I used to have a routine I performed every Thursday. I would tie my hair back, and then use a facial scrub, mask and peel on my face. That was back when I was still working on a farm; my face needed all of the extra cleaning and exfoliating it could get. I’d finish the process by slathering on a moisturizer, and then maybe painting my nails or doing a few other girlie-type things.

And then I moved in with my husband, and sort of lost that bit of free time every week. Besides, who wants to let their new-ish boyfriend see them with green mud all over their face?

At some point over the past couple of years, I purchased some new facial stuff. I probably used it a couple of times, and then set them aside and forgot about it. I found them again yesterday while digging through our storage room, and pulled them out.

Today, I am dedicating a few hours to Me Time again. Becca slept in this morning, so I had the chance to do a mini-facial and use some nice lotion. I even painted my toenails a startling shade of blue. (It was the only nail polish I could find.) Becca keeps coming over to check them out.

A little later this afternoon, my very talented cousin is coming down to chop a few inches off my hair. My last haircut was over seven months ago– I’m long overdue. I’m going with a much shorter, and a little bit flirtier, cut. I might even start looking at hair colors. My hair is caught somewhere between blond and brown, and I would like to give it a nudge in one direction or another.

It’s summer. I’ll be spending a lot more time outside. You know, in public. That means that I have to at least attempt to look a little put together, especially with now running a business that requires me to actually meet people. No more hiding behind the computer.

I’ll post some pictures a little later later this week. I can’t wait to see the final result.

Tomorrow is May 1st. When no one in your household needs to worry about when school ends, it’s a pretty good time to officially kick off summer.

We’re getting ready to stock the freezer with hot dogs and hamburgers, fill up the propane tank, and, within the next couple weeks, pack up the last of our winter clothing. (That’s it, Southerners. Laugh. We had snow on Monday, tomorrow is supposed to be in the 80’s. You just never kn0w.)

Because Mark was out of work for a month earlier this year, using up his two weeks of vacation, we won’t be going camping this year. Which really, really stinks. We had reservations for a beautiful campground, with a spot on the river, in Alex Bay during Pirate Week. And, unfortunately, it’s not going to happen. Instead, we’re planning a series of mini-trips.

One of the first possible trips, assuming the insurance folks Mark’s company works with ever gets his paperwork straight, is Darien Lake/Six Flags towards the end of May. The Imagination Movers will be performing, and you know how we love the Movers in the Upson household.

We are spending a couple nights in Buffalo, going to the Zoo and Niagara Falls. The zoo has giraffes, rhinos, and polar bears. There’s also a ton of other family stuff to do up there.

We’re taking a trip to Enchanted Forest/Water Safari. Enchanted Forest doesn’t have much in the way of rides, but kids get to wander around through a magical forest full of storybook scenes. Water Safari is a decent sized water park, with enough stuff there to keep all three of us busy.

Rochester has a Museum of Play that looks like a lot of fun, and would be a good option for a one day trip at some point. I was peeking at their website this morning, and there is so much there! We’ll also be heading to the local science museums a few times over the summer, and I’d really like to bring Becca to the drive-in theater up in Auburn.

I want to go pirate golfing. There’s a miniature golf course in town with a pirate theme. The opened 4-5 years ago, and I have never gone. I think Becca might be old enough to get the hang of it this year (okay, I’m overly optimistic, but we’ll give it a go), and we’re going! I’m about the worst mini golf player ever, but it’s fun, so I don’t care.

I want to grow flowers, and maybe a few vegetable, in containers. I want to pick berries this year, get to the park at least once a week, and go for a walk every other day, at least. It seems like last year, I didn’t get out at all. I know I did, but summer went by way too fast, and I didn’t do as much with Becca and Mark as I wanted.

This year, we’re doing thing’s a little differently.

Two posts in one day…  Ha.

As part of my healthy living plan, I had to find some new recipes. One that I stumbled across online has become my absolute favorite treat, and it is so easy to make. And you also only need one ingredient– Bananas.

Soft-Serve Banana Ice Cream

Peel and slice ripe bananas. I plan on just over one banana per person when I make this. Place the slices on a sheet tray covered in wax or parchment paper. Place them into the freezer.

A few hours later, once the bananas are well frozen, take them out, place them into a food processor or blender, and process them until it resembles soft serve ice cream. You might need to add a tiny bit of milk to get the process started.

This is good just as it is, or you can add in a bit of chocolate sauce, peanut butter, frozen strawberries, or anything else that would go well with the bananas. By itself, there are no added sugars, it’s a great way to use up bananas, and I’ve never met anyone that doesn’t like it. It really does taste just like soft serve ice cream. Yum.

Enjoy!

Not going where you think it’s going… I’m not going crazy yet. Give it time.

A few months ago, I wrote a post about how I was going to start focusing on getting more exercise and eating less junk. I was doing awesome for a while, dropping about 2 pounds a week for the first month and a half. I was committed. It was finally happening!

And then real life reared its head again. Mark was home for a month, making it harder to exercise (can’t do it when people are watching. Just can’t.) and eat healthier. I was still eating a lot better than I was, though, and I was still getting some exercise. Just not as much as I had been.

The numbers on the scale quit moving quite as quickly as they had been. A few times, they even went up a bit. I didn’t give up, though. Small steps lead to big changes.

A few days ago, I stepped on the scale again, after ignoring it for a week. 166.2, down from 186.6. Just over 20 pounds gone in three months. I still have another 11-16 pounds to go (my goal is between 150 and 155), but I am well on my way. I’ll get some pictures taken, and try to find a before picture somewhere or another, and get them posted soon.

When I started this, I didn’t know how successful I’d be. I’ve tried to lose weight before, and it never worked out quite like I hoped. I’d drop a few pounds, then gain it back. Or, I’d not lose anything at all. Both were frustrating.

I am now a bit under my pre-pregnancy weight. I’m lighter than I have been in probably three years. By the time I reach 155, I’ll be lighter than I was when I met my husband.

I’m not going for extreme weight loss. The lowest I could go, without looking too skinny, is around 145. I’m 6′ tall; I know my limits. Even 150 is in the lower side of my healthy BMI range. I’m good with that.

Of course, the only problem I’m having now is that my pants are all but falling down, even with a belt sometimes. I’m on the last loop of one belt (the one I stole from Mark when it became too big for him), and I’m between holes on my other belt. The second belt wouldn’t even fit around me until recently. That one is sort of my measure of success. I’m currently between the first and second holes.

My shirts are looser, and I can fit into shirts that I was too big for last year. I’ve regained an hourglass shape (YEAH!).  Seeing that the little bit I’m doing is actually working, I’m more excited about doing more. More exercise, healthier eating habits, and drinking more water. I never thought I’d be in the 160s again. Now, I’m aiming for the 150s. I can do this!

In my last post, I talked about how I wanted to really get commited to living life to the fullest; not doing things half-way anymore.

To that end, I have started a few new projects. I have been trying to write a novel for the past several years, and I’ve never been able to finish anything. My first project is to blog a novel. I’ve posted the first two chapters, and am currently writing the third. It’s a romance novel about an authoress who ends up in the world of the books she has been writing.

If you would like to read along (and I’m hoping you will), the chapters can be found on Writer at Home.

My other project is to go back to school. Kinda.

Five years ago, my parents bought me a cake decorating kit for my birthday. I had been looking forward to it, and quickly jumped into making cakes. I’ve made cakes for birthdays and a couple other events since then, but I’ve never actually gotten serious about it.

Then I was flipping through channels a few days ago, and I came across a show called Amazing Wedding Cakes. Watching them design cakes, and seeing some of the cool new tools that are available now, I got interested really interested again. A day later, I agreed to make a cake for my Grandmother’s birthday. Then the local adult education brochure showed up. There are two cake decorating classes, spread out over 12 weeks, that go from the very basics through advanced techniques. Again, the courses will be a gift from my mom, dad and step-mom for my birthday.

Assuming I can find a babysitter one evening a week, I’ll be taking a cake decorating course. I’m also putting word out that I’m interested in making cakes for family and friends who might need one. Eventually, I’m planning on decorating cakes professionally, as a “money making hobby.” To actually start a baking/catering/cake decorating type business, you need to get permits, have a separate kitchen, and go through a health inspection. I live in an apartment with a tiny kitchen.  And I only want to be doing this on the side, anyhow. I’m still a writer first.

I have a couple people in mind for potential babysitters, and I’m fairly confident that it will work out. I’m really looking forward to being able to get out of the house for a couple hours a week, doing my own thing. It’ll be nice to tackle something that is a bit of a challenge.

In the mean time, I have a lot of work to keep me busy. I need to finish the third chapter of my book, and I have to get a little extra work done each day at this point, too.  I also want to find the time to practice up on a few cake decorating skills between now and the first class. Especially for the beginner class, I want to go in with a head start. I’d like to be able to show off just a bit.