FIRM This Fanny

141.5

Ugh .. I have been this exact weight every Wednesday for the past 3 weeks. Weekends are trying sabotaging me. Or I am sabotaging myself on the weekends. I just lose all control and have a 'what the hell' attitude. Since I am less than 10 lbs from goal I really think I need to focus on exercise. I am hoping that exercise, along with my same eating plan of low-carb and intermittant fasting that I will make it there. My goal was to be 138 by Saturday but I'm not so sure I'll make it there since I screwed up over the weekend.

Today I did the Firm's Calorie Killer. Man I am out of shape - big time! I am doing the beginner modifications. I figure if I kill myself I won't want to do it so I am getting back into the swing of things slowly. I created a rotation based on the Firm's 90 Day rotation. I would like to use all the DVDs that I have.

Here is the hair color and style I want. Mine is still a bit short for this since by big chop in August but I'm close to it. I'll post pictures later.

A New Me

I have wanted to get my hair professionally colored for years! Today I finally have an appointment to get it done! I found this great tiny little salon that recently opened up in my town and I love the stylist (so far). There is a bit of a problem with this place. They don’t accept credit cards for tips. Is that not just crazy?!?! Who carries cash anymore?  Credit card processing has become my lifeline. We buy EVERYTHING with a credit card and rarely – if ever – use cash. That doesn’t help us too much at the gas pump either since cash is cheaper than credit.

Anyway, I’ll post pictures of my new hair soon! I’m so excited!

Swimsuits

I have been working my butt off for the last 5 months trying to lose this weight and get in shape and I need to show it off a little bit. I am so tired of hiding behind huge sweatshirts and baggy jeans. I really need to finally take the step and order a bathing suit. For some reason I am a bit nervous about that. I have to buy one soon because selection goes down and prices go up the closer we get to summer. I have trouble buying swimsuits because I am full busted. I also have a hard time finding full busted lingerie. Hey, that’s needed to keep a marriage alive! I have to go out and try some things on but I have this problem of when I try things on in the store I get depressed because I don’t think I look good. That is why I am a ‘buy clothes online’ person then try on in the comfort of my own home!

Backyard

On Tuesday night I went over to my sister’s house to have a few drinks with her and our neighbor who is also my real estate agent. I haven’t seen her all winter. Everyone in my town hides out when it’s cold and we see each other again when it is warmer. We started talking about gardening and fixing up our yards. I didn’t do anything to my house last year because we just had moved in in May so I spent the summer getting settled and having my sister’s baby shower. This year I have to do something.

We have this awful above ground pool that is the biggest eyesore. Last fall I said we would get rid of it this year but now I don’t know what to do. I don’t want to have a giant hole in the yard – the ugly pool is better than that. I want to get some new teak furniture to put on the side of the yard so that we have 2 sitting areas. My ideal would be to have a hot tub with a teak furniture bar. My grandmother loved teak – she said it lasts forever. I need to figure out a plan for the whole back yard and do it entirely and not piecemeal but I might have to just do the minimal this year because Chris isn’t ready to spend any money on the house yet – URGH!!

Flowers & Chocolate

It’s that time of year again … the love and valentine commercials are all over the place. My husband and I have been together for almost 14 years and he has never done much (if anything) for me for Valentines Day. I know it shouldn’t bother me but it is nice to get a special treat just to say I love you. Since we are so health conscious now he could splurge and get me some Organic Valentine's Chocolate. Actually, Chris is the chocolate lover in the family so I guess I should get them for him. He loves his chocolate and if it’s organic it makes him feel as if he’s not eating so bad!

Facelift?

I slept over at my sister’s house last night because her husband is away on business. She is a chicken and gets scared staying by herself. I told her I would only stay 1 night but we had a great time last night. I highlighted her hair, drank wine and watched reality TV. We were watching the Housewives of Orange County. There was an episode where all the ladies went to a cosmetic surgeon’s office for a consultation – champagne included! I am turning 40 on 12/27 this year and I am starting to really think about how cosmetic surgery might be an option in the future. I saw Dolly Parton on TV saying that if she sees something sagging, drooping or hanging she is going to get it nicked, tucked or sucked. OMG don’t you love it! A Detroit facelift might be in this girls future and I think my husband wouldn’t fight me on this one. I'd love to start out with some botox but for now I'm just doing my face exercises...

Skin Treatments

Whenever I have a lot of stress I break out in acne. The stress makes it virtually impossible to go away. I have found a ton of information about how to get rid of acne since my last bout of it this past summer. Using minimal harsh products and leaving it alone seemed to help me. Gentle cleansers and benzoyl peroxide helped me tremendously. Surprisingly you don't need to spend an arm and a leg to get rid of acne but you do have to do your research and try out various treatments to see what works for you. After I started using the gentle cleanser and benzoyl peroxide my acne was significantly better a week later.

Actually I am wondering if getting monthly facials helps keep your skin in good condition or are they just special treats. Any long term benefits??

Pregnant, Nursing and Sexy

I was out this morning getting my nails done – it was crazy out there today too. I guess the day before Thanksgiving isn’t the best day to run errands. Anyway, while I was getting my nails done there was this older lady getting a pedicure. She would not stop talking – and she talked very loudly!

One of the girls that works in the salon is pregnant – about 5 months, give or take. The pedicure lady (I’ll call her Crazy Lady) was asking this woman how come she didn’t have maternity clothes yet. That took some nerve considering the woman had on a real cute fitted pregnancy top. Crazy Lady went on to say that “women today don’t buy maternity clothes”. For some reason she thinks that a pregnant woman can wear normal fitted tops. My sister just had a baby in September and even though her tops were fitted they had to be maternity or she couldn’t fit into them. Crazy Lady couldn’t handle the fact that today women have cute clothes choices when pregnant and they aren’t forced to wear huge sacks anymore. Crazy Lady just didn’t get it.

It is possible to be pregnant or nursing and have hip clothes. Today’s nursing bras allow women to breast-feed indiscreetly and comfortably. Fashion for pregnant and nursing women has come so far – even since I had my daughter 10 years ago. It is a much needed improvement, irregardless of Crazy Lady’s opinion.

I actually think the fitted tops look much better on pregnant women vs. the huge baggy shirts that make you look like a tent. My sister is still nursing and she has found some adorable outfits and undergarments to accommodate her ample chest. There is even lingerie available for pregnant mothers. I think this is so fantastic because I know it’s hard not to feel like a beached whale while pregnant (at least I did!).

Remodel My Bathroom Please!

Since we have finally finished remodeling our rental property it is time to get started on our primary residence. We haven’t done any work on our house since we moved in May ’07. Last night at dinner I asked my husband and our 9 year old daughter that if we could remodel 1 room which one would they pick. They both chose the bathroom.

We have a 5 bedroom house with only 1 bathroom and our bathroom needs updating very bad! It has a horrible oak vanity and desperately needs new bathroom accessories. I’ve chosen a bathroom vanity that I love and I’ve picked out the colors and shower curtain. Now I just need to get the bathroom accessories and get to work.

Kitchens and bathrooms are how you make money in real estate. We remodeled the bathroom in our rental property and I swear that bathroom made it so much easier to rent because, in my opinion, the bathroom is gorgeous!

Pouchy Stomach

I am afraid that I am getting near the point of seriously considering getting my stomach ‘done’. After seeing TV shows on it and seeing the remarkable pictures on Liposculpture Beverly Hills website (these are medical pages that might have nudity so be careful looking at while at work!). A friend of my sister’s had her stomach done and it looks incredible. She only had 2 kids but had always had a problem stomach area. The main problem I have with my stomach is below the belly button area. There is this pouch of fat that I can’t seem to get rid of no matter how many ab exercises I do. I am hoping that once I lose this 15-20 it will be gone from that area. If it’s not I am getting my stomach done. I don’t think it helps that all of the styles today in jeans are low-rise so that just shoves all of that fat out into a muffin. I hate my muffin!

My husband says that he doesn’t want me to get any cosmetic surgery done on my body but he would be all for me getting a face lift when the time comes. I’d love to have a face lift now but I think you have to be really careful of starting plastic surgery on your face too young. I would love to have my face tightened but I don’t want to look freakish either. I bet it is easy to get addicted to cosmetic surgery! A Los Angeles facelift is like no other so it might be hard to stop!

Another friend of my sisters is doing Weight Watchers and once she loses 30 lbs she is going to get a breast reduction. I have no need for that – although I would like them lifted. If she wants it done right she probably has to go with a los angeles breast reduction – you know like the celebrities have.