It's a Beautiful, Brand New Year

What are you going to do to make 2012 your best year ever?

For me, it's making myself a priorty. Stay tuned.

Italian Ice

Tangy with just the right amount of sweetness.

Definitely a new favorite for us. I love the "cherry Capone" flavor.

The kid couldn't let her mango Italian ice sit for 2 seconds!

Friday's Five

 I've come to talk to you again...

I am finally breaking the sound of summer silence. Been busy, you see. So let's jump back into things with a Friday's Five:

1) New tradition with the extended family. On Friday nights, we head over to a weekly food truck fest where 2 dozen+ food trucks set their parking brakes & fire up the grills to feed the masses. Delicious!

2) Shakin' our money makers. The kiddo started hula lessons last weekend. Then I got all weepy with jealousy & started lessons mid-week. I'm still sore and popping ibuprofen like it's going out of style but I loved it. Polynesian dancing (Hawaiian hula & Tahitian ori) was a big part of my life in my early 20's. I even earned an official Hawaiian name bestowed upon me by my kumu hula: "Ha'ale Ikawai Akamanu". The calm water where birds gather. Deep.

3) Homemade ginger ale from Canele in Atwater Village. Wowza. Packs a punch of flavor. Wakes you up. Alas, taking a gallon to go wasn't an option but I can daydream about it. Like right now.

4) On a whim, the extended fam cruised over to a local park for movie night. "How to Train Your Dragon" was great but the natives got restless halfway through. They had had their fill of pizza, free popcorn, and running around the park.

5) Hoarding & purging. Free toothpaste and disposable razors are piling up from the couponing scores I continue to get. But more stuff is also heading out the door as we try to whittle down things from our closets, pantry, and cabinets. Feels great!

Coupons Are Cool: Blinkies

This one is for Blondie who has been asking me for PROOF that it doesn't take hours of clipping coupons to save or to find freebies.

Venturing out for a few provisions while sick was not my idea of fun. But I managed to walk away with 5 tubes of toothpaste for absolutely freeeeky-freeeeky-FREE (pretend you knew that was supposed to be turn-table sound effects). Have a gander at what I spotted as I headed toward the checkout lanes:

Super-sale on Aquafresh. Just $0.99!

Nearby, eagerly blinking its little red light at me

was a "blinkie" automatic coupon dispenser. 

"$1.00 off Aquafresh" coupons!

I wanted to give others a chance to get the

freebie deal so I only took 5 tubes of toothpaste.

Now I wish I had cleared them out! Sigeeee-sigeeee-SIGH.

Keep your eyes out for those blinkies &

happy couponing!

Friday's Four

To celebrate the kid's soon to be 4th grade status, these are the top 4 things I loved this week:

1.  Strike a pose! She showed me her muscles (which are ready to take on 4th grade).

2.  Amoxicillin. I was hit HARD, knocked down, & dragged through zombieland by strep throat this week. God bless Fleming for discovering that first 'cillin!

3.  Naps.

4.  Air conditioning. Because having a high fever on a 99-degree day would not have been fun.

I have some catching up to do so see you soon!

Coupons Are Cool (by Blabby McBlabster)



That's seaweed hair conditioner, folks. Cropping
this photo a bit more on the left & it would've
looked like I was at a very special store!


Blah-blah-blah. I feel like the office blabber-mouth who terrorizes innocent cubicle drones with mundane stories that nobody-but-nobody wants to hear. Blabby approaches. You freeze and try to locate the nearest exit. Too slow, sucka! You're trapped. Within minutes, your eyes glaze over and you're smiling and nodding at regular intervals to feign interest in Blabby's monologue.

Now that I have you cornered, I must tell you that using coupons for freebies and supersized savings has been fairly easy. Watch a few episodes of Extreme Couponing and peruse the internet for tips from coupon experts. I like this coupon blog (click here) for its 'lazy couponing' how-to series and frequent updates of the week's best deals. At CVS on Sunday, I got a few freebies that even generated CVS extrabucks and coupons worth $19 (which I promptly spent today for big savings on pricey conditioner).

Updated this post with another coupon success to share with you:

I wanted to give Revlon Colorstay lipgloss ($11.79) a try after hearing rave reviews from someone. I used a CVS register coupon for $6 off any Revlon product. Before heading to checkout, I scanned my CVS card at the store's CVS card kiosk and received a $3 coupon for any cosmetic product. Revlon special this week: Buy $10 to earn $4 Extrabucks. I spent $3.65 in cash and earned $4 Extrabucks!

I liked the staying power of this lipgloss. Although I did miss the creaminess of my usual Korres lipstick.

Friday's Five



Flowers inspired by Georgia O'Keeffe.

 5 things I loved this week:

1. School art show. Three of the kid's art pieces made it into the school's art gallery.

2. Free toilet paper (Charmin 16-pack) thanks to my burgeoning interest in couponing. My goal is to cut our paper goods/ cleaning products/ toiletry expenses.

3. Spending a weekday afternoon with my husband - lunch at an Italian deli & then Hangover 2.

4. Feeling more organized (thanks to ongoing efforts to de-clutter & simplify).

5. More money saved - used 3 Groupons this week at a bowling alley, local bakery, and ice cream parlor. $120 total value for $38!

Have a wonderful holiday weekend!

Pop-up Card

Who knew that pop-up cards are so easy to make? A family member's birthday celebration was this past weekend & I didn't have a card for our gift of booze. I saw a great tutorial (click here) & within minutes, this little card was done. I just cut out the shapes by hand and used Sharpies for the text. It's pretty simple but I did try to add something of interest - see the little bottle of Blue Moon beer with the orange slice? It's a nod to the beer of choice at recent gatherings. I can't wait to make more!

30 Day Double Challenge

I know my lasso & bracelets
are somewhere under this mess!
Time to de-clutter! 

Clutter. Chubster. Curses to both of you!

I am challenging myself to 30 days of action. Each day, I will de-hoard by removing at least one item from home and I will exercise. As I prepare to battle this dubious duo, I feel like I should don some Wonder Woman Underoos. Although they would be quite snug since I was 9 the last time I wore them (along with my awesome high-top roller skates, of course). That was back when I had normal-sized feet. And normal-sized thighs. But I'm getting side-tracked again. Please check back for updates. And if you could use a little less clutter and/or a little less jiggle, then won't you join me?

Clutter Buster update days 1-23:  Woot! 12 bulging bags of evil clutter have been deposited into the trash or donated to Goodwill. Wall art, gardening stuff (we don't have a garden), a helium tank, hairdryer, clothes/shoes/purses, blankets, a tent, books/magazines. So much more room to breathe! But I know there's still more I can do. Clutter lurks. Oh, it lurks! Just threw out 2 big bags of kitchen stuff this weekend. Gotta hit that garage soon.
Chubster Buster update days 1-23: Exercising more than I was but still not good enough. There's been 4 days of Zumba, 3 days of 30-Day Shred, 9 days of walking or weights. Missed 7 days. Ouch. Gotta move it to lose it, sister! Definitely need to do more.

Friday's Five

Today's Friday's 5 is brought to you by the number 9

1. The super-sweet, ultra-smart, ridiculously-silly little human being who lights up my life turned 9.

2. My parents and brother drove down for her birthday. They helped me with a ton of last minute to-do's before the party. Seeing my family recharges me so it's great that we see each other every couple of months.

3. The Keroppi-themed party was a hit. Games, crafts, bounce house, taco guy, big chocolate Keroppi cake. The birthday girl and her guests had a blast. I'll post photos in a few days.

4. The kiddo & I are planning a home spa day this weekend. We have recipes for a sugar scrub and face mask.

5. I was able to celebrate mother's day with my own mama. Very special indeed.

No Pressure!



Homemade Keroppi goody bags.
All the planning & prepping is worth it to see
how excited she is about her upcoming party.



The kid is having a small-ish (school friends & immediate family) birthday party at the park. To reduce party-planning stress, I have been methodically tackling a little party prep each night.
Then, yesterday:

"Mommy, I asked my Magic 8 Ball if this is going to be the best party ever & it answered, DEFINITELY!"

Oh yeah. No pressure.

"All Growns Up"

I love that line from Swingers. Vince Vaughn delivers it perfectly, "Our little baby is all growns up! All growns up!" Wait. Does he say "growns" or does he say "groweds"? In any case, it's awesome.

A couple of years ago, Blondie reported that her 7 year old daughter no longer played with toys. I wondered how that could possibly be for a child who was still so young. My own kiddo was still knee deep in all kinds of cutesy toys. There seemed to be no end in sight to her toy-playing days. There was also no floor in sight because of the enormity of her toy collection!

This past Christmas, she got new Littlest Pet Shop toys with Blythe dolls and played with them for hours. On almost any gift-giving occasion over the last 5 years, when asked what was on her wish list, she'd inevitably reply, "Littlest Pet Shop!" Those bug-eyed, big-headed bobbleheads really had a hold on her. Her birthday is coming up soon and when I asked her what she'd like, she rattled off a list of books. And a game. But no Littlest Pet Shop. What?!?!?!?!

Tonight, as we tidied up to prepare for my parents' visit this weekend, she announced that she would donate some toys to needy children. I've heard this before and the toy donation "haul" barely filled a sandwich baggie.

But this time was different. She very thoughtfully and thoroughly looked over her toys and decided that there were many that no longer held her interest. Bye-bye, My Little Ponies and all your miniature accessories. Ciao, fairy dolls with interchangeable wings. Adios, Pokemon playsets. Get to scootin', Zhu Zhu pets! Loads more various cuties were chucked into the donation bags. Her toy bins were left quite bare. *sniff*

Luckily, some survived the purge. She's not yet bidding adieu to dozens of Littlest Pet Shop toys, stuffed animals, the dollhouse and its inhabitants, a play kitchen, and a few other favorites. So I'll continue hoping that this kid of mine will be a little girl for a long time.

Weight Watchers Update - Week 5



Matching mom & munchkin manis.
We'll do it again for my 10-pound reward.



As of this morning, my total weight loss after 5 weeks is:

7.5 pounds!

I got on and off the scale about a dozen times this morning just to be sure. Sooooo close to my mini-goal of 10 pounds. So close! 

I'm happy to report that BFF Blondie has joined me in a back-to-better quest. She's using a free iPhone app called "Lose it". You enter your starting weight, goal weight, how many pounds each week you want to lose (from 1/2 pound to 2 pounds). It then gives you a daily calorie allowance. Enter your food choices just like you do with the Weight Watchers app. She's been using the app for 1 week and has lost 3 pounds. Congrats! So proud of you!

Much Too Much

Tomorrow is my grandma's birthday. 

She always used to say to me, "I love you much too much!" And isn't that exactly what we all need to hear now and then?

Weight Watchers Update - Week 3

 

Spotted these vibrant tulips while
grocery shopping recently.


Has it been another week already? Let's get right to it:

I lost 1 pound!

For a total of 6 since I started 3 weeks ago. Slow and steady wins the race, right? This week was better than week 2. I left about half my extra weekly points unused. I was trying to avoid carbs (especially at night) and found that I wasn't able to resist nighttime snacking. Adding a serving of whole grains to dinner definitely helped to abate my craving for late night munchies.

4 more pounds to go until I reach my first mini goal of 10 pounds. For week 4, I am going to make it a priority to go to bed a little earlier so that I can get up for some morning exercise. I have a couple of exercise DVDs ready & waiting: Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred and P90x (which my husband and I have dubbed 'PFChangs').

The Great Snail Rescue



When you are 8 years old, nothing can interrupt the fun of zipping around the house on a toddler-sized car with your little cousin, taking turns being the pusher and the passenger. Not your mother hollerin' at you, not the aroma of pizza hot from the oven, not the yelp from your little cousin when you accidentally run over her foot... nothing, that is, except for the sight of a microscopic-sized baby snail in your path. How it somehow survived that car turbo-ing around and little feet running past it at a hundred miles an hour, we'll never know.

The kid immediately launched herself from the car, enlisted the help of her cousin, picked up the snail, ooh-ed and aah-ed over its cuteness, contemplated keeping it as a pet, then finally took it outside to release it into the wild. Under the lemon tree? Too exposed- birds might see it as a snack. Around and around they went until they found the perfect spot. Then back inside to terrorize the adults continue the fun.

Weight Watchers Update - Week 2

Greek yogurt (100 calorie size), hard-boiled egg, & an apple.
My weekday go-to breakfast. Keeps me full until lunch.

Week 2 kicked my double-digit-teetering-on-the-edge-of-having-to-shop-in-plus-sized butt. In Week 1, most of my weekly 'extra' points went unused. But this week each one of those suckers was obliterated! Poor points - they never saw it coming.

When I stepped on the scale this morning:

I lost 1 pound!

Phew! Not bad considering that I happened upon some yummy Filipino-style empanadas this weekend & didn't stop at just one... or two... or...

I'm halfway to my first mini-goal of 10 pounds. I have a lot to lose so this 5 pound weight loss isn't reflected in my mirror just yet. I wish I could say that my clothes are fitting looser. But I know that will come. And I can't wait to finally go shopping for new clothes when I go down a size... or two... or...

Weight Watchers Update - Week 1

Hmm.. probably not ideal  for a
weight loss update but this was so
dang delish that I just had to share!

I survived my first week on Weight Watchers! I stayed within my daily point allowance without snatching food out of other people's hands & I kept the crying to a minimum. Fairly easy & guess what?
  

I lost 4 pounds!!!
(4.2 but I don't want to brag or anything)

I'm using the Weight Watchers iPhone app to enter food selections and calculate points. A little Zumba action, a couple of walks, & resisting late night snacks... now there's a little less chub in my world. Hooray!

By Saturday, I hadn't used any of my extra weekly points, so off we went on a foodie adventure to Umami Burger. Pictured here is the Umami Burger with parmesan crisp and shitake mushrooms... burgasmic! Totally worth the 45 minute wait to get a table. Thank goodness the burgers are normal sized (not like the massive monsters at some places). Check out their website & try not to drool on your keyboard.

Blondie (that's the BFF), will you join me now?! Let's see how much closer I can get to my first mini-goal of 10 pounds. Please check back next Tuesday for my second week's results.

Friday's Five

5 things I loved this week:

1. Celebrating another trip around the sun!

2. Deciding to join Weight Watchers online. This is Day 4 and it's been smooth sailing. First week's results coming soon.

3. Stayed home with the (sick) kid & played Monopoly again & again & again...... I didn't love that she wasn't feeling well but I do love spending time with her.

4. Painting little fingernails neon green for St. Patrick's Day.

5. Laughing & commenting with my husband while watching our guilty pleasure tv show... Jersey Shore! Yeah, that's right. Jersey Shore. G-T-L & shirt-before-the-shirt mean something to me. Love it!

Weight Watchers - Day 1

The lemon tart that pushed me over the edge.

After various birthday celebrations this past week, I've had more than my share of Hello Kitty banana-filled cake, parisian chocolate cake, & a lemon tart (or two). That'll be enough sugar, fat, and carbs to last me 'til Winter!

Yesterday, a friend told me that she's been using Weight Watchers online for a few weeks with good results. I've been going at this Back To Better goal on my own and while I have lost a couple of pounds, I know that I need more structure in order to be truly successful.

So here I go... I just signed up for Weight Watchers online - the 3 month plan. I can then continue month to month as needed. Day 1 is underway. I'm one hour into it and, so far, doing great! Haha! I like the online tools offered by Weight Watchers - there's a point tracker for the food you're eating, it also calculates your exercise for the day, and keeps track of your water intake, etc.

I've set my first goal at 10 pounds. My BFF is thinking about joining but has challenged me to have a perfect first week on the program so that I can give her a good sense of what following the program can do.

Challenge accepted!