Get Healthy BlogHop

Today I'm taking part in the the Get Healthy Blog Hop, hosted by Michael Di Gesu, Stephen Tremp, Spunk on a Stick, and Alex J.

I have been struggling with my weight for years.  I have followed just about every diet out there.  I've had personal trainers and gym memberships.  I've read the books and I've taken the classes.  I am a health care professional.

Around Christmas time, I was searching my computer for pictures of my kiddo, and I began to notice a trend - I wasn't in many pictures, and if I was, I was hiding in the back trying to cover my spare tire - years of pictures and I could count how many I appeared in!  There were hundreds of photos of kiddo with family and friends and 10 of her and I together.  A lump formed in my throat, time to re-evaluate things.

I didn't think I ate that badly.  I had a physically demanding job.  I was walking to work most days and taking a weekly Zumba class.

In January I purchased a FitBit and set daily goal of 10,000 steps and 2,500 calories to burn - it became a mini challenge with myself.  But, temptation came knocking and I started to cheat on myself. (starting to sound familiar?)

In February I went to Ontario to visit friends from school, I was the heaviest I had ever been.  The 2 pictures I appeared in during that trip brought tears to my eyes.  I knew I needed to do something drastic.  Before the month of February was over I had signed onto a low carb, low sugar, no alcohol diet.  I talked a few friends into swimming with me, walking with me, zumba with me, and training for a 5K race with me.

I have lost 56 pounds since February.

My tips to you:

Water - drink LOTS of water, it is great for your muscles and will help you feel full longer (don't say you dislike the taste of water... add cucumber, mint leaves, lime, lemon, orange, crystal light or mio to flavor it, its much better for you than soda).

Move - stretch - bend - your body will thank you for it.  I tell all of my massage clients to stretch, it releases endorphins, prevents spasms, and feels good.  We are not made to sit behind a computer 8 hours a day.  Start small, be content running 1 minute today try for 2 tomorrow.

Eat - healthier, lower fat selections.  Instead of deep fried french fries try oven roasted turnip fries, skim milk instead of whole, fruit rather than a cookie.  Watch your portion sizes - just because its on your plate doesn't mean you have to finish it all.

Find a buddy!  Someone with similar goals, someone who will encourage you, motivate you, listen to you, share recipes with you, and old you accountable.  If you can't find someone in the 3D world, find someone online there are some great bloggers out here and very supporting discussion boards, if you can't find anyone email me! (seriously)

Don't get discouraged.  You didn't gain 10 pounds over night, you won't lose it over night.  Set mini goals and when you reach them don't celebrate with food!  :)

My net goal is to finish my first 5K on June 16th

The Best & The Worst of The Remakes

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We're all still just coming off the A to Z high, and the Blogging Ninja Alex J is at it again!  This time with the best and worst movie remakes blogfest.



There have been a few really good remakes in my mind from King Kong, to War of the Worlds, 3:10 to Yuma, Brothers and The Magnificant Seven.

I think the top 3 BEST REMAKES are:
3) Charlie and The Chocolate Factory (1971 and 2005)
2) The Departed (2002, 2006)
1) True Grit (1969, 2010)







There have also been a few too many bad remakes.... The Stepford Wives, Poseidon, Arthur, The Women

The top 3 WORST REMAKES:
1) The Pink Panther (1963, 2006)
2) The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951, 2008)
3) Swept Away  (1974, 2002)


What do you think?  Best and Worst?

Top 10 Movie Countdown

Today is Captain Alex's Top 10 movie countdown blogfest.  When it comes to movies I have a lot of top tens; top ten comedy, top ten action, top ten of all time...  So in light of my upcoming Disney adventure, I decided to share my top 10 Disney Movies! (these are pre-kiddo top ten)

 #1 - The Little Mermaid

 #2- The Fox and the Hound

  #3 - Robin Hood

 #4 - Bambi 

 #5 - The Parent Trap 

 #6 - Pollyanna

 #7 - Sleeping Beauty

 #8 - Homeward Bound 

 #9 - Alice in Wonderland 

 #10 - The Jungle Book

The 10 on my list, are movies I watched pre-kiddo, there are many more I would love to add, but they would be family Top 10 Disney, Kiddo Top 10 Disney and Recent Top 10 Disney.   Did I mention I have a lot of movie Top 10s?!

Thanks Alex for hosting :)

Celebrate the small things - Feb 8 edition

Week 2 of my joining Celebrate the Small things its still pretty simple, Friday post something you want to celebrate achieving/doing that week...

This week I am celebrating passing 400 followers!  (thank you) Woot Woot!   Hubby's Birthday on the 2nd of Feb, and Kiddo getting a 97% on her science test.  

What are you celebrating?

Allow me to re-introduce myself..

As soon as I read the title of the bloghop, I began singing Sympathy for the Devil...I even started to change around the words, but I couldn't find anything to rhyme with orange... short and sweet this is me.

I am a girl who lives around the bay, in a small town where I can look out my window and see the ocean.  I have a 13 year old daughter full of hormones and attitude, a dog that spends all day snorting and farting, and I have a husband who annoys the shite out of me.... I wouldn't change a thing.   Hope you decide to stick around!

Would you like to re-introduce yourself?  Visit Stephen or  Mark and get on the list!

Choose your apocalypse blogfest

 

Today is the choose your apocalypse  apocalypse blogfest!

In my version the skies darken, the animals go nuts, the power goes off, just like all the stuff in the movies... EXCEPT in my version really loud Justin Beiber music is transmitted through all electrical outlets 24 hours a day, louder than even the best ear plugs can dull.  The music causes your brain to slowly die, turning you into a zombie. 

Estimated time of the first Zombie transformation is 3 hours into BeiberFest.  

If you hear Beiber music, grab whatever you can carry - bottled water, first aid kits, canned food, extra food, blankets, books, candles, knives, crossbows etc, and head as far away from civilization as you can.  Avoid all forms electricity.  Find a quiet lake and camp out.

Daryl Dixon eventually saves the planet by taking care of Beiber.

The end of the world is upon us

While many people think the world really is going to end on Friday, the 21st, most of them can't agree on HOW. Will it be an alien invasion? Zombies? Collision with a mighty meteor? The super flu? Solar flares? Oh my, there are so many ways the world could conceivably end, but what we want to know is how you, yes YOU, think it will happen.
 

Visit Chuck and join the choose your apocalypse  apocalypse blogfest December 21st

The rules are simple:
 

1. Choose your apocalypse

2. Sign up on the linky

 

3. Tell us how you prepared for your survival amongst everyone else's demise
 

4. Describe your apocalypse and how it's going down
 

5. Make sure the badge is displayed on your blog
 

6. Visit your fellow survivors and see how their world ended

NinjaFest

Its time for what I'm calling Ninja Fest or Unmasking the Ninja.  Alex is amazing, he everywhere in bloggyland - a spreader of news, captain of movie trivia, ever commenting, enigma, and all around good sport.

So now let's do this....  

In 20 words, what does Alex look like?

Well no one has really seen him - but this is what I picture....

In 20 words, who could play Alex in a documentary?   

Guitar playing, velvety voiced, drop dead sexy, mysterious Johnny Depp, of course!


In 20 words, who does Alex remind you of?

ummmm  Johnny Depp!

In 40 words, leave a comment for Mrs Cavanaugh - thanking her for sharing.

Thank you Mrs Cavanaugh!  If I had my very own version of Johnny Depp, I would NOT be sharing him with anyone :)  You are one lucky lady!.... 

Monster Monday Oct 29 - The Kraken

The Kraken  

by Lord Alfred Tennyson

Below the thunders of the upper deep;

Far, far beneath in the abysmal sea,

His ancient, dreamless, uninvaded sleep

The Kraken sleepeth: faintest sunlights flee

About his shadowy sides: above him swell

Huge sponges of millennial growth and height;

And far away into the sickly light,

From many a wondrous grot and secret cell

Unnumbered and enormous polypi

Winnow with giant arms the slumbering green.

There hath he lain for ages and will lie

Battening open huge sea worms in his sleep,

Until the latter fire shall heat the deep;

Then once by man and angels to be seen,

In roaring he shall rise and on the surface die.

The depths of the Atlantic Ocean are filled with all kinds of strange creatures.  The Atlantic Giant squid (Archiethis dux) is one one the scariest looking creatures on the entire animal kingdom.  The world's largest known invertebrate these torpedo-shaped carnivorous mollusks have 8 arms covered in razor sharp suckers, 2 tentacles specially designed to draw its prey in, 3 hearts and 1 beak, they also have the ability to change their skin colour to blend into their surroundings and can release black ink to blind and confuse their prey.  Their enormous eyes are larger than a human's head - the largest of any animal living or extinct, and if that's not enough the can lurk at depths deep enough the water pressure can crush a submarine!

Photo: Life sized replica of the giant squid that landed in Glover's Harbour in 1878. The body was 6.1m (20 feet) long with a tentacle measureing 10.7m (35 feet).

In the past 220 years remnants of over 60 giant squid have washed up on Newfoundland shores!

***  sorry my post didn't appear until late today - I had it scheduled but it didn't show up***

1 blogfest, 4 favorites

 Ninja Captain Alex  is hosting another blogfest!  This time its One blogfest, four favorites!

List your favorite genre of:

Movie -  action.  Top Gun, Batman, Point Break, Gladiator, Troy, Braveheart, Indiana Jones, Rocky.  Fast paced with strong characters - what's not to like?

Music:  would have to be 90's rock/alternative. Pearl Jam, Guns N Roses, U2, Nirvana, Oasis, Cranberries, Metallica, The Offspring, Beastie Boys, Rage Against the Machine,  Blind Melon, Wheezer.... they just won't make music like that anymore.

Books -  This is the hardest genre for me to pick from because my reading taste varies with my mood, and I often have multiple books on the go at the same time.... if I were to pick one it would have to say currently its YA.  The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, His Dark Materials, The Hobbit, The Maze Runner, Divergent, The Matched, Shiver, Creatures.  (I just notices they are all series)  

And a guilty pleasure genre from any of the three categories!

Romantic Comedies!  I Love romantic comedies! The Wedding Singer, 10 things I Hate About You, PS I love you, Sweet Home Alabama,  Reality Bites, There's Something about Mary, 13 going on 30, Bridget Jones, 40 Year Old Virgin, The Little Mermaid.  

Remember to check out this post, for you chance to be part of my Chocolate giveaway winner will be drawn Sept 30)

First Loves...

Captain Ninja, Alex J. Cavanaugh is hosting a First Love Blogfest today so head on over and check it out! Link up and tell us about your first music love, first book love, first music love and first person love.

First Movie Love Would have to be The NeverEnding Story - Through a book, Bastian finds himself in Fantasia. Fantasia is facing oblivion from an enemy known as The Nothing. The Empress chooses Atreyu, to save their world.

First Music Love From the first music cassette I owned, the song Thriller. I can still recall parts of the dance.

First Love - Joey McIntyre from New Kids on the Block. We're talking obsessed - my walls and ceilings were littered with posters, t-shirts, magazine... I even wrote a few letters to the fan club! It ended with Joey when he didn't write me back, and Leonardo DiCaprio started on Growing Pains.

First Book Love I was in third grade, when Santa gave me Dracula. It was the kid's version of the classic, but to me it was a thick hard covered novel. I struggled with a few of the bigger words (underlining them in pencil to either ask my mother about, or look up in the dictionary) but I loved it, and have read Dracula half a dozen times since.

Sad Songs Blogfest

The A to Z Challenge is just days away, but when I spotted the Sad Songs Blogfest on Spunk on Stick's blog, I jumped on board!

The guidelines are pretty simple - List the songs that move your spirit, cut deep into your soul, and threaten to break your heart. - So without any further delay, here are a few of my favorite AND saddest songs (in random order):

Brad Paisley - Whisky Lullaby

2003- Whiskey Lullaby tells the story of a couple who separate, and eventually drink themselves to death. "We found her with her face down in the pillow, Clinging to his picture for dear life, We laid her next to him beneath the willow, While the angels sang a Whisky Lullaby"

Johnny Cash- Hurt

2002- A story of addiction and self-destruction that has been covered by any artists over the years. Nine Inch Nails does an amazing job, but I think hearing an aging legend makes it touch a little deeper. "And you could have it all, My empire of dirt, I will let you down, I will make you hurt."

Pearl Jam - Last Kiss

1999 -A cover song found on the No Boundaries - A Benefit for Kosavar Refugees album, Last Kiss tells the story of a young couple on a date that ends in tragedy. "Where, oh where, can my baby be? the lord took her away from me, she's gone to heaven, so I've got to be good, so I can see my baby when I leave this world."

Dave Matthews & EmmyLou Harris- Long Black Veil

1999 - Originally recorded in 1959 by Lefty Frizzell its the story of a man wrongly accused of murder, but refuses to give up his alibi (a married woman. The Chieftans, and Johnny Cash also do this song very well. "She walks these hills in a long black veil, She visits my grave when the night winds wail, Nobody knows, nobody sees, Nobody knows but me"

Sarah Mclachlan - Angel

1997 - Story of a heroin overdose, but can be interpreted many different ways.
"Spend all your time waiting, For that second chance, For a break that would make it okay"

What songs are on your list??

Didn't we already cover this?

Today I'm participating in the DejaVu DejaVu Blogfest. Otherwise known as The Day of the Do-Over!

I'm going to take you back to June 30th 2010, with a repeat of my post How to use the bathroom at school. So sit back, enjoy, and perhaps learn a thing or too!


Ok boys, LISTEN UP, there are fewer of you then there women on the first floor of the school, that means if there a line up for the ladies room, I'm using the men's room, and well, here are a few tips...

You guys seem to have a “lack of accuracy” and your “aim” is off. Either lift the damn seat, or wipe the dribbles off the seat, pick one. (if you choose to lift the seat, please put it down when you are done.

Toilet paper and soap are two of the most used items in the washroom. One should only use as much toilet towels as one needs and then ensure that it is properly deposited into the garbage can, not dropped on the floor. Talking of soap, try letting the tap run for 2-5 seconds extra so that your soap bubbles actually go down the drain.

If you find that basic toilet necessities like paper paper and soap are finished, it is now your duty to inform the correct people. They will ensure supplies are immediately provided so the next person will not be left high and undry.

NEVER forget to flush the toilet after the use; I am not interested in what you ate for lunch.

One more thing... the washroom does have a fan, its that switch right next to the one that turns on the light, try using it once in a while.

Worst Comedy Movies Ever

From the brain of Alex J. comes the Worst Movies Ever blogfest .






I have seen some pretty bad movies in my time, some of them worse than others. So in no particular order, I give you MY 10 worst comedy movies:


The Love Guru (2008) - staring Mike Myers and Jessica Alba - "If your Uncle Jack helped you off an elephant, would you help your uncle jack off an elephant?"

The Master of Disguise (2002) - staring Dana Carvey - "Am I not turtle enough for you?"

Year One (2009) - staring Jack Black and Micheal Cera - "I'm sorry. I wasn't listening. All my brain blood was in my boner."

White Chicks (2004) - staring Marlon Wayans and Shawn Wayans - "Look King Kong. Why don't you take you and your "1980 pick-up lines", climb all the way up to the top of the Empire State building, beat on your big old monkey chest and then jump off? Excuse me."

From Justin to Kelly (2003) - staring Kelly Clarkson and Justin Guarini - "You're the mayor of Spring Break, and she's one-bonnet-shy-Amish!"

Thunderpants (2002)- staring Rupert Grint and Paul Giamatti - "I cannot control my arse."

Grease 2 (1982)- staring Michelle Pfeiffer - "If I catch up with that guy, he's dead, you hear me? D-E-D"

Freddy Got Fingered (2001) - staring Tom Green - "You can't hurt me, not with my cheese helmet!"

Honey I Blew up the Kid (1992) - Rick Moranis - "Adam! Don't eat us!"

Baby on Board (2009)- Heather Graham and Jerry O' Connell - * this is the exception - I just watched it and there are no words. I just HATED it.

All you need is a button and a deck of cards!

Growing up in a small community in outport Newfoundland, often times you make your own fun, without a lot of equipment. Here are three of my favorite games requiring only a button and a deck of cards.


Button Button
Button button is a children's game often played at birthday parties. One person is the "button holder" while the rest of the group forms a circle around them. Holding the button between the palms of the hands, the button-holder draws their hand down between the unclasped hands of the other players, while pretending to drop the button in each pair of hands. (Sometimes the same pair of hands would get visited more than once.) The button would be left in one pair of hands, but the button holder would continue until they were certain to have deceived the players. The button holder would then return to the center and say "Button Button, whose got the button?" then select someone to guess who had the button. The idea is for the button holder to fool everyone into picking the wrong person. The person holding the button would try to pretend that they didn't have the button, and if successful would have a turn in the center of the ring. If someone guessed correctly, they would then take the centre-ring position.
* If playing this at a birthday party, there were often prizes if no one guessed who had the button.



Red Rover
In this children's game, two teams face each other with a distance of 10 or more feet between them. The members of the team selected to be "up" joins hands to create a barrier. One member of the opposing team is then challenged to try and break through the human barrier by running fast and hard enough to cause a break in clasped hands. The challenge was issued in the following manner: "red rover, red rover, send ____ right over." The called person would then take a zig-zagging run at the line trying not to reveal the intended contact point. If successful in breaking the line they return to their team bringing one of the opposing players with them. If not, they become a member of the opposing team. The game went on until all the members of one team were "captured" by the other.


Growl
The name "growl" is often used to refer to a card game known as Auction 120s, or 120s. This is a team game that is mostly played in a boisterous manner(sometimes shouting or swearing and most often slamming fists, depending on the pot and who you play with.)
The object of each team was t0 get 120 points before the other. Each player is dealt 5 cards and each trick they win gets them 5 points. The persons with the highest card in each deal got 10 points for the trick, making it a total of 30 points per round. The best card won each round and the best cards were trumps. Trumps being the suit of card chosen by the winning bidder. Players can bid between 15 and 30, if the highest bidder got the number of points they bid or more, they kept the points, if they didn't they lost the amount of their bid. If a player felt that with the help of their partner they had enough cards to take all the tricks they would bid 30 for 60. If their team won all the tricks they were awarded 60 points and if not they only lost 30 points. This often meant the team would "go in the hole" or have less than zero points. If this happened when the other team was within a hand of winning the game got more interesting, as the losing team would make impossible bets to keep the other team from winning. The bid "slam for the game" was often invoked as this point. In a "slam for the game" bid, all five tricks had to be won, and if the bidding team did it, they won the game, if not they went another 60 points in the hole. This caused many a growl between the losing partners. So the game got its name honestly.
* Growl is most often an adult's card game, but both my grandparents loved to play and taught my and one of my sister to play when were were still young. I remember playing this nearly ever night with Nan and Pop.

I'm a hoppin, but not hippin

Alex J Cavanaugh has a blogfest on the go. This one I found rather challenging. Picking just 10 songs to call your favorites is HARD. Very Hard. I've given this some thought, I added and removing songs for days, and this is what I've some up with.



Here we go in no particular order...



Pearl Jam - Better Man
I am a HUGE Pearl Jam fan, I worked for one concert, saw another and sneaked into a soundcheck. It was hard deciding between Yellow Ledbetter, Daughter, Jeremy, Black, Evenflow, Alive... I could keep going....




Guns N Roses - Child of Mine
She's got a smile that it seems to me
Reminds me of childhood memories
Where everything was as fresh as the bright blue sky



Metallica - Nothing Else Matters



Rage Against the Machine - Killing in the Name


Radiohead - Creep



The Pogues - Fairy Tale in New York
Got on a lucky one
Came in eighteen to one
I've got a feeling
This year's for me and you



Gary Jules - Mad World
From one on my favorite movies, comes one of my favorite songs, only fitting.


Our Lady Peace - Clumsy


Flogging Molly - Leave This World Alive


Wintersleep - Weighty Ghost
I got out of bed today, Swear to God I couldn’t see my face
I got out of bed today staring at a ghost
Who forgot to float away, didn’t have all that much to say



So that would be my 10... I'd also like to give props (yeah I just said that) to...
Tool - Sober
AC/DC- Back In Black
Billie Haliday - I'll be seeing you
Beastie Boy - Girls
Blondie - Heart of Glass