I Like It (Debarge version)

Hello Darlings,

I'm still in "recovery mode" from what Dimples has inflicted on me...yes, he is still the King of Pain...

Yesterday he made me do the crazy squats again.

This time he got me up to 125 pounds.

Thank goodness it was only for 1 round of 10 squats...he had me work my way up to it and back down to lower weights after.

I'm sure tomorrow will bring more of the same unless we decide to enjoy the lovely weather and leave the gym behind and work out in the park.

The positive to all of this is that I'm back on a losing streak and things are tightening and toning up.

Sadly the loose skin in my belly is not...time to call the surgeon...just don't know when the heck I want to be out of commission for 3 weeks.

or more...

and she (the surgeon) has warned me that I won't be spinning or lifting weights for longer than that.

I know it will all be worth it but the thought of not being in the gym terrifies me.

I still have 10 pounds to go anyway until I am at "goal weight" so I feel ready for the surgery. I don't want to just hit that number, I want to stay there for a bit and let my body settle into that weight so I know it won't go right back up.

But right now I am feeling really good and am pretty happy with how I look. Could be better but when the hot man at the gym said "You look really great" this morning...well, I hope he drives a big ass truck and likes red wine...

I'm missing Oprah fiercely these days...this holiday season I really missed watching her "Favorite Things" show.

So I thought that today I would update you on my latest list of "Favorite Things" and share with you some stuff that I really enjoy or that helps me get through my day.

Now some things were on last years list...and if you want to see last years list look for the blog called "My Favorite Things"...December 20, 2010. They are all still my favorite things.

I still love my Dimples and his training sessions...
I still love red wine (duh...but I have some additions)
I still love salmon
I still love my Riedel wine glasses
I still love George's Pastaria and still think it is by far the best Italian in Houston
etc...

So if I don't mention them again, it's not that I don't still love them...I'm just trying to be Oprah here and give you some new ideas...

Bear in mind that I am a product junkie. My bathroom counter basically looks like a Sephora store. I pity the man who eventually has to live with it all. He better be willing to give me 90% of the counter space or I won't marry him. I'm afraid that some man will walk in and see my counter and run scared...but that won't change me...he's just gonna have to deal with it.

So here are the things that I really, really like these days...

1) Spin Class...just like my training sessions with Dimples, spin class is not work...it is fun. Yes, it is a workout, but it is a FUN workout. If you have not tried a spin class yet I urge you to do so if they offer classes where you workout. Or join a gym that offers spinning. It is a great aerobic workout and for me, with tweeky knees, it doesn't hurt. I have a very very S-L-O-W metabolism...moves at the speed of a glacier...or sloth...but in spin I can burn over 400 calories in an hour. The sad thing is that most of the rest of my friends burn about 700 or so...Give it a try

2) My Clarisonic Mia...I love my little Mia...if you don't know what it is, it is a vibrating brush that scrubs your face. My skin never looked better...it is worth the money...

http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P245414&categoryId=C19920

or:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/clarisonic-fuchsia-mia-sonic-cleansing-system/3267479?origin=keywordsearch&resultback=219

many department stores carry it too for the same price

3) My Clarisonic Opal...another great product from the company that brought us the best toothbrush...the Opal basically is supposed to help "force" your eye cream into your eye area. Now I don't know if it does that but what it DOES do is help to reduce the bags under my eyes with the vibrating action massaging the area and helping fluid drain. I could also probably help that with getting more sleep and drinking more water but I do love my gadgets. And yes, it is pricey...

here is the best value I found:

http://www.amazon.com/Clarisonic-Sonic-Infusion-System-Aging/dp/B004VJ56AK

or you can do this...comes with more serum but not sure it is worth the extra $:

http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/clarisonic-opal-sonic-infusion-system-nordstrom-exclusive-265-value/3236919?origin=keywordsearch&resultback=533

4) Lululemon workout gear....last year I raved on and on about Lucy...and I still love love love Lucy...especially my workout pants...but for cute tops it is lululemon all the way. Lately I have bought some very cute ones and I love the way they wick away sweat and don't stink. I stink but my workout stuff does not. Every time I see someone at the gym with a cute top on it is almost always from lululemon. Their stuff is pretty and lets you feel girly and cute when working out...that is until the sweat starts dripping...

Oh, and if you buy anything in "paris pink" color...watch out...it bleeds...I left body pump with a pink towel...the lululemon website has special instructions on how to wash that stuff.

Another thing I love...their tops come with removable cups so you won't look weird...just ask for them...they are free!

http://shop.lululemon.com/home.jsp

I have this one...was told I was "looking really great" today when wearing it...might just live in it:
http://shop.lululemon.com/products/clothes-accessories/women-tanks/Cross-My-Heart-Tank?cc=9895&skuId=3435260&catId=women-tanks

Hot guy at gym makes me glad I have cute workout stuff...just sayin'

5) "They're REAL!" mascara by Benefit.
Best. Mascara. Ever.
I've tried 'em all...trust me I have...from the cheapest drug store brands to the priciest department store brands I have tried them all...and I have the bills and mascara collection to prove it...but this one...amazing...Sephora or Ulta...and it makes your eyes quite lovely when you bat them at men who drive big-ass trucks:

http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P289307&categoryId=C10339

6) Red Wine...oh how I love thee...
I've discovered some REALLy good ones and had a few crummy ones (which I still drink). I have discovered I still don't really care for Merlot but I DO like malbec (some) and Pinot Noir (some) and I lurrrrvvv my cabernets and Syrah/Shiraz and blends (depending on the blend). And I have been love love loving zinfandels lately...especially those from Lodi tha are of the "old vine" variety.

Here are my favorites:
Michael David "Rapture"---yummy...perfect...pricey but worth it...
"Earthquake" by Michael David...yeah, I'm a fan...syrah or zinfandel...both are yummy...so is the cabernet...and the petite sirah...yeah...like I said, I'm a fan
Bonterra Cabernet...good for a $10 bottle and organic
Norton Malbec
"The Boxer" by Molly Dooker...Shiraz
"Blue Eyed Boy" by Molly Dooker...Shiraz
"Parlay" don't know the winery...blend...about $16
Klinker Brick Old Vine Zinfandel (if you can find it)

I have more...just can't remember them all!

7)Jeans...I'm loving jeans these days...now that I can finally WEAR jeans. Since I am basically built like a Hobbit or Ooompah Loompah (squatty little thick legs) I have a hard time. ALL jeans are long on me...just a fact. So I have found that I have to shop a little harder for them. I've tried the "Not Your Daughter's Jeans" but they don't work for me...some people swear by them though and they are worth a try. I do a lot better with Citizens of Humanity, 7 for All Mankind, and Lucky Brand Jeans work best for my body. The Lucky's are the best deal...AngelAmy found some at Marshalls the other day for a STEAL. I usually buy mine at the outlet mall but she got as good or better deal at Marshalls. My favorite style is the "Sweet N Low".
The best thing about Lucky Brand? They come in SHORT, REGULAR, and TALL inseams!!!!! (I still have to hem them...sigh).
And the men's jeans are very comfy too...bought some for a friend and he lives in them and swears they are as comfy as pajamas. He asked if I had witch powers since I got them for the same price as Levi's (outlet, thank you very much) and they are so comfy and flattering and fit even better than the Levi's. I told him that I knew how to use pixie dust when I needed to...

Lot's of places to buy them...online (luckybrand.com) but the best deals are at Marshall's, Nordstrom Rack, and the outlet mall (at the Lucky Brand store).

8)My bumpy little circulation stimulator. It is a round little body massager with little nubs on it that get the circulation going. I bought mine at Sephora but I no longer see it on their website. Bliss makes one called the "slimulator". I call it "miracle worker"...you just soap it up and massage away...gets the blood flowing. I swear one reason that I don't have a worse loose skin problem is my religious use of this little tool. Helps with cellulite too...

http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?categoryId=C9402&id=P40693

9) Chicken sutffed with jalapeno cornbread or the jalapeno cream cheese stuffed pork tenderloin by La Boucherie. Ok, don't tell Dimples about these cause they are not on the diet...but...my kids love them and if you don't overindulge they aren't as bad as they sound. Here's the best part...they defrost quickly or you can cook them from frozen. The pork loin will defrost in 30 minutes in a cool water bath. You can get them at HEB and at Costco. They are in the frozen section. Delicious!

10) Agave nectar...I love it to sweeten my tea...also love it in a margarita...but it is better for me in the tea...

11) Ok, back to my obsession with the puffiness under my eyes...as much as I love my Clarisonic Opal, I have found a really cheap product that works really well on the puffiness...The Sephora Instant Depuffing roll-on gel. It is in a tube and has little roller balls on the end...squeeze a bit out and use the roller balls to massage away. Feels good...and it works:

http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P276324&categoryId=C11724&shouldPaginate=true

12) Again my eye obsession...I also use Peter Thomas Roth Instant FIRMx Eye before I put my makeup on...it works...it firms it up and tightens the area...like a little eye lift in a tube...

http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P283106&categoryId=C11721&shouldPaginate=true

13)Isle Pedi Spa...ok, it is a bit pricier than a lot of pedicure places but you can't find a cuter, girlier, and more pampering place than the Voss/Memorial location. They will even give you wine...

Go on a weekend, ask for Sophie, and you will find bliss...worth every penny...my bella Bella loved it and so do I...

http://www.islepedispa.com/
Isle Pedi Spa (Memorial location on Voss)

14) Serge Normant hair products. Last year I spoke of my love for Living Proof products. I still love them and I still use the "full making" shampoo. But the Serge Normant (he is Julia Robert's hair guy) stuff is awesome for styling. I use the dry shampoo as a way to pump up the volume (as do a lot of hairdressers for fashion shows and photo shoots according to Allure magazine) and the Meta Lush Volumizer really does make my hair look fuller and thicker.

http://sephora.com/browse/brand_hierarchy.jhtml?brandId=Serge+Normant

15) Thierry Mugler Angel Perfume. My signature scent. Attracts men and children. Not sure you want both at the same time. The kids I work with at school say they know Mama D is around when they can smell the perfume...and they usually run up and say "Mama D you are the best smelling person!". As for men...all I can say is that they seem to like it...a lot...a lot...

BUT...it is not for everyone. So be sure to get a sample (Nordstrom and Sephora will make you nice sized samples) and see if it works on you. It doesn't work on everyone. I have received several bottles from friends who gave me the bottles they bought for themselves only to find it is not good on them. So try it before you buy it. Trust me on this...do not buy it until you try it and see how it does on you.

16) Just like Oprah I gotta put a car on my list (along with a big ass truck but that one has to come with a pretty and sweet man who will drink red wine with me and hold my hand and bring me lilies and watch Modern Family...but that is HIS car, not mine...so if I could choose one I would choose my friend LovelyLisa's convertable Lexus...I lurrrvvv her car...I want her car....some day I'm gonna get that car. Just have to find a man who drives a big ass truck to pay for it. In the meantime she is always sweetly happy to let me drive it (with the top down!) when we are together. I luuuurrrvvv her even more than her car...but if I could, I would have one just like it...she has great taste...and she works hard for her money and deserves it. We look good when we drive around in it...but I also look good in a big ass truck...just sayin'

Ok, so that is my list for the year...go read last year's list too because all of the items from that list are also still my favorites.

Inspiration Song: "I Like it" by DeBarge...old school...

Bye Darlings....happy shopping...one friend calls me the shopping fairy...that is not a bad title...

Girls do What they Want

So today I got to have a "date" with my frothy little niece...my bella I call Bella here on the blog.

She. Is. Precious.

I have forgotten how much fun a 6 year old girl can be.

It has been 12 years since Ke$ha Barbie was 12 but that is not so long that I don't remember what little girls like to do. So we did "girly" things.

We started with meeting my Aunt Jane for lunch at Carrabbas. Jane and I behaved and had salmon (although I did indulge in bread and olive oil...shoulda shooed the bread basket away like I said yesterday but I was starved after my Dimples workout). Bella had fettucine alfredo and kept herself busy coloring in the activity book they provide.

I loved watching her color in the picture. She was so very precise and did it perfectly. Just like Ke$ha Barbie used to.

She told me:
"I always stay in the lines. That is because I make a "wall" with the color on the edges so that I stay in the lines. It is like a wax wall and it stops me!"

OK, that is almost as cute as "frothy"...

We also played tic-tac-toe.

She won.

I lost.

Not on purpose...she really won...

After lunch we headed to Isle Pedi Spa so I could treat Bella to a mani/pedi. I totally want her to have memories of having a mani/pedi with Aunt Niecy...

It is literally the girliest place in Houston. Silver floors, glittery walls, mirrored furniture, chandeliers everywhere, poofy seats with throw pillows, tons of polish choices, flower petals in the soak along with nice smelly stuff, and crystal knobs and pulls. Ke$ha Barbie says I am at home there because it looks like my bathroom...I even have the same knobs.

Here is my Bella having her princess treatment...

If you want a full-on girly time, go there. Go on a weekend and ask for Sophie. She's the sweetest and best. I lurrrrvvv her and my toes have never looked better.

Here are the 2 of us after the mani/pedi...note the girly couch and all the sparkle...sorry for the backlit photo but that is where Bella wanted to pose...and what Bella wants, Bella gets with her Aunt Niecy.

I texted her precious mommy and daddy photos of her and us at the spa...her mother was delighted that we were having such a good time. Have I mentioned how much I love my sister-in-law? Yeah, I thought so....but it never hurts to do it again because I lurrrrvvv her! And my sweet brother was in tears of joy that Bella and I were having such a grand time.

After Bella was soaked, scrubbed, rubbed, sparkled and polished to perfection...along with a toe ring and nail art, we ran to Fit Foods and grabbed some food for me and then ran by the house to let Bella say "goodbye" to Ke$ha Barbie.

Then we headed to the crack house.

ok...I got you there...you can now recover because NOOOOOO I did not take her to a REAL crack house...

We went to Crave Cupcakes...

I call it the Crack House or the Crack Den. It's all the same. It is crack...once you have one you can't help yourself but to continue with the addiction. It is total kryptonite to me. We did not eat our cupcakes but chose to bring them home...so I had a box made up for her, her daddy and her brother and I brought my crack home so my children can indulge...along with me...just one...just one...ok, maybe 2...but not today...one today and maybe one tomorrow if there are any left.

After the Crack Den I had to return her to my brother.

It was like handing over a precious diamond.

I kept the tears for the car...I will see her soon but letting go of something that adorable is hard to do.

I'm glad I get to be a fun aunt to my nieces and nephews. It makes memories for us all.

I have incredible memories of Jane coming to visit. We would impatiently wait for her to arrive because once Jane hit town the fun began. I am happy to say that (mumble) years later we still have a blast together but now we get to do grown-up things like drink wine together instead of the milkshakes we had when I was younger.

One time we decided to try and make "grown-up" milkshakes with liquor. Not a great idea. Ice cream everywhere and we discovered some liquors don't mix well together. And because they tasted like dessert we ended up getting tipsy...not plowed, just tipsy.

Jane also helped me grow up. She still does. I have fond memories of her taking me to see "Animal House" when I was ALMOST too young to see it. (OK, now you have a pretty good idea of my age if I saw Animal House in a theater). It took us 2 different theaters before they would let us in since it was rated "R". I had questions after the movie...she answered them.

And we both wanted to have a massive food fight after seeing it.

Jane often would arrive in town after driving all night from Kansas when she lived there in high school and college. My sisters and I would sneak into her room and would "accidently on purpose" wake her up...poor thing needed her sleep but we couldn't wait for the fun we had with her.

I also have fun memories of times spent with my Aunt Gayle. Since she is only 4 years older than me I basically gave her hell...because it was more like having a big sister than an aunt. I was horrible to her when I was 12 and she was 16. I told her she was a terrible driver. I wouldn't mind her. I gave her s&*& all the time.

Lucky for me she is the forgiving sort...

And now we have a huge blast together. One time when she was working for the "John and Leeza Show" I was in California so I went to see the show. I was pregnant with Ke$ha Barbie...about 30 weeks so I was huge. I turned into a 12 year old again and tormented her by being the enormous preggo lady calling her "Aunt Gayle"...

Lucky for me she is the forgiving sort...

I once went up to Kansas and spent several weeks with my grandparents. Jane and Gayle were still living at home. I tormented Gayle the whole time...refused to watch the shows she wanted to watch, picked on her about her hair, made fun of her obsession with Starsky and Hutch, and wouldn't mind her when we were at the swimming pool.

Lucky for me she is the forgiving sort...

I worshipped Jane...lavished my love upon her and she on me. She took us to the movies (The Pink Panther!) and to the pool. We went to the amusement park.

I refused to ride some horrible ride. I think it was called the Zambeezee Zinger. It terrified me....and I wouldn't ride it with Gayle no matter how much she begged.

Years later I took Ke$ha Barbie and The Cutest Boy in the World to California. We spent a few days with Gayle. We went to Six Flags.

I rode the roller coasters with Gayle.

We held hands and screamed.

It was one of the most joyful times of my life.

Because we got a "do-over" and we had a blast doing it with each other.

We didn't let anyone else (including my ex) ride those rides with us...it was OUR time and we were gonna do it. Gayle and Ke$ha Barbie rode one particularly nasty roller coaster called "Goliath" together...Ke$ha Barbie had watched a show on how they built it and was obsessed with riding it. it was a special thing for her to do with Gayle.

It was one of the most joyful times of her life.

Lucky for me...she is the forgiving sort...and she loves me with all her heart and I have an amazing set of aunts. Not only do I have my aunts by blood but my uncles have managed to each marry an incredible woman that I am blessed to have in my life and I love them so very very much.

I don't have my mom anymore but I do have my aunts...how lucky am I?

I have a great time with them...and they are my role models as to how I should be with my nieces and nephews.

And as for my bella Bella...shhhhhhh...don't tell anyone...but she stole my heart and might just be my favorite little girl in the world...

Inspiration Song: "Girls Do What They Want" by The Maine

Bye Darlings...you never know how your relationship with a child that is not your own might just affect them...I've been blessed to have my aunts...I want to be a blessing to my bella Bella...