How many tries does it take Brittany Cooley to get to day 4 of making the cut?

uh.... hopefully just 3.  Because tomorrow is my third try... oh dear!  

Good news though, i am starting to sense some toning...

If i stand just right there is a line of definition in my thigh surrounded by the cottage... BUT there is a line if i squat but lean forward almost like i am getting ready to long jump or something.  

Anyway... good to see some sun breaking through the clouds :)

LET'S GO DAY FOUR!  

uh and if you didn't already hear me say it...

please please please

go make the grilled chicken and roasted red pepper panini from pioneer woman.

good day.

Just Pinterest and a Printer

Today i felt the urge to redo our photo wall.  I found a few cool quotes on pinterest (what you aren't on pinterest yet?  ... uh well go... right now.) and wanted to use them in our home so... out with the old and in with the new!

 before

after

So tomorrow i start cleaning houses.  I have 2 houses to clean now... 

I am a bit Nervy.

I have four hours to clean each house every other week.  

Each house is three stories and has four people living inside.

I will also have Jack.

This might be a struggle...

we will see:)

SO, today i looked up tips.

want me to share?

good me too.

*List of how to clean the house:

1) dust

2) furniture- vacuum furniture and wash sheets/bath mats

3) mirrors and glass

4) surfaces- counters, remotes, phone, light switches, door knobs

5) spray kitchen down, then bath room go back and wipe down

6) sweep and mop

7) vacuum

*Tools for the house:

toothpicks

grapefruit & salt (i know right?)

dryer sheets

toothbrush

razor

q tip

microfiber towels

microfiber mop

nylon bristle broom

shammy dry for pet hair, wet for windows

backpack vac

*liquids

water and dish soap for all over

white vinegar, thyme and lavender

*to smell nice:

boil in water-

cranberry, orange, rosemary and bay leaves

orange, rosemary, cloves

apple, vanilla, cinnamon

lemon, pepper, rosemary

lemon, bay leaves, cinnamon and cloves

or just plain ol'

cinnamon OR vanilla OR nutmeg

Wish me luck!

Hopefully tomorrow i will look like this:

and not this:

"I'm not about to give up"

mom's song :)

So today was day 3, rest

but instead of rest i hit the gym family room stye with two of my ladies 

and 

WALKED at 3.0 no incline for 25 minutes 

(insert mocking voice here)

Note: I am NOT boasting about this lamo "workout"

actually it should probably not even be in quotes...

haha.

BUT for dinner we had the chipotle steak salad from PW

recipe a few blog posts ago...

and to wrap up

(maybe i posted this already?)

I made PW's coffee

We liked it, well let me rephrase that; we liked it $2.50 for a week's worth of coffee like it.

I ended up just trying a few different things.  I thought the sweetened condensed milk was too sweet and it still tasted like strong coffee. BUT again i was going to LEARN to like it for $2.50 a week! SHOOT!

But, now i really do like it.

Mine looks like this.

I bought some vanilla (torani) syrup and added that and just plain ol' milk.

Yummy!

Glad i figured out how we like it because i hate to be a broken record but SHOOT $8 for 3 weeks :)  

Dave Ramsey would be proud!

Okay so updates:

I wore fake eyelashes 3x last week, was only called out once.

We spent $102.10 on groceries this week but added things like slim fast, cottage cheese, vanilla (for coffee mmm...) trash bags, etc.  So we probably spend $80 on the meals :)

I made two copies this week:
 1) a pair of tall socks
 Okay, so i didn't make them this week.  But i am blogging about them this week.

 

They aren't as cute as the other socks, but they are $50 cheaper :)

2) donut scarf

 

oh and day 2 of Jillian (the second time) was the worst so far.  ICK.

Oh well, today's a new day

So mom and i saw this cute scarf at Anthro and of course i loved it and could not afford it...

Mom sent me a link so...

$6 and 15 minutes later... i was on my way to Church with mine around my neck :)  

Pics to come

(Camera is dead and charging...)

Here is the link:

how to

Encouragement-BOOM

Have you seen Couples retreat...
okay
never-mind.
So today i RE-started Jillian's Michaels "Making the Cut"
I skipped three days in a row so... here i am at day 1 again.
This was the worst day yet.
ICK.
Let's not start over again...
So here i am to list my encouragements...
-Next time we get pregnant i don't want to BALLOON up, it was hard losing the weight and now that i have it does NOT look the same, i don't want it to be as bad the next time (crossing fingers).  I gained 38 pounds with Jack which is only 3 more than (cough, the high end) of the suggested average 25-35 lb weight gain.
-I want to not have to do the pants dance when putting on my size 6 jeans.
-I don't want to wear spanks for the rest of my life (yes, i now wear spanks...) to get away from my acquired muffin top.
- I don't want to be 156 lbs ever again.  (yes, that is what i now weigh after a nice 10 lb increase in america)
- I want to be able to run around with Jack, i want to have enough endurance to play with him or even just carry him which is taxing right now.
- I don't want the disgust of getting dressed every day to rule my life like it is now.  I want to be healthy and not worry about bad angles (360).  haha.

I would like my arms to look like Julie Bowen's nothing crazy but beautifully toned.

and Jessica's legs

I am not looking for a six pack or anything but the sludge that hangs over my pants has GOT-TA-GO!

Here is to day two!  

Does being 25 and a mom make me too old for these, because i really love them.  

I saw a bumper sticker today that said "In case of the rapture, can i have your car?"
Yes, yes you can :)

Jillian's third circuit and today i look like...

Bob the Tomato entered a wet t-shirt contest.
(because my face is that red)

In fact this is perfect because Nick was cool as a cucumber while he coached me through the circuit, so you KNOW there was no cheating.  

Well except for the high knees because it thought i had counted to 60 but when i looked at Nick he did his smirk and said "K" which i know means i wasn't done... 

whoops!

But THAT was the only time i swear.  

:)

One Pan CRAZY cake

I interrupt your currently scheduled programming to bring you

THE ONE PAN CRAZY CAKE

yes.

This recipe is in our family cookbook and upon reading it's comments from Grandma, i fell in love.

Her mom (my great grandma Dallas) let her make this cake with her friends when they came over because it was so easy.  :) How cute!

PLUS it is awesomely delicious right out of the oven.

So... to make this fabulous one pan crazy cake you...

take out your 9x11 pan

throw in 1 1/2 cups flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 t soda, 1/2 t salt, 3 T cocoa and whisk that all together.

Then make 2 large holes and 1 small hole in your dry ingredients.

pour 6 T oil in one of the large holes, 1 cup of cold water in the other large hole and 1t vanilla and 1 T vinegar in the small hole.  whisk again.  Pop er' in the oven and you are done!

Frosting:

1 cup sugar

3 T cornstarch

3 T cocoa

1 c hot water

3 T butter

2 t vanilla

Throw all except butter and vanilla in a saucepan over medium.  Stir until thick.  Add butter and vanilla and pour over cake.

-OR-

Open up your jar of Nutella like i did and pour THAT over the cake.  It doesn't get much easier.

Join with me in the deliciousness will you?

As promised

A week full of Pioneer Woman

Yes, i kiped all of these recipes from PW and am SO excited to try them.  

GAME ON GAMER.

Again you can click on the title of the food for the recipe :)

Chipotle Steak Salad

Pollo Asado

barbeque chicken legs

Grilled Chicken and Roasted Red Pepper Panini

Chicken Spaghetti Casserole

Grilled Chicken Pineapple Quesadillas

Grocery List:

Produce:

bananas (for snack)

Red onion

white onion x2

cucumber

tomato

lettuce

limes x2

orange

jalepeno

red pepper

mushrooms

Meat:

roast beef (deli for lunch)

flank/skirt steak

2 bags chicken breast

1 bag chicken breast bone in skin on

Dairy:

milk

butter

monterey jack-shredded

provolone

Other:

chipotle peppers (can)

bread

corn tortillas

olive oil

orange juice

lemon juice

molasses

sundried tomatoes

mayo

olives diced

chicken broth

spaghetti

pineapple (can)

corn (can)

cornbread

&

white wine

Will update you with the grocery total and pics!

SIDE NOTE

p.s. i am not saying any of these things to get affirmation from anyone.  I just don't feel like my BEST self so that to me is disgusting because i know i can do better.  I am striving to be in shape and feel good.  I am putting myself down to make light of the situation not to get compliments.

Thank you for your time :)

The reason for this post is two fold:

1)  There is a new love in my life.  

This picture is case in point.

While the other adorable ladies are wearing "traditional" girl halloween costumes, Katie is being KT.  :)

AND that is what i look like right now.

Just add some greasy jheri curl.

Yes Jillian just kicked my butt again, so a culmination of those photos is what i look like at this very moment.

I am pretty sure i couldn't do another push up to save my life.

Good night!

oh p.s. Katie really is cute in real life :)

Here is her blog- Northwest is Best

Weekly Groceries

Okay so i mentioned that i had already planned our week of dinner's so here it is:

(If you click on the dinner it will take you to the recipe link)

Cheesy Chicken Parmesan

Oven Fried Chicken

White Chili

Broccoli Stir Fry

White Pesto Pizza

Mexican Lasagna

We are having eggs or oatmeal for breakfast and the dinner leftovers for lunch since most recipes make 4 servings.

Our Grocery List:

(if you use this double check that you have the other basic ingredients: olive oil, honey, flour, sugar, etc.)

Produce:

Cilantro

Broccoli x2

Green onions

Celery

Garlic

Limes x2

Orange 

Ginger

Meat:

Chicken 2.5 lb bag x3

Dairy:

Eggs

Half and Half

Mozzerella

Parmesan

Sour Cream

Milk

Other:

Dijon mustard

Tomato sauce

diced tomatoes

tortillas

black beans

corn

olives

canned chilies x2

white beans x2

chicken broth

oatmeal

coffee 1 lb.

fat free sweetened condensed milk

Bleach

Baby rice

Cheese cloth

can of diet coke (DC) x2

Our total was 72.62 and that was with Nick throwing in some tuna for a snack :)

YUM.

Where has my blogging gone?

So disappointed in my lack of blogging.  I get so excited to do it, and then don't.  I feel as if i haven't blogged in years... hopefully here is my comeback.

First on the agenda

drumroll please

badadadadadaddada

Pioneer Woman

How have i not fell in love with you before?

Everyone knows about you

Everyone RAVES about you

but no...

i am stubborn and figured EH...

well the winds of change are comin' round

I am in love. 

I have already made this weeks menu but REST ASSURED

next week will feature some of PW's goodness and my full report

at this particular moment in time i am salivating after looking at 1 i repeat 1 page of her recipes.  

I am definitely wishing that either it wasn't 3 am here (time change no good) or that i was near a 24 hour ANYTHING so i could start making her iced coffee that my friend so lovingly shared with me.

holy cannoli i am ready to GET DOWN on her food!

Next up:

FAKE EYELASHES

have you jumped on board yet?

DUDE.

DUDE.

Mom and i headed to Nordstrom

pause for sigh.

and to the MAC counter

another sigh.

to get our makeup done for a wedding

we split a pack of eyelashes...

yup straight up asked em' to cut em' in half

PERFECT

They weren't like "WHOA NELLY what are you doin' with fake eyelashes on!"

They were like "oh, pretty, you look lovely."

(at least that was my thinking)

feel free to correct me if i am wrong.

Since then i have tried unsuccessfully apply them twice and successfully once.

IN LOVE.

It makes me feel girly.

These days i just feel fat and ugly and manly.

these make me feel flirty.

They make me forget about my fully frosted cupcake as opposed to a muffin top.

so my dear friends...

feelin' gutsy?

DO IT

DO IT

DO IT

HOW TO

Here's the lashes

"Can't see the lines can ya Russ"

HERE WE GO

Okay Jillian, let's "Make the Cut"!  Day one, let's go!

So anyone who reads this should probably keep me accountable and if you see me or pictures of me 30 days from now and i am still a fatty you should probably say something.  Just be careful because maybe you just think i am fat and i really did do the workout and diet plan... just sayin'.  My goal is to fit my jeans comfortably, to be able to wear shorts and not worry about the waves that my thighs make.  To not have a stomach shelf when i am not pregnant.  I am back down to the WEIGHT i was before getting pregnant but it DIDN'T look like this... (at least i think).  I feel fat and icky and now with my haircut i just don't even feel girly anymore.  TIME FOR CHANGE. 

side note: haha reminds me of Patch Adams "NOW IS THE TIME FOR COW!"

I would like to be able to run a couple of miles non stop.  I would like to be able to keep up with Jack when i am pregnant next time around (if we are blessed in that way).  I would like to not gain 2 pant sizes next pregnancy.  I would like to be fit and maintain while providing enough nutrients and safety for the new little nugget.  I would also (unrelated) like to be able to do a decent toe touch again.  I know that it would mean more stamina, abs, legs and a LOT of work.  But yes it's a goal.  Which brings me to my reminiscing... I am currently wearing my old cheer shoes... yes i am lame, yes i miss them.  I miss working out being fun and with my friends!  I LOVED being able to dance or do stunts that would surprise people.  I loved when people thought cheerleaders were lame and did stupid things like sitting on each others shoulders and then they would see our routines... :)  We were the bomb.  I said it.

 

Okay Jillian Kick my butt.