First, we are leaving the Bay Area for good on August 26, 2007. That leaves us about three weeks to goof off. What are the fun things we should do with our time off before we leave? We are looking for anything from a great park to day trips to overnighters. All (responsible) suggestions welcome (there are children involved, after all). So that is the advice we need.
Second, we have set a goal to "lose 30 by 40." That means thirty pounds between the two of us over the next three months, before certain un-named person(s) turn 40. We are desperate for tips. Has anything worked for you? Any small and simple things through which great things have come to pass? Any helpful advice greatly appreciated.
Third, below are a few pics of Kath's family home in Bountiful, Utah, which we are thinking very seriously about purchasing from her dad. After looking around we really didn't feel like McMansion people, and weren't up for 6000 square feet on .33 acres, which seems to be all you can buy if you look for new houses in Utah these days. This house was built in 1978 (which means it has an older layout but has been well maintained and was recently updated), but it is on 3/4 of an acre with a great, usable back yard and views. It is worth more than we want to spend, but we are thinking about stretching to get it. What do you think?
This is a view of the front of the house (not on the immediate right, but up and to the center, with the pink brick).
Here is the view from the back. The yard extends beyond sight down the hill, and is terraced.
This is what the back of the house looks like from the yard.
Here are Kath and Keegan enjoying the deck at sunset.
Here is a view to the west from the back yard.
And here is a view west, towards the Great Salt Lake, at sunset, from a trail near the front of the house.So what are your opinions on that, dear readers? Thanks in advance!!
18 comments:
Hey there! We love your blog! Karen Williamson told us about it!
So, we loved going to Carmel, and Monterey. The aquarium there is a lot of fun, and it is fun to stay overnight, but not have a wicked drive - NOT good for kids :) We also love the Tennessee trail, the one in Mill Valley. It is a great walk for the kids, and in a short time you are at the ocean. It is so amazing to be there and seem so removed from the craziness, but have beautiful SF so close by.
As for the 30 by 40, I just did Jenny Craig (my parents arrive in less than 2 weeks, and I want to look good), and it works, but after 2 weeks I am soooooo SICK of microwave dinners. It is a fast solution though! My in-laws are doing the Mike Thurmond plan, and my father-in-law dropped 30lbs in 6 weeks, it is very sensible, and worked very well for them. My mother-in-law lost 20lbs on the same plan.
The house looks great, my grandparents have aplace that was built in '75 in Provo, and they look a lot alike. I think that the advantage of an older home is that the time was taken to build it well (well, a lot better than the ones built these days), and the yard looks great, a HUGE assett when you have kids. The view is delightful, and that will come in handy - it is not Tiburon, but a good view is always an assett. The great thing is that the view will not change because I know nobody who plans to do anything with the Great Salt Lake ;) So, my 2 cents. You have always made sensible choices, and heavenly father loves you - you will be fine! Have a safe move!! Kim Muir
The house looks HUGE and what a yard!!!
These are a few of my favorite SF bay things...those paddle boats in Golden Gate park look so fun (we'll be doing them soon so I'll let you know!), the lighthouse at Point Reyes is amazing and we saw whales, Drake's beach is beautiful and the rocks block the wind, looking for treasures at ocean beach is always a hit around here. Our personal favorite is picking blackberries along Miller Creek and eating them all! Also, I think it would be awesome to camp out near the Golden Gate Bridge.
As for losing weight, the best thing Cyrus and I did is quit eating out and cut out the junk. We lost like 21 pounds between the two of us in the last two months (also I run a lot). We just watch calories and before we eat anything we think about whether it is worth the calories. Good luck.
ok, first of all, jealous about he house. Second, I lost a lot of weight after Billy was born by eating Kashi go lean cereal with nonfat milk for breakfast (make sure its not kashi go lean CRUNCH because that has more sugar in it) then I walked about 6 miles every morning. For lunch I had 100% whole wheat bread with light hummus, tomato, onion, alfalfa sprouts, and avocado. I ate whatever I wanted for dinner. Honestly, the biggest thing that helped me was switching to the nonfat milk & eating kashi go lean. If I needed a snack, I would eat Barbara's puffin cereal with milk. I also switched to drinking Kashi go lean shakes- you just put a couple scoops in the blender with nonfat milk, some frozen banana & berries & drink it for bfast. That helped me take off more weight. Anyways, my 2 cents!
-Malinda
I think that is a great idea. You can't find 3/4 of an acre anywhere these days - especially with a view.
Love the HOUSE!!! SERIOUSLY!!! You want more land than .33 an acre;-) Take of advantage of Utah and get more. Weight loss.....I could talk about for hours. Just remember fad diets and quick loss schemes are not long term and you will end up putting the weight back on. you gotta change habits and look at things you can permanently do to cut calories. Wow....I sound the the daughter of a dietician;-) LOVE my mom!
House looks great. Yard looks fabulous. My mother-in-law always says to "buy the most house you can buy." Real estate has always been the best investment...so if it's a real possibility for you, do it.
Weight loss...well, I wish I was better at it...but little things that help (all in addition to daily exercise!.) Skip the candy aisle at the store. No refined sugar during the week (give yourself a free day). When you think your hungry, drink water first. You might just be thirsty. Teresa Harding says, "Cut all your portions in half...eat everything you want, just half of it."
Add weight lifting to your workout. It boosts the metabolism so you can burn those calories faster and smarter. That's the BEST workout advice I can give.
Oh, and...NO SODA. No diet, no regular. Carbonation slows the metabolism.
Hey Chief,
House looks great! View is great!
Photo of sunset is awsome!
In regards to 30x40-
General suggestions-
Exercise-pick something, anything, and do it consistantly.
Diet-start viewing food as fuel, not entertainment and eat it as such. Also, pray for help, you'll get it.
Specific suggestions-Be ready to be sore for the first three months, yes, you know the site, www.crossfit.com. Find an affiliate in Salt Lake and work with them, then add as much unstructured physical activity to your life as you can.
Diet and exercise from the crossfit site "World-Class Fitness
in 100 Words:
Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports."
Results-In the last 12 weeks I've been somewhat consistant with the above methodology. Eating properly about 3-4 days a week and crossfitting/ exercising about 3-4 days a week with a few missed weeks-The results, lost approx 15 lbs fat, gained about 4-5 lbs muscle, made some new great friends and have learned how to do neat things like jump rope, burpies, suffer in dignity and how to pick up 300+lbs. The bike riding is also stronger than ever and I can actually run for the first time in about 6 years.
btw-the program is structured so that anybody, at any level, can participate and work into the program.
An added bonus is that if you do this first thing in the morning, everything else you do during the day is easy by comparison. (even being the Bishop)
Cheers!
sj
Hi Guys,
We're excited to see you before you head off to Utah. Here are some thoughts:
Sightseeing: I'm also going to put in a plug for Monterey -- but, only if your kids are into that sort of thing. There's also Bodega Bay (where Hitchcock filmed the Birds) to see whales, fly kites, have a picnic, etc. Yummy clam chowder at Lucas' Wharf, too. In terms of really family friendly stuff there's the Jelly Belly Factory tour (free) in Fairfield, you could pack up the kids in trailers and ride across the GG Bridge (see my blog for that last year). For more adult stuff -- I would definitely go to the Culinary Institute of America in St. Helena for a cooking demo and then eat at Taylor's Automatic.
Speaking of eating... my friend lost her "extra" 20-30 pounds post baby by just cutting out the bad stuff (chips, cookies, ice cream, etc.) and then working out (mainly on the elliptical). I also read "French Women Don't Get Fat" and that had some good, sane advice that you could easily do for the rest of your life. Mainly it said to eat in season (you'll get more flavors, therefore, you won't want to eat as much since your tastebuds are satisfied -- leading to smaller portions, and loads of water.
Lastly...the house is GREAT! Go for it. But, we're big fans of older houses and not so much into the McMansions either.
Ok, So for starters....to the person turning 40, I've heard life is it's best in it's 40's and you will have a lot of new things to look forward to! I have found portion control helps me! I eat all my meals out of the baby bowls like Gerber. I eat more often and less food. Don't eat late. Eat your biggest meal at lunch time, and put a nice walk with it. I lost 10 lbs. after Alyssa just by watching my portions. Hmmm, and I think the house was actually finished in March of 1980. I was thinking this because it is as old as me (this is what I was told anyway) I am so happy you both have some time to just BE!!! You don't have to ask me twice what I think of the house! It would be so great to keep it in the family.
Thanks for the comments guys! Keep em coming!
What a beautiful view! I am all about the view. You will never get tired of it. For the weight loss thing, I think portion control is huge. I firmly believe in everything in moderation. And add some physical activity. Don't push yourselves so hard that you will get burned out quickly, because then nobody wins. Good luck with all of these new decisions. And a little note to Kathleen - It was so fun having you at Bunco! I am sad we only got you for one game. We will miss your family dearly.
I love how everyone loves to give advice :-) Including me. So we just bought our first house a few weeks ago. It is interesting because for us, while we were house shopping, everyone seemed to have a house story... all with one thing in common: they just knew it was the one. That is more complicated than you think. It takes patience and trust to make it happen. But I'm here to say that God really DOES care where you end up. I hope that you will get that good feeling too wherever you choose to be. We decided to stay well within our budget because we would like to travel some day, spend, pay for good classes for the kids, etc. I am glad we chose that route. Financial freedom is important too.
As for the weight loss I truly believe that it is all about what you love. You have to enjoy what you are doing and eating. I really like taking classes through the rec center like Tennis. I remember doing that in Marin when we were back there. I always made fun friends and it was good, regular, fun exercise.
Also, lately, I have been majorly craving celery (no I am not pregnant:-). So let me instill in you the virtues that I have found in this yummy snack. I love the crunchiness of celery! It is the perfect summer food...not to sweet, not too strong. It has a super yummy flavor and is 100% guilt free. We always pack a big bag of it for our summer road trips. It is popular with everyone in the car because it is so refreshing. Love it, Love it! :-)
Boy, you asked for it! First - I love Muir woods. That's my favorite place around here because it reminds me the most of Oregon.
2nd - drink 2 glasses of water before you eat each meal. It fills you up faster. This is the BEST trick Teresa taught me when she was training me. Also, exercise. I'd say start in stages. Only change one thing about your lifestyle at a time. You know they say it takes 23 days to make something a habit? So, start in September adding a consistent exercise routine, then in October - limiting portions, etc. BAby steps, life changes, this is forever and not just until you turn 40! I have to have a little sweet something every day because I tend to go on a sweet binge if I'm too deprived. It also helps me feel rewarded for a long day of mommyhooding! Since you're going to Utah - just get in touch with Teresa! She worked for me! I lost 65 pounds with her kicking my rear!
3rd - love the house. Go for it and hire a housekeeper! Man, we'll miss you guys!!!!!
Ok, here are my two cents.
1) The house is amazing! I would go for it too.
2) Things to do in the Bay area. Well, I'm sure you've probably all done the typical touristy things. If you are looking for a little overnight trip, I suggest Lava Beds National Monument a couple of hours north. We had a blast exploring all of the awesome caves, even with two little kids in tow. No one seems to know about the place, it was totally deserted when we went. We actually went north to see Crater Lake and combined them into one trip. Fun and not too bad of a drive. Also, camping at Lassen volcanic park was a favorite of ours- so gorgeous! Camping at Kirby Cove if you can get a site was yet another local adventure we loved. Never made it on the skunk train, but we always wanted to do that too.
3) Weight loss. Hmm. . .we aren't the best dieters, but I live by the matra to eat whatever you want, just weigh everything very carefully before you bite in so the eating experience is worth the calories. So often you find yourself eating things that just aren't that good when you actually think about the taste, texture etc. Take time to listen to your body and stop eating when you're full but before you overdo it.
Boy, advice really is fun to give!
wow ur house looks big..............(cough) u think u can take the whole family wit u....like me granmo,,,ya.........now...well pce ot..nd ya bye mi holy nodel -franco
hello Bishop your future house looks great thank you for puting up with franco , we will miss you and your family ,thankx for all your help ,hopefully some day we will move to utah ,franco said that im too slow at typing ,. i know he is always complaining about something . you have a beautiful family , maybe when we go visit my sister we can go visit you but its not going to be until next year well i got to go we will see you next sunday -maria.....wait wait wait this is franco ok here is a joke for u why does the math book wants to comit suicide................................................................because it has too many problems.lol that mean laugh out load just for ue info...ok pce
wow ur house looks big..............(cough) u think u can take the whole family wit u....like me granmo,,,ya.........now...well pce ot..nd ya bye mi holy nodel -franco
hello Bishop your future house looks great thank you for puting up with franco , we will miss you and your family ,thankx for all your help ,hopefully some day we will move to utah ,franco said that im too slow at typing ,. i know he is always complaining about something . you have a beautiful family , maybe when we go visit my sister we can go visit you but its not going to be until next year well i got to go we will see you next sunday -maria.....wait wait wait this is franco ok here is a joke for u why does the math book wants to comit suicide................................................................because it has too many problems.lol that mean laugh out load just for ue info...ok pce
We almost bought my grandmother's house a few years ago, in a sentimental fit. I am so glad that we came to our senses. We have our own house to fill with our own memories.
I am no expert on weight loss except that I know what I did wrong. I am convinced I DIETED myself up to my current weight. I lost 10 gained 15, lost 20 gained 30 and so on. I once had an interesting talk with Bishop White about the 12 step program in the stake. He said that the key to breaking addiction is to uncover your core issue. And let's face it food can be a form of addiction.
My husband and I loosely follow the "Eat Right for your Bloodtype" diet which is more of a lifestyle plan. My husband has been eating that way for four years and he dropped about forty pounds in the first six months. There are a list of avoid foods, neutral foods, and beneficial foods. The point is to try and only eat beneficial or neutral foods. At first I thought I would die, but now I don't really miss the "avoid" foods.
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