Alrighty! I am excited to get started on this! Here is a recap from a previous post for those who are just checking in…….

I am ready to get back to feeling healthy and looking good in a bathing suit again!

Who’s with me?

I have put some unwanted poundage back on since Shane and I got married. Let me tell you what’s rolling around in this head of mine!

I love Emily Falconbridge’s Deck of Me cards she makes every week!!!! She has inspired me with an idea! I am going to take advantage of my girls being gone for 6 weeks and use the time to jump-start a weight-loss goal of mine!!! I want to get fit and healthy again! So in an effort to track and motivate myself with this goal…. I am going to make a mini-album like Emily’s with playing cards….I am using the JUMBO size. Every Monday I am going to post a new card and some sort of prompt or theme to journal or decorate my card with that goes along with the goal of weight-loss!!!

I AM DEALING MYSELF THE WEIGHT-LOSS HAND!!!!!!!!

Who wants to play? I think it would be fun to come here and inspire & motivate each other and check out your blogs or links to see who is making progress!!!! And I want to see what your cards look like! You can visit here each week and post links to yours! WHO’S IN??? Let’s get healthy ladies! And THANKS to Emily for the inspiration!!!

The FIRST card prompt: THE GOAL….let’s see it! What do you want to accomplish?

I made a “front-page/title card” for fun…..you can do one if you’d like. I also added a bit of journaling on the back of my first card. You can include your stats on the back of this card if you’d like. I will be adding mine soon. You can choose to share this with us or keep it personal!

TO MAKE THIS MOTIVATIONAL & FUN…… Here’s the deal! In a few months from now when I have reached my goal or gotten REALLY close to it…I am going to do a BIG prize giveaway! It’s going to be a BIG box of scrappy goodies and good-health themed goodies!!! Every week that you participate in this challenge and link your card to the weekly posts then your name will go into a big jar and I will draw the lucky winner! The more you participate, the more entries into the drawing you get!!! Sound fun? You are probably asking yourself why I am doing this This is going to hold me accountable! I want to accomplish my goal! We all need and want support & encouragement along this little journey to change our lifestyles. You can participate in this even if you don’t need to lose weight! If you want to change something about yourself or have some other goal you are trying to attain then join in and play along too! Can’t wait to see what you accomplish and create along the way! I will be featuring some of my faves you create in my posts so if you DON’T want that to happen then don’t post them! LOL! YAY!!!!!

One more thing…sorry this post is so long. I just wanted to say that this is supposed to be fun. NOT stressful. Create your cards each week based on your mood or how you’re feeling! Don’t restrict yourself creatively! Keep it simple some weeks and more involved on others. Do what you can. Just have fun tracking your progess!

Okay now go get started on CARD DEAL #1!!!

CARD DEAL #2

I am excited to see what you guys will do with this week’s card challenge! I want you to create your card with a “KEY TO SUCCESS” theme. I had so much fun with mine! I want you to use a key SOMEWHERE on your card. Stamp it, draw it, use a rub-on or even a real one! WHATEVER! I found a metal key in my stash but then painted it green to match my color scheme! FUN! Anyway….be sure to note the things on your card that will be key to your success! Remember to have fun with this! Even if you are just joining us…it’s okay. Every day is a new day! If you’d like to see some super cute cards from last week…..check these out:

Shell’s
Patter’s
Amie’s
Sherry’s

Way to go ladies! I will get your names in the jar! You can still get your name in there even if you fall behind! Just post the link to your cards! And here’s to a healthy week!

CARD DEAL #3

YAY! I am loving seeing some participation with this! Like I keep saying…..don’t stress! Get these challenges done when you can. They don’t require much time! But most important….keep these little challenges and goals in the back of your mind and do your cards when you can! This will help remind you to stay on track with all your new health-related goals! It’s a gradual lifestyle change….not something that happens overnight! You can do it! I can do it! We just gotta stick to it this time right? Let’s have fun on this journey together!

This week’s challenge: Scrap a motivating quote on your card

I have many I could have used so I thought I would post some more here for you. Hopefully one or many of these will inspire or encourage you because what you are doing isn’t easy. Nothing WORTH doing usually is. I can’t wait to see this week’s cards from you. And remember to post links along your journey. Even if you are a little behind or just joining us….jump right in! Have a healthy week! Try and walk 10-15 mins everyday this week and see what happens! It will improve your health-esteem!

Life isn’t about finding yourself. Life is about creating yourself.

Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching?

If you don’t think every day is a good day, just try missing one.

It’s so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to.

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.

Every day may not be good, but there’s something good in every day.

If you don’t like something change it; if you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.

So often time it happens, we all live our life in chains, and we never even know we have the key.

The only disability in life is a bad attitude.

Those who think they have not time for bodily exercise will sooner or later have to find time for illness.

Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states.

Commit to be fit.

It is exercise alone that supports the spirits, and keeps the mind in vigor.

People say that losing weight is no walk in the park. When I hear that I think, yeah, that’s the problem.

CARD DEAL #4

I am anxious to see what you guys do with this week’s challenge. Do you have one thing or many things in your diet that you struggle with consuming? Do you love those McDonald’s french fries? Do you love Chocolate? Cookies? Soda? I have one thing that’s a constant struggle for me.

Hi.

My Name is Shanna.

I am a Dr. Pepper addict.

This week’s card should be about your food or drink addictions. Scrap about what your weakness is. Journal about how you’re going to overcome it. I can’t wait to see what you guys do.

CARD DEAL #5

It’s been 5 weeks!!! I haven’t lost as much as I wanted to by now. But I am feeling much better and my clothes are starting to get a little looser so that’s a good sign. I am going to kick things up a notch and buckle down a bit more. How is everyone else doing? I am loving the cards you’ve created to date! Did I tell you what a nerd I am? I have been printing little tiny proofs of each of your cards and keeping them in a notebook. Mainly so I can keep track of all the drawing entries but it’s also fun to see your creations in a little mini-album. I am big on the visual….can you tell? Okay…..I am rambling.

This week’s Challenge:

Losing weight and getting healthy is a hard thing sometimes. You will deserve something special when you reach your goal weight. Create your card and show or tell what gift you will gift yourself when you’ve reached your goal. And…..don’t just give yourself new clothes. You SHOULD get that regardless. Give yourself something REALLY special that will motivate you that much more!

CARD DEAL #6

WoW! Can you believe we are on week #6 already? If you are running behind on your cards….be sure not to stress! Remember this is ultimately about the healthy lifestyle changes we are trying to make and the cards are the fun documentation of a difficult journey! At least mine has been difficult. I have mental road blocks all day long! I am constantly reminding myself of my weightloss goal and my goal to feel better. It’s hard being at home all day long when I can snack whenever I want to. But one thing I haven’t mentioned yet that I am really proud of myself for is today is DAY 8 of NO SODA…yes even my DR PEPPER!!! Last week was pretty unbearable for me….especially my sweet husband. LOL Let’s put it this way…he was begging me at one point to drink just a LITTLE DP. I was pretty difficult to live with last week while I was in DETOX. I am soooooooo….glad to finally be past the headaches and backaches. I am so addicted. It’s still hard some days when I get the urge to fall off the wagon again but I have to keep telling myself it’s not worth it! I am really enjoying your journeys! You guys motivate me too! I love knowing there are others out there heading in the same direction I am! I love the support system! Okay….on to this week’s challenge!

CARD DEAL #6

This week I want you to choose one word to describe your journey and use a Monogram for it somewhere on your card. It doesn’t have to be a positive word….it can be HARD. Be honest….this is YOUR album. What you are doing isn’t easy but it’s worth it. I chose the word MOTIVATE for my card. I think it’s perfect for me. I am constantly trying to motivate myself and I am having the BEST time trying to motivate you guys! Can’t wait to see your cards! Have a healthy week!

CARD DEAL #7

It was all about the pink and black this week. And some bling. I love this color combo. Seriously…it screams classy feminine to me. I thought it went well with the theme of TIME for this week. I love clocks. Love to play with stamps and vinyl and rub-ons and mini clocks on my pages. So…again….

Card Deal #7

Use the theme of TIME somehow on your card. ANyway you want. In case you can’t read my journaling it says: TIME to get Healthy. TIME to get into old clothes again. TIME to get my body back. TIME to improve my self-esteem. TIME for change.

*SIDENOTE* I haven’t had a drink in 15 days!!!!!!

I have been without soda of any kind….yes….even my beloved Dr. Pepper! For a while there Shane was begging me to have a drink because I was so hard to live with the first week but I am finally past the detox stage and feeling REALLY good!!! For those of you who are addicts out there….you know exactly how hard this is. That’s why I am so excited for myself.

And BECAUSE I am feeling REEEEALLY good….I am going to do a prize giveaway with this week’s challenge! Anyone who links their cards here for us to see will be entered into a drawing for a Three Bugs in a Rug prize package. So do this week’s challenge or get caught up on some if you’re a little behind! You have until next Monday to post your links here. Get scrappin’ & healthy!

THIS MAY OR MAY NOT GET UPDATED!!! I ENDED UP GETTING PREGGERS DURING MY WEIGHT-LOSS JOURNEY AND GAVE BIRTH TO A BEAUTIFUL BABY BOY ON APRIL 2, 2008. WHILE I HAVE STARTED AGAIN TO TRY AND LOSE THE BABY WEIGHT….TIME TO CREATE PAGES FOR THIS FUN LITTLE ALBUM IS SCARCE THESE DAYS. THANKS FOR PEEKING IN!!!