Random projects and success

I think this is the longest break I've had between blog posts. Everything is going really well, I've just been busy with STUFF. First, rushing around to scan 50 years of photos before my parents golden anniversary celebration and second, making hair bows. I have a little trick I'm really good at: find something I really like and instead of buying it, try to "save" money by spending quadruple on supplies to make it at home. My little girl is almost three and her sparse head of hair decided to sprout a little within the last few months. A friend of mine fixed it with a flower bow during a play date and I was hooked! I could have bought nine bunches of flowers from the dollar store and been all done, but I am not practical enough to make such a grounded decision. After making two or three flowers with rhinestones in the middle, the dreamer in me said that I could be a millionaire by selling them. Instead, I opted for the instant gratification of giving them away to friends and family (It's funny how much more people like things when they are free). There are plenty of plastic rhinestone jeweled flower bows on the market, so I decided I would raise the bar by using real Swarovski crystals instead of plastic--it really makes them shine. However, I must admit the "I need to spend the extra money on crystals," is a difficult sell. My husband has been very nice about it though, because he knows I'd probably be pigging out on "Big Carl" hamburgers without the distraction. (I know this is a "Weight Loss" story, but my meat-eating friends should REALLY try the Big Carl, it’s the best piece of processed beef I've ever had. And no, I've not seen "Food Inc.")

According to the book I've been reading, it is not a good policy to "shame" myself, so I won't tell you ALL about the shameful lack of exercise lately (I'll just tell you mostly about it). When I step outside here in the hot California sun, five minutes of standing makes me feel like I ran a mile, and the heat makes me want to sleep like a bear in hibernation. It is not even the hottest part of the year, AGHH. I've come to the conclusion that I may have to show my face at the gym again--I hate it, but not as much as waking early during summer break and sweating like a Rhino during dry season while trying to shed a few calories. Despite my lack of regular intense activity, I've still lost weight. The principles I've learned, which I described in the last two posts, have really stuck, and I am simply not gorging myself like I used to. Maybe it is easier to avoid food when my body isn’t burning as many calories every day. Whatever the case, I'll take the lower numbers on the scale, loosened clothes, and wait for it…a bra that hasn’t fit me since before my daughter was born. Just yesterday, after dressing in a sensible outfit, I burst into the family room and shouted to my peeps, “My boobs are getting so tiny!” My husband looked at me like, “You are out of your stinkin’ mind,” then realized I was actually VERY excited, switched his face and said, “Uh, Proud of you!”