Friend Makin' Monday: Movies, TV, & Me

Last night I was checking out some of the blogs that linked up for Sunday Social, and I stumbled upon one that had participated in a link-up called Friend Makin' Monday. FMM, hosted by Kenlie at All the Weigh, consists of 10 different questions each week. You answer them, and then leave a link to your post in her comments.

This week's questions are all about movies and TV. Since I'm obsessed with both, I thought it would be fun to join in.

1. If you could be a recurring star on a show that is currently on TV, which show would you choose? Well, if you've been reading my blog for some time now, you probably have an idea of what I'm gonna say. The Walking Dead! I love Daryl Dixon, and Michonne needs a best friend to talk to!

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2. Name the movie that you are most embarrassed to admit that you love. I was trying to think of one, and then it hit me. I haven't watched it in FOREVER, but it's gotta be Crossroads. Remember? The one with Britney Spears? I can't believe I'm even admitting that, but I've been a fan of Britney ever since her 'Baby One More Time' days.

3. Name one show that you've never seen and would love to watch. I pretty much watch any TV show I want, so I can't really think of one. Kenlie answered with a Broadway show she would love to watch, so I'm going to do the same. I really want to see The Lion King! It's coming to Dallas in October, and I would love to go!

4. Do you ever go to the movies alone? I don't like going anywhere alone if I don't have to, so no, I've never been to the movies alone.

5. If you could only watch one TV show for the next year, which show would you choose and why? I think we all know the answer to this. I've loved zombie movies ever since I was a kid, so I was very excited when The Walking Dead started. If you don't watch because of the zombies, the show involves so much more than that! In my opinion, it's less about zombies and more about the relationships between the humans and how they are dealing with life in a post-apocalyptic world. Okay, that's the last time you'll hear me go on and on about The Walking Dead today!

6. If you could star in one reality show, which one would it be and why? Dancing with the Stars! I don't watch every season, but I would love to be on it! The costumes would be so fun to wear, and the stars always lose weight doing it! Who would be my partner? Tristan MacManus

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7. If someone rented a billboard for you, what would it say? I don't know, but I would want it to be something funny. I think everybody could use a good laugh every now and then.

8. Who is the most famous person with whom you have been in the same room? I went to a Twilight convention in 2009, and I met Peter Facinelli. I should write a post about that entire weekend...

Yes, I'm taller than him...story of my life...

9. If you were chosen to be a contestant on a TV game show, which show would you want to be on? The Amazing Race, with my sister as my partner

10. If there was a movie being made about you, which actor would you choose to play you? Reese Witherspoon...I think she is a great actress, and since she's brunette right now, it'd be perfect!

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That's it for today! Hope you all have a wonderful week!

Weekly Weigh-In #12

This Week: +0.6 lbs

Total Loss: -11.4 lbs

I'm not too discouraged about this week's gain because I was kind of expecting it. I felt heavy all week and like I was moving in slow motion. Maybe I was bloated? I don't really know how to explain it. I'm hoping it will be better this week.

I've lost 10 pounds since I did my measurements, so I measured today to see if there was a change. I thought I had talked about them in a previous post, but I can't find it anywhere. Oh well, here they are now!

Waist: 43" to 40.5"  -2.5"
Hips: 50.5" to 49.5"  -1.0"
Neck: 13.5" to 13.5" -0.0"
Bust: 49" to 47"  -2.0"

I'm glad to see the loss in inches except for my neck. What is up with that? I encourage you to track your own measurements because sometimes you can't see the results on the scale but your body is changing!

More happy news to report! This week I FINALLY met my goal of walking 15 miles!

Workouts for the Week

Tuesday - 5.25 miles on the treadmill

Wednesday - 3 miles on the treadmill
Friday - 3 miles on the treadmill

Saturday - 3 miles on the treadmill

Sunday - 2 miles on the treadmill

Total Miles: 16.25

My sister and I also went to the lake this weekend for a hike, and we ate lunch while we were there. It was a beautiful day for it! When we got on the trail though, it was pretty muddy because it had rained quite a bit earlier in the week. Here's some pictures from Saturday!

Our view from the picnic table at lunch

One of the views from the trail...I love that sailboat!

Muddy shoes from the trail :-(

Mallory scraping mud off her shoes

Just seconds after that last picture was taken, she stepped in tar! Luckily, we had a bottle of water in the car, so she used it to clean off her foot. She was laughing about it though, which made me glad to see she wasn't upset.

I'll be back later today with a post for a link-up I found last night that I want to participate in. I usually don't post twice in one day, but this link-up is too fun not to skip!

Sunday Social: Pinterest Picks

Good Sunday to you all! Hope your weekend is going great! It's been a while since I linked up with Neely and Ashley for Sunday Social. Today is all about your favorite Pinterest pins, so I thought it would be a good time to join back in!

#1: My Favorite Outfit Pin

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I love this outfit, especially the lace dress. I really want one to wear this spring.

#2: My Favorite Food Pin

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If you are looking for a super quick and easy meal that is so very delicious, you need to pin this recipe! I use skim milk, reduced fat crescent rolls, and Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup to make it healthier. I calculated the calories to be less than 300 calories for one (I can't remember an exact number...maybe 276?), and I put it on top of a bed of baby spinach. This is a go-to meal at our house.

#3: My Favorite Wedding Pin

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I may be the only single girl in my 20s that doesn't have a wedding board on Pinterest. BUT, being a wannabe cake artist, I do have a cake board, and this is my favorite wedding cake I have pinned.

#4: My Favorite DIY/Craft Pin

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I really want to try this! She makes it look so easy!

#5: My Favorite Quote/Verse/Lyric Pin

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I couldn't agree more.

#6: One More Random Pin I Love

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I want to jump into this picture a la Blue's Clues. 'Blue skidoo, we can too!'  

Did I really just quote Blue's Clues? Sorry not sorry 

So, if you want to follow me on Pinterest, you can do that here.

Are you on Pinterest? Let me know in the comments!

Pamper Me Pretty Swap

Happy Friday everybody! I wanted to let you know about a swap I will be participating in. Pamper Me Pretty is a swap that is being hosted by Melissa at Dreams and Colour and Lacey at Charm and Sass.

This swap is all about getting pampered and feeling pretty! It is your job to find out what makes your swap partner feel pampered and pretty. It could be anything from a mani/pedi kit to a bubble bath to scented candles. Send a lovely package to your partner, and you'll get one in return!

You have until April 10th to sign up, so go check out all the details! You can click the button above, or click HERE to go straight to the swap post.

This is my first swap ever, so I'm pretty excited about it! Come join us! Maybe we'll end up swap partners!

The Book Chat: Children's Books

Today I am linking up with Jessica and Mia for The Book Chat. I found out about The Book Chat link-up from Mia, and today's theme is children's books. I knew I had to do it because 1) I love to read and 2) being a teacher, I've read A LOT of children's books.

Sweet Valley Kids series by Francine Pascal: I loved these books as a child! My summer afternoons were either spent at the pool or curled up on the couch at Nan's reading these books. I remember checking out 4-5 of them from the library at a time because I would read one a day.

Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes: This is one of my favorite books to read at the beginning of the school year. Chrysanthemum thinks her name is absolutely perfect until she starts school and is teased by three of her classmates because of it. As the story progresses, her pregnant teacher tells the class that she is named after a flower too and that she is going to name her daughter Chrysanthemum. The students begin to accept Chrysanthemum, and she realizes that she is special no matter what others may think.

Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathmann: Kids love this book because of Gloria's crazy antics. This is a good book to read when teaching students how to stay safe.

The Forever Dog by Bill Cochran: I've never read this one to a class of students. When it showed up at my door from Amazon, I quickly opened it and read it. By the end, I was bawling like a big baby. Such a sweet story about a boy and his dog! I still tear up each time I read it.

The Keeping Quilt by Patricia Polacco: Patricia Polacco is one of my favorite children's book authors, and my absolute favorite book of hers is this one. It is the true life story of her family that emigrated from Russia and the quilt crafted by her great-grandma that has been passed down from generation to generation.

What were some of your favorite books to read as a child? If you have children now, what are some of their favorites? I'm always on the lookout for new books to read!

Tuesday10: April Accomplishments

I haven't linked up with Mindy for Tuesday10 since February, so I thought I would today and share 10 things I would like to accomplish in April.

1) Read 3 books

2) Lose 8 pounds

3) Celebrate my mom's 50th birthday

4) Sign up for a swap

5) Try a new restaurant

6) See a movie at the theater

7) Register for a Color Run

8) Get my eyebrows threaded or waxed

9) Stay off Facebook for one week

10) Go to a hockey game

At the end of the month, I'll write an update, and let y'all know how I did. Feel free to make your own list, or tell me in the comments what you would like to accomplish this month. I would love to know!

Weekly Weigh-In #11: Mind Blown

This Week: -5.2 lbs!!!

Total Loss: -12.0 lbs

Unless my scale is playing a cruel April Fool's Day joke on me, then I lost 5.2 pounds this week! If the exclamation marks didn't give it away, I am beyond thrilled about my loss this week. I stopped snacking throughout the day, limited myself to one sweet treat a day, and worked out quite a bit more than I have been in weeks past.

I don't have my 10 pound difference picture ready yet, but I have another picture I would like to share. Yesterday I wore a dress for Easter that I had not worn since last May when my sister and I went on a cruise. I compared these two pictures, and I can see a difference in my arm, waist, and face. Not only that, but the dress is beginning to fit differently. The sleeves cover more of my arms, and it falls closer to my knees than before because there's less inches around to cover. Exciting things!

L: May 2012 R: Easter 2013

I worked hard all week to stay on track, so I knew when I went to Nan and Papa's for Easter, I didn't want to lose control and ruin all the workouts I had done. Below is a picture of what I had for lunch. 

Now, I'm no food blogger or photographer, but I wanted to show this because normally no part of my plate would be visible underneath and food is piled on. Also, I would graze the rest of the day, have another plate at supper, and take home extra. I did none of that this Easter except bring home some leftovers because we had so much left over from lunch.

Here's a few more pictures from yesterday.

Top: Me, Mallory, my cousin Emily, and her BF Kelby
Bottom Left: Mallory and my mom
Bottom Right: Me and Mallory

Top Left: My aunt Darla getting serious about the game and my mom's accidental duckface

Top Right: Mallory, the winner of the game!

Bottom: Loaded Questions brought lots of laughs

I still didn't hit my goal of walking 15 miles, but I'm gonna keep trying!

Workouts for the Week

Tuesday - 3 miles on the treadmill

Thursday - 3 miles on the treadmill

Friday - 3 miles on the treadmill

Saturday - 2 miles at the track

Total Miles: 11.0

The last thing I want to leave you with is a quote from Joyce Meyer that really inspired me this week.

"No matter what difficulty you encounter, maintaining the right attitude will be much easier than regaining the right attitude." -Joyce Meyer