Fitness Workouts At Home

Fitness Workouts At Home is my style of working out.  Joining a gym is great if you have the money and time to squeeze it into your life and budget but for me it never seems to work out for the long term.

Always looking to stay fit, healthy and keep my weight under control I found the greatest invention in the world to keep me motivated every single day. My Fitbit. Simply put weight loss and maintaining control has one simple basis: Calories In vs Calories Out.  No matter what weight loss program you choose, and I'm pretty sure I have followed them all at one time or another from Weight Watchers to Nutrisystem to Fad Diets, Low Carb, Low Fat and then back again when the weight eventually came back. They were all good "diets" but then that's what they are diets. Everyone's body needs different fuel. Some people need to cut the sugars and fats. Some bodies need to cut the carbs. I found moderation in portions so helpful. And I have completely eliminated sugars and carbs except for some of my favorite vegetables and find that works best for me.  I no longer get those crazy cravings where the more you eat, the more you need to eat. I'm not saying everyone has to do that, but it is a great idea to moderate your foods and keep an eye on what works best for you.

Enter the fitness zone with a Fitbit. Taking walks is very nice but I don't always have the time and the weather is not always that cooperative. At home though I can monitor my Fitbit and see where I'm at and use that knowledge to get me up off the chair and add some music to my life stepping it up while I'm cooking or watching TV and even cleaning your house earns you steps, calories burned and you get things done while you feel great about yourself at the same time!

Fitbit Fitness Has Changed My Life Works With My Style On My Terms

Fitbits Aren't that expensive and I can honestly say is one of the greatest investments I have ever made in myself. I have lost 22 lbs in just a few months walking, stepping and just picking up my pace with the knowledge this easy to use and maintain device has give me.

Right now I'm using the Fitbit Flex style it's actually the least expensive option but I love it because it's waterproof and slim styling really works for me. Check out some of these Fitbit styles here at Walmart

My Fitbit and Me

Police Law Enforcement Honor

National Police Week

Police Officer and Law Enforcement

Police Week is celebrated in May to honor Police and Law Enforcement Officers and those heroes that sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.​

Stay Safe

Salad Sandwich Delight

Lettuce Salad Sandwich – Why Not

Lunch time is rolling around and you just can’t decide whether to have a salad or a sandwich or both. Then you have decide what you want on your sandwich, or maybe your refrigerator is just not stocked with anything that interesting. A salad might be yummy, but you just don’t feel like cutting up all the ingredients and you only have salad in the house. Then you have to decide on dressing. Forget it if your in a hurry – salads can take forever to eat which is great when you have the time for a nice leisurely lunch.

And that’s why my granddaughter Kaitlyn and I invented my magic lettuce salad sandwich. It’s a sandwich, it’s a salad. It’s not fattening if you don’t want it to be and it is magically filling. Quick and easy. Great for lunch. Great for really anytime of the day you feel like something well, not a sandwich and not a salad but really it’s both. I like mine open faced, but you can decide how you like it.

Like all of my home made up recipes, it’s quick, super easy to prepare and even easier to clean up afterwards. And of course not many ingredients – you can fix it like I do or adjust it to your own creative salad sandwich delicious idea.

All of the photos were hungrily taken by me….just before I ate the whole thing!

Basic Salad Ingredients

Lettuce Salad Sandwich

Basic Salad Ingredients

Salad ingredients just don’t get any easier to prepare when you used pre-packaged shredded lettuce. Not that I have anything against a head of lettuce which can definitely be used instead if that’s what you keep in your fridge and prefer, but by the time I decide if I want to pull the lettuce out and cut it up, well I might just decide to reach for a piece of cake or something I don’t really want to give in to so I keep shredded lettuce around all the time.

It’s even a great idea if you prefer to buy fresh heads of lettuce to shred up a container full ahead of time and keep it ready to go for sandwiches just like these.

Shredded lettuce, a bowl or container to pour it in to. Oh, and a spoon or fork to mix it up with. All we are going to add is, mayonnaise.

Lettuce Salad Sandwich

Recipe For Salad Sandwich

I love to share and pass on easy recipes that I call Home Made Up. Here are the ingredients and a simple summary of how to put together a lettuce salad sandwich in no time at all. Step by Step photos and directions are included below.

Trust me it doesn’t get any easier, and I promise it’s good and good for you. Nutritionally, it has healthy produce, lettuce is always a keeper no matter what your fitness or weight loss program is, healthy fats in mayo and olive oil that helps keep you satisfied and fuller longer and fiber healthy carbs low in calories. We are talking about each sandwich weighing in at about 150 calories a piece. That’s a great lunch even if you pair it with soup or a small bag of chips.

It’s a great snack anytime and way better than the bag of chips or ice cream I know you were thinking about!

• Cook time: 5 min
• Ready in: 5 min
• Yields: Individual or Family Style

Ingredients

• Shredded Lettuce
• Mayonnaise
• Flat Bread or Slim Bread or Bread Of Your Choice
• Seasonings Like Salt and Pepper To Taste

Instructions

1. Shred some lettuce or open a bag of pre shredded lettuce. Add as much as you need into a bowl. Add a dollop of mayonnaise to your liking and mix it up. Add salt and pepper to taste.
2. Toast a slim bread or flat bread or bread of your choice and beautifully arrange your salad mix on top. I like my sandwich open faced, but you can try yours both ways.

Dollop The Mayo

Lettuce Salad Sandwich

Mayonnaise With Olive Oil, Light Mayo or Your Favorite Mayonnaise

That’s it, all I add to my lettuce is a dollop of mayonnaise. How much is a dollop? Hmmm, that’s typical of my cooking and recipes. There’s no exact measure of a dollop except how much you want. If you like a lot of mayo, add a big tablespoon full to start, if you aren’t too sure or don’t really like lots of it at a time, think smaller to start, you can always add more!

My favorite mayo is one with olive oil, even better there are light versions and brands with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, olive oil is healthy for you and check their nutritional labels some have only 50 calories per tablespoon which is probably way plenty. Kraft and Hellman’s both have a light and regular style mayo with olive oil and I think they are both great. So even if you have a heaping dollop, still not so bad considering the calories from the lettuce is well, super minimal as all you bunnies out there know.

You can even add in a pinch of salt, or a smidgen of pepper or both if you like to add some seasoning.

Salad Mix Ready To Go

Lettuce Salad Sandwich

Sandwich Thins Flat Bread Fundamentals

Sandwich Thins are my favorite base bread for this recipe. You can definitely use your favorite bread or rolls or bagels but I love that they range about 100 calories each, toast up perfectly in my toaster and hold the lettuce and mayo combination just right without soaking through. They aren’t very expensive and readily available at your local grocery store. You can buy them in bulk from many of the Club Warehouses or even on Amazon, some to eat now and freeze some for later.

Lettuce Salad Sandwich Flat Breads

I love my flat bread base toasted to get the fun warm crunch of the bread in contrast with the cool smoothness of the salad but you choose your favorite.

While you are mixing up your lettuce and mayo and letting it sit for a moment so the deliciousness of the mayo and seasonings combines just right, pop your flat bread base into the toaster. When you take them out of the pack it looks like one thin bread, see the top one on the plate but they come apart easily to form two sides to your sandwich. Looks thin, but they really pack a filling punch maybe because they have some healthy fiber in them (don’t worry you can’t tell they are healthy because they taste really good).

Toast them lightly or toast them crispy, I like mine a little on the crispy side so I get that nice even crunch every time I take a bite.

Salad Sandwich Ready To Eat

Lettuce Salad Sandwich Light Easy and Delicious

Salad Sandwich Platter

So that’s it. Your simple, easy lettuce salad sandwich is ready to eat. But if you are wondering, how good could this really taste, I understand. Who would want just lettuce mixed with mayo on a toasted flat bread anyway. Trust me, it’s yummy!

It’s a great healthy choice and although I am not a vegetarian – what a great vegetarian sandwich recipe this is. I love proteins and meat and could probably eat bacon every meal but, since I am not really going to do that, this is a terrific option.

It’s perfect for lunch, even if you are packing it to take to work. Just have your salad in one container and the bread (which doesn’t have to be toasted if you don’t have a toaster at work) and enjoy the ease of a cool, healthy and seriously, I think it’s filling, lunch. It will give you more time to shop, or read or run errands!

Vegetarians or just salad lovers can always add in some shredded carrot or cut up cucumber for a nifty change but I really like it just the way it is.

Halloween Decorations

Halloween decorations are my favorite part of Halloween.  Well OK I really like the candy party too, and the autumn baking pumpkin bread and muffins. Halloween trick or treat costumes are pretty fun too.  I love all the stuff that goes with Halloween except for the scary, gory, ghostly, zombie, spooky stuff, I just really decorate with cute black cats, funny pumpkins, playful ghosts and pretty fun orange and black haunted house type stuff.  

Personalized Halloween Greetings

The first thing you will probably notice when you come into my Halloween house is a personalized Halloween greetings doormat! I love holiday doormats because they really add to the theme of the holiday. There are really great doormats out there with harvest, fall and autumn themes that are all gorgeous too, but a fun personalized one is nice too, it’s a great gift idea to surprise a family member or friend also.

Decisions, decisions. Will you choose spooky ghosts and goblins, cute smiling black cats or maybe a flying witch on her broomstick! If you really aren’t sure or don’t want to change your door mat that often, it’s fun to choose autumn themes which work great for Thanksgiving and the whole beautiful autumn season.

Here's some of my favorite featured Halloween Decorations

Every Day Is Cat Day

Every day is Cat Day in my home. I know because my cats have proven this to me. You may think it's say Thursday morning, but no. It's time to feed the cats morning. Then it's time to pet one of the cats, don't worry, they will let you know which cat and when.

Perhaps you thought you would sit and read the newspaper? Not if there is a kitty who has decided it is the perfect place to take a nap. That's OK because well, she's so cute. Great time to go make the bed. Well not if there is a cat in it, either snoozing or ready to play lets attack the blanket, one of our very favorite games anyway!

I suppose I could try being the boss. It's up to me right, whether I want to work on the laptop, read a newspaper or feed the kitties later. Yeah, no.  

Cats are so amazingly smart. So independent. And yet so loving. One purr and I melt into mush because I love them so much. Because they are my family. 

The truth is, every day really is Cat Day in my home! 

Some of our favorite cat greetings personalized with love

Pet Friends Make A Beautiful Day

Pet friends make a beautiful day even better. They make sunny days shine brighter. Rainy days are more fun. Cold and snowy days are cozy and warm when viewed with your furry loving pet right beside you.

If your family pet is a dog then any day is a great day to go outside and talk a walk, play in the grass, chase a ball or just sunbathe in any drop of sunshine they can find. Hot or cold weather, most dogs love it and love when you keep them company doing it. From childhood to adult world, all of my days have been better because of my dogs - read  more about my Lucky Dog Family here

If your pet is a cat, well they love every weather to look out the window. Their ray of sunshine for a nap is warm and fuzzy in my house winter or summer because they are indoors and always nap ready. My three kitties below enjoying the spring sunshine but it's their favorite place all year round.

Read more about my kitty crew here

Really every day is a beautiful day to share some love with your pet friends. Celebrate the day the cat and dog way - filled with love and joy.