The storm before the calm...

I don't want to frighten you...

... so I'll show you one of the "after" shots first.

But here is a "before" shot. And I have to admit, I was already a good way through the closet purge when this was taken. Had I remembered to take photos when things were REALLY messy, it would have been a Halloween post because it was that scary!

(Almost as scary as the 1980's wallpaper border that STILL wraps around our room as seen in some of the photos!!!)

But I digress. Back to the closet makeover. This was a long overdue project. The closet was crammed full of various sized clothing. I've struggled with my weight since my late30's/early 40's when I hit menopause at a very early age. It's been an ongoing struggle for me, and one that I hope to beat for good this time.

I've lost 43 lbs. since January. By all rights, I should have lost a lot more by now but  there have been several months this year when I've slacked off and not weighed myself daily, or even weekly. I also got lazy with tracking what I was putting in my mouth. Those lazy periods do not serve me well. I really need to stay focused.

But back to the closets. So, yes, it was time to clean out the closet of things that are (thankfully) too big for me now. And with any luck, I'll do another closet makeover once I lose my next 40+ lbs.!

By the way, this is our master bedroom closet. I love the HGTV house hunter shows and always get a chuckle when young couples go into the master bedroom WALK-IN closet and are disappointed that it's on the small side. Oh, to have even the smallest of walk-in closets! This closet used to have accordion doors, but they took up too much space in our small room and also blocked off too much of the inside of the closet when in their open position, so years ago we removed them and hung a curtain...

... which is, in fact, a very old, faded sheet that I'd found in my thrift store travels. It had such a pretty, subtle floral design...

... and scalloped lace trim. 

And on another note, Amanda and I took a fun little road trip the weekend before last and I'll share in an upcoming post. We stopped by a fabulous yard sale along the way where a woman was selling gorgeous potted plants that she had grown. So I picked up a Wandering Jew and a Jade plant to keep my Aloe Vera company. I'm not sure if they'll stay in this window, but for now they make a nice grouping!

Have a great week, everyone, and stay warm if you live somewhere cool! It's gotten VERY chilly here in the New England!!! 

Donna

Guilt free cake! Use diet soda in place of oil and eggs....

Doesn't this look good??? And it's only 3 Weight Watchers points!


I joined Weight Watchers several weeks ago. What I love about WW is that nothing is restricted as long as you count it (and you still need to follow healthy eating guidelines!)


(Ingredients... I used a Reduced Sugar mix this time, but any boxed cake mix will do)
About seven years ago I had great success with Weight Watchers. And then I got lazy - lazy about going to meetings, lazy about tracking points, lazy about exercising... just plain lazy! Needless to say, when you stop being accountable for what goes into your mouth and you stop moving, the weight comes right back on, and I was no exception...


Pour 1 can diet soda of your choice into cake mix (no eggs or oil - JUST the diet soda!). I use dark soda for chocolate cake mixes, light soda for yellow/white cake mixes.
So when Joanne at My Little Cottage in the Making blogged about starting an on-line support group called "A Better Me," I was thrilled! I really look forward to her Wednesday "Better Me" posts... (Of course I look forward to all of Joanne's blogposts!!


(Mix according to directions on box)
I'd encourage any of you who are interested in the topic of diet and/or exercise to visit Joanne's blog and tell her you'd like to join in. It's a very relaxed atmosphere. You can e-mail Joanne your weight loss (or gain) for each week (but that's optional, not mandatory), and sometimes she posts the group loss for that week.


Pour into a pan that has been sprayed with Pam (or something similar)
I hope this is the last time I have to fight the battle of the bulge. I was pretty disgusted with myself when I gained back all the weight that I'd originally lost on Weight Watchers, but I reminded myself that I didn't quit smoking the first time(s) I tried either (although in July of 1994 I finally did quit for good!)

(Bake according to instructions on box . From personal experience, I've found I usually have to put the cake in for an additional 5 minutes, as my toothpicks don't come out clean when I first test the cake)... Let cool before cutting.
To keep myself on track, I have become very aware of what I put into my mouth.. not just the types of food, but also the portion sizes. I've also started listing my weekly weight change (hopefully mostly losses) in my sidebar as a bit of an incentive to keep myself going. Since I see it every time I open my blog, it's a good reminder.

Cut cake into 12 serving sized pieces (3 points per piece). Add a dollop of Cool Whip Free (0 points, although I must admit that looks like an awfully LARGE dollop in the photo!!)...

Enjoy!!!

And good luck to everyone on their own quest to become "A Better Me"...

Comment Response: MC, you bring up a very valid point. MC pointed out that it is unhealthy to be putting all these artificial ingredients into one's body, and she is right. My intent in sharing this recipe definitely was not to encourage anyone to start drinking/using diet soda (I am assuming that is the artificial ingredient that she is referring to)... Unfortunately, I do drink diet soda, and although it's something I'd like to cut back on, the fact is I still do drink them. Therefore, putting it into the cake mix (for me) is no different than opening up a can of soda to drink. This was a recipe I had from years ago when I originally joined Weight Watchers (this is not an official Weight Watchers recipe - it's just a recipe that someone in the group shared) and I'm afraid I didn't give much thought to how "healthy" it was before I posted it (which I will do in the future!). And MC, please don't feel you had to post anonymously. I have no problem with the concern you raised. It's a valid point.

Donna