left for the week. I'm really happy with this. Next week I hope to have another swim. I won't plan to pay soccer fees but I will see what's left and either pay a bit more or put my leftovers into Gold Coast Savings. 

Finding time to exercise.

Last night after school we had Swimming. Our usual venue has been closed since early December for renovations so we've been heading to various pools around town for training. Last night the weather was lovely so we went staight to the outdoor pool from school.

 I'd packed my bathers too aiming to get a little light exercise in as well. By 4pm we were in the water which I must say was blissfully  warm. They boys and I played for a while, then one of them went to training. I played with the youngest for a while but then some other kids arrived and He played with them. I got out, my husband arrived and got in. I had my shower and hair wash at the pool. I watched my eldest training. Hubs swam with youngest for a while and then they got out and had their showers. We all went home tired, clean but feeling so good. Boys flopped into bed. I was happy I didn't still have to have a shower. Popped my PJs on and began to make lunch boxes!

Bucket List

I saw recently saw a woman's bucket list. I like the idea. Some items I changed into something that suits me more. Im going to highlight those I've done (or am doing) and then think about getting some more of them done this year which i will highlight in a different colour.

1. create and artwork
2. learn something new
3. do yoga
4. see a musical
5. visit a new place
6. see a turtle close up
7. have a girls weekend away
8. see a sunrise
9. ride a rollercoaster
10. send mail to 12 people
11. change someones life
12. go to a concert
13. catch a fish (and let it go)
14. see a comedy show
15. find the perfect shade of lipstick
16. dye your hair
17. pay someones bill
18. do a park run / walk
19. go offline for a week
20. try a new food
21. do karaoke
22. see a heeler
23. stop saying sorry
24. gamble $100 at a casino
25. get published in a magazine
26. visit a winery
27. volunteer somewhere
28. go out for a fancy dinner
29. take a road trip
30. learn how to do eye make up 
31. kick a bad habit
32. take a mystery flight
33. see a waterfall
34. plan a big holiday
35. go camping
36. date my kids solo
37. do something that scares me
38. practice some self care
39. renovate 1 room 
40. exercise weekly

Weigh in #4

My focus this week has been getting to my target of 7.5kg loss which means I'm aiming for a weight of 118.2kg. I don't have a date in mind but I'm plodding on and doing what i know works for me keeping 118 in my mind when I see something I want to eat that won't help me get there.

Ive made efforts to fast which i know really boosts my losses and my mental health.

things that have gone well this week...
fasting
Getting back in routine with kids sports
Having snacks planned
Taking meat out the night before so it can defrost for the next day


things that could have gone better this week...
forgetting to take a water bottle with me when i go out
not being prepared with snacks for the school run / kids sports

Loss this week - 1.9kg

Total loss so far 7.8kg

A little self care

Today, I'm going to give myself a little pedicure, smooth any hard skin, clip and paint toe nails and generally give a bit of self love. I told myself I could have a treat when I lost 5 kgs so here it is. In the past a treat might have been somewhat more self indulgent but this is frugal and will give me pretty toes at the end! No complaints from me.

I got these polishes from Kmart about a year ago cut and have the vibrant colours that my friends get when they go out for manicures ($25 a time)  but without the crazy cost. This year I will work through my polishes as they don't last forever and maybe pop some  on my Christmas list in 2020

Eggs

The chickens are laying like crazy! It a struggle to keep up at the moment. I've hard boiled a dozen to make curried egg mayo for lunches and today decided to have a fried egg on buttered low carb toast (still 27g per 100g!)  And then I poured all the buttery pan juices all over it which made it feel like fried bread!

But it was delicious! I think I may make it a weekend treat for myself. Toast was always a stumbling point for me so I need to be careful that this is not a regular thing!

But yum!!

F is for fasting

Last night I ate around 8.30 pm. Today I will be trying my hand at intermittent fasting. I will be happy with however many hours I manage as it's the first time. Fasting is good for the saggy skin when losing weight, I don't want too much of that!

So I'm not allowed anything more than 50 calories as that would be considered to have broken the fast. Honestly I still feel pretty full from dinner. The hardest thing for me is always the lack of coffee. Whilst I manage on black coffee if I don't have access to cream it's just not the same!

Last meal finished at 8.30pm
Awake 6.00am. (9 and a half hours so far)
Its currently 10.30 and I'm thinking about food! (14 hours fasting) but the thing is I don't think i am hungry yet. When fasting its really important to consider if you are eating because you are hungry, out of habit or thirsty. Im going to try thirsty with one of my favourite fruit teas.

So far today I've dropped the kids to school, come home, put washing on, stripped my bed, sorted washing, organised dinner for tonight hubs and I are having meatballs and zucchini noodles with masses of cheese, the kids are having sausages and mashed potatoes and veggies (probably corn). Tonight is a night where we can usually eat as a family because we are not dashing out to sport (don't have to leave until 6pm to get to sport so even if hubs is not home we are a bit more relaxed.

Things to do for tomorrow
sort out uniforms
sport bags
lunch boxes
washing on line
new sheets my bed
strip kids beds
make up kids beds
Washing to laundry for a good weather day
empty airer in lounge

12pm, hunger got the better for me. I went out to collect some eggs from the girls and had these 2 fried with some salt and butter. Feeling energised to crack on with my list

15 and a half hours fasting.

Hair Cuts

Why does my boys hair grow so quickly?

I will start by saying Im not a fan of boys with longer floppy hair. I like them to have short and somewhat trendy types that are easy to manage and look smart. But this has meant a hair cut every 4 weeks without fail. Their hair grows fast and as they have thick hair it looks quite unsightly.


We have for the last few years been travelling to an out of town hair dresser but as we need to make weekend appointments with her it has proved harder each time with the kids weekend activities taking a precedence. So for the last few months we've been trying a barbers and whilst they have done an amazing cut on their hair they have charged $30 per child which makes it unaffordable for the frequency we have had to go. So this weekend in passing conversation with another friend I've discovered that a mutual friend is actually a hair dresser and is looking for some casual cuts to make a little extra cash.

Im going to give her a whirl and see what her prices and cuts are like because honestly it would be the perfect solution as i drive past her house on my way home from school.


As for me, id love a hair cut but haven't been since before Christmas as i cant justify the cost!

NSV - Non Scale Victory

I think this was my first NSV (Non Scale Victory)



Today I put on my size 22 jeans, last worn about October time. I've lived in shorts and dresses all summer.


Did them up without sucking my tum in
Did my shoes up with my jeans on without feeling like i was going to pass out
Noticed they are loose on the thighs but a perfect fit on tum and bum

Loving how the angles here make my legs look long and skinny! I'll get there one day

To Do List

The children go back to school soon and by the end of their first week I would like to have done the following things


- Tidy the dresser in my room

- Completed at least 1 PD online

- Get 1 students room totally organised

- Clean the seats in my car

- Organised my professional development portfolio

Weigh in #3

This week I've been careful but also had a few treats...

We had takeaway one night...
I had a kebab meat and salad without any sauce, it was really yummy and felt like a glorious treat!
I did not have pitta, sauce or chips.
I have a strong feeling that dieting needs to be realistic and fit in with real life, this did it for me, it had been a big day, we were tired and we needed to eat!

Actually, looking back this was the only day I've strayed from the LCHF path. The portion was huge though and would be fine to share With hubby next time.

So here are my numbers:

Down 900g this week

Total loss so far: 5.9kg

Next target 7.5kg

24 hours eating LCHF

I eat to hunger, while following LCHF I find that days with high fat mean I'm often not overly hungry the next day. Days with low fat mean I'm getting brain fog, snappy and confused. It's a balance to get it right but boy does it feel good when I do.  Each meal I have a coffee with cream and there may be the odd one or 2 coffees elsewhere in the day. 

Breakfast:

Coffee with cream
4 slices of salami
10 salted almonds
Cucumber slices

Lunch:

Curried egg mayonnaise, seed crackers with butter
Coffee and cream

Dinner:

4 slices of salami, 2tbsp of grated cheese, curried egg mayonnaise, 3/4 of a tomato

The random amounts of tomato and cheese are because they were leftovers from hubbys dinner and I just wanted to used them up.

Coffee and cream
Sparkling water

Dinner:

4 slices of salami, 2tbsp of grated cheese, curried egg mayonnaise, 3/4 of a tomato

The random amounts of tomato and cheese are because they were leftovers from hubbys dinner and I just wanted to used them up.