My Favorite Things

As I start to write this blog I am watching a re-run of Oprah doing her last "Oprah's Favorite Things" show...you know, where she gives away thousands of dollars worth of goodies to her audience? The audience members cry when the realize that they are at the "Favorite Things" show---I would cry too! This year she was giving away an iPad, sequined Ugg boots, cashmere leggings, a Coach Bag, $500 from Nordstrom and a VW Beetle car. No wonder they are so excited to go to that show!!!!

In the mail today I received a very very very special gift. A friend of my mother's, who knew me as a teen, sent me what is probably the most perfect gift I could have received this Christmas. I'll call her "K'town Gal" (she knows who she is, very special lady...) and somehow she managed to rescue a tile from the kitchen of my Kingsville house (on the ranch). The house was torn down. Another friend gifted me with a brick from the house---I treasure it. But K'town Gal got to the heart of the matter...and in this case, the heart of my house...the kitchen. My mother was an extraordinary cook and you've heard the stories of her entertaining, so getting a tile from that kitchen literally took my breath away. I opened the box and there it was...I lost my breath and the tears started to flow. I could feel my mother next to me. Ke$ha Barbie tried to steal it for herself. K'town Gal turned it into a trivet for me so it now will sit on my counter and I will think of my beautiful Mommy and my friend K'town Gal who so thoughtfully presented me with simply the most perfect thing...

So, inspired by this great gift I thought I would make my very own "Favorite Things" list as a gift to you, my friends and readers of this blog.

No "raindrops on roses" on this list...although "whiskers on kittens" would very likely make the list...

So here, in no particular order, are some of my favorite things that have gotten me through the year and this weight loss journey...

1) My friends and family. I could not have done this without my family's support as well as that of my friends like GOTT, GOTTESS, TTG, Sistah, TamTam, Bacchus, etc. And how can I forget that it all started with Precious and Adorable looking at me with fear that got me started (I thanked him and told him---he had no idea).

So, my friends---call upon your friends to help and support you with whatever your endeavors are. You will go so much further with arms to around you to support you...

2) Coach Dimples---he's the bomb and doing double duty as therapist as well as trainer. He did a fantastic job as football coach and he is doing a fantastic job as my trainer. My body looks better because of him...

And I have to throw in J'taime Jamie, Spinderella and JayVee and Fitness Goddess...because they have all helped get me to where I am now and they will help me get to where I want to go...

Since I can't give you all my Coach Dimples (or the girls listed above), I can say that having a trainer is a favorite thing...so find someone to help you that knows what they are doing!

3) My Fit Foods---I still eat at least one meal a day from them...usually 2.

4) Lucy---I love Lucy...and I'm not just talking about the show with Lucille Ball. What I am really talking about HERE is the store (and website) called Lucy. I love love love their workout clothes and I am currently LIVING in their power pants...so comfy! Oprah likes the lululemon pants---haven't tried them myself but my friend NJ loves hers so I am going to give them a try too. Right now I am wearing a pair of Lucy crops and Lucy tank that I wear to workout in. I love wearing the pants for training because they don't "show" anything like a pair of Nike shorts might when I am jumping about with a man telling me what to do. The tanks have nice long length to cover you whether you are training, running, or bending over a bike. I like the fact that many of the styles are "compressive" so they hold you in and they hold up really well in the wash. Check them out:

lucy.com

or

lululemon.com

In Houston both stores are located in Highland Village.

5) Red Wine---'nuff said...you can add white and champagne to that...

6) Asics running shoes---great for running and training.

7) Caslon t-shirts from Nordstrom. Not pricey. Cute cuts, great colors. I throw them on with my Lucy pants and go...

8) My Keurig. I am in love with a mechanical device and it is my Keurig. I'm the only person in the house who really drinks coffee and I usually only have one cup so making a pot of coffee is a waste. So that is why I bought a Keurig---it makes one cup at a time! And the flavor selection (online) is tremendous! I love love love all the flavor options and I can also make hot tea and the kids can make hot chocolate with it. If you are on the market for a new coffee maker, I highly recommend it...

9) My Riedel stemless wine glasses...love them...so chic...and love holding them, especially when they contain my favorite red wine...

10) Spanx tights...they feel so good and make you look good...

11) cottage cheese with pineapple and a little Splenda...great snack and good for you. That trainer chick on Bravo, Jackie Warner (my girl crush), claims that the casein in it will help with weight loss.

12) Crystal Lite in the individual packets. I don't like to drink plain water so I use these a lot. The strawberry energy flavor is my favorite (warning, it contains caffeine).

13) My metal water bottle that my friend Ticket Queen got me...use it every night...no more thrush! I got thrush last spring from drinking from a plastic water bottle that I was washing but not steralizing each time so she gifted me with this great metal one...I fill it with water at bedtime and drink up...

14) SmartWater...when I buy bottled water I usually buy SmartWater. I usually can't tell the difference in the taste of water, but I DO like the taste of this stuff. But more than the taste, I like the SHAPE of the bottle and the size of the 33.8 fl oz bottles. So I buy them...wash and STERALIZE them (with a bit of clorox) and re-use them for working out.

15) My music...as you can tell, I like a wide variety of music. Music is what moves me...so I love making playlists for working out and giving music to my spin teacher friends to use in class. If you want me to suggest a playlist, email me with your music preference taste and I will make you a suggestion list...

16) George's Pastaria. If you live in Houston, you need to go to George's. It is my favorite place. Located on Dairy Ashford between Westheimer and Briar Forest. Worth the drive. They will make you the BEST food for a great price and you can have some yummy wine. George and Rene (the owners) are almost always there. They are GOOD people and so is their staff. They will make you anything any way you want it. You want it grilled, not sauteed? no problem! You want it with extra spinach? not problem! You want a different sauce or pasta? No problem!!!! And you can eat healthy here and not feel like you are eating "health" food. Have the whole wheat angel hair primavera with shrimp and extra spinach...I'm going to make George name it after me!

17) Crave cupcakes. Why would I put that on this list? Because despite living on a diet, they are still one of my favorite things! You have to have a little sin with all your virtue and this is sin that is worth paying for. Strawberry and Candy Bar are my favorite flavors...but I'm sure if I ever tasted chocolate mint or dulce de leche that I would add them to the list. I'm just not going to tempt fate and try them...

18) Dark Chocolate. My favorite treat. The darker, the better...and I love love love dark dark dark chocolate. A little nibble now and then curbs my sugar cravings and is actually loaded with antioxidents so it is good for me too. I like Scharffen Berger extra dark (82% cocoa). mmmmmmmmmmmmm....

19) Living Proof Full Shampoo, Conditioner, Thickening Cream, Root lifting spray and mousse...my hair has never looked better...available at Sephora or QVC...

20) Cake Beauty Satin Sugar Hair and Body Refreshing Powder---smells like vanilla sugar cake and is the BEST for freshening up your hair when you don't have time to shampoo. It makes your hair smell so good and, even better, it comes in a light and dark version so that those of you with brown hair can use it and not look dusty! I've had men tell me that my hair smells good when I have used it...Sephora is your best bet...

21) Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume...the only thing I like as much as my Thierry Mugler "Angel"...very sexy scent. Different. Not for the faint of heart or timid...Everytime and I mean EVERY TIME I wear it I get compliments and am told "you smell SO good"...and I get it from men, women, and children...Wear it if you dare...

22)My 20 pound body bar---bought it at Academy. It is not an actual "body bar by Body Bar" (you can get that online...it is a little smaller in circumference than what I bought), but I like it just as much. For those unfamiliar, it is a 3 foot long weighted (and padded) bar that you use for doing excercises. You can do a lot of excercises with it...even if you don't have your own personal Dimples to tell you what to do. It will fit under your bed...

23) Women's Health Magazine and online website...lots of great advice and recipes. The website has workout suggestions so you can have Bob from Biggest Loser as your trainer! I like it better than Shape or Fitness (both great mags). Just my personal take on the fitness magazine thing...

24) M by Marc Bower dresses from QVC...if you have seen me in a dress there is a good chance it is from this collection from QVC. Washable. Wearable. Good looking. Great price.

25) Advil---I don't need to explain Advil, do I? But I love it...

26) Spin class---if you have never tried a spin class, do it...it is great cardio work, works the heck out of your legs and glutes and if the instructor is good, it is fun...

27) Body Pump---if your club/gym offers Les Mills classes, they offer Body Pump. Body Pump will work every major muscle group in an hour---choreographed to music. It is a great way to do your strength training if you hate working on the weight machines as much as I do.

28) Salmon---I don't like salmon all that much but since I have added it to my diet I have learned to like it and appreciate it. A few things I have learned---if you can order it medium rare it will taste less "fishy", I like a thicker small slice vs. a thinner larger slice (for the medium rare thing), a meal of salmon on a bed of spinach is pretty good and satisfying, the Omega3 oils in it are good for your skin, it is as good cold as hot. I can't say that I love it...but I love what it is doing for my body. I have dropped weight. I see a change. I eat a lot of it...

29) Tasti-D-lite...J'taime Jamie got me started on this and it is my new obsession. Love it for dessert and it is guilt free! Taste like you are totally sinning but is so low-cal that you can't hurt yourself. There are like 80 flavors...you can't go wrong.

30) My "liver cleanse" that I drink each morning. Juice of 1/2 lemon, 4 oz. unsweetened pure cranberry juice (not cocktail), 1 TBS. apple cidar vinegar, 1/2 oz. liquid B12, 1 oz. liquid glucosomine. Mix together and drink up. I swear it helps...

And that, my friends, is my "favorite things for looking/feeling good" list. These are all things that have helped me look or feel better during these past 9 months. I wish I could be Oprah and just give all of these things to you, but I can't...but pick through the list and see what appeals to you. I promise you if you use Living Proof full shampoo and spritz on some Tom Ford Black Orchid and put on an M by Marc Bower dress, someone will notice...

Inspiration Song: "My Favorite Things" by Rogers & Hammerstein...Sound of Music (you know that, don't you?)...as sung by the amazing, incomparable, one and only Julie Andrews...

Bye Darlings....I'm off for a bit of dark chocolate as my dessert after a nice dinner at George's Pastaria....

Don't You Evah

Don't you ever...
Wish you were Samantha from Bewitched?
So you could just twitch your nose and things would get done...things like the dishes? Or the Christmas cards you forgot to take a photo for could just be whipped up? The house could get cleaned magically? And that Esmerelda could just appear to take care of your kids?

I do...


Don't you ever...
Wish you were Jeannie from "I Dream of Jeannie"?
So that you could cross your arms and blink your eyes and you could be suddenly transported somewhere else? Avoiding traffic? Or you could do the blink thing and suddenly you have a new outfit on?

I do...


Don't you ever...
Wish there were more hours in a day?
So you could SLEEP? Or just get things done?

I do...


Don't you ever...
Wonder why your body craves things that are BAD for you but you never have a craving for things like celery or non-fat yogurt? Why do I have to crave CRAVE cupcakes?

I do...


Don't you ever...
Wish that the Victoria's Secret models would all suddenly get fat?

I do...


Don't you ever...
Wish that the work/school week was 2 days long and the "weekend" was 5 days long?

I do...


Don't you ever...
Feel like you want vacation break to be over...24 hours after it started because you are tired of hearing the words "I am sooooooooooooo bored" come from your child's mouth?

I do...


Don't you ever...
Wish that your husband could turn into Brad Pitt, Ryan Reynolds, Alexsander Skaarsgard, or Maks from Dancing with the Stars...for a few hours? Just for fun...just to look at...and if it is Maks, let's dance...

I do...oh, I do...


Don't you ever...
Wish that chocolate had no calories? But still tasted just as good? or that cream cheese and butter have the same calorie count as say...celery?

I do...


Don't you ever...
Want the skin that hangs from your arms like bat wings to just magically disappear overnight and suddenly you would wake up with Madonna's arms?

I do...although Coach Dimples tells me to forget about her arms because they are "too cut" and not "all that"...but I will take "cut" over "bat wings" anyday...what does he know, he is a MAN...


Don't you ever...
Wish that there was no such thing as a size 00?

I do...too much pressure...makes an 8 look big...


Don't you ever...
Wish that Spinderella, Jay Vee, or J'taime Jaime taught a spin class every day?

I do...and I know that one is very personal...but I luv luv luv spinning with them...


Don't you ever...
Wish that it was as easy to excercise as it is to sit on the couch?

I do...all the time...and I wish I could burn the same amount of calories sitting on said couch...


Don't you ever...
Want $10 wine to taste as good as $40 wine?

I do...and sometimes it does...and sometimes the $40 stuff tastes worse than $10...


Don't you ever...
Find yourself obsessed with the silliest things?

I do...and right now my current obsessions are (in no particular order): salmon, Oprah, Caslon t-shirts from Nordstrom, Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume, my black boots, pants from "Lucy", and getting below a certain point on the scale by Christmas...oh, and salmon...I've eaten it for like every meal this week...what's with that?


Don't you ever...
Want to say to your spouse "are you kidding me, Bozo?" when you discover he is TAPING the football game he just watched live at the stadium and it knocked off something you wanted to tape?

I do...and I have...


Don't you ever...
Wish that life was on DVR and you could rewind it?

I do...so you could enjoy all the good stuff over and over again...and skip over the bad/boring/hard stuff...


Don't you ever...
Wish that you could put your husband on mute?

I do...all the time...can you tell he has irritated me today?


Don't you ever...
Wish Santa really existed?

I do...and he does...


Don't you ever...
Feel that God has blessed you greatly and that all the stuff you complain about it just silly?

I do...and He has...and I'm grateful for my blessings...


So I will stop whining now.

I've actually had a pretty great week. I've eaten enough salmon to feel like I need to swim upstream but cheated a few times and don't feel guilty about it. I've had great workouts with Dimples---and he got me off my weight loss plateau and back into "losing"...even if it took pulling his cute self up a nasty hill. Thank goodness he is becoming an expert at speaking "woman" to me and rarely slips into "coach" mode these days...and thank goodness for those dimples because it makes it easier to deal with the pain he is dishing out to me when he smiles as he tells me to do it. I had some really fun spin classes that were actually FUN. I went and heard a choral concert that moved me to tears...especially when my friend's daugher Katherine the Great sang a solo during the "Messiah" portion of the program. Beautiful music always moves me. I got to go to a fun party and see my old "soccer mom" friends from The Cutest Boy in the World's old soccer team. I even had some people (including some good looking men and several very sweet children) tell me I looked "pretty" and "hot" and even got a few "wows"...I'll take that...even though I think they were all just being sweet...but it is nice to hear...

I got nothin' to complain about...


Inspiration Song:
"Don't You Evah" by Spoon...because it is such a cool song...and on my workout list these days and gets heavy play...

Bye Darlings...don't you ever...stop counting your blessings!

Hurts so Good

Hurts so good?

notsomuch...

well, maybe...

yeah, I guess it does!

Actually, I am in a world of hurt right now thanks to Coach Dimples...and this morning I was in a world of hurt thanks to some excellent Veuve Clicquot Rose champagne that I was overserved last night at my friend's birthday bash.

So last night we celebrated the fact that my fabulous friend Pretty Patricia was having the anniversary of her 25th birthday...she is only 25...give or take...but bless her good genes she doesn't look it!

She hates surprises...and doesn't much care for birthday celebrations (she told me this)...so we had to have a surprise party, doncha think?

I didn't plan the party...actually, I was a late addition...my neighbor was hosting the party and she and the other hostess found out the other day that I am also friends with Pretty Patricia so I got invited to come and swill the champagne in honor of my friend and her anniversary of her birth.

Pretty Patricia and I are "new" friends...we spin together and recently discovered we have a lot in common and just "clicked"...she's already special to me...you know when you just know that someone is meant to be your friend? Yeah, that's her...and the other friends we have in common are some of my favorite people so I'm just surprised we haven't connected before.

I love making new friends as much as I love treasuring the old friends...in fact, this week a dear old friend (I should blog about her...her name IS a song title) is moving away from Texas and it breaks my heart to not have gotten to see her...but it gives me an excuse to travel to California. She let me perm her hair when we were in high school---that took guts on her part, and stupidity on mine. I was lucky she was still my "bestie" (best friend) after that...

so...old friends, new friends...all good friends...

Back to the fabu party...because it was fab-u-lous...

Pretty Patricia was surprised...the champagne and vodka flowed...my neighbor (the hostess) who I shall call "Extravanessa" (because she is extravagant in a totally fabulous way...not in a "spending" kind of way...but extravagant with her love, charm, and friendship!)is always the "hostess with the mostest"...so it was a great "women only" party...except for Javier who works for Extravanessa and was taking GREAT care of us ladies.

So...the Veuve Clicquot...mmmmmmmm....rose.....yummy...I mean, if you are going to overdo it with champagne, it might as well be a really really good one!

Bacchus approved this morning when I told him...I think he was a bit jealous...he was all like "Wow! You got the good stuff served to you...I hope you had all you could" (since he knew I only had to walk across the street and not drive). Then he suggested that I might need a bucket beside me at spin class---if I only had something I could have thrown at him to retaliate...he was, after all, insinuating that I looked "hung over"...bah! Which I was...a bit...just a tiny bit...

I am grateful that I did eat during the party...and no, I am not logging it, and yes, I told Dimples...like Bacchus, he just laughed at me...and suggested I not try it again. He was pleased that I managed to avoid eating a cupcake...but I did indulge in some very yummy salmon in cream sauce (I hate hate hate salmon, but this stuff was extraordinary...), rare filet, and asparagus with prosciutto, and of course the rose champagne...

So this morning when I woke up and drank my liver cleanse it is because my liver needed it...

And I managed to get all the way through spin class...no bucket needed...and burned off 350 calories and sweated out Rose Champagne and Tom Ford Black Orchid perfume.

And...

this afternoon Dimples punished me for another 350 calories and did his level best to push it as much as he could for calorie burn and heart rate.

A bajillion squats and lunges later (with weights in my hands) I can barely walk or sit...I even sent him an email to pat himself on the back for the excellent punishment he gave me today.

But unlike the bit of champagne pain this morning, THIS, the pain from the training session, does "hurt so good" because I know I worked myself to my limit and I let Dimples push me as hard as he could.

On second thought as I sit here I'm wondering how someone with such a fat caboose could hurt while sitting on it (and all the natural padding that the caboose has!).

I can't wait to see what he has in store for me next week...with Thanksgiving coming up I know I need to push hard...and I told him that he has been so sweet and patient and helpful with me that I might give up on one of my "I won't do this" rules...I will let him make me run...but he has to show me how to do it so I am really running and not looking like I am about to launch myself into a male dancer's arms...I run like a ballerina, not an athlete!

Thank goodness for Advil...

Inspiration Song: "Hurts so Good" by John Mellencamp...oldie but goodie and totally fitting...

bye darlings!