My Williston Shawl

I came across this great pattern called Williston Shawl to make shawls for Hospice..Thanks you Cythnia Miller for sharing a great pattern..
Works up quickly.I am already on my 3rd shawl.
Here are 2 I have already made this week..
This pattern uses about 14 oz/ 38 rows using a K hook 
Measures  Plus size 2X...

This one I used RHSS yarn 2 skeins in Real Teal...

Thrift store yarn deal cost $3.98 to make this shawl..I still have some of each skein left plus a I have a skein of green/yellow color as well to make another shawl if I can find some white to add to the mix...

Red Heart Baby Econo 1046 Carousel Print (6 oz skein)
Bernat Baby Coordinates Lemon Custard Yellow (6 oz skein)
Bernat Baby Coordinates Baby Pink (6 oz skein)

Just another shawl a nice pretty yellow.Got this yarn @ thrift store for $3.98..

A nice pretty shawl w/ baby yarn..Got this yarn @ thrift store for $3.98..

This shawl was made w/ Lion Brand Pound of Love this Yarn baby. This shawl was made for an employee at work...Got this yarn @ thrift store for $3.98..

Just a little bit of Carrot Orange and some black whipped up into a nice shawl cost was zero had yarn laying around house.

Had some leftover yellow from the above project and some white laying around  I whipped this shawl up using the leftovers..

Changes 4 ME

I started in Oct 2012 trying to change ME. I have had lots of help and encourage meant from a little birdie in Cali....Who pushes me and tells me when I am bad and kicks my butt with lots of naught words telling my I screwed up big time but this is what I need do to get back on track...I tend to get off track it's part of my food addiction drama...I am proud of me I have lost 40 pounds as of the end of April..

First I was told to STOP the Soda if you have one 32oz soda it equals a meal 320 calories the same as lunch..

•  I was drinking 2-4 (2liters) or more of soda per day in the summer is was closer to the 4 then to 2.. This was very hard since I was so addicted to soda and water tasted like crap...So I would ice it like crazy just like I did the soda but I found a tea that was (on the go type that used honey) and used some of that  to flavor to add to the water OH it saved me..Now I am a tea water junkie but I drink it like crazy and I have a to go bottle w/ me everywhere I go. I allow myself soda only when I eat out and sometimes I just have tea water..

2nd During this time I started watching what I ate more this has been the hard part.. My little birdie told me if I ate better I would feel better plus loose weight I thought sure??? I didn't believe this could happen so I tried it.

• This meant more WHOLE GRAINS (steel cut oatmeal/ flax seed and whole grain tortillas and brown rice) 
• Cutting out boxes or processed stuff (out when my fave boxes of cereal I am a cereal hoarder) AND FRESH IS BEST!!!
• Cutting out processed lunch meats as well   
• Increasing more veggie daily(not just onion and peppers)
• Less dairy (cheese/sour cream) well if you get fat free and use tiny hand fulls (less the 1/8 of cup) of shredded cheese instead of a cup 
• Steel cut oatmeal for Breakfast VS CEREAL whipped it up in my crockpot in large batches to freeze (fast and quicker this way) w/ brown sugar/flax seed/ dehydrated apples diced into with full (half and half milk) it was awesome due to all the fat in the moo so I recently just last week changed to fat free...I thought I am not going to like it I will notice the fat the YUMMIE part missing and it will taste like crap nope I was very wrong.... 
• Brown Rice VS White Rice.....First I was not a big rice fan but white to me tasted better but really it was the white was cooked right and the brown I had previously tried in resturants was not..I found a quick way to make brown rice in the oven and it turned out I prefer brown rice (cooked right) over white. Double score as it's better for me...I bulk cook this as well and have it on hand in the freezer when need rice.
• Drop the Sauces/Condiments or limit them.. Condiment topping junkie as well. Ranch/Sour Cream/Salsa/ and cheese and the more is better is/was my routine or more like would you like an enchilada w/ your cup of shredded cheese/sour cream and extra sauce? Not any more I now use lots of veggie/ fat free sour cream some cheese/ some shredded chicken and whole wheat tortilla and less sauce.. Guess what I like the taste even better. 

3rd I also started making On the Go Smoothies- I started off really bad  for 2 months at first issue I hated yogurt just the thought of it made me gag but when you had a carnation instant breakfast (lots of sugar in those)  plus fruit like (strawberries and / or peaches) and that yummie full fat half and half the smoothie turned out great served over lots of ICE...  

• First change to this plan to get this smoothie healthier w/ lots of encouragement from my little birdie (what the heck are you doing your dumbie that smoothie is just as bad as a bowl of processed cereal) was to find a meal replacement that had WHEY this bulked it up to help me feel fuller longer ( I use 2 tbsp per 16 oz) I didn't think whey would help trust me don't use more then your told to use it's fills up up... 
• Switched from super sugary junk added yogurt (Read the labels)  to greek yogurt w/ lots more fruit (over a cup) 
• I even learned how to make yogurt I will be getting back into this as well as I can make 4 quarts of plain yummie yogurt for less then the price of one quart...
• Just last week was able to switch to fat free half and half...

4th Menu planning and meal prep it number one key.. I can't do ridged menus so we (DD and I) plan 7 meals and then WE can pick which to have when we do try to have variety 

• Meals planned I am less likely to eat out or grab junk or nibble..
• Pre-Diced or Prepped my food (green onions/ bell peppers pre- diced I know it not healthiest (better to dice as needed) but for me if I do this I skip them so I dice peppers & green onions and store in mason jars in the fridge grab/use as needed...vs skipping them.. 
• Chicken ONLY about 3 months ago from both chicken and turkey (NO Beef/Pork have not in over 12 years) Chicken breast seem to come in packages of say 2-6 breast so when I shop WE pick packages that will give us more Bang for our Buck or in my case multi-meals (6 chicken breasts) can yield me if I just used them as chicken breast (3 meals ) however if I use two for breasts meal and then crockpot the rest into shredded chicken and now that extra meat will go back in to freezer or into the next 2-4 meals and lunches this is smarter shopping/use of chicken... 

• Healthy on the go foods for work (I don't always have access or time to nuke meals) issue Hot Summers in Phoenix where then temps hit in the 118*F this is where my LITTLE BIRDIE REALLY SHOWED SKILLS...He created a summer lunches for me menu plan trust when I first looked at I laughed and thought boy you have lots of time on your hands to really think this out but after I really read it again I was like WOW!!! this is perfect for me yippie!! w/ a few changes as I don't eat some of the foods suggested but it was an awesome idea concept so I had to print it out and I got busy changed it to my needs/likes a master plan was created...I have been using this for almost a month and it really has helped me...
• Example of the idea/concept 
•  Meal 1: Asian chicken lettuce wraps; snack bag 2; fruit cup 4
  Snack bag 2: raw baby carrots, celery sticks, sugar snap peas 
  Fruit cup 4: fresh citrus fruits
  
  More later.....