Sunday, January 24, 2010

weight loss top 5!

It's been a while since I've made a list of "things I love," so I thought today would be a great day to reveal my new weight-loss favorites!

1. 200 calorie Digiorno Pizzas:



My friend Tara affectionately refers to them as "cracker pizzas," but we both love them so much! You get 2 pizzas in each box -- and they range from $1.98 (commissary) to $2.50! They are really thin - and, okay, it is like eating a pizza cracker. But it's so good. It's pretty small too, but don't let it fool you.. it fills you up completely! You can get them in cheese & tomato or pepperoni! It's (by far) the best healthy frozen pizza on the market. And I would know, because I've tried them all! Absolutely delicious. We have 3 boxes (total of 6 pizzas) in our freezer at the moment!

2. Crushed Red Pepper:


My favorite little secret, which coincides with the Digiorno Pizza. Crushed red pepper is the best spice, in my humble opinion. It kicks up flavor to another notch and gives each dish a special kick! (in Neely style!) Instead of adding butter or cheese, simply shake on a lot of crushed red pepper! We use this in every single dish we make. We have two bottles and pour it on all our food. It's been reported that capsaicin, found in hot spices and peppers, helps you lose weight by boosting your metabolism. It's also a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant! But whatever -- we use it because it tastes soo good! Generously shake a ton on whatever you're eating, and you'll fall in love with the rich, spicy taste!



3. Easy Mac:




I'm pretty sure we've all had it.. at least once. We basically keep Easy Mac in our cabinets at all times. I lived on it in high school, college, and I'm still eating it. Did you know that it's ONLY 230 calories for one packet?! It's 5 points for Weight Watchers (if you keep track). I know what you're thinking: pasta & cheese? That can't be healthy. -- Well, it's fake cheese. I try to ignore that teeny fact and enjoy it. The biggest part of weight loss, to me, is calorie intake. And if your entire lunch only consists of 230 calories, that's pretty darn good...

4. Drinks:




Water, organic fat-free milk, and Coke Zero. Yum. Coke Zero isn't really advised, but I love it. So good. To me, it tastes just like Coca Cola. Kind of. Don't you dare waste calories on whole milk! (Unless you're between the ages of 1 & 4 -- in which case, how are you reading my blog?!) As I type this, I'm sipping on Dr Pepper. Bad me. What can I say? I'm not perfect, but I know what I should be drinking.



5. Want it? Go for it: I'm not sure that Bob or Jillian would agree with me on this one, but this is my list, so whatever -- if you really are wanting an Oreo or an M&M.. go for it! One Oreo will not kill you or make you gain weight. *One* hand-full of M&M's aren't going to make you go up a pant size. Now, that doesn't mean you can get one Oreo every hour; it's all about moderation and portions! It gets your craving out of your system, but it keeps it all in perspective.


Mmm... all staples in the Cox Household! Hope you enjoyed my list! I'm a huge huge fan of all these products. If you decide to try the 200 calorie pizzas, let me know! I've already "convinced" one friend to try them, and she's sold!


Happy weight loss! (oxymoron? Losing weight is never a happy endeavor, IMO.. but I swear it: these 5 products/ideas do make it more enjoyable!)


Saturday, January 23, 2010

Saturday Snapshots

I'm so excited! Today is the first ever Saturday Snapshots! If you recall, each Saturday we decide on something (or someone, or somewhere, etc.) to take photos of! So far, I only know one person joining in with me, but that's fine!

Today is... Take photographs of your: HUSBAND!




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I had so much fun doing this! I can't wait until next Saturday! I vote that Brittney pick the subject of next week's photographs!! I hope you join in next weekend too!



Friday, January 22, 2010

nothing much.

It rains every day here in the winter. I'm serious. Not a day has gone by that it hasn't rained. Our backyard is a little flooded. Piper has to wade around the standing water to find the least-drenched spot. It's dreary all the time, no joke. But visions of water parks and beaches fill my head. I'm holding on to summer for dear life. I can see it in the horizon. Just a few mere months away...

Tonight we went and saw The Lovely Bones. It was alright. I remember the book being not so weird and bizarre (redundant?) Mark thought it was "okay." It's just a really weird story, told from a really weird perspective. That's all. I had the buffalo tender basket. He had the chipotle tender basket. I used all my ranch dressing, then went over and dipped a fry in his. He whispered "Heyyy... " then gave it to me because he knows I love to dip everything in ranch. In my defense, I hadn't eaten all day really. I'd felt sick, so I had lost my appetite. But as darkness fell, I had a huge appetite. So there you have it. Even so, I gave half my meal to Mark. As usual! :)

Tomorrow we're going to VA Beach and/or Chesapeake. I don't know what we'll do.

Still trying to create an itinerary for April when my family comes to visit. Located some really neat stuff, but everything is nearly 4 hours away. What a bummer!

Right now I have a puppy dog butt on my shoulder. I rest my head on her back and she sleeps there. It's like a fluffy pillow that's warm and breathes. My stomach still hurts. I'm wondering if I've caught some kind of bug or something. Hopefully I'll feel better in the morning.

Two days ago, I gave Piper a mini faux hawk:

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Personally, I think she enjoyed it. My stomach is hurting again, so I'm out of here. See you tomorrow. And thank God (literally) that it's Saturday!

Thursday, January 21, 2010

truth & lies: updated!

The results are in!:


1. My first job was Santa's Helper in the mall. A few months later, I was the Easter Bunny and hated my job sooo much. True! Mothers of *newborn babies* would come and expect me to photograph their new bundle of joy smiling with their eyes open (something physically impossible.. ), and I'd have moms expect me to get their child to smile! Weirdest job ever. And me as the Easter Bunny? Oh boy.. I came out of that costume sweating and exhausted. Yikes!

2. Up until the 9th grade, I wanted to be a general surgeon. True! I've always had a knack for dissecting. In the 6th grade, I tore apart a frog and removed its actual eyeball. I wanted to keep it as a souvenir, but I decided against it. I thought that opening up humans would be the most fun job ever! (I still think it would be pretty fun!)

3. My Kindergarten report card read that I needed to work on my excessive talking. True! I was a little chatterbox. I was always getting in trouble at school for talking too much. Whoops! :]

4. In the summer of my tenth grade year, I borrowed a friend's French horn and taught myself scales and simple pieces.
True! And that "friend" is Mary's (a loyal reader of my blog) boyfriend! He left for drum corps one summer and gave me his French horn. I had so much fun on that thing, and I wanted to switch from clarinet to French horn.. but my band director wanted me to stay! So I did :)

5. I was so good at science in high school -- I thrived in chemistry and biology, which is why I decided to major in nursing in college.
False! I was horrible at science, and I still am. I barely scraped by with C's in biology and chemistry in high school. (Yet I did get a B in physics and an A in anatomy.. go figure?) In college, I struggled with anatomy (but didn't we all??) . Science and math are not my strengths! I'm 100% right-brained!

6. I hate lotion so much. It freaks me out, and I only use it because the water in Virginia dries my skin out pretty bad.
True. I have serious tactile sensitivities toward lotion. I cringe when I rub it on my skin, and immediately have to wipe my hands on towels to get the majority of it off. Sadly, the water in VA is terrible, and I have to use lotion as soon as I get out of the shower. I know I sound weird, but we all have our vices.

7. Scary movies don't really scare me, and I love love love them!
False! I'm a big, big baby when it comes to scary movies. My husband loves them, so the majority of our first dates were spent watching really scary movies. He laughed and I wanted to cry. I walked out of Paranormal Activity sweating and breathing really heavy.. I'm positive that Paranormal Activity rose my blood pressure to an unhealthy high!

8. Being the teacher's pet in my college classes was my absolute favorite thing to do. And once, my psychology professor let me (and my best friend) cheat by changing our answers to the correct ones after he gave us not-so-subtle hints.
100% TRUE. Is there anything in life better than being your teacher's favorite student? I think not. While I was terrible in science & math, I thrived on having the highest grade in the classes of my major. I'm also a big, fat over-achiever, too.. yikes! :)

9. I fractured my foot playing ping pong against Mark before we were engaged.
Uh, sadly, this is true. I know you're probably laughing to yourself, while simultaneously wondering how on earth I managed to do this. Well, we were in a heated match against each other. He scored a point, I missed the ball, and bent down to get it off the ground. When I bent down, I twisted my foot in an odd way and wound up with a spiral fracture. He and his best friend had to carry me down 3 stories and all the way to the parking lot to Mark's car. But on the bright side, I did get a handicapped parking spot for a few months on WKU's campus, which was my silver lining, if you're familiar with the parking issues on campus...

10. I changed my major 4 times in 4 years in college, yet still graduated in 4 years with a
bachelor's degree (and cum laude, too!) True, true, true, and true. I went from computer information systems to nursing to exceptional education to interdisciplinary studies. But we all know that my love was exceptional education!


I'm happy to announce that Christine from Adventures of Christine got a perfect score! She actually worked at the mall during my Santa Claus & Easter Bunny days. She went to high school with me and was in band with me (so she knew perfectly well that I was a major band geek!) I guess I've told her more about my life than I realized, because she had no problem answering them all with ease! Way to go, Christine!!

But wait! Emmy ALSO got a perfect score! (She's only met me ONCE! What's up with that!?! Wow, girl, you are GOOD!) I'll mail you both a joint present. Since you live together, it should be easy!! I'll be thinking of what I want to send you two!


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Original Post:


Itching to know more about me?
Curious about my history?
Ever wonder what I'm really about
or where I come from?

Then step right up! This little game is just for you!

I call it: truth & lies.

Come join in, and don't be shy! I've listed 10 facts (or lies) about myself. All you have to do is read them and decide which are true and which are not! Simple, right?! Once I get enough guesses (ahem...) I will post the answers. If you're smart enough to get a perfect score, I'll mail you a present. Or something. Seriously! Just leave your guesses in a comment!

I won't have my own husband play the game until the very end -- I don't want you to have an advantage or anything. Ha! Have fun! If you're reading my blog, I am definitely interested in knowing more about you! So go ahead and do this on your own blog!


1. My first job was Santa's Helper in the mall. A few months later, I was the Easter Bunny and hated my job sooo much.

2. Up until the 9th grade, I wanted to be a general surgeon.

3. My Kindergarten report card read that I needed to work on my excessive talking.

4. In the summer of my tenth grade year, I borrowed a friend's French horn and taught myself scales and simple pieces.

5. I was so good at science in high school -- I thrived in chemistry and biology, which is why I decided to major in nursing in college.

6. I hate lotion so much. It freaks me out, and I only use it because the water in Virginia dries my skin out pretty bad.

7. Scary movies don't really scare me, and I love love love them!

8. Being the teacher's pet in my college classes was my absolute favorite thing to do. And once, my psychology professor let me (and my best friend) cheat by changing our answers to the correct ones after he gave us not-so-subtle hints.

9. I fractured my foot playing ping pong against Mark before we were engaged.

10. I changed my major 4 times in 4 years in college, yet still graduated in 4 years with a bachelor's degree (and cum laude, too!)



If you're a long-time reader of Fort Cox, you'll know that I did this once again. If you want a refresher on my last game of truth & lies, click HERE

Happy guessing!

the girl loves her..

this girl really

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loves
her

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ball!


Isn't she just the cutest thing ever!?
Those little paws (designed for digging)
are so adorable.

Sigh

I could eat my pup up!


Piper Diaper, Kickin' Legs,
the most beautiful white pup I know
Your fur is so fluffy & soft
Your fur is as white as snow

Ball in your mouth
eyes so bright
Piper Diaper,
you're a beautiful sight.

Early in the morning
you lick my arm in bed
I open one eye, look at you,
and pat you on the head.

Mail man knocks
you run to the door
You growl and bark
and bark some more...

Piper Diaper
my guard dog and friend
I will love you
until the very end!


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Wednesday, January 20, 2010

photograph your...

I just read MckMama's blog and got this little idea. What if, each week, I decided to photograph a different thing? Like each Saturday I photographed a person or an object or event or something.

I think I'll do it. I think each Saturday I'll pick a subject and photograph it to pieces. Then edit my photos with Lightroom (at least for the next 28 days.. ) and blog it!

This Saturday? Photograph your husband.

He isn't aware of this yet, but I'm guessing that once he sees my camera poking in his personal space and snapping at every angle, he'll get the picture (literally).

Like, get the picture. Get it? Huh? Do ya?

And I think I'll call it.. SATURDAY SNAPSHOTS!


Too cool, guys. Too cool.




Ps. This is my second blog post of the day.


surprise! & an award!

Surprise!

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Surprise! Moses is just full of surprises in the book of Genesis. Like I said -- I've never read the whole book of Genesis, just certain parts.. which means that I missed some weird (crazy) little details.

Like Lot's daughters getting him drunk and getting pregnant by their dad?! Um, woah.

Ew.

But really, this little 90 day journey is so fun! It seriously is like reading the best story ever told (is that a quote from CS Lewis?) -- but different, because I'm finding little bits of (crazy) information that I never knew! I'm mostly excited about reading the OT, because I've read the NT multiple times -- even so, I know I'll find a ton of more things that I never saw before. Pretty thrilling! In 86 (or 88) days, I'll have read the whole Bible! Wow!

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In other news, it's official: my mom, dad, and Clayton are coming to visit me in early April! My sister is busy obtaining her second master's degree, working a full-time job, part-time job, growing my third nephew, mothering my first and second, and packing up her house, so my parents are bringing C with them! I've been diligently scrounging the internet for things to do in the area. So far I've come up with a fun-filled day spent in Richmond: the children's museum, the big science museum, and their big mall! Should be really fun!

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And surprise! Brittney from Back to the Quarry gave me an award! I'm sure most of you know her (especially because I see you blog-hopping from my blog to hers!) but if not, you should check out her blog! Her husband is Mark's best friend, and we love love love them! Oh, and of course I love Brittney!!!! (a whole lot!!) and our dogs just happen to be best friends as well. So basically we're like one big group of best friends. Yep!

So getting this award means that I have to list 10 things that make me happy:

1. When Piper rings her poochie bell, I take her outside, and she immediately goes to the bathroom and I don't have to wait for her to find a good spot on the grass.
2. Getting packages from my Air Force Wife buddy, Tara!
3. As of recent -- finding new bits of info in the Bible!
4. My nephews... :)
5. Getting calls from my nephews and hearing new words that Huds is learning.
6. Discussing The Young & the Restless with my mom.
7. Taking pictures with my hubby and dog!
8. David Crowder Band!!
9. Teen Mom, Secret Life, Biggest Loser, and 18 Kids & Counting.
10. BLOGGING! :D


and now I'm passing this award to...

Emmy @ The World Inside My Head
Erin @ Air Force Bride
Maegan @ Maegan, Jack & the Baby
Stephanie @ The Nurse Is In
Stephanie @ Uniquely Normal
Meaghan @ M and J Hooray
Kris @ Family of Little People



See you all tomorrow!