Hello 2014

Well Hello New Year!! Its been a long long time since I found my way to writing here in this space. Sometimes I look at my blog and think I have so much to say and write and do but where to begin? Life is so different then it was a year ago for our family and for me. When I created this space, my children were babies. Yep that's right babies! Now I find three of them are in school and one is nearly off to kindergarten! I was in the midst of little ones for what seemed like eternity and now they are in grammar school?!!! Where does this time go? Its happening so quickly. Now I can check in to Keeper and do some reflection. It will be a good place, a safe place to jot heart stuff down. And it doesn't have to be perfect (a place I struggle with -- desires to have a perfect space to live in -- when I really live in a beautifully imperfect place for beautiful, living reasons.) So here are a few updates: 1. I finally got on the Medifast wagon for Reals and since October 7, 2013 have lost a total of almost 40 lbs!!! What a lifestyle shift for me. I feel great. No I mean really great!! Like no more numbness in my toes (yep that happens as you inch towards a pre-diabetic state at 35 years old!) I am down 4 sizes!! I sleep better. I want to MOVE!! Its been a hard journey. Learning what the fruit of self-control is all about. I will probably do a blog post about this journey so far, at a later date - because I think it will be beneficial to type it out. this year after I get to my healthy BMI goal sometime after I turn 36 in February, I will be entering into maintenance (80% of maintenance is what goes in to your mouth and 20% working out) which means I will be getting my work out on!!!! I can't wait. Primarily I will be working out to feel GOOD. Love those endorphins. Mamas with four kids in apartments need to get stress relief!! All of this new health is leading me to some great books, great learning and exploration. Let me tell you I am on a high!!! 2. We live in a new city, a new state with a new job for my husband (praise the Lord!!), a new school for the kids, and a wonderful new church!! Its a fresh start for our family and its a good start. We are staying put as far as we know and that feels really good for this Navy family, since we have moved 10 times in almost 12 years of marriage. Of course the bug will bite me in about a year to start preparing our home for moving but that's good because that just keeps us paired down and simple. And don't I just love SIMPLE. 3. This leaves me with a wide open plan for what I do and who I am. Healthy, not anxious about my weight or what I put in my mouth every time I eat, not guilty and obsessive. Kids are in a good place. They will be in school. How do I use my time wisely? How to I continue to streamline our apartment (yep we have four kids in a 3 bedroom apartment - hello Urban Life - and we are loving it!!) to meet our needs for peace, organization, productivity and creativity? How do contribute to the family's pocket book, whilst continuing to be that stay at home momom? We are committing to a year to figure out how it works and to getting ready to enter the work place on my terms. Love that I can telework in this age of laptops. So its a good fresh start. Place to talk out my thoughts and discover what my role is now. Hello there its me God, Esther Plaster. Join me as I do this thing called life post babies. Oh and I hope to be more dedicated to pictures here at Keeper.

paper piles

today while pondering the pile o' papers that i need to tackle; i found via my growing home - a simple way to organize and prioritize school papers. She has four piles: #1 Papers with Dates #2 Items to Read #3 To Keep #4 To Do or To Buy i think this is simple enough. its a system i could apply to my other "piles". how do you organize the piles of papers in your home?

update :: medifast

Ok people, so here is the update. i have lost about 13 lbs so far and then my birthday celebrations hit! you know how that goes. so i am back on it and have a few observations: 1. my problem time is supper time, cooking the supper, waiting to eat, and then celebrating when the husband comes home -- the wine flows and that is making it hard to lose. 2. i really like having the even feeling - this is a very low-glycemic level diet - so if i am following my 5 small snacks and then my lean & green meal faithfully, i don't get the shakes!! 3. i have significantly cut down on my caffeine (french press coffee) intake - that is about one cup per day. i find that i don't need more then that. plus i would rather be drinking my water instead. 4. i am learning so much about my body and how i react to certain foods - like the time i fell off the wagon and ate a bunch of cookie dough that i was making for the kids - and then an hour later the sugar depression hit me and i was a crazy mama! i noticed the next day, even after a very good night's sleep, i had to take a nap in the afternoon - the sugar was still effecting my system. i do not like that feeling at all. i need to remember this feeling and avoid it at all costs. 5. i am not a big fan of anything but the shakes and the bars - and even those are really hard to get down. 6. my body really craves fruits and vegetables and whole, clean foods. i love that! these are all good observations and since i am going to finish up my medifast food this month and then go back to eating the way i should, for financial reasons, i need to remember these points!!!

keeping :: self

hello friends, i know i need to do an update post on my diet using Medifast, and i will but i just needed to post about this. I have just started reading Say Yes To Hoboken (sister-in-law to Jordan of Oh Happy Day and Gabrielle of DesignMom). I thought her post yesterday was so, simply, good. I decided to make my own list - let me see ... 1. blog :: (i wish that i did this blog thing more often, every day - but sometimes i find it overwhelming because i am a perfectionist. no not everything in my house is perfect (or life for that matter) - precisely because if i can't do it perfect, then i won't do it at all or even try. blogging is such an amazing form of communication and expression and i do long to enter in to this world. so i will keep trying to pick it up and make a habit - because it helps me plan, focus, align my thoughts and heart, connect and share. 2. knit :: (i do love to knit - it ebbs & flows withe season and the project.) i am not a great knitter but i do love the process even more then the finished product. 3. garden :: (it is nearly spring and i am waiting for just a bit more warmth, before i venture out to clean up my garden and plan my spring and summer greenery.) - our life is in transition (perpetually) right now, so i go back and forth with actually putting a garden in. i think what i may do some container gardening and use the square foot spaces that we have from two years worth of gardening to plant lettuces and cilantro. i have so many seed packets left over from last year - are those still good. i think so. 4. walking :: i love being outside on a walk. its so good for my mood. in fact, even the quick little trip to pull the garbage cans from the curb (when its super cold outside this is a challenge!!:) is a mood-lifter. we live in such a beautiful part of the city and so close to town. i need to insist that our family takes walks at least once a week. everyday we will be walking to and from school when the weather is warm enough. we borrowed a very nice double jogger - perfect for tired little four-year olds and six-year olds to hop in to. no excuses for me!! do you have anyways that you need to incorporate back in to your daily life that keep you?

Week 1

Its Sunday, and I am here checking in to the Collective to record this past week on Medifast. It was a good week!!! I am down 6 lbs. from my first day on the diet. I feel much better. The first three days were rough - mostly just the really low energy that I had. My coach Julie (who is also one of my dearest and best-est friends) warned me that the first three days were tough. But I endured and made it. Each day brought its challenges. To name a few: not really wanting to cook for the rest of the family but knowing that I need to; planning ahead with what I am eating so I am not tempted; seeing my husband have his evening drink and snacks and not being able to join in the ritual after the kids have gone to bed. Just a few. But doable - so doable. It was a constant reminder that I was making the choices, that the buck stopped with me! I was able to really look forward to and savor my lean & green meal (which until today reserved for supper rather then lunch). I look forward to my real food and eating veggies and protein never tasted so good. I weigh the meat but I allow myself as much salad and veggies (no carrots, very little tomatoes) as I want. My appetite has definitely decreased, so I get full more quickly. Feels good to know when I am hungry and when I am full. I have also noticed that I am more careful about my water intake -- I am able to make sure that I am hydrated -- especially if I am feeling hungry - which actually doesn't happen on Medifast. That is right! No low-blood sugar levels!! I stay at the same glycemic levels throughout the day. I am careful to eat every two hours and no more then two hours after I wake up in the morning. I don't get the crazy feeling - therefore I am not tempted to eat things off my diet. I did allow myself one cheat date. On Friday was my friend's 40th birthday. I ate some appetizers (small amount) and had a glass of read wine (with a few more sips of a second). It was fabulous. I have been thinking some about what it means to live life with food, celebrating with food. I don't think life celebrations should always be centered on food but I think that its ok, good, and beautiful to enjoy the feasting. Throughout the Bible, the Lord includes feasting with food and wine within the celebrations. There is such an emphasis on enjoyment. On rejoicing. On appreciating the bounty. However, I also know that there is a time and a place for all things. I know that when the Lord created food and wine, he did so with moderation in mind. I can still be a "foodie". I just have to pick and choose my celebrations. Smaller portions - and no, self, it is not a Party every evening after the kids are asleep!:) I am learning to replace the habits that weren't healthy for me, with much more healthy alternatives - i.e. instead of a very high-calorie Belgian Ale, I brew a nice piping hot cup of unsweetened cup of herbal tea. I am also watching my caffeine intake. I usually have just a cup of French press coffee with non-fat cream. I think some of the forgotten calories I had been consuming were from my regular half & half creamer in my multiple cups of joe per day! I am wearing my Pedometer each day and making sure that I do at least 5000 steps. I am seeing that its not hard at all to get those in - usually on a busy day with the kids I can log in over 10,000 steps. I want to start getting outside for a walk a few times a week. I would really enjoy walking the kids to and from school -- its a matter of planning and also getting them to be out in the cold! But its good for all of us to be outside. Even in the cold. Here is to another week of future victories!

A New Year, A New Me

Greetings to y'all! Its another year - but its a new year. A time for growth, movement and challenge. At least for me. My 35th year comes in a few weeks. I have decided that I want to get healthy. I have been talking about this for years now. Its been four years since our last child was born. My body is not getting back to the way it was because I have to do something to make that happen. Without going in to my long, personal history with weight and body image stuff, let's just say its been a battle. This year was altogether one of the most stressful years ever and now I have a chance to do something - to actually control a part of my life when everything else is out of my reach. This isn't just a desire to fit in to a specific size. This is a quest for lifelong health and wellness. So as of three days ago I began my Medifast journey. Its hard. I am a foody - love my posh cheeses, my breads, my wine and fancy beer. I love cooking and baking. I love going to yummy restaurants and finding the local places about town. This diet food is not the best tasting in the world. (shakes and bars are good). But I have decided that I am going to do this program. I have tried other programs - with some moderate success. However I need results. Its supposed to be quick - I am going to say 3 months. I want to lose 60 lbs. So it may take longer. I am going to have to get down to the food issues that are at the heart of matter. Why does food comfort me. Why do I go to food instead of Jesus? What can I do that is a healthy alternative? It is what is necessary to make this 35th year the best and the foundation year for the rest of my life. If I don't take care of my weight now, there will be serious (not maybe, but for-real will be) health consequences in the future. My family and friends will suffer. I don't want to live that way. I want to LIVE. I want to get to my desired healthy weight - which for a 5 ft 2 in female is 118 to 132 for a medium frame. Medifast has a great track record for losing the weight and keeping it off. I want maintain a healthy weight and be active. I have an awesome bike and I want to use it. I love to work out and do yoga. I want to be able to do those things, without the baby weight. I don't want my kids to ever ask Mama why are you fat? I want to make positive choices for my children. I am seeking out my doctor's advice and also that of a nutritionist. I believe this is a really good program for me because it is a low glycemic level diet. I have diabetes in my family and I know that this is key. I would like to journal here on the blog every Sunday - give a weigh in and feelings from the week. It will be good to post pictures. This will be an encouragement to me down the line, when it is tempting to give up.

The Great Minimizer

Hello all!! I have been busy with our four children, but now that summer is over I am determined to take each day and use it to my advantage. Today is rainy and humid - not a good pool day. Over the last few weeks I have been reading and inspired by simplemom's new book Organized Simplicity. I also found a terrific blog (by accident - isn't it always like that?) Its called Rethinking the Dream. Its about a husband and wife (+ child) who decided that the American dream of home ownership wasn't cracking up to be The Dream. So they downsized, sold their home, purged their stuff and moved to a two-bedroom rental apartment. As I wrestle emotionally with a possible move (again!) this summer (= our 10th move in 10 years of marriage and military), my desires are truly moving towards less is more. Less to clean (my cleaning regimen is so distracted with the clutter of our possessions.) and more time to embrace my precious children, my wonderful husband and my amazing life that Christ has given to me in Abundance!! I am going to take it with Day 1. I will post pictures of the spaces that I purge before and after shots. I already feel better. Something I am realizing about myself is that I carry stuff-guilt. I have bought things - that end up in "organizational boxes" (you know the rubbermaid clutter) and then I feel guilty if I don't repurpose it, gift it, goodwill-it or sell it. The problem is there isn't time in my life to do this -- so I am just going to get it OUT!! I am giving myself the gift of Peace and Order this summer. This gift will trickle down to the kids and to my husband -- who is out of country right now. When he returns I want to have this place full of peace. So not only does that mean that I purge but that I purge ingratitude from my heart. I want to be a mother who has a cheerful heart (resist the sin to get frustrated with the little people!) and purposeful days. No longer will I shirk my duty to create a home of order (yes life is messy but can't it be an easy clean up too!!) So here it goes folks!!!

Simple Mom #2 Challenge

I thought I would share what I have been working on this past week or so. I got really inspired by Tsh over at Simple Mom and got my declutter on!! First of all I worked on the kitchen. (Her week #2 challenge was refrigerator and pantry, I took care of the frig and most of the pantry foodstuffs over the weekend and forgot to take pictures!) I focused on the "baking cabinet" which includes all of the spices and baking ingredients. I had been holding on to a bunch of glass tomato sauce Mason jars, thinking I could use them for crafts. But seeing their efficient size, I decided to use them in another way! I labeled each jar with the super cute and functional Martha Stewart Avery labels from Staples. One with chocolate chips, one with raisins, one with salt, one with almond flour, etc. The cabinet looks ten times better and is so much easier to use!! I figure if I am going to be making things from scratch around here, its going to look cute!!

Week #1 challenge was to declutter the kids' rooms and stuff. We were able to start the dreaded clothes switch out last week, during our quarantined spring break (we all had the stomach bug)! We are not completely finished but most of the winter clothes have been binned, properly labeled and moved to the attic. I have pulled out clothes to donate or give to friends and whittled my boys' spring clothes down to what they like (did you know 3 year old boys can be picky?) and what they need. It seemed we had over 20 pairs of shorts between the two of the boys - way too many in my book. That equals more loads of laundry to be done. As a consequence of the switch (in which the hubs is the great man of the hour - helping, folding, and lugging bins up and down the attic latter - thank you baby!) we have decluttered underneath our bed (as it is a storage area for lots of our things that don't fit in our teeny closet). The next spot is to go through the toys once again and the "homeless" toys. I am inspired by Rachel's recent post from Small Notebook.

The third challenge: closets, countertops and drawers & #4 the basement (choose your own adventure). Along with that I will be planting some of our early spring seeds and looking for some nice plants and flowers for the front and back yards. Hopefully we can have some of that nice warm spring weather we had last week.

some thoughtful changes

Some of the things that I have started over here are:

1. making my own bread rather then buying the store bought (even if it is ezekiel bread) & made homemade buttermilk bisquits from scratch too!

2. eating out of our freezer and frig - I am inspired by Kristen who has a weekly post called "Food Waste Friday" where she logs what she didn't end up using that has gone off

3. using homemade cleaning products during my spring cleaning - i love that fresh smell

4. picking up the recycling and composting that had gone to the least important task list

5. trading my homemade bread for lovely fresh organic eggs with a friend at church

6. clearing the clutter from our home feels so good!

7. staying strictly to my menu plan as best as possible and not making individual trips to the grocery for missing/used up items - this takes discipline but I remind myself that I have a plan and that I can make it to Thursday to buy my half and half and for now I can use the 2% milk in my coffee.

8. researching CSA's and farmer's markets that truly are "local" to me

how are you bringing thoughtful and purposeful stewardship in to your home this spring?

Hello Spring!

Aloha to all of you in the bloggie world! I am hoping to be writing more here each day. The hubs is going to help me post pictures. I have so much to share and show you!! A lot has been happening here:

Source: etsy.com via Stacey on Pinterest

1. I am getting my body back! Four kids in five years plus all of the stress of being a military family -- moving 9 times in almost 10 years of marriage -- is not kind to one's body. So ... I have been going to the gym and watching my caloric intake (thank you to my fabulous trainer Kendra and the awesome iPhone app Lose It!). I have lost about 12 lbs. since the first of the year. I am loving my energy, being able to fit back in to my clothes (although I am not at all to my goal weight), my time at the gym, my small successes and the motivation that I have for other areas in my life to improve. All in all, I desire to live a healthy lifestyle, to take on habits for my LIFETIME. I do not want to yo-yo anymore. The old has gone, the new has come!

2. The hubs and I started Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University classes at a local church. Its SO challenging but so good for us. We have fallen in to bad habits and really desire to be stewards of the resources the Lord has given us. We want to set up a lifestyle of peace in our marriage and we want to teach our children how to have this peace in their lives, even as children.

3. Along with the financial peace, I am also seeking to run my home more sustainably, more frugally and more wholly then I have ever before. Last Friday, our MOPS, group heard two of our own members speak on stewardship in the home through using coupons and through cooking from scratch. Both methods are excellent ways to run a home with less waste, more healthy and more peacefully. We all agree to that living prices are soaring -- so what is our role as wives and makers-of-the-home within this context? That is my desire and my challenge these days.

Tomorrow I will post about the ways I am going about sustainable stewardship in our home. I am excited to share and learn.

here i come alexandria!

via black eiffel i found a beautiful paper store. paper, stationary, tissue, ribbon, journals etc are LIKE my FAV!!! i think i might be able to make an especial trip across the river for this beauty!

paper airplanes

inspired by elisabeth irwin's airplane birthday invitations, i decided (prompted by my almost 3 year old) to learn how to fold a good airplane. being a girl, i never learned this skill, although i think just about every dad knows how to! (elisabeth's husband jim did all the folding for her!) here is a great how-to site for the "basic dart" airplane. male craft demystified! ps this photo is of a blue angel - the navy fighter jet. my boys loves these!

found::domestic serenity

i found this beautiful blog this morning and i just had to share with you'll. i think this woman has an amazing gift of sharing her life and the way of the beautiful in the everyday. please enjoy!

nikki mcclure: my new fav!

Nikki McClure by Dicky Dahl from PatCastaldo on Vimeo.

nikki mcclure has become one of my new favorite illustrators. her medium is paper cutting. i have a set of her "treasure" stationary and i am planning on buying the newest children's book: to market, to market. i hope that you are inspired by her life and art. i know that she is getting at something fundamental to what it means to be human. i think we are nature, created by an infinite God, who loves us, who loves his creations and is intimately involved in his creation. any thoughts?

today's treasure

i have been having fun discovering more blogs/storefronts of my friends from younger years! today's treasure is elisabeth irwin's my growing home. check it out!! she has some amazing little tutorials -- she writes of her everyday moments with her precious little boys. i think you will enjoy this site!

at home

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while i celebrated an amazing reunion in town, my folks took the kids for us. they had a blast on the farm. it was the first time that i really "relaxed" down here. i think the kids are really getting to the age where i don't have to be following them every step. the farm is a wonderful adventurous place for little ones. full of chickens, new kids (baby goats), dogs, cats, birds, mud, flowers, gardens, lambs. its just so full of possibility. here are a few pictures from my view of their weekend. enjoy!

ps i want to thank both of my folks for keeping the kids safe, busy and in bed at the end of their days. i know its not easy to do that -- four little kids are a handful -- but mama and dad -- you were amazing! thank you so much!! and also a shout out to graham, my husband! thank you for making the sacrifice to come to my reunion - it meant so much to me to have you there - to share you with some very important friends. i love you!

reunions

i am back!! school is officially out for the summer and we are enjoying every moment of our free time! the whole family went down to virginia to visit my folks and to attend my 15th high school reunion! what a special time for all of us '96ers. it was bittersweet as we came together to honor and pay tribute to a very special english teacher.


reunions are a time to reflect, regroup and come together again. it certainly was that for me. i came back to a place of familiarity and also new freedom with my classmates. i wasn't as intimidated (ie awkward high school insecurities) to talk with them. i guess i had found me, in those years after graduation. the Lord has been so good to give me all the desires of my heart: a husband, beautiful children, and a home. no my body is not perfect, my clothes had some mysterious stainage going on, and our car broke down; but i have a life that is beautiful and full.

oh by the way i want you to check out my friend logan's blog -- life as dessert! its hilarious. she and i were friends and classmates at our high school. i think she has a give away planned this week!

spring is coming ...

the robins were out yesterday and now we have snow! but spring is coming. i know this fact, because the hubs and i successfully took two carloads (not completely full due to car seats and boosters) to the goodwill. i also attempted to take a car load of toys/kids items to once upon a child over the weekend, but got there right before it closed and was advised to come at opening of the next business day. ugggh so i just lugged all of that junk out to the car, drove the 20 minutes to the shop, drove back, then lugged it all back in to the garage. the junk heap is waiting for its day (i wonder how much money i can get for it?) it was one of those tasks that is not easily completed, a nagging, on-going task.

decluttering tasks yet to be completed:

1. garage
2. master bedroom
3. office
4. take more to goodwill
5. take load to kids' consignment shop for resale

projects to figure out:

1. office paper junk
2. children's school paper pile up
3. proper use of office for tasks, rather then pile ups being in other parts of the house
5. buy a paper shredder

Ye Old College Try: I wish I could take credit for this

Ye Old College Try: I wish I could take credit for this: "After getting rid of so much stuff during the month of January and my 5 things challenge, my apartment sometimes feels cold and barren. Pic..."

spring

today it is in the fifties and sunny. i am fairly jumping up and down! i picked up kyrie from school and brought everyone home for a quick snack. now they are all outside playing in or around the dogwood tree out back. i am in the sunroom about to get my 15 minutes of vitamin D. i know that i have much to do - as always - but i want to enjoy the last of my coffee and steal away the few moments of peace.

did anyone get some sunshine therapy today?