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Saturday, June 28, 2014

Birthday Loot

I had a birthday, and I made out like a bandit. Say, like 38 bandits. I mean, look at all these goodies! What's not showing is a picnic blanket and a nice lightweight sweater, as well. So, what have we got here?


Portland Nursery Gift Card: $100 oh my! I'm so happy to have received this card. Now I get to go to the nursery and just wander. I get to buy a few things that would normally be above my price point. I get to pick out something that I've maybe wanted for a while, but chose a less spendy alternative. This will be great fun for me.

White Mini Butter Dish: This was a perfect gift. It's one of those things I wouldn't buy for myself, but that I would look at often. Many moons ago I stopped buying spreadable non-butter (EarthBalance) and started putting salted butter in a small lidded pyrex on the counter to keep it soft. This butter dish is so much prettier to look at, and it's white. Double score.

Glass Float: Completely unexpected but right on target. It'll look great with the collection of driftwood and sea rib I dragged home in our suitcase from Cape Cod. What's a sea rib? A rib bone of a big fish found in the sea. That's what.

Rosemary Sea Salt: Who said "yummers in my tummers"? Anyway, yummers in my tummers pretty much sums it up. I sprinkled some on my fancy salad of arugula, watermelon and balsamic vinegar last night. It's good stuff. I'll use it on the next batch of pretzels I make. You didn't know I make pretzels? Oh, yes. I do. And they are wicked good with a Boston accent.

And last, but not least (and not last, because I will 100% buy it again),

F by Locations: This wine is so very good. It's complex/jammy, so if you don't like fruity wine I'm guessing you'd better try the E (Spain) or the AR (Argentina). The F is my new favorite. Sorry Erath, you've been moved to second place for now.

I'll be a francophile for the next year or so as we plan our trip to FRANCE!!! I'm so excited and it's still 11 months away. We'll be earning miles toward flights with every swipe of the plastic. Good thing we've got an ER bill on the way. Ahem, not a good thing. That there was sarcasm. I'll not go on a rant about the disgusting big-business nicknamed "healthcare" in our country. Let's just say we're all getting screwed.





Friday, June 20, 2014

My Review of T25: Part One

I started writing this review, and it quickly became a book. So I'm breaking it down into three parts: the results, the beginning and the process.

The results:

I'm SO happy that I tried T25! 

This exercise program worked really well for me. I was consistent in my commitment to 25 minutes a day, and I met my modest "weight loss" goals. I wanted to lose 2" from my waist and fit into a size 8 comfortably. I have no scale, but I've gained so much muscle mass that the scale wouldn't give an accurate account anyway. Here are my numbers from 11/12/2013 and 4/19/2014:

@ chest: 35" before and 32-7/8" after
below chest: 31" before and 29-3/4"
arms:12" before and 11" after
waist 1" above belly button: 31-3/4" before and 27-3/4" after
waist 1" below belly button: 35-1/2" before and 31-3/4" after
hips/butt: 40-1/2" before and 36-3/4" after
thighs: 24" before and 22-1/8" after

I lost 4" from my waist...

rather than just the 2" I was hoping to lose. My legs will always be a work in progress - that's where my body happens to hold on to fat. As for the clothes, well, it's been a long time since I shopped. Sizing is more cuckoo than ever. The things that are fitting best right now are size 4's and 6's! Crazy town!

It hasn't been easy, but my head was in the right place at the right time and it all came together for me. I'm a proponent of finding what works for you and finding support that empowers you. If you are on Facebook, you might find some extra motivation from my friend Michelle at Michelle is Living Well. I definitely did and can't thank her enough!

Note: Although I do have terrible cell-phone before and after pictures, I just can't bring myself to post them here.


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Family Trip

We went away for two weeks and now we are home. We were lucky to visit so many peaceful places.





Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Mystery Plants: Solved!

Mystery A: penstemon pinifolius

Mystery B: difficult to tell prior to blooming, but...

Mystery B: freesia (I wish you could smell this plant!)