Don't Get Fat

My maternal grandmother weighed over 300 lbs. When she died, her license said something like 160. She was always so funny. We just laughed and laughed when we saw that. She tried every diet in the world. As a child, I remember my mom driving her to the Cleveland Clinic for some diet appointment. She came home with some crazy, strict diet. I know she also did Weight Watchers. My mom and grandma would make sure to use the bathroom before weighing in so they "lost" weight and then they'd hit a buffet on the way home. No lie. I don't think she ever lost any weight on any diet. She only got larger and larger.

Yesterday, a friend asked me about Weight Watchers and their new program. She wasn't sure if she had it in her. She said she was destined be fat. Since I had lost 63 lbs in the past year and a half. (The picture of me near the ocean is from October 2009 just as I started Weight Watchers). I thought I could help her out. But, it turns out. You really can't. Only she can decide to do it.

You can have the best hospital in the area give you a diet. You can have all of the materials from Weight Watchers. You can be Oprah Winfrey. But, until you DECIDE that you are going to do it, you won't. It is all a mental game. All of it. Each meal, each snack, each workout is a mental choice of either doing it or not. No one else can make you do it. And no one can really hold you accountable. Only you can.

Here's how the game is played. Yesterday, I added a little bit of sugar to my tea. Just a bit. I told myself that it was only a few extra calories or so. Didn't really matter. Then I didn't work out last night but told myself I'd go in the morning. I didn't even set my alarm. Told myself I could workout later in the week. Ate a little extra snack last night. I didn't over eat at dinner. So, I "rewarded" myself. Sounds crazy reading this. I am only hurting myself. Listen to your own voice talk youself into a bigger piece of cake or an extra cookie. We all do it. All of the small choices add up to either weight loss or gain.

It is all choice that we have to work through. When I finally decided that a size 16 in women's was not a size I could live with, I made a list of why I wanted to lose weight. I reread this many times throughout the year. I also watch Dr. Oz regurarly because he remind me of why it is medically necessary to not be overweight. He has scared me thin.

My grandma used to always say to me "Don't get fat." She meant this with every bone in her body and I could hear the pain in her voice. It was a warning. She lived a very long life. She outlived all of the other grandparents and saw me graduate from college. But, she couldn't walk in a mall without sitting down. Her legs hurt and she was always embarrased by her weight. She hated being fat. I want a long, healthy life. I made the choice and I make it at every meal and every snack. It is a constant struggle. I wish my grandma could see me now after three kids (and four pregnancies) and see me at a size 6. She would love it! And she would be shocked to know that I carry her warning with me and use it to keep my head straight.

Here I am dancing the night away in Vegas last October. One year later.

The Boa

This hot mama left hot pink feathers at every winery we visited. It was a trail of fun. I wondered what the people finding the feathers would think. Where did these come from?

KpFUN was the sixth or seventh birthday girl to wear the boa. I can't remember who we bought it for first. Each 40th birthday, the bag is passed around and once the party has gotten started, the feather boa is pulled out and later a silly crown is put on her head.

When I was younger, I didn't know that the 40th birthday party was such a big deal. But as my friends have hit the big 4-0, each one has had her unique party. We had one at a country bar with dance music, four at a local dive that plays great music to dance to, one a a very cool bar with a band and this past weekend, we went to the wine country in Geneva with a limo! The parties are planned by their closest friends or sometime the woman plans her own. I have had a great time at them all.

I love the 40th birthday celebrations. When someone groans about getting old or teases me about my age, I honestly tell them that my age doesn't bother me. I lost a friend to cancer a few years ago. We were the same age. Each birthday I get to see is a gift and one that I wish my friend and her family could have. So no, birthdays do not bother me at all. In fact, I am trying to figure out what to do for mine. I have over 4 months to plan this bash. I love to dance so I know there will be a dance floor where ever I end up. And I loathe bad music. I am a serious music fan who drives DJ's and party hosts crazy with requests.

So where will I wear the hot pink feather boa? Might turn my house into a club, might travel to Vegas, might end up at the dive bar in our town, might take a limo downtown with the girls, might include the guys, might have it at a friends house, might be a big bar... who knows?Birthdays are for celebrating. Let's pretend the recession is over and money is plentiful, where would you celebrate yours? Dream big people. And celebrate with a hot pink, feather boa and don't forget the crown.

Are We There Yet?

We were only on the highway when we heard our middle child yell "Are we there yet?" We had only about 13 1/2 more hours to go. We knew it was going to be a long trip.

Every three years, we take a vacation with my in-laws to Myrtle Beach. When my husband was a child, they went every summer. We rotate our vacations so that we can go somewhere with my family and then on the off year, we take one on our own. This year was our Myrtle Beach year. I was impressed with the changes and growth in Myrtle Beach.

If you visit, don't miss the new boardwalk downtown. You can't see it from the main strip downtown. You have to go towards the water and walk. They built a gorgeous wood boardwalk that invites you to walk near the beach or sit and enjoy a margarita at a local restaurant. A good place to start is near the new, amazing ferris wheel, called SkyWheel. We ate lunch and had margaritas at Land Shark after playing in the arcade. My sons loved the Ripley's Believe It or Not and it was fun to be downtown. Great job Myrtle Beach for building this new boardwalk and creating an updated downtown.


When in Myrtle Beach, we always stay at the Dunes. It is perfect for families. It has an indoor water park on the ground floor so when you get too much sun or need a break, your little ones can play in the splash park or zoom down the water slides. There is a great kids program to keep your kids happy and the little ones like my Ellie can play in a new little playground. We had an amazing, huge four bedroom condo that provided room for 13 of us.



Our favorite buffet in Myrtle Beach is Captain George's. It has the highest quality seafood and buffet that we have come across. It is located right across from Broadway at the Beach. We always go early, just as soon as they open to avoid a line. We were there in early June and didn't have to wait at all.

We always visit Alligator Adventure, the Ripley's Aquarium and this year added MagiQuest to our visit. The boys LOVED it. My mother-in-law took the kids to the new pirate show called Pirate Voyage and everyone enjoyed the show. It is very pricey but I am sure it will be a memory that the kids will never forget. They loved it.

Myrtle Beach is a great beach vacation for families. It is located about 14 hours (with many stops for the kids- 12 hours for normal people) from Cleveland. We left at 4:30 am so the kids would sleep (did not) and we drove straight. Totally doable (with alcohol as a parental reward at the end of the drive). A vacation we will never forget. And one we will do again when Ellie is about 5. And it will be her turn to yell "Are we there yet, Dad?"

Cock-a-doodle-do

I am a big old chicken. I don't like the girl that is cutting my hair. She is a girl, not a woman. I am not sure she is even out of high school yet. You are right. She has to be. But when I am sitting in that chair, I feel older than dirt. It isn't a good feeling. I pay big bucks to sit in that chair for two hours. I should walk away feeling like a million dollars. That was my sign. My other sign was that she was trying to make me a brunette. And that ain't happening. So I am leaving her.

I am in the process. Most woman form tight bonds with their stylists. I have had two really good ones. My last stylist left me for another place too far away. So I am on the hunt. The salon assigned me to this chica and my gut says I must keep looking. I made an appointment in my town with a place down the street. It was almost as pricey but I left feeling like I was overpaying for the experience. (Notice how I am avoiding all use of salon names here! Protecting myself in case I go back!)

So I want to stay with my fancy salon but I don't want "Alice" to know that I am leaving her. I just called and made an appointment with Alice, casually asking what days she works. I will then cancel my appointment and make it was some Jane Doe on her day off. Cross your fingers! I hope I find someone good. We used to tease my Dad that he was never happy with any barber or stylist in town. I am starting to feel like my dad. I wonder if he found someone yet. Or if he is as big as a chicken as I am about leaving them. And if you know someone at a big salon in a nearby city at a shopping complex, let me know who you like. It might just work out. But keep it on the down low. I am a chicken.

Kitty News

We let Indy go in early June. RIP sweet kitty. We love you!