Exercise, Fitness, Health, Taking Back My Life, Weightloss

A New Take on Life

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I know, you’re probably like me and sick of people making resolutions and that whole new year, new me crap. Yes, I’ve said it a thousand times and never stuck to it.

And then I had an eye-opening moment. I stepped on the scale and saw a number that absolutely terrified me. (A number that I am not comfortable typing out or sharing with the world yet). 

It’s amazing how seeing a number on a scale can totally change your life.

Goodbye fast food.

Goodbye cookies.

Goodbye sitting around and working all day.

Goodbye processed foods.

Hello fresh, healthy dishes.

Hello mall walking.

Hello gym and working out at home every chance I get.

Hello smaller portions.

We didn’t kick things off at the start of the new year, we started on the 4th of January. 

In our first month, I’ve lost 13lbs and Alex has lost 17lbs. I haven’t recorded my measurements yet since I didn’t do my first ones until January 10th, so next week, I will check to see if I’ve lost some inches too.

I haven’t noticed any really change in the way I look but I can tell you this. I feel better.

I walk easier.

I move easier.

When I am standing up, I am not in constant excruciating pain after 30 seconds. 

I’m sleeping better.

I’m more active.

I’m enjoying my kids and my family more.

I’m proud of myself.

I just walked a mile….in my basement. Now, I kid you not, I’m going to go shovel my front walkway. I’m pretty sure if there was more light by my driveway I would shovel that right now too! All of this eating better and losing weight stuff has been great and I’m motivated to be more active every single day. Already down 10.6lbs since January 4th! Adios fat, unhealthy Anne, there’s no room for you anymore! #health #gettinghealthy#weightloss #exercise #getfit #fitbit #megalomommy

(Be sure to follow me on Instagram as @Anne54304 for InstaUpdates!)

I’ve got a lot to lose so the road ahead is long but you can bet I am going to make it, with my husband by my side every step of the way.  I have all kinds of goals to reach on this journey and one I am really looking forward to is hitting the water park with my family this summer.

On January 24th, Alex and I became members of Planet Fitness and had our first official workout date. I’ll admit, it was hard but I pushed through and I’m looking forward to keeping that going.

When we joined Planet Fitness, they gave us each a tshirt with the logo on it. I received a 3X (a very generous 3x) and I decided that this is the shirt I will take regular pictures of myself in and that I plan on making way to big for me on this journey.

Now, I rarely share pictures of myself but this time, I am going to.

Yep. That’s me. Are you in as much shock as I am? Yeah, I’m kinda big these days. 5 pregnancies and delicious food hasn’t been good to me. Oh, make sure you say hi to my 2nd chin and while you are there, say goodbye because I’m sending it packing.

Hope you’ll stick around and follow along for updates along the way.

 

 

Educational, Techy, There's an App for That

Educating at Home

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As I have mentioned in the past, I like to do whatever I can to encourage my kids to learn. I am constantly on the hunt for new things for them to do and explore. This is probably why our house is overflowing with books, activity sets, craft supplies, electronics and so much more.

There are so many tools available today that educating our kids at home has become pretty easy to do. Since the little ones aren’t old enough to attend school yet, I love to teach them little things here and there to help them get a jumpstart. When it comes to the other 3 kids, all of these extras at home help them in other areas as well.

One of my favorite things to do with the little ones is check out different apps on the iPad. Both Ellie and Joey love to play on the iPad and since Santa was super generous this past Christmas, we have iPads and gift cards to keep us pretty set for a while.

Ellie creating music and having fun on the iPad.

There are so many apps available in both the App Store and Google Play for free that you can continuously introduce them to something new. Fun apps for preschoolers for us are those that introduce them to music, early math skills and letters.

The kids continue to amaze me with how much they know when it comes to using the iPad. Ellie can navigate it so well and find all of her favorite things to do without any assistance. If she didn’t need a password to install an app, she would be downloading those like crazy as well. 

Alexander loves to use his iPad to play Skylanders, Minecraft, Math Blaster and so many other things including a few programming and coding apps he was introduced to at school.

Technology and my kids continue to amaze me every single day.

Are there apps that your kids really enjoy? What do you do to encourage your children to learn at home?

 

Health, Sponsored Post

What You Should Know About the Affordable Care Act

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As a mom of 5, I know how important it is to have health insurance. In my almost 16 years as a mom, I’ve delivered 5 babies, my oldest has had 2 hip surgeries, we’ve had 2 broken collar bones, an umbilical hernia, a premature baby and countless other ailments that have landed us at the doctor’s office or the ER and I can tell you right now, that if we didn’t have insurance, we would be homeless.

Let’s face it, health insurance isn’t cheap and there are a lot of people out there who just can’t afford it but also don’t qualify for any type of government assisted insurance. I don’t know about you, but in my eyes, I feel like everyone should be able to afford health insurance, additional medical expenses and not have to worry about how they are going to pay for a trip to the ER or anything else.

By now I am sure you have heard about the Affordable Care Act and what it means for those who don’t have insurance or can’t afford it. If you don’t know what any of this means, sit back, pull up a chair and keep reading.

The More You Know

Basically, the Act aims to help more people get access to affordable health insurance. The Act also guarantees coverage for pre-existing health conditions, and financial assistance for those who qualify. This may include savings on your health insurance premiums via a tax credit or a government sponsored program, such as Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), or Medicare.

This video from UHC will give you a brief overview of why health care reform matters.

Continue reading What You Should Know About the Affordable Care Act →

Travel, Travel Wisconsin, Winter in Wisconsin, Wisconsin, Wisconsin Skiing

Family Fun on the Slopes in Wisconsin

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Living in Wisconsin my entire life, you can bet I’ve become quite accustomed to our lovely winters. One of my favorite things about winter here is the snow and I can’t imagine a winter without it.  

The great thing about living somewhere with snow in the winter is that there are so many fun things you can do outside as a family while enjoying the snow. 

Over the years we have really enjoyed sledding, ice skating, and just playing in the snow but one thing we would really like to do with the kids someday is take them skiing and tubing, thankfully Wisconsin is filled with some great ski destinations that offer some hot deals for families.

Nordic Mountain

Nordic Mountain is located in the Wild Rose area, just 45 minutes of the Fox Cities. 

 

Nordic Mountain has so much to offer your family for some outdoor fun. From skiing to snowboarding and even tubing, you can bet the family will have a good time. With 17 runs for skiing and snowboarding (open 7 days a week and at night – weather permitting), a tubing park and 3 Terrain Parks for all levels of skiers, Nordic Mountain is a great destination for a quick family getaway.

Nordic Mountain even offers flex tickets which means your 8 hours of fun in the snow begins when you arrive and goes for the next 8 hours.

You can check out the weekly specials at Nordic Mountain on their website for great deals like 2 for 1 Night for some seriously afforable family fun!

Little Switzerland

Located just 30 miles northwest of Milwaukee in Slinger, Little Switzerland is one of the oldest resorts in the Midwest and gives you that historic resort feel with a first class experience.

 

Offering 18 runs, 7 lifts for skiing and snowboarding as well as 3 Terrain Parks for all ability levels you can bet this family ski trip will be an enjoyable one.

Little Switzerland is open for skiing and snowboarding 7 days a week and at night and has a multi-week learning program available for kids, adults and seniors as well as weekly specials including a 2 for 1 Night. Be sure to visit their website for a full list of weekly specials and plan your family trip today!

Plan Your Vacation

If you are getting ready to plan your fun and afforable family vacation, be sure to check out both of these great skiing locations and plan the perfect family ski trip today!

Planner Addicts, The Planner Mom

I’ve Fallen Down the Erin Condren Rabbit Hole

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If you’ve been a reader since before Christmas, you are probably aware that in December of 2014, I fell down the Erin Condren Rabbit Hole.

Before I lead down this rabbit hole with me, I should probably tell you that I’ve always loved all things office supplies, calenders, planning things as well as things that are sparkly, glittery and Lisa Frank.

So, in December, after reaching out to Erin Condren, I made my first purchase and order myself a life planner. Little did I know just how much I would fall in love with it or that there were so many others out there that worship them and even groups on Facebook!

I placed my order for the white paisley life planner, personalized with my name and then I waited for it to arrive. While I waited for it to get here, that didn’t stop me from buying some great supplies to go with it and start crafting.

I started by ordering some washi tape from a co-op I am part of, picked up some goodies from the One Spot at Target and grabbed some sticker paper and cardstock from Amazon.

Then the day finally came, my planner was supposed to be delivered and it was held up at the post office due to an error on the shipping label. Thankfully my wonderful husband was kind enough to drive to the post office and pick it up for me (in a snow storm).

Of course it was even prettier in person!

Now, here I am using my planner and loving every minute of it.  

If you enjoy planning and want to see how I use my Erin Condren Life Planner and other great products from Erin Condren, be sure to follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram and Twitter.  You can also check out all my posts about my planning addiction by clicking The Planner Mom in my menu bar at any time.

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