From the Garden: Sun Flower

Boston Frog Pond

It is a really nice summer weather. Today's "At-home-summer-camp" field trip is "Day out to Boston Frog Pond".


The trip started with an exciting bus tour :) Younger sister hadn't had a lot of chances to ride on a bus yet :D

After 2 buses and 1 train (subway), we got there before 11AM, the pond wasn't opened yet. So we picked a shaded place to settle down, where we would have our picnic.



When the pond opened, we were among the first to get into the pond.

Boston Frog Pond located in the famous beautiful Boston Common.

What a beautiful park.

It is in the city. Just like central park in NYC, but of course, in a much smaller scale.

The better part was to have a picnic in the park, facing the pond.. then the best part was kids found some new fun -- feeding the birds.

Weight Loss Diary 22: Healthy Weight Loss Tips

Came across this good video. Keeping a checklist for myself:

1. Eat as much organic food as possible
2. Eat breakfast
3. Eat high fiber food, it will keep you full longer
4. Drink water, need you drink half body weight ounces
5. Pay attention to what portion size you eat
6. Eat between 5-6 meals a day
7. Don't eat after 8PM, the point is don't eat late
8. Limit your sweet to 1-2 times a week
9. Avoid soft drinks, even diet drinks
10. Keep unhealthy junk food as far as possible
11. Keep emergency food (dry fruit is good choice) available, so you don't make bad decision when you feel hungry

Weight Loss Diary 21: hanging on

Been on 136 lbs for the last 4-5 days already...

Because this week and next week I am home with kids, I may not be able to do outdoor jogging much or go to gym, so the minimal goal is to maintain this weight... reason for setting this goal is that kids demand for yummy snack and sweet and I am making a lot for them, have to stay on my ground :p

11th Anniversary -- Landing US

11 years ago today. I came to the US, starting the pursue of my dream. I went through most foreign students did, following the path of many typical immigrant. Finished degree->Got a job->Got Married->Bought a house->Have kids->Became PR(got green card)->....

Looking back the past 11 years, full of exciting and valuable experience such that I would never regret the decision of leaving the home country though I also lost a lot without family/friends around me in the foreign country.

1998 -- My first time to leave my parents, leaving the city in which I grew up, and this time, I also left my home country. My first time to take a airplane, it was a really long one trip... the moment I entered the gate, too rush to say good-bye to my parents, I realized I wouldn't see them in years, my tear poured out through the long trip. I still sob while recalling the touching moment.

1999 -- I finished my Master's Degree; Met my boyfriend, now husband; Got my first job, still the current job.

2000 -- Got married.

2001 -- Decided to pursue a MBA degree part-time. Got admission from Bentley College.

2002 -- Bought a house, feeling settled in the US.

2003 -- Decided to grow the family, feeling the increasing responsibility to be a MOM.

2004 -- Welcomed our son. First home visit, seeing my aging parents after 5 years.

2005 -- Became permenant resident of US (got green card). Completed MBA program.

2006 -- Welcomed our daughter.

2007 -- 2nd home visit.

2008 -- My career advanced, promoted to a management position

2009 -- Started blog, determined to lose weight and stay healthy...

No school for kids 8/24 - 9/7

So I take vacation too. Changes to me during vacation would be:
- I may have less time to sit in front of computer to blog.
- I may have to change my exercise routine

Weight Loss Diary 20: JM's No More Trouble Zones

I have reserved it from the library, after trying JM's 30 Days Shred and doing quite a few research on JM, really like her a lot! With all the positive reviews on amazon, I really couldn't resist. Finally I ordered it -- can't wait to get it from library.

I received it on Wednesday, along with my Air Max Nike shoes. I did one full session on Thursday night -- loving it. Today, I did the 2nd time today while working from home -- love it more :) It really worths the money! Just 10 bulks you can get JM in your home... I would highly recommend JM's workout DVDs to whoever want to lose weight.

Now I am 100% confident I can get to my goal weight (120lbs), I know it is just a matter of time and I have been on the right track -- combining exercise and diet. I also try to control myself to be less paranoid about the daily weight measurement, and I did. In the past week, I still recorded the morning weight, but I wouldn't do EVERYTHING to get a lowest measurement (as I did before, such as weight several times to get the lowest, get the absolute lowest by getting nacked weight :p How silly I was). So today's morning weight reached 136. That's my end of month goal. There could be up and downs... so I will do my best to at least keep/maintain this, of course, break lower would be even better.

Riding without training wheels

This is just an important milestone for my son that I couldn't miss blogging it -- At age of 5 years 6 months, he learnt riding a bike without trianing wheels.

I made an attempt to teach him earlier this year, I took the training wheels and ran with him, bening my body and holding on the seat. But after like less than 100 meters, I was out of breath. Then we both gave up and I put back his training wheels.

After 2.5 months work out, I feel I could run longer. I was right, I held on the bike seat, ran with my son for about 30 minutes -- I could tell he almost can balance himself, but not completely yet. It was 90 degree yesterday, hot and humid. I sweat, but motivated by burning calories and losing weight, I was quite enjoying it :D

My neightbor passed by, riding a bike with his daughter. He suggested us going to the playground, where has soft grass and kids don't worry to fall or get hurt. We went there, I gave him a big push -- That's it, off he went!

I am happy, I am pround, for both of my son and myself.

Weight Loss Diary 19: Back on track

Okay. I may be over paranoid about the daily measurement. After the two days hike, today back to 137 lbs :) After the morning work out, it reached 136.5 :) So I may blame my Hot and Sour Soup wrong -- it is just liquid, but it may just stayed in my body a little longer than I expected.

Weight Loss Diary 18: Hot and sour soup -- biggest culprit

Party too early. I just reported reaching 137 lbs last Sunday, sadly to say, that was the lowest measure since then, in the last 5 days.

Monday - 138
Tuesday - 138
Wednesday - 137.5
Thursday - 139 (crying!!!)
Friday - 138.5

I certainly know the culprit for the 1.5 hike -- because I was craving for hot and sour soup and made a delicious big bowl of it. [keep crying...] I thought they are soup, just liquid. I AM WRONG!! Well, I learnt a lesson, an important one -- DO NOT DRINK YOUR CALORIES.

This is the culprit -- why yummy food always end up on bad list? :(

Now I am paying the price for being craving for hot and sour. It wiped out my 3lbs loss joy of last week, resetting my end of month goal to be: 136 lbs.

Weight Loss Diary 17: 137 lbs -- Fitting in old clothes

Even though I am mentally prepared for the fact that weight loss may slow down, I still wish I can reach my goal weight before next year -- I must be greedy :) I had a great week with wonderful results -- lost 3 lbs! 137 on the scale this morning.

The couple exercise routine changes must made the difference, I am not sure which one is the major one, but I guess I will stick with the new routine for a while:
a) Started Julian Michaels' 30 Days Shred -- I did 5 days level 1 until muscles not sore then moved to level 2
b) I changed the brisk walk to half jog, half walk -- the route I walk half is slop (jog), half incline (walk).

I feel the change, then I get the old clothes out again, some fit already! Like this one, though it was very loose before I had kids at that time... hehehe.. joy!

Weight Loss Diary 16 -- Well broke 140

I remember when I was at 140 for 4-5 days and up and down around 140 -- then I thought 140 is my resistant line and probably my weight loss ended there. I couldn't accept that's the fact -- doing my best to break it. 138 this morning -- well broke 140, not a scale variation!

I started Julian Michaels 30 Days Shred. As the 1300+ reviews on amazon, JM is awesome. I was on level 1 for 5 days, now started level 2, muscle is not as sore as at the beginning, and I do feel I am stronger and more tuned. I will stick with it to see what's the result at the end of 30 days.

I really enjoy the healthy way to lose weight now. By doing more exercise, not only I am moving toward my goal weight, but also have a bunch of good benefits:
1. I feel I am very healthy -- thus so more confident and proud
2. I feel happier for making good progress
3. I sleep better
4. I feel more energentic
5. I am setting an good example to my kids -- being persistent, all hard goals can be achieved

Good things never come alone, I have another happy news. I am getting a Nike Air Max Moto+ 6 running sneaker as a gift from my old best friend Irene (ex-classmate of high school and college). She knows sneakers very well, and she recommended Air Max. So I picked the Moto+ 6.

Valentine Box

My 3.5 years old daughter is very "girlish", she loves pink and purple color, heart shape toys, princess stuffs... she was begging me to make her a pink heart the other day. I did, and she watched me through and helped. And it is put into her treasure bucket now along with all her favorite toys. :)

Crafting Tip: Gift box

The gift box I posted before is so well received, and someone has asked: how to make the cover and base *fit* together. I promised to take some picture to illustrate, sorry for being addictive to my weight loss and this belated tip :)

There are two options to make the cover a bit bigger than the base so that it can cover well:

1) use a bigger paper for the cover, smaller paper for the base. I don't like this option as measure is tedious

2) do the following as the pictures show:

For base - folder to center:

Cover -- leave some room:

Done -- perfectly fit:

From the Beach

Still haven't decided what to do with these potential seafood :) Any suggestions are welcome.

Weight Loss Diary 15: 8th wk, steadily melting

At 140 today. Lowest in the past week was 139.5 (yesterday morning).

One colleage was on vacation for the past 3 weeks, this morning when I saw him, he said to me: wow, you look great, you look so skinny now! -- That's happiness, it makes my day. :)

Crane Beach

(That's the only pic of me! If I reach my weigh loss goal, I would wear bikini and show off! :p )

Finally a very nice weekend, 90+, not humid or muggy. So the whole family set off to Crane Beach in Ipswich, 1 hour drive north to Boston. (Crane beach is one of the decent beaches in Mass, without going to the cape. Last time I went there was moons ago before we had kids) This would be the first time for the kids to go to a real beach -- they have been excited and got so ready for the trip!

On the way to the beach, we saw a very beautiful park (PATTON MEMORIAL PARK) and stopped by.

When we were 2 miles away from the beach, we saw a sign "crane beach FULL", and police officers directed traffic to the opposite direction to the beach!!! The kind police office told us we can go to Ipswich downtown and at the train station there would be shuttle bus to the beach. Huh? Okay, then we drive down the road, it is a small town, it is easy enough to tell the main street, leading to the downtown (not at all close to the boston downtown, it is just a few more stores). There were enough sign led us to the train station, as we parked the car, we saw a bus waiting there already. We boarded the bus (btw, kids enjoyed this much more than grown up), the bus were full, and we didn't get a seat. But it was ok, the ride wasn't too long.

When we arrived the beach, there were really a lot of cars and people -- a 100% beach day! Water temprature is 70 -- kind of cool. We could see more people enjoy the sunshine than the water :)