Halloween is coming!

I have a sickness, I LOVE Halloween! The above picture is how I decorate the outside of my house for Halloween.

Yesterday while browsing the web I found the picture below, I really like it so I thought I'd share!


[Via: HalloweenExpress.com]

Update on me, I'm still doing very good losing weight. I'm down 11 lbs since 9/1 and down 45lbs since 1/1/09. 20 more to go!!!! 19 more to meet my challenge of 30lbs in 4 months!

Can't believe I'm posting that picture. However I can not get over the transformation and I wanted to share. A mere 6 months and a difference of ONLY 6lbs. Really, I'm not lying. I was only 6lbs heavier in the picture on the right from March. I've got chickens in the freezer bigger then that!

The difference is, I'm working out. Since September 15th 2010 I have done the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred every week day. 15 times, that's it. I did move up to Level 2, but the jumping exercises in that level caused my bum knee to hurt, so I'm sticking with level 1. I hate to sound like an advertisement for anyone, especially since Jillian in now selling some crappy weight loss product, but this workout IS working for me. And the workout takes like 25 minutes including warm up and cool down. Who doesn't have 25 extra minutes?

The muffin top difference is great, but I can't get over how much bigger the jeans are in my thighs! Those jeans are not stretchy at all.

Ok I'm going to hit publish before I chicken out!

Update of Sorts

I guess if I blogged more I would remember my password & not have to reset it every time! LOL

Anyway a quick update. I am down 8lbs since 9/1!!!! I've also started exercising :D Every week day I face the evil Jillian Michaels and her 30 Day Shred video. I have exercise ADD, if the video is more then 30 minutes, I have no interest it! The 30 Day Shred is about 25 minutes long including warm up & cool down. Perfect for me. I've been doing that for almost 2 weeks now and can see my body is changing even if the weight isn't dropping off.

Also I joined a Challenge/Support thread on one of the message boards I visit. It's titled 30lbs in 4 months and we started 9/1. I don't normally join challenges because they have the reverse affect on me and I gain weight. But this time is different. This time I am DETERMINED to get this weight off! And so far, so good!

I'd really like to walk the beach when I go down to fill my orders for Names On The Jersey Shore, but I usually have a few supplies with me that make it kind of hard. Walking on the beach is great for your muscles and is hard!

I'd REALLY like to walk my dogs on the beach (remember the overweight border collie post?) but again I can't do my beach writings if my dogs are running around! LOL

Excuses, excuses. But I am exercising so I'm not making complete excuses!

15 weeks

In 15 weeks, I will be 41. I want to be 22lbs lighter by then.

It's really not a whole lot to ask for. I've lost more in a shorter amount of time.

I could go to my doc who is offering a program called The Bead Diet. But I think it's a scam, plus it's been banned in the UK. Umm no thanks. I could join Jenny Craig, a few people I know have used that program and dropped quite a bit of weight. But it's too expensive. If I was single, I would totally do it. But I can't justify spending $200 a week on food just for me when I can feed my entire family of 4 for the same price. Plus I'm not a big fan of eating all that processed food.

I tried weight watchers, and felt hungry ALL THE TIME.

What works for me is Low Carb. BUT I have to stick to it. Any diet or "WOE" (way of eating) only works when you stick to it.

And that my friends inlies my problem, sticking to it. I've done low carb on and off for 10 years now. The very first time, I lost 43 lbs in 6 months. This is me from August 2000.




That night I got pregnant with our 2nd son. And I've never taken off the weight. Even in the picture above I am not skinny, but I am within a healthy weight range. Had I not gotten pregnant, and started exercising, I believe I could have lost a few more pounds & inches. But my kids are worth every pound I fight.

In January of 2009 I was at an awful all time high. I won't say the exact weight, but I was wearing a lot of 1x & 2x shirts, along with living in sweatpants. I was able to lose 40lbs by November, but since then I have been playing with the same 5lbs. Today I am actually up 7lbs from my lowest in 2 years, but I made some homemade bread last night that I just "had" to try. That and a few beers caused at least 2 of the lbs today, it will be off by Wednesday.

So today, August 23rd, 2010 I extend my hand to those of you on the weight loss wagon & ask for some help back up.

It doesn't matter what plan you're using to lose weight, we can all us support and encouragement. And someone to kick our asses either outside or to the gym to exercise!

Drop me an email if you want to talk about losing weight!

I watch "Jersey Shore"

Yep, I watch it. I'm a 40 year old mom who likes to watch the stupid MTV show Jersey Shore.

But last night's episode left me sick to my stomach.

It's not their normal every stay stupid actions that left me feeling sick, it's the way Ronnie abuses Sammie.

If he were physically hitting her, it would be all over the news and he would be arrested. What he is doing is worse, he's mentally abusing her.

He treats her like crap, cheats on her, calls her nasty vulgar names (remember he called her the C-word in the Taxi) tells her to leave him alone and then when she confronts him, he tells her it's her fault & she apologizes.

Classic mental abuse.

In the episode last night Sammie tells the other girls to tell her if Ronnie is cheating on her and they're all nervous and not sure what to do. But what's the point, she's only going to go back to him every single time. That is exactly what I would have told her. "What's the point?"

Everyone in the house & the entire viewing audience knows what's going on, yet as recent as last weekend they were still together. (A friend of mine saw them at a bar in Seaside.)

I won't even talk about the example they are setting, because I don't let my kids watch it. I know some parents do and that's your decision. Maybe it can be a good way to start a conversation, especially with your daughters.

I used to joke and say that I wanted to ride on the "coat tails" of the Jersey Shore fame to further my business Names on the Jersey Shore but now, I don't know.

I still love living at the Jersey Shore but I don't know how I feel about having the name of my business, and my blog being associated with the name of a TV show that not only features mental abuse, but glorifies it.

Sorry for the dark post today, but I had to get it out and it is my blog!

3 Things

In order for me to get really good pictures for my clients, 3 things must line up, beach, sun & water. Names on the Jersey Shore

If it's mostly or completely cloudy, forget it. (see previous post) The pictures come out too dark & don't print nicely. When I first started doing this in the Spring, I used to go at sunrise. I quickly learned that while the sunrise can make gorgeous pictures.



It makes terrible light for taking pictures of writings in the sand.



I still like to go for sunrise because it's an AMAZING way to start the day, I wait for the sun to rise a bit before taking pictures.

If it's high tide & rough, nothing I write stays there very long. Sure I could write further up the beach, but then I have to deal with footprints (serious pet peeve) or no ocean in the picture, and that doesn't work.



Lastly I need space to write. If it's high tide, but calm it's ok but I prefer low tide. Low tide is normally calm. This gives me tons of space to write & nice waves. My favorite writings come on days when it's a calm low tide.

But none of this matters when the beach looks like this.


My friend said "thankfully it's not oil" and she is completely right. The seaweed will clear in a day or two. In the meantime, my orders wait. I hate making people wait!

Oh, would you look at that...

I got up at 6:30 like usual, and laid in bed for 20 minutes, like usual. I was contemplating how long I could lay there before I had to get moving. Trying to go figure out in my head the longest I could lay there and still get to the beach and back before dh had to leave for work.

While I LOVE doing the custom beach writings, some mornings it's harder to get up then others, this was one of those mornings.

So I get up and stumble to the bathroom.

"Gosh it's dark in here" I think.

Then I looked out the window.


This screen shot was taken early this morning.

Mind you, my bedroom curtains were open this morning, it just did not hit me until I got up that the weather may not be ripe for going to the beach.

While this makes my children very happy because when it rains they get to play video games, it does not make me happy.

I have 3 orders to fill this morning for my custom beach writings. Names on The Jersey Shore

Oh well, tomorrow is another day!