Thumbs Up OR Thumbs Down?

This post is not for the faint of heart and comes with a warning!  Please be kind when you respond as I am not posting this to encourage crudeness but in hopes that perhaps you can offer your own advice or experiences that may help me and others along the way.  That is what Wellness Wednesday is all about!  Sharing wellness tips and advice.

I still need to find just the right image for my Wellness Wednesday posts, don't worry I'll get to it! 

First things first!  Let me tell about some new shoes I picked up yesterday.  I really have been wanting to get some of those tone and trim tennis shoes that are out everywhere.  These are just a few that I have had my eye on for awhile now.

 The only problem was, I was not sure I would like them.  Most of these seemed so tall to me and reminded me of those platform shoes that were a fad for a bit when I was young.  LOL!  Additonally, you ladies know I am a bargain shopper, and these shoes are not cheap!  I just cannot see spending over $50.00 for shoes I may not like and cannot return.  It just won't happen with me!  Huh-uhh!  But when I found some at TJ Maxx yesterday for only $29.99 it was worth the chance!  Here's the shoes I ended up buying.

Okay, so they are all white and kinda remind me of the Nikes that were so popular back in the day, but I like them!  Because they are all leather I am hoping the toes will not wear out as quickly as the pair of Sauconys I bought last year did.  If these shoes work out for me I may consider getting a better quality later.

These are New Balance rock and tones.  They are designed to help tone your thighs and buttocks while you walk.  They are not as tall as some of the other brands I have seen but I can tell you they really do work.  I tried them out yesterday on my way home from shopping.  I was crossing over the dam and decided to stop and walk it.  It's a 4 mile total trek and they felt great!  I also could tell a slight tightness in the front of my thighs but not so much in the buttocks.   Hopefully that will come later after using them more!

I was pretty excited to have found them but when I told the Mr., he said there was a report on the news they were not good for you.  I told him I asked the girls at the check out had anyone told them whether they really work or not and they said they didn't know about these in particular but several of them had some of the different brands.  They all said they really do work but you should watch the CD that comes with them first.  They checked, but mine did not come with a CD (no surprise) but said basically you are supposed to only use them for about 45 minutes at a time.  They said, they are not meant for walking around in all the time.  Perhaps that is where people have run into trouble.  IDK!  My walks are usually 45 to 1 hour so I think I will be okay.  I can't wait to get out there and try them out again!

Okay now for the part of my post I warned you about.  You all know I have been trying to eat better, right?   Well, when I finally decided to buy this cereal I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious it was.

It is sooo delicious and I am almost finished with the  whole box!  Thank goodness!

It's basically a high fiber cereal that is supposed to be good for you.  It has cane sugar as opposed to regular sugar and  tastes very sweet.  It also has soy protein. 

Unfortunately for me, as good as it is, I cannot continue to eat this cereal.  Why? 

Because it produces the most prolonged amount of gas I have ever experienced.  I also have some bloating with this but not as much as the first day I ate it.  Unfortunately the gas is continous all day long!  It's quite embarrassing and I first thought it was something else I ate the first day I tried this.  After a week of experimenting eating this cereal I can verify it is difinitely the cereal that is causing me gas.  What a bummer because it is sooo good!

I am not sure what the ingredient is that is causing this and if it will eventually go away but I just can't live with that much gas.  I kid you not!  I first thought maybe it was just me but then I "googled" and guess what I found?  Report after report of people having the same symptoms as me from this product.  The odd thing is, not everyones system reacts the same as mine, but enough people did to post about it.

  Last night I was laughing so hard I was crying after reading some of the reports some people wrote about the gas they got from Kashi Go Lean Crunch.  It was seriously, too funny and I could  so relate!  Let me just say men have a wonderful way of discussing this subject that can make you laugh out loud!   We women are a bit more cautious with our descriptions.   I hope you won't be offended but I have to tell you several people said they should rename the cereal, Kashi Go Fart!  LOL!  Sooo true!  That's how powerful the reaction can be!

  There is a page that I found that had the most hilarious stories ever.  You can access that here.  But be warned!  Some of the comments may be offensive but if you have ever experienced what I have with this cereal you will find most of these posts extremely hilarious and feel relieved at the same time that you are not alone. 

If you are still following me after reading this, please don't stop now!  I promise you this is as crude as I get.  I really wanted to share this info with you only as a word of caution about trying this product. Like I said, it doesn't happen to everyone as each of our systems are different, but it could!

Whew!  That was tough!

 I would love to know if these unpleasant side effects will subside because I really think the cereal tastes that good.  Please let me know if you have tried it and experienced this too or not.  I would love to hear your stories, tastefully told that is, as I know most of you will!  LOL!

Have a great day!

Mary

It's Take A LOOK Tuesday!

What exactly does take a look Tuesday mean?  Well, in short...lots of photos!  LOL!  I have been very busy around the house spiffying it up for my first "launch" party and want to give you a preview of what my guests will see.

First, I cleaned off the porch outside because it was dirrrrrty! Take a look at it now!

Much better!  I still have some tweaking to do to the right of the front door but let's see what I've done so far.

Nothing new really, I just added my faux yellow daffodils for a pop of color.

I'm thinking this little ivy pot needs a bow instead of Mr. Roo.

Wow!  My old spring wreath really looks great now, on the "black" door.  This was new for me!

Not a bad start, huh?

Then, I got to looking at my pots around the front entry.

I pulled out all the dead stuff and decided they looked just too bare like this. 

Soooo....I made a little trip to the local greenhouse and...

This is what I came up with.  Again, much better!

I chose mostly succulents for these pots this year.

I liked the colorings of the leaves and hope they will do well in our hot sunny summers.  I spotted a few spring flowers in the yard and thought you might like to see them too.

Very pretty! My Iris's haven't started to bloom yet, but I bet it won't be long.

I filled these pots with Geraniums and have two more for the back porch.  I had to bring them inside last night because it got so cold again and I didn't want to take any chances.  LOL!

Much better right?

Inside my mantle has a bit of green and spring!

I had to switch the chairs here by the fireplace again and put my club chairs back.  I could not rest my laptop comfortably on the arms of my other chairs that I had here.  Oh, the joys of blogging!

I ended up moving them over here where I had put my butterfly bamboo chairs.  Those went back upstairs but they may end up in the dining room again later by the mirror where I used to have them last year.  What goes around comes around right?

 

Right now I have the end chairs to the table here to make room at the party.  I just love having moved this mirror and marble table back to where I had it.  It looks so much better in this spot and the china cabinet fits better then I had thought it would on the side wall.

This is what I have been preparing for.  I am quite nervous!  Please say a prayer things will turn out well if you are so inclined, I could really use it!  I found this fabric I have been saving to make something with and realized it was the perfect size for a tablecloth.

I finally finished redoing the tray that was the duck tray.  I repainted it and added burlap to the bottom. 

I even gave it a nice warn finish.  I really like how soft my display looks.  What do you think?

Now I am off to finish spiffying up everything you didn't get to see.  Shew!  Thanks for stopping by and

taking a look!

I hope you enjoyed your visit!

Mary

Are you a list maker?

Photo courtesy of The Graphics Fairy

How do you like the image above?  I like it quite a bit and that is why I have chosen to use it for my

 Mary's Meditating Mind

posts on Mondays. 

I imagine these Monday posts are going to encompass quite a broad spectrum of topics as my mind is always thinking about things, often too much, sometimes not nearly enough.  LOL!

I had actually prepared a different post for today on the subject of increasing "apathy" in America.  However, I have decided to delay that for another time.

1.) I am not convinced anyone really cares about reading about apathy..no pun intended.

2.)  I have decided it may a bit too heavy for a Monday morning read.

3.) I really need to refocus on collecting my thoughts (tasks) for the week ahead.

Which brings me to my question.  Are you a list maker?  I am or was!  It seems lately I have flying by the seat of my pants and let me tell you, things do not get done in our household that way.

So today I plan to take a moment to jot down my To do list.  See where I am so far!

 I have been on my husband for weeks now about the virtues of list making.  Perhaps I need a reminder myself of why lists are so good. So here's my list of why to make a list.  Ha ha!

1.) It gives you the big picture of all you have to do.

2.) It helps you to prioritize the importance of each task by deciding which to do first.

3.) Having a sense of priority can calm you when facing increasing pressure.

4.) It can help you to stay on track (or on task)

5.) It can give you a huge sense of accomplishment when you scratch something off your list!

I could go on an on about the virtues of list making but instead really need to meditate a bit more about my list for this week.  I  really don't mind those daily lists so much, it's those project lists that get to me.   The main issue I have about that is having the list laying around.  Where to keep it?

This is currently the notebook I am using for my household lists.  I think I will keep my project lists in here too.  I've tried having a separate book for projects before but would forget about it.  LOL!

This is the notebook I am using for my business, they highly recommended keeping one of these in addition to the large binder style notebook.  Shew!

I was thinking, wouldn't it be cool to keep a project list handy on your blog?  I wonder if there is a widget for that?  Then, I thought better as I would likely have quite a few unfinished projects sitting out there for all the world to see!

Well it's been fun letting you into my mind for today.  What's up with you?  Anything?

Any ideas on where to store your ongoing lists?

Thanks for stopping by!

Have a great Monday!

Mary

  

Who is your Rock?

"See, I lay in Zion a stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame."  - Romans 10:33

"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation; the one who trusts will never be dismayed." - Isaiah 28:16

 

I thought I might start with these verses as a "building" point to begin sharing the love of Jesus.  I felt like it would be good to start here to point out and remind us about the importance of trusting in Jesus.

  We are shown here in both the old and new testaments that Jesus is to be the rock of our foundation as Christians, he is the cornerstone.  We are also assured in both of these verses that when we put our trust in Jesus we will not stumble or be dismayed. 

 Knowing that Jesus is the precious cornerstone given for us to build our faith upon, wouldn't you like to know more about who he is? 

 I often use the term "He is my rock!" to describe my husband because that is how strongly I feel about him and our relationship.  I am reminded today that I already have a rock provided by God that is the first and foremost.  It is upon this rock that all other stones can rest securely and build upon.  Do I convey that message often to others?  Do you?  Who is your rock? 

Thanks for "Sharing Jesus" with me today, I do appreciate your visit and hope you have a very blessed afternoon!

Mary

Winner! Winner! Winner! Announcement!

It's time to announce the winner of my giveaway!  Actually it's past time but I am sure most of you will understand that I have had quite a bit going on earlier this week.

Anyway,  I am so excited for this winner because I know how much she loves pretty jewelry!  I have seen some of her jewelry style in her posts before and know she will really appreciate a great statement piece.  So what is she getting?  Well, that has yet to be determined, because I am going to allow her to choose.  I am giving her $30.00 to spend in my Initial Outfitters store.  So dear, you have some shopping to do!  I cannot wait to see what you select!

I used the random generator to choose and the winning number was...

Number "8" !!!  Congrats!!!

So who is number 8?  Let me show you what she said...

Congratulations Liz of Savvy Seasons!  I hope you will enjoy the prize!  Please email me your choice as soon as you decide.  You may go to my online website to browse our selections.  It is..

www.initialoutfitters.net/marykeels

Thank you to each of you that entered and posted my giveaway on your side bar!  I really appreciate it!  I had mentioned having a giveaway from CSN Stores coming up but have decided to delay that for another time.  I do apologize but am very busy lately and did not feel I could give them the exposure that would do them justice right now as I am trying to stay focused on my own business adventures.

I also want to send a special thank you to Pam at DIY Design Fanatic for helping me figure out how to post the random generator on my screen.  She so generously gave me step by step instructions that I will be able to use for other applications as well.  I am so grateful for her and all the other wonderful and supportive bloggers out there!  You are the best!

As always, I do appreciate your continued support and a special thanks again for all the prayers and condolences sent our way this past week! 

May God bless you all!

Mary

Game On Tablescapers!

I've included  a little fun at the table tonight.

Because sometimes you need a laugh to lighten things up at the end of the day.

So are we playing games or eating dinner?

How about a little bit of both!

Let's see who all were expecting.

The Marlboro men showed up and have invited a few of their friends...

...like the Queen of Diamonds...

... and the King of Hearts...

...and the Ace of Spades.  I am sure they are all going to show up.

The Joker has decided to join us in spirit only tonight, hopefully!

The table is set and ready for the games to begin.

Nope, this wasn't a trick, there will be no utensils at this table tonight.

Only a few serving pieces to be used with other dishes to be set out.

Can you guess what were having tonight?

Or what were playing?

Well it's not, "What's for Supper" that would be too easy!  It's called, "What's on the Table?"  One of our favorite games from when the kids were little. 

The first player only gets to name the first letter of something on the table and then each person takes turns guessing what it is, and continues around the table until someone gets it right.  The person who guess's correctly get to go next.

Because sometimes the King of Hearts needs to remember why he is such a great playa!

I am joining Tablescape Thursday today for a little R&R.

Hope you enjoyed the fun!

Mary