CLEARLY INSPIRED

40 Days

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Fri, 11 May 2012 15:02:00 +0000

I have been busy over the last couple of weeks. That is why I haven't posted in a little while. Since I was busy, I would think I would be doing great on my healthy lifestyle. I would be wrong! I fell off the wagon, but I am back on again! I think it is interesting how we have these sayings in our English language. If you wonder where we got this saying from, check out the answer to the origin of "on the wagon".

Back to me felling off the wagon in the first place. There are so many reasons, but the main one is I made a conscious decision to take off the week of my birthday. I went downhill from there. I truly admire the people who can stay focused all year.

Since I didn't do very well with my exercising or eating, I gained back four pounds. Ugh! Now, it is time to start again and get those four pounds BACK off and continue to march towards my goals.

I did so well during Lent by staying away from ALL sweets except fruit. I told my sister that I wish Lent lasted all year long. She suggested I make my own Lent. What does that mean? Well, you don't even have to be Catholic or participate in Lent to do this. All you have to do is think of something or someone you want to pray for and do something for that intention for a fixed number of days. As my mom always says, "Offer it up." There are so many people that I can pray for I decided to chose someone and offer up no sweets except fruit for 40 days for that person. My new "Lent" ends on June 17th. It has helped, because I have wanted some candy, cake and sugared cereal this week and did not eat any, because of my new promise.

Why 40 days? Here are biblical significance of 40 days in the bible from Pope Benedict XVI:

It rained 40 days and 40 nights during the Flood (Genesis 7: 4)
Noah waited 40 days after the waters receded and the Ark settled on Mount Ararat before he sent out the raven (Genesis 8: 3-8)
Isaac was 40 years old when he married Rebecca (Genesis 25: 20)
Esau was 40 years old when he married his two wives (Genesis 26: 34)
The Israelites ate Manna 40 years in the Desert (Genesis 16: 35-6)
Moses spent 40 days and nights on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24: 18) comes down to the Golden Calf, break the tables. Then in Exodus 24: 28 he returns and fasts 40 days and 40 nights.
The scouts from the 12 tribes spied out the Promised Land 40 days before they returned a bad report (Numbers 13: 25)
Therefore, the Israelites were required to spend 40 years “wandering” in the Wilderness (Numbers 14: 33; Deuteronomy 29: 4)
Joshua was 40 years old when he spied with the scouts (Numbers 13: 5; Joshua 14: 7)
Goliath “taunted” Israel 40 days before his defeat by David (1 Samuel 17: 16)
King David reigned for 40 years (2 Samuel 5: 4)
King Solomon reigned for 40 years (1 Kings 11: 42)
Jonah preached to Nineveh for 40 days before they repented (Jonah 3: 4)
Elijah fasted 40 days in the wilderness (1 Kings 19: 8)
Purification of Mary is 40 days after birth of Jesus (Leviticus 12: 1-4) (Luke 2: 22-4)
Jesus spent 40 days Fasting in the Desert after His baptism (Matthew 4: 1-2)
Jesus also spent 40 days on earth following His Resurrection (Acts 1: 3

Is there anything you want to offer up?

Feathers

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:00:00 +0000

I never thought about feathers before, but NOW every time I see a feather I love them. If you watch American Idol (I do sometimes), then you saw Skylar's explanation of her feather tattoo on her wrist. Skylar sang the song "Tattoos on This Town". After her performance, Seacrest asked her if she had any tattoos. She should the feather on her wrist and he asked if it meant anything. I will never forget her response:

"My problems are as light as a feather, because God holds them."

I don't know if Ryan Seacrest knew what to say. I love it when Hollywood is dumbfounded by people who are not afraid to talk about God.

Every time I see a feather, I will always remember this. Whenever I have a problem, I will remember it is light as a feather.

Do you have a tattoo that has a special meaning? Or someone else that has one?

Staying Healthy

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 18:41:00 +0000

At the end of two months on changing to a healthy lifestyle, I have lost a total of 13.8 pounds. This week, I lost 1.4 pounds. Whew! Since I stayed the same last week, I was happy to see more than one pound. I am happy with those numbers, but I know I could have done better during my second month. I let vacation, baseball....a myriad of things get in the way of exercising five times a week. I am not being negative. I am being truthful. I lost four pounds during my second month. Losing any weight is good in my book. I could have lost more, if I wouldn't have gotten off track and stayed focused on my P90X.

Unfortunately, I am not one of those people who set a time to exercise every day and stick with that time. I look at my schedule and fit my exercise into it (most of the time). Since spring is here, I have made excuses not to take an hour every day and focus on P90X. I started playing tennis more, which is exercise, but not as much as I need (especially playing doubles).

So.....I am happy that I am still eating healthy and losing weight. I took my measurements this month. I did not lose any inches. I was puzzled at this, since I am starting to wear pants and skirts I couldn't get into last month. I was talking to my sister about it, and realized I am losing my tush. Yeah! That is one place I seem to gain my weight. Even though I didn't lose any inches on my hips or waist, at least I don't have as much "baby got back". LOL!

Aha Moment

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 15:26:00 +0000

I don't think there is an exact science to parenting, so I don't read those types of books. I think a lot of parenting comes from common sense. My main resource is my mother, and my secondary resource is my sister. There are times when I have an aha moment on handling a situation with our boys and this is one of them.

Over the last couple of months, I find myself cleaning up messes of spilled "everything" in the kitchen. I understand accidents happen, so that is not what has bothered me. It is the attitude or reaction of the boys after the accident. I don't get upset. In fact, I have been trying to stay calm and explain to them what they could have done to prevent the mess in the first place. My explanation is followed by rolled eyes or HUGE sighs, especially from our 11 year old. This is where my frustration starts. This week I had a AHA moment on how to handle these situations.

My problem was "I" would clean the mess up and explain how they could prevent it. They would stand there and give me attitude. What was I doing wrong? I was cleaning up the mess. My AHA moment. If they had to clean up the mess, then they would listen to me on how to prevent the mess in the first place, so they would not have to clean it up again. I haven't got to use this idea yet, but I did see our oldest think about how he fills his water bottle with ice for baseball. He doesn't put the small opening underneath the ice dispenser anymore, so the ice falls all over the floor. He takes a small cup, fills it up with ice, and then puts that ice into his water bottle. One less mess there!

Do you have any aha moments to share that could help me in a future?

Another Week That.....

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 21:42:00 +0000

flew by!

I can't believe that April is half over already. The weather has been nice and baseball season has started, so a lot of our nights are spent at the ball park. I love to watch our boys play baseball. I didn't know I would like it so much when they started last year. Now, I am hooked!

I had a pretty good week for working out. I did my P90X and ran on the treadmill. I know I kicked butt on the legs & back workout, since my legs hurt for two days. My sister and I was talking and I told her I don't like pain. She said, "Yes, you do. Otherwise, you wouldn't be working out so hard that your legs hurt." True, true! I was busted. I do like pain from a workout. I guess it makes me feel like I gave it my all. As Tony Horton says on it dvd, "BRING IT!"

Yesterday, I worked out two times. I did my core P90X dvd and I ran on my treadmill while watching The Mentalist (love that show). I knew I had to weigh myself this morning and I wanted to lose a pound. Guess what? I didn't lose one ounce. Yes, DID NOT lose one ounce. I am okay. My sister told me to put my scale away. I know I should, but I love watching the number go down (when it does go down).

I am happy to report I played tennis this morning. When I got ready, I decided to try on a tennis skirt that was too little for me to wear a couple of weeks ago. IT FIT! YAY! So there is a silver lining to me not losing one ounce. I think I am losing inches. I will know next week, when I take my measurements again and my 60 days pictures.

I better sign off to get the family some dinner before we head to the ball park for the evening.

Do you have any silver linings to share?

Staying Positive

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Fri, 13 Apr 2012 14:54:00 +0000

Last week, I developed a bad cold that kicked my tush. I was tired most of the time even to do my weekly tasks, so I only worked out two days. On Tuesday, I did one of my P90X DVDs (shoulders, biceps and triceps). I like that one. Yesterday, I ran on my treadmill. My cold is lingering, but it is almost gone.

Since I rested A LOT and Easter was on Sunday, which means I ate Easter candy, I was nervous to step on the scale this morning. I thought I would gain two pounds. I am happy to say I only gained two ounces...yes, ounces. Whew! I could dwell on the fact if I would have worked out more or not eaten ANY Easter candy, I would have lost. I am not going to do that!

My body needed to rest to beat this cold and I feel good today. I am back on track and remaining positive that I will continue with my exercise regime and good eating habits. I am going to celebrate the positives.

This week, I did play tennis once and one of the ladies said to me, "You are tall and thin." What? Me? First of all, I am not tall. I am 5'6". I guess that is tall to someone who is shorter, but that is not tall. AND THIN? Well, thank you! I don't feel thin, since I am not into my regular size jeans yet, but I am on my way.

I am hoping if I lose four more pounds I will be back into my jeans. They might be a little tight, but I will be able to button them. LOL!

Another positive this week....

I noticed I can start to see muscle in my arms. My DH used to say I didn't have shoulders. Shoulders? What do you call these? Now, I know what he meant. I can start to see a definition to my shoulders where there is muscle, AND I can see biceps. In fact, I can see my triceps. YAY! This is definitely from my P90X workouts.

Do you have any motivation stories to share?

Vacation Week

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Sat, 07 Apr 2012 01:32:00 +0000

I hope all of you have had a great week. The boys are on spring break, so we took a little vacation to Oklahoma to see some friends of ours, who moved there about three years ago. They live about 1/2 mile from a lake, so the boys got to go swimming. Yes, the water was cold, but they didn't care. They love water!

We saw this little guy on the way to the lake one day. He was smaller than tennis ball. It is good he wasn't too big, since he was a snapper. I put my camera on the ground and took a couple of pictures hoping to get one in focus. I got just one, and he looks cool. I ran this picture through Topaz Labs Adjust 5 with the preset of HDR Heavy Grunge and vignette. I like it.

I took this time away from my P90X, since I didn't have my weights and DVDs. I was a little nervous to step on the scale this morning, since I ate a lot of things that I wouldn't have, if I would have been at home. I tried to limit the amount I ate in order to stay on track. I did get to run two times, which I am sure helped. I lost 1.6 pounds last week being on vacation...YAY!

I feel like the turtle above...slow and steady. I have heard slow and steady wins the race, so I am confident if I stay with my plan, I will reach my goal of a healthy lifestyle and a leaner, toner ME!

After Easter, I will be back to my P90X (week 6).

For those of you who celebrate this holy week....Happy Easter!

Dragonfly Lamp

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:18:00 +0000

One morning this week, I broke the lamp on Seth's nightstand while closing the window in the morning. The weather has been beautiful, so we leave the windows open all night. That night the temps dipped in the low 50s, so it was chilly when I got out of bed. I ran over to shut the window, and my hand slipped off the ledge and hit Seth's lamp. SMASH!

That was not a bad thing, because I hated the lamp. You know the items you have in your house that work, but you don't really like. You don't want to spend the money to replace it, because it serves the purpose. That lamp was one of them. It was from the 70s. It had a glass lamp shade. U-G-L-Y! Besides having to clean up the mess, I was not disappointed.

Seth suggested I look on craigslist, because we didn't know what we wanted. A little cheap lamp until we figured out what we wanted would work. I love craigslist! We found this gorgeous Tiffany style lamp for only $25. I looked online and these lamps are well over $100. It works and has a two way bulb. It is perfect for the bedroom. It is exactly what I would have looked for at the store without the new store price. AWESOME!

Now, if only the old tube TV in our bedroom would break...hee hee! Do you have anything in your house you wish would break?

P90X - Week 5

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Wed, 28 Mar 2012 18:45:00 +0000

This is how I feel sometimes during my workouts. It feels so good to be done, and know I DID IT!

I am still working out with my P90X routine. Last week, I lost 1.2 pounds for a total of 11 pounds. I am not as strict as I probably should be with my P90X, but I did fit it in four days last week. One day I didn't workout at all, and the other two I ran three miles on my treadmill. Since baseball season has started, I don't get to my P90X DVDs like I should. I do try to workout every day.

I met one of my friends for lunch last week, and she said right away she noticed I lost weight. YAY! My DH said I am looking taller the most weight I lose. For a girl who is average height, I like to hear that! Who doesn't want to be tall & thin?

I am still eating healthy, and that was tested last night. If it wasn't for giving up all sweets (except fruit) for Lent, I probably would have caved. The boys' school had an ice cream social with ALL the toppings. I was serving, so I didn't have time to eat during the social. The helpers ate after the event was done. Since the can of nuts was open, I took some and poured it in a bowl. I ate my little bowl of nuts while everyone else finished their ice cream.

It helped that I weigh myself on Wednesday mornings too. I didn't want to see that number go up, so when I got home I walked on my treadmill for three miles while I watch The Fashion Star. I really like that show. Does anyone else watch it?

Lastly, I would love some great healthy snack ideas. I am running out of ideas, and I seem to eat the same thing all the time. Do you have a great snack to share?

P90X First Month

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 12:12:00 +0000

It has been a month since I started my P90X program and eating healthier. I am happy to say I lost 2.4 pounds this week for a total of 9.8 pounds for the first month. In addition, I lost two inches on my waist and two inches on my hips. I have to have Tate take my first month pictures today. I am looking forward to seeing the difference from day one.

I do have to admit I have not been able to work out every day. I think I only missed a few days throughout the month. I substituted running on my treadmill for a few workouts, because I couldn't fit the P90X in my schedule. I feel healthier now and am eating so much better. I have only had natural sugar, i.e. fruit for a month. I don't really miss the candy and cookies that I used to eat all the time. I am hoping to keep this habit going for a while. Not that I will never eat ice cream, cookies or candy, but I don't want to revert back to how much I was eating those items.

Thanks for all of your support and encouragement this month.

My Spelling Test

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 03:08:00 +0000

I have to share with you are GREAT iTunes app I found for the boys. Every week, Tanner brings home spelling words he needs to learn for a test on Friday.

Last week, both boys brought home 20 spelling words they need to learn for a fundraiser at school. Tanner doesn't mind practicing his words, but Tate hates it. I found My Spelling Test - Create Your Own Test Now! on iTunes for only $0.99, and it is perfect.

You get to make the list, and with each word you record your voice saying the word. I even say a sentence with the word in it, then follow the sentence pronouncing the word again. This app would be great for teachers too! In fact, anyone could use this to improve their spelling...even me! NOW, the boys don't mind practicing their spelling words, since they get to use my iPad. This app will work on iPods, iPads, and iPhones.

What apps and websites have you found that are awesome? They don't have to be educational. I am always looking for great apps for our iPods and iPad.

Low Carb Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 15:45:00 +0000

This is a great recipe for low carb pizza. In fact, there is NO crust. Yes, NO CRUST! I got this from Jimmy Akin's site. He has great low carb recipes. I have used this when I am craving pizza, but don't want to use so many carbs. It makes a good breakfast pizza too, since it has egg whites in it.

Crust ingredients:

Some oil ( 0 g carbs; He recommends extra virgin oil, but you can use whatever you want.) This is to grease the pan. I just spray my pan with PAM.
1/2 of a 14 oz jar of pizza sauce (12 g net carbs + 3 g additional fiber)
4 cups shredded Mozzarella cheese (2 g carbs)
4 oz egg whites (0 g carb; alternately use 4 large eggs, lightly beaten). I use egg whites.

Toppings:

You can use whatever you like.
I use hamburger and mushrooms. Black olives and onions would be nice too.
During Lent, I have used Morning Star meatless crumbles. You can buy this at a grocery store in the freezer section.

Let's Make the Pizza:

Begin oven preheating to 450 F (230 C) - Sounds high, but this is the temp.
Oil the baking pan, including sides.
Spread 1/2 of the 14 oz jar of pizza sauce on the bottom of the pan.
Add a layer of cheese (enough to cover bottom of baking pan; approximately 3 cups)
Add the toppings in the order of your choosing

I put Italian seasoning on top of the meat I use.

Pour in the egg whites (or beaten eggs)
Add extra top layer of cheese (not enough to full cover - unless you want that - approximately one cup
Bake until eggs are cooked and the top layer of cheese is golden brown (about 20-25 minutes). I bake mine 20 minutes.
Let cool until solid enough to be cut and eaten.

Servings: 12 - I used a 9 x 13 baking pan

Our family really likes this. I gave the recipe to my parents and in-laws and they like it too. My father is diabetic and controls it with his diet. He doesn't feel deprived of pizza anymore.

Hope you like it too!

P90X - Week Three

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Wed, 14 Mar 2012 13:19:00 +0000

Well, I didn't lose as much I hoped this week, but I did lose one pound. It is better than ounces, it is definitely better than nothing or gaining.

I know I am getting stronger and my muscles are getting tone. I still have a way to go, but I feel it in my clothes. Even my hubby said he notices that my legs are getting smaller. YAY!

Hanging on a Number

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 23:14:00 +0000

I don't know what it is about a scale, but I love to step on mine. It isn't any different than yours, but it feels like mine talks to me. Come over here! Step on me! Even when my weight is going up, I can't help myself. Before I get into the shower, I have to step on the scale to read that number. That number has such control, doesn't it? It really shouldn't, but it DOES!

I have friends, who are always in shape, and a trainer at the gym tell me to throw my scale away. The number doesn't matter. You know how you are doing just by how your clothes fit. I have heard this SO many times before, but I just can't get myself not to care about that number. I even put our scale in the furnace room, and my hubby asked me where it was. After a couple of weeks, I put it back in the bathroom. It just stares at me...enticing me to step on it. I DO!

Since I have started P90X and eating healthier, I feel great. My clothes are getting looser, but I still have to step on that scale every couple of days. In my mind, that is the true indicator of whether I am accomplishing my goals. Not really, but I can't help myself.

This morning, I stepped on and have only lost 0.2 pounds and my weigh-in day is in two days. YIKES! I was disappointed this morning. My DH said, "Hon, as much as you are working out and lifting weights, you might not lose every week." Such a sweetie! I know this, but I still wish that number would be lower.

I have to stay on the positive side and look at my workout sheets. I can lift more than I could two weeks ago, and I can do more push-ups. I am getting stronger! I know muscle weighs more than fat, but I wish it didn't some times. LOL!

I guess I am writing this to let everyone, who loves their scale so much know....You Are Not Alone! We just need to continue to eat healthy and exercise. The pounds will come off and our clothes will fit better....eventually!

P90X - Week Two

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:27:00 +0000

YES!

I was hoping and hoping I would lose another three pounds during my second week on P90X, and I DID! I lost 3.1 pounds. Whew!

I was worried, because I had a bad cold last week. I decided not to work out three days, because I was getting worse, and I was really tired. I continued not eating any sweets except fruit, and I have been watching my portion size.

Last night, we had a book fair and pancake dinner at the boys' school. I want to be able to participate in these types of events, so I watched my carbs all day leaving most of them for the pancake dinner. I ate 1 1/2 pancakes without syrup, sugar or butter. The pancakes were about 5 inches in diameter. In addition, I had two sausage links.

Since I ate at the pancake dinner, I decided to walk on my treadmill for 30 minutes while I watched a show on TV instead of sitting on my tush. I didn't walk really fast, but I did sweat a little. I think this helped me lose the three pounds I was hoping to lose.

Tate worked out with me during one of my P90X days. Of course, he could do more push-ups and chin-ups than me, but he did get bored after 30 minutes. I am still doing girly push-ups, and I use a chair to help me with my pull-ups. My goal is to transition to regular push-ups over time, and to be able to do at least one pull-up on my own. I can tell I am getting a little stronger, since I can do more girl push-ups.

I have dropped one pant size in my jeans, but my dress pants are still a little snug. I am not going to take my measurements until my one month mark. Oh, I can't wait to see those numbers.

I feel pretty good and I am over my cold already, so I am back on track.

My Memories Suite Winner

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 22:04:00 +0000

Sorry I didn't post earlier today. I have had a busy day. I used random number generator and the winner of the My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking program is.............................

Christy M - Congratulations!

She wrote:

I just checked out My memories site too. I have never done digital scrapbooking but it looks like so much fun!!! I really liked the Blue and Gold Cubs. My son is in Cub scouts and we just had his banquet and I have lots of pictures that would look great with this kit!

Christy, please email me at clearlyinspired@gmail.com, and I will get you the code for the free software program.

Fat Pants

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 23:24:00 +0000

My fat pants are not tight now! YAY!

Well, I did it! I made it through my first week of P90X. Yes, the workouts are intense. I do my best and forget the rest...LOL! I am laughing, because that is the phrase they use during the workouts. I am happy with my progress in a week. Isn't that scale cute? I am not always smiling when I get on my scale, but I was today. I lost 3.4 pounds and I can tell my legs are getting stronger. I even went out to eat two times during the week.

I went to Paradise Bakery and had soup and salad. My meal came with a chocolate chip cookie and I gave it to my MIL. She was thankful, and I was glad I didn't have it in my purse tempting me. In addition, I went out for sushi with my friends, Kelli and Stacey. I was pretty hungry all day, so I decided to have Mongolian Beef with white rice, and I had three samples of sushi.

I was surprised I lost over three pounds, because I HATE to be hungry. So when I was hungry, I ate. This time it was different. I ate something healthy. There was one day I had the munchies soooo bad. I just kept eating celery, carrots and a handful of grapes. On the day I was hungry all day, I would have a little salad a couple of times to satisfy my hunger. I did stay away from all sweets except fruit. I think that helped a bunch.

I was telling my hubby that I feel so much better, when I eat healthy. Why don't I do it all the time? Who knows! I guess I love food! I am so glad my stomach is not always full. In addition, I am glad I am not searching the cupboards all day looking the next "great" thing to eat.

I keep telling myself:

"Eat to Live...not...Live to Eat!

My Memories Suite

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 22:06:00 +0000

Today, I am excited to tell you about the MyMemories Suite Digital Scrapbooking program from My Memories. Liz contacted me to see if I would like to review their program. Since I am not a Demonstrator with Stampin' Up! anymore, I am able to play with other toys and tell you about them. YAY! I was delighted to download the program and check it out.

First, it is offered for both MAC and Windows. It is easy to purchase and download. I didn't even have to wait for the box to arrive. The program only costs $39.97, which is a deal for a digital program that has the capabilities this one does. Many digital scrapbooking programs are twice this price or more, and this one does everything if not more than those do. Guess what the exciting news is for you....my blogging friends get your very own $10 discount off the purchase of the My Memories Suite Scrapbook software and a $10 coupon for the MyMemories.com store - $20 value!) You will receive $10 off the program, when you use your code at checkout. Then you will receive a receipt that includes a $10 coupon for the store. WOW! When you go to My Memories to make a purchase just use this code: STMMMS28071. The best thing to do at checkout is copy the code and past it in the box. That way you don't make an error in typing all those letters and numbers.

Okay! There is another great deal for you....

Every person who buys MyMemories Suite Software during February 24, 2012 - March 31, 2012 is eligible to receive a one year RAKStar Membership - FREE! That's a free HUGE digital scrapbooking kit every month - and it's MyMemories Suite compatible, so it's like getting a free software content upgrade every month. The value of this membership is $247.35...holy moly! All you need to do is email your receipt that has the code on it of your purchase of MyMemories Suite Software. You will get a reply with a gift certificate good for the annual RAKStar Membership. Remember the receipt needs to be dated between 2/24/12 - 3/31/12.

What do you need to do to be eligible to win a FREE program? Go to My Memories and look at their digital scrapbooking kits. Come back to my blog and post in the comments your favorite kit by Wednesday, February 29th. That's it! I will randomly pick a winner on Thursday, March 1st and post it on my blog. Don't forget to tell your friends about this awesome giveaway.

MyMemories Suite is not only a scrapbooking program where a beginner can create beautiful pages from scratch or build an entire album with one of the many scrapbook templates provided for you. A seasoned scrapbooker can create gorgeous pages with flourishes, embellishments, paper, and more. It is so easy to use that I didn't even have to reference a manual or watch tutorials. I made this two page layout in minutes with one of their fabulous templates. I was able to edit my pictures too with a click of a button.

Not only is it a scrapbook program, you can make so many wonderful projects for all occasions. There are so many to list that I thought you might want to see their VIDEO that shows you everything.

I made this card with the same program and had fun using all the buttons to make the clover. I covered the holes of the buttons with a lime circle. Did you even know those were buttons? They come with the program. One of things I love, love, love about the button that holds the sentiment is it comes with the stitches, so it looks sewn on the card. The stem is ric rac ribbon. Awesome!

For only $39.97, you get a lot for the money. Wait! You can get it for $29.97 with the discount, and you get over 1,500 papers, over 1,000 page elements, and over 30 album templates. You can start creating right away without having to purchase anything else. If you want to add more to the library, you can do that too by shopping their online store of great digital packages. Here is the direct link to the My Memories Suite.

If you would like to see more of their videos and tutorials click here.

Good-bye Bad Habits

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 20:17:00 +0000

I am always ready to welcome the Lenten season starting today with Ash Wednesday. This happens to be our son's birthday too. Why? No matter what bad habit I am wanting to kick I can do it during Lent. I wish I had that much will power the other days of the year. I guess I should be grateful I have these 40 days to strengthen my faith and work on myself. This year, I am hoping this will motivate me to keep going after Lent.

What habit am I talking about? Eating unhealthy foods....ALL THE TIME!

I admire the people I know who eat healthy no matter what the circumstances are in their life. I can think of three of these people right now. They live their daily lives without indulging in every goodie they see and they look MARVELOUS!

That is not me right now, but that is my goal. I am always wanting to lose 15-20 pounds and tone my muscles. I succeed at losing the weight every year. THEN, I put it right back on and add a couple pounds. I am discovering that the problem is my goal. Usually, I have a goal to lose 20 pounds. Okay? That sounds like a great goal. My problem is I get to that goal and celebrate that I made it with Cold Stone ice cream. Yes, I celebrate hitting my weight goal with food. Now, I am beginning to see my problem. I reward myself with goodies. That is sad! The victory is hanging in the air and I am eating exactly the "thing" that got me to my top weight in the first place.

I know I am not alone. This time is the last time I will need to kick this bad habit. Boy, that sounded awesome! No really, it is true. Why is it different this time?

I am changing my attitude. I do not have a goal weight in mind. Nope! I am not going to step on the scale every day and see how my weight fluctuates. The scale helps some people I know, but not me. I will eat well for a few days and see my weight going down. Then, I have just a little cookie and step on the scale and see the weight still moving in the right direction. I tell myself..."That cookie didn't effect my weight. It is okay if I have a cookie again today." Next, thing you know I am having COOKIES again. I feel like Cookie Monster! I can't get enough COOKIES! Sound familiar? Again, I know I am not alone. That is what is so comfortable about being here.

Today, I started a new exercise program that I see advertised on TV and know a couple people who have completed the series. I know it will not be for everyone, but I thought I would give it a try. It is P90X. It is a 90 day program where I am supposed to see results in that 90 days. I like to see results that fast, and the 90 days will land right before summer. You know, the time I have to get out the shorts, tank tops and dreaded bathing suit.

You know what I had to do before I started the program? Take pictures of myself. SCARY! I put on biking shorts and an exercise bra and had my son take my picture six times. As I was standing there I thought about how bad these might look. When I saw them on my computer screen, I did couldn't believe that was me. Notice, I had my son take my picture and not hubby. I didn't want him to see me like that. LOL! He sees me like that every day. What is boils down to.....I didn't want to see him seeing me like that. Now, I have something to look at every time I want to cheat on this plan. That will scare me straight.

I told my sister I had pictures taken and she said, "Don't you know how you look in the mirror?" Yes, I do, but I don't know how I look in a picture with from the side and the back! Now I do and it is motivation, since I am supposed to repeat these pictures at 30, 60, and 90 days. Some people in the program post their before and after pics. I don't think I will be able to do that.

In addition to the workout program, I am going to start eating healthy today. There are so many plans out there, and I have tried about three of them. The South Beach Plan seems to work the best for me. I have lost my weight on Weight Watchers, but I need a plan that keeps my carbs low and sugars healthy. There is diabetes in our family. I am not saying I will never, ever, ever have a goodie. That would be insane! But during Lent, the only sugar I am eating are natural ones that come in fruit. Our boys are giving up candy and I always want to show them you can do anything you put your mind to, so I am go to that next level. If I gave up candy, I would just increase my bread and CAKE intake.

I did my first workout on the P90X program and made it through the entire tape. I like the combination of lifting weights (to tone my muscle - goal checked) and the cardio. During the session the host, Tony even says things like..."Now, don't go to the grocery store and buy all that nasty food." Okay. So I made it to the store and remembered those words today. Again, I am on day one. I will let you know in a week how I am doing at the grocery store.

Are there any bad habits you want to kick?

Now, Which One?

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:16:00 +0000

First, I wanted to share with you a picture my Uncle David took that I absolutely love. I did put it through Topaz Labs Adjust 5 to have some fun with it. I love trees!

I want to thank those of you who purchased some of my stamp sets. I had one person purchase all my CTMH sets, so I am well on my way to saving for the new iPad 3. I have been doing some research to figure out which iPad I want to buy. Oh, even researching about the new iPad is fun. I still have a few SU sets left for sale. You can see them at this post.

In addition, I wanted to give you a little teaser about a digital software company that has approached me to review their program. Within the next two weeks, I will be creating a post about it, and you will be given the chance to win the program and a great discount. I just got the program this afternoon and I have been playing with it.

Stay tuned.........

They're Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 17:55:00 +0000

When I became a Demo for Stampin' Up!, I could not post other stamping products on my blog that was not from them. There are many arguments for and against this. I tried my best to stick to this policy, so I took off all the former CTMH creations from my sidebar. Well! Since there are only a few days left until the end of the month, and I am working behind the scenes to change my blog....I ADDED THEM BACK!

If you go to the right sidebar and scroll to the bottom under Stamping Creations, you will see I added back all the categories for all the stamps I used while stamping and blogging. I think that was in 2007.

I am not sure that is where those will stay, but if I move things around on my blog, I will always let you know.

IN ADDITION >>>>>

I will be selling most of my stamps sets and stamping materials that I don't use or think I will be using in the future. I have a lot, so the list will be long. I found a way to do this that will be beneficial to anyone who is interested.

I started an alphabetical book of each stamp set I own for SU and CTMH over year ago. I either cut the picture out or stamped each stamp from the set on a page. This is going to help in the selling process. I am going to start scanning all these pictures into my computer and putting them on my Flickr account. Once I am finished, I will post that link on my blog and you will be able to see the sets I have for sale and the price. When I was looking for used sets, I always hated not having pictures to look at.

Well, I am off to start this project and clean the house. Until later!

End of a Chapter.....

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 19:25:00 +0000

At the end of this month, I will be ending a chapter in my life that started in 2006. I signed up to be a Close To My Heart consultant then. Over time, I realized my creativity switched from scrapbooking to cards, and resigned at CTMH to sign up as a Demo with Stampin' Up!

During my time with CTMH, I was honored to be on the Design Team of Molly Stamps. Molly Stamps is where I met my friend and mentor Susanna Boyd. She asked me to be a member of her new site, Paper Craft Planet. I was so thrilled to be part of an exciting adventure and talented team.

Last year, my life changed where I could not give the time and effort Susanna deserved, so I resigned from Paper Craft Planet. Now, I have decided to resign my Demo at Stampin' Up at the end of this month. I have been creating photo books online and see my creativity going in that direction.

I wanted to thank all of you for spending your time with me on my blog. I have appreciated all your comments, suggestions and encouragement over the years.

I am not shutting my blog down; however, it will be taking another direction. You will see changes to the design in the next month or so. I will continue to post, but it will not be about stamping, Stampin' Up!, etc. It will be about what is on my mind and about what I am doing. I would love for you to stay with me and see where this new chapter leads me. I understand if you decide to unsubscribe, since I won't be giving you paper creations every week.

I will be working on my blog in February, so you will start to see changes then. Have a great day!

See you soon!

Happy Everything!

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 20:33:00 +0000

This is our Christmas card this year. I wanted to wish all of you Happy Everything! May the holiday you celebrate be joyous and filled with love.

The back of our Christmas card reads..... Jesus in the reason for the season!

Hoping you have a safe and happy holiday season!

Susanna's Birthday Party

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 04:00:00 +0000

Today, October 22nd, we are celebrating Susanna's Boyd's birthday with a week-long challenge event that every member on the Planet can participate in! The Super Novas got together and each made a special birthday gift for Susanna's birthday. In honor of this momentous occasion, we invite everyone to post a birthday project or card for a chance to win some fabulous prizes! Yes, there are several chances to win some awesome paper crafting goodies just by posting a birthday themed project! Further details can be found by clicking on The Planet Blog. Check out where the party is and join us for a week of celebrations!

I created a three-page layout to celebrate Susanna's birthday. I hope she likes it!

Halloween Bookmark

noreply@blogger.com (Kim Burmeister) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 02:58:00 +0000

I made this cute Halloween Bookmark at my friend, Kim's house. Oh, this would be so cute to have in one of my scary books. In fact, it would be cute to have in any of my books. What am I thinking? I will have to give it to the boys, since I got a Kindle. Oh, I could put it in the Halloween gift for one of the teachers at Westgate. Now, I am thinking!

I stamped the image from Festive & Fun stamp set (Holiday Mini) in black Staz On and used ink and a water brush to watercolor it. Then I ran it through the Big Shot with an Impressions Folder. To make the raised dots show better, I brushed an ink pad lightly over them. Oh, so cute!