Part 1: Losing Weight (The Tools)

On Monday I hit a pretty big milestone. After four and half months I hit my goal of losing 45 pounds. (Now on to the next goal!) :)

I've had a lot of friends ask me what I've been doing (and how I've lost it) so I thought I'd try to write it out. Turns out I like to talk. I'm dividing it up into a few parts.

Part 1: The Tools

Back in the middle of September I started two things.

1. Keeping track of the calories I put into my body. Everything! Every single bit.
2. Tracking my workouts. 

Only this time I didn't just start, I've been able to stick with it. 

Logging in my food:

I signed up for a free calorie counter called myfitnesspal. So did my husband (more out of support and encouragement for me). I also downloaded the app on my phone. (I LOVE this app.) And I use it diligently. Because sure if I decide not to log in my food it doesn't show up on the counter but it still shows up on my thighs.

Logging in my workouts:

Secondly I went searching for a website I could use to figure out how far I went jogging. (Which literally my first day I went a whopping .62 miles, and I was so proud of myself. We all gotta start somewhere.) I came across MapMyRUN which I fell in love with. I liked it because at the beginning I knew I'd be doing a lot of running but this site also let me log and keep track of other workouts too and to me it was a big motivator to see my workouts, done, on a calendar. 

I'll go into more depth about both of these in my other posts, if you're interested, but plain and simple I am losing weight because I am burning more calories than I'm consuming. Bottom line.

Read Part 2 here.
Read Part 3 here.

Marriage Monday: Positive choices, actions & feelings

POSITIVE CHOICES lead to 

POSITIVE ACTIONS that result in 

POSITIVE FEELINGS.

"The same principle applies to marriage. When I choose to have a positive influence on my wife, regardless of how I might feel, my positive choices lead to positive actions that result in positive feelings--for both me and my wife. Choosing to implement the power of positive influence is good for your own mental health, in addition to the positive impact it will have on your spouse."

"Where do we begin? Perhaps you can identify with the woman who said to me, 'Our marriage has been so dysfunctional for so long, I don't know where to start.' The first step in any positive change is to recognize and acknowledge that you have a choice."

Can you think of a time when you've consciencely made an effort to 

choose to be positive?


What can you do now, so that when you are faced with the need to choose (to be positive) you will be ready?

Quotes in this post are from The Four Seasons of Marriage by Gary Chapman (Author of the best-selling The Five Love Languages)

You can find my other Marriage Monday's here.

Also--
Last week I ran across the nomiations for About.com Best Marriage Blog/Website contest. I realize my blog isn't as big as the companies, clinics and therapists out there but I thought it'd be fun to give it a shot anyway. Would you help me out?

Go vote (Voting open until Feb 22)

Everneath Launch Party Recap & GIVEAWAY

Tuesday night at The Kings English, Brodi Ashton had her book launch for Everneath. It was HUGE. I've been to many events and launches around here and at TKE and this was the biggest one I've seen yet. It was so exciting to see so many people there showing love for this amazing author and excellent book!

And like Rachel said when she was introducing her, Brodi is very active in the author/book community around here so it was fun to see so many people (authors and readers alike) returning the love and coming out for her event.


The Six showing their support by wearing Dead Elvises shirts. (My husband designed them.) Thanks to Michelle from I Loved This Book for taking the picture and letting me use it. (She's having a giveaway too!)

Dead Elvises necklace everyone got at the launch party.

Book signed with bookmark and Dead Elvises stamp.

Everneath temporary tattoo.

My family cheering on Brodi.

Just one slide of the hilarious power point she had.

A visual of the rejection letters an author gets. Brodi says this is about a quarter of the ones she got.

The cake that The Kings English had to celebrate Everneath awesomeness.

Tawnya, Jenni, Me, Brodi, Jamie

GIVEAWAY!

I'm giving away a personalized signed book of Everneath by Brodi Ashton!

(Winner will choose the name to be personalized.)

I'll be using random.org to pick a winner. It's in your best interest to leave a seperate comment for each entry. Thanks.

Entries:

+1 Comment on this post. If you win, what name would you like your book personalized to?

+1 Like Everneath on Facebook

+1 Like Author Brodi Ashton on Facebook

+1 Follow @Brodiashton on Twitter

+1 Follow @Cranberryfries on Twitter

+1 Tweet about the giveaway (you can copy/paste: I want to win Everneath by @Brodiashton from @Cranberryfries http://bit.ly/xOFWAd )

Additional Information:

Contest open from 1/27-2/10

Open to US residents only.

Winner will be notified via email so please be sure to leave it in the comments or have it attached to your profile.

Didn't Win? Purchase you're own here:

Possession & Surrender: New Covers Revealed!

Have you gotten a chance to read Possession yet? I read it last year and really enjoyed it. If you're a fan of dystopic novels you should certainly pick it up! A great blend of future, technology, power struggle and crushes.

Did you see?

Elana Johnsons books have gotten new covers.

Oh la la!

Possession: available now for purchase!

Goodreads | Amazon

Surrender: Release date: June 5th 2012

Goodreads | Amazon

What do you think?

Do you like the color vs the original white?

Wordless Wednesday: A New Headshot

(Taken by my husband in Jan 2012)

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Happy day of official release to Brodi's book EVERNEATH! If you're at/near Utah be sure to come over to The Kings English tonight at 7pm for the launch party!


Title: Everneath
Author: Brodi Ashton
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: January 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray ( Harper Collins )
ISBN: 0062071130
Pages: 370 pages hardcover


Buy it: Amazon | The Book Depository
Add it: Goodreads | Shelfari

Synopsis: Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's.

More info on Author: Brodi's blog & facebook & twitter

Edited to add others now available; Neverfall & Everbound.

  

Marriage Monday: Be Romantic

• Be intentional. Decide to be romantic.
• Look for reasons to say 'thank you' to your spouse.
• Try something out of the ordinary. (Don't normally send flowers? Do!, take care of a chore you know your spouse dislikes)
• Plan a date. Call your spouse and ask them out.
• Write a heartfelt note. (Or write a sweet sentence or two every morning.)
• Instigate physical contact.
• Send a text or make a phone call during the day just to say, 'I'm thinking of you' or 'Just hoping you're having a good day.'
• Try having more physical contact through out the day. Hug and kiss when leaving & returning. Hold hands while watching TV. Sit near each other during meals and put your hand on their knee.
• Take a walk together. Enjoy the fresh air.

Do you have other ideas you can share with us?

You can find my other Marriage Monday's here.