my hair, my ring, my husband

1. I did something last night that I didn't think I would do ever again - I colored my own hair. I did this for three huge reasons: first, I have been going to my hair guy for years, but the last two or three times I've gone, he isn't doing my hair the way I want it done, nor doing it the color I've wanted it either. He is coloring it the way HE wants it, and that my peeps, is not good business practice. I tell him darker, he goes lighter. I tell him lighter, it stays the same and doesn't even look like he's done a thing to it. The second reason is that - and don't choke - I can no longer afford the almost $300 it was costing me to get it done every 2-3 months. I know, I know, it's totally ridiculous to pay that much to get your hair done, but he wasn't always that expensive, and it's the only vice I have that I spend money on, and that's because once you have someone totally screw up your hair to the point of being in tears, you don't care how much you pay to have it done right. Gradually over the years he's increased his prices, and like a lemming I just follow along with the inflated prices and keep paying it because it's easier to shell out an extra $100 to not have to find someone new who charges less. Lastly, each time I've been there over the past year or more, the cost is always the same no matter what I get done to my hair - and how can THAT be??? If you go into the store one day and buy milk, bread, and butter, and it all comes to $5, then how is it you can go in the next week and buy just bread and have it also be $5, if there are set prices for everything??? So each time I go in there, it's always the same price, whether I get my hair cut or not. So if I go and get highlights and not get it cut for the same price as getting highlights and getting it cut, how the hell are you figuring that should be the same price if a haircut costs $60??? So I'm tired of it, and I finally took the plunge and dyed my own hair the color I've wanted it done for so many months, and I must say, it does look good. It's darker than my bright, fake-looking, brassy yellow hair was before, but that's good because it's really close to what my natural color is now. So after this whole long and rambling story, I have to say that I'm thankful to have finally bitten the bullet and did it myself! AND, I'm thankful that it turned out great!

2. I got my engagement ring back from the jeweler and it is so shiny and sparkling that I can't take my eyes off of it. I feel like I just got a new piece of jewelry! I am thankful I had the courage to leave my jewelry with the guy and that he did such a great job. I'm still having work done on my wedding band, so I'll have to wait and see how that turns out next week before I give thanks for that! lol...

3. My hubby is just the best, and I love him madly. I am so thankful to have him in my life!

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

fast times, sparkling jewels, new girl

1. When I say fast times, I mean that the time is flying by so fat that the 8 months we've been waiting since our LID has literally felt like only 2. I am thankful for beng so distracted and busy that the months are just flying by!

2. I just returned from picking up my jewelry, which was being serviced and polished (the stones were loose and they were filthy). I swear to you, I could blind someone with the shine coming off of these things right now, that's now great they look. I cant' peel my eyes from them - I feel like it's a brand new gift on Christmas and I'm 6 years old again! lol... I am so thankful for the great job the jeweler did on my rings!

3. We have a new girl answering the phones and she is AMAZING! I am so very thankful for her!

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

clean house, fall, big pants

1. I had a BBQ a few weeks ago and cleaned the house spic and span. We're having another BBQ a week from Saturday and the house is still relatively clean (huge shocker! lol!). I am thankful that we have been able to maintain a quasi-clean house!

2. Fall is my favorite season. There's something in the air, the holidays are around the corner, you can break out your sweaters... I just love that season! I am so thankful that fall is on its way!

3. Yesterday I wore a pair of pants that were a regular wardrobe piece for me for the past 6-12 months. They were a tad big on me, but they hung really nicely so I kept them and wore them regularly. Well, yesterday I decided that they're too big for me to wear anymore. They not only look big, but they feel ridiculous - like I'm wearing someone else's clothing. I haven't lost any more pounds, but I'm definitely losing inches, and those pants are proof of it. I am thankful to have pants that I can retire :)

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in the comments!)

Friends, camera, exercise

1. We had a great time with a newer friend this weekend. She is such a great person, and I am blessed to have become friends with her. I hope we have many more years of friendship to come! I am thankful for my new friend :)

2. I love my camera. I have loved my camera since before I even got my camera, but now I love it even more. I am SOOO thankful to have my kick-ass camera!

3. It seems that the dreaded monthly event that was becoming so painful and horrific on all counts has become increasingly and noticeably better this month. I am attributing it to increased exercise! My new motivation for exercising now - besides weight loss - is pain management from the dreaded cramps (which were so bad Saturday morning that they woke me up from a sound sleep) and lightening the monstrous quantity of, well, you know. I am thankful that my exercise has had an added benefit of making my womanly issues not as bad!

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

Oops, my bad...

Y'day was Thankful Thursday and I didn't even post any thanks! Ugh!

1. It seems that here in the northeast, the summer has already been shoved out the door and the fall has ushered itself in. Ok, well maybe it doesn't feel like that today, but it has felt like that for a week now. And, it's got me yearning for the days of pumpkins, wool sweaters, and the fiery, blazing hues of the trees as they don their autumn shawls of color. We've even slept with the windows open almost every night this week, and it's been chilly... perfect sleeping weather if you ask me. So, my first thanks is to the summer that took care of my plants so well, and the fall that is coming right behind it, that I can't wait for...

2. Again, even though the scale has stopped (it's THAT time of the month, my peeps), I continue to see the changes in my body despite the fact that I've still only lost 14% of the total number I need to lose. that equals 6.3% of my total body weight lost so far. I was shooting for 17% lost by Labor Day and 7.3% of my body weight gone, but with this wretched monthly female virus (of which I'm having serious issues with right now on top of it), I may not get there. But I still regard my changing form with approval regardless, and I am thankful for the opportunity to see the change through my eyes on my body, rather than through my body on the scale...

3. I love my fabulous husband. I am blessed and have been given the gift of a noble, kind, generous, morally steadfast man, and I am thankful for him.

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

pain, trips, hope

1. A very close friend emailed me yesterday to tell me that she just had a miscarriage at 7 weeks. She has a beautiful 2 year old son and was there for me when I needed someone to vent to when I had my miscarriages. Now, here she was, telling me about hers. I cried for her. Numerous times. I know that pain, and it's hard to not feel it again in an empathetic way when you hear about someone you love having to go through it for the first time, or any time for that matter. The thanks I give today is for my being able to help her with my words, being that I have BTDT. If there are thanks to be given, then I am thankful to be able to support my friend in such a personal way.

2. I am planning a trip to see once of my new bloggy BFF's. I am thankful to have the invite to go see her and spend time with her, because she is such a great person :)

3. I have hope about my weight loss and getting healthy. Even though the scale hasn't budged in almost a week, I still have hope - and faith even - that it will. I am thankful for this optimism.

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

Holy carp!

And yes, I do mean holy carp ;)

It's been WAY too long since I've been here. But I guess sometimes life just snatches you up and you don't even realize it til you notice that it's been 4 days since you posted on your DAILY thanks blog. Ugh.

Ok, so here are my three thanks today:

1. I am thankful that even thought the scale isn't going down right now, I'm losing inches.

2. I am thankful to be planing a trip to see one of my bloggy buddies in October, where I'll even see MORE bloggy buddies once I'm there.

3. I'm thankful for my arms that look as though I've started using weights... because I have :)


What are YOU thankful for today?

(Tell me in your comments!)

date with Hubby, getting lighter everyday, Friday

1. As I'd mentioned before, I have a date with Hubby tonight - and I am sooo thankful for that!

2. Even though I'm still at a 16.5 lb loss today, my enthusiasm and determination - and esteem - are overflowing. I am so thankful to feel this way.

3. It's Friday - do I need to be more specific than that??? lol...

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

perseverance, tomorrow, coffee

1. Because of my efforts, I have now lost 16.5 pounds! I am thankful that my perseverance has paid off!

2. Hubby is taking me on a date tomorrow, which coincidentally happens to be the 6 year anniversary of our first date - which he just remembered last night. We're going to the restaurant we went to on our second date, only because I don't get out of work and home until 9pm and the first restaurant we ever went to is too far away from us to make it there before they close. This other restaurant though is very close to where we live now, so that's where we'll go - which is cool, because we haven't been back since our second date! I am thankful to have a real date with my husband :)

3. I drink the best coffee in the world (at least I think so anyway). It's Cafe Bustelo, Cuban (or Spanish - not sure) espresso - and I make it in the coffee maker as if it were regular coffee. It's rich and strong without ever being bitter. I have it every morning, and after tasking what Dunkin Donuts tastes like compared to this, I am not, as Hubby says he is, forever ruined for "fast food" coffee. I am thankful to not only be saving money, but to be drinking better stuff too!

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

Oops - I missed a day: weight, noticing, friends

1. I have now lost 15 lbs! It feels like I'm barely trying, but that's not entirely true. I have reduced my calories, made sure I don't eat anything too heavy for dinner (I eat dinner at 9:30pm!) and have started walking at least 4x a week. The food has never been an issue for me because I don't eat poorly to begin with... but the exercise is what I think is doing it for me. I am thankful to not have gotten bored with exercising yet, and I'm thankful it's paying off!

2. My mother and sister both noticed that I'd lost weight - which is bizarre because usually I have to lose 30-40 lbs before anyone can tell (like Janet said!). My sister even went as far as to say that my face and arms are what looks smaller, specifically - which again is bizarre because that's exactly what I thought looked smaller on me, too! I am SO thankful to have someone notice my efforts - WHAT a motivator!

3. Kristen spent the weekend with us, and I am sooooo thankful to now have a true friend in the state of NJ :)

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

new friends, willpower, clean house

1. After having a bloggy bbq y'day, I'm am thankful for having met so many new people, and people that I knew online but not in person. I am also especially thankful for meeting Kristen... she's a keeper, for sure. I am so thankful to have met new friends...

2. Have you ever known someone who constantly says inappropriate things to you because they're so totally insecure, their goal is to make sure you "know" that they're better than you? Yeah. I hate those people. While I understand why they're doing it, I still can't stand them - they are such a waste of my time and oxygen. I am thankful that, when these types of people speak up, I have the willpower to not deck them. I am thankful that I am mature enough to know why they do what they do and that I have the willpower to see past it.

3. My house is c-l-e-a-n! Need I say more?

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

No work til Monday!, feeling ambitious, 14 lbs

1. Holy crap, I don't have to go back to work til Monday!!!! Like I mentioned once before, I'm still going to be cleaning and stuff at home while I'm off so it's not like I'm going to be a lady of leisure, but I'd rather scrub crap in my own house til I was riddled with pain than to sit for one hour at my place of work. So therefore, I am SOOOO thankful to have two whole days off!

2. I'm a little tired today, but I'm feeling ambitious! Now I just can't wait for Hubby to get his ass out the door so I can get down to business! (is it just me, or do you clean better too when your husband isn't around???). I'm so thankful to not feel dreadful or overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of things I have to do today.

3. So far, I have lost 14 lbs!!!! I am thankful to be so hopeful that I will finally, once and for all, lose all of my weight this time around...

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

knowing I have a problem, hubby's help, short week

1. Whenever I have people over, I need to clean the house. Well, ok, so does everyone when they have people over. But here's the thing: you'd be shocked to see how we live 24/7 when it's just us, knowing that no one comes to our house uninvited because we live an hour away from everyone we know. We're slobs. No Joke. It's like we're giant 8 year olds where we will use something and not put it back, or when we get in the house after work we drop our shit at the foot of the piano in the living room and it'll sit there til... well, till we plan on having company and it has to get moved. So what usually happens is that I get so overwhelmed with how much has to be done that I freeze up and do nothing. Not even kidding. It's a panic thing, and that's how I cope with it. Then, at the last minute (the day before) I take the day off from work (I always plan for it way in advance, knowing I do this...lol) and then I go CRAZY getting everything done - being too exhausted to really enjoy the festivities the next day. Well this year, this time, I planed even better. I took not only Friday off, but Thursday too. This way, I can freak out and clean on Thursday and then give myself a free day to try to relax and rest between the leaning and the party. I also started cleaning last week instead of two days before and I made a list of everything I'd like to do. I also stop myself when I feel the panic (lack of movement) set in and I talk myself out of it, and focus on doing one of the things on the list. So the thing I'm thankful about this is that I know I freeze up and go stagnant when I feel overloaded, and this is the very first time that I have been able to talk myself out of it and talk myself into doing something else. I am thankful for being able to plan ahead and move through my overwhelmed state.

2. Thank God for hubby and all of his help. I am very grateful for him, and for his assistance in getting the house ready.

3. Even though I took two days off to clean house and prepare for a BBQ, I'm still thrilled to have a short work week at my job. I would rather scrub shit in my own home til my knuckles bled than sit on my ass all day long in that godforsaken place. I am thankful to have only three days of it this week.

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

Short week, less pain, moulding

1. This week I took off on Thursday & Friday to prepare for a gathering at my house. Just knowing that I don't have to work the full week is sooooooo less stressful! I also usually only take one day off before a big event, but then I spent that entire day killing myself with cleaning, and then have to shoot straight into the party day with no reprieve. However this time around, I thought of that ahead of time and took both Thursday AND Friday off! I am so thankful to have a short week and to have had the forethought to take two days instead of one.

2. My heel spurs in my right foot were so bad yesterday that I was afraid of getting up off the couch a few times, afraid of the pain that I knew would follow. However this morning it's feeling MUCH better... I am thankful to have much less pain in my foot!

3. I was able to put up moulding in our bathroom this weekend - and it looks GREAT! While I did that, Hubby was upstairs cleaning...lol. We're soooo opposites in that arena - I do all the home improvement stuff, he does all the laundry...lol. I'm sure it could be better, but I think that for a novice, it tuned out pretty damn good. I am thankful to be resourceful enough to do almost any home DIY task set out to do!!!

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

Air conditioning, baby steps, good friends

1. I'm cleaning my house this entire weekend and OMG I am dripping with sweat. I had the air conditioner in the bedroom on and it helped, but every time I left that room it was an oven. I am thankful to be able to sit and take a break in my very very cold air conditioned room!

2. Like I said, I'm cleaning. But I'm not doing the "just put things somewhere so you can't see them" type of hurried "straightening", I'm REALLY going through things, throwing things out, organizing things, etc. I just moved a tiny book case from our bedroom to our crawl space (it's pretty huge actually and I can stand in it) and organized and moved all of the books that were on it as well. I cleaned out my nightstand drawer, under the nightstand (stray books there too) and moved another stack of books and magazines upstairs to the crawl space as well. Time spent? 2 hours. You'd never knew I did a damn thing in here for two hours because the place is still a sty...lol. However, moving those books has been on my list of things to do for almost a year if you can believe it - so I am thankful to finally have it done, no matter if it looks like I've done nothing...lol.

3. After my recent bout with an ass of a dr, I had a few bloggy pals email me. One even gave me the name of her Dr and guess what - they're in my medical plan! I am SO thankful for that, and thankful for my bloggy pals who support me.

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

new found motivation, Friday, my job

1. After having a doctor completely dismiss my health concerns and instead bash me about my weight (you can read the whole story on my other blog), I have a renewed interest in getting healthy - so that doctors will treat me instead of dismiss me because I'm fat. I am thankful for the renewed motivation I have to lose weight.

2. It's Friday - this week FLEW by. I am thankful for it being the last day of work this week!

3. Speaking of work, I really loathe my job, but it does provide me with a decent salary where I don't have to dig ditches for a living doing it. I am thankful for the low-maintenance job I have that pays me well.

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)

no pain, Wednesday, moving?

1. Ever since I had the second miscarriage in Feb, my "Aunt Flo" has been completely bizarre, painful, and getting worse and worse each month in many ways. This month was no exception. But this time. after being in pain at work, I left at the end of the day and on my way home, broke out into a cold sweat and just hoped to make it home before I really started feeling ill. Well, I made it home and I had a temperature of 100 (mine is usually 97. something, so that's like 101). I took some antibiotics that my Dr had given me for something else a few weeks ago, and sat on the couch in a daze, drifting in and out of sleep. About two hours later, I felt better. I went to sleep hoping I'd wake up and not feel sick, and, this morning when I got up, I was ok. I know I should go see my GYN, and I will, but for right now, I'm happy and thankful to be feeling better.

2. It's Wednesday, and that means it's halfway through the week - and I am thankful for that!

3. Yesterday I told Hubby that for our 10 year anniversary, I wanted to move to North Carolina - and he said "ok, let's work on a 5 year plan". I was floored. This has been something I've wanted to do before meeting him, and before getting married he'd originally said yes but totally changed his tune after getting married. Not sure what changed his mind, but at long last, I feel like I at least feel like I have some forward moving momentum in my life. I am very thankful for whatever gave Hubby a change of heart.

What are YOU thankful for?

(Tell me in your comments!)