Wok and Roll

Instead of my weight loss updates, tonight I'm going to be posting a product review. For a little back story, my husband and I have been wanting a wok pretty much since we got married (almost 2 years!). We never really made it a priority to get one because for one, we didn't know how often it would be used and two, we didn't know if we had enough room in our cabinets to store it. Our interests in having one went on a hiatus for a while. However, a couple of weeks ago, we started discussing it again. I decided to start looking online at the cost of one. Some were relatively cheap but WOW, some were around $200. We obviously weren't looking to spend a small fortune on a wok, so I looked at target. They had one that looked good and was a 7 piece set. I had pretty much decided this was the wok for us.

On one of my Target trips, I decided to breeze through the kitchen section. I came across the area where all of the woks were and saw that they had the one that I had looked at on the Internet. I text my husband just to be sure that it was still OK if I bought it, and it was. The wok we chose is the IMUSA 7 piece wok set. It comes with a wok, a tempura rack (grill? I'm not sure what to call it), and many bamboo utensils to use. The wok is made of a very nice, sturdy material that is easy to handle as well.

Now for the review, OH MY GOODNESS. I really can't say enough about this wok. It cooks like a dream! It barely takes any time to heat up or cool down and clean up is so easy! I have made so many meals with this thing that I have lost count. It's so easy to whip up a nice, healthy meal in barely any time. And clean up? Its barely existent. The instructions (which also gives a couple of recipes!) tells you to never leave food in it when its not cooking. So, as soon as I get done cooking, I empty the food out, get a dry paper towel, and wipe any debris or grease that's left. With a wet paper towel, I come back through and give it a good wiping out. That's all it takes. You are supposed to use warm, soapy water to clean it, but I find that since I use it so much, the paper towel system works great.

I highly recommend this wok to anyone is who looking for a relatively cheap, nice option. I can't rave enough about this product and intend on buying the smaller version, their bamboo steamer, and may a couple of other things from their line as well. Thanks for reading!

My chicken, sugar snap peas, green beans, and onions. YUM

Week 1 Weigh In

Today, I had my very first "official" weigh in on Weight Watchers. As I have said before, I do Weight Watchers Online, so no meetings for me! I was a little nervous when I woke up this morning because I wasn't sure what the scales were going to tell me. I had done a little "sneak peek" a couple of days prior, just to see if I had lost anything, and I had. What I wasn't prepared for was what the scales were going to say this morning. I nervously walked into my bathroom where my scales are, and stepped on. When the numbers finally appeared, I couldn't believe what they were. Since last Wednesday, I have lost 6.5 pounds! Needless to say I was beyond ecstatic! I ran into our bedroom where my husband was and practically shoved my phone in his face, which had my Weight Watchers application pulled up. He was very proud of me and I am very proud of myself. I took screen shots of my app where it said how much I had lost and immediately sent it out to my Mama, Daddy, and Sister. They were of course all very proud. This has been such a great start to a happier life. I cannot wait until next weeks weigh in where I have (hopefully) lost more! I think I have finally found something that is going to work for me and that, is an accomplishment all its own.

Woo Hoo!

My Weight Loss Journey

As you may have seen from the title of this blog, I am the SHRINKING Southern Belle. Ever since I was a child, I have struggled with my weight. I have always been a "big-boned" person. As my Daddy would say, "You come from a family of big women." So it's safe to say, my genes work against me. My family also has a history of various diseases and, something that really made me want to lose weight, my own Daddy has Diabetes. It was an eye opener when I found that out. I actually cried because I've heard stories of amputations and everything else that I did NOT want happening to my Daddy.

It wasn't until I was diagnosed with PCOS that I really wanted to lose weight. For those of you that don't know what PCOS is, it stands for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I will make another blog post explaining more about that. Essentially, this makes it VERY hard to lose weight. It also affects fertility, which was a BIG deal for me. So, with all that being said, I finally decided that it was time to stop making excuses and start getting healthy. Late Wednesday night (September 17th) I officially became a Weight Watchers Online member. I chose the online program because I'm not much for sitting in groups and being in the spotlight, especially with something as sensitive as my weight. I went back and forth on whether or not I should start tracking my points the next day or start fresh on Monday. I went with the next day for one big reason. I knew, with my past history, that if I didn't start immediately, I never would. So Thursday (September 18th), I started tracking. So far, its been an easy process and the applications for my phone have really come in handy. I will possibly do a post about the apps and how they work for me. We will just have to play it by ear. I fully intend on keeping my readers updated on what I'm eating and my progress with weight watchers. Hopefully my readers will be able to be on this journey with me!

Thanks for reading!

An Introduction

Hey Y'all! Thanks for coming to my blog! I started this blog as a way to share with everyone else, products that I love and products that I don't love. Although, my MAIN inspiration for this blog was my choice to start living a healthier lifestyle. I hope to share my journey and opinions with anyone who cares to listen. Please bare with me as I get used to the blogging world. It takes a while to figure out how to use everything and hopefully soon, I will have a customized page. Eventually, I would like to start putting videos on YouTube, if there is enough interest.

So, a little bit about me. My name is Bethany, and I am a born and raised Southerner. I've never lived anywhere except from the South, and that probably wont ever change. I have been married to my wonderful husband, Aaron, for almost 2 years. As of August 31st, we have been together 9 years. It's a little something I like to brag about. :) Needless to say, we have been there for each other through A LOT. We don't have a cat or a dog (we live in an apartment, which means a BIG fee for animals) but we do have a cute little fish, Penelope. Maybe I'll share a picture at some point. I guess you could say that I don't have a "career." I was never one of those people that just knew what they wanted to be when they grew up. I have always loved to cook and bake, heck, I even made and sold cakes for a while! I have also always enjoyed anything crafty. My Oma (grandmother in German) has made beautiful dresses for years and has a formal shop. She doesn't sew much anymore, but, when she did, I was very much inspired by her. She's the reason I got a sewing machine! I do have a small business that consists of making vinyl decals and such for people, but I haven't made it big....yet. ;) I LOVE to plan and organize things. I am a labeling, list loving kind of woman! Although, when you look at my apartment sometimes, you couldn't tell. I like to consider it creative chaos. (hehe!) I will very much enjoy sharing my tips on organizing when I get a chance! I'm glad I have this blog to share my thoughts and ideas with everyone!

Thanks for reading!