New Twist on the Drinking Game

I'm sure many of you know all about the Drinking Game. You pick a certain word or phrase that is said often during the course of a TV show, and every time someone says it you take a drink. Of course, it is implied that your drink is alcoholic.

I've come up with a new twist on this game. Since a lot of us have trouble remembering to drink enough water each day, this could be a great way to get that H2O into our bodies.

For example, on Monday night during Dancing With The Stars, every time someone said the words "Quickstep" or "Jive" I took a drink of water. Since those were the two featured dances for the week, those words was used continuously and I got to drink plenty of water.

On Tuesday night during Biggest Loser I did the same thing with different words. Every time someone said the words "trainer", "challenge", or "game play", I drank some water. Once again, I quenched my thirst quite a bit.

This is really a fun way to get enough H2O every day. Try it...pick your own words to drink to for whatever show you are watching and have that water handy. It's definitely healthier than the original Drinking Game...and you won't have to worry about not being able to drive home, or not feeling well enough to do your workout in the morning!

Spring Has Sprung!!!

Happy Spring!!! I'm so psyched that we are closer to warmer weather and more sunshine. Here in Cleveland, spring can sometimes be an iffy proposition...we have been known to still get some snow and have pretty chilly days, but they are mixed with much nicer weather.

One thing I really love is being able to finally have some outdoor workouts. When the nice days pop up it gets me out of cabin fever mode, feeling the freedom of walking or sprinting without the treadmill. More sun also improves my mood, and helps me get more of the much needed Vitamin D into my system. Winter is one of those seasons that I like at Christmas and during January, but after that I get itchy for a nicer climate.

My scale showed progress today...I lost .6 pounds. Still moving in the right direction, and working hard toward my birthday goal. Pretty soon it will also be time to break out my tennis racquet, which ALWAYS makes my happy! Here's to a successful spring for all of us!

Birthday Goal

Since I have now moved my scale dates to Tuesdays, I stepped on this morning to see how the week went. I did lose, even though it was only .4 pounds. As pleased as I am that I'm still headed in the right direction, it's time to really step things up.

I've decided to set a goal for my birthday. I will be under 200 pounds by April 26. Since this morning I weighed 209.2, I have approximately 10 pounds to get rid of in the next 6 weeks. (As far under 200 as possbile by then is good!) Even accounting for normal monthly fluctuations (like when Aunt Flo comes to visit) this goal is very doable...as long as I focus on my plan and work harder at it.

My spring cleaning will not only get rid of stuff sitting around the house that we don't use anymore, but also that extra weight which is no longer welcome on my body. After walking through Wal-mart on Friday night (I know...what an exciting evening) and seeing all of the new swimsuits out on display right up front, I'm more than ready. I've never shied away from a bathing suit at the pool or beach and never will, but I'm looking forward to wearing a much smaller size this summer. In fact, I have a size 14 suit hanging up where I can see it all the time at a reminder.

These goals are necessary to keep me focused...and with God's help I WILL make them happen!

Fat (???) Tuesday

Does anyone else hate the term"Fat Tuesday" like I do? I absolutely love Mardi Gras, but the popular alternate term for the name rubs me the wrong way.

No, it's not just the word "fat" as being derogatory to people who are overweight. It's the whole concept of spending the day before Lent starts stuffing yourself full of food because the next day you will be fasting, giving up something until Easter, and going without meat on Ash Wednesday and the next few Fridays. We are supposed to be able to handle that without needing to jam it all in the day before...it kind of takes away from what Lent is all about.

The other thing about "Fat Tuesday" is that it represents exactly what we all do, or used to do, right before starting our latest diets. We've all said "I'm going to start eating healthier on Monday (or New Year's, or any other specified day) so until then I'm going to eat every food that's bad for me that I love...all I want, since I won't be able to eat those foods once I start." Stuffing ourselves the day before Ash Wednesday perpetuates the mindset that we need to binge every time we are getting ready to do something good for ourselves or God. It makes us think "all or nothing", instead of the moderation we should have on our minds.

I'm all for a Mardi Gras party, and I treat myself to one small indulgence...usually an apricot filled paczki somewhat in tradition with the day. Just one, not an entire box of them. So if you want to wish me Happy Mardi Gras that's fine...but not "Fat Tuesday". I did not lose or gain this week, but next week I plan to see a big loss on the scale. No pre-Lent binging for me!

Crafts and Craziness

Welcome to one nutty week at my household! My son did not have school last Friday because of the snowstorm. Sunday night we then had a major thunderstorm with buckets of water falling for hours. School was closed Monday and Tuesday this week because of flooding, with a couple of rooms in the school still unusable because of the water damage. On top of that, during that storm the seal broke on our living room window and began to leak into the house. It wasn't a really bad leak, but enough to make me nervous as the rain kept coming down. School was in session yesterday and today, with the kids having a scheduled day off tomorrow because of teachers' meetings. Tonight are parent-teacher conferences, and the school has to reschedule the band concert which was supposed to have been Monday night.

Fast forward to today...the sun is out and I'm getting a lot done. I've met all of my writing deadlines for the week so now I can think about crafts. (And quite possibly, a nice glass of wine to unwind from the last few days.) March is National Craft Month, and I always think about those days and evenings making stuff with my mom and my cousin Carol. God gave me the gift of being creative with words, and I also love to try anything else creative or crafty. Some of you may know that I make jewelry as well and am attempting to learn to paint in my "free" moments. I have a long list of ideas to fool around with, and any chance to try them out makes my happy.

If you have any favorite crafts, please let me know how you get creative. And during the month of March, let us give honor and praise to God, who crafted all of us in His own image. He is the ultimate craftsman!

P.S. With the crazy week I had, I did remember to weigh myself but never had a chance to post until now. I lost another 1.2 pounds for the week! :o)