Another 3 lbs down today! That's 8 lbs in 2 weeks!
Personal Tip: My weigh-in is on the same day when Maddy, Rob and I get ice cream next door to his office (Gil & Bert's in Cranbury). I weigh myself in the morning and treat myself in the afternoon. It's a small treat, but worth the wait/weight! (Of course, I eat the LF or FF/SF option and get the kiddie size which is generally a serving size)
Weight Watchers Challenge: The Weigh In
Back to School with a Dole Foods contest and Marty the Zebra!
It's Back-to-School time and that means new clothes, new books, new classes and should also include new healthy food choices for your family. Here are some tips to create a healthy eating environment in your home:
- For those children who seek comfort in feeling stuffed, let them eat their fill of vegetables and fruit, limiting only higher calorie foods.
- If your child eats little dinner and complains of hunger at bedtime, offer only a piece of fruit to encourage better mealtime eating.
- Get creative with presentation. Give young children cut fruits and vegetables and then let them create funny faces or animals.
- It's easy to fit in extra fruit servings in your child's diet: a large banana = 2, a box of raisins = 1, and a 15 oz bottle of pure juice = 4.
- Use an assortment of fruit to make a fun fruit kabob for afternoon snacking.
- Top frozen low fat yogurt with sliced fruit for a sweet and refreshing dessert snack
- Core an apple, fill it with raisins and other dried fruit, and cook in the microwave or bake
Dole Foods has rolled out two sites in honor of both the return to school and a healthy lifestyle. The first site, www.DoleWaytoSnack.com, has been running a contest for families to submit their favorite healthy-kid friendly snack. Register on the site and vote for your favorite recipes and by doing so, will enter you in a chance to win $100! That's a prize just for voting!If you submit a recipe, the prizes get better. If you submit a Dole recipe, you have a chance to win one of the following:
- 1 Grand Prize: A trip for four (4) to Hawaii
- 2 First Prizes: A Dole Gift Basket with a TON of cool stuff
When the movie comes out, don't be left in the dust without your very own Marty Snak Pak!
I am totally my mom!
When I became a teacher, I suddenly started hearing my mom in my own voice-through my words of advice, my warnings and even my occasional angry tone. It was inevitable: I am my mom! But you know what...that's a really great thing! Click the link below and take the test for yourself!
You Are Totally Like Your Mom |
 You and your mom are practically clones. You think alike, and you even seem to read each other's minds. You're definitely you're mother's child... and that's just fine with you. |
Mrs Mo's Review: Life Before Her Eyes by Laura Kasischke
I just finished reading an extremely moving, original and thought provoking book called Life Before Her Eyes. Unfortunately, I read it already knowing the ending (I Googled the movie version and read the plot on Wikipedia), but that still didn't deter my absorption in the plot of the book.
Let me start with the ending. Without giving away details, I was reminded of the a scene in the move Big Fish when Billy Cruddup's character tells his father, Albert Finney, of how he dies. Cruddup carries his Finney to the water through a crowd of applauding people from his father's "memories." This scene, along with the ending of the book, was like a fantasy. A dream.
The book opens with 2 best friends standing in their high school bathroom and who have just been confronted by one of their classmates who has just gone on a shooting rampage. He tells the girls that 1 of them will die and asks the blonde girl to choose which one. Hastily, she reacts with "Choose her, not me."
Fast-forward about 15 years and we are sitting in Diana's minivan (the blonde girl) waiting for her daughter Emma to come out of school. Diana thinks she's living the perfect life and is proud that she doesn't look her age. While the Diana as a teen was reckless and shall we say "loose," Diana at 40 is more self-conscious and cautious. As the book flows, you start to see future Diana's reality start to generate some holes and even some crossover with her past, but the detail is subtle. The flashback style of writing gives the reader a glimpse into the carefree life that Diana and her best friend had during their senior year of high school.
But, Diana becomes haunted by her behavior as a teen and her "choice" to live as she stared down the barrel of a gun and sees her own relationships become tender and vulnerable. As Diana's past self approaches the day of the shooting, her future self becomes increasingly suspicious that her "perfect life" is not so and starts to hear and see things, confusing reality with her memories. Is it the guilt from choosing her life over her friend's?
By the end of the book, Diana makes peace with her choices and feels satisfaction that what she was put on Earth to do has been accomplished. And even though there is immense sadness surrounding the events at the high school, you can't help but feel somewhat happy for her.
I'll let you read for yourself...
Watch the trailer for the movie starring Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood below:
Special Heels.com Sale for Mrs Mo's Readers!
I don't think you'll ever be able to explain to a man why a woman needs so many shoes. And don't get me started on the high heels!
Well, Heels.com has offered Mrs Mo's readers a special 15% off coupon!!
After you shop for your favorite BCBG, Charles David, Enzo, Jessica Simpson, Naughty Monkey (I love the name!) or Nine West shoes, type MRSMONJ for your coupon code and save!! (If you've never been to this site before, it's not just heels. It's all women's shoes)
Start shopping and be sure to tell me what fabulous shoes you just got! (Hey sis, they have size 11)
If you can't decide, here are some sassy selections to get you started...
Weight Watchers Challenge: The Weigh In
I did it! 4.9 lbs in 1 week! The ball is officially rolling. Here is a sample menu of what I've been eating this week:
Breakfast:
Breakfast:
- 1 Dannon Light & Fit yogurt (2 pt)
- Reduced Sugar Instant Oatmeal (2 pts)
- 1 Omega-3 Egg (2 pts)
- Arnold Sandwich Thins (1)
- 2 oz of Turkey with lettuce (2) or 1 can of Bumble Bee FF Tuna Salad (1)
- piece of fruit or Skinny Cow Skinny Dippers (1)
- Tyson Chicken (2-3)
- Peas or Squash (0-1)
- Fruit (1)
- Pretzels (2)
- Pudding Cup (1)
- String Cheese (2)
- Cucumbers with Hummus (2)
- Propel
- Homemade Fruit Water (just frozen fruit in a pitcher with bottled water)
- Diet Lipton White Tea with Peach
- Plain Water
- Vanilla Coke Zero
Sparkle on the first day of school
The first day of school isn't just an opportunity for students to show off a new wardrobe. It's also a chance for teachers to come back looking their best (I speak from experience).
Here is an outfit that blends conservative with a night on the town. Who says you can't sparkle in the daytime?
Pair a brown pencil skirt, like this one from Banana Republic($79), with the navy sequin tank from J. Crew($69.99). Finish the look with a 3/4 length button-down blouse($28.50) under the tank. It's an unexpected look, but one that is sure to dazzle! Your students shouldn't be the only ones who are trend-setters!
*This look is also good for the office, a restaurant or a day shopping and drinking with friends!
Alzheimer's Memory Walk in Princeton
I'll see you at the walk!
Bambi in my backyard
There is something peaceful about watching deer wander in a natural habitat without fear. I was looking out my back window today and was lucky to find a mom and her two babies walking around. The one baby actually walked very close to the property line, but mom wasn't far behind keeping an eye on it. I just love the coloring of a fawn. Just like Bambi! Enjoy the photos and video below.
Shop ShopBop and earn a free gift
Big Sale at Vista Print!
I get my business cards, thank you notes, invitations, etc from Vista Print. It's affordable and has great designs. You can also design your own (stay tuned for a look at my Mrs Mo business cards). Shop their Summer sale now!
I thought a wrap was healthier than a hoagie...
Today was my first official day tallying points on Weight Watchers online. For breakfast (at 6:30), I had 2 points and at a mid-morning snack I had 4 points. For lunch, Rob and I stopped at Subway for a healthy sub. I really like the Sweet Onion Teriyaki Chicken and THOUGHT that opting for a wrap instead of the bread would be better. Boy was I wrong!!!
When I looked up the total points on Dottie's Weight Loss Zone, I discovered that my wrap was 10.5 points while the same version on the bread was only 7! So, that left me with 6.5 points to eat for the rest of the day!
It's a good thing that Rob and I spent the entire day "decluttering" our house to get it ready for the broker's open house. I didn't have time to be hungry.
**For those who don't know of Dottie's site, it is a fantastic Weight Watchers supplement offering points for restaurants, foods, everything! Here is one of her pearls of wisdom:
Visit her page for secrets to her success.
When I looked up the total points on Dottie's Weight Loss Zone, I discovered that my wrap was 10.5 points while the same version on the bread was only 7! So, that left me with 6.5 points to eat for the rest of the day!
It's a good thing that Rob and I spent the entire day "decluttering" our house to get it ready for the broker's open house. I didn't have time to be hungry.
**For those who don't know of Dottie's site, it is a fantastic Weight Watchers supplement offering points for restaurants, foods, everything! Here is one of her pearls of wisdom:
MARK YOUR GROCERIES WITH POINTS - After I get my groceries home I take a black marker and mark the points right on the food item - this way I don't have to bother looking the points up when I get ready to make a meal or eat that food item. This makes following the program and tracking my points EASY, which is going to help me STAY ON PROGRAM. If it becomes a chore I will quit for sure!
Visit her page for secrets to her success.
My Weight Loss Challenge
For 2 weeks now, I've been cutting calories and upping the strength and workout training. I probably should have weighed myself before starting because yesterday I did and it says I only lost 2 pounds in 2 months. Not good. Granted, I've been doing more strength training so maybe my muscle has developed faster than the fat has dropped, but it is still discouraging.
With that said, I decided to try Weight Watchers online, again. I have a pretty hefty goal to lose 33 lbs ( I lost almost 30 before my wedding mostly due to happy stress). The last time I tried WW, I was never able to eat my points. On a daily basis, I barely hit 20 points and I had to eat about 25. I could easily build my points by eating nuts, but unfortunately I have a slight allergy to them. I have to eat 23 points a day. So far, I have eaten 4.
My biggest obstacle right now is my positive willpower and attitude. I'd love to hear from anyone who had success with WW or WW online. Share your daily menu, snack ideas, etc.
Wish me luck!
Why I Like Facebook
When I was teaching middle school, I didn't even think twice about setting up a Facebook page. I just didn't think it was appropriate at the time. However, now I find it a lot of fun! I've been able to reconnect with old classmates and friends AND promote my blog.
I also have a Facebook group based on my blog and my NING page. If you have Facebook already, do a search for "Mrs Mo's New Jerseyans" and join my group.
Post your pictures of NJ, share your favorite places to visit or share some favorite links.
Maddy Loves Her: Freddie the Firefly Lamaze Toy
Babycenter.com says your baby will start grasping at toys at around 3 months. Maddy has more than grasped at her Freddie the Firefly toy; she has sucked on it, hugged it and calmed down with it.
Lamaze toys are great developmental toys for babies (and make great great gifts). What is fantastic about Freddie, is that his wings crinkle, he has rings to hold onto, little mirrors and a squeaky little knob. When Maddy is fussy, she tends to get happy and distracted as soon as I put Freddie in her lap.
Of course, babies develop at different rates, but you help motivate progress by exposing them to the Lamaze toys. Freddie is actually one of the most popular registry items on Babies-R-Us so run out and get one now!
Coming Soon: The Great Mom Swap!
Coming this fall, Mrs Mo's New Jersey, Baby will have the first annual Great Mom Swap to give moms the opportunity to swap anything with other moms: baby stuff for baby stuff, mommy stuff for baby stuff, free products for baby stuff, babysitting for baby stuff, you name it!
Moms can join over at my community site, Mrs Mo's New Jerseyans and post their swappables. Then it's up to them to make the exchange.
Stay tuned for more details!
Mrs Mo's Pretty Picks
I love fashion and finding great bargains. I used to be pretty loose with my credit card, but now that I am without income (hopefully for just a short while), you won't find me boasting of great bargains that I have purchased. But that won't stop me from scoping out pretty things for the readers to buy! Every couple weeks or so, I'm going to share what I think is a go-to outfit for both day and evening and maybe you'll see me actually buying one of them at some point!
Pretty Pick #1: Black shift dress with chunky necklace and red (or orange) shoes
(From L-R): Faith & Zoe (HSN), Anne Taylor LOFT, Laila Rowe, JC Penny, Vintage, Hush Puppies, Jessica Simpson, Guess
Trendy Gifts for the Elementary Teacher
If you have an elementary school teacher in your life and you want to treat her to a trendy gift that she can take to school, get her a custom handbag by Pink Lemonade Bags. Below is the Retro Spa Apples and Pears which made me think teacher right away!
But the cuteness doesn't end there. View more bags including toile, stripes, dots and other whimsical and girly designs at the designer's Etsy shop.
Entrecard readers, "Drop" by her blog too!
But the cuteness doesn't end there. View more bags including toile, stripes, dots and other whimsical and girly designs at the designer's Etsy shop.
Entrecard readers, "Drop" by her blog too!
Another email scam!
It seems as though tutors are special targets of email scammers. I have received a handful with my Craigslist ads and this morning I got another one. If you don't know how to spot an tutoring scam, view the email below:
If I were to respond to the tutoring request (which I did when I didn't know about this scam), you will receive another one promising a pay-in-full deal for all the tutoring sessions (upwards of $1000). However, since the "parent" cannot use their ATM card, they can only send you a money order or check for significantly more than the tutoring (a few thousand dollars) and will ask that you send back difference.
As a tutor who relies on web promotion for my tutoring services, it's very frustrating to get so many scams while waiting for a legit parent to respond.
Hello Teacher,
I'm Rachael Wilson. I went through your description AD and I'm highly impressed and have interest in your lesson. I've a son who will be coming for holiday pension in your area, he is 15yr old. Because I don't want him playing around at the time of the day and I've make decision that instead of him playing around at the time of the day, he should be attending your lesson, so he will be coming 2hrs in a day (10am -- 12pm) or at your leisure period. Kindly calculate the cost for 1 week and let me know the total cost and i will be paying you with a certified check that will be easy for you to cash in the state. Please Get Back to me with your lesson fees as soon as you can!
Thanks.
If I were to respond to the tutoring request (which I did when I didn't know about this scam), you will receive another one promising a pay-in-full deal for all the tutoring sessions (upwards of $1000). However, since the "parent" cannot use their ATM card, they can only send you a money order or check for significantly more than the tutoring (a few thousand dollars) and will ask that you send back difference.
As a tutor who relies on web promotion for my tutoring services, it's very frustrating to get so many scams while waiting for a legit parent to respond.
Ghosts of Hopewell
I've been getting a lot of hits on my blog for the Lindbergh house in Hopewell. As you all should know, controversy surrounded the family of Charles Lindbergh, the famed pilot who made the first transatlantic flight, when his infant son was kidnapped and found murdered. Though some of the locals believe it was Lindbergh who was behind the crime, author and former FBI agent Jim Fisher believe it was in fact the immigrant Bruno Hauptmann who committed the crime.I read the book and thought it was really interesting. Unfortunately, it was awhile ago and cannot recall specifics. But, he makes a case for the guilt of Hauptmann and debunks any conspiracy.
Ghosts of Hopewell is available at Amazon for new and used.
Love-Hate Relationship with food
I have always had a Love-Hate relationship with food. I LOVE food and I HATE how it piles on the pounds. Will power is not something that I have a lot of when it comes to avoiding my pantry. Sometimes you have to say to yourself: "just take the time and look at what and how much you are eating." Normally I don't have the patience to log calories, but since I've been logging Maddy's feedings, it's become a routine practice and was easy to start doing for myself. I started on Monday and I'm doing well so far. I've discovered a few things about my food consumption thus far:- I can eat waaaay too many pretzels. I could have easily eaten 400+ calories of pretzels in one sitting and not realize it.
- 2 Tbsp of hummus is actually plenty to eat with a whole cucumber. Before, I would just take the carton with me and eat more than I really needed. When I measured out 3 Tbsp (since I thought I'd need that much), I actually had some left over.
- A medium sized golden delicious apple has 80 calories which is more than I thought.
- I'm saving money on groceries because I'm not eating through my food as fast.
Since I've started my new eating regiment, I'm reminded of a process I went through during my freshman year at college when I had an addiction to bagels (Thanks to Time for a Bagel in Morris Plains). If you think about it, you can also use this technique when your trying to get over an ex or a crush. Read on:- Step 1: Walk up to the bagel bin, open the lid and take half a bagel. Do this for only a few days a week instead of everyday.
- Step 2: After 1 week of eating half a bagel, repeat Step1, but this time, walk up to the bin and open the lid, but DO NOT take a bagel.
- Step 3: After a few days of opening the lid, walk up to the bin and just look at the bagels. Don't open the lid.
- Step 4: After a day or two, don't even walk up to the bin. Take a look from a distance and just keep walking over to the fruit instead.
- Eventually, you will not miss or even want a bagel anymore. Hopefully you will be able to treat yourself every now and then, but you many not even need to.
Update: I still don't eat bagels, however I had a mad craving for them during my pregnancy and treated myself to a yummy egg white and bagel sandwich from Bagel Street in Plainsboro.
You won't find me tracking my weight online. I don't weigh myself and reserve that painful process for doctor's visits. Instead, I go by how my clothing fits. I'm currently 13 weeks postpartum and is has been 7 weeks since I got the OK to workout from my doctor (since I had a c-section). My upper body is always the first to slim down. My hips and that awful spare-tire are always the last to go away (and usually don't).In addition to my calorie counting, I have been doing a variety of exercises. I found a routine called the 3-2-1 Baby Bulge Be Gone which Halle Berry and Jessica Alba both do. It's a circuit workout that can be done in about an hour or less. I tried it out last night and felt really good when I left the gym. I'll probably tweak with the strength portion, incorporating different moves that I've enjoyed in the past.
Wish me luck and I'll try to record my progress as I go.
Favre flying to MoTown
Brett Favre is flying into Morristown Airport around 1:30 pm today.
Directions to the airport
Holy Neocate, CVS!
It goes to show how perseverance and patience pays off. After weeks of calls to Amerihealth and coordinating with the GI specialists up in New Brunswick (who have been so helpful through this process), we finally got approved to have the Neocate covered and-the cherry on top moment-we just paid $15 for 7 boxes of Neocate! Each can makes about 85 fl oz and she is averaging about 23 fl oz a day (we get about 3 days for each can) so if we get 3 days with 1 can and there are 4 cans in each box, we now have about 84 days of Neocate before we need to restock.
We went from paying $132 per box($33 ea. can) to $15 for 7 (about $2.14 per box)! That is a 94% discount with our insurance.
For parents in this situation: Have your baby's GI doctor (if they have one) or primary care physician write a letter into your insurance stating the "medical necessity" for your baby to be on Neocate. Not all insurance carriers will cover it, but it's worth the effort.
Thank you Amerihealth!
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