I spent all of Sunday morning cooking and making desserts. I wanted to make a carrot cake, a cherry cheesecake and Dad requested a strawberry pie. First up is the carrot cake - I used the one most recently featured on the Pioneer Woman Cooks blog (love her writing and pictures!). Here are my ingredients - I did use wheat flour and organic sugar, as well as olive oil, and none of those seemed to alter the taste or cooking time.  Don’t mind the phone and computer - I had to look up the recipe and call my Grandma.

It was very easy to make and the only hold up was Dad having to run out and buy a cake pan. Yep, he had no cake pan! The mix ended up sitting in the bowl for a little while because of that. I didn’t mind that I had to wait to cook it because I forgot to get the butter out for the frosting. I haven’t made homemade frosting in a long time and wow, the frosting tasted delicious.

I had all of that left after frosting the cake. I used a regular cake pan and maybe I was supposed to use a bigger size?

Few people ate though we had ton of food and I ended up sending a large chunk of the cake home with one of my brothers and then had a piece. It was awesome. I love carrot cake!

We still have a lot left over and I’m not sure what we are doing with it. I may send it to work with my brothers, but other then that no ideas.

Yesterday I found out I have lost 11lbs! I was both surprised and excited when I saw that. I haven’t been trying to lose weight though I have been watching what I’m eating. I haven’t been getting seconds at any meal and making sure I’m drinking plenty of water. I have been eating better now then I had at my Aunt and Uncle’s house.

So…11 lbs!!! Yay! My jeans are looser and my watch fits farther down my wrist, but I didn’t think anything of it. My goal is to lose 15lbs in the next two months - a high goal but something to strive for.

Photo credit to Wader

I’ve been visiting family since right before Christmas. The kids and I are staying with my Uncle and Aunt before moving on to my Dad’s house in a couple more weeks. My Uncle and Aunt who go out to eat at least three to four times a week. That’s not a big deal - I did some grocery shopping and they still have food at the house. But eating as healthy as I’d like just hasn’t been happening.

Groceries are much more expensive here. And we are in a very rural place which means you are stuck shopping at the places around - meaning two grocery stores in a town 11 miles away. There is a small store here, but not a place you would want to do regular shopping at.

So we have been eating way too much food you make from a box or a can. Sure we have homemade bread once in a while - better then store bought? that’s what I tell myself! - and have managed a salad or two. But fresh fruits and veggies are far between.

And exercise - nonexistant! Sure we have to walk to and from the car but everything is spread out and you can’t walk to the store or to visit a friend or family member. Well I suppose we could but it’s also the wintertime. We had negative fourteen degree weather a few days ago and today are in the midst of an arctic blast of wind so it feels about negative forty.

On the plus side we are leaving in a couple of weeks to go to my Dad’s - where we can once again shop at Costco and join the Y. And I’ll be around more kids which I’m sure will mean more running around then we have here.

I’m not even going to talk about losing five pounds when I was sick for three days - mostly because it’s back now.

I like how the cleanser and toner feel on my skin - but the lotion that is included has made my skin really oily. I rinsed my face off a couple of times today because it was bothering me so much. I do not like that at all and am surprised - it is made for oily skin! You would think it wouldn’t make it oily because of that. I don’t have oily skin but since I have been breaking out the girl suggested I try it. My skin doesn’t feel dry like it has before when I tried products for oily skin, so at least that.

I am going to try either the mask or scrub tomorrow - the directions to say both can be used two to three times a week. I’ll keep using the cleanser and toner but I admit I’m not sure I want to keep up with the lotion. Maybe I should and see if my skin gets used to it?

I got a haircut today and picked up a travel set of a skin care line I’ve been wanting to try. I am always scared of trying something new for fear of *whatever* going wrong and then I’m out of my cash. I decided to go ahead and buy this because if it doesn’t work out I can take it back and get some other product or store credit for use later.

I think CVS does this? Or … Walgreens? Some store like that.

So I’m going to tonight and follow what it says to do - I got a cleanser, a tonic, a vitamin lotiony thing, a night gel, a scrub and a mask. (I love buying kits!) I figured I would start out with a travel kit just in case it doesn’t work, or I don’t care for it, then it’s less to return and less money out by me.

I have been so frustrated for the past week! Early last week I was so happy because my skin seemed to be clearing up - I’ve never had perfectly clear skin though. So I’m happy and then a few days later - boom, breakout city. Ugh! This is so annoying!

I’ve tried ProActiv which did not work for me because I am allergic to it. I’ve tried ever other over the counter thing and nothing worked - though I did find out what I am allergic to! I even had a script when I was a teenager but I don’t think that really worked either.

My friend Andrea posted about various beauty treatments not too long ago - and I swear I had never heard of any of them! I was so excited about the aspirin one - basically you let uncoated aspirin (3-5, starting off with 3 then working your way up I suppose) in hot water until they soften up. Then you add them to a face mask and use it as usual. I finally got aspirin about a week and a half ago and I used this treatment I know two times, but maybe three, and that’s why I thought my skin was clearing up.

Then I breakout and I have to admit I wonder if I’m allergic to doing using aspirin in my face mask! Or if I just had a reaction to it. I’m scared to try it again but I am just so over my skin thinking it is 16 (ha, I’ll be wanting 16 year old skin when I’m 60 I’m sure!). I want to see a dermatologist but we are leaving in a week so there is no time.

Maybe I need a new face mask too. I know I do, I’ve been using the same brand for ages. I love trying new face stuff and in the past I’ve had to slow down as sometimes that is the case for breakouts as well.

Do you have any tips or tricks for getting clear skin? Mine has never been completely clear though I’ve tried various things like drinking lots of water, exercise, eating better, etc.

Here is to clear skin!

I have plans to join the Y - again. But this time I’m going to join when we are staying with my Dad, so not for another month or so and obviously in another state. I’m excited! I really want to lose weight and get in better shape. I think they have a daycare for the kids but if not I figure I’ll ask my sister in law to watch them while I work out.

I’ll have a sister in law to ask.

That is just amazing to me. I am so happy to be able to spend a lot of time with my family before we move on! I can’t wait to see my nephews, it’s been two years since I’ve seen any of them and in that time two more have been born!

After four phone calls this morning I am now waiting for a call back. It seems that LA Weight Loss corporate has changed to Pure Weight Loss - but the franchises were given the option to stay with the LA name or to change. I didn’t do much searching on that though.

So I call the number on the LA website which somehow gets me a corporate center in Virginia. Okay then. She tells me to call the franchise customer service number - which I did and had to leave a message. I found another number on the LA site and called them - after talking to that person she says she can email the customer service rep for the franchises and that person will get back to me.

If I don’t hear back from someone by Wednesday, I’m calling again. I know there is controversy surrounding the company but I didn’t have any. I paid for the services and expect to be either reimbursed or given the product in whole.

I think it is odd that there is NO more centers in my area. Did none of them want to carry on with corporate changing the name? Has the website just not been updated in ages?

I don’t think I’ve mentioned it here but we are moving. The countdown is on and we’ve started getting rid of stuff and throwing stuff away.

We got rid of the crib we had. Finally. We got it when Alice was about six months old so we’ve had it for almost six years. She used it and then Jake used it, it converted into a toddler bed and Jake used that until he got too big for it. He isn’t too tall or anything but just outgrew it. So we stuck it in the garage just last month.

I had a twinge of sadness because the sides have the kids teeth marks in it. When they were old enough, they would stand up and chew on the edge waiting for us to get them. We sanded it down before giving it to Goodwill so noone else will see that.

We also got rid of the pack and play that Jake slept in for a little while. He started out in a bassinet but he was a big baby and quickly outgrew that!

We went through our clothes yesterday too and I found a couple of pairs of shorts that I have had since college! I haven’t gained a lot of weight over the past seven years, I’m two sizes bigger now, but dang those shorts looked small. And I thought I was chubby! I did put them in the giveaway pile and said I’d buy new clothes when I lose weight.

So the countdown! Three and a half weeks to go! Woo hoo!!

I rarely go into the area of town where the LA Weight Loss Center I visit is located. It isn’t a bad area, I just don’t go. So imagine my complete surprise when we went last week and the center’s window had a large sign advertising business space.

That’s right - my LA Center is gone!

I am going to look on the website tomorrow and call around to see what the heck happened. They did have a very high turnover rate during the couple of months I was there, but geez, to close?

I wasn’t planning on calling until I knew where we were moving - okay I just realize what a dumb statement that is, I’ve known for a week! I guess I have a lot going on. Anyway, I bought the supplements and have at least half left. I’m hoping for either all the supplements at once (they like to give a weeks worth at a time) or half of my money back. I’ll keep you updated.