Happy Birthday Lauren

Today is a VERY VERY VERY special day! Today is my niece's birthday! And so I am dedicating my blog today to wishing Lauren a very happy birthday. Now as Lauren embarks on her tween years...I have a couple of tips.....

1. Try to remember that make-up is for OLD women, in a feeble attempt to look as young and dewy fresh as you...so really, your Mom is right, you DON'T NEED IT.

2. It's true, boys tease you because they like you.

3. The best way to handle someone who is being a pain; ignore them.

4. What you decide you want to be when you grow up, right now, this year, is probably your true self and what you are meant to be.

5. Girls, can be very very mean...BUT the right girls, can be your very bestest friends for the rest of your life.

6. The little voice inside yourself, that tells you things, even things everyone else says are silly or weird, trust the little voice...always trust it.

7. You may discover, Adults, not always right.

8. Adults...might not like it when you discover #7.

9. Don't rush to be older...please, please, please, I PROMISE when you are old like me, you will look back and really love being the age that you are now and sometimes wish you could go back to the age you are now.

10. Yes, you are too young to read my books...at least until the young adult book comes out.

And...also, you are loved. I love you, your Mom and Dad love you, your grandparents, aunts, uncles, the list goes on and on and on. So happy birthday Love Bug!
xo

Twenty Pounds and A High School Reunion

So, it is reunion time and of course I want to lose the requisite twenty pounds. I still maintain 30 solid pounds of post-baby weight, but realize losing 20 puts me squarely within my comfort zone. Okay, so the problem? Let me tell you there are a few. First, I love food. Good food. High fat, high calorie food. If you can fry it, slather it in butter or powdered sugar I am IN! In fact you might just walk into my kitchen and find me covered in the powdered sugar from ear to ear. Coping mechanism? Food for Comfort? OF COURSE! Food is my drug of choice and in my quest to slay my demons I acknowledge I am powerless over food. NO CONTROL! Okay so that is problem number one, which I am dealing with through the eating of salads...(mmmm, don't your salivary glands go nuts over lettuce) and lean chicken (as in broiled or grilled...not fried). Second problem? I hate exercise. Okay maybe hate is a strong word. I am disinclined to exercise. I am a sedentary person. I like to read. Hand me a book, some bread, and brie and leave me alone for oh...6 hours. I will have devoured all three. But running, jumping and sweating? Hmmm...not so much. My husband is a physical person. I believe he craves physical activity the same way I crave chocolate. But me? Didn't get the exercise gene. But yes, I am working on this too. Let's see I just started yoga again and I do love yoga, and you'd be surprised how much sweat can be produced by Warrior I and Warrior 2. Finally, the real kicker; problem number three. I have two weeks. Yes TWO WEEKS! And I must lose 20 pounds. I've considered a tummy tuck, lipo and or a fast. Perhaps the Master Cleanser? The fast with lemon juice, maple syrup and cayenne pepper. But any one of those solutions (lipo, tummy tuck, master cleanser) involves real pain and/or serious carbohydrate cravings. So three problems...two surmountable...the third...not so much.
xoMaggie