Pearl - to heck with your kids, dog, etc., I want to see a picture of the tree! It sounds loverly!

Candace - your girls (and you) are too cute. When I double click on your avatar I get a different picture of you and your little one. Precious!!
As far as Tilapia goes, I have not had the best luck with frozen so I get mine from the fish guy at Publix (you know what, I never see a lady back there!)

Ulanda - feel free to call me Nicole, but I am Joni. Nicole's the one with the really cute daughter in her avatar, 5 children, writes really well, and has a great sense of humor; I'm the lady with the dog who wishes she had half the writing talent (and cooking talent) of the gals on this thread!

LeaAnn - you now have my permission to repost your beautiful family picture on your avatar. Lexi's okay with it; I asked.

Katie - okay, this challenge may not be as fun as your recent Biggest Loser challenge at home, but hopefully it will give us all some motivation. Got 11 signed up so far. Some folks are starting today because they don't have internet access to share their start weight with me tomorrow. That's fine and I'll just get their final number on Friday (Dec 15) instead of Saturday (Dec 16).

Hi ladies,
Thanks to you who commented on the "cuties" on my avatar. Only the yougest one is mine, her name is Claire she will be two in February, the taller one is a daycare friend of my daughters. They were both Tinkerbells for Halloween. I also have an eight year old son Austin. They keep me busy, and drive me batty every now and then, but I love em.
I should post a new picture on my profile, as my face has slimmed down alot. Now I jsut need my hips and thighs to!!

Happy December!!
I don't have much time for personals, I am running out to the COD for my w/i.
but..
Kristen!!! I am so interested in your new talent! I love watching shows like "Sell this House" etc, where they come in and basically change a few minor things and then stage the home, and it looks completely different!! I sooo wish I had that talent. You will have to tell us ALL about it!!

Joni - I would love to join your challenge, but I am not elligable - I started October 5th - but to the rest of you ladies - Good luck and give it all you got! That was a great idea, Joni

Cassi - I can't wait to see how your kitchen turns out. I just love anything to do with renos etc. (especially when its not MY money..hehe) I saved your tuna recipe, but have never seen talapia before. Maybe we dont get it here??

Pearl, your decorating sounds glorious! I don't seem to have it in me this year to get "into it" yet -and we even have snow! We almost NEVER have snow this early. MY 9yo DS played in it from after school all the way until dark. over 2 hours. BY HIMSELF....he never plays outside by himself. I just love his enthusiasm about anything festive. He's my decorator, too.

To everyone else I've missed...have a wonderfully POP Day!!
Wish me luck, im off to the COD now I'm not expecting great things as I feel bloaty and gross. NO idea why, i've been POP, not my TOM, but I feel "unhealthy" like I used to all the time before LAWL. WHo knows....hope the scale is kind to me today!!

Makena - you're close enough; join the challenge; just PM me with your start weight/date by Saturday! I'm a sucker for anyone with a dog in their avatar!

Hey ladies, I am here to report a Christmas miracle: I called in sick to work! No, I am not sick, youngest DD is, but mainly, we just want to do some shopping, lay on the couch, and be lazy. Now if I could kick the guilt....
Have a wonderful Friday!

Katie--one word--ENJOY!!!!! Guilt schmilt--everybody needs a mental health day occasionally and it's a great time to spend with DD. When I left Arizona I had accrued 40 days in my leave bank--and I had to "eat" them. You only get paid for them if you've been with the district 10 years and I had 8. Now I use 'em!

Keshia--Sounds like you guys are getting some of this bitter cold--is this unusual for you? Congrats on "binge recovery"--LOL.

hey Girls,

It is really drab here today. Raining, then risk of freezing rain and then rain again. Can't do anything outside and you really don't want to even look out the window.

Tomorrow night is the xmas party. I have no idea what they are serving - I assume turkey where it is for xmas - but hopefully if they do they don't put gravy on it. I am not a gravy eater and if I do it is just a little bit. It is a served meal so I figure they will add it. I am going to try and eat around what I can't really have (or at least don't want to waste the servings on). We had a potluck here at work today and I didn't do too badly. 1 cookie and just a couple of triangle sandwiches and a couple of rollups that had light cream cheese and cranberries in them. The cookie is the first real sugar I had in weeks and I didn't miss it at all. It was a small cookie too!!!

Doing some more packing this weekend as ex is away tomorrow all day so I can pack and relax for the day. Just me and the pooch!! She and I get to sleep in tomorrow too!

I will be working a bit on sunday and then going to do a bit of shopping. I know a few things I want to get for people for xmas but not sure of everyone. Hopefully I'll get some ideas when I am out.

Well, gotta go for now. I'll check in later!

Alannah

Pearl, I am seeing myself a little different. I am a little angry at my scale right now, but my clothes are looking better on me and that is a plus. I would just love to have been starting December in the 160's but the scale won't move again.

Joni, I am sorry for calling you Nicole. Please count me in.

KrispieD, It sounds like a great thing to do, Be a home stager. I love to play around with interior design. It's usually what I do in the summer except, I haven't gotten to place where I am getting paid for it. I have helped everyone in the family do something to there house.

Ulanda - no worries on calling me Nicole; feel free to come and stage my house to make up for it!! LOL

Alannah - dreary rainy days are the pits. Packing and moving just doesn't seem all that festive, but just think of it as prepping for the new you; the new year!! Will your puppy be going with you? If not, is visitation allowed? Sounds like you are there a lot for him/her. My pups would be sad if I were to disappear on them. Not that anything is going to happen at my end, but I've thought about it; I would fight for visitation but make him pay all the vet and food bills (and let me tell you, with two boxers, we're talking some money here!).

Have fun and enjoy your Christmas party; you did great at your potluck and I think those are a lot harder to get through than a plated meal. If you don't like gravey, just tell them "no gravy"!!

Everyone sure was quiet today; Or maybe I was just around too much.

I went to my COD (to get credit for coming in); went mid day and was up another 2/10ths of a lb. The COD was a frickin zoo. They are a training center and lately it's been busy when I go in there, but today was darn right ridiculous. When I walked in the door and saw about 20 counselors running around; I said outloud - "this place is a zoo! I gotta get out of here". I signed in and put QWI (quick weigh in) and got out really fast. The gal who weighed me never even gave me her name. Maybe there is a note on my file that says "do not engage in conversation - she bites!"

One of my favorite counselors was close by when I was signing in and as she passed by me she said "Please take me with you!" I feel badly for her cause I can tell she isn't all that happy there anymore. I need to call and find out when the zoo is less crowded and you can be sure that's when I'll be going in. No more Friday noon weigh ins for me!

I'll be checking for starting challenge weights tomorrow sometime. Have a good night all!

Well, second day of TO and I was cleaning carpets all day!!! Good grief! I figured since it was so windy and balmy, it would be a great day to open the windows, put the ceiling fans on high and just do it! Of course about 2 hours into it, I was dizzy, so I had to stop and eat my lite...
I was down 4.2 pounds today after a 2# gain over the holiday. So, that's helping with today's TO.
Taking the kids to church for a fun/fellowship night. The youth has pizza, games, karioke, bingo for prizes and of course, a 10 min. teaching relative to their age group. It's really a fun time for them and my oldest goes because he teaches the younger ones. They always invite friends and there's door prizes at the end.
Of course, since we live an hour away, I have to find something to do for the two hours they're there... I may just hide in the van and read or something...
Okay, time to go. LR is rearranged, carpets are clean, tree is hopefully going up soon.
Hugs,

I went into the COD today, I was up 2 pounds. Very frustrating to say the least. She asked me if I knew why I was up and I told her that it is b/c I had a fight with the cookie jar and a bottle of Bailey's. I have not been writing everything down like I should have been for the last 3 days... T/O did not work out very well as I did not follow it the way I should have.
I am thinking about redoing the T/O even though it has not been 2 weeks. I think I may do it anyway b/c I did not follow it correctly.

I see everyone has been having a good day so far.

I wish I could join in on the ornament challenge but I started to late. Maybe next time.

Have a good night everyone.

Hey all!

Just lost my post in cyberspace...grrrrrr...

Am sticking to my Monday only WI policy. Am hanging around 158 on home scales, which of course would be less than the OFFICIAL scales, since they don't allow me to be butt naked when I WI at the COD!!

Pearl, Yesterday it was 75 degrees at this time here in Alabama. Today its in the high 30's. Its headin your way!!

Katie--I love that you called in sick. I call em Mental Health days. Besides I would be soooo mad if I died tomorrow and left a huge pile of sick days at UAB!!

Joni--I would love it if my COD put a note on my file that said "do not engage in conversation - she bites!" You crack me up! Maybe they would then stop trying to trickerate me!

All the rest stay POP!! Have any of you tried any of Dr Oz' recommended recipes? Also I went to the Realage.com website and discovered my real age is 58 (I am 51). Gotta quit smokin next. And exercise ....and lose 30 more lbs ...and continue to eat healthy . I would hate to see what my real age would have been before my thus far weight loss and all the junk I was eating 6 months ago!

WE CAN DO THIS YA'LL!! WE ARE AWESOME!!

he everyone......I am in on the challenge.....I weigh in on mon......I do not weigh myself..Its ok I do not think I will even get close to winning....I am still very motivsted but soooo hard with all the lunches, dinners and parties...oh one good thing....wore some size 14 jeans yesterday...but got kinda cocky and went shopping.....Could not fit into size 14ssss..boo hoo..Will I will revel in the jeans for awhile\\\.....I have to admit....getiing a little tired of being so
perfect....I think I need to lighten up a bit....thanks for listening..nance

Man, with all of the trickerating, biting counselors at the COD, and recent reports of scale attacks, I am really starting to wonder what they are putting in the lites.