It's 20 Freakin' 12 Y'all!

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It's 20 freakin' 12 y'all.  That just sounds so futuristic.  I feel like I should be teleporting the cookies I'm craving right now from the fridge directly into my mouth.  But instead, I guess I'll have to get up and get them myself.  LAME!

Honestly I don't even KNOW what all of my New Year Resolutions were last year.  But, if I had to guess I'm sure one of them was to lose weight.  #fail

One awesome thing that DID came into my life in 2011 and stick around to ring in the new year with me was this blog.  I started it in March of 2011 with a post entitled 'I Feel Nakie'.  And, although this blog wasn't part of a New Year's Resolution, as busy and chaotic as 2011 was at times, I'm thankful to be celebrating my one-year bloggy birthday in just two and a half months!

This year, my New Year's Resolutions are pretty normal, which is pretty strange for me.  After all, you're reading the chick's blog whose past resolutions have included things like 'to open all of my chip bags upside' or 'to find a way to work the word echelon into a sentence at every opportunity possible.'

So, back to 2012:

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Not yet, but it could be if I don't get it together....

One of my main focuses will be to make organization a priority.  I'll be *cough* starting my own business this year and running it from home so organization will play a big part in my sanity during all of this.

To help me get organized I'm taking part in the 52 week organizational challenge at Home Storage Solutions 101.  I've already done about 80% of week one (holla).  Did I mention how extremely thankful I am that someone took the time to break household organization into 52 easy steps so that it might actually have a chance of getting done?  Because I am.

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I want to purposefully turn off ALL electronic forms of entertainment for one hour per night on weekdays--not just my electronics--all of them.  Honestly, I'd love to get that number to two hours a night, but I'm planning on starting it with 30 minutes beginning next Monday, after the kiddo has been back in school from the break and we have more of a routine.  (Note--No, electronics are not always on at my home.  That's not what I'm saying.  I'm talking about designating a specific time that they are not allowed so as to facilitate more talking, family time, and togetherness.)

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Another obvious resolution is weight loss.  *yawn*  I love My Fitness Pal and have been using it off and on for quite a while.  I hope to use it a little more religiously throughout the year and to shed some excess poundage.  {Oh, and if you're using MFP email me and I'll give you my SN so we can like, totally be MFPBFFs!}

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What else?  What else?  Oh, I'm also (of course) hoping to knock out some more of my 30 before 30 list.  I also want to live more in the moment (which is very hard for me and I hate that.)

So, yea... 2012's goals are pretty calm but they'll be challenging in many respects.  Above all, so long as my my family, friends, and our health greet me as I welcome in 2013 in a year I can't say I'll have too many complaints about what happens with much else.  It's the little things people.

This post idea came from Mama Kat's Writing Workshop.  Be sure to stop by there for creative inspiration!

Back AWAY From the McFlurry aka One Small #Fail for Man; One Giant #Fail for Mankind

So, I posted last Tuesday about this ridiculous diet that I was going to attempt.  

I lasted five whole days (which I happen to be very proud of, thank you very much) before I gorged on popcorn while watching a movie about this boy named Harry Potter.  You've probably never heard of it so I'll move on....

That #dietfail aside, I did manage to redeem myself and have done well.  I've even lost 6 pounds.  Holla!!  

However, today.... I did something really bad.  

But it's not totally my fault.  In fact, I write this post as a warning.  This is no joke people.  You have every right to be alarmed.  In fact, if you're not alarmed yet you better check your batteries because your no-freaking-way detector is obviously not working.

Now hold on to your love handles because you are in for a surprise.  

You see, several months ago McDonald's did something amazing horrible.  It combined two of my greatest weaknesses into one delicious disastrous temptation.  

It took this...

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and then it added a little of this....

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to create THIS masterpiece

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Isn't she beautiful?  Yea, I thought so too.  

I should have known from the start there was a catch, that it was too good to be true.  But alas, love is blind.  So I ignored the signs that were right in front of my face all along.  

I loved her like I've never loved before, even if only from a distance as I chugged my low-fat fresh fruit smoothies.  But they could never be her.  No, this had to stop!  I had to have her... to make her my own!

So tonight I told my diet, "Diet, I need some space... some time to reflect on us.  Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything crazy.  I'm just gonna go hang out with my friends, I promise.  You can trust me."

And being the amazing Diet that he is, he let me go.  Deep down, I think he knew I wouldn't be faithful, but what could he say?  He had to let me try things my own stubborn way.

So I left, and I grabbed the McFlurry.  It was everything I'd been craving this past week.  I was so happy.   

That is, until I learned her deep, dark secret.  One so shocking and heinous that I can never look at her the same again.  

She contains almost 700 calories for a regular size!! SEVEN hundred!! 

This is an actual photograph taken of ME at the exact moment I found out.  

[Caution:  Image may be disturbing to younger viewers.]

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Okay, so maybe that's not the actual photo of me, but it's a pretty dang accurate depiction of how it all went down.  Such a tragedy....

After the shock wore off I returned home to Diet.  Needless to say he's upset that I cheated, but he forgives me and we're going to try to work things out.  I'm going to try to be more faithful from now on and hopefully, over time, things will get easier.  

Until then, well.... I'll always have the memory of her, at least for the next 3 months while I try to sweat her off at the gym.  And, if I can save just one person from herself and the tasty, diet-destroying wrath of the Rolo McFlurry, then my job here is done.

**While you're here enter my current giveaway

for a chance to win $30 to spend on Frigidaire accessories!**

If I Seem Cranky Over the Next 30 Days, This is Why....

Have you ever Googled weightloss or heard of programs that promise you'll lose like 800 pounds in a week if you do these simple little tricks?

Well, a few weeks ago my husband brought home a packet that he got from someone he works with who has apparently lost about 50 pounds in two months of following this thing.  I'm always super skeptical of any of these diets and have thus, never even attempted one.

But my husband and I want to lose some weight and for the sake of curiosity, have decided that we're going to give it a try to see what happens.

The diet is four weeks long and is extremely strict.  (From what I can tell, if it tastes good or if you've ever craved it in your LIFE, you cannot have it.)  I'm going to follow this diet exactly (and trust me, this will be painful considering my love of chocolate) AND will be blogging about my progress to keep you amused informed.

So, here goes nothing!  (HELP!)

The Diet:  Week 1

Day 1

• Breakfast:  1/2 orange or grapefruit AND one of the following:  1 or 2 boiled eggs OR 1/4 cup low-fat cheese OR 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
• Lunch:  As much as you'd like of ONE of the following fruits:  oranges, strawberries, pears, apples, plums, cantaloupe, watermelon
• Dinner:  Grilled meat (cut or ground) fat-free (no mutton or lamb due to high fat content)

Day 2

• Breakfast:  1/2 orange or grapefruit AND one of the following:  1 or 2 boiled eggs OR 1/4 cup low-fat cheese OR 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
• Lunch:  Grilled or boiled chicken (no skin)
• Dinner:  2 boiled eggs OR 1/2 cup low-fat cheese OR 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt; green salad (which may include lettuce, tomato, green peppers carrots, cucumbers, but no dressing); 1 slice of dry toast or 1/4 pita; 1 orange OR grapefruit

Day 3

• Breakfast:  1/2 orange or grapefruit AND one of the following:  1 or 2 boiled eggs OR 1/4 cup low-fat cheese OR 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
• Lunch:  1 tablespoon fat-free cheese; 1 piece of toast; tomato
• Dinner:  Grilled meat; green salad (which may include lettuce, tomato, green pepper, carrots, cucumber, but no dressing)

Day 4

• Breakfast:  1/2 orange or grapefruit AND one of the following:  1 or 2 boiled eggs OR 1/4 cup low-fat cheese OR 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
• Lunch:  As much as you'd like of ONE of the following fruits:  oranges, strawberries, pears, apples, plums, cantaloupe, watermelon
• Dinner:  Grilled meat; green salad (which may include lettuce, tomato, green pepper, carrots, cucumber, but no dressing)

Day 5

• Breakfast:  1/2 orange or grapefruit AND one of the following:  1 or 2 boiled eggs OR 1/4 cup low-fat cheese OR 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
• Lunch:  2 boiled eggs OR 1/2 cup low-fat cheese OR 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt; boiled vegetables (zucchini, squash, spinach, carrots, green beans, peas)
• Dinner:  Grilled shrimp OR fish, OR 1 can of tuna in water

Day 6

• Breakfast:  1/2 orange or grapefruit AND one of the following:  1 or 2 boiled eggs OR 1/4 cup low-fat cheese OR 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
• Lunch:  As much as you'd like of ONE of the following fruits:  oranges, strawberries, pears, apples, plums, cantaloupe, watermelon
• Dinner:  Grilled meat; green salad (which may include lettuce, tomato, green pepper, carrots, cucumber, but no dressing)

Day 7

• Breakfast:  1/2 orange or grapefruit AND one of the following:  1 or 2 boiled eggs OR 1/4 cup low-fat cheese OR 1/2 cup low-fat yogurt
• Lunch:  Grilled or boiled chicken (no skin); boiled vegetables (zucchini, squash, spinach, carrots, green beans, peas); 1 orange or grapefruit
• Dinner:  Boiled vegetables (zucchini, squash, spinach, carrots, green beans, peas)

I'll be updating soon.... probably from the bottom of a gallon of ice cream, crying with defeat.  Wish me luck.  ;)

**While you're here enter my current giveaway

for a chance to win $30 to spend on Frigidaire accessories!**