The Dr. Oz 100 tips for losing weight.

I don't know much about Dr. Oz because that all comes on while I am at work but these tips were good nonetheless.


Click here.---->http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/dr-ozs-100-weight-loss-tips 

January 2012 Giveaways and update

I know what I should do is a 2011 recap but to be honest I can hardly focus because this cold has knocked me out. I am such a wimp! But, I did want to tell you guys that in the month of January I will be doing two giveaways. One is for a $25 Target gift card and the second is for some really cool labels for your kiddos. Please note I do not have children of my own yet but I do have an amazing god son (you can check out his Mom Censie's blog by clicking on her name). So be on the look out for those. Also, I will be updating you on my medifast journey and weight loss. I have not weighed at all this week and have not ate very well but aside from sleeping, coughing, and sneezing I was to tired to figure food out. 

Welcome again to my new followers and I hope that you enjoy my blog. I will have more green living posts, photos, giveaways, and fun to share in 2012. 

May you all have an amazing weekend and Happy New Year from the Atkins Family!

Work it out Wednesday Y'all

The Family Szem link up for Work it out Wednesday!

Okay so as some of you know I started my Medifast journey over a week ago and so far so good. I am down in LBS and I am feeling really good emotionally. Physically...well my head hurts and I am tired. Slowly I can feel that changing but I know it will take time. Last night I started Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred! You can buy it so many places online (just click the words 30 Day Shred and I linked up a lot of options) and in store and really if you have ever watched her on the Biggest Loser you know she gets so pumped helping people lose weight. I can promise you I did NOT give it my all last night. I was distracted (knocked over my water that was in a huge glass and it shattered everywhere about 10 minutes in to working out so I had to stop and clean that up). But, still I feel it today. My legs feel a little sore and my body feels rested because I slept so well. For me working out has always helped me sleep better. 

Are you working out? What are you doing? Have you done the Shred before? How did it go? I took some pictures post work out last night and hope to show my progress in 30 days. Good luck to you in your work out journey if you are on one and also Happy Chanukah, Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, Happy Kwanzaa, or enjoy whatever you hold dear to you this time of year even if it is simply Happy Wednesday y'all. Enjoy the day, take the stairs, and drink more water!

Tattoo Tuesday

For Christmas in our home this year we had the gift of a tattoo. Doesn't everyone? Ha. My husband got his first tattoo over a year ago and ever since he was hooked. I got my first when I was 18 and while I do have five tattoos none are very large and all are in black. After the experience my husband had this week getting his fourth tattoo I have decided I am ready for something bigger and with color. Golden Lotus tattoo shop here in Sherwood, Ar is a very clean and recently renovated shop. It is large with multiple stations and many artists. They are always nice and seem to really love what they do. I took Jared's art in about a week early to make sure I got an appointment and to pay a deposit. Matt O'Baugh took his art and after hearing what Jared was looking for put his own spin on it and made it something that would represent us.

On the day of the appointment we waited for the tattoo station to be set up. New needles, clean and fresh inks, and a clean table for Jared to lay on during his session. Everything is very professional and if I may offer a suggestion: When getting a tattoo watch the set up. Do they use gloves? Do they open needles out of a fresh package? Is there hand sanitizer or cleaners available? Is the shop itself clean and kept up? Listen, I know that things were not always so professional when it came to getting a tattoo but those days are long gone and there is no excuse for going someplace where you risk getting seriously ill when there are clean and professional shops around. Just take the time and do your research. 

The session lasted about three hours and while Jared sat very well for it, Matt made sure to offer Jared breaks when he needed them. The art of a great tattoo is so interesting and there are a lot of great documentaries out there about the history and meanings of tattoos. I think that it is so important to really think about what you want. Your skin can only be tattooed over so many times before it is unable to hold ink well so do not just get something thinking you can cover it up until you are happy with it. Make sure you really know what you want and trust me if you put thought into it and make it your own you will love it. Thank you to the people at Golden Lotus for the great experience.

This is about half way through the process. 

All done but still very red. 

Curvy Girl Fashion Friday

Well I have been looking at so many amazing youtube videos and so many Pinterest Pictures (Yes add me already) all about the Rockabilly culture and style and one of the things I love is the hair. Oh my gosh the hair. The Victory Curls, blunt cut bangs, lots of curly hair and certainly the colors. So, my hair came from the Rockabilly inspiration. I teased my bangs and smoothed them back. Then I put my hair in a high ponytail and and pinned the ends down to look like a big bun. If my hair was longer I would have just done a faux bee hive or bun but right now I have to fake it. Lastly I tied the bandana around my head and tied it a little off center. Smoothe it all down with hair spray or a wax and you are good to go. I added pearls for a little more of a vintage touch. My shoes are Toms (the navy and cream stripe nautical looking ones scored them for $25). My jeans and cardi are from Lane Bryant. the jeans actually the DKNY brand they carry. My grey t-shirt is old navy and my pale blue tank top is from Forever 21. So, girls link up and have fun with it!

This is my hair from the weekend. I didn't take a close up today but wanted you to see what I did.

Here is today! Happy Fashion Friday y'all!

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Please look me up and follow me and I will return. Just click on my names below and it will take you to my sites. Thanks!
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Work it out Wednesday Y'all

Link up if you want to join in!

Medifast. I am on day three and doing great. As of this morning I am down 4.2 pounds and it is amazing. Today there are so many yummy looking treats in the back and instead of grabbing a few I got a plain unsweet tea with lemon and two slices of green apple. I felt included in the activity but not bogged down by bad food choices. It was fabulous. Last night Allyson and I did some cardio indoors thanks to the weather so we did not let the weather or anything stop us from getting some kind of work out in. I think for me I am so quick to come up with a reason like weather or being tired but in the end I feel better, look better, and sleep better when I work out. So when you can't get outside and work out what do you do? Do you Zumba? Do you yoga? Do you take a nap? Chime in y'all. 

What kind of blog are you?

We are husband and wife, new home owners, animal lovers, crafters, artists, exercising, eating, and a family. Comment below and tell me a little about your blog and what makes it unique.

Do you buy dried beans? Do you buy vegetable broth or stock?

Thanks to a great deal on a HUGE bag of Jasmine rice (thanks hubs) I have not really checked out the dried goods section of the grocery store in a while. I buy canned goods but overall I had not given the dry goods section a good look in a few months. So when I came across a great deal on the 13 bean soup mix dried beans I picked one up. The recipe called for ham and as I am cutting out meat I had to get creative (mostly so my husband would eat it and would not complain it was dull). I sauteed onions and fresh tomatoes and then added one can of no salt tomatoes. Then I added some kosher salt, parsley, garlic, onion powder, lime juice, and a teaspoon of curry. I know that seems a little random but let me tell you it was so good. I have been thinking about buying vegetable broth much like chicken or beef broth. But, since I am trying to cut out so many outside chemicals and hormones I am not sure if I am going to buy vegetable broth or make my own. I may need to research my options when it comes to broth.
I have not made beans this way in a long time. I soaked them all day (which was about ten hours while I was at work) and when I got home I rinsed the beans and made sure to pull out any rocks or weird beans. Which happens. Sounds weird. But, it does. I put a pot of water on to boil then added the beans and the dried seasonings. I let that boil for about 20 minutes then turned the heat down to medium high and added the onions, tomatoes, and lime juice. Next I let it all simmer for about an hour. It may take you longer or shorter depending on how long the beans soak in water or how long you keep them at a boil. I also noticed the back of the bag had very clear directions for making certain versions of this soup. Some with ham, some with veggies, and one with both. So it is easy to follow the recipe and makes for a protein packed dinner. As I am currently on day two(Oh my Lord) of Medifast it was important for me to have my lean green meal. So, with my beans (as my source of protein) I made kale and had water with lemon juice. A very easy dinner. Water with lemon is a good cleansing, crisp, and flavorful drink when you are trying to avoid drinking Coke or sugar juice.
Oh and my friend Censie had asked about the Kale. I used half a white onion (sauteed), pepper, and the broth from my soup. I cut the thick center stem off the kale and gave it a quick chop. After adding kale into the pot with my onions and broth I brought it all to a boil for about three minutes then let it simmer for ten. Jared likes it to be a little softer so he waited a little longer for it to simmer than I did. Taste test it and decide what you like. Kale is really very good and (yes Jared introduced me to it) I really like it. Kale has a little bit of a taste like greens. It is a little tart but very clean and crisp. You can add red wine vinegar like you would with greens or spinach. Season to taste and enjoy.
What are your favorite winter meals? Soup, casserole, and hot sandwiches are some of our favorites.
I will be making a chicken pot pie this week for my husband and for myself a vegetarian version with a lot of fresh veggies and instead of a crust on top and bottom for mine I am going to try something different. I will show you guys that later.
Please leave a comment below. Also, I am planning a giveaway the first week of January so stay tuned!

400 Calories of food gets me what?

I have seen this image before (somewhere on Pinterest I am sure). But, after starting my first day of Medifast it clicked in my brain that if I am going to make this meal plan work I will need to be smart about my additional foods. I am giving up meat and for me that means I need to start looking at beans and eggs for protein. As well as other vegetables that are not normally on my radar. My husband taught me how to make hummus and thanks to my mom I should be getting a nice new blender for Christmas and I plan to fully take advantage of that. I can make hummus, Medifast smoothies, spinach, veggie, and fruit smoothies as well as make fresh salsa or puree. I think that my focus needs to really be on making as much as I can with out having to rely on the cafeteria at work or getting food out at a restaurant until I can get my portions under control and my diet right. Are there any tips you have? Have you used Medifast before? If so what worked best for you?

Remember you can follow me on twitter @laurenraeatkins
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Google+, facebook, Twitter

What is your favorite social media site? Please look me up and follow me and I will return. Just click on my names below and it will take you to my sites. Thanks!
Twitter: laurenraeatkins
Google+: Lauren Atkins
Facebook: Lauren Rae Atkins

Fashion Friday link up!

Sometimes I get in a fashion rut. I stick to the same things over and over until I wear them out. But, as part of my goals for 2012 I am trying to step up my fashion game. My sweater, top and pants are from Lane Bryant and my shoes are Toms! Love my Toms shoes. So comfortable and the sparkle ones are great in wet weather in my opinion. I even spruced up my pony tail with freshly trimmed and straightened bangs. My amazing husband picked out my outfit on a trip shopping with me. He always says he may not know fashion but he knows what looks good on me and that is what I love to hear!
So are you stepping up your game? What are you changing? Let me know!

Google+

Does anyone use this? What do you think? Would you please follow me on there as well? I will follow back :)

Just click on the words my google+ below. Thanks.

My Google+

Soda Sucks

Where I am from we call it Coke, but no matter what you call it...SODA SUCKS. even though I love it so dearly!!!

About a year ago I gave up my six plus cans a day of diet coke. It was hard. My head hurt. I was cranky. I was tired. It was what I drank when my eyes opened in the morning and what I drank before I brushed my teeth at night. Then I read about aspartame and the side affects. I could check off so many of the problems and it really freaked me out. I was drinking water and loving it after a while. Then I slowly  started to add Real Coke back in. Now, this is where the mind of a food addict goes. My justification was that it was not as bad to have four of these a week because look how many diet cokes I used to drink. Now I am not trying to say you can never in life enjoy a coke but I am saying that for me and my weight loss journey I need to get back on track and kick the Coke/Soda/Pop habit.

Then something happened. Pinterest kicked my ass. I found a picture that freaked me out. I avoid sugar in my foods but I never thought about my drinks. So I am leaving you with the picture that totally freaked me out haha.

(Welcome to all my new followers!)

I mean I would not eat that many sugar cubes or I would be ill but I will drink it? What in the heck? Ah!

Rock a bye Baby CD give away

Go over to www.buildingourstory.com to enter to win the new Van Halen CD!

http://www.buildingourstory.com/2011/12/rockabye-baby-reviewgiveaway.html

Work it out Wednesday Y'all

Are you dedicated? 

Okay let me tell you that in Arkansas we do not handle cold well at all. Last night was now picnic but Allyson and I got out and walked in the cold and wet! I felt great afterwards and was so happy that I talked myself into going. 

What works for me is psyching myself up. So as silly as it sounds I drove to Allyson's house saying you are going to walk, you are going to work out, you are going to walk. I had my work out mantra in check and let me tell you when I was ready to quit we took another walk around the block and it was great. Allyson even shared how she was really focused on running a marathon and it really made me think about my goals and what I want to do and for me I want to be dedicated to getting healthy. I do not want to look back at the end of 2012 and say why didn't I start sooner! 

Happy Wednesday y'all and if you have snow enjoy it! 

My first ever giveaway!

Welcome to The Ultimate Christmas Giveaway Event!

You have a chance to win the Wilton Ultimate Decorating Set worth $199.99!

If bought separately, the items in the kit would cost $250!

The Ultimate Decorating Set contains the following: 9-inch & 11-inch Straight Black Handle Spatulas, 9-inch & 13-inch Angled Black Handle Spatulas, 10-inch Featherweight Bags - 2 Pack, 12-inch Disposable Bags - 50 Pack, Practice Board with Patterns 4 - Standard Couplers, 6 Pc Forming Cups, Large Lily Nail, - 2 Pack 15-inch Parchment, Triangles Round Tips: #1, #3, #5, #12 Star Tips: #14, #16, #18, #21, #1M Petal Tips: #59s, #101, #104 Leaf Tips: #352 and #366 Bismarck Tip #230 Drop Flower Tip #2D Multi Opening Tip #233 Thin and Thick Foams Flower Nail Templates Brush Set, Gold Foil Cut, & Press Button Flower Pansy Cutter, Wave Flower Former, 2 Pack 2 Pc Mum Cutter Set, Calla Lily Cutter, Calla Lily Former, Scallop Ruffle Cutter, Lily Stamen Set Tip, Dishwasher Pouch, Dusting Pouch, Green Ball Tool, Green Veining Tool, Fondant Smoother Ribbon Cutter/Embosser, 12-inch Dowel Rods, Round Cut Out Set, Rose Cutter Set, 5 pc 8-inch Cake Circle, Silicone Tip Covers, 9-inch Rolling Pin Thin, and Thick Modeling Sticks, 4 Pc Decorating Nail Set, & The Ultimate Tool Caddy!



There are 28 blogs participating in this event. To not make the Rafflecopter entry list too long - all entries are MANDATORY (worth 5 entries each) with JUST ONE optional entry (to Tweet about the giveaway - worth 5 points as well)! Going through 28 blogs to win a $199.99 prize is not hard to do at all! I went through the list myself & didn't run into any problems - I was done in less than half an hour. :)


The giveaway is December 7 till the 14th (ending at 11:59PM EST on 12/14) but the winners will not be announced until December 16, 2011 so we can make sure that everyone who entered followed all the rules.


I know Google Friend Connect widgets can do disappearing acts so please give all of the pages time to fully load or refresh a page to see if the widget shows up.


This giveaway is open to U.S. & Canada readers only – we wish we could include international readers as well but we hope you guys understand. (If you're in Canada, please check our Giveaway Policy to make sure you qualify to enter You may be asked to answer a question if you win.)


Must be 18 years old & older to enter. Winner will be chosen using Random.org. Winner will be e-mailed & will have 48 hrs. to reply or we have no choice but to pick another winner.


Below are the following blogs participating in this giveaway along with the Rafflecopter! It’s only 28 blogs total so not a lot of work on your part! We all have the same Rafflecopter code so just as long as you enter in one blog, it’s okay – as long as you make sure to visit each blog to follow them according to the Rafflecopter form below (we check for duplicate entries)! Happy linking & Good Luck!


1) Life According to Damaris
2) Building Our Story
3) Force Family Journey
4) Gumdrop Pass
5) Our Crazy Bunch
6) Little Miss Nerd Girl
7) It's a Vol
8) The Mommyhood Chronicles
9) Mama Luvs Books
10) Frugal Plus
11) Our Life is a Jungle
12) Ever Changing
13) The Mama Pirate
14) Banana Hammocks & Tutus
15) Little Free Radical
16) Tidbits from a Mom
17) Keenly Kristin
18) Another Day in Paradise
19) Domestically Unemployed
20) Healthy Mom on the Run
21) Our Pregnancy Roadtrip & Beyond
22) Sweet Peas & Bumblees
23) Thrifty Frugal Living
24) My Messmerized Life
25) Ethereal Influence
26) Mamalou's Gems
27) Africa's Blog
28) Why We Love Green

(Make sure you have Javascript enabled to see this giveaway!)

What are you making?

I have been talking about all the things I have been making like laundry soap, shampoo, food etc. But, what are you guys making? I have a top ten list of the next things to make so I thought I would share my list with you.
1. Lotion Bars
2. Paint-Razorback themed art
3. Garlic infused EVOO
4. Lavender sunflower oil to make soaps, lotions, & hair conditioner with
5. A new blog button
6. A scrapbook for Christmas (it is a gift and I need to get on to making that asap)
7. scarves
8. Pillows
9. Recover my worn out Toms
10. Outdoor lanterns out of Mason jars

Hopefully these are things I can make with out to much trouble ha! Is there anything you have been looking at thinking, "I could make this." Let me know. I want to hear what kind of crafty things you are making.

PS I could own stock in Sonic drinks!

I made something on Pinterest!

So for dinner last night I kept looking at the bag of red potatoes I had and was ready to use. I wasn't sure what to make then I remembered seeing something on Pinterest and I wanted to put my own twist on it.
To start turn your oven to 350 degrees and wash your potatoes (ha). Next slice them and drizzle EVOO over them. I did this in a big bowel and used tongs to stir the potatoes up so they were all covered in olive oil (EVOO). I added a teaspoon of Kosher salt, two teaspoons of fresh ground black pepper and two table spoons of dried minced onions. You should do this to your taste though. I like pepper a lot and wanted to add extra. Then I mixed everything up and laid them on a cookie sheet. I baked them on 350 for 30 minutes flipping them once. Next I used shredded mozzarella to top of each potato and let them melt in the oven for another 3-5 minutes. It doesn't take long. Now on Pinterest they added bacon but since I am avoiding meat I took them out and put them on a plate and piled chopped cherry tomatoes and shredded spinach to the top. It was so good! Very tasty and very easy. Let me know if you try it.

Sliced and on the cookie sheet.

My seasoning (also the Kosher salt is in a mason jar...I cute the top of the container it came in to fit the top of my jar and it keeps the salt dry and is easy to use).

The finished product! Yum.