Thursday, January 27, 2011

Pleasantly surprised

Well Jan 1st came and went and I am still not back on track. I am not going crazy by any means but still not being good. I have a theory, a really bad one but still a theory. I think that if you don't weigh in you technically weigh the same as the last time you weighed in. I told you it was a bad theory. Well I decided today would be a good day to see if I had gained all of my weight back. I felt like I had gained but I was shocked when I got on the scale and 196. I am not at the 103 I was last time I went to the doc. but I also am not the 198 I was right after Christmas. I was pleasantly surprised to say the least.
Well it had been awhile so I had to check in. Now back to block making.
Ali

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Holy COW!!!


Well Have a been busy or what? So as you might know I started a new online business making the block name sets. I figured I would get a few orders here and there for extra money. Oh my that isn't what has happened at all. I opened one week ago and today I hit 17 sales. I am a busy woman. I am thrilled and trying to keep up with it all. I have mu babysitting business during the days and as soon as they leave I am a mad woman in the kitchen painting and cutting away.
In other things I am having the hardest time getting back n track. I haven't gained anything more but I just need to get my butt in gear. I figure after anniversaries (my hubby and my 14th is next week) birthdays (I will be 33 in a few weeks) I will get back on track and get to losing again.
Ok well I had to do a quick update to keep you all posted but off an running I go
Ali

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

**GIVEAWAY**

**GIVEAWAY**
Hey blog followers. 
To welcome in 2011 my companies 
Ali Bee Designs and 
personalized blocks (our new non sewing side)
 is doing a giveaway for a 
$25.00 gift certificate to 
one of our stores. 
WHOO HOO!!!


Here's all you have to do go to


www.etsy.com/shop/alibee78

or


http://www.etsy.com/shop/personalizedblocks



After you visit my sites leave a comment at

-  On our facebook fan site http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ali-Bee-Designs/120191351330285


-  Ali's personal facebook  http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=643791358

- or on this blog

write what your favorite product is and why. That's it!


One entry per person 


but 
if you make any purchase between now and the 15th you will get 5 extra entries into the drawing.
If you tell a friend about us and they leave a comment (let me know) I will give you an extra entry.
If you tell a friend and they make a purchase both of you will get 5 extra entries. So bring on your friends and comments.

Ends jan. 15, 2011
Winner will be notified through facebook or the blog wherever you leave the winning comment. Winner will also be posted for all to see. 

Thanks and good luck!
Ali 

Can you believe it is January already?

Happy New Year everyone. I can't even fathom that it is 2011. Time flies when you are having fun.
I enjoyed my Christmas break SO much. I slept in, stayed up late, ate off track (but not totally nuts) crafted, sewed, baked, and hung out with my boys. I don't realize how much I miss my boys while they are in school until I have to send them back after time off.

So here are my crafting projects from my break. I wanted to get more done but we were so busy I wasn't able to. I of course fit in a few purses, I think I ended up sewing 6 for orders and gifts. I also started a new adventure in personalized name blocks. I love making them and enjoy seeing the final product. I open up a new etsy site to see if they sell or not but it's more for fun then anything. www.etsy.com/shop/personalizedblocks
Let see what else I have to tell ya'll about. Hmmm so I ate while on break. I didn't go wild but I didn't hold back much either. I was careful not to eat 500 cookies and candy and egg nog and all the list goes on and on but I did eat "normal" food and didn't keep any one thing out of my diet like sugar. I knew I was gaining but I wasn't worried about it for those 2 weeks. I gained about 4 pounds which isn't bad at all. Now I just have to get back on track and get them off again.
So with January first in the air it seems like everyone makes these crazy New Years resolutions that they never actually stick to. I heard from a good friend that New Years resolutions are just like when people make an attempt to give something up for Lent. What i mean by this is many people say they are going to give up coffee, meat, cell phones, etc. for Lent only to get a cup of coffee 2 days later. My friends view is that by failing you are not a failure but you have learned lessons about failing. Does that make any sense? Seems like he worded it so much better. Anyways here was my point I am not making New Years resolutions but instead am going to "try" to work on things in my life that I feel need a little work. There is nothing more frustrating to me than when Jan. 1st comes and people go crazy dieting and exercising and fall off quickly because they went so hard core to start. So here are the things I am going to be working on
- Continuing to pack my kids lunches each day. I know they enjoy knowing that they will have a lunch that they can eat instead of worrying if the school is going to feed them bean burritos or some other food they don't like. I also get to show them how to eat healthy and the bonus is the amount of money we save.
- Continue my quest to lose 100 pounds in 1 year. I have 9 1/2 months to go (Sept. 20. 2011) and 70 pounds to go. Slow and steady wins the race. This means that I can lose like 7 pounds a month and hit goal.
- I really want to work on budgeting our money better. My husband and I have a money system that we call columns. Basically in short I get an allowance every 2 weeks to pay for all household items and any extras that I want or need. By household I mean all groceries, cleaners, clothes for the family, entertainment, Starbucks, basically anything that isn't a bill that our family does. I do pretty well but I could do so much better. So this in one area I want to really get a grasp on.
- Having a crafting/sewing business that allows me to stay home with my boys.
- Being a better listener. I love to talk and  interrupting mid sentence is a terrible habit I have. (Especially with the hubby)
- Being a better Mommy and wife (but this is an on going job, right?)
- Being more spur of the moment and enjoying life's little moments. So many times I am doing something instead of enjoying my family or what have you. Last night I was cleaning up dinner and getting the house ready for the next day while Shawn and the boys played Wii bowling. I finally sat down and Garrett says to me something about finally Mom can have fun with us too. I need to kick back and realize that time with my boys is so important and a dish or load of laundry can wait. My boys are getting older by the minute and I don't want to look back and regret anything especially with Garrett starting high school next year and it getting to where they would rather be with friends.
Well I think that is pretty much it for things I want to work on and continue doing in my life. What about you? what are some "New Years resolutions" that you are working on?
Have a wonderful rest of the day,
Ali