itsasimplelife...

Weight Loss...the saga continues...

2012-02-03T14:04:00.000-08:00

Air must have calories!!! Even when I do nothing but breathe, I gain weight.

I've recently re-joined Weight Watchers. (I lost so much weight with their program 25 years ago, my husband made me quit! (I didn't know you could adjust your goal weight..I could have been a lifetime member!)

For the past several years, I've been adjusting to the battle against (and adjustments after) brease cancer. Hormone reactive breast cancer is a nasty buggar...and hormones are beneficial to maintaining a healthy weight (so I'm told). Anyway, I've gained about 10 lbs. each year for the past five years...about 50 lbs. in all...

The Good News -- I've LOST a year's worth of weight gain in the past 7 weeks! Being mindful of what I'm eating has also inspired me to create (YES, CREATE) amazing new meals that I will never, ever have to give up! I'll be posting some recipes and pics soon on the blog.

I'm not a paid spokesperson. I just believe when you have useful information, you should share it! If you are interested in learning more, check out: http://www.weightwatchers.com/

If you are younger and/or more active than me, I'm sure you will have far better results than I've had. No matter what anyone says, 10 lbs. is 2 bags of flour...imagine carrying them around all the time! It's feels noticeably different...now on to the next 40 or so pounds...

"Biko" the Budgie's YouTube Debut

2012-01-29T17:23:00.000-08:00

"Biko" is our second Budgie...
Little Bo "Peep" was our first ever bird. I picked her out of the flock of budgies because she was the only one that would come to my finger. No training...NO BRAINER! She only lived for a couple of weeks.

I was devastated and decided that I must not be a good bird owner. When I told my husband that I would not get another bird, he insisted I at least talk to the pet store staff. I am so happy that I did! They assured me that I was not to blame and that winter is a very difficult time for budgies. Budgies are extremely sensitive to drafts and the cold weather. They are, after all, tropical birds. The staff encouraged me to select another bird, so I chose "Biko". He has been with us for 3 days now. He has been silent until today.

Budgies need a few days to warm up to a new home and family. Leaving a noisy flock of birds and adjusting to a quiet family life is not an easy transition. Not being sure what to do to make Biko feel more at home, I decided to look up YouTube videos of budgies singing. When I found a video that had an entire noisy flock happily bantering, Biko started to chirp and sing immediately! I recorded a YouTube video of Biko listening to the other budgies...the result is hilarious!

After posting the video, I took a pic of Biko watching himself on his video. He loved it! Each time he heard himself chirping, he chirped back! I played it over and over and each time he was more animated.

I have an English Setter, "Bailey", a Yellow Lab, "Abby" (named after Pauley Perrette's character on NCIS), a long haired domestic cat, "Bouncer", and now a budgie. (Until December 23, we also had a Bichon Frise, "Birdie", who was a beloved family member for over 12 years.) If anyone had told me I'd have this many animals 10 years ago, I'd have wet my pants laughing. But now that I have learned what a blessing it is to have these loving, free-spirited, and entertaining creatures in our family, I cannot imagine life without any of them. Call me crazy...I'm crazy about my pets!

Life is Good and I am Blessed!

Life is a balancing act…

2011-03-31T16:51:00.000-07:00

Balance is something we all struggle to define. Most of my adult life was spent devoted to work, raising children, being a wife, a daughter, a mother…but finding the balance between all of the important and fulfilling components of my life was never easy for me. Now that I have been forced into and early retirement, I’ve had my “aha moment”…balance was always within my grasp! For me, a breast cancer diagnosis, surgery, and chemotherapy forced me to stop and reevaluate what mattered most in my life. It took some major adjustments in my life, my lifestyle, my work, and a decision to move to the woods. While most people don’t need such a dramatic wake-up call, for me it was a lifesaving chain of events.
I love living simply…tapping into the creativity that was always within, and sharing some tidbits of information I’ve learned on my journey back to health and a balanced life. I also enjoy reminiscing about days gone by and how our grandmothers and great-grandmothers achieved balance and fulfillment in their daily lives.
Life is meant to be lived every moment of every day. I challenge you to find your own balance in life, learn to breathe again, and celebrate the small joys that each day brings your way. Live long and live well!
Thanks for visiting … itsasimplelife!

Antique Victorian Dresser and Vanity Boxes

2011-03-29T10:28:00.000-07:00

Dressing Cases and Vanity Boxes were designed to carry personal and toiletry items for ladies and gents as they traveled during the late 18^th century. They were distinctive in their purpose as well as their design.

Initially, the cases and boxes were primarily used by only the wealthy, but later they became popular with men going to war as well as those who went away to attend school. As people became more accustomed to travel, their popularity among all classes increased. Those in the Victorian era chose to travel frequently and stay for extended visits with family and friends, making the cases a necessary part of their travel accessories.

Contents were varied, but usually included necessary toiletries and manicure sets, perfumes, and hair combs, brushes, and other personal items. The more lavish designs even included concealed compartments for valuables.

Over the years, metal (including silver), wood, and plastic have been used to create these boxes. Made for travel, they often include straps to hold items in place or interior compartments or individual interior cases for protection of items. Later boxes often included some type of built in mirror.

Today’s dopp kits for men and cosmetic cases for ladies are a distant cousin to the well-crafted and elegantly designed cases and boxes of our ancestors.

I have only seen one of the lavishly decorated Vanity Boxes (as pictured), but there are many of the later designs available at Vintage and Antique Shops and at Flea Markets. Most will be smaller than the one pictured. They are beautiful, useful, and fun to collect!