A Pound A Day

Posted on May 15th, 2011 by Jean

I’ve lost 3 lbs. in 3 days, and this is what I’ve learned so far.
 
The SparkPeople Diet Tracker App is awesome! Download it, tell it your current weight, your goal weight, and go. It’s easy to track your calories burned and consumed. Sparkpeople is also online. I just signed in and was surprised to see that all of my input from the phone app was already updated online. So when your kids steal your phone to play Angry Birds, you can still update your records.
 

(Screenshots left to right: Calories Eaten/Burned, Glasses of Water Consumed, and Food Eaten.)
 

 
If you buy Orville Redenbacher’s 100 Calorie Smart Pop, you’d better buy extra popcorn for your family. The first three packets I nuked were confiscated by my daughters and husband. When I finally was able to eat my share in peace, I found it to be very tasty especially with a sprinkling of chili powder, cumin and garlic salt.
 
 
Thomas’ 110 calorie whole wheat bagel thins are fairly good. They’re chewy, filling, and not terrible. Hubby won’t eat them again even though I topped his with butter and cream cheese. Other flavors include plain, raisin, and “everything” (with onion, sesame and poppy seeds).
 
 
Freshness is key. A slice of fresh lemon in my water puts me in the right frame of mind. The color, scent, and flavor say “healthy” to me. Adding a slice of fresh cucumber to your water is a treat I learned from the salon at Mandalay Bay. Fresh cilantro in my salad adds a burst of flavor and really livens the greens.
 
 
What products do you turn to when you want to lose a few pounds?

Tags: aids, app, bagels, calorie, cilantro, counter, diet, family, health, iphone, lbs, lemon, popcorn, pounds, products, slim, sparkpeople, summer, Tips, waistline

Censorship: The Secret Ingredient

Posted on February 25th, 2011 by Jean

On Valentine’s Day, I had the honor of being the featured blogger at SITS (Secret Is In the Sauce). Due to this, I’ve met so many wonderful bloggers, and am still catching up with comments.
 
I was taken aback, though, when I realized I had been censored. The first thing I noticed was my blog header was cropped, removing me entirely.
 

 
My interview was very nice, but I was startled by the warning posted at the end.
 

 
Luckily, the turn out was incredible, and those that commented were supportive of my header.
 
Later I realized that my favorite posts were not included in the published interview, so I’ll include them here now.
 

Here are 3 of my personal favorite posts: FB Profile Hack combines humor and tech, while A Haunting at Chuck E Cheese adds humor and photoshop to the supernatural. The salacious Man Stories took me out of my comfort zone which I found exhilarating.

 
I’m not sure how featured bloggers are chosen, but I can share how I was picked. In October 2010 I was contacted by one of the SITS leaders and asked to host a “tribe” (group of bloggers with similar style). For my efforts, I would be featured. A few months later, I received a schedule with a tentative date for being showcased, and was interviewed via email prior to the Valentine’s Day.
 
All in all, I am still a member of SITS and encourage you to get involved if you haven’t already.
 
• Is your header censor-worthy?
• Do you read blogs with your child/ren on your lap? (I actually do!)
• Which celebrity would you photoshop your head onto?

Tags: Blogger, censored, featured, J Lo, Secret, SITS

Update Post

Posted on February 8th, 2011 by Jean

Helloooooo! I have been gone for far too long, and I’ve missed you. So much has happened in the past month, and what follows is the recap.
 
First off, our oldest daughter was finally accepted to a local, private school. She had been on the waiting list for four years, and being accepted was like receiving a golden ticket. You may or may not be familiar with the drama we experienced at Montessori, but we are pleased that she excelled at public school and made the transition to this private school with ease.
 
Our business is branching out. We will be unveiling a new publication in the very near future, and I cannot wait (but must wait) to give you a sneak peek! Stay tuned for that.
 
Everyone and his brother is sporting tri-colored hair in our town. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. It’s just, well, my wonderful stylist gave me that look three years ago. I loved it! I rocked it! I admit, I hadn’t been doing much with my hair lately, even letting my sparkles (greys) shine through. But when I saw the town awash in this new trend, I felt it was time to head to Vegas for some much needed treatment.
 
I parked my butt in Brooklyn’s chair and told her my dilemma. She recommended I try the ombre look. ::: Perk! ::: I’m all ears! Go on.
 
Ombre, as in dark roots, lighter ends. I love it! Now I notice others who are wearing this look.
 

 
Are you watching American Idol? When my husband saw that Steven Tyler was a judge, he tuned it and is loving it. He cannot believe the size of the crowds, and wonders how they pack all those auditions into two days. This is only my 3rd year of watching, and I do like the chemistry of Steven, J.Lo and Randy.
 
The Super Bowl has come & gone. I didn’t have a favorite team nor really a favorite commercial. Fergie’s mic wasn’t working very well, and Usher’s pants were too baggy in the crotch. Shout out to my girl, Sherri, for dancing around with a box on her head. She rocks.
 
• Hair – what’s your secret to looking so fresh?
• American Idol – why do you/don’t you watch?
• Super Bowl – name your highlights and lowlights.

Tags: American Idol, Blog, Fergie, hair, school, Steven Tyler, Super Bowl, trend, update, Usher