To Fringe or not to Fringe!

I wanted to title this- to bang or not to bang but I was afraid of the hits it might get! Hee Hee

Ok, you interneties came through the last time I asked for hair advice so I'm gonna ask for it again! Help me out here.

I've been growing my bangs out with this "new do" but for some reason I'm really thinking I want to go back to bangs. So, what's your vote- bangs (this is an older pic that doesn't show the updated bob look)

or no bangs??

I'm kinda thinking this is the look I really want- but of course I'm a LONG way away from ever looking like Katie!!

Bloggy Giveaway #2- Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD

Here is giveaway #2- a copy of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD.

This girl will work you but good! It's a great DVD. Just imagine having Jillian in your own home leading you through workouts like you've seen on The Biggest Loser!!

This is a great way to get into shape!

Want to win this DVD? Just leave a comment by noon on Aug. 1st and I'll use the handy dandy random number generator to pick a winner.

Want to add some great recipes to go along with your rockin' new body? Check out my other giveaway!

And then head on over to the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival and sign up for tons of great giveaways!!

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED ON THIS POST! PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS- Aug,1,2008 1:00 p.m.

Bloggy Giveaway #1- Hungry Girl Cookbook

Oh my, it's that time again! Time for some fun giveaways! I love it when it's time for the Bloggy Giveaway Carnival!!!

Here's my giveaway #1- a copy of the new Hungry Girl Cookbook:Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World! It's a great cookbook with some awesome ideas!

Here's a description:
Do you want to eat burgers, chocolate cake, frozen margaritas, fudge, and French fries—and still fit into your pants? Is life not worth living without brownies and onion rings? Do you want a surefire way to tame your cravings?

From breakfast ideas and chopped salads to guilt-free junk food and cocktails, Hungry Girl recipes taste great but are low in fat and calories. Check it out!

• Eggs Bene-Chick: 183 calories

•Bring on the Breakfast Pizza: 127 calories

• Ooey Gooey Chili Cheese Nachos: 216 calories

• Big Bopper Burger Stopper: 202 calories

• Dreamy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge: 65 calories

• Lord of the Onion Rings: 153 calories

• Rockin’ Tuna Melt: 212 calories

• 7-Layer Burrito Blitz: 277 calories

• I Can’t Believe It’s Not Sweet Potato Pie: 113 calories

• Cookie-rific Ice Cream Freeze: 160 calories

With easy instructions, simple steps, and hilariously fun facts and figures, Hungry Girl recipes are as fun to read as they are to make!
And when you’re not in your kitchen, check out HG’s 10 mini survival guides, plus tips ’n tricks that’ll help you make smarter food choices anywhere, anytime!

This cook book is ROCKIN!!!!

Just leave a comment here by noon on Aug. 1st. and I'll pick a winner using the handy dandy random number generator.

Good luck! Check out my other giveaway as well! A copy of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred DVD.

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED ON THIS POST. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE FURTHER COMMENTS. AUG. 1, 2008 1:00 P.M.

Note to Self!!!

Note to self-----Do not watch Steel Magnolias when you are PMSing!!!

Lordy how the tears do flow!!!

WFMW-Audiobooks

I LOVE to read but it seems that lately I don't have as much time to sit and read like I used to.

Or, I end up "reading" several different books at the same time. It gets a little crazy sometimes.

My answer to this problem??- AUDIO BOOKS!!! Love them!

I've found that our local library has a great selection of books. I've listened to a wide variety. Some examples have been- Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult, Losing It: And Gaining My Life Back One Pound at a Time by Valarie Bertinelle, and The Choice by Nicolas Sparks.

I download the CD's to iTunes and then onto my iPhone. Then I can listen whenever I want. I love listening when I run in the mornings, or I'll listen while doing housework, or I'll connect my iPhone through the aux. function in the car and listen on the road. It's great! When I don't have the time to sit and read I can still listen!

So now I can listen to one book (Currently The Testament by John Grisham) and read another (Teen-Proofing: Fostering Responsible Decision Making in Your Teenager by John Rosemond- I will write more on this book later- it's a great book to prepare yourself for dealing with teens)!!!

Head on over to Rocks in My Dryer to find more WFMW ideas!!

At the Hop- instead of BlogHer

So, evidently I am not the only blogger out in this big ol blogging world that didn't get to go to Blogher. That's ok, I had plenty of other things to do. But before I tell you about those- let me introduce myself to the new comers.

I'm Beth and as you can probably tell from my blog title I the momma of some serious sports fellas. My two boys (11 and almost 10) both play sports. Right now we are taking a break from travel baseball- it's been a wonderful break but guess where we've spent some of that free time? At baseball games of course.

They also play basketball and this fall the youngest is going to try is hand at wrestling (oh my stars I'm sure I'll be writing a lot about that). Oh and the oldest is going into Middle School this year- more fodder for blog posts!!! Yikes!

I love living here in the South! Been here all my life and I don't plan on moving away. My goodness I might end up some place that doesn't serve SWEET tea- and let me tell you that getting unsweet tea and adding your own sugar just ain't gonna cut it!!!!

I love to read, exercise and spend time with my family! This weekend the four of us took off for a trip to Baltimore to - yep you guessed it- watch a baseball game! Go Orioles!!!

I've just started heading up a Reading Group at our church so if you have any suggestions for some good Christian reading I'd love your input!! We just finished reading The Yada Yada Prayer Group (I've read the whole series already but it's one of those you can read several times and still love)!

Well, I guess that's really it for now. I know I'm coming in under the gun and posting at the end of Robin's party- but at least I was able to visit for a while! Hope you've enjoyed your stay here- please come back soon. I promise to keep the blog more up to date! That's one of my BIG goals this week- to start posting on a more regular basis again!!

Thanks Robin for coming up with a super fun time for those of us who couldn't make the trip!!

I feel the love!

Ever wonder how much your family loves you? I started thinking about this the other day because Lewis made a really loving comment to me in the truck on the way to a baseball game.

He told me that he'd cut Luke's finger nails that afternoon (only the right hand, Luke had done his own left hand). I asked if he'd cut his toenails too- the answer- "No, and you know if anything were to ever happened to you I'd have to find another Mama for the boys right away because I just can't do some of those things".

This made me stop and think of all of those precious times when my family let me know how much they love me and how much they need me. Here are a few examples:

After I re-painted the boys bathroom shortly after moving into this house I ordered a new shower curtain. It was a Tarheel shower curtain. I didn't tell the boys I'd ordered it so when it arrived in the mail I was excited about showing it to them. When Mark saw it he gave me a huge hug and said "you're the best mom in the whole world"! Who knew a shower curtain could lift me to such a lofty appointment!

One day I took the boys to Target to let them spend some of their Christmas and birthday money that they'd saved up. I can't even remember what they wanted to buy but they were a little short on funds so I told them I'd make up the difference. Glory hallelujah- the excitement and "I love you Mom"'s that came from that exchange were unbelievable.

And of course there are those times when I join right in on all of the "male" contests activities going on in the household- yes- often I can burp and do other things just as loud and obnoxiously as they can- and Lewis will tell the boys "that's why I love your Mama". or "you gotta love a Mama that can do that".

Goodness- it's no wonder I feel so loved!!!

How do I love thee? Ha!

Help me Create a Button for Adam

HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to create a button and I don't know how!!!

Here's what I'm looking for. There is a young boy at our church- Adam T. that is very sick with a rare form of kidney cancer. I'd really like to create a "Pray for Adam" button with a link to his story but I have no clue how to do this.

I'd like to have the button on my blog as well as have it available for anyone else that would like to put it on their own blog to spread the prayers far and wide.

Can anyone help me!!! PLEASE!!!!! This little fella is in need of some serious prayers!!

Thanks!

Tackle it Tuesday-Uncluttering my Desk

Oh my goodness! Did I ever need to do this tackle.

Junk just seems to multiply on my desk. Then it seems to multiply everywhere.

Honestly, once my desk gets to this point I just sort of give up on everything else. Pitiful isn't it.

Well, today I just couldn't take it any longer. I took everything off of the desk, piled it on the floor and then started sorting. I had a trash pile, a file pile, a pay bills pile and a this goes in another room pile.

Here is the after picture. So much nicer! The notebook that you see open on the desk is my Home Management Binder. I decided it was ok to have that out- so maybe I'll actually start using it!!! hee hee!!

Want to see what other great things people are accomplishing? Head on over to 5 Minutes for Moms to see other Tackle it Tuesday posts!

WFMW-5 Ingredient or Less Recipies-Black Bean Brownies and Diet Mt. Dew Cake

BLACK BEAN BROWNIES

Yes, you are reading the title correctly! My 5 ingredients or less recipe is Black Bean Brownies!

Now before you go ahead and click out of this post let me tell you that these are some of the fudgiest, moistest brownies that I have ever made!

Honest- just give them a try- I bet you''ll like them and they are super simple to make!

1 box of Betty Crocker Low Fat Brownie Mix

1 can of Black Beans (I use the fat free kind)

Place beans in blender (juice and all) and add maybe 1/4 of a can of water

blend until liquefied - add to brownie mix

Bake according to instructions on box - That's it! Do not add anything else!

Voila- yummy brownies!

My kiddos love these and one of them is extremely picky about what he eats.

I just haven't told him what's in the brownies!!!

Want more 5 ingredient or less recipes?

Head over to Rocks in My Dryer and check them out!!

Oh wait- here's another great one!

DIET MT. DEW CAKE

1 box of cake mix (I use yellow)

10 - 12 oz. of Diet Mt. Dew

1 pkg Sugar Free/Fat Free Jello (I use Lemon)

1 c. boiling water

1 c. cold water

Mix the cake mix and soda together

Place in a greased 9 x13 dish

Bake at 350 for about 30 min.

let cake cool while you mix jello

mix jello pkg with 1 cup boiling water

Stir until dissolved

add cold water

allow to cool for a few minutes

Poke holes in cake with a meat fork or the handle of a wooden spoon

slowly pour jello mix over cake so it soaks into holes.

Place in refrigerator to cool.

Delish!!!

Tackle it Tuesday-Weight Loss

Well, just got back from vacation where I ate WAY too much junk. I also saw pictures of myself and believe me I did not like what I saw.

So today- I am making a commitment to get back on track with my WW point counting and drinking lots and lots of water. I also am going to up my exercising. I've been running three days a week but those other days have been wimpy workouts. Well, not any more. I'm really going to start pushing myself again.

So far today has been really good. I had a sensible breakfast and a not too bad lunch. Getting ready to have some fruit for a snack and will have a large salad for dinner. Need to get that water in though!!

It is frustrating though! It seems that as soon as I hit the big FOUR-O I can not lose weight. It's like I'm stuck at this one weight and it ain't gonna budge. Well, not much anyway. My weight may fluctuate a few pounds up and down but it has pretty much stayed the same for the past year. I am determined to get this moving in the downward direction this time!

Want to see what others are tackling today? Well, head on over to 5 minutes for Moms and check them all out!