Think Thin Thursdays - Weekly Check In

Good Friday morning!

Yeah, once again I am posting Think Thin Thursday on Friday. Maybe just for me I should change the title to Feeling Fat Fridays.

That would be more accurate now, wouldn't it. (Insert sad pathetic laugh here)

So how have I been doing, I have been:

1) Drinking more water
2) Making smarter food choices
3) Going to the gym
4) Trying not to drink martini's while
5) stressing over this event I am chairing this Sunday!

So what has this gotten me?

No weight loss! None, Nada, Zilch.

and that's all I have to say.

Go over to The Not So Blog for more!

An Award....from my Sister?

How lame am I? I finally win a bloggy award...from my sister.

But you know what....

I don't care. I am just thrilled to finally have an award.

So thanks Sister....and go visit her here.

There are the rules that go along with accepting this award:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude(If you don't have 10, its ok.)

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

So to fulfill my obligations I nominate....

Crazed Mind - She makes me think I am not the only crazy one round here.

Writers, Witches & Words - Her comments bring joy to me on a regular basis.

Diamond in the Rough - She is going through a time and needs support.

Me & the Blue Skies - love his honesty and the show pictures are fun!

Unconventional Fear - She is trying to move her life forward in a positive way.

So everybody enjoy!

And thanks Sister for my first award. No really, thanks. Love you!

Next up - cookbooks that I love - a meme from my bestest.

I don't have time to be sick

Did you ever wake up in the morning and wonder how it is you felt so good before falling asleep and now you feel like crap?

This house has been a sick zone for about 3 weeks and I worked very hard to not get sick. I have this big event coming up on Sunday and the last thing I need is to be coughing or blowing my nose.

So how did I wake up this morning? Coughing and blowing my nose. of course.

I am dosing like mad on Zicam, cough syrup and anything else I can get my hands on. What do you do when you feel that cold coming on? Especially when you have no freaking time to deal with it. Share, please.

And on another completely unrelated note....I hate to be micromanaged - especially by someone who claims to hate it as well. I will just never understand some things.

Making Ravoli - for Lent?

One of the things about blending two families is how to handle the traditions that each family has. It's hard enough when you come from different backgrounds, and it can be even tougher when you add in different religions. But you want things to work and as a family you work to blend, keep or toss things as you go along.

We have worked hard on several things, among them Christmas Day (my family being Jewish always did Chinese food and a movie, his being Christian had a more traditional day), Easter and Passover. Christmas Day was solved by visiting my family and my bestest for a great dinner. We have a traditional Passover each year and when it falls during Passover, we have a kosher Easter at our home (so we can avoid non-KFP foods).

But there are several new traditions that I think are cool. One is the feast of the seven fishes at Christmas Eve and the other is ravioli making for Fat Tuesday feasting.

Each year, right before Fat Tuesday, we all get together at my in-law's house and make cheese ravioli from scratch. It is the neatest thing. We make the pasta and filling (well, usually my father in law does that - unless we can wrangle it away from him!) and we sit at the kitchen table, rolling out the pasta, cutting, filling, forking and freezing. Everyone has a job. My hubby and son (and sometimes others) roll and cut the pasta, my sister in law and I are the fillers and forkers. We sometimes have company with that job too. My FIL is the freezer and counter.

The crowd is different every year, sometimes our older kids are present, sometime my son is not there, and most of all we have missed my mother in law since she passed away a few years ago.

Once the ravioli is frozen and counted, it is divided up into bags to be used for several meals, the main one being Fat Tuesday when you eat and party before the start of Lent. It's a great meal with homemade gravy, sausage and meatballs and all the ravioli you can eat.

I feel lucky to have the opportunity to share in these traditions and I am glad that we carry them on. Who knew that starting Lent could be such fun?

So what traditions does your family have? Have you started any of your own?

Think Thin Thursdays - Weekly Check In

Okay, this week is short and not so sweet.

I am going the wrong way and I don't know why. I am a bit aggravated and grumpy about it. I know I am not drinking enough water, but I am eating within my points.

So I am not a happy camper.

I need to regroup. That's my only goal for the next 7 days - focus and regroup.

For more go to The Not So Blog.

Marketing the business

I have been doing a lot of thinking about how to market my business better (and maybe earn some real money?@#*!)

Yesterday, I met with a realtor friend, whom I hope to do business with, and she spoke of the marketing things she is doing to improve her business and I realized how far behind the eight ball I really am.

So I need to get to work. Not just screw mess around with classes and letters, but I need to send out real mailings and visit realtor offices and write/build my marketing plan to put into my business plan.

It's time to really get started. I feel invigorated, charged up and ready to go for the first time in over six months and most certainly the first time since losing my job at the life sucking corporation.

So I am off...not my rocker (although my family often thinks that), to get started on my marketing. I have ordered a marketing list, new marketing materials and I will be updating my business web site over the next two weeks. Off I go, but first....

Those of you who have a business - how do you do your marketing? What has worked and what hasn't? All input is appreciated....

Wine Tasting

Today was a lovely day. In addition to being Valentine's Day, my dear hubby and I went with my bestest to a wine tasting (with chocolate - hello!) at Amalthea Cellars in Acto, NJ.

Now, I know you are thinking..."Atco, who the frick goes to a wine tasting in Atco?". Well I understand. New Jersey is known more for the stupid fruit wines (think blueberry and cranberry) then a good Chardonnay or Cabernet. But I have to tell you that this winery is the complete opposite. The wine are subtle and bold, fruity and oaky, full bodied and smooth. Both my hubby and I were quite impressed.

Now, as soon as my bestest starts working there I can get wine at a discount! But in the meantime, you can get a half case or full case discount. So we ended up with a 1/2 case each. We picked up:

Cabernet Sauvignon Blackberry vanilla nose. Smooth berry and black currant flavors, round and soft in the mouth, long, lush, jammy finish.

Merlot Intense, robust character - a mouthful of lush red berry and currant. Soft French oak in the nose and the palate with a smooth plum finish.

Chardonnay Aromas of pear with a hint of citrus followed by subtle green apple flavors. Soft, balanced, with a light oak vanilla nose.

The other interesting wine was a late harvest Villard - which was a honey flavored dessert wine. It was really wonderful.

So after tasting about 15 wines (and feeling every one of them!), we all decided we were hungry. So we back to MsMSVNJ's house with the intent to throw something together and so we did. Some oil packed tuna, white beans, capers, black olives, grilled red peppers, parsley, artichokes and some truffle oil and viola! A late afternoon snack. Add some fresh french bread, some assorted cheese and salami and we are a bunch of happy tipsy people!

So check out a local winery, you never know what a great experience you may have. Especially if you go with your friends.

Think Thin Thursdays - Weekly Check In

So another week passes and I am doing pretty good. I did not WI last week as I went to Philadelphia with my dear hubby for an early Valentine's treat.

I will post the update after WI on Saturday.

But onto my goal for the last few weeks - Water! I have been drinking water like an athlete who is working out in the hot sun. Too graphic - well, I have also been peeing like a racehorse, so I think the water is doing its thing.

I will continue the water as a goal but am also adding the exercise AT THE GYM 4x per week. I do not do as well exercising at home.

Now we have been tasked with checking out the Tyson site and looking at the products or which one we would use. I like the Frozen Fully Cooked Seasoned Beef Strips because I can control the portion and still get some beef into my diet. Something I struggle with, for sure.

So please stop over at the Not-So-Blog and check out other participants!

Thank You...with a bit of Dale Carnegie

First and Foremost, I want to thank everyone who came and visited me yesterday and today who commented and those who decided I was fun and interesting enough to follow. I love this community of bloggers and I am so glad that I found all of you!

I promise (I swear) that I will work doggedly over the next week to visit everyone who visited me. I know that this will not be quick but I am up for the challenge and really cannot wait to come visit you!

Many of you asked me - based on my Dale Carnegie post - to give some details on the conversation starters I mentioned. Now this is a great concept and once you learn it you will never forget it - really!

Dale Carnegie teaches you mind pictures to help you remember things. These mind pictures need to be detailed so that it is easier to remember. So here is the mind picture for conversation starters:

Picture a white house with a brass nameplate and a family out front, then a cat and dog running up the side of the house. As you look up to the chimney you see paw prints on a work glove. Suddenly a 747 lands on the chimney and the pilot comes out wearing skis and he is holding a meatball and a stamp collection. Suddenly a light bulb appears above the pilots head with a (?) question mark inside!

So what does this picture mean? It visualizes for you all of the ways to engage someone.

White House with brass nameplate? Name and where do they live
Family & Cat/Dog? Ask about children and pets
Paw prints on the work glove? Ask about their job
747 and the pilot with skis? Vacations or travel questions
Meatball and Stamp collection? Any hobbies or fun activities
Light Bulb with question mark? If a work person, ask them about ideas

Cool, eh? I love this and use it all the time. It works anywhere and gives you the upper hand in uncomfortable situations. Which for me is a crowded room...lol.

Random Thoughts - February follow ups

UPDATE: Thanks everyone for the special saucy surprise! When I got the e-mail that I was chosen by the SITS gals for a special day today (2/10) I was very excited and thrilled. I hope you all enjoy my thoughts and pictures and I thank you all for visiting.

Comments and feedback are always welcome and I look forward to visiting all of you as well!



Thought I would share some updates from my goals post from last month and other random thoughts....

1) I have been working with one realtor and now my friend who is selling real estate has reached out to me. I will be meeting with her shortly and I'll keep you up to date. Hopefully this will move the road forward on the staging side of the design business.

2) I am still trying to decide on courses to take and figure out the spending situation. So nothing new there.

3) The friend thing? Working on it and keeping it on the front burner. This one is very important to me.

4) Sewing is coming along - maybe combine with classes as in item 2 above.

5) I have been picking up books to read and starting a pile to dig into. I'll do some book reviews once I finish a few. Right now I am almost finished with Anthony Bourdain's book.

6) My son is not feeling too well right now and I think I will have to keep him home from school tomorrow. I am one of those parents who wants their child to "work" through it but he seems to be losing steam and not improving.

7) Why do people stop being followers? I was kind of bummed out that my number has decreased in the last week. Did I offend someone somehow?

8) My projects are continuing to come along and I promise to post updates soon.

9) Why do people volunteer for something and then disappear? I think that is the bane of volunteer organizations these days. I know we are all busy but it seems that one can make a small commitment of time to one's favorite organization.

10) Isn't it cool when those of us in cold weather get a few days respite from the cold temperatures? I know I appreciate the warmth.

That's all for now....time to go tend to my sick baby.

Some lovely Winter scenes

Sometimes words are not needed.....

Have a great Sunday!

A migraine on Think Thin Thursday

I work up this morning at 5:00 am with a blazing migraine. I got up, went to the bathroom and took an Imitrex. I then laid back in bed (for a big 15 minutes!) before getting up to start the day.

My head was pounding. My stomach was churning.

I have piles of things to do. My son's wrestling laundry (well that's every day for the season), mailings to get out, bills to pay, furniture to build, a Judaica shop to reorganize and a dining room table full of recipes to organize to name a few.

So I don't have time to have a migraine. But sometimes it beats you down.

Especially when you wake up with it.

I have had migraines fore-freaking-ever and I honest expect to have them until I am no longer of this earth. I have heard all of the reason, hormones, drinking, chocolate, caffeine. But why I get them is unknown. Maybe it runs in the family - my mom and my sister both had/have them. All I know is that the older I get, the less I can handle them.

So I will just continue my day...and hope it fades soon.

Last week for Think Thin Thursday I wanted to all things in moderation, well I was successful - even at the Super Bowl party! So I am quite proud of myself.

I will not be at WI this week as the dear hubby and I are sneaking off to Philadelphia for an early Valentine's Day treat. So my goal for this week is to do better with my water - I have been slacking off and drinking other stuff. Need to get back on track with that!

Look here for more Think Thin folks!

Oh, my favorite dessert idea? Dole Apples and Caramel sauce with a 1/2 cup of vanilla frozen yogurt. True decadence for a few points.

A favorite things swap

I was trolling through all of the blogs I like to read and I came across this great idea - A favorite things swap. This is courtesy of Mamarazzi at Dandelion Wishes.

I think it is a really cool idea and I am already thinking of my favorites, like...

A Decorating book of some kind

A really cool shopping bag that I love

and I am sure of a few more others....

Plus I am looking forward to getting some cool stuff as well. How good is that?

Thanks for hosting this cool swap - so go join it yourself!




You have until Feb 13th to join.

And the B&N Winner is.....

Thank you to the approximately 572 folks who commented on my giveaway and the 93 new people who are now following me. For those of you who did not win - I hope you like my blog and will continue to read me.

Without further ado, the winner of the $50.00 B&N Card and the Decluttering book is....

Random Integer Generator
Here are your random numbers:

176
490
528
Timestamp: 2009-02-04 12:45:19 UTC

Well a bit more ado was necessary! The Winner is..................

Mindy said...
I love Barnes and Noble! Congratulations on your 100th post!
January 27, 2009 12:17 AM

Mindy, you have three days to answer my email or the prize will go to commentor at #490 on the big nasty spreadsheet I had to build.

Sometime weekends are good

As I continue to struggle to fill my days with meaningful activities - other than job hunting and the gym - my weekends remain fairly busy. Sometimes the busy is the routine items of life, such as running errands or doing laundry. But this weekend was a different weekend. One that never stopped - but was full of only good things.

Friday evening I went to the MCT Wrestling tournament and got to see my darling son win one match that had other teams cheering for him (12-10 - it was epic). While he did not place (he was wrestling up in weight class), it was good to cheer him and his teammates. The tournament concluded on Saturday, but I had other plans.

On Saturday morning, I took my son to school at 5:40 AM (can't these matches start later?) and then came home and took a nap after my weekly WI. But the afternoon was special, as I was able to help my bestest with some things for her Mom - we went shopping, had a great lunch and then did some set up and decorating. It was an afternoon just hanging out and spending time together with no party, occasion or event to intrude. I was smiling the whole way home because it was just a nice day.

That night, I went out to a Ladies Comedy Night with some other gal friends and the comedian was very funny. But that was a tough room and she really had to work to get some of those tight asses people to laugh. However, I was laughing so hard I was crying. Our table was the loudest laughing and after the show she came over to thank us and we had a great conversation with her. Her name is Linda Belt and here is a link to some of her comedy.

Yesterday, was just as busy. In the morning I drove over to Bucks County for a regional meeting and it went really well. I got to see their Judaica shop and how it was set up as well and that is always helpful. We had nice attendance at the meeting and good discussion on communication issues in a small breakout group. Then I came home, changed and went to a Super Bowl party. That was a lot of fun as well. Got to see some friends, enjoy some good food and watch the game on a 108" screen.

But I did not win the box pool....again.

So this weekend was just great, now I need to get my week days as good.