Neko, since Fat Tuesday is REALLY about tradition and history, how about a skit (tableau) about the history of Mardi Gras? Most people that are not from here think it is only about drinking and catching beads in the French Quarter which is really NOT what the celebration is about. The drinking and flashing bit was a result of college-aged tourists turning it into a "free-for-all" and that's what the media focuses on. Mardi Gras is really about families celebrating together before Lent and is mostly a family event except for in the French Quarter which is a lot more "ribald".

Goodness it's busy in here!!

Well DH and I both have today off...we're SUPPOSED to be cleaning the apt...however I'm watching tv and he's playing on his computer and we're waiting for maintenance to come put in our new stove hood thingie...It's a blah day here...The rain is pouring buckets out. I need to go to the grocery store...I'll make it out there at some point today...I hope you all have a great day!

Good morning everyone,

I'm 2 weeks into Phase One. (Saturday will be the start of Week 3) I'm thinking of doing Phase One another week. I've managed to lose 5 pounds, but I know I was was eating too many calories and/or too big of portions in the first week. However, that seemed to get me through the issues of a change in what I actually ate. This last week has been much easier and I think one more week will keep me on the right track.

It's good to see so many people around the same place I am on the Diet. I don't have my sig anymore since I'm still a "newbie", but my goal was 8 pounds thru yesterday and I ended up with 5. I must say, I'm very happy with that even though it wasn't my goal!!

On a family note... My son had his Pinewood Derby last Saturday. It was our first time as he's just in Cub Scouts for the first time. He won the whole thing!! We couldn't believe it and I didn't even have a camera with me...

I hope the weather clears up for everyone with snow and ice!!

Have a great day!!

Good morning Ladies. I am celebrating today because I finally dropped a pound!!! Every little bit gives me just that much more incentive to keep going!! I remember when I was younger and all I had to do to drop 5-6 lbs. was to give up ice cream and pop for a week!! Oh, to be young again!!

Speaking of young, my middle daughter just crawled out of bed (12:00). I left her to snooze away this morning because we had our 3rd snowday this week. Poor kid, she turned 16 on Christmas Eve and the weather has been so bad that she hasn't been able to take her road test for her drivers licence yet. You've just got to love Michigan!! Anyway, I decided that shoveling out my 3 stall driveway was going to be my workout for today!!
Well, have a great weekend. I know that I will have to be very vigilant this weekend with my eating. Hubby is gone all weekend in Chicago, and this snowy weather just calls for comfort food.
Sue

P.S. I really want a signature

Good morning chicas,
I've been a little AWOL from the forum the past day or so...I've had my 2.5 yr old niece with me, and she keeps me busy.
Sounds like everyone is having a little trouble this week!
I think this weather is really playing a large part in everyone wanting to curl up with a book and some comfort food! I can't stand cold weather! I'm sooo ready for Spring, it rained and rained last night and was hovering just above freezing, so it was a miserable rain!

Today it's just chilly and muddy outside! at least it's stopped raining.

I've actually posted an exercise goal for this month...I set it very low that way I could actually, possibly meet my goal! LOL

I was about 4 lbs from my January goal..but I only weighed in twice and had set my goal kinda high.

Well...got tons to do...my niece is occupied right now..she love Caillou!
Talk to y'all later
Tina

That's the weather in NJ right now. It's just coming down with no stop. I think I can go swimming outside underneath the trucks and trailers in the lot.

femmecreole Thanks for the information on Mardi Gras. I imagined it was all like the party in New Orleans or Carnivale in Brazile.

cajungirlThe Blue and Gold dinner is cubscouts big awards dinner event. Each Den (8 kids in mine) is responsible for decorating their table and doing a skit for the dinner according to the theme. There's also a cake decorating contest, but Ace of Cakes isn't looking to hire me anytime soon, so I'll keep my lousy decorating skills to myself. So all I need is a centerpiece and skit for second grade boys. Which is of course easier said than done. We're having a meeting next Thursday to do everything, the dinner is Sunday February 10th.

DFWmomCongrats on your son winning the pinewood derby. Is he going to regionals?

Neko - real simple... do you have a party city near you? if so they should have mardi gras decor all there--
you need to follow the 3 color theme-- purple gold a green theme.
you can get table cothes (plastic) in those colors-- you need beads, you need mask for the kids to wear-- hey, actuall they can make them if you want--- easy way-- get a stencil- I am sure you can find on online-- and use heafty paperplates--- cut out the stencil- hole punch holes in the side... and use string so they can wear them-- get purple gold and green glitter and let them go to town-- I would also add feathers-- kids like feathers... for decor-- Beads- did I mention beads.... let them wear them - have them splashed all out on the table... everything... also you can do a search on mardi gras and see the masks (the big ones) for decor if you cant get them at a party supply place--- then cut out of card board-- glitter them and make ones that look like them -- then get like a wooden (paint stirrer) stick and hot glue it on. I would do one one each side-- and get a piece of styrofoam wrap in purple gold or green - and push the stick through it -- little hot glue and there you go!
i would have a little stereo and play mardi gras music--let the kids dance around the table waving napkins, umbrellas, things like that - throw beads to the other tables...

Cake- well thats just easy!--- KINGS CAKE-- here is a recipe!
(well I will PM you that- it wont let me post the link)
just try not to eat it-- so good-- but REALLY not on the SB way of life!!
(aww- just thought about it, I cant have it this year!)


lets see for a tableau ( skit) : I couldnt agree more with Cat--- The history of Mardi Gras..... people often think of it as just a time to party-- but actually I consider it religious, and of course at the end -- the kids need to be in mask- and throw some beads just for the fun parts of it...
** if you could get a boy to dress as a girl-- you could have the King and Queen of the Mardi Gras be presented too! and some of the boys could act a jesters and run around an act silly!

I had a bit of an NSV today which really helped with those crazy #'s on the scale. I went to lane braynt to make my cc payment and I saw a pair of pants I liked so I was gonna try them on and a woman there shopping said you look to small to be shopping here. I will take that as a complement

Cat thank you for the info I learned something new today

Jess I hope you & dh have a great day off

DFW to your son

Adadgirl stay away from the comfort food it will only make you feel worse. Keep posting and you'll have your sig in no time

Hi Tina good luck with your goals

Check back in with yall in a bit

Ok, Cajun Girl...I want to know exactly how many Mardi Gras floats did you have to make out of shoe boxes when you were a kid??? I think between my generation and my kids generation, we must have made a zillion of them.

And all the King Cakes!! I've bought a few just this season and didn't touch a piece (hey, if I'm gonna cheat, I'll go for something better than king cake!) but I must admit that the ones that are "stuffed" are pretty good. All of last night's parades were canceled and are rolling tonight and tomorrow during the day along with the ones already scheduled and I just heard it is supposed to storm on Mardi Gras day.

hey everybody.....

femmecreole and cajungrl...WOW>...do i remember making those shoe box mardi gras floats for the school parades....hadn't thought about those in a while!! Although, I work in a nursing home and we made mardi gras masks and announced the king/queen and the court today.....this is gonna be soooo much fun!!!

Today has been a heck of a day....every little thing has just about made me want to choke somebody!! lol....so much to the point that i called one of the chinese places around here and asked if they could make some fried rice with brown rice...now how terrible of me was that?! lol....don't worry...i haven't ordered any.....yet! lol

Neko - I don't know if there is a regional Pinewood Derby in the DFW area. I don't recall hearing about one. I know our district executive came to our derby and said that the times of the slowest boy in our finals was faster than most packs.

DFW Mom - What council are you in? Circle 10 (Dallas area) is doing Cub Olympians as the theme at Cub Day camp this summer. I'm not sure of what theme they are doing in Ft Worth which is Longhorn Council but they do a council-wide theme too. Your son can earn a lot at cub day camp. I run the North Trail Twilight Camp which is Richardson and Park Cities but I know most of the camp directors in Circle 10.

Hey, is there a January Results thread and I missed it?

I'm going to do a separate post about my day since it is so late already.

WATP is Walk Away the Pounds. I forget who asked. It's a video series by Leslie Sansone - basically low impact aerobics. I really like them!

Kara