Weight Loss Update

I'm still working on my weight loss program, the Solstice Slimdown. I'm two weeks into it, and so far it is going well. As many of you know, I'm doing Weight Watchers. I've had some challenges, but have lost 2.6 pounds in 2 weeks, so I'm on target with my goal of 1 lb/week and am happy with that. It hasn't been too difficult, but I've definitely had to change some habits and modify some others. I'm still working on it.

So far I haven't had the opportunity to do any exercise programs, but if I was able, I'd love to do some personal training. I love the idea of coaching in many different settings and, believe it or not, I've always loved weight training. I find it really makes a difference in just a few weeks, but haven't been able to get back into it since Zane was born.

I could see how having a person there to check my form and encourage me to keep on it with would really help me. I've also like stretching exercises and jogging in the past. These are all things I'd love to get back into at some point. I don't see it happening in the near future with the way my schedule has been, but perhaps some of these tips will help me.



~t

Oh Christmas Tree! (Part Deux)

Here's as far as we got. Festive, isn't it? I have no idea where my white "simulated snow runner" is since we moved. Somehow Kevin was suprised after we got this far that the rest of us thought he might bring the Christmas tree up from the basement. I do have hopes for today, though. I will keep you posted.

~t

Health Through Harmony

I tend to prefer natural remedies to pharmaceuticals in treating certain medical conditions. Regular prescription drugs can produce harmful side effects, so I avoid them unless absolutely necessary. When I was pregnant, I had some issue with joint pain and swelling that was a little bit more than usual. After reading a description of gout, it sounds very similar to what I experienced. Luckily for me, a change in diet helped and I didn't have to look any further, especially as trying any herb or prescription wasn't something I wanted to do during pregnancy.

But having that experience gives me an understanding of how unpleasant it must be for people who suffer from gout and joint pain. There is a natural remedy called GoutSolve that can help by dissolving and flushing out the excess uric acid crystals which cause the pain and inflammation. It is said to have results within 5 to 7 days and can even help reverse gout long term without harmful side effects.

~t

Oh Christmas Tree!

Well, it's finally time when we think, "Hey, maybe we should pull out our shrimpy little tree." People have been giving us some flack, but that wouldn't make us do it. Then people got even worse on us by saying, "Oh? You're going to put up a tree?" Jinkies. We always at least put up our shrimply little tree. I just don't like how the Christmas season starts on Halloween. Call me crazy. I generally put it up once I start to get presents in the mail or I start to wrap my own. Caspian's departure this week makes it a little bit more pressing as well. We tried to do it yesterday, but just didn't seem to get around to it. Well, hopefully, I'll have some lovely pics later for you.

PayPerPost Alleviates Some Controversy

I have talked about PayPerPost (and my love of it) quite a bit on my blog since I started writing paid posts for them in the middle of October. By now, you most likely know that PayPerPost facilitates blog advertising by bringing advertisers and bloggers together.

Most of the controversy surrounding this type of new business surrounds disclosure and whether or not bloggers are required to disclose that they are being paid to offer their opinions. Starting Monday, December 17th, any bloggers who work with PayPerPost will be required to disclose, at least somewhere on their blog, that they are getting paid to make posts. TechCrunch talks about it here.

I believe this is a good decision for PayPerPost on both moral and business grounds. It does seem to be primarily motivated by the recent FTC interest in Word of Mouth marketing and PayPerPost. PayPerPost has always had to strike a delicate balance between keeping their advertisers happy (some of whom do not like disclosure for various reasons) and making sure that their business is creating a positive influence on the blogosphere. PayPerPost began the road to disclosure by creating disclosurepolicy.org in October of 2006 as an easy way to encourage bloggers to disclose.

Although these moves may alienate some advertisers in the short term, it feels like the right thing both for the blogosphere and for me personally. Disclosure just feels better. Not disclosing feels somewhat manipulative, and that's not what I'm about. I was also slightly worried about the future of PayPerPost, but I believe this move will go a long way towards making that future a bright one.

BTW, this post is sponsored by PayPerPost.

~t

What's with our freakin' heat?

The freakin' heat tries to trick us with all these numbers. Degrees, I think they are called. 68, 70, 72, 73, 74. Really, it has two settings: freakin' cold and freakin' too warm. Along with freakin' too warm comes, "You will be parched in the middle of the wettest state in the nation." No wonder my baby still wants to drink milk all night. Sheesh.

~t

Conspiracy Carols: A little paranoid fun for the holidays

Tired of the same old boring Christmas carols? It could be time to see those old familiar songs in a new light. With Conspiracy Carols, you can poke a wee bit of fun at your most paranoid friends and family. When you visit the above, you get to pick and type in whatever subversive message you'd like to embed in "Jingle Bells". Then, it prompts you to send an email to your friend or family member, telling them of the hidden message found in "Jingle Bells", with a link so they can hear it for themselves. I'm not usually one for practical jokes, but I thought this was pretty funny. The only downside for me was that it wanted to automatically send through Outlook, which I don't have set up.

This brought to you on behalf of OfficeMax.



~t

Mom's Night Out

Wow. I didn't realize how geeky that made me feel until I typed it: "Mom's Night Out". What is probably even worse is that I could probably count on ONE hand the number of times I have been out during an evening without Zane since he was born. Oh well, it's my choice. I don't really mind. It's just the kind of mom I am. He won't be shrimpy forever. In fact, he's getting bigger every darn day. And that's fine, too. I'm not one of those moms who wants their kid to stay small forever. Go on, get big! He is so much fun at this age, though.

So, I went out to a local diner and it was so good! I was invited by my friend Suemary and there were 2 other moms in addition to the 2 of us. A nice small group. We had some great gab sessions, burgers, and coffee. I even avoided dessert and french fries. Amazing. AND, their salads were great. The place was adorable, too. A little hippie haven with murals on the walls and tofu on the menu. I will definitely return. I'd link it, but I don't think they have a website. Nope. Darby's Cafe. If you are ever in Olympia, check it out. Friendly and good service, too. Overall, a very enjoyable evening. Yay, moms.

One of the nice things about Olympia is that I really feel we belong here. I like the people we meet and can generally relate to them and don't feel like I have to hide my true self. I don't get odd looks when I talk about astrology or Kevin's healing and psychic pursuits. People are interested. It's a nice change.

~t

Christmas eCard Games

I always think there's nothing new under the sun and then another new thing shows up that is both obvious and totally creative at the same time. This time, I'm talking about Christmas games on Christmas eCards.

I don't generally send Christmas cards. I don't know why. I'm just not that into cards. I do, however, like the convenience and non-waste aspect of eCards. And the fact that if you totally forget until the day of, you can STILL get people a card on time. That's really great.

The blog post that I linked to above talks about bluemountain.com's new eCards with games on them. The games are flash-based, interactive, Christmas-themed fun. There are a number of different varieties. I especially liked Santa's Snow Run, where you get to steer Santa doing extreme snow boarding and get points for clearing jumps. Here's a screen shot of it:



I'm also a big fan of mistletoe. I guess I'm still a romantic at heart. One of the games is called Mistletoe Tag. In this game, you try to click the different characters to "kiss" them as they show up under the mistletoe. But if Scrooge shows up and you kiss him, you lose a point. Here's a shot of one of your "kissees".



Bluemountain.com has been around a while in the eCard business. You can get an annual membership for $13.99, which is a pretty good deal. You can even try out the membership for free for 30 days before deciding to sign up. If you get the membership, you're even less likely to miss a special occasion because they have a calendar feature that allows you to shop for your cards ahead of time and send them out at a later date. Nice.

~t

A Bit of This and That and CHICKENS

No one here but us chickens. Here are a couple of blogs from fellow PPPer Ang.. (See, she likes the period after her abbreviated name, so it's important to have TWO periods there.) As you will see, Ang. is an interesting lady. She's a SAHM, married to a trucker, and livin' the country life. She likes to write about her family, her faith, things she finds online, and her chickens.

Her blog, A Bit of This and That, is more general, but the chickens still get in there sometimes. Check out those eggs! If you're looking for the serious chicken 411, check out Ang.'s Chicken Coop. I can really relate to this beautiful post on Morning Quiet. And also this one on getting Christmas presents delivered in the mail. It is exciting!

~t

Long Dark Days

This is our first winter in Olympia, WA. When we said we were moving here, a lot of people warned us about the weather and the lack of sunlight. Well, in general, we weren't too concerned. None of us are sun worshippers. In fact, our toddler, Zane, will complain and say "bright" when the sun shines on him. We found when we moved here it was sunnier than we had wanted! However, one of the funnier things to me was that it really isn't that sunny in Wisconsin in winter either.

It hasn't been too big of a difference. In general, I like it. But I did notice the other day that a vacation to the desert sounded more appealing than it ever has in my life. So, maybe I do have just a touch of Seasonal Affective Disorder, or S.A.D., as it is sometimes called. (That acronym just cracks me up. I wonder if the acronym makers reworked the name of the disorder so they could call it S.A.D.)

My mom, who lives with us, seems to be a little bit more prone to the winter depression than the rest of us. I'm wondering if one of those S.A.D. Lamps might benefit her. Just yesterday she was really out of sorts, and couldn't quite explain why. I'm curious if the extra light would help. And I'm even wondering if it would help me. It sounds kind of nice. The idea is that you buy these high intensity lights that you use to increase the light in your surroundings to alleviate the signs of SAD depression. It would probably be less expensive than a house or even a vacation in the desert.

I could see having one that she might keep in her room or bathroom for little doses of "fake sun". It could be primarily hers and the rest of us could go in there for "shots" of light. That's a funny idea. I could prescribe it to family members when they get cranky. I'm sure that wouldn't be annoying to anyone. Perhaps it would be best left to individuals to decide on their own when they'd like help with their winter blues.

~t

Van Vintallicus

Well, we've had this rocker dude staying on our couch and eating us out of house and home. I thought I'd post his video, so at least I'm getting something out of it. (Ok, you got me, it's really Kevin doing his PayPerPost Spazoid video.) And it's so funny, I'm posting it just for the fun of it. C'mon people, pick up on some of Kevin's vids and make them viral. He's f'in' funny!



(Plus, he was a little jealous of my post about Steve's butt. I mean, Steve.)
~t

Sedona Travel

Sedona is a very popular destination for those interested in metaphysical studies due to the vortex energy associated with that area of the country.



I traveled there a few years ago and especially enjoyed the natural beauty of the area. There's been a lot of talk about camping at one of my forums recently. I will show you my favorite way to camp:





If you are interested in travelling to Arizona, a lovely place to stay is the above Southwest Inn at Sedona, combination bed and breakfast.

I recently had a somewhat disappointing stay at a hotel, so I'm a little bit more inclined to go with only the best when I travel. This place looks like it fits that bill. A unique combination of a small luxury hotel and a top quality bed and breakfast, with large beautiful rooms and fantastic customer service, Southwest Inn has been voted "the best place to stay in Sedona" three years in a row by "Sedona Scene". It looks really good right about now.



~t

Being up early makes me want to post news

How odd. That's not like me. Well, I'm hearing all the news on GMA.

Peter Boyle died. He played Raymond's dad on Everybody Loves Raymond. He was pretty annoying in that, but I think that was the point. He was Frankenstein's monster in Young Frankenstein. I did not know that! Now, that's acting.

Dear GAWD, we are supposed to have more high winds. We are looking at gusts to 89-90 mph. Kevin said, "What have we DONE to this place, Terri?" It's true. Since we've been in Olympia, we've had record heat and little rain this summer, record rain in November, snow when there usually isn't any, and now these crazy winds. What's left of our fence has been a casualty. And we think we may have lost a shingle from the roof.

Mistletoe hats. I do have to say that I am PRO-Mistletoe. Kissing rocks.

Ummm...Angelina Jolie is so pretty. I suppose her name is Jolie (literally French for pretty.) I have resisted blogging about celebrities. I figure they have enough written about them. They are talking about Princess Di this morning and stating that her death is officially an accident now. That was when I decided I should try not to be taken in by celebrity gossip. But it's so fun. But I feel bad for them. They should have some privacy. I do love Brangelina, though. I love Jen, too. I was sad for the breakup. Brad and Jen were my and Kevin's celebrity counterparts. (Sagittarius and Aquarius, Sagittarius and Aquarius.) Of course, they are kinda ugly compared to us, but you can't be perfect.

Anyway, it was nice to hear about Brangelina's family, and that they seem to have come to their senses a little about how many kids they are going to have. At least she has. I was beginning to wonder about them. But then you figure, hey, if anyone can take care of them, they can. They try to be really hands-on. It cracks me up when people applaud the rich and famous for taking care of their own kids. I mean, I guess they don't have to, but it still cracks me up. I would like to see Babel. Because today, that seems to be the theme. I'm a babbler today, obviously.

I guess that's the news for now. Zane is still asleep! Without me. Whoa.

~t

(You're welcome, GMA, I'm sure you needed all those links from me.)

"I love you, I love you both. But you won't be getting presents."

Just heard that on GMA. Diane Sawyer said that to her co-stars about Christmas presents. It sounds a little nasty now that I'm writing it. But it really wasn't. I loved it. They were talking about holiday stress. We put too much stress on ourselves, especially as women. I really don't do that too much, but I do agree there is too much stress, even in my little non-Christmasy life.

What if we could really change what Christmas is about? What if we didn't buy in to all the buying? Where does it end? I don't know. I haven't figured it out yet. Part of me likes it. I like to get things for people. I like to give things to people. I like sharing about the deals and cool things I find right here on my blog.

Maybe it's just like Diane said, "I love you. I love you both. But you won't be getting presents." The message for right now is, if I don't get you anything, it doesn't mean I don't love you.

~t

O Canada! (5:00 am Ramble for Steve)

Remember that episode of That 70s Show that had the guys all singing the Canadian national anthem to get them out of trouble? That was a crackup.

Kevin and I have had a fascination with Canada since we saw the Michael Moore movie, Bowling for Columbine. I think it's a somewhat common fascination stemming from that source, especially during this here Bush era. Now, even though I've lived in the Northern half of the U.S. my whole life, I haven't made it up there yet. Well, we have plans (just wish I didn't need to renew my passport.)

Ok, I was just thinking of all that as I was perusing my Canadian blogger buddy Steve's site: The Beginnings of a Blog. He's a Canadian currently studying in NY on a track scholarship. My fellow posties, Colleen and Cass, got all up in arms on his hawtness as they were talking about his site. I was gonna try to stick to the facts and was looking for some interesting "Canuck in the states" sort of stuff, but upon checking the archives, I got all distracted by him posting about his butt. Now, how'm I supposed to stay focused when that's what I find? Well, he's not always posting about his butt. There's also a lot of information on tech stuff and his life as a college student (finals recently) and just funny or cool things he finds online.

So, I look back to August (still looking for stuff on Canada--thinking he was home in the summer, no?) to find he has a girlfriend, but I think something must have happened, because he recently talks of not talking to the pretty girl at a party. Again, I ask, how am I supposed to stay focused on looking up Canadian information, when I get all sidetracked by romance and runners' butts? Oh well. I guess I'm just like the other girls.

Further searching has still found little in the way of long reminscinces of Steve's love of Canada. But I found this funnily honest post. Talk about disclosure! I like this one, too, because I question busyness as well.

I have to go search the archives for what happened to Steve's girlfriend now. I'm not gonna tell. Go there yourself. Until then, here's the pretty boy's pic. (It was just too tempting to not Colleen- and Cass-it-up a bit!)

Thanks for the import, Canada! (At least temporarily.)

How could he NOT talk to the pretty girl? Boys... Hmmm...I wonder if he would like Amanda. Hmmm...Scorpio. That would work with a Virgo. Of course, now she'd be the older woman. Ahhh...the things I do when I wake up at 4:00 AM with a raging headache. I think the ibuprofen has almost taken effect. He looks like a Scorp, now that I see that. Dark. Mmm hm. Girls like that, Steve. Next time you're at a party, go for it. I know, I know, you're a geek at heart, but if we find a cutie, with a runner's butt who can also make sure we never lose internet connectivity... Ok, I gotta end this before it gets even more outta hand.

But come on, people, go visit Steve. Go on, go. Now.

~t

Helping Troubled Teens

My kids are currently almost 9 and 2 years old. Although, clearly it's on the way, I sometimes don't like to think about the challenges they will face as teenagers. I certainly did a little bit of experimenting and their father did more than a little bit. It's scary to think about.

I'm sure it's completely overwhelming to find yourself in the situation of needing to find an adolescent drug treatment program. However, it's good to know that there are advances being made in the kinds of treatment available, such as this program which goes to the heart of psychological and addictive problems by focusing on empowering the individual so they can live more fulfilling lives.

My mom is a recovering alcoholic and I never really thought that drinking was the real problem. I have felt all along that it is other issues that are the problem, and drinking is just the symptom. It's good to know that there are programs out there that are working on that principle for teens who need help.

~t

Surfing Blogs Can Turn Up Some Dangerous Info

I am in the midst of a HUGE weight loss campaign that I am calling the Solstice Slimdown. I have to say that I was extraordinarily proud of myself today for not buying my favorite ice cream in the world: Starbucks Java Chip. You see, it's generally a little too expensive for my tastes, but tonight it was on SALE, and I still did not get it. Yay me. And then I find this. Cinnamon Ben and Jerry's. Wow, does that sound good.

I also had a good chuckle about the tagline to her blog, Thoughts Out of My Head, "After all, it's not talking to myself if I say it here." Also, it seems we have a lot in geeky common. And I thought I was the only one!

The Blogosphere is such a fun place. Can you believe some people don't even know it exists? Stay tuned for some more of my fun stumblings through it.

~t

Online Dating Services Compared

Although I am happily married, I sometimes fantasize about being that sweet little matron that meddles in everyone else's lives and does a bunch of matchmaking, hopefully for the better. I really haven't done it, because it isn't totally in my nature and the isolated incidents where I've tried meddling haven't really worked out too well.

But, I do firmly believe in a little bit of matchmaking, and if I'm not going to do it for you, I think an online dating service is a great thing to try.

Did you know that I actually worked for a dating service as a receptionist when I was in college? And on top of that, I met my husband online. And I met my first, disastrous internet boyfriend online. So, I know a little bit of what I'm talking about.

Since there are so many options out there, I was very excited to see this site containing Dating Site Reviews. It can be an intimidating step to take, and having as much information as you can get before making a commitment is definitely a good idea. The site itself is attractive, easy to navigate, and has some fun extra articles on dating. I think I have to go send this link to my friend Amanda...

~t

Moms of Skinny Kids Unite

One of my blogger mom buddies is having a similar issue we have had sometimes with Zane--pants just don't stay up! Now, I don't think Zane is actually particularly thin. He's not chunky either. I'd just say he's "sturdy", so I really don't get why certain pants have just never fit him.

Oddly enough, it's the more expensive ones from Osh Kosh B'Gosh that didn't work. (In Target brand or Old Navy, he does just fine.) As soon as they almost fit him in the waist, they really didn't fit him in the length. What is with that? I had to finally give up the dream that he was ever going to wear these cute little green cords. Funny enough, the last time I tried to have him wear them (what happens is I put them on him, and Kevin gets fed up with them falling down and changes his pants), I put on a matching shirt that was too small.

Theoretically, it was a smashing outfit. But I guess fit matters in the overall scheme of things. Usually, I'm pretty good baby stylist, but I wish I'd gotten a picture of him that day. (Later edit: If you page down to him in his Elmo chair, THAT'S the day! You can't really see how poorly his clothes are fitting, though.) :)

Anyway, to read more about toddlers and daily mom life, check out My Thoughts, Ideas, and Ramblings.