VICTORY is MINE! I survived Thanksgiving & lived to blog about it!

So, today I weighed in and guess what, I lost 1.6 lbs! For the first time in a long time I managed to lose weight over a week long Thanksgiving break. 


Please allow me to be ungrateful for the next few minutes. Truth be told, that 1.6 loss left me disappointed. And please spare me the "A Loss Is a Loss Lecture."

 For the last couple of weeks (yes, a couple) I can honestly say I  put forth a gallant effort toward my weight loss undertakings. For two weeks I shunned bread, rice, and pasta. I woke up 3 times at 4:25 AM for the 5AM session at the CrossFit gym. Although I am thankful for that 1.6 loss, I feel I deserved MORE! That just means next week I work harder!! GAME ON! 

Okay, back to being grateful...I owe my loss thanks in part to my strategies I employed & to my TAKE NO PRISONERS attitude!

My previous post provided a variety of strategies to survive Thanksgiving unscathed. Let me share the strategies that I actually used:

TURKEY DAY PLAN OF ATTACK! 6 TIPS TO STAY ON TRACK!

Tomorrow, for Turkey Day, an epic battle will be waged (for me, no different than any other day!) 

Tomorrow, the ENEMY (food) and I will gather at the battle ground, the table!! 

Face to food face, a line will be drawn  in the terrain!  And I will rise to the challenge  and fight to fulfill the promise I made to myself when I started the CrossFit Challenge. I vowed to honestly put forth 167% by committing to 4 workouts a week, tracking my food intake and making WISE, but HEALTHIER food choices. So far, so fabulous (few bobbles here and there)!

I refuse to let one day break that vow! THANKSGIVING, you will NOT get the best of me.

So, tomorrow I plan to go into battle  ARMED and READY FOR ATTACK!!! Armed with the tools necessary to stay on track. My goal this Thanksgiving, not gain one single pound. Of course a loss would be ideal, but maintaining or not gaining shall suffice. 

So what's my plan of attack to stay on track this turkey day?

Houston Healthy Lifestyle Meet-Up Recap

Last Saturday, November 12, 2011 a few bloggy friends and I convened  for the First Annual Houston Healthy Lifestyle Meet-Up! 


The ladies and I met around 10 AM and enjoyed a brisk morning walk at Hermann Park.  Even though a few of us met for the first time, we conversated and giggled like sorority sisters.  At the end of the path, we stopped to commemorate our walk.

After the walk, we ventured to Hungry's Bistro & Cafe for a bite to eat. I ordered the Sunrise Wrap. After I received my wrap I scraped the gelatinous cheese to the side of my plate. 

 This wrap served as my last meal, so to speak, before my big challenge! 


After our lunch we disbanded and went our separate ways:-( I thoroughly enjoyed the company of these jazzy ladies!  When you get a minute take the time, mosey on over, and get to know these fabulous fit bloggers:

Miesha from Mi-Inspire

Ro from Ro Gets Fit

Shawn from Changing My Weighs

Dee from Just Dee...living and loving

Kia from Interior Intensive

and not to mention these two arriving fashionably late...lol:

Reiko from God's Favorite Shoes

Juanette from Fashion Nette-Work

 This gathering served as the first of many more fun events to come!


As a matter of fact, for those Houstonians who missed the first get-together, get yo hot pants, satin jackets, and leg warmers ready. For the next meet-up we decided to take it to the rink, the skating rink that is...ROLL...BOUNCE!


More details to follow but the tentative date is December 3rd.


Stay tuned for more deats! 


Upcoming blog post you might not want to miss:

• You Think It's Pasta, But It's Not! PSYCH! It's Spaghetti Squash!
• CrossFit...DAY 2! I AM CROSSFIT! 

Fresh Start...

Saturday Morning I congregated with a few bloggy friends for our first meet-up EVER! 

A couple of them reprimanded me a few times for my lack of presence on Blogger. So, I had no choice but to come home and blog. Okay ladies, I hear you loud and clear. Look...I am blogging...lol.


I tried to explain, that my need to blog pretty much reflects the state of my weight loss efforts:

No blog post = no progress.

Long story short, I veered off path and got lost. But never fear my friends...


Last Saturday, November 12th, 2011 at 7:13 AM, I forgave myself for my recent weight loss transgressions and indiscretions. AND, I gave myself a FRESH START!


A fresh start in the form of a challenge...

"The I Am CrossFit Challenge"

Not familiar with CrossFit...click here.  Law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and military branches utilize CrossFit  as a form of training. Be afraid...be very afraid.

A coworker sent out an email informing the staff of the challenge. Being the competitive person that I am, I took the challenge as an opportunity to beat engage in a little friendly competition with my fellow colleagues.

If you know me, you know me + competition does not equal friendly. And I am a sore loser!

Initially, I considered the CrossFit Challenge as a competition between my coworkers and me. But after Day 2 of CrossFit, I now know that the challenge exist between Me, Myself, & I.

Day 1 of CrossFit put me to the test and pushed me to my limits. Yes, Day 1!

On the 1st day of the challenge I arrived at the facility bubbling with excitement. My excitement soon faded as the coaches explained the WOD (Workout of the Day) The WOD consisted of the exercises listed below using the following rep format 21/15/9:

• squat thrust while pushing weights up as you ascend,
• sumo squats
• 7 burpees
• run 200 meters

In short, the participants completed one rep of 21 (each squat), 7 burpees, and ran 200 meters.  We repeated the same pattern for a rep of 15, and 9.  By the end of the last rep my legs felt like J-E-L-L-O! And I did my absolute best to keep the vomit rising in my throat at bay.

O wait, did I mentioned that we executed dead-lifts prior to the WOD? And did I mention that I lifted 83 lbs? 

So, the Day 1 WOD also served as the challenge test. At the end the 8 week challenge the participants will perform the Day 1 WOD again to determine if our strength, flexibility, agility, endurance, speed, power, etc. increases.

Needless to say, I survived Day 1 and lived to blog about it...barely. Sitting, standing, and walking seemed like a painful chore.  I must admit, the handicap bar in the bathroom received quite a workout today. If it weren't for the handicap bar in the bathroom, I would still be sitting there...

in the bathroom...just sitting and waiting for help...

From now on, I should probably take my cell into the bathroom in case of an emergency. I can send out a distress SOS text.

If you need a a fresh start and welcome a new CHALLENGE in your life, try CrossFit...

Wait until you hear about Day 2!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! Another Year Old...One Foot In The Grave! Literally!

Happy Birthday to ME!! Today I turn another year older! I keep inching closer to 40 and I feel it in these old bones. 40 sounds old! I now understand the meaning of that saying...

ONE FOOT IN THE GRAVE...LOL!

But you know what? 40 is the new 21! 40, 50, 60, no matter the age I will rock it! That's what FABULOUS people do! And as we all know I A.M. F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S.!

Inching closer to 40 has me thinking. I need to stop playing around and jump start my weight loss. By the time I reach my 40th birthday I want to hit my goal and be the epitome of...

FABULOUS AT 40!

Uh Ohhhhhhhhh...I smell a challenge coming on! I need to sleep on it... more details to come!

ANY WHO... HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!

Not another beware of Halloween post...it's not

Awwwwww...FALL... 

A magical time of year.

Leaves crisp underfoot.

Quiet evenings on the patio listening to Vince Guarldi.

Mugs overflowing with piping hot chocolate.

Aroma of baking cookies fills the air.

FALL!

Fall makes me nostalgic. What do you love about this time of year?

 

Saturday evening my boys and I partook in our annual Halloween tradition... 

...Gulping hot cocoa and devouring fresh baked Halloween cookies while watching "It's the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown!" Any traditions for you and your family?

Well I wanted to share an oldie but goodie...

HOUSTON HEALTHY LIFESTYLE MEET-UP!

The holiday season, my favorite time of year,  LOOMS just around the corner. And with it, comes the ONSLAUGHT  of food....FOOD GLORIOUS FOOD! 

 For me, the holidays consume and overwhelm me.  In the past, my hectic schedule filled with holiday soirees, shopping, and family functions served as the perfect excuse for me to forget about my personal health goals. What about you my friends? Do you find staying focused during the months of November and December challenging?

HELP WANTED: help ME, save ME, from MYSELF!

I weighed in last week, and I noticed, since July, 7 extra pound found their way BACK! I KNOW, I KNOW...

I think subconsciously I surrendered, and I continue to just go through the motions of pretending to TRY with my weight loss efforts. My recent efforts explains my lack of blog posts. Who wants to blog about failing? It gets old and kinda of self-defeating after awhile.

Well, help IS on the way!

Stay tuned... can't wait to tell you about the best NSV...EVER!!

I miss ya'll! Thanks to those of you hanging in there with me. To those of you who stopped following...HOLLA HATERS!

Stay tuned if you want to read about my 15 minutes of fame...

How do I stay motivated to lose weight?

First and foremost I want to thank ya'll for showing me such an abundance of  love on my last post...This is MY blog! I hope my post helped and encouraged you to find your own blogging voice and or blogging persona.

So, now...I want to take the time to address a comment I received on my previous post. JM  writes:

"I have been off for a few weeks now too!! I was doing soooo well and then fell of track! How do you motivate yourself to start back again? I will wake up every morning saying I'm gonna do this today!!! And I go to bed every night saying OK tomorrow I will do this!!!!"

Well....let me start by saying this:

THIS IS MY BLOG!

I joined the Blogger blogging community in February of 2009! After two years of blogging I recently arrived at the following realization...

back from the dead...

Lately...

I have not blogged.

I have not tracked.

I have not planned.

I have not exercised.

The old fat me squeals..."Hells to the yeah!"

The new fabulous me screams..."O Hells to the NO!"

 

This picture inspired my post!

I AM F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S.!

Greetings fellow bloggers. Pardon my absence, but my recent 20-YR High School Reunion took precedence over E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G.! I plan to elaborate on my A-MA-ZING weekend, but for now I want to end the suspense and reveal  "THE DRESS." 

 Without further adieu ...THE DRESS! In the immortal words of MYSELF..."BOOM!"

Despite my many temper-tantrums and excessive whining about my weight loss adventures, ALL of my excruciating, painstaking, hard work paid off! 

 Look at me now...dressed to IMPRESS!! 

Stay tuned for more pics and details of my reunion shenanigans!

You had me at hello...

Greetings y'all! This weekend I attended the wedding of a blogger friend God's Favorite Shoes!

A portrait of the bride and groom...

One of the highlights of the wedding (besides the bride's charming dress and fierce shoes)...


I finally met a fellow weight loss blogger, Robin a.k.a. Ro, from Ro Gets Fit! She had me at hello!

When Ro walked away to congratulate the bride, my friend Teryka (who by the way makes the most fabulous jewelry), asked me about Robin:


Teryka: How do you know Robin?


Me: She blogs about weight loss. Sometime she and Reiko workout together. I just met her today *looks at imaginary watch* about about 30 minutes ago.


Teryka: FOR REAL!?!? Y'all act like you've been friends for years!!


It's true Robin and I carried on like age old friends! Her bubbly infectious personality made her quite personable!

Long story short, Robin and I met in the parking lot of the Mosaic while searching for the complimentary valet parking garage. After our quick dispute with the parking attendant, who insisted that parking cost $3, we drove off bewildered in search of the complimentary valet parking garage. We never found it, so I followed Robin and parked across the street.


The parking dilemma added to one of my many mental breakdowns that occurred that day!


Breakdown #1: My kids asked to attend a close friend's impromptu birthday celebration, which put me behind my dress shopping schedule.

Breakdown #2: DRESS SHOPPING! A little unknown secret about me...I HATE SHOPPING! Ever heard of Murphy's Law...anything that can go wrong...will go wrong. The law applies to shopping. 


For example:
...you decide to go shopping for something as simple as a new bra, but as you walk through the department store you see 432 of the most adorable dresses EVER! As you reach for one of the dresses, you remember that you went to the mall to buy a bra...not a dress. So, you leave the dress(es) at the department store.


Murphy's law kicks in when you actually NEED a dress for an event. So, you return to the department store to purchase one of those 432 adorable dresses you saw previously when shopping for your bra. Unfortunately, you arrive at the store and discover those 432 adorable dresses were replaced by 435 of the most hideous dresses EVER!

Despite Murphy's Law of Shopping, I found the PERFECT, junk loving dress. This dress hugs my junk-in-tha-trunk...tastefully. 

Breakdown #3: I planned to leave on time. Be quiet, YES I wrote on time! (I suffer from CLS, Chronic Lateness Syndrome...This IS real folks. GOOGLE IT!) Like I said, I planned to leave on time, but breakdown #1 threw me behind schedule and thwarted my plans to leave early. AND breakdown #3 intensified when I remembered I agreed to meet Robin in the parking garage by 6:45!!


Breakdown #4: I followed, or so I thought,  those idiotic iPhone map app directions. Well, leave it to me to turn down the wrong street...TWICE. And Breakdown #4 intensified my anxiety about Breakdown #3!


So...I finally made it to the wedding and guess what? I forget my dayum camera battery. So, yes I arrived with a camera, and NO battery...genius!

Despite my many psychotic breaks throughout the day I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the wedding. The thing I loved the most about Reiko's wedding...


NO contrived, pretentious traditional hoopla. If...no WHEN I get married it will be far from traditional (did you hear read that mom?)


Wedding highlights:

The blushing bride & groom! Check out Reiko's and Sean's fierce foot-ware. 

 

I also had the pleasure of meeting Juanette (the picture crasher) from Fashion-Nette Work! She gave me the best fashion tip ever on how to create the fabulous statement necklace you see pictured above!

 And me....dancing!

Guess where I learned how to WOBBLE? ZUMBA! That's right ZUMBA!! For those of you not familiar with the WOBBLE, or for those of you who want to learn...I present...THE WOBBLE!

I would to see a video of you doing the wobble! 

Before I sign off I want to tell Reiko and Sean CONGRATS and a big THANKS to Robin for the cookbooks she gave me!  

Now get outta here and get yo WOBBLE ON!

Would you love a FABULOUS free personalized layout for your blog?

I already know the answer to that question! HELLS TO THE YES! If you want a free blog designs visit Miss Felicity Designs. 


If all goes well, I plan to ask Miss Felicity to design a blog layout for my mom's business, A. Marie's Cakes (shameless plug). 


Check out some of A. Marie's work:

See more of A. Marie's work on Facebook. Like A. Marie's Cakes!
Follow on twitter @AMariesCakes. Just announced...A. Marie's now provides mail-order cookies!

Don't forget to check out Miss Felicity for a free layout!

To the Winner Goes the Spoils...Weight Loss Rewards

So, let me first start by saying, the blogging community let me down a little bit. I blog for me, not for the comments. However, I asked for feedback a.k.a comments in my post titled, Did You Know There's a Weight Limit For Kayaking? I just wanted some ideas in regards to how you reward your weight loss efforts. 

The thing that chapped my hide...I received over 100 views for that particular post, but only 12 comments. Baffling. I took my comment temper-tantrum to Twitter and a few fellow tweeps responded with reasons why they do or do not comment. 

One response, which made total sense, blog readers comment when they can contribute positively to the conversation at hand. And I respect that. Like my momma always says, "If you don't have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all!" 

Well...a few people left some nice comments about weight loss rewards, which I found helpful:

• To cut cost, Mesha from Potter's Clay suggested that I  keep my rewards thrifty by visiting my local thrift store. Great Idea Mesha! Check out my new purse from a local thrift store.

You like? With these hard times, I am becoming a quite the recessionista.

• Krystal from Skinny Jeans Dreams gave me a novel idea:

"I am supposed to be doing this but due to some serious lack of funds, I haven't been. But I originally planned to reward myself with $10 for every week I stayed on track with weight watchers and put it away for a real treat."

A couple of other bloggers, Ro and Plum Petals also offered a similar idea of saving up for a big reward. 

I think in the mean time I will stick with the plan of rewarding myself with a small token for every 5 lbs lost, and I will save up for  a big reward when I accomplish huge milestones: reaching a certain size, 75 lb loss, 100 lb loss, etc. 

Speaking of big rewards...my mom and I went shopping for my 20th high school reunion dress. After hours of grueling shopping, we finally found a dress! And here it is!!

Awww come on...did you honestly thing I would revel my reunion dress? Really? In due time my friends...in due time. 

My mom purchased  the dress for me. While at the register, she says, "That's your reward." Reward for what you ask? For being the most fabulous daughter in the world...ummm...heeelllooo! 

Dressed to Impress with Crystal Light's Flavor Over Fizz Challenge!

Summer's HERE! And in my opinion...Summer rivals that of Halloween. How you ask? Just like Halloween, you see some VERY SCARY sights in the summer: 

• as the temperatures rise, so do the hemlines, 
• ghastly UN-pedicured feet in fabulous sandals make unwanted appearances, and
• people begin rocking this season's summer frocks two sizes to SMALL revealing body parts better left to the imagination.

To help end the horrifying summer madness, I want to offer a couple of summer DO's & DON'Ts (free of charge):

• DO receive pedicures on a regular basis, or purchase yourself some snazzy versatile flats.
• When purchasing clothes, DON'T buy it just because they make it in your size!

In addition to the scary sights, the summers down South bring with it hot scorching HEAT and record breaking TEMPS! And what better way to beat the heat...The Crystal Light Flavor Over Fizz Challenge!

Participants of the Flavor over Fizz Challenge replaced their fizzy soft drinks with Crystal Light. I breezed through the challenge...a piece of cake. I generally run in the opposite direction of sodas, but every now and then I like to wash down a greasy slice of pizza (my kryptonite) with some carbonation! 

So, I further challenged myself by deciding to increase my water intake. I understand the benefits of water, but the taste...or lack there of leaves MUCH to be desired. Most of the time I drink my water straight or on the rocks.  When time permits, I add fresh fruit or cucumbers to make my water more palatable. 

With the help of the Crystal Light Flavor over Fizz Challenge I added a little excitement to the my water. As well, I found creative ways to enjoy Crystal Light AND increase my water intake.

And one more thing...
As part of the challenge I  had to show "how I dress up" my Crystal Light. So how do I dress up my Crystal Light? It depends on my mood.

When I feel SASSY & FLIRTY...I dress up my Crystal Light Lemonade and make my favorite mocktail...the Lemon-Drop Flirtini! Using Crystal Light makes this drink waistline friendly!

When I feel FUN and PLAYFUL...I utilize my sno-cone machine and dress up my ENERGY Wild Strawberry Crystal light with fresh seasonal fruit!

My FUN & PLAYFUL mood also inspired these Crystal Light ice pops! As well, you can dress up these ice pops by adding fresh fruit!

How do you dress up your Crystal Light?

No monetary compensation was provided by Crystal Light or Glam Media for this post. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Crystal Light.

Part 2...Pinky's Response

Before reading this post, click here to read part 1...Did you know there's a weight limit for kayaking?

Pinky's Kayak Rentals

Before I share my conversation with Pinky's, let me set the scenario for the email I sent. I pretended that I planned to bring a group of friends kayaking.  Going were two couples and my overweight friend. Not completely unheard of! That used to be me, the overweight friend...the 5th wheel! 

So, I emailed Pinky and the following conversation ensued:

Me:  

I'm curious, how do you handle the weight limit issue? Your website says if one exceeds the weight limit, you can set the person up with a partner and a tandem kayak?

What do you tell the person your setting the overweight patron up with? When do you make the arrangements? I want to bring a group a friends, and this could be a potentially embarrassing situation for one of them. Thanks for your time.

Pinky's: 

Good morning Trina :-)

Thanks for your interest in our services and a great question. We have two types of Kayaks available a single and a tandem both with weight limits due to safety and the structural integrity of the kayaks...Oops! I am sorry Trina, I did not mean to bore you with the details, but in a nutshell it comes down to safety and making sure the kayaker is comfortable.

So usually what occurs is the overweight kayaker is paired with a lighter weight one, this can be done at the launch site discreetly. Or what typically happens is the overweight kayaker comes to the launch already paired up with one of their friends or family members, so there is no mention of weight at all since everything is decided ahead of time. Hopefully, this answers your question, but if you need further clarification or have any other questions please feel free to ask away.

Have a fantastic week :-)

I DID INDEED NEED FURTHER CLARIFICATION...SORRY PINKY!

Me: 
I'm hoping that we can find a partner for my friend, but in the event that we don't...you mentioned that you pair the two discreetly. What exactly do you mean by discreetly? Do you just pull the two to the side? If we  don't find a partner can I email you ahead of time and let you know? Do we need to arrive ahead of time so the pairing can occur? Thanks on advance for your assistance! 

Pinky:

Hey there Trina,

What will likely occur is the following: Say we have a tour for 8 people. You guys show up with 5 people having reserved two tandems and a single and the other group of 3 reserved singles, well the overweight person will be paired with someone from your group since you guys reserved the tandems. So you will still have 2 tandems and 1 single. The others in the group of 3 people will not be affected, as they reserved 3 single kayaks. So if you are coming in as a group, we reserve the kayaks requested for that group. It would be much easier for you guys to figure it out ahead of time so that this will not be an issue. If we need to move people around we will, but it starts and stays mainly with your group, as it would be unfair to move someone expecting a single to a tandem. We hope this helps clarify the situation for you. Please let us know if we can help you out any further Trina.

Thanks again and have a great day!

He kinda answered my questions. BUT,  not really. What I want to know IS...

What if my hypothetical overweight friend shows up to the park without a partner? 

The moral to the story:
From me to you, I advise all overweight patrons to bring a partner or you may endure an unpleasant experience. 

You know what friends...2 years ago that weight loss restriction applied to ME! Fast forward two years later, I AM NOT THAT GIRL...not the 5th wheel...not the overweight mortified kayaker! 

My last statement reminded me of one of the best comments I have received in a while from Jane: 

Just found your blog and it's so funny! Love it. :) As for the kayak scenario...I was somewhere when i saw a "weight limit 200 lbs" sign (maybe a rickety old elevator in Paris?) and it felt SO good to say to myself "HA! I can ride this bitch now!!!" when I wouldn't have been able to a few months ago. :) 

So...to the kayak I say...
As Jane so eloquently put it, "HA! I can ride that bitch NOW!"

Did you know there's a weight limit for kayaking?

OH EM GEE Y'ALL! For the past few days I experienced   Internet connectivity problems. The Internet issues frustrated me to no end, AND now I MUST  tweak my blogging schedule in order to maintain posting consistency.  

Originally,  I planned to churn out 3 post this weekend for next week. And...as of right now, 3 post by the end of today...not gonna happen, especially with my self diagnosed ADD.

So...the other day I received a comment from C of The Evolution of Me. She basically put me on blast in regards to how I reward my weigh loss efforts:-)

Put on blast: to be called out for something, to put someone's personal business or secrets in the spotlight, to be told off in front of a lot of people.

Used in a sentence:
The Weight Watchers receptionist put me on blast. She told everyone my weigh in results! *not a true statement*

I appreciate C for putting me on blast. Her comment made me sit down and reevaluate my weight loss rewards system...or lack there of.

Blog Renovations

No new post today (well technically this qualifies as a new post)...just wanted to let you know I plan to continue my blog renovations! Thanks to all of you who commented on my new look! The credit goes to Jen, the creative force behind Just Foolin' Blog Designs! 

I visited Jen's blog the other day, and I saw quite a few familiar names in her queue. A queue?!? Yes, a queue!! When I purchased my design, I saw no queue! Ya'll better jump on the bandwagon before Jen blows up and forgets the little people:-)

So what renovations am I making? 

Weight Watchers' Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Weight Watchers Eye-talian (Italian) Sausage and Pepper Pasta

Course: main meals
PointsPlus™ Value:    7
Servings:  6
Preparation Time:  15 min
Cooking Time:  25 min
Level of Difficulty:  Easy

Spicy sausage, red wine and fire-roasted tomatoes come together in this ragout-like sauce. Truly hearty and satisfying

Weight Loss Motivation... 7 Reasons Why I'm Still Wearing a DAMN Size 14!

Alright already, I need to get this party started and stop dragging my dayum feet. At this point in the weight loss game, size 10s or 8s should be hanging in my closet! I know what I need to do, but my brain and my stomach continue to battle for control! To help myself get it together I composed the following list of reasons why the size 10s still elude ME:

SAME blog, NEW look!

Last week, I impulsively decided to get a blog makeover.  I tried to redesign my blog myself a few times, but it took FOREVER to figure out the in and outs of blog designing. It took me 2 DAYS to design my previous header.  

For several months I searched for a blog designer, a reasonably priced blog designer...but to no avail I found a bunch of high priced designers.  I gave up my search, but thanks to Toot at Wonderfully Complex, I found Jen from Just Foolin Blog Designs.

Since I decided on a whim to make some necessary and much needed changes, I had absolutely, positively, no idea of what I wanted. Jen sprung into action and suggested the pic you see in the header!  I quickly grabbed my camera, turned my dining area into a portrait studio, and started snapping away. In no time Jen created a mock-up for me to see! She works FAST!

And  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, my Facebook and Twitter badges!! LOVE IT!! And my blog  button...SUPER JAZZY. I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! I LOVE IT! The video below describes exactly how I feel about my new look!!

Make sure you grab my button, it's FREE!! 

I plan to make a few more changes and then my new look will be complete! FYI, iPhone and iPad  users, the blue background does not show up. As much as I love sitting here yammering on and on about my new look, I really want to finish watching Season 1 of TRUE BLOOD...FANGBANGIN TIME!

THANKS AGAIN JEN!

DANCING QUEEN! I CAN'T BELIEVE I NEVER POSTED THIS!

I strongly believe in the power of dance! I dance EVERYWHERE: in the car, in the kitchen while cooking, at the gas station pump, in the mall, in the street, during after-school dismissal duty, at the park while jogging, EVERYWHERE!

Dancing enhances my life in so many ways:

• Dancing provides an opportunity to squeeze in some cardio and burn calories. Sometimes at red lights, I activate my Polar to see how many calories I burn while waiting for the light to change.  

YES, I dance in the car, and YES people see ME!  My fave red light tunes: SINGLE LADIES by BEYONCE, FIREWORKS by KATY PERRY, SOMEBODY TO LOVE by J. BEIBS, and FOREVER by CHRIS BROWN! 

• Dancing adds excitement to my day!
• Dancing offers a creative outlet for me to express myself! 
• And the best thing about DANCING...IT'S FREE! YOU CAN DANCE ANYWHERE FOR FREE! G'HEAD...BUST A MOVE!!!

Speaking of dancing,  the other day I ran across the video posted below, and I thought to myself, "I CAN'T BELIEVE I NEVER POSTED THIS!" 2 summers ago my boys talked me into taking a Mommy & Me class, well in my case Mommy & MEs. Despite much apprehension about participating, I...well we, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and I even burned a few calories! Without further adieu...

Did you see my sweet moves? And can you believe when I do dance, my boys have the audacity tell me, "MOM, sit down! Where do they think their talent comes from? Heeellloooo...ME! You know the saying:

"The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!"

My apples received all of their talent from this tree. The first video features my oldest showcasing his choreography skills from a class he taught last week:

The next video showcases my youngest...the comedian.

So, now I challenge YOU! Shoot a video of yourself busting a move (e.g. running man, cabbage patch, robo-cop, the wop, dougie, wheelchair stuntin, etc) and then post the video on your blog!