It's June!

In my quest to get fit I have found something I love to do...get OUT and walk! I'm addicted. As often as I can, I finish up dinner, get the kids in jammies, then head out for a walk. I'm soaking up this warmer weather and look forward to my nightly walks now. In honor of my new-found love, here is a video that is perfect for this time of year! Enjoy!

Random Pictures for Your Enjoyment

For anyone who LOVES LOST too...

This post is only for the true LOST fans out there.

You won't appreciate it otherwise.

So if you aren't into LOST, check back later.

If you love LOST as much as I do you'll love this short 6-part video series. I've included part 1.

If you want to see the rest (and I HIGHLY recommend them) check out parts 2-6 on Youtube.

I think there will be a link at the end of the video-if not just search for "Totally Lost", uploaded today.
Part 5 was my favorite!

ENJOY-only 2 1/2 more hours of LOST left FOREVER!

No diet stuff here

Today's Favorite Things post is a simple one. When we go to a movie this is what I look forward to (sometimes more than the movie):

Nothings makes a great weekend better than a large tub of buttered popcorn and a large Coke at the movie theater! If you know me, you know that it isn't the diet stuff-it has to be the real deal.

It's a good thing we rarely go to movies or I'd balloon to a weight I never want to see!
YUMMY!

Best. Books. EVER!

Remember {this} from when I blogged about how I tend to obsess over the things I love?

Well,here's another:


I LOVE the Harry Potter series. I received this boxed set for Christmas a few years ago and I treasure it! I have the books 2-5 which have been read and re-read, but my boxed set sits untouched and unblemished in my bedroom, and this is why:


That is my copy of Order of the Phoenix!

If you ever want to talk Harry Potter, I'm your girl (unless you want to talk smack, then take it somewhere else).


Oh, and see this woman:



She is, in my opinion, (and this is MY blog after all,) the greatest author of our time. What she was able to do in those 7 books is amazing! In order to keep this post short, I'm stopping there.

That's why Harry Potter is today's must have of my "Favorite Things".

On a side note: Don't confuse my love for the books as a love for the movies. While I can enjoy them, they are far from perfection and some parts drive me CRAZY!

Leave a comment and tell me what your favorite book is!

It's Not Top Secret Now!

Despite my last entry being about losing weight, I still love an occasional sweet. I don't bake much any more because I don't want crappy foods around my house, but when I do, I make it worth the splurge!

Back when Jeff and I were dating he could make THE BEST chocolate chip cookies you ever tasted. He shared the recipe with me, but mine were never as good as his. Mine would turn into large flat pancakes that tasted like chocolate chip cookies. They often looked like this:


His were these beautiful thick pieces of heaven.

All through his mission I tried to replicate his cookies and send them his way, but they were never quite the same.

Skip ahead a few years later and one day I decided to actually watch him make his cookies. I had followed the recipe religiously and couldn't figure out why they never quite worked as well as his. I needed to see what he was doing any differently than me. Upon watching him I realized the difference-when measuring his DRY ingredients (excluding the salt), he NEVER leveled his scoops. From the flour to the baking soda they were all HEAPING scoops! EUREKA! Since then I have been able to make some pretty yummy cookies! (If I do say so myself!)

So today I'd like to share our favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe. Truth be told, it's from the book "Top Secret Recipes" and it's Mrs. Field's recipe. Check out the link for some other yummy recipes. (My other favorite is the Wendy's chili.) And if you made it through this long post and you actually try making them, let me know what you think!

Ingredients:
1 cup (2 sticks) softened butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 twelve-ounce bags semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, sugars, eggs, and vanilla.

3. In another bowl, mix together the flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

4. Combine the wet and dry ingredients.

5. Stir in the chocolate chips.

6. With your fingers, place golf ball-sized dough portions 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.

7. Bake for 9-10 minutes or just until edges are light brown. *Don't over-cook!!!

Makes two dozen cookies.

I'm The Biggest Loser!

So here is a post I have been contemplating for 4 months now. I just haven't been brave enough to do it! Now I can finally do it-especially since things are on a roll and still going.

Something I can't live without right now is my BODYBUGG arm band.

If you watch The Biggest Loser then you might be familiar with it. If not, here is a description:

The revolutionary new bodybugg makes it easy to manage the calories you consume and burn so you always stay in control of your weight. Get started with a personal phone coach. Then manage your results daily on our user-friendly web based program.

• Uses specialized sensors to monitor calories burned with over 90% accuracy.
• Manages calorie consumption through a web-based program.
• Tracks steps with a built-in pedometer.
• Includes a free phone coaching session to help get you started.
• PC and Mac compatible.

I got mine for Christmas (I picked it out myself). Costco was running a great deal that I just couldn't pass up, and I'm glad I didn't. I've had it on since the start of the year and I'm so excited to share how well it's working. Not many people are brave enough to ask (although I'm willing to share) but I have now lost a total of 36 pounds-and still losing! Go me!