Crash and Burn

I've been so good for a while now.  I've been embarrassed to talk much about it, though because I'm worried I'll sound like a hypocrite after my Girls With Guts rant.  The truth is that I got to a point a couple of months ago where I felt determined and motivated to get rid of the last 15 pounds or so of baby weight and try being more aggressive with my post-pregnancy belly bulge.  I decided to go back on Weight Watchers, although I didn't pay the money this time to log my food online.  I've done it enough in my life now that I know what foods cost how many points and basically what fits into my personal plan.  It's always good for me to follow this weight loss plan, because I have a terrible time with sweets in particular.  I cannot control myself and, for instance, will easily eat a whole bag of chocolate chips in just a few minutes when no one is looking.  When I'm counting points though, I not only don't do things like that but I don't MISS doing things like that.  It just doesn't seem worth it when I know how many points it would cost so I don't even feel tempted....I'm rambling a bit though because I'm putting off admitting the step I took towards getting rid of my belly-bulge...I ended up buying and wearing for 5 or so weeks a......Belly Bandit.  It's a belt you can wear post pregnancy that can help to....okay, okay it's a girdle are you happy?  I'm glad I got it...I have to say the fucking thing actually WORKED, along with pumping up the volume on my exercise routine....added a lot of pilates and strength exercises along with my running...but I can't shake the feeling that it is not at all in keeping with my Girls With Guts attitude.  I stand strong in saying that the Girls With Guts philosophy has everything to do with taking good care of yourself and feeling comfortable in your skin no matter what it looks like, but I guess I'd gotten to the point where I felt like I wasn't doing my body justice.  I didn't want to use my new philosophy as an excuse to not set fitness goals and although when I wrote that entry, I was doing the best I could given my circumstance, I found myself re-evaluating once Owen started becoming more independent and since he now sleeps ALL. NIGHT. LONG (yeah, you heard me).  I'm trying to maintain a balance between happiness, feeling attractive and being healthy and being careful not to start obsessing about how I look to other people.  It's the trickiest thing I can think of to accomplish and I hope I haven't disappointed any of you in admitting all of this.

ANYWAY, having said all of that I am now very near my pre-pregnancy body shape and have been feeling like stopping this phase of watching what I eat and going back to eating what I want (within reason) and keeping up my new exercise routine.  This decision along with the fact that Nathan has been working crazy hours for a few weeks (leaving the both of us feeling pretty burnt out) resulted in me going to the store to buy the ingredients for this:

It's called candy corn bark and it's delicious.  Yes, I have a stomach ache from eating too much of it over the last two days but you know what?  It tastes really good and it was fun to make because I made it with Zoe and we've made a bunch of friends happy in sharing the yumminess.

I set it all up like this while she was at school and surprised her when she got home.

Right before drizzling the chocolate on it....yum!

We've also been busy bees around here, getting into the Halloween spirit.  We had our friend Hunter over for dinner tonight and served scary spaghetti and magical color changing milk (and shared our candy corn bark for dessert, of course!)...we've both been experimenting with our own projects and have ended up with painted pumpkins, spider webs and a bunch of great drawings all around our apartment.

Quietly working together...

Spider web made from craft sticks and glue covered yarn (assembled and left to dry on a piece of wax paper)...spider cut from craft foam...

Zoe's

Web made from white yarn and craft sticks, spider made from a piece of an egg carton.  The legs are finger knitted and the head is made from yarn too...just sort of haphazardly though...

Two paper plates with the middle cut out...glued tissue paper to both plates and smeared glue on the leaves, then sandwiched it all together.   Once the glue dried, Zoe decorated the plate.

Finally, I said I'd show you some knitting if anything came out looking okay.  I made a pair of fingerless gloves for myself a few weeks ago and then decided to make a pair for Zoe.  I've been shocked to see her actually liking them enough to wear them too!

Anyway, hope you are all having a fun October!  Let me know if you have any favorite Halloween crafts you are doing with your kiddos!