Weight Watchers Weigh In: Week 2

I did not lose or gain any weight again on week two.

But the good news is:

1. I have a friend now going with me and I know that is going to get me even more motivated.
   
2. Think about all the weight I would be gaining right now...
3. Feel so much better, I am getting healthy, and working out three times a week doing Jillian Micheals workouts. I am trying my best through His help to glorify God with my eating.

Some things that have been helpful this week:

1. Charlie loves Hersey Bars and is not overweight at all. He is being helpful by hiding his candy stash in his room.
2. I love the meetings in Shelby. I have gone to Weight Watchers meetings in Columbia, Spartanburg, and Sumter, and my teacher here is so enjoyable, and does not go on and on about things we do not really need to hear. Studies have shown going to meetings people lose twice as much as those who do not stay for the meetings.
3. I have always done 8 minutes abs, but I found 7 minutes abs on YouTube and it is really working.
4. Weight Watchers Chicken Alfredo (my favorite meal) every other day (in the freezer section / 6 points).
   

For Halloween allow yourself 1-3 pieces of candy, but then I would try hiding the rest (one small piece of candy is usually 2 points). Another trick my leader told me and that when she bakes cookies she allows herself to have one as she is walking out the door so then she is physically not able to eat anymore. Please pray that I can lose some weight this week. I am not going to lie, I am getting a little frustrated.

Caramel Apple Salad:

2 golden delicious apples (cubed)

1 Box sugar-free butterscotch pudding

1 cup mini marshmallows

1 small container fat free Cool Whip

1 20 oz. can pineapple tidbits in its own juice

Mix all together
Store in refrigerator

1 cup=1 point

"God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him." 1 John 4:9

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." 1 Corinthians 10:31

Baked Chicken Recipe

In my Weight Watchers 3 month journal:

1 spray cooking spray

4 oz uncooked boneless skinless chicken breat

1/2 tsp. table salk

1.4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. olive oil

2 tsp. fresh lemon juice, or more to taste

2 tsp chopped fresh rosemarry

1/4 cup canned chicken broth

Preheat oven to 400. Coat a small, shallow roasting pan with cooking spray. Season both side of chicken with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to prepare pan and drizzle with oil, sprinkle with lemon juice, and rosemarry. Pour broth around chicken to coat bottom of pan. Bake until chicken is cooked through, about 30-35 minutes.

Makes 4 servings

3 points per serving

What is your favorite chicken recipe?

Green Bean Casserole Recipe

Tomorrow I am going to try this "Best Green Bean Casserole" recipe from allreceipes.com. It has lots of cheese in it, and looks yummy. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2 (14.5 ounce) cans green beans, drained
• 1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
• 1 (6 ounce) can French fried onions
• 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Place green beans and soup in a large microwave-safe bowl. Mix well and heat in the microwave on HIGH until warm (3 to 5 minutes). Stir in 1/2 cup of cheese and heat mixture for another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer green bean mixture to a casserole dish and sprinkle with French fried onions and remaining cheese.
3. Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven until the cheese melts and the onions just begin to brown.

The only money saving tip I have for this week is to read money saving blogs. I was reading money saving mom's blog and got $15 off any purchase from kodak. I got both my mom and Charlie's mom one of their Christmas gifts (I usually give each of our parents three gift each for Christmas). Yay!

I did get to go shopping Saturday night while Mimi and Pop Pop kept the babies. I still had Ann Taylor Loft gift cards from my parents and Aunt Sandi left over from my birthday and was able to find something to wear to my high school reunion which is this weekend (we will be missing Sunday for it). They had a friends and family 30% off coupon of our entire purchase. Click here to get it (and if it does not print out all you have to do is mention it and you will get it). I really like Ann Taylor because I can shop online and write down what I would like to try on. I was able to get three tops/sweaters, and a dress with my gift card. Almost everything I wrote down that I wanted to try ended up working which is rare (Abigail has had a throat virus with fever so that is why I have not blogged much this week...she is doing much better now).

Do yall have any money saving ideas to share with us this week (especially during the holiday season)?

Tuesday's Tip: We Finally Met Our $150 Weekly Budget for Out to Eat Food and Groceries

I am so excited that we finally meet our $150 budget for both groceries and out to eat food. We went to Charleston last week so our out to eat budget was a lot!

$94.51 spent on out to eat food
$45.20 at Walmart---I think that is a record.

How did I only spend $45.20 at Walmart? It was just really luck. All I really had to buy was formula, nursery water, blueberry muffins, roles, etc. I had stocked up the week before and just did not run out of hardly anything this week. Last night, Jackson and I went to Walmart and I knew I was very close to meeting my goal so I hardly bought anything. I will have to go back Thursday for a big trip.

So, here are my three money saving tips for the week (since meeting my budget was just luck).

1. Get your coupons organized! I like the Hannah Hansen organizer, but she might not be taking any more orders right now. However, I saw some on ebay. And of course, order the paper for at least the weekend for the coupons. It is worth it!
   
2. Know by heart how much items costs that you buy every week. I use to write these items down and keep them in my planner, but I think I actually have most of them memorized now after almost two years of couponing.
3. Target has some great deals this week. They sent me some coupons for their generic brands. I am switching Abigail soon to their formula. Click here to see money saving mom's post.

* Also $30 Weekly Grocery Challenge has a good post on Menu Planning here. Click here to see the recipe for Crockpot Chicken Soup.

What is your money saving tip for the week?

Banna Pudding Receipe (yes this is still my blog)

Last weekend we went over to Charlie's sister's house for a cookout. I have been craving banana pudding so I offered to make some for everyone. I really enjoy cooking when making it for more than 1 person. If you know me or this blog at all, you know I am not a good cook and have struggled in this area. Charlie stepped in and helped me during the middle of making it and he came up with all these creative things to do (the teacher in him coming out) by mixing the banana's together and coming up with this beautiful design. God knew I needed a husband who was gifted in this area and I am so blessed.

Here is the recipe:

• 8 Large Bananas
• 1 5 oz box of instant vanilla pudding
• 1 8 oz carton of sour cream
• 1 large carton of whipped topping

• Mix pudding and mix sour cream and 1/2 whipped topping. Layer pudding bananas and wafers in a 9 X 13 dish. Top the remaining of the whipped cream on top.

Pray for our VBS!

Our Vacation Bible School is this week and we are so excited about what all God is going to do! I am feeling a little overwhelmed because I am teaching 4th grade Sunday School this Sunday and next and then teaching 4th grade boys and girls all next week (Our VBS is from 9-12 pm).

Pray that:

• Teachers can have enough time to prepare and figure out everything. I love Lifeway's VBS, the music is phenomenal, but the directions for the teachers are very involved and just very complicated in certain sections. I taught 5 year olds last year and it was not nearly as involved. Preparing for Sunday School today seemed like a breeze compared to trying to figure everything out for VBS. I am praying that they simplify things for next year.
• Children are clearly presented the Gospel and that Satan and his demons do not cause distractions.
  
• That children make the most important decision of their lives, to follow Christ. Pray that they will be rescued from this world of darkness and come to have a relationship with Jesus.
  
• That Satan and his demons do not attack the Wallace house this week. Last year we had the fire in the middle of VBS...being in children's ministry this is probably the most important life changing, eternal, week for the children's ministry. I have been having some blood pressure issues so just pray that it continues to be stable for next week.

We are so excited that we have 215 children signed up already and many of them are not First Baptist members. Thank you for your prayers that these children's lives will be forever changed!

Some Major Praises!

With Me:

• I am feeling so much better now that the doctor said it was ok for me to take Nasonex for my sinuses. If God ever blesses me with another child, I hope I read this post and know that it is safe for me to take Nasonex when I am pregnant. I have not had a sneezing attack in almost a week! I was not able to do much of anything because I was constantly sneezing. I was even waking up in the middle of the night sneezing. God is so good! Even if I just feel this good for 5 days, I am thankful!
• We bought a blood pressure machine (a very cheap one) and my blood pressure has been normal
• I have been actually cooking. Saturday night a cooked Party Chicken. It was so good and saved us major money because we mad 2 meals out of it

Here is the recipe:

• 6 Boneless Chicken Breast
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 “…”of mushroom soup
• 2 cups of Sour Cream
• 1 package of dried beef
• 6 slices of bacon
• Ball up chicken-wrap dried beef around-wrap bacon around with toothpick- Cook for 2 hours Pour soup over rice. *First you mix the cream of chicken soup and mushroom soup and sour cream together in a bowl and spread it out on a the bottom of casserole dish. We like to mix the soup with rice 10 minute instant rice (the ones that come in the bags)
• I also cooked Hamburger Helper one night and Charlie and I made egg salad for sandwiches (he is a much better cook than I am)
• Finally, I am still able to do my Body Step and Body Combat classes. It is getting harder ever week, but I am feeling so great! I am in great shape unlike when I was pregnant with Jackson

With Jackson

· Jackson is doing so well! Pray that he does not get Charlie’s sinus infection. When Charlie had a fever and we did not know it, he picked up Jackson.

· Jackson goes to bed at 8:30 and sleeps till 7:45 am. I feel like a new woman!

· He was a ham at the Celebration Liberty pageant. He went up in the parade with the preschoolers during the 7:30 pm performances (Charlie carried him in). With Jackson’s personality we knew he would either love it or hate it (and be scared with 4,000 people clapping) and cry. He loved being on stage and he just happened to be in the center of the stage, then on cue he waved his flag clapped his hands and cheered. I think he thought everyone was there to clap for him. He was hilarious. I got it on video but I had to use my video camera to zoom in since I was in the back of the room. I usually take video with my camera but I cannot zoom in with the video. I have no idea how to upload the video from my video camera on the web. I have to download some software that I have tried once but it did not work. Does anyone know how to upload videos from their video camera? Unless I get some help, unfortunately there will be no video of Jackson at the Celebration Liberty Performance. It happened so fast I did not even get any pictures.

· Jackson’s ears are all cleared up now! He is still only saying about 10 to 15 words, which is a little frustrating but I know boys are not as verbal as girls. He can build tiny blocks up to the ceiling and is advance when it comes to his motor skills, but he is still speaking his own language. The doctor is not concerned about it at all. He understands everything we say, and when we ask him to go get something for us he always does. The doctor said it is more important that he understands what we are saying.

· We are going to Spartanburg for the 4^th of the July so be on the look out for some much needed pictures! I am so excited about seeing my sister, I have not seen her in forever.