The Removal of Fred

  Happy hump day!!!  How are things in your world?  Me?   I am a bit nervous today because I am having Fred removed.  What is Fred you may ask?  Fred is a skin tag that has been hanging out right above my right eyelid.  Fred is starting to hang out in my eyelashes, so it is time for Fred to leave.  I am a slight, ok , large weenie when it comes to pain.  I hate shots.  When I get a flu shot, someone has to hold my hand.  I told you I was a weenie.  Anyway, in order to remove Fred they have to inject my eyelid (what???) and then snip Fred off.  The whole thing will take less than 5 minutes, but still!  Inject my eyelid????  Mommy!!!!!  Luckily I have an awesome hubby who is going with me to hold my hand.  Did I mention I really, really, really love my hubby?  He is beyond amazing.  Anyway, the vain part of me, which is quite large I will admit, is thrilled about Fred being gone.  He is quite prominent in all  my selfies and other photographic opportunities I have.  But still, a shot in the eyelid????  Ouch.

  Let's move on, please.  Distraction, distraction....oh!!!!!!  Did I tell you I had a chocolate dipped ice cream cone from McDonald's last night???  It was delicious!  I have not had one in forever and wow,  do I miss them.  I will not put this on my regular rotation unfortunately because of that whole cutting out the sugar thing but, yummmmmmmmmy!  Go treat yourself.  You deserve it.

  I need some prayers, good thoughts, light, whatever it is you do sent to one of my bff's.  She is unemployed at the moment and is having a tough time getting a job.  She is very talented, but her field is highly competitive.  I love her dearly and would like to see her employed again.  Thank you in advance.

  I hope you have some wonderful weekend plans to look forward to.  I do, but would rather not share just yet.  Let's just say I am crossing something off my bucket list this weekend and it involves my awesome yayas so you know it is going to be good. I am nervous and excited at the same time.  That is good, right?  You know there will be pictures on facebook and instagram so you will find out about it before I write about it. Friend me on facebook if you have not already.  I am an open book so you may peruse around before you decide on the befriending thing. I do not understand the whole private thing on such a public website.  Oh well, back to topic.   I do not want to jinx it, so that is why I am keeping it quiet.  Sorry to do this to you, because I hate suspense. But, too bad!

  Tip of the day:  get some new running shoes.  What a difference!!!  I may have mentioned my awesome rainbow shoes (thank you, Fila) I got several weeks ago, but my goodness.  It really makes things better.  My knees do not hurt nor am I not getting shin splints! Yeah!!!  Neither one of those were bad, but the pain has disappeared.  I admit, I did not get fitted, but I did have someone assist me with my purchase and I ran around the store with each shoe I tried on to get a good feel.  The ones I thought would work ended up rubbing on my ankle as I was running in the store.  Did I get funny looks doing this?  Of course, but really, who cares?  Life is too short to worry about such things.  So, treat yourself to some new footwear.  Your body will thank you for it.

  Enjoy your Wednesday and say goodbye to Fred!

Hugs!!

 

Shut it down

  Happy Tuesday?  Trying to get back to normal after the devastating tornadoes that ripped through Arkansas Sunday night.  I have only watched one video and tried to avoid the pics.  As a native Arkansan I have seen way too many homes and people destroyed by tornadoes.  Been there, done that, tired of it, wish it would stop, but it won't.  I am not going to talk about volunteering and donating because I already know you were on it and were raring to go on Sunday night as soon as it was over, because that is how we are.  I am blessed with all the emails, texts and facebook posts asking if my family and I are ok.  It is hard to say yes, I am ok when all around me there are those who are not.  So, yes, physically, we are fine.  Mentally, getting through. 

  On to other things.  My tip of the day.  Give up some sugar.  I do not mean the kissing kind by any means.  If you are blessed to have the best kisser ever in your life ( like I am), by no means give that up.  In fact, take advantage of it and work those lip muscles.  I am talking the stuff that we eat.  Hubby and I challenged ourselves to have no sugar for a week and we made it!  I personally, could feel the difference.  Definitely more energy and a little flatter in the belly.  Was it hard?  Hell yeah!  Youngest step son went out and bought Krispy Kreme donuts for everyone on Friday and we did not have one.  I love donuts, so that was difficult.  But, we did it and we are going to keep going.  I did breakdown yesterday and had a Krispy Kreme, but it was so yummy.  Did I feel bad after?  Hell no!  I am not a food punisher.  I enjoy it and move on.  Why kick yourself about it?  If you are going to, don't make the decision to do it in the first place.  That goes with other things besides food.  So, two tips for one today.  Rock it!!!

  I volunteered for my first ever golf tournament on Friday.  It was awesome and it has motivated me to take some golf lessons this summer.  I am sure I will be horrible at it, but who cares.  It looks like fun and I love being outside in the warm weather with friends, so why not?  Remember our try something new discussion last week?  What is your something new? 

  My last thought for the day:  Enjoy your life and the people you put in it.  Some you do not have a choice but to tolerate their presence, but embrace who they are anyway.  They have to be there, so learn to live with it.  I have done this with someone recently in my life and I feel so much better about it.  Now, if I can apply this to someone else it would be great.  A friend of mine gave me some words of wisdom.  Shut it down.  Apply this however you see fit, but make sure you shut down what is eating you.  I will let you know how I am progressing on this, but please keep me motivated. 

  Give someone an extra hug today.  You know they need it!

Hugs!!!

I need Sugar!

  Yikes!  I challenged myself and the hubby to be sugar free this week and let me tell you, it is hard!  I have such a sweet tooth and there are temptations every where I look!  I have been faithful though.  No cheating.  Princess even made some yummy looking and smelling cookies, but I did not have one bite.  I did have a piece of Russell Stover sugar free chocolate and it was not half bad.  It was a coconut one.  The caramel piece was blech.  I will admit, I do feel better and there is a slight difference in the pooch, so I will keep on my trek.  I am trying to decide if I need to still do cold turkey next week or if I can allow myself a small treat.  I am afraid if I do, I will not be able to stop again, but dammit, I want a donut! 

  Life is a bit busy and expensive at the moment.  Every time I turn around someone needs something paid for.  Recital outfit, car tags, class ring, lifeguard certification, school fees, etc.  I know these are a part of everyday life, but it seems to have come all at once.  Thank goodness we both have jobs.  It has curbed my extra curricular spending at the moment though.  Hate when that happens, but responsibility comes before fun, sigh.  We are wrapping up soccer for the season, but have games every day for the next 3 days, plus a full day of cheer clinic on Saturday(princess is trying out for cheerleader this year.  She did not make it last year, so cross fingers.  She really wants this).  I am missing my nephew's debut with the Arkansas Razorback band on Saturday.  He is on the drum line and is performing at the Red/White game on Saturday. He has wanted to do this every since he saw them perform many years ago, so I am so proud of him for achieving this goal.  Our family are huge Razorback fans so this is extra exciting for all of us.  We will definitely attend as many games as possible this upcoming season.  Sunday, I hope, is a day of rest.  Our jungle or yard, finally got tamed yesterday thanks to the fabulous Dougie V.  He does a great job.  Our mower is not working at the moment and something needed to be done before our cats got lost in the mess.  I might do some planting, which is actually rest for me.  I love to work in the garden.  The rewards are spectacular.

  Tip of the Day: Try something different.  I was talking to a mom at tumbling last night about Hot Yoga.  I have done Yoga in the past, but not Hot Yoga.  This is on my list of things to do.  I love trying new exercise programs, routines, etc.  Did you know they have exercises at our trampoline park, Altitude?  How fun.  The rumor is it is intense, but fun.  I am also wanting to try a 1,000 calorie burn exercise class with my friend, Annetta.  She loves it, but I am only hoping I can keep up.  I encourage you to do this with food as well.  Try something new or something you may have not liked in the past, you may surprise yourself.  Our taste buds do change, so give it a go.  Let me know what you have done different.  I love feedback. 

 Enjoy your Thursday.  Life is too short to be miserable.

Hugs!!!

 

Let's take a Selfie

  Good Morning!  It's hump day.  Take that literally or not.  I don't care, but hopefully you do.
Last night hubby and I went to the Michael Jackson Cirque show prepared to be amazed.  Well, we were not.  It was underwhelming and reminded me of a school performance.  Now, don't get me wrong, some of the acrobatics were very impressive, but overall, I am glad the tickets were free because it was not worth the $90 each they sold for.  The show did feature a performer with one leg and he did some spectacular things on crutches and by himself.  And there was another performer who could turn herself into a ball backward, but other than that, no thanks.  We did have a Young's Double Chocolate Stout with a Whiskey chaser before the show at Creegan's and that was yummy.  Try one, you will thank yourself after.  The Irish Nachos looked amazing, but I am really trying to watch what I eat, so I turned it down.  We did split a Jimmy John's small sub sandwich after the show.  I love their sandwiches.  Go try one.  We have one downtown and new one just opened in West Little Rock.  They are fresh, tasty and the staff is always friendly.

   Let's talk about selfies for a moment.  Take one.  Embrace the selfie.  I don't care if it is in your bathroom or in your convertible, solo, or with a buddy.  Do it and have fun with it!  I have a teen daughter and teen sons and they are selfie takers, although the princess definitely wins on the volume side.  With all the hype about body image and how "perfect" you should strive to be according to what the magazines show us, I am glad our teens and adults have the self confidence to post pictures of themselves for all to see.  So, let me see your selfie!

  Moving on to the tip of the day.  Embrace yourself and love yourself.  Don't like what you look like?  Change it.  You have the power to do so.  Just make sure you are doing it for yourself and not anyone else.  Do not let anyone have that kind of power over you.  This applies to our mental health as well.  You cannot change anyone but you.  People are not going to quit hating or being jealous.  You need to forgive them and move on. They are not worth your time. 

  Have a fabulous Wednesday.  It is gorgeous outside!!!

Happy Tuesday!

  Happy Tuesday, Earth Day, Girl Scout Leaders Day, and my favorite: National Jelly Bean Day. 
I am sad that I will not be participating in the National Jelly Bean Day as hubby and I are sugar free this week.  I have talked about challenging yourself and this is my challenge for the week.  Yesterday was hard!  I love sugar.  I have a horrible sweet tooth and it needs to be curbed.  I am starting to see a slight paunch in the tummy(horrors!) so I am cutting back.  The only sugar(processed) I will be using is in my coffee.  Artificial sweeteners just do not taste right in coffee.  So one teaspoon it is.  Last week I challenged myself to not facebook for a week.  I was successful!  I did share my blog posts and some pics I posted through instagram, and answered inbox messages, but no scrolling.  I have to say, I really did not miss it.  I love facebook though.  I love seeing pics of kids, what you are eating, what you are doing, and if you need some prayers or good vibes going your way, I will help you out in that way too.  It takes a village, people.  And I am here to participate in yours and I want you in mine, as long as you behave.  Start hating and I am not interested.  Who needs negativity anyway. 

  I forgot the tip of the day yesterday, so here are two.  Eat right and exercise.  Everyday.  Even if you take the most far away spot at the store to park, you are getting in exercise.  I am about to take a 10 minute walk with the hubby since WRA was cancelled last night(stupid thunder!) and I will do another walk this afternoon.  20 minutes done and I have gotten out of my office, which is necessary for my mental health as well.  Eating right, take a bad decision and turn it around.  Could not resist the office donut?  Have one instead of two.  Had dessert at lunch?  Do not eat dessert at dinner.  It really is the little things that will help.  I am doing a four week ab challenge to see if I can get some tone back in four weeks.  I think this, coupled with the no sugar thing, I should see some results.  I had hubby take a before pic last night, but none were suitable for show and ended up turning into a different kind of exercise.  TMI, I know, but we are talking about exercise and that most certainly counts!  I will take one tonight and post it tomorrow.

  As you have noticed, I changed the name of my blog.  I have had readers(yes, I have some :) ) ask if I would change the name as they were not a fan.  They liked what I had to say(thank you) but felt the title was off putting.  So, the change has been made.  Enjoy.

  Enjoy your Tuesday, make it a good one and give some one a smile or a hug or both.  It really does make their day.

Hugs!

Happy Easter, happy weekend

  Happy belated Easter!  Hope you had a fabulous weekend.  I most certainly did.  We had Friday off, so hubby and I put the top down and played all day.  We did do some responsible things, like get car tags for our new ride.  It was an anniversary gift to each other and it is very ironic that the numbers on our new license plate are 0525, which is our anniversary date.  Cool, huh?  We ate at Little Rock's new grilled cheese restaurant appropriately named, The Main Cheese.  It did not disappoint.  Mark had the Quachibella Sandwich which is basically portabella mushroom on a rosemary foccacia bread with truffle oil and a red pepper ailoli.  It was heavenly.  Very fresh and tasty.  I had an appetizer as my meal, the Caponata.  Yum!!!  It is essentially a dip made with eggplant, tomatoes, olives, and capers served with pita chips.  So yummy.  It was flavored with garlic and basil and was heavenly.  It was lent, so we stayed meat free, but they have a Ham and Brie sandwich that I desperately need to go back for.  The staff was friendly and we had a cutie patootie server.  Her mom is one of the owners of the restaurant.  This is a welcome addition to Little Rock and will definitely get my return business.

  Saturday was full of Soccer and egg dyeing.  My hubby is an amazing man.  He coached both boys in the morning and princess in the afternoon.  He is a great coach and much loved by his players.  I love going to watch him coach(he is very enthusiastic) and of course, watching the kids.  Jake has one more season to play and Rader 2.  I am going to miss watching them play so I am soaking up all that I can.  I have only missed one game this season and I was sad to do so. Go watch your kids play and participate in activities.  They love the support and love to show off for you. Show them they are a priority and what they do is important regardless of whether they are the star or sitting the bench. Sorry, got a bit side tracked.  I am passionate about parents being there for their kids.  The boys won their game!  Jake and Rader played great!  Ellie's team tied and were exhausted after as they did not have subs.  Such stamina.  I admire them.  In between games we went to a good friend's house for their annual egg dyeing party.  The food was yummy and the company fantastic.  We missed the annual viewing of the Ten Commandments, but soccer obligation calls.

  Sunday was full of Easter fun.  The family went to Mass and then we ate at Riviera Maya.  We have a tradition of eating Mexican food on Easter.  I love Riviera Maya because it is cheap and yummy.  After stuffing ourselves, we headed home for the Easter egg hunt. Yes, we put on an Easter egg hunt for our teenagers.  They were moaning a bit about it at first, but they had a blast.  The video is awesome and we will try and post it to facebook later.  We then proceeded to take long afternoon naps, except for the princess who had a friend over.  They have energy for days.  The rest of the day was spent clearing the pollen of the cars, porch, carport, etc.  Achoo!!! 

  I went to bed last night thinking of how very blessed I am.  I have a great husband, wonderful kids and step kids, and fabulous friends and family.  Is it perfect?  No.  But I don't need perfect.  I just need what I have right now.

  Have a great Monday!  Hugs

Go Eagles!

  Go Eagles!!!  The Eagle I am referring to is the University of North Texas mascot.  College tour day with Jake and the ex was fabulous!  Loved the campus, everyone was friendly, answered all of our questions, I did not feel rushed, and we had the best tour guide.  D was very enthusiastic, but not overly so, I could tell she loved UNT, and was well informed about the campus.  We met with the Admissions and Financial persons and they were just as helpful.  Jake loved the school as well so that is a bonus.  The ex and I got along well and even managed to eat a late lunch together.  I am glad we have gotten pass the yucky stuff and can be friendly again. 
 
  Can we talk about the food in Texas?  Love it.  Jake and I ate at In n Out Burger-yum!!!  Animal style all the way.  For lunch yesterday I was trying for Raising Cane's, but could not work it out so we landed at Potbelly's.  I did not say ended up because Potbelly's is a yummy sandwich, pizza, and salad shop.  Jake and I both had the works sandwich and the ex had ham and turkey.  He is not as adventurous food wise as Jake and I are.  On the way home we eat Dairy Queen for a Blizzard (Jake) and an Orange Julius(for me).   I hate that I do not have access to these places in Little Rock, but I cannot have it all, unfortunately. 

  I missed my hubby and daughter tremendously while I was gone.  Hubby took her to tumbling on Wednesday and saw her do a round off with three back handsprings!!!  Woot!  She is doing amazing.  She definitely has a talent for tumbling.  He then took her to Wendy's for dinner after, so they managed without me.  Sigh.  I love that they have a good relationship.  It makes me smile.

  Tip for the day:  Try new foods.  Instead of the same things you eat day in and day out, challenge yourself to try something new.  For the longest time I was a picky eater and now that I am an adult, I will pretty much eat anything.  Let me know what you have tried.  I am a foodie, you know.

  Today is my Friday,so I am looking forward to a lovely 3 day weekend!  Hoping the weather cooperates so I can go topless. 

Hugs!!

Trip with the ex

Good Morning!

  Did you see the cool moon last night?  Neither did I.  I am sure it was awesome, but I like to sleep, so moving on.  

  Today, Jake and I will be driving to Dallas to stay with my brother and family and tomorrow we will tour University of North Texas in Denton.  We are super stoked about this visit.  It works for me because it has what Jake wants to study and it is close to my brother and it has what Jake wants, out of state.  I am also a bit nervous because Jake's dad will be joining us for said visit and dinner after.  Now, for the most part we do pretty well together as long as we stay away from certain topics.  We have learned to do this over the last couple of years and I am so thankful for that.  I am still nervous, though.  The worst thing you can do is fight in front of your children.  I regret to say that we have done this a couple of times early on in our divorce, but the kids have seen us get along more often than not, so I feel a little redeemed.  I hate drama and I hate turmoil in relationships, especially in divorce parent situations because it really affects the kids.  I have a good relationship with my ex's wife because I have embraced her role as their stepmother and his wife.  I know she is not there to take my place, but she is there to honestly, just be my husband's wife and an extra support to my kids.  Ellie and her do mom and daughter things because she has all boys and I am glad she gets to experience that and Ellie certainly loves the attention.  Jake is the big brother, they have 3 younger boys, and "hero" to them and it's kind of fun to witness this hero worship.  Does not do bad things for Jake's ego as well. I, unfortunately, do not get along with hubby's ex at all.  Not even close.  I hate this, and maybe in the future that could change, hey I told you lived in a Hello Kitty world, so you never know.  So, wish us luck on the trip tomorrow.  It should be fun. 

  Tip of the day:  Challenge yourself.  Take an ab challenge. Take a plank challenge.  Take a squat challenge.  You will amaze yourself on what your are able to accomplish. Google hubbub for some awesome workout challenges.   I have horrible upper arm strength.  I can do squats and sit ups for days, but push ups???  Joke!  I took the push up challenge and surprised myself.  At the end of the challenge, I was doing 75 push ups(some modified against a lower couch) and 3 sets of 35 second planks.  When I started at the beginning of the week I could barely get through 3 sets of 20 second planks and 20 push ups.  Wow!  I am going to keep this going because I can already tell a difference in how my pants are fitting.  Those planks do a number to your core which is where I need it.  I can also tell a slight difference in my arms.  I already had toned arms to start with, but they are just for show. They are weak!  Doing challenges with a buddy will keep you motivated.  I always grab my hubby to do things with me.  He is always a willing participant because there is always some awesome reward after that we both benefit from.  I will let your imagination go where it wants on that point. ;).  Let's just say, hubby's weak spot is workout wear, not lingerie.  Crazy I know, but one is way more comfortable than the other, so I am not complaining.

  Have a fabulous Tuesday and wish us safe travels on our trip!  We are taking the new convertible  and the weather is supposed to be fabulous in Dallas.  Woot!!!

Hugs!!!

Hello Monday!

 
  Good Afternoon!  I hope you are well rested and ready for the upcoming week like I am, Not!
Hubby and I had a fabulous, but busy weekend.  We did not leave the house at all yesterday and accidentally took a late nap, around 6 pm, so we did not get to bed until late last night which made for a hard time getting up this morning.  Thank goodness for coffee!

  Did you go to the races on Saturday?  Derby Day!  How fun.  We took my father in-law who loves the races. We try and go with them at least once a year.  My mother in-law was too exhausted from the events of the last week and enjoyed a lovely day at home.  This was my first Derby Day experience and I loved it!!!  My friends and I decided next year we are going to go all out. I have access to a box seat so we are going to reserve it, get dressed up and all wear hats.  I loved seeing all the outfits with matching (and some not matching) hats.  The gentlemen looked so dapper in their seersucker suits and bow ties.  Loved it!  Now, you do not have to get all dressed up to attend Derby Day.  I saw many 'I'm not sure you should be allowed out of the house with that outfit on', but all in all it was a good mixture of both.  I was not a big winner, but then again I am not a big gambler.  I did place bets in the 10th race and the 11th, which was the actual Derby.  The Derby race was awesome.  The long shot came in and the crowd was excited!  All 70,000 of us.  I told you it was crowded!  Very much looking forward to next year.

  Saturday morning was the Catholic High School 5K race.  Hubby and I volunteer, as we have two boys who attend school there.  We usually participate in the race, but since we were going to the track right after, we did not want to exhaust ourselves.  It was tons of fun.  I love the dog walk and the kids run.  They are so cute.  The person who won is a student at Catholic.  He ran it in 19 minutes!!!  I was beyond impressed.  He was not even out of breath.  Wow is all I can say.  I am proud to say my awesome ultra runner friend, Jeanne, won her age group, again, for the 3rd year in a row.  Her time was a very impressive 24 minutes!  Love her.  She is awesome. 

  The weather here is terrible!  It is freezing outside.  No topless for me today.  Last night we had horrible thunderstorms.  I hate them.  Hubby knows this and is so sweet about it.  He cuddles me up close and sleeps closest to our patio doors to protect me.  I seriously love this man. 

  I have decided to stay off facebook for this week.  Nothing prompted this decision, but I feel like I need a break.  I will post this to facebook, but that is all my participation until next Monday. 

  Tip of the day and then time to sign off.

  Try to stay off the scales.  Once a week is about as often as you need to weigh if even that much.  You need to pay attention to how your clothes are fitting.  Are they looser or tighter?  Looser:  keep doing what you are doing.  Tighter:  something needs to change.  The scale is just a number.  I can weigh myself 3 days in a row and come up with a different number each time 2 or 3 pounds either way.  Can get a depressing so concentrate on the pants that were a bit tight.  Fitting better???  Awesome!!!! 

  Enjoy the rain and have a lovely Monday.

Hugs!
 

I do eat, I promise

Good Morning!  Looks like another beautiful day in Central Arkansas. Ahhh, I am ready to say so long to winter.  I am NOT a cold weather person.  Give me 100 degrees any day. I want to visit winter, not live in it. 

  Tip of the Day:  Avoid extra fat in your healthy eating plan.  If you are like me, I love the world of sauces and condiments, but they add extra fat and calories to an otherwise healthy meal.  Little choices like these make all the difference.  Stop the cheese sauce on the broccoli.  Choose mustard instead of mayonnaise.  Use a vinaigrette dressing(not too much) over the cream based ones.  It's the little things people.

  So yesterday was lovely, and  I was able to put on shorts for my WRA training.  I had quite a few "nice legs" (thanks!  love that one), but quite a few "do you ever eat"???  Now, I know these people are well meaning, but yes, I do eat!   I then went through my yesterday's eating to justify my skinniness(arggghhh!!!) .  I did not have the best eating day, nutritional wise, but here it is: breakfast:  skipped, except had decaf coffee.  I do not recommend the skipping of meals, but I had a rich dinner the night before and I knew I was having an early lunch.  For lunch hubby and I split a Mediterranean pizza and Greek salad and I had half and half tea.  (Read the details in yesterday's blog).  After lunch, we threw a baby shower at work for a co worker.  I had lots of veggies(love those veggie trays), and about 6-7 cake balls.  They were awesome.  A friend at work, Michelle Armstrong, is the queen of cake balls so I had to indulge.  For an afternoon snack I had a small cup of a cheese cracker combination.  So, I do eat.  Dinner was at Zaza's where I had their salad of the week, which was amazing!, with my cousin by marriage, Katie.  Love her!  So see, I do eat.  They asked me what my secret was, and I said portion control.  Now ignore the cake balls, but I usually eat half of a meal when I go out and eat on a smaller plate.  It is cost effective and no one should ever eat that much food. Remember the plate size discussion from yesterday?  I also try to do some sort of exercise every day.  Even if it is parking further away from the store.  Movement is crucial.

  I am so glad it is Friday!!  Having lunch with my Village girls today and then getting my hair done(long past due) and having happy hour with my YaYa's.  I am very blessed to have so many wonderful friends.  They keep me grounded and full of laughter. 

  Have a wonderful weekend!  We are off to the horse races tomorrow with my father in law.  Wish us luck!!!

Hugs!

Yummy food

  What a beautiful day in Central Arkansas!  Sunny and 81, top down, gorgeous!!!  Get outside soak up some Vitamin D.  Most of us are deficient in Vitamin D, so go soak some in.  I am working today, so I am making sure I can squeeze in little breaks outside and tonight is Women Run Arkansas so it will be a wonderful night for it.  Love those ladies and all they are accomplishing.  I am so glad I get to be a part of this group.
  
 Down to business:  Tip of the Day:  Use a smaller plate.  Why you ask?  Portion control.  It is easier to control your portions when you are using a smaller plate.  It is also a mental thing.  You fill a smaller plate, finish it and know you are done and feel satisfied.  Now, just make sure you do not go for seconds.  :)

  Thank you for your kind comments and concerns regarding my in laws.  They are doing better and are slowly coming through this.  Now it is more of an emotional thing although there are still physical signs of the attack.  Said attacker is still in jail and I personally hope she rots there. 

  I love living in Arkansas, especially Little Rock.  Growing up, I always wanted to get away, and did, but now that I am older I would not want to be anywhere else.  Now, I love travelling, but this is my home.  One of the things I love are the multitude of food choices we have here.  Go out and try our locals and chains.  You will not be disappointed. Last night, hubby and I went to Maddie's in Riverdale.  Wow!!!!  Great service, nice atmosphere, and amazing food.  For starters, we had the smoked salmon dip served with pita triangles.  They were not chips, but were nicely baked.  It was delectable.  I honestly could have eaten that as my meal and been satisfied.  Hubby had an Andygator beer(yum) with his meal and thoroughly enjoyed it.  For dinner, I chose the Potato and Smoked Oyster Chowder and hubby had the BBQ Shrimp with smoked cheddar Grits.  It did not disappoint.  The Chowder was served hot(I have had issues with this before at other places, so this deserves recognition) and it was seasoned with Maddie's own special blend of spices which was perfect.  There were plenty of smoked oysters and potatoes.  Highly recommend.  Hubby's dish was just a excellent.  The shrimp were cooked just right, the grits were roll your eyes in the back of your head good, but the sauce!  Oh my, the sauce!!!!  So heavenly.  Just enough sweet with a smidge of heat.  I admit, I took the left over pita triangles and sopped that stuff up!  Not very miss manners of me, but I could not help myself.  Please pardon me for my indiscretion.  Please, go try Maddie's, you will not be disappointed.

   Today, hubby and I went to Newk's soft opening in Midtown.  It is beautiful and spacious. A Newk's!  In my backyard!!!!!  We just need a Macy's, a Nordstrom's, and a Sak's and I am good to go.  It was a limited menu, but it was nice to try something other than my standard Black n Blue Salad I always get, because it is awesome!  We had the Greek Salad and Mediterranean Pizza.  The salad was fresh and the right amount of dressing.  It is mixed in so if you do not prefer it that way, make sure you request it on the side.  The pizza was good, but I will admit, the chicken was a bit dry.  I did not keep me from enjoying it though.  The salads are huge and enough for 2 meals if you are doing the portion control tip(as you should be) I gave you at the top of this blog. One of my favorite things about Newks is the circle bar.  You can choose pickles, bread sticks, garlic cloves, just to name a few nibblers they offer. We spoke with the franchise owner who has Oxford roots (hubby used to live in Oxford) so they had a great time chatting.  What a nice guy.  His name is Jim Lynch and lives in Bryant.  He has plans to open Newk's in Northwest Arkansas so watch out my Fayetteville and Bentonville friends. You are in for a treat.  

 Ok, time to get back to the grind of the work day.  The scanner is calling my name. 

Hugs!!!
 

Privacy????

  Good Afternoon!  Life has been a bit crazy these past few days, but we are muddling through.  Let's start with today's tip:  Do not leave out a food group on your journey to a healthier lifestyle.  If you are following a plan that eliminates one, stop it!  Right now.  Just stop.  We need all of our food groups to perform/help all of the different functions in our body.  If you eliminate one, you could be doing long term damage to yourself, so Stop!

  Today's rant, comment, whatever you want to call it.  I first want to say, this is my opinion and mine only.  I also am sorry if I offend anyone, but I need to get this off my chest.  

  As some of you know, my in laws were involved in an incident on Sunday night that was very unpleasant.  To highlight, they were injured by another person while dining out and the two sons who were in town ending up taking them to the emergency room for the injuries they sustained.  I met the two sons at the emergency room(the third son lives out of town) to help take care of my in laws.  We were all very distraught, to say the least, about the incident and did not get home until 2:30 am on Monday.  We were all wanting to get through this and put it behind us.  Well, thank you to our local news station, they decided to broadcast the video of the incident.  They first called my in laws for an interview, which they declined.  The news station then proceeded to go to the sight of the incident and was able to retrieve the video from the surveillance cameras.  So our now, very private family event has become public, very public.  We(the family) found out through text messages, emails, phone calls and facebook messages and posts about said video.  I was horrified!  Now, let me say that I do appreciate the outpouring of love my in laws have received during this time.  I appreciate the good intentions and kind words.  What I am upset about is the amount of times people felt they needed to share this video.  It was posted multiple times on my mother in-laws wall, we received it in emails and inbox messages, and someone even shared it on her blog!  I have only watched the video once and I was sick to my stomach.  Hearing about the incident and seeing the marks on my in laws were bad enough, but now I had the privilege(I say very sarcastically) of watching it.  It was so much worse than I expected.  What happened to privacy?????  End of rant.

  How is your day going?  Hope you are having a lovely Wednesday.  The sun is shining here and if it warms up, I will be going topless this afternoon!!!!  (I have a convertible, get your mind out of the gutter)   Give someone a smile or a wink today.  It may just brighten their day.

Hugs!

Cancer free!

  Excellent news this morning.  Jake's test results came back normal!  I was so pleased to hear this news and so quickly.  Last time we had to wait 5 days, so thank goodness for quick turn around.  Thank you, for all your kind words and prayers.  They were much appreciated.

 Had a fabulous time at Foamfest.  I loved speaking with all the beer fans and met John the Beer Snob, so what a fun time.  They have some great pics online, so check them out! 
   http://www.arkansasonline.com/galleries/18217/album/578962/?page=4 We had some great beer, besides the Leap of Faith offerings.  I had an excellent Honey Meade from someone I cannot remember(I need to look them up!)and a yummy Cucumber offering from Rebel Kettle.  Leap of Faith was well received and I found my new calling, beer wench!!!  Just kidding, but it was tons of fun.

  Other than that, my weekend was filled with watching the princess(my daughter Ellie who is 13) play soccer and lots of resting and watching tv.  I did, finally, get some new running shoes.  I tried on about 10 pairs(no joke) and found a pair that worked.  They are very colorful and I will post a picture tonight on my facebook page.  Needless to say, you will be able to see me coming day or night.  The hubby and I did try a new to Little Rock restaraunt last night, BJ's Brewhouse.  I have been to the one in Houston and was excited about their arrival in Little Rock.  We sat at the bar, and Erik, the bartender was very friendly.  We sampled a flight of BJ's offerings, and we were not disappointed.  My favorites, in order, were the Nutty Brewnette, Berry Burst Cider, and the Brewhouse Blonde.  Go check them out.  For food, we just had a couple of nibbler plates.  We had an excellent mozzarella and tomato salad and the Calamari. The Calamari was fresh and not chewy (which is sometimes the case).  I am excited to try them for dinner.  The pizzas look mouth watering.

  Tip of the day:  When you are venturing on your healthy lifestyle, do not compare yourself with anyone.  We all lose weight differently.  Some slower and some faster, especially men and women.  Be in competition with yourself only.  Now, that does not mean you cannot have a buddy or two or three to workout with, just do not compare results. Encourage each other and celebrate each other's victory and give a hug when a discouraging result happens, because it will. 

   Have a lovely  Monday night.  It is Women Run Arkansas Clinic night and I am excited.  I love these ladies!!!

Hugs!!!

They removed what????

   I am going to start with the tip of the day and then get on to other things.

 Tip:  When starting a lifestyle change, please make sure you are incorporating an exercise program along with healthy eating.  Doing one and not the other will ensure slower results.  Find an exercise program you can work with so you will stick with it.  Not sure what program you like?  Let me know.  I will be happy to help! 

  Now happy news!  Tonight, hubby and I will be helping our friends, Jody and Stephanie Mains, promote their home brewing business, Leap of Faith, at Foam Fest.  This is a local event held at Dickey Stephens Baseball Park that promotes local breweries and home brewers. It is also a benefit for the Arthritis Foundation so it is a win win.  This is Leap of Faith's (also co owned by Dave and Cynthia Ragan, but they are in Chicago) first public event so we are honored to be a part of it.  It will also be my first experience in a Little Rock Taxi as I am not into Drinking and Driving and neither is the hubby.  If you are able, come on out.  I am super excited to not only help our friends, but to sample some local brew as well.  My son told me last night that women do not drink beer.  I said this one does!!!

  Speaking of my son, Jake, he is such a trooper!  We went to the Dermatologist to have two moles examined.  My sister has been diagnosed with Melanoma recently, so we are a bit hypersensitive.  He had 2 moles removed a few months ago, thankfully they were benign and we have been watching the growth of other ones which prompted yesterday's visit.  The dermatologist decided the two moles were suspicious looking so they(a doctor, a resident, and two nurses) removed the two moles to be biopsied.  So, we wait yet again, for another non cancer diagnosis.  Although I know in the back of my mind it will be fine, there is still a small part of me that is crazy worried and that small part tends to take over, so please pray, send good thoughts, meditate or whatever it is you do for a non cancer diagnosis.  As a reward for being such a good patient(he always gets raving reviews from doctors and nurses) I treated him to Sushi, one of his favorite foods.  We ended up at Sushi Cafe.  I highly recommend this place.  The Sushi always tastes fresh and is presented so beautifully you feel like you are really eating fancy.  We ending up eating 3 rolls, about 30 pieces of sushi in about 23 minutes.  I know this because Jake timed us.  I guess we were hungry and really enjoying ourselves because we barely spoke except to discuss the proper way to use chopsticks.  I suck at using them and Jake is becoming quite proficient.  All this is to say, I love him and am very proud of him!  He has been through quite a bit in his 17 years and has handled everything in stride.

  Well my blogging friends, which I have my first follower, Thank you, Shelli Segura!!!!  Love you!!!, enjoy your weekend, love on your family and friends and be safe!

  Hugs!

I'm baaaack!

 Yes, my blog is back.  This skinny girl is ready to go again.  So many things have changed since my last post, um 3 years ago?  Yikes!  To my credit I have been busy.  I have married(to the wonderful Mark), gained two step children(that is a total of four all together, although the oldest, who is 20,lives with his mom-it's apparently too crowded at our house), moved, and graduated from college.  All in that order I might add.  I married in May of 2012 and life has been quite blissful with a few curveballs thrown in to keep me grounded.  Blended families can be a challenge, but we are navigating the waters quite nicely, I think.

  I graduated in December of 2013 with my Bachelor of Science Degree in Health Education.  I really enjoyed all of my classes and I have learned so much in regards to the world of eating right and exercise.  I do not like the word Diet.  First of all, it has the word "die" in it and that starts off with a negative conotation and who needs that.  I will still be sharing tales of the things I encounter as a skinny girl and why they bother me so.  I will also be sharing some tips on how to create this healthy life style for yourself.  What is different about my tips that you have not heard before?  Who really knows.  But, information you hear from someone else may motivate you more than the other. 

   My tip of the day.  Eating right.  Easier said than done?  If you are like me, I need a clear picture of what to do and how to do it.  I follow as best I can, because we are not perfect, the eating program recommended by the USDA called "choose my plate".  It is basically the food pyramid revised.  I discovered this while in school.  It works for all ages and is very easy to follow.  These days with our busy lifestyles we need easy and simple.  To get started go to:  www.ChooseMyPlate.gov.  Let me know what you think!  

  Funny story, I say sarcastically.  I had a job interview this morning.  I finished and went to one of my favorite places to eat, Terri Lynn's BBQ on Rodney Parham.  I am a foodie, so I will be promoting some of my favorite eating experiences.  I live to eat not the other way around.  I love food.  The whole experience, colors and flavors...mmmm, but I digress.   Terri Lynn's does not open until 10:30, but I went at 10:00 anyway because I saw the doors open and was hoping for some sympathy.  As it happens, they said come on in and they will serve me.  Yippee!!!!  I was jumping for joy.  They have a fabulous turkey sandwich called the Sharon and yummo!  I ordered my food and  the nice lady rang me up.  She asked if I wanted chips or a piece of pie.  I declined, because those things are not necessary, good, but not necessary.  She replied "No wonder you stay so skinny if that is all you are going to eat is a sandwich".  Now, was that necessary????  I just politely smiled back and did not respond.  I do get so tired of people commenting on my skinniness as if it were a problem.  Call me sensitive, but I feel I need to defend myself for being skinny.  I would love to come back with something not so nice, but it is just not in my nature, usually. 

  Anyway, enjoy the blog, comment if you would like, but please be nice.  Haters are not welcomed.

Hugs!!!