Check out this Blog Candy!

Just a quick post to let y'all know about some great blog candy being given away by Melissa over at Creating from the Heart. Check out her blog for some wonderful crafty inspiration and let her know you stopped by to be entered into her giveaway. Hurry - she is drawing the name on Friday afternoon....you have got to check out what she is offering up....HERE!

CTMH Deal a Day for Today 6/10

What a deal! For the next 23 hours only you can grab a box full of CTMH product at 1/2 price. That is right, for just $40 you can get approximately $80 worth of popular CTMH product of your very own. What is inside is a surprise! Shipping is only $6 in the continental US. This offer is good from 11:00 am (EST) 6/10 until 10:00 am (EST) 6/11 - when the deal will change.

Don't let this great deal pass you by....CLICK HERE to grab your Great Goodies Box Today!

Nothing says lovin'.....

If you are looking for the CTMH Deal a Day (and some scrappy goodness) please see the post below this one!

You know the saying...Nothing says lovin' like something from the oven....well, my oven has been runeth over with muffins. I got on this muffin kick recently, maybe because I am so hooked on Desperate Housewives that I have watched Seasons 1-3 over the last 2 weeks (rented them from the library and waiting for season 4 to arrive!), or I have finally started going through all my past Cooking Light issues and found some great recipes, I just don't know.

Anyway I started Muffin Mondays for the my husband and the guys in his shop. He works a funny schedule where they are only in every other Monday, so on his work Mondays - they get fresh baked muffins. So for my Tasty Tuesday entry, I thought I would share the recipe my husband requested from his childhood - his mom used to make these bran muffins for him and they are really good. This recipe makes ALOT of muffins, the best part is...the batter stays good in the fridge for 6 weeks! So mix some up today and bake them up fresh each morning!

Six Week Bran Muffins
Mix in a very large bowl or 8 qt kettle the following:
1 box (15 oz or 8 cups) Raisin Bran
3 cups sugar
5 tsp baking soda
2 tsp salt
5 cups flour

Add in the following and mix well:
1 qt buttermilk
1 cup oil
4 beaten eggs

Fill cups 1/2 to 2/3 full and bake at 375 for 20 min*. Store remaining batter in fridge for up to 6 weeks. (Note: the recipe calls for 20 min, but mine were done at 15 min. )

Enjoy...they are even better the next day!

Tracy

CTMH Deal-a-Day for Today (6/9) & some crafty fun!

Check out the deal-a-day today! You can get this great packet of Metal Rimmed Tags in a terrific flower shape (a $4.50 retail value) for FREE - when you purchase any My Acrylix Stamp set (custom and stamp of the month excluded). Plus shipping is only $3 - now that is a deal in itself!

You can get your Deal-a-Day - plus more info (all the legal mumbo jumbo) - HERE!

I love using these tags (they come in circles and squares too). They can be stamped on, colored, embellished with small items like brads, rhinestones or stickers. Here is a layout I did awhile ago using the circle tags. I added dimension by adhering them with 3-D Foam Tape. Sorry about the images - it is rainy here today and my lighting is off!

Thanks for stopping by and don't forget to come by tomorrow to see what the deal a day is!

Deal-a-Day the CTMH Way!

Wow! Two posts in one day...must be a record for me!! But seriously, I couldn't pass up letting y'all know about the promotion CTMH has going this month.

Every day at 11:00 (EST) a new Deal will be posted on consultant websites. The deal will differ every day (get it - deal-a-day) but will be either a huge discount (like 50% or more off) a goodie box of products (with discounted shipping) - or - buy a stamp set, get a free gift (with only $3 shipping). You can only get the deal on a consultant website so if you are interested in checking it out - please visit mine at tracyoleksak.myctmh.com (don't put the www first or you won't get there!) You can click on the image on the home page to see what the deal of the day is....but, I am also going to post the deal each day here (along with my regular posts which will appear below the deal-a-day post).

Deal-a-Day for June 4, 2009 (from 11 am EST 6/4 - 10 am EST 6/5 only):

Grab a Great Goodies Box for $60 (+ tax and $8 s/h). What a steal....for just $60* you can grab a surprise box full of great CTMH product valued at approximately $120. The offer is only avaible for 23 hours (see times above) and only through a CTMH consultant - so if you want to grab your very own Great Goodies Box - please click here now to order! and Thank you!

3.4 Down

I suppose that happy dances are the thing for me to be doing...because I have...all week! I had a tough week last week with my obsession with food. When I am out of my element, I tend to let go of my good intentions and eat...eat like there is no tomorrow. Last week with it being a holiday week - I thought for sure my weight loss plans were going to suffer. We attended 2 picnics had one late night fast food run and a retirement party. I was as good as I could be, ate what I really craved and skipped everything else....well, something I did was right because I am 3.4 lbs lighter for doing so (yep...whoooo! hooo!).

So with that great news, I trudged on and really started working at this. When I got home Saturday from my WW meeting, I put on my running clothes and out I went. I ran...high from the thrill of the great victory at the scale and can run almost 1/8th of a mile...almost...the whole way. I know..it is only 1/8th mile, but to me, that is a victory in itself. It has been a long time (a very very long time) since I last ran and I only did it because I was in Basic Training and had to do it, but now I am at it again...a whole lot older, a whole lot heavier and with all those extra jiggly parts...it hurt...like hell. But, off I went again on Sunday and Monday...took a break on Tuesday, and off again on Wednesday. My short term goal is to work up to run a whole mile....long term is to complete a 5K. But the whole benefit of putting my body through this torture is for health and weight loss...and to loose a few of those extra jiggly parts...you know, the ones that shouldn't jiggle.

So...keep those fingers crossed for me. I have been tracking my points, being honest with myself (I do have to admit that I haven't always been honest on this journey...but I realize it isn't going to work if I am not), eating healthy and yummy foods, and exercising, so I expect my adventure at the scale Saturday morning to be a happy one. Stay tuned for next Thursday's update and I hope to be back with some fun stuff on Mojo Monday.

Take care and stay positive,

Tracy

3.4 down....41.6 to go until the new and improved me!