The Fast Metabolism Diet book review

I was provided a copy of this book for review.  The book was given to me, but the opinions are my own.




I have to admit that I was pretty skeptical upon receipt of the book (B&N  Amazon). (I do not get anything if you purchase from these links, but I thought I would provide them to make the book easier to find.)  How many books have we all read that promise magical solutions to weight loss?  But reading the intro, I realized that Haylie actually has the education and experience to back herself up.  Maybe I could at least try this.

The premise of the book is three phases each week for four weeks.  Phase I is two days, Phase II is two days, and Phase III is three days.  Each phase is doable because it is only for  few days, and the author explains the science behind each phase. 

I actually lost 5 pounds in the first week.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I didn't really feel like I was missing anything, other than sugar, and who needs more sugar? 

The second and third weeks I lost a pound each.  Not as dramatic as I hoped, but still progress.

Week four I just maintained.  So I did not lose 20 pounds in 28 days.  But I feel much better.  More energetic and clear-headed.  I would recommend the book for those whose metabolism seems resistant to weight loss.

The author also has a website with recipes and more information, found here.

Torani Syrup Review

From the Torani website:

"In 1925, Rinaldo and Ezilda Torre visited family in Lucca, Italy. The two returned home to their native San Francisco with something very important: handwritten recipes, which they used to create authentic flavored syrups.

"These syrups helped Rinaldo and Ezilda reintroduce the Italian soda to their North Beach neighborhood. And the sodas were a hit. Years later, Torani helped record another hit: our syrup was used to create the world’s first flavored latte!"

Torani was kind enough to provide me with two full-sized bottles to try.  I received Vanilla Bean and Peppermint.  These bottles do not need to be refrigerated, and can be used in coffee, sodas, cooking, and many other uses.  I made some homemade vanilla bean soda that was so yummy!

I also made a super tasty peppermint mocha, one of my fave coffee house drinks I could make at home!  Especially this time of year, it hit the spot. 

The website has so many more flavors that you wouldn't believe, like Caramel Apple Syrup and even Bacon Syrup!  I have yet to try more flavors, but you can bet I will be.  There are many choices for Sugar-Free syrup as well.

Thanks to Torani for introducing me to a new favorite product, and Happy Holidays!

This is Halloween, Halloween, Halloween...

 We really like Halloween here at the Yarnhoardin household.  Translate as:  it is not quite October and my husband has built a full graveyard in our front yard.  This is the profile from the handmade mausoleum so you can see the fence line.  There is also a fog machine and some lights at night, but I haven't gotten photos of that yet.

 This is Bob.  He hangs out in his handmade coffin until you step on a pad, then he jumps upright and says some creepy stuff.

 And Fuzzy guards the mausoleum, which doubles as the Zombie Feeding Area.

 Here's a close-up of the mausoleum.  My husband is very crafty at building.

 Say hello to Jack, who rides shotgun in my husband's truck.  He is a pretty laidback guy.

 Here's a full view of the graveyard from the front.  Too bad I wasn't able to take a picture of the huge black cat that checked out the graveyard just before dawn one morning.  He was real and he did not belong to us, but he seemed to be attracted to the yard.

 Did I mention Jack?

 This guy tried to escape the zombies in the mausoleum, but you can see he didn't quite make it.

 And the buzzard is cleaning up after the zombies on this one.

 Did I mention the zombies?  This girl apparently used to be in the WNBA, because although her body is not complete yet, she stands about 7 - 8 feet tall.

 Here is the kid-friendly section in what is left of my garden.

Maybe all that was a bit too spooky.  So I leave you with this view of Rocky, asleep atop the kitchen cupboards.  Must be nice to be a cat.

Destash: yarn and books!

Well, my poor closet is overflowing and of course that means it is time to destash.  I'm selling the following new, unused yarns and new, flipped through once books, taking Paypal, US shipping included, international shipping negotiable.  Leave me a comment with a way to contact you (Ravelry name or email addy) and I will get back to you ASAP.

Knitpicks Comfy Worsted, yellow, 3 skeins at 109 yards each, $10 includes US shipping.

Bernat Matrix in Acid Axis, 1 skein/140 yds, $5 includes US shipping.

S. Charles Collezione Venus, 1 skein/81 yds, blue, $5 includes US shipping.

Not pictured:  Louet Euroflax Linen (Rav link) in pink/purple, 3 skeins of 270 yds each, retails for
$23.50/skein. I’ll sell for $20 each including U.S. shipping, or $50 for all 3 including U.S. shipping.

Berroco Comfort worsted (Rav link), 2 skeins of 210 yds each, purple, $10 includes U.S. shipping.

Unique Sheep Leili in Waves of Memory (Rav link), 2 skeins, 205 yds each, $26 includes US shipping.

Naturally Cotton Connection (Rav link) in natural/white, DK weight, 8 skeins = 944 yds, asking $40 including US shipping.

Now for the books:

I have the following books for sale.  Books are brand new, flipped through once, unless otherwise noted.  I take Paypal.  Prices include U.S. media mail shipping.  I will ship international for actual shipping.  Thanks for looking!

Crochet Blocks in a Box, never opened, asking $15 including U.S. media mail shipping.

The Yarn Girls' Guide to Kid Knits, asking $15 including U.S. media mail shipping.

Crochet That Fits, like new, asking $15 including U.S. media mail shipping.

Make Your Own Toys by Sue Havens.  This is a sewing book but includes patterns for lots of cute little critters to make.  Very cute book.  $10

  

A New Obsession, or How Behind I Am on Social Networking

Wow, I keep hearing about Pinterest and never checked it out.  I finally peeked at it last night and now I am obsessed.  Like I needed any other ideas for things I want to make, buy, cook, grow, read, etc.  But I joined anyway. lol

I finally buckled under and joined Twitter.  I had a bad experience getting my Facebook page hacked a few years ago and have boycotted most social media since then.  But you know, it is fun...

Happy Valentine's Day!  Buy your sweetie some of these handmade glycerin and shea butter heart soaps.

A Belated Merry Christmas

So I know Christmas was yesterday, but we were off at family celebrations on both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  I hope everyone who celebrates had a wonderful Christmas, and for those who don't celebrate, I hope you had a fabulous day.  Here are a few highlights of the yarnhoardinmama family Christmas.

What, no bickering between sisters?

A fun game for everyone.

Lucy got a new bed, complete with a bone toy and a fleece blanket.

A new outfit for her doll.

 

Let me defend my mom from that evil camera strap!

 

 It was not all about the gifts, but of course that is what we took the most pictures of.  We enjoyed times with both of our extended families as well. 

In other news, I'm working on knitting up a new toe-up sock design of my own.  The pattern is just going through the tweaking stage as I re-knit to make sure it came out clearly.  More news coming soon!

The free shipping sale is over at my Etsy shop, but there is still so much great handcrafted stuff for sale, that  I think you should still check it out.  And that concludes my shameless self-promotion.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas

We all know it is that time of year, whether you celebrate Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or none of the above.  My family and I went to the West Michigan Whitecaps' home, Fifth-Third Ballpark, to see the Nite Lites Christmas light display.  It was really cool.  We drove our Blazer through over a mile of Christmas lights displays, many of them animated, and we got to go through it twice for one price.  The kids adored it and my husband and I enjoyed it too.  These pictures don't do them justice.

 Another pair of socks off the needles today, this one being Repeat Performance by Michelle Hunter.  Love these toe up socks!  Pattern is easy enough to follow but not boring.  These are in Shelridge Farm Soft Touch Ultra.  Very nice.

Just a reminder, it is not too late to take advantage of the free shipping in my Etsy shop, good through December 24.  You can still order in time for Christmas if you live in the U.S. ( I don't think many international orders would have time to arrive before Christmas.)  Enter code SHIPONME11 at checkout to take advantage of this offer.  





What is a large pot of avocado trees good for?

Giveawayscout.com and adorable kitty

I just wanted to let everyone know about a cool site that lists freebies from any kind of place you might like.  The site is giveawayscout.com and I have my free shipping offer for my Etsy shop listed on there.  I thought I would share the site so people could find deldel other giveaways that interest them. 

I leave you with a gratuitous cuteness pic.  Our newest kitty, Rocky, who showed up under our house one night in the freezing temperatures, and cried (LOUDLY!) until we rescued him at 2:30 am.  He was about 4 weeks old, and decided that my non-lactating Jack Russell (Lucy) is his mom and best playmate.

Free shipping in my Etsy shop!

Now that Halloween is over, a lot of us are thinking about Christmas and holiday gifts.  I am providing free shipping in my Etsy shop now through December 24, 2011.  You MUST enter this coupon code at checkout for this offer to be valid:  SHIPONME11.  I will ship purchases directly to gift recipients upon request.  Now for sale are several soap and washcloth sets, many types of dog biscuits made fresh to order, chainmail bracelets, PDF knitting patterns, woodworks, and handknitted garments.  Come on over and check it out!  Happy shopping!

Emergency sale for new transmission

The transmission went out on my truck yesterday.  I am having an emergency sale at my Etsy shop and my Ravelry pattern store.  I am also selling some handmade soaps for $4 each plus shipping, or if you buy 3 or more, they are $3 each.

Also a set of handmade erasers, 5 in a set, for $5 plus shipping.

Thanks for shopping!  If you are interested in anything on the blog, leave me a comment with your email and I will get back to you.

A new family member

I know, I know, it has been FOREVER since I last posted.  I started a job in May that wound up being 7 days a week, although it is not 8-hour days.  I planted and am watering and weeding the flowers in a local city's parks and downtown area.  Those flowers don't know it is the weekend; they still need water. lol 

In other news, we have a new family member, a baby bunny rescue.  You can see how little he is compared to the guinea pig, who he has adopted as his mama, and he has already about doubled in size in the week we have had him.  Of course, the girls adore him, as do I, and he is doing well being a little house bunny.  And now I must tempt you with adorable bunny pictures.

American Girl Kanani doll giveaway

This is a bit off topic for me, but I wanted to let everyone who loves American Girl Dolls know about a Kanani giveaway.  Kanani is the new Hawaiian doll, with hazel eyes and gorgeous long brown hair.  I have three young daughters, and they are all in love with these dolls.  If you know someone who loves these dolls, even yourself, you may want to enter this giveaway.  It is open only until February 28, 2011 for U.S. residents.  Check it out!

Etsy sale on chainmaille bracelets

I just wanted to announce a sale in my Etsy shop.  All chainmaille bracelets are currently $10 off regular prices.  Sales prices are as listed.  These prices also apply to custom requests on chainmaille, such as colors or sizing requests.  While you are there, take a look at my new line of handmade soaps!  Happy shopping!

What to do with the extra frosting?

Yesterday we decided to use up the last of the candy canes from Christmas by making these cupcakes.  Ok, ours don't look as perfect as the Soap Queen's, but the girls and I had fun and they turned out pretty good.  No need to adjust your television set, the candy canes really were blue.  I omitted the peppermint extract from the frosting and just made it vanilla because there was already peppermint in the cupcakes and the candy canes.

 So we had these yummy cupcakes, but we also had a ton of leftover frosting, and well, we can't let all that creamy homemade frosting go to waste now, can we?  What to do?  Today we made these lemon drop cookies, added lemon extract and a tad of yellow food coloring to the vanilla frosting, and glazed these tasty cookies.  Very messy dripping the glaze on warm cookies, but so much fun.  The waxed paper under the cookies contained the mess.

Be aware that a 9-year old may enjoy dripping the glaze so much that it may start pooling around the cookies. lol  We are not all about appearances here, we just enjoy the taste.

Thanks for stopping in, and don't forget to take a peek at my Etsy shop.  I have added some new soaps to go with the chainmaille bracelets, handmade wood products, and knitting patterns and knitted objects.

Etsy sale from now until Christmas

Ok, we all know the Christmas shopping season is well underway.  From now until December 25, I will be offering a 30% off coupon code at my Etsy shop.  Enter code DEC2010 at checkout to receive 30% off your total purchase.  Happy shopping!

Cyber Monday sale!

What?  You didn't get a chance to take advantage of the Black Friday/Thanksgiving weekend sale in my Etsy shop?  Well, then here is a new coupon code for Cyber Monday, November 29, starting at midnight and running 24 hours Eastern Standard Time.  The code is CYBER2010 and it is good for 30% off at checkout, regular and sale-priced items included.  Now go shop!

Thanksgiving Weekend Sale on Etsy!

I just wanted to announce that I am having a Thanksgiving weekend sale on my etsy shop. Most items are already marked on sale 20 - 25% off. If you enter coupon code TURKEY2010 at checkout, you will save an additional 15% off the sale price. This sale runs from Thanksgiving Day, November 25, through November 28, 2010. There are knitted garments, toys, and chainmaille bracelets on sale. Or, choose a non-sale item like PDF patterns or woodworking goods, and use the coupon code, and you can still save. Check it out!

Cooking in the yarnhoardin' household

We have been doing a lot of cooking here lately, both me and the girls. Emily loves to cook, and last night she insisted on watching a cooking show on tv. So today, she was putting on her own cooking show. She was narrating which 'gredients she was adding to make 'ssert (dessert lol), and she also made soup and I'm not sure what else. She made sure to announce each ingredient as she added it from a separate bowl, just like they do on tv, mentioning how many grams of each item (grams? that's her own thing lol) and describing how to mix them. And yes, she does like to pose for pictures. Can't you tell?

Last night, Maddie wanted to make butter. We found this great book at the library, 50 Science Things to Make and Do. It called for filling a jar half-full with heavy whipping cream, a pinch of salt to taste, and shaking it for 15 minutes or so. Who knew it was that simple? Ok, so a lot of people did, but I didn't. lol It doesn't look like much, but we have this fresh, spreadable butter in the fridge, waiting for me to make a fresh loaf of bread to go with it.


As for me, I have been working on clean eating, trying to cut out white flour and sugar and man-made chemical additives in my food. So I found this recipe for snack bars made out of dates and nuts, and the kids think they look like dog poop, but they are very tasty. I used pecans instead of cashews.

And finally, for those interested, I have been doing some knitting. My Coraline cardigan is in time-out right now, for daring to let me mess up the first row of smocking on the yoke, and not noticing until I was up to the neck. I ripped back almost 40 rows. So there she sits, in time-out for now, and I'm working on the Krista tee with some friends. Here is the back so far:

Oh, and while you're here, don't forget to click the link towards the top on the right for Eat.Sleep.Knit. I'm collecting yards in the yarnathon and I get 5 yards each time you click! ;)