Hmmm....

In 2 months, I will be cruising the Caribbean. Hubby and I will be celebrating our one year anniversary and finally taking our belated honeymoon cruise.

Problem is, my hips and thighs didn't shrink like I'd planned them to. Maybe, oh I don't know, because I've been a sedentary bum who drinks far too much Coke? Just a guess.

I've gained 10 pounds in the last year, thanks to stress and changes in my lifestyle. 10 isn't all that much, but when you're only 4'10", it is (yes, I am midget-esque). It's mainly, as I said, in my lower half (Why it couldn't go to the boobal region, I don't know). This will not be cute in a swimsuit.

So I've started really being aware of how many calories I'm taking in. Not obsessive. I'm not depriving myself or staying up at night freaking out about how many calories were in my carrot sticks. But I think twice before shoving down that cookie. I haven't given up soda completely (I cannot live that way) but my very occasional soda-of-choice is Diet Dr. Pepper. I'm aware there is no magic wand to wave to make the pounds disappear. "Eat less, move more" is the only way, so it's my mantra. I hate sweating, so this is a bit of a problem, but swimming, jump roping, hula hooping, weight training and inching my way toward the Couch to 5K program is better than nothing.

Hubby's on board (and quite honestly could benefit too). I don't think 2 months is an unreasonable time to shed a few pounds. 10 may not happen, but even 5 will help. Lean meats, whole grains, lots and lots of veggies. We grill just about every other night. I think the changes we're making will add up quickly. More importantly, they are changes we can handle and don't mind making. Sometimes you just have to shake yourself and get yourself on track, ya knows?

I'd like to start planning out our meals and shopping list for the week. Hubby's schedule is crazy (especially once basketball season starts!), so I'll have to be flexible. I'm thinking that has to be infinitely easier than my usual method of staring into the freezer 'til I settle on something to try to defrost quickly.

However, don't think for a minute I'm cutting out my glass o' wine while cooking dinner or cleaning. It will not get done otherwise, trust me. I may switch to vodka with diet tonic and lime (my fave cocktail). I'm all about sacrificing. (I need booze to clean...add that to the list of things I should not be admitting publicly. Oh well, too late. *Publish Post*)

The Lady & Sons

Hubby and I have decided to spend a week or so this summer road tripping through the South. My main goal was to visit Memphis, my mother's birthplace. We'll take a round-a-bout route of getting there, but I will in fact get my pork BBQ and blues experience. As we head out of Florida, we are also planning a stop in one of America's most beautiful cities....Savannah!

We'll leave out of Orlando early Monday morning and hopefully roll into Savannah by late morning. We were thinking of walking the streets and seeing the gardens and homes, as well as having lunch before heading up toward the mountains of western NC and eastern TN.

Well, as you can guess from this entry's title I am a HUGE Paula Deen fan. Seriously, I adore her. She reminds me of my mom in many ways. Eating at her restaurant (The Lady & Sons) would be the experience of a lifetime for me.

From what I know, people start lining up to get on the reservation list well before they begin taking them at 9:30am. Getting into town at 11 won't work. Plus (despite the fact the waiting is for what just has to be amazing food) I'm not sure how hot Hubby will be on waiting so long. We could always do our "walking tour" while we wait, right?

But who knows? My sister and her husband stopped in last fall on their way back from Charleston and were seated in less than 10 minutes. Could we get that lucky too? I am trying to convince myself that the wait will be shorter on a weekday, but with how popular Miss Paula is....?

Has anyone been there lately to tell me if it's "worth" the wait? I know "worth it" is a very personal thing, but for someone who loves Paula but is also a practical person, is this going to be a stressful way to start our trip? Are there better/similar places to get some fantastic Southern food?



Another "Go Magic" P.S.! We'll practically be in the rafters, but we'll be in the O-rena to cheer on our team!

Eww

I'm not a huge coffee drinker. When I do make a cup, it's 1/3 cofee, 1/3 milk, 1/3 water (and let's not talk about how much Splenda). I always swore I'd never acquire a taste for it (but then again, I swore I'd never develop a taste for beer, and unfortunately for my thighs that's no longer the case).

Actually, my taste for beer parallels my taste in coffee pretty well. I don't know beer. I like swilly beer. Cheap beer. Pale yellow beer. "Lite" beer. Nothing complex or cultured. I am unapologetic in my love of unsophisticated beer. The same goes for coffee. Folgers, Maxwell House, Barnie's, Fourbucks Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts....it's all the same. I don't know 7-11 from Blue Mountain. I can't tell if it's burned or old or decaf. That said....

WHY DID NO ONE EVER TELL ME HOW BAD INSTANT IS??!!

Hubby doesn't drink coffee at all. So much for saving money by not buying a coffeemaker for that 1/3 cup I want in the morning. We're going to Target this weekend. Oh well, I tried.

A bit of this, a bit of that...

A few random thoughts, because that's all I can manage today!

* I made a really great dinner! Shrimp and (cheese) grits. OMG. Y'all. Sooo good. I haven't had shrimp and grits in a long time, and I'd forgotten what a sublime combination it is. It was a Paula Deen recipe, so how could I go wrong? I love Paula. She reminds me of my mama! I cannot find the recipe I used online, but it is in her book, Paula Deen and Friends: Living it up, Southern Style. (I have all her cookbooks, I told you I have a serious Paula fixation!)

* Speaking of Paula, I think I'm going to try to get Hubby to do long weekend in Savannah soon. I need to visit The Lady & Sons. Maybe if we can do a 4 day weekend (perhaps in early June after school's over?) we could visit Charleston too. Once I get an idea in my head, I obsess over it. So knowing me, I'll have our weekend planned before we even pick a time to go!

* I want an iced tea maker. I have an electric kettle (which could be my very favorite kitchen appliance...after my KitchenAid mixer and waffle iron...) so I am set for making hot tea. And yes, I use it to make iced tea, so it is a multi-tasker. But still, I say we need a Mr. Coffee Iced Tea Maker.

* To detox after a long and stressful day at work, I sat down after dinner and read some new (to me) blogs. It seems everyone but me stocked up on the adorable pink and green springy things Target was selling recently. Beyond cute. I want a green damask beverage tub! And those adorable placemats! And ohmygoodness, that apron. This is the only "bad" part about being married: Hubby, despite his tolerance for my love of all things super-girly, doesn't not want to live in a home that appears to be decorated by Elle Woods (silly man). I did buy that pink peony arrangement--I love peonies, and it was cheaper than attempting to make it myself.

I think it's time for me to head off to dreamland. Tomorrow promises to be another "fun" day at work (and yes, when I say "fun", I mean "never-ending", haha) I am grateful to have a job, don't get me wrong. I know plenty of people who'd love to have a job to complain about. I thank my lucky stars! But if a girl can't have a bit of an outlet on her own blog, where can she?