My Chocolate Addiction – Before and After

Well the time has come to give up my new Chocolate addiction the Chocolate MealReplacement Shake as I reach the end of my 8 week challenge. I have got so used to the shakes that I am dreading returning to finding my own lunches and returning to that late afternoon hunger crash which I have NOT been experiencing at all.

So the results? well you get to see for yourself as I had to take before and after shots and agree to post them to be part of the challenge.

You CAN see a difference in my two shots can’t you??

So I lost around 3.5 kgs but more important I lost around 1 1/2 inches almost everywhere, well where it counts I guess, waist, hips, bust etc.

Now comes the confession bit – I really could have exercised more. The last few weeks I tried to pick up my legs (pardon the pun) but I just found it hard to be motivated at a convenient time. When I did exercise it was only 1 or 2 times a week and was running up the steps at the park whilst my 3-year-old son sat and counted how long it took me each time. As a result he has learnt to count up to 40 un-aided. 🙂 I more than happy with the results especially since I know I didn’t go in as hard as I could have. I would recommend this product 100% especially if Hunger and over eating is your downfall.

Want to read up more about the whole thing? then follow my earlier posts.

Week 1 – Eat Chocolate and lose Weight – Yes I am serious

Week 4- Chocolate Diet Update 23 days in.

Week 6 – 6 Weeks of Chocolate

Want to win a weeks supply to try for yourself? Then visit this giveaway page.

Mason jars are fun to craft with, use for storage or even use to hold gifts like baking mixes or sugar scrubs. But you can make your jars even cuter — no matter what you’re using them for — by adding a bit of cross stitch to the lid.

This idea comes from Gathered, and while they are showing examples of Mason jars used for storage in the craft room, you can use these throughout the house. I’m also thinking you could do this as a way to fancy up a traditional Mason jar sewing kit, since there’s already a little batting under the piece of cross stitch you could still use it as a pincushion.

The post walks you through how to make a cross stitched Mason jar lids and a link to a PDF pattern that includes six design options.

They’re not totally for beginners because they include cross stitch, backstitch, eyelets and Rhodes stitch, but if you aren’t familiar with those techniques you can either leave them off or there’s a stitch diagram in the PDF to help you.

Either way these designs are cute and relatively quick to stitch in whatever colors you like. It’s easy to turn them into jar toppers, or you could even just use the Mason jar ring as a frame rather than using it on top of a jar (I did this with a little Christmas tree cross stitch pattern I turned into an ornament).

They’re super cute in the pastel colors shown, or work in red and green for more of a holiday look if you’re using them for gift giving.

Check out the instructions and grab the free patterns for these jar toppers at Gathered. Once you start stitching I’m sure you’ll come up with all sorts of things you want to store or gift in jars so that you can make more of them!

[Photo: Gathered]

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