The Adventures of Bond Girl & Iron Bladder: October 2009

Gah!!

Typically I'm anit-Oprah. Not for any real reason, I just don't dig her style. However, last week at work I was really bored one night and I cam across this article...

in this magazine...

I'm on this 'budget' kick still, having not worked for the last year, and the last time I got my hair colored the total tab (cut and color) was $230. I will admit that when I paid that much I got color I loved, worked for my face and a great cut. It was just too painful to pay on a regular basis. The trade off (discount service providers) has never proven to be a good idea for me. The time I last used a cheap colorist I left with big, white chunks in my dark brown hair. Not good. Not good at all.

Since I have four days off and lots of laundry to do, I decided to give this a shot. Turns out, I think I've found my forever solution!

Here are pictures of the results:

I'm thinking my roots are still a little darker than I'd like compared to the rest of my hair. Next time I'll give them a bit more processing time on their own.

What did I use? 2 L'Oreal kits: (1) lightest auburn and (1) intense red. I did choose to follow the instructions in the article for adding my own highlights (which is the point of the thrid picture) and for that I used Clairol HairPainting Kit for blond/med brown.

The highlights were kind of a pain (you color the rest, rinse, dry and then do those) but I don't think I'd go w/o them. The color would be too flat.

I will say I wasted a TON of product. I used maybe a 16th of the highlighting product and about 1/4 of the dye. That was disturbing to me. But overall, I'm happy with the results. It's kind of worth buying the magazine for, though I hate to admit it. The tips are great!

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'Nana Oat Bread

In an effort to loose weight I joined Weight Watchers on Thursday, October 8th. My meetings are every Thursday evening. It seems many people are familiar with the Weight Watcher system. Although this is my first time attending as an adult, I remember attending meetings with my Mother as a little girl.

Before each meeting begins, the members are encouraged to "weigh-in." My first weigh-in was last Thursday, the 15th. Losing between .5 to 2 pounds a week is considered healthy weight loss. I am happy/disappointed to report my first week I lost .6 pounds. My leader suggested I eat more lean protein.

It's my understanding there are several programs within Weight Watchers. I opted for the point system. Based on my current weight and height I am allowed 21 points a day. Initially, I thought this would be impossible but I've found it is more challenging to eat "green/filling" foods that will fulfill my point requirements daily than it is to limit myself to 21 points. Believe me, 21 points may not seem like a lot of food but it is.

I love to bake and recently made a goal to try a new recipe each weekend. When I joined Weight Watchers I wasn't sure how I was going to reach my domestic goal while trying to meet my weight loss goal. Imagine my surprise when I discovered the Internet is inundated with many Weight Watcher friendly recipes that include the number of points each serving equals.

So, in an effort to make healthier food choices I have been researching these Weight Watcher recipes online. I found a 4 point Banana Oat Bread recipe at http://www.laaloosh.com/2009/01/06/weight-watchers-oatmeal-banana-bread-recipe/

I took a photo for those interested in seeing the finished product. I rarely will try a recipe if a photo is not included.

Weight Watchers Oatmeal Banana Bread Recipe

1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup unpacked brown sugar

1/2 tsp table salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp allspice

3 tsp canola oil

1 large egg, beaten

2 medium egg whites, beaten

3 large bananas, ripe

1 cup uncooked old fashioned oats

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Add oil and eggs; mix thoroughly.In a smaller bowl, mash bananas with a potato masher or fork. Add bananas and oatmeal to batter.Spray a loaf pan with cooking spray. Pour batter into pan and bake until top of loaf is firm to touch, 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes. Flip out and cool on a wire rack for another 10 minutes. Slice loaf into 10 equally sized slices.

Serving size= 1 slice

Each serving = 4 Weight Watchers Points

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All I Want for Christmas is...

Dad, I know you want one too!

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