Managing Employees

If you are self-employed like my husband and I and you have employees, do you ever have problems keeping all the employee information organized? I sure did. That is until I found ManagerAssistant.

With ManagerAssistant, you can track employee behavior, evaluate employee performance and control employee activities all with just one application. And with their Performance Review Software when it comes time to do those yearly reviews, all the employee information will literally be at your fingertips.

Why not visit ManagerAssistant.com today and try out their ManagerAssistant Version 3.0 Demo for 14 days, risk free! I'm glad that I did!

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Today in History

This article was in our weekly newspaper today and I found it interesting just how many different things have happened on this date in the past.

December 29
1848 - President James Polk turned on the first gas light at the White House

1890 - The US Seventh Cavalry, in efforts to suppress the Native Americans of South Dakota, massacred over 200 men, women and children. The massacre occurred at Wounded Knee, South Dakota.

1937 - Babe Ruth returned to baseball (he had retired in 1935). He was announced as the new manager of the Class D, De Land Reds of the Florida State League; quite a long way from the big leagues.

1945 - Sheb Wooley recorded the first commercial record made in Nashville, TN.

1949 - KC2XAK of Bridgeport, Connecticut became the first ultrahigh frequency (UHF) tv station to begin operating on a regular daily schedule.

1952 - The first transistorized hearing aid was offered for sale by Sonotone Corp.

1953 - Jean Stapleton debuted in her first Broadway play.

1957 - Steve Lawrence and Eydie Gorme were married.

1972 - After 36 years of publication, the last weekly issue of LIFE magazine hit the newsstands.

1985 - Phil Donahue and a Soviet radio commentator hosted the "Citizen's Summit" via satellite TV.

1986 - After 18 years and $47 million expended, the restored Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables, FL, reopened for business.

Some famous birthdays:

Andrew Johnson, 17th US President

Inga Swenson, actress

Ed Flanders, emmy award winning actor

Mary Tyler Moore, emmy award winning actress

Ray Nitschke, pro football hall of famer

Jon Voight, actor

Ray Thomas, musician

Ted Danson, emmy award winning actor

Paula Poundstone, actress, comedienne

Jule Law, actor

Time to Refinance?

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Car Refinance can be a real bear to deal with, but with RateGenius.com, they can help you get a great interest rate and save you thousands of dollars! You can even enjoy up to 90 days until your first payment. Best of all, there is no cost to you for their service.

Check them out today because everyone can use a little extra cash in their pockets!

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No Excuses

WOW! Just when I needed it, I run across this fabulous website about weight loss! It is called No Excuses Gym and has articles about everything from weight training to jogging.

The woman who is writing it is a personal trainer and aerobics instructor. She worked for a five star private spa and club in Las Vegas for three years, but then decided to go into business for herself. Her name is Marcela and she is there to help you design your own personal fitness routine and help to set your weight loss goals. Her program will be designed specifically for you and will suit YOUR schedule and YOUR lifestyle.

I've read over her site and there are a lot of very interesting articles on it. She discusses things like portion control, little steps to eating healthier, how to choose what dishes are the most healthy at restaurants and even where the top hotel gyms are located. She also discusses how to do different exercises on her website. I have found those articles the most helpful to myself because that is where I tend to have the most problems when it comes to my doing exercises.


She also has an article called easy simple workout. All of these exercises are done sitting down which is a great way to get started exercising if you're not in the best shape (like myself) and can't do a lot of the more stenuous exercises out there. This is where I'm going to start at least until I build up my stamina again.

So, why not check out her website. There is no time like the present to get started on the new you!


This is a payperpost sponsored post.

New Year Thoughts

I've been contemplating what I want this new year to bring for me and, just like every year, the top item on my list is to be at a healthy weight. I thought last year would be THE year that I finally achieved that goal, but nope, it didn't happen. Actually, I've gained back pretty much all the weight that I'd lost. Not good. So, will this be the year that I finally get up off my ever expanding behind and get it done? Will I make my goal in 2007 of becoming a healthier, happier version of myself? I hope so. I'm taking steps in the right direction anyway.

Interesting book

I have been following the war and things that are going on overseas in Iraq. I’ve known a few people that have been deployed over there, friends and family members, and want to keep track of things so I know what is happening. I never liked studying history or wars in school, mainly because they were in the past and had nothing really to do with me (at least that's how my teenage mind saw it), but I do find it more interesting to me now to learn as much as possible about this current war. There is a new website called Iraq Study Group Report. It is offering anything and everything Iraq related. This site is updated regularly with the lastest information in relation to Iraq and the present day war. Their books are priced super low so I'm going to order a hard copy now. They also have the option of downloading an ebook, but really with a cost well under $10 it will pay to get the real thing. They also offer safe and secure ordering and accept all major forms of payment including Amazon gift certificates. Why not go check it out today?



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Merry Christmas!!!

I hope that everyone has had a wonderful Christmas today. I had a fantastic one. I was able to spend time with my loved ones and celebrate the magic of the season with my kids, niece and nephew. granted my kids are old enough now to not get as excited about Santa, but my niece is only 3 and my nephew is 7 so they were both super excited about all the gifts.

Tonight has been spent putting things away, finding a place for all the new items that we brought into the house and getting rid of the boxes and wrapping paper. Every year at this time, I wonder if my house will ever be the same because right now, even after putting things away all evening, it still looks like a tornado went through.

It is raining now too. the forecast originally said we would get up to 2.5 inches of snow today. we've only seen a few flakes so far and i'm keeping my fingers crossed that is all we see. I'm not a big fan of snow at all as my friends and family know and I would be perfectly content if it never snowed here in the winter again. If someone would just invent a way to keep the snow off the roads, MAYBE i would like it better. And then again, maybe not:)

Anyway, again, I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday. not long before it will be 2007 and that is when we all get to look forward to the blessings of the new year to come.

Breathing a sigh of relief

FINALLY! All of my packages came in today's mail! I'm so glad. I was really beginning to worry that I'd be several short on Christmas morning. Whew!

I can't believe that tomorrow is Christmas Eve. The season is going by too fast, but truthfully it will be a relief to have all the hubbub over with and get back to life as normal.

Free Phone

There are several websites that offer coupons or deals, but how would you like a cash back offer for a change? Sign up at dealking.com to get cash back offers such as a prepaid T Mobile to Go phone or a Cingular Go phone for free. DealKing has several offers to choose from, but best of all the sign up is free. And they respect your privacy so no annoying email offers. Sign up today and start saving!




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Holiday Funny

I think this pretty much sums up how some people feel during the holiday season. I know I've felt this way before. When you're stuck in line and that one rude person keeps hitting you in the butt with her shopping cart, wouldn't it be nice just for once to turn around and smack her over the head with your purse? Aah. Santa you've got the right idea!

Online Calendar

How many times have you forgotten birthdays or anniversarys because you didn't have them written on your calendar? Wouldn't it be nice if there were some way to get a reminder sent to you via email or even via your cell phone? Well, guess what?!?! There is!!! Check out the online calendar at American Greetings.
It will help you remember all those birthdays, anniversarys and holidays with reminders sent to your email address. Or you can set it up to send text message reminders to your cell phone. The service is very easy to use and I strongly recommend that you try it. You'll never forget a special day again.

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I'm getting worried

Only two more shipping days until Christmas and I'm STILL waiting on 4 gifts to get here! Three are in one shipment and should have been here by 12/13 but they got lost along the way so the website I ordered them from had to reship them. They are supposed to be here no later then tomorrow, but when I checked the tracking service, it is saying they still haven't arrived in Missouri and that is where they got lost the last time. The fourth gift has shipped, but it is also taking forever to get here. I do think it will get here in time. It just took longer to ship because it was backordered.

Keep your fingers crossed. I am. Well, I'm actually keeping my fingers, toes, eyes and legs crossed. Hopefully that will be enough.

Credit Cards

Credit cards are everywhere. I see commercials for them on television, in magazines, hear them on the radio. I get flyers from different companies in the mail almost every single day wanting me to sign up for their card. In my opinion, I think it is a good idea to have a credit card, but to only use it for emergencies such as car repairs or bills. Don't use your card to go out and buy your groceries. If you put them on the credit card then you'll be paying even more for them by the time you add all the interest into the equation. When I was younger, I had several credit cards and I eventually got into trouble by using them over and over on anything and everything. I got to the point that I couldn't pay even the minimum payment each month because of the high interest rates. I was in so much debt, it was ridiculous!

Well, there is a company out there that wants to help you change all that with 0% credit cards . Learn about the latestcredit_card_news and get some greatcredit_card_advice . They will also help you understand everything there is to know about credit cards.



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Choosing baby toys

If you are like me, you have a hard time choosing baby toys that are age appropriate for your kids or your friends or family. The Nursery Toys Guide is a website that will help take some of the guesswork out of your gift buying. To check out their recommendations, click on the "choosing baby toys" link above. You'll be glad you did.


This is a payperpost affiliate posting.

Sick

Of all the times to get sick, now is NOT one of them. I have been fighting a major stomach bug for the past two days. I don't know where I picked it up, but the symptoms started after going out to eat the other night. I thought it was food poisoning the first day, but since it has hung on for going on three days now I think that it is a bug instead. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that I'm feeling better by this weekend. I still have a few more gifts to buy and there is no way I can do that if I'm spending all my time in the bathroom!

More last minute gift ideas

Are you still searching for a few last minute Christmas gifts? Here is another website that might interest you. This one is called OpticsPlanet.net and they specialize in anything optical. They have telescopes, microscopes, binoculars, night vision goggles, rangefinders,leupold rifle scopes, police and baseball radar guns, opera glasses, ballistic goggles, flashlights, regular sunglasses and even RX sunglasses! They have thousands of optical products in stock, including toys, and right now they are offering FREE UPS shipping on orders over $29.95. So, why don't you hop on over to www.opticsplanet.com today and cross those last few items off your gift list.


This is a payperpost affiliate post.

Christmas Memories

I miss the days when the kids were small enough to visit Santa. I have noticed that Christmas just isn't as exciting as it used to be for me. The excitement is still there, but not as much as when the kids couldn't keep still from it. I remember one year when my daughter was about 5 years old. It was a few days before Christmas. We lived in a trailer and she didn't know how Santa was going to get inside to leave her presents since we didn't have a fireplace. Well, I took her outside and showed her the vent that the furnace exhaust came out of. It was just a pipe sticking out of the roof, but I said that Santa would be coming down that. He's magic, you know, and can shrink down small enough to fit. Anyway, she was satisfied with that answer so we went back inside. I forgot about the conversation truthfully and we went about the holidays as usual. Just a few years ago, she told me that she had HEARD Santa come that Christmas Eve. I asked her to tell me about it and this is what she told me:

She was laying in bed, almost asleep, when she heard this loud boom come from the hall. She jumped out of bed and peeked underneath her bedroom door. She said she didn't see anything except a pair of boots! She just knew it was Santa and if she didn't go back to bed that he wouldn't leave her any gifts.

I had to stop and think for several minutes what it could have possibly been. My hubby had stayed up late that night to put a few of the gifts together and he mentioned that when he walked back to the bathroom he had tripped and banged into the furnace door. We figure that is the boom that she heard. The boots though are still a mystery. Hubby was barefoot when he went back so it wasn't his shoes that my daughter saw. Wow! Do you think that she really did see Santa's boots? I guess only Santa knows:)

U-Doo

If your kids are like mine, they love to have cool ringtones on their cell phones. There is a new program out there now that will let them build their own PERSONALIZED ringtone with a matching avatar for their phone. They can download the tones to their mobile phone or even email them to friends or publish them on their MySpace page. If this sounds like something that your kid, or YOU, might enjoy, check them out! The first 60 days are even totally free!!!


U-Doo! Check it out HERE

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PayPerPost

I found out today that the website that I am "employed" with(PayPerPost) will be releasing an official statement on Monday, stating that all paid advertisment ads must be fully disclosed. Well, I guess since I'm officially being paid for these ads now, that must mean me. So, from now on I will have a link on my site stating my disclosure policy. For now though here is my disclosure policy in full:

This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.

The compensation received may influence the advertising content, topics or posts made in this blog. That content, advertising space or post may not always be identified as paid or sponsored content.

The owner(s) of this blog is compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. Even though the owner(s) of this blog receives compensation for our posts or advertisements, we always give our honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely the bloggers' own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service should be verified with the manufacturer, provider or party in question.

This blog does contain content which might present a conflict of interest. This content may not always be identified.

And if you would like to read the official release statement, you can go over to www.techcrunch.com
and read it there.

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Gift Ideas

So, time is running out fast for getting your holiday shopping done. I've been racking my brain for ideas on gifts for friends and family. I think I've hit every single store within driving distance of my house and no luck on finding anything that works for me. Until now....Delightful Deliveries! They have the biggest selection of gift baskets that I have ever seen! And they're not just for Christmas. They have gift basket ideas for birthdays, new babies, a job well done, to say I love you, to say thank you, housewarmings and get well wishes. Their website is really easy to navigate and they provide excellent service. Plus they are offering this special: Buy More & Save!! Use coupon code "buymore" get save 5% on your order.



You can buy chocolates, fresh flowers, fruits, nuts, baked goods and even gourmet meals. They also offer a gift of the month area where you can sign up to receive anything from bbq sauce to coffee to wine. Their fruit club was voted "Best Overall, Best Value" by the Wall Street Journal 11/30/01!!! Sounds good to me. I'm going to check it out and place my order. Why don't you? Just click on the link below to visit their website. You'll have everyone checked off your list before you know it.

Gift Baskets

This is cool!

Anybody want to know how to make a few extra dollars for your Christmas shopping? I found this website called PayPerPost and it is awesome! I've made $15.00 just today. How? Well all I did was write two posts that maybe took ten minutes, if that. That is it. I didn't have to sign away my life and I didn't have to pay any money. I wasn’t forced to write the posts and I wasn't forced to write about something that I didn’t want to write about. I got to choose what I wanted to write about, wrote a short post about it, published it to my blog, submitted the post to PayPerPost, it got approved, and now I’m getting paid! How cool is that? Just for writing this short post, I’m going to get paid $10.00!!!! Awesome? Yes, I would have to say it is.

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If you would like to learn more about PayPerPost, just click the link above to visit their website. It'll tell you what you need to do and soon you'll be raking in the bucks:)

TGIF...finally!

I've never been so happy to see a week come to an end as I am for this one. This has just been one long week. There have been problems with everything from our daughter to the business. I'm hoping this weekend gives everyone the opportunity to slow down and relax so that next week is better.

Working at Home

As all of my family knows, I work at home. I used to work outside the home, but since my hubby has started his own business, I have been a work at home girl. I love it! It gives me so much more freedom then working for someone else. I can set my own hours. If I don't want to start working until noon, no problem. There is no dress code. Most days you will find me sitting at the computer dressed in sweats. And if I am sick one day or my kids are sick then I don't have to worry about being reprimanded or the possibility of getting fired because of it. I'd always thought that it would be boring to be home all day, but I'm telling you that isn't so. Even though I'm not out smoozing with others, I am still connected to the outside world through all of our customers. Working at home is the best thing that I've ever done. If any of you ever get the chance to do it, I strongly recommend it.

work at home business opportunities

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

You Are a Tree

You love every part of the holidays, down to the candy canes and stockings. And you're goofy enough to put a Christmas tree ornament on your tree!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

Holiday Shopping

Why does it seem that people lose all sense of respect and courtesy around the holidays when it comes to shopping? We went to the mall today to get some of our Christmas shopping done and there were so many rude and obnoxious people out there that I finally just said the heck with it and left. I was only able to purchase one gift and that was only after much patience to even get to the product on the shelf. There was this one woman who, even after I asked her nicely twice to move out of the way, just rolled her eyes at me and continued looking at what she wanted to see. I finally just had to reach around her. She didn't care for that either, but I'd already been nice about it and that wasn't getting me anywhere. I knew there was a reason that I did the majority of my Christmas shopping online. So that I don't have to deal with people. Does that make me anti-social or a Scrooge regarding the holidays? I don't think so. I think it just makes me a person who would like to see some holiday spirit get into these people for a change.

A few Thanksgiving funnies

Asked to write a composition entitled, "What I'm thankful for on Thanksgiving,"
little Timothy wrote, "I am thankful that I'm not a turkey."

What key has legs and can't open doors?
A Turkey.

What did the mother turkey say to her disobedient children?
If your father could see you now, he'd turn over in his gravy!

Why can't you take a turkey to church?
Because they use such FOWL language

Can a turkey jump higher than the Empire State Building?
Yes - a building can't jump at all

What did the turkey say before it was roasted?
Boy! I'm stuffed!

Why did the Indian chief wear so many feathers?
To keep his wigwam

Thanksgiving Eve

Happy Thanksgiving Eve to everyone. I hope all is going well. I've been a busy bee around here the past few days, trying to get things ready for company. On top of that, I've been sick. Colds are such a fun thing to have when you're busy....NOT! At least it isn't the flu or something to where I can't still go about my day and get things done. It would just be way more enjoyable if I wasn't stopping to sneeze and blow my nose every five minutes.

So anyway, I've been cleaning and sorting around here. It's amazing how much junk one can accumulate without even realizing it. I've tossed tons of stuff that I didn't even know I had. The sad thing is that there is still tons more that I could get rid of. The kids are off of school today for break and have been helping me finish up. The floors have all been vacuumed and the kitchen mopped, clutter has found a home and the dust has been dusted away. I still have a pie to make and a dishwasher to load, but otherwise I'm done for the day.

Tomorrow I'll be hosting dinner with my family. A total of ten if my grandma is able to make it. It'll make for a housefull, but nothing compared to when I was a kid and we'd all congregate at my aunt's house. Now THAT was a full house. It was nice though and brings back fond memories.

I hope everyone has a wonderful time with their families and friends tomorrow. Don't eat too much!

New 'Do

I was feeling like a bit of a change so yesterday went to the salon and got a new 'do. I'm loving this new style and color. Amazing how something so simple can make you feel so much better about yourself. I went from a redhead back to a brunette and from hair past my shoulders to hair that is just now skimming the shoulders. The new profile picture is my after pic. Figured it was time to change that too. Now if you could just go to a "body salon" and get a body makeover just as easily, wouldn't the world be a perfect place? I know it's not that simple though so I'll just keep trudging along. I'll make it eventually.

Update on my son

My son is feeling a bit better. The rash seems to have finally stopped spreading, but he is still itchy. We've done the moisturizer, the benadryl at night and the oatmeal baths, but the itching is still there. At least it isn't getting any worse though and we're keeping the fingers crossed that the rash is gone sooner rather then later.

Have you ever heard of this?

I had to take my son to the doctor today. For the past week, he has had a rash on his stomach and back that has been driving him nuts. It itches like crazy and seems to be spreading. I thought it was just dry skin to begin with because the moisturizing lotion that we were putting on it seemed to take the itch away. But yesterday he said it was really drying him crazy and could I PLEASE call the doctor. Thankfully, they were able to get him in today and since the kids didn't have school that worked out really well for us.

When we got to the doctor, they actually got him right in. We only sat in the waiting room for maybe five minutes, if that. The doctor came in not long after the nurse left us in the exam room, which was also shocking because usually we have a much longer wait. Anyway, the doctor looked Matt over and started asking him questions about where the rash was located, what the itching really felt like (tolerable or drive you insane itching), did it itch more at certain times of the day? The doctor suggested scabies, but my son didn't have all the symptoms of that (Thank God!!!) so he kept on going. He thought it might have been contact dermatitis, eczema, psoriasis, etc. Then he noticed that my son had two larger patches on each side of his neck. They looked almost like an old burn that had dried up with the skin starting to flake. That's when he gave me the diagnosis.........PITYRIASIS ROSEA.............huh? I'd never heard of it before.

This is what the doctor told me. Pityriasis rosea is a rash that usually follows a viral infection or upper respiratory infection (My son had this a couple of weeks ago) It isn't contagious, but it is very itchy. There is no cure for it other then symptomatic treatment such as moisturizing lotion and a antihistamine to help control the itching. Here's the kicker....pityriasis rosea usually takes anywhere from 4 to 12 WEEKS to heal and go away. At least once you have it, you generally don't get it again. Similar to chicken pox, I guess?? So, I guess for the next month, at least, we will be moisturizing and taking benadryl and hoping that the itching and rash goes away. Should be interesting.

How Many?

HowManyOfMe.com

There are: 14 people with my name in the U.S.A. How many have your name?

Happy Halloween

Happy Halloween, everyone! Are you ready for all the little trick-or-treaters to come knocking on your door tonight? Do you have plenty of treats so you don't get tricked? I hope that I have plenty although I won't be here tonight as I'll be driving my son around to his favorite stops. Hubby and daughter will be manning the doorbell tonight. Good luck to them!


Update on the daughter: She is feeling fine now. Must have just been a 24 hour thing. She went to bed Sunday afternoon and said she woke up at 2:30AM, feeling wonderful and wide awake! She was able to fall back to sleep, thankfully, and got up Monday morning raring to go.


Update on Weight Loss Challenge: It ended Sunday (the challenge, not the diet) and hubby won, but we all figured he would. He lost a total of 5.6% of his weight, I came in second by losing 3.9%, daughter lost 3.4% and son lost 3.1%. We're all moving right along though. No challenges set for November. We figure with the holidays coming up that will be enough of a challenge in and of itself to deal with.

Again, I hope everyone has a fun and safe Halloween. TRICK OR TREAT!!!!!

More sad news and illness too

More sad news has hit the family. Our neighbor passed away Saturday from a massive heart attack. Good grief when is this going to end. I can't handle anymore bad news.

Daughter is also now sick. I don't' know if she has the flu or what, but she's been vomiting all day today. No fever or aches/pains or chills, but it could still be the nasty flu. Son was sick last week, but felt better after a few hours of staying in bed. This thing with my daughter is a bit worse then what he had. Hopefully she won't pass it on to anybody else.

Sad news

Sorry I didn't post last week. Things have been hectic around here. There was an accident last weekend that was pretty upsetting to my daughter. She was so worried that a couple of her friends were involved in it, but thankfully they weren't. Still, it led to a LOT of phone calls, emails, and what ifs. Then on Monday, we found out that a friend of hers had committed suicide over the weekend. Talk about another punch in the gut. She cried pretty much all day. She's doing better now, but has the funeral to deal with tomorrow. She wants to go, but then again doesn't. I don't blame her. It's hard enough when someone has lived a full life and passes on, but this boy was only 19 and had just begun to live. How do you say goodbye to someone that young?

Another week

Another week has passed in our family weight loss challenge. I lost one pound this week. Not as much as I'd have liked, but at least it was a loss. My daughter also lost 1 pound. Hubby actually weighed yesterday too and in two weeks he has lost twenty pounds. It's a big chunk and I know it is mostly from starving himself, but he won't listen and I get tired of arguing with him so haven't been saying anything to him about it anymore. My son also weighed to a two pound loss this week. So, we're all doing really well. It's nice to be doing this as a family. I must admit it has made it so much easier to pass up the junk with the whole family passing it by.

We went out over the weekend two different times and just knowing that everyone else were passing on their favorites made it easy for me to do the same. We ate pizza Friday evening and normally we would order the large with everything plus bread sticks or garlic bread. We ended up ordering the salad bar and a medium pizza instead. Then yesterday we went bowling and didn't order nachos or anything else fattening from the snack bar, just some diet sodas. Afterwards we went to Applebee's and all of us ordered weight watchers selections although I really wanted something from the new Tyler Florence entrees. After eating, we went to the mall and walked and walked and walked. Then on to Sam's Club and walked some more. I'd say we easily burnt off the majority of the calories we took in. Then on to the furniture store where we looked at couches. We ended up buying a very nice one with recliners at each end. We were in my car though so had to make a trip back home to get our truck to pick it up. Anyway, our Sunday was very nice and fun.

Today, however, I'm fighting a major sinus headache. Or maybe it is allergies, I don't know. I just know that I feel terrible (upset stomach, stuffy nose, stiff neck, achy muscles, and sneezing, sneezing and more sneezing) Ugh! I hope to feel better as the day progresses, but right now I just want to curl up in bed and go to sleep, which is exactly what I think I'll do.

Weigh In

Sorry I didn't log on yesterday to post our weigh in results. We left early and I completely forgot about doing it last night.

I am happy to announce that I lost 7 lbs. this past week:) My daughter lost 4 lbs:) The guys are being secretive and not telling us how they did. They both said they are going to wait until the end of the month and reveal all then. The sneaks!:)

The weekend went well. We were all able to stick to the plan and eat well both nights that we went out to restaurants. Now if we can just keep doing that, we should be fine.

Onward and downward we go!

Now comes the hard part

All has been going good, so far, but now we are coming to the dreaded weekend and that is where I have the most problems sticking with a diet. We ALWAYS go out on the weekends and that inevitably includes eating at a fast food restaurant. Not good. I have such a hard time choosing the healthier foods, not that there are a lot to choose from anyway. I've done well today though and am hoping that the good habits carry into the weekend.

Better news. I hopped on the scale this morning just to see if my healthier eating habits have shown any results and it actually looks like it has gone down a few pounds. yay! My official weigh-in will be Sunday so I'll be back then to let you know how that goes.

And this is better?

ARGH!!! What is it with my hubby and his way of thinking? I thought after the argument we had Monday evening about his not eating during the day that he MIGHT do better yesterday and actually try. Nope.

Yesterday's menu was a granola bar for breakfast, a pack of beef jerky for lunch and a 200 calorie microwave meal for dinner. That's it. No more. So again, we had another disagreement. He thinks if he cuts 3500 calories a DAY from his meals that he'll consistently lose 7 lbs. a week. When I tried to explain to him that it isn't healthy to do that, you could see his eyes gloss over and you could just tell he wasn't listening anymore.

How do I get through to him that I just want him to be healthy? I know that he wants to lose it fast. Heck, so do I. I guess i've just tried to do this so many times that I have finally realized that there is only one way to lose weight and that is slowly. I hope that he realizes this soon. I don't want to write about anymore arguments between us. You'll all think that I'm a real nag to be around:)

Round 1

So, in my last post I told you how the whole family is having a competition to see who can lose the biggest percentage of weight by the end of this month, right? Well, the weekend was great. We all ate healthy and got in some exercise. Yesterday, I did well and got in my exercise. The kids ate well and also got in their exercise. My hubby, however, made me super duper mad. When he came home from work, he announced that he was ready for dinner because he was starving. I figured it was just because he had cut down his portions and was still getting used to that, but nope, it was because the only thing he'd had to eat ALL DAY LONG was a measley little granola bar at 5am!!!! WHAT?!?!?! Wasn't one of the rules of this healthier lifestyle that nobody would starve themselves? Yes, I believe it was.

So, of course, I asked him why he hadn't eaten anything all day and here was his reply. "You know that I work hard all day, I leave the house early and don't have time to fix breakfast in the morning. I am filthy by the time lunch rolls around and I don't feel comfortable eating anything in the truck (it's filthy too) and I don't have time to stop, clean up and eat in a restaurant" MY REPLY: "Ok, hmm, why not fix your breakfast the night before along with a lunch that you can take with you (no stopping), lunch could be a portable sandwich that you can keep wrapped in the plastic wrap while you eat so your dirty hands don't touch it. Even a Slim Fast shake would be better then nothing. Or better yet, STOP! Take a break! It won't kill you to take 20 minutes to stop for lunch. As a matter of fact, it would probably do you a world of good to get away from it all for a little while. I know we run our own business and you want to make it profitable, but it doesn't mean you have to kill yourself to do it." Needless to say, he didn't like my answers and actually got mad at me for even suggesting them so I just quietly read my magazine and let him go about his business. At least he walked on the treadmill. And he didn't really go overboard for dinner, but still. I would guess that he only ate about 500-600 calories total yesterday. Not good.

Round one goes to the kids (in my opinion) who were able to spend the entire day at school and still eat healthy then come home and get their exercise in. Yay Kids!

And the competition begins.........

This is what is going on here in my household. Over the weekend, the entire family decided to change our unhealthy lifestyle. We tossed all the junk food from the pantry and freezer, stocked up on healthy foods, fresh fruits and veggies and got to moving.

In order to keep our momentum going and not poop out after a week, my daughter came up with the idea to make this a bit of a competition. So, each month we are going to have a challenge. This month we are going to see who can lose the biggest percentage of weight. Kind of like The Biggest Loser, if anyone watches that show. She had originally said whoever lost the most weight in a month, but we changed that since everyone knows men lose weight faster then women and the heavier you are, the more you tend to lose when you start out. She didn't want to give her dad any type of advantage:)

We are all pretty much watching what we eat, but I am also following the weight watchers plan. I have been half-heartedly following it for two weeks already, but not faithfully. Now, I'm going to stick with it 100%. Anyway, since I do the cooking around here I'll be trying out some new recipes and putting the ww spin on them. Hopefully it'll help everyone out in the long run.

So, I will post here every week to let you see my progress and also see how the rest of the family is doing. Wish us luck! (Preferably send the extra luck my way so I can win that challenge! LOL)

Smile for the Day

How do they do it?

I've been reading some success stories in my current weight loss magazine and am just wondering how in the world they did it? I've tried countless times to lose weight, yet never seem to be able to stick with the diet long enough to meet my goals. How do they stay motivated? How do they overcome the frustrations? I really wish someone would tell me.

I am AGAIN back to trying to lose the weight. I couldn't even stomach the idea of going back on NS. The food wasn't bad, but I just can't eat another bite of it. So, I am back with Weight Watchers again. Doing the At Home version right now, but will probably go to the meetings eventually. I've only been on program for two days and so far, so good. I really hope this time is the charm. I need it to work this time. I am sick of losing and gaining the weight again and again. BTW, I've gained 35 of the 45 pounds that I lost on NS BACK! Yikes!

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions on how to stay motivated on this journey, please please please leave some comments. I need all the help I can get.

School Daze

Hip Hip Hooray!! School is back in session here in my hometown. Yippee! My peace and quiet has returned. Sure, I'm sad to see the summer months fading away, but after the bickering between the kids and the constant "I'm bored", well, let's just say that the cooler months don't seem quite so bad:)

Football

We thought we were going to have a football player in the family, but after a week of practices my son has decided it just isn't for him. Here I thought he was having fun, but come to find out that from day 1 he has hated it. Why? Because at the first practice, he overheated and threw up in front of all his friends which was embarrassing. At the second practice, he again got sick but didn't throw up. Instead he was having double vision and felt like he was going to pass out. He didn't thankfully, just felt like it. The coach tried to get him to change his mind, but Matt held his ground. He said it wasn't fun and if he did stay that he wouldn't be putting forth 100% and he felt that wasn't fair to either him or the team. The coach understood so we turned in his gear this past Monday and are officially finished with the sport.

I am sad that he isn't going to be playing. I was looking forward to going to his games and cheering his team on. I understand why he quit though and am supportive of his decision. Who knows, he's only 11 years old so maybe he'll decide on a different sport later on down the road. Or he might be one of these guys that is more into the intellectual side of school instead. Either one is fine with me:)

just checking in

hello again, hope everybody is doing fine. I figured I'd better check in here so you all didn't think I'd dropped off the ends of the earth. Nope, I'm still here, just busy. Last week we had a couple of birthday and anniversary parties to go to. First one was for my grandma, who turned 98 on July 21st! Yes, you read that right, she is 98 years young and still going strong. The second was my aunt and uncles 55th wedding anniversary, which I'd planned on attending but didn't make it. I still can't believe they've been married that long. I remember going to my grandparents 50th anniversary and they just seemed so much older to me then my aunt and uncle do now. And finally the anticipated football season has started so we are now dealing with practices every evening. My son is enjoying it though and doing well. This week has started out pretty warm though and has caused him to think he lost his mind for joining but he knows it will get cooler and better as time goes on so he is hanging in there. Business is still booming also. I'm not as busy as I could be, but busier then I like. Hubby's burns are finally healed too. He will have a fairly big scar on his leg, but at least he still has the leg! There at the beginning when the doctors said he could lose it if he didn't listen to instructions really scared us both. We've also started the dreaded "back to school" shopping. The kids are NOT ready for that. But here in less then a month they will be back to the grind and I'll have my peace and quiet back:)

Why do I even try to do it?

There are days, today is one, that I wonder why I even try to keep up on this blog. Every time I think I'm recommiting to this diet, something happens and I fall off the wagon and go right back to my old eating habits. I thought blogging would help me with that, but it hasn't. Some people get so much inspiration from writing down their feelings, but it just isn't working for me. Others feel accountable to the whole world of bloggers by posting their goals and ambitions, but it seems like nobody even reads my blog anymore (this is the pessimism talking)so what's the point.

I was doing so well rededicating myself to eating healthy. I'd gone three whole weeks (that's a lot for me!) without slipping up once and I was losing at a nice slow and steady rate, but then my hubby had his accident and after that with the stress of taking care of him, hoping things ran smoothly with our business while he was unable to work, well, the stress got the better of me. I've ate nothing but convenient junk food these past couple of weeks and the scale has shown me that by moving right back up to where it was when I started this diet. And, of course, now I'm not in the right mindset anymore to even think about eating right and exercising. God, what is the matter with me? Why can't I get this thing right? When is that little light bulb going to come on inside my head and stay on so that I can kick this bad habit of mine and get fit and healthy? Hopefully some day soon, but it's not there now at all. My bulb has burnt out and it doesn't look like I'm going to be replacing it any time soon.

Hubby update

We had to make a trip to the doctor today for my hubby. He broke out with a fever yesterday and that is a sign of infection so I forced him to go to the clinic today. I'm so glad that I made him go too. The doctor looked at his leg and told him that it was as close to a 3rd degree burn as you could get without actually having one. He also said that hubby really should have gone to the ER that night right after it happened instead of just listening to the EMT that came out with the fire department. (I told him so!) His burns are now infected and he has to take the rest of the week off work and keep his leg elevated. The burns are not healing and his leg is pretty swollen. The doctor gave him a shot of high dose antibiotics and he is also taking them orally. They said if he didn't listen and stay off the leg that he could possibly LOSE IT! I hope that shocked him enough to listen. I'll tie him down if I have to just to make sure he does.

I don't know if I can handle dealing with another person with burns. As my friends and family know, my son had 3rd degrees burns when he was 2 years old. He pulled a slow cooker full of broth down off the counter and onto his head and shoulder. He had to have skin grafts on his arm. The doctor said if hubby's burns don't start to heal that he might also have to go through that. We don't have insurance now (thankfully we did when it happened to my son) so if he has to have surgery I don't know what we will do. I'm hoping and praying though that it doesn't come to that.

Other then that, things have calmed down here. Thankfully we have people who can cover for my hubby at work and I am home to take care of him and make sure he listens to the doctor. We won't be going out to watch the fireworks tonight in town, but I think we've all had enough fireworks this year.

I hope everyone else has a happy and SAFE 4th of July.

When it rains, it pours

I hate that saying, but it is so true when things tend to go wrong for me and my family. It never is just one small thing, it is always more. This has been the cruddiest weekend I've had for a long time.

It started Saturday with hubby getting into a big argument with one of our employees. I just knew that 1) hubby was going to have a stroke from the stress or 2) the employee was going to just up and quit and leave us hurting for help. Thankfully they were able to work things out, at least for now.

The next not so wonderful thing happened Saturday evening when my hubby and kids decided to light off some fireworks. Now, I am NOT a fan of fireworks, never have been and never will be. I don't like them, they scare me. I worry every year when they are outside setting them off that someone is going to get hurt or they'll start a fire. Well, this year my worries came true. I was inside at the computer, listening as one thing popped after another when all of a sudden my daughter comes flying inside "MOM, dad needs you outside quick! The field is on fire!" I thought she was joking at first because she didn't sound too panicked, but when I looked out the bedroom window there it was a ring of fire in the wheat field across the road from our house and my hubby frantically beating at the flames with his shirt. I called the fire department then ran out to see if I could help. We hooked up the hose and formed a bucket brigade. Thankfully they had harvested the wheat the day before so it was just stubble out there, but it still burned pretty quick. We were able to put it out before the fire department got out here, but in the process of trying my hubby got some pretty bad burns on his leg. They are second degree so not as bad as they could have been, but still.

And now finally to top off this wonderful (i say sarcastically) weekend, our ac has stopped working. We came home this evening to a house that was almost 90 degrees inside, the ac buzzing noisily out back. And of course this week is supposed to be hot and humid, highs in the 90's, until Thursday. DAMMIT, why does everything have to happen all at once? I'm so sick of it, but you know I'm just going to go hop in the tub and light some candles and relax. Hopefully tomorrow morning will be better and things will get back on track. I'm keeping my fingers crossed on that one anyway.

Week 3

Lost another pound when I weighed in Saturday so I'm moving in the right direction. I wish it would come off faster though because it sure seemed to go on FAST!

In other news, I had an awesome weekend. We went to the demolition derby Saturday evening. It was a lot of fun and excitement. And, I again did very well bypassing all the sugary, fattening fair treats. It was very hard though because people would walk by us in the grandstand, carrying plates of french fries, onion rings, corn dogs, nachos, cotton candy, elephant ears and funnel cakes. And my own kids even made it hard on me by getting funnel cakes to bring home with them after the derby. I did well though and only enjoyed the SMELL of them, not the taste:)

Sunday was spent with my dad to celebrate Father's Day. We had a nice dinner and good conversation. My kids and hubby went out for their own little Father's Day celebration. they played laser tag!

It's Fair Time

Tonight we took the kids to the fair. It started here Monday and the kids have been asking to go since they found out. I was worried that I'd be so tempted by all the fair foods, but I did really well. I ate a big salad before we went. I passed by all the delicious smelling foods and only bought a diet soda. I really really wanted an elephant ear, but I passed it by. Tonight was harness racing. I'm not a big fan of it, but it was kind of fun to watch the horses zipping around the track.



It was also bracelet night (ride all the rides you want for one price) so the kids spent most of their evening doing just that. I don't do carnival rides. They either make me sick or they are way to tall for my liking.



We probably won't go back again until Saturday evening. That is the last day of the fair and my all time favorite is going on that night. The demolition derby! I guess you can call me a redneck at heart because for me the derby is the best thing to happen at the fair. Well, besides the food, of course:) I have never participated in one, but it sure looks like a lot of fun and I think it would be a great way to work off some frustrations.



My brother inlaw usually has a car to enter. I don't know for sure if he has one ready for this year's fair or not, but if so, I'll be rooting for him to win. If anyone happens to go to the fair Saturday evening, just look in the front row seats of the grandstand. I'll be the one yelling and cheering, wearing mud spattered clothes, with the biggest smile on their face:)

Week Two

Well, hopped on the scale this morning and no loss for the week, but was pretty much expecting that. I've not done the best this past week. With the kids being out of school now for the summer, I've had to fix their meals and it is hard to stay away from the burgers and fries with them here since that's what they're requesting. I have already told them though that this coming week is going to be a healthier one. We are ALL going to eat more fruits and veggies and less junk. It'll be better for them anyway.

It's working!

I stepped on the scale this morning to a THREE POUND loss! I was hoping for more then that since it was my first week back on track, but hey, I'll take it. It's more then I've been losing so I can't complain.

So far, So good

I've been really good this week, so far. I've walked and ate only healthy foods. I've drank all my water too, but that's been pretty easy since temps have been close to 90 degrees each day. It's when it cools off that I just can't seem to reach for the water. I will weigh in on Saturday morning. I'm hoping (and praying) for a good little drop on the scale. I'll fill you in then and let you know what it shows.



Well, school is almost out for my kids. Today is their last full day. They are off tomorrow then go back Friday for a measly half an hour to pick up their report cards. I still can't believe that the school year is over already. My daughter will be starting her SOPHOMORE year this fall and my son will be going into 6th grade, his last year of elementary school. Where has the time gone?

Oh, get this. Over the weekend, my daughter (15 years old) asked me when she could start DATING!!!! Immediately my answer was never, but then after calming down I thought about it and wondered when will I be ready to let her date? I didn't have my first real date until I was 18 years old. Do I make her wait that long? I know when I was her age I wanted to date and felt like my parents were treating me like a baby when they wouldn't let me. Do I make her feel the same way? That's just a scary thought for me. She shouldn't even be old enough to like boys. They should still have cooties, as she used to say. When she asked my hubby, he just got a dazed deer in the headlights look on his face and never did answer her. Lots of help he is. I still haven't given her an answer. I wonder how long she'll let me get away with that? Wouldn't it be nice if she never brought up the subject again? Wishful thinking, I know.

Let's try this again

Ok, I've had a lot of time to think about this whole diet thing and I've come to the conclusion that I'm worth more then a twinkie and some potato chips. I'm worth fresh fruit and veggies, lean meats and fresh sparkling water. I'm worth many years of healthy living. So, I'm back at it. I'm trying my hardest to eat healthy and move my body. I can do it. I know I can because I'm worth it!

Feelings

I'm feeling so frustrated, annoyed and like a failure. Why? Because I weighed myself this morning and, ugh, I'm so ashamed to even type this, but I've gained back TWENTY of the 43 lbs. that I lost over the past year!

Why in the world did I let that happen? I knew when I stopped eating Nutrisystem that I was going to have problems, but I didn't think I would gain back that much so fast. The part that frustrates me the most though is that even though I KNOW and SEE how much I've gained, I can't stop eating the junk food. I told myself after I got off the scale this morning that I was going to eat healthier today, but the minute I went into the kitchen I reached for the junk. It's like I'm addicted to it. And it's not like I don't have the healthy foods in the house. I just went to the store last week so I have plenty. But it's like I don't even see those things.
I don't want to gain all the weight I've lost back, but if I don't nip this in the bud soon I know that is what is going to happen. I want to get that motivation back that I had last year at this time, but even digging down deep inside I just can't seem to find it. I'm hoping that posting on here will get some good motivational thoughts headed my way from all my friends and family. Believe me, I could use some right now.

Weird Weather

It has been raining here for almost the past week and temps have been really cold. Yesterday it actually warmed up a bit, but then it stormed last night. It rained hard and there was plenty of thunder and lightning and even some hail. Thankfully it wasn't big enough to cause any damage. Today it's been sunny except for about fifteen minutes when it got totally dark and just poured down rain. There was hail mixed in with that too. Now the sun is back out and shining like crazy. What gives?

Sorry I've been gone

I know I've not posted for a week and I'm sorry about that. Between being busy and being sick (yes, sick again) it's just been hectic here. I've been fighting a cold for the past two weeks now. It started as a head cold, but moved into my chest. Now it won't go away. Every day I think I'm starting to feel better, but the next morning I'm back to coughing and not being able to breathe. It stinks! And this is the time of the month when we do the billing for our business and that's just always hectic trying to get all the invoices ready to go out. It's done now though so the rest of the month shouldn't be too bad.

I hope all the mom's had a great Mothers Day this past weekend. I know I did. The kids gave me a beautiful redbud tree for our front yard. I had wanted one for awhile so that was a nice surprise. My hubby took me out to the casino in Evansville and we spent Saturday evening there. I didn't win big, but did come out with more $$ then I went in with so didn't do too bad. Hubby, on the other hand, lost all the money he took with him. He just wasn't having the best luck that night. We had a nice dinner that night too and came back home Sunday afternoon. So, all in all, I had a great Mom's Day.

Things should be getting back to normal around here now since most holidays and special occasions are done. Well, Memorial Day is coming up but we don't normally do much on that holiday. I'm hoping the weather warms back up soon too. It's been in the 50's and rainy for over a week now. I'm ready for that to stop and get back up in the 70's where the temps belong for this time of year. The kids are counting down the days until the end of school (only 12 more as of this morning). I'm sure they'll fly by.....for me anyway, maybe not so much for the kids. Guess that's it. I promise I'll do better at posting this week. "Talk" to ya all later!

Happy Birthday to Me

Today is my birthday. I'm officially 38 years young now although I still feel, and probably act at times, like I'm 21:) My family and I celebrated yesterday by going out for a nice lunch and also buying my gift, which I love and have been wanting for years. It is pictured below...



I immediately came home and put it together, filled it with water and turned it on to enjoy. Love the sound of running water. It is just so relaxing. I was hoping that today would be halfway quiet, but no dice. The phone has been ringing off the hook all morning. I'm hoping that this afternoon though it will taper off so I can get outside and enjoy my fountain some more. I hope everyone has a great day today! Talk to you all later.

What Your Birthdate Means

Since my birthday is Monday, I thought I'd take this quiz and post the results. Funny that it said I should be my own boss since I am already self-employed.

Your Birthdate: May 8

Watch out Donald Trump! You've got a head for business and money. You'll make it rich some day, even if you haven't figured out how yet. A supreme individualist, you shouldn't get stuck in a corporate job. Instead, make your own way - so that you can be the boss. Your strength: Your undying determination Your weakness: You require an opulent lifestyle Your power color: Plum Your power symbol: Dollar sign Your power month: August

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

TGIF

Tomorrow is my daughter's 15th birthday. I am still having a hard time believing that she is really going to be that old. Seems like only yesterday that she was toddling around the living room, singing Barney songs. Harder still to believe that next year she'll be driving a car! Yikes! I'm getting old!

Anyway, I've been running around all week trying to get things ready for her bday. She is having a friend spend the night tonight so needed to make sure we have plenty of snack food for the late night chats, movies for them to watch, clean sheets for the bed, etc. Bought her bday gifts yesterday (new outfit, cd) so that's all set. We're taking her out for dinner tonight so she'll be choosing the restaurant. I have a feeling it will be Mexican (her favorite), but it might be something that we'll all eat. I figure both girls will sleep in tomorrow, but in the afternoon we're going to a Home Interiors party, which I was invited to go to. Not something that I figured either girl would be interested in, but they both said they want to go so will bring them along too.

I'm finishing up laundry this morning, doing a bit of cleaning and trying to do business stuff too. I feel like I'm going in a hundred different directions. Diet has been completely forgotten. I weighed this morning and since I stopped using NS, I've put on 10 lbs! I know what I should be eating, but for the life of me just can't get back into it. Hubby says I should just learn to love myself as I am, but I don't know if I can.

Ho-Hum

Hi all, sorry I've not posted lately. After all the excitement and stress of the past month, it's actually been pretty boring here lately. I'm glad though. I really needed the break.

Since things have calmed down here, I've been able to lead a more normal life. I finally made it outside yesterday and got the yard mowed. It took 3 hours(!!!) to do it, but at least it is now done. I couldn't believe how tall the grass was in some areas. Nothing else grows in our yard, but boy, the grass and weeds sure do! It felt great to be outside yesterday and I didn't want to come back in even after I finished the outdoor work so I cleaned out my car. Just being in the fresh air gave me so much energy. I can tell it today though. I could hardly get out of bed this morning because of the sore muscles. Ouch.


I got a nice Administrative Assistant Day gift from the lady that I help out once a week. She is a Mary Kay seller so any gifts she gives me are Mary Kay products. Normally it is a body wash and lotion, but this time she gave me the mint bliss foot and leg lotion and also a fabulous coral nail polish for my toesies. I can't wait to use the stuff, but will have to hide it from my daughter otherwise she'll end up using it all.

Speaking of the kids, they are home from school now so I need to log off here and spend time with them. I'm told that is what a good parent does. LOL

What do People Envy about You?

People Envy Your Compassion

You have a kind heart and an unusual empathy for all living creatures. You tend to absorb others' happiness and pain. People envy your compassion, and more importantly, the connections it helps you build. And compassionate as you are, you feel for them.

What Do People Envy About You?

HAPPY EASTER

Audit update

It's finally over. I made it through the audit in one piece. The guy actually got here half an hour earlier then he said he would so I didn't really have much time to get into a state of panic. Unfortunately, he wasn't a hottie:( He was very nice though and answered all of my questions without making me feel stupid. He was only here 90 minutes, but it still felt like an eternity. Especially when he asked me for some paperwork that I did NOT have! Thankfully it wasn't a mandatory thing to keep. Whew. He did say that we are going to owe a bit more to the IRS (imagine that!), but we won't know exactly how much until we get a letter from them, probably a couple of months from now. Great, something else to worry about. The reason for owing more taxes, at least, was not my fault. Apparently the state of Illinois sent me the wrong percentage rate to put in my payroll program. No penalties will be added, but I'm sure there will still be interest. I don't think the State ever does anything without adding interest to it nor would they ever admit fault. I'm sure if I called someone there, they'd tell me that I should have caught that mistake BEFORE I put the amount in my program. So, anyway, to make a long story short....I survived. I just hope we never have to go through that again.

An earlier post then normal

Figured I'd log on tonight and get my post up since tomorrow the dreaded auditor is coming. I tell you, I'm not ready for this guy to be here, but I'll sure be glad when it's all finished. I've been a nervous wreck this entire week and have not slept worth a crap at all. Last night, I kept replaying worst case scenarios through my head all night long. There's nothing I can do about the guy coming or about what he will find, but I tell ya, I've just about been driven to drink because of it. The only salvation I've had thinking about this guy is the possibility that he will be a hottie. Don't laugh! It could happen. I mean, surely not all IRS people are old man scrooges!

Diet-wise, I've not done well at all. I've pretty much been doing whatever all week, eating what I want when I want. I hopped on the scale this morning just to see how much damage I'd done and I am up 2 lbs. I figured as much and truthfully, it isn't bothering me. I know once the stress in my life settles down that things will get back to normal and I'll again move in the right direction. I did visit the website that Karon told me about and signed up. I've not followed any of their advice yet (sorry, Karon!), but I have been looking over the website and message boards each day to get inspiration. It all makes sense and I know I can do it. Hopefully, once tomorrow is over and done then I can get into it and get back to becoming a smaller version of myself:)

Time off

It's been another rough week here. I'm still trying to get things ready for our audit next Friday. I can't believe how many things this guy is requiring. I have them all, but all of last years paperwork is buried in my closet so it's taken some doing get it all back out.

Diet has pretty much gone by the wayside. I mentioned in my last post that I was probably going to stop using NS because of the expense. I went ahead and delayed my next shipment, but kept my account active just in case I can't do it on my own. At least that way I won't lose my discount. Anyway, this past week I've not even tried to follow any type of plan. I've ate some NS food that I still have left, have had lean cuisine meals a couple evenings too, but have also ate whatever I've wanted. Thankfully the scale is still the same as last week.

I know I can't go without some sort of formal diet. I've tried that in the past and it didn't work. I thought about just keeping my portion sizes small, but I seem to do that then add junk on top. Not good. So, will check out a website that Karon recommended and see what they have to say. I want to make this work.

Am I :-) or am I :-(

Another maintain for this week. Frustrating, but at least it isn't a gain. With all the crap I've been dealing with, I really am surprised that I didn't gain weight. Another thing that is stressing me out is that I think I'm going to have to stop ordering Nutrisystem. It's just getting too expensive. I've been reading over some of the NS board posts with others who follow NS without using their food and I think it is totally doable for me to follow suit, but it is still scary. I mean, I've not lost weight USING the ns food, do I really think I'll lose using my own? That is my stressed out mind talking now, but still, it does enter my mind. I am going to try though. I don't want to gain back what I have already lost.

It just keeps getting worse

I don't know how, but it just keeps getting worse around here. Maybe it's the fact that I'm already completely stressed out. Maybe it's that everything has decided to hit us all at once. I just know that I'm sick and tired of it all. I just want to run away or crawl into a hole and hide from the world. Can I do that? It wouldn't make any of these problems go away, but it sure would be nice to not have to deal with them. I'm not going to go into detail here, but I will say that the things that are going wrong are financial. It usually wouldn't be this bad, but it seems like the hole is just getting deeper and deeper no matter what I try to do about it. One of these days, it is going to be so deep that we're not going to be able to crawl back out of it.

The dreaded IRS audit

Guess what? I received a letter from the IRS a few days ago letting us know that our business has been selected for an audit. Yippee, I say. Sounds like fun. Just what I needed to add to my already stressed out life. WooHoo.

Thankfully it is just a payroll audit and not a full fledged federal one, but still it's not something that I'm looking forward to dealing with. Sure I keep good records, we pay all the required taxes (at least I hope we do!), file all the correct forms, etc. It's just the idea, I guess, that freaks me out.

The audit is scheduled for April 14th. I can tell you right now I'll be dreading that day until it gets here. Even then, I'll be a nervous wreck until the auditor leaves. Wish me luck, guys and gals. I hope I don't have a nervous breakdown before the big day arrives.

My week in review

It's not been an exciting week, but it has been a busy one.

Monday was spent doing all sorts of odds and ends around the house, trying to get a bit of spring cleaning done. It seemed like the day flew by and I really didn't get as much crossed off my list as I'd hoped. I did manage to get all the floors mopped and vacuumed, some clutter and junk tossed out and some major dusting done. I also rearranged some of my furniture so I now have a bit more room to do my striptease workout video. I even got in an hour or so phone call with my cousin to get caught up with each other. I always enjoy that:)

Tuesday was spent home with the kids. It snowed here, about 6 inches total, so they had a snow day. I usually don't mind them being home, but they were so rowdy that I finally had to force them to go outside and play to burn off some of their extra energy. I went out also and cleared the snow from the sidewalk, deck and part of the drive so got in a bit of exercise for myself too.

Wednesday was full of fielding phone calls from some of our customers who were wondering if our trucks had been out during the snows on Tuesday. All were answered with a yes and most of the people couldn't believe that we were out in that bad weather. I guess we should adopt the postman's creed. It fits us too. Thankfully most of the snow has melted from the roads already. That's the only thing I like about March snows. They don't last long at all.

Thursday was a fun day for me. My friend from Iowa was home again for a visit so we were able to get together for the day. Went to Applebee's for lunch and then came back to my house for a nice visit. Her kids loved it here. Can't say my cat enjoyed their company so much, but oh well. Made me feel good that the kids enjoyed seeing me and spending time together too, but it also made me sad that I don't get to see them very often. Usually just a couple times each year.

And then yesterday, that's the day that I usually look forward to, but not this week. Got into a major fight with the hubby over some stupid little thing so the day was spent being annoyed. Days like that tend to have everything go wrong too and yesterday was no different. Even the little things weren't working out right for me. I know my bad attitude didn't help, but I couldn't get out of the funk that the fight with hubby put me into. I didn't let it get to me so much though that I ate away the misery like I would have in the past. I did good and stayed on NS 100%.

Today I weighed (I forgot yesterday), but I was still the same as last week. I'm upset that I'm not losing especially since I was so psyched to restart and get back on track, but I'll just keep trudging along. The weight will drop off eventually (at least I HOPE it does) and I'll get there. Onward and downward I go. Talk to you later.

Another week gone

Another week gone, but no pounds lost for me. I figure it is because TOM is due to arrive any day so I'm trying not to beat myself up too much. I've done fairly well following NS and have only cheated one day. That was with a Subway sandwich so even then it wasn't as bad as it could have been.

Things have calmed down a bit here, thankfully, so some of the stress that I've been dealing with has gone away. I'm ready for spring to get here and have even started doing some of my spring cleaning. There is a lot more to do though so it will be awhile before my house is nice and springtime fresh.

Not much else going on so will close for today. I hope everyone has a nice St. Patty's day! Later.

Weigh In

Sorry I didn't post Friday. I'm down another pound for the week so still moving in the right direction. It's still pretty stressful around here. Saturday was my nephew's 7th birthday party. I went along with my son. Made me realize why I never offered to host any bday parties like that for my kids. Gee was it loud.

Today is being spent working...again. Seems like it's neverending here lately. I'm so ready for a break.

Ugh

It's been soooo stressful around here these past couple of weeks. Running your own business sucks! I think I'm actually getting an ulcer from all of the worrying that I've been doing lately. What with keeping the customer happy, paying the bills on time and keeping the household running, I feel like I'm in way over my head.

This past week has been especially bad. This is the slow week of the month, but it seems like the busiest when it comes to the bills being due. Plus, I'm trying to get invoices ready to go out on the 15th and its just very overwhelming, for some reason, this time around. Maybe I need a break. Or better yet, some help! Hubby has two employees that help him out. Maybe I should look into getting someone at least part time to help me.

Anyway, the part earlier about my getting an ulcer, I think that could be a real possibility. The gnawing in my upper stomach is getting worse every day. Today it feels like something is going to actually eat its way all the way through. Not good, huh? If I don't start feeling better soon, I guess I'm going to have to force myself to head to the doctor.

Times like these I wish there was a magic little pill that you could take to make all of your worries disappear.

I'm back in the saddle again

It's not been a full week yet since I rededicated myself to following NS 100%, but I couldn't help myself and went ahead and weighed anyway. I'm pleased to announce that the scale showed a 2 lb. loss for these past 5 days! I'm psyched! I was hoping that once I set my mind to doing this that it would work. I'm doing the happy dance and burning off more calories as I do!:)

New exercise dvd

I just finished exercising to the new dvd that I bought and just wanted to hop on here and say how much fun it was. I've been searching for different tapes to do, but have never found ones that I can keep up with. Either the dance steps are too complicated (and I trip over my feet) or they're just too high impact and I can't keep up.

Well, I'd heard a lot about the Carmen Electra dvd (Aerobic Striptease) and thought I'd give it a try. I found it on half.com and purchased a copy. I got it in the mail yesterday and decided to try it out this morning. I was afraid that it was going to be just as complicated as all the others I've tried, but I was pleasantly surprised by how easy it was. I actually made it through the whole dvd, no problem. That alone is a big accomplishment for me because half the time I can't even make it through the warm-ups! Anyhoo, this will definitely be a keeper in my collection. It was easy enough, but not so easy that I didn't feel that I wasn't getting a workout. I probably won't be doing it while anyone is home though. It might not be stripping, but there are some sexy moves included in it and that's definitely not something I feel my kids should be subjected to seeing their mother do:)

March 1

I saw this cartoon and thought I'd share. I wish they had this already.



Huh, well, this cartoon was supposed to be moving. Wonder why it's not? Oh well.

Anyway, I thought I'd go ahead and check in midweek to let you know how things are going with my "starting over" process. Well, so far, so good. I restarted following NS 100% this past Monday (2/27) and, although it's been hard and I've been hungry, I've stuck to it. The exercise part has been going along well too. I'm not back to where I was when I quit walking on the treadmill, but I'm getting there. The time and miles will accumulate the more I walk. I couldn't believe how much I went downhill though. When I stopped walking on it, I was at 2 miles a day. Now I'm lucky to walk a mile before I'm huffing and puffing. And my legs are so sore. Ouch. But, I'm pushing onwards.

I peeked at the scale this morning (I just couldn't help myself) and it looks like it is going down so happy with that. I will have my official weigh-in Friday. I want to post a big loss so bad. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

Starting Over

Alright, you all know how hard this diet has been for me these past few months. I've not been able to stay motivated or stick with it at all. The past few weeks I've actually been eating whatever I feel like, for the most part. And, truthfully, I've felt awful after each meal. The heartburn, the upset stomach, the feeling like I'm going to explode if I eat another bite. It made me stop and think if that's really how I wanted to feel after eating. It didn't take me long to answer that with a firm NO. So, as of Monday, I'm going to hit NS full force and get back on track. I know, you're all saying that instead of waiting until Monday that I should just go ahead and start today. But (yes, here comes the lame excuse) I want to have one last hoorah in the eating department before I go back to NS. I know, I know, that isn't a good reason. However, that is the mindset I'm in right now so don't argue with me. lol

I was looking over my NS profile the other day and here it is almost a whole year later and I'm not even halfway to my goal weight. I had hoped to be AT my goal weight by now, but because of these last few months and my lack of willpower it isn't going to happen. I'm hoping, though, that by recommitting myself to following NS 100% that by April 17th (my one year anniversary) I will at least be close to that halfway mark.

Friday Weigh In

The scale shows the same weight as last week so guess any pounds that wanted to come settle on my big ol' butt decided that I'd had enough grief and stayed away. I'm so sick of not being motivated to do this anymore. The pounds are slowly creeping back on. I just want to scream.

Rambling Thoughts

I was sitting watching tv last night when I got to thinking about Nutrisystem and how I've been doing on it lately. I thought long and hard about WHY I started Nutrisystem last April. I thought of all of the reasons I wanted to lose weight and all of the things that I wanted to accomplish. After doing that, I started thinking about what I've been doing to get to those goals and I came up with pretty much ZIP. ZILCH. NADA.

You see, ever since Thanksgiving, I've just not been in the mood to follow the NS plan. Actually since that time, I've lost a total of 3 measly pounds and last week I GAINED 2 of those back! And the way I've been going, that last one will come back this week.

There are days that I have all the motivation in the world when I get out of bed, but by the time lunch rolls around I'm at the McDonald's drive-up window ordering a Big Mac and fries. I'll be gung-ho about walking on my treadmill, only to let it slip by the wayside and then come bedtime, I've still not done any walking.

I remember how excited I was when I first started NS and how much motivation and willpower I had then. I diligently ate nothing but what was on the NS plan. I passed right by the fast food restaurants. I got as many steps in on my pedometer as I possibly could by taking a longer route to the mail box or parking farther away at the stores. I drank all my water. But now, for some reason, I just can't do it. I've tried almost everything I can think of to get that motivation back, but it just doesn't want to come my way.

I talked to my cousin today and we seem to think that it might be because of the winter months and not being able to get outdoors. I know in the past I've had problems with being energetic in the winter. There were times that I'd be in bed at 7pm. I just couldn't stay awake. It's not that bad now, but I do tend to notice the lack of energy and get up and go around this time of year. I hope that once the weather turns warmer and the sun stays out longer, that my motivation returns and I can kick this diet back into full gear. I don't want to gain back the 41 lbs. that I've lost. I don't want to lose all of the things that I've accomplished because of my weight loss. I don't want to go back. I want to move forward.

How to say I LOVE YOU in different languages

I thought this was interesting.

Afrikaans - Ek het jou lief
Albanian - Te dua
Arabic - Ana behibak (to male)
Arabic - Ana behibek (to female)
Armenian - Yes kez sirumen
Belarusian - Ya tabe kahayu
Bulgarian - Obicham te
Cambodian - Bung Srorlagn Oun (to female)
Cambodian - Oun Srorlagn Bung (to male)
Cantonese/Chinese Ngo oiy ney a
Catalan - T'estimo
Cheyenne - Ne mohotatse
Creol - Mi aime jou
Croatian - Volim te
Czech - Miluji te
Danish - Jeg Elsker Dig
Dutch - Ik hou van jou
English - I love you
Esperanto - Mi amas vin
Estonian - Ma armastan sind
Ethiopian - Ewedishalehu : male/female to female
Filipino - Mahal kita
Finnish - Mina rakastan sinua
French - Je t'aime, Je t'adore
Gaelic - Ta gra agam ort
German - Ich liebe dich
Greek - S'agapo
Hawaiian - Aloha wau ia oi
Hebrew - Ani ohev otah (to female)
Hebrew - Ani ohev et otha (to male)
Hindi - Hum Tumhe Pyar Karte hai
Hopi - Nu' umi unangwa'ta
Hungarian - Szeretlek
Icelandic - Eg elska tig
Indonesian - Saya cinta padamu
Inuit - Negligevapse
Irish - Taim i' ngra leat
Italian - Ti amo
Japanese - Aishiteru
Korean - Sarang Heyo
Latin - Te amo
Latvian - Es tevi miilu
Lebanese - Bahibak
Lithuanian - Tave myliu
Mandarin Chinese - Wo ai ni
Mohawk - Kanbhik
Moroccan - Ana moajaba bik
Navaho - Ayor anosh'ni
Nepali - Ma Timilai Maya Garchhu
Norwegian - Jeg Elsker Deg
Persian - Doo-set daaram
Pig Latin - Iay ovlay ouyay
Polish - Kocham Cie
Portuguese - Eu te amo
Romanian - Te ubesc
Russian - Ya tebya liubliu
Serbian - Volim te
Sioux - Techihhila
Slovak - Lu`bim ta
Slovenian - Ljubim te
Spanish - Te quiero / Te amo
Surinam- Mi lobi joe
Swahili - Ninapenda wewe
Swedish - Jag alskar dig
Swiss-German - Ich lieb Di
Taiwanese - Wa ga ei li
Tahitian - Ua Here Vau Ia Oe
Thai - Chan rak khun (to male)
Thai - Phom rak khun (to female)
Turkish - Seni Seviyorum
Ukrainian - Ya tebe kahayu
Vietnamese - Anh ye^u em (to female)
Vietnamese - Em ye^u anh (to male)
Welsh - 'Rwy'n dy garu
Yiddish - Ikh hob dikh
Zimbabwe - Ndinokuda

TGIF...Finally!

I'm so glad that this week is over. It's been a long, frustrating and stressful one to deal with. So stressful, in fact, that I "stress ate" my way UP TWO POUNDS for the week. I knew I was doing it though so nobody to blame but myself. I'll work harder next week to get rid of it.

The water leak has FINALLY been taken care of also. The plumber came out Wed and replaced the storage tank. We thought that took care of the problem, but yesterday I noticed another puddle forming underneath the pipes that they'd replaced leading to the storage tank. They were leaking now. So called the plumber back and they said they'd come back out today. So, they came back out this morning and repaired that so hopefully there won't be anymore water on my floor. I'm keeping my fingers crossed. At least we don't have to pay for this second trip out here. Since it was their mistake (they used inferior pipe fittings according to the guy today) we aren't going to be charged.

My son got great news at the Dr. last night too. His wrist is 95 % healed and he no longer needs to wear the splint. Yay! He just needs to take it easy for another week, still no contact sports at school and he might have some soreness from starting to use his muscles again, but other then that, he's back to normal.

I need your opinions

I have a question that I'd like some opinions on. It's pertaining to my son's school work and his broken wrist. Whenever he first broke his wrist, the teacher stated that since it was his writing arm that was disabled that I could help him out on his homework by copying it to make it legible. No problem. He would work out the problems on a scrap paper and I'd copy them (even if I knew they were the wrong answer) into his workbooks. He has also had an ongoing project this year regarding the 50 States. He has to do a small report on each state that includes the population, state bird, state tree, some interesting facts about the state, etc. I distinctly asked the teacher if it was ok if I helped him on those also since they needed to be nice and neat. And so that he wouldn't get too far behind on them. She said that would be fine. So, each evening when my son got home from school, we would sit down in front of the computer, look up all of these facts for a state and he'd tell me what he wanted written down. We did that each evening for the past 4 weeks. Ok, here comes my dilemma.

Yesterday my son came home from school, practically in tears. When I asked him what was wrong, he said that his teacher was now saying that his 50 state reports hadn't been done by him and that he wasn't going to get credit for them. I called the school to find out what had happened and his teacher told me that she didn't believe that he had done any of the work on the reports because they were too neat! WHAT?!?! I told her that I'd written them up for him after he'd looked things up on the computer and told me what he wanted written down, but that I'd also called and asked her if that was ok. She'd said yes. I told her that he sat right here beside me at the computer each evening and we'd look up the information and he would tell me what he wanted to write down. Her comeback on that was that there was no way he could have finished that many state reports unless I'd been doing them throughout the day for him. Huh? Let's do the math...1 state report each evening for 5 days (we didn't work on weekends) would equal 5 states each week multiplied by 4 weeks would equal 20 states at the end of that period. I think that's entirely possible to do. She argued with me up one side and down the other. I argued back that I have NEVER done either of my kids homework and have always been adamant about them looking things up for themselves instead of coming to mom or dad for a quick answer. She just kept going on and on and then came the words that ended our conversation. "I don't' believe that your son did this work. I think you are lying about it to keep him from getting into trouble" Nobody calls me a liar! If his teacher had been standing in front of me, she would have walked, no make that crawled, away with some major physical damage. I took the high road though and told her that if she didn't believe me that we needed to take it up with the principal.

So, today, I get a call from the principal stating that they were only going to give my son credit on HALF of the reports and the other half he had to redo. When I asked why, the principal told me that his teacher didn't believe that he'd done them and wasn't backing down on that at all so rather then fail him on all of the reports, they came to this compromise. This compromise came between the teacher and the principal. No word from my son or me on the matter was taken into consideration. It was just between those two. There was no arguing with her on this either so I just let it go. I mean, it could have been worse. BUT, in your opinion, what would you have done if you were in this situation?