Top Two Tuesday!

Top 2 Things You've Learned About Money

1.  Credit Card Debt = BAD!!!!! -- Yes, I realize to most people this is simply common sense...however, to those of us who were plagued with credit card debt for wayyyyy more years than we care to admit, this is something that needs to be engrained in us!  I spent so many years just trying to get ahead, and once I finally paid off that nasty debt, I was like a new person.  I suddenly was able to go on trips and buy things without feeling guilty for not putting every last nickel to getting out of debt! 

2.  Money is the Only Good Thing About Getting Older!  -- A friend of mine shared a quote with me a few weeks ago that said, "Being in your Thirties is like being in your twenties, but with money."  That really made me chuckle...not that I feel like I "have money" now, because believe me, I DON'T!  I still worry about money just like everyone.  However, I do feel like I make smarter choices with my money now, which in turn causes me less financial stress.  Perhaps a lot of it has to do with #1 above, but no matter what it is, all you 20-something ladies out there have at least one thing to look forward to as you are nearing the be 3-0!  =)

What have you learned about money?  I would love to know, so head on over to The Undomestic Momma and tell me what you think!

Weekend Update!

Not really sure why I feel the need to continue these Weekend Updates even though I don't really seem to do anything other than work on the weekends.  However, I guess I am a creature of habit, and I also don't want the little bit of fun I had this weekend to be forgotten.  Therefore, here is my attempt to document everything...even the not so exciting times.  =) 

Friday night was a pretty chill evening.  I had every intention to get lots of chores and errands done, but instead, I laid on the couch and caught up on my DVR shows.  =)  Pretty good night, if you ask me!

Saturday, after working most of the day, it was it was off to Mickey's mom's Surprise 60th Birthday Party.  It was a fun time, with great food (and yes, I MAY have cheated and had some b-day cake, but in my defense, Publix makes the BEST cakes)!  After the party, my beau and I decided to head out and have a mini-date night.  We headed to The Holland House Bar & Refuge to have an after-dinner drink, and that place is amazing!  The decor is so neat, the vibe is very relaxed and chill, and the bartender was so friendly.  He answered all of my stupid questions about all the drinks he was making, and he really seemed to enjoy his job!  If you live in Nashville and haven't been yet, you must try it out!

Sunday, was spent sleeping in, doing all the chores and errands I was supposed to do on Friday night, and running 6 miles. 

All-in-all, a pretty nice weekend...I know I said on Friday that I was going to do better with my picture taking...well, I didn't do so great, but to prove that I'm working on it, here is the only picture taken during the weekend:



Thank You Self-Timer!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!  Happy March!

End of the Week Hodge Podge

I don't know if it's the time of year or if it's the fact that I'm working 60 hours/week, but I have had an extreme lack of cool things to blog about lately.  So, here's my best attempt at some interesting topics on this Friday evening:

1.  There were some serious storms in Middle TN last night!  Fortunately, there wasn't really any damage anywhere, but Patrick did wake up to a surprise this morning:

At least it didn't land on the house!

2.  Look at this awesome blanket my sister made me:

Isn't it pretty?  It's one of those fleece blankets that you tie together, and it's soooooo snuggly!

3.  As I have mentioned before, I have really been a slacker on taking pictures lately.  I have always been the one who always had my camera and was always capturing the moment to remember forever, and for some reason, I have just completely slacked off.  Therefore, I am determined to work on this...some of my most treasured items are my pictures, and I don't want to stop making these memories.

4.  Okay, this is my favorite part of the post.  We all know that I have Bieber Fever, and I'm quite a big fan. Today, I got the funniest e-mail ever from my friend, Kat.  She had done a Jib Jab video, that made me laugh so hard I cried.  Take a look!

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Thanks, Kat for bringing a little joy to my Friday!

Well, that's all I've got!  Hope you all enjoy the weekend!

#13 -- DONE!!!!!

Since I missed my Weight Watchers Wednesday post this week, I didn't get a chance to annouce my exciting news!  I broke the 10 pound mark!  That's right ladies and gentleman, I have lost a total of 11.4 pounds!!!!!  And, I couldn't be happier about it!  I also noticed this week that I had a breakthrough in other areas, too.  Clothes that I haven't been able to wear for a year are suddenly fitting the way they should, and people are finally starting to notice that I've lost weight (which is probably a little shallow, but let's face it...if you are working hard to lose weight, you want people to notice)!  One final piece of good news is that I get to mark one more thing off my 101 Things list. 

I wanted to post some before and after pictures, but that took a little more energy than I was willing to exert on this blissfully, relaxing Friday evening.  I'll try to get some good pics up sometime next week. 

True Runner!

This is a very exciting day for me...I feel like I have officially crossed over to the "for real" runner category!  Why, you ask?  Well, because this baby arrived in the mail today:

Thank you Mom and Dad for my early Birthday present!  Yes, I realize my birthday is still 3 months away...but by then, the half marathon will be over, so I wanted to go ahead and enjoy it now!  I have the running ladies at work to thank for making me want one of these contraptions.

I'll let you know what I think as I start to figure everything out!  So long for tonight..I'm off to try to figure this thing out!

Eat It. Work It. Blog It. - Week 4

Eat It -- This week was an interesting week in the land of Weight Watchers.  Because Valentine's Day was on Monday (the beginning of the week for my Weight Watchers cycle), I used up every single one of my weekly bonus points on the first day!  Usually, I use a few bonus points everyday instead of all at one meal, so I was a little stressed over how the rest of the week would go.  I am pleased to say that I didn't go over my Daily Points Allowance or my Activity Points Allowance once all week! 

Work It -- As far as my running is concerned, I am coming right along.  I'm not working out as often (there just isn't time with the hours I'm working right now), but I am still fitting in 2 short runs every week and also my long run!  This weekend, I ran 5 miles, and even though it was a little difficult, it felt great after I was done!

Blog It -- This week, I think my biggest breakthrough was the fact that I drank 8 glasses of water everyday.  I know it doesn't seem like a big deal, but I am just not a fan of water!  However, I have been diligent about drinking plenty and I think it's really helping with my weightloss. 

If you would like to participate, head over to Amber's blog and link up!

Top Two Tuesday!

Top 2 Things You've Learned from Your Parents or Grandparents

I am super excited about this week's Top 2 Tuesday!  Such a great topic!  

1.  Be Open-Minded and Always Help those in Need! -- Both of my parents have done many great things for their children.  However, one of the best things they instilled in my siblings and I was the necessity of being open-minded to all people and all situations.  They never allowed us to make fun of kids growing up, and they also taught us to be nice to those that a lot of people weren't nice to.  I have seen both my mom and dad do many things to help the needy whether it is giving a homeless person something to eat, helping someone out with their bills, or helping build a habitat for humanity home.  I won't claim to be the most generous person in the world.  There is so much more I could do to be more like my parents.  However, I am so thankful they taught me the importance of doing unto others as I would have them do unto me!

2.  How to Shop! -- This may seem silly, but my grandmother, mother, sister, and I used to always go shopping together.  Those are some of my fondest memories of being a child and spending time with my grandmother!  She always had the prettiest clothes and she definitely enjoyed picking them out!  As you can tell from my post last night, some things never change.  =)

Head on over to Taylor's blog and participate!

Weekend Update!

This weekend was SO MUCH FUN!  Seriously, it was incredible...It kind of started on Thursday night when Patrick and I went to see The Odd Couple at the Nashville Dinner Theatre.  The play was really funny, and it was definitely a fun date night!  Oh, and FYI, this place is really neat!  Definitely check it out.  Here are a couple of pics I took that evening:

Friday night I met Kathleen at Calypso Cafe for dinner and then we headed to see Just Go With It!  Ya know, the movie with Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston?  It was really funny, and really cute!  Guys, girls, moms, dads, everyone should see this movie! 

On Saturday, I had to work in the morning, and then I had to run on the treadmill before rushing home to meet my mom, who was so graciously cleaning away at my condo.  Yes, for those who either think my mom is crazy or I am ridiculously spoiled, my mom comes to my house once every tax season and cleans it from top to bottom.  You have no idea how wonderful and helpful this is this time of year.  I honestly barely have time to go to the grocery store, so the fact that she takes this one thing off my plate, makes me a very happy girl!

After she finished cleaning and I finished working, we headed to do what we do best:  SHOP!!!!!  We went to Blush, Target, Old Navy, DSW, Off Broadway, White House Black Market, The Limited, and Macy's...shew!  That was exhausting just typing it.  Both of us got some great treasures, but I think we both agreed that maybe we need to wait a few more weeks before the really good Spring stuff is out. 

On Sunday morning, after doing my 5 mile long run, Patrick met us and the 3 of us went to church at the same place we went a few weeks ago.  After church, we had lunch with Adam, Alacia, and Hannah at Allium.  BTW, if you haven't been there for Sunday Brunch, DO NOT pass go, DO NOT collect $200!  Head straight to that restaurant next week for Brunch!  It is excellent!  We will definitely be going back!

After lunch, my mom and I went to a Gold Party.  Have any of you heard of this concept?  They are similar to Pampered Chef, Thirty-One, or Mary Kay parties, except instead of buying something, you sell stuff and actually leave with cash.  I searched through all my old jewelry and was able to find 4 rings (leftover from my pre-teen days), 2 sets of gold nugget earrings (why did I ever think that was cool?) and 2 small bracelets.  For all of this, I made $170...enough to pay for all the shopping I did on Saturday night!

After all this fun, it was time for my mom to head back to K-Town.  =(  We had such a wonderful time, and I am so glad I got to spend some time with her.  There's no one I'd rather go shopping with than my Mama!  =)

Usually, Sunday nights are a little difficult for me because I am dreading the weekend coming to an end.  However, this weekend was a little different.  On Sunday night, I had plans with Maggie to see Never Say Never, the Justin Bieber movie.  Yes, you can say that I am completely ridiculous all you want, but I will stand by this statement for a very long time:  It as an excellent movie!  It was funny, it was touching, and it was very interesting!  I definitely recommend it whether you have Bieber Fever or not!

Finally, after a busy, busy weekend, and not nearly enough QT with my beau, I wrapped up the weekend hanging out with Patrick!  It was nice to just relax and watch a little TV before the work week officially began.

I hope you all had fun weekends!  Head back next week to see what that weekend holds!

What I'm Loving Wednesdays!

Happy Wednesday Everyone!  This Wednesday I am loving...

1.  The Valentine's Dinner that my beau had for me on Monday night...

Rack of Lamb, Shrimp, Risotto, Mixed Veggies, and Salmon Tarts...YUMMY!!!!!

He even got me flowers!  =)

 2.  The fact that my mom is coming to town this weekend!  I haven't seen my mama since Christmas, and I CANNOT wait to spend some time with her!  We will have such a great time shopping, chatting, and just relaxing, and if I'm lucky, she might even perform her annual tax season cleaning of my house.  =)  Yes, my mom is really that fabulous!!!!!  =)

3.  That I get to see two movies that I've been dying to see this weekend:

Can't wait to see this with Kathleen on Friday night!  Such a fun Girls' Night!

Okay, don't judge...I am uber PUMPED about seeing this, and shockingly, I found another chica in my age group to see it with me!

 4.  All the cute workout clothes that Target has.  Those of you who have been exercising or running for years have probably think this is old news, but for me, it's super exciting!

5.  The new Thirty-One goodies I ordered today.  I bought a beach bag, a utility tote, and an apron, and I can't wait for them to come in!

Well, that's all from me for the evening.  Head over to This Kind of Love and tell us what you are loving!

Weight Watchers Wednesday

Hello All!  So, since I missed WeightWatchers Wednesday last week, I thought I would first update you with how I am doing on my weightloss.  I am happy to report that last week I lost 1 pound and this week, I lost 1.6 pounds.  This brings me to a total weightloss of 8.6 pounds.  I am pretty happy with that, but I have to say that on other diets, I have lost the weight much faster.  Let's be honest though, that's probably the reason I am on a diet right now.  It all happened too quickly and I gained the weight back just as fast as I lost it.

This week's topic is Daily Tracking...see, WW really encourages daily tracking of everything you eat, much like other diet/health plans.  They feel that if you write things down, you are more likely to stick to the plan.  This is probably the part of this lifestyle change that I struggle with the most.  I'll be honest, I actually hate writing down what I eat.  I don't like taking the time to do it, I don't like the fact that I sometimes forget to write things down and then I have to go back and try to figure it out, and I don't like having to carry around my little food journal.  However, after a few days last week of just refusing to write down the food that I eat, I quickly realized that I am much more focused when keeping my food journal up to date. 

Is this something I will do forever?  Probably not...however, during this time of trying to actually LOSE weight and not just maintain, I think I better stick to the daily tracking...afterall, I still have 9.4 pounds to go before I am my GOAL weight!  =)

Happy Valentine's Day!

I never used to be a big fan of Valentine's Day.  However, just recently I realized that I spent many Valentine's Days that were not so fabulous!  However, now that I have this guy in my life, this is now a day I welcome:

Since my beau is an excellent cook, he takes charge on this holiday of love and always cooks me up a yummy meal!  It's the kind of meal that I look forward to the entire year, and this year is no different.

Patrick, I am so thankful to have you in my life.  Not just today, but every day of the year.  Thanks so much for always being there for me, and for being the "best boyfriend ever!"  =)

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!  Hope you have a wonderful day!

Weekend Update!

I think this weekend it finally hit me that it is definitely tax season!  Because of the snow this past week, I am wayyyyy behind on my hours right now.  I know I'll make it up and then some in the next 2 months, but it had me a little stressed out on Friday and Saturday.  Anyway, moving on to the fun portion of the weekend.

Friday night, Patrick and I spent time with our friends Dennis and Casey.  I met Casey through the Junior Chamber, and we have become really good friends over the last 3 years.  I am so glad to have gotten to know her because she is so much fun to be around.  =)

Saturday morning, I was up EARLY so that I could make up some of those work hours I mentioned above.  Also, I had to leave work by 1:00 to head to this girls 1st Birthday Party:

As you can probably see by these pics, Miss Hannah had a great 1st Birthday.  She enjoyed an Elmo cake (which meant red icing all over her mouth, hands, and tummy), she opened LOTS of fun gifts, and she played with her friends.  My favorite pic of the day is this one:

This is what happens when a 1 year old is in desperate need of a nap.  =)

I must admit that after the party, Hannah wasn't the only one in need of a nap.  Patrick and I came back to my house and crashed for about 2-3 blissful hours.  Luckily, we woke up just in time to head to East Nashville to celebrate Mickey's birthday!  It was a fun night and I think Mickey had a great birthday!  It was great to get to spend time with all of our friends in one place.  That never seems to happen often enough anymore.

This morning, a wonderful thing happened.  I didn't get out of bed until 11:30!!!!!  It was AH-mazing!!!!!  I loved having time to catch up on some sleep and relaxation.  After finally pulling myself out of bed, the rest of the day was spent cleaning, grocery shopping, running, and making dessert for mine and Patrick's Valentine's Day dinner tomorrow night.

Oh, one more exciting thing from this weekend...today I had to run 4 miles and for the first time ever, I was able to run up a hill.  I know this isn't a huge accomplishment, but running up a hill has been a serious problem for me for a very long time!  And this afternoon, I beat that problem!  =)

Here's hoping each of you have a great week!

Snow, Snow, Snow...WHEN Will It End?

Well, I guess I have a lot to say today...for starters, sorry I didn't blog last night...It was an interesting evening to say the least!  Yesterday, they were calling for 1-3 inches of snow in Nashville.  Said snow, was supposed to make its way to the Middle Tennessee area sometime around 3:00 pm.  I'll be honest, we've had SO MUCH snow this year that I really didn't think anything about it.  However, at 3:00 (just like clockwork), the snow started...and when it started, it came fast.  Within a period of about 10 minutes, the entire parking lot at work was covered.  About that time, we all started getting phone calls about how bad the roads were getting and that if we were going home, then we needed to leave now!  So, I packed up all my stuff to work from home that night, and I got in my car to head the 20 minute drive to my house. 

Fast forward 3 and a half hours and I finally turn off the main road to take the back roads to my house.  My first thought was pure relief...I am almost home, and there's FINALLYno traffic!  Then I see that traffic is stopped up ahead and there is someone telling everyone to turn around.  Apparently, there was a wreck up ahead and the road was blocked...SO, that meant I had to go a different way and head back to the main road (yep, the one with all the traffic).  As I was heading back to the main road, I decided I better call Patrick because not only was I afraid I would get stuck and possibly need his 4 wheel drive vehicle to come rescue me, but the battery in my phone was dying, and quite frankly, I was freaking out! 

We decided that he was going to go ahead and head towards my direction and we would meet at a gas station about half way between his house and where I was.  I quickly ended the call and told him I should be there in about 20 minutes.  Next thing you know, 20 minutes turned into an hour, and I wasn't anywhere close to this magic gas station.  I debated for awhile if I should ask someone in the vehicle next to me if I could borrow their cell phone to call Patrick, and all of a sudden I see this person crossing the street and I'm wondering why he is staring into my car smiling.  All of a sudden, I can tell that it's Patrick!  He had walked about an hour to find me because he was getting worried that I wasn't showing up.  He said that he wasn't really sure where I was, and in his words, "I was just looking for a black Honda with a blonde in it, and I found it."  =)  Anyway, he tells me that traffic was so backed up that if I stay in the car that I will be sitting there for at least another hour.  Therefore, we decide to leave my car at an apartment complex parking lot and walk back to his car.  Finally, at 10:00 last night (6 hours and 15 minutes after I left work), I walked into Patrick's house (there was no way on earth we could possibly get to my house which happens to be on a hill). 

Talk about a stressful night!  I was more than happy for it to be over...although I became stressed again this morning when the roads were still pretty bad and all the work that I brought home was still in my car.  Fortunately, we ventured out mid-morning and was able to get my car, and I was able to work from home this afternoon. 

Granted, I was definitely NOT the only person in Nashville who had these problems...all night long on Facebook there was comment after comment about people who had super long commutes.  There was even 2 ladies I work with who had to spend the night in the lobby of the local Hampton Inn.  Sooooo glad I didn't have those kinds of problems! 

Eat It. Work It. Blog It. - Week 2

I hope you all are having a great week!  I know that I am already wishing it was the weekend...really, I know that I shouldn't wish my life away, but it just seems that the weekend's are so good these days!  =)

It's time again for Eat It. Work It. Blog It. over at Amber's blog!  If you are trying to live a healthier lifestyle, you should definitely join in!

Eat It.  This past week I did okay on Weight Watchers.  I can already tell that I am getting the hang of this plan...however, I can also tell that I have been slacking a little bit.  I have definitely gotten my 8 glasses of water a day, so at least I have that going for me.


Work It.  Well, I am proud to say that I did all 5 of my weekly workouts last week, including my long run of 3 miles on Sunday!  I'm very proud of this and hope that I can it up this week, too!

Blog It.  I wish I had some miraculous break through this week, but unfortunately, I think I am still getting used to this whole working out/eating healthy gig.  Things are pretty normal as far as all that goes, but hopefully, something amazing will happen this week!  =)

Top Two Tuesday!

Top 2 Things I've Learned About Blogging

1.  That if you find something you are passionate about you will stick to it!

I've never really been the sort of person who sticks with things I start long enough to see them through.  However, I've discovered over the last 8 months that I really have a passion for blogging.  Not really sure why...I was never one to keep a diary, and I've never enjoyed writing...however, I LOVE blogging!  I think it's because it gives me an opportunity to voice my views on various topics all while documenting my life for many years to come.  Therefore, I have finally found something I enjoy enough to keep it up.  It has also helped me in other areas of my life, too.  For instance, I finally ran a 5K (a goal of mine for many years) and I also am training for another half marathon!  A year ago, I didn't even have a goal to complete 1 half marathon, much less train for my second! 

2.  Leave as many comments as possible!  

Some of the best blog friends I have made have been because I had been reading their page for months and finally left a comment on their page.  That was all it took for us to become "blog friends."  I try to always leave a comment on the pages I read the most, but if I read a random page that peaks my interest, I will definitely let the person know!

You should head on over to Taylor's blog and tell us what you have learned!  

Weekend Update!

Well, it appears that I REALLY need to work on my picture taking these days...once again, not a single pic all weekend.  =(  I'll make this short and sweet so you don't all get bored.  =)

On Friday night, I went to a work Happy Hour meant to welcome our new interns...it was a lot of fun, and based on all the stories I heard this morning, apparently, it went from a Happy Hour to a Happy Night after Patrick and I left.  We hated to leave the party, but were both starving, so we headed to a new-to-us sushi joint on Elliston Place called Osake.  It was pretty yummy, but I never realized that sushi really isn't very WW friendly.

Anywho, Saturday was spent working, running errands, getting groceries, and (my favorite) using a gift card at Bed Bath & Beyond to buy stuff for my bedroom.  I now have new lamps, big pillows, and laundry baskets.  I am loving this room more and more.

On Sunday, I got up fairly early and ran 3 miles...the first long run of my half marathon training!  After that, I worked and worked and worked to get my house ready for company, and finally, at 4:30, everyone started showing up to watch the Super Bowl.  We had a great time, and it was so awesome getting to catch up with everyone. 

Oh, and I can't believe I almost forgot to talk about last night's Half Time Show!  I thought it was INCREDIBLE!!!!!  I love the Black Eyed Peas, and I gasped so loud when Usher came out that everyone was looking at me like I was crazy!  I seriously want to be part of the Super Bowl half time show one day...am I too old for that?  I need to start doing some research!  =)

Well, another weekend has come and gone...here's hoping the next one arrives very soon!  =)

A Photo Contest!!!!!

My Funny Valentine Cutest Couple Photo Contest

In honor of Valentine's Day being right around the corner, I've decided to participate in the photo contest that Shannon at Webbisodes and Joni at Six Cherries on Top are hosting!  You should grab your favorite pic and head on over, too! 

"Jon and Kate's Reconciliation"

What I'm Loving Wednesdays!

It's Wednesday, and you know what that means!  It's time for What I'm Loving Wednesday over at Jamie's Blog!  If you haven't been to her blog, yet, you should definitely check it out!

This week, I am loving...

1.  That it's Wednesday and that means that this week is finally half over!  Long hours have finally started for me, and this has been one rough week!

2.  That my beau and I have decided where we are going on our Post Tax Season trip this year!  It looks like we will be heading down the Natchez Trace Parkway for a little hiking, a little camping, and even a night at a Bed 'n Breakfast!  I can't wait!

3.  That the Super Bowl is this weekend, and that means that everyone is coming to my house to watch the big game!  I'm looking forward to getting together with everyone since we never seem to see enough of each other during the winter months!

4.  That running skorts are in style for exercising in the spring!

5.  That it's almost time to start shopping for swimsuits!  I LOVE summer and can't wait to get back to that kinda weather!

Head over to Jamie's and tell us what you're loving!

Weight Watchers Wednesday

Week 2 of my Weight Watchers program is behind me and I got through it with a 2.2 pound weight loss!  That's a total weight loss of 6 pounds.  I suspect that I'm going to hit the dreaded plateau pretty soon, and I think that may happen this coming week.  I'm still hopeful that I can keep up my weight loss, but I realize that losing an average of 3 pounds a week isn't necessarily realistic over the long haul!

This week's Weight Watchers topic is Treating Yourself.  Do you ever have those days when you are just over it?  Well, that was this weekend for me.  Friday night I had dinner plans with my beau, and I was tired, hungry, and deep down I knew that I just wasn't myself.  FINALLY, after much prodding, Patrick got it out of me that I was really having a hard time with my eating.  I wasn't necessarily craving anything, but I just wanted to go to a restaurant and not have to PLAN what I was going to order before I got there!  I wanted to walk in, look at the menu and order what sounded good to me.  He finally talked me into it.  He said we could go wherever I wanted and I immediately said BAJA BURRITO!  When I got there, I ordered my favorite meal...the Baja Fish Burritos...except this time, I didn't order it with cheese, and I didn't get black beans...also, I split the chips with Patrick so that I could save a few calories.  Finally, I chose a Diet Coke over their delicious fruit tea.  And when I counted up my points, I still had plenty of my Weekly Points to last me through the weekend.  AND, my mood and attitude improved immediately!!!!!

I learned a lot that night...I learned that I can still have the foods I love...I just have to be smart about it...and I have to make these things a treat...NOT the norm!

If you are doing Weight Watchers, I suggest that you definitely take advantage of your Weekly Points Allowance because this is what keeps you on track...AND, there is no guilt because you know it's all part of the plan!

Eat It. Work It. Blog It. -- Week 1

Hey All!  I have decided to join in on Amber's new blog challenge!  For those who don't read her blog (The Survival Guide for the Young, Fabulous, and Newlywed) you should definitely check it out!  It's one of my favorites...and I promise that has nothing to do with the fact that we are BOTH in the accounting field!  =)

Anywho, she has started a new weekly link up regarding all things health and fitness.  Since she started by teling a little bit about her journey to this spot, I thought I would join her. 

See, with the exception of a very bad stage in grad school, I was never the kind of person who had a lot of trouble with her weight.  Was I the skinniest person in the world?  Absolutely not!  But I never had to pay a lot of attention to what I ate and I never really worked out all that much.  Then, in 2008, something fabulous happened.  I started a relationship with a fabulous guy (all of you know him as Patrick or my beau).  =)  When that happened, I became more comfortable in my own skin and in my life than I had ever been before.  I was happy, and therefore, I wanted to eat...and I didn't just eat...I ate a lot!  Also, since I hadn't really worked out since I was on the high school cheerleading squad, I didn't see any reason to start working out then!  You can imagine the result of all of this wasn't good.  In fact, I have gone on a diet each January for the last 2 years.  Each time, I have lost between 10-15 pounds.  And each time, I have gained all the weight back...and then some!  Is any of this Patrick's fault?  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  However, I have used him as an excuse for the last 2 years...well, not any more!  This is all me, and I have to take responsibility for my actions.

You are probably asking yourself what is different about this time and what makes me think that I won't gain the weight back again...well, for starters, I've finally gotten my act together and started exercising.  I have been exercising regularly for the last 5 months, and plan to keep that up long term.  Seondly, I'm just tired of dieting...I want to live a lifestyle that allows me to splurge without feeling guilty...I want to be able to fit into all of the clothes in my closet without having to search and search for something that fits...finally, I want to FEEL healthy!  Therefore, this is when the lifestyle change begins!

The next step of this blog challenge is to explain the following factors and how I will handle them for the month of February.

Eat It.  I plan on sticking to Weight Watchers for the month of February.  I also plan on drinking 8 glasses of water a day.

Work It.  Since I am training for the Country Music Half Marathon in April, I plan on working out 5 days a week:  2 short runs, 2 eliptical workouts, and 1 long run. 

Blog It.  My main goals for the month of February is to lose at least 7 pounds, to workout 5 days a week, and to drink 8 glasses of water a day. 

Here goes nothing!  Stay tuned this month as I update you in this blog challenge.  Also, check back every Wednesday when I talk about my Weight Watchers experience.  =)